Animals Australia
The racehorse collapsed at the finish line. He'd injured his left foreleg, fracturing the bone near his fetlock joint at the base of his leg. People rushed over, holding up large green tarps to prevent the crowd - as well as those watching the race on TV - from seeing the horse in pain. Eventually the tarps came down. The horse - named Red Cadeaux - had gotten to his feet and trotted toward an ambulance trailer. The crowd cheered, probably believing the horse was going to be OK. A couple days later, Racing Victoria even announced that Red Cadeaux was "comfortable" and his fracture was "stable," and that Dr. Chris Whitton from the University of Melbourne believed his injury was "not currently life-threatening." Dodo Shows Foster Diaries Guy Falls In Love With His Little Meatball Of A Foster Dog Then, a few weeks later, the public got a different story: Now Red Cadeaux's leg injury was "irreversible," and he was euthanized on November 20, 2015. Red Cadeaux was the fourth horse to die in the last four years of the Melbourne Cup, Australia's famous - in some ways infamous - horse race, which takes place in November each year. In 2014, two horses - Admire Rakti and Araldo - died after sustaining race-related injuries. In 2013, a horse named Verema was euthanized right on the racetrack, although green tarps prevented the crowd from seeing what was happening. At this year's Melbourne Cup, which took place on Tuesday, no horses died - but many were expecting them to. In fact, an Australian broadcaster released a satirical piece weighing which horse would be most likely to die. While many people are appalled by the deaths of these horses, the Melbourne Cup continues to hold mass appeal in Australia - there are office parties, booze-filled luncheons and cash wagers. About 100,000 people attend the Melbourne Cup in person, and millions watch it on TV. The race also makes the Australian state of Victoria a lot of money. In 2014, the race made approximately $194.9 million AUD (about $149 million USD) in revenue, according to a racing industry report. Animals Australia But horses pay a high price for this profit - not just at the Melbourne Cup, but in all Australian horse races. In 2015, 132 racehorses died in race courses across Australia due to repeat injuries, according to the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses. That's about one death every three days. When horses can't race anymore, they're "retired," but this doesn't mean they're sent to grassy fields to graze and sunbathe. "Retirement" usually means slaughter. In Australia, horsemeat is mainly used in dog food, but some is sent to Belgium or France for human consumption. It's not only "retired" racehorses who are slaughtered - young horses who never make the cut are sent to their deaths as well. For instance, if a horse is deemed "too slow" or "too untrainable," or just doesn't have the right physique for racing, he will most likely be sent to the slaughterhouse. Over 25,000 Australian horses are killed in slaughterhouses each year, according to Animals Australia. What's more, horses usually have to watch their friends and family members die while they wait to be killed. Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses This ex-racehorse is one of the lucky ones - he's now living at a sanctuary. | Freedom Hill Sanctuary After everything the puppy had been through, it was incredible he was still alive. Charley, a mastiff mix, was born at a meat farm near Wonju, a city in South Korea about 87 miles east of Seoul. Charley, his mom and his four siblings lived inside a metal cage housed in a shed made of tin and plastic. John Peaveler/HSUS The farmer who bred them fed the dogs a kind of "gruel" made out of old vegetables, rotting meat and water. They had no bedding and no fresh water. Their cages were never cleaned, and excrement piled up in the corners. Frank Loftus/HSUS The shed had no ventilation and the stench was overwhelming. Frank Loftus/HSUS Besides Charley and his family, there were over 200 dogs at this particular dog meat farm. When the dogs were big enough, they'd be slaughtered, and their meat would be sold to nearby restaurants. Dodo Shows Adopt Me! Scared Little Dog Is So Full Of Joy Now And Looking For A Family Frank Loftus/HSUS Dog meat farming is actually legal in South Korea - and it's a massive industry. Kelly O'Meara, director of companion animals and engagement for Humane Society International (HSI), told The Dodo that an estimated 2.5 million dogs are raised for meat in South Korea every year. HSI has been working to shut down the dog meat trade in South Korea by giving farmers incentives to stop killing dogs. They'll offer financial assistance to farmers to start another career, as long as the farmer agrees to leave the dog meat business, relinquish all his dogs to the HSI and destroy the metal cages. Meredith Lee/HSUS In May 2016, John Peaveler, an animal welfare consultant who works as a contractor for HSI, helped shut down the South Korean meat farm where Charley was being held. Peaveler then transported the dogs to the U.S. and Canada. The process, according to Peaveler, wasn't easy. "We rescued them in batches," Peaveler told The Dodo. "You can only fit about 18 dogs on a plane, and that's if most of them are small, but many dogs are quite large. So one truck a day with 14 to 18 dogs on it to the airport, and back to the hotel to do the next batch. It's a very painstaking process." Meredith Lee/HSUS While most of the dogs were ready for immediate transport, Charley got held back. "Charley was quite sick," Peaveler said. "We thought he wasn't going to make it." Charley was sent to a local vet hospital, where he was treated for worms and parasites. When he was strong enough to fly, Charley got a seat of honor in the cabin as he flew with Peaveler to San Francisco. John Peaveler While animals are technically supposed to stay in their crates and underneath the seat in front of them, the flight crew bent the rules for Charley, especially after they heard what he'd been through. "The flight crew were taking shifts," Peaveler said. "They were switching positions so they could have puppy time." Peaveler initially fostered Charley at his home in Vermont, but he already had three dogs, and he knew Charley needed more individualized attention. John Peaveler Peaveler brought Charley to a local Humane Society United States (HSUS) meeting, and it was there that Charley met Jennifer Riccio. "Someone had just come in from walking Charley," Riccio told The Dodo. "He came up to me and started nudging my hand." Riccio fell madly in love with Charley and offered to foster him. But after spending two weeks with him, Riccio knew she wanted to keep him. Jennifer Riccio Charley had his forever home now, but his troubles weren't behind him. A few months after arriving at Riccio's, Charley started having problems with his legs. Jennifer Riccio "His front leg was twisting," Riccio said. "He has a lot of trouble walking on it because it was so twisted." The vet told Riccio that Charley's leg issues were due to the malnutrition he suffered at the dog meat farm. Now that Charley was getting enough nutrition in his food, some of his bones were growing normally. Other bones, however, had stopped growing. John Peaveler He said Charley needed surgery, and might need surgery on his back legs too at a later point. "He was having such a hard time walking, so he was constantly falling," Riccio said. "Two weeks before his front leg surgery, we had to carry him everywhere - in and out of the house. It was really sad to see him like that." Jennifer Riccio Charley's procedure was successful, but he got a massive infection and was quarantined inside the house until he got better. "A lot of times we couldn't have him running or anything, so when he was in the house, I'd blow some bubbles for him," Riccio said. "He'd absolutely go crazy - he'd try and bite them." Jennifer Riccio Charley's passion for bubbles didn't stop when he got better - in fact, he became more obsessed them. "We'd go outside, and I'd blow bubbles for him, and he just loves it," Riccio said. "He knows where we keep the bubbles in the house, so he'll go and sit down next to the cabinet, and start looking at it as if to say, 'Get the bubbles out!'" Jennifer Riccio Charley is doing much better now, and Riccio believes he'll make a full recovery. Jennifer Riccio In human years, Woodrow is a teenager, so it follows that his love was fairly short-sighted. After an intoxicating start, she began showing up late for dates. Then she took a trip to Greece. Upon return, she began standing him up entirely. The last straw came when Woodrow saw his sweetheart breezily riding her bike with another dog trotting alongside. Woodrow looked heartbroken (although he always does). Dog walking the old-fashioned, analog kind is an imperfect business. Finding and vetting a good walker involves confusing and conflicting web research, from Yelp to Craigslist. And theres no reliable way to tell how good or bad a walking service is. Coming home to find the dog alive and the house unsoiled is pretty much the only criteria for success, unless one snoops via camera or neighbour. Recognizing room for improvement, a pack of startups are trying to swipe the leash from your neighbours kid. At least four companies flush with venture cash are crowding into the local dog-walking game, each an erstwhile Uber for the four-legged set. Woodrow, like many a handsome young New Yorker, gamely agreed to a frenzy of online-dating to see which was best. As the search algorithm is to Google and the zany photo filter is to Snapchat, the poop emoji is to the new wave of dog-walking companies. Strolling along with smartphones, they literally mark for you on a digital map where a pup paused, sniffed, and did some business, adding a new level of detail perhaps too much detail to the question of whether a walk was, ahem, productive. This is the main selling point for Wag Labs, which operates in 12 major cities, and Swifto, which has been serving New York City since 2012. Both services track dog-walker travels with your pooch via GPS, so clients can watch their pets route in real-time on dedicated apps. This solves the nagging question in dog-walking: whether and to what extent did the trip actually happen. After taking Woodrow for a spin, both services posted report cards with route maps, time, distance, a little write-up, and a photo of the dog. With his ears hanging limp, a dopey, tongue-wagging grin, and glassy eyes, Woodrow looked like a blissed-out hippy. Next, we tried DogVacay and Rover, the other two startups in the walking wars. These services arent nearly as slick with their status reports, but they are far bigger and better funded. Together, they have raised $138.5 million (U.S.) from some of Silicon Valleys most influential venture capitalists. In scheduling a walk, both platforms populate maps with nearby walkers, each of which offers a price they set themselves. This is a full-on Uber-like embrace of the gig economy. While Swifto and other regional services hire walkers and require them to commit to a minimum number of walks, DogVacay and Rover are geared for dog-lovers who want to make a few extra dollars on a Monday afternoon. The value proposition is: sign up for free, make money watching puppies, says DogVacay founder Aaron Hirschhorn. Finding labour hasnt been a challenge for either company. Both companies go to great lengths to screen potential walkers, each claiming to accept fewer than one in five. Those who get bad ratings are kicked off and the best walkers are bubbled up to the top of search results by algorithm. After a Rover query, Bryn showed up on the top of the list. A few days later, she stopped by for a gratis meet-and-greet with a reassuringly hefty ring of keys clipped to her belt-loop. Meanwhile, Daniel from DogVacay showed up in a stocking cap and Vibram minimalist running shoes. He typically doesnt do walks, but said he was between jobs and seemed genuinely happy to pad around with a fellow bro, albeit a furry one. Woodrow, ever dopey, trotted off with Daniel as if he were family. There are good reasons why startups are relatively new to dog-walking; it is, by many respects, a spectacularly bad business. People (myself included) are crazy about their dogs in a way they arent about taxis, mattresses, or any other tech-catalyzed service. Logistically, its dismal. Walking demand is mostly confined to the few hours in the middle of a weekday and unit economics are hard to improve without walking more than one dog at a time. More critically, dog-walking is a fairly small market the business is largely confined to urban areas where yards and doggie-doors arent the norm. And dog-walkers dont come cheap. Woodrows walks ran from $15 for a half-hour with DogVacays Daniel to $20 for the same time via Wag and Swifto. A 9-to-5er who commits to that expense every weekday will pay roughly $4,000 to $5,000 over the course of a year, a hefty fee for avoiding guilt and not having to rush home after a long workday. All told, the entire U.S. dog-walking segment is worth roughly $1 billion, according to IBISWorld. Not surprisingly, tech startups like DogVacay and Rover, who probably hope to make that kind unicorn money all by themselves, are more squarely focused on dog-sitting, which comprises about seven times as much revenue. The hope for this new pack of companies is that dog-walking demand is actually much bigger than it appears. Rover chief executive officer Aaron Easterly calls this the shadow market: people who dont trust their critter in the hands of a stranger and either call in favours with family and friends or just force their pup to hold it in a few extra hours. If you can solve the trust barrier and make this just a normal thing . . . we think you can cause a step function to the size of the market, he explains. Venky Ganeson, a managing director at Menlo Ventures, heard that idea five years ago when his firm decided to invest in Uber. It was a little bit like deja vu when I met Aaron, he said of the Rover CEO. Menlo typically only invests in early-stage companies, but in September it joined Rovers fifth round of funding, a $40 million pile. We kind of doubled down, Ganeson said. The companys metrics give us great comfort. Rover said its on track to pick up between $100 million and $200 million in revenue this year. DogVacay has a run-rate of $70 million a year, at the moment. In the end, almost all of the walkers Woodrow tested out were fairly competent, though there were issues that had little to do with the company they were aligned with. A Swifto walker showed up late. A Wag walker struggled to open our lockbox. A DogVacay member neglected to nix walking from her profile; she only offers sitting, an important nuance only arrived at after a long messaging volley. However, different walkers from all of those services performed without a hitch. It became clear that much of a great dog-walking experience rests on personality and general competence, both of which are difficult to optimize with an algorithm. Its not unlike eating at a fine restaurant: all of the waiters will be good, but you are going to like some more than others. This is where mom-and-pop dog-walking shops may still have an edge. After Woodrows many walks, my top pick would be Ruff City, a small New York-based business with about 40 walkers doing about 200 walks a day. Co-founders Heather Doll and Stacia Anderson handle every scheduling request personally as well as all of the hiring (they prefer walkers who are in grad school, freelancing, or trying to make it in the arts). We want to ensure there is a real human factor, not just people logging on and changing their walks and not ever speaking to me, Doll says. The shared economy works really well for a lot of things, but I do think people would enjoy the personalization of a smaller company when it comes to their dogs. In six years, Ruff City hasnt expanded beyond the East Side of Manhattan; even with the new crop of competition, it hasnt had to. Until it does, Woodrow will be walking with Bryn via Rover or any other company she decides to join. Swifto and Wag only offer individual walks unless an owner has multiple dogs. DogVacay and Rover allow walks in packs if a client agrees to it. Read more about: SHARE: OTTAWADefence Minister Harjit Sajjan will travel to Mali and Senegal later this week as the Liberal government considers where to send hundreds of Canadian peacekeepers. The stop in Mali is noteworthy as the West African country has long been seen as among the top candidates for a Canadian mission. The United Nations established an operation there called MINUSMA in April 2013 after French and African Union forces pushed back rebel and Islamic militant forces that had taken control in the north of the country. The current UN force numbers about 13,000 troops and 2,000 police and while it includes contributions from Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, most of the contingents are from countries in Africa and South Asia. The mission is extremely complex and includes everything from training local forces to protecting civilians, to counter-insurgency operations. It is also extremely dangerous: More than 100 blue helmets have been killed in Mali over the past four years, including 32 this year. Sajjans office says his four-day, two-country tour is simply intended to collect information and should not be seen an indication Canada is about to join the Mali mission. The defence minister previously visited the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is also home to a large UN peacekeeping mission, as part of a five-country tour in August. But theres no denying Mali has become a popular destination for Canadian officials in recent months. International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau visited there during a three-country tour of West Africa at the beginning of September. The government sent a reconnaissance team of officials from National Defence, Global Affairs and the RCMP to take a closer look at the UN mission around the same time. The UN has also made no secret of its desire to see Canadian troops in Mali, as the peacekeeping mission desperately needs the type of advanced skills and equipment that Canada can deploy. That includes helicopters and intelligence personnel. The Canadian militarys francophone skills are also considered assets in a French-speaking country such as Mali. The government has previously said a decision on Canadas next peacekeeping mission will be announced by the end of the year, though Sajjan appeared to back off that timeline on Tuesday. We need to go into this eyes wide open, he said. So based on that, I have not set a deadline as I want to make sure that we do all the necessary work, so that we can have the meaningful impact. Read more about: SHARE: A Brooklyn man charged with striking and killing a bicyclist while on his way to work in August who was initially freed on bail and then re-arrested on suspicion of violating conditions of his release is free again after his family posted $10,000 bail. Dane County Circuit Judge William Hanrahan agreed Tuesday to lower the bail for Kevin D. Meister to $10,000, which Meisters lawyer said his family could afford to post. Meister, 35, is charged with hit and run causing death and second-degree reckless homicide for the Aug. 5 death of Shelton Berel, 33, of Madison, who was struck while riding his bicycle on Lincoln Road in the town of Oregon. Meister was initially released on $5,000 bail on Aug. 10, but was taken back into custody after he was caught by the Dane County Bail Monitoring Program on Aug. 25 trying to fake a urine test by using a plastic bottle that contained clean urine. When he gave a urine sample later, it tested positive for morphine, which is a metabolite of heroin, according to court documents. Meister was charged with bail jumping, and his bail was increased to $50,000. It was later lowered to $20,000, but Meisters lawyer, Daryl Jensen, argued Tuesday that it was still too high for Meisters family to post. Hanrahan warned Meister that if his family posted his bail it would not be returned to them if Meister again violated conditions of his bail. Its easy to be irresponsible when its not your money, Hanrahan told Meister. Authorities suspect that Meister was under the influence of heroin when they say he struck and killed Berel. State Assistant Attorney General Emily Thompson, who is assisting the Dane County District Attorneys Office in the case, said Tuesday that prosecutors are waiting for the results of chemical tests to determine whether heroin was in Meisters system that morning. According to a criminal complaint, syringes and other items related to drug use were found in Meisters truck. A search warrant filed last week also states that in a Sept. 20 recorded jail telephone conversation, an unidentified woman asked Meister whether he was drinking at the time of the crash, and he replied, No, but I was high. The search warrant, which sought to search two cellphones for the source of Meisters heroin, also states that Meister was arrested on Jan. 20 by the state Division of Criminal Investigation and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency after he sold heroin to an undercover agent. During an interview after his arrest he told agents about having a daily heroin habit over the previous 3 years, the warrant states. No charges were issued as a result of that arrest. NEW YORKU.S. prosecutors are focusing on Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.s former CEO and CFO as they build a fraud case against the company that could yield charges within weeks, according to people familiar with the matter. Authorities are looking into potential accounting fraud charges related to the companys hidden ties to Philidor Rx Services, a specialty pharmacy company that Valeant secretly controlled, the people said. Federal prosecutors in Manhattan and agents at the FBI in New York have been investigating the company for at least a year. Prosecutors are examining the actions of J. Michael Pearson, Valeants former CEO, and Howard Schiller, the ex-CFO who became interim CEO during a medical leave by Pearson, according to the people, who discussed the confidential proceedings on the condition of anonymity. Prosecution of individual executives could go beyond just those two, one person said, adding that Philidor executives could also be charged. We are in frequent contact and continue to co-operate with U.S. authorities, Valeant said in a written statement. We do not comment on rumours about investigations, and cannot comment on or speculate about the possible course of any ongoing investigation. Valeant takes these matters seriously and intends to uphold the highest standards of ethical conduct. A Pearson lawyer, Bruce Yannett, declined to comment. Dan K. Webb, a lawyer for Schiller, didnt immediately comment. Spokespeople for the FBI and Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, declined to comment. Jonathan Rosen, a lawyer for Philidor, didnt respond to requests for comment. No charging decisions have been made and the case remains fluid, the people said. Among the possibilities, the U.S. Justice Department could settle with the company and later take action against individuals, one person said. Valeant shares dropped more than 12 per cent to $17.84 in New York, the lowest closing pricing since June 2010. The companys most actively traded debt, $3.25 billion of 6.125 per cent notes due in 2025, dropped 2 cents to 77 cents at 4:09 p.m. in New York according to Trace, the bond price reporting system of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Prosecution of top corporate executives over accounting fraud allegations is a rare step, and the complexity of such cases can make them hard to bring. In the early and mid-2000s, the U.S. won a series of accounting-related convictions against chief executives at companies including Enron Corp., Cendant Corp. and WorldCom Inc. More recently, enforcement efforts shifted toward Wall Street in the wake of the financial crisis. Top officials at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where many accounting fraud investigations begin, have called for a renewed focus on corporate accounting improprieties over the past few years, but so far few cases involving companies as large as Valeant have emerged. Laval, Quebec-based Valeant, once a darling of Wall Street, has drawn scrutiny in recent years for its practice of acquiring drugs and dramatically increasing their prices. While the precise contours of the governments case against Valeant arent clear, allegations of questionable company practices have emerged in the last year as lawsuits and government investigations mounted. Pearson, the former CEO, was a key architect of Valeants growth over the years. He stepped down from his role last spring and continues to work as a consultant to the company from a Valeant office near his home, according to the people familiar with the matter. A person close to the company said that Pearson no longer makes business decisions on behalf of Valeant. Schiller was blamed by Valeant for improper conduct that led the company to restate its earnings for 2014 and 2015, an assertion disputed by Schiller. He stepped down as CFO in 2015 and left the company board this year. U.S. prosecutors in Boston and Philadelphia are also said to be conducting separate inquiries of Valeant. Bostons investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter, focuses on Valeants payments to charities that then helped patients make co-payments for the soaring cost of Valeant drugs, some of the most expensive on the market. The Philadelphia case is examining Valeants billing of government health-are programs for the companys drugs, another person said. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Boston didnt respond to a request for comment. Michele Mucellin, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, declined to comment. Valeant said in October 2015 that federal prosecutors in New York had issued subpoenas seeking information on the companys drug distribution and pricing decisions. It later disclosed an investigation by the SEC. Judy Burns, an SEC spokesperson, declined to comment. Short-sellers first raised questions about Valeants accounting practices and relationship with Philidor a year ago. As it turned out, Valeant had offered Philidor executives tens of millions of dollars in incentives to sell its products at a time when the relationship between the companies was still secret, according to hundreds of pages of evidence released by U.S. Senate investigators this year. Though they were nominally separate companies, Valeant was Philidors only client, a class-action lawsuit in New Jersey alleges. Valeant ultimately acknowledged its financial control of Philidor. In February, Valeant restated its results for 2014 and 2015, disclosing it recorded $58 million in revenue from Philidor earlier than it should have. Valeants restatement dealt with its booking of revenue at the time its products were delivered to Philidor, even though the products had not yet been sold a practice known as channel stuffing. The restatement acknowledged that because Valeant was in the process of taking control of Philidor, the movement of product amounted to shifting inventory from one arm of the company to another and therefore wasnt revenue. Philidor, founded in 2013, used tactics to increase insurance reimbursements for Valeant medicines, including submitting claims using other pharmacies identification numbers and altering codes on some doctors prescriptions, Bloomberg News reported last fall. In late 2014, Valeant paid $100 million for an option to acquire Philidor, in a transaction that required no further payments to take control of the company. After the relationship between the two became known, Valeant acknowledged that it had incorrectly recorded shipments to Philidor as revenue. Valeant said last year that it would shutter Philidor after benefits managers questioned its practices and refused to continue doing business with it. The ties between the companies were particularly close. Valeant executives worked at Philidor, the asset manager T. Rowe Price Group Inc. alleges in a lawsuit against the company filed in August. Also, senior Valeant management and board members including the entire audit committee on one occasion went on site visits to Philidor, the suit alleges. E-mails and transcripts of conference calls show that senior company management and board members knew of the accounting treatment of Valeants relationship with Philidor, according to the suit. Valeant hasnt filed a response in the case. With assistance from Matt Robinson and Claire Boston SHARE: By some definitions the eldest millennials will start turning 40 as of Jan. 1. Thank the stars. Maybe then we can put an end to the so-called stereotypes allegedly embraced by their elders. You know: that millennials are entitled, lazy, disloyal. All that malarkey. Allow me to get personal: I birthed a few of those millennial people. I opened my refrigerator to hordes of millennial people. My nieces and nephews are millennial people. I have taught millennial people. I have worked and continue to work with millennial people. I like them very much. Perhaps my years in the business trenches caused me to gaze upon these broad stereotypes circa the 1990s with a jaundiced eye. Old-time corporations get skittish when they imagine that workers cannot be moulded per order. You can imagine how scared they were in 1968. Naturally, the popular press seized on soft features that could attempt to describe the millennial generation in terms not of progress free thinking; work-life balance but how these deemed characteristics might negatively upend how young workers have conventionally been socialized into a postwar idea of how the working world worked. This was great fodder for feature writers and weekly magazines. Consumer products manufacturers predictably became obsessed with how to sell to this self-assured generational cohort who appeared more discerning and less compliant. Was this an unheard of challenge? Nope comes with the territory. Empirical, peer-reviewed studies? Those were a longer time coming. And what did those studies reveal? That millennials like to be kept in the loop. They dislike secrecy. They favour transparency. They are opinionated. They challenge authority. They are global in outlook. They want to be valued in their work. They value altruism. And they are making their way into the C-Suite. If we accept 1980 as the generational launch date, Mark Zuckerberg, 32, emerges as the most high-profile of the group. What kinds of companies will the developing leaders of the millennial generation be? The elder generation can hope for positive change. When the IBM Institute for Business Value examined the myth of the millennials, three uncomfortable truths were documented. Did these reinforce the fallacious stereotypes? No. The institutes research revealed a first truth: that millennials dont fully understand their companys business strategy and managers and customers expectations. In this, they were almost as frustrated as baby boomers. (More than 60 per cent of boomers said they didnt understand their companys brand. Fifty per cent of surveyed millennials felt similarly.) Uncomfortable truth number two: 60 per cent of millennials felt that the customer experience is poor. Seventy per cent of boomers felt similarly. Number three: boomers and millennials alike cited the same obstacles to technological advancement with their organization, including a lack of technological savvy at the top, and an inability on the part of top executives to envision future needs. Where does the cohort end? With those born in 1995? With those born in 2000? Do 16-year-olds tend to be a touch self-absorbed? Experience says yes, which makes the millennial cohort no different from any other. What is different, as we all know, is that its darned tough to be 25 today. University is expensive, a BA is a ticket to nothing, the job market is bleak and the prospect of owning a home in Toronto is wildly out of reach. Heck, renting an apartment is wildly out of reach. As my sister-in-law apologized to her late-20s son on the weekend: We really f----ed it up for you guys. The research worth doing now is how the millennial generation will positively impact the world of work. As we flush the 70-year-old white male out of the office of the CEO now theres a stereotype we will usher in technologically savvy, globally aware smart folk. Thats the way I see the millennial generation. Our fate is in their hands. I think were darned lucky. Those hoary stereotypes from a decade ago? Well we can flush those out of the system too. jenwells@thestar.ca SHARE: When Donato Di Camillo got out of prison in 2011, he took up street photography and experienced another kind of release more of a cathartic scream. The New York resident was having difficulty finding employment. His family helped him buy a camera and he hit the streets of Staten Island taking pictures. He found he was drawn to people on the fridges who he got talking to and then photographed. He shared these raw intimate moments online at donatodicamillo.com and they got noticed in the photographic community. In just five years, Di Camillo transformed from inmate at a Petersburg, Va., medium-security federal prison to a buzzed-about street photographer, whose images have been shared on websites from Ireland to China. In some of the photographs, his subjects are laughing, in others they are scowling. In many, its difficult to discern between cry or laugh. All of them are little screams to Di Camillo. I have a lot of frustration in me. I think we all do. Its a way for me to channel that, says Di Camillo by phone from Staten Island. Photography is a tool to navigate through life without having to say much, he says. While the 47-year-olds swift evolution shows the power of passion and artistic expression, he says the prison system didnt help much. Theres only a few things you can do in prison. Either you can get in trouble or read or exercise. Di Camillo was sentenced to 36 months behind bars for crimes in connection with New York Citys Colombo crime family. He spent more than two years in prison. He always had an interest in photography and with time on his hands but no access to a camera, Di Camillo hit the books. He pored over National Geographic, Smithsonian and Life magazines hed traded for postage stamps. While his cellmate mocked his artistic curiosity, Di Camillo read about the esthetics of composition and admired the work of street photographers including Bruce Gilden, whose difficult portraits of people on the streets are reminiscent of Di Camillos portfolio. DiCamillo can recall his first subject, a woman in line at a food bank arguing with the person dispensing food for an extra bologna sandwich. It was disheartening, he says. His exposure to Americans on these disturbing fringes stirred something in him. It was how I saw things when I came home. There were a lot more homeless and mentally ill, a lot more than I had noticed, maybe because I wasnt looking before. Now my eyes are wide open, he says. It sparked a human interest in me. I was just curious as to why and how they wound up like they did and what the government is doing. In a photo essay titled The Fringe, mangled toes poke through broken Polo shoes in one image, a man bites down on a dandelion stem with smoke stained teeth in another, yet another reveals scarred forearms. His approach has allowed him to capture hundreds of intimate moments that he began to share online, getting noticed on National Geographics Your Shot photo submission community. I put my hand out with a big smile and I tell them theres no harm, he says of making the connection. The photograph is the least important thing. For me its communicating with people and having them become more at ease. Di Camillos eye as a street photographer is better for his experiences in prison, struggling through the systems as many of his subjects may have done. Who better to understand and to see the dark world thats around us than somebody whos been exposed to the darkest crevasse of our society? says Dave Gussak, an art therapist and professor at Florida State University, who has studied the affects of art in prisons. How much further on the fringe can you get than somebody whos been put in prison? The act of creating art has been shown to improve the mood of inmates and can influence their environment, according to Gussaks research. It can also act as a safe emotional release. That Di Camillo equates his photography to screaming makes a lot of sense to Gussak. Art becomes a great holding piece for ones emotional expression, he says. If he was to stand on the corner and scream, no one would accept it. Though much of Di Camillos early photography work on the fringes was dark both in content and composition, theres plenty of light in Di Camillos world now. He is starting to make a living off the craft, selling prints and instructing street photography workshops for amateurs. In a recent series called Beach Body Bingo, Di Camillo photographed people on Coney Island beach, the iconic Wonder Wheel in the background. One woman wades on the shore in a burka, her young son tugging at her waist. A 93-year-old wearing a solar nose guard and sunglasses is out exercising, and another woman displays long bedazzled fingernails, covering her face like a subject might have in his earlier photos of people on the fringes of his city. These photos have a new vibrancy children playing on the shores, bathers gazing up at the sky. The colour could indicate that Di Camillo is growing comfortable in his craft, says Gussak, ready to play with a more challenging visual palette. Or maybe Di Camillo just needs to scream a little less these days. SHARE: The Kate effect selling out fashions worn by the Duchess of Cambridge is well established, as are the frenzies stirred up by offspring George and Charlottes sartorial moments. Canadas own Reitmans may be mobbed when the second Meghan Markle capsule collection launches Thursday on the heels of romantic rumours linking the TV star to one very eligible, very red-haired prince. Six days before that gossip bomb landed, an impromptu celebration took place at Soho House in Toronto, though the reason is now virtually eclipsed by the Prince Harry factor. Palace-worthy cut-glass coupes appeared magically at the leather-rimmed round booth, followed, also via invisible hands, by champagne. Markle, who plays paralegal-turned-law student Rachel Zane on the filmed-in-Toronto smash legal series Suits, had received some big news on her way to this interview: she had surfed past one million followers on Instagram earlier in the day. Just imagine what will happen to her Insta numbers now? The excitement comes at an all-around swell moment for this California girl, who turned 35 over the summer. The collaboration with Montreal-based Reitmans is totally an extension of my personal style, she says, which she describes as, Aspirational Girl Next Door. She was deeply and passionate involved in the design process. Im a brash American and if my name is going to be on something, Im going to have my say. The five-piece line is modelled after what she wears in real life, running from day to night engagements, on and off of planes. It is also an accessible version of the glamorous duds she wears in character. It is cast in sophisticated shades and includes two cashmere ponchos (grey and white), snug skinny trousers and a sexy pencil skirt both in chamois-soft black vegan leather, silk blouses also in grey or white and a fitted black bodysuit that riffs on Donna Karans revolutionary 1985 contribution to practicality and sleekness in womens workwear. Every piece in the line rings up at less than $100. These girls go in to the store with their hard-earned money, she says, of the fans who made her first Reitmans dress collection this spring a virtual first-day sellout. And I care about that. I was not a girl who grew up buying $100 candles. I was the girl who ran out of gas on her way to an audition. Actually, she continues, the doors of my car were both stuck shut. I had to pretend I was rooting around the back seat for a script and then crawl surreptitiously into the front seat. She wants to represent, she says, the girl I was when I was struggling to make it. Her fans, many in the 15 to 22 female age group, have an encyclopedic grasp of what Rachel Zane wears onscreen. They will come up to me and say where do I get that blouse that Rachel was wearing when she first kissed Mike Ross? she says. And I dont want to break their hearts. I remember that Rachel Comey backless blouse and believe me, I dont have that in my closet. Or the $5,000 Tom Ford skirt! But I want to help them find something like it they can afford. Markle says she enjoys working with the costume team on set, and that you can tell whats happening on the show based on what colours her character is wearing: white and blush for when she is falling in love; a dour charcoal palette when her lover is imprisoned. If the same measure carries through her personal life, she is looking very laid-back California-girl-takes-Toronto on this day: she is wearing her own Reitmans collection vegan leather pants (which she had custom cropped) and an all-Canadian plaid shirt. Her skin glows with the barest kiss of makeup. She embodies sexy in a fresh and clean way. The sexiness factor is something Markle spends time worrying about. Yes, those pencil skirts on the show are fit within an exhale, she says, but I fight to get that paired with a mens oversized shirt for balance. She says her mama, a yoga instructor (who calls her Flower, adorably), always told her to never give the milk away for free. Rachel Zane is a very classy Upper East Side gal, says Markle, recalling the controversy early on in the series when a black actor (Wendell Pierce) was cast as her father. There was a racist undercurrent, says the actor, who has written herself about her biracial identity. It was ugly online, upsetting, people saying shes not black, I thought she was hot. She says she has been able to be a fly on the wall, witnessing racially weighted comments, because people cant immediately tell what my background is. Markle grew up in Los Angeles, a self-described studio rat. Her parents met on General Hospital, where her dad was a lighting director and her mom was a temp. GH is also where Markle later got her first real gig. Her father also worked on Married With Children, which led his daughter to a light bulb moment. I saw how the women were objectified, and I knew I didnt want to be looked at like that. Her father, she says, went to the toy shop one Christmas and divvied up the Barbie sets to create a version of my life. There were black sets and white sets. So he took a white Ken doll for the dad and a black Barbie for the Mom, and left the opposite set for another little girl. Today, the online trolls are policed by Markles very own army of young female fans, who shame away the nasty comments before she sees them. She says body image is a big issue for her and that she is particularly pleased to work with Reitmans, which has a long-term commitment to a full range of sizes. People attack her for her own size, sometimes saying she is too thin, sometimes too curvy. Shes having none of it. I take very seriously being a role model for young women. And she invites those who engage in body shaming to unfollow me. The actor is also an ambitious lifestyle blogger; her two-year-old site TheTig.com (which she writes entirely herself, in her trailer on set) features her adventures in food and wine, fashion and travel, beside her humanitarian efforts on as an advocate for UN Women and an ambassador for World Vision. She takes readers along on her trips to Rwanda for water projects. The moment Suits became successful, she writes on the blog, and I realized people (especially young women) where listening to what I had to say, I knew I needed to be saying something of value. The foodie reputation comes from her now six-year association with Toronto and her appreciation of our deep well of cool restaurants (rumour has it she was in the past linked romantically to local hottie chefCory Vitiello of The Harbord Room). But overall, her experience with coming into her fame here has been odd, she says. When I first got here, Suits wasnt aired in Canada for the first two years. I was going to Moksha downtown and trolling for girlfriends. But as the show hit, and because it has straddled the old world and the new, when it hit Netflix a couple years ago and then spread around the world to 100 countries, it has been really odd getting used to being famous so far from my support and comfort systems. It has made the cast we are all NY or LA transplants really close. Markle is committed to the city her two beloved dogs are here, and often star in Insta postings for now as the series, now taping its sixth season, looks poised to continue. We tape nine months of the year. This California girl is now a pro at Canadian winters. She is also a pro at manners, and subscribes heavily to the old-fashioned thank-you note. All the better to use her secret skill: calligraphy. She supported herself as a young actor with old-school ink gigs. I went to a Catholic high school, and they taught us this old-fashioned penmanship. All the better to sign autographs with, as well as for fashion collections. Read more about: SHARE: SHOULD CANADA GO TO AFRICA? The Star examines our return to peacekeeping in a continuing series. OTTAWADefence Minister Harjit Sajjan is headed to Mali and Senegal on a fact-finding mission next week as the federal government continues to make plans to deploy a military mission to Africa. Sajjans five-day visit comes after an August trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, all against the backdrop of the Liberal pledge to commit troops to an African mission. We need to go into this eyes wide open, making sure that we look at the complexities of how (peace) operations have been done in the past and what we need to do, Sajjan told reporters in Ottawa. Sajjan offered no timeline of when a decision on the deployment could be made. I have not set a deadline, he said. I want to make sure that we have all the right information, so that we can have a comprehensive plan, a whole-of-government approach to peace operations that are going to bring added value to the United Nations and how they operate now, Sajjan said. As with his previous trip, officials in Sajjans office cautioned that his itinerary should not be taken as a signal of where the Canadian force may wind up. Hed like to get a better sense of the situation in West Africa, Jordan Owens told the Star. Dont read too much into the location. Still, Mali home to one of the deadliest peace missions in Africa has emerged as one of the possible locations where Canada could dispatch soldiers. In late August, the government sent a reconnaissance team of officials to scout the situation on the ground. Sajjans trip comes as Sen. Daniel Lang, chair of the Senate committee on national security and defence, warns that the military mission to Africa could be risky and could ensnare Canada for the long term. Lang said discussions at UN headquarters last week provided a sobering overview of the challenges that are certain to confront a Canadian peace mission. And he said any commitment to dispatch troops on an African mission must involve a clear-eyed appraisal of the risks, the length of the deployment and how it serves the national interest. Canadians should be fully aware of what were getting involved with, Lang said Monday. The Liberal government is weighing options to deploy as many as 600 soldiers and 160 police officers somewhere in Africa on a peace mission. Lang praised Sajjan for taking time to carefully consider the deployment, given the risks. He said there is good reason such missions are known as peace support operations, rather than peacekeeping, in many of the locales where Canadians could wind up. There is no peace to keep. You are there to try and maintain some social order and stability and protect the civilian population because you have all these warring factions, Lang said. He cited Mali as one example of the dangerous terrain that might await Canadian troops. A UN peacekeeper from Chad was killed there and four others wounded in May when their vehicle struck a mine. Its been described as one of the deadliest missions to be involved in, Lang told the Star during an interview in his office across from Parliament Hill. Canada has to be clear, if theyre going into anything like this, what the rules of engagement will be for any of our troops that we have the ability to ensure their security, he said. During their visit to the UN, Lang and several other members of the Senate committee met with representatives of a number of African nations as well as European countries, such as the Netherlands, that have troops deployed to Africa. He said there was an overwhelming call for Canada to focus on training local soldiers, likely from the African Union, to better enable them to take on the duties of serving in a conflict zone. Canadians can bring a fair amount of expertise to the table, he said. That was definitely an area that was said over and over again. Equipment, such as armoured vehicles, helicopters and other airlift capabilities, was also cited as another area where Canada could help. Yet the discussions at the UN also underscored the challenge that lies ahead and the fact that the scale of conflict demands long-term intervention. It was clearly put to us that these countries and these regions that are undergoing such terrible devastation and political turmoil and violence, (its) a 10- to 20-year commitment, Lang said. Not that Canada would necessarily stay there that long, but the fact is these are not a situation for quick fixes, he said. But he said Canada must learn from its time in Afghanistan, a costly conflict that began as a short-term deployment and turned into the countrys longest military engagement, stretching to 12 years. Some have charged that the Liberal government is keen to send troops to Africa as part of its campaign to win a seat on the UN Security Council. But Lang said the driving consideration must be the public security of Canada. At the end of the day, we have to know why we are going to deploy to any parts of the world, and that includes Africa. Why is it in our national interest? I think that has to be fully explained to us as Canadians, he said. Lang said the rationale is clearer for Europeans and their struggle against extremist terrorism, since Africa is in their backyard. Lang said he came away from the visit a bit overwhelmed at the magnitude of the challenges confronting some of the nations. But I also came away knowing that Canada has been pulling its weight, he said. Were not taking a back seat to anyone. Read more about: SHARE: VANCOUVERA decisive legal victory in British Columbia has put an evangelical Christian university one step closer in its bid to secure recognition for its proposed law school. The Appeal Court of B.C. released a decision in favour of Trinity Western University on Tuesday, describing efforts by B.C.s law society to deny accreditation to the schools future lawyers as unreasonable. The legal dispute centres around the universitys community covenant that bans its students from having sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage. In a unanimous decision, a panel of five judges said the negative impact on Trinity Westerns religious freedoms would be severe and far outweigh the minimal effect accreditation would have on gay and lesbian rights. A society that does not admit of and accommodate differences cannot be a free and democratic society, one in which its citizens are free to think, to disagree, to debate and to challenge the accepted view without fear of reprisal, says the 66-page judgment. This case demonstrates that a well-intentioned majority acting in the name of tolerance and liberalism can, if unchecked, impose its views on the minority in a manner that is in, itself, intolerant and illiberal. The decision upholds last years B.C. Supreme Court ruling against the Law Society of B.C. and its move to prevent the schools future alumni from working in the province as lawyers. The law society has argued that the controversial code of conduct discriminates against gays and lesbians hoping to enter the legal profession. The Appeal Court decision found that denying approval to Trinity Western would not enhance access to law school for members of the LGBTQ community, and, therefore, wouldnt help the law society meet its public-interest objectives. It found that creating 60 new law school seats, which brings the Canadian total to about 2,500, would divert some law school hopefuls from programs elsewhere, and, as a result, increase the number of seats available to LGBTQ applicants. While we accept that approval of (Trinity Westerns) law school has, in principle, a detrimental impact on LGBTQ equality rights, because the number of law school places would not be equally open to all students, the impact on applications made . . . by LGBTQ students would be insignificant in real terms. Trinity Western has stirred up controversy elsewhere, with both Nova Scotia and Ontarios law societies challenging the schools push for recognition. The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ultimately denied the N.S. Barristers Societys efforts to prevent the schools law graduates from receiving accreditation in that province. The society has since said it would not appeal the decision. Ontarios Appeal Court upheld a ruling against Trinity Western, approving the law societys attempt in that province to deny recognition to the universitys future law graduates. Law bodies elsewhere have mostly approved accreditation, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The dispute involving B.C.s society came to a head last year when the B.C. Supreme Court ruled in favour of the university. In its decision, the court said benchers, who sit on the law societys governing board, allowed themselves to be inappropriately blinded by their members, citing an error of administrative law as opposed to broader issues around constitutional liberties. The B.C. Appeal Court agreed with the lower court judgment that the board failed to weigh the impact of the decision on charter rights and erred in following the majority decision after holding a binding referendum on whether to approve accreditation. Trinity Westerns law school was originally slated to open in 2016, but that date has since been pushed back to the fall of 2018. The school is located in the Fraser Valley community of Langley and enrols about 4,000 students annually. SHARE: OTTAWAThe federal government is promising a big boost to infrastructure spending over the coming decade and will step up efforts to woo global investment and talent to help Canada weather the low economic growth predicted for years ahead. Finance Minister Bill Morneau unveiled the Liberals fall economic statement Tuesday afternoon, saying the infrastructure spending and strategy to attract foreign and private sector investment are whats needed to help spur growth. Today is about the long term, Morneau told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. Were really talking about how we can a long term impact on middle class Canadians, about how we can make a real difference for people. The Liberals now hope to push $95 billion in new infrastructure money out the door over the next 12 years. More on thestar.com: Highlights from Finance Minister Bill Morneaus fall economic update The Liberals said their maiden budget in the spring was phase one of their infrastructure plan, committing just $11.9 billion over five years to priority projects. Tuesdays update gave the broad strokes of phase two and the Liberals long-term plans for a significant public investment in things such as transit, green infrastructure and social infrastructure. Total spending on new and existing infrastructure projects is expected to rise from $13 billion in 2016-17 to $17.5 billion in 2019-20, the end of the Liberals first mandate. Over the 11 year timeframe provided by Morneau on Tuesday, total infrastructure spending is expected to reach $186.7 billion. The Liberals are framing their double-down on infrastructure spending against the backdrop of a sluggish national economy and uncertain international growth. Since the March budget, private sector forecasters have downgraded their expectations for their Canadian economy, predicting it to grow by 1.2 per cent in 2016-17, down from 1.4 per cent, and just 1 per cent in 2018-19, down from 2 per cent. Sluggish growth is taking its toll on federal revenues with the budget deficit now expected to be $30.7 billion in the current fiscal year, up from 29.4 billion predicted in the spring. But, in the economic update, the government reveals that it will tap $6 billion in contingency funds in each of the coming five years to reduce the deficit. That will bring the current year deficit down to $24.7 billion. Morneau was making no promises Tuesday as to when the federal government will balance the budget, saying only the spending is fiscally prudent. But, at the same time, private sector estimates expect the key metric of federal debt-to-GDP ratio to remain relatively stable over that period. On the infrastructure front, the government is now promising, over 11 years, $23 billion for public transit; $21.9 billion for green projects, such as water and waste water facilities, and $21.9 billion for so-called social infrastructure, such as affordable housing, cultural and recreational facilities. That spending is up from the spring budget, which committed $3.4 billion over three years for public transit; $5 billion over five years for green projects and $3.4 billion over five years for social infrastructure. The statement adds two new categories for infrastructure funding: $10.1 billion for projects that assist trade, and $2 billion for rural and northern communities. The government will create an infrastructure bank, with $35 billion available to help unlock capital investments by pension funds and institutional investors, for example. Some of the funding for the bank will come from the cash previously earmarked for infrastructure projects. The statement lays out a new economic strategy for Canada on the world stage. The government will create a hub called Invest in Canada, backed by $218 million in funding over five years, to establish a high-impact sales force to sell Canada around the globe. The government intends to make it easier for Canadian and global firms to get foreign workers into the country, promising a two-week turnaround to process visas and work permits for low-risk, high-skill talent. Ottawa will introduce a new work permit exemption for work terms of short duration, applying to periods of less than 30 days in a year or brief academic stays. SHARE: CAMPBELLTON, N.B.A 45-kilogram python lunged, snapped its jaws, and made growling noises when it was forced back into its pen after killing two sleeping boys, an RCMP officer told a New Brunswick jury Tuesday. Const. Stephane Dugas described the scene on the morning of Aug. 5, 2013, shortly after Jean-Claude Savoie, who is facing trial for criminal negligence in the boys deaths, called 911. Dugas testified that he found Savoie wearing a bloody shirt, two boys who were beyond medical help, and a 4.7-metre snake in the laundry room. Savoie followed Dugas instructions to return the snake to its enclosure, where it made noises, rose up almost 1.8 metres and lunged at the glass, Dugas said. The two boys four-year-old Noah Barthe and his six-year-old brother, Connor were covered in bruises, and one had a lot of wounds. I knew at the time not much could be done, said Dugas. There was lots of blood. Savoie, who now lives near Montreal, owned the Reptile Ocean pet store below his Campbellton apartment. The boys were having a sleepover with his son. Crown attorney Pierre Roussel told the jury the python likely used an air duct to escape its enclosure in the store below and had tried to escape before. Mr. Savoie committed a breach of duty to take care of those children when they were left with him by their mother, Roussel told the jury. He didnt kill them himself but he failed to take precautions. Roussel said in his opening statement they will hear the snake had gotten into the duct before, and that an employee had warned Savoie the vent cover needed to be repaired. Mr. Savoie neglected to cover said vent and left an opening in his snake pen and that through that the snake was able to escape and cross through the vent and drop into the living room. He said the vent cover was found on the floor of the snake enclosure. Mr. Savoie was aware of the behaviour and nature of this African rock python that he was keeping. You will hear evidence that this snake was pretty aggressive. That there were special measures that had to be taken in order to care for it, he said. Roussel called the deaths of the boys a sad story, a tragic story. Savoie was a family friend who had taken the boys shopping and to a farm before the sleepover with his son. Savoies 911 call was played for the jury Tuesday. Two kids are dead, Savoie told the dispatcher. Theres a python that got out and killed the two kids. He told the dispatcher that the snake was still loose, and he had to go back upstairs because he had another child upstairs. As the trial got underway Tuesday, the judge instructed the four-man, eight-woman jury about the presumption of innocence, and said Savoie starts with a clean slate at the beginning of the trial. SHARE: Ask voters how to improve our democracy, and they might reply: Take the money out of politics. Agreed. So far so good. But replace it with what? Agreement goes no further. Reform is easier said than done, but in truth its doable. We need only focus on the reality versus the rhetoric of money politics. Everyone grumbles about grubby politicians getting addicted to cash. But talk is cheap and cheap shots are easy. Rather than merely badmouthing money politics, we should put our money where our mouths are by allocating more public funds to elections. True reform means reducing dependency on the seamier underside of fundraising, by adding an above-board allowance from the public purse. Many will reflexively criticize any use of public money to (partially) underwrite campaign costs. But they might not realize that elections are already heavily subsidized. As it is, Elections Ontario spends roughly $100 million on organizing the campaign and counting the ballots. If we spend that much on tallying votes, is it asking too much to allocate a further $12 million, plus or minus, to defray costs for the men and women running for elected office? Under current laws, candidates who gain a percentage of the vote already qualify for a partial reimbursement. Also, individual donors receive generous tax deductions and credits from the public purse (distributed disproportionately to the most affluent). Future reforms require us to learn lessons from the past, but also acknowledge present-day problems: When Ottawa finally outlawed all corporate and union donations a decade ago, Parliament funded per-vote subsidies to help wean the major parties from big business and big labour. It worked well until then-PM Stephen Harper severed all public funding, calculating that his governing Conservatives were best positioned to outdo their ill-prepared rivals with private money. Today, its the federal Liberals who are taking the heat for hosting so-called cash-for-access dinners. Cut out public funding, and the private fundraising becomes awkward again for one party or another. Ontario could avoid these mistakes by resisting Harpers antipathy toward public funding. Yet the major parties are deeply conflicted fearful of sticking their necks out and having them chopped off by voters who criticize them either way. The most consistent politician on this front has been Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner, who urged the government to boost voter allowances proportionate to their election standings. PC Leader Patrick Brown told me last April, after a Star series on fundraising excesses, that he too would support public funding; but he wants them phased out over time, which would invite a return to money politics. To their credit, the provincial Liberals have put forward ambitious proposals for public allowances, based on the most recent party standings (which is how our democracy is tallied between elections). But they too have suggested scaling back funding in future years. Canadas former chief electoral officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, argues that public allowances are so foundational to any reforms that they should be permanent: It would give political parties a base on which they can count for four years after an election, he told public hearings last summer. Right now, they don't know. Theres another prudent way for the major parties to reduce their dependency on feverish fundraising: Lower the total election spending limit for each party (about $8 million in the 2014 campaign). Yet our politicians seem perennially incapable of tightening either the spending cap or the fundraising tap. Not to worry. Theres an easier way to achieve pecuniary sanity that is psychologically (and politically) painless: Ontario should close the loophole by which parties exempt their growing spending on polling, research and travel. Pollsters and related marketing researchers play a decisive role before and during elections; to exclude them from the bottom line is an indefensible fiction in 2016. As NDP finance critic Catherine Fife points out, this long-standing loophole can give one party an unfair advantage over its rivals: Its still very much off the books, she says. It certainly doesnt level the playing field. Leveling that playing field requires us to level with ourselves. If we think money politics has a distorting, corrosive effect on Queens Park, we have the power to do something about it by embracing public allowances and closing outdated loopholes, in order to lower overall spending. Its a small price to pay for better government. Martin Regg Cohn's political column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca , Twitter: @reggcohn SHARE: While he may have been acquitted in criminal court of possessing child pornography and voyeurism, those same allegations would eventually prove to be the undoing of Dr. Kevin Johnstons medical career. Formerly known as Kevin Richard Speight, the 44-year-old man was stripped of his licence Monday by a disciplinary panel of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and ordered to pay the college $5,000 in costs. A family and emergency room doctor who practised in a number of cities including Toronto and Mississauga since 1999, Johnston pleaded no contest before the five-member panel to a charge of conduct unbecoming of a physician. The plea means he did not contest the facts presented to the panel, but also did not admit guilt. His case demonstrates the differences in the threshold that must be met to prove guilt in a criminal case versus a disciplinary tribunal. The disciplinary hearing heard that Johnston was acquitted in court in 2013 of criminal charges in relation to the 2010 purchase of 14 discs containing child pornography, according to a statement of uncontested facts. The court found that the Crown had not led any evidence of an essential element of the offence, namely that Dr. Johnston knew the nature and content of the images that he ordered, the statement says. The college began investigating Johnston in 2012, shortly after charges were laid. Following his acquittal, the college requested a further report from Toronto police to address the issue noted by the court. Received in 2015, the report confirms that Dr. Johnston was aware of the nature and content of the child pornography that he purchased, and in particular that he had accessed various movie trailers and images containing child pornography before he purchased photo collections, says the statement. The disciplinary hearing heard that footage from a public washroom was also located on a micro SD card found at Johnstons home in 2011, along with a mini video recorder and an iPhone. Johnston surreptitiously filmed an unknown male defecating in a stall. Through a peep hole, he also filmed a man urinating. While Dr. Johnston was acquitted criminally of voyeurism charges in relation to the above conduct, he does not contest the facts above, says the statement. As part of his bail conditions after being charged in 2011, Johnston was prohibited from being alone with anyone under 18 years of age, including patients. He voluntarily entered into a similar agreement with the college in 2012 so that the CPSO could monitor him, according to the statement. After he was acquitted criminally and the bail conditions lifted, the agreement with the college barring him from seeing patients under the age of 18 alone remained in place. Once the allegations regarding his conduct as a physician were sent to the disciplinary committee, the agreement with the college was varied last March, in which Johnston agreed not to see patients under the age of 18 unless in the presence of a college-approved monitor. He subsequently chose to stop practicing pending the disciplinary hearing. Lawyers for the college and Johnston agreed that revocation of the doctors licence was the appropriate penalty in this case, even if this was not considered a case where revocation is mandatory, such as when a doctor is found to have had sex with a patient. This is morally reprehensible and absolutely antithetical to the profession of medicine, said college lawyer Morgana Kellythorne, speaking of Johnstons conduct. She highlighted that the voyeurism allegation is also concerning to members of the public who might find themselves disrobed and exposed in an examination room. The panel was told that there was no comparable case of a doctor possessing child porn that had been dealt with by the college. Johnstons lawyer, Jenny Stephenson, told the panel her client accepts the seriousness of his actions and takes responsibility for them. Panel chair Dr. John Watts told Johnston in a reprimand that his conduct damages the publics trust in the profession and cannot be tolerated. Even if the videos you purchased showed no evidence of violence or overt sexual acts, and this was not clear on the evidence, society at large would view the deliberate visualization of pornographic images of young boys as conduct totally unbecoming of a physician, he said. When we consider in addition that you have admitted to voyeurism, which is intrusive, deliberate, and devious, and also morally repugnant, we are even more convinced this penalty is deserved. Johnston quietly responded: Thank you, sir. Im very sorry. SHARE: The second of two men who stabbed and bludgeoned a state and federal drug informant to death last year will spend at least 20 years in prison, and would be kicked out of the U.S. if granted parole, a Dane County judge said Monday. Juan Aguilar-Vargas, 28, who was convicted of first-degree intentional homicide in July for the death of Jacob Payne, 23, whose body was weighted and submerged in Lake Mendota, was sentenced Monday to life in prison but can ask for release from prison after 20 years, Circuit Judge Ellen Berz said. Berz said that it was hard to say whether the jury found him guilty because it believed that he wielded a knife and a hammer that killed Payne on April 6, 2015, or if the jury found him guilty because he had helped Rudy Ramirez-Milian carry out the crime. Aguilar-Vargas was convicted of being a party to first-degree intentional homicide, which means that he either committed the crime or aided and abetted the commission of the crime. Aguilar-Vargas was one of three other men who were in an auto garage in the town of Burke when Ramirez-Milian, who had been arguing with Payne much of the day, locked the doors, warned everyone that something bad was about to happen and began stabbing Payne. Had you been men of character and decency, the three of you could have and would have come to Mr. Paynes aid, Berz said. Ramirez-Milian, who pleaded guilty before Aguilar-Vargas trial to second-degree intentional homicide, did not testify at Aguilar-Vargas trial. The other two men, Saul Garcia-Rosario and Erlin Vargas, provided testimony that Berz said was sincere but neither could say for certain whether they saw Aguilar-Vargas stab and bludgeon Payne after Ramirez-Milian had asked him for help. Aguilar-Vargas testified that he did not kill Payne. Regardless, Berz said, because Aguilar-Vargas was tried and convicted of being a party to first-degree intentional homicide, the jury believed there was ample evidence that he had at least assisted Ramirez-Milian in killing Payne. Before being sentenced, Aguilar-Vargas asked Berz to give him a reasonable and just sentence. Just because the jury found me guilty, it doesnt mean that I am, he said, through a Spanish interpreter. I went up there to tell the truth. But God knows Im innocent. And my conscience is clear also. Aguilar-Vargas came to the U.S. from Mexico with his father, a migrant worker, when he was 15. He first worked picking tobacco in North Carolina, but came to the Madison area eventually, where he most recently was a cook at a restaurant. His sister, Irene Aguilar-Vargas, told Berz that he sent money he earned back to his parents in Mexico, who he has not seen in many years. Berz told him that because of his still-uncertain role in Paynes murder and because of the fact that there is a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold on him, he would be eligible for parole after the minimum 20 years, then is all but certain to be deported. I have no doubt but that you will be deported and never allowed back, Berz told Aguilar-Vargas. With the cost to taxpayers to imprison him, she said, nobody wants you here longer than necessary. Ramirez-Milian was sentenced in August to 15 years in prison, after which he faces likely deportation to his native Guatemala. Ontarios education minister wants to get to the bottom of whats going on at the York Region school board, following months of accusations that officials there arent properly dealing with allegations of racism or Islamophobia. Mitzie Hunter says she will soon meet with director J. Philip Parappally and other leaders at the troubled board to find out how it is dealing with families many concerns. News of her move comes a day after an open letter signed by 141 community leaders as well as the Ontario Federation of Labour urged her to take action, and also on the heels of numerous stories in the Star detailing parents complaints. I actually will be meeting with the leadership of the York Region District School Board in the coming days, she said at Queens Park. Its very important to me and its very important to parents to know that issues of racism are not tolerated in our schools. We want all of our schools to be inclusive and safe places for student well-being and student learning. This is something thats very important to me. The transparency and how boards work with parents and work with the community are also very important. Hunter said she plans to address the recent case of a principal who posted material on her public Facebook account that some consider Islamophobic. I will be speaking about this issue, she said of the questionable postings. This is a very important issue, its of concern about the community and this is something that we will discuss. York board spokesperson Licinio Miguelo said that when Hunter took over the education portfolio, we requested a meeting . . . to provide general updates on key initiatives and priorities of the (board). We welcome an opportunity to meet with the minister and provide her directly with an update. He didnt respond to questions about the specific purpose of the meeting. Parent Charline Grant who is awaiting a human rights hearing on her complaints that her son was discriminated against at his high school said the education ministers move will at least open up a conversation about whats going on. The board has a shoulder-shrug personality they think they are untouchable, she said. They are very frustrating to deal with, you get no answers. Theres no one they feel they have to answer to. Hunter also said she will broach the issue trustee transparency, after revelations that two elected officials travelled to Finland on the taxpayers dime for the second, and even third, time, for unclear purposes. Parappally and board Chair Anna DeBartolo also recently visited Holland, a trip board insiders said was kept under wraps. Markham parent Rukshan Para, who has been calling more for transparency from the board and more trustee oversight, also welcomed news of the ministers meeting. Im happy the province is stepping in, because this was a board that was the model board for so long, said Para, who ran for trustee in 2014 and is considering another run in 2018. And I know many parents feel like thats completely gone. Im worried about the quality of my childs education, he said, adding hes heard concerns from parents about the lack of parent engagement, and lack of communication from the board. Two York trustees have also questioned whether proper procedures were followed in the case of principal Ghada Sadaka, who parents say continues to work at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School in Markham. No one including the complainant was informed what the probe entailed, and what if any disciplinary action was taken. The board has said it cannot discuss personnel matters publicly, but Miguelo has previously told the Star that in any case where such allegations are brought forward all applicable policies and regulations are strictly followed. The open letter sent Monday said that as community leaders, we are even more perturbed to see this as part of what may be a larger problem. We are deeply saddened to note that there appears to be a systemic issue at play in York Region as black families have also been alleging issues of anti-black racism within the school system. The letter also notes what a number of York staffers have told the Star, about a growing culture of fear within the board. Markham parent Syed Abdul, who signed the open letter, hopes that the meeting will shed light on what kind of investigation took place in the Sadaka case. Parents, he added, also want reassurance that school is a safe place for their children. The board needs to regain public trust, he said, because at the moment, that has been lost." Read more about: SHARE: A Toronto cop implicated in the so-called Neptune Four case is alleging police services sole permanent hearing officer who serves as a de facto judge in disciplinary tribunals recently committed misconduct himself, and Toronto police let him off the hook. In a rare move, Const. Adam Lourenco has filed a motion to have Toronto police Insp. Richard Hegedus removed as hearing officer in the high-profile case, arguing there is a reasonable perception he may be biased and citing a separate case where the senior cop was found to have ordered a subordinate to commit misconduct. The optics here are appalling, write Lourencos lawyers, Peter Brauti and Lawrence Gridin, who frequently represent police in disciplinary and criminal matters. The appointment of Hegedus to a prestigious position as the sole permanent hearing officer, so soon after he had apparently committed serious misconduct which the TPS took no steps to investigate, is itself likely to bring discredit upon the police service. Toronto police spokesperson Meaghan Gray said in an email that it would be inappropriate to comment on the case because it is still before the tribunal. Hegedus did not respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon. Lourencos motion is the latest twist in a controversial case stemming from the 2011 gunpoint arrest of four black teens in a public housing complex on Neptune Dr., in Lawrence Heights. The boys three of them 15 years old at the time, one 16 years old were on their way to a mentoring session for kids in at-risk neighbourhoods when they were stopped by Lourenco and Const. Scharnil Pais, officers with the Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) unit. It is alleged that the encounter escalated to violence after one of the boys attempted to exercise his right to walk away; one officer threw punches and drew his gun, backup police cruisers were called, and all four were arrested and charged with assaulting police. The charges were later dropped. An investigation by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) found the stop violated the boys Charter rights. Together, the two officers face four misconduct charges under Ontarios Police Services Act. Peter Rosenthal, the lawyer for three of the four boys, says he regrets that Lourencos motion is causing yet another delay in a five-year-old case. The four men are now adults working and pursuing post-secondary education, and they would like the case to proceed. But Rosenthal nonetheless supports the spirit of Lourencos motion, which raises larger questions about the inherent lack of independence involved in police discipline proceedings. Rosenthal said there is a substantial flaw in a system where members of the public complain to an independent body such as the OIPRD but when that investigation results in misconduct charges, the case goes back into the hands of the police service. He hopes to see this addressed in the ongoing review of police oversight by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Michael Tulloch. Its ridiculous, the present situation . . . It becomes an exercise thats not really independent, Rosenthal said. Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, agrees, saying the union is an advocate for independent adjudication, both in general and in this case. There is a clear conflict with Hegedus, and wed like to have him removed from the case, he said. Lourencos motion alleges there is a reasonable perception that Hegedus would be incapable of deciding the Neptune Four case in an impartial manner; the motion is careful to state that the mere optics of bias exist, and Lourenco is not alleging it does exist. Chief among Lourencos concerns is the perception that there may be bad blood between Hegedus and Gridin, Lourencos lawyer, from a previous tribunal hearing. That misconduct case stemmed from a motor vehicle accident in 2013, when Hegedus was acting unit commander at 33 Division. One of Hegedus subordinates, Const. Kevin Drake, investigated the collision, which involved a police scout car and a civilian vehicle; Drake concluded the civilian driver was at fault. As required, Drake stated this finding in an official Ministry of Transportation Motor Vehicle Collision Report. Shortly thereafter, Hegedus ordered Drake to change that finding and conclude the police officer was at fault. Drake refused to do so because he did not believe that to be true. As a result of this alleged insubordination, Drake was charged with misconduct and the matter went to a police disciplinary hearing. According to Lourencos factum, Gridin, representing Drake at the hearing, made allegations in a public forum, that Hegedus had engaged in deceit and possibly the criminal offence of obstruction of justice by asking Drake to change the result of his investigation. Drake was found guilty at the tribunal, but he appealed to the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC). Last year, the review body overturned the finding, and found that Hegedus ordered a subordinate to falsify an official record. According to Lourencos factum, TPS did absolutely nothing about it. A finding by OCPC implicating Hegedus, a senior officer, in serious misconduct was in effect buried by the Corporate Risk Management branch of TPS. But that was not all. Just one year later Hegedus was made the permanent Hearing Officer for the TPS disciplinary tribunal, reads the factum. As a result, there is a reasonable concern that Hegedus may be predisposed to deciding this case in favour of the TPS, given that the TPS defended Hegedus misconduct, insulated him from responsibility for it, and then promoted him to the position of hearing officer, Lourencos motion argues. The hearing resumes December 7. Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca SHARE: The Toronto Police Association is raising concerns about the police services newest Muslim chaplain and his views on women and marriage. In a 2013 webinar called The Heart of the Home: the Rights and Responsibilities of a Wife, Musleh Khan describes himself as a marriage counsellor who wants to help couples of the Muslim-faith stay married. A woman should be obedient to her husband at all times and must not refrain from intimacy without a valid excuse, he says. The slideshow accompanying Khans lecture says sickness and obligatory fasting would qualify. Islamic scholars say if a woman refuses without a valid reason then she committed a major sin, Khan says. We need each other to complete one another. Thats the bottom line and especially for a man, the way Allah created him, many many times he may need his wife there more than she might need him. This is just a nature of man, this is just a nature Allah Almighty created with us, Khan tells listeners. So sisters its part of your act of worship towards Allah that you try to respond to this as best as you can as part of your duties as the wife. Wives should also seek permission from her husband before leaving the home because they are the guardians of the marital home, Khan says. Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack said Monday he is receiving emails and calls from members questioning whether the service should be associated with someone who believes women are second-class citizens. Toronto Police Service spokesperson Meaghan Gray said Monday that Khan did not want to comment for the Stars article but was taken aback by the negative comments that have appeared online. He believes some of his comments have been taken out of context in the larger lecture in which they were delivered, she said. He does not believe women are second-class citizens. In fact, he frequently lectures to women and focuses on the effects of domestic violence in the community. She added Khan appreciates the support he has received from members of the service and hopes we can move forward so he can continue to serve the service. McCormack, the union president, said Khan needs to clarify his comments. This is not acceptable in our city, or country, McCormack said, reading from an email sent by a union member. I think a lot of our members have an issue with that type of viewpoint, he said. We're dealing with domestic violence and getting women to come forward, to help victims, because of this type of viewpoint. The Toronto police chaplaincy program began in 1999 and currently has 19 representatives from 15 faiths. The first Muslim chaplain joined in 2007. Chaplains are volunteer positions offering support and guidance for all members of the Toronto Police Service, regardless of their religious affiliation, Gray said. SHARE: The head of Premier Kathleen Wynnes re-election campaign and a Liberal fundraiser are facing Elections Act charges for alleged bribery in the 2015 Sudbury byelection. Patricia Sorbara, until recently Wynnes deputy chief of staff, and Sudbury funeral director Gerry Lougheed will be charged by Ontario Provincial Police, the Star has learned. Police swore the information before a justice of the peace on Monday and will formally announce the charges Tuesday. The dramatic move, which comes with the Nov. 17 byelection campaigns underway in Niagara West-Glanbrook and Ottawa-Vanier, follows almost two years of investigation. Criminal charges of bribery were stayed against Lougheed in Sudbury last April while detectives continued their probe into the lesser offences under the Elections Act. Sorbara, who moved from Wynnes office to become CEO and director of the 2018 Liberal campaign on Oct. 3, was never criminally charged. Under provincial law, no person shall, directly or indirectly, give, procure or promise or agree to procure an office or employment to induce a person to become a candidate, refrain from becoming a candidate or withdraw his or her candidacy. Police were tight-lipped Monday, with OPP Det.-Supt. Dave Truax saying only that the investigation is ongoing. The OPPs move appears to have blindsided the government and neither Sorbara nor Lougheed were immediately available for comment Monday night. Earlier on Monday, Wynne said she didnt know of any developments in the case. Im not aware of anything new I dont know whether theres something new, Wynne said at a news conference with Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault, who won the hard-fought 2015 contest in Sudbury. The Elections Act charges stem from the campaign in which paraplegic mortgage broker Andrew Olivier claimed both Sorbara and Lougheed offered him jobs to drop out of the nomination race, clearing the way for Wynnes preferred candidate. That was Thibeault, then a New Democrat MP who left federal politics and defected to the provincial Liberals. He has been in Wynnes cabinet since last June. Olivier had been the Liberal candidate in the 2014 province-wide election, replacing retired cabinet minister Rick Bartolucci. But he placed second in that vote to New Democrat Joe Cimino, who quit five months later over family issues, giving the Liberals a chance to win the riding back. The mortgage broker had hoped to be the Liberal flag-bearer again; however, Wynne preferred Thibeault, who had been wooed by Lougheed. Last April, the OPP and prosecutors stayed one count of unlawfully influencing or negotiating appointments and another of counselling an offence not committed against Lougheed. Under a stay, charges are set aside and the Crown has one year to reinstate them. The two charges, which are rarely used by prosecutors, carry a prison sentence of up to seven years. At that time, court in Sudbury heard that police had finished their investigation into whether Lougheed and Sorbara, then serving as Wynnes deputy chief of staff, violated the Elections Act. Prosecutors had the information from police and were said to be deciding whether to lay charges. Any Elections Act charges are in a lower, non-criminal category of violations known as provincial offences, where penalties range from fines of up to $25,000 and maximum jail sentences of two years less a day. Although Sorbara was not charged criminally with Lougheed, police had been investigating her possible election violations after Olivier made public his tapes of conversations. Olivier who tapes conversations because he cannot take notes alleged they offered him jobs in return for abandoning his nomination bid. In one tape, Lougheed said: The premier wants to talk. They would like to present you options in terms of appointments, jobs, whatever, that you and her and Pat Sorbara could talk about. In another, Sorbara told Olivier we should have the broader discussion about what is it that youd be most interested in doing ... whether its a full-time or part-time job in a (constituency) office, whether it is appointments, supports or commissions ... Key players Gerry Lougheed: Wealthy Sudbury funeral home director, one-time Liberal-appointed chair of the local police services board, and a political kingmaker in the nickel city. Patricia Sorbara: Head of Premier Kathleen Wynnes re-election campaign and her former deputy chief of staff, she is one of the premiers most trusted advisers and was instrumental in the Liberals 2014 majority victory. Andrew Olivier: Defeated by New Democrat Joe Cimino in the June 2014 election, the mortgage broker and quadriplegic activist hoped to again be the Liberal candidate in the February 2015 byelection, but he was spurned and ended up running as an independent, finishing third. Premier Kathleen Wynne: Despite winning a majority in the election, the fiercely competitive Liberal leader was unhappy to have lost Sudbury, which was one of only two held seats her party failed to keep. When Cimino quit, she pounced, wooing Glenn Thibeault and passing over Olivier. Glenn Thibeault: Energy minister and the former federal NDP MP for Sudbury, who defected to the Liberals after being courted by Wynne and Lougheed. Wynne appointed him to prevent a messy nomination fight with Olivier. Timeline Nov. 20, 2014 NDP MPP Joe Cimino, who beat Liberal Andrew Olivier by 980 votes in Sudbury in the June 2014 provincial election, resigns suddenly. Dec. 11 Liberal activist Gerry Lougheed visits Olivier to urge him not to run in the upcoming byelection, saying, I come to you on behalf of the premier. The next day, Patricia Sorbara, then Premier Kathleen Wynnes deputy chief of staff, phones Olivier. Dec. 15 Olivier says he has been bullied by the Liberals into stepping aside for a different candidate, prompting the Progressive Conservatives to contact Ontario Provincial Police and the NDP to alert Elections Ontario. Dec. 16 The Star reveals Wynne has lured NDP MP Glenn Thibeault to be the Liberal candidate in the Sudbury byelection. Jan. 15, 2015 Olivier takes to Facebook with recordings of his conversations with Sorbara and Lougheed, which leads the OPP to broaden their probe the next day. Feb. 5 Liberal Thibeault wins the byelection with Olivier, running as an independent, finishing third behind the NDPs Suzanne Shawbonquit. Feb. 19 Elections Ontario chief Greg Essensa releases a 29-page report on the byelection concluding the Liberals were in apparent contravention of bribery laws over the job offers to Olivier. Sept. 24 Police charge Lougheed with one count of counselling an offence not committed and one count of unlawfully influencing or negotiating appointments. Sorbara is cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. April 27, 2016 Those criminal charges against Lougheed are stayed, but the OPP says it is continuing a probe of alleged Ontario Elections Act violations. Nov. 1, 2016 OPP will announce charges under the provincial act against Lougheed and Sorbara. SHARE: Social conservatives accuse Patrick Brown of muzzling the Progressive Conservative candidate in an upcoming Ontario byelection to downplay the party leaders flip-flopping on sex education. Nineteen-year-old Sam Oosterhoff defeated the PC party president and a vice-president to win the nomination for the Nov. 17 byelection in Niagara-West Glanbrook, in part by campaigning against the provinces updated sex-education curriculum. Charles McVety, president of Canada Christian College, said Oosterhoff ran on a socially conservative platform, and was talking about Ontarios sex-education curriculum when he vowed to stand up for parents as first educators. One of the issues that he had on his website was to stand up for parental rights in education, McVety said in an interview. Thats obviously directed at the whole sex-ed issue ... but as soon as he becomes the candidate, all of a sudden Patrick doesnt allow him to speak on this, to speak his mind. Oosterhoff has not responded to many requests for an interview since becoming the PC candidate, but Brown insisted he wasnt trying to keep the teenager from talking with political reporters about the sex-ed curriculum. I can tell you Sam supports the direction Im taking the party, Brown said Tuesday. We will make sure hes available at some point in the near future. Queenie Yu, who ran as an independent in the Scarborough Rouge River byelection Sept. 1 solely on the issue of repealing the sex-ed curriculum, is running again in Niagara-West Glanbrook, but isnt looking for votes. Yu said she and other social conservatives believe Brown is not letting Oosterhoff speak to the media, so shes running to help voters see whether Brown is telling the truth or not. Im just being a voice for the issues that Sam believes in, said Yu. I believe that Sam is against sex ed, but hes not allowed to talk about sex ed because of Patrick Brown. After Oosterhoff won the nomination Oct. 22, Brown insisted the teens victory was absolutely not revenge from social conservatives who are upset over his decision to support the Liberals 2015 update to the sex-ed curriculum. Rob Leone, a former PC member of the provincial legislature who is now an assistant professor of political science at the University of Western Ontario, said he doesnt think Brown is muzzling Oosterhoff. The PC leader is trying to keep the party focused on the big issue where the governing Liberals are vulnerable: rising electricity rates, said Leone. We have basically a teenager who out hustled two party veterans for a nomination and now we have a byelection and have to win it, he said. And how you win it is not by dealing with internal strife, but by portraying one unified message to voters. Progressive Conservative MPP Monte McNaughton, the most vocal opponent of the updated sex ed curriculum in the Tory caucus, said hed never been muzzled by Brown for speaking out against the changes introduced by the Liberals. Parents voices will be heard on this issue, he said. My position certainly has never changed on this issue, but our leader has also made his views crystal clear, and he wants to focus on making life more affordable for families. McVety called Brown my personal friend for a decade, when the PC leader had been a backbench MP in Stephen Harpers Conservative government. Brown signed up thousands of social conservatives when he ran for the Ontario PC leadership by opposing the Liberals sex-ed update, but then reversed position and unilaterally declared that the party would be socially Liberal, added McVety. For 10 years he had a perfect record as a social conservative and he signed us all up and we worked hard, donated money, time and effort, and then after he got the power he said never mind, he complained. Bait and switch, and thats what he did with us. Previous Conservative leaders who abandoned the social-conservative wing of the party paid the price in elections, including Tim Hudak and John Tory in Ontario and the late Jim Prentice in Alberta, warned McVety. If you abandon your voters, whos going to vote for you? he asked. Are liberals going to now say: Wow, hes socially liberal, are we going to vote for him? No! The Conservatives fumbled the sex-education file during the Scarborough-Rouge River byelection after Browns chief of staff distributed a letter saying a PC government would scrap the Liberals updated curriculum. Brown later disavowed the letter, saying that the local Tory campaign went too far, but The Canadian Press obtained an email that his chief of staff, Nicolas Pappalardo, sent to Queenie Yu, with the letter attached. The group Parents as First Educators also said it had discussions with Browns office during the Scarborough campaign about commitments he could make. By all accounts, Sam Oosterhoff is a fine young man of great personal conviction, PAFE president Tanya Granic Allen posted on the groups website. We simply have no public evidence as to what those convictions are. MORE ON THESTAR.COM PC leader Patrick Brown denies hes keeping new candidate under wraps Parent activist says Brown knew of secret talks to scrap sex education How Patrick Browns PCs can show true leadership: Cohn Patrick Brown doing damage control over sex-ed snafu My sex-ed letter was a mistake: Patrick Brown Read more about: SHARE: Premier Kathleen Wynnes top political adviser has resigned as head of the Ontario Liberals re-election campaign after being charged for alleged bribery during a 2015 byelection. As first reported by the Star, Patricia Sorbara, CEO and director of the 2018 Liberal campaign, and party power broker Gerry Lougheed face Elections Act charges related to the Sudbury contest. In 2015, I said that if any charges were laid as a result of the investigation, then Patricia Sorbara would, of course, step aside, a stoney-faced Wynne told reporters Tuesday. Ontario Provincial Police charged Sorbara, 60, Wynnes deputy chief of staff until moving to the Liberal campaign last month, with two counts of bribery, and Lougheed, 62, a Sudbury funeral home owner, with one count of bribery. This has been a complex and unprecedented investigation for the OPP anti-rackets branch, OPP Commissioner Vince Hawkes said in a statement. Their first court date is set for Nov. 21 in Sudbury. The stunning development, coming against the backdrop of Nov. 17 byelections in Niagara WestGlanbrook and Ottawa-Vanier, followed 22 months of police investigation. Tuesdays charges were a fallback for police and prosecutors who stayed more serious criminal counts of bribery against Lougheed in April and never charged Sorbara under the Criminal Code. Elections Act charges are in a lower, non-criminal category of violations known as provincial offences, where penalties include fines of up to $25,000 and maximum jail sentences of two years less a day. In a letter of resignation to Liberal president Vince Borg, Sorbara said she was shocked by any suggestion that I have done anything wrong. I will defend myself against these allegations to the best of my ability and with the tremendous support that surrounds me. I have served my entire career with integrity and a deep respect for the law. This is very hard for me. The Liberals have yet to name a successor to Sorbara, a key architect of the partys 2014 majority victory. Her lawyers, William Trudell and Erin Dann, noted she was cleared of criminal wrongdoing in this matter long ago and has co-operated fully with this investigation for almost two years. These are regulatory offences and stem from legislation that, it appears, is being applied in an unprecedented and extraordinary way, the Simcoe Chambers lawyers said. Lougheeds lawyer insisted his client would be exonerated. We are disappointed that the police, having originally charged Gerry criminally, only to have those charges stayed by the Crown, have now laid charges under the Elections Act, said Michael Lacy of Brauti Thorning Zibarras LLP. Gerry has maintained that he didnt do anything that would attract a culpable finding, said Lacy. Wynne downplayed the impact of the charges on the Niagara and Ottawa byelections, saying those contests are separate and apart from anything else that might go on in terms of these allegations and these charges. The charges stem from a campaign in which quadriplegic mortgage broker Andrew Olivier claimed both Sorbara and Lougheed offered him jobs to drop out of the nomination race, clearing the way for the premiers preferred candidate, Glenn Thibeault. Thibeault, then a New Democrat MP and now energy minister, jumped from federal politics to defect to the provincial Liberals. The Elections Act stipulates that no person shall, directly or indirectly, give, procure or promise or agree to procure an office or employment to induce a person to become a candidate, refrain from becoming a candidate or withdraw his or her candidacy. Olivier, who was not available for comment Tuesday, had been the Liberal candidate in the June 2014 provincewide election and one of only two Grits to lose seats held by the Liberals. He fell to the NDPs Joe Cimino. When Cimino resigned suddenly five months later, Wynne pounced on the change to win back the riding, passing over Olivier, who ended up running as an independent and finishing third. The premier has always maintained Sorbara did nothing wrong and any entreaties to Olivier had been intended to keep him involved in politics. Still, opposition parties seized upon the controversy, which dominated the Legislatures daily question period. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath demanded to know who is the person who pulled the trigger when it came to asking for this alleged bribe to take place? What role did the premier play? thundered Horwath, whose party filed the original Elections Act complaint in December 2014. Progressive Conservatives also asked Wynne if she was involved. When did she authorize and when did she know about the offer to Andrew Olivier? said Tory MPP Steve Clark (Leeds-Grenville). The premier may have escaped charges, herself, but her hands arent clean. Police began probing the possible violations after Olivier, who records conversations on his iPad or smartphone because he cannot take notes, made public the conversations on Facebook. In one recording, Lougheed said: The premier wants to talk. They would like to present you options in terms of appointments, jobs, whatever, that you and her and Pat Sorbara could talk about. Later, Sorbara told Olivier: We should have the broader discussion about what is it that youd be most interested in doing whether its a full-time or part-time job in a (constituency) office, whether it is appointments, supports or commissions In April, the OPP and prosecutors stayed one count of unlawfully influencing or negotiating appointments and another of counselling an offence not committed against Lougheed. Read more about: SHARE: COPENHAGENDanish police have issued an international arrest warrant for a Syrian refugee whose wife and two daughters were found murdered in the familys apartment in southern Denmark. Police said Tuesday they suspect that 33-year-old Hamid Farid Mohammed may have had something to do with the murders. Investigators on Sunday found the remains of the 27-year-old woman and the couples daughters, aged 7 and 9, in a freezer inside their apartment in Aabenraa, near the German border. Mohammeds whereabouts werent known. Police said a court detained him in absentia, allowing investigators to issue a warrant for his arrest in Denmark and internationally. The family arrived in Denmark in 2015 and received refugee status. SHARE: TOKYOKurdish authorities have detained a Japanese freelance journalist covering the fighting in Iraq, according to Japans government and media reports. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday that Japan was aware that Kosuke Tsuneoka was being detained by government authorities of the Kurdish region. Tsuneoka was reporting on the battle to recapture the city of Mosul from Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, Japans Kyodo News agency reported. He is being held by Kurdish military forces known as the peshmerga, Kyodo said. Its unclear why he was detained. We are still confirming details of his charges with local authorities, Suga said. He added that the Japanese Embassy in Iraq was requesting access to Tsuneoka and calling for appropriate treatment of him while he is being investigated. Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions since Oct. 17, but progress has been uneven. Read more about: SHARE: MILWAUKEEAn officer whose fatal shooting of a black man sparked violence in Milwaukee lost his job Monday, after being charged with sexual assault in an unrelated case. Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown was terminated as a result of the departments internal investigation into the sexual assault charges, according to a statement from Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn. Heaggan-Brown was ordered last week to stand trial on the charges in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Heaggan-Brown fatally shot 23-year-old Sylville Smith last August on Milwaukees north side, which sparked a weekend of violence in the Sherman Park neighbourhood not far from where Smith was killed. The 24-year-old officer is accused of sexually assaulting two men and soliciting sex from two others. One of the men told police he watched news coverage of the August violence while at a bar with Heaggan-Brown a day after the officer fatally shot Smith. The man also alleged Heaggan-Brown bragged about being able to do whatever he wanted without repercussions. Flynn said Heaggan-Brown was fired because he was found to be in violation of the departments code of conduct, which, in part, said whether on or off duty, department members shall not behave in such a way that a reasonable person would expect that discredit could be brought upon the department, or that it would create the appearance of impropriety or corruptive behaviour. Heaggan-Brown remained jailed on $100,000 bond and was expected to be arraigned in court Friday. His attorney, Michael Steinle, did not immediately return a call for comment on the termination. Flynn has said that Smith was fleeing from a traffic stop and that he was shot as he turned toward the officer with a gun in his hand. Police said he ignored orders to drop the gun, and the officer opened fire. Flynn has said that footage from Heaggan-Browns body camera confirmed that account. A few hours after the shooting, violence erupted on the citys largely black north side, with protesters hurling rocks and bricks at police and burning six businesses. More than 30 people were arrested during the unrest and many officers were hurt. One man was shot, but his wounds were not life-threatening. Flynn said no officers fired a shot. The Milwaukee violence followed similar unrest in cities from Ferguson, Missouri to Baltimore in response to the deaths of black men at the hands of police. The police involved killings sparked the nationwide Black Lives Matter movement calling for major changes in how police deal with minority communities. The Wisconsin Department of Justice investigated Smiths death and has turned the case over to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm to determine if Heaggan-Brown should be charged. SHARE: CASTELLUCCIO DI NORCIA, ITALYSome houses are collapsed outright, pancaked piles of stones and plaster. A pair of skis stick out. Some are cracked open neatly, exposing living rooms frozen in time. The central Italian mountain village of Castelluccio di Norcia, among the most heavily hit by Sundays earthquake, is known for the beautiful blossoms of its lentil fields and its historic charm. Now its a ghost town. With the roads cut off, almost all of the 300 inhabitants were evacuated by helicopter. They all survived after an earlier quake in August prompted them to move into safer housing like camper vans or containers. But a small group of 13 hardy souls refuses to leave. They are mostly farmers, who want to stay close to their cattle, sheep and horses their livelihood, without which they would truly have nothing left to come back for. Practically weve returned to the stone age, said Augusto Coccia, 65. He was among the farmers housed in containers in the town square, eating breakfast, when the earthquake struck. It bounced the containers about and filled the air with a thick fog of dust. The 6.6-magnitude tremor, the countrys most powerful in 36 years, pulled down buildings and historic churches in villages across the Appenine mountains. In Castelluccio, the ground is now as much as 70 centimetres (two feet) lower, according to the national geophysics institute. This towns plight was worsened by the fact that the roads were cut off. Rescue helicopters brought in the bare necessities food and water on Sunday but little else. Coccia and the others who stayed behind cook under the open sky with gas canisters. They have no heating, electricity or constant water supply. The temperature drops to as low as minus 6 C (20 F) at night. The medical supplies were delivered to us today. Its been three days since we requested them but its very hard to get them to us, he said. Besides helicopter, the only way to get to Castelluccio is by four-by-four through an hour and a half of rough terrain. Some residents of the area made the trip, as did forest rangers, with whom The Associated Press travelled. Among those making their way to Castelluccio on Tuesday was Vincenzo Brandimarte, 63. He had recently built an inn here using modern earthquake-resistant planning and it was one of the very few buildings that did not collapse or crack. Today I began to cry when I saw the town with my own eyes, he said. This is worse than war. If it had been a real war maybe the town wouldnt have been destroyed to this extent. As of Tuesday, 15,000 people from the region some 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Rome were being given shelter. Thats on top of 2,000 who remain displaced from a first quake in August, which left 300 dead. Premier Matteo Renzi visited the town of Preci with his wife to survey the damage, meet some of the displaced people and participate in an open-air mass for All Saints Day. We will rebuild everything in a timely manner, he said, according to news agency ANSA. He called on people to accept the offer of relocation, stressing the police presence had been beefed up to avoid looting and that tents are not a long-term solution in winter. But farmers like Coccia argue its not an option, as they do not want to leave their herds alone. Wolves are a problem, in particular for sheep. There is a shortage of water and food for the animals. And the animals need barns within weeks to be able to withstand the cold. As rescue operations proceeded Tuesday, aftershocks continued at a rate of several per hour, keeping people on edge. The strongest on Tuesday morning was felt as far away as Rome. Damage was also reported in the Italian capital where, among other things, small cracks appeared in the ceiling of the Saint Eustache church and the marble of a street lamp near the Vatican was misaligned. For some, the disaster will resonate acutely on Wednesday All Souls Day, when Italian families traditionally visit cemeteries to remember their dead relatives. Cemeteries were heavily damaged in the stricken villages, with coffins spilling out of the built structures that are typical in Italy. Here the apocalypse happened, said Giuseppe Caponecchi, a 54-year-old entrepreneur from Castelluccio. But were stronger than the apocalypse. SHARE: Two people were killed during the weekend in separate crashes in Walworth County, the first involving a car hitting a farm implement and the second crash a single-car rollover into a tree. The first crash was reported at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday on Elm Ridge Road just south of I-43 in the town of Darien, the Sheriff's Office said. Christine Boehm, 65, town of Delavan, was killed when her northbound car struck a plowing disc farm implement trailer being pulled by a southbound pickup truck driven by Robert Hoekstra, 54, town of Delavan. Boehm was pronounced dead at the scene. Hoekstra was not injured. The second fatal crash was reported at about 7:25 a.m. Sunday on Highway 14 north of School Section Road in the town of Darien. Ramon Echeverria Lima, 20, town of Darien, was killed when his car overturned and struck a tree. The investigation showed he tried to pass in a no passing zone, lost control of his car, veered into the ditch and crashed. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. A Saudi Arabian student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout died Monday afternoon after being attacked on a main thoroughfare near campus, police and school officials said. Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, was outside Toppers Pizza in downtown Menomonie, Wis., in the early hours of Sunday morning when he was assaulted by a suspect police described as a white male about six feet tall, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported. Shortly after, police found Alnahdi unconscious and bleeding from his mouth and nose. He was initially transported to Mayo Clinic Health System in Menomonie, then taken by helicopter to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, where he died from his injuries, police said. Alnahdi was from Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and had come to UW-Stout in 2015 to study business administration, the university said in a statement. Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to Hussains family in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and his friends at UW-Stout, UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer said. I want to make a personal appeal to anyone on campus or in the community who might have information that would help authorities locate the individual involved in the attack to come forward. Witnesses said around 2 a.m. Sunday they saw a man attack Alnahdi on Main Street East, a main drag that runs along Lake Menomonie and is home to much of the citys bar and restaurant fare, according to WEAU. The attacker then ran away, leaving Alnahdi unconscious and bloodied. When police arrived, witnesses said, he regained consciousness before being taken away. Police said in a statement that they have not made any arrests or identified a motive, but they are treating the incident as a homicide. Almost immediately, Alnahdis death stoked fears that the assault may have been racially motivated. I absolutely loved teaching the Saudi students who have come to Stout, Genesea M. Carter, an assistant professor in the universitys English and philosophy department, wrote on Facebook. Now I am deeply worried about my Saudi students safety. Others said they were bracing for the worst. If this is a hate crime, we will need to rally in peace, Menomonie, one user wrote. The hate that has spread through our country is so sickening, wrote another. The incident grabbed the attention of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which identified Alnahdi as a Muslim and tweeted that it was monitoring his death. The UW-Stout International Relations Club said in a Facebook post Monday that Alnahdi was a member. We pray for his family and friends that they may be comforted at this time, the clubs public relations officer said. Bethany Risler, an admissions counsellor at the university, wrote that she recruited Alnahdi and that they had exchanged emails while he was still learning English. My heart is breaking for his family. May he rest in peace, she said. Alnahdis death comes at a time when Muslims in the United States have expressed deep concern that they will be the target of hate crimes. Many advocates point to rhetoric from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has at various points called for a complete ban on Muslim immigrants. Trump walked back the proposal last month, calling instead for extreme vetting of people entering the country. Overall, anti-Muslim hate crimes have risen fivefold in the United States since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as reported by The Washington Post, though much of that predated Trumps campaign. SHARE: KING OF PRUSSIA, PA.The latest villain of Donald Trumps presidential campaign: Canadas health care system. Trumps Republican running mate, vice-presidential candidate Mike Pence, knocked the Canadian system during an appearance with Trump on Tuesday, following Trumps inaccurate criticism in a radio interview last week. Canadas government insurance program has emerged as a late-campaign foil for the Trump campaign even though he has expressed strong support for it in the past. He has begun targeting Canadas program as he has tried to turn public attention to problems with Obamacare, a much different program that involves government subsidies for insurance plans purchased from corporations. Speaking in a hotel ballroom in an important suburb of Philadelphia, Pence, the governor of Indiana, falsely suggested that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is proposing a Canada-style single-payer system. She actually went to Canada and gave a speech that came out not too long ago, he said. She told Canadians and business groups that she wanted to get, and Im quoting, universal health care coverage like you have here in Canada. Well, we dont want the socialized health care they have in Canada. We want American solutions. In that January 2015 speech, at Saskatoons Arts and Convention Centre, Clinton did not seem to be suggesting she wanted America to adopt Canadas system. Rather, while defending Obamacare, she said she wanted all Americans insured. Im hoping that whatever the shortfalls and glitches have been those will be remedied and we can really take a hard look at whats succeeding, fix what isnt, and keep moving forward to get to affordable, universal health care coverage like you have here in Canada, she said, the Canadian Press reported at the time. Clinton is proposing to add a public option, or a government-run insurance plan, to the current system, but it would supplement, not replace, the existing hodgepodge of private and public insurance. Speaking to Rush Limbaugh last week, Trump falsely said Canadas system is a disaster in terms of cost Americas is far more expensive and that, when Canadians want an operation, they come to the United States to get the operation. Fewer than 1 per cent of patients leave the country for operations. Trumps rhetoric is a marked flip-flop from his previous words about Canadas system even during the current campaign. During the first Republican primary debate, in August 2015, Trump broke with party orthodoxy and said, As far as single-payer, it works in Canada. It works incredibly well in Scotland. He was even more effusive in a 2000 book. We must have universal health care, he wrote. Im a conservative on most issues but a liberal on this one. The Canadian plan also helps Canadians live longer and healthier than Americans, he wrote. There are fewer medical lawsuits, less loss of labor to sickness, and lower costs to companies paying for the medical care of their employees. The Tuesday event was billed as an address about Obamacare. But Trump, who has long vowed to repeal and replace the system, did not offer new details on the replacement component on which he has always been evasive. He said again that the centrepiece of his replacement plan would be tax-free health savings accounts. But he quickly transitioned to his regular stump speech, and he did not say how the accounts would work, whether he would help people who would lose their Obamacare coverage, or even what savings accounts are. Trumps plan for replacing (Obamacare) with Health Savings Accounts has always confused me. His HSA proposal is actually quite modest, health care expert Larry Levitt, of the Kaiser Family Foundation, wrote on Twitter. Pence spoke in slightly greater detail. He said they would help people avoid hardship by allowing some sort of transition period for those receiving subsidies under Obamacare. He said repeatedly, though, that the replacement plan would rely on the power of the free market. Thats the American way, he said. Both Pence and Trump slammed Obamacare as a disaster. It has returned to the political fore in the last week and a half, in the wake of the Obama Administrations announcement that average premiums for insurance purchased on Obamacare exchanges, or markets, would rise more than 20 per cent next year before subsidies. They held their event in one of the most important battleground regions in the country. To win the presidency, Trump very likely needs to win Pennsylvania. To win Pennsylvania, he needs to do much better than he is doing in the largely affluent, politically divided suburban communities around Philadelphia. The latest poll of the state, by Franklin and Marshall College, found Clinton up by 11 points and by a gargantuan 36 points, 64 per cent to 28 per cent, in those suburbs. There was better news for Trump in some other polls, which suggested that his standing has improved in the wake of FBI Director James Comeys Friday disclosure of a new investigation into Hillary Clintons emails. In North Carolina, Clinton led by one point in the Elon University poll in which she led by six in late September. In the ABC/Washington Post tracking poll, Trump took his first lead since May, 46 per cent to 45 per cent. Trump vowed to call a special session of Congress to repeal Obamacare. That is not necessary, since Congress would be in session when he became president. SHARE: Imagine videos purportedly showing violent Jewish takeovers or homosexual takeovers of Paris and London, or a video headlined: Must see: Dutch mayor tells fellow Jews they can f------ if they dont like freedom. To some it may be just the simple exercise of free speech rights. Others will argue that as distasteful as they are, a person must have the right to express such views. Yet others may feel that these cross the line into hate. Now imagine these are being posted by your childs principal on Facebook. I am sure not too many will continue waxing eloquent about free speech. There is an expectation and requirement that teachers, educators and those in charge of children exercise greater prudence. Yet this is exactly what transpired in Markham, with one difference. Ghada Sadaka, principal at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Public School, did not post about Jews or gays. She posted about Muslims. Though the York Region District School Board finally investigated the matter after some pressure, it has refused to publicly release its findings. Is the principal guilty? Did she violate rules of conduct? If guilty, what disciplinary actions and/or sensitivity training was ordered? Indeed, any parent who sends their children to York Region schools and every taxpayer is entitled to these answers. Unfortunately, instead of putting parents at ease and assuring them that all children are entitled to a safe, inclusive and accepting environment free from fear and hate, the board is stonewalling. The board calls it a personnel matter. As of last week two trustees, Allan Tam and Billy Pang, have joined the growing chorus asking for transparency. Rightfully, many parents are beginning to wonder if different standards apply to Muslims. If educators who not only harbour, but openly espouse such hateful views are allowed to continue with impunity, what message are we sending to Muslim children? What kind of toxic environment is being created for Muslim students and teachers? Until relatively recently, such complaints were unheard of in Ontario. Now a growing number of teachers and parents have expressed concern about being targeted or discriminated against. In fact, Amira El Ghawaby of the National Council on Canadian Muslims says a number of reported cases in the school setting involve teachers and/or problematic lessons. In one case a teacher pulled off a 10-year-old girls hijab and pulled her hair after asking what happens if I pull this off? In another incident a teacher told a student I do not deal with terrorists. El Ghawaby also noted there has been a significant increase in requests for our Islamophobia workshops and guides for educators and for students. Though there are no thorough studies in Canada yet, the evidence from south of the border does not bode well, according to an in-depth story published earlier this year by Mother Jones. Citing a civil rights group, the article titled The Chilling Rise of Islamophobia in Our Schools argues that too many anti-Muslim incidents have started with a teachers or school administrators. The article also notes that one-in-five Muslim students in California reported experiencing discrimination by an educator. Disturbingly, Mother Jones also reported that only 42 per cent of kids harassed in school reported their plight. The rest did not because they felt reporting it would not have made a difference. This is the reality because the insidious nature of Islamophobia is minimized and educators are free to hold onto and act based on their hateful views. Indeed, as one Sir Wilfrid Laurier student told the Toronto Star, she even skipped Eid prayers, an important Muslim holiday, because she was afraid to visit the office to obtain a late slip. She added that many of her friends are also fearful of the principal. Even psychiatrists have weighed in on the damaging impact of Islamophobia, especially on children. Sadly. Islamophobia is not the only allegation directed at the York Region school board. In fact, members of the black community have raised similar concerns about anti-black racism within the board. Moreover, even before these stories came to light, a group calling itself the Coalition for Good Governance was rebuffed after seeking transparency. The board, which appears to be run as a fiefdom, clearly needs to engage with these communities to help create a more inclusive atmosphere. Its about time the Ontario Ministry of Education intervened to get to the bottom of what may be systemic issues before trust erodes further, a culture of fear grows and more children are scarred. Faisal Kutty is counsel to KSM Law, an associate professor at Valparaiso University Law School in Indiana and an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. @faisalkutty. SHARE: This past Sunday, joined by a delegation of Canadians on a State visit to Jordan, my wife Sharon and I visited the massive Zaatari refugee camp located just 13 km from the Syrian border. The camp is home to 80,000 Syrian refugees, part of a larger group of 650,000 registered refugees in Jordan who are enduring the crushing burden of war, but who continue to hope and to have the will to rebuild their lives and make a better future for their children. My overriding impression of the camp is of the vast human potential of the refugees who have sought shelter there. Zaatari itself is proof of this. It is a dense, dynamic hub of tents, container homes, shops, schools, hospitals, playgrounds and distribution centres. There are restaurants, cafes, a billiards hall, a wedding dress shop and a furniture shop, all owned and operated by refugees. Thanks to the enlightened support of NGOs and government agencies and the efforts of refugees themselves, Zaatari has developed an impressive economy and way of life that allows refugees to shape the settlement to suit their needs. Though opportunities are of course limited and the desire to resume normal lives very strong, the refugees are not content to sit idly. On the contrary, the settlement vividly demonstrates the creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and desire for dignity of those who have lost everything and live there. Also, one cannot visit Zaatari without catching glimpses of Syrians humanity and great sense of humour. Case in point: the settlements main street is jokingly nicknamed the Champs Elysees. The City of Light it isnt, but the refugees ability to make the best of a very bad situation is inspiring and it reaffirms our view that welcoming Syrian refugees to Canada is not just the right thing to do, but the bright thing. Theres no doubt, the challenge of refugee resettlement is also an opportunity for Canada. These people have a lot to offer. So where do we stand, almost one year after Canadas Syrian refugee initiative began? To date, more than 32,000 refugees (many of whom passed through Zaatari on their way here) have arrived in almost 350 communities across Canada. Of that number, more than 12,000 refugees were privately sponsored, an impressive number that includes a few sponsored by our daughters, Sharon and I are proud to say. There are of course growing pains. The challenge of resettling and integrating thousands of people from a faraway, war-ravaged country is considerable. But in light of the devastation that continues to be wrought upon the Syrian people, the large presence of Syrian refugees across Jordan and the millions elsewhere, we are doing well. And importantly, Canadians are helping to write a narrative that positions refugees as beneficial to societies rather than a burden. Its a story we should tell the world. With the notable exception of indigenous peoples, Canada is a nation of immigrants and refugees. Millions of Canadians came from abroad, fleeing war, deprivation or persecution in their homelands, eager to make better lives for themselves and their families. Given the chance, thats precisely what newcomers to Canada have done. In fact, my two immediate predecessors as governor general, Michaelle Jean and Adrienne Clarkson, were refugees from Haiti in 1968 and Hong Kong during the Second World War, respectively. Both have made extraordinary contributions to Canada and the world. These are just two examples, but thanks to Canadas historic openness to refugees which is, lets remember, punctuated by darker moments when we closed our doors there are countless such heartening stories in our country. We should look forward to a future when those who had no choice but to seek shelter in the Zaatari refugee camp put their imaginations and their talents to use as Canadians, because theirs is also the story of Canada. His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston is the Governor General of Canada. SHARE: Are you a journalist? tweeted American whistleblower Edward Snowden on Monday. The police spying on you specifically to ID your sources isnt a hypothetical, he warned. This is today. Snowden was referring to the case of Patrick Lagace, a columnist at Montreals La Presse newspaper, who revealed that police have been spying on him for months, tracking his whereabouts using his cellphone and monitoring his calls and texts. Montreal police suspected that a target of one of their internal investigations was leaking information to Lagace and so applied for and, bizarrely, received a series of warrants to monitor the columnist. The state spying on a journalist suspected of no wrongdoing, in an apparent attempt to identify his sources, is unprecedented in Canadian history and poses a troubling threat to freedom of the press. The Supreme Court of Canada has warned against exactly this practice. The press should not be turned into an investigative arm of the police, the majority wrote in a 1991 ruling, which laid out the narrow grounds on which the state can legitimately seize journalistic materials. Given that such seizures could well hamper the ability of the press to gather information, and thus undermine the medias essential democratic function, warrants should be issued only as a last resort, the court decided. Yet there is no indication that any other investigative avenues were explored in this case. More troubling still, the surveillance of Lagace is not the only recent incident in Quebec where freedom of the press was put at risk. In September, Quebec police seized the computer of Journal de Montreal reporter Michael Nguyen after he wrote a story on allegations of abusive behaviour against a Quebec Court judge. The warrant suggested Nguyen illegally hacked a private website to obtain his information. In fact, the details were available to anyone with a cursory knowledge of Google. Twice in recent months Quebec police have targeted journalists as they attempted to hold the state to account. In both cases, judges have approved warrants that, as the Supreme Court has said, are bound to have a chilling effect on sources. Indeed, that may have been the point. I'm convinced this is an attempt to intimidate everyone inside the police force who may want to talk to a journalist, Lagace told CBC news. Whatever the rationale, the precedent could hardly be more troubling. As La Presse editor in chief Eric Trottier wrote in Mondays edition of the paper, such surveillance irredeemably compromises the confidence that must exist between a journalist and his or her source so that citizens can be informed of subjects that are in the public interest and can participate in an enlightened manner in the democratic life of the country. The provinces politicians have joined together to denounce these practices, but idle reprimands are not enough. Quebecs public security minister says he will look into the matter. He must. The province should conduct a comprehensive review and explain to the public how we got to this worrying place and who exactly is responsible. Either policies and procedures are broken, or they have been violated and heads should roll. This anti-democratic spark must be snuffed out before it is allowed to catch. Read more about: SHARE: Emily Dontsos was assaulted in a Toronto subway car when a man pressed his hand between her buttocks. Hillary Di Menna was sexually harassed on the subway by a man who followed her when she got off at the next stop to get away from him. They are not alone. The Toronto Transit Commission says there were 577 reports to police of sexual assault on its property or vehicles between 2011 and 2015 about one every three days. Those are the incidents that are reported. Experts around the world, though, acknowledge that very few are. Vancouver transit police, for example, estimate only 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported. And a study out of France found that every one of 600 women surveyed reported they had experienced sexual harassment on the Paris metro. Its no wonder. Vancouver transit police report there are men who ride the system all day long just to find women to assault and harass. Which is why transit agencies in many countries are banding together to increase reporting and make sure that women feel safe, and are safe, when they ride public transit. Toronto needs to get on the train fast to stop assaults and harassment. Here are some ideas from other cities that could improve the situation here: Toronto should join Project Guardian, a public awareness campaign already running in Vancouver, Boston, Washington, D.C., and London to encourage reporting of sexual assaults and harassment on public transit through the use of a social media campaign, security blitzes, a confidential reporting hotline and a text-messaging service. It lets women know what to do if they are harassed or assaulted. And it gets the message out to men who harass women: They will be caught. City councillors and Mayor John Tory should own the issue, as politicians in other cities do. They should publicize it and create an action plan to combat it. The TTC should conduct a study to find out just how widespread the problem is and survey women to ask what can be done to make the system safer. More women should be working in the transit system to ensure their voices and concerns are heard. In Toronto nine out of 10 board members are men and only three of 10 executive positions are held by women. Further, only 15 per cent of TTC employees are women even though 57 per cent of passengers are female. Transit staff should receive special training on what to do when a sexual assault or incidence of harassment is reported to them. A web page should be created where women can report their experiences with assault and harassment on the system. That would help the TTC understand how widespread the problem is. The TTC should retain camera footage for seven days, instead of the current 72 hours, to give women the time they need to get over emotional shock and report assaults. The TTC plans to release a smartphone app in 2017 that would allow passengers to surreptitiously photograph a culprit and send it to authorities. At the same time it says it will launch an education and information campaign. Thats one good step, but its years behind what other cities have done. The TTC, city council and Toronto police need to work together to fight sexual harassment and make sure all passengers can use public transit without fear. SHARE: Re: Ontario moose population faces troubling decline, Oct. 27 Ontario moose population faces troubling decline, Oct. 27 Kudos to the environmental commissioner for taking on moose decline. We need swift science-based action. An uncontrolled proliferation of logging roads spun like a spider web across the north, and paid for by an outdated road subsidy, has steadily increased hunting access and decreased roadless areas. Moose need roadless areas as refuges. These areas are also rich in carbon. Further, while moose populations are declining we should not be hunting calves. Combined, these actions would give a lifeline not only to moose but to First Nations, sport hunters and the tourism operators who rely on healthy moose populations. Thats a quadruple win for species, society, climate and even the bottom line. Dave Pearce, manager, Forest Conservation, CPAWS Wildlands League, Toronto SHARE: First came the school bus driver shortage, causing back-to-school chaos for 2,600 Toronto students and their families this fall and still lingering in parts of the city. Now a possible strike this week by a group of bus drivers could make getting to school and back a major challenge for up to 8,500 students in Toronto public and Catholic boards. Drivers with the bus operator First Student of Markham are continuing talks with the company in advance of a strike or lockout deadline Thursday at 12:01 a.m., according to their Unifor local 4268. We cannot continue to have hours a week go unpaid and unrecognized, said local president Deb Montgomery, a driver for 30 years. But she said shes optimistic a deal can be reached. A work disruption would affect vastly more students than the bus driver shortage in September almost 6,000 students in 46 Catholic schools and 2,500 in 42 schools from the Toronto District School Board. Its an uncomfortable situation and were still holding out hope theyll be able to resolve this, said John Yan, spokesperson for the Toronto Catholic District School Board, which has 30,000 students bused each day. Were prepared for the worst and hoping for the best. Both school boards have posted lists of schools that would be affected on their websites and are urging parents to start planning alternate arrangements, as no replacement bus service will be provided. A bus driver strike would be a first for the city, based on available records, said Kevin Hodgkinson, general manager of Toronto Student Transportation Group, the consortium of seven bus companies that serves the two boards. As far as we know, weve never had a driver strike here in Toronto. It would also mean the third straight month of transportation commotion for Toronto families that caused such havoc in September that it prompted the Ontario Ombudsman to launch a formal investigation, now underway. Many students endured weeks of late arrivals in the morning and delayed departures after the dismissal bell in some cases by up to 90 minutes as drivers took on double or triple their usual routes to cope with the shortage. Parents were forced to improvise and schools had to provide extra supervision manage late arrivals and departures. In some cases, boards put kids in taxis and principals ended up driving home stranded children themselves. The driver shortage caused such an unexpected and prolonged disruption that bus companies even resorted to flying in replacement drivers from Alberta and hiring a limousine service to transport some students. Two Edmonton drivers from Stock Transportation recently went home after six-week stints in Toronto, while two others stayed a month. Toronto limo service Super Stealth, subcontracted by one of the bus companies, is still ferrying some high school students in luxury SUVs, said Hodgkinson. He said those extreme measures will not end up costing school boards because bus companies are responsible for covering costs related to problems delivering its service. The situation has improved, and only about a dozen routes are still without designated drivers, affecting 675 Catholic board students and 225 at the TDSB. On Tuesday, some students had to contend with delays of up to 90 minutes in some cases. Hodgkinson said the bus companies face a huge challenge training new drivers to keep up with the high turnover. Only 30 per cent of those who begin training end up staying to take a job, he said. Unions and drivers blame low wages that dont reflect their responsibilities and poor working conditions. The jobs, which pay the equivalent of about $12 to $15 dollars an hour, involve split shifts and are seasonal. Drivers often arent paid for duties before and after driving students, such as inspecting their buses or for long trips to and from their routes. In a year when both boards were hit with driver shortages, it is more important than ever that we reach a deal that will help to both recruit and retain drivers in this city, said Unifors Montgomery. SHARE: In a matter of days, Americans will head to the polls to vote not only for the next president but also on other important issues. And in a handful of states, the ballot will include a measure that could pad investors' wallets. After decades of prohibition, public favor has finally turned toward the legalization of both medical and recreational marijuana. The marijuana industry is big business and poised for skyrocketing growth. The legal marijuana market is projected to grow to $7.1 billion by the end of the year. On Nov. 8, voters in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada and North Dakota will vote on weed legalization in some form or other, from medical purposes to straight-up recreational usage. If the initiatives pass, they will join the 26 other states, plus the District of Columbia, where pot has been legalized for at least medical use. This is America's fastest-growing industry, and clearly, there are fortunes to be made for investors who get in before the new green rush hits full swing. Those include pot-centric agricultural stocks such as Terra Tech, those that manufacture accessories for legal weed, such as Kush Bottles, and perhaps most of all, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with promising marijuana-based products. The headlines in this area have been dominated lately by GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) , a company working on therapies for patients suffering from epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, among other conditions. This company's stock has soared to about $137 a share this month from $8.50 in 2013. That means investors who got in only three years ago could have banked profits of a breathtaking 1,500%. Shares are up slightly on Monday, trading at a little more than $117 apiece. The company's latest product is a treatment for children with severe forms of epilepsy. Called Epidiolex, this drug is nearing Food and Drug and Administration approval and could be on the market as early as the first half of 2018. That means that there is a lot of potential for even more growth in the stock This company is also rapidly becoming a sought-after takeover bid for bigger pharmaceutical enterprises. Deploying cannabis-based compounds for epilepsy treatment isn't new, but to have a drug that works is a major breakthrough. A Reutersreport last month hinted that GW Pharmaceuticals is working with an investment bank to prepare for negotiations with potential acquirers. GW Pharmaceuticals isn't the only player in the sector. Stocks such as Cara Therapeutics and Insys Therapeutics could also see significant gains when their cannabis-derived treatments take off. AbbVie is also an interesting option. The company's anti-nausea drug, Syndros, a liquid version of its Marinol soft gel capsules), is already FDA approved. The drug is based on a synthetic variant of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) -- the principal compound found in marijuana. AbbVie offers a healthy dividend as well, with a yield of 3.96%. If you don't mind risk, there are some smaller companies that offer potentially outstanding opportunities. The industry is in a nascent stage and demand for cannabis products will only increase as legalization becomes more widespread. If you really want to start seeing green, hop in on these cannabis-friendly stocks today. --- 85% Accurate Trader gives his Personal Guarantee: "Give Me 9 Minutes a Week and I Guarantee You $67,548 a Year." As you can see, Apple remains a great play for investors. But what if I told you I know a way you can see a $67,548 per year - or more - in profitable trades just by following this simple step-by-step process? The trader who is sharing this secret has been right more than 8 out of 10 times, turning $5,000 into more than $5 million for himself. Click here to see how easy it is to follow his lead and collect thousands of dollars in "Free Money" every month. The author is an independent contributor who at the time of publication owned none of the stocks mentioned. European equity markets edged lower Tuesday as cautious sentiment ahead of next week's US Presidential elections offset strong factory data from China and better-than-expected earnings in the energy sector. The Stoxx 600 index fell by around 0.3% by mid-morning in Europe and was quoted at around 3337.98 points. London's benchmark FTSE 100 , which opened 0.4% higher thanks in large part to blowout second quarter earnings from Royal Dutch Shell plc, (RDS.A) , one of the index's biggest stocks, pared those gains and was little changed at 6959.68 my mid-session. Shares in the oil giant rose more than 3%, extending its six-month gain to 18%, after it said CCS earnings attributable to shareholders came in at $2.79 billion in the third quarter, well ahead of the market's expectation of $1.79 billion and well ahead of the $1.45 billion recorded in the three months ending in June. Cash flow from operating activities, the company said, was $8.5 billion, significantly higher than the $2.3 billion recorded in the second quarter. Royal Dutch Shell shares were quoted at 2,109.5 pence each in early London trading. The rise offset a 1% decline for its rival, BP plc (BP) , which also posted better-than-expected third quarter earnings but saw its share price fall after the group trimmed capital expenditure plans. Standard Chartered plc, the U.K.-based investment bank with significant emerging markets exposure, was one of the major downside performers in early trading as its shares fell more than 6% following lower-than-expected third quarter earnings. Standard Chartered said its Q3 net came in at $458 million, well shy of the $520 consensus estimate. Shares in the bank were quoted at 685 pence each in early London trading. Still, the overall positive tone to the session extended from solid gains in Asia trading after China manufacturing PMI data from both Caixin and the National Bureau of Statistics jumped more than expected in October, with the Caixin index rising to 51.2 from 50.1 and the official PMI jumping to 51.2 from 50.4. Both indices signaled that the pace of growth quickened to a 27-month high. Capital Economics' Julian Evans-Pritchard called the data a "welcome sign that the recent cyclical recovery continued to gain momentum going into Q4," though he noted that faster credit growth is driving the strength and probably won't prove sustainable. Away from equities, Britain's pound sterling traded at 1.2272 against the US dollar, its highest level since October 21, as traders lifted the beleaguered currency in the wake of Bank of England Governor Mark Carney's decision to extend his term until 2019. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate on Tuesday sought to draw a sharp contrast between Clinton and her Republican opponent Donald Trump in inclusiveness, demeanor and treatment of others in a final push to secure votes in Wisconsin. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine told a crowd of hundreds at a UW-Madison student dining center one week before Election Day that Clinton was the only candidate promoting equality and empowering families and children. "Why is Donald Trump cutting against equality?" Kaine said. "What other country says it's about one thing? Equality. It's about one thing. It's about equality and we gotta move toward it, not away from it." In seeking to illustrate Trump as a candidate who has rejected inclusiveness and fair treatment of minorities, Kaine reminded the crowd of controversial statements Trump has made about women, people with disabilities, and minorities, including his criticism of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, parents of Humayun Khan, a Muslim soldier who died in combat in Iraq in 2004. "Who goes after a Gold Star family like the Khans?" Kaine said. He also reminded the crowd of a comment Trump made during a debate with Clinton in which he called her a "nasty woman." "Donald Trump is not a person who can look at a woman and see an equal," he said. "This is a fundamental choice about the values of the country." In contrast, Kaine said, Clinton was a candidate who has experienced personal defeat and discrimination and forged ahead to meet her goals anyway, instead of throwing tantrums as he said Trump has done and would do as president. Kaine referenced Clinton's unsuccessful push for universal health care as first lady in the early 1990s. After the defeat, Clinton pushed for the Children's Health Insurance Program in 1997, he said. Kaine said Clinton has made her whole career about "empowering families and children." "Donald Trump is a different kind of guy," said Kaine. "Donald Trump does have a passion: It's just Donald J. Trump. It's not family and kids. His passion is Donald J. Trump." After the event, Kaine and Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Madison surprised patrons at The Old Fashioned on the Capitol Square. Kaine ordered Wisconsin's quintessential cocktail, a Brandy Old Fashioned, sweet, while Baldwin took a Spotted Cow beer. Campaign homestretch Kaine was deployed by the Clinton campaign in Wisconsin during the homestretch of a volatile presidential campaign featuring numerous controversial comments by Trump but roiled in recent days by revelations that the FBI would review new emails possibly connected to Clinton and her time as secretary of state under President Barack Obama. The Virginia senator's Madison stop was his second in the state on Tuesday, after he visited Appleton's Lawrence University that afternoon. There, and in Madison, he told voters that Wisconsin is critical for Democrats to win the White House. "If we win Wisconsin, it is very, very difficult for the other side to win this race," said Kaine. Kaine also said he has a record of winning, and being supported by strong women. "Now I get to be a strong man supporting a strong woman," he said. Polls have consistently shown Clinton leading Trump in Wisconsin, which has 10 electoral votes, though a new Marquette Law School Poll will be released Wednesday. She has not campaigned in the state since the primary and Kaine was making his first stop since August. Kaine told the Madison crowd that Wisconsin voters will see others from the Clinton-Kaine campaign in the coming days, but he didn't offer specifics. Kaine appeared with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Russ Feingold, who is in a tough race against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson. The Associated Press contributed to this report. NEW YORK (TheStreet) --Yum! Brands (YUM) will officially spin off its Chinese business Tuesday as Yum! China (YUMC) debuts on the New York Stock Exchange. Yum! China will have 7,300 restaurants, in 1,100 Chinese cities, spanning every province in China. "The China CEO Micky Pant is here along with the president of the New York Stock Exchange Tom Farley and everyone is celebrating," CNBC's Eunice Yoon reported from Shanghai during Tuesday morning's "Squawk Box." The company is celebrating the fact that the spin off will create $900 million in cash and eliminate debt. "Their more financially secure position could help the company really position themselves for a much more aggressive move into this market," Yoon added. However, the company does face several challenges infiltrating the Chinese market. For one, the company will have to make up for headwinds seen in the third-quarter, such as a decline in same-store-sales and food safety issues. "But, the fundamental problems that they face is something even greater," Yoon noted. The first fundamental challenge is making the Yum! Brands restaurants in China more aspirational. "Chinese people don't dream of eating at a KFC, for example," Yoon said. Yum! must find a way to re-brand restaurants to reverse the trend. Secondly, Yum! will have to compete not only with American counterparts in the country like McDonald's (MCD) and Starbucks (SBUX), but also local Chinese fast-food restaurants with Chinese cuisine. Yum! China plans to combat these challenges by renovating restaurants to make them more upscale, localizing the menus and offering high-end food items. Separately, TheStreet Ratings objectively rated this stock according to its "risk-adjusted" total return prospect over a 12-month investment horizon. Not based on the news in any given day, the rating may differ from Jim Cramer's view or that of this articles's author. The team rates Yum Brands as a Hold with a ratings score of C+. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth and compelling growth in net income. However, as a counter to these strengths, the team finds that it feels that the company's cash flow from its operations has been weak overall. You can view the full analysis from the report here: YUM NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Research firm Forrester is predicting that the next U.S. president will be dealing with a major cyber security issue within his or her first 100 days in office. In the ever-expanding digital age, protection against cyber threats is increasingly on people's minds and has played a key role in this election. Each year Forrester puts out a list of the next year's top cyber security risks. "For 2016 they predicted that cyber security would play a major role in the U.S. presidential election, which it certainly has. They also said that a breach would also force the resignation of two CEOs," CNBC's Deirdre Bosa reported on "Power Lunch" Tuesday afternoon. No notable CEOs were forced to step down in 2016, but data hacks did pressure Iceland's prime minister to leave office as well as DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Forrester expects a cyber attack to occur just over three months into the first term of our next president. Bosa spoke to one of the authors of the Forrester report who told her that the attack could come from either within the U.S. or externally. "Now he says that those first 100 days in office are particularly precarious because that is the president's new initiation period. An indication of how their four-year term will unfold," Bosa continued. As far as which presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton (D) or Donald Trump (R), would be better equipped to handle this threat, it doesn't matter, at least according to a lawyer practicing in the area of cyber security that Bosa spoke with. It doesn't matter because of the frequency and increasingly challenging ways attacks are carried out; no candidate would be able to prepare totally. Sinabung volcano (Sumatra, Indonesia): elevated activity, frequent pyroclastic flows Tue, 1 Nov 2016, 16:20 16:20 PM | BY: T 16:20 PM | BY: T Front of a moderately large pyroclastic flow at Sinabung this morning (image: PVMBG / facebook) The new lava lobe at Sinabung on 24 Oct 2016 (image: Endro Lewa / facebook) Vertical explosion at Sinabung on 24 Oct 2016 (image: PVMBG) The eruption of the volcano continues, but has again entered a phase of increased activity since a few days ago: a new lava lobe, which has been growing since around 20 October, is now being destroyed by an ongoing series of frequent small to moderate pyroclastic flows that affect the southeastern and eastern slopes.At the same time, the volcano has been producing sometimes comparably strong vertical explosions. This suggests that the internal supply of fresh and gas-rich magma is currently elevated (compared to the average of the past months when the volcano was mostly calmer.During a 6 hours interval this afternoon, the volcano observatory reported one explosion and 7 pyroclastic flows on the east-southeastern flank with run-out lengths of 1500-3500 m, and associated ash plumes rising 800-1500 m high. The larger of the pyroclastic flows are coming dangerously close to, and again threatening areas which have still been being used and visited by local farmers and others (despite being well inside the official exclusion zone). It can only be hoped that no new accidents occur.Despite the current increase in activity, it should be noted that the type of internal activity in itself has not changed significantly: the extrusion of viscous lava has been continuing at fluctuating, but overall slow pace for more than 3 years.With every surge of magma, the extruded lava accumulates in the volcano's summit crater and forms thick lobes on the southeastern upper flank. From time to time, these masses become unstable and start to crumble away, causing avalanches and / or pyroclastic flows.The alert level of the volcano remains at the highest level 4 ("siaga") on the Indonesian 1-4 scale. A disheartening survey by Bankrate.com found that people overwhelmingly feel the outcome of the presidential election is the biggest threat to the U.S. economy. (David Goldman/AP) I voted early. Ill be out of the country on Election Day, so I wanted to make sure my vote was counted. But as I made my selection, my heart was heavy. Im concerned about how the outcome will affect the economy. Readers have been asking me what I think about the candidates economic plans. I have stayed silent because I didnt want to hear any more of the ugliness that has marred this election cycle. When it comes to the economy, neither Hilary Clinton nor Donald Trump has offered a strategy that seems viable given the polarization of our politics. Our next president will come into power with so much division and mistrust that its hard to fathom Congress passing any consequential legislation. In addition to my work as a columnist, through which I get to hear from readers nationwide, I have the privilege of being invited into the financial lives of individuals and couples through my churchs outreach efforts. You get a sense of the economy when you sit across the table from person after person struggling to pay bills, manage debt and save for retirement and/or a childs college education. You see the long economic recovery from the perspective of a job loss or stagnant wages. Im particularly concerned about prison reform, a crisis that has largely been unaddressed during this campaign. Yet, I see how government policy, or the lack thereof, affects inmates. I go into prisons to counsel people who are about to be released on money management. Its challenging to create a budget when they might not be able to find a job. For those who do find employment, the wages are often so low that they cant afford housing or a reliable car to get to work. As a country, were good at spending money to lock folks up, but there arent enough resources to assist them in rejoining society in a way that will help them stay out of prison and become productive citizens. Yes, they need to pay for their crimes. But well pay more, literally and figuratively, if we dont figure out how to ensure they can find jobs and provide for themselves and their families. Campaign rhetoric and grand-scheme platform policies have to give way to real and legislatively passable solutions. So here are two issues that I hope our next president will make priorities: Deal with student debt. As it stands, the next generations of workers will carry the heavy weight of student loans, which will affect their ability to help the economy grow. I loved this recent placard: A degree shouldnt be a debt sentence. Trump talks about forgiving debt and capping how much of a persons income should be directed toward student loans. There are already repayment plans that do that, yet folks are still struggling. And if debt is forgiven even sooner than current repayment plans allow, who will pay for it? We have to get to the point where borrowing for higher education isnt the default choice. Clinton proposes free tuition at state and community colleges. I dont think for a moment this will happen. State governments arent exactly flush with cash, which is why theyve pulled back on subsidizing public institutions. And what about the high cost of room and board, which in some cases can be as much as tuition and fees? The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators nicely lays out each candidates higher-education positions. To read more, go to www.nasfaa.org/2016_presidential_candidates. I hope whoever wins the White House will appoint a special adviser to consider all viable options for addressing the student loan crisis. Ban the box. I support the campaign to eliminate questions about criminal convictions from job applications. When ex-offenders apply for a job, many have to check a box indicating theyve been convicted of a crime. Doing so can shut down any possibility of the person getting an interview, let alone the job. (The same can be true for housing and college applications.) Yes, employers should be checking the backgrounds of potential workers to ensure they are hiring competent employees who will not jeopardize the safety of their workers or customers. But we need to give ex-offenders a chance. Unemployment is one of the leading factors in high recidivism rates. If you want to know more about the Ban the Box movement, go to the National Employment Law Projects website, www.nelp.org/campaign/ensuring-fair-chance-to-work. A disheartening survey by Bankrate.com found that people overwhelmingly feel the outcome of the presidential election is the biggest threat to the U.S. economy. I hope that doesnt turn out to be true. Write Singletary at The Washington Post, 1301 K St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or michelle.singletary@washpost.com. To read more, go to http://wapo.st/michelle-singletary. Tammy Grimes, a raspy-voiced actress who was one of Broadways brightest stars of the 1960s, winning Tony awards as the title character in the musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown and for a revival of Noel Cowards comedy Private Lives, died Oct. 30 at a hospital in Englewood, N.J. She was 82. A nephew, Duncan MacArthur, said the cause was not yet known. Miss Grimes occasionally appeared on television and in films, but she was best known for her work on stage, winning admirers for her deft comic timing and scene-stealing energy. Her breakthrough came in Meredith Willsons 1960 musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown, the embellished true story of a poor girl from Missouri who takes high society by storm and survives the sinking of the Titanic. Miss Grimes performed the role on Broadway for two years, winning extravagant praise from critics, even if they didnt always care for the play itself. When she clutches a broom, throws a tablecloth over her shoulders and wears a pail on her head like the nobility she hopes to be, you dont doubt that she will make it, New York Times theater critic Howard Taubman wrote. Tammy Grimes in 2005. (Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images/Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images) Even though Miss Grimes was on stage for all but seven minutes of the show, she won the Tony Award for best supporting actress in a musical because, according to rules then in effect, her name did not appear above the shows title on the marquee. After I won, she later quipped, they put me above the title. Her Broadway co-star, Harve Presnell, went on to star in the 1964 film version of the play, but Miss Grimess role was given to Debbie Reynolds. Even before that, Miss Grimes seemed aware that her talents were too rarefied to make her a Hollywood star. She had unconventional looks, with unkempt hair, a prominent chin and pointed nose, and she spoke with a finishing school accent that was somehow wispy and rough, a distinctive blend of British English and Broadway. I know its hard for a housewife watching in Kansas City to identify with me, she said in 1960. But then I dont want to be Americas Sweetheart. Id rather be something they dont quite understand. Her theatrical approach was just right for Coward, the cosmopolitan English playwright and performer who first cast Miss Grimes in his lighthearted romp Look After Lulu in 1958, after seeing her perform in a cabaret show. She later appeared in High Spirits, a 1964 musical adaptation of Cowards play Blithe Spirit. In 1969, she starred as Amanda Prynne in a revival of his classic farce Private Lives. Tammy Grimes, left, and actress Kim Cattrall at a Broadway opening-night party for a 2011 revival of "Private Lives." (Fernando Leon/Getty Images) The fast-paced comedy is about a divorced couple who marry other people, then discover on their honeymoons that they are staying in adjoining hotel rooms. Naturally, amid all the confusion, passion and malicious wit, they fall back in love. Miss Grimes plays every cheap trick in the histrionic book with supreme aplomb and adorable confidence, theater critic Clive Barnes wrote in the Times. Her voice moans, purrs, splutters; she gesticulates with her eyes, almost shouts with her hair. She is all campy, impossible woman, a lovable phony with the hint of tigress about her, so ridiculously artificial that she just has to be for real. This time, with her name above the title, Miss Grimes won the Tony for best actress. Tammy Lee Grimes was born Jan. 30, 1934, in Lynn, Mass. Her father was a country club manager. She attended private school in Massachusetts and at age 13 was determined to be an actress. She graduated in 1953 from Stephens College, then a two-year womens college in Columbia, Mo. She moved to New York, studied for two years at New Yorks Neighborhood Playhouse, acted in summer stock, appeared on television dramas and was an understudy to Kim Stanley in the 1955 Broadway production of Bus Stop. Miss Grimes also acted in productions of Shakespeare in Stratford, Ontario, and in 1956 was married to Canadian-born actor Christopher Plummer. Their daughter, actress Amanda Plummer, was born in 1957. Miss Grimes appeared in several films, including Three Bites of the Apple (1967), Play It As It Lays (1972) and Mr. North (1988), and starred in a short-lived, self-titled sitcom in the 1960s. She appeared periodically in cabaret performances, from the 1950s until 2010, but her career revolved around Broadway. In 1976, she was in the original cast of Neil Simons California Suite, in which she played three different women, and played the virtuous Elmire in a 1977 revival of Molieres classic French farce Tartuffe. She also played a haughty veteran stage star in the original 1980 Broadway production of 42nd Street. In 1979, she appeared with her daughter in a New York production of Ivan Turgenevs A Month in the Country. She last appeared on Broadway in 1989 in a revival of Tennessee Williamss Orpheus Descending, playing a sheriffs wife given to spiritual visions. Her marriages to Plummer and actor Jeremy Slate ended in divorce. In 1971, she married composer Richard J. Bell Jr., who died in 2005. Survivors include her daughter. Its very bad to think, when youre acting, Miss Grimes once told The Washington Post. You must just be sensitive, you must just react to everything that comes at you in life, and . . . you have to be interested in all that big world out there loving you. LADYSMITH A man suspected of fatally shooting a sheriffs deputy in northwestern Wisconsin has an extensive criminal record, court records show. Douglas Nitek, 43, is accused of killing Rusk County Sheriffs Deputy Dan Glaze on Saturday night as the officer investigated a report of a suspicious vehicle in a field not far from Niteks house near Ladysmith, about 50 miles northeast of Eau Claire, sheriffs officials said. Glaze, 33, found the suspicious vehicle about 11 p.m., radioed for backup and wasnt heard from again, according to the sheriffs office. Responding officers found Glaze in his squad car with a fatal gunshot wound. Nitek was arrested about 10:20 a.m. Sunday at his residence after he shot at deputies, according to Sheriff Jeff Wallace. A robot was used to search his house before he surrendered, officials said. Charges against Nitek date back to the 1990s, with the more recent crimes of recklessly endangering safety, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest filed in adjacent Sawyer County in July, according to court records. More than a dozen convictions include disorderly conduct, fleeing from officers, fourth-degree sexual assault and numerous drunken driving counts. Wallace said Glaze had worked for the sheriffs office for about 1 years after six years with the Hayward Police Department. Dan had a passion for police work and helping the citizens he protected and served. Dan will always be in our hearts and his service will never be forgotten, said Hayward Police Chief Joel Clapero. The roughly 15,000 residents of the largely rural Rusk County are tight knit, said Geralynne Berg, of Ladysmith. Were all living in small towns, small villages and are very close to each other, so when something like this happens, it hits hard, Berg told WEAU-TV in Eau Claire. Community members dropped off food, flowers and messages of encouragement at the sheriffs department in Ladysmith. Thats our community. Thats how it is, said Wallace. Were a family and thats how it is. Nitek is being held in jail in adjacent Barron County pending formal charges. From left: Trevor Noah, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Samantha Bee. (Amy Cavenaile/The Washington Post; iStockphoto) Americas garish presidential election has been a late-night hosts dream come true. The jobs are plentiful, and the jokes write themselves so much so that everything started to look and sound the same. Even the audiences sound the same, their laughter and applause forming prolonged Beatlemania-like squeals of agreement, a noise usually heard at actual political rallies. Its not news to anyone that late-night, over the past four presidential elections, became a way to excite the left and encourage the youth vote through sarcasm and satire. Late-night audiences have been whooping and barking since the Arsenio Hall days, but this is noise is different, louder, approving of the rant, the tirade, the cutting quip. While watching a recent taping of Late Night With Seth Meyers in Washingtons Warner Theatre, I was struck by how willing the audience was to over-effuse, whether producers gestured for them to do so or not, ensuring that every single punchline in Meyerss (certainly sharp) Weekend Update-style opening monologue sounded as if Hillary Clinton had secured another electoral-college vote. Laughter has been replaced by shrieking assent. The jokes also meet one another coming around the corner, unable to avoid duplication. Take Trumps resentment over an Emmy snub, which came up during his last debate with Clinton on Oct. 19. CBSs Late Show host, Stephen Colbert, made a taunting joke that night with two of his own Emmy statuettes (You know Donald, you really should get one theyre fantastic) and then, four nights later on HBO, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver went for what is essentially the same laugh, offering to hand his own recently won Emmy statuette over to Trump in exchange for the candidates acceptance of the elections results. (That way if you lose, you still win.) Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton met on the debate stage for one final showdown, and late-night comedians were tuned in for a laugh. (The Washington Post) Oliver isnt ripping off Colbert, per se. Its just that there are so many flies buzzing around the same piles of elephant dung, on multiple platforms, all across the overpopulated late-night comedy landscape. What a great ride its been for wiseasses everywhere, giving new spark to the predictable shows (HBOs Real Time With Bill Maher, for example) and an easy boost to stragglers (such as Chelsea Handlers halfhearted attempt to bring the after-hours talk format to Netflix). And what a godsend for the geeks in charge of tallying unique visitors and digital hits, as well as network executives still obsessed with claiming victory in late-night. But the funs all going to end or at least shift considerably in a few days, and then what? Perhaps no group becomes more vulnerable Nov. 9 than the crowd of men (Colbert and Oliver, plus Trevor Noah, Meyers, Maher, Chris Hardwick, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan OBrien and sigh James Corden, if I absolutely must type his name) and two women (Samantha Bee and Handler) known as late-night hosts, some of them still vying to replace the void left by Jon Stewart, who retired from Comedy Centrals Daily Show last year. Nowhere is that burden more acutely felt than on the Daily Show itself, where Noah does capable work but has nevertheless drifted off the radar. Each of these shows and their hosts are utterly dependent on viral online sharing of their political bits, sketches and diatribes to draw that still-profitable demographic known as TV viewers. For months now they have luxuriated in political humor, 90 percent of it courtesy of Trumps campaign. Not so long ago, a late-night hosts job was to merely lubricate the release valves on the news-cycle machine. Todays late-night hosts pursue a more hybrid role part investigative reporter and part op-ed firebrand. They also played an intimate role in viewers lives, as the people we chose to fall asleep with each night. Then the anxiety of politics stepped in with an onslaught of newly appointed hosts and new shows. Late-night TV hosts roasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's defense of the leaked video that recorded him making lewd comments about women in 2005. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Enough time has passed to ask: Which one of them is doing the best job? In some ways that cant be answered, because were still trying to answer a different question: What do we want them to be? Hosts? Pundits? Should they be exclusively male and dress only in a suit and tie? Given the tenor of the times, would it be better if a black host rose to the top? Should they be true-blue American? (Noah is South African; Oliver is British, married to an American; Bee has dual Canadian-American citizenship.) Do we want someone who is exactly like Stewart, whose die-hard fans still bemoan his departure just as Trumps campaign took off? Or more like David Letterman, who, if he could have summoned the energy to do so, would certainly have given both candidates a sardonic vetting? The truth is they are all talented, yet they each fall short in a different way. Its not that we need Stewart or Letterman to come back; its just that were still mentally assembling a super-host from the options we now have. Isnt that what the social networks do to them each morning slice them into choice cuts? Seth Meyers. (Lloyd Bishop/NBC) Stephen Colbert. (Scott Kowalchyk/CBS) Thirteen months into his Late Show run (and after a change in showrunners this past spring), Colbert has made a clear case for his seasoned wit, but forget everything else the gorgeous Ed Sullivan Theater makeover, the blue suits that match the set, the band (its probably great fun to catch Jon Batiste and friends in a French Quarter jazz club, but the groove never quite materializes on TV). All that effort simply dragged the show down. Although still short of Fallons Tonight Show ratings, Colberts Late Show numbers have improved, thanks to a doubling down on all things Trump. During the Republicans convention, Colbert revived the right-wing character that made him famous, delighting fans. Presumably theyll be even more thrilled when he takes his act to Showtime for a live Election Night special that will take advantage of premium cables uncensored playground. But if we keep encouraging Colbert to deviate from his job description, then at some point CBS will have to revisit the task of replacing Letterman. Colbert, who isnt afraid of the prurient, routinely delivers some halfway funny skits and sight gags one recent vintage example had him dragging a chalkboard out for the purposes of making One Diagram [That] Explains Every Conspiracy Against Trump. The diagram took on a tumescent shape that became so graphic the network blotted it out. Another typical sketch had him yukking it up one last time with President Obama, who seems intent on making the rounds to each show before the election and who sat for an exit interview sketch and touted his job skills. As the bit sort of flailed, Obama could have likely turned the tables: Where will Colbert be come January, if Trump doesnt win? That question is far less dire for established veterans such as OBrien and Kimmel, who make just enough hay with politics and are then happy to get on with the business of hosting a talk show. (Kimmels Drunk Trump is an inspired bit as simple as taking the candidates most recent speech and slowing it down to half speed). Meyers reinvigorated Late Night by replacing a traditional opening monologue with anchored news parody delivered from a desk the very thing that made him famous on Saturday Night Live, giving viewers the kind of straightforward, Stewartesque satire they craved. Noah, meanwhile, has followed Stewarts Daily Show template to a T for more than a year now, without finding his own spin on it. Handlers Netflix show, which streams three days a week, is easily dismissed, mainly because she seems miserable doing it. The sketches are weak and her pro-Hillary declarations are predictable and not all that funny. Yet watching it, I was reminded that I miss the unhinged and undeterred mouthiness of her E! talk show, which ended in 2014. Some of our hosts now are too busy being clever that they forget to be bawdy or even just weird. John Oliver. (Eric Liebowitz/HBO) Samantha Bee. (Ali Goldstein/TBS) If Twitterati consensus is a reliable applause-o-meter, then the two people doing the best political satire are the two who are beloved Daily Show alumni and can therefore lay the most claim to Stewarts crown. Olivers Last Week Tonight and Bees Full Frontal, the latter on TBS, are both blessed and beset by their shows weekly format. Olivers full-throttle, commercial-free half-hour show hardly stops for a breath, allowing his humor to tackle topics that transcend politics and travel into complicated matters of sloppy policy and unfair lawmaking. By tossing out the idea that he needs to have guests or even concoct prerecorded newsmagazine-style segments, Oliver has found success with a genre that was more familiar to right-wing radio: the unrelenting, multi-bulleted, hyper-topical tirade. By polka-dotting his rants with jokes (every salient point and crucial news clip is enhanced with a bizarre but affable riff as a punchline), Oliver sends the medicine down with sugar, but its a rant all the same, and its not always the gentlest way to tuck viewers in on a Sunday night. Whatever he said Sunday almost uniformly begins making the rounds Monday morning. Bee steps in Monday night with a similar approach. Limited to about 22 minutes (with commercial breaks), she zips through her sermonettes and demonstrates how vital a womans perspective on politics can be and how different it is from all those men making jokes about the same debates, rallies and scandals. Only kindergartners get credit for using their inside voices, Bee said when others observed that Trump had opened the final debate with noticeably less bombast. More wisely, Bee has kept the field-reporting segments that she excels at, with less of The Daily Shows wink-wink spoofery and something thats increasingly rare in late-night: You occasionally catch her in the act of listening, rather than just snarking or spouting. Both are excellent, but its hard to escape the feeling of being in an echo chamber. Take the Waffle House measure, for instance: Bee and Oliver each made Waffle House jokes in different episodes recently (his came during a rant about the opioid crisis; hers was in a piece about Catholic hospitals that let dogma guide policies). When flying off the handle about one domestic dumpster fire after another, it seems all roads lead to a Waffle House joke. Thats because theres a shorthand language that all the writers for these shows share one thats not just about politics but also about class. In criticizing America, they wind up reaching for the same metaphors, and this causes them to make fun of the same things in the same ways. You can agree with all of it (or just some of it) and still find yourself getting bored. Thats why, when the electoral mania subsides, late-night must go on searching for its strongest, newest voice. Someone who does it all, from opening monologue to topical comedy bits to trenchant interviews to warm goodnights. Someone who can tuck America in without giving it too many more nightmares. A blue and white room in a home in Ponte Vedra, Fla., from the November issue of House Beautiful. (David A. Land) House Beautiful bills itself as the longest-published home magazine. But Sophie Donelson, its editor, hadnt planned to put the age of the magazine on the November cover. When you are 120 years old, you dont need to tell people how old you are all the time, says Donelson, 36, who was tapped to lead the publication in February 2015. As the anniversary approached, though, she got so immersed in reading archival issues that she changed her mind. I felt I owed it to the brand to share some of the amazing things we discovered in these old issues, Donelson says. House Beautiful editor in chief Sophie Donelson. (Douglas Friedman) House Beautifuls 120th anniversary cover. (House Beautiful) House Beautiful, which debuted in 1896, still has a print circulation of 816,000, but, like most publications, it has expanded its online efforts to reach readers. It has nearly 7 million Facebook followers and 1 million on Instagram. We try to find the common denominator about living comfortably, beautifully and going beyond decorating, Donelson says. Donelson spoke to me by phone last week about the magazine and about design trends from her pretty girly, pretty happy office in New Yorks Hearst Tower. (She has a custom pink office chair that doesnt show pen marks from her pink editing pen, a floral Kate Spade carpet and a fiddleleaf fig plant. Catch a tour of her office on Facebook Live.) [A river cottage holds true to its 1948 roots with a simple, vintage style] Q: I know youve been digging around old House Beautiful issues and posting the covers on Instagram. What surprised you about flipping through them? A: There are no new ideas. There are no new gimmicks. We found the most amazing things in these old issues. We have been talking about stainless steel for a decade now as a trend in the kitchen. Yet, here were stainless-steel countertops in the 1950s. There were lots of things like that. Q: Are print design magazines here to stay? A: I would say unequivocally yes. People enjoy that sense of sight and beauty in print. They like to see big pictures. They like stuff, and they like shopping. Readers tell me they like the sense of completion, of picking up something beautiful and enjoying time with it and then finishing. How great is that? Q: Your current issue has many pages of blue and white rooms. Why does blue and white decorating endure? A: Its magical, and you cant screw it up. People always say its so fresh and modern: Meanwhile, its actually the oldest color combination in the book. It has a cross-cultural appeal. Not only is it foolproof, its something that rings so American. My team would say its also Dutch and Delft and Chinese export and Murano glass and Moroccan tile. But isnt that mix very American? Co-opting a worlds worth of decorative details is what American decorating is all about. Q: Nobody mentions collecting antiques anymore, but buying vintage is still all the rage. Why? A: Vintage things strike authenticity to millennials and younger people. In an age when you can Google anything and find it, to stumble upon a sort of one-off piece is special. Its finding something you havent seen before that is exciting. A House Beautiful cover from 1935. (House Beautiful) A cover from 1960. (House Beautiful) Q: Whats it like to be the editor of a major design publication? A: I feel a responsibility to make people aware of whats happening out there. We have a very diverse audience, all over the country, so we like to show projects from all over. We are not about monetizing your home and flipping your house to earn money. We are about going home every day and loving your life and waking up and feeling proud to have friends over or feeling a sense of security in your home. This takes time and effort and love, and investing in your house should be investing for you, not somebody else. We try to show you how to do that, whether its a crazy wallpaper or the perfect paint color. Q: What color is your living room in Queens painted? A: My living room is Farrow & Balls Brinjal. Its a really dark merlot or eggplant. Its a color that I think actually looks very attractive on me personally, and I wear it a lot, too. Q: Will you share a few of your current favorite design tips with us? A: Right now, I would add something with a small-scale print or pattern. I love the British sensibility of layering a small-scale floral or polka dot that seems sweet or whimsical with what you already have. I love shopping online, but I do think you need to sit on a sofa before you buy it. Use the best you have, break out that wedding china. Enjoy your nice things. Now is the time to live. Sophie Donelson will be joining the Home Front chat on Thursday at 11 a.m. Submit your questions here. CNN chose an odd way to announce some news about itself Monday: It waited until reporters called to disclose the fact that, yes, it had parted ways with one of its longtime commentators, Donna Brazile. And it waited two weeks to do even that. The cable network accepted Braziles resignation on Oct. 14 after it learned about her undisclosed role in backchanneling questions intended for a CNN-sponsored primary debate to Hillary Clintons campaign. According to WikiLeaks, which posted hacked emails sent by Brazile to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, Brazile tipped the Clinton camp to at least two debate questions. On Monday, a spokeswoman said in response to press calls that CNN was extremely uncomfortable with Braziles involvement in helping Clinton and had accepted her resignation two weeks earlier. She didnt explain why news about Braziles status at CNN was delayed for weeks. On Tuesday, CNN President Jeff Zucker told staffers in an internal conference call that he found Braziles behavior disgusting. But that statement raised its own set of questions, such as: Why was it disgusting for a political operative employed by CNN to try to help a candidate she has promoted on CNN? A CNN spokeswoman reiterated Tuesday that no one at the network gave Brazile the information she secretly sent to Podesta. People at the network said CNN didnt disclose her resignation Oct. 14 because it was hoping to avoid calling attention to it at the time. Whats known to date is that the leaks of the debate questions did not appear to come from within the cable network. Brazile appears to have gotten one advance question about the death penalty from Roland S. Martin of TV One, who was a co-moderator of a CNN-sponsored town hall debate March 13 between Clinton and Democratic challenger Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Martin, or people close to him, evidently sent the question to Brazile, who passed it on to Podesta and Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri. The question was later asked at the town hall. The circumstances behind the second question are somewhat murkier. Brazile told Podesta March 5 to expect a question from a resident of Flint, Mich., about the citys water crisis, writing in an email, One of the questions directed to HRC tomorrow is from a woman with a rash. At the Flint debate the next day, CNN moderator Anderson Cooper introduced Flint resident Lee-Anne Walters, who said the citys water had poisoned her family. She asked what the candidates would do about the issue. (Walters told Fox News on Tuesday that she still has a rash from the tainted water.) CNN sources say Brazile learned that such a question would be forthcoming from a woman she met at a CNN-sponsored volunteer event in Flint held before the debate. But people at CNN said Brazile did not meet Walters. She had met another woman they could not identify. Brazile was unavailable for comment. A high-ranking CNN executive said Zucker described Braziles behavior as disgusting Tuesday because she took proprietary CNN information a specific question that might possibly be asked at the town hall . . . and gave it to one of the candidates in the town hall. Regardless of how she got the information, even though she didnt get it from us, it was wrong. Brazile, who was vice chair of the Democratic National Committee at the time of the primary debates and is now interim chair, was an outspoken proponent of Clinton during her many CNN appearances. She also was a paid commentator for ABC News. (ABC said Tuesday that Braziles status remains unchanged; her contract with the network was suspended in July when she became interim DNC chair.) Braziles dual roles point up the inherent conflict of interest in the networks employment of political figures as commentators, said Edward Wasserman, dean of the graduate school of journalism at the University of California at Berkeley. Theres a clear conflict of loyalties, he said. She behaved in a way that is thoroughly unprincipled for a journalist and as an employee of CNN because shes giving away proprietary secrets. Her obligation to a Democratic campaign outweighed her obligation to CNN and to the audience of CNN. Several of the major networks employ political figures such as Brazile to provide analysis. Fox News has given prime slots to a long list of former, and potentially, future Republican presidential candidates such as Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. CNN employs Paul Begala, a former aide to Bill Clinton, and perhaps most controversially Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trumps former campaign manager, despite a non-disparagement agreement between Lewandowski and the campaign. Weve seen what a generation ago would have been unthinkable become fairly accepted, said Wasserman, a former newspaper editor. Back when I started in journalism, the door only opened one way. You were a journalist or you were a politician. Now the door swings both ways. Its highly problematic and confusing to the audience. His solution: If youre going to put these people on the air, question them as sources, not as employees with a horse in another race. Dear Miss Manners: How should we address President Bill Clinton if his wife wins the title of president? Some have suggested first gentleman. Some have stated that he would still be known as president. Who makes these decisions? It is one thing to make protocol decisions, which come under the Department of State, and quite another thing to enforce them especially if the most prominent scofflaws are former presidents themselves. Miss Manners knows that they mean to flatter one another, but it is at the cost of the dignity of the office they each have held. President of the United States is a unique title that should not be diluted. Surely the prospect of a White House where people are perpetually asking Which President Clinton do you mean? should put a stop to that. First lady is a nickname, rather than an official title, although it is so thoroughly used that First Gentleman might also be, especially by those who find it amusing. The correct protocol is that a former president reverts to the highest nonexclusive title he held. Thus George Washington was again known as General Washington, and Mr. Clinton the title Mr. is never insulting would be properly styled Governor Clinton. Dear Miss Manners: My family and I are traveling from our small town to New York City next month, and we need to know the polite and compassionate way to deal with panhandlers. I am not averse to giving money, but we cannot give to every person that asks. Is there a polite way to decline? Though panhandling by desperate people is almost always unwelcome, Miss Manners agrees with you that the act is not automatically an affront, nor does it justify rudeness. Nor, barring threat or intimidation, is it kind to ignore such a request. I am sorry is the polite way to refuse, after which it would be best not to remain long enough to invite an argument. This is a useful dodge to learn, wherever you may live. The same response works for solvent acquaintances, even those canny enough to disguise the request for personal funds with words like charitable donation. Dear Miss Manners: A cousin of mine leaves her car at my house. She stops by once a year to drive it, then returns it. I have decided to ask for some payment for its sitting here. I checked around and found out how much storage places charge, and I decided to charge her a third of what it would cost if she had taken it to a storage business. She insists that I should not charge family. I feel like I am being used for free storage. If I were to leave something at a friends or family members place, I would offer to pay something and not expect it to be free. Your cousin has a point, although she conveniently ignores your own, namely that family members cannot be expected to provide unlimited or open-ended warehousing space. Miss Manners is aware of only one exception to this rule providing a good home for a childs stuffed animals, which is only binding so long as said child continues to attend college classes. She therefore recommends you tell your cousin that, unfortunately, you can no longer look after her car 364 days a year, so if she leaves it on the street nearby, you cannot be expected to protect it. New Miss Manners columns are posted Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays on washingtonpost.com/advice. You can send questions to Miss Manners at her website, missmanners.com. Art Grosman, co-founder of the Washington Free Press, an alternative paper that was published in Washington from 1966 to 1970. (John Kelly/The Washington Post) Soon after it was founded 50 years ago, the Washington Free Press found itself locked in a bitter struggle, its employees arguing over whether the paper the bible of the D.C. counterculture scene should accept ads from Coca-Cola. That discussion almost severed the paper into two parts, said Art Grosman , who in 1966 helped found the Free Press, one of the Districts earliest alternative newspapers. Those arguing in favor including Art felt that advertising money from whatever source could only help keep the Washington Free Press running. Against it were those who saw the corporate and capitalistic soft drink giant as everything that was wrong with the country. The funny part is, Coca-Cola didnt even know we existed, Art said. It was an intellectual discussion. There was a lot of that kind of discussion at the Free Press, whose history will be spotlighted at the Historical Society of Washingtons 43rd annual Conference on D.C. History, this weekend at the Washington Convention Center. We had all the different communists arguing among themselves: the Trotskyites, the Leninites, the Stalinists, Art said. My only interest was just getting the word out about the counterculture that was going on. Art was a white Wilson High graduate who was studying physics at historically black Howard University. While attending a speech at George Washington University by Gen. Lewis B. Hershey, head of the Selective Service, Art spied another white Howard student, Frank Speltz. We realized white kids didnt know about the civil rights movement, and the black kids at Howard werent aware of the rising draft and Vietnam War, Art said. We decided, lets put together an intercollegiate newspaper. The first issues of the Washington Free Press were assembled in a Dupont Circle apartment. The young, progressive staff adhered to a few bedrock principles: for civil rights, against the war, for recreational drugs. We even had a chess column, Art said. The Free Press attracted all sorts of attention. Art said The Washington Post and the Evening Star newspapers would glean it for story ideas, not being as well connected in the counterculture community. Ill tell you this, Art said, Carl Bernstein would stop in the newspaper often. Some of the attention was unwelcome. Art said the Free Press offices were ransacked by Army intelligence. They were set on fire. They were infiltrated by moles. Pressure was put on advertisers to pull their ads. (Coca-Cola may not have advertised, but record labels did, as did head shops, such as one with the wonderful name the Joint Possession.) The paper was printed in Rockville, Md., by a company called Comprint that was run by a dentist and philatelist named Doc Kapiloff , who also owned the Montgomery Sentinel. One time we took the copy to him and he said: The FBI just left. They dont want me to print the issue, Art said. Art asked Doc what he was going to do. Doc asked to see the pages, looked them over and said, Ill print you. Said Art: He was a very courageous guy. Art took comfort in the fact that there was nothing illegal about the Free Press. Still, when things got a little too hot because of his involvement with the paper, Art left town to work on a documentary in Chile. He didnt make it that far, spending several months in Mexico. When he returned to the District in 1970, the Washington Free Press had closed. Art, now 73, became a contractor, restoring homes in his Adams Morgan neighborhood. For the past six years, he and his wife, Marty Taylor, have spent half the year sailing the Mediterranean aboard their boat, Sherpa. The Washington Free Press anniversary panel is at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, moderated by local filmmaker Jeff Krulik. Panelists include founders Art and Frank, along with former staffers such as Pete Novick, who wrote a drug column under the byline Fooman Zybar. Art said he has even invited one fellow who worked on the paper back in the 1960s and who now lives in Austin, where he works for a conservative group of climate-change deniers. Said Art: Hes excited. He said, If I can get my company to pay for me to come to Washington, Ill be there. All right! All these years later and still sticking it to the man. History lessons The Free Press panel is just one session at this weekends D.C. history conference. The conference opens Thursday with a lecture at the National Archives by Adam Rothman titled Facing Slaverys Legacy at Georgetown University. Sessions on Friday and Saturday cover such varied topics as D.C. archaeology, the history of Barry Farm, the literature of Washington, African American fraternal organizations in the city, the history of the Winder Building and Yarrow Mamout, a Muslim former slave who owned property in Georgetown. Conference registration is $25, $15 for students and seniors. There are also films and tours requiring separate registration. For information, visit dchistory.org. Twitter: @johnkelly For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly. Council Member Robert White, right, talks to voters gathered at Changing Perceptions as he attends a gathering at the nonprofit for a meet and greet in Washington. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) Like the nations capital, the D.C. Council is changing. A wave of new lawmakers is replacing an older generation of mostly African American city leaders and reflects a younger, idealistic and more affluent electorate. And those new council members are shifting the D.C. government to the left. On Tuesday, the council approved legislation that would allow assisted suicide for terminally ill residents. It has enacted protections for transgender people and sought to regulate marijuana like any business. It wants to revive a moribund effort to strengthen campaign finance laws, after three former council members pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges. But perhaps the new council members are most aggressive around economic issues and a commitment to use government to address inequality in a city with a growing income gap. They have embraced a $15 minimum wage and are poised to approve legislation requiring employers to provide paid family leave. They want to enact regulations to create more predictable work schedules for hourly workers as well as new laws aimed at tightening rent control in a market with skyrocketing housing costs. Councilmember Robert White, center, greets Darrell Gaston, left, as he and his brother, Michael, right, arrive at Changing Perceptions for a meet and greet. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post) [D.C.s 16-week family leave plan would be most generous in U.S.] The shift is fueling anxiety among the citys business leaders. Landlords are worried that their potential to earn a profit will be limited, and employers are concerned that new regulations will drive up costs and push down earnings. They fear that the councils taste for spending, taxes and regulation will drive away investment. Business leaders say the new D.C. Council needs to be more pragmatic and heed lessons from the Districts budget crisis of the 1990s. Youre definitely seeing rapid turnover [on the council], with a move toward members who are responding to younger voters with less of an institutional memory of hard times that the District faced, Kevin Clinton, chief operating officer of the Federal City Council, said. Theres less collective memory about what can happen if you dont have restraint, if you overpromise as a government. The councils new activism has also created challenges for Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D). She worries that the councils actions will hamper business, discourage companies from creating jobs and strain the citys finances. She has recently created a task force aimed in part at analyzing whether the councils actions put D.C. at a competitive disadvantage with Maryland and Virginia. Council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), elected in 2014 and viewed as a leader of a bloc of new progressives, sums up their goals as good government and economic fairness. The current council is often described as among the most liberal since Congress granted the city the authority to govern itself in 1973. The District has approved raising the minimum hourly wage to $15. Here's how the measure will be implemented. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post) The trend partly reflects the idealism of new, younger residents who have moved into the District in the past decade, analysts say. A 2014 Gallup poll found the percentage of people living in the District who consider themselves liberal is higher than the national average and significantly greater than in any of the 50 states. [A wave of mostly white voters is reshaping the politics of D.C.] The biggest growing demographic in D.C. is college-educated whites, aged 25 to 35, Ed Lazere, executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, said. Those are Bernie Sanders voters, right? They care about public safety, but they also are very interested in income inequality. Some worry that the council has lost connections with the real needs of low-income people in the city. There is a disconnect on the council with people who are progressive, and have these great and brilliant ideas, but at the same time, theyre not from D.C., said Dyana Forester, a union activist who lives in Ward 7. On the surface, they say the right things, but the implementation isnt equivalent. Forester welcomed the minimum wage increase and favors the paid leave and fair scheduling bills, but she said they are inadequate because too many people are working part time and dont benefit from those measures. What about the people who have been here all their lives? said Forester, who is lead political and community representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers 400. I just think theres an extreme disconnect between the new legislators and the population that is underserved. Beginning with the arrival of David Grosso (I-At Large) in 2013, seven new D.C. Council members have taken office. The new arrivals heralded a dramatic generational shift. All of them have been born since 1971, and theyve changed the racial makeup of the body by a seat, giving whites a 7-to-6 majority. Four of the newcomers belong to the progressive bloc: Grosso, Silverman, Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). Many think they will gain a fifth ally with the arrival of Robert White Jr. (D-At Large), who took office in September after ousting longtime council member Vincent B. Orange, a quintessential old-school pol. Grosso and White are candidates in the Nov. 8 election and are heavily favored to win. Two other nearly certain winners will be former mayor and council chair Vincent Gray (D), who is poised to take his old council seat representing Ward 7, and newcomer Trayon White (D), 32, set to represent Ward 8. The progressive group gets support from other council members, depending on the issue. While the entire council is considered liberal, the bloc of five is seen as embodying a new approach and style that includes emphasizing honesty in government. I was trying to clean up the council [in seeking office], and make sure ethics is something we can believe in, Grosso told a recent candidates forum in Chevy Chase. Today, were in a better place than weve ever been, because other people have risen up and run for office, people like Robert White, Brianne Nadeau and Charles Allen. White beat Orange in the Democratic primary in June partly because of public concern about the incumbents ethics. The citys ethics board had admonished Orange for intervening in a health department inspection of a campaign donor. While finishing his council term, Orange took a job as president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, insisting that he could represent residents and businesses simultaneously. After complaints from the public and some council colleagues, Orange resigned his seat, and White was appointed to replace him until the general election. Above anything else, people were looking for candidates who would be focused on results and not on themselves, White said. I dont think voters trusted [Oranges] motives. [How a D.C. political novice unseated longtime council member Vincent Orange] Silverman said the new members mark a power shift in the city that threatens the existing political structure. As the demographics of the city have changed, many new voters lack attachments to long-standing political networks in the African American community. Two council members replaced in recent years Michael A. Brown and Harry Thomas Jr. were sons of influential black politicians. New D.C. Council members reject the old ways in which relationships drove decision-making, Silverman said. Instead, they want metrics and measurable results to undergird policy and contracting. We are focused on campaign finance reform, for instance, and that is threatening to the entrenched political powers who have generally relied on relationships and money to keep their power and contracts with the District government, Silverman said. White said the councils new efforts are focused on social and economic problems that cross race and class divides. The consensus for a new style of leadership isnt restricted to any single demographic, White said. There are a lot of young people [of all races] who cannot afford to live in D.C. They are bunked up in one- or two-bedroom apartments and cant afford to pay rent. The cross-racial appeal was apparent when White attended a meet-and-greet event with constituents on a recent Saturday morning on Capitol Hill. It was at the home of Graham McLaughlin, 35, a white activist who chairs the board of Changing Perceptions, a nonprofit group that assists felons when they are released from prison. McLaughlin was hosting a pancake breakfast, and many of the guests were African American. We see folks who have been in D.C. for a long time falling further and further behind, and that is not right, White said. Kawan McCoy, 26, recently released from jail, told White, Its a blessing to have your support for this program. McLaughlin said several new council members support the nonprofit, including Grosso, Nadeau and Allen. They represent me, but I also think they represent all the other folks who are here, who are different from me from a race, class, economic perspective, McLaughlin said. Showdowns between the council and the mayor are looming over economic issues, beginning with the family leave bill. [Bowser, council chair spar over D .C. paid family leave: What is the secrecy?] The original bill, proposed by Grosso and Silverman, would have provided the most generous paid leave in the nation: 16 weeks a year, funded by a tax on D.C. businesses. The bill is being revised under the direction of Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D). But Bowser thinks its still too expensive. Her administration claims that D.C. businesses would bear all the cost while most of the benefit would go to people who work in the city but reside in the suburbs. Our reading of the Chairmans discussion draft is that more than 60 percent of the beneficiaries will be from Virginia, Maryland or elsewhere, said John Falcicchio, Bowsers chief of staff. While were not suggesting we build a wall, we are guided by the principle that District resources should be used to give District residents a fair shot. Council members expect the bill to pass, however, and next year is likely to bring more battles over regulating workers schedules and rent control. Its not just ideology that makes the council willing to spend tax dollars or to require businesses to treat workers differently. Its also the citys prosperity. Grosso contrasted the current environment with the time he worked on the staff of former council member Sharon Ambrose from 2001 to 2007. When our economy was in the dumps, you couldnt talk about what was best for your values, Grosso said. Every week you were thinking about what you could cut. But now were in a time of plenty. Aid-in-dying advocates gather in the District in September to support legislation that would give terminally ill D.C. residents legal access to fatal medication. The D.C. Council on Tuesday gave initial approval to legislation that would allow physicians to prescribe fatal drugs to terminally ill residents in the city, making the District the sixth jurisdiction nationwide to allow the practice. It is the first predominantly black community to legalize so-called death with dignity, overcoming objections from some African American residents. A spokesman for Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) declined to say whether the mayor would approve or veto the legislation, although he said Bowser expects the bill to become law. The council approved the bill by a vote of 11 to 2. Council members Brianne K. Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) cast the dissenting votes. The council still must hold a final vote on the bill, possibly as early as Nov. 15. Tuesdays action followed an emotional discussion in the D.C. Council chambers, which was packed with supporters wearing yellow Compassion and Choices shirts and opponents wearing red NO D.C. Suicide shirts. Mary Klein, 68, has urged D.C. Council members to pass legislation allowing doctors to prescribe fatal medication to terminally ill patients like herself. Her ovarian cancer has spread throughout her body, and she expects the disease to kill her. She is with her dog Adina at her Crestwood home. (Fenit Nirappil/TWP) Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) lost his composure as he described the death of his father this year, pausing for 30 seconds in the middle of his testimony and excusing himself after the vote. My family had to watch him suffer, and I wouldnt wish that on anyone else, said McDuffie, tearful and his voice breaking. But Im not basing this vote today on my own story because there are thousands of other people throughout the district who have had the same experience. . . . This is by far my toughest vote in 4 years in this body. Other council members described struggling to balance their religious beliefs with support for the legislation. While I have strong personal feelings with regards to the creation of the universe and humanity, I do not have the authority to impose my views on others, said member Anita Bonds (D-At Large). I will not take the liberty of even thinking for others on matters of life or death. Advocates say the measure would allow terminally ill patients to choose the timing and manner of their deaths and to avoid prolonged suffering. But the practice is opposed by many who say it violates their religious beliefs. Advocates for the disabled say they fear people will be steered to premature death, and medical professionals say it violates the Hippocratic oath. And it faces particular opposition from African Americans, who make up nearly half of the Districts population and are among the most likely to oppose such legislation. Some African Americans say they are unsettled by the practice because of historical abuse by the medical establishment and concerns that they may be steered to an early death. The D.C. Council voted on Nov. 1 to give initial approval to legislation that would allow physicians to prescribe fatal drugs to terminally ill residents in the District. Before voting in favor of the legislation, D.C. Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) became emotional as he described the death of his father this year. (D.C. City Council) Leona Redmond, a Northeast Washington resident who has organized African American seniors against the legislation, said she would take the fight against the bill to Congress, which can strike down local laws. We believe in life until natural death and that there is a racist component to it. Its eugenics being dressed up to look like its the best thing since gravy, Redmond said before joining a prayer circle outside the council chambers. They have been soft killing us for couple of decades now by not providing certain people in the community with what we need to live wholesome lives. They are doing everything to send blacks away. The Death with Dignity Act sponsored by council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) is modeled after Oregons 1997 first-in-the-nation law. The bill would allow terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to request fatal drugs from a physician after consulting a doctor over a period of two weeks, with two witnesses attesting that the decision is voluntary. Patients must ingest the medication themselves without the assistance of doctors or family members, and physicians can refer them to counseling if they think their judgment is impaired. An analysis by the Districts chief financial officer estimates that fewer than 10 people a year would exercise the option provided by the proposed law. Bowser pushed amendments to the legislation that would allow the D.C. Department of Health to offer training to doctors involved in these cases and prohibit patients from ending their lives in public places. The legislation was supported by the national aid-in-dying advocacy group Compassion and Choices, and opposed by some doctors, religious groups including the D.C. Catholic Conference and advocates from the disability community. [Right-to-die law faces skepticism in nations capital: Its really aimed at old black people] To date, physician-assisted death has been authorized in Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont states with mostly white populations. In June, a right-to-die law took effect in California, despite opposition from Latinos and Catholics. The D.C. Council on Tuesday also gave final approval to anti-tobacco legislation that would increase the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, bar public use of e-cigarettes in places where smoking traditional cigarettes is prohibited and bar the use of all tobacco products, including chewing tobacco, at sporting arenas. It also sent the mayor a bill that would increase penalties for distracted driving. THE DISTRICT Woman is indicted in 2013 death of baby son A District woman was indicted Tuesday in the strangling, drowning and dismemberment of her newborn son on Thanksgiving Day in 2013, federal prosecutors said. Lillian Alvarado, 24, was charged with first-degree murder and cruelty to children. According to prosecutors, she gave birth in the bathtub of her familys apartment in the 6000 block of 14th Street NW. She never told her family that she was pregnant. Prosecutors said Alvarado strangled the baby, tried to drown him and then tried to flush him down the toilet after partly dismembering him. The Districts Public Defender Service has contended that she was not mentally competent to be tried and should instead remain at a psychiatric hospital. But after evaluations and examinations, psychiatrists found Alvarado competent, and she was ordered to stand trial. Keith L. Alexander 24 illegal guns seized, 1 in Kalorama area Two dozen illegal guns were seized by D.C. police in a variety of incidents last weekend, authorities said. One of the guns was a Serbian-made assault rifle, seized Friday night in the 1900 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, D.C. police said. The site is in the Kalorama area, north of Dupont Circle. Police said they made the 24 seizures between Friday night and Monday morning. Handguns and a shotgun also were seized, along with ammunition. Martin Weil 8 juveniles beat man, steal his cellphone Eight juveniles, some masked, beat a man and stole his cellphone Monday night in the citys West End neighborhood. The attack occurred about 7:25 p.m. in the 2400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, near the Melrose Georgetown Hotel at Washington Circle. Police said the victim was walking and talking on the phone when, according to a report, he was knocked down and punched and kicked by four male and four female juveniles. Peter Hermann MARYLAND Prince Georges man, 24, is fatally shot A man was shot and killed Tuesday in Lewisdale, Prince Georges County police said. Cristian Garcia-Rodriguez, 24, was found in the 6700 block of 20th Avenue about 12:50 a.m., police said. They said they did not think the killing was random. Dana Hedgpeth and Justin Wm. Moyer Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is running to succeed retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.). (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) Its a good time to be Rep. Chris Van Hollen. His party is favored in the race for the White House, hes overwhelmingly expected to win the seat of retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), and no matter which way the balance of power in the upper chamber falls he stands to benefit. If Democrats win control of the Senate, experts say, a possible President Hillary Clinton would need allies there who have relationships in the House of Representatives, so she can try to win Republican support for her agenda. If Republicans keep their Senate majority, Clinton would need Democrats in that chamber who can negotiate good-faith deals with leadership. That means Van Hollen (D-Md.), a polite and well-liked policy wonk who was a top lieutenant to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), should find multiple ways to flex his budget, foreign affairs and political muscles. The Senate provides a lot of potential influence to individual senators, he said in an interview, pausing to knock on a wooden table. If all goes well, I look forward to creatively using that influence for the benefit of the whole state, not just one congressional district. After defeating House colleague Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.) in a bitter primary, Van Hollen, 57, faces statehouse Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) in the general election. A father of three who lives with his wife, Katherine, in Kensington, Md., he would be Marylands first senator from the Washington suburbs since Silver Spring attorney Blair Lee, who served a century ago. [In a year of outsiders, Van Hollen is betting on his resume] Van Hollen has campaigned vigorously across the state, presenting himself as a get-it-done legislator who can bridge deep partisan divides, and parrying Szeligas criticism of his support of President Obamas Iran deal and Hillary Clinton. Maryland Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) and Van Hollen debate at WAMU-FM (88.5) in Washington. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun) While his opponent touts the surprise 2014 victory of Gov. Larry Hogan (R) as proof she can win in deep-blue Maryland, experts say the Democrats 2-to-1 voter registration advantage is a much steeper hurdle when the White House is also in play. Van Hollen has raised vastly more money than Szeliga, and was nearly 30 points ahead of her among likely voters in a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll. In presidential election years, if youre a Democrat running for statewide office, youre the only game in town, said Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Marys College of Maryland. Climbing the ladder The son of a Foreign Service officer, Van Hollen was active in the anti-apartheid movement as a student at Swarthmore College. After graduation, he earned a graduate degree from Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy School of Government. In the late 1980s, he worked on Capitol Hill for Sen. Charles Mathias (R-Md.) and the Committee on Foreign Relations, then advised Gov. William Donald Schaefer (D-Md.) while attending Georgetown University Law Center. He ran for state legislature in 1990, driven by concern about overcrowded classrooms and underfunded schools in his home base, Montgomery County. After 12 years in Annapolis, Van Hollen won a House seat in 2002, narrowly beating eight-term Republican congresswoman Connie Morella after redistricting removed a chunk of GOP voters from the affluent and liberal 8th District. He had the opportunity to join the House Committee on Government Reform, chaired at the time by one of Morellas good friends, then-Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.). Davis was not sure what to expect. He was surprisingly easy to work with, Davis said of Van Hollen. We had differences, but we would always work them out. On issues such as Metro, which tends to unite Virginia and Maryland lawmakers regardless of party, Van Hollen put the region first, Davis said. He served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2008, when the party picked up a slew of seats amid Obamas election, and he stayed on for a second, dismal cycle in 2010 before becoming the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. In between, Pelosi named him her assistant, a leadership role that gave him juice among his colleagues and rivals, and made some wonder why he so quickly threw his hat into the senatorial ring when Mikulski announced her plans to retire. He could have been speaker of the House, if he stuck around, Davis said. From left: Van Hollen and Reps. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) speak at the Capitol in September 2013 after the Senate rejected budget legislation passed by the House. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Van Hollen counts among his accomplishments helping to pass the high-profile Affordable Care Act, as well as the lesser-known ABLE Act, which allows families to open tax-advantaged accounts for children with disabilities. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), the Senate sponsor of the bill, said he relied on Van Hollen to interpret its progress in the lower chamber in real time. In our business, youre not often on the telephone late at night with a House member, Casey said. Several nights I had to call Chris and say, This is what so-and-so said Whats it mean? He was a great guide. Van Hollen also was part of a bipartisan budget committee devoted unsuccessfully, it turned out to negotiating a spending deal both parties could stomach. He jokingly calls it the not-so-super committee. In the 2012 presidential election, he helped Vice President Biden prepare for his nationally televised debate by playing the part of his opponent, Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), now the House speaker. Words that counted When Van Hollen decided to run for Senate, he quickly secured the endorsement of Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who paints the congressman as a person of substance comfortable with numbers. In leadership meetings we had with Pelosi, he didnt talk a lot. But when he did, it was important, Reid said. His backing did not keep Edwards from launching her own campaign, and the race between the two neighboring House members turned ugly when the abortion rights womens group Emilys List threw its considerable weight behind Edwards. [Edwards: Why arent black women ever described as born to the Senate?] Mikulski, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, also stayed silent through the primary. She now says she is excited about passing the torch to Van Hollen. It is time for new leadership, she said in an interview. With his savvy, his know-how, his commitment, hell be a very fine senator. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and then-Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) join Van Hollen at a reception at the Womens Club of Chevy Chase in 2001. (Robert A. Reeder/The Washington Post) One of the first challenges facing whoever wins the election will be beating out Virginia in the competition to host a new FBI headquarters, an accomplishment Mikulski had wanted to achieve before the end of her tenure. The General Services Administration recently delayed the decision until March. Van Hollens interest in tackling global warming, the budget deficit and the nations role in conflicts around the globe could land him on Foreign Relations, Budget or even Judiciary committees, those close to him say. Others speculate that he could run the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee one day. Gun control advocate Vincent DeMarco, who is president of Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, said he hopes Van Hollen would continue the battle for stricter gun laws that he began in the House. Not a red meat guy As a candidate, Van Hollen has taken nothing for granted, campaigning hard for Clinton as well as himself. Appearing at the Democratic Club of the retirement community Leisure World the other day, he cautioned against complacency, reminding his audience of recent elections around the world that did not go according to projections. Van Hollen gets a hug from Theda Rosenblum at Leisure World in Silver Spring, Md. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) Voters in Colombia failed to ratify a peace deal ending a war with guerrilla fighters, for example, he said. And Britain voted to leave the European Union. Ticking off a litany of what he called Republican nominee Donald Trumps most outrageous comments, Van Hollen said: It would be a very scary thing if he were ever to get close to the White House. He admonished supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) to come around for Clinton, saying that a decision not to vote or to choose a third-party candidate could hurt the Democrats. Green Party candidate Margaret Flowers is also running for Mikulskis Senate seat. Then he quoted Biden: Dont compare me to the almighty, compare me to the alternative. In an otherwise wonky and forgettable diatribe, the line earned Van Hollen a big laugh. Earlier that day, he attended a protest outside Trump International Hotel in Washington organized by the Service Employees International Union, a labor group that helped propel Edwards into office in the House in 2008 but endorsed Van Hollen over her in the Senate primary. The would-be senator yelled into a bullhorn on Pennsylvania Avenue NW, as workers and organizers waved red and white Boycott signs. They wanted people to stop buying Trump products in solidarity with workers at his Las Vegas high-rise, who say Trump has refused to negotiate with them in good faith. Van Hollen speaks to union workers as they picket outside the Trump International Hotel in Washington on Oct. 13. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post) Get back to the negotiating table, Mr. Trump, Van Hollen shouted. You can run, but you can no longer hide from the working people. But Davis, the former GOP congressman from Virginia, said Van Hollens natural role is not throwing red meat to the base. Hes a Boy Scout in a world where that doesnt always get rewarded, he said. Emily Guskin contributed to this report. Fire broke out Monday evening at the church building that once housed the Arlington Presbyterian Church. No injuries were reported. The church has moved out of the building at Columbia Pike and South Glebe Road. It was sold so affordable housing can be built on the property. A preschool still uses the building, according to the schools website, but it was not immediately clear whether any children or staff members were inside when the fire started. A Fairfax County man has been charged in connection with an incident Sunday in which 22 pedestrians were injured at a NASCAR racing track in Virginia, the state police said. The incident occurred in the handicapped parking area of the Martinsville Speedway, near Martinsville, Va.. Of the 22 injured, 17 were taken to hospitals for treatment of injuries that were described as not life-threatening, the police said. The lot was congested with both pedestrians and cars after a race when a car tried to pass a Jeep Liberty, police said. The car struck the Jeep and several pedestrians, according to the police. They said Gary T. Edem, 65, of Fairfax, was arrested and charged with reckless driving. The Goodys Fast Relief 500 was held Sunday at the speedway. The 70-year-old race course has a track of a little more than a half-mile around. It is located in south central Virginia, near the North Carolina border. People from as far away as Arkansas and Missouri were at the track. The injured included people from Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio, in addition to Virginia. Survivors and witnesses describe the deadly collision between a school bus and a commuter bus in Baltimore early on Nov. 1. Six died, including both bus drivers and four passengers on the MTA bus. (WUSA9) Survivors and witnesses describe the deadly collision between a school bus and a commuter bus in Baltimore early on Nov. 1. Six died, including both bus drivers and four passengers on the MTA bus. (WUSA9) A school bus headed to pick up its first child of the day and an MTA commuter bus carrying rush-hour passengers collided Tuesday morning in a crash that killed six and injured 10, leaving a wreck that laid bare the interior of the commuter bus. No children were aboard either vehicle, but the impact left both bus drivers dead along with four passengers aboard the commuter bus. The destruction of the crash created a scene that looked like a bomb had exploded after the school bus slammed into the back of a gray Mustang and the stone pillar of a cemetery wall before crossing into oncoming traffic and striking the commuter bus, Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said. Authorities were still investigating the cause of the collision that occurred about 7 a.m., including whether the 67-year-old school bus driver suffered from medical conditions that might explain why it appears his bus did not slow down during the series of crashes, Smith said. Authorities with the National Transportation Safety Board announced Tuesday that they also would investigate the incident. Investigators may have recovered video from one of the buses that might help explain what happened, but it is unclear if the recording equipment was damaged in the catastrophic accident, Smith said. Police also are interviewing an aide who was aboard the school bus and suffered minor injuries. 1 of 8 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad The scene after a school bus and commuter bus collide in Baltimore View Photos Six people are dead and at least five others were injured after a commuter bus and a school bus collided in southwest Baltimore . Caption Six people are dead and at least five others were injured after a commuter bus and a school bus collided in southwest Baltimore. Nov. 1, 2016 Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal crash between a school bus and a commuter bus in Baltimore. WBAL-TV via AP Wait 1 second to continue. As of Tuesday evening, police had not publicly named the three men and three women who died in the crash as authorities continued to work on identifications and notifying family members, Smith said. Of the 10 injured, one man remained in critical condition and one woman in serious condition, while the others suffered injuries that appeared minor, Smith said. The driver of the Mustang was also taken to the hospital but later in the day returned to the scene. The school bus was traveling east on Frederick Avenue to pick up the first of 18 students headed to Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary School when the chain of crashes occurred near Monastery Avenue, according to police and Baltimore City Public Schools. The first child to be picked up was about four or five blocks from the crash site. The school system said the bus in the crash is one that is run under a contract with a private company that the school system identified as AA Affordable Transportation. The contractor is to provide curb-to-curb transportation for students who have special needs, speak English as a second language, are homeless or receive other specific services, Baltimore City Public Schools said in a statement. Starting Wednesday, the 18 children who would have been on the bus involved in Tuesdays crash will be transported by a bus owned by the school system, it said. At this time of tragedy, our hearts and thoughts are with the families, friends, and loved ones of those killed and injured, the school system said in a statement. We hope for the speedy and full recovery of all those injured. AA Affordable Transportation did not respond to emails and phone calls from The Washington Post seeking comment. The Baltimore Sun reported that company owner Mark Williams said the driver involved in the crash was one of a handful who are contracted by city schools. He had a good driving record, Williams said. A member of the Baltimore Police Department walks past a car that was damaged by a school bus before the bus was involved in an early morning fatal collision with a commuter bus in Baltimore. (Patrick Semansky/AP) The MTA bus route runs from Dundalk in eastern Baltimore County, west through the city, to Catonsville, and the bus had 13 people aboard. The bus operator who died was a 33-year-old woman, police said. Our family is really wounded today, said Paul Shepard, a spokesman for the Maryland Transit Administration. This tragic day is just something we never plan for. Yellow police tape stretched across Frederick Avenue as police paced the scene of the crash. The Mustang with a crumpled back end sat on one end of the road while the mangled buses sat at the other before the vehicles were towed by the end of the evening. Frederick Avenue reopened for traffic about 12 hours after the crash. The Rev. Mike Murphy of St. Josephs Monastery, who lives about a block from the crash site, said he heard a loud noise Tuesday morning and then saw a stream of emergency responders on Frederick Avenue, a popular commuter road into the city. I heard the large bang, Murphy said. Shortly after, he saw six ambulances on Frederick Avenue that were constantly taking people away. Billal Jones watched the investigation unfold Tuesday morning, thankful he wasnt on the commuter bus. Jones said he regularly uses that bus route to take his grandson to school at about the same time the crash occurred. It scares me, Jones said. Im glad Im not part of that. Jennifer L. Morrison, an investigator with the NTSB, said the agency expects to be in Baltimore for the remainder of the week to review the cause of the crash and issue safety recommendations in the future. This is a unique crash, Morrison said. It presents many different safety-issue areas that the NTSB will be looking into. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) described the crash in a statement as horrific and gave his condolences to the victims and their families. We will continue to pray for those who were injured, as well as the first responders who worked swiftly and continue to care for the injured, he said. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) said that as more is learned about the victims, it is apparent that they had deep ties within the community. All of these people have deep connections to our city, Rawlings-Blake said, which makes this tragedy all the more rough. Jasper Scherer contributed to this report. Sen. Richard Blumenthal has asked federal regulators to reexamine a policy of granting exemptions to requirements for automatic braking technology, following a deadly crash at the New Jersey Transit railway station that had received such an exemption. Blumenthal (D-Conn.) wrote to Sarah Feinberg, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration this week, asking why New Jersey Transit was not required to install the system known as positive train control (PTC) in the Hoboken terminal where a train crashed Sept. 29, killing a woman on the platform and injuring more than 100 passengers. Blumenthal asked whether FRA should continue to allow an exemption from the PTC mandate for passenger terminals. The financially troubled transit agency has yet to comply with a 2008 congressional mandate to install PTC throughout its system. According to the latest FRA accounting, New Jersey Transit has not installed the system in any of its 440 engines or put in place 124 trackside towers that would communicate with trains. But New Jersey Transit did apply for and receive an exemption from the PTC requirement for the tenth of a mile inside the Hoboken terminal. That exemption was in keeping with the law Congress passed eight year ago, which specified that PTC be installed on the main line[s] on commuter railroads, using the definition of main line stipulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). [NTSB: Train in Hoboken crash was going double the speed limit] The FRA determined that railroad yards and stations were not part of a main line. They also said the complexity of the automatic braking system made its installation in station areas difficult. But the agency required that even where terminal exceptions were granted, railroads still must limit train speeds and enforce them. The Hoboken crash has indicated that this reasoning warrants re-examination, Blumenthal said in the letter to Feinberg. New Jersey Transit established a maximum authorized speed of 15 mph for operations within the Hoboken terminal. In interviews with investigators, the engineer of the train in the crash, Thomas Gallagher, 48, recalled pulling into the station about 10 mph. National Transportation Safety Board investigators examined the data recorder on the wrecked train and determined that it had been traveling at 21 mph. In 2008, Congress required railroads to implement positive train control on certain mainlines, said FRA spokesman Matthew Lehner, responding to Blumenthals letter. If Congress wishes, it can expand that requirement to more areas. Many commuter railroads continue to struggle to meet Congress original PTC requirement due to a lack of funding. As Congress completes legislation that funds the government in the coming weeks, we hope that it funds the Presidents $1.25 billion request to help commuter railroads implement PTC. PTC became an issue after a 2008 collision between a commuter train and a freight train in Chatsworth, Calif., that killed 25 people and injured more than 100. Although the lack of PTC was not the primary cause, the NTSB cited its absence as a contributor. [Safety tool Congress asked for 8 years ago might have prevented Hoboken train wreck, officials say] Congress reacted by passing a law mandating that railroads install PTC by the end of 2015. The FRA followed through last year, threatening to fine passenger and freight railroads as that Dec. 31 deadline approached. But the railroads said they had had too little time to install the complicated system, and Congress extended the deadline until 2018. Congress, whose members have received more than $24 million in campaign contributions from the railroad industry since 2008, also said railroads could ask for up to two additional years after the 2018 deadline to complete the job. Hillary Clinton maintains a lead over Donald Trump in Virginia just a week from Election Day, but her six-point margin is far from ironclad, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School poll. Antipathy toward Trump in the vote-rich counties close to Washington fuels Clintons overall advantage in the state, though majorities of voters across Virginia hold unfavorable impressions of both candidates. The poll, conducted Thursday through Sunday, did not show any immediate drop in Clintons support following Fridays announcement that the FBI was investigating more email that could be relevant to the probe into the former secretary of states private email server. In fact, Clinton held her widest advantage in the polling conducted Saturday and Sunday. But that result could be due, in part, to a more demographically diverse sample of voters being reached on those days. Clinton leads Trump, 48 percent to 42 percent, among likely voters statewide, with Libertarian Gary Johnson taking 6 percent and Green Party nominee Jill Stein at 2 percent. Clintons margin is similar to other recent Virginia surveys and to an August Washington Post poll in which Clinton led by seven percentage points in a four-candidate race. [Read full Post-Schar School poll results] Voters are more closely divided in the states congressional races, with 47 percent supporting Democratic candidates and 46 percent backing Republicans, suggesting a significant potential for split-ticket voting. The pattern is concentrated in Northern Virginia, which includes the competitive 10th Congressional District, where Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) has distanced herself from Trump amid a challenge from Democrat LuAnn Bennett. Clinton leads by 25 points over Trump in this area, while Democrats hold a narrower 14-point edge in congressional support. [Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia urges Trump to drop out of race] The survey also finds evidence that the vice-presidential candidates, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R), are boosting support for their tickets among people who dislike their respective running mates. At the end of a long and insult-filled campaign, clear majorities of Virginians dislike both candidates, with 60 percent of likely voters unfavorable toward Trump and 57 percent holding similar views of Clinton. Nearly three-quarters of voters say Clinton is too willing to bend the rules, and nearly 6 in 10 say Trump is biased against women and minorities. When asked whether the Republican and Democratic parties should nominate candidates who are similar to or different from Clinton or Trump in future contests, two-thirds say each should move in a different direction, including more than one-third of Democrats and Republicans who say this of their partys candidate. In contrast, Kaine enjoys approval from 51 percent of Virginia voters, with disapproval from 42 percent. Pence receives a slightly wider 50 to 36 percent positive split. The direct impact of Kaine and Pences popularity is not clear, but the poll finds that Clinton garners 48 percent support among voters who see her unfavorably but have a positive view of Kaine. Trump receives an identical 48 percent support among those who dislike the Republican presidential nominee but see Pence in a favorable light. Virginia is still in play Although Clintons lead among likely voters stands at six points, her lead in a four-way race among the broader population of registered voters stands at eight points, smaller than her 11-point edge in late summer. Clintons ability to maintain a relatively stable, comfortable lead in recent months seemed to undercut expectations that the state would be a battleground in 2016. Clintons campaign pulled TV ads weeks ago, although it said Tuesday that it plans to go back on the air soon in the Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke markets. Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said Clintons lead does not look commanding when put into historical context. Rozell noted that polling in recent off-year U.S. Senate and gubernatorial contests has overestimated Democrats margin of victory. Three years ago, for instance, Democrat Terry McAuliffe was up by 12 percentage points at this stage of the governors race, and he won by only three points, Rozell said. Bottom line, Virginia is still in play, he said. Trumps strongest region continues to be the southwestern part of the state, including the Shenandoah Valley, where he leads Clinton by a 56 to 33 percent margin, similar to Mitt Romneys winning margin there four years ago. The race is more closely divided in counties surrounding Richmond and eastward, as well as in Tidewater, where Clinton holds a narrow advantage. Clinton is strongest in Northern Virginia and the heavily Democratic communities outside Washington, where she leads by 43 points in the inner suburbs, wider than President Obamas 26-point advantage four years ago. Clinton holds a narrow seven-point edge in the band of exurbs that includes Loudoun and Fauquier counties, a region where Obama and Romney ran nearly evenly four years ago. The Washington suburbs are also the region where voters appear most likely to vote for candidates from different parties at the presidential and congressional levels. Elsewhere in the state, voters tend to stick with the same party down the ticket. Republican efforts to insulate themselves from Trump may be helped by his image as a nontraditional Republican candidate. Fully 87 percent of likely voters say Trump is a different type of Republican rather than a typical party member. Trumps unique reputation is a main reason his supporters are drawn to him, according to the Post-Schar School poll. When asked which of three reasons are most important in their support for Trump, 39 percent cited his image as a political outsider who can fix Washington, while 26 percent said they agreed with his policies and 27 percent reasoned that he is better than Clinton. Donna Hakki, 50, of Glen Allen has voted for Bill Clinton but also for Mitt Romney. Now shes for Trump. Hes not a career politician, and I just felt like we needed change, she said. With two daughters in college and a son in his last year of high school, Hakki said she feels uncertain about their future and worries about the direction of the country. She said she isnt bothered by criticisms that Trump is biased against women or minorities. No, hes created jobs for everyone, and my mother taught me as a child that actions speak louder than words, she said. Carolyn Cole, 73, a homemaker in Hanover County outside Richmond, also is accepting of Trumps controversial behavior. Some of that stuff was really old, Cole said. I would be the one to say to someone like [former congressman] Anthony Weiner or those in the Senate or in Congress, that you who are without sin cast the first stone. I think that is not an unusual thing. Men can be men. Issues matter more than such perceptions, she said. Trump will make things easier for small businesses and is right to raise questions about illegal immigration and Muslims trying to enter the country for what she regards as suspicious reasons, she said. We need to stop and get a handle on it first, Cole said. Dan Senzano, 20, a bank teller and student at Northern Virginia Community College, plans to vote for Clinton although he isnt especially enthusiastic. Shes a decent candidate, but I feel like there could be somebody out there whos a whole lot better than she is, said Senzano, who emigrated from Bolivia as a 4-year-old and now lives in Fairfax County. He is passionate, however, about defeating Trump. He said his extended family of more than a dozen parents, siblings and some of their in-laws have been discussing the presidential campaign as never before. They have even made plans to hit the polls together. Its not that were supporting her, he said. Even when Obama was running, the election never came up [in family conversations]. Nobody in my family wants Trump to be president, so were all going as a family to vote. This from a man who was drawn to Trump when he first got in the race. Although he is a Democrat, Senzano liked the idea of a businessman at the helm. But Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric quickly turned him off, he said. Janet Moore, 56, a former substitute teacher from Smithfield, is also determined to vote against Trump. Trump seems impetuous and quick to anger, she said. Takes things personally. . . . If anybody says anything, theyre liars, theyre losers. All that. I know Hillary has this commercial where she puts together where hes mocking a handicapped reporter. All that talk, that inflammatory talk, that is not presidential to me. Youre supposed to be the leader, stay calm. Youre not supposed to incite violence against other Americans, she said. Concerns about voter fraud While more than 6 in 10 likely voters do not think there will be significant voter fraud at polls in Virginia, concerns about fraud rise to 51 percent among self-identified Republicans and 55 percent of those who support Trump. The concerns fall to 29 percent among independents and 15 percent of Democrats. Greg Culpepper of Chesapeake in Hampton Roads, a Trump supporter, said he has little faith in the integrity of the voting process and is concerned about voter fraud, particularly on the part of Democrats. The Hillary Clinton faction believes that they are well above the law and that laws do not apply to her, and that theyll do anything to get elected, he said. . . . I do believe that the dead vote Democrat, I believe a lot of convicted felons are voting and I believe that revolving-door voting goes on. One-third of voters predict there will be attempts to intimidate or prevent legitimate voters from casting ballots in the commonwealth, with a similar level of concern across partisan and ideological lines. The Washington Post-Schar School poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 27-30 among a random sample of 1,300 Virginia adults including landline and cellphone respondents. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 points among the samples of 1,145 registered voters and 1,024 likely voters. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were by Abt-SRBI of New York. Emily Guskin and Abby Phillip contributed to this report. 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No longer. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has abandoned democracy and is building a strongman cult of personality. The latest descent came Monday when police detained the editor and senior staff of a leading opposition newspaper, Cumhuriyet, one of the few media outlets still critical of Mr. Erdogan. Arrest warrants were issued for about a dozen journalists, of whom seven were taken into custody, including editor in chief Murat Sabuncu. Those targeted also include Can Dundar, the newspapers previous editor, now living in exile abroad, as well as several officials in the foundation that owns the newspaper. The arrests are part of a broad media crackdown to silence dissent after a July 15 coup attempt against Mr. Erdogan. On Sunday, 15 media outlets, mostly Kurdish, were closed; by some accounts, as many as 195 have been shut and 140 journalists remain imprisoned. Turkey ranks 151st out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borderss World Press Freedom Index, between Tajikistan and Congo. The prosecutors office said Cumhuriyet is suspected of supporting Kurdish militants and backing the coup attempt, which Mr. Erdogan has blamed on Fethullah Gulen, a Pennsylvania-based cleric, who denies any involvement. Mr. Erdogan, once an ally of Mr. Gulen, has seemed intent on crushing any remnant of the Gulen movement in Turkey. But that cannot explain the move against Cumhuriyet, which has been critical of Mr. Gulen and his movement for years. Rather, Mr. Erdogan is constructing a kind of authoritarianism centered on his personal power, replacing critical media with mouthpiece organs, suffocating independent civil society organizations and summarily dismissing thousands of academics without due process. Overall, more than 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the coup attempt; just over the weekend, 10,000 more civil servants were dismissed. This is a colossal purge, tearing the heart out of any remaining hope for a democracy that depends on independent voices and unfettered political competition. The United States and Europe have been far too quiet about this. Mr. Erdogan is holding back a tide of Syrian war refugees from Europe, and Turkey is critical to the U.S. campaign against the Islamic State. These are real concerns but should not prevent the United States from speaking out against arbitrary detention, persecution of civil society and suppression of free speech in Turkey. The United States often describes freedom of expression and human rights as universal values when they are trampled in China and Russia. They are no less universal when trampled in Turkey. Boo. Last week, FBI Director James B. Comey decided to scare up this elections October surprise, writing to inform 16 congressional committee chairs and ranking members that the FBI had discovered emails in an unrelated investigation that potentially could be linked to the probe of Hillary Clintons emails. Subsequent leaks led the New York Times to report that the emails were found on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced ex-New York congressman and estranged husband of Huma Abedin, Hillary Clintons closest aide and surrogate daughter. Frenzy ensued. Donald Trump immediately embraced the agency he had excoriated; the Clinton campaign attacked Comey directly. The New York Post called it the stroking gun. Could Anthony Weiners E-Mails Cost Hillary Her Job? asked the ever-hyperbolic Larry Kudlow. Livid Democrats opted for Kremlin-baiting. Former Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean, a Clinton surrogate, tweeted that Comey, a Republican, put himself on the same side as [Vladimir] Putin. Senate leader Harry Reid charged that Comey had explosive information about coordination between Donald Trump and the Russian government. Early polls suggested that most Americans would not be influenced by the news, but some might. In a race that was already tightening as both major candidates firmed up their support in their own parties partisans on both sides escalated the spitball volleys. [The top cop who thought he was a prosecutor] Lets be clear. Comeys astounding act was a deplorable and reckless dereliction of duty. He spurned Justice Department objections and ignored long-standing guidelines that the Justice Department or the FBI not release information about investigations within 60 days of an election. Theres a longstanding policy of not doing anything that could influence an election, George J. Terwilliger III, former deputy attorney general in the George H.W. Bush administration, told the New York Times on Saturday. Those guidelines exist for a reason. Sometimes, that makes for hard decisions. But bypassing them has consequences. The Posts Matt Zapotosky explains why FBI Director James B. Comey has found himself at the center of the presidential campaign in recent days. (Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post) Comey dropped the bombshell when he had no idea what the emails contained. This indefensible abuse compounded his original sin of publicly declaring that the FBI investigation of Clintons emails had been completed and that no reasonable prosecutor would bring a case against her. He made that statement proudly announcing that the Justice Department and the rest of the government do not know what I am about to say. The decision on prosecution is made by the prosecutors at the Justice Department, not by the FBI director or his investigators. Comey clearly holds himself in high self-regard and has an unquenchable thirst for the spotlight, but he was out of line then and is out of line now. Republicans rightly howled then; Democrats are right to object now. Perhaps both might agree that he should be fired as soon as the election is over and shunned for shaming his office. That said, forget the polls. More brouhaha about Hillarys emails isnt going to change this election. By this time, the overwhelming percentage of people who actually vote have already made up their minds about the character of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. (And more than 22 million have already voted.) Clinton is the most widely unpopular candidate in the history of American politics bar one the Donald. This media feeding frenzy isnt going to alter that. [Freaking out? Go vote instead.] Bernie Sanders had it right. The election isnt about Clintons damn emails . While both Trump and Clinton give cause for concern in foreign policy, broadly speaking these candidates give voters a stark choice. Trump promises more tax cuts for the rich and more deregulation. Clinton pledges tax hikes on the rich to invest in rebuilding America. Trump opposes raising the minimum wage; Clinton favors it. Trump thinks global warming is a hoax invented by the Chinese; Clinton agrees with the Pentagon that it is a clear and present danger. Trump has no clue about student debt; Clinton pledges tuition-free public college for all but the top 15 percent. Trump promises to build a wall and ship millions out of the country; Clinton wants comprehensive immigration reform that will bring the undocumented out of the shadows. Trump wants Supreme Court judges who will protect the Second Amendment and repeal a womans right to choose; Clinton wants justices who will overturn Citizens United, curbing the role of secret corporate money in our elections, and respect the Voting Rights Act. Clinton wants to empower workers and curb excessive CEO pay; Trump doesnt get it. This list could go on. These two candidates would lead America in very different directions. Even with the gridlock in Washington, those differences are far more important to the vast majority of voters than how Clinton dealt with her email or how Trump allegedly groped women. Comey pulled out a dirty trick in his October surprise. But in the end it will be a sideshow, doing more to discredit him and the FBI than to impact the results of the election. At a rally in at Kent State University, Oct. 31, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke about the FBI investigation into emails that might be connected to her private email server. She said "by all means, they should look at" emails on a computer owned by Anthony Weiner, the husband of her top aide, Huma Abedin. (The Washington Post) Read more from Katrina vanden Heuvels archive or follow her on Twitter. Eric Chenoweth is co-director of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe. Donald Trumps presidential candidacy has posed many challenges to U.S. media. In at least one frightening respect, it has failed: News outlets are actively abetting an authoritarian and imperialist foreign powers attempt to manipulate a U.S. presidential election to aid its favored candidate, Trump, and sanctioning an assault on the individual and civil liberties of all American citizens. There is consensus among U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies that the WikiLeaks dump of emails from the Democratic National Committee, former secretary of state Colin Powell and John Podesta, chairman of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign, is the result of illegal, targeted hacking directed by Russian intelligence services. The aim of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in publishing the emails is openly stated: to harm Clintons candidacy. The slow daily release of Podestas emails is obviously calculated to have continuing negative impact on news coverage of Clinton in the campaigns final weeks. The Russian governments aim in releasing the emails through WikiLeaks is also clear: to distance the emails provenance from Russian intelligence services to give them greater legitimacy and propaganda value. The mainstream media has accepted this ruse. Its members treat the emails as a legitimate basis for news stories despite a general lack of corroboration of their content, the illegal nature of their seizure and their clear origin from a foreign state intelligence agency with known capacity for falsifying documents. News editors are quick to respond: The information is out there; we have a duty to report it; if the Clinton campaign could show that the email has been manipulated, it would. But let us be clear about what has happened. Would any self-respecting news editor take a call from the head of the GRU or the FSB (Russian military and state intelligence) and accept an offer to publish a cache of emails from the staff of a U.S. presidential candidate? This is essentially what every outlet covering this story has done, in the process placing all of our private means of communication at risk of exposure from illegal invasion by any foreign power or domestic agency. The medias freedom to publish such information may be protected, but its willingness to treat this information as news means that it has abandoned the basic ethics of journalism and its essential purpose to mediate such information for the public. The media has generally ignored signs strongly suggesting the release of Podestas emails was likely coordinated with the Trump campaign. In mid-July, Trump adviser Carter Page reportedly met with the Russian intelligence official believed to be directing the illegal hacking (Page denies the meeting took place) and later that month Trump publicly encouraged Russia to hack Clintons email. In mid-August, Trump henchman Roger Stone bragged of his relationship with Assange and then warned Podesta on Twitter that he was the target of the next WikiLeaks release. The full fruits of this effort can be seen daily on Fox News and Breitbart, the leading propaganda organs of the Trump campaign. Every offhand remark is turned into an offense by the DNC, Clinton, her husband or her aides. Nothing needs to be proven. It is sufficient for the emails to be published and accepted by other media. What we are being introduced to and what the free media is not defending itself against is the confabulation of state propaganda and intelligence organs of the Russian government. Russian state television and other state-directed media frequently report actual and fake information all blended together with the intent of promoting fear of the West and of the civilizational collapse that Western democracy supposedly brings. As Post columnist Anne Applebaum has warned, such propaganda is being channeled even through Trump himself (for example, doubting that a Russian missile took down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and asserting that the election of Clinton would mean the start of World War III). What is terrifying is that it has become abundantly clear that U.S. media could not protect itself from a directed manipulation through use of fabricated documents right before the election. The precedent is set: The media will accept without verification and without regard to illegal or unethical provenance any documents, records or communications published by a foreign state power through WikiLeaks. Clintons warning in the third debate about the unprecedented challenge posed by Russias interference in U.S. elections has been ignored as self-serving. Her refusal to respond to any questions based on WikiLeaks is seen as further stonewalling over questions of unethical behavior. But her warning is a clarion call and her refusal is a principled stand that the media and the American electorate ignore at their peril. Filmmaker Joel Gilbert, the conspiracy theorist who believes President Obama has a secret Muslim prayer inscribed on his wedding ring, made a splash in 2012 when he said Obama had plastic surgery to conceal that his real father was labor activist Frank Marshall Davis, who raised his son to lead a communist revolution. Four years later, and just in time for Election Day, Gilbert is back with a new film alleging that Bill Clinton has a 30-year-old son he sired with a black prostitute. And on Tuesday, Gilbert hauled the young man to Washington and gave him a speech to read to the TV cameras at the National Press Club. As you can see Im the black son of former president Bill Clinton and the stepson of Hillary Clinton, the young man, Danney Williams, read as Gilbert, off to the side, mouthed many of the words. Actually, you could only see him as Clintons son if you imagined Clinton six inches shorter, with a different build and different facial features. But no matter. At this time I am reaching out to Miss Lewinsky, Monica Lewinsky, Williams went on, looking to Gilbert for instruction and holding up a letter. Im asking that Miss Lewinsky allow me to borrow her blue dress in order to obtain a DNA sample of my fathers, former president Bill Clinton, in order to finally prove that he is my father. Nannygate, Travelgate, Whitewater, Filegate: it's tough to remember all the scandals that plagued then-President Bill and Hillary Clinton through the '90s. For millennials --- here's what you missed. For everyone else, here's a refresher. (Sarah Parnass,Adriana Usero/The Washington Post) [A fitting final chapter to 2016s sleaze sweepstakes] In fact, Williamss DNA was tested, 17 years ago, when his mother sold it and her story to a tabloid, which compared the boys genetic material to Clintons DNA markers and concluded Clinton wasnt his father. That essentially ended the intrigue until late last year, when longtime Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone declared: I will get justice for Danney Williams stay tuned. The Trump confidant had decided the original DNA work was wrong, and he teamed up to make that case with conspiracy-minded radio host Alex Jones, an avid Trump backer who lent his InfoWars news outlet to the cause. Gilbert, who was hired by Stones pro-Trump super PAC to design a Super Trump billboard for Times Square in September, made a film about Williams. The pro-Trump outlet Breitbart News, whose former chief Stephen Bannon now runs Trumps campaign, and the Drudge Report began to trumpet the long-debunked love-child story. Gilbert is a fixture on InfoWars, which live-streamed Tuesdays event. If past is prologue, Trump will, in this final week of the campaign, find a way to mention the story of Bill Clintons love child. Stone to Jones to Bannon to Trump: This is how Trump legitimizes the fringe. Theres nothing furtive about this vast, right-wing conspiracy: Trump relies on the private advice of Stone, Jones and Bannon, and he has made their conspiracy theories mainstream. As the website Right Wing Watch has documented, Jones has boasted that he gives Trump off-air advice, and he took credit for Trump voicing the theory that Ted Cruzs father was involved in John F. Kennedys assassination. He has been pleased to see Trump repeating him word-for-word on the campaign trail. Trump, who has hailed Joness amazing reputation, has parroted claims made by Jones (and often by Stone) that American Muslims celebrated the 9/11 attacks, that the election is rigged against Trump, that Antonin Scalia was murdered, that Hillary Clinton used drugs before a debate and, of course, that Obamas birth certificate was fake. [This election, a vote for bad could defeat dreadful] 1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Most ominously, Trump has echoed the globalist conspiracy theories embraced by Stone, Jones and Bannon, full of anti-Semitic tropes. In October, Trump blamed a global power structure for wrecking the economy and said Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty. Now comes the Bill Clinton love-child conspiracy, even if it collides with another popular conspiracy theory: that Chelsea Clinton wasnt fathered by Bill Clinton because hes sterile. Williams seems unclear on his motives. He said Tuesday that he was seeking the former presidents DNA because I want to know my dad. But moments later he was calling Clinton a deadbeat and a big felon. Williams wants to raise $100,000 for his campaign but said he had only $2,800; Gilbert booked the room and said he funded the film. Gilbert quickly lost control of the event. One woman declared she was going to baptize Williams and then, failing to find oil in her handbag, performed the ritual with bottled water. There were prayers and laying on of hands and shouts from the participants that the press is racist and bought off. Conservative activist Cliff Kincaid told the gathering I was there to write a story making fun of Williams. But I wouldnt make fun of Williams. The ones worthy of ridicule are the powerful and unscrupulous men exploiting him. Twitter: @Milbank Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. The Oct. 28 editorial The greens betray their cause decried environmental activists who oppose a carbon tax, even though there is no evidence that a carbon tax helps reduce carbon emissions. Because the majority of carbon emissions come from power plants, and power plants are private, loosely regulated monopolies, a carbon tax is meaningless; any increase in cost will be passed on to ratepayers. Those ratepayers then have a binary choice: Pay the bill or have your power turned off. Wheres the reduction in emissions? The correct solution is more nuclear power fission plants now and fusion plants in the long term. Neither is being pursued in this country. Fission power was killed decades ago by Nevada, whose senators halted construction of a federal nuclear waste storage area 20 years in the planning. Fusion power is being pursued mostly in France. Make no mistake: This planet doesnt need humans. Global mean temperature is at 0.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. When it reaches two degrees Celsius, expected in fewer than 50 years, massive crop failures are expected. When it reaches four degrees Celsius, in fewer than 100 years, our civilization will likely fall. Politicians, lawyers and lobbyists are not qualified to address global warming; only scientists are. No actions should be taken without mainstream scientific evidence, not fringe science, to support those actions. Time is running out, and the planet doesnt care. Blane Morse, Herndon Barkha Dutt was right in her Oct. 27 op-ed, The India-Pakistan headache, that India and Pakistan could pose challenges for the next U.S. president. However, they also present a great opportunity. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not reverted to some fire-breathing avatar of a previous self. Mr. Modi is still trying to balance the need for guns of national protection against the need for butter of economic development. Before surgical strikes in response to the killing of 19 Indian soldiers by what New Delhi says were militants from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Mr. Modi challenged Pakistan to a different kind of war: a war on who defeats unemployment, poverty [and] illiteracy first. Lets see who wins. The Pakistan military, especially its Inter-Services Intelligence wing that controls covert operations, sees fighting India directly and through proxies as a primary reason for being. A major challenge for our next president should be diverting Pakistan from its bad terrorists-good terrorists policy. Bad terrorists are those who attack Pakistans military, police and civilians; good terrorists are those who attack India. If Pakistan can be enlisted to fight all terrorists operating from territory under its control, there may be a chance for the different kind of war envisaged by Mr. Modi and the furthering of U.S. efforts to defeat terrorism worldwide. Raymond E. Vickery Jr., Vienna The writer is a global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center. Beyond the precedent that the Justice Department, particularly the FBI, bends over backward not to interfere in a presidential election, there is yet another precedent, this one established during the Monica Lewinsky investigation: A holder of high office, under pressure from both Congress and the press, can lose his mind. The mind in question belonged to Kenneth Starr, the independent counsel, who back in the winter of 1997 signaled he had had more than enough of Bill Clinton, sex that wasnt sex, a dress no longer suitable for a casual date, and other such matters and was quitting. He would repair to Pepperdine University, about as far from Washington as is continentally possible, and become dean of its law school. Then all hell broke loose. Republican members of Congress denounced Starr for cutting and running. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), a member of the all-important Judiciary Committee, asked Starr to reconsider. William Safire, then the biggest gun on the New York Timess op-ed page, was less judicious. His column was titled The Big Flinch. He called Starr a wimp who had brought shame on the legal profession as if such a thing were possible. It seemed it was, and Starr retracted his resignation, stayed in Washington, hounded Clinton into impeachment and, in general, soiled a promising legal career that once had him on some shortlists for the Supreme Court. I tell you this sad tale of opportunity missed just to illustrate how political pressure and the braying of the media can addle the minds of otherwise smart people. This is what happened to Ken Starr, and it seems to have happened to James B. Comey, the director of the FBI, although maybe not for much longer. Twice now, he has lost his bearings, stepped out of his role as top cop and decided he was prosecutor instead. In July, he announced that the FBI had concluded its investigation into the Hillary Clinton email server and found nothing worth prosecuting. He did find that her handling of her emails had been extremely careless, which was true, but was the sort of judgment that pundits like me get to make, not lofty FBI directors whose personal even professional opinions should be saved for their memoirs. For recommending against indictment, Comey was vilified by the right, particularly by Donald Trump. Others had a different criticism: Comey should have said nothing at all. The decision to prosecute is made by the Justice Department, not the FBI, and it was not his place to chastise Clinton, who, if I may be permitted an observation, certainly deserved it. Now Comey has announced that the investigation that seemed closed remains open. He announced this less than two weeks before Election Day, virtually reviving a dormant Trump campaign. Bigger than Watergate, Trump observed. Whats going on? We dont know. An astounding 650,000 emails were found by the FBI on the laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the now-estranged (and always strange) husband of Huma Abedin, Clintons No. 1 aide. This could be a device that Weiner allegedly used to send filthy pictures of himself to women both young and old, one purportedly a mere 15. Its possible the emails are duplicates of what the FBI has already seen on Clintons private server or G-men beware maybe half a million Weiner selfies. (You cannot out-weird this story.) From the very start, Ive felt that this whole business of Clintons email server has been ridiculously hyped. She shouldnt have done it. Granted. Shes hiding something. Granted. Shes even hiding that shes hiding something. But she didnt commit treason, and the nations security has not been endangered as far as we know, and all this mucking around in the personal emails of public figures has gone too far. If theres no crime, lets move on. The threat is not Clinton and her BlackBerry, but the Russians and their military-industrial-hacking complex. But Comey, buffeted from both sides and possessed of a fiery moralism, has now possibly thrown the election into doubt. Whats this all about, Jim? We the voters need to know. (Actually, I cant imagine learning anything that would get me to vote for Trump.) Still, some voters are undecided. Both candidates have the negative ratings of bill collectors. Now that Comey has broken established practice and intruded into the elections, he needs to say why what did his agents glimpse in that laptop that made him throw both judgment and precedent to the wind? It better be good or else he should do what Starr in the end didnt: quit. Read more from Richard Cohens archive. I am Kerry Burgess. This is what I think. It is extraordinary how, in the last stage of this dismal campaign, both major-party candidates are revealed as the most exaggerated and grotesque forms of their stereotypes. The cartoon versions of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are, in fact, photorealism. Who can now deny that the inhabitants of Clinton-world are so accustomed to corruption that they cant even see it anymore? The State Department, the Clinton Foundation, Bill Clintons cronies and both Clintons personal finances were all one thing an instrument of enrichment designed to maintain red-carpet social standing and political relevance. The lawyers who surround Clinton have ceased to care primarily about the law. They are enablers who could not recognize the risk of conducting public business on a private server, the problem with electronically shredding thousands of emails, or the impropriety of routine self-dealing and (at least) the appearance of influence peddling. What does all this tell us about Hillary Clinton? It reveals a leader who seems to value loyalty above integrity; who surrounds herself with yes-persons; who responded to a lifetime of controversy by growing a thick shell of Nixonian paranoia; who seems to regard her own considerable public contributions as permission for profiteering. Who can now deny that residents of Trump-land the candidate and his small inner circle are every bit as radical and revolting as advertised? They seem intent on reducing turnout by making presidential politics so rancid, so rank, so radioactive, that only his cheering, frothing partisans will be motivated to vote. The Trump campaign has embraced a political strategy first outlined by agitated callers on conservative talk radio. Alex from Amarillo such a big fan of your show would invite Bill Clintons accusers to a presidential debate, or promise to put Hillary in jail, or hint at her complicity in murder. What does all this tell us about Trump? He pulls people close to him who reinforce his anger, his prejudice, his megalomania, his conspiracy-mindedness. He is both impossibly ignorant and insanely confident in his own flawed judgment. He thinks he should be exempt from the normal rules of transparency by refusing to supply his tax returns while using a presidential campaign to pimp his brand. He is acting as a propaganda arm of the Putin administration, defying the judgment of U.S. intelligence agencies, in a manner that raises serious questions about his motives. 1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. He has tried to explain away the language of sexual assault as locker room talk and attacked the character and appearance of women who say they experienced his technique. Trump has dramatically lowered public standards of civility, of honesty, of tolerance, of decency and of ethics. Those who deny the rough accuracy of either of these pictures and there are plenty of Americans who would are partisans. They not only hold a set of political opinions, they also are determined to live in their own version of reality, from which inconvenient facts are banished by edict. They have already made up their minds, perhaps already voted. But how about the rest of us? It does not help to point out that there has been a massive failure of the presidential nomination process in both parties; one candidate stale and tainted, the other vapid and vile. In addition to bitter complaint, voters have several options. They can write in a name (lets hear it for Paul Ryan or Condi Rice). They can support the well-intentioned but not particularly qualified Evan McMullin. Americans can justifiably refuse to vote in the presidential election. There is no democratic principle that forces someone to pull the lever for a politician who morally offends them. Or they can reluctantly and strategically vote for Clinton, who lacks essential elements of integrity but not the qualifications for high office. Only one option is precluded to vote for Trump. And here are the postcard reasons: Trump is a man of dangerously erratic temperament who should not be allowed to control American foreign and military policy. Trump lacks a commitment to democratic ideals and institutions, demonstrated by his attempt to discredit any electoral outcome unfavorable to him. Trump operates by a materialistic, Nietzschean ethic an ethic of dominance and revenge in which power and success are worshiped and the weak are treated with contempt and cruelty. And Trump is deeply and defiantly ignorant, with no basis or background to make informed choices on complex issues. America has two bad choices, but not equally bad. With one week to go, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are in a statistical dead heat nationally. The Fix's Chris Cillizza explains what you should expect from the last week of the election. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) Read more from Michael Gersons archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook . ONE OF Vladimir Putins fondest conceits is that the U.S. political system is every bit as corrupt, authoritarian and bent on external aggression as his regime. At a meeting with Western academics and ex-statesmen last week in his favorite resort, Sochi, Mr. Putin was at it again: For every crime committed by his Kremlin, Mr. Putin was ready with a comparison to a supposedly identical outrage by the American ruling class, as he likes to call it. The invasions of Crimea and eastern Ukraine? Exactly like NATOs interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo during the 1990s, says Mr. Putin. The Obama administrations charge that Russia has attempted to intervene in the U.S. presidential campaign? Mr. Putin responded with the same language used by the White House to answer Moscows allegations that Hillary Clinton was behind popular demonstrations against Mr. Putins reelection four years ago. The majority of citizens, sighed Mr. Putin, have no real influence on the political process and no direct and real influence on power. As for the notion that he supported Donald Trump, Mr. Putin called this orchestrated propaganda of the Clinton camp before observing that Mr. Trump represents the interests of the sizable part of American society that is tired of the elites that have been in power for decades now . . . and does not like to see power handed down by inheritance. Maybe that wasnt an endorsement, but Mr. Putin and Mr. Trump have an uncanny way of echoing each others words. The subject that most seemed to provoke Mr. Putin was Aleppo, where Russian and Syrian bombing of hospitals, apartment buildings and a United Nations relief convoy has been widely condemned as a war crime. We keep hearing Aleppo, Aleppo, Aleppo, whined Mr. Putin. Yet the attack on the Syrian city, he contended, was not different from the U.S.-backed assault on Mosul, the Iraqi city held by the Islamic State. If it is better not to go in to Aleppo, he contended, then the offensive against Mosul shouldnt go ahead either. Here, for the record, are some differences: While Mosul is controlled by Islamist extremists who enslave non-Sunni women and behead dissenters, the rebel forces in Aleppo include Western-backed secular groups who seek only to overturn the blood-drenched Assad regime. U.S. and allied planes are not deliberately targeting Mosuls hospitals or international aid groups. And while the Mosul campaign has broad international support, only Russia, the Assad regime and Iran support the Aleppo attack. Most people living in open societies are informed enough to perceive the cynicism and mendacity in Mr. Putins comparisons. But Russias increasingly sophisticated Internet and satellite television propaganda operations are winning over a segment of Western opinion. Mr. Trump, too, has adopted Mr. Putins view. He has repeatedly endorsed Moscows call for the West to join Russia in fighting terrorism, and he has written off Aleppo as basically fallen. If Mr. Trump is elected, the United States will have a president who sees no essential difference between the U.S. and Russian military offensives in the Middle East. Mr. Putin will be vindicated: The moral gap between his regime and the White House will be difficult to detect. I MEAN, who does that? That was the question posed by Hillary Clinton at the last presidential debate about Donald Trumps use of charitable funds to purchase a six-foot portrait of himself. We now have a fuller answer to that question. It is someone who uses $264,631 of foundation funds to renovate a fountain outside one of his luxury hotels. It is someone who pulls a bait-and-switch on a public school chess team. It is someone who shamelessly hogs the spotlight at a charity function for sick children without having given a dime. Mr. Trumps approach to charity is that of a charlatan further evidence of a lack of character that makes the Republican nominee uniquely unfit for the Oval Office. Mr. Trumps philanthropic track record has been the subject of a series of reports by The Posts David A. Fahrenthold. Among the findings: Mr. Trumps namesake foundation has largely been funded with other peoples money and has been involved in a series of questionable actions, including possible violation of laws against self-dealing that prohibit nonprofit leaders from using charity money to benefit themselves (e.g., using foundation funds to settle lawsuits involving Mr. Trumps business ventures). The Post reports prompted scrutiny by the New York attorney general, who ordered the charity to cease soliciting donations because it lacked the proper licensing. The latest revelations center on Mr. Trumps machinations to make himself seem more generous than he is, making showy promises that were never kept. Hence his commandeering a front-row seat at the 1996 ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new nursery school for children with AIDS that had been reserved for someone who actually had donated money to the school. I mean, whats wrong with you, man? one participant recalled thinking of Mr. Trump. A woman who came through with the money needed by a chess club to travel to a tournament after Mr. Trump skimped out with a $200 donation after seeming to promise far more was reported to have said, I am ashamed to be the same species as this man. The Trump campaign, as has been its wont, sought to counter questions about Mr. Trumps giving by attacking The Posts reporting as unfair and inaccurate. Never mind that it failed to respond to 70 questions submitted by The Post in advance of the publication of the most recent article and has been unable to point to any mistakes of fact. As to campaign manager Kellyanne Conways blithe assertion to ABC on Sunday that Im told by those who are in charge . . . that hes been incredibly generous with his time and his money over the years, there is an obvious response: Prove it. All Mr. Trump would have to do is release his tax returns, like every modern major-party presidential nominee before him. The latest Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll shows Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in a virtual dead heat nationally. (Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post) The Hillary Clinton email controversy has given down-ballot Republicans something they badly need in the final days of the election: an opportunity to go on offense and talk about something other than Donald Trump. Hillary Clintons latest chapter in her ongoing email scandal, saga, is just a reminder of how much corruption there is in Washington and how disturbing this is, the embattled Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) told voters this week at a diner in the town of Media, near Philadelphia. He noted that the administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) is resisting a court order to release more than 50,000 emails that Toomeys Democratic opponent, Katie McGinty, sent while she was the governors chief of staff. Her devotion to Hillary Clinton is so complete that now shes decided that she has to have her own email scandal, Toomey said. McGinty, left, and Toomey, right, at an Oct. 24 debate in Philadelphia. (Photos by Matt Rourke/AP) As recently as a week ago, the Republicans chances of holding on to the Senate appeared to be slipping away. Individual GOP candidates efforts to distance themselves from Trump were being overwhelmed by the furor over an 11-year-old video in which the nominee boasted of kissing and groping women without their consent, and the subsequent claims by a procession of women that he had actually committed such acts. Last Tuesday, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which had earlier predicted that Republicans would manage to keep their Senate losses low, shifted to a projection that the Democrats would pick up five to seven seats enough to regain control of the chamber. In the last 15 public polls, all in October, Pennsylvanias Senate race has been nearly deadlocked: Three showed a tie, four had Toomey ahead and seven gave McGinty an edge, with most of those leads being within the margin of error. But now, Republicans see a chance to change the subject and remind voters of the drama and perceived moral ambiguity that has surrounded the Clintons for more than a quarter-century. Republicans could hardly have conjured a better October surprise than the revelation that a trove of emails belonging to close Clinton aide Huma Abedin had turned up on the laptop of Abedins husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who is under investigation over sexually suggestive texts he allegedly sent to a 15-year-old girl. However the latest FBI investigation of Abedins emails turns out, the fact that they are even at issue goes back to Clintons initial misjudgment in setting up a private email account and server. And that can be traced to the secretive impulses that have so often driven the candidate and her inner circle. This is what life with the Clintons look like, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) told Fox News on Tuesday. Theres always a scandal, one after another. Theres an investigation. So they cant win, he added, and she can come in with a Democratic Congress worst of all possible things if Republicans do not turn out and do not vote. Though it is an implicit acknowledgment of the fact that the Democrat remains more likely than not to win the White House, Republicans are seizing upon an argument that they must retain control of Congress to be a check on Clinton not only on her agenda but on the behavior of her administration. We used to say in prosecution, its primacy and recency. The closing argument reintroduces all of the most pertinent issues, said Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), who was campaigning with Toomey. Look at this, Meehan said in reference to the latest email controversy. This is almost the personification of the trust issue. The email issue may also have the effect of helping to unify Republicans, who have been divided over Trump. Don Chesnet, 71, a retired small-business man, explained his views of Trump and Clinton, respectively: You either have scum or you have a criminal. He added that scum might not rub off, while criminal behavior was an affront to taxpayers. Even a small shift in the political breeze could have a big impact on the Senate races, said Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of the Cook Political Report. There are six races that are just teetering on the edge, where it wouldnt take much to tip several of them the same way, Cook said. He added that there is a significant slice of the electorate that is voting for Clinton primarily because they find Trump unacceptable. They dont like her, dont trust her and would rather not vote for her but feel they have no choice, Cook said. There are a lot of voters who would certainly like to hedge [that vote] a little bit. Some Democrats worry that they have seen all this before the last time that someone named Clinton was their standard-bearer. In 1996, Bill Clinton was cruising to reelection when a controversy exploded over the fact that Democrats had been taking large donations from foreign entities that are forbidden from donating to U.S. campaigns. A number of those illegal donors had access to the Clinton White House. Thats a good parallel to the effect that the resurgent email controversy could have today, a senior House Democrat said, requesting anonymity to discuss the downbeat feeling some have. In 1996, Bill Clintons big lead held up, although he remained under 50 percent and House Democrats who had hoped to bounce back into the majority after their disastrous 1994 showing picked up fewer than five seats and remained in the minority for a decade to come. The 42nd president also had a contentious relationship with the FBI director at the time, Louis Freeh and such a drama could play out again with another Clinton in the Oval Office. Hillary Clinton and her top campaign officials have been highly critical of the unusual decision by FBI Director James B. Comey to go public Friday with the fact that the bureau had resumed its investigation of the emails. All of which gives voters a new set of crosscurrents to navigate as Election Day draws near. For down-ballot Democrats, Sharon Jankauskas is their nightmare. The 60-year-old nurse practitioner, who attended Toomeys campaign event in Media, said she sees the presidential races as the lesser of two evils. She plans to vote for Clinton but is also pulling for Toomey. She also likes Clintons running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). So Jankauskas is looking for what, in her view, is a silver lining to electing Clinton: We can always impeach her and get her out. All of which raises the possibility that another Clinton in the White House could bring a reprise of the political culture of the 1990s, when a Republican Congress was constantly investigating the Clintons. Americans have already gotten a foretaste. when the congressional panel investigating the 2012 attacks on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, helped uncover the fact that Clinton had been using a private email address and server when she was secretary of state. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) told CNN that if Clinton is elected, Congress will continue its scrutiny. The legislative branch does have an obligation to provide oversight, Gowdy said. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Sen. Patrick J. Toomey as a Democrat. He is a Republican. Donald Trump campaigned in Wisconsin for the fifth time since he became the Republican nominee, in hopes that he can overcome poll predictions and make the consistently blue state go red. (Whitney Leaming/The Washington Post) Donald Trump campaigned in Wisconsin for the fifth time since he became the Republican nominee, in hopes that he can overcome poll predictions and make the consistently blue state go red. (Whitney Leaming/The Washington Post) Donald Trump got the big October surprise. The momentum seems to be going his way. Hillary Clinton is again on the defensive, again over her emails. But in this enclave of white, upper-middle-class Republicans, the partys presidential nominee still faces a barrier that will be difficult to clear. Its a moral choice, Dick Radder, a 68-year-old Republican, said as he cupped a black coffee outside a Starbucks here Tuesday. I cant get there. I cant get to Trump. Im a husband and a father. And I cant convince myself to vote for a person who is weakening the fiber of the country. Most of the well-kept lawns here are dotted with signs for Sen. Ron Johnson (R) and for other down-ballot candidates, but support for Trump is less evident. Youre in a town thats about going to college and raising a family. People are polished and hard-working. Hes not one of us, said Andy Schwichtenberg, a 28-year-old stockbroker. I did try, Schwichtenberg added with a sigh. I went to a rally. But he was not swayed and he was turned off by the crowd, which he noted was packed with men and women who came there on Harleys. In the last days of a presidential race where Trump is targeting traditionally Democratic states to try to forge a path to victory, holding together Republicans who have reservations about him remains a vexing challenge for a candidate who has repeatedly clashed with his own party. Nowhere has that been more true than Wisconsin, a state that celebrates civility and is the historic home of the Republican Party, which was founded in Ripon in 1854. Trump lost Wisconsins April GOP primary by 13 percentage points to Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), and he lost in Waukesha County by 39 percentage points. More recent polling has shown lingering unease about his character in this small city and other Milwaukee suburbs, long a hub of deeply conservative Republicans and where strong turnout will be necessary for Trump to win. They have just never been comfortable with Trump, Charlie Sykes, a popular talk radio host, said in an interview Monday night. The only question, the only thing people are talking about, is whether theyll come home. Sykes, who has been a leader of anti-Trump efforts within the Wisconsin right, said Trumps chances will come down to what are called the wow counties Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington that need intense GOP participation to offset the heavy Democratic numbers coming out of Milwaukee, Madison and other liberal parts of the state. Trump, who rallied Tuesday in northwest Wisconsin, is intent on making a late play, pitching himself to independents and working-class voters as someone who channels their economic frustrations. Trumps push is reminiscent of how previous Republican nominees have tried with little success in past frenzied final weeks to score blue state upsets when other battlegrounds started to look less likely to go their way. Mitt Romney, for example, drew huge November crowds in Pennsylvania in 2012 but lost the state by five percentage points. 1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Still, Trumps advisers hope that the FBIs announcement last week that the agency is resuming its investigation of Clintons emails could be enough of an impetus for Wisconsin Republicans to finally decide to vote a straight party ticket, even if they will never warm up to him. The campaigns view, voiced in several interviews, is that if Trump can spark Republicans in the suburbs and rural regions, the party organization here is ready to gin up turnout. You do have a bit of a feathered nest, Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said, noting that Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who is from Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker have built a robust state party over the past decade that has made significant gains in non-presidential years. I tell people to remember that were not hiring a pope, Laurie Bujack, 57, said as she made calls at a bustling county GOP field office decorated with a crucifix, posters of Ronald Reagan and a life-size cutout of the local GOP hero, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.). Nearby, Chuck Bloom, a retired 73-year-old salesman in a Trump T-shirt, said he identifies with those who were not with Trump at the start he certainly was not. But now, he said, is no time to be on the fence or have your nose out of joint. It could be Hillary, God forbid, he said. Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, campaigned Tuesday alongside Walker, a familiar face in the Milwaukee suburbs and who clashed with Trump in the primaries. Republicans are hoping his more recent support will help rally wavering voters. The message his being there with Trump sends is: Trump is the Republican candidate. Get behind all of our Republicans, said Candee Arndt, a veteran activist and longtime friend of Walker. This is about the Supreme Court and the federal courts. Its about more than Trump. Wisconsin Democrats, meanwhile, are busy rousing their coalition, dubious but slightly unnerved about Trumps foray into a state that they have won, at times narrowly, since 1988. I know what it was like during the times Trump says were good. Were not going back, and Im trying to tell the young people whats at stake, Alma Johnson, 74, said Monday at a phone bank in Milwaukee with dozens of African American Democrats. In another sign that Clinton is not taking Wisconsin for granted, her campaign last week reserved television advertising time in the state. Her running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, appeared at Wisconsin college campuses Tuesday, and her daughter, Chelsea, will make three stops Wednesday. Clinton, who lost the Wisconsin primary handily to Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, is getting help from her onetime rival, who will be in Madison and Green Bay on Wednesday to campaign for Clinton and former Democratic senator Russell Feingold, who is locked in a hotly contested race with Ron Johnson. The polling average in Wisconsin shows Clinton up by nearly six percentage points. President Obama won Wisconsin by about seven percentage points over Romney and by 12 percentage points in 2008. President George W. Bush came far closer in 2000 and 2004, losing both times by a few thousand votes. By Tuesday afternoon, more than 518,000 early votes had already been cast, according to the states elections commission. For Democrats, the data was seen as favorable since about 30 percent came from the urban part of Milwaukee and the Madison area more than the 26 percent of statewide ballots those counties provided in 2012. Making calls Monday night with Democrats, Hazel Frazier, 65, argued that working-class whites are not sure bets for Trump for reasons different from why many wealthier conservatives are averse to him. I used to work at General Motors, which has left. When those jobs go, it leaves black people and it leaves white people without what they had, Frazier said beneath a poster that read in part, Dont get frustrated! Im an old bird, and I dont buy that working-class folks are going to go for Trump, she said. We see through men like him, and were sick of the damn emails. Early voting is up by similar margins in the wow counties providing 16 percent of the absentee ballots. Four years earlier, those counties counted for 12 percent of the vote. You couple the FBI announcement with the organization weve built, we feel very good, said Mike Duffey, the executive director of the Wisconsin GOP. He said there are more than 30 offices in the state prepared to meet new and nontraditional voters who may come out on Election Day to register and vote for Trump. As Robin Moore, 53, president of the Republican Women of Waukesha County, said Monday: Republicans here have moved from lesser of two evils to one evil. Thats progress. Its been hard for some women, and those tensions [with Ryan] didnt help, Moore said. At the end of the day, we have to save the Supreme Court and we have to stop her. At a rally in Dade City, Fla., Nov. 1, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton deplored how Republican rival Donald Trump has treated women like Alicia Machado. We cannot hide from this, Clinton said. (Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post; Video: The Washington Post) At a rally in Dade City, Fla., Nov. 1, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton deplored how Republican rival Donald Trump has treated women like Alicia Machado. We cannot hide from this, Clinton said. (Photo: Melina Mara/The Washington Post; Video: The Washington Post) Hillary Clinton and her allies on Tuesday intensified their attacks on Donald Trumps character and temperament, as they sought to shift scrutiny away from news that the FBI had revived an investigation into her email practices at the State Department. As part of that effort, Clinton made her most direct appeal yet for women to reject Trumps candidacy during a campaign stop in Dade City, where she recounted a litany of degrading remarks he made about women and referencing the allegations of unwanted sexual advances against him. Calling her Republican rival someone who wants to bully us, the Democratic presidential nominee was introduced at the rally by Alicia Machado, the former Miss Universe whom Trump berated in the 1990s for gaining weight after she won the title. Machado whom Trump again attacked after the first presidential debate grew emotional while speaking about Trumps disparaging remarks and said she fought disorders in the subsequent years. [Clintons email trouble is a conversation starter for Republicans in tight races] Later, in Sanford, Fla., Clinton blasted the GOP nominee for failing to pay federal incomes taxes and assuring he lacks the temperament to control the nations nuclear arsenal. Trump, meanwhile, rebuffed those efforts by attacking her over the emails during a rally Tuesday in Eau Claire, Wis., saying that her election would provoke an unprecedented constitutional crisis. Trump said a Hillary Clinton presidency would bring work in Washington to an unglorious halt and called the email controversy the biggest scandal since Watergate. She is likely to be under investigation for many years, probably concluding in a very large-scale criminal trial, Trump said. The crowd at Trumps rally erupted into chants of Lock her up! at several points through the speech. News that the FBI is renewing its probe into the potential mishandling of classified material in Clintons email practices as secretary of state has roiled the closing days of the 201 presidential contest, and many public surveys show the race has tightened. No evidence of criminal wrongdoing into Clintons tenure at State has been discovered by the FBI or in several Republican congressional investigations. Earlier in the day, during a campaign event in King of Prussia, Pa., Trump focused his remarks at the Affordable Care Act and again promised to repeal President Obamas signature health-care law. When we win on November 8th and elect a Republican Congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare. Have to do it. I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace, Trump said. (There appears to be no necessity for a special session on Capitol Hill. The current Congress will reconvene soon after the election. And early next year, the new one will gavel in.) [Trump is back on script as the race tightens. Will that last?] At a rally in Eau Claire, Wis., Nov. 1, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said the work of government would grind to an unbelievably inglorious halt if his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton became president. (The Washington Post) But Trump shifted away from talking about health care in Wisconsin: You know, somehow I think that Obamacare is not going to be her biggest problem. Does that make sense? Trump quipped in Wisconsin. She wants to blame everybody else for her mounting legal troubles, but really she doesnt have anyone to blame but herself. Looking toward Election Day, the Clinton campaign is seeking to shore up support in several states where she had maintained comfortable margins so far. While Clintons schedule in coming days is focused mainly to battleground states where polls have been close, the campaign announced Tuesday that she would be visiting Michigan later this week an announcement which raised questions about her strength in a state she is largely expected to win. Democrats said Clinton is not overly concerned about the state but is trying to shore up support in the Detroit area as a precaution. (Clinton has been leading in recent polls by 7 percent there, according to the RealClearPolitics average and in 2012, President Obama pulled away in the closing week and won the state by nearly 10 percentage points.) The Clinton campaign deployed reinforcements throughout battleground states Tuesday, where Trumps temperament and character remained at the center of their speeches. President Obama himself held an event on Clintons behalf on Tuesday part of an all-hands-on-deck roster of high-profile surrogates including Vice President Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former president Bill Clinton. Obama took sharp aim at Trumps temperament during his speech in Columbus, Ohio, calling into question whether Trumps erratic behavior made him fit to be commander in chief. Addressing men specifically, the president asked the crowd to consider the role that sexism may play in the election. I want you to think about it because she is so much better qualified than the other guy. She has conducted herself so much better in public life than the other guy, Obama said. He also said that Trump had shown no interest in working people before entering the presidential race. The notion that this guy is your champion, the notion that this guy is going to fight for working people, when his entire life he didnt have time for anybody who wasnt rich or a celebrity, who wouldnt let you get into one of his hotels unless you were cleaning the room, Obama said, Come on. This guy is going to be your champion? Clinton spoke at length in Dade City about the allegations against Trump and said that he has revealed himself to have little respect for women by demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting them. She said that Trumps comments and the accusations have brought back painful memories of similar experiences for women across the country. Look at what he does. He calls women ugly, disgusting, nasty, all the time. He calls women pigs, rates bodies on a scale from 1 to 10, Clinton told told the crowd. At one point, she detailed accusations from former beauty pageant contestants that Trump would walk into the dressing rooms to inspect them. Now, as bad as that is, he didnt just do it at the Miss USA pageant or the Miss Universe pageant, hes also been accused of doing this at the Miss Teen USA pageant, Clinton told the crowd. We cannot hide from this. Weve got to be willing to face it. This man wants to be president of the United States of America! [Clinton: Trump has been degrading, insulting and assaulting women for 30 years] How Trump treats women became a heated campaign issue last month, when an 11-year-old recording surfaced in which he made lewd comments and claims about women. Trump dismissed the recording, calling it locker room talk. But since the tape surfaced, 12 women have come forward claiming the billionaire had made unwanted sexual advances upon them. Trump has repeatedly denied those charges, and he has raised the sexual exploits of Bill Clinton and Hillary Clintons efforts to protect his political future as a political counter-argument. During an evening rally in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a man carrying a sign sought to interrupt Hillary Clintons speech and began to shout, Bill Clinton is a rapist! Apparently in response, she offered an indictment of Trump and his supporters. I am sick and tired of the negative, dark, divisive dangerous vision and behavior of people who support Donald Trump, Clinton said. It is time for us to say no, we are not going backwards, we are going forward into a brighter future. She added that the issue of how women are treated could have implications well beyond the election. I want all the girls in America to know you are valuable, you should feel good about yourselves, Clinton said. Dont let somebody like this bully tell you otherwise. And I want to say to all the young boys, show respect because that shows you are real man. The Clinton campaign released a new ad Tuesday featuring clips of Trump speaking about women in disparaging ways. Aides said the ad will air in eight targeted states, including Arizona, a heavily Republican state where Clinton is making a late play. Her campaign also plans to begin airing its first television ads of the general election in Michigan and New Mexico and will return to the airwaves in Virginia and Colorado after a months-long hiatus, a campaign official said. Recent polls have shown Clinton leading in those states. All four states will see a six-figure investment, according to a campaign official. Her campaign has raised a record-breaking $11.3 million online in the last 72 hours, according to a campaign official, money that could prove crucial down the stretch. The Trump campaign claims their path to White House is through states like these but were going to make sure those doors remain shut, said Jesse Ferguson, Clintons deputy national press secretary. [Post-ABC Tracking Poll: Trump 46, Clinton 45, as Democratic enthusiasm dips] In a statement, Trumps senior communications adviser, Jason Miller, characterized the Clintons new ad reservations as a defensive move. Its notable that in the final week of this campaign it is actually the Clinton campaign being put on defense and being forced to start advertising in so-called blue states to hold off Mr. Trumps surge in the polls, including two states the Clinton campaign boasted of having put away months ago, Miller said. The Trump campaign announced it was also investing $25 million in advertising across 12 states, including New Mexico and Michigan. But it did not say how much would go to each location. A Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll conducted Thursday through Sunday showed Trump at 46 percent and Clinton 45 percent in a four-way contest. The poll finds little shift in Clintons overall support following news of the FBIs renewed look at her emails, but strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews. Clinton still leads Trump by an average of four points in Colorado, five points in Virginia, seven points in New Mexico, and seven points in Michigan according to RealClearPolitics. [Election maps are telling you big lies about small things ] Speaking to reporters en route to Florida, a senior Clinton aide said that the campaign does not believe the renewed scrutiny by the FBI is hurting Clintons standing in the polls. The race has tightened the way that we thought it would tighten but we do not see anything that would suggest that the FBI story is impacting our support, said the aide, who requested anonymity to speak more freely about campaign strategy. Asked why Clinton is spending so much time in Florida, the aide said: Its a state that we think well win. Its a state that Trump has to win. Obviously we dont think he has any path without Florida. Wagner reported from Dade City, Fla.; DelReal reported from Washington. Sean Sullivan, Abby Phillip, Anne Gearan, Emily Guskin, Scott Clement and Paul Kane in Washington contributed to this report. A total of 48 units will be built at Cambria Square, including 28 two-level condos and 20 four-level townhouses. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) Daniel Foster, owner of Green Vista Tree Care in Alexandria, knows Northern Virginia well. Not only does he traverse the area for his tree service business, he was born and raised in the region. When he decided he was ready to stop renting in the Fairlington neighborhood of Arlington, his search included a dusty boots tour of Cambria Square, a new condominium community under construction by Pulte Homes in Alexandria where he is one of the first buyers. Location is one of my biggest priorities since I need to be driving all over Northern Virginia every day, says Foster. Cambria Square is right off [Interstate] 395 and close to 495, so its easy to get anywhere. Its also less than 10 minutes from Old Town. A total of 48 units will be built at Cambria Square, including 28 two-level condos and 20 four-level townhouses. Base prices for the condos range from $499,990 to $599,990 and from $699,990 to $849,990 for the townhouses. (The townhouses are also part of the condominium association.) [Maple Lawn development finds its sweet spot with clssic architecture] Cambria Square, adjacent to the Cameron Station community in Alexandrias West End, has contemporary architecture, although the surrounding neighborhood is more suburban than the urban-looking buildings suggest. The development is 1.5 miles from the Van Dorn Street Metro station. Residents can walk to a small shopping center nearby, to a grocery store and to fast-food restaurants. Plans for the community include a set of steps at the back of the development that will connect it with Cameron Station, which has additional cafes, restaurants and shops. Two condos are complete and ready for move-ins, and more condos and townhouses will be complete in December or January. Additional units will be finished in March, April and May. 1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad Buying New | Cambria Square condos in Alexandria View Photos The condos are priced from $499,990 to $599,990 and the townhouses are priced from $699,990 to $849,990. Caption The condos are priced from $499,990 to $599,990 and the townhouses are priced from $699,990 to $849,990. A total of 48 units will be built at Cambria Square in Alexandria, Va., including 28 two-level condos and 20 four-level townhouses. Benjamin C. Tankersley/For The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue. Two-sided fireplace, game room: Foster says the modern architecture, oversize windows and open floor plan attracted him to a condo. I was looking at remodeled resales and new construction since I wanted a turnkey place rather than a fixer-upper, says Foster. Im moving from an 800-square-foot unit at Fairlington into a 2,600-square-foot condo with two balconies and three bedrooms. Foster purchased a Saratoga model, one of the upper-level units. This unit shares a vestibule entrance with the lower-level unit and has a second entrance from the private one-car garage. Two flights of stairs lead from the vestibule, which has a coat closet, up to the unit. The main level has a great room at the front of the unit with floor-to-ceiling windows across the front. End units also have two large side windows. An optional two-sided gas fireplace separates the great room from the dining room and open kitchen at the back of the unit. A balcony is off the kitchen, which has a window, a center island and a pantry. This level also has a powder room and two closets. [At the Corey, serenity is just a few steps from the bustling H Street corridor] The upper level includes a master suite with glass doors leading to a private terrace. The suite includes a large walk-in closet and a full bathroom with a window, a linen closet, a double-sink vanity and a glass-enclosed shower with a seat. This level also has a flexible open space outside the master suite that can be used as a sitting area or a home office. End units have a window in this space. Two more bedrooms, a second full bathroom, a linen closet and a large laundry room with optional cabinets complete this level. The kitchen has 42-inch maple cabinets, granite counters and stainless-steel appliances. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) The lower-level Lafayette model, with 1,605 square feet, has an entrance into the great room, which is open to the dining area and center-island kitchen. This level also has a powder room, a storage closet and an entrance to the garage. Upstairs, the master suite has a large wall of windows and a private bathroom with a door to a large walk-in closet. This level has two additional bedrooms, a second full bathroom and a double-door closet for laundry equipment that has space for extra cabinets. Another large double-door closet on this level is filled with the water heater and furnace. The townhouses are part of the condo association and offer 2,480 to 2,989 square feet of living space. The four-level townhouses each have a two-car garage and a game room on the lower level, an open floor plan on the main level with a kitchen, dining and living area, three bedrooms and two full baths on the third level and a loft and roof terrace on the fourth level. Buyers can add bedrooms and bathrooms on the lower level and the fourth level and choose different layouts with a rear or central kitchen on the main level. Whats nearby: Residents can walk to nearby shopping centers and to shops and restaurants in Cameron Station. The Holmes Run Trail for walking, jogging and biking is nearby, along with the Ben Brenman Dog Park and the Armistead Boothe Park. The development is one mile from Landmark Mall. Schools: Samuel W. Tucker Elementary, Francis C. Hammond Middle and T.C. Williams High. Transit: Cambria Square is 1.5 miles from the Van Dorn Street Metro station for Blue Line service. Several bus routes also serve the community, which is close to Interstates 395 and 495. The master suite has a large wall of windows and a private bathroom with a door to a large walk-in closet. (Benjamin C Tankersley/For The Washington Post) Despite suicide attacks, snipers and roadside bombs, Iraqi commandos swept into the eastern edge of Mosul on Tuesday, setting foot in the city for the first time since it was seized by Islamic State militants more than two years ago. It was a rapid and symbolic incursion into the northern Iraqi city at the heart of the militant groups self-proclaimed caliphate. But bringing the fight into Mosuls limits does not change the overall challenges facing Iraqi troops trying to oust the militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq. Ahead lie booby-trapped defense lines, networks of tunnels and neighborhoods packed with civilians. Explosions and heavy exchanges of gunfire could be heard from Mosuls Gogjali district as Iraqs elite counterterrorism forces battled to retake it Tuesday. Jets streaked overhead. Iraqi commanders and U.S. officials say they can only guess how hard the militants will fight for the city, the most populous that the Islamic State controls. While it is central to the groups state-building aspirations, it is also a prize the militants appear likely to lose. Tens of thousands of Iraqi and Kurdish troops have closed in since the launch of an ambitious offensive just over two weeks ago, backed by air and artillery strikes by a U.S.-led coalition. More than 1 million civilians are said to remain in Mosul, and the militants have kidnapped the people of entire villages on the citys outskirts to use as human shields, say those who have escaped. There was desperate resistance by the enemy, said Lt. Gen. Abdelwahab al-Saedi, a commander with Iraqs counterterrorism forces. By the end of the day, Gogjali had largely been secured, although mines, explosives and some pockets of resistance were still being cleared, he said. The elite forces were building on their momentum and moving deeper into Mosul, fighting on the edge of neighborhoods farther west, he added. The 9th Armored Division of the Iraqi army also said it had reached the citys edge. The speed of the gains, however, appeared to come at the expense of thorough operations to secure and clear territory as government forces advanced. [Pentagon plans for next battles in Syria] The elite Iraqi troops are making a sharp push into Mosul from the east. But forces on other fronts remain farther away, exposing advancing troops to attack from their flanks as they attempt to press forward. The militants extensive network of tunnels allows them to evade airstrikes and launch surprise attacks. On the outskirts of the village of Bazwaya about four miles east of Tuesdays main clashes the crack of gunfire sent journalists and Iraqi forces running for cover. Enemy fire! shouted one soldier, as bullets pinged off the metal shutters of a deserted row of shops where they had been camped out. The troops fired back with machine guns and later said they found and killed three armed militants holed up in a building. The complex military battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State has begun. Here is what you need to know about the ancient Iraqi city. (Ishaan Tharoor, Kareem Fahim, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) There are still sleeper cells around in the villages, said one Iraqi captain who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the media. There are some gaps in our control, and they are using their tunnels. Earlier in the day, the militants sent a military vehicle packed with explosives to the village, leaving a gaping crater in the road. The sand-colored Humvee was flying the Iraqi flag in an attempt to look like a friendly Iraqi army vehicle, soldiers said. We knew it was the enemy as there are only counterterrorism forces here, said 1st Lt. Baraa al-Sultani, noting that Humvees used by the elite forces are black. We opened fire. With a fragile grip on some of the territory behind them, Lt. Gen. Abdul Ghani al-Asadi, commander of the counterterrorism units, said he would meet with army and tribal fighters later Tuesday to seek an agreement on sending forces to hold the ground as the elite units progress. We are going to advance farther, so we dont want to be exposed, he said. So far, many of the areas retaken by Iraqi forces have been largely empty of civilians. Iraqi forces say their advance may slow as they near heavily populated areas of the city. A humanitarian crisis is feared if Mosul residents flee en masse, and civilians have been advised to stay in their homes. But many inevitably are uprooted during the conflict, and some have been forced into the city at gunpoint by the militants. Early Tuesday, the Islamic State brought dozens of trucks and buses to attempt to transfer 25,000 civilians from the village of Hamam al-Ali into Mosul to use as shields, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said. We have grave concerns for the safety of these and the tens of thousands of other civilians who have reportedly been forcibly relocated by [the Islamic State] in the past two weeks, said spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani. On the main road to the front lines, small convoys of civilians could be seen leaving the surrounding area, holding white flags out of their car windows as they drove. Shepherds waving white flags herded their livestock out, as vehicles of the Iraqi elite forces sped in the other direction. In Mosul, civilians were staying inside, according to Iraqis in touch with relatives there. They can hear the clashes and shooting and feel that the security forces are very close, said one former Mosul resident who fled two years ago but spoke to family members in the citys eastern Muthanna district on Tuesday. He declined to be named to protect his relatives from reprisals. I cried when I spoke to them because I felt like Im going to see them again soon. He said his relatives have mixed feelings about the advance, although they desperately want the militants to be ousted after more than two years of oppressive and fanatical Islamic State rule. They are happy, but they are afraid of airstrikes and afraid that Daesh will kidnap them and take them to another part of the city, he said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. William Booth in Irbil contributed to this report. Read more Iraqi forces prepare to break into Mosul Shiite militias join offensive to retake Mosul from Islamic State Signs of panic in the heart of Islamic States self-proclaimed caliphate Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news An injured woman reacts at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo, Syria, in April. (Abdalrhman Ismail /Reuters) Before the war convulsed his native Syria, Marea Marea relished retirement. He enjoyed leisurely morning walks, played with his grandchildren and took afternoon catnaps. Then the fighting began in rebel-held eastern Aleppo. Airstrikes have pulverized his neighborhood, and a brutal siege has forced him to skimp on food so other members of his family have enough to eat. Now the 70-year-old feels weak, frightened and helpless. My entire life has been spent trying to build something for my family, he said, speaking by Skype from his home in the war-divided city. I built this home. My body aches from the decades of work that I did to make them a better life. But now this? Theres little dignity in this kind of life. The war has taken an immense toll on the more than 200,000 people still in eastern Aleppo. Marea and other older residents face especially difficult circumstances, according to aid workers and doctors there. Some choose or are asked to make sacrifices for younger family members or are left to cope on their own after their children and grandchildren flee to safety in other countries. Marea Marea sits with part of his family in their house in a rebel-held district of Aleppo. (Family Photo) People are being forced to make sacrifices, and this often involves the older people getting neglected, said Bacry al-Ebeid, who distributes food to residents in rebel areas of Aleppo for Mercy-USA, a Michigan-based charity. [Darkness and fear in Aleppo as the bombs rain down] Aleppo, Syrias largest city before the war, has become perhaps the most important battleground in the conflict, which began in 2011 and has left more than 400,000 dead and millions displaced. Rebels seized the citys eastern districts in 2012, and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have intensified efforts to take them back. If they do, it would mark a significant victory for the embattled leader. In recent months, warplanes operated by Assads government and its ally, Russia, have increasingly bombed hospitals and homes in the citys opposition-held areas. Food and fuel shortages have worsened because of the siege imposed by pro-government forces, who control the citys west end. As a result, residents and aid workers in eastern Aleppo say, it has become nearly impossible to find medicine to treat heart disease, diabetes, rheumatism and other conditions most commonly experienced by older people. Overstretched medical facilities must turn away people suffering from such conditions because of the overwhelming number of more-urgent cases, such as people with shrapnel wounds and other war-related injuries. Pablo Marco, Middle East operations manager for the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, said the situation is so bad that fewer than three dozen doctors are still working in eastern Aleppo. The area has only one functioning dialysis unit left, he said. If that unit stopped working, then that would mean more deaths, he said. The doctors just dont have the time and facilities to take care of chronic diseases that, if not properly treated, will kill you in a matter of weeks and months. As some become frail, they might see themselves as a burden on their family, which can fuel anxiety, Ebeid said. Some families have had to take extreme measures and have abandoned older family members, he said. In Arab societies, older people generally live with their children until death. [Syrian regime and Russia may have killed more children in latest bombing] There are no reliable age breakdowns of people living in the citys besieged eastern areas, but before the war, Aleppo had a population approaching 3 million. Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled since the conflict erupted. In a lot of cases, though, what we see are elderly people who refuse to leave their homes, Ebeid said. So that means their families, when they flee to other countries, are forced to leave them behind. In another neighborhood of eastern Aleppo, 83-year-old Reema Salama lives alone in the home where she raised her children. Most of her family escaped to Turkey last year, but Salama chose to stay put, she said during a recent interview over Skype. Because of the siege, she cannot leave, and her family cannot visit. She receives food from Ebeids organization but struggles to cook it, relying on neighbors for help. Im all alone! Im going to die alone here! she said before abruptly ending the conversation. Marea said he would never leave his home. To pay for it, he worked for years as a freelance farmhand and day laborer. But even if he tried to leave, the governments siege would prevent him. So he spends most of his time at home feeling isolated and hoping airstrikes do not obliterate him and his family. Im afraid our house will get bombed but that we wont die in the attack, he said, describing the fate of many people in his area of town. Well just be stuck in the rubble for days and slowly die. He also thinks constantly about trying to balance what he and his 70-year-old wife, Ajoun, need to survive with the demands of the 10 children and grandchildren living with them. Already, the family struggles to care for one son, 45-year-old Ahmed, whose leg was amputated last year after shrapnel struck it during an attack. We eat twice once in the morning and once in the evening because we are trying to reduce the amount we eat so the kids still have enough, he said. He fears the effect this could have on his wife, who suffers from high blood pressure and rheumatism. Marea has received unexpected help from another son, Hameed, who was visiting from Turkey and became trapped in the city when the government imposed its siege several weeks ago. Asked whether Hameed intends to return to Turkey, Marea choked up. No, he cant go back. The siege. He cant leave us here, Marea said. Then, he said, Im an old man. I shouldnt have to think about these kind of things. Heba Habib in Stockholm and Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul contributed to this report. Read more: Underground schools reopen as bombs fall on east Aleppo How the attack on the aid convoy near Aleppo unfolded Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world The father of Elor Azaria, who is charged with manslaughter for shooting a wounded Palestinian assailant, kisses his head in a military court in March. ( Amir Cohen / Reuters/REUTERS) One of the most divisive trials in Israeli history is taking place in a cramped military courtroom in a peeling mansion in the poor Arab section of Jaffa. It is the trial of a teenage Israeli sergeant, but in many ways it is about the soul of the Israeli army and the young men and women the Jewish state sends to protect its citizens and enforce its almost 50-year military occupation. On trial for manslaughter before a military tribunal is a pint-size recruit who sits in the courtroom beside his mother, who wraps her arms around his shoulders and sometimes cries. Such a public trial of a soldier charged in the killing of a Palestinian is almost unprecedented here. The last witnesses appeared this week. The central fact of the case is not in dispute. In March, Sgt. Elor Azaria fired a single bullet at close range into the skull of a Palestinian assailant as he lay wounded, sprawled on his back, on a street in Hebron in the West Bank minutes after lunging at soldiers with a knife. A supporter of Elor Azaria, an Israeli soldier charged with manslaughter after he shot a wounded Palestinian as he lay on the ground in Hebron, holds a placard during a protest calling for his release in Tel Aviv on April 19. ( Baz Ratner / Reuters/REUTERS) This is not in dispute because the shooting was caught on video by a Palestinian volunteer for the Israeli human rights group BTselem, which denounced the shooting as the direct consequence of inflammatory remarks made by Israeli ministers and officials, augmented by the general public atmosphere of dehumanization. Many Israelis and Palestinians believe the only reason the 19-year-old Azaria is on trial is because of the video. The question the court is asking is why Azaria shot Abdul Fattah al-Sharif in the head. Was it malice or self-defense? The question many Israelis are asking is why Azaria is even on trial. They think he should have been given a medal or, at worst, a reprimand. Terrorists need to be killed, said Uzi Dayan, a general in the Israeli army reserves who testified in Azarias defense. Dayan said that while serving as a commander in the 1990s, he allowed the killing of terrorists, even if they did not pose any immediate danger. On this, Israelis appear divided. A graphic video from March shows a wounded Palestinian assailant who is lying on the ground being casually shot in the head and killed by an Israeli soldier. The Washington Post edited the video for time and graphic content. (Emad abu-Shamsiyah, B'Tselem) [Graphic: A new kind of terrorism in Israel] The Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University released a survey last month of Jewish Israelis that found 47 percent support killing on the spot a terrorist who attacked Jews, even if he has been captured and clearly does not pose a threat. Support for killing the terrorist was highest among young Israelis and religious Israelis. Forty-five percent said such a terrorist should be handed over to authorities. Palestinians and Israeli human rights activists called the shooting a summary execution. Moshe Yaalon, Israels defense minister when the incident took place, said Azarias actions were an utter breach of the armys values and its code of ethics in combat. After Azarias arrest, thousands of flag-waving Israelis rallied in a central square in Tel Aviv to support Azaria and his family. For many Israelis, the trial is every parents nightmare. Military service is mandatory for most Israelis at age 18, and the public compact requires the society to support its young troops almost without question. The scene in Jaffa could be the setting of a stage play. Courtroom No. 4 is tiny and intense. Four military prosecutors in uniform sit elbow to elbow at what appears to be a school desk. The four defense attorneys sit opposite, dressed in long black robes. A panel of three military judges looms above them at a dais made of cheap wood. A couple of wheezing air conditioners struggle against the humidity. The prosecutors contend that Azaria killed the Palestinian without cause. The defense says he feared for his life. Since the trial began in early May, the court has witnessed hours of boredom, as the attorneys wrangle over points of law, punctuated by wrenching scenes that lay bare deep fissures. Youre trying to frame him! Charlie Azaria, the defendants father and a veteran police officer, shouted at the prosecutors one day. He later suffered a stroke from the stress. During the trial, enlisted men have openly contradicted the accounts of their commanders. Witnesses have accused officers of coverups and lies. Senior Israeli officers have traded insults. Soldiers have complained of being bullied and brainwashed. The shooting took place in one of the most tense settings in the West Bank at one of the military checkpoints that protect 850 of Israels most ideological Jewish settlers, who live in the heart of old Hebron surrounded by 200,000 Palestinians. On March 24, Sharif and a friend attacked the Israeli troops with knives, wounding one soldier. The Israeli forces quickly responded and shot both men. Ramzi al-Qasrawi died immediately. But the video captures Sharif moving slightly, a twitching of his head and hand. The video shows Azaria pulling his rifle off his shoulder, aiming and firing at Sharif as a dozen soldiers, officers, medics, ambulance drivers and Jewish settlers mill about. Many commentators remarked that no one appears to flinch after the shot. They simply go on about their business. [Watch: Israeli soldier caught on video fatally shooting wounded Palestinian attacker] Maj. Tom Naaman, who was Azarias commanding officer at the time, testified that Azaria told him immediately after the shooting that the terrorist was alive and needed to die. Quotes from courtroom testimony are taken from Israeli English- and Hebrew-language media. The Washington Post also attended the trial. Naaman said that the scene was secure and that the two assailants were neutralized and posed no threat. I was angry that the shooting happened without my approval. In the initial questioning, Azaria did not mention fear of a knife or an explosive device to me, Naaman told the court. Naaman had to be publicly defended by the army chief of staff after receiving a deluge of phone calls and social-media posts branding him a traitor for his testimony. Soon after Azaria talked to Naaman, he was questioned by a more senior officer, a battalion commander, Lt. Col. David Shapira. I asked him why he had shot, Shapira testified. Elor answered that he saw the terrorist move his head and that there was a knife next to him. I asked Elor, You were near him. Why didnt you kick the knife away? Elor answered, I felt I was in danger. I told Elor that I felt he was not telling me the whole truth because after the incident he had told the company commander something entirely different. Elor was silent. According to Shapira, In that conversation Elor did not mention any fear of a bomb, only his concern about the knife which was near the terrorist. The prosecution presented a video that showed a knife on the ground yards away from the prone assailant after he had been shot dead. As one ambulance passed by, a Jewish settler and ambulance driver named Ofer Ohana then kicked the knife closer to the body. [An Israeli soldier is accused of killing a disarmed Palestinian. But many think hes a hero.] Azarias defense attorneys have argued that their client shot the assailant because he feared not a knife but a bomb hidden under his clothing. There was no explosive device. One of Azarias fellow soldiers, an active-duty sergeant who was identified only by his initials in the media, told the court, There was a terrorist in a black coat who was alive and moving. From my point of view, he looked like a threat. The soldier said there were fears of a bomb. Top Israeli officers have testified on Azarias behalf. Shmuel Zakai, a brigadier general in the army reserves, said he watched the video and found Azarias manner calm and deliberate. I assume that Azaria was concerned about an explosive device, Zakai testified. Danny Biton, a major general in the reserves, told the court, If a soldier kills for no reason, he should go to jail. But in this case I disagree with the prosecution. He asked, Should every soldier go to battle with a lawyer at his side? Biton accused the prosecution of castrating the army by second-guessing a soldiers action in the field. Theres not one person in this trial who isnt lying, and thats whats sad, he said. The three-judge panel will announce a verdict, though its deliberations could take weeks. If convicted, Azaria could face up to 20 years in prison. The new defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said in September that Israel should support its soldiers even if one of them makes a mistake. Lieberman said, We are talking about 18- and 19-year-olds. Naftali Bennett, Israels education minister and the leader of the right-wing Jewish Home party, offered a solution: If the court finds Azaria guilty, he should immediately be given a pardon. Read more: Martyrs? Desperate? Crazy? Palestinians struggle to define Palestinians who attack Israelis Jewish settlers invited Palestinians over for the holidays. All went well until the guests headed home. Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news Four Islamic State fighters who took over the house where Iraqi college students lived died when one of the men exploded his suicide belt in a back bedroom just a few hours after the students escaped. (Courtesy of Emad Matti) She sent just one text to her mother: I am trapped in a house with Islamic State fighters. Do not call me. Off and on for eight hours, Monaly Atalla and six college roommates hid under their beds in their darkened house as a group of Islamic State fighters came and went during a pitched battle to take over this city late last month. As the students lay beneath the narrow single beds, hidden by nothing but a thin sheet, the militants sat on the mattresses above. The seven women listened to their conversations and heard them praying in other rooms. They felt their presence, the weight of their bodies atop the beds, the smell of their sweat and blood. Two gunmen who passed through the bedroom were seriously wounded by the fierce firefights just outside. One was shot in the stomach, they believed, the other in the leg. The students could hear the wounded mens sharp labored breaths. Iraqi security forces inspect one of the damaged buildings after clashes between Iraqi security forces and members of the Islamic State in the city of Kirkuk on Oct. 22. (AP) At one point, one of the fighters shifted his body and his boot touched Atallas shoulder. I thought at that the moment, this is it, she told The Washington Post. As she recalled her story, she sat in another house filled with people displaced by the turmoil, dressed in a pair of blue yoga pants and pink flip-flops. She twisted a silver crucifix hanging from a necklace. All seven of the young women in the house, ages 20 to 23, are Christians who had fled Mosul and the nearby town of Qaraqosh more than two years ago when the Islamic State seized control of the region. [Islamic State forces attack Iraqs oil-rich city of Kirkuk] The Islamic States surprise attack against the oil-rich Kirkuk, a three-hour drive southeast of Mosul, began before dawn on Oct. 21, when a couple hundred militants, who were armed with grenades and suicide vests, entered the city and made a dash for the city hall. Handfuls of the last Islamic State fighters from that operation are still being pursued. The students, who were attending a university in Kirkuk, were living down the street from the scene of the heaviest fighting. Islamic State snipers took up positions on top of nearby buildings. Militants were firing mortar shells from their back yard. There were some 500 students living in houses throughout Kirkuk who were being housed by the Chaldean Catholic diocese. The students are of many faiths: Christians, Muslims, Yazidis, Mandeans. When the fighting began in Kirkuk, security forces rushed to evacuate some, while telling others to shelter in place, that it was too dangerous for them to make a run for it or too risky for forces to come and rescue them. Atalla said they first hid in a closet and used laptops to recharge their mobile phones. Then they heard voices outside, glass breaking at the kitchen door, then men in the house, eating and talking. Those fighters left. The students grabbed three knives from the kitchen and took refuge under the beds around 4 p.m. They stayed there until they fled through the back yard and over the back wall after midnight, rescued by Kirkuk emergency police units. Atalla said they kept perfectly still and mouthed prayers when the fighters were in their room. One by one, their cellphone batteries died. The electricity was off and there was constant gunfire and frequent explosions. They believe the noise and darkness saved them from being discovered. Sister Yomna, who lives in a convent across the street, said that she and other nuns saw Islamic State fighters jump over the walls of the student house. We prayed for them, she said. Asked about the demeanor of the fighters in their bedroom, Atalla said, They were very calm, very deliberate. They discussed how to get out of the house. They spoke on their telephones. The fighters were not in a panic and did not raise their voices. They appeared not to know each other well and so were likely from different units. One commented that the students must be studying engineering because he saw their textbooks. Atalla said she spoke with a priest who told her to stay quiet and not leave the house. She sent texts to a security contact and to Emad Matti, known to everyone as Abu Durayd, who served as the coordinator for the student housing. Abu Durayd promised he would get them out. The fighters came and went from the room. At one point, they closed the door and locked it. But they returned. When the women thought no one was in the room, they whispered to one another. Once, Atalla said she was convinced one of the fighters was lying on the bed. She very slowly pressed her hand against the mattress and tried to lift it. No one was there. Around midnight, Abu Durayd instructed them to open the back door of the house and run, one by one, toward the wall. They would see the light of his mobile phone. Kirkuk police officers flanked him. The students bolted and were pulled over the wall. A few hours later, there was a large explosion in the house. Abu Durayd told The Washington Post he was not sure exactly what happened or how. But inside were four dead fighters. One of them had detonated his suicide belt, possibly by accident. That room next to the bedroom where the students hid was a wreck, flecked with blood and flesh. Yousif Thomas Mirkis, the archbishop of Kirkuk, called the survival of the students a miracle. Atalla said the students were trying to collect themselves. They had fled from ISIS two years ago only to have ISIS find them again. They were all very strong women, Atalla said of her friends. But she said they were not sure what they would do now. Read more: Iraqi elite forces enter Mosul over 2 years after Islamic State seized the city U.S. plans operation against Islamic State in Syria despite obstacles Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news There are many important and scary details that Debra Tice does not know about her son Austin. She has no idea exactly where he is, or who his captors have been since he vanished while reporting in Syria more than four years ago. But of this, she is certain: Austin Tice is alive, apparently in decent health, and he is being held against his will somewhere in Syria. Im trying to reach whoever is holding him and compel them to realize, its time to release him and let him come home, Tice said Tuesday in an interview in Washington, where she is set to attend the unveiling Wednesday of a banner in her sons honor at the Newseum. The banner displays a photo of a smiling Austin Tice, his sunglasses pushed up jauntily on top of his head, and the succinct description of his situation: Held captive for being a journalist since August 2012. It is to remain on the Newseums facade until he is returned safely to his family in Houston. Unless he is released before Inauguration Day, the new president will go directly past the banner on the way to and from the Capitol. Austin Tice, who has contributed to The Washington Post, is one of at least 430 journalists and citizen journalists being held around the world, according to Reporters Without Borders. (Family photo) Were very conscious of our place on Pennsylvania Avenue, Newseum President Jeffrey Herbst said. Our role is to bring his cause to the public. I think were fulfilling our mission, making sure people know that someone who wanted to inform the world of whats happening in Syria is still missing. According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 430 journalists and citizen journalists are being detained around the world, either by governments or as hostages. Tice is the only American reporter among them. A handful of countries account for many of the imprisoned reporters on the list. Turkey alone is responsible for jailing at least 130 reporters since a crackdown on the media in the wake of a failed coup in July. The other countries high on the list are China, Iran, Egypt, Vietnam and Syria. Tice, a former Marine who is now 35, was a freelance reporter whose stories from Syria appeared in The Washington Post, McClatchy and other news outlets. His family has never received any ransom demands. The only time his captors have reached out to prove they had him was six weeks after he disappeared, when they posted a brief YouTube video showing him being led blindfolded up a rocky hillside surrounded by gunmen. He was reciting a Koranic verse in Arabic when he interjected in English, Oh, Jesus. Oh, Jesus. [Austin Tice, two years later: A plea from his parents] Early in his captivity, there were reports that he had been taken by the Syrian regime. State Department officials have also said that they believe he is in the custody of the government. But lately they have had nothing new to report, and the Syrian government has denied holding Tice or knowing where he is. Debra Tice said she cannot reveal all that she has learned about her sons situation without endangering him, but said she believes that he is not being held by antigovernment rebels or Islamic State militants. That leaves the government, or forces loyal to it. She admits to being frustrated that her sons plight has not received more attention from the American public, and she said she hopes the Newseum banner changes that. In France, when someone is missing, the family expects to hear from the president immediately, and a banner is put up, she said. Ive wondered, where are the banners for Austin? She said the Obama administration has been helpful and collaborative since adopting a new hostage policy in 2015 and naming a special hostage envoy. Debra and Marc Tice met with President Obama in July, and he assured the parents that he is committed to their sons safe return. She holds out hope that it will happen before Obama leaves office in January. Austins captors have to reach out and let us know what they expect, she said. They need to be aware, this is an opportunity. It could be quite a long period of time before they are able to approach a new administration. One thing that the past four years have taught her, she said, is that many Americans are apathetic to the danger journalists sometimes face. I consider the banner at the Newseum to be a call to Americans to protect and respect journalists, she said. Austins captivity and the lack of passion about getting him home represents a complacency about journalists. Where do we hear the relentless voice calling for the release of this journalist? Where do we see the counter on TV thats a piece of our daily bread? This journalist has spent 1,451 days in captivity. Its appalling. Read more: Austin Tice: Its nice and all, but please quit telling me to be safe Obama administration to stop threatening prosecution of hostage families for paying ransom Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi enter the village of Abu Shuwayhah, south of jihadist-held Mosul, onTuesday, during the ongoing operation to retake the last major Islamic State stronghold in Iraq. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images) Civilians have no escape route from the Iraqi city of Mosul and are under threat of possible mass casualties from daily U.S. and coalition airstrikes aiding the ongoing Iraqi government offensive to reclaim the city from the Islamic State, Russias Defense Ministry said Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a ministry spokesman, contrasted the situation in Mosul with that of Aleppo, the Syrian city surrounded by Russian-aided government troops where an estimated 275,000 civilians are stuck inside, along with thousands of antigovernment rebels who Russia says have blocked their exit. [Iraqi elite forces enter Mosul] On Monday, State Department spokesman John Kirby called Moscows attempts to compare the situations in Aleppo and Mosul ludicrous and absolutely insulting. Both the United States and the United Nations said Tuesday that they had no reports of civilian casualties attributed to coalition or Iraqi forces during the Mosul offensive that started two weeks ago, and Kirby pointed to extensive preparations made for the safety of civilians who escape or remain in the city. Russia has been stung by widespread international charges that its air attacks in Syria, including air bombardment of rebel-held eastern Aleppo, have intentionally caused hundreds of civilian deaths. The complex military battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State has begun. Here is what you need to know about the ancient Iraqi city. (Ishaan Tharoor, Kareem Fahim, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) [Aleppos oldest residents fear theyll die alone] The exchange was part of a series of public exchanges that have characterized dialogue between Moscow and Washington in the absence of progress to end the Aleppo siege. The tendentious remarks came as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Western journalists invited to interview him in Damascus that he intended to stay in office at least until his current term ends in 2021. If youre the captain of the ship, when you have a storm, you dont jump into the water, he reportedly said. You lead it to shore. Far from trying to destroy the Islamic State in both Syria and Iraq, Assad told the group, including journalists from the New York Times and the New Yorker, that the United States is supporting both that group and al-Qaeda allies in Syria. The whole argument that the United States wants to fight ISIS is not correct, Assad said, according to the New Yorker. This is an illusion and information. The actual U.S. goal, he said, is to topple his government. The government doesnt fit with the criteria of the West or the United States. . . . They want to change Syria, and we are not going to allow this. ISIS is another term for the Islamic State. While U.S. and Iraqi officials reported progress in the Mosul campaign, and the imminent start of a similar offensive against the Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the separate Syrian civil war has, if anything, become even more complicated. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov speaks at a briefing in the Russian Defense Ministry's headquarters in Moscow, Oct. 20, 2016. (Pavel Golovkin/AP) On Sunday, Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations envoy for Syria, said he was appalled and shocked by indiscriminate opposition rocket attacks across the citys front lines that had reportedly killed scores of civilians. Those who argue that this is meant to relieve the siege of eastern Aleppo should be reminded that nothing justifies the use of disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons, including heavy ones, on civilian areas and it could amount to war crimes, de Mistura said. The civilians on both sides of Aleppo have suffered enough due to futile but lethal attempts of subduing the city, he said. Russia appeared to argue that its suspension of air attacks in the city for the past two weeks had put it on the moral high ground, leading to its comparison with U.S. air activities in and around Mosul. In Mosul, we hear about an imminent storm of city districts inhabited by civilians, which is fraught with obscure but extremely alarming consequences because of possible mass casualties, Konashenkov said. By contrast, he said, Russia and Syrian authorities have set up six humanitarian corridors with hot meal and medical aid stations in Aleppo, through which civilians are willing to exit the city but cannot do so, as the approaches to them have been mined, and militants keep shelling them. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in a teleconference with Russian army chiefs reported by Tass, charged that insurgents have been executing civilians every day who try to reach humanitarian corridors offered to exit the city. The so-called surround and starve tactic of the government, which has refused to allow the United Nations and other humanitarian groups to bring food and medical aid into nearly all besieged towns in some cases for years has succeeded in emptying several areas of civilians, a potential violation of international law. Residents reached inside eastern Aleppo have told reporters that they refuse to leave the city. Meanwhile, as U.S. officials continued negotiations with Turkey over its participation in the campaign to eject the Islamic State from Raqqa, the chief of Turkeys military met Tuesday in Moscow with his Russian counterpart. Read more: Battle for Aleppo may be the most crucial of the Syrian civil war ISIS militants are kidnapping thousands of people to use as human shields The history of Mosul, in five maps A member of Syrian Democratic Forces surveys the town of Manbij, Syria, on Sept. 25. After pushing the Islamic State out of Manbij in August, the U.S.-backed group will turn its attention to nearby Raqqa. (Ayham Al-Mohammad/AFP/Getty Images) The Obama administration is racing to settle questions that could scuttle a planned offensive against the Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa that Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter has said will begin within weeks . . . and not many weeks. Senior administration officials have attributed the newly described urgency to Raqqas symbolic role as the capital of the caliphate claimed by the militants and intelligence indicating that it is the center of Islamic State planning for terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States. [With the battle for Mosul underway, U.S. sets sights on Raqqa] But the officials acknowledged a wealth of problems that could derail the offensive, including the need to gather and train additional Syrian forces. More ominously, they cite the explosive dynamics between two allies: Turkey and Syrian Kurdish fighters, who form the bulk of the existing offensive force. This is one of the situations in which we have contacts and influence over all the actors. But were not in perfect control, said one of several officials who discussed the operation on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about its planning and potential pitfalls. President Obama approved the Raqqa plan in meetings with top national security aides in early October. But concerns about unresolved problems have put off initial hopes that the offensive could take place simultaneously with a major operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul that began two weeks ago. Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, the U.S. commander of the anti-Islamic State coalition, described the current Raqqa plan as overlapping the Mosul offensive. We want to pressure Raqqa so that militants escaping Mosul do not have a convenient place to go, Townsend said last week, after Carters description of the timing during a news conference at NATO. The Pentagon, at least temporarily, has withdrawn a controversial request to provide direct arms shipments to the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units, known as the YPG, which forms the bulk of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces slated to undertake the Raqqa offensive. Consideration of the weapons was deferred, officials said, because initial plans to encircle the city by taking control of surrounding villages and access routes would not require additional weaponry and because conflicts with Turkey remain unresolved. Turkey, a NATO ally and part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, considers the YPG a terrorist force, allied with Turkeys own Kurdish separatist movement. Its concern has grown as the Syrian Kurds, with strong U.S. backing, have taken control of much of the Syria-Turkey border from the militants. In August, after the YPG- dominated Syrian Democratic Forces pushed the Islamic State from the city of Manbij, northwest of Raqqa, Turkey struck back with a cross-border air and ground offensive against the Kurds. Since then, Turkish troops and a force of about 1,000 Arab fighters from the separate Free Syrian Army have occupied a 15-mile-deep stretch along the border inside Syria. The Turkish goal is to create a 5,000-square-mile area free of the Islamic State and the Kurds, including the northwestern cities of al-Bab, Azaz and Jarabulus, U.S. officials said. In a statement Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that once his forces take Islamic State-held al-Bab, the plan is to move onward to Raqqa. Erdogan said Thursday that he had urged Obama in a telephone call the night before not to involve the YPG in a Raqqa offensive. We shared our plans with him, Erdogan said in public remarks. We said, Come, lets kick Daesh out of Raqqa together. Daesh and ISIL are alternate terms for the Islamic State. Administration officials described the call differently. Obama, they said, told Erdogan in no uncertain terms that the decision had been made to launch the initial phase of the offensive to isolate Raqqa, using the YPG-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as the only force capable of succeeding. The United States would work to control the Kurds, but Turkey needed to support the coalition-backed operation or stay out of the way. [Erdogan reasserts Turkeys role in wars in Syria and Iraq] Townsend emphasized the same point in a Thursday news conference. Turkeys fight against the Kurdish forces, he said, was not helpful for the coalition. And we ask members of the coalition to refrain from undertaking activities that are not focused on the defeat of Daesh. As far as Turkey joining the Raqqa offensive, Townsend said, Well welcome any contributing nation that wants to make themselves part of the coalition. But, he said, that cant just come with a whole bunch of strings. Theyve got to be willing to do what the coalition needs done. The threat to the Raqqa campaign is less that [Turkish-backed forces] . . . race to Raqqa ahead of the SDF, a senior official said. What could derail it is if theres a huge dust-up between Arabs and Kurds . . . potentially around al-Bab that creates a huge sucking sound and drains both fighters and focus from the Raqqa offensive. To further complicate the situation, the potential explosion in and around al-Bab is within shooting distance of Aleppo, where Syrias civil war is raging between rebels and government forces and their Russian and Iranian allies. A lot of forces could collide, the official said. [Little consensus within administration on how to stop fall of Aleppo to Assad] The operation to encircle Raqqa is expected to take about a month, the official said. The next phase is tightening the noose, and then youll see thousands of people moving south toward the city. Officials said the SDF numbers about 50,000 fighters, mostly Kurds but including about 10,000 Arabs, Turkmens and Christians. Planners anticipate that as many as 10,000 militants may be massed inside Raqqa by then, requiring an offensive force at least that big. At that point, officials said, the request to arm the SDF including with antitank weapons and earthmoving equipment to break militant defenses is likely to be back on the table. A small force of U.S. Special Operations personnel has been operating alongside the Kurdish-led force for months and has assessed it to be sufficient for an assault on Raqqa. The hands-on U.S. support, the official said, helps us keep them focused. Military officials also appear confident that coalition air and artillery attacks will give that relatively small force a decisive edge against the militants. Turkey is not alone in expressing concerns, however. Jennifer Cafarella, a scholar at the Institute for the Study of War, said the United States would need a relatively larger, more effective partner in Raqqa than it has in Mosul where the coalition is aiding a massive Iraqi military force because its support capacity is much smaller in Syria. Others have also questioned whether U.S. reliance on Kurdish-dominated forces to liberate an ethnically Arab city could create new conflicts and play into jihadist propaganda. A key element of the U.S. plan is the expectation that Kurdish forces would spearhead the early stages of the operation, capturing and holding towns around Raqqa, and other SDF fighters would lead the assault into the Arab city to avoid inflaming the ethnic tensions that have characterized recent Kurdish advances. But similar plans have run into difficulties elsewhere, including in Manbij, where Kurdish forces remained despite U.S. promises that they would leave once the city was captured and then began to head north toward the Turkish border. The prospect of expanded weaponry could provide a powerful incentive for the YPG to move toward Raqqa, even as it pursues its larger goal of securing greater territory and political power across Syria. U.S. officials have warned the Kurds that they wont get continued military assistance if they act against American interests by confronting the Turks. Nasir Haj Mansour, an adviser to the SDF leadership, said Kurdish priorities could be reconciled with the American objective of retaking Raqqa. YPG forces will take part in the operation, he said, but the level and the nature of the involvement hasnt been defined yet. Although there are far fewer civilians in Raqqa than the estimated 1.5 million in Mosul, concerns have also been voiced about planning for what happens there after the Islamic State is ejected. Theres a choice here that the American administration has to make, between doing this expeditiously and doing this right, in a way that is sustainable, said Robert Ford, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria who is now a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. Adam Entous in Washington and Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul contributed to this report. Read more: Syrian regime and Russia may have killed more children in latest bombing A tale of two Syrias, told by drones Aleppos oldest residents fear theyll die alone Venezuelan authorities stopped a Washington Post reporter at the Caracas airport late Monday night and denied him entry, in the latest case of blocking a foreign correspondent from covering the mounting political and economic turmoil in the South American country. Immigration officials told Joshua Partlow, 38, a dual U.S.-Canadian national, that he lacked a required work visa. Partlow and many other foreign correspondents with non-U.S. passports had routinely visited Venezuela in the past without work visas. Venezuela is mired in its worst recession in decades, and opposition groups have organized protests in recent weeks that have drawn hundreds of thousands of people. Another demonstration had been called for Thursday, although it was postponed late Tuesday. Carlos Lauria, program director for the Americas at the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said Venezuela adopted a regulation in 2004 requiring visiting correspondents to apply in advance for authorization from the Communications Ministry. But that has rarely been enforced in recent years. They are enforcing this selectively now, I think, because they dont want coverage of the protests, Lauria said in a telephone interview. He said journalists from Spain, Peru and other countries have also been turned back at the Caracas airport in the past few weeks because they lacked authorization. The committees own representative was also denied entry to the country in late August, with officials saying he lacked press credentials from Venezuela. American journalists have also been prevented from working in Venezuela. In August, the Miami Herald reported that its correspondent, Jim Wyss, was detained by Venezuelan immigration authorities on arrival at the Caracas airport even though he had a valid journalist visa. An ABC News correspondent, Matt Gutman, was picked up by security forces last week while reporting on poor conditions at a hospital and ordered to leave the country, according to news reports. Partlow, based in Mexico City, had entered Venezuela three times over the past year using his Canadian passport to cover developments in the country. On Monday night, he was instructed to stay in the Caracas airport and board the next flight to Miami, which left Tuesday morning. This is a moment when the world should be watching Venezuela, and the barring of a Washington Post journalist at such a key juncture is both arbitrary and outrageous, said The Posts foreign editor, Douglas Jehl. A spokesman at the Communications Ministry said Tuesday that he did not know the details of Partlows case. He said visiting correspondents were required to apply at least five days ahead of their trips for authorization from the ministry. Asked why officials had not previously enforced that requirement, he replied that the ministry doesnt have power over that and said immigration authorities applied the law. He said he was not authorized to provide his name. Another Post correspondent, Nick Miroff, a U.S. citizen, has tried repeatedly in the past year to get a visa to report from Venezuela but has not received a response from authorities. Venezuelas government announced in February 2015 that it would require American visitors to get visas. Lauria said that governments have the right to establish requirements for visiting journalists but that the committee was still waiting to see whether journalists would receive permission in a timely manner to report in Venezuela under its newly adopted practices. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros popularity has shrunk amid an economic crisis that has caused widespread food shortages in the oil-rich country. The government is also under fire for marginalizing the political opposition, most recently by blocking a referendum to recall the president. The Vatican is coordinating talks between the government and opposition leaders in an effort to ease tensions. Read more Venezuelans are storming supermarkets and attacking trucks as food dwindles How the crash in oil prices devastated Angola and Venezuela Venezuela faces worst-case scenario as Zika outbreak expands Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news South Koreas president is engulfed in a political scandal with plotlines straight out of a soap opera: rumors of secret advisers, nepotism and ill-gotten gains. (Anna Fifield, Yoonjung Seo, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) South Koreas president is engulfed in a political scandal with plotlines straight out of a soap opera: rumors of secret advisers, nepotism and ill-gotten gains. (Anna Fifield, Yoonjung Seo, Jason Aldag/The Washington Post) The woman accused of acting as South Koreas shadow president has been jailed under emergency detention laws, as prosecutors question her about what role she played for the real president, Park Geun-hye. Park is facing the worst crisis of her tumultuous four-year presidency after allegations that Choi Soon-sil, her close friend of four decades, has had undue influence on state affairs. The case has incensed the country so much that a 45-year-old man on Tuesday drove an excavator from a town about 150 miles south of Seoul, the capital, and into the prosecutors office where Choi is being held, destroying the door. He later told police he wanted to help Choi Soon-sil die as she said she committed a sin that deserves death, the Yonhap news agency reported. The Seoul central district prosecutors office has 48 hours to seek a warrant to formally arrest Choi, who is 60. Choi has denied all of the charges against her, and were concerned that she may destroy evidence, a prosecution official said, according to Yonhap, explaining why she was detained. Choi Soon-sil, center left, is surrounded by prosecutor's officers and media upon her arrival at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. (Lee Jin-Man/AP) Prosecutors also consider her a flight risk. She has fled overseas in the past, and she doesnt have a permanent address in South Korea, the official told reporters. She is also in an extremely unstable psychological state, and its possible an unexpected event could occur if she is released. [South Koreas presidency on the brink of collapse as scandal grows] Even in a country all too familiar with corruption scandals and noted for its explosive political crises, the current debacle is exceptional. Choi is the daughter of the late Choi Tae-min, a kind of shaman-fortune teller who was close to Parks father, Park Chung-hee, the military dictator who ruled South Korea during the 1960s and 1970s. When Parks mother was assassinated in 1974, Choi Tae-min became so close to the young Park that a U.S. Embassy cable once described him as a Korean Rasputin. The Munhwa Ilbo newspaper reported last week that Choi Tae-min, who founded a religious cult that incorporated elements of Christianity and Buddhism, would deliver messages to Park from her dead mother. Park Chung-hee was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in 1979, and Choi Tae-min died in 1994, but their daughters friendship endured. In her only public statement on the scandal, Park last week said that Choi Soon-sil had helped her through difficult times. But media outlets have uncovered what they say is evidence that Choi, who held no official role, had been involved in everything from editing speeches to choosing the presidents outfits, leading to charges that she has been acting as a shadow president. Furthermore, Choi is suspected of using her ties to Park to raise $70 million from big Korean companies for two foundations and then siphoning off the money. She is also thought to have used her influence to get her daughter into a prestigious college. [With talk of Ban running for president, his home town is abuzz] Thousands of people protested in the streets over the weekend to call for Parks resignation, and her approval rating has plummeted to the low teens, according to recent polls. Trying to quell public fury, Park fired several of her closest advisers, including three who have been with her since she entered politics in 1998. Prosecutors are investigating whether some of the aides put pressure on big businesses to donate to Chois foundations. But the outrage has only grown with Chois return to South Korea from Germany on Sunday and the 31 hours that passed before her appearance at the prosecutors office in Seoul on Monday. With a dark hat pulled over her face and a scarf over her chin, Choi fought through a media scrum to get into the prosecutors office Monday afternoon. I am so sorry, she said as she forged through the reporters, losing a shoe. I have committed a deadly sin. Please forgive me. The shoe was Prada, further outraging South Koreans convinced that Choi used her ties to the Park family to generate money and power for herself. Read more Young South Koreans call their country hell and look for ways out South Korean president is dealt a setback at the polls, ushering in a stalemate In South Koreas president, some see echoes of her repressive father Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news India and Pakistan have intensified cross-border artillery and gunfire in recent days, causing mounting casualties among soldiers and villagers on both sides and bringing South Asias rival nuclear-armed states still closer to all-out war. Indian authorities said that an Indian soldier and a female civilian were killed yesterday afternoon when Pakistani troops fired waves of mortar shells across the Line of Control (LoC) that separates Indian- and Pakistani-held Kashmir. According to Indian sources, the latest deaths bring to seven the number of Indian security personnel killed in Kashmir during the past 10 days. Most of the deaths were due to cross-border firing, but two were the result of confrontations with anti-Indian Islamist insurgents whom New Delhi charges were infiltrating across the LoC under cover of Pakistani artillery barrages. Several dozen other Indians, most of them civilians, have been injured in the repeated bursts of intense cross-border artillery and machine-gun fire. The Indian military, meanwhile, is boasting that it has killed and bloodied large numbers of Pakistani security forces. On Sunday, its Northern Command issued a statement claiming it had inflicted heavy casualties the previous evening when it destroyed four Pakistani army posts in the Keran sector in Pakistan-held Kashmir in a massive fire assault. The statement said Saturdays mortar, rocket and machine-gun barrage was in retaliation for Fridays beheading of an Indian soldier by terrorist infiltrators. Indias Hindu supremacist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, the military, and corporate media have been trumpeting lurid descriptions of the alleged beheading in order to further incite animosity toward Pakistan. Earlier last week, Indias Border Security Forces boasted that they had killed at least 15 Pakistan Rangers in recent days in cross-border firing. The Pakistani military has denied this claim. But the Dawn, the countrys most influential English-language daily, did carry a report that at least two people had been killed Thursday and eleven injured by Indian firing into Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In a statement issued Friday, Pakistans top brass called Indias boasts of any fatalities in its ranks absolutely baseless and untrue. Indias claim, declared the Inter-Services Public Relations bureau, was aimed at hiding its own losses at the Line of Control and diverting world attention from the Kashmir issue. Both sides are lying systematically about the more than 60 separate incidents of sustained cross-border firing in the past monthlying about which side initiated which exchange and lying about their deadly impact. What is incontrovertible is that the two countries continue to teeter on the precipice of war. Indias BJP government calculates that by increasing pressure on Pakistan it can strengthen its hand with an increasingly diplomatically isolated Islamabad, while exploiting the war crisis to stoke reaction and rally popular support at home. Indian government and military officials have repeatedly vowed that they are intent on forcing Pakistan to end any and all support to the anti-Indian insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, Indias only Muslim-majority state, and that if needed they will order further military strikes inside Pakistan, even if the ultimate result is all-out war. Late last month the BJP government revealed that Indian Special Forces troops had conducted raids, so-called surgical strikes, inside Pakistan inflicting heavy casualties on Islamist terrorists and their protectors. For more than four decades, India had not publicly acknowledged carrying out military action inside Pakistan for fear that it would precipitate a dynamic of strikes and counter-strikes that could rapidly result in all-out war. Yet the government, opposition, and corporate media have all celebrated the strikes as the throwing off of Indias purported policy of strategic restraint vis a vis Pakistan. New Delhi has taken several steps in recent days to demonstrate it is actively preparing for war. These include ordering the fast-tracking of the acquisition of munitions, including artillery shells, rockets, and tank ammunition and rifles, so as to ensure that Indias military has sufficient reserves for 40 days of intense fighting. India has also greatly expanded a Navy drill in the Arabian Sea south of Pakistan that is set to begin today and last through November 14. Over 40 warships and submarines, as well as maritime fighter jets and patrol aircraft, are slated to take part in the exercise. New Delhi is also continuing its campaign of diplomatic pressure on Pakistan. Having rallied other South Asian states to boycott the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference that was to be held in Pakistan later this month, New Delhi is now openly exploring the possibility of developing a rival association of regional states from which Islamabad would be excluded. Last Thursday New Delhi announced that it was expelling a Pakistani diplomat whom it accused of running a spy ring. Islamabad immediately responded by ordering an Indian diplomat out of the country, saying he had violated the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and established diplomatic norms. The BJP government has been greatly encouraged in its belligerence by the endorsement of its surgical strikes by the major powers, especially the US. For decades Pakistan was Washingtons principal ally in South Asia. But over the past decade the US has forged a global strategic partnership with India, with the aim of transforming it into a frontline state in its military-strategic offensive against China. After the BJP's Narendra Modi became prime minister, India has greatly increased its integration into the US anti-China pivot to Asia, including throwing open Indian military bases to routine use by US warplanes and battleships for resupply, repair and relaxation. Washington has reciprocated by declaring India a Major Defense Partner, giving it access to the most advanced Pentagon weaponry. Islamabad has repeatedly objected to Washingtons lavishing of strategic favours on New Delhi, warning that they have overturned the balance of power in South Asia and encouraged India to be more aggressive in its dealings with Pakistan. But all to no avail. Aided and abetted by the media, Modi and his BJP government are also using the war fever they have whipped up against Pakistan and the triumphalism over the surgical strikes to drown out, and channel in a reactionary direction, mounting anger over mass joblessness, deprivation and social inequality. The BJP has served notice it intends to place the surgical strikes and its hardline stance against Pakistan at the center of its campaign for the coming state election in the countrys largest state, Uttar Pradesh. It has also intensified its campaign to label critics of the government, even from the right-wing bourgeois opposition parties, as disloyal and anti-national. The BJPs stance has caused even some supporters of Indias aggressive posture to issue worried warnings. Bruce Riedel, a longtime CIA operative and former Obama administration adviser was among those in the US military-strategic establishment who rushed to endorse Indias Sept. 29 strikes inside Pakistan. But last week he told the New York Times, Were not at the point of no return, but we are in very dangerous waters. When we get to the next terror attack, which is probably only a matter of time, the prime minster has boxed himself in (H)e cant choose to use solely diplomatic alternatives without some loss of face. Pakistan meanwhile is beset by crisis. One expression of this is the military establishments reaction to a Dawn report that claimed a meeting of top government and military officials had discussed the countrys acute diplomatic isolation and the need, therefore, for it to ratchet back its support for anti-Indian Islamist groups. Not only did the military force the Dawn to retract the story, but it has prevailed on the government to sack the Information Minister and order an inquiry into how the story came to be printed. Meanwhile, the leader of the countrys third-largest party, Imran Khan, is to launch a mass protest today in Islamabad with the aim of forcing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to agree to an inquiry into his familys massive offshore investments as revealed in the Panama papers. Khan, who heads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has repeatedly accused Sharif of cowardice for supposedly failing to stand up to India. He has also indicated that he would not be averse to the military pushing the Sharif government aside. On Sunday he said Sharif would be responsible if a third power steps in as a result of the PTIs Tuesday lockdown of Islamabad. Iraqi government troops entered the eastern outskirts of Mosul Monday, as the US-backed offensive launched October 17 to recapture the countrys second largest city from the Islamic State began its third week. But the advances of Iraqi government soldiers, Peshmerga fighters and Sunni and Shia militias could not conceal the fact that growing sectarian tensions are threatening to vastly intensify the bloody conflict in Iraq and Syria and draw the major powers into a direct military clash. Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) special forces captured Bazwaya, the last village outside of Mosul, in a dawn raid Monday. Although there were no reports of civilian casualties, the Associated Press noted burning houses and buildings with collapsed roofs in the village, where hundreds of families are believed to be. Later, it was confirmed that Iraqi troops had entered the Karama neighborhood in Mosuls east. Another section of the Iraqi army advancing on Mosul from the south remains approximately 10 miles away. The US-led coalition also reported that it conducted nine air strikes in support of the Iraqi offensive Sunday, including three in Mosul and one near Tal Afar. On Saturday, the Shia militias organized in the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) announced a major offensive to the west of Mosul with the goal of capturing the ISIS-held town of Tal Afar and cutting off escape routes from Mosul to Syria. Widespread reports have emerged since the beginning of the Mosul offensive that significant numbers of ISIS fighters were retreating via this route to Raqqa, prompting Russian and Syrian officials to accuse the US of having deliberately intended this to occur. The PMU has promised it will remain outside of Mosul. They were previously accused of committing atrocities against Sunni residents following the capture of Ramadi and Fallujah. In apparent retaliation for the PMU offensive, five bomb attacks attributed to ISIS took place in several Shia neighborhoods of Baghdad Sunday, killing at least 17 and injuring many more. Further attacks near Baghdad on Monday claimed an additional 16 lives. The PMU offensive came a day after US-backed Islamist extremists launched a counterattack on Syrian government troops and aligned Shia militias in Aleppo. The indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas by the former al Qaida-affiliated al-Nusra Front, which claimed the lives of dozens over the weekend, did not prevent US media outlets from broadly hailing the mission. This demonstrates once again the utterly reactionary character of US imperialist policy in the region. Its explicit backing for Islamist extremists in Syria has further inflamed the Shia-Sunni divide in both Iraq and Syria and poses the immediate danger of a further escalation of the conflict in both countries. The bitter sectarian tensions were sharply exacerbated by the US invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003, when Washington ruthlessly exploited Sunni and Shia animosities to install a puppet regime in Baghdad. The Shia PMU militias, which are nominally under Iraqi government control but receive support from Iran, vowed Saturday to retake what they deemed to be Shia territory in Iraq, before joining the conflict in Syria on the side of the Assad regime. After clearing all our land from these terrorist gangs, we are fully ready to go to any place that contains a threat to Iraqi national security, said PMU spokesman Ahmed al-Asadi in Baghdad. The intervention of the Iranian-backed Shia militias into Syria would cut across Washingtons strategy of bringing about regime change in Damascus, as well as raising the prospect of clashes between the US and its NATO allies on one side and Iran and Russia on the other. At a meeting of the Russian, Iranian and Syrian foreign ministers in Moscow Friday to discuss the Syrian conflict, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said that his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov had agreed to take measures to prevent ISIS fighters from crossing the border from Iraq. Im happy to hear from Mr. Lavrov the confirmation that well prevent ISIL from reaching Raqqa, he said. Whether or not this meeting discussed the imminent PMU offensive, it is clear that any attempt by Russia or Iran to intervene to cut off the flow of ISIS fighters back into Syria would only further escalate the potential for military clashes with the US. Turkey reacted with concern to the PMUs intervention, warning that if the significant Turkmen population in Tal Afar was threatened, it could take military measures to defend them. Turkey has deployed several hundred troops to a military base in Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, where they have been training Sunni Turkmen militias and lending some military support to the Peshmerga advance on ISIS territory. As well as opposing the PMU consolidating a Shia-dominated region around Tal Afar, Ankara is also troubled by the increasing influence of Iran. It is already in dispute with the Shia-dominated government in Baghdad, which claims that Turkeys Bashiqa deployment is illegal. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has indicated in a series of belligerent speeches over recent weeks that Turkey is determined to stake a claim to a much greater role in Iraq and throughout the territories of the former Ottoman Empire. Last Wednesday, US President Barack Obama held an hour-long telephone call with Erdogan to discuss the US-Turkish strategy in Iraq and Syria. He welcomed Turkish involvement in northern Syria, where Turkish forces intervened to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish-controlled region on its border, while both leaders reaffirmed their formal commitment to maintaining Iraqs borders. In reality, the various forces currently aligned against ISIS are pursuing conflicting and even mutually antagonistic goals that threaten to tear Iraq apart. There are reports that advancing Iraqi government troops have raised Shia banners and flags in areas they have taken, including the Christian town of Bartilla. The Iraqi military is blocking our people from getting inside Bartilla, head of the Christian Bet-Nehrain Democratic Party Romeo Hakari told Voice of America. Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani told an interviewer from German daily Bild on Friday that the conclusion of the Mosul mission would be followed by a renewed push for Kurdish independence. After Mosuls recapture, he declared, Kurdish officials will meet with partners in Baghdad and talk about our independence. We are not Arabs, we are our own Kurdish nation. At some point there will be a referendum on the independence of Kurdistan, he added. The expanding conflict over Mosul has already forced more than 17,000 civilians to flee their homes. The US media and political establishment has sought to prepare public opinion for high civilian casualties by repeating reports that ISIS are using local residents as human shields. The deaths of civilians as a result of US-led air strikes or operations by the Iraqi government forces are largely being buried, including the call by Human Rights Watch for an investigation into an alleged air strike last week that killed between 15 and 20 civilians at a funeral near Kirkuk. The UN estimates that upwards of 1 million people will be forced to flee, but places in camps, including those not yet constructed, are expected to amount to just 500,000. Aid workers also fear the impact on civilians fleeing with no personal belongings as the cold winter weather sets in. The deepening sectarian divisions spreading throughout the region since the unleashing of the US-backed Mosul offensive only underscores that none of the powers involved offer a way out of the bloodbath engulfing the population of the Middle East. While chief responsibility for the death and destruction in Iraq and Syria rests with US imperialism, which has been waging virtually uninterrupted wars in the region for a quarter of a century, the attempts by Russia and regional powers like Turkey and Iran to defend their own interests only add fuel to the fire. Nearly 5,000 transit workers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania launched an open-ended strike after the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234 and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) failed to reach an agreement by midnight on Monday. The strike has shut down the citys buses, trolleys and subways, which carry an estimated half a million people a day, essentially paralyzing the city. The action by transit workers is the latest indication of growing opposition among workers throughout the country. Philadelphia, with a population of 1.5 million, is the 5th largest city in the US. Its transportation system has nearly 300 stations, 196 routes, 2,300 vehicles and more than 450 miles of track. The regions suburban bus lines and rail lines are still operating. One of the major issues in the strike is pensions. Workers pensions are capped at $50,000 a year. If employees work past that cap, they continue to contribute into the pension system, but get no additional retirement benefit from it. Management personnel, on the other hand, do not have a cap on their pension benefits. The union has said that it wants to increase the cap on workers pensions to $70,000. The transit agency had also demanded that workers accept a major increase in their health care costs, not including co-pays, prescriptions, dental, vision and life insurance. The union had said that if it accepted SEPTAs proposal, it would cost a worker $400 a month for family coverage, 11 times as much as they do now, to get the same benefits. The TWU indicated it was seeking some modification of SEPTAs position on pensions in order to be able to sell significant health care cuts to transit workers. Workers are also seeking better break and bathroom times, along with other improvements in working conditions. For economic reasons, management wants to obtain maximum productivity from its operating workers by imposing schedules that keep them operating the vehicles for as long as possible. They therefore seek to keep break time at the barest minimum, no matter how dangerous the resulting fatigue may be to both the drivers and transit riders. As part of the politicians attempt to divide transit employees from the workers and young people that ride the system, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, a Democrat, said before the strike began, There are hundreds, I think hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Philadelphia who depend on SEPTA, and a strike would be a disaster. Philadelphia Democratic City Council President Darrell Clarke darkly suggested that voters would be disenfranchised if a walkout continued to Election Day on November 8. I cannot stress enough how critical this coming election is to Pennsylvania and the entire country, he said in a statement. It is so important that every Pennsylvanian who intends to vote is able to exercise this sacred right. While the TWU had suggested that the proximity of the US presidential election provided them a bargaining advantage, in reality the TWU is firmly committed to supporting the Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. It is well aware that a prolonged walkout could interfere with the unions get-out-the-vote campaign for the Democrats as well as potentially embarrass the Obama administration. The Philadelphia transit workers have a long and militant history of struggle. They have conducted nine strikes in the last 50 years, the most against any transit agency in the country. The union threatened a strike two years ago, but an eleventh-hour deal was reached, averting a walkout. However, the union did strike in 2009 for six days and before that for a week. In 1998, workers walked off their jobs for 40 days, the longest transit strike in the citys history. The struggle of transit workers follows strikes by musicians in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as educators in the Pennsylvania state system. Other recent struggles have involved 5,000 nurses in Minneapolis, Minneapolis; Harvard food workers in Boston, Massachusetts; Toledo, Ohio glass workers and almost 40,000 Verizon communication workers in a strike earlier this year. Under conditions of growing anger and opposition in the working class, the AFL-CIO has worked to suppress struggles and, when strikes are called, isolate the workers involved and impose the demands of management. The actions of the unions are bound up with their support for the capitalist system and their political alliance with the Democratic Party, which, no less than the Republicans, is determined to escalate the attack on the wages and benefits of the working class. The author also recommends: Philadelphia transit workers vote to strike [19 October, 2016] Last week, two correctional officers, Christopher Huggins and Michael Dorsainvil, were found guilty in court of the March 2013 beating of inmate Carl Williams inside a holding cell at New York Citys prison complex, Rikers Island. The two will be sentenced on December 7, and face up to seven years in prison. Two other officers, Ronald Donnelley and Mark Anglin, were found guilty of falsifying records in a subsequent cover-up of the crime. The incident occurred when the guards were escorting Williams back to the prison facility from a court appearance. The guards confiscated food that belonged to Williams, and he began to curse at them. As punishment, Huggins and Dosainvil threw Williams onto the floor of a cell and began punching him. The original indictment against the two also charged Anglin of participating while Donnelley watched from outside the cell. Williams was later treated for multiple cuts and abrasions to his head, and received nine stiches to his mouth. The officers recorded in a report that Williams had taken a string-like object out of a bag, gotten up on a bench, and attempted to hang himself. The beating, however, was captured on a surveillance video recording and contradicted the claims of the guards. Rikers Island, with over 9,000 inmates, is the largest correctional facility in the United States and has become notorious as a hellhole for inmates. This is especially the case for the very poorest sections of the working class in New York City, who cannot afford bail and may languish for months or even years in the facility before they go to trial. Currently there are an estimated 1,400 inmates who have waited over a year for a trial. At least 65 inmates have waited over three years for a trial, the same number of years as Kalief Browder, who killed himself in 2015 after spending much of that time in solitary confinement, over charges that were eventually dismissed. Beginning in 2013, an investigative report by the New York Times exposed the brutality meted out by guards to juvenile prisoners. The US District Attorneys office reprimanded the institution for its culture of violence, while media reports detailed the corruption of the contracted health service and the gangsterism of the leadership of the prison guards union. This string of media exposures has had little impact on conditions at the facility. Several guards have been convicted of beatings and other crimes. New York City, which owns the Rikers complex, has had to pay out millions of dollars in settlements. These have included $2.2 million for the death of veteran Jerome Murdough, who was baked to death in an overheated cell in February 2014 and, most recently, $5.75 million to the family of Bradley Ballard, a mentally ill man who was locked alone in a cell without supervision for six days in September 2013 without access to his medication for schizophrenia and diabetes. While there have been calls by local prisoner advocates and sections of the political establishment, including New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York Times, to close Rikers Island, the city is unable and unwilling to provide any guarantees that conditions in another facility will be better. The prisons in the New York State system are, in fact, rife with brutality and state torture as well. Instead, the citys progressive Democratic mayor Bill De Blasio has steadfastly resisted these calls while mouthing phrases about reforming the prison. According to recent reports, he has given the green light for construction of an additional 1,489 beds in a new facility on the island that may cost the city as much as a billion dollars. The plan, originally developed under the administration of Michael Bloomberg, was put on hold just weeks after de Blasio assumed office in 2014, but has now been resumed with little fanfare. The tenor of the reforms that de Blasio has promised is reflected in his decision, announced in September, to begin arming guards with Tasers. The devices can be deadly and used for torturing inmates, but they leave fewer marks on the bodies of victims. Ex-Cop Who Shot Walter Scott as He Ran Away Now Wants Murder Charge Dismissed Jury selection is underway for the murder trial of former South Carolina cop Michael Slager, who shot and killed unarmed motorist Walter Scott during a traffic stop in early April 2015 in what prosecutors have alleged is murder, PEOPLE confirms. On Monday, potential jurors began being interviewed in a Charleston, South Carolina, court room as Slagers attorneys recently sought either a dismissal of the entire case or an alternate venue for the 34-year-olds impending trial, a court official tells PEOPLE. He has pleaded not guilty and faces 30 years to life without parole if convicted. Jury selection will take at least two days, according to the Associated Press. Slager is charged with murder for repeatedly shooting Scott, 50, in the back as Scott ran away from him following a traffic stop in North Charleston, South Carolina, on April 4, 2015. A bystander recorded part of the incident on video, and the release of the footage which contradicted how authorities had described the altercation in the immediate aftermath sparked outrage and spurred further protests about the use of force by police officers against African-Americans. Slager was fired by the North Charleston Police Department soon after the video of the shooting was made public. His police chief said he was sickened by the footage. Prior to his arrest, Slager claimed he was acting in self-defense, and his defense team has alleged that Scott was reaching for Slagers Taser in some kind of attack before he turned and fled. Scott was shot multiple times, according to the medical examiner. L. Chris Stewart, lead attorney for Scotts family, tells PEOPLE his clients will be in court on Wednesday, once a jury has been settled on. Stewart says he is warning the family the trial will be tough to handle at times. Im advising them not to be shocked or surprised or upset by anything they hear, and that they will hear some of the most ludicrous and desperate excuses from Slager and his team, Stewart says. I expect this to be one of the most ludicrous defenses ever. Story continues Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Slager has also been indicted on federal charges, including violating civil rights laws, obstruction of justice and using a firearm while committing an act of violence. He has pleaded not guilty in that case as well. Defense Seeks Dismissal Based on Double Jeopardy: Report Among several motions recently filed by Slagers defense attorneys is a request dated Monday the start date for jury selection for a dismissal of his criminal charges, according to court records. Citing double jeopardy, Slagers lawyers claim the politically motivated murder prosecution is a double-teaming against Slager by state and federal prosecutors, according to the Post & Courier. (The state has not yet presented an argument in response.) Among other motions is a request that Scott not be referred to as a victim at any point during Slagers trial. His attorneys are also seeking to move the trial, alleging North Charlestons residents are unduly influenced by a toxic stew of half-truths, misperceptions and false narratives, according to CNN. Another motion indicates the defense intends to bring jurors to the scene of Scotts death. It was not immediately clear when there will be rulings on these motions. Last week, one of Slagers lawyer, Andy Savage, spoke to WCBD in Charleston and said his defense team has thoroughly examined the cellphone video of Scotts death which Savage alleged contains distortion. Savage would not expand on that accusation, but he repeated his clients claim that lethal force was employed because Scott tried taking Slagers Taser. Savage argued that that Slagers hands were tied up when he tried to call for help. Mr. Scotts hands were not , he told the station. Thats when we believe the Taser was removed and used against him. (Slagers defense team did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.) Savage also said that he doesnt think Scott can wear a badge of victim, and that he feels jurors will understand that what was in Michael Slagers mind was due to the actions of Mr. Scott not the actions of Mr. Slager. When asked about the defenses claims that the video was doctored, Stewart tells PEOPLE: His defense team had to come up with something, even if its not accurate he pleaded not guilty. Stewart says Scotts relatives are hoping for a guilty verdict, believing it will resonate nationwide and send the message to everyone with a badge that they are accountable for their actions. Stewart wouldnt speculate on which way the verdict might go. This is one of the rare cases where even people who are on the extreme of never believing an officer can do wrong and every shooting is justified, they think this guy was caught red-handed and needs to be in jail, he says. Its painful, Scotts older brother, Anthony Scott, previously told PEOPLE of the shootings aftermath. We miss him every day. Were never going to forget Walter, Anthony said. Were never going to forget what happened, but knowing that this man in prison serving time for what he did, that would most certainly help. In a heated letter to James Comey released Sunday, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid charged that the FBI director is withholding explosive information about GOP nominee Donald Trumps ties to Russia. Reid, 76, specifically claimed that he learned in a conversation with Comey and other top officials in the national security community of the coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors and the Russian government. Reids letter was sent to chide Republican Comeys recent public announcement that the FBI is taking additional investigative steps into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state news revealed just 11 days before Election Day. Reid said that Comeys investigation into Clinton, but not Trump, shows a disturbing double standard. But what is the explosive evidence against Trump if any? The FBI could not immediately be reached for comment on whether such an investigation exists, and Reids office did not immediately return PEOPLEs request for additional comment although spokesman Adam Jentleson pointed to classified briefings as evidence. Jentleson told The Washington Post, There have been classified briefings on this topic. That is all I can say. Trump has been linked to the country before, especially following the recent email hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta. The U.S. government has officially accused Russia of orchestrating the cyber attacks in an effort to influence the presidential election. An October joint statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security said that the The U.S. Intelligence Community is confident that the Russian Government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations, reported The Washington Post. The statement continued, We believe, based on the scope and sensitivity of these efforts, that only Russias senior-most officials could have authorized these activities. Story continues Earlier in the year and before the U.S.s formal accusation of Russias involvement in the hacks Trump even challenged Russia to further hack Clinton during a July press conference, saying, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press. At the time, Trump also contradicted his earlier claim that hed gotten to know Russian President Vladimir Putin very well when they were both interviewed for 60 minutes (albeit in different countries). Changing his tune, Trump asserted, I dont know who Putin is. He also tweeted in July, For the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia. Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, did, however. Manafort was involved in several, multi-million dollar business plans all unexecuted with Russian and Ukrainian groups, reported NBC News. He also worked as an adviser and consultant for the Ukrainian presidential campaign of Viktor Yanukovych who was opposed by the U.S. government because of his ties to Putin. Manafort resigned as Trumps chairman in August, after the revelation of his ties. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta accused another Trump advisor Roger Stone of conspiring with WikiLeaks to hurt Clintons campaign, according to Fox News. I think its a reasonable assumption, or at least a reasonable conclusion, that Mr. Stone and the Trump campaign had advance warning about what Assange was going to do, Podesta charged, citing Stones alleged earlier tweet that the 67-year-olds time in the barrel was coming following the Democratic National Committeess hack. Reids new accusations against Comey are even more controversial in light of previous allegations from the soon-to-be retired senator. During the 2012 presidential election, Reid alleged that Republican candidate Mitt Romney hadnt paid taxes in 10 years, said the Post. Reid was eventually proved wrong, and he never apologized for the claim, even when charged with attempting to sway the election. Asked later by the Post if there was a line he wouldnt cross when it came to politics, Reid said: I dont know what that line would be. An 11-year-old Ohio girl who had overcome brain cancer as a toddler fatally shot herself after being subjected to relentless bullying for more than a year, her family and officials said. Bethany Thompson, a sixth-grader at Triad Middle School, took her own life on Oct. 19 after being tormented by a group of boys at school and enduring insults about her crooked smile, according to her mother, Wendy Feucht. There were boys at school that were just relentlessanything to get a rise out of her, Feucht told TIME on Tuesday. She would react and get upset. Theres only so much you can ignore. She was just done. Bethany was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008 when she was 3 years old. The little girl survived after undergoing surgery to remove the tumor and radiation treatments the same year. But nerve damage from the operation affected her smile. Her appearance was just one of many traits that her school bullies targeted to make fun of her. It wasnt a huge issue, but she was very sensitive about it, her mother said. She had been picked on it before. On the day she took her life, Bethany told her best friend on the school bus ride home that she would kill herself once she got there. By the time her friend alerted an adult, Bethany had found a gun that was kept in the familys home, walked to the back porch and shot herself. Her mother found her body. It was a complete shock, Feucht said. What was she thinking? What was so bad that she didnt think anything could fix it, that she couldnt tell anybody who loved her? She just felt she had to take matters into her own hands, she added. Its sad and its awful that she felt nobody could help her. The Champaign County Medical Examiner and Coroners office said preliminary findings show Bethany died from a gunshot wound to the head. Story continues Feucht said the worst of the bullying took place last year when her daughter shared several classes with her tormenters. She and the school worked to rearrange Bethanys schedule this year to create distance between them. Bethanys mother and the school district thought the change seemed to make things better, but one bully still had one class with her, Feucht said. Chris Piper, the superintendent of Triad Local Schools, said that there were no further instances of bullying after the schedule change. Those instances stopped, he said, adding that the school district investigates every report of bullying. Feucht said shes more sad, confused and disappointed than angry about how her daughters case was handled. She now hopes to spread awareness about the serious consequences of bullying. Even to a certain aspect, I didnt know the struggles Bethany was going through. It takes one kid to look at them and say something and theyre gone, she said. Everything happens for a reason. Is it sad? Yes, its sad. But if her death stops bullying, this is what it took to get people to open their eyes. Feucht remembered her daughter as a kind-hearted and funny little girl who loved superheroes and animals and had dreams of one day being a veterinarian or paleontologist. I know that shes in heaven. Shes happy and shes perfect. Shes not hurting anymore, she said. Ill see her again one day. I find a lot of comfort in knowing that. The Daily Beast STRINGER/ReutersVideo footage shows pedestrians attempting to sway an Indian suspension bridge in the moments before it catastrophically collapsed, leaving at least 141 people dead as of Monday.Rescuers expect the death toll to continue to rise after the bridge fell apart in the western state of Gujarat on Sunday. The majority of those killed were women, children, or elderly people, a local official told the BBC. Almost 180 people were successfully rescued, however, in an overnight operation inv On Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga talks with David Corn, Washington bureau chief of Mother Jones, and Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital, about questions surrounding communication between Donald Trumps email server and Russias Alfa-Bank. The New York Times reported that an FBI investigation concluded the interaction could have been a coincidence. Yahoo News Now Special Edition: 2016 The Choice Every weekday until the election, well be coming to you live from the Yahoo Studios in New York City, bringing the latest information and analysis of the days most compelling storylines in the race for the White House. The lawsuit that was filed against Wen haircare products creator Chaz Dean and marketer Guthy-Renker back in July is every beauty lovers worst nightmare. At this point, more than 200 customers have joined the class action suit alleging that the companys cleansing conditioner led to hair loss, scalp irritation and balding. And today, that case just got its first ruling from a Los Angeles federal judge, and things are not looking good for the sulfate-free beauty brand. According to a preliminary ruling by a Southern California federal judge, the proposed $26.25 million settlement has been approved, which means roughly six million people could be awarded up to $20,000 in individual settlements. Before that happens though, the case will go on to be reviewed by a U.S. District Court Judge who will pass a final ruling on the settlement. RELATED PHOTOS: Genius Hair Care Products to Try This Fall Attorney Amy Davis explained the plaintiffs complaints via a statement to CBS Los Angeles: From what we understand about the product and how it causes hair loss is it contains virtually no cleanser. Its like using lotion to wash your hair. So instead of removing the product when you rinse it off, it just becomes impacted in your hair follicle. Wen also released a statement, saying, Wen by Chaz Dean is safe and we continue to provide our hundreds of thousands of customers with the Wen by Chaz Dean products that they know and love. Since the process of litigation is time consuming and costly, we made a business decision to pursue a settlement and put this behind us so that we can focus on delivering quality products. Putting this behind them might be harder than it seems, however, as the Food and Drug Administration is now also doing their own investigation into the company and its products. All in all, its enough to make anyone want to jump aboard the no-shampoo bandwagon. Do you use Wen Products? What do you think of this lawsuit? Sound off below! Baghdad (AFP) - Up to 600,000 children are among the civilians trapped in jihadist-held Mosul, Save The Children said on Tuesday, calling for safe corridors as Iraqi forces advanced on the city. "It is a critical moment to protect children and open safe routes to allow the 1.5 million civilians, including about 600,000 children, still trapped in the city to leave safely," the charity said. Iraqi forces reached the edges of Mosul on Tuesday, two weeks into a massive operation to retake the city they lost to the Islamic State jihadist group in June 2014. "We cannot sit back and wait for another situation like Aleppo to unfold, whilst there is still the opportunity to get children out of the war zone," the NGO's Iraq director Maurizio Crivellaro said. An estimated 250,000 people have been besieged by regime forces in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo for three months. Most estimates put the number of people trapped in Mosul at more than a million, but accurate numbers are impossible to come by after more than two years of jihadist rule in the city. A Pennsylvania man has turned down parole after serving 63 years behind bars, saying he is innocent and should never have been locked up in the first place. Joseph Ligon, now 79, has been in prison since he was 15 and is considered the longest-serving juvenile lifer in the world. He was convicted for the 1953 murders of two people, killings he says he did not commit. Read: Innocent Man Walks Free After 25 Years Imprisoned for Rape, Murder He Did Not Commit He rejected the parole offer on principle, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. His view is, hes been in long enough, Bradley Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia told a court last week. "He doesnt want to be on probation or parole. He just wants to be released, the paper reported. He and five other youths were charged in the stabbing deaths of Charles Pitts and Jackson Hamm. His chance for release came after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled at the beginning of this year that sentencing juveniles to life in prison was unconstitutional and that they should have the possibility of parole. Some 300 inmates in Philadelphia are eligible for re-sentencing under the ruling. Ligon was approached about an agreement that would immediately make him eligible for parole, but he rejected it, his attorneys said. Three other inmates have also rejected re-sentencing offers, the paper reported. Read: Seven Innocent People Volunteer to Serve 60 Days in Prison to Show Real Life Behind Bars Dwight D. Eisenhower was president when Ligon went to prison, and the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn. Ligon was arrested at age 15 in connection with the killings of two teens during a gang brawl. Developmentally disabled, he admitted he had been part of the melee, but did not stab the two youths who were killed. His co-defendants have since died or been released from prison. He is the only one among them still incarcerated. "I've been able to deal with this situation because, in my mind and in my heart, I didn't kill somebody. If I had, that would have worried me to death. There's no way I could have done that and survived in here," he said in a 2010 interview with the paper. Story continues Watch: 5 Brooklyn Teens Accused of Brooklyn Rape Remain Innocent Related Articles: A woman feels she was dismissed due to her cancer diagnosis. (Photo: Stocksy) A New Jersey woman is suing her former employer after she says they fired her a day after she revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Carmela Flynn, 49, worked for 10 years as a legal assistant at the law firm November & Nunnink and alleges that the company also denied her unemployment benefits because she wouldnt sign an agreement that she wouldnt sue the firm, according to court documents obtained by NJ.com. The day after certain employees and the defendants were made aware that the plaintiff was stricken with breast cancer, the defendants wrongfully, illegally, and without just cause terminated Flynn, the lawsuit says. According to the lawsuit, Flynn was hired as a part-time receptionist in 2005 and was promoted to legal assistant in 2006. Flynn says that her work record was spotless and that she had no problems with her employers until November 2014, when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It is at this point in time that the defendants clearly, unequivocally, and with malicious intent commenced a wholesale campaign of abuse, retaliation, and certain surreptitious adverse employment actions, she says in the suit. Flynn was diagnosed with cancer in February 2016. The lawsuit also says Flynn was told she was being fired because of the contents and dissemination of an innocuous email. Instead, the lawsuit says, the truism is that [Flynn] was diagnosed with cancer and the defendants had no tolerance, compassion, empathy. Flynn also says she was told through her lawyer that if she didnt sue her former firm, the business would not object to her receiving unemployment compensation benefits. The lawsuit claims that November & Nunnink violated the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination and accuses the firm of intentional infliction of emotional distress, unreasonable conduct, and gross negligence. Flynn wants a jury trial and damages. Firing someone because of an illness is a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as many state laws that prohibit employment discrimination against the disabled, employment law expert Michael C. Harper, a professor of law at the Boston University School of Law, tells Yahoo Beauty. This is clearly illegal, he says. Story continues The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, per the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights division. (Breast cancer would qualify as a disability, Harper says.) Employees who have serious illnesses cannot be fired or have any other adverse actions taken against them, like discipline or demotion, because of their illness, Kimberly Smith-Brown, director and spokeswoman of the communications staff at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, tells Yahoo Beauty. Also, they are protected from retaliation for asserting their rights under the ADA (such as by filing a charge of discrimination or asking for a reasonable accommodation), and they cannot be harassed based on their disability. These employees are also entitled to reasonable accommodations if they ask for them and need them, and if the accommodation would not cause an undue hardship (meaning significant difficulty or expense) for their employer, Smith-Brown says. Accommodations for employees with cancer may include, but are not limited to, leave, telework, schedule changes, and reassignment, she says. Paula Brantner, senior adviser for Workplace Fairness, tells Yahoo Beauty that employers who fire an employee who is ill may also run the risk of violating the Family and Medical Leave Act. Its a really risky thing to do, she says, adding that some employers will try to do it anyway. However, Harper notes that employees have to prove that they were terminated because of their disability. To get a court order for reinstatement and damages, [Flynn] would have to prove that this is the reason she was fired, he says. That might not be easy, but the law is clear. Brantner says proximity between employers learning about an illness and the termination is key. If it happens close together, its suspicious. Anyone would look at that situation and say that those two acts were related, she says. However, if the time between the employer learning of an employees diagnosis and the time of the firing are more spread out, an employee could still potentially prove the two events were related if job reviews had been positive and everything was fine at work until the employees diagnosis was revealed, Brantner says. If you find yourself in a similar situation, Harper recommends contacting an employment discrimination lawyer and explaining the reason why you think you were fired. A lawyer can advise you from there. Laura A. Nunnink, Esq., a partner of the firm, denied the charges to Yahoo Beauty. November & Nunnink rely upon the findings of the New Jersey Administrative Agency, which concluded they were not aware of Ms. Flynns cancer diagnosis on the day of separation, she said in a statement. Ms. Nunnink and Ms. November will vigorously defend these false allegations. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Since the time Dawn Hudson joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as CEO in 2011, the organization had been engaged in an ongoing internal conversation about how to diversify its ranks. But it wasnt until this year and the Oscars So White controversy that its board of directors was compelled to take major action on the issue. Oscars So White really catapulted the board into saying Wait a minute, this incrementalism is not taking us there fast enough, Hudson said Tuesday at Varietys Inclusion summit at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. We had a meeting and we began talking about all of the programs that we had been talking about in committees, and refining, and debating. And suddenly it was like, Were not debating anymore. Were not refining anymore. Were putting these in place tonight. The result of that January meeting was a public push by the Academy to diversify its ranks, with a goal of doubling the number of women and the number of people of color in the organizations membership by 2020. That effort included a tightening of rules around which Academy members could and could not vote for the Oscars. Those rules changes prompted grousing by older Academy members who worried they were being squeezed out. Hudson said that element of the diversity push had been largely misunderstood. She pointed out that at the time of the Academys January board meeting, there were members who had long since left Hollywood and the film business and were instead working in real estate in Florida or in Off Track Betting in New Jersey, but still held voting privileges. There were examples that we thought did not make the Academy Awards legitimate, Hudson said. Thus the board made adjustments to voting bylaws written in 1972. I know there was confusion about Wait a minute, are you saying all these people who are not working in the industry are racist voters? I understand we gave a confusing message. Thats not what we were saying. We were saying, Theyre not in the industry right now.' Story continues The rules changes and inclusion goals were initiated after a strong backlash on social media to a 2016 roster of acting nominees that included all white performers. The protest coalesced around the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Hudson was joined at the summit by Academy member and film producer Effie Brown and moderator Brian Cullinan of PwC. Brown joined the Academy in 2009. I didnt think that I would be welcome at the Academy, Brown said. I definitely thought I was qualified and I had something to contribute. But I think a lot of those people of color and women who come from the independent film scene, we were like, Theyll never accept us.' Cullinan noted that the Academys most recent class of new members was 46% female and 41% people of color. Asked by Cullinan whether those levels of inclusion could be maintained in future classes, Hudson said, Absolutely. Hudson also advocated for the leap-forward change the Academy has attempted to engage in since its January board meeting as opposed to the incrementalism it had been engaged in previously. I really think you have to say, I have a slate of films. A third of those films will be by women. A third of those films will be by people of color,' she said. Brown echoed the sentiment that decision makers in the film industry need to make big commitments to change. Going to the people who can greenlight and who have the hiring power, I would love for them to actually embrace the idea of inclusion, Brown said. Inclusion doesnt mean that you are going to have less than, that you are going to be struggling. What inclusion means is that theres room at the table for all of us to have meaningful participation and to tell stories. Related stories Motion Picture Academy Hands Out Sci-Tech Awards Effie Brown: 'Project Greenlight' Flap Has Driven Industry Conversation About Diversity Producer Effie Brown Talks 'Project Greenlight,' Matt Damon and Peter Farrelly Celebrities and other citizens of California could be tempted to follow Justin Timberlake's lead and take a photo of themselves in the voting booth on Election Day as an expression of support for their favored candidate. If so, the American Civil Liberties Union hopes to erase any doubt of the legality of taking "ballot selfies." On Monday, the ACLU filed a lawsuit in California federal court seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against Alex Padilla, California's Secretary of State. The rights group is challenging a pair of California statutes (see 14276 and 14291 here) prohibiting people from showing the content of their ballots to others. The statutes arguably make it illegal to photograph marked ballots, and the ACLU contends this is a violation of the First Amendment. Despite the enormous attention paid to whether or not Timberlake violated Tennessee law with his own ballot selfie, courts around the nation, including in Michigan, Indiana and New Hampshire, have blocked enforcement of such laws on constitutional grounds. Advocates of laws against "ballot selfies" argue they are needed to ensure that voters can't be coerced into voting a certain way, but as one federal appeals court noted, there's little support for such fears. "Digital photography, the internet, and social media are not unknown quantities - they have been ubiquitous for several election cycles, without being shown to have the effect of furthering vote buying or voter intimidation," stated an opinion from the 1st Circuit on Sept. 28. The ACLU is now seeking to stop enforcement of California laws that even lawmakers no longer think necessary. According to the ACLU's complaint, "The California legislature has already repealed the laws that Plaintiffs challenge, illustrating the lack of government interest in their enforcement. But because of the timing of this repeal, the laws continue in effect until January 1, 2017." A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 2 in San Francisco before U.S. District Court judge William Alsup to consider the ACLU's demand for an injunction that would prevent government officials from interfering with voters' taking and distributing images of their marked ballots. Adidas AG ADDYY is slated to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 90.7%. In fact, it has outperformed earnings by an average of 42.3% over the trailing four quarters. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. ADIDAS AG-ADR Price and EPS Surprise ADIDAS AG-ADR Price and EPS Surprise | ADIDAS AG-ADR Quote Factors Influencing This Quarter Adidas posted solid results in the first half of the year, reflecting growth across several categories, networks and nations. The company has been particularly gaining from the Group, which delivered a splendid operating performance in the last quarter. In fact, management also raised its full-year 2016 outlook for the Group, backed by confidence in its strong prospects. Further, the companys constant product launches, along with its product and marketing initiatives bode well for the upcoming results. Also, we remain impressed with Reeboks 13-quarter-long growth story, as it reflects favorable worldwide response from consumers. These factors, along with expected benefits from the back-to-school selling season augur well for the upcoming release. However, foreign currency headwinds and increasing labor costs continue to pose concerns, as these may dent the companys gross margin, thus impacting overall results. Also, management expects the second half of 2016 to be more difficult owing to tough year-over-year comparisons and unfavorable hedging rates. Hence, we would like to wait and see if the companys growth plans can help keep its positive streak alive. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Adidas is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: Adidas currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $1.05. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Adidas Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks that Warrant a Look Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat: Avon Products Inc. AVP, slated to release earnings on Nov 3, has an Earnings ESP of +33.33% and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Cott Corporation COT, scheduled to release earnings on Nov 10, has an Earnings ESP of +33.33% and a Zacks Rank #3. L Brands, Inc. LB, expected to release earnings on Nov 16, has an Earnings ESP of +2.22% and a Zacks Rank #3. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report COTT CORP QUE (COT): Free Stock Analysis Report AVON PRODS INC (AVP): Free Stock Analysis Report ADIDAS AG-ADR (ADDYY): Free Stock Analysis Report L BRANDS INC (LB): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Rising British actor Alex Lawther, who broke out in The Imitation Game and recently starred in one of Black Mirror's darkest episodes, has joined Martin Freeman in Ghost Stories. Shooting on the film - a supernatural thriller based on the Olivier-nominated stage play of the same name - has now begun, with Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen) directing alongside Andy Nynam (The Commuter, Severance) from their own script. Nyman, who starred in the original theater production, also leads the cast, while Paul Whitehouse also stars. The film is produced for Warp Films by Claire Jones (Sightseers, Kill List) and Robin Gutch ('71, Kill List) and is backed by Catalyst Global Media and Screen Yorkshire. Altitude Film Sales is handling worldwide sales. Lionsgate will distribute the film in the U.K. Neil Jordan is reteaming with his Michael Collins leading man Liam Neeson. The Oscar-winning director has lined up the busy action star for The Trainer, in which he'll play a premier horse trainer who, beset by tragedy, loses everything he cherishes and almost forgets how to live. Into his life comes a teenage refugee, Nadya, who has fled her own horrors and now finds herself in a confounding new world. Their only connection, to themselves, and ultimately to their own hearts, is a horse called Allabelle. The screenplay was written by Sully scribe Todd Komarnicki, alongside David Donahue and James Villemaire. Noted Irish filmmaker Arthur Lappin (In the Name of the Father, My Left Foot) is producing alongside Robin Gurland, Gregory O'Connor and Komarnicki. HanWay is handling international sales on the project and will be introducing it to buyers at AFM. CAA is looking after domestic rights. "Liam Neeson is one of the world's most beloved actors, thanks to unforgettable performances in films ranging from Schindler's List to Love Actually, so we're thrilled to have Liam return to Ireland with a character driven film like The Trainer," HanWay managing director Gabrielle Stewart said Tuesday in a statement. "He and Neil are a great pairing and David Donohue's, James Villemaire's and Todd Komarnicki's script provides us a beautiful and life-affirming story of a man learning to live again." Neeson, most recently seen in A Monster Calls, has several major projects in the pipeline, notably Silence, Felt and The Commuter. Jordan's last feature was 2012's Byzantium, but the director has recently been shooting crime series Riviera. The Trainer was developed with the support of the Irish Film Board and is set to commence principal photography next summer in Ireland. Neeson and Komarnicki are repped by CAA. Jordan is repped by Casarotto Ramsey & Associates and CAA. Read more: Liam Neeson Concerned About North Korean Threats Against MacArthur War Movie By Vuyani Ndaba JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The South African rand's gains after fraud charges against the finance minister were dropped will be short-lived, a poll showed, as concerns about possible credit rating downgrades and an African National Congress leadership election weigh. The rand is expected to weaken around 8 percent to 14.65 per dollar in 12 months, according to a Reuters poll taken before prosecutors dropped fraud charges against Pravin Gordhan on Monday. South Africa's currency broke on the strong side of 13.50 after the news, climbing to its highest in over a month, and such healthy gains may give the poll a bearish edge. But concerns still cloud South Africa's outlook. "I won't say I would have changed (my forecast) after yesterday. It was not really based around the short-term developments, but more of an 18-month view," said KADD Capital economist Elize Kruger, who submitted her forecasts last week. Gordhan had been due to face charges on Wednesday that he fraudulently approved early retirement for a deputy tax commissioner and re-hired him as a consultant, costing the revenue service 1.1 million rand. He is still being investigated for his role in setting up a surveillance unit at the tax department a decade ago. The rand has been buoyant this year because of a strong appetite for risk in emerging markets, but it has lost out on consistent gains due to a spate of unsettling political news. "I think we are going to have a lot of volatility and political noise, if the credit downgrade does not happen in December, I think we might not be out of the woods," Kruger said. An August Reuters poll, taken days after police summoned Gordhan over a suspected rogue unit in the tax service, suggested South Africa's rating, which Standard & Poor's is due to review in December, would be cut to junk status this year. "The negative political dynamic is likely to remain until the ANC leadership contest next year and would likely weigh on the rand," said Rafiq Raji chief economist Macroafricaintel. "Likely U.S. Fed tightening over the time horizon is also a consideration." The ruling ANC is due to pick a successor to President Jacob Zuma as party leader in December 2017 as it prepares for national elections in 2019. South Africa's economy is expected to grow just 0.3 percent this year, according to a Reuters poll last month. The central bank estimates growth at 0.4 percent and the Treasury 0.5 percent. [ECILT/ZA] KADD Capital said the main challenges remained unchanged. "South Africa will have to start do the right things, chasing economic growth and giving political certainty". (For other stories from the global foreign exchange poll) (editing by John Stonestreet) We are well past the midpoint of the third-quarter earnings season, with 291 companies on the S&P 500 index having already reported their quarterly numbers. The results so far have painted an encouraging picture. Per the latest Earnings Preview, considering the actual results from the S&P 500 members that reported till last Friday, total earnings were up 2.2% year over year on 1.3% higher revenues Overall Q3 earnings for the S&P 500 index are now expected to rise 2% while revenues are expected to increase 1.4%. If this happens, this reporting cycle will mark the first quarter of earnings growth after five straight quarters of decline for the benchmark index. In this write-up, we put the spotlight on a few agriculture companies that are schedule to report their third-quarter results on Nov 2. The agriculture market is not out of the woods and there is a continuous negative sentiment among investors keen on this space. While prices of major crops (such as corn and soybeans) have recovered somewhat lately, they remain at their multi-year lows. The prevailing softness in agricultural commodity pricing is a concern for fertilizer and agricultural chemicals companies as it is hindering fertilizer use by farmers given the adverse effect of lower crop pricing on growers' income. Lower farm income has a negative influence on growers' nutrient purchasing decisions. Moreover, the crop protection market remains under pressure, in part, due to a slowdown in Brazil. Fertilizer makers also remain exposed to a difficult pricing environment for the nutrients they sale. Global capacity expansion continues to exert pressure on fertilizer prices. Margins of these companies remain thwarted by a weak nutrient pricing environment. Let's see what's in store for these three agriculture companies that are set to report their third-quarter numbers on Nov 2. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF will report after the bell. The company not only carries an unimpressive Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), it also has an Earnings ESP of -80.00%, making an earnings beat unlikely. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. CF Industries missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters with an average negative surprise of 29.61%. CF Industries continues to see pricing pressure in its nitrogen business. Nitrogen prices remain under pressure due to elevated supply. A difficult pricing environment is expected to continue weighing on the companys sales and profits in the September quarter. (Read more: CF Industries Q3 Earnings: Will the Stock Disappoint?) Story continues CF INDUS HLDGS Price and EPS Surprise CF INDUS HLDGS Price and EPS Surprise | CF INDUS HLDGS Quote Intrepid Potash, Inc. IPI will report ahead of the bell. The company is expected to come up with a positive earnings surprise as it has an Earnings ESP of +25% and a favorable Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Intrepid Potash missed estimates in three of the last four quarters while it beat once, resulting in an average negative surprise of 45.32%. INTREPID POTASH Price and EPS Surprise INTREPID POTASH Price and EPS Surprise | INTREPID POTASH Quote Bunge Limited BG will report before the opening bell. The company has an Earnings ESP of -5.62% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), making it difficult to predict an earnings beat. Bunge beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters while it missed twice. BUNGE LTD Price and EPS Surprise BUNGE LTD Price and EPS Surprise | BUNGE LTD Quote Now See Our Private Investment Ideas While the above ideas are being shared with the public, other trades are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report CF INDUS HLDGS (CF): Free Stock Analysis Report INTREPID POTASH (IPI): Free Stock Analysis Report BUNGE LTD (BG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research * 2 stealth fighters open show with brief flypast * 'Big step forward in China combat capability' - expert * Too early to say if J-20 matches U.S. F-22 jet - analysts (Add J-20 flypast, colour, background details) By Tim Hepher and Brenda Goh ZHUHAI, China, Nov 1 (Reuters) - China showed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on Tuesday, opening the country's biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military clout. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline its defence ambitions. China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Two J-20 jets, Zhuhai's headline act, swept over dignitaries and hundreds of spectators and industry executives gathered at the show's opening ceremony in a 60-second flypast, generating a deafening roar that was met with gasps and applause and set off car alarms in a parking lot at the site. "It is clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability," said Bradley Perrett of Aviation Week, a veteran China watcher. Analysts say it is too early to say to what extent the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, developed for the U.S. Air Force and the J-20's closest lookalike, or the latest strike jet in the U.S. arsenal, Lockheed's F-35. Unofficial shots of a J-20 prototype fuelled discussion over the region's power balance when first glimpsed by planespotters in 2010. Experts say China has been refining designs in hopes of narrowing a military gap with Washington. Cao Qingfeng, an aircraft engineer watching the flypast, said the "stunning" display was a show of China's strengthening aircraft industry and manufacturing - and Western officials agreed. "This shows they now have confidence to put it out in public," said a Western industry official who has monitored the biennial show from its inception 20 years ago. Story continues "This is the airplane for China in the way that the J-31 is not; this is the one they develop for themselves," he added. The export-oriented J-31, was unveiled at Zhuhai in 2014. AIRBUS, BOEING RIVAL President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the armed forces as China takes a more assertive stance in the region, particularly in the South China and East China seas. It remained unclear whether or how the J-20 would be displayed after the flypast, or to what extent foreign executives and media would be allowed a close look as they try to figure out its role and effectiveness. Some foreign observers have questioned its stealth capabilities. Aircraft that are already scheduled to be on display alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones include the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, and what organisers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production, the AG600. The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 - first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against China's claim to parts of the South China Sea in July - is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. Notably absent from the airshow schedule is the Comac C919 passenger jet, designed to compete with Europe's Airbus Group and Boeing Co of the United States, the rivals who dominate the global supply of airliners. The 150-seater C919 is scheduled to stage an often-delayed maiden flight this year, but industry sources say this will now slip to 2017 - three years behind original plans. Airbus and Boeing continue to expand in China with recent plant announcements. Boeing is expected to announce a new supplier partnership at the show, which runs until Nov 6. (Reporting by Tim Hepher and Brenda Goh in ZHUHAI, China; Editing by Ralph Boulton and Kenneth Maxwell) (Corrects COMAC C919 orders to 570 from 517 in final paragraph) * 2 stealth fighters open show with brief flypast * 'Big step forward in China combat capability' - expert * Too early to say if J-20 matches U.S. F-22 jet - analysts By Tim Hepher and Brenda Goh ZHUHAI, China, Nov 1 (Reuters) - China showed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on Tuesday, opening the country's biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military clout. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline its defence ambitions. China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Two J-20 jets, Zhuhai's headline act, swept over dignitaries and hundreds of spectators and industry executives gathered at the show's opening ceremony in a flypast that barely exceeded a minute, generating a deafening roar that was met with gasps and applause and set off car alarms in a parking lot at the site. Experts say China has been refining designs for the J-20, first glimpsed by planespotters in 2010, in the hope of narrowing a military technology gap with the United States. President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the armed forces as China takes a more assertive stance in Asia, particularly in the South China and East China seas. "It is clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability," said Bradley Perrett of Aviation Week, a veteran China watcher. It was China's second successive display of a new stealth jet at the biennial Zhuhai show, following the 2014 debut of the J-31. QUESTIONS UNANSWERED After arriving as a pair at low-level, one of the J-20s quickly disappeared over the horizon, leaving the other to perform a series of turns, revealing its delta wing shape against bright sub-tropical haze. But analysts said the brief and relatively cautious J-20 routine - the pilots did not open weapon bay doors, or perform low-speed passes - answered few questions. Story continues "I think we learned very little. We learned it is very loud. But we can't tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility," said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor of FlightGlobal. "Most importantly, we didn't learn much about its radar cross-section." A key question whether the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, or the latest strike jet in the U.S. arsenal, Lockheed's F-35. The F-22 Raptor, developed for the U.S. Air Force, is the J-20's closest lookalike. But the mere display of such a newly developed aircraft was a revealing signal, others said. "It's a change of tactics for the Chinese to publicly show off weapons that aren't in full squadron service yet," said Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, "and demonstrates a lot of confidence in the capability, and also a lot of pride." C919 PASSENGER JET ABSENT It remained unclear whether or how the J-20 would be displayed at the airshow after the flypast. Aircraft that are officially scheduled to be on display alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones include the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, and what organisers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production - the AG600. The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 - first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against China's claim to parts of the South China Sea in July - is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. Notably absent from the airshow schedule is the 150-seater COMAC C919 passenger jet. Designed to compete with Europe's Airbus Group and Boeing Co of the United States, the rivals who dominate the global supply of airliners, the much-delayed C919 is now running three years behind original plans. COMAC said at the show that China Eastern Airlines will be the launch customer for the C919, which may take its first test flight later this year or early 2017, and that it had clinched 23 new orders for its C919, taking total orders to 570. (Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Abidjan (AFP) - To his fans, Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara is a dynamo president whose leadership is bringing much-needed stability to the world's top cocoa producer. To his critics, he's a dangerous authoritarian. The US-trained economist was the driving force behind the new constitution that was overwhelmingly backed at a referendum on Sunday, according to official results. However less than half the registered voters cast their ballots after opposition leaders called for a boycott. Ouattara insists the changes will help cement Ivory Coast's recovery from years of conflict, but the opposition says it concentrates too much power in the executive and is mostly aimed at lining up a successor. The new constitution's design bears American influences, perhaps a reflection of Outtara's years studying in Pennsylvania: a strong executive, a senate, fixed election dates and a vice-president picked by himself. A former top official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), 74-year-old Ouattara is credited with making good use of his contacts to pump investment into the war-scarred economy since taking office in 2011. After a decade of unrest and a civil war that saw the once prosperous former French colony split in two, Ouattara has overseen major infrastructure works including new roads, bridges and dams. He has pledged to press on with the development agenda since he was re-elected for a second term last year, despite questions over his methods, which have seen entire seafront communities and districts prone to landslides razed and residents evicted. - Deep wounds to heal - Known as a tireless worker who gets by on little sleep, Ouattara has also vowed to wipe out corruption. But while Ivorians have cheered his efforts to boost the economy, he has come under fire on the judicial front. Rights groups slammed the detention of opponents ahead of October's presidential vote, and campaigners say little justice has been meted out to members of his own camp since the deadly 2010-2011 post-election crisis that brought him to office. Story continues Some 3,000 people were killed in the conflict, sparked when then incumbent Laurent Gbagbo -- now facing war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court -- refused to step down and cede power to Ouattara. Ouattara has appealed to Ivorians to put aside religious and ethnic differences of the past, but to many the president -- who hails from the mainly Muslim north -- is a living reminder of the rifts that split the country between north and south in a 2002 civil war. - National identity questions - Known as "Ado" after his initials, Ouattara was born in Dimbokro in central Ivory Coast. But his father was from Burkina Faso and Ouattara did most of his schooling there, feeding a controversy over his national identity that has repeatedly come back to haunt him. After spending most of the 1970s in the United States working for the IMF and studying for his PhD, Ouattara was appointed vice-governor of the BCEAO in 1983 before serving as its chief. He was Ivory Coast's prime minister from 1990-1993, and was considered a candidate for the 1995 presidential race -- until he was barred from running as his opponents accusing him of being of Burkinabe origin. After another stint with the IMF, Ouattara returned to Abidjan in 1999 and was appointed head of the Rally of Republicans party, launching himself into the 2000 presidential campaign. But his candidacy was rejected once again due to accusations that he was insufficiently "Ivorian", and Gbagbo won that election. The repeated barring of Ouattara from running for the highest office is widely seen a trigger of the 2002 low-level civil war that split the country between the pro-Gbagbo south and pro-Ouattara rebels in the north. The 2010-11 conflict fractured the nation along similar lines, with Ouattara finally taking power with the help of a major offensive from northern ex-rebels. The new constitution aims to move on from the deadly divisions of the past, removing a contested clause stipulating that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and that the candidate must not have sought nationality in another country. Ouattara is married to Frenchwoman Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara and has two children from a first marriage. * Ant formalises tie-up with Thai payment firm * Says 30 pct of Alipay users from outside China * Fighting rival Tencent for users worldwide (Writes through with details of expansion plans) By Sijia Jiang and Elzio Barreto HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Ant Financial Services Group, the world's biggest financial technology company, plans to focus its expansion plans in Asia before looking to go more global, a senior official said on Tuesday. Ant, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's online finance arm, will offer its insurance and investment management products outside of China, senior vice president Douglas Feagin said at an event to mark a tie-up with Thai payment firm Ascend. The Thailand deal marks Ant's first significant expansion effort into foreign payments in Asia since last year's partnership with India's PayTM, which raised over $500 million in a round led by Alibaba in September. Ant's payment platform Alipay has been tussling with major local rival Tencent Holdings Ltd, whose Tenpay has also been making an overseas push by targeting thousands of retailers particularly around Asia. Ant plans to replicate the Alipay model in Thailand, with a goal of reaching more than half of the country's internet users in five years, it said. "We are leading first with payments and related services but we may very well offer other products and services market by market," Feagin said. The move extends a global push that has seen the firm move into the United States and Europe. Last month Ant expanded its mobile payment app service into the U.S. market in a bid to reach Chinese consumers travelling abroad. Ant said in a statement that it has 450 million users, of which 40 million are outside China. It also has another 150 million when users of its PayTM tie-up are included. In August both Alipay and Tenpay secured licenses to operate their mobile payments services in Hong Kong. Ascend, which allows users to deposit their cash into a digital wallet, and Ant Financial are counting on the huge number of people without bank accounts in Southeast Asia to turn to their payments, lending and other services. Story continues The region has nearly 370 million people without bank accounts and who use cash on a day-to-day basis, Ascend Group CEO Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa said. Feagin, a former Goldman Sachs banker who leads Ant's international business, added there were no set plans currently for the timing or venue of a potential initial public offering, though there were benefits to going public. Ant Financial raised $4.5 billion in a record funding round in April, valuing the company at about $60 billion, the same as American Express Co or insurer Chubb Ltd and more than any other privately held fintech company. (Reporting by Sijia Jiang and Elzio Barreto; Writing by Cate Cadell; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Edwina Gibbs) Rubble blocked the streets of Amatrice on Monday, October 31, a day after another earthquake rocked the central Italian region. A fresh 6.5-magnitude quake rocked areas near Norcia, Preci and Castel SantAngelo sul Nera in the early hours of Sunday, injuring at least 20 people, displacing thousands of others and damaging historic structures, according to local reports. The grounds near Norcia sank about 28 inches (70 cm) due to the powerful tremors from August to October, ANSA reported. This video shows the damage in Amatrice, where the surrounding villages were devastated by a 6.2-magnitude quake in August that killed 298 people. Credit: Vigili del Fuoco What scares leaders now? It's the obvious Halloween question, so let's take a look, focusing especially on business leaders. It's a deep question, and the answer to it depends on how deeply you want to probe. At the shallowest level, business leaders have no trouble speaking right up about fears for their businesses. We know they're worried about the rapid pace of advancing technology and the fast-growing burden of regulation; that's what Fortune 500 CEOs told us in a poll earlier this year. More specific fears vary with the leader's industry; restaurant company CEOs are afraid of rising labor costs as cities and states decree higher minimum wages, for example. Answers like these are entirely valid, of course, but they're easy for CEOs to give because they're predictable and widely shared. At a deeper level are fears about the presidential election. Business leaders are far more circumspect about those, for two reasons. First, stating a political preference is a guaranteed excellent way to lose customers. Second, stating and explaining one's political leanings is personally revealing, and many leaders aren't comfortable with that. In this election, my informal survey found more CEOs declaring a fear of Donald Trump than of Hillary Clinton. Retired CEO James McNerney has said that "The precipitousness of the political debate is a little scary right now," adding specifically that Trump's talk about trade is "a very dangerous discussion." Boston software entrepreneur Philip Beauregard told the Boston Globe that for entrepreneurs, a Trump presidency would be "the eighth concentric circle of hell." Hobby Lobby CEO David Green said earlier this year that Trump's lack of humility "scares me to death," but he later reversed himself because he feared Clinton's effect on the Supreme Court. Not many big-company CEOs have expressed fear of Clinton, maybe in part because they figure she'll win. But a few famous names have publicly endorsed Trump, declaring their fear of a Clinton presidency, and some of the announcements have indeed been revealing. Who would have guessed, for example, that co-founder and Palantir chairman Peter Thiel, almost alone among Silicon Valley celebrities, was a Trump supporter? Story continues And then there's the deepest level of what scares CEO, and it has nothing to do with elections or the economy. Consultant and organizational psychologist Roger Jones surveyed 116 CEOs and other executives about what they fear most. Their No. 1 fear is "being found to be incompetent, also known as the 'imposter' syndrome," he reported in the Harvard Business Review. After that, in descending order: underachieving, appearing too vulnerable, being politically attacked by colleagues, and appearing foolish. Sign up for daily insights, updates, and opinion on leadership and leaders in the news at the Power Sheet. In short, the strongest motivations of top business leaders, the deepest fears they carry with them, are exactly what we'd expect in a group of super-achievers who have been elevated to an exalted status that they know is far greater than the mere humans they are. For CEOs, the true scariest costume this (or any) Halloween may be nothing more than what they wear to work every day. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com A Pakistani opposition party on Tuesday abruptly called off a planned "lockdown" of the capital after the Supreme Court paved the way for an investigation into allegations of corruption against the prime minister's family. Premier Nawaz Sharif has been under growing pressure from opposition parties, mainly Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which had vowed one million supporters would shut down Islamabad on Wednesday as part of long-running efforts to force the government out of power. Police have repeatedly clashed with protesters in recent days, detaining more than 1,000 PTI supporters from across the country since last week after imposing a ban on all public gatherings in Islamabad -- a ban later partly lifted by a court order. On Tuesday the Supreme Court began hearing a case into the "Panama Papers" leaks and offered to form a commission to investigate revelations that Sharif's children held offshore bank accounts. "We are determined to resolve this issue. We will solve it and we will solve it as soon as possible. Now the highest forum in the country in regards to dispute resolution has taken up this matter, so now you hold your positions, please restrain," Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, one of the five judges hearing the case, told the court. The ruling was applauded by Khan, who held a press conference at his home on the outskirts of Islamabad to declare victory. - Face-saving - "I am so happy that the Supreme Court has decided that from Thursday it will begin probing Nawaz Sharif," he said, surrounded by ecstatic supporters who danced to pop songs and shouted anti-government slogans. Khan,a former cricketing hero, said his supporters would instead hold a rally thanking the Supreme Court for its decision, as workers began removing barricades around his residence. The government also welcomed the court's ruling. "Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said from day one that he's ready for complete and transparent accountability," said minister of state Miftah Ismail, adding he was confident the premier would be exonerated. Story continues Ismail added that calling off the march was a face-saving measure by Khan. "I think PTI was unable to get sizeable crowd together and felt under pressure to call off their lockdown and save themselves embarrassment. That is why they took this opportunity provided to them by the court and cancel their promised agitation." The move brought an anti-climactic end to what observers believed could have become a protracted confrontation, similar to a four-month sit-in led by Khan in 2014. But although Khan had repeatedly vowed to bring a million protesters to the capital, disruption had been thus far limited to a few areas around the city and to the Peshawar-Islamabad highway, where some 5,000 PTI supporters were blocked from entering the capital. The planned protest came at a sensitive time for Sharif. His relationship with the all-powerful army is frosty following a media report that civilian officials had warned the military to stop backing jihadist fighters abroad. The military has used the pretext of civil unrest to sweep in and replace elected governments three times in the country's history. Analysts had warned that if the lockdown had gone ahead, Sharif might have had to strike a deal with the army to ensure his survival. It might sound extraordinary, but a legal dispute over merchandise associated with The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind and Tom and Jerry has been raging for more than a decade. On Tuesday, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals revisited the dispute by affirming both a $2.57 million judgment and permanent injunction in favor of Warner Bros. AVELA, Dave Grossman Creations, X One X Productions and Leo Valencia became the defendants in the lawsuit after they acquired restored versions of movie posters and lobby cards, extracted images of famous movie and cartoon characters and put them on shirts, lunch boxes, music box lids, playing cards and more. When Warner Bros. sued for infringement of its intellectual property, the defendants asserted the publicity materials were distributed without copyright notices, and pointing to old law, argued these materials were therefore injected into the public domain. Thus, the defendants suggested, there was nothing improper with selling an image of, say, Rhett Butler next to his famous Gone With the Wind line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." In 2011, the 8th Circuit rejected this logic, writing at the time that "the scope of the film copyrights covers all visual depictions of the film characters at issue, except for any aspects of the characters that were injected into the public domain by the publicity materials." In other words, the only thing that the defendants had freedom to do was to recreate nearly identical copies of the movie posters and lobby cards. To juxtapose images extracted from the publicity materials with phrases from the film or to create images in three dimensions went over the line as far as the federal appeals court was concerned. The fight didn't end there. The case then went back to a Missouri district court, which awarded statutory damages in the amount of $10,000 for each of the 257 copyrights at issue. Additionally, the judge issued an injunction prohibiting AVELA from licensing any images or phrases from the films or cartoons, with the exception of exact reproductions of publicity materials in the public domain. Story continues On Tuesday, 8th Circuit judge Raymond Gruender writes the sequel. Gruender rejects the argument that the statutory damages award violated AVELA's Seventh Amendment due process rights by not submitting the question of damages to a jury. He decides that such a claim wasn't properly before the appeals court because AVELA failed to make jury demands throughout the litigation. The appellate judge also decides that the $2.57 million isn't disproportionate to the offense, finding rationality in the lower court's attempt to deter future infringement and provide sufficient restitution. The latest appeal also dealt with the issue of trademarks. At one point, Warner Bros. told the district court that if summary judgment on the copyright claim was granted, it wouldn't need to pursue other claims. (Copyright protect works of authorship while trademark protects the sourcing of goods and services.) Greunder rejects AVELA's contention that this amounted to a judicial admission that estopped the film studio from proceeding on the trademark claim. Perhaps the most interesting portion of Tuesday's decision deals with AVELA's attempt to use Dastar to foreclose the claim that its Wizard of Oz merchandise was confusing origin and sponsorship. Dastar refers to the Supreme Court's landmark 2003 decision that essentially holds trademarks can't be used as perpetual swords to counter copyrighted work falling into the public domain. Yes, there's some public domain material involved here, but it doesn't save AVELA's merchandising. "Warner's asserted trademarks in the characters from the films and cartoons do not run afoul of Dastar," writes Greunder. "The district court found and AVELA did not dispute that Warner holds registered trademarks in iconic phrases and names from the films and has used the character images for trademark purposes on a host of consumer goods for many years. Images of the film actors in character and signature phrases from the films are not communications, concepts, or ideas that the consumer goods embody as Dastar defines these terms. Products marketed under AVELA's licenses employ iconic film characters' pictures to associate the products with Warner's films, not to copy the film itself. Accordingly, these are trademark claims, not disguised copyright claims, and Dastar does not bar them." The 8th Circuit then goes on to affirm a finding of the likelihood of confusion among consumers, opining that actual confusion is not essential, before blessing the permanent injunction. Although AVELA contended that Warner Bros. didn't show a threat of irreparable harm, Greunder retorts "a finding that likelihood of confusion exists results in a presumption that a threat of irreparable harm exists." Here's the full opinion. WWE Network Well, the unfortunate curse of Hideo Itami has now officially spread to his opponents. After suffering an eye injury at a recent NXT live event thanks to a kick by Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aries will be out of action for at least the remainder of the year, which means he will miss NXT TakeOver: Toronto and join his storyline rival Itami on the shelf. PWInsider.com reports that although the initial injury was said to be just a black eye and some stitches, he actually suffered an orbital bone fracture that will require surgery and will keep him out of action until at least early 2017. Aries is expected to undergo surgery this week in Birmingham, Alabama. Two weeks ago on NXT television, Aries and his mystery partner Roderick Strong advanced in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Tournament, which means that both Aries and Itamis teams will have needed to find replacements, because they werent already filling spots with CWC competitors like a weird installment of Final Destination. Lets just hope that WWE is scrambling to find a way to sign either Jack Evans or Alex Shelley to try to fill the void left by Aries. (Sorry, No Remorse Corps fans: Davey Richards is both under contract to TNA and is injured at the moment.) SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia and China agreed on Tuesday to share intelligence about potential financial crime as part of a crackdown on cross-border money laundering and terrorism financing. Australian Justice Minister Michael Keenan, who is in Beijing, said the agreement between Australian financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC and its Chinese counterpart CAMLMAC would allow both countries to target and disrupt organized criminal networks. "Following the money trail is an essential element in tackling serious and organized crime," Keenan said in an emailed statement. China has been trying to get increased international cooperation to hunt down suspected corrupt officials who have fled overseas since President Xi Jinping began a campaign against deeply-rooted graft more than three years ago. The intelligence sharing agreement will boost China's pursuit of corrupt officials and business executives and their assets, a chase dubbed "Operation Foxhunt." Some Western countries have been reluctant to help, or sign extradition treaties, not wanting to send people back to a country where rights groups say mistreatment of criminal suspects remains a problem, and also complaining China is unwilling to provide proof of their crimes. "China is now Australias largest trading partner," Keenan said. "Organized crime is opportunistic and will exploit the strong trading relationship between our two countries to traffic drugs and engage in serious financial crimes." The statement did not provide further detail on the agreement, but Keenan was due to address the media later Tuesday. (Reporting By Jane Wardell; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore) Australia is considering joint patrols with Indonesia in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Tuesday, in a move set to irk Beijing. The possibility was raised by Jakarta during meetings between Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne and Indonesian officials including Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu last week. "We have agreed to explore options to increase maritime cooperation and of course that would include coordinated activities in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "This is all consistent with our policy of exercising our right of freedom of navigation and that's in accordance with international law." Ryacudu was cited by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying he had proposed a "peace patrol" with Australia. "There are no intentions to disrupt the relationship (with China). It is called a peace patrol, it brings peace. It is about protecting fish in each other's areas," he said. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours -- most notably the Philippines, which took the case to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration. The court ruled in July that there was no legal basis to China's claims -- a verdict Beijing dismissed vehemently. Australia, like staunch ally the United States, has no claims of its own in the area, but insists that all shipping has a right to pass through seas it regards as international waters. Last month the US sailed a warship near disputed territory in the South China Sea, with Beijing slamming the move as a "serious illegal act" and "deliberately provocative". Discussion on potential joint patrols comes amid uncertainty in the region with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte unsettling Manila's traditional allies by signalling a shift away from Washington towards Beijing. Story continues Unlike some Southeast Asian neighbours, Jakarta has long maintained it has no maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea and does not contest ownership of reefs or islets there. But Beijing's expansive claims overlap Indonesia's exclusive economic zone -- waters where a state has the right to exploit resources -- around the Natunas, a remote scattering of islands that are rich fishing grounds. In June, Indonesian President Joko Widodo toured the islands on a warship, in a move seen as sending a strong message to China to respect Indonesian sovereignty. Bishop said the Australian navy had already conducted joint exercises in the South China Sea with India and the US as "a regular part of what our navy does and it's also part of our engagement in the region". Another possible victim of suspected Ohio serial killer Shawn Grate has been identified, nearly two months after her body was discovered following his September arrest, PEOPLE confirms. So far Grate has been linked to five dead women, and he has been and charged with killing two Elizabeth Griffin, 29, and Stacey Stanley, 43 and kidnapping another. While many questions remain, the Richland County Coroners Office in Ohio this week answered one more when it revealed the identity of a woman found burned near a home in Madison Township, Ohio: Candice Cunningham. Coroners used DNA to make the identification, according to a statement. Cunningham, who was 29, was never reported missing, but authorities allege she was killed by Grate. Her body was recovered in mid-September, along with the bodies of Griffin and Stanley, and it is believed she was killed sometime last year. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. In a fourth case, Grate, 40, also allegedly confessed to murdering a woman in Richland County more than 10 years ago and dumping her body in a wooded area in Madison Township, according to investigators. That womans skeleton was found in 2007. Her remains have not been identified. Grate allegedly told investigators hed killed her because his mother was upset she did not get the magazines the woman was selling. Investigators have released a sketch of her based on descriptions Grate provided, and they are asking anyone who purchased a book or magazine subscription in 2003 and 2004 to contact their local police department. A fifth body was also recovered in September, but authorities have released few details about the victim. Police also claim Grates ex-girlfriend told detectives he had previously referred to killing a woman, but she didnt believe him. It is unclear whether such accusations have been linked to any of the five recovered bodies so far or refer to an as-yet-undiscovered victim. Story continues Hes obviously a serial killer, authorities previously said of Grate. They said, Its hard to believe there arent other bodies out there. In September, Grate was taken into custody in Ashland, Ohio, after police received a desperate 911 call from a woman he had allegedly abducted. After arresting Grate, local police recovered the remains of Cunningham, Griffin and Stanley: The latter two were found in an abandoned home Grate had been squatting in; and hours later, police found Cunningham, who had been dumped not far from the deserted home. The call to Ashlands 911 was made by a woman who said shed met Grate a month earlier. As her alleged captor slept, the caller was able to lead authorities to the abandoned house where she was allegedly being held against her will. Grate remains in custody at the Ashland County Jail on $1 million bail. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of kidnapping. If convicted, he could be sentenced to death. Grates attorneys were not immediately available for comment. Autumn is just Mother Nature's way of redesigning the landscape, trading green leaves for orange and red, and blue skies of battleship gray. For design tips, she could stop at any one of the many fairs happening on both coasts, including crucial stops in the Midwest as this season provides ample opportunity to take in the latest in a cross section of design disciplines. WestEdge Design Fair - Don't be surprised to bump into Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews, co-founder of Amen&Amen home design, at the opening night party, along with designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, TV's Ty Pennington and designer Alexandra von Furstenberg. Focus this year is on international talent hailing from familiar and far-flung corners of the globe, as well as the MADE:MODERN section highlighting cutting-edge furniture design. Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, Nov. 3-6 DIEM: Talks Design - The fifth annual confab will explore themes of sharing, co-working spaces and collaborative design, through a series of panel discussions curated by Mallery Roberts Morgan and Frances Anderton, host of NPR's DnA: Design and Architecture. Showrooms throughout West Hollywood, Nov. 11 Art San Diego - With a focus on contemporary art, this year's theme is [THRESHOLD], meant to evoke the idea of standing on the precipice, which is vague enough to be all-inclusive. Over 500 galleries from around the world will be represented, drawing on average 15,000 collectors. Balboa Park, San Diego, Nov. 3-6 Read more: Terry Crews Talks Art, Design Ahead of LAs WestEdge Design Fair: "Im Addicted to Beautiful Things" DesignerCon (DCON) - DJ Z-Trip will host the opening night party for the 11th annual DesignerCon in Pasadena, the largest event of its kind, featuring 355 vendors of collectible toys, home goods and art. Panel discussions include one with filmmaker Brian Levant (Jingle All the Way) on how to turn art into entertainment. Pasadena, Nov. 19-20. Story continues Boutique Design Trade Fair - This confab featuring hospitality design for restaurants, hotels, spas and casinos will draw more than 600 manufacturers from every area of interior design. Steampunk artist Bruce Rosenbaum of ModVic will replicate a whale he created for the Nantucket Hotel & Resort. Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, Nov. 13-14 The Salon Art + Design - Curated from 55 galleries around the world, historical, modern and contemporary furniture will be on display, along with a wide selection of decorative artworks and late 19th and 20th century fine art. Focus is on mid-century modern from the U.S., Italy, France and Scandinavia. Park Avenue Armory, New York, Nov. 11-14 SOFA (Sculpture Objects Functional Art and design) - More than 70 dealers from around the world working in fiber, ceramics, wood, jewelry and metal are on display, but glass is this year's theme, featuring the Corning Museum of Glass Hot Glass Roadshow and numerous panel discussions on glass design. Navy Pier, Chicago, Nov. 3-6 Read more: Kygo Talks New Fashion Line Ahead of Pop-Up Shop in L.A. Dining By Design - Design Industry Foundation Fighting Aids (DIFFA) holds its silent auction benefit offering Cocktails By Design and a Chef's Tasting on opening night, a viewing of the auction items the following day and a closing night gala. 222 Merchandise Mart, Chicago, Nov. 2-3 Design Leadership Summit - Dedicated to promoting education and community connectivity between design, architecture and contemporary art, this year's summit will feature two days of workshops and networking, with curated tours emphasizing specific design elements of Miami. Members only. Nobu Hotel Eden Roc Summit, Miami Beach, Nov. 28-30 The baby from Labyrinth is still very much into Labyrinth-y-type stuff Ask anyone about the film Labryinth, and the one thing we all remember is the song about the babe aka the babe with the power. The film Labyrinth has holds a special place in all our hearts, and remains part of the cultural conversation decades after its release. After all, we cannot help but hum Magic Dance whenever we so much as hear the phrase Goblin King. While much has been written about David Bowie (Goblin King) and Jennifer Connelly (Sarah), theres not much said about the baby Toby (the babe with the power) who Sarah works so hard to rescue. Well, were thrilled to report hes alive and well, and has continued in his fathers footsteps and works as a puppeteer and fabricator, making his own goblins and becoming a goblin king. (Tobys father Brian Froud designed the characters and worlds of both Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal... it runs in the family.) When asked during an interview with Portland Monthly as to what he remembered from shooting Labyrinth, Toby (yes, his real name is also Toby) said: I have vivid memories of goblins faces and strange creatures and chaos around me that could just be from growing up in the house I lived in, or from seeing the film as many times as I have, or it could be remembering the puppets that were in front of me. Im not sure. Toby sure has some fun images to go along with those memories: 57dc5c321300002b0039c8c0 Thats one for the scrapbook! Seriously, what a childhood: 5783f3381b00002700f6d479 David Bowie dancing and singing with us is a memory we sure as heck wouldnt forget. On being the Goblin King, Toby said: Its interesting growing up with the idea of being the baby in the Labyrinth and becoming the Goblin King as it were, its sort of passing the mantle. But I grew up in this world of fantasy and this world of goblins, and I sort of formed my life around the art of creating creatures and puppets and characters with my parents. Certainly its led me to interning and working in film and television. Story continues It seems likely that Tobys childhood informed his future puppeteering and fabricating interests we definitely get a Labyrinth vibe from his work: The old Troll, The keeper of Pandoras Box is making his way to Petaluma!The show opens on Saturday#petalumaartscenter #Frouddolls #dollsastellersofstories #tobyfroud Posted by Toby Froud on Friday, July 22, 2016 Seriously, Toby could work on the sequel: Getting ready for the show in Petaluma CA! The witch is coming! Her name came to me this afternoon as Morel, what do... Posted by Toby Froud on Monday, July 4, 2016 Toby was fortunate enough to work at Henson studios before taking a job at Laika. I was fortunate to go and intern there many years ago when I was in New York. Id seen it from the outside, but to be with the professionals who built the puppets, it gave me a wonderful sense of the inner workings. Guillermo Del Toro would also enjoy Tobys work, doesnt this fabrication look like something that would pop up in one of his movies?: This is another piece I just did for the http://petalumaartscenter.org/current-exhibition/I have always loved the... Posted by Toby Froud on Thursday, August 18, 2016 So keep an eye out on film and television creditsyou just might see the new Goblin King listed among them! The post The baby from Labyrinth is still very much into Labyrinth-y-type stuff appeared first on HelloGiggles. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has set the full list of key dates for next years BAFTA Television Awards. As it recently did with the film awards, BAFTA has also made some tweaks to eligibility in both the main TV prizes and Craft areas. Significant changes to the TV Awards include the kiboshing of a rule that previously stipulated 50% of the funding for a series came from the UK. The primary criteria for qualification will now be that creative control of a project resides in Britain. The change reflects BAFTAs desire to adapt to the new landscape and not exclude talent because of funding models, Director of Awards Emma Baehr explained to Deadline. Notably, under the old rules, series like Netflixs The Crown, the BBCs The Night Manager or War And Peace would not have been eligible due to their funding models which would have instead relegated them to the International Series category. Another stipulation is that the worldwide premiere broadcast has to have been in the UK, although in cases where a series premieres day-and-date (ie on Netflix) it will still qualify. On the Craft side, even if a show is only eligible in the International category of the main TV awards, individuals may be considered for Craft Awards as long as the UK is the usual place of residency and employment for the candidate(s) for nomination and the craft under consideration has been completed in the UK. The Craft Awards nominations are set for March 28 with the ceremony on April 23. The main TV Awards noms are out on April 11, ahead of the May 14 ceremony. See below for the full list of key dates. SUMMARY OF KEY DATES December 2 First stage entry for Television and Craft Awards closes for all programs broadcast up to November 30 January 9 Final deadline for all entries February 13 Voting opens at 1 PM local February 23 Closing of voting site March 3 Deadline for broadcaster entries March 8 Craft round 2 chapter voting starts March 22 Deadline for Craft R2 chapter voting March 28 British Academy Television Craft Awards nominations announced April 11 Television Awards Nominations announced April 18 Craft R3 closes April 20 Joint Television and Craft nominees party April 23 British Academy Television Craft Awards May 14 British Academy Television Awards Story continues Related stories BAFTA Tweaks Film Awards Rules To Consider Digital Releases & Expands Animation Category; Finalizes Calendar BAFTA Appoints Jane Lush As Chair Miramax's 'Southside With You' & 'Louis Drax' Land UK Distribution; BAFTA To Honor Vidgame Guru Amy Hennig - Global Briefs With less than three months remaining in his presidency, President Obama sat down for an interview on Full Frontal With Samantha Bee. In hopes of getting younger citizens to hit the voting booths, Obama said, I would hope that youd take the same amount of time looking through cat videos on your phone to make sure that democracys working. Obama also discussed some of the accusations Hillary Clinton would repeatedly have to deal with if she were the first woman to ever be elected as POTUS. The president said, I think the equivalent will be shes tired, shes moody, shes being emotional. He went on to say, When men are ambitious, its just taken for granted of course but when women are ambitious its like, Why? That theme will continue throughout her presidency, and it will contribute to this notion that she has something to hide. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee airs Mondays at 10:30 p.m./9:30 p.m. CT on TBS. See Samantha Bee visit with female heads of state at the U.N.: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Cynthia LuCiette, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Baghdad (AFP) - Iraq's military says security forces have entered jihadist-held Mosul for the first time since 2014. Here is what we know so far about the country's biggest military operation in years: Where are the Iraqi forces? Iraqi army forces entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti area in southeast Mosul on Tuesday, the military announced, while forces from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service retook a village and a local television station on the city's eastern outskirts. North of the city, soldiers retook several villages as they neared the edge of Mosul, while Kurdish forces have also gained ground north and east of the city in recent days. The forces on the southern front -- including the Rapid Response Division, CTS's interior ministry counterpart, as well as police -- started the farthest away and have the longest distance still to go, with more than 10 kilometres (six miles) between them and the city. The Hashed al-Shaabi, an umbrella group for pro-government paramilitary forces that is dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, are fighting southwest of Mosul in an operation aimed at retaking the town of Tal Afar, which lies between the city and Syria. They have gained ground in recent days, but the western approach to Mosul remains largely open for now. What is the US-led coalition doing? The US-led anti-IS coalition is carrying out air strikes against the jihadists as well as targeting them with artillery. It has hit IS with nearly 3,000 bombs, missiles, rockets and shells since the drive for Mosul began on October 17. But some Iraqi commanders have still complained that there are not enough strikes, and said they want the coalition to step up its campaign. Most of the more than 7,000 coalition military personnel in Iraq are in advisory or training roles, but there are also those carrying out artillery strikes, as well as special forces personnel who have carried out raids against IS. How are the jihadists responding? Story continues IS has targeted attacking Iraqi forces with suicide bombers, mortar rounds and small arms fire, in addition to bombs hidden in houses, buildings and roads that make up an integral part of the jihadists' defences and still cause casualties even after they withdraw. Inside the territory they still control, the jihadists are responding with the same brutality that has been the hallmark of their more than two-year rule. The United Nations said it has received reports that IS has executed nearly 300 people in the Mosul area since October 25, and also seized tens of thousands of people for use as human shields. IS attempted to transfer some 25,000 civilians from the Hamam al-Ali area south of Mosul to places in and around the city on Monday, but most of the vehicles IS brought were prevented from reaching Mosul because of patrolling coalition aircraft, the UN said. The jihadists have also staged diversionary attacks in the northern city of Kirkuk and the western town of Rutba in attempts to draw attention and forces away from the Mosul theatre. How are civilians affected? As Iraqi forces advance, thousands of civilians have fled IS-held areas to escape both jihadist rule and impending fighting -- a number that could increase exponentially if people leave Mosul en masse. According to the UN, up to one million people could be displaced by the battle for the city -- a major problem given that existing, under-construction and planned camps can only house about half that number. The International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday that 17,900 people have been displaced since the operation began. Displacement is especially difficult for rural farming communities, whose wealth lies in fields and livestock that they cannot take to camps. The situation for displaced Iraqis will get even more difficult as winter rains and colder weather set in. Leading Canadian telephone operator BCE Inc. BCE is scheduled to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3, before the opening bell. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 7.04%. However, the companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the previous four quarters, with an average beat of 0.76%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Likely to Influence this Quarter BCEs subsidiary, Bell Canada is leading the Canadian broadband communications market through its recent launch of Home Hub 3000 WiFi services with Wireless 4K Whole Home PVR from Fibe TV. Increasing deployment of Gigabit Fibe, 4G LTE mobile networks, upcoming 5G networks, IP phone services and post-paid businesses should help the company gain customers and also put a check on churn. BCEs recent acquisition of Q9 Networks should boost its cloud suite. The company also continues to invest in LTE, broadband and fiber to provide additional capacity on Internet and wireless networks. On the wireline front, BCE expects financial results to improve in 2016 and beyond as it gains from an increase in net revenue generation units. However, BCEs strategic moves to enhance employee skills, increase capital investments and reduce expenditures may impact financials and growth prospects if not executed properly. Moreover, stringent regulatory measures, decline in network access services lines, price competition, exposure to labor union issues covered by collective bargaining agreements leading to work disruptions and higher labor costs, operational risks and construction and launch delays are major risks. In the wireless segment, BCE competes against the likes of Rogers Communications Inc. RCI and TELUS Corporation TU as well as small regional carriers in Canada. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that BCE is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below. Story continues Zacks ESP: BCE has an earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 69 cents. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: BCE has a Zacks Rank #3 which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the companys 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. Meanwhile, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum. BCE INC Price and EPS Surprise BCE INC Price and EPS Surprise | BCE INC Quote Stock to Consider Here is a company that has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, with an earnings ESP of +1.11% and a Zacks Rank #3.You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the previous four quarters. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report TELUS CORP (TU): Free Stock Analysis Report BCE INC (BCE): Free Stock Analysis Report VERIZON COMM (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report ROGERS COMM CLB (RCI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Bearing Resources Ltd. (BRZ.V) (the "Company" or "Bearing") announces that it has entered into an advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") with Haywood Securities Inc. ("Haywood") pursuant to which Haywood has agreed to provide advisory services to the Company for a period of 12 months in connection with the Company's review of strategic alternatives, including, without limitation, acquisitions or dispositions of assets, joint venture agreements for mineral properties with, or without, participating interest buy-out provisions, amalgamations, mergers, takeovers or other corporate reorganizations (collectively, "Transactions"). The fees paid to Haywood in connection with any specific Transaction will be determined in accordance with the Advisory Agreement and are subject to prior approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Jeremy Poirier, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, stated, "We are pleased about the execution of the Advisory Agreement and our engagement of Haywood. Retaining an experienced advisory team is a key step in the process to evaluate and develop a range of strategic opportunities for the Company to help create shareholder value." About Haywood Securities Inc. Founded in 1981, Haywood Securities is a private, 100-per-cent employee-owned investment dealer with more than 275 employees and Canadian offices in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. The firm is a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange, the TSX Venture Exchange, the Bourse de Montreal, Canadian National Stock Exchange, Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Association of Canada. Haywood is known for its activity in the resource based sector providing extensive research, trading and investment banking services. About Bearing Resources Ltd. Bearing Resources Ltd. is a Canadian based company focused on exploration for precious and base metals in North America. The Company's strategy is to identify, explore and develop mineral deposits with a magnitude of size and grade to be of interest to mid-sized and larger mining companies. The Company will carry out all aspects of exploration and development from grass roots prospecting to feasibility studies. Projects will be acquired through both staking and acquisition. From time to time, the Company may option projects to an external exploration companies in an effort to focus both financial and human capital on other internal projects. Story continues ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed " Jeremy Poirier " Jeremy Poirier, President and CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jeremy Poirier - President and CEO Bearing Resources - Telephone: 1-778-989-1501 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future plans, programs, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, are "forward-looking statements". We caution you that such "forward-looking statements" involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual and future events to differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's development and corporate strategy and other information that is based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as required by law. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined and other risks of the mining industry. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE: Bearing Resources Ltd. The production company behind Beasts of No Nation; Hello, My Name Is Doris; and The Family Fang has hired a new vp, development, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Yoni Liebling is joining Red Crown Productions and will lead content acquisitions, establishing strategic partnerships, and co-produce feature films. "Yoni has wonderful taste in identifying prospective projects and a tremendous amount of industry knowledge which makes him a very valuable addition to the Red Crown team" said Red Crown founder Daniel Crown in a statement. Liebling previously worked as a development assistant at Black Label Media under CEO Molly Smith, contributing on projects like Sicario, Demolition, '71 and The Good Lie. Prior to that he worked for CAA for more than three years. Liebling is based out of L.A. and will report to Crown. Red Crown is currently working on the upcoming thriller HHhH, about the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich, to be distributed by The Weinstein Company. The company is also in production on Anthony Mandler's drama Monster, based on the novel by Walter Dean Myers, starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jennifer Hudson and A$AP Rocky. Red Crown is also in development on David Gelb's Managing Mr. Horowitz, about an ambitious young talent manager who tries to revive the career of eccentric 80-year-old pianist Vladimir Horowitz. Read more: 'Demolition' Producers Talk Indie Film Strategy, 'Sicario 2' Plans and Move to TV Any other actor in a high-collared burgundy cape and goatee would risk looking like a lounge magician. But Benedict Cumberbatch is so unmannered, so smart, so playful, he makes the title character of Doctor Strange one of the best Marvel movie superheroes yet. Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon whose hands have been mangled in a car accident, travels to Nepal to seek out a mysterious healer, the Ancient One. Shes played by a bald Tilda Swinton with timeless wisdom and a rather alluring British reserve, something like a cross between Yoda and Anna Wintour. (This non-Asian incarnation, which prompted some media debate over whether the character was being whitewashed, is described vaguely yet pointedly as Celtic.) What makes Cumberbatchs performance so enjoyable what gives it shape and comic tension is that Strange comes to embrace the mystical, ritual and cosmic lessons of the Ancient One fully but very, very slowly. You get the sense that he regards most of his time spent with the antediluvian Celt and her disciples as a vexingly steep deductible he has to pay as a part of occupational therapy. Hes not much nicer to Rachel McAdams, in a somewhat decorative role as a hospital colleague and confidante who tries to help the doctor get a grip on things, literally and otherwise. But here, again, Cumberbatch tempers the doctors arrogant brilliance with unforced charm. With a few plot detours, the movie could evolve into an unusual rom-com with him in a tug of war between Swinton and McAdams. Stranges journey eventually lands him in the middle of a galaxy-spanning, dimension-warping war: His principal enemy is a former ally of the Ancient One, Kaecilius, a name that suggests a minor Roman official who might have gotten his kicks taunting gladiators. Mads Mikkelsen plays him with a stony lack of self-consciousness, even though his distractingly odd makeup makes him look as if hed been blinking away glistening magenta tears for decades or even centuries. Story continues Mads Mikkelsen never disappoints. The special effects in Doctor Strange are visually richer than usual for a Marvel film. Or, to put it another way, theyre a lot more trippy. Floors, walls and rooms collapse and whirl out and away in kaleidoscopic patterns. Entire streets roll up on themselves like yoga mats sort of like Inception, sort of like M.C. Escher. And that burgundy cape has a life (and a consciousness) of its own. Youd unfriend most of the people you know on Facebook if only that cape would accept your invitation. Fun fun fun! In theaters Nov. 4, PG-13. Final UPDATE, 1:51 PM: The first of the expected two-day Bill Cosby pre-trial hearings has just adjourned for today after a short return to the courtroom following the recess in the 2004 sexual assault case. Cosby, his lawyers and the prosecutors from the Montgomery County D.A.s office will all be back on Wednesday in Judge Steven ONeills courtroom. The judge advised the defense side to submit documentation that reinforce their statements today in regards to a 2005 no prosecution decision by the then D.A. An obviously irritated ONeil, who has had the parties in his courtroom several times this year, said anything that cant be substantiated will be pulled from the official record. Additionally, tomorrow the defense is expected to put forth its argument that the trio felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault should be tossed out because Cosbys right to due process was violated. The POV is that the more than a decade delay after the alleged crime in question occurred injured the once beloved actor. The Commonwealths choices about how to prosecute this case, combined with its lengthy delay in bringing charges, impose an impossible burden on Mr. Cosby, said the defense in a recent filing. Cosby left the courtroom quickly today and without saying a word. 2nd UPDATE, 11:20 AM: First it was deja vu at todays pre-trial hearing for Bill Cosbys upcoming trial over the alleged 2004 sexual assault of Andrea Constand and now its a holding pattern in Norristown, PA. Coming back from the lunch break, Judge Steven ONeill has moved prosecutors from the Montgomery County D.A.s office and Cosbys defense team out of the courtroom to review and discuss the various motions and accompanying evidence at play today, including a filing to dismiss the nearly a year-old case. All of which means that Tuesdays hearing is in indefinite recess for how ever long the court decides the attorneys need to work it out, to quote Judge ONeill. Story continues UPDATE, 9:15 AM: It was a bit of deja vu this morning in suburban Philadelphia at the latest hearing ahead of Bill Cosbys June 2017 trial on three felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault, with an old deal once again in the foreground. Brian McMonagle Cosby lawyer We are now in the quandary of a lifetime because the best witness on this particular issue is dead, Cosbys attorney Brian McMonagle told the Norristown, PA courtroom and an attending Cosby today, evoking the 2005 no-prosecution decision that previous Montgomery County D.A. Bruce Castor came to in return for Cosby agreeing to a civil case. McMonagles specific point today is that because of that decision, a 2005 deposition of Cosbys where he admits using drugs for sex with women should not be allowed as evidence in the upcoming criminal trial. The deposition in the civic case of Andrea Constand, who alleges that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 2004, became public last year and was seen by many as confirmation of accusations made against the actor over the decades. And hes dead because [prosecutors] waited 12 years to bring this prosecution, McMonagle added, referring to past Cosby lawyer Walter Phillips Jr., who died in February 2015. Then newly elected D.A. Kevin Steele filed the criminal charges against Cosby late last year just before the states 12-year statute of limitations expired on Constands case. Cosby was arraigned and released on $1 million bail December 30 without entering a plea. Early on in the case, the actors defense team has tried to use the verbal immunity determination Castor granted in 2005 as a shield. It was batted away in hearings in February where current D.A. Steele and his team successfully argued against the unusual Castor promise because it was never put in writing nor followed the set procedure for such arrangements. Subsequently in motions and appeals, the somewhat rotating team of attorneys representing Cosby sought to have the arrangement reinstated to no success. With today and tomorrows hearings set to determine whether the deposition will be admitted along with testimony of 13 other women whove claimed Cosby sexually assaulted or drugged them, Constand can testify in the only criminal case against Cosby. The defense once again sought to kneecap the process by waving the Castor deal in the courts face. Judge Steven ONeil, who determined earlier this year that the Castor arrangement wasnt binding, didnt display much patience with the tactic. He implored McMonagle to display evidence that lawyers for Cosby actually asserted that such a promise was made and that it was conveyed to Phillips before the actor was deposed in the Constand civil case. McMonagle did not present any evidence to answer the judges questions. Assistant D.A. M. Stewart Ryan told the judge that his office also felt there were now credibility issues with Castor, who served as Pennsylvanias acting Attorney General for just under two weeks this summer. In his testimony and statements on the decision not to prosecute Cosby back in 2005 for lack of evidence, the former D.A. has given a trio of different version of what was and was not promised. Stewart also argued that even if that promise had been made and was binding, Cosby didnt refer to it when he was deposed 11 years ago and didnt plead his Fifth Amendment, as he could have in the civil matter. McMonagle still asserted to the court that Castor made the promise to Phillips, and any ruling otherwise is essentially accusing the GOP ex-D.A. of perjuring himself in the matter. This case, the Philly-based lawyer said, unfortunately involves a situation where somebody else gave their word and Mr. Steele doesnt like that promise. Todays hearing is now on break until around 10:30 AM PT. PREVIOUS, 6:21 AM: Facing a criminal trial next June in Pennsylvania for the alleged 2004 sexual assault of former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, Bill Cosby has just arrived at the courthouse in Norristown, PA for a pivotal hearing that could determine whether more than a dozen other accusers will be able to testify. The expected two-day session in front of state Judge Steven ONeill will also examine if taped phone conversations between the 79-year-old actor and Constands mother, and 2005 deposition in the civil case, can be used as evidence in the trial schedule to start June 5. If found guilty, the much-accused Cosby could end up behind bars for a decade and pay millions in fines on three felony charges of second-degree aggravated indecent assault. The Montgomery County D.A.s office charged Cosby late last year to get in under the wire of Pennsylvanias 12-year statute of limitations for such sex crimes. Cosby was arraigned December 30 and released on $1 million bail without entering a plea. Gloria Allred nov 1 2016 Cosby, reportedly near-blind, entered the courthouse Tuesday morning just before 9 AM ET assisted by two handlers and walking with a cane. Among those also in attendance is Gloria Allred, who is representing the majority of the 13 women who claim they were sexually assaulted or drugged by Cosby in the past and who may take the stand next year. More than 50 women have come forward in the past two years to accuse Cosby of such acts over the decades. While the Pennsylvania case is the only criminal case, several civil cases are in progress nationwide. Fighting back against the introduction of potential testimony from the 13 other women, Cosbys legal team is expected to argue today that they must all take competency tests due to the tainted, unreliable memories of women, now in their senior years, as they said in a previous court document calling the matter stale. Over the subsequent months since criminal charges were filed, Cosby has unsuccessfully tried in several courts in the Granite State to get the case dismissed, including as recently as September 6 the last time he was in ONeills courtroom. Since then, Cosbys latest set of lawyers filed another motion for dismissal and the D.As office has fired back. He is an individual who has used his fame and fortune for decades to conceal his crimes and hide his true nature, they said late last month in a filed reply. He is not entitled to a dismissal now that the law has caught up to him, D.A. Kevin Steeles office added, noting the revelations of The Cosby Show actors use of drugs on women in a 2006 deposition in the Constand civil case that was made public last year. More pretrial hearings are scheduled in Cosbys criminal case later this month. Anna Orso contributed to this report. Related stories Norman Brokaw Dies: Influential William Morris Leader Was 89 Bill Cosby Claims "None Of Us Are Safe" As Prosecutors Reject Latest Attempt To Exit 2004 Rape Case & 2017 Trial Start 'The Apprentice' Contestant Summer Zervos Says Donald Trump Grabbed Her Breasts During Job Interview Bill Cosby left court in Norristown, Pennsylvania around 5 p.m. Tuesday after a full day of legal arguments in the first of a series of hearings to decide what evidence gets admitted at his sexual assault trial and whether the criminal charges against him should be dismissed. Cosby, 79, is charged with three counts of aggravated indecent assault for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting former Temple University employee Andrea Constand, now 43, at his Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, mansion in January 2004. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied similar allegations from more than 50 women. Attorneys on both sides spent the bulk of Tuesday arguing whether Cosbys deposition from a long-settled civil suit by Constand should be admissible as evidence. Montgomery County Judge Steven ONeill has scheduled four days in November and December to hear arguments on that issue and two others in Cosbys case: whether 13 other women with similar allegations to Constands should be allowed to testify at trial and whether his due process rights were violated by the lengthy delay in arresting him following the alleged assault. (The latter dismissal motion is not the first time Cosbys team has sought to have his case tossed out.) Cosby is also expected to produce a doctors note confirming that he is legally blind, according to an Oct. 27 filing by his legal team. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. On Monday, Cosbys team filed two lengthy motions dealing with the 13 women the prosecution wants to testify: The first argued against the women being allowed to testify because their accounts are based solely on the tainted unreliable memories of women, now in their senior years. The second motion, should the judge allow their testimony, asked the judge to hold competency hearings on each of the women beforehand because memories are far from infallible, Cosby defense attorneys Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa wrote in the filing. Story continues Science tells us that memories are corruptible, vulnerable to suggestion and change depending on numerous factors like how questions are asked, they wrote. In early October, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steeles motion fired back at Cosbys latest attempts to dismiss his case, saying, He is an individual who has used his fame and fortune for decades to conceal his crimes and hide his true nature. He is not entitled to a dismissal now that the law has caught up to him. Cosbys trial is scheduled for June. He will be back in court on Wednesday. The following material contains mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised. The birth of a baby is a very beautiful and intimate experience...until now. America's Next Top Model winner Lisa D'Amato set a new record for the broadcasting the miracle of childbirth on Facebook Live. Watch: Social Media TMI? Lisa and her husband join The Doctors to discuss how going public with her birth was surprising, even to Lisa! After getting an epidural, Lisa allowed her friend to record the entire birth, which ended up only being a 28-minute long recording! Lisa didn't even know that it was actually LIVE on Facebook to the public (and not just friends) until after the fact. The video shows Lisa being lighthearted joking about what she's going to eat after the birth saying, "I don't know if I'm gonna get crispy chicken tacos, pizza, or Crustacean's garlic noodles." And it also show's the more serious side of giving birth. Their son Venice was put on oxygen support in the NICU after the umbilical cord got caught around his neck. Watch: The Booty that Broke the Internet The Doctors wonder if we are taking social media sharing too far. Would you ever broadcast a live birth? Netflixs Black Mirror is a dark satire that explores how technology affects our humanity. It makes its points through exaggeration but not too much exaggeration. Some of the episodes hit painfully close to home, because the situations and tech they portray arent far off. Here are five examples. Season 3, Episode 1: Nosedive This brilliant episode, starring Bryce Dallas-Howard, images a world in which everyone is constantly ranking each other. Rankings establish social status. Guess which country is trying to make this a reality? BBC News reports that the Chinese government is developing a social credit system that compiles fiscal and government information, including minor traffic violations, and distils it into a single number ranking each citizen. One company, meanwhile, Sesame Credit, encourages its 400 million users to share their credit scores with friends and potential mates. Chinas biggest dating service, Baihe, promotes clients with high credit scores. Season 3, Episode 3: Shut Up and Dance Perhaps the most gutwrenching episode of Black Mirror finds a young man racing to meet blackmailers demands after they use his laptops camera to catch him in a compromising position. Guess what? This has already happened in real life. Hackers can and have watch people on their own cameras. The U.S. Justice Departments website tells the true story of sextortionist Luis Mijangos, who prosecutors accused of spying on more than 200 women through their webcams, and blackmailing some of them. If you want to go ahead and tape over your camera lens before you keep clicking through the gallery, we understand. Season 3, Episode 4: Men Against Fire This episode repeats a claim from the book Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command, by Samuel Lyman Marshall, that most soldiers deliberately avoid firing on or killing their enemies because of their fundamental empathy and humanity. In the episode, an Army outfits all its soldiers with special lenses that make them see their enemies as inhuman. Story continues Weve been doing this forever and havent needed lenses to do it. Heres a piece of horrible propaganda from World War II. Season 1, Episode 1: National Anthem In the first episode of the series, a kidnapper demands that the British prime minister have sex with a pig on television if he wants to save the life of a beloved princess. Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker told Fresh Air he was inspired by the way real politicians humiliate themselves for the amusement of voters. I was watching things like Im A Celebrity and there were people doing these degrading things Weve got a politician called Boris Johnson in the U.K. whos persona popular persona is kind of as a buffoon, Brooker continued. And he showed up on comedy panel shows as a guest and would sort of dither and say outrageous things and look a bit crazy. And what that did was it made him kind of unassailable. You know, you cant humiliate him because hes inoculated himself to humiliation. Season 2, Episode 3: The Waldo Moment A failed comedian voices a cartoon bear who berates politicians without adding anything substantive to the discussion. Voters love it. So it seems to me that thats almost like a dystopian version of what comics like Sacha Baron Cohen as Ali G or Robert Smigel as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog have done which is take their humor into the real world and confront politicians and persona, said Fresh Air host Terry Gross. If you enjoyed this gallery, check out this list of All 13 Black Mirror episodes, ranked from great to mind-blowing. Related stories from TheWrap: 'Black Mirror': Where Was 'San Junipero' Filmed? Netflix CEO's Vision for Future of Entertainment Is Basically a 'Black Mirror' Episode 'Black Mirror' Fact Check: Do Most Soldiers Really Not Shoot? Barack Obamas presidency sent Washingtons foreign-policy hawks, or the Blob, as White House aide Ben Rhodes once disparagingly called them, into the wilderness. But the Blob is back, facing its best opportunity in eight years to push for a greater U.S. military role in the Middle East, this time in Syria. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, hold vastly divergent positions on how to bring the five-and-a-half-year war in Syria to an end. As secretary of state, Clinton favored arming Sunni rebels against President Bashar al-Assad and has proposed installing a no-fly zone or safe zone to protect civilians from Russian and Syrian government bombers. She has also called for providing additional arms and training to Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State. Its less clear, however, how far she would go in arming opposition groups devoted to toppling Assad. Neither Clinton nor most of the others who are calling for a tougher military response in Syria are advocating the kind of full-fledged intervention, with U.S. ground forces, that the United States has undertaken over the past 15 years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Still, her proposals have emboldened those who believe that only American firepower is capable of forcing Assad to pursue a peace deal in good faith. Bassam Barabandi, a former Syrian diplomat who now advises the Syrian opposition, says he believes both Clinton and Trump would pursue a more aggressive Syria policy than the Obama administration though he has no expectations of U.S. forces entering the war to fight Assad. And plenty of voices still believe that Obama got it right by withstanding pressure from Washingtons foreign-policy establishment to bomb Assad and increase arms deliveries to a hodgepodge of rebel groups, many of whom have become entangled in alliances with extremists. Some experts say there is even skepticism within Clintons tight-knit group of foreign-policy advisors by some who doubt the wisdom of deepening Americas military involvement in Syria. Story continues As for a Trump presidency, the GOP nominee has expressed little interest in taking down the Syrian leader, saying in the Oct. 19 presidential debate that you may very well end up with worse than Assad if others vie to fill a leadership vacuum his departure would create. Instead, Trump would prefer to work with NATO allies and Russia to defeat the Islamic State: Wouldnt it be nice if we got together with Russia and knocked the hell out of ISIS? he asked at a rally in July. As Obama leaves office next January, foreign-policy wonks will have their best opportunity yet to recalibrate and redirect U.S. policy for Syria. Heres a mix of hawkish and dovish proposals, as outlined to Foreign Policy, the next president could consider. The no-bomb zones Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, believes Russias deployment of advanced missile defense systems would prove more complicated for a Clinton presidency than when she first began pushing the idea of a no-fly zone from inside the Obama administration. But Lister said the United States and Turkey have already effectively created no-bomb zones for Russian and Syrian aircraft in northeastern Syria and northern Aleppo. He suggested deploying international commandos to other areas in Syria to deter airstrikes. Lister also estimated that some 70 armed opposition groups, which he deemed sufficiently moderate, have been vetted by the CIA and Defense Department to receive military assistance from the United States. The thing with the Obama administration is that it has been very weary to work with them, Lister said. Thats an opportunity that is not going to last forever. The White House has been reluctant to support some of those rebel factions because their operations are entangled with extremist groups, including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which until recently was called the Nusra Front and has had ties to al Qaeda the sworn enemy of the United States. Lister thinks the factions deserve support nonetheless. A new U.S. administration, he added, is going to have to enforce the cessation of hostilities, either single-handedly or with the help of a coalition. Lister has some powerful allies. In October, he joined retired Marine Gen. John Allen, the former head of the international coalition against the Islamic State, in penning a Washington Post op-ed that called for escalating U.S. efforts to rein in Assad. They suggested imposing additional economic sanctions on Russia and other backers of the Syrian military and leading a coalition to potentially target and strike Syrian infrastructure. I think the Assad regime is intensely sensitive to pressure from the United States but has rarely been placed under any pressure from the United States, Lister told FP. Cut off the rebels and force the war to end Some critics of a military solution in Syria see the crisis from an entirely different perspective: They believe the Obama administration did not move fast enough to cut off allied support for the rebels who are linked to extremists including the Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham a dynamic that prolonged the war in Syria. Escalation has failed to win this proxy war. It has only prolonged it and increased the death toll, said Joshua Landis, the director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. While no fan of Assad, Landis said the regimes atrocities do not justify providing military and logistical support to rebels in the dim hope of a political transition that might bring a better outcome. Even so, Landis said theres still time for the next U.S. president to get the policy right. The U.S. should help bring the Syrian civil war to a quick end in order to reduce the suffering of the Syrian people, he said. The U.S. can assist in this by refusing to send more arms and money to the rebels and to encourage our allies, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, to reduce arms shipments and money flows to insurgents. Bomb the Syrians until they talk A new U.S. president will need to impose and maintain a credible cease-fire in Syria, said Andrew Tabler, a Syria scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. By most accounts, a U.S.- and Russian-brokered initiative to stop the fighting in eastern Aleppo unraveled in September after Damascus and Moscow restarted a massive bombing campaign. Tabler said Syria paid no price nor has it ever for violating the fighting pause. But he said Washington could enforce future cease-fires by launching cruise missile strikes from U.S. warships, or from a neighboring country, to destroy Syrian airfields and other targets. To avoid escalating tensions with Moscow, the United States would need to limit its targeting to military facilities where the Russians are not present. In August, Tabler co-wrote a New York Times op-ed with Dennis Ross, a former Middle East envoy who initially supported, but later regretted, the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. Tabler also favors establishing safe zones near Syrias borders with Jordan and Turkey. He said doing so will more easily limit the activities of extremists and provide greater security for civilians. Moreover, Tabler said, the new administration will also need to dig deep into its diplomatic toolbox to explore ways to ratchet up pressure on the regime, including by expanding U.S. and European sanctions against Syrian energy exports and clamping down on Damascus for its use of chemical weapons. But punishing Assads regime is easier said than done. Russia has signaled it will use its influence at the U.N. to block attempts by the United States and its allies to further sanction Syria for dropping chlorine-filled toxic bombs on opposition-controlled towns. The new president will have to find a way to overcome Russian opposition, Tabler said, by identifying actions that can affect the regimes calculus. Step up training and equipping rebels The Syrian civil war will either end in defeat for one party or it will come to peace as the result of a negotiated settlement that most likely will be based on the 2012 Geneva communique, brokered by the United Nations. Faysal Itani, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Councils Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, said he prefers the diplomatic outcome. But getting there will require a military buildup of Syrias beleaguered rebel forces. Itani is convinced a Clinton presidency would be more amenable to stepping up the use of force. In conversations, [the Clinton camp] is more belligerent than I would have imagined, he told FP. They seem convinced the Assad regime will never listen to anything but force. Itani, however, is skeptical of Clintons call for a no-fly zone, saying it would require a massive military escalation that would prove too costly in financial and military terms over time to sustain. But he said if the United States is reluctant to supply rebels with game-changing weapons, it will have to participate more directly in the conflict. Every time a missile drops on a marketplace or a barrel bomb drops, something on the regime side is going to have to blow up, Itani said. We have to get involved directly. Cut a deal with Russia and Iran Getting to a negotiated resolution to the conflict could mean rethinking a key priority that U.S. and Persian Gulf officials have embraced for years: the abrupt departure of Assad. Its unrealistic to assume that President Assads departure is at this point on the table, said Andrew Bowen, a Syria expert at the Wilson Center. The regimes backers, Moscow and Tehran, appear unwilling to let the dictator of Damascus go. Instead, a settlement could include Assad serving out his presidential term accompanied with constitutional reform that would give more power to a newly elected prime minister and government, Bowen said. A grand bargain would require buy-in from key regional countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and especially Iran and Russia, Bowen said. The deal should also entail security service reform including demilitarization of militias and the withdrawal of foreign forces, he said. Photo credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images NEW ORLEANS Brain infections from a parasite called Taenia solium are more common on Long Island, New York, than experts previously thought, a new study finds. T. solium is found in raw or undercooked pork. If a person eats undercooked pork that contains this parasite in its larval stage, when it has partially developed, a tapeworm can grow in his or her intestine. For a person's brain to become infected, an additional step is required: The tapeworm in the intestine must lay eggs, which are excreted from the body in a person's feces. People can get an infection called cysticercosis if even tiny amounts of these eggs somehow wind up in their food or water. (This method of transmission called the oral-fecal route, and is common in the spread of parasites and other pathogens.) These ingested eggs penetrate though the intestinal wall, and then from there they go on to infect the brain, muscle or other tissues in the body, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [The 10 Most Diabolical Parasites] Therefore, people who live in the same house as someone with an intestinal tapeworm have a higher risk of getting cysticercosis than people who don't live with someone with a tapeworm, the CDC says. People can go years without knowing that they have the infection, said Dr. Amy Spallone, a resident in internal medicine at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York and the lead author of the study. The parasite may go undetected until the infected person has a seizure, or needs a brain scan for an unrelated issue, Spallone told Live Science. After doctors at Stony Brook noticed an increase in the number of patients with this type of brain infection, they decided to investigate how common it was on Long Island, she said. In the study, the researchers looked at all of the cases of T. solium infections over a 10-year period at their hospital. They found 44 cases between 2005 and 2015, with slightly more cases in males than in females, according to the study, which was presented here Thursday (Oct. 27), at IDWeek 2016, a meeting of several organizations focused on infectious diseases. Story continues The researchers noted that they found that brain infections from T. solium were most common in people living in predominantly Hispanic communities, compared with in other communities. Moreover, the majority of the patients had come to the U.S. after living in Central American countries, where the parasite is found in the environment. It's not entirely clear how the parasite gets into the brain, Spallone said. Indeed, if a person ingests the parasitic eggs, the infection can turn up anywhere in the body, she said. When it ends up in the brain, however, the consequences are more severe, Spallone said. Exactly where the parasite goes in the brain affects how a person responds to the infection, Spallone said. In the majority of the cases that Spallone and her co-authors looked at, the infections were in the brain tissue. In certain locations, the infection may cause seizures, for example. The infection can be deadly in some cases. [7 Devastating Infectious Diseases] However, in some instances, the parasites were found in the tissue just below the brain, near the brain stem, Spallone said. In these cases, patients can develop severe swelling in their brain, because the parasite can block the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, she said. This can lead to a condition called hydrocephalus, which requires surgery. Anti-parasitic drugs are available to treat the infection, Spallone said. However, diagnosing the disease can sometimes be difficult, she said. For example, many people are diagnosed through a brain scan, but it isn't practical to give brain scans to every patient, she said. And although blood tests are available, they don't always pick up signs of the infection, she said. In some cases, doctors will see a lesion on a brain scan but the blood test will come back negative, she said. Spallone noted that she was surprised by how prevalent the infection was on Long Island. In the rest of the United States, the prevalence of the disease is not well understood, she said. The findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Originally published on Live Science. Editor's Recommendations (Adds president's comment supporting second program in 2016) By Silvio Cascione and Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The head of Brazil's Senate called on Tuesday for a second amnesty program for undeclared assets abroad after a window ending on Oct. 31 drew less than his expectations. Senate President Renan Calheiros told journalists he would present a bill next week to open the window in 2017 to secure more public funds as ordinary tax revenue plummets in a severe recession. "I proposed to President Michel Temer that we reopen the amnesty program next year ... so that we can have at least as much revenue in 2017," Calheiros said. He said the program could have attracted 100 billion reais ($30.91 billion) if it were not for legal uncertainty created by the lower house of Congress last month. Soon after Calheiros' comment, Temer told reporters he favored opening a new program. "If it's possible to do it soon, let it be this year," he said before entering a dinner for Portugal's prime minister, Antonio Costa, in Brasilia. The government will collect 50.9 billion reais ($15.83 billion) in taxes and fines under the program this year, the federal tax agency said on Tuesday. The extraordinary revenues surpassed 50 billion reais, as Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles had forecast, but fell short of more ambitious targets floated by lawmakers. Senator Romero Juca, president of the ruling Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, estimated that a second amnesty window could raise 30 billion reais more for public coffers, adding that the Senate could approve another program this year. "We need to improve the bill, maybe raise the tax rate a little so we don't reward those who waited," he told reporters. The central bank said separately on Monday that Brazilian investors repatriated $10 billion under the amnesty program that expired last month. Investors were required to pay taxes and a fine to apply for the amnesty, but could opt to maintain their funds abroad. Story continues Tax agency chief Jorge Rachid said the program was a success. A total of 25,011 individual taxpayers and 103 companies declared the equivalent of 169.9 billion reais in undeclared assets abroad. The government has been counting on that money to meet its 2016 budget target and prevent a record budget gap from growing even faster as a long-running recession hurts tax revenues. Brazil accumulated a primary deficit of 188.3 billion reais in the twelve months through September, well above the official 2016 target of 163.9 billion reais. ($1 = 3.22 Brazilian reais) ($1 = 3.2355 reais) (Reporting by Silvio Cascione, Lisandra Paraguassu and Maria Carolina Marcondes; additional reporting by Eduardo Simoes, writing by Brad Haynes and Reese Ewing; editing by Grant McCool and Diane Craft) From Esquire Earlier this month, The New York Times obtained Donald Trump's tax records, which suggested he may have avoided paying taxes for a whopping two decades. On Monday evening, the Times obtained new documents that showed Trump avoided reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income in the early 1990s. How? By using a loophole "so legally dubious his own lawyers advised him that the Internal Revenue Service would likely declare it improper if he were audited." The maneuver, which was later outlawed by Congress, allowed Trump to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in taxes. "Whatever loophole existed was not 'exploited' here, but stretched beyond any recognition," Steven M. Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center who helped draft tax legislation in the early 1990s, told the Times. Tax experts also told the Times that the loophole "trampled a core tenet of American tax policy" by bestowing benefits to Trump "for losing vast amounts of other people's money" due to his casino empire: As that empire floundered in the early 1990s, Mr. Trump pressured his financial backers to forgive hundreds of millions of dollars in debt he could not repay. While the cancellation of so much debt gave new life to Mr. Trump's casinos, it created a potentially crippling problem with the Internal Revenue Service. In the eyes of the I.R.S., a dollar of canceled debt is the same as a dollar of taxable income. This meant Mr. Trump faced the painful prospect of having to report the hundreds of millions of dollars of canceled debt as if it were hundreds of millions of dollars of taxable income. However, Trump's maneuvering enabled him to evade reporting the debt to the IRS-which, the Times points out, may explain how Trump reported a whopping loss of $916 million in his 1995 tax returns. Trump's tax lawyers at Willkie Farr & Gallagher essentially told Trump at the time that his methods were legally dubious at best. "Due to the lack of definitive judicial or administrative authority," his lawyers wrote to him, "substantial uncertainties exist with respect to many of the tax consequences of the plan." Story continues Naturally, Trump's campaign not only dismissed the claims, but twisted it around to make it sound like life is oh-so-hard for the rich. Said Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks in response to an email from the Times: "Your e-mail suggests either a fundamental misunderstanding or an intentional misreading of the law. Your thesis is a criticism, not just of Mr. Trump, but of all taxpayers who take the time and spend the money to try to comply with the dizzyingly complex and ambiguous tax laws without paying more tax than they owe. Mr. Trump does not think that taxpayers should file returns that resolve all doubt in favor of the IRS. And any tax experts that you have consulted are engaged in pure speculation. There is no news here." The loophole Trump used was banned by Congress in 2004. Oh, and as the Times pointed out, one of the members of Congress who voted to close the loophole was Hillary Clinton. (H/T The New York Times) You Might Also Like KIEV, Ukraine The industrial zone outside the town of Avdeevka in eastern Ukraine was for years a half-abandoned concrete wasteland. Today, it serves as a strategic outpost on the front line of a simmering war between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists, which flared up again this summer with a vengeance. At 2 p.m. on July 6, machine-gun fire shattered the usual afternoon lull. From inside an empty warehouse, the Ukrainian armys 81st Brigade began moving to hold off a rebel advance when a 120 mm mortar shell ripped through the ceiling, sending slabs of concrete crashing to the ground. From beneath the rubble, comrades retrieved 31-year-old paramedic Oleg Lysevych, who died on the spot, and heavily wounded soldier Volodymyr Sergeev. The 23-year-old had received shrapnel wounds to the head, stomach, and both legs and arms. As Sergeev was given treatment, a second mortar strike left another soldier wounded. Four were loaded into an ambulance that day, flanked by an armored personnel carrier as it sped to the hospital. Less than an hour passed before Sergeev was pronounced dead by medical staff. Two days later, the Ukrainian online news channel Hromadske TV, which had embedded with the 81st Brigade, posted its dispatch from the scene to YouTube. In the clip, Hromadske reporter Nastya Stanko applied a tourniquet to Sergeevs bleeding leg. Her cameraman, Konstantin Reutski, carried another soldier to the ambulance. Neither the warehouses location nor the soldiers evacuation route was shown. An article with graphic images and video of the battle, titled War Has Returned, was published by Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta. In Kiev, the government erupted in outrage. Ukraines anti-terrorist operation (ATO) against pro-Russian rebels has its own public relations team, and, via its Facebook page, it essentially accused Hromadske of treason. It charged the channel with exposing army positions, condemned its collaboration with Russian media (a reporter with Novaya Gazeta had accompanied the Hromadske team), and demanded its staff be disciplined. The video clearly shows the positions of Ukrainian soldiers, their faces and weaponry, objects which can be used as orientation cues by the enemy, the Facebook post read. This is a serious violation of the rules of conduct in the ATO zone. Story continues But even more unexpectedly, the public, too, turned on Hromadske. The press center post received more than 3,000 likes and shares completely out of keeping with the response most ATO statements get. Users hurled accusations at the channel, often in abusive tones. Its not their accreditation that should be withdrawn but their freedom, as accomplices of terrorists. Lock them up, and dont let them near our boys, Facebook user Irina Osypenko wrote. Three hours after it went live, Hromadske removed the video. But the damage had been done. On July 11, the journalists were stripped of their front-line accreditation pending a probe into their activities. It marked the end of an era for Hromadske and perhaps for Ukraine. When it launched in 2013, Hromadske quickly emerged as the unofficial mouthpiece of Maidan, the protest movement that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych. Just as Maidan inspired something new in Ukrainian politics a commitment to transparency so Hromadske gave hope of something new in Ukrainian media: a commitment to the facts. The channel brought no-holds-barred coverage of Ukraines political upheaval and the subsequent Kremlin-backed insurgency in the east. And that coverage helped keep the countrys democratic transition on track through incisive reports of the fight for reform and damning investigations into official corruption. But, three years on, the countrys post-Maidan transition has stalled. There have been few political reforms, and corruption is still rampant. Members of Yanukovychs administration still occupy key positions in the government. The war in eastern Ukraine shows no signs of ending. And the harmony between Ukraines new political life and its most ambitious media venture has become a dissonance.Hromadske is now under growing pressure from the public and the government to choose between its loyalty to the nation and its journalistic ideals. The situation has changed, said Stanko, who has been covering the military conflict since May 2014. A patriotic wave has swept over the media. Journalists are either traitors or servants of the state. Theres a feeling that truth no longer matters. Pro-EU activists stand opposite riot police during a demonstration organized by the Ukrainian opposition in Independence Square in Kiev on November 22, 2013. Photo credit: AFP PHOTO/ SERGEI SUPINSKY Ukraines post-communist television industry has traditionally been dominated by the countrys oligarchs. The few dozen men who had exploited the 1990s privatization drive to build business empires from the ashes of the Soviet system also gained control of the television airwaves. They have used them ever since to wage business feuds and champion the politicians who pledge to safeguard their wealth. Billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky controls the channel 1+1 and its English language spin-off, Ukraine Today. Steel magnate Victor Pinchuk has ICTV. Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraines richest man, runs Ukrayina, while the exiled oligarch Dmytro Firtash owns Inter. Between them, these men bankroll Ukraines 10 most-watched TV channels. Billionaire confectionary magnate Petro Poroshenko was elected president in 2014 on a pledge to sell his businesses and focus on the well-being of the nation; today, he still controls Channel 5, where, for the right sum of money, anyone can spread his or her message over its airwaves. Its a media landscape that the Ukrainian economic elite designed to further its interests, and one the countrys political elite learned to navigate to further their own, at the expense of the 90 percent of Ukrainians who rely on television for their news. Hromadske TV (Public TV in Ukrainian) entered this landscape in April 2013. TVi, a channel known for its investigative reports, had just changed hands in a highly publicized ownership dispute. Owner Konstantin Kagalovsky accused businessman Alexander Altman of a corporate raid to seize the channel, carried out with help from Ukraines secret service. Following the firing of high-profile staff, and allegations of censorship, 31 journalists left the station. In June, several of them combined forces to launch Hromadske. Hromadske chose an unprecedented business model. In announcing the project, presenter Mustafa Nayyem promised a genuinely transparent news source without oligarchic involvement. With little upfront capital, it registered as a nongovernmental organization (NGO), in the hope that nonprofit status would insulate it against government or oligarchic intrusion. The move also meant Hromadske would rely solely on the goodwill of donors in taking on competitors worth billions of dollars. Crowdfunding among Ukrainians was slow to gather momentum, but the West was quick to lend a hand. Various European and North American state and private entities helped keep the channel afloat at the outset and since. In July and August 2013, George Soross Ukraine-based International Renaissance Foundation and the U.S. Embassy in Kiev provided crucial funds to kick-start the project, and Canadas Department of Global Affairs has been a source of regular grants. (In a sense, Hromadske is a microcosm of the broader Ukrainian economy, which is dependent on Western support in staving off collapse.) Hromadske had planned to go live at 6 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2013, but an 11th-hour decision was made to push that time forward four hours. The previous day, under pressure from Russia, then-President Yanukovych had abandoned an agreement on closer trade ties with the EU. In the hours that followed, protests had erupted: Some 2,000 activists had gathered on Kievs central square, or Maidan, and Ukraine was poised on the brink of a full-blown political crisis. Hromadske followed the revolution from its first hours, offering 24-hour live coverage of the protest movement and the violence into which it soon degenerated. While other channels linked live to reporters on bridges overlooking the Maidan or outside government buildings, Hromadske jumped into the fray, sending its reporters into the heart of the protests. From the start, Hromadske was unequivocal in its support for the revolution; its founders even played key roles in it. Nayyem, who has since entered opposition politics, is widely credited with writing the Facebook post that inspired tens of thousands of people to gather on the Maidan, thus sparking the protests that led to Yanukovychs fall in February 2014. Hromadskes on-the-ground reporting and accessible analysis quickly earned it an audience. By December 2013, it had become the go-to source of information for Ukrainians and foreign observers struggling to make sense of the unfolding revolution. Its streams regularly reached 100,000 viewers, and contributions were flowing in from the public; in the first half of 2014, the station received donations totaling more than $120,000. That September, the channel launched a service called Hromadske International. Its English- and Russian-language content was designed to grow the channels international audience and, many Ukrainians suspected, to counter the information war that Russia was accused of waging in their country. But for Nataliya Gumenyuk, Hromadskes head, the channels focus has always been on delivering facts to the Ukrainian public. The channel takes the BBC as its model, she said. Dealing with propaganda is the states task, she told me. Journalists should provide the news and the facts. We may debunk or fact-check stories, but our primary goal was always to be in places first, to go after the least covered stories. That approach has not been without risk. On Nov. 29, 2013, a week after the channel went live, two Hromadske journalists were beaten and had equipment stolen in the center of Kiev. Dmytro Gnap and Yakov Lyubchich subsequently claimed that they were jumped by a group of government-hired thugs, who reacted aggressively when questioned. In June 2014, Nastya Stanko was captured on a reporting trip near the border with Russia and kept for three days in a basement before being released in a prisoner exchange. Chief Editor of Hromadske TV Odessa Helena Gladkova (left) and CEO Hromadske TV Odessa Sergey Nazarov (right) work in a makeshift studio on April 27, 2015 in Odessa, Ukraine. Photo credit: PIERRE CROM/GETTY IMAGES. In Hromadskes tightly packed newsroom, on the 13th floor of a multistory building on Kievs Suvorova Street, are mementos from the violent clashes on the Maidan and reporting trips to war-torn parts of the countrys east. The NGO occupies three other rooms in the building, to which it moved in December 2013 from humbler surroundings on the capitals outskirts. Its studio is an open, lightly furnished space with spectacular views of the city. Despite modeling itself on Western media standards, the channels involvement with the turbulent events that engulfed Ukraine in 2014 has made it hard at times to remain above the news. In July 2014, anchor Danylo Yanevsky cut short an interview with Tanya Lokshina, a respected researcher at the Moscow office of Human Rights Watch, when she declined to admit Russian military involvement in Ukraine in response to his aggressive questioning. Lokshina cited the official Human Rights Watch position, which she said described the war in the east as a domestic armed conflict. In a Facebook post about the interview, Yanevsky suggested that it was wrong to invite on air anyone that demeans our soldiers, who are spilling blood in eastern Ukraine. Discussions in the Hromadske studio about the war often became heated, especially in its early months. As Ukraines crisis spread to the countrys east, and from Kievs streets into its corridors of power, Hromadskes coverage expanded. Graphic reports from the Donbass region eschewed narration to give a platform to local actors and ordinary victims of the conflict. Through a series of hard-hitting investigative reports, journalists followed the fight against corruption and documented power struggles among Ukraines new elite. These reports could sometimes stray from traditional standards of journalistic objectivity. An investigation into a secret offshore company set up by Poroshenko, which journalist Anna Babinets based on the Panama Papers, a trove of leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, was a case in point. It alternated between graphic scenes from the August 2014 battle for the town of Ilovaisk, which turned into a massacre of Ukrainian soldiers by separatist forces backed by regular Russian troops, and revelations about dubious transfers made in the presidents name. It hinted in no uncertain terms where Poroshenkos priorities lay at the time. By the end of 2014, the revolution had settled into a rut, as had the war in the east. News channels like Hromadske began losing viewers disillusioned with stalled reforms and daily casualty updates. (Hromadske said its presence on multiple platforms means viewership figures are not readily available.) The channel has struggled to find its niche in the post-Maidan era. Its also been dogged by high staff turnover. In December 2015, co-founder Roman Skrypin quit. The NGO has since launched a legal case against him, accusing him of stealing foreign donations to the tune of $250,000, an accusation that Skrypin denies. This January, as part of an organizational shake-up, well-known investigative journalist Katya Gorchinskaya was appointed the channels CEO, a newly created position. She said she arrived to news of a $120,000 budget hole, something the NGO is still working to fill. The channel today enjoys a steady base of Western donors, both state and private. Yet donations from the Ukrainian public have dried up, from more than $156,000 in 2014 to $16,000 in 2015. Gorchinskayas appointment has also coincided with a decline in viewership. She sees the audience contraction as natural for an outlet that built its support base as an online platform for the revolution but admits that Hromadske has struggled to adapt. Such challenges may disguise a deeper trend. The fallout from the Avdeevka report has shown that journalism can hold different meanings in a country coming to terms with a protracted war. Hromadske may want to offer Ukraine independent journalism, but its unclear if thats what Ukraine currently wants. Ukrainian police officers and security services experts examine the charred car of journalist Pavel Sheremet, after he was killed in a car bomb in Kiev on July 20, 2016. Photo credit: SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES On the morning of July 20, as he drove to work in central Kiev, Pavel Sheremet was killed when a bomb exploded in his car. A reporter for popular Ukrainian news portal Ukrayinska Pravda, Sheremet, Belarusian by birth and Russian by nationality, had been an outspoken critic of governments in all three states. His murder sent shockwaves through Ukraines journalist community. That evening, colleagues and friends gathered in the Hromadske studio. Sheremet had been a regular guest on the channel, on close terms with much of its staff. Also in attendance was the deputy head of Ukraines Ministry of Information Policy, Tetiana Popova. Popova warned of a growing campaign among Ukrainian politicians to discredit the media. Within two weeks of that appearance, Popova publicly resigned from her post at the ministry. In an open letter on Aug. 3, she cited attacks on journalists and attacks on freedom of speech by political organizations and individual political officials and condemned the governments weak response. Popova told me she first handed in her notice in May in response to a leak by Kiev-based hacker group Myrotvorets (Peacemaker), which launched in December 2014 to investigate crimes against Ukraines national security. (On its website, it keeps a list to which visitors can add personal details of purported traitors of the Motherland, anti-Ukrainian propagandists, terrorists, and war criminals.) In May, Myrotvorets released the names, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal details of several thousand journalists, around half of them from Western media organizations, who had received press passes from the Donetsk Peoples Republic, the breakaway state declared with Moscows backing in 2014. The leak caused a global outcry for its breach of privacy but it especially enraged Ukrainian nationalists who already suspected journalists of cooperating with the separatist governments. Popova said attacks on Ukrainian journalists are now happening in some form every three days, and she had grown frustrated after futile attempts to get them investigated. The climate has fundamentally changed. Ministers have started to openly attack journalists, and Im not ready to represent a government whose members act in such a way, she said. Poroshenkos administration has spoken out against Myrotvoretss vigilante justice, but many of its high-level officials have voiced support. Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, has used the hacks to wage war on Ukraines media establishment. In May, he shared parts of the leaked database of journalists with his 160,000 Facebook followers. On July 27, he described a new Myrotvorets release as yet another brilliant psycho-informational operation behind enemy lines. In a telephone interview, Gerashchenko called some journalists a national security threat. There are professional journalists who write the truth, and there are those who hide behind the title and work to undermine our countrys security. We have a right to denounce that, he said. Gerashchenko may be the most vocal, but in a country at war he is not alone in drawing a distinction between patriotic journalists and those betraying the peoples trust. Debates rage on social media: Should a Ukrainian journalist report on compatriots using weapons banned under the cease-fire agreement? Does working with Russian media equal treason? Can a journalist report the views of those with whom his or her country is at war? Hromadske is frequently mentioned in those threads. According to Vasily Gatov, a Russian media analyst, the climate emerging in Ukraine is reminiscent of sentiments that were widespread following the Soviet collapse, particularly in Russia and the Baltics. Debates on the media and journalism in the 1990s were rife with accusations of treason, and Moscows hand was seen in every article that lamented the Soviet collapse or expressed sympathy for attempts to renew regional integration. Journalists like Anna Politkovskaya, who wrote articles critical of the government, were branded traitors and accused of putting the country at risk. Such sentiments have, in part, contributed to an atmosphere that has allowed President Vladimir Putins government to suppress the majority of independent media in Russia, and many of the journalists interviewed for this article worry that similar developments may be in the cards for Ukraine. Oleksiy Panych, a former professor at Donetsk National Technical University, believes a journalists role should change when his or her country finds itself at war. Panych has clashed with Gorchinskaya over social media and repeatedly challenged Hromadskes goal of BBC-style neutrality. During wartime, the search for truth and the commitment to presenting opposing views should come second to the task of countering propaganda peddled by the enemy, Panych said, particularly when at war with Russia. Russia has shown an ability to manipulate Western standards of journalism. Attempts to apply those standards works badly when your country is at war. War brings with it another ethics, he said. Panych is an elected board member of the National Public TV and Radio Company of Ukraine, a state-owned broadcaster slated for launch by this years end. He proposes the creation of a commission on war censorship that would regulate journalists in the war zone and specify permissible topics of coverage, and he claims to have discussed the idea personally with the head of Ukraines armed forces, Viktor Muzhenko. He told me it was after watching Hromadskes report from Avdeevka that he realized such an initiative was needed. People are turning away from Hromadske I see this clearly. When they launched, we saw them as a new kind of TV, an example to follow. But they let us down through their pacifism, Panych said. Hromadskes first ever audience study, conducted this year, revealed that viewers are still interested in the war and its impact on Ukrainian society; only the economy ranked higher as a topic of interest. Coverage of political reform and the fight against corruption also remains in high demand. The channel is aiming to respond with a new set of offerings. Its launching a reality show about grassroots initiatives in Ukraines various regions, a program on start-up business projects, and a satirical news show jointly created with the state-run First National channel. Its also taking part in the Russian-Language News Exchange, a pan-European media project aimed at strengthening independent news production in the Russian language. Rany (Wounds) is perhaps Hromadskes most ambitious idea. A collaboration with Ukrainian-American photographer Joseph Sywenkyj, it takes photos of Ukrainian soldiers wounded on the front line and brings them to life in a documentary series about their everyday lives and their struggle to reintegrate into society. As part of the project, Hromadske plans to pioneer the use of virtual reality video technology in Ukraine. In May, after a drawn-out process, the channel secured a 10-year TV license. It successfully lobbied the countrys licensing authorities to become the first noncommercial outlet in Ukraine able to broadcast over satellite networks to a wider audience. It may be some time before the satellite broadcasts go live: The channel still needs technical upgrades and a signal transfer, neither of which it can immediately afford. But its a milestone for the fledgling station as it works to navigate the complexity of post-Maidan politics while staying true to its original mission. On July 26, Hromadske finally published its full report of the Avdeevka battle. Despite ATO officials requests, all original quotations were left in, though panorama shots in the video have been cut and the sound from radio receivers distorted. Stanko said its the first time Hromadske has made any such concessions. The nine-minute video ends with a scene shot 12 hours before the fighting began. In it, the Ukrainian soldiers joke with reporters as they prepare food in a warehouse storeroom. When the lights go off, the commander explains that theres not enough gas to run the generator. Sergeev, the 23-year-old soldier, is asked why he hasnt sought treatment for a piece of shrapnel caught in his leg. He replies that a shortage of men has forced him to remain on the front line a brutal truth that, for many back in Kiev, must surely have been difficult to hear. He would be killed the next day. Top photo credit: Pierre Crom/Getty Images London (AFP) - Newly-crowned British champion flat jockey Jim Crowley suffered nothing worse than a broken nose his agent said Tuesday after the rider was involved in a horrific four horse pile-up. Crowley was released from hospital late Monday following an accident involving four riders during a race at Kempton Park, southwest of London earlier in the day. But fellow rider Frederik Tylicki was in a "stable" condition in intensive care. Tylicki's mount Nellie Deen had been leading when they came to grief, resulting in Crowley being brought down on Electrify, with jockeys Steve Drowne and Ted Durcan also unseated from their mounts. Crowley and Tylicki were taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting, south London, with the latter airlifted amid concerns that both jockeys had suffered spinal injuries. But Crowley's agent, Tony Hind said the champion had avoided major damage. "Jim had a scan -- no broken bones, all clear. All he has done is broken his nose," said Hind. "It's a massive relief. "He feels like he's had six rounds in the ring with (boxer) Anthony Joshua at the moment." Durcan said he had suffered a broken ankle after he took himself to Cambridge's Addenbrookes Hospital in eastern England. "I fractured by right ankle, but it could have been a lot worse," Durcan said. "I don't know how long I'll be out, but it's not the end of the world and I just hope Freddy is okay." Frankie Dettori, arguably British racing's best-known current jockey, tweeted his concern from Australia where the Italian was riding in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. "Sending my best wishes and speedy recovery to Freddy and Jim," he wrote. - 'One goes, a few go' - While accidents involving several horses are far from unheard of in jumps racing, it is rare for similar incidents to take place on the flat. But Drowne, back in action at the Wolverhampton course in the West Midlands on Tuesday, said the confines of the all-wehether course on which Monday's incident took place posed their own dangers. Story continues "Basically, Freddy's horse clipped heels," Drowne told the At the Races television channel. "It happens a few times in a race and he was unlucky he didn't find a leg and went down. "On the all-weather (track) it's tight so when one goes down a few go down. "Unfortunately he was at the front of the pack and a few horses went over him. "Freddy never moved from the fall and Jim was in a bit of pain and was worried about his neck. Lucky enough, me and Ted were walking wounded. "The doctors were quite concerned when they got to Freddy and called for the air ambulance really quick and did everything right. They were on to us straight away." After the accident, the rest of Monday's racing at Kempton was abandoned. "The lads knew it was bad," added Drowne. "It was very quiet in the jockeys' room, very subdued. I'd left by the time they'd called off the rest of the meeting. It didn't surprise me. "It was certainly the worst atmosphere I'd been in. The lads suspected Freddy was badly hurt." Crowley and Tylicki have both enjoyed successful seasons. Crowley rode an English record 46 winners in a month in September -- surpassing the previous best of 45 shared by legendary jockeys Fred Archer and Gordon Richards -- to ensure he won the title. Tylicki finally broke his Group One duck this season and followed it up on the same horse Speedy Boarding in another Group One, France's Prix de l'Opera on Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe day. By Liana B. Baker SAN FRANCISCO - Chipmaker Broadcom Ltd is nearing a deal to acquire network gear maker Brocade Communications Systems Inc in a deal that could be announced later this week, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The deal would be the latest in a wave of semiconductor consolidation sweeping the industry. Run by Chief Executive Hock Tan, the company formerly known as Avago is one of the chip sector's most prolific acquirers, having completed a $37 billion takeover this year and changing its name to Broadcom. If the U.S.-and-Singapore-based company succeeds in buying Brocade, it would keep Brocade's fibre channel and storage business, which has roughly $1.5 billion in annual revenue, while it would aim to divest its networking business, the sources said, asking not to be named because the matter is private. Broadcom and Brocade declined to comment. While the companies are in advanced discussions, no deal is final and talks could still fall apart, the people cautioned. A big part of Brocade's IP networking business that Broadcom would look to divest was acquired as part of Brocade's $1.5 billion acquisition of Ruckus Wireless earlier this year. This unit generated $209 million in product revenue in the third quarter. A deal for Brocade, whose market capitalization has risen to $4.5 billion on merger talk, would come a week after the semiconductor's industry's largest-ever tie-up when smartphone chipmaker Qualcomm Inc agreed to buy NXP Semiconductors NV for about $38 billion. Shares of Brocade closed 6 percent higher at $11.24, while Broadcom shares closed 0.9 percent lower at $168.80 on Tuesday. Brocade would be the latest addition to the sprawling company known as Broadcom, now the third-largest U.S. semiconductor maker by revenue, behind Intel Corp and Qualcomm Inc, with a market capitalization of $66.4 billion. Last year, when Broadcom was called Avago, it made a push into fibre and adapters with the acquisition of Emulex. By adding Brocade's high-margin fibre unit, it would further bulk up its capabilities to help customers with the backbones of their data centers. Morningstar analyst Brian Colello said in a research note on Tuesday his biggest concern about a potential deal would be Broadcom having to compete with some of its key customers such as Cisco Systems Inc . By disposing of Brocade's networking business, it could help mitigate this issue. Bloomberg reported on Monday that Brocade was nearing a deal to be sold and that Broadcom was among potential buyers. (Editing by Andrew Hay and Matthew Lewis) Sofia (AFP) - Bulgarian authorities said Tuesday they had seized a record amount of over 13 million euros' ($14.4 million) worth of counterfeit notes, most of them recovered by scuba divers in a reservoir. The huge haul of 500-euro bills, most of which had been stashed for safe keeping underwater by a dam in southern Bulgaria, was discovered after police were alerted to their imminent entry into circulation, chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said. "This is one of the largest amounts of counterfeit euros ever encountered (worldwide)," he told journalists in the central city of Plovdiv, after one of the counterfeiters confessed to the ploy and led authorities to the hiding place. The exact value of the haul -- a record for Bulgaria -- will only be established after the notes are dried and counted, Plovdiv appeal prosecutor Ivan Daskalov added. Most of the bills came in sheets of six and a small amount lacked holograms and other anti-counterfeiting signs, he said. Tsatsarov said the fake notes were "of an extremely high quality" and their stay in the water only gave them a used look. Three Bulgarians were arrested in connection with the case, including the owner of a printing company who has already been sentenced to six years for money counterfeiting, the officials said. The European Central Bank decided earlier this year to stop issuing the violet-coloured 500-euro bills around the end of 2018 over fears that they are favoured by criminals for money laundering and even terrorist financing. Those currently in circulation are however allowed to remain legal tender. There has been some resistance to scrapping the 500-euro note, particularly in Germany, where most people still prefer to make payments in cash even for big ticket items like electronic goods. The third-quarter earnings season so far has seen better earnings and revenue growth than in the past few quarters. Notably, a larger number of companies are beating Street estimates, with the Finance sector leading the way. Given the rosy earnings picture, this earnings season is on track to be the first quarter to record positive earnings growth after five quarters of back-to-back declines. As per our latest Earnings Preview, aggregate Q3 earnings are now expected to be up 2% from the same period last year on the back of 1.4% higher revenues. Moreover, we expect the trend to continue in the upcoming quarters. While the initial fears of continued earnings recession are gradually dissipating, let us take a look at two cable stocks that are due to report their quarterly numbers on Nov 2. Shaw Communications, Inc. SJR is Canada's largest broadband and cable service provider. This Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) stock is expected to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2016 earnings on Nov 2. The stock has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% as both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 23 cents. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. According to our proven model, a company needs the right combination of two key ingredients a positive earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 or better to increase the odds of an earnings surprise. However, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement (read more: Shaw Communications Q4 Earnings: What's in Store?). SHAW COMMS-CL B Price and Consensus SHAW COMMS-CL B Price and Consensus | SHAW COMMS-CL B Quote Cable ONE, Inc. CABO provides Internet, cable television and telephone services primarily in the United States. Slated to release third-quarter 2016 results, the company has a combination of a Zacks Rank #3 and an earnings ESP of -3.85%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate currently stands at $4.75 while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $4.94. Though the companys Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP, its negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult (read more: What's in Store for Cable ONE this Earnings Season?). Story continues CABLE ONE INC Price and Consensus CABLE ONE INC Price and Consensus | CABLE ONE INC Quote You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Now See Our Private Investment Ideas While the above ideas are being shared with the public, other trades are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SHAW COMMS-CL B (SJR): Free Stock Analysis Report CABLE ONE INC (CABO): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. * Canada to ramp up infrastructure spending * Gov't taps prudence fund as growth lags forecast * Canada will set up infrastructure bank (Adds Ottawa raising investment threshold sooner than planned, making it easier for firms to hire skilled workers) By David Ljunggren OTTAWA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Canada will boost spending on infrastructure projects by an extra C$81 billion ($60.49 billion) over the next 12 years in a bid to revitalize a limping economy, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Tuesday. The Liberal government, trying to deal with a prolonged oil slump that has slashed revenues, is committed to pouring a total of C$187 billion into infrastructure between now and 2027-28. In March, it had promised to spend C$120 billion over the next decade. "This is unprecedented in our history. And it comes at a time when the need is great," Morneau told the House of Commons as he presented a fiscal update. Ottawa will also set up an infrastructure bank and give it access to C$35 billion. "The economic situation we're in is challenging; global growth is challenged," Morneau told reporters. Morneau cut the forecast for 2016 growth to 1.2 percent from the 1.4 percent he had predicted in his March budget. He put 2017 growth at 2.0 percent compared with an initial estimate of 2.2 percent. The government said the budget deficit for the 2016-17 fiscal year will be C$25.1 billion, compared with the C$29.4 billion predicted in March. But this is only because Morneau applied a C$6 billion annual prudence fund to bring the final figure down from $31.1 billion. Still, the deficit numbers were lower than some analysts had forecast. The Canadian dollar and bonds showed little reaction. Ottawa plans to tap the prudence fund every year until 2020/21, when it is expecting a deficit of C$16.8 billion. In March, Morneau had indicated the budget might be balanced by then. But pressed by reporters as to when the shortfall would be eliminated, Morneau said he wanted to focus on investments. Story continues Ottawa will lift the threshold at which it scrutinizes foreign takeover bids from C$600 million to C$1 billion starting next year, rather than in 2019 as initially planned. It will also introduce a strategy to make it easier for Canadian firms to hire talented foreign workers, in part by cutting lengthy visa processing delays. Michael Dolega, a senior economist at TD Bank, said low borrowing costs and a moderate debt-to-GDP ratio meant this was a good time for the government to act. "My main concern as an economist is just to make sure that this money ends up being productive for the country," he said. ($1 = 1.3391 Canadian dollars) (Additional reporting by Leah Schnurr in Ottawa and Fergal Smith, Matt Scuffham and Alastair Sharp in Toronto; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Dan Grebler) Ottawa (AFP) - Canada will have little wiggle room to tax recreational marijuana sales when it moves to legalize the psychoactive drug, a report to parliament said Tuesday. One of the principal rationales cited by supporters for ending the prohibition on pot has been the bounty of tax revenues legalization would bring. But parliamentary budget officer Jean-Denis Frechette, tasked with providing independent analysis to lawmakers, warned it would not be a bonanza. Retail sales taxes are expected to be relatively modest at the start -- about Can$300 million to Can$600 million (US$224 million to US$448 million) and not billions, he said. That is far below the annual future cannabis tax revenue of up to Can$5 billion estimated by CIBC World Markets in January. Also, tax policy decisions will require trade-offs between the government's two main objectives: discouraging consumption among Canadian youths and reducing the profits in the illicit cannabis market. "When legalization occurs, the government may have little fiscal space to apply tax without pushing the price of legal cannabis significantly above the illegal market price," Frechette said. In his report, he explains that higher cannabis prices discourage consumption, especially among young Canadians who are likely to be more sensitive to price. But higher legal cannabis prices provide a disincentive for current users to transfer to the legal market. According to the report, the average price of illicit cannabis this year ranged between Can$8.32 and Can$9.36 per gram. The pre-tax price of legal cannabis is projected at between Can$6.67 and Can$8.33. "Even with only a sales tax, legal cannabis prices in 2018 will likely be as high as illicit market prices in 2015-16. Excise taxes will likely push the legal price above the illicit price observed in 2015-16," Frechette concluded. Canada will become only the second country to fully legalize recreational cannabis, after Uruguay, with legalization seen next year or in early 2018. Story continues A task force is scheduled to provide recommendations to the government this month on regulating and taxing marijuana sales. According to government statistics, as many as 4.6 million Canadians aged 15 and over will consume an estimated total 655 metric tons of cannabis annually by 2018, spending an estimated Can$4.2 billion to Can$6.2 billion each year. Looking at the experience of Colorado, Frechette said when the US state legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, the tax rate was set at nearly 30 percent. As a result, about half of consumption remained in the illicit market while 40 percent used lower-taxed medical marijuana. Only 5-10 percent purchased fully-taxed, legal recreational pot. Medical marijuana in Canada is taxed but may be deducted from income taxes as an allowable expense. As the recreational market matures, the report notes, production costs are expected to decline and more people may opt into the legal market, increasing taxable revenues. Canada will let 300,000 immigrants enter the country in 2017, keeping this years target the same despite recommendations for increasing the number to help economic growth. Establishing 300,000 as the permanent target will lay the foundation for future growth, according to immigration minister John McCallum. I do believe it is true that more immigrants for Canada would be a good policy for demographic reasons, McCallum said. The majority of the immigrants allowed into Canada, which has a population of 35 million, will be economic immigrants, which include skilled workers, businesspeople and caregivers, the CBC reported. The number admitted next year under the economic category will increase to 172,500 from 160,000 this year. The government said the number of refugees will go down to 40,000 from 55,800. From 2011 to 2015, the immigration target was 260,000, but the number increased to 300,000 in 2016 because of the Syrian refugee crisis. Recent recommendations stated Canada should increase the immigration target to 450,000, but McCallum rejected it for 2017. That number is a conceivable number for some date in the future, but certainly not for 2017, he said. TORONTO (Reuters) - The head of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Canada's biggest public pension fund, warned lawmakers not to interfere in its investment policies saying it should operate "at an arm's length" from the government. Canada's Liberal government is looking for ways to attract private investors such as pension funds to invest in new infrastructure projects having committed to spending C$125 billion ($93 billion) of public money over the next 10 years. Speaking to Canada's House of Commons Finance Committee on Tuesday, CPPIB's Chief Executive Mark Machin said the fund would welcome more opportunities to make large-scale investments of more than C$500 million in Canadian infrastructure, but cautioned that political pressure to invest would be unwelcome. "The fact that we are accountable to government but kept at arm's length when we're making our professional judgments on investments is really important and something that we would hope would continue," Mark Machin told Canada's House of Commons Finance Committee. "To the extent that it crosses that line and a call was made that exerts undue pressure then that would not be a good thing." A Canadian government advisory group has recommended the creation of an infrastructure bank to enable private investment, recommending it looks to attract $4 of institutional equity capital for every government dollar invested. "We'll watch carefully how that unfolds and what comes from that," said Machin. "Things that improve the pipeline of opportunities are good. The devil will be in the detail of how everything is implemented." ($1 = 1.3391 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alan Crosby) * Bank will look to supplement funds with private investment * Private investment could be 4 to 5 times public spending * Caisse CEO says will be "hugely attractive" to investors (Adds comments from Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Chief Executive) By David Ljunggren and Matt Scuffham OTTAWA/TORONTO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The Canadian government will set up an infrastructure bank and give it access to C$35 billion ($26 billion) to help fund major projects that might otherwise not get built, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Tuesday. Morneau told the House of Commons that the proposed bank - which Ottawa hopes will be up and running next year - would attract as much as C$4 to C$5 in private capital for every tax dollar invested. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government wants to invest heavily in infrastructure to help stimulate the country's sluggish economy and had previously said it was examining ways to attract private investment to supplement public spending. It is trying to deal with a prolonged oil slump that has slashed revenues. Morneau, presenting a fiscal update, told legislators that the money would "flow to help us undertake transformational projects that might not otherwise get built." Michael Sabia, chief executive officer of the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, Canada's second biggest public pension fund, said the move was a "very positive step." "I think it has the potential to change the structure of infrastructure financing in Canada and change the way infrastructure gets done," Sabia, who serves on Morneau's Advisory Council on Economic Growth, said in an interview. Sabia said he expected there would be "huge appetite" among investors in Canada and overseas to invest in projects launched by the bank. "Canada is a highly attractive place to invest and so many institutional investors are looking for opportunities to invest money in assets like infrastructure. They're trying to move capital out of traditional fixed income investments like government bonds which today pay almost no return," he said. Story continues The bank - working with institutional investors as well as public and private pension funds - would conclude and execute complex infrastructure deals using loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, the finance ministry said in document. Of the initial C$35 billion, C$15 billion would come from already announced federal investments in sectors such as public transit and green infrastructure. An additional C$20 billion will be available for investments that would result in the bank holding assets in the form of equity or debt. "Canada, a country with low political risk, is a very desirable place for international pension funds who'd like to make investments in infrastructure," Morneau told reporters. The bank - which Morneau said would be at arm's length from the federal government - will work with Canada's 10 provinces, three northern territories and municipalities across the country. ($1=$1.34 Canadian) (Reporting by David Ljunggren and Matt Scuffham; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) By David Ljunggren and Matt Scuffham OTTAWA/TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian government will set up an infrastructure bank and give it access to C$35 billion ($26 billion) to help fund major projects that might otherwise not get built, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Tuesday. Morneau told the House of Commons that the proposed bank - which Ottawa hopes will be up and running next year - would attract as much as C$4 to C$5 in private capital for every tax dollar invested. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government wants to invest heavily in infrastructure to help stimulate the country's sluggish economy and had previously said it was examining ways to attract private investment to supplement public spending. It is trying to deal with a prolonged oil slump that has slashed revenues. Morneau, presenting a fiscal update, told legislators that the money would "flow to help us undertake transformational projects that might not otherwise get built." Michael Sabia, chief executive officer of the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec [CDPDA.UL], Canada's second biggest public pension fund, said the move was a "very positive step." "I think it has the potential to change the structure of infrastructure financing in Canada and change the way infrastructure gets done," Sabia, who serves on Morneau's Advisory Council on Economic Growth, said in an interview. Sabia said he expected there would be "huge appetite" among investors in Canada and overseas to invest in projects launched by the bank. "Canada is a highly attractive place to invest and so many institutional investors are looking for opportunities to invest money in assets like infrastructure. They're trying to move capital out of traditional fixed income investments like government bonds which today pay almost no return," he said. The bank - working with institutional investors as well as public and private pension funds - would conclude and execute complex infrastructure deals using loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, the finance ministry said in document. Of the initial C$35 billion, C$15 billion would come from already announced federal investments in sectors such as public transit and green infrastructure. An additional C$20 billion will be available for investments that would result in the bank holding assets in the form of equity or debt. "Canada, a country with low political risk, is a very desirable place for international pension funds who'd like to make investments in infrastructure," Morneau told reporters. The bank - which Morneau said would be at arm's length from the federal government - will work with Canada's 10 provinces, three northern territories and municipalities across the country. (Reporting by David Ljunggren and Matt Scuffham; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) (Adds details of tentative agreement) By Allison Martell TORONTO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The union that represents Ford Motor Co's Canadian manufacturing workers reached a tentative contract agreement on Tuesday, averting a strike but setting up what may be a difficult campaign to get the deal approved by members. The union, Unifor, said Ford would make investments in its Canadian operations in the area of C$700 million ($522 million) under the agreement, and promised other undisclosed gains for members. But the deal maintained a 10-year wage progression for new hires that is unpopular with some workers at Ford's Oakville assembly, and followed a pattern set in negotiations with General Motors Co in offering new hires a defined contribution pension plan. It was not immediately clear whether the deal would be approved at ratification meetings on Nov. 5 and 6. "There's things in this agreement that we don't like, and there's things in every agreement that we have bargained that we don't like," said Bob Scott, vice chair of the bargaining committee, who also represents Oakville workers. "I believe that our members are going to be quite happy." In a public letter and interview in early October, the president of the Oakville local, Dave Thomas, said a deal similar to the one approved at GM would likely be rejected in Oakville, where 5,000 of the union's nearly 7,000 Ford employees work. Some 2,200 of Oakville's workers are recent hires, and many had hoped the 10-year earn-in, which keeps their wages below more experienced peers, would be shortened in the new contract. Instead, the deal signed at GM and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV shifted some raises earlier in the 10-year progression, and offered $12,000 in bonuses over four years. The union practices pattern bargaining, selecting one of the three automakers to lead negotiations and then insisting its rivals agree to similar deals. The bargaining committee had vowed to win new investment for Ford's Windsor engine plants. National President Jerry Dias said one of those plants, Essex, would get a major new engine program, and a separate Windsor site would continue producing 6.8 liter engines through the end of the four year agreement. Story continues Dias said the contract offered Ford workers gains "over and above" the pattern set at GM, but declined to give details. He said Ford had agreed to make the Oakville assembly the "primary supplier" of its models for export internationally. In a release, Ford said it had reached a deal but would not discuss specifics. ($1 = 1.3412 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Allison Martell) (In case the Podcast doesn't load, then you can listen here.) Welcome to Episode #56 of the Zacks Market Edge Podcast. Every week, host and Zacks stock strategist, Tracey Ryniec, will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. In this episode, Tracey is joined by Eric Dutram, Zacks ETF Strategist, and Ryan McQueeney, Zacks Content Writer, to discuss how investors can cash in on the Internet of Things. In 2016, there are already 22.9 billion connected devices including thermostats, televisions and refrigerators. The number of connected devices is expected to double by 2020 to over 50 billion. Someone is going to make a lot of money off this phenomenon, so why not be a part of it? There are multiple ways investors can play it including through the cloud or networking companies, the semiconductors, as theyre the ones making the chips and sensors that go into the products, and the manufacturers of the products themselves. Imagine if everyone in America suddenly wanted a smart washing machine? Someone is going to make a lot of money making and replacing all the old ones. There are several companies that are going full throttle into the Internet of Things: 1. Amazon (AMZN) is the leader because of the Echo 2. Alphabet (GOOGL) has Nest, the smart thermostat, and has also developed a device to challenge the Echo 3. Airgain (AIRG) is a small company that went IPO in August 2016. It makes WiFi antennas for customers like DirectTV. Devices used to have 1 to 2 antennas per product and now have 10 to 12. 4. Qualcomm (QCOM) recently announced its acquisition of NXP Semiconductor in a $47 billion deal which will make it one of the leaders of the Internet of Things on the chip side. And for those interested in a basket of stocks in multiple sectors that are involved in the Internet of Things, then the new Global X Internet of Things ETF (SNSR) might be just what the doctor ordered. This gives you a diversified portfolio of companies throughout the entire Internet of Things infrastructure. Story continues What else should you know about one of the biggest global transformations of the next 5 years? Tune into this weeks podcast to find out. Zacks' Best Investment Ideas for Long-Term Profit Today you can gain access to long-term trades with double and triple-digit profit potential rarely available to the public. Starting now, you can look inside our stocks under $10, home run and value stock portfolios, plus more. Want a peek at this private information? Click here >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report QUALCOMM INC (QCOM): Free Stock Analysis Report ALPHABET INC-A (GOOGL): Free Stock Analysis Report AIRGAIN INC (AIRG): Free Stock Analysis Report GLBL-X IOT THM (SNSR): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Chance the Rapper will star in a new film for A24 called Slice. The pic quietly shot over the summer in Chicago. It takes place in a mysterious city, and centers around an enigmatic outlaw framed for a killing spree that targets unsuspecting pizza delivery boys. A24, which has the critically acclaimed coming-of-age film Moonlight currently in theaters, plans to release Slice in the second half of 2017. It was written by Chance's frequent collaborator, Austin Vesely, who directed the music videos for the rapper's "Sunday Candy" and "Angels." In an interview last year, Vesely told Red Eye Chicago that Chance plays a werewolf named Dax Lycander who is a former Chinese food delivery driver. "Basically, these murders start happening and they hearken back to an incident that happened with him years before, and they arouse the town's suspicions," he said. Chance rose to fame after the release of his second mixtape, Acid Rap, the follow-up to his first mixtape Ten Day, which he recorded during a suspension while still in high school. Earlier this year, the 23-year-old hip-hop artist from Chicago, who famously refuses to sign with a music label despite offers, released his third mixtape Coloring Book to critical and commercial success. He previously starred in a short, titled Mr. Happy, for Vice. Slice will be his feature film debut. Chance shared a quick teaser of the film on Monday (Oct. 31) Check it out here: Slice. Starring Me the Actor. In theatres 2017 @A24 @AustinVesely pic.twitter.com/NaCJr30rgC - Lil Chano From 79th (@chancetherapper) October 31, 2016 Chance the Rapper is repped by CAA. The Hollywood Reporter contributed to this article. Charter Communications Inc. CHTR, the second largest cable MSO in the U.S., is slated to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3, before the opening bell. Last quarter, the company posted an impressive positive earnings surprise of 350.00%. However, the companys earnings lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the previous four quarters, with an average miss of 139.38%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors at Play Charter Communications is facing stiff competition from online video streaming service providers such as Netflix Inc. NFLX, Hulu.com, YouTube etc. as they provide an extremely cheap source of TV programming. Notably, the over the top business model is gaining momentum, threatening the pay TV model. Additionally, the multi-channel video market in the U.S. is almost saturated. Furthermore, gaining customers from competitors is a difficult task as most pay-TV operators are offering innovative packages. Moreover Charter Communications has a highly leveraged balance sheet. However, the acquisition of two U.S. cable operators Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks -- will strengthen the companys foothold in hybrid fiber coax (HFC) and fiber networks. This should also help Charter Communications better address small and medium-sized business (SMB) and large businesses. The company is also adopting various initiatives to improve its Spectrum products and cloud-based user interfaces. Also, accelerated residential and commercial customer growth, investments in business services division and rollout of several initiatives bode well. Recently, Charter Communications announced that it has selected ARRIS International plc. (ARRS), leading customer premises equipment (CPE) manufacturer for the cable TV industry, as its vendor partner for the cable MSOs next-generation WorldBox 2.0 set-top box. The company also announced plans to foray into the wireless service business next year, following the footsteps of rival Comcast Corporation CMCSA. Toward this end, Charter Communications will utilize the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement that Time Warner Cable had signed with Verizon Communications in 2012. Story continues Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Charter Communications is likely to beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case here as elaborated below. Zacks ESP: Charter Communications has an earnings ESP of +22.58%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 76 cents while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged lower at 62 cents. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Charter Communications has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Please note thatwe caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum. CHARTER COMM-A Price and EPS Surprise CHARTER COMM-A Price and EPS Surprise | CHARTER COMM-A Quote Stock to Consider Here is a company that has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, with an earnings ESP of +1.11% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. The companys earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the previous four quarters. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NETFLIX INC (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report VERIZON COMM (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report COMCAST CORP A (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report CHARTER COMM-A (CHTR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research You think youve gotten lost? Try ending up in Siberia when you were headed for Saudi Arabia. That was the case for a poor flamingo found in Siberias Angara River, in the countrys Krasnoyarsk region, by the village of Motygino. Some local village children came across the bird foundering in the river, exhausted by its flight, and the animal was too weak to resist their rescue attempt. Fortunately for Vasya (as the bird has been christened), the kids brought him to the home of one Antonina Maisa, whos been feeding the little guy shrimps to help him build his strength back up. We would like to pass the flamingo to a zoo or shelter with rare birds, she told The Siberian Times. Somewhere the flamingo will be comfortable, alongside companions with whom it can communicate. Ideally, the same bird breed, or at least from the same region. Irina Vorontsova, an expert from the Krasnoyarsk zoo, said the bird was probably flying south from Kazakhstan (likely the countrys Tengiz Lake) to somewhere in the Arabian peninsula possibly Saudi Arabia when he got turned around. It happens that sometimes a bird is not strong enough, and it goes astray, flies in the wrong direction, she told the Times. Theres quite a different temperature, the bird gets frostbite. This is the first recorded bird this winter, though theres actually been an increasing trend of flamingos winding up in Siberia: They were spotted in several of the countrys regions in 2014 and 2015. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has promised to pull out of the Paris climate accord, an agreement that comes into effect this Friday among almost 200 nations that is meant to help combat climate change. China thinks Trumps plan is a bad idea. In a rare foray into American presidential politics, Chinas top climate change negotiator Xie Zhenhua said Tuesday that a wise president would fall into line with international norms. He made this comment in response to a question about how China would work with Trump to improve the environment. If they resist this trend, I dont think theyll win the support of their people, and their countrys economic and social progress will also be affected, Xie said. I believe a wise political leader should take policy stances that conform with global trends. The irony is rich. China, after decades of breakneck economic growth that led to a spike in greenhouse gas emissions, is now working to rein in pollution and carbon emissions. For years, U.S. lawmakers, especially Republicans, have argued against implementing potentially onerous climate policies in the United States, given Chinas huge and dirty economy. Now, Beijing is the one urging Washington to clean up its act. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has pledged to work to meet President Barack Obamas goal of reducing U.S. carbon emissions by at least 26 percent by 2025. Trump has pledged to pull out of the agreement while increasing the amount of coal the United States burns in order to bring back mining jobs. If the United States were to leave the accord, it would remove a major incentive for China to stick with it. Beijing plans to launch its own nationwide carbon-trading program next year, something that the U.S. Senate shot down in 2010. Under a pilot program, 120 million carbon allowances have already been traded, with a market value of $472 million. Trumps threat has some teeth. His energy advisor, Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), said if he becomes president, the GOP nominee plans to submit the agreement to the Senate for ratification, where it would likely fail; it would need two-thirds of the Senate to approve it. This would allow Trump to shift the onus for killing the deal onto lawmakers. Story continues In September, 376 scientists penned a letter blasting Trumps plan and warning it would have severe and long-lasting consequences for the international credibility of the United States. (The same can be said and has about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, another international deal Trump wants to scrap.) The next round of U.N. climate talks will kick off Nov. 7, the day before the U.S. election. If Trump wins, those talks are going to end up being less about the nuts and bolts of implementing the first global climate pact, and more about how to simply salvage the thing. Photo credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images By Tim Hepher and Brenda Goh ZHUHAI, China (Reuters) - China showed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on Tuesday, opening the country's biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military clout. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline its growing capability in defense. China is set to overtake the U.S. as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Two J-20 jets, Zhuhai's headline act, swept over dignitaries, hundreds of spectators and industry executives gathered at the show's opening ceremony in a flypast that barely exceeded a minute, generating a deafening roar that was met with gasps and applause and set off car alarms in a parking lot. Experts say China has been refining designs for the J-20, first glimpsed by planespotters in 2010, in the hope of narrowing a military technology gap with the United States. President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the armed forces as China takes a more assertive stance in Asia, particularly in the South China and East China seas. "It is clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability," said Bradley Perrett of Aviation Week, a veteran China watcher. State-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) was also bullish on China's appetite for new civilian planes, estimating the market would need 6,865 new aircraft worth $930 billion over the next 20 years. The COMAC forecast - similar to long-term outlooks from well-established rivals Boeing Co and Airbus Group - said China would make up almost a fifth of global demand for close to 40,000 planes over the next two decades. QUESTIONS UNANSWERED After screeching onto the Zhuhai stage as a pair at low-level, one of the J-20s quickly disappeared over the horizon, leaving the other to perform a series of turns, revealing its delta wing shape against bright sub-tropical haze. It was China's second successive display of stealth at the biennial show, following the 2014 debut of the J-31. But analysts said the brief and relatively cautious J-20 routine - the pilots did not open weapon bay doors, or perform low-speed passes - answered few questions. "I think we learned very little. We learned it is very loud. But we can't tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility," said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor of FlightGlobal. "Most importantly, we didn't learn much about its radar cross-section." A key question whether the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, or the latest strike jet in the U.S. arsenal, Lockheed's F-35. The F-22, developed for the U.S. Air Force, is the J-20's closest lookalike. But the mere display of such a newly developed aircraft was a revealing signal, others said. "It's a change of tactics for the Chinese to publicly show off weapons that aren't in full squadron service yet," said Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, "and demonstrates a lot of confidence in the capability, and also a lot of pride." C919 PASSENGER JET ABSENT Other aircraft on display on Tuesday alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones, included the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, and what organizers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production - the AG600. The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 - first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against China's claim to parts of the South China Sea in July - is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. A model of a wide-body jet being developed by COMAC and Russia's UAC was also on show, revealing design details such as wingspan and cruising speeds for the first time. Airbus and Boeing dominate the wide-body segment. Notably absent from the airshow schedule, though, was the 150-seater COMAC C919 passenger jet, which has been beset by delays and is now running three years behind original plans. COMAC said at the show that China Eastern Airlines will be the launch customer for the C919, which may take its first test flight later this year or early 2017, and that it had clinched 23 new orders for its C919, taking total firm orders to 570. (Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Secret talks between the Vatican and Beijing are raising hopes of a "historic" rapprochement after six decades of estrangement, but some Chinese clergy fear that Rome will accept a Communist stranglehold over the country's Catholics. Since becoming head of the Holy See in 2013 Pope Francis has tried to improve relations with the Chinese government in the hope of reconnecting with Catholics in China who are divided between two denominations, loyal to either Rome or Beijing. But opponents -- among them the respected Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen -- say the agreement risks abandoning loyal believers and amounts to a deal with the devil. Since January, Chinese and Vatican officials have met at least four times, including in Rome, to try and resolve the delicate issue of the appointment of bishops -- the heart of the dispute. Each side has long insisted that it should have the final say on the issue -- the Vatican as God's representative on Earth, and the Communist party as the final arbiter on all issues in China. "We're hoping for a very important, historic agreement that we've been waiting for for nearly 70 years," said Jeroom Heyndrickx, a Belgian priest who has been involved with Chinese Catholics since the 1950s and is closely following the discussions. "A Chinese delegation will head to Rome at the beginning of November for a last round of negotiations," said Heyndrickx, acting director of the Ferdinand Verbiest Institute in Leuven, which studies Catholicism in China. China and the Vatican have not had diplomatic relations since 1951. The country's roughly 12 million Catholics are divided between the government-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party -- but sometimes accepted by Rome -- and an unofficial church where bishops named by the Vatican are not recognised by Beijing, but sometimes tolerated. But earlier this year the pope sent greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and said he was an admirer of Chinese civilisation. Xi responded in September with a gift of a silk print of an 8th-century stele -- a nearly three-metre tall carved stone tablet -- from Xian, the earliest known trace of Christianity in China. Story continues The agreement is currently expected to see the Vatican recognise four out of the eight CPCA bishops it does not currently acknowledge, according to Father Heyndrickx. Beijing could also name two new bishops in Shanxi and Sichuan provinces with Rome's blessing. The two would also agree on how to select future bishops. "Rome could accept a situation in which the final nomination is made by the pope," Heyndrickx adds. But it was not clear whether the Vatican would have a choice of candidates. Crucially, the agreement will not address the 30 bishops consecrated by Rome but rejected by Beijing. "Their fate will certainly not be resolved in the near future," said Father Heyndrickx. Even if Beijing agreed to recognise them, he predicted, "I am convinced that they would refuse to join the Patriotic Association." - 'Reality is cruel' - Chinese Catholics are divided over the prospect of an agreement, with Cardinal Zen -- who spent seven years teaching in the official church in the 1990s -- the most high-profile opponent. The Chinese Communist party is officially atheist and Zen said of the CPCA: "They don't believe in God, they don't understand what is the church. They only have political considerations." He contrasted the Pope's approach with that of his predecessor John Paul II, who lived under both Nazi and Communist rule in Poland and played a key role in the advent of democracy in eastern Europe. "Communism is a terrible totalitarian regime and people who haven't experienced that find difficulty to understand that," Zen told AFP from Hong Kong. Pope Francis, he said, "wants to make peace with everybody, that's very good, but sometimes I think the reality is cruel". For Francesco Sisci, a researcher at Renmin University who has been following Vatican issues for decades, the split in the Catholic church in China is more than political. "The Catholic church is split between factions that hate each other," he explained. "In the same area, you have two bishops rivalling for power, for money." Zen described the CPCA's members as "puppets of the government" who have profited from their positions. If Rome recognised it, he added, Beijing could feel emboldened to "eliminate" the underground church, whose members would be left "desperate". Vatican authorities "say they hope that by this agreement, the people may live their faith peacefully," Zen said. "But if there is no freedom there is no peace." By Brenda Goh ZHUHAI, China (Reuters) - China's appetite for planes and pilots is building up, whetted by a slew of new airlines launched in the last three years as local governments, private firms and larger carriers fight for a share of the country's fast-growing domestic travel market. More than 10 Chinese carriers have begun flying since Beijing's aviation regulator relaxed a six-year suspension on new airlines licences in 2013. They now operate or have ordered at least 100 jets made by Europe's Airbus Group (AIR.PA), U.S. giant Boeing Co (BA.N) and Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) of Brazil. Such breakneck expansion might give cause for alarm in mature aviation markets. But China's new breed of carrier is focusing on second and third-tier Chinese cities that have gleaming, newly built airports that helped stoke an 8.2 percent rise in domestic China passenger traffic in 2015, according to the International Air Transport Association. While state carriers like Air China , China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines dominate for now, the newcomers have deep-pocketed backers like conglomerate HNA Group, plus support from local authorities as well as Air China itself. "By 2020 we want to have 40-50 planes," said Lan Yu, brand manager at Guangxi Beibu Gulf Airlines, a newcomer set up by the government of southwestern Guangxi province and Tianjin Airlines in 2015. Tianjin Airlines is a unit of HNA, an aviation and shipping giant with more than $100 billion in assets that itself is expanding fast into the hotel trade overseas. Guangxi Beibu will fly 13 Embraer E190 regional jets and three Airbus A320s to 28 Chinese cities by the end of 2016, Lan said. With average seat occupancy of more than 90 percent since flights began, Lan said the carrier was already profitable. Aircraft makers like Boeing (BA.N) welcome the newcomers, provided they are financially sound. "We obviously look a little more closely at new airlines to make sure we account for the risk, but we're not seeing any issues with the ones that have started up in China," said Darren Hulst, Boeing Commercial Airplane's managing director of marketing for Northeast Asia. Story continues "We assess the funding that they have, the access to financing that they have, and then from a going-concern perspective, some of these carriers that have started, how are they performing, are they generating profits?" PRICE WAR? As well as the newcomers already up and running, at least another 10 airlines have applied for air operator certificates, according to company statements and local media reports. At the end of last year, China had 48 passenger airlines, up from 36 at the end of 2012, according to data from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Along with racking up aircraft orders, the new airlines are also advertising pay packages up to 50 percent higher than their established rivals as they find it tougher to lure staff, said general manager of Hong Kong-based crew recruitment firm Smile Aviation Sherrie Luo. Hongtu Airlines, based in the southwestern city of Kunming, is offering Airbus A320 pilots monthly salaries of up to $25,500, according to advertisements on Smile Aviation's website. Pilots heading to China Eastern can expect up to $18,500 a month. Some industry experts caution that China's blossoming aviation market runs the risk of a price war, as the CAAC relaxes restrictions to allow airlines to set ticket prices for more routes. "Some of the airlines may lower their pricing drastically to get the competition out of the route so they can maintain market share," said Bjarki Arnason, head of Shanghai-based consultancy AviAsia. "The competition can be pretty fierce in this environment." Still, Arnason said, Beijing will be vigilant to protect its growing industry. "I doubt that the government will actually allow that (a price war) to happen." ($1 = 6.7367 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Additional reporting by SHANGHAI Newsroom; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) Two of China's secretive J-20 warplanes swept over a gasping crowd at the Zhuhai air show Tuesday, potent symbols of Beijing's aspirations to military might. The fighters were not announced on the schedule and appeared in the sky just after a colourful aerobatics show by the People's Liberation Army Air Force. With no fanfare but an abrupt announcement by the master of ceremonies, the dark, powerful jets rumbled side by side over the sun-baked spectators. Two minutes later one blasted vertically into the sky and the jets were gone. Swift and heavily armed, the warplanes represent a leap forward in China's ability to project power in Asia and compete in capabilities with the United States. Beijing is seeking to modernise and upgrade its military both to protect its borders and project power into regions such as the South China Sea, a resource-rich strategic waterway where it has disputes with several neighbours. This year's Zhuhai exhibition, the largest ever, features an array of new made-in-China military technology including assault vehicles, anti-aircraft missile systems, drones and fighter jets. Two huge exhibition rooms showcased the latest sea, land, and drone-based defense systems on giant screens, with enemy ships and aircraft as targets. Tourists posed next to missile launchers and atomic clocks used to control the country's homegrown Beidou satellite navigation system. China's only international aerospace expo, the Zhuhai event serves as a stage for Beijing to flex its muscles before an audience of cheering citizens and foreign guests from 42 countries including Russia, Pakistan and Britain. It has also become a key platform for top global aerospace firms to hawk their wares for a share of the booming aircraft market in the world's second-largest economy. China is projected to become the world's largest aviation market by 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association. Story continues Boeing and Airbus are in a heated competition to win Chinese customers for their aircraft, while homegrown national champions COMAC and AVIC aim to capture market share for Chinese firms. President Xi Jinping has declared aerospace one of the target industries for his "Made in China 2025" plan to make the country's firms capable of dethroning foreign competitors in high-value manufacturing and services. On Monday the president of China's state aerospace company AVIC -- maker of the J-20 jet -- said in Zhuhai that the firm had annual overseas earnings exceeding 80 billion yuan ($11.8 billion) and declared its "sacred mission" to serve the country, carry out the strategic plan of the Communist party, and "closely unite around the core leadership of comrade Xi Jinping". From Popular Mechanics One of the largest air shows in the world is currently being held in Zhuhai, China. Currently in its eleventh year, the air show has become the go-to spot for seeing the latest in Chinese military hardware. An impressive number of new airplanes are making their debuts there this year, including the J-20 stealth fighter, Y-20 strategic airlifter, and AG-600 seaplane. The 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition-known to most people simply as the Zhuhai Air Show-starts November 1st and runs until November 6th, taking place at the China International Aviation Exhibition Center in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province. Seven hundred exhibitors from 42 countries and regions around the world will exhibit at the show, but all eyes will be on the latest Chinese aircraft and weapons. A number of pictures have trickled out of the show a day early, giving us the rundown on what will be on display. The show venue is divided into an Aviation and Aerospace Hall and a Weapons Exhibition Hall. The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also known as the Chinese Air Force, has confirmed that the country's new J-20 jet fighter will make its public debut at Zhuhai. The fifth generation fighter has been spotted in a new camouflage pattern and has reportedly entered low-rate initial production. But there's still one thing everyone would like to know, and that's what, exactly, the large, twin-engine fighter is for. Speculation is that the fighter could be a long-range air superiority fighter, light bomber, or some combination of both. Another aircraft on display will be the Y-20 strategic transport. Roughly similar to the U.S. Air Force's C-17 Globemaster III, the Y-20 is China's first jet-powered heavy transport. The aircraft is expected to eventually carry up to 65 tons of cargo, but China has had problems developing a proper engine for it. For now, the aircraft uses Russian Soloviev D-30K turbofan engines. According to Chinese Air Force watcher Mike Yeo, the Y-20 could also be developed into an aerial tanker, something China desperately needs if it wants to keep pushing out its influence regionally. Story continues The AG-600 seaplane is also debuting at Zhuhai. The AG-600 is the largest seaplane in the world, as large as a Boeing 737 airline. The new seaplane and will likely be used for search and rescue, maritime patrol, and resupply of China's new fake islands. The show isn't limited to aircraft, either-the new VT-4 main battle tank and Type 96B main battle tank have been sighted on their way to Zhuhai, where they will undoubtedly try to rack up export sales. Thailand has purchased 50 VT-4s for $4 million each. China is also hawking its VP11 Mine Resistant Armor Protection vehicle, meant to protect troops from improvised explosive devices. Of course, it wouldn't be an air show without flight demonstration teams. The Royal Air Force's Red Arrows, consisting of twelve Hawk jet trainers, seen above, are practicing ahead of the show. Two teams from Russia, the Knights (flying Su-27 Flanker fighters) and the Swifts (MiG-29 Fulcrums). Representing China and flying the homegrown J-10 fighter is the Bayi Acrobatic Team, which arrived October 27th. You Might Also Like Chengdu J-20 Two Chengdu J-20 stealth fighters headlined China's Airshow China in Zhuhai on Tuesday, flying for just a few minutes, Reuters reports. But Justin Bronk, a research fellow specializing in combat airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, said the display left many questions unanswered. On paper, the J-20 represents a "big leap forward in terms of the capabilities of the PLA (People's Liberation Army) have on scene," Bronk said. Compared with the US's fifth-generation fighter jets, the F-22 and the F-35, the J-20 has "longer range, more internal fuel capacity, and larger internal weapons capability," Bronk said. This combination of factors presents a real risk to US forces in the Pacific. Long-range, capable strike fighters like the J-20 put the US AWACS, or airborne warning and control system, as well as "refueling tankers, and forward bases at risk much more than current types if flying in relatively large numbers" should any kind of kinetic conflict flare up in the Pacific, Bronk said. David Goldfein, the chief of staff for the US Air Force, told Breaking Defense he was not overly troubled by the new Chinese jet. "When I hear about F-35 versus J-20, it's almost an irrelevant comparison," Goldfein said in August. Indeed, nothing indicates that the Chinese have built in the type of hyper connectivity and sensor fusions that make the US's fifth-generation fighters so groundbreaking. Of the F-35 in particular, Bronk said: "Pilots are not spending a huge amount of time managing inputs the machine does it for him. It produces one unified picture, which he can then interrogate as required." F-35 cockpit This gives F-35 pilots a situational awareness the Chinese most likely leverage in combat. Story continues But what exactly goes on under the hood of the J-20 remains a mystery. What is known is that the Chinese have managed to steal a considerable amount of info from US defense aviation projects. "We don't know how much F-35 technology the Chinese have managed to steal," Bronk said, adding that while it was "impossible to say for sure" what the J-20 is capable of, common sense dictates that the "the sensor fusion and network integration is significantly behind what the US has managed with the F-35 and F-22. "This is purely based on the fact that sensor fusion has taken the most effort, time, and money," he continued. But one-on-one combat scenarios or feature-for-feature comparisons don't capture the real threat of the J-20. Long-range stealth fighters, if fielded in large numbers along with older Chinese aircraft, surface-to-air missile batteries, radar outposts, missiles, and electronic-warfare units, present another wrinkle in an already complicated and fraught operating envelope for US and allied forces in the Pacific. But is it real? Chengdu J-20 Whether the Chinese will actually be able to field this plane by 2018, as Beijing has projected, remains the real question. Bronk pointed out that it took a decade between US developers building a flying model of the F-22 and getting real, capable F-22s in the air. Even if the Chinese have accelerated the process through espionage, Bronk says, "We know how much money and time it takes to make a lethal and effective fighter like the F-22," and it's "very unlikely that China is that far along." Additionally, the J-20s in Zhuhai flew for only about one minute. They didn't do low passes. They didn't open up the weapons bay. They didn't do much except fly around a single time. F-35 and F-22 "We learned very little," Greg Waldron, the Asia managing editor of FlightGlobal, told Reuters. "We learned it is very loud. But we can't tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility." Bronk speculates that the models on display at Airshow China were not much more than showpieces: "It's possible that the aircraft that were shown are still instrumented production aircraft," or planes with "loads of sensors to monitor performance" instead of in a combat-ready formation. Bronk points out that the aircraft most likely flew with underpowered engines and not the engines that would fly on the final version. "Engine performance is a key function of any aircraft," he said, adding, "China and Russia continue to lag behind because of the really top-end manufacturing processes you need" to create and tune high-quality aircraft engines. So while China's new "impressive low-observable heavy strike" fighters could change the balance of power in the Pacific, whether they can field the planes in significantly large numbers at any time in the near future remains an open question. Watch footage of the J-20's flight below: NOW WATCH: China flexes its military might by unveiling a new stealth fighter jet More From Business Insider By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Lisa Baertlein BOSTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Two union-affiliated shareholders in Chipotle Mexican Grill on Tuesday said they would propose replacing the founder with an independent director as board chair, piling on pressure after well-known activist Bill Ackman took a large stake in the company. Amalgamated Bank and CtW Investment Group, both of which have previously sparred with Chipotle, filed a shareholder resolution on Tuesday to strip board leadership from founder, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Steve Ells, by instituting an independent chair. The non-binding proposal marks an escalation in pressure from investors of the formerly high-flying restaurant chain over corporate governance and executive compensation. Chipotle shares have plummeted to around $360, less than half their level last summer, when they flirted with $750 before a series of food-borne illnesses at company restaurants. Chipotle did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Any vote on the latest shareholder proposal would not occur until Chipotle's 2017 annual meeting. Shares fell about half a percent in late trade. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, whose pension fund owns Chipotle shares, immediately backed the new proposal. Billionaire Ackman, whose hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management unveiled a 9.9 percent stake in Chipotle in September, declined to comment. Pershing Square has met with the company, sources familiar with the matter said, but it has not publicly discussed its demands. A spokesman for the hedge fund declined to comment on the new proposal. CtW, which led a successful shareholder referendum on lavish CEO pay in 2014, failed to get enough support to remove two longtime board members at the company's annual meeting this May. A New York City Pension Funds resolution making it easier for shareholders to nominate directors, passed at this year's annual meeting with the backing of activist investors, including the mammoth California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS). Story continues Since then, investors have grown more worried about the company's ability to rehabilitate its brand. "Chipotle's closed-off and limited governance structure is unsustainable and counterproductive, posing a direct risk to shareholders and the public at large," Amalgamated Bank CEO Keith Mestrich said in a statement. The bank has about 5,500 shares. CtW works with funds that own about 55,000 shares. People familiar with Ackman's thinking suggest he also is taking aim at the board, demanding a substantial number of directors be replaced with people who have expertise in food safety, marketing, and digital engagement. Former Starbucks Corp Chief Operating Officer Troy Alstead, who was instrumental in the coffee chains turnaround, could be a Chipotle board nominee, several people with ties to activist investors said. Alstead, who now sits on the board at apparel company Levi Strauss & Co, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Chipotle has hired investment banks Goldman Sachs Group Inc and Morgan Stanley, as well as law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP, and crisis public relations firm Joele Frank to defend against Ackman, people close to the matter have said. CtW analyst Derrick Wortes said his group will begin reaching out to the company's biggest owners, including Fidelity and Vanguard, to make its case for change. "It is time to steer the strategic changes that will help pull the company back from the edge," Wortes said. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in Boston and Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and David Gregorio) Health insurer Cigna Corp. CI is expected to release third-quarter financial results before the market opens on Nov 3. In the last reported quarter, the company missed the earnings estimate by 17.15%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Why a Likely Positive Surprise? Our proven model shows that Cigna is likely to beat on earnings as it has the right combination of the two key components. Note that a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) or at least #3 (Hold) to have a significantly higher chance of beating estimates. Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for Cigna is +2.62%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate of $1.96 per share is above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.91 per share. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Cignas Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP. Factors to Drive Q3 Results The poor performance in Disability is a result of modifications made to the disability claim process, in the first quarter this year, where the company is investing additional resources in the upfront medical review of claims to conduct further physical examinations, perform deeper medical history reviews and enhanced documentation. These modifications resulted in longer claim cycles, thereby increasing the disability durations and claim inventory which contributed significantly to the unfavorable financial impact experienced in the first-half of 2016 for this business. Cignas U.S. individual business is likely to have experienced softness similar to the rest of the industry. The third-quarter results are expected to demonstrate continued strength in the operating performance of the Global Health Care and Global Supplemental benefits business. We expect the company to continue posting favorable results on solid revenue growth in the government business, disciplined expense management and effective medical cost management. Favorable medical utilization along with medical cost management is expected to contribute to the bottom line. Moreover, its strong balance sheet which enables share buyback should support the upcoming results. Story continues CIGNA CORP Price and EPS Surprise CIGNA CORP Price and EPS Surprise | CIGNA CORP Quote Other Stocks to Consider Here are three stocks from the medical sector which you may want to consider as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Humana Inc. HUM is expected to report third-quarter earnings results on Nov 4. The company has an Earnings ESP of +2.94% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AERI has an Earnings ESP of +8.57% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release third-quarter results on Nov 2. AMN Healthcare Services Inc. AMN has an Earnings ESP of +1.79% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release third-quarter results on Nov 3. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AMN HLTHCR SVCS (AMN): Free Stock Analysis Report CIGNA CORP (CI): Free Stock Analysis Report AERIE PHARMACT (AERI): Free Stock Analysis Report HUMANA INC NEW (HUM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Beirut (AFP) - Iraqi forces fought their way into jihadist-held Mosul on Tuesday, the military said, as a top commander declared the "true liberation" of the city from the Islamic State group had begun. Since IS seized swathes of Syria and Iraq in mid-2014, it has been pushed back by armed groups including US-backed Kurdish fighters, Iraqi and Syrian government forces. Here is a recap of key cities, towns and territory IS has lost in recent months: - Syria - KOBANE: A Kurdish town in northern Syria, Kobane became a symbol of the fight against IS. The jihadists were driven out by US-backed Kurdish forces in January 2015 after more than four months of fierce fighting. TAL ABYAD: Another town on the Turkish border, Tal Abyad was captured by Kurdish and Arab rebels in June 2015. The town was the gateway to a key supply route between Turkey and IS's Syrian stronghold, Raqa. Jihadist fighters and weapons regularly passed through the town before its recapture. PALMYRA: IS seized the ancient town of Palmyra in May 2015. It blew up UNESCO-listed Roman-era temples and looted ancient relics. Syrian regime forces backed by Russian warplanes and allied militia ousted the jihadists in March this year. MANBIJ: On August 6, a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by US air strikes recaptured Manbij following a two-month battle. IS had seized the town in 2014 and used it as a hub for moving jihadists to and from Europe. It also controlled a key supply route for the group. JARABULUS: Turkish troops and Syrian rebels swept almost unopposed into the border town of Jarabulus on August 24 during Operation Euphrates Shield, which also targets Kurdish militia. SYRIAN/TURKEY BORDER: On September 4, Turkish troops and allied rebel fighters drove IS from its last positions along the border, making it harder for foreign jihadists to reach the group's Syrian and Iraqi strongholds. DABIQ: Syrian rebels backed by Turkish warplanes and artillery captured Dabiq on Sunday. The town, under IS control since August 2014, has crucial ideological significance for the jihadists because of a prophecy that Christian and Muslim forces will wage battle there at the end of times. Story continues - Iraq - TIKRIT: The hometown of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein north of Baghdad, it fell to IS in June 2014, soon after Mosul. It was declared liberated in March 2015 in an operation by Iraqi troops, police and Shiite-dominated paramilitaries. SINJAR: Iraqi Kurdish forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes recaptured Sinjar, northwest of Baghdad, in November 2015. That cut a key supply line linking areas held by the jihadists in Iraq and Syria. IS had captured Sinjar in August 2014 and pursued a brutal campaign of massacres, enslavement and rape against its Yazidi minority. RAMADI: The capital of Anbar, Iraq's largest province that stretches from the borders with Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia to the western approach to Baghdad. Ramadi was declared fully recaptured in February, about nine months after IS seized it. FALLUJAH: Anbar province's second city and an emblematic bastion for IS, close to the capital. It fell to anti-government fighters in 2014 and became a key IS stronghold. Iraqi forces recaptured it in June this year. QAYYARAH: Iraqi forces backed by coalition aircraft retook Qayyarah from IS in August, providing Baghdad with a platform for its assault on Mosul, Iraq's second city. SHARQAT: Iraqi forces announced on September 22 that they had recaptured Sharqat, an IS-held town south of Mosul. The town is near key supply lines the army needs for the battle to retake Mosul. QARAQOSH: On October 18 hundreds of displaced Iraqi Christians danced and sang to celebrate the Iraqi military's retaking of Qaraqosh, 15 kilometres (10 miles) southeast of Mosul. MOSUL: Just over two weeks into the massive offensive to retake Mosul -- IS's last major stronghold in Iraq -- the Iraqi army said on November 1 that its forces had managed to push within city limits, entering the Judaidat Al-Mufti area. NIAMEY (Reuters) - Eighteen people were killed and 20 others were wounded on Tuesday in violence in Niger that pitted itinerant cattle herders against farmers, officials said. The clashes broke out near the village of Bangui along the West African nation's southern border with neighboring Nigeria after livestock belonging to ethnic Fulani herders damaged the field of a farmer. "The nomadic herders fought with a farmer, whom they wounded. He was taken to the medical center and everything started from there," said Oumarou Mohamane, Bangui's mayor. A group of farmers then attacked the Fulani camp in reprisal. Around 15 houses were burned. "It required the intervention of the police to stop the villagers," the mayor said. A second government official confirmed the details of the incident. Violent clashes between farmers and nomadic herders are a relatively common occurrence across West Africa, where there is competition over resources including land and water. (Reporting by Boureima Balima; editing by Grant McCool) By Roberta Rampton and Mark Hosenball DADE CITY, Fla.,/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top aide to Hillary Clinton urged the FBI on Tuesday to disclose what it knows about any ties between Donald Trump and Russia, accusing the agency of unfairly publicizing its inquiry into Clinton's email practices while staying quiet about the Republican presidential candidate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a preliminary inquiry in recent months into allegations that Trump or his associates might have had questionable dealings with Russian people or businesses, but found no evidence to warrant opening a full investigation, according to sources familiar with the matter. The agency has not publicly discussed the probe. A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign was trying to contain damage from the announcement by FBI Director James Comey on Friday that his agency was looking into new emails that might relate to Clinton's use of a private server while she was secretary of state. Trump and other Republicans seized on Comey's announcement, which did not indicate any wrongdoing by Clinton, to ratchet up criticism of the Democratic candidate. She leads in most opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the FBI director had not released any information about the agency's Russia inquiries. "If you're in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians," Mook said on CNN. The FBI inquiry reviewed allegations that Trump or his associates might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or engaged in contacts or commerce with people in Russia who are subject to U.S. or international financial sanctions. The U.S. government has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations. Democrats criticize Trump for taking what they say is a pro-Russia foreign policy stance. Russia's possible role in the campaign again came into focus when online magazine Slate said that a group of computer scientists had been alarmed by records showing thousands of apparent connection attempts between an email server operated on behalf of the Trump Organization and computers inside a Russian company, Alfa Bank in Moscow. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the server, which had been used to send out hotel marketing material, had been dormant for years. Prominent U.S. cyber security company FireEye said it had been hired by Alfa Bank to investigate the records and had been granted access to the banks systems in Moscow to look for evidence of any relationship with Trumps company or any signs of hacking or infection. FireEye said so far it had found no emails being sent back and forth or any other link. (For graphic on race to the White House, click http://tmsnrt.rs/298mTyD) CLINTON POLL LEAD Opinion polls show Clinton's lead has narrowed slightly since early last week but it is too early to say whether the email controversy was hurting her. Clinton led businessman Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters released on Monday, by 44 percent to 39 percent. Clinton, hoping to be the first woman elected president, strengthened her lead over Trump in polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women. In a dramatic twist, Comey told Congress in a letter on Friday that the FBI was reviewing newly discovered emails that might relate to Clinton's use of a private email server, instead of a government one, when she was secretary of state. Comey had announced in July that the FBI had completed a probe into the email practices, concluding there were no grounds to bring any charges. Clinton's team has been furiously pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case. Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey's letter has provided Republicans with fresh fodder for attack in the waning days of the campaign. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday that a Clinton presidency would bog down in "scandal baggage." Congressional Republicans, who had been concerned Trump risked damaging their majorities in the House and Senate, were also encouraged by his recent statements on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. A campaign aide said if Trump wins, he would ask Congress to begin working on legislation to repeal the law before the Jan. 20 inauguration. In an effort to shift the focus back to Trump's weak points, the Clinton campaign released a provocative new ad raising the specter of a possible nuclear war if Trump is elected president. Clinton said at rallies in the battleground state of Ohio on Monday that Trump, who has never held elected office, has a cavalier attitude toward nuclear weapons. She was speaking at a rally on Tuesday in Dade City, Florida. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By Roberta Rampton and Mark Hosenball DADE CITY, Fla.,/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top aide to Hillary Clinton urged the FBI on Tuesday to disclose what it knows about any ties between Donald Trump and Russia, accusing the agency of unfairly publicizing its inquiry into Clinton's email practices while staying quiet about the Republican presidential candidate. The Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a preliminary inquiry in recent months into allegations that Trump or his associates might have had questionable dealings with Russian people or businesses, but found no evidence to warrant opening a full investigation, according to sources familiar with the matter. The agency has not publicly discussed the probe. A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign was trying to contain damage from the announcement by FBI Director James Comey on Friday that his agency was looking into new emails that might relate to Clinton's use of a private server while she was secretary of state. Trump and other Republicans seized on Comey's announcement, which did not indicate any wrongdoing by Clinton, to ratchet up criticism of the Democratic candidate. She leads in most opinion polls ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the FBI director had not released any information about the agency's Russia inquiries. "If you're in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians," Mook said on CNN. The FBI inquiry reviewed allegations that Trump or his associates might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or engaged in contacts or commerce with people in Russia who are subject to U.S. or international financial sanctions. The U.S. government has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations. Democrats criticize Trump for taking what they say is a pro-Russia foreign policy stance. Russia's possible role in the campaign again came into focus when online magazine Slate said that a group of computer scientists had been alarmed by records showing thousands of apparent connection attempts between an email server operated on behalf of the Trump Organization and computers inside a Russian company, Alfa Bank in Moscow. Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the server, which had been used to send out hotel marketing material, had been dormant for years. Prominent U.S. cyber security company FireEye said it had been hired by Alfa Bank to investigate the records and had been granted access to the banks systems in Moscow to look for evidence of any relationship with Trumps company or any signs of hacking or infection. FireEye said so far it had found no emails being sent back and forth or any other link. CLINTON POLL LEAD Opinion polls show Clinton's lead has narrowed slightly since early last week but it is too early to say whether the email controversy was hurting her. Clinton led businessman Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters released on Monday, by 44 percent to 39 percent. Clinton, hoping to be the first woman elected president, strengthened her lead over Trump in polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women. In a dramatic twist, Comey told Congress in a letter on Friday that the FBI was reviewing newly discovered emails that might relate to Clinton's use of a private email server, instead of a government one, when she was secretary of state. Comey had announced in July that the FBI had completed a probe into the email practices, concluding there were no grounds to bring any charges. Clinton's team has been furiously pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case. Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Comey's letter has provided Republicans with fresh fodder for attack in the waning days of the campaign. U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday that a Clinton presidency would bog down in "scandal baggage." Congressional Republicans, who had been concerned Trump risked damaging their majorities in the House and Senate, were also encouraged by his recent statements on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. A campaign aide said if Trump wins, he would ask Congress to begin working on legislation to repeal the law before the Jan. 20 inauguration. In an effort to shift the focus back to Trump's weak points, the Clinton campaign released a provocative new ad raising the specter of a possible nuclear war if Trump is elected president. Clinton said at rallies in the battleground state of Ohio on Monday that Trump, who has never held elected office, has a cavalier attitude toward nuclear weapons. She was speaking at a rally on Tuesday in Dade City, Florida. (Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally at Pasco-Hernando State College in Dade City, Fla. (Photo: Brian Snyder/Reuters) Hillary Clinton spent the better part of a fiery Florida rally on Tuesday discussing sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump, saying the Republican nominee often does not view women as equal human beings. When I think about what we now know about Donald Trump and what hes been doing for the past 30 years, he sure has spent a lot of time demeaning, degrading, insulting, and assaulting women, Clinton said. The Dade City, Fla., speech came as the polls of the presidential race have tightened and as Clinton has struggled with a negative news cycle rocked by the FBIs revealing that it was probing additional emails connected to her server. FBI Director James Comey said last Friday that his agency had discovered new emails related to its investigation of the private email server Clinton exclusively used as secretary of state. On Tuesday, the Democratic nominee went further than in any past speech in describing Trumps comments in the recently unearthed 2005 Access Hollywood tape, in which Trump said he grabbed some women by the genitals. We heard what he does to women, Clinton said. Im not going to repeat it, but you know Donald Trump was bragging about grabbing women, mistreating women. I have to tell you since that tape came out, 12 women have come forward to say, what he said on that tape was what he did to me. Clinton was introduced by former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, who has accused Trump of calling her Miss Piggy after she gained weight. Trump, who once owned the Miss Universe beauty pageant, launched a Twitter barrage against Machado after Clinton brought up his treatment of her during the first debate. Machado appeared to fight back tears as she described Trumps treatment of her in English and Spanish in her introduction of Clinton. Its clearthat he does not respect women. He just judges us on our looks, she said, adding that she was afraid of him when he criticized her for gaining weight. The bottom line is he thinks belittling women makes him a bigger man, Clinton said. He doesnt see us as full human beings with our own dreams. our own purposes, our own capabilities and he has shown that clearly throughout this campaign. Story continues She urged her supporters to vote to show Trump he is wrong. He has shown us who he is. Let us show him this Tuesday who we are, she said. The race is likely to get uglier in its final week. A Clinton senior adviser told reporters the candidate is aiming to sharpen the choice by drawing contrasts with Trump in the final days of the campaign. From Esquire Over the weekend, after FBI director James Comey's Friday announcement that he would once again be rooting around through Hillary Clinton's emails for vague, Weiner-related reasons, the Democratic candidate's team was near-unanimous in their reaction: They were puzzled. "We're so puzzled right now," said Robby Mook, Clinton's campaign manager. "I was very puzzled," said Tim Kaine. "You're probably just as puzzled and outraged as we are," said national press secretary Brian Fallon. Being "puzzled" is a smart bit of branding, invoking a relatable sense of victimhood. It's a catch-all word that covers everything from the minor confusion of working a smart-TV remote to the hopelessness of comprehending the global economy. And puzzlement happens to everybody: To prove it, here are a list of other puzzling things that happened this weekend, just according to the New York Times. How an NFL game could end in a tie, to British people "The sold-out crowd of 84,488 at Wembley Stadium left deflated and even puzzled as the regulation-time shootout between Kirk Cousins and Andy Dalton turned into an overtime comedy of errors." An AI program's attempts to match photos to artworks they resemble "Some matches are revealing, but many seem puzzling. For example, there's the match between a ceremony where the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, greets the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, and "Horse Sale at the Barbican" (1912), by Robert Bevan." The AT&T-Time Warner merger "Morgan Stanley analysts called the deal a 'bold step,' wondering whether the companies were 'swinging for the fences.' Nomura said the deal was 'puzzling.'" Michigan State, going for a 2-point conversion with one second left and down by seven points "When Michigan State fumbled while attempting a puzzling 2-point conversion with 1 second left, Jabrill Peppers scooped up the loose ball and ran all the way to the end zone." Story continues How Iran is pursuing its interests after the nuclear deal "What would seem to be a puzzling contradiction is in fact a carefully thought-out, two-track policy being pursued by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the circle of leaders around him." Baseball's lack of minority managers "He's good at this business of saying nothing. He talked of pipelines and entry-level programs and making sure that candidates from minority groups are prepared and effective in interviews. That just left me more puzzled. Jones long ago passed the entry-level door. He sounds knowledgeable and voluble, and ready to take the helm of a team." A gay character's unfulfilling love life in the otherwise passionate novel, The Gustav Sonata "Tremain is so good on passion - Gustav's mother insists that he learn to 'master' himself, but she is deliriously lost when she first meets his wrestler father - that this is puzzling. Men who love men, it seems, are meant to wait." You Might Also Like Imagine that youre a passionate Hillary Clinton supporter, suddenly put under the same roof for three weeks with several diehard Donald Trump fans and a couple of undecided voters. In an ugly election year, some would consider that the ultimate horror, but not Cassidy Gard, one of seven politically-minded young voters who agreed to move into a Washington, D.C. row house for the Fullscreen reality series House Divided, a political Real World for millennials. The show, which concludes with a two-hour finale on Nov. 6, was stressful, but Im glad I did it, says Gard, 26, of Los Angeles, the founder of a digital media company, CiGi TV, who is voting for Clinton. We talked politics 24/7 and werent allowed to leave the house unless our reason was approved several days in advance and we had a chaperone, she tells PEOPLE. It wasnt easy in fact, it was frustrating. Being confined and arguing for that long messes with your head. But it was great to stand up for what I believe in. Gard and her roommates, who spent hours debating everything from abortion and gun control to climate change and immigration, did their best to persuade each other to come around to their ways of thinking, but in the end, after eight episodes, few minds were changed. I learned something from everybody in the house, but the truth is, we were constantly at each others throats, Saqib Javed, 22, an undecided voter during the shooting of the series who now supports Green Party candidate Jill Stein, tells PEOPLE. Although it was the experience of a lifetime, it was extremely difficult for me, especially because I was the only Muslim, adds Javed, a criminal justice student at Wayne State University who made headlines last March for being ejected from several Trump rallies while dressed in a stylish sherwani. Muslims have been treated like second-class citizens in this country, he tells PEOPLE and thats not OK. I feel like were being used as pawns by both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Theres no way I could vote for either of them. Story continues Although the 20-somethings who participated in House Divided are a diverse lot, perhaps none of them was more surprising to viewers than Alex Chalgren, an 18-year-old high school senior from Irmo, South Carolina, who is gay, African-American and voting for Trump. I took a lot of flack everybody is baffled that I can be a Trump supporter, says Chalgren, who hopes to get accepted into the United States Military Academy (West Point) after he graduates from Dutch Fork High School. Trump isnt perfect, but then none of them are, he tells PEOPLE, and I can see through the facade that we need to elect another establishment person as president. I believe that Trump is far more perfect than Hillary Clinton, and I honestly believe that hes going to win. Chalgren clashed frequently on the show with Gard, who believes that Donald Trumps entire campaign has been based on fear. Hes feeding Americans the lie that helping others in the world puts us last in line, Gard tells PEOPLE. His supporters say they are passionate, but I dont think thats a word that should be substituted for hateful. I cant imagine a world where Donald Trump is president, so I just dont let my mind go there. After the show finished shooting, Gard was so tired of the bickering and contention that she removed herself from the House Divided group text chain, choosing instead to lose herself in Marianne Williamsons book, Return to Love. Although I appreciate learning about others views, you have to have the grace to know when to dial it in, she tells PEOPLE with a sigh. Im glad that its over and Im moving on. I just keep visualizing waking up on November 9th when Hillary Clinton will be our first female president. From Jack Greene's triple play in the first year to Chris Stapleton's career-making appearance at the 49th installment, the Country Music Association Awards have become a defining moment on the calendar every fall. In recognition of the 50th annual CMA Awards to be held Nov. 2, here's a year-by-year sweep of almost 50 highlights in 50 years: 1967 - Jack Greene is a triple winner behind single of the year "There Goes My Everything." 1968 - Glen Campbell wins entertainer and male vocalist as NBC tapes the show for a November telecast. 1969 - Johnny Cash wins a record-setting five times at the Ryman Auditorium, the same venue where he shoots his ABC-TV series The Johnny Cash Show. 1970 - "Okie From Muskogee" propels Merle Haggard to four trophies, including entertainer and male vocalist. 1971 - The CMA takes pride in the genre's first African-American singing star: Charley Pride cops entertainer and male vocalist. 1972 - Loretta Lynn becomes the first woman to win entertainer and shares the vocal duo award with Conway Twitty for the first of four straight years. 1973 - Chet Atkins, 49, becomes the second living person younger than 50 to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, following 1966 inductee Eddy Arnold. 1974 - Seven months after the Grand Ole Opry House opens, the venue hosts the awards for the first time. "Country Bumpkin" claims single for Cal Smith and song for songwriter Don Wayne. 1975 - With a segment of country's artists inflamed about non-Nashville acts encroaching on the genre, presenter Charlie Rich lights fire to the envelope that reveals John Denver as entertainer of the year. 1976 - Vocal duo of the year Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson also share single ("Good Hearted Woman") and album (Outlaws, which also featured Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser). The next summer, Nelson and Jennings unsuccessfully request to be removed from the ballot, believing a competition is antithetical to the spirit of artistic endeavor. Story continues 1977 - Fourteen months after recording Ronnie Milsap Live at the Opry House, Milsap returns to the same stage to take album of the year, plus entertainer and male vocalist. 1978 - Dolly Parton's dress splits before she collects entertainer of the year. 1979 - Kenny Rogers hosts the show, giving him a short walk to collect his three trophies. They include album of the year, for The Gambler. The title track earns song of the year for composer Don Schlitz. 1980 - George Jones wins his first two trophies: male vocalist and single of the year for "He Stopped Loving Her Today." 1981 - Barbara Mandrell becomes the first act to repeat as entertainer of the year. 1982 - Alabama lays claim to three honors, including the first of three straight entertainer victories. 1983 - "Always on My Mind" becomes the last of three titles allowed to win song of the year twice. Its predecessors: "Easy Loving" (1971-1972) and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980-1981). 1984 - Anne Murray is the first woman to receive album of the year, for A Little Good News. The title track is also recognized as single of the year. 1985 - Four weeks after The New York Times pronounced country music "dead" in a front-page story, bluegrass-based Ricky Skaggs reigns as entertainer of the year. 1986 - Entertainer winner Reba McEntire takes female vocalist for the third of four straight years in the 20th annual ceremony. 1987 - Randy Travis accrues three of his five lifetime CMAs during this edition, thanks in no small part to "Forever and Ever, Amen," the single of the year. 1988 - The Trio album christens the brand-new vocal event category, bringing Linda Ronstadt her only CMA Award, shared with Parton and Emmylou Harris. 1989 - Hank Williams died 14 years before the first awards were handed out, but he appeared twice on the winners list when technology allowed him to duet with son Hank Williams Jr. on "There's a Tear in My Beer," the vocal event and music video of the year. 1990 - The Kentucky HeadHunters set the stage for a new infusion of rock in the format as they claim vocal group and album of the year, for Pickin' On Nashville. 1991 - George H.W. Bush becomes the first sitting president to attend the awards, watching as Garth Brooks makes four acceptance speeches, including the first of four as entertainer of the year. 1992 - Eight weeks before the birth of Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus snags his only CMA trophy: single of the year for the controversial "Achy Breaky Heart." 1993 - While hosting for the second of 12 straight years, Vince Gill trots to the podium five different times, thanks in large part to song of the year "I Still Believe in You." 1994 - It's the year of the tribute album. Three of the five finalists pull together as many as 21 acts: Asleep at the Wheel's Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, Rhythm Country & Blues and the ultimate winner, Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles. 1995 - Bluegrass rules again, as Alison Krauss wins four times. 1996 - Fifteen years after his first hit, George Strait takes three trophies, including the third of his five total male vocalist honors. 1997 - At 15, LeAnn Rimes becomes the youngest-ever winner as she claims the Horizon Award. 1998 - Steve Wariner becomes the first person to write, produce and perform the single of the year, "Holes in the Floor of Heaven," which also snags song of the year. 1999 - Shania Twain owns just one CMA trophy, but it's a biggie: the last entertainer of the year trophy of the 20th century. 2000 - The three Dixie Chicks snag four honors, including entertainer and album of the year, the latter picked up on the Fly. 2001 - The rootsy O Brother, Where Are Thou? soundtrack collects album of the year while The Soggy Bottom Boys' "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" is the first non-radio hit named single of the year. 2002 - A year after debuting "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" on the CMAs, Alan Jackson wins a record-tying five times. 2003 - Rascal Flatts begins a six-year run as vocal group of the year. 2004 - Kenny Chesney lands the first of four entertainer victories. 2005 - Lee Ann Womack wins three trophies as the awards relocate to New York for one year. 2006 - Hosts Brooks & Dunn lock down three trophies as the 40th installment marks a shift to the Bridgestone Arena. 2007 - Carrie Underwood nabs the female vocalist trophy and single of the year, for "Before He Cheats." 2008 - Mac McAnally scores musician of the year, launching what becomes a record eight straight wins. 2009 - Taylor Swift, 19, becomes the CMA's youngest entertainer of the year, winning four times during the night. 2010 - "The House That Built Me" spurs Miranda Lambert to three wins, including the first of six consecutive female victories. 2011 - The Band Perry's "If I Die Young" earns single and song of the year, while the trio walks off with new artist. 2012 - The Voice leads Blake Shelton to three wins, including entertainer and the third of five consecutive male vocalist honors. 2013 - Florida Georgia Line rides a "Cruise" to single and vocal duo of the year. 2014 - Song of the year "Follow Your Arrow" puts a progressive spin on the usually conservative country genre. 2015 - Chris Stapleton's three trophies and his performance with Justin Timberlake lift him to national prominence. 2016 - TBD * Excavator hit line on Monday, triggering explosion * Gasoline off highs as Colonial does not expect long outage * Shutdown just weeks after leak caused 12-day disruption * Colonial supplies 3 mln bpd of fuel to the East Coast (Adds regulatory waivers in North Carolina and Georgia in paragraph 14) By Devika Krishna Kumar Nov 1 (Reuters) - A major gasoline pipeline that is a crucial supply source for the U.S. East Coast could reopen as early as Saturday after an explosion in Alabama killed one worker and injured five others, Colonial Pipeline Co said on Tuesday. The blast on Monday occurred several miles from its biggest gasoline spill in nearly two decades in September. That spill caused a 12-day interruption in the flow of about 1.3 million barrels per day of the fuel from the refining hub on the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. The shutdown will restrict gasoline supplies to millions of Americans in the Southeast and possibly the Northeast. The Northeast could be less affected since it can get supplies via waterborne shippers. In a news conference Tuesday, Colonial executive Gerald Beck said the crew was putting in a valve in order to finish repairs related to September's leak. He said the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently has control of the site. The fire is still burning, and Colonial expects to be able to get into the site in the next day or two - and from there, determine how long a repair will take. The 5,500-mile (8,850-km) Colonial Pipeline is the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system and can carry more than 3 million barrels of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel between the U.S. Gulf Coast and the New York Harbor area. The worker who was killed was found on-site, but his name was not released. U.S. gasoline futures soared 15 percent to the highest since June on the shutdown, but pared gains sharply to 4.6 percent to settle at $1.4841 per gallon after Colonial said it could reopen the pipe by the weekend. Story continues Colonial said it would explore potential options to operate parts of its gasoline pipe, called line 1, and would evaluate shipping gasoline on the distillates pipe, line 2, which was briefly shut overnight by the incident. During the September outage, the company shipped some gasoline on the line that usually transports diesel and jet fuels. "If they are properly motivated, they can do the investigation and get the line up a lot quicker than the last one," said Richard Kuprewicz, president of Accufacts Inc, a pipeline advisory firm, referring to the September outage. "My experience tells me that even with a fatality, I would not expect this to go as long as the last one." Shippers using the East Coast supply artery were, however, bracing for a longer shutdown as Colonial said it was hard to predict a repair schedule. Shippers and fuel companies were scrambling to secure supplies via sea or other alternatives to get fuel to the East Coast. Fuel retailers and consumers are likely to be most affected, though prices at the pump have not risen yet, even as gasoline futures have spiked. The governors of Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia on Tuesday issued regulatory waivers to allow easier transit of fuel. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said at a news conference the state gets 70 percent of its gasoline from the Colonial Pipeline. FATALITY COULD COMPLICATE RESTART One person was killed and five others hospitalized in the incident that occurred when a nine-man crew working on the line in Shelby County hit Line 1 with a large excavator known as a track hoe, Colonial said. A representative for the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said investigators were on the scene. Brigham McCown, who headed up PHMSA for two years under former President George W. Bush, said the fatality could complicate restart efforts in upcoming days as multiple state and federal agencies investigate the incident. However, he said the details of how the rupture occurred may help speed the timeline. "It's important to get out there, get on site, figure out who had what equipment where and who was giving what orders," said McCown. The explosion took place in an unincorporated wildlife area outside Helena, Alabama. Colonial and the state's forestry commission were leading the response. Danny Ray, fire chief in nearby Pelham, Alabama, said at the news conference that they were able to contain the fire in part because nearby workers with bulldozers were able to build an earthen berm to contain the burning gasoline. Ryan Chandler, vice president at Colonial Group Inc, which is not connected to Colonial Pipeline, said he has been fielding calls from the pipeline's customers seeking access to its Charleston and Savannah marine terminals. Chandler's company manages three marine terminals in the U.S. Southeast and ships on the Colonial pipeline. He said during the September outage, business at the Savannah terminal jumped sevenfold, while Charleston jumped fivefold. For inland markets in the U.S. Southeast, which do not have access to ports, alternative supplies can be harder to get. The September spill led to long lines at the pump and a shortage of fuel in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. (Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar, Scott Disavino, Jessica Resnick Ault in New York; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in New York and Marvin Gentry in Helena, Alabama; Editing by JS Benkoe and Lisa Shumaker) By Devika Krishna Kumar (Reuters) - A major gasoline pipeline that is a crucial supply source for the U.S. East Coast could reopen as early as Saturday after an explosion in Alabama killed one worker and injured five others, Colonial Pipeline Co [COLPI.UL] said on Tuesday. The blast on Monday occurred several miles from its biggest gasoline spill in nearly two decades in September. That spill caused a 12-day interruption in the flow of about 1.3 million barrels per day of the fuel from the refining hub on the Gulf Coast to the Northeast. The shutdown will restrict gasoline supplies to millions of Americans in the Southeast and possibly the Northeast. The Northeast could be less affected since it can get supplies via waterborne shippers. In a news conference Tuesday, Colonial executive Gerald Beck said the crew was putting in a valve in order to finish repairs related to September's leak. He said the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration currently has control of the site. The fire is still burning, and Colonial expects to be able to get into the site in the next day or two - and from there, determine how long a repair will take. The 5,500-mile (8,850-km) Colonial Pipeline is the largest U.S. refined products pipeline system and can carry more than 3 million barrels of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel between the U.S. Gulf Coast and the New York Harbor area. The worker who was killed was found on-site, but his name was not released. U.S. gasoline futures soared 15 percent to the highest since June on the shutdown, but pared gains sharply to 4.6 percent to settle at $1.4841 per gallon after Colonial said it could reopen the pipe by the weekend. Colonial said it would explore potential options to operate parts of its gasoline pipe, called line 1, and would evaluate shipping gasoline on the distillates pipe, line 2, which was briefly shut overnight by the incident. During the September outage, the company shipped some gasoline on the line that usually transports diesel and jet fuels. "If they are properly motivated, they can do the investigation and get the line up a lot quicker than the last one," said Richard Kuprewicz, president of Accufacts Inc, a pipeline advisory firm, referring to the September outage. "My experience tells me that even with a fatality, I would not expect this to go as long as the last one." Shippers using the East Coast supply artery were, however, bracing for a longer shutdown as Colonial said it was hard to predict a repair schedule. Shippers and fuel companies were scrambling to secure supplies via sea or other alternatives to get fuel to the East Coast. Fuel retailers and consumers are likely to be most affected, though prices at the pump have not risen yet, even as gasoline futures have spiked. The governors of Alabama, North Carolina and Georgia on Tuesday issued regulatory waivers to allow easier transit of fuel. North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said at a news conference the state gets 70 percent of its gasoline from the Colonial Pipeline. (For a graphic on Alabama pipeline explosion, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2eQn8jr) FATALITY COULD COMPLICATE RESTART One person was killed and five others hospitalized in the incident that occurred when a nine-man crew working on the line in Shelby County hit Line 1 with a large excavator known as a track hoe, Colonial said. A representative for the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) said investigators were on the scene. Brigham McCown, who headed up PHMSA for two years under former President George W. Bush, said the fatality could complicate restart efforts in upcoming days as multiple state and federal agencies investigate the incident. However, he said the details of how the rupture occurred may help speed the timeline. "It's important to get out there, get on site, figure out who had what equipment where and who was giving what orders," said McCown. The explosion took place in an unincorporated wildlife area outside Helena, Alabama. Colonial and the state's forestry commission were leading the response. Danny Ray, fire chief in nearby Pelham, Alabama, said at the news conference that they were able to contain the fire in part because nearby workers with bulldozers were able to build an earthen berm to contain the burning gasoline. Ryan Chandler, vice president at Colonial Group Inc, which is not connected to Colonial Pipeline, said he has been fielding calls from the pipeline's customers seeking access to its Charleston and Savannah marine terminals. Chandler's company manages three marine terminals in the U.S. Southeast and ships on the Colonial pipeline. He said during the September outage, business at the Savannah terminal jumped sevenfold, while Charleston jumped fivefold. For inland markets in the U.S. Southeast, which do not have access to ports, alternative supplies can be harder to get. The September spill led to long lines at the pump and a shortage of fuel in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. (Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar, Scott Disavino, Jessica Resnick Ault in New York; Additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in New York and Marvin Gentry in Helena, Alabama; Editing by JS Benkoe and Lisa Shumaker) FBI Director James Comeys bombshell letter to congressional leaders informing them of newly discovered emails that might be pertinent to the bureaus investigation of Hillary Clintons use of a private email server is being criticized by a broad spectrum of politicians on Capitol Hill including several top Republicans. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a four-page letter to Comey on Monday asking for more details on the emails saying the directors difficult decision to disclose the discovery of the emails so close to Election Day requires more context for voters. Without additional context, your disclosure is not fair to Congress, the American people, or Secretary Clinton, Grassley wrote. In the absence of additional, authoritative information from the FBI in the wake of your vague disclosure, Congress and the American people are left to sift through anonymous leaks from Justice Department officials to the press of varying levels of detail, reliability, and consistency. The American people deserve better than that. Top Senate Democrats including Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein and other ranking members of national security and oversight committees blasted Comeys letter too. This letter is troubling because it is vaguely worded and leaves so many questions unanswered, they wrote. It is not clear whether the emails identified by the FBI are even in the custody of the FBI, whether any of the emails have already been reviewed, whether Secretary Clinton sent or received them, or whether they even have any significance to the FBIs previous investigation. Related: Clinton campaign: Comeys letter strange, deeply troubling The American people deserve more disclosure without delay, the Democrats continued. Anything less would be irresponsible. Comeys decision, they added, breaks with the longstanding tradition of the Department of Justice and the FBI of exercising extreme caution in the days leading up to an election. Story continues I think this was probably not the right thing for Comey to do the protocol here to come out this close to an election, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Republican chairman of the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Radio on Monday. But this whole case has been mishandled and now it is what it is. Comeys short, vague letter to Congress rocked the presidential race on Friday. The FBI director said new emails appear to be pertinent to the bureaus completed probe of Clintons use of a private server. The emails were reportedly discovered on the laptop of disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner is the subject of an ongoing and separate FBI investigation into his alleged sexting with a 15-year-old girl. But Yahoo News reported on Saturday that FBI agents had not been able to review any of the newly discovered material because the bureau had not yet gotten a search warrant to read them. At the time Comey wrote the letter to Congress, he had no idea what was in the content of the emails, one government official told Yahoo News. Exclusive: FBI did not have warrant to review new Abedin emails Former Bush administration officials also criticized Comeys move. Theres a longstanding policy of not doing anything that could influence an election, George J. Terwilliger III, a deputy attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, told the New York Times. Those guidelines exist for a reason. Sometimes, that makes for hard decisions. But bypassing them has consequences. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told MSNBC that Comey made an error in judgment in releasing this letter which really says nothing. Other former federal prosecutors, including ex-Attorney General Eric Holder, penned an open letter calling Comeys letter unprecedented. Many of us have worked with Director Comey; all of us respect him. But his unprecedented decision to publicly comment on evidence in what may be an ongoing inquiry just eleven days before a presidential election leaves us both astonished and perplexed, their letter said. We cannot recall a prior instance where a senior Justice Department official Republican or Democrat has, on the eve of a major election, issued a public statement where the mere disclosure of information may impact the elections outcome, yet the official acknowledges the information to be examined may not be significant or new. Perhaps most troubling, they added, is the precedent set by this departure from the Departments widely-respected, non-partisan traditions. On Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., fired off a scathing letter to Comey suggesting the FBI chiefs partisan action may have broken a law that bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Reid also made a reference to alleged ties between Donald Trumps Republican presidential campaign and Moscow. In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government, Reid wrote. The public has a right to know this information. I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released. There is no danger to American interests from releasing it. And yet you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information. On Monday, NBC News reported that the FBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into the foreign business connections of Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort. Manafort responded, saying there was no such FBI investigation that Im aware of. This is all political propaganda, he told NBC. The Clinton campaign is seizing on what it sees as a double standard and calling on Comey to officially release any information the bureau has on Trump. Director Comey felt it was incumbent upon him to announce that the FBI had some information hed never even looked at, but they wont reveal connections to Russia, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said on CNN Tuesday. We just want all this information out there on both candidates. The letter that he released has led to endless speculation by Republicans, which is getting reported, Mook added. So all that were asking so that reporting can be fair is that the information get released. Release whatever information they have, and then, if youre in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, a Republican who serves on the House Oversight Committee, says the FBI should not be discussing the facts of an investigation until its complete, but doesnt blame Comey. It is difficult and unusual because of decisions made by people not named Jim Comey, Gowdy said on CNN. Secretary Clinton is the reason you and I are having this conversation, not Jim Comey. As a high school student in Egypt, Omar Bishr applied to a few U.S. universities but didn't get in. So he pursued plan B: apply to a community college in the U.S. and then transfer to a four-year institution. Today, Bishr, 19, is a second-year business and economics student at Santa Monica College, a community college in California. He holds leadership positions on campus, such as water polo team captain, and is on the path to transfer -- he hopes to attend the University of California--Berkeley. "SMC is literally my home away from home," Bishr says. In 2014-15, a total of 91,648 international students -- 9.4 percent of all international students in the U.S. that year -- studied at community colleges, according to data from the Institute of International Education. Some community colleges with large international student bodies have developed services to address some of the biggest hurdles this population faces, including acclimating to a new education system, finding housing and getting involved on campus. Learning What's Expected One of the initial challenges international students face is learning how to navigate a new education system, experts say. "I think, probably, community college is the least well understood of all because it is a uniquely American type of an institution," says Heidi Russell-Kalkofen, an international student coordinator at Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. For instance, Zia Dar, a second-year Montgomery College business technology administration student from Pakistan, says one difference he's experienced is how tests are structured. Dar, 22, says exams he's taken in the U.S. tend to cover four or five chapters worth of material, while tests he took in Pakistan would typically cover an entire 12-chapter book at once. To help ease this transition, some community colleges offer special orientations for international students. Montgomery College's mandatory international student orientation for students who are on F-1 visas is led largely by returning or recently graduated international students and includes activities such as a skit about how to greet Americans and a bingo game where students have to scour the school's website for information, says Russell-Kalkofen. Story continues Houston Community College offers multiple international student orientations each year. The school has boasted the largest international student population of any community college in the U.S. for the last decade, according to IIE data; in fall 2014, 5,441 international students attended HCC. [See the community colleges with the most international students.] Bianca Schonberg, manager, international student services and study abroad at HCC, says the mandatory orientation typically lasts four to five hours and includes presentations that cover myriad topics such as health insurance and tutoring services. Some colleges, such as Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington, offer extended education on similar topics beyond the initial orientation. New Green River international students participate in a required program called Foundation for Success. Students meet with peer mentors, most of whom are current international students, and attend weekly sessions that cover topics like study skills as well as personal health and safety. They also participate in fun events such as a cooking class, says Wendy Stewart, vice president of international programs and extended learning at Green River. Additionally, Green River students take a required prep course called International Student College Experience that focuses on U.S. classroom skills and expectations, such as learning how to read a syllabus and the importance of participating in class, says Stewart. And because many international community college students with F-1 visas are interested in eventually transferring to a four-year institution, some community colleges -- including SMC and Green River -- pair students with international academic advisers who can help them get and stay on track to transfer. [Avoid three transfer pitfalls international students make.] Securing a Place to Live Lots of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. have student housing facilities, but this is not the case at many community colleges. So securing housing is another challenge international community college students face, some students say. A number of two-year schools have built dorms and apartments to help address this need. Around a quarter of public community colleges offered on-campus housing in 2014, according to a recent report from the American Association of Community Colleges. At Green River, both international and domestic students can apply for accommodations in the Campus Corner Apartments. Approximately 80 percent of the 340 students who live in the complex are international, says Stewart. After they arrive, new international students receive a move-in kit from Green River that includes sheets, a towel , laundry detergent and other household items to help them get settled, Stewart says. Finding a Community "One of the biggest challenges is making friends because when you come as an international student you have nobody," says Carlos Penuelas, a Santa Monica College business administration student from Mexico. "You don't have family; you don't have friends." Experts and students agree that getting involved on campus is one of the best ways to combat the loneliness that may hit international students after the initial excitement wears off. [Learn about five ways for international students to research U.S. community colleges.] Penuelas, 21, says he made a handful of friends in class during his first semester, but it was when he started attending meetings of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society -- a student organization with more than 400 members, Penuelas says -- that he really started to feel connected. Today, Penuelas is the president of SMC's Phi Theta Kappa chapter. Schonberg, of HCC, is quick to express to international students the importance of campus engagement. During orientation, Schonberg says, "we're really pushing for students to get involved." She adds, "We don't want our students just to go to class and go home." Kelly Mae Ross is an education staff writer at U.S. News. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at kross@usnews.com. Elizabeth Holmes, CEO of Theranos, attends a panel discussion during the Clinton Global Initiative's annual meeting in New York, September 29, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid If a female CEO's company is in crisis, she's much more likely to be blamed for it than if a man ran the show. That's according to a new study out from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Global Strategy Group October 26, which we first saw in the Wall Street Journal. The study looked at over 100 news stories about 20 CEOs, 11 of whom were women, and found that female CEOs were blamed as the source of the crisis in 80% of the stories, while male CEOs were only blamed 31% of the time. One of the study's biggest limitations was that it only analyzed a small group of people. But that's largely unavoidable since there are so few female CEOs. One in four Americans say they don't have any female executives at their jobs, according to data cited in the study. And when you look at the very top, the numbers sink even lower: Women hold only 4% of leadership positions in Fortune 500 companies. Previous research backs up this pattern of blame. A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study from 2015 found that female executives typically made 14% less than their male counterparts. The reason for the gender pay gap? Once again, women were more likely to be punished when their firm did poorly, and men were usually rewarded more when it did well. If a company's value increased 1%, the Fed study found, women's firm-specific wealth only increased 13%, while men's rose 44%. And if a company's value decreased 1%, men's firm-specific wealth declined 33%, but women's plummeted 63%. 100x25 CEOS Gender Report_pdf The Rockefeller study points out that journalists and public relations officers writing company press releases should be cognizant of the language they're using, because it could be different if they're writing about male vs. female CEOs. "Corporate America has a clear role to play by making significant investment to change company practices and culture to ensure more women have the opportunity to reach the highest level of management," the report writes. "Journalists have a responsibility to ensure the tone, the information they include in a story, even the order in which the information appears reflects men and women equally, rather than contributing to conventional stereotypes associated with female and male leaders." Story continues NOW WATCH: A hacker reveals a simple way to come up with a strong password that's easy to remember More From Business Insider Conan OBrien kicked off his week-long residency at the Apollo theater in New York, buying some CD duplicates, getting a new look, and getting to know some of the neighbors, including one man who wonders if hes wearing a Conan mask for Halloween. I am thrilled to be performing up here in Harlem Its crazy, you can buy anything on the street here in Harlem, he opened his first show from the theater. I just bought a bootleg copy of tomorrow nights show. It has Chinese subtitles. Of course the big story right now is the election At a Donald Trump event in Arizona, security was asked to remove a man who was staring menacingly at the press. That man was Donald TrumpAnd this is crazy, Hillary Clintons email troubles are back The FBI said there may be State Department foreign policy emails on Anthony Weiners laptop, the TBS late night host said. Man, that guy can jerk off to anything. [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzv0rT4JlUQ&w=620&h=340] Related stories Samantha Bee Blasts GOP For Its Donald Trump Handwringing After Debate 3 Kevin Meaney Dies: Veteran Comic And Actor Was 60 Tracy Morgan Comedy From Jordan Peele Moves To TBS With Series Order South Korean prosecutors have detained a longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye on Monday, after questioning her for hours about allegations of meddling in the countrys affairs and siphoning funds. Under provisions for emergency detention, authorities have 48 hours to decide whether to formally arrest Choi Soon-sil, a cult leaders daughter, who is alleged to have involved herself in advising the President on policy. Investigators are concerned that she might flee the country or destroy evidence pertinent to the ongoing probe, reports South Koreas official Yonhap news agency. The revelations, coming after weeks of reporting by South Korean media, have sparked days of massive protests in Seoul calling for Parks resignation. Choi has been accused of improperly influencing how Park, with whom she has been friends for over 40 years, runs the country, despite holding no governmental posts, according to Yonhap. She also stands accused of taking funds from two nonprofit groups. In a televised address, Park admitted to asking Choi for comments on several of her speeches as President before they were delivered. Chois return from seclusion in Germany to face questioning resulted in dramatic scenes Monday, as she was inundated by a crowd of journalists and protestors outside the prosecutors office in Seoul. Please, forgive me. Im sorry, she told reporters, according to the Associated Press, I committed a sin that deserves death. Chois father Choi Tae-min styled himself the pastor of a cult known as the Church of Eternal Life and became close to Park by claiming that he could channel messages from her mother, who was assassinated in 1975 when Park was 23 years old. Their relationship contributed to Parks estrangement from her siblings, according to the Korea Herald. A Connecticut cop who appeared on A&Es new reality series Live PD was arrested hours after filming Friday, when her ex-boyfriend accused her of domestic violence, PEOPLE confirms. Earlier that night, viewers of saw Connecticut police Sgt. Stacey Lyons handcuff a man whose girlfriend had accused him of choking her. The unedited arrest was watched by thousands as it unfolded during the premiere episode of Live PD, which follows six police departments across the country and has been described as Cops with a delay. But A&Es cameras werent rolling when Lyons found herself in handcuffs, following an incident that allegedly occurred inside her ex-boyfriends house, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. (A&E did not have a comment.) The records confirm that Lyons a decorated officer and longtime member of of Bridgeport, Connecticuts police force was arrested on Friday for disorderly conduct in Trumbull, Connecticut, where her ex-boyfriend lives. A judge has ordered Lyons, 33, to have no contact with her ex-boyfriend, court records confirm. Lyons is free on a promise to appear in court for a hearing on Nov. 16. She has been placed on administrative leave from the police force. Lyons was arraigned on Monday. She has not entered a plea to the disorderly conduct charge. Her attorney, Christian Young, tells PEOPLE the arrest was a very unfortunate situation. Calling Lyons a highly regarded and acclaimed law enforcement officer, Young vowed to address the charges expeditiously, and were hopeful for a swift resolution so she can get back to serving the community. In one of her last duties as an officer before her arrest, which was captured by the Live PD cameras on Friday, Lyons told a domestic abuse suspect as he proclaimed his innocence, We have rules that are above me. This is a domestic situation and I dont have a choice, she said as the suspect downplayed the accusations. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. The Alleged Assault Early on Saturday morning, Trumbull police received a call concerning a possible assault. When they arrived, the homeowner, Lyons ex-boyfriend, alleged she entered his home uninvited using a security code. Story continues According to court officials, the ex said Lyons allegedly confronted him after realizing another woman was there becoming embroiled in a shoving match with her ex, according to court records, before fleeing the home when he called 911. Police said that Lyons ex-boyfriend sustained a minor abrasion to one of his forearms and a cut to his nose, but said he refused medical treatment. He also wouldnt file a written complaint against her, court records show. Lyons denied hitting her ex, and she told investigators the couple split two weeks ago but had plans to attend a wedding together on Sunday, court records show. According to municipal records, Lyon was promoted to police sergeant in September 2014. She received an award for heroism last year. After years of being pushed to the sidelines or into marginal roles, the filmmakers behind Crazy Rich Asians said the movie represents increasing opportunities for Asians and Asian-Americans in film. Speaking at the U.S.-China Film Summit Tuesday, producer John Penotti, described how the project, featuring an all-Asian cast, became the subject of a bidding war among Hollywood studios. Warner Brothers emerged late last month with the worldwide rights to the project. You dont have to explain over and over again, people are getting it now, said Penotti. The place has been earned. Director Jon M. Chu previously maker of the Step Up and Now You See Me films, before Crazy Rich Asians said the sense of opportunity extends to many Asian directors, writers and actors. Its not like we are saying, Were just happy to be here, None of that shit anymore, said Chu. The next voices that are coming up are so incredible and they are not waiting for anyone. Raised in a Chinese American family in Northern California and educated at the USC film school, Chu said he always considered himself a filmmaker first and has been drawn to Asian themes more as he grew older. He said that the campaigning for more diversity in Hollywood has had an impact on the studios. All of it doesnt just float off into the Twittersphere, Chu said of the Oscars So White and related protests. It does have a real effect. It has an on-the-ground effect. Based on the novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of three wealthy Chinese families preparing for a big wedding in Singapore. The story spans London, Hong Kong and other locations, but is set mostly in Singapore. Kwans characters are pan-Asian Chinese, Korean, Singaporean and amalgams of those nationalities. Chu said he feels pressure now in casting the film trying to hew as closely as possible to the ethnicities Kwan portrayed in his book, but also looking for the best possible actors. We are looking at all these actors and [wonder] are we allowed to cast a Korean actor for a Chinese role? Are we allowed to hire a half-Chinese person for this other role? Story continues After demanding Hollywood to be more respectful to Asians and Asian Americans, Chu said he now feels a burden to make the most authentic film possible, while also looking for the most talented actors. There are no rules written for how to do that, he said. Chu and his producers said they found that many Asian actors do not have talent representation. So they are making a tour, with open castings around the world, to cast the film. Thats a lot different than most big studio films, Penotti said. Related stories 'Crazy Rich Asians' Adaptation Lands at Warner Bros. (EXCLUSIVE) Jon M. Chu in Talks to Direct 'Crazy Rich Asians' Adaptation J.K. Rowling 'Very Close' to Work on Harry Potter Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts' SIMFEROPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - The missile bunkers that dot the verdant hills along Crimea's southern coast are known locally as Object 100. Until recently, tourists paid $50 to visit the crumbling and abandoned former Soviet sites, which served during the Cold War as a defense against naval attack from the Black Sea. Now the bunkers are coming back online. After Russia took control of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, signs went up in the woods around the sites warning visitors against entering a "forbidden zone of the Russian Ministry of Defence." A resident of a nearby village who said he was employed at the base last year said Russian soldiers had re-occupied the sites and blocked roads leading into the area. He was unable to say when the Russian soldiers arrived. "It is a functioning military base with an anti-ship missile system," the villager told a Reuters reporter who visited the area in July. The bunkers are just one small part of a new Russian program to militarize the Crimean peninsula. Based on recent site observations by Reuters, accounts from locals, media reports and official Russian data, Moscow has reanimated multiple Soviet-built facilities in the region, built new bases and stationed soldiers there. Crimea sits at the southern end of a line of new and refurbished Russian military facilities that stretches north in an arc through western Russia and ends in the country's Baltic outpost of Kaliningrad. The military buildup is echoed in NATO countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, where U.S. forces are beefing up patrols and conducting more frequent exercises. Spurred by years of growing mutual distrust and in particular the conflict in Ukraine, both Russia and NATO are boosting their military capabilities across eastern Europe, prompting officials such as Polish President Andrzej Duda and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to talk of a return to open hostilities. "We have, in effect, slid into a new Cold War," Medvedev told a security conference in Munich in February. To be sure, the scale of the military confrontation is not the same. Disarmament deals in the past three decades have lowered the temperature of the nuclear confrontation. Absent too are the hundreds of thousands of troops who were stationed on either side of the Iron Curtain in eastern Europe during the Cold War. But elements of the conventional military standoff are now returning. Crimea is one of the starkest examples. In a week touring the region, a Reuters reporter saw 18 sites, including naval bases, radar stations and airfields. Some were entirely new, some were old military sites that had been refurbished, and others were in the process of being refurbished. Moscow has made no secret of its buildup in Crimea. But Reuters' observations, combined with the other information, shed light on its scale. Britain's Defence Minister Michael Fallon said in September that London was concerned about military buildup in Crimea "and indeed the militarization of the Black Sea region generally. Both Bulgaria and Romania feel very threatened." Crimea is now the closest Russian-controlled territory to NATO member Romania, which since May has hosted part of a U.S.-controlled international missile shield. The project is scheduled to become operational in late 2018, when work on a radar installation in Poland the other main land-based component in the shield is completed. Washington says the shield is designed as a defense against Iranian missile strikes. But Russian President Vladimir Putin says the system and NATO are both threats to Russia's security, and has promised to retaliate. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment about its activities in Crimea. Nor did the regional government in Crimea. RING OF RADARS One part of Russia's expansion program appears to be an attempt to re-create a chain of radar stations on rocky hilltops around Crimea. These stations offer an ideal vantage point for monitoring the Black Sea, and nearby NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. One of the stations a facility with four revolving radars each encased in a large white dome sits halfway up a mountain near the Crimean seaside town of Feodosiya. Built in Soviet times, the station had been abandoned by the Ukrainian military. Now the Russian armed forces have moved in. In July, two green Russian military vehicles with tall antennas were parked beneath the radars. "There is a military base here, air defense system and missiles," said a man who lives in a village about 300 meters from the base. "There are air defense systems on every cape here." Further around the coast, on the outskirts of the port city of Sevastopol, sits another radar station, called "Dnepr." Built by Soviet engineers, the station was out of order for years before the Russian annexation. A Reuters reporter saw dozens of soldiers in Russian military uniforms inside the base and guarding the perimeter. Behind three lines of perimeter fencing were two structures, each around 300 meters long, with sloping sides partially covered by black metal sheets. The structures match archive images showing the Dnepr radar system. A Russian flag flew from the roof of a building near the two radar structures. A sentry said that a nearby lighthouse that used to be a tourist attraction was now part of a military base and off limits to the public. Russian newspaper Izvestiya quoted a military source in May as saying Moscow will restore the Dnepr station so it can "detect launches of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles from the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea area." The Russian defense ministry did not respond to questions about the radar station. NEW SCHOOLS AND SWIMMING POOLS The Russian military buildup seen by Reuters goes beyond what existed in Crimea when it was under the control of Kiev, according to soldiers in Crimea, local residents and Ukrainian accounts of deployments before the annexation. At Perevalnoye, a small village at the foot of a mountain not far from Simferopol in the center of the peninsula, Russia is transforming an abandoned Ukrainian military facility into two new bases. Inside the fenced perimeter of one in August, stood two 500-metre-long green hangars into which military vehicles drove. Nearby, trucks rumbled between a huge concrete plant and a construction site that will become a second base. According to documents lodged by the defense ministry on the official website for public procurement tenders, one of the two bases will be for coast guards and the other for artillery units. The ministry documents, which were lodged from October 2014, indicate the combined projects will include dormitories for more than 1,000 soldiers, residential buildings with more than 300 apartments, an ammunition depot, hangars for more than 500 military vehicles, an artillery range and dining facilities. A new school and a kindergarten with a pool, as well as barracks for a military orchestra, are also planned, the documents show. The ministry did not respond to questions about the Perevalnoye base. BASES EXPANDING Before Russia annexed Crimea, Moscow leased facilities from the Ukrainian state to house its Black Sea fleet, which has been based in Crimea for more than two centuries. Those facilities, mainly around Sevastopol, are now being expanded. In one bay on the outskirts of the city, according to procurement documents, the Russian military is building a training center for navy divers. There will also be a mooring area and an aircraft runway that has been unused for 20 years will be brought back into service. From the perimeter fence, a Reuters reporter saw concrete taxiways, large cranes, and work underway to reinforce the shoreline. The ministry did not reply to questions about the plans for that site. Most of the expansion in Crimea is being carried out by the Russian navy and ground forces. But air capabilities are also being beefed up. The former Belbek civilian airport has been turned into a military air base, according to a Reuters reporter who went to the base. The terminal building has been shut and the entrance to the base is now guarded by a Russian marine. An Il-76 heavy military transport plane, with the insignia of the Russian air force, was parked on the airfield when Reuters visited. Two other military airfields that were abandoned by the Ukrainians are also now in use again by the Russian military. At the Novofyodorovka airfield, in a coastal village to the north of Sevastopol, a Reuters reporter saw half a dozen dark-grey SU-30 fighter jets and light-grey SU-24 frontline bombers. At the other recommissioned air base, in Djankoy, 40 km south of the de facto border separating Crimea from Ukrainian-controlled territory, Russian servicemen in blue uniform came and went throughout the day. Seven MI-24 attack helicopters were parked on the airfield. "There were just two airplanes here when Ukraine ruled. And look at this place now, you can see much more here," a young soldier told Reuters at the checkpoint. The defense ministry did not respond to questions about the air bases. (Edited by Simon Robinson and Richard Woods) While many Australians celebrated the Melbourne Cup on November 1 with typical fanfare, elegant head-wear and Moet champagne, a pub more than 3,700 kilometers away took a different approach. Patrons at the Berry Spring Taverns, Northern Territory, held their own races with crocodiles and cane toads. According to a report from NT News, which, famously, has its own dedicated croc reporter, the races are a popular tradition at the tavern. This video shows one of the races. The first croc to make a dash from the center of a ring to the outer edges of the bales of hay is declared the victor. Credit: Instagram/sayhunt Judicial races often do not enjoy the same level of interest and scrutiny as other races, but the outcomes of these races have as much if not more impact on our daily lives. Judges cannot outline positions on the issues the same way legislative candidates can but this does not make their races any less important. The one thing, though, we do not hear much about is judicial elections. When we turn on the radio, turn on our televisions and even log into our social media accounts, we are bombarded with political advertising. It is everywhere we go and try as we might, we simply cannot escape Election season. Judges have the power to sanction personal injury lawyers who game the system and file frivolous lawsuits in Illinois courts that have no real connection to Illinois. They have the power to dismiss frivolous lawsuits and prevent personal injury lawyers from gaming the system. Their actions can help spur job growth by maintaining fairness in their court rooms or they can drive out jobs and opportunities by tilting the scales of justice in favor of the plaintiffs. Who is serving on the bench matters. Electing good judges who apply doctrines of common sense and fairness will make Illinois less of a magnet for lawsuits, and in turn, much more of a magnet for jobs. Voters need to pay attention to judicial elections and pay special attention to who is funding these campaign because in many cases, judges receive the vast majority of their campaign contributions from those same personal injury lawyers, who have essentially turned Illinois courts into their own personal and profitable playgrounds. In fact, A new study from grassroots legal watchdog group Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW) and the Illinois Civil Justice League (ICJL) has revealed that contributions given by Illinois personal injury lawyers to Illinois judges and politicians topped $35.25 million in the past 15 years. In other words, there are now 35 million reasons why Illinois continues to attract lawsuits and personal injury lawyers from all over the country and proves that personal injury lawyers are gaming the system to their advantage by funneling millions of dollars in campaign contributions to Illinois judges, who continue to allow junk lawsuits that have nothing to do with Illinois to move forward here, prompting the question, Is justice for sale in Illinois? We know that hundreds of thousands of dollars from personal injury law firms has recently been dumped into the campaign coffers of two Democrat candidates running for Appellate Judge positions in the 5th District Appellate Court District. Certainly the amount of money from personal injury law firms flowing into the Fifth Appellate Court district races is concerning but voters will have an opportunity onNov. 8 to weigh in on these important judicial elections. Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch is urging voters to make sure to cast an informed vote in those important down ballot judicial elections. One resource to consider is www.illinoisjudges.net. There voters can find information on all of the judicial candidates on the Nov. 8ballot. Stopping lawsuit abuse starts with us casting votes for good judges to serve in our courts. ### Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch (I-LAW) is a grassroots watchdog group of concerned citizens, community leaders and small business people dedicated to educating the public about the widespread costs of lawsuit abuse. I-LAW has more than 20,000 supporters throughout Illinois. Anyone interested in becoming a supporter of I-LAW or learning more about stopping lawsuit abuse in Illinois can visit www.ILLawsuitAbuseWatch.org. (Adds details of results, stock price) By Nick Carey CHICAGO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Engine maker Cummins Inc on Tuesday reported a lower quarterly profit due to weak heavy-duty truck production in North America and poor global demand for power generation equipment, and said its full-year margin on earnings before income tax would be affected by a third quarter charge. The company's shares fell 2 percent after the announcement. "Due to the slow pace of growth in the global economy, we continue to face weak demand in a number of our most important markets," Cummins Chief Executive Officer Tom Linebarger said. The Columbus, Indiana-based company provides engines for the large trucks that haul a large majority of U.S. freight. Truck makers have seen sales fall this year as lackluster economic growth and high retail inventories have discouraged many trucking firms from putting in orders for new vehicles. The company reiterated a full-year revenue forecast of a 9 percent drop in sales, which was consistent with a range of 8 percent to 10 percent it had provided earlier. But Cummins said its full-year earnings before income taxes should be 11.3 percent of sales, below its prior forecast of 11.6 to 12.2 percent, due to a loss contingency charge in the third quarter. Third-quarter net income fell 24 percent to $289 million, or $1.72 per share, from $380 million, or $2.14, a year earlier. Excluding the one-time loss contingency charge in its engine business, earnings per share were $2.02. Analysts, on average, expected $1.96. Sales in the company's engines unit were down 12 percent versus the same period in 2015. Revenue for the quarter totaled $4.2 billion, down from $4.6 billion a year earlier. Analysts had expected revenue for the third quarter of $4.23 billion. In early trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Cummins shares were down 2 percent at $125.16. (Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Frances Kerry) And here are ways to identify undervalued stocks in Singapore. Property auction sales in Singapore is gaining momentum in this year's last quarter, with sales reaching $44.02 million even before the end of October. According to JLL Singapore, this surpased the $9.62 million in sales during Q1, $14.81 million in Q2 and $20.53 million in Q3. In fact, it is almost on par with the combined figure of $44.96 million for the previous quarters.The high transaction volume for the three-month period was boosted by the sale of three vacant plots of land within the prime Swiss Club estate for $15.22 million, with the said properties attracting a total of 14 bids. Check out the full story here. A former private banker went on trial in Singapore in the first prosecution of suspects linked to a massive international money-laundering scandal centred on Malaysian state fund 1MDB. State prosecutors tagged Singaporean 33-year old Yeo Jiwei, an ex-wealth manager at Swiss Bank BSI, as one of the main Singapore-based suspects in the scandal. The scandal is also being investigated in Switzerland and United States. Get to know the latest buzz on the issue here. How do you find the right stocks in a list of over 700 companies under the Singapore Exchange? The best way to identify these hidden gems will be to first know what kind of stocks you are looking for to fit into your portfolio. Value stocks are one of the three main types of stocks that you can consider. But how do you find good undervalued stocks in Singapore? Click here to find out. More From Singapore Business Review James Corden, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and Trevor Noah all talked about the James Comey/Hillary Clinton/Anthony Weiner email news that broke over the weekend on their respective shows Monday. Noah did a "pirate broadcast" from a time jump to the year 2020, taking a look at what a dystopian society the United States could become after four years of a Donald Trump presidency. In this fictional world, most of the news channels are off the air because of libel laws that Trump enforced. Trump News Network is the only one still fully functional, John Oliver was taken away by police during a segment about eggs and the only way Noah survived was by pretending to be Steve Harvey. "The police couldn't tell the difference between us," said Noah. The Daily Show host explained that the election was tipped to Trump after the Clinton email scandal resurfaced, despite the FBI eventually realizing there was nothing new in their investigation, just 650,000 Anthony Weiner "dick pics." Trump changed the Washington monument into a Weiner monument in honor of the disgraced congressman. "One dick got another dick elected," said Noah. In this new society, automated arms stop and frisk black people every 90 seconds and there's a new national anthem with lyrics about Trump's large hands. Hillary Clinton is in "super Guantanamo" along with former VP Mike Pence, Joe Biden snuck onto the Obamas' ship to Mars and Bill Clinton went to Venus since "that's where women come from." Trump also bombed Iceland after blaming the country for ISIS, replaced Obamacare with an energy drink and sexually assaulted a penguin in Antarctica. In his monologue, Corden joked about the timing of the Comey email release, saying it makes sense that on Halloween weekend "Trump's campaign comes back from the dead for one final scare." "Of course a Weiner was going to get in the way of the first female president in the White House," said Corden, talking about how the emails were discovered during an investigation into Anthony Weiner's alleged sexting with a teenage girl. Story continues "I knew sexting could be dangerous but I didn't know it could be end of civilization dangerous," said Corden. The Late Late Show host also mocked the Trump supporters who called for Clinton's incarceration with the misspelled hashtag "HillaryForPrision." He referred to them as "morions" and suggested that if Clinton really did do something wrong, she should be forced to do the "worst government job imaginable" for four to eight years. Read more: Hillary Clinton Pushes Back Against "Deeply Troubling" New FBI Email Review During Rally Colbert came out in his Halloween costume "the spookiest October surprise: FBI director James Comey." He wore a suit and red tie, and even took a minute to make the same face as the director in a photo of Comey that appeared next to him onscreen. Colbert called Comey the man who "reanimated the corpse" of the Clinton email scandal. Colbert mocked the Weiner connection, using similar jokes that he had told on Friday's message from his fake office. "So this is it - emails that could tip the election in favor of a sexually ravenous shambling orange baby man," said Colbert. "So what do they say? These emails must be explosive." He went on to guess that they must expose unprecedented levels of government corruption with incontrovertible evidence in order to release news of the investigation to Congress so close to election day. But after looking at what Comey's letter actually says, that the FBI cannot asses whether or not this material is significant, Colbert points out that the emails could contain "everything or nothing." The FBI just received a warrant to read the emails Sunday and has to sift through 650,000 of them. "To recap your weekend, here's what we know - nothing," said Colbert. "James Comey, it's not a letter, but I do have a message for you," said Colbert, holding one hand in front of the other. "And it's behind this hand. I can't release what it is until after the election." Meyers dedicated a "Closer Look" segment to the email controversy. "Trump still hasn't released his tax returns, 12 women have accused him of sexual assault, and he's going on trial for fraud for Trump University in November - but now the only thing the media's talking about is emails," said Meyers. He compared it to people following the O.J. Simpson trial and focusing on whether or not the Ford Bronco had up-to-date registration. Like the other hosts, Meyers discussed the vagueness in Comey's letter, playing clips from both liberal and conservative outlets that talked about the lack of clarity given in the letter. He said the letter was so vague, it was "like the entire country got a voicemail from the FBI director just saying, 'We need to talk.' " "With everything hanging over us this election now we have the shadow of Anthony Weiner's photographic genitalia," added Meyers as a phallic shadow encroached on the screen. Meyers also played a clip of Biden's "Oh God" response to finding out the emails were linked to Weiner. "Way to go, Anthony Weiner. You broke Joe Biden," said Meyers. Hasbro / Lucasfilm Star Wars: The Force Awakens was a huge success by any metric. The movie made a ton of cash in theaters, and of course you cant talk Star Wars business without bringing up the massive bank made via merchandising. But in the middle of the record amount of money being made off BB-8 toys, people noticed something strange: the lack of Rey products. #WheresRey became a pretty big thing as people realized Disney hadnt bothered to include her in their merch plans something theyd been accused of doing with other female protagonists like Black Widow and Gamora. Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams himself ended up getting involved, and Rey products finally starting showing up (they sold just as well if not better than the original toys, too). Silent throughout the entire storm was Rey actor Daisy Ridley, who didnt seem too eager to get in the middle of any internet controversies. But now that the dust has settled, shes finally giving her thoughts on the whole affair. The most important point for her is that things ended up getting fixed. Moving forward I think what theyre planning Ive been told what the plans is for next year and its really cool, really exciting, she said in an interview with Collider. I had a meeting yesterday about merchandise and whats happening going forward, so I had a lot of questions that were answered and some, you know, issues. I think when it really became a big thing is when J.J. [Abrams] talked about Monopoly, she continued. There had been conversations long before that that I was having with people because I didnt really understand what was going on. And John Boyega in fact told me that he had written to someone and I was like, huh, because he is more of a toy person than I am. She puts most of the situation down to outdated sales ideas from clueless corporations rather than straight up sexism. I think it was well-intentioned usually its boys that buy those kinds of toys, she said. And I think its a great moment of whats happening in the world with girls and how different people are playing and how theyre interacting with the things they see in popular culture. My whole thing is its not anything about the backlash, its if a character is important in the story, then that should be dealt with in every platform whether its merchandise, whether thats posters, anything, it needs to be dealt with in the correct way regardless of gender, regardless of color. So to be honest, how the public reacted to it was amazing, because it was a testament to the character and to what J.J. did with the casting. And yeah, its going to be super cool going forward. Heres hoping. Disney seems to have a really hard time with the concept that boys will buy toys and clothing involving a female character. For every department that may have gotten the literal memo telling them to stop with that outdated thinking, we imagine theres probably a dozen more that are continuing to quietly exclude Gamora from shirts depicting the Guardians of the Galaxy, or designing another Star Wars playset without a Rey figurine. (via Collider) Warning: This recap of the Oct. 31 episode of Dancing With the Stars contains spoilers. Oh, the horror! Tragedy abounded on Halloween night in the DWTS ballroom, as Queen Sharna had to sit out due to injury, Creepy Costume King Mark Ballas was still missing, and Princess Valentin got super-duper seriously emo and sobbed in a stairwell while wearing a top hat. Also somewhat sad: Ryan Lochte and Cheryl Burke were eliminated in Week 8. And just when hed mastered guyliner. Dare I say it was too soon, friends? Surely no one would have been devastated had Lochte exited in Week 1, but his sheer effort and lack of shirts had become endearing over time, and he did improve as a dancer. Id like to have seen the above power trio (Cheryl and her ice-blue contacts) stick around for next week, if only to put Marilu Henner and Derek Hough out of their shared Hes missing Hairspray Live rehearsals for this?! misery. Will the judges please reveal their scores? Carrie Ann Inahhhhh-ber! James Hinchcliffe and Jenna Johnson: 30 + 5 = 35 total The unthinkable has occurred: Someone on DWTS has finally listened to a doctor, and not just some throwaway contestant either. Our beloved pro Sharnas supposed to take three to six weeks off following a flare-up of a former knee reconstruction. Oof. As we all shudder and grab our bum legs due to sudden-onset phantom knee pain, behold this couples thousand-yard I love and respect you 1000 percent and youll always be my Partner gaze. I know a thing or two about not rushing a recovery, the once-impaled Indy car driver told her. It was perfect, and so were they. Sniff! We may never know if theyd have won that mirrorball together. But the silver or, shall we say, deeply bronzed lining of the situation is that James wasnt just good with Queen Sharna. Hes a damn good partner, period. The stunning and expressive Jenna glided right in to become Harley Quinn to James Joker and their Viennese waltz set to You Dont Own Me by Grace featuring G-Easy from Suicide Squad (cant you just feel the utter Sharnacity pulsing through that technical description?) won them immunity from this weeks elimination plus five extra points. Story continues As a devastatingly dull-toned Sharna cheered them on from the Celebriquarium, we could only guess what beyond Is that skeletal bitch behind me mocking my knee injury right now? was running through her mind. (Probably something like this, give or take the bedazzled tissue box I once grabbed in the flesh during Season 20.) But we mustnt dwell on what could have been theres a new pair of frontrunners in elaborately embroidered jewel tones, and theyre lost in their own world of wonder, wisdom, and CANDY. Laurie Hernandez and Valentin Chmerkovskiy: 30 + 3 = 33 total A life-affirming Viennese waltz inspired by Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory: Thats the power of Chmerkovision. You want Pure Imagination? Behold this sensitive dance lord on the verge of tears as he compares Charlie Buckets enthusiasm to see the world with Lauries pure joy on the dance floor. Its crazy how fast life moves, Val sputtered during a personal timeout in the stairwell. But for me, by sharing it with her you know, it lives on, forever. And so he wept. Im not really sure whats going on with Val thats turned him into Lauries dying great-grandfather overnight, but I dont care. I LOVE IT! Even more tears plus a bit of tongue (paging Tristan MacManus) leaked out once Val officially transferred his hat of life experience to young Laurie at the end of the dance. It was just the soaring heart-swell they needed on Week 8. Total #Sparklebarf City. A+++. Calvin Johnson Jr. and Lindsay Arnold: 30 total Before Laurie and Val edged them out in the jive dance-off, Calvin and Lindsay finally earned the perfect 30 theyve deserved for weeks with the most dramatically lit skeleton quickstep the Glitter Galaxy has ever seen. Dr. Bones, I presume? More like MEGABONES! screamed Julianne, ironically right after commenting that Calvin had perfectly captured the theme of the dance without compromising its integrity. Jana Kramer and Gleb Savchenko: 27 + 3 = 30 total Their high-energy Little Shop of Horrors routine was all over the place, ranging from confident Watch us overreact in unison moments to the more panic-stricken No, seriously, what do I do with this leg? Ohhhh, where is the plant? I dont know, wondered Bruno in a jet-lagged daze but it was the most sense hes ever made. The gravity of Audrey 2 might have really tied this dance together. Luckily, they had another shot at Brunos approval during the salsa dance-off against Terra and Sasha. Gleb is no natural nerd, mind you, so it wasnt enough for him to merely change out of Round 1s brutal dork costume. Nah, he had to take that new shirt right off. You can see him contemplating his strategy as Sasha and Terra used up nearly half their solo on an unnecessary Swinging Dad Hug. Been there, done that, guys! Now get with the program, Sasha, and take your clothes off too. Hey, IT WORKED. Cant see Bruno? Try looking upside down. Terra Jole and Sasha Farber: 24 total Their faithfully pantomimed Beetlejuice cha-cha-cha set a strong tone for Halloween night, but the judges want to see sharper moves and more content from these two pranksters. You kinda, sorta, didnt wow us, said Carrie Ann. It wasnt your normal oomph. Yikes, Id watch out if I were Our Lady of Perpetual Vagueness. Terra has some high-grade Alice in Wonderland-esque downsizing glitter and she knows how to use it. Marilu Henner and Derek Hough: 23 total Derek just doesnt have time for this season anymore, okay? His partners obviously not going to win, so why should he even bother? That seems to be his philosophy as he spent the week passive-aggressively placating Marilu during Argentine tango rehearsals as if she was some loser following him around at the school dance. Dude, stop it! This is your elegant-legged dance partner and she was in Taxi. You cant just shove her to the ground when youre ready to move on. Show some respect. Is it any wonder that Marilu accidentally whacked Derek in the face during the lyric Some of them want to be abused from Sweet Dreams? I cannot get over how perfect this timing was. He had it comin, is all Ill say. Dereks sister Julianne even sold him out for playing it a little bit safe after the cha-cha dance-off, which is some Hocus Pocus Houghery if Ive ever seen it. If Derek actually gave a crap this season, the fact that he lost a dance-off to someone who twirled right into Tom Bergerons arms offstage Ryan Lochte, no less! might bother him. But nope. Hes checked out. See you next Tuesday! XOXO, The Fringe Fairy Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of DWTS on Yahoo View. Dave Matthews will headline a benefit for the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, "Stand With Standing Rock," on Nov. 27 at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The benefit will raise funds to help protestors fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline, a crude oil pipeline whose path would take it across culturally sacred sites and imperil the reservation's water supply. With more artists to be announced soon according to organizers, tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday (Nov. 4). "How can we continue to allow oil money to dictate our environmental and social policies? The people of Standing Rock, and those who are supporting them, are standing up for their children and all of our children," Matthews said in a statement announcing the show. "We are letting the Dakota pipeline silence their voices. Not only are they desecrating sacred lands, but they also threaten to poison the Missouri River." A presale for members of the DMB Warehouse Fan Association is underway now here, with general public tickets going on sale at 10 a.m. ET on Friday. Activists from across the country have been joining protesters in North Dakota, the site of a series of sometimes violent confrontations with police and private security guards that began after a federal judge denied the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's request for a preliminary injunction halting the 1,172-mile, $3.7 billion pipeline's construction on Sept. 9. Actress Shailene Woodley was taken into custody while protesting on site, broadcasting her arrest on Facebook Live and turning her Instagram into an ongoing chronicle of the cause. "if you are a rock, stand up like a mountain" --Trevor Hall #NoDAPL #dakotaaccesspipeline #onlovesside #maunakea @hawanemusic @puacase @trevorhallmusic A photo posted by Shailene Woodley (@shailenewoodley) on Oct 30, 2016 at 12:32am PDT The protests have been going on since April, and the cause has inspired a video tribute from the stars of the upcoming Justice League movie, tweets of support from actor Leonardo DiCaprio and social media posts from Willow Smith, Jaden Smith and Thor actor Chris Hemsworth. Story continues Thank you @willowsmith & @christiaingrey you both are amazing! ---- come to Standing Rock and help us fight the pipeline! #NODAPL #WaterIsLife #SaveOurWater A photo posted by dg -- (@chelsswhoelse) on Oct 25, 2016 at 1:04am PDT And, you might have noticed, a lot of your friends might have used their Facebook feeds to check in at the Standing Rock Reservation, even though they were actually nowhere near the controversial site. According to the Guardian, as of Tuesday (Nov. 1) more than 1 million people had checked in at Standing Rock, with some claiming that the mass check-in effort was organized to prevent local law enforcement from tracking protesters on social media, a claim the Morton County Sheriff's Department denied. Funds raised by the Matthews show will help provide supplies, legal assistance and other necessities to the protestors (also known as "water protectors") at the frontlines of the fight. After the concert, organizers say a grassroots effort will take place throughout the day in Washington, DC on Nov. 28. On November 1, 1765, the hated Stamp Tax authorized by King George III went to effect in the colonies despite months of protests. The act would be quickly repealed, but it started a series of events that led to the American Revolution. 1765_BostoniansReadingStampAct-640 The British government sought ways to raise money to support a standing army in the American colonies after the French and Indian War concluded. Nearly 10,000 British troops remained stationed on American soil after the conflict ended in 1763. In 1764, Parliament had passed the Sugar Act, which cut import taxes in half on molasses (which was used to make rum) but also contained strict measures to collect taxes that most colonists had avoided paying. There was also a draft measure circulating about a second tax that could be coming from Parliament. The debate over the Stamp Tax in early 1765 in Parliament was contentious. On the floor of Parliament, an Irishman, John Barre, deeply opposed the proposed Tax on the American colonies and questioned Parliaments motives. As soon as you began to care about them, that care was exercised in sending persons to rule over them, in one department and another sent to spy out their liberty, to misrepresent their actions and to prey upon them; men whose behavior on many occasions has caused the blood of these sons of liberty to recoil within them, Barre said, coining a phrase used back in the Colonies by a group of protesters. The Sons of Liberty were formed in early 1765 in Boston and New York as concerns grew among colonists about more taxes and more control by the British government. On March 22, 1765, British Parliament finally passed the Stamp Act orDuties in American Colonies Act. It required colonists to pay taxes on every page of printed paper they used. The tax also included fees for playing cards, dice and newspapers. The reaction in the colonies was immediate. The protests were based on legal principles, that only the colonial legislatures had the power to tax residents who had representatives in those legislatures. That summer, Massachusetts called for a meeting of all the colonies a Stamp Act Congress to be held in New York in October 1765. Committees of Correspondence were also formed in the colonies to coordinate protests against the Stamp Act. Story continues And on August 14, 1765, outrage boiled over in Boston. Protesters organized as the Sons of Liberty took to the streets in a very defiant act against British rule. The Sons of Liberty met under what was known as the Liberty Tree near Boston Common. Hoisted on the tree was an effigy of Andrew Oliver, the citys stamp tax agent. Soon, a mob of several thousand people attacked Olivers office and his home, and the effigy was stomped, decapitated, and burned. News of the protests, the actions of the Stamp Congress, and the publication of Patrick Henrys Virginia Resolves fueled anger across the colonies, and many colonies saw their own versions of the Sons of Liberty created. The tax did go into effect on November 1 with a general boycott underway in the Colonies against British goods. The Parliament repealed the Stamp Act the following year, facing additional pressure from British merchants who saw their sales to the Colonies plummet. But Parliament then passed the Declaratory Act, which stated its right in principle to tax the colonies as it saw fit. The Sons of Liberty would eventually include Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, Benedict Arnold, Benjamin Edes, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, James Otis, Benjamin Rush, and Oliver Wolcott. The conflict with the British government culminated with Tea Party protests of 1773, the passage of the Coercive Acts on 1774, and the outbreak of fighting in Massachusetts the following year. Leanna Taylor took the stand on Monday to testify on behalf of her ex-husband, Justin Ross Harris, who is accused of intentionally leaving their 22-month-old son, Cooper, to die in a hot car. Despite her heartache, Taylor testified that doesnt believe that her husband intentionally killed their child. She did, however, characterize him as being easily distracted. Based on everything that I knew that day, Ross must have left him in the car, Taylor testified. That was the only thing that made sense. The only thing that clicked in my mind as even a remote possibility. He must have forgot. Still, she grew visibly angry over two days of testimony. He ruined my life. He destroyed my life. Im humiliated, I may never trust anybody again the way that I did, Taylor said Tuesday. If I never see him again in my life after this day, thats fine. Taylor, who went by the name Leanna Harris before the couple divorced this year, was also emotional when she talked about her dead toddler. Cooper was the sweetest little boy, she said on the stand in Brunswick, Georgia, wiping away tears. He had so much life. He was everything to me. He loved to smile. He loved playing. He would smile and talk to anyone, no matter whether it was a stranger or not, Taylor continued. He was just amazing. I miss him so much. Of Harris, Taylor testified, He was a very involved dad. We were both very involved diaper changes, baths, meals. Everything was very evenly split. Under cross-examination by prosecutors, she was asked about her relationship with Harris and what she knew of his alleged sexual misdeeds. Sexting and Dysfunction Taylor told the jurors that her husband had a big personality. He grew up in the town we met in, she said. He would talk to everybody. Hew as very outgoing; he never met a stranger. He was very confident and sure of himself, and he liked to be the center of attention. But there were problems in the marriage, Taylor testified: Two years after the wedding, she found a racy text message on his phone. Story continues I guess you would describe it as sexting she said. The message was something along the lines of show me your boobs. I was in bed, and I picked up the phone to see what time it was, she said. The couple sought counseling with their church pastor, but the problems persisted, Taylor said. Harris continued to create a life apart from his wife and, she said, he developed erectile dysfunction. I didnt react well to them, she told the jury. I was afraid it was me, that he no longer found me attractive. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Since Coopers death, Harris sexual history has come under scrutiny. Police allege that he sexted six women, including a teenager, while his son was dying. The prosecution has also presented evidence that he met with a prostitute. Taylor testified that she learned about this activity only after her ex-husbands arrest. I didnt know, she said. If I had, I would have divorced him right then. I just very bluntly one night said, Do you want a divorce? If you want one, I will give it to you. He said, Thats the last thing I want. Harris has been charged with eight felony counts in Coopers death, including malice murder, cruelty to children and criminal attempt to commit a felony. He faces life in prison if hes convicted. He has always maintained it was a tragic accident not murder and his defense attorney has said his sexual impropriety is not proof of motive for his alleged crimes. The defense is expected to continue its case all week. George Soros gave Ivanka's husband's business a $250 million credit line in 2015 per WSJ. Soros is also an investor in Jared's business. Several people were killed and some 50 others injured in a series of blasts at a ship-breaking yard in Gadani, southwestern Pakistan, on Tuesday, November 1, The Express Tribune reported. Workers were dismantling a ship when a gas cylinder exploded, triggering a huge blaze that ripped through the vessel, Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Harifal told AFP. Nasir Mansoor, deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, said that over 200 workers were trapped inside the yard, as it was engulfed in flames. Credit: Twitter/Anonymous Malaysia and China signed a defence deal and pledged closer cooperation in the South China Sea Tuesday, signalling a potential strategic shift by Premier Najib Razak as his ties with the United States fray over a corruption scandal. Najib's week-long trip marks another potential setback for Washington's "pivot" toward Asia, two weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte of longtime US ally the Philippines visited China with olive branch in hand. Meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Najib and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang witnessed the signing of nine agreements spanning defence, business and other spheres. "I believe this visit will bring our bilateral ties to a new high... a historic high," Najib said prior to meeting with Li. Asked for details of the defence arrangement, Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said that the two countries were "focusing on naval cooperation," adding that the deal "marks a big event in our bilateral ties." China and Malaysia have an outstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea, which is claimed almost in its entirety by Beijing. Parts of the vast maritime region are also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam, among others, who have found themselves caught in an increasingly tense dispute between the US and China over Beijing's construction of military-capable artificial islands in the region. "China and Malaysia are littoral states of the South China Sea so we need to enhance our cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea and enhance our mutual trust," Liu said. -- Separation anxiety -- Last month in Beijing, Duterte stunned observers by announcing his country's "separation" from longstanding partner the United States. Though he subsequently backed off, saying their alliance remained intact, the episode underlined China's increasing diplomatic and economic gravitational pull at the expense of the United States. Story continues Najib's visit provides fresh evidence, said Southeast Asia politics analyst Bridget Welsh. "This is the new regional norm. Now China is implementing the power and the US is in retreat," she said, adding Washington's Asia "pivot" was "dead in the water". Taking office in 2009, Najib reached out to Washington, and relations warmed following decades of periodic distrust. But he has increasingly leaned toward China as it became Malaysia's biggest trading partner, and especially after the eruption last year of a massive corruption scandal implicating Najib and a state investment fund he founded. Billions are alleged to have been syphoned from the fund, 1MDB, in a stunning international campaign of embezzlement and money-laundering that has sparked investigations in several countries. Najibs ties with Washington became strained when the US Justice Department moved in July to seize more than $1 billion in assets it says were purchased by Najib relatives and associates using stolen 1MDB money. Justice Department filings said a "Malaysian Official 1" took part in the looting. Malaysia has since admitted that official was Najib. Najib and 1MDB deny wrongdoing and have railed at foreign forces they say concocted the scandal. 1MDB launched a fire sale of assets to stay solvent, and Chinas biggest nuclear energy producer China General Nuclear Power Corporation came to the rescue last year, purchasing its power assets for $2.3 billion. Depressed oil prices have slashed government revenue in energy-exporting Malaysia, which also faces rising public-sector debt. "This trip reflects not only Malaysias geostrategic re-alignment to China as the 'regional banker' but also the reality that Najib is desperate for alternative financial sources," Welsh said. China has increasingly won major infrastructure and other projects in Malaysia. Among the agreements was one to build a new rail line on Malaysia's east coast. Later this week Najib will meet President Xi Jinping, as well as Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba. Cincinnati (AFP) - Initially caught off guard, Hillary Clinton's campaign has swung between defiance, counter-attack and painting Donald Trump as a mortal danger since the FBI director revived her email scandal. The decision, announced by James Comey in a letter to lawmakers last Friday, initially dumbfounded Clinton and her allies, throwing what was already America's ugliest presidential election into spasms of shock. Clinton was at the time on a plane with malfunctioning wifi and, according to the Los Angeles Times, in the company of a childhood friend as she seemingly cruised toward an easy victory over Donald Trump. An aide said the former secretary of state, first lady and senator took it "like a champ" but the campaign is furious about the renewed focus on her use of a private email server and frustrated that Comey has still not provided answers to them -- or the public. An angry campaign chairman John Podesta went on the attack, the most senior Democrat in the Senate said Comey may have broken the law and campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a "double standard." On Monday, Team Clinton pounced on a CNBC report which quoted an anonymous former FBI official as saying Comey thought it was too close to Election Day to name Russia as meddling in the election. "That Director Comey would show more discretion in a matter concerning a foreign state actor than one involving the Democratic nominee for president is nothing short of jaw dropping," Mook said. But the woman poised to make history as America's first female president, humiliated 20 years ago by her husband's dalliance with an intern and long hounded by Republicans, is nothing if not resilient. - Fighter - The chorus of her campaign theme song -- "I've still got a lot of fight left in me" -- sums up Clinton perfectly. Outwardly she has appeared relaxed and confident on a breakneck campaign tour in the battleground states of Florida and Ohio. Story continues Boarding her plane on Monday, reporters caught a glimpse of her smiling, holding up a Halloween mask to her face. But the absence of one of her closest confidantes, the woman she has described as being akin to a second daughter, from her side for the last three days is a sign that Clinton is taking nothing for granted. According to US media reports, Comey's probe was renewed after agents seized a laptop used by the aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. Abedin was photographed taking her son to school Monday and some media outlets are speculating whether she is still destined for a plum job in the White House, should Clinton win. In public Clinton initially called on the FBI to explain its decision without delay. On Saturday she upped the pressure on Comey, calling his move "deeply troubling" and "unprecedented." But by Monday, when polling data appeared to show that few voters were bothered by the news, she appeared more sanguine. - 'Not a deal breaker' - "I'm not making excuses. I've said it was a mistake and I regret it," she said of her decision to use a private email server while secretary of state, which sparked the initial FBI investigation. But apart from a brief news conference on Friday, she has not spoken to the up to three dozen reporters travelling with her campaign. She has ignored shouted questions while boarding and deplaning her Boeing 737, instead smiling and waving to photographers. Meanwhile she has upped the ante against Trump, painting him as a dangerous hot head who cannot be trusted with the nuclear codes. She was introduced at a campaign stop in Kent, Ohio by a former nuclear missile launch officer who helped organize an open letter against the Republican nominee. "Imagine him plunging us into a war because somebody got under his very thin skin. I hope you'll think about that when you cast your vote," Clinton told a rally in Cincinnati. It is a message that her supporters are hearing loud and clear, undeterred by Comey's announcement and convinced the maverick billionaire is a far worse candidate. "This email controversy is not a deal breaker for me," said Crystian Wiltshire, a 26-year-old actor from Kentucky living in Cincinnati. "Whereas on the other side, the comments that have been made, his (Trump's) history as a businessman, those things can be classified as deal breakers," he said. "For her to find some way to ruin that within a week's time, I think that's impossible at this point." Delphi Automotive PLC DLPH is set to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 2. In the last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 2.58%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors Influencing this Quarter Delphi Automotive is one of the largest vehicle parts manufacturers in the world. The companys innovative products have helped it secure all 25 leading global automobile manufacturers as customers. Delphi Automotive regularly undertakes acquisitions and alliances to enhance its technological capability, increase operating scale, augment its client base and expand geographically. The HellermannTyton Group acquisition has been boosting the companys earnings. For 2016, Delphi Automotive expects revenues, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted operating income and operating cash flow to increase over 2015. This raises hopes for good results in the third quarter. On the flip side, the absence of revenues from the Thermal Systems business and the stake in Shanghai Delphi Automotive Air-Conditioning System Co., Ltd, both of which have been sold, has been negatively impacting Delphi Automotives top line. Moreover, economic weakness in South America is leading to lower production in the region by original equipment manufacturers. Delphi Automotive expects weak vehicle production in the second half of the year, particularly in China. It also projects weaker light-duty diesel volumes in both Europe and the emerging markets this year. Even the global commercial vehicle market remains soft. These factors can adversely affect Delphi Automotives sales. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Delphi Automotive is likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. This is not the case here, as you will see below: Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Delphi Automotive Earnings ESP is +1.41% because the Most Accurate estimate stands at $1.44, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.42. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Story continues DELPHI AUTO PLC Price and EPS Surprise DELPHI AUTO PLC Price and EPS Surprise | DELPHI AUTO PLC Quote Zacks Rank: Delphi Automotive carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. AXL, which is expected to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 4, has an Earnings ESP of +5.20% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Fox Factory Holding Corp FOXF, which will report third-quarter 2016 financial numbers on Nov 2, has an Earnings ESP of +2.56% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Magna International Inc. MGA has an Earnings ESP of +1.67% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is expected to release third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AMER AXLE & MFG (AXL): Free Stock Analysis Report MAGNA INTL CL A (MGA): Free Stock Analysis Report DELPHI AUTO PLC (DLPH): Free Stock Analysis Report FOX FACTORY HLD (FOXF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research (COLUMBUS, Ohio) Democrats are accusing Republicans and Donald Trumps presidential campaign of conspiring to intimidate voters in at least four states just days ahead of the election. In each lawsuit, the states Democratic party is seeking court action to preemptively block potential voter harassment or intimidation from Republican poll watchers or other observers. The lawsuits were filed beginning Sunday in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Arizona against Trumps campaign, each states Republican party and GOP operative Roger Stone, who runs the group Stop the Steal. Trump has called on his supporters to act as election observers in certain areas of the country to help prevent fraud. That has stirred fears of voter intimidation and confrontations at the polls. In a federal lawsuit filed in Cleveland, the Ohio Democratic Party accused Trump and Republicans of conspiring to threaten, intimidate and prevent minority voters from casting ballots in the perennial battleground state. The complaint cited comments Trump has made at rallies in Ohio and elsewhere. In the months leading up to the 2016 election, Trump has made an escalating series of statements, often racially tinged, suggesting that his supporters should go to particular precincts on Election Day and intimidate voters, the Ohio lawsuit alleged. The state party said that absent court intervention, voters would be subjected to intimidation, threats, and perhaps even force at the hands of vigilante poll watchers and ballot integrity volunteers on Election Day. Ohio Republican Party spokeswoman Brittany Warner called the lawsuit a publicity stunt and said the party is not involved in such voter intimidation. Pennsylvania Republicans called the lawsuit a desperate effort by the Democrats in the face of eroding support for Hillary Clinton. Story continues Messages left Monday with Trumps national and Ohio campaigns were not immediately returned. In an emailed response, Stone said the lawsuit is without merit. He said his organization is not coordinating with the Trump campaign or any official GOP organizations. Instead, it is partnering with another group called Vote Protectors to conduct exit polls and plans to compare those responses with the voting machine results in 7,000 precincts nationwide. We seek only to determine if the election is honestly and fairly conducted and to provide an evidentiary basis for a challenge to the election if that is not the case, Stone said. In Arizona, Democrats are seeking a court order to block volunteer GOP poll watchers from harassing or photographing people headed to polling locations. The lawsuit there said the state Republican Party is essentially an arm of Trumps campaign and the campaign and its backers have been organizing citizen journalists and poll watchers to flood minority-heavy polling sites on Nov. 8. But Arizona GOP spokesman Tim Sifert said the party is doing no such thing. Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Alexis Tameron said the party is worried that rogue actors will scare off voters. In Nevada, the lawsuit claimed that Trump supporters have yelled at voters outside Las Vegas-area polling places when they said they were not voting for the Republican nominee. Among other requests, Democrats asked the court to declare that aggressive questioning of voters waiting to cast their ballot or threats of legal or criminal action are illegal. Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald said his party has zero tolerance for voter intimidation. ___ Associated Press writers Bob Christie in Phoenix, Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. At some point in the long, slow march that is this presidential election, Donald Trump said he would like to get together with Russian President Vladimir Putin to knock the hell out of ISIS. A new poll shows that most Americans agree. At Tuesdays launch of the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll, researchers explored Americans views on ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, and Syria. Some 60 percent 67 percent of Republicans, 53 percent of Democrats, and 67 percent of independents would like to see the United States work alongside Russia in the fight against the Islamic State in Syria. This is not to say that all Americans are as fond of Putin as Trump seems to be: Thirty percent of Democrats and 8 percent of Republicans named him their least-liked world leader. But counterterrorism can make for strange bedfellows, and fully 53 percent said battling the terrorist outfit should be Americas priority, ahead of issues like dealing with a rising China or a resurgent Russia itself. If fighting the Islamic State means working with Russia, say most Americans polled, so be it. And the Obama administrations push at least initially to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has little support: Only 2 percent said Americas primary objective in Syria should be Assads removal. Just over half said the main objective there should be defeating the Islamic State and its allies. Curiously, Republican respondents top choice for favorite world leader, nipping Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is former President Ronald Reagan, a man who was known for many things but not for his penchant for working with Russians on much besides disarmament. Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images By Hilary Russ NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Corporate tax breaks for housing and economic development projects cost New York City $3 billion in fiscal 2016, according to a Reuters' review of a first-of-its kind report from the city's chief fiscal officer. The biggest chunk of lost revenues were from property tax abatements for housing developers, nearly all under a now-expired affordable housing program. The city's latest annual financial report from Comptroller Scott Stringer, released on Monday, was the first in the United States to include new mandated information about how much these tax abatements have cost the city. "New Yorkers deserve to know where their tax dollars are being spent, and this disclosure brings more transparency to New York City's tax abatement programs than ever before," Stringer said in a statement to Reuters. The city's abatements cost more than $2.5 billion, but another $500 million in revenues was lost via state-administered subsidy programs. There was no impact on the city's financial statements as a result of the new rule, the report noted. The disclosures are required under a new Governmental Accounting Standards Board rule, which went into effect for states, cities, counties and school districts for fiscal reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2015. That means financial reports due for release in the spring of 2017 and beyond will include the new data. New York City did not have to unveil the information until May. The rule, No. 77, was issued in August 2015. Greg LeRoy, executive director of Washington-based watchdog Good Jobs First, applauded Stringer for being the earliest reporter of what LeRoy said was "landmark accountability reform." "He even gave us two years of data so we can begin to analyze trends, which is above and beyond the technical requirements of Statement No. 77," LeRoy said. Critics of the rule say that reporting only lost revenues paints a lopsided picture of economic development subsidies by excluding the jobs created and other benefits. Story continues Others, including Good Jobs First, say the rule does not go far enough because it does not require naming of specific companies, disclosure of how many individual agreements are included in a year or future-year cost reporting. Some local governments are already reporting detailed information under their own rules. But GASB 77 will consolidate the data into the main financial statement. The New York City charter, for instance, requires detailed reporting on tax breaks from its main economic development agency. The city's finance department separately reports affordable housing tax breaks - about $1.2 billion in fiscal 2016. (Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Daniel Bases and Jonathan Oatis) South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy mocked Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Sunday evening for suggesting FBI Director James Comey may have violated the Hatch Act by disclosing the agency's continued investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. In an interview with Fox News, the congressman expressed relief at Reid's impending retirement from the Senate, and criticized the minority leader's letter to Comey. "Thank god he's leaving is my initial reaction," Gowdy said. "My second reaction is I did not know Mormons use drugs. Anyone who is capable of sending out the press release has to be under the influence of something." On Sunday, Reid accused Comey, a Republican with a reputation of enforcing the law equally, of playing partisan politics with the investigation. "Your actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another," Reid wrote in a letter to Comey. The minority leader also suggested that the director was withholding information about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's potential ties to Russia. "In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity," Reid said. Reid had praised Comey after the FBI's initial investigation into Clinton yielded no recommendation for charges. At the time he said "no one can question the integrity" of Comey. NOW WATCH: 'He never said that': New Clinton ad shows Trump contradicting Pence's VP debate denials More From Business Insider The Affordable Care Act is facing a huge test. Tuesday marks the start of open enrollment for the 2017 plan year of the ACA's public exchanges. That's the part of the law, better known as Obamacare, that is designed to give people access to health insurance if they can't access it through their employers or the government. After news of rising premiums, the withdrawal of several insurance companies, and the US campaign season, we'll finally get a chance to see how healthy the public exchanges the most talked-about part of the law really are. After all the negative headlines, it appears that this open-enrollment period is especially important for the future of one of President Barack Obama's signature achievements. How we got here The ACA doesn't exclusively pertain to the exchanges. There are other elements of the law that affect all Americans, such as a child's ability to stay on his or her parent's insurance until they're 26 years old and the removal of lifetime limits on insurance payouts. For better or for worse, the sustainability of the exchanges is probably the most often used benchmark for people judging its success or failure, despite the fact that only roughly 5% of Americans get their insurance through the exchanges. The problems with the Obamacare exchanges are now well documented. Fewer healthy people have signed up for the plans, and that has caused the pool of people in the exchanges to be older, sicker, and more expensive to cover. That's led to losses for many insurers. Some of the biggest and most high profile of these insurers such as Aetna and UnitedHealthcare and startup Oscar have pulled back their offerings in these markets. And the exchanges have become political fodder for everyone from Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan to presidential nominee Donald Trump. Even former President Bill Clinton has talked about flaws in the marketplace, though he later clarified he supports the ACA. The law's supporters say these are growing pains. "This is one of the most complex social programs in the country's history," Kevin Counihan, the CEO of the Marketplace at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) said in an interview with Business Insider. Counihan oversees the exchanges. "We only have three years of operation. Big programs like Social Security and Medicare also had problems in their first three years." Story continues Counihan said that many insurance companies are not used to these types of markets, which are more like "Medicaid-plus" than the employer-based market so a "learning curve" isn't surprising. Make or break year The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is responsible for administering the law, projects that 13.8 million Americans will sign up or continue to get coverage through the exchanges in 2017, up from 12.7 million last year. The 2017 enrollment also features massive jump in the average premium cost from last year the HHS projects it to be 25% for the baseline silver-level plan for the country. These jumps are even more severe in certain states, with Arizona leading the way with a 116% increase over the average premium in 2016. obamacare premium increases According to Cynthia Cox, associate director for the Program for the Study of Health Reform and Private Insurance at the nonpartisan research group Kaiser Family Foundation, these price increases and market shifts have been coming for some time. "The premium increases were something we were expecting," Cox told Business Insider. "They're a bit higher than we thought they would be, but insurers have been signaling for months that this year they needed to dramatically increase premiums to make up for losses on the exchanges." Counihan said that these increases came about in part because many insurers did not have experience with the type of coverage needed for Obamacare, so they underpriced their plans to attract patients without properly rating the costs. Additionally, the jump now brings premiums roughly in line with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's original 2010 projection for premiums on the exchanges for 2017. This year is also more important because this is the first time the exchanges will be without their "training wheels." Insurers previously had three different ways provided by the government to mitigate losses from the exchanges: reinsurance, risk corridors, and risk adjustment. Now that is being shaved down to only the risk-adjustment program. Additionally, 2017 will be the first year that the full penalty for not having insurance will go into effect, but the fee will not show up on tax bills until after the open-enrollment period. Counihan downplayed the idea that this is a pivotal year for the exchanges, saying that it is a "retooling year." Additionally, Counihan said the HHS and CMS has plans to make sure it meets its targets and grows the exchanges, including outreach targeted at young people who would help stabilize the risk pools. "We have a lot of data and good outreach plans for this year to get all kinds of people to sign up," said Counihan. "I mean, we know what we're doing we're not just throwing darts and hoping it hits." The real figure of success, Cox said, will be if the exchanges can sustain the number they have now. "If we start to see sign-ups decrease, that would raise a lot of questions about the long-term sustainability of the exchanges," Cox said. "If people are deciding to leave the exchanges, that could lead to more insurer exits and be a real problem." That may be a low bar to clear, but given the negativity surrounding the exchanges for much of the past six months, perhaps no bad news is good news. The future is uncertain The real proof of the success or failure of the law likely won't come from the sign-up numbers alone, according to Cox. Instead, the real tell will be the proposals for 2018 premiums that the health-insurance companies have to submit to individual state regulators in the spring of 2017. "That's really when we'll know whether this was just a one-year change or something larger and longer-lasting," Cox added. "If premiums rise significantly again and you start to see more providers leaving the exchanges, that will raise a lot of long-term questions." As Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini put it in an interview with Bloomberg, this could lead to a constant chase of healthy people opting out of the exchanges because of high costs, which in turn leads to higher premiums to cover the ever-sicker pool in the exchanges. "So what happens is the population gets sicker and sicker and sicker and sicker, the rates get higher to try and catch it it's a fruitless chase, and ultimately you end up with a very bad pool of risk," said Bertolini. So with a very bad pool of risk, more insurers dump their exchange business until it becomes unsustainable. Given these issues, most people agree that the law could use some tweaks. Even Obama said that the law was like a new phone that rolls out with "a few bugs" and needs to be updated to stabilize it. There have been several proposals, mostly split on ideological lines. Mostly conservative detractors of the law have suggested repealing the ACA altogether, while on the other end of the spectrum observers have used the shortcomings to call for a nationalized health system. In the middle, there proposals include adjusting a rule that only allows insurers to charge older people three times what they charge young people, strengthening the tax on people without insurance, and more variety instead of sticking with the four-tiered system in place now. According to Cox, pretty much any of these adjustments would help fix the issues the Obamacare exchanges are facing. "Any or all of these changes could have the effect of stabilizing the marketplace," Cold told us. "Also, they don't have to be done in isolation any number of them could be used in combination to address the challenges facing the market." The problem is that all these changes can be enacted only if Congress passes a law amending the ACA. "The HHS and CMS are really limited in what they can do now to address these issues," said Cox. In the end, however, most of the changes come down to a political vote and given the current make-up of Washington, it is unlikely anything comes to fruition. Counihan even called it a "less than helpful political environment." Cox agreed that much of the law's long-term survival has little to do with its impact on healthcare, but rather the political appetite for the law. Regardless of possible changes, Counihan said that the law has earned a permanent place in the health care system of America (though he is admittedly biased). Cox, on the other hand, said that the ACA and its exchanges have certainly made an impact, but whether or not they survive remains to be seen. "It depends on politics and market stability," said Cox. "It's equally, if not more, important how Americans perceive the law, and right now they're pretty split." Based on Kaiser's polling, 45% of Americans have a favorable view of the ACA and 45% have an unfavorable view. Open enrollment closes January 31. NOW WATCH: KRUGMAN: Obamacare was done 'on the cheap' and now it is struggling More From Business Insider Imagine if a report came out showing evidence that Wells Fargo violated the Fair Housing Act by hiding certain home listings from African-Americans. Every politician in Washington would condemn the bank for illegal practices. The Justice Department would be inundated with letters demanding prosecution. Congressional committee chairs would schedule hearings to give members an opportunity to yell at executives. Wells Fargo would put out a sober apology expressing deep sorrow and vowing to make everything right. In other words, we have a context for bank misconduct, and everyone dutifully plays their part. When the same circumstance occurs with Facebook in the role of the villain, however, nobody knows how to react. There are no assigned roles when a tech firm with a glimmering reputation creates a controversy. We implicitly give them a break, regardless of the merits. Thats a bias we should probably correct. On Friday, ProPublica revealed that Facebook allows advertisers a tool that enables them to exclude ethnic affinities like African-Americans or Hispanics from viewing their ads. (Facebook does not ask users about their race, but collects data based on posts they like or comment on.) This goes well beyond targeting different styles of advertising to certain groups, which is common. Instead, it specifically prevents a black or Hispanic Facebook user from seeing a particular ad. Related: Facebook Is Making You Spend More Money Than You Should This shifts from market segmenting to violating the law when the product is an ad for housing or employment recruiting, especially because Facebook carries such granular data on its users. The problem is the exclusion and how precise Facebooks big data allows that to work. Federal law prevents discrimination in such matters by race or gender. ProPublica tested this with a sample ad inviting people on Facebook to a forum at the Brooklyn Public Library about challenging illegal rent increases. African-Americans, Asian-Americans and Hispanics werent allowed to see it. Story continues If the ad were selling a house or recruiting for a job fair, it would almost certainly be illegal. This is about as blatant a violation of the federal Fair Housing Act as one can find, civil rights lawyer John Relman told ProPublica. Facebook, of course, disputes the allegation. It says the tools are meant to test marketing campaigns with specific groups for their effectiveness, not to discriminate. In a buzzword-laden post on its website, Facebook head of multicultural sales Christian Martinez writes, we want Facebook to be a platform thats respectful and empowering, and that we will take aggressive enforcement action against targeting that violates anti-discrimination laws. Related: The Tech Company That's Beating Google, Facebook and Amazon But ProPublicas housing-based ad got approved for use on Facebook within 15 minutes, suggesting that there isnt any close scrutiny of exclusion targeting, or understanding of its negative consequences. At the least, Facebook hasnt thought critically about these issues. While the ProPublica story has generated some chatter, no politician has demanded that Facebook immediately take down its exclusion targeting tool. Nobody has called for hearings. Nobody has sought clarification on whether the Justice Department would open an investigation. Nobody has written a negative word about Facebook at all. Banks have a pre-existing reputation that would turn a story like this into a serious negative pile-on. Large tech firms dont have that baked into their reputation. Its reasonable to ask why, considering that we have a smattering of examples of Silicon Valleys indifference to federal law, from the industry-wide wage-fixing scandal to Amazons sweatshops. Related: In 10 Years Facebook Could Control Much of Your Life Because tech is new and shiny, it gets the benefit of the doubt when negative stories get published about industry practices in a way that Wall Street simply doesnt. And its not just Facebook ads. Uber has over the years claimed to solve a market failure of African-Americans having trouble hailing taxicabs. But a massive study from the National Bureau for Economic Research showed that riders with African American-sounding names experienced higher cancellation rates and longer wait times when using the Uber app. Airbnb has struggled with the same biases. Outside of a couple members of the Congressional Black Caucus contacting Airbnb, none of this has raised much of a peep in Washington. In fact, former Attorney General Eric Holder rode to Airbnbs rescue to help the company arrange an effective anti-discrimination policy. This kind of assistance isnt present when Bank of America or some other bank disadvantages customers by race. Federal anti-discrimination laws are just one area where the tech industry has found itself in trouble. ProPublica has another series on the tech industrys behind-the-scenes practices, finding that Amazon favors its own products with its buy box, which often charges consumers more for the same product. That skirts antitrust laws, which is something of a trend for tech. Google is fighting multiple antitrust charges in Europe, where Apple has separately been accused of illegally avoiding $14.6 billion in unpaid taxes. Facebook also has a tax issue over assets the company moved to Ireland to take advantage of lower rates. Related: Facebook Executives Feel the Heat of Content Controversies If we thought differently about Silicon Valley, we could build a profile of techs biggest businesses as corporate miscreants, constantly seeking advantage by avoiding or outright ignoring the law. But they dont have that reputation, and so these stories remain disassociated rather than cumulative. We hear a lot about the bias of journalists who report on stories, but not much about the bias of those who read them. Reputational history creates blind spots in how readers process the news. Its pretty obvious that Facebook values the profit it can gain from advertisers by giving them a tool to segregate their ads well beyond the potential for illegal abuse. But we dont read that as part of a consistent set of value judgments by Silicon Valley firms. Maybe we should. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Doctor Strange and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them dominated social media buzz last week with more than 73,000 new conversations, according to media-measurement firm comScore and its PreAct service. Marvel/Disneys Doctor Strange opened to a strong $86 million internationally over the weekend and was nearly 50% ahead of Ant-Man, 37% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy, and 23% ahead of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The Benedict Cumberbatch vehicle, which opens Friday in the U.S. at about 3,800 locations, has generated more than 457,000 cumulative conversations on social media. Warner Bros. ran a Twitter promotion for Fantastic Beasts starting Oct. 28, asking fans to tweet the correct spell using emojis to unlock new video footage. It generated over 38,000 new conversations last week and is on track to draw at least $75 million on its opening weekend on Nov. 18-20 for the North American market. Disney/Lucasfilms Rogue One: A Star Wars Story generated over 24,000 new conversations last week after announcing a fan contest on Oct. 26 for an Imax private screening. The first spinoff of the Star Wars franchise, which opens Dec. 16, has generated 1.8 million cumulative conversations on social media. Disneys animated Moana, which opens Nov. 23, produced over 15,000 new conversations last week in the wake of publishing How Far Ill Go from its official soundtrack on Oct. 27, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and performed by Alessia Cara. Related stories 'Doctor Strange' Tops Studios' TV Ad Spending Korea Box Office: 'Doctor Strange' Opens on Top With $18 Million Debut 'Doctor Strange' Debuts to Magical $86 Million Internationally The Department of Justice continues to leak like a sieve in the wake of FBI director James Comeys decision to reveal details about an ongoing investigation into Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons use of a private email server. Anonymous law enforcement officials are now spilling details about any number of active inquiries and, for the third time in a week, a major revelation benefits Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The most recent leak discredits a claim by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who alleged in a letter last week that the agency is sitting on explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government. Related: Stream of Anonymous Leaks from FBI Intensifies The Nevada Democrats casual assertion that the GOP nominee is colluding with a hostile foreign government was stunning. It also carried echoes of Reids claim during the 2012 election that he had information suggesting GOP nominee and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney hadnt paid federal taxes for 10 years. Reids attack on Romney was baseless and false, and its beginning to look as though his claim about Trumps coordination with the Kremlin is, too. Late yesterday, The New York Times reported that the FBI had, indeed, investigated Trump to see if he and his campaign had illicit ties to the Russian government. It appears to have been part of a larger look at Russian influence on the election, including Moscows involvement in the hacking of the Democratic National Committees computer systems and the emails of top Democratic operatives. However, according to anonymous sources speaking to The Times, what they found is the opposite of what Reid claimed: Law enforcement officials say that none of the investigations so far have found any conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. And even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump. Story continues Related: Why a Growing Number of Republicans Are Criticizing the FBIs Comey While it appears to exonerate Mr. Trump of false and inflammatory charges, the new leak from the FBI further complicates an already contentious relationship between Democrats in Congress and the Justice Department. (Ironically, the revelation came on the same day it was reported that Comey had declined to endorse an official report from the intelligence community asserting that hacking attacks on Democratic officials were orchestrated by Moscow. The FBIs analysts agreed with the finding, but Comey apparently argued that the release was inappropriate so close to an election.) Democrats were already furious about Comeys decision to send a letter to Congress on Friday revealing the existence of a cache of unexamined emails related to the Clinton case. In doing so he broke with Justice Department precedent and handed a lifeline to the floundering Trump campaign. Former attorneys general and Justice Department officials from both parties have condemned the action as inappropriate. Related: As Democrats Rage at FBIs Comey, They Find a Focus: The Hatch Act Then, over the weekend, sources within the FBI provided The Wall Street Journal with details about an investigation into whether there were improper ties between the Clinton Foundation, foreign donors, and the Department of State while Hillary Clinton was serving as secretary of state. The story detailed the frustrations of agents involved in the investigation, who reportedly believe that their efforts were being sabotaged by Justice Department officials. With only a week to go before the election, there is the strong possibility of more drama to come. The Department of Justice on Monday sent a terse letter to members of Congress that left open the possibility that more details concerning the recently uncovered cache of emails could come out before voters go to the polls. Democrats had demanded that the Department of Justice take action to remove the cloud of uncertainty that Comeys letter to Congress created over Clinton and her candidacy. On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik wrote, the Department will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resources and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible. In an interview on MSNBC Monday afternoon, Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, dismissed the letter as inadequate. Thats like when you place a telephone call to a company where you want to ask a question and they say, Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line. Listen to this wonderful music and the next available operator will be with you. Related: Comeys Email Bombshell Has Narrowed Clintons Lead Against TrumpFor Now As other Democrats have, Leahy called on law enforcement officials to find a way to ameliorate a situation in which a federal law enforcement agency has inserted itself, in an unprecedented way, into a presidential election. Ive known Jim Comey for a long time, Ive always considered him a professional a man of integrity. But even a professional and a person of integrity can make a very bad mistake. Hes made a bad mistake by not following the normal procedures of the Department of Justice procedures followed by both Republican and Democratic administrations. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Donald Trump Donald Trump and his allies have started to float a new line of attack against Hillary Clinton after the FBI's announcment Friday that it had discovered emails "pertinent" to its investigation of her private email server. "I'm now convinced that we will be facing the very real possibility of a constitutional crisis with many dimensions and deleterious consequences should Secretary Clinton win the election," Trump said at a Michigan rally on Monday, quoting an op-ed article from Doug Schoen, a pollster for former President Bill Clinton who renounced his support of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, after the latest FBI revelation. "She would be under protracted criminal investigation and probably a criminal trial, I would say," Trump said. "So we'd have a criminal trial of a sitting president." The Republican nominee added that he believed that investigation would "last for years." "Nothing will get done," Trump said. "I can tell you, your jobs will continue to leave Michigan. Nothing's going to get done." Top Trump backers echoed these claims, even as the FBI director, James Comey, wrote in his bombshell Friday letter he "cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant." Fox News host Sean Hannity, a devout Trump supporter, and former Rep. Jack Kingston of Georgia, a senior Trump adviser, said the election of Clinton could lead to a "constitutional crisis." Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich went as far as to tell Hannity on his Monday television program that the new Clinton "campaign slogan" should be "vote Hillary and get Tim Kaine for president." Comey's letter to congressional leaders on Friday came just 11 days before the November 8 election. The FBI director has faced a barrage of attacks from prominent Democrats and political analysts for commenting on the agency's investigation. At an Ohio rally on Monday, Clinton tried to reassure supporters that the FBI had "no case" against her. Story continues "And first of all, for those of you who are concerned about my using personal email, I understand, and as I said, I am not making excuses," she said. "I have said it was a mistake and I regret it, and now they apparently want to look at emails of one of my staffers, and by all means they should look at them, and I am sure they will reach the same conclusion when they looked at my emails for the last year there is no case here." NOW WATCH: Here's how Paul Ryan can become the next president More From Business Insider Donald Trump on multiple screens at the media center during the first presidential debate, at Hofstra University, Sept. 26, 2016. (Photo: John Locher/AP) As Donald Trump heads into the final week of the presidential election behind Hillary Clinton in the polls, members of his inner circle have denied multiple reports theyre exploring the launch of a media company if his campaign falls short. While Trumps team insists its not pursuing a television venture, the candidate has had one key piece of a potential media business lined up for years. The Trump Organization already owns the Web addresses TrumpTelevision.com, TrumpNetwork.com and TheTrumpNetwork.com. Based on the Internet archive, the Trump Television site has never hosted original content. Both of the other sites were previously used for the Trump Network, a controversial nutritional supplement business Trump bought in 2009 and subsequently sold. Records show that his company, the Trump Organization, has owned these three sites since at least December 2012. The trio of addresses are among more than 3,000 domain names the Trump Organization owns that were first revealed by Business Insider in an August 2015 report. At the time, Trumps son Eric, who has worked for his fathers company and campaign, said the collection of Web addresses was part of a proactive and very forward-looking domain strategy intended to prevent critics and Web squatters from adversely affecting the business. Based on Erics comments, the companys ownership of TrumpTelevision.com suggests that Trump has considered a TV venture or that his company at least wanted to keep the option open. The Trump Organizations domain collection includes political addresses along with domains for past, present, and potential projects and sites that could have been used to mock Trump and his brands like DonaldTrumpSucks.com, IHateTrumpVodka.com and TrumpNetworkPonziScheme.com. While Eric was previously willing to discuss the Trump Organizations domain names, he did not respond to a request for comment about the three TV-related addresses on Monday. Those sites are particularly interesting given recent reports that Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and de facto campaign manager, has approached people about launching a Trump television network after the election. Through a spokesman, Kushner told New York magazine he has not had meetings about a potential Trump media startup. Kushner already owns Observer Media, which publishes the New York Observer newspaper and Commercial Observer, a real estate industry trade publication. (Full disclosure: This reporter wrote for the New York Observer from 2011 until 2013.) Two other members of Trumps inner circle also have substantial media business experience. The CEO of Trumps campaign, Steve Bannon, took a leave of absence from his role leading the conservative media company Breitbart News to work on Trumps White House bid. And Fox News founder Roger Ailes emerged as a key adviser to Trump after he was ousted from the network amid sexual harassment allegations. Kushner and Bannon did not respond to requests for comment on this story. Ailes could not be reached. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Donald Trump has launched into the last week before Election Day with a harsh new attack against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford, Trump declared Monday in Grand Rapids, Michigan, pointing to the FBIs renewed examination of Clintons email practices as evidence the former secretary of state might face a criminal trial as president. National polls show a tightening race. But with more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, its unclear whether Trump has the time or capacity to dramatically improve his standing over the next week in states like Michigan, where few political professionals in either party expect a Republican victory on Nov. 8. Clinton, defending herself from the new FBI examination, focused Monday on battleground Ohio, a state Trumps team concedes he must win. There is no case here, Clinton insisted. Most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all this. Later in the day, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a blatant double standard following a CNBC report that FBI Director James Comey opposed releasing details about possible Russian interference in the U.S. election because it was too close to Election Day. Comey issued a letter to congressional leaders on Friday about the FBIs renewed interest in Clintons email. The AP has not confirmed the CNBC report, and the FBI declined comment Monday. Meanwhile, the ongoing mystery of Trumps tax returns arose again. The New York Times reported Monday night that in the 1990s, Trump avoided paying potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes in a way even his own lawyers considered questionable, using a maneuver Congress explicitly banned in 2004. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said Trumps approach was appropriate. Story continues Amid the attacks and counterattacks, the race for the White House remains a test of a simple question: Will the conventional rules of modern-day campaigns apply to a 2016 election that has been anything but conventional? For much of the year, Clinton has pounded the airwaves with advertising, assembled an expansive voter data file and constructed a nationwide political organization that dwarfs her opponents. The Democratic presidential nominee and her allies in a dozen battleground states have more than 4,800 people knocking on doors, making phone calls and otherwise working to support her candidacy. Clintons numbers, as reported in recent campaign filings, tripled those of Trump and the national and state Republican parties. The New York businessman over the past year has largely ignored the key components of recent winning campaigns, depending instead on massive rallies and free media coverage to drive his outsider candidacy. This week, hes devoting his most valuable resource his time to states where polls suggest hes trailing Clinton by significant margins. Trump had two rallies Monday in Michigan, a state that last went for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988. The day before, he appeared in New Mexico, which has supported the GOP just once over the last three decades. And on Tuesday, hes scheduled to appear with running mate Mike Pence in Wisconsin, which hasnt backed a Republican for president since Ronald Reagans re-election in 1984. Trumps campaign hopes that frustrated working-class voters across the Midwest will tip states like Michigan or Wisconsin his way, especially if he benefits from reduced enthusiasm for Clinton in African-American strongholds like Detroit and Milwaukee. New Mexico is seen as a longer shot, with Trumps hard-line immigration stance a harder sell in a state with the nations highest percentage of Latino voters. Adding to Trumps challenge: Millions have already voted by mail and at polling stations across 37 states. They include critical states such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, where one-third of the expected ballots have already been cast. Meanwhile, some Republicans are skeptical that the FBIs renewed interest in Clintons email will erase the Democrats advantage. It would take something like an indictment to turn it into a dead heat, Republican pollster Whit Ayres said. As for Trumps charge that a Clinton election might prompt a constitutional crisis, the Justice Departments office of legal counsel said in 1973 that criminally prosecuting a president would unconstitutionally undermine the executive branch. A 2000 memo reached a similar conclusion. Presidents can face civil lawsuits, however. ___ Peoples reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Julie Pace in Kent, Ohio, Lisa Lerer, Hope Yen and Sam Hananel in Washington, Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. Donald Trump used legally questionable maneuvers to avoid paying personal federal income taxes in the 1990s, The New York Times reported on Monday night. The Times said Trump masked hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income by using a maneuver so "legally dubious" that his lawyers told him the IRS "would most likely declare it improper if he were audited." The report, published Monday night, follows the bombshell revelation in early October that showed Trump declared nearly $1 billion in losses in 1995 a move that may have allowed him to avoid paying any personal federal income tax for nearly two decades. Trump has not released any of his official tax returns, breaking from a multidecade tradition in presidential politics. The Republican nominee has cited an ongoing audit as a reason for withholding his returns. While Trump and some of his businesses were in the throes of financial turmoil in the 1990s, Trump pressured investors to forgive millions of dollars in debt he could not repay at the time. But that forgiven debt would still have been viewed as taxable income, based on IRS provisions. According to documents cited by The Times, however, Trump used a strategy that allowed the Manhattan billionaire to potentially escape "paying tens of millions of dollars in personal federal income taxes" on that forgiven debt. Here's more from the newspaper: "Mr. Trump's tax avoidance maneuver, conjured from ambiguous provisions of highly technical tax court rulings, clearly pushed the edge of the envelope of what tax laws permitted at the time. 'Whatever loophole existed was not "exploited" here, but stretched beyond any recognition,' said Steven M. Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center who helped draft tax legislation in the early 1990s." During the second presidential debate, on October 9, Trump acknowledged that he went years without paying federal income taxes. John Buckley, the former chief of staff to the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, told The Times that Trump was "getting something for absolutely nothing." Story continues NOW WATCH: Peter Thiel on why he supports Trump: Insider politicians are just 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic' More From Business Insider NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The $61.6 billion DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund, the largest fund in the firm by total assets, had net outflows of $33.2 million in October, the first cash withdrawals since January 2014, the firm said on Tuesday. The DoubleLine Total Return Bond Fund is an open-end intermediate-term bond fund that invests primarily in mortgage-backed securities. It is run by Jeffrey Gundlach, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of DoubleLine Capital, and Philip Barach, its president. "I think bonds are headed toward outflow territory ... rising rates mean negative returns are developing," Gundlach said in a telephone interview. "Even DoubleLine is having 'day in' and 'day out' flows. It is not an inflow day every day." Los Angeles-based DoubleLine, which oversees more than $106 billion, has benefited from a low-interest environment and the ferocious appetite for yield. Albeit marginal, the outflows from the Total Return Fund come as the Federal Reserve has set the stage for a hike in December. (Reporting by Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) Hillary Clinton, James Comey (Yahoo News photo illustration, photos: Matt Rourke/AP, Mark Wilson/Getty Images, AP) Down Ticket is Yahoo News complete guide to the most fascinating House, Senate and governors races of 2016. Coming to you every Tuesday and Thursday until Nov. 8. What you need to know today. _____ Senate Democrats had all the momentum. Then came the Clinton email news. Did James Comey just save the GOP majority? Another day, another October surprise this one, of course, involving FBI Director James Comey and a new cache of thousands of Hillary Clinton emails found on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced sext-addict husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The conventional wisdom in Washington, D.C., is that 2016s latest autumnal bombshell wont alter the outcome of the presidential election, which the former secretary of state has long been favored to win. At the same time, though, the thinking is that it might prevent Democrats from flipping the four seats they need to take back the upper chamber of Congress. This wont save the WH campaign, Republican strategist John Weaver tweeted Friday, but Carlos Danger may have saved the GOP Senate. (Carlos Danger was one of Weiners sexting aliases.) All of which got Down Ticket wondering: Could Weaver & Co. be correct? Could James Comey and Carlos Danger really throw the Senate to the GOP? Its still early the polls typically take a few days to catch up to the news but at least the presidential part of Weavers prediction appears to be on point. A Politico/Morning Consult survey conducted right before Comeys announcement showed Clinton leading Trump 42 percent to 39 percent; a separate poll conducted by same firm immediately after Comeys announcement found no movement for either candidate. And while 42 percent of undecideds insisted that the email revelation would make them less likely to vote for Clinton, pretty much the same number 41 percent said it would make no difference either way. Then-New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner speaks at a news conference alongside his wife, Huma Abedin, in New York in 2013. (Photo: John Minchillo/AP) It is unlikely that there will be a dramatic shift in the polls before Election Day, said Morning Consult cofounder and Chief Research Officer Kyle Dropp. While Fridays news may be considered an October surprise, it doesnt seem to be moving the needle as of now. Story continues The Senate fallout, however, could be trickier to calculate. For the most part, voters already know how they feel about Trump and Clinton and they are unlikely to change their minds just because the FBI has found some new emails that may or may not be relevant. But when it comes to down-ballot races, public opinion isnt quite as calcified. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll of North Carolinians asked an interesting question: Would you say you strongly support [your preferred candidate], somewhat support them, or do you think you might vote differently on Election Day? In the presidential contest, 69 percent of likely voters said they strongly supported their candidate of choice; only 2 percent said they might vote differently. But in the neck-and-neck Senate contest, which pits Republican incumbent Richard Burr against Democratic challenger Deborah Ross, only 55 percent of likely voters characterized their support as strong and 5 percent admitted they could still be swayed to the other side. This means, in theory, that there might be a little more give in the latest Senate numbers and that Clintons latest emails woes may be more helpful to down-ballot Republicans than to the mogul at the top of the ticket. Democrats still have a couple of advantages here. The first is early voting: In states with close Senate contests, the party has been banking millions of ballots for weeks now and the vast majority of these votes were cast before Comeys announcement. People line up under the morning sun for early voting at Chavis Community Center in Raleigh, N.C., this October. (Photo: Gerry Broome/AP) In Arizona, the GOPs usual early-vote turnout edge is half as big as it was in 2012. In Colorado, Democrats are ahead by about 27,000 votes, which is a significant reversal from 2012, when Republicans were leading by about 19,000 votes. In Florida, registered Republicans have a 14,000-vote lead down from 44,000 votes at this point in 2008. In North Carolina, Democrats are routing Republicans by more than 186,000 votes, or 15 percentage points. And as of Sunday morning, registered Democrats were outpacing registered Republicans by 7 points in Nevada. I would wager in Nevada turnout is so strong [that] Hillary could build an insurmountable lead in the coming days, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook boasted on NBCs Meet the Press. The Democrats second advantage is their ground game. According to a recent report in the Hill, campaign finance reports show that together, the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee and Democratic state party operations employ 5,138 staffers across 15 battleground states nearly 4,000 more staffers than their Republican counterparts. The gap is particularly wide in states with heated Senate races: North Carolina (300 Democratic staffers vs. 100 Republican staffers); Nevada (240 Democratic staffers vs. 67 Republican staffers); Pennsylvania (508 Democratic staffers vs. 62 Republican staffers); Florida (678 Democratic staffers vs. 150 Republican staffers); and Arizona (230 Democratic staffers vs. 12 Republican staffers). Usually, both parties Senate candidates benefit from big presidential get-out-the-vote operations but only Democrats will be getting a boost this year. Even so, Senate Republicans still have a chance to capitalize on Comeys revelation. For one thing, theyre already doing a lot better than Trump: Of the 13 most competitive Senate races this cycle, Republicans are outperforming the Donald in nine. In Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and North Carolina the states that will likely decide control of the Senate Trump is trailing by 3 to 5 percentage points; his GOP Senate counterparts, meanwhile, are essentially tied with their Democratic rivals. This puts them in a better position to pull ahead. Its much easier to imagine the email news swinging 1 percent of the vote than, say, 5 percent and in some of these Senate races, 1 percent might be all it takes. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., listens to Democratic challenger Deborah Ross during a live televised Senate debate in Research Triangle Park, N.C., this October. (Photo: Gerry Broome, Pool/AP) Comeys announcement also gives Republican Senate candidates something they seemed, until now, to have lacked: a closing argument. Forced for weeks to play defense after each of Trumps fumbles, their messaging had basically been reduced to Yes, I still support the nominee or No, I can no longer support the nominee, depending on the severity of Trumps latest transgression. But now Republicans are reveling in the fact that they get to say stuff like this: Gov. Maggie Hassan the Democratic Senate candidate in New Hampshire has repeatedly dismissed Hillary Clintons private e-mail server as merely a mistake, and she has repeatedly dodged questions about her misconduct. Clinton knowingly jeopardized our national security, and in light of todays news Governor Hassan needs to answer for her inability to call her out even on her most egregious national security failures. Unlike Gov. Hassan, I will stand up to anyone, regardless of political party, to do whats right for New Hampshire. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, Hassans Republican opponent And this: Less than 24-hours ago, Deborah Ross the Democratic Senate candidate in North Carolina happily campaigned in Winston Salem with Hillary Clinton who was introduced as the next president. But as news breaks today that the FBI is reopening its investigation into Hillary Clintons private email server, Deborah Ross is silent. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (on behalf of N.C. Republican Sen. Richard Burr) And this: When will Catherine Cortez Masto the Democratic Senate candidate in Nevada stand up to Hillary Clintons reckless behavior? Cortez Masto blindly supports Hillary Clinton because she always overlooks wrongdoing by Democrats. Rep. Joe Heck, Cortez Mastos Republican opponent As Republican strategist Doug Heye put it on Saturday, Republicans in tight down-ballot races can [now] wave in the air the Comey letter and push their opponent for being wishy-washy. The ability to change that conversation and not wake up tomorrow morning and have every question be about Donald Trump is, according to Heye, a tremendous boon. Yet Comeys letter doesnt simply allow GOP Senate candidates to change the subject it allows them to change the subject to exactly what theyve been trying to talk about all along. Thats the real upside here. In the waning days of the campaign, many Republicans have been writing off Trump and pitching themselves as a check on the next President Clinton. What better argument for the necessity of electing a Republican Congress in their minds, at least than the FBIs 11th-hour decision to revive its Clinton email probe? You think this is bad? they might say. Just imagine the kind of hijinks Hillary will engage in without at least 51 GOP senators to police her. Whether voters agree remains to be seen. They could side instead with Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and conclude that Comeys disclosure is not fair to Congress, the American people or Secretary Clinton. They could continue to see Trump and Clinton as creatures unto themselves and disregard the ticket-toppers when casting their down-ballot votes. Or the news could rile up just enough hardcore conservatives, and discourage just enough Bernie Sanders liberals, and swing just enough undecided voters to tip just enough of the seven too-close-to-call Senate races just enough to keep Democrats from notching the four pickups they need. Well know more in the days ahead; the post-Comey Senate public polling has yet to materialize. (Internal campaign polls arent showing any shifts yet.) But Republicans are hoping that one data point from New Hampshire proves prophetic. New Hampshire Democratic Senate candidate Gov. Maggie Hassan, left, stands with Hillary Clinton, right, after speaking at a rally in Manchester, N.H., this October. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) In a GOP poll conducted from Oct. 26 to Oct. 28, voters were asked whether the fact that Hassan is a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton who believes Clinton is honest and trustworthy makes them more or less likely to vote for Hassan on Nov. 8: 28.3 percent said more likely; 48.6 percent said less likely. Unaffiliated voters the key to victory in the Granite State were also less likely to vote for Hassan after hearing of her ties to Clinton, by a 4-point margin. And this was before Comeys letter. If the gap widens in the final week of the campaign, Hassan will have a hard time unseating Ayotte, who currently leads by about 2 percentage points, on average. And that could spell trouble for Hassans fellow Democratic challengers as well. _____ Darrell Issa isnt the only California Republican in danger. How the whole state party could sink so low on Election Day, itll never come back. Its not every day that you get to watch in real time as one of the two major political parties basically goes extinct in Americas most populous state. But thats exactly what could happen when California goes to the polls on Nov. 8. Donald Trump (left) speaks with U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (right) after a rally with supporters in San Diego, Calif., in May. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) The marquee contest is the one between Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican incumbent in Californias 49th Congressional District, just north of San Diego, and retired Marine Col. Doug Applegate, his Democratic challenger. Issa was first elected to Congress in 2000, and since then, no Democrat has come within 16 percentage points of defeating him. Safely ensconced in his seat hes also one of Americas wealthiest politicians Issa developed a reputation in Congress as a partisan brawler, using his perch as chairman of the House Oversight Committee to torture the Obama Administration at every turn. But now, with Applegate attacking him for supporting Donald Trump and internal polls showing a tied race, Issa is flailing, embracing Obama and saying he would have signed on as one of Clintons advisers if asked. That is the definition of chutzpah, Obama said after Issa bragged in a campaign mailer about working with him on a bill. Yet Issa isnt the only California Republican in danger. In the Modesto area, third-term Rep. Jeff Denham is struggling against Democrat Michael Eggman, a beekeeper, the same man he beat just two years ago by 12 points (even as a majority of Denhams constituents voted for President Obama). In the Central Valleys 21st District, the national Democratic Party is spending big money to tie Rep. David Valadao to Trump, even though the Republican has said for months that he wont support his partys nominee. In the 25th District, north of Los Angeles, freshman Rep. Steve Knight a top target for national Democrats was recently named Californias most endangered incumbent. And a recent Politico analysis showed that Democrats who already control both chambers of the California legislature were likely to gain a supermajority in the state Assembly and come within striking distance in the state Senate. Once upon a time, California was the center of the conservative movement in America. Richard Nixon was born in Yorba Linda; Ronald Reagan served as governor for two terms. But not any more. This year, two simultaneous trends may shrink the states already diminished GOP to the point of utter irrelevance. The first is Trumps astounding unpopularity. According to the new Hoover Institution Golden State Poll, the Republican nominee is currently losing to Clinton by 24 percentage points in California; his support, now at 30 percent, could be the lowest ever for a GOP presidential candidate in the state. Thirty percent is a terrible place to be at statewide for Republicans in California, Hoover fellow Bill Whalen told Politico earlier this week. [Trump] is looking at potentially the worst performance by Republicans since Alf Landon won 31 percent of the vote here in 1936. Nationally, Landon lost 46 of the 48 states. Marissa Jimenez, 22, registers to vote on National Voter Registration Day in Norwalk, Calif., in September. (Photo: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters) The second is demographics. Overall, Latinos now outnumber non-Latino whites in California, and their numbers are growing rapidly in districts once thought to be safely Republican. Thanks to robust Democratic voter registration efforts, Republican Party registration has fallen below 27 percent statewide, down from 30 percent in 2012. As a result, statewide Democratic turnout would have improved this year by an average of 5 percentage points over 2012, no matter who was on the ballot. Trump, with his anti-immigrant rhetoric, has simply made matters worse. If these figures hold throughout the whole period of the early vote, Tony Quinn, a political analyst and former Republican legislative aide, recently explained, Republicans are going to lose virtually all of these contested races. Its going to kill them, Quinn added. They could just sink so low that they never come back. _____ The best of the rest Here's my @NRO cover story on America's demographic transformation and the dire implications for Donald Trump's GOP https://t.co/mMa98v1QLI pic.twitter.com/FYUTOkvcoi Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) October 31, 2016 EXCLUSIVE: Richard Burr, in private, jokes about gun owners shooting HRC. Also says to keep last SCOTUS seat vacant. https://t.co/OZmbgLjlFa Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 31, 2016 With @burgessev, five things to watch in the battle for the Senate: https://t.co/ggKGu9LDBM Kevin Robillard (@PoliticoKevin) November 1, 2016 Poll: Bayh loses lead but Gregg, Trump maintain edge https://t.co/w88cubraU4 via @indystar Maureen Groppe (@mgroppe) October 31, 2016 The Democrats' most-mocked Senate candidate believes he can get the last laugh https://t.co/Edl6K1OULY via @PoliticoKevin | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/dTvccMj4ot POLITICO (@politico) November 1, 2016 _____ Countdown _____ The Q3 earnings season moves into the second half of the reporting cycle, with results from 291 S&P 500 members (as of Oct 28), accounting for 58.2% of the indexs total market capitalization, according to the Earnings Preview report. While total earnings for these 291 index members were up 2.2% from the year-ago quarter, revenues were up 1.3% year over year. The beat ratio was 73.5% for earnings and 57.4% for revenues. Notably, the ongoing reporting cycle is on track to be the first quarter to show positive earnings growth after five consecutive quarters of earnings decline for the S&P 500 index. Also, the quarter has seen more numerous positive surprises, particularly on the revenue side and estimates for the next quarter (2016 Q4) are also holding up well. The picture is expected to improve steadily hereafter. Quite a few of the large-cap pharma companies posted better-than-expected third-quarter results. Among the leading companies that reported last week in the healthcare sector, biotech major Amgen Inc. AMGN beat estimates for both earnings and sales and raised the earnings guidance. On the other hand, although biotech company Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ALXN missed earnings estimates by a penny, the company was able to beat revenue expectations. Bristol-Myers also delivered a beat and raise quarter. Meanwhile, Lillys results fell short of expectations. Five more companies from the healthcare sector are set to report their third-quarter results on Nov 2. Let's see how things are shaping up for their respective announcements. Allergan plc AGN Allergan posted a positive surprise of 2.13% in the last reported quarter. Allergans performance has been pretty impressive, with consistent positive surprises. The average earnings beat over the last four quarters is 3.44%. ALLERGAN PLC Price and EPS Surprise ALLERGAN PLC Price and EPS Surprise | ALLERGAN PLC Quote The leading pharma companys top as well as bottom line should continue to be propelled by acquisitions. Drugs like Botox Migraine, Namenda XR, and Vraylar should continue to drive growth. Linzess and Viberzi should also perform well. (Read More: Can Allergan Keep the Earnings Streak Alive in Q3?). Story continues The company has an Earnings ESP of 0.56% and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at $3.56. Our previous article shows that Allergan was unlikely to beat on earnings this quarter. However, estimates changed thereafter and we are reasonably confident about an earnings beat this season. Zoetis Inc. ZTS Last quarter, Zoetis delivered a positive earnings surprise of 11.36%. The leading global animal health company has an impressive track record with the company consistently beating earnings expectations. The average positive earnings surprise over the last four trailing quarters is 15.92%. ZOETIS INC Price and EPS Surprise ZOETIS INC Price and EPS Surprise | ZOETIS INC Quote The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at 46 cents per share. The company has an Earnings ESP of 2.17% and a Zacks Rank #3, indicating a likely positive surprise. The companys companion animal business has been performing well in both the U.S. and internationally, and should continue to do so in the to-be-reported quarter. Particularly, Zoetis expects second-half revenues to exceed first-half levels. However, the projected increase in second-half sales may be more than offset by lower gross margins, and the phasing of spending on promotional programs and R&D. (Read More: Zoetis Q3 Earnings: Stock Likely to Beat Estimates). QIAGEN N.V QGEN Based in the Netherlands, QIAGEN is one of the leading providers of sample-to-insight solutions that transform biological samples into valuable molecular insights. The company has an average positive surprise of 0.20% over the trailing four quarters. Last quarter, Zoetis delivered a positive earnings surprise of 4.35%. QIAGEN NV Price and EPS Surprise QIAGEN NV Price and EPS Surprise | QIAGEN NV Quote The Zacks Consensus Estimate currently stands at 27 cents for the third quarter. The company has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +3.70%, indicating a likely positive surprise. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Alkermes plc ALKS In the last reported quarter, the global biopharmaceutical company recorded a positive earnings surprise of 45.45%. Overall, Alkermes posted an average positive earnings surprise of 11.03% in the four trailing quarters. ALKERMES INC Price and EPS Surprise ALKERMES INC Price and EPS Surprise | ALKERMES INC Quote Alkermes has an Earnings ESP of 0.0% and a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter is pegged at a loss of 25 cents per share. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. ALNY Cambridge, MA-based Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi). Alnylams track record is mixed, with positive surprises in two and negative surprises in the remaining two of the last four quarters. The average positive earnings surprise over the last four quarters is a 0.47%. In the last reported quarter, Alnylam recorded a positive earnings surprise of 16.67%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is pegged at a loss of 1.19 cents per share. ALNYLAM PHARMA Price and EPS Surprise ALNYLAM PHARMA Price and EPS Surprise | ALNYLAM PHARMA Quote The company has an Earnings ESP of -9.24% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Now See Our Private Investment Ideas While the above ideas are being shared with the public, other trades are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ALLERGAN PLC (AGN): Free Stock Analysis Report ALEXION PHARMA (ALXN): Free Stock Analysis Report ALKERMES INC (ALKS): Free Stock Analysis Report AMGEN INC (AMGN): Free Stock Analysis Report QIAGEN NV (QGEN): Free Stock Analysis Report ALNYLAM PHARMA (ALNY): Free Stock Analysis Report ZOETIS INC (ZTS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. DUBAI (Reuters) - The government of Dubai has chosen HSBC (HSBA.L) to arrange initial funding of $3 billion (2.45 billion) towards the expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, according to a statement on UAE state news agency WAM. The financing will be raised by a consortium of Dubai state entities, comprising of the Department of Finance, state-owned fund Investment Corporation of Dubai, and the Dubai Aviation City Corporation. The funds will come from a variety of sources and will include conventional and Islamic tranches, the statement added. Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum in September 2014 approved a $32 billion investment to expand the emirate's second airport, with an aim to handle up to 120 million passengers a year by 2022. (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by David French) Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave nestled between the Baltic States and Poland, used to enjoy economic growth that outpaced the rest of Russia close ties with its EU neighbors were good for business. But between Russias recession and Western financial sanctions, Kaliningrad has been on the receiving end of an economic downturn that leaves many in the region struggling. One Kaliningrad mayor, however, has found a creative way to help his town weather the fiscal storm. Rather than slash budgets or raise taxes, Aleksey Zalivatskiy, the mayor of the small coastal city of Yantarny, put the town hall up for sale. I cannot and dont want to cut back on social services, the mayor wrote in a Facebook post announcing the sale. He is planning on auctioning off the town hall to help bankroll ailing public services. No joke. Its a beautiful building in the city center, Zalivatskiy wrote. We are inviting serious investors. With its unique geography surrounded by EU members, many used to hope Kaliningrad could become a staging ground for closer EU-Russia cooperation. Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peaces Moscow Center, called Kaliningrad a natural laboratory for EU-Russia relations in 2002. But with West-Russia tensions at rock bottom after the annexation of Crimea in Ukraine, this enthusiasm has all but evaporated as have the enclaves special ties with the West. In April, the enclaves decade-long special economic zone (SEZ) privileges which allowed duty-free trade with EU neighbors expired amid Western sanctions on Russia. Since then, its economy has ground to a halt. The end of the SEZ was a disaster foretold, expected to negatively impact at least 785 local companies that currently employ 24 percent of the local workforce in Kaliningrad, according to analysis by Sergey Sukhankin for the European Council on Foreign Relations the month before it lapsed. Story continues Yantarny is just one of the towns in Kaliningrad suffering the impact of the SEZs expiration and continued Western sanctions. Whether it is a publicity stunt or not, Zalivatskiys move has captured the attention of popular Russian news sites. But for Western leaders, Kaliningrad is catching their attention for a host of other reasons. U.S. and European officials are increasingly concerned that the Kremlin is turning Kaliningrad into a militarized outpost to ratchet up tensions with NATO. In October, Russia deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to the enclave. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg criticized the move as an example of Russias assertive military posturing. Photo credit: ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images In 1999, historian Blanche Wiesen Cook wrote a book about the woman she called the most loved, most controversial, most hated, and most effective First Lady in U.S. history. The book was the second volume of her three-part biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, and now, on the final volumes publication, she still believes Roosevelt has held onto those superlatives. But now more than ever, she concedes, Hillary Clinton is giving Roosevelt a run for her money. I think that Eleanor Roosevelt would recognize Hillarys travails, her trials and tribulations, Cook told TIME before the Tuesday publication of Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume 3: The War Years and After, 1939-1962. The connections between the two women can be striking. Like Clinton, Roosevelts political origins involved missions to help women and children; she tried to improve living conditions for slum dwellers in New York City at the beginning of the 20th century. She spent much of her life arguing for human rights, especially for women. She was disliked from afar by those who were uncomfortable with powerful women, but adored by manyespecially those she met and listened to in person. She would go into communities all over the world, and never told anybody, This is what you should do, says Cook. She always said, Tell me: What do you want? What do you need? After she learned of her husbands infidelity, their marriage underwent a shift to become more a partnership of equals than a romantic union. I think political [wives] just have to deal with [cheating], Cook says. And they do. But I think it strengthens them. She was chastised for charging $3,000 for public speeches, though she gave much of her income to charity. She was monitored by the FBI for decades, accruing a long file that Cook calls a disgusting document, noting that FBI director J. Edgar Hoover referred to Roosevelt as the old cow and was suspicious of her efforts to improve the lives of African Americans. The vast majority of the file is about raceanything she says against lynching, segregation, thats in the file, Cook says. Story continues Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter But Cookwho does a mean Roosevelt impression and was wearing a peace sign button on one lapel and a Hillary Clinton/Elizabeth Warren button on the other when she met with TIMEsuggests that Roosevelts legacy is more liberal than Clintons will be. When we think about the astonishing horror of this moment [in 2016], in terms of the school-to-prison pipeline, in terms of the prison-industrial complex, Eleanor Roosevelt would be horrified, says Cook, who is also a Distinguished Professor of History and Womens Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The crime bill of 1994how did that ever get contemplated by a Democrat? It has resulted in the new Jim Crow. And, while Roosevelt understood the need for the U.S. to engage in WWII, she hoped civilizations would spend more time planning for future peace. She was troubled by her husbands official stance on refugees for much of World War II, and quietly worked behind the scenes to get more migrants into the U.S. Roosevelt also called for free education through college in 1943, for example, and also argued that lower student/teacher ratios would lead to full employment. Do we need her now? Cook asks. Yes we do! So what does it take for a First Lady to move become a powerful figure in history, still relevant decades later, rather than a mere supporting player? In Roosevelts case, Cook says, the reason she remains so influential and beloved today is that her goals and techniques evolved over time. She never stopped growing and changing, so that she confronts everything as it unfolds wherever she goes. And she really speaks from the heart, Cook says. She really sees who shes talking to and wants to see whats happening and make it better. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f268753%2fap_11687136748 The second Tuesday in November will bring about more than just a blessed end to the grim presidential race. It might also be the day that five more states will legalize recreational marijuana. Voters in Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and California all of which have legalized medicinal marijuana will tackle the issue on Election Day. Recreational weed is already legal in Washington D.C., Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, and Washington state. Should the five additional states all vote in favor of legalization, the drug will be recreationally legal for approximately one-fifth of the U.S. population. SEE ALSO: Americans want legal weed now more than ever So what's the likelihood of this happening? Herewith, a handy guide to the five states facing the issue. Arizona The Grand Canyon state's Proposition 205, if approved, would allow for residents over the age of 21 to possess marijuana, consume it and grow an unspecified number of plants on their property. It would also establish the path for businesses to offer recreational marijuana. Legal recreational marijuana seems like it would be a tough sell in the traditionally Republican state, since most other territories that have legalized the drug are more left-leaning. Arizona, however, has some deep libertarian roots; noted libertarian Barry Goldwater served as senator for Arizona for 30 years. Libertarianism and weed legalization pair together nicely; for example, many believe that desire to keep the government out of citizens' affairs was the reason that Alaska legalized the drug in 2014. Arizona's libertarian streak, however, did not stop the state's largest newspaper, The Arizona Republic, from urging voters to reject 205. The Phoenix paper's editorial board thought the initiative would put children at risk and was a "money grab" by the medical marijuana industry. As for the people of Arizona (rather than the press), the polls aren't particularly illuminating. A Sept. 7 Arizona Republic/Morrison/Cronkite poll shows a significant margin of victory for the leafy green, with 50 percent of respondents voicing approval for Proposition 205, 40 percent saying they were against the measure and 10 percent declaring themselves undecided. But OH Predictive insights conducted a poll at the end of September with quite different results: 47 percent of respondents were against the proposition, 43 percent were in favor and 10 percent remained undecided. The most recent poll, from Data Orbital, shows the slimmest margin for legalization: 44 percent for legalization, 45 percent against it and 5 percent undecided. Story continues Campaigns both for and against Proposition 205 have been predictably contentious. Both groups have raised millions of dollars, though the pro-legalization campaign might have spent most of their war chest just getting the proposal on the ballot. Meanwhile, one of the largest donors to the anti-pot campaign has been painkiller manufacturer Insys Therapeutics, which gave $500,000. (Interesting and maybe-relevant side note: Insys Therapeutics has only one product, according to the Tucson Daily Star. It's "an opiate spray to treat pain for cancer patients.") Though the pro-proposition group may have spent a considerable amount on getting the measure up for a vote, their financial standing is stronger than that of their opponents. An overall assessment of funds shows the support camp having raised $3.1 million to the opposition's $1.8 million. With the polls standing so close, it's tough to say how Arizona will vote Nov. 8, though the pro-pot campaign's superior funds might make the difference. Maine The Pine Tree State is well-positioned for the legalization of recreational marijuana as voters decide to answer Question 1 come Election Day. The ballot initiative would allow 21-year-olds to consume and possess the sweet leaf and introduce a scheme to set up retail shops in the state. There are two main reasons that Maine will most likely vote to approve recreational marijuana. First, the polls show a definite trend in favor of legalization. A Critical Insights tracking poll released in May showed strong support for legalization, with 55 percent of Mainers in favor and 41 percent saying that they leaned negative or would definitely vote no. More recently, a Portland Press Herald poll of likely voters, released at the end of September, showed 53 percent support for legalization, 38 percent against the measure and 10 percent undecided. Second, the two sides have received drastically different amounts of financial support. The pro-marijuana campaign has raised $3.2 million to support their argument as of Oct. 31, while the opposition camps have raised $233,000, according to Ballotpedia. But a paltry coffer hasn't stopped fledgling opposition groups from putting together negative ads. Despite strong public support for legalization and the campaign's financial advantages, Maine's Republican Governor Paul LePage (a loyal Trump supporter who believes the election will be rigged in his state) from vocally opposing Question 1. He distributed a video citing the reasons he's against legalization, including the dangers posed to children and an increase in traffic collisions. Alas, LePage's understanding of the problems faced by Colorado and Washington after legalizing marijuana run completely counter to a new October study from the Drug Policy Alliance, which found: Massachusetts Question 4 faces Bay State voters on Election Day, and it's a bit more complicated. Massachusetts' pot legalization initiative is a widespread measure that covers lots of bases: possession, consumption, retail stores and personal plants. On the face of it, Massachusetts has a good chance at legalizing recreational marijuana. The latest poll, issued by WBUR/MassINC Polling Group on Oct. 19, shows 55 percent favorability for Question 4, with only 40 percent of voters against it. A remaining 5 percent stands undecided. Public support of the issue has been relatively consistent, with five of seven polls conducted this year showing a majority of voters in favor of legalization. The campaigns on both sides of the issue have been very active in terms of ads and raising funds. One particularly grim ad from the "No on 4" camp raised quite a stir when it was released Oct. 18; it portrays a broken, post-legalization landscape filled with public smokers, pot stores on every corner and active marketing of the drug to children. The "Yes on 4" team was more pragmatic in its advertising approach, enlisting a medical professional to vouch for the need to promote testing and legalization. When it comes to cold, hard cash, the pro-legalization crew has a clear advantage. According to Ballotpedia, as of Oct. 31, Team Yes has raised $3.6 million, whereas the opposition has only managed to collect a little over $634,000. With the difference in war chests and the polls showing popular support, Massachusetts is likely to join the movement to legalize recreational marijuana. Nevada The Silver State will vote on Question 2, which addresses possession, consumption, cultivation and the sale of marijuana. Las Vegas visitors will probably end up adding "getting legally high" to the list of things that happen in Sin City (and stay in Sin City), but the fight to get there has been contentious. Even though there hasn't been a poll in the past month, public opinion has been firmly in support of marijuana legalization through 2016, though the margin might be narrowing. In July, support for legalization stood at 50 percent, with 41 percent of voters opposed with 9 percent undecided according to a Rasmussen poll. Two of the most recent polls, released at the end of September, show very different levels of support. The Bendixen & Amandi International shows 47 percent for and 46 percent against with 7 percent undecided. The Suffolk University Poll, which was released at the same time, shows an enormous 57 percent of voters for legalization, with 33 percent against with 10 percent undecided. The support campaign started off in strong form with $2.8 million raised, and it looked like it had a monopoly on messaging until some weighty opposition sprung up. That opposition is Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson. The conservative businessman donated $2 million to the against campaign, raising their total funding to $2.08 million. (Adelson's fight against pot isn't limited to Nevada: he has donated to anti-legalization efforts across the country, including Massachusetts and Florida's medical marijuana ballot initiatives.) But wait, there's more: Adelson has seemingly influenced the editorial stance of the largest newspaper in Nevada, the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The paper wrote in favor of marijuana legalization in 2014 as a way to ease the drug war. But after Adelson purchased the Review-Journal in December 2015 for $140 million, the paper changed its tune: In June, the editorial board came out against Question 2 as a "bad bet for Nevada." Bad news for billionaires: Money can only buy so much when it comes to the power of the people. If the polls are any indication, popular support for recreational marijuana may well prove unbeatable. California California was the first state to deregulate marijuana for medicinal use in 1996. Now it will decide whether it wants to open the doors to recreational pot. Not surprisingly, it has become the most high profile legalization campaign in the country, with by far the most money spent on trying to persuade votes. Proposition 64, which would allow Californians over 21 to possess and consume recreational marijuana, and also institute a retail system, will probably succeed. For one thing, the polling heavily favors legalization. From the Probolsky Research poll conducted in February to the SurveyUSA poll released a few weeks ago, the support for Proposition 64 has been constant. The most recent SurveyUSA poll shows the weakest margin of at least eight polls taken this year, and even then it found 51 percent for legalization and 40 percent against, with 9 percent undecided. Moreover, the pro-legalization campaign has raised a tremendous amount of money: $22 million, according to Ballotpedia as of Oct. 31. The opposition has raised $2.05 million, an amount that would be considerable in most states but pales in comparison to the pro-initiative war chest. As for the media's take, many newspaper editorials have been penned for either side of the issue. Nevertheless, most reputable sources are relatively certain that California will welcome recreational marijuana with open, paraphernalia-filled arms. These five states aren't the only ones facing pot at the polling place: Voters in Florida, Arkansas, Montana and North Dakota will decide whether to legalize medical marijuana. If approved, those states will join the ranks of 25 other states and District of Columbia, all of which have voted in favor of medicinal weed. With the possible exception of Arizona, where close polls indicate the legalization of recreational marijuana is not a sure bet, the U.S. looks poised for a fresh wave of popular support in favor of the drug. The American people are more eager than ever for a dank democracy. Heaven Hill Distillery, one of the nations oldest and foremost American whiskey producers, unveiled a major redesign of flagship Elijah Craig Small Batch American whiskey. Elijah Craig Small Batch was first introduced in 1986, long before the term "small batch" was ever popularized. The new design comes from the 81-year-old, family-run parent companys renewed commitment to the Elijah Craig brand in hopes of making it more accessible to the public. At a time when the demand for Bourbon is at record levels, we are renewing our commitment to crafting Elijah Craig Small Batch so we can have it more broadly available in the market, rather than always on allocation or simply out of stock, says Max L. Shapira, president of Heaven Hill Distillery and second-generation family member. Our new bottle design celebrates Elijah Craig Small Batchs promise of being a premium Bourbon of the highest quality in our industry. The new bottle is taller and more refined looking with cleaner, sleek lines and topped with a cork garnished with dark brown stained wood. The year 1789 is embossed on the glass, denoting the year Rev. Elijah Craig, the so-called Father of Bourbon, founded his distillery, and a small paper label that lives on the lower front of the bottle is branded with Elijah Craigs signature as well as product information. Elijah Craig Small Batch is made exclusively from small batches of only eight-year-old to 12-year-old Kentucky straight Bourbon whiskey aged in charred oak barrels. This whiskey recently garnered prestigious accolades including a Gold Medal at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Double Gold Medal and Best Bourbon in Show at 2016 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention; and a 92 (Excellent/Highly Recommended) at the 2016 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. It is suggested that with its complex taste, Elijah Craig Small Batch be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, but it also shines in classic cocktails like the Gold Rush, Old-Fashioned, and Manhattan. Story continues However, in celebration of the redesign and in the spirit of the fall season, Megan Dorman, mixologist and owner of NYCs The Bennett, crafted a Haystack Toddy combining Elijah Craig Small Batch, Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, pumpkin butter, and hot water. Click here for the recipe. bourbon SaveSaveSaveSave Embraer SA ERJ reported third-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings of 43 cents per American Depository Share (ADS) that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 27 cents by 59.3%. Adjusted earnings were also up 10.3% from 39 cents per ADS in the year-ago quarter. Revenues In the third quarter, Embraer posted total revenue of $1,514.3 million that surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,381 million by 9.6%. Reported revenues also improved 17.9% year over year on the back of higher revenues in the Commercial Aviation and Defense & Security segments. Revenues at Commercial Aviation segment improved 34.7%, while Defense & Security segment registered an increase of 18.6% in revenues. However, revenues from the Executive Jets segment declined 8.8% year over year. EMBRAER AIR-ADR Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise EMBRAER AIR-ADR Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | EMBRAER AIR-ADR Quote Order and Delivery The company delivered a total of 54 jets in the quarter, up 5.9% year over year. The company delivered 29 commercial and 25 executive jets to each of the commercial aviation and business aviation markets. The company had delivered 21 jets to the commercial aviation market and 30 jets to the business aviation market in third-quarter 2015. In total, the company had delivered of 51 jets a year ago. In the third quarter, Embraers Commercial Aviation unit supplied 24 E175s, four E190s and one E195 jets. The rest were delivered to Business Aviation, which included 13 light and 12 large jets. Embraer reported an order backlog of $21.4 billion as of Sep 30, 2016 compared with $21.9 billion in the prior quarter. The third-quarter figure indicates a 6.1% decline from $22.8 billion recorded a year ago. Operational Highlights In the quarter under review, Embraers cost of sales and services was $1,229.8 million, up from $1,060 million a year ago. The companys gross profit declined 21.1% to $224.6 million in the third quarter. The company reported quarterly adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $63.7 million compared with $158 million in the prior-year quarter. Story continues Financial Update As of Sep 30, 2016, cash and cash equivalents were $1,455.5 million compared with $1,954.5 million as of Sep 30, 2015. At the end of third quarter, the company had net debt of $652.7 million. In the reported quarter, net cash generated from operating activities was $218.3 million as against cash inflow of $70.2 million a year ago. In the third quarter, the companys capital expenditure was around $73.6 million, while free cash outflow was $37.5 million. Free cash outflow in third-quarter 2015 was $115.3 million. Guidance Embraer reiterated its 2016 revenue guidance in the range of $5.8$6.2 billion. Defense & Security revenues are still expected in the $700$750 million band. The company expects to deliver 105110 jets in Commercial Aviation along with 3545 large jets and 7080 light jets in Executive Jets. It still expects EBIT margin to be in the range of 78% and EBITDA margin of 12.713.7%. For 2016, the company reaffirmed its plans to invest $650 million, including capital expenditure of $275 million. Other Releases in the Sector The Boeing Company's BA third-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings of $3.51 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.62 by 34%. Reported earnings were also up 39.3% from the year-ago figure of $2.52 per share. Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC reported third-quarter 2016 adjusted earnings of $3.02 per share that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.81 by 7.5%. Reported earnings were also up 25.3% from $2.41 recorded in the year-ago quarter. Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT reported third-quarter 2016 earnings of $3.61 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.86 by 26.2%. Earnings also increased 49.2% from the year-ago level. Zacks Rank Embraer currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NORTHROP GRUMMN (NOC): Free Stock Analysis Report EMBRAER AIR-ADR (ERJ): Free Stock Analysis Report BOEING CO (BA): Free Stock Analysis Report LOCKHEED MARTIN (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Emerson Electric Co. EMR reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2016 adjusted earnings of 96 cents per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 89 cents by 7.9%, and reflecting a 3% increase from the year-ago tally. For fiscal 2016, Emersons adjusted earnings slid down 6% year over year to $2.98 per share. Weakness in top line, high restructuring expenses and challenging demand conditions in key markets constrained profits. Inside the Headlines Net sales continued to show significant weakness, as they decreased 6% year over year to $5.5 billion. Underlying sales growth for the quarter was negative globally, except the U.S. and China, which were flat. In aggregate, underlying sales were down 5%. Sustained challenging macroeconomic conditions and significant decline in spending by global customers in the oil & gas and industrial markets were the primary causes of the dismal top-line performance. For fiscal 2016, Emersons sales were down 9% to $20.2 billion, as the company grappled with persistent difficult conditions in key served markets. Segment-wise, Process Managements net sales fell about 11% in the quarter to $2,046million, with underlying sales also slipping 11%, which was attributable to low order rates stemming from weak global spending in the oil and gas industry. The segment recorded weakness across North America, Asia, Middle East and Latin America, with a flat Europe. Industrial Automation reported a 7% decline in year-over-year net sales to $543 million, with an underlying sales decrease of 11% due to persistent softness in industrial spending and upstream oil and gas markets. Geographically, this segment also witnessed an all-round weakness. Network Powers net sales fell 2% year over year, with underlying sales declining by a similar percentage. Strong performance in both data center and telecommunications infrastructure spending drove growth and North America charted robust growth. However, this was more than offset by declines in other businesses. Story continues Last quarter, Emerson had announced that the Network Power is being sold to Platinum Equity for $4 billion, as a part of its portfolio streamlining initiatives. Post this transaction, Emerson will retain a subordinated interest in Network Power. Emerson is now reporting the entire Network Power segment as discontinued operations, pending its divestiture. Climate Technologies stood out as the only one with positive year-over-year sales growth as its net sales were up 6% year over year to $1,1065 million, with a 6% increase in underlying sales. The segment benefited from robust demand in the U.S. air conditioning and commercial refrigeration market (particularly in China). Commercial & Residential Solutions net sales fell 15% year over year to $425 million, driven largely by the divestiture of the commercial storage business. Good performance in food waste disposers and wet/dry vacuums business were more than offset by declines in the professional tools and residential storage business. Underlying sales were relatively flat year over year, after taking into account the previous-year divestiture of the commercial storage business. Improving trends in the U.S. construction market bode well for the segments outlook in the coming quarters. EMERSON ELEC CO Price and EPS Surprise EMERSON ELEC CO Price and EPS Surprise | EMERSON ELEC CO Quote Other Developments Last quarter, Emerson announced agreements to sell its Network Power, Leroy-Somer and Control Techniques businesses for an aggregate value of $5.2 billion. The deals are part of the companys portfolio-repositioning strategy, as it seeks to enhance focus on its core Automation Solutions and Commercial & Residential Solutions businesses. The restructuring will help Emerson leverage on its growth platforms and drive profitable growth. The company also inked an agreement to purchase Pentair Valves & Controls, a business unit of Pentair plc, for $3.15 billion, in order to drive efficiency and growth.Integrating Pentairs Valves & Controls business will allow Emerson to fortify its automation portfolio and help it in offering complete valve solutions portfolio and sturdy service network, thereby elevating its brand value. During the quarter, Emerson also expanded its global capabilities in fresh food monitoring, with the Locus Traxx and PakSense buyouts. The two companies will assist Emerson in facilitating steady and safe control of food and other temperature-sensitive goods. Liquidity & Cash Flow Exiting the quarter, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $3.2 billion with long-term debt of $4.1 billion. Net cash provided by operating activities in the quarter surged 34.7% from the prior-year quarter to $2,499 million, driven by superior working capital management. Outlook Emerson expects the unfavorable operating environment to continue, with oil and gas markets showing significantly depressed spending levels. In particular, the company anticipates the automation business to suffer, as difficult economic conditions and political uncertainty hurt both operational and capital spending across multiple end markets. Thus, the company estimates net and underlying sales for fiscal 2017 to decline 13% (down from previous projections of 58%). Further, Emerson projects reported earnings per share for fiscal 2017 to be in the range of $2.35$2.50 (compared with fiscal 2016 earnings of $2.45 per share). To Conclude Emersons persistent problems continue to hurt its operations. The company expects the global market environment to remain challenging, with a strong U.S. dollar, low industrial spending and weakness in emerging and mature economies among the major concerns. Further, Emerson foresees a decrease in profitability in the near term owing to the volume deleverage stemming from weakness in underlying sales and impact of restructuring initiatives. However, Emersons cost cutting and restructuring initiatives are likely to benefit the company, going forward. Moreover, strong order trends in both data center and telecommunications infrastructure markets will likely support sales in the coming quarters. Emerson currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Stocks to Consider Some better-ranked stocks in the broader sector include AO Smith Corp. AOS, II-VI Inc. IIVI and Applied Industrial Technologies Inc. AIT. AO Smith has a robust earnings beat history, with an average positive earnings surprise of 5.4% over the trailing four quarters, beating estimates all through. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Applied Industrial Technologies carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has managed to beat estimates thrice over the trailing four quarters and has a positive earnings surprise of 4.9%. II-VI Incorporated, sporting a Zacks Rank #1, has registered a remarkable positive average surprise of over 39.8% over the four trailing quarters, driven by four strong consecutive beats. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report II-VI INCORP (IIVI): Free Stock Analysis Report EMERSON ELEC CO (EMR): Free Stock Analysis Report SMITH (AO) CORP (AOS): Free Stock Analysis Report APPLD INDL TECH (AIT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Anyone reading about the Obama administrations Wage and Hour Division new rules about mandatory overtime pay would be excused for thinking that more than 4 million American workers would get a pay raise when the new law takes effect on Dec. 1, in time to swell paychecks for the holidays. The reality will be very different, however, with most employers working hard to ensure that they comply with the new rules without any meaningful impact on their wages bill. Most workers hoping for an increase in their take home pay will be disappointed. The new rule requires that employers pay overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, or $913 per week. Thats roughly double the existing annual threshold of $23,660. On top of being salaried, in order to be qualify for overtime, workers earning between $47,476 and $134,004 must conduct white-collar work such as administrative tasks or managing staff. The rules will impact workers in a variety of fields. Many staff working in restaurants, hotels and hospitality will be affected, as will workers in construction firms and retail outlets. The rules could also cause headaches at professional services firms, such as architects and accountants that hire people in entry-level roles. Companies that have significantly busy seasonal periods, such as tax preparers and department stores, could be hit hard unless they take corrective action. While the new overtime rules were intended to increase wages by bringing the salary levels of existing rules in line with modern living standards, other changes, such as raising the minimum wage, would have had a more direct impact on pay for many workers. Rather than increasing wages, the new rules will likely only place an additional administrative burden on countless American businesses. Thats because, if given a choice, most firms will change the way they pay employees before being forced to raise wages. Take for example the case of an entry-level employee at a medium-sized professional firm who earns less than the threshold salary and works roughly 2,400 hours annually, including about 400 hours above the typical 40-hour week. Should the employer convert those entry-level workers from salaried employees to hourly workers or keep them on salary and risk paying as much as 400 hours of overtime? Assuming overtime is paid at 1.5-times normal wages, that would increase entry-level wage costs by 30%. Thats too much for most companies to stomach. Story continues To avoid such dramatic cost increases, employers will find ways to keep wage costs neutral. A few workers will benefit because it would be smart to raise the salaries of staff earning slightly less than $47,476 to above that threshold so that those employees dont qualify for overtime. Many other workers could find that the way theyre paid will change. Employees earning significantly less than the $47,476 might be converted into hourly employees so that the rule change is neutral to their employers wage bill. Those workers may lose health insurance and retirement plans unless employers extend benefits to hourly workers. Workers on a nine-hour day eight of work and one for lunch may find themselves paid more per hour but no longer being compensated for their lunch break. Some companies may adopt more flexible pay structures, for example, paying some employees less in salary but adding discretionary bonuses or other incentives. Workers earning between $47,476 and $134,004 may need to be given duties that are administrative or managerial to ensure that they dont qualify for overtime. Some employees might be given a cut to their basic pay but told to expect regular overtime, or even significant overtime, during seasonally busy time. Getting all this right will be challenging for many companies. Such changes will have to be communicated effectively to staff to avoid negatively impacting staff morale or prompting an employee exodus. Firms with only a few dozen workers may find that the new rules could add more administrative complexity than their limited support staff can handle. Companies with large numbers of low-paid or entry-level employees may find the administrative demands require the services of consulting firms. Any software company that figures out an easy way for companies to handle the extra administrative burden could be the big winner in all of this. Employers that get the transition right will keep their wage bill unchanged while those that fail to take action in time should start saving for that overtime bill. One thing is almost certain, however workers hoping for more overtime pay will be disappointed. Michael Krucker is Senior Consulting Manager with accounting and consulting firm Plante Morans Employee Benefits Consulting practice. Related Articles From House Beautiful If you want to own a little slice of American history, look no further than this Connecticut mill town. "Back in the day, the mills would create their own towns to house their employees to keep them safe and close by," Sherri Milkie of William Pitt and Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty says. And that's precisely why Johnsonville, Connecticut, was born in 1802. The community thrived thanks to the Neptune Twine and Cord Mill, which made binding rope for fishing and used the Moodus River nearby as a power source. However, when the mill was struck by lightning and burned in 1972, everything changed and the town was left deserted. Raymond Schmitt bought Johnsonville and tried to restore it to its former glory (even hosting a few weddings in the picturesque setting!), but sadly he died in 1998. A hotel management company snatched it up 10 years ago to turn it into a senior citizen community, but the poor economy stalled their plans, leaving it in its current state of decay. Today, all 62 acres of land is for sale, including four Victorian homes, a school, a church, a post office and retail buildings (including a restaurant) for $1.9 million. But you should also know ghosts of mill workers and Schmitt walking his beloved dog have been spotted on the premises. Hey, if you're okay with a few surprise visitors from time to time, it's quite the steal. Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow The main house in the town overlooks a lake with a waterfall. Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow The school house has the most adorable blue front doors. Photo credit: Zillow The general store looks exactly how we picture local shops from back in the day. Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow We're not sure where this covered bridge leads, but we wouldn't mind finding out. Photo credit: Zillow Photo credit: Zillow [h/t Zillow] You Might Also Like By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn swore in a group of technocrats and new finance and foreign ministers on Tuesday in a reshuffle meant to respond to grievances behind six months of violent protests. The reshuffle swapped out half of his 30-member cabinet and brought in technocrats to take over important portfolios including trade, health, water and electricity, farming and the environment. The cabinet is one of Ethiopia's most ethnically diverse and includes nine newcomers from the Oromiya region, the center of protests over land grabs and political rights in which hundreds have died and foreign-owned businesses have been destroyed. After declaring a six-month nationwide state of emergency on Oct. 9, the government said it had to broaden democracy in a country with not a single opposition deputy in its 547-member parliament. In a speech ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, Hailemariam told lawmakers that naming a new cabinet "on the basis of competence" was at the heart of his reforms. "An effort was made to select candidates that were best suited to deliver results. It is part of measures to address maladministration," he said. Hailemariam, 51, promoted former state minister of finance Abraham Tekeste to finance minister to take over from Abdulaziz Mohammed, whose stint lasted just over a year. The finance ministry is in charge of implementing a five-year development plan unveiled last year that targets annual economic growth rates of around 11 percent, and boosting manufacturing output by up to 24 percent a year for that period. Workineh Gebeyehu, a former transport minister, was appointed foreign minister to replace Tedros Adhanom, who is campaigning to lead the World Health Organization (WHO). Ethiopian and foreign rights groups say at least 500 people have been killed in violence triggered by protests in the Oromiya region. Demonstrations were initially sparked by a development scheme for the capital that opponents said would lead to land seizures in Oromiya, which surrounds Addis Ababa. That plan was subsequently shelved, but protests then broadened to include demands for more political rights and unrest has spread to other areas, including parts of the northern Amhara province. Watchdogs often criticize the government of stifling dissent. Last month, Ethiopia's ceremonial president called for amendments to the election law to allow "alternative voices" to be heard. (Editing by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Tom Heneghan) European parliamentarians Tuesday asked Sri Lanka to step up reforms and abolish draconian anti-terror laws to qualify for lucrative trade concessions from the 28-member bloc. A four-member delegation from the European parliament said Colombo's proposed legislation to replace the tough Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) should meet international human rights standards. "The delegation expressed the need for deeper and faster progress in... the replacement of the PTA with legislation that is in line with Sri Lanka's international human rights commitment," the group said in a statement. The visiting delegation also called for de-militarising the former war zones in the island's northern and eastern regions, a demand made repeatedly by the international community as well as neighbouring India. Sri Lanka is keen to have its tariff concessions restored to boost exports. The island's clothing industry was the main beneficiary of the EU's generalised system of preferences (GSP Plus), using the tax breaks to sell to high-end retailers in Europe. The EU withdrew the trade concessions in 2010 after Sri Lanka's former regime refused to meet its human rights obligations. As a result the cost of garment shipments to the EU have increased about 10 percent since GSP Plus was removed. Former president Mahinda Rajapakse had refused to investigate allegations that troops under his command killed up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians in the finals months of a 37-year separatist war that ended in May 2009. However, the new government of President Maithripala Sirisena has agreed to address rights concerns of the international community, but it has been slow to deliver on promises of accountability for war-time atrocities. By Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A former private banker for BSI quit his job in 2014 to work for Low Taek Jho, the Malaysian financier accused of siphoning billions of dollars from Malaysia's scandal-tainted 1MDB fund, a witness told a Singapore court on Tuesday. The allegation was made by Kevin Swampillai, the supervisor of ex-BSI banker Yeo Jiawei. The ex-BSI banker is undergoing trial on four charges related to his attempt to pervert the course of justice by urging witnesses to lie to police and destroy evidence, according to the charge sheet. More than $3.5 billion was allegedly misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), according to civil lawsuits filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which named several individuals, including Low, better known as "Jho Low". Singapore has also frozen Low's assets, but the 34-year-old has not been charged with any offense in the investigations into 1MDB. Founded by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who previously chaired its advisory board, 1MDB is currently the subject of money-laundering investigations in at least six countries, including Switzerland, Singapore and the United States. Najib has denied any wrongdoing and said Malaysia will cooperate with the international investigations. During Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution pressed Swampillai about Yeo's relationship with Low. "From my interactions with Mr Yeo, right throughout the time when he was transitioning out of BSI Bank and after he left BSI Bank, I believe that Mr Yeo worked for or worked with an individual called Low Taek Jho," Swampillai said. Defense lawyer Philip Fong said the questioning was out of line and "unrelated to this particular charge". Reuters could not reach Jho Low for a comment. Yeo is also facing seven separate charges, including money laundering, cheating and forgery, which the prosecution said will be tried next year. Singapore authorities have called the 1MDB-linked investigation the most complex, sophisticated and largest money laundering case they have handled. Story continues Singapore's central bank ordered the closure of the operations of BSI in May and asked the Attorney General's Chambers to investigate six members of BSI bank's senior management and staff. Yeo's trial will last until Nov 11. (Additional reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Saeed Azhar and Bill Tarrant.) By Martinne Geller, Sophie Sassard and Lauren Hirsch LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Japan's Ajinomoto and PepsiCo (PEP.N) are among bidders seeking to buy a stake in African dairy and drinks company Promasidor in a deal that would give them access to its distribution network across the continent, sources told Reuters. A deal could value Promasidor at roughly $1 billion, said the sources. The interest from the Japanese food maker and U.S. drinks giant shows how multinationals based in mature markets are looking abroad for growth and betting that Africa's expanding middle classes will buy more packaged food and drinks. The deal could be announced as soon as this week, according to the several sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be named as the talks are confidential. A third bidder is involved in the process, said two of the sources, but its identity was not immediately clear. Ajinomoto was seen as more likely to clinch a deal than PepsiCo. One of the sources said the deal was for a third of South Africa-based Promasidor, which sells Cowbell milk, Top Tea and Yumvita infant cereal. That would mean an investment of more than $300 million, based on valuations in the sector and Promasidor's estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about $100 million. Promasidor and PepsiCo declined to comment, while Ajinomoto could not be reached outside Japanese business hours. The owners of Promasidor are looking for an investment from an industry player that would benefit from selling its own products through Promasidor's distribution network in more than 30 African countries, the sources said. Ajinomoto, which sells MSG and other seasonings as well as frozen foods, has been vocal about its international ambitions, as its home market of Japan suffers due to an aging population and a faltering economy. Its president told Reuters last year that it could spend up to $1.7 billion by the end of 2016 on deals to help it become a top-10 global food maker. Story continues AFRICAN DEALS Promasidor was founded in 1979 by Robert Rose, who left Britain in 1957. He began selling milk powder in small, affordable sachets in Democratic Republic of Congo and the company has since grown to include a range of brands, with a strong presence in West Africa and growing business in East and Southern Africa. Investment fund Tana Africa Capital - founded by E. Oppenheimer & Son and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek - owns a minority stake in the company and is looking to exit, according to three of the sources. The source who said the deal was for 33 percent of the Promasidor added that this comprised a 25 percent stake owned by Tana and the rest from some members of the founding Rose family who want to cash out of the business. Promasidor is being advised by Nomura, according to the sources. Ajinomoto is being advised by Goldman Sachs while PepsiCo is being advised by UBS, according to one of the sources. Tana, Nomura, Goldman and UBS all declined to comment. Africa's food and drink market has seen several deals in recent years. Coca-Cola (KO.N) invested in Nigerian drinks firm Chi Ltd in January, Kellogg (K.N) bought a stake in Nigerian food company Multipro last year, and Danone (DANO.PA) has made several stake acquisitions in Africa over the past three years. (Editing by Pravin Char) By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines' national police after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it, Senate aides told Reuters on Monday. Aides said Cardin, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines. News of the thwarting of the weapons sale was met with disappointment among the Philippine police and government on Tuesday, but they said alternative suppliers would be found. Police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said the Philippines had yet to be notified about the sale being stopped. The relationship between the United States and the Philippines, a long-time ally, has been complicated lately by President Rodrigo Duterte's angry reaction to criticism from Washington of his violent battle to rid the country of illegal drugs. More than 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes in connection with the anti-narcotics campaign since Duterte took office on June 30. The U.S. State Department informs Congress when international weapons sales are in the works. Aides said Foreign Relations committee staff informed State that Cardin would oppose the deal during the department's prenotification process for the sale of 26,000-27,000 assault rifles, stopping the deal. U.S. State Department officials did not comment. Ronald dela Rosa, the Philippine national police chief and staunch supporter of the war on drugs, said he liked the American rifle, but suggested China as an alternative small-arms provider. "We really wanted the U.S. rifles because these are reliable," he told broadcaster ABS-CBN. "But if the sale will not push through, we will find another source, maybe from China." In October, Duterte told U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and said the United States had refused to sell some weapons to his country, but he did not care because Russia and China were willing suppliers. According to some U.S. officials, Washington has been doing its best to ignore Duterte's rhetoric and not provide him with a pretext for more outbursts. An open break with the Philippines could create problems for the United States in a region where China's influence has grown. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON and Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Editing by David Gregorio, Robert Birsel) By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department halted the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines' national police after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it, Senate aides told Reuters on Monday. Aides said Cardin, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was reluctant for the United States to provide the weapons given concerns about human rights violations in the Philippines. News of the thwarting of the weapons sale was met with disappointment among the Philippine police and government on Tuesday, but they said alternative suppliers would be found. Police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said the Philippines had yet to be notified about the sale being stopped. The relationship between the United States and the Philippines, a long-time ally, has been complicated lately by President Rodrigo Duterte's angry reaction to criticism from Washington of his violent battle to rid the country of illegal drugs. More than 2,300 people have been killed in police operations or by suspected vigilantes in connection with the anti-narcotics campaign since Duterte took office on June 30. The U.S. State Department informs Congress when international weapons sales are in the works. Aides said Foreign Relations committee staff informed State that Cardin would oppose the deal during the department's prenotification process for the sale of 26,000-27,000 assault rifles, stopping the deal. U.S. State Department officials did not comment. Ronald dela Rosa, the Philippine national police chief and staunch supporter of the war on drugs, said he liked the American rifle, but suggested China as an alternative small-arms provider. "We really wanted the U.S. rifles because these are reliable," he told broadcaster ABS-CBN. "But if the sale will not push through, we will find another source, maybe from China." In October, Duterte told U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and said the United States had refused to sell some weapons to his country, but he did not care because Russia and China were willing suppliers. [nL3N1CA29S] According to some U.S. officials, Washington has been doing its best to ignore Duterte's rhetoric and not provide him with a pretext for more outbursts. An open break with the Philippines could create problems for the United States in a region where China's influence has grown. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON and Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato in MANILA; Editing by David Gregorio, Robert Birsel) By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Nov. 1 (Reuters) - A group of space industry experts that advises NASA has told the U.S. space agency there are safety risks in a proposal by Elon Musk's SpaceX to fuel its rockets while astronauts are on board. "This is a hazardous operation," Space Station Advisory Committee Chairman Thomas Stafford, a former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force general, said during a conference call on Monday. Stafford said the group's concerns were heightened after an explosion of an unmanned SpaceX rocket while it was being fueled on Sept. 1. The causes of that explosion are still under investigation. Members of the eight-member group, which includes veterans of NASA's Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs noted that all previous rockets that have flown people into space were fueled before astronauts got to the launch pad. "It was unanimous ... Everybody there, and particularly the people who had experience over the years, said nobody is ever near the pad when they fuel a booster," Stafford said, referring to an earlier briefing the group had about SpaceX's proposed fueling procedure. SpaceX needs NASA approval of its launch system before it can put astronauts into space. In an email to Reuters sent late Monday, SpaceX said its fueling system and launch processes will be re-evaluated pending the results of the accident investigation. SpaceX uses extremely cold liquid propellants loaded just prior to blastoff to increase the rocket's power so it can fly back to Earth and be reused. "As needed, any additional controls will be put in place to ensure crew safety, from the moment the astronauts reach the pad, through fueling, launch, and spaceflight, and until they are brought safely home," SpaceX said. SpaceX said Friday that it believes a fueling system issue caused a pressurized container of helium inside the rocket's upper stage to burst on Sept. 1, triggering a fireball that destroyed the booster and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite it was to carry into orbit two days later. Story continues SpaceX's passenger spaceships, which are expected to begin flying in 2018, will be outfitted with an emergency escape system that can fly the capsule away from a failing rocket before or during launch. NASA hired SpaceX and Boeing Co to fly crews to the space station after the shuttles were retired in 2011. Since then, astronauts have been flying on Russian Soyuz capsules, at a cost of more than $70 million per person. (Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by David Gregorio) By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - A proposal by Elon Musk's SpaceX to fuel its rockets while astronauts are aboard poses safety risks, a group of space industry experts that advises NASA has told the U.S. space agency. "This is a hazardous operation," Space Station Advisory Committee Chairman Thomas Stafford, a former NASA astronaut and retired Air Force general, said during a conference call on Monday. Stafford said the group's concerns were heightened after an explosion of an unmanned SpaceX rocket while it was being fueled on Sept. 1. Causes of that explosion remain under investigation. Members of the eight-member group, including veterans of NASA's Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs, noted that all previous rockets carrying people into space were fueled before astronauts got to the launch pad. "Everybody there, and particularly the people who had experience over the years, said nobody is ever near the pad when they fuel a booster," Stafford said, referring to an earlier briefing the group had about SpaceX's proposed fueling procedure. SpaceX needs NASA approval of its launch system before it can put astronauts into space. NASA said on Tuesday it was "continuing its evaluation of the SpaceX concept for fueling the Falcon 9 for commercial crew launches. The results of the company's Sept. 1 mishap investigation will be incorporated into NASA's evaluation." SpaceX said it is developing its human launch operations "hand-in-hand" with NASA and has spent 18 months identifying potential hazards and how to handle them. SpaceX, owned and run by technology entrepreneur and Tesla Motors Inc CEO Musk, said it would re-evaluate its fueling system and launch processes depending on results of the accident investigation. On Friday, SpaceX said it believes a fueling system issue caused a pressurized container of helium inside the rockets upper stage to burst on Sept. 1, triggering a fireball that destroyed the booster and a $200 million Israeli communications satellite it was to carry. SpaceX uses extremely cold liquid propellants loaded just prior to blastoff to increase the rocket's power so it can fly back to Earth and be reused. SpaceX's passenger spaceships, expected to begin flying in 2018, will be outfitted with an emergency escape system that can fly the capsule away from a failing rocket before or during launch. NASA, which retired its shuttles in 2011, hired SpaceX and Boeing Co to fly crews to the space station. Until then, astronauts have been flying on Russian Soyuz capsules, at a cost exceeding $70 million per person. (Reporting by Irene Klotz; Editing by David Gregorio) It was an explosive season 11 finale on Mondays Real Housewives of Orange County, with Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador and Heather Dubrow coming together to confront Vicki Gunvalson and Kelly Dodd about their bad behavior. But after the dust settled, viewers were left with one looming question: How can Gunvalson possibly return to the show for another season? The O.G. of the O.C. has been with the franchise since the beginning. And while shes clashed with Housewives throughout the years (Alexis Bellino, Gretchen Rossi and Laurie Peterson, to name a few), shes always had enough people in her corner to tie herself to the larger group once the cameras started rolling. But this time, things seem sadder than ever for the 54-year-old insurance saleswoman. After refusing to truly apologize for the allegations that she spread about Beadors husband David which suggested he was physically abusive to his wife and for still not coming clean about her involvement in Brooks Ayers cancer scheme, Gunvalson was left without anyone in her corner. Well, anyone except Dodd, though she wasnt doing too well with the rest of the group herself after the insults she threw their way during the disastrous airport ride in Ireland. And it doesnt look like Dubrow, Judge or Beador will attempting to bridge the rift. By episodes end, all three ladies seemed pretty adamant that they were cutting ties for good. I absolutely believe that people are allowed to make mistakes and move on, be forgiven, Dubrow revealed. But sometimes relationships arent salvageable. Sometimes it is time to part ways with someone. Ive seen who they both are by this point. People teach you who they are theyve taught me, I get it. Im good. Its so vile, she said. The two of them I think, actually belong together. Judge felt similarly. Ive learned that you have people who come into your life for a reason, and people who come into your life for a season, she confessed to viewers. Sometimes you have to just let people go you cant change them. You can only tell them how you feel and hope that they understand that when you hurt somebody, theyre going to walk away. Because I cant be around it anymore. Story continues After everything Vickis done to everybody for so many years, she needs to realize her friends dont want to be her friends anymore, Judge added. Beador was equally blunt and told Gunvalson just as much when she confronted her. was never apologetic at all for what she said neither of them were, she said. This was a year of creating friendships that will last a lifetime, and also taking out the garbage Im pretty much ready to move on and close this chapter. (Meghan King Edmonds surprisingly stayed neutral in all of the fighting. But the expecting mother did admit she wasnt friends with Gunvalson and was thinking about moving back home to Missouri to raise her daughter). RELATED VIDEO: Will RHOCs Shannon and Vicki Ever Be Friends Again? While Gunvalson may not have be in the good graces of the group, there didnt appear to be any love lost on her side either. I did my very very best to say I apologize Im sorry for anything I put you girls through, Gunvaloson admitted. I thought we were kind of at a place where we could move forward, but this group of women have shown their true colors this year. And Im tired of people trying to accuse me of wrong doings. Im in a good place in my personal life and I dont want conflict with these ladies, she added. Im done its time to move on There was a time in my life where I did worry about Shannon. But at this point, I dont want to be around toxic, blood-sucking, life-sucking people anymore. One of the most shocking things for fans was watching Gunvalson and Judge come to that conclusion about their friendship. The two have had their fair share of ups and downs over the years but Mondays finale felt like the end of the book for good. Were always fighting weve been fighting for nine years, Gunvalson explained. Its just Tamra and I we just cant seem to get on the right track and stay on the right track. We have a great time in Ireland, next thing you know, were off track again. Its just yin and yang. Its exhausting. Judge held a lot more anger, as she confronted Gunvalson in the episodes final moments. Vicki, you understand that repeating a rumor is the same as telling it? she yelled at Gunvalson. Its gossip its not true. You continuously talk about people and its got to stop. Youre spreading vicious lies. Youre saying that David beats Shannon. Its a disgusting, vicious lie. Youre a bitch, Judge told Gunvalson, when Gunvalson refused to back down. Im done I feel so good about it, that bitch. Im sorry I wish her the best, but Im done. The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Mondays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo. Newly released police documents from the night Austin Harrouff allegedly killed a Florida couple and tried to eat one victims face shed more light on the gruesome and apparently random attack. Among the revelations is the teens plea with responding deputies to kill him and, according to multiple reports, his alleged confession that hed eaten humans. F kill me, f kill me! Shoot me now! I deserve to die! the 19-year-old told Martin County sheriffs deputies after they pulled him off of John Stevens lifeless body on Aug. 15, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE. Harrouff is accused of killing Stevens, 59, and his 53-year-old wife, Michelle Mischon in the garage and driveway of their Tequesta, Florida, home. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they allegedly found Harrouff trying to bite off chunks of Stevens face. The deputies said they allegedly heard Harrouff say, Help me, I ate something bad, WPTV and CBS12 report, citing additional new court documents. When asked what he ate, Harrouff allegedly told officers, Humans, according to WPTV. (Martin County Sheriff William Snyder told the station that Harrouff said he deputies wouldnt find drugs in his system, though authorities have speculated he may have been high on a street drug at the time.) It took multiple officers and a police dog to get Harrouff off of Stevens, and in the police documents, deputies said they saw Harrouff spitting out human flesh. A neighbor, Jeff Fisher, 47, came to the couples aid during the attack and was allegedly injured by Harrouff. Fisher told deputies that when he approached the teen, Harrouff allegedly said, You dont want this. You dont want a part of this. Harrouff has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. It is unclear if he has entered a plea to his charges, and his defense attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment about the new documents. Harrouff has not spoken with investigators since the attack. Story continues Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Harrouff still would not speak with officials following his early October release from St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had been hospitalized for months since the attack. But Sheriff Snyder told WPTV that at one point he wrote a note to detectives. At some point toward the end, when we finally arrested him and took him out of there, he did write down on a sheet of paper, I want my attorney, I dont want to talk to you, Snyder said. Investigators are still working to determine a motive for the attack. Snyder initially speculated that Harrouff may have been under the influence of the synthetic drug flakka during his alleged attack, but the results from a subsequent toxicology report have not yet been announced. Harrouffs father has previously said schizophrenia runs in his family. Harrouff reportedly gave an interview to Dr. Phil from his hospital bed, before being moved to jail. But the episodes airing has been postponed, according to multiple reports. SEATTLE (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Efforts to end malaria, which killed an estimated 438,000 people in 2015, are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to drugs and insecticides. To outpace rising resistance, the scientific community in the U.S. city of Seattle is developing innovations from data modeling and genetic modification to single-dose drugs and sugar traps. Here are ten facts about the deadly disease: * Some 3.2 billion people - almost half the world's population - are at risk of malaria. In 2015, there were 214 million new cases reported in 95 countries, and 438,000 deaths. * Sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected region, home to 88 percent of cases and 90 percent of deaths last year. * Children under five years old, pregnant women and people living with HIV/AIDS are particularly vulnerable to malaria * Since 2000, malaria death rates have fallen by 60 percent, and new cases have dropped by 37 percent. In Africa, death rates dropped by two thirds, and by 71 percent among children under 5. * These advances came through widespread use of insecticide-treated bednets, indoor spraying, rapid diagnostic testing and artemisinin-based combination therapies over the past decade. * Mosquitoes are developing resistance to insecticides used to treat bednets and for indoor spraying. In Southeast Asia, the disease is becoming resistant to malaria drugs, and scientists are worried this resistance will spread to Africa in the future. * In January, WHO recommended large-scale pilot projects of a new vaccine in parts of Africa, which could pave the way for wider deployment. * The World Health Organization has targeted malaria for elimination in at least 35 countries by 2030, and reducing death rates by 90 percent. The U.N. Sustainable Development Goals have set a target of ending epidemic levels of malaria by 2030. *The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aims to eradicate malaria by 2040 and have called for a doubling of funding by 2025. *Global spending on malaria stands at $2.7 billion a year. Sources: World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Gates Foundation, Malaria No More (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert and Alex Whiting, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) Getty Images In a new study conducted by insurance provider Aviva, Canada ranked as the third most sleep-deprived country in the world with almost a third of Canadians saying they dont get enough pillow time. So whos sleepier than Canada? The United Kingdom and Ireland, with 37 and 34 per cent of respondents respectively saying they are sleep deprived. Thirteen countries were studied in total and the United States tied for third with 31 per cent of their residents saying they dont get enough shut eye. This is comparable to the study by the Canadian Mens Health Foundation this past summer which found that 33 per cent of men aged 30-49 were getting, at most, four to six hours of sleep a night. The ParticpAction Report Card discovered 33 per cent of Canadian children are also sleep deprived. The reason for so many people feeling robbed of their rest? Too much screen time. Sometimes a few lifestyle changes are all thats needed to boost your sleep levels, such as establishing a routine, eating dinner earlier in the night or avoiding TV and mobile phone screens before bed, says Dr. Doug Wright, medical director at Aviva. In June, the ParticpAction report had a similar conclusion. Because of screens in their bedroom, because of holding their cellphone under their pillow, because they didnt move very much in that day and frankly are not fatigued, (kids) get a disrupted nights sleep, says Dr. Mark Tremblay, lead researcher for the ParticipAction Report Card. The Aviva study was conducted as part of a U.K. health check, digging into sleep patterns of U.K. residents and discovering that half of the sleep deprived also feel too tired to exercise, with women feeling more lethargic than men. Daylight saving time was also the main culprit of why residents in the U.K. give up on exercise when the days become shorter. Paris (AFP) - The FIA Formula One governing body on Tuesday let off Ferrari star Sebastian Vettel with a warning for an expletive-filled rant against the race director at the Mexico Grand Prix. FIA president Jean Todt decided "on an exceptional basis" not to charge Vettel after he made an apology to race director Charlie Whiting and wrote contrite letters to Todt and Whiting, said a statement. The German four time world champion, furious over the driving of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, repeatedly swore at Whiting during the closing stages of Sunday's race. The tirade was captured on the team radio and broadcast around the world on live television. Todt ordered a special report on the incident into what the FIA statement called "foul language" directed at Whiting and Verstappen. But it added: "Immediately following this incident, Sebastian Vettel spontaneously sought out Charlie Whiting to express his regrets for his behaviour in person. "He then, again on his own initiative, sent letters to each of the FIA president Jean Todt and Charlie Whiting, in which he apologised profusely for his actions. "He also indicated that he would likewise be contacting Max Verstappen and vowed that such an incident would never occur again. "In the light of this sincere apology and strong commitment, the FIA president has decided, on an exceptional basis, not to take disciplinary action against Mr Vettel by bringing this matter before the FIA international tribunal." But it added that "in the event of any future incident similar to the one that occurred in Mexico" Vettel would go before the tribunal. The FIA said it would always "condemn the use of offensive language" especially directed at race officials and other competitors. Vettel was reminded that the governing body "expects all participants in its championships to be respectful and mindful of the example they set for the public and the younger generation in particular. Story continues The driver said after the race that his F-word outburst had been a heat-of-the-moment explosion at the end of a fraught race. The ex-champion was already penalised 10 seconds for blocking Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo, dropping him from third to fifth in the final race standings. Vettel had been promoted to third provisionally, replacing Verstappen, immediately after the Dutch teenager was given a five seconds penalty. Vettel was penalised for moving under braking as he defended fourth place at a turn against Ricciardo in the penultimate lap of the race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The pair banged wheels and Vettel retained his position. Year over year, sales plunged 10% at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCAU) in October to 176,609 units. The Jeep brand posted a sales drop of 7% year over year, as the Jeep Cherokee showed a sales decline of 23% and the Compass and Renegade each posted a monthly sales drop of 9%. Grand Cherokee sales rose 9% and Patriot sales were up 2%. According to TrueCar, FCA's incentive spending rose to $4,388 per unit, up 23% year over year and down 1% compared with September 2016. Unit incentive spending totaled $4,404 at Ford and $4,417 at GM, up 30% and 14%, respectively, year over year. Analysts at WardsAuto had projected October sales at 176,000 units, and Edmunds.com analysts estimated that the company would sell 178,245 units last month, a 10.6% year-over-year decrease. KBB also estimated an average selling price of $36,433 for October, up 0.3% year over year and up 5.7% month over month. ALSO READ: America's 50 Best Cities to Live The companys Jeep brand sold a total of 68,826 units in October and has sold a nine-month total of 775,932, up 10% year over year. The all-new Jeep Renegade has sold 84,494 units for the year to date, up 90% compared with the same period last year. Ram pickup sales increased 7% in October to 43,891 units, and posted a year-to-date sales increase of 8%. Last year, Ram sold 41,042 pickups in October. Year over year, sales of the companys Chrysler brand dived 45%, as sales of the Chrysler 200 fell 69% year over year in October to 2,843. FCA is doing its best to sell all dealer inventory on this discontinued model. Sales of the Chrysler 300 tumbled 29% to 3,051 units. The all-new Pacifica minivan posted October sales of 7,758, and has sold 43,330 since first becoming widely available in April. ALSO READ: Massive Energy Trade Highlights Insider Blue Chip Buying: Kinder Morgan, AT&T, Kimberly-Clark, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and More The companys Dodge brand sales fell 16% year over year in October, while sales of the Dodge Caravan dropped 15% to 11,563 units in the month. The company's Journey compact SUV got a sales boost of 17% year over year to 11,912 units sold in October. Story continues Chryslers shares traded up about 0.6% Monday morning, at $7.36 in a 52-week range of $5.45 to $9.72. Related Articles By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - The best of Germany and its humanitarian treatment of refugees is on display alongside the worst of Germany and its bouts of ugly anti-foreigner racism in a riveting new film about the crisis that premieres on Thursday. "Willkommen bei den Hartmanns" (Welcome at the Hartmanns) is both a comedy and tragedy featuring Germany's top actors and taking an entertaining look at how ordinary Germans are coping with the arrival of a million refugees since mid-2015. A retired school principal played by Senta Berger offers to help teach German at a refugee centre and ends up convincing her skeptical husband, a prominent doctor, to take in a refugee, a man from Nigeria, at their home in a posh Munich district. The family is at first badly divided by her open-arms embrace of the refugee, played by Eric Cabongo of Belgium, but soon warms to the man with his delightfully broken German even though neighbors and right-wing racists later hold noisy candlelight vigils of protest outside their villa. The tensions in the film mirror a nationwide soul-searching that Germans have gone through since Chancellor Angela Merkel threw open the gates in September 2015 to refugees fleeing war and turmoil in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. At first, Germans cheered the arrival of refugees as they flooded into the country. But the mood turned colder after a series of high-profile assaults on women in Cologne and other cities on New Year's Eve and several bungled militant attacks by refugees inspired by Islamic State. Merkel has been blamed and her conservative party has suffered bitter defeats in several regional elections. "We Germans are still so inhibited about our own identity even though we've got a free, tolerant and great country," Elyas M'Barek, a German heartthrob of Tunisian origin, says at one point in the film, urging his girlfriend to be proud of the country. "We've got to stand up and defend those values." The film portrays the whole gamut of refugees: from those eager to integrate and learn German to others clinging to their cultures, from groups of young men without compunctions to assault women in public to an arrested Islamic State militant. Simon Verhoeven - the director of the film, which also stars Heiner Lauterbach, Florian David Fitz and Uwe Ochsenknecht - started work in the spring of 2015 just before the numbers of asylum-seekers soared and had to repeatedly rewrite his script. "All of a sudden, people were debating only one subject around the dinner table," Verhoeven told the A.Z. newspaper on Monday. "The divisions in every family reflected the society splits across Germany. It was a curse and blessing at once." (Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Mark Heinrich) Fluor Corporation FLR is set to report third-quarter 2016 results, after the closing bell on Nov 3. In the preceding quarter, the company had let down investors by posting a negative earnings surprise of around 17.2%, marking a hat trick of negative surprises. The company has had a dismal earnings history, registering positive earnings surprise in just one of the last four quarters, resulting in a negative average surprise of 9.6%. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider Fluors tepid financial performance over the past few quarters is largely attributable to the volatile commodity prices, which has been hurting companies operating in the energy domain, particularly the oil and gas sector. Precipitous decline in the prices of crude oil and certain metals have impacted the ability of Fluors clients to fund new projects. This has affected the companys profitability. A major portion of Fluors revenues comes from its Industrial & Infrastructure segment. The segment has been witnessing weakness for the past few quarters, owing to a decline in contributions from its mining and metals business line. Prevailing softness in the mining and metals business continue to dampen lucrative commercial opportunities for the company. We believe that this can significantlyhamper revenue growth in the thirdquarter. We believe that deferrals in investment decisions by major clients will act as major spoilsport, marring Fluors third-quarter financial performance. This apart, sluggish economic growth worldwide and softness in key geographic regions arealso expected to restrict the companys top-line growth for the soon-to-be-reported quarter. Such economic conditions are also weighing down on the companys non-oil and gas end markets, affecting key financials. Concurrent with its second-quarter earnings release, Fluor had narrowed its full-year 2016 guidance. The company had hinted that its revenues will continue to take a beating on account of this bleak macroeconomic scenario. Most of the revenue decline is likely to be in the second half of the year, thus signaling at a weak third quarte. This apart, intense competition in the global engineering, procurement and construction industry is also estimatedto put pressure on its contract prices and profit margins. Story continues Despite these challenges, Fluors market diversity remains a key strength that helps it mitigate the cyclicality of markets in which it operates. This apart, we perceive thatFluors proven business model, and its One Fluor initiative provides it with a competitive advantage over peers. Also, a leaner operating structure, good capital stewardship, a strong backlog trend and potential for margin upside from new awards are other positives that will likely drive the third-quarter results. Of late, the government and power business lines have proved to be the companys strongest profit churners, offsetting the weakness in mining and petrochemical business. During second-quarter 2016, the companys new awards surgeda striking 50.7% to $6.4 million on a year-over-year basis, mainly attributable to infrastructure and government business lines. We believe that these segments will be the major sales driver for the thirdquarter as well.Furthermore, the companys cost-optimization efforts and strategic partnerships are also expected to supplement its key financials for the soon-to-be-reported quarter. Earlier this year, the company revamped its business lines to better reflect the diverse end markets. Also, it completed the acquisition of Dutch engineering and construction company Stork to boost its integrated solutions portfolio. Buoyed by the Stork acquisition, during the last reported quarter, Maintenance, Modification & Asset Integrity revenues almost doubled on a year-over-year basis. We believe that Stork will continue to bolster revenues in the third quarter as well. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Flour will beat earnings in this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESPand a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. This is not the case here as you will see below. Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for the company currently is currently pegged at 0.00%. This is because both the Zacks Consensus Estimate and the Most Accurate estimate are pegged at 87 cents. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Fluor currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). As it is, we caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. FLUOR CORP-NEW Price and EPS Surprise FLUOR CORP-NEW Price and EPS Surprise | FLUOR CORP-NEW Quote Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are some companies that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Casella Waste Systems Inc. CWST with an Earnings ESP of +60% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. NN Inc. NNBR with an Earnings ESP of +4.35% and a Zacks Rank #2. Tetra Tech, Inc. TTEK with an Earnings ESP of +3.39% and a Zacks Rank #2. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report FLUOR CORP-NEW (FLR): Free Stock Analysis Report NN INC (NNBR): Free Stock Analysis Report TETRA TECH NEW (TTEK): Free Stock Analysis Report CASELLA WASTE (CWST): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Ottawa (AFP) - The Ford Motor Company reached a new labor agreement early Tuesday with the union representing more than 6,400 auto workers at the company's plants in Canada, averting a strike. The deal includes a commitment from Ford -- similar to those offered by General Motors and Fiat Chrysler in earlier talks -- to invest more than Can$630 million (US$470 million) in its Canadian operations. The union, Unifor, pushed hard for new local investments by the Big Three automakers to plug a bleeding of jobs from Canada to its southern neighbors. The big three automakers have all heavily invested in new factories in Mexico and refurbished plants in the United States during the last decade. Unifor president Jerry Dias said Ford had complained about the difficulties of remaining competitive in Canada. Last week, Ford announced its earnings had dropped by more than 50 percent during the third quarter due to slower than expected sales and the cost of introducing a new line of trucks. The decline of the Canadian dollar, however, has boost the automaker's Canadian operations. As part of the deal, Ford will pour money into its Windsor, Ontario engine plant and its Oakville, Ontario assembly plant. "The Ford Edge built in Oakville is also built in China, but we secured a commitment that the Oakville plant will remain the lead export plant," Dias said. Unifor members must still vote on the tentative agreement on November 5-6. From ELLE DECOR UPDATE 10/31/16: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's New Orleans mansion is officially off the market. The home sold Friday for $4.9 million - $1.6 million less than what the former couple (sniff sniff) listed it for nearly a year and a half ago, according to the Associated Press. Listing agent Nina Killeen confirmed the deal to the AP, stating, "It sold for a very fair price. It's a good deal for both parties. They're happy with the outcome." The sale comes a little over a month after Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September, citing irreconcilable differences (again: sniff, sniff). Pitt and Jolie, however, still own plenty of property: a mansion in Los Feliz, California, which Pitt purchased in 1994, a sprawling estate and vineyard in the South of France called Chateau Miraval, and rumor has it, a $3.8 million villa on the Spanish island of Mallorca. UPDATE 12/3/15: Six months after listing their historic New Orleans home, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have lowered the asking price by $850,000. The couple originally listed the circa-1830s mansion for $6.5 million, according to Zillow, but Brangelina are now asking $5.65 million for the four-bedroom main house and two-story guesthouse. And considering this is the house from which Brad Pitt famously tossed a beer over to Matthew McConaughey, it's quite the deal. It looks like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are ready to say goodbye to the historic New Orleans mansion they've called home for the past nine years. People.com reports that the superstar couple recently listed their French Quarter home on the open market for $6.5 million. The charming home was built in the 1830s, according to Variety, and includes a four-bedroom main house with four full baths and two half baths. And although a separate guesthouse does add an additional bedroom-bringing the total up to five-the home is still quite modest for the famous family of eight (especially considering bedrooms usually far outnumber family members in celebrity mansions). Story continues Inside the home, stately features, such as Venetian plaster walls, a spiral staircase and marble mantels, sit alongside modern luxuries like an in-home elevator. Brangelina purchased the mansion for $3.5 million in 2009, after Pitt became heavily involved in rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Their reps assure People.com that the couple will remain active in rebuilding New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward through Pitt's Make It Right foundation. There's no word on where the couple and their six children are moving next, but according to their rep, it will be somewhere "more off the beaten path." Click over to The LA Times for interior photos of the home. You Might Also Like When beloved Southern belle Verna Garr Taylor was found dead on a desolate highway in 1936, her mysterious killing labeled a suicide by the main suspect, who was Kentuckys former lieutenant governor and her fiance and ensuing murder case made headlines across the country. But 80 years, two trials and an honor killing later, the case officially remains unsolved. That doesnt mean its a mystery anymore: Taylors distant cousin Ian Punnett tells PEOPLE hes uncovered the truth of what happened the November night she was killed in Kentucky revelations he details in a new book about the case, A Black Night for the Bluegrass Belle, which was released Tuesday. Among several twists and turns in Taylors case, according to Punnett, were the improbable claim of her suicide, the sexual assault her killing was meant to cover up and her fiances death at the hands of her brothers who a jury later set free. There has never been a definitive book that has told the story from the familys perspective, Punnett says of A Black Night. There has never been anything except something that echoed Denhardts faint, desperate defense that somehow Verna a beautiful, honorable widow and businesswoman was suicidal and wanted to kill herself at any second, which was complete nonsense. Punnetts grandmother was a cousin of Taylor, and he grew up hearing about her life and death. A former radio personality turned journalism professor, he spent years working on the book, which he hopes restores her honor. It was my goal to clear her of this stain, he says. Neither of those two people are alive to tell story of what really happened on that lonesome highway, Punnett says, but modern forensics settles the issue. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. A Deadly Ride Home Denhardt, who was 61 in 1936, had only dated Taylor, the 40-year-old mother of two daughters, for a short time when he asked him to marry her, Punnett says. Story continues Known as the most beautiful woman in three counties, she was a catch, he says. She came from a good family and ran a successful laundry and dry cleaning business. Denhardt was eager to wed Taylor, giving her a $20,000 ring while she thought it all over, but she didnt want to marry him, Punnett says. (Her relatives agreed: One even described Denhardt as a foul ball.) Taylor planned to tell him of her decision during a trip to nearby Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 6, 1936 the night she was killed. She was going to break up with him that night, Punnett says. Everybody in the family knew it. He had become very possessive very quickly. But during his 1937 murder trial, Denhardt claimed Taylor was upset because her family was forcing her to end the engagement, Punnett says. When Denhardts car broke down on the way home from Louisville that night, he claimed Taylor turned his gun on herself because she was so upset. But after her death, both a cursory medical exam and an autopsy revealed that she had been sexually assaulted, according to Punnett. Denhardt was afraid of her brothers, who were tight with their sister, Punnett says: I think he knew that as soon as she got back to town, and she told her brothers she had been assaulted by him on the night she was going to break up with him, that he was a dead man. His best defense was to fake a suicide and to claim that she was despondent over the idea that her family was stopping her from getting married to the only man she truly loved, Punnett says. But Denhardt made a mistake, Punnett says: He didnt realize how many people she had told that she was going to break up with him. New Evidence While Denhardt was tried for Taylors murder, the jury split seven-to-five in his favor a credit to his dream team of attorneys, Punnett says. They were the ones who really came up with and promoted the idea that she very likely committed suicide, he says. Even so, Punnett says he was able to disprove that theory with his book, based on transcripts from the original trial, the docket of witnesses and notes from Denardts defense attorneys that he came upon in his research. Punnett admits he has no judicial power and no investigative authority to declare the crime solved, but he tells PEOPLE, I believe all of the evidence one needs to see Denhardts true guilt is right there in those files. For example, Taylors own family doctor, who was a chief witness for the state, was among several experts who testified at Denhardts trial that Taylor could not have committed suicide, Punnett says. During his research, Punnett even went so far as to buy an antique replica of the murder weapon to show that this was completely unnatural and virtually impossible, especially with a large caliber gun. He says, This was sort of the missing piece in order to convince other people. A Narcissistic Sociopath Punnett further sought the help of top experts while researching the case, including forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland, who volunteered to do a suicidology of Taylor. I sent her all the data I had, and maybe a day or half a day later she wrote back and said, Its impossible to do a suicidology on her. Theres no way she committed suicide. She doesnt check any of the boxes, Punnett says. On the other hand, judging from his actions and temperament, psychotherapist and narcissism expert Dr. Les Carter easily Denhardt as being a narcissistic sociopath, according to Punnett. He kept saying, I loved too much to kill her. Its chilling because it establishes this sort of deathly rubric: So, if he didnt love her as much then she couldnt have been killed by you? The Cool Heroes in This Story Authorities never got to answer the final question of Denhardts guilt: Taylors brothers fatally shot him the night before his second trial, in Kentuckys last code of honor killing. Its called a code of honor killing because her brothers were all willing to be executed in the electric chair to save Vernas honor, Punnett says The brothers killed Denhardt to prevent him from lying under oath in the same manner that he had been shooting off his mouth around the area. In the end, only one brother, Roy Garr, was tried, but the jury acquitted him after deliberating for an hour. Afterward the foreman told the press outside the courthouse, We stayed out to make it look as though we were thinking it over carefully, Punnett says. The verdict was for the entire Garr family, including Verna. Calling them the cool heroes in this story, Punnett says. The Garr piece is so important to me that my oldest son is named Garr. But its Taylor to whom his new book is dedicated. She deserved better in life, he tells PEOPLE. At least we could give her justice in death. CALAIS, France (Reuters) - French authorities will on Wednesday begin transferring about 1,500 unaccompanied migrant minors to reception centres across the country, officials said on Tuesday, as a standoff with Britain over who takes care of the youths drags on. The minors have been housed temporarily in converted shipping containers in Calais. Demolition teams finished tearing down unoccupied shacks and tents in the northern seaside town on Monday after last week's evacuation of thousands of migrants from the "Jungle" camp where more than 6,000 people were living, most in the hope of making it across the Channel to Britain. Tensions between London and Paris have mounted in recent days after President Francois Hollande urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to accept Britain's share of responsibility for the minors. Britain is obliged under EU rules to take in minors with verified family ties. "The minors will be taken by bus to reception centres for minors across France throughout the day," Stephane Duval, who heads a state-run shelter built with shipping containers within the camp, told Reuters. "There will be no departures to Britain for now. Their applications will be studied at a later stage." A second official, who declined to be identified, said the evacuation would take several days. "It's about 1,500 minors who will go to reception centres, where they will meet personnel from the Home Office (British interior ministry)," the official said. Hollande said on Monday that minors who do not leave for Britain will be taken care of by the French state, adding that in a few days there would be no more foreign minors in Calais. The Calais camp came to symbolise Europe's fraught efforts to cope with a record influx of migrants fleeing strife in countries from Afghanistan to Sudan. Ahead of the transfer, local police said about 100 Eritrean and Afghan minors had fought in the southern part of the camp on Tuesday evening, forcing riot police to intervene. (Reporting by Pascal Rossignol in Calais and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Hugh Lawson) CALAIS, France (Reuters) - French authorities will on Wednesday begin transferring about 1,500 unaccompanied migrant minors to reception centers across the country, officials said on Tuesday, as a standoff with Britain over who takes care of the youths drags on. The minors have been housed temporarily in converted shipping containers in Calais. Demolition teams finished tearing down unoccupied shacks and tents in the northern seaside town on Monday after last week's evacuation of thousands of migrants from the "Jungle" camp where more than 6,000 people were living, most in the hope of making it across the Channel to Britain. Tensions between London and Paris have mounted in recent days after President Francois Hollande urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to accept Britain's share of responsibility for the minors. Britain is obliged under EU rules to take in minors with verified family ties. "The minors will be taken by bus to reception centers for minors across France throughout the day," Stephane Duval, who heads a state-run shelter built with shipping containers within the camp, told Reuters. "There will be no departures to Britain for now. Their applications will be studied at a later stage." A second official, who declined to be identified, said the evacuation would take several days. "It's about 1,500 minors who will go to reception centers, where they will meet personnel from the Home Office (British interior ministry)," the official said. Hollande said on Monday that minors who do not leave for Britain will be taken care of by the French state, adding that in a few days there would be no more foreign minors in Calais. The Calais camp came to symbolize Europe's fraught efforts to cope with a record influx of migrants fleeing strife in countries from Afghanistan to Sudan. Ahead of the transfer, local police said about 100 Eritrean and Afghan minors had fought in the southern part of the camp on Tuesday evening, forcing riot police to intervene. (Reporting by Pascal Rossignol in Calais and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Writing by John Irish; Editing by Hugh Lawson) In the midst of an outbreak of fresh violence in the Central African Republic, France declared its peacekeeping mission a success and said its troops would be leaving. Thats landed like a ton of bricks on leaders of the CAR, who are struggling to deal with a deteriorating security situation while saddled with U.N. blue helmets tainted by charges of sexual assault and ineptitude. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said his country was ending the mission, dubbed Operation Sangaris, in the CARs capital of Bangui on Monday. He assured local leaders that France will retain an ability to intervene at very short notice. I am very pleased to note that we are closing the Sangaris operation. We are closing the operation because it has been a success, said Le Drian. Some 65 people have been killed in the last month by militia-fueled violence. Many believe the CAR is not ready for Frances withdrawal. The announcement is for us, lets be frank, a source of concern, according to Abdoul Karim Meckassoua, the CARs National Assembly President. He added that such a move could provoke militias, worsening the countrys fragile security situation. The timetable on Frances withdrawal is not clear. The CARs latest problems began in 2013 when a loose coalition of Muslim rebels calling themselves the Seleka ousted then-President Francois Bozize. That prompted military missions from the African Union and France in 2013 to stem the violence that followed between the Seleka and predominately Christian militias known as the anti-Balaka. In September 2014, the AU transferred its authority to the U.N. But the U.N. mission, including some 13,000 peacekeepers, has struggled to retain legitimacy in the country it is trying to protect. In 2014, allegations arose of peacekeepers perpetrating child rape and sex abuse that led to a series of inquiries over the past 18 months. French troops were also implicated in the scandal that an independent U.N. study called a gross institutional failure. Story continues On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch released a new report outlining how the U.N. peacekeepers failed to halt the attack on a displaced persons camp outside of Kaga-Bandaro on October 12; in the ensuing violence, humanitarian workers were forced to end relief efforts around there. Deadly attacks like these show why U.N. peacekeepers were given a mandate to protect civilians with all necessary means and why they need to enforce it, Lewis Mudge, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch said in the report. The recent scandals sparked violent protests against the peacekeeping mission that killed four and injured 14, including five blue helmets, on Oct. 24. France will leave a residual force of 350 troops in the country to support the U.N. force even after it wraps up its mission, Le Drian said. Back in Paris, policymakers tried to further assuage concerns in Bangui. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said France will never abandon [the CAR] in an interview with France24 on Monday. Photo Credit: PACOME PABANDJI/AFP/Getty Images Rome's biggest new building in half a century was inaugurated Saturday, two decades after architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas produced their groundbreaking design for the controversial and much-delayed project. Now that it is finally finished, the husband-and-wife team's "Nuvola" - a glass and steel box containing a cloud-like suspended interior - looks set to join the Colosseum and the Pantheon as one of the Italian capital's architectural landmarks. Its name is the Italian word for cloud but the white, fibreglass-clad interior structure could also be said to resemble a lung or another internal organ. Glimpsed from the outside in twilight it can seem strikingly like an ultrasound scan of a unborn baby. Largely funded by the taxpayer, the new building will serve as a convention centre capable of hosting gatherings of up 12,000 people. As such, it is also being talked up as a potential game-changer for Rome's visitor-based economy and EUR, the under-developed business district created by Mussolini on the city's southern edge. Massimiliano Fuksas described the project as the most frustrating of his career but said he was proud it had been completed as first planned. "We first thought of it in 1995," the 72-year-old said. "I have been through so many mayors on this project I can't even remember all their names. "But we have not changed a thing. If you look at the first sketches we did, this is what it looked like." - Cash constraints - While recurring financing problems regularly generated doubts as to whether the building would ever be finished, Fuksas also had to deal with bruising claims over the size of his fees and rumour-mill speculation that the design was fundamentally flawed. He insists claims that he forgot to put any toilets in the first drawings are an urban myth. The architect does confirm however that his dealings with local officialdom have left him with no faith in the ability of the public authorities in Rome to manage his masterpiece. Story continues "I wish they would give it to the Germans to run, they'd make it work - the Romans, no!" Fuksas's won the competition to build the new centre in 2000. But construction did not get underway until 2007 and was repeatedly interrupted due to a combination of red tape and cash constraints. The building was finally completed thanks to additional funds raised last year by the sell-off of four Mussolini-era public buildings. How much it finally cost is a disputed issue. Fuksas says it came in at 239 million euros ($260m), below the tender price of 275 million. Enrico Pazzali, the executive brought in to oversee completion, says the true figure is 353 million euros ($390m) but that he is nonetheless confident the Nuvola will prove a worthwhile use of public funds over time. The lingering controversy over that issue was underlined when Rome's current mayor, Virginia Raggi, was heckled at the opening ceremony for suggesting the city had to learn from the mistakes and waste associated with the construction of the "exceptional and imposing" building. - Economic benefits - The former head of Milan's hugely successful Fiera exhibition centre, Pazzali shrugs off fears that congested, cash-strapped Rome is ill-equipped to cope with an additional influx of visitors. "Our research suggests that convention visitors generate at least twice as much per head as leisure tourists," he told AFP. "We have the hotels and the Nuvola has the great advantage that it is close to the airport and it is on the Metropolitan (underground rail network). "Our estimates are that the economic benefits to the city and the surrounding area could be between 250-350 million euros a year," Pazzali said. The Nuvola is the biggest architectural project in Rome since the work for the 1960 Olympics. It l joins a short list of significant contemporary buildings in the city that includes Renzo Piano's auditorium, the late Zaha Hadid's MAXXI museum and the Richard Meier museum built around the Emperor Augustus's altar of peace, the Ara Pacis. For Fuksas, the construction adds to a list of high-profile projects that includes Shenzhen's airport and Ferrari's headquarters. A Florida girl was burned this weekend as authorities say her grandmother used household chemicals to light her jack-o'-lantern. Wanda Reyna, 62, reportedly called 911 Sunday to report that her granddaughter had been burned while she attempted to light her pumpkin with an eerie green flame. Read: Halloween Hayride Crash Kills 2 Children, 1 Adult: 'It Was Chaos' "I looked up and the fire had splattered and she was on the other side of it," Reyna said in the call, obtained by the Florida Times-Union. "And her dress... she just had little splatters of fire on her, so I grabbed her and threw her in the pool." According to the St. John's County Sheriff's Office report, the girl's father reported the chemical burn at a local fire house, where he said his daughter's face and arm had been singed. The father said his mother had mixed Borax and anti-freeze while trying to create the green flame. "[Wanda said] she watched a YouTube with instructions how to make a green flame using Heat antifreeze and Borax," the report reads. "She didn't realize [her granddaughter] was close to her and some of the burning chemicals splashed on her face and arm." It was at that point when the report says the girl's father rushed her to the fire station. Officials flew the girl to a Gainesville hospital as a precaution, police said. The State Fire Marshal's office said the incident appears to have been "purely accidental." Read: Girl Who Fought Rare Heart Condition Makes Superhero Capes to Make Sick Kids 'Feel More Better' Meanwhile, Reyna told the Times-Union that media coverage that has followed the accident is all overblown. "Shes fine, she really is," she told the paper. "It was just a small accident blown way out of proportion by the sheriffs office." Watch: Boy With Autism Nails Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' to Win Contest: 'He Watches His Videos For Hours on End' Related Articles: By Christopher Spink Nov 1 (IFR) - Reynolds American's appointment of Goldman Sachs as sole adviser to a panel of independent directors in relation to a takeover approach by British American Tobacco should extend the US bank's commanding lead in the announced M&A league tables. Last month, Goldman's lead narrowed after nearest rival Morgan Stanley was appointed by Time Warner alongside Allen & Co and Citigroup to defend the US$85bn approach for the cable company from telecoms group AT&T. Goldman has no role on that deal. But the situation is reversed in the Reynolds possible transaction. BAT has made a US$46.5bn offer to acquire the 57.8% stake in its US rival that it does not already own, and is advised by Centerview, Deutsche Bank and UBS. Reynolds appointed advisers late on Monday. Goldman Sachs will lead advice to a transaction committee consisting of independent directors not designated by BAT. Goldman arguably has a more challenging role in considering alternatives for shareholders than JP Morgan and Lazard, who have been appointed to advise Reynolds on the approach. Morgan Stanley is not involved in any of the groups. So far only Lazard has been credited by Thomson Reuters with league table credit for the Reynolds' proposal. If the other two banks also get the US$57bn up for grabs, then Goldman Sachs would have advised on US$745bn of announced deals so far this year, giving it a US$112bn lead over Morgan Stanley. Third-placed JP Morgan would be US$16bn behind Morgan Stanley. (Reporting by Christopher Spink) Considering Half the Animal are a pop rock band from Los Angeles, it only seemed fitting they made their debut over the summer. The catchy and heartfelt debut single "Babylon" introduced Half the Animal as a group capable of delivering crisp and clear pop vocals that float atop driving alt-rock hooks. The band's second song, feel-good track "Saturday Night" -- which is being shared exclusively with Billboard -- sees them dive deeper into this sonic setup as they conjure the anticipation and excitement that comes with a Saturday night. "All of us have weak areas that we know aren't healthy for us, but we continue to do those things because they make us feel alive and a bit scandalous, "drummer Nick Gross tells Billboard. "'Saturday Night' is a reference to that particular feeling, which doesn't necessarily have to be a relationship, it can be that fix in your life that keeps you coming back for more, because everyone loves a good Saturday night." The video plays into such notions, as footage sees the band members skate around Venice Beach, Calif., and goof off in a pool (with an inflatable flamingo, of course) illustrating both their flair for fun and highlighting their roots as California beach boys with some edge. Approaching the weekend isn't the only thing Half the Animal have to look forward to, though -- their debut EP, Shapes, arrives on Feb. 3. So far, "Babylon" and "Saturday Night" have established their well-manicured and polished sound, which will surely be heard on the remaining tracks and largely stems from the band members' shared history. Vocalist Chase Johnson and Gross originally met in Laguna Beach, Calif., where they were later cast on MTV's reality show of the same name. Years later, when it came time to form Half the Animal -- which at times channels Maroon 5 -- the duo doubled its numbers and were joined by bassist Evan Smith (Silversun Pickups, Chromeo, Big Data) and guitarist Alex Asch. While there are still a handful of "Saturday Nights" until the release of Half the Animal's EP, fortunately the two tracks shared so far are repeat-worthy. Listen to "Saturday Night" below. A Halloween tradition turned into a tragedy in a Mississippi town after a vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer carrying trick-or-treaters, according to reports. Three people two daughters and their mom were killed in the crash at about 7:45 p.m. Monday, authorities in the town of Chunky said Monday. Read: Girl Who Fought Rare Heart Condition Makes Superhero Capes for Sick Kids to 'Make Them Feel More Better' The victims have been identified as 33-year-old Kristina Shaver and her daughters, 8-year-old Baylee and 2-year-old Brooke, according to Mississippi Highway Patrol Capt. Johnny Poulos. It was an unthinkable end to a normally beloved night in the town of just a few hundred where hayrides are a joyful Halloween tradition. MHP confirms multiple deaths after a Ford F-150 rear-ended a trailer carrying adults and children in Chunky, MS https://t.co/FOcnzMcEpO pic.twitter.com/fm2NyybPun WLBT 3 On Your Side (@WLBT) November 1, 2016 "It was chaos," Newton County Coroner Danny Shoemaker told CBS News. The tragedy reportedly occurred when a Ford F-150 rear-ended the trailer, which was being pulled by a Jeep. Three helicopters and multiple ambulances took the injured people to three hospitals, according to the AP. Read: 'Drunk' 12-Year-Old Leads Police on Car Chase and Crashes Twice: Cops According to local reports, at least seven people were injured in addition to the deceased. Poulos said six suffered life-threatening injuries. Poulos said two victims died at a hospital while the third died while waiting to be airlifted. Compounding the tragedy for the victims' loved ones and their communities is what appears to be another recent death in the family: the late Kristina Shaver had only just lost her husband. Story continues A July 30 obituary for 36-year-old Kerry Douglas Shaver lists his wife as Kristina Shaver and daughters Baylee, McKensey, and Brooke. That now leaves McKensey with no mother and no father in the wake of the senseless tragedy. It remains unclear if she was present during Monday's crash. The exact cause of the crash also remained unclear Tuesday afternoon. Following the most recent sad blow, friends showed support to Mr. Shaver's family on the Facebook pages of his parents, Tom and LaDonna Bradshaw. "Oh my Lord ! What a terrible load y'all must bear. Bless you and may God give you the strength to get through this trying time," wrote a friend. A family member wrote: "Praying for my uncle Tom Bradshaw and my aunt LaDonna Brewer Bradshaw theu going thru a very horrific time right now praying for yall and your strength ..... RIP babies." Watch: Suspected Drunk Driver Crashes Into Medical Helicopter During Patient Transport Related Articles: Paris (AFP) - Napoli stayed on course for a place in the Champions League last 16 after Marek Hamsik's excellent late goal secured a 1-1 draw with Besiktas in Istanbul on Tuesday. The Turkish champions had claimed a stunning 3-2 win in the reverse fixture in Naples last month to improve their own prospects in Group B and they looked to be on course to do the double at the Vodafone Arena. Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson hit the woodwork for the home side in the first half but it took them until 12 minutes from time to get the opening goal. English referee Mark Clattenburg awarded a penalty when a Vincent Aboubakar cross struck the arm of Nikola Maksimovic in the box and Ricardo Quaresma converted from 12 yards. However, Napoli were back on level terms in the 82nd minute when skipper Hamsik took a touch and curled a shot past Fabri from 25 yards into the bottom-left corner. The draw means Napoli are top of Group B, a point clear of Besiktas. However, Benfica can leapfrog both of them into first place if they win at home to Dynamo Kiev later. From Cosmopolitan Photo credit: Ruben Chamorro My ex and I broke up last month. We had dated for 2 1/2 years, and with one conversation, it was over. The breakup was mutual, we still like each other very much, and we talk often. (He called our separation a conscious uncoupling, which kind of made me want to break up with him all over again.) But it still sucks. It sucks to not know exactly what your plans are at the end of a long day, to not be sure that if you need company at 9 at night or 2 in the morning, you will have it. It sucks to re-download Tinder and remember how much you hate it. It sucks to confront your half-baked plans for the future - the travel, the apartment shopping, the holidays - and realize that you wanted another person there with you: the person you just left. And so, hopeful that my recovery from the breakup could be as swift and painless as possible, I tried six coping mechanisms lifted from the greatest body of love literature we have: romantic comedy movies and TV. I have rated each based on efficacy in soothing my sad heart out of a maximum possible score of five emoji salsa dancers, because to me, it is she who most represents joy, independence, and Living Your Best Life. Here are my results. 1. Wine on the couch: one day after breakup As seen in: Bridesmaids I side with Hollywood here: Emotional turmoil goes well with wine. On screen, though, wine-drinking, newly single characters tend to actually talk about their emotions, whether theyre vowing to get revenge on a guy or lamenting that theyll never find anyone like him to a bestie cooing her objections. I, however, was not ready to analyze my past, present, or future in any serious way. I needed distraction, and to pretend that everything was fine. I texted my friend Em to ask her to come over that night, which she did, armed with a bottle of red wine. Somber moments call for red - white wine is for celebrating and throwing in peoples faces on reality shows. Story continues Photo credit: Ruben Chamorro We talked a little about the breakup, but I was more interested in discussing our jobs, the show she had just seen, a thing her boyfriend had just done. I just wasnt ready for the deep emotional catharsis wine on your couch brings when you really lean into it. I would have more than enough time to scream or cry or write poetry or whatever else later. Em left, I went to bed, and voila: It was two days after the breakup instead of one. Because of that simple fact alone, this gets four salsa dancers. Rating: 2. Netflix and junk food: four days after breakup (and so many other days, TBH) As seen in: Bridget Joness Diary Photo credit: Universal Studios This one is inspired by Bridget Jones, of course, but also every other romantic comedy protagonist whose relationship has ended, ever. This is the moment in the movie when we are supposed to feel sorry for the lovelorn heroine: Look at her there, pathetic in her sweatpants, shoveling ice cream into her mouth as she sobs over Leo and Kate. But never fear, she will rise like a phoenix from the ashes in the next scene, when she takes a shower, ventures out into the world, and bumps into the love of her life! There are two ways to approach this one. Pick a show or movie that is distracting, that has you focused on the exploding cars or arch villains and not your own sad, sorry life; or do it like in TV and movies and pick something heart-wrenching that plunges you into a bucket of your own feels (see: Blue Valentine, The Notebook, Love Story). I shied away from the tearjerkers and opted to watch complex, damaged women either fucking up their lives further (Fleabag) or righting wrongs (Jessica Jones). In both cases, at least they have agency over their lives. While men are important to their stories, man-related moping is not a motif. I combined this with Frosted Smores Pop-Tarts, because that is the best flavor and if you dont agree you are wrong. Yes, this made me feel better but I was still avoiding my feelings. If my life were a rom-com, at this point, it would be a very boring one about a girl refusing to engage in any character development. Photo credit: Ruben Chamorro A note about the ice cream: You can eat an entire pint of Halo Top ice cream, which is 240 calories, and not feel like a garbage can, but it will never, ever compare to Ben & Jerrys. But if you do eat an entire pint of Ben & Jerrys, I am here to tell you that you will feel sick, and any movie that does not show you the heroine clutching her stomach in pain afterward is a fantasy as well as a rom com. Because of deliciousness, however, five dancers. Rating: 3. A rebound date: 14 days after breakup As seen in: Forgetting Sarah Marshall Get back out there! they said. It will be fun, they said. Peter did it in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Sally did it, sort of, when she called Harry to come over and comfort her after her breakup, and look at how well that turned out! So two weeks after my breakup, I met a guy for drinks that, based on prior texting, we both assumed would lead to more than drinks. This guy was already a casual friend. This date did not happen through Tinder! Shocking! I know! I did re-download that inexhaustible source of questionable one-liners and dead-end conversations shortly after my breakup, but found it just as disappointing as when I had left it. Photo credit: Hayley MacMillen Rebound guy and I met for drinks and made fine if not awkward small talk. Rebound guy and I went back to his place and had a fine if not awkward hookup. Everything about it was fine. I Ubered home. There were no fireworks, like in movies where the rebound is actually the guy you should have been with all along. There was also no epiphany that I should get back with my ex, like in movies where the ex is the one who got away. In movies, these are generally your two options for your happily-ever-after. Going on a years-long parade of fine dates punctuated by the occasional committed relationship? Too complicated, not to mention boring, for the screen. The only thing I realized on this date is that I did a hard thing and its going to hurt for a while and I cant just leapfrog into the next relationship. There are many more mediocre dates and mediocre hookups in my future before something as good and true as my last relationship comes along. So how many salsa dancers to give this one? I guess its healthy to come face-to-face with the fact that you are alone in this world and facing an indeterminable number of so-so nights with so-so guys, but also that is the literal worst ... so lets go with a 2.5 out of five: ambivalent, just like how I feel about starting to date again. Rating: 4. A tarot card reading: 30 days after breakup As seen in: Sex and the City, the show Photo credit: HBO Female protagonists love to embark on spiritual journeys after heartbreak or other life-disrupting events. Since I had one evening and about $40 to spare, I forewent the Eat Pray Love-style trip to India in favor of a trip to Namaste Bookshop in Manhattan, where Natalie asked me to shuffle her deck of tarot cards so she could gaze into my romantic future. If not following in the footsteps of Elizabeth Gilbert, whose writing is lovely, I was at least making like Sex and the Citys walking embodiment of gender norms Charlotte, who consults a tarot-card-reading psychic in episode 12 of season one of the show to determine when she will get married. Youre a strong, independent woman with great success in your future, but I do not see marriage, the psychic tells a crestfallen Charlotte. I had better luck. Before she began, Natalie asked if I had a question for her. I want to know whether I should be spending more time alone, I said, alluding to the fact that I have been in relationships for the past five years, not wanting to give away too much about my newly single status. I was curious to see what she would come up with based on just a few details. Plenty, it turned out. Natalie laid out the cards. Youre stubborn, she told me - like I havent heard that from everyone Ive ever dated - but thats a good thing - a less common observation from people Ive dated. Youll get married, but not for a while, she continued. Lots of relationships are coming, so make room for them. Be patient. Youll end up with the right person and have kids, but only one or two. And you wont die alone - I see you surrounded by family, friends. We then moved on to discussing which member of my family was in excruciating emotional distress, which was more of a downer. I did leave feeling better about my chances of eventual happiness. Of course, this could have gone in an entirely different direction if Natalie had somehow foreseen that I would end up choking to death on pad see ewe before my time, alone save for legions of pet cats who would feast on my remains until the stench alerted neighbors of my passing. So undertake this coping mechanism at your own risk, but I give it three out of five dancers. Rating: 5. A night out ~daNcinG~ with the girls: 31 days after breakup As seen in: The Sweetest Thing Photo credit: Columbia Pictures Hitting the ~cLuRb~ is not a part of my regular weekend routine, which is maybe why it took me so long to make it happen. I usually prefer dancing in my living room to dancing in very loud boxes full of sweaty drunk people. But for the sake of the experiment, I enlisted Em to meet me at a bar for drinks, followed by two more bars with friends and finally, a club. That afternoon I browsed halfheartedly at a Forever 21-type chain store, contemplating a flimsy V-neck bodysuit before deciding that Id rather dig something out of my closet/the pile of clothes on my floor and spend my money on drinks instead. At least I shaved, which was less of a priority when I knew whom Id be going home with, and I wore the high-heeled black combat boots that make me 6-foot-2, because why not? This is what single girls do, right, wear high heels and hit the club with the squad? Photo credit: Hayley MacMillen This evening was excellent for distraction, and made me feel like a human capable of going out and getting drinks and talking with people (even male people!) without her emotional crutch security blanket boyfriend anywhere in the vicinity. But Em and I hit the cocktails too hard, and when I woke up the next day, all I could do was order a cheesy omelette with a side of bacon and lie in bed in need of some company. Giving this one dancer only because I never want to feel this hungover again. Rating: 6. A drastic hairstyle change: 33 days after breakup As seen in: Sex and the City, the movie Photo credit: HBO/Cosmopolitan When Carrie is left at the altar by Mr. Big, she turns to the time-tested technique of changing her life via her hair, ditching blonde for brunette. And so naturally I dyed my hair purple. Grape-Laffy-Taffy purple. Photo credit: Ruben Chamorro At first I mostly forget that Ive done this, until Im walking in the street and onlookers helpfully inform me that my hair is, in fact, purple. Specifically Im getting noticed more by guys, who take it upon themselves to call out to me that they like the color of my hair! Purple is their favorite color! What nice hair! Oh good, I was hoping youd like it! I cry back in my head. And since catcalls inevitably lead to dates, my social calendar is now fully booked, said no woman ever. I do like the purple hair though. Four dancers. Rating: This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of ways to cope with a breakup. Others include: calling your mom; calling your therapist; firing up your vibrator; meditating; making a list of all the reasons you broke up; and changing his name in your phone to Stop Texting This Number at 2 a.m. You Beautiful Idiot. (Ive done four of these six so far, Ill leave you to guess which.) After this experiment, I have no better idea of how long getting over this is going to take. I am convinced it wont be linear, as it tends to be in TV and movies. Real-life grief isnt: It hits you when you pass someone wearing their scent, is absent when youre laughing on Skype with your little brother, then hits you again when you find something of theirs in your apartment. The hope is that the spaces between the moments of grief get longer and more peaceful, and let you build a new life, a process that does not for a good 90-minute-long romantic comedy make. Some rom-com breakup cures are fun. Some are healing. But their purpose is to show you visually what a character is feeling, not to actually help anyone through a breakup. That happens in quiet moments. That happens with time. And, for better or worse, it usually doesnt happen with a star-crossed kiss and a fade to black. But maybe it can happen without Tinder. Follow Hayley on Twitter. You Might Also Like A few years back, we released The Imitation Game, a story about Alan Turing (wonderfully portrayed by the extraordinary Benedict Cumberbatch). Turing was a true genius in every sense of the word. He was the grandfather of computer science, a code breaker, whose work has been credited with bringing an end to World War II by breaking the Nazis Enigma code. Turing, whose work saved an estimated 14 million lives, was also a gay man. In the 1950s in Britain, as was the case in many other places throughout the world, being gay was a crime and men like Turing were arrested, jailed, and in some cases, like Turings, underwent horrific medical torture. When we were working on the movie, Benedict said to me that he wanted to do right by all of the men who received similar treatment to Turing and were criminalized simply because of who they loved. So we recruited Stephen Fry and the films producers, Teddy Schwarzman, Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky, and we created a grassroots movement to lobby for change through Pardon49k.org. To date, more than 600,000 people have joined our fight and signed the petition to pardon these men. All looked good until this last month when Parliament blocked the vote through a filibuster to approve the pardons. I failed. We all failed, but our fight is not over because were not finished. Since my brother Bob and I started Miramax, we have always operated by a motto that now drives The Weinstein Company. It comes from Kurt Vonnegut: There is no good reason good cant triumph over evil, if only angels will get organized along the lines of the mafia. For me, filmmaking has always been about telling stories that need to be told. Stories that move or excite people are at the root of all of our films. Theres a long history in Hollywood of movies that have moved the dial socially films like I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang, Fury, How Green Was My Valley, Grapes Of Wrath, Gentlemans Agreement, Pinky, Imitation Of Life, The Defiant Ones, To Sir With Love, Guess Whos Coming To Dinner and Judgment At Nuremberg are just a few that come to mind. I firmly believe change comes from these movies. In some way, theyve changed the dialogue and influenced the way we look at things for the better. Im lucky that at Miramax and now at The Weinstein Company weve been able to shine a light on some true stories that are so extraordinary they transcend belief. Our first documentary at Miramax called The Thin Blue Line chronicled the wrongful conviction of death-row inmate Randall Adams and ultimately led to his exoneration and release from prison. Our film Bully chronicled the alarming presence of bullying among teenagers in our schools and the lasting impact it has on them not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. Ill beat you to the punch and point out the irony of me producing a film titled Bully given my reputation, but Ill level with you, my age and five kids not only has given me perspective, but it has mellowed me. My kids mean everything to me. Its my job to make sure they are safe and happy. After seeing Bully, I knew immediately that we needed to help give a voice to all the kids who are victims of bullying and help put a stop to it once and for all. We not only started a national dialogue and raised tremendous awareness for a widespread and often overlooked issue, but also created tools for teachers, parents, and students, everyone really, to get involved in bullying prevention and creating safer school environments for our kids to learn and grow up. The Imitation Game is another such story. Its no exaggeration to say that without Alan Turing, life today would be completely different. He single-handedly changed the course of history, and without him I dread to think what our world might be like today. His legacy is unending. In 1952, Turing was prosecuted inhumanly for homosexual acts and in 2009, after 57 years, the then-UK Prime Minister pardoned Turing. Now his name has been cleared and Turings family has finally gotten some peace in that decision. Unjustly however, thousands of others have not received the same acknowledgment. We started a petition through Change.org in 2014, which we are now re-launching at Pardon49k.org, that ultimately got the backing and commitment of all three candidates running to be the UKs next Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Ed Miliband, and David Cameron. Each adopted the position as part of their platform and ultimately, when Cameron was re-elected, he put forth a bill known as the Alan Turing Law to pardon the remaining 49,000 men. Now, all the cynics out there might look and say, that was a neat idea to try to pardon 49,000 lives during Oscar season. There are years Ive gone from cynic to optimist to sometimes ignoring all of the chatter, since everyone says the Oscars and awards are all I care about. And while I would be lying to say that the awards havent made me proud, every once in awhile, you get the opportunity to transcend all of that. A few weeks ago, the decision to officially pass the Turing Law, which would grant amnesty to the thousands of others, was blocked by a conservative Member of Parliament, but luckily will be reintroduced for a vote this coming December. We understand the concerns of those who stand against the bill that some of these men included in the 49,000 were in fact criminals. The truth, however, is the vast majority were not, and just as it shouldnt be a blanket pardon, it is also wrong to maintain the blanket criminalization of thousands of innocent people. The bill includes a provision that would vet and exclude any man convicted of a crime still recognized today. The only thing most of these men were guilty of was simply being born during a time of ignorance. The world has become more educated and has evolved past those closed minded attitudes. The UK Parliament needs to do the same. Academy season is a time when great conversations are going to surface and positive messages will be spread. Movies this year like Fences, Hidden Figures, Loving, Moonlight and others all have incredible things to say. Giving those movies a microphone and a platform is a rather good means of generating awareness and starting conversations. Even though The Imitation Game is now in the rear-view mirror and we are three years removed from it being an awards contender, we are all still fighting to make that change. Weve seen the injustices done to those 49,000 people and we cannot allow it to continue, not in 2016. Weve enlisted civil rights lawyers David Boies and Ted Olson, who were responsible for overturning the California Proposition 8 law, to advise on the Turing Law. We intend to hire the same caliber of legal minds in the UK to help us in our efforts. Well use the power of social media, well meet with the people who obstructed the bill originally, calling for justice in the face of such obscure and outdated decisions, and well enjoy the tenacious work and eventually celebrate the justice these men should have had long ago. Movies are meant to influence and empower us and hopefully thatll change our world for the better. Our films over the years like The Thin Blue Line, My Left Foot, Fahrenheit 9/11, Silver Linings Playbook, Philomena, The Hunting Ground, CitizenFour, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Fruitvale Station and The Crying Game are just a few that spark the conversations we need to be having and motivate the actions we need to take. And while those are just our films, there are so many that other studios have made like Brokeback Mountain, 12 Years A Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, Spotlight, Milk, and one gem I saw this year was Disneys Queen Of Katwe with incredible performances by David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyongo. It was inspirational and deserves to be seen by families everywhere. Speaking your mind has risks and rewards. Im always happy when our films that cast a light on prejudice, bigotry and ignorance go on to win awards and praise from groups like NAACP, Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, but that comes with its share of costs. There will always be those who disagree with you, and Ive had my share like the NRA, some of whose members have come after me on a personal level over the years. Rather than being cynical about the work we do, we should celebrate our directors, screenwriters, actors and filmmakers bringing these issues to the forefront. So I look forward to the discussions throughout this award season and indeed all year long, not only during the Oscars. If Ive learned anything from last months failed Parliamentary vote, it is this: we all need to remember, myself included, its not enough to start the conversation, but we need to follow through and we will. The Members of Parliament who blocked the vote last month are hopefully about to get a new lesson in parliamentary procedure! Maybe we should show them Mr. Smith Goes To Washington thats how filibusters move us forward, not set us back. Related stories Battling Times Square, Propping Up Clinton And Cheering Jake Gyllenhaal: Gerard & Roth Julia Roberts, Angela Bassett & Helen Mirren Fire Up Hillary Clinton's Broadway Rally Tonight's Hillary Clinton Fundraiser To Stream Globally This Friday at 9/8c, CBS Hawaii Five-0 celebrates 150 episodes with an hour that finds team leader Steve McGarrett (played by Alex OLoughlin) unexpectedly reunited with both his mother Doris (Christine Lahti) as well as his almost-fiancee Catherine (Michelle Borth). PHOTOSHawaii Five-0: Catherine Rejoins the Team for Episode 150 The set-up: Having skipped out on Steve for top-secretive reasons at the start of Season 6, Catherine resurfaces from out of the blue with news of Doris capture and imprisonment at a CIA black site. Alas, Catherine drops this bombshell right in the midst of her exs very cozy evening of romance and fine dining with current girlfriend Lynn (Sarah Carter) who goes on to share perhaps a bit too much with her predecessor. (Blame the wine?) Regardless, a thrilling rescue mission ensues! Elsewhere in the milestone episode, Chin Ho awaits word on his latest effort to stall niece Saras adoption, while Grover enlists his son for an intelligence gathering op, while Danny is out of town tending to his hospitalized father. Here, the extremely candid Alex OLoughlin shares with TVLine a preview of No. 150, reflects on the 149 episodes leading up to it and teases his current timetable for turning in McGarretts badge and gun. TVLINE | Without revealing too much, the cold open to this episode is so deliciously awkward. Hawaii Five-0 With Lynn and Catherine? Yeah. Yeah, its funny. TVLINE | I almost felt like Steve wanted to run away upstairs and just let them sort things out. Most definitely. And he kind of does! For most of the rest of the show, he kind of does. PHOTOS Five-0 Casts Rookie Blue Star as Dannys Sister TVLINE | How are things going to be when Steve lays eyes on dear old mom? Oh, shes a pain in the ass, man. [Laughs] You know, its an interesting thing because if this actually happened to you if you were Steve McGarrett and you had this experience with your mother where she disappeared for 20 years and faked her own death and lied to you continually and then came back and made you promises and didnt keep them and left again at what point do you sort of give up? And if you dont give up, what does that look like? These are all questions I have to think about while Im playing these scenes. So, whats it going to be like? Its going to be filled with different emotions, but its also funny. Theyve gotten to a dynamic where they just frustrate each other! Story continues TVLINE | We also get flashbacks where you see how things were very warm between them for however many years she was in his life as a kid. That sticks with a person, regardless. Hawaii Five-0 Right. Look, Ive got little kids, and its so critically important the way we raise our kids and that we dont fk them up. There are so many damaged people in the world and a lot of that is because their parents didnt do a good job. Its really easy not to do a good job, and sometimes you can not do a good job and not even realize it, so youve got to be careful what data you sort of download onto their clean little hard drives. Its a delicate balance. Doris is a basket case, and as a result of that, Steve carries a lot of baggage about that woman. PHOTOS2017 Renewal Scorecard: Whats Coming Back? Whats Getting Cancelled? Whats on the Bubble? TVLINE | Looking back over these first 150 episodes, whats been the most difficult scene for you to do physically? I dont know how to answer that question; Im all fked up, man. I mean Ive blown both shoulders, one knee. Ive had my elbow tendon reattached. Ive got bulging discs in my neck and my back. I dont know where to start. Im a mess, and a lot of its been really, really hard. I think back to when I was doing most of my own stunts in the first few years that was not a great idea. But the physical exhaustion of working with injury and working huge hours day after day, year after year. The whole show has been extremely physically daunting. Thats one of the things Im trying to figure out at the moment now; I dont know how much longer I can do it. TVLINE | You recently hinted at your intention to exit Hawaii Five-0 after any potential Season 8. (Season 7 is currently up in the ratings vs. last year.) Is that still your plan? Absolutely. Im just trying to make it through the end of [Season] 7! [Five-0] is really, really wonderful, but it is an action show, Im the main guy, and I defy anybody to do what Ive done for as long Ive done it and hold out the way I have. Dude, I was a fit, strong, healthy guy when I started the show, and I still am, but you sustain what you sustain. Its part of the gig. TVLINE | And what has been the most difficult scene for you to do emotionally? Thats a really good question. Once I finish an episode, I put it out of my mind so that I can move on and retain new information, but the 100th episode [where McGarrett got waterboarded] was really hard. We had a medic standing by, and I set it up so I actually let them waterboard me and I thought it would be interesting, but I got really sick with pneumonia after that. I had to kind of go there with some of the emotional stuff about my dad, so I tried to sink my teeth into that one. Yeah, I really felt depleted after that one. RELATEDHawaii Five-0 Shares Inside Story Behind Inside Jack Lords CGI Cameo TVLINE | Scott Caan sadly wasnt available for Episode 150, but [showrunner] Peter Lenkov has told me that you two absolutely love doing the bickering McDanno scenes. Hawaii Five-0 I mean, it comes pretty naturally. Were both argumentative and opinionated, so its easy to yell at each other. But its also one of the first aspects that came out of our characters in the pilot, in the first read-through of the pilot script. We dont back down from one another, so when we get that stuff, we know its fun and we know how to play it. There are certain things that they write that work really well with us like when we have to go to therapy and we actually have fun when we do it because not all this stuff is fun. Like, standing around a Surface table and spouting exposition for days and days is not a fun aspect of the job. Its just sort of information, you know. But that [McDanno] stuff is fun. TVLINE | Five-0 is obviously more commercial fare than Moonlight, but for an actor, does getting to do 150 episodes of something soothe the sting of the occasional one-and-done, 17-episode series? For sure. Look, dont get me wrong, 150 episodes of the show is an extraordinary feat, its a testament to every single person that works on the show. Its a miracle that a show gets picked up at all, but to go this long is fantastic and I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world, I really mean that. It doesnt make it any easier to do the show the shows a fking beast but its incredible that weve been able to give jobs to hundreds of local people for seven years. Weve been able to entertain millions of people for seven years. Weve been able to keep telling these great stories. So yeah, it goes far above and beyond soothing the sting of the show that doesnt get a Season 2. Im glad it all happened the way it did. Want more scoop on H50, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matts Inside Line. Related stories Adam Sandler Books Kevin Can Wait Stint in Reunion With Kevin James Kevin Can Wait Shake-Up: Co-Creator Departs Amid Creative Differences Criminal Minds Sneak Peek: Reid, Garcia Serve Up Soul-Crushing 'Selfie' Facts [Photo: Instagram/heidiklum] Every year, we wait for Heidi Klums Halloween costume with bated breath. With previous looks including an extremely realistic Jessica Rabbit and a wrinkly old lady, the stakes were high for the 43-year-old model. For her 17th Annual Halloween Party in New York last night, Heidi arrived in a huge wooden crate complete with Made in Germany stickers. But she had a trick up her sleeve. For not only was Heidi in the box but five exact replicas were unveiled. Klum had cloned herself multiple times with the copies wearing prosthetics that rendered them practically identical to the model. [Photo: Getty] Wearing nude bodysuits and matching thigh-high boots, no little detail was left out with the sextuples donning the same hair and make-up and even ending up the same height. Im always thinking, I wish there were more of me so I could have it much easier, she told ET, explaining that the process was a lot harder than it looks: I had my face cast and then all the girls had to have their faces cast. It was very tricky because my face had to then fit on their faces. A video posted by Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) on Oct 31, 2016 at 12:25pm PDT A video posted by Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) on Oct 31, 2016 at 5:45pm PDT Some people may have called this years outfit disappointing but Heidi clearly didnt fancy spending hours in the make-up chair. Motto for everyone: let others do the work for you. 16 glorious years of Heidi Klum slaying at Halloween Throwbacks, prosthetics and more: Heres everything celebrities wore this Halloween Turns out weve been treating UTIs all wrong [Photo: Getty] If youve ever had a Urinary Tract Infection, youll know just how horribly unpleasant an experience it can be. Pain when you pee, stomach cramps, feeling generally bleugh, er, no thanks! But when it comes to treating it, you know the score cranberry juice is the UTI sufferers best friend, right? Well turns out, the whole chugging cranberry juice to both prevent and ease the symptoms of UTIs could in fact be one giant myth. According to a recent study, dashing to Tescos to stockpile the cranberry juice might actually only give you a placebo effect in curing your cystitis. The study, which was published in the Journal American Medical Association (JAMA), saw one group of female nursing home residents take two cranberry capsules every day for a year. The other group took a placebo. They did this because UTIs are the most commonly diagnosed infection among nursing home residents. Researchers discovered that there was no significant difference in presence of bacteria and white blood cells in the urine, which is a sign of urinary tract infection. There was also no difference among participants in the number of episodes of UTIs over the course of the year. Oh. Cranberry juice doesnt actually help treat or prevent UTIs [Photo: Getty] So where on earth did the cranberry myth come about in the first place? It seems there is some truth in it. According to experts, cranberries do contain proanthocyanidins (PACs) which help stop bacteria from attaching to you bladder and urinary tract walls. The problem is that most of the juices available dont have enough PACs to make it a properly beneficial cure. Although our study was only in nursing home women, many other studies have been done in other populations, which have not shown a benefit, said study author Dr. Manisha Juthani-Mehta. If youre one of the unlucky half of UK women wholl get at least one UTI in their lifetime, the NHS website suggests avoiding perfumed soaps, wearing cotton-only underwear and staying hydrated are some of the best defences to UTIs. Story continues If you suspect you have contracted a UTI experts recommend seeking medical help from your GP. The main form of treatment is antibiotics, but over the counter painkillers could also help ease the pain of symptoms, while drinking water is also recommended. Symptoms should clear up within 4-5 days. Do you turn to the cranberry juice when you have a UTI? Let us know @YahooStyleUK 25 foods you should swear off eating once you turn 25 Milk Chocolate Might Soon Be As Healthy As Dark Just in case you havent heard: Iceland is great. Iceland is so great that, in the past 24 hours or so, numerous non-Icelandic publications have run stories on the variety of ways in which Iceland, which has a population of roughly 330,000, is great. But a few years ago, Iceland was in the throes of economic crisis. And a few months ago, Iceland was engulfed in scandal, its then-prime minister (who has since resigned) having been identified in leaked financial documents known as the Panama Papers for partially owning an undeclared offshore company. Now, however, Iceland has come barreling back and is having, as they say, a moment. And its moment, like apparently everything about Icelandic politics, is great. Iceland is a great place to be a woman in politics. Before last Saturdays elections, Icelands was the 11th-most female parliament in the world. But women won 30 seats in the vote, and it is now the fourth. Currently, 48 percent of Icelands members of parliament are women. Iceland is a great place for political participation of populist parties. Icelands Pirate Party, which has not a chairman but a captain, which is composed of anarchists, hackers, libertarians and Web geeks, and which did not exist four years ago, was able to participate so fully in the democratic process that many (including the prime minister, who resigned) thought the Pirates would sail to victory. But, oh! Iceland is also a great place to defeat populism. Bjarni Benediktsson, the conservative who will likely be the next prime minister of Iceland, said his party was able to defeat the Pirates and other rivals by not overspending or over-promising and instead maintaining low unemployment and high economic growth. How moderate. How reasoned. How nice for Icelanders, 79 percent of whom exercised their right to vote, because of course they did. But wait, you say. Iceland has many great things, sure, like this 400-year-old government meeting table, but surely it is ultimately one of a host of flawed countries. But such thinking is a trap set for critics of Iceland, for Iceland is even a great place to criticize Iceland. Early last month, this Icelandic outlet, not content to let the international media sing its countrys praises, convened four Icelanders to imagine what a Utopian Iceland might really look like. Great. Super. Just what we need another reason to read about an even better Iceland. Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images The Affordable Care Act has expanded access to health care by providing affordable coverage to millions of Americans. But finding a policy that meets your health care needs and your budget requirements can be daunting. Now the good news: Shopping for health insurance has gotten easier. For starters, the state-based health insurance marketplaces and federal exchange created by the Affordable Care Act provide consumers with a "one-stop shopping experience to easily compare the costs and benefits of plans," says Kevin Lucia, senior research fellow at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms. These marketplaces offer tax credits and subsidies to people with low and moderate incomes. [See: Infographic: How to Read Your Hospital Bill.] To ease the shopping experience, insurers must provide a summary of benefits and coverage along with a standardized glossary of medical terms. "When comparing plans, think about the health care services you use or anticipate using and the financial ramifications of not having access to the services and providers you want," Lucia says. Among the factors to keep in mind when shopping for an affordable health insurance plan: Consider Cost-Sharing Expenses Many consumers focus on premiums, but out-of-pocket expenses (also know as "cost sharing") can turn what at first appears to be an affordable plan into a financial burden. While cost-sharing charges vary from plan to plan, the Affordable Care Act caps out-of-pocket costs at $6,850 for individuals and $13,700 for a family in 2016. Determining your potential out-of-pocket expenses can be tricky because "the language of cost sharing -- deductible, copayment, coinsurance -- can be confusing," says Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, which represents the health insurance industry. "But taking the time to calculate these costs is worthwhile." The deductible is the sum you must pay up front for health care services before your policy's coverage kicks in. For example, a $1,000 deductible means you'll need to spend $1,000 before the plan starts paying for covered services. Under the ACA, you are entitled to preventive care -- such as annual checkups, immunizations, mammograms, colonoscopy and blood pressure screenings -- at no additional cost whether or not you have met the deductible . Story continues Ellen Pryga, director of policy at the American Hospital Association, advises consumers to consider their money management style when deciding between a plan that has a low premium (but high deductible) or a slightly higher premium (but lower deductible). "Some people have no trouble establishing a savings account to cover the deductible," she says. "For other people, savings is more difficult. They may be better off paying the slightly higher premium so they aren't tempted to touch that savings account for other reasons." The copayment is the flat fee ($20, for example) you pay each time you access care, like visiting the doctor. "Those little things can add up depending on how you use services," Pisano says. For instance, co-payments can multiply quickly if you take several medications prescribed by various specialists who all require a visit to the doctor's office to renew a prescription. [See: How to Help Aging Parents Manage Medications.] Coinsurance refers to the percentage of the cost of a covered health care service that you must pay. Let's say your plan comes with a 20 percent coinsurance. An office visit that costs $100 leaves you with a 20 percent coinsurance payment of $20. These costs can add up quickly, too, when you consider that 20 percent of an emergency department visit or a lengthy hospital stay can lead to thousands of dollars in coinsurance payments. For example, the average cost for non-complicated pregnancy and newborn care can total more than $30,000. Look Beyond the Cost of Premiums Avoid the temptation to automatically select the policy with the lowest premium because you may pay more for your health care in the long run. Premiums refer to the annual cost of an insurance plan (usually paid in monthly installments), regardless of whether you access health care services. Plans with low premiums usually have high out-of-pocket expenses to cover deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, so you may be saddled with bills you weren't expecting. People under age 30 and some people with limited incomes can purchase catastrophic health plans that cover worst-case scenarios. While these plans generally have lower premiums than comprehensive plans, they come with high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, so you'll need to be prepared to handle these expenses. These plans will cover certain preventive measures with no out-of-pocket costs to consumers. Get the Coverage You Need Make sure the plan covers the medical care you need, especially if you have a chronic illness (like diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis and arthritis) that requires ongoing care. "If you buy coverage just because it's cheap and it doesn't offer the services you need, then you have thrown your premium dollars down the drain," Pryga says. The same holds true for prescription drugs. Insurers must cover at least one drug in every category and class of medications. But your particular medication might not be on the list, leaving you with higher out-of-pocket expenses. "Look at the cost of your medications across various plans to determine which are reimbursed at a higher rate," says Cheryl Fish-Parcham, deputy director of health policy at the nonprofit Families USA. Carefully Examine the Provider Network Find out if the plan's network of doctors and hospitals include your primary care physicians and specialists, or you might get stuck with the bill. Going outside your plan's network of providers can lead to a hidden cost known as "balanced billing," Lucia says. "Non-network providers will bill for charges that exceed the amount that your plan reimburses for a covered service." Some plans also require a referral to see a specialist and insurer authorization before undergoing an expensive procedure. Read the Fine Print The ACA sets a minimum standard of care, known as essential health benefits, for 10 categories. But insurers have leeway in the type and number of services offered in each category. For example, insurers must cover mental health services, but plans will vary on the number of therapy visits allowed per year. "There are going to be scads of exclusions in policies, even with the essential health benefits," Pryga says. You Are Not Alone If you're still feeling overwhelmed about shopping for health insurance, take heart. Help is available online at HealthCare.gov (or CuidadoDeSalud.gov for Spanish-speaking consumers), by phone at 800-318-2596 round-the-clock and in person. [See: How to Pick a Health Insurance Plan.] "The Affordable Care Act sets up a system of 'navigators' who will be available on a one-to-one basis to educate consumers about their health insurance options and walk them through the enrollment process," says Vicki Breitbart, director of the Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College. "You don't have to venture into the morass alone." High Distinction Academy will Help to Fund Projects that Rebuild and Save Lives around the World LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Edward Kost, the founder of High Distinction Academy, is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of his new High Distinction Academy. To learn more about the innovative new tutoring center, which is already creating some serious buzz in the education and philanthropy spaces, as well as watch a video about the project, please visit https://goo.gl/afgccA. As a spokesperson for High Distinction Academy noted, many teachers and students are finding that they're not able to use classroom time effectively with traditional methods. Typically, students rely on assigned reading and classroom lectures, but time constraints often mean that the topics cannot be addressed in greater depth. "This stand-alone lecture and limited time for clarification can make many concepts difficult to grasp," the spokesperson said, adding that High Distinction Academy is a high school tutoring center using a flipped classroom method to overcome this problem and use classroom time efficiently. "Students will come to class after watching a pre-recorded lecture from their instructor. Time in the classroom can then be used to elaborate on important topics, interact with students, and ensure a full understanding of the material before moving on." High Distinction Academy aims to meet high standards. As the spokesperson noted, their staff consists of qualified and dedicated teachers to ensure students are getting an education that prepares them for higher education. "Parents will also be kept involved through an online learning management system where they can view their child's progress and attendance. The school also has a philanthropic mission and dedicates each term of the school year to a new cause," the spokesperson said. "High Distinction Academy is aiming to open in Sydney in 2017 and it's clear that this is one tutoring center that really lives up to their name." Story continues In order to help pay for the high costs associated with launching his new High Distinction Academy, Kost recently launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo. There, he hopes to raise $550,000 through crowdfunding and open the doors to his new tutoring center as soon as possible. About High Distinction Academy: High Distinction Academy is a new elite tutoring center that will open soon in Sydney, Australia. Unlike other learning academies that only focus on traditional subjects, High Distinction Academy will combine education with philanthropy. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/afgccA. Contact: Luke Shaw admin@rocketfactor.com (949) 555-2861 SOURCE: High Distinction Academy From Cosmopolitan The political world convulsed on Friday. Seemingly out of nowhere, the FBI lurched into the 2016 presidential election, a truly historic development that dragged Hillary Clintons emails - not to mention Anthony Weiner - firmly into the spotlight with less than two weeks to go until Election Day. So what does it all mean? Heres what you need to know. So what exactly happened on Friday? James Comey, the director of the FBI, sent a vaguely worded letter to Congress, saying the bureau had discovered information related to its previous investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. The information, according to Comeys letter, came from a separate investigation. In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation. I am writing to inform you that the investigation team briefed me on this yesterday, and I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation. In other words, agents discovered emails that might have come from Clintons private email server. The FBI is not, as some reports suggested, reopening its investigation into Clintons emails - at least not yet. Instead, agents plan to review those emails. Lets back up for a moment. Whats the deal with Clintons emails? Shortly before Clinton became secretary of state in 2009, she set up a private email server in her home. She also created accounts on that server for her close aides, including Huma Abedin. Her use of this private email server fell into a grey area," according to the BBC, because the State Department enacted new rules after she became secretary of state saying government employees can use private email only if federal records were preserved. Basically, if Clinton is discussing plans for her granddaughters birthday party, the government doesnt need to know about it. If, however, shes discussing a diplomatic mission to China on that server, then those records need to be kept. Story continues Clinton maintained that she followed this rule because, as the BBC points out, most of her emails from that private server were sent or forwarded to people with official government accounts. Officials prior to Clinton, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, also used private email. In March 2015, The New York Times broke the story that Clinton may have violated State Department rules because she didnt take appropriate steps to preserve her government emails. This report ignited the firestorm over her emails even before her presidential campaign began. Clinton handed over 30,000 emails, which was 55,000 pages, for review, according to ABC News. In May 2016, the State Department put out a report criticizing Clintons use of a private email server, noting that Clinton had not - as she had earlier suggested - sought or gotten approval from the department to use it, according to The New York Times. The report also noted that although other officials had used private email, the practice was neither allowed nor encouraged by the time Clinton became secretary of state. This violation is not a criminal act, but instead runs afoul of administrative rules at the State Department, the BBC reports. Why is the FBI involved? The FBI conducted a separate investigation over whether Clinton and her aides mishandled information related to national security, according to the New York Times. In other words, was any of the information in those emails classified, and, if so, did Clinton knowingly send and receive it on her private email server? Federal law makes it a crime to "knowingly remove" documents or materials containing classified information and store them, without permission at an "unauthorized location," the Times reports. On July 5, Comey said the FBI had wrapped up its investigation and found that there is evidence of potential violations related to classified information, but no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," according to the BBC. The FBI recommended no charges be brought against Clinton and her staff, referring the matter to the Justice Department, which said it would go along with the FBIs recommendation. Justice then closed the case. Attorney General Loretta Lynch faced criticism from conservatives, however, because she and Bill Clinton met privately on her plane in June, just weeks before the FBIs investigation wrapped up. According to CNN, both Lynchs and Clintons planes were on the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intentional Airport, where the former president walked onto the plane. The meeting was not planned. Lynch said it was primarily a social meeting, but even Democrats agreed it looked bad for the person who could bring criminal charges against Clinton meeting with her husband while the investigation was ongoing, according to Politico. What about the deleted emails Trump is always talking about? A constant line of attack from Trump has been the 30,000 or so emails Clinton deleted. "Why did she delete 33,000 emails?" he asked during their first debate. Earlier, he called on Russian hackers to find those emails. Heres the backstory. When Clinton handed over her emails to the State Department for review, according to ABC News, her staff found that there were about 60,000 left on her private server. Clinton told her staff to determine which were work related and which were personal. They decided about half were personal and deleted them. "They had nothing to do with work," Clinton told reporters in 2015. "I didnt see any reason to keep them ... no one wants their personal emails made public, and I think most people understand that and respect that privacy." The FBI, however, recovered about 17,000 emails that had been deleted or not turned over to the State Department and determined some of them were, in fact, work related. In his testimony before Congress in July, Comey stressed that the FBI "didnt find any evidence of evil intent and intent to obstruct justice." Now, back to Fridays bombshell - and the connection to Anthony Weiner. Shortly after Comeys letter became public on Friday, news reports emerged saying the unrelated investigation that turned up the Clinton emails involved disgraced New York congressman Anthony Weiner. He is married to Clintons close aide Huma Abedin, although the two are currently estranged. The FBI is investigating whether Weiner sent and received sexually explicit text messages with a North Carolina teenager. On October 3, agents seized Weiners electronic devices, including a laptop he shares with Abedin. While searching the laptop, agents discovered emails similar to the ones that had been examined in the Clinton investigation, according to the New York Times. Last week, Comey decided the FBI should look at those emails to determine whether they contain classified information. But the FBI doesnt know what is actually in those emails because, on Friday, it hadnt yet looked at them. Its highly unlikely the review of the newly discovered information will conclude by Election Day, according to CNN. The FBI getting involved like this, at this time, is a really big deal. The Justice Department learned last Thursday that Comey planned to send the letter to Congress, and it urged him to stay silent, according to the Washington Post. Officials at the Justice Department reminded the FBI of the departments policy to not comment on ongoing investigations and to not take steps that could be viewed as influencing an election, the Post reported. But Comey went ahead anyway. The letter has exposed a deep divide at the FBI, according to The Wall Street Journal, with some staff questioning why Comey - a Republican, according the Washington Post - would get involved in a U.S. election. Whats the reaction? Donald Trump, who had previously criticized the FBI for its handling of the Clinton investigation, praised the letter, saying on Friday that he has great respect for the fact that the FBI and the Department of Justice are now willing to have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made, according to ABC News. Clinton, meanwhile, called on the FBI to release as much information as possible about the newly discovered information. She also criticized Comeys decision to send the letter. Its pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election, Mrs. Clinton said at a rally over the weekend. In fact, its not just strange; its unprecedented and it is deeply troubling. Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, suggested Comey violated federal law by getting involved in a U.S. election. And former Attorney General Eric Holder, who served under President Obama, said in a Washington Post op-ed Monday that he was "deeply concerned" by Comeys decision. "That decision was incorrect," he wrote. "It violated long-standing Justice Department policies and tradition." But its not an entirely partisan fight. One of Clintons staunchest critics, former Republican congressman Joe Walsh, even took her side in the debate, tweeting: Look, I think Comey should have said prosecute her back in July. But what he just did 11 days b4 the election is wrong & unfair to Hillary. - Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) October 31, 2016 How will this affect the election? Its unclear. Polling over the weekend showed it had no effect, with Clinton maintaining a slim 3 percent point lead over Trump nationally. But, as the New York Times points out, weekend polls are not always reliable. One thing to note: Millions of people have already voted in crucial battleground states like Florida, Colorado, and Nevada. And, considering how long this election has gone on, millions more have already decided how theyll vote on Nov. 8. Follow Michael on Twitter. You Might Also Like Anna Grinis was just two days old when World War II broke out, escaping Nazi-occupied Russian territory with her mother not long thereafter. But on Sunday, in what was certainly a surreal moment, the 75-year-old Moscow-born Israeli found herself being crowned, to the strains of Pretty Woman, as Israels Miss Holocaust Survivor. The fifth annual pageant, held in Haifa, honors those who survived the WWII genocide. I have no words to describe how excited I am, Grinis reportedly declared after winning the crown. Fourteen finalists, selected out of the nearly 300 Israeli Holocaust survivors who threw their hats in the ring, competing on Sunday. Tonight were letting some women who survived the Holocaust have something that was robbed from them in their youth we want to give something back to them, [and] tonight its for them to enjoy, noted David Parsons of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, a sponsor and supporter of event organizer Yad Ezer Lahaver (Helping Hand to a Friend). Contestants included German-born Malka Gorka, 73, whose entire extended family was killed by Nazis and who emigrated with her parents to Israel in 1948, and Hungarian-born Carmela Ben Yehuda, 89, who survived Auschwitz before arriving in British-ruled Palestine in 1945. After winning, Grinis said, During my whole childhood and a significant part of my life, when my mother was alive, she always used to tell me about this period that we ran way from Moscow where I was born and there was nothing to eat there. We barely survived. Sundays pageant drew a crowd of about 1,000, including Knesset members and Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who crowned Grinis. You all have endured the darkest period in history, and despite everything, you chose life. You chose to raise families, to work, to create and to continue living, Netanyahu said. You won. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's leader has signaled he might ask Beijing to use a rarely invoked power to interpret the city's Basic Law mini-constitution to end a political crisis over a fledgling independence movement. Any such move will spark fears for Hong Kong's autonomy and vaunted legal system, officials, judges and lawyers say privately. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's remarks on Tuesday come ahead of a Hong Kong government-requested legal hearing that could effectively bar two recently elected pro-independence lawmakers from the legislature of the global financial hub. Some local officials and judges have grown privately fearful that the emergence of independence issues could see Beijing force tough new laws on the city, or interpret the Basic Law to explicitly curb pro-independence legislators. The city's rule of law and freedom of speech is jealously guarded by many in the former British colony after it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under the principle of "one country, two systems", allowing it wide-ranging freedoms. Speaking ahead of a weekly executive meeting on Tuesday, Leung went further than other officials in raising the prospect that his government could request Beijing to interpret the Basic Law. "We hope to do our utmost to resolve it within Hong Kong, but we cannot rule out this possibility," Leung told local media. Justice Secretary Rimsky Yuen has said previously said that there was no need for an interpretation at this point, and said later on Tuesday he still "hopes" the issue can be handled locally. The government has asked the courts to review a decision by the legislature's president allowing pro-independence lawmakers Yau Wai-ching, 25, and Baggio Leung, 30, to re-take their oaths of office. The hearing starts on Thursday. The pair, who represent a new breed of more radical activists moving into the political mainstream, had their swearing-in oaths invalidated last month over language and a banner that was deemed derogatory to China. "Apart from the case in court ... there is a high possibility that other things might be triggered by their oaths and their words and actions afterwards," the chief executive said, explaining why he had postponed a trip to Beijing. In response, the two lawmakers said in a joint statement that if an interpretation was to take place, it would mean the Chinese Communist Party ruled over Hong Kong directly. Pressure has built in recent weeks from local Beijing loyalists and the president Legislative Council last week delayed their swearing-in until the High Court rules. Beijing's chief representative in Hong Kong did not mention the possibility of an interpretation in a speech later on Tuesday but said the lawmakers "seriously violated" China's constitution, the Basic Law and the relevant Hong Kong laws. "Any speech and action promoting Hong Kong independence should be punished according to the law. There is no reason to be lenient," said the head of the Liaison Office, Zhang Xiaoming. Once taboo, calls for self-determination and independence have risen since the 79 day struggle in late 2014 when tens of thousands took to the streets for 79 days of protests against reforms that failed to deliver full democracy for leadership. (Reporting By Greg Torode. Additional reporting by Venus Wu.; Editing by Michael Perry and Alison Williams) Beirut (AFP) - Human Rights Watch on Tuesday slammed a "well-funded" clampdown on Gulf Arab rights activists and urged the six monarchies to implement "much-needed reforms" instead of jailing peaceful critics. Apart from Bahrain and Oman, where authorities cracked down on pro-reform protests in 2011, Gulf Cooperation Council states have been spared much of the unrest brought in by the Arab Spring uprisings that rocked the Middle East. The GCC also comprises Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Many activists in the wealthy Gulf states, most of which ban political parties and demonstrations, have resorted to social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to advocate human rights. The New York-based watchdog made its latest call for GCC reform as it launched an interactive website with the profiles of 140 prominent Gulf activists -- reflecting Twitter's 140-character limit -- who have been arrested, tried and sentenced for voicing their opinions online over the past six years. They include prominent Bahraini activist Nabeel Rajab, who is on trial on charges of spreading false information and posting online insults, and Saudi activist Waleed Abulkhair who is serving a 15-year jail sentence. Also among those listed is Emirati lawyer Mohammed al-Roken, who was jailed in 2013 with 69 people for 15 years after being convicted of plotting to overthrow the regime. "The Gulf states have engaged in a systematic and well-funded assault on free speech to subvert the potentially transformative impact of social media and internet technology," said HRW's Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson. "Instead of hauling off their peaceful online critics to jail, Gulf governments should expand debate among members of society and carry out the much-needed reforms that many of these activists have demanded for years," she said. Hundreds of dissidents, from political activists to journalists and lawyers, have been imprisoned in the Gulf after "unfair trials", HRW said. Story continues - Intrusion software - "GCC rulers' sweeping campaigns against activists and political dissidents have included threats, intimidation, investigations, prosecution, detention, torture, and withdrawal of citizenship," it added. GCC governments also used surveillance technology bought from Western and Israeli companies to track and monitor their citizens' online activity, it said. All GCC governments except for Kuwait have used intrusion software, said HRW, citing evidence from Toronto-based research group Citizen Lab. "This software can enable a government to access emails, text messages, call histories, contact lists, files, and potentially passwords, and can allow authorities to turn on a phone or laptop's camera and microphone to take pictures or record video and conversations without the owner's knowledge," the rights group said. In August, Apple released a security update to iPhone owners after a sophisticated attack on Emirati human rights advocate Ahmed Mansoor exposed vulnerabilities targeted by cyber arms dealers. Although the cyber attack on Mansoor was not linked to a specific government, Citizen Lab had said indicators pointed to the UAE. The UAE authorities never commented. GCC states had also toughened laws since 2011 to punish "speech they deem 'criminal', particularly online and via social media networks", said HRW. New "repressive" laws were enforced to punish "political dissidents and activists who criticise not only their own leaders but those of other GCC states and their policies". These laws branded government critics as "terrorists" and granted authorities the right to strip protesters and dissidents of their nationality, HRW said. Revoking citizenship has been carried out mostly by Bahrain, and to a lesser extent by Kuwait and the UAE. Authorities in Bahrain have stripped at least 261 people of their citizenship since 2012, according to the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, including the country's Shiite spiritual leader Sheikh Isa Qassim. Whitson believes Gulf states "are seriously mistaken if they think they can indefinitely block Gulf citizens from using social and other media to push for positive reforms". The election countdown clock is running out, and one of Hillary Clintons most trusted operatives is nowhere to be seen but why? Huma Abedin has quietly stepped away from the campaign trail in the wake of news that the emails now being scrutinized by the FBI in conjunction with the closed investigation into Clintons use of a private server were retrieved from estranged husband Anthony Weiners computer. Absent since late Friday the day FBI Director James Comey released news of the bureaus additional investigative steps into Clintons controversial emails Abedin has now been left off trips to Florida, as well as Kent State University and Cincinnati, reported USA Today. The 40-year-old aide has worked closely with the Democratic nominee for years, first serving under the then-first ladys Chief of Staff Maggie Williams as a White House intern in 1996. Four years later, Abedin became a backup aide and then advisor to Clinton during her bid for Senate. When Clinton became secretary of state in 2009, Abedin was her deputy chief of staff. Comeys Friday letter to Congress said new evidence that emerged from a separate investigation seemed to be pertinent in the Clinton email probe. It was soon after revealed that the secondary investigation involved Weiners alleged sexting communications with a 15-year-old North Carolina girl. RELATED VIDEO: Child Services Reportedly Launch Investigation Into Anthony Weiners Parenting of Son Amid Sexting Scandal In a statement released Monday night, Abedins attorney Karen Dunn said that her client was unaware that the emails were on a computer that belonged to disgraced former congressman and New York City mayoral candidate Weiner. From the beginning, Ms. Abedin has complied fully and voluntarily with State Department and law enforcement requests, including sitting for hours-long interviews and providing her work-related and potentially work-related documents, Dunn said. She only learned for the first time on Friday, from press reports, of the possibility that a laptop belonging to Mr. Weiner could contain emails of hers. While the FBI has not contacted us about this, Ms. Abedin will continue to be, as she always has been, forthcoming and cooperative. Story continues Abedin, herself, has not spoken publicly since the revelation. However, law enforcement sources told CNN that FBI officials expect to interview Abedin in conjunction with the new emails. She previously testified in a June 2016 deposition that she turned over all devices she thought contained work related to the State Department, reported Fox News. Despite Abedins noticeable absence from the campaign since last week, Hillary for America Chairman John Podesta told CNN on Sunday that she is still serving in her same position. Clintons opponent, Donald Trump, for one, is savoring Abedins role in the new FBI review. At a Grand Rapids, Michigan, rally this week, Trump said sarcastically, Thank you, Huma. Good job, Huma. He added, This is the biggest scandal since Watergate. donald trump Nearly 400 economists have signed an open letter to voters denouncing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and telling voters to "choose a different candidate." "Donald Trump is a dangerous, destructive choice for the country," the letter said. "He misinforms the electorate, degrades trust in public institutions with conspiracy theories, and promotes willful delusion over engagement with reality." The economists did not specifically endorse Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the letter. Among prominent economists who signed the letter were Oliver Hart, the Harvard University professor who won a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences this year, and Paul Romer, the chief economist of the World Bank. The economists a mix of professors, Ph.D. candidates, and policymakers said they opposed Trump's campaign based on the Republican nominee's history of promoting falsehoods and misleading the public. Among the issues addressed in the letter were concerns by the economists that Trump: "Misled voters in in states like Ohio and Michigan" by saying that renegotiating the NAFTA trade agreement would increase employment in manufacturing. The economists said manufacturing losses were due mostly to automation and not trade. "Claims that he will eliminate the fiscal deficit" while proposing a plan that the Tax Foundation says would decrease tax revenue by $2.6 trillion to $5.9 trillion. coal miners trump supporters "Uses immigration as a red herring to mislead voters about issues of economic importance," including the stagnation of wages in households with lower education levels, which the economists say "diverts the public debate." "Misled the public by asserting that U.S. manufacturing has declined," though the economists point out that the level of manufacturing output in the US has more than doubled since 1980. "Has lowered the seriousness of the national dialogue" by proposing that the elimination of government departments such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education would significantly reduce the fiscal deficit. Story continues "If elected, he poses a unique danger to the functioning of democratic and economic institutions, and to the prosperity of the country," the economists wrote. Nineteen Nobel laureates in economics, including Joseph Stiglitz and Daniel Kahneman, published a separate open letter on Monday endorsing Clinton for president. More than 300 conservative economists from universities, think tanks, and business groups, however, published a letter in September denouncing Clinton's policies. NOW WATCH: A model that has correctly predicted the presidential election since 1980 says Clinton will have a landslide victory More From Business Insider Reykjavik (AFP) - Lawmakers in Iceland are to receive a 44 percent pay rise just six months after then prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned in a tax-evasion scandal, officials announced Tuesday. The move drew condemnation from the anti-establishment Pirate Party which said the pay rise would increase mistrust amongst the public. The national Kjararad commission tasked with setting public service salaries announced the pay rise, which increases the salaries of members of parliament to 9,000 euros a month. "It is very important that the elected members are financially independent and dependent on no-one," said the Kjararad. "Their work has no clear parallel on the work market, as they are elected for their jobs in general elections and have to renew their mandate at least every four years." But Pirate Party co-founder Birgitta Jonsdottir urged MPs to reject the pay rise to gain public confidence. "If all parliamentarians reject these raises to show clearly that they are concerned about stability in the work market, it will be a clear message to the public that we will not help create a gap between the Parliament and the public," Jonsdottir said on Facebook. "It is necessary to build social trust in times when there are waves of discontent within the work market." The news comes just days after Gunnlaugsson's successor as premier Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson announced his resignation after his centrist Progressive Party, which was governing in a coalition with the Independence Party, suffered a drubbing in snap elections provoked by the Panama Papers tax-evasion scandal. The elections' main beneficiaries were the Pirates, who with their three centre-left allies won 27 seats in the 63-member parliament, compared to the Progressive and Independence parties combined 29 seats, setting up Iceland for tough horsetrading over its next government. The Panama Papers revealed that 600 Icelanders including bankers, business leaders and cabinet ministers -- amongst them Gunnlaugsson -- had holdings stashed away in offshore accounts. Story continues The Panama Papers scandal came just eight years after the 2008 financial meltdown that wrecked the country's banking industry, leading to an International Monetary Fund bailout. Both events provoked the public's ire, the latter widely seen as encouraging voters to punish the incumbent coalition by voting for the anarchist Pirates. The election failed to deliver a clear majority, leaving the country in political deadlock. President Gudni Johannesson is set to task Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of the Independence Party with trying to form a new government. The Kjararad is made up of five people -- three named by Parliament, one by the Supreme Court and the last by the Minister of Finances. 1 Nov - Miss Filipino Earth Imelda Schweighart has voluntarily resigned from her aforementioned position following the latest controversy surrounding her inability to keep things to herself. As reported on InterAksyon, the beauty queen, who has been sparking one controversy after the other since she started the Miss Earth Competition, which concluded last weekend, reportedly has been convinced by her mother to give up her crown. The news was announced by Lorraine Schuck, the Executive Vice President of Carousel Productions, which is the owner of the Miss Earth franchise, saying that Schweighart's mother arrived from New Zealand and convinced the beauty queen to end her reign in order to prevent more criticisms and verbal attacks that have been coming her way since her latest rant made the news. Earlier, a video of Schweighart badmouthing the winner, Miss Ecuador Katherine Espin, to a crowd of fans on the street went viral. In it, Schweighart can be heard telling the crowd that Espin has a "fake nose, fake chin, fake boobs", and that a Miss Earth winner should be natural. When asked about it during an interview, Schweighart apologised, although stressed that she was telling the truth as it was Espin who said it herself. She stressed, "I was talking to my supporters thinking I could be comfortable with them because they went there to support me. They know what I have been through. The hurt I have been through in this pageant. And I thought they would understand. It was supposed to be private but they put it out in public." Prior to the issue, Schweighart made the news for sharing a video of her in the gown worn by Espin during her coronation, and revealed that it was her gown to begin with. Admitting to be offended by the situation, Schweighart said, "The gown I was supposed to wear was given to Ecuador. I fitted the gown. I was in the heat of the moment that the gown that was placed in the Philippines' cubicle was taken. That box. My gown. Fitted. Named after me." She added that she was left without a gown at the time, and that Miss Guam made Schweighart borrow her gown because she had nothing to wear. (Photo source: facebook.com/ImeeHart2013) IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against Xerox Corporation ("Xerox" or the "Company") (XRX). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares between April 23, 2012 and October 23, 2015 inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the Firm prior to the December 23, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline. If you purchased shares of Xerox during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esquire, of Khang & Khang, 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA 92612, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com. There has been no class certification in this case yet. Until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may choose to take no action and remain a passive class member. The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, Xerox repeatedly touted its new software product, Health Enterprise, as an important growth area for the Company, which would operate at low cost and high profit margin. The Company's statements pertaining to the profitability and growth prospects of the Health Enterprise business were materially false and misleading because Xerox failed to disclose: that the Company's existing Health Enterprise projects were experiencing major delays and cost overruns; that Xerox would be unable to deliver Health Enterprise implementations at sustainable profits; and that as a result of the above, the Company's statements about its business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. On October 26, 2015, Xerox released its third quarter 2015 financial results which were disappointing due to costs associated with the implementation of Health Enterprise and the termination of Health Enterprise contracts with the state agencies of California and Montana. When this information was disclosed to the public, shares of Xerox dropped in value. If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit at no charge, or if you have questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or via e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com. Story continues This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. Contacts Joon M. Khang, Esq. Telephone: 949-419-3834 Facsimile: 949-225-4474 joon@khanglaw.com SOURCE: Khang & Khang LLP LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Lundin Law PC , a shareholder rights firm, announces a class action lawsuit has been filed against Adeptus Health Inc. ("Adeptus Health" or the "Company") (ADPT) on behalf of purchasers of Adeptus Health securities pursuant and/or traceable to the Company's secondary public offering (the "SPO") on or about July 31, 2015, or purchasers of common shares between April 23, 2015 and November 16, 2015, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors, who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the SPO or the Class Period, are encouraged to contact the firm in advance of the December 27, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline. To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here. You can also call Brian Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com. No class has been certified in the above action. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member. The complaint alleges that Adeptus Health made material false and/or misleading information and/or failed to disclose: that the Company engaged in widespread predatory billing practices, particularly with respect to lower acuity level patients; that Adeptus Health's predatory billing practices subjected the Company to numerous known but undisclosed risks, such as financial risks, reputational risks, risks associated with improper financial reporting, civil or criminal sanctions, and even exclusion from federal and state healthcare programs; that the Company's financial statements were not prepared in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; that contrary to the Company's representations about its practice of referring lower acuity patients to urgent care facilities, Adeptus Health routinely treated lower acuity patients and excessively billed them for services; and that as a result of the above, Adeptus Health lacked a reasonable basis for its statements about its business and future financial prospects at all relevant times. On November 17, 2015, KUSA, an NBC-affiliated television station located in Denver, Colorado, aired an investigative report about the predatory billing practices at Adeptus Health's Colorado First Choice emergency rooms. When this news was announced, shares of Adeptus Health fell in value, causing investors harm. Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Contact: Lundin Law PC Brian Lundin, Esq. Telephone: 888-713-1033 Facsimile: 888-713-1125 brian@lundinlawpc.com http://lundinlawpc.com/ SOURCE: Lundin Law PC Geneva (AFP) - People stuck in war-ravaged Aleppo do not have the luxury of refusing help from jihadists, a high-level member of Syria's main opposition said, lashing out at international "inaction" in breaking the siege. Damascus and its Russian ally have used the presence of fighters with former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front -- previously called Al-Nusra Front -- to justify their offensive on rebel-held eastern Aleppo. The top UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has also called on the fighters to leave the city to help enable aid to reach the estimated 250,000 civilians living under siege. But Khaled Khoja, a top negotiator with the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) opposition umbrella group, insisted that trapped and desperate residents and the armed rebels trying to defend them had been left with no option but to accept help from the Islamist fighters. "The inaction of the international community in terms of breaking the siege of Aleppo allowed al-Nusra to intervene in this battle," he told AFP in Geneva late Monday. "You cannot ask the people who are suffering inside Aleppo because of the siege to refuse the help from anyone," he said. His comments came after opposition factions allied with jihadists launched a major assault on Friday, backed by car bombs and salvos of rockets, to end the regime's three-month encirclement of the city's eastern districts. He said there were only around 300 Nusra fighters in eastern Aleppo out of around 20,000 rebels -- numbers that differ wildly from a UN estimate of around 8,000 rebels in the besieged part of the city, including some 900 who belong to Fateh al-Sham. - Not targeting civilians - Khoja rejected widespread criticism of opposition fire on civilians in western Aleppo, stressing that "as HNC we don't accept civilian targets". According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, heavy rebel rocket fire since Friday has killed 51 civilians, including 18 children. Story continues Khoja acknowledged that there had been civilian casualties as the rebels struggle to break the siege, but blamed international backers like the United States who had refused to provide accurate weapons. He said the rebels "are not targeting civilians, they are targeting the regime, but... the bombs they are using are not perfect bombs". On the other side, he said, "the Russians are targeting civilians, the regime is targeting civilians. It's uncomparable." Khoja also voiced hope that the US election next week would push Washington to more actively support the opposition in Syria. "We heard (Democratic presidential candidate Hillary) Clinton talking about civilian protection, no-fly-zones, which is something we welcome and that we demand," he said. He was more wary of a possible win by Republican candidate Donald Trump, who he said came across as "very close to (Syrian President Bashar al-) Assad and to the Russians." But he said that once Trump received more information about the Syrian conflict "we hope he can change his attitude". Developments in Washington aside, Khoja voiced little optimism that the UN-backed peace talks could resume soon. "We can't talk about a political process unless we alleviate the suffering of the people on the ground. They are suffering from sieges, from starvation, from bombing and shellings," he said. But in a small sign of progress, he and other HNC negotiators were back in Geneva for the first time since they walked out of talks six months ago amid soaring violence on the ground. Khoja said they were in the Swiss city not for political talks but for technical discussions with de Mistura's staff on the issue of detainees. Describing Monday's seven-hour meeting as "fruitful", he said the negotiators had agreed to return at a later date for more discussions on securing the release of the more than 200,000 people they estimate are being held by the regime and its allies. India said one more civilian had been killed late Tuesday by Pakistani mortar shelling in the disputed Kashmir region, taking the toll to eight, as tensions soar between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan for its part said six of its citizens had been killed by Indian gunfire on Monday and summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest what it termed an unprovoked ceasefire violation. India and Pakistan's armies have regularly exchanged fire across the LoC as well as along their undisputed part of the border since a militant attack on an Indian army base on September 18 that left 19 soldiers dead. Both countries accuse each other of violating the ceasefire and engaging in "unprovoked firing". In India, two children and three adults were killed Tuesday near the city of Jammu in the Samba sector across the border with Pakistan's Punjab province, a top civil official, Pawan Kotwal, told AFP. Two women were also killed in the mountainous Rajouri district along the line of control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed territory, Kotwal said in a text message. Later Tuesday, another senior police official, Danish Rana, confirmed the death of one more man in the shelling. Twenty-two people were injured in the cross-border firing, the Press Trust of India news agency said, referring to the shelling which began in the early hours of Tuesday. Local media reports said Indian security forces killed two Pakistani soldiers and "destroyed" 14 of their posts in retaliation after the latest cross-border firing. Eight Indian troops have also died in the border skirmishes since September. Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months since the attack on the Indian army base, the deadliest in more than a decade. India has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack. India said it responded by carrying out strikes across the heavily-militarised border, although Islamabad denies these took place. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full. Several rebel groups have fought for decades an estimated 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the Himalayan territory, demanding independence for the region or its merger with Pakistan. An Indian national who slashed his Singaporean wife in a dispute over his request to see their daughter and his visa pleaded guilty to one charge of attempt to commit culpable homicide on Tuesday (1 November). Krishnan Karunakaran, 45, also pleaded guilty at the High Court to another charge of committing criminal intimidation on his 38-year-old wife, Boomichelvi Ramasamy, on 27 October 2013. Two other charges were taken into consideration. Reading from the statement of facts, Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamed Faizal said that the couple went through a wedding ceremony in a temple in India in January 2011 but the marriage was never registered in Singapore. Krishnan, who was represented by his lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, came to Singapore in July 2012 and lived together with his wife in a flat in Hougang. His wifes daughter from an earlier marriage, their infant daughter and domestic helper Murugesan Buvaneswari were also staying with the couple. Separated in 2013 When the couple separated in June 2013, Krishnans wife told him not to stay in the flat anymore. It was not revealed where he was staying after he moved out. On 26 October 2013, Krishnan, who was earlier facing an original charge of attempt to murder, met his wife at the void deck of the block where the flat was at. Krishnan asked her to help him in his application to extend his visa. Instead, Boomichelvi returned Krishnan his passport and told him to remove his possessions from the flat. Krishnan agreed to do so the next day. While the victim was taking the lift to the fifth floor, where the flat was located, Krishnan ran up the stairs and caught up with her. Outside the flat, Krishnan asked Boomichelvi to let him see his then one-year-old daughter but his wife rejected his request. Boomichelvi then closed the front door on Krishnan, which upset him. Krishnan then thought of ways to threaten his wife about the visa issue and getting access to his daughter. He then went to a supermarket at Little India where he bought a knife. Story continues The following day, at about 8 am, Kirshnan waited for his wife at the lift lobby of the void deck and hid the knife underneath his singlet. Boomichelvi was in a lift and on her way to work when she saw her husband at the lift lobby at about 8.19 am. Demanded to see his daughter Krishnan then barged into the lift and prevented her from leaving. He told her that he wanted to talk to her. His wife refused and he responded by pulling the knife out and demanding that Boomichelvi help him over the two matters. When his wife refused to do so, Krishnan pulled the victims hair and pointed the knife at her stomach. He then pressed the lift button for the fifth floor and warned Boomichelvi not to make any noise. Upon reaching the fifth floor, he pointed the knife at his wifes spine and made her walk towards the flat. Boomichelvis elder daughter and her domestic helper Murugesan saw what was happening. Krishnan demanded that Murugesan open the door but was instructed by Boomichelvi not to do so. While the couple were struggling, Krishnan aimed the knife at his wifes neck with the intention of stabbing her. A few minutes later, Krishnan slashed his wifes throat and then shouted Die! in Tamil before fleeing from the scene. Boomichelvis elder daughter called the police. Krishnan did the same when he went down to the void deck, and admitted to his crime to police officers at the scene and was arrested. Appearing before Justice Chan Seng Onn, Krishnan, who was speaking in Tamil via an interpreter, was emotionless when he pleaded guilty. His case is adjourned to Friday (4 November) for the prosecution and defence to make their submissions. If convicted, Krishnan faces a jail term of up to 15 years for the charge of attempt to commit culpable homicide and a term of up to 10 years for criminal intimidation. He could also be fine and/or cane for both offences. (Repeats to more subscribers) * Hundreds of firms to be at Jakarta defence show this week * Western suppliers trying to wrestle deal from Sukhoi - sources * Indonesian defence spending jumped 77 pct to $8.3 bln in 4 yrs * Indonesia to increasingly diversify arms suppliers - IHS By Agustinus Beo Da Costa and Eveline Danubrata JAKARTA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Indonesia is in talks to buy "nine or 10" Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia, an Indonesian defence ministry official told Reuters on Tuesday, without giving a timeline for any deal. "We are still negotiating," Leonardi, head of the defence facilities at Indonesia's defence ministry who goes by one name, said by telephone. "We are still bargaining, 'how much do you want to sell them for?'." Indonesian defence minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said in May the Southeast Asian country would buy eight Russian Sukhoi Su-35 jets this year, but the planned purchase has not materialised. Rival Western companies are still trying to wrest the deal to supply Indonesia with fighter jets away from Russia's Sukhoi, two people familiar with the talks said, asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. The award has not been finalised and it is seen as a test for efforts by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to enforce more transparency in big-ticket deals, they said. Hundreds of companies including Lockheed Martin of the United States, Sweden's Saab and Indonesian state weapons maker PT Pindad will be represented at an Indo Defence exhibition, which will be held in Jakarta from Nov. 2 to Nov. 5. The country's biggest annual defence show will come weeks after Indonesian warplanes staged large-scale exercises on the edge of a South China Sea area claimed by Beijing. While Indonesia is not part of the dispute over the South China Sea, it objects to China's inclusion of waters around the Natuna Islands within its 'nine-dash line', a demarcation line used by China to show its claims there. Indonesia's total defence spending has risen 77 percent over the last four years to 108.7 trillion rupiah ($8.3 billion), though it is expected to dip to 108.0 trillion rupiah next year, according to official data. Story continues Indonesia had signed a contract with Lockheed Martin for 24 F-16 jets, of which 14 had been delivered and 10 more expected by early 2018, the defence ministry's Leonardi said. He declined to disclose the value of the deal. Research firm IHS Markit predicts that Indonesia will spend more than $20 billion on procurement between 2016 and 2025 -- the fifth fastest-growing defence budget in the world -- and it will increasingly seek to diversify its suppliers. South Korea, Russia and France are expected to hold a combined market share of 53 percent between 2009 and 2018, while the other half will be shared by about 30 countries, many with less than one percent, IHS said. "This reflects Indonesia's wariness about dependency of a supplier or a set of suppliers, as well as the intention to 'shop around' for the best defence deals, spurring competition," said IHS analyst Jon Grevatt. ($1 = 13,040.00 rupiah) (Reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa in JAKARTA and Tim Hepher in ZHUHAI; Additional reporting by Gayatri Suroyo and Kanupriya Kapoor in JAKARTA; Writing by Eveline Danubrata; Editing by Robert Birsel and Louise Heavens) When First Lady Michelle Obama was preparing for her familys move into the White House in 2008, there were a few redesigns that ranked at the top of her to-do list. The number one priority for the First Lady was getting Malias and Sashas rooms and her mothers room set up, Melissa Winter, deputy assistant to President Barack Obama and senior advisor to the First Lady, says in the December issue of Architectural Digest. The most important thing was ensuring the comfort and happiness of her family. After discovering renowned interior designer Michael S. Smith through a mutual friend, the Obamas decided he was the right choice to outfit the White Houses private quarters to suit the needs of their young family. Because of Michael Smith, the private residence of the White House has not only reflected our taste but also upheld the proud history of this building. Above all, it has truly felt like a home for our family, the First Lady tells AD. RELATED: Inside the Vermont Island Community Where Bernie Sanders Just Bought a $600,000 Lakehouse Smith returns the praise, saying of the first family, They were unbelievably charming, gracious, and thoughtful, and those qualities were reflected in the design of their home. It was very welcoming and comfortable, with books everywhere, and I immediately grasped the spirit of their family. After their initial meeting, Smith only had two months to pull his design together. He rushed to research the White Houses traditions so that he could create a look that was respectful of its historical nature, yet still reflective of the family. Mrs. Obama often talks about bringing new voices into the national conversation, and that idea informed many of the decisions we made, he says. We selected artists and designers who would never have appeared in the White House before. Story continues WATCH THIS: Michelle Obama Drops the Mic, George and Amal Clooney Try to Beat the Rain and Lady Gaga Named Billboards Woman of the Year RELATED: Take a Peek Inside the Obama Familys Post-Presidency Home Although the Obama familys modern art collection is distinctly different from those of presidents past, theres one room they kept traditional: the master bedroom. This is their sanctuaryprivate, elegant, and calm, Smith says. You really want to make sure that the President of the United States gets a good nights sleep. For the full tour, pick up the December issue of Architectural Digest, on newsstands now. This is a very busy week with over 1000 companies including 130 S&P 500 members reporting their quarterly numbers. The lineup features plenty of technology companies including Facebook Inc. FB. As of Friday, Oct 28, 2016, per our latest Earnings Preview, we have had results from 291 S&P 500 members (68.5% of the indexs total market capitalization). Total earnings are up 2.2% year over year on 1.3% increase in revenues. This quarter is poised to become the first to record growth after five successive quarters of earnings decline. The performance of the technology and finance sectors has been decent but energy continues to be a drag. Overall, total earnings of S&P 500 members are expected to be up 2% on 1.4% higher revenues. Total earnings of the companies in the tech sector, representing 72.2% of the sectors total market capitalization in the S&P 500 index, are up 1.6% on 1.5% higher revenues. The quarterly results for the technology sector continue to take a hit because of disappointing numbers from Apple AAPL. The companys third quarter earnings are down 19% year over year with revenues down 9%. Per our model, if we exclude Apple, earnings for the rest of the tech companies that have reported to date are up 8.8% on 4.5% increase in revenues. Lets see whats in store for four Internet stocks, all of which are expected to release quarterly numbers on Nov 2. Incorporated in Jul 2004 and headquartered in Menlo Park, CA, Facebook. through its web-based portal helps in creating and fostering social networks. Facebook helps users exchange messages, post pictures, play social games, listen to music, and interact with their favorite brands. Facebooks subsidiaries include, photo sharing app Instagram, Whatsapp, Messenger and Oculus. Currently, Facebook carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third quarter 2016 stands at 76 cents. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 22.58%. Notably, for the four preceding quarters, Facebook has a positive average earnings surprise of 18.25%. (Read: Facebook Q3 Earnings: Will Ad Revenues Do the Trick?) Story continues FACEBOOK INC-A Price and EPS Surprise FACEBOOK INC-A Price and EPS Surprise | FACEBOOK INC-A Quote Ottawa, Canadabased Shopify Inc. SHOP provides cloud-based commerce platform that enables merchants to design, set up and manage their stores through web, mobile, social media and brick-and-mortar locations. Currently, Shopify carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. For Shopify, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for third quarter 2016 stands at a loss of 10 cents. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 23.08%. Notably, for the four preceding quarters, Shopify has a positive average earnings surprise of 19.46%. SHOPIFY INC Price and EPS Surprise SHOPIFY INC Price and EPS Surprise | SHOPIFY INC Quote San Francisco, CA based Yelp Inc. YELP is a platform engaged in providing information through an online community covering variety of services like restaurants, shopping, nightlife and health. The company serves customers in the United States, Canada, UK and in major European countries like Ireland, France, Germany, and Austria and more. Currently, Yelp carries a Zacks Rank #4 and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third quarter 2016 stands at a loss of 3 cents. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 128.57%. However, for the four preceding quarters, Yelp has an average negative earnings surprise of 195.64%. YELP INC Price and EPS Surprise YELP INC Price and EPS Surprise | YELP INC Quote Nashville, TN, HealthStream, Inc. HSTM is pioneering a web-based solution to meet the training and education needs of the healthcare industry utilizing its proprietary system. Through strategic relationships with medical institutions and commercial organizations, the company has amassed hours of training and education courses. The company distributes hours of these courses online to allied healthcare professionals, nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers. Currently, HealthStream carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third quarter 2016 stands at 7 cents. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 37.50%. For the four preceding quarters, HealthStream,has an average positive earnings surprise of 19.79%. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. HEALTHSTREAM Price and EPS Surprise HEALTHSTREAM Price and EPS Surprise | HEALTHSTREAM Quote Now See Our Private Investment Ideas While the above ideas are being shared with the public, other trades are hidden from everyone but selected members. Would you like to peek behind the curtain and view them? Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from insider trades to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises (we've called them with 80%+ accuracy). You can even look inside portfolios so exclusive that they are normally closed to new investors. Click here for Zacks' secret trades >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report HEALTHSTREAM (HSTM): Free Stock Analysis Report APPLE INC (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report YELP INC (YELP): Free Stock Analysis Report FACEBOOK INC-A (FB): Free Stock Analysis Report SHOPIFY INC (SHOP): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. PEARL RIVER, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Hudson Technologies, Inc. (HDSN) will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the results of the third quarter 2016, to be held Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Live Event Information To participate, connect approximately 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the event. Date, Time: November 2, 2016 at 5:00 PM ET Toll Free: 877-407-9205 International: 201-689-8054 Live Webcast: http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=175344 or www.hudsontech.com Replay Information The replay will be available beginning approximately 2 hours after the completion of the live event, ending at midnight Eastern on December 2, 2016. Toll Free: 1-877-660-6853 International: 1-201-612-7415 Replay ID# 13647219 Webcast: www.investorcalendar.com or www.hudsontech.com About Hudson Technologies Hudson Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative solutions to recurring problems within the refrigeration industry. Hudson's proprietary RefrigerantSideServices increase operating efficiency and energy savings, and remove moisture, oils and other contaminants frequently found in the refrigeration circuits of large comfort cooling and process refrigeration systems. Performed at a customer's site as an integral part of an effective scheduled maintenance program or in response to emergencies, RefrigerantSide Services offer significant savings to customers due to their ability to be completed rapidly and at higher purity levels, and can be utilized while the customer's system continues to operate. In addition, the Company sells refrigerants and provides traditional reclamation services to the commercial and industrial air conditioning and refrigeration markets. For further information on Hudson, please visit the Company's web site at www.hudsontech.com. SOURCE: Investor Calendar Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi forces fought their way into jihadist-held Mosul on Tuesday as a top commander said the "true liberation" of the city from the Islamic State group had begun. Just over two weeks into the massive offensive to retake Mosul -- IS's last major stronghold in Iraq -- the army said its forces had managed to push within city limits. Troops had "entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti area, within the left bank of the city of Mosul," the Joint Operations Command said in a statement. Mosul is split by the Tigris River, with the eastern half of the city known as the left bank. Judaidat al-Mufti is on the southeastern side of the city. Elite Iraqi forces had also recaptured the key village of Gogjali and taken control of a television station building on the eastern edge of the city. Fighters from the US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had pushed into the area amid heavy fighting on the eastern front over the past two days. "Now is the beginning of the true liberation of the city of Mosul," Staff General Taleb Sheghati al-Kenani, the commander of CTS, told Iraqiya state television from Gogjali. Backed by air and ground support from a US-led coalition, tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters are converging on Mosul. Since the offensive was launched on October 17, federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have retaken a series of villages as they advance on the city from the north, east and south. As his forces advanced, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned the jihadists they would have no place to run. - 'Die or surrender' - "We will close in on (IS) from every place," he said on state television on Monday, dressed in a camouflage uniform. "They don't have an exit, they don't have an escape, they can only surrender -- they can die or they can surrender," Abadi said. Some 4,000 to 7,000 jihadists are believed to be in and around Mosul, where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the group's cross-border "caliphate" after the group seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria two years ago. Story continues For now the jihadists do have an escape route -- to the west towards IS-controlled territory in neighbouring Syria. Paramilitary forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), an umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militia, launched an assault at the weekend to cut off that route. They have been advancing north, their sights set on the town of Tal Afar which commands the city's western approaches. On the northern and eastern sides of Mosul, peshmerga forces from the autonomous Kurdish region have taken a series of villages and towns and consolidated their positions. To the south, federal forces, backed by coalition artillery units stationed in the main staging base of Qayyarah, have been pushing north. They have the most ground to cover and are still some distance from the southern limits of Mosul. Iraqi forces are expected to try to open safe corridors for the million-plus civilians still believed to be inside. Humanitarian organisations have been fighting against the clock to build up the capacity to handle the possible mass exodus from the city. The United Nations says up to a million people could be displaced in the coming weeks. More than 17,900 people have already fled their homes since the operation began, according to the International Organisation for Migration. IS has been losing ground steadily in Iraq since 2015 and the outcome of the Mosul battle is in little doubt, but commanders have warned it could last months. If the city is retaken, only Raqa in Syria will remain as the last major city under the jihadists' control. Iraqi forces advanced against Islamic State in the east Mosul suburb of Gogjali on November 1, according to Iraqi media. The Iraqi forces raided the first neighborhood in Gogjali from two sides as heavy clashes erupted, the same source said. Heavy fighting was also reported between Iraqi forces and Islamic State in the Qodos neighborhood of eastern Mosul, al-Mawsleya news said. Many local families fled Gogjali as the fighting intensified, according to Iraqi media reports. Rudaw, which has been covering the offensive against the city of Mosul since October 17, published videos of Iraqi forces advancing in Gogjali. A man speaking in the first video says that all Mosul locals want to flee. Credit: Rudaw Gogjali (Iraq) (AFP) - More than a million civilians in Mosul were in grave danger and aid workers were "bracing for the worst", a relief group said Wednesday, after Iraqi forces reached the jihadist-held city. Gunfire echoed across the village of Gogjali on the edge of Mosul on Wednesday, as elite Iraqi forces nearby continued a push that had brought them to within a few hundred metres of the city's eastern edge. Just over two weeks into the offensive to retake Mosul -- the last Iraqi city under the control of the Islamic State group -- Iraq's military said on Tuesday its forces had penetrated city limits by entering a southeastern neighbourhood. There were no signs yet of a major push inside Mosul itself and on other fronts Iraqi forces were still some distance from the city. But the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the most active relief groups operating in Iraq, warned that a long-feared humanitarian crisis was closer than ever. "We are now bracing ourselves for the worst. The lives of 1.2 million civilians are in grave danger, and the future of all of Iraq is now in the balance," NRC Iraq director Wolfgang Gressmann said in a statement. - 'Terrifying nightmare' - "People in and around Mosul have lived for almost two and a half years in a relentless, terrifying nightmare. We are now all responsible to put an end to it," Gressmann said. More than 20,000 people have already fled to government-held areas since the offensive was launched on October 17, according to the International Organization for Migration. But civilians inside Mosul -- who according to aid group Save The Children include up to 600,000 children -- are trapped behind IS lines and the United Nations has said thousands are being held for possible use as human shields. In Gogjali, fighters with Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) were screening civilians for any remaining members of IS. One government fighter carried a black IS flag, saying: "We removed it and planted the Iraqi flag instead." Story continues Backed by air and ground support from a US-led coalition, Iraqi federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters are advancing on Mosul from the east, north and south. Soldiers pushing down from the north have moved within two kilometres (1.25 miles) of Mosul, military officials say, while forces moving from the south are still some distance from the city. Paramilitary forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), an umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militia, also launched an assault at the weekend to cut off the jihadists' escape route to Syria to the west of Mosul. IS is vastly outnumbered in the battle, with an estimated 4,000 to 7,000 jihadist fighters in Mosul and the surrounding area. - IS radio reveals tactics - But the jihadists have put up stiff resistance with suicide bombers, mortars and small arms fire as Iraqi forces advance. On the southern front, where Iraq's elite Rapid Response Division is advancing towards the IS-held town of Hamam al-Alil some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Mosul, a captured IS radio provided rare insight into how the jihadists operate. An AFP journalist embedded with Iraqi forces was present on Tuesday as they listened to IS fighters plan tactics over the radio. "Abu Dhiyab, let the istishhadi with you go," a jihadist who identified himself as Abu al-Layl said over the captured radio, using an Arabic word the jihadists use for suicide bombers. Abu Dhiyab replied: "I brought the istishhadiyeen and left them behind the dirt berm. As soon as they (Iraqi forces) advance, they will go out to them." A Rapid Response captain ordered two vehicles to approach the berm to draw the jihadists out, but the suicide bombers were hit by air strikes before that could happen. After seizing control of large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria in mid-2014, IS declared a cross-border "caliphate", imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law and committed widespread atrocities. IS has been losing ground steadily in Iraq since 2015 and the outcome of the Mosul battle is in little doubt, but commanders have warned it could last months. If the city is retaken, only Raqa in Syria will remain as the last major city under the jihadists' control. CAIRO (Reuters) - Italian and Egyptian prosecutors discussed Egypt's investigation into the killing of an Italian student on Tuesday and called the talks "positive", after months of rising tension as Rome complained about a lack of cooperation from Cairo. Giulio Regeni, who was doing postgraduate research into Egyptian trade unions, was last seen by his friends on Jan. 25. His body, showing signs of torture, was found in a roadside ditch on the outskirts of Cairo on Feb. 3. Amid accusations from rights groups that Egyptian security services appeared responsible for the 28-year-old Regeni's death, Italy complained that Egyptian authorities were not cooperating to find the perpetrators. In April, Rome withdrew its ambassador to Cairo for consultations. Italian deputy chief prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco met Egyptian Public Prosecutor Nabil Sadek in Cairo on Tuesday and invited him to visit Rome in December for further talks and to meet Regeni's parents, a statement by the two sides said. "During the meeting amid a positive atmosphere, the two parties discussed the latest developments in the investigation and renewed their commitment to direct cooperation in uncovering the mystery of the incident and achieving justice for the victim," the statement said. In protest at the perceived sluggishness of the investigation, the Italian Senate voted in June to halt supplies to Egypt of spare parts for F16 warplanes. Italy was Egypt's fourth largest trade partner in terms of imports and exports in 2015, according to Egypt's statistics agency CAPMAS. The Senate vote was Italy's first commercial step against Cairo over the Regeni case. Human rights groups have said that torture marks, including cigarette burns, cuts and contusions, indicated Regeni died at the hands of the security forces, an allegation Cairo denies. But security and intelligence sources told Reuters in April that Regeni had been arrested outside a Cairo metro station on Jan. 25 and was taken to a Homeland Security compound. Regeni's case is an "open wound" for Italy, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said last week. Sadek told his Italian counterpart in September that the head of Egypt's independent union of street vendors reported Regeni to police a few weeks before he disappeared. Police then carried out checks on Regeni's activity for three days but found nothing of interest and stopped the checks, he said. Regeni had been researching independent labor unions in Egypt for his doctorate studies at Cambridge University, and had been in contact with the leaders of the street vendors' union. Italy has significant economic interests in Egypt, including the giant offshore Zohr gas field, which is being developed by the Italian state energy producer Eni. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has also sought to be Egypt's main political partner in Europe, offering to be "a bridge" to the region for Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. (Additional reporting by Haitham Ahmed; writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by Mark Heinrich) Cairo (AFP) - Italy's deputy public prosecutor held talks Tuesday in Cairo with his Egyptian counterpart about the investigation into the January abduction, torture and murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni, officials said. Sergio Colaiocco, who arrived at the head of a security and judicial delegation, met Nabil Sadeq, the two prosecutors said in a joint statement, and discussed the latest findings in the case. During the meeting, they also vowed to pursue "their direct cooperation" and press with the investigation into Regeni's murder, the statement said. "The Egyptian prosecutor responded positively to a request from the Rome prosecution to hand over documents belonging to Regeni... since they are no longer of use for the investigation," it added. Regeni, a 28-year-old Cambridge University PhD student, disappeared on January 25 in central Cairo during a heavy security deployment for the fifth anniversary of the start of the 2011 uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak. His body was later found by a roadside, bearing signs of torture. Egypt has denied any involvement of its security forces in his death, but Italy recalled its ambassador in April in protest at what it said was a lack of progress in the investigation. In September, the two prosecutors said in a joint statement that Regeni, who was researching street vendor trade unions, had been investigated for three days by police in January. It was the first official Egyptian acknowledgement that Regeni had been on the radar of the country's security services. Trade unions are an especially sensitive political issue in Egypt, with successive governments fearing strikes and labour unrest. Police officials had at first suggested Regeni might have died in a road accident, and have since offered little information on their investigation. An Italian autopsy showed that his body was covered with cuts and his bones were broken, indicating he was hit with "fists, batons and hammers". His parents, Paola and Claudio Regeni, said the report suggested he had been tortured by a "professional". Ivanka Trump speaks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. July 21, 2016. (PhotoL REUTERS/Mike Segar) Calls to boycott Ivanka Trump's fashion brand are taking hold. Critics are urging shoppers to stop spending money at the many retailers that carry her namesake brand, including Amazon, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Dillard's, Marshalls, and Neiman Marcus. The anti-Ivanka Trump movement was launched in mid-October by brand strategist Shannon Coulter. It started gaining steam last week when a woman describing herself as a lifelong Nordstrom customer posted an open letter to the department store demanding that it stop selling items from Trump's $100 million clothing and accessories line. "The hate speech directed at African Americans, Latinos, Jews, Muslims, LGBT people, and women by the Trump campaign is unacceptable and does not seem to represent Nordstrom's values," she wrote, according to a copy of the letter that she posted on Twitter. "Yet Ms. Trump continues to defend it, and Nordstrom continues to defend her." The letter's author, whose Twitter handle is @shewhovotes, asked her followers to share the letter if they agree. She tagged the tweet with the hashtag #GrabYourWallet, which has become a rallying cry on social media to boycott Trump's brand. Photo: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images As of Monday, the #GrabYourWallet campaign had made more than 119 million impressions on Twitter, which include retweets and "likes," The Wrap reports. Some celebrities have even shown support for the boycott, including Ben & Jerrys co-founder Ben Cohen, writer Joyce Carol Oates, Valerie Bertinelli, Lucy Lawless and Oscar nominee Don Cheadle. There's some evidence that the negative publicity has started impacting Ivanka Trump's brand. Searches for her products online soared between June and October, Fast Company reports citing data from ShopRunner. During the first week in October, searches for her products were up 335% over April 2016. But search traffic has taken a nosedive since the start of the boycott. "We certainly see in the data, in the last week or two, very much timed with the boycott, the decline in interest, but hard to say whether that's just a temporary blip," ShopRunner CMO Angela Song told Fast Company. Story continues Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images The New Yorker declared in late October that "the darker forces of her fathers political campaign are threatening to ruin everything" for her, and that she is fighting to "salvage her brand, which is built around young professional women and working mothers, two groups who appear to be recoiling from her fathers Presidential candidacy in large numbers." But Ivanka Trump dismissed the boycott on "Good Morning America" last week, saying many women still support her. "The beauty of America is people can do what they like, but I'd prefer to talk to the millions, tens of millions of American women who are inspired by the brand and the message that I've created," she said. Nordstrom didn't respond to a request for comment. However, the company posted this message on Twitter: "As a retailer we work with thousands of vendors. It would be difficult for us to filter out who and what they choose to support and then determine the ones we agree or disagree with. Offering these or other products doesnt imply we're taking a position." NOW WATCH: PUTIN: Trump represents Americans who are 'tired of the elite who have been in power for decades' More From Business Insider (Adds quotes, details) ABIDJAN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Ivory Coast will sell 400,000 tonnes of its 2016/17 cocoa mid-crop harvest exclusively to locally based grinders via special auctions beginning in January, marketing board and finance ministry sources said on Tuesday. The world's top cocoa grower typically produces around 400,000 tonnes of cocoa during the April-to-September mid-crop, but it saw output drop to around 316,000 tonnes last season due to poor weather. Ivory Coast has vied with the Netherlands to be the global leader in cocoa processing in recent years. But local grinders struggled to procure supplies for their processing facilities amid last season's dip in mid-crop production. "They told us their needs and we have decided to exclusively guarantee them the mid-crop this season if it doesn't go above 400,000 tonnes," a source with the Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) said. "If it's bigger, then others can have some." The decision was confirmed by a finance ministry source involved in managing the cocoa portfolio. Ivory Coast's main cocoa processors include Barry Callebaut , Olam International, Cargill and Cemoi. While overall output is expected to rebound this season after falling by around 28 percent last season, the CCC source said it would hold off on marketing the mid-crop until the start of 2017. "For the moment, we are not selling anything from the 2016/17 mid-crop, because we want to have a good idea of the production level first. We want to avoid over-selling like last year," he said. The CCC had already sold forward 1,225,000 tonnes of the main crop, including 220,000 tonnes worth of international contracts, by the end of October, according to the finance ministry source. "There's nothing left to sell aside from the mid-crop, which will be entirely destined for the grinders this year," he said. (Reporting by Ange Aboa; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Potter) By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian opposition activist who became the first person to be jailed under a new law for repeatedly staging peaceful anti-Kremlin protests says he is being tortured in prison and fears for his life. A Moscow court sentenced Ildar Dadin, 34, to three years in prison in December for holding a series of one-man protests, although his term was reduced to two and a half years on appeal. Russian rights activists regard Dadin, an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and his policies, as a political prisoner. The authorities say Dadin broke a law, introduced after big anti-Kremlin protests, that criminalizes anyone who violates protest rules more than twice in 180 days. In a letter to his wife from prison in northwest Russia, published on Tuesday by the online news portal Meduza, Dadin said he was being subjected to beatings in which around 10 prison guards would kick him at the same time. He said he had also had been hung up like a piece of meat with his hands handcuffed behind his back, that he had been stripped and threatened with rape, and that the prison governor had warned him he would be murdered if he complained. "Regular beatings, bullying, humiliation, insults, intolerable detention conditions it's happening to the other prisoners as well," the letter said. Dadin said if he was subjected similar treatment again, "it's unlikely that I'll last more than a week". Anastasia Zotova, his wife, said on social media she had felt something was wrong when prison authorities had not allowed her to speak to her husband on the phone or to visit. Valery Maksimenko, the deputy head of the prison service, told the Interfax news agency that a medical investigation had not found any injuries on Dadin, and that Dadin had confirmed as much in a video interview. He said an investigation into the allegations was under way. A spokeswoman for the prison service did not respond to a request to comment on whether Dadin had retracted his claims. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Putin, told reporters when asked about the matter that Putin would be informed about Dadin's letter. "This is a case which merits the closest attention of the relevant authorities, in this case the prison service," said Peskov. Dadin told his wife he feared he might be murdered to shut him up. "In the event of my sudden death, you may be told that I committed suicide, had an accident, was shot while trying to escape, or (died) fighting with another prisoner," he wrote. "But this would be a lie." (Additional reporting by Svetlana Reiter and Denis Pinchuk; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Moscow (AFP) - A Russian activist jailed for staging solo anti-government protests claimed in a letter published Tuesday that he was beaten and threatened with rape and murder in prison. Ildar Dadin, a 34-year-old serving a two-and-a-half year sentence at a prison in Russia's northwestern region of Karelia, was the first person to be imprisoned under a new law that punishes repeated participation in unsanctioned rallies with jail time. In a letter to his wife published Tuesday on Meduza, an independent Russian news portal based in Latvia, Dadin said that on the second day of his detention in September, the prison governor and three other employees came to his cell and began beating him. "They beat me four times that day, 10 to 12 people at a time, they were kicking me," Dadin said in the letter, transcribed by his lawyer Alexei Liptser on Monday. "After the third beating, they put my head in the toilet bowl right in the isolation cell." Dadin also said that prison workers had hung him by his handcuffs for half an hour and pulled his underwear down, threatening him with rape if he refused to stop a hunger strike he had begun after being deprived of basic necessities such as soap and toilet paper. Dadin added that he was not the only detainee being mistreated and that he had been threated with death if he complained. "Constant beatings, bullying, humiliation, insults, intolerable detention conditions -- this also happens to the other inmates," Dadin wrote. - Putin 'informed' of claims - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday that President Vladimir Putin would be informed of the allegations. The regional branch of Russia's investigative committee said it would probe Dadin's claims, Russian news agencies reported. Rights groups such as Amnesty International have called for Dadin's release and a thorough investigation into his claims. "We are urging Russian authorities to end the pattern of impunity for torture and other ill treatment and investigate Ildar Dadin's appalling allegations," Sergei Nikitin, director of Amnesty International Russia, said in a statement. Story continues "They must also immediately and unconditionally release Ildar Dadin, and provide him with full remedy for the injustice done to him." Some 50 people went to the Moscow headquarters of the Federal Penitentiary Service on Tuesday night to submit requests for an investigation into Dadin's mistreatment, an AFP photographer at the scene said. One protester staging a solo picket held up a sign that read: "Stop torture, freedom to Dadin." In his letter, Dadin also called on the Committee Against Torture -- an NGO that has been targeted by authorities in their broader crackdown against civil society -- to ensure his safety as well as that of other inmates. The head of the committee, Igor Kalyapin, told AFP he was working on receiving the authorisation required to visit the prison. "If Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service does not give me permission, no-one will let me in the prison," he said, adding he was ready to fly out the minute he receives a formal authorisation. An unnamed official from the regional penitentiary service told Novaya Gazeta opposition newspaper that prison guards had used "physical force" against Dadin after he "rudely refused to leave his cell and be searched, tugging at the guards' uniforms". But Russia's human rights ombudsman Tatyana Moskalkova told TASS state news agency that the head of the regional prison service had spoken to Dadin and the activist had not "confirmed the beatings and threats". Moskalkova said she had received photographs of Dadin that showed no signs of beatings. International rights groups have decried inmates' treatment in Russian prisons, which are often overcrowded and rife with corruption. Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc JAZZ is scheduled to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 8 after the market closes. Last quarter, the company had comfortably surpassed expectations with a positive earnings surprise of 5.26%. Jazzs track record is quite encouraging, with the company having beaten earnings estimates thrice in the last four quarters. The average earnings surprise over the last four quarters is +19.51%. Lets see how things have shaped up for this quarter. JAZZ PHARMACEUT Price and EPS Surprise JAZZ PHARMACEUT Price and EPS Surprise | JAZZ PHARMACEUT Quote Factors at Play Jazz Pharmaceuticals key drugs include Xyrem for cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), Erwinaze for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Defitelio for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD). Jazzs key product, Xyrem, should continue performing well. In the second quarter, Xyrem sales had soared 13% year over year. The companys narcolepsy market expansion efforts include web-based disease awareness programs, utilization of the Swiss Narcolepsy Scale and an overall focus on healthcare provider education. Second-quarter Defitelio sales were driven mainly by its launch in the U.S. in early April. Thus, the company has raised its guidance for net Defitelio defibrotide sales for 2016 to the range of $105$125 million from the previous projection of $100$125 million. We expect the drug to continue the uptrend in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Jazz has been facing challenges in building sufficient inventory levels for Erwinaze due to constrained manufacturing capacity. The company may continue to experience further supply disruptions in certain markets, including the U.S., in the third quarter and beyond. On the third-quarter call, focus will be on the companys performance and pipeline progress. Defitelios sales ramp-up in the U.S., patent litigations related to Xyrem and the companys business development plans will be key areas of focus. We remind investors that during the second-quarter conference call, the company had lowered its 2016 revenue guidance to the range of $1.485$1.53 billion from its earlier expectation of $1.49 billion to $1.55 billion. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Jazz will beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) to be able to beat estimates. Unfortunately, that is not the case here, as you will see below. Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is +0.64%. This is because the Most Accurate estimate is pegged at $1.58, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at $1.57. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Jazz currently carries a Zacks Rank #4. As it is, we caution against Sell-rated stocks (#4 or #5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks That Warrant a Look Here are a few health care stocks that you may want to consider instead, as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter. Alcobra Ltd. ADHD has an Earnings ESP of +7.41% and a Zacks Rank #2. It is expected to report third-quarter results on Nov 10. Allergan plc AGN has an Earnings ESP of +0.56% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to report third-quarter results on Nov 2. Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. INFI is scheduled to report results on Nov 7. The company has an Earnings ESP of +5.81% and a Zacks Rank #1.You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ALLERGAN PLC (AGN): Free Stock Analysis Report JAZZ PHARMACEUT (JAZZ): Free Stock Analysis Report INFINITY PHARMA (INFI): Free Stock Analysis Report ALCOBRA LTD (ADHD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. (Adds details of plan and of commissioner's decision, other background) By Elinor Comlay ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Nov 1 (Reuters) - New Jersey on Tuesday rejected Atlantic City's recovery plan because it was not likely to achieve financial stability, setting the stage for a possible state takeover of the cash-strapped gambling hub. The plan - which would cut costs, borrow money and raise $110 million through a land sale - does not go far enough, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Charles Richman said in his decision. The blueprint failed to meet several necessary requirements, and city leadership "has had ample time to improve the city's financial condition yet has avoided doing so in any meaningful way," Richman wrote. After he presented the plan to the public last week, Mayor Don Guardian said he would appeal any rejection by the state. A spokesman for Guardian was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday. It was not clear whether the state would begin proceedings to take control of the city. Atlantic City, which has been subject to some state oversight for years, had tried to meet terms of a $73 million emergency loan from the state earlier this year. The gambling resort slashed city headcount, sold everything from filing cabinets to city vehicles and concocted a plan to sell an abandoned airstrip to its water authority for $110 million, but the state said more was needed. Richman said his decision was based on the content of the plan, as well as what was excluded. The plan did not include a balanced 2017 budget, as it was supposed to, and it underestimated its debt service costs by about $18 million, he said. (Additional reporting by Hilary Russ in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis) JOHANNESBURG Long before it rumbled onto the screen for its African premiere this week, as part of the first Joburg Film Festival, Licinio Azevedo wondered if his war-time drama, Train of Salt and Sugar, would ever leave the station. Set in northern Mozambique in the 1980s, Train is a harrowing account of the extraordinary risks ordinary people were forced to take in order to survive the countrys brutal civil war. A personal journey roughly 30 years in the making, Azevedo acknowledges the challenges he faced in bringing Train to the big screen almost derailed the film. This is a movie made with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, which is absolutely essential in a country like Mozambique, where there is no infrastructure for filmmaking, says Azevedo. The Brazilian-born helmer had the idea to make a documentary about the railway nearly three decades ago, when passengers risked their lives to travel from northern Mozambique into neighboring Malawi, where they were able to trade the salt their country produced in abundance for precious supplies of sugar. The perilous journey of several hundred miles could take months to complete, as the locomotive chugged inch by inch through miles of menacing bush, facing guerilla attacks and saboteurs while passing abandoned villages bearing the scars of war. Azevedo began traveling along the rail line himself, interviewing passengers to see how their lives and dreams had been shaped by both the war and the journey. When the funding for his planned doc never materialized, he decided to write a novel instead, focusing on a romance aboard the train between a young nurse and an army lieutenant what he describes as a simple story of love and war. Published in English as Train of Salt and Sugar in 2008, the book was then adapted for the screen by Azevedo and scripter Teresa Pereira, a co-production between Portugals Ukbar Filmes, Mozambiques Ebano Multimedia, Frances Les Films de lEtranger, Brazils Panda Filmes, and avant-garde South African company Urucu Media, with the support of South Africas M-Net and its Portuguese channel in Africa, Jango Magic. Pic world premiered this year in front of an audience of more than 5,000 in the Piazza Grande in Locarno, where it won the Independent Italian Critics Award for best film. Story continues We took a lot of risks, says Azevedo, whose crew spent seven weeks shooting in the bush aboard more than a dozen rusty train carriages. The helmer spent months lobbying the government for permission to use the state-owned railway for the movie, but as production was set to get underway, Mozambiques long-simmering tensions began to boil over. Abandoning a hard-fought peace process that had helped the country rise from the ashes of war, the same guerilla fighters who terrorized Mozambique three decades ago began renewed attacks in the north of the country. The film Azevedo spent years hoping to make was suddenly in jeopardy. With just days to spare before principal photography was about to begin, Azevedo decided to call in favors from the countrys leaders, many of whom he met when they were young soldiers fighting in the very war the film depicts. Once the government came onboard, it gave surprisingly robust support for the film, not only giving Azevedo access to trains and stations, but supplying many of the real-life soldiers who appear in the movie. The production, though, faced other challenges. Filming in rural areas still bearing the scars of fighting, Azevedo and his crew worked tirelessly to sensitize local communities to his fictional depiction of the war. Mozambican thesp Melanie de Vales Rafael, who plays nurse Rosa in the lead role, remembers the real-life experience many of the extras brought to their roles when they were told to scramble at the sound of gunfire. They knew exactly where to hide, she says. Living under a military dictatorship in Brazil in the 1970s, Azevedo began his career as a journalist, covering a turbulent period in Latin America, even as revolution began to foment in Portugals colonies across the Atlantic. While the countrys military rulers banned reporting on the independence movements that would soon give birth to Mozambique and other African nations, Azevedo followed the wire reports that arrived in Brazil over the Telex. By the time he moved to Guinnea-Bissau, where he began teaching journalism in 1976, he already felt an intimate connection with the continent, confessing to a desire to draw closer to his African brothers. The following year he moved to Mozambique, where he was recruited to help establish a National Film Institute by Ruy Guerra, the Mozambican-born helmer who was one of the pioneers of Brazils Cinema Novo movement. It was a remarkable career move for Azevedo, working alongside Guerra, Jean-Luc Godard and Ken Loach to help create a cinematic lingua franca that the Marxist government in Mozambique hoped would become an instrument to create national unity, he says. Azevedo began by writing the scripts used in documentary voiceovers. From there he moved into directing, experimenting with a hybrid style of documentary and fiction that would help him to discover his cinematic voice. In Mozambique he directed a number of award-winning documentaries, while also becoming a driving force behind the small community of filmmakers in his adopted nation. Growing up in Brazil, Azevedo says he felt a natural affinity for the strands of magical realism that infuse Mozambican storytelling, recalling the works of the great Latin American novelists like Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Train is filled with elements of magic and comedy, underscoring the powerful persistence of hope and the imagination, even in times of war. In Locarno, an audience member asked Azevedo how a commander who appeared to die in battle could suddenly be resurrected later in the movie. Its magic, Azevedo recalls telling him. Theres no rules in magic. Related stories Discop Africa: Africa's Biggest Content Market to Place Accent on Hollywood Ties South Africa Making Strides in Virtual Reality Sphere Joburg: South African Drama 'Call Me Thief' Is Sub-Saharan Africa's Only Oscar Hope LONDON (Reuters) - Anthony Joshua will put his IBF world heavyweight title on the line against American Eric Molina in Manchester on Dec. 10, the British fighter's camp said on Tuesday. "I'm expecting this to be the toughest fight of my career so far and I will be ready for an all-out war," Joshua, who will be making his second defense of the belt, said in a statement. In April he stopped American Dominic Breazeale in the seventh round to take his professional record to 17-0. Molina, 34, has fought for the world title once before, losing to Deontay Wilder for the WBC crown in 2015. Joshua had been linked to a potential clash with veteran Wladimir Klitschko who lost his IBF, WBO and WBA belts to Tyson Fury last November. Klitschko hopes of a re-match were scuppered by Fury's mental health issues. That fight could take place early next year, according to Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn. "Although the plans are for a major unification in the spring this fight requires Anthony's full focus," Hearn said. (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond) From Esquire (Optional Video Accompaniment To This Post) OK, so I voted on Monday, because I'm likely to be elsewhere on Election Day. Here, in descending order of enthusiasm, are people and things for whom I voted. 1. Ballot Question 2: Lifting The State Cap On Charter Schools No. Hell fck, no. If they'd have let me, I'd have Gronk-spiked the pen with which I marked my ballot before sliding the ballot into the box. The amount of dark money behind this scam is truly revolting. Plus, Charlie Baker, our popular Republican governor, needs a slap upside his head to remind him that he still represents a minority party. 2. Representative In The Congress: Rep. Joseph Kennedy (inc.), Democratic Party Between this guy and Seth Moulton, the congressional delegation from the Commonwealth (God save it!) will be worth watching for the next 15 years. 3. Ballot Question 4: Weed! Yes. Hell, fck yes. Just the chance to see how the Massachusetts political establishment in this state is going to grift and graft a brand new revenue stream was worth an affirmative vote. No kidding, I put the over/under number on indictments at 15. 4. President and Vice President of the United States: Clinton and Kaine, Democratic Party Because the candidate of the other major party is a maniac, and because the third-party choices couldn't sell me an apple. That should be good enough but I've gradually become convinced that HRC really has become convinced that her husband's solutions are not adequate to the current problems. But she is awfully quick on the trigger with the military, still, and that prevented me from Gronk-spiking anything on her behalf. Photo credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty 5. Ballot Question 3: Bans On Certain Forms Of Animal Containment No. Toughest call on the board. Its heart is in the right place but, at the end, I decided that enacting this would hoist food prices on the people least able to pay them. 6. Ballot Question 1: More Slot Parlors No. People who go to slot parlors are too lazy to throw their money away on the state lottery. Once, in Mississippi, I saw a woman on an oxygen tanks throwing quarter after quarter into a machine. Her T-shirt said, "Jesus Is The Answer." I hate fcking slot machines. Story continues 7. All The State Offices Except Governor's Councillor Almost universally here, the incumbents are unopposed. One of them sold us our house 23 years ago. Yay, her. Governor's Councillor: I generally write in a dead president here. This year, I supported James K. Polk. The governor's council is to aging local pols what those assisted-living farms for retired thoroughbreds are for horses. The Council members pass on state judges. And they go to lunch. They haven't done anything more since we ran Thomas Hutchinson and the Tories out of town in 1774. So, there you are. I'm with her. And with them. And with weed. God bless the United States of America. Editor's Note: A previous version of this post referred to the congressman from Massachusetts as Sean Moulton. He is Seth Moulton. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. You Might Also Like With Adidas flagship schools Kansas and Indiana meeting in the Armed Forces Classic on Nov. 11 in Honolulu, the shoe-apparel giant decided to take advantage of their red, white and blue color schemes. Adidas designed their jerseys to mirror the stars and stripes of the American flag in the spirit of an event that will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Jayhawks will don an all-blue uniform featuring white stars along the side. Instead of the last names of the players, the backs of the jerseys will feature the word Honor. (via Adidas) Red and white stripes adorn the sides of Indianas uniforms from the shoulders to the knees. The word Courage will replace the last names of the Hoosiers players on the backs of their jerseys. (via Adidas) Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry met on Tuesday with Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi, agreeing to manage bilateral differences constructively and expand cooperation on regional and global challenges. The White House issued a brief statement saying the three met in New York to review the progress of China and the United States in "bringing about a more durable, stable and productive bilateral relationship." "To this end, they committed to manage differences constructively and to expand practical cooperation on regional and global challenges," said the White House statement, which offered no further details on the talks. The meeting coincided with a Fox Business Network report that cited two unidentified U.S. officials as saying North Korea is preparing to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the next three days. The launch would be the latest in a series by Pyongyang this year in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban all ballistic-missile related activities by the North. North Korea provoked international condemnation with its largest-ever nuclear test on Sept. 9, including from China, its main ally. President Barack Obama said following the nuclear test that he would work with other countries to seek additional "significant steps, including new sanctions" against North Korea to demonstrate that there are consequences to its nuclear activities. The United States and China have been negotiating a new draft Security Council resolution to punish Pyongyang. In March, the 15-member Security Council imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea following its fourth nuclear test in January. Beijing fears strengthening sanctions could lead to collapse in North Korea, sending a flood of refugees across the relatively porous border into China, and it also believes the United States and its ally South Korea share responsibility for growing tension in the region. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander; Editing by Alistair Bell) NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry met on Tuesday with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreeing to manage bilateral differences constructively and expand cooperation on regional and global challenges. The White House issued a brief statement saying the three met in New York to review the progress of China and the United States in "bringing about a more durable, stable and productive bilateral relationship." "To this end, they committed to manage differences constructively and to expand practical cooperation on regional and global challenges," said the White House statement, which offered no further details on the talks. The meeting coincided with a Fox Business Network report that cited two unidentified U.S. officials as saying North Korea is preparing to launch an intermediate-range ballistic missile in the next three days. The launch would be the latest in a series by Pyongyang this year in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions that ban all ballistic-missile related activities by the North. North Korea provoked international condemnation with its largest-ever nuclear test on Sept. 9, including from China, its main ally. President Barack Obama said following the nuclear test that he would work with other countries to seek additional "significant steps, including new sanctions" against North Korea to demonstrate that there are consequences to its nuclear activities. The United States and China have been negotiating a new draft Security Council resolution to punish Pyongyang. In March, the 15-member Security Council imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea following its fourth nuclear test in January. Beijing fears strengthening sanctions could lead to collapse in North Korea, sending a flood of refugees across the relatively porous border into China, and it also believes the United States and its ally South Korea share responsibility for growing tension in the region. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander; Editing by Alistair Bell) In a recent interview with Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric, Khizr Khan called on all Muslims to stand up and condemn Islamic terrorists to the extent that they will have no place to survive in the world. Khan and his wife, Ghazala, the Gold Star parents of a fallen Muslim-American soldier, became fixtures of the 2016 presidential election after their appearance at the Democratic National Convention this past summer. At the convention, Khan delivered a harsh criticism of Donald Trump that launched a public feud with the Republican presidential nominee. In addition to Trumps controversial proposals for a ban on Muslim travel to the United States and increased surveillance of U.S. mosques, the GOP candidate has also repeatedly condemned Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as well as President Obama for not embracing the term radical Islamic terrorism. Khan argued that while Islamic extremism Islamic terrorism and all that that has nothing to do with Islam, it has everything to do with Muslims because Muslims have not, in their own mind, clarified their religion. It should be obligatory, he continued, for Muslims everywhere to teach their children that the violence promoted by Islamic extremists has nothing to do with the values or faith of our religion. Khan acknowledged that this is already taking place. Muslim leaders and organizations regularly speak out in the wake of terror attacks. The Council on American-Islamic Relations alone tallied that, between 1994 and 2015, it had issued more than 100 public statements condemning terrorism. It is happening, Khan said. And God willing, hopefully through all of this noise we have been able to raise this conversation, have encouraged our youth, have encouraged our Muslim community to stand up and begin to talk and take charge of your faith. Kim Kardashian returned to Facebook for the first time since her frightening robbery in Paris early this month. The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star, whose maintained radio silence on her social media platforms since being held up at gun point on Oct. 2, shared a snapshot of herself sitting on a makeup chair while playing on her phone. "Downtime #LumeeCollab," Kardashian wrote alongside the photo, which appears to be a branded advertisement for the phone case the 36-year-old reality star is using in the picture. WATCH: Kim Kardashian's Sisters Wish Her a Happy Birthday as She Remains Social Media Silent After Kardashian stepped away from sharing on social media, several friends and family members took over her personal app to continue updating it with new content. As such, it's possible the recent updates on her Facebook page were similarly posted by others within her personal circle. Kourtney Kardashian, for example, later shared an adorable TBT video of some Kardashian family home movies to her sister's app, and shared the link on her sister's Facebook as well, in celebration of Halloween. WATCH: Kim Kardashian's Friends and Family Taking Over Web Duties While She Takes Time Off Following Robbery Whether the mother of two really broke her social media silence herself, the photo was the first post of any kind shared to her Facebook since Oct. 2. Within four hours, the post had been shared over 1,500 times, racked up over 123,000 reactions and garnered over 3,000 comments -- most of which were very supportive. "Yay! My day just got 10 times better!! Kim is back and better than ever!!," one user wrote, with another adding, "Omg Kim I missed you so much! I've been checking every social media to check if you posted." WATCH: Kim Kardashian Concierge Breaks Down Paris Robbery: 9 Things We Learned However, fans are still waiting to hear a more personal message from the now-reclusive reality star, possibly addressing her ordeal or her subsequent hiatus from social media. A source recently told ET that Kardashian is "definitely ready to start getting back to her normal life, little by little," but that she isn't exactly "craving the spotlight." Check out the exclusive video below for more on how she plans to get back into her regular routine over time. Story continues Related Articles VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Klondike Gold Corp. (TSX.V: KG; FRA: LBDP) ("Klondike Gold" or the "Company") announces receipt of assay results from the first two drill holes testing the Lone Star target within the Company's Klondike District Project located near Dawson City, Yukon Territory. Summary The first hole at Lone Star, LS16-58, intersected a broad zone of disseminated gold mineralization with two quartz vein arrays which assayed 2.4 g/t Au over 37.0 meters including 6.6 g/t Au over 7.05 meters and 9.4 g/t Au over 3.6 meters respectively. The second hole at Lone Star, LS16-59, drilled 40 meters along strike to the east, intersected a broad zone of disseminated gold mineralization which assayed 1.2 g/t Au over 27.7 meters including 2.3 g/t Au over 7.3 meters. Gold at the Lone Star target is interpreted to be associated with a structurally significant thrust fault and documented to occur as locally visible disseminations within altered host rock and as visible gold-bearing quartz vein arrays. Visible gold has been observed in twelve of the seventeen holes drilled across the entirety of the 700 meters tested. Assay results for fifteen holes at the Lone Star target are pending. Peter Tallman, President commented "The Company's geological team are congratulated for their diverse contributions that led to identification and upgrading of a Klondike-era prospect to a significant drillable target. Our team's objective throughout 2016 has been to identify near-surface gold mineralization with interesting thickness, length, and grade characteristics. Results from the first two holes at the Lone Star target have exceeded our initial expectations, and we have positive expectations from results of the remaining fifteen holes to come." Lone Star Target The objective of the 2016 Lone Star target drill program is to systematically test an interpretation of geology and continuity of mineralization that, if successful, would upgrade the potential for economically interesting gold mineralization both at Lone Star and throughout the Company's 527 square kilometer Klondike District project. Compilation of surface work and examination of old drill core by Company geologists prior to the current drill program identified a through-going gold target area comprised of disseminated gold combined with gold-enriched quartz veins. Prospecting outside the eastern and western ends of Lone Star discovered gold-enriched quartz veining with visible gold in outcrop consistent with predictions (see NR September 28, 2016). This target is positioned in the hangingwall of a thrust fault with unknown but probably significant displacement, consistent with the Company's orogenic model of gold mineralization. Story continues In September and October, seventeen drill holes tested western, central, and eastern portions of the Lone Star target across a 700-meter strike length to provide grade, width, and geological information at both ends and the middle of the postulated zone. Visible gold occurs as disseminations within wide "intermediate schist" unit and within quartz veining within the schist, and has been observed in twelve of the seventeen holes and across the entirety of the 700 meters tested. Two of four westernmost holes reported here, LS16-58 and LS16-59, were designed to prospect for the interpreted westward trend of this gold mineralized horizon. A plan map of all holes and a table of collar and hole information are located HERE. The first hole at the Lone Star target, LS16-58, intersected a broad zone of disseminated gold mineralization with two quartz vein arrays which beginning at surface assayed 2.4 g/t Au over 37.0 meters downhole including 6.6 g/t Au over 7.05 meters and 9.4 g/t Au over 3.6 meters respectively. The second hole, LS16-59, drilled 40 meters along strike to the east, beginning at surface intersected a broad zone of disseminated gold mineralization which assayed 1.2 g/t Au over 27.7 meters downhole including 2.3 g/t Au over 7.3 meters. The true width of mineralization is approximately the interval within each hole. Section maps of all holes and individual intervals with gold assay information are located HERE. Results for an additional fifteen holes at the Lone Star target are pending. Sampling from the last holes is still in progress so possibly some results may be released in early January. Corporate Activities Klondike Gold will be interviewed by Jay Taylor on Tuesday November 1, 2016 edition of the "Turning Hard Times Into Good Times" live web-based radio program. Klondike Gold has been invited to speak at the Metals Investor Forum on November 12 and November 13, 2016 at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia hosted by Joe Mazumdar (Exploration Insights), Gwen Preston (Resource Maven), Eric Coffin (HRA Advisories), John Kaiser (KaiserResearch.com), Jay Taylor (Jay Taylor's Gold, Energy and Tech Stocks) and Jordan Roy Byrne (TheDailyGold.com). Klondike Gold will be attending the Yukon Geoscience Forum from November 19 to November 22, 2016 in Whitehorse, YT. For 2016 drill core sampling and assay protocols, see news release dated July 14, 2016 or the company's website. Peter Tallman, Klondike Gold's President and CEO, a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101, has supervised, reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained within this news release. ABOUT KLONDIKE GOLD CORP. Klondike Gold Corp. is a Canadian exploration company with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Dawson City, Yukon Territory. The company is focused on exploration and development of its Yukon gold projects, accessible by government maintained roads located on the outskirts of Dawson City, YT, covering a district-scale 527 square kilometers of hard rock and 20 square kilometers of placer claims including "McKinnon Creek" featured on the Discovery Channel show "Gold Rush". On behalf of Klondike Gold Corp. "Peter Tallman" President and CEO (604) 609-6110 E-mail: info@klondikegoldcorp.com Website: www.klondikegoldcorp.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information "This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. This information and statements address future activities, events, plans, developments and projections. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information and statements are frequently identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and similar terminology, and reflect assumptions, estimates, opinions and analysis made by management of Klondike in light of its experience, current conditions, expectations of future developments and other factors which it believes to be reasonable and relevant. Forward-looking information and statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause Klondike's actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information and statements and accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed thereon. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary include but are not limited to the availability of financing; fluctuations in commodity prices; changes to and compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including environmental laws and obtaining requisite permits; political, economic and other risks; as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in our annual and quarterly Management's Discussion and Analysis and in other filings made by us with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and available at www.sedar.com. Klondike disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements except as may be required." SOURCE: Klondike Gold Corp. A powerful earthquake struck central Italy on Sunday,the third such event in the past five days alone. The earthquake was a 6.5 on the Richter scale, making itthe strongest in the country since 1980. Itstruck near Norcia in the Umbria region,and it has forced15,000 people out of their homes, the BBC reported, citing Italy's civil protection agency. The resulting destruction and displacement Sunday follows after two back-to-back earthquakes in the region Wednesday, as well as a quake in Amatrice in August that left nearly 300 people dead. Italy earthquake - how to help Authorities have notreportedany fatalities in this latest quake, as many residents of the town had already evacuated after their homes were destroyed in one of the prior earthquakes, according to the New York Times. We will broaden the crater zone so no town must fear it might be left out,Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Sunday, the Times reported. Renzi's government had already allocated some 40 million euros, or approximately $44 million, to reconstruction following Wednesday's quakes. Italy has its limitations and defects, but in these circumstances it gives the best of itself,he said. How to Help People looking to help the victims of the earthquake can donate to several organizations that are working closely with the local residents and government to help victims. The Italian Red Cross has served as first responders on the ground in the quake-hit communities, providing first aid, meals and psychological counseling. The non-profit National Italian American Foundation has also raised funds for the victims of the quakes, and accepts donations online. Related Articles Moscow (AFP) - The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed as baseless claims by a British intelligence agency chief that Russia is acting in "increasingly aggressive ways" and using new technologies against the West. The head of Britain's MI5 intelligence agency Andrew Parker, on Monday said Russia is "using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways -- involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that Russia "could not agree" with Parker's claims. "We have repeatedly commented on cyber-attacks: as long as someone does not provide evidence, any statements -- be they by the head of MI5, the president of the United States and other decision-makers -- we will consider unfounded and baseless," Peskov said. "We cannot take any of these unfounded allegations into account." Peskov added that Russia is using methods to "promote and defend its interests abroad" but they were in line with international law and focused on building "good and mutually beneficial relations with all partners". Parker's claims in the Guardian newspaper come after British warships last month shadowed a Russian aircraft carrier battle group through the North Sea, which was en route to the eastern Mediterranean and thought to be sent to support Russia's military campaign in Syria. Britain's Defence Minister Michael Fallon said the Russian naval deployment was "clearly designed to test" British and broader NATO capabilities. The remarks also come after Washington last month formally accused the Russian government of trying to "interfere" in the 2016 White House race by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. President Vladimir Putin has vehemently rejected the accusations, saying they are meant to divert US voters' attention from domestic problems. Victoria's Secret on Tuesday announced this year's musical lineup for its fashion show - and it's going to be a solid group. Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd will be joining the Angels, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, in Paris, where the show will be taped Nov. 30. The performers will be joined by new VS Angel Jasmine Tookes, who will have the honor of wearing the 2016 Bright Night Fantasy Bra, covered in $3 million worth of emeralds, diamonds and more. Read more: Victoria's Secret Unveils This Year's $3 Million Fantasy Bra Lady Gaga recently released her fifth studio album, Joanne, which scored the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. She also hit the stage for Saturday Night Live to perform "Million Reasons" and "A-YO" from her new record. Last month, Bruno Mars debuted "24K Magic," his first solo single in four years. He is set to open the American Music Awards on Nov. 20, marking the first time he'll perform on the AMA stage. The Weeknd, who also has released new music with "Starboy" and "False Alarm," is returning to VS Fashion Show after performing last year with Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding. But what will make this year's show particularly special is the fact that girlfriend Bella Hadid will be making her debut on the VS runway. Cue the "awws" now. Victoria's Secret has announced this year's musical lineup for its fashion show -- and it's going to be a solid group. Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and The Weeknd will be joining the Angels, including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, in Paris, where the show will be taped Nov. 30. The performers will be joined by new VS Angel Jasmine Tookes, who will have the honor of wearing the 2016 Bright Night Fantasy Bra, covered in $3 million worth of emeralds, diamonds and more. Lady Gaga recently released her fifth studio album Joanne, which scored the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart. She also hit the stage for Saturday Night Live to perform "Million Reasons" and "A-YO" from her new record. Last month, Bruno Mars debuted "24K Magic," his first solo single in four years. He's set to open the American Music Awards on Nov. 20, marking the first time he'll perform on the AMA stage. The Weeknd, who's also released new music with "Starboy" and "False Alarm," is returning to VS Fashion Show after performing last year with Selena Gomez and Ellie Goulding. But what'll make this year's show particularly special is the fact that girlfriend Bella Hadid will be making her debut on the VS runway. Cue the "awws" now. This article originally appeared in The Hollywood Reporter. By Mike Gambale NEW YORK, Nov 1 (IFR) - Below is a recap of issuance activity in the LatAm primary market on Tuesday. Number of deals priced: 1 Size: US$400m BANCO MARCO Argentina's Banco Macro announced a US dollar denominated, subordinated T2 10NC5 bond. Goldman Sachs and UBS are acting as bookrunners on the deal, which is expected to be rated Caa1/B-. IPTs: 7% area GUIDANCE: Tier 2 10NC5 at 6.875% (+/-12.5bp) LAUNCH: US$400m 10NC5 Tier 2 at 6.75% PRICED: US$400m 10NC5 Tier 2 bond: par; 6.75%Y- Settlement: Nov 4 2016; Maturity: Nov 4 2026 BOOK: US$900m PIPELINE Argentina's Province of Entre Rios started roadshows this week ahead of a possible US dollar bond. The borrower was in Boston on Tuesday and will head to New York on November 2. Citigroup, HSBC and Santander will organize investor meetings. Expected ratings are B-/B by S&P and Fitch. Argentine E&P company Compania General de Combustibles has set initial price thoughts of mid 9% on a US$300m 5NC3 bond ahead of expected pricing on Wednesday. This comes after the company extended the offering period by another day until November 2, according to a local filing. The issuer had been scheduled to finish international roadshows on October 28 after visiting accounts in London, New York, Switzerland and Boston. Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and Itau are international bookrunners on the deal, which is expected to be rated B-/B by S&P and Fitch. Proceeds will go to pay down debt, as well as cover capex and working capital. (Reporting by Mike Gambale; Editing by Paul Kilby) By Fayaz Bukhari and Abu Arqam Maqash SRINAGAR, India/MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - India and Pakistan on Tuesday tallied at least 19 deaths in recent firing across their disputed border in Kashmir, where the nuclear-armed neighbors are engaging in increasingly intense artillery duels. Tension over the Himalayan region has run high since a September cross-border raid on an army base killed 19 Indian soldiers, prompting what New Delhi called retaliatory "surgical strikes" against Islamist militants in Pakistan. Each accuses the other of repeatedly violating a 2003 ceasefire. On the diplomatic front, already chilly relations have gone into the deep freeze following recent tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats. Both sides also dispute each other's version of events that come against the backdrop of heightened tension in Indian-ruled Kashmir after security forces killed a separatist field commander in July. Pakistan officials said at least four people were killed and five injured in its part of Kashmir on Monday, as the arch-rivals exchanged heavy fire concentrated in Pakistan's Nakyal sector along the Line of Control. "It appears as if a full blown war is going on between India and Pakistan," said Mohammad Saeed, a resident of the village of Mohra in the region. "Please have mercy and stop it," he said, speaking to Reuters by telephone amid the sound of gunshots. Six people were killed and 10 injured in Nakyal and the adjacent Tatta Pani sector last Friday and Saturday, Pakistan has said. On the Indian side of the Line of Control, seven people - including three women and two children - were killed on Tuesday, in Pakistani shelling along the Ramgarh sector in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer told Reuters. On Monday, an Indian soldier and a civilian were killed along the line of control in Kashmir in the Rajouri sector on the Line of Control, an Indian army spokesman said. The increasing cross-border firing is raising fears that military escalation could trigger a potentially devastating nuclear exchange over Kashmir, the bone of contention that has sparked two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since partition and independence from Britain in 1947. (Writing by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Himani Sarkar) Beirut (AFP) - Beirut's National Museum has opened its basement of ancient treasures for the first time in four decades to show the public its stunning array of funerary art, including the world's largest collection of anthropoid sarcophogi. The new exhibition's 520 pieces range from the Paleolithic period to the Ottoman Empire. They include Phoenician stelae and rare medieval Christian mummies along with the anthropoid coffins, which display a human face on the sarcophogus and were long a standard for the elite. Some of the items have never before been on public display. Other pieces have not been shown since the 1970s, when the museum was forced to shut down because it sat on the frontline that ran through the city during Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. "This is a lesson in courage and hope because 41 years after the museum was closed in 1975, we today are able to receive visitors on three floors," says museum director Anne-Marie Maila Afeiche. The archaeological museum was renovated after the years of fighting and shelling damaged its building and exhibits, and reopened in the 1990s. But the current exhibit is the first time its basement has been open since the civil war. Among the treasures of often-breathtaking beauty is a fragment of a Roman sarcophagus found in Beirut that depicts the myth of Icarus, who is shown alongside his father Daedalus, making his ill-fated wings. Another gem is an extraordinary hypogeum -- an underground tomb -- accidentally discovered by a farmer in the Tyre region in 1937. It is covered with restored frescoes inspired by Greek mythology, including a scene of Priam on bended knee begging Achilles to return the body of Hector. - 'Belongs to humanity' - "It was essential to show the public this heritage, which belongs to Lebanon and humanity, that was lying in our storage," said Afeiche. All of the exhibits on display in the museum were excavated across Lebanon, which is rich with historical sites and artifacts. Story continues They include a premolar from 70,000 BC belonging to the first known example of a homo sapiens in Lebanon, and stretch through to an 1830 Ottoman stele adorned with a turban. Among the collection's flagship displays is a series of Phoenician sarcophagi dating from between the sixth and fourth century BC that were found in the southern region of Sidon. "We're exhibiting 31 of these sarcophagi at the moment," which mix Greek and Egyptian styles, said Afeiche, noting that some of the sarcophagi found in Sidon are currently displayed in the Louvre. This is "the largest collection of anthropoid sarcophagi in the world," she added. But perhaps the most striking part of the exhibit is the unprecedented display of three mummies found in 1989 by cavers in the Qadisha Valley. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and its cave-pocked sheer rock faces provided refuge for Maronite Christians persecuted during the Mamluk and Byzantine eras. "They were discovered in a cave along with eight naturally mummified bodies" wearing the clothes of of women and children, in some cases the 13th-century silk embroidery still intact. - More treasures to display - Around them were nuts, onion skins, ceramics, bronze tools and documents written in Arabic and Syriac. "They were psalms and liturgical chants that showed that these were Christians who had taken refuge in this cave," said Afeiche. The three mummified bodies are particularly rare as Lebanon does not have a tradition of mummification, according to Marco Samadelli, director of the EURAC centre in Italy, who offered his expertise to help conserve the unique mummies. Italy contributed 1.02 million euros ($1.1 million) to the project of restoring the museum's basement and collection, along with the expertise of leading archeologists including Antonio Giannarusti. Even with the basement now open, the museum's storage areas contain plenty of undisplayed pieces and the culture ministry has plans for a new history museum in Beirut as well as museums in both Sidon and Tyre. The new exhibition provides a timeline of burial techniques, from a 6000 BC Neolithic cradle tomb to a 4BC Chalcolithic burial jar found in Byblos. Phoenician urns holding cremated remains are exhibited alongside a Byzantine-era tomb decorated with the face of the Virgin Mary from 440 AD. "We believe this is the oldest representation of the Virgin discovered to date in Lebanon," said Afeiche. The largest is the hypogeum from Tyre, with frescos reminiscent of Pompeii. One of its sides features an inscription: "Be brave, no one is immortal." Lena Dunhams Trump-inspired Halloween costume was so good, and we wish wed thought of it first So its the day after Halloween, and naturally weve been scouring the internet for the best costumes. You know who blew it out of the water this year? Lena Dunham dressed in a Donald Trump-inspired outfit, thats who. We should have known shed make a bold statement, because last years Halloween costume was so important and topical a Planned Parenthood doctor. And lets not overlook her forest dream high school prom dress! Yup, this girl knows how to shake things up. And for this latest outfit, she referenced one of the most controversial topics in the current election: Trumps lewd behavior as a womanizer, and specifically his leaked conversation with Billy Bush where he talked about grabbing women by the pussy. Happy Halloween! With love from a Grabbed Pussy by the very tolerant @jenna_wb #imanasshole A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Oct 31, 2016 at 6:36pm PDT Happy Halloween! With love from a Grabbed Pussy by the very tolerant @jenna_wb #imanasshole. Are you looking at this costume?! Lena is a literally a grabbed pussy (cat). Youve outdone yourself, girl! We love how she was inspired by one of the less fortunate parts of the current election to create something that confronts big issues. No doubt her costume encouraged lively conversation everywhere she went, and that was probably the intention. Headed to @breakfastclubam to talk to @cthagod so I guess what I'm saying is never give up on your dreams, kids. A photo posted by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Oct 4, 2016 at 6:51am PDT Dunham has always been a strong advocate for womens rights, and during the election cycle shes been fairly vocal about voting and getting involved in the political scene. Of course, her commentary is perfect. It sucks, cuz all I ever wanted was to see the word pussy enter heavily into the public discourse. But not like this. Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) October 9, 2016 She supports Hillary Clinton for president, and her Twitter feed often reflects girl power. Hillary Clinton showed us, for the millionth time, just how qualified she is for this job. Sleep well knowing a remarkable woman is ready. Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) September 27, 2016 Thanks for ALWAYS keeping it real, girlfriend! H/T: People The post Lena Dunhams Trump-inspired Halloween costume was so good, and we wish wed thought of it first appeared first on HelloGiggles. Flipping a house is the ultimate dream of any devoted HGTV watcher. You know the story by now: Have the wherewithal to buy a house on the cheap, bring said house up to date with design and decor tweaks, and then sell it for a profit. Sucess! But what do real properties look like before the flip? Of course, it depends. We recently looked at the hottest markets for house flipping and found towns where savvy buyers might make a sweet return on their investment. Spurred by the wide range of flip-crazy cities we uncovered, we were curious to see what a potential project really looked like in each city. We pinpointed homes selling below the median price for each city (with one exception) and found 10 solid candidates for a fast flip. They arent stunning to look atbut, hey, thats the idea: You have to see beyond the lack of curb appeal, the 70s-era wood paneling, and the hideous carpet choices to find the right candidate. That said, none of the homes we found is beyond repair. There are no boarded-up windows, fenced-off front yards, or partly standing buildings to see here. So if you have the budget and imagination, these are all prime targets for a worthy flip. 1223 Harcross Ln Price: $85,900 ($176,100 less than city median) The project: Start with the landscaping: Cut the trees way back, and put in fresh sod. Inside this three-bedroom home, youll want to put down new flooring (maybe wood laminate?), paint everything, and update the kitchen. Deltona, FL realtor.com 7218 Trousdale Pl Price: $245,000 ($110,000 less than city median) The project: Landscaping is key here as well; the curb appeal could really use a boost. Inside, youll probably want to update the very 70s stone fireplace, replace the green tile countertops in the kitchen, and freshen up the cabinetry. Maybe a wall or two could be removed to give the home a more open feel? Stockton, CA realtor.com 1715 Nassau St Price: $165,000 ($165,000 less than city median) The project: The shingles out front are a bit drab. A fresh coat of exterior paint and new shingles will go a long way. Inside, the red carpet has to go and the kitchen needs a fair amount of attention. Story continues Nashville, TN realtor.com 6321 Frost Dr Price: $179,900 ($60,100 less than city median) The project: Curb appeal isnt a problem here. The house itself looks to be in good shape. It just needs updating and a serious declutter session. Call in Marie Kondo! We see an opportunity to get this back on the market quickly. Tampa, FL realtor.com 4932 Franklin Ave Price: $264,900 ($12,900 more than city median) The project: While this home is listed over the median price in NOLA, the homes under the median in the city offer little hope if youre not a professional contractor. This handsome brick home is right in the middle of a remodel. The front rooms of the house sparkle, but the kitchen needs help and the carpet in the bedrooms must go. Bonus: Theres a unit out back waiting to be finishedit would be a sweet income opportunity. New Orleans, LA realtor.com 6626 Haas Ave Price: $399,000 ($276,000 less than city median) The project: Were used to the multimillion-dollar mansions of L.A., but this home on the south side of the city proves theres plenty of affordable housing stock in SoCal. The classic Spanish-style house gives off strong grandma vibes right now, but an update and fresh paint could restore its vintage charm. Los Angeles, CA realtor.com 7317 Millertown Pike Price: $79,900 ($143,100 less than city median) The project: Built in 1899, this home has been remodeled within the past five years, according to the listing. Even if its less than 5 years old, the carpet needs to come out, pronto. A fresh coat of paint also needs to be applied to the interior. Knoxville, TN realtor.com 214 Admiral St Price: $80,000 ($231,000 less than city median) The project: On the brink of tiny housedom, this 532-square-foot studio looks plenty cute from the exterior. The colorful glass windows are a nice touch as well. That said, the living space, bedroom, and kitchen could all use a refresh. Unleash this tiny homes charm! Providence, RI realtor.com 1333 E Monterosa St Price: $199,500 ($100,500 less than city median) The project: Update, update, update. The bones are there, but the flooring needs some love. We know tile floors are great for the desert, but this home needs a warmer surface. The blush-colored carpeting in the bedrooms is also ripe for removal. Phoenix, AZ realtor.com 1995 Wabash St Price: $265,000 ($215,000 less than city median) The project: Tile floors dont make as much sense in Colorado, so the current floors should make way for new hardwood. The three-bedroom homes tiny kitchen could also use an extreme makeover. Denver, CO realtor.com The post Let the Flipping Begin: 10 Homes in Prime Spots for a Quick Score appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com. Level 3 Communications Inc. LVLT reported weak financial results in the third quarter of 2016 wherein both the top and the bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Level 3 Communications operates in a highly competitive enterprise communications market. In North America, the company competes with telecom giants like Verizon Communications Inc. VZ and AT&T Inc. T and with Telefonica, Orange and BT Group plc BT in Europe and Latin America. On a GAAP basis, net income in the reported quarter was $143 million or 40 cents per share versus $1 million in the third quarter of 2015. Moreover, quarterly adjusted earnings per share of 39 cents lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 44 cents. FindTheCompany | Graphiq Third-quarter total revenue was $2,033 million, down 1.4% year over year and also below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,074 million. Segment-wise, Core Network Services (CNS) revenues came in at $1,930 million, down 0.77% year over year. Wholesale Voice Services and Other revenues totaled $103 million, down 11.96% year over year. Geographically, North America generated $1,572 million in CNS revenues, up 1.35% year over year. Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounted for $182 million of revenues at CNS, down 13.74% while Latin America contributed $176 million, down 3.83%. Total operating expenses in the reported quarter were $1,679 million, down 3.23% year over year. Operating income came in at $354 million, up 8.26%. Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) was up 8.98% to $716 million. Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 35.2% from 31.9% in the prior-year quarter. In the third quarter of 2016, Level 3 Communications generated $645 million of cash from operations compared with $575 million in the year-ago quarter. Free cash flow, in the reported quarter, was $281 million compared with $247 million in the prior-year quarter. At the end of the third quarter of 2016, the company had $1,569 million of cash and cash equivalents and $10,882 million of outstanding debt compared with $691 million and $10,886 million, respectively, at the third quarter end of 2015. Meanwhile, the debt-to-capitalization ratio was 0.44 compared with 0.52 at the third quarter end of 2015. Story continues Guidance For 2016, Level 3 Communications expects adjusted EBITDA growth of 10% to 12% on a year-over-year basis. Free cash flow is estimated in the range of $1 billion to $1.1 billion. LEVEL 3 COMM Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise LEVEL 3 COMM Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | LEVEL 3 COMM Quote Level 3 Communications has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AT&T INC (T): Free Stock Analysis Report LEVEL 3 COMM (LVLT): Free Stock Analysis Report BT GRP PLC-ADR (BT): Free Stock Analysis Report VERIZON COMM (VZ): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research EXCLUSIVE: Liam Neeson has signed on to star in horse-training drama The Trainer, directed by Neil Jordan and written by David Donohue, James Villemaire and Sully scribe Todd Komarnicki. HanWay Films is launching the title to buyers at the American Film Market this week. Red-hot actor Neeson, whose past collaborations with fellow Irishman Jordan include Michael Collins, will star as John Moore, a premier horse trainer in the west of Ireland who, beset by tragedy, loses everything he cherishes and almost forgets to live. Into his life comes a teenage refugee, Nadya, who has fled her own horrors and now finds herself in a confounding new world. Their only connection to themselves, and ultimately to their own hearts, is a horse called Allabelle, who is about to prove that they may all have one race left inside of them. Arthur Lappin, Komarnicki, Robin Gurland and Gregory OConnor produce the title, which has been developed with the support of the Irish Film Board. Liam Neeson is one of the worlds most beloved actors, thanks to unforgettable performances in films ranging from Schindlers List to Love Actually, so were thrilled to have Liam return to Ireland with a character-driven film like The Trainer, said Gabrielle Stewart, managing director of HanWay Films. He and Neil are a great pairing and David Donohues, James Villemaires and Todd Komarnickis script provides us a beautiful and life-affirming story of a man learning to live again. Film is set to commence principal photography in Ireland next summer. Neeson and Komarnicki are repped by CAA. Jordan is repped by Casarotto Ramsey & Associates and CAA. CAA is arranging financing for the film and reps its domestic distribution rights. Related stories Toni Servillo & Matteo Garrone Reteam For 'Pinocchio' Felicity Jones, Sigourney Weaver & J.A. Bayona Detail The Magic Of 'A Monster Calls' Moving Grief Parable - Toronto Studio Focus Features' 'A Monster Calls' Dials Up Christmas Weekend Release When Christopher Dempsey donated half his liver to a stranger, he never could have imagined that the woman whose life he saved would end up becoming his wife. In January 2015, Dempsey overheard a work colleague mention that his cousin, Heather Krueger, was suffering from autoimmune hepatitis, a disorder that attacked her liver. She had a 50 percent chance of surviving the next two months and needed a liver transplant. I remember thinking that if I was in that situation, I would want someone to help me or my family, Dempsey, 38, tells PEOPLE. I decided to get tested. He underwent blood work, a liver biopsy, an MRI, physical and psychological testing before he found out he was a perfect match. A week later, he went out to lunch with the woman and he was immediately blown away when she walked in. I remember thinking how pretty and beautiful she looked, says Dempsey, from Frankfort, Illinois. For a person in her situation, she didnt look sick. She had a smile on her face. After their first meeting, there was no turning back. They started to spend time together and his motorcycle club put on a benefit to raise money for her hospital bills. We were hanging out, getting donations and I thought this would be a person I would like to get to know better, he recalls. After the surgery on March 16, 2015, Dempsey and Krueger, 27, recovered just a few rooms down the hall from each other at the hospital. Dempsey wasnt able to work for two months and only felt back to normal six to eight months after the surgery. We would take walks together in the hospital and we saw each other at our worst, he says. We grew even closer during that heeling process. They began to date and in July 2015, Dempsey asked Kruegers father at a family barbecue for permission to marry her. During a trip to Chicago the following December, he took her to lunch, did some Christmas shopping and proposed after a romantic horse and carriage ride. On October 15, the couple got married with 300 of their closest friends and family in attendance. The day was incredible, he says. Story continues Dempsey now looks at his wife, who is healthy after the transplant, and thinks back to when he first decided to get tested to see if he was a match. It was the best decision I ever made, he says. Its been awesome. * Electronic trading a source of conflict * LME says it accounts about 60 percent of global copper trading * LME volumes down 11 pct year-on-year in September By Pratima Desai LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Plans to boost volumes by making it cheaper and easier for funds to trade London Metal Exchange contracts have been shelved to avoid fuelling further conflict with traditional members, sources said. Volumes have been tumbling since the exchange imposed a hefty 31 percent increase in average trading fees in January 2015, hitting revenues both at the LME and many of its members. Part of the problem has been low volatility, with narrow ranges for copper and aluminium, the two metals with the highest volumes on the LME. Copper has mostly traded this year between $4,500-$5,000 a tonne and aluminium between $1,500 and $1,700. Because of that many investment funds have opted for other commodities and financial instruments where volatility has been greater. Slow demand growth in top consumer China has also subdued activity among metal producers and consumers. The 139-year-old LME has used incentives such as fee discounts to woo funds and encourage liquidity in its prompt, or monthly, dates and three-month contracts on the Select electronic trading system. But sources say the exchange is now reassessing this strategy. Asked about whether the incentive plans had been shelved, an LME spokeswoman said the exchange was carrying out a review of such programmes. "The LME is undertaking a review of all its incentive programmes, working with users to ensure that such programmes are optimally structured to enhance the liquidity available on the LME market for the benefit of all LME stakeholders," an LME spokeswoman said in response The Select system bypasses traditional ring dealing through floor members and undermines their revenue. This has become a major source of friction the LME tried to counter in August with fee cuts for short-dated carries, or trades between tomorrow and 15 days out. Story continues But that has not been enough for ring dealers who want the exchange to stop pushing electronic trading because they say it diverts liquidity from the floor where benchmarks used around the world are set. "It's risking the status of the benchmarks," a senior source at a ring dealing member said. The LME says it accounts for 60 percent of global copper trading and 71 percent of all base metal trading. Sources say its benchmarks are not at risk and that members are trying to protect their income, much of it derived from floor trading. "If volumes had been higher, the push on Select may not have been a problem," a metals focused fund manager said. "But there is a problem, look at LME copper volumes compared with COMEX." Overall, copper volumes on the LME fell nearly 8 percent year-on-year between January-September, while those on COMEX climbed more than 17 percent. Those trends have been in place for most of this year. Sources say this is partly because trading on COMEX costs less and contracts can be bought, sold and settled on the same day, while LME settlement is generally on the third Wednesday of each month. "COMEX appeals to Chinese traders and those who want to jump in and out quickly," the fund manager said. The CME Group, which owns COMEX, said it was seeing solid demand in Europe and Asia due to it being able to offer 24-hour liquidity. At 12.6 million lots in September, total LME volumes are down more than 11 percent from the same period a year ago and compare with 16 million lots in January 2015. The drop has hit revenue at parent Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEx), where second-quarter net profit slumped 38 percent. (Editing by Veronica Brown and David Clarke) The main square of northern Moroccos Hoceima was packed with protesters on Monday night, October 31, as demonstrations over the gruesome death of a fishmonger there last Friday showed no sign of easing up. Earlier in the day, students from colleges across the province converged on the city, calling for a student strike. On Sunday, the funeral for 31-year-old fish vendor Mohsen Fikri, who was crushed to death in a garbage truck after authorities confiscated his produce, sparked nationwide protests. Fikri was reportedly trying to retrieve his produce from the truck when the grinder unexpectedly started. Authorities had reportedly dumped his swordfish, the catching of which is banned at this time of year. Images of Fikri after he was crushed prompted a public outcry when they were spread widely on social media. On Sunday, King Mohammed VI ordered an investigation into the incident. Credit: Facebook/Rif.tv The Obamas have given the public a first glimpse of the private areas on the second floor of the White House that the family has called home for nearly eight years. An exclusive set of photos published Tuesday by Architectural Digest reveals the Yellow Oval Room, the Treaty Room, where President Obama often retreats late at night, and the Old Family Dining room, where a colorful piece of artwork by Alma Thomas, the first African-American female artist to have her work displayed in the White House, has prominent placement. The rooms were decorated by the Los Angeles-based interior designer Michael Smith, who was introduced to the family after the 2008 election. The First Lady said Smith managed to reflect her familys tastes while respecting the history of the White House, the Associated Press reports. The Architectural Digest issue with photos of President Obama and his familys living quarters will appear on newsstands on Nov. 8, Election Day. Lens (France) (AFP) - French President Francois Hollande on Tuesday said the Louvre could house threatened treasures from Iraq, Syria and other war-torn countries at a secure site in northern France. The precious items could be placed in safe keeping at a conservation facility due to open in 2019 in Lievin, 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Paris, he said. "The prime mission of the Lievin site will be to house the Louvre Museum's stored collection," Hollande said at a ceremony to unveil a plaque marking the site. But, Hollande said, it will have "another role, sadly linked to the events, dramas and tragedies which may unfold in the world, wherever works of art are in danger because terrorists, because barbarians have decided to destroy them... (especially) in Syria and Iraq." Hollande said France will make the proposal at a December conference in Abu Dhabi on endangered heritage. Representatives from around 40 countries are expected to take part. "We are going to suggest that the Lievin conservation site is where these works can be protected," Hollande said. The Abu Dhabi conference will also launch a fund, suggested by Hollande in September, which will aim to gather $100 million (91 million euros) to help save endangered art. The Louvre -- the world's most-frequented museum, with 8.6 million visitors in 2015 -- has a vast collection of paintings, sculptures, Egyptian mummies and other treasures lying in its basement out of public view. The Lievin site, located near a satellite Louvre museum at Lens, has been in the works since 2013. The 60-million-euro site will be both a storage site and facility to study the Louvre's collection. The need for Lievin was highlighted in June this year when rising floodwaters in Paris prompted the Louvre to evacuate artworks from its basement deemed at possible risk. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fstory%2fthumbnail%2f26413%2fscreen_shot_2016-11-01_at_12.30.37_pm There are plenty of great wedding proposals out there, but surely this one by an Australian Qantas pilot is up there with one of the most unique. Captain Ellis began making one of those regular inflight announcements while he was flying from Melbourne to Los Angeles, in a video released on the airline's Facebook page. But little did one "very special passenger" called Ana know, she was in for another shock altogether just watch. Watch Obama dance like your dad to 'Thriller' at Halloween party MacBook Pro and Surface Studio both look pretty amazing side by side Terrifying footage shows a crocodile attacking a couple in a hotel pool 7 strange things to know about 'Dr. Strange' (Adds details on revenue, background) HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Macau, the world's biggest casino hub, on Tuesday posted an 8.8 percent rise in gambling revenue in October, the third consecutive monthly rise, as newly opened casino resorts boosted spending in the southern Chinese territory. It was the first time in more than two years that Macau's gambling revenue has risen for three straight months, fuelling hopes that the specially administered region of China is turning the corner after a prolonged slump. Gambling revenue was 21.8 billion patacas ($2.73 billion), government data showed, at the top end of analyst expectations as October's holiday week for Chinese nationals helped drive visitation. Two new multi-billion-dollar casino openings by Sands China and Wynn Macau also boosted revenue from VIP customers in the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. Chinese high-rollers have been steering clear of the former Portuguese colony due to an anti-graft campaign by the government in Beijing, sending gaming revenues to 5-year lows. Looking ahead, analysts caution that a swift rebound remains a challenge despite new resort attractions, due to slowing market growth and infrastructure bottlenecks. ($1 = 7.9800 patacas) (Reporting by Farah Master and Donny Kwok; Editing by Stephen Coates) The following material contains mature subject matter. Viewer discretion is advised. A spider bite is bad enough, but imagine an arachnoid sinking its fangs into someones genitalia more than once on separate occasions! A man from Sydney has been dubbed the unluckiest man in Australia as he was bitten by a redback spider on the genitalia, twice in the same year! The first bite happened in a portable toilet on a work site in April. The incident caused him to become diligent about checking for creepy crawly things before going to the bathroom, but it happened yet again on the same area of his body in September. Watch: Eight-Legged Erectile Dysfunction Treatment? I was sitting on the toilet doing my business and just felt the sting that I felt the first time, I was like, I cant believe it happened again! I looked down and saw a few little legs come from around the rim, the man reportedly said after the second spider attack on his goods. The Australian spider is venomous, but not usually lethal. Effects of this type of spiders venom include swelling and escalating pain. A serious bite, usually from the larger female spider, can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, abdominal or chest pain, generalized sweating and increased blood pressure. Watch: How Snake Venom Affects the Body The Doctors recommend if you are bitten by spider and your symptoms intensify, please seek medical attention and if you use a portable toilet in Australia, you might want to double check before you sit! From Cosmopolitan On Aug. 25, Davie Dauzats brother called the police. He said that Davie was making weird statements to him on the phone and thought that he might be on drugs. But when police showed up, things were fine. When police came back hours later, they found a gruesome scene. People reports that Dauzat, 23, admitted to police that he killed his wife, Natasha, cut off her head, and stored it in his freezer. He apparently said the killing was a battle between good and evil. The couples two children, ages 1 and 3, were unharmed, but were found covered in Natashas blood. According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Dauzat told police that he used drugs before he killed his wife, but it was unclear what drugs he took other than marijuana, which he said he smoked earlier that day with Natasha. Police found drug paraphernalia in the house. Authorities found no narcotics in the home, according to KWTX. Last week, a grand jury indicted him for the murder of his wife. Hes in police custody on a $500,000 bond, and his attorney did not respond to the Associated Presss messages seeking comment. Natashas mother, Patricia Tagliarino, told the Waco Tribune-Herald that the family is still reeling over her loss. Those children were her world, Tagliarino said. She loved that man to death, and I guess thats what killed her. Follow Megan on Twitter. You Might Also Like The man who created a viral phenomenon wants to apologize as backlash grows against the bottle-flipping craze for drawing children away from their schoolwork. Read: Cop Tears Up the Dance Floor at College Football Game: 'Smiling, Dancing and Protecting' I want to apologize to all teachers, it's not my intention, not my intention at all, to get your kids distracted, 18-year-old Michael Senatore told Inside Edition. Some schools now want to ban the bottle-flip craze because they say it's distracting students from their work. The Wall Street Journal has called bottle-flipping "really, really annoying." The North Carolina high school student filmed himself flipping a bottle with a small amount of water in it and flipping it so it lands on its base. The stunt caught on after it was posted on YouTube earlier this year. His video has been viewed more than six million times. Its incredible, Senatore told Inside Edition. Spain, Germany, people in Australia, people from all around the world are doing it. It's just incredible. Read: Boy With Autism Nails Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' to Win Contest: 'He Watches His Videos For Hours on End' In May, he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to show off his skill. Watch: Pumpkin Up the Jam: 10 Years After His Notorious Dance, Pumpkin Man Lives On Related Articles: An indigenous school of higher learning in New Zealand held a stirring haka on October 30 to show its solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, which is protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Maori haka took place on the front lawns of Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, an indigenous school in Whakatane, Bay of Plenty. Whilst your local indigenous voice is being silenced, it is your global indigenous voice that will be heard, the school posted on its Facebook page. The video shows the haka starting with a karakia (traditional prayer) and a mihi (acknowledgement) to envoke and pay respect to the local ancestors and the relatives in North Dakota and their struggle for freedom. We encourage all other organisations to join in solidarity on behalf of our indigenous brothers and sisters of North Dakota. Credit: Facebook/Tylee Hudson mark cuban barack obama Mark Cuban thinks the Affordable Care Act, the healthcare law better known as Obamacare, has its issues but nothing insurmountable. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, the billionaire investor and media personality said the healthcare law had flaws but was ultimately a positive development. "To me, Obamacare is one of the biggest startups of all time," Cuban said during an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Alley." "They made certain projections that didn't work out. That's not unusual for a startup. It doesn't help the people in the states obviously it's very painful for them." The current Obamacare premiums are roughly in line with the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office's expected premium levels for 2017 from when the ACA first passed. Cuban said many startups go through growing pains and need to be retooled to be successful. Thus, given the size of the ACA, he said, it was unsurprising that there had been growing pains. Cuban also said many people did not understand what was actually happening with the law, with politicians and pundits resorting to what he called "headline porn" that does not convey the whole truth. While acknowledging the premium increases in some states, Cuban said there were solutions that could help to mitigate the costs. Cuban also criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who has been attacking Obamacare over the past week on the campaign trail. Cuban said Trump "doesn't understand Obamacare." "Like I said to him directly, he should understand the basics of Obamacare, and obviously he does not," Cuban said. The back-and-forth comes at an interesting time, as Obamacare's public exchanges launch their fourth open enrollment period on Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services projected that 13.8 million people would sign up for health insurance through the exchanges. Premiums on the exchanges are projected to increase by 25% on average, according to the HHS, drawing the ire of Republicans including Trump. Story continues NOW WATCH: FEMA is tracking Hurricane Matthew using the 'Waffle House Index' More From Business Insider Mark Cuban Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban, a prominent backer of Hillary Clinton, said in a CNBC interview on Tuesday that Peter Thiel's pro-Donald Trump speech to the National Press Club on Monday "actually makes my point" about the Republican presidential nominee. Thiel is Trump's most prominent Silicon Valley supporter. The tech billionaire, venture capitalist, and cofounder of PayPal said in his Monday speech that it was "not a lack of judgment" that was causing Americans to vote for and support Trump but that "we judge the leadership of our country to have failed." Cuban, the owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks who is a star of ABC's "Shark Tank," ripped Thiel for not saying "a word about Trump's policies." "And that's the point," he said, pointing out that in a question-and-answer session after the speech Thiel said the media and others needed to take Trump seriously but not literally for some of his statements. "That's craziness," Cuban said. "That just reinforces that Trump doesn't know what his policies are. Peter Thiel doesn't believe in his policies." Cuban also suggested that Thiel took everything said about Clinton, the Democratic nominee, "literally and seriously." NOW WATCH: Peter Thiel on why he supports Trump: Insider politicians are just 'rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic' More From Business Insider McDonalds has agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it was liable for labor law violations by a California franchisee, marking what lawyers said was the first time the company has settled legal claims by a group of U.S. workers at one of its franchises. In a filing in U.S. district court in San Francisco on Friday, lawyers representing about 800 employees at five restaurants owned by a single franchisee said Illinois-based McDonalds would pay the workers $1.75 million in back pay and damages and $2 million in legal fees. The settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, comes as McDonalds faces claims before two U.S. agencies that it is a joint employer of workers at franchise restaurants, a designation that could make the company liable for legal violations by franchisees and require that it bargain with workers who unionize. McDonalds spokeswoman Terri Hickey said on Monday the company is not a joint employer of franchise workers. We entered into this mutually acceptable resolution to avoid the costs and disruption associated with continued litigation, she said. The 2014 lawsuit claimed McDonalds and the franchisee, Smith Family LP, violated California law by failing to pay overtime, keep accurate pay records and reimburse workers for time spent cleaning uniforms. The franchisee previously settled the claims for $700,000. Last year, a judge ruled that McDonalds was not the plaintiffs joint employer under federal and state laws. But he said the company could still be held liable if the workers believed McDonalds was their employer. In Fridays court filing, lawyers for the workers said the settlement was the first for McDonalds in a class action case brought by franchise employees. The deal would also require McDonalds to train Smith Family, the franchisee, on the use of corporate software designed to ensure compliance with Californias uniquely strict employment laws, according to the court filing. Story continues McDonalds, meanwhile, is in the midst of a trial at the National Labor Relations Board that could determine whether the company is a joint employer under the federal law governing union organizing. And earlier this month, a union-backed group said it had filed sexual harassment complaints against McDonalds with a federal agency on behalf of 15 workers, most of whom were employed at franchise restaurants. Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Jeffrey Benkoe Washington (AFP) - US fast-food giant McDonald's has agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle a labor dispute with workers at a California franchise, according to court documents seen Tuesday by AFP. If approved by a federal judge, the agreement is the first time McDonald's has reached a deal with employees of a franchise. The deal would resolve a class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco two years ago. Under the plan, McDonald's Corporation will pay $1.75 million to the employees and $2 million in court costs. The employees claimed the restaurant franchise withheld wages and overtime pay, as well as reimbursement for the upkeep of uniforms, and denied them legally-required breaks. McDonald's had previously avoided involvement in such labor disputes, saying franchises were independent of the parent company. Attorneys for the workers said the settlement would be "historic" and could open the way for other legal cases. McDonald's told AFP, however, that it agreed to the settlement to end costly litigation. "With this agreement, McDonald's reconfirms that it is not the employer of, or responsible for, employees of its independent franchisees," company spokesperson Terry Hickey said in an email. By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Mexico-based businessman has been arrested in the United States on charges that he and five others engaged in a scheme to fraudulently obtain tax refunds from the Mexican government and launder over $100 million. Carlos Djemal, who according to court papers acquired Mexican-based InvestaBank SA in 2014, was arrested in Chicago and charged in a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court that was made public on Monday. InvestaBank was established in 2014 from the acquisition of Royal Bank of Scotland's operations in Mexico. InvestaBank last week said it had agreed to buy two Mexican units of Deutsche Bank. Three other men - Max Fraenkel, Daniel Blitzer and Robert Moreno - were also arrested, according to the office of Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Two other men were also charged including Isidoro Haiat, who court documents said acquired InvestaBank with Djemal. InvestaBank Chief Executive Officer Enrique Vilatela in an interview called Djemal's arrest a "surprise," adding that he was one of 38 partners in the bank. Haiat, he said, died a year ago from an illness. Lawyers for the defendants could not be immediately identified. InvestaBank said in a statement it was confident Djemal could prove his innocence, and that the investigation would neither affect operations nor its purchase of the Deutsche Bank units. "In this regard, both Deutsche Bank and investors interested in participating in the capital increase of InvestaBank have stated that the commitments assumed remain in place," it said. Prosecutors said from 2011 to 2016, the defendants engaged in a scheme to defraud the Mexican government of tax revenue relating to its value-added tax (VAT) and then launder the scheme's proceeds throughout the United States and Mexico. Prosecutors said the defendants created dozens of front companies that claimed to be doing business as cellular phone importers and exporters in order to fraudulently obtain VAT refunds from the Mexican government. Story continues As part of the scheme, Djemal and Haiat had the front companies buy outdated cellular phones which were then exported to U.S.-based firms operated by others involved in the scheme. While exporting the phones, Djemal and Haiat obtained fraudulent invoices and created other documents to fraudulently boost the phones' value, enabling them to seek inflated VAT refunds, prosecutors said. During the scheme, Djemal and Haiat owned a Mexican company that handled administrative details of the conspiracy, the complaint said. They also owned a currency exchange, Casa de Cambio Tiber, S.A., de C.V., which was used together with InvestaBank to transfer funds to the front companies, the complaint said. In total, more than $100 million was moved through dozens of accounts maintained by front companies, prosecutors said. Five of the front companies received about $21 million in VAT refunds, the complaint said. The case is U.S. v. Djemal, et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-mj-6976. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York, additional reporting by Noe Torres and Natalie Schachar in Mexico City; Editing by Tom Brown and Grant McCool) Mexico police protest Mexican state governments have consistently manipulated crime data to give the appearance that high-level crime has fallen, according to preliminary report findings by nonprofit statistics agency Mexico Evalua. An analysis of data collected by the Mexican federal government since 1997 by James Patrick, an former Scotland Yard agent working with the nonprofit group, found malpractice in collecting and reporting crime in each of Mexico's 32 states. The main method through which governments misrepresented crime rates was by inflating the number of lower-level crimes in order to make it appear like there had been fewer high-impact crimes, like kidnapping and intentional homicide. Patrick also found in one case that criminal threats, accidental homicides, and intentional homicides varied in the same way over the years analyzed, which is an unlikely trend as there is no inherent correlation between those crimes. (Mexico keeps track of two kinds of homicide: homicidio doloso, i.e. an intentional killing, and homicidio culposo, i.e. a unintentional killing, as in a car crash.) "There is an overall manipulation in data in all states in Mexico concerning all crimes," Patrick said during a presentation to media, according to El Universal. juarez mexico police "All states have entered into a practice of manipulation, that consists of 'sub-reportage'; that is to say, that a state reports 100 homicides when in reality it had 283," said Jonathan Furzsyfer, coordinator for Mexico Evalua's Security Program. Another way to manipulate data, Furzsyfer added, is "'error in the classification'; generally violent crimes are classified as 'without violence,' in such a manner that the image of crime at the state level is a little less than what it really is." Story continues Officials at every level have reason to misrepresent crime data in this way, Furzsyfer explained. Politicians are motivated to tout security gains in order to win votes, and police may alter data in order to meet quotas. Acapulco Mexico homicide murder killing Such distortions in crime reporting hinder the creation of effective anti-crime policy, as they exclude many crimes that are committed and obscure the actual trends in criminality. Mexico Evalua's research did confirm that Mexico's current homicide rate based on data reported by the National Public Safety System, or SESNSP is nearing the highs it saw during the 2006-2012 administration of former President Felipe Calderon, under whom Mexico saw its highest homicide rates. Mexico has two official homicide sources, the SESNSP and the national statistical board, or INEGI. SESNSP data comes from law-enforcement sources, while INEGI gets its data from death certificates. While the SESNSP releases data more often, the INEGI is considered more reliable, and Mexico Evalua recommends creating a body modeled on it to address misrepresentations in federal crime data. After registering declines in 2013 and 2014, the first two years of current President Enrique Pena Nieto's term, homicides in Mexico have ticked up. Mexico crime mass grave "In the last two years, the homicide rate between 2014 and 2016 is growing at its fastest rate during that period," Furzsyfer said. "We're basically just 200 homicides shy from reaching the worst period in Felipe Calderon's administration." Mexico has seen record highs for homicides in July, August, and September this year. The 1,974 homicide cases registered in September were the most seen since the 1,993 recorded in May 2012. The 2,187 victims of intentional homicide in September were the most the country has had since it started releasing that statistic in 2014. The Mexico Evalua report also noted that Mexico's justice system was hindered by barriers to victims who want to report crimes and the system to report them is disorganized. Pena Nieto Mexico This dynamic creates underreporting of crime and impunity for criminality. According to a report from the Center for Impunity and Justice Studies (CESIJ) released earlier this year, only seven of every 100 crimes in Mexico is reported, and only 4.46% of the crimes that were reported resulted in a conviction. The CESIJ estimated that "less than 1% of crimes in Mexico are punished." This is not the first time the conflation of high- and low-level crime has been used to misrepresent Mexico's true crime rates. During his third state of the union speech in September 2015, Pena Nieto touted his government's fight against crime as responsible for 2014 seeing the country's second-lowest crime statistics in 17 years, but that claim relied on comparing those two different categories. NOW WATCH: There's a terrifying reason people are warned to stay inside at 5:45 p.m. in parts of Mexico More From Business Insider By Jim Finkle and Dustin Volz (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Tuesday that a hacking group previously linked to the Russian government and U.S. political hacks was behind recent cyber attacks that exploited a newly discovered Windows security flaw. The software maker said in an advisory on its website there had been a small number of attacks using "spear phishing" emails from a hacking group known Strontium, which is more widely known as "Fancy Bear," or APT 28. Microsoft did not identify any victims. Microsoft's disclosure of the new attacks and the link to Russia came after Washington accused Moscow of launching an unprecedented hacking campaign aimed at disrupting and discrediting the upcoming U.S. election. The U.S. government last month formally blamed the Russian government for the election-season hacks of Democratic Party emails and their subsequent disclosure via WikiLeaks and other entities. Russia has denied those accusations. Microsoft said a patch to protect Windows users against the newly discovered threat will be released on Nov. 8, which is Election Day. It was not clear whether the Windows vulnerability had been used in any of the recent U.S. political hacks. Representatives of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security could not immediately be reached for comment. A U.S. intelligence expert on Russian cyber activity said that Fancy Bear primarily works for or on behalf of the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were responsible for hacks of Democratic Party databases and emails. In spear phishing, an attacker sends targeted messages, typically via email, that exploit known information to trick victims into clicking on malicious links or open tainted attachments. Microsoft said the attacks exploited a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc's (ADBE.O) Flash software and one in the Windows operating system. Adobe released a patch for that vulnerability on Monday, when security researchers with Google (GOOGL.O) went public with details on the attack. Story continues Microsoft chided rival Google for going public with details of the vulnerabilities before it had time to prepare and test a patch to fix them. "Googles decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk," Microsoft said. A Google representative declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Google disclosed the flaw on Monday, following its standing policy of going public seven days after discovering "critical vulnerabilities" that are being actively exploited by hackers. Google gives software companies 60 days to patch less serious bugs. (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Dustin Volz in Washington. Additional reporting by John Walcott in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Jonathan Oatis) (Adds comment from Google, background on the attacks) By Jim Finkle and Dustin Volz Nov 1 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday that a hacking group previously linked to the Russian government and U.S. political hacks was behind recent cyber attacks that exploited a newly discovered Windows security flaw. The software maker said in an advisory on its website there had been a small number of attacks using "spear phishing" emails from a hacking group known Strontium, which is more widely known as "Fancy Bear," or APT 28. Microsoft did not identify any victims. Microsoft's disclosure of the new attacks and the link to Russia came after Washington accused Moscow of launching an unprecedented hacking campaign aimed at disrupting and discrediting the upcoming U.S. election. The U.S. government last month formally blamed the Russian government for the election-season hacks of Democratic Party emails and their subsequent disclosure via WikiLeaks and other entities. Russia has denied those accusations. Microsoft said a patch to protect Windows users against the newly discovered threat will be released on Nov. 8, which is Election Day. It was not clear whether the Windows vulnerability had been used in any of the recent U.S. political hacks. Representatives of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security could not immediately be reached for comment. A U.S. intelligence expert on Russian cyber activity said that Fancy Bear primarily works for or on behalf of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were responsible for hacks of Democratic Party databases and emails. In spear phishing, an attacker sends targeted messages, typically via email, that exploit known information to trick victims into clicking on malicious links or open tainted attachments. Microsoft said the attacks exploited a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc's Flash software and one in the Windows operating system. Story continues Adobe released a patch for that vulnerability on Monday, when security researchers with Google went public with details on the attack. Microsoft chided rival Google for going public with details of the vulnerabilities before it had time to prepare and test a patch to fix them. "Google's decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk," Microsoft said. A Google representative declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Google disclosed the flaw on Monday, following its standing policy of going public seven days after discovering "critical vulnerabilities" that are being actively exploited by hackers. Google gives software companies 60 days to patch less serious bugs. (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Dustin Volz in Washington. Additional reporting by John Walcott in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Jonathan Oatis) An increase of over 9000% in organic social media awareness and exposure in major networks MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Explore Inc., formerly ML Capital Group (MLCG), continues to deliver unprecedented successes in the luxury and travel tourism sector, with a recent publicity campaign realizing not only offline and broadcast results, but incredible increases in online engagement and exposure in social media, including a month over month increase of over 9000% in daily post reach on Facebook, and year over year increases in excess of 2500% for the month of October. Similar results have been realized on Twitter, where 73% of the brand's followers have identified Hawaii as a primary interest, and nearly 50% have an interest in luxury travel. On the 140-character based platform, all metrics are trending significantly upwards since the Explore Inc. team began managing the account, including over 10,000 organic impressions in 50 days - roughly 150% of the prior 100 days. "Social media has become as important for marketing and promotion as any other media," said Kevin Bobryk, CEO, Explore Inc. "This is promotion and advertising with near real-time feedback and results, and in the case of PT Maui, those results are nothing less than stellar." As previously announced, Explore Inc. is building on its success with PT Maui and expanding its presence in the travel and tourism market. This includes local initiatives and partnerships, as well as global expansion strategies. In addition to PT Maui's partnerships with major tourist attractions and luxury venues on Maui, Explore Inc. is already focusing on international partnerships and acquisitions. "We've learned a great deal on Maui, and our success has opened a lot of doors," said Bobryk. "From the beginning, this has been about more than one company, or one island. This is a global operation, with industry-changing strategies about to be launched." Safe Harbor: This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions. Story continues ML Capital Group Investor Relations Email: info@mlcginc.com 786-313-3206 SOURCE: ML Capital Group Mohawk Industries, Inc. MHK is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2016 results on Nov 3, before market opens. Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 3.27%. Meanwhile, it reported positive earnings surprises in three of the past four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 2.01%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Factors to Consider Revenues were soft in the second quarter of 2016 owing to unfavorable currency translations, plant disruptions and postponement of product launches and lowering of inventory levels by a few large customers. However, the company expects sales to improve in the third quarter. Mohawk Industries current booking trends have improved, as a result of which it expects third-quarter sales growth to be higher on a local basis. It also anticipates continued margin expansion across all segments due to process improvements, operational innovation and greater efficiencies. It is also introducing differentiated new products and leveraging customer relationships to gain traction. Mohawk Industries is making significant investments to expand its capacity and grow sales in all products and geographies. LVT sales growth is accelerating, and new plants are making gains in capacity, productivity and efficiency. Taking these factors into account, Mohawk Industries projected third-quarter EPS guidance in the $3.40 to $3.49 range which represents a 14% to 17% increase on a year-over-year basis, (excluding restructuring charges). MOHAWK INDS INC Price and EPS Surprise MOHAWK INDS INC Price and EPS Surprise | MOHAWK INDS INC Quote Also, the final production line of the Tennessee ceramic plant will become operational in the third quarter. The system integration for Balterio Laminate will also be completed during the third quarter. Notably, for the fiscal third quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $3.46, reflecting a 15.96% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, our estimate for revenues is pegged at $2.25 billion, implying a 4.44% increase. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not conclusively show that Mohawk Industries will beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here, as you will see below. Zacks ESP: The earnings ESP is 0.00% as both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $3.46. Please check our Earnings ESP Filter that enables you to find stocks that are expected to come out with earnings surprises. Zacks Rank: Mohawk Industries carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are some companies in the construction sector that can be considered as our model shows that they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases: Summit Materials, Inc. SUM, slated to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 2, has an earnings ESP of +4.11% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Quanta Services, Inc. PWR, expected to report third-quarter 2016 results on Nov 3, has an earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #2. United Rentals, Inc. URI has an earnings ESP of +3.25% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release its results on Jan 25. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report UTD RENTALS INC (URI): Free Stock Analysis Report QUANTA SERVICES (PWR): Free Stock Analysis Report MOHAWK INDS INC (MHK): Free Stock Analysis Report SUMMIT MATERLS (SUM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Global brewer, Molson Coors Brewing Company TAP delivered mixed results in the third quarter of 2016. While earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, revenues lagged the same. Molson Coors adjusted earnings of $1.03 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.01 by 2.0% but plunged 26.4% from the prior-year earnings of $1.40 per share. Earnings declined due to a drop in revenues, lower worldwide volume, a higher underlying tax rate, and higher brand investments globally, which were partially offset by positive mix and higher underlying U.S. equity income. Molson Coors Brewing Company - Earnings Surprise | FindTheBest Revenues and Operating Profits Net sales, including excise tax, declined 6.9% year over year to $947.6 million in the third quarter of 2016. Sales also lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $973 million by 2.6%. Sales declined in all the regions of Canada, Europe and International regions, as a result of a continued difficult economy and competitive pressure, along with lower volumes and significant unfavorable foreign currency. Currency had a negative impact of $47.2 million on overall sales in the quarter. On a constant currency basis, sales dropped 2.2% in the quarter. Molson Coors worldwide beer volume declined 3.8% to 15.9 million hectoliters. Sales volume fell 3.5% to 8.642 million hectoliters in third-quarter 2016. Sales declined in all the regions of U.S., Europe, Canada and International regions. Underlying (excluding special and other non-core items) pre-tax income decreased 6.2% year over year to $277.2 million due to a decline in the geographical segments of Canada, Europe and the International region, which offset the improvement in MillerCoors (42% share). Currency had a net positive impact of $1.9 million in the third quarter. On a constant currency basis, underlying pre-tax income declined 6.8%. Segment Details The company operates through the following geographical segments. Story continues Canada: Molson Coors Canada net sales dropped 2.2% to $402.2 million in the quarter due to a decline in sales volume and sales-to-retailers volume(STRs). Canada sales volume decreased 2.9% in the third quarter. Net sales per hectoliter increased 0.6% in local currency, driven primarily by positive mix. On a constant currency basis, segment sales decreased 2.5%. The segments underlying pretax income fell 14.8% to $91.6 million in the quarter due to lower volume and higher cost of goods sold and brand investments, partially offset by results of cost savings initiatives. Currency positively impacted earnings by $1.5 million. On a constant-currency basis, underlying pretax income decreased 16.2%. United States (MillerCoors): MillerCoors is a U.S. joint venture of Molson Coors Brewing Company and SABMiller plc, where Molson Coors has a 42% economic interest. On Oct 12, Molson Coors completed the acquisition of remaining 58% stake in the MillerCoors joint venture, along with the Miller global brand portfolio. It now has full rights to all the brands in the MillerCoors portfolio for the U.S. market, including Redds and import brands such as Peroni and Pilsner Urquell. The deal makes Molson Coors the largest brewery in the U.S. and the third largest in the world. MillerCoors underlying U.S. segment equity income increased 16% to $156.9 million, driven by higher net pricing, positive sales mix, and lower cost of goods sold. Underlying pre-tax income for the quarter increased 9% to $160.4 million. Europe: It includes the U.K. segment combined with the results of operations in Central Europe, excluding the Central Europe global export and license business. The segment reported net sales decline of 9.4% to $512.6 million in the third quarter of 2016, due to unfavorable currency impact of $50.2 million. On a constant currency basis, segment sales decreased 0.6% due to a decline in volumes. Europe net sales per hectoliter increased 1.2% in local currency backed by positive brand and geographic mix. Europe underlying pretax income decreased 11.7% to $83.5 million in the quarter due to unfavorable foreign currency movements, higher brand amortization expenses and lower net pension benefit. Foreign currency movements negatively impacted underlying results by $6.1 million. On a constant currency basis, underlying pretax income decreased 5.3%. Molson Coors International (MCI): Segment net sales declined 19.1% to $33.4 million in the quarter. On a constant currency basis, segment sales fell 23.2%, due to sales volume declines. Sales volume including royalty volume decreased 20.5% due to the enactment of total alcohol prohibition in Bihar, India, earlier this year, and the transfer of Staropramen in the U.K. to the companys Europe segment. The International segments underlying pretax loss was $2.7 million in the third quarter, wider than a loss of $2.1 million a year ago. The decline was due to the impact of total alcohol prohibition in Bihar, the transfer of the Staropramen U.K. business and higher brand investments in Latin America, partially offset by favorable sales mix and lower expenses in China. On a constant currency basis, underlying pretax income decreased 28.6%. MOLSON COORS-B Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise MOLSON COORS-B Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | MOLSON COORS-B Quote Other Financial Update Total debt at the end of the third quarter was $9.888 billion, and cash and cash equivalents totaled $9.982 billion, resulting in a net cash position of $93.9 million, primarily due to the proceeds received from the Feb 2016 equity and Jul 2016 debt offerings. Zacks Rank Molson Coors currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Some well-positioned food stocks in the industry include Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV BUD, Constellation Brands Inc. STZ and Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. BREW. All these stocks hold a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here. Constellation Brands has delivered positive earnings surprises in all the past four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 5.77%. It also has a long-term earnings growth rate of 17.94%. Anheuser-Busch has a long-term earnings growth rate of 11.09%, while Craft Brew has a long-term earnings growth rate of 25.00%. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Analyst Blog, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MOLSON COORS-B (TAP): Free Stock Analysis Report ANHEUSER-BU ADR (BUD): Free Stock Analysis Report CONSTELLATN BRD (STZ): Free Stock Analysis Report CRAFT BREW ALLN (BREW): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From Woman's Day While Election Day school closures are the norm for some districts across the country, you can expect even more districts to follow suit this year. Schools in states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina, Nebraska are being extra cautious this year. Several school districts across the country have moved polling locations to other local, non-educational buildings or have completely cancelled classes on November 8th, even if the school is not a polling location, because of safety concerns, NBC News reports. "Emotions are running high during this presidential election," Erin Gadd, a Lorain, Ohio district spokesperson told USA Today. The increased tension, in addition to the violence seen at campaign offices and political rallies this year, is making school staff members and parents extra worried about school security. According to the National School Boards Association, no one has tallied up exactly how many schools are closing or are making alternative polling plans this year, but it's an issue on many Americans' minds. Over 50 percent of voters are worried about possible election day violence, according to a new poll released by USA Today and Suffolk University. There's also the fear that this year's heated election could motivate large numbers of people to show up at the polls, which has some districts in swing states feeling especially uneasy. "They're expecting more than we've ever had," added Nathanael Shelton, a spokesman for North Carolina's Johnston County school district. "Just to err on the side of caution, we decided to close those schools." "There's going to be a lot of people coming in and out of the buildings throughout the day as they show up to vote," Jeff Graham, an Ohio school superintendent that made the decision to cancel classes on Election Day back in August, told the newspaper. "We want to ensure a smooth experience for everyone concerned. We felt it would be best for our students and community." Story continues (h/t NBC News and USA Today) You Might Also Like By Aziz El Yaakoubi RABAT (Reuters) - Moroccan authorities have charged 11 people over the death of a fishmonger who was crushed in a garbage truck while trying to stop police from destroying his stock, in a case that has ignited public anger. The death of Mouhcine Fikri in the northern city of Al-Hoceima on Friday has prompted thousands to take to the streets in four days of protests, among the biggest in Morocco since pro-reform demonstrations broke out during the 2011 Arab Spring. Protest chants and a frenzy of angry postings on social media have blamed the Makhzen, a term used to describe the royal establishment. In an effort to calm tensions, King Mohamed, currently on a tour of Africa, ordered the interior minister to visit the victim's family and present royal condolences. The general prosecutor said on Tuesday that 11 people had been referred to an investigating judge, including two interior ministry officials, two local fisheries officials and the veterinary chief in Al-Hoceima, on charges of involuntary manslaughter. Fikri bought 500 kg (1,100 lb) of swordfish, for which fishing is banned from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30 every year, according to a prosecutor's statement published by state news agency MAP. A police officer guarding the port gates called the security services, who impounded Fikri's truck later inside the city. The veterinary doctor decided the fish was unfit for consumption because of a lack of documents. But the local committee had already prepared the legal paperwork to destroy the fish before seizing it, which amounts to forgery of public documents, the statement said. According to local media and authorities, Fikri jumped inside the trash truck that police used to destroy the confiscated fish in a desperate attempt to stop them, and was caught inside the crusher. Activists accused police officers at the scene of ordering garbage men to crush Fikri but the police denied those accusations, and the prosecutor said the investigation had shown there was no order to harm the victim. The statement did not say who pressed the button of the crusher. Protests were held in Al-Hoceima and other towns in the surrounding Rif region, as well as in Casablanca and the capital Rabat, where hundreds gathered chanting "Mohcine was murdered, Makhzen is to blame". Large-scale political protests are rare in Morocco, where the king still holds ultimate sway, although unemployed graduates have long demonstrated for jobs across the country. Demonstrations are heavily policed, reflecting official nervousness over popular unrest. While leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were swept from power in 2011, King Mohamed defused protests in Morocco that year by devolving some of his power to the elected government. (Editing by Patrick Markey and Mark Trevelyan) Philippine fishermen South China Sea Scarborough Shoal China fish fishing Philippine fishermen returned to the waters around Scarborough Shoal earlier this week, access they have been denied by Chinese vessels for much of the last four years after Beijing took control of the rocky outcropping in 2012. At the end of last week, it was reported that some of the Chinese vessels stationed at the shoal had left, and after that Philippine fishermen said they were able to fish without interference. The Philippine defense secretary himself heralded it as "a most welcome development," and fishermen who garnered bountiful catches on their return to Scarborough were also pleased with events. While Beijing admitted it had made "proper arrangements" after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern about issues surrounding Scarborough, a Chinese foreign-ministry spokeswoman said China had always had "normal administration" over the shoal and denied there had been any shift in policy. "The relevant situation has not changed and will not change," she told a briefing on Monday. And a photo released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative on Tuesday illustrates how little the current situation at Scarborough differs from previous circumstances. CSIS AMTI Scarborough Shoal China Philippines South China Sea The image, taken on October 29, shows a Chinese vessel anchored in the mouth of the lagoon, appearing to block entry to Philippine fishermen, which is in line with reports that they were fishing "just outside" the lagoon. The Philippine navy has also reported that Chinese vessels are present near the shoal. As CSIS notes, if Philippine fishermen are still barred from entering the lagoon, it suggests that whatever Duterte and his Chinese counterpart negotiated during their meeting in mid-October only eased the stern restrictions Chinese authorities had put in place around the shoal after the July 12 international-court ruling that rejected Beijing's expansive claims in the South China Sea. Story continues china coast guard scarborough "This would be a return to the status quo that has existed for much of the last four years, not the pre-2012 status quo in which Philippine fishermen regularly entered Scarborough Shoal," CSIS noted. A return to the status quo instead of the status quo ante, and the continuing presence of Chinese civilian and coast-guard vessels, suggests that the current situation on the waters around Scarborough is rather tenuous. "On Scarborough, this could be a sign of a new status quo in which both sides are free to fish but neither admits publicly that theyre 'allowing' or 'permitting' the other to do so (that language would be a sticking point)," Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS, told Business Insider last week. "Or it could just be a temporary olive branch that Beijing is holding out while talks toward a long-term deal, one that may never happen, continue with the Duterte government," Poling added. NOW WATCH: 'America has lost': The Philippines president just announced that he's allying with China, wants to talk to Putin More From Business Insider Sen. Richard Burr joked that gun enthusiasts may have a "bullseye" on Hillary Clinton , CNN reported Monday. In the recording CNN referenced, Burr said that while it "didn't have a bullseye on it," "nothing made [him] feel better" than seeing the former secretary of state on the cover of a rifle magazine in a gun shop. "Let me assure you, there's an army of support out there right now for our candidates," Burr, a Republican from North Carolina locked in a tight race, said in the recording. He apologized for the remarks to NBC News. "The comment I made was inappropriate, and I apologize for it," Burr said in a statement. Burr narrowly leads his opponent Democrat Deborah Ross by one point in his fight for re-election, according to a RealClearPolitics average of recent polls. His comments bear some similarities to those made by Donald Trump in Burr's state, who previously suggested that violence could stop Clinton from nominating judges. "If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do folks," Trump told a crowd in Wilmington, North Carolina in August. "Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is I don't know." Read the full report on CNN. NBC News contributed to this report. More From CNBC Newell Brands (NWL) CEO Michael Polk said he plans on investing and growing his company's legacy brands like Rubbermaid, Sharpie and Graco as well as newly-acquired Jarden brands like Rawlings, Coleman and Yankee Candle. "We're really pleased with the assets we acquired from Jarden," Polk told CNBC's Jim Cramer on "Mad Money." "Our vision is to take an ... innovation-driven model and extend it across a broader set of categories." Regarding the sentiment that consumers aren't spending as much on home products as they used to, Newell's chief executive said he doesn't see that in "the numbers," but does in the headlines. He said he follows the transactions, but that regardless of the headwinds, it's his company's responsibility to beat "the macros." When asked about the company's growing international footprint, Polk said he wants to make sure "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts." Cramer , the "Mad Money" host, suggested the company's focus on sustainability would attract millennials who are interested in reducing waste with Rubbermaid products. Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer Cramer Remix: Blessing this energy stock Cramer: What Amazon doesn't have this holiday season Competition heats up for Google, Amazon and Netflix Questions for Cramer? Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up! Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram - Vine Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com More From CNBC By Nate Raymond NEW YORK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - When plumber Gary Pusey pleaded guilty in May to insider trading, it was a victory not just for New York prosecutors but for a little-known squad inside the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that uses data analysis to spot unusual trading patterns. Formed in 2010, the Analysis and Detection Center of the SEC's Market Abuse Unit culls through billions of rows of trading data going back 15 years to identify individuals who have made repeated, well-timed trades ahead of corporate news. The new strategy is starting to show results, enabling the SEC to launch nine insider trading cases, around 7 percent of cases the agency brought since 2014 against people who trade on confidential corporate information. It signals a shift in how the agency initiates insider trading probes, which more often are launched based on referrals from Wall Street's self-regulator Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or an informant's tip. "It's essentially the new frontier," said Andrew Ceresney, the SEC's enforcement director. "We have tremendous amounts of data available to use, and we've been developing tools to take advantage of that." That data was key to spotting trades by Pusey ahead of at least 10 deals from 2014 to 2015 involving Barclays Plc , where his friend Steven McClatchey worked. The SEC has also used data mining in a high-profile probe of traders who it says made more than $100 million using information obtained by Ukrainian hackers. Others charged include former employees of law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc.. In August, former Perella Weinberg Partners banker Sean Stewart was convicted in a case credited to the SEC unit. He denies wrongdoing and is expected to appeal. 10 BILLION ROWS OF TRADING DATA The cases have come at a time when other U.S. and European regulators have increasingly looked to find ways to take advantage Big Data in order to strengthen their enforcement operations and market surveillance. Story continues The United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority has in recent years taken steps to develop technology to analyze large amounts of data to pursue market abuse cases. For the SEC, the six-year data-push has had the benefit of giving it some extra autonomy in pursuing insider trading probes beyond the inquiries and referrals that self-regulatory organizations like FINRA produce for the agency. "Why wait to do a referral when you could do it proactively?" said Daniel Hawke, a former chief of the SEC's Market Abuse Unit now at the law firm Arnold & Porter. The SEC does not have a direct feed of the markets' trading data. Instead, it mines 10 billion rows of "blue sheet" data of trades executed by brokerages that the agency gathered in various investigations. Analysts use a home-grown program called Artemis to analyze patterns and relationships among multiple traders. Joseph Sansone, a co-chief of the Market Abuse Unit, said the SEC in particular mines data to identify individuals who repeatedly buy stock ahead of mergers, enabling the agency to focus on repeat offenders. "The ability to see pattern of multiple trades over a matter of months or years gives us confidence to invest resources into investigations," he said. The SEC also uses software from privately-held Palantir Technologies, which identifies links between individuals and entities by connecting pieces of information from multiple data sources. In 2015, the agency awarded a $90 million, five-year contract to Palantir. PLUMBER'S SCHEME In Pusey's case, the SEC said that the data unit "detected an illicit pattern of trading" by the plumber, who successfully traded ahead of mergers involving companies that included Entropic Communications Inc and CVS Health Corp. In all of the deals, the target or acquirer were represented by Barclays. The SEC referred the case to federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In December 2015, Pusey, 47, began actively cooperating with them, providing "detailed information" about his source, according to court papers. In May, the FBI arrested that source, McClatchey, a close friend of Pusey's who worked as a director at Barclays. McClatchey, 58, pleaded guilty in July to tipping Pusey in exchange for money. He agreed to not appeal any sentence of five years in prison or less and to forfeit $76,000. Both men are set to be sentenced later this year. Lawyers for the defendants did not respond to requests for comment. To be sure, even with data mining, traditional investigative techniques like enlisting cooperators and issuing subpoenas for documents remain key to building out a case. The SEC has in the past acknowledged that it faces a challenge to keep up with technological advances in the securities markets it regulates, where spending by a number financial firms can surpass the agency's own expenditures. And despite its early success, the SEC's ability to launch cases by data mining is also limited because it collects trading information on an ad-hoc basis. That is expected to change. In April, the SEC released a plan to establish a database that stores every trade order, execution and cancellation. Known as a "consolidated audit trail," it is a central repository that is expected to begin getting data from stock exchanges and FINRA by late 2017. Thomas Sporkin, a former senior SEC official with the law firm BuckleySandler, said that new database could significantly advance the SEC's ability to track suspicious trading. "Doing surveillance for insider trading today -- it's like we're in the early days of the automobile," he said. "What the consolidated audit trail will provide is the future. It's the flying car." (Additional reporting by Rachel Armstrong and Huw Jones; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Edward Tobin) By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - When plumber Gary Pusey pleaded guilty in May to insider trading, it was a victory not just for New York prosecutors but for a little-known squad inside the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that uses data analysis to spot unusual trading patterns. Formed in 2010, the Analysis and Detection Center of the SEC's Market Abuse Unit culls through billions of rows of trading data going back 15 years to identify individuals who have made repeated, well-timed trades ahead of corporate news. The new strategy is starting to show results, enabling the SEC to launch nine insider trading cases, around 7 percent of cases the agency brought since 2014 against people who trade on confidential corporate information. It signals a shift in how the agency initiates insider trading probes, which more often are launched based on referrals from Wall Street's self-regulator Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or an informant's tip. "It's essentially the new frontier," said Andrew Ceresney, the SEC's enforcement director. "We have tremendous amounts of data available to use, and we've been developing tools to take advantage of that." That data was key to spotting trades by Pusey ahead of at least 10 deals from 2014 to 2015 involving Barclays Plc, where his friend Steven McClatchey worked. The SEC has also used data mining in a high-profile probe of traders who it says made more than $100 million using information obtained by Ukrainian hackers. Others charged include former employees of law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc.. In August, former Perella Weinberg Partners banker Sean Stewart was convicted in a case credited to the SEC unit. He denies wrongdoing and is expected to appeal. 10 BILLION ROWS OF TRADING DATA The cases have come at a time when other U.S. and European regulators have increasingly looked to find ways to take advantage Big Data in order to strengthen their enforcement operations and market surveillance. Story continues The United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority has in recent years taken steps to develop technology to analyze large amounts of data to pursue market abuse cases. For the SEC, the six-year data-push has had the benefit of giving it some extra autonomy in pursuing insider trading probes beyond the inquiries and referrals that self-regulatory organizations like FINRA produce for the agency. "Why wait to do a referral when you could do it proactively?" said Daniel Hawke, a former chief of the SEC's Market Abuse Unit now at the law firm Arnold & Porter. The SEC does not have a direct feed of the markets' trading data. Instead, it mines 10 billion rows of "blue sheet" data of trades executed by brokerages that the agency gathered in various investigations. Analysts use a home-grown program called Artemis to analyze patterns and relationships among multiple traders. Joseph Sansone, a co-chief of the Market Abuse Unit, said the SEC in particular mines data to identify individuals who repeatedly buy stock ahead of mergers, enabling the agency to focus on repeat offenders. "The ability to see pattern of multiple trades over a matter of months or years gives us confidence to invest resources into investigations," he said. The SEC also uses software from privately-held Palantir Technologies, which identifies links between individuals and entities by connecting pieces of information from multiple data sources. In 2015, the agency awarded a $90 million, five-year contract to Palantir. PLUMBER'S SCHEME In Pusey's case, the SEC said that the data unit "detected an illicit pattern of trading" by the plumber, who successfully traded ahead of mergers involving companies that included Entropic Communications Inc and CVS Health Corp. In all of the deals, the target or acquirer were represented by Barclays. The SEC referred the case to federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In December 2015, Pusey, 47, began actively cooperating with them, providing "detailed information" about his source, according to court papers. In May, the FBI arrested that source, McClatchey, a close friend of Pusey's who worked as a director at Barclays. McClatchey, 58, pleaded guilty in July to tipping Pusey in exchange for money. He agreed to not appeal any sentence of five years in prison or less and to forfeit $76,000. Both men are set to be sentenced later this year. Lawyers for the defendants did not respond to requests for comment. To be sure, even with data mining, traditional investigative techniques like enlisting cooperators and issuing subpoenas for documents remain key to building out a case. The SEC has in the past acknowledged that it faces a challenge to keep up with technological advances in the securities markets it regulates, where spending by a number financial firms can surpass the agency's own expenditures. And despite its early success, the SEC's ability to launch cases by data mining is also limited because it collects trading information on an ad-hoc basis. That is expected to change. In April, the SEC released a plan to establish a database that stores every trade order, execution and cancellation. Known as a "consolidated audit trail," it is a central repository that is expected to begin getting data from stock exchanges and FINRA by late 2017. Thomas Sporkin, a former senior SEC official with the law firm BuckleySandler, said that new database could significantly advance the SEC's ability to track suspicious trading. "Doing surveillance for insider trading today -- it's like we're in the early days of the automobile," he said. "What the consolidated audit trail will provide is the future. It's the flying car." (Additional reporting by Rachel Armstrong and Huw Jones; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Edward Tobin) MANAGUA (Reuters) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is expected to win re-election by a landslide on Nov. 6, according to a poll published on Tuesday, the last such survey released before the vote. The poll by M&R Consultants showed 69.8 percent of those surveyed planned to vote for Ortega and his leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) party, compared with 8.1 percent for right-wing opposition candidate Maximino Rodriguez. Another 15.5 percent of those polled declared themselves independents, or declined to respond, M&R said. Ortega, a 70-year-old former guerrilla leader, first ruled the country in the 1980s and returned to power in 2007 after a fracture in Nicaragua's right-wing parties. Victory on Sunday would give him a third consecutive term in power. After nearly a decade in power, his popularity has remained high due to economic policies and social programs put into place with the aid of allies in Venezuela and Cuba. Support for Ortega has grown in recent weeks. In a previous poll published in September, 65.7 percent of those surveyed planned to vote for the incumbent. The poll of 2,000 people was conducted between Oct. 26-29 and had a margin of error of 2.24 percent. (Reporting by Ivan Castro; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria's president has ordered an investigation into allegations by a rights group of rapes by soldiers and police of women and girls fleeing the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. Human Rights Watch said in a statement published on Monday that 43 cases of "sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation", had been documented by its researchers in July. A police spokesman flatly rejected the report. The women and girls were housed at seven camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, for people displaced by Boko Haram's seven-year-old insurgency, the rights group said. The Islamist campaign has driven more than two million people from their homes and killed some 15,000 in Nigeria's northeast. The rights group said it was also told of abuse carried out by camp leaders employed by authorities and members of local militias set up to help the military fight the insurgents. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari was "worried and shocked" by the allegations, his spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement on Monday. "President Buhari has instructed the inspector general of police and the state governors of the affected states to immediately commence investigations into the issue." Four people told HRW they had been drugged and raped. Thirty-seven said they had been coerced into sex through false promises of marriage and material and financial assistance. A 17-year-old girl said she was raped by a policeman. "One day he demanded to have sex with me. I refused but he forced me," she said. She said he threatened to shoot and kill her when she discovered she was pregnant. A 16-year-old who fled an attack on Baga, near Lake Chad, said she was drugged and raped in May 2015 by a local militia member in charge of distributing aid in a camp. "There are no reported cases of infractions of law by policemen on or off duty," Don Awunah, a spokesman for Nigeria's national police force, said on Monday in response to the allegations. An army spokesman declined to comment on allegations related to soldiers and referred the matter to the defence ministry. A spokesman for the department could not be reached by phone and did not respond to a text message. Boko Haram, which controlled a swathe of land in the northeast around the size of Belgium early last year, has largely been pushed back to its base in the northeast's vast Sambisa forest in recent months. (Reporting by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Andrew Roche) (Adds Senate leader in fourth paragraph) By Camillus Eboh and Chijioke Ohuocha ABUJA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria's Senate dealt President Muhammadu Buhari an unexpected blow on Tuesday by rejecting his plan to borrow $30 billion abroad for infrastructure projects and budget support until 2018. The decision makes it more difficult for Buhari to build new roads and invest in outdated power grids with a view to boosting agriculture and other non-oil industries, and reducing the economy's dependence on dwindling crude revenues. Senators threw out the plan, introduced last week, without a debate. "I was shocked. I think it was defeated on technical grounds," Ali Ndume, Senate majority leader from Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC), told reporters. "I will try and reintroduce it (the bill) again. We will do what is right." Just minutes after the vote, the finance ministry sent a statement again justifying the borrowing plan. A ministry official declined to comment on the rejection. "The loans, which cover a period of three years, would help in addressing the biting infrastructure deficit in the country," the ministry quoted a top debt official as saying in its statement. Buhari's borrowing plans had included the sale of Eurobonds worth $4.5 billion and planned budget support of $3.5 billion. The Senate setback undermines the president's authority as he tries to lift the OPEC country out of its first recession in more than 20 years, triggered by low global oil prices. Crude oil sales account for about two-thirds of government revenue. Some lawmakers, including from the APC, have objected to government plans to sell oil and other assets to raise badly needed hard currency. "Why this appears strange is because ... they (lawmakers) tend to approve whatever the president puts on their table," said Ayodele Thompson, director at the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis think tank. "If you look at how we got into the debt in the past, you would realise that borrowing is not the answer to economic recession," he said. "The government needs to take some hard decisions like shrinking its size." Story continues Buhari had already sent a draft budget for 2017 to parliament for approval, detailing plans to spend a record 6.866 trillion naira ($22.55 billion). The planned spending is up from this year's 6.06 trillion naira and seeks to stimulate growth by funding infrastructure development. The government has held months of talks with the World Bank, China and other institutions to fund a 2016 budget deficit of 2.2 trillion naira, but so far only the African Development Bank has publicly confirmed a planned loan of $1 billion. Nigeria aims to sell $1 billion in Eurobonds by the end of the year though no bank has been publicly appointed to arrange the deal. The government has sought to attract investment, but hard currency curbs to keep the naira rate to the dollar artificially high have deterred firms as they expect another devaluation at some point. In June, the central bank said it would float the naira but it has reinstated an informal peg, which has knocked the currency down some 40 percent on the parallel market. ($1 = 304.5000 naira) (Reporting by Camillus Eboh, Alexis Akwagyiram, Ulf Laessing and Oludare Mayowa; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Tom Heneghan and John Stonestreet) By Camillus Eboh ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria's Senate dealt an unexpected blow to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday by rejecting his plan to borrow $30 billion abroad for infrastructure projects and budget support until 2018. Senators threw out the plan, introduced last week, without debate. When a surprised Senate President Bukola Saraki held a second vote, most senators shouted again "Nay". Buhari's borrowing plans had included the sale of Eurobonds worth $4.5 billion and planned budget support of $3.5 billion. The shock vote undermines the president's authority as he tries to lift the OPEC country out of its first recession in more than 20 years, triggered by low global oil prices. Crude oil sales account for about two-thirds of government revenue. Some lawmakers, including from Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have objected to government plans to sell oil and other assets to raise badly needed hard currency. Buhari had already sent a draft budget for 2017 to parliament for approval, detailing plans to spend a record 6.866 trillion naira ($22.55 billion). The planned spending is up from this year's 6.06 trillion naira budget and seeks to stimulate growth by funding infrastructure development to increase manufacturing, create jobs and reduce costly imports. The government has held talks for months with the World Bank, China and other institutions to fund a 2016 budget deficit of 2.2 trillion naira but so far only the African Development Bank has publicly confirmed a planned loan of $1 billion. Nigeria also wants to sell $1 billion in Eurobonds by the end of the year. ($1 = 304.5000 naira) (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Editing by Mark Trevelyan; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Larry King) By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani ABUJA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - When Jackie Farris first watched the climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth on a trip to the United States in 2007, she couldnt help but wonder: Was global warming creating problems in Nigeria as well? The film, about former U.S. Vice President Al Gores campaign to educate people about climate change in the United States, was a wakeup call, Farris said and led to her investigating what was happening in the country where she moved 15 years ago and has since become a naturalized citizen. The result is Nowhere to Run, an award-winning film that looks at the ties between problems such as expanding deserts, water shortages and sea level rise and threats such as the rise of Boko Haram. This film is Nigerias Inconvenient Truth, Farris said. It has been an issue for Nigeria that we cannot afford to ignore. SHRINKING LAKE CHAD The film documents the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation in Africas most populous nation, including the dramatic decline of Lake Chad, which supplies water to millions of people in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. The lake has shrunk to just a twentieth of the size it was in 1963 as a result of climate change and growing demands for water for agriculture and other uses, according to the U.N. Environment Programme. The documentary explores how the shrinking of Lake Chad is affecting families in the northeast state of Borno, the birthplace of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. It argues that, frustrated by the disappearance of water and job opportunities, many young people turned to Boko Haram for loans or welfare support, and ended up attending religious classes where they were exposed to extremist beliefs. Our most alarming discoveries were desertification, the encroachment of the desert estimated at six kilometers a year now and the drying up of Lake Chad, said Farris, who was born in the United States. She now heads the Shehu Musa YarAdua Foundation in the capital city, Abuja, which aims to inspire generations of Nigerians to a life of service. After viewing the film, most people are alarmed, she said. They werent aware that climate change was having this impact on Nigeria. For many Nigerians, if they know about climate change, its from an international perspective. They havent connected it with their own society, she said. MAKING CONNECTIONS Amara Nwankpa, the foundations coordinator of public policy initiatives, believes that the documentarys greatest impact has been to turn an abstract international issue into a pressing local one. According to him, a survey conducted after the films premiere revealed that 85 percent of attendees said they didnt know until seeing the film that there was anything like climate change in Nigeria. People were making those connections for the first time, he said. The film, which premiered in Nigeria in November 2015 and has been shown around the country and in some international settings, will have its full international debut in January when it will be made available to download online. It has already won the "best documentary short" award at the 2015 African Film Festival in Dallas, Texas. The documentary was created with Oronto Douglas, a leading environmental human rights lawyer, and Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., named after his father who was one of Nigerias most outspoken environmentalists. The elder Saro-Wiwas activism eventually led to his execution in 1994 by the then military government of Sani Abacha. His son, who narrated the film, died of a stroke in London last month. Nigerias government contributed funding to the film project in 2013, after the YarAdua Foundation made the case that climate change was a threat to national security. Nowhere to Run gets its title from a woman interviewed in the film, who described how flooding had disrupted her community in Anambra state in southeast Nigeria, forcing families to move out of their houses and sleep and cook in the streets. It was impossible for the community to relocate, said Patricia Afuberoh, the queen of Ogbakuba community, in the film. The community has no other land. Where will they now go?... There is nowhere to run to, she said. NEW ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTORS? Showings of the film in Nigeria have usually been followed by panel discussions that look at the impacts of climate change on the local community. Nnimmo Bassey, executive director of Nigerian non-governmental group Environmental Rights Action and one of Time Magazines 2009 Heroes of the Environment, has also shown the documentary at primary and secondary schools, among other places. The younger kids all pledge to be protectors of the environment, he said, And that, to me, is the most encouraging outcome. Farris and environmental activists say the film has helped forge concern about climate change in a way that years of environmental campaigning have not. She remembers speaking to a Nigerian woman who told her, after watching the documentary, that she had been attending the World Economic Forum for the past three years and had always regarded the sessions on climate change as her time to grab some rest because she didnt think it concerned her country. This is the level of intelligent, informed, sophisticated global people who are not aware, Farris said. (Reporting by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani; editing by Laurie Goering:; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) Should a nightclub pre-screen its patrons based on their appearance? The Doctors discuss a club that is slated to open in Los Angeles that will base admission on your level of hotness. The website BeautifulPeople.com is venturing out into the nightlife business, where the guests will have to appear before a panel to determine if they are good looking enough to get in. Greg Hodge, the companys managing director, joins The Doctors to explain more about the potentially controversial club. The Doctors question the idea behind the club calling it superficial, elitist and promoting unhealthy self-image issues, especially for women. Watch: Do You Need a Dating Profile Makeover? We celebrate beauty in all of its diversity, he says responding to the criticisms. He claims the idea is based on being exclusive and not discriminatory. So how will potential patrons be deemed beautiful or not? Any leading bar, in any of the star capitals of the world, they all have people screening at the door, he says, explaining that there will be a person at the door who ensures that peoples photos on the website live up to what they look like in real life. If the website member brings a guest, then the person at the door will make an on the spot judgement call if they are hot enough to enter the club. Thats the nature of the beast, thats the concept. Watch: Get Your Sexy Back The Doctors would like to note that the nightclub will also have a policy that if someone is rich enough, then they are guaranteed access, regardless of their looks hot or otherwise. * Fanuc contributes hefty 32 negative points to Nikkei * Panasonic dives more than 7 pct By Ayai Tomisawa TOKYO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks fell on Tuesday morning as disappointing earnings forecasts from some bellwether companies dented sentiment, and as investors were cautious ahead of the outcome of the Bank Of Japan's two-day policy meeting. The benchmark Nikkei share average fell 0.5 percent to 17,342.15 in midmorning trade. Mizuho Securities Research & Consulting estimated that companies which reported their April-Sept results are forecasting a 12.9 percent drop on-year in their full-year operating profit. The think tank unit of Mizuho Securities compiled the data based on half-year earnings of 485 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's First section. These companies exclude financial firms. "Weak earnings prospects are hitting sentiment and triggering profit-taking as the Nikkei has risen above the short-term target (of 17,000)," said Yoshinori Shigemi, a global market strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management. He added that investors are staying on the sidelines before the BOJ's policy decision later in the day when it is widely expected to stand pat, adding that for the rest of week their focus will be on the Federal Reserve policy meeting on Wednesday and the U.S. jobs report on Friday. "They want to wait before they take positions," Shigemi said. Factory automation machinery maker Fanuc Corp, which is one of the index heavy-weight stocks, tumbled 4.3 percent and contributed a hefty 32 negative points to the Nikkei index after releasing annual forecasts that fell short of market expectations. Fanuc expects an operating profit of 134.70 billion yen for the year ending March 2017, compared to 146.10 billion yen forecast by SmartEstimate. Panasonic Corp dived 7.5 percent as the company cut its annual profit forecast after bringing forward some of its investment in a battery plant for U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. Story continues Mining stocks were lower after oil prices declined overnight as markets doubted OPEC's ability to implement planned production cuts. Inpex Corp dropped 1.4 percent, Japan Petroleum Exploration Co shed 1.0 percent. The broader Topix fell 0.3 percent to 1,389.25 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 declined 0.3 percent to 12,455.73. You dont get a second chance to make a first impression. Thats true in life, of course. But its also an adage that the next president should heed as well. Whoever succeeds President Barack Obama will inherit a global security order in an advanced state of decay. Despite his best intentions, Obamas eight-year flight from leadership has left America confronting a world that is markedly more violent and unstable than it was the day he took office. Adversaries from Russia to China to Iran are dangerously emboldened. Allies have lost faith in U.S. support. The extended deterrence that has underwritten international stability and prosperity since World War II is unravelling and at an accelerating rate. Whether through miscalculation or design, the risk of great power conflict is higher today than at any time in the past 30 years. Arresting this deteriorating situation should be an urgent priority for whoever walks into the Oval Office on January 20th. One concern in particular now preoccupies friend and foe alike as they await Americas next commander-in-chief: Has Obamas abandonment of Pax Americana been an aberration, a temporary hiatus from the burdens of global leadership that will end with his presidency? Or was Obama merely the vehicle of a much deeper and more profound historical change, the harbinger of a more far-reaching and permanent downsizing of Americas international role that no successor will be able to reverse? The world is unlikely to wait long for an answer. Quite quickly, probably no later than the summer of 2017, countries will have taken their measure of the new president. Should they conclude that its business as usual that the decline, drift, and retrenchment of the Obama years is set to continue or even intensify, they will act accordingly. Revisionist powers will escalate their efforts to undermine the foundations of U.S. power and dismantle the American-led global system. Allies, too, will take their cues, engaging in a spectrum of self-help ventures that further undermine U.S. interests from destabilizing proxy wars (think Saudi Arabias arming of Sunni jihadists in Syria) to the accommodation of U.S. adversaries (Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes recent embrace of China). How soon before the prospect of South Korean, Japanese, or Saudi nukes rises on the horizon? Story continues The longer the slide toward chaos is allowed to persist, the more dangerous and costly it will be to stop. At some point, it may even prove impossible leaving us to confront the stark choice between all-out war and full-blown appeasement. Avoiding that fateful day of reckoning should be among the next presidents most urgent tasks. That means acting relatively quickly to distinguish the new administration from Obamas and to alter the increasingly destructive dynamic of the past several years. Even as the new president develops policies for specific regions of the world, he or she should be looking for opportunities to signal an overall course correction that is focused on the ABCs of superpower strategy that Obama either neglected or derided as the detritus of the establishments outdated playbook: The steady assertion of American strength and leadership, the constant reassurance of vulnerable allies, and credible deterrence of determined adversaries. The range of steps that the next president might take to rapidly project the image of resurgent U.S. power is lengthy, but a few ideas immediately come to mind: Announce in the inaugural address the intention to work in close coordination with Congress to end the idiocy of sequestration and increase defense spending to levels that are sufficient to address the myriad of rising threats we face. Initiate a series of regular consultative meetings with key national security leaders in Congress to develop bipartisan understandings not only on rebuilding the military, but on the underlying nature of the challenges confronting U.S. interests around the world. Maintain a long-term troop presence in Iraq even after the Islamic States caliphate is destroyed. Commit to deploying a missile defense system capable of defending the entire U.S. homeland from a North Korean nuclear attack. Communicate immediately to Iran through private channels that further threats to U.S. naval vessels in the Persian Gulf will no longer be tolerated. The next time Iranian gunboats swarm one of our ships, they will face lethal force. And should Iran fail to heed that warning, follow through decisively and be prepared to escalate accordingly and disproportionately. Additionally: Make sure the Israeli prime minister is among the first foreign leaders received at the White House and leave no doubt that the days of public backbiting and distancing from Americas most important and capable Middle Eastern ally are over. While relying on the State Department and other relevant agencies to maintain an active diplomacy with China, Russia, and even Iran, focus the bulk of the presidents personal diplomatic energies during the first year on consolidating relations with allied nations in NATO, the Middle East, and Asia, including trips to each region, if possible. The message should be unmistakable: Maintaining the strength and vitality of Americas alliances is at the center of our global strategy, not propitiating those who mean us harm. The distinction between the two sets of actors should be clear and certainly not turned on its head as has too often been the perception under Obama. Another point of differentiation from the Obama team: Try to do as much of this as possible without trashing the previous administration, especially overseas. Let the actions speak for themselves. Also: No more apologizing for past U.S. failures or alleged transgressions. And underscore both in word and deed that while America seeks productive ties even with adversaries where possible, the only basis for such relations can be reciprocity, not free giveaways. There should be no doubt in anyones mind that the era of unilateral conciliatory gestures to moderate the behavior of sworn enemies is over. The job of rebuilding American deterrence wont be easy or cheap. It will not occur overnight. And given the extent of the erosion in the U.S. global position, it will unavoidably entail a degree of risk. But with committed presidential leadership and even a modicum of bipartisanship in Congress, it is also not mission impossible. Indeed, a generation ago, Ronald Reagan took office at another moment of profound crisis in the countrys foreign policy and proved how quickly American strength and global prestige could be re-established. Of course, Reagan being Reagan, he had the advantage that his very election itself sent a resounding message around the world that Americas comeback had already begun. In contrast, after this dismal election season, in which one of the candidates openly trucked in neo-isolationism and the other engaged in only the most tepid critique of Obamas foreign policy, no such signal of a reinvigorated American internationalism will be forthcoming on election day. All the more reason, then, that the winner hit the ground running next January with a discrete set of steps directly aimed at convincing both allies and enemies that a new day has dawned in U.S. foreign policy. Photo credit: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images In what is easily the years biggest casting triumphs, Isla Fisher plays the literary avatar of Amy Adams in the new story-within-a-story thriller Nocturnal Animals. The red-headed actresses have long been considered celebrity doppelgangers, and yes they do get mistaken for one another in person, too. It happens a lot, Adams, 42, told us at the films recent Los Angeles press day. Were dispelling the myth that were the same person, said Fisher, 40. There are going to be a lot of surprised folks out there. Because I get congratulated a lot on Enchanted. Related: Will This Finally Be Amy Adams Year? Actress Gives Pair of A-Grade Performances in Arrival and Animals Fisher has also received props for Adamss achievements from one very famous pop star. After the Oscars the year [Adams was nominated for] American Hustle, Im talking to Bono, Fisher recalled, then stopped to apologize for the U2 name-drop. The crowds part and in walks Lady Gaga. And she goes, I just want to say, you were wonderful in American Hustle. But I dont want to correct her because Bonos there. So I just say, Thank you. The actresses resemblance has made for some good gags, too. Adams recalled attending Fishers birthday party, where the guest of honors famous husband, Sacha Baron Cohen, brought it up in a toast. Hes [saying], I wanted to date Amy Adams, but she wasnt available,' Adams said. I felt really awkward. Related: Watch the Keeping Up With the Joneses Cast Try to Answer Questions About Each Other The Hollywood couple even had Adamss head Photoshopped onto Fishers body for one of their recent holiday cards. Its a running joke inside their family, Adams explained. Its said, Seasons Greetings from Amy, Sasha, and the kids,' Fisher revealed. But whats amazing is several people didnt even notice it wasnt me. Or that my name was written Amy.' Nocturnal Animals, which was written and directed by Tom Ford and costars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Armie Hamme, opens in select cities Nov. 18 and nationwide Dec. 9. More coverage on the film to come. This article was co-published with Salon.com. According to Donald Trump and his supporters, Hillary Clinton is a seminal figure in Washingtons corrupt establishment an establishment that weakened our military and turned America into a patsy of friends and foes alike, unwilling to stand up to the likes of Saudi Arabia, Mexico, China, and Japan, whether the issue is immigration, trade or national security. Shes a prisoner of monied interests, not just Wall Street powerbrokers, but also cringe-worthy foreign donors like Qatar, which gave cash to the Clinton Foundation. And shes been so careless handling national secrets that she could have and should have been jailed for ignoring the State Departments own secrecy rules and defying congressional demands for her emails. Her campaign slogan might as well be, Im going to look after my friends and not tell you anything. According to Hillary Clinton and her backers, Donald Trump is a pal and admirer of Russian president Vladimir Putin, and therefore cannot be trusted even with U.S. intelligence secrets, much less the presidency. Trump is so thin-skinned and impetuous that he could drop nuclear bombs in response to criticism, so insulting to nearly everyone that the country would become dangerously isolated during his presidency, unable to address challenges like ISIS that demand a multi-lateral response. To make matters worse, Trumps incendiary rhetoric about Muslims is actually a potent jihadist recruiting tool. And the GOP nominee is so unconcerned about the welfare of others that he wouldnt blink at severing defense ties with allies who dont send us a lot more cash. That might in turn provoke those allies to create or expand their own arsenals of nuclear arms but thats okay with him. His campaign slogan might as well be, let global chaos reign. These are some of the tamer claims being made during this years contentious race for the White House. And while national security issues might not be at the top of voters agendas a week from now the debates over Americas proper prole in the world have touched on broader questions about the candidates character, integrity, and temperament. And so the Center has prepared a voter-friendly guide to what the contenders really stand for on defense and foreign policy and how they will likely act if they wind up as the occupant of the Oval Office. Yesterday, we looked at Donald Trump. Today, we look at Hillary Clinton. This story is part of National Security. Click here to read more stories in this topic. Don't miss another National Security investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. Foreign policy during the Obama administration was mostly run from the White House, so its not easy to see Secretary of State Clintons fingerprints on much. Can you please remind us what she did for four years? From 2009 to 2013, Clinton traveled the world as an unquestionably articulate and popular spokesperson for U.S. interests. With vigorous White House support, her appointees helped negotiate international backing for sanctions against Iran, which paved the way for the U.N.-backed nuclear deal. They also aggressively promoted the export of U.S. products, including American weapons. Clinton helped manage the U.S. diplomatic opening to Burma/Myanmar. And Clinton was among the senior officials who voted for a special forces raid that wound up killing Osama bin Laden (at a key meeting, she differed from then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Vice President Biden, and the director of the National Counterterrorism Center). But Foreign Affairs magazine also observed in a 2013 profile that she left office without a signature doctrine, strategy, or diplomatic triumph, unlike many others who held the State Departments top job. Her campaign has spent a lot of time attacking Trump. So its hard to figure out what she would actually do, as president. The Democratic Partys platform includes a handful of concrete, albeit unsurprising, foreign policy goals: defeating ISIS, abstaining from torture, maintaining a limited troop presence in Afghanistan and closing the military detention center in Guantanamo Bay. But many of its other foreign policy positions are more slogans than measureable goals: We will seek a more agile and flexible force and rid the military of outdated Cold-War systems.We must end waste in the defense budget.We will work to reduce excessive spending on nuclear weapons-related programs.[We] must lead in forging a robust global solution to the climate crisis. Clinton has also called repeatedly for an intelligence surge against ISIS, without clarifying what that means or how it would differ from the Obama administrations robust intelligence-gathering, which has led to targeted killings of some key ISIS leaders. In fact, her rhetoric has historically been so vague that some experts are confused about whether she would be more likely than Obama to send U.S. troops overseas. Micah Zenko at the Council on Foreign Relations says, for example, that she has consistently endorsed starting new wars and expanding others, citing her past support for the disastrous war in Iraq, the unavailing dispatch in 2009 of more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and the messy 2011 Western intervention in Libya. But Harvard professor Stephen Walt, a critic of these interventions, predicts that Clintons activist tendencies will be curtailed by her heavy interest in domestic programs and by a shortage of funds for overseas conflicts. In her campaign, Clinton has called Putin a bully and promised to confine, contain, deter Russian aggression. Does this mean shes going to push America into a conflict with him? Her private comments about Putin are more measured and less blustery than these public statements. In a 2013 speech to New York investors that she declined to release to the public (excerpts were eventually obtained by hackers and given to Wikileaks*), Clinton called Putin an engaging and very interesting conversationalist. She separately told Goldman Sachs that year that obviously we would very much like to have a positive relationship with Russia and we would like to see Putin be less defensive toward a relationship with the United States. Although Putin has a redwood chip on his shoulder about Mother Russia, I always tried to figure out some way to connect with him. she told a Chicago audience that year. While she has endorsed creating a no-fly zone in Syria to protect insurgents there an idea that Moscow might try to block militarily Clinton said in the third debate that she would try to win Russian and Syrian backing for it through negotiations. Okay. But please address the issue on our minds right now: What is this dispute involving Secretary Clintons emails about? Trump says it shows shes committed criminal acts and probably betrayed U.S. secrets. The FBI, after earlier declaring there was no evidence of criminal wrongdoing just extreme carelessness on Clintons part has suddenly started investigating the mess, again. Clintons use of her own computer server (installed in the basement of her New York home) to send and receive emails while serving as Secretary was well known to close aides but kept hidden from the public until 26 months after her departure. Although it has clearly undermined her political standing, she resisted calling the decision a mistake, according to private emails among her aides in 2015 that were leaked in October. Three controversies surround her decision: 1. Clinton was able to maintain personal control over a trove of records normally considered public property, despite regulations and federal laws that demand emails be officially maintained to preserve a historical record and ensure officeholders are held accountable. In this case, Clinton purged 32,000 of her emails before turning another 30,000 over to the State Department, which sought them to comply with a congressional demand. She said the discarded ones contained personal information not pertinent to her work. Trump said at the third debate that the email destruction (in early March 2015) occurred after she got a congressional subpoena for them, amounting to a criminal act. But Clintons aides say they actually ordered the destruction three months earlier; the fact that it was actually carried out two weeks after the subpoena was issued was accidental, not deliberate, they said. In any event, the vetting of the now-discarded emails was done by Clintons longtime loyalists and no independent reviewers saw them first. So the public has no way to know for sure if her actions were appropriate or not. Even law enforcement officials seem worried that they didnt see everything relevant to their inquiry into what Clinton did as evidenced by the FBIs startling Oct. 28 announcement that it was still probing the matter. 2. The use of the private server may have made her communications less secure, and therefore compromised U.S. intelligence information, according to the FBI. After a lengthy probe, FBI director James Comey said we assess it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Clintons emails, which he said included seven email chains incorporating information that should have been classified Top Secret/Special Access, one of the highest levels. 3. Clinton has made statements about the emails and the server that turned out not to be true. She said, for example, that none included classified information, but intelligence officials including former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell said some contained information that should have been treated as highly classified. They werent clearly marked as such in Clintons copies, and she has said she did not understand that paragraphs marked with a C were supposed to be considered confidential. But many intelligence professionals privately express skepticism about this claim, arguing that Clinton would have regularly seen classified documents that incorporated such portion markings. And some FBI and State Department officials bristled and resisted when a longtime Clinton loyalist at the State Department, Patrick Kennedy, attempted last year to persuade the FBI that some of the emails deemed classified in retrospect should not be marked that way. This has been going on for a year. So why is all this suddenly in the news again? The FBI stumbled across a trove of emails passed to or from Clinton while searching a computer in the possession of a top aides husband. After subpoenaing the documents, the bureau now plans to review them to see if they contain classified material or shed some other light on Clintons use of the server. Is the criticism of Clinton fair? Did she know that mishandling her communications posed security risks? Everyone at the State Department had reason to be vigilant about cybersecurity, given that the theft and leak of 250,000 of its diplomatic cables (by the U.S. defense intelligence analyst then known as Bradley Manning) occurred in 2010, a year after Clinton took office. Clinton notably said in an April 2014 speech at the University of Connecticut a year after leaving office that at the State Department, we were attacked every hour, more than once an hour by incoming efforts to penetrate everything we hadWhen I would go to China, or I would go to Russia, we would leave all of our electronic equipment on the plane, with the batteries out, because this is a new frontier. And theyre trying to [go]after the personal emails of people who worked in the State Department. But States own auditors said the issue did not get adequate attention under her watch: In late 2013, the inspector general warned that the departments computer systems still had control weaknesses that could lead to security breaches. Comey said at one point that the FBI developed evidence that the security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to use of unclassified e-mail systems in particular, was generally lacking. Clinton has said she wasnt told that routing her emails through a personal server was a problem, and that she didnt see an all-hands-on-deck warning sent to all State Department officials under her own name in June 2011 that said, dont use personal email accounts for official business because theyre not secure. She also said she initially didnt know that she wasnt supposed to bring her personal Blackberry a potential listening device for foreign spies into her office suite, where she regularly stored it in a desk drawer. Doesnt this indicate a startlingly casual approach to an important matter? And what about everybody else? How could she have communicated with others in the administration without them knowing about the irregular pathway those emails took? The FBI probe makes clear that other top officials in the Obama administration including the president himself, his national security adviser, and former CENTCOM commander and CIA chief David Petraeus were aware that Clinton regularly used a personal email address (Petraeus sent roughly a thousand emails to it). But they have said they didnt know she used a personal server. Clinton has said the server was installed purely as a matter of convenience that she wanted to keep using one smartphone for both personal and official business, without making her exchanges with friends and family accessible to the State Department. But wasnt her real motive simply to put her emails outside of the reach of Freedom of Information Act laws that apply to such records? Clinton denies this, and says it was her impression that the emails would be captured anyway on the accounts of her aides. FBI director Comey said his agency did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information or that emails were deleted in a deliberate attempt to conceal them. The FBIs report noted, however, that Colin Powell who was Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005 warned her in a January 2009 email that if her emails were treated as public records, they would become subject to disclosure, and also that Powell told her he got around this by not using systems that captured the data. The FBI also noted that when Clintons personal Blackberry malfunctioned in 2011 and an aide requested a State Department-issued phone to use on an urgent basis, two senior officials emailed warnings to her assistants that if Clinton got such a phone, its contents would be subject to public disclosure. The FBIs memo doesnt state whether she saw these warnings, but she did not get such a phone. She told the FBI only that she wasnt sure why. So was sensitive information really stolen? Only foreign spies appear to know if it fell into the wrong hands. The server in question experienced brute force login attempts by unauthorized users, but no evidence was found of a successful hack. The FBI said its probe was hampered by the fact that agents never obtained any of the 13 mobile devices Clinton used to transmit emails or two of the five iPads she used. The FBI also said hackers might not have left any observable traces. This isnt the only foreign policy-related controversy swirling around Clinton. What about Trumps claim that her family-run charity, the Clinton Foundation, was a criminal enterprise that collected checks from businesses and countries that got State Department favors? The Clinton Foundation, founded by then-President Bill Clinton in 1997, has collected roughly $2 billion from donors, with a significant portion going to AIDs patients in the Third World, and to countries like Haiti hit by natural calamities. During the third debate, Hillary Clinton who served on its board from 2013 to 2015 said I'm thrilled to talk about the Clinton Foundation because it is a world-renowned charity and I'm so proud of the work that it does. In 2011, when the foundations operating expenses were around $20 million a year, however, two highly respected lawyers Chelsea Clinton hired to review the foundations operation concluded it had not been properly run. After conducting 38 interviews of foundation officials, including former President Clinton, co-founder Douglas Band, and foundation adviser John Podesta, they sent Podesta a highly critical, 22-page report warning that the foundation had poor internal controls and weak management. It specifically called for new measures to manage conflicts of interest, which it said the staff had no idea how to flag and clear up. Some donors, it said, may have an expectation of quid pro quo benefits in return for gifts. The foundations board, they complained, was comprised solely of insiders, rather than independent directors; it lacked members with strong financial know-how. Board meetings were rarely held; the minutes were not signed but were instead cloned from one year to another; and its members did not set measureable goals and objectives. Without citing specific names, it said some of the foundations officers were drawing private salaries and keeping gifts, making employees confused and disgruntled. Interviewees reported their belief that certain employees abuse expense privileges by charging the foundation for personal expenses, such as spousal travel. Okay, but this suggests mismanagement rather than criminal activity. Numerous publications have reported that the FBI has looked at the foundations activities, but so far, the agency has come up dry. The Charity Navigator, a watchdog group, had the foundation on its watch list until last December, but in September it awarded the group four stars, its top rating, after gaining access to more of its financial data. So that means everything was just fine there? The Clintons have been criticized for not erecting higher walls between their charitable fundraising, personal enrichment, and policy work. One of Clintons chief aides at the State Department, Huma Abedin, was simultaneously on the foundations payroll for several years. A foundation official repeatedly asked Clintons top aides to arrange meetings between major donors and top State Department officials. Although the foundation promised it would not accept new foreign donations during Clintons State Department tenure, it collected an odd new donation from Algeria a country seeking better treatment in Washington that was earmarked for Haiti. Neither former President Clinton nor his daughter drew a salary from the foundation. But many foundation donors also lobbied the State Department and paid the Clintons fees for giving speeches (several of Bill Clintons came from Russian companies). The former president also used the foundation to orchestrate his globetrotting, often on private jets supplied by its corporate donors. Band, a co-founder and officer of the charity, said in a 2011 internal memo shortly before his departure that he had helped raise funds for the former presidents 65th birthday party (a three-day Hollywood-centered extravaganza), for his recovery from heart surgery and many other arrangements of this kind. Band, who described himself as the primary contact and point of management for President Clintons activities related to the foundation as well as his speechmaking and family/personal needs, also said that private clients of a firm he operated while also serving at the foundation had generated over $3 million in paid speeches for President Clinton. One donor Coca Cola had agreed to support political candidates that Clinton favored, and another big donor Laureate International Universities gave Clinton $3.5 million a year for his advice and assistance, Band boasted. We have also solicited and obtained, as appropriate, in-kind services for the President and his family for personal travel, hospitality, vacation and the like. On the other hand, no one has presented evidence that a donation directly provoked a policy change at the State Department during Clintons tenure there. Related story: A nonpartisan guide to national security and foreign policy issues in the presidential election (part I) Don't miss another National Security investigation: Sign up for the Center for Public Integrity's Watchdog email. This sounds like what Trump has been accused of doing using a charity to enhance his personal life and fortune. After all, he spent funds from his foundation on a portrait of himself and on repairs to a fountain in front of one of his hotels. So are there any differences between these candidates? Yes. Its obvious, from reading the private remarks Hillary Clinton made to foundation donors and others after leaving the State Department, that she has a deep reservoir of knowledge about global issues. While speaking to Goldman Sachs and other bankers, she articulately describes the challenges America faces in the Middle East and sometimes caustically assesses the roles played by others, such as Saudi Arabia. Its ironic, of course, that these remarks reached the public only because of a computer hack of the email account of Podesta, her campaign director. Trump has repeatedly said while he has less experience than Clinton, his instincts and business experience will bring him more success in foreign policy and national security matters. Clinton says accurately that, unlike Trump, I have some experience with the tough calls and the hard work of statecraft. Whether or not you admire her achievements or her way of conducting and managing her work, it is indisputable that she would not be starting fresh in dealing with the most urgent global problems. * The Clinton speeches, Foundation documents and emails quoted in this article were released by Wikileaks after being stolen from the email accounts of John Podesta and other top Clinton aides. Wikileaks has not said how it obtained them, but U.S. intelligence officials say that the Russian government was behind the hacking. Clintons campaign has declined to authenticate the material, but also has not disputed it. This story is part of National Security. Click here to read more stories in this topic. Related stories Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C. Harry Potter If you've ever wanted to cast spells like Harry Potter and his friends, Google has added some features on Android phones to help you do it. The company announced on its blog on Tuesday that it's partnering with the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" based on the book by "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling to add some new, magical capabilities for fans. By saying "OK Google" and then "Lumos," your flashlight will turn on; "Nox" turns it off. You can also say "OK Google" and "Silencio" to turn off your ringer and notifications. The features are already activated on phones no update needed. In the "Harry Potter" films and books, the spell "Lumos" turns the characters' wands into flashlights, while "Silencio" silences people. Google is also adding a few other "Fantastic Beasts"-inspired features across its other products. It will now let users look around the world of the film set in 1920s New York City through Google Street View; a "Fantastic Beasts" sticker pack is coming to Google's new messaging app, Allo; and starting this month, you can use the new Daydream View virtual reality headset to explore the world of one of the characters from the film, which is in theaters November 18. NOW WATCH: The story of Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the daughter Steve Jobs claimed wasn't his More From Business Insider Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Monday voted for Arizona Sen. John McCain for president, writing in the 2008 Republican nominee on his absentee ballot. Chris Schrimpf, Kasichs political spokesman, confirmed the vote to Cleveland.com. Kasich, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary, had long declined to publicly endorse him for president. After a leaked recording featured Trump making lewd comments about women, Kasich said he would not be able to cast a vote for Trump privately either. Donald Trump is a man I cannot and should not support, Kasich said in a statement last month. The actions of the last day are disgusting, but thats not why I reached this decision, it has been an accumulation of his words and actions that many have been warning about. I will not vote for a nominee who has behaved in a manner that reflects so poorly on our country. McCain is not one of the 18 certified write-in candidates in Ohio, which means Kasichs vote for president will technically not count, Cleveland.com reported. By John Whitesides and Andy Sullivan COLUMBUS, Ohio/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Voting is no easy task for Roland Gilbert. The 86-year-old retired Ohio lawyer, who is legally blind, completes his absentee ballot with help from a machine that magnifies the print. So the registered Democrat was not completely surprised to learn he had made an error in filling out his 2014 ballot, entering that day's date in the birthdate field. What surprised him was that it cost him his vote. Local election officials rejected it because it did not perfectly match his registration information on file. "It didn't seem right," Gilbert said. "I felt foolish for making a silly mistake." Laws passed by the Republican-led Ohio state legislature in 2014 require voters to accurately fill out their personal information on absentee or provisional ballots or they will be rejected - even if the votes are otherwise valid. The laws are being applied in a presidential election for the first time this year. A Reuters analysis found that where a voter lives can determine whether their provisional or absentee ballot counts in Ohio. The law requiring a perfect match on information such as name, address, birthdate, signature and ID number has been enforced unequally county to county, federal data and court documents show, with local officials sometimes using wide latitude in applying the standards. The disparity could hurt Democrats in Ohio, a vital battleground in the Nov. 8 election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. The 14 Ohio counties with the most restrictive enforcement accounted for 53 percent of Ohio's total vote in 2012 and gave Democratic President Barack Obama 60 percent of the votes he won in Ohio. More than half of the provisional and absentee votes discarded for minor errors in 2014 came from five large, Democratic-dominated urban counties: Lucas, home to the city of Toledo; Cuyahoga, which includes Cleveland; Franklin, home to the state capital, Columbus; Summit, which includes Akron, the fifth-largest city in the state; and Hamilton County, home of Cincinnati. While the number of votes rejected for technical reasons was small in the 2014 congressional election, when nearly 3,000 absentee and provisional ballots were thrown out, those totals are likely to swell in a presidential election, when more people will vote. The number of discarded ballots could go even higher in Ohio after a court ruled that tens of thousands of voters who had been purged from the state voter rolls can cast provisional ballots, expanding the possible pool of disputed votes. A provisional ballot is used to record a vote when there are questions about a voters eligibility. Election boards, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats in Ohio, then examine the provisional ballots to determine if the vote should count. COURT CHALLENGE "There are going to be thousands of indisputably registered and eligible voters in Ohio who are going to be disenfranchised solely because they made trivial, immaterial errors and omissions on forms," said attorney Subodh Chandra, who has led a court challenge to the laws on behalf of a homeless coalition and the Ohio Democratic Party. A federal district judge threw out the provisions requiring a perfect match on personal information as discriminatory earlier this year, but most were later restored by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court did remove the requirement that voters accurately fill in their address and birthdate on the absentee form - any vote cast by mail or in person prior to Election Day - but kept the requirement for the other fields on both types of ballots. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected without explanation a request for an emergency stay of the appeals court ruling that would have allowed ballots with those technical mistakes to be counted. A spokesman for Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, said the 2014 laws were aimed at finding a balance between making it "easy to vote and hard to cheat" and that officials were striving to be more consistent in the law's application. The office has issued a directive that mistakes in the address and birthdate fields of provisional ballots should not be the sole basis for rejection if a board can still identify the voter. Chandra and other critics say the Ohio laws are aimed at low-income and minority voters who move more often and have less flexibility with schedules, making them more likely to cast absentee or provisional ballots. They also are more likely to back Democrats. "It's a clever scheme to shave off Democratic votes," said Chandra, arguing the laws create a modern-day literacy test by requiring voters to read, write and understand voting forms without making any errors or leaving out information. REPUBLICANS DENY RACIAL BIAS Republican backers of the Ohio law reject the claims of racial or partisan bias. "It is just nonsense," said Ohio State Senator Bill Coley, lead sponsor of one of the bills. "We aren't trying to disallow their ballot, we are trying to make sure that every ballot that is cast was cast by an actual registered voter and you are cutting down on opportunities for shenanigans." U.S. Election Assistance Commission records show Democratic-leaning Franklin, the state's second-largest county, was the most strict in 2014, throwing out 651 ballots for technical errors including missing or incorrect Social Security numbers, zip codes, birthdates, cities or street names. Officials tossed five ballots because the voter wrote their name in cursive. Another seven were rejected because the voter mixed up two digits of their Social Security number, the federal data showed. Some 256 were rejected because the voter did not provide a birthdate. "We are not allowed to do anything other than what the law says," said David Payne, deputy director of the Franklin County Board of Elections. "We can't be arbitrary." In Democratic-leaning Lucas County, the elections board rejected an absentee ballot in 2014 because the street name was misspelled as Cuthberth rather than Cuthbert, according to evidence presented in the lawsuit. SMALLER COUNTIES MORE FORGIVING Many smaller, heavily Republican rural counties did not reject any ballots for those reasons. In Wyandot County, ballots examined for the lawsuit found officials approved ballots without a valid street address, city or zip code, a wrong or missing birthdate, or a misspelled name. "We're not monsters. We want to count everybody's vote," said Deb Passet, elections director for Wyandot County, a sparsely populated county south of Toledo where Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney won 59 percent of the vote in 2012. Election officials in rural, Republican-leaning Adams County are also more likely to forgive voters who make a mistake. "If there is an opening and they can help the voter out, that's the way they will go," said Mary Fannin, director of the county's board of elections. Other states have tried to introduce similar exact-match information requirements. Georgia and Wisconsin also faced recent challenges that led to adjustments in laws requiring voters to provide letter-perfect personal identification information. The battle over the Ohio law is just one of several voting rights disputes complicating election forecasts in the state. In the last year, courts have also allowed the state to eliminate a period of early voting, known as Golden Week, when voters could register and cast a ballot on the same trip - a convenience that has been popular with minority voters. "People should not have to jump through all these hoops to get their votes counted in Ohio," said Ohio Democratic Rep. Kathleen Clyde. (Andy Sullivan reported from Washington.; Editing by Jason Szep and Ross Colvin) Gregory Mankiw Gregory Mankiw is a Harvard professor, one of the most influential economists in the world, and a Republican. He served as Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors under President George W. Bush, and advised both the 2008 and 2012 Mitt Romney campaigns for president. And he thinks the US needs a carbon tax. In an interview with National Geographic conducted, incidentally, by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who stepped into the role of science reporter for "Before the Flood" Mankiw explained why he believes a carbon tax is the best option for curbing US emissions. A "carbon tax" is actually a series of taxes that increases the cost of activities like burning coal or buying gasoline that pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. "You want to tax bad activities that have negative effects on other people in society," he said. "We raised the price of cigarettes by putting a tax on cigarettes, people then consume fewer cigarettes." Carbon dioxide is a key contributor to climate change accounting for 80.9% of all US greenhouse gas emissions. It gets released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels, wood, and solid wastes burn, and absorbed by plants. Scientists agree that human activity has caused atmospheric carbon dioxide to spike dramatically in the last half-century to levels not seen on Earth in 15 million years, leading to severe consequences the world over. (Donald Trump, the chosen presidential nominee of Mankiw's party, does not seem to accept this observable reality.) "I think trying to appeal to people's social responsibility [to reduce emissions] is really very very very hard, because people have lives and they have lots of things to worry about. They don't want to think about climate change every time they do every decision. They can't," Mankiw said. carbon tax graphic "What a carbon tax does is it nudges them in the direction of doing the right thing," he said. Story continues DiCaprio said he was surprised a Republican would support a new tax. "Well one of the important things to keep in mind is that if you have a carbon tax, you can turn around and cut other taxes in response," Mankiw said. "For example, the payroll tax. So this is a tax shift, rather than a tax hike." Given that Mankiw has served so prominently in a presidential administration, DiCaprio asked, "how come we don't have a carbon tax already?" "Well, politicians don't always do what professors want them to do," Mankiw said. He compared the issue to gay marriage. Obama ran in 2008 opposing gay marriage, but came around once the polls (and Vice President Joe Biden) did. "We need to preach to the American people," Mankiw said. "Once the American people are convinced, politicians fall in line very quickly." Watch the documentary "Before the Flood" below. NOW WATCH: The psychology behind who says I love you first in a relationship More From Business Insider Under the gray waters of a lake in deepest Uruguay lurks a slimy treasure. While many farmers here labor to produce the country's famed beef and soya, one small company has turned its hand to a seemingly most un-Uruguayan product: caviar. Cutting tiny eggs from sturgeon fish bellies to sell for thousands of dollars a kilogram (two pounds), workers at Black River Caviar are putting this small South American nation on the world's gourmet map. The family firm's chief Roman Alcalde says he's proud of the foresight that led his father to set up the farm in the 1990s, when overfishing on the Caspian Sea was causing the traditional caviar industry to dry up. "He said, 'Right, we are going to do the unthinkable. We are going to make caviar in Uruguay.'" Since then, the remote fish farm and its 40 staff have singlehandedly led Uruguay's production of more tonnes of caviar, or sturgeon roe, per head of population than any other country on Earth. - Caviar from where? - Alcalde's father previously ran a shipping company in the capital Montevideo that supplied Russian fishing boats. The Russians told him green, wet Uruguay had an ideal climate for raising sturgeon, like the famed wild Caspian fish of their homeland. "They mentioned it so often that we ended up doing a feasibility study," Alcalde says. His family started breeding the fish in the mid-1990s and began exporting caviar in 2000, just when plummeting Caspian production was prompting prices to soar. Still, the first seven years were full of uncertainty, Alcalde says. "Would the product would be of good quality? Would the market acknowledge Uruguay as a source of caviar?" Since then, Black River Caviar has become the biggest sturgeon farm in the Southern hemisphere, accounting for all Uruguay's caviar exports. - Caviar heavyweight - Uruguay was the world's eighth-biggest caviar producer last year, selling seven tonnes, according to the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers. Story continues That paled in comparison to the 70 tonnes churned out by number-one producer China. But it's not bad for a country with a population of just 3.4 million: about two grams of caviar for every man, woman and child in the country. It's not they who are gobbling most of the salty, fishy delight, however. It is rich foreigners. - Why Uruguay? - Daniel Conijeski, the manager in charge of the firm's production process, says Uruguay's moderate climate has an optimal average temperature for breeding sturgeon. "But Uruguay is not a caviar market," he says. "Our company exports to the world, to some very demanding markets: Europe, the United States, Canada, Japan, Asia." "That is a challenge... to position our caviar and our brand in the best markets." The company also ships smaller quantities to the Middle East, Australia and Uruguay's neighboring South American countries, in pots labeled "Proudly produced in Uruguay." - Gold - A kilo of prime gold-colored caviar fetches $4,000, Alcalde says. The tonnes of roe bring the company around $5 million a year. The company's success is no accident. Black River caviar is "very well regarded" in blind tests, says Philippe Chauvin, the firm's representative in Europe and founder of the Comptoir du Caviar, a specialist shop in Paris. "It is the closest you can get to the taste of wild caviar," the eggs of free-roaming sturgeon, whose fishing is banned for conservation purposes. He attributes the product's exceptional quality to the steady flow of water through breeding tanks in the sleepy village of Baygorria. It comes from the Black River's calm waters, which run through the farm in Baygorria, in and out of the reservoir some 270 kilometers (170 miles) from the capital Montevideo. "They don't have to pay for a filter system," Chauvin says. "Where they are, three hours' drive from Montevideo, there is no industry and no pollution." - 'Caviar master' - Swimming around in six-meter iron cages, the sturgeon quietly get fatter. Caviar-bearing female sturgeon spend seven to 10 years growing to full size. When the time is right, they are fished out and dispatched with a knock to the head. Workers cut the fish bellies open and pull out their egg sacs. Alcalde, a trained "caviar master," tastes the goods. He rinses them and adds salt to drain out the water and harden the tiny eggs. - Raising production - The firm started out using Siberian osetra sturgeon and is now also breeding beluga, the species that yields the world's most coveted caviar. The fish farmers are patiently waiting for their beluga to mature and start producing eggs. Black River aims to raise production to 10 tonnes in 2018. Although consumers still find the idea of Uruguayan caviar surprising, Chauvin says, the prospects are good. Unlike caviar from China, which "makes people think it's dodgy," he says, "Uruguay is easier to sell." By Ginny McCabe CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Opening arguments in the trial of a former University of Cincinnati police officer charged with murdering a black Ohio man during a traffic stop focused Tuesday on whether the victim tried to flee from police, putting the officer's life in danger. Body camera video of the stop in July 2015 showed officer Ray Tensing, 26, shot Samuel DuBose, 43, in the head after pulling him over for a missing front license plate on his vehicle. DuBose attempted to prevent the officer from opening the door before the car started slowly rolling forward. Tensing, who is white, pulled his gun and fired once. The killing fueled demonstrations against use of lethal force by white officers against unarmed blacks and other minorities, which has been the focus of nationwide protests. Tensing said he was being dragged by DuBose's car and believed he would be pulled under the vehicle. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said multiple times on Tuesday that the officer's version of events was false. Deters said the car had moved little more than a foot before Tensing shot DuBose. "His (Tensing's) version is unsupported by any other witness or any other evidence," Deters said. "The evidence is going to show you that this tragic case, this murder, was totally unwarranted, was completely intentional and was truly unjustified," he added. Tensing's defense attorney, Stew Mathews, countered that DuBose attempted to use his vehicle to harm Tensing and the officer shot DuBose to protect his own life. "I will concede that Sam DuBose did not have a gun, he did not ever indicate he had a gun. But I will not concede that he did not have a weapon. He had a 3,000-pound car that he turned into a weapon," Mathews said. Outside the courthouse, Deters reiterated his claims, telling reporters that Tensing "lied about what happened." The 12-member jury in Tensing's trial at Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas visited the scene of the crime on Tuesday, before opening arguments started. Story continues Judge Megan Shanahan previously ruled in a pretrial hearing that DuBose's medical and criminal records as well as toxicology reports showing marijuana in his system could not be used as evidence in the case, but the presence of marijuana in DuBose's car and on his person could be. Tensing pleaded not guilty to murder and was released on $1 million bond. If convicted, he could face a life sentence. (Reporting by Ginny McCabe Additional reporting by Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Writing by Ben Klayman and Timothy Mclaughlin; Editing by David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis) I first came into contact with Danny Riley six years ago. A friend suggested that I follow him on Twitter shortly after MrTopStep began. At that point in time, social media was still a relatively new tool, especially within the trading community. The idea of a guy tweeting, literally a few feet from the trading pit, while filling electronic orders from several recognizable institutions was absolutely unheard of, but also very much appealing to a pajama trader such as myself. Over the course of time MrTopSteps popularity grew as Danny tried to level the playing field between the institutional world and retail trading with his straightforward and honest talk. A couple years after I began following Danny, I had a question concerning a trading rule of his. He took my thoughts and opinions seriously, and we began to exchange frequent emails. He saw potential in me and began to take an interest in my trading. Thats another thing about Danny, he has always welcomed his followers to contact him, often times giving out his personal email and even cell phone. Over time Danny and I began to instant message each other throughout the day. It was during that time that I had a devastating event occur in my personal/professional life, and Danny was the first one to offer me support and daily encouragement. Eventually, some transition at MrTopStep lead to Danny offering me an opportunity to work even more closely with him, as an employee of MrTopStep. During this time our friendship has grown closer, and I have been able to see, in more depth, the kind of person he is. We all know the crazy side of DBOY that we see on Periscope, but another side of Danny also exists, a side of him that I have been able to see. In addition to supporting me during my hard times, I have seen Danny very quick to help others. I know that Danny has helped multiple family members, that he has helped others trying battle drug and alcohol abuse. He has written letters to judges on behalf of good people who made some wrong decisions in life in an effort to try to get some leniency for these people and an opportunity to help them get their lives back on track. He has loaned, and given away, money to the unemployed, and donated to charity. Story continues I have been dealing with the rapid health decline of my father, and the situation has been greatly stressful. I have had to travel a five hour round trip just to see him and take care of responsibilities, as I am my fathers only child. My father and I are not close, and Danny knew about the stress I was under. In addition to giving me work flexibility, one evening a few weeks ago Danny called me and asked me the name of the city that I was in, and before I knew it, he had made reservations and pre-paid for me to have dinner at the finest steakhouse in town. He told me to get an appetizer, a steak and full meal, dessert, and then to enjoy as many evening beverages as I wanted to. In the time I have worked with Danny, I have also had the experience of watching him as a trader, as I work many of his orders for him. There are many educators and promoters of trading rooms that only talk about the good trades, but Dannys followers know that when he is down on the day, he will tell his followers. Many trading rooms are filled with creators that only paper trade and try to earn their living from subscriptions, but Danny doesnt take a salary from MrTopStep to make sure he can keep guys like me supported, and Dannys trades are for real. He uses a gut feel for the markets thats almost unheard of in this era of indicators. He does watch the footprint imbalances on MarketDelta, but thats only a very small part of what Danny does. Typically, his orders are in before price arrives, and the imbalances show after his fills. I see all of Dannys orders, and its not because one line on a chart is crossing another, its when his gut is telling him that the high or low of day is being made, and almost all the time, DBOY nails it! He may be a couple handles early sometimes, but rarely when his gut is telling him there is a high or low do the S&Ps rally against him hard. For all the indicator traders, Danny is a great addition to the toolbox in helping to learn and define the gut feel that can only be developed from the experience he has of over 35 years on the trading floor. Yesterday, the month of October closed, which amounted to a disappointment for many retail traders. What is often the spooky month of volatility produced its quietest October in the S&P 500 futures in over 20 years. However, having access to Dannys own trading account, I can tell you that DBOY was profitable for the month by nearly 10% of the account value. He will trade anywhere from 1 lots to 6 lots with a 66% winning average on his trades for the month. Yesterday was a quiet day. The range was less than 10 handles, and the high and low were inside of Fridays range. Overnight stock markets in Asia were mixed. Europe came online with a slight bid. The ESZ6 made a globex low of 2121 before the Tokyo open, traded up to 2129.50 into the Euro open, and then headed back to 2123.50 this morning. The ES is currently trading at 2125.25, up 3.25 handles, on volume of 107k at 6:05 am cst. In Asia, 8 out of 11 markets closed lower (Shanghai +0.71%), and in Europe 7 out of 10 open markets are trading higher this morning (DAX +0.23%). Todays economic reports includes Motor Vehicle Sales, the FOMC Meeting Begins, Redbook, PMI Manufacturing Index, ISM Mfg Index, Construction Spending, a 4-Week Bill Auction, and Gallup US ECI. Our View: Todays calendar begins the uptick in important reports and events this week, but the S&P doesnt look to be poised to make its move yet. Bulls are still holding the 2120 price while the 2140 resistance area is holding nicely for the bears. The range may not expand until tomorrows FOMC announcement. If the volume and price action is slow this morning we lean to fading the early move. The S&P 500 Futures and 7 Days To The U.S. Elections As always, please use protective buy and sell stops when trading futures and options. In Asia 8 out of 11 markets closed lower: Shanghai Comp +0.71%, Hang Seng +0.93%, Nikkei +0.10% In Europe 7 out of 10 open markets are trading higher: CAC +0.19%, DAX +0.23%, FTSE +0.24% at 6:00am ET Fair Value: S&P -5.70, NASDAQ -7.58, Dow -83.45 Total Volume: 1.37m ESZ and 3.4k SPZ traded Facebook twitter reddit linkedin tumblr TOKYO (Reuters) - Panasonic Corp shares plunged on Tuesday as investors reacted to a sharp downward revision of the electronics maker's profit forecast, brought about by heavy spending to build its automotive battery business. Panasonic is reinventing itself as a provider of auto parts, batteries and energy-saving home systems to escape the price competition of smartphones and lower-margin consumer products. But its profit revision shows the company is far from harvesting from what it considers its next profit drivers, analysts said. Upfront investment in a battery plant is likely to cause Panasonic's battery division to log an operating loss in the current business year, the company said on Monday. "Disappointment for Panasonic specifically is that their growth rate is not strong enough to offset headwinds from the strong yen," said Macquarie analyst Damian Thong. "Panasonic needs to show that it can secure growth outside Japan across a wider range of its products, including offerings like solar panels, housing systems and high-end appliances." Panasonic shares were untraded briefly during the trading session due to a glut of sell orders before slumping as much as 8 percent. In contrast, the broader TOPIX stock price index was almost flat. The Japanese firm on Monday lowered its operating profit forecast for the full year ending March 31 to 245 billion yen ($2.34 billion). That compared with its previous projection of 310 billion yen and an average estimate of 297.30 billion yen drawn from 16 analysts. The company cited a strengthening yen as well as upfront investment in a battery factory for U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Motors Inc. (Reporting by Junko Fujita and Makiko Yamazaki; Editing by Christopher Cushing) For one New Jersey man a paper cut almost cut his life short! Like so many of us, Michael got a paper cut, but his finger slice took a dire turn for the worse when it became infected and he developed sepsis. The sepsis created such an extreme infection and he was given only a 50 percent chance of surviving. Thankfully, he lived through the horrendous ordeal and joins The Doctors to share his story. Watch: Deadly Nail-Biting Habit? He says that one day after he cut himself, his finger become red and infected, but he cleaned it and went to work. His finger only continued to get worse. In an effort to curb the pain, he took Tylenol and went to sleep, but he says awoke to a pounding in his finger and then went to the hospital. He was admitted to Kennedy Hospital in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a hospital with a nationally-recognized Sepsis Program. Michael was placed in a medically induced coma for 18 days while they treated him. If it wasnt for them, I wouldnt be talking to you probably, he says, crediting the amazing care he received by the staff at the hospital for saving his life and his finger. Watch: Deadly Saltwater Bacteria ER physician Dr. Travis Stork makes clear that developing sepsis from a paper cut is very uncommon. The Doctors explain that Michaels case is a great example that if something simple like a cut, causes you to not feel well, to seek medical attention. House Speaker Paul Ryan revealed Tuesday that he has already voted for Donald Trump despite their long, highly publicized rivalry. Ryan hesitantly endorsed the Republican nominee in June but has refused to campaign for him against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. The two GOP leaders have had a tense and awkward relationship since the summer. Ryan has denounced the moguls attacks against a U.S. judge of Mexican heritage, his criticism of a Muslim family of a slain U.S. soldier and his lewd remarks in a leaked Access Hollywood tape. But during an appearance on Fox and Friends Tuesday morning, the Wisconsin Republican confirmed that he cast his ballot for Trump to become the next commander in chief. I stand where Ive stood all fall and all summer, Ryan said. In fact, I already voted here in Janesville [Wis.] for our nominee last week in early voting. We need to support our entire Republican ticket. According to Ryan, Clintons candidacy has created a sense of deja vu. He cited the 1990s, when her husband, then-President Bill Clinton, saw his administration hit by multiple scandals. The FBI revealed last week that it was reviewing new emails related to its investigation of Hillary Clintons private server. House Speaker Paul Ryan takes questions during a news conference in July. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) The point I keep trying to make to younger voters who didnt live through the 1990s: This is what life with the Clintons looks like, Ryan continued. Its always a scandal, one after another. Ryan accused the Clintons of working to help themselves and operating beyond the rules that apply to other people. He also said if Republicans dont turn out to vote, then the worst of all possible things could happen: Clinton would enter the Oval Office with a Democratic Congress. When asked if he was encouraging Republicans, Democrats and independents to vote for Trump to prevent the situation he just described, Ryan said he supported the entire Republican ticket. My focus personally right now is saving our House majority, he continued. Im going to Indiana, Michigan, New York and Virginia today to fight for House Republicans to make sure we keep this majority. But weve got to win the tables. Story continues Ryan, the nations highest elected Republican official, did not immediately endorse Trump when he became the partys presumptive nominee. For months, he criticized the real estate magnates comments. After the recently unearthed 2005 Access Hollywood video showed Trump bragging about how his celebrity status allows him to grope women, Ryan said he would not defend the businessman. He told his caucus that he would focus on protecting Republican control of Congress a message he stuck with on Tuesday. Washington (AFP) - The US military will review recruitment practices to better reflect the changing face of America, including by possibly welcoming single parents, overweight people and even those who've smoked pot, the Pentagon said Tuesday. While there is no shortage of people willing to don a uniform, Pentagon Chief Ashton Carter worries the military draws from limited pools of potential recruits, or that well-qualified individuals face rejection for relatively trivial reasons. Recruiters face challenges "with spectacular potential recruits, who nevertheless also reflect the times in relation to such benchmarks as their current physical fitness, tattoos they got when they were younger, and single parenthood," Carter said in prepared remarks at the City College of New York. He said standards would never be compromised, but "at the same time, these benchmarks must be kept relevant for both today's force and tomorrow's." Carter ordered the Pentagon to review and update any "unnecessarily restrictive" standards. In a Pentagon fact sheet, the military said it will review enlistment standards to ensure they are not unduly restrictive and "assess the feasibility and impact of updated standards, such as those related to: body composition, physical fitness, swim tests, past marijuana use, single parents and tattoos." Colorado, Washington DC, Washington state, Alaska and Oregon have legalized recreational marijuana, and 20 other states allow its medicinal use. But pot smoking remains a federal offense. Some services have already loosened certain restrictions. In April, the Navy began allowing sleeve-lengthed arm tattoos -- and even ink on the hands and parts of the neck. According to a Harris poll, nearly half (47 percent) of Americans born in the 1980s and 1990s have at least one tattoo. A US defense official stressed standards would not be affected, but said it should be easier for would-be recruits to join up if they are overweight, provided they get in shape at Boot Camp. Story continues "Fitness does matter in a service, but one of the responsibilities we have when we bring people in is to make people fit if they aren't already," the official said. Single parents currently can't enlist, "but we have many troops in the ranks who are single parents, and we addressed that," the official said. Carter, who frequently focuses on America's "Force of the Future," has overseen sweeping changes including opening combat positions to women and lifting a ban on transgendered personnel openly serving -- with the Pentagon now paying for "medically necessary" gender-reassignment surgery. He also wants to address how future officers are trained, and attract talent from more of America instead of overly relying on families with a military tradition. Currently, many officers come from the Northeast, while enlisted personnel frequently hail from the South. "That's paradoxical, though, since the Northeast is among the regions with the highest percentage of young Americans who have the qualifications we require to serve," Carter said. The military has about 1.3 million active-duty service members, with another 800,000 reservists. AP_16239684812054 Thousands of protesters have been camping out for months in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, to protest the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline, a proposed 1,172-mile oil project that would shuttle half a million barrels of North Dakota-produced oil to refining markets in Illinois. The protesters, which include representatives from more than 100 Native American tribes, have camped out on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation nestled along the border between North Dakota and South Dakota along the Missouri River. They are there because the proposed pipeline would pass through North Dakota's Lake Oahe, a burial site sacred to the Standing Rock Sioux and a major source of drinking water for the community. "The main reason it's such a big deal here is that it's going to affect our water supply," Aries Yumul, an assistant principal at North Dakota's Todd County School District and a self-identified water protector with the Oceti Sakowin, the proper name for the people commonly known as the Sioux, told Business Insider. Should the pipeline leak or burst, the impact could be devastating. And leak pipelines do. Since 1995, more than 2,000 significant accidents involving oil and petroleum pipelines have occurred, adding up to roughly $3 billion in property damage, according to data obtained by the Associated Press from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. From 2013 to 2015, an average of 121 accidents happened every year. aries yumul and friend from the Lummi reservation Actors Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon, and Rosario Dawson are among celebrities who have joined thousands of activists in nearby rallies and demonstrations in support of the Standing Rock Sioux. The project has been halted since last month, when the Obama administration blocked construction on federal land and asked the company behind the project, Dakota Access, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer Partners LLP, to suspend work nearby. Story continues Shailene Woodley DAPL protest Contaminated water is a massive health problem An in-depth 2010 report from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, which looked at the effects of three major oil spills, found increased incidences of cancer and digestive problems in people who had ingested the oil directly (in drinking water) or indirectly (through eating the meat of livestock exposed to the oil). In addition, people who had used contaminated water for bathing or laundry appeared to experience a higher incidence of skin problems, ranging from mild rashes to severe and lasting eczema and malignant skin cancers. oil spill With risks this high, most large-scale environmental projects require extensive legal review To build the pipeline, the Army Corps of Engineers, the group in charge of the project, must comply with several environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act. Passed in 1970, NEPA's basic policy is to ensure that the government considers the potential environmental impacts of any federal project, like a new highway or airport, before building it. The Standing Rock Sioux claim this review process, in the case of the Dakota Access Pipeline, was not done properly. In a lawsuit it filed in July against the Army Corps of Engineers, the group claims the permitting process was rushed and undertaken largely without its input. If the pipeline were to leak or burst, it would send oil deep into the Missouri River, the Standing Rock Sioux's single source of water water the group relies on for everything from bathing to drinking. For that reason, the Standing Rock Sioux say the Army Corps of Engineers could violate not just one but two laws: NEPA as well as the Clean Water Act. The 1972 Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from single identifiable source such as a pipe into certain bodies of water without a permit. Dakota Access oil pipeline UN Summit "The Missouri River is the tribe's only source of water. If this leaks, it is going to spill into the river. So the tribe's legal stance that they were not adequately consulted, that there are potential water issues here their legal concerns are strong," Devashree Saha, a senior policy associate at Brookings Institution, told Business Insider. Dakota Access responded to Business Insider's request for comment by stating in an email, " Crude pipelines in the country have a very specific review and approval process that must be followed. Crude/oil lines are approved at the state level, which is why all of the review and environmental analysis was done by the four states through which this pipeline passes. The exception to that is the crossing of waterways and federally-owned land, which are under the jurisdiction of the Army Corps of Engineers to review and approve." Signs left by protesters demonstrating against the Energy Transfer Partners Dakota Access oil pipeline sit at the gate of a construction access road where construction has been stopped for several weeks due to the protests near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. September 6, 2016. REUTERS/Andrew Cullen The pipeline was originally designed to run much farther north, near the North Dakota capital of Bismarck. But as Bill McKibben writes in The New Yorker, officials rerouted it when people there raised concerns that it could put that community's water supply in jeopardy. But now, instead of risking Bismarck, the new route could threaten the Standing Rock Sioux. "Our aquifers and rivers are fed by this river," Yumul, the assistant principal, said. "If it were to get contaminated, it would affect all of the tribal nations. The idea of that ... it would be a death sentence at this point." NOW WATCH: Animated map shows where your bottled water actually comes from More From Business Insider By Ransdell Pierson (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) scrapped its high-profile cholesterol fighter after its effectiveness waned over time in large clinical trials, sending its shares 2 percent lower and prompting the company to trim its 2016 earnings forecast. The largest U.S. drugmaker trimmed the top end of its 2016 profit estimate on Tuesday, citing costs of scrapping the experimental injectable medicine, called bococizumab, which works by blocking the PCSK9 protein. Pfizer said bococizumab gradually lost its potency in reducing "bad" LDL cholesterol and caused more irritation at the injection site than similar recently approved drugs. Pfizer has been trying to catch up with two rival drugs approved by U.S. regulators more than a year ago. Repatha, from Amgen Inc (AMGN.O), and Praluent, from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc (REGN.O) and Sanofi SA (SASY.PA), can slash LDL cholesterol almost 60 percent, more effectively than traditional statins like Pfizer's Lipitor. But large ongoing trials have not yet determined whether they could actually reduce heart attacks. Chief Executive Ian Read said in an interview that the effectiveness of Pfizer's drug waned in a significant number of patients after 52 weeks of treatment, which was surprising given the drug's "robust" effectiveness at 12 weeks and 24 weeks. "The product looked great until we got the 52-week data," Read said. Pfizer wants to become a bigger force in heart medicine by developing other experimental treatments but has no plans to pursue another PCSK9 inhibitor, Read added. Edward Jones analyst Ashtyn Evans said she had expected annual bococizumab sales of $500 million by 2020 and was disappointed that the drug's waning effectiveness did not become apparent until costly Phase III studies were almost complete. She said Pfizer's stock price of 12 times the company's expected earnings per share for 2017 lagged the drug sector and that successful new products were needed to bring it into parity. The stock closed 64 cents lower at $31.07. Story continues Repatha and Praluent each have annual sales of only about $100 million, far below initial expectations. Insurers have blocked reimbursements largely because each treatment costs more than $14,000 a year. At the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in New Orleans later this month, Amgen will present data on Repatha's ability to reduce artery-clogging plaque. The company has said that the drug succeeded as measured by ultrasound pictures of the inside of arteries. Details of the magnitude of plaque reduction and just how clinically meaningful that might be is slated to be discussed at the annual sessions. Arterial plaque is considered one of the underlying causes of heart attacks and heart disease. RBC Capital Markets analyst Adnan Butt said Pfizer's decision was good news for the PCSK9 programme being conducted by The Medicines Co (MDCO.O). "There is one fewer competitor and any big biopharma looking for an LDL cholesterol lowering programme should want MDCO's PCSK9si," Butt said. That drug, currently in Phase III testing, works in a different way than the approved drugs by Amgen and Regeneron and may be administered quarterly or only twice a year. The Medcines Co's shares rose 3.1 percent to close at $33.97. Pfizer cut the upper end of its 2016 earnings forecast to $2.43 per share from $2.48 while retaining the lower end at $2.38. The drugmaker, which in September decided not to split itself into two, said it earned 61 cents per share in the third quarter, excluding special items. The results missed the analysts' average estimate by 1 cent, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Quarterly sales of $13.05 billion matched Wall Street expectations. Sales of Ibrance, one of Pfizer's most important new drugs, totalled $550 million, trailing forecasts of $576 million. The breast cancer treatment, which has a list price of about $10,000 a month and blocks the CDK-4 and CDK-6 enzymes, faces looming competition from similar medicines being developed by Novartis AG (NOVN.S) and Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N). Pfizer raised the lower end of its full-year revenue forecast to $52 billion from $51 billion, while keeping the upper end at $53 billion. (Additional reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York and Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Richard Chang) By Ben Hirschler and Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's pharmaceutical and aerospace industries, both big exporters, are stepping up pressure on the government for assurances about their future after last week's post-Brexit deal with carmaker Nissan. The two sectors, which have been talking to ministers since the summer, are pressing their case after written assurances by business secretary Greg Clark persuaded Nissan to invest in the country's biggest car plant, industry officials said. Pharma and aerospace companies share the motor industry's worries about trade barriers once Britain leaves the European Union, but they also have deep concerns about regulation, their ability to recruit foreign staff and loss of EU science funding. The discussions are part of a broader jockeying for position among businesses worried by the fall-out of Brexit, with finance companies anxious to retain so-called passporting, allowing London-based banks to sell services across Europe. The pharma and biotech industry will detail its priorities on Nov. 23 when ministers next meet a life sciences steering group co-chaired by GlaxoSmithKline Chief Executive Andrew Witty and AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot. Nissan announced it would build two new models at its plant in the northeastern English city of Sunderland as a result of the agreement. Clark said on Sunday that the government aimed to negotiate tariff-free trade for the motor industry with the remaining 27 EU member states. Steve Bates, CEO of Britain's BioIndustry Association, said the deal showed the government was "listening to business", adding that drugmakers' needs were somewhat different, with a big focus on the right climate for research and development. "For pharma and biotech, we are looking for fundamental platforms to drive our sector over a long time," he told Reuters. "It's not as obvious as one car plant in Sunderland." Autos, pharma and aerospace are three notable success stories for British manufacturing following the demise of traditional heavy industries such as steel and shipbuilding. As such, pharma and aerospace want parity of treatment. Story continues "The prime minister has reportedly given assurances to car manufacturers that that sector will not be negatively impacted," Paul Kahn, president of Airbus Group UK told an industry conference last week. "We need to work together to ensure that as aerospace, defence and space sectors our voice is equally heard." Airbus, which makes aircraft wings in Britain, is a major exporter along with aero engine maker Rolls-Royce and defence group BAE Systems. In the case of Nissan, CEO Carlos Ghosn had brought matters to a head by saying he would need a guarantee of compensation to offset any impact of Brexit before deciding whether to build the new models in Britain. Clark said no money had been promised to compensate for any imposition of tariffs. TRACK RECORD Other players may lack comparable binary investment decisions, but they want their track record to be recognised. AstraZeneca, for example, is building a $500 million headquarters and research centre in Cambridge, while GSK committed $360 million (294 million pounds) to investment in British manufacturing in July, five weeks after Britons voted to leave the EU. A worry for both drugmakers and aerospace companies is the risk that Brexit will mean Britain also leaves regulatory bodies that allow companies to sell products across Europe and beyond. Both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) offer one-stop-shops for endorsing product quality, which smoothes the sale of goods across borders. Drugmakers warn that loss of access to the EMA could put British patients at the back of the queue for approval of new medicines, since applications for a British licence would come after the European one, given the relatively small size of the UK market. The EASA, meanwhile, is vital for aerospace firms since once the agency certifies a component it means many other global bodies, including U.S. regulators, accept that certification. Another big area of concern where pharma and aerospace companies want assurance is the looming gap in funding currently provided by the EU for scientific research and development. "Aerospace does quite well financially from that," Paul Everitt, CEO of industry group ADS, representing Britains aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, told BBC radio. "But more importantly the collaboration with universities both here in the UK and in other parts of Europe, and part of our integrated supply chain around the rest of Europe, helps us be more competitive." For global aerospace and pharma companies, Britain is a small market and any post-Brexit economic strains could further diminish its appeal, as highlighted by recent rows over drug pricing. With growing strains on the National Health Service (NHS), some drugmakers are warning that Britain could lose its draw as a place for investment if the system does not pay up for new breakthrough medicines. "Companies will not come to the UK to invest in R&D, experimental medicine or clinical trials if the healthcare system is not adopting the most important innovations that are becoming standard of care in other countries across the world," Mene Pangalos, head of AstraZeneca's innovative medicines and early development unit, told a meeting in parliament last week. (editing by David Stamp) (Adds statement from transit agency, comment from state Democratic spokesman) By Joseph Ax NORRISTOWN, Pa., Nov 1 (Reuters) - Public transportation workers in Philadelphia went on strike on Tuesday, leaving thousands of residents in the fifth largest U.S. city scrambling to find transportation options and raising concerns that a prolonged work stoppage could hamper residents from voting in next week's presidential election. Some 4,700 workers represented by the Transport Workers Union Local 234 went on strike after they were unable to reach a contract agreement with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), a system that provides almost 1 million rides a day. The strike shut down bus and most trolley routes in Philadelphia. SEPTA told its riders to use its regional rail service as an alternative and to expect significant delays and crowding. The evening rush hour was further disrupted as picketers blocked regional rail crews from getting to their trains, though SEPTA said on Twitter that employees were able to access trains after a delay. City officials expressed concern that the strike could cause trouble for voters trying to get to polls next Tuesday. In a statement, SEPTA said it was hopeful that an agreement could be reached prior to Election Day but added that it was prepared to seek an emergency court order requiring employees to work that day. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a seven-to-one margin in the city, raising the possibility that the work stoppage could adversely impact Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Senate Democratic candidate Katie McGinty. Pennsylvania is regarded as a key presidential swing state. The Senate race between McGinty and incumbent Republican Pat Toomey is a virtual tossup, one of half a dozen close races in the country that will determine which party controls the Senate. "As part of our get-out-the-vote effort, we are encouraging voters to make backup plans," Brandon Cwalina, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said in a phone interview. The contract expired at midnight on Monday after union members and system officials were unable to reach an agreement over health care benefits, pensions and issues involving worker conditions, local media reported. (Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Mark Potter and Lisa Shumaker) MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines' former president Fidel Ramos has quit his job as special envoy to China, aides said on Tuesday, but the government has yet to act on his resignation, weeks after the current Philippine leader visited Beijing. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Ramos, a mentor who he said persuaded him to run for office, as special envoy to China to help repair ties soured by an international arbitration case in a maritime territorial dispute which went in Manila's favor in July, sparking outrage in Beijing. Ramos's decision to quit a job he had barely started was due to the progress made during Duterte's visit, including what appears to be an end to China's blockade of a disputed fishing zone. "He has done his job," a Ramos aide told Reuters. "President Duterte has visited Beijing and our fishermen are back in the disputed Scarborough Shoal. He has accomplished his mission." The aide declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Ramos' office said an official statement would soon follow. Ramos, an 88-year-old statesman widely respected in a country he led from 1992-1998, was quoted by GMA News Online as saying his China role was only to "break the ice". Ramos is a supporter of Duterte but has recently turned critical of the maverick leader. In a newspaper column, he described Duterte's first 100 days in office as a "huge disappointment and letdown", an assessment that contrasts starkly with popular opinion. Ramos said Duterte had spent too much energy on his war on drugs and neglected poverty, the environment and rising living costs and he described the president's hostility and mixed statements towards old ally the United States as "discombobulating". But a Ramos aide on Tuesday said the resignation had nothing to do with his view on Duterte's performance. "Please, do not put meaning into this, he remains a team Philippines player," the aide said. The government gave little comment on the circumstances behind Ramos's resignation. Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Ramos "was instrumental in the softening of ties", while presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said it was Duterte's decision whether or not to accept the resignation. As his first step towards softening ties with China, Ramos spent five days in Hong Kong in August meeting "old friends" - a diplomat and an academic - and described his trip as an "ice breaker". The two countries had previously had no high-level contact for five years. Ramos never made it to China, however. His office in September said a trip there had been postponed. A few weeks later, Duterte went to Beijing himself, accompanied by about 200 businessmen, and plenty of fanfare. "I still consider myself a part of the Duterte team whether they like it or not," Ramos was quoted as saying by local media. (Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing by Martin Petty and Simon Cameron-Moore) (Adds earning comparison, price and expense information, stock movement) Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pioneer Natural Resources Co posted a lower-than-expected quarterly profit on Tuesday as an increase in the average selling price and sales of its oil failed to offset higher expenses. Pioneer boosted its 2016 production forecast slightly and increased its hedging program for 2017, highlighting executives' optimism that the oil market has reached a kind of equilibrium after more than two years of uncertainty. The company posted a third-quarter net income of $22 million, or 13 cents per share, compared to $646 million, or $4.27 per share, in the year-ago period, which included a one-time gain from asset sales. Analysts expected earnings of 16 cents per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Average sales volumes rose 13 percent to 238,878 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Pioneer exported 610,000 barrels of oil from the Permian Basin of West Texas to Europe during the quarter, executives said. The average price Pioneer received for its oil and natural gas rose 2 percent to $29.24 per barrel of oil equivalent. Still, the company's expenses rose about 1 percent during the quarter. Scott Sheffield, Pioneer's outgoing chief executive, said he expects the company to be cash flow neutral by 2018 if oil prices stay near $55 per barrel. Shares fell 1 percent to $179.15 in after-hours trading on Tuesday. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Chris Reese) Updated 2 p.m. ET A pipeline explosion on Monday shut down the flow of gasoline and diesel along the East Coast, potentially impacting prices at the pump for weeks. The accident, which killed one and injured five others in Alabama, occurred several miles from the site of a gasoline spill in September that led to supply shortages and price spikes in the southeast. Mondays blast is expected to have a broader ripple effect for drivers, since Colonial Pipeline was forced to close both of its mainlines. The company restarted its pipeline used for diesel and other distillate fuels late Monday night, while its gasoline pipeline will remain down for the remainder of the week, Colonial Pipeline said in an update on Tuesday afternoon. Gasoline futures surged after word of the shutdown. New York Harbor gasoline climbed as much as 15% to $1.64 a gallon. The rally cooled off once Colonial Pipeline announced its timeline for repairs, partially easing concerns about a longer drought. Barclays analysts believed the gasoline line could have been out of commission for a month or more. Colonial Pipeline operates the largest pipeline system for gasoline and distillates, such as diesel, jet fuel and heating oil. The two pipelinesLine 1 and Line 2transport 2.3 million barrels of fuel each day from the Gulf Coast to the New York Harbor. That equates to 17% of the nations total daily output of refined products. The explosion occurred shortly before 3 p.m. ET Monday when a contract crew operating a track hoe hit Line 1. Gasoline was ignited and set off a fire that continued to burn into the evening hours. The fire has been contained and is being allowed to burn by local fire and emergency management personnel, the company said Tuesday afternoon. When a leak in Line 1 was discovered on Sept. 9, Colonial Pipeline was able to use Line 2 to keep gasoline flowing to markets in Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and neighboring states. It was unclear if Colonial Pipeline would once again use Line 2 as a backup plan. Either way, drivers should expect price increases in the days ahead. Story continues Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com, said the restart process could take weeks, not days, which could be an epic problem for motorists. DeHaan warned that a prolonged outage could hamper fuel supplies as far away as Canada, and the Great Lakes region may see prices rise if gasoline is diverted to states in the northeast. State governments approved emergency plans that allowed truck drivers to driver longer hours after the last incident. Similar actions are likely on the horizon. According to DeHaan, bookings for ocean vessels are soaring, as refineries begin searching for alternative means of shipping gasoline and other products. For many motorists, these lines are the only way to bring these products to market, DeHaan said, adding that some states continue to experience lingering effects from the September leak. In other words, theres no excess supply that could alleviate the short-term impact on pump prices. I would urge motorists not to panic and say, let me fill up the tank now. They need to resist the urge to fill their tank because thats going to make it that much more difficult for everyone in the days ahead, DeHaan said. The possibility of supply shortages comes as a time when gasoline prices have stalled. The national average for regular gasoline was $2.20 a gallon on Tuesday morning, down just 2 cents over the last month. It marks the smallest October drop since 2011. Colonial Pipeline said it will provide updates on the status of its pipelines on the companys website. Our top priorities continue to be ensuring the safety of responders, and supporting the personnel and their families who have been impacted by this event, Colonial Pipeline said Tuesday. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the four individuals who were injured and who continue to receive care at area hospitals. Related Articles VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / Pistol Bay Mining Inc. (PST.V) (FSE:OQS2) ("Pistol Bay" or the "Company') and AurCrest Gold Inc. (AGO.V) ("AurCrest") are pleased to announce that Pistol Bay has executed a Definitive Option Agreement (the "Agreement") with AurCrest to acquire all the mining claims held by AurCrest in the Confederation Lake greenstone belt southeast of Red Lake, Ontario. The AurCrest property comprises 108 mining claims with a total of 321 claim units with an area of 5,136 hectares (12,700 acres), being the Confederation Lake Property and the Fredart Lake Property. It covers a 31 kilometre length of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt. It includes two substantial mineral deposits and a number of mineralized drill intersections that are in need of follow-up drill testing. Mineralization on the property is all of Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) type, dominated by zinc, copper and silver, with occasional associated gold values. In combination with the 100 percent optioned Dixie and Dixie 3 properties, the Company now controls 7,050 hectares (17,400 acres) containing most of the significant mineral occurrences over 43 kilometres of the total 60 kilometre length of the belt. Mr. Desjardins, President of Pistol Bay, stated, "Upon completion of this acquisition, Pistol Bay is a major land holder in a very prolifically mineralized VMS-rich belt. Our holdings include the largest zinc-copper-silver deposit in the area, the second-largest VMS deposit remaining (Fredart Lake Property), and a portfolio of exploration targets ready for follow up drilling. Pistol Bay anticipates commencing an ambitious exploration program in November 2016 that will not only pursue existing targets and known VMS deposits, but will use the latest airborne geophysical survey technologies to explore the whole area to a greater depth than was possible in the past." The Arrow Zone has a 43-101 compatible mineral resources as follows: 3% Zn equivalent cutoff : Indicated Resource 2,071,000 tonnes @ 5.92% Zn, 0.75% Cu, 21.1 g/t Ag and 0.58 g/t Au Plus Inferred Resource 120,550 tonnes @ 2.60% Zn, 0.56% Cu, 18.6 g/t Ag and 0.40 g/t Au 5% Zn equivalent cutoff : Indicated Resource 1,762,000 tonnes @ 6.75% Zn, 0.79% Cu, 22.3 g/t Ag and 0.61 g/t Au Plus Inferred Resource 51,630 tonnes @ 3.86% Zn, 0.79% Cu, 23.9 g/t Ag and 0.58 g/t Au 10% Zn equivalent cutoff : Indicated Resource 633,000 tonnes @ 14.3% Zn, 1.11% Cu, 31.7 g/t Ag and 0.85 g/t Au The other substantial deposit is the Copperlode "A" or Fredart Zone. It has a historical mineral resource of 425,000 tonnes grading 1.56% copper. This historical resource estimate does not comply with the standards of National Instrument 43-101 and has not been reviewed by a Qualified Person. The zone was drill-tested to a depth of approximately 200 metres over a length of 350 metres, and was reported as being open at depth. The area was also explored for molybdenum in the 1970s, and samples containing up to 1.46% Mo were reported. A diamond drilling program was carried out by AurCrest in 2010, in an attempt to expand the resource base by drilling down a possible easterly plunge in the area of an IP anomaly. A fence of five holes was drilled, without intersecting any significant mineralization. A borehole EM survey carried out on those drill holes in 2010 identified a strong off-hole conductor in two adjacent holes, with an interpreted conductive zone lying between the two holes. It is anticipated that this anomaly may represent the down-plunge extension of the Copperlode "A" zone, or possibly a new zone. The following is a partial list of diamond drill intercepts in the Joy-Caravelle area, which occupies a separate claim group west of the main AurCrest holdings: Joy Zone: Diamond Willow: Caravelle Zone: Joy South: Creek Zone: DDH 3.35 metres @ 0.17% Zn, 4.01% Cu DDH 4.2 metres @ 1.8% Zn, 2.3% Cu DDH 1.1 metres @ 4.4% Zn, 0.2% Cu DDH 0.6 metre @ 17.7% Zn, 0.28% Cu DDH 0.95 metre @ 0.16% Zn, 1.37% Cu Pistol Bay is engaged in compiling data and re-appraising the AurCrest property with a view to planning an aggressive exploration program in November 2016 that will generate new drill targets, as well as follow up existing target areas and known deposits. Under the terms of the Agreement, Pistol Bay has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the AurCrest properties by paying AurCrest an aggregate of $250,000 and issuing an aggregate of 5 million common shares over four years with an initial payment of $25,000 and the issuance of 1 million common shares on closing, the payment of a further $25,000 within 90 days following closing and the payment of $50,000 and the issuance of 1 million common shares on each of the four anniversaries following closing. Each of the AurCrest properties is subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty in favour of third parties. The transaction is also subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Technical material in this news release has been prepared and/or reviewed and approved by Colin Bowdidge, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. About Pistol Bay Mining Inc. Pistol Bay Mining Inc. is a diversified Junior Canadian Mineral Exploration Company with a focus on precious and base metal properties in North America. For additional information please contact Charles Desjardins - pistolbaymining@gmail.com - at Pistol Bay Mining Inc. About AurCrest Gold Inc. AurCrest is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. AurCrest has a portfolio of properties in Ontario, which include the Richardson Lake and Bridget Lake gold properties. For additional information please contact Ian Brodie-Brown, President and C.E.O. of AurCrest at (416) 844-9969 or ianbrodiebrown@gmail.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors PISTOL BAY MINING INC. " Charles Desjardins " Charles Desjardins, President and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note: This report contains forward looking statements. Resource estimates, unless specifically noted, are considered speculative. Any and all other resource or reserve estimates are historical in nature, and should not be relied upon. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors. Cautionary Note to US investors: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission specifically prohibits the use of certain terms, such as "reserves" unless such figures are based upon actual production or formation tests and can be shown to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. SOURCE: Pistol Bay Mining Inc. Columbus (United States) (AFP) - US President Barack Obama hit the campaign stump for Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, telling voters not to be "bamboozled" by Donald Trump and making a specific pitch to wavering male voters. Visiting the swing state of Ohio for the second time in a month, Obama challenged male voters to consider whether they were being sexist in hesitating between Trump and Clinton. Obama's anointed Democratic successor is the favorite to win the election, but Trump appears to have closed in with just a week to go until polling day. "I want every man out there to kinda look inside yourself," he said. "If you are having problems with this stuff, how much of it is that we're just not used to it?" "There is a reason we haven't had a woman president before," Obama told a raucous crowd on Columbus, Ohio -- a state he won in 2008 and 2012. "I want you to think about it because she's so much better qualified than the other guy." It was during the 2008 campaign that Obama blocked Clinton's path to the presidency by winning the party primary. Obama will barnstorm swing states almost every day this week, visiting North Carolina on Wednesday and Florida on Thursday before going back to North Carolina. The popular outgoing president has been deployed to firm up tepid support for Clinton among key demographic groups that sent him to the White House. From Esquire I suspect there are cranial detonations under a number of red beanies on the banks of the Tiber these days, and it's even money on who's revolving faster inside his crypt-Pope Leo X or the angry monk who so plagued his papacy. Papa Francesco is in Sweden, talking to the Lutherans. The Guardian has all the details. Christian leaders and congregations will spend the next 12 months consolidating moves towards greater cooperation and dialogue after centuries of division. In the first papal visit to Sweden in more than 25 years, Francis will lead prayers asking "forgiveness for divisions perpetuated by Christians from the two traditions". On Tuesday, he will celebrate mass in Malmo before around 10,000 people. In Germany, leaders of the Catholic and main Protestant churches have issued a joint text calling for a "healing of memories" of past divisions. An ecumenical pilgrimage to the Holy Land aimed at highlighting common roots despite separation has just concluded. If you are concluding that Papa Francesco is carrying around an empty bag similar to the one that the president is toting these days, you wouldn't be far wrong. Naturally, those in HMC still nursing a grudge over the Peace of Westphalia are having conniption fits. The moves are not without controversy, however. "There are rightwing Roman Catholics who find the whole thing profoundly distasteful," said Diarmaid MacCulloch, professor of church history at Oxford and author of The Reformation: A History. "But they're the sort of people who hate the present pope anyway." It's hard to measure how stunning this is to someone-like me-who grew up in the reactionary American Catholic Church of the 1950s and early 1960s. You were taught not even to set foot in a Protestant church on the pain of mortal sin. Hell, it was even considered weird to enter other Catholic churches outside your own parish, let alone those funky Eastern Orthodox churches where they used pita bread for Communion. I was not allowed to join the best Boy Scout troop in my town because it was sponsored by the local Congregational church. Story continues [contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="Apologies%20Necessary" customimages="" content="article.46263"] Even then, I thought this was nuts, but this is the Catholicism of petty triumphalism to which so many American Catholics want to return, and for which Papa Francesco has no more fcks to give. And he's even gone a step further, according to NPR. Last June, Pope Francis went so far as to praise Luther - once deemed a heretic by the Catholic Church - as a great reformer. On his flight back to Rome from Armenia, the pope told reporters: "The church was not a role model, there was corruption, there was worldliness, there was greed, and lust for power. He protested against this. And he was an intelligent man." The results are in. Leo X is spinning the fastest. Luther's just sunk in deep depression, wondering how it's all come to this. Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page. You Might Also Like By Philip Pullella ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Tuesday he believes the Roman Catholic Church's ban on women becoming priests is forever and will never be changed, in some of his most definitive remarks on the issue. He was speaking aboard a plane taking him back to Rome from Sweden, in the freewheeling news conference with reporters that has become a tradition of his return flights from trips abroad. A Swedish female reporter noted that the head of the Lutheran Church who welcomed him in Sweden was a woman, and then asked if he thought the Catholic Church could allow women to be ordained as ministers in coming decades. "St. Pope John Paul II had the last clear word on this and it stands, this stands," Francis said. Francis was referring to a 1994 document by Pope John Paul that closed the door on a female priesthood. The Vatican says this teaching is an infallible part of Catholic tradition. The reporter then pressed the pope, asking: "But forever, forever? Never, never? Francis responded: "If we read carefully the declaration by St. John Paul II, it is going in that direction." Francis has previously said that the door to women's ordination is closed, but proponents of a female priesthood are hoping that a future pope might overturn the decision, particularly because of the shortage of priests around the world. The Catholic Church teaches that women cannot be ordained priests because Jesus willingly chose only men as his apostles. Those calling for women priests say he was only following the norms of his time. In August, Francis set up a commission to study the role of women deacons in early Christianity, raising hopes among equality campaigners that women could one day have a greater say in the 1.2 billion-member Church. Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers and must be men. They cannot celebrate Mass, the Catholic Church's central rite, but they are allowed to preach and teach in the name of the Church, and to baptize and conduct wake and funeral services. The Church barred women from becoming deacons centuries ago. Scholars debate the precise role of women deacons in the early Church. Some say they were ordained to minister only to other women, for instance in baptismal immersion rites. Others believe they were on a par with male deacons. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis, who has repeatedly called on Europe to open its doors to more migrants, stated Tuesday that governments have the right to carefully assess their capacity to effectively integrate those arriving from abroad. "I think that, in theory, you can't close your heart to a refugee," the pope said while flying back from a two-day visit to Sweden. "Governments must be open to receive them, but also do the calculations regarding their reception (capabilities), because one must not only receive a refugee but also integrate them," he added. Last year Europe saw an influx of more than one million asylum seekers in the worst such crisis since World War II. "It isn't human to close the doors and the hearts," the pope argued, adding that in the long run there would be political gains to be had by being more welcoming. Sweden has a long tradition of accepting foreigners, and let in 245,000 refugees in 2014 and 2015. Photo credit: Lauren Cierzan From LennyLetter Nancy Drew feels wrongness in her gut. From the very beginning of Carolyn Keene's novel The Hidden Staircase, Nancy is led by her emotional compass. "I declare, I don't know what makes me so nervous this afternoon!" the book begins. "I have the strangest feeling - just as though something were about to happen." Or, at least, that's how the book is supposed to begin. Like so many young girls, I went through a Nancy Drew phase. For an entire summer, I checked out book after book of Nancy's tales from the public library. But the installment I liked best was The Hidden Staircase, the second book in the series. The musty, tattered book had a blue cover with an orange serif title above a silhouette of a girl peering into a magnifying glass. Inside the book was Nancy: a spunky, serious young girl who let her hunches lead her into a scary stranger's house on a quest to fight evil. In March, during a rough week and desperate for nostalgia, I ordered Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase online. The story I remembered went like this: Nancy is introduced to the middle-aged Turnbull sisters who ask her to investigate their "haunted" home, where valuable objects keep going missing. After receiving a threatening letter, the brave Nancy Drew, armed with her father's revolver, spends a week living in the Turnbull mansion. Her father gets kidnapped; Nancy sneaks into a twin mansion built on the other side of the property, finds a hidden staircase leading to a tunnel between the mansions, and saves her dad. The book I got in the mail was newer. It had a yellow binding and an illustrated cover and was completely unfamiliar to me. At first I blamed my memory. Decades apart from a book can smooth it over, rewriting the story in your mind with rose-colored glasses into something it never was in the first place. But the further I got into my new copy, the more I felt that hunch Nancy taught me about. Something was not right. Story continues In this book, Nancy goes on a prom date, her friend gets engaged, and instead of sneaking into the neighboring mansion with only her revolver and her gumption, Nancy gets a key to the house from a realtor. I ordered an early edition of The Hidden Staircase. It arrived as the book I remembered. Both books are titled Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. Both are the second book in the Nancy Drew series. Carolyn Keene is named as the author of both. But they are entirely different books. The chapters have different titles. The books include different characters. Even Nancy's behavior is different. And that's because two different women wrote them in very different decades with different ideas of what girlhood should look like. But you'd never know just looking at them. The first copies of the Nancy Drew series, like the ones I read as a child, were published in 1930. Edward Stratemeyer, a prolific publisher of children's literature, decided to commission the series because he had seen great success selling off mystery novels to young boys. He hired Mildred Wirt to write the Nancy Drew novels under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Wirt was an ambitious woman in her early 20s who said she despised the "boring and namby pamby" books for girls that she had grown up reading. Wirt was writing just on the heels of the Roaring 20s, and she invented a heroine to match. Wirt's Nancy Drew was assertive, aggressive, and willing to contradict any adult who kept her from solving mysteries. Through the character, Wirt was doing what all young American women in the 1930s were trying to do: bridge Victorian and modern sensibilities about what a girl (and a woman) could be. In her books, Nancy drove a car; she existed in a public sphere. Women in the First World War had directed movies, flown airplanes, and been newspaper reporters. Nancy Drew, a self-sufficient girl detective, was a book those modern women could buy proudly for their daughters. And she was an immediate success. In 1932, Publisher's Weekly wrote that the Drew titles were "the top notch sellers of the many bestseller juvenile series." They even outsold boys' books. Wirt wrote 23 of the first 30 volumes in the original series, but she stopped writing for the publishing company in the early 1950s, after which Nancy Drew just became a template for the visions of other ghostwriters. A woman named Harriet S. Adams, the daughter of the publisher who had hired Wirt, took over Nancy Drew and reworked her a little. An article for Hiram Magazine, published in 1988, quotes Wirt saying, "Mrs. Adams was an entirely different person - she was more cultured and refined. I was a rough and tumble newspaper person We just had two different Nancys." Adams considered Wirt's Nancy to be "too bossy, too positive," and she replaced her with a more docile, less autonomous protagonist. There's nothing wrong with Adams's version of the Nancy Drew novels. Despite being toned down, Nancy Drew remained a capable and almost unbelievably accomplished heroine. But if Wirt wrote a Nancy Drew of and for the women of the 1930s, Adams wrote her Nancy for the 1950s, when post-war American culture encouraged docility, sweetness, and deference. When Nancy Drew debuted in 1930, 46 percent of US college students were women. By the time she was rewritten in 1959, women made up only 38 percent of college students. The post-war prosperity sent the 1950s woman out of the office place and back into domesticity, and Nancy Drew went with her. Harriet S. Adams now controlled not only Nancy's future, but also her past. In 1959 the publishing house launched a project to update the earlier books for a generation of new readers. In some ways these "cut downs" were good: they shortened a few of the original books and cut any sections that dealt with race poorly, and they slapped new illustrated covers on the front. But in some cases, where Wirt's Nancy was a little too bold, or a little too difficult, or a little too autonomous, those "cut downs" actually became complete rewrites. That's why today, if you walk into a bookstore and pick up an early Nancy Drew title, you'll find a book with a 1930s copyright, and it will be impossible to tell whether it's been cut down or completely rewritten. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase showcased too many features that Adams just didn't think were acceptable anymore, and so Nancy was cleaned up and pared down. Adams's version of the book is still thrilling and fast-paced, and Nancy still leads it. But the heroine isn't my Nancy Drew. And she's not the Nancy Drew who hundreds of thousands of women grew up with. The Nancy Drew who was self-reliant, brilliant, and even a little bit mouthy was the one who inspired me, who taught me that being a girl wasn't a handicap - it was an advantage. That Nancy is buried in used bookstores and old garages - out of print, and almost entirely out of mind. Kelsey McKinney is an avid reader and a culture reporter for Fusion. This article was created in partnership with Search Party, which premieres on TBS on 11/21. The Clinton campaign sent cease and desist letters to four local television stations in Florida on Monday demanding they stop airing an anti-Hillary Clinton attack ad that features First Lady Michelle Obama, one of Clintons most fierce and affectionate advocates in this years campaign, taking what some have interpreted as a swipe at the Clintons during the 2008 election. The ad, titled Cant Run Her House and paid for by a pro-Donald Trump Super PAC, includes a clip of Michelle Obama speaking at a campaign event in Chicago on Aug. 12, 2007, when her husband, Barack Obama, and Clinton were in the midst of a heated primary fight for the Democratic nomination. One of the things, the important aspects of this race, is role modeling what good families should look like, Michelle Obama says in the clip. And my view, if you cant run your own house, you certainly cant run the White House. Cant do it. Michelle Obamas comments received attention at the time after Jennifer Hunter, a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in 2007, covered them in a column, writing, Michelle said she travels with her husband in part to model what it means to have family values, adding if you cant run your own house, you cant run the White House. She didnt elaborate, but it could be interpreted as a swipe at the Clintons. The conservative Drudge Report then ran with the story, headlining it Michelle Obama Slamming Hillary Clinton. Fox News and other cable news networks followed suit. But The Washington Post reported that immediately after Hunters column was published, she received an email from Michelle Obamas communications director, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, denying that the remarks were a reference to Clinton and providing further context. Here are Michelle Obamas comments in context, according to the Post: One of the most important things that we need to know about the next president of the United States is, is he somebody that shares our values, is he somebody that respects family, is a good and decent person? So our view is that if you cant run your own house, you certainly cant run the White House. So weve adjusted our schedule to make sure that our girls are first, so when hes traveling around, I do day trips. That means I get up in the morning. I get the girls ready. I get them off. I go and do trips. Im home before bedtime. Story continues Lelyveld later told Hunter in a phone conversation that Michelle Obama was only referring to her family and making sure her girls are guided and strong. President Obama also emphatically denied that his wifes comments were aimed at Clinton, telling CNN at the time, There was no reference beyond her point that we have had an administration that talks a lot about family values but doesnt follow through. Hunter wrote a follow-up column explaining that she had misinterpreted Michelle Obamas comments and saying, My mistake was not grabbing Michelle Obama when she left to ask for further elaboration. The new anti-Clinton ad paid for by the Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC, a subsidiary of the Make America Number 1 PAC, which supports Trumps campaign nevertheless portrays Michelle Obamas remarks as criticism of Clinton, concluding with the words: Michelle Obama doesnt trust Hillary Clinton. Doesnt sound like much of an endorsement. Kristina Hernandez, a spokeswoman for Make America Number 1, defended the use of the footage to the Post, saying, It certainly was considered by many to be a knock on the Clintons when it was said during the 2007/08 primaries. People should be able to judge for themselves, and thanks to the First Amendment we can give them the opportunity to make that judgment. But the Clinton campaign is fighting back. Sources familiar with the situation told Buzzfeed News that a lawyer for Hillary for America sent the cease and desist letters to WFLA-TV in Tampa, Cox Cable in Gainesville, Bright House Cable in Orlando, and WESH-TV in Orlando. RELATED VIDEO: Hillary Clinton Faces Her Toughest Interviewers Yet: Kids Make America Number 1 lawyer Larry Levy followed up with a letter of his own, telling the stations the Clinton camps demand was an attempt to deny the public an opportunity to view our advertisement because it is false and misleading. In reality, simply finds it politically inconvenient that a top surrogate for its candidate once held a differing view concerning her qualifications for office. PAC spokesperson Hogan Gidley also said in a statement: Hillarys just angry because the ad is impactful, its working and it speaks directly to the women shes been trying to con for years. Hillarys own campaign said when Michelle Obama speaks out, it has a real impact, and indeed, we agree because it was Mrs. Obama who correctly pointed out Hillary Clinton certainly cant run the White House. Buzzfeed News reported that on Thursday, the PAC expanded their ad buy to North Carolina, where Clinton and Michelle Obama recently campaigned together in a joint appearance, where Mrs. Obama called Clinton my girl and told a crowd in Winston-Salem: And if people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. According to The Washington Post, the PAC said its research shows that the ad is unusually effective in reducing support for Clinton. That certainly seems possible, considering the Clinton camps swift reaction and the fact that Michelle Obama is now seen as one of the most effective advocates for Clinton in her current presidential campaign. The first lady had high praise for Clinton when they campaigned side by side for the first time at a rally in North Carolina last week. Obama referred to Clinton as my girl and began her speech by taking a moment to express her gratitude for the former secretary of state. It takes a level of generosity of spirit to do what Hillary has done in her career, in her life for our family, for this nation, she said. And if people wonder, yes, Hillary Clinton is my friend. She has been a friend to me and Barack and Malia and Sasha, and Bill and Chelsea have been embracing and supportive from the very day my husband took the oath of office. So I am grateful for Hillary for her leadership, for her courage, and for what she is going to do for this country. Hows that for an endorsement? From Cosmopolitan Tiffany Martinez is a first-generation college student majoring in sociology at Suffolk University in Boston. She is a McNair Fellow, a Deans List recipient, and has presented at national conferences all over the U.S. On the morning of Oct. 27, her professor handed her back a paper shed written wrote and announced, in front of the entire class, "This is not your language." At the top of the paper were the words, Please go back and indicate where you cut and paste, presumably meaning the professor believed Martinez had plagiarized passages. On the second page, the word "hence" was circled, next to the note, "This is not your word." The word "not" was underlined twice. Martinez responded by writing a blog post critiquing the racial biases apparent in such a judgment, and her disappointment at living in "a society where people like me are not set up to succeed": My last name and appearance immediately instills a set of biases before I have the chance to open my mouth. These stereotypes and generalizations forced on marginalized communities are at times debilitating and painful. As a minority in my classrooms, I continuously hear my peers and professors use language that both covertly and overtly oppresses the communities I belong to. Therefore, I do not always feel safe when I attempt to advocate for my people in these spaces...My professor assumed someone like me would never use language like that. As I stood in the front of the class while a professor challenged my intelligence I could just imagine them reading my paper in their home thinking could someone like her write something like this?...There are students who will be assumed capable without the need to list their credentials in the beginning of a reflective piece. How many degrees do I need for someone to believe I am an academic? Martinezs paper did not have a grade, only the words, "needs work." Hence, Martinez ended her blog post with quite the literary mic drop: "Academia needs work." Story continues BuzzFeed reports that Martinez "has not spoken with the professor since the incident, but has brought it to the attention of the chair of Suffolk Universitys sociology department, who has launched an investigation." In particular, the departments head read over her paper, Martinez added, and "had nothing but good things to say." Follow Diana on Twitter. You Might Also Like HONG KONG (Reuters) - British investment banker Rurik Jutting called his boss at the Bank of America in Hong Kong and warned him that its reputation was at risk after he had killed a second woman, a Hong Kong court heard on Tuesday. Tim Owen, a lawyer defending Jutting against charges of murdering two Indonesian women in his Hong Kong apartment, detailed the stress that Jutting felt during his working life that culminated in a cocaine-fuelled torture and killing spree two years ago. Jutting, 31, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, on grounds of "diminished responsibility", but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The women's bodies were found in Jutting's luxury high-rise apartment. Ningsih's mutilated body was found in a suitcase on the balcony. Mujiasih was found in the apartment with wounds to her neck and buttocks, the prosecutor told the court. Jutting captured hours of footage on his iPhone of him torturing Ningsih. He also filmed rambling monologues in which he discussed the murders, binged on cocaine and explained his violent sexual fantasies. Segments of the footage were earlier shown to the court. Owen said that after killing Mujiasih, Jutting had called his boss and said: "I am in a lot of trouble, you need to do something about the reputation of the bank." Owen explained how Jutting earned quick promotions after joining Bank of America in London in 2010 from Barclays. He found himself under more pressure once he moved to Hong Kong in September, 2013. In 2014 his boss in Hong Kong told him that his professional activities were being monitored, which he described as unjustified. It was then that he started consuming large amounts of vodka before sleeping, Owen said. He said Jutting was "humiliated" when his boss sent a junior to find him when he did not go to work. Bank of America declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Tuesday. During his time in Britain with the bank, Jutting had been involved in risky tax products, was regarded as unpredictable, and was also monitored for high travel costs, said Owen. One tax product in Luxembourg was flagged by internal auditors as a serious risk to the organisation and Jutting was moved to another part of the bank before moving to Hong Kong, Owen told the court. Jutting's boss in London had told him he was one of the most unpredictable people he had worked with, said Owen. 'DISORDERS' Earlier, prosecutor John Reading said Jutting was calm and aware of his actions when he killed the women, rejecting his defence's argument that he had lost control due to drugs and sexual disorders. Reading cross examined defence witness Richard Latham, a British psychiatrist, stating "even when he was at his most aggressive, even when he was torturing her (Ningsih), his conduct to her was very controlled". Latham told the court on Monday that Jutting has recognised disorders from cocaine and alcohol abuse on top of his other personality disorders of sexual sadism and narcissism, which impaired his ability to control his behaviour. Latham on Tuesday acknowledged that Jutting was in control in parts leading up to the killings, but emphasised the killings were not something Jutting intended. "There is little doubt in my mind that he knew what he was doing. He clearly remembered it ... but knowing what he was doing is different to controlling his behaviour," he said. The defence has said Jutting suffered sexual abuse as a teenager during his time at Winchester College, one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious schools, when he was forced to perform oral sex on a boy. The defence also detailed Jutting's father's attempted suicide by slashing his wrists when he was 16. Owen said Jutting was constantly seeking new experiences to excite him, including looking on the social app Grinder for a "black man to have sex", with him. His narcissistic personality disorder, which made him boastful and arrogant, was his attempt to cover a "fragile" shell, Latham testified on Monday. Jutting's alcohol abuse disorders started from 2011 as well as a strong preference for sexual violence, torture, rape and slavery, Latham said on Monday. Derek Perkins, a professor of Forensic Psychology at West London Mental Health NHS Trust and Royal Holloway University, testified that Jutting had a narcissistic personality disorder. Perkins said in the 15 hours he spent with Jutting, he took control of the conversation from time to time and spoke in a very matter of fact way. The defence and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defence to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter. Murder carries a mandatory life sentence, while manslaughter carries a maximum of life though a shorter sentence can be set. (Reporting by Farah Master, additional reporting by Anne Marie Roantree Editing by Greg Torode and Robert Birsel) Pusha T is taking a break from rallying for Hillary Clinton to support another important political issue -- marijuana reform. As part of their Artists for Yes on 64 series, the Californians for Responsible Marijuana Reform recruited the Virginia rapper for a PSA that encourages California voters to support Proposition 64, a bill that would legalize recreational marijuana use for those 21 or older in the state. The PSA features the G.O.O.D. Music president co-signing the benefits of Prop 64, namely improving the mass-incarceration dilemma affecting the country. "Marijuana arrests are the engine that's driving the war on drugs," he says in the clip. "It's one of the number one reasons people trying to re-enter their communities are sent back to prison." He adds that "good legislation" passing in California often results in other states following. King Push has never hid his feelings about mass incarceration and criminal justice reform. He spoke with Billboard in June about police brutality, saying, "I feel like I can make a difference. I understand my power. I'm just trying to do my part." He also recently sat down with Senator Tim Kaine to discuss police reform. Check out the ad, which originally appeared on Rolling Stone, below: By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Tuesday rejected R.J. Reynolds' bid to void a decade-old order requiring tobacco companies to televise "corrective" advertisements about the dangers of smoking. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Reynolds American Inc unit, whose brands include Camel, Newport and Pall Mall, did not show that the judge who ordered the ads exceeded her authority, and waited too long to challenge the requirement. Reynolds American spokesman Bryan Hatchell declined to comment. The ads were among a series of remedial measures imposed in 2006 by U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in Washington, D.C. against R.J. Reynolds, Altria Group Inc's Philip Morris USA and other tobacco companies, after she found them liable for concealing the risks of smoking for decades. Kessler had required that each defendant run primetime ads on a major TV network at least once a week for a year. The companies later litigated over what the ads should say. But R.J. Reynolds also objected to the U.S. Department of Justice's insistence that it run two sets of ads, one for itself and one in its capacity as the successor to Brown & Williamson, which it bought in 2004. In Tuesday's decision, however, Circuit Judge David Tatel said R.J. Reynolds failed to raise the double-ad issue in 2006 when it first appealed Kessler's remedial order. He said this meant the Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based company could not be excused for waiting until 2014, when the government made its position known during negotiations, to object. "Simply put, RJR cannot have it both ways," Tatel wrote. "Either the remedial order imposes a double-ad requirement, in which case we have appellate jurisdiction but RJR has no excuse for its untimeliness, or the order is unclear, in which case we would lack jurisdiction to entertain this appeal." The decision upheld Kessler's June 2014 order outlining the dissemination of corrective statements. R.J. Reynolds agreed to the order but preserved its right to appeal the double-ad requirement. Story continues On Oct. 21, British American Tobacco Plc offered to buy Reynolds American for $47 billion. The case is U.S. et al v. Philip Morris USA Inc et al, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 15-5210. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Chris Reese) - Newly crowned British champion flat jockey Jim Crowley was released from hospital after being admitted earlier on Monday following a mass pile-up in a race at Kempton Park. The 38-year-old former jumps jockey -- who was confirmed as champion earlier this month -- had been taken to hospital with another rider, Frederik Tylicki. "Following the incident at Kempton Park racecourse this afternoon, jockey Jim Crowley has been discharged from St George's Hospital, Tooting, to return home with his family. Freddy Tylicki, also involved in the incident, is in intensive care in a stable condition," the Injured Jockeys Fund said in a statement, adding that Tylicki was conscious. He had been airlifted to hospital while Crowley arrived by ambulance, both on spinal boards, after the fall. Two other horses also came down but their riders were uninjured. AFP The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is returning for its seventh season on Dec. 6, and with it will come one new Housewife: Dorit Kemsley! The fashion designer will join returning Housewives Lisa Vanderpump, Kyle Richards, Lisa Rinna, Eileen Davidson and Erika Jayne Girardi for all the drama and fun on the hit Bravo series. But who is Dorit Kemsley? Here are five quick facts to know about the new reality star. 1. Shes married to Paul Kemsley. Kemsley is married to English businessman Paul Kemsley, a property developer who is also Chairman of the New York Cosmos and a producer of the film Pele: The Birth of a Legend. They tied the knot on March 7, 2015, in a lavish ceremony at New Yorks famed Rainbow Room that was documented by Wedding Style magazine. She wore a dress by Naeem Khan, and he was outfitted in a Tom Ford suit. The two met through friends in New York City, where Dorit lived at the time. They saw the Broadway musical Jersey Boys on their first date. We went out and have been inseparable from that first night, Dorit told Wedding Style. Six months later, Paul moved from Los Angeles to the Big Apple to be with Dorit. And while they live in Beverly Hills now, they still chose N.Y.C. for their wedding even dancing to The Four Seasons My Eyes Adore You from, yes, Jersey Boys. I felt like I was floating outside my body, Dorit told Wedding Style. I was filled with love and completely euphoric. 2. The couple have two children. Aside from being newlyweds, Dorit and Paul are also new parents. They welcomed their 2-year-old son Jagger on March 11, 2014, and their daughter, Pheonix, on Feb. 23, 2016. The two siblings appear to get along well. Siblings that play together, stay together, she captioned a sweet shot recently on Instagram. And both Dorit and Paul seem to shower them with love and endless Instagram shots. Hard to be mad the weekend is over when the first thing you see are these little love bugs!! Dorit wrote recently. I love my little babies so much!! Story continues Paul also has three children from his first marriage: son Daniel, 20, and daughters Atlanta, 15, and Tatum, 14. 3. She has ties to Lisa Vanderpump. Paul calls Vanderpump a dear friend and has posed with her and her husband Ken Todd in a number of Instagram shots. The foursome have spent time together, partying at Vanderpumps restaurants and Dorits house. 4. And shes close with Kyle Richards. Perhaps its the real estate bond, but the Kemsleys appear to be getting along well with Housewife Richards and her realtor husband Mauricio Umansky. The foursome recently partied at a 20s-themed party shot for the show. Richards even introduced Dorit to her pal (and RHOBH alum) Camille Grammer. 5. Paul is Boy Georges manager. Yolanda Foster may no longer be on the show or with music mogul David Foster but that doesnt mean A-list musical talent wont be hanging around the show. In addition to his many business dealings, Paul is also the manager to 80s icon Boy George. Through George, Pauls spent time hanging with stars like Sting, Blondie and even Kris Jenner. The three are so close, George even sang for the couple and their guests at their wedding. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills returns Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo. Journalists with the Kurdish news outlet Rudaw explored the recently recaptured town of Bartella, 22km east of Mosul, on November 1, after the Iraqi military drove Islamic State militants from the area. The town was populated by a Christian majority before Islamic State took control in June 2014, forcing many to flee to the Kurdistan region. This video, which shows a damaged Orthodox church, was released after Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for Islamic State militants to surrender or die as Iraqi forces aligned themselves on the outer edges of Mosul city. Credit: Facebook/Rudaw English For those few voters who remain undecided a week before the 2016 presidential election, the choice between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton may come down to which potential new scandal they can look past. The FBI announced on Friday that it had discovered new emails that may be pertinent to its investigation of Clintons use of a private server while secretary of state. Meanwhile, new reports have emerged alleging close ties between Trump and the Russian government. If somebody has an issue with emails as opposed to someone who has an issue with shady dealings with a foreign government, perhaps, it may be hard to weigh, David Corn, Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, told Yahoo News on Tuesday. On Monday, Corn reported that a veteran ex-spy who specializes in Russian counterintelligence told his publication he provided the FBI with a memo alleging that the Russian government has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years, and that there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit. The report came a day after Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid sent a scathing letter to FBI Director James Comey, blasting his decision to publicly reveal the newly discovered Clinton emails without disclosing information the bureau may have on alleged ties between Trumps Republican presidential campaign and the Kremlin. In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government, Reid wrote. The public has a right to know this information. Trump and his campaign have repeatedly denied they have any connection with Russia. Theres nothing wrong with a presidential candidate talking to a foreign government if he or she chooses to do so, Corn said. But it does sort of fit into this overall picture weve seen in this campaign of Russian hackers targeting Democratic targets, and leaking information in a way that harms Hillary Clinton and seems to benefit Donald Trump. And we have seen Donald Trump almost inexplicably defend if not sometimes praise [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in a way no other Republican candidate ever has. Story continues On the campaign trail, Trump has regularly heaped praise on Putin and criticized both Clinton and President Obama for taking a hard line against the Russian strongman. Bill Browder, chief executive of Hermitage Capital and noted Putin critic, told Yahoo News on Tuesday that Trumps affection for Putin defies logic. Nobody really knows whats behind the sort of love affair of between the two men, said Browder. It doesnt make sense. There is no logical reason why a presidential candidate should be praising Russia unless theres information out there that we dont know about. What we do know, Browder noted, is that Trump has taken this very strange view that is not a Republican position, its not an American position. In Trump, Corn said, Russian intelligence found someone Putin can bromance. I think they saw Trump who was very, very interested and eager in the 2000s and into the 2010s to do business in Russia as somebody they could say, Hey, hes a big guy in the United States. If hes friendly to us, that could come in handy, Corn mused. The questions surrounding the Trump campaigns alleged ties to Russia were amplified by a pair of reports published in Slate and the New York Times about an FBI probe into possible electronic communications between the Trump Organization and servers connected to a Russian bank. Both reports, though, said the bureau failed to find a direct link between Trump and the Russian government, and according to the Times, an FBI investigation concluded the interaction could have been a coincidence. Its one more tantalizing piece that is not conclusive, Corn said, but is certainly rather odd about an odd subject matter to begin with Trump and Russia in what is a very bizarre election. Charlotte, a grey kitten who was dumped in an Alabama parking lot, was rescued and welcomed into a new home, where two other kittens were already living. The seven-week-old kittens werent sure what to make of her, so they began following her around, trying to make friends. Charlotte needs time to feel comfortable and get used to the new situation, but it surely wont be long before theyre all good friends. Credit: YouTube/Robyn Anderson Photo credit: Getty From Dr. Oz The Good Life It's no secret that maintaining a healthy weight is good for you. Staying fit can help reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer - and now, according to a September 2016 study, it might also reduce risk of cognitive problems later on in life. In the study, researchers at the University of Arizona found that having a higher body mass index (BMI) is indirectly linked to "declines in memory and executive functioning" in older adults. To conduct the study, the researchers looked at data collected from 21,000 British people, ages 50 and older, over the course of six years. Throughout those years, the participants were tested several times for their BMI, inflammation levels (which were measured by the presence of C-reactive protein, an indicator of inflammation problems, in the participants' blood), and cognitive function (which was measured via word recall and verbal fluency tests). Based on their analysis, the study's co-authors were able to detect clear links between the three factors. What exactly does that mean? Well, according to this new research, people with higher BMIs tend to experience a greater amount of systemic inflammation, which occurs when a person has an overactive immune system. And greater inflammation has previously been connected to cognitive decline - so when the co-authors of this study were able to both link higher BMIs with inflammation and inflammation with memory problems, they were able to establish a correlation between being overweight and later cognitive problems. That said, study co-author David Sbarra, PhD, told Health that more research would need to be done to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between BMI and memory loss, which means we can't definitively say that maintaining a healthy weight will help keep your mind sharp. Until more research can be conducted, though, one thing is certain - making healthy choices to keep those extra pounds off (especially as the holiday season approaches) is never a bad idea. [h/t Health] Improving poll data, including the latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll, has the GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump ahead for the first time since May. According to the latest poll results, Trump leads Clinton by one percent among likely voters, carrying 46% in the latest poll versus Clintons 45%. With one week left until Election Day, former Senator, and 2016 presidential candidate, Rick Santorum (R-PA) told the FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto that the momentum is in Trumps favor. If you look between now and Election Day, I really dont see anything that changes the narrative, which is FBI investigation. There are more Wikileaks coming out. Hillary Clinton is going to be in the news, and as weve seen, anytime a candidate in this race is the news their number goes down because the news is never good, he said. While citizens in some early voting states have already cast their ballots, the former Senator said his home state, Pennsylvania, votes on Election Day and therefore, its citizens will be able to make a fully informed decision come November 8th. We dont have early voting in Pennsylvania thanks be to God and absentee voters, even those who vote early can change their vote on Election Day, Santorum said on FOX Business Network Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast. Despite some polls suggesting Clinton is leading in Pennsylvania by upwards of 11 points, Santorum thinks her lead is decreasing as her campaign continues to dominate the news cycle. I think she [Clinton] is melting down, whether she is melted down completely at this point; the polls are indicating her lead is melting away. Santorum said Trumps path to the White House doesnt necessarily need to include winning Pennsylvania, but he thinks the Republican Partys nominee can pick up additional points with Clintons integrity in question. I dont think there is a path for Hillary Clinton without Pennsylvania and I think Trump is absolutely in play; the continuing question of Hillarys integrity, her honesty is going to weigh on lot voters in suburbia Philadelphia, Santorum said. Related Articles TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / November 1, 2016 / The GMS Live Expert team announces their proud sponsorhip of the Robin Robins Producers Club; marketing and sales training event from November 3 - 5 in Nashville, TN. The GMS Live Expert team will be providing strategic advice as to how IT Solution Providers who effectively implement the Technology Marketing Toolkit methodology can cost-effectively grow their IT services capacity in line with their revenues. Dan Goldstein and Danny Obaseki of the GMS Live Expert team will be discussing the flexible packages GMS has designed to enable Managed Service Providers to outsource their front line support seamlessly to GMS, while communicating bi-directionally through industry leading ticketing systems. All so the focus of the business owner can remain on attracting and winning new customers. To date GMS Live Expert has partnered with hundreds of MSPs enabling growth at each phase of the business growth journey. GMS Live Expert Snapshot: - 100% North American Based, Available 24x7 - Flexible Packages For Each Phase Of Growth - HIPAA Compliant & ITIL Process Driven - Integrated With Workflows & Reporting Systems - Deliver A Consistent User Experience While Growing - With Access To An Expanded Team As Needed - 18+ Years of operation, recently named one of the fastest growing companies in Canada 12 Month - GMS Live Expert Report Card: - Serviced 232,428 Interactions - Delivered a 93.2% Resolution Rate - Responded to 85%+ of Issues In SUB 60 Seconds - Responsible for 100,000 + MSP Users About Global Mentoring Solutions (GMS) GMS boasts 18+ years of operational experience and a strong global partner base. Through its MSP brand GMS Live Expert, GMS provides outsourced Help Desk services on behalf of its partners via 24/7 end user phone, chat and integrated ticket system/CRM driven support capabilities. GMS's 100% North American based resources truly augment their partners' support offerings as each Partner engagement includes a unique direct phone number, MSP branded chat support and bi-directional ticket system synchronization. Story continues Visit www.gmsliveexpert.com to learn more. GMS Live Expert Contact Daniel Goldstein, Director Channel Strategy dgoldstein@globalmentoring.com Contact Global Mentoring Solutions: Daniel Goldstein 9052863829 dgoldstein@globalmentoring.com 178 Main Street Unionville, ON L3R2G9 SOURCE: Global Mentoring Solutions Nouakchott (AFP) - A Romanian mineworker kidnapped by an Al-Qaeda affiliate last year has appeared in a video urging his government to secure his release as soon as possible. Iulian Ghergut, then a security officer, was taken on April 4, 2015, when five armed men attacked a manganese mine in Tambao in northeast Burkina Faso, officials said at the time. Monday's video is the first occasion in more than a year that Ghergut has appeared since being taken by Al-Murabitoun, led by one-eyed Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar. The group, which has since affiliated itself with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), has claimed responsibility for several spectacular and bloody attacks in sub-Saharan Africa. Ghergut, heavily bearded and squinting slightly, says he is in good health in the video he dated to September 21 of this year. Speaking in a thick accent in French, he says he thinks of his family, while pressing the Romanian government "to do everything possible to free me and get me back to my family and my country as soon as possible." The director of Al-Akhbar, the Mauritanian news agency which regularly carries jihadist statements, told AFP that as the new video was released by AQIM, the Romanian must be presumed to be in Belmokhtar's hands. This is because Adnan Abu Walid Sahraoui, the head of a faction of Al-Murabitoun, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State since appearing in a video in May 2015 confirming Al-Murabitoun was holding Ghergut hostage. Sahraoui is believed to have moved further and further away from Belmokhtar and appeared in IS group propaganda on Sunday. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organisation jostle worldwide for power and support. Al-Akhbar director El-Heiba Ould Cheikh Sidaty said its release could point to a desire to show "proof of life" ahead of any negotiations with the Romanian government. The clip was distributed by SITE, a group based just outside Washington that monitors extremists. Story continues The Romanian foreign affairs ministry told AFP Tuesday the unit dealing with Ghergut's case had "taken note" of the video, and that "verification was underway regarding its authenticity". "The launch of this kind of message into the public arena is in line with the usual development of this type of situation," the ministry added in a statement. Kidnappings of foreigners, often for ransom, occasionally occur in Mali and Niger but not usually in Burkina Faso, a landlocked Sahel country. Maybe its a bit of Halloween witchery, but theres a $166 round-trip flight from New York to the Philippines happening now. The incredible dealwas found by the Airfare Spoton Mondaymorning, and may be either a steep promotion from Philippine Air or an error fare. Travel dates are available in June 2017, with departure dates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Flights will depart from New Yorks John F. Kennedy Airport and arrive on the island of Cebu, after a short layover in Manila. This year, Cebu ranked in the top 10 on our list of the Worlds Best islands. Travelers had no qualms about long-haul flights when the rewards are sugary white beaches, swimming with whale sharks, and diving from the tops of jungle waterfalls. At the nearby island of Bohol, you can admire the mysterious chocolate hills. Note that while the fare was valid at the time of posting, tickets this affordable are likely to sell out quickly. And as the Airfare Spot notes, if this is indeed an airfare error, wait until tickets are confirmed by the airline before booking accommodations. Related Articles Have you been eager to see how Royal Dutch Shell plc RDS.A Europes largest oil company performed in Q3 in comparison with the market expectations? Lets quickly scan through the key facts from this Hague, Netherlands-based behemoths earnings release this morning: About Royal Dutch Shell: Royal Dutch Shell owns one of the largest integrated oil and gas businesses in the world. The group has operations all over the world and is involved in various activities related to oil and natural gas, chemicals, power generation, renewable energy resources, and other energy related businesses. Royal Dutch Shell divides its operations into four major segments: Upstream, Downstream, Integrated Gas and Corporate. In Feb 2016, Shell acquired UKs third-largest energy player BG Group for a total consideration of $50 billion. Zacks Rank & Surprise History: Currently, Royal Dutch Shell has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) but that could change following its third quarter 2016 earnings report which has just released. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Coming to earnings surprise history, the company has a dismal record: its missed estimates in each of the last four quarters resulting in an average negative surprise of 27.36%. ROYAL DTCH SH-A Price and EPS Surprise ROYAL DTCH SH-A Price and EPS Surprise | ROYAL DTCH SH-A Quote Estimate Revision Trend: Investors should note that the earnings estimate revisions for Royal Dutch Shell depicted pessimism prior to the earnings release. The Zacks Consensus Estimate fell 5% over the last 30 days. We have highlighted some of the key details from the just-released announcement below: A Higher-than-Expected Profit: Earnings per ADS (on a current cost of supplies basis, excluding items) came in at 70 cents, well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 54 cents. Revenue Came in Lower than Expected: Revenues of $61,855 million were below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $67,997 million. Story continues Key Stats: Upstream segment recorded a profit of $4 million (excluding items) during the quarter, turning around from the $582 million (adjusted) loss in the year-ago period. Shells upstream volumes averaged 2,683 thousand oil-equivalent barrels per day (MBOE/d), 21% higher than the year-ago period. The groups worldwide realized liquids prices were 11% below the year-earlier levels, while natural gas prices were down 31%. In the downstream segment, the Anglo-Dutch super-major reported adjusted income of $2,078 million, 21% less than the $2,617 million earned in the year-ago period. The Integrated Gas unit reported adjusted income of $931 million as against $918 million in Jul-Sep quarter of 2015. 2017 Capital Expenditure: Next year, Royal Dutch Shell expects to spend $25 billion on capital investments at the bottom of its previously stated range. Check back later for our full write up on this Royal Dutch Shell earnings report later! Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Tale of the Tape, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ROYAL DTCH SH-A (RDS.A): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The Russian militarys television station released new videos on Tuesday, November 1, showing its Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier and the Pyotr Velikiy missile cruiser moving through the Mediterranean en route to Syria. The vessels are part of a fleet moving to Syria to participate in the ongoing civil war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, We were very surprised with the position taken by countries that had refused to let our warships enter their ports under the pressure of the US and NATO. He said the vessels were to participate in fighting against international terrorism in Syria. Credit: YouTube/TVZvedza By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans are seizing on the FBI's revived scrutiny of Hillary Clinton's handling of government emails, hoping it will hurt not just her presidential hopes but Democrats' chances of regaining one or both chambers of Congress in next week's election. Republican lawmakers are threatening to investigate Clinton from her first day in office if the Democrat is elected president on Nov. 8, following the FBI's move to review newly discovered emails that might pertain to a previously completed investigation into Clinton's use of a private server while she was secretary of state. After FBI Director James Comey's announcement last Friday of the latest review, which indicated no wrongdoing on Clinton's part, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and other Republicans have hammered Clinton as scandal-prone, seeking to renew questions about her integrity. A Clinton presidency would bog down in "scandal baggage," U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday, adding he was focussed on defending Republican majorities in Congress in the election. "This is what life with the Clintons looks like. It's always a scandal one after another, then there's an investigation," Ryan, the most senior elected Republican in the country, told Fox News in an interview. "You never know what's coming next." Saying that Clinton would take office "with her scandal baggage," Ryan added: "I dont think thats what the American people want to see. Clinton has said she is confident the FBI will not find anything problematic and will reach the same conclusion it did in July when it found no grounds for charges from her use of a private email server. Opinion polls show Clinton maintaining her lead over Trump, although her advantage has narrowed slightly since early last week. The effect of Comey's news on voters' support is not yet clear. The University of Virginia's Center for Politics said this week that several key states, including Arizona, Florida and Ohio, were now considered "toss up," having earlier been classified as leaning Democratic, saying the races had been tightening regardless of any "Comey Effect." "If Comeys decision results in Republicans holding onto the Senate and losing fewer House seats because he has invigorated their 'checks and balances' argument, we will also attribute this to the Comey Effect," the center's Larry Sabato and his colleagues wrote. 'SAVING HOUSE MAJORITY' Ryan maintained the arms-length posture towards Trump that he adopted after a 2005 video emerged last month in which the New York businessman was heard boasting about groping women. The Wisconsin Republican said he voted for Trump in early voting last week, but that his position had not changed and that he had no plans to campaign with his party's nominee, instead focussing on maintaining Republicans' control of the House. "My focus personally right now is saving our House majority. Im going to Indiana, Michigan, New York and Virginia today to fight for House Republicans," Ryan told Fox. While Republicans appear poised to keep control of the House, the race for the Senate remains evenly matched, according to an average of polls by RealClearPolitics. Some conservative members of the Republican caucus in the House, unhappy with Ryan's treatment of Trump and his handling of other issues on Capitol Hill, have questioned whether he should continue as speaker after the election. "We're all focussed on beating Democrats on Nov. 8. All the rest of this stuff will sort itself out," Ryan told Fox News. "I'm very confident where I stand with our members." Republican U.S. Senator John Cornyn called on Tuesday for Attorney General Loretta Lynch, a Barack Obama appointee, to intervene over the Clinton email probe. "AG Lynch has authority to unravel Clinton email mess by appointing a special counsel who can convene an impartial grand jury," Cornyn wrote on Twitter. Such a move would all but guarantee that controversy over Clinton's emails would simmer into 2017 and perhaps beyond, potentially tying up her agenda if she were elected to the White House. Some Republican senators have already also vowed to block any hearing on Clinton's potential Supreme Court justice nominees to fill the court's current vacancy. Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz told the Washington Post last week he had years' worth of potential material that could be used to investigate Clinton. California Republican Darrell Issa, a House Judiciary Committee member, told Fox Business Network late on Monday: "I suspect there will be more hearings" following the latest email probe. (Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Peter Cooney) Les Sables-d'Olonne (France) (AFP) - The Vendee Globe solo round-the-world yacht race is not for the faint-hearted, but at 66 Rich Wilson is ready to risk injury, exhaustion and hurricane force winds a second time. Wilson, one of four over-60s in the gruelling race that starts Sunday at Les Sables d'Olonne, endured broken ribs, crushed vertebrae and a deep cut in his face when he competed in 2009. Masts that break in a gale and the constant threat of being swept overboard overshadows all 29 entries in this edition of the race held every four years. Wilson said he is very aware of the fate that befell top Chinese navigator Guo Chuan who went missing in the Pacific last week while attempting to make get from a San Francisco to Shanghai in less than 20 days. "If such things can happen to him one can envisage the same things happening to less accomplished navigators," the skipper of Great American IV told AFP. This time the Massachussets Institute of Technology educated professor has vowed to tell every bump and scrape to an audience of hundreds of thousands of school children from Taiwan to Tennessee. "Definitely," he told when asked whether his on board adventure would get a full and frank airing on his sitesalive.com which aims to use adventure to encourage children to learn. Thousands of schools have signed up to follow his programme. "I am an asthma sufferer on top of all the other challenges in this, so I will tell it all." - Energy-sapping schedule - Wilson will have to eat 5,000-6,000 calories a day, instead of the usual 2,000, to keep up with the energy-sapping schedule. Last time he lost weight despite the extra food and most competitors lose muscle bulk because of the limited space. The sleep deprivation -- four or five hours each day for about 100 days -- is an additional trap awaiting competitors. His blog and other educational work will take up two hours a day. Last time, Wilson's autopilot broke down for the final month so he had to check the winds every 20 minutes to keep on course. Story continues "It is absolutely exhausting as well as stressful for many," he said. As in 2009, Wilson will again be the oldest competitor, but not the only senior in the race. Enda O'Coineen, 61, will be the first Irishman to take part in the race now in its eighth edition. O'Coineed also runs an educational trust and is president of the International Federation of Irish Pubs. "At the press conference in Paris, I was asked was I concerned about the younger sailors in the race, so I said I thought theyd be okay," O'Coineen told the Irish Times. Dutch businessman Pieter Heerema, 65, will be one of nine rookies in the race. Nandor Fa, 63 took part in the second Vendee Globe in 1992 and took fifth place. He also knows the risks, in 1996 he had to give up after a collision. "There are eight or nine skippers in with a chance of winning, for the rest of us the aim is to finish this personal adventure in the best conditions," said Wilson. The others agreed. "I have a long way to go and Im no spring chicken," said Heerema. But he insisted the position does not matter. "My challenge is to complete the voyage. Make it all the way around the world alone." Donald Trump could be president, President Obama told Samantha Bee on Monday night, sending a shiver down the spine of the host and probably the teller of the tale as well. Bee, hosting a Halloween edition of her Full Frontal, asked the president whether hed ever considered going up to Trump after the election and whispering, You were right: I wasnt born in this country just to mess with him, she added. Obama replied that he was planning to organize my postpresidency so Im not close enough to [Trump] to whisper to him. It was a coup for Bee to land an Obama interview, of course, but this wasnt even the best segment of Monday nights jammed half-hour. Bees most striking interview was with two Moscow-based hackers who took credit for creating hundreds, if not thousands, of false or misleading emails and Internet comments designed to sway American public opinion about the upcoming presidential election. The goal, said one of them, is to make simple people change their mind about the vote. The two hackers Russian trolls, as Bee referred to them wore black balaclavas to disguise their identities. The other troll said that many American Internet users are easily manipulated: Theyre lazy and believe everything they read. If this pair is to be believed, theyve posted propaganda undetected on everything from extremist websites to mainstream outlets including the Washington Post, the New York Post, and the Wall Street Journal. Bee was by turns curious, skeptical, appalled, and admiring. You got the feeling neither she nor the trolls completely believed each other. Once again, Bee proved that her show is like no other political comedy production on the air. Shes combined what she learned working with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show the Russian troll segment played like an exceptionally excellent version of a Daily Show correspondent piece with her own hilariously harsh point of view. Bee began the night with a long segment on the alt-right. For as much as weve heard about the mainstreaming of this movement during the election primarily via the disgraceful work of former Breitbart News editor and current Trump campaign adviser Steve Bannon it was especially dismaying and depressing to see so many elements of it gathered in one place and updated. (Bee included this past weekends news footage of a man at a Trump rally bellowing an anti-Semitic sentiment at the events press pool: Jew-S-A! Jew-S-A!) Each of the three segments Bee presented on Monday could have sustained an entire episode of a lesser political-humor show. She continues to give the impression that she and her staff have so much to say, theyre bursting to get it all out there especially before Election Day. Full Frontal With Samantha Bee airs Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET on TBS. Riyadh (AFP) - The global oil market should be balanced early next year, the president of Saudi Aramco said on Tuesday, after over-supply drove prices to multi-year lows in 2016. "The gap between supply and demand is closing," Amin Nasser, who is also the state-owned oil company's chief executive, told an international energy forum. He said Aramco's analysis sees the market "balanced by the first half of 2017." Last week, the chief of the International Energy Agency said the market would rebalance earlier than expected if major crude producers implement a deal to cap output when they meet next month. Under current conditions, the IEA expects global output to exceed demand until the second half of 2017, Fatih Birol said in Singapore. But he said that if OPEC and non-OPEC producers intervene in the markets, "this rebalance can be earlier than the second half of 2017." In a surprise move, members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Saudi Arabia agreed in September on a deal to trim production. The OPEC deal which aims to stabilise prices is the first to limit production since 2008 but details will only be determined during the group's meeting on November 30 in Vienna. On Saturday, OPEC officials held talks with Russia and other non-cartel members in Vienna to debate how to implement the plan aimed at cutting oil output. OPEC members Iraq, Iran, Nigeria and Libya have all sought exclusion from the cartel's exemption plan, Bloomberg News reported. Production has outpaced demand over the past two years, with the resulting supply glut hammering prices from highs of more than $100 a barrel in June 2014 to near 13-year lows below $30 in February this year. Prices are currently hovering near $50 a barrel. Speaking to the KAPSARC Energy Dialogue, Nasser also said Saudi Aramco plans "hopefully next year" to begin issuing quarterly results ahead of a stock market listing. Story continues This would provide better data for potential investors, he said. Under a wide-ranging plan to diversify its oil-dependent economy, the kingdom plans to float less than five percent of Saudi Aramco on the stock market to help create the world's biggest state investment fund. "The preparation is going well for the IPO," which could take place in 2018, and would be the biggest in history. Nasser said Aramco would "for sure" list on Saudi Arabia's bourse but is also looking abroad including in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong. A Saudi Arabian student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has died from injuries suffered in an assault that took place over the weekend. Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, was found by police in downtown Menomonie shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday. He was unconscious and bleeding from his mouth after being attacked by a suspect described as a 6-foot-tall white man, as described by Menomonie police and reported by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. The Menomonie Police Department said late Monday that Alnahdi had died and his death was being investigated as a homicide. The motive for the attack was not immediately clear. Alnahdi had joined the university in 2015 and was studying business administration. Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to Hussains family in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and his friends at UW-Stout, UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer said in a statement. Meyer also appealed for anyone with information regarding the attack to come forward. The Minnesota regional office of the Council on Islamic American Relations, an Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, tweeted that they were monitoring the situation. Students in Brodhead, Wis., are criticizing a safe driving drill in which they were told some of their classmates had died in a car accident earlier that day. During the morning announcements, Brodhead High School pupils were told four students had died in a T-bone crash. Those chosen to die were notified ahead of time and were not permitted to use their phones to tell their classmates they were OK, WMTV reports. Minutes later, the students were told that the announcement had been part of a simulation drill put on by the student council as part of a year-long safe driving campaign. But many students were already upset by the announcement, which they didnt know was a drill. A lot of our fellow friends and students actually started crying because they thought these people were actually dead and so I think a lot of them actually called their parents in school too, one student told WMTV. Brodhead students say safe driving drill went too far https://t.co/zrWQEgdPOo pic.twitter.com/Q1LOXv8s3y nbc15_madison (@nbc15_madison) October 28, 2016 A representative from the school has said that the activitys value will be reevaluated before it is repeated. While we stand by the worthiness of the activity, we recognize the flaws with how it was communicated, Brodhead School District Superintendent Leonard Lueck told The Washington Post in an email. Lueck said the district has formally apologized to parents and students for any undue stress this activity may have caused. Watch the announcement here: From Popular Mechanics Scientists say in a new study that previous measurements of rising sea levels in the Northern Hemisphere in the 20th century were wrong-it's actually worse than we thought. They say we have been underestimating rising sea levels by 5 to 28 percent depending on the location in the world. Crucial to the work was use of "ice melt fingerprints," a tool originally used in 2001 to help scientists determine why melting ice in say, Antarctica, is different from melting ice in Alaska. Using the fingerprints, scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa closely analyzed various ice centers of the planet for a look at how they've been melting. Greenland was estimated to have been wrong by 28 percent off, while the melting Alps were off by 5 percent. The variations in individual ice centers give scientists reason to ratchet up the amount sea levels on the whole actually rose in the 20th century. "The investigation concludes that it is highly unlikely that global average sea level rose less than" 5.5 inches, the previously widely accepted number, says the discovery's lead author Phillip Thompson of the University of Hawai'i in a statement. The most likely amount was closer to 6.7 inches, they say. "This is the frontier in sea level science right now," Thompson said. "We care about human timescale planning, decisions we're going to make in the next 10 to 20 or 30 years." Source: Motherboard, Inside Climate News You Might Also Like The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently announced that a New York-based audit firm and a senior partner agreed to settle charges that they issued fraudulent audit reports in connection with municipal bond offerings by the town of Ramapo, New York, and its local development corporation. According to the agency, PKF OConnor Davies and Domenick F. Consolo allowed Ramapo to record a $3.08 million receivable in its general fund for a property sale that Consolo knew had not occurred. Consolo also ignored red flags and relied upon what turned out to be false representations by Ramapo officials about certain other receivables, interfund transfers and liabilities. ALSO READ: America's 50 Best Cities to Live Allegedly, PKF OConnor Davies failed to take appropriate steps to mitigate the risk of material misstatements, even after senior management became aware that Ramapos financial statements were the subject of multiple law enforcement investigations and Consolo received complaints about possible fraud. Andrew M. Calamari, director of the SECs New York Regional Office, commented: When audit reports are used to sell municipal bonds, investors expect those reports to be accurate. Consolo failed to exercise professional skepticism and PKF OConnor Davies issued false unmodified audit reports, and they left investors without an accurate picture of the towns finances and its ability to repay bondholders. ALSO READ: Massive Energy Trade Highlights Insider Blue Chip Buying: Kinder Morgan, AT&T, Kimberly-Clark, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and More Ramapo, its local development corporation and four town officials were charged with fraud earlier this year and accused of hiding a deteriorating financial situation from municipal bond investors. Consolo and PKF OConnor Davies consented to the SECs order without admitting or denying the findings. The firm agreed to forfeit roughly $380,000 in audit fees and interest and pay a $100,000 penalty. PKF OConnor Davies also must engage an independent consultant. Story continues Consolo agreed to pay a $75,000 penalty and be suspended from practicing public company accounting. Hes also prohibited from acting as the engagement partner or engagement quality control reviewer on any municipal audit for five years. Related Articles Seth Rogen regularly makes people laugh with box-office hits like Sausage Party, but hes starting to be recognized more for a different role. Rogen and his wife, actress Lauren Miller, will be honored with the WebMD Health Heroes Peoples Choice Award at the upcoming Health Heroes Gala for their work raising awareness of and funds for Alzheimers research through the organization Hilarity for Charity. In a sit-down with the galas host, Good Morning Americas Robin Roberts, Rogen admits, We dont win much. Maybe around half the people that come up to me total in the world as I go about my business, come up to me exclusively to say something about Alzheimers and not because they like my filthy movies, Rogen, 34, shares. Which is like something Im creatively insulted by. Rogen and Miller were inspired to start Hilarity for Charity which puts on performances to promote Alzheimers awareness and raises funds for in-home care grants for families affected by the neurodegenerative disease after Millers own mothers early-onset diagnosis at 55. Something truly awful and devastating has been happening and is happening to my mother, but at least thats not in vain and weve gotten to do something that shed be really proud of, Miller tells Roberts. RELATED VIDEO: Seth Rogen Raises Money for Alzheimers Research with Annual Variety Show Earlier this year, Rogen announced that Hilarity for Charity has raised over $5 million for Alzheimers research, support and care. In February, the couple was also presented with the Unite2gether award for their work. In 2014, the Neighbors 2 star testified in front of Congress to plead for more funding to go toward curing the disease. As a famous person, I had been a part of charity things here and there, and then as this started to happen in my life and my wifes life, it became a situation where I didnt have to memorize every number or statistics or anything like that, Rogen tells Roberts in the new sit-down. I could literally just speak about what I was seeing and experiencing first-hand. The 2016 Health Hero Awards Gala will recognize Rogen and Miller, as well as other individuals who are changing the healthcare landscape. The event, which will be held on Nov. 3 at 6:30 p.m. EST in New York City, will include a performance by A Great Big World. HBO is staying tight-lipped on the status of a documentary project from My Promised Land author Ari Shavit, who this week suffered a stunning fall from grace in Israel following allegations of sexual assault. Shavit, a longtime columnist for Israeli daily Haaretz, is one of Israels best-known and most influential journalists. His 2013 bestseller, which explores the authors complicated love for Israel, earned tremendous critical acclaim and established him as the lefts definitive voice inside the Jewish state. Late last week, however, after two female journalists separately accused him of sexual harassment, assault and lewd commentary, Shavit resigned from Haaretz and announced he was taking a professional hiatus of unspecified length. HBO announced in 2014 that it was developing My Promised Land as a documentary. Shavit and HBO chief Richard Plepler discussed the project onstage together during a panel at that years INTV conference in Jerusalem, with Plepler declaring himself an avid fan. When I first approached Ari I told him that Ive waited my whole adult life to find this book.It captured both the objective truth and the emotional truth, the psychological truth of how I love Israel and ponder its challenges, and wrestle with its obvious mistakes and foibles, Plepler said at the time. And I thought, my goodness, what a privilege, to capture the essential truths of this book and to make a film that could reach millions of people not only in Israel and the U.S., but all over the world. Asked whether the documentary project will go forward in light of the allegations against Shavit, HBO declined to clarify. In an e-mail Sunday, a representative for Plepler wrote only that there is nothing more to say at this time except that this project is in the post-production/editing stage. The scandal first unfolded Oct. 19, when Danielle Berrin, a reporter with the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, wrote a cover story titled My Sexual Assault, and Yours Every Womans Story. In the first-person piece, she did not name Shavit directly, but described how a 2014 interview with a dark-haired, prominent Israeli journalist who had written a major book suddenly took an unwelcome turn. The unnamed journalist, she wrote, grabbed at her, attempted to force a kiss, and invited her up to his hotel room for sex. Story continues Berrin said she wrote the piece after being inspired to join the conversation on sexual assault and abuse of women that has been sparked by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps campaign. One of Berrins early pieces for the Jewish Journal detailed producer Brett Ratners overly flirtatious behavior during an interview. Almost immediately, Facebook and the Israeli blogosphere were abuzz with speculation as to the identity of the unnamed journalist. Shavit put the rumors to rest in an Oct. 27 statement acknowledging that he was the person described in the piece but that the incident had been a misunderstanding and that his interaction with Berrin had felt like courtship. When a second woman stepped forward three days later to also accuse Shavit of assault, he issued a second statement announcing his resignation from Haaretz. I am ashamed of the mistakes I made with regards to people in general and women in particular, Shavit said. In the last few days I have understood that I have been afflicted by blindness. For years, I did not understand what people meant when they spoke of privileged men who do not see the damage that they cause to others. Now I am beginning to understand. Israel has witnessed other public controversies involving sexual assault recently. Former President Moshe Katsav is currently serving a prison term for rape. Over the summer, the Israeli military tapped a rabbi for a top role despite his having publicly condoned the use of rape as war tactic. Over the past year, we Israelis have watched as a veritable perp walk of famous, powerful, disgraced men paraded across our TV screens, Jerusalem-based journalist Eetta Prince-Gibson wrote in the Jewish newspaper The Forward. Shavit is just one more. And like Shavit, most of the men claim that they didnt understand how the women they interacted with were interpreting their behavior. Berrin, for her part, has said that she accepts Shavits second statement and is grateful for his honesty. And she remains adamant that she came forward not to bring Shavit down, but to raise awareness of how close to home sexual assault remains for half the worlds population. My story about sexual assault is not about a person; its about an issue. To treat it otherwise is to miss the point entirely, she tweeted last week. Related stories TV Review: 'Tracey Ullman's Show' on HBO Lena Dunham Wants to Show Trump the Patrick Wilson Episode of 'Girls' HBO Boss Casey Bloys on Post-AT&T Outlook, What's Next for 'Westworld,' 'The Night Of' Struggling Japanese electronics maker Sharp said Tuesday it expects to post its first operating profit in three years and narrow its net loss on the back of reforms and its buyout by Taiwan's Hon Hai. The Japanese industrial mainstay, pummelled by huge losses and mounting debts, was formally taken over in August by Hon Hai, better known as Foxconn, which took a 66 percent stake for $3.7 billion. It was the first foreign acquisition of a major Japanese electronics firm and marked a watershed for Japan's once-mighty home electronics sector, which nurtured global brands including Sony and Panasonic but has struggled in the face of foreign competition. Sharp said it expects to report a 25.7 billion yen ($245 million) annual operating profit in the business year ending in March, citing "structural reforms and synergy effects with the Hon Hai Group". Sharp saw a 161.9 billion yen annual operating loss in the past fiscal year. Its net loss is expected to shrink to 41.8 billion yen from 255.9 billion yen, but sales are seen falling to 2.0 trillion yen from 2.5 trillion yen. For the April-September period, Sharp said it posted a 45.4 billion yen net loss, about half the 83.6 billion yen booked in the same period the previous year. Operating profit was 79 million yen, up from a 25.1 billion yen operating loss. Despite the improvements, analyst Hideki Yasuda at Ace Research Institute was cautious. "We can't say Sharp achieved full recovery only by seeing quarterly figures," he said. "The prospect for the company is still uncertain. It's too early to gauge the impact of Hon Hai on Sharp's earnings. "It is still unknown if Sharp managers and employees can keep up with Hon Hai's expected fast-moving reform." Over the past decade Sharp bet almost everything on liquid crystal displays (LCDs), boasting the most advanced technology in the world. But that turned into a weakness when the market became more competitive after the 2008 global financial crisis and lower-cost rivals dug into its profits. While the firm still produces cutting-edge LCD screens, it has lacked the huge research and development funds necessary to keep ahead of the competition. The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units said their forces have liberated a cluster of villages from Islamic State control over the past few days as they make their way to Mosul. This video shows Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units fighting Islamic State forces in the village of al-Sulaymani, southwest of Mosul on October 30, in a battle they described as a lightning offensive. Credit: YouTube/Iraqi PMU From Esquire FBI Director James Comey fell into a trap of his own making on Friday, with his brief memo telling Congress that he'd "learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent" to the latest neverending Clinton investigation. Poor, silly Comey: The most cursory glance at a Clinton timeline should have alerted him that the Clintons can't be defeated by mere mortals seeking evidence of malfeasance. There's only one explanation for their indestructibility, a theory first revealed by Alex Jones and believed by at least 40 percent of Trump supporters: Hillary Clinton is a demon. As anyone knows, the devil itself doesn't commit evil acts: The devil whispers in the ears of weak men, telling them what their egos want to hear, and seducing them into making decisions that will lead to their own destruction. And there is definitely something about Hillary Clinton that entices men to give in to their own worst political impulses and attack her, only to find themselves lying face up in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, dazed and broken as she walks back to the Hill, her pantsuit barely wrinkled. For a cautionary tale of Ghosts of Clinton-Scandal past, Comey need have only looked at the scandals of the 1990s, most of which involved Republicans determined to uncover the secret plots of the then-First Lady. Former New York Senator Al D'Amato made "Whitewater" an eponym for alleged (and assumed) Clinton corruption. After hammering the Clintons for the better part of four years in hearings that the Washington Post called "acidly partisan", D'Amato, who had been in the Senate for eighteen years, lost re-election in 1998 to a harder-charging upstart, Congressman Chuck Schumer, largely because D'Amato had turned off moderate voters in the New York suburbs. Undeterred, Indiana Republican congressman Dan Burton took the next swing, averring that there was something hinky about the suicide of White House deputy counsel and longtime Hillary compatriot Vince Foster. (There wasn't; it was just really sad.) He would latch onto conspiracy after conspiracy; when Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky were done, he'd serve as the lead investigator of Furnituregate, in which the Clintons were accused of taking personal gifts (including a $3,000 sofa) that Bill had received as President when they moved out of the White House. All Burton got for his trouble was news reports about a child he fathered out of wedlock and, eventually, a spot lobbying for the Scientologists. Story continues Newt Gingrich today has come back for more, which is odd considering his losing record: His own mother told Connie Chung that he referred to Clinton as a "bitch"; he was revealed as a serial adulterer who also preferred to restrict his activities to oral sex in order to plausibly deny having intercourse; and he was later forced to resign as Speaker of the House after presiding over the worst midterm losses the opposition party had suffered in decades. He was to be replaced as Speaker by Clinton antagonist Bob Livingston, who resigned in the thick of Lewinskygate because he, too, had been having an affair and lying about it-the exact crime for which the House was seeking to impeach Bill Clinton. Livingston was in turn replaced by Denny Hastert, who presided over the impeachment spectacle and, more recently, pled guilty to paying hush money to one of several young men that he reportedly sexually assaulted. And, of course, there's Ken Starr: the second of three independent counsels brought in to investigate the Clinton White House after the first, Robert Fiske, was poised to clear them but House Republicans wanted a second opinion. Starr was an up-and-coming conservative legal eagle who was reportedly morally outraged by the Clintons even before he learned that Bill Clinton received oral sex in the Oval Office. Hillary Clinton's first autobiography painted him as a deep partisan and so did the press-especially after his office leaked like a sieve. During his five years on the job, he failed to prove a single allegation against the Clintons but did manage to impeach (but not convict) Bill Clinton on perjury charges. Comey is not alone in his current belief that he can succeed where others have failed. House Republicans began investigating Hillary anew in the 2010's, first because of Benghazi (which has become their three-syllable retort for any pro-Hillary statement) and also for quite stupidly deciding to use her personal email for official business. And, much like with the swapping in of Ken Starr for Robert Fiske, the only thing a brick-wall-hitting investigation leads to is another investigation that her antagonists hope will get another result. James Comey has joined this illustrious band of wannabes and haters, first hosting a press conference last summer to state his personal opinions about Clinton's email server even as he admitted that there was no crime committed, satisfying absolutely no one on either side of the aisle and horrifying most legal scholars. His latest foray into the Clinton morass has called opprobrium down upon his ears not just from pundits, but from a whole host of former Justice Department attorneys, the former Attorney General Eric Holder, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who suggested Comey might have violated the Hatch Act. Tensions between Comey's FBI and the Justice Department have been laid bare, as officials suggest that the director, who nominally reports to the Attorney General, sees himself as not beholden to the rules nor the hierarchies at the Department of Justice. However, there is some salvation, as President Obama has defended him from accusations that this was a political move. That is either a rare moment of clear-headed, nonpartisan action, or the pitying move of a man who knows what Comey is in for as a result of the battle he's picked. The least you can do for a man who has picked a fight with a demon is give him a bottle of aloe and a slap on the back. You Might Also Like Photo: Time While Singapores economic growth has slowed, it is not in a crisis requiring the antibiotics that were administered during the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (1 November). Instead, current schemes such as the NTUC Education and Training Fund and SkillsFuture are helping to keep things on an even keel, even as the government restructures the economy to deal with new and existing challenges. (These schemes) are not a magic pill (but) something that will work over time, said PM Lee. This (slowdown) is not the kind of infection thatwill have a quick cure. Speaking before a closed-door dialogue session with more than 200 labour movement leaders, Lee elaborated on the governments strategies to ride out the slowdown. He reassured his audience that there are still bright spots in the economy. He noted that while there have been increasing redundancies, fewer workers were laid off in the third quarter than in the preceding quarter 4,100 workers compared to 4,800 workers. Because PMETs have been more affected than before by retrenchments, the authorities are doing more to help them cope, through schemes such as the Professional Conversion Programme and Career Support Programme. Government agencies like Workforce Singapore (WSG) are also helping to train workers who are switching careers. This year, WSG has already placed 13,000 workers in new jobs. Growth remains positive, and is expected to be at the lower end of one to two per cent this year. The government has also been working hard to attract new investments into Singapore, such as from GlaxoSmithKline and Pratt & Whitney. Lee urged the labour movement to rally workers and partner with the government. Future Jobs Skills and Training NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay (right). Photo: Nicholas Yong Separately, NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay announced a new initiative that aims to help the unemployed find jobs. Story continues A recent World Economic Forum report projected that by 2020, 5 million jobs worldwide will be lost, and 2.1 million jobs in more specialised areas will be created worldwide. Future Jobs Skills and Training (FJST) aims to draw on the labour movements extensive networks - from ministries, statutory boards, unions to institutes of higher learning. The initiative will garner intelligence on job vacancies via pilot projects in specific sectors such as financial services, healthcare and education, and disseminate the information through NTUCs networks. Kicking off in 2017, FJST will be headed by Tay and have an initial work group of 15 staff. PRAGUE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Six companies have shown interest in building additional nuclear reactors at existing power plants in the Czech Republic, a government official was quoted as saying on Tuesday. The Czech Republic has kept open plans to build new nuclear power capacity even after state-controlled utility CEZ cancelled a tender to enlarge its Temelin power station in 2014. However, any decision to proceed with construction is unlikely to come until after a new government is in place following elections due in October 2017. Jan Stuller, the government's special envoy for nuclear power, told the CTK news agency that Russia's Rosatom, French group EDF, U.S. company Westinghouse, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, China General Nuclear Power and a grouping of France's Areva and Mitsubishi Atmea had all shown interest in future construction. "It is important to stress that this is not about offers for the construction of new nuclear plant blocks, but responses to our request for information," he was quoted as saying. The Czechs have not backed away from nuclear power, even though neighbours like Germany look to shut down old units while Europe shifts towards renewable power. CEZ, central Europe's largest listed utility, operates two nuclear power plants, each with capacity just above 2,000 MW. The cancellation of the company's tender to enlarge the Temelin plant more than two years ago was partly because it was unable to obtain price guarantees from the government. (Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by David Goodman) For years, in the face of troubling statistics over poverty and hunger, gun violence, child abuse and exposure to lead and other toxic chemicals in the environment, the U.S. has grappled with the problem of childrens health. Public health officials and physicians have just added two more serious childhood dangers to the mix: the nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse and the surge in the availability and use of marijuana. Related: The 10 Most Prescribed Drugs in America While the widespread abuse of opioids, including painkillers, heroin and fentanyl, is killing adults and older teenagers at an alarming rate, it is also killing toddlers and young children who get into their parents medicine cabinets, according to a new study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The rate of children hospitalized for opioid overdosing and poisoning has more than doubled since 1997, involving 13,052 children ages one to 19. Whether by accident or by choice, 176 subsequently died. And the growing legalized use of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes may be fostering serious developmental problems in infants and children born to mothers who have been using the drug, as CBSs 60 Minutes reported over the weekend. Currently, four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use and 21 others have approved it for medical purposes, such as alleviating the pain of cancer victims. Five other states will hold ballot initiatives next week on whether to legalize pot for recreational use -- including California, Massachusetts, Maine, Arizona and Nevada. Related: How Big Pharma Lobbyists Make the Opioid Crisis Worse Colorado by far has one of the most liberal laws for the sale and personal use of pot. Dr. Steven Simerville, a pediatrician and medical director of the newborn intensive care unit at Saint Mary Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo County, told 60 Minutes that he has noticed more and more babies being born with pot in their system since marijuana was legalized in his state. Story continues Although Simervilles observations are largely anecdotal, he said that during the first nine months of this year, 27 babies born at his Colorado hospital tested positive for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in pot. He said the rate positive testing is on target to be 15 percent higher than last year. I have babies up on the unit right now who are positive for marijuana, he told Dr. Jonathan LaPook of 60 Minutes. According to the report, research suggests that babies exposed to marijuana in utero could develop verbal, memory and behavioral problems during childhood. Moreover, teenagers exposed to marijuana especially the new versions of the drug that are more powerful than the pot available in the 1980s could suffer from problems in brain growth. Related: As Heroin Addiction Grows Like a Cancer, Obama Orders New Health Treatments Simerville said that he tries to explain to pregnant women that, even if they arent smoking very much marijuana, the baby is getting seven times more than youre taking and that this drug has been shown to cause harm in developing brains. While pot smoking may pose a serious health problem for a growing number of young Americans, it pales by comparison with the deadly effects of the opioid abuse epidemic that go well beyond mental health and development. The JAMA study prepared by Julie R. Gaither, an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Medicine, found that more than 13,000 children were hospitalized over a 16-year period because of poisoning from opioid prescriptions of Percocet, Oxycodone, codeine and other high-risk drugs. The study was based on an analysis of hospital discharge records and data collected every three years and indicated that the incidents of overdosing and poisoning were far greater among the very youngest children when compared to older kids. For example, the hospitalization of children ages one to four for ingesting opioids skyrocketed by 205 percent, while the hospitalization for people ages 15 to 19 increased by 161 percent. Gaither told The New York Times that in the case of the youngest children, many of them got into their parents or grandparents medicine, perhaps mistaking the drugs for candy. Older teenagers took the drugs either for recreational purposes or to try to commit suicide, she said. These data underscore the dangers associated with the widespread availability of prescription opioids, particularly for adolescents at risk for depression, Gaither and her co-authors wrote. Reducing pediatric opioid exposure and misuse will require a combination of public health interventions, policy initiatives, and consumer-product regulations. Opioids were the most common cause of the roughly 47,000 drug-overdose deaths in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and now the problem is extending to the very youngest in this country. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa measures favourably in most indices bar economic growth, which the Treasury has forecast will be 0.5 percent this year, a Moody's representative said on Tuesday. Moody's rates South Africa two notches above subinvestment grade with a negative outlook and is due to publish its next review in December. Fellow ratings firms S&P's and Fitch have the country just a step above junk. The three agencies have warned that increased political infighting along with slowing growth could trigger downgrades. "South Africa is doing relatively well in a lot of the indices when you strip out growth ... and when we look at a sovereign rating you've got to look through the cycle," Moody's country representative Sylvia Chahonyo told a business conference. At his budget speech last week Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan called for an end to "political noise" to help the economy recover and avoid downgrades. The state prosecutor on Monday dropped fraud charges against Gordhan, executing a U-turn in a case that has rattled financial markets and drawn accusations of political meddling. Investors have worried that Gordhan - who had brought some stability to South African markets since returning to the post during a currency crisis in December last year - would be removed from his job if he was prosecuted. Supporters of Gordhan and sympathetic financial analysts say all the charges could be a ploy by President Jacob Zuma and his allies to discredit a finance minister who stood in the way of their securing access to lucrative government contracts. The president has denied that he is in conflict with Gordhan. Deloitte's Managing Director for Africa and Emerging Markets, Martyn Davies, told the conference that with Gordhan still at the helm, Africa's most industrialised country would avoid downgrades by the "skin of our teeth". (Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by James Macharia) * Govt seeks regulatory certainty in mining sector * Legislators say bill could be challenged in court By Wendell Roelf CAPE TOWN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - South Africa's parliament passed amendments to a long-delayed mineral resources law on Tuesday, though doubts remain over whether it will provide the regulatory certainty needed to boost a declining mining sector. Battered by a global commodities downturn that hit key platinum, iron ore and coal exports, Africa's most industrialised country hopes the bill will boost a flagging mining sector forced into shaft closures and massive job losses. The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment (MPRDA) bill was first passed in 2014, but President Jacob Zuma referred the bill back to parliament over concerns that it might infringe global trade obligations and was unconstitutional, partly because it elevated the country's Mining Charter to the status of legislation. The Mining Charter contains regulations meant to redress imbalances of the nation's past apartheid rule and stipulates rules for white-owned companies to sell stakes to black businesses. The bill also gives wide-ranging powers to the mines minister to place certain minerals in a "value-addition" category requiring a portion of extracted resources to be processed domestically and not be exported in raw form. It also allows the minister to declare minerals strategic and aims to give the state a 20 percent minority stake in new gas and oil exploration and production ventures, which the industry has said would discourage investment. The country's nascent oil and gas industry has previously called for a separate bill after companies such as Shell , ExxonMobil, Total and Anadarko voiced concern over the proposed 20 percent government ownership in new ventures. A spokesman for the Offshore Petroleum Association of South Africa did not answer a phone call seeking comment. Mosebenzi Zwane, the minister of mineral resources, supported the bill, saying it vests the country's mineral resources in the hands of the state. Story continues "The gains we have made in a short space of time can be accelerated and amplified with the processing of this bill," he told parliament. "It is our duty to create legislation that would stand the worst of times and the best of times." The official opposition Democratic Alliance party remains critical, however. "This bill will worsen uncertainty by putting massive power in the Mineral Resources Minister's hands to set the rules and change them quickly," said James Lorimer, the shadow mines minister. The bill will be referred to parliament's upper house and then to Zuma for his assent, but legislators say the bill could be challenged in the Constitutional Court. (Editing by James Macharia and David Goodman) By Harriet McLeod CHARLESTON, S.C. (Reuters) - The murder trial of a former South Carolina policeman who shot an unarmed black motorist last year opened on Monday with jury selection, putting the national spotlight back on a case that triggered national concerns about racial bias in law enforcement. Michael Slager, a white North Charleston police officer, was arrested and charged with murder in April 2015 when a bystander's cellphone video emerged that showed him firing eight times at the back of Walter Scott, who was fleeing from him. About 180 potential jurors were ordered to appear for roll call on Monday at Charleston County Judicial Center for Slager's trial, court officials said. Prospective jurors are expected to return on Tuesday for continued questioning as attorneys for both sides seek a panel of 12 for the trial. Slager, 34, pleaded not guilty and was released from jail on bond in early January.In pretrial motions, Slager's defense lawyers said the officer was on patrol in a dangerous neighborhood when he stopped Scott, 50, for driving a car with a broken brake light.After Scott got out of his car and ran, Slager said he chased the black man on foot and hit him with a stun gun at least twice. Defense attorneys will say Slager felt threatened when Scott grabbed the stun gun after a struggle and pointed it at the officer. The video of Scott's death reignited a public outcry that flared after the killings of unarmed black men in Missouri, New York and elsewhere. Slager's trial is likely to renew national scrutiny on the treatment of minority groups by law enforcement agencies across the United States. "The whole world is watching these decisions as so many policemen having gotten away with killing a black man," James Johnson, president of the South Carolina chapter of the National Action Network, said in a phone interview. Outside the Charleston County Judicial Center on Monday, Scott Garland, 54, a retired Air Force sergeant who lives in Charleston, held a sign that read "Blue Lives Matter" on one side and "Thin Blue Line" on the other. Story continues "It's just to show the cops that there's somebody on their side," Garland said. "They are a thin blue line between us and the criminals." Defense lawyers have asked the judge to move the trial out of Charleston, saying publicity surrounding the case and possible protests outside the courthouse could prejudice a jury. (Editing by Alan Crosby and Cynthia Osterman) By Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - The woman at the center of a scandal that has plunged the South Korean presidency into crisis was held for a second day on Tuesday after being detained overnight to answer allegations of exerting inappropriate influence in state affairs. Prosecutors have said they are investigating whether Choi Soon-sil used her friendship with President Park Geun-hye to gain access to classified documents that enabled her to influence government matters and benefited personally through non-profit foundations. The growing scandal has sparked public anger and sent Park's approval rating to a record low, with thousands of protesters gathered in Seoul on Saturday night calling for her to step down. Park accepted the resignations of eight of her top aides over the weekend. Choi, 60, arrived at the prosecutor's office on Tuesday morning in handcuffs and a surgical mask and wearing a dark coat, escorted by correctional officers. A prosecution official and her lawyer said she had been detained late on Monday. Although Choi was being questioned at another location, a man used a heavy construction excavator to smash the front entrance of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seoul, injuring a security guard, in an apparent act of protest against Choi. He was arrested by police. According to Han Jeung-sub, a senior official at the Seocho Police Station, the 45-year-old man told police: "Choi Soon-sil said she had committed a crime she deserves to die for, so I came here to help her die." Prosecutors have asked eight banks for documents related to Choi's financial transactions, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported, citing unnamed financial industry officials. Worried that Choi may be a flight risk and could destroy evidence, prosecutors placed her under emergency detention without a warrant late on Monday, Yonhap reported. Under local law, a suspect can be held without a warrant for up to 48 hours. Prosecutors planned to file a court request for an arrest warrant on Wednesday, Yonhap and other media said, citing a prosecution official. Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment. Choi told South Korea's Segye Ilbo newspaper last week that she received drafts of Park's speeches after Park's election victory but denied she had access to other official material, or that she influenced state affairs or benefited financially. Park said last week she had given Choi access to speech drafts early in her term and apologized for causing concern among the public. BETTER CLASS OF CELL Choi was being held at the Seoul Detention Center, where the single cells for high-profile inmates are equipped with floor heating, a television, a folding mattress and toilet, according to media reports. Choi had returned to South Korea on Sunday from Germany via London under intense pressure to answer the allegations against her. Park, 64, and Choi have known each other for decades, and the president said in a televised apology last week that her friend had helped her through difficult times. Park's father Park Chung-hee led South Korea for 18 years after seizing power in a military coup in 1961. Park Geun-hye served as acting first lady after her mother was killed by an assassin trying to shoot her father, who was himself murdered by his disgruntled spy chief in 1979. Park is in the fourth year of a five-year term and the crisis threatens to complicate policymaking during the lame-duck period that typically sets in towards the end of South Korea's single-term presidency. The scandal has weighed on the South Korean currency and stocks, as investors fret about political uncertainty, with the won falling 0.9 percent last week while stocks slipped 0.7 percent. Choi begged forgiveness when she arrived to meet prosecutors on Monday. (Reporting by Ju-min Park, additional reporting by Christine Kim; Editing by Tony Munroe and Simon Cameron-Moore) Qayyarah (Iraq) (AFP) - On a dusty plain south of Mosul, French artillery guns fire in support of Iraqi troops fighting to retake the city from the Islamic State group. The French operation -- dubbed "Task Force Wagram" -- is part of crucial backing provided by a US-led coalition to the Mosul offensive launched just over two weeks ago. Air strikes against the jihadists have formed the backbone of that support, with thousands carried out since the anti-IS coalition was launched two years ago. But when the offensive to retake Mosul -- the last major Iraqi city under IS control -- began in earnest, coalition ground forces started playing an increasingly important role. "We are providing permanent support to the Iraqi troops, 24 hours a day," says Captain Alexandre, whose full name is being withheld for security reasons. The captain is in charge of five CAESAR artillery vehicles -- trucks mounted with eight-metre-long 155mm howitzers, which have been deployed previously on French military operations in Afghanistan and Mali. The guns are each operated by five soldiers and can fire up to six times a minute. "We have different types of munitions: explosives that can neutralise or destroy; but also that can light up the battlefield or blind with a curtain of smoke," the captain says. About 100 French troops have been deployed since early September as part of the task force, mainly from artillery units. Its commander, Colonel Benoit, says the name of the task force is especially appropriate. "Wagram is a reference to the Napoleonic battle of 1809, a victory in which the use of artillery was decisive and which was won by the Grande Armee, which was also a coalition," the colonel says. The French soldiers are based at Qayyarah, which lies about 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of Mosul and is the main staging point for the southern front. Firing orders for the artillery are relayed by the coalition following requests from Iraqi soldiers, but every shot needs the approval of French officers. Story continues "I have already said no to requests for supporting fire when they put civilian infrastructure or residents in danger," Colonel Benoit says. "But we have an excellent gun, which combines power, firing range and accuracy, which is important when you're in the middle of civilian populations. It is brutality combined with accuracy." Iraqi forces were able to push into Mosul city limits on Tuesday and as they progress into the city the French artillery support is expected to drop. "The lead Iraqi elements have reached the maximum range of our guns, though there are still recessed pockets of resistance," Colonel Benoit says. But he is convinced his guns will not fall entirely silent. "The front is not well-defined, the enemy is everywhere and we will continue to be very useful in the days to come." Maputo (AFP) - At least three politicians have been killed in less than a week in Mozambique, where peace talks are faltering after fighting erupted between the military and ex-rebel fighters, police said Tuesday. Two local members of the ruling Frelimo party were assassinated on Saturday in the town of Mutua by a group of "bandits" from the opposition Renamo, police spokesman Inacio Dina told reporters in Maputo "They were kidnapped, held and killed. A third man who was injured managed to flee and confirmed that the bandits said they were from Renamo," the spokesman told AFP, naming the dead pair as Arao Chiguemane and Antonio Macurreia. Less than 24 hours later Juma Ramos, Renamo's chief in the provincial assembly in Sofala was shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen in Beira, the country's second city, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the first killings, Dina said. Renamo said a fourth man, a former guerrilla and member of the party Luciano Augusto, was killed at his home in Gurue last Thursday. "Frelimo death squads are responsible" for the killings, Renamo spokesman Antonio Muchanga told AFP, referring to government militias which target opposition strongholds to eliminate Renamo supporters. Frelimo and the government have rejected the accusations and in response blame Renamo for attacks gripping the centre of the country. Renamo, the main opposition and former rebel group in Mozambique's 1976-1992 civil war, took up arms again in 2013 to contest Frelimo's grip on power. On Friday talks between the government and Renamo, underway since May with international mediators, were suspended for two weeks with no sign of real progress. The peace process has faltered in recent weeks since the killing of one of the Renamo negotiators on October 8 and the failure of a meeting between Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama and two mediators in the central Gorongosa mountains, where he has lived in hiding for the last year. Renamo has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party -- in power since the former Portuguese colony's independence 40 years ago. Renamo's armed wing has in recent years staged a string of deadly attacks in central Mozambique as it fights to make its voice heard and to secure a greater share of power. Wichita, KS-based Spirit AeroSystems Holdings SPR is a manufacturer and supplier of large aircraft structures. Commercial aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, has to depend on Spirit AeroSystems for bare fuselages of its 737 and 787 airplanes. In addition, Spirit AeroSystems contributes to other commercial and defense programs. Estimate Revision Trend Investors should note the earnings estimate revisions for Spirit AeroSystems. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased by a penny over the last 7 days. Spirit AeroSystems has reported positive earnings surprises in three of the last four quarters with an average beat of 8.17%. Zacks Rank Currently, Spirit AeroSystems has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), but that could definitely change following its earnings report which was just released. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. We have mentioned below some of the vital information from this just-revealed announcement: Earnings: Spirit AeroSystems surpassed earnings estimates for the third quarter of 2016. Our consensus called for EPS of $1.07, and the company reported adjusted EPS of $1.16. Revenue: The company also came above on revenues. Spirit AeroSystems posted revenues of $1.71 billion compared to our consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. SPIRIT AEROSYS Price and EPS Surprise SPIRIT AEROSYS Price and EPS Surprise | SPIRIT AEROSYS Quote Key Developments to Note Backlog in the reported quarter declined to $46 billion from $47 billion in the preceding quarter. Spirit AeroSystems raised its revenue forecast for 2016 in the range of $6.7 billion to $6.8 billion compared to previous range of $6.6 billion to $6.7 billion. It also has revised its EPS guidance to the range of $3.55 - $3.80 from $3.45 - $3.65 expected earlier. Check back later for our full write up on this Spirit AeroSystems earnings report later! Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Tale of the Tape, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report SPIRIT AEROSYS (SPR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. * Expansion into Nigeria, Botswana, Zambia and Brunei * Could enter at least one of the markets as early as 2017 * Linked to Africa's growing Muslim population By Tom Arnold DUBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered's Islamic division is seeking banking licences in three African countries in order to offer its services to the continent's large Muslim population. Standard Chartered Saadiq could enter at least one of these markets - Nigeria, Botswana and Zambia - as early as 2017, Mohammad Ali Allawalla, who is head of Islamic banking for retail clients at the bank, said on the sidelines of a media briefing on Tuesday. The Muslim population in sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to more than double from about 250 million people in 2010 to nearly 670 million in 2050, according to Pew Research Center. As well as talking to regulators in the three African countries, Standard Chartered Saadiq is also in discussions about gaining an Islamic banking licence in Brunei in South East Asia and working with the regulator there on guidelines for Islamic wealth management. Standard Chartered Saadiq's core markets are Pakistan, Malaysia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Bangladesh and in 2014 it entered the Kenyan market, its first move into Africa. "Nigeria is an interesting market in terms of size we are exploring and other markets like Botswana and Zambia, which are not big markets in terms of sheer size but in terms of pockets of customers they present a good opportunity," Allawalla said. Nigeria, the continent's most populous nation, has around 77 million Muslims, according to Pew Research Center. Allawalla said the country presented challenges for retail banking because of the gap between rich and poor. Standard Chartered already operates in Nigeria, Botswana, Zambia and Brunei and Saadiq would only venture into them if there was a need for a alternative Islamic products, Allawalla said. "Its not just a matter of what we would like to do, it's also a matter of how mature the regulations are, what do the regulations allow you to do, what is the cost of setting up vis-a-vis the products you can roll out in the market," he added. (Editing by Alexander Smith) One of the highlights of any Star Trek film, including the 2016 installment, are the inventive gadgets and futuristic costumes. Thats one of the reasons why Yahoo was excited to welcome Andy Siegel, propmaster of Star Trek Beyond. Siegel, as he put it, was responsible for anything the actor touches on a film: sunglasses, phasers, telephones. Anything you touch, and all of the way that interacts with costumes, with special effects, makeup. Thats the big thing about props, we have to interact with every other department. Siegel brought by some fun items from the movie. Lets go over his thoughts on each of them. Communicator The communicator used in Star Trek Beyond. On Into Darkness, we took all of the things phasers, communicators, tricorders and we tried to give them a 2.0. The one thing that we did add in this is the mesh in the insignia, because that mesh was sort of a cool design component from the original series. We added it to the communicators, as sort of a nod to that. Phaser A phaser, currently set to stun. We updated it slightly. We thought the weapons should look a little more grounded. We took the color more to the blacks and silvers, made them less shiny. So they look a little more real-world and dangerous. [The] real design change was that we made stun and kill the same actual piece, just a color change. In the other two movies, these were actually different nozzles. [We] made it a little sleeker, a little smaller, a little easier to handle. Swarm soldier weapon A swarm soldier weapon. Originally, [Beyond director Justin Lin] was thinking about having the weapon the swarm soldiers use be a part of their costumes. These are almost all made out of rubber. Survival suit Anton Yelchin and Chris Pine wearing the survival suits in Beyond. (Paramount) Justin and Sanja Hays, the [costume designer] sort of wanted a gunslinger vibe to both Kirk and Chekov. We found this belting which matched the colors Sanja was going for. Then we found a different kind of buckle, because we wanted something that looks cool and Trekky and unique. Jaylahs costume and staff Yahoo host Khail Anonymous (l) and Star Trek Beyond prop master Andy Siegel inspect Jaylahs costume. Jaylahs costume had a lot of back-and-forth, because she had her image refractors that she had to be able to use, she had her pouch to throw out the refracting discs she throws out in her first fight, and she had her staff. Story continues Jaylahs staff. So we put this little control box on. She used that one time, when she lets Kirk and Chekov out of their frozen state. And we also wanted to build something that looked like she could piece this together from parts. So theres some alien writing up there. This piece was actually based on an airsoft muzzle of a gun we picked up in [Alhambra, Calif.]. We based a lot of Jaylahs design off that. Uhuras costume Uhuras costume. Not many props [on this dress]. The insignias the big one. Its just a matter of sort of 2.0-ing it each time. You know, you start off with your embroidered insignia, and you move onto your 3D-printed one and you move up to a metal-plated one. Star Trek: Beyond is available on Blu-ray and Digital HD. Benedict Cumberbatch Indicates Hed Return to Star Trek: So did any of the stars take home props? Siegel told us no, but did note, Simon Pegg likes to say that he stole one of the insignias from Into Darkness, but we gave it to him. Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, or leave your comments below. And check out our host, Khail Anonymous, on Twitter. The Lord Howe Island stick insect did the impossible. These "land lobsters" were once so common on Lord Howe Island in Australia that fishermen used them as bait. But in 1918, a British supply ship crashed on the island and introduced rats, which ate the insects to extinction. Or so it was believed until in 2001, a small population of the species was discovered and the Lord Howe Island stick insect began to make its comeback. The stock market's election year performance between July 31 and Oct. 31 has often accurately predicted the next president and this year it's pointing to a victory by Donald Trump, if history is a guide. Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA, says the market's decline this fall has been a bad omen for the incumbent party and Hillary Clinton, who still holds a six point national lead in a new poll. The S&P 500 is down 2.2 percent since its close of 2,173 on July 29, a Friday and the last trading day of July. "Going back to World War II, the S&P 500 performance between July 31 and Oct. 31 has accurately predicted a challenger victory 86 percent of the time when the stock market performance has been negative," he said. The one time in eight that the incumbent party won with a negative stock market was in 1956, when Adlai Stevenson challenged President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Stovall said in that year, Britain and France joined with Israel in a military action against Egypt over the Suez Canal. It was also the year of the Hungarian Revolution. "This time around if the Democrats retain the White House, I will come up with two responses. One is that history is a guide but never gospel, and two, the negative performance by the market could be a reflection of the worry of domination that a Democratic sweep would bring," said Stovall. The market had been concerned about the possibility that Democrats would take the House of Representatives, but on Monday, after new revelations about an FBI probe into emails of a Clinton staffer, those worries were pushed into the background. Stovall said when the market has been higher in the same period, the incumbent party won 82 percent of the time since World War II. The exceptions have been 1968, when there was a third-party challenger, George Wallace, and in 1980, when the third-party candidate was John Anderson. Gary Johnson is the third-party Libertarian candidate this year. Story continues Even though probabilities have slipped, Clinton remains favored to beat Trump in the prediction market. PredictIt.org had her odds at 71 percent. Daniel Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas, said it still looks as if Clinton will win, but the latest investigation news may affect the down-ballot Congressional races. He too notes that the historic guide of market performance prior to the election is not pointing to a win by the Democrat. He said when market performance over the three months leading up to election day has been negative, there has never been a victory by the incumbent party going back to 1984. So far, the S&P 500 is down about 2.5 percent since Aug. 8, three months before the election Nov. 8. "We've now gotten this black swan event on Friday. It may have impact, it may not have any impact," said Clifton, adding the market may be signalling Clinton wins by less than people expect. He said the stock market usually rallies in the last week before the election. "I would say on face value it's saying prepare to be surprised on Tuesday," said Stovall. More From CNBC Fear not, Stranger Things is hanging onto its lucky number. Although a Netflix rep declined to comment, sources confirm to TVLine that the series breakout star, Millie Bobby Brown, will indeed be back as Eleven in Season 2. VIDEOSStranger Things Millie Bobby Brown Transforms Into Eleven Watch Browns involvement beyond the shows phenomenally successful first season was called into question over the summer when exec producers Matt and Ross Duffer said Elevens return remained up in the air. Shortly thereafter, eyebrows were raised when American Odysseys Sadie Sink was cast in the role of Max, a tough and confident young female whose appearance, behavior and pursuits seem more typical of boys than of girls in this era. Its not clear how many of Season 2s nine episodes Brown will appear in, but all signs point to her once again being a series regular. Arriving sometime in 2017, Season 2 picks up about a year later, in the fall of 1984, and will delve into bigger mythology behind young Will Byers disappearance, Matt Duffer previously teased. Meanwhile, as previously reported, Joe Keery (Steve) and Noah Schnapp (Will) have been promoted to to series regulars. Launch Gallery: Stranger Things' 15 Scariest, Sweetest, Saddest Scenes Related stories Unfortunate Events First Look: Meet Neil Patrick Harris' Sinister Count Olaf Longmire End Date Set: Netflix Renews Drama for Sixth and Final Season Fuller House Season 2 Trailer: The Tanners Reunite for Holiday Madness nra convention guns american flag Sturm, Ruger & Co. on Tuesday reported third-quarter earnings and said there was "stronger-than-normal" demand for guns this summer, which was likely boosted by election campaigning. The gunmaker said net sales rose 34% year-on-year to $161.4 million, and it earned $1.03 in adjusted earnings per share. These results come one week before a presidential election in which gun control is one of the most contentious issues. Hillary Clinton wants to reinstate the assault-weapons ban following recent mass shootings with them. Donald Trump opposes a ban; he wants to fix gun legislation and focus on mental healthcare. During the second-quarter earnings call in August, Sturm Ruger CEO Michael Fifer called on "our customers and all freedom-loving Americans to take action in support of the Second Amendment," especially leading up to the election. The company said it would donate $2 to the National Rifle Association for every gun it sells, and would match all donations to the NRA up to $5 million until the election on November 8. The NRA has endorsed Trump for president. Sturm Ruger shares gained after previous episodes of gun violence prompted politicians to call for stricter gun-control laws. Investors believed that people would buy more guns if they feared that purchasing in the future would be harder. Earlier on Tuesday, FBI data showed that firearm background checks rose in October to 2.3 million, up from 2 million a year ago. Background checks reflect buyer interest, not sales. NOW WATCH: Guns only fire if countless mechanisms work together in the blink of an eye More From Business Insider Could one American actress become Prince Harry's bride? Read: The Prince and Me: Harry Has Been Secretly Dating 'Suits' Star Megan Markle: Reports The romance between Harry and actress Meghan Markle could lead to an engagement in the very near future, according to People magazine. "Harry is pretty serious about her and she is pretty serious about him," a source told the magazine. She stars in the USA series Suits and according to reports, they met last summer in Toronto, where the show films, and have been secretly dating ever since. People reported that Harry has introduced her to his father Prince Charles and she has stayed at London's Kensington Palace. Read: All the Right Moves: College Football Player Proposes to Girlfriend With Help From His Team The 35-year-old actress is three years older than Harry and was once married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013. The couple had no children. Watch: Ryan Lochte Once Attended Wild Pool Party With Prince Harry, Who Challenged Him to a Race Related Articles: Sully, Hacksaw Ridge and Marvel's Luke Cage are among the newest film, TV and theatrical projects honored for their positive portrayal of veterans as community leaders. The list of "6 Certified" projects was announced by veteran campaign organization Got Your 6 on Tuesday at the 2016 Storytellers event at the Television Academy's Saban Media Center in Los Angeles. Got Your 6, which is the military term for "I got your back," aims to team with Hollywood to shift the perception of veterans in pop culture as well as help veterans to successfully reintegrate into civilian life. The "6 Certified" program launched in early 2015 with the support of First Lady Michelle Obama. Got Your 6 has drawn the support of major Hollywood studios and industry notables, including J.J. Abrams, Tom Hanks, Tracy Morgan, Ron Meyer, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alec Baldwin, Pharrell Williams and Ryan Phillippe. "I've been a longtime supporter of Got Your 6, ever since attending the launch back in 2012, and I'm proud to hear that our portrayal of a U.S. veteran in USA Network's series Shooter was recognized for its accuracy by this amazing group. Like all characters in film or television, veterans should be written as well-rounded people, not as stereotypes, and I congratulate this next round of '6 Certified' projects for portraying veterans in empowering, sensitive lights," said Phillippe in a statement. Read more: Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker Enlisting in Michelle Obama's Campaign to Help Veterans (Video) The recognized projects are required to at least cast a veteran, tell a veteran's story, portray a veteran, credit a veteran as a writer, include a veteran on set or in the writers' room, or include research or consulting with a veteran, family member or subject matter expert. The list has expanded this year to include a theatrical production, Bandstand, which follows a musician who leads a group of veterans in a competition to become America's next swing band sensation. Story continues The fourth list of certified projects were reviewed by a committee including producer Bruce Cohen (American Beauty/Silver Linings Playbook), creative development and worldwide production president Greg Silverman, HBO Programming executive vp, Amy Gravitt and Participant Media campaigns and programming director Seth Smith. "When we launched '6 Certified' back in early 2015 we were eager to recognize six projects," said Charlie Ebersol, "6 Certifiied" committee member and chairman and founder of The Company. "The fact that we're sitting here not even two years later, and congratulating 13, really proves that we're cultivating an understanding with writers, directors, and producers who are realizing they have an important duty and huge opportunity to create well-rounded veteran characters that will help shape public perception." The latest "6 Certified" projects join previous honorees including Modern Family, Jurassic World and Fargo. See the new list below. Hacksaw Ridge Sully Marvel's Luke Cage Bandstand Myx TV's Cast Me! Citizen Soldier Hap and Leonard Invictus Games Orlando 2016 Justified No Greater Love Power Triumph Games Reparation Roadtrip Nation: The Next Mission Read more: J.J. Abrams, 'Got Your 6' Team for Veterans' Day Charity Work Switzerland's national rail service (SBB) said Friday it was set to launch a new service selling the digital currency Bitcoin at all ticket machines across the country. The SBB said it had been testing customer demand for Bitcoin across the wealthy Alpine federation and decided to launch a two-year pilot project beginning on November 11. "Until now, there have only been limited opportunities to purchase Bitcoin in Switzerland," the rail service said in a statement. It said that it would use its network of 1,000 ticket machines to let customers swap other currencies for Bitcoin, provided they give a mobile phone number for identification. Swiss financial services company SweePay is providing the electronic conversion services. Transactions will be capped at 500 Swiss francs ($500, 460 euros) each but SBB stressed customers will not be allowed to buy tickets with the e-money. Bitcoin "is not accepted as a payment method," the state-owned company said. With the current value of the currency around 689 Swiss francs, customers "will be able to purchase fractions of Bitcoin," a CFF spokesman told AFP. Bitcoin has stirred interest as a way to move money around the world with no fees or bank involvement, but secrecy surrounding the currency, including its creator, have led to some to questions on its stability and transparency. By Faith Hung and Paul Carsten TAIPEI/BEIJING (Reuters) - Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party is pushing for peace with mainland China and holds out the possibility of a peace pact, the party's chairwoman told Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday, the party said. Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party and China's president, met a delegation led by KMT chairwoman Hung Hsiu-Chu at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, the Xinhua news agency reported. Taiwan, which relies on the United States for arms sales, has ruled itself as a rival to China since the end of a Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing sees the island as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland, by force if necessary. Hung, once a presidential candidate, said the KMT would play an active role in pushing for the "institutionalisation" of peaceful relations between the two sides and for the possibility of a peace pact, the KMT said in a statement released in Taiwan. Relations between the mainland and Taiwan have deteriorated since the island's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took power in May after winning an election. In his meeting with Hung, the Chinese president said Taiwan's changing politics would not affect the meaning of the 'One China' principle, China's state radio said. China's position on this issue will not waver or be blurred in the slightest, the broadcaster cited Xi as saying. Beijing cut an official communication mechanism with Taiwan in June, after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen of the DPP refused to commit to the "One China" principle that Taiwan is part of China. In response to comments made in the meeting, Taiwan's China policy-making body reiterated its desire for China to resume talks. "A peaceful development of cross-strait ties is the responsibility of both sides... We should both make mutual gestures of goodwill, to resolve our differences via constructive dialogue," said the Mainland Affairs Council in a statement. The previous KMT administration had agreed to recognize the "1992 consensus", which states that there is only one China, with each side having its own interpretation of what that means. The KMT, a bitter rival of Beijing for decades, has in recent years been seen as more pragmatic about ties based on economic cooperation. Communist forces defeated the KMT in the civil war, and the KMT forces fled to the island. (Additional reporting by Monitoring Desk in Beijing; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Hugh Lawson) Tammy Grimes, the whiskey-voiced actress who went out an ingenue and came back a star in the title role of The Unsinkable Molly Brown and later played Dorothy Brock, a star overshadowed by an ingenue in 42nd Street, died Sunday in Englewood, New Jersey. She was 82. A perennial favorite of critics and audiences, Grimes exuded sophistication that showed off her finishing-school breeding even when playing strivers and pretenders. A creature of the stage with a patrician air and a sultry rasp of a voice, she won two Tony Awards and was a veteran of Broadway and off-Broadway whose career spanned more than half a century. In 1962, Meredith Willson cast her as Molly Tobin, the heroine of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, his followup to The Music Man. Molly is a determined girl from Missouri who marries a speculator, moves to Denver and then to Europe, where the Browns are treated far better than at home. When Molly later realizes that she needs to be home in Denver with her husband, she sets sail on the Titanic, a voyage she survives as a hero saving the lives of others. Although the critics generally dismissed the show as inferior to The Music Man, they loved Grimes and her co-star, Harve Presnell. Grimes won the Tony Award for best supporting actress in a musical (her below-the-title billing kept her from getting the top nomination). One haughty hoot from her train-whistle voice and you feel the Santa Fe is coming and youd just better duck, critic Walter Kerr wrote about Grimes in his Herald Tribune review of Molly Brown. It has I dont believe it but I was there an eerie delicacy beneath all its bravura, a kind of mountain-stream ripple that wavers and whispers between every two notesThat isnt a person up there on the stage at all. Its Raggedy Ann out of the Cabinet of Dr Caligari. Despite the acclaim, she was not asked to reprise the role for Charles Waters 1964 film version; he wanted Shirley MacLaine and ended up with Debbie Reynolds. Story continues Eighteen years later, director-choreographer cast her in the Depression-era 42nd Street as Dorothy Brock, the established star who is to play the lead in director Julian Marshs musical Pretty Lady, which he hopes will be the comeback he desperately needs. When Dorothy is sidelined by an accident on opening night, the role is taken over by the unknown bumpkin Peggy Sawyer, as Marsh (played by Jerry Orbach) famously tells her, Youre going out a youngster but youve got to come back a star! Peggy obliges him. But Dorothy does get to warble a few of the shows classic songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin in the David Merrick valedictory, including Youre Getting To Be A Habit With Me, I Know Now and About A Quarter To Nine. Mark Bramble, a co-auhor of the hit shows book, Tweeted: Grimes won her second Tony Award in 1970 for a revival of Noel Cowards Private Lives, playing Amanda Prynne opposite Brian Bedfords Elyot Chase, Amandas ex-husband, when they find themselves in adjacent rooms of the seaside resort where theyre honeymooning with their new spouses. Her last Broadway appearance was in Peter Halls 1989 revival of Tennessee Williams Orpheus Descending, with co-stars Vanessa Redgrave and Kevin Anderson. She appeared in Neil Simons California Suite and High Spirits, a musical based on Cowards Blithe Spirit, among other shows on and off-Broadway, notably the Roundabout Theatre Companys 1979 revival of Turgenevs A Month In The Country, in which she co-starred with Amanda Plummer, her daughter from her early marriage to actor Christopher Plummer. Grimes film and television appearances included a short-lived, self-named sitcom in 1966 after she bowed out of the starring role in Bewitched, reportedly because she didnt wish to do a show that depended on special effects. Her films include Play It As It Lays, The Runner Stumbles and High Art. Grimes later married Jeremy Slate, a television actor, in 1966, and they divorced the next year. She was married to musician and composer Richard Bell from 1971 until his death in 2005, and is survived by her brother, Nick, and her daughter. Related stories 'Get Shorty' Epix Series Rounds Out Regular Cast With Sean Bridgers, Megan Stevenson & More Deadline's The Contenders Hits Capacity; Biggest Lineup Of Stars & Filmmakers Ever Warner Bros. Emerging Film Directors Workshop Names Five Participants MINSK(Reuters) - At Belarus's Stalin Line museum visitors can watch reenactments of World War Two battles, fire Soviet-era weapons and even pose for photographs next to a wreath-decked monument to Josef Stalin himself. The open air complex 30 km (19 miles) outside Minsk was built to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the war and showcases some of the fortifications built to protect the Soviet Union's Western flank - concrete bunkers and gun emplacements nicknamed 'Stalin's Line.' More than 20 million Soviet soldiers and citizens died as a result of the war and the museum is dedicated to those killed on the Western front line. To see a Reuters Wider Image photo essay on Belarus's Stalin Line museum , click http://reut.rs/2fd3fjw "I often come here and always with my sons. They like to watch the battles and then climb around on the actual military equipment and hold weapons in their hands. It's the best way to remember the history of our country," said Vera, a mother of two. Other visitors expressed concern that the museum appeared to honor Stalin for his defeat of Nazi Germany without mention of his repressive policies which led to the death of millions of people during bloody purges and the forced collectivization of farms. "He's represented in a one-sided way here - there's not a word about his, let's say, leading role in the mass repressions at the end of the 1930s," said computer programmer Andrei, declining to give his last name. Stalin led the Soviet Union from the 1920s to his death in 1953. He is revered among some in what was the Soviet Union for his role as war leader. But tens of millions of people - the exact number is unknown - died as a result of his policies. Belarus is Russia's closest ally and has been run along Soviet-style command lines by President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994 in what the United States described in 2005 as "Europe's last dictatorship." (Writing by Alessandra Prentice Editing by Jeremy Gaunt) By Aditi Shah MUMBAI (Reuters) - Ratan Tata, interim chairman of India's Tata Sons conglomerate, will outline a revamped top management structure for the $100 billion group within days, a person close to the company told Reuters on Tuesday. The new structure is being put in place after Tata Sons last week removed Cyrus Mistry as chairman, and disbanded his advisory Group Executive Council, triggering a very public spat between Tata and Mistry. In a letter to employees on the day Mistry was ousted, Tata said "a new management structure is being put in place," with a selection committee formed to find a new chairman. "The new management structure that (Ratan) Tata promised will soon be put in place, and it will speak a lot about the future of the group," the source said, asking not to be named as the matter is private. Details on the structure and the personnel are being finalised, the person said. A spokesman for Tata Sons said he was not aware of any such development, and declined to comment further. Setting up the new management structure will be one of Tata's first steps since he returned as interim chairman, four years after stepping down and appointing Mistry in his place. Mistry's advisory team included five people in key roles such as group heads of business development, strategy and public affairs. Two of those five - Mukund Rajan, Tata's brand custodian, and Harish Bhat, who oversaw Tata's retail ventures - are likely to be part of the new management structure, the source said. The other three members of Mistry's advisory council have resigned. Tata veteran Prasad Menon, who last served as chairman of Vistara, an airline venture with Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), has been brought in to help Tata put the new structure in place, the source said. Earlier on Tuesday, CNBC-TV18 reported that S Ramadorai stepped down as chairman of India's National Skills Development Council (NSDC) and National Skills Development Agency (NSDA) amid speculation of his return to Tata. Ramadorai is also chair of AirAsia India, another airline joint venture Tata has with Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL). A source at the NSDA said Ramadorai tendered his resignation in September citing ill health. The source was not aware if that move was related to a possible return to Tata Sons. (Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Euan Rocha and Ian Geoghegan) Taylor Swift has been revealed as the sole songwriter behind this new country song If our fellow Taylor Swift fans out there are currently grooving to country group Little Big Towns new croony single Better Man, theres a reason for that. At first Little Big Town just cited the writer of the love-scorned lyrics as a young girl in Nashville who wrote it by herself, which is technically true, but when that young girl is 10-time Grammy Award winning Taylor Freakin Swift, we deserve to know. We pride ourselves in keeping actively abreast on what Miss Swift is up to at all times, from ghostwriting lost-love songs featuring her classically poignant and powerful lyrics, to borrowing Ryan Reynolds actual, real-life Deadpool costume for Halloween 2016. A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Oct 31, 2016 at 7:11pm PDT The single, entitled Better Man, tells the story of a woman who expected better from her ex-lover as she reflects upon their past together. I know Im probably better off on my own / Than loving a man who didnt know what he had when he had it / And I see the permanent damage you did to me / Never again, I just wish I could forget when it was magic. Relatable yet totally devastating at times, its the emotion weve totally come to associate with Taylor Swifts writing. And yet, the band who recorded the single left out the authors name very much on purpose. We didnt want you to have any subtext there other than to hear the song, said group member Karen Fairchild. We love you Taylor. Thank you for writing such a beautiful song! https://t.co/G5jGuTE7V4 Little Big Town (@littlebigtown) November 1, 2016 Now that the news has broken and we have learned of Taylor being behind it all, both parties can sit back enjoy as their song inevitably climbs the charts. Fairchild is still singing Swifts praises after its all said and done: She said, You know what, thats the greatest honor as a songwriter you could ever give me that you dont want anyone to know that I wrote this. Pretty humble for just a young girl from Nashville. The post Taylor Swift has been revealed as the sole songwriter behind this new country song appeared first on HelloGiggles. EXCLUSIVE: On November 17, the Board of Governors of the Television Academy will be choosing a new Chairman and CEO to replace outgoing Chair Bruce Rosenblum, who is terming out after serving five years in the role. Paperwork for those running had to be turned in by last Friday, and Deadline has learned that at least two candidates have emerged in the race: current Vice-Chair Kevin Hamburger,and Producers Branch co-Governor Hayma Screech Washington. Whether any others applied will be known when the Academy tells the Board of Governors which candidates are running for the top position, and other officers, later this week, informed sources tell me. Normally candidates come from the board itself, though Rosenblum was recruited from the outside when he was still at Warner Bros. He did serve on the Executive Committee, though, and the Academys qualifications for Chair allow Exec Committee members eligibility as well. Sources say no outsider appears to be in the hunt this time. Normally a Chair can only serve two terms of two years each before being termed out, but because of the ongoing construction of the new Wolf Theatre and Saban Media Center on the Academys North Hollywood campus, as well the fundraising for that project, rules were lifted and Rosenblums term, as well as those of the entire boards, were extended from two years to three in order to maintain continuity during a crucial period for the group that also marked the organizations 70th anniversary. The new facility opened in late spring. Hamburger has been deeply involved in Academy affairs for the past 11 years as a board member, then Treasurer and finally Vice Chair for the past five years. He also worked on several committees and chaired the Creative Arts Committee, leading the charge to splitting the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony in half, with two separate events held this year instead of the usual bloated single show that often ran over four hours. Reception to the streamlined ceremonies last month was very good. In August Hamburger departed his job as Senior Supervising Producer of CBS daytime hit, The Talk and now is advising clients as a production executive, something he has done earlier in his career. He told me this morning that his extensive experience in and out of the Academy makes him feel he is perfectly suited for this new challenge. We have a beautiful new facility and theater and can now look to the future, he said while also promoting Academy efforts in several areas including diversity. But he said he needs to do more on that front, even though the recent Emmy nominations showed tremendous diversity in terms of key acting nominations and didnt run into anywhere near the criticism the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has encountered over two consecutive years in which no actors of color were nominated. Story continues Currently, however, there are only two African-Americans serving on either the TV Academy Board of Governors or the Executive Committee; one of them is Washington, who would become the first African-American leader in the organizations 70-year history. (The other is music branch governor Rickey Minor.) A Governor of the Producers Branch for the past five years , he previously served on the peer group committee for Non-Fiction TV. He is a former VP at Disney, is a seven time Emmy winner for his work on The Amazing Race, and spent last year producing the Travel Channels Celebrity Adventure Club. Currently he is developing several other Reality and scripted documentary projects. He also serves on the National Board of the Producers Guild of America. Washington told me today he was approached to run, thought about it and decided now is the time to do it, mentioning that his career has been full of never-been-dones and unique jobs. The key goal in a Washington-run Academy he says would be to keep it relevant. The business is changing drastically and dramatically evolving, he said. We have to make sure we have our eye on all the emerging formats, both longform, and shortform, for which we just added categories this year. As co-Chairman of the Academys diversity committee, he said it has to be a priority, as he notes it has been during Rosenblums term. I want this committee to be out of business. TV has been doing better, but you have to educate the industry. It all starts in the beginning, in the hiring of showrunners and producers before we can even get to the point where we have worthy achievements to nominate, he said. Because of last years extended terms, there now are more officers and board members being termed out than usual. That could mean much of the Television Academy leadership could be headed for a shakeup come November 17. As for the Movie Academy, that organization is facing an election for a new leader as, well when current President Cheryl Boone Isaacs who is the first African-American and third woman to head AMPAS is termed out in August after serving four years. A spokesperson for the Television Academy said they do not comment on elections. Related stories Ben Sherwood & Bruce Rosenblum On the Job That Lured the Veteran Executive, Challenges & Growth Opportunities: Q&A Bruce Rosenblum Joins Disney-ABC TV Group As President Business Operations Latest Creative Arts Emmys Presenters Include Ryan Seacrest, Neil deGrasse Tyson & Mel B - Update The since-deleted tweet from Sid Miller. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Millers campaign deleted a lewd tweet on Tuesday that called Hillary Clinton a c***. Miller, a statewide official running for reelection, had apparently used the insult while touting poll results that showed Donald Trump doing surprising well against Clinton in Pennsylvania. TRUMP 44, the tweet read. C*** 43. Go Trump Go! the Republican exclaimed. Millers office told the San Antonio Express-News that the commissioners account had been hacked, and that everyone with access to his tweets was in the same room with Miller when the message went out. Were trying to get to the bottom of it. We think weve been hacked, Mark Loeffler, Millers communications director, told the newspaper. No one from the Sid Miller organization would ever put anything like that on Twitter, Loeffler said. Another Miller spokesman, Todd Smith, told Austins American-Statesman that a hacker was to blame for the message. I can tell you with all assurance, 100 percent, that Commissioner Miller is not involved in sending any tweet that would have used the filthy language that was included in that, Smith said. Someone obviously went on our account and got into it. But Millers staff later released a statement saying the post was shared by mistake: The campaign was retweeting information on Twitter today and inadvertently retweeted a tweet that they were not aware contained a derogatory term. The tweet was taken down as soon as possible. Commissioner Miller finds the term vulgar and offensive and apologizes to anyone who may have seen it. Miller has a history of making provocative and controversial statements. Earlier this year, he shared a fake Facebook photo of President Obama holding a Che Guevara T-shirt. Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller called Hillary Clinton a "c - " on his Twitter account Tuesday. The tweet about the Democratic presidential nominee has since been deleted. In it, Miller, a Republican who refers to himself as a "Deplorable" in his Twitter profile, shared Pennsylvania poll results that stated: "TRUMP 44 and C--- 43," according to screenshots of the tweet. According to Dallas News, Miller's office first said his account was hacked. Later, Miller's staff said the tweet was an accident. "The campaign was posting information on Twitter today and inadvertently retweeted a tweet that they were not aware contained a derogatory term," according to a statement from Miller's office. "The tweet was taken down as soon as possible. Commissioner Miller finds the term vulgar and offensive and apologizes to anyone who may have seen it." Miller also shared the statement on Twitter. The Texas Democratic Party got a screenshot of the tweet and shared a censored version of it, condemning the remark. .@MillerForTexas delete your account. #txlege pic.twitter.com/CAWxxvbFns - Texas Democrats (@texasdemocrats) November 1, 2016 The campaign was retweeting information on Twitter today and inadvertently retweeted a tweet that they were not aware contained a derogatory - Sid Miller (@MillerForTexas) November 1, 2016 term. The tweet was taken down as soon as possible. - Sid Miller (@MillerForTexas) November 1, 2016 Commissioner Miller finds the term vulgar and offensive and apologizes to anyone who may have seen it. - Sid Miller (@MillerForTexas) November 1, 2016 Thailand's junta on Tuesday agreed a $550 million rescue package for the kingdom's struggling rice farmers, many of whom hail from the political heartlands of the civilian government it toppled. Rice, Thailands staple dish and top agricultural export, is a politically delicate area and with the grain prices slumping the junta is desperate to head off potential flashpoints with farmers. On Tuesday the cabinet signed off extra funds to help farmers suffering from the dip in rice prices, and to hold the grain back from the market for several months to avoid an oversupply glut. The cabinet "agreed to aid rice farmers in harvesting and improving rice quality for hom mali (jasmine) rice for the crop year 2016/17 with 19.375 billion baht (around $550 million)" it said in a statement. Two million farmers will be eligible for a total subsidy of up to 13,000 baht ($371) per tonne of Thailand's famed strain. Prices have slumped to as low as around 6,000 baht per tonne for some farmers, depending on the quality of their harvest. The cash injection comes just weeks after the junta ordered ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra to pay $1 billion in compensation for a rice scheme under her government which it toppled in 2014. The military says Yingluck's policy, which paid farmers above the market rate for the grain, was a corrupt and a craven effort to buy votes from poor rice farming areas. She says it was a fair and long-overdue effort to funnel a share of state money to the poor and neglected north and northeast. Yingluck faces a decade in jail if found guilty of criminal negligence linked to the policy. The army vowed to abolish populist polices and curb a handout culture for the kingdom's large agriculture sector. Junta leader Prayut Cha-O-Cha said he hoped farmers would be "satisfied" by the subsidy. "Please symphathise with government... there are many problems to handle," he told reporters on Tuesday. Story continues He also repeated remarks accusing unnamed politicians of colluding with mill owners to drive down rice prices and foment discontent. The junta is "investigating the politicians that I told you about yesterday who are behind the plunging rice price," he said, without elaborating. Thailand's economy has struggled despite a junta pledge to boost growth with spending on infrastructure. The death of Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej on October 13 has plunged the country into intense mourning and is expected to further chip away at growth. Farmers were already feeling the pinch with commodity prices on the slide. "We are making losses as the rice is cheap but fertiliser is expensive," Saad Pirompool, a 51-year-old rice farmer from Nakhon Pathom province, told AFP. "My family is trying not to spend money," he said. For millennials, banking might look more like this. Over the past year, much has been made of the fact that millennials are ditching banks in search of alternative options. The thought was that adults 18 to 36 were using high tech apps and services to avoid fees levied by traditional banks. In fact, an Accenture report reveals that of the 11% of Americans who switched banks in 2015, 19% of them were millennials who often left because they found a cheaper product or a bank in a better location. But the relationship isnt as simple as it sounds. According to Alex Tabb, chief operating officer of Tabb Group, a financial markets research firm, millennials are ditching banks because they dont have a choice. It turns out that millennials are not leaving the banks, but the banks are pushing out low-income members of the community, many of whom happen to be millennials, Tabb told Yahoo Finance. The banks are using complex and oftentimes opaque fee structures to drive poor performing customers out of the system. Tabb first shared his findings on the podcast Wall & Broadcast, where he discussed the startling reality that 10 million households in the US are unbanked, underbanked or de-risked (de-risking is the banking term for removing customers from the system who represent too much of a financial risk to the bank). The reality is that many banks use complex fee structures that are less than forgiving when a customer makes a mistake. Additionally, about 80% of all retail banks in the US use Chex systems, which tracks and shares customer banking information. In other words, if you get kicked out of one bank, other banks will see you as a risk, and may not allow you to open a new account. Overdraft fees are one the biggest obstacles for millennials. Debit card overdraft protection, which allows users to complete a transaction even if they dont have sufficient funds for the purchase, is something the federal government now requires customers to agree to. But according to Pew, 52% of overdrafters dont recall opting into coverage. (You checked a box, but you didnt really know what you were checking.) Story continues Overdraft is just one fee cutting into your bottom line. According to MoneyRates.com, maintaining a checking account still costs Americans about $159 a year. This includes monthly maintenance fees, ATM fees, minimum balance requirements and overdraft fees. The reality is that nearly 47% of Americans say they couldnt come up with the money for a $400 emergency, so you can imagine how $35 here, $25 there could do quick damage to ones finances. So after failing to pay fees and getting booted from their banks, millennials are then left with a handful of less-than-desirable options for stashing money and depositing checks. Millennials, who have a very limited credit history, are being pushed into the arms of payday lenders and title lenders, that historically might have only served a deeply financially stressed group of Americans, but increasingly is being viewed as almost mainstream providers, said Tabb. But its not hopeless: there are a few systems out there designed to assist millennials and others bumped from the traditional banking system. One option is an app called Paytoo, which is an electronic account and an alternative to a bank account. With Paytoo, customers can set up direct deposit, pay bills and send money. You can even order a prepaid debit card from Paytoo so that you can retrieve money from an ATM. Bluebird by American Express also says it provides all the benefits of banking without the fees. Like Paytoo, Bluebird allows users to set up direct deposit and pay bills. It also has the mobile check capture option so that you can deposit checks directly from your smartphone. While convenient, Tabb suggests users do their research and read the fine print. Many of these systems are not banks and as such are not protected by the FDIC or other banking-related regulations, he said. Ultimately, banks are the only ones who can bring millennials back. According to Pew, banks could help the situation if they were more transparent about their fee structures, especially when it comes overdraft charges. Pew also found that banks and consumers would fare better if the banks provided more access to small-dollar credit programs for low-income families. Until that happens, its likely that the number of unbanked Americans will continue to grow. Brittany is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Read more: The reasons why married men are working fewer hours than ever The best dates to book airfare for Thanksgiving and Christmas Low on cash? Now there is layaway for airline tickets Halloween wedding. (Photo: Getty Images) Every wedding is a costume party, really unless youre the type who wears ball gowns and tuxedos on a regular basis. When you think of it that way, its not so strange that more and more couples are skipping the formal attire and going straight for macabre zombies, Victorian glam, and horse heads in Halloween-themed weddings. What is particularly impressive this year, however, is that a handful of couples took their love of the holiday so seriously, they chose to hold their ceremonies on Monday, Oct. 31, rather than over the weekend. Raymond and Lori McCurdy of Windsor, Ontario, decorated a tent on their lawn with cobwebs, skulls, and a witchs cauldron for their Monday wedding MCd by Beetlejuice and photographed by the Grim Reaper, according to the Windsor Star. She was dressed in black with skull makeup and a spider web design buzzed into her hair; he wore a giant skull head. It was the culmination of a weekend in which they hosted a haunted house in their barn. Went to a Halloween wedding today. The grim reaper, a cowboy & Beetlejuice all cried while the couple exchanged vows. pic.twitter.com/0iVQ2UxeFM Dan Taekema (@DanTaekema) October 31, 2016 We didnt want anything traditional whatsoever, Lori told the Star. Were different, we have fun all the time, so we didnt want to try to be serious. That also appeared to be the sentiment of Samantha McClanahan and James Bradbury of South Bend, Ind., who got married on Monday night at Niles Scream Park in Niles, Mich. She wore a Wonder Woman dress, and he dressed as Deadpool for the ceremony, which took place in the open, where Halloween revelers passing by could watch. Out of the routine of ordinary life, something extraordinary has happened, Kelly Jones, the ordained minister dressed as a biker, said during the ceremony, the Herald-Palladium reports. Story continues There wasnt a news crew on hand for the wedding of Nicole and Justino in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday, but thanks to Instagram, we learned just how into Halloween the brides family got this year. Im probably one of the luckiest girls in the world with one of the most amazing dads ever. Walked me down the aisle, performed one of the best ceremonys ever and secretly hired a flash mob to come dance to thriller. #halloweenwedding A photo posted by Nicole Damon (@nicole_d6) on Nov 1, 2016 at 7:43am PDT Im probably one of the luckiest girls in the world with one of the most amazing dads ever, Nicole wrote. Walked me down the aisle, performed one of the best ceremonys (sic) ever and secretly hired a flash mob to come dance to thriller. Social media delivered other tales of Halloween weddings, like this one featuring two brides in black, and a Vegas wedding that took an oddly equine turn. Even the bride and groom got dresses up for their #HalloweenWedding. #happyhalloween A photo posted by Gearhart Photo (@gearhartphoto) on Oct 31, 2016 at 5:51am PDT Its great to see those couples with friends and family who didnt mind giving up their trick-or-treating for a romantic costume party. We dont want to discount many, many more who took advantage of the whole weekend for Halloween-themed celebrations. That includes Saturdays high-society bash in Brooklyn, where Argentinian TV journalist Nieves Zuberbuhler married beer heir Julio Santo Domingo III. According to Page Six, the guests included Princess Caroline of Monaco and polo star Nacho Figueras, and many were also in costume for the occasion. Santo Domingo was a Musketeer, but Zuberbuhler opted for a wedding gown. If socialites and princesses approve Halloween weddings now, theres no turning back. Sorry, traditionalists! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. We are a part, albeit a small part, of the angel community in Richmond, Virginia, where we live. Over the past several years, various entrepreneurs have approached us to invest. We have listened to dozens of pitches and invested in a few. How do we decide which business we will sink our hard-earned cash into? Related: 5 New Businesses You Can Invest Your Money in Today We have a slightly different model than most investors. We arent necessarily looking for the "new, trendy or sexy" business. No, instead, we often invest in those in a favorable industry. How do we define this? A favorable industry is growing, is profitable and is low risk. The reason for a "favorable" rating is straightforward: The value of your business will increase only if it grows and/or profitability increases. As for risk, lower risk is better, of course, because you want the growth and profitability to continue. Here is more detail about these attributes: 1. Growing No industry can grow at a rate that exceeds the GDP growth rate forever -- say 2 to 3 percent in the United States. However, as the National Federation of Independent Businesses has said, many industries will exceed this growth rate in the short term. That's why we look for an industry that is growing. A rising tide raises all boats. For instance, in the past five years we have invested in, among others, a construction firm, two property-management companies (commercial and residential) and, in a move that somewhat broke our pattern, a startup technology that serves the property-management industry. We avoid industries, on the other hand, that are being or are likely to be overtaken by new technologies. For example, we wouldnt want to invest in a business that manufactures CDs. CDs are quickly going the way of vinyl records. 2. Profitable This is self-explanatory: industries likely to be profitable in the end share several characteristics: 3. High barriers to entry by others Profitable industries tend to attract new entrants. And those entrants will compete for profits right away. As a recent post on Cleverism.com explained, existing players in these industries will strive to create and/or maintain barriers to entry, because high barriers to entry protect industries from new entrants. Story continues What do high barriers mean? They might mean that the industry is costly to enter, because it requires rare, specialized skills or is one with protected intellectual property. For example, three entrepreneurs with a medical device needing funding recently approached us. The consideration before us was that the hurdles for bringing a new medical technology to market are high. But, if the technology succeeds, those same barriers to entry will help protect the products profitability. Related: 5 Reasons Women Entrepreneurs Should Consider Buying a Business (Infographic) 4. Low barriers to exit If the time comes when there is excess capacity in the industry, companies need to be able to leave. If they cant leave, they will compete away all of their profit -- a result when too many businesses chase too little volume. Low-exit barriers allow marginal operators to leave a business rather than make the industry unprofitable for everyone. 5. Ability to differentiate your product or service In a true commodity business, where no one company can differentiate its product or service, the winner will be the competitor with the lowest cost. The problem is that small, growing businesses can rarely maintain a low-cost position. That's why we look for industries where the product or service can be differentiated. Then the business can focus on the market segment that values the things that make its offering different. We also want to make sure that competitors cant easily copy whatever it is that makes the product or service different. 6. A position of strength vis-a-vis suppliers and customers Suppliers will want to charge as much as they can. Customers will want to pay as little as they can. Obviously, if suppliers and customers are successful, profit will evaporate. Instead, we look for a situation where suppliers compete away the profit in their industry by selling to us at low prices and where customers are willing to pay a premium for our offering. We look for an industry where the participants are in a position of strength so that they can maintain good profit margins. 7. Low risk/low volatility Businesses that are currently profitable and growing can become a nightmare if the situation changes quickly. We look for industries that are stable and low risk. Examples of risks to avoid are: Regulatory risk. Many industries are heavily regulated. A 2014 study by George Mason University listed various manufacturing, financial services and health sciences among the most regulated industries. New regulation can destroy an industrys profitability overnight. For example, the Affordable Care Act threatened to put independent health insurance brokers out of business. This hasnt happened, but many in this industry remain fearful. Avoid industries likely to face new regulation. Spoilage risk. If unsold product becomes worthless, competitors may cut prices significantly to sell the product rather than lose it. Airline seats are a good example. Once the planes door closes, unsold seats are worthless. Airlines have a significant incentive to cut price rather than fly with empty seats. As a result, profits in the airline industry are notoriously volatile. Related: 6 Factors in Taking Over an Existing Business Overall, it's hard to find the perfect situation. We always have to accept some compromise. However, if you are looking to buy or invest in a business, we suggest that you try to find an industry that meets as many of the above criteria as possible. They will improve your chances of success. Tights advertisements rarely feature anything other than slender, long legs. (Photo: Getty Images) A Dutch retailer is being widely praised on social media for its unconventional yet all-inconclusive ad campaign. Zeeman is one of the first traditional clothing retailers in the European market to feature prosthetic legs in its advertisements. The budget chain, which has stores in Germany, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, just unveiled promotional materials featuring legs of different shapes and sizes for its latest product, Lady Fit pantyhose. The caption attached to one of the newest campaign videos, posted just four days ago, roughly translates to Long legs, short legs, big legs, slender legs, and strong legs. Everyone has nice legs with our Lady Fit pantyhose. For only 1.49. Its very clear that body acceptance and the destigmatization of prosthetics are major takeaways from the ads. The tights are available in four different colors black, vienna, gypsy, and graphite, in sizes 38-52. Many customers have taken to Twitter to express their approval of the retailers powerful move. @zeemantextiel wat een lef. Mooie reclame vrouw met bovenbeen prothese Pieter Spinder (@spinder_pieter) October 29, 2016 Spinders response roughly translates to What courage. Nice advertising woman with upper leg prosthesis. Dit zijn fijne reclames. https://t.co/F81NRxAoIX Esther Vos (@essiejfox) October 30, 2016 Voss tweet roughly translates to These are fine commercials. Another user, Jose Eggenhuizen, was so pleased by the advertisements that she wrote Wow @zeemantextiel. What a fabulous commercial for tights. Im going to buy them. Wauw @zeemantextiel. Wat een fantastische commercial voor panty's. Ik ga ze kopen. Jose Eggenhuizen (@j0sje) October 30, 2016 Michelle Brouwer was also pleased by the move, writing, So many bonus points for this nonstandard advertisement from Zeeman! #AllLegs #Zeeman. Story continues These tights can be purchased online through the Zeeman website. Lets keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Most Americans never notice how free-trade deals affect them. Such deals usually push prices down and save consumers a few bucks over time. But the changes are incremental and slow. Some people, however, feel an abrupt impact from free-trade deals, especially when companies move work out of the United States to a country where costs are lower. People who feel theyve been economically harmed by trade have an unusually loud voice in this years presidential election, with Republican nominee Donald Trump vowing to undo trade deals that have been in place for years. In particular, he has targeted the North American Free Trade Agreement, which was negotiated by Republican President George H. W. Bush in the early 1990s. It went into effect on January 1, 1994, while Democrat Bill Clinton was president. While opposed by labor groups, NAFTA generally enjoyed bipartisan supportuntil Trump started going after it, joined by former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. NAFTA has allowed many manufacturers, including automakers, to build products in Mexico at lower costs and compete more effectively with rivals from Asia and elsewhere. But it has also shifted some work out of the United States, with workers left to find new jobs in different industries or locations. The turbulent and stagnant economy of the last 15 years has made finding decent-paying new jobs difficult or impossible for an important subset of the American workforce that feels it is falling behind. New research published in the Review of Economics and Statistics provides a picture of the workers and regions harmed and helped most by NAFTA. Economists John McLaren of the University of Virginia and Shushanik Hakobyan of Fordham University used Census data to estimate the effect of NAFTA on wages in every region of the United States. They also analyzed incomes for four different educational groupshigh school dropouts, high-school grads, those with some college, and college gradsto determine which types of workers were hurt and harmed most. Story continues High school dropouts suffered the most, not surprisingly, with the pain concentrated in southeastern states such as Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama. In the worst instances, pay for such workers grew 7% less than that for an average worker from 1990 to 2000. Some workers benefited from the trade deal, including less-educated workers in farm and energy states such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Their pay grew as much as 9% more than that for an average worker. This interactive map, constructed by Graphiq for Yahoo Finance from the researchers data, shows in detail how workers in each educational group fared on account of NAFTA between the years 1990 and 2000. Dark-shaded areas are where workers were harmed the most, with light-shaded areas being those where workers benefited or were harmed the least. The numbers on the scale represent the percentage by which wage growth for workers in each area trailed or exceeded the average. These numbers are based on the 1990 and 2000 Census surveys, and even though theyre dated, they still present the most detailed view so far of how NAFTA has impacted communities across the United States. For the 2010 Census, the government collected data in a more limited way that makes it difficult to present the same comprehensive overview of the effects of NAFTA for subsequent years. These region-by-region snapshots of NAFTAs effects complement similar research by a separate team of economists on how a surge of imports from China during the last 25 years has affected American communities. Other research on NAFTA has found that the deal caused a huge increase in trade flows between the United States, Canada and Mexico, with Mexico benefiting the most. But the net gain to the US economy seems to be small. One of the most authoritative studies estimates that NAFTA improved the overall economic well-being of the United States by just 0.08% from 1993 to 2005. Trade between the United States and Mexico increased a lot, McLaren says. There are efficiency benefits that come from large corporations being able to put their production where it can be most efficiently done. But theres also a substitution of lower-cost foreign workers for higher-cost American workers. Thats the part a lot of people worry about. The new research by McLaren and Hakobyan doesnt specify why wages fell or rose by more than average in areas most affected by the deal. But its possible to infer some reasons. Southeastern states probably lost jobs when protective tariffs on textiles disappeared under NAFTA, for instance. As workers lose their jobs, they often seek employment in different fields where they earn less. As their income falls, they have less money to spend locally, which can harm workers who arent even employed in the industry that has lost tariff protection. A diner waitress in a textile town would probably earn less in tips, and maybe even get fewer hours, as the textile work dries up. Parts of Idaho seemed to have been harmed by NAFTA, probably due to certain industries once concentrated there. The Rust Belt, by contrast, seems little affected by the trade deal, perhaps because union power was able to protect jobs and wages during the decade in question. Automakers, especially Ford, have caught direct fire from Trump for new investments in Mexico, although Trump is wrong when he says the automakers are moving American jobs there. In reality, US employment is stable in the auto business. Identifying regions harmed by NAFTA doesnt make the case for rolling back the trade deal. Instead, it can provide insight for policymakers who want to keep trade deals in place, but do a better job of helping those hurt by open borders. Thats one idea neither presidential candidate has talked much about. Perhaps they should. Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. Three generations of Hollywood stardom came together in one photo when Tippi Hedren posed with her actress daughter Melanie Griffith and granddaughter Dakota Johnson. The trio sat down with Vanity Fair to discuss their respective careers and be photographed for their first formal portrait together in celebration of Hedrens upcoming memoir Tippi, which chronicles her nearly 55 years in show business. All three women shine in long gowns that vary in shades of pink to complement one another. The three generations just made me think about Mom, born in 1930, and me, in the 50s, and Dakota, in the 80s, Griffith, 59, told the magazine. The progression of life is really beautiful. And while the women maintain a close relationship, they dont turn to each other to swap stories about work or offer acting advice. We never even talk about it, said Hedren. Isnt that interesting? But that doesnt necessarily mean youll never see them appear on screen together. The women say they are open to the idea of working together if the right opportunity were to come along. We could all be the whole life of a woman, Griffith suggested. Thats an interesting idea, Johnson, 27, replied. You just helped us come up with a great theme! Griffith concluded. LONDON (Reuters) - Planned operations and outpatient appointments have been cancelled at three hospitals in northeastern England after a computer virus infected a health service network, the National Health Service Trust said. In a post on its website, the Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust called the attack a "major incident" and said it had cancelled all planned operations, outpatient appointments and diagnostic procedures for Wednesday. "A virus infected our electronic systems on Sunday October 30 and we have taken the decision, following expert advice, to shut down the majority of our systems so we can isolate and destroy it," it said on the website. Some patients, including major trauma cases and high-risk women in labour, were being diverted to other hospitals. It was not clear whether the virus was caused by an attack, but earlier this year, the United States and Canada issued a rare joint cyber alert, warning against a surge in extortion attacks that infect computers with viruses known as ransomware which encrypt data and demand payments for it to be unlocked. Ransomware is malicious software that locks up data in computers and leaves messages demanding payment to recover the data. In March, Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital in Los Angeles paid a ransom of $17,000 to regain access to its systems. (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Alison Williams) SEATTLE (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - In Seattle, which has been dubbed the "Silicon Valley of saving lives", thousands of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs are working on innovations to end malaria. The city boasts at least 160 organizations working on global health and is home to the world's richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, whose global health and education foundation has set a target to eradicate the deadly disease by 2040. Yet efforts to end malaria, which killed an estimated 438,000 people in 2015, are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to drugs and insecticides. To outpace rising resistance, Seattle's malaria-fighting community is developing innovations ranging from data modeling and genetic modification to single-dose drugs and sugar traps. Here are key dates in the drive to end malaria: 1947 - The United States launches the National Malaria Eradication Program. The disease had caused widespread illness among soldiers training in the southern U.S. during World War Two. Almost 5 million homes are sprayed with DDT insecticide and mosquito breeding sites are drained. 1951 - Malaria is eliminated in the United States. 1955 - The World Health Organization (WHO) launches the Global Malaria Eradication Program (GMEP). Malaria is eliminated in more than two dozen countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia, mainly by spraying with DDT and using the cheap and effective drug chloroquine. Most of Africa is excluded due to logistical difficulties. 1969 - The WHO suspends GMEP due to drug and insecticide resistance and funding shortages. 1975 - Europe is declared malaria free. The disease had been endemic in southern countries like Italy, Greece and Portugal. 1979 - Tunisia eliminates malaria. 1987 - Scientists working in GlaxoSmithKline laboratories create the Mosquirix malaria vaccine candidate. 1990s - Malaria re-emerges in Europe's Caucasus region, Central Asia, the Russian Federation and Turkey due to population movements and reduced prevention measures. 1998 - WHO launches the Roll Back Malaria initiative, leading to increased investment in cheap new drugs, tests and insecticide-treated bed nets. 2005 - President George W. Bush sets up the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative with the aim of halving malaria-related deaths in 15 high-burden African countries. 2007 - Results of phase II clinical trials of Mosquirix in Mozambique show it provides partial protection against malaria. 2009 - Mosquirix phase III field trials begin. It is Africa's largest malaria vaccine trial to date, involving 15,000 infants and children in seven countries. 2010 - Morocco eliminates malaria. 2011 - Trial data from Africa shows Mosquirix halves the number of malaria episodes in children aged five to 17 months. 2014 - A study in the New England Journal of Medicine finds widespread resistance to the world's most effective antimalarial drug, artemisinin, across Southeast Asia, threatening global control efforts. 2015 - Mosquirix receives a green light from European Union drug regulators who recommend it to be licensed for use. 2015 - The world meets the Millennium Development Goal to halt and reverse the incidence of malaria. Global leaders set a Sustainable Development Goal to end epidemic levels of malaria by 2030. 2016 - The WHO invites African countries to take part in a Mosquirix vaccine pilot involving up to 800,000 children aged five to nine months. Sources: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, U.S. President's Malaria Initiative. (Reporting by Katy Migiro and Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Alisa Tang. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, womens rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org to see more stories.) Ahead of the publication of her memoir Tippi, Tippi Hedren was shot for Vanity Fair with her daughter Melanie Griffith and granddaughter Dakota Johnson. For the first time, the family members were photographed together for a publication. The three generations just made me think about Mom, born in 1930, and me, in the 50s, and Dakota, in the 80s, Griffith says. The progression of life is really beautiful. The women might be close, but they dont give each other acting advice. No, we never even talk about it, Hedren responds with a laugh. Isnt that interesting? The 86-year-olds book reveals behind-the-scenes tales from the sets of The Birds and Marnie, what it was like working with Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin, her sanctuary for lions, tigers, and other big cats, and raising a family in Hollywood. Everybody loves to invest in a business that reports profits on a regular basis. And to gauge the extent of profit, there is no better metric than net profit margin. Net profit margin demonstrates the affluence of a company. It determines the efficiency of a company in deploying its resources, making it the best metric to measure a companys profitability. Net Profit Margin = Net profit /Sales * 100. In simple terms, net profit is the amount a company retains after deducting all costs, interest, depreciation, taxes and other expenses. In fact, net profit margin can turn out to be an accurate point of reference to gauge the potential in a company operations and cost-control measures. Higher net profit is indispensable for rewarding stakeholders. Also, the strength in the metric not only attracts new investors but also draws well-skilled employees who eventually add to the value of the business. Moreover, a higher net profit margin as compared to peers lends a competitive edge. Pros and Cons Net profit margin helps investors gain clarity on a companys business model in terms of pricing policy, cost structure and manufacturing efficiency. Hence, a strong net profit margin is preferred by all classes of investors. However, net profit margin as an investment criterion has its own share of pitfalls. The metric varies widely from industry to industry. While net income is a key metric for investment measurement in traditional industries, it is not that important for technology companies. Moreover, the difference in accounting treatment of various items especially non-cash expenses like depreciation and stock-based compensation makes comparison a complex task. Further, for companies preferring to grow with debt, instead of equity funding, higher interest expenses usually weigh on the net profit. In such cases, the measure is rendered ineffective to analyze a companys performance. The Winning Strategy A healthy net profit margin and solid EPS growth are the two most sought-after elements in a business model. Apart from these, we have added a few other criteria to ensure maximum returns from this strategy. Screening Parameters Net Margin 12 months Most Recent (%) greater than equal to 0: High net profit margin indicates solid profitability. Percentage Change in EPS F(0)/(F-1) greater than equal to 0: It indicates earnings growth. Average Broker Rating (1-5) equal to 1: A rating of #1 indicates brokers extreme bullishness on the prospects of the stock. Zacks Rank equal to 1: In good markets or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy) continue to outperform and so only these are allowed. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. VGM Score of A or B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of 'A' or 'B' when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer the best upside potential. Here are five of the six stocks that qualified the screen: Rockville, MD-based Argan Inc. AGX provides inside premise wiring services to the federal government. The company also offers underground and aerial construction services and splicing to major telecommunications and utilities customers. The stock has a VGM score of A. Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 has increased by 45 cents (14.1%) to $3.65 over the last 60 days. Munich, Germany-based Bayerische Motoren Werke AG BAMXF is a multi-brand automobile manufacturer that focuses on the premium segments of the worldwide automobile and motorcycle markets. The stock has a VGM score of B. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 has increased by 42 cents (4.1%) to $10.73 over the last 60 days. New York-based Enzo Biochem Inc. ENZ develops, manufactures and markets health care products based on molecular biology and genetic engineering techniques, and provides diagnostic services to the medical community. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 has narrowed down by a penny to a loss of 17 cents over the last 60 days. Gibraltar Industries Inc. ROCK manufactures and distributes products to the industrial and buildings market. The company has its headquarters at Buffalo, NY. The stock has a VGM score of A. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 has surged 14 cents (9.7%) to $1.58 per share over the last 60 days. Denver, CO-based Hallador Energy Company HNRG is engaged in the production and sale of steam coal used for power generation. The company has a VGM Score of A. Its earnings estimate for the current year has climbed a penny to 60 cents over the last 60 days. Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing software. Story continues The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks' portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report ARGAN INC (AGX): Free Stock Analysis Report HALLADOR ENERGY (HNRG): Free Stock Analysis Report ENZO BIOCHEM (ENZ): Free Stock Analysis Report GIBRALTAR INDUS (ROCK): Free Stock Analysis Report BMW AG (BAMXF): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From Town & Country It was 1999 when Friends' Ross Geller famously bleached his teeth to glow-in-the-dark effect-giving beauty writers everywhere rich fodder for years to come. So poignant was that reference, so timeless, that it continues to pervade the teeth-whitening realm nearly two decades later. We're forever in pursuit of that ageless, immaculate smile-one that appears both unreal yet totally natural. And, mercifully, our whitening options have evolved right along with the American sitcom. (Death to the laugh track!) We asked top cosmetic dentists on both coasts for their favorite smile-brightening strategies-so you can yuk it up with complete confidence. The Instant In-Office Fix The fastest and most tech-forward whitening method offered by dentists, the Philips Zoom WhiteSpeed combines a 25 percent hydrogen peroxide bleach with a supercharged blue LED light, which speeds the destruction of stains, so you're out of the chair within an hour-smiling brighter than you did at check-in. (Just how much brighter is debatable: Some dentists say one to four shades, others claim up to eight. It really depends on your starting point-as "everyone has her own natural shade of white," says New York City dentist Victoria Veytsman-and your affinity for tannin-rich Bordeaux and French roast.) Upon illumination, the peroxide releases oxygen molecules, which penetrate the tooth enamel to dissolve deep-set stains. Because "the light doesn't heat up the teeth as much as the lasers traditionally used in whitening, there's less sensitivity," says Marc Lowenberg, a cosmetic dentist in New York City. Plus, "peroxide concentrations have increased, so we can bleach the teeth in about a third of the time it previously took." Though the Zoom system is outfitted with adjustable settings for comfort control, Veytsman says about one in 10 people still experience minor sensitivity-what dentists call "zingers"-during or after treatment. To help improve the odds, and curtail those sharp, stinging sensations, dentists paint a masking agent over the gums and any areas of recession before starting. The procedure is then divided into three 15-minute cycles. "We'll sometimes do just one cycle on someone who's very sensitive, or maybe two, but usually not all three," says Kevin Sands, a Beverly Hills dentist whose appointment book boasts names like Kardashian, Bieber, and Longoria. Docs typically apply a desensitizing gel right after whitening, as well, to counter any lingering zings in the 24 hours following. Story continues Cost: Up to $1,200 (depending on number of cycles and dentist location) Dentist-Dispensed Take-Home Trays The more slow-and-steady approach to pro whitening, customized take-away trays, fabricated from a precise model of one's mouth, "help ensure the bleaching gel sits properly against the full surface of the teeth-but away from the gums and any sensitive areas of recession," says Joshua Perlman of New York City's Smile Spa, who finds this method to be more predictable and effective than light- and laser-activated treatments.Another fan of the trays' predictability, Sivan Finkel, an aesthetic dentist in Manhattan, says the heat generated by lights and lasers can "temporarily dry out the teeth, creating a shade that's very white initially, but then drifts back down a bit as the teeth rehydrate." Bleaching trays, on the other hand, yield more stable long-term results (to the tune of three to four shades lighter), and usually spark less sensitivity, he adds. If achiness occurs, the treatment can easily be tweaked. Finkel typically starts patients with a 35 percent dose of carbamide peroxide (a slower-acting alternative to hydrogen peroxide) to be worn 30 minutes a day for one week. "If 30 minutes is too much, we drop down to fifteen minutes a day for twice as many days," he says. Should pain persist-which almost never happens, he notes-he'll switch to a 10 percent strength, worn overnight. If docs know at the outset that discomfort is a concern, they may have patients fill their trays with Sensodyne toothpaste, and sleep with them in for a few nights prior to whitening. After bleaching, wearing a strong fluoride gel in the trays for a half hour can mitigate post-treatment zingers. Cost: Approximately $600 No-Dentist-Needed Whitening Strips Whether you're looking for a way to whiten on the cheap, or just keep teeth dazzling after a pro fix, the unanimous favorite among the experts we interviewed are Crest 3D White Luxe Supreme FlexFit Whitestrips, which are designed to be worn 30 minutes a day for three weeks. The malleable plastic strips are imbued with hydrogen peroxide-the same bleaching agent used in Zoom, just a weaker dose. Part of their appeal is that "they're really adaptable to any mouth-even if teeth are crowded or uneven," says Emanuel Layliev, director of the New York Center for Cosmetic Dentistry. However, he adds, "they may not be ideal for sensitive teeth," because they are adhere to the entire tooth-gum line to tip-and make no concessions for touchy spots. Cost: $65 You Might Also Like CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - French oil major Total expects first production from Congo Republic's offshore Moho Nord field to add an extra 100,000 barrels a day when it starts early next year, a senior official said on Tuesday. Guy Maurice, Africa president for exploration and production, also said the company expected to make a final investment decision on its onshore Ugandan field "by the end of 2017". "Lower operational expenditure on one side and lower development costs on the other side should lead to the possibility to sanction new developments in a low price environment," Maurice told an African oil and gas conference. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng) A transgender student was just crowned homecoming queen in North Carolina and heres why thats a big deal In news thats made us jump up and down with excitement, a school in North Carolina crowned its first ever transgender homecoming queen! Selena Milian, an 18-year-old student at Overhills High School in Spring Lake, N.C., was voted for in a popular vote by her student body. Selena, who is also Native American, is believed to be the first transgendered woman to be crowned homecoming queen in the state of North Carolina. Selenas coronation comes despite North Carolina Governor Pat McCrorys HB2 bill. The legislation, which has been widely criticized for being overtly transphobic, states that those wishing to use public restrooms must use the gender assigned to them at birth. Colloquially named The Bathroom Bill, McCrorys law has seen an onslaught of detractors claim the bill is unconstitutional and discriminatory, with many LGBTQ+ people using the hashtag #WeAreNotThis to speak out against it. This type of discrimination is something that Selena says she has faced head on. Speaking to Trans.Cafe, the newly appointed queen said that for years she acted as educator for her school. When I first came out as a freshman, I was not allowed to wear dresses. Ive had to stand up for myself everyday and correct people in every part of my school, she explained. I was really depressed and had to go to therapy but transitioning gave me more confidence and then I became more involved in school activities, like plays and the modeling troupe I was in. For Selena, YouTube was a space where she could feel comfortable and it also allowed her to connect with young trans people, too. Continuing, the high schooler explained that she felt that her story needed to be told. I felt like this should be more publicized. Trans people exist and we are people. We are not recognized enough, she protested. They just think the typical Jerry Springer storythey think negative things. We are more than those stereotypes. Story continues Since its introduction, the HB2 Bill has allegedly cost the state of North Carolina $395 million due to a number of sporting and cultural events boycotting the state due to opinions that the law is discriminatory towards people who are transgender. Being crowned homecoming queen was just the first step, Selena said. I want to help my community and continue to make a difference. Its incredible to see a story like Selenas and the fact that, despite the statewide anti-transgender bathroom laws, young people are rallying around minority groups and celebrating difference. We couldnt be happier for Selena and totally support her mission to make a difference. The post A transgender student was just crowned homecoming queen in North Carolina and heres why thats a big deal appeared first on HelloGiggles. Gavin Grimm wasnt thrilled when he first learned that the Supreme Court will hear his case calling for all transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice. Not only did his school district in Gloucester County, Virginia, not accept the U.S. Court of Appeals decision to allow him to use the mens bathroom, Grimm also spent the majority of his high school years holding his bladder, and the continuation of the case means one more year of the same. Now a senior, Grimm transitioned to male before his sophomore year. The thought of spending another school year not being able to use the correct bathroom and having my bathroom usage in the spotlight was not my favorite idea, Grimm, 17, tells PEOPLE. It was kind of breathtaking. There was this moment of, Oh my god, its going to dominate my senior year now too. Ive gone through this my entire sophomore year, my entire junior year, and now it looks like itll take up my entire senior year too. But the Gloucester High School student knows that the temporary struggle could lead to a historic change. There was that moment of disappointment, and then once I adjusted to the idea I realized its maybe not such a bad idea, Grimm says. I have a platform now, and I have the opportunity to do good on a larger scale than I did before. Grimm started his fight back in 2014, when school administrators decided seven weeks into the school year that, due to some parents complaints, he couldnt use the mens bathroom, even though they had previously given him permission. Rather than giving in or switching schools, Grimm chose to forgo all school bathrooms on principle. It was important to me to stay. I dont want to get run out by nasty people and discrimination, he says. For me, its the equivalent of giving up. For me and my principles, I am able to handle it so its very important for me to do. Instead, he took his case to the school district, and then the federal courts, which sided with Grimm on the bases of Title IX. But when the school board petitioned for a Writ of Certiorari, and the Supreme Court decided to take on his case, it put his bathroom use back on hold. Story continues Now, Grimms case has the potential to impact thousands of people across the country. Thats really important to me because after experiencing what Ive experienced, my largest goal in this is that no kid, or at the very least less kids, will have to go through this experience, he says. Grimm held back on predicting the outcome of his case, but recognizes that the election on Nov. 8 could have a huge impact. Given that theres a 4-4 split potential I dont think the outcome is easy to gage for anyone at this point, he says. It might be possible that the seat wont even be filled until after my case, but definitely, if we get a Trump appointee Ill be very disappointed. Nearly 800,000 people suffer a stroke annually in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This occurs most commonly when a clot cuts off the blood supply to an area of the brain -- called an ischemic stroke -- or a blood vessel bursts in the brain (a hemorrhagic stroke). Resulting in 130,000 deaths each year, stroke can cause profound changes in the brains of survivors as well. Many face an arduous road to recovery. Depending on the severity of the stroke and its location in the brain, its effects can range from paralysis of one side of the body to difficulties with speech and memory loss. But intensive rehab including physical, occupational and speech therapy can improve recovery of function. Complicating matters, however, is the fact that many patients suffer depression following a stroke. The common mood disorder can undermine a person's motivation and ability to engage in rehab during the most critical period following the stroke, experts say, when patients need to put everything they have into recovery. A large Danish study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry in October found that the rate of depression in the three months following a stroke was eight times higher than for the general population who hadn't suffered a stroke. In all, the study of more than 157,000 hospitalized stroke patients found that one-quarter -- or about 25 percent -- experienced depression within two years, compared with about 8 percent of the general population. A history of depression as well as the severity of a stroke increased the risk of a person developing depression, and those suffering from depression after a stroke were more likely to die from any cause. [See: 10 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Stroke.] Stroke Takes a Mental Toll The rate of depression after a stroke even exceeds the heightened rate of depression people suffer after another life-changing event: a heart attack. "It seems that some imbalance in the brain induced by the stroke may cause stroke patients to be more susceptible to depression," lead study author Terese Sara Hj Jrgensen , a doctorate student at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, wrote in an email. Though more research is needed to understand exactly what explains the higher rate of depression after stroke, clinicians say the link shouldn't be glossed over. "It's a mistake to make the assumption that the patient is depressed because they've had a stroke and this is their reaction to the stroke," says Dr. Michael Waters, director of the stroke program and neurovascular division at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. Though patients may certainly react negatively to the loss of function after a stroke, depression rates go down in the year or two after a stroke, as compared with the especially high incidence of depression in the months following. "People should be aggressive about treating the depression itself," Waters says. "Not only will it improve the mood of the patient, but it will improve their ability to rehab and re-attain maximum function after the stroke." Most of what patients will recover following stroke, in terms of function, they get back within the first 30 to 90 days, Waters say. So early treatment and rehab is crucial, though he also emphasizes that patients who continue to challenge themselves can see lifelong improvements. [See: Easy Ways to Protect Your Aging Brain.] Get Treated for Depression The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association recommend stroke survivors be periodically screened and evaluated for depression. The AHA and ASA advise that people with post-stroke depression be treated with antidepressant medications, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs; the associations note that a review of research found no evidence of a benefit from psychotherapy in treating depression after a stroke. But experts say more study is needed to understand the best way to treat stroke-associated depression. Stroke survivors should also seek to reintegrate into their social networks, with assistance from caregivers and families, to help protect against depression and bolster recovery. "Patients who are more socially isolated ... don't do as well after stroke," says Dr. Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, medical director of the brain injury and stroke program at TIRR Memorial Hermann, a rehabilitation hospital in Houston. Experts suggest joining patient support groups as well, to learn from and lean on other stroke survivors during the recovery process. Verduzco-Gutierrez notes that when stroke survivors who suffer from depression are treated, they start recovering at the same rate as stroke survivors without depression. But depression associated with stroke often goes untreated. "Despite its high frequency and importance, depression remains grossly underdiagnosed and poorly treated in patients with stroke," Dr. Craig S. Anderson, a professor of stroke medicine and clinical neuroscience at the University of Sydney in Australia, wrote in an editorial accompanying the study on depression following stroke in JAMA Psychiatry. "Certainly a greater awareness of stroke-associated depression among patients, families and health professionals could facilitate recognition, earlier treatment and improved outcomes." There's some indication, too, that it may be possible to prevent depression following a stroke. "A few recent studies indicate that patients might decrease their risk of depression early after stroke by using anti-inflammatory treatment such as aspirin or statins," Jrgensen says. Clinicians advise that stroke survivors and their advocates discuss all treatment options -- including prevention -- with their health providers, and that patients follow recommended treatment protocols. [See: 17 Ways Heart Health Varies in Women and Men.] Because mental health concerns may be overlooked while health providers attend to other aspects of stroke rehab, experts reiterate that survivors and their families should insist on early evaluation and diagnosis of depression following a stroke. "We need to get these patients assessed and treated expeditiously," Verduzco-Gutierrez says, to improve recovery as well as long-term survival. Michael Schroeder is a health editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at mschroeder@usnews.com. The Daily Show on Monday envisioned the result of a Donald Trump presidency, jumping ahead to the year 2020 to show what might happen during the former Apprentice hosts first term as Commander-in-Chief. VIDEOSBarack Obama, Samantha Bee Share Scary Stories About Trump Presidency The episode, which is set to take place a week before the next presidential election, finds Trevor Noah breaking into his former Comedy Central studio to detail all the ways our country went to hell in a handbasket after voters allowed 650,000 of Anthony Weiners dk pics to impact their decision on November 8, 2016. Among the events that occur within Trumps first term, according to The Daily Show: * To show his gratitude for one dk getting another dk elected, President Trump turns the Washington Monument into a gold-plated Weiner Monument. * Hillary Clinton is sentenced to 15 years in prison at a new compound referred to as Super Guantanamo, along with former vice president Mike Pence. * To avoid Trumps America, the Obamas, along with Joe Biden, have relocated to Mars. * Trump TV comes to fruition. Dubbed TNN, the Trump News Network is the only remaining cable news outlet after the Trump-aganda forces use newly enacted libel laws to shut down legitimate news media. * Last Week Tonight host John Oliver gets deported in the middle of a segment on egg safety standards. * Due to The Donalds love of social media, Chris Hardwick is forced to host @Midnight 24 hours a day, seven days a week. VIDEOSWill Ferrells George W. Bush Weighs In on Trump, Cousin Billy on @Midnight Press PLAY on the video below to watch The Daily Shows highly inventive episode, then drop a comment with your critique. Related stories Trump vs. Clinton: Who Should You Vote For? Let Seth Meyers Help Decide Donald Trump Singles Out NBC Campaign Reporter at Rally, Revives Online #ImWithTur Battlecry Barack Obama, Samantha Bee Share Scary Stories About Trump Presidency CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Tullow Oil will restart exploration and appraisal drilling at Kenya's prolific South Lokichar field next month where it saw an upside potential of over 1 billion barrels of recoverable oil, a senior official said on Tuesday. "A recent 3-D survey shows additional upside potential," Tim O'Hanlon, vice president for Tullow Oil's Africa business told an oil and gas conference in Cape Town. Tullow Oil, which has its main production assets in Ghana, also has exploration acreage in Mauritania, Namibia and Zambia. O'Hanlon said in Uganda, where it had 1.7 billion barrels of oil to develop, Tullow Oil was targeting an export pipeline capable of taking 200-230,000 bpd to Tanga port in Tanzania. He said front-end engineering and design of the pipeline will start next year and a final investment decision was expected in 2018. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia) Diyarbakir (Turkey) (AFP) - Turkey appointed an unelected state trustee on Tuesday as the mayor of the biggest Kurdish-majority city in the southeast, the governor's office said, after arresting Diyarbakir's co-mayors last month. Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, jointly elected in 2014, were accused by a local court Sunday of "belonging to an armed terrorist organisation" and providing "logistical support to an armed terrorist organisation". The Diyarbakir mayors' replacement was named as Cumali Atilla, who previously served as a district governor in the capital Ankara. District governors are the state's local representative in an area and they are appointed by the government. The move is likely to cause further tension after Kisanak and Anli's detentions sparked an outbreak of violence as well as concern from European leaders over Ankara's "worrying" crackdown on Kurdish party politicians. Protesters held a demonstration to demand the Diyarbakir mayors' release last week but were pushed back by police using tear gas while access to the internet in Diyarbakir was out of action for several hours on Wednesday. When 24 mayors were suspended and replaced with officials close to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in September in the southeast, there were also protests in several cities. The mayors were suspected of links to Kurdish separatists. Earlier on Tuesday, 30 members of the left-wing opposition Kurdish Democratic Regions' Party were detained in an operation in Mardin, southeast Turkey, over suspected Kurdish militant links, Dogan news agency reported. The mainly Kurdish southeast has seen renewed violence after the collapse last year of a two-and-a-half-year ceasefire with almost daily attacks and clashes between Turkish security forces and members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. More than 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK's insurgency began in 1984. More than 600 Turkish security forces as well as over 7,000 militants have been killed since July 2015, according to the official news agency Anadolu. Ankara (AFP) - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Tuesday that Turkey is considering reinstating limited use of the death penalty if there is an agreement between political parties. "If there is consensus with other political parties on this demand of the people... limited arrangements can be made," Yildirim said in a speech in Ankara. He said it would not be used retroactively, but did not elaborate further. Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004 as part of reforms introduced in its bid to join the European Union. It has not executed anyone since 1984. But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Turkey could bring back the death penalty in the wake of the failed July coup. And hundreds of people have chanted "we want the death penalty!" at government rallies. But Brussels has warned any return could mean the end of Ankara's talks to join the 28-member bloc. Erdogan said at the weekend his government would ask parliament to consider reintroducing the death penalty to punish the plotters behind the coup bid. His comments drew the ire of European politicians including Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz who said it was "a cruel and inhumane form of punishment". The Council of Europe has also condemned any move to reinstate the death penalty, saying it was "incompatible with membership of the Council". Despite Erdogan's comments. Yildirim told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP): "I want it to be known that that this (death penalty) would not be applied retroactively." Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli told his lawmakers that he was ready to support the AKP on the issue. "Since there is a need for the death penalty and since our nation wants this... there is no need to discuss this unnecessarily. If the AKP is ready, the MHP has always been ready," Bahceli said. Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday warned Turkey against provoking a confrontation while saying he does not want war, after Ankara deployed tanks and artillery near the border. Turkey has insisted that it will play a role in the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, but Baghdad has rejected this assertion and repeatedly called on Ankara to withdraw troops it has deployed near the jihadist-held city. "The invasion of Iraq will lead to Turkey being dismantled," Abadi said at a televised news conference. "We do not want war with Turkey, and we do not want a confrontation with Turkey," he said. "But if a confrontation happens, we are ready for it. We will consider (Turkey) an enemy and we will deal with it as an enemy," Abadi said. Turkish military sources said Tuesday that it had deployed tanks and artillery to southeastern districts near the Iraqi border. The 30-vehicle convoy left Ankara for Silopi, the sources told AFP, adding that it was now close to Adana province in southern Turkey. Turkey's Defence Minister Fikri Isik said the deployment was part of Ankara's preparation for "important developments in the region", referring to Kurdish rebels inside the country and events in Iraq. "Turkey is preparing in advance for whatever happens (and) this is one element of that," he said, quoted by the official news agency Anadolu. It is the latest escalation in a protracted dispute between Baghdad and Ankara that has seen repeated calls from Baghdad for Turkish troops to be withdrawn, and increasingly belligerent and dismissive remarks from top Turkish officials. A military confrontation between the two countries would be a disaster for Iraq, whose forces are tied down in the battle for Mosul that it launched on October 17. Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish police on Monday detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet -- a thorn in the side of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan -- as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media. The Cumhuriyet, which had published revelations embarrassing for the government, said at least a dozen journalists and executives were detained in early morning raids. The raids came after authorities fired more than 10,000 civil servants at the weekend and closed 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets, the latest purge since July's failed military coup aimed at ousting Erdogan. Cumhuriyet's editor Murat Sabuncu was detained and police were hunting for executive board chairman Akin Atalay, the official news agency Anadolu said. The Istanbul prosecutor said an investigation had been launched into allegations the secular daily's output was "legitimising" the attempted putsch. The newspaper said it would "fight until the end for democracy and freedom" in a statement on its website headlined: "We will not surrender". "Cumhuriyet is a newspaper and being a journalist is not a crime," it added. "Believing in its journalism, it continues and will continue its publication." Cumhuriyet said an arrest warrant was also issued for former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who was sentenced to jail in May for allegedly revealing state secrets in a high-profile case that triggered alarm about the state of press freedom in Turkey. The newspaper had accused the government of seeking to illicitly deliver arms bound for Islamist rebels in Syria. Erdogan had warned Dundar he would "pay a heavy price". Dundar is now believed to be in Germany after he was freed earlier this year pending appeal. He described Monday's actions as the "storming of the last fortress" as Turkish media said his house in Istanbul was also raided. The International Press Institute said an arrest warrant was issued for one of the rights group's board members, Kadri Gursel, who also wrote for Cumhuriyet. Story continues - 'Media cannot be silenced' - Washington issued a stern rebuke to its ally after the latest move and criticised Ankara's ongoing detention of many journalists. "The United States is deeply concerned by what appears to be an increase in official pressure on opposition media outlets in Turkey," US State Department spokesman John Kirby said. "Democracies become stronger by allowing diverse expressions of views, particularly in difficult times," he added. In a move heavily criticised by Western leaders and rights groups, tens of thousands of civil servants, soldiers, police, judges and teachers have been suspended, fired or detained since the attempted coup, blamed on exiled Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The Istanbul prosecutor said in a statement quoted by media that Cumhuriyet and its owner the Cumhuriyet Foundation were being investigated over whether they committed crimes on behalf of Gulen's movement or the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). But the prosecutor said those investigated were not accused of being members of either group. Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Cumhuriyet's Istanbul offices to protest the detentions, waving copies of Monday's paper which bore the headline: "Again, a coup against opposition". "A free media cannot be silenced," they chanted. Monday's edition of the paper criticised the government's weekend announcement of the closure of several media outlets as well as the suspension of university rector elections. Erdogan is set to pick the winners from a pool of candidates selected by the nation's education authority. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus insisted the investigation was not targeting journalists but probing the Foundation. Council of Europe chief Thorbjorn Jagland also criticised the raids, saying it was "highly questionable if the raid against Cumhuriyet can be justified as a proportionate measure, even under the state of emergency". European Parliament president Martin Schulz said the "ongoing massive purge" seemed to be "motivated by political considerations, rather than legal and security rationale". Cumhuriyet cartoonist Musa Kart meanwhile described his detention as "ridiculous". "Until today, I have drawn hundreds and thousands of caricatures of the (Gulen movement) and PKK... What is happening is ridiculous. You will not scare anyone with this repression." ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey was pushed into a coup process in a "planned and programed way" and is now experiencing conditions worse than after a military coup in 1980, the leader of the main opposition CHP, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said on Tuesday. He was speaking to his party in parliament a day after 13 journalists from a secularist opposition paper were detained on accusations of supporting the July 15 failed coup, in which rogue soldiers tried to seize power, killing more than 240 people. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker and Ayla Jean Yackley; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan) ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's military has begun deploying tanks and other armored vehicles to the town of Silopi near the Iraqi border, in a move the defense minister said on Tuesday was related to the fight against terrorism and developments across the border. Fikri Isik said Turkey had "no obligation" to wait behind its borders and would do what was necessary if Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants took a foothold in northwest Iraq's Sinjar region, around 115 km (71 miles) south of Silopi. "We will not allow the threat to Turkey to increase," he told broadcaster A Haber in an interview. The army deployment, disclosed by military sources, came after President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey was aiming to reinforce its troops in Silopi. Photos from the sources showed a long column of vehicles, including tanks, tank rescue vehicles and construction vehicles in single file on a dual carriageway. The deployment coincides with an Iraqi operation to drive Islamic State from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and after Iraqi Shi'ite militias launched a related offensive to push the jihadists out of the town of Tal Afar further west. Erdogan said on Saturday Ankara would have a "different response" for Shi'ite militias if they "cause terror" in Tal Afar, home to a sizeable ethnic Turkmen population with historic and cultural ties to Turkey. Sinjar, where Ankara believes the PKK is developing a presence, is situated some 50 km west of Tal Afar. PKK Sirnak province, where Silopi is located, is also one of the main areas of conflict between Turkey's army and the PKK, whose main bases are in the mountains of northeast Iraq. Designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Largely Sunni Muslim Turkey and the Shi'ite-dominated central government in Iraq are at loggerheads about the presence of Turkish troops at Iraq's Bashiqa camp and about Ankara's demand to take part in the U.S.-backed Mosul operation. Turkey says it has a responsibility to protect ethnic Turkmens and Sunni Arabs in the area around Mosul, once part of the Ottoman Empire. It fears both PKK militants and Shi'ite militias, which the Iraqi army has relied on in the past, will be used in the campaign and stoke ethnic bloodletting. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz and Can Sezer; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan and Gareth Jones) There is power in numbers, or so the saying goes. But statistics mean different things to different people. Take Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, for instance. Last week, the conservative political commentator Scottie Nell Hughes summed up the relative value of digits in a conversation with Anderson Cooper. The only place that were hearing that Donald Trump honestly is losing is in the media or these polls, she said. Youre not seeing it with the crowd rallies, youre not seeing it on social mediawhere Donald Trump is two to three times more popular than Hillary Clinton on every social media platform. The candidate himself has echoed this argument. During the first presidential debate, he touted a 30-million strong Facebook and Twitter following as a sign of mainstream popularity not reflected elsewhere. The Clinton campaign, meanwhile, has stuck by traditional polls as evidence of her success. Recommended: Chinese Characters Are Futuristic and the Alphabet Is Old News All these numberssocial media followings, polls, or statisticsare only as viable as the tools used to get to them. Political campaigns worldwide now use bots, software developed to automatically do tasks online, as a means for gaming online polls and artificially inflating social-media traffic. Recent analysis by our research team at Oxford University reveals that more than a third of pro-Trump tweets and nearly a fifth of pro-Clinton tweets between the first and second debates came from automated accounts, which produced more than 1 million tweets in total. This data corroborates recent reports suggesting that both candidates social media followings are highly automated. What does this mean for democracy? * * * It is fashionable among futurists and technocratic utopians to wax poetic about robot butlers, self-driving cars, and the internet as a democratizing tool. And it is certainly true that social media and other digital tools can enhance the election process. Never before has an election been subject to so much real-time fact checking. During the final debate, Clinton asked viewers to Google the words Trump and Iraqand they did. Google trends shows a huge surge in the number of searches containing these words, minutes after Clintons request. Story continues (Google Trends) At the same time, aspects of social-media infrastructure introduce major problems. Bots are easily programmable through the Twitter API (application programming interface) and can be deployed by just about anyone with preliminary coding knowledge. Marginal populations use bots to create an illusion of popularity around fringe issues or political candidates. For instance, the alt-right and white nationalists have used these automated proxies to artificially project hate speech and xenophobia on social-media platforms. Hoaxers from 4chan have been accused of using bots to game online polls in favor of Trump. And Trump often refers to online polls as evidence that he has won the debates. Never have we seen such an all-out bot war. Our team monitors political-bot activity around the world. We have data on politicians, government agencies, hacking collectives, and militaries using bots to disseminate lies, attack people, and cloud conversation. The widespread use of political bots solidifies polarization among citizens. Research has revealed social-media users tendency to engage with people like them, a concept known as homophily by social scientists. In the book Connected, Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler suggest that social media invites the emergence of homophily. Social media networks concretize what is seen in offline social networks, as wellbirds of a feather flock together. This segregation often leads to citizens only consuming news that strengthens the ideology of them and their peers. In this years presidential election, the size, strategy, and potential effects of social automation are unprecedentednever have we seen such an all-out bot war. In the final debate, Trump and Clinton readily condemned Russia for attempting to influence the election via cyber attacks, but neither candidate has mentioned the millions of bots that work to manipulate public opinion on their behalf. Our team has found bots in support of both Trump and Clinton that harness and augment echo chambers online. One pro-Trump bot, @amrightnow, has more than 33,000 followers and spams Twitter with anti-Clinton conspiracy theories. It generated 1,200 posts during the final debate. Its competitor, the recently spawned @loserDonldTrump, retweets all mentions of @realDonaldTrump that include the word loserproducing more than 2,000 tweets a day. These bots represent a tiny fraction of the millions of politicized software programs working to manipulate the democratic process behind the scenes. Recommended: Don't Let the FBI Decide the Election Bots also silence people and groups who might otherwise have a stake in a conversation. At the same time they make some users seem more popular, they make others less likely to speak. This spiral of silence results in less discussion and diversity in politics. Moreover, bots used to attack journalists might cause them to stop reporting on important issues because they fear retribution and harassment. * * * The propagandistic power of bots is strengthened when few people know they exist. Homophily is particularly strong when people believe they have strength in numbers, and bots give the illusion of such strength. The more people know about bots, the more likely it is that citizens will begin reporting and removing bots, as well as using bots to boost their own voices. Because bots have received little public attention, critics regularly frame bots in terms of a doomsday rhetoric that is lopsided toward their negative impact. But bots arent only used for manipulation of unsuspecting publics. Socially empowering bots are out there. For instance, @she_not_he is a bot politely correcting Twitter users who misgender Caitlyn Jenner. Silicon Valley has been developing bots in attempts to broadly enhance civic engagement: On Facebook, the The New York Times election bot promotes political participation. The Federal Elections Commission has shown no evidence of even recognizing that bots exist. In addition to social justice bots, there are also bot services that seek to enhance everyday life online. Digital artists build bots that generate humorous messages, such as @godtributes, which takes the tweets of others and reframes them as an impassioned praise of a nondescript god: Self-education for the self-education god! The artificial-intelligence company Luka is designing intelligent bots that you teach and grow through conversation. These digital automatons are marketed as a new form of online companion. While many people are unsettled by the rise of bots, its important to remember that many of todays most ubiquitous technologies were harnessed for political ends when they were first invented. In Europe, the printing press was almost immediately used to fuel the cultural war between the Protestants and the Catholics. Martin Luther, a seminal priest in the Protestant Reformation, was the first to take advantage of it, printing thousands of bibles translated into German. The proliferation of the Lutheran bible triggered a surge in German nationalism, which amplified conflict between the faiths. Generations later, after the printing press became more widespread and accessible, it provided a tool for minority and dissident voices fighting for social justice, such as the Suffrage and the Civil Rights movements. Recommended: The Different Stakes of Male and Female Birth Control * * * Currently, there is almost no regulation on the use of bots in politics. The Federal Elections Commission has shown no evidence of even recognizing that bots exist. Bots that are used to trumpet hate speech, harass women journalists, and spread propaganda are also designed to conceal the identity of their creators. This layer of anonymity challenges the ability to hold people legally responsible. Moreover, it challenges notions of free speechwhat happens when a bot, which might do things unforeseen by its maker, is the entity committing malicious acts? Fortunately, methods for pinpointing the sources of bots are constantly improving. Continuing development efforts towards detectingbut also tracking and demobilizingmalevolent bots will allow governments to set legal precedents for fraudulent and hurtful automated abuses. It will also enhance the ability for social-media websites to detect and regulate bots, in what has become an ever-growing arms race against bot designers. While its possible for Facebook and Twitter to flag accounts suspected to be under bot controlbots tend to tweet several times a minute, and their comments are often less coherent than human usersbot designers regularly tell us they have little trouble circumventing detection. Moreover, the debate on whether social-media websites should be allowed, or even have the desire, to censor posts has limited sites detection efforts. Technology firms are currently investing in the new bot economy, which some say is the future of digital communication. Bots are being incorporated into services like Facebook Messenger, and platforms like Kik, Slack, and Periscope are claiming that bots will greatly enhance their user experience by acting as automated assistants that deal with a wide range of needs and requestsfrom checking the weather to booking plane tickets. These developments foreshadow a future where bots will be intimately interwoven with everyday social interaction online. As bot awareness and usage grows, the greater pressure there will be for governments, nonprofit organizations, and research institutions to develop bots that protect and empower citizensand dont convince people to vote for particular presidential candidates. Read more from The Atlantic: This article was originally published on The Atlantic. Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f267599%2fscreen_shot_2016-11-01_at_2.47.44_pm UPDATE: Nov. 1, 2016, 6:24 p.m. IST Twitter has restored @GabbbarSingh's account. Twitter continues to struggle with curbing abuse on its social networking site without making questionable moves and offending many people. SEE ALSO: SPAM CRACKDOWN: Twitter Mass Suspends Hacked Accounts The social networking website today banned the account of prolific Indian Twitter user who goes by the handle @GabbbarSingh. Known for his sarcastic and funny tweets, GabbbarSinghs account is followed by over 430,000 people. Its unclear what made Twitter suspend the account, but its likely that GabbbarSinghs tweets may have been deemed offending by some people. People are pointing to his recent sarcastic tweet to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal that could have gotten him suspended. Interestingly enough, many are now blaming Kejriwal for all of this. If this is why he was suspended, then Twitter should suspend accounts of every single idiot who reported him https://t.co/xp2BY2dZK1 Rohan (@mojorojo) November 1, 2016 Speaking to Mashable India, Gabbbar Singh, who requested anonymity over his real name, noted that Twitter is yet to offer him any explanation for why his account was suspended. "Twitter is a vibrant platform. I dont understand why they keep banning accounts of people who create and consume so much content on Twitter everyday," GabbbarSingh told Mashable India. He adds that his recent tweet about the Diwali celebration in a theatre may have resulted in Shah Rukh Khan fans mass-reporting him to Twitter. A screening of Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' movie at a Malegaon theatre was disrupted last week when many people started to burst fireworks inside the hall. People were apparently too pleased with the three-minute cameo of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in the movie. Story continues "But many had tweeted similar things, and it was also picked up by mainstream media. I dont understand why they would suspend me for that," he complained. He added that this isnt the first time his account has been suspended. It's worth pointing out that GabbbarSingh's Twitter handle is a play on a popular fictional character Gabbar Singh from Bollywood blockbuster 'Sholay'. This isn't the first time Twitter has banned an account on Twitter over what appears like objectionable tweets. Twitter was at the centrestage in July when actress Leslie Jones was attacked by several people on Twitter with abusive comments. The company at the time had sought to take better control over objectionable content, and had blocked many users. At its earnings call last month, CEO Jack Dorsey told investors and analysts that Twitter will soon announce an improved way to tackle questionable tweets and profiles. Mashable India has reached out to Twitter for comment. In the meanwhile, people aren't pleased with the suspension of GabbbarSingh's account. If there is Intolerance on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here (on twitter). (ref @GabbbarSingh suspension) Vivek (@vivx) November 1, 2016 This @GabbbarSingh account suspension thing is fishy. I don't see him post anything that offensive. Don't understand it. Aditi Mallya (@Bacardidevi) November 1, 2016 Lol, only Twitter can ban an account with 400K followers but not ban the 400K egg heads that abuse people. R.I.P @GabbbarSingh Viranch Damani (@viranchdamani) November 1, 2016 why is the @GabbbarSingh handle suspended ? Harini Calamur (@calamur) November 1, 2016 @ainvvy @GabbbarSingh meanwhile accounts whose every tweet is calling some woman a prostitute continue happily. kavitharao (@kavitharao) November 1, 2016 (Reuters) - Two children and an adult were killed and seven people injured on Monday when a truck hit the Halloween hayride carrying them in a small Mississippi town, NBC news reported. A truck rear-ended the hayride trailer at about 7 p.m. on U.S. Highway 80 in Chunky, a town of about 400 people in eastern Mississippi, officials told NBC news. The injured people were taken to hospitals in Jackson and Meridian, Andy West, a highway patrol spokesman, told NBC affiliate WLBT. Mississippi officials were not immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) A customer goes into a Wells Fargo branch in 2015, during the height of desperate cross-selling at the bank. Source: Reuters In the Bruce Springsteen song Johnny 99, the Boss tells the story of a guy who cant replace his lost manufacturing job. Faced with debts no honest man can pay and a foreclosed house, he goes on a violent bender. Answering for his crimes, he tells the judge his situation, saying that dont make me an innocent man/but it was more n all this that put that gun in my hand. According to Springsteen, when you peel away the righteousness from the illegal or the regrettable, you often see nothing more than desperation. But it can also work in reverseputting people in desperate situations can be a recipe for shady business. This is exactly how Professors Bruce Fortado and Paul Fadil of the University of North Florida managed to predict the Wells Fargo (WFC) scandal, in which 5,300 employees were fired for creating accounts for customers without their permission, two years before the news broke. According to the professors 2014 study of a top-10 bank everyone is familiar with, disguised by the name Amalgam, they found that managerial pressure on low-level banking employees makes fake accounts all but inevitable. At Wells Fargo, the 5,300 fired employees were initially blamed, Fortado told Yahoo Finance. Only recently, he says, has anyone considered the circumstances they were put in and looked pasts their fraud. Originally, most banks took a service-based approach to dealing with customers. But two years prior to the study, Amalgam bank management had a Glengarry Glen Ross moment and put pressure on tellers to sell, sell, sell. Paperwork made it seem like service was more important, but the sales began to drive everything, Fadil said in a phone interview with both professors. It made both the customer experience and the working environment terrible. Its a totally different work experience, said Fortado. I have never seen so many unhappy employees. Avoiding the sales pitches by using the drive-thru The tales from the interviews begin innocuously, with employees chuckling about customers starting to opt for the banks drive-thru instead of the lobby to avoid sales pitches, rolling up their windows and pretending to be on the phone. Obviously it takes longer to sell, and youre going to alienate people, said Fadil. Its like going into a doctors office and realizing that the doctors only motivation is making more money off you even if it means selling drugs you dont need. Story continues Other things went wrong besides frustrated customers being rude. In one instance, a teller attempted to sell something to an elderly man via phone. Instead of making the sale, the man got confused and drove into town to the bank, alarmed. Faced with customers who clearly didnt want any part of the products they had to huck, the tellers in the study began to experience intense pressure and negativity. Managers would publicly berate employees and stand behind them, literally breathing down their necks. Tellers didnt necessarily even want to hit their goals, fearing the targets would readjust to even more out-of-reach numbers. The pressure to sell had become so great that people would do whatever it took to get the numbers, Fadil and Fortado write. Since the market was essentially saturated after years of pushing an old product, that meant juicing the numbers. And if they wanted to leave? They [were] in a position where theyd have to leave and find a new job during a downturn, Fortado said. In the interviews, one teller said employees would make fake calls, falsify referrals, and inflated their numbers by creating accounts in the names of babies, co-workers, or family members and quickly close them. I saw one bank where 11 grandchildren had accounts in their name, said Fadil. Not Wells Fargo Given the prescience of the study, its easy to forget who exactly were talking about. The paper wasnt on Wells Fargo. It was on a different bank! Fadil said. Wells Fargo went beyond the pressure exerted by Amalgam and had targets for new sales being closed in a branch every day, and threatened to fire those who did not comply. At both banks, the high-pressure sales culture produced the similar resultsfraud. And, as the professors stress, many large banks have adopted these aggressive sales programs to compete with each other, suggesting that fraudulently opened accounts likely spreads past Wells Fargo and this other top-10 bank. In fact, CNNMoney recently reported that the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, a federal regulator of banks, is looking into how deep this really goes and whether that result really is inevitable given this specific set of circumstances. So how did this all happen? According to Fadil and Fortado, it started in the 1980s when deregulation allowed banks to start competing to sell?? new products against other more market-driven financial companies. Thrusting themselves into these new spaces, many banks focused more on cross-selling (selling customers multiple products), while moving away from a customer service-based model. In the 1990s some of the big branches did back off on their sales culture because customers were getting upset, said Fadil. That didnt last, which raises the question of whether Wells Fargos removal of sales targets is permanent or merely part of a cycle. Do we adjust our expectations or does the industry go back to service? Fortado mused. I think the horse is out of the barn when it comes to them going back to a purely service culture. If thats the case, its important for consumers to know whom the employees are really serving. At a car dealership, the wall between service and sales is still up for the most part, the professors say. In the front you almost have your defenses up, but when you go to the back of the shop, most of the time you figure theyre going to act in your best interests, said Fortado. But when youre wrong it can cost you. In another side of the financial industry retirement accounts the White House estimated that $17 billion is lost annually due to conflicted advice when customers assumed their advisors were working in their best interest as fiduciaries. Typical means of disclosure, it seems, are often pitifully ineffective in the face of peoples assumptions about whose interests are being served. For traditionally service-oriented industries where consumers confer trustbanking, education, medicineits hard to imagine anything short of banner ads that say we are looking out for our shareholders interests, not yours being enough to properly notify the public of a shift to a sales culture. Though no amount of disclosure would help customers at Amalgam and Wells Fargo from fake accounts, perhaps banners like these would have at least armed customersespecially some of the more vulnerable onesagainst pressure to legally sign up for a new account. As the professors noted, the desperate tellers would often target lower-income customers. Fadil and Fortado point to a fundamental flaw that may prevent a good service and sales balance from ever being struckthe fact that the customer has become subordinate to the stockholder. [The] paper does conclude that bank leaders would be better off with more balanced consideration of the parties interests, including the interests of both employees and customers, said the professors in an email, pointing to a central paradox that the high goals discouraged motivation. Still, throughout Amalgam banks unrealistic sales targets, as with Wells Fargo, the stock went through the roof while management suppressed questions raised of its branches problematic behavior. Only certain peoples money, it seems, talks. Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance focusing on consumerism, tech, and personal finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Read more: How Elizabeth Warren used a new congressional power to punish Wells Fargo How Facebook and Twitter make Trump mask Trumps incoherence This calculator shows how much Trump and Clinton would affect your tax bill You need a $25 cord to connect your iPhone to the new MacBook Pro Updated from 1:58 p.m. with comments from a CtW analyst. Chipotle just can't seem to catch a break. Mere days after announcing a massive earnings miss and seeing a new burger concept open to harsh reviews, two small investment firms -- Amalgamated Bank and CtW Investment Group -- said they jointly filed a shareholder proposal against Chipotle to remove founder and co-CEO Steve Ells as chairman and replace him with an independent director, according to Reuters. The firms work with union-sponsored pension funds. CtW Investment Group previously tangled with Chipotle on corporate governance issues in April. "We think it's the right time to clean house. It's past time for Chipotle's board to grow up so that it reflects the size of the company," CtW Investment Group lead analyst Derrick Wortes said in a phone interview. Wortes said CtW would like someone from outside the company with "solid" risk management skills to replace Ells. Asked whether activist investor Bill Ackman -- who owns about 9.9% of Chipotle's shares through his firm Pershing Square -- fits that description, Wortes said that a person with a longer-term view of the business may be a better fit. Chipotle didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. After a dreadful run of sales and earnings following health scare issues last year, the two investment firms certainly have reason to question Ells' standing as chairman. For starters, Ells welcomed back long-time friend Mark Crumpacker as chief marketing officer with open arms in September after Crumpacker was arrested and charged with cocaine possession in July. Few other publicly traded companies would have been as kind in dealing with the issue. TheStreet takes a brief look at two other reasons to question Ells' leadership as chairman of Chipotle. Pay for Chipotle's CEOs remains out of control. According to a regulatory filing in March, Ells earned $13.8 million in total compensation in 2015, down from a jaw-dropping $28.9 million in 2014. Monty Moran, Chipotle's other CEO, saw his total compensation decline to $13.6 million in 2015 from a whopping $28.1 million the year before.The figures continued a theme of egregious compensation for Chipotle's top two executives. More disturbing is that the pay packages awarded last year came as Chipotle battled a plunging stock price and weak sales results in the wake of its high-profile food safety scandal. Story continues Chipotle's board is horribly constructed. Both Ells and Moran are on Chipotle's board. Keep in mind these are the two men who essentially created Chipotle. How could they provide objective views on what they should earn and on business steps that should be taken? That could likely best be done if Ells steps aside as chairman or Moran leaves the company entirely. Check out the resumes of Chipotle's existing board. John S. Charlesworth: Charlesworth retired from McDonald's in 2000 after 26 years, where he was mostly focused on international operations. Since then, he is the sole owner and member of a company that owns and operates car care facilities and commercial properties. Any rational investor likely sees Charlesworth and think two things: He is far removed from what's happening in the restaurant industry and must be cozy with Moran and Ells from when Chipotle was part of McDonald's. Patrick Flynn: Similar to Charlesworth, Flynn retired from McDonald's in 2001 after spending 39 years with the Golden Arches. There, he was in charge of strategic planning and acquisitions. The same thoughts on Charlesworth apply to Flynn. Darlene J. Friedman: Friedman retired in 1995 from a company called Syntex, where she focused on executive compensation. How that qualifies her to sit on the board of a growing restaurant company is unclear. Kimbal Musk: One should go easy on Musk as he is a restaurant entrepreneur and has a passion for food. (And yes, he is Elon Musk's brother.) But Musk seems to be involved in a bunch of other ventures and boards other than Chipotle. It might be wise to trade in a "name brand" such as Musk for someone who could devote more time to Chipotle. EXCLUSIVE OFFER: See inside Jim Cramers multi-million dollar charitable trust portfolio to see the stocks he thinks could be potentially HUGE winners. Click here to see his holdings for FREE. By Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge has rejected a settlement of lawsuits charging that the New York City police department illegally targeted Muslims for surveillance, saying the deal did not go far enough and provide sufficient protections. U.S. District Judge Charles Haight in Manhattan in a ruling made public on Monday rejected the deal announced in January in which the New York Police Department would install a civilian representative to help monitor its counterterrorism efforts. Haight said the civilian representative's proposed powers "do not furnish sufficient protection from potential violations of the constitutional rights for Muslims and believers in Islam who live, move and have their being in the city." He cited an inspector general's report as indicating the department has a "systemic inclination" to disregard court-approved regulations, called the Handschu guidelines, that limit how it can monitor political and religious activity. Haight suggested a series of alterations, including clarifying the authority of the civilian representative to ensure the NYPD's compliance with the Handschu guidelines and requiring that the representative report periodically to the court. The New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement the ruling highlighted safeguards they sought but that the department declined to accept. "This development is an opportunity to put the strongest safeguards in place, and we are eager to discuss the courts suggestions with the NYPD and the city," the group said. New York City law department spokesman Nick Paolucci said in a statement the city was disappointed to some extent that the judge did not approve the settlement. "That said, we will explore ways to address the concerns raised by the judge," Paolucci added. Following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the New York Police Department pursued an aggressive surveillance program that sent undercover officers into Muslim neighborhoods, organizations and mosques. Story continues The tactics, which became widely known after a series of reports by the Associated Press, were criticized by civil rights advocates as unconstitutional. Mayor Bill de Blasio, who campaigned in part on reining in police excesses, ended the program soon after taking office in 2014. The proposed settlement required modifications to the Handschu guidelines, which were loosened after the Sept. 11 attacks, and called for at least a five-year term for the civilian representative. (Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Andrew Hay) By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) - A U.N. investigator into the human rights of migrants arrived in Australia on Tuesday to assess its tough asylum seeker policy, after aborting a visit last year claiming a lack of government assistance and access to asylum seeker detention camps. The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Francois Crepeau, will spend 18 days in Australia and the tiny South Pacific island nation of Nauru - where some 410 men, women and children remain in indefinite detention. "This is an opportunity for me to understand how Australia manages its overall migration policies, and their impact on the human rights of migrants," Crepeau said in a statement. Under Australia's border security laws, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach the country by boat are sent for processing to detention camps on Papua New Guinea's Manus island and Nauru. They will never be resettled in Australia. Currently, there are 1,200 people held in camps. A U.N. report in October heavily criticized Nauru for its failure to protect asylum seeker children from sexual abuse inside the Australian-funded detention center. Crepeau's visit comes amid fresh criticism of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull over a government proposal to permanently ban asylum seekers who arrive by boat from ever entering Australia again. Even if they are resettled in a third country as genuine refugees they will be denied any Australian visas in the future, even tourist or business visas. "We welcome refugees, they have made an enormous contribution to Australia...but we are able to do that because we can maintain the integrity and security of our borders," Turnbull told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio. Crepeau, who canceled his last visit citing a lack of government cooperation and "unacceptable" legal restrictions denying him entry to Nauru, will issue his findings in a report on November 18. "It's clear Nauru and Manus are dead ends. The government urgently needs to find a humane way forward," said Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy, Human Rights Law Centre. (Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry) London (AFP) - The British government was accused Tuesday of capitulating to "media barons" after indicating it may abandon a measure to punish newspapers that refuse to join a government-approved press regulator. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced consultation into whether to implement 2013 legislation that would force news organisations to pay all the costs of libel and privacy suits against them, even if they won. The so-called Section 40 measure would only apply to groups that refuse to join a new press regulator, IMPRESS, that was introduced after the 2011 phone hacking scandal. It was intended as an incentive to make sure newspapers signed up to the new system, but has been condemned as a threat to press freedom -- and failed to achieve its purpose. Only around 50 organisations are members of IMPRESS, while around 2,500 have joined the unofficial IPSO regulator -- presenting the government with what Bradley admitted was "a dilemma". "The government is determined that a balance is struck between press freedom and the freedom of the individual," she told parliament's lower House of Commons. "Those who are treated improperly must seek redress. Likewise politicians must not seek to muzzle the press, or prevent it doing legitimate work such as holding us to account." She added: "We have to make this work in this climate and with this situation." But opposition Labour culture spokesman Tom Watson, who helped expose the practice of journalists intercepting public figures' voicemails, said the decision to reopen debate on the issue was "deeply regrettable". "She opens up the executive to the suggestions that they have succumbed to the vested interest of media barons," he said, noting Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with Rupert Murdoch last month. The 10-week consultation will also look at whether to proceed with the second part of the judge-led Leveson Inquiry into press ethics and behaviour, which would examine any potential wrongdoing. Story continues The first part of the inquiry, commissioned in 2011 after Murdoch closed his News of the World tabloid over hacking, recommended a complete overhaul of the system of press self-regulation. Part two was intended to look at wrongdoing in the scandal, including the failure of initial police investigations to expose the problem. Some argue this is no longer necessary given that subsequent criminal probes have led to a number of convictions. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is funded by the newspaper industry and critics say it will not be tough enough on Britain's sometimes unruly press. However, critics of the government-backed regulator argue that the new system under which it operates will allow governments to erode press freedom. LONDON (Reuters) - Russia is pushing its foreign policy in increasingly aggressive ways including cyber-attacks and espionage, posing a growing threat to Britain and the rest of Europe, the head of Britain's internal intelligence agency MI5 has said. The Kremlin dismissed the allegations as untrue and challenged its critics to produce evidence. MI5 Director General Andrew Parker said Russia had been a covert threat for decades, but what differed now from the Cold War era was that there were more and more methods available for it to pursue its anti-Western agenda. "Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly," he told the Guardian newspaper in an interview published on Tuesday. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways, involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call that Parker's words "do not correspond to reality". "Until someone produces proof, we will consider those statements unfounded and groundless," he said. Parker's interview coincided with a British government announcement on plans to invest an extra 1.9 billion pounds ($2.3 billion) in cyber security defences. Already strained by the case of Alexander Litvinenko, a former KGB agent murdered in London in 2006, relations between Britain and Russia have further deteriorated over Moscow's actions in Ukraine and Syria. Parker said the targets of Russia's covert activities in Britain included military secrets, industrial projects, economic information and government and foreign policy. On Islamic extremism, Parker said Britain's security services had foiled 12 attack plots in the past three years, but that the threat would endure for at least a generation. "That sort of tempo of terrorist plots and attempts is concerning and it's enduring. Attacks in this country are higher than I have experienced in the rest of my career, and I've been working at MI5 for 33 years," he said. Story continues "The reality is that because of the investment in services like mine, the UK has got good defences. My expectation is that we will find and stop most attempts at terrorism in this country." The threat level is officially set at "severe", meaning an attack is considered highly likely. Parker broke down the threat into three components: homegrown extremists numbering about 3,000, Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq trying to incite plots against Britain, and online propaganda by IS and other extremist groups. He added: "This is something we have to understand: it's here to stay. It is an enduring threat and it's at least a generational challenge for us to deal with." (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon in London and Denis Pinchuk in Moscow; editing by Stephen Addison) By PTI: Karachi, Nov 1 (PTI) At least 10 persons were today killed and over 50 others injured when a series of explosions rocked an unused oil tanker that was being dismantled at a shipbreaking yard in Pakistans southern Balochistan province. The fate at least 30 other workers remains unknown following the explosions at the Gadani shipbreaking yard, where over 100 people were working on the ship at the time, local media reported quoting officials. advertisement At least 10 people have been killed and 50 others wounded in the explosions. Some workers remain trapped inside the ship while others who were able to exit the ship from above threw themselves into the sea, reports said. About eight explosions have occurred in the oil tanker due to gas welding work, and more explosions are feared. Rescue workers are limited in the area and a single fire engine present at the scene has been unsuccessful in putting out the fire, reports said. A loud blast rocked a ship docked in the shipbreaking yard, setting the ship on fire, Geo News reported. More than 25 of the injured have been rescued so far, it quoted rescue sources as saying, who added that tanks on the ship caught fire, setting the entire ship ablaze. The fire is spreading fast, hampering rescue work, it said. The injured are being brought to hospitals in Karachi and fire brigades summoned from Hub and Karachi are in the process of putting out the fire but with little progress so far as the flames are spreading fast, the report said. President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives. Sharif directed authorities to extend best possible medical treatment to the injured besides ordering an inquiry into the incident. PTI SAI AKJ SAI --- ENDS --- United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo next week to gauge tensions over the holding of presidential elections. The 15 council envoys will visit Kinshasa, Goma and Beni from November 10 to 14 for talks with President Joseph Kabila, opposition leaders and civil society. "We are in a very tense pre-election context," Senegalese Ambassador Fode Seck, who holds the presidency of the council this month, told reporters on Tuesday. "The council considers that it would be useful to go to DRCongo to speak to all the players as part of its prevention role," he told reporters. Anti-Kabila demonstrations in Kinshasa in September turned violent, killing some 49 people. Last month, a political deal was reached between Kabila's party and some fringe opposition groups to delay the presidential election due to have been held this year, until April 2018. The opposition rejected the deal, with the main dissident coalition -- "Rassemblement" (Gathering) -- branding it a ploy by Kabila to stay in power beyond the end of his term. One of Africa's biggest, resource-richest countries, the DR Congo has been ruled by Kabila since 2001, when his father Laurent was assassinated. He was elected in 2006 to his first five-year term under a constitution that sets a two-term limit for presidents. France has said the political deal does not fully address the crisis and has called on Kabila to announce that he will not run for office. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has said Kabila should set a date for the election. US Ambassador Samantha Power has said elections should be held in 2017. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last month said he hoped the deal would help improve human rights and lead to a credible vote. Ban urged opposition groups to resolve differences peacefully. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council on Tuesday welcomed the election of Michel Aoun as Lebanon's new president and said a new unity government and national elections next year would be critical for stability. The council unanimously adopted the statement, a day after the 81-year-old former army chief was elected after four rounds of voting in parliament. "The election is a long-awaited and critical step to overcome Lebanon's political and institutional crisis," the council statement said. The election ended a two-year power vacuum at the top at a time when the country is struggling to cope with the impact of the devastating war in neighboring Syria. The council stressed that "the formation of a unity government and the election of a parliament by May 2017, in accordance with the constitution, are critical for Lebanon's stability and resilience to withstand regional challenges," the statement read. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday welcomed Aoun and called for a new government to be formed without delay. Lebanon is hosting more than one million Syrian refugees while hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have been living in squalid and often lawless camps in the country. An unscheduled fire at a cane field burned around 200 acres of brush in Kula, Maui, on Monday, October 31. The Hawaii Commercial & Sugar Company said the sugar cane was not scheduled to be burned. The flames consumed more than 300 acres of cane, according to Maui Now. This video shows smoke billowing from the fire. Credit: Facebook/Austin Kahale Kan Hai AMSTERDAM/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Talks to restructure Urenco broke down after German utilities E.ON (EONGn.DE) and RWE (RWEG.DE), which hold a third in the uranium enrichment firm, refused to agree to a deal that would have prevented a lucrative stock market listing in the future. Negotiations with the Dutch and British governments, which also own a third each, have been going on for years, but the complex ownership as well as concerns over its sensitive technology have made any deal difficult to reach. Urenco, the world's second largest nuclear fuel vendor after Russia's Tenex, could fetch up to 10 billion euros (8.99 billion), sources have told Reuters. Its technology could be used to make a nuclear bomb. Dutch Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp said E.ON and RWE declined to sign an agreement creating a new corporate and legal structure for Urenco because it excluded the possibility of a future stock market listing. The agreement would have allowed Britain to sell its one-third stake, while the Netherlands would have remained a one-third owner, Kamp said in a letter to parliament dated Oct. 31 and seen by Reuters on Tuesday. "We could not agree to a structure that would negatively impact the value of Urenco and would have made a sale virtually impossible," E.ON and RWE said in emailed comments, adding they still planned to sell their stake. "We are open for further talks," the companies said, adding that it would take a long time to complete the sale. The British government is assessing its options, a spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said. Urenco was created more than 40 years ago through the Treaty of Almelo, which requires each country to protect the company's enrichment technology. (Reporting by Toby Sterling and Christoph Steitz, additional reporting by Karolin Schaps in LONDON, editing by Jane Merriman and Louise Heavens) Depending on the outcome of next week's presidential election, some Americans are suggesting -- seriously or not -- that if the wrong candidate wins, they intend to leave the country. Perhaps current events are a tipping point for making a long-considered move to take advantage of the many benefits of living and retiring overseas. Other people are looking for a place to go to leave the rest of today's crazy world far behind. [See: 10 Affordable Places to Retire Overseas in 2016.] A truly out-of-the-way overseas haven is a lower profile country with a certain level of inaccessibility. You might want to look for a country that isn't trying to make a name for itself on the world stage and attracts few tourists. Uruguay can be just the place for privacy and independence in today's world. Uruguay is almost 10 hours south of Miami by air. It has an attractive financial services infrastructure and offers a first world environment with well-maintained roads and drinkable water throughout the country. The people are warm, friendly, non-violent and well-educated. The health care system is good, and it's possible to qualify for free health care. Residency is easy to obtain and can mean a path to second citizenship in as little as three years. Most importantly, Uruguay is neither an aggressor nor anyone's object of aggression. There's little motivation for domestic spying or global terrorism. The best options for privacy are in Uruguay's interior, in places such as Tacuarembo, Rivera, Artigas, Melo, and Treinta y Tres. Treinta y Tres is perhaps the best choice overall for under-the-radar living. Arriving in this ranching town of 26,000, you have the distinct feeling that you're completely removed from the rest of the world, and in many ways you are. You arrive in Treinta y Tres by driving up the coastal highway from Montevideo and then turning inland and continuing for about three hours. Treinta y Tres (Thirty-Three in English) got its name from the Treinta y Tres Orientales, a group of 33 revolutionaries led by Juan Antonio Lavalleja, who led the fight for independence from post-Portuguese Brazil. It was this battle that ultimately resulted in Uruguay's independence. Story continues [See: 10 Retirement Hot Spots in the U.S.] This historic spot is about four hours from the international airport in Montevideo and generally removed from life in the rest of the country. You won't find the rich cultural scene, nightlife or fine dining that is available elsewhere in Uruguay. Treinta y Tres is a small town where everyone knows each other and where you could settle in and become part of the very friendly and welcoming community. Like all towns in Uruguay, Treinta y Tres boasts wide, shady, tree-lined streets. In addition, it hides the country's nicest town plaza. The centerpiece of the square is a monument bearing the names of the famous 33 revolutionaries. This is a peaceful, clean and quiet outpost. The town plaza is the social center, where families enjoy the company of their neighbors while their children splash in the fountain and men sit together over chess boards to solve the world's political problems. This isn't a place to come for fine dining or white-glove service, but there are plenty of places to have a good meal. Treinta y Tres has all the requisite necessities for comfortable living, including supermarkets, bakeries, butcher shops, laundry facilities and hardware stores. And, best of all, it's all walkable. Treinta y Tres is not a tourist destination, nor is it an expat town. Its property market is quiet relative to the hot and active markets of Punta del Este, Uruguay's premier beach town, and the capital city, Montevideo. [See: 10 Places to Retire on a Social Security Budget.] This would not be a place to buy a home with the expectation of renting it out when you're not using it yourself. Most of the inventory for sale is houses. However, it is possible to buy a small two-bedroom apartment for as little as $75,000, and you could buy a three-bedroom house just a few blocks off the central square for as little as $120,000. Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. DailyFX.com - Talking Points: USD/CAD Technical Strategy: Possible leading diagonal could mean aggressive upside still viable Oil is joining yields and an anticipated dovish BoC to weaken CAD further, Employment data on Friday Ichimoku keeps focus higher as price and momentum remain above the cloud Quick Fundamental Take: The Canadian Dollar continues to weaken for a platitude of reasons on the fundamental front, which should give traders caution before buying the battered currency. The price of Oil has had a negative effect since the OPEC agreement to cut production came into doubt. However, there is more to the value of the Canadian Dollar than Oil. Access Our Free Q4 Dollar Outlook As The US Dollar Faces An Unorthodox Presidential Election On Friday, the Canadian economy will see whether the employment steadies from recent readings volatility. Data showed on Tuesday that Real-Estate agent activity fell 3.2%, the most since January, which shows weakness in one of the most supportive sectors of the Canadian economy, housing. Looking For Clear Short-Term USD/CAD Levels Updating In Real-Time? Check Out GSI The weakness in these key metrics of the economy have seen the Canadian dollar weaken and has seen the difference in the 2yr US/CA debt yields close to their highest in 3-months at -.30bps. Many are now watching whether or not the Bank of Canada will begin to discuss a rate cut in the coming months, which could provide a further boost for USD/CAD bulls. Technical Focus: A Leading Diagonal May Have Finished Providing Evidence For An Aggressive Impulsive Advance USD/CAD Technical Analysis: More Than Oil Is Weakening CAD Chart Created by Tyler Yell, CMT The chart above of USD/CAD looks crowded because, for months, the price action has been confined in the lower 1.30s. A key point about the choppy price action is that it has developed with higherhighs and higherlows, which is indicative of an uptrend that should not be fought. For traders that are fond of the Ichimoku cloud, the H4 chart has done a good job of keeping you on right side of impulsive moves. Story continues If price remains above the H4 Ichimoku Cloud, the path of least resistance remains higher, and we could be paving the way for an aggressive rise as we move from a leading diagonal to an impulsive wave iii of C in Elliott Wave terms. The leading diagonal view is encouraged by the recent break above the pattern high at 1.3313, and the three-wave move toward a 50% retracement of the diagonal down to 1.3005. Interested In Learning the Traits of DailyFXs Successful Traders? If So, Click Here The zone of support worth watching if USD/CAD continues to stumble alongside the DXY would be between 1.33/32. Within that zone is the base of the recent drop at 1.32788 that preceded seven-month highs. If the price can hold above that corrective zone, we could be building up for a strong move higher. Having a Hard Time Trading USD/CAD? This May Be Why The slope of the rise from 1.3005 on Oct 19 to 1.3432 on Oct 28 likely favors a further advance that could continue on Canadian Dollar underperformance or USD strength. The next upside target is the 50% retracement of the January-May range at 1.3575. If 1.3575 breaks, well be on the watch of the 61.8% retracement of the same range at 1.3838. Key Short-Term Levels as of Tuesday, November 01, 2016 USD/CAD Technical Analysis: More Than Oil Is Weakening CAD T.Y. original source DailyFX provides forex news and technical analysis on the trends that influence the global currency markets. Learn forex trading with a free practice account and trading charts from FXCM. By Carl O'Donnell and Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) - Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc (VRX.TO) said on Tuesday it is in talks with third parties to sell its Salix stomach-drug business and other assets. The drugmaker did not name the potential buyers it was talking with but people familiar with the matter told Reuters Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd was interested in Salix. The deal could raise as much as $10 billion for the indebted drugmaker, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Valeant acquired Salix last year for $14.5 billion. "The discussions may or may not lead to a definitive agreement," Valeant said in a statement late on Tuesday. Valeant is working with investment bank Morgan Stanley on the sale, the people told Reuters. Another bidder may also be interested in the Salix business, they added. Salix Pharmaceuticals makes treatments for disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhoea. The proceeds from the sale would likely be used to pay down the majority of Valeant's roughly $12 billion in bank loans. Valeant, which has a market value of $6 billion, has an overall debt pile of about $30 billion. The company's new chief executive officer, Joseph Papa, has committed to selling around $8 billion in non-core assets to help pay down debt that it accumulated over the course of a series of large acquisitions. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Valeant's former chief executive Michael Pearson and ex-chief financial officer Howard Schiller are targets of a U.S. criminal probe against the drugmaker over its ties to specialty pharmacy Philidor that helped boost its sales. Schiller also served as interim CEO while Pearson was on medical leave. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said the case against Valeant could yield charges within weeks, or lead to a settlement with the company. Valeant issued a statement saying it has been fully cooperating with authorities conducting the investigation. Story continues Valeant used Philidor to overcome insurer reimbursement rejections of its medications, with Philidor resubmitting claims to insurers until they were approved, according to numerous media reports late last year. It has since severed ties with the pharmacy company. Valeant has been struggling to revive its dwindling share price since late last year, when controversy around its drug pricing practices sent shares plunging. Its stock is down around 90 percent since its 2015 highs. Takeda tried earlier this year to buy Salix as part of a joint bid with private equity firm TPG but the approach, which came a few weeks before Papa took over as CEO. But Valeant's board rejected the offer as the wanted to give Papa time to map out a course for the company. Takeda told Reuters in September that it was scouting for multibillion-dollar acquisitions in the United States and other overseas markets as it seeks to boost its core therapy areas, including gastrointestinal medicine. News of the talks was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The U.S.-listed shares of Valeant surged to close up 33.7 percent at $23.86 on Tuesday. The stock, which dipped 3 percent in extended trading, had fallen about 78 percent this year. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York, Svea Herbst in Boston and Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James Dalgleish) (Repeats to add correct ticker symbol) By Carl O'Donnell Nov 1 (Reuters) - Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc is in talks to sell its Salix stomach business to Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda Pharamceutical Co Ltd , according to people familiar with the matter. The deal could potentially raise as much as $10 billion for the indebted drugmaker, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. There is no guarantee that the discussions will lead to a deal, they said. Valeant is working with investment bank Morgan Stanley on the sale, they added. News of the talks was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) By PTI: Los Angeles, Oct 31 (PTI) Hollywood stars Kate Hudson, Bette Midler and Katy Perry sported some of their most extravagant costumes for a slew of Halloween bashes in Los Angeles and New York over the weekend. Midler dressed up as her iconic Hocus Pocus character Winifred Sanderson for her New York Halloween bash on Friday. The costume instantly went viral and reignited pleas for a sequel, something Midler has been publicly promoting for years. advertisement Also in attendance at Midlers party was designer Marc Jacobs, who dressed as a female bodybuilder - complete with a six pack bodysuit, Christian Louboutin heels and a tiny blue bikini. At a Los Angeles party, Kylie Jenner and boyfriend Tyga dressed up in iconic outfits from the early 2000s, attending a Los Angeles party as Christina Aguilera from her Dirrty music video and as rapper Juelz Santana. A night before that party, the pair kicked off Halloweekend on a more intimate note, throwing a Dead Dinner for their family and friends. The couple was dressed up accordingly as a skeleton. Meanwhile Jenners sister Kourtney Kardashian went to Tygas party at Bootsy Bellows as a classic zombie bride. "The Vampire Diaries" star Nina Dobrev went for the laughs with her Halloween costume, dressing up as the horse from The Revenant while her friend wore a Leonardo DiCaprio costume complete with an Oscar in hand. Actor Taylor Lautner also transformed into the Olympic gold medalist swimmer for a Halloween party in LA on Saturday night. Amy Schumer went with one of the most popular Halloween costumes this year, dressing up as Dustin from the Netflix show Stranger Things while her boyfriend Ben Hanish coordinated as the character Eleven. No ones costume has gone more viral than Perrys herself, who dressed up as her idol Hillary Clinton and had boyfriend Orlando Bloom disguised as Donald Trump. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio didnt put quite as much effort into his own costume for Kate Hudsons affair, simply donning a simple wolf mask for the costume party Mindy Kalling was dressed up as Tom Hanks channeling the famous pilot in his recent film "Sully". James Corden opted for a NASA get-up as he partied with his wife Julia Carey. PTI PSH PSH PSH --- ENDS --- By Carl O'Donnell and Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) - Canada's Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc said on Tuesday it is in talks with third parties to sell its Salix stomach-drug business and other assets. The drugmaker did not name the potential buyers it was talking with but people familiar with the matter told Reuters Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd <4502.T> was interested in Salix. The deal could raise as much as $10 billion for the indebted drugmaker, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Valeant acquired Salix last year for $14.5 billion. "The discussions may or may not lead to a definitive agreement," Valeant said in a statement late on Tuesday. Valeant is working with investment bank Morgan Stanley on the sale, the people told Reuters. Another bidder may also be interested in the Salix business, they added. Salix Pharmaceuticals makes treatments for disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. The proceeds from the sale would likely be used to pay down the majority of Valeant's roughly $12 billion in bank loans. Valeant, which has a market value of $6 billion, has an overall debt pile of about $30 billion. The company's new chief executive officer, Joseph Papa, has committed to selling around $8 billion in non-core assets to help pay down debt that it accumulated over the course of a series of large acquisitions. On Monday, Bloomberg reported that Valeant's former chief executive Michael Pearson and ex-chief financial officer Howard Schiller are targets of a U.S. criminal probe against the drugmaker over its ties to specialty pharmacy Philidor that helped boost its sales. Schiller also served as interim CEO while Pearson was on medical leave. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, said the case against Valeant could yield charges within weeks, or lead to a settlement with the company. Valeant issued a statement saying it has been fully cooperating with authorities conducting the investigation. Valeant used Philidor to overcome insurer reimbursement rejections of its medications, with Philidor resubmitting claims to insurers until they were approved, according to numerous media reports late last year. It has since severed ties with the pharmacy company. Valeant has been struggling to revive its dwindling share price since late last year, when controversy around its drug pricing practices sent shares plunging. Its stock is down around 90 percent since its 2015 highs. Takeda tried earlier this year to buy Salix as part of a joint bid with private equity firm TPG but the approach, which came a few weeks before Papa took over as CEO. But Valeant's board rejected the offer as the wanted to give Papa time to map out a course for the company. Takeda told Reuters in September that it was scouting for multibillion-dollar acquisitions in the United States and other overseas markets as it seeks to boost its core therapy areas, including gastrointestinal medicine. News of the talks was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The U.S.-listed shares of Valeant surged to close up 33.7 percent at $23.86 on Tuesday. The stock, which dipped 3 percent in extended trading, had fallen about 78 percent this year. (Reporting by Carl O'Donnell in New York, Svea Herbst in Boston and Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James Dalgleish) By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) - James Ward-Lilley, the former AstraZeneca executive who created a UK respiratory medicine business in June by merging Vectura and SkyePharma, is already thinking about his next deal. This time he would like to buy a company with an established U.S. sales force to accelerate the group's ambitions as it develops specialized lung drugs that are wholly owned by Vectura, rather than partnered with Big Pharma. "I think it is the right thing to do if we can find the right target at the right price," the Vectura chief executive told Reuters in an interview. "It would make a lot of sense if we could find a company where we could avoid the opportunity costs of setting up a specialist sales team and bring in revenues earlier." Vectura hasn't had an easy time since the SkyePharma deal closed, following a royalties row with GlaxoSmithKline, delays in Novartis launching its Ultibro inhaler in the United States and Flutiform, another inhaled medicine partnered with Mundipharma, failing in a clinical study. Ward-Lilley acknowledged these setbacks were "frustrating" but said business fundamentals remained intact, as evidenced by the company raising its revenue outlook in September. Much of the immediate focus for Vectura investors centers on hopes for a generic version of GSK's best-selling Advair inhaler, which has been developed with Hikma. It could win U.S. approval in May. Since global Advair sales were $5.6 billion in 2015, with half that generated in the United States, the opportunity is significant. Still, Ward-Lilley argues there is more to Vectura than a big play on generics. Over the next three to five years he intends to deliver on new niche products that are fully owned by Vectura, starting with VR475, a nebulizer for severe asthmatics that could be filed for approval in 2019 and reach initial markets in 2020. While Vectura might partner VR475 in Europe, it would like to sell it itself in the United States -- hence the impetus to start looking for an acquisition that could add a sales force and complementary product lines. "We could acquire it with cashflows that we have ... we have the wherewithal to do that," Ward-Lilley said. "For the last few months we've been very focused on implementing the merger but we're always looking at assets." Recent currency volatility, following Britain's decision to leave the European Union, has been marginally positive for Vectura's sales and profits and has not derailed such long-term plans, he added. "Clearly, M&A targets ex-UK look more expensive but, on the flipside, our revenues are slightly higher and we're earning more from our euros and dollars." ($1 = 0.8182 pounds) (Editing by Susan Fenton) By Diego Ore and Fabian Cambero CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela freed three activists and the opposition postponed a symbolic trial in congress of President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday even as it warned it would quit Vatican-backed talks in a matter of days if tough conditions were not met. Maduro met with opposition leaders on Sunday for the start of talks to ease a political standoff between the ruling Socialist Party and the opposition-led parliament during a spiraling economic crisis. As well as suspending its parliamentary proceedings against Maduro, the opposition also agreed to postpone a march planned for Thursday to the presidential palace that the government had described as part of a coup plot. But it demanded that the government release around 100 jailed opposition activists and bring forward the next presidential election - conditions that are likely to meet with significant resistance from government leaders. Venezuela's next presidential election is due in late 2018. "We have put these points on the table, not so that they can be addressed in months but rather in the coming days and weeks," said opposition legislative leader Julio Borges during Tuesday's session. "Otherwise, we will walk away from the negotiating table and continue with our struggle." Without concrete progress, Borges said, the opposition would reopen the political trial and resume protests. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets last week in demonstrations that left dozens arrested and wounded. Maduro's adversaries accuse him of creating a dictatorship by leaning on compliant institutions to block the recall referendum and sideline the National Assembly. The Socialist Party lost control of the legislature in a landslide election in 2015 that was driven primarily by voter outrage over triple-digit inflation and widespread product shortages that have left many unable to eat three meals per day. ACTIVISTS FREED Maduro insists economic troubles are the result of an "economic war" imposed by hostile businessmen with the help of Venezuela's ideological adversaries in Washington. The two sides have held repeated dialogue processes over the years that generally produced limited results. "I congratulate the opposition because they are calming down," Maduro said in a radio show. "What is the alternative to dialogue? War." Many in the opposition have called the dialogue a stalling tactic and insist Maduro has no intention of allowing a referendum or an early presidential vote. Authorities freed the three activists - Carlos Melo, Andres Moreno and Marco Trejo - on Monday night. "I hope this government re-thinks and stops the persecution," said Melo, 65, who was detained in August and accused of carrying explosives as part of a coup plot, at a news conference flanked by his wife and supporters. Moreno and Trejo spent a month in jail, accused of damaging military morale in a political propaganda video that showed a soldier suffering the same economic hardships as protesters. Investigations of the activists will continue, the government says. The three deny the charges. As well as the Vatican, three former heads of state from Panama, Dominican Republic and Spain plus the regional bloc Unasur are trying to foster dialogue in Venezuela. Senior U.S. diplomat Tom Shannon is also in Caracas and met with Maduro on Monday to try and support the talks. Having narrowly won election in 2013 to replace Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer, Maduro has seen his popularity plummet, largely due to the OPEC nation's unprecedented economic crisis. (Additional reporting by Andreina Aponte, Eyanir Chinea, Corina Pons; Writing by Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Dan Grebler and Andrew Hay) Caracas (AFP) - Venezuela's opposition suspended a "trial" by lawmakers together with a planned mass march against the unpopular President Nicolas Maduro, ahead of talks next week aimed at easing their country's deep crisis. The decision adopted by the opposition-led National Assembly to put off its proceedings against Maduro on charges he has been derelict in his constitutional duties was not "capitulation," speaker Henry Ramos Allup said. Instead, it showed the opposition's desire to seek a solution to the crisis through the talks with the government set to begin November 11, he said. The march on Maduro's presidential palace that had been planned for Thursday would also be postponed, he added. Analysts had called the "trial" of Maduro symbolic at best, as the constitution does not allow for such a process against the president. Maduro himself had dismissed the effort as invalid and an attempt to overthrow his government, vowing to throw participants in jail. "I welcome... the fact that the opposition has made sensible decisions. I welcome that," he said on his weekly TV show. "And I shook hands with (Jesus) 'Chuo' Torrealba. I did not like him at all, and now I like him. He's nice," Maduro added, referring to the leader of the opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). - Opposition members freed - Relieving pressure on Maduro indicates the opposition sees the negotiations as its best option rather than a test of its ability to rally the public to its side. Maduro has earned the disapproval of more than 75 percent of Venezuelans, surveys show. Many blame their dire situation on the president -- whose current term is set to end in 2019 -- and his decision to maintain socialist policies launched by his late predecessor Hugo Chavez, which have exacerbated the effects of the sharp fall in the price of oil, Venezuela's main resource. Story continues But Venezuelans are more focused these days on lining up for basic goods than turning out in the streets to demand change as they struggle with chronic shortages of food, power and proper health care on top of runaway inflation. Maduro's government had made gestures toward the opposition ahead of the negotiations, made possible through mediation by the Vatican and Union of South American Nations. It released five opposition members from prison on Monday. The opposition called for the release of more "political prisoners," but it also showed signs of coming to terms with a decision by the electoral authorities last month to halt its drive for a recall referendum aimed at ousting Maduro. The leader of the opposition benches in the National Assembly, Julio Borges, said one of the main goals of the upcoming talks is to secure early elections. "We are giving a vote of confidence in the Vatican. We don't believe in the government," he said. "All our energy is being directed so the people can vote." Not everyone agreed, however. Jailed Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma tweeted that the protest march and putting Maduro on trial were worth much more than his freedom. - US backing for talks - Sixteen groups within the MUD that were initially hostile to the talks backed the unanimous decision to halt Maduro's political "trial." "We respect and accept the opinion of the majority of our colleagues," said Freddy Guevara, a lawmaker with the Popular Will party headed by jailed leader Leopoldo Lopez. The United States, which has long had thorny relations with Maduro and his late predecessor Hugo Chavez, has also thrown its support behind the talks. Maduro on Monday met with a senior US diplomat, Thomas Shannon, who had traveled to Venezuela to back the dialogue. The two had a "very positive" conversation about the start of the talks, the Venezuelan president said. However, some analysts warn that the government may be embracing the talks only as a way to buy time. "We have very little time to generate trust in the dialogue. The magnitude of the crisis is far-reaching," political scientist Francisco Coello said. "Desperation on the street is very high." It has signed a 10 year lease agreement with OUE. Although OUE Hospitality Trusts retail segment income is impacted in 2016 by the lower rental contributions due to longer fit-out periods by the landlord, the strategy to sign strong tenants like Victoria's Secret for longer lease periods will benefit the group through enhanced income stability in the long run. According to CIMB Research, Victoria's Secret is to open in 4Q16. Given this and the refurbishment on 430 rooms of Mandarin Orchard Singapore, the group can expect boost in earnings. It could be further uplifted with the higher contributions from Crowne Plaza Changi Airport extension, which managed to post a 52.3% gain in gross revenue to $6.1m in 3Q16. "We expect sequential quarterly DPU to improve heron, driven by inorganic contribution from Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Extension and completion of retail fit-outs. Michael Kors and Victoria's Secret have signed long lease periods of seven and 10 years, respectively," CIMB noted. The brokerage firm added, "Chiefly, the opening of MK and Victoria's Secret in Mandarin Gallery should plug the income vacuum experienced in 1H16." More From Singapore Business Review As we get nearer to Election Day 2016, Constitution Daily looks at the Electoral College breakdown historically of 15 states that will be crucial in the November 8 election. electoralmap15states For our list, we used states listed as Battleground or Swing states on the Real Clear Politics website as of November 1, 2016. Some additional states, such as Utah, Indiana and Texas, could also see close contests next week. The Real Clear Politics list accounts for 187 electoral votes of the 538 votes at stake in the 2016 election. The biggest states on the list are Florida (29 votes). Pennsylvania (20 votes), Ohio (18 votes), Michigan (16 votes) and Georgia (16 votes). In the past five elections, the Republicans have won the majority of the presidential races in just 5 states since 1996, and they also took two of five races in Florida, Ohio and Nevada. This year, the trends will probably shift in what is expected to be a close race. Here is the list of states, with their electoral votes and trends going back before 1996. Arizona (11 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 4, Democrats 1 Bill Clinton took Arizona in 1996, but that was the only win there in the past 16 presidential elections for the Democrats. Colorado (9 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 3, Democrats 2 Barack Obama easily won Colorado in 2008 and 2012, but the Republicans took three prior elections including a Bob Dole victory over Bill Clinton in 1996. However, Colorado also voted for Clinton in 1992 over George H.W. Bush and Ross Perot. Florida (29 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 3, GOP 2 Barack Obama won Florida twice but with closer margins than in Colorado. The two Bush victories included the historic 2000 state election that decided the presidential race. Bill Clinton won Florida in 1996 but lost in 1992 there to George H.W. Bush Georgia (16 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 5, Democrats 0 The Republicans have controlled the presidential vote by a significant margin in Georgia since 2000. In 1996, Bill Clinton was competitive in Georgia but still lost, after taking the state in 1992. Story continues Iowa (6 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 4, GOP 1 Iowa has been leaning toward Donald Trump in recent polls, which goes against the trend in the states past five presidential races. Only George W. Bush in 2004 was able to grab Iowa for the GOP, and the Democrats have won six of the past seven presidential contests in Iowa. Maine (4 electoral votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 5, GOP 0 The Republicans havent taken all of Maines four electoral votes since 1988, but Maine also uses a proportional system where each congressional district gets 1 vote. So the winner this year will get all four votes, or three out of four votes. Michigan (16 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 5, GOP 0 Michigan has voted Democrat since 1992, but it also voted Republican for five presidential races before Bill Clinton won there. The best GOP performance in Michigan in recent elections was in the Bush-Kerry contest. Minnesota (10 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 5, GOP 0 Minnesota has been an even tougher vote for the Republicans. The last GOP candidate to take Minnesota was Richard Nixon in 1972. Missouri (10 votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 4, Democrats 1 The Show Me State has gone to the Republicans in nine of the past 12 presidential elections. Bill Clinton did take Missouri twice, and Barack Obama barely lost there to John McCain in 2008. Nevada (6 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 3, GOP 2 Nevada is a bellwether state: The winner there in the past nine elections has gone on to become President. Barack Obama and George W. Bush both won twice there, and Bill Clinton also won twice. New Hampshire (4 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 4, GOP 1 With the exception of 2004, New Hampshire was voted for the presidential winner in every election since 1980. Bill Clinton won there by almost 10 percentage points in 1996. North Carolina (15 votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 4, Democrats 1 The Tar Heel State has been reliably Republican since 1968 with two exceptions: Jimmy Carter won for the Democrats in 1976 and Barack Obama won there in 2008. Ohio (18 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 3, GOP 2 There is a reason Ohio attracts a lot of attention in presidential campaigns: In the past 10 races, the Democrats and Republicans have each won five times, and the winner in Ohio went on to become President. Pennsylvania (20 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 5, GOP 0 Pennsylvania has gone to the Democrats in the past six elections, with George W. Bush having the most success among the GOP candidates in 2004, where he lost by 2.5 percent to John Kerry. Virginia (20 votes) Trend (past five elections): GOP 3, Democrats 2 Barack Obamas two wins in Virginia broke a Republican streak in the state that went back to 1968. Since 1928, only four Democratic candidates won in Virginia: Obama, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman and Franklin Roosevelt. Wisconsin (10 votes) Trend (past five elections): Democrats 5, GOP 0 The Democrats have controlled Wisconsin in presidential races since 1976, with Ronald Reagan as the only Republican to win there, twice. George W. Bush lost narrowly twice in Wisconsin by under a percentage point in 2000 and 2004. In all, the Democrats won the majority of contests in 10 of the 15 Battleground States since 1996. Florida, Nevada and Ohio also went to the eventual presidential winner in the past five elections, so they may warrant special attention as you watch the election results on Tuesday night. Related Stories on Constitution Daily What happens when there is a tie in the Electoral College? Who are the Electors in the Electoral College? Explaining how recounts and contested presidential elections work By Olivia Oran Nov 1 (Reuters) - In an age when most bankers use keyboards to communicate with each other, a small group of the Wall Street elite refuses to say anything substantive in an email, text or chat, and some will not communicate digitally at all. This group, which includes top bankers like JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon and powerful investors like Carl Icahn and Berkshire Hathaway Inc's Warren Buffett, were eschewing electronic communications long before the probe of U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's emails and the recent hacks of her campaign manager's account made headlines. Some on Wall Street are nostalgic for a time when in-person conversations or phone calls were the norm, but others believe the words they type and send can come back to haunt them. Prosecutors have built insider trading, mortgage fraud and rate-rigging cases on embarrassing emails over the past several years, and they are often the most memorable part. Recent email woes among Washington power players have provided yet another reason for bankers to try to protect private correspondence from prying eyes. Dimon uses email but is known to keep his replies short and factual, favoring "yes," "no" and "thank you." That behavior was evident in company emails released by a U.S. Senate committee investigating JPMorgan's $6.2 billion "London Whale" derivatives trading loss. In one message, Dimon replied with a simple "I approve," showing some responsibility but giving no sense of how deeply he was involved with the decision to change risk tolerances at the bank. After hearing a passing reference to regrettable emails during an interview at a conference two years ago, Dimon volunteered: "Don't send emails after you've had a drink." A JPMorgan spokesman would not comment further. Other top investors like Icahn and Buffett rely on their assistants to send and receive messages. Buffett's assistant, Debbie Bosanek, prints out emails for the billionaire investor. Story continues Although the investors are averse to two-way digital correspondence, both blast out carefully curated messages on their Twitter accounts, with Icahn attracting 304,000 followers and Buffet, 1.2 million. Icahn has often used the tool to promote investments or political views, while Buffett has been relatively mum, tweeting just nine times. Ariel Investments chief John W. Rogers also shuns email, which he has described to associates as a "distraction." His staff filters important messages, prints them out and puts them on his chair for review, according to spokeswoman Merrillyn Kosier. He prefers to speak with employees in person or over the phone. "I do think there is certain cautiousness today around email," said Virginia Healy-Tangney, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management who focuses on managerial communication. "Since the financial crisis, executives really have to be prepared for anything they say to potentially end up on the front page of the New York Times." (Reporting by Olivia Oran in New York; Additional reporting by David Henry, Lawrence Delevingne and Jennifer Ablan in New York; Editing by Lauren Tara LaCapra and Lisa Von Ahn) By PTI: blocks Vijayawada, Oct 31 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh government today decided to constitute a Cabinet sub-committee to look into Telangana governments request for handing over certain blocks in the Secretariat in Hyderabad that are in the formers possession. The AP government relocated its departments from the Secretariat in Hyderabad to its new transitional headquarters at Velagapudi in the capital region Amaravati but continued to keep the five blocks in its possession as Hyderabad continues to be the joint capital till the year 2024. advertisement The Telangana Cabinet had last week adopted a resolution requesting the AP government to hand over the Secretariat blocks so that they too could be dismantled along with the blocks under its control. The Governors office wrote a letter to the AP Chief Secretary in this regard, citing the Telangana Cabinet resolution. The AP Cabinet that met for six hours here this evening, discussed the Telangana governments request and decided to constitute a Cabinet sub-committee without directly accepting or rejecting the request. "We discussed the issue in detail. There are several issues involved in this and also many problems related to the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. So, the Cabinet decided to constitute a sub-committee to look into all these issues and suggest future course of action," Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told reporters after the meeting. A formal Government Order in this regard would be issued soon, he said. Asked if the Cabinet sub-committee would look into the contentious issues related to Schedules 9 and 10 of the AP Reorganisation Act, the Finance Minister said "you will get the details in the GO". The Cabinet also decided to constitute another sub-committee to look into the Krishna River Water Tribunals recent ruling and take further legal action necessary. PTI DBV NRB SMN --- ENDS --- Leverage, in particular financial leverage, better known as debt financing, has been a significant component of operations from the very advent of corporate finance. After all, depending solely on retained earnings for business growth is next to impossible. Yet the word debt is unnerving for many. This is because while debt brings with it the capacity to spend a little bit more, it also carries the burden of repayment with additional interest in the future. The problem arises when the amount of debt a company bears becomes exorbitant. As a result, companies with large debt loads are more vulnerable during economic downturns and can even go bankrupt in the worst case scenario. Yet, in matured economies, the debt market is larger than the equity market in terms of market capitalization. In fact, America, the richest economy in the world, is the biggest borrower too. However, this should not disappoint investors putting their money into U.S. stocks, as debt has been a part of the U.S. economy since its foundation and yet the country stands atop others. What investors need is to choose stocks with caution, avoiding highly leveraged corporations. Naturally, the amount of debt a company currently bears has become a crucial part of equity investment decision. And here comes the importance of leverage ratios, which have been constructed historically to safeguard investors from becoming victims of debt trap. Debt-to-equity ratio is one such measure, perhaps the most popular one, which is widely used to evaluate a companys credit worthiness, for potential equity investments. Whats Debt-to-Equity? Debt-to-Equity Ratio = Total Liabilities/Shareholders Equity This metric is a liquidity ratio that reflects how much debt a company currently bears. A lower debt-to-equity ratio implies a comparatively less risky business and thereby instills investors confidence in a companys financial stability. Story continues As we enter the second half of the Q3 reporting cycle, the growth picture seems to be improving compared to what we saw in the trailing quarters. Naturally, this would entice investors to pour money in stocks exhibiting solid earnings growth. But in the uncertain world of investment, markets can trip anytime, particularly affecting companies with a higher degree of financial leverage. Therefore, blindly investing in stocks displaying solid earnings growth without considering their debt level might not be a wise move. Choosing a Winning Strategy Considering the aforementioned discussion, it is imperative for an investor to choose stocks that have a low debt-to-equity ratio. However, choosing stocks based solely on one financial metric might not fetch the desired outcome. To ensure the maximum possible return from this strategy, we have expanded our screening procedure to include some other criteria. Here are the other parameters: Debt/Equity less than X-Industry Median: Stocks that are less leveraged than their industry peers. Current Price greater than or equal to 10: The stocks must be trading at a minimum of $10 or above. Average 20-day Volume greater than or equal to 50000: A substantial trading volume ensures that the stock is easily tradable. Percentage Change in EPS F(0)/F(-1) greater than X-Industry Median: Earnings growth adds to optimism, leading to a stocks price appreciation. Estimated One-Year EPS Growth F(1)/F(0) greater than 5: This shows earnings growth expectation. Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy): No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 have a proven history of success. VGMScore of A or B: Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 offer the best upside potential Excluding stocks that have a negative or a zero debt-to-equity ratio, here are five of the final 21 stocks that made it through the screen. Comfort Systems USA Inc. FIX: This company offers mechanical installation, renovation, maintenance, repair, and replacement services for the mechanical services industry in the U.S. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 and witnessed an average positive earnings surprise of 15.83% in the trailing four quarters. CONE Midstream Partners LP CNNX: This is a growth-oriented master limited partnership (MLP) that owns, operates, and develops natural gas gathering and other midstream energy assets. The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 and witnessed a positive earnings surprise of 19.38% on an average in the trailing four quarters. Equifax Inc. EFX: This global leader in information management services witnessed a positive earnings surprise of 0.17% on an average in the trailing four quarters.It carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Preferred Apartment Communities, Inc. APTS: This corporation primarily acquires and operates multifamily properties in select targeted markets throughout the U.S. It carries a Zacks Rank #2 and witnessed a positive earnings surprise of 2.54% on an average in the trailing four quarters. Gentex Corp. GNTX: This manufacturer of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and electronics carries a Zacks Rank #2 and witnessed a positive earnings surprise of 5.31% on an average in the trailing four quarters. Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and back testing software. The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out. Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today. Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance. Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report EQUIFAX INC (EFX): Free Stock Analysis Report CONE MIDSTREAM (CNNX): Free Stock Analysis Report GENTEX CORP (GNTX): Free Stock Analysis Report COMFORT SYSTEMS (FIX): Free Stock Analysis Report PREFERRED APTMT (APTS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Warner Bros. has selected the first five participants in its newly launched Emerging Film Directors Workshop. The program, which has been in the works for several years, is aimed at serving as a talent incubator designed to give access and voice to new and underrepresented talent via a seven-month fellowship with the opportunity to showcase their work. Greg Silverman, the president of creative development and worldwide production, made the announcement Tuesday. Were very excited about the filmmakers weve selected for our inaugural Directors Workshop, said Silverman. Each of these candidates has a unique background, point of view, and aspiration. Theyve already shown immense talent and passion for filmmaking and we cant wait to help them further develop their skills, get exposure for their work and advance their careers. Starting in December, participants will work through the entire film production process, from pitch to final cut and premiere. Julia Spiro, VP of Production, and production exec Jon Gonda will serve as mentors and industry liaisons for the group. Each of these filmmakers will create their own original short film with a budget of $100,000 through a process that mimics Warner Bros. Pictures feature process from beginning to end, including script development, full prep, a shoot on the historic Warner Bros. lot, and full post production. Workshop participants have the option to develop their story idea and write it themselves or work with a screenwriter, which Korycinski is opting to do. The program will culminate with a film festival held at Warner Bros. in June 2017, where the participants will premiere their films for exposure to agents, managers and industry professionals. There were over 5,000 applicants to the Emerging Film Directors Workshop, with each applicant submitting their idea for short film. Silverman told Variety that the workshop is aimed at building on the studios three-year-old efforts to team with the Black List to find new and diverse writers. Warner Bros. has also been attempting to make certain its casts are as diverse as possible, he added. Story continues We were pretty successful in that on Suicide Squad,' Silverman noted. The participants: Kristin Burke, who has worked as a movie costume designer for 25 years, working on such movies as New Lines The Conjuring. Burke has written, directed, edited, and produced three original short films. Justin Floyd, a graduate of Fullerton College and the Inner City Filmmakers program. The Los Angeles native has worked as a production assistant on Fast & Furious 8 and Sinister 2, and written, produced and directed four short films. Alexis Korycinski, a Syracuse University graduate who spent her first few years after college producing documentaries and directed her own in 2011. She has also directed and produced three original narrative short films. In 2014, she participated in the AFIs Directing Workshop for Women and shes also a participant in the Ryan Murphy Television Half Foundations mentorship program, through which shes shadowed directors on shows such as American Horror Story. Elaine Mongeon, who is from Nantucket, Mass. After attending Boston University, she moved to Los Angeles and eventually became the assistant to director Greg Jacobs, working with him on nine different films. Xu Zhang, who grew up in southern China, where she attended the Zhejiang University. She earned her MFA in Film & TV Production at University of Southern California, during which time she worked on more than 20 short films, directing several of them. Related stories Warner Bros. Wins Appeal Over 'Gone With the Wind,' Tom & Jerry Merchandise 'The Flash' Movie Loses Director Rick Famuyiwa Japan Box Office: Warner's 'Death Note' Ends 'Your Name' Dominance A major sale of assault rifles to the Philippines has been stopped by Washington after a Senator reportedly expressed concern over human-rights violations in the Southeast Asian nation. According to Reuters, staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told the U.S. State Department on Monday that Senator Ben Cardin the committees top Democrat was opposed to the sale of up to 27,000 assault rifles to the Philippines, where thousands have been killed in a savage, extrajudicial war on drugs. Relations between Washington and Manila have been tense following a series of bizarre pronouncements from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has told President Barack Obama to go to hell and called the U.S. leader a son of a whore. Last month, the Philippine strongman told Chinese state television that U.S. criticism of his war on drugs had soured relations. He also announced his separation from the U.S. and said that he wanted American troops to leave the Philippines. [Reuters] Yesterday, the White House opened its doors to celebrate Halloween with some very lucky trick-or-treaters. In addition to President and Michelle Obama handing out candy to adorable costumed kids for their last Halloween party at the White House, the duo also paid tribute to music legends Prince and Michael Jackson. As Pitchfork points out, while handing out candy to a child in a spot-on Prince costume, President Obama couldn't help but enthusiastically sing a few lines from "Purple Rain." Later on in the day, he and Michelle also danced to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (to the best of President Obama's ability). If America has learned anything in the past eight years, it's that POTUS can definitely sing and that FLOTUS is the one with the moves. Watch the Obamas dance to "Thriller" above and POTUS sing Prince's "Purple Rain" to a trick-or-treater below. Continue Reading On PigeonsandPlanes More from PigeonsandPlanes By Fabiola Ortiz AL JAB'A, West Bank (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A mountainous Palestinian community in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Al Jab'a differs in many ways from surrounding Israeli settlements but it shares one worry with its neighbors a shortage of water. In the last few decades the West Bank has seen rainfall decrease and groundwater levels fall with drought expected to become "more frequent (and) more intense", according to a 2012 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report. Residents of Al Jab'a, who once had to walk for hours daily to fetch water, do have limited access to Israeli water supplies in their concrete homes due to a reservoir, pipeline and a pump built in 2013 by an Italian non-governmental organization. But the water provided is not enough, according to families in Al Jab'a, a village of about 150 houses 12 km (7 miles) southwest of Bethlehem. They also fear their system could be demolished as it was not officially approved. "Before, we had to walk many times a day to the nearby springs to fill our bottles and buckets," said Omar Musa, 18, who lives with his parents and five siblings near the reservoir in a house atop a hill. "I was happy when I knew I would have water at home." He estimated that his family saves about six hours a day by not having to fetch water for their use, crops and livestock. WATER RESTRICTIONS But numerous rural and Bedouin communities in the West Bank are not connected to a network run by Israel's national water company, Mekorot, which is responsible for supplying water to Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied territory. In Al Jab'a, only 10 percent of homes were part of the Mekorot distribution system until the pipes and reservoir completed in 2013 extended the network to the remaining households. Water piped by Mekorot is pumped up the hill to be stored in the reservoir. But this has not completely resolved the community's water problems. Residents say the Mekorot system supplies water only intermittently and at low pressure. When supplies flow, families must hurry to store as much as they can. In addition, residents like Musa and his family fear the reservoir could be demolished by the Israeli authorities because, like many of their homes, the structure was built without an official permit.Construction by Palestinians is forbidden in Area C, a designation covering about 60 percent of the West Bank, including Al Jab'a. Between 2010 and 2014 only 1.5 percent of requests for building permits in Area C were approved, according to the U.N.Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). An application for a permit for the Al Jab'a reservoir by GVC, the Italian development organization that built it in partnership with UNICEF, was turned down, GVC said. According to Israeli authorities, issuing demolition orders for structures built without permission is a legitimate measure, a 2015 OCHA report notes. Although only one-fifth of the 14,000 demolition orders issued in Area C since 1988 have been carried out, according to OCHA, the uncertainty leaves residents worried for the safety of their homes and their water supply. After the 1967 war in which Israel acquired the West Bank, Israel imposed restrictions on well drilling and constructing distribution networks, which has left a quarter of Palestinians without piped water, according to a report by the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs. An assessment by UNICEF in 2015 showed that 400,000 Palestinians from 1.7 million living in the West Bank were in need of improved water, sanitation and hygiene services. The U.N. Environment Programme said in a report that Israel uses the majority of the water resources available in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel, however, points out that it provides the Palestinians with double the 30 million cubic meters of water annually that was agreed to in the 1995 Oslo accords. BRING BACK CISTERNS? Gregor von Medeazza, chief of the water, sanitation and hygiene program at UNICEF in East Jerusalem, said water remains a persistent sore point between Israel and Palestinian communities in the West Bank. "Water should be a source of collaboration and should bring people together," he said. "At the end of the day, they all share the same water resources." Von Medeazza said that UNICEF is concerned about ensuring measures are in place to use water carefully and help communities adapt in the face of growing scarcity. "It means having rational use of (the) water available and making sure there is no wasting of water," he said. With climate change bringing more variable rainfall, "it is also important to emphasize that there is a question of accessibility and human right to a minimum amount of water", he said. Apart from building reservoirs, Von Medeazza suggests rehabilitating around 300 ancient cisterns underground storage tanks dating from Roman times that once collected water in the rainy season. These have the potential to be used today and would be a cost-effective measure, he said. Around 80 such cisterns have been restored so far by a coalition of non-governmental organizations. "The long-term vision is to increase the current access (to water) of people living in remote places," Von Medeazza said. "We have the technical solutions to extend services and connect communities. What we need is further support from all parties (Israelis and Palestinians) for this to happen." For his part, Musa in Al Jab'a remains worried but resolute. "We are really afraid of losing our reservoir," he said. But "we are not leaving our house nor our community". (Reporting by Fabiola Ortiz; editing by James Baer, Laurie Goering and Belinda Goldsmith:; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) Russia is a country of over 140 million people. Yet Americas collective imagination is close to transforming the entire nation into a cross between Boris and Natasha and a Bond villain and, in doing so, making Moscow an unexpectedly big player in this years presidential election. Over a few hours on Halloween, a flood of new stories emerged alleging additional ties between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Russia. It came hard on the heels of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reids weekend missive to FBI Director James Comey, accusing him of hiding information that ties together Trump, his advisors, and the Russian government. According to Slate, a Trump Organization email server allegedly has been secretly communicating with a computer belonging to the Kremlin-linked Alfa Bank, Russias largest private bank. The contents of those messages remain unknown. But digital sleuths point to records showing that two entities communicated, and that they seemed to take steps to hide their communications. (Skeptics argue the communication records may just be spam marketing material from Trumps hotel chain.) Then Mother Jones reported late Monday that a veteran former Western intelligence officer gave the FBI memos that detailed a Kremlin operation to control Trump. The Kremlin, according to the spy, holds compromising material on Trump and is using the businessman to encourage splits and divisions in [the] western alliance. The Trump campaign has repeatedly denied having ties to Moscow. In its own report Monday, the New York Times concluded the FBI found no clear link between Trump and the Kremlin after looking into some of these allegations. And the allegations of the secret email server are also disputed: Some cyber experts believe the strange communications with Alfa Bank may be nothing more than spam emails from Trumps business. Despite all the denials and dismissals, theres a reason allegations about Trumps supposed ties to Moscow have traction. The GOP candidate has surrounded himself with people with links to Russia, and he has repeatedly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and echoed many Kremlin talking points during the 2016 campaign. Story continues All this comes against a backdrop of Russian hacking that has seen operatives, working on behalf of Moscow, penetrate the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee, White House staffers, the former head of NATO, and others. U.S. intelligence officials blame Russia for the hacks; Trump says no one knows who is doing it. The FBI is reportedly looking into the foreign business connections of Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, NBC reported Monday. Manafort, who has denied any investigation exists, resigned in August after documents emerged appearing to show he received cash payments from Viktor Yanukovychs pro-Russia party in Ukraine, for whom Manafort once worked. Other Trump advisors also appear to have Russia links: Carter Page once ran the Moscow office of Merrill Lynch and allegedly met with Putins inner circle, while retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn sat by Putin at RTs 10th anniversary dinner in 2015 (he has insisted that was not by his request). Trumps pro-Putin stance is the one of the few positions on which he has been consistent this campaign. Of Putin, Trump has said, hes been a leader far more than our president has been a leader. But thats not all the praise Trump has showered on Putin. Check out the noteworthy public displays of Russian affection, including the following: Trumps running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, disavowed Putin during Oct. 4 vice presidential debate; days later, during his own Oct. 9 face-off with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Trump disavowed Pences disavowal. This summer, the Trump campaign reportedly pushed to make the Republican platform more pro-Russia by nixing the idea of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine. Like the Kremlin, Trump was in favor of the British referendum to leave the European Union (better known as Brexit). Trump has made statements that many understood as undermining NATO, an organization which Putin has accused of acting aggressively. From Russias point of view, turnabout is fair play. Putin does not like Clinton, who he blames for inciting the protests in 2011 against alleged voting fraud in Russias election. As Matthew Rojansky of the Wilson Center has noted, Russia sees the United States having meddled in Russias elections for ages which is to say that the Kremlin may well see itself as being engaged in a fiercely competitive match of tit-for-tat. Yet that doesnt mean Russia is actively working against Clinton, or for Trump, as opposed to simply seeking to undermine confidence in American institutions. With just a week to go before the Nov. 8 vote, one of the biggest questions is not whether, but how much, Putins Russia has inserted itself into Americas electoral discourse. In that sense, Russia has already deeply influenced and is still influencing the election, regardless of the ultimate outcome. Well played, Boris and Natasha. Photo Credit: PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images By PTI: From Youssra El-Sharkawy Cairo, Nov 1 (PTI) Spouses of Asian diplomats, including from India, are set to host a crafts bazaar in the Egyptian capital in a bid to raise funds for NGOs which work for women and children. The Asian Diplomats Spouses Association (ADSA) in Cairo will organise the annual bazaar in Cairo on November 12, association president Ranu Bhattacharyya yesterday told reporters at the India House in Zamalek. advertisement 11 Egyptian NGOs will participate in the bazaar along with 15 Asian countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Australia, said Ranu, wife of the Indian Ambassador in Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya. "We come from counties which have seen women and children in need. And since we are here we would like to find ways to address that," Ranu said. "These NGOs work with women and children and also they are promoting the crafts which are slowly dying out in Egypt," she pointed out. "They will be offered tables in the bazaar and it shall be free of cost. So whatever money they make, it is for them to put it back into their own organisations," she said. The press briefing was attended by Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China, Dwi Ria Latifa, wife of Ambassador of Indonesia, Hajah Sarimah, wife of Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, and Dianne Hawkins, wife of Ambassador of Australia. "Every year we sit together and update our charity activities and we see which organisation needs to be supported badly. We always stand by the Egyptian women and children and Egyptian people who need support," said Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China. As customary, the Asian embassies will sell traditional hand-made products and the food for which their countries are famous. Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, said ASDA is keen on supporting Egyptian handcrafts. "We keep those products that are dying and give a life to them so they can continue in Egypt through our support," she said. Cultural performances from several Asian countries will be held during the bazaar which will take place in one of Cairos 5-star hotels for a day. "I think what makes this Asia bazaar different from other bazaars is the cultural performances that will be held. Last year the cultural performers ended up with every body dancing," Dianne Hawkins, wife of the Ambassador of Australia, said. advertisement The bazaar will be inaugurated by Ghada Wali, the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Ranu said. PTI YES KIS --- ENDS --- Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall may be known for diligently going about her royal duties, but when she was younger, partying got her into a bit of trouble even costing her a job! When she was a debutante, establishing herself in London society in the 1960s, one of Camillas first serious jobs was as an assistant at an interior design company, Colefax and Fowler. There were a lot of debutantes working for us, even Camilla, Imogen Taylor, who had been there since 1949, told The Sunday Times. She worked for us for a moment but got the sack. Want to keep up with the latest royals coverage? Click here to subscribe to the Royals Newsletter. Taylor, 90, recounted the previously-unknown story as she promoted her memoir On The Fringe: A Life in Decorating. The book puts the blame for Camillas departure at the hands of her then boss, Tom Parr. The Duchess of Cornwall was one assistant who fell victim to one of tantrums, Taylor said. I think she came in late having been to a dance. Nowadays, Camilla, 69, conducts public duties alongside her husband Prince Charles and solo she notched up more than 230 last year. This week, she and Charles will help Queen Elizabeth welcome the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon to Britain for a state visit. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has detailed proposals for all manner of economic stimulus. Conspicuously absent: any kind of plan for corporate tax reform. Thats odd, because for everything Democrats and Republicans disagree ontaxes, immigration, trade, the color of grassthey actually agree in principle that the tax code governing business is a mess that needs to be fixed. The US corporate tax rate, at 35%, is one of the highest in the developed world, which creates an incentive for big companies to shift business and profit to other countries. And an encyclopedias worth of tax breaks lets select firms in favored industries pay far less in taxes than others. Investment banker Roger Altman, a key Clinton adviser, explained Clintons view on corporate tax reform during a live Yahoo Finance panel discussion on the two presidential candidates economic policies. We need corporate tax reform, he said. The campaign isnt the place to negotiate the rate. Lets wait until the election is over. At some appropriate point, shes going to make a proposal. In other words: Its coming. Its just not something Clinton wants to discuss during the campaign, when any plan to cut business taxes could be taken as a sop to corporate interests. [Watch: Clinton and Trump economic advisers square off.] Clintons rival, Republican Donald Trump, wants to cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15%, as part of a sweeping series of tax cuts meant to stimulate the economy. Many analysts think theres a middle ground between Democrats and Republicans on corporate tax reform. President Barack Obama has proposed lowering the rate to 28%, while closing many tax breaks businesses get, as a way of evening out the tax burden on different types of companies. But some businesses already pay less than 28%, on account of the same tax breaks Obama wants to eliminate. So the corporate sector is split on Obamas threshold. Clinton could adopt Obamas tax reform plan, more or less, or hew to a different formula. The makeup of Congress after the election will doubtless have something to do with where she comes out on the issue, since Republicans will have plenty of say on the matter as long as they control as least one house of Congress. Theres no shortage of tax-reform plans to choose from. There have been endless hearings on corporation tax reform, which is good, Altman says. Innumerable experts have weighed in. The only one who hasnt could be the nations next president. Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Mercadolibre, Inc. MELI may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report. That is because Mercadolibre is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earningswith the most up-to-date information possibleis a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for MELI in this report. In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at 88 cents per share for MELI, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of 83 cents per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for MELI, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of 6.02% heading into earnings season. MERCADOLIBRE IN Price and EPS Surprise MERCADOLIBRE IN Price and EPS Surprise | MERCADOLIBRE IN Quote Why is this Important? A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10 year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here). Given that MELI has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Mercadolibre, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report. Confidential from Zacks Beyond this Tale of the Tape, would you like to see Zacks' best recommendations that are not available to the public? Our Executive VP, Steve Reitmeister, knows when key trades are about to be triggered and which of our experts has the hottest hand. Click to see them now>> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report MERCADOLIBRE IN (MELI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research From ELLE If you logged on to Facebook today and saw someone you know check in to Standing Rock Indian Reservation, chances are they're not actually in North Dakota. Instead, they're taking part in ongoing protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline from afar. As a reminder, the $3.7 billion pipeline, purportedly an economic opportunity to make the U.S. rely less on imported oil, would run through four states, including land perilously near Standing Rock. Opposers believe the pipeline will destroy sacred Native American sites and be a threat to the environment. Tensions between protestors and law enforcement have risen in the last week with the arrest of more than 140 people. Back to Facebook: The thinking behind mass check-ins to Standing Rock is to throw off the local police who are allegedly using Facebook to track protestors actually at the reservation. More than 600,000 people checked in to Standing Rock by Monday afternoon, also sharing a message along these lines (taken from the "One prayer with standing rock!" Facebook event page): The Morton County Sheriff's Department has been using Facebook check-ins to find out who is at Standing Rock in order to target them in attempts to disrupt the prayer camps. Water Protectors are calling on EVERYONE to check in at SR to overwhelm and confuse them. The Morton County Sheriff's department, however, has called claims that they are tracking people using Facebook check-ins "false." So, checking-in is not actually "confusing" police. It is, however, still a symbol of solidarity that brings necessary attention to the cause. [contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related%20Story" customtitles="Shailene%20Woodley%20Writes%20an%20Op-Ed%20After%20Arrest" customimages="" content="article.40174"] You Might Also Like noor salman Noor Salman, the wife of the man who carried out the deadliest mass shooting in US history, has broken her silence since the June 12 massacre that left 49 people dead and dozens wounded. Salman told The New York Times in the presence of her lawyer that she wasn't aware of Omar Mateen's plans to attack the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. "I was unaware of everything," she said. "I don't condone what he has done. I am very sorry for what has happened. He has hurt a lot of people." The interview Salman gave to The Times differs from the story she told the FBI as they questioned her in the hours after the attack. Prosecutors are still deciding whether to bring charges because of her initial story that she was with her husband when he went to buy ammunition and a holster the night before. Salman, a Palestinian-American who grew up in Rodeo, California, told The Times that Mateen was physically and emotionally abusive, often hitting her and calling her the Afghan word for "slut." A nurse who has researched domestic violence and who evaluated Salman's case after the attack told The Times "she would be totally oblivious to clues that he is getting radicalized or planning anything." Mateen, a US citizen born in New York to Afghan immigrants, was living in Fort Pierce, Florida, with Salman when he rented a car and drove to Orlando to carry out the attack. He was armed with an assault-style rifle and a handgun that he had legally bought days before. omar mateen He was a security guard and had a Florida firearms license that allowed him to carry concealed weapons, which is why, Salman told The Times, she didn't find it suspicious when he bought ammunition with her one day at a Walmart. "It's possible she didn't know because he was not confiding in her, but she does have every incentive in the world to retell this story as a different kind of victim," Mia Bloom, a Georgia State University professor who has studied the role of women and children in terrorist groups, told the outlet. Story continues Mateen was the subject of FBI investigations in 2013 and 2014 the first after he made inflammatory and contradictory statements about terrorism that raised concern with his coworkers, and the second after a source close to the FBI indicated that he may have had ties to an American suicide bomber who prayed at his mosque in Fort Pierce. Performers and regulars at Pulse told media outlets in the days after the attack that Mateen was familiar with the club and had been going there at least once or twice a month for the last three years. He was also said to have used several gay dating apps. Salman, for her part, said she wants "people to know that I am human." "I am a mother," she said. Noor said Mateen gave her $1,000 the day before the attack for her and their 3-year-old son to go to California, and then didn't come home for dinner. Law enforcement sources said in the days after the attack that Mateen had gone further than that, adding Salman to his life insurance policy and giving her access to his bank accounts. Those reports have not been confirmed. Officials have said Mateen frequented Disney World, visiting the theme park several times between June 1 and June 6, which coincided with the park's weeklong Gay Days 2016 celebrations. Satellite data from his cellphone showed that he visited Disney Springs, a shopping mall connected to Disney World, hours before attacking Pulse. Salman, who deleted her social media accounts shortly after the shooting and has since avoided the press, corroborated some preliminary reports in her interview with The Times. She confirmed that she and Mateen had met online on a dating site called Arab Lounge. She also said that the final text she received from Mateen just before he was killed in a shootout with Orlando police inside the nightclub was a question: Had she seen the news? Salman told The Times she replied that she had not. Mateen then told her he loved her, she said, and that was the last she heard from him. The shooting at the gay nightclub was the deadliest shooting in US history, with more fatalities than the mass shooting at Virginia Tech in 2007 and the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012. NOW WATCH: Trump had a great response when he was asked to name one thing he liked about Clinton More From Business Insider Wilmer Valderrama is opening up about his personal immigrant experience and why all Americans should embrace and celebrate their cultural identities, not hide them. The most beautiful thing you can be is an immigrant, Valderrama, 36, says. A fearless brave individual that embraces their heritage is a special thing. The star of a new Johnnie Walker campaign Keep Walking America, Valderrama visited the Texas-Mexico border on October 23, meeting with local immigrants and hometown heroes and encouraging those of cross-culture heritage to embrace their roots. Especially at a time when he says there is a lot of negativity around the conversation of immigration. Im all about the positivity and making sure we celebrate the goodness of immigration, the former That 70s Show star says. And being proud of an immigrant heritage. Valderrama was born in Miami, Florida, but left the U.S. at the age of 3. My father is Venezuelan and my mother is Colombian, he says There was work in Venezuela, so we left the country and moved back to where my dad is from. The actor grew up on a farm riding horses and chasing chickens every day with his sister. But his fathers agricultural corn and rice business went bankrupt and his parents moved the family to California when he was a teenager in pursuit of a better life. He wanted to give me and my sister a better future and a shot at an education, says Valderrama. So we sold everything we had and came to America. He enrolled in acting classes and, at the age of 18, landed the role of Fez on That 70s Show that would eventually launch his Hollywood career. If youre an American, period, you are an immigrant, he says. Retelling my story now, retelling success stories, is a great reminder that the American dream can be achieved. Valderrama traveled to the Texas border town of Brownsville last month and spoke with locals about their paths, as immigrants, to success in the U.S. People need to accept that an immigrant heritage can be their best aspect, he explains. To be an American is to be a immigrant. I hope they see pride that pride that comes with that. Story continues The star caught up with Brownsville native Bianca Marroquin, recognized as the first Mexican-Americna actress to have a starring role on Broadway (she played Roxie Hart in Chicago), during his trip. I feel very fortunate to have grown up with both Mexican values and American traditions, it allows me to offer the world so much more. I was raised by strong Latina women who pushed me to never give up and now I have a responsibility to lead by example, Marroquin says. I hope I can help inspire a new generation to follow their dreams. Valderrama says its important for Americans to remember all the great things immigrants have done for the country. There have been a lot of conversations about border towns and how to fix them, but people forget there are amazing things that come from the blend of two cultures being that close together, he says of his visit. I went to Texas to remind us immigrants of who we are and what we are to this country and what our future is here. Valderrama is a non-partisan, but encourages all Americans to get out and vote and to take human issues into consideration when casting a vote in the 2016 election. Theres so much at stake, you have to vote, he says. Focus on the thing that will affect your community. As Afghan military forces near the end of a second year leading security operations across their battered country, new numbers highlight a sobering reality: They are being killed in horrific numbers. The US military, which leads a NATO mission to train and assist the Afghans, often gives upbeat assessments about Afghan military performance. But a rising death rate raises questions about how much more local forces can endure, and underscores the Taliban's continued strength. "It's been a very challenging fighting season" for the Afghans, General Joseph Votel, head of the US military's Central Command, told AFP following a recent visit to the NATO mission's Kabul headquarters. Afghan police and army units in 2015 succeeded NATO in providing security for Afghanistan. That year an estimated 5,000 were killed and another 15,000 wounded. The death toll this year is much worse already, with 5,523 Afghan police and troops killed just in the period from January 1 to August 19, according to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). An additional 9,665 personnel were wounded in the same period -- and the "fighting season" is far from over. For perspective: Since the US-led invasion in October 2001, a total 1,832 American troops have been killed in combat in Afghanistan. Still, Votel and other brass point to Afghan successes, particularly among special operations forces. The Afghans have "denied the Taliban and their associated elements from achieving their objectives. It certainly has come at a cost and the Afghan forces, particularly the army, have demonstrated, I think, great resilience as they've worked through those casualties," Votel said. The death toll is helping fuel a shortfall in the Afghan army's ranks, said General John Nicholson, the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan. The service has spots for about 190,000 troops but current levels are stuck at around 170,000. Story continues "They are still short of their overall recruitment objectives," Nicholson said. "Because of the high losses, we are not making up the deficit we have in the overall strength of the Afghan security forces." He blamed poor leadership and deep-rooted corruption as major factors. "These young police officers who are out dying on the checkpoints don't always have enough food, or water, or ammunition and their leader may not be with them," Nicholson said. Still, SIGAR found, morale within the ranks appears good, with three-quarters of recruits saying they have received good care and 90 percent satisfied with their pay. - Taliban eye provincial capitals - Fifteen years and hundreds of billions of dollars after America led an invasion of Afghanistan to ouster the Taliban in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, the security situation often feels like it is held together by thread. And despite being America's longest-fought war, the conflict is largely forgotten at home. During three lengthy debates between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Afghanistan got scarcely a passing mention -- even though the situation there will be an urgent matter for the new president. The Taliban threat forced President Barack Obama to slow plans to draw down US troop numbers at the end of this year. Taliban activity surged in 2015, including with the brief seizure of the capital of Kunduz province in the north. The president ordered 8,400 troops to remain into next year; he had previously vowed to slash the US troop presence from its current level of 9,800 to 5,500 by 2017. US Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, a senior spokesman for NATO's Operation Resolute Support, said incoming US units would be "reconfigured" to focus more on training and advising the Afghans, and noted the US military would shift some logistical functions overseas. The Taliban's 2016 strategic goal is to seize another capital like they did in Kunduz, and they have launched at least seven assaults including in Kunduz, Lashkar Gar in poppy-growing Helmand province and Tarinkot, the capital of Uruzgan province. "None of those provincial capitals has fallen," Cleveland noted. "While the Afghan defense of these places has not been perfect, and it hasn't been pretty all the time, at the end of the day they have been successful and they have been able to defend these capitals." The SIGAR report found that 63.4 percent of the country's districts were under Afghan government control or influence at the end of August, down from the 65.6 percent just three months earlier. The US military breaks control down by population, and says the Afghan government only has full control of about two-thirds of the country's population of 30 million. Ten percent is in Taliban hands, and the rest is still being fought over. Additionally, the Taliban-allied Haqqani network continues to conduct high-profile attacks in Kabul and elsewhere, and the military is bracing for further assaults. General Joe Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in September called Afghanistan "roughly a stalemate," but Nicholson later nuanced this by describing it as more of an "equilibrium." "But we believe it's an equilibrium in favor of the government, because they are controling the majority of the population," Nicholson said. President of the World Baloch Women's forum, Naela Quadri Baloch, said that people of Balochistan have a lot of hopes from Narendra Modi and see him as a hero. By Kiran Tare, Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending "moral Support" to the Balochisthan Movement, President of the World Baloch Women's forum, Naela Quadri Baloch, said that people of Balochistan have a lot of hopes from Narendra Modi and see him as a hero. Quadri, a youth leader and campaigner for independent Baqlochistan was speaking in Mumbai Press Club, on Monday. advertisement Calling the issue of Balochistan as a human right issue, Naela said "We have a lot of hopes from indian people. If people of India with us, the government will have to be with us. I expect the present govt with such a huge mandate to help us. Our struggle is for the struggle of our freedom or rather restoration of our freedom." "The earlier Indian government have failed us. This is for the first time that the Indian govt has taken an official stand. The Prime Minister spoke about it, Sushma Swaraj raised our issue on the international platform. This shows how serious they are about our cause", Naela added. CHINA'S INCURSION The Baloch leader also alleged that atrocities are on the rise in the region ever since China made an entry in the region. "Men are brutally killed or tortured in the camps... their vital organs taken out. Even the army is involved in organ trade. Women are abducted by Pakistan army." alleged Naela. The Baloch leader said that Hindus and Muslims in Balochistan have a great cordial relationship. Referring to the recent controversy in India over cow vigilantism Naela said , "In India people are fighting over cow slaughter. But in Balohistan, wherever there is hindu majority, our people do not slaughter cows. They don't do anything that will make them feel unpleasant". "Kashmir is your internal issue. Its wrong to connect Baloch issue with it. India should not fall in Pakistan trap of mixing these 2 issues. Indian government should give visas to Balochs as Balochs and not as Pakistanis. We face a lot of problem with the "manhus" term PK attached to our passports," added Naela. ON POOJA BHATT CELEBRATES DIWALI IN KARACHI Naela also criticised actor/ producer Pooja Bhat over her celebrating Diwali in Karachi. Nael said , "When the other country (Pakistan) is inflicting terror, killing your soldiers, mutilating their bodies...how can you clebrate there? We have seen what happened in Pathankot, Taj hotel..." --- ENDS --- Jeurys Familia New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia was arrested on Monday in Fort Lee, New Jersey, on a charge of domestic violence, court documents obtained by the Bergen Record showed. In the complaint, police said that Familia "recklessly cause[d] bodily harm" to the victim, whose name was not released. The complaint also said police observed the victim had a scratch on the chest and a bruise on the right cheek. Police said this gave them probable cause "to believe that domestic violence had occurred," according to the complaint. Familia, 27, is an All-Star relief pitcher for the Mets. Earlier this year, he appeared in an ad campaign for an anti-domestic violence organization. According to The Record, Familia was living with his wife and 1-year-old son at the time of his arrest. "The matter was brought to our attention and we are monitoring the situation," the Mets said in a statement on Tuesday. NOW WATCH: Cubs pitcher Aroldis Chapman has the fastest pitch on record at 105 mph heres how that compares to other sports More From Business Insider HARARE (Reuters) - A Zimbabwean cabinet minister on Tuesday accused Robert Mugabe's deputy of using state institutions to try to arrest him and further his attempt to eventually become president in the most direct attack in the deep rivalry over the country's future leadership. Mugabe is 92 and Africa's oldest ruler who has held power since the country gained independence from Britain in 1980. But he is increasingly looking frail, stoking a scramble in his ruling ZANU-PF party to succeed him. One faction is widely believed to be maneuvering to impose his wife Grace as a possible successor, another backs Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has the support of war veterans. While the two sides have traded barbs for months, Tuesday's comments by Jonathan Moyo, an outspoken higher education minister who is linked to the G40 group behind Grace, are the most overt attack on the man assumed to be her biggest rival. Moyo, a senior ZANU-PF official, said in a public statement that Mnangagwa was illegally using the anti-graft commission to further his political career. Mnangagwa could not be reached for comment, and his aides said he was busy in meetings. Moyo said the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission had on several occasions tried to arrest him on false graft charges at Mnangagwa's behest. He said this was part of a plan "intended to secure that the political ends currently being pursued by the vice president are advanced in relation to what has become public knowledge about the desire to secure a front foot in succession politics". The commission said last month it wanted to question Moyo on suspicion of abusing government funds, allegations the cabinet minister denies and says are a political plot against him. The commission said it would study Moyo's statement and respond appropriately when it was ready, without specifying when that would be. Political analysts say Mugabe has manipulated Zimbabwean politics to set himself up as a president for life but fear the country could suffer instability if he dies in office before the matter of his successor is resolved. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Alison Williams) - By Jacob Maslow RIP Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Many of us were shocked by the debacle that ended with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (005930.KS) pulling its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone off the market and recalling every one of them sold. Numerous people reported that their Galaxy Note 7s had spontaneously burst into flames. Samsung initially blamed the phone's lithium ion batteries, issued a fix and replaced faulty phones, only to see some of the new version of the phone catch fire. Airlines banned the Galaxy Note 7 from planes while social media and late-night comedians had a field day. Even President Barack Obama poked fun. At this point, Samsung admitted its new smartphone was a problem and issued a total recall. How does something like this happen? Samsung has been one of the world's leading consumer electronics companies, with roots dating to 1938. Its Galaxy Note series had been popular and profitable. Now it was out an estimated $5.3 billion for a colossal mistake. Samsung put own interest above consumers' with Galaxy Note 7 Many people experienced with product liability cases shook their heads as news about Samsung and the travails of its Galaxy Note 7 unfolded. As usual, the bigger problem could have been avoided if only they had followed accepted practices from the start and dealt with the problem openly and correctly. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Samsung manufactured the allegedly faulty batteries in the Galaxy Note 7 and tested them in house as well rather than using a certified independent lab. This is contrary to standard industry practice. "To sell smartphones at major U.S. carriers, phone makers are required to test phone batteries at one of the 28 labs certified by the U.S. wireless industry's trade group, the CTIA, to ensure compliance with standards set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers," the WSJ said. Story continues "Samsung is the only such manufacturer using in-house battery-testing facilities for CTIA certification, according to the association." When problems arose, Samsung executives moved forward with the initial recall based on limited evidence that the faulty batteries were the issue. However, proper procedure is to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission and work jointly with the CPSC to study a problem and plan a recall together. A later WSJ report said the CPSC was expected to investigate whether Samsung notified the agency soon enough of dangers posed by the Galaxy Note 7. "Samsung's decision to launch its own recall and bypass the CPSC's formal process initially, may have prevented regulators from figuring out more about the root cause of the defective phone. To make matters worse, according to NPR, "The widely floated theory suggests that Samsung's inflammable-battery woes began with the rush to beat Apple (AAPL) to market with the latest, most unique smartphone." As of this writing, no one knows for sure that the lithium ion batteries were the problem with the Galaxy Note 7. As Avi Greengart, research director for consumer platforms and devices at Current Analysis, told NPR, "If Samsung knows, it isn't saying -- and that's a problem. And if Samsung doesn't know -- well, that's a whole other kind of problem." Besides the financial loss, Samsung must now deal with the public relations fallout of this mess. Again, from Greengart on NPR: "The carriers are incensed at Samsung right now. If you're a retail sales rep and you've dealt with someone who's come in three times for a Note 7 -- once to buy it, once to return it for a recall and once to recall the recall -- you may not be likely to recommend a future Samsung product." Having salespeople disgusted by the product may cost Samsung much more than a properly planned recall would have. Disclosure: I do not own any shares in Samsung or any company competing with Samsung. Start a free seven-day trial of Premium Membership to GuruFocus. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. The Shanghai government for the first time this year completely banned fireworks in city limits, within its outer ring road. A similar measure to control air pollution could be followed in India. By Ananth Krishnan: Before Delhi's post-Diwali "Airpocalypse", there were Beijing's and Shanghai's. Imagine a 10-day-long Diwali. Every February, during the Chinese New Year holiday, the bursting of fireworks brings severe air pollution to Chinese cities. When pollution in China reached record levels, similar to what Delhi experienced this weekend, the residents of at least one Chinese city said enough was enough. advertisement The Shanghai government for the first time this year completely banned fireworks in city limits, within its outer ring road. BAN GETS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT The ban was met with little public outcry, with online survey after survey showing 80 per cent approvals. The reason is the growing public awareness on PM 2.5 pollution, airborne particles of less than 2.5 microns diameter that rise when crackers are burst. These are also the most dangerous. In Shanghai, new year fireworks raised their levels from 50 to 500 overnight. Fireworks are just one trigger, a major cause of pollution in China and India is the dust and factory emissions. China has moved to curb both by limiting movement of heavy trucks into cities and moving factories away. Also read: Delhi: Inter-ministerial task force finalises agenda to tackle air pollution, waste disposal Dong Liansai, climate change campaigner for Greenpeace in Beijing, says the measures are working. "According to our recent research, there is a 12 per cent drop in PM 2.5 concentration in the first nine months. It is a long-term improvement in the air quality in China." Not every city can follow Shanghai's extreme measures. Unlike its urban residents, rural Chinese place a lot of importance on bursting fireworks as they have done for years. Chinese believe firecrackers ward off evil spirits, and also burst them during weddings and on the occasion of shop openings. WHAT INDIA COULD IMPLEMENT Beijing and other cities have, hence, come out with a partial measure - one that is less extreme and could be followed in India. Fireworks will be banned when the Air Quality Index level crosses 201. Also read: Delhi government to install machines to check air pollution The government has, however, banned private sales of firecrackers, imposing heavy fines. A huge industry is suffering losses. This month, three companies filed compensation claims after their fireworks factories were closed in southern Hunan. PUBLIC ANXIETY DROVE CRACKDOWN Ultimately, public anxiety has driven the crackdown. In Shanghai, bans were mainly imposed by neighbourhood volunteers tasked with monitoring their streets. Violators would be reported by them and then fined 100 Yuan or Rs 1000 on the spot. advertisement Of course, fighting pollution is not just a once-a-year event and requires a whole range of measures of which regulating firecrackers is just one, but the starting point in China was a greater public awareness that forced the government to act. --- ENDS --- Some US analysts argue that hackers and states responsible for attacks should get a taste of their own medicine, but others fear doing so could spark a so-called 'cyber war' (AFP Photo/Paul J Richards) (AFP/File) Washington (AFP) - After a seemingly endless barrage of cyberattacks, debate is heating up on hitting back at hackers where it hurts. Amid calls for ways to punish and deter hackers without sparking a so-called "cyber war," a panel of experts assembled by the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security said in a report Monday that US policies should be eased to allow "active defense" measures by both the government and private sector. However, it stopped short of endorsing the idea of "hacking back" to disable systems used by attackers. The panel envisioned measures such as taking down "botnets" that disrupt cyberspace, freeing data from "ransomware" hackers and "rescue missions" to recover stolen data. The report follows a wave of high-profile attacks against US companies and government databases, and after Washington accused Russia of using cyberattacks to attempt to disrupt next week's presidential election. It comes after President Barack Obama called for a "proportional" response to Russia, while leaving unanswered whether this would mean a cyber attack or measures such as diplomatic or economic sanctions. - 'Shooting behind the rabbit' - Former national intelligence director and GWU task force co-chair Dennis Blair said the US has been moving too slowly in its response to cyberattacks. "We are shooting so far behind the rabbit that we will only hit it if the rabbit makes another lap and comes back to where it was," he told a conference presenting the report. Some analysts argue that hackers and states responsible for attacks should get a taste of their own medicine, and that US laws should be amended to allow for hacking back at the cyber criminals. Some proposals call for private security firms to be "deputized" to carry out legally sanctioned hack-back operations when private firms are victimized. Story continues "Department stores hire private investigators to catch shoplifters rather than relying only on the police. So too private companies should be able to hire their own security services," said a Hoover Institution paper written by scholars Jeremy Rabkin and Ariel Rabkin. "There should be a list of approved hack-back vendors from which victims are free to choose." Juan Zarate, a former White House national security advisor who now works with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said such a model for action could be based on the early days of the republic when Congress issued "letters of marque and reprisal" for private merchant ships to bring in maritime pirates. In an essay last year, Zarate called for a "cyber-privateering regime that rewards, enables, and empowers the private sector to help defend itself in concert with government." Others warn of the dangers of empowering private actors to engage in reprisals. Nuala O'Connor, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology and co-chair of the GWU panel, argued of unintended consequences of authorizing companies to break into outside computer networks. "I believe these types of measures should remain unlawful," she wrote, adding that it remains difficult to be sure of cyberattacks' sources. "The risks of collateral damage to innocent internet users, to data security, and to national security that can result from overly aggressive defensive efforts needs to be better accounted for." - 'Cyber shooting war' - Steve Grobman, chief technical officer at Intel Security, also questioned whether private entities should be allowed to take counter-measures. Because hackers can easily disguise their attacks, Grobman said a questionable retaliation could create an ugly situation. "What I worry about is a terrorist entity creating an attack that appears to come from a nation state that creates a public push for some hack back and that leads to a live shooting cyber war," he said. James Lewis, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the United States has pledged to its international partners to steer clear of these kinds of acts in cyberspace. "We've told people the internet should be based on the rule of law, and (hacking back) would undercut that," he said. "The question you always want to ask is whether this would make cyberspace more or less stable. This would make it less stable." Patrick Lin, who led a study this year for California Polytechnic State University on the ethics of hacking back, said there is "a moral case for hacking back, but an under-developed case for its legality and effectiveness." In the report, Lin wrote that while it is difficult to know whether hacking back has deterrent value, "doing nothing, as seems to be the case now, certainly offers no deterrence and likely encourages cyber-attackers to continue preying on others." With just days to go until the 2016 US Presidential Election, many of us are simply ready to put this entire chaotic chapter behind us once and for all. But the FBI has other plans, as the bureau's chief, James Comey, reignited the Hillary Clinton email case last week by sending a letter to several Republican chairs informing them of the discovery of emails that "appear to be pertinent" to the investigation. SEE ALSO: This Galaxy Note 7 clone wont explode in your hand So far, we have no idea what those emails contain, whether or not Hillary Clinton actually sent them or if they were already examined previously. Nevertheless, the Clinton emails have once again taken over headlines, and on Last Week Tonight this weekend, John Oliver felt the need to respond: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dhMVk0F_VU It's worth watching just to see Joe Biden's reaction when he learns that the emails surfaced during the FBI's probe of Anthony Weiner, who Biden clearly isn't the biggest fan of. Can this election be over already? Please? Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Kodak, a company whose fall from grace can be traced back to the iPhone ushering in the modern-day smartphone era, has decided to enter the smartphone market. Joining forces with the Bullitt Gruop, Kodak is releasing a new Android-powered smartphone designed specifically for photographers. Dubbed the Kodak Ektra, Kodak's new smartphone features a 21 megapixel camera sensor on the back and an impressive 13-megapixel sensor on the front of the device. Geared towards photogrpahy enthusiasts, the Ektra boasts an optical image stabilization feature, an f2.0 aperture, and a number of easy-to-adjust manual modes, including portrait, sports, bokeh, macro and more. As one would expect, users will also be able to manually adjust any number of settings, including ISO, white balance, shutter speed and more. DON'T MISS: This is the most stunning iPhone 8 mockup yet, and it might be accurate As far as hardware is concerned, the device itself boasts a Helo X-20 Decacore processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Software wise, the device is powered by Android Marshmallow comes with Snapseed functionality built in, thereby enabling users to edit their photos on the fly. Additionally, the new Ektra smartphone makes it easy to post photos to social networks and to use Kodak's own services to have images of your choice delivered straight to your door. The device's 4K camera seems particularly intriguing, with Kodak noting that users can "experiment with classic Kodak film grains, vignettes and Super 8 filters." From what we can gather, it appears that the device will be available exclusively in Europe later this year, though it remains to be seen if a North American launch is in the cards later on down the line. You can view images of the device over here at Kodak's online product gallery. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com By Jim Finkle and Dustin Volz (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday that a hacking group previously linked to the Russian government and U.S. political hacks was behind recent cyber attacks that exploited a newly discovered Windows security flaw. The software maker said in an advisory on its website there had been a small number of attacks using "spear phishing" emails from a hacking group known Strontium, which is more widely known as "Fancy Bear," or APT 28. Microsoft did not identify any victims. Microsoft's disclosure of the new attacks and the link to Russia came after Washington accused Moscow of launching an unprecedented hacking campaign aimed at disrupting and discrediting the upcoming U.S. election. The U.S. government last month formally blamed the Russian government for the election-season hacks of Democratic Party emails and their subsequent disclosure via WikiLeaks and other entities. Russia has denied those accusations. Microsoft said a patch to protect Windows users against the newly discovered threat will be released on Nov. 8, which is Election Day. It was not clear whether the Windows vulnerability had been used in any of the recent U.S. political hacks. Representatives of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security could not immediately be reached for comment. A U.S. intelligence expert on Russian cyber activity said that Fancy Bear primarily works for or on behalf of the GRU, Russias military intelligence agency, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were responsible for hacks of Democratic Party databases and emails. In spear phishing, an attacker sends targeted messages, typically via email, that exploit known information to trick victims into clicking on malicious links or open tainted attachments. Microsoft said the attacks exploited a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc's Flash software and one in the Windows operating system. Adobe released a patch for that vulnerability on Monday, when security researchers with Google went public with details on the attack. Microsoft chided rival Google for going public with details of the vulnerabilities before it had time to prepare and test a patch to fix them. "Googles decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk," Microsoft said. A Google representative declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Google disclosed the flaw on Monday, following its standing policy of going public seven days after discovering "critical vulnerabilities" that are being actively exploited by hackers. Google gives software companies 60 days to patch less serious bugs. (Reporting by Jim Finkle in Boston and Dustin Volz in Washington. Additional reporting by John Walcott in Washington; Editing by Jonathan Weber and Jonathan Oatis) Here is all you need to know about the Benami Property Act that became effective from today. By India Today Web Desk: The Income Tax department promised last Friday to put into force the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016, from today. With that, the existing Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988, is to be renamed as the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act (PBPT Act). Read more: Benami Property Act to be effective from Nov 1 advertisement But there's more to the amendment than that. Here's all you need to know about it: WHAT IS BENAMI PROPERTY ACT? The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, as the name suggests, prohibits all 'benami' properties, which are the ones held by one and paid for by someone else. The amendment has been enforced to make the existing law more strict. "The PBPT Act prohibits recovery of the property held benami from benamidar by the real owner, " the official notification said. "Properties held benami are liable for confiscation by the Government without payment of compensation." Also watch: Investigation into Robert Vadra's link to a 'benami' mansion in London WHAT IS THE PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATING THIS ACT? The existing law provided up to three years of imprisonment and/or fine, but as per the amended Benami Property Act, violation could be punishable by up to 7 years imprisonment and penalty. The law also calls out those providing false information knowingly, who will have to pay a fine of up to 10 per cent of the market value of the property. WHY IS PBPT ACT BEING ENFORCED? Parliament passed the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act in August with a view to curb the menace of black money. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured that genuine religious trusts will be kept out of the purview of the legislation. Also watch: Two Indian bookies benami owners of SLPL franchise WHICH PROPERTY WOULD BE CONSIDERED BENAMI? Any asset - whether movable, immovable, documents, financial, etc - which does not have valid documents naming the person who paid it for is considered benami. Both parties indulged in a benami transaction - the illegal named owner and the payer - can be held responsible. WHICH WOULDN'T BE CONSIDERED BENAMI? In case of a property held under the name of spouse or child, which is being or has been paid for by a known source of income would not be counted as benami. Same goes for a joint property held by siblings, parents, or other family members. A property transaction involving a trustee and a beneficiary would also not fall under the benami category. advertisement Also watch: Former telecom minister A Raja's benami links exposed --- ENDS --- Samsungs next flagship smartphone is the Galaxy S8, which is expected to introduce a few notable design changes. Some of them already sound very familiar because the described features are either incorporated in this years iPhone (dual rear lens camera) or expected to arrive with the iPhone 8 next year (no home button with a screen that takes up more of the phone's face). Xiaomi already beat both Samsung and Apple to market with a phone with a front side is almost entirely dedicated to the display. But Samsung will probably be the first of the three to ship a device like this in large quantities. And it looks like the most exciting feature of next years Galaxy S8 phone has already been confirmed. DONT MISS: This is the most stunning iPhone 8 mockup yet, and it might be accurate A Samsung Display researcher did not say explicitly that the Galaxy S8 will feature a button-less, all-screen design, but he did say that considerable resources are being poured into the development of such a device. Samsung Display would roll out a full-screen display whose display area ratio (a scale that measures space taken up by a display on the front part of a handset) reaches more than 90 percent next year, Samsung Display principal engineer Park Wong-sang told reporters at the iMiD 2016 display exhibition in Seoul last week. According to The Investor, Park added that Samsung eventually wants that figure to reach 99% in the coming years, as display tech matures to incorporate all sensors in every part of the screen. The engineer even went ahead and demoed an edge-to-edge full-screen Galaxy S7 edge prototype that featured a bezel-less display. Such a display would have the fingerprint sensor incorporated into the screen rather than beneath it. Other sensors that are usually found on the front side of the handset would also be incorporated into the display. A full-screen display would offer users a more immersive VR experiences, Park said. The company is also developing a bendable VR device that will feature a flexible OLED to cover the users eyes completely while in use, an unnamed researcher added. Story continues Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S8 in late February next year, while Apples iPhone 8 won't debut until September. Trending right now: See the original version of this article on BGR.com Japan's SoftBank said it hoped to raise up to $100 billion for the Saudi Arabian fund designed to invest in promising technology firms (AFP Photo/Kazuhiro Nogi) (AFP/File) The Saudi energy minister said Tuesday that a multi-billion-dollar technology investment fund the kingdom is developing in partnership with Japan's SoftBank showed its determination to diversify its economy. Khaled al-Falih told an international forum that the proposed new fund "is simply one indication of this determination and the bold steps being taken" to reorient the economy of the world's biggest oil exporter. Since 2014, global oil prices have collapsed by about half, accelerating Saudi efforts to move away from petroleum, which still accounts for the bulk of government income. Falih told the KAPSARC Energy Dialogue that in the past the kingdom had not implemented diversification policies "as efficiently as we should have". Vision 2030 -- a wide-ranging plan released in April -- was a "proactive response" to build a diversified economy led by the private sector and with international investments providing alternative revenue sources, he said. At the heart of the Vision is a plan to float less than five percent of the state oil company, Saudi Aramco, on the stock market to help create the world's biggest state investment fund. Under the non-binding agreement reached with SoftBank in October, the kingdom's contribution to the new fund could reach $45 billion. SoftBank said it hoped to raise up to $100 billion for the fund designed to invest in promising technology firms. Although Saudi Arabia wants to seize opportunities in a world that will be increasingly technology intensive, Falih said the kingdom would not reduce the contribution of its traditional pillars of oil and gas, petrochemicals and mining. It will rather be "enhancing the development of other industrial and economic sectors to rebalance and accelerate the growth of the overall economy". The kingdom projects a budget deficit of $87 billion this year. It has taken a series of austerity measures, including subsidy cuts, salary reductions and delays in major projects. Story continues Two weeks ago, the kingdom's first international bond issue raised $17.5 billion. On Monday night King Salman, 80, sacked veteran Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, 67, who supervised the successful bond offering. He is the latest long-serving minister replaced in a government where Salman's son, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 31, wields unusual power and symbolises the potential of youth in a kingdom where more than half of Saudi citizens are aged under 25. London-based analysts at Capital Economics said they do not think Assaf's dismissal signals a change in the government's approach to lower oil prices. "The new finance minister, Mohammed Aljadaan, is generally considered to be a reformer within the government and a close ally" of Prince Mohammed, Capital Economics said. Aljadaan headed the kingdom's stock market regulator and supervised the bourse's opening last year to foreign investors. Students from All India Students Association today held a protest against police action in the Bhopal encounter. By Ilma Hasan: Students from All India Students Association (AISA) staged a protest today against police action in the Bhopal Encounter at Jantar Mantar. Students agitated against the action taken by Madhya Pradesh Police, where eight men from SIMI were killed after they escaped from prison early on Monday morning. AISA lashed out at the police authorities and chanted slogans demanding Supreme Court intervention in the case. advertisement The protest was held after a video, allegedly taken at the time of the encounter, showed the police shooting at the under trials lying on the ground. It is unclear whether the men being fired at are dead or injured. NO FIREARMS FOUND Incidentally, no firearms were seen on the SIMI men. "Everyone deserves a fair trial, and these men were shot dead even though they weren't fighting back. The culture of 'fake encounters' has reached alarming levels with both the BJP and Congress allowing it," said AISA president Sucheta. Also read: Shoot him in the chest, he will die: A third encounter video shows SIMI undertrial was shot twice "The police and state government are clearly lying. A probe into the matter is needed," said another AISA member. The Inspector General of Police Yogesh Choudhary claimed that the men were armed and there was a crossfire. After questions of a fake encounter were raised, the NHRC issued notices to Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, DGP and IG Prisons over killing of eight suspected SIMI terrorists on Tuesday. They have been given six weeks to reply. Also read: Bhopal SIMI jailbreak: 8 hours that shook the city Bhopal jailbreak: CM pays tribute to slain constable, slams Opposition for votebank politics over incident Politics over Bhopal jailbreak: Opposition doubts BJP government's version, demands independent probe --- ENDS --- On the directions of the Patna District Magistrate, the Patna police carried out raids at the Beur Central jail and recovered mobile chargers, chips, memory cards and pen drives. By Rohit Kumar Singh: A day after 8 suspected SIMI terrorists escaped from the Bhopal Central jail, a thorough security review of all the jails in Bihar is now being undertaken. On the directions of the Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Agarwal, the Patna police on Monday morning carried out raids at the Beur Central jail and recovered mobile chargers, chips, memory cards and pen drives. The raid was conducted by Patna (West) SP. advertisement The recovery of the memory cards and pen drives has sent the Beur jail administration into a tizzy. The raids were conducted after Jail IG, Anand Kishore, soon after the Bhopal jailbreak incident, directed all the Districts Magistrates and SPs of all the district to review the security in the 56 jails across the state. "Security audit and overall review of the jail security will be undertaken soon. I have directed DMs and SPs to remove any lapses found in the jails in their districts", said Anand Kishore, Jail IG. It may be noted that at present in the Beur Central jail, there are 10 dreaded terrorist who are lodged in a special cell. These terrorists are accused in connection with Gandhi Maidan blasts and Mahabodhi temple blasts in Gaya. Beur jail Superintendent Rupak Kumar has informed that after the Bhopal jail break incident, the security of the special cell where these 10 dreaded terrorists are kept has been beefed up and 24x7 vigil is being kept on them. Also Read: Bhopal SIMI jailbreak: 8 hours that shook the city SIMI jailbreakers caught on videos: Was it an encounter or murder in cold blood? From serial blasts to jihad: All you need to know about SIMI, 8 jailbreakers who were shot dead SIMI encounter: BJP praises police; Oppn raises questions Video shows SIMI men who escaped Bhopal prison shot dead, NIA to probe encounter Yechury slams "inconsistencies" in claims on SIMI activists --- ENDS --- Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today visited the residence of Head Contable Ramashankar Yadav, who was martyred in the encounter with 8 SIMI terrorists following the jailbreak in Bhopal on Monday. By PTI: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today visited the residence of Head Contable Ramashankar Yadav, who was martyred in the encounter with 8 SIMI terrorists following the jailbreak in Bhopal on Monday. All the 8 SIMI terrorists were killed in the encounter. He (Ramashankar Yadav) sacrificed his life fighting against terrorists,came here to pay my last tributes to him: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/MHTtkV8m0d ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 advertisement While paying his last respects to Yadav, the Chief Minister hit out at the Opposition for not recognising the martyrdom of our jawans and indulging in votebank politics on such an issue, which was highly condemnable. Shivraj Chouhan announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased's family and a sum of Rs 5 lakh for the marriage of Yadav's daughter, apart from announcing that a colony will be renamed in his name. Will give Rs 10 lakh compensation to family, 5 lakh for his daughter's marriage & colony will be renamed in his name: Shivraj Singh Chouhan ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also slammed the Opposition for questioning the authorities and doubting the encounter. He said the facts of the case will come out. We should stop this habit of raising doubt,questioning the authorities & police, facts will come out: MoS Home Kiren Rijiju #bhopalencounter pic.twitter.com/RqZKPYOQ2s ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Venkaiah Naidu has also spoken out on the incident, terming the concern over the encounter ''cheap politics". #Watch: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu speaks on #Bhopalencounter; dubs concern around it as cheap politics pic.twitter.com/mg0lK4JjSc ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Jail Minister Kusum Mehdele refused to comment on the security lapse in the jail that led to the fleeing of the 8 SIMI operatives. When asked whether the CCTVs in the jail premises were working, she said she didn't know as she wasn't there. #WATCH Madhya Pradesh Jail Minister Kusum Mehdele refuses to comment on security lapses in jail #bhopalprisonbreak pic.twitter.com/qW0uoVwnfO ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 The Opposition, on the other hand, has taken on the Madhya Pradesh government over the matter. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has demanded a court-monitored probe into the case. Videos (of #BhopalEncounter) have gone viral on social media. I demand a court monitored probe in the case: Digvijaya Singh, Congress pic.twitter.com/7eZTFvBjxd ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Singh has wondered how come only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus. He demanded that the National Investigation Agency conduct the probe. advertisement NIA must conduct probe, Court should monitor it. Also why only Muslims break out of jail, what is the problem, must also be probed: D Singh ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh has ruled out any need for an investigation, saying the police has provided all the information already. Singh said that NIA alone would investigate the case and attacked the Congress party for questioning the genuineness of encounters in which terrorists are killed. Whenever terrorists are killed in an encounter, there are a few people in our country who raise doubts especially Congressmen: MP HM pic.twitter.com/ItyHX9fowm --- ENDS --- The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of media reports on the under trial prisoners who fled from the Bhopal Central Jail. By Shivendra Srivastava, Anindya Banerjee: It seems trouble for Madhya Pradesh police is far from over. The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo moto cognizance of media reports stating 8 SIMI under trial prisoners accused of multiple charges including terrorism, who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail were killed in an encounter with police in Bhopal yesterday. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the DG and IG, Prisons of Government of Madhya Pradesh. The notice asks for detailed reports in the matter within six weeks. advertisement Also read: Bhopal SIMI jailbreak: 8 hours that shook the city In a statement NHRC Stated, "The Commission has observed, it has always been concerned about the deaths in police and judicial custody as well as in police action. Specific guidelines have also been issued by it, which have been conveyed to all the States/UTs for compliance in the matters of encounter." The under trial were charged under various crimes including murder, sedition and jail break. Also read: From serial blasts to jihad: All you need to know about SIMI, 8 jailbreakers who were shot dead All escaped prisoners were killed within hours in an encounter at a secluded area which is about 15 km from the jail. Five jail officials have been put under suspension including the DIG (Jail) and the Jail Superintendent. The Additional DG(Jail) has been reportedly transferred. Also read: SIMI jailbreakers caught on videos: Was it an encounter or murder in cold blood? --- ENDS --- A lot of fights, and a little romance are the two things that can be expected from BB10 tonight. By India Today Web Desk: Popular reality show Bigg Boss has never failed to entertain its viewers. Day 16 in the house of Bigg Boss is going to be action-packed, thanks to numerous fights taking place in the house. From Lopamudra Raut-Manveer Gurjar to Nitibha Kaul-Om Swami and Navin Prakash's tussle; things are taking a wild turn in Bigg Boss Season 10. advertisement Here's what you can expect from the reality show tonight Also read:Bigg Boss 10: Manu Punjabi threatens Om Swami with murder Bigg Boss introduces new task which could turn things in favour of celebs A new 'secret' task has been introduced in the show by Bigg Boss called 'Raja aur Rank.' In the said task, celeb sevaks are supposed to serve the 'royal family' of aam aadmi contestants. If celeb contestants win the task, they have a fair chance of regaining their 'throne' back. So, will they be able to pull off the task? Only time will tell. Bigg Boss gives Celebs another chance to change "sattaa!" Will they make it this time? #video #BB10 https://t.co/AWykCoQro9 Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) November 1, 2016 Nitibha Kaul's argument with Om Swami and Navin Prakash During the aforementioned task, Nitibha gets upset over a sexist statement made by Om Swami. Navin intervenes and shouts at Nitibha for making a mountain out of a molehill, and asks her to respect Om Swami's (who is playing the role of a Raja in the secret task) decision. Nitibha in turn asks Navin to mind his tongue. Rahul Dev's fight with Om Swami Looks like Om Swami will never learn. Swamiji gets into an ugly argument with celeb contestant Rahul Dev. Swamiji's statement--Yeh 13 log meri hatya karna chahte hain--angers Rahul greatly and he takes the issue up with him. Mona Lisa kisses Manu Punjabi on the cheek During the course of the task, Mona tells Manu that she will do everything that he wants her to do, and kisses him on the cheek. This angers some celeb contestants, which in turn upsets Mona, and she complains about the whole affair to Manu. Manveer Gurjar's shouting match with Lopamudra Raut During the task, Manveer asks Lopamudra to keep away from his throne, and maintain her distance. Manveer even gestures rudely whilst saying so. Manveer's behavior angers Lopa, who further asks him to speak with her properly. advertisement Fights and the drama aside, will celebrities manage to win this new task, or will they end up serving the aam aadmi contestants again? Bigg Boss Season 10 airs every Mon-Fri at 10:30 pm, and every Sat-Sun at 9 pm. --- ENDS --- Bigg Boss 10 contestants Manu Punjabi and Om Swami will soon be a part of another shouting match. At least that is what it looks like. By India Today Web Desk: Bigg Boss Season 10 is full of surprises. Now the contestants have been given another task; a task in which the sevak celebrities have to serve the 'royal family' of aam aadmi contestants. Also read:Bigg Boss 10 Day 11: Bani J calls Indiawale 'gande log'; Om Swami, Mona Lisa in jail again In a new video posted by the official Twitter handle of Bigg Boss it was revealed that a brand new task will see all the contestants in period costume. advertisement And obviously, a new task calls for a new fight, new drama. .@gauravchopraa reads out the task aloud & what follows in the #BB10 house is a lot of drama! #Video https://t.co/qvvpkrSqDj Bigg Boss (@BiggBoss) November 1, 2016 During the course of the said task, Om Swami will call Manveer a "Bigdail putr." (A spoilt son.) Consequently, Manveer will get flustered. And later, Manu Punjabi will threaten Swamiji with murder. So, are you wondering what the new task is all about? Well, you are not the only one. Looks like we will have to wait quite a bit before anything more is disclosed about it. Bigg Boss 10 airs every Mon-Fri at 10:30 pm, and every Sat-Sun at 9 pm. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Hyderabad, Oct 31 (PTI) BJP today demanded that the TRS government in Telangana should explain to the people why Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao or state ministers "did not participate" in events related to Rashtriya Ekta Diwas today. Noting that the NDA government at the Centre had announced its decision to observe Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels birth anniversary as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, state BJP chief K Laxman wondered whether Rao would have become the Chief Minister had Patel not ensured "freedom" for the region in 1948 (from Nizams rule). advertisement Laxman, who along with other senior BJP leaders, garlanded the statue of Patel here, hit out at the TRS government for not officially celebrating September 17, as "Telangana Liberation Day". Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the credit for merging more than 500 princely states, including Hyderabad, with the Indian Union goes to Patel. The Nizam of Hyderabad would not have surrendered and Telangana too would not have been formed now, he said. PTI SJR NRB NSD BAS --- ENDS --- By PTI: Washington, Nov 1 (PTI) The brain regulates social behaviour differently in males and females, according to a new study which suggests that stress-related mental disorders should be treated differently in men and women. Researchers from Georgia State University in the US discovered that serotonin (5-HT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) act in opposite ways in males and females to influence aggression and dominance. advertisement Since dominance and aggressiveness have been linked to stress resistance, the findings may influence the development of more effective gender-specific treatment strategies for stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders. "These results begin to provide a neurochemical basis for understanding how the social brain works quite differently in males and females," said Elliott Albers, professor at Georgia State University. Prominent sex differences occur in the incidence, development and clinical course of many neuropsychiatric disorders. Women, for example, have higher rates of depression and anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while men more frequently suffer from autism and attention deficit disorder. Despite profound sex differences in the expression of social behaviour and the incidence of these psychiatric disorders, little is known about how the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena differ in females and males. Limited knowledge exists regarding sex differences in the efficacy of treatments for these disorders. As a result, current treatment strategies are largely the same for both sexes. In this study conducted in hamsters, researchers tested the hypothesis that 5-HT promotes and AVP inhibits aggression and dominance in females and that 5-HT inhibits and AVP promotes aggression and dominance in males. Their data show strong support for this hypothesis with the discovery that 5-HT and AVP act in opposite ways within the hypothalamus to regulate dominance and aggression in females and males. The study also found that administration of the 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine, one of the most commonly prescribed drugs for psychiatric disorders, increased aggression in females and inhibited aggression in males. These studies raise the possibility that stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders such as PTSD may be more effectively treated with 5-HT-targeted drugs in women and with AVP-targeted drugs in men. The study appears in the journal PNAS. PTI MHN MHN --- ENDS --- An RTI report has revealed that a contract amounting to Rs 51.60 lakh meant for food packets for police deployed during the BRICS summit in Goa was not centred. By Mayuresh Ganapatye: The very controversial contract of Rs 51.60 lakh for supply of food packets and refreshment for police personnel posted on duty during the recent BRICS summit held in Goa was not tendered. This has been revealed in the documents obtained under the Right to Information Act. As per the documents the Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) South Goa on October 7 issued a notice to six caterers inviting quotations by October 10 for supply of lunch, dinner and snacks for 5,000 police personnel deployed on Bandobast duty for the BRICS summit from October 14 to October 17. advertisement The quotations were invited from Delicious Caterers in Panaji, Amonkar Classic Caterers Bicholim, Noda Caterers Bicholim, Ave Miriam Royal Foods Cortalim, Sharda Classic Margao and Nalini Caterers Margao. On October 10, except Ave Miriam Royal Foods Cortalim the other five contractors submitted their quotations and on October 13 which was the eve of BRICS summit the order was issued for Rs 51. 60 lakh to Amonkar Classic Caterers, Bicholim being the lowest quotation. GOVERNMENT FLOUTS LAW "The rules require that an open tender must be floated for any contract over Rs five lakh. The government has flouted the law though the dates of BRICS summit were known over six month ago," said advocate Aries Rodriguez who got these papers under RTI. The Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) headed by retired District Judge A D Salkar and comprising of JA Keny last week directed the Chief Secretary of Goa to conduct a thorough inquiry and fix responsibility on the defaulting officials. The GHRC also directed that payment to the Bicholim based contractor Amonkar Classic Caterers be withheld pending inquiry into the entire episode. Also read: BRICS Summit: PM Modi slams Pakistan, calls it mothership of terror Now the case will be heard again on November 2, the GHRC had further directed the Chief Secretary to submit an interim report of the investigation within 10 days. CONTRACT NOT PART OF BRICS "I had got this file from Finance secretary. I believe that the due procedure was followed while awarding the contract. Also this contract was not part of BRICS summit," said Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. Also read: BRICS summit: India banking on trade ties with Beijing, Kremlin to isolate Pakistan "All procedures were followed. Chief Secretary is looking in to the whole issue in view of GHRC notice, " said Goa Director General of Police Muktesh Chander. GoaForward has slammed the government and demanded a proper probe in this matter. "We will be writing it to Goa Chief secretary in this regard as awarding the contracts has become the fashion to siphon off funds from state treasury," Said Durgadas kamat, Spokesperson GoaForward Also read: China declines to speak up for isolated Pakistan before BRICS Summit --- ENDS --- British Director Mark Cornan demanded APJ Abdul Kalam's picture to be removed, calling it an ugly face and when questioned by angry parents, he said he didn't know who Kalam was. By Pramod Madhav: A year ago, Hiranandani Upscale School management appointed Mark Cornan as the Director. Since then, many complaints about Mark verbally abusing the female staff of CBSE section and causing them mental stress in various ways have raised. Though tension was boiling in the school premises for months now, the parents and teachers reached a boiling point when Mark allegedly removed India former President APJ Abdul Kalam's picture from a classroom's wall, calling it 'an ugly face'. advertisement NO CLUE WHO KALAM IS: MARK Even a video shows Mark's ignorance about Kalam when an angry parent questions him if he knew who Abdul Kalam and Mark didn't have a clue. "Since the day I joined, he used to come to my class and used to address me as honey and sweetie. When I objected, he started creating problems for me. After vacations were over, he called me to his office and made me wait while he and another person was making fun of me. In fact, he called me a chicken head. Later that day, I was suspended and after two days I was terminated without any reason," said Sunitha, a former teacher from the school. Even the principal of the school had recently resigned causing too much distress to the parents and the children. 1200 STUDENTS LEFT WITHOUT A TEACHER "The teachers have left because of huge harassment, to an extent that a week before Diwali, the principal whom we had good respect for was asked to resign and threatened with termination, with the failure to do so. The teachers are now saying that they will not work under such conditions of harassment. Now there are 1200 students sitting in the classrooms without teacher," said Anandamoorthi, a concerned parent. He also stated that even parents are treated badly and said that the school is more interested in introducing 'Sodexo' than listening to the concerns of the parents. DIRECTOR DEMANDED TRIMMING OF NATIONAL ANTHEM Many more complaints were raised against Mark saying that he has hurt Indian sentiments. "There are two incidents we came to know of in which one, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's picture was removed and when someone tried to hang it back, it was told that his picture does not belong there and we were stopped. We also heard from the director (Mark) that the music teacher was asked to cut down the National anthem to 15 seconds," said Anandamoorthi. Parents staged a sit-in protest and demanded the management to remove Mark immediately from the post of Director. Police authorities had to intervene and urged the crowd to dismiss promising that appropriate actions would be taken. --- ENDS --- advertisement Three terrorists have been caught on camera sneaking across the International Border into the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. By India Today Web Desk: Three terrorists have been caught on camera sneaking across the International Border into the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists were caught on the infra-red camera of the BSF on the night of Diwali. Also read: Army destroys 4 Pakistani posts in Keran sector along LoC, says it has inflicted 'heavy casualties advertisement Terrorists sneak in small numbers of three to four from different locations along the LoC, aware that their movements are regularly tracked. #WATCH: CCTV visuals of Pakistani terrorists infiltrating across the International border in J&K's Kathua district (Thermal imagery) pic.twitter.com/3XNRTzNdTS ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 There are more than 40 terror training camps rampant in Pak-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan doesn't seem to have learnt its lessons despite the surgical strike by the Indian Army in the last week of September and is hellbent on sending in infiltraters into Indian territory before winter sets in. Also read: Mann Ki Baat: Modi lauds courage of jawans, dedicates this Diwali to Army --- ENDS --- A society without any education is lifeless. People indulging in torching of schools do not have any identity, Muzaffar Wani, the slain terrorist's father, has said. By Press Trust of India: Muzaffar Wani, father of terrorist Burhan Wani who was killed by the security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in July leading to violent clashes and unrest in the Valley that have continued to this day, has condemned the burning of schools in Kashmir. Whoever is doing this is wrong, burning of schools is unacceptable, Muzaffar Wani said. Muzaffar expressed "deep pain" over the burning down of schools in the Valley and made a fervent appeal to those behind it to refrain from targeting educational institutions. Whoever is doing this is wrong, burning of schools is unacceptable: Muzaffar Wani(Burhan Wani's father) pic.twitter.com/77AIiTccqm ANI (@ANI_news) November 2, 2016 advertisement Muzaffar Wani, a retired government teacher, told PTI over the phone from his residence in Tral of south Kashmir that "as a teacher, whenever a school is burnt down, my heart is set on fire." Also read: Nawaz Sharif addresses Pakistan Parliament, invokes Burhan Wani SOCIETY WITHOUT EDUCATION IS LIFELESS "This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this is doing no good to the society. A society without any education is lifeless. They do not have any identity," Wani said and made it clear that he was making this statement as a teacher and not as any leader. "I appeal to all the people as well as agencies that whoever is doing this is not doing the correct thing. For God's sake, please refrain from such acts because education is the only thing which will help us in becoming good humans," he said. Over 25 educational institutions have been burnt by miscreants in the Kashmir Valley since July 9, a day after Burhan was killed in an encounter in South Kashmir. SUCH ACTIONS HARM SOCIETY "This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this, it's not right. It will be lifeless without any education and, therefore, whosoever is indulging in such acts is doing no good to the society," he said. Also read: Kashmir sees surge in youths joining terror outfits after Burhan Wani's death Asked about forced closure of educational institutions in the Valley following the prolonged unrest, Wani said, "I am pained that the children are being deprived of education. "People are coming out themselves, I am not responsible for it. When Burhan Wani was killed, I had appealed that there should be a day's strike but there is no control over the situation as of now". advertisement However, he also held the state and Central government responsible for the situation, saying that they are not coming out with any initiative to bring an end to the unrest. POLICE EXCESSES INCREASING EVERY DAY "This the govermemt should have thought. There is no initiative from the government. Police excesses are increasing every day. There should be some initiative from the state government as well as the Centre. "People will cooperate only when there is some kind of seriousness (from the government side). This unrest is not liked by many," he said. Also read: Burhan Wani's father contradicts Sri Sri Ravi Shankar over Bengaluru meeting The issue of burning down of educational institutions came under legal scrutiny yesterday when Jammu and Kashmir High Court took a suo motu cognisance of news report about burning down of schools in the Valley. The High Court directed police and civil administration to ensure the protection of the institutions, apart from unmasking the "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with an "iron hand". The court has listed the case for the next hearing on November 7 and directed the three officials to remain present. advertisement (WITH INPUTS FROM PTI) --- ENDS --- In retaliatory fire by Indian Army in the Arnia Sector of Jammu and Kashmir about 14 Pakistani posts were damaged. Two Pakistani soldiers too were killed in the retaliatory fire. By India Today Web Desk: After eight civilians were killed today in an indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan Rangers along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army retaliated inflicting heaving damages on the Pakistani posts. Two Pakistani posts too were killed in the retaliatory fire by Indian Army. Pakistan troops violated ceasefire in Samba and Nowshera sector. 16-year-old girl, Rosy, was killed in Jerda village of the district after she was hit by a mortar splinter. advertisement The police said Pakistan Rangers indiscriminately targeted civilian areas and defence facilities in the Ramgarh sector. "Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms followed by mortars at one place and further spread to four or five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 0630 hours," DIG BSF (G) Dharmendra Pareek said. They fired 82 mm mortar bombs intermittently, Pareek said, adding, BSF gave them a befitting reply. The spokesperson said hundreds of residents were forced to abandon their homes in the Samba district along the International Border (IB). They used every mode of conveyance, even walked barefoot, to escape from the line of fire. Dozens of cattle were reportedly killed or injured in the shelling. Locals are worried about their harvest-ready ripe crops. The Pakistan Army also resorted to heavy shelling and firing at Indian positions in Naushera sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. We're trapped in our houses since 8 this morning, no help provided yet: Village local on ceasefire violations by Pak in Arnia sector pic.twitter.com/O5Och2B7n6 ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. ENCOUNTER IN BANDIPORA Meanwhile, an encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Bandipora area of Jammu and Kashmir today. Three suspected Lashkar terrorists are holding up in Ajar village in Bandipora. Search operations are underway and the entire area has been cordoned off. On Monday, an elderly woman and a soldier were killed and a girl and two armymen were injured in cross-LoC shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in Poonch and Rajouri districts. Watch the video here: Also read: J-K: Another government school set ablaze in Anantnag, concerns mount over students' safety Fierce encounter between security forces, terrorists in Kupwara Army destroys 4 Pakistani posts in Keran sector along LoC, says it has inflicted 'heavy casualties' 2 Pakistan soldiers killed as India responds to ceasefire violation with punitive strikes --- ENDS --- TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu to raise the membership of the party from 50 lakhs to one crore though legislative assembly elections are more than two and a half years away. By Amarnath K. Menon : Yellow shirt sporting activists of the Telugu Desam Party have hit the streets in Andhra Pradesh. They are out chasing the grand goal of the TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu to raise the membership of the party from 50 lakhs to one crore though legislative assembly elections are more than two and a half years away. It is a tall order considering the target is to enroll one of every five residents, excluding post millennial children, of the state as well as the other Telugu speaking fledgling Telangana. advertisement Naidu is more serious about than most TDP activists imagine. He began, by setting an example on Tuesday morning, by enrolling afresh at his riverside home at Undavalli near Vijayawada and exhorted cabinet colleagues to ensure there is no let up in the membership campaign called Jana Chaitanya Yatra. Then, he set out to join the rank and file on a journey by bicycle, which is also the party poll symbol, from Ongole, the headquarters town of arid Prakasam district, to Koppolu village where he launched the enrolment drive that is to run through November. To provide the impetus, Naidu is to travel through four districts while son N. Lokesh, who is the party's national general secretary, is to visit remaining 9 districts besides goading others to enroll online like he did. Tech savvy Naidu has introduced online membership through the party website for the first time and a facility to download a party app in every assembly constituency. Naidu has warned that in case MPs, MLAs and those in charge of the constituencies do not take the lead in organizing the yatra, as provided for in an elaborate schedule, he will direct party observers for the different areas to set out on the drive. Party meetings at the district level are to be held on November 23, 24 and 25 to do a stocktaking of the progress in realizing targets before a final push to attain the one crore goal. The TDP chief is eager to expand the party base in order to reach out to the prospective youthful activists before other political parties do and infuse fresh blood ahead of the elections to the municipalities and the state legislative council. He is hopeful of enlisting greater steadfast support if the party were to explain the salient features of the diverse development and welfare programmes and convince people about the TDP's commitment having begun with a major challenge - a truncated Andhra Pradesh without a large urban sprawl that could impress those in the countryside as the state capital. And it is to remind them about it the humble beginnings on June 2, 2014, that he chose to begin on November 1 - the formation day of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh way back in 1956. advertisement Sensing the target is a formidable challenge, the TDP is luring supporters with attractive incentives. Free accident insurance, free health and life insurance, education of children, self employment facilities are among the offers being made to those joining the party for the first time. The party has chalked out a 50 point programme rolling out several incentives free of cost to the members. Nearly 4,000 members have benefitted during crisis situations from the incentives in the past. "Ours is the only party to provide insurance and education facilities to all party members' families," asserts Naidu. "But we hope members do not depend on the party for their livelihood." --- ENDS --- The chef joined the Organic Farmers' Diwali Fest in the city to encourage people to buy and invest more in organic produce. By Shreya Goswami: Vikas Khanna is a man who celebrates his deep connection with his roots time and again. Whether it's his love for his biji, mother, or the city he grew up in, Khanna makes sure that he gives back to the people and places he owes his upbringing to. Obviously then, he'd be one of the people who'd support a good initiative in Amritsar, especially if it encourages people to buy organic produce to cook with. advertisement And that's just what Khanna did this Diwali--he spent time showing his support and encouraging the farmers at the Organic Farmers' Diwali Fest in Amritsar. Vikas Khanna has always celebrated his deep connection with Amritsar. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Vikas Khanna When the MasterChef India judge landed in the city, and heard about the event, he immediately decided to attend it. Once there, he ended up staying for over an hour. "A divine effort has been made in my city and I am delighted to have witnessed it," he told the Tribune. Also read: The cover of Vikas Khanna's biography, Buried Seeds, is out, and it looks stunning! Not only did Khanna check out all the organic produce on sale at the fest, he also tasted a few fresh delights on offer--salted chaach or chaas made with cow's milk, Himalayan honey, and roasted seeds at the Earth Store. The fest also featured exotic vegetables and fruits that are now very popular in the country, like broccoli, red and yellow bell peppers, apples and kiwi. Khanna posted this selfie at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, after he left the Organic Farmer's fest. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Vikas Khanna Khanna posted this selfie at the Golden Temple, Amritsar, after he left the Organic Farmer's fest. Picture courtesy: Facebook/Vikas Khanna Given the importance of promoting organic produce and showing support to the farmers of India, Khanna's move was quite appreciable. The chef, who is famous for his philanthropic efforts, has always promoted both the use of fresh ingredients for cooking and the respect each ingredient's origins deserve. This attitude is something most modern Indian chefs show in their restaurants, cooking techniques and dishes. This is definitely something that can make our farmers feel appreciated in a country that sometimes forgets all about the people to whom we owe every plate of food we eat. --- ENDS --- Two J-20 jets, Zhuhai's headline act, swept over dignitaries and hundreds of spectators and industry executives gathered at the Airshow's opening ceremony in a 60-second flypast. By Reuters: China showed its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time today, opening the country's biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military clout. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline its defence ambitions. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. advertisement Two J-20 jets, Zhuhai's headline act, swept over dignitaries and hundreds of spectators and industry executives gathered at the show's opening ceremony in a 60-second flypast, generating a deafening roar that was met with gasps and applause and set off car alarms in a parking lot at the site. "It is clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability," said Bradley Perrett of Aviation Week, a veteran China watcher. Analysts say it is too early to say to what extent the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, developed for the US Air Force and the J-20's closest lookalike, or the latest strike jet in the U.S. arsenal, Lockheed's F-35. Unofficial shots of a J-20 prototype fuelled discussion over the region's power balance when first glimpsed by planespotters in 2010. Experts say China has been refining designs in hopes of narrowing a military gap with Washington. Cao Qingfeng, an aircraft engineer watching the flypast, said the "stunning" display was a show of China's strengthening aircraft industry and manufacturing - and Western officials agreed. "This shows they now have confidence to put it out in public," said a Western industry official who has monitored the biennial show from its inception 20 years ago. "This is the airplane for China in the way that the J-31 is not; this is the one they develop for themselves," he added. The export-oriented J-31, was unveiled at Zhuhai in 2014. AIRBUS, BOEING RIVAL President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the armed forces as China takes a more assertive stance in the region, particularly in the South China and East China seas. It remained unclear whether or how the J-20 would be displayed after the flypast, or to what extent foreign executives and media would be allowed a close look as they try to figure out its role and effectiveness. Some foreign observers have questioned its stealth capabilities. Aircraft that are already scheduled to be on display alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones include the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, and what organisers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production, the AG600. advertisement The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 - first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against China's claim to parts of the South China Sea in July - is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. Notably absent from the airshow schedule is the Comac C919 passenger jet, designed to compete with Europe's Airbus Group and Boeing Co of the United States, the rivals who dominate the global supply of airliners. The 150-seater C919 is scheduled to stage an often-delayed maiden flight this year, but industry sources say this will now slip to 2017 - three years behind original plans. Airbus and Boeing continue to expand in China with recent plant announcements. Boeing is expected to announce a new supplier partnership at the show, which runs until Nov 6. --- ENDS --- A defence ministry statement said Lt Gen Satish Dua handed over the charge to Lt Gen Sandhu as its 46th Corps Commander. Lt Gen Satish Dua handed over the charge to Lt Gen Sandhu as its 46th Corps Commander. By Ashraf Wani: Lt Gen JS Sandhu today took over as the Commander of the army's Srinagar-headquartered Chinar Corps. A defence ministry statement said Lt Gen Satish Dua handed over the charge to Lt Gen Sandhu as its 46th Corps Commander. "Commissioned into the regiment of 5th Gorkha Rifles, Lt Gen Sandhu has had an illustrious military career spanning 36 years during which he held varied prestigious command, staff and instructional appointments," said an official statement. advertisement He also had an incisive understanding of Jammu and Kashmir, having served five earlier times in the state including while in command of an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control, a Mountain Brigade and the elite Kupwara Division. "A Graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Higher Command Course and National Defence College, Gen Sandhu has also served in the Army Headquarters, Infantry School, Army War College and the DSSC. "He also represented the country in the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu," the statement said. On assuming charge, Lt Gen Sandhu said the army had played a significant role during the ongoing phase of unrest assisting the civil administration in restoring peace and calm in the Kashmir Valley. Outgoing Gen Dua's tenure would be defined by the surgical strikes in Pakistani territory in September launched by the army in response to the terror attack on the army camp in Uri. --- ENDS --- A man almost met with an accident after a snake surfaced on the steering of his scooter in Tasgaon city of Sangli. By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Even a faint reference to cobra can make many shudder in fear. In a bizarre incident a man jumped off his running scooter after a cobra slithered on to the steering. The incident took place in Tasgaon city of Sangli district in Maharashtra on Sunday. The man was heading towards the market in Tasgaon on Diwali when he got the shock of his lifetime. Unable to comprehend the situation, he froze in fear seeing the reptile right in front him. Eyewitnesses said that the man kept riding the scooter for sometime in fright. advertisement According to the man he was unable to decide, as he was trapped in a situation, where if he chose to stop the vehicle the snake would bite him or if he jumped off the vehicle he could injure himself. However, the man later jumped of the scooter. Traumatised by the sudden appearance of a deadly snake, the man kept screaming minutes after he jumped of the vehicle. The locals, who thought him to be a lunatic at first, soon rushed to the spot. One of them even called a snake-charmer to entice the snake that had slithered into the engine of the two-wheeler. It took nearly an hour to haul the snake out of the engine of the scooter. Several youths too gathered with their mobile phone cameras to click pictures of the snake. The snake was a venomous Indian Cobra. Also read: Watch: Brave Aussie woman scares away deadly crocodile with flip-flops --- ENDS --- Though Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, just ended, it's always a good time to talk about breast cancer. By India Today Web Desk: The body part that hogs the most attention also needs attention the most. Comedian Aditi Mittal's latest video, Bra Shopping, talks about just that. For most men, ogling at a woman's breasts comes with ease. Talking about them, however, is a whole other ballgame. Though Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, just ended, it's always a good time to bring attention to a disease that can affect anyone. And Aditi Mittal does it in her own style--by being hilarious about it. advertisement Also read: Can you get breast cancer? Here are 4 things you should know about the disease In her latest video, the comedian speaks about breasts, and yes, bras. The way she portrays the trouble a woman has to go through to buy that little piece of fabric is downright hilarious. While at it, Aditi suggests: "keep touching yourself". Watch the video here: --- ENDS --- Delhi gasped for breath after Diwali as smog and smoke filled up the air on Monday morning. Every air pollutant went up twice its concentration on Diwali as compared to last year, clearly indicating that Delhiites didn't refrain a bit from bursting crackers. By Baishali Adak: It seems that the Delhi government's 'anti-cracker' campaign had zero effect this year with citizens going ahead and bursting almost double the amount of fireworks burnt last year. As per the state environment department?'s own data released on Monday, every pollutant went up twice its concentration on Sunday vis-a-vis the Diwali of 2015. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), which is a by-product of explosives, shot up from an average concentration of 37 ug/m3-79 ug/m3 registered on November 11, 2015, to 70 ug/m3-123 ug/m3 on Sunday. advertisement This poisonous gas inflames the lung lining and is a leading cause for wheezing, coughing, colds, flu and bronchitis. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), on the other hand, skyrocketed from 26 ug/m3-64 ug/m3 on November 11, 2015, to 20 ug/m3-131 ug/m3 on Sunday. Both of these are responsible for extremely corrosive acid rains. Also Read: Pollution goes through the roof in Delhi, visibility plunges Also Read: Smog engulfs Delhi, pollution level 17 times higher on Diwali POISONOUS GAS IN AIR, ANAD VIHAR AND PUNJABI BAGH WORST AFFECTED Their permissible standards are 80 ug/m3 each. Carbon Monoxide, also called the ?silent killer?gas, went up from 1.1 mg/m3-4.0 mg/m3 on November 11, 2015, to 2.0 mg/m3-4.2 mg/m3. Particulate Matter, which seeps into the lungs and then the bloodstream to cause asthma, heart attacks and even cancer, also spiked. PM10, the thicker particle, rose from 296 ug/m3-778 ug/m3 on November 11, 2015, to 448 ug/m3-939 ug/m3 on Sunday. The figure for PM 2.5, the finer and more dangerous particle, was 184 ug/m3- 369 ug/m3 on November 11, 2015 and 180 ug/m3 on Sunday. Anand Vihar in the east and Punjabi Bagh in the west fared the worst. Also read: 173 fire-related incidents reported in Delhi on Diwali Also read: Pollution goes up, haze descends on Delhi ahead of Diwali; air turns hazardous POLLUTANTS INCREASED AFTER CRACKERS STARTED Scientists at the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said, "The level of pollutants showed an increase on Diwali. The major changes were observed after 7 pm when fireworks began. Delhi's ambient air was already saturated due to agricultural burning in neighbouring States like Punjab and Haryana. These have a free and smooth intra-region movement." "Further, the city is suffering adverse meteorological conditions with high moisture content in the air and little wind, so dispersal of the dirty air was not possible. The cumulative effect of all this, plus, more pollutants from fireworks attributed to the present situation," they explained. Incidentally, UNICEF also brought out a report on Monday which said that 220 million children in South Asia region including India, among nearly 300 million globally, are currently living in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds international guidelines by at least six times. advertisement The study - Clear the Air for Children - based on satellite imagery, in the first analysis of its kind, categorised the affected areas based on the quantum of particulate matter, ranging from 10 to 60 g/m3 (the amount of micrograms of ultra-fine particulate matter per cubic metre of air that constitutes a long term hazard). Also Read: Delhi air quality plummets on Diwali, government to appoint task force SHOULD CRACKERS BE BURNT ON DIWALI? Delhi is ranked among the top 20 cities worst-affected by pollution globally, as per WHO. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said, "Diwali pollution has continued to add to our air quality woes. Other countries have developed proper strategies to regulate fire crackers during festivities. Public health is given a priority. Beijing and Shanghai halt fireworks sales entirely if the pollution rises to dangerous levels. There are time and place restrictions. All fireworks are labelled. Shanghai cut its number of authorised cracker sellers after pollution rose five times post fireworks extravaganza in 2013." "Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the Fireworks Regulation Act 2004 prohibits the use of fireworks in England and Wales between 11 pm and 7 am, although extensions are given for the special events," she said. advertisement The Delhi Government said that following the Diwali air quality review, the chief minister has appointed a task force to tackle air pollution and solid waste management, headed by health minister Satyendra Jain. Also Read: A day after Diwali, smog blankets Delhi --- ENDS --- DMK leader M K Stalin had a close shave on Tuesday evening after a car rammed his car when he was on his way back from Vellore. By Pramod Madhav: DMK leader M K Stalin's car today met with an accident at a toll gate. Stalin was on his way back from Vellore and as his vehicle was waiting in line to cross Pallikonda toll gate, a car tried to over take his vehicle in front of the toll gate, lost control and damaged Stalin's car destroying the right end front lamp cluster. advertisement Stalin escaped the accident without any injury and got into one of his aide's car and left for Dharmapuri to attend a wedding. This is the second such incident that had occurred with Stalin's new car. Last month, one the wheels of his car blew up near Guindy due to excess tyre pressure. --- ENDS --- Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has been sued by the Democrats in four states- Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and Ohio- for mounting a 'campaign of vigilante voter intimidation'. By Reuters: Democratic Party officials sued Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in four battleground states on Monday, seeking to shut down a poll-watching effort that they said was designed to harass minority voters in the November 8 election. In lawsuits filed in federal courts in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Arizona and Ohio, Democrats argued that Trump and Republican Party officials were mounting a "campaign of vigilante voter intimidation" that violates the 1965 Voting Rights Act and an 1871 law aimed at the Ku Klux Klan. advertisement "Trump has sought to advance his campaign's goal of 'voter suppression' by using the loudest microphone in the nation to implore his supporters to engage in unlawful intimidation," the Ohio Democratic Party wrote in a legal filing. Similar language was used in the other lawsuits. The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Also Read | Poll reveals most Americans believe allegations against Trump Also Read | Trump overtakes Hillary in campaign merchandise sales ahead of voting TRUMP DISCOURAGED PEOPLE FROM PARTICIPATING IN ELECTION Campaigning in Ohio, Clinton said Trump was hoping to discourage people from participating in the election. "His whole strategy is to suppress the vote. Lots of noise. Lots of distractions," Clinton said in Cleveland. Since August, Trump has urged his supporters to monitor polling locations on Election Day for signs of possible voting fraud, often urging them to keep a close eye on cities like Philadelphia and St. Louis that have high minority populations. In a separate lawsuit, Democrats are seeking to stop the national Republican Party from working with the Trump campaign on poll monitoring, arguing that a long-standing court order prevents the party from engaging in so-called "ballot security" measures. Also Read | Donald Trump groped, kissed us: Women come out to debunk 'locker room talk' claim Also Read: Donald Trump vs Hillary Clinton: Epic Rap Battle shows how ugly the rivalry could get WHY MONITOR BALLOTING? Many states allow campaigns and political parties to monitor balloting, though they often face restrictions. In Pennsylvania, for example, poll watchers must be formally certified by the local election board and must be registered voters in the county where they are working. The state Republican party has sued to remove these restrictions. With early voting under way, civil rights groups have said they have heard isolated reports of self-described poll monitors photographing voters and engaging in other intimidating behavior. Democrats also sued Republican operative Roger Stone, a longtime Trump ally who is organizing an exit-polling effort. Democrats said the true purpose of the project, called Stop the Steal, was to intimidate minority and urban voters. Also Read | Hillary Clinton takes on US FBI director James Comey in latest email flap advertisement Also Read | Trump looks for boost from Clinton's new email problem ROGER STONE ALSO SUED Stone told Reuters that his project was designed to ensure that electronic voting machines were working properly. On Stop the Steal's website, Stone says Clinton's Democrats "intend to flood the polls with illegals. Liberal enclaves already let illegals vote in their local and state elections and now they want them to vote in the Presidential election." Stone said the 1,400 people across the United States who have volunteered for the project have been instructed to use neutral language and only approach people after they have voted. "Since we are only talking to voters after they have voted, how can we be intimidating them?" Stone said. Also Read: Michelle Obama campaigns for her 'girl' Hillary Clinton, takes Trump to task Trump says Clinton policy on Syria would lead to World War III Opinion: Trump, Hillary or media - who's the biggest victim of US Presidential poll? --- ENDS --- By PTI: Amaravati, Nov 1 (PTI) Having achieved the top rank in ease of doing business in the country, Andhra Pradesh has now set its sights on becoming one of the top 10 investment destinations in the world in the next few years. "We are drawing plans for that. Last year we were number two in the country and this year we are number one in ease of doing business. In the coming years, we want to be among the top five, six or ten in the world," Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said while addressing Telugu Desam workers here today. advertisement "Rank (in ease of doing business) should create a perception (about the state). The perception should translate into decisions and investments into the state. We have to think beyond India," Chandrababu told his Cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats last night. Andhra Pradesh is now the only state to be ranked, at 51, in the global competitiveness index of the World Economic Forum, where Indias rank is 56. Switzerland is number one in the global ranking, followed by Singapore. "We have to benchmark those countries and aim to reach the top. Pick up the best practices from those countries and try to implement them here," Chandrababu said. By 2022, Andhra Pradesh aims to improve its ranking to 38 from the current 51. PTI DBV NRB ABM --- ENDS --- By PTI: Baripada (Odisha), Nov 1 (PTI) Four eateries have been made operational inside the famous Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha, in order to facilitate a problem-free visit for the tourists coming to the sanctuary. The four eateries have been made functional recently inside the sanctuary area of Similipal National Park to cater to the demand of tourists, Ajit Kumar Satpathy, Deputy Director, Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) said. advertisement While welcoming the first batch of tourists on the occasion of reopening of the sanctuary after the monsoon season at the Pithabata entry point this morning, Satpathy announced that the STR authorities had added more facilities inside several locations for the tourists. Of the four, two restaurants were set up in Kumari and Muktapur to serve ethnic foods to tourists with provision of a open theatre at Kumari. Local self help groups with the tribal people were engaged to run these restaurants and eateries to boost the local economy, he said. Drinking water facilities and toilets would also be made available to the visiting tourists in one month inside the sanctuary area, STR authorities said. Similipal National Park attracts a number of visitors from country and abroad. PTI CORR AAM PR ASV --- ENDS --- Why is there a contradiction in the statement of the IG, Police and the state home minister? Hours after the alleged encounter took place, different versions of the same from the Inspector General Yogesh Chaudhary and Home Minister Bhupendra Singh. The IG said that the men fired at the police and all of them were killed in cross-firing. The home minister, however, said the men were unarmed and so did the state's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Sanjeev Shami. A day later, however, the home minister seemed to have changed tack and told a news channel that "the police have said there was crossfire and they had no choice but to kill".In the video clips, there are no gunfire exchange between the escaped inmates and the police. If they were armed, where are these weapons? The IG, Police claimed that his men recovered four firearms, from which some rounds had been fired, and three sharp weapons from the slain activists. If the men were heavily-armed as claimed, why were these firearms not visible in the video? Did the SIMI men open fire? Did the police try to take them alive? In one of the video clips, a police personnel is seen talking to someone on the walkie-talkie and saying that five of the undertrials were trying to talk to the police. The video shows the men, who did not appear to be armed, waving their hands. Why is the policeman firing into a seemingly lifeless body? The video clip shows a policeman pumping bullets into one of the SIMI men. It also shows him moving his hand. Further, someone from behind says "arre, iska koi video leta hai?" This raises questions on the manner of the killing, and if this was staged. Why was the sharp-edged weapon still wrapped if it was used to threaten the police? One of the video clips shows a person taking a sharp-edged weapon, neatly wrapped, from one of the dead SIMI men. According to the police, the escaped undertrials had attacked them and they were killed in cross-firing. In such a scenario, the weapon, if used, should not have been kept wrapped. How did the suspects escape from the high-security prison in Bhopal? The Bhopal Central Jail is known to be one of the most secure jails in Madhya Pradesh. It has a 32-feet high wall, and it is no easy task to scale it and escape. Further, the CCTV camera too was reportedly not working inside the jail, which is an ISO 9000 certified jail. Going by the police and the home minister's statements that these eight men were plotting a big operation, questions are being raised on how did the state have so much information on what these men were planning. It simultaneously also raises questions on how come nobody knew about their prison-break plan. Did the eight SIMI men have outside help? The details of the jail break that have so far emerged show that it was meticulously planned. Right from opening the gates of their cell with a key to using bedsheets to scale the wall, such perfect execution of each and every step of the escape is difficult to achieve without any help. Despite a prison guard being killed, no alarm was raised in the central jail. A team of geologists and social scientists from IIT-Kharagpur have traced the route of the ancient river. By PTI: Scientists have found evidence of the mythical Chandrabhaga river near the UNESCO world heritage site of Konark Sun Temple in Odisha. A team of geologists and social scientists from IIT-Kharagpur recently undertook a scientific study to investigate whether the ancient river existed near the 13th century temple built by King Narasimhadeva. The scientists used various satellite images and then validated it with other field data to identify and trace the route of the river which is believed to have gone extinct. advertisement TRAIL OF A LOST RIVER "An aerial examination of the area through satellite imagery depicts the trail of a lost river which is otherwise difficult to identify in the field," said William Kumar Mohanty, Professor, Geophysics. ALSO READ: Excavations show Harappan site died as Saraswati river dried The existence of a palaeochannel at some locations is further corroborated through shallow surface geophysics using ground penetrating radar. A palaeochannel is a remnant of an inactive river or stream channel that has been either filled or buried by younger sediment. The identified palaeochannel passes north of the Konark Sun Temple, extending approximately parallel to the coast. ALSO READ: Saraswati river sprouts to life after 4,000 years in Haryana A PART OF ANCIENT LITERATURE It is believed that the temple was built at the mouth of Chandrabhaga although it has not been proved if the river still existed at that time. The river figures prominently in ancient literature. Preserved palm-leaf drawings, sketches and rare old photographs also suggest the existence of water bodies proximal to the temple in the past. ALSO READ: Saraswati river existed, efforts to be made to recharge it, says Uma Bharti ALSO READ: 'Ganga Act' to rescue Ganga river from filth, 4-member panel to draft new policy ALSO WATCH --- ENDS --- In the unique and superstitious 'Gaai Gohri' festival celebrated in Garbada village in Gujarat, the villagers allow cows and bulls to run over them as a way of expressing gratitude to the almighty. By India Today Web Desk: In a traditional ritual, tribals in Gujarat's Dahod district allow cows and bulls to run over them every year on second day after Diwali when they celebrate Gaai Gohri festival. Cows are considered sacred and worshiped across India, but this annual ritual called Gaai Gohri in Garbada village near Dahod town is one of its own kind. advertisement The ritual is celebrated two-days after Diwali, which also marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. A day after Diwali, the village head presides over a prayer ritual. After offering prayers to the deity, the animals are colored and decorated with peacock feathers. Bells are tied on the legs of the cows and bulls. #WATCH: Villagers allow cows and bulls to run over them during 'Gaai Gohri' festival in Gujarat's Dahod district. pic.twitter.com/f2O3k1aRqN; ANI (@ANI_news) October 31, 2016 In an age old ritual, which has been taking place for hundreds of years, cows and bulls are then driven over the devotees who lay face down on the ground. The daredevil act is a way of expressing gratitude to the "almighty" for fulfilling their wishes. The tribals also undertake the ordeal as an atonement of sins that they might have committed against the sacred animal. "This is a matter of tradition and faith. We respect cows and regard them as "mother". She cannot harm anyone," said Salra Behan Gohil, a resident. Also Read: Diwali and Dussehra superstitions spur demand for bird claws, tiger nails 10 things you should NOT buy on Dhanteras --- ENDS --- While nearly 50,000 patients require heart transplants every year, only 350 were conducted in the last 24 years. There is an acute shortage of organ donors in the country, resulting in the loss of lives. By Priyanka Sharma: Hard-pressed for donors, India battles a situation daily at its top hospitals when it comes to heart transplant cases. Nearly 50,000 heart patients require transplant every year. But just about 350 transplants were conducted in the last 24 years. According to a senior doctor at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 50 transplants were conducted in the public sector health facilities - a first in India, of which 13 were in 2016 alone. advertisement But the demand and donor ratio is far too skewed. "In India, nearly 50,000 people are in need of heart transplant, followed by three lakh for kidney transplant, and a lakh each for liver and corneal transplants. Many patients die due to unavailability of the organ donors. Therefore, we can see that there is a huge gap between the demand and supply for the human organs for transplants," Dr Balram Airan, chief of Cardiothoracic Centre at AIIMS, told Mail Today. ACUTE SHORTAGE OF ORGAN DONORS, HUGE COSTS OF HEART TRANSPLANTS Health experts say that Delhi needs about 1,000 heart transplants every year. However, patients on the wait list die due to acute shortage of organ donors and the huge cost of the transplant. "Several aspects need to be streamlined such as active coordination between the Centre and the state governments, providing green corridor for transporting the organ in a quick time, besides awareness among the people which is lacking in Delhi at present," said Dr Sandeep Seth, professor of cardiology at AIIMS. According to Dr Seth, for the past two years AIIMS was witnessing a huge decrease in the number of heart donors. Also Read | How Indian Navy flew 15-year-old's heart 200 km to save Kochi woman HOW THE TOP HOSPITALS OF THE COUNTRY FARE "In 2014, AIIMS conducted only two heart transplants. But this year our doctors were able to save more lives," Seth told Mail Today. In 2016, AIIMS conducted 13 heart transplants; the institute received hearts from Jaipur, Pune, Indore, Delhi and adjoining areas. Last month, doctors at AIIMS performed three heart transplants when two patients were declared as 'brain dead' at the AIIMS trauma centre. Also Read | 50th transplant: AIIMS gifts heart to Haryana man on Diwali "On October 4, we received a heart from Indore," Dr Airan informed in this context. Government hospitals in Delhi, like the RML Hospital, GB Pant Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital, have licence for conducting heart transplant. But these institutions have not performed a single heart transplant so far. In the private set up, heart transplants in the national Capital have been conducted at the Escort Heart Institute and Research, Max Hospital, Medanta Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. advertisement Dr Seth, however, pointed out that these hospitals conducted just one or two heart transplants so far. MISMANAGEMENT IN ORGAN DONATION? The organ donation process in the country is administered by the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO). Heath experts say that in India state- and district-level bodies cannot efficiently manage organ donation. "These state level bodies need to be strengthened and critical care doctors need to be proactive about identifying brain death cases. Last year we had written to the lieutenant governor for making brain death notifiable, which has been done," said Dr MC Misra, director, AIIMS. "We would soon conduct a workshop for critical care doctors on this subject," Misra said, adding that "roughly 10,000 brain deaths take place in Delhi-NCR every year. So even if we can harness 1,000 of these potential donors then we can address the issue." Currently, AIIMS has eight patients who are waiting for heart transplants. In India, Tamil Nadu has a highest number of organ donations. Globally, Spain has the highest organ donation rate at about 34 donors per million, while India has nearly 0.03 donors per million. Spain has the system of 'opt out' where organ donation will be automatic, unless an explicit request is made before death for organs not to be taken. advertisement Also Read: Lekhi urges society to take up organ donation --- ENDS --- By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh convened a high level emergency meeting at his residence today to discuss firing by Pakistan troops in Jammu and Kashmir, killing highest number of civilians in a day. The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, NSA Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Army Chief Dalbir Suhaag and BSF Director General KK Sharma along with other top officials of the ministry. advertisement Eight civilians were killed and at least two dozen were injured as a result of firing by Pakistan troops. DEFENCE MINISTER TO VISIT URI BRIGADE? It is also learned that Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to visit Uri Brigade tomorrow. This would be his first visit after Uri attack and surgical strike carried out by Indian Army. The Army Chief General Dalbir Singh is also expected to accompany Parrikar. Amid heavy ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Parrikar will visit LoC posts and take stock of the situation at border. He will also review preparations with senior Army commanders. The current situation across the international border and LoC was reviewed in the 45-minute long meeting. Pakistan troops have been using 120 mm mortars to aim and shoot at civilian areas, besides targeting the security. India's response came via BSF, which launched heavy fire on Pakistan post destroying 14 Pakistani Rangers post in which many Pakistan troops are suspected to be killed. Pakistan upped the ante hitting out at almost the entire International Border in Jammu region. Civilians living on the border moved to several government shelter home with the help of local governance and administration. With exchange of fire only intensifying the district administration has announced closing of schools till further notice. Earlier in the day, Governor NN Vohra met Home Minister Rajnath Singh over worrying law and order situation in the Valley. With increased action at borders, there is a signal to the forces to intensify action against terrorist in the hinterland. --- ENDS --- By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Detective Branch of Police has arrested a suspected Indian arms trader with 10 illegal firearms from Gabtoli area in Dhaka city. The news of the arrest was disclosed at a media briefing held at DMP Media Center on Tuesday noon. Joint Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Abdul Baten said, Khairul has admitted that he is involved in arms trade in the primary interrogation. He entered Bangladesh illegally through Benapol Border and he used to bring weapons with the help of an Indian terrorist group. advertisement Later the weapons were sold to terrorist groups from different places including Dhaka. He said, Khairul also told that Indian Arms traders brought the weapons from Bihar to West Bengal's den in a sand truck and smuggled the weapons to Bangladesh. "Khairul was detained with 10 firearms, among them, 6 foreign pistols and 4 foreign shutter guns. Besides, 35 bullets and 12 magazines were also recovered from his possession," added the police. He also said that Khairul told that he is from 24 Parganas of West Bengal. Recently a report was published in Bangladeshi media that the weapons used in Gushan and Sholakia attack were brought into Bangladesh through India. Also read: Pakistan terror outfits propping up Rohingya militants in Bangladesh Dhaka's Operation Storm 26: 9 militants killed, 2 in custody --- ENDS --- A brigadier posted at the Nasirabad cantonment near Ajmer, responsible for bombarding Pakistani positions in case of a war, is facing serious allegations of corruption, falsification of documents and violent harassment of his subordinates. The brigadier posted at Nasirabad near Ajmer was responsible for bombarding Pakistani positions in case of war. By Ajit Kumar Dubey: A senior Army officer posted in a fighting formation responsible for bombarding Pakistani positions in case of war is facing charges of corruption and harassment of his subordinates. "The brigadier posted at the Nasirabad cantonment near Ajmer is facing serious allegations of corruption, falsification of documents and violent harassment of his subordinates including officers and jawans," Army sources told Mail Today here. advertisement The development comes at a time when the Army is maintaining a high vigil along the western front, but its strike brigade is embroiled in such issues. The brigadier is posted in a Composite Artillery Brigade, which handles sophisticated weapon systems such as the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers and the Russian Smerch rockets. The formation is part of the Indian Army's elite 21 'Sudarshan Chakra' Strike Corps, which would be responsible for carrying out an offensive deep inside Pakistan through the desert sector in a war scenario. HOW INQUIRY AGAINST HIM WAS INITIATED The inquiry against the officer (name withheld) was launched after junior officers filed a complaint in February-March against him to higher authorities, giving complete details about the brigadier's alleged corrupt practices and his abusive behaviour towards officers who did not toe his line. At that time, the complaint was hushed up but the issue reignited when Lt Gen Cherish Mathson took over as the 21 Corps Commander in Bhopal and ordered a Court of Inquiry to probe the charges. "The inquiry was ordered by Mathson under a major general-rank officer from the 36 Infantry Division and not the 41 Artillery Division to avoid the matter getting hushed up again," sources said. INQUIRY COMPLETED, WHAT WILL FOLLOW NEXT? It is learnt that the Court of Inquiry has completed its proceedings against the brigadier and would be sending its recommendations to the 21 Strike Corps headquarters for further action. The recommendations of the Court of Inquiry can also lead to initiation of court martial proceedings against the brigadier after a final call is taken on the matter by the corps headquarters. Mail Today sought the Army's version for the story, but its official spokesperson Col Rohan Anand did not respond to the mail despite waiting for over a week. The personnel who had complained against the officer said that they were facing major harassment for bringing the matter to light. The Army laws do not provide any kind of protection to whistleblowers against discrimination by senior officers. advertisement Lt Gen Mathson is known for his tough stance against corruption. During his stint in the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), he had played an important role in getting a case reopened in which defective tents were procured for troops staying in high-altitude areas. After he opened the case, the Prime Minister's Office ordered a CBI inquiry in the matter of alleged irregularities in purchases made by the Chakrata-based Special Frontier Force, which was formed after the 1962 war with China involving Tibetan troops. The external spy agency had held an internal inquiry by an additional secretary-level officer, which found irregularities in the tendering processes and in the purchase of high-altitude tents over a period from 2009-2013. Also Read: Espionage racket: Fake Aadhar card, a meeting at Delhi zoo and Pakistan's customary denial Pak govt sacks minister over news report on rift with army Om Puri insults Uri martyrs. But why do we need to take him seriously? --- ENDS --- By Akshaya Nath: Just four days ahead of the meeting between Indian Foreign Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, and Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister, Mangala Samaraweera, the arrest of four Indian fishermen near Jaffna has come as a shocker. Indian fishermen and Sri Lankan fishermen will meet on Wednesday to discuss issues fishermen are facing. After this meeting, on November 5, under the leadership of the Sri Lankan Foreign Affairs Minister, 10 Sri Lankan fishermen will meet Sushma Swaraj. This is the fourth round of talks the two countries will have regarding this issue. advertisement Also read: 4 Tamil fishermen arrested, boat seized by Sri Lankan Navy The Tamil Nadu fishermen have been facing major crisis because of the continuous arrests and attacks in the Indian Ocean that they have been subjected to. They have been continuously requesting the central government to intervene and bring an amicable solution in the Katchatheevu issue. Since 2012, after the third round of talks between the two countries, more than 2,800 arrests have been made and at present 9 fishermen including the 4 arrested today are under arrest in Sri Lanka. Not only are the Indian Fishermen arrested, but their boats - the means of their livelihood - are captured on numerous occasions and are never returned. More than 18 boats belonging to the Rameswaram fishermen have been completely destroyed because of the lack of use and constant exposure to the salty sea water that they were anchored into. In 2015, during Diwali, 260 Indian fishermen were released at one go. But soon after, there were several arrests. Now, with the fourth round of meeting in a few days, there is lot of expectation and hope among the Indian fishermen. They are seeing this as an opportunity for sharing their difficulties and hoping for a better future. --- ENDS --- United States embassy today warned its citizens against a possible ISIS attack in cities in India. A still image taken from an Islamic State (IS) video released through the group's Amaq news agency shows an unidentified militant addressing the camera. Video said to be shot in Mosul, Iraq, on October 18, 2016. (REUTERS) By India Today Web Desk: The United States today asked its citizens in India to keep high level of vigilance citing reports indicating that terror outfit Islamic State desires to attack "targets" in India. An advisory issued by the American Embassy here warned its citizens of an increased threat in places frequented by Westerners in the country. "Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL's desire to attack targets in India. The US Embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues. US embassy notification warning its citizens. advertisement "All US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Department's Worldwide Caution of September 9, 2016," the advisory said. WATCH VIDEO Also read: ISIS plans to attack India through its bases in Bangladesh and Pakistan ISIS preparing a chemical attack, warns Pentagon --- ENDS --- In a Facebook post, Justice Markandey Katju called the SIMI encounter fake and demanded death sentence for all those who were involved in ordering and executing the encounter. By India Today Web Desk: Eight terror suspects of the banned organisation Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who escaped after killing a jail security guard from the Bhopal Central Jail, were killed in a gunfight on the outskirts of the city. The eight terror suspects, who were facing treason charges, were tracked by the police and killed in Malikheda where they allegedly tried to fight the police with arms. They were identified as - Amzad, Zakir Hussain Sadiq, Mohammad Salik, Mujeeb Shaikh, Mehbood Guddu, Mohammad Kalid Ahmed, Aqeel and Majid. advertisement Also read: Keralites are the real Indians, says Justice Katju. And Malayalis on Facebook go gaga Also read: Bhopal jailbreak-encounter: Eight questions that remain unanswered While Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated the security force for the encounter, many are questing the encounter and calling it fake. CM Chouhan also said prisoners escaping jail is a serious matter of concern and must be investigated by the NIA. Among the people questioning the encounter is former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. In a recent Facebook post, the former chief justice of the Delhi High Court said that the "so called 'encounter' in Bhopal was fake". Katju said those who were involved in the encounter and those who ordered it must be given death sentence. "All those responsible for it, not only those who did the actual executions, but also those who ordered it, including politicians and senior police officers, must be given death sentence, as held by my bench in the Supreme Court in Prakash Kadam vs. Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta (see online)(sic)", he wrote. Also read: Katju's love note for Jayalalithaa: You are a fearless lioness, your opponents are langurs Also read: Madhya Pradesh CM pays tribute to slain constable, slams Opposition for votebank politics over incident He called the encounter an 'extra judicial killing' and said "those happy policemen who think they can do extra judicial killings and get away with it should know that the gallows await them". He gave the example of Nuremberg trials which happened after the end of the World War II. The Nazi war criminals took the plea that 'orders are orders' but later the plea was rejected and most of them were hanged for the crime. In another post, he demands that the certain facts should be considered. "Sanjeev Shami, the Inspector General of the Anti Terror Squad, said that the eight SIMI under-trial escapees were unarmed, and no cop was injured. It is thus evident that the escapees were shot in cold blood", Katju pointed out. advertisement Also read: SIMI jailbreakers caught on videos: Was it an encounter or murder in cold blood? He also said that Madhya Pradesh's home minister said that escapees were armed with only spoons and plates. In fact, a video has emerged showing 5 escapees waving from a rock and some policeman shouting, "Control, these 5 men are trying to talk to us. Three of them are trying to run away. Cover them from all sides". Katju mentioned another video clip that shows someone shouting "Zinda hai, maaro (He is alive, kill him.) Puti one in his chest. He will die". Also read: Justice Markandey Katju tells how Indian justice system is flawed Giving the reference of Prakash Kadam vs. Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta case, he said that the Supreme Court held that "in cases of fake encounter, death sentence must be given, as such act belongs to the 'rarest of the rare' category because a 'rakshak' had become a 'bhakshak'". Katju demanded "chargesheeting for murder not only for the police officers and men who committed these cold blooded murders, but also the politicians (including ministers), senior bureaucrats and police officers who gave the order, and if found guilty, they must be hanged". advertisement Also read: The judgmental ex-judge: 11 times Markandey Katju stirred a hornet's nest --- ENDS --- A man had been arrested in Kanyakumari for murdering his wife and stage-managing the death to make it seem like it was a heart attack. By Pramod Madhav: A man had been arrested in Kanyakumari for murdering his wife and stage-managing the death to make it seem like it was a heart attack. 31-year-old David Samuel from Thirivattar was married to 26-year-old Hephzibah for the past 2 years. Recently, Hephzibah's parents passed away and David asked her sister Sibia and her brother Medusala to come and stay with them. advertisement In the morning on October 28, people heard David yelling out that Hephzibah was lying motionless and could feel no sensation. When her relatives went to check what had happened, they realised Hephzibah was dead. David said that she was having a severe chest pain and had taken some pills before going to sleep the other night. HEPHZIBAH'S BROTHER SUSPECTS FOUL PLAY He made others believe that she had died of a cardiac arrest. But Hephzibah's brother suspected some foul play and filed a complaint with the Thirivattar police and stopped Hephzibah's funeral. Thirivattar police inspector seized Hephzibah's body and sent it for autopsy, despite opposition from David and his family. And as Medusela suspected, the autopsy revealed that Hepzibah had been strangled to death. Police arrested David immediately. DAVID CONFESSES TO MURDER On being interrogated, he revealed that he was not happy living with Hepzibah and had started loving his sister-in-law Sibia. Hepzibah's brother Medusala said, "On 28th morning, we got a phone call that my sister passed away. I couldn't believe the news and when I went there, I was sure something was wrong. David didn't seem to be worried about her death, so we filed a complaint with the police. His family opposed going for the post-mortem, but the police went ahead with it. They found a mark on her neck and David ultimately confessed to having killed Hepzibah by strangling her. I hope David is hanged or killed by public execution. I don't want any other woman suffering such a fate". --- ENDS --- State government will inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of "Kerala Piravi" day at Kerala assembly today in the presence of ruling and opposition parties. By Revathi Rajeevan: November 1 is Kerala formation day and the state today turns 60. State government will inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of "Kerala Piravi" day at Kerala assembly today in the presence of ruling and opposition parties. However, the governor's office said that they had not received any official invitation from the state government to take part in the Kerala formation day celebrations. advertisement Governor left for Chennai today to attend a wedding. CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Governor was not invited as "there were protocol issues. There were 60 guests. If the Governor had been invited, not many others could have been accommodated." While 60 guests, eminent personalities from different fields were invited, former Chief Ministers AK Antony, Oommen Chandy and VS Achuthanandan were not invited too. --- ENDS --- The letter requests the CJI to resolve the ongoing issue and allow journalists "to exercise their constitutional rights". By Revathi Rajeevan: Newspapers in Kerala today welcomed the Chief Justice of India, TS Thakur, to Kerala with an open letter explaining the ongoing clash between journalists and lawyers in the state. Both English and Malayalam newspapers in the state published the letter welcoming the CJI to Kerala on the state's 60th birthday, which also marks the 60th birthday of the Kerala High Court. The letter requests the CJI to resolve the ongoing issue and allow journalists "to exercise their constitutional rights". advertisement Letter published in the Times of India, Kerala edition: An Open Letter To Chief Justice Of India Sir, We - representing the Regional Committee of Indian Newspaper Society and Kerala Television Federation -welcome you to our state on the occasion of its 60th birthday. As you know, the state and its high court share the same birthday on November 1. While welcoming you to Kerala on the occasion of the high court's diamond jubilee celebrations, we are saddened to inform you that the actions of a section of the legal fraternity have seriously affected the excellent relations that prevailed till recently between the judiciary and the media in the state. For the last six decades, Kerala has benefited from the timely intervention of many illustrious judges, whose vision and perspective have helped the state evolve into an enlightened society with commendable legal literacy . But a series of sad incidents -stemming from the reportage of an indecent incident involving government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran's misbehaviour with a woman in a crowded Kochi street -are a blot on this legacy . You may recall a meeting our senior representatives had with you in New Delhi. They had also met the President of India during that occasion to apprise him of the reality regarding the media ban in Kerala and had requested his co-operation too. We thank you for the patient audience you had given them. We all were immensely hopeful of an early solution post that meeting. But unfortunately precious little has changed on the ground. This bleak scenario is continuing in spite of intervention of Governor Justice P Sathasivam, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, various international press associations, senior leaders of all socio-political organizations and prominent citizens. To give you an update, journalists were hounded out of the chief justice's court the very next day after a third communiqu reassuring the media of hassle-free entry and reporting, signed by the registrar general, was sent to our offices. To say that this shocked and surprised us would be an understatement. But what is more worrying is the sinister manner in which the script is being played out in courtrooms across the state. At the Vanchiyoor court in Thiruvananthapuram, sadly , again in the presence of the judge, journalists -including women -were booed and manhandled and elbowed out of the courtroom. Our equipment was dam aged. Additionally , false cases have been filed against reporters by the lawyers involved. advertisement Of course, this attack by lawyers was mild compared to earlier incidents when empty beer bottles stocked on the premises of the court were hurled at media persons. Also, a highly slanderous campaign tarnishing women journalists, including putting up flex boards with their photographs, has been unleashed to demoralize us further. The situation has come to such a pass that advocates are being threatened not to represent media houses when their legal issues come up before various courts. In effect, apart from being prevented from discharging our constitutional rights granted under the Freedom of Expression provisions, the media as a whole is being denied its right to natural jus tice to present their side of the story on any issue, for that matter before any judicial officer. The muscle power of a section of lawyers has built a wall between readers and legal news. Watched by an indifferent section of judiciary , this gag-mentality is tarnishing beyond recognition the crystal-clear transparency that was once the hallmark of the media-court synergy . It, indeed, is sad that the very concept of rule of law is being challenged by some custodians of the law on court premises. advertisement Repeated assurances inviting media like any other visitor to a court have become mere formality . But we have no access to daily orders and judgments so as to enable real time coverage. The media room remains closed. Sir, you would attest to the view of British philosopher Jeremy Bentham: "Where there is no publicity , there is no justice. Publicity is the very soul of justice. It is the surest of all guards against improbity ." This open letter may be our last appeal before we are forced to withdraw colleagues from courts taking into consideration their safety and security; so we request you to drill sense into this section of the legal fraternity of Kerala who are standing between our right to practise journalism and the reader/ viewer's right to information. Once again, we greet you on the occasion of the diamond jubilee, hoping that you would resolve the issue before bidding adieu to the state. Letters in other newspapers: --- ENDS --- This would be his first visit post Uri attack and surgical strike in the area. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh will also accompany Parrikar. By Manjeet Negi: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to visit Uri Brigade tomorrow. This would be his first visit post Uri attack and surgical strike in the area. Army Chief General Dalbir Singh will also accompany Parrikar. Amid heavy ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Parrikar to visit LoC posts and take stalk of border situation. He will also review preparations with Senior Army commanders. advertisement On the eve of Diwali Four Pak posts destroyed in massive fire assault in Keran Sector by Indian Army. Indian Army now using all heavy arms like mortar, rocket launcher, automatic grande launcher to retaliate continues Pak firing. Defence Minister also to unveil statue of India's first PVC Maj Somnath Sharma in Srinagar on Thursday. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Murtuza Merchant Mumbai, Nov 1 (PTI) Over a year after Rakesh Maria was removed as Mumbai police chief, reportedly for taking "too much interest" in the Sheena Bora murder case, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the high-profile officer was "promoted" a bit early to "avoid controversies". "There were 2-3 controversies created at that time. One was about Lalit Modi, where Maria gave a clarification and we accepted it. Secondly, when he was taking keen interest in the Sheena Bora investigation, questions were raised why is a CP taking so much interest. But Maria is known to have a keen interest in criminal investigation. So it was quite possible that he was taking interest out of that nature of his," Fadnavis told PTI. advertisement He said that Maria was not transferred but promoted and that there was nothing unusual in a Commissioner of Police being promoted a few weeks earlier than scheduled. "Today, if I say that I knew that the Sheena Bora investigation was not going correctly and that is why I transferred him, it will be an afterthought. But yes, due to these controversies that were happening, I thought that I will promote him a little early to put an end to controversies," he said. Fadnavis said, unexpectedly, a fresh controversy erupted after his promotion which made him give Maria the permission to "supervise" the investigation. "I think apart from this case, Maria had an excellent record. We should give him benefit of doubt but it is also true that till the case was transferred to CBI, I was always briefed that Peters direct involvement (in the murder) is not seen. "It is quite possible that by the time it (the case) was with Mumbai police they could not track it. I am not casting aspersions on anyone, but I was just surprised at the briefing that I received after Peter was arrested," Fadnavis said. Fadnavis also said the state government has not received any official communication from the CBI about any officers interrogation or direct or indirect connection with any accused in the case. Maria and two other senior Maharashtra police officers were recently examined by the CBI officials as they were part of the initial probe team which investigated the Sheena Bora murder case and arrested her mother Indrani Mukherjea. Besides Maria, the CBI also questioned Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) and Satya Narayan Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-X). A controversy had erupted in June last year after some TV news channels showed photographs of Maria with former IPL boss Lalit Modi in London. Modi faces charges of financial irregularities and money laundering in India. After Fadnavis demanded an explanation, Maria issued a statement saying that he had met the former IPL Commissioner at the insistence of the latters lawyer in London in 2014. PTI MM NM SK SK --- ENDS --- advertisement By Ashraf Wani: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today expressed anguish and concern over the loss of innocent human lives and destruction of properties in unabated border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir. In order to de-escalate the perilously hostile situation prevailing in the region, Mehbooba Mufti today made a fervent appeal for peace and political dialogue between India and Pakistan. "I am deeply pained over the fresh spate of civilian killings, including children and women, in border shelling and urge the political leadership in New Delhi and Islamabad to take effective and urgent measures to de-escalate the situation and bring an end to the miseries of the hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir who are caught in the deadly crossfire,'' the CM said. advertisement READ| Mehbooba Mufti to Kashmir police: Take bullet instead of using pellet guns on protesters INNOCENT LIVES TARGETTED She said the unabated border shelling has seen a tragic humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, where innocent civilians and their properties are being targeted. "We in Jammu and Kashmir yearn for peace as we have been suffering immensely because of the hostility and violence in the region and know very well its dangers and perilous consequences," she said and added that India and Pakistan must open the channels of communication, at the earliest, realizing the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the borders. Maintaining that the necessity and urgency of dialogue has assumed more significance in the prevailing disturbing situation, Mehbooba said the escalation of violence along the borders and LoC should keep reminding both India and Pakistan of the inevitability of sitting across the table to find a peaceful, just and pragmatic solution of all the contentious issues. READ | Removal of AFSPA necessary for peace in Kashmir: Mehbooba Mufti INDO-PAK POLITICAL LEADERSHIP SHOULD SAVE KASHMIR "We see world-over how wars have resulted in complete destruction of once most prosperous countries and annihilation of cultures,'' she said and added that it is the responsibility of the Indo-Pak political leadership to save the region from such a devastating scenario. "Whatever be the reasons for hardening of stances and attempts by the vested interests to subvert the peace process, there is, however, no substitute to the reconciliatory policy which was started in 2003 and had worked so well," she said and called for serious efforts at the political and civil society levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people sandwiched in a gory scenario of death and destruction. She said the senseless violence is the common enemy of the people in both India and Pakistan as the scourge of bloodshed has devoured their lives over the years. READ | What went wrong in Kashmir and how to fix it The chief minister asked the Divisional administration in Jammu and the concerned District Administrations to reach out to the people affected by the border shelling with all possible support. --- ENDS --- advertisement By PTI: As ousted Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry stepped up attack, Ratan Tata today hit back saying his removal was "absolutely necessary" for the future success of the Tata Group. "The decision to change the leadership of Tata Sons was a well-considered and serious one for its board members. This difficult decision, made after careful and thoughtful deliberation, is one the board believes was absolutely necessary for the future success of the Tata Group," the interim chairman wrote to employees of USD 100 billion Group. advertisement READ | To state that I acted against 'Tata values' is mischievous: Cyrus Mistry READ | Cyrus Mistry was given opportunity to resign, but he chose not to: Tatas TATA PROMISING GROUP A WORLD-CLASS LEADER The letter came shortly after Mistry ratcheted up war of words by rebutting "insinuations" of mishandling a dispute with Japans NTT DoCoMo, saying Ratan Tata was party to all decisions regarding the telecom venture. Tata, 78, who retired as Tata Group Chairman nearly four years back, justified his return for "maintaining stability and continuity of leadership" and promised to give the group "a world-class leader" when a fulltime boss is appointed. READ | No Cyrus mystery: All you need to know about sacked Tata chairman Earlier in the day, Mistry's office issued a statement saying all decisions on the telecom joint venture with DoCoMo and the following dispute were taken with unanimous approval of Board of Tata Sons as well as family patriarch Ratan Tata. The handling of the USD 1.17 billion compensation slapped by an arbitration panel over breach of agreement with DoCoMo is said to one of the triggers for Tata Sons sacking Mistry last month. READ | Board proceedings invalid, illegal, says 'shocked' Cyrus Mistry: 10 developments GROUP COMPANIES TO FOCUS ON PROFIT MARGINS, MARKET POSITIONS "Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired," the statement said. Responding to the statement, a Tata group spokesman said, "The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice." Tata in his second letter to employees after the October 24 sacking of Mistry, said the Group companies should focus on their profit margins and their market position and not compare themselves to their own past. "The focus has to be on leading rather than following," he wrote. READ | Tata Sons hits back at Cyrus Mistry: Allegations malicious, making letter public unforgivable WATCH VIDEO --- ENDS --- Of the eight arrested accused, seven have been remanded in police custody till November 4. By Vidya : A 30-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by eight men in Amboli area of Mumbai. The woman and her husband had gone to search for a property in Amboli. According to the police, since it was getting late, the couple decided to stay at an acquaintance's house for the night. Suddenly, a few unidentified men barged into the house. While four of these men held the husband and the acquaintance by force, the other four raped the woman. advertisement SWIFT ACTION BY POLICE The victim rushed to a nearby police station to register a complaint. According to the police, the complaint was registered at 2.30 am and within hours all the accused were arrested. ALSO READ: Minor girl raped at old age home in Hyderabad Most of the accused are between 19 and 25 years of age and work as drivers or as office boys in companies. ALSO READ: Monika Ghurde murder case: Security guard smothered perfumer to death, possibly raped her Seven accused were produced in a holiday court in Bandra where they were remanded in police custody till November 4. The eighth accused, who was arrested later, is likely to be produced in the court on Wednesday. The woman has been sent for a medical examination. ALSO READ: Trichy: Woman succumbs to injuries after gangraped by three Two women fight off rape attempt at gun-point in a moving car in Gurgaon Delhi woman gangraped in Gurgaon while returning from party, one held ALSO WATCH --- ENDS --- Government-run institutions in the country are not known for consistently high standards of achievement and innovation but the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, is an outstanding exception. I have an indelible image of one of the rockets of Indias first space flight being carried to its launch site on a bullock cart in the 60s. Maybe thats what made me a space cynic and cost me a bottle of champagne. I took a bet with our Managing Editor Raj Chengappa, our resident space expert, that India would not get to the moon. Well, hes over the moon and I owe him a bottle of champagne. advertisement Its one bet Im happy to lose. Government-run institutions in the country are not known for consistently high standards of achievement and innovation but the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, is an outstanding exception. The launch of Chandrayaan-1 on a mission to map the moons surface allows India to join a select space club and is a huge milestone in the countrys space programme. Moon missions, I honestly felt, were passe. America landed a man on the moon in 1969 and their last moon shot was in 1972 (they sent up an orbiter in 1994) while the former Soviet Union ended their Luna probes in 1976. The magazine's July 2000 cover The 67 moon missions so far have brought back 400 kg of moon rock, enough for scientific research. So why is India making such a big deal about its lunar probe? It puts us with the big boys of space. A scientific super-power. This is, to paraphrase the first man on the moon, a giant leap for ISRO. In the three decades of its existence, ISRO has never attempted anything as ambitious. The moon, 3,84,467 km from the earth, is 10 times farther than any ISRO rocket has reached and the journey involves a series of highly complex and sophisticated assignments. That alone propels Indias space programme to a new level. When ISROs probe orbits the moon on November 15, India will join America, Russia, Europe, Japan and China to have sent lunar missions. Also, China has just sent a man into space and the Asian space race between the two to put a man on the moon could rival the rivetting one between the Americans and the former Soviet Union four decades ago. There are larger ambitions into planetary explorations and even manned space flights. There is renewed global interest after recent probes discovered water on the lunar surface which opens the possibility of establishing a station on the moon and as a base for further probes to Mars. Recently, celebrated physicist Stephen Hawkins stated that if the human race is to continue for another million years, we will need to set up colonies on Mars and the moon. India could find itself helping the world reach a new frontier. advertisement There are also numerous strategic and technological spin-offs, apart from the prospect of finding and transporting Helium-3, a possible answer to the worlds energy needs. However, Im keeping that champagne on ice till November 15, when we can celebrate Indias great technological achievement. --- ENDS --- Home Ministry has already added another NGO of Naik in prior permission category. This will prevent the NGO from receiving foreign funds without government approval. By PTI: There is more trouble in store for Islamic preacher cum televangalist Zakir Naik's NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). It will soon be banned from receiving foreign funds with the Home Ministry initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA registration by issuing a final show cause notice to the NGO. With this, the Ministry of Home Affairs has formally intiated the process for putting another NGO of Naik - IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. advertisement The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRFs registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. IRF SOON TO BE AN UNLAWFUL ASSOCIATION Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said. Naik also transferred IRFs foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India, contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He had been popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy erupted. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Hyderabad, Oct 31 (PTI) The government is all set to issue a notification authorising retirement fund body EPFO to pay 8.8 per cent interest to "inoperative" accounts, Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said today. "The inoperative (Employee Provident Fund) accounts are not being paid interest since 2011. As per the instructions given the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, we decided to start paying interest to those accounts to make them operative," Dattatreya said. advertisement "I have already signed the file concerned. Notification will be issued soon. We will pay 8.8 per cent interest on those accounts. About 9.70 crore workers or employees will benefit from this notification. This is a Diwali gift for the people. We will issue notification within a week," he told PTI. The minister further said that officials have identified that about Rs 42,000 crore is now lying in "inoperative accounts" across the country. "People can park their funds in EPF as long they want. Since the inoperative accounts are getting interest, people may not like to withdraw. It is a safe investment also. If not today, tomorrow we will have to pay to the claimant. So there is nothing called unclaimed," a senior official of the ministry had earlier said. In case of EPF, if there is no contribution paid during the last 36 months, then that account is classified as "inoperative", the official added. "We are in the process of identifying multiple accounts held by individuals. Once that is completed we will start distributing the interest to those accounts," Dattatreya said. On structuring the Employees Provident Fund Organisation, he said as the government is on the task to increase social security scheme to all the sectors, there is a necessity to increase the EPFO network also. "The current zonal system will be further enhanced so that the reach is high. There is a chance that every state will get a zonal office," he said. According to him, there will be a review meeting on EPFO tomorrow which will discuss in detail on the issue. He said the next meeting of Board of Trustees will discuss on the issues of restructuring of EPFO and investments in Exchange Traded Funds, among others. PTI GDK DK SA RDS --- ENDS --- China's statement came a day after nuclear negotiators held the second round of disarmament talks in Beijing which discussed India's bid. By Ananth Krishnan: China today said it wanted a solution "for all non-NPT countries" on the question of expanding the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before considering India's case. Its statement came a day after nuclear negotiators held the second round of disarmament talks in Beijing which discussed India's bid. Besides India, Pakistan has also been pushing to be included as the group considers allowing countries that are not signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). advertisement China appears to be linking the two cases by calling for a solution for "all non-NPT countries". "We will seek a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of the relevant non-NPT country," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday. "We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard," she added, saying that China's position was "clear and consistent" and that it "attaches importance to the accession of non-NPT members into the NSG." While many of the NSG's 48 members see India as a unique case given its track record and the waiver granted to the civilian nuclear with the US, China says it and several other countries, reported to include Brazil, New Zealand and South Africa, have expressed worries on opening up the group to non-NPT states. China's nuclear negotiators held a first round of formal talks with India between disarmament departments on the issue in Delhi in September, and visited Islamabad ten days later to also discuss Pakistan's aspirations. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Karachi, Nov 1 (PTI) JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has alleged that the current political crisis in Pakistan was part of an "Indian conspiracy" to divert international attention from its oppression in Kashmir. The political crisis in Pakistan - Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaaf (PTI)s call for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs resignation over Panama leaks, protesters clash with police and the governments aggressive response to the protests - were all affecting the Kashmir cause, the LeT founder said. advertisement "If you go through analytically, in all that panic and crisis-like situation, the Kashmir issue has disappeared from the national scene," he was quoted as saying by the Dawn while addressing a press conference at the Markaz-i-Taqwa, the Karachi headquarters of the party yesterday. He said it seems Pakistan had forgotten the plight of Kashmiris and called upon ruling and opposition parties to resolve their issues through talks to "avoid becoming tools of international forces which wanted them to ignite a crisis in Pakistan". The current political crisis in Pakistan was part of an "Indian conspiracy" to divert global attention from Kashmir, he said, adding that Indian spy agency RAW was behind it so that Islamabad could not raise the Kashmir issue. PTI SAI AKJ SAI --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad, Nov 1 (PTI) Pakistan today summoned Indias Deputy High Commissioner for the fourth time in just over a week and lodged a strong protest over alleged "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces along the Line of Control that resulted in the death of its six civilians. "Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh today and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors," the Foreign Office said in a statement. advertisement The statement said the firing killed six civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others. "The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC," it added. This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office for "ceasefire violations". The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28. On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as "persona non-grata". PTI SH/ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain Islamabad/New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) India today protested to Pakistan over the unprovoked firing from across the border to give cover to infiltrators when its Deputy High Commissioner was summoned for the fourth time in just over a week over alleged "unprovoked ceasefire violations". "Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh today and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors," the Foreign Office said in a statement. advertisement The statement said the firing killed six Pakistani civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others. Singh protested against the unprovoked firing from Pakistani Rangers, saying it was primarily to give cover to infiltrators, Indian officials said in New Delhi. He also mentioned the killing of civilians on Indian side in the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, they said. "The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC," the FO statement added. This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28. On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as "persona non-grata". PTI SH/PYK ZH AKJ ZH --- ENDS --- The names of the four officials were made public after Indian officials released to media a recorded statement of a High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, who was expelled from India after being declared persona non grata. By Indo-Asian News Service: Pakistan is considering pulling out from India four of its officials posted in the High Commission in New Delhi, days after Indian authorities declared one diplomat persona non grata. "This is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly," a source at the Foreign Office said on Monday. The names of the four officials - Commercial Counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and First Secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal - were made public after Indian officials released to media a recorded statement of a High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, who was expelled from India after being declared persona non grata. advertisement READ: Pakistan spy game busted: Women, money used to lure Indian officers, Pak high commission staff involved Akhtar told Dawn news that he had given the statement under duress. "They took me to a police station after detaining me where I was forced to read out a written statement provided by them in which the names of the four officers were given and was told to state that they belonged to Pakistan's intelligence services," the former High Commission official, who returned to Islamabad last week, said. Akhtar narrated how he was "manhandled and picked" from outside a zoo while on his way back from Nizamuddin shrine and taken to a Delhi police station, where he was coerced into recording a statement before being expelled from the country. The incident has jeopardised the security of the officers and their families besides restricting the normal diplomatic functioning of the high commission. READ: Pakistan spy racket: 2 Indians arrested, embassy staff asked to leave India Pakistan and India have in the past expelled each other's diplomats and officials due to their tense relationship, but it is one of those rare occasions where one of the countries took the extreme step of revealing the identities of officers. Pakistani officials believe that India did this on purpose to heighten the tensions. "We consider it as a serious breach of diplomatic norms. The Indian move has complicated the already tense situation and threatened the lives of our diplomatic staff," a Pakistani official said, adding it was a "deliberate and provocative action". Watch the video here: Also Read: 46 arrested since 2013: Timeline of Pakistan's spy game in IndiaExclusive: Crime Branch probing role of two mysterious women in ISI spy ring SP MP Munawwar Saleem's personal assistant arrested on espionage charge Another Pakistani spy working for ISI arrested in Rajasthan --- ENDS --- By PTI: Kochi, Oct 31 (PTI) The father of a Dalit woman, who was murdered in April in nearby Perumbavoor, today approached the trial court here seeking further probe into the killing. In a petition filed before the Principal Sessions Court, Ernakulam, Pappu claimed there was contradiction in the findings of the Special Investigation Team which probed the case, which was in focus in the run-up to the assembly elections earlier this year. advertisement He claimed there were differences in the postmortem report and the charge sheet filed before the court regarding the time of the murder. He also said it was difficult to believe the police claim that the accused Ameerul Islam alone committed the murder of the 30-year-old law student. The charge sheet, submitted in the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court, has named Ameerul Islam, a native of Assam who was arrested in June last, as the lone accused in the case and charged him with offences, including rape and murder. The accused has been charged under various sections of the IPC, including 449 (house-trespass), 376 (punishment for rape), 302 (murder) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), besides relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. There are 195 witnesses in the case. PTI TGB VS ZMN TRK --- ENDS --- By PTI: Two visits have been lined up for Mukherjee to historical Two visits have been lined up for Mukherjee to historical temples. He will be visiting Pashupatinath in Kathmandu on November 3 and the next day he will pay beisnace at Janaki temple in Janakpur which has been hotbed of Madhesi community protests. In Janakpur, a civic reception has been scheduled in his honour where he will interact with local people. advertisement The External Affairs Ministry did not rule out Mukherjees meeting with leaders of Madhesi community which is largely of Indian origin. "Apart from formal engagements...there would be number of opportunities for the Rashtrapati Ji to interact with the political leaders, with the members of civil society at different places and I am sure he will have an opportunity to interact with Madhesi leaders also," Dalela had said. On November 3, Mukherjee will be conferred with an honorary degree followed a civic reception in Kathmandu in his honour. The President will also address a seminar of Niti Anusandhan Pratisthan Nepal and India Foundation. The President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, will also visit Pokhra on the same day where he will interact with ex-servicemen of Indian Army from Gurkha community. During the visit, the emphasis of the Indian side is to see the implementation of agreements which have already been entered in both sides. "We have put in place a number of new agreements to promote our cooperation in trade, economic, connectivity, people-to-people connections, tourism and we are trying to implement these agreements and MoUs that we have signed. I think our focus at this stage is to really implement what we have signed," Dalela had said. PTI ABS RT --- ENDS --- The President's visit is seen as an extension of "intensive engagement" by India with Nepal, which adopted its democratic Constitution last year, at political and functional levels. By Press Trust of India: President Pranab Mukherjee is on a three-day state visit to Nepal, the first by an Indian Head of State in 18 years. He will hold talks with political leadership there besides visiting historical temples of Pashupatinath and Ram Janki. AGENDA OF THE VISIT The President's visit is seen as an extension of "intensive engagement" by India with Nepal, which adopted its democratic Constitution last year, at political and functional levels. advertisement "The President has had a long involvement with the people of Nepal, with the political leaders of Nepal and he has been a person who has played an instrumental role on behalf of India in his different capacities as Defence Minister, as Finance Minister and as External Affairs Minister in the process of democratic evolution within Nepal," Press Secretary to the President Venu Rajamony had said. PRANAB MUKHERJEE TO MEET PRESIDENT BIDYA DEVI BHANDARI Mukherjee is likely to be received by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. A formal meeting between the two Heads of State has been lined up at the official residence of Bhandari--Shital Niwas. Bhandari will also host a state banquet in honour of Mukherjee. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will also host a dinner in his honour. "India is giving particular focus on our ongoing development, connectivity and economic projects as well as number of projects under the lines of credit. "These projects are being reviewed periodically at the highest level to ensure their timely implementation. We are also trying to move forward expeditiously on the post-earthquake reconstruction projects where India has committed USD one billion assistance to Nepal," Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said while briefing about the visit. Also read: President Pranab Mukherjee to undertake 3-day state visit to Nepal Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and the Prime Minister will also call on Mukherjee. The leaders "will discuss the full range of issues covering bilateral, regional and international issues and I am sure regional cooperation issue will figure in the talks," Dalela had said. The then President K R Narayanan had visited Nepal in 1998. --- ENDS --- Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and some of his family members have been accused of illegally transferring money abroad. By Agencies: In a major setback for Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the country's supreme court today agreed to form a commission to probe alleged money laundering by Sharif and family as reported in the Panama Papers' leaks. "The Supreme Court asked both the Pakistan Muslim League and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to submit their Terms of Reference (ToRs) on the formation of a commission to probe the Panama Papers leaks," the Dawn reported. advertisement A CELEBRATORY RALLY Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan backed down from his threat to shut down the capital on Wednesday, vowing instead to hold a "celebratory rally" after the court's decision. The panel will probe Sharif and his close family members for their alleged investment in offshore companies. ALSO READ: Panama Papers list Putin's aide, Nawaz Sharif, hundreds of Indians: 10 things to know "On the Supreme Court's advice, we have decided that tomorrow we will thank God and celebrate a Day of Thanks at (Islamabad's) parade ground," Khan told media outside his residence in Islamabad. The celebratory rally is a step back from his threat to paralyse the city and the government, and is likely to ease tension that has boiled over into violence in the days ahead of the planned protest in the capital. ALSO READ: Panama Papers leak reveals Nawaz Sharif's offshore holdings MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES Sharif and some his family members are accused of illegally transferring money abroad after the Panama papers leaks showed his family of possessing properties in the UK. Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing. ALSO READ: Panama Papers leak: 'Mian Sahib, you will have to resign', Imran Khan to Nawaz Sharif ALSO WATCH --- ENDS --- By PTI: In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not refer to Kejriwals remarks but asked those present to smile a bit else it could lead to a "wrong perception". "I never had the privilege to be in a court but Im told the atmosphere there is serious. Its influence is seen here too. Its the golden jubilee, smile a bit or it would lead to a wrong perception," he said in a lighter vein, leading the audience to burst in peals of laughter. advertisement On the occasion, Kejriwal attacked the Modi government on the issue of independence of institutions with regard to appointment of Supreme Court and High Court judges. He said the Constitution states that while all institutions are independent of each other, they are inter- dependent on each other too. "The independence of judiciary is paramount...it can be a matter of concern if there is infringement on the independence of judiciary," he said. Referring to news reports regarding the proceedings in the Supreme Court on Friday over the delay in appointments of judges in high courts, he said many of the recommendations made by the apex court collegium have been pending with the government for the past several months. "In a democracy, public opinion is most important. Such things give rise to rumours. It is not a good thing to have rumours in public," he said. The Chief Minister said the delay gave rise to rumours that collegium recommendations were pending because names suggested by a particular minister for appointment as judges were not considered by the judiciary. "Also, (that) the government is against appointing a particular person as a judge, therefore, there is a delay in clearing the (collegium) recommendations," he said. He said if the Executive has even 0.001 per cent interference, it is "not good as the judiciary has to be completely independent of the Executive. The Executive has so much power, therefore, Judiciary has to keep a check on it". Kejriwal suggested a rule whereby recommendations of the collegium should be implemented within 48 hours. Responding to the issue of vacancies, the Law Minister said the Supreme Court and the government are working together to make the collegium system more transparent. "We are working together to find an amicable solution," Prasad said in an apparent reference to the memorandum of procedure--a document to guide appointment of members to the higher judiciary. PTI NAB AAR --- ENDS --- British defence major Rolls Royce made secret payments of around 10 million pounds to an Indian defence agent that may have helped the company to win a big contract for engines on Hawk aircrafts used by the Indian Air Force, a media report has said. By PTI: British defence major Rolls Royce made secret payments of around 10 million pounds to an Indian defence agent that may have helped the company win a big contract for engines on Hawk aircraft used by the Indian Air Force, a media report has said. The person, who is alleged to have received the secret payment of over 10 million pounds, was arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie, BBC reported. advertisement The arms dealer, who is on the Indian government's blacklist of people suspected of "corrupt or irregular practice" is now settled in London. BLACKLIST WARNS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS The blacklist warns government officials and ministers to be extra-cautious while dealing with people and companies on the list. Also read: Rolls-Royce showcase Vision Next 100 Years Concept The report also quoted Choudhries lawyer as saying that his client has never paid bribes to Indian government officials or acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals. Choudhrie also serves as an adviser on India to the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and his family. ROLLS ROYCE COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce said it was "fully co-operating with the authorities" and "cannot comment on ongoing investigations". Hawk aircrafts are used by the Indian Air Force for training purposes. --- ENDS --- By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 1 (PTI) Rural Kerala was today declared Open Defecation Free, becoming the first ODF state among the densely populated in the country. Making the declaration at a function here, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the Centre to take steps to stop open defecation on railway tracks to ensure that the ambitious programme aimed at making Kerala a total ODF state was realised. advertisement With this, Kerala has become the first ODF state among densely populated states in the country, he later said in a facebook post. In his address at the function, Vijayan said setting up toilets in all households was not enough to make the state total ODF and immediate steps should be taken to stop the defecation by railway passengers on tracks. Common toilets should be set up in urban areas to meet the demands of lakhs of migrant labourers in the state while implementing the urban ODF initiative, scheduled to be completed by March next year, he said. "In the present circumstances, our aim for a total Open Defecation Free Kerala cannot be realised, even if toilets are set up in all households across the state," Vijayan said. For this, Centres intervention was needed to stop the defecation by railway passengers on ground. Otherwise, the state could not achieve its aim of a total ODF state, he said. Vijayan said though Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to come to the state to declare Kerala as ODF, the plan was changed as the PMO informed about some inconvenience in the PM being present here. He also urged the local bodies to continue their efforts to make people use the toilets and ensure effective implementation of the programme. About 1.75 lakh toilets have been constructed in rural Kerala including critical areas like remote Tribal hamlets and water-logged areas during the last three months under the ODF programme with state-run Suchitwa Mission as the implementing agency. The programme got a boost after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, heading the CPI-M led LDF government, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the facebook post, Vijayan also said states with high density of population were facing a severe problem due to lack of proper waste management and toilet facilities, adding Kerala had overcome the challenges successfully. Hearty congratulations to Suchithwa mission, all district collectors, Jalanidhi, Local bodies, voluntary and non governmental organisations for the comprehensive and coordinated efforts, he said. Besides Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues E Chandrasekharan, Kadakampally Surendran, K K Shylaja, A K Saseendran, Prof C Raveendranath and Mathew T Thomas, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala and Shashi Tharoor MP also took part in the function. PTI LGK JRK VS RG --- ENDS --- advertisement By PTI: From Aditi Khanna London, Nov 1 (PTI) Scotland Yard today moved out of their headquarters of 49 years after the central London base was sold to a Middle Eastern owner as part of UK polices cost- cutting drive. The building, referred to as New Scotland Yard close to Victoria area of the city, will now be known simply as 10 Broadway after being sold for 370 million pounds as part of a cost-cutting drive. advertisement The police force has relocated to a new, slimmed down premises nearby known as Curtis Green on the Victoria Embankment. It will now be known as New Scotland Yard with the famous revolving sign being moved to the new site. Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Helen King said: "By selling this building and moving our headquarters to Curtis Green, we have been able to make savings to invest in frontline policing, improving the technological capability of the force and develop facilities like a brand new, state of the art police training centre in Hendon which was officially opened this month. "This is a significant and exciting move for us and marks a new era of policing for the MPS." The old premises have now been officially handed over to its new Abu Dhabi owners amid plans to redevelop the site into luxury apartments, offices and shops, Evening Standard reported. The UK National Police Air Service tweeted: "Today @metpoliceuk left New Scotland Yard #London for the final time. Some great memories. We wish you good luck in your new home #Police." Just 600 staff will be based at the new headquarters, a significant reduction from the 3,500 that were at The Broadway. A formal ceremony to open the new building is due to take place in the New Year. PTI AK SUA SUA --- ENDS --- By PTI: Bengaluru, Nov 1 (PTI) Pitching for supremacy of regional languages, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today pushed for the states demand to make it the medium of instruction for primary education. Speaking at the 61st Karnataka Rajyotsava (stateformation day) celebration event here, he urged the PrimeMinister to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and bring an amendment to the Constitution to thiseffect. advertisement "I have written two letters to the Prime Minister.I have also written to all Chief Ministers because the Supreme Courts order is causing a threat to all regional languages," Siddaramaiah said. The Chief Minister said he had also met the Prime Minister in this regard. "We have to bring an amendment to the Constitution.It has to get declared in Parliament that regional languages are supreme in states.. amendments should be brought to make changes to the Supreme Court order. So Prime Minister has to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and decide," he said. "I will continue to make this demand," he said, adding most language and education experts had opined thatthe mother tongue should be the medium of instruction in primary schools. Siddaramaiah said it would help in development of regional languages and also mental development of children. In May 2014, the Supreme Court while hearing the issue before it challenging two Karnataka Government Orders of 1994, making the mother tongue or regional language compulsory to impart education from Class I to IV, had held that the government cannot impose mother tongue on linguistic minorityfor imparting primary education. The CM said the state government had announced a language policy in 1994, "which was questioned by unaided educational institutions in courts, where we had to face a setback." "Despite appealing against it, we did not get justice. We made all possible efforts, but this was an order passed by the Constitution bench. As the Supreme Court is final, we cannot appeal in any other courts," he added. Pointing out that the state government was taking all steps to protect and encourage Kannada, Siddaramaiah said, "It is our mother tongue; it is language of this land, this soil. "Showing our Kannadiga pride just on November 1 or in this month is not enough, it should be a continuous process." advertisement Recalling Karnatakas united fight on the Cauvery water issue, Siddaramaiah said, "Power may come or go. It is not permanent, but the land, water, culture and language of thisstate are paramount." "It is our responsibility to protect even at the cost of power and the state government is committed to it". PTI KSU RA APR DV --- ENDS --- By Brijesh Pandey: It was an extremely belligerent BJP today taking on the opposition parties especially the Congress, over asking for judicial inquiry into killing of 8 SIMI men. Accusing the Congress of playing politics over national interest, the BJP today gave a clean chit to the policemen involved into the "encounter" which saw the killing of 8 Simi men. In a press conference held at the party's national headquarters, BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma, applauded the bravery of the Madhya Pradesh Policemen and dismissed the demand of judicial inquiry by saying that Congress party also wanted inquiry into Batla House encounter. advertisement Launching a scathing attack on Congress, Shrikant Sharma said that we want to ask Rahul Gandhi that where was he for the last 10 years when his government was there. Accusing Congress of politicising terror, he said, "When the infamous Mumbai terror attack happened, leader close to Rahul, Digvijay Singh, said that this was handiwork of RSS. Your Home minister says that Afzal guru didn't get justice". He further added that in 2001, during their meeting the same SIMI was raising slogans of "Osama Bin Laden zindabad". Accusing Congress Vice President of treating Muslims like vote bank, Shrikant Sharma said that why is Rahul Gandhi hell bent on destroying the morale of the armed forces. Refusing to speak on the videos circulating in the market which are puncturing the "encounter" version of the MP Police, he said that the killing of the head constable was a reality. What should the police have done, waited for permission from Digivjay Singh or Sonia Gandhi. Shrikant Sharma also said that coming from a party which cries whole night on the death of terrorist demands enquiry into the killing of terrorist has not even uttered a single word on the unfortunate death of the head constable Yadav. The tone of the day was first set by BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who said that any such terrorist should be shot dead in full public view. He said that anybody who asks for an enquiry is indulging in politics of appeasement. He also added that it looks like that Digivijay or Kejriwal are the founder of SIMI like organization. On one side they say that terrorism has no religion but if any action is taken against these terrorist then they start crying. Asking for MP Police to be felicitated, Sakshi Maharaj said that were these terrorist anybody's son in law. He also added that I will request Modi govt to shoot these terrorist where ever they are found. "Time has changed. The only solution of these terrorist is a bullet" , said Sakshi Maharaj. Also read: Justice Markandey Katju calls SIMI encounter fake, demands death sentence for all those involved --- ENDS --- By PTI: Jammu, Oct 31 (PTI) The armies ofIndian and China today expressed mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at the functional level along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The Indian Army and the PLA held a ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) on the Indian side at Chushul and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in the Eastern Ladakh, a spokesman of Armys Northern Command said. advertisement He said that the Indian delegations were led by Brigadier RS Raman and Brigadier Vijayant Yadav whereas the Chinese delegations were led by senior colonel Fan Jun and colonel Huang Xiua Hu, respectively. "The ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting was marked by a cultural programme showcasing vibrant Indian culture and traditional grandeur. In the true spirit of the festival, a fireworks display was also organised which was highly appreciated by the Chinese delegations," he said. He said that the celebration commenced with saluting the Indian flag by both the delegations members, followed by the ceremonial address by both delegation leaders. "In addition to exchange of greetings, wishes and vote of thanks, both delegations expressed mutual desire of maintaining and further improving relations at functional level along the LAC," the spokesman said. He said that both the delegations interacted in a friendly and cordial environment. "The delegations parted amidst bonds of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the LAC," he said. PTI TSS AB SMN --- ENDS --- Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar says that the Sunburn Festival can still take place in Goa, but there's a condition. Here are the details. By India Today Web Desk: If you had already made your bookings for Goa way in advance because you wanted to celebrate the year-end with the Sunburn Festival, then you can wait a little longer before you cancel everything. The Tourism Minister of Goa, Dilip Parulekar, has said that the organisers of Sunburn can still hold the event in the beach destination, but for that, they would need to clear the dues for providing police personnel for security cover, amounting to Rs 1.75 crore. advertisement "They had given us an application. We still haven't rejected it. Their application is pending before the (single window) committee. The only thing is that they had to pay to my police department in back dues. We have said that the police department dues have to be paid and we are processing your file for permission," Parulekar said. Also read: You might be fined Rs 10,000 for drinking at a beach in Goa The Sunburn Festival, along with Supersonic and other EDM festivals have been common in Goa every year during the month of December. But this year, the Goa government had raised concerns over these annual music festivals due to security issues. Also read: No Sunburn and VH1 Supersonic in Goa this year? Later, the the state government said that only one EDM festival would be allowed in Goa this year. But tourists would still need to wait for a final call on this as the organisers of Sunburn are likely to relocate the festival to Pune just like Supersonic already has. (With inputs from IANS) --- ENDS --- The arrest comes amid preparations to conduct a dialogue between Indian and Sri Lanka fishermen to resolve the dispute in Delhi on Wednesday. By Pramod Madhav: Four Tamil fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested and a boat was seized by Sri Lankan Navy for entering Sri Lankan waters. The arrest comes amid preparations to conduct a dialogue between Indian and Sri Lanka fishermen to resolve the dispute in Delhi on Wednesday. Furthermore, Sri Lankan fishermen have also made a request that Tamil Nadu fishermen should be present at the talks. advertisement Also read: Fishermen to don white hat, offer to help Indian Coast Guard --- ENDS --- Cyrus Mistry has said that to suggest that he acted without the knowledge and concurrence of Ratan Tata was a false and mischievous claim. By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: Sacked Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry has refuted allegations by the Tatas that he acted on his own or against the ''Tata values''. In a statement, Mistry has also said that to suggest that he acted without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and trustee NA Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous. In an eight-point statement issued by Mistry's office said the insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values were baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired. advertisement READ | Cyrus Mistry was given opportunity to resign, but he chose not to: Tatas It said a number of discussions on the Docomo situation had been held in the Tata Sons board. Mistry had always mentioned that the Tatas should honour all commitments within the law. This stance was based on Tata Sons' board view and was always consistent with the series of board meetings in which the Docomo issue was discussed, it claimed. DOCOMO AGREEMENT EXECUTED BEFORE MISTRY'S TENURE Mistry said in the statement that to begin with, the agreement with Docomo had been executed before he became executive chairman of the Tata Group. Tatas under him requested Docomo to join the Tatas in seeking the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Docomo did not agree. Nevertheless, Tatas applied to the RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. READ | No Cyrus mystery: All you need to know about sacked Tata chairman The Award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas. Tatas under Mistry did not challenge the Award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission. The former Tata Sons chairman said Docomo sought enforcement of the Award in the Delhi High Court. In order to show their bonafides, Tatas deposited a sum in excess of Rs 8,000 crore in court. READ | Board proceedings invalid, illegal, says 'shocked' Cyrus Mistry: 10 developments TATAS APPROVED THE COURSE OF ACTION Throughout the above process, he said, Ratan Tata and NA Soonawala were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with him. They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (who also happened to be a trustee of the Dorabji Tata trust) and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel, he claimed. Mistry reiterated that all decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons Board. ''In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision," the statement said. advertisement ''In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to 'Tata values', or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous,'' the statement concluded. READ | Ratan Tata on Cyrus Mistry's sacking: New, permanent Tata Sons leadership soon --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) Toyota Kirloskar Motor today reported a 6.06 per cent decline in domestic sales at 11,651 units in October. The company had sold 12,403 units in the domestic market in October last year, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) said in a statement. "In the last two months, our production at plant has been lower than what we had planned due to the unforeseen holidays that were called on account of the unrest in Bengaluru in September and also because of the list of festival holidays in October. This has had an impact on our overall sales," TKM Director and Senior VP, Sales and Marketing, N Raja said. advertisement However, the company has resumed production in full swing including the all-new Fortuner that is scheduled to be launched this month, he added. "We are very excited about the all-new Fortuner and are confident that we will be able to meet our customers expectations," Raja said. The company also exported 974 units of the Etios series in October compared to 1,198 units in the same month last year. PTI MSS SBT BAL --- ENDS --- By PTI: Earlier, India had proposed a three-tier structure of duty Earlier, India had proposed a three-tier structure of duty concessions, but it is going for a common approach but with varying staging period and differential taffies for different countries. Sources said this time the focus will be on the definition of issues like giving common concession. Everybody understands the implication of different staging periods, but it needs to be defined. advertisement "We are discussing all this. The tariff lines cannot probably be the same for every country even by broad assumption because what you want to put in the negative list will certainly be different when it comes to China. For others, we can relax," they added. The sources also said this ministerial is hinging on India taking a position on goods and to what extent it will open up on the tariff lines towards zero duty position. "RCEP members want us to give more clarity on this, what we are trying to offer. That will be the major issue when we talk there," they said, adding that Asean is talking in one voice about trade in goods and not showing any flexibility. Japan and Korea have very high ambitions in terms of reducing duty to zero in maximum number of products. In the investment chapter, investor-state dispute is the issue which needs more deliberations. India has flagged one more issue in investments. New Zealand, which earlier stated that no approval is required up to the investment of 100 million New Zealand dollar, is now saying the cap will be only 10 million New Zealand dollar. India has termed it as "regressive position" as it would influence the position on the investment chapter. India has huge interest in services sector as it contributes about 60 per cent in the countrys economy. It is asking every RCEP member to liberalise norms in maximum areas of the services sector so as to facilitate movement of professionals. "The overall sub-sectors in services are 155. But they were earlier 70 and 80, we were at 120 and Australia at 140. So, they were very low. Now they have come to 100," another source said, adding that in Mode 1 services (cross border trade) and Mode 3 (commercial presence), Indias ambition is 60, whereas others have low ambitions. India wants more relaxation in norms for movement of its professionals. PTI RR ARD --- ENDS --- Prime Minister Modi will visit Gurgaon today for Haryana's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Police have issued a traffic advisory asking motorists to avoid major roads. By PTI: Prime Minister Modi will visit Gurgaon today for Haryana's Golden Jubilee celebrations. Police have issued a traffic advisory asking motorists to avoid major roads. Some diversion and restrictions have been made from the security point of view as along with the Prime Minister, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other VVIPs would be attending the function at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here, a senior police official said. advertisement ROADS TO AVOID Motorists going to Rajeev Chowk, Subhash Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk have to go via Baktawar Chowk and Sohna Road, he said. While those coming from NH-8 and going toward Sohna Chowk will go via Hero Honda Chowk and not exit from NH-10, those going to Subhash Chowk will be sent via Hero Honda Chowk, he said. To go to Baktawar Chowk, it is suggested to follow the Jhadsa Village road from Jhadsa Chowk, he added. The diversion of traffic will start from 2 pm on Tuesday till late mid-night, he added. --- ENDS --- The Madhya Pradesh police has handed over the investigation of the alleged encounter to the Crime Investigation Department. The eight SIMI men who were killed in a police encounter By India Today Web Desk: The first two video clips of the alleged encounter of the eight SIMI men have raised several questions on the way the killings were executed. Now, a third video clip has emerged of the encounter that shows one of the SIMI undertrials, who was alive, was shot at twice. The Madhya Pradesh police has handed over the investigation of the alleged encounter to the Crime Investigation Department. advertisement THE FIRST BULLET In the 46th second of the video, someone among the police is heard shouting the undertrial is alive. At this, a personnel of the Special Task Force (STF) fires a bullet. ALSO READ: Bhopal jailbreak-encounter: Eight questions that remain unanswered Soon after, someone is heard saying, "iska koi video banata hai?". Immediately someone says, "bhai yeh video bandh karwayo". Everyone is ordered to keep their guns away. ALSO READ: Bhopal SIMI jailbreak: 8 hours that shook the city THE SECOND BULLET The video now shows one of the undertrials in a blue shirt moving his hand. Two people are heard in the video. One says, "Goli mat chalayo", the other says, "Maar do, maar do", and suggests the officer should shoot in the chest of the SIMI man to kill him. Another shot is fired. ALSO READ: Bhopal jailbreak: CM pays tribute to slain cop, slams Opposition for votebank politics over incident ALSO READ: Bhopal jailbreak: Opposition doubts govt's version, demands probe ALSO WATCH --- ENDS --- By PTI: New Delhi, Nov 1 (PTI) US Ambassador to India Richard Verma today reached out to Muslims here, denouncing "unacceptable rhetoric" against the community, particularly during the ongoing Presidential campaign in US, and in pockets of "intolerance". Verma said that any form of discrimination was "unjustifiable" and stressed on the need to embrace diversity, which he said was the real promise in the shared values of India and the United States. advertisement Delivering a lecture at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, Verma said Indo-US relation was at the central level, crediting the leaderships at New Delhi and Washington for the upswing in ties, which he said will continue "well into the future". "Strains to the international order, compounded by globalization and economic inequality, are also bringing to the fore voices who seek to exploit our fears and build barriers to cooperation. "We see this in many parts of the world, with growing pockets of intolerance and anti-immigrant sentiment. This has included instances of unacceptable rhetoric against Muslims, including in the United States, and particularly during this Presidential campaign season," Verma said. Responding to a question on the anti-Islam sentiments in US, Verma said no explanation can justify discrimination against any individual, while underlining that a broad swathe of the population was not discriminatory. He called for the coming together of "like-minded partners" to overcome challenges like terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, cyber threats, environmental degradation and climate change in the 21st century. Describing India and US as "melting pots" that celebrate diversity, respect minority rights, freedom of religion, protect free speech, the Indian-origin diplomat said Maulana Azads message of diversity and knowledge holds more importance than ever. Lauding Jamia over its achievements, Verma said that over the past twenty years, more than 50 students and faculty associated with the Central University have participated in US-sponsored educational and professional exchange programmes. Last year, he said, the number of Indian students studying in the United States reached 1,32,000, "the highest number ever", and expressed hope that it would grow even higher. Pitching for more educational linkages, Verma said many US academic institutions are keenly interested in the Indian market, which he said will get a boost if the draft National Education Policy is approved. "We are also looking forward to Indias approval of a bilateral MoU between our two countries to enhance our government-to-government dialogue on higher education," he said. PTI SBR RG --- ENDS --- Home Minister and the Governor discussed how to facilitate reopening of the schools in Kashmir Valley which have remaind closed due to violence and strike called by separatists after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8. By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: With two dozen schools going up in flames in Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today met Home Minister Rajnath Singh at latter's residence to discuss the situation in the state. Besides the Valley being on the edge as far as the law and order situation is concerned, there was a detailed discussion on the issue of reopening schools in the unrest-hit Valley. During the 30-minute meeting, Vohra briefed Singh on the prevailing situation in the strife torn state for close to 110 days. advertisement Sources said the Home Minister and the Governor discussed how to facilitate reopening of the schools in Kashmir Valley which have remaind closed due to violence and strike called by separatists after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8. 27 SCHOOLS SET ABLAZE The issue of burning down of around 27 schools figured in the discussion, the sources said. Concerned over burning down of schools in Kashmir, the Centre has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government to check such attempts and make efforts for reopening the schools. A top source said "Since this is a federal structure larger onus lies on the state government." Meanwhile, Mufti has blamed separatists for putting stones in the hands of school going children, rather than help them get good education. India today has learnt that a communication from the union Home Ministry has been conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure protection of schools, especially those which are vulnerable to attacks, and make all attempts for reopening all educational institutions across the Valley. Another source in Jammu Kashmir Police told India Today that "It was difficult to guard each and every school, as there are too many schools, but till people volunteer to come out and protect, the responsibility on police may take a toll on already stressed JKP." The central government is deeply concerned over these incidents and worried about the future of the children who are the worst sufferers due to the prolonged turmoil in the state, a senior Home Ministry official said. Amid outrage over increasing number of schools being burnt in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday stepped in, directing police and civil administration to ensure their protection besides unmasking the "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with an "iron hand". 174 schools closed in Jammu as heavy firing by Pakistan continues --- ENDS --- Greg Manifold, Design Director for the Washington Post, shared a letter they received from a man who thanked The Post for missing publishing their daily crossword puzzle in the style section. You will be moved to tears when you know the reason. By India Today Web Desk: Do you believe in coincidences? NO? You might just start doing that after reading this story. On October 26, The Washington Post missed out publishing the daily crossword puzzle in their style section. The Post's Design Director Greg Manifold shared a letter they received from one of the readers, and said that the particular note was special. advertisement Also read: Laughed enough watching the world's fastest cashier woman? Now, know the truth about her In the tweet, he said: "We accidentally left out the crossword from The Post on Wed. We hate making mistakes and heard from a lot of readers. This note was special," and shared the image of the letter. Also read: Broke mother goes to sell chain, gets the most generous surprise from store owner Also read: When an Asian woman in high heels helped a dad in distress: This tweet story will restore your faith in goodness The letter was from a man named Justin Green who thanked The Post for not publishing the crossword on that Wednesday, October 26. Here's his full letter: Yesterday around 3 AM, my great grandfather, Sidney Schulman, passed away at the age of 94. He was a World War II veteran, and a very loving grandfather. He was a key figure in my life for the past 24 years, and he meant a lot to me. I'm grateful that he was able to pass on his own terms, as an independent man rather than someone who was on life support attached to machines and tubes. He was a man of routine, and one of those routines was to do the Washington Post Crossword nearly every day. I remember being a young boy and asking him about the crossword, and because of him I started doing them myself. I have been doing the Post's crossword for over a decade now. Yesterday, the day of his death, I could not find the crossword in the Style section like I always do. I could not believe it when I read the top of the Style section this morning to find that it was a production issue. It brought tears to my eyes, to think how amazing of a coincidence that must have been. It was incredible, to say the least. Even though it was an unintentional misprint, I'd like to think that it was an homage to a man whose greatness inspires me to be the best person I can be. So thank you, Washington Post. Even if it was accidental, and even if this goes unread, I really appreciate the coincidental vow of silence from the Style section. Your Readers, Justin Green Here is the letter that Greg tweeted. Some coincidences are beautiful, aren't they? advertisement --- ENDS --- The White House's praising the integrity of FBI Director James Comey, who has announced a review of Hillary Clinton's email scandal just before Presidential elections, is a blow to the Clinton Campaign, the rival Trump camp has said. By PTI: The White House's praising the integrity of FBI Director James Comey, who has announced a review of Hillary Clinton's email scandal just before Presidential elections, is a blow to the Clinton Campaign, the rival Trump camp has said. "Today, the Clinton Campaign took another blow as President (Barack) Obama shot down their desperate politicisation of the FBI's criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's email scandal," Jason Miller, senior communication advisor to the Trump Campaign, said yesterday. advertisement FBI NOT PARTIAL TO ONE POLITICAL PARTY: MILLER In a late night statement, Miller underscored that the White House spokesman has made it clear that the President does not believe the FBI is "secretly strategising to benefit one candidate or one political party." Also read: Trump in trouble? Democrats sue Donald for 'voter intimidation' in 4 states "It is a sign of the Clinton Campaign's troubling times when even the White House cannot defend their desperate accusations. "They have to take ownership that this is a result of corrupt Hillary having a secret illegal server for the obvious reason of shielding criminal activity from disclosure," he said. "Their reckless and deceitful actions are evidenced by the fact that thousands upon thousands of confidential and classified emails involving Secretary Clinton and her top aide were found on a laptop of a suspect under investigation for sexting with a 17-year-old," Miller said. COMEY A MAN OF PRINCIPLE: WHITE HOUSE Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest had described FBI Director Comey as a man of integrity. "He is a man of principle. He is a man who is well regarded by senior officials in both parties. He is somebody who served in a senior position in the Bush Administration," he said. Also read: Poll reveals most Americans believe allegations against Trump "And he is somebody who got strong bipartisan support when his nomination to be director of the FBI was considered by the United States Senate. So, all of those things are true. They speak of his good character," Earnest said. "And the President's assessment of his integrity and his character has not changed. For example, the President doesn't believe Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election. The President doesn't believe he's secretly strategising to benefit one candidate or one political party," he said. Also read: Trump overtakes Hillary in campaign merchandise sales ahead of voting --- ENDS --- Getting rejected from a nursery school and being labelled as a 'monster' in primary school did not stop Noelia Garella from fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a teacher. By India Today Web Desk: This 31-year-old woman is the first person with Down syndrome to become a teacher in Argentina and in fact there are not many like her in the world. Getting labelled as a 'monster' in primary school did not stop Noelia Garella from returning to the classroom, and when she did, she was there to teach. It did not crush her hopes of becoming a teacher some day when she was rejected from a nursery school. In fact, she became more adamant. advertisement Now, two decades later, she is proving her bullies wrong and is fulfilling her childhood dream. Also read: This post about a McDonald's employee with Down syndrome is heart-warming Her parents, other instructors and even the mayor came together to ensure that Noelia gets to teach despite an official's decision to not let her do so. The 31-year-old teaches toddlers how to read and now she has been teaching in a school since 2012. "I want them to read and listen, because in society people have to listen to one another," she said. Also read: Mom writes moving letter on Down syndrome after her 8-year-old son gets shunned from a party Noelia teaches early-learning reading class to 2-3-year-old kids at the Jermonito nursery in Cordoba, Argentina. Her students love her and gather around her whenever she reads to them. "We very quickly realised that she had a strong vocation," Alejandra Senestrari, the former director of the school that hired Garella, told AFP. Also read: Photos of baby with Down's Syndrome goes viral after modelling agency refused to consider him --- ENDS --- By PTI: Kota, Nov 1 (PTI) A womens front today pledged resistance against any efforts by the government to "interfere" in the Sharia law and said a mass campaign will be launched to scuttle such efforts. Addressing a programme here, National Womens Front president Zainaba AS said that no interference of the government in the Sharia law will be tolerated and a mass campaign will be launched to aware Muslim women in the country. advertisement "The NWF supports Muslim Personal Law board and a campaign will be run across the country to create awareness among Muslim women," she said. "The campaign will comprise seminar, talks, road shows and signature campaigns as per the direction of the board," she added. Other speakers in the programme said that the Central government was "making politically-motivated moves" in the name of triple talaq. They said that the BJP should not interfere in the "internal matters" of Muslims, which will not be tolerated by the community. PTI SDACHT CHT --- ENDS --- By PTI: Hyderabad, Nov 1 (PTI) The Hyderabad High Court today adjourned a PIL questioning the Telangana governments proposal to demolish the existing secretariat buildings to construct a new complex. The court gave the government two weeks to file a counter- affidavit in the case. Advocate General K Ramakrishna Reddi gave an undertaking that the government would not demolish the secretariat for two weeks while requesting the court to grant two weeks time to file affidavit. The court recorded the undertaking and adjourned the matter. advertisement The PIL alleged that governments plan involved demolition of heritage structures and it was a wasteful expenditure. Telangana government is considering construction of a new secretariat. The Vastu-defects in the existing complex was reportedly the reason for seeking to construct a new one. TRS government in the state has come under flak from the Opposition over the proposal. "The Chief Minister had constructed a new residence-cum- camp office for himself by spending nearly Rs 37 crore from the public exchequer. Now he wants to build a new secretariat by spending a whopping Rs 350 crore from tax payers money. "Ours is a democratic and secular country and no one is allowed to impose his personal likes or dislikes on the people," Opposition Leader (Congress) in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said in a letter to the Governor a few days ago. Shabbir urged the Governor to stop the demolition of the existing Secretariat building. PTI Cor SJR RS KRK ZMN SDM --- ENDS --- By PTI: Cuttack, Nov 1 (PTI) In a temporary relief to yet another fugitive servitor of Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri, the Orissa High Court today asked the Puri police not to take any coercive action against Jayakrushna Mahasuhar pertaining to the non-bailable warrant issued against him. The High Court also asked the police not to go ahead with the proclamation proceedings initiated against Jayakrushna until further orders. advertisement Adjudicating over petitions filed by Jayakrushna seeking to quash the NBW and the proclamation proceedings, Justice Kumari Sanju Panda while giving him the temporary relief directed the petitioner to appear before the Puri district collector on November 5 and give an undertaking stating that he shall not indulge in similar offences in future. The High Court has also reportedly made an attempt for an amicable solution to the imbroglio. "The Court (HC) has instructed the government counsel to discuss the matter with the Puri district collector and find out whether an amicable settlement outside the court could be arrived at," Jayakrushnas lawyer Subrat Kumar Nayak said, adding that the matter would again come up for hearing on November 7. Booked in at least four cases, including attacks on journalists and threatening the district collector during the Niladri Bije ritual of the deities in July this year, Jayakrushna has been evading police arrest since then by remaining underground. A court at Puri has issued NBW against him and proceedings to proclaim him as an "absconder" and attachment of his properties under Sections 82 and 83 of the CrPC have also started. PTI CORR AAM MD SMN LNS --- ENDS --- Spread the Word Media has today announced a partnership with the Dutch newsroom mapping company Maps4News to provide sales and service support to their customers in the UK and Ireland. Spread the Word Media will become the first line of contact for all Maps4News clients across the region including the Financial Times, the Telegraph, Archant and the Irish Times, the company says. Martin Maynard, CEO at Spread the Word Media, said: We are delighted to be working with Maps4News and to be providing local support to customers in the UK and Ireland. Publishing fresh, rich and engaging visual content in print, online and digitally is critical for publishers, and being able to create the right map, with the right information, at the right time, can be essential in bringing a story to life. Christian Erades, sales director at Maps4News, said: The cultural fit with the team at Spread the Word media is fantastic. At Maps4News we have a strong desire to help our customers to achieve the very best results, whatever it takes. Innovation, responsiveness and a customer-centric approach are hardwired into what we do at Maps4News and we know that Martin and his team share our values and vision. This partnership comes at an exciting time of growth for Maps4News, with the imminent release of our new data visualization tool for highly-interactive maps. Encouraging InScribe members to share their writings with each other and the world Iran is our country, Cyrus is our father, the protesters chanted. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), they also called out, clerical rule is synonymous with only tyranny, only war, and, freedom of thought cannot take place with beards, reportedly a reference to the theocratic leaders currently in power. A video is purported to show Iranians shouting, forget about Syria, think about us. Prior to the October 28 protest, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian authorities tried to tamp down the the demonstrations with rumors that the city had been completely shut down. This included canceling tours to the site, sealing off roads to Pasargadae, and even shutting down the Internet there two days prior to the rally. Residents in and near the city were reportedly told that they were not permitted to have guests during the period marking the occasion of King Cyruss birth, reports the NCRI. King Cyrus is considered the father of international human rights by many Iranians. The discovery of the Cyrus Cylinder around 559 B.C. contained the first known charter of human rights. The Shah of Irans twin sister, the late Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, presented the United Nations with a replica of the Cyrus Cylinder in 1971. Its kept at the U.N.s New York headquarters and is promoted as an ancient declaration of human rights. Shahin Gobadi, who works with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NCRI, in a written statement regarding the protests, said, None of these schemes could prevent the gathering from taking place. The long line of vehicles and the large scope of the participants were clear indications of the Iranian peoples hatred towards the regime. This regime is incapable of standing up against the Iranian peoples desire and will to achieve democracy and popular sovereignty. Its unclear whether or not authorities will impose punishments on the participants in the rally on Friday. An Iranian activist who is involved with the Constitutional Party of Iran, Arash Razi, said, its unbelievable that the regime tried very hard to intimidate and scare everyone, but their efforts did not stop the people. Razi also runs Mehr-e-Iran, a Persian and English-language newspaper out of Los Angeles. He told Breitbart News, this is very good news about Iran and for the people of Iran and the world. He said he believes that this is the largest gathering of Iranian people since the revolution took place 37 years ago. He said, I think this is even bigger than the riots following the fraudulent reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Two replicas of Irans original flag, over 2,500 years old, bearing the lion and sun (shir-o-khorshid) were carried throughout the crowd. People from Kurdistan, Azarbeijan, Balochistan, and Iranians of Arab descent were also among the protesters. In the Note, the Editor says, When I reviewed the names of the ambassadors who received this keepsake, I suddenly froze. One of these ambassadors was Bashar Jaafari, the permanent representative of Syria to the United Nations and the main international defender of Bashar al-Assads indescribable crimes in that country. He goes on to say: I could not believe that Ban Ki-moon in the last few weeks of his 10-year tenure would do such a thing. But in a quick search on the internet, I found a photograph of the ceremony in which Bashar Jaafari was smiling in a sickening manner. Anyone who even cursorily followed the news on Syria and was informed about the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Bashar al-Assad and his allies including the mullahs regime ruling Iran, would have encountered the name of Bashar Jaafari and his defense of these crimes. The 10-year period of service for which Jaafari was rewarded included the period during which the Syrian people peacefully protested for their basic rights, and against the crimes committed by the Assad regime. And of course it also included the subsequent uprising. In a flashback, I remembered that on September 29, following the bombing of two hospitals in Aleppo by Assad and his allies, Jaafari responded to a reporters question by expressing his joy and pleasure with a disgusting smile before heading to the UN Security Council meeting. On the same day that Ban Ki-moon gave Jaafari a memento, dozens of Syrian civilians were killed and wounded due to Assads murderous bombing. Three days later, a school in Idlib was bombed in which dozens of children were killed. Ban himself described the incident as a war crime. There is no justification for giving awards to criminals like Bashar Jaafari for any reason, especially by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. You may want to tell the Syrian orphans, and the suffering and wounded Syrian children, who are pulled out from the debris of bombing in Aleppo every day, about your move and let them tell you how they feel about your approach and the work of those who are supposed to defend the UN charter and its objectives. We should remember that diplomatic standards, particularly after World War II, are part of the huge machinery established for peace and human rights. If these standards are allowed to serve and be used by the biggest war criminals and human rights abusers, they must be thrown away. Maybe some people have forgotten that the United Nations was founded to prevent the recurrence of atrocities such as the Holocaust. This is the real mission of the UN Secretary General, as the main advocate of this organization. We all know about the fate of Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitlers Foreign Minister, who according to known standards was a diplomat. But after the overthrow of Hitler, he was placed on criminals top chair in the Nuremberg trials and became the first of the Nazi leaders to be sentenced to death by hanging on October 16, 1946. Although I deeply oppose the death penalty, the Nuremberg judgment on Ribbentrop was one of the historic glories of the court in that it refused to allow anybody to be a propagandist and facilitator of crimes against humanity while claiming diplomatic immunity. Is Bashar Jaafari less implicated in the slaughter and massacre of Syrian people than savage military commanders of Assad? Is he less involved in the crimes than Bashar al-Assads brutal generals and henchmen? I hope that Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in his last few weeks as the UN Secretary General, takes a courageous position, as he has taken before on many occasions, especially in the past year. I hope he focuses his effort on placing Bashar Jaafari and his cohorts in Syria where they belong: in the defendants chair at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes. In so doing, he would leave a bright legacy as part of the history of the United Nations. Obama's legacy: Criminalizing Israeli citizenship? The Middle East has few bright spots these days, but one is the budding rapprochement between Israel and its Sunni Arab neighbors, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, thanks to shared threats from Iran and Islamic State. Now the Obama Administration may have plans to wreck even that. Israeli diplomats gird for the possibility that President Obama may try to force a diplomatic resolution for Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations. The White House has been unusually tight-lipped about what, if anything, it might have in mind. But our sources say the White House has asked the State Department to develop an options menu for the Presidents final weeks. One possibility would be to sponsor, or at least allow, a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction, perhaps alongside new IRS regulations revoking the tax-exempt status of people or entities involved in settlement building. The Administration vetoed such a resolution in 2011 on grounds that it risks hardening the position of both sides, which remains true. But condemning the settlements has always been a popular way of scoring points against the Jewish state, not least at the State Department, and an antisettlement resolution might burnish Mr. Obamas progressive brand for his postpresidency. Mr. Obama may also seek formal recognition of a Palestinian state at the Security Council. This would run afoul of Congresss longstanding view that Palestine does not have the internationally recognized attributes of statehood, including a defined territory and effective government, though Mr. Obama could overcome the objection through his usual expedient of an executive action, thereby daring the next President to reverse him. Both actions would be a boon to the bullies in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, while also subjecting Israeli citizens and supporters abroad to new and more aggressive forms of legal harassment. It could even criminalize the Israeli armyand every reservist who serves in iton the theory that it is illegally occupying a foreign state. Does Mr. Obama want to be remembered as the President who criminalized Israeli citizenship? The worst option would be an effort to introduce a resolution at the U.N. Security Council setting parameters for a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. The French have been eager to do this for some time, and one option for the Administration would be to let the resolution pass simply by refusing to veto it. Or the U.S. could introduce the resolution itself, all the better to take credit for it. As the old line has it, this would be worse than a crimeit would be a blunder. U.S. policy has long and wisely been that only Israelis and Palestinians can work out a peace agreement between themselves, and that efforts to impose one would be counterproductive. Whatever parameters the U.N. established would be unacceptable to any Israeli government, left or right, thereby destroying whatever is left of a peace camp in Israel. The Palestinians would seize on those parameters as their birthright, making it impossible for any future Palestinian leader to bargain part of them away in a serious negotiation. Arab states would find their diplomatic hands tied, making it impossible to serve as useful intermediaries between Jerusalem and Ramallah. It could refreeze relations with Israel even as they finally seem to have thawed. President Obama may be the last man on earth to get the memo, but after decades of fruitless efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict it might be wiser for the U.S. to step back until the Palestinians recognize that peace cannot be imposed from the outside. If Mr. Obama is still seeking a Middle East legacy at this late stage in his presidency, his best move is do nothing to make it worse. On Monday the state informed the High Court of Justice it awaited final bureaucratic approval to develop the site within six months as a relocation option for the 40 families from the Amona outpost. It, therefore, asked the HCJ to delay by seven months the mandated December 25 demolition of the outpost. Alternatively, the state said, it was also pursuing the option of using the abandoned property law, so that it could relocate the outpost to land adjacent to the communitys current location. Washington has rebuked Israel for both plans, but the State Department issued a particularly sharp statement in which it said the Shiloh project was tantamount to the creation of a new settlement, something Israel had promised the US it would not do. This settlement's location deep in the West Bank would link a string of outposts that effectively divide the West Bank and make the possibility of a viable Palestinian state more remote, the State Department had said. I've already written a couple of times about the fears here in Israel of what President Hussein Obama might try to do to us in his final days in his office. Here's a really disturbing Wall Street Journal piece from Jonathan Schanzer about some of the possibilities A few comments. First, it is longstanding US policy that peace between Israel and the 'Palestinians' can only come through direct negotiations between the parties. Obama has done much to undermine that policy through his insistence on international peace conferences and other ways of allowing the 'Palestinians' to avoid direct negotiations , including his support for preconditions to negotiations. Perhaps that's why Obama has zero influence in Israel, where the government once again spat in his face on Monday, announcing that it would build 98 new homes in Shilo , which is well outside the 'settlement blocs.'Second, as much as I will never vote for Hillary Clinton (#NeverHillary), it is clear to me that this sort of scorched earth strategy from the Obama administration is far more likely if Donald Trump wins next week's election than if Clinton wins it. After all, it was Netanyahu who set up Clinton's illegal private server, and it was he that caused it to be used for government business (/sarc). Obama would have far more interest in trying to tie Trump's hands than in trying to tie Clinton's.All in all, the outlook is bleak with the 'most pro-Israel administration evah' set to extract revenge from an Israeli government that has not been willing to surrender to Obama's wishes over the past eight years. Labels: Abu Mazen, Amona, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Middle East peace process, Obama's legacy, Shilo, United Nations Security Council, US presidential campaign 2016 [October 31, 2016] Fitch Affirms Metropolitan College of New York Revs at 'BB'; Outlook Stable Fitch Ratings has affirmed its 'BB' rating on $68 million of revenue bonds, series 2014, issued by Build NYC Resource Corporation on behalf of the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY). The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY The bonds are a general obligations of the college and secured by a mortgage on the 40 Rector Street property (now '60 West') and a pledge of unrestricted revenues. KEY RATING DRIVERS LIMITED OPERATING FLEXIBILITY: The 'BB' rating reflects MCNY's historical track-record of positive but slimming GAAP-based operations and a limited financial cushion. Other factors constraining the rating include MCNY's small and declining enrollment, narrow market position and local competition, a high debt burden, and significant student revenue dependence. TUITION-DEPENDENT COLLEGE: MCNY is highly dependent on student-derived revenue making enrollment management and expense controls critical to generating balanced operations and positive debt service coverage. The effect of enrollment losses is magnified due to the institution's small enrollment size. ADEQUATE BALANCE SHEET: MCNY has slim but adequate balance sheet resources for the rating category. Available funds at Dec. 31, 2015 were approximately $21 million, equal to a solid 77% of operating expenses but a slimmer 24% of debt. WEAKENING OPERATING MARGINS: MCNY has a history of generating balanced to positive GAAP-based operating margins since at least 2011, though the percentage has declined in recent years. Slight GAAP deficits are expected for the first few years that MCNY books depreciation on the two new facilities. HIGH DEBT BURDEN The college's high annual debt burden remains a negative credit factor, at approximately 14% in fiscal 2015. Partially mitigating this concern though is the lack of additional debt plans. RATING SENSITIVITIES PERSISTENT ENROLLMENT DECLINES: Enrollment continues to decline at Metropolitan College of New York, negatively affecting financial operations due to the tuition dependent nature of the organization. Further enrollment declines leading to deficit operations could lead to downward rating pressures. GROWTH OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES: A gradual increase in balance sheet resources over time is expected to build operating cushion. A decline in resources that would pressure the college's ability to support its obligations would negatively affect the rating. FEDERAL PROGRAM DEPENDENCY: MCNY's students are highly dependent on federal grants and loans to pay tuition, and changes in program rules have greater effect on the college than on many other institutions. CREDIT PROFILE Founded in 1964, MCNY is a private, not-for-profit institution offering certificate programs and associate and bachelor's degrees, as well as master's degrees in education, management, public affairs and administration. The college is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Total FTE enrollment in fall 2016 was 988, reflecting a significant 13% decline over the prior fall. The decline has been attributed to fewer students in the business program, both graduate and undergraduate. Students are largely adult, non-traditional commuter students. Given this student population, courses are structured to be accessible to working adults (day, evening, weekend) and include distance-learning components. The college operates three full semesters each academic year, using a cohort model; however, the majority of students enter in the fall semester. In August 2016, MCNY relocated its primary campus to recently acquired space in a building in lower Manhattan near One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center transportation hub. Previously, the college had leased space in another downtown location. Additionally, the college relocated its Bronx extension program to a newly acquired building in close proximity to the prior Bronx location. According to management, both of these facilities opened on schedule and are now in full operation. Declining Enrollment Enrollment has declined for three consecutive fall semesters, which is a significant credit concern. The fall 2016 semester headcount was 1,064, down from 1,195 over the prior year and even lower than the 1,277 level reached in fall 2012. Enrollment can be cyclical with the economy given its student base of older, working adults. Management has continued to produce positive operations even with the declines, though the margins have slimmed. MCNY recently hired an advertising agency and is also focusing on the college's purpose centered learning. Management expects these efforts, along with some programmatic changes including two new programs (one bachelor and one masters), and the attention generated from the new facilities in Manhattan and the Bronx, to help attract additional students. Fitch will monitor enrollment trends. Adequate Financial Cushion MCNY's cash and investments have fluctuated the past few years, as some internal funds have been used toward financing the two new facilities. Available funds (AF; defined as cash and investments less restricted net assets) at fiscal year end (FYE) 2015 were approximately $20.8 million, which produced mixed ratios. For the rating category, AF to operating expenses was a fairly healthy 77%; while the AF to debt ratio (excluding a $5.585 million loan) was lower at 24%, and declines further to 22% with the inclusion of the loan. The college has a $5.585 million loan due in 2020, and related to the new Bronx facility financing. While MCNY has sufficient unrestricted resources to repay this obligation, no specific plans are yet in place as to how this obligation will be repaid or refinanced. If management is unable to bolster the current financial cushion and reserves are diluted to repay this obligation, there may be negative ratings implications. Positive But Declining Margins MCNY generated solid operating surpluses in2011 through 2013; however, fiscal 2014 was essentially balanced and a 2.5% margin was generated in fiscal 2015. The compression in the margin since 2011/2012 is attributable to lower enrollment in recent years, in conjunction with fairly limited tuition increases, in the 1%-2% range. There is some uncertainty as to how fiscal 2016 (Dec. 31) will end. Tuition and fee income and operating expenses are expected to come in close to budget, but with the new facilities coming on line in fiscal 2016, there are some one-offs associated with the transition - including the write off of depreciation of leasehold improvements of approximately $1.6 million relating to the old facility, and writing off deferred rent of $2.6 million. Favorably, debt service was budgeted higher than actual. It is expected that for the next few years, as management builds in depreciation into the budget, operations on a GAAP basis will be pressured. Positive Debt Service Coverage; But Highly Leveraged MCNY's purchase of the Manhattan site provided the institution with better cost controls; previously the college was experiencing escalating lease payments. The acquisition of '60 West' allowed the college to replace facility lease payments with debt service payments on the 2014 bonds. The generation of sufficient revenues to produce solid debt service coverage is essential for the rating, especially given the level of AF. Annual debt service coverage was 1.3X in fiscal 2015; maximum annual debt service (MADS) coverage, which includes the $5.585 million note due in 2020, was a weaker 0.5X. Fitch views leverage as very high, with the debt burden reaching approximately 36% with the inclusion of the note, and still high at 14% excluding the note maturity. Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'. 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Credit ratings information published by Fitch is not intended to be used by persons who are retail clients within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161031006192/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [October 31, 2016] Kingston Digital Releases 256GB Capacity microSDXC Class 10 UHS-I Card Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the addition of the 256GB capacity to its line of Class 10 UHS-I microSDHC / microSDXC cards. The large capacity and Class 10 UHS-I speed allows users to capture more photos (up to 64,000 12MP images) and HD videos (up to 976 minutes at 1080p 30 frames per second) without interruption*. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161031006294/en/ The versatile card can withstand harsh environments for adventurous travelers as it is waterproof, temperature proof, shock and vibration proof and X-ray proof. Capacities of 16GB to 256GB make it easy to find the right card for one's needs (Photo: Business Wire) The microSDHC / microSDXC Class 10 UHS-I is the smallest form factor SD card available and is the standard expandable storage option for many tablets, smartphones and action cameras. It is ideal for cinema-quality HD (1080p) video1 and reduces buffer time between shots when compared to Class 4 cards. The versatile card can withstand harsh environments for adventurous travelers as it is waterproof2, temperature proof3, shock and vibration proof4 and X-ray proof5. Capacities of 16GB to 256GB make it easy to find the right card for one's needs and provides space for thousands of hi-res photos and hours of video6. "We are excited to ship our new higher capacity 256GB microSDXC card for consumers who need more storage for photos, videos and other data," said Annette Chan, Flash memory business manager, Kingston. "As image quality and 4K content continues to rise, we strive to push storage densities higher to match our customers' needs for larger capacity and stable products." Class 10 UHS-I microSDHC / microSDXC is available initially at Microsoft stores in the United States with additional outlets coming later this quarter. It ships as a stand-alone card or with an SD card adapter in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Kingston recommends its latest readers for best card transfer speeds to and from a computer. The Class 10 UHS-I microSDHC / microSDXC is backed by lifetime warranty, free technical support and legendary Kingston reliability. For more information, visit www.kingston.com Kingston microSDHC / microSDXC Class 10 UHS-I card Features and Specification: Capacities 7 : 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB Performance 8 : 45MB/s read, Class 10, UHS-I: 10MB/s minimum data transfer 45MB/s read, Class 10, UHS-I: 10MB/s minimum data transfer microSD Dimensions: 11mm x 15mm x 1mm 11mm x 15mm x 1mm SD Adapter Dimensions: 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm Format: FAT32 (microSDHC 16GB - 32GB); exFAT (microSDXC 64GB - 256GB) FAT32 (microSDHC 16GB - 32GB); exFAT (microSDXC 64GB - 256GB) Operating Temperature: -25C to 85C -25C to 85C Storage Temperature: -40C to 85C -40C to 85C Voltage: 3.3V 3.3V Warranty9: Lifetime Class 10 UHS-I microSDHC / microSDXC Card Part Numbers Part Number Capacity and Features SDC10G2/16GB 16GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card SDC10G2/32GB 32GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card SDC10G2/64GB 64GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card SDC10G2/128GB 128GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card SDC10G2/256GB 256GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card SDC10G2/16GBSP 16GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card Only (SD adaptor not included) SDC10G2/32GBSP 32GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card Only (SD adaptor not included) SDC10G2/64GBSP 64GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card Only (SD adaptor not included) SDC10G2/128GBSP 128GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card Only (SD adaptor not included) SDC10G2/256GBSP 256GB UHS-I Speed Class 10 Flash Card Only (SD adaptor not included) * Based on Flash Memory Storage Chart 1 These Class 10 cards are meant for HD video recording but do not support some simultaneous video and still capture features. 2 IEC (News - Alert)/EN 60529 IPX7 certified for protection against continual water submersion up to 30 min. and depth up to 1m. 3 Withstands temperature range from -25C to 85C 4 Based on MIL-STD-883H, METHOD 2002.5 military standard test method. 5 ISO 7816-1 certified for protection against 0.1 Gy of X-ray radiation to both sides of card. 6 Recording time and number of pictures will vary by device manufacturer. For more information, go to kingston.com/flash/storage_chart. 7 Some of the listed capacity on a Flash storage device is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. As such, the actual available capacity for data storage is less than what is listed on the products. For more information, go to Kingston's Flash Guide at kingston.com/flash_memory_guide. 8 Speeds may vary due to host and device configuration. 9 Kingston Flash Cards are designed and tested for compatibility with consumer-grade market products. It is recommended that you contact Kingston directly for any OEM opportunities or special use applications that are beyond the standard daily consumer usage. For more information on intended use, please refer to the Flash Memory Guide at Kingston.com/flashguide. Kingston can be found on: YouTube (News - Alert): http://www.youtube.com/kingstontechmemory Facebook (News - Alert): http://www.facebook.com/kingstontechnology Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/KingstonTech Instagram: https://instagram.com/kingstontechnology/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/kingston Google (News - Alert)+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+kingston/posts About Kingston Digital, Inc. Kingston Digital, Inc. ("KDI") is the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the world's largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Established in 2008, KDI is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, USA. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com or call 800-337-8410. Editor's Note: For additional information, evaluation units or executive interviews, please contact David Leong, Kingston Digital, Inc. 17600 Newhope Street, Fountain Valley, CA USA 92708, 714-438-1817 (Voice). Press images can be found in Kingston's press room here. Kingston and the Kingston logo are registered trademarks of Kingston Technology Corporation. All rights reserved. All other marks may be the property of their respective titleholders. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161031006294/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 01, 2016] Showpad Signs Partnership Agreement with ComLine SAN FRANCISCO and GHENT, Belgium, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Showpad, the world's most powerful sales enablement platform, today announced its partnership with ComLine, a leading IT distributor in the DACH region, France and Eastern Europe. Through the partnership, ComLine resellers will now have the opportunity to actively support their customers with the digital transformation of their sales and marketing material. "Showpad is an ideal addition for our many resellers who want to enhance the productivity and mobility solutions they offer to their clients," said Johannes Borm, Marketing Director at ComLine GmbH. "Showpad already has many well-known customers in the enterprise sector. We are pleased that through this partnership, ComLine and our dealer network will now be able to address the needs of the small and medium-sized corporate market." "Showpad provides easy access to all vital sales and marketing material from any mobile device. With the Showpad platform, salespeople save time and achieve better results in their sales interactions," said Orhan Dayioglu, Sales Productivity Consultant with Showpad DACH. "Furthermore, companies that choose Showpad also see a need for tablet technology, which creates demand for other services offered by omLine's resellers." "Through this partnership, ComLine and their resellers will be able to offer a strategic content activation platform to their customers," explained Michael R. Mazzarella, Partner Sales Manager at Showpad. "This in turn will make their customer's sales and marketing more mobile and more effective, providing them a distinct competitive advantage." About Showpad: Showpad delivers the world's most powerful content activation platform one that makes content incredibly easy to find, present, share and measure. Showpad empowers businesses to deliver their content to the right audience at the right time with the most intuitive and robust content platform. With Showpad, sales and marketing teams work better together to engage with audiences, advance conversations, inspire loyalty and accelerate your business. The Showpad platform can be deployed quickly and scales for any company. Founded in 2011, Showpad activates the content of over 850 companies around the world, including Johnson & Johnson, Fujifilm, Audi, Intel and Kimberly-Clark. Showpad has dual headquarters -- in San Francisco and in Ghent, Belgium -- plus offices in Portland and London. For more information on Showpad, email [email protected], visit www.showpad.com or follow us on Twitter: @showpad. About ComLine: Flensburg-based ComLine was founded in 1992 as an IT distributor with its main focus on the creative Mac market. Today ComLine offers manufacturers excellent marketing and channel strategies in DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), France and Eastern Europe. Besides reliable and fast logistics services, ComLine offers resellers additional services that are indispensable for successfully operating in today's IT business: software cloud services, renewal management, CRM as a Service, deployment for mobile devices and personalised CTO configurations. German resellers have once again voted ComLine one of the best wholesalers (CRN Excellent Distributor 2016). More details at http://www.comline-shop.de [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [November 01, 2016] BMC Survey Indicates Mainframes Provide Fast, Continuous Service That Drives Digital Business Initiatives HOUSTON, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BMC, the global leader in IT solutions for the digital enterprise, today announced the results of its 11th annual Mainframe Research Report, showing that digital business has measurable effects on the demand for the mainframe to deliver fast, continuous service. The survey the industry's largest mainframe survey with more than 1,200 executives' and technical professionals' perspectives included also indicated that mainframes are a critical core IT platform supporting the volume and velocity of data and transactions being created by digital business. With nearly 60 percent of companies seeing increased data and transaction volumes, and a growing number of databases, companies continue to select the mainframe as a key platform. The mainframe is a highly secure, superior data and transaction server, particularly as digital business adds unpredictability and volatility to workloads. "The 2016 BMC Mainframe Research Report presents compelling data about the current demand and future outlook for mainframes in digital business. With 89 percent of survey respondents projecting continued strong support for the mainframe, it is clear that companies view the mainframe as a long-term platform," said Bill Miller, president of ZSolutions Optimization at BMC. "BMC helps customers transform their mainframes for digital business by helping them optimize their systems, data, and costs." Respondents surveyed fall into three groups based on their mainframe investment strategies: 58 percent of companies surveyed are in the increasing group and looking to grow their investment and use of the mainframe. 23 percent indicate they will keep a steady amount of work on the mainframe. Only 19 percent plan to reduce the usage of the platform. Executives planning to grow their investment see value in the mainframe for its availability, performance, and security strengths. These respondents often have growing revenues nd are focused on modernization and taking advantage of technologies such as Java, advanced automation, and lower-cost specialty mainframes. Respondents who plan to remain steady, view mainframes as a secure and highly available engine for running their businesses, but are not looking to add new workloads. Many companies surveyed are concentrated on addressing increasing demands, including the rapidly growing speed of application requirements, and higher levels of volatility and workload unpredictability. Mainframe organizations manage these challenges well through various strategies and innovative technologies. Eighty-eight percent of companies in the increasing group indicate they run Java applications on the mainframe, primarily to address new digital requirements from customers. "IT departments are moving toward centralized, virtualized, and highly automated environments. This is being pursued to drive cost and processing efficiencies. Many companies realize that the Mainframe has provided these benefits for many years and is a mature and stable environment," said Frank Cortell, director of Information Technology, Credit Suisse. "Companies are considering the Mainframe an integral part of their IT strategy and one that will help them reach their future financial and business goals." "Digital technologies are transforming the ways in which organizations of all types conduct business and interact with their customers," according to Tim Grieser, Program VP, Enterprise System Management Software, IDC. "Mainframes play a key role in digital business as many digital applications are based on mobile or handheld-device access to data stored on the mainframe. This is driving growth in mainframe transactions and data volumes." In the year ahead, respondents also plan to take actions that help optimize their data, systems, and costs. Cost optimization, compliance, application availability, and application modernization were indicated as top priorities, which can be associated with the impact of digital business. To register for the results webinar, visit http://bit.ly/2cESVUK To read the full 2016 BMC Mainframe Research Report, visit http://www.bmc.com/mainframesurvey About BMC BMC is a global leader in innovative software solutions that enable businesses to transform into digital enterprises for the ultimate competitive advantage. Our Digital Enterprise Management solutions are designed to make digital business fast, seamless, and optimized from mainframe to mobile to cloud and beyond. BMC digital IT transforms 82 percent of the Fortune 500 and serves more than 10,000 customers worldwide. BMC Bring IT to Life BMC, BMC Software, the BMC logo, and the BMC Software logo are the exclusive properties of BMC Software Inc., are registered or pending registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other countries. All other BMC trademarks, service marks, and logos may be registered or pending registration in the U.S. or in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 2016 BMC Software, Inc. Editorial contacts: Sheila Watson BMC D: 713.918.8832 M: 713.294.6818 [email protected] Molly Bing Hotwire PR D: 212.897.2157 [email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434535-INFO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160111/320997LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bmc-survey-indicates-mainframes-provide-fast-continuous-service-that-drives-digital-business-initiatives-300354508.html SOURCE BMC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] GREENUP (JG-TC) -- A Jewett man was airlifted to a hospital after being injured in a crash Sunday evening in Cumberland County while allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, according to state police. An Illinois State Police press release reported that Brandon W. Todd, 27, of Jewett was taken to Terre Haute Regional Hospital, Terre Haute, Ind., where he was reported to be in good condition Monday afternoon. State police reported that the accident occurred at 7:15 p.m. Sunday on Cumberland County Road 1450th, just south of 200N, four miles southwest of Greenup. Todd was reportedly driving south when he lost control of his pickup truck, which left the roadway and overturned. Todd was cited for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol, illegally transporting alcohol, failing to reduce speed to avoid a crash, driving with a revoked license, and failing to wear a seat belt. EDITOR'S NOTE: This is one of multiple stories taking a look at what the Coles County sales tax referendum that will be on the Nov. 8 ballot might mean for each school district in the county. CHARLESTON -- Roofing and heating and air conditioning units in most buildings in the Charleston school district would be included in work the district could do with revenue from a school sales tax. The district would adopt a process that would see repairs take place as the money comes in, without the need to borrow against the sales tax revenue, district Assistant Superintendent Todd Vilardo said. The district has a list of just more than $2.6 million in what it calls "deferred maintenance," while the estimate of annual revenue for the district from the sales tax is just more than $2 million, Vilardo noted. He said the revenue estimate is based on Illinois Department of Revenue statistics on past years' sales tax figures. "We prefer to use a pay-as-you-go process," Vilardo said "We don't have a desire or interest to sell bonds. We don't anticipate a need for that." The proposal to implement the school facility sales tax will go to Coles County voters in next week's election. It's the third time in six years the proposal has been on the ballot in the county and it was defeated in 2010 and 2014. If approved, an additional 1 percent would added to the tax collected on the sales of most items in the county. The revenue would then be divided between the Charleston, Mattoon and Oakland school districts on an enrollment basis. While there are no plans to issue bonds, a form of borrowing that would require interest payments, the Charleston district also doesn't plan to use the sales tax revenue to reduce its property taxes, Vilardo said. That's because the district paid off its remaining bonds last year, then decreased its tax rate by $1.03 and hasn't raised it since, he explained. So, there's no debt to pay with the sales tax revenue, he said. Vilardo said Charleston district officials made an effort to provide the public with information on how the money from the sales tax would be used. He said the maintenance list is based on categories of projects included in a resolution all three districts' school boards adopted in August, when they voted to put the referendum on the ballot. The list included heating, ventilation and air conditioning, roofing, safety and security items, technology, ceilings and flooring, electrical and lighting and more. The projects on the Charleston district's maintenance list range from replacing the heating and cooling system at Mark Twain Elementary School at a cost of $15,000 to roof repairs, heating and cooling system repairs and upgrades, carpet replacement and more at Charleston High School estimated at nearly $1.4 million. If the sales tax isn't approved, the district would have to look at more budget cuts on top of what the school board approved last spring or issuing bonds, or a combination, to do the work at some point, Vilardo said. "Regardless of any ballot question, these issues exist," he said. He added that district officials are "not interested in building brand new schools" but "just want to maintain" buildings that are already in place. He mentioned the list of roof repairs and said problems with those types of situations can often lead to more damage and work needed in the future. "We're trying to head that off," Vilardo said. "These aren't things we can continue to put off much longer." If voters approve the sales tax, schools will start receiving money from it about a year from now, Vilardo said. The district could then prioritize the possible projects and begin the bidding process or actual work once the funds are received, he said. ASHMORE (JG-TC) -- A driver and a passenger were both injured when their vehicle went off the road at a highway T intersection near Ashmore Sunday morning. Nicole M. Hellman, 33, of Paris failed to stop at the intersection of Illinois Routes 49 and 16 just east of Ashmore about 5:15 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the Coles County Sheriff's Office. Hellman's vehicle then went off the road and overturned several times, the news release said. It said Hellman and the passenger, Steven James Massutti, 34, of Clinton, Ind., were taken by medical helicopter to Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Massutti was still hospitalized Tuesday and listed in serious condition, but no information on Hellman was available, a Carle representative said. The sheriff's office news release said the accident is still under investigation. CHARLESTON -- Both candidates for a Coles County Board seat say they'll be advocates for their city while still serving the county as a whole. Republican Rick Shook is challenging incumbent Democrat Dan Lawrence in board District 8, which is made up of the Mattoon 3, 4, 5, and 6 voting precincts. Shook, 54, 1307 S. Fifth St., Mattoon, is a retired city of Mattoon laborer who said the main goal of his campaign is to "put Mattoon back on the map." He questioned the board's recent decision to give the contract for phone system upgrade to a Terre Haute, Ind., company, instead of Mattoon-based Consolidated Communications. The board favored the Indiana company because of its lower bid and because the company's proposal was said to better meet the county's requirements. "It's just the idea of helping people around here," Shook said. "You've got to take care of people in this county." Lawrence, 66, 904 Edgar Ave., Mattoon, retired as director of the dislocated worker program at Lake Land College and has been on the board since 2002. He was one of the board members who voted against the phone system contract and also said Consolidated Communications should have been given more consideration. Shook said he feels his work for the city familiarized him with roads and infrastructure and he could use that experience if he's elected. He added that he wants to be a go-between for government agencies and with the public. "If I think something's not right, I'm going to say it," he said. "I know how to deal with people. That's the big ace with me." Shook also said he's concerned about any adverse effect heavy farm equipment might have on county roads. He said he understands the need for farmers to use the roads, but he thinks it's something the board can discuss. Lawrence said he thinks his experience on the board is "a very valuable asset" and there have been several successes while he's been a member. He said the county has maintained a balance budget including during "lean years" and mentioned completion of Interstate 57 interchange north of Mattoon. He also noted the county completed comprehensive plans to which it continues to refer, and he favors extending the county's bike trail, which was part of the plan. The board "did exactly what we needed to do" in authorizing an inspection of a building to possibly purchase for a courthouse annex location, Lawrence said. He said he's "not committed" to any location for an annex but courthouse space needs are "ongoing." Lawrence also said he tries to be "vocal" for his county board district while working with all the county's communities. "We've got to serve the whole county," he said. CHARLESTON -- For Dennis Malak, Democratic candidate for local state representative, filing for bankruptcy was learning experience, one that gave him an understanding of various systems in Illinois, specifically their flaws. I have seen what excessive borrowing can do, and that is why when running for office, I am calling for a balanced budget, Malak said. I understand even at the state level, even though we are talking about a lot more money, it is still going to be the same thing. You are still going to continue to snowball into a dangerous situation. Malak said his bankruptcy snowballed as a result of a perfect storm in his familys life at one time. Malak said his bankruptcy was a result of medical related bills that been incurred during the time of his wife Sarahs persistent health issues and birth of two children. When my wife was ill and her heart stopped, she was on (Family and Medical Leave Act) and FMLA in this country is unpaid (leave), Malak said. So, we lost half of our income. In order to make ends meet we had to turn to unsecured credit, because that was all that was available. Use of unsecured credit was meant to be a temporary need during this stint, but by the time Sarah got better, they were too much in debt, which caused the need to file for bankruptcy, Malak said. I dont know a lot of legislators who have gone through bankruptcy and that does not seem to be stopping them any (from overspending), Malak said. He said he understands the real-life consequences of what that can do. Learning from his bankruptcy, Malak said, he thinks has given him a better understanding of what to do and more importantly what not to do when it comes to a budget. Malak said one way in which he thinks Illinois can rebuild itself and more importantly avoid going consistently into the red budget-wise would be to broadening the taxing bodies in Illinois. Specifically, the candidate calls for implementing a service tax in the state as a good avenue to bolster the state's revenue. Malak mentioned that he does not think the service industry is paying its fair share. It broadens where our state is pulling from, Malak said. Not only does that allow us more revenue, but it allows us more stability in the (potential) economic downturn. This, along with closing corporate loopholes that companies might use to avoid taxes, which Malak also mentioned, would cut down the state debt significantly within four to six years, the candidate said. Malak said he sees it as necessary to increase tax revenue as well as cut expenses, but that those revenues should not come from places like income tax. He said he was vehemently opposed to increasing income tax as a way to produce more money, at least until the tax base is broadened first. What I don't want to do is continue to increase taxes on the very few we are continually asking to pay for everything. That is why we need to broaden our tax base, like income taxes, Malak said. We have few tax areas where we keep on increasing and that is what keeps hurting people. The taxing structure does not accurately represent Illinois economy, Malak said. Malak calls for a more progressive tax structure. Malak said he is a proponent of trimming the budget as well as boosting revenue. While he did not detail where the state should cut expenses, Malak pointed out that education including higher education, infrastructure, social services and health safety services should not get the brunt of the cuts if at all. One way in which he sees no real progress is through Gov. Bruce Rauners turnaround agenda, which includes several reforms unpopular in the Democratic legislature. Malak said many of the points on this agenda do not solve the budgetary issues facing Illinois or do not do it in a worthwhile manner, an argument Democrats in the state have made against the governors sticking points. From Rauners agenda, Malak said he is a proponent for redistricting to ensure the people in the state are better represented by people who share their beliefs. While he hopes they would go in tandem, another large focus of Malaks -- aside from passing a budget, a goal sought by the most state legislators -- is to push for full funding to Eastern Illinois University aside from the stopgap funding that has been piece-mealed to the universities across the state. Malak said the stop-gap model has been inciting uncertainty in the people of this state, especially students looking to further their education in college. This will be Malaks second foray into the race to become the 110th District state representative. Malak ran as a Democrat in the general election in 2010 against another incumbent at the time, Chapin Rose, who is now Illinois state senator for the 51st District. Malak is now contesting Reggie Phillips in the general election set on Nov. 8. As we build up toward Election Day at the national, state, and local levels, few matters exhibit passion, trust, dissention, and even vitriol, more than local issues. Nowhere is that more evident than in Coles County with the County Schools Facility Tax. This vote will mean much more than deciding on a 1% sales tax; it will mean how we, as residents, respond to our communities' needs. In his bestselling book "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community," Robert Putnam analyzes the evolving social climate in the United States in the last half of the 20th century. Defining social capital as the connections among individuals," he highlighted the fact that Americans were less inclined to actively participate in the political process, local community affairs, or workplace activities -- all of which would include schools to some extent. Individuals involvement became more polarized and partisan. Neighbors simply socialized and cared less for one another than they did a century prior. On November 8, our schools need us to show we care. Over the past decade, the State of Illinois has violated the Constitution and failed its most valuable resource -- its children. Illinois ranks LAST in the nation in support for its schools. Thats right, 50th in support for schools. We in Coles County have an opportunity to help alleviate some of that irreversible damage and lessen the property tax burden that supports schools just as dozens of other Illinois counties have already done. All we have to do is VOTE YES. Do you trust the politicians in Springfield who have failed to adequately and equitably fund our schools over the past decade or do you trust the three locally elected school boards who voted unanimously to place the referendum on the ballot because they knew it was in the best interest of their students, schools, and communities? If you trust your friends and neighbors who reside here in Coles County, VOTE YES. If you trust and support your local community schools and you want the best possible education in the best possible facilities for the students who attend, VOTE YES. I trust my neighbors. I trust local control. Most importantly, I believe social capital is crucial for the ongoing and future success of Coles County. I intend to VOTE YES for the Coles County Schools Facility Tax on November 8 and I encourage everyone to do the same. Kyle Thompson, Charleston As a member of the Mattoon school board, I feel compelled to inform the people of Mattoon regarding the 1% County Schools Facility Tax question on the November 8 ballot. Illinois finances are dismal, which has impacted every entity that is supported by the state. Our schools are no exception. The state is consistently behind in their payments to schools. In response, Mattoon has cut over 80 positions, withheld purchasing supplies, deferred maintenance items, and postponed updates to facilities. Voting yes will ensure upgraded security measures in our schools. We will continue our work with the first responders to enhance our safety plans throughout the district. Voting yes will also allow our schools to address overdue expensive maintenance issues. We will be able to repair parking lots, maintain heating and cooling systems, update old plumbing, and replace leaky roofs. Older county schools will address boilers, plumbing, flooring, and electrical needs. Finally, this is NOT a tax trap. Mattoon residents will save $176 in property taxes for every $100,000 of market value of their homes. Groceries, cars, trucks, medicines, and farm-related costs are NOT taxed the additional 1%. Additionally, 30% of every sales tax dollar comes from visitors to Coles County. The Mattoon school board will reduce your property taxes in 2017 and beyond if this passes. We have worked very hard to strike that balance between whats best for our children and fiscal responsibility to our community. We have no intention of losing your good faith or our good names. To protect our students and staff, maintain our buildings, and reduce Mattoon property taxes, please vote yes for the 1% County Schools Facility Tax on November 8. Susan Smith, Mattoon Mattoon Board of Education CHARLESTON -- Inching closer to the general election, incumbent state Rep. Reggie Phillips, R-Charleston, sees the criticism he has received about where his allegiances lie, specifically in regard to Eastern Illinois University, as purely political. Nobody was working harder for Eastern Illinois University than me, Phillips said. This perception that I am wanting to see my business close is insane. Oh yeah, that would be fun. I love the idea of going bankrupt. In this last year of Phillips term as the 110th District state representative, he has garnered judgment of the way in which he represented EIU. This judgment stemmed from issues that arose in his districts university. Eastern, along with the most other state universities, struggled without any funding from the state for over a year. Much of the criticism of Phillips centered around him voting against bills that would have technically appropriated money to the university. Phillips and other Republicans saw these bills as empty gestures without a reliable funding source to back them up. Later, most of the Illinois General Assembly, including Phillips, backed a couple of stopgap funding bills to get the universities through to the first part of next year. This funding is only expected to take the universities to December, though, and Phillips said he plans to make sure Eastern has the money to make it through that date moving forward. He noted it is important that the next slate of funding to universities is not stopgap funding, but full appropriation support for the rest of the year. Although should there be no other way, he said he would make sure to get stopgap funding for Eastern at least. Aside from the university, Phillips said he is focused on ensuring Illinois is business friendly through structural reforms, which he said has not been the case for years. Everybody would like to own their own business someday, Phillips said. Thats my big message going up there (to Springfield). Education is important, but without jobs what good is an education? They are hand in hand. These reforms include tort law, workers' compensation, pension and prevailing wage reform in the state. Many of these reforms have been sticking points for Gov. Bruce Rauner and other Republican leaders in the state over the past year. Phillips has said he is in support of many of Rauners reforms. Phillips believes these reforms are necessary to not only service business growth, but also crucial toward whittling down the growing debt the State of Illinois has incurred over the years. Phillips said workers' compensation law, specifically, should be changed. As the state stands now, the number of hoops businesses have to go through is ridiculous, according to Phillips. He said he understands cuts and reforms cannot fix it all, though. He would consider increases to taxes, specifically the corporate income tax, but only if state legislators take a hard look at some of those reforms. I am willing to talk about (corporate income taxes) if we can couple that with reforms, Phillips said. You cant have one without the other. He said he just wants to minimize the inevitable hikes in taxes. Should he be re-elected, Phillips said he would also focus changing some ways in which the state is run. Other than calling for term limits and redistricting as he has rallied for in the state, he is also calling for a biennial budget cycle in order for it to avoid election cycles as well as ensure that should a budget not be in place, legislators are not paid. I bet (passing the budget) wouldn't be as controversial, now would it? Phillips said. While not a primary focus, he said he would also like to see longer budget cycles, potentially four-year budget cycles, for higher education instead of the current annual system so that when a student is enrolled at a university he or she knows that university will have money for his or her entire time there with no hiccups. Phillips is contested by Dennis Malak in the race to be the local state representative for the next two years. The incumbent said he plans to make good on his promise to remain a two-term representative should he win; however, he would not rule out the possibility of running for a third term should he be called upon to do so. If I truly felt like we are moving the ball and that it was so important that I stay, we can look at that then, Phillips said. Ill be 65 years old and I already got gray hair. Their belongings are neatly stacked against the wall of the downtown building, a blue suitcase, red pillow, a couple of jackets. At night, the couple beds down on the sidewalk at 13th and P streets. During the day, they often leave their stuff against the wall of the Stuart Building, sometimes all day. The tidy pile is a visible reminder of a homeless population, with its panhandling and sidewalk camping, that frustrates both business owners and people who live or work downtown. First there was a woman camped out at the corner for 17 weeks. Then, when police or an outreach worker finally persuaded her to participate in a local program that offered housing, this couple moved into the same spot, said Ryan Amen, a barber at the nearby Captains Chair. They're often gone during the day, he said, probably at their day job, panhandling. Amen trimmed the mans beard when the couple first started sleeping at the corner. The man said he was with the county fair. He must have forgotten to get back on the bus, said Amen, making a lighthearted comment about a serious situation he and other nearby business owners believe hurts business. Amen has talked to police and to City Council members about the long-term occupation at the corner. And he has waited. He's not the only one interested in the situation. Police and city leaders are hearing from different sides about related issues including panhandling, sidewalk camping downtown and the behavior of homeless people further east along the Antelope Valley project. The ACLU of Nebraska recently pointed out First Amendment concerns in parts of the city's panhandling ordinance. On the other side, complaints are on the rise from businesses and downtown residents about sidewalk camping and about the behavior of homeless people in and around Union Plaza and the Antelope Valley bridges east of downtown. Police walk a fine line. They worry when business owners and downtown residents say the homeless population is affecting their qualify of life, said Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister. But they must balance that with trying to address underlying issues that may lead to a transient population, he said. Police and representatives of agencies that work with the homeless population have been meeting weekly as the Most Vulnerable Review Team to explore avenues to help people who are homeless, he said. Antelope Creek bridges The city is taking a somewhat different approach in and near Union Plaza, where police are trying to keep people from gathering under new bridges across Antelope Creek. Jim Knuth, who owns Midwest Sound and Lighting at 2322 O St., said the number and bad behavior of homeless people has been growing in the area. They urinate, defecate, curse and sometimes are violent -- some of it right in front of his store, he said, adding that he called police after a person peed on his wall. This is worse than downtown Omaha, he says. Police see downtown Lincoln and the Antelope Valley area, particularly the bridges, as completely different. Officers can't see what's going on when people gather under bridges, creating potential safety issues, said Capt. Jason Stille, the downtown area team captain. Being out of sight. That concerns me, purely from a public safety standard," he said. There have been violent assaults and sexual assaults in the area, and the city has gotten complaints from bikers and joggers who dont feel safe on the multi-use trail that runs along the creek. So police have written a stack of tickets in the past several months for things like drinking in public, urinating in public, assaults, he said. And the city Parks and Recreation Department plans to put up signs, defining the area as part of a city park that is closed at night. The goal is to discourage people from sleeping and hanging out under the bridges, said Parks and Rec Director Lynn Johnson. The city is using an expanded definition of city park created for Centennial Mall after people who camped there as part of the Occupy Lincoln movement left the area, Johnson said. ACLU raises panhandling issues But last month, ACLU of Nebraska raised concerns about the citys panhandling law and is working with the city attorney and elected officials on those issues. The potential problem areas include limiting panhandling to daylight hours, forbidding use of profane language, limiting panhandling at bus stops, vehicles or cafes and limiting panhandling by two or more people together, according to a letter from the ACLU. Some of the city limitations dont strike the right balance of protecting First Amendment rights against public safety issues," said Executive Director Danielle Conrad. The courts have found that balance needs to be narrowly tailored, she said. Conrad is hoping to collaborate with the city to update the ordinances. The goal is to make sure the individual rights of those engaged in free speech activities are respected, as is the right of individuals to be safe and secure from aggressive behavior, she said. Sidewalk camping, not panhandling, seems to be the major issue right now. Police have issued 11 citations for panhandling so far this calendar year, compared to 18 last year, according to police data. There were 16 complaints related to panhandling in 2015 and 19 so far in 2016. The Downtown Lincoln Association has not noticed an increase in complaints about panhandling, said President Terry Uland. For the most part, people who are panhandling know the rules and dont pose a safety issue, he said. More sidewalk camping complaints Complaints about people sleeping on sidewalks are up, particularly from downtown residents, Uland said. In fact, the DLA is helping pay the salary of a CenterPointe homeless outreach worker who focuses on the downtown area. Camping in the public right of way seems to be a growing problem in other cities, said Uland. And the courts -- both conservative and liberal jurists -- seem to be coming down on the same side: It is not illegal to be homeless, and the public right of way is public, he said. Lincoln officials don't agree on what police can do when someone is sleeping on a sidewalk. City Attorney Jeff Kirkpatrick says city ordinances dont allow it. His view is that if people are actually sleeping on the sidewalk or in alleys, they are obstructing others and can be charged with a misdemeanor. But Chief Bliemeister said the police dont believe they can arrest someone sleeping on the sidewalk unless they are completely blocking it. "That is a rare incident." Usually people are sleeping up against a building, he said. Arrests not always a solution And Bliemeister doesn't believe arresting people does anything more than get them off the street and into jail for a day or two. They are soon back on the street, often the same street. "Police action is not always going to solve a particular issue," he said. The city must find alternate solutions that meet the expectations of business owners and the needs of the public, the chief said. Councilmen Roy Christensen and Carl Eskridge agree with police that the city cannot arrest its way out of the problem. I know it is frustrating for people. The solution we have right now -- to have outreach workers gain the trust and convince a homeless person to get into a local program with housing -- requires some patience, said Eskridge, who lives downtown. Lincoln has a growing, vibrant downtown and having panhandling or homeless behavior problems is a deterrent to that, said Christensen. But there is also the issue of peoples rights and the very complicated problems of many homeless people, "who often have serious mental health issues that go beyond poverty, he said. We need to address the issue for everyones sake, and particularly for the sake of the homeless, Christensen said. Businessman Knuth pointed to Berkeley, California, where the City Council in 2015 passed strict laws limiting homeless people from taking up more than 4 square feet of space on sidewalks. If Berkeley can crack down, he said, so can Lincoln. But Berkeley hasn't implemented that law because the city has not yet built the lockers for homeless people's belongings that were also required, according to a spokesman for the city. In Lincoln, cold weather often reduces the number of panhandlers and pushes people who are homeless off of sidewalks to warmer and more hidden spots. I usually expect cold weather to solve the problem. And maybe it will give us a breather and time to get this solved, Christensen said. WASHINGTON -- When FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress in July about his recommendation not to prosecute Hillary Clinton, he mentioned at least 10 times how important it was that he be transparent. "What I decided to do was offer transparency to the American people," he said, "because I thought it was very, very important for their confidence in the system of justice, and within that their confidence in the FBI. I was very concerned that if I didn't show that transparency, that in that lack of transparency people would say, 'What is going on here? Something seems squirrelly here.'" Now, in the final days of the presidential election, Comey has shocked the nation by announcing that he is reopening the investigation of Clinton -- and he is offering no transparency at all about what is going on here. And something indeed seems squirrelly. I've long believed in Comey's integrity. But if he doesn't step forward and explain his October Surprise, he may inadvertently wind up interfering in the political process -- perhaps even reversing the outcome of a presidential election -- in a way that would have made J. Edgar Hoover gape. We now know that Comey defied warnings by the Justice Department that he was violating longstanding policy against interfering in elections. But it's just as clear that Comey's actions -- tarring Clinton with a new hint of scandal while providing no details that might allow Clinton to defend herself -- violate his own standards of transparency that he preached a few months ago. If he has the goods on Clinton, let's hear them. If he doesn't, as his admission that "we don't know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails" suggests, he must make clear that this is just a pro forma notice he sent to Congress. But what he's doing is essentially proposing a political death sentence for Clinton without providing the charges. The weight of Comey's thumb on the scale is greater now than it was in July, when there was still time to absorb the information. Some Democratic partisans suspect this is a dirty trick by a man who was the No. 2 official in George W. Bush's Justice Department. It could make people feel the election is being rigged after all -- in Donald Trump's favor. I don't believe that. As I wrote in July, Comey's "reputation for integrity is as unimpeachable as it gets." There's nothing about Comey that suggests he would like to install Trump in the White House; his passion for the rule of law clashes with Trump's threats to use the Justice Department to go after his political opponents. But why would a man of integrity, at a time when the nation is already inflamed, add gasoline by insinuating wrongdoing by the presidential front-runner even though he admits he can't "yet assess whether or not this material may be significant"? And give Clinton no chance of exonerating herself by saying "I cannot predict" how long it will take to assess the material? The most benign, and likely, explanation is CYA: Comey wanted to inoculate himself against future allegations from Republican lawmakers that he sat on relevant information before the election. If so, self-preservation trumped his professed love of transparency. Back in July, when he made his recommendation not to prosecute, he read a lengthy public statement explaining that "I am going to include more detail about our process than I ordinarily would, because I think the American people deserve those details in a case of intense public interest." Then he testified to Congress about being "a big fan of transparency" and a "huge fan of transparency" because "transparency matters tremendously" and "that's what makes our democracy great." Said Comey: "Transparency is the absolute best thing for me and for democracy." Now Comey has decided opacity is better for him, sending a vague letter to Congress while leaving it to anonymous officials to attempt to explain his reasoning to the public, via the press. Does he suppose that the American people no longer "deserve those details in a case of intense public interest"? In his brief words written to FBI employees Friday, Comey acknowledged there was a "significant risk of being misunderstood." But the way to avoid being misunderstood is to explain himself publicly and fully, the way he did in July. By falling short of his own standards of transparency, Comey is harming both election integrity and his well-deserved personal integrity. He needs to explain himself if he hopes to salvage either. The people at the Platte Institute for Policy Research could hardly have picked a worse time for their big push to cut Nebraskas income tax rates. Theyve been busy for months and years now, working on a plan to win approval for more tax cuts in the Cornhusker state. Theyve held meetings across the state and labored mightily to find allies. Theyve had some limited success; the Nebraska State Chamber voiced some support earlier this month. But events are conspiring against them. Last week, the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board lowered its revenue projections. The bottom line is a predicted shortfall of $910 million for the next two-year budget cycle. The reason for the shortfall is no surprise. Nebraskas agricultural economy is struggling. Commodity prices are unbelievably distressed, all the major commodities soybeans, cattle corn, said Fred Lockwood, a forecasting board member from Scottsbluff. The impact is already being felt in revenue collections for the current year, which are about $43 million below projections. Gov. Pete Ricketts had the right reaction to the lowered forecasts, issuing a quick statement that he would continue work with state agencies to cut spending, and to work with the Legislature next year on budget cuts. Ricketts did not say anything about further cuts to taxes. We hope the omission was intentional. If the Legislature wants to talk at all about tax cuts, it ought to focus exclusively on property taxes. Year after year, election after election, its property tax rates that irk Nebraskans the most. Importantly, property taxes are a drag on the farm economy. They are a cost of doing business that has grown dramatically in the past decade. If the Legislature wants to help the states economy cut property taxes. Yet, in the rarified world of conservative think tanks, its income taxes that get most of the attention. Thats the wrong priority for Nebraska. In any event, the governor and Legislature will have their hands full in the next session just finding the best way to trim in the state budget. Fortunately, in the past few years senators mostly resisted calls to spend the states rainy day fund. The last thing Nebraskans need is a slap-dash and poorly considered reform of the states tax system. For an example of how badly that can go, just glance south at Kansas. In the fourth year of its real-life experiment in cutting income taxes, things continue to worsen. Its so bad that Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback just canceled a quarterly report on the states economy. The states gross product and its wage growth lag behind the region and the nation, according to Bloomberg News. The Platte Institute ought to hit the pause button on its tax reform plan. The governor and state senators will have more urgent worries next year. The League of Women Voters of Nebraska believes claims about the rigging of elections are unfounded and irresponsible. Based on our experience, we want to express great confidence in the integrity of the electoral system. There are checks and balances within our system that serve to protect against manipulation. These include pre-election testing of voting technology, the use of paper ballots, post-election audits and trained poll workers representing both parties at each polling station, as well as the transparency of the entire process. Nebraska ranks high in election performance when compared to other states. Election performance includes standards such as turnout, voter registration rate, availability of voter-look-up tools, voting wait time and registration and absentee ballot problem resolution. Voter fraud hasn't been an issue in Nebraska, according to Neal Erickson, deputy secretary of state for elections. While no election may be perfect, Erickson has reported never seeing an organized effort to manipulate the results of an election. There have been only a few instances of voter impersonation. The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization founded in 1920 as a direct result of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, which secured the right to vote for women. Since then, the League has worked hard to ensure and protect the right to vote for all eligible citizens and is active in the voter registration process all across the country. The League is highly respected for its true nonpartisanship and does not endorse candidates for office at any level. The League has a long history of studying all aspects and consequences of public policy issues before taking a formal position on any issue. With full faith and confidence, the League encourages Nebraskans to participate in the democratic process by registering to vote, becoming informed on the issues and candidates, and then voting. Sherry Miller, president, League of Women Voters of Nebraska, Lincoln Prepare for a serious showdown over beer sales in the troubled town of Whiteclay. The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission on Tuesday ordered all four beer stores in the village to reapply if they want to retain their liquor licenses after this year. It's the first time in decades those stores will be forced by state regulators to justify selling millions of cans of beer on the doorstep of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned. Activists pushing to stop beer sales in Whiteclay applauded Tuesday's action. "Hallelujah," whispered Nancy Carlson of Lincoln as the Liquor Commission made its decision. "It has been a long time coming," said Winnebago activist Frank LaMere. "But now the work begins." All four liquor licenses were up for automatic renewal next year. By requiring the stores to complete "long-form" applications instead, Tuesday's decision sets a higher bar for Arrowhead Inn, State Line Liquor, D&S Pioneer Service and Jumping Eagle Inn to remain in the unincorporated village with about a dozen permanent residents, where the equivalent of 3.5 million cans of beer were sold last year alone. Beer store owners will have to demonstrate they meet several requirements for liquor licenses under state law, including the presence of adequate law enforcement. They might also be called to testify before the Liquor Commission at a formal hearing early next year. The owners didn't attend Tuesday's meeting. Some learned of the decision from phone calls with reporters. Steve Sanford, co-owner of D&S Pioneer Service, called the move "rather interesting" and said he needed to gather more details before commenting further. "I've just got a legitimate business to run here at this point," he said. Owners of Arrowhead Inn, State Line Liquor and Jumping Eagle Inn either declined to comment or couldn't be reached. The Liquor Commission's order came on a 3-0 vote. Chairman Bob Batt said the move was triggered by comments last month from a Sheridan County commissioner who told members of a legislative committee that the northwest Nebraska county "absolutely" does not have adequate law enforcement for proper policing in Whiteclay. "We really need help with law enforcement," Jack Andersen said during an Oct. 11 hearing at the Capitol. Beer sales in Whiteclay have been blamed for a wide range of social ills in and around the Pine Ridge Reservation: alcoholism and bootlegging are rampant despite the liquor ban, hundreds of children are born with fetal alcohol disorders and Whiteclay itself is a hub for vagrants and violence. Activists have complained about the problems for years but lacked legal standing to challenge the liquor licenses because they aren't from Sheridan County, Batt said. Andersen's comments carried more legal weight because they came from a local official, Batt said. "We have a lot of momentum now, and we've got to keep that momentum going," said Dennis Carlson, another activist. Even if the liquor licenses are denied, people pushing for reform in Whiteclay have said more must be done to address the problems surrounding alcoholism on Pine Ridge. Batt himself acknowledged the breadth of the issue. "Whiteclay is a symptom," he said. "The root cause is, alcohol is in the culture. It's so embedded." New kiosks in Lincoln and Omaha have made paying child support quicker and easier, Nebraska's state treasurer says. The kiosks have been used more than 1,300 times since Lincoln's went live in early September, according to Treasurer Don Stenberg's office. The Omaha kiosk was first used in early October. The kiosks make it possible to pay support quickly in a secure setting during regular business hours and are another example of our ongoing effort to provide customer-focused services," Stenberg said in a news release. The kiosks are provided by U.S. Bank in exchange for $3 transaction fees that are paid by the government, using mostly federal and some state funds. Lincoln's kiosk is at the state treasurer's child support payment center, 233 S. 10th St., and is available weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Omaha's is at the Douglas County Clerk of the District Court's office, on the third floor of the Hall of Justice at 1701 Farnam St., and can be used weekdays 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. People can pay with cash, check, credit card or debit card. The kiosks accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards. A 2.49 percent fee is charged for credit card payments. Stenberg's office says it is considering a third kiosk for western Nebraska. About 85 percent of child support payments in the state are made through employers, according to Stenberg's office. The remaining payments, when made in person at a walk-up window, can take two to three minutes, assuming there is no line. Paying at a kiosk takes a minute or less. Kiosk payments are also processed electronically instead of manually, saving additional time for staff, Stenberg said. OMAHA A northeast Nebraska man who stole from a casino in Winnebago has been ordered to pay more than $12,000 in restitution. Mark Hannan of South Sioux City also was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Omaha to five years of probation. In August he'd pleaded guilty to theft by an employee of a gaming establishment on Indian lands. Court documents say that from Nov. 1, 2015, through Feb. 15 this year, Hannan stole the money while working at the Native Star Casino, which is owned and operated by the Winnebago Indian Tribe of Nebraska. OMAHA Dozens of Nebraska home-schoolers are forging a new educational path at Omaha's Virtual School. The program run by Omaha Public Schools is the first K-8 virtual school in the state and started offering classes in August for the 160 students in its inaugural class. The virtual school uses a blended model that includes students learning at home via their parents and online lessons and receiving instruction as a group from school district teachers. Students gather once a week at Omaha's digital library, Do Space, for group activities that range from computer coding through online games, to math lessons with blocks, to conducting science experiments. Most of the students in the free program live within OPS' boundaries, but some live in other school districts. Before the program started, OPS held more than a dozen information sessions for home-school families and set aside enough space for 300 students. The program is only open to home-schooled students this year due to funding reasons, but the goal is to offer the virtual classes to a range of students looking for a nontraditional setting. For the current school year, OPS budgeted a little more than $495,000 from its general fund for the program. With virtual schools growing in other states as well, OPS officials have acknowledged the negative effects of less student-teacher interactions and said the district's hybrid of online and in-person instruction would make a positive difference. The virtual school has core classes in language arts, math, science and social studies. It also offers two electives: virtual design and innovation and introduction to computer programming. Students must sign up for at least two classes, but aren't required to enroll full time since many parents still teach the bulk of the lessons. RACINE A Racine man was charged Monday with reportedly stealing from a disabled resident of a group home. Ratravion D. Wade, 29, of the 500 block of Three Mile Road, reportedly befriended the victim, who suffers from physical and mental disabilities, while he was an employee at a group home in the 1900 block of Neptune Avenue. According to the criminal complaint: The victim reportedly told police that in September, Wade asked the victim for $300 to repair his car or else he would get into an accident and his child would get injured. Wade allegedly told the victim that "(She) wouldn't want to be responsible for that, would she?" Wade and his girlfriend took the victim to the bank to cash the check the victim gave Wade and allegedly told the victim to tear up the carbon copy "so nobody got in trouble." Wade and his girlfriend also reportedly asked the victim for $40 for gas for the trip. The victim later confronted Wade about reimbursement. Wade reportedly gave her a $100 bill, which the victim believes was from her lock box, which was missing $100. The victim also said that she paid Wade to get dry cleaning, and that Wade took the money and never picked up the dry cleaning. When confronted by police, Wade reportedly said he no longer worked at the group home and that the check was a gift. Wade faces a felony count for theft. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Wade remained in custody as of Monday at the Racine County Jail, online records showed. PLEASANT PRAIRIE A former Kenosha County Sheriffs Department employee has been charged with sexual assault crimes involving nursing home residents. Clarence Mielke, 73, of Pleasant Prairie, who was a captain when he retired from the department, is charged with sexually assaulting residents of a nursing home owned and operated by his family, according to a Kenosha County Sheriffs Department press release. Mielke faces two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault to a mentally ill victim and two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault by an employee of a child welfare agency or care or service residential facility. The Pleasant Prairie Police Department forwarded a recommendation for charges after an investigation into the crimes, the release said. Mielke was employed by the Sheriffs Department from July 1971 to July 2000 and retired in good standing. According to the press release, the Sheriffs Department was deeply troubled by the charges and sympathizes with the victims and their families. The Kenosha County Sheriffs Department did not participate in the investigation. The investigation is being handled by the Pleasant Prairie Police Department. Mielke is scheduled for an initial appearance at 1 p.m. Friday at the Pre-Trial Building, 912 56th St., in Downtown Kenosha. RACINE A man ended up in the emergency room Sunday night after he was assaulted at a northwest side tavern. According to a criminal complaint: Armando Barrios, 40, of the 1600 block of Boyd Avenue, Racine, confronted the victim, who was sitting at the bar at Cackle Jacks, 3620 Northwestern Ave., at about 8:20 p.m. Sunday. The victim told Barrios he would leave, after which Barrios and another suspect reportedly began punching the victim in the face. The victim believes the assault caused him to lose consciousness, because the next thing he remembers is being dragged out of the bar. Outside the bar, in front of a shoe store in the 3500 block of Rapids Drive, the victim told police that Barrios pointed a semiautomatic handgun at him, the complaint said. A bartender reportedly told police he was in the restroom when the altercation began. The bartender then allegedly asked the men to exit the bar, then discovered blood on the bar top and floor. Barrios spoke with police and denied knowing the victims face was injured. Police noticed Barrios left-hand pinky and ring finger knuckles bleeding with skin hanging off of them. Barrios reportedly told police he had punched a wall during the Green Bay Packers game earlier in the day. The victim received stitches on his right eyebrow at Ascension All Saints Hospital, the complaint said. Barrios faces a felony count of substantial battery. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 17 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Barrios remained in custody as of Monday at the Racine County Jail, online records showed. RACINE A Racine man was arrested Sunday afternoon after he reportedly stole a bottle of wine and broke glass on a fire extinguisher case. Jason R. Hoskins, 34, of the 1200 block of Reeds Court, reportedly walked into United Petroleum, 1917 16th St., and stole a bottle of Wild Irish Rose wine, according to the criminal complaint. An employee reportedly yelled at Hoskins to stop, but Hoskins left the store and, in the process, broke the glass on a fire extinguisher case by the front door. Hoskins was later found near the intersection of 17th Street and Kearney Avenue with half of the bottle of wine remaining, the complaint said. People in the area allegedly told police that Hoskins was acting unstable and trying to start fights; however, those people were gone after the officer was done gathering information. Hoskins faces two misdemeanor charges for retail theft and criminal damage to property. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference at 3:15 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Hoskins remained in custody as of Monday night at the Racine County Jail, online records showed. Rust a member of MSOE team in regional competition MILWAUKEE Benjamin Rust of Racine was a member of a team of Milwaukee School of Engineering students that took third place in the Regional Commercial, construction management competition at the Associated Schools of Construction Region 3 Conference and Student Competitions. Rust, who was a member of the The Design/Build Team that won the third place regional title with their RFP for a refrigerated warehouse project, was sponsored by Walsh. The team had to estimate detailed cost and construction management plans of this challenging project in Chicago, Ill. Three teams of students from MSOE's Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department competed at the Associated Schools of Construction Region 3 Conference and Student Competitions in October. Fourteen companies sponsored the four-day event, in which about 300 students from across the county vied for titles in a variety of competitions. For the third year in a row, MSOE took first in the nation for the health care competition. MSOE teams also took first place in the regional design-build competition and third place in the regional commercial competition. Mason Langenfeld receives tuition scholarship RACINE Mason Langenfeld of Racine received a $3,000 tuition scholarship sponsored by Frank Boucher Chevrolet Inc. in Racine. Frank Boucher Chevrolet will also provide Langenfeld with on-the-job training and mentoring while he attends the automotive program at Gateway Technical College. In addition to the scholarship, Langenfeld will receive a tool set valued at $3,667 from Snap-on Corp., headquartered in Kenosha. Select Wisconsin high school graduates and continuing education students were recipients of technician scholarships through The Foundation of the Wisconsin Automobile and Truck Dealers Association sponsored by local dealerships and other foundation partners. The recipients will use their award to fund their vehicle service education in automotive, diesel or collision technology at the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation certified Wisconsin Technical College of their choice. Yang receives WCPA Andrew Luptak Undergraduate Award SOMERS Mai Yang, a University of Wisconsin-Parkside senior, is this years recipient of The Wisconsin College Personnel Association Andrew Luptak Undergraduate Award. The award recognizes an outstanding undergraduate student leader who is enrolled in a college or university in Wisconsin and shows an interest in pursuing a career in student affairs. The winner of this award has demonstrated academic achievement, and made significant contributions to their college or university through co-curricular involvement. For two years Yang has served as a resident adviser in UW-Parksides Pike River Suites. In addition, Yang also works for the universitys Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, recently designed a volunteer training program for the LBGQT resource center, is a reoccurring member of the Deans List, and remains active with several other organizations. In the coming weeks, Yang will receive her award at the WPCA annual conference in Wisconsin Dells. After the conference, Yang will stay to attend the Student Affairs 101 workshop designed specifically for undergraduate students hoping to enter the student affairs field. "We're never going to use our guns to solve our problems," said one of the students signing the pledge in Starbuck Middle School's hallway Wednesday afternoon before one of her friends added, "We're gonna solve them ourselves." MADISON The Wisconsin Alumni Association honored three alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards this fall. Racine native Doris Feldman Weisberg, former Food Network producer and educator, was among those honored. Feldman Weisberg was part of the team that launched the Food Network, where she produced numerous shows and was the managing editor of food news. She has also produced cooking shows for Lifetime Television and is a professor emerita at City College of the City University of New York, where she spent 26 years. She was the director of the Speech and Hearing Center and retired in 1992 as the chairwoman of the speech department. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Doris earned her M.S. and Ph.D degrees from Columbia University. She has taught at The New School and was an adjunct professor at the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Education, where she developed a lecture series. As a student, Feldman Weisberg was very active at the Memorial Union and was president of the Union Directorate during her senior year. Today, she serves on the board of the Memorial Union Building Association, and she is helping to establish a distinguished-alumni lecture series and to position the Union to use locally grown food in its food-service operations. Feldman Weisberg is also on the board of the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, and is a member of the UW Foundations Womens Philanthropy Council and the Department of Political Sciences board of visitors. The New York City resident is a member of the Tri-State Womens Initiative, which takes UWMadison professors to the New York City area to speak on current events. Feldman Weisberg and her husband have created a planned gift to establish the Doris Feldman Weisberg and Robert Weisberg Center for Progressive Political Thought. They also established the Doris and Robert Weisberg Current Issues Symposium Fund at the Memorial Union to bring relevant and timely speakers to campus. The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Wisconsin Alumni Association. Since 1936, the Wisconsin Alumni Association has presented the award to the most prestigious graduates of UW-Madison to recognize their professional achievements, contributions to society, and support of the university. The deadline for 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award nominations is Friday, Dec. 16. For more information, visit the website www.uwalumni.com/daa. RACINE COUNTY Construction is expected to wrap up soon on Highway 11 in Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant and not a day too soon for drivers and local officials. Crews have worked on a 1.5-mile segment between 92nd Street to just west of Highway 31 since July. Improvements include new pavement, new signage and lighting upgrades, the state Department of Transportation has said. The work is expected to wrap up in early- to mid-November, DOT spokesman Brian DeNeve said. The lingering construction has led to frustration for many who feel progress has been slow with little work seemingly being done on it, Sturtevant Village President Steve Jansen said. I sarcastically tell people to call the governors office, Jansen said. Weve got no say. Its not our project, its the state. Whats the hold-up? he added. Lets get this thing wrapped up. Mount Pleasant Village President Jerry Garski said he has also fielded numerous calls on the project from people with similar concerns. The construction in Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant was part of a $2.3 million project covering multiple segments of Highway 11 in Racine County. The DOT also improved a stretch from Highway C in Dover to 71st Drive in Union Grove, with new pavement, signage, rumble strips and the reconstruction of the crosswalk at York Street this year. Both segments of Highway 11 were last rehabilitated in the 1980s, according to the DOT. Crews also completed a re-ditching at the intersection of the west frontage road and 58th Road in Yorkville to address drainage issues. RACINE The Racine Unified School Board on Monday unanimously passed a new health care plan that affects certain levels of benefit coverage for spouses despite loud disagreement from teachers present. Effective in January, married employees in the district will see a change in the coverage. According to district officials, if an employee has a spouse who has access to health coverage through their employer, the district healthcare plan will be secondary to the spouses coverage. The idea is the spouse of the employee can still stay on the districts insurance, Hazen said. What coordination of benefits, does it allows the better benefit to be in the minimum benefit the employee and spouse would need. The idea to go to a spousal cooperation type of plan was formed in Unified Board of Adjustments committee meetings. According to Hazen, this change will result in $1.25 million in net savings for the district. Hazen explained further that the district healthcare plan would cover the difference in the deductible between the two plans. Hazen did acknowledge that some employees might end up paying more, but other employees would be better off because some spouses employers charge smaller amounts for a high-deductible plan. REA, teachers disagree In the audience Monday were several teachers and members of the Racine Educators Association who, one by one, voiced their concerns during the public comment session of the meeting. Angelina Cruz, president of REA, advocated that the School Board not approve the plan and send it back to the Board of Adjustments. The Racine Educators Association does not endorse the health care changes, spousal coordination of benefits being put forward by the BOA at this time, Cruz said. This is too much change for employees to understand in the time frame given. This is happening too fast to properly educate employees. Several teachers echoed those sentiments. Melissa Zeien, a teacher at Horlick High School, remembers the district talking about health care in 2011 and feeling scared. Tonight I dont feel scared, I feel a little broken down because I dont want to dedicate my life to a career thats going to constantly ask me to financially fix a problem I didnt create, Zeien said. I know that Im not alone. In response to the feedback from teachers, Hazen attempted to explain that the district has a limited amount of money and the administration is not trying to push people off of the plan. If you work for a different company than I do, why shouldnt your employer pay for your insurance and my employer pay for mine? That seems fair, Hazen said. And if you dont like your insurance you can find a different job. If I dont like my insurance I can find a different job. But as he was saying if you dont like your insurance you can find a different job, there was clearly a negative reaction to those words which Hazen recognized. Sounds like I went too far with that, Hazen said. School Board member John Heckenlively said the board does need more information. One of the problems that all of us have is that we dont have a firm, 100 percent idea of exactly what the impact of this is going to be, Heckenlively said. That being said, I do think over the next three weeks, during the open enrollment period, youre going to have pretty much everyone coming in where theyre going to discuss what their insurance situation is with the district. Heckenlively said the School Board could get a report by late November that would give the board a better idea of what the impact could be. School Board President Michael Frontier said the process could have been handled better. This is a learning (curve for the) Board of Education and in my experience here we couldve, on all sides ... couldve communicated this more intentionally, Frontier said. We need to learn from that. Millions of dollars poured into Wisconsin starting Monday for the final week of the election, as jittery Democrats tried to push Russ Feingold over the finish line in the U.S. Senate race against Sen. Ron Johnson, one of the key races nationwide that could determine whether Republicans retain majority control. Johnson has long been seen as one of the most vulnerable GOP Senate incumbents this election cycle. Democrats are trying to retake control of the Senate, and must pick up four or five seats to do so, depending on whether they retain control of the White House. Television spending in Wisconsins Senate race ratcheted up on Monday, with a super PAC backing Johnson releasing a six-figure statewide ad that appeared to concede a Hillary Clinton victory over Donald Trump. The ad by the Let America Work PAC, featuring a steaming pile of cow manure, argued that Johnson needed to win to provide a check on Feingold and Clinton. And the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee run by allies of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, announced Monday it is running $2 million in broadcast and cable ads in at least five markets touting Johnson. Those ads come after the Senate Majority PAC on Friday announced a surprise late $2 million ad buy in Wisconsin to help put Feingold over the top against Johnson. The Republican incumbents campaign has long argued the race is tightening, and nervous Democrats were refocusing on the race where Feingold had long been ahead to insure there isnt a late surprise. Republican mega-donor Diane Hendricks, an Afton billionaire, is bankrolling a push to provide cover on Wisconsin airwaves to Trump and Johnson. Hendricks has given more than $5.4 million to a super PAC, Reform America Fund, airing ads in Wisconsin that oppose Feingold and Clinton, recently released Federal Election Commission reports show. Clintons campaign also launched its first Wisconsin television ads of the campaign on Monday in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay. Clintons Wisconsin campaign director Jake Hajdu said the ads, costing at least $100,000, were designed to help Feingold and other Democrats. Feingold was expected to campaign with Kaine on Tuesday for at least one of his stops in Appleton and Madison. While Johnson has stood by his backing of Trump, hes also kept his distance and not campaigned with him in the state. Trump and running mate Mike Pence are scheduled to campaign in Eau Claire on Tuesday. Johnson will be getting some help from other Wisconsin Republicans including Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker when a GOP bus tour launches on Thursday. In the Let America Work ad, the narrator says Johnson should be elected over Feingold because he will cut the crap and keep Hillary Clinton and the Washington politicians from running wild. The Let America Work PAC had been focusing its earlier advertising on attacking Feingold. But its new ad, called Running Wild, makes the argument that Feingold will be a lackey for Clinton if theyre both elected. Also Monday, the Democratic PAC released its ad thats part of a surprise $2 million statewide buy against Johnson. The spot argues that Johnson works for Wall Street. Not us. It highlights a $10 million corporate payout Johnson received from his plastics company Pacur. State Journal reporter Mark Sommerhauser contributed to this report. Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. 2 injured in shootout at hotel in Itahari Two persons were injured in a shootout at Bhojpure Hotel in Itahari Sub Metropolis 24 at 4 am on Tuesday. Chinese coal mine rescue bit after deadly blast Thirteen people were killed and another 20 remain unaccounted for after an explosion in a coal mine in China, according to state media. Diwali fireworks choke Delhi, angering Indians Angry residents of the Indian capital, Delhi, are sharing images of smog, one day after Diwali celebrations saw huge quantities of fireworks set off. Fire destroys seven houses in Sankhuwasabha At least seven houses were destroyed in a massive blaze which started from an electrical short circuit at Mulkharka Bazaar of Sankhuwasabha Municipality 4 at 1:45 am last night. How a 105-year-old ended open defecation in her village On Tuesday, Dhamtari became the first district in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh to be declared free from open defecation. And the credit for that is being given to Kunwar Bai Yadav, a woman who claims to be 105, and sold her only assets - a few goats - to build a toilet at home. Mock drill conducted for Indian President's visit A mock run of the motorcade for the Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's visit to Nepal was carried out on Tuesday. President Mukherjee's visit will create new basis in Nepal-India ties: Minister Mahat Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has expressed the belief that the three-day state visit of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee to Nepal beginning tomorrow will create a new basis in the relations between Nepal and India. Two teenagers murdered in Morang Two teenagers attending the Hurra Naach a dance performance of the Magar community were murdered last night. , , , . Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. The Kampala Minister Betty Kamya has promised to evict taxi drivers from the streets just like she did with the vendors. This follows the cry made by the USAFI traders to her during her visit to the market earlier today. Traders in unison said that the reason the market is not thriving in terms of business is because taxi drivers no longer in the taxi park but not streets trying to have an easy way to passengers since the latter finds it difficult to move further to the park. Kamya however promised to send street drivers to the parks just like she is sending street vendors to the markets. The minister said that the move to evict vendors from the streets was not as aggressive as it was interpreted by those affected but it was aimed at improving the status of the capital city. She added that the city had been messed up and as long as she was appointed the Minister by the President, she will ensure that the city is brought back to order. Kamya added that street vendors should comply with the Trade Act by filling up spaces in the markets especially USAFI which she said has a lot of space and they need to be occupied. Over 640,000 students have been registered to take their Primary Leaving Examination for the 2016 throughout the country which kicks off tomorrow. According to the Executive Secretary Dan N. Odongo, the above pupils are to take their exams in 12,391 centers with 311,511 being male and 329,340 being female Odongo notes that the distribution of examination materials is proceeding smoothly and is being done using 22 routes asserting that Officers from the Field Force Unit of the Uganda Police are providing security on all the routes to ensure that the materials are safe. He also explains that a total of 114 district monitors and 9,216 scouts have been deployed as well as unspecified number of security personnel to operate overtly and covertly to ensure the examination is conducted in accordance with the Regulations on Conduct of Examinations. The however warned schools against the acts of malpractice in the examination for their results will be cancelled. The official said there have been several inspections, and they are being done by the U.S. Defense attache and the U.S... South Korea is considering blacklisting a Chinese firm suspected of being involved in illicit deals with North Korea as part of efforts to prevent money from flowing into the communist state that is defiantly pursuing a nuclear weapons program, government sources said Tuesday. The Seoul government is currently reviewing "if and when" it will place China's Dandong Hongxiang Industrial Development Co. on the list of companies subject to its own unilateral sanctions, according to the sources close to the matter. The Chinese firm is under investigation on suspicions that it exported aluminum oxide, which can be used in enriching uranium, a nuclear bomb ingredient, to the North at least twice in recent years. If it is blacklisted, its assets in South Korea will be subject to oversight and any financial deals with South Koreans will be banned. In September, the U.S. blacklisted the Chinese company along with its owner and three other company officials in the first move ever to impose sanctions on a Chinese entity over Pyongyang's weapons programs. Currently, the United Nations Security Council is working on a fresh resolution against the North following its fifth nuclear test in September. The efforts are reportedly focused on covering the "loopholes" through which the North is suspected of getting its hands on money needed for its nuclear and missile programs. Blacklisting Dandong Honxiang is seen as a loosened form of the "secondary boycott" aimed at penalizing any third-country entities involved in business dealings with Pyongyang. Last month, Japan's Kyodo News reported that the Tokyo government is considering blacklisting companies based in China and other countries found to have deals with the North, and employ workers from the reclusive country. (Yonhap) Local governments and private nonprofit agencies that sustained damage during the Sept. 21-22 flooding in Western Wisconsin are encouraged to attend briefings this week to learn about applying for federal disaster assistance. Gov. Scott Walker recently announced that 10 Wisconsin counties were approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for disaster assistance to help with costs associated with debris removal, emergency protective measures and damage to public infrastructure such as roads and bridges. The counties in the declaration are Adams, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland and Vernon. Two teams of specialists from Wisconsin Emergency Management and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will explain how state and local agencies and certain private non-profit groups can apply for federal Public Assistance to help recover from flooding. Under the cost-share program, FEMA funds 75 percent of the cost for eligible work and 25 percent is shared equally between state and local applicants. The program is not for businesses or homeowners as the level of damage in these areas does not currently meet requirements for FEMA assistance. Applicant briefings will be held at the Jackson County Courthouse in Black River Falls in the county board room this Thursday from 8-9:30 a.m. Monroe Countys is scheduled for Thursday from 12:30-2 p.m. at room 500 of the Justice Center in Sparta.If a local government or private nonprofit organization cannot attend the briefings, they should contact their county emergency management director. WEST SALEM Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the Sept. 16 death of a West Salem woman. Todd Kendhammer told authorities he was driving north on Hwy. M in the town of Hamilton between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. Sept. 16 when a pipe that fell from a passing truck impaled the passenger side of his windshield, striking his wife, Barbara Kendhammer, according to the La Crosse County Sheriffs Department. Authorities found the couples damaged Toyota Camry on nearby Bergum Coulee Road, a dead-end road seven miles from the couples home at N6617 E. Scotch Coulee Road. Todd Kendhammer, who was not injured, had removed the pipe from the windshield and his wife was unresponsive, sheriffs Capt. John Zimmerman said Tuesday. Barbara Kendhammer died the next day at Gundersen Health System. She was 46. Authorities declined to discuss autopsy results. The Wisconsin State Patrol Technical Reconstruction Unit, state Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation and sheriffs department on Friday returned to the crash site on Hwy. M just south of Bergum Coulee Road to recreate the crash as described by Kendhammer. They let a 53-inch metal pipe weighing 10.5 pounds an exact replica of the one recovered after the incident roll off an incline constructed in the bed of a pickup truck driving at 40 mph and 50 mph. Multiple cameras recorded the fall of the pipe and where it struck the pavement. A report from the reconstruction unit could take months. Attorney Alexander Kammer, who is representing Barbara Kendhammers estate, said Todd Kendhammer is pursuing an uninsured motorist claim against the driver of the truck. Kendhammer also has retained a Madison defense attorney, Kammer said. That attorney did not return phone calls Tuesday. The fourth annual Global Initiatives Week beginning Friday aims to stretch beyond demonstrating the size of the Coulee Regions international footprint to inspire thoughts and actions based on peoples worldwide connections. We hope it catches peoples attention to live life differently, said Liz Arnold, administrative director of Global Partners at Gundersen Health System. She also heads Global Initiatives Week from Friday through Nov. 11. For example, participants can sign up for daily emails that include challenges challenges du jour, to put the endeavor in international terms to make them more aware of conditions elsewhere in the world. One will encourage people to ponder their feet and their shoes, Arnold said. Participants will learn about how Global Partners works with a mercy project in Ethiopia in which partners wash the feet of children, looking for parasites, she said. At the same time, they are measuring the childrens feet to fit them with free pairs of Toms Shoes, a U.S. company noted for donating a pair of its shoes for each pair bought. Toms Shoes has a factory in Ethiopia, so it also is helping local people that way, too, Arnold said. They are partners in really neat ways. We take for granted that we have shoes, and we dont have to walk 45 minutes to get to school. Similarly, the film Connected by Coffee will be screened at 7 p.m. Monday in Room 196 of the Viterbo University Nursing Center and at noon Wednesday on the lower level of Gundersens La Crosse clinic. Its an awareness about something that many of us drink, she said. It shows where coffee is grown, and we talk about what Global Partners is doing in Nicaragua, where coffee is growing. The film, which Gundersen and Viterbo are co-sponsoring, is intended to reflect the lives of the growers and prompt people to discuss their interconnectedness with producers as they have their cups of joe, Arnold said. Local actions are related to global ones, she said. The week will begin with a free Global Celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Myrick Park Center at 2000 La Crosse St. The event will include free appetizers provided by more than 10 local restaurants with international flavors, sponsored in part with a grant from the La Crosse Community Foundations Global Awareness Fund. That event also will feature a multi-lingual childrens story time, cultural celebration with music and dance and information about the Coulee Regions global connections. An International family dance night titled A Night in Nicaragua will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Northwoods Elementary School at N2541 Sablewood Road in La Crosse, including food for purchase. Attendees dont even need to know how to dance, as a Northwoods teacher will provide instruction, Arnold said. Other activities among more than 30 events during the week will include the Lunch Around the World and Latin Jazz Performance from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, a display of the Norwegian art of rosemaling from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Gundersen Legacy Buildings lobby and Hmong Motherhood: Cultural Influences on Parenting Styles from 2:15 to 3:40 p.m. in the Hall of Nations in Centennial Hall at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The number of businesses involved has grown since its inception, Arnold said. Ten local restaurants and businesses, listed with other events and lists of participants at the Global Initiatives Week website, are offering discounts to patrons who mention Global Initiatives Week. Participants can sign up for daily emails that include challenges challenges du jour, to put the endeavor in international terms to make them more aware of conditions elsewhere in the world. While Wisconsin was beginning to feel like a state back in play, Russ Feingold continued the listening tour Monday including a walk through Dairyland Power Cooperative on La Crosses far South Side. You cant represent the people by just spouting off your own beliefs, Feingold said after touring the facility with Brian Rude, the co-ops vice president for external and member relations. Feingold cited Wisconsins cooperative tradition, both in agriculture and utilities, as a key component of the states economy. The co-op tradition is one of the most important things for the business climate in this state and to make sure that rural people have the same kind of opportunities that people in the cities have, Feingold said. He also bemoaned the high cost of a University of Wisconsin System education. Johnsons post-secondary education emphasis has been on technical college training and other programs to prepare workers for good-paying skilled trades. Feingold suggested a combination of stronger state support and federal block grants to the states to make four-year colleges affordable. Now its about $11,000 a year for in-state tuition at a place like Madison, and similar or maybe a little bit less here at UW-La Crosse. We have to change that, said Feingold, recalling when UW System tuition was measured in the hundreds of dollars. Feingold called the timing of FBI Director James Comeys October surprise the announcement last week that the FBI has newly discovered emails that may be relevant to the investigation of Hillary Clintons use of a private email server when she was secretary of state strange. Its all about transparency. Secretary Clinton has admitted that she made a mistake in this general area and is asking for transparency. Ive always respected FBI Director Comey. I hope he recognizes how important it is that this information comes out as fast as possible because absolutely nobody knows whats in it, Feingold said. After the tour and subsequent press conference, Feingold indulged briefly in a bit of nostalgia, recalling the collegiality he enjoyed with Rude and others in the state Senate. Feingold was in the Wisconsin Senate for 10 years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, the first of three terms. Rude represented the 32nd District as a Republican from 1984 to 2000. Rude was the best-liked legislator in Madison, Feingold said. No one disliked Brian Rude, Feingold said before gently needling himself by observing no one would have said the same about him. In a recent public letter, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers writes that based on the forthcoming state report cards, no school districts will be categorized as failing to meet expectations this coming school year. In other words, Milwaukee Public Schools described by President Obamas former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as a national disgrace will be bumped up from its much-discussed status as a failing school district. The goalposts have essentially been moved for schools that are not adequately serving their students. Ive written about Milwaukee Public Schools issues on more than one occasion, but thousands of kids in Milwaukee are trapped in schools that perennially underserve them. No contrived label by a bureaucracy can or will change that. But in the curious case of the state report cards, Milwaukee wont be the only district affected, and its not the only district that should heed the call to action demanded by other newly available information from the University of Wisconsin System. The new accountability ratings take year-over-year growth into account more heavily. If a student isnt quite performing at a proficient level but has made considerable progress, and if the overall percentage of economically disadvantaged students in the school is high, that portion of the score is more heavily weighted and thus more likely to increase. This is likely to affect school districts throughout the state in various ways. Take the La Crosse School District. Nearly 50 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, according to figures from the Department of Public Instruction. This means, under the system, the districts performance will look better if its year-over-year progress is good. So should the states report cards be considered a good benchmark for how well a school is performing? Well have to see how their designations stack up to what we already know. What do we know? Well, in La Crosse, 31.4 percent of students achieved English and math proficiency on the Forward Exam, administered in spring 2016 to third- through eighth-graders. Students in Holmen, Onalaska, and West Salem schools achieved proficiency in those subjects at a rate ranging from 10 to 15 percent higher than La Crosse. Other information the MacIver Institute has analyzed provides new insight into the performance of La Crosse area schools college readiness, as measured by newly available information on the number of graduates from each district who require remedial coursework at UW campuses. Fourteen percent of Logan High School graduates and 24 percent of Tomah graduates attending a UW campus required remedial math education, according to the UW System Remedial Course Report. La Crosse and Tomah are the only area districts to appear on the report. That report, released by the UW System in September, reveals that 175 public high schools in Wisconsin sent more than six graduates needing remedial education to the UW System. In 160 schools, more than 10 percent of the graduating class of 2015 required remedial education upon going to system schools. That the state Department of Public Instruction is measuring students progress and considering economic factors is to be applauded. However, there are many ways to measure how well a school or district is performing. No measure is perfect, but proficiency rates, graduation rates, and the percent of graduates who need extra help at a UW school work together to make pretty good indicator. By those accounts, local districts shouldnt rest on their laurels. They should instead embark on a tough regimen of improvement. Democrat Russ Feingold, facing a late crush of campaign spending by outside groups in his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, said Tuesday that it shows "outside corporate interests" are scrambling to salvage Johnson's candidacy. Feingold's remarks came at a campaign event Tuesday at UW-Madison. Feingold, of Middleton, also declined to criticize FBI Director James Comey, as many other Democrats have done, for telling Congress on Friday that the bureau is reviewing newly discovered emails that may be relevant to its prior investigation into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server when she was U.S. secretary of state. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a fellow Wisconsin Democrat who joined Feingold at the event, said Comey "made an error in judgment" by releasing the information so close to Election Day. Polls had consistently shown Feingold solidly leading the incumbent Johnson, R-Oshkosh, who defeated him six years ago. But some recent polls have shown a tighter race; a Marquette Law School Poll released Oct. 12 showed Feingold leading Johnson 46 percent to 44 percent among likely voters. In the last week, outside groups have rolled out millions in ad buys in the race, which some see as a further sign that those groups believe Feingold's lead, long viewed by many as secure, is now in jeopardy. Feingold said at a news conference Tuesday that "what you're seeing is the corporate powers in this country quickly coming into Wisconsin to try to save Sen. Johnson." "What's really happening here is the exploitation of this corrupt system that Sen. Johnson loves," Feingold said. "He has benefited far more than I have some three times from these outside groups." Feingold also said he welcomes the perception that his race with Johnson is tightly contested, suggesting it could motivate his supporters. "I want people to think it's really close. I want people to work like we're down by a couple points," Feingold said. Johnson's campaign said the flurry of late activity shows Johnson has the wind at his back. "With seven days remaining, Ron clearly has the momentum as he visits every corner of the state to ask Wisconsinites for their support," Johnson spokesman Brian Reisinger said in a statement. While groups on both sides have recently announced ad buys in the race, the bulk of outside spending is working to Johnson's benefit. The latest expenditures in the race came from Americans for Prosperity, backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, and Reform Wisconsin Fund, a super PAC funded by a group bankrolled almost entirely by Afton billionaire Diane Hendricks. Reform Wisconsin Fund announced a $628,000 ad buy Tuesday that blasts Feingold for supporting President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. Wisconsin's chapter of Americans for Prosperity announced it was launching a nearly $1 million television ad buy to aid Johnson. Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee run by allies of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, announced Monday it is running $2 million in broadcast and cable ads in at least five Wisconsin markets touting Johnson. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also announced a six-figure ad buy Friday blasting Feingold for supporting Obama's health care law. On the Democratic side, the Senate Majority PAC on Friday announced a surprise late $2 million ad buy in Wisconsin to help put Feingold over the top. Feingold declined Tuesday to go after Comey for his letter to Congress, which said "the FBI cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant" and that it's unclear how long the review of the emails will take. Despite the letter's lack of clarity, it rocked the presidential election and gave a lifeline to Republican Donald Trump, who consistently has trailed Clinton in polls. "Obviously it's incumbent on the FBI to provide as much information as they can because of the potential effect this could have on the presidential election," Feingold said Tuesday. Democrats and some Republicans, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Alberto Gonzales, U.S. attorney general under former President George W. Bush, have criticized Comey's actions. Baldwin, D-Madison, said Comey sent out "a vague letter saying basically he didn't know what he was looking at." "He's receiving a great amount of scrutiny right now," Baldwin said. "I believe he's a man of integrity, but I think he misjudged this one." Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey made an "error in judgment" by sending a letter to members of Congress telling them the FBI is looking at emails that could be related to an investigation into Hillary Clinton's private server, Sen. Tammy Baldwin said Tuesday. Comey sent the letter on Friday, 11 days before the presidential election in which Clinton will face Donald Trump on the ballot. "He is receiving a great amount of scrutiny right now," Baldwin, a Democrat from Madison, told reporters at a coffee shop on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. "I believe hes a man of integrity, but I do think he misjudged this one." Baldwin and Democratic former Sen. Russ Feingold spoke to reporters after encouraging UW-Madison students to vote early. Feingold was less direct in his reaction to Comey's letter. "Look, Im for transparency here. Secretary Clinton is for transparency here," Feingold said. "Obviously its incumbent on the FBI to provide as much information as they can because of the potential impact this can have on the presidential election." Baldwin's criticism centered on the vagueness of Comey's letter and the timing of its release. Those points have been repeated by the Clinton campaign and its surrogates. Comey, in his letter to Congress, said the FBI "cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant." However, he said, because of his public statements in July indicating the investigation into Clinton's server was completed, he felt it was important to update lawmakers. The emails were reportedly found in an unrelated sexting investigation of Anthony Weiner, a former congressman and the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Trump has praised Comey on the campaign trail, referring to finding the emails as "hit(ting) the mother lode." Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, whom Feingold is challenging, has asked Comey to "provide as much information as possible about these new developments without harming the integrity of (the FBI's) ongoing investigation." The Westby-Christiana Fire Department won a grain bin rescue tube and hands-on rescue training as part of Nationwides 2016 Nominate Your Fire Department Contest held in conjunction with Grain Bin Safety Week held annually in February. Grain Bin Safety Week is an annual observance that occurs the third full week of February to promote grain bin safety on farms and commercial grain handling facilities. A highlight of Grain Bin Safety Week is the contest, which runs from Jan. 1 to May 31, and awards grain rescue tubes and training to first responders across the country. Westby fireman Eric Nottestad applied for the grain rescue tube grant on behalf of the Westby-Christiana Fire Department. The annual contest encourages nominations of first responders whose communities would benefit from winning a tube and training. It asks departments to describe how they would share the tube and training information with nearby fire departments. This years contest generated a record 641 nominations and will provide tubes and training to 19 fire departments across 14 states another record. For the third straight year, Nationwide is bringing awareness to preventable grain bin entrapments and deaths through Grain Bin Safety Week, said Nationwide Agribusiness President Brad Liggett. Grain bin accidents can tragically impact individuals, families and entire communities. Accident prevention means everyone working together and Grain Bin Safety Week provides a forum for the agricultural community to help keep people safe. Westby-Christiana Fire Department Chief Gilbert Turben said winning the grain rescue tube was a win-win for the department which is located in the heart of rural America and an area blessed with many varieties of grain holding and production facilities. He said the training they received on Oct. 5 was very informative and provided his department with information completely new to them. Having equipment like this might make the difference between a rescue or a recovery in the event of a grain related accident, Turben said. Gov. Scott Walker announced today that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) approved his request for federal low-interest disaster loans for individuals and businesses affected by flash flooding in September. The SBA declared Vernon County, along with the contiguous counties of Crawford, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland and Sauk. In addition, Allamakee County in Iowa and Houston County in Minnesota were also listed. Were pleased the U.S. Small Business Administration will be able to assist homeowners and businesses that incurred damage from floods in September, Walker said. The low-interest loans will help them get back on their feet as they continue to recover from this natural disaster. Assistance in the form of low-interest loans of up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed homes. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property. Low-interest loans of up to $2 million are available to businesses for physical damage and economic loss from the flooding. Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and mudslides in western Wisconsin Sept. 21-22. Last week, the SBA completed initial damage assessments and reported more than 30 homes and businesses sustained significant damage and uninsured losses of over $3 million. To help assist disaster victims, the SBA will open a Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Viroqua, where individuals and businesses will be able to obtain information and loan applications. The center will open Friday, Nov. 4, at the Banta Building, 402 Courthouse Square, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Blog Archive Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (3) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (3) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (4) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (4) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (3) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (4) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (4) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (3) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (4) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (4) Sep 02 (3) Sep 01 (4) Aug 31 (4) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (4) Aug 27 (4) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (4) Aug 13 (3) 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(4) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (4) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (6) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (3) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (4) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (4) Jul 26 (6) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (6) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (6) Jul 15 (4) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (5) Jul 09 (4) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (4) Jul 06 (3) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (3) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (5) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (3) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (5) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (5) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (4) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (5) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (3) May 24 (6) May 23 (4) May 22 (5) May 21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (5) May 18 (6) May 17 (6) May 16 (4) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (4) May 10 (5) May 09 (2) May 08 (4) May 07 (4) May 06 (4) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (6) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (6) Apr 23 (6) Apr 22 (5) Apr 21 (6) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (4) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (7) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (8) Apr 13 (5) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (6) Apr 08 (6) Apr 07 (5) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (4) Apr 03 (6) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (7) Mar 30 (6) Mar 29 (8) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (6) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (5) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (8) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (6) Mar 20 (5) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (5) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (3) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (7) Feb 27 (6) Feb 26 (8) Feb 25 (5) Feb 24 (8) Feb 23 (7) Feb 22 (8) Feb 21 (7) Feb 20 (7) Feb 19 (7) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (6) Feb 15 (6) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (7) Feb 11 (6) Feb 10 (7) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (5) Feb 06 (5) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (5) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (4) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (7) Jan 21 (6) Jan 20 (6) Jan 19 (3) Jan 18 (6) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (7) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (7) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (7) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (7) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (5) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (4) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (6) Dec 31 (5) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (7) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (5) Dec 23 (5) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (4) Dec 17 (6) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (4) Dec 12 (5) Dec 11 (7) Dec 10 (4) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (5) Dec 07 (6) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (4) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (6) Dec 02 (4) Dec 01 (4) Nov 30 (6) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (4) Nov 27 (7) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (5) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (7) Nov 20 (5) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (5) Nov 17 (6) Nov 16 (7) Nov 15 (5) Nov 14 (5) Nov 13 (5) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (7) Nov 10 (6) Nov 09 (7) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (9) Nov 06 (7) Nov 05 (7) Nov 04 (7) Nov 03 (5) Nov 02 (6) Nov 01 (6) Oct 31 (7) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (7) Oct 28 (4) Oct 27 (7) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (3) Oct 24 (6) Oct 23 (10) Oct 22 (6) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (5) Oct 19 (5) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (6) Oct 16 (5) Oct 15 (6) Oct 14 (7) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (5) Oct 11 (5) Oct 10 (6) Oct 09 (8) Oct 08 (6) Oct 07 (5) Oct 06 (4) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (5) Sep 30 (6) Sep 29 (5) Sep 28 (5) Sep 27 (6) Sep 26 (7) Sep 25 (6) Sep 24 (6) Sep 23 (6) Sep 22 (7) Sep 21 (5) Sep 20 (8) Sep 19 (6) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (5) Sep 15 (5) Sep 14 (7) Sep 13 (5) Sep 12 (7) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (7) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (7) Sep 07 (6) Sep 06 (5) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (6) Sep 03 (7) Sep 02 (6) Sep 01 (6) Aug 31 (5) Aug 30 (5) Aug 29 (4) Aug 28 (5) Aug 27 (5) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (8) Aug 24 (5) Aug 23 (6) Aug 22 (7) Aug 21 (7) Aug 20 (6) Aug 19 (7) Aug 18 (5) Aug 17 (4) Aug 16 (6) Aug 15 (6) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (7) Aug 12 (6) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (6) Aug 09 (6) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (4) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (6) Aug 03 (6) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (5) Jul 31 (7) Jul 30 (7) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (7) Jul 27 (6) Jul 26 (4) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (4) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (5) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (5) Jul 12 (6) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (7) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (6) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (5) Jul 02 (4) Jul 01 (4) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (5) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (3) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (3) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (3) Jun 18 (4) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (4) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (7) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (5) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (6) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (6) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (5) May 29 (5) May 28 (5) May 27 (8) May 26 (7) May 25 (7) May 24 (5) May 23 (2) May 22 (5) May 21 (4) May 20 (5) May 19 (5) May 18 (5) May 17 (5) May 16 (7) May 15 (7) May 14 (7) May 13 (5) May 12 (6) May 11 (8) May 10 (4) May 09 (6) May 08 (10) May 07 (8) May 06 (5) May 05 (6) May 04 (7) May 03 (7) May 02 (8) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (6) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (9) Apr 27 (6) Apr 26 (5) Apr 25 (8) Apr 24 (7) Apr 23 (8) Apr 22 (6) Apr 21 (5) Apr 20 (10) Apr 19 (7) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (8) Apr 16 (5) Apr 15 (6) Apr 14 (9) Apr 13 (11) Apr 12 (8) Apr 11 (5) Apr 10 (10) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (5) Apr 07 (9) Apr 06 (10) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (7) Apr 02 (6) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (1) Mar 28 (5) Mar 27 (7) Mar 26 (8) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (8) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (7) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (8) Mar 17 (8) Mar 16 (3) Mar 15 (6) Mar 14 (9) Mar 13 (6) Mar 12 (6) Mar 11 (7) Mar 10 (6) Mar 09 (8) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (9) Mar 04 (7) Mar 03 (6) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (7) Feb 28 (8) Feb 27 (7) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (9) Feb 24 (6) Feb 23 (6) Feb 22 (7) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (5) Feb 18 (5) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (5) Feb 14 (8) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (6) Feb 09 (7) Feb 08 (6) Feb 07 (6) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (5) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (10) Feb 02 (9) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (8) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (9) Jan 28 (6) Jan 27 (5) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (7) Jan 24 (6) Jan 23 (6) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (7) Jan 20 (8) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (5) Jan 16 (5) Jan 15 (5) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (6) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (5) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (5) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (5) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (3) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (4) Dec 27 (4) Dec 26 (5) Dec 25 (6) Dec 24 (7) Dec 23 (7) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (5) Dec 20 (6) Dec 19 (10) Dec 18 (9) Dec 17 (10) Dec 16 (8) Dec 15 (4) Dec 14 (6) Dec 13 (10) Dec 12 (6) Dec 11 (5) Dec 10 (6) Dec 09 (5) Dec 08 (8) Dec 07 (5) Dec 06 (6) Dec 05 (6) Dec 04 (7) Dec 03 (7) Dec 02 (6) Dec 01 (9) Nov 30 (5) Nov 29 (9) Nov 28 (7) Nov 27 (6) Nov 26 (7) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (4) Nov 22 (7) Nov 21 (7) 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28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (4) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (5) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (5) Aug 12 (10) Aug 11 (5) Aug 10 (4) Aug 09 (5) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (5) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (5) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (5) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (3) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (5) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (5) Jul 23 (5) Jul 22 (7) Jul 21 (5) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (5) Jul 18 (6) Jul 17 (5) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (6) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (3) Jul 12 (2) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (3) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (8) Jun 30 (6) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (6) Jun 27 (6) Jun 26 (6) Jun 25 (6) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (4) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (5) Jun 18 (8) Jun 17 (6) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (5) Jun 13 (4) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (6) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (5) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (3) Jun 02 (3) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (2) 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(3) Mar 26 (4) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (4) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (2) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (4) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (5) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (5) Feb 26 (6) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (6) Feb 19 (4) Feb 18 (4) Feb 17 (2) Feb 16 (4) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (4) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (4) Feb 11 (3) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (2) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (3) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (3) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (3) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (4) Jan 18 (3) Jan 17 (3) Jan 16 (2) Jan 15 (2) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (2) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (3) Jan 10 (2) Jan 09 (4) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (2) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (3) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (1) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (2) Dec 29 (2) Dec 28 (2) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 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(1) Sep 23 (2) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (1) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (2) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 14 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (3) Sep 11 (1) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (2) Sep 08 (2) Sep 07 (1) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (2) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (2) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (2) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (4) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (2) Aug 14 (1) Aug 13 (1) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (2) Aug 07 (1) Aug 06 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Aug 03 (2) Aug 01 (1) Jul 31 (2) Jul 30 (1) Jul 29 (4) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (1) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (2) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (1) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (2) Jul 16 (3) Jul 15 (1) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (1) Jul 11 (2) Jul 09 (5) Jul 08 (1) Jul 07 (1) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (1) Jul 03 (2) Jul 01 (1) Jun 30 (1) Jun 29 (2) Jun 28 (2) Jun 27 (2) Jun 25 (2) Jun 24 (1) Jun 23 (2) Jun 22 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 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(2) Dec 15 (1) Dec 13 (1) Dec 11 (1) Nov 30 (1) Nov 27 (1) Nov 20 (1) Nov 11 (1) Nov 10 (1) Oct 23 (1) Oct 20 (1) Oct 01 (1) Sep 30 (1) Sep 29 (1) Sep 24 (2) Sep 15 (1) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 02 (2) Aug 31 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (2) Aug 24 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (1) Aug 18 (3) Aug 16 (1) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 11 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 03 (1) Jul 27 (1) Jul 26 (1) Jul 24 (1) Jul 22 (1) Jul 21 (1) Jul 19 (1) Jul 15 (1) Jul 14 (1) Jul 13 (3) Jul 10 (1) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (1) Jul 06 (1) Jul 03 (1) Jul 01 (1) Jun 28 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 20 (1) Jun 19 (1) Jun 18 (1) Jun 15 (1) Jun 14 (2) Jun 11 (1) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (1) Jun 07 (1) Jun 06 (1) Jun 04 (2) Jun 03 (1) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (1) May 31 (3) May 30 (1) May 29 (1) May 28 (2) May 26 (1) May 25 (1) May 18 (1) May 17 (1) May 15 (1) May 09 (1) May 07 (2) May 02 (1) May 01 (1) Apr 30 (1) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (2) Apr 23 (1) Apr 22 (1) Apr 19 (1) Apr 18 (1) Apr 12 (1) Apr 11 (1) Apr 09 (1) Apr 07 (1) Apr 05 (1) Apr 01 (1) Mar 30 (1) Mar 27 (1) Mar 25 (1) Mar 22 (2) Mar 19 (1) Mar 18 (1) Mar 16 (1) Mar 15 (2) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (1) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (1) World oil prices have risen a little after two years of weaker demand for oil and lower prices. During that time, a number of developments have affected the balance between oil supplies and demand. One is unrest in some oil-producing countries. Another is the expanded use of technology for collecting oil from deep underground. In addition, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has been working on a deal to reduce oil production. OPECs members have been trying to limit production to ease oversupply. Will oil prices rise? Perhaps the easiest way for Americans to experience the effects of oil prices is through gasoline. American drivers have paid less for fuel as oil supplies have increased and prices have dropped. In the United States, oil production has increased sharply in recent years. One reason is new technology, such as hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. It has helped drilling services recover more oil and natural gas from the Earth. In fracking, liquid is forced into the ground under high pressure. The force can break up rock under the Earths surface, releasing oil and gas. Hannah Breul is with the U.S. Energy Information Administration. She thinks oil prices will rise as supplies, or inventories of unsold oil, start to decrease. Global supply has far exceeded global consumption, so we have seen massive inventory builds and we have seen lower prices as a result. Once the supply and consumption come back into alignment, and the inventories level off, and can start to be drawn down, that will be a market signal to increase production. Low oil prices hurt companies that use fracking, making their operations too costly and less profitable. Rising prices, says Breul, make it more cost-effective for oil producers to keep shale wells operating. She says demand for oil is expected to rise over a long period of time. Other things can influence oil prices. Members of OPEC and some major non-OPEC producers, like Russia, appear to have agreed on a deal to limit production. Russias Energy Minister, Alexander Novak, says the two sides are trying to make joint agreements. Reports of a deal helped push oil prices above $50 a barrel temporarily. Prices had fallen to less than $40 last year. As a cartel, OPECs members seek to fix prices so they can increase profits. One way they do this is with limits on oil production. The group is expected to meet in late November to finalize details of a production agreement. Several members, including Iraq, have asked for permission to be exempt from cuts. About two-thirds of electricity in the United States comes from coal and natural gas. The U.S Energy Information Administration says oil has little direct effect on the cost of energy. It says that only one percent of the countrys electricity comes from oil. The cost of producing renewable energy has continued to fall. The International Energy Agency says renewable has become the worlds largest new source of energy. The cost of producing energy from sources like the sun and wind is also decreasing. Im Mario Ritter. Jim Randle reported this story for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Tell us about energy prices where you live. Send us your thoughts in the comment section below. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story consumption n. the use of something inventory n. an unsold supply of a product that are stored in a place cost-effective adj. providing a good result at a relatively low cost shale wells n. wells that recover oil from shale, a kind of rock that is easily broken alignment n. being in line with, matching or being in balance with something else renewable energy n. energy produced from a source that cannot run out, such as the sun, wind or water Twenty-five percent of married adults in the United States have different religious beliefs than their husband or wife. That could be a Christian mother and a Jewish father, or a very religious mother and a father who is not religious. This information comes from the Pew Research Center, an independent research group in Washington, D.C. The center based its findings on a 2014 opinion survey of 35,000 Americans. Mother Knows Best Children raised in homes with parents of different religious beliefs were most influenced by their mothers, Pew found. Forty-eight percent raised in mixed religion homes identified with their mothers religion, the center reported. Only 28 percent identified with their fathers religion. Nearly one in four people from a mixed religious home did not identify with either of their parents religious beliefs. How Important is Shared Religious Beliefs? People surveyed by Pew were asked about how important it was to them to share the same religious beliefs with their spouse. Forty-four percent said sharing the same religious beliefs is very important to a successful marriage. But that is not as high as the percentages of Americans who found other reasons important, Pew said. A bigger percentage, over 60 percent, found shared interests, a satisfying sexual relationship and sharing household duties as very important to a successful marriage. Forty-six percent said having enough money is very important to a successful marriage. That was higher than the percentage who identified shared religious beliefs as very important. Sixty-two percent of people married to someone of the same religion said this was a very or somewhat important to their decision to marry that person. Eighty-four percent of people who do not identify with a religion said the religious beliefs of their spouse were not important in their decision to marry. The center said the number of Americans raised in homes with people who do not share the same religious beliefs is growing. Pew reported that 39 percent of people who have been married since 2010 have a spouse with different religious beliefs. Only 19 percent of those who married before 1960 were married to a person of a different religion, Pew said. The religious make-up of Americans is also changing, according to Pew. Christianity is still the major religion in the United States. Over 70 percent of people surveyed by Pew described themselves as Christian in 2014. But that is down from 78.4 percent in 2007. About 1.9 percent of Americans describe themselves as Jewish, up from 1.7 percent in 2007. Muslims make up 0.9 percent of the population, up from 0.4 percent in 2007, Pew said. Nearly 22.8 percent of Americans said in 2014 that they are not connected to any religion, up from 16.1 percent in 2007. These can be people who do not believe in organized religion, or those who believe in the idea of a God, but not in any one religion. Im Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Would you marry someone who has different religious beliefs than you do? Why or why not? ____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story spouse - n. someone who is married -- a husband or wife raise - v. to bring up or rear a child survey - v. an activity in which many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to gather information about what most people do or think about something A self-driving truck has completed a delivery of goods for a company for the first time. The truck recently transported a full load of Budweiser beer in the western state of Colorado. The vehicle drove without the assistance of a driver for most of the 190-kilometer trip without problems. Otto, a company owned by the ride-sharing business Uber, operated the driverless truck. High-tech beer run The truck carried about 50,000 cans of beer from the city of Fort Collins to Colorado Springs. During that time, the vehicle kept an average speed of about 89 kilometers per hour during the two-hour trip, Otto said. The delivery was the worlds first successful shipment by a self-driving truck, according to Otto and Budweisers owner, Anheuser-Busch. The company said a trained driver was inside the truck for the entire trip. But he only sat in front and drove the truck as it was entering and leaving the interstate highway. The rest of the time, he sat in a part of the truck used for relaxing and sleeping. Not for city driving Ottos autonomous technology is designed for use only on highways. These wide roads do not have traffic stops or people crossing the road. The technology, including parts and software, can be added to existing trucks for about $30,000. Ottos co-founder is Anthony Levandowski, a former self-driving car engineer for Google. He said he thinks the most important thing computers will do over the next ten years is drive cars and trucks for people. He added that his company is very concerned about safety. He said people should not be afraid to share the roads with Ottos driverless trucks. Its like a train on software rails, he explains. When you see a vehicle driving with nobody in it, you will know that its very unlikely to get into a collision. Anheuser-Busch said the driverless delivery showed how the technology is becoming the next great innovation in transportation. The company plans to use self-driving trucks to help move more than 1.2 million beer loads each year. But the company says it will still need people in the driverless future. Humans will be used to do limited driving, oversee the loading process and manage trips. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story delivery n. act of transporting something to a person or place interstate highway n. a main road without stops that connects towns and cities across multiple states relax v. spend time resting or doing something enjoyable autonomous adj. independent, existing separately from other things collision n. when two vehicles hit each other in a crash innovation n. a new idea, device, or method LEXINGTON,Neb. - Republican Congressman Adrian Smith visited Lexington's Dawson County Historical Museum Wednesday, Oct. 26. Smith, who represents Nebraska's third congressional district in Washington, visited the museum to visit with constituents and pay his respects to the late Bill Barrett, a former Republican congressman and Lexington native who died earlier this year. An exhibit dedicated to Barrett is currently on display in the main gallery of the museum. "When I heard Mr. Barrett passed away, I gave a brief speech on the floor (of the U.S. House of Representatives) to honor him. I have several colleagues who served with him. I approached colleagues to (have them) sign a little tribute. It made me feel good," Smith said. Governing in times of division and disagreements was nothing new in the history of the country, he said. "Our country was founded on disagreements. The marble steps outside the house chamber are very worn. It's a reminder to me, of the folks who served before, they allowed us to participate in this republic," Smith said. He said he was hopeful important things could get done in Congress, such as simplifying the tax code. Smith said he believes a growing economy can do a lot more to increase government revenue then imposing politically motivated taxes on tax payers. One promising proposal being talked about in Washington D.C. would allow about 95 percent of tax filers to file their taxes in a simplified manner on a postcard sized card. Smith said he was a supporter of tax reform that has a budget neutral approach, meaning it does not give away too much to taxpayers and corporations but is not a money grab that imposes higher taxes. A strong critic against the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, Smith said he has heard from constituents that have lost their health insurance plan multiple times. These occurrences are due to plans no longer being available by private insurers or a policy through the marketplace no longer being offered because a Co-Op provided collapses, he noted. "Growing the rolls (of those) on Medicaid is not a long-term solution unless you want single-payer," Smith said. Asked about his position on the Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement, known as TPP, Smith said he was a supporter of increased trade and trade agreements. "We need trade. Reasonable people can say increasing exports is the way to go. We need to develop commercial relationships around the world," he said. When a constituent brought up the Davis-Bacon Act, Smith said the act stands in the way of competitive bidding on public works projects. The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors to pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the contract no less than the local prevailing wages and fringe benefits for corresponding work on projects funded federally or with a certain amount of federal funding, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Smith said record levels of funding and funding increases to the Department of Veterans Affairs, known as the VA, has failed to help address shortfalls in timely care to veterans. He said things only seem to "get worse" with the VA regardless of more funding. "We owe our veterans better than that," he said. The health insurance plans provided by the ACA's Marketplace have not been very helpful since many have high deductibles, up to $6,000 or more, said Leslie Marsh, chief executive officer of Lexington Regional Health Center, who attended the event. "Because co-pay, premiums and deductibles are so high, people are saying forget it I'll pay the fine," Smith said. On mental health, Smith noted that mental health issues have been at the root of major gun violence tragedies such as school shootings. On renewable energy, he said there is large public opposition to big wind farms that are highly subsidized. With just one week before Election Day, Hillary Clinton is making a grueling, three-rally swing through Florida two along the critical I-4 corridor, and a third in South Florida. The Democratic presidential candidate took the stage in Dade City at about 3:50 p.m. Tuesday, her first stop of the day. During her opening remarks to the crowd at Pasco-Hernando State College East, Clinton reiterated the importance the Sunshine State will make in this election. "Florida can decide who our next president is, which will affect the nation and the world," Clinton said. "Honestly I believe this may be the most important election of our lifetimes," she continued. She quickly started on her resume, listing her identifying qualities over the past 30 years daughter, lawyer, wife, mother, first lady, senator, friend before turning the focus on her opponent, Donald Trump. "For my entire life, Ive been a woman," she said. "When I think about what we now know about Donald Trump, and what hes been doing for 30 years, he sure has spent a lot of time demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting women." Just seven days before voters choose the next president, she urged her supporters to get to the polls early. "I hope you will think about how you'll feel the day after the election, on Nov. 9," she said. Despite much of her speech focusing on Trump, she ended with a tone of optimism. "I want to be your partner, as well as your president," Clinton told the crowd. In Sanford, campaign urges early voting Early Tuesday afternoon, hundreds had already lined up around the Sanford Civic Center before the doors opened at 4 p.m. Clinton's campaign dubbed Sanford's rally a get-out-the-vote event. She's was set to speak across the street from one of several early voting centers in Seminole County: the public library in downtown Sanford. Campaign staffers urged attendees to vote if they haven't already It's unclear whether Clinton will address the investigation into her email server. In campaign stops Monday in Ohio, Clinton continued to question the timing of the new probe into the emails which comes just a week before the election and said the FBI has "no case." The Clinton campaign hopes the issue doesn't have too much of an effect in this crucial last week of the election, as some polls have showed a continued tightening of the race between Clinton and Trump. Linda Fogg, who traveled to Sanford from The Villages, is a lifelong Republican who says she is voting for Clinton. Is her vote more for Clinton or more of a vote against Trump? "I've come to learn more about her policies, and in some cases, her policies are better than Donald Trump's," Fogg said. "In some cases, we don't know, because he hasn't shared much about his policies. So I'm getting OK with voting for her. It's still primarily a vote to prevent him from becoming president." Fogg also said the renewed discussion around Clinton's emails has not changed her mind. She said the issue doesn't compare in her mind to the bad character of Trump. As of Tuesday morning, nearly 4 million Floridians had already voted, either by mail-in ballots or at an early-voting location. Clinton will cap off her Florida campaign swing in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday night. I-4 corridor visits by presidential candidates &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp; Meanwhile, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, planned to crisscross the state Tuesday. Bill Clinton was scheduled to speak in Florida City, Immokalee and St. Petersburg. His St. Peterburg event is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Thomas "Jet" Jackson Recreation Center at Wildwood Park on 28th Street South. LIVE UPDATES: Hillary Clinton in Dade City, Sanford By Jugal Mody I was sexually assaulted by my best friend, started an anonymous open letter published on 14 September 2016 on the Facebook community page of NALSAR National University of Law. It describes how a complex friendship with an intense and emotional past ended with the guy allegedly grabbing her, forcefully kissing her and then letting her go when she said No but continuing to masturbate in front of her. The author decided not to take direct action against her friend, which the college respected, but it did respond by having a series of workshops and conversations to foster discussion and sensitisation on campus. What has this got to do with Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the superstar-studded romantic hit made by Karan Johar, the man who taught Indian kids with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai in 1998 that you can fall in love more than once and with more than one person in a lifetime? (The same movie also taught us: you cant be friends with someone youre in love with.) Nothing and still everything, especially when it comes to male desire and male entitlement. ADHM is KJos Diwali gift filled with light and hope to all the nice guys who might have understood the concept of No means no, but then are also feeling threatened, under siege and unable to be themselves because women now have more freedom. They feel paralysed at the idea of rejection, despite their own niceness. According to the widely-accepted rituals of love stories and relationships in our society, if you follow the gamified and linear narrative of love and achieve a level of intimacy with a potential partner, you must get some. If you follow due process, you should get your due. However, it seems that in ADHMs brave new world, sex and the rejection of sexual overtures are no longer the carrot and the stick and people are allowed to feel an array of varyingly intense emotions for one another. The movie opens with Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) and Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) laying eyes on each other for the first time, feeling instant attraction and proceeding to making out. (That instant attraction felt by Alizeh is later described by her as a pyaar that gives her a healing sense of tranquility, and not toxic passion.) The make-out session ends badly because Ayan feels guilty for cheating on his girlfriend. Alizeh reveals that she too is dating some doctor her father has chosen for her. The two of them hang out and become close friends, seeking intimacy like courting was going out of style. Their respective relationships crash and they party in Paris to get over it. In this first act, KJo builds Ayan up as the beautiful male idiot" and deconstructs the masculinity of the chocolate boy by mocking how he feigns the intensity of his heartbreak. ADHM is set in a universe where people have grown up on a staple of Dharma-YRF-Barjatya romances. It treats these romances as scriptures and the Euro trip is shown as a kind of love pilgrimage. Ayan and Alizeh enact and mock the tropes of these films, warming our collective hearts with nostalgia. At the end of this Euro trip, when all of us expect Ayan and Alizeh to finally hook up, Johar delivers the coup de grace. He gives them alcohol, makes them share one blanket in the freezing cold, and the two friends only chat about how theyre each attracted to each other, but in different ways. Alizeh says she doesnt like who she becomes submissive, self-destructive and unhappy in the kind of relationship he wants. Ayan is disappointed, but hes alright with the intense friend-love Alizeh feels for him. With that move, ADHM shows you that you have to negotiate consent at every stage of closeness with another person. Putting yourself out there not only means asking your partner if you can take it to the next stage, but by expressing yourself honestly and then waiting for the partner to reciprocate. The Euro trip ends with Alizeh running into old flame DJ Ali (Fawad Khan), her first love with whom she had a passionately toxic romance. She dumps Ayan to return to Ali, which sets off a batch of crazies in Ayan who cant seem to understand this shiddat (intensity) and her choice for self-destruction. At her eventual wedding with Ali, Ayan numbs himself with alcohol and proceeds to have a full-scale, semi-public, mostly-private meltdown with Alizeh right before the ceremony. This is where we stop seeing Ayan as the grown-up, nice guy. He turns into an abusive man-baby. He tries to grab her and kiss her. She shoves him away and is reeling in shock and sadness. Ayan proceeds to throw a tantrum, starts hurting himself and makes her watch as she keeps screaming for him to stop. The altercation ends with Ayan leaving the wedding and blocking Alizeh from his life forever. What the NALSAR students male friend allegedly did (in a relationship that sounds as complex and as intense as Ayan and Alizehs in the open letter), and what Ayan does in this film, they may not be the exactly the same. But both need to be labeled abuse. Both men inflict trauma on their women friends. If you handle rejection with self-harm, if you force your rejecter to be the audience, thats still abuse. (Spoiler alert) This moment repeats itself between Ayan and Alizeh with various degrees of desperation. With each instance, Karan Johar shows men how they look and feel when they commit such acts of violence, and shows women refuse to take shit when men act like this. When Ayan is dating Saba (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) in the third act, she swiftly and ruthlessly calls off their relationship after seeing his refusal to move on from Alizeh. In the final act, where Alizeh is dying of cancer, Ayan and she have rekindled their relationship and hes now taking care of her. In a tender moment, he tries making out with her again. When she turns away, he throws a tantrum again. He shoves her, screams and breaks plates. This time, she reciprocates with anger herself, breaks things in turn and throws him out of her house. The KJo of 2016 (as opposed to 1998) believes, a boy and a girl can be friends and in love, but dont necessarily need to have a romantic relationship. In fraudulently simple strokes Karan Johar pushes the boundaries of the emotional world we inhabit by using three different words for the emotions of attraction felt by the characters pyaar, dosti and aashiqui, then adding shiddat (intensity) as the unit of measuring the emotions, and reciprocity to the mix. Unfortunately but not unexpectedly, the final act is when the movie gets a little lazy, a little populist. To peddle tragedy, the woman lead who KJo has crafted with so much love and detail is terminally ill and in the final stage of cancer. Why was it necessary to kill the girl to tell her story? Why wasnt Alizeh a trope beyond that of manic pixie dream girl, accessory to someone elses life and finally the dead/dying girl? Why wont Karan Johar make a story out of how Ayan and Alizeh live co-dependently with or without monogamous relationships and successful futures, forever? The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine New Delhi: Country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today reported a marginal decline in total sales in October at 1,33,793 units as against 1,34,209 units in October 2015. Its domestic sales stood at 1,23,764 units, up 2.2 percent from 1,21,063 units in October 2015, MSI said in a statement. "Market demand for Maruti Suzuki products remained strong during the month. Strong retail sales of Ciaz, S Cross and Ertiga, besides of course Brezza and Baleno, kept the momentum positive for us," MSI Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) R S Kalsi said. While month-on-month sales figures are impacted by very short-term factors like number of working days, availability, stock plan etc, the more accurate reflection of demand is that for the festive season (August to October), he added. "MSI sales have grown by about 14 percent compared to last year," Kalsi said. Sales of mini segment cars, including, Alto and WagonR, however, declined by 9.8 percent to 33,929 units as compared to 37,595 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement. The auto major said sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire and Baleno declined by 1.8 percent to 50,116 units in October this year as against 51,048 units last year. MSI said sales of its compact sedan Dzire Tour declined by 27.4 percent during the month under review at 2,481 units. Sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz rose by 8 percent to 6,360 units during the month. Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara, Ertiga, S-Cross and compact SUV Vitara Brezza surged over 90.9 percent to 18,008 units in October this year from 9,435 units in the corresponding month last year. Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- declined by 6.5 percent to 12,790 units in October this year as compared to 13,677 units in the same period of previous year. Exports during the month declined by 23.7 percent to 10,029 units as compared to 13,146 units in October last year, MSI said. New Delhi: Another day, another letter from Cyrus Mistry explaining his actions when he was the Chairman of Tata Sons. Mistry was removed as Chairman on 24 October, and since then he has been responding to so-called allegations from the Tatas, with respect to several momentous decisions taken under his four-year stint. This time, it is about the Tata groups bleeding telecom business, one where Japanese partner NTT DoCoMo finally upped the ante and began demanding its pound of flesh. And then dragged the Tatas to arbitration court in the UK and the US. The dispute involves $1.17 billion as potential payout by the Tatas, and dragging the group through a long and messy arbitration proceeding in the US when a similar case in the UK was decided in the Japanese partners favour. But one thing is not clear: Which specific allegation from his former employers is Mistry responding to while trying to clear his name in the NTT DoCoMo episode? Though reams of newsprint have been used in writing about the Mistry ouster saga and the possible reasons which lead to his sacking, there is no specific allegation from the Tata Group as yet about the NTT DoCoMo case. Hints and suggestions abound, but no one has really said a thing about Mistrys handling of the DoCoMo issue in black and white. To respond to perceived allegations in such detail only goes to show that Mistry is not going down without a fight. Or two. And that the entire saga of his sacking and alleged wrong decisions could well end up in courts, instead of there being any across-the-table discussion between Ratan Tata and Mistry. When asked for a response to Mistrys missive on the DoCoMo issue, a Tata Group spokesperson merely said Insinuations are being imagined. We will not comment as the matter is sub judice. One thing and one thing only lead to things deteriorating to such an extent in the telecom tale: massive losses in the telecom business, which preceded Mistrys arrival and continued into his tenure. According to this story accumulated losses of Tata Teleservices were at Rs 31,500 crore and the companys net worth was eroded completely in 2015-16. Its losses in FY16 was Rs 3,386 crore against Rs 3,846 crore loss in the previous year. Revenue for the period was down to Rs 10,708 crore in FY16 from Rs 10,965 crore reported the previous year. The company had debt of about Rs 30,300 crore as on March this year. Is it any wonder then that NTT DoCoMo wanted to call it quits? And wanted money in accordance with the agreement the two parties had signed at the time of entering a joint venture in 2009, where the Japanese company was mandated to get a fair value or half its stake acquisition price, whichever is higher? The government did not quite the see the matter in the same light though and the RBI refused permission for the Tatas to give DoCoMo the sum they sought as per the JV pact. In his explanatory letter today, Mistry says some important things: 1) Rejects insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values. 2) Talks of a number of discussions on the Docomo situation in the Tata Sons board and wanted Tatas to honour all commitments within the law. And also helpfully reminds the readers that the agreement with Docomo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group. 3) Says Tatas requested Docomo to join them in seeking the approval of the RBI but Docomo did not agree. And the Tatas went ahead and applied to the RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. The award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas. Tatas under Mistry did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission. 4) Docomo sought enforcement of the award in the Delhi High Court. In order to show their bonafides, Tatas deposited a sum in excess of Rs 8,000 crore in court. 5) Throughout the above process, Ratan Tata and N.A. Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mistry. They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (who also happened to be a trustee of the Dorabji Tata trust) and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel. 6) In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mistry acted on his own or contrary to Tata values or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous. According to this piece in Mint, in January 2014, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came out with new norms that specified that foreign companies can only exit investments at a valuation based on the return on equity. While neither Tata nor DoCoMo has specified what the sale price would be when RBI norms are applied, it is likely to be much lower than what DoCoMo had paid in 2009. According to a Bloomberg story, the CEO of NTT DoCoMo even now wants to keep a dialogue on with the Tatas. To solve this problem, we need the Indian governments action, said Kazuhiro Yoshizawa, Docomo chief executive officer, following a briefing held to discuss first-half earnings. Its important that we keep talking with Tata to reach some sort of basic agreement. Some media reports have suggested that right after sacking Mistry from chairmanship of Tata Sons, the Tatas have initiated a fresh dialogue with the Japanese to sort out the telecom mess. Perhaps this would be the best course of action. By Ethan Lou | NEW YORK NEW YORK Oil prices settled at one-month lows on Monday after dropping over 3 percent on doubts about OPEC's ability to implement its planned production cuts, with the market further weighed by expectations that the cartel had record output in October.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) approved a document on Monday outlining its long-term strategy, a sign its members are achieving consensus on managing production.But OPEC has achieved little otherwise. Representatives met on Friday in Vienna, and then again on Saturday with their counterparts from non-member producers. They did not reach any specific terms, and sources said Iran has been reluctant to even freeze output.A Reuters survey found on Monday OPEC's oil output likely hit a record high in October, rising to 33.82 million barrels per day.Brent's front-month contract LCOc1, which expires after Monday's session, was down $1.41, or 2.8 percent, at $48.30 a barrel. It hit a low of $47.98 during the day. The more active next-month Brent contracts were down $2.03, or 4 percent, at $48.65 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures CLc1 were trading down $1.84, or 3.8 percent, at $46.86 a barrel after falling to $46.71.The settlement for WTI was the lowest price since Sept. 29 and for Brent was the lowest since Sept. 30 "Investors in crude oil and energy stocks must be having a nightmare this Halloween," said Fawad Razaqzada, technical analyst at Forex.com. "The latest fruitless discussions from the OPEC and non-OPEC members have caused ... a technical development that could lead to further momentum-based selling pressure."Reservations over OPEC's output cut prompted analysts to leave their price outlooks broadly unchanged, a Reuters poll on Monday showed. Compounding the bearish sentiment was data from energy monitoring service Genscape, cited by traders, which showed a build of 585,217 barrels of crude at the storage hub and delivery point for WTI in Cushing, Oklahoma, in the week to Oct. 28. Oil prices have risen as much as 13 percent since OPEC announced on Sept. 27 a production cut to support prices after a slump that began in mid-2014. The cartel said how much each member should cut will be finalised at a Nov. 30 meeting.Non-member Russia had agreed to cooperate, but a draft federal budget showed it expects to increase its output by 0.7 percent next year and 0.9 percent in 2018. (Additional reporting by Libby George in LONDON and Aaron Sheldrick and Osamu Tsukimori in TOKYO; Editing by Alan Crosby and Meredith Mazzilli) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. NEW DELHI The U.S. embassy in New Delhi issued a security message to American citizens in India on Tuesday to be vigilant following reports that Islamic State may be planning to attack targets there."Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL's desire to attack targets in India," the advisory said, warning of an increased threat to places frequented by Westerners such as religious sites, markets and festival venues.ISIL is an acronym for the jihadist organisation, which has seized territory in Iraq and Syria. "All U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness," the advisory said. Officials from the National Investigation Agency, India's counter-terrorism unit, has been quoted as saying that an Indian man arrested last month in Tamil Nadu and charged with terrorism offences had been an active member of Islamic State in Iraq. (Reporting by Douglas Busvine; Editing by Gareth Jones) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. After the Supreme Court criticised the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for its lackadaisical attitude to the appointment of judges, the Centre on Monday cleared the appointment of ten judges for the high courts of Gauhati and Delhi. According to The Times of India, the government has sent the names to President Pranab Mukherjee for his assent now. The report further said that the five appointments for the Delhi High Court are from the judicial service and the five for Gauhati High Court are both from the bar and state judicial service. The government is also considering recommendations for 35 judges in the Allahabad High Court. The apex court had on Friday accused the government of "trying to starve out the cause of justice by not appointing judges". "You cannot bring the entire institution (of judiciary) to a grinding halt," the Supreme Court had told the government while expressing anguish over the delay in appointment of judges in high courts, despite recommendations made by the collegium in this regard. "Courts rooms are locked down. Do you want to lock down the judiciary?" a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had said. The ANI had reported that "the apex court is particularly peeved at the pendency of 35 appointments it had cleared for the Allahabad High Court the first batch of eight on 28 January and the second for appointment of 27 judges in August both are yet to be notified. The Allahabad High Court is functioning with less than 50 percent of its strength with just 77 judges against the approved strength of 160." The court pointed a similar situation in Karnataka High Court, where several court rooms were locked because there were no judges, PTI had said. The apex court was hearing two public interest litigation cases that sought filling up of judicial vacancies in various courts across India. According to CNN-News18, the collegium has named four Supreme Court and 52 high court judges since January, but the central government has been sitting on the proposal. Earlier, the Centre had on 14 September told the apex court that there was "no blame game" or "logjam" in appointments and transfer of judges for higher judiciary but had blamed the high courts for "pretty much delaying" in starting the process. The apex court had said that it would not tolerate "logjam in judges' appointment" and would intervene to "fasten accountability as the justice delivery system is collapsing". The bench had said that if the government had reservation about any name, it could always come back to the collegium. However, the Centre has been sitting on the names proposed by the collegium since January, and that has irked the Supreme Court. With inputs from PTI Lucknow: Accusing the Madhya Pradesh government of using police for fulfilling the RSS agenda, BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into the encounter of eight prisoners associated with banned organisation SIMI. She also charged that police is misused for political and communal motives in BJP-ruled states. "Eight prisoners related to SIMI were unarmed. They could have been arrested easily again but no attempts were made in this regard. Prima facie this matter appears suspicious and justice demands judicial probe into the entire incident of encounter," she said in a statement. "Its visible that police is misused for political and communal motives in BJP ruled states. Police had saved Vyapam scam, which had taken many lives, accused in MP. Only after SC intervention the matter was handed over to the CBI. MP government is using police for fulfilling RSS agenda," she charged. BJP government should not avoid instituting judicial probe as many parties and organisations have raised their on the encounter. Eight SIMI activists were killed on Monday in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail killing a security guard. New Delhi: The Pakistan High Commission employee, who was recently expelled by India for spying, had named 16 other "staffers" who were also allegedly involved in the espionage ring, police said on Tuesday. During his joint interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, expelled Pakistani High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar had claimed that 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe. His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said. Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who were providing confidential documents and information to Akhtar, who allegedly headed the espionage racket. Two teams of Crime Branch are currently in Rajasthan along with the other arrested accused Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib to seek details of paramilitary personnel who might be involved in leaking information to them, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said the officer. "It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies," he said. Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Munavvar Saleem's personal assistant Farhat Khan was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage racket. The Pakistan High Commission staffer was caught receiving secret documents here on 26 October. Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were held along with Akhtar. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. Colombo: On Tuesday, at least four Indian fishermen were arrested and their trawler seized by Sri Lankan Navy off the coast of northern Jaffna peninsula ahead of a ministerial-level bilateral talks in New Delhi on Wednesday to solve the sensitive issue. The Lanka navy said the fishermen were arrested on charges of fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters off the coast of Delft islet early this morning. The arrested Indian fishermen were handed over to the fisheries inspectorate at Karaingar, Jaffna, by Sri Lankan naval coast guard vessel Elara, the navy added. The arrests were confirmed by Fishermen's Association President Sagayam in Rameswaram. The arrests have come ahead of the scheduled talks tomorrow between Indian and Sri Lanka fishermen to solve the recurring dispute over the arrest of fishermen. A 10-member Lankan fishing association delegation will arrive in India for the talks. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will meet her Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera and Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. These talks are to be preceded by talks between the fishermen associations of the two countries. Eight people were killed and 22 injured when Pakistan troops heavily shelled border hamlets and posts with mortar bombs along the International Border (IB) and the LoC in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The officials said five civilians were killed in Ramgarh of the frontier district of Samba on the International Border and two others lost their lives in Rajouri on the Line of Control the de facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. A police spokesperson said the dead in the Ramgarh sector included a girl, 16, and two other women. A total of 15 more civilians were injured in the shelling from across the border. "All the injured civilians have been shifted to hospital," the spokesperson said. At least two dozen head of cattle have also perished. The police official said Pakistan Rangers indiscriminately targeted civilian areas and defence facilities in Ramgarh since morning. "The BSF is retaliating effectively and heavy shelling and firing exchanges are going on." #UPDATE: One more civilian dies in ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Ramgarh sector of Samba (J&K), Death toll now rises to 7. ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Infiltration attempts which are being foiled is directly facilitated by Pak so that terrorists can be pulled back: Dharmendra Parikh,BSF DIG pic.twitter.com/TFR3aBGOdN ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 On Tuesday morning, Pakistan troopers bombarded border areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass migration from the bordering Samba district, the state police said. The police said Pakistan Rangers indiscriminately targeted civilian areas and defence facilities in the Ramgarh sector. "The BSF is retaliating effectively and heavy shelling and firing exchanges are going on," the police official said. Six persons have been injured in the ceasefire violations since Monday. According to a report by PTI, at 07.10 am, three mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district, injuring four persons identified as Bodraj (44), Niky, Dharana Devi and Chanchla Devi (49), he said. Two women, Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24), were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district on Monday evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Naushera sector of Rajouri district from 5.30 am using small arms, automatics, 82 and 120 mm mortars, PRO Defence Lt Col Manish Mehta said. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. On Monday, an elderly woman and a soldier were killed and a girl and two armymen were injured in cross-LoC shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in Poonch and Rajouri districts. An IANS spokesperson said hundreds of residents were forced to abandon their homes in the Samba district along the international border. They used every mode of conveyance, even walked barefoot, to escape from the line of fire. Dozens of cattle were reportedly killed or injured in the shelling. Locals are worried about their harvest-ready ripe crops. The Pakistan Army also resorted to heavy shelling and firing at Indian positions in Naushera sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. With inputs from agencies Thiruvananthapuram: State Revenue Minister E Chandrasekheran on Monday announced in the state assembly that Kerala has been declared a drought-hit state as all the 14 districts are facing extreme drought-like situations. The minister made this announcement after leave of the house for an adjournment motion was sought by senior Congress legislator VS Sivakumar. "The south-west monsoon in the state (June to September) has fallen short by 34 percent and the north-east monsoon (October to December) as on date shows 69 percent shortfall. And even if the full quota of rains is received in the next two months, it won't be of help. Hence it has been decided to announce Kerala as a drought-hit state," said Chandrasekheran. He said on account of drought, the state has set out a 26-point charter that each of the 14 District Collectors has to ensure is well met. "Every week the Chief Secretary will link up with all the District Collectors to ensure that all issues are addressed. There would be regular meetings with all the legislators and other people's representatives that will monitor the steps being taken to address the drought," said the minister. Sivakumar told the assembly that such a situation has not happened in the recent history of the state. The rainfall records show that it has been the worst in the past one decade. "From June to September we should receive around 2,039 mm of rainfall and what we received was just 1,352 mm. Consequent to this shortage, the water level in all the reservoirs has dropped, and the groundwater table has gone down, leading to wells getting dried up," said Sivakumar. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala welcomed the minister's decision to declare the state as drought-hit. "On account of this, we will not walk out of the house and ...the state government should now make efforts to get additional assistance from the Centre and to see that its team visits the state early... The state government should lead a delegation to the Centre, as political moves also help," said Chennithala. The opposition leaders also sought that the state government should announced soon a moratorium on all loans taken by farmers, be it for agriculture or others. A 28-year-old woman, who was looking for an accommodation along with her husband, was raped by eight men on Monday night in suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai. The police on Tuesday nabbed seven of the eight accused, while one person remains at large. The woman was admitted to a hospital and is stated to be stable, police said. The incident occurred in Shamnagar slum area near Amboli last night when the couple were searching for an accommodation with the help of another woman. The eight accused were allegedly from the same locality where the incident took place. Since it got late, the couple chose to stay at the woman's house, police said. After sometime, eight men barged into the house and gangraped the woman in front of her husband before fleeing, according to PTI. However, there were conflicting accounts of the incident in various media reports, According to NDTV, three men took the woman's husband out on the pretext of some work and the rest stayed behind and allegedly gangraped the woman. "After the incident, the woman and her husband reached Amboli police station to lodge a complaint. Police registered a case against the eight suspects, one of them had criminal records," Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe said. A case has been registered against the eight accused under sections 376 D of the IPC with Amboli police station, according to Hindustan Times. The police said that all arrested fall in the age bracket of 20-25. With inputs from PTI New Delhi: Islamic Research Foundation, promoted by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, will soon be banned from receiving foreign funds with the Home Ministry initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA registration by issuing a final show cause notice to the NGO. The Home Ministry has also started the process for putting another NGO of Naik namely IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRF's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said. Naik also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India, contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the 1 July terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He had been popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy erupted. Do not question the bravery of our Madhya Pradesh cops, it is tantamount to deshdroh. Instead, blindly accept their version of the Bhopal encounter, enjoy footage of the killing, marvel at the bravery of cops and, while you are at it, don't forget to chant Bharat Mata ki Jai at the exact moment a courageous cop steps up to cries of ''maro, maro", fires at what looks like a dead body and the ecstatic audience chants: "Ye hai, Ma******d." We are in the middle of a Bhakti movement, where everything should be accepted as gospel. We are in an India, where cops are living Shahanshah's dream of being the jury, judge, and executioner. Shh! no questions asked. Don't ask: 1) What was the need to kill eight men armed with just knives carved out of jail utensils and stones when they were surrounded from all sides and had nowhere to run? Couldn't they have been captured alive, if not all of them, at least one, especially when they were not firing at cops chasing them and armed only with jail utensils? 2) How eight persons facing trial escape from a "high security" jail where they were transferred primarily to ensure they do not escape? 3) How did these men climb a 20-feet wall and fled a prison where they were not even allowed to go to court their trial was being held via video conferencing since 2014 because of fears of them fleeing? 4) Where were the guards, security cameras, prison officials when eight prisoners were merrily making their way from their secured cells to the jail's perimeter 400m away, scaling its parapet lined with live current with an impromptu "ladder assembled with bedsheets and bamboo shafts?" 5) Why these men, seemingly in a hurry, travelled just 10-15 km from the jail in almost eight hours when they could have easily put miles between themselves and police during this period, especially when the aforementioned brave cops had no information on their movement? Incidentally, three of these eight undertrials had broken the Khandwa jail in 2013 and within 24 hours escaped to Maharashtra, so, you can't argue that they did not have the requisite experience. What went wrong this time? 6) Why prisoners running from the law, short on time, would first buy new clothes, new shoes, get a haircut, shave all of it between 3 am and dawn and then head, like sitting ducks, in a group towards a village where, as villagers of Acharpura where the encounter took place claim, they would be immediately identified as strangers and then, hear, hear, draw attention by picking up a fight with locals and threaten to shoot them? 7) Why, after presumably getting access to country-made pistols (disputed, added perhaps as an afterthought), cartridges, new clothes, shoes, dry fruits, dates, blades, combs, these eight men could not find the only thing the needed to escape a vehicle? 8) Why not a single policeman get injured in a presumed exchange of fire at a site where not a single gun could be spotted? Don't ask anything, because every answer would point to the accusation former Supreme Court justice Markandey Katju has made: This looks like a case of extra-judicial killing. "From what I could gather, the so called 'encounter' in Bhopal was fake, and all those responsible for it, not only those who did the actual executions, but also those who ordered it, including politicians and senior police officers, must be given death sentence, as held by my bench in the Supreme Court in Prakash Kadam vs Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta," Katju argues on Facebook. Don't ask questions because encounters have become a legitimate way of dispensing justice for many Indians, a symbol of pride and nationalism, a proud moment to savour with rousing slogans. Any undertrail, as long as he is a Khan or she is a Jahan, can be bumped off on mere suspicion of being a terrorist. Why take them to court, waste the court's precious time on trying suspects, unless, of course, the case in question is of Malegaon blasts or bombing the Samjhauta Express? In India, extra-judicial killings now have both political and societal legitimacy. So, shh! Of course, the problem with handing over a licence to kill to cops and their political masters is this: Where does it all stop? If mere suspicion is equivalent to a death sentence, nobody is immune. The only condition that becomes necessary to get people bumped off is asking our police to book them on charges of terrorism, put them on endless trial and then, one day, settle everything on a hillock, in full view of a cheering audience with a camera. Don't ask, when suspected terrorists are gone, courts are considered redundant, trials unnecessary, and cops become trigger-happy, who would be next: suspected murderers, rapists, robbers, beef-eaters, tax evaders? In al-Baghdadi's Islamic State, his cops and moral police summarily execute anybody suspected of sedition, espionage, crimes against sharia. No questions asked, no trial; only HD videos. Don't ask what does it make us if we silently accept a similar argument and let our cops turn into Indian versions of Jihadi John. Following the encounter of eight suspected SIMI terrorists, who had escaped from Bhopal Central Jail on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan should really pause for a moment and introspect. He must seriously ponder over why, under his administration, the biggest Indian state has seen a sharp decline in all aspects of policing be it law and order, intelligence gathering or jail administration. While the police force does have some brave and committed men, like Head Constable Ramashankar Yadav, who laid down his life in the line of duty while trying to stop the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists from fleeing, the incident does pose some serious questions. What kind of police force did Yadav serve, where no backup was available to him? Why did no one come to his rescue? And why were no alarms raised to thwart the jailbreak attempt? It seems that men like Yadav are just exceptions in an otherwise inefficient MP police force. In his capacity as chief minister, Shivraj has done well on his moral and official duty to visit the martyred head constable's home, pay his condolences, attend the last rites, offer ex-gratia and additionally sanction money for his daughter's upcoming wedding. He is also well within his right to blast his political rivals for politicising the encounter. He said that the political rivals raising questions over the encounter, couldnt see the head constables supreme sacrifice. "They could have spared two words for this martyr and shed a few tears over his martyrdom, which could have proved their compassion Shivraj was reported as saying. While dismissing the oppositions charges against his government, he said: The hardcore criminals have been eliminated. Who knows what kind of violence they could have unlashed if they managed to escape. On the other hand, Congress general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh had given an entirely different twist to the jailbreak episode. He questioned that how was it possible that only Muslim SIMI operatives managed to escape from the jail and not the Hindu ones. Again, it was alright for Shivraj to respond to that charge, as Digvijay's commentary seemed to be angled for obvious political motives. But the big question that remains is that why did Shivraj not weigh the situation and collect all the facts before going to the public with his tall claims about the encounter. Why did he compliment an incompetent police force for killing the eight SIMI terror operatives on a hill top, where they were surrounded from all sides with negligible chances of escape? Though you cannot second guess the bravery and commitment of constable Yadav whose two sons serve in the army and daughter was to be married in five weeks the problem arose when Shivraj mixed the two narratives. Yadav's death and the contradictory arguments made by senior police officers about the encounter, in a bid to cover up the cold-blooded killing of the SIMI operatives, are two very distinct equations. Instead of trying to mislead the public by mixing the two narratives, here is something that shouldve concerned Shivraj more: The Bhopal Central Jail was the first in India to get an ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 9001-2000 certificate in 2004 for its better amenities for inmates, about a year before Shivraj assumed office. But apart from the amenities, jails are as much about security. The ease with which the SIMI operatives fled reflects on the poor safety measures employed by the administration. Security loopholes like the fact that all terror operatives were lodged in one jail; the CCTV cameras were not working; dining utensils issued were easily converted into knives; a long drawn jailbreak plan went unchecked; keys were made inside or smuggled from outside; the high walls were easily scalable; guards were sleeping on duty; the administration did not take any lessons from the Khandwa jail break by members of the same group; officers were busy lighting lamps and fire crackers while the criminals escaped, are all indicative of corrupt and inefficient jail management by the civil and police officials. In that regard, it is truly ironic that the jails website is full of ISO certifications and boasts of its safety records. The manner in which hundreds of policemen conducted the hunt for the escaped activists, and how the supposed encounter took place, reveals a saga of incompetence, inefficiency and even foolishness. It clearly indicates that the MP police has never really engaged in a real encounter situation, at least lately. The chief minister and his government will have a difficult time in explaining the conduct of the state police force. From the videos of the encounter that have surfaced since then, it looks like the operation was conducted not by uniformed and trained police officers, but by a lynch mob out to kill a hated target. The scenes emanating from the video, of policemen shooting with crude 303 rifles; fellow colleagues recording videos on their phones; conversing over unsecured wireless sets; some policemen firing from long distance; some shooting at dead bodies, all point towards the fact that the encounter was in all likelihood fake and foolish. From the audio heard in these videos, it was clear that there was no chain of command. Everyone was shouting over each other and perhaps some villagers had also joined in as cheer leaders for the armed policemen. How is this effective policing? Shivraj will have to introspect and come up with an answer. New Delhi: Congress' poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday held a two-hour meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls due early next year. Kishor, along with SP leader Amar Singh, met Yadav at his Delhi residence this evening, apparently to discuss the possibility of an alliance before the poll dates are announced. Sources close to the development confirmed that Kishor met Yadav. There was talk in political circles that Yadav spoke with JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also in Delhi. However, there was no immediate confirmation. Kishor had managed Nitish Kumar's successful assembly poll campaign last year. Last week, Mulayam's younger brother and state SP chief Shivpal Singh had met JD(U)'s K C Tyagi and RLD chief Ajit Singh to invite them to SP's 25th anniversary in Lucknow on November 5. Shivpal had said Lohiaites and followers of Charan Singh should join hands to beat BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar's grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there. The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a glorious electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA. Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ram Gopal Yadav for Samajwadi Party's decision to walk out of the alliance in Bihar. Ram Gopal, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his fight against Shivpal. Ram Gopal was recently sacked from the party amid escalating tension between the rival camps. Given the unusual belligerence shown by Akhilesh Yadav, the party apparently wants to fortify its position by bringing in new friends. The SP's main aim in the polls is prevent split of Muslim votes for which it is looking for an alliance with secular parties. Raipur: On Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for development saying it is the only way to solve the problems that India is facing and urged state governments and local governing bodies to work in tandem to make the country poverty-free. He also said skilled youth can pull themselves out of poverty and help fuel the engine of growth. "Development in all spheres is the one and only way to solve the problems faced by the country. In the states wherever we are getting an opportunity, and in the country, we are trying hard to move ahead on the path of development with full commitment. The full stress of our government is on uplift of poor," he told a gathering on the opening ceremony of Chhattisgarh Rajyotsav - the 16th foundation day celebrations at Naya Raipur. Pitching for empowerment of the poor, he said, "The Centre, states, municipalities and panchayats should work together to eradicate poverty. We have to work shoulder-to- shoulder to tackle the menace." He said the Centre is observing 2016 which is Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay's birth centenary year as Garib Kalyan Varsh for the uplift of the poor. Linking skilling with his 'Make in India' initiative, the prime minister said people with sufficient skills can help boost the country's economy. "Poor youth with sufficient opportunities, training, skills and tools can pull themselves and others out of poverty," he said. He pointed out the government's initiative on skill development that is helping youths to enhance their capability and skill. "The country has large youth population. They have immense power and if they get opportunity they can change the world. Making them, particularly the poor, skilled will help them shape their future and enhance their dignity," he said. On the issue of Centre-state relations, Modi said the government believes in cooperative federalism, where states compete with each other in implementing new schemes. "The Centre wants a healthy competition among the states in the areas of development and better performance, assuring that his government is committed to support and encourage each and every state for their development," he said. He also said the Centre will not discriminate among states in providing funds for development. Underlining the importance of value addition for the economic development of farmers in the country, he said, "The Centre wants the farmers should get high production and better price for their produces. Besides, value addition can also helps the farmer in a great way. Chhattisgarh has taken up good initiatives that enable value addition for farmers." Talking about government schemes, Modi said, "The Centre and state governments run several schemes, but most people do not have information about them. Mothers don't know about vaccination for their child due to illiteracy. In view of that, the Centre has launched 'Mission Indradhanush' Scheme to cover all the children, who were left out or missed out on immunisation, in every nook and corner." "Similarly, the Centre has floated Ujjwala scheme to empower women of poor household and protect their health. In the next three years, LPG connections will be provided under the scheme to five crore families," he said, adding this scheme is purely meant to make the country poverty-free. Referring to the new crop insurance scheme launched by the Centre, he said there is a need to make agriculture more viable so that even a small piece of land can yield more. Appreciating the concept of jungle safari he inaugurated here, he said states with ecotourism potential can help provide employment to a large section of people. He said value addition to the produce of farmers was another way to help enhance their earning. During his visit to the jungle safari, Modi also clicked pictures of a tiger in the zoo. Earlier in the day, he dedicated to people the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) developed under public transport service facility between Raipur and Naya Raipur. Thereafter, he unveiled a statue of Jan Sangh idealogue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay here and dedicated the two-km-long 'Ekatm Path' constructed between Naya Raipur railway station and Capitol Complex. The Prime Minister also launched 'Saur Sujala Yojana' which aims to provide solar pumps to 51,000 farmers for irrigation in state. Lauding Chief Minister Raman Singh for his development initiatives and schemes, he said states like Chhattisgarh, which have potential for ecotourism, can generate employment by investing little capital in its development. "I visited jungle safari and Ekatma Path. Chief Minister (Raaman Singh) was telling me about all these development projects... I see great scope for tourism in Chhattisgarh. It shows how a relatively smaller state which is Naxal-affected can achieve heights of development in a short span of time," he said adding that its impact will benefit generations to come. "At investment far less than what is required for setting up an industrial unit, concepts like jungle safaris can be big money spinners for small states like Chhattisgarh," he said. Modi said others indirectly involved with ecotourism like autorickshaw drivers, fruit sellers and 'chai wallahs' can enhance their earning. Bengaluru: Technology investor and Padmashree awardee T V Mohandas Pai on Tuesday said the Karnataka government's plan to celebrate 'Tipu Jayanti' is like celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, "who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist." "The state government's plan to celebrate Tipu Jayanti is like the central government celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist," he told reporters on the sidelines of an RSS event here. Tipu Jayanti, slated to be celebrated across the state on November 10, is being observed since last year following a Congress government decision, which had triggered a major row and caused violence in Kodagu district in November last. Tipu Sultan was the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom. Pai rued that government is playing politics over Tipu Jayanti and urged it to celebrate anniversaries of benevolent rulers like the Wodeyars and Mysuru Diwan Mirza Ismail. "What the government is doing is playing politics, which is wrong and I would request them not to do it. If they want to celebrate, let them celebrate Mirza Ismail, Wodeyars -both were benevolent rulers. Let them also celebrate Sir Visveswaraya, the greatest engineer we ever had," he said. Ismail was Diwan (Prime Minister) of Mysuru, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was Ismail's mentor. "The government, which is there to rule the entire state, they must never do something which divides people - divides Coorgis, Mangalurean Christians other communities," he said. They should instead bring different communities together. "The BJP and the Congress play politics. They have got their own constituencies. Let them do what they want," he said. Pai said he feels offended that government would celebrate Tipu Jayanti who was a "bigot and tyrant", who killed people of different communities and converted people to Islam. "I am a Konkani and I feel very offended that the government is celebrating somebody (Tipu) who did wrong to both communities." Pai alleged that Tipu Sultan butchered Coorgis and the Christians living in Kodagu and Kerala, and also destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod, in Kerala. "The Coorgis still have anger against him. In Mangaluru, the Christian community are angered because some 26,000 Catholics were put in dungeons," he said. "He (Tipu) destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod," he added. "There is a dark side to Tipu. He was a despot and a bigot. He killed many people converted others to Islam by using sword. There is no denying the fact as such," he said. BJP and RSS have opposed the "Tipu Jayanti" celebrations. RSS had stated recently it opposed the celebration and it would stage protests against it as the ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom was a "religious bigot and a violent sultan". Thiruvananthapuram: As Kerala celebrates the 60th year of its formation, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said steps need to be taken to make Malayalam, the mother tongue, compulsory in the curriculum. Addressing a special session at the state Assembly to mark the day, he said Kerala might be the lone state where one graduates without studying the mother tongue. Malayalam had been sidelined even in the examinations, conducted by the state-run Public Service Commission, he said. "We should make compulsory the study of our mother tongue Malayalam. We are yet to make Malayalam the medium of study and administration even now," he said. Recounting the significant contributions by renaissance movement leaders for the social development and upliftment in the state, Vijayan said the LDF government was committed to carry forward the achievements so far. Later, inaugurating the year-long anniversary celebrations at the Assembly complex, in which a galaxy of personalities from various walks of life participated, he said that Kerala, with its limited resources, had made remarkable achievements in universal education and public health system in the last 60 years. The state was able to implement reservation for Backward Classes and ensured minimum wages to all. "This has actually led to the social development in Kerala, which is not witnessed in any other parts of the country," he said. However, the CM also pointed out certain issues faced by the state in housing, agriculture and education sectors. Though the 'Kerala model' of education had been lauded the world over, the state could not make any remarkable improvement in its quality in the higher education sector. "The slogan of House for All still remains a dream. Effective intervention is needed in this area," he said. The Chief Minister said the LDF government had lined up various initiatives to take the state forward by utilising the state's inherent potential to the maximum. Colourful cultural festivities marked the function, in which writers, artists and religious leaders like Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan, besides ministers and MLAs participated. Earlier, during the special session at the House, leaders from both ruling and opposition benches expressed concern over the increasing challenges to the secular fabric of the state. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala cautioned that there was a tendency in the state from certain quarters to create division among people in the name of caste and religion. "People should stand united against the anti-national and divisive forces in society," Chennithala said. Echoing similar sentiments, IUML leader and former minister P K Kunhalikutty said the contributions of his party to check the growth of religious fundamentalism was significant in the last 60 years. However, striking a different note, BJP member O Rajagopal said that Kerala, known for its religious harmony, would remain as it is if all political parties join together shedding their enmity. Lucknow: With Diwali failing to thaw strained ties in the Mulayam clan, a show of strength is on the cards as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav takes out his 'Rath Yatra' on 3 November, two days before ruling SP's silver jubilee show organsied by his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Both Akhilesh and state SP chief Shivpal are busy making preparations for their respective events touted as "show of strength" in political circles ahead of the crucial UP Assembly polls just few months away. Akhilesh is giving final touches to his 'Vikas Sey Vijay Tak' rath yatra, which will begin from Lucknow on Thursday and pass through Unnao enroute to Kanpur. A cavalcade of over 5,000 SUVs and trucks will seek to send a message to the party leadership that 43-year-old Akhilesh is the "most acceptable" face of SP. The pro-CM camp, including expelled SP leaders, is working overtime to make it one of the biggest political shows of recent times, coming close on the heels of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's month-long Deoria-to-Delhi 'kisan yatra'. The second function to mark SP's silver jubilee will be held on 5 November. Though Mulayam Singh Yadav has sent out invitations to all "secular and like-minded" leaders of various parties like RLD, RJD and JD-U, chances of these leaders making it to the event seemed remote since the date clashes with 'Chhath Puja', a major festival in Bihar. Akhilesh, who ruled out parting ways with Samajwadi Party in the wake of the unprecedented family feud, has said he will participate in the silver jubilee event, though a large number of his loyalists are likely to boycott the show in view of the strife in the party. Breaking away from the established family tradition this year, SP patriarch Mulayam did not go to his native village Saifai to celebrate the festival as he has been doing for decades. He remained in Lucknow and met party workers at his residence. His office cited ill health as the reason. Akhilesh, however, went to Saifai on Diwali eve, met his uncles, expelled SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Rajpal Yadav, and also visited his aunt. Only after the chief minister returned to Lucknow, Shivpal left for Saifai following a meeting with Mulayam. According to SP sources, supporters of Akhilesh are burning the midnight oil to make the rath yatra a grand success. "It will be a show of strength...We want to show Netaji (Mulayam) that Akhilesh bhaiya is the most popular leader in the party," said an ardent CM loyalist. During the yatra, dozens of roadside meetings and a few rallies would be held at different places between the two districts, another SP leader said. The state capital is already splashed with colourful posters, banners and hoardings even as finishing touches are being given to the hi-tech bright red 'rath' having a cabin, a collapsible stage, video screen, Wi-Fi and hotline, besides top class acoustic facilities. Akhilesh decided to embark on the yatra solo, saying he could not wait longer for a green signal from his father as his political opponents had already hit the roads to woo the electorate. SP's rivals are trying to cash in on the feud in the Yadav family ahead of the polls and through the yatra the CM would try to send across the message that he was in the driver's seat, notwithstanding all the hue and cry within the party. The virtual showdown between the father-son duo came to the fore with Akhilesh calling a meeting of party legislators a day ahead of the one convened by Mulayam. Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal and three others from his Cabinet and in a tit-for-tat action, Shivpal on instructions from Mulayam expelled pro-Akhilesh SP MP Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years. Ramgopal is another uncle of Akhilesh. As loyalties appeared divided between various members of the Yadav clan, Akhilesh has made it clear that he was in no mood for a rapprochement by keeping away from two crucial meetings--one of the party's district chiefs and the other of the SP's state executive--despite an invitation from Shivpal. On the other hand, Mulayam refused to relent when senior party leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Beni Prasad Verma and Naresh Agarwal, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, and party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, met him to douse the flames. The Akhilesh camp also suffered a jolt with Shivpal sacking heads of various front organisations and soon filling up top vacancies in the SP's youth wings, effectively slamming the door on the re-entry of Akhilesh's close associates. Akhilesh has asked the party's youth leaders not to waste any more time and take a plunge into the upcoming electoral battle. "We need to reach out to the people in all corners of the state with the achievements of the government over the past four-and-a-half years," he told his supporters who had assembled at his official residence here to greet him on Diwali. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday slammed the "dirty politics" being played over the killing of eight SIMI operatives by police and said the slain men were "dreaded terrorists" who could have wreaked devastation. Speaking to reporters after paying tributes to Head Constable Ramashankar Yadav, who was killed by the activists while escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail on Monday, Chouhan said he was pained to see that certain politicians were making a "hue and cry over the terrorists but not saying a word of solace for the martyred policemen." "I am pained to see the kind of politics being played out. Some politicians are turning a blind eye to the sacrifices of the martyrs. They are unable to see the sacrifice of Ramashankar Yadav. These were the same terrorists who first killed Shivpratap Kushwaha (policeman) in Ratlam and then they murdered Sitaram Yadav (policeman) in Khandwa and now Ramashankar Yadav." "...had there been some solidarity and sympathy for the martyred jawans...I would have understood. But, they are playing vote-bank politics over incidents like these," he told reporters. The CM added that those killed were "dreaded terrorists who could have wreaked devastation if they had been fully successful in escaping." "Certain politicians are making a hue and cry for these terrorists but not lending a word of solace for the martyred jawans. I condemn such leaders and the dirty politics they are doing. But for the government and the public the nation and the state is foremost and I appeal everyone to stop playing dirty politics. Patriotism is important," he said. Chouhan said Yadav tried to "single-handedly" fight the terrorists and stop them from escaping and being a "dutiful officer", he laid down his life in the line of duty. "This is such a patriotic family from where two sons are still serving to protect the country's borders," he said, underling the fact that Yadav's two sons are in the army. He said the state government will "take care" of the family and has announced a Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for Yadav's family and another Rs 5 lakh for the marriage of his daughter which is slated in December this year. "This colony where he (Yadav) lived will be named Shaheed Ramashankar Yadav colony and a statue of his will also be installed. Funds are not a constraint and more aid and money will be provided to the family when it is required," the CM added. New Delhi: Stating "discrepancies" in the statements made by the Madhya Pradesh government and state police over the killing of eight (Students Islamic Movement of India) SIMI activists in an encounter, Left parties on Tuesday sought a judicial probe into the episode, contending NIA inquiry will neither be "credible nor acceptable". The Left parties sought to know how these men could have escaped from a high security Bhopal central jail and stated the Shivraj Singh Chouhan dispensation owes "full explanation" about how the prison security could be breached. As they raised doubts, the Left parties stressed the eight were "under trials whose guilt had not yet been established" and were "suspected" to have links with the banned organisation SIMI. "The claim by police that the accused were shot dead after they were attacked by these men who were armed is contradicted by state's Home Minister Bhupendra Singh. That these men could secure arms while being unable to get a vehicle to make good their escape sounds implausible," CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement. The Politburo also referred to video clips, purportedly from encounter site, showing a policeman pumping bullets at one of the "escapees" after some unidentified person takes out what appears to be a knife. It said the clip shows the activists waiving at cops "presumably indicating that they want to surrender" and stated this raises doubts over veracity of claims made by cops. "In the light of these concerns, the Politburo demands a judicial enquiry headed by a sitting judge be constituted to conduct a thorough investigation. "The Chief Minister has announced that an enquiry would be conducted by the NIA. Such an enquiry would neither be credible nor acceptable," it said. Taking to Twitter over the issue, party general secretary Sitaram Yechury reiterated the concerns and insisted the Centre and the BJP hold the state government responsible for "its actions". His predecessor Prakash Karat echoed Politburo's demand for a judicial probe into the entire episode. The CPI too pitched for a "high-level" judicial probe into the matter and appealed people to understand the "sinister design" of BJP-RSS, which it alleged was trying to politicise the fight against terror. "To divert the attention of the people and polarise them on communal lines BJP-RSS blame others raising the bogey of nationalism and patriotism," the CPI said in a statement. The SIMI activists were killed yesterday during an encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal, hours after they escaped from high-security central jail killing a security guard but questions cropped up over the killings. As controversy raged over the police action, TV channels showed footage purportedly from the encounter site in which a policeman is seen pumping bullets into a man from close range after some unidentified person takes out what appears to be a knife said to be in a plastic cover and places it back. Speaking to media on Monday, Chouhan had said the jail-break would be probed by the NIA but parried a question on the encounter. He said the state government will also carry out a separate investigation into the matter. By Roberta Rampton | WHITE PLAINS, New York WHITE PLAINS, New York Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign ratcheted up the pressure on FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday, saying that if he released inconclusive information about the Democratic candidate, he can do the same for her Republican rival.A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign was working to contain damage from Comey's announcement on Friday of new emails that might pertain to a previously completed investigation into Clinton's use of a private server while she was secretary of state.Republican Donald Trump seized on the revelation, which indicated no wrongdoing on Clinton's part, intensifying his criticism of a rival he has long dubbed "Crooked Hillary" and welcoming a slight improvement for him in a new ABC/Washington Post poll on Tuesday.Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the Federal Bureau of Investigation's director had not released any information about its investigation into Russia's role in the U.S. election or ties to Trump and his senior aides."If you're in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians," Mook said on CNN. "It is mind-boggling, and Director Comey needs to answer this."Law enforcement officials have been investigating Russia's role in the presidential campaign and any ties to Trump or his senior advisers, but have found no conclusive, direct link, the New York Times reported on Monday. (nyti.ms/2eWIkSs) The United States has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations. The Clinton campaign has been furiously pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case. Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.In an effort to shift the focus back to Trump's vulnerabilities, the Clinton campaign released a provocative new ad raising the specter of a possible nuclear war if Trump is elected president, and Clinton emphasized the message that Trump has a bad temper and an overly cavalier attitude toward nuclear weapons at rallies in the battleground state of Ohio on Monday.The FBI spent a year investigating Clinton's use of a private email server, instead of government systems, while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Comey concluded in July that while Clinton and her staff had been "extremely careless" in handling classified information, there were no grounds for any charges. Comey has said he released more information about the investigation than is typical because of election year sensitivities."If Director Comey was so concerned about how information would be handled and about the reputation of the FBI, why did he release this letter that was full of innuendo and absolutely no facts?" Mook said on CNN, referring to Comey's letter to members of Congress on Friday.The New York Times also assailed Comey, accusing him in an editorial in its Tuesday edition of sending "a brief, inscrutable, election-shaking letter" in a "breathtakingly rash and irresponsible decision." (nyti.ms/2dYvJ4J) The FBI announcement 11 days before the Nov. 8 presidential election blindsided Clinton, who had extended her lead over Trump in opinion polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women. Opinion polls show Clinton's lead has narrowed slightly since early last week. It was not known if the email controversy would hurt her support.Clinton held a 5-point lead over Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, supported by 44 percent of likely voters, compared with Trump at 39 percent. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Chris Kahn | NEW YORK NEW YORK Democrat Hillary Clinton held a five percentage point lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday, down only slightly since the FBI said last week it was reviewing new emails in its investigation of the former secretary of state.Some 44 percent of likely voters said they would support Clinton, while 39 percent said they would support Trump, according to the Oct. 26-30 survey. Clinton had held a 6 point advantage over Trump in the five-day tracking poll last Thursday.Other polls have shown Clinton's lead slipping more sharply. Real Clear Politics, which averages the results of most major polls, shows that Clinton's lead has declined from 4.6 points on Friday to 2.5 points on Monday. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told Congress in a letter made public on Friday that his agency was looking into new emails that may be connected to Clinton, who had been probed by the FBI over her use of a private server and how she handled classified information while America's top diplomat. The FBI has revealed very little to the public about the new emails under investigation, except that they were uncovered during an unrelated investigation into the estranged husband of a top Clinton aide. In July, Comey concluded that Clinton and her staff were "extremely careless" with their handling of classified information, but that there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges. On Friday, Comey told Congress, "We don't know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails." In a separate poll that included alternative-party candidates, 43 percent supported Clinton, while 37 percent supported Trump, 6 percent supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and 1 percent supported Jill Stein of the Green Party.The polling determines likely voters according to a number of factors including voting history, registration status and stated intention to vote. It assumes that 60 percent of eligible Americans will vote. The result of the 2016 election will vary greatly depending on how many voters actually cast a ballot. Currently, Clinton leads Trump in both high and low turnout scenarios, according to the latest poll. Her advantage holds at 5 points if 55 percent of eligible voters participate, and it rises to 6 points if 70 percent of Americans cast a ballot.The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It included 1,264 people who were considered likely voters under the assumption that 60 percent of eligible voters would participate. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points. (Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Jerusalem: Preservation experts have opened for the first time in at least two centuries what Christians believe is Jesus's tomb inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Some of the historic work was witnessed by AFP photographer Gali Tibbon who captured images of the site believed to contain the rock upon which Jesus was laid in around 33 AD as it was uncovered as part of ongoing restoration at the site. A marble slab covering the site, among the holiest in Christianity, was pulled back for three days as part of both restoration work and archaeological analysis, experts on the scene told AFP. It was the first time the marble had been removed since at least 1810, when the last restoration work took place following a fire, and possibly earlier, said Father Samuel Aghoyan, the church's Armenian superior. A painting of Jesus can be seen in the narrow area above where the marble slab was removed. Debris and material was found beneath the marble and was being further studied, Aghoyan said. "It is moving in a sense, something we've been talking about so many centuries," Aghoyan told AFP. National Geographic has been documenting the restoration work which is being carried out by a team of Greek specialists. It reported that "the exposure of the burial bed is giving researchers an unprecedented opportunity to study the original surface of what is considered the most sacred site in Christianity". Major restoration project "My knees are shaking a little bit," Fred Hiebert, an archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, said in a video on the magazine's website during the work at the shrine. A shrine was built in the 19th century over the site of the cave where Jesus is believed to have been buried before his resurrection, and it is visited by throngs of tourists and pilgrims each day. Earlier this year, a major restoration project began on the site, surrounded by a structure called an edicule and located at the centre of the church in Jerusalem's Old City, underneath its dome. The project required the agreement of the various Christian denominations that share the church, which also contains the area where Jesus is believed to have been crucified and his body anointed. The restoration project is expected to be completed around March 2017, in time for Easter, and the site has remained open to visitors for nearly the entire time, although the ornate edicule has been surrounded by scaffolding. Its marble slabs have weakened over the years, caused in part by the thousands of people who visit daily. The shrine is being painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt, the Custody of the Holy Land, which oversees Roman Catholic properties in the area, has said previously. Broken or fragile parts are to be replaced while marble slabs that can be preserved will be cleaned, and the structure supporting them will be reinforced. The work is being funded by the three main Christian denominations of the Holy Sepulchre Greek Orthodox, Franciscans and Armenians and by public and private contributions. By Aziz El Yaakoubi | RABAT RABAT Thousands of Moroccans took to the streets in a northern city on Monday protesting for the fourth day over the death of a fishmonger crushed in a garbage truck after a confrontation with police who confiscated his produce.The death in Al Hoceima on Friday of Mouhcine Fikri has triggered one of the largest protests nationwide since 2011 when the February 20 movement organised demonstrations for democratic reform inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings across the region. Large-scale protests are rare in Morocco, where the king still holds ultimate sway. Morocco calmed Arab Spring-style protests in 2011 with reforms, spending and tougher security while leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya were swept from power.A frenzy of angry postings on social media and protest chants have blamed the Makhzen, a term used to describe the royal establishment. "Protests will continue until all the responsible for that crime are punished," said Al-Houssine Lmrabet, one of the protests organizers. "We also want guarantees that this will not happen again. This should start by cleaning the public administration of corrupted people." Fikri's death parallels how Tunisia's uprising began in 2011, triggering revolts across the region, after a young man set himself on fire in desperation because police confiscated fruit and vegetables he was selling.Morocco's protests erupted at a sensitive moment as the kingdom prepares to host the 2016 United Nations climate change conference in November and the prime minister begins to form a coalition government after elections this month.Smaller protests were also held on Monday evening in several other cities and towns including the capital Rabat, the eastern city of Oujda and the central town of Settat. High school students protested earlier on Monday in the northern town, activists said. Authorities did not comment on the latest protests.In an effort to calm tensions, King Mohamed, currently on a tour of Africa, ordered the interior minister to visit the victim's family and present royal condolences. The government also promised an investigation.Mouhcine Fikri had fish confiscated by police on Friday after he bought it at the port. Local authorities have banned swordfish fishing and sales in this season. According to local media and authorities, Fikri jumped inside the trash truck that police used to destroy the confiscated fish in a desperate attempt to recover it and he was caught inside the crusher.Activists accused police officers of ordering garbage men to crush Fikri, but the Moroccan police (DGSN) denied those accusations in a statement on Sunday.Moroccan authorities heavily police protests, nervous over popular unrest since the 2011 protests. During those protests the king devolved some of his authority to an elected government in a constitutional reform. (Editing by Patrick Markey and James Dalgleish) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." But Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing, even as the opposition had been demanding an independent probe. In a statement issued after consultation with his legal team, the Prime Minister had said, "The court of public opinion has been making decisions, it would be better to wait for the judiciary's decision," going on to add that he would welcome the apex court's decision. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and others to investigate the charges of corruption, stating that Sharif concealed the assets of his dependents and the truth from the National Assembly. The bunch of petitions had also insisted that he is no longer eligible to hold office under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. It also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel and will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties cannot come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, it did not ban the protest by PTI to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal, on Wednesday in Islamabad, though it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, PTI chief Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow," he said. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters, "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lock down the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches. All entry points to the capital are being monitored and scores of PTI workers have been arrested. Khan, himself was under virtual house arrest with a heavy contingent of police surrounding his house in Bani Gala, a leafy suburb of Islamabad, preventing him from leaving though he has not been formally arrested. The PTI is in power in KP and hopes for a major influx of youth from the province to boost the strength of the protest. On Monday night a major rally led by the chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was teargassed and forced to return. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the Vice Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), claimed that the authorities have cut off Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Punjab. In Punjab, which is controlled by Sharif's ruling PML-N, hundreds have been arrested. Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested for maintaining law and order. But PTI claims that thousands of its workers were arrested. The party has also urged the court to take suo moto action against arrests by the government. With inputs from PTI and IANS By Philip Pullella | ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE Pope Francis said on Tuesday he believes the Roman Catholic Church's ban on women becoming priests is forever and will never be changed, in some of his most definitive remarks on the issue.He was speaking aboard a plane taking him back to Rome from Sweden, in the freewheeling news conference with reporters that has become a tradition of his return flights from trips abroad.A Swedish female reporter noted that the head of the Lutheran Church who welcomed him in Sweden was a woman, and then asked if he thought the Catholic Church could allow women to be ordained as ministers in coming decades."St. Pope John Paul II had the last clear word on this and it stands, this stands," Francis said.Francis was referring to a 1994 document by Pope John Paul that closed the door on a female priesthood. The Vatican says this teaching is an infallible part of Catholic tradition. The reporter then pressed the pope, asking: "But forever, forever? Never, never?Francis responded: "If we read carefully the declaration by St. John Paul II, it is going in that direction."Francis has previously said that the door to women's ordination is closed, but proponents of a female priesthood are hoping that a future pope might overturn the decision, particularly because of the shortage of priests around the world. The Catholic Church teaches that women cannot be ordained priests because Jesus willingly chose only men as his apostles. Those calling for women priests say he was only following the norms of his time.In August, Francis set up a commission to study the role of women deacons in early Christianity, raising hopes among equality campaigners that women could one day have a greater say in the 1.2 billion-member Church. Deacons, like priests, are ordained ministers and must be men. They cannot celebrate Mass, the Catholic Church's central rite, but they are allowed to preach and teach in the name of the Church, and to baptise and conduct wake and funeral services.The Church barred women from becoming deacons centuries ago.Scholars debate the precise role of women deacons in the early Church. Some say they were ordained to minister only to other women, for instance in baptismal immersion rites. Others believe they were on a par with male deacons. (Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. ANKARA Turkey was pushed into a coup process in a "planned and programmed way" and is now experiencing conditions worse than after a military coup in 1980, the leader of the main opposition CHP, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said on Tuesday.He was speaking to his party in parliament a day after 13 journalists from a secularist opposition paper were detained on accusations of supporting the July 15 failed coup, in which rogue soldiers tried to seize power, killing more than 240 people. (Reporting by Gulsen Solaker and Ayla Jean Yackley; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by David Dolan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. GENEVA A tank shell hit the United Nations office in western Aleppo on Sunday, damaging the top floors of a building that is well known to be the U.N. base in the contested Syrian city, a U.N. statement said on Monday.It is appalling that the building that houses the U.N. offices was directly targeted," the top U.N. official in Syria, Ali Al-Zatari, said in a statement. We strongly condemn the increased violence in all of Aleppo, east and west, which has resulted in the death and injury of scores of civilians, including children." The U.N. statement did not mention any people being hurt by the explosion, nor did it specify how it was known to be a tank shell, rather than any other type of munition, or which side was responsible for firing the shell. Rebel groups have launched an assault on western Aleppo in the past few days to try to lift a siege on the eastern half of the city, where an estimated 275,000 people, and 8,000 rebels, are surrounded by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Over 40 people have been killed and many more wounded by rockets indiscriminately launched by non-state armed groups on civilian areas in western Aleppo, the U.N. statement said. (Reporting by Tom Miles) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. WASHINGTON North Korea is preparing to launch an intermediate range ballistic missile within the next three days, Fox Business Network reported on Tuesday, citing two unidentified U.S. officials.The communist nation planned the launch for between 24 and 72 hours, the cable network reported. It would be the latest in a series of launches by the isolated country this year in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, supported by China, that ban all ballistic missile-related activities by the North. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Eric Walsh) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Democrat Hillary Clinton maintained her lead over Republican Donald Trump in their race for the White House, even in the wake of renewed scrutiny of her use of a private email server, a poll showed Monday. Barely a week from the election, the NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly poll showed Clinton's six-point national lead remained essentially unchanged since last week. FBI Director James Comey's announcement on Friday of the recent discovery of emails that could be "pertinent" to the agency's investigation of Clinton's use of a private email server while she served as secretary of state had little impact on voters, the 24-30 October online poll found. Results of the week's tracking poll showed that, in a four-way race including two "third-party" candidates, Clinton is supported by 47 percent of likely supporters while Trump maintains 41 percent support. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson dropped a single percentage point to six percent support, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein had three percent support. In a race with just the major party candidates, Clinton has a seven-point lead over Trump, with 51 percent in favor compared with his 44 percent, in the final stretch ahead of the 8 November election. The pollsters included questions about Comey's announcement on Saturday and Sunday. The poll showed likely voters were split on whether they thought the FBI announcement it was an important issue to discuss 55 percent or more of a distraction to the campaign 44 percent. For independent voters who do not lean toward either party, 68 percent said it was an important issue, while 31 percent said it was a distraction. The poll was conducted among 40,816 people considered likely voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus one percentage point. GET OUR APP Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Download it here. Twin Falls was in the New York Times again today, this time for an article on how Chobani has become a focus of ire for some right-wing media and opponents of refugee resettlement. The Greek yogurt giant, which runs what is said to be the biggest yogurt factory in the world in Twin Falls, is owned by Hamdi Ulukaya, who was born in Turkey and moved to New York in the 1990s, starting his company there and opening a factory in Twin Falls a few years ago. As well as coming from a Muslim background himself, Ulukaya has been involved in efforts to help refugees worldwide, and many of the employees at his Twin Falls plant are refugees. The article, by the Times David Gelles, talks about some of the coverage of Chobani and refugees by Breitbart and other right-wing online outlets, and includes a couple of quotes from Twin Falls Mayor Shawn Barigar: Soon the mayor of Twin Falls, Shawn Barigar, found himself at the center of a conspiracy theory. It got woven into a narrative that its all a cover-up, that were all trying to keep the refugees safe so that Chobani has its work force, that I personally am getting money from the Obama administration to help Chobani hire whoever they want, that its part of this Islamification of the United States, he said. Its crazy. As the online comments escalated this summer, Mr. Barigar and his wife received death threats. Many (if not most) of the threats referenced in the article poured in after the story came out about a 5-year-old girl who was, authorities have said, sexually assaulted at the Fawnbrook Apartments in June by three boys from refugee families. City officials and law enforcement didnt disclose anything publicly initially, as they normally dont in cases involving underaged suspects, but were pushed to talk about it after the story got traction on anti-Islamic and anti-refugee resettlement blogs that accused them of trying to cover the incident up. If youre headed back to school or have a child considering higher education next year, its time to start thinking about tuition. As college becomes more and more expensive, parents and students alike are scrambling for the best scholarships and grants. Unfortunately, scammers play on this daunting financial commitment. Better Business Bureau advises to be suspicious if a scholarship organization says the following: The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back. No legitimate organization, foundation, school or business scholarship is able to guarantee a student a scholarship. These false promises are one of the biggest red flags of a scam. Well do all the work. While applying for scholarships, students may come across some organizations that claim to be able to complete the application form for the student in exchange for compensation or a portion of the scholarship. Scholarship applications and essays generally request personal information and writing samples, which no one but the student should be able to provide. You have been selected by a national foundation to receive a scholarship. If you have not entered a competition sponsored by the foundation, this claim is highly unlikely. Any emails from an organization telling you that you have won a scholarship for which you never applied are most likely scams. Remember that scholarships are awarded to students after the application process; they are not given out to random students. This is a clear sign of a phishing email and should be immediately deleted; dont reply or click on any links. The scholarship has a small fee. No organization or foundation will require you to pay to apply for a scholarship. Even if they have a money-back guarantee, any upfront payment required with your application should be a clear sign of a scholarship scam. Do your research and understand the differences between scholarships, grants, federal loans and work study. Confirm scholarship offers with written agreements and ask school guidance counselors for additional history and information. Each year Better Business Bureau Northwest offers a Students of Integrity scholarship for students in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Alaska and Western Wyoming. For more information go to bbb.org/northwest. Gerald B. Wright of Fairfield and Bertha L. Marsh of Heyburn have unclaimed property. Its money in some form, and the state wants to give it back. The Idaho Treasurers Office provided this sampling of 75 people with unclaimed property valued at more than $100 whose last known addresses are in southern Idaho. To check for your name, visit yourmoney.idaho.gov or call 877-388-2942 or 208-332-2942. TWIN FALLS A popular sushi restaurant was on a roll before a fire destroyed the business in early October. Now, the owner is making plans to relaunch the restaurant with a new decor and name. Tony Tse, owner of Sushi Tokyo, got a call Oct. 9 from a neighboring business owner whod seen the smoke. When he discovered the extent of the damage, he was taken aback. Its totally destroyed, Tse said during an interview Monday. Everything has to be replaced. What wasnt damaged by the flames wasnt salvageable, he said: smoke and soot permeated through the restaurant, covering walls and equipment. Tse plans to reopen his business after a total interior remodel, and rename the restaurant Tokyo Restaurant. A reopening date has not been set. Were not sure what were doing yet, he said about the new interior. We will probably change the layout. The fire was reported shortly after 9 a.m. Oct. 9. Firefighters forced the door open after discovering sooty windows that were warm, Twin Falls Fire Department Capt. Eric Schmitzs said in the final report. Investigators determined that the fire had originated from a garbage can in the dish-washing and pantry area. I thought for sure it would have started in the kitchen, Tse recalled. Stray crumbs from the deep fryer had been placed in the garbage can after cooling, a common practice in restaurants, Tse said. The crumbs were disposed of at closing time, around 9:30 p.m. the night before, after theyd been set out to cool, he said. The first material to be ignited was oily paper towels and the ignition source for this fire was heating from spontaneous combustion, Fire Marshal Tim Louda wrote in his incident report. None of the neighboring businesses were damaged. The fire department report listed property and content losses of more than $46,000. Tse, who leases his portion of the building at 1111 Blue Lakes Blvd. N., has been working with his insurance company to determine the next steps. The restaurants equipment and interior walls have already been removed. While the fire was accidental. But, Tse said, We are going to change some practices. For example, the restaurant may implement a new procedure by leaving crumbs to cool in a metal pan overnight. Tse, whos lived in Twin Falls for 35 years, purchased Sushi Tokyo five years ago from Mishi Yoshiko. Its a unique restaurant, he said. It would have been a shame for Twin Falls to close a restaurant like this. Before reopening as Tokyo Restaurant, Tse will have to order specialty Japanese tools and decor. He believes Sushi Tokyo has brought more variety to Twin Falls cuisine, and employees have bonded with the customers. Tse had 15 employees prior to the closure and hopes to have everything up and running smoothly before reopening. Its nothing you could blame anybody for, he said. Its just a freak accident. JEROME A judge has dismissed two criminal cases against a Jerome restaurant owner accused of attempting to murder a 64-year-old mechanic who was having an affair with his wife. Isaac Licano-Serrano, 38, of Jerome was charged with felony counts of attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and kidnapping, but prosecutors filed stipulations to dismiss the charges Friday, and a judge signed the dismissal orders the same day. Prosecutors had originally argued Licano-Serrano, owner of Jeromes Tiger Stop convenience store and El Tigre Restaurant, was jealous last October over an affair between his wife and Ricardo Anacleto Nunez, a mechanic from Shoshone. They argued Licano-Serrano lured Nunez to his house Oct. 5, 2015, then shot him in the left shoulder and held him hostage while he sat bleeding on the ground. Nunez testified last year in court that Licano-Serrano allowed him to leave after two hours, at which time he drove himself to St. Lukes Jerome Medical Center. He was later flown to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Boise where he underwent at least two surgeries. Prosecutors cited the interest of justice as the reason for requesting the dismissals and wrote that all parties have entered into the agreement. Brad Calbo, the attorney for Licano-Serrano, declined to comment on the cases, and Jerome County Prosecutor John Horgan does not speak to the media. The Tiger Stop restaurant was closed for Halloween when a reporter called Monday evening, and Licano-Serrano did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Without an explanation from any of the parties, there are more questions than answers in a case that was never very straightforward to begin with. First, Nunez lied to police, telling them he was shot by several unknown men who ambushed him, put a bag over his head, held a knife to his neck and shot him when he stopped to urinate near 200 North and 200 East. Nunez was still telling police that same story a week later when Licano-Serranos niece came forward to tell police that her uncle confessed to her that he shot Nunez. Several other family members later told police they witnessed parts of the incident and saw Licano-Serrano standing over Nunez with a gun Oct. 5. The niece also told police Licano-Serrano was drinking, which was out of character for him because hes Mormon. She said Licano-Serrano confessed to shooting Nunez after discovering the older man was having an affair with his wife. She said her uncle, a native of Mexico but a 28-year resident of Idaho, was on his way to Utah and then Mexico. Licano-Serrano was arrested in Farmington, Utah, late last October. After Licano-Serranos arrest, Nunezs story changed. He told police Licano-Serrano shot him and admitted that it was over an affair he was having with the younger mans wife. During a preliminary hearing, he testified the reason he lied to police was because he wanted to get revenge. During preliminary hearings in both cases and in subsequent hearings, Calbo said Licano-Serrano acted in self-defense and hinted that Nunez had been stalking and harassing Licano-Serranos wife. He also insinuated that Nunez was the one who attacked Licano-Serrano, forcing the younger man to defend himself. What actually happened, though, remains unclear, but by dismissing the case in the interest of justice, prosecutors apparently now believe there is not evidence showing Licano-Serrano committed a crime. The case was dismissed without prejudice, however, meaning prosecutors could re-file charges if new evidence emerges that implicates Licano-Serrano in a crime. TWIN FALLS If youre worried about making the switch to 10-digit dialing, you can start practicing Saturday. In less than a year, Idaho residents will be required to dial 10 digits (area code, plus prefix, plus 4-digit number) for placing local calls. Thats because the state will issue a new area code 986 to new telephone numbers. To give residents ample time to program their phones and change their habits the Idaho Public Utilities Commission will allow 10-digit dialing for all local calls starting Saturday. The commission, as well as the telecommunications industry, wanted to allow plenty of time for customers to prepare for the change and get used to 10-digit dialing, Paul Kjellander, president of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission, said in a statement. Saturday kicks off a nine-month permissive dialing period when 10-digit dialing is optional. It becomes mandatory in August 2017. The 986 area code will be issued to new telephone numbers beginning next fall. No existing numbers will need to be changed. Long-distance and toll calling on landlines will still require callers to dial a 1 before the area code. Idahos second area code became necessary because available numbers with a 208 code are running out, mostly because of more cellphones and new technologies such as apps and security systems that require a phone number. Many devices can program phone numbers and contacts. The PUC suggests that customers change programmed numbers to include the area code. After August 2017, all calls even local calls placed without an area code will not go through. Rates will not change because of mandatory 10-digit dialing. Callers will still dial just three digits when calling 911, 211, 411 and 811. Customers may need to ensure some devices recognize 986 as a valid area code. Affected systems may include life-safety systems, facsimile machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, security gates, ankle monitors, speed-dialers, call-forwarding settings and voicemail services. They should contact their medical alert or security provider to see if equipment needs to be reprogrammed for 10-digit dialing. Idahos 208 code was issued in 1947. Neustar Inc., the administrator of the North American Numbering Plan, projected in 2001 that the state would run out of available 208 numbers by 2003. The commission delayed a second area code by 15 years by creating number-conservation plans. Even so, the move to 10-digit dialing is inevitable, regardless of whether Idaho had to acquire a second area code. Developing technology will eventually drive seven-digit dialing into obsolescence, the commission said. Thus, any future dialing change and relief planning will be eased by the implementation of 10-digit dialing now rather than later. The UK, US and the EU in addition to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar Monday discussed in London plans to support the Libyan economy and prevent the North African oil-rich country from sliding deeper in economic turmoil. Libya has been unable to recover from the fall of Muammar Gaddafis regime brought down in 2011 in a NATO-backed revolution. The oil-rich country and member of OPEC has been fragmented and run by two different governments claiming sovereignty over the countrys oil facilities UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) hashed out in December to reunite the country has been inefficient to address various challenges since arriving in capital Tripoli in March. GNA leader Faiez Serraj has faced standoff in expanding his power with several country figures still faithful to the rival government based in the East. The London meeting, co-chaired by UK foreign minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State John Kerry, aimed at ending cliff between Serraj and the head of the Libyan Central Bank (LCB) Saddek Elkaber as well as finding consensus in enforcing economic decisions, remained pending due to rivalries. Serraj reportedly charged Elkaber for failing to fix the liquidity shortage and protect the value of the dinar. The head of LCB hit back accusing the Western ally of not having any economic policy and ruining the country, Libya herald reports. Participants in the meeting, also attended by France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and UNSMIL Head Martin Kobler, underlined support for Serraj amid growing opposition from eastern-based government and affiliated parliament, House of Representatives (HoR) based in Tobruk. The ministers underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the GNA to respond to the needs of the Libyan people, US State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. The ministers also called upon all Libyan economic institutions to work together in support of this effort. Early September HoRs military arm led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar overran the countrys main oil terminals controlled by Serraj forces. The move sapped the GNAs financial capabilities to meet social challenges that have dogged Serrajs popularity. Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank. Al-Shabab Governor in central Somalia, Hassan Yaqoub on Monday said withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia bases is linked to the domestic crisis in the Horn African nation and that al Shabaab was delighted at the withdrawals. Ethiopian Communication Minister Getachew Reda has earlier explained at a news conference in the capital Addis Ababa that their decision was due to limited support in the fight against Al Shabaab and was not related to anti-government protests that have led to the imposition of a six-month state of emergency. The troops are not under the AMISOM mandate and are unfortunately not supported in their efforts to assist the Somali National Army The Somali National Army and the international community must take responsibility, Reda said. He also noted that the withdrawal does not affect the 4,400 Ethiopian contingents operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom.) Ethiopia has since July 2016 withdrawn its troops from neighboring Somalia. Territories that they leave are almost taken over by al Shabaab. The last withdrawal (on October 26) was in the town of Tayeglow in the Bakool region. A report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the personnel of the Nigerian Police Force, Army, vigilante groups and camp leaders of raping young girls and women in various internally displaced persons camps. The report released on Monday said 43 women and girls were sexually abused in seven internally displaced camps (IDP) in Maiduguri, capital of restive Borno state. According to the Rights watchdog, four of the victims were drugged and raped, while 37 claimed they were coerced into sex following false promises of marriage and financial assistance. The report read, Government officials and other authorities in Nigeria have raped and sexually exploited women and girls displaced by the conflict with Boko Haram. The government is not doing enough to protect displaced women and girls and ensure that they have access to basic rights and services or to sanction the abusers, who include camp leaders, vigilante groups, policemen, and soldiers. Describing the act as outrageous, a senior Nigeria researcher at HRW, Mausi Segun said, It is bad enough that these women and girls are not getting much-needed support for the horrific trauma they suffered at the hands of Boko Haram. It is disgraceful and outrageous that people who should protect these women and girls are attacking and abusing them. Following the release of the HRW report, President Buhari instructed the Inspector-General of Police, Idris Ibrahim, and governors of affected states to investigate the allegations. Their findings will determine the next course of action for the government and define an appropriate response, Buharis senior special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said in a statement. While the Nigerian military continues to work hard so that these unfortunate victims of Boko Haram terrorism can soon return safely to their homes, the government will do its best to ensure their protection and welfare in the temporary IDP camps, Shehu concluded. The Ivorian Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Monday evening released initial results of the constitutional referendum held on Sunday in the West African nation. Voters in the country and the diaspora were asked to approve a draft constitution containing provisions that the opposition contended will significantly strengthen the power of the presidency. Local reports have said the turnout fluctuated between 15% and 40% for each polling station lower than the 2015 presidential election when 54.6% of voters cast ballots. Despite the low turnout and reports of violence in some parts of the country, early results show the Yes ahead of the No in several regions. According to preliminary figures, the region of Bagoue took the lead in terms of participation. The region recorded 64.82%, followed by Bounkani (50.34%), the Hambol (61.76%) and Iffou (38.65%). Voters outside the country in South Africa for example stood out in terms of participation and vote rate cast for the Yes, with a 62.54% turnout and a 96.09% of Yes. Opposition parties had called for a boycott of the vote, arguing that the constitutional amendments were designed to further enhance President Alassane Ouattaras ruling coalition. Critics described the referendum is a monarchistic tactic and claim that President Ouattara is lining a successor for when his term ends in 2020. King Mohammed VI of Morocco has put off his visit to Ethiopia till after the conference on climate change COP22, to be held in Marrakesh on November 7-18. The decision to postpone the visit has been made in consultation with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Haile Mariam Dessalegn, the Royal Office said in a statement. The statement said that King Mohammed VI and Ethiopias Prime Minister held talks over the phone and agreed to postpone the visit to after the COP22. The two leaders underscored that the royal trip to Addis Ababa would be a milestone in promoting economic ties between the two countries and bringing their peoples closer. Ethiopia was scheduled as the last leg of the Moroccan Sovereigns recent eastern African tour, which kicked off on October 18 with a visit to Rwanda. The tour also led the King to Tanzania. In Kigali, King Mohammed VI held talks with Rwandan president Paul Kagame, and signed several cooperation agreements covering an array of sectors. His visit to Tanzania was also crowned by the signing of 22 cooperation agreements. Rwanda and Tanzania have both expressed their support to see the Kingdom return to the African Union (AU) and highlighted the valuable assets Morocco has to offer in terms of common African action. In a joint statement issued at the end of the Sovereigns official visit to Tanzania (Oct.23-25), President John Joseph Magufuli Pombe has expressed his countrys full support to Moroccos bid to rejoin the African Union and to retake its legitimate seat within the union. He voiced resolve to support and defend Moroccos return to the African institutional family during the next AU summit, scheduled for January 2017, adds the joint statement made public on Tuesday. White matter fiber architecture of the brain. Credit: Human Connectome Project. Our brain has a tough task every time we experience something new it must be flexible to take in new information instantly, but also stable enough to store it for a long time. And new memories may not be allowed to alter or overwrite old ones. The brain solves this problem by storing new information in two separate places the hippocampus, a short-term storage site with high plasticity and capacity that can absorb information quickly; and in a part of the cerebral cortex, the neocortex. This is slower to take in the information, but protects it for the long term and does not allow it to be overwritten. Researchers from the Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology at the University of Tubingen have been working with colleagues from Munich to discover how these two systems work together as we learn. Their findings have been published in the latest issue of PNAS. The hippocampus has been the focus of intense scrutiny by memory researchers since the late 1950s, when it was surgically removed from a patient known as H.M. who was thereafter unable to form new memories. It was largely unknown what role the neocortex played in memory or how the two regions interacted. In their experiments, the Tubingen researchers placed test subjects at a computer screen and into a virtual maze, where they had to find hidden objects. The longer the test persons moved through the maze, the better they became at understanding how it was set out and where the hidden objects were. While the test subjects were carrying out the task, their brain activity was recorded by an MRI scanner. In order to identify the brain region responsible for spatial memory, the researchers had a special trick. During one part of the experiment the maze did not change. This enabled the participants to slowly build up a spatial representation of it in their memories. In another part of the experiment, the maze changed constantly, so that the test subjects could not recognize it or learn a set path around it. "The comparison of the MRI images from the two mazes reveals which brain regions were specifically contributing to the formation of spatial memories," says Svenja Brodt, a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Training Center of Neuroscience and lead author of the study. "We were suprised that the activity of the precuneus, a region at the back of the neocortex, steadily increased, while the activity in the hippocampus steadily fell," Brodt explains. And communication between the two regions also fell during the learning process, according to Brodt. "These results enable us to demonstrate that the long-term, neocortical traces of memory are formed right when the information is first gathered," says Dr. Monika Schonauer, who supervised the study. She said the pace of this process was astounding. Researchers had always assumed that the process took place very slowly, lasting weeks or months. Professor Steffen Gais explains: "The astonishing thing is that the hippocampus ceases to participate in learning after such a short time." The number of repetitions appeared to have a key influence on how quickly a long-term, stable memory was formed in the neocortex. "An independent representation of the memory is formed in the precuneus," according to Brodt. "When the MRI showed activity in the precuneus of a test subject, we could predict whether the per-son would find one of the hidden objects in the maze or not." These latest findings provide important information about which regions store long-term memory. This could help doctors in the future to come up with better treatments for patients with dementia or disorders of the hippocampus. "But even for school situations, these results are important when it comes to learning straightforward material, such as vocab or times tables, both quickly and for the long term. According to our findings, there is no getting around the frequent repetition of material to be learned," Brodt says. It's never too late to reap the benefits of exercise, and that includes older adults with arthritis and other muscle and joint conditions, according to a study. Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) found that a low-impact exercise program in senior centers in New York City's Chinatown and Flushing, Queens communities helped decrease pain, improve mobility and enhance quality of life for many participants. The study, titled, "Effects of a Culturally Tailored Low-Impact Exercise Program for Chinese Older Adults in NYC," was presented at the American Public Health Association annual meeting on November 1 in Denver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Asian seniors had the highest rate of physical inactivity (defined as no physical activity beyond basic daily life activities), 29% of them lived in poverty, and 75% had limited English language proficiency in 2012. In addition, Chinese Americans were less likely to seek health care because of cost and language and cultural barriers. "In 2011, HSS developed the Asian Community Bone Health Initiative, a culturally-tailored low-impact exercise program aimed at improving musculoskeletal health in the underserved Chinese older adult community," said Minlun (Demi) Wu, MPA, research coordinator, Department of Public & Patient Education at Hospital for Special Surgery. "Joints will often stiffen if not used, and muscles will weaken if not exercised. Our bodies are meant to move, and inactivity leads to weakness and stiffness, and joints with arthritis often worsen with inactivity," said Theodore Fields, MD, director, Rheumatology Faculty Practice Plan at HSS. The exercise classes, which were free and open to community members, took place once a week for eight weeks. Participants performed chair and floor mat exercises using stretch bands and other gentle exercises. Certified bilingual instructors made the sessions culturally relevant by integrating Chinese breathing techniques and meditation into the program. A survey was distributed to participants before the classes started and again after they ended to evaluate pain, physical function, stiffness, fatigue, balance and other health indicators. A total of 256 adults completed the questionnaires between September 2011 and June 2016. Ninety-three percent of participants were female, and 73 percent were between 60 and 79 years of age. "Overall, the program was very well-received," said Wu. "After completing the classes, statistically significant differences were found in pain intensity, physical function, balance, and confidence about exercising without making symptoms worse." Participants also reported significant improvements in the ability to perform activities of daily living, such as lifting or carrying groceries; climbing stairs; bending, kneeling and stooping; and bathing and getting dressed. Additional findings: 84% of respondents reported less pain after participating in the program 95% of participants reported less stiffness 92% of participants reported less fatigue 95% of participants reported that their balance improved 100% of participants said they were very satisfied with the program and would recommend it to others "The study results are consistent with the experience of rheumatologists and with prior studies showing that exercise, even of mild degree, helps with pain," said Dr. Fields. "Getting people up and moving does appear to help with mood, pain and overall functioning." "Given the social and financial implications of musculoskeletal diseases, it is paramount to identify effective programs that reduce the impact of these debilitating conditions," said Wu. "Our findings indicate that implementing a bilingual low-impact exercise program can play an important role in pain relief, improved quality of life and improved levels of physical activity in the underserved Chinese community." The classes are ongoing and have become so popular there is a waiting list. More information: Study Title: Effects of a Culturally Tailored Low-Impact Exercise Program for Chinese Older Adults in NYC In a pilot study, F-18-florbetaben PET imaging appeared promising for differentiating between cardiac amyloidosis and hypertensive heart disease. Credit: W. Phillip Law/Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia Researchers at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Australia, have demonstrated that cardiac amyloidosis (abnormal deposits of proteins in the heart), which is notoriously difficult to diagnose, can be visualized noninvasively with positron emission tomography (PET) using the radiotracer fluorine-18 (F-18)-florbetaben. The study is published in the November issue of "The Journal of Nuclear Medicine." Amyloidosis eventually leads to dysfunction of the affected organs. When the heart is affected, the prognosis is extremely poor. Dr W. Phillip Law, the corresponding author of the study, explains, "The first signs and symptoms of the disease are nonspecific and usually attributed to other conditions. Currently, there is no definitive test to diagnose cardiac amyloidosis other than an invasive biopsy of the heart muscle. Cardiac amyloidosis is often not diagnosed until late in the course of the disease, as the typical appearance of the infiltrated myocardium on echocardiography and MRI can be mistaken for other more prevalent disorders." While previous research of amyloid radiotracers in the heart has used normal subjects as controls, this study compared subjects with thickened heart muscle secondary to amyloid deposition to those with thickened myocardium due to hypertensive heart disease. Being able to visualize and quantify amyloid deposition in heart muscle may provide an accurate and noninvasive means of diagnosing the disorder and also may be useful in monitoring disease burden. F-18-florbetaben PET was performed in 14 subjects. Target-to-background standardized uptake values (SUV) ratio and percentage myocardial radiotracer retention were higher in amyloid patients compared to hypertensive control subjects. A cut-off value of 40 percent was able to differentiate between cardiac amyloid patients and hypertensive control subjects. The study shows that F-18-florbetaben PET imaging can accurately identify and differentiate between cardiac amyloidosis and hypertensive heart disease. Percentage myocardial F-18-florbetaben retention was an independent determinant of myocardial dysfunction in cardiac amyloidosis. Looking ahead, Dr Law envisions, "Tailored molecular imaging with PET using florbetaben may significantly simplify the diagnostic algorithm for patients with suspected cardiac amyloidosis. Future studies investigating florbetaben uptake pattern in other [non-amyloid, non-hypertensive] causes of heart muscle thickening would further clarify the specificity of florbetaben." He adds, "The relationship of PET quantification of florbetaben retention in the heart, with histological amyloid plaque burden, may provide another means of monitoring disease and could also be useful in monitoring response of cardiac amyloid to treatment, but further research needs to be undertaken to investigate this relationship." More information: W. P. Law et al, Cardiac Amyloid Imaging with 18F-Florbetaben PET: A Pilot Study, Journal of Nuclear Medicine (2016). Journal information: Journal of Nuclear Medicine W. P. Law et al, Cardiac Amyloid Imaging with 18F-Florbetaben PET: A Pilot Study,(2016). DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.115.169870 Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) at intermediate surgical risk, and who are treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) had improved health status at one month compared with surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) but two-year quality of life outcomes were similar. Prior studies have shown that TAVR results in an early quality of life (QoL) benefit in patients at high surgical risk; however, the effect of TAVR versus. SAVR on QoL in intermediate risk patients was unknown prior to this study. Findings from the PARTNER II QUALITY OF LIFE study were reported today at the 28th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. Between 2011 and 2013, 2,032 intermediate risk patients with severe AS were randomized to TAVR with the SAPIEN XT valve (n=1,011) or SAVR (n=1,021) in the PARTNER II Trial. Quality of life was assessed on all patients at baseline, one, 12 and 24 months using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), SF-36 and EQ-5D. The study found that at two year follow-up, both TAVR and SAVR were associated with clinically and statistically significant improvements in disease-specific and generic QoL measures as compared with baseline. The two year change in KCCQ Overall Summary Score was 19.2 points with TAVR compared with 18.3 points for SAVR. Similarly, the two year change in the SF-36 Physical Component Summary Score was 3.0 points with TAVR versus 2.7 points with SAVR. In contrast, at one month, TAVR was associated with significantly better QoL than SAVR, but this difference was restricted to patients who were treated via transfemoral (TF) access and was not seen in patients that were treated via alternative (transapical or transaortic) access (p<0.01 for interaction). There were no significant differences between TAVR and SAVR in any QoL measures at one year or two years. "This study shows that among intermediate risk patients with severe AS, quality of life improved significantly and to a similar extent with TAVR and SAVR through two years. However, transfemoral (but not transthoracic) TAVR was associated with a substantial and clinically important early health status benefit compared with SAVR.," said lead investigator David J. Cohen, MD, MSc Director of Cardiovascular Research at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, MO. "We believe that these early differences in quality of life may be important to many patients who are suitable candidates for both procedures. Longer term follow up is needed to assess the durability of quality of life improvement with TAVR versus SAVR in this intermediate risk population." The PARTNER II trial was funded by Edwards Lifesciences. Dr. Cohen reports research grant support from Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Abbott Vascular, and Boston Scientific, and consulting income from Medtronic and Abbott Vascular. The results of the PARTNER II QUALITY OF LIFE trial will be presented on Tuesday, November 1 at 9:20 AM ET in the Main Arena (Ballroom, Level 3) of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. UAE low-cost airline opens new flights to Azerbaijan Air Arabia, a low-cost airline of the UAE, is opening direct Sharjah-Baku flights, UAE media reported.According to the reports, the launch of flights is a result of joint cooperation between Air Arabia, Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC and the authorities, and is aimed at the development of a new route linking Baku and Sharjah.Air Arabia will start flights from Sharjah International Airport on March 16, 2017.The flights will be operated four times a week.On Thursdays and Sundays, flights from Sharjah will be at 7:55 (UTC/GMT +4) with arrival at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku at 10:50 (UTC/GMT +4). The return flight from Baku will be at 11:30 with arrival in Sharjah at 14:10.On Tuesdays and Saturdays, flights from Sharjah will be at 14:55 with arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport at 17:50. On these days, the return flight from Baku will be at 18:50 with arrival in Sharjah at 21:30.Tickets are already available for booking on the companys official website. Sharjah-Baku-Sharjah round trip tickets will cost $273 on March 16-23.Baku gives an opportunity to witness fusion of history and modern urbanism, Air Arabia Director General Adel Ali said in a press release.The opening of new Air Arabia flights will contribute to increasing trade volume and tourism between the two countries. We thank Azerbaijans authorities for all their efforts and cooperation which helped to launch a new route connecting Sharjah and Baku, said Ali. Norwegian visas easy for Georgia By Messenger Staff Norway has put Georgia on the list of those countries for which quotas for examination of visa applications are increased.This means Georgian citizens will receive Norwegian visas more easily.The immigration directorate of Norway has renewed the categories and Georgia has been put into the yellow category from the orange category'. .Countries are annually divided into categories in Norway, and the list of categories is reviewed every year according to the countries effective visa policy, security and stable political situation.In addition, travelling to Switzerland has recently become easier and cheaper for Georgian citizens.From January 1 2014, Georgian citizens (businessmen, journalists, or people with family members with a living permit in Switzerland) were granted long-term multi-entry visas. The visas were processed within 10 days.Bulgaria also simplified visa issuing procedures for citizens of Georgia .The Foreign Ministry of Bulgaria said last year that citizens of Georgia who had previously held a Bulgarian visa could now benefit from short-term double or multiple-entry visas valid for one year.There are also some other countries, Slovenia among them, who simplified visas for Georgian citizens.Such news is always welcome, as this means Georgia is progressing and is considered safe for other nations.The simplifying of visas positively influences people-to-people relations and plays a positive role in attracting investments or deepening other ties. via @KyraGurney On Monday, the president of a national teachers union had a stark message for aspiring educators at Florida International University: if Donald Trump is elected president, public education as we know it is over. "He has said through his surrogates that he will decimate public education," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, addressing students from FIU's teacher prep program. "His plan on the federal role would be to take $20 billion dollars out of current existing funds and give it to states so they can do anything with it including giving it to vouchers and charters and whatever with no accountability whatsoever." Weingarten, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, criticized the now defunct Trump University, saying that Trump's "template for higher education" amounted to the "exploitation of kids." "Hillary Clinton's proposals reflect that she understands and believes in public education and Donald Trump's proposals reflect that he would go back to an environment of austerity, competition and privatization," she said. via @SteveRothaus Angry their national organization refused to endorse Donald Trump for president, LGBTQ Log Cabin Republicans of Miami on Monday announced their full support for the 2016 GOP nominee. Its huge, Miami chapter president Vincent Foster told the Miami Herald. A lot of our membership was upset. We were ready to risk everything and go our separate way to support our most supportive Republican presidential candidate for the LGBT community. On Oct. 22, the national LCR organization issued a statement about Trump, calling him perhaps the most pro-LGBT presidential nominee in the history of the Republican Party. The Washington, D.C.-based group then declined to endorse him: As Mr. Trump spoke positively about the LGBT community in the United States, he concurrently surrounded himself with senior advisors with a record of opposing LGBT equality. You can say the LCR nationals decision was a big surprise to me and the rest of the members of our chapter, Foster said. On Oct. 26, 20 members of the Miami LCR chapter met in a Coral Gables office and unanimously voted to endorse Trump. More here. Photo credit: Evan Vucci, Associated Press via @adamsmithtimes Not all of the four million votes already cast in Florida are created equal. Yes, we have a one-person-one-vote system (well, except maybe in Miami-Dade), but getting sporadic voters to cast ballots early can be more valuable than convincing people already certain to vote to vote before election day. Ashley Walker, senior Florida adviser to the For Our Future, super PAC, said Democrats are better positioned on that front when one looks at the Floridians who already have voted. "Thirty percent of our voters are sporadic voters, versus 24.8 percent of GOP," she said. "But even more telling, when you look at your three of threes -- your people who have voted in every one of the last three presidential elections 56 percent of GOP's voters are voters who are going to show up (any way), compared to 47 percent of Democratic voters who are tried and true. I feel good that we are turning out more sporadic voters than they are." Walker spoke to reporters on a conference call she held with other Democratic partners in the voter mobilization efforts including Angel Darcourt, Florida Field Director at Working America; Jerry Green, Florida Outreach Director for Vote Vets; and Jared Norlund, Florida Field Director at NCLR Action PAC. The groups are supplementing the efforts of the Clinton campaign and Democratic party and aiming to build a lasting political infrastructure to help Democrats in 2018 and beyond. Walker 1/3 Latino, Walker said her super PAC signed up 132,000 people to vote by mail - 65 percent female, nearly half black, one third Hispanic, and 41 percent first time voters. "Just last week our team in the North Miami office identified 17 people who said they wanted to vote early but didn't know a way to get there," Walker said. "So on Saturday morning our team coordinated with each other to pick up those voters and take them to early vote before they started canvassing that day. Every vote matters. --ADAM C. SMITH, Tampa Bay Times @PatriciaMazzei Alicia Machado is back on the Florida campaign trail for Hillary Clinton on the last days before the election. The former Miss Universe introduce Clinton at a Dade City rally Tuesday afternoon -- and hit an early-voting site in Miami on Wednesday. Machado, who is Venezuelan-American, will greet voters at the Shenandoah public library, according to Clinton's team. (Clinton herself will campaign Tuesday night in Fort Lauderdale.) Clinton's camp released a new TV ad Tuesday -- airing in Florida and other battleground states -- highlighting Donald Trump's comments about women, including his 2005 caught-on-tape comment that you can "grab them by the pussy" (which has been bleeped from the commercial). In one week, voting ends and Florida could become the latest state to legalize medical marijuana. Called Amendment 2 on ballots, an initiative seeks to let doctors recommend marijuana for patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and other debilitating conditions. This is the second time in as many years that Floridians have voted on medical marijuana. Recent polls suggest about 70 percent of likely voters support Amendment 2. But back in 2014, a similar amendment on the ballot failed with 57.6 percent of the vote shy of the 60 percent required to pass. Its enlightening to look at a map of what parts of the state were strongholds for Amendment 2 in 2014. Geographic and demographic trends emerge pretty quickly: The states largest urban counties tended to favor Amendment 2, as did Leon and Alachua counties, home of college towns Tallahassee and Gainesville. As well, notice a big block of yes votes in South Florida. Opposition is shored up in rural areas of Central and North Florida. Traditionally conservative suburban areas in Collier and Nassau counties generally opposed Amendment 2 as well. But note that even many counties where a majority of voters supported Amendment 2 like Miami-Dade or Hillsborough didnt push past the 60-percent mark. The most supportive counties: Monroe (71.8%), Broward (67.9%) and Leon (67.8%). And Amendment 2s biggest opponents: Hardee (39.7%), Holmes (41.1%) and Sumter (42.3%). You can explore our map below: Kimberly Bentley, a district director for downtown-area Commissioner Ken Russell, was stopped by a Miami police officer late Thursday night outside Brasserie Brickell Key and charged with misdemeanor battery. Bentley, 34, is accused of striking an employee of the restaurant after being asked to leave. Russell responded to a text and phone call by issuing an emailed statement. I am aware that an incident took place on Thursday night involving Kimberly Bentley outside of work. I do not yet know all of the facts and am not inclined to comment on what happened, the statement said. I can say that Ms. Bentley is a highly valued member of my team who has been serving the community and my office without any problem. Russell did not respond to follow-up questions. A phone call and text to Bentleys cell phone Tuesday evening were not immediately returned. 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For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page Coming soon Diabetes Day St. Patrick Hospital has scheduled the event from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at the Broadway Building, 500 S. Higgins Ave. There will be free blood pressure and weight checks plus health fair exhibits, and $5 A1C tests (blood tests that provide information about a persons average levels of blood sugar over the past three months) for the first 200 people. For information, and to register, call 406-329-5781 or visit montana.providence.org. Free wellness presentations The St. Francis of Assisi Health and Wellness Ministry is hosting the following free wellness presentations Thursdays at the St. Francis Pastoral Center, 411 S. Fifth St., in Hamilton: Memory & Aging: Whats Normal and Whats Not? with Alan Baum, certified dementia/geriatric specialist, 3 and 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3 Reduce Stress & Fatigue Promote Focus & Relaxation with Joan Morgan, occupational therapist, 3 p.m. Dec. 1. Massage clinics The University of Montana Physical Therapy Student Association will offer massages throughout October as a fundraiser. The clinics are scheduled 6-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday in Skaggs Building Room 129. The cost is $12 for 20 minutes or $20 for 40 minutes. Only cash or checks will be accepted. To make an appointment, call 406-243-4753. Red Cross blood drives The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a readily available blood supply for emergencies. Donors of all blood types are needed. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor app, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767. Donors are encouraged to make appointments and complete the RapidPass online health history questionnaire at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass to help reduce wait times. Upcoming blood drives: Missoula: 3-7:15 p.m. Thursday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3201 Bancroft St.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Missoula Blood Donation Center, 2401 N. Reserve St., Suites 6 and 7; 2-6 p.m. Monday, Missoula Blood Donation Center. 3-7:15 p.m. Thursday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3201 Bancroft St.; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, Missoula Blood Donation Center, 2401 N. Reserve St., Suites 6 and 7; 2-6 p.m. Monday, Missoula Blood Donation Center. Ronan: 10 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Ronan High School, 421 Andrew St. Red Willow Center For more information on the following classes at the learning center, 825 W. Kent, call 406-721-0033 or visit redwillowlearning.org: "Soul Collage," 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, $45. "Reiki Circle," 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11, free. "Caregiving for Veterans," 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, free for caregivers, spouses or partners of veterans. "Building Psychological Resilience with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy," Nov. 15-Dec. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, $165. "Basics of Resilience," 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, free. "Restorative Yoga," Nov. 21-Dec. 12, 6-7:30 p.m. Mondays, $75. "Yoga for Round Bodies," Nov. 23-Dec. 21, noon-1:15 p.m. Wednesdays, $50, doctor's release required. Ongoing classes include "Yoga for Wellness" at noon Mondays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Mindfulness Meditation" at 12:10 p.m. Tuesdays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Yoga Beyond Cancer" at 4 p.m. Tuesdays, $40 for four weeks; "Yoga for Wellness" at 10 a.m. Wednesdays, $12 or $40 for four weeks; "Yoga for Chronic Pain" at 5 p.m. Wednesdays, $40 for four weeks plus $50 for prerequisite screening' "Meditation for Veterans" at 1:15 p.m. Thursdays (no class Nov. 24) at Missoula Vet Center, 910 Brooks, free. Ongoing programs AA and Al-Anon For the latest Alcoholics Anonymous meetings list, visit aa-montana.org or call the Missoula hotline at 406-543-0011. For more information on Al-Anon and Alateen, which are 12-step recovery programs for relatives and friends whose lives have been affected by alcoholism, visit mt.al-anon.alateen.org. Acupuncture for cancer caregivers Missoula Community Acupuncture, located in the Radio Central Building, 127 E Main St., Suite 314, offers free acupuncture treatments for friends, family, nurses, doctors or anyone who takes care of cancer patients 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays. No appointment is necessary. For more information, call Michael Peluso at 406-926-1611. Adult Asperger's support group An open meeting for those with Asperger's as well as their family and friends is held 6-7:30 p.m. every Thursday at the University Center, Room 215, on campus. Contact Monique Casbeer at 406-721-3947 or Cindy Bacon Janego at cjanego@communitymed.org for more information. Alzheimers support Meets the second Wednesday of each month at noon at the Summit Independent Living conference room, 700 S.W. Higgins Ave. Another group meets the fourth Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Missoula Senior Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. For more information, contact Jackie Johnson at 406-549-3433 or jackiej45@yahoo.com. Alzheimers caregivers support group Meets the fourth Monday at 6:30 p.m. of each month at the Missoula Senior Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. For more information, call Jackie Johnson at 406-549-3433. Arthritis programs The Montana Arthritis Program offers physical activity and self-management education programs, such as the Arthritis Foundation Exercise Program, Walk with Ease and Stanfords Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Classes are available in several communities including Florence, Hamilton, Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Plains and Polson. To find a class or for more information, visit dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/arthritis. Bereavement support groups Frontier Hospice offers open door meetings 6-7 p.m. Thursdays at the following locations: The Springs at Whitefish on the first Thursday; Rising Mountains Assisted Living Community in Bigfork on the third Thursday; and Frontier Hospice in Kalispell on the second and fourth Thursdays. Call 406-755-4923 for more information. Breast cancer support group Meets the first and third Wednesday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon at the Montana Cancer Center, St. Patrick Hospital Broadway Building, second floor. Call 406-329-5656. Cancer Center support group Meets noon-1:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Montana Cancer Center, 500 W. Broadway. For more information, call Bonnie at 406-240-0996. Cancer Resource Guide The online guide covers resources including support groups, treatment centers, camps and retreats, in Missoula, Mineral and Ravalli counties. It is available at cancerresourcesMT.org. Cancer support group A support group for anyone affected by cancer meets noon-1 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays at the Polson United Methodist Church, 301 16th Ave. For more information, call Tammy at 406-883-7284 or 406-824-2868. Celebrate Recovery The Christian-based 12-step recovery program meets 6-9:30 p.m. every Friday at Christian Assembly Foursquare Church, 1001 Cleveland St. Dinner is available from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and child care is provided for ages birth to 11. For more information, call 406-721-6884 or email cafc@4bible.com. Cheerful Heart Lake County cancer patients in treatment can receive a massage and help with hair and skin problems, free of charge, from local therapists and cosmetologists. Other non-medical services include transportation to treatment and doctor appointments, running errands, yard work and meal preparation. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 406-883-3070. Colorectal Cancer Support Group Meets 1-2 p.m. the third Friday of every month through March 20, Community Cancer Care Conference Room, 2827 Fort Missoula Road. "Coping, Education & Support for Women with All Cancer Types" The support group for women in all stages of cancer treatment or survivorship will be held noon-1:30 p.m. the second Monday of every month through March 14, 2016, at the Community Cancer Care Conference Room, 2837 Fort Missoula Road. For more information, call Deb Rivey at 327-3912, Terri Paxinos at 406-327-3957 or Kimberly Hardwick at 406-327-3906. Diabetes program At 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month, there will be a short presentation on a topic related to the management of Type 1 diabetes at the YMCA, 3000 S. Russell St. It will be followed by the option for socializing in the foyer or being active together at the Y. A fee of $5 per person will be collected at the door for those choosing to use the facility. Designed for ages 14 and older, children are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent/caregiver. Double Trouble in Recovery The 12-step program for people with mental health and addiction issues meets 3-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Winds of Change Recovery Mall, 2685 Palmer St., No. C (second floor). Coffee is provided. For more information, call Veronica at 406-721-2038. Epilepsy support group Meets the first Monday of the month from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Summit Independent Living Center, 700 S.W. Higgins Ave., Suite 101. Patients, friends, family and caregivers welcome. Call Debbie at 406-721-0707 for more information. Free health exams Women ages 30 to 64 who meet necessary income guidelines and either have no health insurance or have insurance that will not pay for breast and cervical health exams can receive free exams through Partnership Health Centers Montana Cancer Screening Program. Call 406-258-4162 for more information. Gentle yoga class The Missoula Senior Citizen Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave., offers a class that focuses on balance training, back strength and core conditioning through gentle yoga matwork every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9 a.m. Fee is $4 per class. All ages welcome. For more information, call 406-543-7154. Health Insurance Assistance Service Montana cancer patients can call the American Cancer Societys 24-hour toll-free number to be connected to a health insurance specialist to ask about coverage and insurance programs specific to the state. The number is 800-227-2345. Mens cancer support group Open to men in all phases of testing, treatment and followup, the group meets the fourth Tuesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Montana Cancer Center, 500 W. Broadway. It is facilitated by Gary Weisbrich and Tom King. Call 406-329-5628 or email gary.weisbrich@providence.org for more information. Narcotics Anonymous Meets at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Alano Club, 8 Third Ave. W., Polson. Call 406-883-4135. National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI Missoula meets every Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon in the lower level (behind the cafeteria) of the Providence Center. It is open to anyone affected by mental illness or interested in learning more about the group. The NAMI Connection group for adults living with mental illness meets 1:30-3 p.m. Thursdays at the NAMI offices, 202 Brooks St., Room 210. Call 406-880-1013 with questions. NAMI Family Support Group National Alliance on Mental Illness Missoula meets Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St., in Room 210. The peer-led support for adult family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals with mental illness is free. For more information, call 406-880-1013 or email namimissoula@gmail.com. My No-Nonsense Nutrition Program A seven-week webinar course to improve your nutrition and fitness. Faith-based approach to better health. Free initial consult with Judy Gilman, registered nurse, diabetes and wellness educator. mynononsensenutrition.com or 406-546-7819. Overeaters Anonymous Local meetings include 7 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 202 Brooks St. A meeting for newcomers is at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday followed by a "Back to Basics" meeting at 7 p.m. at St. Paul's. Everyone who wants to stop eating compulsively is welcome. There are no dues, weigh-ins or lectures. For more meeting information, visit oa.org. SAA For the latest Sex Addicts Anonymous meeting list visit saa-recovery.org, call the Missoula hotline at 406-241-4005 or email MissoulaBetterway@yahoo.com. SAA is a 12-step fellowship of men and women who share experience, strength and hope for the purpose of finding freedom from addictive sexual behavior and helping others recover from sex addiction. S-Anon Local meetings are held weekly for this recovery program for people affected by another persons sexual behavior. Visit sanonmontana.org or call 406-544-1271 to learn more. Stroke and Brain Injury Support Group Meets the second Thursday of each month from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Providence Center, 902 N. Orange St., in the dining area on the fourth floor. For details, call 329-5784. Tai Chi for Arthritis Class offered 9:15 a.m. Mondays at the Missoula Senior Citizens Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave. $4 per class. All ages welcome. Tai Chi Chih Classes are offered at the following locations: Missoula Senior Citizens Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave., 9:15 a.m. Wednesdays, $4 per class; PEAK Health & Wellness Center, 5000 Blue Mountain Road, 11 a.m. Tuesdays, call 251-3344; and The Womens Club, 2105 Bow St., 9 a.m. Fridays, call 728-4410. TOPS Take Off Pounds Sensibly, an affordable, nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness organization, meets at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Christian Church, 2701 S. Russell St. Another TOPS meeting is 6:30 p.m. Monday at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 2512 Sunset Lane. For additional meetings, go to tops.org, click on "Find a Meeting" and enter your ZIP code or call 800-932-8677. A founder of the Black Lives Matter movement heads to the University of Montana this week to kick off DiverseU's annual forum about diversity. Patrisse Cullors will be at the University Center Ballroom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Cullors was named by the Los Angeles Times as a "Civil Rights Leader for the 21st Century" and has delivered keynote addresses at more than 12 campuses this year, including Cornell University and the University of Notre Dame, according to her online biography. At UM, Cullors will speak about the Black Lives Matter movement and participate in a Q&A at an event that's free and open to the public. "The most important thing is that we're not trying to cater to people of a certain opinion," said Chloe Reynolds, coordinator for DiverseU. "We're trying to get people from diverse backgrounds and differing opinions to come talk to each other because I think that's the only way we can learn about topics like this." DiverseU is an annual symposium launched more than a decade ago under former UM vice president of student affairs Teresa Branch, said Adrianne Donald, associate director of the University Center. Faculty, staff and students present sessions on topics related to diversity and social justice. The Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black man. In 2012, Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, 17, in a Florida neighborhood. In recent years, national attention has turned to fatal law enforcement shootings of unarmed black men, and this fall, institutional racism was a topic in at least one presidential debate. According to an analysis published in 2016 by the Washington Post, "black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers." However, the Black Lives Matter website notes the movement goes beyond race and gun violence, and it aims to address "all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state." "The Black Lives Matter is kind of a huge deal right now, and we're just trying to start that conversation on campus," said Reynolds, a junior and journalism major. "DiverseU is all about starting dialogue and civic discourse. And having a speaker from Black Lives Matter is part of that." *** Earlier this semester, the posters advertising the event were removed, re-posted, and removed again, Donald said. "We do believe they were intentionally removed," Donald said. The third time around, DiverseU placed the posters in hard-to-reach areas. But many people have expressed interest in the event, Reynolds said. The coordinator believes that many people assume Montana lacks diversity because it's largely white. "But obviously, that's not true," Reynolds said. "There's all different kinds of diversity. We do have a lot of students from various ethnic backgrounds, and I think at least showing that we are willing to have this conversation and campus is a place where that can happen is sending a good message." Reynolds also said it's tricky to ensure the event will draw a wide representation of the campus community and won't just preach to the choir. "You can never really tell who is going to show up, but we're just trying to blast this event out and hope that people of various opinions show up." Alexi Corbett can take better notes this year in her public administration class in the Liberal Arts Building at the University of Montana. When she's sitting too far away to read the board her teacher is using, she turns to a wall closer to her seat. In some newly renovated rooms, screens take up a whole wall, and the presentation or video an instructor is showing on a large display also appears on another smaller screen mounted on another wall. "It's absolutely making a really big difference having them on multiple walls," said Corbett, a junior. This school year, the College of Humanities and Sciences cut the ribbon on six new technologically advanced classrooms in a building that should be considered a crown jewel at UM. Most students take multiple classes in the LA Building, which houses 30 classrooms that see 600 students in all each semester. A while back, Dennis Eck stepped into the building at the school he'd graduated from in 1968, according to the UM Foundation. The businessman and philanthropist saw that the classrooms hadn't changed a bit, so he and his wife, Gretchen, donated $4 million to bring modern technology and a better environment to the cornerstone of liberal arts on campus. The result is a significant push to transform the structure built more than 50 years ago into a contemporary showcase for technologically savvy teaching and learning at UM and the first of multiple phases. In the new rooms, the seats are comfortable they're not the old-fashioned chairs with a little desk slab attached. The air is cool not sweltering as before and natural light comes in from the windows. And in the "technological corridor," professors have modern presentation tools at the ready. "It's nice to finally meet students where they are in terms of their technological capabilities," said Sara Rinfret, assistant professor of political science at UM. *** Rinfret recently taught a class in public administration where some 29 students discussed the Columbine shooting. She showed a video on one screen in LA304 that took up the better part of a wall, and on another smaller screen, she posed a question: "In your opinion, what lesson has been learned since the Columbine shooting?" A student from a tiny town in Montana said rifles in the back of pickup trucks are still commonplace and not a big deal at her old high school. Another student, though, said students used to check their guns at his old junior high during hunting season, but now they get expelled for having a firearm on campus. On this day, Rinfret links a video from her laptop to the big screen, but she can also write on the interactive "smart" wall. She can also ask any student in the room to use a smartphone to beam up a homework assignment onto the wall for others to see. She can save a brainstorming exercise with students' comments and send it to them as well. And if she needs a larger space, she can push the entire screen up and away into the ceiling, and open up the room. She can easily push all the tables and chairs around because they're all on rollers. The new classrooms have varying degrees of technological advancements, from "pretty cutting edge" to "fully loaded," and they're dedicated to the Ecks' grandchildren. The donors' quiet lesson for their grandchildren is that when a person has enough, it's good to be generous, said associate dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences Jenny McNulty. *** The improvements for students go beyond the technological enhancements, McNulty said, and she's excited to see the next phase of improvements begin in December. "It's the whole setting. It's a nice environment," McNulty said. Come winter session, the noisy part of the next round of construction will begin, and the project is slated to take some six months. The college will redo "the dungeon," a larger basement classroom, and it will also add an entrance and foyer. "We're going to put a new entryway on the building so we can have our presence felt on the Oval," McNulty said. Comma-Q and CTA Architects Engineers, both of Bozeman, did the architecture, and Dennis Lower did the construction. The college held focus groups with students, faculty and staff to get feedback on the renovation, and the message from students was grim, McNulty said. "We get out of that building as fast as we can," she summarized. It isn't a place to gather and collaborate yet, but it will be once the next phase is complete, she said. In addition to a foyer on the main floor, the students will have a lounge on the second floor, and possibly a coffee cart; the third floor will have a quieter student and faculty space. Walls in the lounges will have "IdeaPaint," a paint that serves as a dry-erase board. *** The immediate phases of renovation are part of a large-scale long-range building plan also funded with the gift from the Ecks, McNulty said. In the coming legislative session, the UM College of Humanities and Sciences is asking for $6.3 million to fix "critical building infrastructure needs," including ones required for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. On the list are roofing, insulation, HVAC, plumbing, restrooms, electrical, and asbestos abatement. "As state support is realized, Dennis and Gretchen Eck have pledged to join the State of Montana in supporting more classroom renovations in the building with an additional gift of $2.6 million," according to the college. Writing 101 is taught in the building, as are history, political science, philosophy, languages and more. McNulty would like every student who spends four years at UM to have at least one course in one of the new classrooms. "A lot of students come in and out, not just students who are majoring," she said. In the 1980s, after the previous decade's energy crisis, UM stuccoed over the original windows. Bringing natural light back into the building is part of the remodel, McNulty said. At UM, she said, students should be able to see the autumn colors around the Oval and snow on the mountains from their classrooms. "It's so beautiful to look out at our campus," she said. Science education's makeover is taking hold in Montana and across the United States, while test scores show only slight growth or none in some cases. Every year, students across the nation take parts of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test, administered by the U.S. Department of Education. It's dubbed the Nation's Report Card. NAEP tests fourth-, eighth- and 12th-graders in math, reading, science, writing, arts, civics, economics, geography, history, and technology and engineering Literacy. It's the same test everywhere, and is used as a common metric to measure progress nationwide, state-to-state and year-to-year. State NAEP assessments are given to a sample of students. The NAEP science scores from 2015 released last week show a slight uptick nationwide and in Montana. The issue, said University of Montana professor of chemical education Mark Cracolice, is that kids these days learn facts (declarative knowledge) rather than being able to reason scientifically (procedural knowledge). Cracolice and his colleagues have been tracking their students over the past couple of decades and have "seen a fairly steady decline over time" in procedural knowledge. "We're trying to row a boat upstream, and the current's getting swifter," he said. "I think we're actually making some progress in the school system. The problem is it's not the right kind of progress." *** Some of that change comes through revised science standards. Sixteen states have adopted the Next Generation Science Standards, a framework developed by a 26-state group in 2013. Montana's Board of Public Education adopted new science standards in September, the first revision in a decade. They'll go into effect next school year. State officials are quick to point out that Montana's standards, while similar to Next Generation, are not identical. "The NAEP test ... has not changed, but our standards are becoming more rigorous," said Office of Public Instruction communications director Emilie Ritter Saunders. Standards are a form of declarative knowledge, Cracolice argues. Since the NAEP tests were first administered 20 years ago, science scores have remained relatively stagnant nationwide, in all grades: hovering around 150 on a 300-point scale. The Department of Education cautions against comparing NAEP science scores to those before 2009 because of changes to the test that year. Cracolice doesn't see scores rising any time soon with the implementation of Next Generation. "I think it will be more of the same because we're not really addressing the true problem," he said. "We've got to develop students' ability to think. That's the issue, not refining what we're teaching. With the Next Generation Science Standards, one of the big pushes is to increase the emphasis on the integration of engineering and technology into math and science. "That's just content. You learn about a scientific principle and the engineering application of it ... it's still addressing content and not procedural knowledge." *** Nationally, 38 percent of fourth-graders were deemed proficient in science, up slightly from 34 percent in 2009. Montana was unchanged: 44 percent of fourth-graders were proficient in both 2015 and 2009. Eighth-graders showed little change, as well. Nationwide, 34 percent were proficient up from 32 percent in 2011 and 30 percent in 2009. In Montana, 43 percent were proficient down from 46 percent in 2011 and 45 percent in 2009. Gaps start to appear when comparing white students to minority students, and students coming from low-income families to those who don't. Nationally, 20 percent of Native American fourth-graders and 16 percent of Native eighth-graders were proficient in science. Montana falls below the nationwide average: 14 percent of Native fourth-graders and 9 percent of Native eighth-graders were proficient. "We know that an achievement gap does exist between white and American Indian students," Ritter-Saunders said. "That's why the Schools of Promise is such important work. It's tough work, and it will take time to be realized." In 2010, OPI launched Schools of Promise, a federal grant-funded program to provide resources to Montana's lowest-performing schools. Nine schools in six communities, all on reservations, have participated. Montana's new science standards also incorporate Indian Education for All, a state law to integrate Native culture into students' education. Perhaps most striking was the students who fell into NAEP's "below basic" category, the lowest-performing group. In Montana, 44 percent of Native fourth-graders and 62 percent of Native eighth-graders were in below basic, both up from prior years. At least 25 percentage points separated students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch and those who weren't. In the United States, 22 percent of fourth-graders and 18 percent of eighth-graders eligible for the National School Lunch Program were proficient, compared to 55 percent of fourth-graders and 52 percent of eighth-graders not in the program. It was similar in Montana, though they were above the national average: 29 percent of NSLP fourth-graders and 28 percent of NSLP eighth-graders were proficient, compared to 55 percent of fourth-graders and 55 percent of eighth-graders not in the program. "We know there's more work to be done there," Ritter Saunders said. Students coming from low-income families worry about the basics food, housing, transportation and that can take priority over school. "It's going to be tough to stay with your peers and get ahead," she said of kids missing school. "A kid who comes to school who didn't get dinner the night before or breakfast that morning is going to have a tougher time sitting down in science and math class and keeping up. We have to make sure children's basic needs are being met to succeed in the classroom." Officials warn not putting too much weight on a single test. "NAEP is one tool for educators for measuring a sample of students," Ritter Saunders said. "It's one assessment on one day. It can help paint a picture, but it's not the whole story. "They're (educators) doing summative and formative assessments all the time in their classrooms. Teachers are constantly measuring their students to make sure they're keeping up." *** Teachers need more support, especially in professional development, Cracolice said. "Students don't have a lot of physical experience with objects," he said. "Everything is becoming video-oriented ... without actually having kids, basically, get their hands dirty, go outside, play with nature and see how it works." Students, particularly high-schoolers, need to do more hands-on activities, he said. "I think most teachers want to do more hands-on activities in high school classrooms, but it's really difficult for them to do it because of restrictions on their time," he said. "It's really time-consuming to do preps of labs and tear-downs. It's a unique problem for science teachers." That's not to mention the cost involved with labs, and ensuring safety. "There's only so many hours in a day, and they feel like they have to cover everything for Next Generation," he said. "When they do that, it slows them down and takes up a lot of their time." A Helena-based engineering firm donated half the cost of a preliminary design for the last unbuilt connection on the Highway 200 trail that, when finished, would allow non-motorized travel from Turah to Hamilton. Ross Mollenhauer, a civil engineer with Morrison & Maierles Missoula office, said he brought the idea to his boss after reading a Missoulian story from August detailing construction on the bridge connecting the Kim Williams trail to the Canyon River trail, which their firm worked on as well. I was kind of excited, Mollenhauer said. A lot of us here are outdoorsy people who are involved in the community and we like to give back. They got in touch with Friends of 2 Rivers, a nonprofit heading up funding requests for the project, and offered their services. The preliminary survey information would be used to apply for a Montana Department of Transportation grant. Gary Matson, treasurer of the Friends of 2 Rivers nonprofit, said they hadnt figured out how they were going to secure the preliminary survey information, and hoped that maybe a retired engineer would donate time. We didnt go around and solicit firms. They came to us, Matson said. Its not too often that a firm contributes an amount like that to do a study. Morrison & Maierle donated a little over $5,200 in work on the project, about half the cost of the job. Friends of 2 Rivers asked the Board of County Commissioners to fund the rest, which they approved Tuesday. The construction of the trail will be paid for out of 2014s $24 million trails bond, but that money can't fund preliminary designs, county Parks and Trails Coordinator John Stegmaier said. We dont even know what its going to cost, Commissioner Jean Curtiss said. Thats the dilemma. Instead, Parks and Trails took the $5,247 in matching funds from their capital fund. This section of the trail along Highway 200 would be the final connector between Bonner and Hamilton, after a few in-progress pieces like the Canyon River bridge and the South Reserve Street pedestrian bridge are finished in the coming weeks. That part of Highway 200 hugs the river along a large curve, offering a narrow strip to site the eight-foot-wide path, Stegmaier said. Its going to be a fairly complex and expensive project, Stegmaier said. Theres very little space in that area. Right now, some make do by walking along the edge of the highway in that area, he said, or by biking on the shoulder, which doesnt provide a very nice experience, aside from it being an unsafe way to travel. According to a site map from Morrison & Maierles, the trail would be placed in MDTs right-of-way south of the highway. Once the trail is completed, though, Stegmaier hoped it would provide better access to Marshall Mountain and Canyon trails and mountain bike paths. It would be way safer, he said. And a nice route to school. The preliminary survey will include a land survey, determining the grade of the land in MDTs right-of-way and how much flat, level ground there is where the trail would be built, as well as a cost estimate. That work wont be done until MDT opens up its biennial application process for alternative transportation grants, which Mollenhauer said wont happen until around January. A Helena man who fled civil war in Liberia with his new bride in the 1990s will be a featured speaker Tuesday night when Soft Landing Missoula hosts its second in a series of presentations about refugee resettlement. Wilmot Collins joins Molly Short Carr of the International Rescue Committee and Soft Landings Mary Poole in the Urey Lecture Hall on the University of Montana campus for a 6 p.m. program titled Refugee Resettlement in Missoula. Larry Abramson, dean of the UM School of Journalism, will serve as moderator. Presenters will discuss the basics of the global refugee crisis, the resettlement process, and Missoulas part in it. A question-and-answer period will be held after the speakers are finished. Those with questions will be asked to write them on index cards for Abramson to select. The first Soft Landing Missoula program in September drew more than 300 people to a program that featured Paul Robinson of Missoula, who spoke about refugee conditions in his native Congo. Five Congolese families were the first to be welcomed to Missoula by the IRC and Soft Landing Missoula in August and September. They were joined in October by four Iraqi refugees. Heres what I love most about being a Montanan: I love the outdoors. I love that any of us can trek into millions of acres of public forests, mountains, streams and rivers with a fly rod, a rifle or a pair of binocularsand we dont need special permission. I love that my wife Lisa and I are able send our three kids to the same public schools we attended when we were young. And we know our children are in the good hands of good teachers who take pride in their commitment to our kids and their future. Over the past four years Montana made responsible investments improving the quality of public education, resulting in more high school graduates than ever before. I love the fact that Republicans and Democrats arent afraid to put politics aside to do whats right for all of us. Over the past few years, Republicans and Democrats worked together to bring health care to 57,000 Montanans who previously didnt have it. We worked together to find solutions to our energy challenges. I love that Montanans believe in a transparent and open government. I love that our state government lives within its meansjust like Montana families do. We value lower taxes and a vast majority of us stand firm against imposing a statewide sales tax on hard-working middle-class Montana families. You dont have to be a millionaire to love these things about Montana. Thats why Im running to serve as your governor for another term; because opportunity belongs to all of us. Ive now had the privilege of serving you for the past eight yearsthe first four years as Montanas attorney general and the past four as your governor. Over that time weve seen consistent economic growth and we led the nation in household income growth last year. I insisted we balance the budget with a responsible Rainy Day Fund to weather the economic factors that are out of our control. More Montanans are working now than ever before. For the fourth year in a row, Montana has ranked top in the country for business startups. Weve beaten back attempts by outside special interests to try and sell of our public lands to the highest bidder. Weve lowered taxes. Weve made college more affordable and weve built up our economy to allow businesses to create better and more good-paying jobs. We have more work to do, but dont let any out-of-state millionaire politician try to tell you Montana is something its not. My opponent, Greg Gianforte, has become comfortable betting against the hard work of Montanans. Hes dumped in more than $3 million of his own money in an attempt to buy your vote. He publicly lobbied for a statewide sales tax, then tried to deny it. He sued to keep Montanans out of a public access site near his home, then denied it. Gianforte stated that he thinks public schools are a monopoly and has funded controversial organizations that support job-killing discrimination and efforts to sell of our public lands. His so-called tax plan would blow a hole in Montanas Rainy Day Fund in order to give tax breaks to millionaires like him, while sticking the rest of us with practically nothing. Simply put, Gianfortes Montana looks a lot different than the Montana most of us know and love. In these final weeks of this wild election season, I ask that we all remind Gianforte that Montana is not, and never will be, for sale. And I ask for your vote of confidence in me for four more years. Montanans expect their top law enforcement officer not only to enforce the law, but to follow the law. That's why Gov. Steve Bullocks mishandling of state emails as attorney general is so disheartening. Recent reports reveal that, following his election as governor, every email from Bullocks four years as AG was deleted. All emails of his senior appointed staff were deleted. The email accounts were wiped clean. State law defines most state emails as public records. Montana Code requires preservation of public records. Many are to be preserved even after the official leaves office. The law requires state employees to pass records, including emails, on to their successors. These laws fulfill Article II, Section 9, of our Montana Constitution: No person shall be deprived of the right to examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government and its subdivisions, except in cases in which the demand of individual privacy clearly exceeds the merits of public disclosure. As lifelong Montanans, we are proud of the "sunshine" provisions in our Constitution, designed to keep the inner working of our government open to our citizens. Unfortunately, Bullock's failure to preserve emails casts a pall over his tenure as AG. His digital "public record" no longer exists. The Bullock administration's response, that this is "normal procedure," is technically accurate in describing the Department of Administration's operations. However, the DoA, as the provider of IT services, only provides infrastructure for delivering, storing and sending email. DoA is not responsible for assessing which emails are public records and how those public records should be preserved. Blaming DoA policy is like blaming Google for deleting valuable information in your Gmail because you cancelled your account. You are responsible for saving your information before you cancel. Google doesn't know what is important and what isn't; that is your responsibility. While it may be normal procedure for DoA to delete email accounts, then-AG Bullock and his staff had a legal obligation to preserve email they sent or received according to state records retention policies and Montana law. Deleting these emails is more than an abstract political issue. It is a real problem with real consequences, impairing all Montanans ability to exercise our constitutional right to "examine documents or to observe the deliberations of all public bodies or agencies of state government." This right protects our ability to question or appeal state agency actions that affect us or our loved ones. Bullock and his staff are not the first government employees to ignore the rules for official government email. Montanas attorney general should maintain a higher ethical standard, however, and respect the obligation to preserve the public record for the public good. The Bullock administrations false narrative, that deleting emails without preserving public records is "normal procedure," is not only wrong but also encourages similar behavior by other state employees. The problem needs to be addressed, not dismissed. Instead of promoting an incorrect interpretation of record retention laws, Bullock should acknowledge his mistake. As governor, he needs to ensure that each agency fully complies with the statutory obligation to preserve public records, regardless of the medium or some arbitrary storage limitations set by DoA. WASHINGTONWhen told that the New England transcendentalist Margaret Fuller had grandly declared "I accept the universe," the Scottish philosopher Thomas Carlyle dryly remarked: "She'd better." Much ink and indignation has been spilled concerning whether Donald ("I am much more humble than you would understand") Trump will "accept" the election's outcome. The nation, like the universe of which it is the nicest part, will persevere even without the election result being accepted by the fellow who probably will be the first presidential candidate in 16 years to receive less probably a lot less than 45 percent of the vote. When the Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale ticket lost 44 states in 1980, Mondale used his elegant concession remarks to herald "a chance to rejoice": "Today, all across this nation in high school cafeterias, in town halls, and churches, and synagogues the American people quietly wielded their staggering power. ... Tonight we celebrate above all the process we call American freedom." Today, such political grace notes are rare as the nation slouches toward its first dyspeptic landslide an electoral vote avalanche for a candidate regretted by a majority of the electorate. Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860 with the lowest percentage of the popular vote (39.9) of any electoral winner in history. He received fewer than the combined votes for two Democratic rivals, the Northerner Stephen Douglas and the Southerner John Breckinridge. This did not prevent Lincoln from becoming the nation's greatest president. Majorities, however helpful, are not necessary. In 14 of the 39 elections since 1860 the winner did not get a majority of the popular vote, including Woodrow Wilson (twice), Harry Truman, John Kennedy and Bill Clinton (twice), Democrats all. Carter's 50.1 percent of the popular vote in 1976 was the only time in the 40 years after 1964 that a Democratic presidential candidate would win a majority of the popular vote. Ronald Brownstein of The Atlantic notes, "Since the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson, which historians consider the birth of the modern two-party system, no party has ever won the presidential popular vote six times over seven elections." By the evening of Nov. 8, the Republican Party will have lost the popular vote for the sixth time in seven elections, and will have lost three consecutive elections for the first time since the 1940s. In the last four elections (2000-2012), no loser has fallen below 45 percent of the vote and no winner has reached 53 percent. This year's winner is unlikely to become just the fourth nominee of the world's oldest party (following Andrew Jackson, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson) to win more than 53 percent. The loser, however, could plunge close to the 37.4 percent that George H.W. Bush received in 1992 when Ross Perot took 18.9 percent of the vote. This year's winner probably will be the first Democrat since Grover Cleveland to become president without enjoying Democratic control of both houses of Congress. (Cleveland, the last conservative Democratic president, vetoed more bills during his two, non-consecutive terms than all of his predecessors combined.) This year will be the fourth of a particular kind of Republican disappointment since World War II. In 1946, 1994, 2010 and 2014 Republicans won huge victories in off-year elections but two years later lost the presidential election. Jefferson said "the boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave," but some waves have become less turbulent. For example, in 2004, 13 states enacted 11 of them by referendums prohibitions on same-sex marriage. Three elections later, this issue has virtually disappeared from political discourse. Americans might feel as though they are living through an unceasing and unprecedented political maelstrom, but by one measure there is unusual stability: The nation is nearing the end of a third consecutive two-term presidency, something that has occurred only once before in U.S. history the Virginia dynasty of the third, fourth and fifth presidents (Jefferson, Madison, Monroe). Of the five presidents in office from the inauguration of John Kennedy in 1961 through the departure of Jimmy Carter in 1981, not one served two full terms. The last Democrat directly elected (that is, not counting Harry Truman or Johnson, who were elected after inheriting the office) to succeed a Democrat was James Buchanan, arguably the worst president ever. One hundred and sixty years later, Republicans fearing four Clinton years can reasonably hope there will be no more than four: The likelihood of Democrats winning a fourth consecutive presidential term will be reduced if the Republican Party reverts to its practice, adhered to since it chose John C. Fremont in 1856, of nominating a Republican. As a current business owner and former educator, I am supporting Greg Gianforte for governor of Montana. His experience and ideas will be great for our state. He understands what it takes to lead Montana in education and in business. He is a proven leader and job creator, and someone who will bring accountability to our state government. He also understands what we need to do within education to create skills and opportunities for young people to stay in Montana with high-paying jobs. Gianforte understands that training opportunities in computer science and technology are the key to these high-paying jobs. I am encouraging others to consider the future of our young people and our state and vote for Greg Gianforte for governor of Montana. Craig Madsen Great Falls As working class, I am suspect that Kristen Juras is an ideologue of and for the 1 percent. For instance, she has written numerous legal papers aggressively opposing public access to rivers. She opposes marijuana and opposes medical marijuana through her actions with SafeMontana. On the front page of the Oct. 14 Missoulian was an article by Tom Lutey of the Billings Gazette: Religious freedom lawsuits. Therein, I read this quote from a Juras University of Montana email: What I covet is prayer. Please pray during my campaign that I would act in a way that honors God, for His favors, for opportunities, for wisdom in campaign strategies. In stark contrast, after examining the 14-year record of District Court Judge Dirk Sandefur, seven retired justices of the Montana Supreme Court recommend Sandefur for our Supreme Court of Montana. No judge has recommended Juras for the Supreme Court of Montana. Sandefur has been recommended by Planned Parenthood. Juras has not been recommended by Planned Parenthood. As a member of the working class, I have long observed the need for fair, fully informed, impartial decisions by Supreme Court justices of Montana. The integrity of our Montana Supreme Court would be jeopardized with Juras. However, we have a fine choice. Judge Sandefur has a consistent record of upholding public law necessary to protect our people and our environment. Jim Stubblefield, Hamilton Undoubtedly many readers share my dilemma regarding the presidential election. So, it is urgent to treat the general election as our most critical. We must elect local and state officials with the courage, leadership and tenacity to provide the checks and balances our founding fathers created. Ryan Zinke is that candidate. His Washington office bears a plaque inscribed, This office belongs to the citizens of Montana. He sits there as our representative. He recognizes the sacrifices of our veterans, and has introduced legislation to expand veterans access to local health care. He stands for the citizens of Montana as an advocate for family values, individual freedom, protection of our country and its borders, and the sanctity of our public lands. His opponent, Denise Juneau, is a party-line advocate of open borders and failed programs like Obamacare. She discredits the service of our veterans, criticizing those receiving disability. She touts her main qualification for office as raising Montanas high school graduation rate while state superintendent of education, without mentioning a corresponding drop in academic proficiency. Her campaign is based on unfounded assertions and outright lies meant to discredit Congressman Zinke. We must elect a representative who advocates for our individual rights and freedoms, keeps our nation safe, appreciates and provides necessary care and benefits for those who have served our country, and who has the proven leadership skills and courage to represent us with strength. Congressman Ryan Zinke is that person. Lew Kosich, Billings KALISPELL Kalispell police officers arrested a man Sunday who allegedly ran over a store employee as she attempted to get his vehicle license plate number following a shoplifting incident. Martin Gregory Baker, 40, was taken into custody at the scene after other employees were able to detain him until police arrived. According to Detective Stan Ottosen, a man allegedly set of an alarm at the store, in the 2000 block of U.S. Highway 93 South, while stealing a portable drill and charger. The man got into a white 2006 Dodge Magnum as employees pursued him. He backed up quickly, striking a female employee who was attempting to get a plate number. The vehicle drove over the victims legs with a rear tire and she was positioned under the car when other employees were able to extricate Baker from the vehicle, a press release from the Kalispell Police Department on Monday said. The victim was taken to Kalispell Regional Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the press release. Police were notified of the shoplifting incident at 2:41 p.m. Surveillance cameras at the business, which was not identified, captured the incident, according to Ottosen. Baker was initially charged with robbery, and could face other charges because he allegedly tried to flee the scene, and allegedly inflicted bodily injury on another person while doing so. He was taken to the Flathead County Detention Center. BILLINGS - After being ordered to spend 30 days in jail, a man ran from the courtroom Friday but was tackled in the lobby by a security guard. Lawrence Michael Demarais, 39, appeared in court Friday for sentencing on a traffic ticket from February. He had failed to appear for sentencing on Sept. 29, and faced a felony charge of criminal endangerment and two misdemeanor charges for fleeing from a traffic stop on Sept. 1. Demarais appeared in court as a walk-in after posting a $7,500 bond for the felony charge and a $1,000 bond for failing to appear at sentencing. Yellowstone County Justice of the Peace David Carter continued the $7,500 bond. On the failure to appear for sentencing, Carter ordered Demarais to serve 30 days in jail. Demarais tried to negotiate the sentence, but Carter told him to gather his things and get ready to be taken into custody immediately. Instead, Demarais left the courtroom. A court clerk alerted Guardian Security Guard Pete Lundberg in the lobby, who tackled the running Demarais as he burst through a stairway door. Demarais was returned to the courtroom and charged with contempt of court. Demarais said he was just trying to call his wife before he was taken into custody. "You fled," Carter responded. "That's how people get hurt, and they can get hurt really, really bad." Carter sentenced Demarais to an additional 30 days in jail. He also ordered Demarais' felony bond increased to $50,000. Demarais can argue for a lower bond when he appears for arraignment in Yellowstone County District Court. As Demarais left the courtroom, he said goodbye to his wife, who arrived after he was tackled in the lobby. "Come see me through the glass," Demarais said. KALISPELL The man who destroyed a Kalispell health clinic that provided abortion services in 2014 is asking the Montana Supreme Court to direct a District Court to reconsider the amount of restitution it ordered him to pay. Zachary Klundt claims the $642,477 is too much and based on speculation, duplication, mathematical errors and misunderstandings. He also argues the physicians assistant who owned All Families Healthcare, Susan Cahill, had a duty to mitigate the damage he caused but failed to do so. Attorney Chad Vanisko, an assistant appellate defender with the state, questions multiple figures included in the restitution amount, including $320,000 in lost wages and $208,000 listed as the value of the business. Cahill made a personal decision to not return to work, and either turned down or failed to accept two lower-paying job offers after Klundt ransacked the clinic, the appeal says. Those decisions are not Zachs responsibility, and should have factored into the restitution award, according to Vanisko. The value of All Families Healthcare was primarily in non-physical, intangible assets that were not impacted by the destruction of the clinic, he goes on. By failing to try to sell the clinic following the vandalism, Cahill failed to attempt to mitigate her damages, Vanisko says. Klundt and his attorney also argue that Cahills claim that the destruction of the clinic cost her $61,000 in Social Security benefits is not only incorrect, but that there may be no loss. She receives $236 a month less than she would have if she had waited to start collecting benefits at age 67. But they say her benfit figures fail to factor in the three years of benefits she will collect by not waiting. Cahill also did not adjust her life expectancy when comparing Social Security benefits she would get at age 67 to those at age 64, according to the court documents. *** Cahill and her attorney, Timothy Bechtold, described the clinic as a total loss earlier this year. Klundt broke or slashed practically every object and surface inside the clinic, they said in announcing a lawsuit that has since been dismissed. He destroyed the buildings plumbing and heating systems, pulled plants up by their roots, stabbed holes through the faces in Cahills family photographs and destroyed all furniture, medical tools and equipment, and medical records. He also covered everything in the primary portion of the clinic in iodine, and then emptied a fire extinguisher over it all, according to Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan. Klundt, 26, is the son of Twyla Klundt, a Columbia Falls real estate broker who was on the board of directors of Hope Pregnancy Ministries, an anti-abortion group, at the time All Families Healthcare was vandalized. The executive director of Hope Pregnancy Ministries purchased the building where All Families Healthcare had been located and evicted Cahill and the clinic. The clinic had reopened in a new location shortly before Zachary Klundt broke into it and destroyed it. He was sentenced to 20 years, with 15 suspended, after pleading guilty to burglary, theft and criminal mischief. District Judge Ted O. Lympus also ordered him to pay the restitution amount now being questioned. Klundt maintained he was drunk, and looking for drugs to steal. His appeal maintains he suffered from Tourettes syndrome, severe clinical anxiety and depression, and came from a family that had a significant history of alcoholism, a trait which he inherited. All Families Healthcare was one of four entities Klundt damaged or stole things from on March 3 and 4, the appeal says. For three years, a committee has been at work to prevent suicide in our community. At this very moment, that committee is evolving into a coalition taking action to make Butte a healthier community, its members knowing that if we collectively build health and well-being, ills such as suicide will decline. At the beginning of the Butte Community Action Teams latest meeting last week members refer to the committee as the CAT Butte School District No. 1 Superintendent Judy Jonart wanted to say something. After all, it is a school district grant, culminating in the Montana SOARS project, that is helping to facilitate the CATs change. It is an evolution that prompts the CATs involvement in things like promoting school attendance CAT members know that students who attend school all day, every day are forming a baseline of success for the rest of their lives. Jonart is an administrator, prone to talking about things like enrollment rates, standardized testing and curricula modification. So her animation last week her request to say something at the beginning of the meeting was somewhat unusual. Jonart has been an educator her entire professional life. Like every other CAT member, she was jarred three years ago when teen-aged students in the district began dying by suicide. Jonart had to approach the aftermath from a variety of spectrums she is, after all, and all at once, a parent, an educator, and a human being. In the wake of the tragedies, the School District applied for and received the five-year, $2 million SOARS grant (Support, Outreach and Access for the Resiliency of Students). In the midst of educating students, the district has leveraged the grant to better and more holistically meet the needs of students, while integrating public school systems with community systems. At last weeks meeting, Jonart began speaking by saying that if we can teach a child to read a K-3 accomplishment more difficult to achieve when working with children living in trauma and poverty then the prospect of that child having lifelong success is vastly enhanced. Jonart continued that she has had some difficulty encapsulating for a variety of audiences her vision for the district after all, our public schools today are expected to be all things to all people. But she said a recently aired documentary encapsulates what shes been trying to communicate. School of the Future first appeared on PBSs NOVA on Sept. 14. Jonart asked all CAT members to invest about two hours of time watching the documentary, available at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/school-of-the-future.html. I made the investment last Saturday. The documentary begins by portraying the distinctions between two cities separated by a freeway Palo Alto and East Palo Alto in California. Palo Alto is home to the headquarters of Facebook, Google and Apple, where kids have been expected to succeed. East Palo Alto is home to unemployment, crime and poverty, where kids have been expected to pay the familys rent. In both cities, public schools have been expected to meet all needs. (Palo Alto, by the way, has seen a contagion of teen suicide, prompting educators and parents to discuss how continual pressure to succeed and lack of sleep may be linked to the tragedies.) The documentary asks: In a new age of information, rapid innovation and globalization, how can we prepare our children to compete? How can the latest research help us fix education in America? Can the science of learning including new insights from neuroscientists, psychologists and educators reveal how kids brains work and tell us which techniques are most likely to engage and inspire growing minds? What role should technology play in the classroom? Those neuroscientists, psychologists and educators detail in the documentary how they see the school of the future. Successful schools, they say, will ensure that students know they matter to someone, that they belong in the community, and that they belong in society, where they can be major contributors. The school of the future will address the impact of diversity on childrens development. Schools will use technology to make it possible for one individual to teach to a class of mixed ages, all learning at their own pace. Schools will be places where children are safe safe to learn, safe to fail, safe to collaborate. These schools will provide for more individualized learning and experimentation, creating atmospheres in which students innovate together. The school of the future, according to one educator featured in the documentary, will be less about the business of school and more about the relationship with the child. Schools, says another educator, will become something much more interwoven with peoples real lives and attentive to the whole child. These schools will extend beyond the walls of the classroom. With its limited resources, the Butte School District is working hard to implement these schools of the future. Last week, several staff members were at a conference learning how to best implement a tiered system for student intervention, with one tier serving the majority of students who do well, another tier strategically targeting students who are wavering, and another providing intensive services to students greatly in need and at risk. As she spoke last week, Jonart relayed that she will be telling everyone she knows about the documentary, as it encompasses her vision and aspirations for Buttes public schools. Her passion was palpable. I too encourage readers to make the investment of time. Consider it an investment in our kids. Thank you. This story was corrected at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, to remove incorrect references to an area called the Beaver Chew. --- A public meeting to discuss a proposed land swap in Madison County between the state and a private company starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, in Twin Bridges High School. The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is holding the meeting to solicit comment. The state wants to exchange three separate parcels of state trust land in Madison County totaling 611 acres for 861 acres along the Big Hole River and adjacent to the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. Proponents say the exchange will improve access to 1.2 million acres of Forest Service land. The state land in Madison County includes an 80-acre parcel accessible only from the Jefferson River. The private landholder in Madison County is SRI River Holdings, LLC, formerly known as the Hamilton Ranch. Headquartered in Massachusetts, SRI River Holdings is an investment firm. Its principals are brothers Benjamin, David and Hamilton "Tony" James. Listed by Forbes as being worth $1.45 billion, Tony James is also an angler, conservationist and Democratic activist who lives in New York City, according to previous new stories. SRI would like to improve privacy near its ranch house. The state says the purpose of the proposed exchange is to improve land management opportunities for both the private landowner and the DNRC; to enhance hunting safety zones near private ranch residences; to provide public access to inaccessible federal lands; and to provide a higher rate of return to state trusts. The public will have until Nov. 15 to offer comment on the potential exchange. Public comment can be addressed to: Tim Egan, DNRC, 840 N. Montana St., Dillon, MT 59725 or tegan@mt.gov or 406-683-6305. If no new issues arise, the land board will likely take a final vote to decide the issue in mid-December. Montanas Land Board, with constitutional authority over state land, gave the deal preliminary approval last December. Gov. Steve Bullock, Attorney General Tim Fox, and Secretary of State Linda McCulloch voted yes. Denise Juneau, superintendent of public instruction, and Monica Lindeen, state insurance commissioner, voted no. More information on DNRC land exchange criteria and the Departments Land Exchange Policy is available at http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/real-estate/land-exchanges Two-lane traffic resumed on Montana Street near its intersection with Front Street on Tuesday morning, a day after a detour became a freaking mess. Nobody contacted Butte-Silver Bow before this detour was put in place, said county Public Works Director Dave Schultz. I became aware of it in the morning (Monday). It was a freaking mess. An official with the Montana Department of Transportation said he was told the county was informed, but regardless, the detour was no longer in effect Tuesday. The MDT has jurisdiction of Montana Street. Schultz said the detour was set up through the Montana Department of Transportation and BNSF Railroad while repairs were being made to concrete on a railroad bridge over Montana Street near its connections to Interstates 15-90. County officials told BNSF months ago that concrete was crumbling off the bridge onto Montana Street and was creating a dangerous situation, Schultz said. Crews for the railroad have been working on the repairs for a couple of months before the detour was set up Monday, he said. Southbound traffic on Montana Street was rerouted, first onto Front Street going east then south on Kaw Avenue and then west on George Street back to Montana Street, Schultz said. Northbound traffic on Montana Street went the same route in the other direction east on George, north on Kaw and west on Front back to Montana Street. Nobody with the state transportation department or the railroad called Butte-Silver Bow about the detour, Schultz said, and it was mess. There was probably a 20-minute wait on George Street to get to Kaw, he said. The detour could not handle the traffic. As soon as we knew about it we alerted the MDT. County officials were told that the railroad had been instructed by the state to have the detour down by 5 p.m. Monday, Schultz said. Montana Street had one lane open in each direction near the railroad bridge Tuesday morning so the detour was no longer in place. Lee Alt, a state highway department traffic engineer in Butte, said the agency told railroad officials to contact the county before the detour was established and was told they did via email. Dave said he never received it but he should have, Alt said. Everything has been worked out now, he said Tuesday morning. Four Montana writers make up the first-year lineup of The Mining City Writing Project, a writer-in-residence series sponsored by The Montana Standard, The Root & The Bloom Collective, Butte-Silver Bow and the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives. The program will bring noted writers from across Montana to Butte for stays of a week to 10 days. During their residencies, the authors will conduct high school writing workshops; give talks at the Archives about their work; read from their work at the Clark Chateau; and write something about Butte, which will be published in the Standard. For the first year, writers are: Megan McNamer. Megan McNamers novel Children and Lunatics (Black Lawrence Press, 2016) won the Big Moose Prize. The Missoula writers work has appeared in Salon, Sports Illustrated, The Sun, Tropic Magazine (of The Miami Herald), Islands Magazine, and Headwall, and she has won semi-finalist and finalist awards from New Millennium, Glimmer Train, Writers@Work, the University of New Orleans Writing Contest for Study Abroad, the Travelers' Tales Best Travel Writing Solas Awards for 2016, and Carve Magazine's Raymond Carver Short Story Contest for 2016. She grew up in northern Montana and studied music at the University of Montana and ethnomusicology at the University of Washington. From 2001 to 2014 she was a director of the Missoula Writing Collaborative. Kim Zupan. A native Montanan, Kim Zupan lives in Missoula and grew up in and around Great Falls, where much of his novel, The Ploughmen, is set. For 25 years, he made his living as a carpenter while pursuing his writing. He has also worked as a smelterman, pro rodeo bareback rider, ranch hand, Alaska salmon fisherman and teacher. He teaches carpentry at Missoula College, and holds an MFA from the University of Montana. The Ploughmen (Henry Holt, 2015) won high praise in the New York Times, which called it a dark and imaginative debut. Tess Fahlgren. Tess Fahlgren's essay "Counting by Twos" was the recipient of Montana Quarterly's 2016 Big Snowy Prize for Nonfiction, in which she wrote about experiences teaching and living in rural Montana. Her work has appeared in The Missoula Independent, The Missoulian, and Mountain Outlaw Magazine. Fahlgren, who also has a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Montana, works as the Teaching Artist for the Art Mobile of Montana. She is originally from Glasgow, Montana. Sid Gustafson. In addition to being a novelist and nonfiction writer, Bozemans Sid Gustafson is also a world-renowned equine veterinarian and advocate for equine health and best practices in horse racing. His third novel, Swift Dam (Open Books, 2016) evokes the country of his childhood Conrad, Montana, and the Blackfeet native lands. David McCumber, editor of The Montana Standard, has conducted writer-in-residence programs at two other newspapers the San Francisco Examiner and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. He said Butte is a perfect place for the project. Montana attracts and produces so many world-class writers that its a natural thing to host that talent in the states most interesting city, he said. Its great to have these Montana-born writers, who already have an affection for Butte, here to stay for awhile and write about the place. The Montana Standard is looking forward to publishing their work. Im very excited about this. To get writers of this stature helping to tell the towns story is wonderful, said Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Matt Vincent. Arts and culture is playing a bigger and bigger role in our towns resurgence. If you look beyond the Folk Festival to things like the Original Festival, the Covellite Theater Film Festival, the great things that Imagine Butte Resource Center and Silver Bow Arts are doing and now this writer-in-residence program the arts are helping us diversify our economic development. Vincent said the county-owned Jacobs House on Granite Street, the home of Butte's first mayor, will be used in the future as a residence for the program. Some restoration work is being done at the house. McCumber said the project was made possible by a grant from Humanities Montana, which will defray a significant part of the expenses. Playwright Carson Becker, program director of the Clark Chateau and Root & the Bloom, said, As a writer myself, I believe Butte is not just rich in history, minerals and ore it is rich in psycho-spiritual material and space a place where the veil is thin, where myth and reality collide, where nature and civilization must wrestle with their complicated relationship. Hence, it is the perfect place to create and make art. McNamer will be in Butte in November, and the others will follow in 2017. The seventh annual Montana Folk Festival is set for July 7-9, 2017. This will be the 10th annual festival held in Butte. It started as the National Folk Festival, then transitioned to the Montana Folk Festival. "We have battled doubt and debt to a draw since July, but thanks to the widespread generosity and encouragement from supporters near and far who are not ready to let this festival disappear, we have decided to go forward," said George Everett, executive director of Mainstreet Uptown Butte, in a news release on Monday. "The serious work of assembling a roster of talent that can top this past summer's lineup and to start putting together the sponsorships that will ensure its success begins in earnest today," added Everett. Everett said the annual cost of the event has been reduced since its days as the National Folk Festival by about half a million dollars. The main reason is that volunteers are taking on more of the heavy lifting. That being said, the group still has to raise about $250,000 of the $650,000 needed to produce this event. After a successful Gofundme campaign to retire debt from 2016, the festival has started a new campaign for the 2017 festival to accept contributions from supporters at www.gofundme.com/MFF17. The festival returns about $25 to the Butte community and state for every $1 invested in the event, Everett said. Details: www.montanafolkfestival.com or on Facebook at mtfolkfest. In this season of endless political advertisement, we become accustomed to less-than-subtle deceptions in many of them. There are, however, two components of political reality that offer enlightenment. Those items are political party platforms and political history. For Montanans fond of hunting, fishing and the great wild outdoors, there are some truths or clear "political tracks" we can follow. One political truth is the party platform a candidate chooses as representing their personal philosophy. What follows is taken from the current Montana Republican Party Platform: returning federally managed public lands to the states; oppose the federal authority over land use and natural resource decisions; support the granting of public lands to the state; support the release of current wilderness study areas; urge Congress to repeal the Endangered species Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. support the private development of energy and mineral resources. This sample reveals a truth you dont see in political ads of candidates wading streams, fishing rod in hand, dressed in just-out-of-the-box waders. It is what the party bosses put down in black and white it is their ideological truth. In Montana, when you saddle up with an outfit, that is who you ride with. The bad news is that these are ideas that have been in our culture since the Republican Party bosses rejected Theodore Roosevelt in 1912. While TR was a Republican, the political bosses fought him and his conservation reforms every step of the way. When he ran for president in 1904, a conservative New York newspaper editorialized in his support noting, He has ruled his party against its will. It is certainly a mystery why natural resource conservation remains an alien concept to those claiming to be conservative. However, one look at the Montana Republican Platform gives us a truth we can take to the voting booth. If that platform becomes a Montana reality we could look forward to: potential Berkeley Pits at the head of the Smith, Yellowstone and Blackfoot rivers; a national forest turned into an industrialized, mechanized and privatized landscape; and river trips that prohibit dropping anchor on privately owned stream beds, currently the law in some "conservative" western states. At one point in his writings Theodore Roosevelt wrote, A vote is like a rifle. Let us hope that Montana hunters and anglers will look beyond the flashy political ads and shoot straight in November 2016. I support Connie Ternes-Daniels for Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Chief Executive, and here is why. As a former ADLC Chief Executive, I recruited Connie from her job in Senator Jon Testers Butte office, to be the ADLC Planning Department director. Her education at Montana Tech, many years of experience as a regional planner, and local government administration experience made her uniquely qualified to lead the planning department. Back in 2008, ADLC was emerging from near bankruptcy, the result of a series of interim chief executives lacking the experience to properly manage a county budget. Revenues were overstated and reserves non-existent. Bankruptcy loomed on the horizon. Leadership with training and experience in local government helped usher in fiscal stability for the county then, and experienced leadership now will best continue the progress the county is making today. Connies knowledge and experience in local government are what set her apart from her challenger. She will not allow the county to return to the bad old days where fiscal imprudence and lack of knowledge, experience or respect for state fiscal rules left ADLC in near financial ruin. Her challenger lacks the experience, training and knowledge to be a successful county administrator. Connies tenure as planning director began as ADLC was emerging from near financial collapse. She worked quickly to secure badly needed funds to repair deteriorating infrastructure and worked with other entities to promote investments in the area, creating jobs and economic development. Connie secured funds to renovate Anacondas historic street lights, restore the crumbling courthouse facade, develop Beaverdam Park in Opportunity, repave airport runways and install critical wildlife fencing, install a water line to the NorthEestern Energy power plant in order to ensure its development, secure FEMA and other grants to replace two county bridges, continue waterline replacements, begin the West Valley sewer line installation and hook-up projects, secured funds to rebuild the Mill Creek Highway, and assisted with the development of the new START and Aware facilities east of Anaconda. When I resigned from ADLC, I recommended that commissioners appoint Connie as Interim Chief Executive because I was sure that Connie would continue the progress the county was experiencing. And now, more than four years later, I am happy to report that the county is doing better than ever. Continue the progress. Return Connie to the chief executives office for four more years! Becky Guay, Anaconda EUREKA If youve ever walked down Dewey Avenue, the main drag through this Tobacco Valley community, congratulations: Youve completed part of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Now, youve only got about 1,199 miles to go. Youll find most of the rest of the walk a tad more strenuous than the portion that passes through downtown Eureka. The PNT, as it is known, crosses seven mountain ranges, seven national forests, three states and three national parks as it makes its way from the east side of the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. Youll climb a total of more than 205,000 feet thats more than eight Mount Everests, measured from base to peak as you hike from the starting point, about 200 yards inside the Canadian border on the east side of Glacier National Park. Youll also descend a total of more than 210,000 feet as you make your way up and down mountainsides to Cape Alava, Washington. Its an elevation change, to be precise, of 415,638 feet along the route. Thats similar to the elevation change on the longer-established and better-known Pacific Crest Trail that runs from California to Washington, with one big difference. The Pacific Crests elevation change of 420,000 feet happens over 2,650 miles. PNTs is crammed into less than half that distance. Thats what you get when you blaze a trail that runs east-west, instead of north-south, in the Western United States. If you havent heard of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail before, youre not alone. It, along with the 807-mile Arizona Trail and the 220-mile New England Trail, are the latest additions to Americas 11 national scenic trails as designated by Congress. The most famous of them all, certainly, is the 2,181-mile Appalachian Trail that runs from Maine to Georgia. Overall, the part of the Pacific Northwest Trail that is very appealing to me, is that it goes through some of the most beautiful and wild country in the entire Lower 48, says Jeff Kish. You start in Glacier Park. Theres no place better to start a hike. And the idea that, at the end of the hike, youll put your toes in the Pacific Ocean, is just amazing. Kish spent nine weeks hiking the trail from start to finish in 2014, the year before he was named executive director of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association (the president of the associations board of directors, by the way, is Missoula attorney Charley Carpenter, who was involved in a trial last week and unavailable for comment). Kish will be in Whitefish later this week, when the PNTs 24-person citizens advisory council spends two days hammering out recommendations for the U.S. Forest Service to follow in the long-term management of the trail. The trail is unusual in several respects. Compared to the others, its more of a challenge to navigate, Kish says. Its not intuitive, and its not signed because its so new. Physically, most trails follow a ridge, but the Pacific Northwest Trail crosses seven mountain ranges. Theres a lot of climbing. Then, theres the reality that vast stretches of it i.e., the parts that dont pass through towns like Eureka are usually devoid of other humans. Long-distance hikers have come to expect a certain amount of camaraderie along the trail, he says. On this one, theres solitude. You can go miles, days, a week without seeing another person. Some people love that, but for some its a challenge. On the other hand, the trail also passes very near to, and often through the middle of, towns 17 of them another rarity among national scenic trails. You can spend a night in a motel, take a hot shower, get a restaurant meal, Kish says. Hikers really appreciate that. When he hiked the 1,200 miles, Kish was also filing live reports for a website. Before I started my hike, I mailed my laptop to myself as a general delivery package at the Eureka post office, he says. Then I hiked from Chief Mountain to Eureka, picked up my laptop, checked into a hotel, uploaded my photos and wrote my piece. When I was done, I packed up my laptop and mailed it to Bonners Ferry, and repeated the process at each town that I resupplied in along the way to the Pacific. Lastly, you wont find many trails that let you sit down for part of the trip, but the PNT does. Before you can walk the last 150 miles or so of the trail across Washingtons Olympic Peninsula, you take a ferry ride from Coupeville to Port Townsend. The Pacific Northwest Trail was designated a national scenic trail in 2009, but it took almost 40 years to reach that point. It exists because Ron Strickland, then a student at Georgetown University, decided in 1970 that a trail from the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean near the Canadian border would be a great addition to the first two scenic trails the Appalachian and Pacific Crest so designated by Congress in 1968. Much of the trail, of course, did not exist when Strickland came up with the idea. And it didnt exactly get off to a flying start. In fact, half a dozen other trails were added to the list before the PNT was. A Seattle-area congressman agreed in 1974 to introduce a study bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, but that only culminated in a 1980 report from the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service that proclaimed the creation of the Pacific Northwest Trail neither feasible nor desirable. And that might have been that, except for one thing: Strickland. He had already founded the Pacific Northwest Trail Association in 1977, and he kept poring over maps, hiking segments of potential routes, and recruiting others to the cause. Stamina and patience, Strickland says in explaining how the trail the federal government dismissed in 1980 came to be three decades later. He wrote a guidebook for the trail in 1984, even though the trail didnt officially exist. He convinced a platoon of British Army regulars to help him build segments of the trail on Blanchard Hill near Washingtons Samish Bay. He was starting from nothing, Randy Urmston, the first president of the association, says on a YouTube video produced by Better World Films. It was just Rons idea, and it captured other peoples imagination. Only 40 to 50 people have hiked the entire 1,200 miles continuously in each of the last two summers, but thats twice as many as had been doing so the six years before that. If that still seems like awfully low usage, youre missing the point. Millions of people hike segments of the PNT every year. The most may be walking on a trail at Deception Pass, a state park in Washington the PNT passes through, and that draws as many visitors a year as does Glacier Park. The day hiker is the most important person on the trail, Strickland says, because our trails wont continue to exist unless we have a lot more people on them. If youve ever hiked on Glacier Park trails like Belly River, the Cosley Lake Cutoff, Stoney Indian Pass, Waterton Valley, Waterton Lake, Boulder Pass or Bowman Lake, youve been on the PNT. Those are the first routes the PNT follows from its starting point near the Chief Mountain Customs Office. The reward for completing the first leg of the journey, Kish says, is Polebridge, which means pizza at the Northern Lights Saloon, an overnight stay with Oliver at the Northfork Hostel, and huckleberry bearclaws for breakfast at Polebridge Mercantile. The rest of the Montana portion of the trip includes, Kish says, crossing the beautiful Whitefish Divide to Eureka, where hikers enjoy all the amenities of town before continuing their march along the Tobacco River and Lake Koocanusa, up into the rugged Purcells, and across the wild and remote Yaak Valley toward the Idaho border. Trails through Glacier, North Cascades and Olympic national parks are all part of the PNT. It also goes through the Kootenai and Flathead National Forests in Montana, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, and the Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, and Olympic National Forests in Washington. Kish has hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from start to finish as well. There is a greater variety of terrain on a trail that crosses the Mojave Desert and ends up in the Cascade Mountains, and it's "much more social," Kish says. "But the PNT is much more rugged and challenging." Its remarkable that Strickland and his band of supporters nursed the Pacific Northwest Trail through four decades of bureaucracy. But you should see what hes got up his sleeve now. He envisions the PNT becoming a part of a 7,700-mile trail that runs from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic. The idea of the Sea-to-Sea Transcontinental Trail is not as far-fetched as you might think. Large chunks are already in place. In addition to the PNT, the North Country National Scenic Trail, authorized in 1980, provides a 4,600-mile footpath through seven states, from North Dakota to New York. Sea-to-Sea would also utilize smaller portions of the Continental Divide Trail in Montana, the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, and the extension known as the International Appalachian Trail that continues on to the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, and the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. I am very passionate about the Sea-to-Sea route, says Strickland, who first proposed it in 1996. It would make something much bigger than the existing parts. Its been done. Professional backpacker yes, there is such a thing Andrew Skurka, inspired by Stricklands idea, hiked the proposed route in 2005. It took him 11 months, and he did 1,400 miles of it on snowshoes. There are two gaps in the proposed route. One is relatively short, less than 30 miles between the North Country Trail in upstate New York, and the Appalachian Trail next door in Vermont. The other is considerably longer 800 to 900 miles across Montana and western North Dakota needed to link the Continental Divide Trail with the North Country Trail. Whether it comes to pass, or how long it might take, no one knows. But if it ever does, then anyone who walks down Dewey Avenue in Eureka will only have 7,699 miles to go if they want to complete the transcontinental hike. Editor's note: This story was corrected at 10 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1, to reflect that the partners also received bonuses totaling $1.4 million -- not $1.4 billion. --- A Boston Globe report on millions of dollars in questionable campaign donations identified two Montana politicians as recipients. The report released Sunday by the Boston Globe and and the D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign watchdog, led with an account of U.S. Sen Jon Tester, D-Mont., leaving Boston-based Thornton Law firm office with $26,400 during a stop in 2010. Tester released $51,800 to the U.S. Treasury on Monday. The amount was equal to what Thornton employees donated to his campaign in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He hasnt accepted money from the law firm in four years, said Marnee Banks, a Tester spokesperson. Jon's said time and time again that the current campaign finance system is broken, that's why he's fighting to clean up Washington and fix it, Banks said. He's incredibly frustrated with the gridlock that has prevented Congress from passing his legislation which increases transparency in elections, and he'll keep working to bring people together to ensure that we have more sunlight in campaigns." Tester wasnt aware before the Globe report Sunday that there were questions about the legality of the law firms political donations, Banks said. By donating the money to the Treasury, the second-term senator is, Banks said, donating the money to taxpayers. Jon has concerns about where this money came from, thats why hes doing the responsible thing and refusing the donations, Banks said. The Boston Globe also used former Montana lieutenant governor and failed U.S. Senate candidate John Walsh to illustrate why it appears law firms campaign donation scheme could be illegal. At issue is how the law firm reimbursed its attorneys for contributions to candidates. Reimbursement for political donations is illegal if it amounts to a shell game to circumvent campaign laws limiting contributions from individual donors. In several cases, attorneys with the law firm received bonuses for the exact amount, or nearly the exact amounts, as contributions made to candidates, according to the Globe. Three partners in the law firm and one partners spouse spent $1.6 million on Democratic campaigns and Political Action Committees over four years. Those partners also received bonuses totaling $1.4 million, the Globe reported. The bonuses were paid days after campaign contributions were made. There were multiple candidates who took money from Thornton, most, but not all, were Democrats. The donations numbered 280. Thornton told the Globe the law firms donations had been vetted are were legal. But Monday several politicians, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, were returning Thornton money as state and federal officials called for investigations. Tester is also chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which has received $200,000 from the law firm during Tester's chairmanship. The DSCC didn't immediately respond to a Gazette request for information. It was unclear what the DSCC planned to do with the donations it accepted. Monday afternoon, the Montana GOP called on Tester to return any money he accepted from Thornton Law Firm. ORIGINAL NOTICE OF PUBLICATION (Dissolution of Marriage) Upon the Petition of Lidia Ruiz, Petitioner, and Concerning Eduardo Valladares Rios, Respondent. TO THE ABOVE NAMED RESPONDENT: You are notified that a petition has been filed in the office of the clerk of this court naming you as a respondent in this action, which prays for dissolution of marriage. The attorney for the petitioner is Jean Pfeiffer of Muscatine Legal Services, whose address is 122 East Second Street, Muscatine, Iowa 52761. That attorney's telephone number is 563-263-8663, facsimile number 563-263-8667. You must serve a motion or answer within 20 days of receiving this notice and within a reasonable time thereafter, file your motion or answer with the Clerk of Court for Muscatine County, at the courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa. If you do not, judgment by default may be rendered against you for the relief demanded in the petition. YOU ARE ADVISED TO SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AT ONCE TO PROTECT YOUR INTERESTS. If you require assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court because of a disability, immediately call your disbict ADA coordinator at 563-263-6511. (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942). STATE OF IOWA JUDICIARY Case No. CDCD037088 county Muscatine Case Title LIDIA RUIZ VS EDUARDO VALLADARES RIOS THIS CASE HAS BEEN FILED IN A COUNTY THAT USES ELECTRONIC FILING. Therefore, unless the attached Petition and Original Notice contains a hearing date for your appearance, or unless you obtain an exemption from the court, you must file your Appearance and Answer electronically. You must register through the Iowa Judicial Branch website at http://www.iowacourts.state.ia.us/Efile and obtain a log in and password for the purposes of filing and viewing documents on your case and of receiving service and notices from the court. FOR GENERAL RULES AND INFORMATION ON ELECTRONIC FILING, REFER TO THE IOWA COURT RULES CHAPTER 16 PERTAINING TO THE USE OF THE ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: http://wvrw. iowacourts. state. ia. us/Efile FOR COURT RULES ON PROTECTION OF PERSONAL PRIVACY IN COURT FILINGS, REFER TO DIVISION VI OF IOWA COURT RULES CHAPTER 16: http://www.iowaoourtsstate.ia.us/Efile Scheduled Heating. If you require the assistance of auxiliary aids or services to participate in court because of a disability, immediately call your district ADA coordinator at (563) 328-4145. (If you are hearing impaired, call Relay Iowa TTY at 1-800-735-2942.) Date Issued 09/21/2016 10:39:29 AM District Clerk of Muscatine County /s/ Traci Harper MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors decided Monday to not approve the re-zoning of a parcel property just outside of Stockton to I-1 Light Industrial, but did recommend sending the matter to the Zoning Board of Adjustment who could approve a variance to allow the property owners to continue operating their small lumber business. Planning and Zoning Director Eric Furnas said the property is currently zoned A-1 Agricultural, but the land would not be feasible for agricultural use and is currently being used for processing logs for the property owners tree service. The Muscatine County Zoning Commission recommended the property, adjacent to the city of Stockton, be zoned I-1 Light Industrial. Which we felt would support the operation, Furnas said. Dennis Holmes, a resident of the area, said because there had been burning on the property in the past he would not support the re-zoning because he saw it as a reward for that behavior. They knew it was ag land when they bought it, he said. Furnas stated several other area residents had lodged complaints about the burning of wood on the property. Jeff Turkle, an owner of the property, said although he had burned wood on the property in the past, the regulations surrounding burning as recreational use or other use were vague. He stated he will not continue to burn wood on the property. The burning issue is just too grey, Turkle said. Supervisor Bob Howard said while he was not comfortable with re-zoning the parcel, he would consider a variance. A variance, Furnas said, could be used when zoning ordinances limit the use of a property in a way that makes it not usable for an owner. "A hardship is created by something unique on that parcel that doesn't allow them a reasonable return on that property," he said. A variance would not open the property to other light industrial use in the future, and could be revoked if violations occurred, Furnas said. "A variance then could be considered that would allow very specific use, that would allow them a little bit more expectation of revenue from that property, as in operating some sort of limited business like a tree service," he said. Other board members agreed that a variance would seem to be the best option. Supervisor Matt Bonebrake said because there were not other industrial properties in the area, he would prefer the variance, which would allow the tree service to continue. "I don't really want to see that as an industrial property, but I do want the Turkles to be able to operate their business and to use the land they bought to do so. The variance would be a good option," he said. The re-zoning failed for lack of a vote, and the board recommended the Zoning Board of Adjustment, to which the property owner can appeal, approve a variance. In other business, the board approved a bid from Sulzberger Excavating, Inc. in the amount of $29,500.00 for demolition of 112 E. Fourth Street. MUSCATINE, Iowa A downtown building near the intersection of Iowa Avenue and Second Street is currently being repainted by a local artist who hopes the new painting will capture both modern Muscatine and its history. Chris Anderson said he had noticed the old mural was beginning to look faded, although the original painting was well done. The old mural depicted images of Muscatine history, and Anderson said he wanted to continue the theme. "So this mural is the same principal," he said. Anderson has previously worked on pearl button art including trees with used shells as the leaves on the branches, which were put on display in the Muscatine History and Industry Center earlier in the year. He had been looking at the mural, and decided to approach the building's owner, Tom Meeker, about painting a new depiction of Muscatine on the building. "I felt like I could improve it somehow, and that it would be a big challenge. I've been looking at it for years," he said. He began to sketch ideas and create a list of materials that would be necessary to complete the painting. Anderson also examined lines of sight to make sure that people viewing the painting from the sidewalk could easily see the important elements. The mural has been designed to include the Muscatine High Bridge, the old Muscatine Hotel, and the new Merrill Hotel that is currently under construction. "Each piece is a major part of Muscatine history," Anderson said. Anderson hopes guests to downtown Muscatine will enjoy seeing pieces of the city's history. "I felt like that with the new hotel coming in, people who were staying there and looking out of their room would like to look onto something that was historical but also elegant," he said. The Canadian Pacific Railway is also depicted in the painting, and Anderson said he wanted to represent something that played a major role in building up Muscatine. "Throughout history in Muscatine they were a major, important factor for the industry portion of town, with our shipping, and the corn belt, and everything," he said. Anderson said he also wants the painting to capture a feeling of Muscatine, from the river to the Mississippi Harvest statue. "Like a picnic, or a walk along the riverfront," he said. Painting, Anderson said, is something he plans to continue after the mural is complete. "I feel like paint is an amazing thing, you know, it's paper thin but it can change the way you feel," he said. Although he has several paintings and sculptures in the downtown area, most are displayed inside, and Anderson said he is excited to have a painting in such a visible location. "This has been a privilege to decorate the downtown in this way," he said. WEST BRANCH, Iowa The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum will host Iowa Senator David Johnson on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Senator Johnson will speak on "A Common Soldier's Uncommon Story" at 2:00 p.m. in the Figge Auditorium. Senator Johnson was born and raised in West Branch, Iowa. His father, Donald E. Johnson, was a veteran of World War II. The talk, A Common Soldiers Uncommon Story, focuses on his father's steps in World War II with the U.S. Army's 89th Infantry, which was among the first to liberate a concentration camp in Germany. Senator Johnson graduated from West Branch High School and then received a B.A. in history from Beloit College in Wisconsin. He later was camp manager on three scientific expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic. Returning to Iowa, he became a newspaper publisher and editor, winning numerous state and national awards for journalistic excellence. He helped lead local historic preservation and economic development efforts, and served several years as Chamber of Commerce president. Currently Senator Johnson is the Iowa State Senator from the 1st District. A former Republican and currently independent, he has served in the Iowa Senate since 2003 and served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 19992003. The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum will honor military members and their families on Veterans Day by offering free admission to all active-duty, retirees, veterans, Reservists, National Guard, and Coast Guard members as well as their families. The talk is free with paid admission to the Museum. The Museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. and located mile off Interstate 80 at Exit 254 in West Branch, Iowa. Visit the website at www.hoover.archives.gov or call 319-643-5301 for more information. MUSCATINE, Iowa Around 400 fifth grade students watched and participated in demonstrations surrounding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) on Tuesday. Monsanto and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Muscatine County held a STEM Field Day at the Muscatine Agricultural Learning Center, and high school FFA students as well as members of ISU Extension in Muscatine County and Monsanto employees were on hand to assist in demonstrations, and teach children more about STEM. Chris Boar, the plant manager's assistant at Monsanto and an organizer for the event, said the company held the event to help give students some unique opportunities to learn about and consider jobs in STEM. "We feel it's really important for them to get some hands-on experience and actually see some of the displays, so they maybe know what kind of field they want to go into and maybe it'll spur them to think about something that they hadn't before," she said. Students moved in groups to different stations inside and outside, and learned about chemical reactions, electrical currents, and got to feel their hair stand on end while touching a Van de Graaff Generator. Each station was a different experiment, from making electrical circuits with fruit to watching an exothermic reaction. Fifth grade students Tyler Wingerter and Jovani Romo said they enjoyed testing the smoke cannon, which blew rings of smoke as students hit the back of a barrel, and learning about electricity with fruits and vegetables. "It was cool," Wingerter said. Romo said he enjoyed learning and watching demonstrations at the STEM Field Day. "We can actually see a real-life version instead of looking at pictures," he said. Sawyer Zeck, also in fifth grade, said he learned what a catalyst was, and we how to make a chemical reaction, which was his favorite part. He said the event had made some of his fellow students more interested in taking agriculture classes. "I think it's going to get a lot of people in the class to go out for agriculture," he said. Around 45 High School agriculture students or FFA members helped run the stations, as well as serving as group leaders. Ryan Calvert, a senior at Muscatine High School and the vice president of the Muscatine FFA said he and other members of the FFA attended the event to volunteer. "And to let all these kids see how much STEM impacts the world, there's a lot of jobs that go into STEM, and it's also a great opportunity for us to volunteer as members of the community and help give back," he said. Calvert said he enjoys working with children, and he hopes they will remember seeing high school students volunteering, and will be encouraged to do the same in the future. "I think it's great for us to work with them and I think it's awesome for them to be able to see us getting involved, because I think that we are role models for these children," he said. Jake Daufeldt, co-leader of the event, said after three years of the event he has enjoyed watching students grow through the STEM Field Day and other educational programs Monsanto organizes in the community. "It's crazy to see kids with the fifth grade things and then the other activities that we do you see them as they get older, so you see them multiple times through their educational careers which is fun," he said. Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes [] Axxess was crowned the best Internet service provider of 2016 at the annual MyBroadband Conference, which took place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand in October. The MyBroadband awards are based on four consumer surveys, where broadband subscribers rate their ISPs on value for money, network quality, and billing and support. The results of the four surveys are then used to calculate the top ADSL, VDSL, and FTTH service provider of the year. Axxess retained its position as the top ISP, followed by Afrihost which climbed five places since 2015 and Vox Telecom, which dropped one place. The table below provides an overview of the performance of the ISPs in the four surveys in 2016. ADSL, VDSL, and FTTH ISPs ISP Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Average Move from 2015 Axxess 8.85 8.52 9.00 7.88 8.56 = Afrihost 8.06 8.39 8.28 8.10 8.21 +5 Vox Telecom 7.99 8.12 8.35 7.63 8.02 -1 Internet Solutions 7.82 7.61 8.48 7.97 7.97 -1 Cybersmart (with LightSpeed) 7.17 7.94 8.55 7.97 7.91 +1 Crystal Web 7.68 8.20 7.71 7.94 7.88 -3 Webafrica 7.74 8.24 7.60 7.69 7.82 -3 MWEB 6.71 6.63 6.80 6.50 6.66 = Telkom Internet 6.10 5.98 6.01 5.58 5.92 +1 OpenWeb 6.52 7.19 5.66 4.27 5.91 -1 Now read: 2016 MyBroadband Awards Winners Broadcast news company ANN7 has lined up Jennifer Lopez for its third South African of the Year Awards ceremony, Channel24 reported. Other international acts confirmed for the show, which will take place on 25 November, include Robin Thicke. The awards will be held at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg and will be broadcast on ANN7s channel (DStv 405) from 18:00. Jennifer Lopez will perform her biggest hits throughout the ceremony alongside South African artists, said ANN7. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SA: International Superstar @JLo to perform @ANN7tv #SATY2016 Awards Watch her PERFORM LIVE on 25Nov 7PM #Channel405 pic.twitter.com/d6yrsQd49j Kanisq Ghosh (@kanisq) October 31, 2016 Now read: This is how big the Anonymous attacks against ANN7 really were Twitter has reportedly started testing a muted words feature that will block certain words and phrases on the service, as determined by the user. According to a report by The Next Web, several iOS users reported having the feature temporarily enabled on their devices. Twitter disabled it soon after it went live, stated the publication. The feature allowed users to access the blocking settings under the Notifications menu, letting them create a list of words and phrases they do not wish to see. The report stated that the feature will likely filter posts and not display them if they contain words a user has blacklisted. Now read: Twitter killing Vine apps Oops... This is embarrassing... 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Contact us. SAN FRANCISCO Police have arrested two men in the fatal beating of a 67-year-old San Francisco homeless man two years ago. At the time, police spokesman Albie Esparza said the man, later identified as Tai Lam, was "savagely" beaten. He was found in a sleeping bag in an alcove in the city's Central District. Police say there was no clear motive in the attack, which was caught on surveillance cameras. He died of multiple blunt force injuries at San Francisco General Hospital. In September, police arrested 31-year-old Joseph Stull. Stull was in Kootenai County Jail in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for an unrelated criminal offense. Last week, police arrested 31-year-old David Peters in Stockton, California. Both were booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of murder, robbery, elder abuse and mayhem. It was not immediately known if the men have attorneys. Ben Koenig, owner of Heritage Eats in Napa, is one of 100 nationwide local business leaders who have been chosen by Yelp to attend its upcoming annual Coast-to-Coast Summit in November. Yelp, based in San Francisco, publishes crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses and provides an online reservation service, Yelp Reservations, and online food-delivery service Eat24. The company also trains small businesses in how to respond to reviews, hosts social events for reviewers, and provides data about businesses, including health inspection scores. "I was really happy," said Koenig, who is the only representative from Northern California invited to attend. "It's not something you can apply for," he said. "They just got in touch with me." Koenig founded Heritage Eats in 2015, and said that social media has been an important way of connecting with the public, particularly with out-of-town visitors. "On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, when we ask people, 'How'd you hear about us?' so many times the answer is 'We read about you on Yelp.'" Koenig said visitors to Heritage Eats, which offers an international selection of tacos, wraps, salads and rice bowls in cafeteria-style service, have often noted they like the restaurant's careful and transparent sourcing of products. The restaurant also makes an effort to connect with locals by supporting charitable projects. "We have really enjoyed entrenching ourselves within the Napa community through dine & donates, Parks & Rec events, Santa Claus on our patio and more," Koenig said. Heritage Eats is at 3824 Bel Aire Plaza. Measure Z supporters are amid a full-fledged, $191,299 campaign to try to pass the proposed quarter-cent sales tax for county open space, parks and watershed protection. Thats how much money the campaign reported raising this year. The financial forms from Preserve Napa County Water and Open Space, Sponsored by the Land Trust of Napa County are on file with the Napa County Election Division. Voters will decide the fate of Measure Z in the Nov. 8 election. The measure needs two-thirds of the vote countywide to pass. It would provide an estimated $8 million annually to be overseen by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. Some of the donations have come in big chunks grape grower Warren Winiarski twice gave $25,000 for a total of $50,000, Launce Gamble $25,000, Jane Mead of Mead Vineyard Management $15,000, Anne Cottrell and Douglas Cutting of St. Helena $10,000, Heitz Wine Cellars $10,000 and Napa Valley Vintners $10,000. Other donations include $5,000 from the Land Trust of Napa County, $2,500 from SWG Advisors of Napa, $2,000 from W. Andrew Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards and $1,021 from Services Employees Union Local 1021 Issues PAC. Listed under non-monetary contributions is $26,075 in polling from the Land Trust of Napa County and a $22,234 stock donation from the late Mary Novak of St. Helena, founder of Spottswoode Estate. Spending this year includes $61,247 to TBWB Strategies of San Francisco for consulting services and $4,344 to Cornerstone Printing of San Francisco for printing and shipping. Were focused on reaching people both in their mailbox and at their front door, said campaign treasurer Patrick Band, who is also executive director of the Napa County Bicycle Coalition. Slick mailers show views of Napa County lakes and mountains and state that the measure would protect habitat, drinking water sources and open space. Volunteers are going door-to-door in local cities trying to convince voters to favor Measure Z. The Napa County Taxpayers Association opposes Measure Z in part because it fears a quarter-cent sales tax hike could hurt people on fixed incomes. But no funded, counter-Measure Z campaign is on file with the county Election Division. We havent seen any real opposition, Band said. Also on the local ballot are Measures A and B. Both seek to improve live outcome rates at the county animal shelter. County Board of Supervisors members and animal advocates recommend voters pass Measure A, which they describe as an improved version of Measure B. The campaign in favor of Measure A is called Yes on Reducing Euthanasia of Animals at Napa County Animal Shelter, sponsored by Jameson Rescue Ranch and Wine Country Animal Lovers. It reported raising $28,665 this year. There is no funded counter-campaign. Napa County supervisors are hoping long-running land-use disputes in rural Angwin amid the forested hills of Howell Mountain east of St. Helena are nearing an end. Save Rural Angwin and the villages biggest landowner, Pacific Union College, appear to agree on many issues. A proposed eco-village housing development targeted for college-owned land a few years ago that led to a bitter battle is no longer on the table. One outstanding issue is whether a field along Howell Mountain Road a major street in this village of about 3,000 peopleshould be designated for agriculture and open space or for future college uses. I do think its worth commenting that this was war early on. And were getting very close on this, county Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht said when the Board of Supervisors discussed the issue on Oct. 18. Board of Supervisors Chairman Alfredo Pedroza credited the progress to Save Rural Angwin and the college. And government wasnt involved, Pedroza said as the Board held its first Angwin discussion since 2014. It was you guys doing your job and we appreciate that. Now the Board of Supervisors would like the two parties to agree on that large field. That could lead to the Board in coming months resolving the remaining rural Angwin urban bubble issues after almost a decade of on-and-off work. When Napa County revised its General Plan in 2008, it identified the Angwin urban bubble as needing further study. This bubble was an imprecise planning area left over from the 1983 General Plan where agricultural land could be rezoned for development without a countywide Measure J vote. Later in 2008, the Board of Supervisors removed 76 parcels totaling 400 acres owned by PUC from the bubble. That left 100 acres that could be developed. Amid all of this was the dispute over the proposed, so-called Angwin eco-village that was to have 591 homes, then 380 homes. This development by Triad Communities would have brought in money for the PUC endowment. As a result, Save Rural Angwin formed with the stated purpose to oppose any PUC development its members thought would destroy the rural environment of the small community. The county in 2009 left 63 acres of PUC land available for the eco-village. Save Rural Angwin in 2012 spearheaded efforts to pass Measure U to strip eco-village land of development potential, but county voters rejected it. Eco-village proposals petered out a few years ago. I just have to say, The eco-village is dead, PUC President Heather Knight said at the Oct. 18 Board meeting, moving her hands for emphasis. I cant say that loudly enough. And I know some of the distrust between Save Rural Angwin and PUC came from that project. Save Rural Angwin and PUC now agree on a mixture of land-use designations for much of the college-owned land once targeted for the eco-village. Supervisors talked of creating a new Angwin college zoning category to resolve some possible zoning questions. But that 25-acre field along Howell Mountain Road that was also to be part of the eco-village remains a sticking point. It is presently designated for urban residential uses. Knight asked the Board to redesignate it for public institutional uses such as classrooms or a wellness center. Were not planning for a big housing development there, Knight said. Were not planning for an eco-village. Allen Spence of Save Rural Angwin said Knight began rebuilding trust in the community when she became college president in 2009. Its a dilemma, though, Spence said. There is no one single answer that works in this situation unfortunately that makes everybody happy. Spence said PUC has no major, specific project planned for the field. Save Rural Angwin asked the Board to redesignate the field for agriculture and open space, adding it has been used for agriculture for decades. Lucio Perez of Napa County Farm Bureau said the field is important for the view people see as they drive on Howell Mountain Road through Angwin. He acknowledged the college has needs, but said they can be met elsewhere on the campus. He cautioned against infringing on an area he said is quite breathtaking. St. Helena Hospital President Steven Herber brought another viewpoint to the Angwin discussiona desire to create more housing. The hospital is located a couple miles from PUC and like PUC is a Seventh-Day Adventists institution. We have a lot of challenges, but housing is really one I think you can help us with, Herber told supervisors. Im amazed at how difficult it is to recruit and retain nurses. And nurses are very well compensated, but they cant afford to live in the Napa Valley. After an an hour-and-a-half session, supervisors and the public had their say. Supervisors want PUC and Save Rural Angwin to continue collaborating to try to resolve the remaining issues. Mike Hackett of Save Rural Angwin said Thursday that he believes the Board of Supervisors will be fair about the issue. My personal ambition is to get this accomplished before the new Board is sworn in next year, because this Board is experienced about this issue for the last 10 years, Hackett said. Valley welcome sign a hazard? The two Welcome Napa Valley signs one near Oakville, one near Calistoga are Napas versions of the Hollywood sign. They are decades-old, beloved, slightly kitschy landmarks that attract souvenir-seeking photographers by the droves. But county Supervisor Diane Dillon is particularly concerned about safety at the Oakville sign. Shes seen people flipping U-turns on Highway 29 and making other maneuvers to reach it. The Welcome Napa Valley sign sits along southbound Highway 29 south of Oakville Grade Road at a vineyard owned by Robert Mondavi Winery. Roland Hauck designed the signs out of carved redwood. Hauck had lived in Wooden Valley since 1935 on land settled by his wifes grandfather in 1863. One thing Dillon doesnt want to do, if no new location can be found for the Oakville sign, is get rid of it. Haucks handiwork is safe. That is not the idea at all, Dillon said. Locals have celebrated weddings, birthdays, quinceaneras and other important events at the Rutherford Hall for decades. Come Nov. 6, the hall will be the center of its own celebration its 100th birthday. To mark that milestone, supporters are knee-deep in a renovation project, with the ultimate goal of preserving the hall so it can be used by locals for another century. In June 1914, Frank L. Hunt and a small group of family farmers came together in Yount Township to start a new Subordinate Grange to be called Rutherford Grange #371. Within two years, membership had grown to 165 members and a new Grange hall on Highway 29 in Rutherford had been built. Originally, the Rutherford Grange Hall was a shingle-style Arts & Crafts structure, similar to many residences still found in the Napa Valley. But by the 1990s, the hall had fallen on hard times, and both the local organization and the building were suffering. Sometime in the 1960s, according to Rutherford Hall board member Peg Cann, the exterior of the hall was covered in stucco in an attempt to hold the building together. Today, due to a dispute between the California and national Grange organizations over ownership of Grange properties, the facility is currently referred to as the Rutherford Hall. Current membership totals 78. Annual dues are $40 for an individual, or $80 for a family of up to four. So far, a small but dedicated group of supporters has managed to raise some $60,000 for the remodeling that included modernized heating, plumbing and electrical systems. The roof has been repaired and a non-historic stucco exterior is being replaced with a period-appropriate layer of brown shingles. Board member Cann said that the board and membership needs to raise a total of $200,000 to finish the exterior reshingling, remodel the stage and refinish the floors. In addition, the board hopes to secure a grant to upgrade and certify the kitchen, which is estimated to cost $100,000. Its important to restore the hall, Cann said, because located at the heart of the valley, its been the social center of the valley for generations. Lillian Bommarito Stretch grew up near Rutherford and attended a two-room schoolhouse across the highway as a child. She has fond memories of school productions hosted at the hall. Parents and students made a stage, costumes and dressing room areas. That was a big deal getting to rehearse at the Grange Hall, Stretch recalled. Although she now lives in San Francisco, Stretch said she visits the Napa Valley often and has noticed the improvements underway. They have done a miraculous job, she said. Were very excited about what has been accomplished. She is planning to attend the centennial dinner on Nov. 6. The building should be preserved, she said. I think its something to pass down as both a historical building and an affordable place for locals to gather. Davie Pina, Rutherford Hall executive committee member, also recalled visiting the hall as a kid especially for regular Sunday morning pancake breakfasts. With four sons, dad would take us just because we ate a lot of food, he joked. These days, many people meet at restaurants or cafes instead of halls, but those facilities are money-making ventures, he said. The Rutherford community is more than just tourism-serving businesses, said Pina, who believes the hall is worth saving. It can be a center of Rutherford again. Sitting on prime land next to Highway 29, there have been opportunities to sell the property, but we do not want to do that, said Cann. We feel that having a social gathering place in the heart of the valley is more important. Grapegrower Andy Beckstoffer is another member of the Rutherford Hall board. We have gotten so glitzy and fancy in the wine business, he said. The Rutherford Hall ties us to the past, and that is extremely important. We care about our past. This defines what Rutherford is. If you had to build a new community center, it wouldnt be the same, he said. Yet, preserving the hall is tough, Beckstoffer said. There are not that many people in the small Rutherford community who can afford to give us substantial monies. But now that the facade is almost done, he said people will be inspired to chip in. People want to maintain that history, he said. We keep on working on it. The hall is also one of the more affordable places for locals, primarily Hispanics, to host events, Cann said. The hall also accommodates 4-H, FFA and group meetings like those of the Rutherford Dust Society. This is a building with a heritage, and preserving that rural, agricultural heritage is essential, said Cann. Its also important to preserve a hall that can be rented economically; many other facilities are geared toward visitors or charge higher rates, she said. The hall rents for approximately $350 to $1,000 a night, depending on the size of group and activity. The hall is about 5,500 square feet and can hold about 200 people. Lisa Hamilton lives next door to the hall and works part-time scheduling parties and events in the building. Its booked every weekend, she said. Some 7,500 people use the hall each year, 90 to 95 percent of whom are from the Hispanic community, she said. There are family members that have events there every year, sometimes twice or three times a year, Hamilton. Rentals include baptism celebrations, quinceaneras and wedding receptions. Theyre what has kept the hall alive, said Hamilton. Locals know what a valuable resource it is, she said. Its affordable, and we want to keep it that way. It would be fantastic if a white knight saved the hall in one fell swoop, Cann said, but what I think would be great would be for a groundswell of more ordinary folks like those that rent the place to come to its aid. If the Halls users helped save it, theyd have a stake in what goes on and perhaps feel more ownership over the hall, Cann said. This isnt somebody elses place that we rent; this is OUR place, she said. The NATO Deputy Secretary General, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, will visit Montenegro on Wednesday, 2 November and Thursday, 3 November 2016. On 2 November 2016, Ms. Gottemoeller will deliver a speech at the University of Montenegro. The event is upon invitation only. On 3 November 2016 the Deputy Secretary General will attend the closing ceremony of the 16th international field exercise organised and conducted by NATOs Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC), the first of its kind to be hosted by Montenegro. For more details on this event please go to http://www.gov.me/en/ announcements/166346/ International-Consequence- Management-Exercise-CRNA-GORA- 2016-to-be-held-from-31- October-to-4-November.html During her visit, the Deputy Secretary General will also meet with the President of Montenegro, Mr. Filip Vujanovic, the Prime Minister, Mr. Milo jukanovic, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Dusko Markovic, and the Minister of Defence, Dr. Milica Pejanovic urisic. Follow us on Twitter (@NATOPress and @Gottemoeller) Dollar, euro drop in Armenia Erdogan plans talks with Putin and Zelenskyy in coming days Head of Armenian State Revenue Committee: In 2022, the state budget will lack about AMD 84.8 billion Russia's richest billionaires will become $83.4 billion richer in 2022 Expert: expansion of relations between Tehran, Yerevan may prevent corridor creation Russia and Iran to sign deal on free trade zone with EEU Hearings on South Caucasus to be held in US Senate Central Bank chief: High activity in Armenia economy is maintained in third quarter of 2022 OPEC Secretary General: Europe and U.S. are heading for economic recession Pashinyan briefs Raisi about talks in Sochi and their results Ardshinbank and Mastercard offer to pay with Apple Pay and get cashback Nine people arrested in India after mass deaths in bridge collapse CSTO meeting on Armenia-Azerbaijan border situation to be held on November 23 in Yerevan Zas: CSTO working towards proposals regarding situation on Armenia-Azerbaijan border Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector Clinton sues Trump to recover $1 million from him Lukashenko: Armenia turned down proposed settlement plan Raisi: Iran-Armenia trade can be increased to $3bn Zas discusses Baku-Yerevan conflict in Minsk Raisi: Foreigners interference will deepen problems of Caucasus State Security Service conducts operation in Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture Iran expands sanctions on U.S. Cavusoglu discusses relations with Azerbaijan with his Iranian counterpart European gas price falls to $1,246 per 1,000 cubic meters in October Armenia revenue committee chief: No initiative to ban import of Turkish goods Economy minister: Authorities plan to increase number of tourists in Armenia to 2.5mn annually by 2026 Armenia official: Our border checkpoints are ready to receive Azerbaijanis Flight restrictions extended at 11 airports in south and center of Russia until November 9 Sergey Kopirkin: Unblocking of communications must be based on respect for countries sovereignty Storm Nalgae in the Philippines leaves 110 people killed Lukashenko on Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: Why did they engage EU? Why are they engaging CSTO there? 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The denial of the fact of Armenian Genocide should be considered a crime. President of the Belgian Senate, Christine Defraigne, who is visiting Armenias capital city of Yerevan, on Tuesday stated the aforesaid in the National Assembly. She recalled that the Senate of Belgium was one of the first among the European parliamentary structures which, in 1998, adopted a very tough resolution that condemns this tragedy. We took steps to set criminal accountability for denial of the occurrence of Armenian Genocide, stressed Defraigne. We did not achieve our goal at the time. But I believe that, with the Belgian parliaments adoption of the resolution that condemns Armenian Genocide, we will achieve the goal set before us on this road. She noted, however, that this matter is not about the parliament dictating history. This is about conveying this history to the new generations, and to make the conveying continuous through the generations, added the speaker of the Belgian Senate. [But] not to punish the culprits, but rather to pave the way for new talks and the establishment of peace. YEREVAN. - President of the Belgian Senate, Christine Defraigne, who is on an official visit to Armenia together with the delegation led by her, on Tuesday visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex accompanied by Deputy Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Hermine Naghdalyan and Head of Armenia-Belgium NA Friendship Group Shirak Torosyan. Christine Defraigne and the delegation members laid a wreath at the memorial on behalf of the Belgian Senate. They also laid flowers at the eternal flame and observed a minute of silence in memory of the victims. Apart from this, the guests visited the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute, where they got familiarized with the documents witnessing about the Armenian Genocide, as well as left a note in the memory book. Noting that Belgium is one of the first countries to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide, Christine Defraigne noted: We continue our work in the Senate, attaching importance to the adoption of the law criminalizing the Armenian Genocide denial, which is necessary for the victims and successors of the Genocide perpetrators. We wish the Armenian and Turkish communities to come together one day. YEREVAN. Zhoghovurd daily has learned that the matter of accountability of officials in the Republic of Armenia (RA) has begun to be seriously discussed within government circles, and this was noted even in official releases, reported the newspaper. In particular, on October 19, the governments plenipotentiary representative to the European Court [of Human Rights (ECtHR)], RA former Prosecutor General Gevorg Kostanyan, met with Philippe Boillat, Director General of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe [(CoE)]. According to the release, among other matters, Kostanyan and Boillat discussed also the matter of accountabilityincluding material accountabilityof officials, including judges. [Accordingly,] police, investigators, prosecutors, municipality, [and] cadastre workers [in Armenia] shall be held accountable for the decisions they take, wrote Zhoghovurd. MELBOURNE, Florida Officers from the Melbourne Police Department responded to a report of a seven-year-old girl and a twelve-year-old boy who were seeking help for their drunk mother, Shaun Marie Orlos of Rockledge, Florida. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The 41-year-old Florida woman was located in her vehicle in a strip mall parking lot located at 1080 North Wickham Road. When police made contact with Orlos, her vehicle was allegedly still running and she was sitting in the drivers seat. Police say that the mom smelled of an alcoholic beverage, had slurred speech, and blood shot eyes. When Orlos exited her vehicle, she allegedly could not stand without leaning on it. Orlos allegedly refused to undergo field sobriety tests or submit to a breath test and was subsequently arrested. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] "Khoday passed away at a private hospital due to illness and age-related complications. He is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters," said the official. The 110-year-old Khoday group of industries or the 'House of Khodays' is well known for its alcoholic beverages such as Peter Scot and Red Knight whisky, XXX rum, Hercules beer and Constantino brandy. Born and brought up in Bengaluru, Khoday pioneered the pub culture in the city by opening its first pub in 1986. The city now has about 500 pubs. "Srihari was the second of the three sons of Eshwarsa, who founded the group in 1906 and diversified into other sectors besides expanding the alcoholic beverages business," said the official. Though Khoday joined the company as a director in the mid-60s, he rose to be its Vice Chairman and Managing Director in 2011 and run the group's business interests in diverse sectors such as agro, biotechnology, engineering, power, textiles and travel. Khoday was also an independent director on the boards of 10 other companies in the country. He was a reputed philanthropist and patron of fine arts and promoted sports. "As an avid movie buff, Khoday also financed and produced a couple of award-winning films in Kannada," added the official. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande and opposition leaders B.S. Yeddurappa and Jagadis Shettar were among the hundreds who mourned Khoday's death. --IANS fb/mr ( 268 Words) 2016-11-01-14:00:02 (IANS) Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the government is planning to set up a platform in the next one month through which subscribers can directly give their feedback on call drops. "We are setting up a platform through which the consumers will be able to directly give their feedback to the government, especially regarding call drops," Sinha told reporters. He was briefing media after holding a meeting with telecom service providers CEOs on the call drop issue. About the 100-day plan floated by the operators where they had assured that 60,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) will be set up with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, the minister said: "They have met the target of setting up 60,000 BTS... rather exceeded that target." Bharti Airtel has installed 22,000 BTS, Idea Cellular, 25,382 and Vodafone, 13,870, the minister said, adding that Reliance Jio, which was not part of the 60,000 BTS plan, has additionally set up 35,000 BTS. Sinha said call drops should be wiped out from the country. The telecom operators also discussed the next phase of action for better services with the minister. "Consumers are of paramount importance. They should not be affected," the minister added. Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan S Mathews said: "Most operators have executed the 100-day plan that was submitted to the Communications Minister Manoj Sinha, and the results are evident in the decreased numbers of call drops in the country." "The industry has stood by its commitment of spending Rs 12,000 crore to improve network quality. It will continue to invest more and augment its current outlay to ensure that people are given the best quality of service, particularly for those areas where connectivity is still a challenge. We are working closely with all concerned authorities to ensure processes are expedited so that towers can be installed at locations where there is a need," he added. --IANS ag/vd ( 334 Words) 2016-11-01-18:50:03 (IANS) Holding a gun and prepping up for some action, the dimpled actress recently took to Instagram to share her new look in the film and captioned it as "#serena #girls #guns #globaldomination #xxxreturnofxandercage #january2017 #coming soon." The 30-year old actress also shared a new teaser of the third installment in the xXx franchise starring Vin Diesel in the lead. The short clip gives us a sneak-peak of Miss Padukone's deadly character Serena Unger, a 'highly classified XXX operative from India who is as sharp as a knife'. The Mastani of Bollywood is rocking her action sequences, seductive looks and daredevil avatar. We simply can't wait for her to become the face of 'global domination'. Directed by DJ Caruso, ' xXx: The Return of Xander Cage' hits theatres on January 19, 2017. (ANI) Actor Sumanth, who awaits the release of "Naruda Donoruda" -- the Telugu remake of critically-acclaimed "Vicky Donor" -- feels such films are a rarity in Telugu filmdom because the filmmakers are still conservative to attempt such bold subjects. "Telugu industry vis-a-vis other southern industries is slightly conservative when it comes to dealing with bolder subjects. Even though we have occasionally made bold films, these have been sugarcoated for commercial reasons," Sumanth, who reprises Ayushmann Khurrana's role in the remake, told IANS. Directed by debutant Mallik Ram, the remake is slated for release on Friday. Sumanth is hopeful that his film will open the doors for edgier and bolder subjects. "'Vicky Donor' was bold even for Bollywood, but it was well received. Since we stayed true to the original, barring minor screenplay changes to suit Telugu sensibilities, I'm sure our film will encourage filmmakers to get more creative and edgy," he said. Asked if Telugu audiences, who are mostly conditioned to watching commercial cinema, will accept a subject like sperm donation, Sumanth said: "There was apprehension initially but I strongly feel this is a universal subject. Infertility clinics are all over and I know people who run them. It's one of those things nobody wants to talk about even though it's there. When the trailer was received with enthusiasm, my slightest apprehension had gone away." The film also features Pallavi Subhash and Tanikella Bharani, reprising Annu Kapoor's role. Sumanth is all praise for veteran actor-writer Bharani. "With all due respect to Annu Kapoor ji, I think Bharani ji was brilliant and even better. He also contributed in the writing aspect of the film with timely advice," he said. On working with the young director, Sumanth shared that he had known him since he worked on "Golconda High School". "He had worked as an assistant director on that film. He has this wry, quirky sense of humour which I thought was needed to handle a subject like 'Vicky Donor'. Along with the sense of humour, he also has a very sensitive side. The reason I chose him was I was moved by a short film he had made on a modern-day couple. I liked his sensibility and I also realised he is very much like me," he explained. --IANS hp/nn/vt ( 388 Words) 2016-11-01-11:32:03 (IANS) "Glee" actor Mark Salling, who was accused of forcing himself on a woman after she changed her mind about wanting sex, won't face a rape charge. In a charge evaluation sheet, which has been obtained by the New York Post's Page Six column, Deputy District Attorney Emily T. Spear from the LA County District Attorney wrote: "I personally interviewed the victim." "She appeared very emotional over the trauma inflicted upon her and presents as a credible and accurate historian of the events surrounding the rape. However, given the delay in reporting the crime, suspect's apparent denial of the rape in victim's pretext to call him and lack of other corroboration, there is insufficient evidence, at this time, to file this case." The 22-year-old alleged victim filed a police report in April this year against Salling after embarking on a romance with the former "Glee" star after meeting in a hotel bar in 2012, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The woman reportedly claimed in the documents they had entered a room to have sex but she then changed her mind and said "I can't do this", yet he refused to stop. However, the woman has previously claimed she continued to have consensual sex with Salling because she had lost her virginity to him. In the document, it read: "She believed that she was married to suspect because she lost her virginity to him and stated that was why she continued to consent to sex with him." Meanwhile, the actor has denied child pornography accusations and is currently on bail. He has been ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from schools, parks, arcades and many other places of that sort, while his passport has been surrendered and any devices that can connect to the internet have to be approved by the authorities. --IANS dc/nn/bg ( 311 Words) 2016-11-01-15:56:04 (IANS) The historic ritual involves devotees hitting each other with stones till they bleed. Their blood is then offered to Goddess Kali as a al symbol of victory of good over evil. The head of the organizing committee, Ranjeet Singh Kanwar, said, "There is a belief that the erstwhile queen of Dhami started this with an effort to end the tradition of human sacrifice. Before going through Sati (an outlawed tradition of self immolation by a widow on her husband's pyre), the queen divided different tribes into two clans and started this tradition of stone pelting ending human sacrifice. Till today, people of Dhami and nearby area celebrate this with devotion." Devotees from different tribes participate in a procession, beating drums and playing flutes. They form teams and pelt stones at each other. Goddess Kali is the first of the ten incarnations of goddess Durga. She is regarded as more aggressive form of Goddess Durga and is known to destroy all evil for the cause of justice. (ANI) The run ended at the Moradabad railway station and it was followed by people taking a pledge for national unity. "We have prayed for unity because if we are together, then we are powerful," Deeksha Lakhera, a student told ANI. Pramod Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Moradabad Division, Northern Railway, told ANI, "Today is a big event, we have organized the program. 'Run for Unity' for National Unity. Our officers, the students and all employees have participated. We are celebrating the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as national unity and will also take an oath," "The whole world is going to celebrate the birthday of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel as a festival and as National Unity. Indian railways will celebrate this occasion with full excitement, all the workers of railway, our scout, sport members, railway employees are gathered to participate in this Unity Run. On this great festival we pay our tributes to Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel," a participant Sudhakar Ranjan Tyagi told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday honoured Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of his 141st birth anniversary. The government had last year decided to observe Sardar Patel Jayanti Day as Ekta Diwas. This occasion provides an opportunity to re-affirm the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand the threats to its unity, integrity and security. (ANI) He will arrive at Mana Airport, Raipur, and from there, he will reach Jungle Safari. After dedicating Asia's largest man-made Jungle Safari to the people, Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) between Raipur and Naya Raipur. After this, the Prime Minister will unveil 15-feet statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay in front of the Mantralaya. On the occasion, he will also dedicate newly constructed road 'Ekatma Path' connecting the new capital's centre will its railway station. At around 1 p.m., Prime Minister Modi will reach the Rajyotsava Ground and will inaugurate Shilp Gram exhibiting traditional art of this tribal state. He will also launch an ambitious Saur Sujala Scheme aimed at providing solar powered water-pumps to farmers at subsidized rates. He will officially declare two districts of Mungeli and Dhamtari Open Defecation Free (ODF) under the Swacchh Bharat Mission. After interacting with Panchayat members from the state, the Prime Minister will address the general public at the main ceremony ground. After the programme, he will leave back for Delhi. Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh on November 1, 2000. Since then, the state has witnessed stable governance and steady progress despite facing challenge of Maoist extremism in its southern part of Bastar. (ANI) A group of Thai shippers said on Tuesday it expected exports to be at best flat to 0.8 percent weaker this year, better than the 2 percent decline it had projected in June.Despite recent improvements in Thailand's exports, weak global demand and low commodity prices will continue to crimp the country's shipments, the council said in a statement.Exports, worth about two-thirds of the Thai economy, have contracted the past three years. Sluggish exports have been a major drag on Southeast Asia's second-largest economy still struggling more than two years after the army took power to end prolonged political unrest.On Friday, the finance ministry predicted exports would fall 0.5 percent this year, rebounding from a drop of 1.9 percent it had projected in July.REUTERS SHS PR0947 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1003097.Xml They share same history, culture and traditions, but Nagas in India's northeast region are set apart by boundaries. Eastern Nagas living in the interior parts of the border in the northeast region are set apart from the rest of the world. Nearly 100 villages in the interior parts of the region lack electricity, proper education and employment. In the absence of proper sanitation and heath care facilities, at least 80 children from 20 villages lost their lives from the measles epidemic recently. But Naga Forum Delhi recently decided to reach out to them during their worst crisis when measles broke out in which at least 80 children lost their lives. It is in this context that Nagas living in Delhi took up an initiative by providing basic necessities to the affected families. The idea was to bridge the gap between Indian Nagas and Nagas living in the border areas and also to sensitize the Nagas in general about the living condition of the people in the International border. The Naga Forum Delhi sent its teams to three most affected regions -- Khonsa in Arunachal Pradesh, Pangsha in Tuensang district of Nagaland and Longwa village in Mon district of Nagaland. "We are here in Longwa to distribute relief materials for the people affected in measles epidemic and the aftermath. After the epidemic where 85 children died, they now have faced a famine like situation. So now we have come here to distribute whatever we can and we have come all the way from New Delhi. We have also distributed the materials in Khongsa region in Arunachal Pradesh and in Pangsha of Tuensang district of Nagaland," said Ac Kharingpam, General Secretary, Naga Forum Delhi. The teams provided medicine, rice, pulses, milk, tea leaves and other basic items. The NFD teams reached more than 100 villages living across the border areas. Many of the villagers who had come to receive relief materials called upon the government on both sides of India and Myanmar to allow the people to cross the international border to buy basic commodities from the nearest market. "Our area is still living in darkness. Nobody knows that we are living in such a condition. 12 children had died in my village and around my neighboring village, around 40 children had died. Food grains had destroyed by rats and insects. And due to the climatic condition where there is no rainfall, we don't have proper crop and anything to eat because there is no supply. We don't have any nearest market in Myanmar. It takes a week to go and the get the food grains from Myanmar market," added Angyo Kaishan, one of the Beneficiaries. "Yes, we are living in interior parts of jungle, so that's why we are getting malaria. At the same time, every year we are facing famine like situation as well as sickness. Thanks to NFD for providing a relief materials and May God bless them," added Tolong Peter, another Beneficiary. The initiative was executed under the advice and logistic support from various organizations such as the Eastern Nagaland People Organisation (ENPO), Eastern Nagaland Students' Federation (ENSF), Khiamniungan Tribal Council and Khiamniungan Baptist Council of Noklak. Eastern Naga Students' Association, a student body of the Naga from Myanmar in India and the Ollo Baptist Church and the Konyak Union and the Konyak Baptist Church Association took up the same responsibility of logistic support and mobilisation along with EMSA executive in Laju-Arunachal Pradesh and Longwa in Mon district of Nagaland. The materials provided might be temporary relief materials. But such noble acts help build a stronger relationship amongst them. It also promotes communal harmony and sends out a strong message of unity to the rest of the world. (ANI) Police prevented the separatist of Kalyan Karnataka PratyakaRaj Jagrati Samiti who tried to hoist a separate flag at aprominent junction here and arrested them. They were later shiftedto nearby Brahampur police station. However, another group of activists had gathered at thetown hall to hoist a separate flag, but police had stopped them . The state government had strictly advised the districtadministration that such separatist tendency need to be dealt with firmly. The main function to mark the reorganisation day was organisedin the Nagareshwar High school in the Neharu Ganj area where theDistrict incharge Minister Sharnprakesh Patil hoisted the Nationalflag and a cultural procession involving tableaux and folk troopswas flagged off. School children participated in theprocession. Meanwhile. Police authority made tight security in the cityand deployed police force to prevent further law and order problem.UNI SD CNR CS 1143 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1003176.Xml Questioning the authenticity of the encounter video after eight SIMI terrorists escaped from a high-security prison in Bhopal, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday wondered as to what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus while stating that he was against all those playing politics in the name of religion. The Congress general secretary stated that he had put ban on the SIMI when he was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "I was the first Chief Minister to put ban on the SIMI. Rajnath Singh was then the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh...he did not put the ban. Other controvertist Hindu organisations like the Bajrang Dal along with the SIMI used to ensure that riots take place. I had proofs and based on that the NDA put the ban on SIMI," he told ANI in an exclusive conversation. "I don't have love either for SIMI or Bajrang Dal. I am against all those who create ruckus and play politics in the name of religion. Owaisi ji is also included in that," he added. The Congress leader stated that the cases of the SIMI terrorists were taken back in 2011 during the BJP's rule in Madhya Pradesh. "Some SIMI terrorists escaped from jail in Khandwa in 2013. In 2014, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary was informed that they may attempt to run away from the jail. On October 31, 2016, eight SIMI terrorists ran away from jail. Now, what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus," he added. Expressing his ire at the opposition parties, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today said some leaders are doing vote bank politics which is highly condemnable, adding that one must refrain from doing so. "I don't know what sort of political mudslinging has begun. Few leaders of our nation cannot see the martyrdom of our soldiers. They cannot see the sacrifice of Ramashankar Yadav. They are the ones who murdered Shiv Prasad Kushwaha. They killed Sitaram Yadav in Khandwa. Some people are doing vote bank politics on this matter which is highly condemnable. One must refrain from doing this," he told the media in Bhopal after announcing a compensation for the family of slain security guard Ramashankar Yadav. Escalating his attack on the opposition, Chouhan said it is extremely unfortunate that they do not utter a word about the martyrdom of the soldiers. "Shame on such politics and shame on such leaders. For us, nation is our first priority," he added. Eight terrorists of the banned group SIMI, who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail after killing a guard yesterday morning, were gunned down in an encounter by the state police. (ANI) Officials said an ambulance with a patient headed for Lucknow from Mohanlalganj, rammed into the truck it was trailing when the driver tried to overtake it at the Phulwari turn. Five persons, including the driver, in the ambulance were killed on the spot and their bodies had to be extricated from the vehicle after cutting open its mangled shell. One passenger -- the ailing woman, Manju Yadav, however, survived the crash. The police are trying to nab the truck driver, who escaped. The dead were identified as Subhash, Suman, Golu, Rajdev Yadav and the driver, Ashok. --IANS md/in/vt ( 134 Words) 2016-11-01-12:36:02 (IANS) The visit is intended to consolidate and enhance the bilateral maritime relations between India and Myanmar, an official statement said here. During his visit the Navy Chief will hold bilateral discussions with U Myint Swe, First Vice President of Myanmar, Vice Senior General Soe Win, Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Defence Forces) and Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Army and Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Navy. Admiral Lanba will be addressing the students at the National Defence College and also visit the Defence Services Academy, Naval Training Command and the indigenously built Myanmar Navy Frigate UMS Aung Zeya. The visit of Navy Chief coincides with the port call of Indian Naval ships of the 1st Training Squadron which are on a Overseas Deployment as part of training curriculum of Indian Naval cadets. Officers from the Myanmar Navy are also embarked on the Indian Naval ships for the first time as part of the international training exchange programme. The Indian and the Myanmar navies cooperate with each other in terms of Training and Operational interactions. India has been partnering the capacity building of the Myanmar Navy through assistance in Military hardware and equipment. UNI MK ADG 1320 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0090-1003322.Xml While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hoisted the State flag at mainfunction held at Sri Kanteerava Stadium here, in theDistricts respective Incharge Ministers unfurled the State flag. It was on this day Mysore state was formed in 1956, merging theKannada-speaking regions of Bombay and Madras presidencies and theprincipality of Hyderabad, with the princely Mysore state, based onthe recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission. In 1973, the then Chief Minister Devraj Urs changed the name asKarnataka from Mysore. Cultural programmes were held through out the day. In State Capital, the Chief Minister will distribute RajyotsavaAwards to 61 selected noted personalities from all walks of life atRavindra Kalakshtra in the evening. Various organisations, business establishments, Factories, BanksSchools also celebrated the day by organising programmes.UNI MSP CNR CS 1232 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0287-1003237.Xml AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh demanded an inquiry by National Investigation Agency (NIA) with court monitoring on the alleged encounter killings of eight SIMI activists in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a press conference here today, he said that escaping eight prisoners from high security prison was beyond imagination. Moreover, contradictory statements were made on the killing of security guard of the prison. Mr.Singh said that the slained SIMI activists were seen waving hands on a hillock, but were shot dead. He said in 2013, five SIMI activists had given a slip from the Khaldwa prison and wondered over the reports that the SIMI activists were given a slip only from the prison. The whole responsibility of encounter lies on the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan he said and demanded a clear statement from him on the encounter.MORE UNI DP CS 1506 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1003507.Xml Lt General JS Sandhu took over as 46th General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 15 Corps, also called Chinar Corps, here today. Lt Gen Satish Dua yesterday handed over the charge of Srinagar-based 15 Corps. Commissioned into the regiment of 5th Gorkha Rifles (FF), Lt Gen Sandhu has had an illustrious military career spanning 36 years during which he has held varied prestigious command, staff and instructional appointments. The Gen officer has an incisive understanding of J&K having served five earlier stints in the state including command of an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control, a Mountain Brigade and the elite Kupwara Division. A Graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Higher Command Course and National Defence College, Gen Sandhu has also served in the Army Headquarters, Infantry School, Army War College and the DSSC. The Gen officer has also represented the country in the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu, Nepal. On assuming the charge, Gen Sandhu conveyed his greetings to the Awaam of Kashmir and the entire Chinar Corps fraternity. Lt Gen Sandhu took charge at a time when attempts of infiltration from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), under the cover of firing by Pak troops, has witnessed increase recently. There are more than 200 militants waiting at launch pads on Line of Control (LoC) to cross over to this side before the infiltration routes are closed due to heavy snowall. Meanwhile, Lt Gen Dua was given a befitting farewell in Badami Bagh Cantt which began with both the Gen officers laying wreath at the War Memorial to pay their homage to martyrs. Gen Dua's tenure, which began on August 27, 2015, has been characterised by a balanced approach of robust operations along the Line of Control (LoC) and in hinterland on one hand, and constructive engagement with the populace, especially the youth on the other. The Army has played a very significant role during the ongoing phase of unrest assisting the civil administration in restoring 'peace and calm'. Gen Dua's tenure though, will be defined by the successful surgical strikes in Sep launched by the Army in response to the Uri terror attack. The opening of Chinar 9 Jawan Clubs all across the Valley to provide the youth a platform for growth and recreation has been a major contribution to Kashmir during his tenure. Gen Dua who now proceeds to New Delhi on promotion to assume the charge of Chief of Integrated Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), expressed his hope that situation in the Valley would soon return to normal and conveyed his best wishes to the people of Kashmir and soldiers of Chinar Corps. UNI BAS YSS SNU 1434 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0153-1003389.Xml Police said a joint team of Central Resrve Police Force(CRPF) and district police arrested the main accused, Sarekha Yadav from his hideout at Harmeth village following a tip off. He was accused of gunning down LJP leadersSudesh Paswan and Satish Paswanat Chachar village during campaigning for the panchayat elections. An irate mod had set on fire escort vehicle of former Chief Minister Jeetan Ram Manjhi when he was on way to meet the grieving family members of the slain leaders whose wives were in the fray for the post of mukhiya.UNI XC IS KK SHS ADG 1409 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0212-1003366.Xml Six Gorakshaks who saved lives of hundreds of cows from being slaughtered and rescued were felicitated at a function at the Shreenathji Dham Ashram at Arnalpada, near Vasai yesterday. The youths from Thane, Bhiwandi and Mumbai saved hundreds of cows from being slaughtered recently. The youths who were in their twenties had a miraculous escape from the scene and could also rescued many cows from the clutches of the thieves who steal the cow and sell them for slaughter. Prominent among those present for the function include Chief of the Ashram Janmashtamai Das Maharaj, Founder president of the All India Parshuram Sena and BJP National Council Member Om PrakashSharma, Convener of the Gauraksha Samiti Uttam Maheshwari, a statement said.UNI XR NV AW SNU 1611 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1003539.Xml Main opposition National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah today lashed out at the Centre and the Jammu & Kashmir Government for allegedly making reopening of schools a benchmark to gauge the return of normalcy in Kashmir. "Making the reopening of schools a benchmark to gauge the return of normalcy is what leads to arson attacks by those who ferment trouble," Mr Abdullah, who is the former chief minister of the state, wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter. Mr Abdullah was responding to the reports that the Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to make efforts to reopen the schools in the Kashmir Valley, where all schools remained closed and over 25 educational institutions have been gutted under mysterious fire incidents since July 9, a day after Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) commander Burhan Wani and two other militants were killed in an encounter at Anantnag. Asserting that schools must reopen but not in isolation, he said the government must get a grip on the situation so that schools and shops open on their own. Meanwhile, lashing out at national electronic media over killing of civilians in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along LoC, he said that's why it's very easy to whip up frenzy in a TV studio, it's quite another thing to have to live with the consequences of the fallout. Mr Abdullah also prayed for the souls of the people killed in the ceasefire violations. "May they rest in peace. J&K and especially people living near the IB/LoC are always the worst sufferers of heightened India-Pakistan tension," he said.UNI ABS ASM SNU 1627 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-1003562.Xml The BJP on Tuesday slammed the Congress and other opposition parties for demoralising security forces and insulting their bravery by raising doubts over the killing of eight SIMI activists, who had escaped from a Bhopal jail, in a gunfight with police. Addressing a press conference, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Shrikant Sharma blamed Congress for communalising the issue in order to earn political mileage. "Congress has always questioned the security forces when it came to killing of terrorists, be it 2008 Mumbai attack or Batla House encounter. On one hand, security personnel are putting their lives in danger (to eliminate terrorists), on other hand, our Italy Congress is busy demoralising them to keep its Muslim vote bank intact. By doing such kind of politics, it is actually insulting Muslims of the country," he alleged. The Madhya Pradesh Police and its Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) gunned down eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) undertrials after they broke out of Bhopal jail early on Monday morning. However, Congress, the Aam Aadami Party and the Left parties raised serious questions pointing at the possibility of a staged gunfight. Sharma questioned the Congress for "supporting terrorists". "We do not understand why the Congress supports the terrorists who are indulging in anti-India activities on behest of Pakistan. They (killed SIMI members) were supporters of Osama Bin Laden and working as sleeper cells. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of Italy Congress, why they have sympathy for the terrorists and questions for security personnel," Sharma said, claiming that Congress was mum on the death of head constable Ramshankar Yadav, who was killed by the fugitives while escaping from the jail. Sharma also said that Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had blamed the RSS for the Mumbai terror attack while its "Home Minister sympathised with terrorist Afzal Guru". Sharma said that Congress cannot compete with BJP on issues of development "hence it has taken to communal politics, and claimed it was "nearing its end by indulging into such kind of politics". --IANS spk/vd/bg ( 354 Words) 2016-11-01-16:56:09 (IANS) While, the Nifty of National Stock Exchange (NSE) ended on a flat note at 8,626.25 points. The Sensex edged higher by 36 points to 27,966.18 in early trade. It then went up by 99 points to touch day's high of 28,029.80 in noon trade. But it dropped later by 85 points to low of 27,845.63 during the day, before closing in red at 27,876.61, sliding by 53.60 points as compared to its previous close. The sectoral indices like FMCG, Health Care, IT, Realty and Technology were under pressure. Scrips of Axis Bank, TCS, Sun Pharma and Cipla dragged the market down while Tata Steel, HDFC, NTPC andCoal India capped its further decline, brokers said. The market breadth was positive as 1,464 shares rose and 1,454 fell while 96 were unchanged on BSE. The BSE Mid-Cap index lost 0.24 per cent. The BSE Small-Cap index eased 0.2 pc. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.More UNI NV SS SM1726 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1003757.Xml Expressing deep anguish and grave concern over the loss of innocent human lives and destruction of properties in the unabated border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made a fervent appeal for peace and political dialogue between India and Pakistan to de-escalate the perilously hostile situation prevailing in the region. "I am deeply pained over the fresh spate of civilian killings, including children and women, in border shelling and urge the political leadership in New Delhi and Islamabad to take effective and urgent measures to de-escalate the situation and bring an end to the miseries of the hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir who are caught in the deadly crossfire," the Chief Minister said. She said the unabated border shelling has seen a tragic humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, where innocent civilians and their properties are being targeted. "We in J&K yearn for peace as we have been suffering immensely because of the hostility and violence in the region and know very well its dangers and perilous consequences," she said and added that India and Pakistan must open the channels of communication, at the earliest, realising the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the borders. Maintaining that the necessity and urgency of dialogue has assumed more significance in the prevailing disturbing situation, Ms Mehbooba said the escalation of violence along the borders and LoC should keep reminding both India and Pakistan of the inevitability of sitting across the table to find a peaceful, just and pragmatic solution of all the contentious issues. "We see world-over how wars have resulted in complete destruction of once most prosperous countries and annihilation of cultures," she said and added that it is the responsibility of the Indo-Pak political leadership to save the region from such a devastating scenario. "Whatever be the reasons for hardening of stances and attempts by the vested interests to subvert the peace process, there is, however, no substitute to the reconciliatory policy which was started in 2003 and had worked so well," she said and called for serious efforts at the political and civil society levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people sandwiched in a gory scenario of death and destruction. She said the senseless violence is the common enemy of the people in both India and Pakistan as the scourge of bloodshed has devoured their lives over the years. The Chief Minister asked the Divisional administration in Jammu and the concerned District Administrations to reach out to the people affected by the border shelling with all possible support.UNI ABS ASM SNU 1707 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0433-1003627.Xml Wreath laying ceremony was organised in honour of the brave martyr Rifleman Bimal Tamang, who laid down his life guarding the nations frontiers while serving at the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri Sector (J&K). A military send off was organised wherein, General Officer Commanding, 25 Infantry Division laid a wreath on behalf of Lieutenant General DS Hooda, Army Commander Northern Command and Lieutenant General AK Sharma, General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps. Twenty-year-old Tamang belonged to Dharan, Nepal and is survived by his mother Nirmaya Tamang. Tamang was a dedicated, brave, sincere soldier and a thorough professional. He loved his job to the core. The nation will remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty. He will continue to motivate the future generations, the Army officials said. UNI XC SB 2040 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-1003955.Xml A tenth grade schoolgirl was killed in a road accident today after being run over by a moving bus of Haryana Roadways near Nagla Rajputan under PS Naringarh. The incident took place when girl was getting down from the moving bus and her foot got stuck in the exit door. She was dragged till she came under the rear wheel and was crushed under it. She was rushed to the civil hospital Naraingarh from where the doctors referred her to the Sector 32 GMCH Chandigarh in a critical condition. But she succumbed to her injuries on the way. The police IO Sham Lal said that a case against the driver and conductor has been registered and the bus impounded. Search was on to nab them. In another incident in the same district, three members of a family riding Activa were injured when a speeding car hit their two-wheeler near Maheshnagar Ambala Cantonment. Critically injured Harpreet Singh, his wife and 5-year-old son Utkrishat were rushed to the trauma centre civil hospital. The doctors declared Utkrishat dead while Harpreet was referred to the PGI. His wife escaped with minor injuries. The police reached the spot and started investigation. The car driver had escaped after accident. The family was returning to Patiala after attending a social function in Yamunanagar. UNI XC SB SNU 2005 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-1004120.Xml A huge quantity of silver has been seized and a cattle smuggler arrested by troops of Guwahati Frontier of Border Security Force deployed in Coochbehar, near the International boundary in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. On specific input provided by BSF intelligence unit, about smuggling of silver from India to Bangladesh, surveillance was mounted in the border area yesterday.At about 1540 hrs, a suspected approached the target area with the consignment and tried to throw it across the border fencing, towards Bangladesh.However, when the alert troops swooped on to the area, the suspect abandoned the consignment and fled from the spot.The party recovered 7.976 kgs silver in two securely packed packets, which was verified to be genuine.The approximate cost of the seized consignment is Rs 3,36,601. Meanwhile, a cattle smuggler, identified as Mukul Sheikh of Coochbehar, was apprehended by the troops of BOP Karala along with one cattle head, while he was trying to smuggle it from India to Bangladesh.He has also revealed names of his associates during preliminary questioning. He has been handed over to local police for further legal action.Besides, BSF troops of Guwahati Frontier seized 40 cattle heads having an approximate value of Rs 1,04,780 and 32 bottles of Phensidyl on the intervening night of October 31 /November 1.UNI SG RN SB 2038 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0311-1003946.Xml The Punjab Congress today said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had betrayed the people of Punjab at a critical juncture in the SYL dispute and now he was resorting tohypocritical double talk on the issue with an eye on the forthcoming assembly elections. Accusing the Akali leader of shamelessly showing dual standards in the matter, the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) said the stand he was now trying to project on the river dispute wascompletely contrary to his past deeds. The PPCC was reacting to Badal's statement at the golden jubilee celebrations of Punjabi Suba in Amritsar that his government was committed to resolving the river dispute. It was the Akali government in Punjab which had been responsible for putting the state on the back foot on the SYL issue, PPCC leaders Ravneet Bittu, Sukh Sarkaria, Kuljit Nagra and Randeep Nabhapointed out. They referred to the documentary evidence released some time back by PPCC president Capt Amarinder Singh to show that Badal had been instrumental in acquiring land for SYL construction in Punjab through a notification dated February 20, 1978, thus weakening Punjab's position in the prolonged dispute. Accusing Badal of playing dirty politics over the issue, they pointed out that Badal had failed to uphold even the sanctity of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, which the earlier Amarinder-led Congress government had passed to annul all inter-state water sharing agreements signed by Punjab. Capt Amarinder has already announced that he, along with all Congress MLAs in Punjab, will resign if the pending Supreme Court verdict in the SYL case goes against the state. In a joint statement here, the PPCC leaders challenged Badal to clarify on the SAD stand in case of an unfavourable verdict for Punjab. "Simply making dramatic statements that the people of Punjab will not allow water to flow to Haryana is not going to help. You should spell out a clear agenda to tackle such an eventuality," they told Badal. "Will you also resign," they demanded to know, charging Badal with putting the state's interests at stake for the sake of his personal relations with then Haryana chief minister Devi Lal. Reacting to his remarks that the people of Punjab were ready to make any sacrifice to safeguard the legitimate share of river waters, the PPCC leaders asked Badal what sacrifice were he and his cronies ready to make for the sake of Punjab.UNI DB SB 2156 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0293-1004118.Xml The 74th Anniversary of the Intelligence Corps was marked today wherein Lt Gen DS Hooda, Army Commander, Northern Command extended heartfelt felicitations and good wishes to all soldiers of Intelligence Corps and their families. The field of Intelligence has evolved over a period of time as an important facet of operational planning. In the current security environment field intelligence operatives face varied challenges. Thus, the dynamically changing scenario demands, deep sense of responsibility, utmost dedication and professional excellence. The performance of the Intelligence Corps has, indeed, been praiseworthy. All members of the Intelligence Corps fraternity of the Northern Command pledged to meet the future challenges with renewed dedication, enthusiasm and zeal, while upholding the finest traditions and ethos of the Indian Army. Meanwhile Army's Northern Command Aviation Corps celebrated its 31st Raising Day at Udhampur. The Army Aviation Corps was raised on November 1, 1986. On this occasion various functions were organised by officers, JCOs and Jawans with their families at various Army Aviation units. GOC-in-C Northern Command, complimented all personnel of Army Aviation Corps for their dedication, hard work and their whole hearted support beyond the call of duty in complete spectrum of all operations in Jammu and Kashmir State. The Army Aviation Corps, the 'Arm of the future' has not only performed exceedingly well in its role in support of the ground forces during operations but also in support of civil population during aid to civil authorities.UNI VBH VS 2234 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1004306.Xml With the tug-of-war continuing between the media and the lawyers, two senior ministers in the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front today appealed to the highest echelons of the judiciary, including CJI Justice T S Thakur, to resolve the ongoing ''tussle'' between the two following attacks on mediapersons on the High court premises. Pointing out that the judiciary system should be impartial, neutral and should be above all controversies, Kerala Law Minister A K Balan reminded that like Judiciary, Executive and Legislature, the fourth pillar media was also accountable to the people. ''In democracy in three pillars working in random and are accountable to the people, the fourth pillar media also accountable to the people,'' he said adding that if the two parties were having disputes, may be lawyers or the media, it should be solved amicably and the senior judges should take necessary steps in this regard. Supreme court judges, Justice Jasti Chalameswar, Justice Kurien Joseph, Justice Ashok Bhushan, chief justice of Kerala High Court Justice Mohan M Shantanagoudar, HC judges, Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan, Justice K T Sankaran and advocate general C P Sudhakara Prasad were among those present on the dais at the two functions, one at the inauguration of the new district court complex and other to mark the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court. The Law Minister also said good governance was possible when judiciary, executive, legislation and the media work together, understanding their responsibilities and take their stance accordingly. Only then there would be peace in the functioning of courts. Expressing serious concern over the absence of media in covering functions of judiciary, Kerala Public Works Minister G Sudhakaranan asked, why was the media not seen in such a function? This should be examined. If they haven't been able to come, then the reason should be looked into. If required any correction, it should be done.'' Stating that judiciary can function well with the support of the executive, he said that all the three pillars of the democracy, namely, judiciary, executive and the legislature function in coherence along with the media to ensure social and national security," he said. Speaking of the ongoing confrontation, he said that there are two cases, one of media activism and other of media not being allowed to enter the courts. The minister said that the courts are supposed to be impartial and neutral and so is the media. It may be recalled that a section of lawyers not allowing media to cover the court proceedings. Though Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Governor and various media organisations take steps to end the confrontation, the advocates did not heed their request and still continuing the ban in courts.UNI CGV VS 2238 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1004322.Xml The cooker filled with ammonium nitrate was used for the blast in the car hired by district medical officer, they said. District police chief Devesh Ku Behara said Central Intelligence Agency was expected to probe the blast. Besides car many vehicles parked in the premises were also damaged in the explosion.UNI PCH VS 2320 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1004332.Xml The 2017 edition of the awards honours five outstanding scientific researchers in physical sciences, working in each of the following regions: Africa and the Arab States, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. Australian quantum physicist Michelle Simmons has been selected "for her pioneering contributions to quantum and atomic electronics, constructing atomic transistors en route to quantum computers", in Asia Pacific. Chilean astrophysicist Maria Teresa Ruiz is recognised "for her discovery of the first brown dwarf and her seminal work on understanding the faintest stars, including stars at the final stages of their evolution (white dwarfs)" for Latin America. For Africa & the Arab States, the awards honour Lebanese analytical chemist Niveen Khashab's contributions "to the development of innovative smart hybrid materials aimed at drug delivery and for developing new techniques to monitor intracellular antioxidant activity." Khashab is an associate professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia. British materials science researcher Nicola Spaldin is the laureate from Europe "for her groundbreaking multidisciplinary work predicting, describing and creating new materials that have switchable magnetic and ferroelectric properties." Spaldin is professor and Chair of Materials Theory, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. For her outstanding contributions and mastery of the development of novel functional stretchable polymers for consumer electronics, energy storage and biomedical applications, American material chemistry expert Zhenan Bao, of Stanford University, has been chosen as the laureate from North America. The awards will be presented at a ceremony on March 23, 2017, in Paris. Proposed by a community of more than 2,000 leading scientists, the five laureates were then selected by an independent international jury of 12 prominent scientists presided this year by professor Christian Amatore, member of the French Academy of Sciences (AcadAmie des sciences). Each laureate will receive a prize of 100,000 euro to reward their contribution to science. --IANS sgh/sm/vt ( 345 Words) 2016-11-01-12:54:02 (IANS) Several prominent liberal, progressive and nationalist intellectuals, human rights and public figures from Pakistan gathered in London for a conference on 'The Future of Pakistan' where they expressed grave concern on Islamabad's militarization of state and its inability to prioritize protection of human rights and social justice. The event was organized under the banner of South Asians Against Terrorism and for Human Rights (SAATH), co-hosted by US-based columnist Dr Mohammad Taqi and former Pakistan ambassador to the United States, Husain Haqqani. The gathering had to be arranged away from Pakistan because of the threats to the security of free thinkers in the country. Participants expressed grave concern on Pakistan's current trajectory, militarization of state and society, shrinking space for liberal ideas and pluralism, constant threats to democracy and threats to NGOs, human rights defenders and individuals, as well as the inability of major political parties to prioritize protection of human rights and social justice. The forum also demanded that the local governments should be given 25 per cent of the royalty and the profits of natural resources exploited from their respective areas. The conference also concluded that Pakistan faces the risk of global isolation because of widespread obscurantism, growing intolerance, lack of rule of law, along with official support for extremism and general disregard for human rights. The Pakistani state, regrettably, expresses a continued willingness to engage with religious extremists and terrorists, and sometimes even talks of formally inducting Jihadi terrorist groups into the state's paramilitary structure but remains hostile to liberal, progressive and nationalist groupings within Pakistan, the participants in the forum observed. Further conclusions that the forum arrived upon were: . It is time for Pakistan's rich and powerful to own up and take responsibility for failed policies instead of promoting conspiracy theories through management of mass media. Only a pluralist Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, fully respectful of human rights of all including religious minorities would be able to gain international respect, have a positive global and local image and avoid further descent into chaos. Questioning state policies is a legitimate right of all Pakistanis. The forum recognised that one of the reasons Pakistan's democracy has remained tenuous is that while the center has denied rights to the provinces, the provinces have failed in the devolution of power to the local governments, which is why the forum has demanded that the provinces should activate the Provincial Finance Commissions and allocate maximum resources to the local governments. (ANI) Maintaining that if asking for justice from the courts regarding a government crackdown on his party workers is tantamount to pressurising judiciary, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday asked, "Is asking for justice pressurising the courts?" The Dawn quoted Khan as saying, "If we want to know from the courts [why] we are being baton-charged, roads are being blocked and women are being arrested... is this pressurising the courts?" He said that the issue will be raised in Supreme Court by the PTI leaders. The PTI chief said, what crime they have committed that the PTI workers are being arrested. Why was he put under house arrest? Khan also asked that under which law was the Pervez Khattak-led convoy of PTI protesters was stopped from reaching Islamabad. He also questioned that under which law was the Pervez Khattak-led convoy of PTI protesters stopped from reaching Islamabad. Meanwhile, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Shaikh Rashid said today that PTI chairman Imran Khan should have joined his protest on October 28 in Rawalpindi. He was talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad. The PTI chief was scheduled to address supporters at an AML-organised meeting at Lal Haveli on Oct 28 but he cancelled the plan later on saying that his party is instead gearing up for the November 2 protest in Islamabad. Rashed said that they want to get rid of Nawaz Sharif at any cost. While apparently referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the Turkish president, he said, "Now the army needs to decide if they are with Erdogan or with people." Rasheed made it clear that he was not inviting the army while answering a question. He said that the Prime Minister will not be spared by us and will follow him like a stinger or silkworm missile until and unless he gets sacked from his office. (ANI) In remarks to the official Al-Iraqiya Television station, during his inspection of the military units deployed south of Mosul, al-Abadi underlind that the miliatnts have no way out, Efe news reported. He added that the Iraqi forces have reached Mosul, second largest city in Iraq, to free it. The Prime Minister explained that after the liberation of Mosul, extremists would not be able to resist in other IS enclaves. In his speech, he said that the armed forces and their allies were advancing in all villages and areas. He also addressed the Iraqi political leaders, asking them to put aside their differences, at least until the end of the offensive. The major offensive to recapture Mosul from the IS began on October 17. --IANS ksk/vt ( 172 Words) 2016-11-01-15:30:02 (IANS) Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign ratcheted up the pressure on FBI Director James Comey today, saying that if he released inconclusive information about the Democratic candidate, he can do the same for her Republican rival. A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign is working to contain damage from Comey's announcement on Friday of new emails that might pertain to a previously completed investigation into Clinton's use of a private server while she was secretary of state. Republican Donald Trump seized on the revelation, which indicated no wrongdoing on Clinton's part, intensifying his criticism of a rival he has long dubbed "Crooked Hillary" and welcoming a slight improvement for him in a new ABC/Washington Post poll on Tuesday. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the FBI director had not released any information about its investigation into Russia's role in the US election or ties to Trump and his senior aides. "If you're in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians," Mook said on CNN. "It is mind boggling, and Director Comey needs to answer this." Law enforcement officials have been investigating Russia's role in the presidential campaign and any ties to Trump or his senior advisers, but have found no conclusive, direct link, the New York Times reported on Monday. The United States has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations. The Clinton campaign has been furiously pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case. Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The FBI spent a year investigating Clinton's use of a private email server, instead of government systems, while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Comey concluded in July that while Clinton and her staff had been "extremely careless" in handling classified information, there were no grounds for any charges. Comey has said he released more information about the investigation than is typical because of election year sensitivities. "If Director Comey was so concerned about how information would be handled and about the reputation of the FBI, why did he release this letter that was full of innuendo and absolutely no facts?" Mook said on CNN, referring to Comey's letter to members of Congress on Friday. The New York Times also assailed Comey, accusing him in an editorial in its Today's edition of sending "a brief, inscrutable, election-shaking letter" in a "breathtakingly rash and irresponsible decision." The FBI announcement 11 days before the Nov. 8 presidential election blindsided Clinton, who had extended her lead over Trump in opinion polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women. Opinion polls show Clinton's lead has narrowed slightly since early last week. It is not known if the email controversy will hurt her support. Clinton holds a 5 point lead over Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, supported by 44 per cent of likely voters compared to Trump at 39 per cent.REUTERS VS BD1935 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1004112.Xml Venezuela has freed three opposition activists jailed for more than a month in a first gesture by President Nicolas Maduro's government after talks began with his foes. The socialist leader met opposition leaders at the weekend in talks convened by the Vatican, but they conditioned further dialogue on the release of political prisoners and a national vote on Maduro's rule. His adversaries accuse Maduro of creating a dictatorship by blocking a recall referendum on his rule and illegally overriding the legislature, which was taken over by the opposition in a landslide election last year. Authorities freed the three activists - Carlos Melo, Andres Moreno and Marco Trejo - yesterday night, but the opposition says another 100 or so Maduro opponents remain in jail. "I hope that what happened to me, will happen to all of them," Melo said in a video released after his release. He was detained in August and accused of carrying explosives as part of a coup plot against Maduro. Moreno and Trejo spent a month in jail, accused of damaging military morale in a political propaganda video that showed a soldier suffering the same economic hardships as protesters. "These (releases) were decisions by the tribunals in the context of the dialogue process, gestures," said senior Socialist Party official Jorge Rodriguez, who is representing the government in the talks. He added that investigations of the three activists were continuing. They deny the charges, and opposition parties say they were trumped up as part of a wave of repression this year. Maduro, who is struggling to control shortages of consumer goods and soaring prices in an unraveling economy, says he is a victim of opposition conspiracies to overthrow him and of an "economic war" led by businesses with the backing of Washington. The opposition was planning to conclude a political trial of Maduro in the National Assembly on Tuesday. It also aims to march to the presidential palace on Thursday, following massive protests and a partially observed national strike last week.REUTERS VS BL2152 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0440-1004283.Xml The traditional Mass for All Saints Day was celebrated in the open air, outside the grotto known as the Stone House, which collapsed on Tuesday on a group of women who entered the structure at the conclusion of the service to pray, officials in Santa Maria told Efe news. The worshippers with the most serious injuries were admitted to the hospital. Police, firefighters and paramedics went to the site of collapse to provide assistance --IANS pgh/ ( 111 Words) 2016-11-02-02:22:02 (IANS) VIENNA, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- OPEC discussed with non-OPEC producers on Saturday in Vienna over a potential crude output cut. Six non-OPEC countries attended the meeting with the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC) here. However, the talk yielded little information about the promise of oil output. OPEC failed to reach an agreement over an output ceiling in the past serval meetings in Vienna, while the oil price was at a low level. The group said in a press statement after the talk that the meeting was constructive, but no information is implying an output cut accord has been reached. The ministers of OPEC are set to meet by the end of November, trying to reach an agreement on curbing the group's output. Indian policemen carry a body at the site of an encounter in Bhopal, central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, Oct. 31, 2016. Indian police Monday gunned down eight suspected militants of the banned group Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in an encounter, hours after they escaped from a high-security prison in the central state of Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal. (Xinhua/Stringer) NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indian police Monday gunned down eight suspected militants of the banned group Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in an encounter, hours after they escaped from a high-security prison in the central state of Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal. "The militants were hiding on the outskirts of Bhopal after they escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail early this morning. Though they had no guns, the militants were killed by the police after they attacked them with stolen utensils and attempted to flee," state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh said. "The police initially tried to wound them, but were ultimately left with no other option than to kill them as they were not ready to give up. Two policemen also sustained injuries in the encounter with the militants," said the official. The daring jail break took place at the Bhopal Central Jail around 2 a.m. local time. The eight militants had first killed the jail guard with a knife and then used blankets to scale the boundary walls to escape. The state government has ordered a probe into the incident and suspended the head of the jail. "There will be an investigation into the lapses," the Home Minister said. This is not the first time that such a jail break by the militants took place. In 2013, some seven militants of the banned group broke the wall of a washroom and escaped from Khandwa Jail, around 280 km from Bhopal. SIMI was outlawed in 2001. India says the organization has links with Islamic militant groups. The government also blames the banned militant group for blasts in Mumbai in 2003 in which at least 50 people were killed, a claim denied by SIMI. NEW YORK, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Oil prices fell on Monday amid growing doubts over whether a production-cut deal can be implemented among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. OPEC officials approved a document outlining their long-term strategy on Monday, a sign that its members are achieving a consensus on managing production. However, analysts said OPEC has so far achieved little otherwise, which triggered market concerns that the group may fail to implement its planned output cut with countries including Iran and Iraq opposing such move. Iraqi oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said last week that the country, second largest producer in OPEC, wanted to be exempt from output curbs as it needed more money to fight Islamic State militants. OPEC agreed last month to cut oil production to 32.5 million barrels a day from current level of 33.24 million barrels a day to boost the market. The group will agree concrete levels of output by each country at its next formal meeting in November. The West Texas Intermediate for December delivery lost 1.84 U.S. dollars to settle at 46.86 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for December delivery decreased 1.41 dollar to close at 48.30 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. Enditem PRAGUE, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Two armed perpetrators robbed a luxury watchmaker's shop in Prague city center before Monday noon, said police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova. She said the robbers were probably foreigners, and they robbed goods worth one million crowns (about 40,000 U.S. dollars). Zoulova said no one was hurt during the robbery and the robbers are on the run. The perpetrators possibly escaped on a motorbike that the police found in a nearby street shortly after the crime. Zoulova said not only the Prague police, but also other regional police officers have been searching for the perpetrators intensively. She said the case was took over by the regional investigators due to the high amount lost. They will assess the available evidence from the shop and the municipal camera system in the next hours. For tactical reasons, further details would not be released. Paris street in the center of Prague near Old Town Square is one of the main shopping boulevards where many of the luxury brands of fashion, accessories and jewels are sold. (1 U.S. dollars = 24.5 crowns) COPENHAGEN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A new museum to commemorate Hans Christian Andersen will be built in Odense, the hometown of the renowned Danish fairytale writer, and financing plans of the museum was presented on Monday by the City of Odense. The financing of the new museum, H.C. Andersen Museum, which totals 305 million Danish kroner (about 45 million U.S. dollars), has been completed, the City of Odense said in a statement. The A.P. Moeller Foundation has ensured the realization of the project with a donation of 225 million kroner, thus becoming the largest sponsor of the project. Additionally, the Augustinus Foundation has made a donation of 20 million kroner, while the City of Odense has donated the remaining 60 million kroner. Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates has won out in the competition for the design of the museum, while British exhibition design agency Event Communications is responsible for the content design of the museum. Kengo Kuma & Associates is the firm that will design the new Olympic stadium in Tokyo for the 2020 games. "I am now able to say with certainty that the new Hans Christian Andersen Museum will be realized," said Odense Mayor Anker Boye at the presentation ceremony. "Right in the middle of Odense, it will blend in with the new neighborhood that is currently being built on the old street called Thomas B. Thriges Gade," the mayor added. "The new museum will make Hans Christian Andersen feel even more present and alive for the children and young people of the city, while I also expect the new museum to significantly boost the city's culture tourism," said Jane Jegind, deputy mayor for the Department of Culture, Sport and Urban Development in Odense. The construction of the new H.C. Andersen Museum is expected to begin early 2017 and to be completed in 2020. Odense currently has a H.C. Andersen Museum that is located in the building thought to be the birthplace of the writer, a small yellow house in the old town. In 1908, the house was opened as the H.C. Andersen Museum to document his life. Andersen's childhood home, where he lived in the little half-timbered house from the age of two until he was 14, was also opened as a museum in 1930. (1 U.S. dollar = 6.78 Danish kroner) SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A group of researchers at Stanford University has combined live observation, mathematical insights and robots to reveal the movement of parasitic larvae through the water and then cause schistosomiasis, a tropical disease, among people. People become infected with schistosomiasis when the larval form of the parasite leaves the freshwater snail host, swims through the water and penetrates human skin. Once in a person, the larvae develop into adult schistosomes. The female parasites later release eggs, which are either passed out of the body through urine and stool or trapped in bodily tissues, triggering an immune response and large-scale organ damage. When the eggs from urine or stool enter a water body with the freshwater snail hosts, the cycle begins again. "We started thinking about the ecological context for the schistosomiasis disease cycle when, out in the field, we were seeing the terrible trauma it inflicts on people," said Manu Prakash, an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford and senior author of a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Physics. "It manifests over long periods of time, and if the water body near you is infected, there is a very high likelihood that you will get the disease. So, effectively, you can take drugs that could cure you for some time but you get re-infected again." Schistosomiasis infection often produces abdominal pain, diarrhea and blood in the stool or urine. It can also cause learning deficiencies in children and an inability to work in adults that traps families in a poverty cycle. Over the years, adults can develop bladder cancer or severe kidney damage, which reduces their quality of life. In some cases the disease results in death. It disproportionately impacts people who live in poverty, as they are more likely to be vulnerable to infection because they often have less access to adequate sanitation or to safe water for drinking, chores, recreation, fishing or agriculture. Even after treatment, people are often re-infected through their constant contact with contaminated water. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 258 million people required preventive treatment for schistosomiasis in 2014, with an estimated 20,000 deaths. Prakash turned his attention to preventing infections at the first place and decided to investigate how schistosomiasis larvae swim to find a human host. This is a valuable question because, in its larval form, the parasite has no feeding mechanism and must find a host within about 12 hours or die. It stands to reason, then, that the larvae likely have some special, extremely efficient swimming skills. "This was unlike anything I had seen before," Deepak Krishnamurthy, a PhD student in the Prakash Lab and lead author of the study, was quoted as saying in a news release from Stanford, in northern California on the U.S. west coast. "When I looked at this parasite, I was fascinated by the fact that it was swimming in a completely different way as compared to any other microorganism I knew about. The parasite had a mysterious forked tail, something that has never been seen before in any other swimming microorganisms." The researchers imaged live parasite larvae with high-speed microscopy, created a mathematical model to understand how the parasite interacted with the surrounding fluid, and then translated that model into a scaled-up robotic swimmer as a physical extension to learn more about physical parameters at play. The team noticed a few swimming styles that schistosomiasis larvae employ in different situations, and which differ primarily in the position of the forked tail. Of those, one stood out as unique: the larvae stick the tail out perpendicular from the body, like the letter T, prompting the researchers to dub them T-swimmers. The larvae switch to T-swimming when they are moving against gravity, which they seem to do in order to be near the water's surface, where they are most likely to find a human host. "We spent countless hours watching hundreds of these parasites swim -- it's like an obsession," said Yorgos Katsikis, a former PhD student in the Prakash Lab and co-author of this study. "Then we developed image-processing algorithms that would process this data automatically without any experimental bias." These custom algorithms revealed in detail the exact kinematics of how the larvae bend their body and rotate their head, how fast they move and how they accelerate and decelerate and perturb the surrounding fluid. The researchers developed multiple mathematical and robotic models for how a T-swimmer could swim. The mathematical representations look like three rods, one representing the larvae's forked tail and the other two its bending tail and body. The robots were similarly structured and swam through corn syrup, a 10,000 times more viscous counterpart to the water the larvae infests, to recreate the same physical effects. With these models, they could make the model larvae do strokes that involved varying combinations of tail stiffness and bending movement. "In many cases, we try to replicate nature in robots. This was very different," said Krishnamurthy. "On the face of it, it looks like I'm trying to make a robot that swims like a parasite, but the truth is that it was the exact opposite: I was building a robot to actually understand how the biological parasite swims." What these models and various modifications revealed is the larvae's real swimming stroke was indeed the optimal version. Prakash and Krishnamurthy, who have been in Madagascar collecting infected snails and studying the ecology of this parasite in open water in rural villages, hope their work in and out of the lab will bring them one step closer to an ecological solution to this widespread disease. OTTAWA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Canada's government said Monday it would welcome 300,000 immigrants into the country next year to help drive economic growth as the country grapples with an aging demographic. After tabling his annual report in Parliament, Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister John McCallum told reporters that the new number "lays the foundation for future growth in immigration targets." "I do believe it is true that more immigrants for Canada would be a good policy for demographic reasons," McCallum told reporters. The announcement comes amid warnings from the Liberal Party's economic council of advisers that Canada needs to raise immigration levels by the tens of thousands in order to ensure better economic growth. The council recommended the government gradually increase immigration levels to 450,000 per year over the next five years. McCallum said the 450,000 figure was something to aspire to, but insisted that "that number is a conceivable number for some date in the future, but certainly not for 2017." The target number of immigrants from 2011 to 2015 was 260,000, but swelled to 300,000 this year because of what McCallum called the "special circumstances" of the Syrian refugee crisis. There has been much debate over the targeted immigration number at a time when Canada struggles with high unemployment. The 2017 target boosts entries for those in the economic class -- skilled workers, businesspeople and caregivers -- to 172,500 from 160,600. In the family class, the number of sponsored spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents will climb to 84,000 from 80,000. Kevin Lamoureux, the parliamentary secretary to the leader of the government in the House of Commons, said immigrants not only fill jobs that will remain vacant to develop provincial economies, but also contribute to the character and social fabric of communities. If it weren't for immigration, population of his province of Manitoba would have declined in the last decade, he said. "Immigration plays a critical role in terms of the future of Canada in particular in region where the threat of de-population is a reality. Manitoba and other provinces are subject to that depopulation," he said. CARACAS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) on Monday hailed the start of talks with the opposition, with the aim of seeking a common solution to the country's political crisis. PSUV spokesman, Hector Rodriguez, told a press conference that "we want to applaud the brave attitude of the different political actors who sat at that table." "We want to acknowledge the international support which has been given to the proposal of President (Nicolas) Maduro," added Rodriguez, who called for all sides to move beyond political differences and reject hatred. "We do not want to return to the (violence) of 2014, we want to see a respectful debate of ideas," he said. Envoys from Maduro's government and the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) met late on Sunday. The two sides agreed to four central topics to be discussed: how to bring about peace and justice, reparation to victims and reconciliation, society and economic stability, and coordination on the electoral calendar. The two sides also agreed to meet on Nov. 11. In a joint statement after the meeting, the parties voiced commitment to "diminishing the tone of aggression in the language used in political debate." The talks were monitored by three representatives for the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), former Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, former President of Panama, Martin Torrijos, and former Dominican Republic President, Leonel Fernandez. The four topics will each have a separate discussion, with a representative from the government and from the opposition, said Celli after the meeting. The MUD opposition has been divided on whether to sit down with the government. On Saturday, 15 parties within the MUD issued a statement that the conditions were not met to speak with the government, which they said was allegedly continuing "persecution, violence, and terrorizing" of the opposition. SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A new study blames high temperatures, not the low precipitation characteristic of past "snow drought" years, for the record low snowpack levels last year in the western-most region of the continental United States. More than 80 percent of the snow measurement sites in the region, comprised of California, Oregon, Washington, western Nevada and western Idaho, experienced record low snowpack levels that were a result of much warmer-than-average temperatures in 2015, said Philip Mote, lead author of the study published on Monday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. While most of the previous records were set in 1977, when there just wasn't enough moisture to generate snow, the study suggests that greenhouse gases were a major contributor to the high temperatures, which doesn't bode well for the future. California has been in a drought since 2011 and this multi-year period of low precipitation, by some measures, is the state's most severe in 500 years. In 2015, higher temperatures combined with low precipitation, leading to one of its lowest snowpack levels on record. Oregon and Washington experienced much higher-than-average temperatures during the 2014-15 winter but were not as dry overall as California. Oregon was 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average during that period. While a total of 454 sites in the western United States, or 81 percent of the total sites, recorded record-low snowpack levels that year, the April 1 value for 111 of the sites was zero for the first time ever, essentially indicating that there was no snow left; the overall snowpack level on April 1 in California and Oregon was 90 percent below average. "The 2015 snowpack season was an extreme year," said Mote, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University (OSU). "But because of the increasing influence of greenhouse gases, years like this may become commonplace over the next few decades." Impacts of the snow drought in California, Oregon and Washington led the governors of those states to order reductions in water use and saw many ski areas, particularly those in lower elevations, struggle. "The story of 2015 was really the exceptional warmth," said Dennis Lettenmaier, professor of geography at the University of California, Los Angeles, and co-author of the study. "Historically, droughts in the West have mostly been associated with dry winters, and only secondarily with warmth. But 2015 was different. The primary driver of the record low snowpacks was the warm winter, especially in California, but in Oregon and Washington as well." by Xinhua writer Jiang Shengxiong ZHENGZHOU, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- In Lushi County, one of the poorest in central China's Henan Province, Yang Shuchun navigates the muddy path to his house in the Funiu Mountains on crutches, carrying two buckets of water. Yang lost his left leg in a mining accident in 1992, but it has not stopped him from striving for a better life, both for himself and his community. "I've lived in poverty since I was a kid," he said. "Now, even with one leg, I'm trying to do something about it." On Oct. 11, the State Council issued an instruction on poverty relief, asking county authorities to make best use of people's creativity and energy. Yang is a man with seemingly limitless supplies of both. LOVING SUPPORT Yang grows mushrooms, chestnuts and other crops, and he raises some pigs. Even today, both Yang and his wife, Wang Xiuzhen, find it hard to talk about the dark days that followed the accident. "We were so poor we could afford little more than a liter of cooking oil for the whole year," said Wang. "Those times were tough." Beset by an array problems, the couple did not have a child until 1995. Their son Yang Huaiping was born when Wang was 36. Only then did Yang begin to creep out of his depression. "Even though she is much thinner than me, when I needed to visit the doctor, she would carry me up and down the mountains on her back ," Yang said. "With a growing family to feed, it was duty to find a way of raising my spirits." With Wang by his side, he learned to walk again and was soon able to carry firewood and climb trees. "It was really hard at first. I would fall face first onto the ground when going uphill. I was covered in bruises. But she never gave up on me. "She picked me up and pushed me to keep trying, and that was how I learned to do what work I can, regardless of being on only one leg." he added, before standing up to showcase his hopping skills. Like almost everything Yang does, his method of hoeing his fields is quite unique, and executed with considerable panache. To prevent damage to the crops, he puts his crutches aside and hops across the field to hoe, which has made him a more efficient hoer than most of the other villagers. Now, he spends almost 12 hours in the fields each day, earning up to 20,000 yuan (3,000 U.S. dollars) each year from his mushrooms alone. It might not seem like much, but is far in excess of China's rural poverty line of 2,300 yuan. "We have never asked the government for anything," Yang said. "There are a lot of things we can do on our own to lead a better life." ONE LEG, ONE MOTIVATION, MANY FRIENDS Yang's hard work and determination has not gone unnoticed, neither in his village, nor in the county seat. He continues to help other villagers just like he has always done. "I often give mushroom spores to my friends," he said. He is always ready to help those in urgent need with cash or with provisions, and his personal battles have galvanized those around him to do more in their respective battles. "He's a role model for us," said Xu from Yang's village. "More of us have learned to grow mushrooms and sell them for a profit, courtesy of Yang leading the way." Moreover, Yang's endeavors have caught the eye of the local government. A nationwide campaign has encourage local governments to make the most of their local specialties and advantages. In the case of Lushi County, this means mushrooms, poultry and kiwi fruit. "Unlike others , he never waited for people to give him a hand or a push in the right direction, which has motivated us as well," said Cao Wenchao, deputy secretary of the local party committee. "We're now encouraging our villagers to dig deeper into our resources and providing marketing channels for them." "We're making the most of 'Internet Plus' to promote our pollution-free, environmentally-friendly produce," said Wang Qinghua, a county official. "E-commerce will be a crucial ally in our battle against poverty." The measures are in line with China's latest emphasis on poverty alleviation. On Oct. 17 , the third National Poverty Alleviation Day, the State Council released a white paper on poverty relief, stressing the importance of local industries in rural areas. As for the future, the work of his local government meshes with Yang Shuchun's own prospects as, with the help of his son, he plans to open an online store on Taobao, China's biggest shopping site. "My son will be back home soon with his fiancee," Yang said with a grin. "He's quite technologically adept after years at a vocational school. "I hope to earn more than 150,000 yuan next year, with Taobao providing the extra push," he added. Rescuers work at Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 31, 2016. Rescuers are working around the clock to search for 20 miners who have remained trapped in a colliery in Chongqing for nearly 24 hours following a gas explosion. Thirteen miners have been confirmed dead as of Monday midnight. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) CHONGQING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers are working around the clock to search for 20 miners who have remained trapped in a colliery in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for nearly 24 hours following a gas explosion. Altogether 33 miners were stranded in a pit of Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District after the explosion went off at 11:33 a.m. Monday. As of midnight, rescuers had retrieved 13 dead bodies, but the remaining 20 were still unaccounted for, said Chongqing's deputy mayor Mu Huaping at a press briefing held in the small hours of Tuesday. The official corrected previous casualty reports provided by the local coal mine safety authorities on Monday, which said 15 miners were confirmed dead. "We are still working all-out to search for the 20 missing miners," he said, "and will exert our utmost as long as there's still a ray of hope." More than 400 rescuers have been working overnight, taking turns to go down the shaft for the search and rescue operation. They needed to dig through the underground passageways, some of which had been blocked by ruins from collapsed tunnels, carefully avoiding secondary disasters. At least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers are standing by for first-aid. When the explosion went off, 60-year-old Tao Puzhang was working on his cropland about 500 meters from the mine. "I heard a bang and felt the ground was shaking under my feet." Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator with the mine, was working 40 meters from the entrance to the pit. She was swept away by strong shockwaves following the explosion and was injured on the face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she said while answering questions from investigators. "I have a relative down the pit and I hope he will survive." Altogether 35 workers were in the pit when the accident happened. Two of them managed to escape unwounded. Following the explosion, Chongqing authorities have intensified a safety overhaul and demanded all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output be temporarily closed. The Jinshangou mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. VIENTIANE, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) will provide five million U.S. dollars in 2016 to assist in eradicating poverty in Laos. According to information at Lao-Chinese Seminar on Poverty Reduction held Monday in Lao capital Vientiane, the money will be used to alleviate poverty in Vientiane and Luang Prabang province in the Southeast Asian country. The seminar aimed at sharing lessons learned by Lao officials from training programs in China, discussing the roles and functions of the Chinese delegations visiting Laos and perspectives of the tasks of National Committee for Rural Development and Poverty Eradication (NRDPE) of Laos, while also targeting capacity building in rural development and poverty eradication for Lao government staff from different sectors. Speaking at the seminar, Thongvanh Vilayheuang, Vice Chair of NRDPE, said the seminar was of great significance in assisting poverty eradication in Laos and strengthening the traditional and longstanding good relationship between Laos and China. Laos has been collaborating with the IPRCC, engaging in seven types of training programs and high-level visits to focus on sharing experiences and upgrading methodologies based on China's extensive efforts to alleviate poverty. "We are exchanging experiences with each other to try to eradicate poverty. Laos has good land, electricity and water so the country has a good environment with its small population. Cooperation with neighboring countries was crucial to exchange lessons learned and to facilitate poverty eradication efforts," Li Shaojun, Chief of Cooperation Division of IPRCC said at the seminar. SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye suspected of having meddled in state affairs, has been placed under an emergency detention after hours of questioning by prosecutors on risks of fleeing and destroying evidence, local media reports showed on Tuesday. The 60-year-old, who changed her name into Choi Seo-won, was urgently arrested at about 11:57 p.m. on Monday (1457 GMT) after she appeared at 3 p.m. in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for questioning. Choi has been transported to a detention center in Seoul, and prosecutors will seek a warrant to formally arrest her within 48 hours. Under criminal law, the emergency arrest without warrant is allowed when there are reasonable grounds that a suspect committed a crime bringing more than three years in prison. A prosecution official was quoted as saying there's concern about Choi's destroying evidence as she has denied all of her charges and that there's a flight risk as she fled overseas in the past and has no fixed place to stay. Prosecutors are also wary of what might happen if she is released as she showed signs of an extremely unstable psychological state, according to the official. Choi, seen as a political big shot behind the curtain, has been placed behind bars since she unexpectedly returned to Seoul on Sunday after staying in Europe for about two months. She has been suspected of pulling strings behind the scenes and interfering with government affairs by using her connection to President Park. Their friendship has lasted for about four decades. Local media reports speculated that Choi had accessed presidential speeches and statements hours or days before President Park actually deliver them, including a landmark Dresden speech made in Germany in 2014 that laid out a vision for reunification with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Copies of presidential reports had been reportedly brought to Choi every day, including documents on presidential schedule for overseas trips and secret contacts with the DPRK under the previous Lee Myung-bak administration. Choi also allegedly meddled in major government decisions, including the shutdown of the Kaesong Industrial Complex and the appointment of ministers. The decisions were made after consulting with Choi's own advisers, including a commercial film director and a former fencer of the national team. Corruption allegations included Choi's attempt to privatize non-profit Mir and K-Sports Foundations, which were recently established through an unprecedentedly rapid approval by pressuring conglomerates, including Samsung and Hyundai, into donating tens of millions of U.S. dollars. Choi has also been accused of peddling influence to enable her daughter to illicitly enter a prestigious university. It encouraged even high school students in a society where college education determines the majority part of their lives to take to streets for rallies over the weekend. Related: Confidante of S. Korean president summoned on alleged intervention in state affairs SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of South Korean President Park Geun-hye, was summoned on Monday by prosecutors on various allegations, including her intervention in state affairs since Park took office in February 2013. Full story S. Korean president reshuffles senior advisors on confidante scandal by Xinhua Writer Jiang Tingting BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's organization and management of its rural economy has come a long way, and it is still growing. The people's commune system of the late 1950s was replaced by the household responsibility system (HRS) in the early 1980s and now the seeds of a new system are being sown. Formally a grey area, farmers are now officially allowed to transfer their land rights to individuals or conglomerates, which will not only make use of idle land but will also help catapult farming into the modern age, one with greater returns and higher incomes for those that work or lease the land. Guidelines issued Sunday called for the separation of farmland ownership rights, contract rights, and operating rights, which allows farmers to retain the rights to their allotted land if they choose to lease the land out to others. The question of how to efficiently exploit farmland remains a pressing issue in the world's most populous country, where food security and the well-being of rural residents are high priorities. Liu Wenyu, 56, from the southwestern province of Sichuan, was one of the first farmers to transfer her land. In the late 2000s, Liu transferred 6 mu (0.4 hectares) of land to an orchard. For this she receives 1,100 yuan (around 164 U.S. dollars) in rent annually, and a daily wage of 60 yuan as an employee of the orchard. Her story is in no way unique. As the country becomes increasingly urbanized, lots of rural residents migrate to cities, leaving their farmland unattended. There has been growing demand from rural residents to be able to officially transfer their idle farmland. To improve the lives of its millions of rural residents, many Chinese villages, like Liu's, already allow people to transfer their land to companies in return for a fee. Li Guoxiang, researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, hailed this development as the biggest change in the rural economy since the HRS, saying that Sunday's guidelines will help standardize the practice as a whole. HRS allowed rural households to lease land for independent operation. After paying a fixed fee to the government, they could dispose of surplus production to the market. While this was the correct move at the time, the times have changed and demand for large-scale and professional farming has exploded in recent years. "The separation of ownership rights, contract rights, and operating rights will improve land circulation, increase farmers' incomes, and help modernize agriculture," Li said. Businessman Huang Yuanchao is another beneficiary of rural land transfers. After living in Toronto, Canada, for a handful of years in the early 2000s, Huang returned to his hometown in Tianmen in the central province of Hubei, to start a raspberry farm in 2007. His company, Hubei Gold Berry S&T Development Co., pays villagers about 850 yuan per mu for use of their land in five nearby villages, and employs hundreds of farmers as seasonal workers with a daily wage of 50 yuan. Occupying more than 2,000 mu, Huang's farm is now among the country's largest raspberry farm, and boasts an annual output of around 1,000 tonnes. Huang welcomed the separation of the three rights, but hoped that more specific policies would follow. He said that he often finds it hard to secure loans to support production expansion, adding that this was an area that needed attention. Sunday's guidelines boosted his confidence, Huang said, adding that he hoped that banks would allow investors like him to use the land transferred to them as collateral for loans. The separation of the three rights means that the operating rights will now be of equal importance as the other two rights, a big step in protecting the interests of farmland operators like Huang, said Li Guoxiang. "I expect more specific policies in the pipeline that will benefit the companies using the transferred land," Li noted. SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Korean exports, which account for about half of the export-driven economy, declined last month on the back of labor strikes in major automakers and the discontinuation of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, a government report showed on Tuesday. Exports fell 3.2 percent from a year earlier to 41.9 billion U.S. dollars in October, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). The exports rebounded in 20 months in August, but the figure turned downward in September and October. The sluggish exports were led by falls in smartphone and car shipments, which were caused by partial strikes among unionized workers in the country's top automaker Hyundai Motor and the permanent end of production and sales of Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 smartphones. South Korea's smartphone exports tumbled 28.1 percent in October compared with a year ago. Samsung decided on Sept. 2 to recall about 2.5 million Note 7 devices globally on reports of catching fire and heating up, just two weeks after its debut. Samsung finally discontinued the fire-prone phones as fire cases were reported even from replacement devices for recalled phones. The country's car shipments sank 11.8 percent as partial strikes in Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Motors disrupted auto production and led to delayed shipments. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The central parity rate of the Chinese yuan slipped against the U.S. dollar Tuesday after a sharp appreciation the previous trading day. The central parity rate of the Chinese currency, the renminbi or the yuan, weakened 93 basis points to 6.7734 against the U.S. dollar Tuesday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. The central parity rate of the Chinese currency, the renminbi or the yuan, strengthened 217 basis points to 6.7641 against the U.S. dollar Monday, firming from 6.7858 on Friday, a six-year low. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. There is no basis for persistent yuan depreciation, as China is witnessing steady economic growth, progress in economic restructuring and a stable financial market, said Pan Gongsheng, head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), according to a statement released by SAFE on Monday. CARACAS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government and the United States should have "respectful relations" and a "permanent dialogue", Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told reporters on Monday. Maduro made the remarks after meeting with Thomas Shannon, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs in Caracas. The meeting came after the government and the opposition held dialogue over the country's political crisis. Maduro said he also shared with Shannon the discussions he had with OPEC countries during a recent international tour designed to stabilize crude oil prices. "Beyond the topics we all know, we spoke about the topic of energy, the oil tour I did a week ago," said Maduro, calling on the United States to join relevant talks as "it is becoming a large oil producer." The American diplomat's visit to Caracas comes at a time when Maduro's government and his political opponents are attempting to find a "common ground" to lower tensions and restore political stability in the country. Shannon has been responsible for contact with Venezuela. The two countries currently have no ambassadors to each other. Envoys from Maduro's government and the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) met late Sunday. The two sides agreed to create four commissions to discuss key issues such as how to bring about peace and justice, reparations to victims and reconciliation, society and economic stability, and coordination over the electoral calendar. The two sides have agreed to meet again on Nov. 11. QUITO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador held activities to celebrate World Cities Day here Monday, highlighting the important role of urbanization as a source of global development and social inclusion. World Cities Day is the first international day initiated by the Chinese government in the United Nations. In 2013, the United Nations designated the last day of October as World Cities Day to promote the international community's interest in global urbanization and to push forward cooperation among countries to contribute to sustainable urban development around the world. World Cities Day 2016 is celebrated under the theme "Inclusive Cities, Shared Development." The event, jointly organized by the UN-Habitat, the City of Quito and Shanghai municipal government, included a high-level debate and World Cities Day Exhibition. World Cities Day came after the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, or Habitat III, held in Quito on Oct. 17-20. "The recently concluded Habitat III Conference adopted the New Urban Agenda, a vision for cities that are just, safe, accessible, affordable, resilient and sustainable. This marked a milestone in setting global standards for sustainable urban development, sparking new thinking on how we plan, manage and live in cities," said Ban Ki-moon, United Nations secretary-general, through a video message at the opening ceremony. "On World Cities Day, let us renew our resolve to confront urban problems and forge lasting solutions. Together, we can show how success in cities inspires change across the world," he added. Similar celebrations were also held on Monday in New York and China's Xiamen and Shanghai. SYDNEY, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Imagine playing online games that allow you to carry out staid banking transactions, or collecting a parcel delivery and paying for it via 1,200 news agencies conveniently located across the country. Those are just two of the technology-enabled ideas from startups that Australian entrepreneur Jeremy Liddle helps to get funded so that they can succeed and hopefully make a difference to people's lives. "I want to see great entrepreneurs change the world," Liddle said. "It makes me angry that there might be another Elon Musk or Jack Ma sitting with an amazing technology that they can't do anything with because they can't get money." Liddle is the 34-year-old chief entrepreneur officer of Sydney-based company CapitalPitch, touted as the world's first capital-raising "accelerator", which aims to connect promising startups with investors so that they get efficient access to crucial funds. Liddle, speaking to Xinhua at his office in the city's Stone and Chalk financial technology or fintech hub late last month, said that industry studies have shown that more than 97 percent of startups, particularly technology-enabled ones, cannot raise capital and as such "fail completely." Liddle, who has been an entrepreneur himself since he was 19 when he rolled out juice bar outlets in Sydney, said his company aims to solve startups' funding problem by getting them ready through a platform that includes an education program and training, delivered over six to 12 weeks. Once those startups are "investment-ready", they get access to venture capital before being directed to a larger equity-funding platform, and only accredited, sophisticated professional investors are involved, he said. In the first year of his company, which was launched in 2014, it helped a handful of startups raise 13 million Australian dollars (9.96 million U.S. dollars), Liddle said. It has about 3,700 active startups on its platform now. "We select up to 30, high-potential startups with a minimum 5,000 AUD a month in revenue. But the startups that actually make it to the end of the process, normally it's about 10 percent because most startups aren't ready yet," Liddle said. Every month, Liddle's company produces about three startups that are "really good investment opportunities". That's just in Australia, he said. But his company, which includes former National Stock Exchange of Australia CEO Emlyn Scott as a co-founder and its executive chairman, is now seriously exploring major business opportunities in the world's second-largest economy. "We can scale those numbers up by probably 10 times in every Chinese city when we're ready to go there," Liddle said. Shanghai will probably be the first of those cities, because partnerships have been forged with local Chinese investment promotion groups, in line with the push by Chinese authorities to spur innovation and promote entrepreneurship, he said. "The startups we're looking at, they're all technology enabled, they're all looking for bigger markets, our intention is to start to bring them into China," said Liddle, who is also president of the G20 Young Entrepreneurs Alliance Australia, part of the global network of 500,000 young entrepreneurs and the organizations supporting them. In September, he attended the G20 summit in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang province, before heading to Beijing as part of a related event. Medical, health and aged care, as well technology, seem to be some of the sectors that Chinese investors find very interesting, Liddle said. "Traditionally, Chinese investors have been very interested in property, more than tech. So I think there's an education ... around exposing Chinese investors that have been a little bit more traditional, to the technology industry." "There's huge opportunity in China, there's a lot of great technology, there's a lot of investors who want to invest in technology. It's pretty early days in the startup ecosystem ... it's a very new industry in China, so there's a lot of learning for everybody, around how to do it well. "And it's really important for us to work with local partners and local investors as we expand into China. We're really open and focused on truly localizing." by Chenchen Shen LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. Presidential Election Day on Nov.8 is getting close, battles between Republic candidate Donald Trump and his counterpart Hillary Clinton have spread to the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Early in the morning of Wednesday, Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was vandalized by a 52-year-old man named James Otis, according to videotapes released by witnesses to social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter. The suspect dressed as a Los Angeles Department of Transportation worker beat Trump's star with a pickax until it was severely chipped and unreadable. Otis was arrested by Los Angeles Police Department a day after, and "may face a felony charge for the act," the New York Post reported. One day later, a homeless woman with a gray hoodie and dark glasses, holding many pro-Trump signs complaining about immigrants and President Barack Obama, sat by Trump's star, apparently to protect Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A videoclip taken and uploaded to YouTube showed that she was harassed by a crowd and several people were trying to take her signs away. A man then started to tear up her signs. She pushed back at him, causing him to fall to the ground. According to CBS NEWS, Koali Fikator, who shot and posted the video, wrote on his YouTube post: "The woman told the crowd to 'let her be' when some offered help and that she eventually got up and made a new sign disparaging Mexicans and urging people to vote for Trump." Although Fikator deleted his original post, this video created a sensation on YouTube. "Even folks who don't like Trump, defend the homeless woman's right to defend the billionaire," CBS reported. "Yes she's supporting Trump but you don't do anything like that. That's still rude, She's still a human being," a viewer of that video told CBS. Los Angeles Police Department is searching for this woman. So is Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, who tweeted last Friday trying to locate this woman, "as Mr. Trump has a gift for her." The story continued last weekend. A group of Trump's supporters rallied at the site of Trump's star, holding signs such as "Build that Wall" and "Come Out for Trump." They were confronted by Trump's opponents who passed by and engaged in verbal sparring, chanting "Vote Trump" loudly. "In one instance, a passerby and then another got up in the face of a man who was guarding Trump's star and began shouting profanities at him in a threatening manner, forcing him to take several steps backward," the Los Angeles Daily News reported Monday. From the star-destroyed incident, to the homeless star-protector, to the Walk of Fame rally, somehow in less than a week, just as the Hollywood Patch pointed out, "Hollywood has become LA's unlikely ground zero for Trump supporters." Rescuers work at Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 1, 2016. Rescuers are working around the clock to search for 20 miners who have remained trapped in a colliery in Chongqing for nearly 24 hours following a gas explosion. Thirteen miners have been confirmed dead. (Xinhua/Tang Yi) CHONGQING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Rescuers are working around the clock, searching for 20 miners who remain trapped in a colliery in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality nearly 24 hours after a gas explosion. Altogether 35 workers were in the pit when the accident happened. Two escaped unharmed leaving 33 trapped in a pit at Jinshangou Coal Mine, Yongchuan District at 11:33 a.m. Monday. The police are looking into possible misconduct by the mine's management team. Jiang Wenge, legal representative of colliery, and the manager of the mine are being questioned, according to Luo Qingquan, head of the district government. As of midnight, rescuers had retrieved 13 bodies, said Chongqing's deputy mayor Mu Huaping at a press briefing in the early hours of Tuesday. The official corrected previous casualty reports provided on Monday, which said 15 miners were confirmed dead. "We are still going all-out in our search for the 20 missing miners," he said, "and will continue to do so as long as there's still a ray of hope." More than 400 rescuers worked through the night, digging carefully through debris from the collapse to avoid secondary disasters. At least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers are standing by. Gas has been cleared from one tunnel and work to clear another tunnel is expected to start on Tuesday afternoon. When the explosion occurred, Tao Puzhang, 60, working on his land about 500 meters from the mine heard a bang and felt the ground shake under his feet. Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator with the mine, working 40 meters from the entrance to the pit, was knocked off her feet by the blast and received injuries to her face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she said while responding to investigators. "I have a relative down the pit and I hope he is still alive." Following the explosion, Chongqing has ordered a safety overhaul and temporarily closed all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output. The Jinshangou mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. WELLINGTON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A New Zealand scientist who sequenced the genome of a rare bacterium from the soils of the American prairielands said Tuesday the work could help restore other at-risk ecosystems. Auckland University biology researcher Kim Handley was part of an international team studying microbial diversity in the remaining prairie lands of the United States Midwest. The team had been working to reconstruct the microbial content of prairie soils as part of restoration efforts, and mapping soil microbial communities was likely to help improve the long-term success of these conservation efforts, Handley said in a statement. The team painstakingly investigated original prairie soils from Colorado and discovered a poorly-studied bacterium known as Verrucomicrobia was one of the most abundant microbes. But detailed analysis of Verrucomicrobia proved difficult because it had never been reproduced in culture in a lab, so Handley sequenced the genome direct from a soil sample using a method known as shotgun metagenomics. The method involved extracting organic material from soil such as roots and seeds and chopping it into small DNA fragments, before sorting individual genome sequences. "The bacterium has a highly streamlined genome compared with its nearest neighbours, suggesting an extremely efficient mode of life not previously recognized in soil bacteria," Handley said. The prairies once covered more than 65 million hectares of the Midwest, supporting huge herds of bison, but the spread of agriculture from the mid-19th century has left only small patches of tallgrass prairie. Handley said the reconstruction of the microbial makeup of prairie soils would ensure that restoration efforts were guided by soil science. "This work demonstrates that we can use advances in science such as DNA sequencing to quantify how historical changes have altered the diversity and function in a whole range of soil ecosystems over time," said Handley. LIMA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation between China and Latin America aims for win-win results and shared prosperity, said a Peruvian economist and a local business leader on Monday. In an interview with Xinhua, Jorge Arias, a scholar on economics, said "any cooperation project between economies is a noble project...as it seeks peace, co-existence and shared prosperity." Speaking of the direction of future cooperation between China and Latin America, Arias said Latin American countries should introduce more Chinese investments to promote their industrial diversification. Peruvian entrepreneur German Guillen is also optimistic about China-Latin America partnership, as the Chinese government has called for "deepening and intensifying ties (with Latin America) in recent decades." "This has been manifested by an increase in bilateral trade and the opening up of markets, boosted by free trade agreements," he noted. Bilateral ties have been further boosted by the China-CELAC Cooperation Plan (2015-2019), which was adopted at the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum held in Beijing in January 2015. The plan, highlighting inclusive growth, sustainable development, reduction of social inequality and diversification of production, called on China to increase investment in the region to 250 billion U.S. dollars over the next decade. "Ties have been boosted, especially in this century, by the three engines (trade, investment and financial cooperation) with focus on the fields of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology and ICT," said Arias. He added that despite some political changes in the region, Latin American countries have always underlined their ties with China in hopes of providing more opportunities and better welfare for their citizens. "For Peru, the visit to China in September by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the upcoming APEC meeting are very important," said Arias. The Peruvian government signed a collaboration agreement with China Eastern Airlines on Oct. 25. Arias hailed this agreement as a step forward for China-Peru exchanges, as it is expected to bring more Peruvian goods to the lucrative Chinese market. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Scholars have condemned the activities of a handful of Hong Kong legislators-elect for propagating the idea of "Hong Kong independence," warning that such a notion will lead to nothing but "a dead end." The oath ceremony for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) convened on Oct. 12, with the legislators-elect being sworn into office. Some legislators-elect, however, not only publicly advocated for "Hong Kong independence" but also insulted the Chinese nation when reading their oaths. The individuals in question later traveled to Taiwan, in what appeared to be an attempt to collude with "Taiwan independence" supporters. These activities have filled many Hong Kong citizens with indignation. Guo Tianwu, a law professor with Sun Yat-sen University, said the relevant legislators-elect, by capitalizing on the exposure afforded to them because of the oath-taking ceremony, have challenged national sovereignty and security to advocate for "Hong Kong independence." "They have seriously violated the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR," Guo said. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. As a member of the LegCo, one must act in line with the national Constitution and the SAR's Basic Law, Guo said. "From their words and deeds, they give the impression that they neither love their country nor Hong Kong," he said. Qiang Shigong, executive director of the Hong Kong and Macao Studies Center under Peking University, said, "Any one with a bit of common sense knows that 'Hong Kong independence' will lead to nothing but 'a dead end'." "Their wanton behavior is actually tearing apart the seams of Hong Kong's society; threatening its harmony and stability, and intentionally provoking antagonism between the residents of Hong Kong and the mainland," Qiang said. Qiang called on all the citizens of Hong Kong to unite and oppose "Hong Kong independence" for the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the nation as a whole. MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Monday advanced into the city limits of Mosul for the first time after two weeks of a massive offensive to dislodge Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq. The important development, on the eastern line of the battle to retake Iraq's second-largest city, came after heavy clashes between Iraqi troops and the hardline IS militants. "The counter-terrorism forces fought fierce clashes with the IS, and managed to enter Gogjali district on the left side of Mosul (eastern side of the city)," said Lieutenant General Talib Shaghati, commander of Iraq's Joint Operations Command (JOC). Gogjali is an industrial zone on Mosul's outskirts. Lieutenant General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, a commander of the Iraqi army's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces, told state television his forces had recaptured the industrial area, reaching the edge of the Karama district inside the city. Monday's military operation east of Mosul began at the dawn of the day. An assault on Bazwaya, the last IS-held village on the city's eastern edge, was carried out by Iraqi forces with the support of artillery fire and airstrikes on IS positions. IS militants have been fighting off the offensive with mortar fire, rocket bombs, snipers and suicide car bombs, media reports said. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, at the Qayyara military airbase south of Mosul, said the Iraqi forces were trying to close off all escape routes for the several thousand IS militants inside Mosul. "They have no escape, they either die or surrender," he told state television. Iraqi forces, Kurdish peshmerga fighters, Sunni tribesmen and Iran-backed Shiite militias are currently engaged in the major offensive to retake Mosul that started on Oct. 17. The operation is estimated to take weeks, if not months. Progress has also been made on front lines in other directions around Mosul. Iraqi troops on the southern line are reportedly over 30 km off the city limits, while forces aided by Iranian military advisers have been heading to Tal Afar, some 55 km west off Mosul. Entering Gogjali could be the start of more difficult, house-to-house fighting in urban areas. Mosul, with a population of 1.5 million people and some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014. Its recapture would mark the IS militants' effective defeat in the Iraqi half of the territory they seized. The United Nations has warned of a displacement of up to 1 million people, requiring the world's largest humanitarian operation. Top Communist Party of China (CPC) and state leaders Xi Jinping (C), Li Keqiang (3rd R), Zhang Dejiang (3rd L), Yu Zhengsheng (2nd R), Liu Yunshan (2nd L), Wang Qishan (1st R) and Zhang Gaoli (1st L) attend the Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China. The meeting was held from Oct. 24 to 27 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) KHARTOUM, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Sudanese political expert has hailed the CPC plenum outcomes as a turning point not only for China, but for the entire world as well, for its roles in charting course for sound and healthy development. "The outcomes of the sixth plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee are likely to have a great influence on the entire world," Dr. Mohamed Hassan Saeed, a Sudanese professor of political relations and expert in Asian affairs, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview Monday. "The CPC (Communist Party of China) has proved to the world its real willingness to make political and economic reforms via upholding the values of democracy, anti-corruption, strict governance and reactivation of supervision institutions," he added. Saeed further said that the CPC plenum outcomes about democracy and anti-corruption are most important. "The plenum outcomes regarded intra-Party democracy as vital to the construction of CPC, and fundamental to a positive, healthy internal political environment," he noted. Saeed went on saying "these outcomes reflect the CPC's belief in the importance of the democratic exercise within the party structures, a vital matter that is likely to pump new blood into the party's arteries and avail the opportunity for its members to better perform their responsibilities. Saeed also commended the CPC's stress on anti-corruption and strict discipline within the party. He added that "during the past years, the whole world has been following what the CPC has been doing to uproot corruption phenomenon through establishment of supervision institutions and enactment of relating legislations with zero tolerance with any case of corruption." "Once again, the CPC proves that it is a party the depends on principles of accountability and the rule of law as major principles in the face of corruption phenomenon, while the party regulations affirm that nobody is above the law." Saeed reiterated that the CPC plenum outcomes represent a model for all the world's political parties to follow suit. "We need the experience of the Communist Party of China in Sudan to ensure a mature political life that is based on principles of democracy and the rule of law, integrity, anti-corruption, strict governance and strict supervision," said Saeed. A J-20 stealth fighter performs at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 1, 2016. China's domestic-built J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut during the exhibition on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Gang) ZHUHAI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- An international aviation and aerospace exhibition opened Tuesday in the city of southern Guangdong Province with a record number of products on show. A major highlight of the six-day biennial event, China's J-20 stealth fighter, developed by the Aviation Industry Corp. of China, made its public debut on the first day of the 11th China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai. The top aerospace maker will present more than 160 products and systems, including military and civilian aircraft, helicopters and drones. The event will be attended by over 700 manufacturers from 42 countries and regions and feature 140 aircraft. Other items on display include the AG600, the China-made largest amphibious plane in the world, as well as objects relating to or models of the space lab Tiangong-2, the lunar probe Chang'e-5, as well as Long March carrier rockets and their launchers. In addition, the solid-fuelled carrier rockets Kuaizhou-1 and Kuaizhou-11, and a number of missiles, rockets and high-end drones, debuted at the show. A 70,000-square-meter zone will feature demonstrations of more than 10 types of military and civilian equipment, such as tanks and SUVs, a first for the show. Aerial aerobatic teams from China, Russia, Britain and Pakistan wooed spectators, and Britain's Red Arrows gave its first ever performance in the air show. The exhibition covers an indoor area of 82,000 square meters, about 24 percent larger than the last event. Overseas manufacturers account for 45 percent of attendees, again, more than all previous events. At the event, the Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China signed an agreement allowing China Eastern Airlines to be the first customer to use the C919, the country's first large passenger aircraft. The two will start negotiations on contracts concerning five C919 jets, which rolled off the final assembly line in November 2015. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for solid implementation of reform measures at a high-level meeting on Tuesday. Xi asked officials to comprehensively follow the communique released after the sixth plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and unwaveringly carry out reform policies. The remarks were made at the 29th meeting of the central leading group for deepening overall reform, which Xi heads. In addition, guidelines and plans on green agriculture, environmental protection, new circuit courts and construction of personal credit system were approved at the meeting. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to Eurasian countries will further enhance substantial cooperation with central Asia, central and eastern Europe, and Russia, senior diplomats have said. Li is scheduled to leave Tuesday for an eight-day official visit to Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Russia. He will attend the 15th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prime ministers' meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and attend the Fifth Summit of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Riga, Latvia. Li will also attend the 21st China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting in St. Petersburg during his Russia tour. The visit to Kyrgyzstan is the first visit to the central Asian country for Premier Li and an important high-level visit between the two countries this year, Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai told a press briefing in Beijing on Monday. According to the official, during the premier's visit to Kyrgyzstan from Wednesday to Thursday, he will hold talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Sooronbai Jeenbekov and meet Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev to exchange views on the Belt and Road Initiative as well as security and cultural cooperation. The two countries will issue a joint communique and sign a string of deals on areas including economy and trade, production capacity, transportation, agriculture and intelligence property protection. Regarding the SCO prime ministers' meeting, Li Huilai said the premier will propose concrete initiatives to further deepen SCO cooperation in areas of finance, trade, science and innovation. The six members of the SCO will announce 38 measures designed to boost cooperation in areas such as transport, science and technology, infrastructure construction and environmental protection. The visit to Kazakhstan will focus on cooperation in production capacity, according to a press release by the Foreign Ministry. This is Premier Li's second visit to Kazakhstan in two years, which shows that the two countries enjoy a high-level relationship and strategic mutual trust, it said. The two countries will sign deals on trade, finance and energy, said the press release. The premier will then attend a meeting between the heads of the governments of China and 16 central and eastern European countries in Riga. This is the first time a 16+1 summit has been held in a Baltic country, which is of great importance to the development of cooperation between China and central and eastern European countries, as well as the China-EU all-round strategic partnership, said Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing at the press briefing. Li will attend a 16+1 leader's round-table, deliver a speech at the sixth China, Central and Eastern European Countries Economic and Trade Forum and meet leaders from these countries, said Liu, adding that the EU will attend the 16+1 meeting as an observer. This is also the first time a Chinese premier has visited Latvia since it declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Liu said. As an EU country and a transportation hub in northern Europe, Latvia can play an important role in connecting Asia and Europe, he said. During the visit, the premier is expected to sign agreements with Latvia to further integrate China's Belt and Road Initiative with Latvia's strategic development and boost cooperation in trade, transport and tourism, said Liu, adding that China will also set up a culture center in Riga. Russia will be the last stop on Li's eight-day trip. This is a major high-level exchange between China and Russia, said Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai. Li and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev will discuss major areas of interest and cooperation projects and sign agreements in areas including trade, energy, aviation, custom housing and education, said Li Huilai. "China believes that the visit will improve the China-Russia all-round partnership of strategic coordination," said Li Huilai. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China opposes the use of chemical weapons by anyone in any circumstances for any purposes, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Tuesday. Hua made the remarks when asked to comment on media reports that the Syrian opposition had used toxic gas during attacks in Aleppo. Syrian opposition fighters launched an assault with a barrage of rocket fire into west Aleppo, killing a large number of civilians and injuring hundreds more, according to the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura on Sunday. "China expresses serious concerns about this," Hua said at a daily press briefing. China urges all parties to end hostilities, abandon military operations, and commit to dialogue and negotiation to resolve their differences, Hua said. All sides should support de Mistura's mediation efforts and restart the Geneva peace negotiations at an early date, the spokesperson said. SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States met in Seoul on Tuesday to discuss the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear program, Seoul's foreign ministry said. Kim Hong-kyun, who represents South Korea in the long-stalled six-party talks to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, met his visiting U.S. counterpart Joseph Yun who was recently appointed as chief negotiator. The six-party talks, involving South Korea, the DPRK, China, the United States, Russia and Japan, has been suspended since late 2008. Pyongyang conducted its fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9, just eight months after its previous nuclear detonation in early January. During the meeting, the two sides confirmed its agreement to increase pressure and sanctions toward the DPRK as the country shows no willingness to return to a dialogue table, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. Seoul and Washington believe that stronger pressure and sanctions will lead Pyongyang to realize that there would be no choice but to denuclearize, the ministry said. BISHKEK, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan's security services on Monday detained a man for making a false bomb alert in an attempt to stop his wife's plane, the State Committee for National Security said Tuesday. The Bishkek police received an anonymous call about a bomb in one of the planes at Manas Airport Monday afternoon, but an ensuing inspection of the aircraft and adjacent territory of the airport found no explosives at all. Law enforcement later detained the man behind the bomb hoax, a Bishkek resident named Ilya Eremeev. The 30-year-old man made the call being drunk, with the aim to stop his wife's business trip to Moscow, the committee said. Investigators initiated a criminal case against the man on a "false report of an act of terrorism." Under the country's criminal law, he could face a penalty ranging from 180-240 hours of community service, or a fine of about 440 U.S. dollars, or correctional labor for up to a year, or imprisonment for up to three years. ASSADABAD, Afghanistan, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key commander Shir Malang is among more than three dozen militants that have been killed in Afghanistan's eastern Kunar province, provincial governor Wahidullah Kalimzai said Tuesday. "Taliban notorious commander Shir Malang is among more than 40 rebels have been killed in Kunar over the past 24 hours," governor Kalimzai told reporters here. Addressing a press conference, he said the militants under Shir Malang launched series of coordinated offensives against security checkpoints in Dangam, Watapor and Sarkano districts as well as outside provincial capital Assadabad on Monday morning, but have fled away after suffering huge casualties including Shir Malang. More than 40 militants have been killed, 12 others injured and two more have been captured alive, the official added. However, he admitted that sporadic fighting has been continuing in parts of the said district. The death of Shir Malang, according to the official, is a major setback to the Taliban militants in Kunar and adjoining Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces. However, the official did not say if there were casualties on security personnel. Taliban militants have yet to make comment on the situation. CANBERRA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government will fund nearly 1,000 science and technological research projects as part of the government's effort to promote Australia's innovation, Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham announced Tuesday. Birmingham said the government will allocate some 416.6 million AU dollars (319.5 million U.S. dollars) to fund 989 new research projects. The biggest winners include the Australian National University, which gets 502,453 AU dollars (385,000 U.S. dollars) to create a laser system for the first laser guide star for use in astronomy, satellite tracking and mitigation of the threat of space debris. The University of Wollongong will also get 652,000 AU dollars (500,000 U.S. dollars) to develop innovative technologies for high-performance lithium-ion batteries for portable electronic devices, including electric vehicles. Other highlighted projects include the one by Curtin University investigating how smartphones can assist people with a disability to navigate essential services, and the Queensland University of Technology project aiming to develop best practice solutions to improve the living environment of retirement villages and the quality of life for ageing people. Universities Australia, the advocate body for Australian universities, welcomed the funding, saying it will help to secure future prosperity for Australia through world-class university research. Universities Australia Chief Executive Belinda Robinson said such grants were a clear-sighted investment in research that would lead to new economic opportunities and health and medical breakthroughs. "From projects that could save lives to those which tackle poverty, generate clean energy, reveal our human history or progress quantum computing, university research has real-world benefits for all Australians," Robinson said. "These projects are led by some of Australia's most outstanding researchers working on some of our biggest problems. It's fantastic to see these exciting projects being nurtured in Australia's world-class universities," she said. This year's funding pool is 59 million AU dollars (45 million U.S. dollars) more than the 357 million (273 million U.S. dollars) awarded in 2015. The number of grants has also increased from 899 to 989 since last year. Chinese State Councilor Guo Shengkun (R), also Chinese Public Security Minister, meets with Michael Keenan, Australian Minister for Justice, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to strengthen law-enforcement and security cooperation with Australia, said Guo Shengkun, the Chinese State Councilor, on Tuesday. Guo, who is also Chinese Public Security Minister, made the remarks when meeting with Michael Keenan, Australian Minister for Justice, in Beijing. Guo called on the two sides to implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, consolidate the legal basis for cooperation and upgrade the level of exchanges between the two countries. He also called for deepening cooperation in various fields, including tackling drugs, terrorism, and cross-border crime, to maintain regional security and benefit both countries. Echoing Guo, Keenan said that Australia will expand cooperation with China in tackling terrorism and tracking down fugitives. MOSCOW, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- An absence of coordinated actions among different parties in Syria is putting back a political settlement there "indefinitely," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday as fiece battles continue in the city of Aleppo. The lack of coordination among partners of the peace process has been taken advantage by terrorists there, Shoigu said during a video conference. The minister said Russia has not carried out airstrikes in the vicinity of Aleppo, partially held by rebels, for 16 days following the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the period, more than 2,000 so-called moderate opposition militants have carried out massive strikes, shelling residential areas, schools and hospitals, according to Shoigu. On Friday, the Russian military asked Putin to resume airstrikes against militants in eastern Aleppo due to frequent terrorist attacks, but the Russian leader decided to extend the humanitarian pause in the area, as he believed it is "inappropriate at the current time to resume airstrikes on Aleppo." Four rescued Cambodian sailors (front row) attend a news conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 1, 2016. Four Cambodian sailors rescued last month after being held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years said Tuesday that they had been tortured and allowed to eat only a meal per day during their captivity. (Xinhua/Phearum) PHNOM PENH, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Four Cambodian sailors rescued last month after being held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years said Tuesday that they had been tortured and allowed to eat only a meal per day during their captivity. They were among 26 Asian seafarers who were released by Somali pirates on Oct. 22 after being held since their fishing vessel was hijacked in 2012. They arrived in Cambodia on Sunday after taking a flight from Nairobi, Kenya to Manila, the Philippines, and to Phnom Penh International Airport. An Omani-flagged fishing vessel Naham 3 was hijacked south of the Seychelles on March 26, 2012. Of the original 29-member crew, one sadly died in a scuffle with the pirates when the hijacking took place and two more succumbed to illness during their captivity. Cambodian sailor Em Phummany, 34, recounted that on March 26, 2012, a band of Somali pirates travelled by a small express boat hijacked the Naham 3 and shot a captain from China's Taiwan dead when he ignored their warning shots and tried to command the vessel to escape from them. After killing the captain, the pirates tied up the crew and ordered a vessel technician to command the vessel to their camp in Somalia, which took about three days to travel, he said, adding that they were all contained to live in the vessel for more than a year before moved to live under tents in a jungle. "The pirates were cruel and inhumane, they tortured and intimidated us every day by firing guns," he told a press conference here. "When we were in their hands, we had never dreamt that we could have life to return home." All pirates armed with AK-47 rifles, he said, adding that a Cambodian sailor was shot to injure on his right foot when he refused to cook for them. He said during their captivity, an ill Chinese man and Indonesian man had died due to no medication and lack of drinking water. "They gave us a litre of water a day. There was no water to bath. We could take a bath only if there was rainfall," he said. Another sailor Nhem Soksan, 37, said that in the jungle, the sailors lived in tents and ate only a meal per day in the evenings. "They let us eat rice with bean and sugar," he told reporters. "To survive, we ate everything we found such as rats, cats, and birds." "I had never had hope that I had survived and returned home," he said. Cambodia's Interior Ministry Secretary of State Chou Bun Eng said the Cambodian seamen are in good health, although they look weak due to food deficiency. "The ministry will cooperate with relevant organizations to help integrate them into the society," she said. The 26 crew members, who were freed last month, are from Cambodia, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. MOGADISHU, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's Al-Shabaab militants have beheaded five civilians, whom they accused of "spying" for the Somali government and Ethiopian troops, in Tiyeglow town of the southwestern Bakool region, an MP said Tuesday. Member of Federal Parliament Mohamed Hussein Isak told reporters that the militants arrested these men from the town on Oct. 27 after Ethiopian troops, which is part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops, quit from the town, and killed them on Monday evening. Al-Shabaab militants took the town after Ethiopian troops left there last week, citing a lack of support for their operations against the militants. "The situation in Tiyeglow town is very terrifying, five innocent civilians including businessmen and scholars were beheaded outside the town by Al-Shabaab militants... Their dead bodies were found from outside the town," Hussein said, adding the relatives of the deceased had been missing since Oct. 27. Hussein said hundreds of families fled Tiyeglow to Hudur, the capital of Bakool. "There are efforts to retake control of the (Tiyeglow) town at the moment," he added without giving details. AMISOM troops are helping the Somali government battle the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, but the European Union earlier this year announced a cut in its funding for the troops. RABAT, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan authorities have arrested 11 people over the death of a fish vendor in the northern city of Hoceima, the prosecutor said on Tuesday. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death by a compactor after he jumped along with some friends into a garbage truck to retrieve his merchandise, according to the local media. The same source pointed out that his merchandise was confiscated by local authorities on the basis that it is a protected species in this period of the year in the country. The 11 suspects have been brought before an investigating magistrate in connection with allegations of involuntary manslaughter and forgery of public documents, the prosecutor said in a statement. The initial investigations found that the driver of the garbage truck had received a signal from a collection worker to turn the crusher power on while Fikri was in the truck with several people trying to prevent fish being loaded. The death of Mouhcine Fikri on Friday has sparked widespread protests across the country. Since Saturday, demonstrations and sit-ins have been staged in the city of Hoceima. On Sunday, thousands marched in protest across the country, including capital Rabat and major cities like Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Agadir. The Moroccan interior minister visited Sunday Hoceima offering condolences to the family of Fikri. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, King Mohammed VI ordered to conduct a "careful and thorough investigation and bringing charges against whoever held responsible in this incident." BAGHDAD, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 1,792 Iraqis and wounded 1,358 others in October across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said on Tuesday. The figures included 1,120 civilians killed and 1,005 wounded, with 672 security members killed and 353 wounded, the UNAMI said in a statement. The casualties in Iraq's western province of Anbar were excluded, as the casualty figures there for the month were unavailable due to the volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services, the statement said. "The casualty toll among civilians continues to rise and the civilians continue to pay the ultimate price," the statement quoted the UN envoy to Iraq and the UNAMI chief Jan Kubis as saying. "With the military operations in Mosul and other areas of Nineveh (province) underway while Daesh (Islamic State group) continues to apply its terrorist tactics using civilians as human shields and executing those that resist," Kubis said. He also said that the United Nations emphasises that "all actions necessary must be undertaken to ensure the protection of the civilian inhabitants from the effects of armed conflict and violence," according to the statement. UNAMI statement came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from its last major stronghold in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. Iraq has witnessed intensifying violence since the IS extremist group took control of parts of its northern and western regions in June 2014. Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the U.S. that invaded and occupied Iraq in March 2003, under the pretext of seeking to destroy weapons of mass destruction in the country. The war led to the ouster and eventual execution of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, but no such weapons have been found. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R), also chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday that China is willing to continuously play a constructive role in Myanmar's peace process. Xi told visiting Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Sen-Gen Min Aung Hlaing that China respects Myanmar's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and hopes the country will achieve national reconciliation as early as possible. China pays significant attention to the security and stability of China-Myanmar border areas, Xi said, calling on both sides to continue their longstanding "paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship.h Speaking highly of bilateral cooperation in recent years, Xi said both countries should seize the opportunity and give new meaning to China-Myanmar ties in the new era, so as to bring benefits to the people of both countries. Applauding China-Myanmar military ties, Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, expects the two sides to deepen cooperation and jointly safeguard the common interests of the two countries as well as regional peace and stability. Min Aung Hlaing said that Myanmar attaches significant importance to its ties with China and is committed to developing bilateral relations, including friendly cooperation between the two armed forces. He said Myanmar stands ready to work with China to safeguard stability of their border areas. Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xu Qiliang met with Min Aung Hlaing later Tuesday. Thousands of Moroccans on October 30 attended the funeral of the fishmonger whose gruesome death in a rubbish truck crusher has caused outrage across the North African country. An image of his inert body -- head and arm sticking out from under the lorry's crushing mechanism -- went viral on social media, sparking calls for protests nationwide including in the capital Rabat. (Xinhua/AFP Photo) RABAT, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan authorities have arrested 11 people over the death of a fish vendor in the northern city of Hoceima, the prosecutor said on Tuesday. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death by a compactor after he jumped along with some friends into a garbage truck to retrieve his merchandise, according to the local media. The same source pointed out that his merchandise was confiscated by local authorities on the basis that it is a protected species in this period of the year in the country. The 11 suspects have been brought before an investigating magistrate in connection with allegations of involuntary manslaughter and forgery of public documents, the prosecutor said in a statement. The initial investigations found that the driver of the garbage truck had received a signal from a collection worker to turn the crusher power on while Fikri was in the truck with several people trying to prevent fish being loaded. The death of Mouhcine Fikri on Friday has sparked widespread protests across the country. Since Saturday, demonstrations and sit-ins have been staged in the city of Hoceima. On Sunday, thousands marched in protest across the country, including capital Rabat and major cities like Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh and Agadir. The Moroccan interior minister visited Sunday Hoceima offering condolences to the family of Fikri. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, King Mohammed VI ordered to conduct a "careful and thorough investigation and bringing charges against whoever held responsible in this incident." HARARE, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has issued regulations to provide legal backing to the bond notes that the country intends to introduce this week to ease current cash shortages. According to an extraordinary government gazette issued Monday night, Mugabe used the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act to amend the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act to designate bond notes as legal tender. The bond notes will trade at par with the U.S. dollar, according to the notice. The RBZ has said the bond notes will be backed by a 200 million U.S. dollars facility provided by the African Export Import Bank. At least 65 million worth of bond notes in 2 and 5 dollars notes will be released on the market by December, according to the RBZ. Nationwide awareness campaigns on the bond notes started on October 31. Plans to introduce the bond notes have triggered panic and uncertainty in the market as Zimbabweans fear it may be a ploy by government to reintroduce the moribund Zimbabwe dollar. Zimbabwe dumped its worthless currency in 2009 in favor of the U.S. dollar and eight other currencies that include the South African rand, British pound, Chinese yuan, Japanese yen and Australian dollar. Zimbabwe has been facing a shortage of U.S. dollar notes, the main currency in circulation, since the beginning of this year due to a widening trade deficit and money laundering. The shortages have worsened in recent weeks as skeptical Zimbabweans hold on to their U.S. dollar notes. Rescuers work at Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 1, 2016. Eighteen miners have been confirmed dead after an explosion at the coal mine in Chongqing Monday morning. (Xinhua/Liu Chan) CHONGQING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of 18 miners had been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon after an explosion at a coal mine in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Monday morning. Fifteen miners remain missing and rescue work is still underway. Altogether 35 workers were in the pit when the accident happened. Two escaped unharmed, leaving 33 trapped in a pit at Jinshangou Coal Mine, Yongchuan District at 11:33 a.m. Monday. The police are looking into possible misconduct by the mine's management team, according to Luo Qingquan, head of the district government. More than 400 rescuers worked through the night, digging carefully through debris from the collapse to avoid secondary disasters. At least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers are standing by. When the explosion occurred, Tao Puzhang, 60, working on his land about 500 meters from the mine, heard a bang and felt the ground shake under his feet. Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator with the mine, working 40 meters from the entrance to the pit, was knocked off her feet by the blast and received injuries to her face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she said while responding to investigators. "I have a relative down the pit and I hope he is still alive." Following the explosion, Chongqing has ordered a safety overhaul and temporarily closed all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output. The Jinshangou mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Legislators discussed a draft decision on amending the law on private education Tuesday. A draft amendment to the law is up for a third reading at the ongoing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which proposes banning for-profit private schools from engaging in the 9-year compulsory education that covers the primary and junior high school phases. The proposal is consistent with a stipulation in the Law on Compulsory Education, which says compulsory education is a free, charitable cause with national financial support, said legislator Wu Heng at Tuesday's panel discussion. The compulsory education is a legal obligation of governments at various levels, said law professor Feng Liucai, who is also deputy head of Taizhou municipal education bureau in Jiangsu Province, in an interview. If the law is revised, some for-profit private schools may choose to become non-profit, which means they will no longer charge the students and have their revenue reduced, according to legislator Wang Gang. The government should help and support them during their transformation, Wang said at the panel discussion. Legislators agreed that the new draft defines clearly for-profit and non-profit private schools and specifies different supportive measures for them, which is expected to promote the healthy development of the private education cause. They agreed that the draft is feasible and "mature," suggesting it be passed at the ongoing NPC session. RIGA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- In Latvia, the Baltic nation more than 6,100 km away from China, Chinese language and culture are gaining traction, thanks to the continuous efforts of the country's sinologists over a century. LATVIAN-CHINESE DICTIONARY Peteris Pildegovichs, 78, a professor of Chinese and co-director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Latvia, recently attended the inauguration ceremony of an exhibition of Chinese paintings by Latvians in the National Library in Riga. He took the opportunity to announce the publication of a Latvian-Chinese dictionary he compiled, which he hoped could assist more Latvians in learning the language. In August, he received a publication award in Beijing for his dedication to compiling Chinese learning materials and dictionaries over the past decades. The number of Latvians learning Chinese has seen a solid rise. Students and professionals alike are looking forward to mastering the language, some out of curiosity and interest, some for career prospects. Sasha, 50, who works in a woodwork factory in Riga, said he began learning Chinese because he found the characters "interesting." Now he wants to look for a job in a Chinese company. Although learning materials are easy to find online, Pildegovichs still felt it necessary to compile an authoritative dictionary for determined learners like Sasha. ACADEMIC LEGACY In this small eastern European country with a population of less than 2 million, sinology has a history of more than 100 years. Studies on Chinese language and culture were introduced to Latvia at the beginning of the 20th Century by Peteris Smits (1869 -- 1938), according to historical records. Smits compiled the first Chinese learning syllabus in Latvia, and translated the first Latvian book on China, a collection of ancient Chinese myths. In 1919, he established a Sinology research unit at the University of Latvia, which was considered the foundation of Latvian-Chinese linguistics and Chinese-teaching in the country. Smits' academic achievements were then inherited and expanded by Edgars Katajs, who was born in northeast China in 1923, and contributed tremendously to the translation of contemporary Chinese literature. Having begun learning Chinese in 1964, Pildegovichs began his career as a Chinese teacher upon graduation. Many of his students now work as diplomats or scholars on China-related subjects. In 2011, he co-founded the first Confucius Institute in Latvia, which now operates nine Chinese learning centers across the country. Pildegovichs and his peer Jelena Staburova, a professor at the Riga Stradins University devoted themselves to Chinese history and philosophy studies, are known as the third generation of Latvian sinologists. "I'll continue to work on Chinese teaching and contribute to the China-Latvia friendship," said Pildegovichs. YOUNG GENERATION Building on the past achievements of the pioneers, young Latvians have joined in the endeavor to promote mutual understanding between the two cultures. For them, the unprecedented increase in political dialogue, trade and cultural exchanges between China and Latvia in recent years mean more opportunities and resources. Staburova's daughter Una Berzina-Cherenkova, also a Chinese expert, now works as the director of the Confucius Centre at Riga Stradins University. Kalina Jermaka, a young teacher at the University of Latvia, was recently elected chairwoman of an association for Latvian students who have studied in China. "Chinese changed my life. I wouldn't be who I am today without learning the language," she told Xinhua. One young Latvian woman met her husband in China. After winning second place in an international Chinese speaking competition, Andzelina Cmirnova went to China to study in 2007. After graduation, she became an actress and TV presenter in China, and tied the knot with her Chinese boyfriend. Earlier this year Cmirnova was invited to speak about China at the University of Latvia where her journey began. "It has been 10 years since I studied Chinese here. It felt like having a 'relationship' with the language, and now I want to spend the rest of my life with it," she said. TOKYO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi arrived here Tuesday for an official visit during which she is expected to seek more investment from Japan. During her five-day visit, Suu Kyi is scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, and officials of business organizations. In his talks with Suu Kyi, Abe is expected to offer further cooperation in Myanmar's stability and development of regions which are home to Myanmar's ethnic minorities and seek improvement in investment environment for Japanese companies, local media quoted Japanese officials as saying. Suu Kyi is also scheduled to visit Kyoto University, where she once studied as a research fellow, attend a press conference in Tokyo and participate in a forum on public-private cooperation in the Mekong region on Friday, according to Japanese officials. This is Suu Kyi's first visit to Japan after her National League for Democracy Party assumed power this year. She last visited Japan in 2013 as an opposition member of parliament. Photo taken on Nov. 1, 2016 shows the signing ceremony held during the business talks of Turkish and Chinese companies in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish and Chinese companies on Tuesday held business talks here and signed 36 deals worth nearly 300 million U.S. dollars. (Xinhua/He Canling) ISTANBUL, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and Chinese companies on Tuesday held business talks here and signed 36 deals worth nearly 300 million U.S. dollars. The agreements cover Turkey's featured products like marble, chrome ore, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, clean wool, hazelnut, pistachio nut and cotton linter. China is currently Turkey's second largest trading partner. A business delegation sent by China's Ministry of Commerce is in Turkey for talks about advancing bilateral economic and trade exchanges, boosting practical cooperation between Chinese and Turkish businesses and promoting bilateral trade in a balanced way. Addressing the business talks in Istanbul, the Chinese speakers referred to the fact that China's imports stood at 1.68 trillion dollars in 2015, making it the second largest importer in the world for seven years in a row. While China is set to continue its proactive importing policy and expand market opening to the world, the country will optimize continually the sources of its imports as well in the process, offering better opportunities for Turkey and others, as Beijing has been actively advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, the Chinese speakers said. The Turkish side lauded the visit by the Chinese delegation, calling it a practical measure to boost bilateral trade. OSLO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- About 40,000 work positions have been cut in Norway's oil industry since Jan. 1, 2014, as many companies in the sector had to downsize workforce over the past couple of years, online business newspaper E24 reported on Tuesday. According to a recent analysis made by the investment bank DNB Markets, the numbers as per April 22 this year showed 35,000 fewer work positions in the oil sector, which means at least 5,000 job cuts have been made or announced in the last six months. Marius Gonsholt Hov, senior economist in the investment bank Handelsbanken Capital Markets, emphasized that DNB Markets' overview is a gross tally and he was not very surprised with the numbers. "These figures show the number of laid-off workers and do not include those that are back to work. The fact that there are removed jobs of this magnitude is not particularly surprising considering the downturn we have been in the supplier industry," he said. Gonsholt Hov also expressed belief that net employment in oil sector would continue to drop. Many oil companies had to downsize workforce, not only once, but several times in the last couple of years, E24 wrote. One of the oil companies that have announced a significant downsizing is Beerenberg that cut 250 jobs in October this year. A similar downsizing had already happened a month before that and the company is now considering new cuts for the next six months. According to the DNB Markets report, Beerenberg cuts 900 jobs in total during the oil crisis. Another company that has also announced cuts several times is National Oilwell Varco (NOV), which has sent away 2,585 employees since the beginning of 2014. In September it was published that the company is estimating new cuts in the coming period. The company that cut the biggest number of jobs is Aker Solutions, where 3,270 positions were cancelled. Statoil is on the second place with 3,023 job cuts. Many petroleum engineers who have lost their jobs are members of the trade unions Nito and Tekna. In the unions they have expressed worry that the final round of downsizing had not happened yet. "We still receive announcements about downsizing and layoffs and, although is happening in somewhat slower rhythm, we still do not see a sign that this is finished," Tekna leader Lise Lyngsnes Randeberg told E24. LONDON, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Britain's new National Cyber Security Strategy will be underpinned by a hefty investment of 1.9 billion pounds (about 2.28 billion U.S. dollars), according to a statement released Tuesday by the government. The new plan sets out measures that are aimed to protect Britain's economy and the privacy of its citizens, while encouraging industry to up its game to prevent damaging cyber-attacks, said the statement. Cyber security is recognized as one of the greatest threats to business around the world, with the global cost of crimes in cyberspace estimated at 445 billion U.S. dollars, according to the World Economic Forum's 2016 Global Risks Report. The responsibility that CEO's have to make sure their organizations are secure against cyber-attacks and the additional support government will give industry and wider society through the new National Cyber Security Center, said Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond in the statement. Almost doubling the funding commitments of the first strategy which ran from 2011, the government will step up efforts in three key areas, including defence, deter and develop, under the new plan, according to the statement. For example, the new plan places strong emphasis on developing Britain's capabilities to keep pace with cyber threats. The country will create its first cyber security innovation center, and launch a Cyber Innovation Fund next year to develop new technologies and products. "Our new strategy, underpinned by 1.9 billion pounds of support over five years and excellent partnerships with industry and academia, will allow us to take even greater steps to defend ourselves in cyberspace and to strike back when we are attacked," said Hammond in the statement. (1 pound = 1.2 U.S. dollars) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for solid implementation of reform measures at a high-level meeting on Tuesday. Xi asked officials to comprehensively follow the communique released after the sixth plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and unwaveringly carry out reform policies. Xi made the comments at the 29th meeting of the central leading group for deepening overall reform, which he heads, according to a statement issued after the meeting. Given complex circumstances, the reform requires concerted efforts and differentiated, targeted measures, the statement said. Guidelines and plans on green agriculture, environmental protection, new circuit courts and construction of credit systems were approved at the meeting. Policymakers agreed that agricultural subsidies should be made with regard to environmentally-friendly concerns, and should help guarantee national grain security and improve farmers' incomes. China should make more efforts to promote Chinese culture in the world and improve its national soft power, the statement said. The current evaluation system of professional titles will be further enhanced, with more incentives for researchers making great contributions, and favorable policies for those working in poor, remote areas. Environmental protection should be emphasized in planning, with strengthened control from the government. New circuit courts were approved in Chongqing, Xi'an, Nanjing and Zhengzhou, on the basis of current ones in Shenzhen and Shenyang. College graduates will be encouraged to seek employment in grassroots units. The government will improve credit systems in government affairs, individuals and the e-commerce sector, setting up credit records and creating punishments. The meeting also discussed Party building in state-owned enterprises, ownership registration in natural resources and real estate, and the protection and utilization of wetland and the coastline. Over the course of the 29 meetings convened by the leading group since December 2013, hundreds of measures have been designed to address various issues, including urbanization, poverty alleviation, innovation and the market's role in resource allocation. The latest emphasis on reform came three years after the key third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee in 2013, which featured a comprehensive reform package covering 15 areas and 60 tasks. PRETORIA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A fierce court battle was unfolding on Tuesday in the High Court in Pretoria over whether to release a report into the alleged "state capture" by the Indian Gupta family. The court was hearing President Jacob Zuma's application to stop the release of the report that former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela had compiled. Opposition parties were pushing for the release of the report, while the government, represented by Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Des Van Rooyen, was trying to interdict the report's release. The reason Zuma wants to interdict the release of the report is because he wants to exercise his rights, the court heard. The Democratic Alliance (DA) argued in the court that the report should be released to it. Another opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), argued that the release of the report is in the public's interest. The EFF contended that it is the original complainant that launched the probe into Zuma's relationship with the Gupta family, which allegedly influenced the president in the appointment of cabinet ministers Zwane launched an application on Monday, seeking to urgently interdict the release of the "state capture" report. This followed Van Rooyen's announcement earlier on Monday that he would be launching a similar interdict - for the second time - after he withdrew his first one. These attempts are nothing more than carefully calculated attempts to delay matters and drag out the inevitable release of the Public Protector's report, the DA said. The DA claimed both ministers are well known to be Gupta proxies, and therefore their scrambling attempts to discredit this report is no doubt due to the fact that they are both implicated in the report. In fact, the late joining by both ministers is a clear indication that their only intention is to delay court proceedings as far as possible, the DA said. The DA argued in the court that Zuma, Van Rooyen and Zwane were applying delaying tactics in order to halt the release of the Public Protector's report. The DA, which initiated the state capture investigation in March this year, said it would ensure the complete report be released and its findings be implemented without delay. Last month, the High Court in Pretoria rejected the interdict applications by Zuma and Van Rooyen who seek to prevent the report from being released. The Catholic Dominican Order and the DA requested the Public Protector in March this year to investigate the "state capture" by the Guptas after Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and former Member of Parliament Vytjie Mentor said they were offered cabinet positions by the Guptas. SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least eight civilians were killed and 22 others wounded Tuesday in deadly skirmishes between troops of India and Pakistan on Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Kashmir, officials said. The two sides fired mortars and resorted to heavy firing in Samba and R S Pora sectors along the IB, and Manjakote and Nowshera sectors on the LoC in Rajouri district. "Six civilian casualties have taken place in Ramgarh area while two women were killed in Manjakote sector of Rajouri district," an official said. "Besides this 22 people are reported to be wounded in the shelling. Exact details are yet to be known as reports of human loss can be complied only after the firing comes to halt." The slain included four women and two children. According to officials heavy exchange of gunfire was going on between Indian border guards belonging to Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistani Rangers. Indian Defense officials said they were adequately retaliating to the firing from Pakistan. The past several weeks have seen a surge in skirmishes on IB and LoC between the two countries. Apart from troop casualties, the firing has claimed civilian lives on both sides, besides prompting migrations of residents from frontier areas. Officials have ordered closure of 174 schools in these areas in wake of shelling. On Monday a trooper and an elderly woman were killed in the similar exchange of fire in Rajouri and Poonch. Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firings and violating cease-fire agreements. And both sides maintain that their troops gave befitting reply. The troops of India and Pakistan intermittently exchange fire on 720 km-long LoC and 198 km IB in Kashmir, despite an agreement in 2003 to observe a cease-fire. Though some violations have been reported on both sides, the cease-fire however remains in effect. Reports said more than 60 cease-fire violations were recorded in the past several weeks. Xi Jinping (R), general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a delegation led by Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on Tuesday said that hostility across the Taiwan Strait should end and a peace agreement be reached through talks based on the one-China principle. Xi made the remarks while meeting with a delegation led by Hung Hsiu-chu, leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) Party. The CPC and Kuomintang, the mainland and Taiwan, still have some complicated political disagreements, which will have to be solved eventually in a phased manner, Xi said, adding that with resolve and sincerity, solutions would be found. "We have always advocated talks, on the basis of the one-China principle, to put an end to hostility across the Strait and reach a peace agreement," Xi said, suggesting the CPC and the Kuomintang have discussions in this regard. Xi said the one-China principle is at the core of the 1992 Consensus, which affirms that both sides of the Strait belong to one and the same China. "Changes in Taiwan's political landscape cannot change the historical facts underlying, and the core connotation of, the 1992 Consensus," he said. "Whether the 1992 Consensus is acknowledged or not raises the essential question of whether the mainland and Taiwan belong to one country or two," Xi said. "When it comes to this cardinal issue of right or wrong, not the slightest obscurity or wavering is allowed in our stand." MOSCOW, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Russia is ready to offer Japan a joint economic plan on the development of the disputed islands but will not renounce its sovereignty over those islands, a senior Russian parliament leader said Tuesday during her visit to Tokyo. "The sovereignty of Russia over the Kuril Islands is indisputable and is not subject for revision," Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the Russia Federation Council, or the upper house of parliament, told reporters at a briefing broadcasted live by the Rossiya 24 TV channel. Russia and Japan have not signed a peace treaty formalizing the end of World War II due to a territory row over four small islands in the Pacific -- the Southern Kurils called by Russia and the Northern Territories called by Japan. The decades-old territorial dispute has hindered diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries. Matviyenko ruled out the possibility of transferring two or all four islands to Japan and denied media reports about certain preliminary agreements. However, she said Russia was ready for joint economic activities on the islands, including creating free economic zones. "I hope at some point, we will be able to agree on the format of such joint economic activity," she added. In May 2016, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Sochi to mend their frayed ties and seek rapprochement with Moscow, which saw no major breakthrough in the dispute. Putin is expected to visit Japan in December. Honor guests attend the opening ceremony of the World Life Science Conference in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. The three-day conference, sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology, focuses on health, agriculture and the environment. It invites a dozen of Nobel laureates as well as representatives of scientific, technological and industry circles from 36 countries and regions to participate in. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for global cooperation on life sciences to promote sustainable economic and social development in the world. In a written message to World Life Sciences Conference, which kicked off in Beijing Tuesday, Li urged Chinese scientists and entrepreneurs to exchange with and learn from their foreign counterparts, to make breakthroughs and innovations in life sciences to deal with the challenges faced by humanity. As China pursues an innovation-driven development strategy and strives to implement the "Healthy China 2030" plan, the country is vigorously pushing life sciences research and other related industries through technological innovations, said Li, adding that it plays an increasingly vital role in improving people's health and living standards as well as environmental protection. The three-day conference, sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology, focuses on health, agriculture and the environment. It invites a dozen of Nobel laureates as well as representatives of scientific, technological and industry circles from 36 countries and regions to participate in. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Guinean President Alpha Conde in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Zhang Duo) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang said Tuesday that China is ready to increase cooperation with Guinea in areas such as production capacity and infrastructure construction. "China and Guinea enjoy profound traditional friendship, solid political trust and fruitful cooperation," Li said when meeting with Guinean President Alpha Conde in Beijing. Guinea was the first sub-Saharan African country to establish diplomatic ties with China, said Li, adding that China is willing to work with Guinea to take bilateral relations to a new high. The two countries have obvious complementary economic advantages, Li said, calling on the two sides to make good use of bilateral cooperation and share experiences in poverty reduction and economic development. Li also congratulated Guinea on overcoming the Ebola epidemic, and voiced China's willingness to beef up medical and health cooperation with Guinea to cope with major infectious diseases. Conde thanked China's continuous support to Guinea's economic and social development, especially in combating Ebola. Guinea highly values China's Africa policy featuring sincerity, practical results, affinity and good faith, he said, noting that Guinea is willing to learn from China's development experience. "Guinea hopes to strengthen infrastructure construction and agriculture cooperation with China to make the bilateral cooperation a model of Africa-China friendly cooperation," he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a welcoming ceremony for Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski before their talks outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) LIMA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation between China and Latin America aims for win-win results and shared prosperity, said a Peruvian economist and a local business leader on Monday. In an interview with Xinhua, Jorge Arias, a scholar on economics, said "any cooperation project between economies is a noble project...as it seeks peace, co-existence and shared prosperity." Speaking of the direction of future cooperation between China and Latin America, Arias said Latin American countries should introduce more Chinese investments to promote their industrial diversification. Peruvian entrepreneur German Guillen is also optimistic about China-Latin America partnership, as the Chinese government has called for "deepening and intensifying ties (with Latin America) in recent decades." "This has been manifested by an increase in bilateral trade and the opening up of markets, boosted by free trade agreements," he noted. Photo taken on Aug. 1, 2016 shows a train of metro line 4 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The key Olympic transport line features China-made trains designed and manufactured by the Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., a subsidiary of CRRC, one of China's biggest train makers. (Xinhua/Wang Haofei) Bilateral ties have been further boosted by the China-CELAC Cooperation Plan (2015-2019), which was adopted at the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum held in Beijing in January 2015. The plan, highlighting inclusive growth, sustainable development, reduction of social inequality and diversification of production, called on China to increase investment in the region to 250 billion U.S. dollars over the next decade. "Ties have been boosted, especially in this century, by the three engines (trade, investment and financial cooperation) with focus on the fields of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology and ICT," said Arias. He added that despite some political changes in the region, Latin American countries have always underlined their ties with China in hopes of providing more opportunities and better welfare for their citizens. "For Peru, the visit to China in September by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the upcoming APEC meeting are very important," said Arias. The Peruvian government signed a collaboration agreement with China Eastern Airlines on Oct. 25. Arias hailed this agreement as a step forward for China-Peru exchanges, as it is expected to bring more Peruvian goods to the lucrative Chinese market. A laboratory technician does the tests during the procedure of transforming used cooking oil into biofuel at Guanniu Biotech Company in Shangrao county, east China's Jiangxi province, Sept. 29, 2015. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang) GENEVA, Nov.1 (Xinhua) -- Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry said on Monday he expected China to become the world's second biggest international patent applicant in two years. "China is arising into intellectual property and technological power; 14 percent of all international patent applications last year were from China. We expect this year to go about 17 or 18 percent, or even higher," Francis Gurry told the press as the UN agency unveiled a new neural machine translation tool on Monday to translate Chinese patent documents into English. He said China ranked third in terms of the number of international patent applications filed in 2015. "We might expect it to achieve number two within the next two years," Gurry noted. WIPO initially "trained" the new technology to translate Chinese, Japanese and Korean patent documents into English. Patent applications in those languages accounted for some 55 percent of worldwide filings in 2014. The high level of accuracy of the Chinese-English translation is the result of the training of the neural machine translation tool, which compared 60 million sentences from Chinese patent documents provided to WIPO's PATENTSCOPE database by the State Intellectual Property Office of China with their translations as filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The neural machine translation can produce more natural word order, with particular improvements seen in so-called distant language pairs, like Chinese-English. WIPO said users can already try out the Chinese-English translation facility on the public beta test platform. WIPO plans to extend the neural machine translation service to French-language patent applications, with other languages to follow. Refugees land at Lesbos island, close to Eftalou, Greece, after crossing the Aegean Sea, Nov. 8, 2015. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) GENEVA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A total of 3,940 migrants and refugees have drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea this year, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported Tuesday. According to the organisation's latest figures, most deaths (3,463) were recorded on the central Mediterranean route linking North Africa with Italy. A further 415 people perished on the eastern Mediterranean passage separating Turkey and Greece, while 62 lost their lives crossing the Western Mediterranean and Western African routes. Though the number of maritime migrant deaths so far this year has already surpassed 2015's yearly total of 3,702 fatalities, the number of arrivals is significantly lower this year. IOM entry figures reveal that almost 333,400 migrants and refugees have reached European shores by sea this year, a number far below the 728,926 arrivals recorded at this point in 2015. Over a million migrants and refugees finally arrived in Europe by the end of last year, most of them reaching Greece. Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca (L) delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the 34th International Trade Fair of Havana, in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Str) HAVANA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A record over 3,500 exhibitors from 73 countries showed up on Monday at the 34th Havana international business and trade fair which was aimed to attract foreign investment and diversify its economy. "This event shows the increasing interest of entrepreneurs from around the world in Cuba and its market in an unfavorable context for the nation's economy which currently faces temporary financial limitations," Rodrigo Malmierca, Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, said at the opening of the week-long fair. Malmierca said the island's "difficult economic situation" is due to external factors, which have caused an internal imbalance of hard currency and greater debts with foreign companies. "We reiterate the trust and comprehension of companies that have been affected by this situation and express our government's commitment to fulfilling its financial obligations," he added. Cuba's economy only grew 1 percent in the first half of 2016 and will fall below its yearly target of 4 percent, in part due to the crisis in Venezuela, its main trading partner and oil supplier. The minister highlighted that part of this commitment by Raul Castro's government can be seen in the recent agreement with the Paris Club, which reorganized the island's debt with major European and Asian nations. Malmierca stressed that, over the last year, the interest by foreign companies in investing has increased and the next year should serve to "consolidate" new business opportunities. People visit the 34th International Trade Fair of Havana, in Havana, Cuba, on Oct. 31, 2016. (Xinhua/Str) "It is our government's policy to consolidate our commercial ties with traditional partners and diversify our economic links with other countries. Cuba does not want to ever depend again on one market or country," he said. Regarding trade relations with the United States, Malmierca said the economic embargo that Washington still imposes on the island is the biggest obstacle towards normalizing financial and economic ties. "Recent measures to relax the economic blockade have been positive but still very limited. Most of them cannot be implemented due to legal frameworks that cause fear among banks and foreign companies in the U.S. and around the world when it comes to trading with Cuba," he said. The Cuban official said this Caribbean nation has updated its investment opportunities portfolio with the largest number of projects to date. This revised version will be launched at the fair. Malmierca said the business portfolio adds new proposals in all priority sectors to the island, including tourism, renewable energy, oil exploration, food imports and nickel development. A new law on foreign investment was approved in 2014 to provide a more favorable environment for companies to set up joint ventures in the island. Another of Cuba's flagship projects, the Special Economic Development Zone of Mariel, just 45 kilometers west of Havana, will be displayed to foreign participants. The country is seeking to increase investment in the area, which has not yet had the expected impact on the island's economy. CHONGQING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of 18 miners have been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon, after an explosion at a coal mine in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality Monday. Fifteen miners remain missing and rescue work is still underway. Altogether 35 workers were in the pit at the time of the accident, just after 11:30 a.m. Monday. Two escaped unharmed, leaving 33 trapped in a pit in Jinshangou Coal Mine, Yongchuan District. Police are questioning the mine's management team, surnamed Jiang and Zhou, according to Luo Qingquan, head of the district government. Preliminary investigations show the coal mine trespassed over its mining boundaries, had insufficient and malfunctioning equipment, poor ventilation and disorderly management, according to the rescue headquarters. "I am greatly saddened that such a grave accident occurred. There are grave problems in the company with regards to ensuring safety, as well as loopholes in supervision," said Mu Huaping, vice mayor of Chongqing. Mu said that there would be in-depth investigation into the cause of the accident to ascertain responsibility. More than 400 rescuers worked through the night, digging carefully through debris to avoid secondary disasters, and at least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers are standing by. Five teams of rescuers descended the shaft to search for missing miners and install ventilation equipment, Mu said. Early on Tuesday, hazardous gas was expelled from the northern entrance of the shaft. Rescuers combed the area and found several bodies, he added. Several sections of shaft collapsed after the blast, and rescuers had to bring planks to stabilize the internal structure of the shaft, he said. At the time of the explosion, Tao Puzhang, 60, was working on his land about 500 meters from the mine when he heard a bang, and felt the ground shake under his feet. "The smoke from the blast shot up dozens of meters high. It was frightening," he said. Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator at the mine, working 40 meters from the entrance to the pit, was knocked off her feet by the blast and received injuries to her face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she said responding to investigators. "I have a relative down the pit, and I hope he is still alive." A 200-member work team is providing assistance to relatives of the miners. Following the explosion, Chongqing has ordered a safety overhaul and temporarily closed all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output. The Jinshangou mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- A barrier along the Mexican border should be built and paid for by Mexico to block the flow of illegal immigrants, U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump insisted in an immigration speech earlier in September. His call for a Mexican wall has aroused heated discussions around the world. Nobody took Trump's words seriously, as people regarded the anti-intellectual remarks as a unique way of advertising himself. Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton called Trump a "puppet" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, referring to his supporters as "shameless", and connecting Trump with Omar Mateen, who killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in the shooting massacre at an Orlando nightclub in Florida on June 12 this year. Since 2015, as the U.S. presidential election has become increasingly ridiculous, more and more doubt has been cast on the American electoral machine. According to the Washington Post, "Donald Trump's shocking transformation from reality-show host to Republican presidential front-runner...grows from the failure of our political system." It is all about anti-intellectualism. In Richard Hofstadter's 1963 book entitled "Anti-intellectualism in American Life", he points out a deep-rooted anti-intellectualism in American society, which expresses hostility towards and mistrust of intellect, intellectuals, and intellectual pursuits. Anti-intellectualism is against the origin of elections, which should have been a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses a wise and competent individual for the well-being of the country and its people. To cater for anti-intellectualism, politicians have been busy acting stupid or pretending to be stupid, in order to get as many votes as possible. Winning the election is all that matters. Throughout history, U.S. elections have been packed with examples of anti-intellectualism. Since the 1960s, the tendency has become increasingly evident. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican candidate for vice president, whose little knowledge of domestic and international affairs was shocking and whose most famous political view is to arrest and send back 12 million illegal immigrants residing in the United States, became popular overnight for her anti-intellectual tendency. In the era of new media, anti-intellectualism plays a new role in making politicians web celebrities in order to draw votes. Anti-intellectualism is exactly similar to anti-establishment belief, which stands in opposition to conventional social, political and economic principles of a society, deeply reflecting the crisis facing American society. A combination of anti-intellectualism and isolationism reveals the U.S. voters' fears in the economy, daily life and safety when living in a society with a widening polarization of wealth and social stratification. The Pew Research Center's latest study shows that the proportion of the middle class in the United States has been reduced to 49.4 percent from 61 percent in 1971 and middle-class families received only 43 percent of the country's income in 2014, compared to 62 percent in 1970. In essence, anti-intellectualism is a "passive, improper but radical" rebellion against elitism by civilians. When the race for the top job in the country is entering the final stage, anti-intellectualism remains one part of a rather nauseating race, while at the same time disclosing various defects of so-called U.S. democracy. No matter who gets the job, the memory of the presidential election will live on. As the Financial Times wrote, the election has revealed a chaotic, divided and fooled United States to other countries. ADDIS ABABA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The House of Peoples' Representatives (Ethiopian Parliament) on Tuesday endorsed a proposal by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of appointment of new cabinet members in the East African country. The prime minister had promised to reshuffle his government, and in the reshuffle, 21 newly appointed members of the new cabinet have sworn in. Nine of the ministers in the 30-member cabinet, including Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, and Siraj Fegessa, Minister of Defense will remain in their current positions. The other officials, who will continue in their current positions, include, Kassa Tekleberhan, Minister of Federal Affairs and Pastoral Area Development; Debretsion Gebremichael, Minister of Communication and Information Technology. The officials, who retain their current position, also include, Ahmed Abitew, Minister of Industry; Getachew Ambaye, Federal Attorney General; Abdulfetah Abdulah, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs; Yinager Dese, Commissioner for National Planning Commission; and Asmelash Woldesilassie, Chief Government Whip. Worqneh Gebeyehu, who was Minister of Transport, has been appointed a Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new cabinet, while Abraham Tekeste, has been appointed a Minister of Finance & Economic Cooperation, and Bekele Gulado, a Minister of Trade. Eyasu Abrha has been appointed Minister of Farming and Natural resources; and Shiferaw Tekele-Mariam and Yifru Berhane have been appointed Ministers of Education and Health respectively. Ahmed Shide has been appointed Minister of Transport; and Aisha Mohammed, Minister of Construction; Sileshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation & Electricity; and Motuma Mekassa, Minister of Mines, Petroleum & Natural Gas. Enditem ISLAMABAD, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 laborers were killed and 59 others injured in an explosion during work on a dismantled ship at a shipbreaking yard in Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province on Tuesday, officials said. Akbar Harifal, Home Secretary Balochistan, said that the explosion happened when a gas cylinder exploded and its fire engulfed the ship, which was being dismantled for scrap at the Gadani ship-breaking yard of Hub, a district located in Balochistan. Police said that eight explosions took place at the yard. The injured people have been shifted to a nearby hospital where several of them are said to be in critical condition. The country's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed sorrow over the incident and directed hospital authorities to provide best possible medical treatment to the injured people. Gadani ship-breaking yard is the world's third largest ship breaking yard. The yard consists of 132 ship-breaking plots located across a 10 km long beachfront at Gadani. LUSAKA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday denied that it had given Zambia conditions for a bailout program. There have been reports that the international financial institution has given the southern African country conditions for a 1.2 billion U.S. dollars economic bailout package. The sale of state-run telecommunications firm Zamtel and the unbundling of power utility Zamtel were among the reported conditions, which have already been dismissed by the Zambian government. Tsidi Tsikata, head of an IMF mission which has been in Zambia since October 19, said it was premature to engage the government on a bailout package for now following two weeks of engagement. In remarks delivered during a press briefing after the end of the mission, the official said the mission will return early next year to start normal engagements and a possible bailout program with the Zambian government. "There is no package. I cannot discuss something that does not exist. We are going to come back and we are going to engage with authorities on the elements that are going to form part of the program, including a monitoring framework which we can use to measure progress towards objectives that will be set under the program," he said. He however acknowledged that the Zambian economy has continued to be under stress from the impact of both external and internal shocks and that economic growth will remain sluggish this year, with end-year growth projected at 3 percent. In its preliminary findings after the visit, the IMF mission attributed the sluggish growth to continued electricity shortages, low exports and subdued private sector consumption and investment. According to a separate statement released by the IMF, public finances have remained strained, with fiscal performance through the three quarters of the year characterized by shortfalls in revenue and substantial spending overruns on fuel and electricity subsidies. According to the statement, Zambia's current economic challenges could be overcome with resolute policy action such as adjustment of fuel prices to cost-reflective levels and the removal of electricity subsidies. "The mission and the authorities discussed a broad range of measures to create fiscal space for beginning to clear government arrears, scale up social spending and reduce the fiscal deficit on a commitment basis in 2017," the statement said. This adjustment would help to put public debt on a downward path and allow monetary policy to gradually unwind the current tighten stance, allowing the economy to recover, it added. Fredson Yamba, Zambia's Secretary to the Treasury, said the mission by the IMF was to provide peer review to the government on the budget proposals for 2017 and on matters pertaining to the performance of the economy. The mission was in Zambia to help assess the current economic situation, provide policy advice to restore economic stability and promote broad-based economic growth. Apart from meeting the government, the mission held meetings with the private sector, trade unions, civil society organizations and lawmakers. BELGRADE, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China's cooperation with Central and East European (CEE) countries advances rapidly and opens new opportunities for cooperation with China as well as among CEE countries themselves, stressed most participants of an international conference here on Tuesday. The one-day conference under the name "The Belt and Road -- Balkan Perspective" was opened at the Faculty of Security Studies in Belgrade by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Chinese ambassador to Serbia Li Manchang in presence of renowned experts from China and countries of the region, who gathered to discuss cooperation with China within the 16+1 mechanism before the upcoming forum to be held in Riga, Latvia. Dacic said that 16+1 mechanism which he referred to as "a logical part of the concept of the Belt and Road" significantly expanded cooperation between 16 CEE countries and China in different areas. He stressed that many new connections and relations in many areas were made since the mechanism was established -- from economy, infrastructure and energy to medicine, culture, science, education as well as sports, tourism, regional cooperation, inter-party relations, cooperation and mutual support in international organizations. Dacic summed up that 11 countries participating in the mechanism are EU members while the remaining 5 are in different phases of the EU accession, adding that "The EU is not completely happy because of their cooperation with China". "Mechanism 16+1 includes several Balkan countries. Besides Serbia it includes Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania, as well as three EU member countries -- Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. It has proven to be a significant channel to expand cooperation, strengthen existing connections and establish of new ones -- among countries of the Balkans themselves, and with China," Dacic said. Li said that in the essence of the Belt and Road initiative is an idea that people should work together disregarding their race and origin, as well as to develop and create better conditions for business and exchange between nations. He reminded that China's excellent relations with Serbia resulted in signing comprehensive strategic partnership this June, as well as that in recent years many Chinese companies were appointed on different infrastructural projects in Serbia for the first time in Europe. Dean of the Faculty of Security Studies Ivica Radovic who greeted the participants with words: "welcome to Serbia, welcome to the new silk road", said that China's cooperation with CEE countries are developing fast and offer huge potential for the future. "Just several years after the start of the initiative 16+1, we can witness its rapid development from an attractive idea to an institutionalized reality. This form of cooperation already has concrete institutional mechanisms, such as regular annual summits, leaders' meetings, regular organization of economic and trade as well as meetings of national coordinators," he said, adding that this creates a bridge between Chinese and the EU market. Radovic concluded that China represents a reliable partner to CEE countries whose infrastructural capacities and stable growth open possibilities for mutual economic cooperation, and an opportunity for 16 countries to overcome the effects of the global economic crisis. Speakers at the international conference focused on the political and security aspects concerning the Belt and Road initiative, as well as economic, cultural and other aspects. "All current security and political challenges in the Balkans cannot bring in question intention of these countries to cooperate with China, advance bilateral relations, realize projects in cooperation with member countries of the 16+1 mechanism and to find their place within the Belt and Road project," said Zarko Obradovic, MP and president of the parliamentary group for the cooperation between Serbia and China. "If we look at the geographic dimensions and the space that this initiative covers, we can only imagine how many new infrastructural projects will be realized, how many new roads and railways constructed and how many countries will be connected. This presents a good foundation for new projects within the Belt and Road," Obradovic pointed out, adding that cooperation within the 16+1 mechanism accelerates development of both EU and non-EU countries that participate in it. He stressed that Serbia is among countries who signed an agreement to participate in the construction of the Belt and Road and that it is ready to actively support the Chinese initiative. "This is win-win cooperation. China presents no conditions, but only opportunities for economic growth and development of Balkan countries," Obradovic said and concluded that cooperation with China is in the interests of citizens of Balkan states and governments have to work in correlation with that. "Central Eastern Europe is important not only because it is the gateway to Western Europe, final destination of the Belt and Road initiative, but also because it is an emerging market with increasing need for infrastructure, high-tech products and much more," said Long Jing, deputy director of the Centre for European Studies of the Shanghai Institute for International Relations. "So it is necessary for China to take into consideration the interests of these 16 countries and keep the vitality of the mechanism," she said, stressing that the future of 16+1 mechanism is in multilateral projects and cooperation with sub-regions such as the Balkans or the Black-Sea region. DAMASCUS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The rebels targeted with three mortar shells a hotel where UN staff reside in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday, state news agency SANA reported. Three shells, fired from the rebels who are located in the Bustan al-Qaser neighborhood in eastern Aleppo, hit the al-Shahba Hotel, where the UN mission in Aleppo operates. The attack only caused property losses, with no casualties reported among the UN staff, or other hotel guests, according to SANA. SANA said the attack comes as part of the rebels' targeting of infrastructure and diplomatic missions. This comes as a military source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that intensity of battles relatively declined on Tuesday, with attacks still going on, but in lower degree. Over the past four days, Aleppo has witnessed the most intense military showdown since the conflict reached Aleppo four years ago, following a wide-scale rebel offensive against government positions in government-controlled areas in western Aleppo. The broad rebel offensive aims to break the government forces' siege on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. The rebels succeeded in infiltrating the Assad suburb area in western Aleppo and the town of Menyan, but the army on Sunday recaptured Menyan and said it had besieged the rebels who infiltrated the Assad suburb area. The Syrian army said Monday that at least 84 civilians have been killed and 280 others wounded since Friday by the rebels relentless attack. The high number of causalities come as the rebels fired over a hundred mortar shells, 50 missiles, and 20 explosive-laden cylinders on government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, said the army in a statement. The army also mentioned the gas attack the rebels unleashed on a military academy and residential areas in western Aleppo on Sunday, saying 48 people suffered suffocation and breathing difficulties. The Syrian army has laid siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels mostly ignored the repeated requests. Last week, a three-day truce, declared by the government to help facilitate the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with only a few civilians and rebels making it across the designated "exit routes." The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, as well as rebel fighters from leaving. Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. "We have to be ready for any possibilities," Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said in a televised interview on Tuesday in reply to sending tanks to the Iraqi border. (AFP photo) ANKARA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Armed Forces started to dispatch tanks and other armored vehicles to the country's southeastern Sirnak Province near the Iraqi border on Tuesday, state Anadolu Agency reported. Tanks from the Ankara-based 28th Mechanized Infantry Brigade were deployed to Silopi, a district of Sirnak, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous. "We have to be ready for any possibilities," Defense Minister Fikri Isik said in a televised interview on Tuesday in reply to sending tanks to the Iraqi border. The deployment came ahead of an offensive to clear the Islamic State militants from the Iraqi town of Tal Afar. On Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara was planning to reinforce its troops in the region and the country would make a "different response" if Shiite militias in Iraq "cause terror" in Tal Afar. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) holds a welcome ceremony for visiting Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 1, 2016. (Xinhua/Li Tao) BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- China and Malaysia on Tuesday signed agreements on railways, energy, defense, and joint development of Malaysia's naval ships, during Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's visit to Beijing. The deals were signed after talks between Premier Li Keqiang and Najib. They covered areas ranging from infrastructure, agriculture, education, tax, quality inspection to customs and defense. Describing China and Malaysia as good neighbors, partners and friends, Li said China is willing to work with the Southeast Asian country to boost neighborly cooperation, stability, development and prosperity. China will link the Belt and Road Initiative with Malaysia's development strategies and build pilot programs for industrial cooperation, Li said. "China and Malaysia can enhance cooperation in railways, including high-speed rail to strengthen regional connectivity," Li said. He also called for further cooperation in finance, law enforcement, security and culture, particularly the operating of Xiamen University Malaysian campus. Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin told reporters after the talks that China plans to join the construction of railways in Malaysia's east coast, and oil and gas pipelines in Sabah. This year marks the 25th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue, and ASEAN will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017. Premier Li said China staunchly supports the building of the ASEAN community and its central role in regional cooperation. China is willing to enhance communication and collaboration with Malaysia for better China-ASEAN relations and regional peace and stability, he said. Najib said Malaysia-China ties are in the best period in their history, pointing to smooth progress in the joint industrial park in Kuantan and Malacca. Malaysia will work with China to boost cooperation in trade, investment, railway construction, finance, education and defense to advance relations, Najib said. He said Malaysia will also enhance relations between ASEAN and China for the development of the region. Also on Tuesday, China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang met with Najib, who is on an official visit to China from October 31 to November 6. KIGALI, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Experts on Tuesday called for more efforts to increase energy access across African economies if the continent is to achieve industrial revolution. They made the call at the opening of a high level energy investment summit in the Rwandan Capital Kigali. Rwanda hosts the energy investment meeting dubbed iPAD Rwanda Energy Infrastructure Forum from Tuesday to Wednesday. "Increasing energy access and adding value to it is a key development enabler but, overall, governments have been unsuccessful in securing significant investments for power grid development," said James Musoni, Rwanda minister of infrastructure. He noted that lack of affordable and reliable access to power and lighting stalls business growth, and inhibits new jobs from being created and provision of critical services. Musoni pointed out that Rwanda targets to increase electricity generation from 110 megawatts to 563 megawatts and access levels from 23 percent to 70 percent of the country`s population by 2018. The two-day meeting provides an opportunity for investors and developers to explore Rwanda's untapped energy potentials and investment incentives. It has brought together about 250 delegates from different countries across the world, including international stakeholders, financiers, industry experts and valuable insights from the national utility and government. According to Kipyego Cheluget, assistant secretary general of Comesa, it is time to take decisive action and turn around this narrative of Africa being in the dark to light up and power the continent for accelerated economic and social transformation. "Access to energy, and especially to electricity, guarantees access to reduced cost of doing business. The energy sector requires huge investments especially from the private sector. Energy access challenge in Africa will most likely be addressed through a combination of on-grid, off-grid and micro-grid solutions," he said. According to Africa Development Bank (AfDB), more than 645 million Africans do not have access to electricity - and 700 million go without access to clean cooking energy, with 600,000 dying each year from indoor pollution from reliance on biomass for cooking. Africa loses about 4 percent of its GDP to lack of electricity. Sidi Ould Tah, director general of Arab Development Bank for Economic Development in Africa, said that Africa is known for the darkness of its towns and cities. "Lives are at great risks in hospitals because there is no electricity. Small businesses, which account for over 90 percent of the private sector, cannot operate optimally due to inadequate energy sources. We should come up with a campaign that advocates for massive investments in power generation across the continent," he noted. AfDB plans to invest 12.5 billion U.S. dollars in five years to boost the continent's energy capacity. Enditem ABUJA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian troops have rescued 38 women and children held hostage by terror group Boko Haram in the northeastern state of Borno, the Army headquarters said on Tuesday. The troops also neutralized six Boko Haram fighters, while others fled with gunshot wounds during the rescue operation in Dumba village of Borno State, said a statement signed by Sani Usman, spokesman of the army. The 19 women and 19 children rescued have been taken into custody by the army, according to the statement. Troops of 8 Task Force Division of the Nigerian Army have commenced an operation code-named "Operation Hardknock" to clear pockets of Boko Haram terrorists hiding in remote areas of Borno, along Nigeria-Niger borders, the statement said. "As the operation progresses, troops have cleared pockets of insurgents from their hideouts in Momo and Tunshe villages around Marte general area of Borno State," it added. The Nigerian government has launched several military operations over the past months to eliminate the terror group, which emerged in northeast Nigeria's Borno region. Enditem Iraqi counter-terrorism forces advance in Gogjali district of Mosul in northern Iraq, on Nov. 1, 2016. The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, backed by international coalition and Iraqi aircraft, on Tuesday managed to seize Gogjali district on the eastern edge of the city and took control of the state TV building, Lieutenant General Abul-Amir Yarallah said in a statement issued by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). (Xinhua/Yaser Jawad) MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces took control of the state television building after seizing an eastern district of the city of Mosul on Tuesday. The victory came after more than two weeks of a massive offensive to dislodge Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq. "The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, backed by international coalition and Iraqi aircraft, managed to seize Gogjali district on the eastern edge of the city and took control of the state TV building," Lieutenant General Abul-Amir Yarallah said in a statement issued by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The troops are in heavy clashes with IS militants as they are trying to extend foothold inside the part of the city on the eastern side of the Tigris River, according to the statement. The latest advance came one day after the Iraqi forces began their final push to enter the urban areas in Mosul with the support of artillery attacks and airstrikes on IS positions. Security forces also freed two villages and nearby Shalalat area, some 7 km northeast of Mosul, a security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Other troops are coming closer to the southeastern edge of Mosul after clearing the villages of Twila and Sharezad, the source said, adding that they could make a new push in the coming hours into the Jadidat al-Mufti district in the southeast of the city. IS militants, however, have been fighting off the offensive with mortar fire, rocket bombs, sniper attacks and suicide car bombs, the source said. On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. Since then, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city, preparing for a major battle to storm the city and drive out IS militants. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Members of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) drive near the village of Bazwaya, on the eastern edges of Mosul, tightening the noose on Mosul as the offensive to retake the Islamic State group stronghold entered its third week on October 31, 2016. (AFP/Xinhua) MOSUL, Iraq, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces took control of the state television building after seizing an eastern district of the city of Mosul on Tuesday. The victory came after more than two weeks of a massive offensive to dislodge Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq. "The Iraqi counter-terrorism forces, backed by international coalition and Iraqi aircraft, managed to seize Gogjali district on the eastern edge of the city and took control of the state TV building," Lieutenant General Abul-Amir Yarallah said in a statement issued by the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The troops are in heavy clashes with IS militants as they are trying to extend foothold inside the part of the city on the eastern side of the Tigris River, according to the statement. The latest advance came one day after the Iraqi forces began their final push to enter the urban areas in Mosul with the support of artillery attacks and airstrikes on IS positions. Security forces also freed two villages and nearby Shalalat area, some 7 km northeast of Mosul, a security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Other troops are coming closer to the southeastern edge of Mosul after clearing the villages of Twila and Sharezad, the source said, adding that they could make a new push in the coming hours into the Jadidat al-Mufti district in the southeast of the city. IS militants, however, have been fighting off the offensive with mortar fire, rocket bombs, sniper attacks and suicide car bombs, the source said. On Oct. 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. Since then, the Iraqi security forces have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city, preparing for a major battle to storm the city and drive out IS militants. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. BANGKOK, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- New school term in Thailand's southernmost provinces is greeted with a large number of police and military deployed to step up security of schools, local media Tuesday reported. The first of November marks the re-opening of the second semester of most schools. In Yala province in Thailand's deep south, security of 111 schools were tightened. Security checkpoints were set up along main and secondary roads. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and individuals were being searched for weapons. In Songkla, one of the southernmost provinces neighboring Yala, more than 200 volunteer defense corps were deployed to guard schools. The step-up security comes after a spate of bomb attacks on school in the country's restive deep south. On last Friday, a teacher was shot and killed as she arrived at school in in Pattani Province, which is home to an ongoing separatist insurgency. On Oct. 24, at least 16 individuals including 5 children were wounded and one person was killed in a homemade bomb explosion at a market in the same province. On Sept. 6, alleged separatist insurgents detonated a bomb in southern Thailand's Narathiwat outside a school, killing a man and his daughter. A conflict known as south Thailand insurgency started in 2004. The Muslim populations of the provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat have been striving for independence from predominantly Buddhist Thailand. More than 200 schools have been burned down or targeted in bomb attacks over the past twelve years of the armed conflict. Of the more than 6,500 people killed, more than 180 were educators. Insurgents have also frequently ambushed Thai government security patrols trying to escort teachers and students safely to and from their schools. The Thai government has resumed a peace dialogue with separatist groups resumed since Sept. 2. However, insurgents affiliated with Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Coordinate (BRN-Coordinate) have not ceased attacks on civilians. Enditem RAMALLAH, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia has suspended its funding for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) since March, a senior Palestinian official said Tuesday. "Last money transfer sent to the PNA treasury was in March," said Rami Hamdallah, prime minister of the PNA consensus government, when meeting with a group of Palestinian journalists. "The Saudi fund has temporarily stopped." Hamdallah, however, denied earlier reports from the Arab media that Saudi Arabia has completely stopped its financial aid to the PNA due to political differences. "There are reassurances that Saudi Arabia will soon resume its financial commitments to the PNA, including the previous months since March," said Hamdallah. "There are no political implications as was said earlier." The prime minister praised Saudi Arabia for its constant political and financial support for the Palestinian people and their just cause over the decades. Saudi Arabia's share of Arab financial commitment to the PNA is 20 million U.S. dollars per month. Hamdallah admitted that foreign financial aid to the PNA has declined recently, including the United States, which has provided no financial aid in 2016. The U.S. should have provided 386 million dollars in financial aid so far, according to the prime minister. NICOSIA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- It is a mistaken view that Europe is stumbling from crisis to crisis without learning, the Managing Director of the European Stability Mechanism Klaus Regling said on Tuesday. Actually, crisis has made the economy of the European Union stronger, Regling told an Economist Summit in Nicosia. "It is a mistaken view that Europe is an unfinished project and that it malfunctions," Regling said. He added that the prevailing pessimist view on Europe is exaggerated, the truth on the whole being that Europe is doing reasonable well. He said EU has made tremendous progress since the crisis, though challenges remain that can be tackled in relatively small steps, in comparison to the huge leaps Europe has taken in the last six years. UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon giving the green light to the UN Mission in Colombia to verify the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the South American country, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here. "This was following a request from the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP)," Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "The UN Mission will roll out functions previously approved by the Council, except those related to the laying down of arms, which will be postponed until the successful conclusion of the political dialogue and the adoption of a new Final Agreement," he said. The head of the UN Mission, Jean Arnault, welcomed the Security Council's support, stressing that it is a boost to Colombia's peace process. The Colombian government signed a historic peace deal with the FARC on Sept. 26 to end the conflict, which lasted more than 50 years, but in a shock move, voters rejected the deal in a referendum. The 52-year conflict in Colombia has left 220,000 people dead, 25,000 missing and more than 5.7 million homeless in the country. UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN relief chief, Stephen O'Brien, said that he was deeply concerned for the safety of civilians in Mosul as fighting reaches the city, saying that the protection of civilians must be at the center of military action in Iraq, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters here Tuesday. O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, renewed his call on all parties to place the protection of civilians at the centre of all military action, and adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, Dujarric said at a daily news briefing here. "Civilians who want to leave the conflict zone must be allowed to do so and access protection and assistance in safer areas." "With fighting now ongoing inside Mosul city, the humanitarian community repeats its call for adherence to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians," Dujarric said. More than 17,900 people are so far recorded as internally displaced since Oct. 17 due to the ongoing Mosul operations, he noted. "A significant increase is anticipated in the coming days, as a result of the fighting reaching Mosul neighborhoods and opening routes for civilians to escape, as well as continued hostilities in the surrounding areas." The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Office also has further reports of mass killings by Da'esh, known as the Islamic State (IS), he said. On Saturday, 40 former Iraqi Security Force soldiers were killed and their bodies thrown in the Tigris River, he said. "They were reportedly among the civilians who had been abducted earlier from al-Shura sub-district of Mosul and from villages surrounding Hamam al-Alil." Iraqi security forces recaptured more villages last week from the IS militants, as part of a major offensive aimed at liberating the city of Mosul, the last major IS stronghold in Iraq, a security source said. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (L) speaks during the second presidential debate with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Washington University in St. Louis, the United States, on Oct. 9, 2016. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Editor's note: The 2016 presidential election is seen by many as the most divisive and scandalous in the U.S. history. A team of Xinhua reporters recently toured two battleground states to get the firsthand accounts of what American voters really think less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election. Here is the first of four in-depth reports they have produced. By Xinhua writers Zhu Lei, Qi Zijian, Li Changxiang COLUMBUS, the United States, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Decades ago, Susan Young, 54, aligned herself with the U.S. Republican Party, following the footsteps of her grandmother, one of the first women to lead the party. Yet, the 2016 presidential election, with all its twists and turns, brought a hard choice for her. "I am a Republican. I can't vote for Republican; I can't vote for Democratic. They are the worst two candidates we could choose since I voted at 18 years old," she told Xinhua on a chilly late autumn morning in downtown Bethlehem, the state of Pennsylvania. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump "doesn't have the political sense to deal with other countries," while his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton "has been caught lying, cheating and taking money," said the medical practice administrator. "This is the first year I thought let's do it and get over with it and get through hopefully four years and restart again," she said, with her voice carrying sadness and frustration. "It's been a hard decision, horrible, horrible decision." The hard choice that bewilders Young is quite common among U.S. voters in the two battleground states of Pennsylvania and Ohio Xinhua reporters travelled to less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election. Nationally, about 10-15 percent undecided voters out of 235 million eligible voters could tip the scales in the election. BUFFOON TRUMP VS CORRUPT HILLARY Even for those who have made up their minds, the inner struggle to pick a preference is also apparent. Many called their vote a "reluctant vote" or a "protest vote." "I like Hillary only slightly less than Trump. I am casting a 'No' vote against Hillary more than casting a 'Yes' vote for Donald Trump," said Colin E. McNamee, 33. "Hillary is just so corrupt to be supported as a presidential candidate of the United States." His dissatisfaction with Trump also runs deep. "Trump acts like a buffoon. He doesn't act in accordance with somebody you would think as a well-educated, successful businessperson; he acts like a child taunting folks on the playground," he said. McNamee is a criminal defense lawyer who has a law office in downtown Columbus, the state of Ohio, while his wife runs a small business with two employees. McNamee said the issues he cared about most were the economy and taxes. "If her taxes went up, she would have to fire at least one of the employees. It would be bad for jobs, and it would hurt our business generally," McNamee told Xinhua at the entrance of his office building. "I am an independent. I tend to vote Republican just because of economic issues, but socially I could never identify myself as Republican," he said. Whether the reality TV star-turned Republican standard-bearer could bring returns on economic issues is another open question. On Oct. 22, Trump presented his 100-day plan in what his campaign billed as a "Contract with the American Voter" in the city of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address in November 1863 in an attempt to unify Americans amid the bloody Civil War. In what he meant as a closing argument in his race to the White House, Trump listed his plan to revitalize the economy and protect U.S. citizens, but not before lashing out at rival Hillary, a "rigged" America and the nearly a dozen women who have recently openly accused him of sexual misconduct. Trump's speech "is terrible," McNamee said. "What Trump did by going to Gettysburg and attacking those women as opposed to laying out his vision for the country, I think, is disrespectful not only to the Republicans in general, but also to the place, Gettysburg, the hallow battlefield." Just around the street corner, a female voter, who supported Bernie Sanders, Hillary's underdog challenger in the Democratic primaries, said she will vote for Hillary, because "she scares me less." "I think it's difficult for me because I don't really like either of the candidates necessarily. And I think there is such negativity," said the woman, in her 30s. "I hope there were better candidates." "THREE-RING CIRCUS" After eight years of the Obama administration, Trump and Clinton, the nominees the two major parties presented in the 2016 election cycle, are the two most disliked presidential candidates in U.S. history. Trump is grappling with his temperament, tax returns issue and the lewd tape issue, while Clinton is fighting with her trust issue -- her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state, her ties to the Wall Street, and the Clinton Foundation, her family charity. Even the three presidential debates have given place to boisterous personal attacks of each other's personality and history, instilling no sense of certainty to the undecided voters eager to hear their policy positions. Americans have registered their negative views for the two candidates in poll after poll. A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll issued on Oct. 20 found that half of voters now have negative views of the former secretary of state, up 1 percent from at the very beginning of the two major parties' primaries, while negative perception of Trump has risen to 63 percent, up from 58 percent in January. "This election is a three-ring circus," Donna Rullo, a freelance writer, told Xinhua outside a church in Newtown, Pennsylvania. "It's not about ideologies. It's not about policy. It's about the media. And it's about earning much money." Rullo, who was travelling to Newtown to attend her niece's wedding, lives in the state of California, which has become easy pickings for Democrats in recent decades. Rullo, who owns an Italian imports business in San Diego, California, called herself a "reluctant voter." "Trump is not the person I want to vote for, but I can't vote for Hillary either," she said. She was worried that the Democratic Party will increase taxes, which meant that she has to fire some employees because she can't afford their insurance, she said. "America needs a reset button. Press the button, and start all over," she said. (Editing by Zhou Xiaozheng, Ding Yimin; Xinhua reporters Shang Yang and Zhang Zhihuan also contributed to this report) Related: Commentary: U.S. election falls to new low in third debate NEW YORK, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The third and final U.S. presidential debate has tossed the ongoing election to its new low, as Republican nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton traded personal attacks relentlessly late Wednesday to draw voters. Full Story FBI reopens Clinton email probe: U.S. House Oversight chairman WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- U.S. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz said on Friday the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reopened Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's email investigation. Full Story U.S presidential candidate Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame star destroyed CAPE TOWN, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment (MPRDA) Bill will worsen uncertainty in the mining sector by putting massive power in the Mineral Resources Minister's hands, opponents said on Tuesday. The bill will open the door to corruption, allowing the Mineral Resources Minister to hand out mining rights to friends, cronies or the highest bidder, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) said. This came after the National Assembly adopted the amendments to bill and referred it to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for consideration. Following deliberations on the amendments to the bill, 198 members of Parliament voted in favour of the amendments, while 81 voted against the amendment, with one abstention. Parliament passed the bill two and a half years ago, but President Jacob Zuma refused to sign it into law and returned it to Parliament for reconsideration early this year to ascertain if it would pass Constitutional muster. Under the bill, up to 20 percent interest in any such venture should go to the state and a portion of the extracted resource would have to be processed domestically instead of exported in raw form. The bill also allows the state to buy a further percentage at a fair market price. On a debate on the bill in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane said the resolutions herein tabled for debate ought not to be seen as being contrary to the basis of the referral of the bill, but more of the re-affirmation to the president that legislators have satisfied themselves that indeed the bill will now pass the constitutional muster. "We are acutely conscious of the fact that people elect public representatives to make laws to foster development, ensure that jobs are created, and see that services such as education, health and welfare are rendered to the country in an environmentally sustainable manner," Zwane said. He called on all members of the House to support the position that the government has taken on this matter of national interest. "We have to use our collective might to deal with this subject in a manner that ensures that we take steps to re-industrialize our country, diversify our energy mix, contribute to food security and strengthen the national fiscus," the minister said. The ruling African National Congress (ANC), which controls Parliament, has been pressing for the passage of the bill in the hope that the bill would return the control of South Africa's natural resources to the disenfranchised and previously disadvantaged. The ANC also argues that the bill would put greater responsibilities on mining and related companies to take localized beneficiation a lot more seriously. "The whole idea that government can limit mineral exports and force beneficiation through cheap local prices is unsound. It doesn't work. The World Bank has warned about this. However, the ANC ignores that advice," DA's Shadow Minister of Mineral Resources, James Lorimer said. This new bill will give even more power to the Mineral Resources Minister to select who gets licences, Lorimer claimed. This bill could be fixed, or better still, scrapped and rewritten so that it drops forced beneficiation, provides certainty through legislation rather than regulation, pays more attention to including communities and brings about a transparent, fair licensing process, he said. HAVANA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Cuba presented on Tuesday its new portfolio for foreign investment, which includes 395 projects worth over 9.5 billion U.S. dollars, in its quest to attract external capital. Cuba needs foreign investment to update its economy, which has been deeply affected by the crisis in Venezuela, its top trading partner and main oil supplier. "This new edition of Cuba' s business portfolio adds 120 new proposals for investment in 15 key sectors of our economy," said Rodrigo Malmierca, Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment at the inauguration of the island' s first ever investment forum, held during the 34th Havana International Trade Fair. Malmierca said Cuba is looking to attract around 2 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment each year. However, that figure has not been reached in recent years and Raul Castro' s government is seeking more external capital. "We must develop foreign investment in the country. This is a sovereign decision by Cuba that no-one is imposing on us, we do so because we are convinced it is necessary for the nation' s development," he said. Presenting new investment opportunities to hundreds of businessmen from all over the world, Malmierca said the projects were located throughout the island, with 24 to be developed in the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone, Havana's flagship project for economic growth. According to the minister, the tourism sector has seen most interest in investors and is the sector which has most opportunities within the business portfolio. "We have taken a regional approach to new projects in the area of tourism by giving priority to less developed zones like Guardalavaca, St. Lucia beach and Covarrubias in the east, as well as Cienfuegos in the south," added Malmierca. Cuba is experiencing a tourism boom since it reestablished diplomatic ties with the United States with almost 4 million visitors expected to visit by the end of 2016. Other priority sectors for the island include renewable energy, oil exploration, food imports and nickel development. The Cuban minister added that some projects had been removed from the portfolio as they are already being negotiated with foreign partners. A new feature in this year's business portfolio is that non-agricultural cooperatives may participate directly or indirectly in foreign investment projects by associating with a Cuban state company. The banking and financial sectors are now included, allowing Cuba to develop its financing, management techniques and information analysis. "We want to create economic bases to consolidate the development of our country and build a prosperous and sustainable socialism," said Malmierca. UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Tuesday welcomed the election of Michel Aoun as the new president of Lebanon as "a critical step to overcome Lebanon's political and institutional crisis," and urged the swift formation of a unity government in the Middle East country. "The Security Council urges the new president of the Republic of Lebanon and Lebanese leaders to build on their efforts thus far by continuing to work constructively to promote the country's stability, and by swiftly forming a government," the 15-nation UN body said in a presidential statement issued here. "The Security Council stresses that the formation of a unity government and the election of a parliament by May 2017, in accordance with the Constitution, are critical for Lebanon's stability and resilience to withstand regional challenges," the statement said. With little consensus in the country's political landscape, the process of forming a government is likely to be long and arduous. "The Security Council encourages all parties in Lebanon to demonstrate renewed unity and determined to that end, in order to ensure Lebanon's ability to address the growing security, economic, social and humanitarian challenges facing the country," said the statement. The Security Council affirms that the preservation of Lebanon's stability is essential to regional stability and security, the statement said. "The Securtiy Council underscores its previous calls on all Lebanese parties to recommit to Lebanon's policy of dissociation and to cease any involvement in the Syrian crisis." Meanwhile, the council statement called on the international community, including the international organizations, to ensure continued support to Lebanon in addressing the economic, security and humanitarian challenges facing the country. On Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a statement issued here by his spokesman, welcomed the election of the new president in Lebanon. Former army chief Michel Aoun, an 81-year-old Christian, was sworn in as Lebanon's 13th president on Monday, ending the country's presidential vacancy that lasted almost two and a half years. Lebanon had been without a president since May 2014, when former president Michel Suleiman's six-year term ended. Since then, the parliament had held 45 failed sessions to elect a successor, each time failing to make quorum. by Wang Yiwei The Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative is addressing the worlds major concerns and the historical issues that hinder development, while playing a vital supplement role to the current international governance mechanism. This is the secret of success of the initiative, according to Wang Yiwei, senior researcher at Chongyang Institute for financial Studies, Renmin University of China. In his recent article, he wrote, the causes of the current world chaos are poverty and less than fair distribution. And the B&R Initiative points direction for solving these two issues by focusing on policy coordination, connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds, he said. By June 30, 2016, China has established the Policy Coordination at different levels with countries along the Belt and Road, issued B&R joint statements and signed relevant MOUs or agreements with 56 countries and regional organizations, he said. From October 2013 to June 2016, there are 38 infrastructure projects with exemplary functions undertaken by Chines enterprises, benefiting 26 countries along the Belt and Road. Up to 40 major energy projects were also signed, involving 19 countries along the Belt and Road. Over the past three years, China's trade volume with these countries amounted to 3.1 trillion U.S. dollars, accounting for 26 percent of its total; investment in them, mounted to 51.1 billion dollars, accounting for 12 percent of the total amount of FDI of the same period. Besides, 52 economic and trade cooperation zones were built in 18 countries, 13 of which have passed assessment, with an investment value up to 15.6 billion U.S. dollars having been realized. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank(AIIB) approved the first four projects with 509 million dollars in loan on June 25, 2016. By June 30, China Development Bank has established more than 900 B&R project repositories involving over 60 countries. The Export-Import Bank of China is promoting more than 1,000 projects in 49 countries along the Belt and Road. Meanwhile, the initiative has promoted the RMB internationalization as China has set up clearing banks in seven countries along the Belt and Road, with the amount of cross-border RMB settlement surpassing 2.63 trillion yuan. China has been actively carrying forward the spirit of friendship and cooperation. As a Chinese saying goes: connectivity removes aches. Under the B&R Initiative, countries may interconnect with each other and supplement the weakness in economic developing process. Countries may eliminate gaps between coastal and land-locked, north and south, and different domestic areas through mutual aid and interconnection, Wang held. It is important however to emphasize that the initiative is neither to start all over again nor to challenge the international order. It is a supplement to the current international governance mechanism, he said. First, it is a supplement to weaknesses left over from colonialism, imperialism and hegemony, especially in the African regions. That is the reason the proposal of constructing three great networks, namely, high-speed railway network, highway network and regional aviation network in Africa, is widely welcomed in Africa. Second, it is a supplement to weakness in global economy. After the outbreak of the global financial crisis, the world economic downturn has continued to this day. In this aspect, the initiative supplements the under-consumption, and narrows the gap between the real economy and virtual economy. Third, it is a supplement to traditional globalization. That interconnection among countries lacking smoothness is a problem left over by traditional globalization. The initiative attaches great importance to connectivity, linking Europe, Asia and Africa, and achieving mutual benefits and ultimate harmony. The initiative, reflecting the oriental wisdom of providing a permanent cure and avoiding disorder, promotes inclusive world governance -- the secret of its success, Wang concluded. Not Everyone Is Riding the Marrakesh Express Surely, few would disagree that the blind and visually impaired deserve all the help they can get in accessing reading materialsand yet it appears some pressure groups have tried to stymie provisions in the 2013 Marrakesh Treaty in order to protect their interests. The treaty sets out to make it legal for published materialespecially online materialto be reformatted so it is accessible to those with sight disabilities. Julia Reda, a Member of the European Parliament, is an advocate for the treaty. She says a surprising range of organizations are lobbying against it. The pharmaceuticals industry argued that this treaty would set an unwanted precedent: If one treaty is adopted to protect the rights of marginalised groups, other such treaties could follow that would call into question their patents on life-saving medicines. She also points out that the Intellectual Property Owners Association argues that the treaty would constitute an unbalanced privilege to people with disabilities if rightsholders were not strengthened at the same time. (For more information, see the associations letter to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on page 24 of Knowledge Ecology Internationals collection of documents.) According to a September 2016 statement by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), rightsholder organizations in some countries are advocating for restrictive provisions that introduce measures such as record-keeping for accessible copies made and shared, [the imposition of] royalty payments, and [the requirement for] a process to check the marketplace for accessible copies in an environment where no copies are available to buy or license. The Marrakesh Treaty provides that authorized entitieswhich may well include librariesin countries that have ratified it may make accessible copies of publications for visually impaired readers. But, according to IFLA, Imposing record-keeping requirements would mire authorised entities in processes that will reduce the time available to serve their users and contribute further to the dearth of accessible works. In addition, record-keeping poses a serious privacy threat, risking the sharing of personal information about disability and reading choices with commercial entities and others. The World Blind Union Works Toward Ratification The World Blind Union (WBU) shares some of these concerns and is calling for wider ratification beyond the current 25 signatory countries, as a step towards fulfilling their obligations under the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and other human rights instruments, says Penny Hartin, WBUs CEO. We further urge all states to expand the availability of books and other cultural materials in accessible formats, including across borders; to avoid imposing financial or other burdens on beneficiaries; and to consult with print disabled individuals and their representative organizations regarding the implementation and monitoring of the Marrakesh Treaty, she says. The European Union Makes a Statement The actions of the European Union (EU) in ratifying the treaty should set the tone for its scope and reach. In September 2016, more than 3 years after the treaty was adopted, the EUs advocate general (the top legal cheese) ruled that ratification was the exclusive competence of the EU, rather than of the member states. This means that ratification should begin its tortuous progressif there are no more significant legal hurdlesthrough the EUs legislative process and that national governments should not be able to hinder ratification. Or, as the European Blind Union (EBU) states in a Sept. 29, 2016, press release, This effectively removes the shameful competence excuse used by 7 EU member states to block EU ratification over the past two years. The EBU continues, We demand swift, positive legislation that is a one to one transcription of the Treaty text with no added barriers nor new administrative burdens. It is time for the European Parliament to stand up and be counted. Well see about that, as there are bound to be twists and turns in the EUs ratification process. According to Wolfgang Angermann, the EBUs president, some issuessuch as licensing arrangements and record keepingmainly will have to be dealt with on a national level, when the implementation of the EU legislative measures [emanating from] the Marrakesh treaty, will have to be discussed. So far, the EU does not provide special regulations for licensing, or, for example, for changing the treatys definition of beneficiary persons. Angermann adds that among the publishers there is a strong negative attitude towards people with dyslexia being eligible [for] the benefits of the Marrakesh treaty. The respective stakeholders differ from country to country. To be fair, though, in a proposal on ratifying the treaty, the European Commission says that in order for the EU to meet its obligations as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is justified to restrict the property rights of rightholders in light with the [EUs] obligations under the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. This charterin intention if not in realityguarantees people with disabilities the right to participate in cultural, economic, and social life on an equal basis with others. But fine words butter no parsnips. This all sounds laudable, but the reality of implementation is different, according to Reda. She claims that only 5% of all books published in the EU are accessible to visually impaired readers. She says that among everything Ive experienced in politics so far, the squabble over the Marrakesh treaty stands out as a particular letdown. A few European governmentsincluding Germany and the UKare currently playing a leading role in denying people with visual impairments urgently needed access to knowledge and culture for no defensible reason. And, as she says, given that European languages such as English, Spanish, and French are spoken in many parts of the globe, EU ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty should help visually impaired people in developing countries beyond the unions borders get reading materials in accessible formats. Chambers happy with reshuffle San Fernando Mayor, Kazim Hosein, was ap- pointed Minister of Rural Development and Local Government while Fitzgerald Hinds is the new Minister of Public Utilities. Rohan Sinanan is the Minister of Works and Transport and Franklin Khan appointed Minister of Energy and Energy Industries. In a telephone interview yesterday, Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCIC) president Richie Sookhai, said the Chamber welcomes the changes to the Cabinet and cited Khans appointment as reassuring given the economic challenges faced by the energy sector. We are optimistic that new Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan, would be able to complete the San Fernando to Point Fortin highway project as well as get the other major construction projects off the ground which would kick start the economy, Sookhai said. We are also pleased that the San Fernando Mayor is the new Minister of Local Government because of his take charge attitude and he would be able to bring the long overdue local government reforms into reality, he said. However, we wish to express concern that there was no change to the Ministry of National Security. And while the Prime Minister may have confidence in the present Minister, there needs to be changes made to the Ministry given the high crime rate. However, San Fernando Business Association (SBA) president, Daphne Bartlett, offered a differing view of National Security as the Prime Minister has shown us that he is the de facto Minister of National security with his pronouncements last night (Sunday), so it would mean he is more or less taking it over in his hands and micromanaging it. And regarding the other appointments, she said those Ministries had come to a virtual standstill and needed a new injection of talent and experience. I agree with all the moves that he made because those ministries at the moment were not really going anywhere, the people in the country were wondering where we were heading because nothing was happening and we think they are good changes, she said. Meanwhile, Penal/Debe Chamber president, Shiva Roopnarine, observed that while the Ministerial choices were better, they still pointed to the instability with everything that is happening in terms of the local politics. He also praised Hosein saying he is a hard-working gentleman and he performed well as the Mayor of San Fernando, his previous initiative being the Haiti drive and it was quite a success and we know he has a wealth of talent to bring up there to the Ministry of Local Government. Woman on HDC fraud charges The exercise was coordinated by Head of the Fraud Squad Senior Supt Totaram Dhookie. Mahabal was escorted in handcuffs before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John who read the charges to her, that between June and August, she stole the monies from five persons. The first charge alleged that she stole $29,000 from Mark Borneo, and the second and the third, alleged that she stole $32,400 and $24,000 from Gain Ann Pilla and Geeta Balliram. The fourth and fifth charges alleged that she stole $35,800 and $32,000 from Gura Ram and Sita Jagdeo. The allegation arising out of the charges alleges that she tricked victims to give her money took the money with the promise that she could get them HDC homes. The charges were laid indictably and Mahabal was not called upon to plead, on the basis that the prosecution did not give the court an option how they would proceed - whether indictably or summary. Attorney Deedra-Lee Murray pleaded for bail to be granted to Mahabal, but Forde-John said the cases had to be transfered to the Rio Claro district. The magistrate remanded Mahabal into custody to appear in the Rio Claro Magistrates court today. Bail would be determined by the presiding magistrate there, as well as whether the prosecution would pursue the charges indictably or summarily. Police Constable David Cummings laid the charges. Brother stabs brother Dillion appeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John in the San Fernando Magistrates Court yesterday. A charge that he maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm on Christopher, with a kitchen knife, was read by the magistrate to Singh. He was not called upon to plead. The charge stemmed from an incident at their home last Thursday, in which Christopher was stabbed with a ten-inch knife on the shoulder. Court prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan told Magistrate Forde- John the brothers lived in the same house. Christopher, Seedan added, was still warded at the San Fernando General Hospital in a satisfactory condition. He underwent surgery as a result of the injury, the court heard. Forde-John granted Dillion bail in the sum of $75,000 to be approved by the Clerk of the Peace. As a condition to bail, Forde-John ordered that the accused not live at the house where his brother resides. He is to stay 100 metres from him and not to communicate or cause to make contact with Christopher. Attorney Indira Binda told the magistrate that Dillion would be residing instead, at Temple Street, Papourie Road, Diamond Village. The magistrate granted Dillion a cash alternative of $7,000 as a substitute for the bail. Singh will reappear on November 24. Man attacked with weed whacker on Divali night According to reports Hudson Mc Lutchie of Cumana, Toco, was liming with friends and relatives at his home on Saturday night when he observed that one of his guests, a 45-year-old fellow villager was misbehaving and appeared to be intoxicated. According to report s Mc Lutchie asked the man several times to desist from his outrageous behaviour but the man continued. At about 11 pm Mc Lutchie became outraged that his guests were becoming uncomfortable and asked the man to leave. The intoxicated man left the party, cursing and issuing threats. According to reports he returned about 15 minutes later armed with a weed whacker with a blade attached to the equipment. Police sources revealed that the intoxicated man started the weed whacker and hit Mc Lutchie cutting him on the left hand. Stunned guests managed to overpower the suspect and prevented Mc Lutchie from further injury. The suspect was taken to the Toco Police Station while Mc Lutchie was rushed to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery early on Sunday morning. The victim was listed in a stable but serious condition while the suspect was being interviewed at the Toco Police Station yesterday. Newsday understands that charges are expected to be laid by Sgt Edwards of the Toco Police Station. Two shot dead in La Horquetta, DAbadie Dead are Maurice Clifford, who died at hospital after being shot near his home at Red Hill, Dabadie and Salim Gonzales, who was killed while visiting a home along Irving Williams Trace, La Horquetta. In the earlier incident, police officers responded to a report of loud explosions, which were heard at Sunbeam Street, Red Hill, Dabadie, at about 3.05 pm on Sunday. When officers arrived at the scene, they saw Clifford, a 42-year-old man, being transported to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, by his brother. Officers later found out that minutes before, Clifford was at his neighbours property, along with a group of men who were assisting with construction on his neighbours home. At about 3 pm, they were accosted by two men, both armed with firearms and wearing jerseys over their heads to conceal their identity. The men trained their guns on Clifford, and shot him multiple times. When Clifford and his brother arrived at the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival. Relatives were reluctant to speak to members of the media yesterday, while at the forensic centre, however, Newsday understands an autopsy done confirmed that he died from multiple gunshot wounds. Police officers who visited the scene on Sunday, recovered several spent shells on the scene. The later incident occurred at about 10.20, yesterday morning. Newsday understands Salim Gonzales was visiting a home along Irving Williams Trace, Phase Six, La Horquetta, when he was killed by an unknown assailant. According to reports, Gonzales was at the front of the home he was visiting, speaking with two other persons, when he was approached by a man armed with a firearm. The gunman shot Gonzales several times about the body. Newsday understands that Gonzales, of Ramkellawan Trace, St Joseph, ran several metres into a bushy area and collapsed. The two murders raise the toll for the year to 382, as compared to last year around the same time, when it stood at 362. Ballistic tests for coast guardsmans gun after man shot Officers of the San Fernando Division yesterday noted that they received conflicting reports as to the circumstances of the shooting. However, they confirmed yesterday that a 29-year-old able seaman of Claxton Bay was in custody at the San Fernando Police Station, assisting with the investigations. The patron, a labourer, sustained a gunshot wound to his right hip and was treated and discharged from the San Fernando General Hospital on Sunday evening. The labourer, 24, is from San Fernando. Police reports are that both men were patrons at the Bae Jouvert party held at Skinner Park, San Fernando, when at about 7 am the incident occurred in full view of other patrons. One version of the incident revealed that while in the party, a man accosted the labourer from behind. The man attempted to snatch his gold chain during which he slapped the labourer in the face. The labourer reported to police that he turned around to look at his attacker and saw the coast guardsman who pointed a firearm in his direction. The labourer further claimed he began to run away and was shot. Prior to the incident both men did not know each other, police said. Police said the victim initially reported that earlier that morning, the coast guardsman made a tackle (an advance) towards his female friend while in the party. Another version of the incident suggested that the coast guardsman was purchasing drinks when a male patron attempted to grab his gold ID band off his hand. Simultaneously another man was attempting to yank his gold chain. In retaliating, the coast guardsman made several blows towards his attackers, one of whom included the labourer. Eyewitnesses claimed that during the melee, the coast guardsman managed to step back and pulled out his firearm which was hidden in the waistband of his trousers. As patrons scampered for safety, a gunshot rang out, and police arrested the coast guardsman. Police seized the weapon and took it yesterday to the Forensic Sciences Centre for testing to determine whether or not a bullet was fired from it. Some eyewitnesses claimed that the coast guardsman, who has about eight years service and is posted at Staubles Bay in Chaguaramas, never fired from the weapon. Instead it was another patron, seen earlier partying with the victim, who opened fire. Yesterday when Newsday contacted Coast Guard officials, Lieutenant Commander Kirk Jean-Baptiste confirmed only that there was an incident involving a coast guardsman. He added that the coast guardsman is assisting police at the San Fernando CID and officials at the Forensic Science Centre. Police were up to yesterday still awaiting the results of the ballistic tests. Man shot outside church is in ICU The man is at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital under police guard, sources told Newsday. A police report stated that at about 9.30 am on Sunday, the man was standing in the roadway near the Calvary Temple at Theresa Street, Marabella. There he fired several shots in an attempt to interrupt the christening ceremony of his stepchild. He has a child with the mother of the child whose christening ceremony was taking place. Police said that at the time the man was intoxicated and began behaving in an unruly manner while brandishing the illegal weapon. Several church members, including the Special Forces officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, called on the man to cease his violent behaviour, but to no avail. The police report further stated that in the presence of church members, the man pointed his firearm in the direction of the solider who in turn drew his firearm and opened fire. The man sustained a gunshot wound to the face and was rushed to the hospital where he remained up to last evening. PCs Matloo and Mohammed together with other officers of the Marabella Police Station and Cpl Chance of the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment, visited the scene and conducted investigations. Police noted that once discharged from the hospital, he will be charged with several offences including possession of a firearm and ammunition. Once charged, he will face a San Fernando magistrate. Mans conviction quashed on appeal A retrial has been ordered. In his appeal argued by attorneys Jagdeo Singh, Criston J Williams and Rhea Libert, Supersad complained of the judges handling of the case. Five grounds of appeal were filed on Supersads behalf, arguing that a material irregularity occurred at the trial when the judge allowed the prosecution to place mere assertions of previous alleged conduct on his part as being evidence of a lack of creditworthiness. Supersads lawyers also argued that the irregularity was further exacerbated when the trial judge failed properly to direct the jury on the issue of Supersads character. They also complained that the judge erred in law when he gave two different directions to the jury as to the pathway which they ought to adopt on their route to arriving on a verdict as well as making a similar error when he allowed the testimony of a police witness without giving a proper direction to the jury on how they should treat with that evidence. Supersad was arrested on October 21, 2002, at the Pasea Main Road, Tunapuna, branch of FedEx by members of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau (OCNFB) after they found him to be in possession of 4.5 kilogrammes of the drug hidden in a box to be shipped. In his defence, Supersad testified that he went to FedEx with another person to assist him in carrying the box but was unaware it contained cocaine. However, police officers who testified at the trial said no one was accompanying Supersad when he walked into the building. Prosecutor Mauricia Joseph appeared for the State at the appeal. Kamla: No improvements with reshuffle As she declared the changes made by Rowley will not improve the quality of life of citizens in any way, Persad-Bissessar questioned why Rowley did not remove Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon or Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh from their respective posts. She also claimed the elevation of Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young to a full Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister was payback time. Persad- Bissessar said Franklin Khan would make no improvement as Energy Minister and the initial appointment of La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre to that post reflected the extremely poor judgment by the Prime Minister because of her absolute lack of experience, knowledge and maturity for this all-important post. The Opposition Leader suggested the absence of infrastructural works in the last 13 months cost Fitzgerald Hinds the Works and Transport portfolio. Persad-Bissessar further alleged PNM deputy leader Rohan Sinanans assumption of this post was reward for his fund-raising for the 2015 general election. She predicted major conflicts of interest arising from Mr Sinanans appointment. She said Ancil Antoine was removed as Public Utilities Minister because of his blatant moves to dismiss CEPEP contractors and employees. Persad-Bissessar said Hinds, as the new Public Utilities Minister, must give an early assurance that there would not be mass lay-offs in CEPEP. Persad-Bissessar claimed Youngs promotion has entrenched him as the Minister of Everything. She also said Young undertakes the duties of Communications Minister even though this is not his portfolio. She questioned why Finance Minister Colm Imbert and Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon were not fired, given the state of the countrys economy. Reiterating her claim that Rowleys administration was selling out to party financiers and super elites, Persad-Bissessar charged the reshuffle is a classic case of reshuffling bush cards. Earlier, Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said all Rowley did in the reshuffle was to move all the iron from one side of the yard to the other side while ministers with the security and health portfolios that need changing go untouched. These are very curious appointments. There are no new political personalities with the requisite competence to bring to Government. I dont expect the reshuffle will redound to the improvement in the quality of life of citizens, he said. Moonilal told Newsday, Most remarkably, the Prime Minister has expressed his satisfaction in the state of crime and the state of the health sector, where he left those ministers, (retired) Brigadier Edmund Dillon and Terrence Deyalsingh, untouched. I think that is almost a criminal offence. In addition, Moonilal said, Rowley has left Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi in place, which I believe is untenable for Mr Al-Rawi to continue in that position, when both the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service are investigating him and his family. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) for Flipped Learning Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are relatively quick and easy formative evaluation methods that help you check student understanding in real time (Iowa State University, n.d.). CATs provide a valuable tool in the feedback loop between instructor and students. These techniques show instructors where there are gaps in learner comprehension, yet unlike formal quizzes or assignments, they are meant to be low-stakes assessments and activities. (See examples of eight CATs on the Indiana University Bloomington Center for Innovation Teaching and Learning website.) One way for teachers to introduce flipped content into their classrooms is to flip the CATs they employ. The fact that many of the guides to these techniques, including the seminal text, Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (Angelo & Cross, 1993), were written in the late 1980s or early 1990s suggests that it is time to update them to the current technological resources available. Traditional CATs were designed based on face-to-face classroom time with the instructor delivering content and students providing feedback during class, and then the instructor responding to their feedback in a subsequent class. The increasing adoption of online and flipped classrooms indicates that traditional practices such as CATs are due for revision. Using a flipped approach to CATs serves several purposes: first, replacing the need to use face-to-face class time; second, providing more time to give answers to common questions; and third, giving an introduction to the technological resources used in flipped lessons. Because the time and effort needed to create a fully flipped classroom can be intimidating to many teachers, especially those who are new to the classroom or teach part time, partial flipping or even just flipping a specific type of lesson provides an alternative to making more intensive curriculum adjustments. Flipping even just one activity, such as CATs, allows both teachers and students an introduction to flipped content. Toolkit for Updating Classroom Assessment Techniques The two technological resources that I rely on the most when using CATs in my courses are Spreaker and Google Drive. Spreaker, a podcasting app and online program, is user friendly. Teachers can record podcasts on their smartphones and their students can access them via the app itself or a URL link that can be posted on a course website or in an email. Spreaker is free to use for up to 5 hours of recordings. Because my podcasts tend to be fewer than 3 minutes in length, I have not found this time limit to be a problem. The platforms that I use most often in Google Drive are Google Docs and Google Forms. Both of these can also be accessed via smartphone. Teachers can share the documents or forms with students through Google Drive itself or a link that can be posted anywhere. The ease of use, adaptability, and potential for creativity make Spreaker and Google Drive excellent resources for flipping CATs. Example 1: The Muddiest Point One traditional CAT that teachers can easily flip is the muddiest point (Angelo, 1993, pp.154158). The traditional muddiest point simply asks students to briefly describe the most difficult or confusing part of a lesson, task, or assignment. The teacher then collects their responses and makes adjustments or provides feedback to the students in the subsequent class. I have used this CAT for many years in my university ESL classes. For the past few years, as I have created more flipped lessons, I have modified this CAT by recording my responses to students muddiest points in the form of a podcast. Whereas I used to address their responses with a brief in-class lecture, I now use Spreaker so my students can access the information individually via a link embedded in our course webpage, listen to it on their own time, and save it for future reminders. This saves us class time for other activities, andfor recurring muddy pointsit saves me the time of having to repeat myself. Example 2: Student-Generated Test Questions Another traditional CAT that teachers can update is the student-generated test questions technique (Angelo, 1993, pp. 240243). As its name suggests, this technique focuses on having students write test questions and answers in order to show how well they understand a topic or perform a skill. The questions that the students create may or may not be used in actual quizzes or tests. In fact, they are better as review materials before a test. This activity has traditionally been conducted during class time, but with Google Forms, it is easy to shift it away from the classroom. Google Forms facilitates collaboration between students as they work together to create and edit test questions. It has templates for several types of assessments, including multiple choice and short answers. Flipping this CAT through the use of Google Forms benefits instructors because it is easier to give comments and feedback to students outside of the time constraints and distractions that can occur in a classroom. Students who may be reluctant to contribute ideas for test questions during class also benefit. Example 3: Double-Entry Journals Double-entry journals are a commonly used CAT in reading and writing courses (Angelo, 1993, p. 263266). The original technique requires students to read an assignment, then divide a paper in half and write quotes from the reading on the left side and reactions or paraphrases of the quotes on the right side. The technique works very well for determining reading comprehension and engaging students in the reading material. However, the traditional method requires a lot of time between reading the assignment and writing the journal and the feedback the teacher gets and gives. By shifting the technique to an online platform, the cycle of feedback is faster and more efficient. Google Docs is my preferred platform when using this CAT, although any cloud-based program will work. The most important feature for this adaptation is the ability for the teacher to type comments on the students online journals. Conclusion CATs provide vital feedback on students abilities and comprehension. They were originally designed to be used in classes that relied on face-to-face instruction and content delivery. The advent of flipped classrooms provides an opportunity to reshape aspects of these techniques and adapt them to changes in technology and instruction, benefiting both student and teacher. References Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Iowa State University. (n.d.). Classroom assessment techniques: Quick strategies to check student learning in class. Retrieved from http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/assessment-and-evaluation/classroom-assessment-techniques-quick-strategies-to-check-student-learning-in-class Amy Roither has been an ESL instructor at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri since 2007. Her workshops and presentations on how to use technology in ESL courses have been given at regional and international conferences. She aspires to know the entire Hamilton libretto by heart and travel as often as possible. You can find her on Twitter at @aeroither. Hacked Podesta email reveals Clinton Foundation coercing Saudi billionaire for millions of dollars In one of the more prominent early Podesta email revelations, we learned that Sheik Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi, a Saudi Arabian and Ethiopian billionaire businessman, whose net worth was estimated by Forbes at $8.3 billion as of 2016, was one of the very generous donors to the Clinton Foundation up to a point. Article by ZeroHedge.com As a November 2011 email from Ira Magaziner, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, sent to John Podesta and Amitabh Desai, Director of Foreign Policy at the Clinton Foundation, revealed, the CHAI [Clinton Health Access Initiative] would like to request that President Clinton call Sheik Mohammed to thank him for offering his plane to the conference in Ethiopia and expressing regrets that President Clintons schedule does not permit him to attend the conference. To this, the response by Desai was a simple one: Unless Sheikh Mo has sent us a $6 million check, this sounds crazy to do. At this point, Doug Band, Bill Clintons former chief advisor and current president of the infamous Teneo Holding Doug Band, chimed in that it probably is a good idea: If he doesnt do it Chai will say he didnt give the money bc of wjc an assessment which John Podesta agreed with: this seems rather easy and harmless and not a big time sink. * * * To be sure, this exchange suggested that a substantial amount of cash had or was about to be exchanged between the Clinton Foundation and the Saudi Sheikh Mo, as shown in the photo below. However, the details were missing: the original email from Ira Magaziner referenced a specific briefing memo which contained in it the talking points updating on the relationship between the Clinton Foundation and The Saudi billionaire: Ed Wood has prepared a briefing memo for President Clinton about the call which is attached Now, courtesy of todays latest Podesta email release, we have access to the missing memo. The leaked memo lays out the facts on the Clinton Foundation trying to collect on Sheik Mohammeds overdue donor commitment to CHAI. Notably, the memo gives the inference of the Sheik being shaken downby the Foundation in that the Foundation was demanding an immediate $6 million payment in return for WJC attending the 2011 International Conference on AIDS and STIs (ICASA) event. Additionally the Foundation apparently enlisted the assistance of the US Ambassador to Ethiopia to obtain payments from the Sheik. The memo initially lays out Bill Clintons history with the Sheik: In the first bullet point we find what the initial bid and ask would be between WJC/CF and the Saudi billionaire: $2 million for every year that Bill Clinton visit Ethiopia. This, however, was subsequently changed to an agreement whereby the Saudi would give $2 million per year but without any reference to visiting Ethiopia: Sheik Mohammed approached CHAI in 2006 shortly after we opened an office in Addis Ababa. He proposed that he would give $2 million to CHAI every year that YOU visited Ethiopia. We eventually negotiated an Agreement with his Washington attorney, George Salem, in which he agreed to fund CHAI at a rate of $2 million per year for 10 years. They rejected any proposals to put a payment schedule in the agreement, but dropped any reference tying the donation to YOU visiting Ethiopia. The next bullet lays out the initial fund transfer of $2 million in London, as well as the broad terms of the agreement whose requirement is that the money be spent within Ethiopia. Amusingly, the memo then notes that during negotiations the Saudi delegation rejected our proposal that some of the money could be used for global overhead. The Agreement was officially signed at a meeting in London in May 2007 by the Sheik and Bruce, after which the Sheik presented you with a a check for $2 million for the 2007 payment. The Agreement is very general and does not require any specific proposals from CHAI for how the money will be spent or any reporting. The only requirement is that the money be spent within Ethiopia. During negotiations they rejected our proposal that some of the money could be used for global overhead. We then learn that more cash transfers took place in the coming years, despite the Sheik having cash flow problems which resulted in a bulk payment of $4 million in 2010 for missed payments in 2008 and 2009. Through 2008 and early 2009, we were told the Sheik was having some cash flow problems and that he was delaying payments for many commercial and philanthropic commitments he had in Ethiopia. In January 2010 at a Foundation donors meeting in Harlem, Ambassador Irvin Hicks, one of the Sheiks representatives in the U.S. and a former Ethiopian ambassador appointed by YOU presented to YOU a check for $4 million representing payment for 2008 and 2009. The memo then tells WJC just why the relationship was created in the first place: The Sheiks contribution supports most of CHAIs activities in Ethiopia, one of its most important and successful country programs. A section then follow which reminds Bill Clinton just who Sheikh Mohammed is, and that the two had spent time together in his private suite at a nightclub attached to the Sheraton in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: YOU first met the Sheik in July 2006 during a visit to Addis. He visited your suite in the Sheraton Hotel, which he owns, for coffee and then after dinner YOU dropped into his private suite at a nightclub attached to the Sheraton. He had invited YOU there especially because he thought you would enjoy the saxophone player. You chatted with the Sheik and played the saxophone with the band. Shortly after this visit negotiations began in earnest regarding the $20 million commitment the Sheik has made to CHAI. YOU met the Sheik in London in May, 2007, at which time the Agreement was signed and the first $2 million check was received. YOU stayed at the Sheraton in July 2008 during your last Ethiopia visit, but the Sheik was not in Ethiopia at the time. The Sheik donated the rooms and meals for the large party during an extended four-day visit, two days longer than originally planned because of aircraft problems. Where things get interesting is in the memos discussion of the current (as of November 2011) situation, in which we learn that once again the Saudi billionaire was behind on his payments due to the current economic downturn: Once again, we are told that the current economic down turn has caused the Sheik to delay payments for several commitments. CHAI has not received the 2010 or 2011 payments. We have contacted both George Salem, the lawyer, and Ambassador Hicks regarding payment. Both say that the Sheik will make the payment but they have not been able to pinpoint an exact date. Recent complications did not make matters any easier, although the Sheikh had enough cash to provide Bill with a plane to attend the upcoming African AIDS conference: In the past two months the effort to collect the payments for 2010-2011 has become complicated by factors surrounding ICASA, the biennial large African AIDS conference that will be held in Ethiopia the first week of December. The previous two ICASA conference in Nigeria and Senegal were beset by logistical and financial problems and Prime Minister Meles and Minister of Health Tedros have worked hard to make the Ethiopia ICASA the most successful ever. They have enlisted Sheik Mohammed to help and he has donated the venue and paid for an additional $8-10 million of expenses. Minister Tedros invited YOU to participate in ICASA, and apparently he or someone else connected with ICASA asked the Sheik if he would provide a plane to bring YOU to Ethiopia for the event. The Sheik agreed to provide a plane, and instructed Ambassador Hicks to tell CHAI one would be available. Where things get hot, and where the Clinton Foundation is accused of coercion by the Sheiks Washington attorney George Salem, is in the negotiation over whether Clinton should come to Ethiopia without having been wired the funds up front, or if he should assume that the billionaire is good for the money and just fly out there on good will. When George Salem spoke with the Sheik about the payment, he was told by the Sheik to make sure YOU knew that the Sheik would very much like for you to attend ICASA and that he would provide transportation. In response, Bruce told George that if the Sheik would wire $6 million to the Foundation for 2010-2012 that he would make sure YOU attended ICASA. After Bruces stroke, George told Ed Wood of CHAI that the Sheik said he did not like coercion and that we should know that he was good for the money. George reiterated that the money would be paid, but could not give a date. The Sheik seems to feel that we asked him for transportation and then decided not to use it. George and Ambassador Hicks have been told that the request for transportation did not originate with us, but we are not sure that the message reached the Sheik. Ultimately the negotiations for Clinton flying to Ethiopia stalled, and appear to have fallen apart, leading to the original quote from the Clinton Foundations Amitabh Desai in which he said, as we noted earlier this month, that Unless Sheikh Mo has sent us a $6 million check, this sounds crazy to do. As a result, the memo gives WJC the following action point: George Salem, Ambassador Hicks, and CHAI feel that it would be helpful if you would call the Sheik and thank him for offering the plane and saying you are sorry you cant attend ICASA. We dont think it is necessary for YOU to bring up the payment issue directly. The memo concludes with the following talking points: YOU should thank the Sheik for his support of all our efforts in Ethiopia, and especially for offering to provide a plane to bring you to the ICASA meeting. YOU should express your regrets that you were not able to arrange your schedule to attend the ICASA meeting since you know how important it is to Ethiopia and to the Sheik. You should express your appreciation that he has helped make this event possible during a difficult time for the international AIDS effort. YOU should say you hope to be able to visit with the Sheik again soon either in Ethiopia or elsewhere. * * * This memo provides valuable insight into just how the charitable Clinton Foundation truly operated: absent being made whole on millions of dollars in payments by a donor who had already provided it with $6 million in the past the so very concerned about AIDS and African welfare Foundation, would not even bother to fly Bill Clinton for a 1-2 day trip on someone elses dime to something as simple, yet noble, as a healthcare conference: precisely what the Foundation, and Bill Clintons presence, is supposed to represent and support. It also shows that when the Foundation found itself in arrears to a prominent donor, it first and only concern was how to get paid; all else up to and including doing the absolute minimum such as appearing for a good cause, was secondary and as the memo documents ultimately irrelevant unless Clinton and the CF were both generously compensated for their efforts. And that, in a nutshell is what the generous and charitable Clinton foundation was all about: make sure to get the money, the rest simply did not matter. The full hacked memo and source email can be found here. Delivered by The Daily Sheeple We encourage you to share and republish our reports, analyses, breaking news and videos (Click for details). Contributed by Zero Hedge of www.zerohedge.com. Submit a correction >> Tara Reid flaunts skinny figure in Halloween outfit United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Mon, 31 Oct 2016 IANS null Los Angeles, Nov 1 (IANS) Actress Tara Reid raised eyebrows as she showed off her worryingly thin figure in a skimpy ensemble at an event here. Reid turned into a sexy Santa Claus at the 6th Annual treats! Magazine Halloween Party over the weekend, reports aceshowbiz.com She flaunted her skinny arms, legs and stomach in a red-and-silver tube top paired with equally tiny skirt adorned with feathers. She donned a Santa hat and completed her look with a black handbag. Despite looking underweight, Reid was happy and all smiles at the event. But some of her fans ended up taking to social media to ask her if she's okay. "Please let us know you are ok Tara, we are all worried about you," a concerned fan asked. Reid once hit back at people who criticised her weight. "I'm just a small-boned girl. I eat, I eat, I eat. Some people that eat too much, you yell at them that they're fat. You want to get mad at me because I'm skinny? Great, get mad at me. I am what I am," she had said back in 2014. --IANS sas/rb null US Justice Department to prioritize email probe United States,Politics, Mon, 31 Oct 2016 IANS Washington, Nov 1 (IANS) The US Justice Department said that it will try to reach a quick conclusion of the latest probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's emails. Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik assured the Congress on Monday in a letter that his department "will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resource and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible", Xinhua news agency reported. The pledge came after FBI director James Comey said Friday new evidences relating to Clinton's private email server are being assessed. Comey's announcement drew criticism from Democrats who accused him of not following the tradition of keeping investigations from the public's sight 60 days before presidential elections. The White House defended Comey Monday, with press secretary Josh Earnest saying President Barack Obama does not believe that Comey was intentionally trying to sway the election. Clinton on Monday played down the damage of the probe, telling a rally in the swing state of Ohio that "there's no case here" and that she's confident no charges will be made. Seizing on the investigation, Republican candidate Donald Trump warned Monday that if Clinton were to be elected, the country would face a "constitutional crisis." Benefitting from the email controversy, Trump narrowed the gap with Clinton by gaining 2.4 per cent in the polls over the weekend, according to an average of major polls calculated by RealClearPolitics. --IANS pgh/ Oil prices fall United States,Business/Economy, Mon, 31 Oct 2016 IANS New York, Nov 1 (IANS) Oil prices fell on Monday amid growing doubts over whether a production-cut deal can be implemented among the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. The West Texas Intermediate for December delivery lost $1.84 to settle at $46.86 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for December delivery decreased $1.41 to close at $48.30 a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange, Xinhua news agency reported. OPEC officials approved a document outlining their long-term strategy on Monday, a sign that its members are achieving a consensus on managing production. However, analysts said OPEC has so far achieved little otherwise, which triggered market concerns that the group may fail to implement its planned output cut with countries including Iran and Iraq opposing such move. Iraqi oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi said last week that the country, second largest producer in OPEC, wanted to be exempt from output curbs as it needed more money to fight Islamic State militants. OPEC agreed last month to cut oil production to 32.5 million barrels a day from current level of 33.24 million barrels a day to boost the market. The group will agree concrete levels of output by each country at its next formal meeting in November. --IANS pgh/ Acting is like creating magic, showing the impossible: Benedict Cumberbatch Hong Kong,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Hong Kong, Nov 1 (IANS) Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays a surgeon-turned-sorcerer vested with powerful magical powers and skills in "Doctor Strange", has compared magic with acting. He says it's all about making what you watch seem possible, even though it is not. Doctor Stephen Strange, his character in Marvel Studios' forthcoming film, was a celebrated but arrogant surgeon until an accident costs him his medical skills and career. In an attempt to restore his talents, he travels the world until he encounters The Ancient One, the enigmatic teacher who offers to teach him the ways of the Mystic Arts. One of the inspirations for his character was the radio show "Chandu the Magician", which featured a magician who learned magic in India. Did he get a chance to get trained by Indian yogis? "It would have taken me little longer than I had to do this film, had I trained with the yogis. We didn't do that, but we practised mindfulness and meditation. It is a superhero film after all. There is no one who can teach you how to be a superhero. It's an acting exercise," Cumberbatch said in reply to a question by IANS in a select media interaction. "I had a great team helping me. So, it was fun. But who knows? Maybe, one day in future some magicians might come and we will have a chat. But I don't profess to having any actual skills as a magician... like acting, it's about making what you watch seem possible, even though it is impossible, and there are ways of doing that," he added. The "Sherlock" star said that he has been practising meditation since he was 19. "Have I done it every day? No. I haven't because of my work or losing sight of how important it is," said the actor, now 40. He said it was important to build his character in the action-adventure. "The whole film is on the premise of the power of the mind -- how the power of mind can change reality. We are talking about a superhero film with magical elements," said Cumberbatch. The Scott Derrickson directorial transitions from one reality to another and into two, three, four dimensional worlds and beyond. And to present that, they have used computer-generated imagery (CGI) in abundance. How was it acting in such a film? He said that not all scenes were only about CGI. "The magical mystery tour and some of the dimensional stuff was, but not Hong Kong... Not all the interiors. There were fantastic sets," he added. Cumberbatch said that even when they used green screen elements, he knew the context and so he never felt completely at a loss. "There is no helmet or a mask. When they designed complex sequences, they had my face featured in the animation and I was there for all of those moments in live action form. I am not spinning webs like Spider-Man and doing the impossible. Some were impossible, but thanks to the wire work, it made things look possible. For the action sequences, he did a lot of training, causing injuries. "I broke my toe. There were arm and neck issues from stunt and wire work. But we were well looked after. I naturally have tight hips and flat feet. So, it was difficult to kick. I tried to build an arch in my feet. I did exercises," he said. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton, "Doctor Strange" will hit Indian screens on November 4. (Natalia Ningthoujam's trip to Hong Kong was at the invitation of Disney India. She can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in) --IANS nn/rb/vm/hs/sac Badal 'won't accept court verdict on water sharing' Punjab,National,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Amritsar, Nov 1 (IANS) With assembly elections around the corner, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has upped the ante over the controversy over sharing river waters with neighbouring Haryana. "My government will not accept the ruling of any court on sharing of river water via Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and Punjab is ready for any sacrifice for this," Badal said on Tuesday while addressing a state-level event here to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Punjabi Suba. "I want to use this occasion to state one thing clearly, even if it is taken adversely...even if the highest court decides on this issue (sharing of water), we will not give even a drop of water," he said in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP President Amit Shah. "We are ready for any sacrifice. We will not allow Punjabis to die of hunger," he stated. The Supreme Court is seized of the SYL issue and is likely to announce its verdict soon. The Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, which was to link both rivers in these states, has been a bone of contention for over three decades. Punjab maintains that it has no water to spare for other states. Haryana, which has a BJP government since October 2014, is awaiting the Supreme Court verdict on the water sharing issue. In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal, of which Badal is the patron, has an alliance government with the BJP since 2007. Assembly polls in Punjab are likely to be held in January-February next year. --IANS js/nir/bg Ratan Tata well aware of DoCoMo decisions: Cyrus Mistry Maharashtra,Business/Economy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS) Amid allegations that the manner in which the Tatas' break-up with DoCoMo was handled by Cyrus Mistry was among the reasons that led to his ouster as Tata Sons chairman, his office on Tuesday said that all decisions were in concurrence with Ratan Tata and the board. "To begin with, the agreement with DoCoMo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group," said an eight-point statement from the office of Cyrus Mistry. "Insinuations that DoCoMo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. Suggestion that Ratan Tata and trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired." This was in reference to the $1.17 billion compensation sought by DoCoMo for breach of contract. The statement went on to add that the Tatas requested DoCoMo to join them in seeking the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, but the Japanese entity did not agree. While Tatas applied for RBI approval, DoCoMo initiated arbitration since such a nod was not forthcoming. "The award was passed in favour of DoCoMo and against the Tatas. The Tatas under Mistry did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission," the statement said. Tatas also deposited Rs.8,000 crore in Delhi High Court where DoCoMo sought enforcement of the award. "Throughout the above process, Ratan Tata and N.A. Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mistry," said the statement, seeking to clearly state that the top management was kept in the loop. "They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (a trustee of Dorabji Tata Trust who represented Tatas in the litigation). At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel," it said. "All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons Board. In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision," it added. "In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mr. Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to 'Tata values' or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous." Japan's NTT DoCoMo had acquired 26.5 per cent equity in Tata Teleservices for approximately $2.5 billion in March 2009. In July 2014, DoCoMo told Tata Sons it was opting out. As per the terms of the deal, it wanted the higher of either half the amount invested or fair market price. But in February 2015, the Reserve Bank turned down Tata's request to compensate DoCoMo, after which the Japanese company moved the London Court of International Arbitration. The court directed the Tatas to pay DoCoMo $1.17 billion in compensation. The payment was not made, Tatas deposited $1.17 billion in a Delhi court, awaiting directions. Tata Sons removed Mistry, 48, as chairman of Tata Sons last month saying he lost the confidence of the board due to several factors and that the trustees were increasingly concerned with the growing trust deficit. Ratan Tata, who had made room for Mistry four years ago was reinstated as the chair in an interim capacity. --IANS ap/bg Delhi government working to curb pollution Delhi,National,Politics,Environment/Wildlife, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) The Delhi government on Tuesday said it was working on "actionable" subjects to control pollution levels in the city. Health Minister Satyendar Jain told the media that the AAP government was concerned over the increasing levels of air pollution. He said Diwali and burning paddy fields in Punjab and Haryana had contributed to the pollution levels in the capital. "It is a combined effect in Delhi of the fires burning in Haryana and Punjab," the minister said. Jain said the lack of winds was adding to the problem. The Aam Aadmi Party minister said the government was trying to prepare 10-15 actionable things. --IANS sp/mr CPI-M for judicial probe into Bhopal killings Delhi,National,Politics,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) The CPI-M on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into the killing of the eight SIMI activists in Bhopal, saying there were "serious doubts" about the veracity of the "encounter" with police. The Communist Party of India-Marxist said in a statement that the eight men who were killed after escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail on Monday were undertrials whose guilt had not been established. "How the accused could have escaped from a high security prison also raises serious questions," it said. "The (Madhya Pradesh) government owes a full explanation how this occurred. "The claim by the Madhya Pradesh Police that the accused were shot dead after they were attacked by these men who were armed is contradicted by the state Home Minister Bhupendra Singh. "That these men could secure arms while being unable to get a vehicle to make good their escape sounds implausible," the CPI-M said. "Video clips that have surfaced of the incident show policemen shooting at one of the 'escapees' as he lies on the ground. Another shows them waving at policemen, presumably indicating that they want to surrender. "All these raise serious doubts about the veracity of the police claims." In the light of these concerns, the CPI-M demanded a judicial commission headed by a sitting judge be constituted to conduct a thorough investigation into the entire episode. "The Chief Minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) has announced that an enquiry would be conducted by the NIA. Such an enquiry would neither be credible nor acceptable," it said. --IANS mr/sar BJP MP seeks Bharat Ratna for Dalai Lama Himachal Pradesh,National,Politics,Human Interest/Society, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Dharamsala, Nov 1 (IANS) Sitting BJP MP and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar on Tuesday urged the central government to honour Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama with Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. The appeal was made by him at his book release function here. Speaking after the release of the book "Himalaya Par Lal Chhaya" by the spiritual leader, Kumar said the Dalai Lama deserves to be conferred with Bharat Ratna in recognition of his great service to humanity. The book was written by Kumar after the India-China war in 1962. It was reprinted for the second time after 50 years. The Dalai Lama, who calls himself "son of India", has spent more than half a century in the country after he, along with thousands of Tibetans, was forced to flee Tibet in 1959. Kumar, also a former Himachal Chief Minister, said his book was first released in 1965. "After 50 years of the launch of the book, a threat is again looming large on the borders as China is building massive infrastructure and of late has been showing aggressiveness against India," Kumar said. He said the growing proximity between China and Pakistan was a matter of concern for India. The Dalai Lama, in his address, said: "India is a living example that religious traditions can coexist and live together side by side." India has become great due to its rich philosophical thoughts, he said. Stating he is feeling like a citizen of this state, the Dalai Lama said he has been in Himachal Pradesh for more than 55 years. "All these years, the successive governments have supported the Tibetans for which I am grateful to the people of this great land," he said. Without mincing words, he added: "I devolved my political powers in 2011. My concern now is preserving the Tibetan culture." The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based here. --IANS vg/nir/bg Assure reopening of Kashmir schools, Centre tells J&K Delhi,National,Politics,Education, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) The Centre has told the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure security at schools and make efforts to resume studies hit for over three months due to an ongoing unrest. "The central government has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government two to three times to provide full security at schools and other educational institutions," Home Ministry spokesperson K.S. Dhatwalia told IANS. He said Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday and apprised him about the situation in the state. Efforts were on to reopen schools in the troubled valley, he added. At least 25 educational institutes have been gutted in mysterious fires in Kashmir in the last few weeks. --IANS sk/tsb/sar/mr Government planning platform for customer feedback on call drops: Minister Delhi,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the government is planning to set up a platform in the next one month through which subscribers can directly give their feedback on call drops. "We are setting up a platform through which the consumers will be able to directly give their feedback to the government, especially regarding call drops," Sinha told reporters in a press meet. He was briefing media after holding a meeting with telecom service providers' CEOs on the call drop issue. Talking about the 100-day plan floated by the operators where they had assured that 60,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) will be set up with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, the minister said: "They have met the target of setting up 60,000 BTS, rather exceeded that target." Bharti Airtel has installed 22,000 BTS, Idea Cellular, 25,382 and Vodafone, 13,870, the minister said, adding that Reliance Jio, which was not part of the 60,000 BTS plan, has additionally set up 35,000 BTS. Sinha said call drops should be wiped out from the country. The telecom operators also discussed the next phase of action for better services with the minister. "Consumers are of paramount importance. They should not be affected," the minister added. --IANS ag/lok/bg AMU confers doctorate on Japanese Nobel laureate Uttar Pradesh,National,Diplomacy,Education, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Aligarh, Nov 1 (IANS) Noted Japanese nuclear physicist and Nobel laureate Professor Takaaki Kajita was on Tuesday conferred with the Doctorate in Science (DSc), honoris causa, at the 64th Annual Convocation of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh. "I am greatly honoured to receive Doctorate of Science, honoris causa, from this great seat of learning and I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Aligarh Muslim University," said Kajita. He said he is impressed with the infrastructure and the warm hospitality shown by AMU. He also thanked AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah, for inviting him. Delivering the acceptance speech, Professor Kajita urged the AMU faculty members to participate in recognised conferences, workshops and training programmes and undertake research projects. He pointed out that appointments of high quality faculty members with a few years of post-doctoral experience and exposure to international and national collaborations will always bring significant improvement in research and in turn would lead to better training of young minds. Kajita said that the Japanese Neutrino Community is looking forward to have more collaboration in future with Indian scientists in general and AMU in particular. "I have been associated with AMU's Professor Sajjad Athar since 2008, when he visited Institute for Cosmic Ray Research of the University of Tokyo to work with us," said Kajita. The association with Athar, Kajita said, has facilitated a collaboration, which would get stronger by leaps and bounds in the time to come. --IANS bk/sm/vt With Pakistan shelling, border residents being moved to safe places Delhi,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Defence/Security, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) In the wake of firing by Pakistani forces, residents staying in areas along the border in Jammu and Kashmir are being moved to safe places and health and medical facilities are being provided to the injured, union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. "The administration has geared up, residents are being moved to safer spots," Singh, who is Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, told reporters here. "In the current kind of turmoil, with shelling happening here and there, the immediate requirement is to move injured civilians to safer areas; that is happening," Singh said. "The health department is in action. I have told the administration to let me know if some injured need to to be shifted to Delhi," he said. The minister also said it was "disgusting" that while India abstained from firing during Eid, the Pakistani side did not practise restraint during Diwali. "What is most disgusting is that whenever there is a festival like Eid, there is restraint from Indian side but that did not happen from Pakistan's side during Diwali," he said. His remarks came as seven civilians, including five women, were killed and 15 others were injured on Tuesday as Pakistani troopers bombarded several areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass migration from dozens of frontier villages. Five civilians were killed in Ramgarh in the frontier district of Samba on the International Border, while two others died in Rajouri on the Line of Control -- the de facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. A police spokesperson said the dead in Ramgarh sector included a girl, 16, and two women. A total of 15 civilians were injured in the shelling from across the border. --IANS ao/rn/vt Iraqi Army takes control of official Mosul TV station Iraq,Terrorism, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Bartella (Iraq), Nov 1 (IANS) The Iraqi Army's special forces have captured the headquarters of Mosul's local television station, military sources announced on Tuesday. The broadcasting building is located in Mosul's Gogjali district, considered one of the main access points that would allow allied forces to enter the Islamic State's bastion in northern Iraq from the east, EFE news reported. Lieutenant General Talib Shagati, Chief of Iraqi Joint Operations, told journalists at Bartella base that "taking Mosul's television means taking the city". Shagati said that clashes with IS fighters were still ongoing in the area, although Iraqi troops are already set to enter the adjacent al-Quds neighbourhood in the onslaught on Mosul from the eastern front. "At this moment, our troops are inside Mosul's state television building. It's good news for the people of Mosul because we have now really started the city's liberation," Shagati added. The offensive to liberate Mosul from IS control was launched on October 17. The IS conquered Mosul in June 2014, when it also proclaimed a so-called "caliphate" in the territories under its control in northern Iraq and eastern Syria. --IANS lok/vm HC asks Telangana not to demolish Secretariat building, for now Andhra Pradesh,National,Immigration/Law/Rights,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Hyderabad, Nov 1 (IANS) The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday asked the Telangana government not to demolish the existing Secretariat building till further orders. The High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh gave the interim direction on a petition against Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's Rs 100-crore plan to build a new Vastu-compliant Secretariat by demolishing the existing structure. The court asked the government not to take any action till the petition is disposed off. The court also directed the Telangana government to file a response within 10 days as to why it wants to demolish the building. Congress leader T.A. Jeevan Reddy filed the petition, saying that demolition of the existing structure and building a new one will be a waste of public money. Advocate General Ramakrishna Reddy contended in the court that the government's decision is for administrative convenience. The court, however, asked the government to file a counter plea with all details. The Chief Minister is said to be a strong believer in Vastu, an ancient system of architecture. He has argued that the present Secretariat building has "bad Vastu". He plans to demolish different buildings of the Secretariat, some 130-year-old, to build an integrated multi-storey building. The opposition parties are critical of the plan, saying it will be a waste of public money. Critics also say the Chief Minister is focusing excessively on religious beliefs than on real issues. Congress leader Madhu Yaskhi Goud said that Rao wants to build new Secretariat as he believes this will help his son K.T. Rama Rao become the next Chief Minister. Speakers at an all-party meeting at the Communist Party of India (CPI) office on Tuesday urged the Chief Minister to drop plans to build the new Secretariat and instead focus on public issues. --IANS ms/tsb/vm US, India can make difference in ordinary people's lives: Ambassador India,Politics,Terrorism,Diplomacy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) The US and India can jointly make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, United States Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Tuesday. "Our work together is improving the lives of ordinary people everywhere," he said while delivering a talk on 'US-India Relations' with a focus on education, at the Jamia Millia Islamia university here. Verma said the two countries can also help overcome the shared challenges faced by their respective citizens and the people around the world. He said the 21st century is increasingly defined by a new security paradigm, one that includes terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, cyber threats, environmental degradation, climate change, pandemic diseases, resource scarcity and other non-conventional challenges. "Against this complicated global landscape, like-minded partners must come together and leverage all the elements of our national powers in order to overcome these challenges," he said. The US Ambassador said strains to the international order, compounded by globalisation and economic inequality, are also bringing to the fore voices who seek to exploit our fears and build barriers to cooperation. "We see this in many parts of the world, with growing pockets of intolerance and anti-immigrant sentiments. This includes instances of unacceptable rhetoric against the Muslims, including in the United States, and particularly during this Presidential campaign season," Verma added. About the US-India education linkages, Verma said the number of Indian students studying in the United States reached 132,000, the highest number ever. "We would like these numbers to grow even higher. We have Education USA advisory centres in seven cities across India, which are assisting students in accessing higher education opportunities through virtual and in-person outreach sessions and one-to-one consultations," he added. --IANS sk/tsb/vm Baloch women leader seeks India's help for independence Maharashtra,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS) World Baloch Women's Forum (WBWF) President Naela Quadri Baloch on Tuesday sought India's help for the cause of an independent Balochistan, but urged that the issue should not be mixed up with Kashmir. The Canadian-based leader in self-exile, currently travelling around the world to drum up support for Balochistan's independence from Pakistan, cited the alleged atrocities on Baloch women, genocide of Balochis and severe violations of human rights of the Baloch people. "Pakistanis do not accept Balochis as their citizens, nor are we interested in becoming their citizens. We have been 'independent' since centuries, how can Pakistan claim its their internal issue?" she asked at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Mumbai, presided over by India-Pakistan friendship activist Jatin Desai. Claiming that atrocities against Balochis have increased after China entered the scene, she also held it (China) equally responsible as the Pakistan Army for the "genocide" of the Baloch people. In this context, Quadri also voiced concerns over China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean. She attacked the Pakistan Army and charged it with using chemical warfare, allegedly kidnapping and killing Balochi women and children, and trading in their organs like eyes, kidneys, liver, etc. Quadri welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative on the Balochi struggle during his Independence Day address this year followed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech in United Nations. Though expressing disappointment over the lack of support from previous Indian governments, she said it was probably because they were in a coalition which has its own limitations. "But, Modi has a clear mandate and he should support us. But the issue of Balochistan's independence should not be linked with Kashmir," Quadri urged. She noted that an independent Balochistan, which has a long coastline, will help India open up its trade with Central Asian countries besides curbing Pakistan-sponsored terror. Quadri said the Balochis were lobbying hard for a "government-in-exile" as a step towards an independent Balochistan. In Mumbai for four days now, she said she was overwhelmed by the warmth of the people of 'Bombay', and from the 500 Baloch-origin families settled here, besides another 800,000 scattered across India. --IANS qn/vd China showcases J-20 stealth fighter jet China,Defence/Security, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Beijing, Nov 1 (IANS) China on Tuesday showcased its top-of-the-line J-20 stealth fighter jets at an airshow for the first time. Two of the radar-evading jets did a 60-second flypast at Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province. The J-20 fighter is called Beijing's answer to the US F-22 stealth fighter and the F-35 that is set to be deployed by the US in the Pacific. The fighters are being seen as symbol of Beijing's desire to modernise and upgrade its military capabilities. The J-20 has been developed and made by the Chengdu Aircraft Industries Group, a subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China, BBC reported. --IANS rn/vm Ratan Tata, Cyrus Mistry trade fresh charges (Roundup) Maharashtra,National,Technology,Business/Economy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS) Amid allegations that the manner in which the Tatas' break-up with DoCoMo was handled by Cyrus Mistry was among the reasons that led to his ouster as Tata Sons chairman, his office on Tuesday said that all decisions were in concurrence with Ratan Tata and the board. Soon after, Ratan Tata shot off his second letter to group employees, saying the removal of Mistry, although a difficult decision, was necessary for the future success of the $103 billion empire. He said the focus must be on profit margins. Ratan also said he looked forward to finding a world class leader to be the new chairman. First came a missive from Mistry. "To begin with, the agreement with DoCoMo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group," said the eight-point statement from his office. "Insinuations that DoCoMo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. Suggestion that Ratan Tata and trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired." This was in reference to the $1.17 billion compensation sought by DoCoMo for breach of contract. The statement went on to add that the Tatas requested DoCoMo to join them in seeking the approval of the Reserve Bank of India, but the Japanese entity did not agree. While Tatas applied for RBI approval, DoCoMo initiated arbitration since such a nod was not forthcoming. "The award was passed in favour of DoCoMo and against the Tatas. The Tatas under Mistry did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission," the statement said. Tatas also deposited Rs 8,000 crore in Delhi High Court where DoCoMo sought enforcement of the award. "Throughout the above process, Ratan Tata and N.A. Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mistry," said the statement, seeking to clearly state that the top management was kept in the loop. "They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (a trustee of Dorabji Tata Trust who represented Tatas in the litigation). At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel," it said. "All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons Board. In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision," it added. "In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mr. Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to 'Tata values' or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous." Japan's NTT DoCoMo had acquired 26.5 per cent equity in Tata Teleservices for approximately $2.5 billion in March 2009. In July 2014, DoCoMo told Tata Sons it was opting out. As per the terms of the deal, it wanted the higher of either half the amount invested or fair market price. But in February 2015, the Reserve Bank turned down Tata's request to compensate DoCoMo, after which the Japanese company moved the London Court of International Arbitration. The court directed the Tatas to pay DoCoMo $1.17 billion in compensation. The payment was not made, Tatas deposited $1.17 billion in a Delhi court, awaiting directions. Tata Sons removed Mistry, 48, as chairman of Tata Sons last month saying he lost the confidence of the board due to several factors and that the trustees were increasingly concerned with the growing trust deficit. Ratan Tata, who had made room for Mistry four years ago, was reinstated as the chair in an interim capacity. --IANS ap/rn Rallies, revelry mark Karnataka's formation day Karnataka,National,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Bengaluru, Nov 1 (IANS) Colourful rallies, cultural shows and revelry across Karnataka marked the state entering the 61st year on Tuesday. The day-long celebrations began with the hoisting of the state flag, rendering of the state anthem, parade by the state police, colourful processions and folk dances by troupes in cities and towns across the state by the people, about 500 Kannada organisations, political parties and the state government. The southern state was carved out on November 1, 1956 by merging the old Mysore region with parts of the Bombay province, Madras Presidency, Hyderabad region and coastal areas and named Mysore. It was renamed Karnataka on November 1, 1973. "Karnataka has a splendid history of over 2,000 years. With a common language (Kannada), culture and hoary tradition, we are celebrating the diamond jubilee of a unified state," said a statement by the state information department. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state government was taking steps to protect and encourage Kannada, the language of the land and its soil. "Kannada is our mother tongue; it is language of this land and soil. Showing our Kannadiga pride only on November 1 or during this month is not enough, it should be a life-long commitment," he said at the main function here. Recalling the state's united fight on the Cauvery water issue, the chief minister said being in power was not permanent, but the land, water, culture and language of the state were paramount. "It is our responsibility to protect even at the cost of power and the state government is committed to it," he asserted. Addressing a huge gathering at the Kanteerva stadium, the chief minister said Kannadigas felt injustice was being done to them in matters concerning the state's boundaries, language and water. "We should not lose patience, harmony and sensitivity. Our stand on making Kannada as the medium of instruction has not changed. We will prevail upon the central government to amend the Constitution to promote our mother tongue," he reiterated. At Gadag in the state's northern region, state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K.H. Patil said Kannada language had a rich cultural legacy and retained its uniqueness by adapting to the digital era. The event was also celebrated with gaiety and fervour at Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubli-Dharwad, Belagavi, Shimoga, Bellary, Bidar, Kalaburgi and Vijayapura. --IANS fb/vd Modi hails improved gender ratio in Haryana Haryana,National,Politics,Human Interest/Society, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Gurugram, Nov 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people of Haryana to protect the girl child in its golden jubilee year and expressed satisfaction that the state has now started contributing towards improving the gender ratio in the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Haryana Swarna Jayanti Utsav" (Haryana golden jubilee celebrations) here, the Prime Minister also urged the people to make the state open defecation free in this glorious year. "I was always pained by the fact that in a modern, cultured state, daughters are killed even before being born. In such a distinguished state, female foeticide cannot exist," Modi said. "I requested them to protect the daughters and today I am satisfied that people of Haryana have respected the sentiment," the Prime Minister said. "I thank the women, who as mothers-in-law vowed to protect the girl child. I also thank the elders who took a leading role in protecting girl child," he said. He also hailed the efforts of the Manohar Lal Khattar government for working towards stopping female foeticide and infanticide. The Prime Minister pointed out that girls from Haryana have become the pride of the nation. "The daughters of Haryana have made India very proud on multiple occasions. Let every citizen of the state take a pledge to protect the girl child." He also urged the people of Haryana to end open defecation in this golden jubilee year. "Haryana should be free of open defecation. I am confident Haryana can do this," he said. Referring to a large number of people from the state joining the armed forces, Modi said: "Haryana has a huge contribution in the safety and security of the country. A large number of youth from the state join armed forces, and some of them have also laid down their lives while protecting the nation." The Prime Minister further said that the people of Haryana are a hard working lot and whatever the state has achieved is because of its hardworking people. On the occasion, he also assured those coming from the lower strata of the society of all support from the government. "Be it agriculture, skill development or economic reforms, our efforts are aimed at helping the poor overcome poverty." In the presence of Governor Kaptan Singh and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Prime Minister also launched three schemes for the state - Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana, Automation of Fair Price Shops and Kerosene Free Haryana. The rural areas of seven districts he declared Open Defecation Free are Panchkula, Sirsa, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Yamunanagar and Panipat. Similarly, the eight districtsAhe declared "Kerosene Free" from November 1, 2016 are: Ambala, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Panchkula and Yamuna Nagar. The Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana' aims to put a check on the development of unauthorised colonies and simultaneously achieve the target of 'Housing for All - 2022' at reasonable rates in small and medium potential towns. It also aims at providing small plots to accommodate maximum number of people in the limited area in the medium and low potential towns of the state. --IANS pradeep-ao/nir Congress Working Committee to meet on Nov 7, discuss organisational polls Delhi,National,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) A meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision-making body, would be held on November 7, and expected to discuss organisational elections amid suggestions that party Vice President Rahul Gandhi should be elevated as party chief. "The CWC meeting will be held on November 7. It will discuss current national issues," a party leader said. The meeting has been called a week before the start of winter session of parliament and the party's strategy for this is expected to be chalked out too. There have been repeated suggestions that Rahul Gandhi should take over reins of the party from his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party leaders said that CWC may take a call on the issue. "This is the right time for him to take over as party chief. It will also bring about single-point decision making," said a party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Congress leader Ambika Soni had recently said that Rahul Gandhi will soon become the party president. There also has been a view in the party that Sonia Gandhi should continue at the helm as the party was facing major electoral challenges. Sonia Gandhi became party chief in 1998 and is the longest-serving president of the party. She was re-elected party chief in 2010 for a five year term. With her term ending last year, the party had written to the Election Commission seeking time to hold organisational elections by the end of this year. "The party is expected to seek another year to hold organisational polls," said another party leader. The CWC meeting is also expected to discuss party's preparations for the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. --IANS sid/ps/vd US House Speaker Ryan says he already voted for Trump United States,Politics, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS null Washington, Nov 1 (IANS) US House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Tuesday that he has already voted for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, with whom he has had noisy public disagreements and whom he has openly criticised during the campaign. In remarks to Fox News, the Republican Speaker said that he took advantage of early voting in his home state, Wisconsin, to vote last week for the business magnate. "I stand where I've stood all fall and all summer. In fact, I already voted here in Janesville for our (party's) nominee last week in early voting," EFE news service quoted Ryan as saying.. In early October, Ryan announced that he would no longer campaign for Trump because of the release of a 2005 videotape on which the real-state mogul is heard making lewd and sexist comments about women. Ryan, at the time, had been scheduled to appear for the first time at a campaign event with Trump in Wisconsin, but after the videotape became public, withdrew his invitation to the billionaire to take part in the event, EFE news reported. Nevertheless, the Speaker never said that he would withdraw his support for Trump or that he would not vote for him, in contrast to certain other Republican lawmakers who, tired of Trump's ongoing scandals, controversial remarks and insults, stopped backing him and even said they would vote against him. Trump's response to Ryan's criticism was to chide him for being "weak and ineffectual". On Tuesday evening, the businessman-turned-politician will campaign in Wisconsin without the presence of Ryan, whose main aim in the November 8 elections is for the GOP to maintain its current majority in the lower house. If Republicans do not go to the polls, the Democrats "can win", and Clinton would have "a Democrat Congress, the worse of all possible things", Ryan warned on Fox News on Tuesday. --IANS lok/vd null US, India can make difference in ordinary people's lives: Ambassador India,Diplomacy,Business/Economy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) The US and India can jointly make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Tuesday. "Our work together is improving the lives of ordinary people everywhere," he said while delivering a talk on 'US-India Relations' with a focus on education at the Jamia Millia Islamia here. Verma said the two countries can also help overcome the shared challenges faced by their citizens and people around the world. Noting the 21st century is increasingly defined by a new security paradigm, which includes terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, cyber threats, environmental degradation, climate change, pandemic diseases, resource scarcity and other non-conventional challenges, he stressed that "like-minded partners must come together and leverage all the elements of our national powers in order to overcome these challenges". The US Ambassador said strains to the international order, compounded by globalisation and economic inequality, are also bringing to the fore voices who seek to exploit fears and build barriers to cooperation. "We see this in many parts of the world, with growing pockets of intolerance and anti-immigrant sentiments. This includes instances of unacceptable rhetoric against the Muslims, including in the United States, and particularly during this Presidential campaign season," Verma added. About the US-India education linkages, he said the number of Indian students studying in the US reached 132,000, the highest number ever. "We would like these numbers to grow even higher. We have Education USA advisory centres in seven cities across India, which are assisting students in accessing higher education opportunities through virtual and in-person outreach sessions and one-to-one consultations," he added. He said that it was important that partnership of the two nations have a practical impact on the ground. "Twice in the last 12 months, the US and India have come together to combat global climate change, first at the Paris Agreement in December and last month at the Kigali Conference on hydroflurocarbons," he said, adding that it is the "global leadership" in action. Verma also noted that 18 countries, across Africa and Asia, working with the US and India to advance global development in areas like agriculture, nutrition, health, clean energy, women's empowerment, education, and sanitation. "We're also working to build security capacity in Africa. Earlier this year, the US and India launched a new joint training programme for United Nations peacekeepers from Africa. The first batch of nearly three dozen African troops completed their training in August," he added. He also said that space remains "most exciting areas of cooperation" between the two nations. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation are working together to develop an advanced satellite that will observe and measure some of the planet's most complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards, he added. --IANS sk/lok/vd New India-Bangladesh MoU to expand 'Border Haats' Assam,National,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Diplomacy, Tue, 01 Nov 2016 IANS Guwahati, Nov 1 (IANS) The agreement signed in October 2010 between India and Bangladesh for setting up 'Border Haats' expired in 2013, but four such markets continue to operate and six more are likely to come up soon. Indian and Bangladeshi officials say that a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to operate 'Border Haats' would be signed by this year-end or early next year. The 'Border Haats' are aimed at creating a traditional system of marketing local produce through local markets in local currency or on a barter basis, thereby promoting the well-being of the people living in remote areas, along both sides of the border. "Since October 2, 2013, the 'Border Haats' have been operational in good faith, as the three-year period of agreement had expired. The two countries have exchanged the draft of the new MoU," Mohd Waliur Rahman, Director in Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a seminar organised by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) in Guwahati. The period of the new MoU has been proposed for five years against three years the last time, while the number of vendors in each 'Border Haat' would be increased to 50 against the existing 25, he added. The value of purchases per person have also been doubled to $200. Trading could be carried out in these weekly markets in both Indian and Bangladeshi currencies. "Setting up of "Border Haats" is one of the measures to further boost India-Bangladesh relations, through people to people contact," Rahman later told IANS. During the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010, it was agreed that such markets should be set up on a pilot basis at selected areas along the Indo-Bangla border to allow trade in specified products in accordance with the regulations agreed upon by the two governments. Accordingly, Bangladesh and India signed an MoU in this regard in October 2010. India and Bangladesh opened their first 'Border Haat' at Kalaichar on the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district in 2011, reviving the traditional border trade after nearly 40 years. Addressing the seminar, Indian Commerce Ministry's Joint Secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla said that the Indian and Bangladesh governments have already agreed to set up 10 more 'Border Haats' and the process has already been initiated to set up six such 'haats' -- four along the Meghalaya border and two along the Tripura border. "Various infrastructural issues relating to 'Border Haats' would be incorporated in the new MoU and it would be signed by the end of this year or early next year," Bhalla said, adding that the 'Border Haats' concept is not a revenue-earning scheme. "This is to further increase relations between the two neighbours at the grassroots level." CUTS International Executive Director Bipul Chatterjee said that after the setting up of the four 'Border Haats', the informal and illegal trade between India and Bangladesh had come down significantly. World Bank's Operations Officer (Regional Integration - South Asia) Mohini Datt said that number of women vendors must be increased in these 'Haats'. "Women's participation in the 'Border Haats' would make the scheme more meaningful and purposeful. In many countries including African nations, the 'Border Haats' scheme has achieved tremendous success," she added. Top officials, policy makers, parliamentarians, experts, representatives of various stakeholders and trading bodies from India, Bangladesh and Bhutan attended the one-day seminar. Four northeastern states of India -- Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) -- together share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) --IANS sc/nir/vm/hs A right guaranteed to us by the First Amendment is the freedom of press. That being stated, there are many means to get stories out to the population. Whether its social media, the news on TV or newspapers, consumers are constantly being fed information. The Islamic State group has claimed the killing of an Algerian police officer in the eastern district of Constantine on Friday. The officer was killed in a restaurant in Constantine by three gunmen who shot him and ran away with his service weapon. The army acknowledged the officer was killed by a terrorist group but could not name it. A hunt for the suspects has been under way in the district since Sunday. IS news agency Amaq claimed IS fighters shot the officer and seized his weapon in the attack on Friday in Constantine, 400 kilometers east of the capital Algiers, the New Arab reports. The group also released a picture of the stolen gun. Algeria has been relatively spared by the groups attacks. However early this month, the global terrorist group indicated that it was launching operations in the North African country. IS came in the country following alignment of an off-shoot of al-Qaeda to the militant group in 2014. In March the group attempted a suicide-bomb attack against a convoy of the Algerian army. The army claimed it killed the attacker. Around 200 IS militants are reportedly present on Algerian soil. Morocco indirectly deplored the desperate anti-Moroccan stands shown by the African Union Commission Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma of South Africa, who fell short of distributing to the AU member states Moroccos official request to join the Pan-African organization. With this blatant anti-Moroccan attitude, Dlamini Zuma, an ardent defender of separatism, shows disregard for the AU constitutive act and the organizations common practices. In this respect, King Mohammed VI, who is on an eastern African working visit, and Chads President Idriss Deby Itno held a phone conversation. During these talks the Monarch called on Deby Itno, in his quality as Chairman of the upcoming AU summit, to intercede with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma to distribute to all the member states of the pan-African organization Moroccos AU membership request, which was submitted on September 22. Dlamini Zuma, in connivance with Algeria, has been plotting against Moroccos territorial integrity using her chairmanship of the AU Commission as a platform to spread separatist propaganda. Her tenure at the AU was an utter fiasco. French paper, Le Monde, recently published a whole report entitled, how Dlamini Zuma Messed up with the AU, asserting that she willfully led the AU to the abyss due to a lack of vision. When she took office, Africa was struggling with multiple security, environmental and health challenges. Her input to resolving the political crises that erupted during her term, whether in South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Libya or recently in Burundi, was so insignificant and reflective of a lack of knowledge about Africa, the paper said. The same thing can be said about her poor handling of the Ebola crisis and the migration crisis. It took her eight months and the tragic death of 2800 to organize the first emergency meeting of the AU. Several African media outlets decry Dlaminis poor achievement and point that her tenure as the AU Commission Chairperson was used as a means to gain political support in her home country to addressing Africas pressing issues. Morocco withdrew from the predecessor of the AU, the Organization of African Unity in 1984, on grounds of the biased decision of the organization, which violated neutrality in the Sahara conflict by admitting the Algeria-based SADR separatist entity as a full-fledged member. Since then Morocco has been conditioning its return to the pan-African body on the withdrawal of the Polisario membership and the respect of the UN-brokered political process to settle the Sahara issue. Last September, Morocco has officially submitted a request to accede to the African Union (AU) Constitutive Act, and therefore, become a Member of the Union. Moroccos return to the African institutional family hinges on a simple majority vote by the member countries, a majority which the Kingdom already seems to have as 28 countries have signed a motion during the last AU summit in Kigali in support of Morocco. King Mohammed VI has postponed his visit to Ethiopia until the end of the climate summit COP22 which will be organized in Marrakech on November 7-18. A statement of the Royal office said that King Mohammed VI and Ethiopias Prime Minister Haile Mariam Dessalegn held talks over the phone and agreed to postpone the visit till after the COP22. Ethiopia will thus be the first step in a new African tour by the King, who has visited Rwanda and Tanzania earlier this month. The Sovereign and Ethiopias Prime Minister highlighted the visit as a milestone in strengthening economic ties and bringing the Moroccan and Ethiopian people closer, the statement adds. During his visit to Rwanda and Tanzania, King Mohammed VI was accompanied by a high-level delegation including advisors, cabinet members and senior officials as well as businessmen. These visits were wrapped up by the signing of several agreements that usher a new era of economic cooperation between Morocco and key countries in eastern Africa. This eastern African tour also evidences the dynamism of Moroccos Africa foreign policy, which places co-development, south-south cooperation and solidarity at the heart of relations with African countries substantiated with tangible cooperation projects in various fields including industry, finance, agriculture, tourism, education and the religious sphere. Tanzanias President John Joseph Magufuli Pombe has expressed his countrys full support to Moroccos bid to rejoin the African Union and to retake its legitimate seat. In a joint statement issued at the end of the official visit paid by King Mohammed VI to Tanzania (Oct.23-25), Magufuli voiced willingness to support and defend Moroccos return to the African institutional family during the next AU summit. During the royal visit to Dar Es Salam, the Moroccan Sovereign and President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli discussed the North African Kingdoms decision to rejoin the AU and expressed hope to see Rabat return to the pan-African organization, adds the document. During the latest African Summit held in Kigali (Rwanda), 28 African member countries out of 54 submitted a motion welcoming Moroccos application to rejoin the African Union, noting that the North African country is one of the founding members of the AUs predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU.) They also called for the immediate suspension of the membership of the self-proclaimed RASD, which was illegally admitted in 1984 through the illegitimate use of threats, deceit, coercion and dirty petrodollar money. The joint statement released following King Mohammed VI visit to Tanzania stresses that the two countries share the same ambitious vision for Africa as a continent taking control of its own destiny, steering its own development and embarking on the irreversible road of stability. The two countries Heads of State stressed the need to strengthen South-South & triangular cooperation, to promote a sustainable development, based on African resources and African skills. The royal visit to Tanzania, 2nd leg of a tour in East Africa that led the Sovereign also to Rwanda, was wrapped up with the signing of 22 cooperation agreements in the political, economic, scientific and cultural realms. The agreements include partnership projects in hydrocarbons, energy, mining, industry, air transportation, agriculture, fisheries, fertilizers, renewable energy, tourism, insurance, health and banking among others. During the same visit, King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, launched construction works for a new mosque in Dar es Salaam. The mosque that bears the Sovreigns name, will be built over 7,400 square meters and will accommodate more than 5,000 worshipers. I am not a sheep, I have my own mind I have had enough of being told what and how to think Whilst we are still allowed the remnants of free speech, I will speak out. I also reserve the right to discuss less controversial matters should I feel the urge. Photo: Undated Selfie of Omar Mateen/Myspace Youre speaking to the person who pledged of allegiance to the Islamic State [of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi], says Omar Mateen, speaking quickly and with a shaky edge to his voice, over the phone to an Orlando police negotiator. Can you tell me where you are right now so I can get you safe? replies the negotiator. No, Mateen spits out. No. Because you have to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq. Theyre killing a lot of innocent people. So what am I to do here when my people are getting killed over there. You get what Im saying? On Monday, officials released the audio from Omar Mateens calls between 911 and police negotiators during his attack on Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, that left 49 dead. A judge had ordered that Mateens calls be published immediately, which multiple media groups had sued to make public. The audio amounts to about a half-hours worth of tape, reports the Orlando Sentinel. The full transcripts of Mateens conversations with negotiators were released last month. They need to stop the U.S. air strikes. You have to tell the U.S. government to stop bombing, Mateen demands of the negotiator at one point. At times he sounds desperate and impatient and frazzled, firing back at the operator as he asks questions. Other times, as when he first calls 911, Mateen sounds calm and deliberate. He hangs up on the negotiators, prompting multiple calls and conversations in a nearly three-hour standoff before Mateen was killed by police in the predawn hours of June 12. Here is the remainder of the audio: On Monday, the judge also heard testimony regarding the 911 audio of 232 calls made from victims and others trapped inside the Pulse nightclub as the attack unfolded. More than 600 calls were made that night, and the city has released hundreds; these 232 have been withheld, per officials, because they depict killing or suffering. The judge heard from relatives of Pulse victims on whether that audio should be released; some remained opposed, others were okay with the publication of the call transcripts. None supported the release of the audio outright. The judge ultimately said she would listen to all the 911 calls before making a final decision. Getting marginal voters to cast ballots early is a smart path to victory. Photo: Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images There are two basic strategies campaigns can deploy to take advantage of early-voting opportunities. The first, and safest, is to bank the most reliable voters early, so that Election Day resources can be concentrated on the hard cases the marginal voters who might not normally cast ballots. The second and harder, yet more productive strategy is to get those marginal voters to the polls early, gaining an advantage going into Election Day. Buried deep in a New York Times report on early voting is some evidence the Clinton campaigns apparent lead in early voting is more significant than we might expect at first glance because it is taking the harder yet more productive strategy. Clinton aides said they had created a battleground-state model that scores voters based on factors such as their likelihood of voting and their susceptibility to advertising. So far, among those the Clinton campaign sees as least likely to turn out people who have skipped nonpresidential elections Democrats are voting in far greater numbers than Republicans in both North Carolina and Nevada, and in slightly larger numbers in Arizona. If that is accurate, then in North Carolina and Nevada, at least, the GOP is going to have a much tougher get-out-the-vote task on November 8, despite having (by most accounts) fewer ground game resources than those enjoyed by Democrats. As it happens, both states are on most must win lists for Trump. That matters a great deal more than just adding up early votes for each side and declaring a winner. Compounding the GOPs problem is the Trump campaigns use of candidate rallies as its primary instrument for promoting early voting. Marginal voters are not typically the kind of people who take the time to whoop it up at some campaign event. I suppose some would attend a Trump rally as the political equivalent of the circus coming to town. But still, you figure it is mainly the certain-to-vote true believers who put on their Make America Great Again hats and dont have to be prompted to chant Lock her up! when Hillary Clintons name is mentioned who will make that scene. And securing those votes early is ultimately no more valuable than securing them late. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images In 2009, the libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel wrote a short essay for the Cato Institutes online journal lamenting, I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible because capitalism simply is not that popular with the crowd. In the essay, Thiel used these observations to launch into a discussion of starting space colonies or private islands where his small-government vision could prevail. But in the current election cycle, he channeled his beliefs into more practical measures, like delivering a speech endorsing Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, donating more than a million dollars to elect him, and then defending his support for Trump in another speech today at the National Press Club. Thiel demonstrates one of the major points in my argument about Trump and the rising authoritarianism of the Republican Party: Its behavior arises out of the growing conviction on the right that conservative economic policies no longer stand much chance of winning democratic majorities. The conventional wisdom sees the party as deeply and irrevocably split between its elite Paul Ryan wing and its Trump wing, probably headed toward civil war. My argument holds that the two wings are closely related. Ryan, Grover Norquist, the Wall Street Journal editorial page, the Koch brothers, and other advocates of the traditional party economic agenda have given him at least muted support. Economic libertarianism contains an intrinsic fear of the majority using the ballot box to redistribute resources from the few to the many. That terror is the basis of Ayn Rands novels, which inspired Paul Ryans career in public life. To be sure, many libertarians oppose Trump. The most anti-Trump libertarians are the ones who place the least emphasis on economic policy who are, naturally, also the libertarians with the weakest attachment to Republican politics in the first place. My argument that the party is lurching toward a synthesis of libertarian (economic) ends harnessed to authoritarian means may sound at first blush like a contradiction. But Thiel is a helpful illustration of the reality that right-wing libertarianism is far more comfortable with authoritarianism than you might presume. Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP/Getty Images The month of October gave us multiple election shockers, from the Donald Trump Access Hollywood video to FBI director James Comeys announcement on Friday that there are more Hillary Clinton emails under investigation and they involve none other than Anthony Weiner. But since the 2016 election is all about extremes, on the final night of the month there were multiple last-minute October surprises about Trumps ties to Russia, with varying levels of sexiness (we mean that metaphorically and, sadly, literally). While accusing Comey of potentially breaking the law on Sunday night, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid alleged that the FBI is sitting on explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government. Reid has been known to make wild accusations close to an election, but apparently this one was (sort of) true. According to the New York Times, the FBI spent much of the summer investigating the many allegations regarding Trumps ties to Russia. The wide-reaching probe, which is reportedly ongoing, looked at his advisers, his financial activities, and the hack of Democratic officials, but so far it has not turned up proof that Trump is in cahoots with Vladimir Putin. Per the Times: Law enforcement officials say that none of the investigations so far have found any conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. And even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump. Intelligence sources told the Times that Trump aides alleged Russian affiliations are what initially prompted them to open the investigation. Part of the probe involves former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who worked for Ukrainian president and Putin ally Viktor Yanukovych before he was ousted in 2014. Manafort resigned in August amid allegations that he helped Ukraines pro-Russian political party lobby the U.S. government without disclosing his role, which is illegal. Hours before the Times piece was published, NBC News reported that the FBI is conducting a preliminary inquiry into Manaforts overseas business activities, but it has not blossomed into a full-blown criminal investigation. Manafort has maintained that he has never had ties to Putin or his government, and in a statement to NBC he dismissed the allegations as Democratic propaganda. None of it is true, he said of NBCs report. Theres no investigation going on by the FBI that Im aware of. In August and September, congressional leaders were briefed on potential financial ties between Russia and people in Trumps orbit, according to the Times. That discussion included a computer back channel between the Trump Organization and Russias Alfa Bank. In one of the nights other big reveals, Slates Franklin Foer posted a complex report on how computer scientists investigating Russias alleged election hacking accidentally discovered the link between Trumps business and one of Russias largest banks. Foers conclusion was that its unclear why servers at Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization were communicating with each other, but it deserves further explanation. However, the Times threw cold water on the story, reporting, The F.B.I. ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts. The Trump campaign and Alfa Bank denied having any business dealings. The bank said it had hired the cybersecurity company Mandiant, and their working hypothesis is that the activity was caused by a spam attack targeted at Alfa Bank by a marketing server, which triggered security software. If mysterious functions of the domain name system do not qualify as a thrilling October surprise, Mother Joness Monday night report on spies and Russian sabotage more than makes up for it. David Corn talked to a former senior intelligence officer who specialized in Russian counterintelligence for a Western country. The former spy says he recently gave the FBI memos, based on his talks with Russian sources, that claim the Russians have been grooming Trump for years. Per Mother Jones: The first memo, based on the former intelligence officers conversations with Russian sources, noted, Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance. It maintained that Trump and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals. It claimed that Russian intelligence had compromised Trump during his visits to Moscow and could blackmail him. It also reported that Russian intelligence had compiled a dossier on Hillary Clinton based on bugged conversations she had on various visits to Russia and intercepted phone calls. The ex-spy says the FBI asked him for more information in August, and hes continued to share information with the bureau. Its quite clear there was or is a pretty substantial inquiry going on, he says. An even more sensational rumor sprung from this report as journalists speculated on how Trump may have been compromised: In intel circles, the story goes FSB filmed Trump in an orgy while in Russia. Yes,this all ends in a Trump sex tape. https://t.co/h5EXta5tRe Andrea Chalupa (@AndreaChalupa) November 1, 2016 OK, I guess since it's out there now, I've heard this multiple times as well...with some very nasty details. No confirmation though. https://t.co/7ZuMKHG4uK Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) November 1, 2016 Mondays various revelations fed into a narrative the Clinton campaign and Democratic allies had been pushing hard all day: that she is the victim of a blatant double standard when it comes to FBI disclosures. Comey provided extensive updates on the Clinton email investigation, yet he refused to confirm that the FBI was investigating Trumps ties to Russia during testimony before Congress in September. Furthermore, on Monday, CNBC reported that Comey was so sensitive about revealing information that could influence the election that he successfully argued against including the FBI in a statement that said the U.S. intelligence community was confident that Russia was behind the hacks of Democratic officials. Speaking of the hacks, the Times says that federal investigators now believe Russias goal was to disrupt the integrity of the political system and undermine Americas standing in the world more broadly, not to aid Trumps campaign. That sparked disagreement over whether theres any difference between the two goals. Others say theres already ample reason to be concerned about Trumps ties to Russia and it has nothing to do with claims made by shadowy intelligence sources. Voxs Matt Yglesias said hes more interested in Trumps stated policies toward Russia than theories about what motivated them. I just think personally that *why* Trump adopted terrible pro-Russia views is less important than the fact that his views are terrible. https://t.co/AJp6zleign EMAILS! (@mattyglesias) November 1, 2016 Talking Points Memos Josh Marshall agreed, saying Trumps relationship with Russia should be a huge issue for voters, even without Monday nights barrage of allegations: if Russia has coopted or cultivated or compromised Trump that is a threat of the highest order. I cant go on the word of an unnamed retired spy whose identity we dont know, whose motives we cant interrogate and whose evidence we cant see. But I dont think I need additional evidence. Whats been in plain sight for weeks, actually months, is more than enough to ring every alarm bell. And yet, with all the hints and arch remarks about Russia, the alarms have barely been rung. Hugh Wade-Jones, Angelica Udueni, and Karolina Kielb Photo: Immo Klink Its been four months since the U.K. voted to leave the European Union, and the New York Times recently reported that the Marmite shortage is the first tangible victim of that decision. (Brits started hoarding their beloved condiment after news that the weakening pound caused a price dispute between the brand and the ubiquitous grocery chain Tesco.) But for the two dozen Londoners interviewed, in this waiting period before March 31, when Prime Minister Theresa May plans to trigger Brexit and the U.K. will officially begin its departure, there have been noticeable changes in their day-to-day lives. Some of these changes have been incremental, like a sudden jitteriness that seems to have shrouded the art world. For others, the effects have been more life-altering, like the student whos found that fellow Londoners now feel emboldened to shout out racist slurs to her on the street. One thing that most everyone agreed on was that on the eve of the United States presidential election, no American should take anything for granted. And as the artist Aaron Angell said: I thought Brexit-era British politics were in the toilet, but it was really nothing compared to whats happening in the U.S. I got a job, then lost it. The referendum happened as I was finishing university. I started applying for jobs. I got a position to be an architectural assistant at a major architecture firm in London Bridge. They were recruiting for a European project they were about to undertake. I got the verbal offer during the interview, only to find, two weeks later, that because of Brexit this project that they were going to put me on had been lost. They had nine people that they would be taking on to start in September, and they had to let all of them go due to the referendum outcome. Karolina Kielb, recent university graduate Racist people feel braver. My friend Karissa set up @PostRefRacism, as a space for people to document their experiences of racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia. People send us stories, screenshots, articles that are related to the increase of hate crimes, and then we retweet. In the first four weeks after the referendum, we got up to 100 messages a day: In Manchester, an Afro-Caribbean community center received death threats. An Egyptian family reported racist graffiti on their home in Cardiff. We still get messages every week. For me, I am black, and Ive noticed more people shouting at me in the street since the referendum. Racist people just feel braver to speak up, I would say. Angelica Udueni, 20-year-old student Business has never been busier. If youve got dollars in your pocket, youre actually 30 percent richer than you were before Brexit because of the devaluation of the pound. I havent been busier. An American client of mine has a business based in the States, but his family lives in St Johns Wood and was offered the adjoining property to his current home at the turn of the year by his neighbor for 5,100,000, which he declined. At that time dollar versus pound was around 1.47, I believe. He was offered it again in May (a month before Brexit) at 4.9 million for a quick sale and eventually closed on it a few weeks ago. The combined saving of a slight price drop and swing in currency meant he ended up saving a fortune. Hugh Wade-Jones, mortgage broker Who knows if it can be done by March 31? The prime minister has set this date for March 31 [when Article 50 will be enacted], which is her trying to be seen as tough, saying, Weve got a clear mandate from the people. As Ive said in an interview, how can you call 52/48 a clear mandate? Theyre contending in the High Court that Article 50 requires a parliamentary vote. Ive spoken to Lord Pannick personally about this. He said if he wins, he knows the government will appeal; if he loses, he will appeal. Then it will go to the Supreme Court; in December we will know whether Parliament has a say in Brexit or not. If Parliament does, who knows if it can be done by March 31. Lord Karan Bilimoria of the House of Lords Maurina Harrisons and Lord Karan Bilimoria Photo: Immo Klink Its changed my relationship with my mother. I grew up in an average working-class family. My mum worked in a shop for a few years before she had kids and then stayed home to raise us. In the run-up to Brexit, I was one of the people who was like, Oh my God, this is actually going to happen, because I was hearing people like my mum heavily on my social-media feed just having these absolutely nonsensical arguments primarily about the immigration thing for why we should vote Leave. She and I disagreed on the immigration issue before, but it never really materialized as something that we had to have a debate about. I tried to disengage. But two or three weeks before the vote, our arguments got heated to the point where she was like, Youve changed. You live in a world now where you can afford to be all liberal and care about everyone, but the reality is that youre only where you are because I stand for the principle of looking after your own. A few days after the vote, she WhatsApped me being like, I think its very immature that you cant bring yourself to talk to me just because things have not gone your way. I effectively responded, I dont think its a great idea if we talk right now. What saddens me is that before I never would have thought she could really believe these things she is my mother, she bore me, how can we possibly disagree so fundamentally? Amber*, education strategist And my nephew. I voted to leave, and my nephew, hes American and just kept badgering me in our WhatsApp group. He kept sending me newspaper clips about whats going to happen to the economy, and thats when I just said, Forget it. Im leaving the WhatsApp group. I didnt want to discuss it anymore. I know now if we start talking again, the same thing will happen. Hell say, Oh, look how things are now. The pound has dropped. And it would be like, You know what? Its happened. Its in the past. Things will be okay. Maurina Harrisons, phlebotomist at the National Health Service Photo: Joe McKendry A different friend is moving to Berlin every week. Id been working temporarily in Berlin, but Brexit made me want to stay because of the sense of panic. Jobs-wise, one of the things that Brexit is going to accelerate is the move of company headquarters to Berlin rather than London; London is no longer a bridgehead into Europe. More and more German companies are going over to English because it means they can recruit from anywhere in Europe. Ive got friends who work at Resident Advisor and Highsnobiety and Zalando, which are all English-speaking. You go into any store in Berlin, and they can probably speak English. The guy at Deutsche Bank who opened my account spoke to me entirely in English, my online banking is in English. You can exist and do business fairly easily in English. A different friend is moving over here every week. The only problem is that my moneys been fucked. Suddenly everything in Germany is at least 20 percent more expensive because Im paid in pounds. Whereas I could have had a summer where everything was two-thirds the cost of London. London is so expensive it still works out cheaper than me staying put, but it does mean Berlin isnt a bargain anymore, except for beer and rent. Daryoush Haj-Najafi, fashion writer Photo: Joe McKendry Frieze is definitely going to suffer. There have been galleries closing and others stopping doing certain sales, citing Brexit as one of the reasons. Martin Roth [museum director] left the Victoria & Albert and blamed Brexit. My gallerist said people out there in Europe have been frostier toward him and other English gallerists since the vote. Treating them as the enemy, so to speak. Nothing has really changed yet, but its spooked people completely. Like, [the art fair] Frieze is definitely going to suffer if everyone starts having to pay more Customs charges, which is a distinct possibility. Everyone that works for those fairs from European galleries will have to get temporary visas. Its almost very gracious that European galleries even do Frieze; we dont have the collector base in this country. Aaron Angell, ceramics artist Our retirement plans have been killed. My partner is Australian, and we have properties that she looks after in Oz. We cant now send money back to Australia because of the value of the pound. We now have to be more clever about how and when we send or take money to Australia. The plan was for me, because Im coming up to retiring shortly, to emigrate to Australia. That wont happen until things have settled down financially here, because obviously if I am going to take a huge chunk of cash with me, Im going to have a huge loss. Basically that whole thing has been killed, so the effect on us personally has been huge. But in terms of my daughter, it may be in her favor whats happened, because it will be easier for her to buy somewhere. I dont think house [prices] will go up any further than they have. Doug Barrow, city worker The future of our department is in danger. Until Brexit, having a U.K. institution leading a big consortium was an advantage and a great thing. Now, suddenly, its flipped over because of Brexit. It would be interesting to carry out an analysis in perhaps one years time to see how many research consortia have changed their British project leader to a non-British after they have reapplied. Plus theres the issue that most of us in the department arent even British-born. I am originally from Serbia. Our program director is from Bulgaria. We have a course leader from Belgium, a technician who is Irish, another one is Chinese, and a new lecturer is from Portugal. That future of our department is in danger, obviously; this nice scientific community that comes from everywhere. Dr. Danka Tamburic, professor of cosmetic science at London College of Fashion Photo: Joe McKendry Our restaurant prices have already increased. As a manager, I have to deal with the fact that Brexit has already increased prices. Were a Mexican restaurant, so we import a lot of our produce. Although our products come from South America, the commerce goes through Europe [where the pound is worth less]. Before Brexit, a box of limes was 8 or 9. Now theyre closer to 12. Its definitely going to affect the business and the staff. I have already had to cut hours. The end result is less money for the mostly foreign staff, and prices are already so high in London; it can feel like you earn less here than you would back in your country. Basically, if goods cost more to import, then the only option is to cut wages. Marika Parizzi, restaurant manager Photo: Joe McKendry I covered up my tattoos. I moved to New York last year, but I happened to be back in London for Brexit. My parents are Turkish immigrants, and theyve always found Britain to be kind of racist in its bones. They were already about to set the house on the market before Brexit happened, but there was definitely a feeling like, Oh, well, now were definitely going. Ive always felt like an immigrant in London, even though I was born there, but I felt really anxious before the vote. I was in Somerset one day, and there were Leave posters everywhere. It was warm outside, but I wore long sleeves the whole time: Ive got a lot of Arabic tattoos, Ive got the Turkish flag on my left arm, and it was really warm. Because I just thought, I dont want to have my arms out. I dont want people to see anything on me that makes me even more visibly not British. Chimene Suleyman, poet Dane Baptiste and Doug Barrow Photo: Immo Klink When all the other ethnicities are complaining about racism, I have to act surprised. My experience with Brexit has been theres some comedic twists that you can take on it. Like the smugness of Brexiters: They shout out, Get over it, we voted, its democracy! and Im like, Yeah, but if youre surrounded by five men that democratically elect to take your phone, thats a mugging! And for me, as a young black man, its been strange; now, when all the other ethnicities are complaining about racism, I have to act surprised. Now, people are all, Its really hard, my friend is experiencing and Im experiencing some backlash. And I have to be like, Oh my God, are you saying these people are racist? I cant believe it! Dane Baptiste, comedian Photo: Joe McKendry We thought, Would it be possible to create a newspaper for the 48 percent? After the referendum, I thought, Would it be possible to quickly create a newspaper that would articulate how it felt to be one of the 48 percent? It was a success from week one. Forty-thousand copies in the first week. Although circulation has declined a bit from the summer-holiday period, we have been growing again. The issue that typified the spirit of what were trying to do was the issue where we attacked the Daily Express and the Daily Mail for how insidiously theyve been turning Britains head toward thinking that migrants are some form of evil. Weve got some real loyal fans now; weve got people who every Friday take a photograph of themselves reading the paper. Matt Kelly, editor of the New European A lot of my European workers wanted to leave. I voted to leave. Im well-off, Im comfortable. It doesnt affect me either way. But I look at my staff, many of whom are European migrants. So after the referendum, I sat them down and told them, Obviously theres been a bit of a shake-up, but we will look after you of course and I dont want you to believe what youre reading. Nothings going to change. No ones suggesting anyone expels anyone whos got a job from Britain in the same way that Germany isnt going to expel English workers. But then I found out that a lot of them, many of them who have been here 10, 15 years, they wanted Brexit! I practically fell over. They all looked at me and said, Were fine. Jeremy Keable, multiple-factory owner People are basing their dating criteria on it. Ive been working on a dating show. Something that now comes up is How did you vote in Brexit? or, more subtly, Whats your view on Brexit? People meeting new people now see the answer as a personality trait. Its become a part of peoples identity, and people are basing their dating criteria on it. Tyger Drew-Honey, British TV personality, on how Brexit is affecting courtship *Names have been changed. A Brexit Calendar June 24: Final results come in: Fifty-two percent of Brits have voted to leave the EU. The next day, Prime Minister David Cameron announces his resignation, and the pound crashes to its lowest levels in three decades. July 13: Theresa May becomes prime minister and promises to enact Brexit. People wonder whether May will allow Parliament to be consulted on the Brexit plans, per the usual process. July 19: A time is set for sometime in October to hear Lord Pannicks case against the government at the Royal Courts of Justice. Lord Pannick, a leading lawyer and peer in the House of Lords, argues that it is unconstitutional to bar Parliament from participating in Brexit negotiations. August 23: Financial reports indicate that the U.K. is recovering from Junes falling pound. September 7: Theresa May says, We will not provide a running commentary from Parliament on how the Brexit negotiations are going. October 6: The U.K. suffers a flash crash, in which the pounds value decreases by more than 6 percent. The leading theory is news that Britain is heading for hard Brexit caused the crash. March 31, 2017: This is the date by which May promises to enact Article 50, at which point the U.K. will officially begin leaving the EU. Do You Bregret Passporting? A Brexit glossary. Article 50: The section of the Lisbon Treaty that describes how an EU country might voluntarily leave the EU. It is often referred to as a button or a trigger, e.g., When we trigger Article 50 Bregret: A feeling of regret from those who voted for Brexit. Europhilia: A feeling of admiration toward the EU. Euroscepticism: A feeling of distrust toward the EU. Metropolitan Elite: Used by Leave campaigners to describe city-dwelling Remain voters. In Leave rhetoric, the metropolitan elite are wealthy people who can afford to be liberal. Passporting: Under EU law, any financial firm registered in the U.K. is authorized to operate throughout Europe. When the U.K. leaves the EU, it could lose its passporting rights, which could cripple the financial industry. Soft Brexit: A phrase to describe a soft separation from the EU wherein Britain remains in the single market and can trade, but is not a full member. It is unlikely Britain could remain in the single market without accepting European migrants. Hard Brexit:Total separation from the EU. This would mean no immigration from Europe and no access to the single market. Trade would be governed by WTO legislation. *This article appears in the October 31, 2016, issue of New York Magazine. Californias top-two primary system has created an environment in parts of Los Angeles County where no Republicans other than Trump are on the general-election ballot. Photo: Asger Carlsen/Getty Images A week from the final Election Day of the cycle, a lot of the buzz is about the impact of the wild presidential races on contests for Congress and state offices. But there are places where the lack of down-ballot competition makes that a moot point. One of the more notable deserts for nonpresidential competition is in California, where the states top-two primary system has created large groups of voters who will find virtually no Republicans on the ballot. Top-two (a system utilized by Washington State as well as California) provides that the two leading vote-getters in a nonpartisan primary (candidates can, if they wish, designate their party affiliation, but they all run in the same contest open to all voters) go on to the general election. That means in theory and increasingly in practice that two candidates from the same party are competing in November. And so: two Democratic women, Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez, are competing to succeed Barbara Boxer, one of the two Democratic women representing the Golden State in the U.S. Senate. But in parts of California, the Democratic ballot domination is total. As Javier Panzar of the Los Angeles Times points out, a large swath of heavily populated Los Angeles County has no Republicans on the ballot at all: When 818,000 voters in Los Angeles County fill out their ballots this election, they will find themselves in strange political territory: The only Republican names theyll see will be presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence. In this GOP dead zone spanning parts of five congressional districts, five state Assembly districts and one state Senate district not a single Republican candidate made it on to the November ballot. Local elections in California are conducted on a nonpartisan basis, so there may be some stealth Republicans lurking way down ballot. And there are a few places in the state where Republicans dominate enough to win their own primary shutouts. But not many: Excluding the U.S. Senate race, 27 of 153 down-ballot contests across California will have candidates from the same political party. During state elections in 2012 and 2014, there were 28 and 25 same-party contests, respectively, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan election guide California Target Book. But during those years, at least seven of the intraparty contests were between Republicans. This year there are only four Republican-on-Republican battles all Assembly races. It is not easy to tell if same-party general elections are a product of Democratic domination, or a contributing cause. In any event, it matters in a year when Democrats are fighting for the two-to-one supermajority in the state legislature that will liberate them from constitutional limitations on tax measures, and essentially relegate Republicans to the kind of rump faction Democrats have become in parts of the Deep South. Meanwhile, there are parts of the state where it must really suck to be an anti-Trump Republican staring at a ballot with no like-minded candidates. Hang on, Mitch McConnell is thinking of a new constitutional principle. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc./Getty Images If you still believe the Republican Party is coming apart at the seams, or even plunging into a civil war, look at what North Carolina senator Richard Burr told volunteers this weekend in privately recorded audio. Burr dispensed with the myth that Donald Trump disagrees with the central thrust of the party platform, insisting, with mild exaggeration, that the nominee aligns perfectly with where the Republican Party is. More important, he promised that he would oppose any candidate Hillary Clinton nominated to fill the vacancy created by Antonin Scalias death if Hillary Clinton becomes president, I am going to do everything I can do to make sure four years from now, we still got an opening on the Supreme Court. In the spring of 2014, I predicted that, should Republicans hold on to their Senate majority, they would never allow a Democratic president to confirm a justice should one of the conservative members die. Almost two years later, Scalia died, an event that happened so quickly it gave Republicans little time to formulate a sturdy rationale to defend what ideological and political self-interest dictated would have to become their position. They hastily converged on the idea that it was too late for Barack Obama to fill the seat, and that the proper (small-d) democratic outcome required letting the winner of the election seat the next justice. The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court justice, insisted Mitch McConnell. This was before Trump had wrapped up the nomination. Indeed, betting markets at the time of Scalias death still gave Trump less than an even chance of winning the nomination, and the presidential election seemed very winnable. But the likelihood of a Trump defeat will force the party to devise a new rationale. If Democrats take back the Senate majority, it will play out in fairly predictable fashion: Republicans will filibuster whoever President Clinton nominates, then the Democratic Senate will change the rules to outlaw filibusters of Supreme Court justices. But if Republicans hold the Senate, they will probably decide to simply hold the seat vacant. Why let this election reflect the will of the people? Why not try for another election? Burr is hardly the only Republican to make this case. Such distinguished conservative legal minds as senator and former University of Texas law professor Ted Cruz, constitutional scholar Michael Paulsen, and Cato fellow in constitutional studies Ilya Shapiro have all begun the arduous intellectual work of discovering why the Constitution demands that Clinton be denied a ninth justice. They have developed some promising theories that, should the electorate deliver the necessary Democratic presidencyRepublican Senate combination, will next year blossom into the foundational bedrock principles of the Republic itself. Under either scenario of a Clinton presidency, with either a Democratic or a Republican Senate, the GOP will find itself united in opposition. Mario Loyola has a long essay in National Review sounding what is sure to be the prevalent theme in conservative postelection rhetoric. Conservative Republicans of a Never Trump persuasion are making a big mistake by making enemies of Trumps supporters and vice versa, he argues. The party should not tear itself apart over such trivial matters as to whether it is a good idea to turn over the Executive branch to an unstable, dictator-admiring racist. Instead, it should unite around common beliefs, such as fight[ing] tooth and nail to keep Hillary Clinton from nominating a justice to fill [Scalias] seat. Trumps nomination will not create a schism or a reckoning within the party that nominated him. Republicans will instead just continue lurching into the same direction they have been heading for decades. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll of the state of Florida found that 49 percent of men in the state support Donald Trump, while 39 percent support Hillary Clinton. Florida men appear primed to go for Trump on November 8, but what about Florida Man? You know, the guy who draws a giant radar penis with his private plane or twerks in a courtroom. The Tampa Bay Times attempted to find out. After calling more than 100 phone numbers attached to a so-called Florida Man, the paper found 11 people willing to share their preference for president. Two of them, it should be noted, are technically Florida Women, but membership in this club is less about gender than an ability to show up in News of the Weird section of the local paper. The result: Clinton wins, seven to four. Among those going for Trump are the Florida Woman with a costume-loving pet alligator named Rambo and a Florida Man who changed his name to Bruce Jenner to preserve the names heterosexual roots. Clintons supporters include a Florida Man seduced by a horny dolphin and a Florida Man arrested for burying his boss in dirt on a construction site. The gay man once blamed for launching AIDS in 1980s America has finally been exonerated by modern science. Thirty-two years after his death, Gaetan Dugas, the French-Canadian flight attendant who was long vilified as Patient Zero of the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and once described by the New York Post as The Man Who Gave Us AIDS was declared innocent in the latest issue of Nature. The study, according to the New York Times, concluded that the strain of HIV Dugas had was already widespread in America years before he arrived. For the past three decades, perhaps no one embodied the toxic stereotype of recklessly depraved gay male sexuality more than Gaetan Dugas. He was first widely introduced to the world in the opening pages of And the Band Played On, the late journalist Randy Shiltss epic 1987 account of the first years of AIDS in the U.S., cruising a San Francisco bathhouse fully aware he has Kaposis sarcoma, a disease mysteriously plaguing homosexuals. Ignoring his doctors insistence to abstain from sex, Dugas turns to a man with whom hes just copulated and says, I have gay cancer. And you might get it, too. Reading the book in college in the late 1980s, I remember vividly the shock and revulsion I felt toward Dugas in that moment. How could someone be so indifferent, so selfish, so vengeful? It was, like so much of Shiltss book, a sordid, dark picture of pre-AIDS gay sexuality, one that had almost made me relieved that a brutal epidemic had replaced erotic abandon with prudence, restraint, and responsibility. Gay men, the moral went, were responsible for the spread of AIDS because of their unwillingness to abandon their Bosch-like sexual playgrounds, while a government and a culture that saw gay people as less than human ignored, and even mocked, their suffering. Shilts coined the term Patient Zero for Dugas in a leap of early 1980s scientific dot-connecting that laid the blame for the spread of HIV in the U.S. in the mid-to-late 1970s squarely on his shoulders. Because of his encounters with hundreds of other highly sexually active, jet-setting men in New York and San Francisco, he became the gay Typhoid Mary. Though unlike Mary, Dugas did it knowingly, gleefully infecting others until he got his due and died of AIDS in 1984. And thats how he would have been remembered had we not, in all the intervening years, learned more about HIV; that it takes years, not months, to go from infection to outward symptoms; and ultimately that the virus could be sequenced to learn its provenance. In 2007, a study found that HIV, which started in Africa, traveled from Haiti to the U.S. in 1969, years before Dugas was having sex in America. And then came last weeks revelation, reported in the Times, that the particular strain of HIV responsible for nearly every AIDS case in the United States was carried from Zaire to Haiti around 1967 before spreading from there to New York City around 1971 only making it to San Francisco by 1976. Dugass blood, which was sampled in 1983, had an HIV strain that had already widely hit gay men in New York before he began making the rounds in the city after being employed by Air Canada in 1974. Even Patient Zero was a misnomer, based on a mistaken reading. Early 1980s epidemiologists in California had marked Dugass file with the letter O, meaning coming from outside the state, not a zero. Shilts, who was himself a gay man who died of AIDS in 1994, admitted he found the whole idea of calling Dugas Patient Zero too catchy to pass up and though he said that he deplored the fact that the books editor, the gay publishing pioneer Michael Denneny, decided to play up Dugass villain status in the book, he went along with it. And so it was, according to How to Survive a Plague, David Frances extraordinary new account of the AIDS epidemic in New York City between 1981 and 1996, coming out next month, that in death, Gaetan Dugass life took on a more sinister interpretation. Having painted Dugas as a hardened sociopath who did his best to spread the disease far and wide, Denneny admitted to France years later that, Randy didnt want to [demonize Dugas]. It was my idea. And I regret it. Thankfully, a more nuanced view of Dugas emerges in How to Survive a Plague, which is the book version of Frances Oscar-nominated 2011 documentary. We see him not just going for broke sexually, but at a key community forum on AIDS in 1983 in Vancouver, where he moved in the final years of his life. There, he stood up and spoke sharply in defense of his own humanity: You shouldnt fear someone who has AIDS, or has symptoms of AIDS, because theres no specific reason why you should get in contact with AIDS with an infectious agent, he said. He also questioned the idea that Kaposis sarcoma was necessarily linked to an infectious agent, especially in the absence of a definitive test (which wouldnt come along commercially for another two years). And even though by 1983 doctors and researchers were fairly certain that AIDS was being spread by a pathogen of some sort, what may seem like denial on Dugass part today reflected what was still widespread doubt and confusion in the gay community in those early years about the source of the illness. Dugas was far from the last person with AIDS to be painted as a monster. In subsequent years, the demonization often turned toward black men like Nushawn Williams and Tiger Mandingo. The idea that people with HIV/AIDS were willfully spreading the disease led to the passage of laws in numerous states that singled out HIV-positive people as criminals, even in instances where a condom had been used or, in later years, when the HIV-positive person was on medication and hence (as weve learned in the past decade) essentially not infectious. An entire movement, The Sero Project, has sprung up to get these discriminatory and medically uninformed laws off the books Activists Larry Kramer and Mark Harrington in How to Survive a Plague. Why do we demonize? Why do we need our Gaetan Dugases? Perhaps its because, in the face of something as fearful as AIDS in its early days, we can only feel safe ourselves if we can locate risk elsewhere, in the body of someone who courted it and therefore must be evil, or at least depraved. Certainly this must have been the case for gay men like Shilts, enacting his own brand of gay respectability politics in an era where the very essence of being gay, the desire to connect ones body to that of other men, became intimately linked to illness and death. Randy was not sex-positive, says France. Like Larry Kramer, he saw only the perils of sex. They both took up arms against unbridled sexual expression, which they said was essential to the fight against the plague. So who was Dugas, then? For one thing, he was one of countless gay men who found pleasure and perhaps even a lifes purpose in a sexual career at a time when gay people were almost entirely barred from such institutions of mainstream life as marriage, child-rearing, and the natural linkage of ones public and private selves. Its a benefit of our current era both that many (not all) queer people have those options if they choose them and that, increasingly, straight people dont have the phobic, rigid attitudes about sexual pleasure, or even monogamy, that they held in the age of Reagan. (Ask yourself: Would a Miss America today be dethroned merely for having posed nude in her past? Do we even care about Miss America that much anymore?) Gaetan Dugas found himself the common denominator of a relatively small cluster of early AIDS cases. He was not, as Shilts conjectured, the person who brought AIDS to North America. Science has vindicated him. He can finally rest in peace, and perhaps he even has a full dance card in the eternal bathhouse, free of illness and death. Tim Murphy is the author of the novel Christodora. Photo: Airbnb Starting today, if you want to rent your apartment/home/igloo/yurt on Airbnb, youll have to agree to the terms of the companys new anti-discrimination policy. Called the Community Commitment, the new policy is designed to create a safer and more welcoming experience for all Airbnb users, following months of allegations of racism facing Airbnb users of color. (For instance, a Harvard study found that people with names that sounded African-American had a significantly harder time renting on Airbnb.) Existing Airbnb users received an email about the Community Commitment over the weekend, explaining that it will be mandatory if you want to continue using the service. (It will also be required of new users joining to platform going forward.) From Airbnb: If you decline the commitment, you wont be able to host or book using Airbnb, and you have the option to cancel your account. Once your account is canceled, future booked trips will be canceled. You will still be able to browse Airbnb but you wont be able to book any reservations or host any guests. Airbnbs new policy and its emphasis on respect and inclusion come after a long series of discrimination issues plaguing the platform. In June, an Airbnb host was banned for harassing a Nigerian grad student, calling her the N-word and blacky. In October 2015, Ronnia Cherry and Stefan Grant had to explain themselves to the cops when neighbors called the police after spotting the duo at their Airbnb rental in Georgia. (The pair later went on to found Noirbnb, a home-rental platform specifically designed for the POC community.) This spring, Gregory Selden, a 25-year-old black man, filed a lawsuit against Airbnb, arguing that it violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Selden says he was denied a room from a given host, the same room he was later able to book after changing his Airbnb-profile avatar to a white guy.) And these are just a few of the examples youll find if you check out the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack. Going forward, Airbnb says hosts will not be able to decline a guest based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. (One exception: Hosts can decline to rent to someone of a gender other than their own if the host and guest will be sharing living spaces.) Declining guests based on disability or perceived disability will also not be allowed. All policies will be enforced internationally. (Which is interesting, given Airbnb operates in nations around the world where LGBTQ people and other marginalized groups are not welcomed by local laws and customs.) If a host violates the Community Commitment, by posting a listing with discriminatory language, Airbnb says the host will be forced to edit the listing or else face suspension. Refusing a rental to someone is also grounds for potential suspension. The company also acknowledges there are ways for people to use legal ways to reject guests (traveling with pets, smokers) as a way to keep people from protected classes from renting. (Airbnb also says this could lead to suspension.) So while its certainly not a perfect system and likely wont fix all of Airbnbs issues, this new policy definitely seems like the company is on the right track. The Community Commitment goes into effect today; now well just have to wait and see if it works. Loretta Sanchez and Kamala Harris. Photo: Getty Images While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton dominate national headlines, in California two Democratic women are competing to fill the first open Senate seat in a quarter of a century. Thanks to Californias unusual top-two rule, Kamala Harris, the states attorney general, and Loretta Sanchez, a congresswoman from Orange County whos served ten terms, are running against each other. Both women are fairly united on issues such as equal pay, abortion, and Social Security, but they differ slightly on what theyd choose to emphasize in areas such as foreign policy and immigration. And while Harris is polling ahead of Sanchez and has nabbed endorsements from heavy-hitters like President Obama and Barbara Boxer (the former Senator whose seat shes seeking to fill), Sanchez is seeking to drum up support from undecided GOP voters, who could swing the election in her favor. Immigration Sanchez is generally in favor of loosening immigration; in the past, shes voted against building a fence along Mexicos border and in favor of granting more visas to skilled workers. She told the Los Angeles Times that shed like to incorporate Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) principles which allow children who enter the U.S. before theyre 16 to receive a renewable two-year work permit and be exempt from deportation into immigration reform. Sanchez is counting on Latinos to vote for her, but recent polls show theyre warming to Harris. Harriss views on immigration are more or less in line with Sanchezs. She notably told a crowd of union farm workers that an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal, and she stands behind President Obamas executive orders on immigration, including DACA, according to her website. She, too, is in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, and she would support a federal DREAM act, which would give immigrants who serve in the military or who graduate from high school and pursue higher education a more straightforward path to citizenship. Foreign policy and national security Sanchezs voting record indicates shes generally opposed to foreign entanglements and is in favor of expanding the military. She voted against the Iraq War and more recently voted to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan. In recent months, in a play for GOP support, shes spoken out about her ability to deal with the threat of Islamic extremists. Within the military, Sanchez revised the Uniform Code of Military Justice to include a statute that protects sexual-assault victims, and shes successfully pushed to track military men and women with histories of sexual assault. Harriss stance is a little harder to parse, but in her post as attorney general she has aggressively gone after foreign drug cartels and fought to end human trafficking. If elected, her website reads, she will be a strong advocate in the Senate for developing strategies to counter efforts by terrorist groups to promote hate and radicalization online. It also mentions the need to counter governments that actively sponsor terrorism, which indicates shell vote in favor of both terrorism- and nuclear-related sanctions. Criminal-justice reform Both candidates told the Los Angeles Times theyd like to see the criminal-justice system overhauled, and Harris specified that she supports the longstanding efforts of Senators Cory Booker and Rand Paul to keep nonviolent offenders out of prison and to give them the chance to clear their criminal records. Sanchez also said she wants to reform the nations drug-sentencing laws. Unlike Harris, Sanchez supports Proposition 62, which would end the death penalty in California. Equal Pay In California, Harris has supported the Fair Pay Act, which strengthens the states Equal Pay Act by making it illegal for employers to pay workers of different sexes different wages for similar work. According to her website, shell make it a priority to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate, which aims to make the national Equal Pay Act more enforceable, thereby closing the gender pay gap. Harris also supports a national paid-family-leave policy and wants to raise the minimum wage, although during a debate back in May, Sanchez implied Harris had been slow to embrace a $15 minimum wage. Sanchez is also in favor of closing the gender pay gap she co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier for individuals whove been paid unfairly to hold their employers accountable. She voted to give federal employees four weeks of paid paternal leave and is ostensibly in favor of paid family leave. In addition, shes in favor of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Abortion When anti-abortion activists published hidden-camera videos alleging Planned Parenthood officials in California sold fetal tissue, Kamala Harriss office authorized the search of David Daleidens apartment and the seizure of relevant possessions, including his laptop. Her support for Planned Parenthood drew criticism from pro-life organizations, and her official campaign website includes a petition to restore funds to Planned Parenthood. The pro-choice organization NARAL gives her a 100 percent rating for her pro-choice voting record. Sanchez also has a 100 percent rating from NARAL, and shes consistently voted against legislation that would strip funding from family-planning centers or ban certain abortion procedures. Social Security Both Harris and Sanchez are opposed to tying Social Security benefits to cost-of-living adjustments through a Consumer Price Index a method that would ultimately dole out Social Security benefits at a slower rate and save the government about $130 billion over the next decade. And both candidates support lifting the cap on Social Security taxes, meaning people who make more money would pay more in taxes toward the program. Harris said she would focus on driving proposals to lift the cap through Congress, while Sanchez added that she would seek to expand Social Security to cover people who leave work to care for a sick family member. Environmental issues Harris and Sanchez are pretty much in lock-step here; both support President Obamas Clean Power Plan, but both would like to see comprehensive legislation passed that addresses climate change and clean energy. Where Californias drought is concerned, both told the Times theyll pursue sustainable methods to collect and convey water to various regions of the state. The Trans-Pacific Partnership Harris told the Times that she doesnt support TPP in its current form. She added that trade agreement which aims to deepen economic ties between 12 countries by reducing tariffs risks invalidating Californias landmark climate change and environmental laws and is a threat to U.S. workers. Sanchez also opposes TPP; she too believes it wont adequately protect American workers or American intellectual property. The TPP will force American workers to compete with workers in countries that offer little to no employee protections, in addition to poor human rights records, she told the Times. This will undermine development and manufacturing in California and I oppose it. Photo: Steve Liss/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty The speech is nearly 25 years old, but its notes ring familiar. Very familiar. The establishment that has dominated the Congress for four decades is as ossified and out of touch with the American people as the ruling class of the White House, said Pat Buchanan in his 1992 remarks announcing a primary run against George H.W. Bush for the GOP nomination. He goes on to discuss, among other things, an America in crisis, the rise of nationalism, the scourge of drugs, the urgent need to take back our streets from criminals, unfair trade deals, ethnic violence, and political correctness or as he puts it, the landfill called multiculturalism that threatens future generations. Modify a few particulars of Buchanans 1992 platform, like the foreign economic powers worthy of fear China and Mexico replacing Japan and the European Union or the size of the federal debt, or which NATO allies need to be paying the bills for their own defense, and Buchanans message feels eerily up to date. And thats before taking into account his suggestion to fence off Americas border with Mexico. In an interview promoting his book, State of Emergency, an anti-immigration tract that warns of a coming third world America, Buchanan once said, [I] like the country I grew up in. It was a good country. I lived in Washington, D.C., 400,000 black folks, 400,000 white folks, in a country 89 or 90 percent white. I like that country. In other words, the last time America was great. One of the original icons of paleoconservatism, Buchanan was a speechwriter for Nixon during Watergate, and went on to advise Republican presidents Ford and Reagan before developing a career as a columnist, radio host, and television pundit. During his presidential runs in 1992 and 1996, his candidacy was rejected as fringe, having accumulated a de facto coalition of wingnuts and white nationalists no doubt drawn to his long record of writing and saying terrible things. In Trump, their descendants on the alt-right finally found a candidate they could call their own again. And today, the very same brand of economic and white-culture protectionism has fueled Trumps populist ascent. For good or for ill, wrote Eleanor Clift, Buchanans longtime co-panelist on The McLaughlin Group after Trump clinched the nomination this summer, Trump has mainstreamed and normalized what shocked the political class a quarter-century ago, taking Buchanans ideas and transforming them into a potentially winning hand in November. Buchanan hasnt been shy about the vindication this election has afforded him. We spoke with him shortly after FBI Director James Comey released his controversial statement about potential Clinton-related emails found on Anthony Weiners laptop. Buchanan celebrates a strong second-place showing in the 1992 New Hampshire primary. Photo: Steve Liss/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty To what extent do think your ideas have been taken up by the Trump campaign this election? Well, theres no doubt about it. If youre talking about economic nationalism, economic patriotism, border security, an end to illegal immigration, no more unnecessary wars, and, if you will, sort of a nationalist populist agenda, much of the real differentiation of Trump from the other Republicans is contained in those issues and those ideas. I give him credit, I dont think he read me or studied me or got them from me. I think he came to them on his own, and picked up on them in this campaign. I opposed NAFTA in 1993 and 94. I opposed the World Trade Organization. I opposed all of that in the 1990s, and here we are 20 years later, and theyve been elevated and become the decisive issues in the campaign. Why do you think Trump has been able to build a coalition around these issues? Whats changed? Its very simple: What we predicted is whats come to pass. I said if we enact NAFTA and GAT and this China trade deal, all our factories will be shut down and shipped abroad, theyll send our products back to the United States, we will lose millions of manufacturing jobs, we will denude our country virtually of all manufacturing. People came to understand exactly what was happening, these free-trade deals which both parties had enacted at the behest of the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers, and Trump walked out there and said, Look at the disaster. The election is just over a week away, what do you make of Trumps chances at this point? [Laughs] I think they got better today! Take a look at Drudge! Comeys re-opening the FBI investigation. On that: I went through Watergate, and it took a lot of time from the Watergate break-in to the leaking to the Washington Post. It took about three months, they started popping stuff up in October. I dont know if theres going to be any conclusion from the FBI, but this has put a huge question mark over Hillarys campaign, although shes ahead or tied. Shes probably ahead in ten battleground states and tied in two or three, and Trump has to win virtually every one of them. Hes got a real its a very, very narrow path, but it still exists. But were going to have to see what the reaction is to the FBI thing. I do notice the markets headed south, when news came that the FBI is going to re-open the investigation. It cant be good news. If you read my latest column, it said that this is going to be a presidency from hell. But you know the servers and the emails and the Clinton Foundation and all the money, and then the fact that she has testified under oath repeatedly, she has talked to federal officials, lying to whom is a felony. So I think, and then youve got all these WikiLeaks, thousands of emails, so what theyre going to have to do I think in the first days if Clinton won, in the first days of that administration, theyre going to be sifting through all these things to find contradictions and statements that appear to be false. And if they find some thats going to call into existence an independent council, Justice will have to appoint one, and then theyll proceed down the road. Richard Nixon with aide Pat Buchanan before taking off at LaGuardia for Michigan, June 26, 1968. Photo: Giorandino/NY Daily News via Getty Images Theres a lot thats been made in this election about Trumps coalition, about the demographic decline of White America. What do you make of the demographics of this movement? The Republican Party is under a death sentence. Its quite simple. The base of the Republican Party, which was first put together in the great New Majority coalition when I was in the White House with Nixon, we did it from 1969 to 72, and we won 49 states. Ninety percent of the electorate was Americans of European descent. If you got 60 percent of 90 percent, thats 54 percent of the country. So whats happened is, the white share of the population has fallen from close to 90 percent down to about 60 percent now and falling. And the white share of the election is 70 percent, and unless you get more people of color voting for you, you cant get a majority. California has gone Democratic in all of the last six presidential elections, and when the nation looks like California demographically, its probably gonna look like California politically. What does that mean? Theres not a single Republican in statewide office in California. Congressional-delegation Republicans are outnumbered more than two to one, and in the state legislature, the senate, and the house, they are outnumbered almost two to one, so the Republican Party is down to 31 percent of the state of California. It is inexorable. What Trump has done is this: His vote is similar to my vote, but its much larger. I remember going out to the Iowa caucuses, I think it was back in 96 or 2000, and one of these liberal Republican journalists said These people arent Republicans. And they werent, they were coming in on motorcycles, they were working-class Democrats, and they were coming out to the Iowa straw poll to vote for me. What Trump has done is he has energized a tremendous number of the blue-collar Democrats in Ohio and Michigan, and originally in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Many of them have left him by now, but he had at one point a real shot to win these states that Republicans havent won since 1988. This coalition doesnt look large enough to win the election for Trump, are there ways this platform can gain ground without Trump winning? This year take a look at it. Back in 1992 to 94, when I was on the radio between presidential runs, and we were fighting NAFTA, when I needed somebody and I didnt get the guest I wanted, Id say Well, give Bernie Sanders a call, hes good on NAFTA. Whats happened now is not only has Trump moved the Republican Party strongly in the direction of economic nationalism, Hillary Clinton has abandoned the TPP. We have won the argument nationally. We actually were very close to winning it back then, but now we have won it politically. And even the Republican Party I dont think can go back to the TPP and free trade without committing suicide. Secondly, I think if the Republican party goes to amnesty on illegal immigration, the way Bush was moving toward it and McCain was, they will be committing suicide, the country doesnt want that, it wants the border secure. Third, the Beltway elites, the neocons, and the others, no matter who wins, will be pushing for a war with Russia or Iran or somebody. We havent yet won on the war issue, Obamas got no enthusiasm for a war in Syria or a war against Russia, but a key questions is if Hillary wins, what happens? Theres a segment in the Republican Party that remains interventionist and hawkish and really I think still rooted in the Cold War. Do you feel vindicated by this election? I am elated that Trump has raised these issues, the issues that have tremendous currency now. They were decisive issues I think certainly in the Republican primaries, where he wiped up the floor with 16 establishment Republicans. Im elated that its been recognized and that people are coming around to the damage done to the country in the last 20 years by masses of illegal immigration, the division in the country, the change in the country thats taken place. All these factories are gone, the economic dynamism of the country is gone. Am I glad everybody is aware of it now? Sure, but its very sad. Ill never understand why the establishment even if they dont like me why they couldnt see the truth of some of the issues, the popularity, and the real pull of the issues we raised, and the votes we got, and why they didnt move themselves as a good politician does to really co-opt and seize them, and deal with the problem before it became the crises we have today. Im delighted we were proven right, but Im not happy as to whats happened to the country because these folks didnt address it. Domaine Barons Rothschild (Lafite) looks to expand UK presence Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) wines is gearing up for an enhanced presence in the UK following the appointment of a dedicated sales director. Helen Miller, formerly of E&J Gallo Winery, will represent DBR (Lafite) branded wines in the UK as a national sales director for Waddesdon Wines (WW), which is part of the Rothschild Foundation. The company imports and markets the wines from the Rothschild wineries. Consequently, Miller will represent wines from Vina Los Vascos in Chile, Bodegas Caro in Argentina, Domaine dAussieres in Corbieres, France; and the Legende range from Bordeaux. She will also have access to Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Duhart-Milon, Chateau LEvangile and Chateau Rieussec. Chris Campbell, WW ceo, said: As we continue to carefully grow the volumes of DBR (Lafite) in the UK, it was crucial we recruited an individual with gravitas and rigour, who has worked extensively with significant UK accounts. It was also important that we recruited someone with first-rate commercial acumen, and who recognizes the significance of working with a family company who has been producing Grand Vin at the highest level for over 150 years. Miller said: It is a real privilege to be working with the DBR (Lafite) wines at such an exciting time. I very much look forward to building on such robust foundations. The DBR (Lafite) name offers an unparalleled assurance of quality and I feel extremely fortunate to be working with the wines, the Lafite history and the people. We are looking to work with carefully selected new customers, while developing business with our existing and loyal customer base. Or better yet, take her to North Korea/Syria/Chernobyl/etc And leave her there Reply Parent Thread Link I have had this since i was a kid. When i was in school it happened weekly because of all the bullying now it happens once or twice a month. When im stressed tho it happens more often. Reply Thread Link sleep paralysis sucks. i've learned to avoid sleeping on my back, otherwise i become very susceptible to it. i'm lucky i don't usually hallucinate really terrifying images (sometimes, but not usual) but more i have this inescapable dread and panic as i'm just trapped asleep and trying to wake up. i've been able to turn it into just lucid dreaming, but i'm usually just preoccupied with the desperation to wake up. which scrunching my toes or my face will help do. Reply Thread Link Night terrors have haunted me for years! It was horrific during periods of stress and then I thought they'd stopped, but I just didn't remember them. It terrified my gf the first time she stayed over. I don't have them now, though, because I ditched my high stress job. Reply Parent Thread Link I've found for me too it happens when I fall asleep on my back and then I'm somewhat awake but I can't move. I want to yell out for someone to help and pull me up. I struggle to rock myself to get onto my side and thus get out of this paralysis state. It is so scary. Reply Parent Thread Link Yup, I don't imagine nightmarish images, but that feeling of feeling stuck, while you are trying to wake up, is legit scary Reply Parent Thread Link It's the worse feeling ever. I have had 2 episodes and first i felt like someone is watching me or something (night terror) then i realised i was having this so i had to wake up then i just started to tell my brain to move a hand or feet and eventually that put me out. i hope to never have an episode again cuz it's so horrible! :( Reply Parent Thread Link Same, I never sleep on my back anymore. I cannot at the show calling it a ~mysterious illness though. Come the fuck on. Reply Parent Thread Link Yea I get sleep paralysis in pretty much this exact same way. Always when I'm sleeping on my back and usually if I am napping not during my full night sleep! Thanks God I have never had terrifying hallucinations, the only hallucination I ever had that was remotely scary was that Darth Vader was staring at me from my door way. But luckily my brain was like 'Oh that's crazy this must be sleep paralysis' I HATE when I realize I am having it and have to work SO DAMN HARD to get myself out of it. It's just really stressful and tiring honestly but thank GOD I don't have any scary things going on haha. Reply Parent Thread Link I was afraid to sleep on my back for several years when I was younger since I legit thought it was a ghost lol. Now I know better and don't care. Reply Parent Thread Link Agh yikes! That happens to my friend a lot and he hates it. It seems so scary Reply Thread Link This fam was such a guilty pleasure of mine but they've really faded for me in the last 6 months Edited at 2016-11-01 04:49 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Aw my best friend had that. Apparently not anymore but she doesn't even like to talk about it because it was that horrifying to her Reply Thread Link hope you have nothing but peaceful and/or sexy dreams tonight! <3 Reply Parent Thread Link I've had similar dreams but I was on the ride. Reply Parent Thread Link Because of what happened at Dreamworld in Australia? Please disregard if not, and don't look it up, it's horrifying. Reply Parent Thread Link OH MY GOD it took me a second to realize how they were killed from falling out of a raft but one site had a 3D recreation of what happened (no bodies), but the position of the conveyer belt. that is horrendous Reply Parent Thread Link I have night terrors. I fucking hate it. Reply Thread Link Agreed :( Reply Parent Thread Link what is the difference? i'm not asking to be facetious, but more because my grandma suffered a stroke and has parkinson's and the combination has resulted in night terrors and hallucinations. i've heard her experience them, but i don't know the difference? my mom says the docs said not to wake her... it's just awful... Edited at 2016-11-01 06:47 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Oh man. My bf has night terrors regularly and it's scary as hell. I'm always paranoid our neighbors are going to call the cops thinking we're dying because he'll wake up screaming like he's being murdered. Reply Parent Thread Link i get sleep paralysis when i'm stressed and it is freaky as fuck. i think i used to get it as a kid too. it always throws off my entire day when i wake up. i've gotten somewhat used to it tho and can tell when it's happening bc i try to wake myself up i think?? Reply Thread Link She could've Google'd "wake up at night cant move" on Google and gotten her answer. It would've taken less than 5 seconds. But nope, they have to make an entire episode about how its this HUGE MYSTERY and how misunderstood Kendall is lmao Reply Thread Link oh, yes, because Web MD is always the way to go. Reply Parent Thread Link Is this supposed to be sarcasm? There are plenty of websites doctors recommend for looking up symptoms for different things. Maybe if more people took the time to research their symptoms and realize they are NON-ISSUES, more people with serious health problems would be able to get faster/better treatment from doctors Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i really hate how they dramatize such common 'mysteries', as if its the worst thing that can happen to someone and they are doomed by it. i have psoriasis and kims episode is the worst esteem killer for sufferers of the disease. ill probs watch this episode but i know its gonna be insensitive towards those of us who suffer. Reply Parent Thread Link Her life must be so fucking hard. Stay strong Kendall Reply Thread Link same can i join Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao Reply Parent Thread Link loool Reply Parent Thread Link Lol Reply Parent Thread Link Ugh. I regularly have episodes of sleep paralysis, though not the kind that comes with hallucinations and stuff (thank goodness). I just wake up completely unable to move, and that shit is scary enough on its own. When it happens I can't move so much as a finger, I can't open my eyes, I'm just locked in place. I know by now not to try and fight it, but sometimes I'll struggle and end up panicky and freak myself out. PM the only way to get out of it is to drift off again and let my brain "reset" so all of me wakes up the next time. Reply Thread Link I've only had sleep paralysis once and on top of not being able to move, I couldn't breathe and I was choking (or I thought I was, lol). Terrifying Reply Thread Link To avoid sleep paralysis I sleep on my stomach which is really bad apparently. Reply Thread Link Same Reply Parent Thread Link it's so comfy Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I can't remember the last time I had a legit nightmare. Sleep paralysis and night terrors sound terrible. Watch this happen to me tonight. Reply Thread Link The chances of success for any concerted effort to curb global oil supply are getting slimmer by the day, it seems. OPEC members are arguing among themselves who will need to cut how much; Iran and Iraq both want to be excused from the party for reasons of market share necessity; and Russia the worlds top non-OPEC producer is turning vague remarks into an art form. Then theres Brazil, whose Oil and Gas Secretary this weekend delivered yet another blow to the cartel that once held the reins to the global oil price trends. Over the week, Marcio Felix told media in Vienna that Yes, the Brazilian production is increasing I do not have the exact figures, but the production in Brazil will grow in the next few years, we have such plans. Felix attended a meeting between OPEC and a number of non-OPEC producers, but as the minister noted, only as observers. This wasnt OPECs goal, however. OPEC wanted to convince external producers to take part in the freeze/cut, to make it more meaningful. That effort failed. Brazil, like Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Colombia, and other significant non-OPEC producers, is dependent on oil revenues. Perhaps the South American producer is not as heavily dependent as Saudi Arabia, for instance, but oil is still a major revenue contributor. This is particularly true at the moment, with the Brazilian economy in shambles after years of mismanagement, which came to light with the Operation Carwash graft investigation. Brazil needs the oil money, and it also needs external help to get it. To this end, the countrys Congress early this month approved a fundamental amendment to how its oil and gas deposits are developed, removing a requirement for state energy giant Petrobras to be the operator of every single new exploration and production project. Under the new legislation, Petrobras will be allowed to claim some assets for itself, but will not be required to bid on all auctions, allowing foreign companies to be operators on pre-salt projects as well. One day after the approval of the amendment, Brazils foreign ministry office in Houston was approached by seven large energy companies with expressions of interest, according to Petrobras CEO Pedro Parente. Related: Will Oil Majors Ever Recover? This pre-salt layer is where the higher production will come from. Oil and gas deposits there tend to yield higher amounts of hydrocarbons, despite the fact that they are at greater depths. This makes pre-salt projects quite capital-intensive, which is why the greater participation of international oil companies is so welcomed: they simply have more money than Petrobras, which has managed to saddle itself with debts of over US$124 billion and is now on an asset-selling spree to shrink this load. Brazil has been pumping crude at record-high levels this year, with production hitting 2.6 million barrels per day in August. Supermajors such as Shell and BP have an established presence in the country. Norways Statoil earlier this year spent US$2.5 billion on 66 percent in an offshore license block in the Santos Basin, one of the most prolific pre-salt deposits off the Brazilian coast. In this context, any call from OPEC or even a plea for help is likely to fall on deaf ears, regardless of appearances and general statements of understanding. True, Brazil could do with higher prices, but now that its state oil company is not obliged to take a 30-percent stake in every new development and provide proportionate funds for its development, most of the financial burden will fall on the foreign operators. It seems Brazil has chosen the lower-but-surer-revenues option amid the current dilemma faced by all oil producers: continue pumping at low prices or cut output to make them higher. Exactly the opposite of what OPEC is trying to do. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Last week, Venezuelan oil minister Eulogio del Pino released a list of states invited to participate in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) ongoing negotiations regarding a much-anticipated output freeze. Russia, Egypt and ten other oil exporters made the list, though the high variation between the economic and political standings of the non-OPEC participants add to the already complicated and delicate orchestration of the dealif there is to be a deal, that is. This past weekend, several of the invited non-OPEC countries sent representatives to Vienna for consultations regarding the terms of a potential freeze deal. No details have been finalized, but those who participated agreed to meet again before the 30 November OPEC summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Energy Minister Alexander Novak have recently agreed to freeze output in coordination with OPEC, if the groups members can flesh out a plan amongst themselves. According to OPEC Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo, the bloc is on track to deliver a deal by the end of November. Barkindo also said that Russia has agreed to participate in OPECs official meeting this month. As outlined by the Jamestown Foundation last month, Kazakhstan is desperate for a freeze deal to help economic development rebound to the 6-7 percent expansion rate that the former Soviet Republic saw when barrel prices exceeded $100. But just because they are desperate for a cut doesnt mean they will participate. Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said on Tuesday that Kazakhstan itself would not be doing any cutting, because, according to Bozumbayev, their production levels are small in proportion to some of the others at the negotiating table, namely Russia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Iran, and Mexico. This year, Kazakhstan does not expect its economy to grow more than 0.1 percent, while 2017 forecasts from the World Bank predict a low one-percent increase in GDP. Kazakhstan - which recently reopened its Kashagan field, depends on oil exports for over 60 percent of total government revenues and a quarter of its GDP. A failed deal could mean renewed terrorist attacks and political instability for Kazakhstan as the Kazakh economy continues to spiral downwards. Asked what he hoped Saturdays meeting would achieve, a Kazakh official in attendance in Vienna desperately said: "We just hope the price will react and it will increase." That desperation is shared by many other oil-dependent countries, but this desperation is also a sign that these countries are not in any position to scale back the production that generates the most revenue. Related: Oil Tanks After API Reports Biggest Build To U.S. Crude Stocks Since March Azerbaijan was also at the table. Halfway through October, Azerbaijan a country that produced more than half of the worlds oil a century ago - also announced its support of an OPEC/non-OPEC cut, which, as ClipperData noted, is convenient because the countrys September oil production was 10.2 percent lower than its August rate. "Venezuela and Azerbaijan agree that some measures will be taken to stabilize the market, Azeri Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said this weekend. We agreed the price of oil can be around $60 per barrel." Statements revolving around price, however, do not speak to who is ready to share the burden of cutting production, and do little to assuage market fears that a cut is but a wispy goal. Oman wasnt buying the feasibility of OPEC cuts either, and before the Algiers meeting in September, Oman said as much, stating that it did not believe in the blocs ability to solve the pricing crisis due to several failed efforts to freeze output over the past year. Newer reports on Oman show that they officially support an output freeze and overall reduction, with the expectation that similar measures be taken by other countries. It remains unclear if Iraq, a war-torn nation currently defying production limits, and Iran, a country trying to regain its legs now that sanctions were lifted, count as one of the other countries that Oman expects to cut output. As a net oil importer, Egypt does not have the market power or political capital to sway the momentum of a freeze one way or another. The North African countrys recent spat with Saudi Arabia the de facto leader of OPEC - over suspended petroleum shipments will also limit the salience of Egyptian interests in the blocs proceedings. Sources from the Egyptian Parliament say the countrys energy ministry will be asked to review Saudi Aramcos five-year agreement to supply Egypt with petroleum derivatives in the coming weeks, further complicating relations between the two nations. Ninety-nine percent of Canadian oil exports go straight to the United States, according to governmental data from the buyer and seller countries. Neither of the two North American countries is part of OPEC, and they have their own agreements for energy supplies. So even though Canada has been invited to participate in the freeze talks, the country does not have the economic or political incentive to reduce output. Brazil elected to observe Saturdays meeting as the country prepares to increase production rates over the next few years. This makes them extremely unlikely participants in any efforts to scale back production. Related: This Entire Region Is Now Shaping Up As The Worlds Top Natural Gas Play Other countries present this weekend included Mexico, which has spent the better part of this summer building a hedge against low oil prices for the next fiscal year. Small-scale producers such as Bolivia and Trinidad and Tobago have already turned down production over the past two years, which had a limited effect on market fundamentals. Norway, a 1.6 million barrel per day producer that has increased output by 2.1 percent in 2014 and 3.08 percent in 2015, declined to meet with OPEC over the weekend. The geopolitics of oil within OPEC has already delayed the implementation of an internal production reduction for almost an entire year. By adding new nations from previously uninvolved continents (North America and Europe), the bloc has flooded the negotiation table with new interests creating a fresh slate of diplomatic obstacles to overcome before an output freeze can be implemented. By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Ive been writing over the last several months about the worlds top natural gas play the growing demand center of Argentina. And this week, things got even tighter in terms of supply here. Making the entire region more attractive for producers. That became apparent from a critical piece of news emerging over the weekend in Argentinas neighbor to the northwest: Bolivia. Where lifeline exports of natgas into the Argentinean market are apparently dwindling fast. Local papers in Bolivia reported that state energy firm YPFB failed to meet natgas export commitments this past July. With sources quoting Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera as saying that shipments to Argentina for that month totalled just 15.4 million cubic meters per day at least 23% lower than the volumes of 19.9 to 23.4 million cubic meters that YPFB is contractually obligated to provide. So whats causing Bolivia to fall short on its natgas commitments? Apparently rising demand closer to home. Vice President Linera told papers simply, There are priorities in the domestic market. Going on to note that Bolivias natgas production is perfectly stable, but that more of the supply is being used in the country leaving less for export. The critical point for the regional energy picture is, Bolivias government believes the shortfall may continue. As Linares told the press, We are happy about the increase in demand in the Bolivian market. If it increases more, that is perfect. We must continue to supply [the local market] because it is the priority. Related: Experts Remain Bearish On Brent See $45 Oil Throughout 2016 For its part, Argentinas state energy firm Enarsa has reportedly levelled a fine of $2.1 million against Bolivias YPFB for failing to meet contract volumes. But such small penalties are unlikely to deter Bolivian officials from resuming supplies at the expense of the local market. All of which means that supply could be about to get even tighter in Argentina. Putting further pressure on lawmakers here to raise prices in order to spur domestic production. This development could also be good for natgas developers in neighboring Chile. With Argentinas government saying last week that it plans to up imports from Chilean producers in order to meet any supply shortfalls. Overall, the fundamentals looks very supportive for prices and natgas development across this region. Watch for rising prices and ensuing projects being launched in Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and beyond. Heres to filling the void. By Dave Forest More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A technical meeting that was supposed to iron out some wrinkles for a deal to cut oil production ended in acrimony over the weekend, and OPECs effort at coordination could be at yet another impasse. Following the Algiers agreement at the end of September, a tentative deal that called for a collective reduction in oil output in the range of 200,000 to 700,000 barrels per day, OPEC scheduled a meeting on October 28-29 in Vienna to put some meat on the bones of the pact so that it could be officially sealed at the end of November. But after weeks of papering over differences between its members and trying to put some positive spin on the prospects for a deal, OPEC not only failed to agree on individual production quotas, but its members also bickered over data and even which countries are supposed to participate. The group spent two days negotiating, and came away with nothing more than a statement that said they would continue talking. The biggest hang up at this point is Iraq, which has two fundamental complaints. First, Iraqi officials dispute the data being used to calculate its oil production levels, arguing that the sources OPEC is using for its official estimates are underestimating Iraqs output. That would hamstring Iraq more than it feels is fair, forcing it to cut deeper under the deal. More importantly, Iraq is demanding an exemption from the deal entirely, arguing that it should be allowed to produce as much as possible because of its costly war against the Islamic State. Iran, Nigeria and Libya have been granted exemptions, due to the effect of sanctions (Iran) and disrupted supply because of security issues (Nigeria and Libya) Iraq wants the same treatment. Related: Will Oil Majors Ever Recover? That resulted in some friction at the Oct. 28 gathering in Vienna, a meeting that reportedly stretched on for 12 hours. As the WSJ notes, the success of this type of agreement at the end of November tends to require a consensus from lower-level officials ahead of time, something that did not occur this past weekend. That casts some serious doubt on the viability of the overall deal. On Oct. 29, another meeting with non-OPEC producers such as Brazil, Russia, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Oman and Kazakhstan, also ended with very little progress and zero commitments. Moreover, non-OPEC countries will have little impetus to offer any concessions if OPEC itself cannot come to terms. Russia said upfront that it would not cut its production, and it would only freeze if OPEC agreed to cut first. The challenges standing in the way of the deal were evident right after the Algiers announcement at the end of September. Getting all members on board for a production cut was always going to be an uphill battle. But after this weekend, the odds of a deal look increasingly grim. Its more likely that OPEC will come away with no decision in November than that theyll reach an agreement, Fabio Scacciavillani, chief economist at the Oman Investment Fund, told Bloomberg on Oct 30. If they are able to agree, it will likely be a wishy-washy deal thats hobbled by too many exemptions. Related: The Energy Sink: Why The Ethanol Dream Is Unrealistic With competing interests, the discord seen over the weekend in Vienna was somewhat predictable. And the results of the fallout are predictable too: oil prices dropped more than 1 percent on Monday during early trading, with both WTI and Brent dipping below $50 per barrel and dropping close to one-month lows. Hedge funds and other money managers cut their long positions on oil futures and increased short bets for the week ending on October 25, a sign that the markets are losing confidence in a deal. The price balloon is deflating in response to increasing doubts that OPEC will deliver a credible agreement on production control, David Hufton, CEO of brokers PVM Group, told Bloomberg. "The combined OPEC and non-OPEC dance rhythm is one step forward followed by two steps back. In fact, the chances of a deal might deteriorate even further in the remaining days before the official meeting at the end of November. OPEC likely increased oil production in October, which would require even steeper cuts than they previously laid out. That could put a deal of any significance entirely out of reach. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Hacktivist collective Anonymous has reportedly issued a strong warning against North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple in relation to the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline project. As reported in Zero Hedge on Sunday, a video from Anonymous questioned why Dalyrimple called on National Guard troops to face several hundred demonstrators that were opposed to the 1200-mile pipeline that would transport crude oil from North Dakota to Illinois. Anonymous threatened to release documents showing a purported conflict of interest if they harm one hair of the Native Americans peacefully protesting the pipelines construction. Anonymous is calling you out, you damn coward, the videos narrator said. The narrator further claimed the pipeline is encroaching Native lands and threatening local water supplies. Any employees of the pipeline watching this should quit if you dont want Anonymous to release workers private info, the narrator intoned. This hasnt been the first time that Anonymous has threatened with interjecting into the Dakota Access debate but for some protesters their presence is not welcome. "It's about maintaining control of the situation," Chris Big Eagle, a member of the indigenous Warrior Society, told Softpedia in August. "I fear that the people of Standing Rock may be blamed for the actions of Anonymous." "I'm afraid that law enforcement may use the actions of Anonymous to target the Natives protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline," he adds. "The leaders of the protest have asked that protests remain peaceful." The initial occupation of the construction site began in April and has grown as the issue gained more attention and has even become a cause celebre. For opponents of the plan, including occupiers threatening to stay put over the harsh winter months, the Dakota Access issue represents potential environmental degradation, the possibility of contaminating local water supplies, and the encroachment of indigenous territory. Backers of the plan, however, claim that the Dakota Access will create jobs and help local economies, and prevent transporting crude oil via rail. By Erwin Cifuentes for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The number of casualties resulting from a series of explosions at a ship-breaking yard in Gadani, Pakistan, was up to 11 on Tuesday morning. While 11 people have been confirmed dead, 50 were injured and 30 remain unaccounted for. The incident happened at the third largest ship breaking yard in the world, on the Arabian coast of Pakistans Baluchistans province. Reports from the Indian Express indicate that the explosions occurred on an oil tanker that was in the process of being disassembled. At the time of the blasts, around 100 workers were trapped on the ship; others managed to jump overboard. A fire quickly engulfed the vessel as a series of eight explosions were heard throughout the ship. Efforts to combat the blaze were slow, as only one fire engine was available and responders were fearful that more explosion were possible. A representative from Edhi, an ambulance service, reported that responders had found 11 bodies in the water and that body parts had also been retrieved. According to Mohammad Abdullah, an official with the local police, victims were being transported to a hospital in Karachi. The Gadani Shipyard has a history of accidents, and workers there are frequently injured in the dismantling process, for the most part due to substandard safety practices. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered an investigation into the incident. Related: Iraq Publishes Oil Data Never Seen Before To Prove OPEC Wrong The majority of the ship-breaking industry is located in the developing world, in countries such as Pakistan where safety conditions are not ideal. Other nations that host the highly lucrative industry include India, China, and Bangladesh. Unfortunately, these same countries have not met international standards for the industry, which include safety measures for workers. Working conditions do not meet health and safety standards, and workers are not well trained or compensated. In a report compiled by the IndustriALL, a global workers union, Nazim Uddin, who is the head of the Bangladesh shipbreaking union, stated that abuse of the laborers goes unchallenged. Uddin said that workers face miserable conditions, and while they are paid daily, there is no paid leave, no bonuses, and no guarantee of continued employment. According to Uddin, in Pakistan a shipbreakers family is entitled to approximately US $6400, but employers do not pay that benefit. Pertinent to the incident in Pakistan, international guidelines mandate that all potentially dangerous materials, which include gasses and liquids, must be removed before the shipbreaking process can begin. However, dangerous substances are often still onboard, and the men who do the work are often not given the proper safety gear or equipment to do the job safely. By Lincoln Brown for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Everyone has been waiting to hear Russias latest words on the meeting this Saturday between OPEC members and non-OPEC members, and it looks like Russia just chimed inbut this time, with actions rather than mere words. Vladimir Putin okayed on Monday the startup of Lukoils new Filanovsky offshore oil field in the Caspian Sea. This makes Russias second oil field brought online in the last six days (the first being Pyakyakhinskoye), after weeks of stringing the markets along with verbiage that implied Russian would be on board with a production freeze, as well as puzzling contradictory verbiage that indicated it wouldnt. Russias newest field to be brought online is expected to produce 90,000 barrels per day in 2017, which would be on top of not just current production, which as of September was sitting at a hefty 11.11 million per day, but on top of 11.11 million per day, plus any new production from Pyakyakhinskoye, but less any production lost from planned production declines in West Siberia. To be fair, Russia did clarify at some point, in amongst all the unreliable words thrown about by various players that continue to rock the markets day after day, that they would be on board with a freeze if OPEC could get their ducks in a row and agree amongst themselves who will be the losers and who will be the winners. And lets face it, any freeze would have clear winners and losers in the form of market share. (And as Igor Sechin, head of Rosneft, pointed out earlier in October, who would willingly volunteer to be one of the losers?) It looks like Russia chose that conditional word if wisely, because after Friday, it looks like neither Iraq nor Iran are on board, and with Libya and Nigeria likely getting an exemption due to hardship and the subsequent lost market share, there are few member countries left to do the cutting. The fact that non-OPEC members, including Russia, met to discuss joining in something that does not yet exist did not seem to placate the markets. Oil is trading down Monday at $47.11 for WTI and $48.85 for Brent. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: For the 10th straight year, October is Dining Month on OnMilwaukee, presented by the restaurants of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, dining guides, delectable features, chef profiles and unique articles on everything food, as well as voting for your "Best of Dining 2016." Last year, it was Atlas BBQ doing the grilling in the best barbecue category, scoring almost double the votes of the second place finisher, Smoke Shack. 2016 is a new year, however, and this time around, it was fittingly Smoke Shack smoking the competition, taking its turn dominating the voting by almost double its closest opponent, Speed Queen. Speaking of those other competitors, while Smoke Shack had first place locked down pretty easily, the race for the other top five spots was neck-and-neck. Speed Queen scored second place over newcomer Iron Grate BBQ Co., but by less than 10 votes. Saucy Milwaukee staple Saz's and Southern comfort cuisine king Maxie's were hot on their trail as well, finishing less than 50 votes back. Runners up: 2. Speed Queen 3. Iron Grate BBQ Co. 4. Saz's 5. Maxie's Lori Fredrich's pick: Iron Grate BBQ Co. Last year, I lamented the fact that Milwaukee simply was not a barbecue town. But much to my surprise, 2016 brought some new players onto the scene who have consistently impressed me with their offerings. One is Iron Grate BBQ. The art of smoking meats is no small feat, but Chef Aaron Patin has proven that a dedication to the craft makes a mighty fine brisket. Hes also pulled Milwaukee out of its barbecue-less rut by introducing the Milwaukee rib, a deliciously succulent piece of meat we can now proudly call our own. This year we also asked a variety of prominent Milwaukeeans to weigh in on their pick for specific categories. For this category, we consulted Wauwatosa Alderman Bobby Pantuso. Pantuso's pick: Smoke Shack I am a barbecue aficionado and one of the founders of Q and Brew, a barbecue (and now homebrew) competition, as well as the East Tosa BBQ Appreciation Society. When I'd rather just eat barbecue, however, rather than make it, I love Smoke Shack. I can't tell you how thrilled I am that they are opening a Tosa location. Their 'cue is very crave-able so much so that when my wife was pregnant with our fourth son two years ago, I had to stop what I was doing to bring her Smoke Shack takeout while she was at work! For generations, one of the Milwaukees most prestigious addresses was the St. Charles Hotel (786 N. Water St.,) a house with a long and colorful history. Captain Upman takes command It all began in 1844 with Captain Diedrich Upman, a Water Street tavern owner from Hanover, Germany. One of the citys first settlers, Captain Upman watched Milwaukee grow from a small camp to a thriving Western town. He knew it could and would become something much greater in time. The Captains reputation as a "jolly old German" always preceded him. After returning home from the Mexican-American War in 1848, he managed a land office in Winona, Minnesota. "He approved for an abandoned church to be converted into a saloon. This was the captains favorite resort when thirsty, which occurred quite frequently, and he would always say on such occasions, 'The bells are ringing; come, boys, we must go to church. It is unlawful to try cases on Sunday,'" wrote Charles Eugene Flandrau in "The History of Minnesota and Tales of the Frontier" (1900). In 1859, he purchased the bankrupt Hotel Wettstein on Milwaukees Market Square. Only a decade earlier, he had led military recruits on nightly drills through this square, and later, onto the steamboat Louisiana and off to war. Now, Upman was leading a new mission: to build the finest hotel in Milwaukee. His goal was to recreate the majestic St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, after spending many happy hours there after the war. As the first large building constructed above Canal Street, the St. Charles Hotel inspired the expansion of New Orleans outside the French Quarter. Historians recognize the St. Charles Hotel for transforming a swampy wilderness into a modern central business district within a generation. The St. Charles was considered the grandest hotel in the South, and the first truly great American hotel worthy of a Presidential visit. The massive Neoclassical monument was capable of housing up to 800 guests at one time. Thats a hard act to follow, but Upman was dedicated to his goals. He knew that a grand hotel could anchor Market Square and transform Milwaukee into a world class city. After a year of tireless construction, his St. Charles Hotel opened with a formal ball, generous supper and spectacular fanfare on Tuesday, June 12, 1860. "Upman did everything in his power to contribute to the enjoyment of his guests," said the Milwaukee Sentinel. "The St. Charles has been handsomely fitted up and furnished from top to bottom. It will be kept in excellent style and cannot fail to become popular with the travelling public." "The captain, besides being a gentlemanly and intelligent man, has traveled, and has gathered just the kind of experience to enable him to keep a worldly hotel," said the Portage City Record. One of the hotels most memorable features was a first-floor lobby bar that ran the entire length of the building. Architects argued against Captain Upmans vision, but in the end, the bar was built to last. The St. Charles Hotel was only the beginning of Upmans empire. In 1862, Captain Upman sold out to brothers Christian and Valentine Fernekes, who ran the operation for the next 30 years. Captain Upman moved on to open hotels in Chicago, St. Paul and Chattanooga. He died in 1884 at the age of 61, leaving behind a widow and eight children. His son, Frank Upman, would become a prominent figure in the United States hotel industry. The heart of the German Athens The Industrial History of Milwaukee, published in 1886, describes the St. Charles Hotel as "a large imposing brick structure, five stories in height, with a frontage of over 155 feet and a depth of 150 feet. Its halls are wide and its rooms cheerful and inviting. The cuisine of the St. Charles Hotel is perfect in every respect. Their passenger and baggage elevators render all of the floors easy of access. Bathrooms and closets, electric bells, steam laundry, barbershop, elegant billiard parlors, and bar are all attractive. One feature worthy of note is the perfect arrangement and provision made for the safety of guests in case of fire." This last note was important for travelers, as the Newhall House disaster of 1883 was still fresh in their memories and would remain the most deadly hotel fire in U.S. history for decades. The St. Charles was among the oldest hotels in the city when it was purchased and thoroughly renovated by the Pabst family in 1895. The renewed hotel became the eastern anchor to a gorgeous, European-style City Hall Square that included the Blatz Hotel, The Pabst Theater, the Henry Bergh animal drinking fountain and the brand new Milwaukee City Hall (until 1899, the tallest building in America). It had taken 35 years, but Upmans vision of a world city was now achieved. Soon, the Pabst Hotel register was filled with the names of distinguished German royals, robber barons, captains of industry and politicians of every level. It was a favorite meeting place of the Old Settlers Club and the Chamber of Commerce. In 1896, the American Appraisal Company was founded in one of the hotels fifth floor rooms. Franklin Matchette, agricultural scientist and president of the Nitragin Company, operated the hotel from 1904 to 1920. But by the 1920s, City Hall Square was no longer swank. Decades of coal pollution had stained the formerly elegant buildings, financial panics had delayed renovations and Milwaukees ornate Teutonic architecture had fallen out of fashion. The St. Charles Hotel had become more residential than commercial, with many guests renting their rooms by the month. In 1923, the Pabsts sold the hotel and removed their family name from the cornice. The timing of this exit couldnt have been better, because the St. Charles Hotel would soon plunge into a scandalous moral decline. Jazz babies, gin parties and burlesque bordellos On June 1, 1928, the St. Charles was the scene of a spectacular Prohibition raid that blew the top off this house of ill repute. At 1:30 a.m., federal agents seized gin, whiskey, grain alcohol and two highballs that guests were about to consume, and arrested three hotel employees. Two of these employees had prior liquor convictions. As the hotel was shut down, the U.S. District Attorney reported, "We have absolute evidence that liquor was sold promiscuously at the hotel. We have evidence that booze was sold in at least 20 rooms. This is the heaviest padlock the government has ever asked for in Wisconsin." "There appears to have been no difficulty whatsoever in getting liquor here," said Federal Judge F.A. Geiger. After all, the St. Charles Hotel was widely known as a "cutting plant" for the manufacture of illicit alcohols. It soon became popular for other reasons, as the agents reported the behavior of the "lewd chorus girls from the Gayety Theater." One agent reported that uninvited performers came into his room, made themselves at home and drank gin freely. "You could have liquor parties in the St. Charles Hotel any night you wanted them, with chorus girls attending. All you had to do was call the desk and order a bottle. Gin was delivered immediately. Persons prominent in Milwaukees social circles had parties there." C.N. Caspar, owner of the neighboring Book Emporium, was one of those prominent guests. Caspar, known for his collection of erotica and other forbidden literature, maintained a secret room on the third floor of his shop where he entertained chorus girls from the St. Charles Hotel. After Caspars death, local bookseller Harry W. Schwartz inspected this room and commented, "It certainly would have been an elegant little bordello." Cocktails often led to reckless abandon. One agent accounted, "The girls came to my room for drinks wearing only kimonos, step-ins, shoes or smiles, and often turned handstands or somersaults on the floor." Of course, when cross-examined, the agent admitted that he had never asked the women to leave nor stop their naked gymnastics. Prohibition agents used curious language to describe the crowds at these St. Charles Hotel parties. "Bull daggers and pansy boys haunt the [St. Charles] hallways," reads one report. "Degenerates will find doors open to them here." Through these reports, the St. Charles Hotel became known as a gathering place for gays and lesbians one of the first ever documented in Milwaukee. The St. Charles Hotel and over $410,000 of property was padlocked and seized for one year from July 11, 1928. It was the largest hotel ever padlocked as a dry law nuisance in the United States. For the first time, Milwaukee media began to cast a negative light on the idea of "residential hotel living." When the hotel was locked, bootleggers and beggars sat around the lobby for days comparing rates, while others conceived the idea of pitching a tent in City Hall Square. After all, it had its own "private swimming pool" (the Henry Bergh watering trough) and "one seconds jump to a streetcar line." Cabaret entertainers, speakeasy owners, gamblers and night revelers appeared to be the only residents of the St. Charles Hotel. Seventy-one permanent "guests" were ultimately thrown out of their rooms and became refugees. One year later, the padlocks came off the St. Charles Hotel, which reopened on July 19, 1929 under the same management. Incredibly, 70 of the 71 former guests reclaimed their dust-covered rooms. But the dust never really settled for the St. Charles. On July 26, 1930, the hotel was again under scrutiny for allowing young girls to register without chaperones or baggage. Although the hotel was later cleared of charges, a juvenile court judge accused the hotel of leading young girls into the burlesque lifestyle. The judge was most likely right. Strange days, stranger nights On Sept. 16, 1931, a heavy plate glass rooftop skylight fell 75 feet and crashed into the mezzanine of the St. Charles lobby. Amazingly, nobody was injured or killed. The cause of the collapse was never determined, and a series of unexplained phenomena followed. Window panes would fall out of their frames into Water Street below. Guests would wake up screaming about intruders in their rooms. A visitor woke up to find her room on fire, but when help arrived, there was not even a hint of smoke. One of the hotels oldest guests was found days after dying in his bed on the fourth floor, yet hotel staff claimed to have seen him coming and going. A famous Center Street fortune-teller visited the hotel and spoke of a menacing presence that wanted everyone to leave and lock the doors behind them. Reporters mocked her seance, but not without noting that old Captain Upman might be fed up with the free-for-all speakeasy that the St. Charles had become. After federal indictment, near-bankruptcy and a sensational divorce, manager Joseph Budar had seen and heard enough. At sunset on Oct. 8, 1931, the St. Charles Hotel went dark again. Budar assumed management of the Royal Hotel (435 W. Michigan St.) and took most of his staff and residents with him. A caravan procession ensued as guests dragged their trunks, luggage and furniture down Water and Michigan Streets to their new home. Only five years old, the Royal Hotel was already a girl down on her luck when the Budar caravan showed up. Almost immediately, gays and lesbians began to gather at the Royal Hotel Bar and Cafe, taking advantage of the open, accepting atmosphere once found in St. Charles Hotel hotel rooms. Hotel management openly supported anyone arrested for morals or misconduct charges. The bar remained popular through the 1970s, when it was known as the Stud Club (1971) and Michelles/Club 546 (1972). The run-down hotel was finally flattened in 1974, but not before a closing party where guests received keys to their most memorable rooms as parting gifts. Some Milwaukeeans still hold these keys today. Assurant Health headquarters (501 W. Michigan St.) sits on the former footprint of the Royal Hotel. End times Milwaukee County briefly considered the St. Charles Hotel as an indigent home for the unemployed. But, as the new hotel owner stated in 1931, "The property is more valuable without a building on it, so we decided to wreck it." Within a year, the St. Charles was torn down, destroying the European character of the original City Hall Square. Plans for a new building on the site were announced, but eventually cancelled. For no real reason at all, one of the citys most visible blocks was a gravel parking lot for over 35 years. M&I Bank purchased the land in 1947 and announced plans for a modern extension. In 1968, the skyscraper at 770 N. Water St. (now known as BMO Harris Bank) finally opened to the public. As all eyes turned to the new M&I skyscraper as a sign of progress, few noticed that the historic Blatz Hotel (built in 1872) across City Hall Square was being demolished for parking. Joe Yule, stage actor and father of Mickey Rooney, lived at the St. Charles Hotel while performing at the Gayety Theater on 3rd and Wells. He hired Elmer Regner, later the executive producer of the Melody Top Theater, to babysit while he was working. Shortly before his death, Joe shared his memories with the Milwaukee Journal. "I hadnt been in town for over 20 years, so I headed straight to the St. Charles for a look see. Imagine my feeling. Torn down. Nothing left there to see. I stood at the horse trough in front of City Hall and just looked for a long time." We know how you feel, Joe. No matter who is labeled president after the election, the crisis this process has created for most Americans will not be over. It will be like no other moment in all of America's history. Now is the time to look back into the past and connect those events that have led us to this most strange and significant moment. We'll start with the day America's leadership lost all consciousness. "'We're the dark matter. We're the force that orders the universe but can't be seen,' a strapping Navy SEAL, speaking on condition of anonymity, said in describing his unit." If anyone thought the war on terror contained an otherworldly quality , this quote on the front page of the September 11, 2011Washington Post from Dana Priest and William M. Arkin's book Top Secret America confirmed it. 9/11 had taken America through the mirror and there was no coming back. Following 9/11 the elected government of the United States willingly delivered over what remained of America's civilian control to a department of Homeland Security dedicated to expanding the unelected government's fear of darkness into everybody's life. Added to this was a top secret military operation known as the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) that thought of itself as the dark. Begun as a modest hostage rescue team, by 2011 JSOC had morphed into a veritable heart of darkness, with the power to murder at will and completely unaccountable to American or international law. At the height of its notoriety under General Stanley McChrystal in Iraq and Afghanistan, JSOC operated completely in the black as a "Stovepipe," operation, reporting to no one and employing infamous rogue ex-CIA professionals such as indicted Iran Contra operative Dewey Clarridge. The Navy Seal Team that was said to have taken out Osama bin Laden operated under JSOC. Retired military personnel refer to JSOC as "Murder, Incorporated" and the "most dangerous people on the face of the earth." But if JSOC's reputation for secrecy, vengeance and death can't be explained from within the context of traditional U.S. military operations or U.S. law, then what set of rules is it operating from? Or is it simply that the rational enlightenment traditions that most Americans take for granted have become subjected to deeper and older rules of behavior rooted in an irrational world of personal, private and holy war? No one less than the legendary Cold Warrior, Time Magazine's Henry Luce understood that his passion for defeating Communism constituted "a declaration of private war," which, in citing the example of the privateer Sir Francis Drake made it not only "unlawful," but "probably mad." As the child of American missionaries, Luce was committed to the militant spread of Christian Capitalism while viewing its ultimate triumph over the world as an inevitable consequence of God's will. Described by Tournament of Shadows authors Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac as mystical imperialism, the term can be traced to both Britain and Russia's 19th century efforts to establish dominion through a mix of imperialism and Christian zeal. The competition came to a dead stop in Afghanistan with the end of the Great Game in 1907 when Imperial Russia and Great Britain chose to accept Afghanistan as a neutral buffer state between empires. But with the advent of the Cold War in 1947 and the mysterious and intoxicating god-like qualities inherent in nuclear weapons, a new and more apocalyptic iteration of mystical imperialism came into being. The sole purpose of America's mid 20th century defense intellectuals was to rationalize nuclear war, not mystify it. America's cold warriors were far removed technologically from their 19th century counterparts whose Christian elite believed they were bringing enlightenment to the "darker regions of the earth." But whether by design or by accident, within a short time an entire stratum of American scientific and political thought found itself immersed in an irrational realm that looked, smelled and tasted like medieval mysticism. A 1960s London Times Literary Supplement marveled at the new priesthood who moved as freely through the corridors of the Pentagon and the State Department as the Jesuits once had through the courts of Madrid and Vienna, centuries before. Tasked with defeating Communism by any means possible, they invented their own reality, accelerated the nuclear arms race, created an imaginary domino theory of Communist aggression in Southeast Asia and then escalated a real war in Vietnam to counter it. President Kennedy's science advisor Jerome Wiesner eventually came to realize that the so called "missile gap" and the massive buildup of America's nuclear arsenal in response to it was only a "mirror image" of America's own intentions towards the Soviet Union and not the other way around. Yet instead of addressing the error, the U.S. slipped deeper into the Cold War mirror. By 1978 these thermonuclear Jesuits and their CIA counterparts were using the U.S., NATO, China, Iran and Saudi Arabia to shake the Soviet Union's domination over Central Asia through a Christian/Islamic holy war in Afghanistan. In a rational world, it might be assumed that this war would stop with the defeat of the Soviet Union and the collapse of Communism. But instead of ending, America's full blown splurge into personal and private holy war caused the U.S. into a crisis of identity. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121 "We're at a paradigm-shift moment in history, where we will look back at it and realize that a particular model of how we govern our affairs together became outdated. Kall's book Bottom-Up offers great alternatives and solutions that are not found in conventional governing models." Carne Ross , is a former British diplomat, a strategy coordinator for the UN, and author of the book, The Leaderless Revolution. From Mike Malloy Website Oh no, not more of this. More email dirt and now more details of how the primary was snatched from Bernie and handed to Hillary. Election Day can't come quick enough, Truthseekers. And in this nuttier than a fruitcake election, I gotta change my vote again in light of the latest Wikileaks revelation that Donna Brazille gave Hillary debate questions in advance of her CNN Flint MI debate with Sanders. Brazille has been fired by CNN. We assume she will soon resign from the DNC, as did Debbie Wasserman Schultz. What further proof do we need that the system is rigged? It makes me itchy to agree with Donald Trump, but facts are facts. And more proof that Hillary campaign workers were so worried about the FBI pending investigation they destroyed 13 BlackBerries with a hammer. Yes, a hammer. Does that sound like they had nothing to hide? And how many affidavits did Hillary -- and Huma Abedin, and John Podesta -- sign, swearing before Congress that they had turned over 100% of the email on her private server. Then 650,000 emails turn up on a laptop Abedin shared with her pervert husband Anthony Weiner. That's a LOT more than she claimed were on the private server. Oopsie. Where's a hammer when you need it? Word is that many of these emails pertain to further links between the Clinton Foundation and the State Dept. during her tenure as Secretary of State. That seems to be the smoking gun, not Benghazi. And Trump is having way too much fun with all of this. And the gap has narrowed between them. Now goddammit, if Bernie were the candidate as he should've been, Trump wouldn't have a chance. It wouldn't even be close. Done deal. Instead, here we are with these two despicable creeps. I am terrified of a President Trump, but cannot vote for Hillary knowing she got debate questions in advance. She knew it was rigged, she could've refused to cheat...but she didn't. Damn. This isn't some right wing conspiracy, this is blatant election fraud. Jill Stein isn't on the Georgia ballot, so I'm writing in Bernie. Oh, and don't blame Comey for this nightmare, he didn't hide the email and take a hammer to the Blackberries. Plus he had a Hobson's Choice -- a very vocal and pissed faction in his very divided FBI threatened to tell the press about the 650k emails accidentally recovered as part of their Weiner pedophilia investigation (can't make this stuff up), so it was send the letter to Congress or read about it in the NYT under the headline "FBI withholding news that 650,000 undeclared HillMail has been recovered from Huma Abedin's laptop..." ...wake me when it's November 10th. From The Guardian We shouldn't be surprised at the FBI director's intervention in the presidential campaign. He has a track record of dubious decisions FBI director James Comey set off a torrent of criticism late last week when he directly inserted himself into the presidential campaign with a vague letter to Congress about the reopening of the Clinton email case. His conduct has shocked many observers across the political spectrum, but the only thing truly surprising about this episode is that people are only now realizing how power-hungry and dangerous Comey actually is. During his stints in the Bush and Obama administration Comey has continually taken authoritarian and factually dubious public stances both at odds with responsible public policy and sometimes the law. The Clinton case is not an aberration, it's part of a clear pattern. Liberals were once enthralled when Obama appointed the Republican as FBI chief in 2013. They talked about Comey as if he was above reproach because of his role as acting attorney general under George W Bush, when he threatened to resign over an aspect of the president's illegal warrantless wiretapping program. As Glenn Greenwald explained at the time of Comey's confirmation in 2013, this story is incredibly misleading. Yes, Comey did curtail a small part of the NSA's sprawling surveillance program in 2004, however, that occurred before the public ever knew of the existence of any NSA domestic program. The version of illegal warrantless wiretapping that the New York Times revealed in 2005, which sparked a firestorm of liberal criticism and widespread accusations of illegal conduct, was the program that Comey was totally fine with and signed off on. Why he is celebrated as anything close to the hero is baffling. During the Bush administration, Comey also aggressively defended the arrest and due process-free imprisonment of a US citizen, Jose Padilla, on US soil. He was held as an "enemy combatant," tortured, and refused a lawyer for three and half years -- to this day, one of the most egregious violations of the constitution by the Bush administration. In addition, Comey also gave his legal sign-off on torture techniques during the Bush administration, despite harboring personal doubts. Click Here to Read Whole Article A lot of people believe "the establishment" is completely against Trump. So the sudden and amazing attempt by James Comey to seemingly swing the election for Trump has come as a shock to those who hold the view that both the Republican and Democrat "establishment" are "all in" against Trump. Most people see American politics as not being controlled by a single group or cabal or club that comprises "the establishment." They believe that what we have in America are different loyalties, affiliations, and sponsorships, based on perceived ability to influence. That sense of shared values from the very wealthy in America of gaining more wealth and power for themselves, is believed to create "the establishment." Most people reject the other type of "establishment"; i.e., the centralized groupthink of a distinct and covert conspiracy of elites. Many people recoil from "conspiracy theories" precisely because they realize the nature of their own support for politicians is based on a contingent basis of perceived future influence; i.e., if you want to influence politicians in certain ways than your support for them is based on contingencies like: what they have done recently based on influence; who they are close to recently; the political future that lies ahead for them, and so on. But maybe the thinking about conspiracy theories being a fantasy is a mistake. What if some conspiracies are true? What if groups of very wealthy people from long ago created the ability to influence levers of power in America as an ongoing concern - and which is still ongoing? What if it operates outside of the more seemingly rational sense of a money- and power-based American establishment that most people believe in; i.e., that anyone with enough money and power can be a part of it? Most people believe "the establishment" in America operates based on wealth and power, that if you have enough money and power anyone can be part of the establishment because money and power can buy you access to political influence, which makes you part of the establishment. But what if that is only partly true? What if there is an establishment that you cannot buy your way into in America, and that operates as invitation-only and has been going on for a long time? Earlier this year I exposed the direct connection of Trump with one of the most well-known conspiracy theories after Hollywood movie producer and ex-Goldman Sachs man Steve Mnuchin was put in charge of Trump's campaign finances; see my article here click here. Steve Mnuchin as it turns out is a member of Skull and Bones. Skull and Bones is one of the most interesting conspiracy theories simply because it is a real thing. Many conspiracy theories are based on suppositions without any direct proof. Not so with Skull and Bones. They are a Yale senior society that inducts 15 men per year, all of whom make strict vows of secrecy. Bonesmen, as they are known, have a history of great influence in American history, with past members having been among the biggest movers and shakers from American society. Currently some well-known members include George Bush I and II, as well as John Kerry. Also, Stephen A. Schwarzman, founder of Blackstone Group (most powerful investment group in the world); Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. And for all you folks concerned with the massive protests over the pipeline going through Native American lands - the judge who keeps denying them recourse, James E. Boasberg, is also a Skull and Bones member (same year as Mnuchin, 1985). Skull and Bones is said by researchers to have leveraged their long history of being among America's wealthiest, to ultimately have control over many levers of power in America, not only because of their influence in creating them in the first place, but also in members maintaining ties to them. Their ties to America's intelligence apparatus has been documented by researchers, and it appears to be quite extensive. They have been called "America's secret establishment" by author and Hoover Institute economist and historian Antony C. Sutton, who has written extensively on many aspects of American history not taught in your average school classrooms. That doesn't mean that all members are close to each other or share values. Members are chosen at Yale during senior year for their past relationships (family connections) or for their personality, smarts, and so on. Many of them have nothing more to do with Skull and Bones after graduation. But as researchers have found, Skull and Bones is believed to be an introduction to a shared value system for inclusion in another group association that begins after graduation. The Yale senior society of Skull and Bones is believed to be a grooming society that serves as a notice to be inspected by the outside group. If they develop qualifications for inclusion in the outside group, in due course of time they are contacted. Some researchers also believe there are similar senior societies from other schools that serve the same purpose. After I uncovered the Skull and Bones relationship to Trump via Steve Mnuchin, I wondered if that connection would manifest in some way that would be recognizable or if it was just coincidence that Steve Mnuchin was put in charge of Trump's campaign finances. The reason I wrote about that in the first place was because it just seemed odd to me that a very successful movie producer would all of a sudden join up with the Trump campaign in charge of the finances. I am well aware that this is all just conjecture and in reality may all be coincidence. But it would explain the sudden and shocking seemingly blatant political move by James Comey in the face of so much pressure from the Justice Department - and I imagine the Obama administration - to not make such an impact on the election. My guess is that either Comey has been pressured from an unknown source to influence the election (Skull and Bones?) or he has big information about Hillary Clinton from the laptop of Weiner and Abedin - which supposedly neither Comey nor anyone else saw BEFORE the big announcement from him - since they had no warrant to search through those emails until after the shock and awe of the announcement. If it is the latter, and they know what is in the emails and that motivated Comey to make the announcement, then it would appear they searched through the emails without a warrant and what they found was shocking enough that maybe Comey wants to get out in front of the coming criminal scandal before the election so he isn't blamed for not doing his job. This may just be about him covering his ass after his investigators went through the emails and found very damning criminal behavior. Or, this could be about Comey exposing that the FBI maybe illegally searched the emails before obtaining a warrant - and thereby Comey is hampering their use in any future legal action against Hillary. Whatever is going on with Comey, it certainly looks like he is being pressured to help Trump. While the other possible scenarios I laid out may in fact be true, they seem less likely simply because of the timing and the pressure on Comey to not do it. Or, for all we know maybe James Comey is not the non-partisan hero the Beltway crowd has told us about. For all we know he may be a secret right-wing Trumpian fanatic. Or maybe he simply got angry with revelations from Wikileaks about any number of things. Or maybe the secret rulers of Skull and Bones done it!... Happy Halloween all! (Image by Egberto Willies) Details DMCA It was evident during the campaign that Donald Trump refused to speak out against Russia's Vladimir Putin. As Putin's misbehavior continued, Trump remained a defender. One must remember the following. And then today came the motherload. Mother Jones' David Corn wrote dropped the article titled "A Veteran Spy Has Given the FBI Information Alleging a Russian Operation to Cultivate Donald Trump" that is a must-read. Watch David Corn's interview on MSNBC here. Corn wrote the following. In June, the former Western intelligence officer--who spent almost two decades on Russian intelligence matters and who now works with a US firm that gathers information on Russia for corporate clients--was assigned the task of researching Trump's dealings in Russia and elsewhere, according to the former spy and his associates in this American firm. This was for an opposition research project originally financed by a Republican client critical of the celebrity mogul. (Before the former spy was retained, the project's financing switched to a client allied with Democrats.) "It started off as a fairly general inquiry," says the former spook, who asks not to be identified. But when he dug into Trump, he notes, he came across troubling information indicating connections between Trump and the Russian government. According to his sources, he says, "there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit." ... The former intelligence officer says the response from the FBI was "shock and horror." The FBI, after receiving the first memo, did not immediately request additional material, according to the former intelligence officer and his American associates. Yet in August, they say, the FBI asked him for all information in his possession and for him to explain how the material had been gathered and to identify his sources. The former spy forwarded to the bureau several memos--some of which referred to members of Trump's inner circle. After that point, he continued to share information with the FBI. "It's quite clear there was or is a pretty substantial inquiry going on," he says. Why is there no rush to exploit this information? I have a theory. I attempted to put out that theory several times. The Republican establishment does not want Donald Trump. They see him as an imposter. My guess is that some calculating establishment Republicans don't mind a Trump victory understanding that he will get impeached. That would give them President Pence, a man that could not be elected if he were the top of the Republican ticket. They would then get the Supreme Court Justice they want as well as restructure public policy to their Ayn Randian desires. by NW Spotlight Democratic voters in Oregon are leading Republican voters in Oregon in turning in their ballots both as a percentage and even more so in number of votes. According to Oregon Secretary of State statewide numbers, 250,255 Democratic voters have returned their ballots compared to 166,103 Republican voters through 10/30/2016. Democratic ballot returns represent 25.3% of the 987,396 eligible Democratic voters compared to 23.2% of the 715,181 eligible Republican voters. Oregon voters not registered as Democrats or Republicans mostly Nonaffiliated (NAV) voters have returned even fewer ballots. Only 13% (112,271) of the 865,473 eligible small-i independents have returned their ballots. Small-i independents include NAV, Independent Party of Oregon, Libertarian, Pacific Green, etc. That means that of the votes cast in Oregon through 10/30/2016, 47.3% were cast by Democrats, 31.4% by Republicans and 21.2% by small-i independents. KOIN is reporting that Oregon early ballot returns are up this election: Compared to the presidential election 4 years ago, 8 days before the election ballot returns are up about 1%, according to the Oregon Secretary of States office. So far, about 500,000 Oregon voters have turned in their ballots. Thats just over 20%. UPDATE 11/1/2016 5:30 PM: UPDATE 11/5/2016 7:00 AM: SC to probe Panama Papers leaks 01 November, 2016 Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Types of Casino Payment Methods Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love Are Slot Developers Important for players? Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry Woke Bingo The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked both the Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to submit their Terms of Reference (ToRs) on the formation of a commission to probe the Panama Papers leaks. The top court made this decision before adjourning the hearing of the Panamagate case that calls to investigate the prime minister and his close family members over alleged investments in offshore companies. According to PTI counsel, the court said that in the event that both parties do not form a consensus on ToRs, the court itself will decide the terms. "The commission will report to the Supreme Court," the court said, adjourning the hearing to November 3. It said that the commission will hold powers equal to the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali asked both parties to "show restraint". "We have to save the country from unrest and crises," Justice Jamali said, adding that the Panama Papers issue has affected the entire country. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa added that the apex court is the supreme forum to resolve conflicts. A five-judge apex court bench comprising Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Hassan heard the case just a day ahead of Islamabad's anticipated lockdown by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). The apex court had earlier directed both the government and PTI to submit their comments after consulting with their respective leaderships on the formation of a commission and suspended the hearing for two hours. It had said the court will decide who will chair the commission and who its members will be. Petitions in relation to the leaks were first moved by Advocate Tariq Asad, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq, PTI chief Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League (AML) head Sheikh Rashid Ahmed asking for the appointment of a judicial commission to investigate the investment made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and members of his family in an offshore investment company called Mossack Fonseca. Both the PML-N and the protesting PTI took up the Supreme Court's offer to form a judicial commission. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, PTI's counsel Hamid Khan said, "There is agreement on the commission." "We have said the commission will investigate Panamagate and give its findings," he said, adding that the court told both parties to present ToRst. "If there is no consensus, court will decide ToRs itself," the lawyer said. "The PM had on April 4 had said he presents himself and his family for accountability. But he wasted seven months." PML-N lawyer Aslam Butt also informed the court that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreed to the formation of a judicial commission. Speaking to reporters after the hearing was adjourned, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said, "Now the judiciary has taken up the matter, there is no logic in agitation on the streets." "Both the accused and accuser are standing before court so I think the nation should be given relief from the agony of this protest." He urged the PTI do pause the politics of sit-ins and added that the government has "complete faith in the judiciary". Railways Minister Saad Rafique addressing Imran Khan said, "Do us a favour and don't put your workers in testing times." "Now that the Supreme Court has made a decision and a consensus has been reached, the November 2 protest should end." Judges have assessed the pain of the public: Sheikh Rashid AML leader Sheikh Rashid speaking to reporters said, "I think the court has felt the pain of the nation. They have told all parties to take the nation out of this hardship." Earlier he had said his party wants "to get a decision from this five-judge bench" instead of having a commission investigate the Panama leaks. In May this year, CJP Jamali had declined the government's request to form what he then called a toothless judicial commission to probe revelations that surfaced in the Panama data leaks. Justice Jamali had rejected the commission saying the scope of the government's proposed commission was too limited, the ToRs were too wide and had said it may take years to conclude proceedings. The Supreme Court in May had also asked the government to reconsider and resolve the issue of formation of the commission under proper legislation after which it would decide on the modalities of the inquiry commission. An investigation published April 3 by an international coalition of more than 100 media outlets based on 11.5 million records and 2.6 terabytes of information drawn from the internal database of Panamaian law firm Mossack Fonseca details how politicians, celebrities and other famous people use banks, law firms and offshore shell companies to hide their assets. According to documents available on the ICIJ website, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children Maryam, Hasan and Hussain "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies". The data leak revealed the financial wheelings and dealings of over 200 Pakistanis, including the late Benazir Bhutto, Rehman Malik and other prominent politicians and businessmen. From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As... Located fifteen miles north of the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon Dam delivers water from the Upper to the Lower Colorado River Basin. Argonne experts helped recommend a long-term strategy for the dams operation that would balance hydropower with the protection of environmental, cultural and recreational resources in the area. Credit: Kirk LaGory/Argonne National Laboratory Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Argonne National Laboratory have helped develop a plan for the operation of Glen Canyon Dam in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, upstream of Grand Canyon National Park. The plan, known as the Glen Canyon Dam Long-Term Experimental and Management Plan and documented in a final environmental impact statement, recommends a strategy that would balance hydropower with the protection of environmental, cultural and recreational resources in the area. The plan, which was released earlier this month, is designed to be flexible and responsive to changing conditions and new information, so that operations can be adjusted to improve conditions. The report is the first step in a 20-year experimental, management and environmental monitoring effort conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Located fifteen miles north of the Grand Canyon, the Glen Canyon Dam delivers water from the Upper to the Lower Colorado River Basin. The dam was built in 1963 for water storage and flood control and is crucial to water distribution to about 40 million people in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The hydropower facility also provides 1,300 megawatts of electrical generating capacity to more than five million customers. The dam prevents most sediment from entering the river downstream, releases cool water and changes river flow patterns: thus, it also impacts downstream resources. For example, it has contributed to a decline in the population of native humpback chub, as well as the erosion of beaches once built and replenished from sediment transported downstream during annual floods. The team identified seven alternative ways of operating the dam. Each one would implement different monthly and daily water release patterns and experimentally test special releases, such as short-duration high flows to simulate floods and build beaches, low summer flows to allow the water to warm to benefit native fish or short-term fluctuations to manage the trout population. After modeling the effects of these alternatives, the team recommended one that would improve the conditions of downstream resources and limit impact on hydropower generation. "The team, with input from cooperating agencies, Tribes, and stakeholders, has identified a preferred alternative that will benefit the endangered humpback chub, vegetation, wildlife, cultural resources, Tribal resources and recreational activities, including trout fishing, boating and camping, while limiting its effect on clean renewable hydropower," said ecologist Kirk LaGory, manager of the Rivers and Hydropower Program in Argonne's Environmental Sciences Division and team lead for the environmental impact statement. In addition to analyzing environmental impacts, the team assessed how each alternative would affect power production during periods of peak demand when the value of energy is higher (which occur in the winter and summer and in the mornings and evenings) versus when demand is low and the value of energy is lower (like during the middle of the night). The team also analyzed the overall capacity of the hydropower plant over a 20-year period. In doing so, they measured the effects of variable water flow (e.g., drought years and wet years and climate change) that can alter the amount of r energy production year to year. "We used these data to estimate the energy and operational capacity of the Glen Canyon power plant that would be produced under each alternative and projected how other power plants in the Western power grid would respond to operations under each alternative," said Thomas Veselka, a computational engineer in Argonne's Energy Systems Division who was involved in the power system analysis. In the next few months, the U.S. Department of the Interior is expected to produce a Record of Decision that identifies how the department plans to operate Glen Canyon Dam for the next 20 years. The plan would be supported by the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, a successful management strategy for long-term research and monitoring of dam operations and downstream resources that has been in place for the last 20 years. The U.S. Geological Survey's Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center, in coordination with the Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, other agencies and the Tribes, will then implement a science program to monitor the impact of dam operations on fish populations, river sediment, vegetation, cultural resources and other environmental resources. Selecting the right tree for the right space in an urban setting can be the difference between a landscaping dream and a maintenance nightmare. Credit: U.S. Forest Service Sometimes in the cramped environs of U.S. cities every inch counts, especially if attempting to make space for nature. City planners and urban foresters now have a resource to more precisely select tree species whose growth will be a landscaping dream instead of a maintenance nightmare. The U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station recently published a technical manual and launched the most extensive database available cataloging urban trees with their projected growth tailored to specific geographic regions. "Knowing a tree's maximum size can avoid future conflicts between roots and sidewalks or branches and power lines," said Greg McPherson, research forester for the Forest Service and lead author of the technical report and database. The products are a culmination of 14 years of work, analyzing more than 14,000 trees across the United States. Whereas prior growth models typically featured only a few species specific to a given city or region, the newly released database features 171 distinct species across 16 U.S. climate zones. The trees studied also spanned a range of ages with data collected from a consistent set of measurements. "There are very few studies, if any in the world, that can compare to this in terms of scope with regard to the number of trees studied, the species analyzed, the geographic range and ages, and so forth," McPherson said. Selecting the right tree for the right space in an urban setting can be the difference between a landscaping dream and a maintenance nightmare. Credit: U.S. Forest Service Advances in statistical modeling also have given the projected growth dimensions a level of accuracy never before seen. Moving beyond just calculating a tree's diameter or age to determine expected growth, the research incorporates 365 sets of tree growth equations to project growth. "Although tree growth is the result of complex processes, growth equations capture changes in tree size with age in a surprisingly simple and accurate way," said Natalie van Doorn, a research urban ecologist with the Forest Service and co-author on the study. In addition to predicted tree growth, the manual provides species-specific data on foliar biomass, or amount of foliage, that is critical to projecting uptake of air pollutants. Written in a way to be accessible to non-technical users, the technical report gives step-by-step instructions on how to use the equations to calculate tree dimensions, biomass, carbon storage and other features of interest to urban foresters. "The research and publication were done with the urban forester and city planner in mind," van Doorn said. "Urban trees benefit communities in innumerable ways, and it's this information that can help communities make the most of these natural resources." Now you see it... Credit: University of St Andrews Over 100 years ago, the American artist Abbot Thayer proposed that the reason so many animals are darker on their backs than their bellies is to disguise their 3-D shape and so improve camouflage. This theory has been tested by scientists from the Universities of Bristol, St Andrews and Abertay and their findings are published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Because light comes from above, a uniformly coloured animal would appear lighter on top and darker (in shadow) below. These cues to shape that come from shading are what the brain, and artists, rely on to determine 3-D form. Thayer's clever idea was that by having pigment gradients opposite to those created by illumination, an animal could remove the shape-from-shading cues and thus be harder to spot. Lead author Professor Innes Cuthill, from the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences, said: "It's a simple idea but, because shadows are much sharper in direct sun than shade, the best countershading should vary strongly with the environment the animal lives in." Professor Julie Harris, a collaborator at the University of St Andrews, explained: "We used mathematical models of the effects of the type of illumination to generate predictions that we could test with artificial prey." Now you don't...The caterpillar is harder to spot in the second image because the effects of shading are counteracted by the countershading. It happens to be the very example that Abbott Thayer used to illustrate his theory more than 100 years ago. In reverse of the usual countershading rule, the caterpillars back is paler than its belly. This is because in its most common pose, hanging below the branch, its belly is uppermost. Credit: University of St Andrews The prey were caterpillar-sized tubes of paper printed with different gradients of leaf-green shading. They containing a dead mealworm that birds would happily eat if they spotted the paper cylinder. Hundreds of these paper caterpillars were attached to bramble bushes in Bristol parks and their 'survival' in the face of bird predation was recorded. Professor Cuthill added: "The results were as predicted: a sharp transition from dark back to light belly worked best in direct sun; a smoother fuzzy transition worked better in shade and on cloudy days. "Ours is the first study to show that the match between the type of countershading and the lighting is really important for effective camouflage." Co-author, Dr George Lovell, from Abertay University, said: "Our inter-disciplinary work nicely supports previous work showing an association between countershading and habitat in hoofed animals such as deer, antelope and cattle." Female brown recluse spider. Credit: Matt Bertone, North Carolina State University This Halloween, you're not likely to see many trick-or-treaters dressed as spiders. Google Trends pegs "Spider" as the 87th most searched-for Halloween costume, right between "Hippie" and "The Renaissance." But don't let your guard down. Spiders are everywhere. More than 46,000 species of spiders creepy crawl across the globe, on every continent except Antarctica. Each species produces a venom composed of an average of 500 distinct toxins, putting the conservative estimate of unique venom compounds at more than 22 million. This staggering diversity of venoms, collectively referred to as the venome, has only begun to be explored. Among the handful of brave scientists studying spider venom are Greta Binford at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and Jessica Garb at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Both of these researchers analyze the protein structures of various venom chemicals in search of clues that can explain why some are lethal (see side bar below), while the vast majority are thought to be relatively harmless. The scientists also use molecular biology tools to compare the genomes of spiders that have extremely noxious venoms, including the black widow and the brown recluse, to those of spiders with non-poisonous venoms, such as the house spider. The data being collected by Garb and Binford and their colleagues have the potential to increase our understanding of the evolution of spider venom and hopefully contribute to the discovery of new medicines, anti-venoms and insecticides. In addition, because many of the deadlier spider venoms produce their toxic effects by overstimulating the production of brain signaling molecules, this research may uncover novel tools for neuroscience research. Female black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans). Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Shenrich91 Spiders in the genus Sicarius are among the deadliest on Earth. Binford studies a number of the toxins found in these spiders venom, including Sphingomyelinase D (right). While this toxin shares similarities with those found in the venom of the brown recluse, Sicarius spiders are much larger and their deadly payload is much more concentrated. The result is a venom so poisonous that cells near a bite literally burst like balloons, ultimately resulting in the death of wide swaths of tissue. The toxin can also slip into the bloodstream and rip apart red blood cells, as well as the arteries and veins that carry them. Eventually, so many blood cells and vessel linings succumb that both clotting and hemorrhaging occur throughout the body, leading to devastating events such as strokes, aneurysms and heart attacks. Adding to the terror these spiders inspire is their ability to descend on prey with extraordinary bursts of speed. Best to steer clear. Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Beliar spider (left) and Murakami, M.T., Gabdoulkhakov, A., Fernandes-Pedrosa, M.F., Betzel, C., Tambourgi, D.V., Arni, R.K., Protein Data Bank (right) Cryoconite granules (Scale: yellow line = 1mm). Credit: NIPR Cryoconite granules (see Figure 1) are dark, millimeter-sized aggregations of bacteria and algae, mineral particles and organic matter that form on the surface of glaciers. They are also known to be a significant factor responsible for the acceleration in glacial and ice sheet melting. Research on Greenland's glaciers has revealed that cryoconite granule formation increases in areas on the glacier surface containing higher amounts of fine (250 m or smaller) mineral particle sediment. Research findings were recently published in the journal FEMS Microbiology Ecology. Cryoconite granules - these tiny aggregation of cold-loving microbes (also known as cryophiles or psychrophiles) and mineral particles - are very dark in color. Because they are dark, they easily absorb heat and light energy from the sun. This additional heat energy in turn leads to accelerated melting of ice sheets and glaciers (see Figure 2). The accelerated melting of the lower Greenland ice sheet in recent years is reportedly due in large part to the increasing abundance of cryoconite granules and pigmented algae. However, how many types of microbe inhabiting in this tiny granule and what kind of environment factors promoting the activities of cold-loving microbes are still unclear. Dr. Jun Uetake and his team at the National Institute of Polar Research, Japan employed a variety of analytical methods including microscopic observation, genetic analysis and nutrients analysis to study samples of cryoconite granules taken from five different locations on Qaanaaq Glacier in Greenland. Results of his analysis show that cryoconite granules were most highly concentrated in the middle area of the glacier. Also, notably, particularly large amounts of filamentous cyanobacteria were found from same sampling area. Darkened glacial surface. Credit: NIPR Thorough review of the environmental factors, including data taken such as altitude of and inclination at the sampling location, nutrient (phosphate, nitrate and ammonium ion) concentration, amount and composition of mineral particles, revealed a singular correlation between the amount of fine mineral particles (diameter of 250m or smaller) and the presence of cryoconite granules in the area. Dr. Uetake says "higher concentrations of fine mineral particles are conducive to cyanobacterial growth and ultimately, cryoconite granule formation." Ribosomal RNA analysis confirmed that filamentous cyanobacteria Phormidesmis priestleyi, also found in Antarctic lakes and marshes, is the predominant species contributing to granule formation and growth. Analysis also showed that granule diameter surpassing 250m due to growth of P. priestleyi leads to change of bacterium species inhabiting cryoconite granules. Dr. Uetake concludes "As cryoconite granule formation is spreading throughout Greenland, our continuing research must be required." More information: Jun Uetake et al, Microbial community variation in cryoconite granules on Qaanaaq Glacier, NW Greenland, FEMS Microbiology Ecology (2016). DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw127 Provided by National Institute of Polar Research This artist's rendition shows how a proposed laser-fluorescence instrument could operate on Mars. Credit: NASA A sensing technique that the U.S. military currently uses to remotely monitor the air to detect potentially life-threatening chemicals, toxins, and pathogens has inspired a new instrument that could "sniff" for life on Mars and other targets in the solar systemthe Bio-Indicator Lidar Instrument, or BILI. Branimir Blagojevic, a NASA technologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, formerly worked for a company that developed the sensor. He has applied the technology to create an instrument prototype, proving in testing that the same remote-sensing technology used to identify bio-hazards in public places also could be effective at detecting organic bio-signatures on Mars. BILI is a fluorescence-based lidar, a type of remote-sensing instrument similar to radar in principle and operation. Instead of using radio waves, however, lidar instruments use light to detect and ultimately analyze the composition of particles in the atmosphere. Although NASA has used fluorescence instruments to detect chemicals in Earth's atmosphere as part of its climate-studies research, the agency so far hasn't employed the technique in planetary studies. "NASA has never used it before for planetary ground level exploration. If the agency develops it, it will be the first of a kind," Blagojevic said. A Rover's 'Sense of Smell' As a planetary-exploration tool, Blagojevic and his team, Goddard scientists Melissa Trainer and Alexander Pavlov, envision BILI as primarily "a rover's sense of smell." Positioned on a rover's mast, BILI would first scan the terrain looking for dust plumes. Once detected, the instrument, then would command its two ultraviolet lasers to pulse light at the dust. The illumination would cause the particles inside these dust clouds to resonate or fluoresce. By analyzing the fluorescence, scientists could determine if the dust contained organic particles created relatively recently or in the past. The data also would reveal the particles' size. "If the bio-signatures are there, it could be detected in the dust," Blagojevic said BILI's Beauty The beauty of BILI, Blagojevic added, is its ability to detect in real-time small levels of complex organic materials from a distance of several hundred meters. Therefore, it could autonomously search for bio-signatures in plumes above recurring slopesareas not easily traversed by a rover carrying a variety of in-situ instruments for detailed chemical and biological analysis. Furthermore, because it could do a ground-level aerosol analysis from afar, BILI reduces the risk of sample contamination that could skew the results. "This makes our instrument an excellent complementary organic-detection instrument, which we could use in tandem with more sensitive, point sensor-type mass spectrometers that can only measure a small amount of material at once," Blagojevic said. "BILI's measurements do not require consumables other than electrical power and can be conducted quickly over a broad area. This is a survey instrument, with a nose for certain molecules." With such a tool, which also could be installed on an orbiting spacecraft, NASA could dramatically increase the probability of finding bio-signatures in the solar system, he added. "We are ready to integrate and test this novel instrument, which would be capable of detecting a number organic bio-signatures," Blagojevic said. "Our goal is increasing the likelihood of their discovery." Long Heritage Blagojevic hopes to further advance BILI by ruggedizing the design, reducing its size, and confirming that it can detect tiny concentrations of a broad range of organic molecules, particularly in aerosols that would be found at the ground level on Mars. "This sensing technique is a product of two decades of research," Blagojevic said, referring to the technology created by his former employer, Science and Engineering Services, LLC.. Blagojevic and his team used NASA's Center Innovation Fund, or CIF, to advance the technology. CIF stimulates and encourages creativity and innovation within NASA, targeting less mature, yet promising new technologies. Democratic congressional candidate Mike Derrick has taken the lead in labor union contributions in the 21st Congressional District, after trailing U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, until the final full campaign finance reports before the Nov. 8 election. In total, labor unions have contributed $37,050 more to 21st Congressional District candidates this election cycle than in 2014, about a 58 percent increase.. Derrick reported $7,500 in labor union contributions between Oct. 1 and Oct. 19, bringing his total labor union contributions to $52,200, as of Oct. 19. New contributions are as follows: Brick Layers and Allied Craft Workers -- $2,500, bringing the union's total contributions this election cycle to $7,500. United Steelworkers -- $5,000, bringing the union's total contributions this election cycle to $10,000. Derrick's labor contributions are a little less than the $59,650 in labor union contributions Democratic candidate Aaron Woolf had received at this point in the 2014 21st Congressional District race. Stefanik reported $3,000 in labor union contributions between Oct. 1 and Oct. 19, bringing her total labor union contributions to $48,000, as of Oct. 19. Stefanik received $3,500 in labor union contributions in the 2014 21st Congressional District race. Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello does not accept contributions from political action committees, including labor unions. GLENS FALLS Comprehensive tax reform is long overdue, said U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro. The last time we had tax code reform was in 1986. I was 2 years old, she said Tuesday in a meeting with The Post-Star editorial board. Stefanik said rewriting the tax code to be more fair and less complex will stimulate the economy. I know that is a top priority for the House. And I am hopeful that whether it is Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, it is a top priority, said Stefanik, who is running for re-election against Democrat Mike Derrick, a retired Army colonel from Peru, in Clinton County, and Green Party candidate Matt Funiciello, a bread company owner and political activist from Hudson Falls. Derrick and Funiciello both support increasing tax rates for certain types or levels of corporate or income taxes. Stefanik said she opposes increasing any tax rates. I dont support raising taxes. Thats not the answer to economic growth, she said. What I do support is getting rid of special interest loopholes that individuals in higher income brackets can take advantage of whereas others cant. Stefanik suggested three premises she thinks could draw broad-based support to start discussion of tax reform. The first is that the tax code should be rewritten, not just modified. Youre dealing with 70,000 pages-plus of the tax code. That is an example of the disconnect between federal agencies, Washington, D.C., and average people across this country, she said. When youre starting from scratch, you rebuild the tax code start with a very simplified approach and go from there. The second is that special interest loopholes that only benefit certain individuals or classes should be evaluated. The tax code is riddled with them, she said. The third is a requirement that all candidates for federal office must release income tax returns. Requiring federal candidates to release their taxes will actually help solve this issue because it brings transparency to what those loopholes are that people are taking advantage of, she said. Stefanik reiterated her support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, because of his policies on tax reform, regulatory reform and the military. Im supporting the Republican ticket because I think that Trump is the most likely to pursue tax reform, she said. I am going to work with whoever the next president is. I have been critical of both candidates, she continued. I have been critical of Clintons lack of transparency, of her use of a private e-mail, and her support for the Iran nuclear agreement, she said. And I have been critical of Trumps religious litmus test. I dont support that. I think its unconstitutional. Ive been absolutely critical about his statements toward minority groups, toward women. Stefanik said her re-election campaign is focused on things she has accomplished, such as a two-year suspension of the gross receipts tax on medical devices, repealing a provision in President Obamas health care reform law that required employers to automatically enroll new employees in health insurance, replacing the No Child Left Behind education law, and passing comprehensive medical research legislation. I feel the momentums on our side. Im running on my record of results, she said. GLENS FALLS and NINILCHIK, Alaska Ida Marie (Rogers) Chenier, 91 years, passed away Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, at Saratoga Hospital. Born Dec. 7, 1924 in Glens Falls, she was the daughter of William F. and Ida (Damme) Rogers. Ida graduated from St. Alphonsus School and Glens Falls High School class of 1942. Ida and Bob's first date was to go fishing on the Hudson River. Ida had refused to eat fish until that date. She has been a fish lover and loved fisherman ever since! Ida and Bob were married Sept. 14, 1946 in St. Alphonsus Church. Ida and Bob lived in Glens Falls for many years. Ida was a private secretary for Arthur Irving, Sr., publisher of the Post Star. Ida and Bob traveled extensively before settling in Ninilchik, Alaska in 1967, claiming that as the best place to fish. Together they had a wonderful life of fishing, hunting, walking the beach, and enjoying all Alaska has to offer. The door to their Log Cabin was always open to visitors from France, Ireland and near and afar. A wonderful fun loving Irish priest, Father Charlie Gorman, still kept in touch with Ida, as well as friends from Ninilchik. Ida had many jobs in Ninilchik, retiring from the U.S. Postal Service. She was an excellent cook, fisherman, an expert at crossword puzzles, an avid reader, and a loving and caring person to all who knew her. She was active in the American Legion, St. Peter's Catholic Church in Ninilchik, the Senior Center, and other organizations. Ida represented St. Peter's at Mass with Pope John Paul II in Anchorage, Alaska. Ida came back to the Glens Falls area after Bob's passing, and spent her last few years at Sun Haven Manor in Ballston Spa. She received excellent care and made many more friends. Ida was predeceased by her parents; husband, Robert Chenier; daughter, Kathryn Barbara, age 19 months; sister, Mary Jane Hahn; brother, William Rogers, Jr. and nephew, Richard Hahn. Survivors include her cousins, Jack and Kay Donohue, Gayle Greeno, Janet Brady, and several more cousins, her brother-in-law, Richard (Jean) Chenier; sister-in-law, Eleanor Hume; 13 nieces and nephews and their families that all loved and enjoyed their Aunt Ida. A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3, at Singleton Sullivan Potter Funeral Home, 407 Bay Road, Queensbury. Burial will immediately follow at St. Alphonsus Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude Children Hospital, 501 St. Jude Way, Memphis, TN 38015 in Ida's memory. For those who wish, online condolences can be made to the family by visiting sbfuneralhome.com. DEAR ABBY: My brother and his wife have been married 3 1/2 years and have an 18-month-old daughter. My sister-in-law, Barb, is either very rude or passive-aggressive to our mother in emails and when she thinks no one is around. At Christmas, Barb sends out an email detailing what we are and are not allowed to buy for their daughter. If we cant do exactly what she wants, she threatens to cancel Christmas. This includes asking her permission before we buy any toys. Barb tells my mom that because her mother doesnt have much money, Mom cant spend more than her mother does. So, because my family has a little more money, we are being punished. Barb is extremely demeaning and hurtful to us. I cant understand why my brother allows it. My husband and I are sick and tired of her acting this way, and the way she treats my mother is cruel. Im tempted to confront her about how she has ruined Christmas for my parents. She basically doesnt allow us to have feelings, and I cant believe we are standing for it. Help! HOLIDAY HOSTAGE DEAR HOSTAGE: Your sister-in-law may be telling your parents not to spend more money on gifts for the grandchild because she doesnt want her mother to be embarrassed. However, if her rude behavior extends beyond that, rather than take her on, the person you should confront about it is your brother. DEAR ABBY: My fiance and I are in the process of ordering our wedding invitations, and the phrase the honor of your presence is requested versus the pleasure of your company is requested is causing a problem. The woman at the store insists we use the latter because the ceremony wont be in a church. My research on the internet says if the ceremony is a religious one, the phrase the honor of your presence is appropriate, and it is also our preference. However, if the ceremony is a civil one, the pleasure of your company is requested is the preferred one. Our minister will be performing the ceremony in the gazebo at the country club. Although its not a church, the ceremony will certainly be religious. Whats the proper etiquette on this issue? Invitations are on hold until I hear from you. DONNA IN FLORIDA DEAR DONNA: The salesperson at the store is mistaken. The wording on your wedding invitation is not determined by whether you are being married in a church. I ran your letter by Lisa Grotts, a San Francisco Bay-area certified etiquette expert, who had this to say: The wording of wedding invitations varies, depending upon who is hosting the wedding, i.e., the parents of the bride or groom. If the brides parents are hosting, then the phrase the honor of your presence is correct. However, if you and your fiance (or other family members) are hosting the wedding, then the more modern terminology the pleasure of your company is preferable. GRANVILLE Evergreen Slate is expanding, acquiring Vermont Natural Colored Stone from R.J. Finlay & Co. It allows us to increase our portfolio in terms of colors, said Phil Prehoda, Evergreens sales manager. They have more green, black and purple over there, and this will help us expand. Evergreen is getting property that includes quarries, a mill and block storage initially developed by Vic Grenier and quarries and farmlands known as the McGann farm, which connect the Grenier properties to New York. They have pulled a good amount of slate out of those quarries over the years, and theres more there, Prehoda said. This also gives us more space for storing blocks during the winter and adds an additional saw and other equipment. Prehoda said the acquisition creates one of the largest contiguous slate-producing properties in the region. As part of the transaction, R.J Finlay & Co. becomes a shareholder in Evergreen. We are delighted to team up with Evergreen on this transaction, Daniel Monfried, president and CEO of R.J. Finlay & Co., said in a press release. Evergreen Slate is the largest producer and supplier of roofing slate in the United States and was founded in 1916. Among the colors produced by Evergreen, which has its headquarters in Middle Granville, are mottled green and purple, red, Canadian black, mottled grey-black, royal purple, green, gray, gray-green, Vermont black and variegated purple. GLENS FALLS Local environmental activists demonstrated at the Centennial Circle roundabout in Glens Falls on Tuesday in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. Tribe members and environmental activists in North Dakota are prostesting to prevent installation of the Dakota Access oil pipeline across reservation land, after the tribe lost a federal lawsuit. Were standing in solidarity with Standing Rock, said Christine Elms of South Glens Falls, one of the local demonstrators. Elms said demonstrators are asking people to email the White House to urge President Barack Obama to issue an executive order to stop the drilling. Hannah Williams and Rob Harriman of Glens Falls held up an original painting of Sitting Bull, the historic Native American leader, with a modern oil pipeline in the background. What is going on has been going on, Williams said. About 20 demonstrators were present in mid-afternoon. The number of demonstrators that participated had fluctuated throughout the day, said state Assembly candidate Robin Barkenhagen, who joined the demonstration. Green Party congressional candidate Matt Funiciello joined the demonstration earlier on Tuesday. The demonstration will continue from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday. Maury Thompson GREENWICH One of the most involved missing persons cases in the regions history started with a phone call to police nine years ago Wednesday. A Greenwich man reported his 12-year-old foster son was not in his Hill Street home. Nine years later, police are no closer to figuring out what happened to Jaliek Rainwalker. His adoptive parents concluded he ran away, but other relatives and police officers believe he has been dead since the night of Nov. 1, 2007 or early the following morning. Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell said local, state and volunteer investigators continue to field leads as they come in, most recently a call earlier this fall from someone who reported seeing a young man who looked like Rainwalker in Oklahoma City. He was a ringer for Jaliek, but it wasnt him, Bell said. The lead was among thousands police have handled in the years since the mystery of the troubled boys disappearance began. Bell said he continues to communicate regularly with the State Police Major Crimes Unit, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan about where to go with the investigation. A television show that focuses on cold cases is interested in the case as well, he said. Rainwalkers adoptive father, Stephen Kerr, told police Rainwalker was missing from the home the morning of Nov. 2. Kerr had picked him up from a respite home in Latham the night before, and the two had dinner in the Capital District before, he said, he returned to Greenwich. Within weeks, as searches for the boy turned up no clues, Kerr was labeled as a person of interest in his disappearance, since he was the last person with the boy, and according to police, he made a number of inconsistent statements. Among the inconsistencies were Kerrs statements concerning his whereabouts the night of Nov. 1, as police found surveillance video and cell phone triangulation evidence that seemed to contradict what he said. Kerr refused to take a polygraph test, authorities said. Rainwalker had emotional and behavioral problems. He had been placed in foster care, then was adopted by Kerr and his wife, Jocelyn McDonald. McDonald was not at the Hill Street home the night Rainwalker disappeared, as she was at another family home with the couples other children on the other side of town. A lawyer for Kerr and McDonald has said the family believes Rainwalker ran away. He would now be 21. McDonalds mother, Barbara Reeley of Troy, has agreed with the police opinion about Rainwalkers disappearance and the likelihood he is still alive. She said Tuesday she is hopeful there will not be a 10-year anniversary of her grandsons disappearance, but the case will be solved before then. Reeley posted a lengthy dissection of the situation Tuesday on a Facebook page set up for Rainwalker, which disclosed new information about Kerrs actions in the hours after the boy was reported missing. She wrote that Kerr went to a birthday party for his boss that day, as others including Reeley searched for Rainwalker and made up missing posters. Jaliek was a wonderful and loving child and deserves, as all children do, to be cared for and kept safe, she wrote. I feel we are in a holding pattern but one day the final piece will be found and well know what happened to Jaliek and there will be justice. Bell, and all of the police officers who have been involved with the investigation, have long said they believe Rainwalker is dead, and each passing day that he is unaccounted for underscores that belief. Its nine years and he hasnt shown up, Bell said. GLENS FALLS State Senate candidate Steve Ruzbacki said he was fired from his substitute teaching job at a Columbia County school district after news broke that he had been issued a ticket for marijuana possession. Ruzbacki, of Minerva, was stopped by State Police just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 16 for an inadequate license plate lamp. Police searched his vehicle and found one burnt marijuana cigarette, about 11 grams of marijuana and three marijuana smoking devices, including one containing marijuana residue. He received a ticket for possession of marijuana. Ruzbacki, the Green Party candidate for the Senates 45th District, said Tuesday he was informed over the phone he could no longer work at Ichabod Crane School in Valatie in Columbia County. Superintendent George Zini said Ruzbacki had been working as a substitute teacher for about two weeks. Hes not going to be subbing here anymore, Zini said. He would not comment on the reasons why Ruzbacki would not be substituting, calling it a personnel matter. Legalizing drugs such as marijuana and heroin is a core tenet of Ruzbackis campaign. He wants money spent on law enforcement to be spent instead on treatment of addiction. Ruzbacki contacted The Post-Star on Tuesday to tell about being fired. He wanted to comment on the proposal by his incumbent Republican opponent, Sen. Elizabeth Little of Queensbury, to require drug testing for infant and toddler children of parents arrested for possession of narcotics such as heroin. The law would apply to children under 3 who are too young to speak with investigators or social workers. In a fax, Ruzbacki called the proposal an Orwellian effort to further condition citizens to accept gross infringements of their Fourth Amendment rights while further marginalizing the poor and alienated within our communities. Ruzbacki said it was wrong to subject young children to drug tests without a warrant, without suspicion and without a parents consent. He also said punishing pregnant women who use drugs deters them from seeking prenatal care and drug treatment. Ruzbacki said numerous medical and health organizations have denounced the practice of drug-testing pregnant women, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The 45th Senate District comprises Clinton, Essex, Franklin and Warren counties and parts of St. Lawrence and Washington counties. GLENS FALLS Larry Hickey leaned back in a chair and told sea stories to three meteorologists and his wife, Eileen, who has heard them all before. Telling sea stories is what retired merchant captains do. Hickey, a 76-year-old Saratoga Springs resident who spent the better part of five decades on the worlds oceans and the Great Lakes, was regaling three of the leaders of Weather Routing Inc. The Glens Falls company, which had its roots in New York City in the 1960s, packs dozens of computers into its Warren Street Square offices and guides ships around the world with weather forecasts that look 10 days ahead. All I had was the weather that had passed and how fast I could draw, Hickey said. Back then, it was me doing a guessing game. As Hickey talked, company President Stasu Bizzarro; director of cargo operations Mike Dore; and operations manager Jeremy Davis listened carefully as Hickey talked about how things had changed. Hickey met Davis when he traveled to Saratoga Springs to speak at the Academy for Lifelong Learning at SUNY Empire State College. The two hit it off when Hickey started talking about his career as a sea captain, which included 40 years with the St. Lawrence Seaway, and Davis invited him to the Weather Routing office, which employs 30 meteorologists and is in the process of expanding across the hall in its second-floor offices. Hickey got the full tour and spent a good deal of time in the companys front room, where numerous meteorologists were sitting in front of two to four computer monitors each. I think every captain ought to come here and see what youre doing. They would listen to you a lot more, said Hickey. He stood rooted behind one meteorologist, looking at a screen that showed conditions in the Indian Ocean, tapping his finger on the screen and telling stories about traveling in the region. Weather Routing Inc. provides data to yachts, cruise ships, cargo ships and freighters; forecasts for major events, such as rafting trips or world record pursuits someone swimming or sailing solo, for instance; and gets information for crews doing oil exploration or environmental studies. Hickey remembers a time when his ships GPS was the size of a desk, and he used a sextant as backup. He also remember his captains, from the 1960s right up to recent times, not wanting to trust the meteorologists sitting in their comfy offices. They would ask, Do they have anyone with masters licenses up there? They didnt trust people who were not out on the ocean, Hickey said. A lot of the old-time skippers didnt trust you because you were sitting in an office. Hickey remembered being a chief mate in the 1960s when Weather Routing first started. The captains back then, most had served back in World War II and they didnt like having someone on shore telling them what to do, he said. Dore said there are times bulk cargo ships come up to Albany and staff members go down to meet the captains. They have also visited cruise ships, he said, and the visits pay off. We see that when captains meet us, they trust us more, he said. Hickey joked that with all the new technology, he might just want to go out to sea again. I know some companies that are looking, Dore said. Marge Mohn chuckled a little when she started explaining what a recently received $10,000 grant will do for a proposed Fort Ann-to-Whitehall trail. We want to make sure the trail is on track, she said, dropping the pun on track, then explaining it would be used to have a professional consultant examine the plans developed by a committee headed by her and Fort Ann Town Board member Gretchen Stark. Its feasibility study. We want to make sure we can do it, said Stark, who has been working on the project for several years. Right now, we have a trail going south on the old towpath for about 3 miles. The grant will go to the Arts and Recreation Commission of Whitehall, Inc., but will be used to plan a trail to connect the two towns. Mohn said the trail will be on the east side of the canal, because there are two many inlet that would require bridges on the west side. Long-range plans call for a trail along the Champlain Canal from Waterford to Whitehall. At Waterford, there is a connection to Cohoes, which leads to the Erie Canalway Trail, which will eventually run to Buffalo. The local grant was among 22 that went to communities and organizations in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Capital Region from the $254,000 2016 Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program. The awards are matching grants, requiring the communities to put in funding or in-kind work. Stark said it is her understanding that the Canalway Corp. will bring the trail up from Fort Edward to Route 196, and eventually there will be a connection there to Fort Ann and on to Whitehall. Funding is going to be needed for a lot of that work, and Mohn said the grant will allow a consultant to prepare a document that is more professional than we amateurs can do. We also want to make sure we are correct in what we are doing, she added. I am not an engineer. It needs to be looked at by a pro. The projects are designed to improve public access to natural and cultural resources, and better connect communities throughout the Hudson River Valley. These trails are pathways to the Hudson River Valleys unparalleled natural beauty and outdoor recreation, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. This funding will help to ensure these trailways remain well-preserved and accessible so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy these natural treasures for years to come. The Greenway Conservancy Trail Grant Program is administered by the Hudson River Valley Greenway, with funds from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. Quality trails offer four-seasons of recreation for all who live and visit our great state, State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said in a press release. Thanks to these grants, we will better connect people to the Hudson Valleys spectacular scenery, while improving the quality of life and lifting the economies of host communities I think this trail will open tourism for the county and for the whole area, she said, noting the currently designated trail is on Route 4. Thats a dangerous place to tell people to ride bikes. Inventory needs to be managed and managed well, or you are going to get in recurring trouble, and lose your credibility and hard-earned conversions, whether Read more Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Despite her life-long commitment to public service, she is often criticised as a bad mother. UK prime minister Theresa May, too, is often seen as cold and unrelatable while Margaret Thatcher was referred to as the Iron Lady competent but cold. Think back to Meryl Streeps interview about her experience of the gender pay gap in the movie industry. When asked if she was a feminist she did not use the F-word and stressed her love for men as if pre-empting an attack. But why should there be such unease and reluctance surrounding feminism, which after all just strives for equality of the sexes? It may all be in the nature of sexism. Contemporary sexism is mainly ambivalent in nature. We often hold both positive (benevolent) and negative (hostile) attitudes to women (and men). Hostile sexism involves old-fashioned and overt negativity towards women, whereby they are perceived as wanting to control men. It reflects beliefs that men should have more power than women, that women may use their sexuality to benefit from mens higher status and that women are less competent than men. Benevolent sexism on the other hand is more subtle. It is positive in valence but still undermines and patronises women. It views them stereotypically and restricts their social roles. It includes beliefs that good women are nurturing and that men should protect them, implying that they are weaker. This form of sexism often goes unnoticed and yet has negative consequences for women making them less interested in activism, under-appreciating their own competencies and even lowering their performance. The power of status quo It may come as a surprise but individuals who score high on benevolence to women in psychological tests are likely to be high on hostility as well. People can often have such seemingly conflicting attitudes without even realising it. This is because people divide women into good ones (those who deserve positive attitudes) and bad ones (those who deserve punishment). It is sometimes referred to as the Madonna vs whore divide. Crucially, both forms of sexism serve to maintain status quo. Hostile sexism punishes behaviours that are seen as inappropriate for women. Examples include the story of Malala Yousafzai which shook the world in 2013 she was shot for going to school. Closer to home, Caroline Criado-Perez received rape threats on Twitter after her campaign to have a woman depicted on the next 10 note. However, open hostility per se often leads to rebellion, which makes it unsuccessful in maintaining the status quo. Thus, this iron fist needs a velvet glove. And this glove is exactly what benevolent sexism is it rewards compliance with the system. Women who follow traditional gender roles are put on a social pedestal and are protected. Think about food TV presenters Mary Berry or Nigella Lawson (before the alleged drug scandal) the exemplar domestic goddesses. Womens gender stereotypical behaviours are thus reinforced. Indeed studies have shown this again and again. Ive shown it to be the case in advertising. Others have found it operates in occupational, educational, judicial, economic and social including romantic spheres. By stepping into traditionally male domains, women gain in competence but often lose in likeability. This may also be a reason why women often are reluctant to confront instances of sexism openly. Is it really that surprising then that even some women oppose feminism? Combined, the two sexist ideologies condition and socialise women (and men) to maintain the status quo. It is simply safer to be in line. After all, we all want to be liked. As a result, women often internalise the stereotypical expectations. They may genuinely hold more conservative views and believe that women are better suited to certain roles. For example, they may enjoy being in charge of the household and children, and feel that feminists are trying to take that power away by demanding that men share responsibility in this arena. Others may not agree with more extreme interpretations of feminism. Indeed, the belief that women are better than men in the domestic sphere and that men would fall apart without their help and support at home can be used by women to justify their opposition to feminism. Other justifying mechanisms include believing that a softer, less confrontational approach to achieving gender equality is more likely to be effective in securing mens support. Moving towards greater tolerance So what can we do about it? Well, just being open about what is going on is a start. Identifying the hidden structures that are meant to keep us all in check could help both women and men question the system. And heres a great incentive to do it. Research has shown that greater egalitarianism is actually beneficial for both men and women across the board. Not only does it boost organisational performance and the national economy, but couples who share housework actually report having more sex and being happier with their romantic relationship. So why not strive for it? It certainly can be achieved but we need attainable female role models, support from men and informational campaigns supported by experiential learning to do it. My own research suggests that democratisation, with its focus on fostering understanding and tolerance, may help. My latest research also shows that nonverbal behaviour, such as holding power poses physical gestures that communicate power may help women by increasing their interest in non-traditional domains such as statistics, maths or technology. Perhaps fittingly, tolerance is the topic of my next open public talk. Together with mutual respect, tolerance could create a safe environment for all to thrive in. One where the F-word could be used safely. Or maybe one where it would not need to be used at all. By Magdalena Zawisza - Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University Society is depositing great hopes in you because engineers must always be concerned with seeking out solutions for the problems which plague the country, said Nyusi. He also said that engineers are called on to contribute solutions for the development of human capital that will increase productivity, raise the countrys competitiveness and create more jobs. READ ALSO: How the global GE team came together for a uniquely African Innovation Centre The GE Mozambique team had a stand at the fair, which is organised by the Student Representative Council of the engineering faculty of Eduardo Mondlane University and includes students from various Universities across the country. Employees participating in GEs Graduate Engineering Training Programme (GETP) joined the team to talk to interested students about their GETP experience. GE supports Eduardo Mondlane university, with a $250 000 worth of bursaries to the Engineering faculty. Nyusi delved into Mozambiques history by reminding those at the fair that contributions by students to solving Mozambiques problems began with its independence in 1976 when the countrys first president, Samora Machel, had called on students to temporarily leave their studies and to help stabilise the economy by taking up positions which were abandoned by Portuguese settlers leaving the country. Nyusi concluded by saying that more interaction between the government, universities, companies and industries is required to share knowledge and ensure that the engineering sector becomes more productive in meeting the demands of society. According to Dovetail Business Development, which develops logistics software solutions in Africa, the state of logistics infrastructure around Africa is poor and is hindering growth and development particularly in Mozambique. One of the biggest infrastructure challenges in the country is that less than 30% of the road infrastructure from the capital, Malawi, to other main cities is in good condition and seasonal floods exacerbate the condition of the road network thereby increasing transport expenditure. Executives at Dovetail believe that tackling these infrastructure challenges could increase the countrys export and import potential. With the NPP aiming at securing a decisive majority in the popular vote, as well as securing the majority of parliamentary seats, Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to residents of Gomoa East not to entertain any thoughts of voting skirt and blouse, either in the presidential or parliamentary election. Nana Addo was addressing residents of Gomoa Akotsi in the Gomoa East constituency, on Tuesday, November 1, 2016, at the commencement of his 3-day tour of the Central Region. He urged all candidates in the 2015 parliamentary primary to rally behind the partys candidate, Kojo Asemanyi, recounting his own experience in 1998 when he fully supported then candidate John Agyekum Kufuor to enable the NPP win the 2000 elections. He said this at a mini rally in Ayirebi in the Eastern Region. President Mahama is on a campaign tour in the Eastern Region to share his transformation message with the chiefs and people in the region. READ ALSO: Mahama decorates Adenuga with highest national award The president said that because of this belief he holds he is surprised when the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) carries himself around as if he has already won the December 7 polls. The President in his address further promised to build an ultra-modern hospital facility for the community if he re-elected after the December polls. This is in fulfilment of a request made by the chiefs of the area. Groupe President, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom will commission the Edwumawura branded rice at two separate ceremonies at Worawora in the Volta Region and Assin Bereku in the Central Region. The refurbished Worawora Rice Mill Factory will start producing the Edwumawura Rice right after the commissioning on November 1st 2016; while commencement work on the Assin Bereku Rice Factory which will also produce Edwumawura Rice will be in full force right after inauguration on November 3rd 2016. In all some 4000 out-growers are expected to benefit from the two factories. They have since been employed by Groupe Nduom to feed the factories with paddy rice. The establishment of the local rice mill factory is part of the Groupes commitment towards the improvement of lives of indigenous Ghanaians, majority of who are found in farming and fishing. The Groupe believes the factories have the potential of producing a local rice brand which quality will easily surpass the foreign ones which are currently dominating the Ghanaian markets. By conservative estimate, Ghana imports close to $1.5 billion worth of rice from foreign countries like China, Thailand, Vietnam, India etc every year and the fact that the country consistently imports same amount of rice within the period means there is readily available market for rice production in Ghana. That explains why the President of Groupe Nduom, Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom is happy that Groupe Nduom is encouraging the farmers to produce top-class rice that can compete with any of the imported ones on the Ghanaian market. He believes with that quality, markets for their produce are assured. Groupe Nduom has a vision of helping create wealth and jobs for all categories of Ghanaians, especially those within the lower income bracket. The business therefore sees in the two companies, a vastly available opportunity that farmers in the areas earmarked for the projects can take advantage to improve their living conditions. It is through that vision that Groupe Nduom has expanded its operations throughout the country and beyond to the Sub-Region, Europe and America. Dr Nduom believes the new companies will help reduce poverty drastically in the production areas because the rice farmers and other farm-assistants are people hired from the indigenous communities. In explaining this decision, Nitiwul said civil servants are expected to retire at age 60, but most of the people in the army retire earlier than that. He said staying longer in the army will give them opportunities in the Ghana Armed Forces. Meanwhile President Mahama has responded to this promise saying that it is only a political promise by the NPP which will not be fulfilled. He said they are only making such a promise to get the members of the Army to vote for the NPP General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia said such persons are in breach of articles 8 (d,f); 45 (a,b,c &e) and 46 (10) of the party's constitution. In a statement, he said, "The affected persons by their conduct and on their own volition have ceased to be members of the party." The NDC party further added that its executive members who endorsed the nomination forms of independent parliamentary candidates also ceased to be members of the NDC pursuant to articles 45 and 46 of the partys constitution. Meanwhile, the party's Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho in an interview with Accra-based Accra FM said, Once you take that decision it comes with a cost, and so it is true, once youve gone and filed independent, you no longer belong to the party. Below is the full list of the sacked members of the NDC: UPPER WEST REGION1. Samson Abu (sitting MP) - Lawra 2. Pharauk Bandanaa - Wa West. CENTRAL REGION1. Anthony Cobinna - Cape Coast South NORTHERN REGION1. Alhassan Bunglung - Savelugu. 2.Joseph Amuzu: Saboba(already resigned). 3.Namburr Berrick - Bunkpurugu. WESTERN REGION1. Harrold Cobinna (sitting MP) - Akontonbra. 2. John Amenlemah - Jomoro VOLTA REGION1. Elvis Ativoe - Agotime Ziope 2. Albert Zigah - Ketu South 3. Jim Morti - Ketu South 4. Wogbemase Kpikpitse - North Day 5. Christopher Eleblu - North Tongu 6. Evans Gadeto Djikunu - Akatsi South. 7. Edwin Tukpeyi - Ho Central. 8. Dr David Kofil Ahorse - Buem. 9. Joseph Ofor (sitting MP) - Akan. 10. Timothy Udijol - Nkwanta North. 11. Emmanuel Jalulah - Karachi West. UPPER EAST REGION1. Peter Yakubu Pandam - Garu. 2. Dr. Francis Asaana - Tempane 3. Simon Akuye - Pusiga. Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! US Weekly reports Packers business manager, Tommy Davis, formerly served as a spokesperson for the Church of Scientology, and sources say he was the one to cause their breakup. According to sources close to Carey, Davis has also urged Packer to begin a 'Purification Rundown', a Scientology detox program. We also learnt Packer practised Scientology from 2002 until 2006, but when Carey arrived on his yacht in mid-September, she sensed that he was somehow altered, and suspected Scientology as the cause. Soon after, she was forced by his staff to vacate the premises. However, Packer denied Carey's allegations. Report has it that the billionaire businessman severed his tie with Carey because she is a diva. Carey is however demanding a $50 million settlement for emotional distress. Recall that James Parker proposed to Carey with a 35-karat diamond ring earlier this year less than a year after the couple met at a movie premiere in Aspen. ALSO READ: Nick Cannon refuses to sign papers divorcing Mariah Carey Abia State Police Commissioner, Leye Oyebade, said that the suspect identified as Matthew Elah, said to be a native of Uba community in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, was arrested following a report alleging that some policemen had robbed and snatched a motorcycle from its owner at Umuteke-Akwette road, Abia State. While parading the suspect at the command, Oyebade said that the suspect confessed to committing the crime with another Police Sergeant, one Isah Alhaji of 48, Police Mobile Force Ahoda, Rivers State, Punch reports. According to the CP, the second sergeant is still on the run, but the command is tracking him. Oyebade disclosed that the police is also making efforts to recover the stolen motorcycle and that Elah will soon be arraigned in court. He added that police have zero tolerance for corruption; the police in the country have zero tolerance for crime of any kind. Speaking with journalists, the suspect expressed remorse for his criminal actions, blaming it on the devil. What has made the case take center stage and the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the subsequent instruction he has given to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to launch full-scale investigation is the fact that the offenses are being committed by soldiers and other security officers attached to the camps to provide security. Before the revelations of sexual abuse in the camps by the Human Rights Watch (HRW), about how the women who had been displaced from their homes by the Boko Haram sect are being turned into sex slaves, the military authorities and the Federal Government had denied the existence of such, defending their personnel all the time. But the damning revelation has shown that such incidents had been ongoing for months, if not years. We have now been regaled on how the soldiers rape, abuse, molest and impregnate the poor women with no one to come to their rescue. There have also been allegations of diversion of food stuff and drugs meant for the camps by officials but the allegations have been swept under the carpet with no one held accountable. In fact, anyone that makes such allegations is branded an enemy of the government or better still, a Boko Haram sympathizer. But the new report has indicted some Nigerian soldiers and police officers who have been involved in sexually assaulting the women and girls who are themselves, suffering from neglect. According to the report, 43 cases of such sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation, were documented in July by the HRW at seven different camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. According to HRW, four women who were interviewed confirmed that they drugged and raped by the security officers while 37 others said they were forced into sex through false marriage promises, material, and financial assistance. A 17-year-old girl narrated how she was raped by a policeman in a camp. One day, he demanded to have sex with me. I refused but he forced me, the girl said, adding that when she discovered she was pregnant and told the policeman, he threatened to shoot and kill her if she told anyone. This damning revelation has led Nigerians to wonder if those ladies are now prisoners of war to be used, abused and molested by the soldiers at will? Have they not suffered enough in the hands of the deadly sect who drove them out of their homeland all in the name of insurgency? It is left to be seen the kind of justice they will get and whether the perpetrators of this sordid crime will be brought to book. According to Sahara Reporters, Malam Kumo who was the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, is being investigated over a N3 billion fraud while he was still in office. According to Sahara Reporters, President Buhari's New Son-In-Law, Yau Kumo, who just married his daughter last week Friday is under investigation for 3billion naira fraud he allegedly committed as MD of FMBN. Malam Kumo, according to the reports, had been under intense investigation before his marriage to Fatima, the President's second daughter on October 28, 2016, and now, even as the Buhari's son-in-law, the anti-graft agency is making sure he faces the full wrath of the law. Insiders have also noted that the President has vowed not to wade into the case and has told his in-law to make himself available for investigations and to clear his name without involving the First Family. Sahara Reporters also posted the news on its Twitter handle: Punch reports that the 33-years-old man, Victor Obano who runs a brothel in the Ijegun area of the state, was arrested after a victim of the prostitution ring identified as Elizabeth, reported to the police that Obano brought her to Lagos from her home in Cross River State with the promise of giving her a job but instead, forced her into commercial sex work. The State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni had revealed that Obano had seized the phone of the victim for refusing to work for him as a prostitute and the lady reported the matter to the police. During interrogation, Elizabeth allegedly said: "When oga (Obano) met me in Calabar, he promised to get me a good job in Lagos if I agree to come with him. I thought it would be a waitress job and accepted to come with him but when we got to Lagos, he took me to the hotel and told me I was going to sleep with men to make money. He said I was to pay him N2,500 for the room every day. I did not want to do it but he kept threatening to kill me if I refused, so I had to start sleeping with the men that used to come to the hotel." But the suspect countered what Elizabeth said, insisting that the ladies knew what they were coming to do before agreeing to come with him. I met the lady three months ago, when I traveled to Calabar for a friends burial, through a friend who told me she had a problem taking care of her two children. She begged me to bring her to Lagos so that she could work and take care of them. Before we left Calabar for Lagos, I had told her what she would be doing when we get to Lagos and she agreed." "The first money she made, she sent it back home for the upkeep of her children, but suddenly she was not concentrating on the hustling anymore, she started going out with some boys in my area which annoyed me and I seized her phone. Dr Jude Achonwa, the NMA chairman in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, made this known on Monday at the associations medical intervention outreach to mark the 2016 Physician Week. Achonwa said that the interventions include: blood sugar screening, body Max Index, health education, malaria treatment, de-worming, diarrhoea and preventive measures against infectious diseases, among others. He said that the effort was geared toward addressing the prevailing health needs in the camp with the population of no fewer than 1,500 people. Achonwa urged the media and other well meaning Nigerians to assist in the provision of foods to the IDPs. I appeal to the media to use their capacity to prevail on the philanthropists on the need to address the welfare challenges facing the IDPs. The present predicament of the IDPs are not self inflicted, they are victims of circumstances, he said. Achonwa said that the association would re-strategies in its outreach programmes. Physicians Week is a time that doctors in Nigeria will try to give a little of what they have back to the society. In that quest, we believe one of the most important things is to give healthcare to the society. It is not that we cannot give foods considering our comparative cost advantage, we believe that the main thing we have is healthcare. We believe we need to give healthcare to them; having heard of their welfare needs, we can also go back and see how we can assist in other areas, Achonwa said. Also, Dr Idris Liman, the Chairman Local Organising Committee of the 2016 Physicians Week, said that the camp was carefully selected based on its location and the number of people there. Liman said that considering the number of people dwelling in the camps, they could be exposed to communicable diseases. He said, All children at the camp were de-wormed to address any worm-related disease. With the number of IDPs in the camp, there is need for us to look at them, and see if there are problems and how to address the problems. Of course, for the already identified problems, we will find a way of handling them, either in form of treatment, advice or take them to the hospital where the treatment can be obtained. This is coming eleven days after Ogun workers embarked on an indefinite strike. Olusola Adeyemi, the Head of Ogun Public Service, announced the sack in Abeokuta in a statement entitled: Government position on the recommendation of panel of inquiry set up to investigate alleged misconduct of executive members of the NUT on the 2016 World Teachers Day Celebrations held on October 5. Also dismissed are 14 other members of the state chapter of the NUT. In addition, 16 officials of the union were suspended for their roles in organising the celebration. The NLC chairman, who was until his dismissal the Deputy Director , Community and Social Development, Sagamu Local Government, was alleged to have masterminded the political campaign rally during the celebration. According to Mr. Adeyemi, the panel indicted Mr. Ambali for making inflammable and scandalous remarks against the state government, which could cause breach of peace in the state. The Ogun State government accepts the recommendation of dismissal of the affected officials which the panel found guilty of contravening the Public Service Rules 04401,04421(c&d) and 04406(a), Mr. Adeyemi said. He therefore directed the relevant agencies of government to implement the government decision. In a swift reaction, the NLC chairman described the action as executive recklessness and abuse of all statutory laws urging workers to remain resolute in the quest to have their legitimate rights from an autocratic and deceitful government. Mr. Ambali in a statement on Monday night, said he had never been summoned by any panel, and that, the attention of the leadership was just drawn to the purported dismissal through phone calls. We are calling on our ever committed workers to remain at home and not be intimidated by this action that is against all norms of democratic and fair hearing. I have never been summoned by any panel and this clearly shows how autocratic and deceitful the government of is. Our cause for this strike is legitimate, just and right. They have only shown their true colours and this new approach is unprecedented in the history of this country, as no state governor has done what they are doing to us in Ogun state. Their past draconian efforts have never yielded any fruits, so also will be this move to cage us in Ogun State. We only want to warn that they should not set this state on fire, even as we urge our members to remain calm and just stay at home. The struggle continues, he said. The victims - 19 women and 19 children - were rescued in Borno State on Tuesday, November 1, in an operation code-named 'Operation Hard Knock'. The operation was launched to clear out the terrorists in their hideouts in remote areas. It was reported that troops cleared pockets of insurgents from their hideouts in Momo and Tunshe villages around Marte general area Borno State. The women and children were held hostage in Dumba village by the terrorists, report said. It was gathered that during the rescue operation, the troops killed six Boko Haram insurgents while others fled with gunshot wounds leaving behind 22 motorcycles, flags and other items. Similarly, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed at a checkpoint in Gubio, Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State earlier foiled a suicide attack on Gubio town by eight Boko Haram terrorists, it was learnt. The incident was said to have occurred at about 9.15AM on Tuesday morning. ALSO READ: Jonathan was not committed to wiping out Boko Haram Osinbajo says The suicide bombers reportedly arrived in a pickup vehicle primed with Improvised Explosive Devices including suicide vests and attempted to force their way through the checkpoint. This is in a bid to find a lasting solution to the lingering crisis and alleged degradation of the environment in the oil rich region. Speaking to newsmen on the meeting, the Minister of state for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu said negotiations will continue to ensure that militancy in the region stops. According to Punch, Kachikwu said The threat to the nations gas supply from militants and insurgency in the Niger Delta were critical and thought-provoking, stressing that the government was trying to address the situation and others through negotiations with various stakeholders in the Niger Delta. Reports say the Niger Delta elders, led by Chief Edwin Clark, rejected the Federal Governments plan to launch N4tr infrastructural rebirth investment programme. Speaking on the preparation of the elders, a source told Punch that All the ethnic groups in the Niger Delta would be represented in the meeting. For stance, Prof. Gabriel Darah, and Prof. Amos Utuamah would lead the Urhobos; the Olu of Warri nominated people including Chief Isaac Jemide for the Itsekiri; a former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Olisah Imegwu, will represent Ndokwa; and the President General of Isoko Development Union, Gen. Iduh Amadhe, will represent the Isoko people. Raji reportedly said all is set for Jonathan, to appear in the ongoing trial of Dasuki and testify in favour of the former NSA. Raji said: Dr. Goodluck Jonathan will testify in court. He is one of those who will testify and that the statement he made in London appears to be the first phase of the war chest of the ex-NSA. Continuing, Raji said: You know the ex-NSA said he acted on Jonathans instructions in disbursing some of the cash, and from the look of things, the ex-President is now ready to accept responsibility for whatever Dasuki did. So far, we have secured the consent of Jonathan to appear in court for Dasuki. This will make the trial worth it. "Dasuki has a list of highly-placed beneficiaries from the arms cash. A particular traditional ruler got about N500million as a gift from the government through the Office of NSA. There are many hidden beneficiaries whom Nigerians must know. Nigerians will be shocked by some revelations. Nothing short of open trial will let Nigerians know the truth. We are ready for this, he hinted. Before now, Jonathan had faulted the charges against Dasuki saying the ex-NSA could not have stolen $2.2billion as claimed. ALSO READ: Dasuki wants Jonathan to testify in court The group of protesters comprised of the two bodies: Lawyers in Defence of Democracy and Citizens for Governance. The protest which was held on Monday, October 31, 2016, in Abuja, saw the lawyers march to the National Human Rights Commission, Federal High Court, Supreme Court and the National Assembly. Speaking to Punch, the convener of the protest, Ikenga Ugochinyere said There should have been no need for the deliberate misinformation to the public that the invasion of the judges homes was due to the uncooperative stance of the NJC. Make no mistake about it, the attacks on Justices Dimgba, Ademola, Inyang Okoro, Liman were revenge operations not a fight against corruption. Ugochinyere also passed a vote of confidence on the National Judicial Council for protecting the independence of the judiciary. He also slammed the DSS for allegedly trying to intimidate judges who made bold judgements against the Federal Government. He said Nigerians may wish to ask certain questions now. Is Justice Ngwutas sin not his lead judgment in the Ekiti governorship election which the ruling party wanted at all costs? Is Justice Adeniyi Ademolas sin not his stand on the events that happened between him and the Honourable Attorney General when he was a judge in the Kano Division of the Federal High Court or his orders in the cases of Sambo Dasuki, Nnamdi Kanu, President Buharis certificate saga and the orders he made on the attack date of October 7 against the DSS awarding a total of N30m as human rights violation compensation to two complainants? Is Justice Dimgbas sin not his order that he will not hear any applications by the DSS till they obey all his earlier orders and his order declaring one Umar Mohammed as unlawful and ordering his release despite the order has not been obeyed many months after it was made and the political detainee being in detention now for 140 days. Ugochinyere also condemned the practice where the Federal Government and its agencies allegedly refuse to obey court orders. Sen. Hope Uzodinma, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, made the call while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja. Uzodinma called on National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other relevant agencies of government to always certify the relief materials fit for consumption before they were released to the IDPS. In the process of trying to create help you dont need to cause more damage. All Im saying is that the vegetable oil that are seized, we dont know where they are coming from. We dont know the integrity of the product. The rice, is also a perishable item. So the relevant agencies of government that will confirm that these products are fit to be to be consumed should please clear them before they are sent to IDPs This is because when they get to IDPs, they are handicapped. They may not be in the position to know which one is expired and which one is not expired and if any cholera breaks through there it will be a case of genocide, Uzodinma said. In a reply to a letter from Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), the CJN stressed that the "provision of the NJC's powers by the amended 1999 constitution states that the Council may only recommend to the President and the Governors, the removal from office of Judicial Officers and to exercise disciplinary control over such Judicial Officers, which in effect is the extent of its power to discipline. Hence, the Council cannot, suo moto dismiss any Judicial Officer. While restating the willingness of the NJC to act upon any petition as well as commitment of the Nigerian judiciary to the fight against corruption, his Lordship opines "that any significant involvement in the fight against corruption will be upon a similar commitment of the Prosecutorial Agencies to actively prosecute their cases expeditiously when information about same is received. ALSO READ: Chief Justice rejects call for suspension of judges The leaders, in a 16-point request presented to the President, demanded oil blocks, the award of contracts to indigenes of the region, review of the amnesty programme, among others. But the militants disowned the leaders present at the meeting, saying none of them is aware of the plight of the Niger Delta people. The Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front and the Concerned Militant Leaders, in separate statements, lamented that no former militant leader was among those chosen to be part of representatives of the region at the meeting. ALSO READ: Niger Delta militants divided over talks with FG Leaders of the two groups, General Ben and General Playboy stressed that all the so-called Niger Delta leaders at the meeting cannot protect the interest of the people of the region unless recognised former militant leaders are part of such gathering. The militant groups said: "Pipeline bombing cannot stop because the people going for the meeting do not know why they are going there. It is not the first, second, or third time and would not be the last. So, we cannot be deceived or bamboozled by whatever tag is given to the meeting. "We insist on implementation of the report of the National Conference and other reports on the development of Niger Delta region. Anything short of this is insincere and will not be accepted. For a genuine peace, past reports of several commissions on Niger Delta must be visited." General Playboy specifically said: "Our elders and leaders are not helping matters at all. They do not really know the plight of Niger Delta people because they are wealthy, quite rich and do not take issues about the region seriously. "They do not know the common people in the region because they are not based in Niger Delta and cannot show holistic commitment to our struggle. Our elders represent themselves, and not the people in the rural areas. "We dont need people who will play politics with the genuine struggle of Niger Delta people. We dont want people, who are not agitators. The real agitators are people like Alhaji Asari Dokubo, High Chief Government Tompolo, Egberipapa, General Africa, General Joshua and many others. "These are the kind of people that can negotiate for our people. They know the plights of the Niger Delta people because they live in the same environment with them. They are not based abroad. They come down to the communities to know the feelings of the people. Such people should represent us." He said GEJs administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed that the sect was sponsored by the Northern political leaders to discredit his government. Osinbajo also said Jonathans government became unpopular when it dismissed the abduction of the Chibok Girls, alleging it was a plan by the opposition. The VP said GEJs administration only began to take Boko Haram serious when there was an attempt on President Buharis life. According to Punch, Osinbajo also said Secondly, the ruling party also somewhat cynically seemed to have considered that since BH attacks were actually in the heartland of the opposition it was not necessarily an unwelcome development as it could only weaken the opposition. Third, extensive corruption in arms procurement estimated at about $15bn, ensured that the military remained poorly equipped and demoralised. A number of well-publicised mutinies occurred and troops involved were taken through widely unpopular court-martials. As the government dithered and equivocated BH proceeded to realise the objective of occupying territory and establishing Islamist states in Nigeria and in the Lake Chad basin. In Borno State alone, it occupied and hoisted its flag in 20 of the 27 Local Government Areas that constituted the state. In Adamawa State, BH took Mubi and some villages in Yobe State. The Vice President said this while delivering a speech titled: The unraveling of Boko Haram and the rebuilding of the North-East of Nigeria, at the Harvard Universitys Weatherland Centre for International Affairs, United States. For today, November 1, 2016: THE GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER How government agencies frustrate food export at nations airports Despite the Federal Governments campaign for economic diversification and export promotion, there is growing exporters apathy due, among others, to logistic difficulties at exit points. Kukah visits EFCC cell, prays for Abati, Obanikoro, Fani-Kayode Five days after he was granted bail, columnist and former Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuban Abati is still in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to signals from the commission. Government renames PIB as PRB, submits draft bill to National Assembly soon The Federal Government may have renamed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as Petroleum Reform Bill (PRB). The draft bill is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in the next few weeks. THE VANGUARD NEWSPAPER Alleged Corruption: Justices Okoro, Ademola, Ngwuta risk 58 yrs in jailThree weeks after the night raid on their homes by security agencies, the Federal Government will, today, formally file corruption charges against three senior court judges out of the seven, who were arrested and quizzed, last month.Truck crushes 4 Oyo FGGC students, driver Four students of the Federal Government Girls College, Oyo, who were returning from a mid-term break died in an auto crash, yesterday evening, when a gari-laden articulated truck fell on a bus conveying them to school. Why amendment of CCB, CCT Act by NASSll fail Sagay, MammanThe Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Professor Itse Sagay, SAN, and the immediate past Director-General of Nigerian Law School, Professor Tahir Mamman, SAN, have flayed the National Assembly for removing the control of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, and Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, from the executive, saying the plan will fail. THE NATION NEWSPAPER Shocked Buhari probes IDPs camps rape claims A 17-year-old girl has told of how a policeman raped her and put her in the family way at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in the Northeast. NNPC seeks $51b investment in gas sector, says GMD There is a $51 billion investment available in Nigerias Gas sector, Group Managing Director of Nigeria Nation Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr Maikanti Baru, said yesterday. Siblings die in kerosene explosion Two siblings have died in a kerosene explosion in Akwa State, three persons, including their father, were injured. An eyewitness said the incident occurred at Ikono Ibom in Uyo Local Government. THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER Amosun sacks NLC chair, 14 others, suspends 18 teachers The Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has approved the dismissal of the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Akeem Ambali, the NLC vice-chairman and the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Dare Ilekoya. RECs, officials under bribery probe wont supervise elections INEC The Independent National Electoral Commission has said none of its officials, who are undergoing investigations for alleged bribery, will be assigned any electoral duty. Judges arrest, revenge, not anti-corruption fight Abuja protesters A refreshing and creative dose of comedy, "Green White Green" will premiere on November 9, 2016, at Stockholm International Film Festival 2016. There would be subsequent screenings November 11 and 13, 2016. Starring Ifeanyi Dike Jr, Samuel Robinson, Jamal Ibrahim, Crystabel Goddy, Bimbo Manuel, Okey Uzoeshi, Meg Ontawa among others, the movie is produced and directed byAbba T. Makama. ALSO READ: undefined Synopsis A group of young bohemian artists hang out and search for direction in their lives in the stagnant months leading up to the beginning of their university studies, in this richly textured and frequently funny look at Lagos new generation. ALSO READ: undefined "Green White Green" premiered in Nigeria at the opening ceremony of the Lights, Camera, Africa!!! Film Festivalon Friday, September, 2016 at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos. Speaking after the screening, Makama stated that the film will get a Netflix release in a couple of months. He also revealed that they are currently looking at road shows for university students. Makama also spoke on his upcoming projects. According to him, his next projects would revolve around cultism and masquerades. "South Africa has been lit! We visited the Elephant Sanctuary, I got to touch all over an elephant and walk it! I also got a big wet, sloppy KISS! What did it feel like? Keep watching! I got a chance to feed a giraffe!!!! Then I was face to face with white LIONS!!!!," she says. The PDP also said that there are visible indications that the people of Lagos state are feeling the impact of Governor Ambodes administration. The PDP, in a statement signed by its publicity secretary, Mr Taofik Gani, said Without adopting the government of Ambode, at least we can now see signs of government presence in some erstwhile abandoned areas under Fashola. The party also slammed the Minister for Works, Housing and Power, Babatunde Fashola, describing him as unfit to handle the three ministries. The Lagos PDP spokesman also accused Fashola of promotion propaganda and mediocrity. Gani said This patriotic advise is on the heels of the minister celebrating a proposed injection of a mere 30 megawatts of power from the gurara-hydro power plant, when indeed the minister has collected monumental funding well enough to have injected over 500 megawats into the National grid. Lalong said Mr. President is a loyal party man so he is answerable, to the party, although being the president of Nigeria. He has also confirmed that he has seen the candidate and is also praying for a successful election in Ondo state. Adding that A few weeks ago, I was given the responsibility of leading the campaign, on behalf of the National Executive Committee, for the Ondo election. And the candidate, since his election at the primaries, has not come to be presented to the leader of our party, that is Mr President. So, today we came in with the candidate and to confirm to the president that APC has only one candidate unlike other parties that are fighting over who is their candidate. We have only one candidate and that candidate is Chief Akeredolu Rotimi, SAN. Today again, we are going into Ondo. All the mistakes we made in other states we have corrected them. We are seeing a very smooth election, not only a smooth election but also the credibility of the candidate itself is something worth selling. We know definitely we are going to win the election. The Plateau state Governor was nominated by the APC to lead the Ondo governorship election campaign committee. The PDP factional Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi and his supporters stormed the secretariat early in the morning, reports say. Fagbemi alleged that the other PDP faction's chairman, Akogun Oyedepo, has not been loyal to the party. According to Premium Times, he said Oyedepo is a spy for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Fagbemi also claimed that the partys national committee recognised him as the leader of the party in the state. In a swift reaction Oyedepo, who according to reports, was in Abuja for a PDP meeting when the incident occurred, wondered what Fagbemi was doing in Ilorin if he was the bonafide party Chairman. Also, the Publicity Secretary of the Oyedepo faction of the PDP, Rex Olawoye, told newsmen that his boss remains the recognised Chairman. He also described the action of Fagbemis faction as a coup and an invitation to chaos and anarchy. Industry observers say the power tussle between Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff will trickle down and shatter more state formations. Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday, the Chairman of the party, Dr Victor Oye, said APGA was poised to beat the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the election. Oye said that the party would take advantage of the internal squabbles in both the PDP and APC to win the poll. He said that APGA was the best option for the people of Ondo as its candidate, Mr Adeyemi Alao, towered high above other contestants in the race. The chairman said his party was sure of springing surprises at the poll but called on INEC to release a result that would be reflective of the wishes of the people unlike in Edo where the result was greeted with protests. APGA is the best option for the people; our candidate is the best among all, an accomplished public servant and administrator who understands the aspirations of his people. The electorate is still confused as to who the candidates are for the other parties in the election. They are still in crisis internally which is not the best for the good people of Ondo but they know the man, Yemi Alao, very well. Our worry is that INEC should do the right thing. We want a situation where the peoples votes count, they must guard against the type of result released in Edo which remains unacceptable to us today. The move to remove Dr Adenike Ogunshe was halted pending the outcome of a suit, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. NAN reports that Ogunshe who was a lecturer in the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, is challenging the termination of her appointment by the institution and its council over alleged misconduct. According to the reports, the claimant was earlier ordered to vacate her quarters on the campus. NAN reports that Ogunshe's counsel, Mr Femi Aborisade, urged the court to stop the varsity officials from carrying out the order. Presiding over the case, Justice Firstina Kola-Olalere, granted the motion and instructed the university to refrain from ejecting the claimant from her official residence. The case was, however, adjourned until Jan. 19, 2017 for hearing. The court earlier heard that Ogunshe's appointment was wrongfully terminated and that due process had not been followed before the termination. ALSO READ: The University of Ibadan has now entered the top 1000 Universities in the world Aborisade stated that the termination was 'unconstitutional, unlawful and a violation of her constitutionally guaranteed right to life, natural justice and fair hearing.' The counsel prayed the court to set aside the claimed termination and reinstate Ogunshe to her position, without any loss of earnings, salaries and allowances. "If there is consensus with other political parties on this demand of the people... limited arrangements can be made," Yildirim said in a speech in Ankara. He said it would not be used retroactively, but did not elaborate further. Turkey abolished capital punishment in 2004 as part of reforms introduced in its bid to join the European Union. It has not executed anyone since 1984. But President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Turkey could bring back the death penalty in the wake of the failed July coup. And hundreds of people have chanted "we want the death penalty!" at government rallies. But Brussels has warned any return could mean the end of Ankara's talks to join the 28-member bloc. Erdogan said at the weekend his government would ask parliament to consider reintroducing the death penalty to punish the plotters behind the coup bid. His comments drew the ire of European politicians including Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz who said it was "a cruel and inhumane form of punishment". The Council of Europe has also condemned any move to reinstate the death penalty, saying it was "incompatible with membership of the Council". Despite Erdogan's comments. Yildirim told lawmakers from his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP): "I want it to be known that that this (death penalty) would not be applied retroactively." Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli told his lawmakers that he was ready to support the AKP on the issue. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death on Friday in the truck in the northern city of Al-Hoceima as he reportedly tried to protest against authorities seizing and destroying his wares. His death in the Rif -- an ethnically Berber region long neglected under the former king and at the heart of a 2011 protest movement for reform -- has triggered outrage in other cities including the capital Rabat. Thousands attended Fikri's funeral in Al-Hoceima on Sunday after an image of his inert body -- head and arm sticking out from under the lorry's crushing mechanism -- went viral on social media. The gruesome picture was splashed across the front page of newspapers on Monday alongside photos of the protests -- in Al-Hoceima as well as in smaller Rif towns, but also in Casablanca, Marrakesh and Rabat. "Morocco is in shock. The horrific death of the fish seller has caused tears in the Rif and outrage among Moroccans," the daily Akhbar Alyoum said. Around 2,000 people attended a later demonstration in the town, some carrying pictures of Fikri and others Berber flags. Autopsy results quoted by the media on Monday showed "fractures of the five first ribs left and right" and reported death from "haemorrhagic shock after a chest wound". The circumstances of the fishmonger's death have remained unclear. But a human rights activist said on Sunday that the authorities had forced him to destroy several boxes of swordfish, which it is illegal to catch using driftnets. 'Illegal' swordfish Fikri threw himself in the truck after his goods were crushed by the machine, Fassal Aoussar from the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) said. Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad late on Sunday vowed that an investigation would be held to "determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy and punish those responsible". He said authorities found "a large quantity of swordfish" in his car at a police checkpoint and "a decision was taken to destroy the illegal goods". "All questions are about what happened after that," he said. "We cannot accept officials acting in haste, anger or in conditions that do not respect people's rights." It was the self-immolation of a street vendor in Tunisia in late 2010 in protest at police harassment that sparked Tunisia's revolution and the Arab Spring uprisings across the rest of the region the next year. The AMDH on Sunday warned of a "possible repeat" of the 2011 protests in the Rif, just a week before Morocco starts hosting international climate talks. King Mohammed VI ordered a "thorough and exhaustive investigation" into Fikri's death and the "prosecution of whoever is found responsible", the interior ministry said. The king -- who was in Zanzibar at the weekend on a tour of East Africa -- sent the interior minister to "present his condolences" to Fikri's family, it said. "The migrants demonstrated a hostile and violent attitude. Many were armed with sticks and they attacked the officers when they tried to prevent them from entering," the Spanish government's representative in Ceuta said in a statement. Three policemen and 32 migrants were treated in hospital for minor injuries, the statement said. The migrants were taken to a short-stay immigrant centre while Spanish authorities determine their legal status, a local police spokesman said. Ceuta along with Melilla, another Spanish territory in North Africa, have the European Union's only land borders with Africa. They are favoured entry points for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe, who get there by either climbing over the border fence or by swimming along the coast. In 2014, 15 migrants drowned as dozens tried to swim to Ceuta from a nearby beach. Washington regularly expresses concern about the increasingly authoritarian treatment of the media by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. But State Department spokesman John Kirby raised the tone after Turkey detained the editor of the newspaper Cumhuriyet and closed 15 other outlets. "The United States is deeply concerned by what appears to be an increase in official pressure on opposition media outlets in Turkey," he said. Kirby called Cumhuriyet "one of Turkey's most respected newspapers" and criticized Ankara's ongoing detention of many journalists. He insisted Washington remains a friend of Turkey and supports its fight against terrorism, including its fight against the Kurdish PKK group. But he added: "We encourage the government of Turkey to ensure that the rule of law and fundamental freedoms are protected. "Democracies become stronger by allowing diverse expressions of views, particularly in difficult times," he argued. Cumhuriyet's editor Murat Sabuncu was detained and police are hunting for executive board chairman Akin Atalay, Turkey's official news agency said. It denounced the arrest as "unacceptable". In Belgrade, an interior ministry official confirmed Kelmendi's arrest on the basis of a court warrant, saying he was currently "in hands of the war crimes prosecutor's office." She declined to provide further details. At the end of September, Serbian police also arrested Nehat Thaqi, Kosovo police's director of the northern Mitrovica area, as he crossed into Serbia. He was detained on suspicion of "terrorism" although the specific allegations are unknown. On Friday, a Belgrade court extended his one-month detention for another 30 days. Following the arrests, Kosovo's foreign ministry urged all citizens to "who, for whatever reason, choose Serbia as a transit country, to avoid it as much as possible in the coming months." "This arrest is unacceptable and endangers many processes achieved during the dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia," the ministry said. Since 2011, Kosovo and Serbia have been negotiating under EU auspices to improve ties which have remained strained since the end of the war and particularly since Pristina's unilaterally declaration of independence in 2008 that Belgrade refuses to accept. Freedom of movement was one of the first accords clinched, and since December 2011 Serbia agreed to allow ethnic Albanians to travel across the "border/boundary" on the basis of ID cards. The war between Serbian security forces and pro-independence ethnic Albanian guerrillas ended after a three-month NATO air campaign that ousted Belgrade-controlled troops from the breakaway province of Kosovo. After 68 years in Iowa, the Alcoa name disappeared from the Quad-Cities and was replaced Tuesday by Arconic. In a ceremony befitting of a new company, the Alcoa plant in Riverdale assumed its new name Arconic Davenport Works. The change was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new entrance sign and a raising of the Arconic flag. The new name comes as Alcoa Inc. officially split into two, publicly traded companies Tuesday. Alcoa Corp. will remain the name for the commodity side of the business, while Arconic Inc. is the name for the manufactured products side, said Rob Woodall, the manufacturing director of Arconic in the Quad-Cities. Speaking before an audience of more than 50 business and community representatives, elected officials, employees and union representatives, Woodall said "Today, after 128 years in total and 68 years in Iowa, we begin a new chapter in our proud history." "Our separation is complete: We are Arconic!" he proclaimed. Arconic Chief Financial Officer Ken Giacobbe said Davenport Works will continue to remain focused on innovation. "We win when our customers win," he told the audience gathered in front of the new black Arconic entrance sign. According to Giacobbe, Arconic is a market leader in growth markets, including aerospace and automotive and Davenport Works is among the largest plants in the new Arconic portfolio. He added that Arconic transforms "the way we fly, drive, build and power." Aerospace is the company's largest market with 41 percent of its revenues in 2015, he added. "We are at the forefront of automotive, leading the way in lightweighting, redefining passenger vehicles, including the Ford F-150 that we talk so much about here at Davenport Works," Giacobbe said. Also part of the brief ceremony was U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who applauded the products of the plant's workers as well as the research and development involved. "As Iowans we tend to be not boastful enough about the good work we do ... I think why don't we brag about Iowa more and we'd have better economic development," he said. "If I could put two words on our license plates it would be one: quality, and number two productivity," said Grassley, who has toured the Riverdale plant several times. Woodall said the community should see no difference in Arconic's involvement and presence in the Quad-Cities than from when it was Alcoa. "It's business as usual," he said. In a corporate news release, Arconic chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said the separation launches Arconic as a strong independent company "very well positioned as a leader in attractive markets." "Our culture combines driving innovation with a relentless focus on operational excellence and cost control; this positions Arconic to create significant value for our customers and profitable growth for our shareholders." Woodall told the Quad-City supporters that employees are "fiercely proud of our past as Alcoa Davenport Works." "Few people get to witness the course of history being altered," he said of the company's role "in steering that history since the birth of highways, the dawn of flight, and the race to space." But looking to the future, he said "when our customers want to develop the next generation of iconic innovations, they will look to us to Arconic for the breakthrough materials and technologies that bring them to life.'' After raising the new Arconic flag, Woodall told reporters that splitting the companies was important to create one company, Alcoa, that is the commodity company and tied to aluminum prices, as well as Arconic, the company that is the manufactured products. "It's important for people to understand the difference and that we will be two strong companies." Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Satisfy your cravings With our weekly newsletter packed with the latest in everything food. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy DES MOINES Early voting in Iowa continues to lag behind the pace set in the most recent presidential election, more so for Democrats than Republicans. But Iowa Democrats are rapidly closing their early-voting gap. Eight days out from the Nov. 8 election, early voting a combination of in-person early voting and absentee ballots returned by mail is down almost 10 percent from the same point in the 2012 election, according to the most recent data from the Iowa Secretary of States Office. Iowa Democrats lead Republicans in early voting, but they are farther behind their 2012 pace than Republicans are from theirs. Democrats had cast 198,736 early votes as of Monday. Thats down 10 percent from the same point in 2012. Republicans had cast 155,425 early votes as of Monday; thats just 3 percent off the GOPs pace in 2012. And Republicans are ahead of their 2012 pace in absentee ballot requests. Republicans have made strong gains in early voting this election cycle, while Democrats continue to see a clear lack of enthusiasm for (Democratic presidential candidate) Hillary Clinton, Lindsay Jancek, a spokeswoman for the national Republican Party, said in an emailed statement. Compared to where we were this time in 2012, Republicans have closed the gap and Democrats are way behind. A spokesman for the state party said Republicans are confident they will deliver the state for GOP candidates spanning the ballot, from presidential candidate Donald Trump to the state Capitol. Democrats, however, are closing their early-voting gap. Early this month, they had cast only half the number of early votes compared to the same point in 2012; now they are 10 percent off that pace. Hundreds of thousands of Iowans have cast their ballots early for Hillary Clinton because they want a country with a strong, steady leader who will create an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, Kane Miller, the Clinton campaigns Iowa state director, said in an emailed statement. Donald Trump has made a career of demeaning and bullying women, and we are winning early vote across the board because Iowans are rejecting his divisive campaign. Voters who claim no political party are voting early at an even slower pace: 17 percent fewer than in 2012. In the 2012 election in Iowa, Democrats cast roughly 31 percent more early votes than Republicans; thus far in 2016, Democrats have cast roughly 28 percent more early votes than Republicans. Early ballots counted by party do not necessarily indicate a vote for that partys candidates. Early vote tallies do not account for crossover votes Democrats who vote for Republican candidates and vice versa. Iowa voters still may vote prior to Election Day at satellite voting sites through Saturday, depending on schedules established by each countys auditor, and at the county auditors office through next Monday, Nov. 7. Polls will be open in Iowa on Election Day, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. SPRINGFIELD When it comes to pro-pot policies, Gov. Bruce Rauner is earning a passing grade, if not one that would be proudly displayed on the refrigerator. In its first-ever gubernatorial scorecard, the National Organization for the Reform Marijuana Laws, or NORML, gave Rauner a B-minus, putting him ahead of his fellow Republican governors in neighboring Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa and on par with Democrat Jay Nixon of Missouri and Republican Matt Bevin of Kentucky. Only two governors, Oregons Kate Brown and Vermonts Peter Shumlin, both Democrats, received an A. The highest grade was awarded only to governors who have publicly supported legalization for recreational use. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad received a D. NORML graded Rauner favorably based on his signing of two pieces of pro-marijuana legislation: a law decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the drug and another extending the states medical marijuana pilot program until 2020. Rauner signed both bills this summer after vetoing previous versions last year. The governors office declined to comment on the grade. Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of NORML, said that while the state organization wasnt consulted in producing the scorecard, we see those pieces of legislation as steps in the right direction. Like the national organization, the Illinois chapter of NORML continues to advocate for the legalization of marijuana for recreational use by adults. Given Rauners emphasis on improving the states business climate and reducing regulations, it would make sense for him to support legalizing marijuana, said Linn, who also serves as general manager of Champaign medical marijuana dispensary Phoenix Botanical. Doing so would create jobs, attract investment and bring in additional revenue for the state, he said, adding, It seems to be solving a lot of problems that the governor has been working toward since he was elected. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and opponents of legalization raise concerns about the possible social costs. Voters in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington state and Washington, D.C., already have approved legalization referendums, and the issue will be on the ballot Tuesday in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. So far, no state legislature has approved recreational use of marijuana outside of a ballot initiative, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thats what would have to happen in Illinois, where voters have virtually no ability to legislate at the ballot box. State Rep. Ken Dunkin, D-Chicago, sponsored a legalization measure last year, but it went nowhere. With Dunkin wrapping up his tenure following a defeat in the March Democratic primary, NORML is looking for a new sponsor, Linn said. Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, sponsored the bill that created Illinois medical marijuana program, which was set to expire at the end of next year, and the extension that Rauner signed this summer. Lang said hes not backing legalization for recreational use at this time. It may be in the future of Illinois that we legalize the sale of cannabis, but that is not on my radar screen at the moment, Lang said. I want to make sure the medical program works the way I anticipated, that it includes as many of our sickest people as possible. While he said Rauner deserves credit for agreeing to extend the medical marijuana program, Lang also noted that the administration has routinely ignored an advisory boards evidence-based recommendations for expanding the program to cover additional conditions. As part of the compromise with the Rauner administration, the board was reconstituted and will no longer make recommendations that have to be approved or denied by the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The director will make those decisions in consultation with department staff. DES MOINES Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is organizing a statewide Iowa Youth Straw Poll, scheduled to take place in more than 300 schools including Muscatine and Louisa-Muscatine High Schools, on Tuesday, November 1. Votes will be tallied for the U.S. presidential race, as well as Iowas U.S. Senate and U.S. House races. Statewide results will be announced by the Secretary of States Office on Tuesday. This will be a great, hands-on learning experience for thousands of Iowa students, Secretary Pate said. We want to engage Iowas youth in civics and get them excited about the political process. Hopefully, this will help inspire them to become active in their community and develop a passion for the electoral process and how we choose our representative form of government. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is a facet of the free Elections 101 curriculum developed by Secretary Pate for high school students. It is available at Elections101.org and is a continuation of the very successful Caucus 101 curriculum developed by Secretary Pate in 2015. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll and the Elections 101 curriculum have the support of the Iowa Council for the Social Studies and the Iowa Department of Education. I believe the Youth Straw Poll will provide an interesting snapshot of where the presidential, U.S. Senate and congressional races stand, one week before the general election, Secretary Pate said. The Straw Poll will not necessarily be indicative of how elections will turn out, but it will provide some interesting insight into which candidates have appealed to Iowas youth. The Iowa Secretary of States Office will begin announcing the statewide results during a Facebook Live video on facebook.com/IASecretaryofState, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. The live video, from Secretary Pates office at the State Capitol, will include student guests and teachers from various schools, including Urbandale High School, Dallas Center-Grimes High School, McCombs Middle School in Des Moines, Lincoln High School, West Central Valley Middle School in Redfield, Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School, Waukee Timberline School, Dowling Catholic, and Davis County Middle School. Students and teachers are encouraged to use the use the #IAparticipate hashtag on social media when posting about the Youth Straw Poll. Several of the student visitors participating in the Facebook Live stream were selected because they made posts about the Youth Straw Poll and utilized #IAparticipate. A full list of the schools that are participating in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll will be available online at Elections101.org/iaparticipate. Schools can still sign up by visiting here: https://sos.iowa.gov/youth/poll/registration.aspx. All grades are welcome to participate. While the circus we call presidential elections enter the last two weeks of the campaign, a more fundamental issue has been playing out, pitting the presidency vs. the defense establishment and the CIA. About two weeks ago, the secretary of defense, some generals and CIA officials announced in open defiance, they had no intentions of honoring the negotiated cease-fire pact in Syria. The provision especially objected to have to do with sharing intelligence with the Russians in the fight against ISIS. No sooner had the ink dried on the pact negotiated by the state department; U.S. planes attacked a well-known Syrian government post, killing about 100 soldiers. Shattering the cease-fire was no accident. The act was one of blatant of insubordination and begs the question, who is really in charge of the government? It is apparently not the weak president who is under fire from many sides for his Syrian policy, as preparations for war with Russia proceed. Hillary Clinton, the queen of chaos, represents the war party. She has not, as a first lady, a senator and then secretary of state, seen a war she did not like. Dr. Strangelove and Slim Pickens are back in the saddle and the possibility of nuclear war is greater now than any time since the Cuban missile crisis. Hold your loved ones close. Stephen E. Townsend Davenport The Supreme Courts 2016 Distinguished Judge awards were presented to Judge Russell Harford and Judge Roger Heideman during the Annual Judicial Awards Dinner Oct. 27. The 2016 community service award was presented to Russell W. Harford, Judge of the County Court, 12th Judicial District, for commitment to his community and leadership in attracting young lawyers to western Nebraska. The Distinguished Judge for Service to the Community award is presented annually to a judge who has distinguished himself or herself through performance of service to the community on a volunteer or professional level. Judge Harford has demonstrated a particular interest in working with students both at the high school and college level. He regularly opens his courtroom doors to students and encourages them to actively observe the legal system. Similarly, he mentors young lawyers, probation officers and court staff in the legal process and courtroom procedure. He has developed his courtroom into a welcome training ground for all who visit. Judge Harford is currently working with Chief Judge Frankie Moore and the Court of Appeals to hold oral arguments at Chadron State College in spring of next year. The Judges connections to Chadron State College recently led to a partnership with Legal Aid to sponsor Legal Aids new Law Help Nebraska program. The program is a computer-based solution designed to help debtors and tenants who represent themselves in county court. Judge Harford worked with both groups for a successful installation of a workstation area dedicated to court users. Judge Harford also serves as judge chair for the County Court Trial Court Forms Committee where he focuses on creating court forms that are user-friendly, both in terms of language and court processing. Additionally, he serves on the Nebraska Supreme Court Committee on Self-Represented Litigation where he recently participated in developing the groups first strategic plan. Through his participation in the Chief Justices Judicial Leadership program, Judge Harford agreed to co-chair the Rural Justice Subcommittee with Scotts Bluff County Court Judge Kris Mickey. The committees goal is to promote and expand the UNL College of Law and Nebraska State Bar Associations efforts to locate lawyers in rural areas and encourage local and regional lawyers interest in judicial appointments. Judge Harfords work on this project not only benefits the students and the colleges, but also benefits the citizens of western Nebraskan communities. The Distinguished Judge for Improvement of the Judicial System award is given each year to a judge who has distinguished himself or herself through their contributions to the improvement of the judicial system; service as a trial judge; or promotion of judicial efficiency. This years award was presented to Roger J. Heideman, Judge of the Separate Juvenile Court in Lancaster County for his 10-year involvement in several high-profile Supreme Court committees and projects. HOT SPRINGS - In mid-October area high school students had an opportunity to explore a variety of health career options during the Scrubs Camp at Fall River Health Services. Scrubs Camps are one-day learning experiences for 9th through 12th grade high school students whom show an interest in the healthcare field. Scrub camps are conducted at 16 locations throughout the state to give opportunity for most high school students in the state to get some increased awareness and understanding of the healthcare fields. Katie Reuman, Rural Health Specialist from the SD Department of Health was on site for the camp. The purpose of Scrubs Camps is to raise awareness among high school students of the many health careers that are available to them. Holding a Scrubs Camp in Hot Springs allows students to not only experience a wide variety of careers, but also allows the participants to get a feel for rural practice, which is a primary focus of the Office of Rural Health, stated Reuman. As the students arrived at Fall River Health Services, they were able to mingle over breakfast while meeting other students and the Fall River Health Services instructors. From there the campers were assigned classes based on their member groups from their interests when they pre-registered. The State of South Dakota provides a list of medical professions that will be covered in the Scrubs Camp each year. This year Fall River Health Services covered Respiratory Therapy, Pharmacy, MD, DO,NP, Radiology and Ultrasound, PT, OT, Speech, Rehab, EMT/Paramedics, Nursing and Lab. Edward Pellicotte, MBA, RVT, RDMS- Ultra Sound Manager worked with the State of South Dakota to make the Scrubs Camp a success at Fall River Health Services. Efforts were made through marketing and direct communication in contacting the area high schools and media references to promote the event along with the Scrubs Camp leadership role. Pellicotte coordinated efforts with technical schools and Universities to have a representative available to answer questions concerning medical programs. Students were able to take advantage of the opportunity to visit with University of South Dakota, Western Dakota Tech, South Dakota State University and the Army National Guard while they enjoyed the Subway lunch that was provided. During the camp the students were told about what each medical profession does each day and what training was necessary to get that medical profession. The next stage and stage that everyone was anxious for, was the hands on portion of the camp. Campers were able to participate in exciting hands-on activities and receive personalized career guidance plans. Mary McLaughlin, Edgemont High School, stated, I really liked the Nursing section- being able to have the hands on experience. I would enjoy nursing so I could be able to help people when they hurt. Fall River Health Services was honored to be selected this year. The selection process is based on the State of South Dakota focusing on where they would like to offer more coverage in the state. Fall River Health Services was chosen for the second year in a row due to its location as it provides coverage to the Southwestern corner of South Dakota, including Hot Springs, Custer, Edgemont, Oelrichs and the Pine Ridge Reservation. Fall River Health Services look forward to hosting the Scrubs Camp again next year while continuing to support the education of our youth. The Scrubs Camps are made possible through the collaborative effort of the South Dakota Department of Education Office of Curriculum, Career and Technical Education and South Dakota Department of Health Office of Rural Health. For more information visit www.scrubscamps.sd.gov or contact the Department of Health at 605.773.3361. The Western South Dakota Juvenile Services Center has again been accredited by the American Correctional Association, according to a news release from the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. The juvenile facility scored perfectly on all of the mandatory standards, such as education, health care, living conditions, safety and security, the release said. Since 1999, JSC has demonstrated the highest standards of care, and this award is a symbol of the enormous dedication and commitment shown by our staff, Joe Guttierez, the center commander, said in a statement. A pilot who was arrested on an aircraft DUI charge Wednesday was in the cockpit doing pre-flight checks when authorities asked him to step off the plane, according to court documents. Russel J. Duszak, 38, of Salt Lake City, was arrested after police said he registered a blood alcohol level beyond South Dakotas legal limit for pilots. Duszak, of SkyWest Airlines, had been scheduled to co-pilot a Delta flight bound for Salt Lake City on Wednesday morning. Instead, he spent almost an hour that day at the Pennington County Jail. Law enforcement officers found Duszak getting ready for his flight. He was "sitting in the right front seat of the aircraft," according to a report by the airport officer who found him on the plane. "He had paperwork on his lap, doing his pre-check procedures." The plane's engine was off, and Duszak was not handling any of the aircrafts controls, said an accompanying police report filed at the Pennington County Courthouse. The airport officer asked Duzsak to return to the Rapid City Regional Airport terminal, where a police officer conducted a preliminary breath test on him. The test showed Duszak had a blood alcohol content of .046 percent, the police report said. South Dakota law prohibits anyone with an alcohol level of .04 percent or more from operating an aircraft; otherwise the person faces a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and/or a $2,000 fine. The legal limit to drive a car is .08. An employee of the airports Transportation and Security Administration first noticed the smell of alcohol on Duszaks breath while he was going through airport X-ray, the court documents said. TSA then notified the Rapid City Police Department. When police asked Duszak for a blood sample, the pilot said he had received advice to refuse, the police report stated. Authorities were later able to draw a sample after being granted a search warrant by a Pennington County judge. Duszak was detained at the county jail at 12:47 p.m. Wednesday and released at 1:27 p.m. after paying $300 in bail, according to jail records. The arresting officer noted that Duszak was very polite and cordial during their entire encounter. The pilots blood-test results were not yet available as of Monday afternoon, said Rapid City police spokesperson Brendyn Medina. Duszak has been placed on administrative leave while SkyWest Airlines investigates the incident, a company spokesperson said after his arrest. Duszak has no attorney on record at the Pennington County Courthouse who could answer questions on his behalf. STURGIS | A consortium of three Native American tribes outbid 21 other registered bidders, agreeing to purchase 270 acres of property near the Bear Butte monument for more than $1 million. The successful bidders on Sunday were the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribe of Oklahoma, the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Montana and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, according to auctioneer Lonnie Arneson. Arneson said tribal representatives indicated to him that they had no plans to develop the property. When he informed tribal members that three generations of the Coe family had rented the pasture land from the Millins, they thought that was pretty cool and asked to have the Coe family contact them, because they may just carry on that tradition. Bear Butte, located northeast of Sturgis, has cultural significance to many tribes. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe already owns more than 500 acres around the mountain, while the Rosebud Sioux Tribe owns ground at the northwest corner of Bear Butte. During 90 minutes of bidding in which six tracts were offered individually, then as a whole, the partnership of tribes purchased the land west of Bear Butte State Park for $1,135,936, or about $4,200 per acre, Arneson said. It was exciting, he said. We had a full house of people and a set of buyers who had educated themselves about the area, and they bid quite freely. They had done their research and were prepared to bid, and they were well-financed. Arneson said owner Irene Millin, whose family has owned the property for nearly 75 years, was totally appalled, by the purchase price. It was much more than she expected, he said. She was a very pleased lady. Arneson discounted online reports that some auction attendees booed when the successful bidder was announced. We didnt hear that part, he said. It must have not been very loud because we didnt hear it in front. When it was announced, there was quite a roar from the crowd, with a lot of clapping." Under terms and conditions of the sale, the tribes already have put 15 percent down on their purchase, and will pay an additional 35 percent on or before Dec. 15, the auctioneer said. The remaining 50 percent is due between Jan. 2-6, at which time a closing on the property will be conducted, Arneson explained. He is seated right in front of you, his electric smile, gymnastic wit and spirited candor often tumbling into a generous laugh. Warren Sapp is clearly and enthusiastically here. But the mood is different when the conversation turns to his August visit to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, for the 2022 induction ceremonies, an annual tradition that reunites dozens of pro-football legends ... Russia probes into shelling of civilians in Eastern Ukraine investigators MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI) Russian investigators have established the names of Ukrainian officers involved in shelling of civilian facilities and residential areas in Eastern Ukraine in March 2016, the Investigative Committee reports on Tuesday. Basing on the collected evidence, investigators have initiated criminal cases against several Ukrainian officers over the use of prohibited means and methods of war, namely commanders of the 72nd, 93rd and 30th mechanized brigades, Col. Andriy Sokolov, Col. Vladislav Klochkov, and Col. Vitaly Yakubov, as well as the commander of the 1st battalion of the 14th mechanized brigade, Lt. Col. Mykhaylo Prokopiv. According to investigation, on March 15 and 16, 2016, officers of the 72nd and 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigades and their subordinates deliberately opened artillery fire on Yasinovataya and Staromikhailovka settlements in the Donetsk region of Ukraine damaging local civilian facilities and houses. On March 16, in yet another incident servicemen of the 30th Separate Mechanized Brigade bombarded a house located near the town of Gorlovka, as a result harm was caused to two local residents. On March 24 and 28, 2016, a local resident was wounded and several houses were demolished after two districts of the city of Donetsk had been chosen as an aim for the artillery of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Besides, a criminal case was opened over the shelling of houses in the town of Makeyevka by heavy artillery on October 27, 2016. As a result of this bombardment two local residents died and several other, among them a 6-year-old girl, were wounded. Damage was caused to some civilian facilities. At present investigators continue to work on establishing the facts of these crimes and other persons involved in them. Hizb ut-Tahrir member to serve 52 months in prison MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) The Supreme Court of Russia has upheld a 52-month prison sentence passed on the Tajik national Abdulaziz Usmonov for participation in activity of the prohibited terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, the courts press service told RAPSI on Tuesday. The Moscow District Military Court sentenced Usmonov on September 22. The defendant appealed the ruling. According to prosecutors, from October 2014 till October 2015, Usmonov regularly took part in the meetings of the organization held in different living accommodations in Moscow where ideological literature had been studying in the aims of effective propaganda and involvement of new supporters. Usmonov was arrested along with other suspects on October 19, 2015. Hizb ut-Tahrir (the Party of Islamic Liberation), founded in Jerusalem in 1953, is banned in several Arab and Central Asian countries. Russia's Supreme Court banned the group from operating on the territory of the country in 2003, describing it as a terrorist organization. Hizb ut-Tahrir members are regularly arrested by the police across Russia, mainly in big cities in central Russia, the Volga region and Siberia. Also, there are many supporters in Crimea, which rejoined Russia in 2014. Russian investigators asked for additional evidence in Renova case MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI) The Moscow Basmanny Court asked the Investigative Committee to provide additional evidence of guilt with regard to Yevgeny Olkhovik, a co-owner of a top Russian group of companies Renova and Boris Vaynzikher, the CEO of T Plus Company, a subsidiary of Renova, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday. According to the defense, Vaynzikher and Olkhovik are charged with passing a bribe in the amount of more than 88 million rubles (approximately $1,400,000) to a person whose identity investigators do not disclose. The court has decided to ask the Russian Investigative Committee to provide additional evidence substantiating the defendants complicity in the offences charged, a judge in the case said. Due to this the judge adjourned the hearings until November 2 stating that he could not rule to extend the detention of Vaynzikher and Olkovick. Investigative authorities in Russias Republic of Komi have initiated a criminal case against some former and acting managers of Kompleksnye Energeticheskiye Sistemy (KES) company, of which T Plus is the legal successor, on suspicion of large-scale bribery. At that time the offices of the companys parent holding Renova were also raided. Three men holding CEO posts in the KES at different time, Mikhail Slobodin, Yevgeny Olkhovik, and Boris Vaynzikher are involved in the case. Vaynzikher and Olkhovik are currently in detention. Investigators believe that in 2007 through 2014 the suspects bribed officials currently involved in the criminal case against the Republics ex-head Vyacheslav Gaizer with money and other assets. State Duma Defense Committee approves bill on short-term counterterrorism contracts MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI) - The State Duma Committee for Defense has supported a government bill that would warrant conclusion of short-term military contracts for fighting against terrorism outside Russia, RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday. As the Cabinet of Ministers reported earlier, due to stepping up of global terrorism and extremism, it is necessary to enhance troops mobility, compose integrated and nonorganic units and fill up the staff with contract servicemen in short order for prompt solution of current but important problems connected with anti-terrorist operations. Present legislation stipulates that the first contract with a conscript or another individual going into the national service for the military post of soldier, sailor, sergeant or sergeant major should be concluded for two or three years. Warrant officers and officers are to sign their first contracts for five years. The bill envisages the possibility of awarding a military contract on counterterrorism outside Russia for a period until circumstances calling for itsconclusion are terminated. However, such contract could not be signed for a term exceeding one year from the date of its entry into force. CANNON BALL, N.D. The prairie is seething. Work crews are plugging ahead on the 1,170-mile Dakota Access oil pipeline, inching closer and closer to a river crossing that activists view as a critical juncture in their months long fight against a $3.7 billion project that they say will threaten water supplies and that Native Americans say violates their right to sacred land. Last week, clashes erupted between lines of law enforcement officers and protesters. The air was filled with pepper spray and black smoke from burning tires. The authorities arrested 142 people during what local sheriffs denounced as a riot and protesters said was a peaceful demonstration. For months now, Mekasi Horinek and Deputy Jon Moll have lived these demonstrations, day in and day out. But they fall on opposite sides of the front lines, reflecting a community that is as divided as, well, oil and water. Photo Dont You Drink Water, Too? Mekasi Horinek, activist Mr. Horinek sees the pipeline protest from the rolling prairies, his arms locked with fellow Native American activists to sing and pray. He sees tribe members standing up to years of racist slights and torn-up treaties. He sees prayer circles, pipe ceremonies and a unifying fight for clean water. He is the son of Ponca Tribe activists from Oklahoma who took him to rallies when he was just a baby. Mr. Horinek, 43, remembers riding on his fathers and uncles shoulders as they marched with Cesar Chavez in the California fruit-pickers protests. I cant remember a time that I wasnt being taught to stand up for human rights, native rights, he says. He came to North Dakota for a cause. Here is how he describes that cause now: What I said to the police officers when I was sitting down in a prayer circle, I asked them, Dont you drink water, too? he says. Dont your children drink water? Were here to protect the water. This isnt just a native issue. Were here protecting the water, not only for our families and our children, but for your families and your children. For every ranch and every farm along the Missouri River. Law enforcement officials have accused the protesters of rioting and attacking pipeline contractors, and they have arrested more than 400. But Mr. Horinek says the protesters water protectors, they call themselves are not the bad guys. He tells a story: Last week, he and 49 other demonstrators decided to link arms and sit together by the overturned earth where the Dakota Access pipeline is slated to go. They were on what the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe considers sacred ancestral land, but from a legal perspective, it is owned by the pipeline company. So sheriffs officers arrested them for trespassing. Mr. Horinek says he and the others, including his 68-year-old mother, were zip-tied and driven to the county seat, Mandan. He says he had bruises from being tied up so tightly, and from being thrown to the ground and pinned during his arrest. His mother and some of the older people were stiff and sore for days, he says. Officials wrote numbers on their arms his was 4838, he says and held them overnight in cages in a parking garage, men and women separated by a plastic tarp. They spent the night singing and praying. No matter what they do to us, theyre not going to strip our dignity, our honor, Mr. Horinek says. These are things we hold in our DNA, and well never lose. The next morning, he bailed himself out of jail with money he had been keeping in his wallet in case he got arrested, and headed back to the camp. Photo Folks Are Terrified Jon Moll, sheriffs d eputy Deputy Moll sees the pipeline protest through a bug-spattered windshield, his patrol car slipping along North Dakotas gravel county roads. He sees out-of-state protesters occupying federal land and trespassing on private ranches. He sees tense confrontations, lost days off and threats to his fellow officers. He is the son of a Lutheran pastor, who moved the family from Ottertail, Minn., to Philadelphia. Mr. Moll, 38, remembers learning about the diversity of this country as the only white child in his class. Sign-up for free NYT Newsletters Morning Briefing News to start your day, weekdays Opinion Today Thought-provoking commentary, weekdays Cooking Delicious recipes and more, 5 times a week Race/Related A provocative exploration of race, biweekly Sign Up Receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Im the son of farmers, and we worked hard for everything we have, he says. He came to Morton County, N.D., for work. Here is how he describes that work now: Sometimes the job sucks, but you do your job. Its definitely been a strain. Every time weve been out, weve seen weapons. People screaming down this road at 100 miles per hour. Trespassing and squatting on federal property. If I wanted to build a house there, Id have U.S. marshals knocking on my door, saying, No, you cant do that. Activists have accused law enforcement of needlessly roughing up and pepper-spraying demonstrators, and of responding to their sit-ins and marches with militarized force. But Mr. Moll says the deputies are not the bad guys. He tells a story: Earlier this fall, about 70 demonstrators rallied at one of the ranches being bisected by the pipeline. Ranchers have grown angry and impatient with the protests and regularly come up to Deputy Moll when he gases up his car to ask him when it will all just be over. He says he sees the Standing Rock Sioux as neighbors and respects them, but he has a harsher view of what he sees as hard-core protesters from outside North Dakota. Folks are terrified, he says. On this day, officials decided to move in and arrest the protesters for trespassing. As they did, some in the crowd started to yell, Bring out your horses! to fellow activists who had parked their trailers in a field of winter wheat. From his patrol car, Mr. Moll says, he saw one of the horses charge directly at a line of officers, and he hit the gas and raced over to cut off the horse as another officer raised a shotgun loaded with beanbag rounds at the rider. You run a 1,000-pound animal at a 200-pound person, thats a deadly threat, Mr. Moll said. They were willing to use the threat of the horse against us, all the while screaming, Were peaceful protesters. America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance! Blog Archive June (1) May (16) April (23) March (20) February (17) January (13) December (22) November (40) October (57) September (45) August (55) July (52) June (165) May (121) April (141) March (32) February (76) January (141) December (85) November (130) October (146) September (96) August (89) July (82) June (64) May (99) April (41) March (98) February (61) January (64) December (67) November (51) October (70) September (75) August (52) July (66) June (76) May (104) April (93) March (151) February (168) January (107) December (42) November (56) October (69) September (103) August (75) July (191) June (171) May (207) April (302) March (490) February (155) January (138) December (135) November (226) October (146) September (107) August (160) July (292) June (316) May (361) April (460) March (327) February (49) January (2) November (13) October (3) September (37) August (43) July (6) June (12) May (1) April (29) March (30) February (58) January (27) December (11) November (16) October (34) September (81) August (81) July (93) June (12) May (1) February (1) November (3) October (2) September (6) August (1) July (2) June (14) May (10) April (8) March (13) February (1) January (5) But while the South China Sea and the 1MDB corruption scandaltopics impacting the international relations of both economiesaren't officially on the docket, they will indirectly influence each leader's rhetoric. Najib is expected to focus on boosting Chinese funds into his country, paying particular attention to new technologies and infrastructure. "Trade and investment is crucial at a time when Najib needs a further boost in the Malaysian economy so as to enhance his performance legitimacy to govern the country," Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singapore-based think tank, pointed out. "A sustainable growing economy, especially in 2017, will be a critical factor as to when Najib will hold the elections [due in 2018] and for Najib bolstering the chances of his coalition returning to government." GET ELECTION COVERAGE SENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX GET THE YOUR MONEY YOUR VOTE NEWSLETTER Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Privacy Policy. For the past two years, Najib has been embroiled in an international scandal around billions siphoned from state development fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), a situation that has tarnished his international reputation and triggered widespread calls at home and abroad for his resignation. The blow to Najib's legitimacy has meant he's had fewer visits with Western leaders, resulting in lower foreign direct investment from the West, so China's friendship means a great deal, James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, explained. In return for funds, meanwhile, Beijing could gain a strategic ally in the thorny South China Sea problem Since President Rodrigo Dutertes state visit to Beijing last week, many analysts and observers have concluded that the Philippines have turned away from its traditional treaty ally, the United States and have totally embraced China. During the visit, Duterte announced his separation from the United States and declared that he had realigned with China as the two countries agreed to resolve their South China Sea dispute through bilateral negotiations. Immediately this event was seen as a big win for China and it will enable it to consolidate its growing political clout in East Asia. The more recent actions by the Duterte Administration, however, indicate that despite its political alignment with China, the Philippines is still strengthening the capabilities of its coast guard and navy with the help of other major powers. During his working visit in Japan, President Duterte discussed maritime security cooperation with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He also sought Japans assistance for the capacity-building and additional patrol vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). At the same time, the Philippine government signed an agreement with South Korean shipbuilding company, Hyundai Heavy Industries, for the construction and delivery of two missile-equipped frigates for the Philippine Navy (PN). These actions are clear indicators that despite the detente in Philippine-China political/diplomatic relations and the establishment of what some might term an economic alliance between the Philippines and China, the Philippines is keeping its powder dry in terms of maritime security. Building the PCG During his three-day official visit to Japan, Duterte sought Japans support for joint ventures in key infrastructure development, especially in terms of harnessing Japanese expertise in developing high-quality and modern public transportation system. More significantly, he also engaged the prime minister in a discussion of greater politico-social and defense cooperation, particularly in maritime domain awareness and maritime security. During his visit, he signed the Exchange of Notes on Japanese Official Development Assistance for the provision of two large-scale patrol vessels that were given aside from the ten patrol vessels that Tokyo is in the processing of delivering to the PCG. Japans provision of the two 90-meter patrol vessels will boost the capabilities of the PCG, since white ships are often used on the front line of the various territorial dispute in maritime East Asia, given that deployment of gray ships in disputed waters are seen as too provocative. On 12 October, the PCG commissioned the first Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV) PCGS Tubbataha that will be used for patrol, search and rescue, and law-enforcement operation in the Philippine maritime territory. The remaining nine vessels will be delivered serially until 2018. In the past few years, Japan has provided rescue equipment, training facilities, communication systems, maritime safety equipment, satellite-based communication system and Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) to the PCG. Significantly, Japan has also started to provide the Philippines with military equipment and training. President Duterte also witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Implement and Letter of Arrangement for the transfer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)s training aircraft TC-90s maritime reconnaissance planes for the PN. Japan will also provide the training for PN aviators and will develop the infrastructures for these reconnaissance aircraft that will be patrolling the South China Sea. Interestingly, President Duterte also hinted that the Philippines could conduct naval exercises with Japan, but he repeated that there would no more joint exercises with the United States. The most significant accomplishment of Dutertes working visit to Japan was the two countries signing of the October 26, 2016 Japan-Philippine Joint Statement. The statement commits both countries to the maintenance of the freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea that holds the sea lanes vital for global economic activity and viability. The two leaders also reaffirmed the importance of the stronger (security) ties between Japan and the Philippines to promote the peace, stability and maritime security of the region. Two Frigates for the Philippine Navy While President Duterte was in Tokyo seeking assistance for the PCG, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana signed the Php15.7 (US$311 million) contract with South Korean Ambassador Kim Jai-Shin for the PNs acquisition of its first missile-armed ships. This is the first time that the Philippines is buying a brand new modern ship that is armed with surface-to-surface missiles. The two frigates will have a length of 107 meters similar to the South Koreas Incheon class frigates and will be armed with anti-aircraft missiles, torpedo, guns, and sensors for electronic warfare. According to the official statement, the ships are tailor-made for the PNs requirements as they will have relatively shallow draft that will enable them to get closer to the islands which it would likely defend in the event conflict breaks out over these areas. Hyundai Heavy Industries added the frigates will be diesel-powered and will be capable of traveling at 25 knots and can negotiate waves at the height of up to four meters. The Duterte Administrations acquisition of these two frigates is one of the biggest budget items of the 15-year AFP modernization program. This accounts for the 15 percent increase in the Philippine defense budget which aimed to enhance the AFPs counter-terrorism efforts and enhance its territorial defense capabilities Keeping the Powder Dry? The Philippines efforts to build up the capacity of the PCG and to acquire two new warships for the PN underline its intent to strengthen its maritime capabilities while at the same time establishing a detente with its biggest maritime claimant state in the South China Sea dispute, China. During his visit to China a week ago, President Duterte tried to convince Chinese leaders to formally allow Filipino fisherman to return to Scarborough Shoal, a traditional fishing ground for fishermen. A possible fishing agreement between China and the Philippines, however, failed to materialize. There were reportedly disagreements over the terminology that would allow the Philippine fishermen to enter, which were tied to the arbitral tribunal ruling. And though fishermen have been allowed access to Scarborough for the time being, the future outlook remains uncertain. Despite President Dutertes and President Xis declaration that their countries long lasting friendship is unbreakable, the fact is that the two sides are still at odds over matters such as fishing rights and the tribunal ruling. The Philippines effort to keep its power dry is insurance against the possibility that this unbreakable friendship might actually be quite fragile. That is a point worth remembering even as one hears Dutertes rhetoric. Renato Cruz De Castro is a professor in the International Studies Department, De La Salle University, Manila, and the holder of the Charles Lui Chi Keung Professorial Chair in China Studies. Daily News 28 October 2016 and 29 October 2016 (Serialised in two parts on 28 October 2016) Santasilan Kadirgamar Memorial Lecture delivered by S. K. Senthivel at the Trimmer Hall, Jaffna on July 16, 2016. English translation by S. Sivasegaram I was asked to deliver this address in memory of the late Silan Kadirgamar; and I agreed wholeheartedly since I believe that it is a matter of pride to deliver this address in memory of the late Silan Kadirgamar who was a person of great social value, a great intellectual, a great educationist, and above all one who received leftist ideas and made them an integral part of his conduct. In the social context of Sri Lanka, the socio-political environment of the Jaffna Peninsula in particular, Silan Kadirgamar firmly adopted a bold leftist line?a Marxist line and ideas inherent to it?and lived as one who not merely accepted them in his mind but made it his practice and acted organisationally on their basis. At a time when intellectuals joined hands with the community, outside the confines of academia, to carry forward a movement for justice and equality, he was a participant, in fact a very active participant, in that movement. At the time I did not have the opportunity to work with him. But since his student Mrs. Somesasundary Krishnakumar chairing this meeting has placed before you many more matters than I could say, I would proceed on this occasion to honour his memory to deliver my address titled aCasteism and Social Justicea in memory of Silan Kadirgamar who, as I said then, lived as a person of social worth. Untouchability which is connected with caste and tightly bonded to casteism has existed in our social environment for very long. We can see that casteism has been able to make people unequal and divide them. We also see that casteism has developed to become unyielding. We know from history that the caste system, which could be said to be the basic structure of Indian social relations, has lasted on that landscape for more than 2000 years. There have continued to be all manner of debate and analysis about its origins. Indus Valley civilization On the one hand, there is the view that it was something that the Aryans brought from the north to south. But the view of researchers who have studied society based on historical materialism is that caste is not something that was unique to Aryans and that the roots of the caste system could be found in the period of the Indus Valley Civilization, the Dravidian civilization which preceded the arrival of the Aryans. Thus historians hold that the four-Varna distinction or the Varnasrama concept of four Varnas combined with class distinctions in the Indus Valley civilization gave rise to the caste system. We can also see that at the time when class differences and class contradictions developed in society, caste developed as an inalienable aspect of Hinduism, guided by Hinduism. The development of the caste system occurred through the merging of class and colour (Varna). Whether we consider the Manu Smriti, the Hindu legal text or the sacred text of Bagavad Gita, they either justify the casteist Varna concept or emphasize the caste based duties of an individual; and have nowhere rejected it. History has shown us how the number of castes within this caste structure has proliferated to reach several hundreds. In this pyramidal structured caste hierarchy, the Brahmin occupied the heist positions followed by the Kshatriya followed by Vaishya followed by Sudra, comprising respectively the four Varnas. Within it lay several hundred castes located in their respective levels. Another feature of this caste structure, where castes are located one below the other, is that it has created a mind-set in which a lowly placed caste derives satisfaction from there being a caste below it. Interests of the depressed castes History shows that the number of castes has proliferated to reach many hundreds. The cast system has a pyramidal structure with the Brahmin at the apex, followed by the Kshatriya, then the Vaishya and then the Sudra, representing the four Varnas (meaning colour). Within them are hundreds of castes, again located hierarchically. What could be further noticed about this caste hierarchy is that since the castes are layered one below another, it has created a mind-set where a caste located low in this hierarchy seeks solace in there being another caste below it. In the context of this caste hierarchy, the Indian government set up the Mandel Commission to address the interests of the depressed castes. The investigative study by the Mandel Commission reported that there were 3,750 castes in India. We know the reality that this caste structure is, however, not confined to the borders of India, and has spread to several South Asian countries. The caste system, which as I said earlier emerged from primitive class distinctions, developed alongside Hinduism to assimilate the very cruel, uncivilised practice of untouchability. Manu Smriti (the laws of Manu) occupies an important place among tools that linked untouchability with caste and thereby reinforced it. The caste system which spread to the rest of South Asia had also well entrenched itself in Lanka. There has been a caste system among the Sinhalese as well. Likewise there has been one among Tamils. The caste system has been adopted as an important structure defining society in Lanka, especially in the north of the country, and more specifically in the Jaffna Peninsula. We can see that the caste system which came about well before the feudal stage of Indian society was fortified under a feudal hierarchy based on land ownership. Caste structure in Sinhala society Nationalists a Tamil nationalists a usually pride themselves that the Chola period was a golden age. It was in that Chola golden age that the caste system was consolidated in Tamil country. History informs us that the Chola regime constituted a well-defined structure in the duties of and the conditions controlling each caste were defined. The caste system in Lanka has been seen to have been relatively mellow. Especially, the practice of untouchability is known to be minimal. Yet the caste system exists among the Sinhalese. We can see the Govigama caste located at the peak of the caste structure in the Sinhala society in much the same way as the Vellala caste is in the Tamil society; and there are several castes arranged below it. There are Sinhalese friends here who will vouch for the existence of caste among Sinhalese. There still are people among Sinhalese who can identify the caste of a person from his name. However, perhaps because they are adherents of Buddhism, untouchability and caste oppression are much less or at a very low level among the Sinhalese. There is, however, a paradox. It was against the Brahmins who headed the caste hierarchy that the Buddha established the Dhamma. We learn from history that those oppressed by the caste system took to Buddhism and that enabled the spread of Buddhism and that Buddhism was opposed to Brahmanism and the caste system. We also see that the same Buddhism, somehow, assimilated the caste system here. When the Hill Country Tamils were brought to the island by the British nearly eighty percent of them belonged to the depressed castes. Fifteen percent of them belonged to the high castes, who led them or assisted the British to subject them to exploitation. As the majority of the Hill Country Tamils belonged to depressed communities, untouchability as an institution remained weak. In the North, however, we find that the caste system remained firm and based on oppression. In the caste system as seen in Jaffna, about a third of the population comprised people depressed by caste, also referred to as the Pancama. In other words it can be said that a third of the Lankan Tamil population can be said to have been depressed by caste. Some analysts and commentators have sought to explain the term Pancama as members of five specific castes. But it does not mean five castes but refers a fifth Varna which lay outside the four identified Varnas, comprising toiling people, a people who were effectively slaves. Researchers have established that this is the true meaning of Pancama. We learn that, historically, these depressed Pancama people have been subjected to severe oppression, treated as untouchable and seen as contaminated. Sir P. Ramanathan and Sir P. Arunachalam a two strongly nationalist leaders from the North a who emerged as leaders from among the people of the Jaffna Peninsula early in the last century, have sought to defend the caste system. Donoughmore Commission We find that Sir P. Ramanathan had been the leader of the Tamil elite and the guardian of the caste system and untouchability. For instance, in 1931, when the Donoughmore Commission considered granting universal franchise to all persons a male and female a above the age of 21 years, Sir P. Ramanathan raised objection to it. He has the distinction of mobilizing seventy nine village headmen to plead with the Governor of Ceylon that people of depressed castes should not be given the franchise. Besides, when the railway service from Colombo to Jaffna was introduced, it was Sir P. Ramanathan who argued that separate carriages should be allocated for people of depressed castes. It is from such elitist leaders that Tamil nationalism sprouted. Thus Tamil nationalism became reactionary. It was because it firmly upheld casteism at its social base that it was placed at the fore. That is now presented as the Tamil national history. But that Tamil nationalism never went along a progressive direction, because, as we can see, Tamil nationalism started its journey with utterly reactionary feudal thinking and feudal ideology. It was when such Tamil nationalism had its beginnings in this fashion, there emerged in Jaffna a commendable and contrasting form of Tamil nationalism, a progressive Tamil nationalism, in the form of the Jaffna Youth Congress referred to earlier. We see the Jaffna Studentsa Congress which started early in the 1920as advancing to become the Jaffna Youth Congress in 1924. We need to view the First Congress of the Jaffna Youth Congress held in 1924 in historical perspective. In a context where we had reactionary Tamil nationalism on the one hand and the Youth Congress on the other, the latter in its First Congress in 1924 adopted a statement denouncing untouchability as its third resolution. We remember with much appreciation the courage with which the Jaffna Youth Congress adopted the resolution, in the context of the prevalent practice of untouchability at the time. Amid this what is important to note is that the Jaffna Youth Congress was founded not as a left organisation but as what could be considered a nationalist, national freedom organisation. Yet we witnessed its establishing what comprised features of progressive nationalism. Relentless struggle by educationalists We find that the Youth Congress then, with Handy Perinpanayagam, M. C. Subramaniam and others at the fore, at each of its Congresses expressed its opposition to untouchability. Delegates from India, left-wing delegates, and leaders who participated in the independence campaign of the Indian National Congress have addressed the sessions of the Jaffna Youth Congress. The well documented book authored by Silan Kadirgamar on the Jaffna Youth Congress carries a clear and detailed historical record of the relentless struggle by educationalists a young educationalists especially a and university graduates. It was because of such initiative of the Youth Congress that an organisation for the depressed community was founded in 1925. A society called the Tamil Workers Association was founded with Joel Paul, a member of the depressed community as its leader. Others with a Christian background join it to found this organisation against casteism. Nevins Selvadurai, a Christian, an educationist, a progressive and an opponent of casteism became President of the Tamil Workers Association founded for the people of the depressed community. What we need to note here is the ability of this educationalist belonging to the elevated castes to stand together with members of both the depressed community and the elevated castes. It was they who then opposed in 1930as the caste-based differential seating and differential serving of food at schools to launch a successful campaign for seating and serving of food on an equal basis and made the government accept it. It was only as a result of the uncompromising struggle on that issue by the Jaffna Youth Congress, the Tamil Workers Association and other progressive Christians that the first egalitarian event, namely seating and serving of food on an equal basis, took place in the Tamil society of Jaffna. The historical tragedy, however, is that the Jaffna Youth Congress which was founded in the 1920as was within ten years defeated by reactionary Tamil nationalist leaders. After the Youth Congress successfully achieved its boycott of elections to four seats to the proposed State Council in 1931, the reactionary Tamil nationalist leadership reversed the earlier position and contested those seats in elections held in 1934. Following the demise of the elitist leader Sir P. Ramanathan, his place was taken by another elitist leader G. G. Ponnambalam, who declared that boycotting the elections was lacking in foresight. He proceeded to plead for elections to be held for the four seats, and contested the elections held in 1934 to be elected to the State Council. In the context in which the Youth Congress was done away with, the left movement of the North moved in to carry out its activities, thereby filling the socio-political space that was occupied by the Youth Congress. The Lanka Samasamaja Party set foot in Jaffna in 1937. An important personality in the LSSP then was Comrade Tharmakulasingam, also known as Jeyam. When, after much strife, the remains of a member of the depressed community was cremated at the Villunri crematorium, shots were fired at those who were there during the night, and Mudali Sinnaththamby, a member of the depressed community, was killed on the spot. When his murder came up before the courts, no lawyer from the upper castes was willing to plead for the interests of the deceased. In this cruelly unjustly situation, Comrade Tharmakulasingam (Jeyam), although a member of the upper castes, defied all resistance to plead for the deceased. Following that incident, youth of the depressed community realised that, without a separate organisation for the depressed communities, it was not possible to overcome caste-based untouchability. Thus an organisation named Minority Tamils Congress was founded in 1943. Depressed community Following that the Communist Party was founded in the North under the leadership of Comrade M. Karthigesan. The Party worked hard among the depressed community based on class as they constituted toiling exploited people. Despite the hard work of the left, the situation persisted under the Jaffna caste structure, in which the people of the depressed communities could not have tea or food or go to the temple or move about in public places as equals to others. It was only after the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna government led by SWRD Bandaranaike came to power in 1957, that there was some progressive change in the struggles as well as the social life of the depressed communities. The introduction of the Prevention of Social Disabilities Act of 1957 had only a marginal impact on casteism. Since 1958, the Minority Tamils Congress launched for the first time the struggle to access certain restaurants. The struggle launched at the larger restaurants. A situation conducive to such equality existed in restaurants such as Subash CafA and SeKu owned by friendly members of the Malayali community. It was here that it was clear that the Tamil nationalists, who boast that Tamils are the most ancient community, had on no occasion opened their businesses on an equal basis to members of the depressed community. It was this that we pointed out to the Tamils then. Two kinds of Tamil people existed then. One was the elevated kind; and the other was the depressed kind. One can recognise the two kinds of Tamils if one stood opposite a tea boutique. On one side will be those whose tea is served in properly made cups or brass beakers; and on the other side will be those who have it in empty soda bottles, and low grade cans. This duality could be changed only in a few restaurants in 1958. But nothing significant happened across the northern region. Tamil society It was against this historical background that the comrades at the time launched the upsurge of October 1966, led by the Party comprising Marxist Leninists. It was a mass upsurge under the red flag bearing the slogan aLet the Caste System Fall Apart! Let Egalitarian Justice Arise!a The forthcoming October 21 marks fifty years since that event. The upsurge of October 21, 1966 was a vigorous upsurge against caste-based untouchability in which over a thousand youth took part, and the most important upsurge in the Tamil society of the time. The struggle initiated by that upsurge enabled the building up of a broad-based front in the Tamil society called the aMass Movement for the Eradication of Untouchabilitya . There were not only members of the depressed community. Members of the upper castes, leftists, communists, revolutionaries, democrats, progressives among people of various descriptions participated in the struggle. That was why the campaign, besides developing into a broad-based campaign, facilitated struggles for equality in other matters as well. The young generation of today will not know of a struggle that took place fifty years ago. But they should know how arduous and inspiring a struggle it was and how it comprised a large army of youth who would sacrifice their lives for the cause. The history of the struggle tells us that it was during the period of this mass movement that the members of the depressed community dared to confront violence unleashed against them with violence - within limits - by taking up arms. Thus, we can see that the members of the depressed community secured their rights because armed action played an important role in the struggle. During the struggle that lasted five years fifteen members of the depressed community were shot dead by fanatical casteists. The youth of the depressed community and the Communist Party did not tolerate it. They used revolutionary violence to put down in matching numbers fifteen fanatical casteists. Thus we can see it as a major struggle which put at stake the lives of fifteen members of the depressed community to achieve some form of equality that the depressed communities enjoy today ? be it in tea boutiques or in the temples ? and make a major impact on casteism. Then the ordinary oppressed people ? toilers, and dwellers in huts ? used weapons at their disposal to struggle against fanatical casteists and caste-based oppression. In the village of Nichchaamam in Chankaanai, the campaign for entering tea boutiques lasted three years. A poet who arrived from Batticaloa at the time wrote: aWhatever time of the night that the enemy may enter Eyes of Nichchaamam will throw fire and burn to ashes. I admire the anger that resides in the little huts. The soil of Chankaanai, I salute thee.a For it was the day on which a life was sacrificed. It was through such struggle that equality was won. I dare say that it was because the struggle of the time fought against untouchability that todayas community enjoys a degree of equality. It was because of such struggles that the Tamil youth were drawn into subsequent Tamil nationalist struggles. But the extent to which the struggles for Tamil Eelam ideologically overcame casteism remains an important issue that needs to be researched. Thus the question of the extent to which the struggle for Tamil Eelam overcame casteism needs to be debated at ideological as well as theoretical levels. Expatriate communities There is a view prevailing that today, seven years after the end of the thirty-year war, that a variety of events on various fronts indicate that casteism is once again quietly in action. The practice of inequality in the form of untouchability sometimes occurs in the open. Thus casteism is still asserting itself in practice in our society. Dr Ambedkar stressed that there is that caste exists in society and that there is the restriction that one can only marry within oneas caste. This practice persists not only here but also among the expatriate communities. Casteist oppression could manifest itself as explicit oppression or as other forms of inequality. A situation has come in which every progressive and leftist should rise bravely to struggle on a social basis against the oppression faced by people of oppressed castes. That struggle needs to one for social justice. What I wish to tell the youth of today is that they should look closely at the human relations and social inequalities in our society. They should learn everything and learn from everything. What I wish to urge at this moment is that there should be a mobilisation of youth capable of fighting against social injustice. Tamil nationalism which was born of reaction developed into reactionary nationalism and remains reactionary to this day. Even in national politics it is taking a most reactionary route. We remind ourselves that we need to smash this reactionary Tamil nationalism, identify the progressive nationalist forces who would emerge from it, and create a new environment in which they could develop into leftists. Then, at the time when the Youth Congress was crippled, we see that progressive nationalists, such as P. Nagalingam, P. Kandiah and Tharmakulasingam, advanced from being Tamil nationalists to become leftists. What I wish to emphasise in my Santasilan Kadirgamar Commemoration Lecture is that good Tamil nationalists should also be good leftists. In the environment prevailing then, people who were oppressed by casteism and untouchability and class and exploitation of labour advanced from among the depressed community through struggle. We think that time has come, as a continuation of that step, for revolutionaries who are Tamil progressives, to mobilise as leftists to constitute a new socio-political front, in the post-war context, to understand the current social inequalities and initiate a new form of politics to confront them. We witness four kinds of oppression in Sri Lanka based on class, nationality, caste and gender. We have the duty to create true champions of social justice from among the class and social sections who are oppressed at these levels. I conclude my talk by urging this matter. The policy of the empty chair observed by Morocco for more than thirty years in Africa has left room to Algeria and its protege, the Polisario, to extend their influence in the continent, particularly at the level of the African Union (AU.) But as it is never too late to do the right thing, Morocco came to the conclusion that the diplomatic battle over Western Sahara should not take place at the United Nations in New York or Geneva, but within the pan-African organization. Actually, the countries that still support the pseudo-Sahrawi Republic (SADR) under the relentless pressure of the Algerian regime are African and to a lesser extent from Latin America. It is in this context that Moroccos King Mohammed VI initiated, shortly after his enthronement in 1999, a policy of rapprochement with African countries and demanded officially in September the readmission of the Kingdom within the African Union. Moreover, Morocco, which has many friends in Francophone Africa that support it unreservedly in the Sahara issue, has recently undertaken to warm up its relations with English-speaking African countries. This part of the continent was long regarded as the preserve of Algeria, which has there the largest number of supporters to its creation, the SADR. Yet, the number of African and Latin American countries, which have decided to permanently sever all relations with the Polisario and its fanciful Sahrawi republic is increasing. Suriname, Zambia and Jamaica are among the countries to have adopted such a decision recently. This is the result of the diplomatic offensive led by Morocco, which expects to regain its seat in the African family probably in January 2017. During the 27th summit of African heads of state held in Kigali, Rwanda, last July, 28 member countries have addressed to the Presidency of the AU a motion in which they supported the readmission of Morocco and called for the suspension of SADR from the AU and all its bodies, a very encouraging sign for Moroccan diplomacy in the battle waged by the Algerian neighbor over the Sahara issue. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. An earlier system used in the US was SIC (Standard Industrial Classification). SIC code was supplanted by NAICS, but certain government departments and agencies, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), still use the SIC codes. The classification was developed to facilitate the collection, presentation and analysis of data; and to promote uniformity and comparability in the presentation of statistical data collected by various agencies of the federal government, state agencies, and private organizations. ISIC (International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities) is also closely related to NAICS. ISIC is the international reference classification of productive activities. There are over hundreds of countries are using ISIC. Its main purpose is to provide a set of activity categories that can be utilized for the collection and reporting of statistics according to such activities. It is clear, however, that needs for detail and structure, especially at the lower levels of the classification, differ from country to country and from region to region. So other countries may have their own regional classifications but their classifications are still based on this reference. Like NAICS is the related classification of ISIC.There is also a derived classification of ISIC, which is called NACE (Nomenclature of Economic Activities). NACE is the European statistical classification of economic activities. It is used by the European Union. ISIC and NACE are identical up to the two-digit level (divisions) of the classification. At lower levels, NACE has created more detail suitable for European users of the classification.Australia and New Zealand also have their own industry classification, ANZSIC (Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification). It replaced the Australian Standard Industrial Classification (ASIC) and the New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (NZSIC) and it is also related to ISIC.Besides industry classifications we've already mentioned, Sweden Japan and many other countries also have their own industry classification. You can use Google to search the industry classification of a specific country that you want to know. What's more, there are some other kinds of industry classifications, like GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard), ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark), TRBC (Thomson Reuters Business Classification), and etc. Jennifer is an Australian nanny in Amsterdam, Netherlands. When her secret past surfaces she flees into the night. The next morning she finds her way onto a tour bus that offers trips outside of the city, visiting the countrys famous windmills. When the tour bus stalls Jennifer and one of the other tourists offer to go to a windmill over yonder to ask for help. The thing is, this windmill does not appear on any local map. On their way they come upon The Miller and he makes quick and gruesome work of Jennifers companion. Stranded in the middle of the Dutch countryside, with a crazed killer outside, the rest of the group retreat into an abandoned church. They will discover there is no such thing as a coincidence. They were all brought together on that tour bus for a reason, to experience this Dutch version of slasher hell. One of the first things that the tour bus driver says when Jennifer arrives is, Theres always room for one more sinner. The kills and violence in Nick Jongerius debut feature film are top shelf; most of the kills relate closely to each tourist's sins. To stand out among your slasher peers and make an impression you have to be creative and bloody and The Windmill achieves that. From the very first kill you know that The Miller is not someone to be fucked with. Some of the kills are meek by comparison but he gets the job done. The Miller is an imposing and physical force; the violence and deaths run the spectrum of Adam Greens Hatchet to Wes Cravens Elm Street. Story-wise, The Windmill does not really set itself apart from the crowd. As the story goes The Miller was grinding his victims bones at his mill and mixing it's with the flour. When the locals found out they set him and his mill on fire. The Devil was so impressed with his work he offered to revive him so he could gather more souls of sinners. So there are the common themes from psycho slasher killers and your soul belonging to the Devil to the gathering together of sinners who will pay for their sins through death. If you believe that all sinners go to Hell this is simply a more vicious and quicker means to the end. Our misgivings with The Windmill is that it is not a terribly exciting movie, nor does it have a quick pace or any sense of dread to it. The Miller needs only wait outside the old church that the tourists have holed up in and pick them off one by one as they come outside. No one catches on to their predicament either, as early on the rest of the tourists are conveniently convinced by physician on sabbatical Nicholas (Noah Taylor) that Jennifer (Charlotte Beaumont) is having a psychotic break because he saw her empty med bottle. So there are not any of the standard issue chase scenes. Everyone pretty much walks into setups all throughout the night. Golden Age slasher films at least had some kind of action apart from the kills. The Windmill is lacking anything that those pics had, excitement, dread and anticipation. Seguin, TX (78155) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 74F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 61F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Terrifically timed Northwestern JCLC symposium to ask "The Death Penalty's Numbered Days?" | Main | Is California's parole reform initiative, Prop 57, among the most important and consequential sentencing ballot issues? October 31, 2016 "Defendant in U.S. opioid kickback case claims constitutional right to smoke pot" The title of this post is the headline of this notable new argument about a notable motion filed in federal district court case. Here are the details: A U.S. ex-pharmaceutical sales representative accused of paying kickbacks to induce doctors to write prescriptions for an opioid drug is asserting he has a constitutional right to continue smoking marijuana so he can remain clear-headed for his defense. In a filing Friday, lawyers for Jeffrey Pearlman asked a federal judge for the U.S. District Court in Connecticut to modify his bail conditions so that he can continue using marijuana that was prescribed to him by a New Jersey doctor to help him kick his opioid addiction. "Forcing him off the medical marijuana and forcing him to return to addictive opioids would impair his Sixth Amendment right to participate fully in his defense and his Fifth (Amendment) right to due process," his attorneys Michael Rosensaft and Scott Resnik of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP wrote. The novel request is one of only at least three such attempts in a federal court to permit the use of medical marijuana. It is possibly the only motion of its kind to assert a Sixth Amendment defense that the failure to permit medical marijuana use could re-trigger an opioid addiction and impede a person's ability to participate in his own defense.... A variety of state laws have legalized marijuana for medicinal use, but federal law still prohibits it. The drug is classified as a Schedule I substance, meaning it is addictive and serves no medical purpose. Many opioids, by contrast, fall under Schedule II, meaning they are addictive, but have medical uses. Pearlman, a former Insys Therapeutics, was charged criminally in September for allegedly arranging sham speaker programs designed to encourage medical professionals to write prescriptions for a fentanyl spray. His lawyers say Pearlman became addicted to opioids used to treat severe back and leg pain and the drugs made him "foggy" and unable to think clearly. After being prescribed marijuana in August, they said, his pain has subsided and he is able to "think more clearly." Whether the judge will grant Pearlman's request remains to be seen. Two defendants in other federal courts previously lost their bids to continue using medical marijuana, though the facts and circumstances in those cases were different. In this case, the U.S. Attorney's Office has not opposed the request. A spokesman for the office declined to elaborate further. There are so many drug war ironies baked into this story, I am not sure I know where to start my fuzzy commentary on the highlights of this case. For now, I will be content to note the remarkable fact that the U.S. Attorney's Office's has here not opposed a request by a federal fraud defendant to be able to break federal drug laws while on bail. October 31, 2016 at 04:03 PM | Permalink Comments In my opinion only: If a person wants to consume a product in their body and has all the facts on the product, it is their right. If they share or convince others to take it, that would be a crime against humanity. Only people that do not work for the public would be allowed to consume a product as long as they took responsibility for all their personal actions. Posted by: LC in Texas | Nov 1, 2016 11:57:06 AM Post a comment When the specter of eviction began to loom over the 1971-founded St. John Coltrane Church this past February, Archbishop Franzo King told SFist that his congregation was concerned but far from defeated. "This is what this church is all about," King said. "We don't bow, we don't cow, we ain't going along to get along." In April, the Church learned it would indeed be evicted, though it was granted a 60-day reprieve at that time. Seeking to relocate but remain in the historic Fillmore District, King told the Examiner that With God, all things are possible...But we dont know if something is available [in the Fillmore]. Now there's good word from Hoodline: Saint Cyprians Episcopal Church at Turk and Lyon, in many ways a kindred spirit of the Coltrane Church, has agreed to temporarily share its space. We started off as a neighborhood church when the Western Addition was predominantly black," St. Cyprian's father Thomas C. Jackson told Hoodline. "Were trying to be a bridge between what used to be and what is becoming so that everyone can live together," Jackson added to the neighborhood blog. St. John Coltrane transcends things like race and class and economic barriers the music does that. The two religious institutions will hold their own separate services on Sundays at 2097 Turk: Saint Cyprian's at 10:10 a.m., and Saint Coltrane's at noon. This Christmas, they plan to work together on a jazz-oriented holiday service and celebration. Related: Video: The Church Of Coltrane's (Possibly) Last Service In The Fillmore Police arrested 12 protesters yesterday morning on suspicion of trespassing after they allegedly refused to leave the lobby of the Financial District Citibank headquarters. The Chronicle reports that the group had gathered in opposition to the bank's funding of the Dakota Access Pipeline a light sweet crude oil pipeline currently under construction that's slated to pass from North Dakota to Illinois and under the Missouri River on its way. The pipeline has made national headlines following an ongoing protest by Native Americans and their allies in Standing Rock, North Dakota, on what the New York Times reports the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe considers to be sacred land. The protesters, who identify themselves as water protectors, are worried about the effect the pipeline would have on all those who depend on the Missouri river. With the Times reporting that more than 400 protesters have been arrested over the course of the North Dakota demonstration, calls for solidarity have led to both an online response and a real world one. As SFPD made clear, yesterday's Citibank protest was very much the latter. "We have given them the opportunity to leave," SFPD Captain David Lazar told ABC 7. "We've asked them three different times to leave the lobby they refused, so they accepted a citizen's arrest and now we're making [arrests] of 12 demonstrators." Citibank is not the only institution funding the $3.8 billion pipeline project Wells Fargo is also putting money toward it however ABC 7 reports that Citibank is the largest single backer. "I am here today because Indigenous friends and allies in North Dakota are literally risking life and limb to stop this pipeline," protester Christy Tennery-Spalding told the channel. "Oil companies and banks like Citigroup do not care about clean water and clean air of impacted communities. These companies only motivation is profit and we're here today to say, 'NO MORE!' " According to KRON4, a group by the name of Diablo Rising Tide organized the protest. Officer Carlos Manfredi told the channel that the protesters were likely to be cited and then released. Related: Why Your Facebook Friends Are Checking In At Standing Rock, North Dakota The Lowlands Group has announced that Cafe Hollander on Downer Avenue will be closed for renovations starting Nov. 6. The upgrade marks the 10th anniversary of the first Lowlands cafe, which have since expanded to six other locations. The renovations will include a redesigned bar area, new wood flooring, updated kitchen equipment and increasing the number of tap lines from 24 to 37. A grand reopening is scheduled for Nov. 18. It will include a revamped menu and the launch of the annual Holiday Bier menu, containing rare and exclusive beers imported from around the world just for the holiday. On Nov. 20, a charity event will benefit the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center. The Chili Weather Coat Drive will be held on Cafe Hollander's patio from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Anyone who donates a new or gently used coat will receive a free bowl of chili and a Lowlands Brewing Collaborative Bourbon Barrel Aged Centraal Quadder. Colectivo Coffee and hot chocolate will also be available to warm participants of the coat drive. SOUTH SIOUX CITY | Officials representing the City of South Sioux City and Big Ox Energy reached a number of agreements toward resolving odor issues Monday night. A news release issued Monday night said the first step is to have Big Ox stop receiving wastewater from the city until the odor issues are resolved. Big Ox converts organic waste into methane gas. Citizens living in 15 homes in a five-block vicinity of Red Bird Lane to Lemasa Drive to 39th and 32nd streets have reported strong odors. Residents in the affected areas have been living in hotels since last Tuesday. The plant shares sewer lines with the affected homes. With Big Ox shutting down its wastewater reception, water will now be treated at the Sioux City wastewater treatment facility as it has in the past. A release issued by the City of South Sioux City said this could take 30 to 45 days. Next, Big Ox will hire an engineering firm to develop and present a plan to the city to ensure the problem does not happen again. Once the city approves the new action plan, discussions will begin to redirect industrial wastewater back to the new plant. The public will be notified. Third, Big Ox has agreed to provide additional financial support to the city for appropriate out-of-pocket costs for impacted residents such as lodging or clean-up costs. "If there are legitimate issues people can demonstrate to us -- hotels, lodging, cleaning -- we are going to do the right thing and take care of those," said Big Ox spokesman Evan Zeppos. He said no estimate of those related costs was available Monday night. Zeppos said residents can move into homes as soon as they feel comfortable. He said there isn't one blanket date when that may be, but said it's a case-by-case basis. The release, issued by the city and Big Ox, said the two entities will continue to work together and hope that the action steps will result in a positive future for the city and Big Ox. Zeppos said work to address the steps will begin immediately, as Big Ox and the city hope to address the concerns as quickly as possible now that a plan is in place. "We regret the incident and we want to be good partners," he said. "The city and Big Ox Energy are committed to working together and we want the residents to know we apologize." In the next few days, the city and Big Ox will work with homeowners to address any immediate needs, such as providing funding to get needed medication, provide daycare for pets and children and other issues. Zeppos said the meeting was held Monday night at South Sioux City's City Hall. Attendees included public works department officials, Mayor Rod Koch, city administrators, impacted residents and Big Ox representatives. SIOUX CITY | The place for former President Bill Clinton's Wednesday campaign event in Sioux City has been announced as the Anderson Dance Pavilion in Chris Larsen Park on the Missouri riverfront. Bill Clinton will campaign on behalf of his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, in the outdoor venue at 1 p.m. People may arrive at noon for the event at the pavilion, which is located in Chris Larsen Park. There will be limited parking near the pavilion. Given some construction work on Interstate 29 near the pavilion, the Clinton team is encouraging people to park north across Gordon Drive in the Tyson Events Center parking lot. People can walk from Tyson under a tunnel to the park area. The weather forecast for early afternoon is 59 degrees, with a 10 percent change of rain. People who want to reserve spots can do that through Hillary Clinton's campaign website. The Clinton rally had originally announced on Sunday without a place and start time. Clinton's campaign said the event will be to encourage early voting in Iowa, considered a "toss-up" state, in advance of the Nov. 8 election. Clinton is vying for the presidential position with Republican Donald Trump. Bill Clinton will also make stops Wednesday in Waterloo and Des Moines. Bill Clinton most recently campaigned in Sioux City on Jan. 15 at Morningside College, where 300 people watched his speech two weeks before the Iowa caucuses. CARROLL, Neb. | On a turkey hunt near Newcastle, Nebraska, last spring, Mark Wieseler and Brian Petzoldt hosted military veterans, a couple of whom had never been turkey hunting before. Unfamiliar with using a turkey call, the veterans watched and listened as Petzoldt, a Winside, Nebraska, veteran, called out to attract the birds. By the end of the trip, the two rookie turkey hunters had not only tried the call themselves, but had become pretty good at it and were having a great time. "You learn something without even thinking you learned something," Petzoldt said. That hunting trip and others that Wieseler has organized are meant to be enlightening. Not just in terms of teaching military veterans hunting skills, but getting them to open up and maybe begin to cope with issues they've been facing. "The deer and the turkey, that in my opinion is the bonus," Wieseler said. "Getting these guys out of the house, around other vets, shows them they're not alone." Wieseler has organized turkey and deer hunts for Patriot Outdoors Adventures, a Kansas-based nonprofit organization that uses hunting and fishing excursions to bring veterans together with other veterans in the hopes that it will help them deal with mental or physical issues they're facing. Even if not dealing with post-traumatic stress or other conditions caused by their service, many veterans, Wieseler said, just have a hard time adjusting to civilian life. They're used to being told what to do and when. Without that direction, some sit at home and feel isolated. "We use the outdoors as a hook," Wieseler said. "We show them there is life outside of the basement or whatever." Wieseler, of rural Carroll, compiled 20 years of Army service both in active duty and the reserves, including one year in Iraq. He and volunteers such as Petzoldt, a Navy veteran of Desert Storm in the 1990s, lead veterans on hunts. Though they might not have the same military experiences, they understand military life and can duplicate the camaraderie the veteran knew while in the service. Once out in the field, conversations may turn from hunting to other topics. "During the down time, we kind of find out what the guys are having problems with," Wieseler said. Those problems could be related to mental or physical ailments. Or they could be something as simple as needing help writing a resume for job applications. No matter the problem, the small-group setting seems to put the veterans at ease. "We shoot the bull and just kind of see where they're at. You're another vet, not just someone in the public saying it because they're paid to," Petzoldt said. "I think it gets them to open up a little bit." Wieseler said he hopes to be able to help more veterans as word spreads about Patriot Outdoors Adventures. Veterans are welcome to bring their own guns, but Wieseler can provide a gun, ammo and other supplies, all at no cost to the veteran. Wieseler said he's got land on which to hunt and is hoping to obtain permission from more landowners to hunt on their land. He'd also welcome donations of hunting equipment. The hunts are open to any veteran from any era who has a general discharge. Wieseler, who found out about Patriot Outdoors Adventures while attending a hunting expo in Kansas, said veterans need not have hunting experience to take part in the hunts. He can also accommodate veterans with limited mobility. Neither Petzoldt nor Wieseler claim to be therapists. They'll offer advice and suggest possible avenues of support or services. Mostly, they listen, help veterans have a good time and maybe get them interested in spending more time outdoors, or at least more time out of the house. "For some of them it's opening up something they can do and enjoy and get them out of the house," Wieseler said. "That's our goal, to give them something that makes them happy." And Wieseler, along with the other volunteers, are happy they can be of help. PENDER, Neb. -- Drafted by the U.S. Army at age 22, Norman Moeller wed his high school sweetheart, Joanne, shortly before he shipped out. This is a thing I would never say that a person should do, but it worked out really well for us, Norman Moeller, now 87, said. We were married July 15, and I left Aug. 20 for Korea, and in the meantime our first child was born -- he was 8 months old before I ever saw him. While her husband was in the service, Joanne stayed home with her parents, who gave her a solid support system during her new husbands absence. Meanwhile, Norman was landing at Fort Drake in Japan, where he was assigned to fire direction before being sent off to Korea. He was stationed in the area of the Punchbowl, the bowl-shaped valley in Gangwon Province, just a few miles south of the 38th Parallel, or Demilitarized Zone. When the floor observers got out, they went and called in coordinates to our station, to our bunker, and we would put that on coordinates, and wed pass the coordinates to where the guns were, and they would fire, Moeller said of his duties. He spent 12 months in Korea, but never complained. Instead, he found a positive way to look at his situation. Well, naturally, you dont like being away from home and being married was hard, he said. But I guess that didnt bother me a lot, because I knew I was there and I had to be there, so I took it as it was and put in my time and was ready to come home. Before Norman met Joanne, he was used to being away from home, because he hadnt ever had one for too long. His father, a preacher, went wherever he was called. That often meant moving all over Nebraska. Norman Moeller, who went to three different high schools due to his fathers pastoral assignments, rejects the notion that it was a tough age to move. Thats what everybody always says, but I wasnt bothered at all. Luckily, he found something worth staying for in Pender, Nebraska -- his future wife. I always tell her I had to run all over the state to find her, he said with a laugh. Joanne, whose parents attended Normans fathers parish, was a freshman in high school when Norman was a senior. Four children and 66 years later, the couple still live happily in Pender, where Norman takes immense pride in tending to the Thurston County farm he and his wife built their lives around. Norman Moeller spends several hours a day on their farm, helping his eldest son, Keith, who raises crops and cattle. Farming is my life, and I enjoy it so much, otherwise I wouldnt be doing it, Norman Moeller said. When Norman returned from Korea, he was greeted by Keith, then eight months old, and Joanne, who were eager for his return. However, one aspect of readjusting to civilian life was difficult. It was a very big life change, because when you are in the service, youve been with, those guys, said Norman. And they become just like brothers to you, so when you come home, basically, you dont have friends like you just left. SIOUX CITY | The Sioux City Police Department has identified the teen killed in a car crash early Monday morning on West Second Street. According to a Sioux City Police Department news release, Miguel Silvas-Sanchez, 17, of South Sioux City, died after being ejected from a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier when it struck a parked 2008 Dodge Caravan shortly after 1:30 a.m. Monday in the 1500 block of West Second Street. Silvas-Sanchez was riding in the vehicle as the front-seat passenger, the release said. Police report the car, driven by 18-year-old Eduardo Herrera, of South Sioux City, had been traveling at a high rate of speed east on West Second Street, when Herrera lost control and struck the parked minivan. Silvas-Sanchez was pronounced deceased on scene by authorities. A backseat passenger, 16-year-old Vicente Cancino, also of South Sioux City, was treated and released from a local hospital, the release said. Herrera left the scene on foot prior to officers' arrival but was later located, the release said. Police are continuing to investigate the accident, the release said, and any charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. SIOUX CITY | A fugitive sought by the U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force was apprehended last week in Merida, Mexico, authorities say. Samuel Nolazco, 28, was arrested Oct. 25 by Mexican authorities working in conjunction with the Fugitive Task Force, according to a news release issued late Monday. Nolazco was wanted by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for failing to appear for his sentencing after being charged with second-degree sexual abuse. Members of the Fugitive Task Force initiated an investigation in late August to locate Nolazco and later determined he had left Iowa and fled to Mexico. Nolazco has been deported from Mexico and is now in the Miami-Dade County Jail, awaiting extradition back to Sioux City. SOUTH SIOUX CITY | The U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force captured a Siouxland fugitive Monday afternoon in South Sioux City. The task force reports that Vicente Manzo-Hernandez, 21, was apprehended after the South Sioux City Police Department received information that he was at a residence in town. Manzo-Hernandez was taken into custody without incident. Manzo-Hernandez was wanted by the Iowa State Parole and Probation Office for escaping from the custody of the Residential Treatment Facility in Sioux City. Manzo-Hernandez was in the facility after serving a prison sentence for intimidation with a dangerous weapon. The Fugitive Task Force had issued a request for information on Manzo-Hernandez's whereabouts in late September. Manzo-Hernandez has been booked into the Dakota County Jail and is awaiting extradition to Woodbury County. SIOUX CITY | Police have arrested a third man in connection to a mid-October assault meant to keep the victim from testifying in court. Twenty-nine-year-old Cesar Anthony Rodriguez was arrested Saturday night on tampering with a witness and aggravated assault charges. According to court documents, Rodriguez was involved with two others in an assault around 11:20 p.m. Oct. 10 in the 500 block of 14th Street, during which he took a large chunk of concrete and threw it at the victim's head, causing a large laceration to the victim's left ear. Documents say Rodriguez was trying to intimidate the victim to keep him from testifying against one of his friends in a separate assault case. Documents from a previous arrest in the case say the victim's ear had been ripped in half and required several stitches. Kegan Lee Morris, 27, and Craig David Michtel, 28, were arrested last month in connection to the same incident. Rodriguez is being held in the Woodbury County jail on $4,000 bond. His next court appearance will be 9 a.m. Nov. 10. Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar. Morningside Faculty Art Show The Morningside College Eppley Art Gallery will be full of works of several different mediums and techniques created by 12 different art faculty members. The gallery will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free. Contact 712-274-5209 for additional information. Day of the Dead Exhibition Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with festivals and lively celebrations food, drink, parties and activities the dead enjoyed in life. The exhibit is open 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. at Pearson Lakes Art Center, 2201 Highway 71 N. Visit lakesart.org for additional information. History of Cherokee MHI The Cherokee Mental Health Institute opened in 1902, the last of the four mental institutions the state built in Iowa. Through historic artifacts the story of the institute and mental health treatment will be told in the Sanford Museum's West Gallery during museum hours. Visit sanfordmuseum.org for hours and additional information. The Journals endorsement of Steve King is an odd one that doesnt add up when you take into consideration its constituent parts. The Journal editorial board says that Rep. King has intelligence, analytical skills, honesty and integrity, yet it also points out that he engages in inflammatory rhetoric while exhibiting rigid partisanship that has found him at times less interested in doing what is best for Iowans than making a national name for himself. Partisanship by its very nature conflicts with the kind of intelligence, honesty and integrity we need in Washington, the kind that recognizes that a person on the other side of the aisle may be worth listening to and even on occasion may be right. In contrast, what The Journal says about Kim Weaver, that she is personable, informed and articulate, possessing a broad record of public service experience in Iowa," suggests that she has the kind of qualities that are most needed in Washington to move us beyond the paralysis of bitter partisanship which has characterized Kings approach perhaps more than any other congressperson. Kings record shows that he has done little to advance positive, bipartisan policies that can serve the public good. And then there is that flag, which is a disturbing embrace of a symbol of one of the darkest chapters in American history. Add all these things together and it is difficult to understand The Journal's endorsement. It should have gone to Ms. Weaver. - John Hubers, Orange City, Iowa At its root, politics is a practical science. Nowhere is that more evident than at the local level. While state and national candidates concern themselves with grandiose ideas designed to appeal to a broad cross-section of the electorate, local elected officials are charged with directly overseeing day-to-day operations of their various offices. With that in mind, I am supporting Joanne Craig in this years race for Woodbury County auditor. Joanne has impressed me with the wealth of knowledge she gained as city manager of towns in Michigan and New Hampshire. She knows how to manage an office and interact with both the public and the policymakers. She is also acutely aware of the duties of the office, as prescribed by law. These include those related to administration of the county budget, overseeing elections, and having general custody and control of the courthouse. Additionally, as our local auditor also serves as county recorder, her experience in government office management will serve her well as she oversees the office where legal documents are recorded and maintained. Joanne will bring with her knowledge from other parts of the country. This outside perspective will serve the county well, as she does not bring with her an attitude of this is how its always been done. The job of county auditor is not a glamorous one. It takes a person who does not seek notoriety or political popularity for its own sake. Joanne fits the bill. Vote for Joanne Craig for county auditor. - Barb Vakulskas, Sioux City Iowans depend on the courts to protect our rights and rule on every case fairly and impartially, based solely on the facts and the law. Our judges swear an oath to uphold the Constitution, despite what popular opinion or politics dictate. They are an essential part of our democracy and provide a vital balance to the executive and legislative branches. Iowa judges are routinely required to make difficult and sometimes controversial decisions. Iowans are fortunate that our judges are selected on the basis of merit after a rigorous process that evaluates their background, intellect and ethical standards. They are not elected politicians who cater to the concerns of special interest groups or pander to political partisans who want courts to rule a certain way. The judicial retention vote is not a recall election or a referendum on the popularity of a judges decisions. Rather, it asks voters to answer whether the judge in question has been impartial in his or her rulings. Go to www.judicialfacts.org for information about Iowas merit selection process and the qualifications of the judges on the ballot. Iowas judges should remain beyond the reach of special interests and political pressure so they can uphold our constitutional rights and the rule of law without fear of retaliation. Your vote to retain all of the judges on the ballot this year will help insure that Iowas fair and impartial courts remain that way. Please turn your ballot over and vote yes. - Cynthia Moser, Sioux City DES MOINES Early voting in Iowa continues to lag behind the pace set in the most recent presidential election, more so for Democrats than Republicans. But Iowa Democrats are rapidly closing their early-voting gap. Eight days out from the Nov. 8 election, early voting a combination of in-person early voting and absentee ballots returned by mail is down almost 10 percent from the same point in the 2012 election, according to the most recent data from the Iowa Secretary of States Office. Iowa Democrats lead Republicans in early voting, but they are farther behind their 2012 pace than Republicans are from theirs. Democrats had cast 198,736 early votes as of Monday. Thats down 10 percent from the same point in 2012. Republicans had cast 155,425 early votes as of Monday; thats just 3 percent off the GOPs pace in 2012. And Republicans are ahead of their 2012 pace in absentee ballot requests. Republicans have made strong gains in early voting this election cycle, while Democrats continue to see a clear lack of enthusiasm for (Democratic presidential candidate) Hillary Clinton, Lindsay Jancek, a spokeswoman for the national Republican party, said in an emailed statement. Compared to where we were this time in 2012, Republicans have closed the gap and Democrats are way behind. A spokesman for the state party said Republicans are confident they will deliver the state for GOP candidates spanning the ballot, from presidential candidate Donald Trump to the state capitol. Democrats, however, are closing their early-voting gap. Early this month, they had cast only half the number of early votes compared to the same point in 2012; now they are just 10 percent off that pace. Hundreds of thousands of Iowans have cast their ballots early for Hillary Clinton because they want a country with a strong, steady leader who will create an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, Kane Miller, the Clinton campaigns Iowa state director, said in an emailed statement. Donald Trump has made a career of demeaning and bullying women and we are winning early vote across the board because Iowans are rejecting his divisive campaign. Voters who claim no political party are voting early at an even slower pace: 17 percent fewer than in 2012. In the 2012 election in Iowa, Democrats cast roughly 31 percent more early votes than Republicans; thus far in 2016, Democrats have cast roughly 28 percent more early votes than Republicans. Early ballots counted by party do not take indicate a vote for that partys candidates. Early vote tallies do not account for crossover votes --- Democrats that vote for Republican candidates, and vice versa. Iowa voters still may vote prior to Election Day at satellite voting sites through Saturday, depending on schedules established by each countys auditor and at the county auditors office through next Monday, Nov. 7. Polls will be open in Iowa on Election Day, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Credit: Scarlet PageThe Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan has lost his legal case against TNA Wrestling. According to The Tennessean, Corgan's bid to take over the pro wrestling company was rejected on Monday by a Nashville judge. Corgan's lawsuit states that he gave three loans to TNA this year. The final loan came with a clause that would give Corgan the voting rights of TNA chairwoman Dixie Carter if TNA became insolvent, effectively giving the musician control of the company. However, the judge ruled Monday that the loan agreement was nonbinding under Tennessee law, and Corgan did not have the right to take control of TNA. Additionally, she ruled that, despite Corgan's arguments, it's not clear whether or not TNA is actually insolvent. Corgan himself took to Twitter Monday to say that he's "in no way disappointed in the judge's ruling regarding TNA." "Rather, I'm grateful the judge considered the case," he added. "It's important to note...these proceedings have brought forth facts which illuminate business practices I have fought against for a reason. And I suggest that a careful reading on the judge's ruling supports there can be no claim of victory by anyone in a position of authority." Corgan, an avid wrestling fan, was hired to TNA's creative team in 2015. This past August, he was named president of TNA's parent company, Impact Ventures. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. LEONARDTOWN, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (Nov. 1, 2016)The Leonardtown Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following incident and arrest reports.CDS, HANDGUN VIOLATION, DUI: On Sunday, October 16, at 3:03 am, TFC Regina initiated a traffic stop on a passenger car on Route 235 at Wildewood Blvd for a traffic infraction. Field sobriety was performed, and the driver, Khalil Kareem Carson, 33, of Washington, DC, was placed under arrest for DUI. A search of Mr. Carson, incident to arrest, revealed suspected marijuana over 10 grams. A search of Mr. Carson's vehicle resulted in the recovery of additional marijuana and a loaded semi-automatic handgun. The Maryland Gun Center was contacted regarding the firearm, and their check revealed that Mr. Carson is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Mr. Carson was transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center and charged with weapons violations, Possession of CDS Marijuana, DUI, and traffic charges. (16-MSP-042429)HANDGUN VIOLATION: On Saturday, October 29, at 6:44 pm, TFC B. Ditoto initiated a traffic stop on a passenger car on Route 245 at Route 235 for a traffic infraction. Contact was made with the driver, Jamarr Lamont Smith, 35, of District Heights. Due to the odor of Marijuana emitting from the vehicle, a probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted. This search led to the recovery of suspected Marijuana and a stolen, loaded, handgun. TFC Ditoto contacted the Maryland Gun Center, and was advised Mr. Smith is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Mr. Smith was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was held pending a bond review with the District Court Commissioner. (16-MSP-044502)PUBLIC INTOXICATION/DISORDERLY CONDUCT: On Saturday, October 30, at 9:08 pm, Cpl. Gibson responded to the 20000 block of Point Lookout Road for a reported person laying in the roadway. Witnesses stated that Jessie Marie Russell, 32, of Leonardtown was extremely intoxicated and had been laying in the roadway. Cpl. Gibson made contact with Ms. Russell, who continued to act disorderly by yelling profanities and attempting to pull away from Cpl. Gibson. Ms. Russell was placed under arrest and transported by TFC B. Ditoto. While en route to the St. Mary's County Detention Center, Ms. Russell became belligerent, removed her seatbelt several times, and spit across TFC Ditoto's vehicle, getting her saliva on TFC Ditoto's agency equipment and personal belongings. Ms. Russell was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Malicious Destruction of Property less than $1000, and Alcoholic Beverage: Public Place/ Cause Disturbance. She was held at the St. Mary's County Detention Center pending a bond review with the District Court Commissioner. (16-MSP-044684)Kristal Nicole Phares, 29, of Lexington Park, on 10/21/2016 for Theft less than $1000Thomas Austin Goldring III, 36, of Lexington Park, on 10/29/2016 for Fleeing and Traffic ChargesDonald Robert West, 22, of Lexington Park, on 10/25/2016 for Failing to Pay Deferred PaymentDavid Jamison Meeker, 22, of Hollywood, on 10/14/2016Ryan Michael Dale, 23, of Lexington Park, on 10/15/2016Aaron Cook, 26, of Baltimore, on 10/16/2016Khalil Kareem Carson, 33, of Washington, DC, on 10/16/2016Danyelle Tameka Reed, 32, of La Plata, on 10/17/2016Nicholas Christopher Sitcer, 36, of Hollywood, on 10/18/2016Joseph Parran Nelson, 35, of Mechanicsville, on 10/19/2016Steveland Morris Penn Stewart, 31, of Lexington Park, on 10/21/2016Christine Lee Rapa, 24, of Catonsville, on 10/21/2016Nette Maria Schou, 54, of Leonardtown, on 10/21/2016Montez Jamal Ford, 26, of Lexington Park, on 10/21/2016Ray Lawrence Sanderson, 26, of Lexington Park, on 10/22/2016Baron Vershonne Smith, Jr., 27, of Suitland, on 10/24/2016 LA PLATA, Md. (Nov. 1, 2016)The College of Southern Maryland Foundation has announced the addition of seven members to its board of directors. James Di Misa, Dixie Miller, Lisa Oliver, Dr. Stephen Peters, Gregory S. "Trey" Proctor III, Dr. Ila Shah and Harry Shasho have been appointed to the board to serve five-year terms.Di Misa, of La Plata, with more than 30 years of banking experience, is executive vice president, chief operating officer of Community Bank of the Chesapeake. He joined Community Bank in 2005 as senior vice president in charge of operations. Prior to joining Community Bank, Di Misa served as executive vice president for Mercantile Southern Maryland Bank in a similar capacity.Di Misa is chairman of the board of trustees for the Maryland Bankers School, president and founder of the La Plata Business Association, and on the board for the Town of La Plata Ethics Commission, chair of Charles County Rotary Scholarships program; past president of Charles County Rotary Club and a governor appointment (2008-14) to the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board. He is a 1979 graduate of the college.Miller, of Dowell, president of Dixie Miller Presents LLC, is an instructor/facilitator at The Corporate Center at CSM. Her career history as a speaker and trainer includes work for the Transportation Security Administration, United Airlines, CareerTrack Seminars and Training, Dale Carnegie Leadership Institute, Trans World Airlines and Montgomery General Hospital.Miller graduated from the Charles Area Medical Center in 1975. She also attended West Virginia University Institute of Technology and Glenville State College, where she majored in education. In 2007 and 2011, she was appointed by former Gov. Martin O'Malley to the Trial Courts Judicial Nominating Commission. In 2008, she was appointed by Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. to the Maryland Commission for Women. She has been named an Outstanding Woman of Vision and Action and Woman of the Year, among a number of other awards and honors throughout her career.Miller said that while the foundation's role as a fundraiser is important, it also serves as a leader in the community. "Success at the foundation is also dependent upon effective leadership from the executive team, the board of trustees and the board of directors, all of which resonates throughout all levels of the organization," she said. "This type of leadership requires a balance between well-developed skill sets, life experience and the ability to implement standards of excellence in order to meet the demands of a diverse community. The foundation's role is not only to build relationships that inspire trust among its members but be able to gain philanthropic support from the corporate community that, in turn, creates a culture of giving."Oliver, of Mechanicsville, is the executive assistant to the president and CEO of the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative. Oliver has held several positions at SMECO in her more than 15 years with the utility company. She also was an adjunct faculty member at CSM, and she developed a Certified Administrative Professionals Exam prep course for the Charles County Board of Education.Oliver holds an associate degree from CSM in paralegal studies, a bachelor's degree in management studies from University of Maryland University College and a master's degree in management and human resources management from UMUC. She is a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals and the American Society of Administrative Professionals. She has volunteered with the March of Dimes March for Babies and the Calvert County Relay for Life.Oliver said she is looking forward to serving on the foundation's board. "It will allow me to show my appreciation to CSM; this college has meant so much to me and my family. I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years and the time came to decide whether or not to return to the working world. I knew that if I returned to work, I had to bring my skills up to the current standards. Further, I realized this was an opportunity to define my career path," she said. Oliver then contacted the college about programs for adults returning to the classroom.She credited the college's Division of Student and Instructional Support Services with getting her on the right track to make a successful return to the workplace."Since then, I earned my bachelor's and my master's degrees and have a wonderful position that allows me to make a real contribution to the financial wellness for my family," she said.Proctor, of Accokeek, was born in Charles County and graduated from Elon University in May 2008. He is associate vice president of strategic management for G.S. Proctor & Associates. Previously, he was assistant vice president and credit analyst at Old Line Bank in Bowie. Proctor is a member of Leadership Prince George's County and a Maryland Bankers' School graduate. He has volunteered for the Maryland Bankers Association, was president of the National Panhellenic Council; held a leadership position within the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and is a charter member of Pi Sigma Epsilon.Proctor said he will value his time on the foundation, and he is excited to be participating in the academic community. "An education is probably the most valuable resource you can invest in, both short-term and long-term," he said, adding that while education is important for a student's career, it's also important in life. "When you have some understanding of many subjectswhether it's politics or science or communicationyou do not have to rely on the interpretations of others. The more educated someone is, they more they are able to form their own path in life."Peters, of Port Republic, has lived in Southern Maryland for 26 years and is a professor of pediatric pathology, microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University School of Medicine. He previously served as secretary at the National Association of Laboratory Immunologists, chair of the D.C. Public Health Laboratory Advisory Council and chair of the MedStar Health Microbiology Advisory Council.Peters retired as director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Diagnostics and co-director of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Pathology at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital."Being an academician of many years, I believe in and support strong educational programs which lead to successful careers in both the trades field and professional endeavors," Peters said. "It is readily evident that the College of Southern Maryland provides students with the environment to achieve these goals."Shah, of Mechanicsville, is a founding member of Shah Associates, a medical practice based in Hollywood. She moved to St. Mary's County in 1974, drawn at first by its untouched beauty. She quickly realized the dire need in the community for advanced pediatric care. Using her neonatology training, and with the support of her family and friends, she has been able to establish the largest private practice in Maryland, and has taken care of thousands of children during the last 40 years. She is a board certified pediatrician and a fellow of American Academy of Pediatrics.Shah has been a past chief of staff and a member of the board of directors of St. Mary's Hospital. She is a distinguished Rotarian and has served as president of the Rotary Club of Charlotte Hall. Her international humanitarian efforts are well known, and she was awarded the Service Above Self Award by Rotary International in 2007.She considers education to be of paramount importance and that every person deserves a chance for higher education. She further believes that the community should support deserving students with financial assistance. As a physician, she has a keen understanding of the shortage of qualified health care workers in the region and would like to support CSM's health science programs in nursing, medical assisting and medical laboratory studies.Shah considers her position as a director to be a privilege and would like to support institutional activities by educating community members. She would like to actively participate in defining and implementing CSM goals and would support these efforts wholeheartedly with both personal contributions and fund-raising."Having seen thousands of deserving children blossom into young mature professionals with the help of CSM has been a highlight of my career. I hope that I may contribute my time and expertise to continue these initiatives and help those students who may not have had another chance to succeed," she said.Shasho, of La Plata, is the president and broker for Shasho Consulting PA Commercial Real Estate. Previously, he served as the chairman of the Charles County Economic Development Board. In addition to the CSM Foundation, Shasho is serving on the CSM Campus Advisory Council, BB&T Advisory Board and Charles County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee as EDC chair. He is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Maryland Association of Realtors, Southern Maryland Association of Realtors, and the chambers of commerce in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's counties. With his extensive business experience, Shasho said he is well aware of the value CSM offers to the business community through workforce development and business training partnerships. Shasho said he has a unique perspective as a Vietnam veteran, and he hopes to leverage that experience to serve the students of CSM."If there's one thing I'd like to get done on the foundation, it's creating more educational programs and more scholarships for veterans returning to school," Shasho said.Also serving on the foundation are Rane Franklin as chair, Nancy Hempstead as first vice chair, Kimberly Rosenfield as second vice chair, Theodore "Ted" L. Harwood II as trustee representative, 1969 alum Linda Cox, 2005 alum Leah Estevez, 2000 alum Ruth Ann Ferrell, David Hruda, Alland "Al" Leandre, 1975 alum Reuben F. "Jay" Lilly, Micheline Lopez-Estrada, Brenda Lowe, Jean McDougall, Vickie Kite Milburn, Robert V. Price Jr., Thomas Quattlebaum, Bernadette "Birdie" Shannon, Gary Simpson, Stacy Trimble and Jennifer Wamsley. CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried serves as foundation secretary-treasurer and CSM Vice President of Advancement Michelle Goodwin serves as executive director.The CSM Foundation is the fundraising arm of CSM since 1970. The foundation serves the community and students by providing educational opportunities and services.For information on the foundation, visit foundation.csmd.edu/ LEONARDTOWN, Md. (Nov. 1, 2016)From February to May 2016, Cpl. James Stone, Alcohol Enforcement Coordinator for St. Mary's Co. Sheriff's Office, conducted Tobacco Compliance Checks on 103 licensed tobacco retailers throughout St. Mary's County. Forty-eight of those businesses sold products illegally to underage buyers. The items purchased ranged from cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars, to refills for e-cigarettes (vaping oils). The penalty for selling tobacco products to a person under the age of 18 is a $300.00 civil citation issued to the sales clerk. Penalties, including fines and suspension of the retail license, can also be imposed on the licensee of tobacco establishments. Non-compliant locations: * indicates the business was found to be in violation twice. 7 Eleven StoreMechanicsville 7 Eleven StoreCharlotte Hall A & WCallaway ABC Gas StationClements Abell's TavernCallaway Beacon Liquor StoreCallaway Boatman's Mini MartMechanicsville BurchmartCharlotte Hall BurchmartLeonardtown Canopy LiquorsLexington Park Chief's Bar Tall Timbers Corner LiquorsLexington Park County LiquorsGreat Mills Dash InCharlotte Hall Dash InLeonardtown * DJ's One StopMechanicsville ExxonCharlotte Hall * Family DollarLeonardtown Family Dollar Store Charlotte Hall Family DollarLexington Park Food LionLeonardtown Food LionCalifornia Food LionGreat Mills Fred's LiquorCharlotte Hall Giant FoodCalifornia International BeverageLexington Park Jug Head LiquorsCalifornia Korner Karry OutMechanicsville OceanicMechanicsville OCI Pub/Pizza KingPiney Point Optimal VaporLeonardtown Quik StopGreat Mills Rite Aid StoreCharlotte Hall Rite AidLexington Park Russell's StoreValley Lee SheetzLexington Park ShellCharlotte Hall Sign of the WhaleLexington Park Stop & ShopLexington Park Terry's TobaccoMechanicsville The Beer Cave/Bob's SunocoCallaway The Corner Store (Callaway Shell)Callaway Third BaseLoveville Wawa #583Mechanicsville * WawaCharlotte Hall On October 13, the sheriff's office conducted additional underage tobacco compliance checks throughout St. Mary's County. As a result of the operation, four businesses were cited for selling to a minor: Boatman's Mini-Mart41106 Oakville Rd, Mechanicsville Dash-Inn30100 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall Rite-Aid30283 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall Terry's Tobacco29015 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville The sales clerk's from each business were cited with a civil citation for furnishing tobacco products to a minor. Boatman's Mini Mart will also face an administrative sanction through the St. Mary's County Alcohol Board for violation of local rules and regulations. "The reality is that underage teens are going to try to access these products if they can," noted Cpl. Stone. "It's up to the retailers to train their employees to check ID's correctly and refuse the sale of these products to underage youth." Melvin Tyrone Simmons, 23, of Indian Head. Booking photo. LA PLATA, Md. Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at so.md/expungeme. (Nov. 1, 2016)The Charles County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.CCSO INVESTIGATING SERIOUS CAR CRASH: On Oct. 31 at about 12:20 p.m., a Nissan Maxima was north on Crain Highway when the driver failed to stop for a steady red traffic signal and struck a dump truck and a passenger car turning left from Crain Highway onto Mattawoman Beantown Road. The Maxima then struck a curb and became disabled. The driver fled the scene on foot, and a female passenger, 19, from Indian Head, was ejected. An off-duty medic was in the area and stopped to render aid to the woman. CCSO officers assisted the medic. The woman was flown to a hospital by Maryland State Police Trooper 2 and was admitted with serious injuries. No one else was injured.Prior to the crash, officers responded to a business at which the occupants of the car were suspected of stealing merchandise. After the theft, they fled in a red-colored car which was broadcast to officers. An officer responding to the theft spotted the suspects' vehicle near St. Patricks Drive and initiated a traffic stop. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer observed a female driver and two males in the car. He also saw evidence possibly linking the suspects to the theft. In addition, the officer detected an odor of marijuana. The backseat passenger, Deonte Charles Bush, 19, of Indian Head, exited the car and was found to be in possession of marijuana. While continuing to investigate, the female driver climbed over the front seat and got into the back of the car while the front seat passenger, a 23-year-old male, slid over behind the steering wheel and fled. Officers pursued the car, but stopped after a very short distance. The driver continued to flee north on Crain Highway for nearly a mile and a half before striking the truck.Investigators have identified the driver as. Simmons has two open warrants on file. He is 5'9", 155 pounds, and has numerous tattoos. Bush was charged, via a civil citation, with possession of marijuana. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Cpl. P. E. McPherson of the CCSO Traffic Operations Unit at (301) 609-3251.FATAL MOTORCYLE CRASH: On October 30 at 8:30 p.m., officers responded to the 2800 block of Stavors Road in Waldorf for the report of a motorcycle crash. Investigation showed the operator, Teresa Judy Christensen, 49 of Waldorf, lost control of the motorcycle, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. She was flown by Maryland State Police Trooper 2 to a hospital and died on October 31. The Traffic Operations Unit is continuing the investigation. Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist, reaffirmed his commitment to Donald Trump on Monday in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. What Donald Trump represents isnt crazy and its not going away, said Thiel. During his hour long appearance, Thiel blasted government incompetence and arrogance in Silicon Valley. The gay tech entrepreneur cited examples of growing income inequality as reasons why an outsider like Trump must be elected President. Were voting for Trump because we judge the leadership of our country to have failed, Thiel said. This judgement has been hard to accept for some of the countrys most fortune socially prominent people. Its certainly been hard to accept for Silicon Valley where many people have learned to keep quiet if they dissent from the coastal bubble. Thiel, who had a primetime speaking slot at this years Republican National Convention, slammed the Advocate Magazine for rejecting diversity in favor of political purity. The Advocate, a magazine which once praised me as a gay innovator even published an article saying that as of now I am not a gay man because I dont agree with their politics. The lie behind the buzzword of diversity could not be made more clear: If you dont conform then you dont count as diverse no matter what your personal background. Thiel, 48, was outed by Gawker, a news organization he has since sued into bankruptcy. A San Francisco resident who emigrated from Germany, Thiel came in at No. 246 on Forbes Magazines annual list of Americas 400 Richest People list with a net worth of $2.7 billion. Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza. Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres. arctic ice cover NASA Arctic sea ice, the vast sheath of frozen seawater floating on the Arctic Ocean and its neighboring seas, has been hit with a double whammy over the past decades As its extent shrunk, the oldest and thickest ice has either thinned or melted away, leaving the sea ice cap more vulnerable to the warming ocean and atmosphere. What weve seen over the years is that the older ice is disappearing, said Walt Meier, a sea ice researcher at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This older, thicker ice is like the bulwark of sea ice: a warm summer will melt all the young, thin ice away but it cant completely get rid of the older ice. But this older ice is becoming weaker because theres less of it and the remaining old ice is more broken up and thinner, so that bulwark is not as good as it used to be. Direct measurements of sea ice thickness are sporadic and incomplete across the Arctic, so scientists have developed estimates of sea ice age and tracked their evolution from 1984 to the present. Now, a new NASA visualization of the age of Arctic sea ice shows how sea ice has been growing and shrinking, spinning, melting in place and drifting out of the Arctic for the past three decades. Ice age is a good analog for ice thickness because basically, as ice gets older it gets thicker, Meier said. This is due to the ice generally growing more in the winter than it melts in the summer. In the early 2000s, scientists at the University of Colorado developed a way to monitor Arctic sea ice movement and the evolution of its age by using data from a variety of sources, but primarily satellite passive microwave instruments. These instruments gauge brightness temperature: a measure of the microwave energy emitted by sea ice that is influenced by the ices temperature, salinity, surface texture and the layer of snow on top of the sea ice. Each floe of sea ice has a characteristic brightness temperature, so the researchers developed an approach that would identify and track ice floes in successive passive microwave images as they moved across the Arctic. The system also uses information from drifting buoys as well as weather data. Its like bookkeeping; were keeping track of sea ice as it moves around, up until it melts in place or leaves the Arctic, said Meier, who is a collaborator of the group at the University of Colorado and the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, the center that currently maintains the Arctic sea ice age data. Ice in motion Every year, sea ice forms in the winter and melts in the summer. The sea ice that survives the melt season thickens with each passing year: newly formed ice grows to about 3 to 7 feet of thickness during its first year, while multi-year ice (sea ice that has survived several melt seasons) is about 10 to 13 feet thick. The older and thicker ice is more resistant to melt and less likely to get pushed around by winds or broken up by waves or storms. The motion of sea ice is not limited to its seasonal expansion and shrinkage: Except for coastal regions where sea ice is attached to the shore, the sea ice cap is in almost constant movement. The primary driver of sea ice movement in the Arctic is wind and there are two major features in the Arctic circulation: the Beaufort Gyre, a clockwise ice circulation that makes ice spin like a wheel in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska, and the Transpolar Drift Stream, which transports ice from Siberias coast toward the Fram Strait east of Greenland, where the ice exits the Arctic basin and melts in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean. On a week-to-week basis, there are weather systems that come through, so the ice isnt moving at a constant rate: sometimes the Beaufort Gyre reverses or breaks down for a couple weeks or so, the Transpolar Drift Stream shifts in its direction but the overall pattern is this one, Meier said. Then the spring melt starts and the ice shrinks back, disappearing from the peripheral seas. The new animation shows two main bursts of thick ice loss: the first one, starting in 1989 and lasting a few years, was due to a switch in the Arctic Oscillation, an atmospheric circulation pattern, which shrunk the Beaufort Gyre and enhanced the Transpolar Drift Stream, flushing more sea ice than usual out of the Arctic. The second peak in ice loss started in the mid-2000s. Unlike in the 1980s, its not so much as ice being flushed out -though thats still going on too, Meier said. Whats happening now more is that the old ice is melting within the Arctic Ocean during the summertime. One of the reasons is that the multiyear ice used to be a pretty consolidated ice pack and now were seeing relatively smaller chunks of old ice interspersed with younger ice. These isolated floes of thicker ice are much easier to melt. Weve lost most of the older ice: In the 1980s, multiyear ice made up 20 percent of the sea ice cover. Now its only about 3 percent, Meier said. The older ice was like the insurance policy of the Arctic sea ice pack: as we lose it, the likelihood for a largely ice-free summer in the Arctic increases. Simulation of Moon's Formation University of Maryland The moon, Earths closest neighbor, is among the strangest planetary bodies in the solar system. Its orbit lies unusually far away from Earth, with a surprisingly large orbital tilt. Planetary scientists have struggled to piece together a scenario that accounts for these and other related characteristics of the Earth-moon system. A new research paper, based on numerical models of the moons explosive formation and the evolution of the Earth-moon system, comes closer to tying up all the loose ends than any other previous explanation. The work, published in the October 31, 2016 Advance Online edition of the journal Nature, suggests that the impact that formed the moon also caused calamitous changes to Earths rotation and the tilt of its spin axis. The research suggests that the impact sent the Earth spinning much faster, and at a much steeper tilt, than it does today. In the several billion years since that impact, complex interactions between the Earth, moon and sun have smoothed out many of these changes, resulting in the Earth-moon system that we see today. In this scenario, the remaining anomalies in the moons orbit are relics of the Earth-moon systems explosive past. Evidence suggests a giant impact blasted off a huge amount of material that formed the moon, said Douglas Hamilton, professor of astronomy at the University of Maryland and a co-author of the Nature paper. This material would have formed a ring of debris first, then the ring would have aggregated to form the moon. But this scenario does not quite work if the Earths spin axis was tilted at the 23.5 degree angle we see today. Collisional physics calls for this ring of debrisand thus the moons orbit immediately after formationto lie in Earths equatorial plane. As tidal interactions between the Earth and the moon drove the moon further away from Earth, the moon should have shifted from Earths equatorial plane to the ecliptic plane, which corresponds to the Earths orbit around the sun. But today, instead of being in line with the ecliptic plane, the moons orbit is tilted five degrees away from it. This large tilt is very unusual. Until now, there hasnt been a good explanation, Hamilton said. But we can understand it if the Earth had a more dramatic early history than we previously suspected. Hamilton, with lead author Matija Cuk of the SETI institute and their colleagues Simon Lock of Harvard University and Sarah Stewart of the University of California, Davis, tried many different scenarios. But the most successful ones involved a moon-forming impact that sent the Earth spinning extremely fastas much as twice the rate predicted by other models. The impact also knocked the Earths tilt way off, to somewhere between 60 and 80 degrees. We already suspected that the Earth must have spun especially fast after the impact Cuk said. An early high tilt for Earth enables our planet to lose that excess spin more readily. The model also suggests that the newly-formed moon started off very close to Earth, but then drifted awayto nearly 15 times its initial distance. As it did so, the sun began to exert a more powerful influence over the moons orbit. According to the researchers, both factorsa highly tilted, fast spinning Earth and an outwardly-migrating mooncontributed to establishing the moons current weird orbit. The newborn moons orbit most likely tracked the Earths equator, tilted at a steep 60-80 degree angle that matched Earths tilt. A key finding of the new research is that, if the Earth was indeed tilted by more than 60 degrees after the moon formed, the moon could not transition smoothly from Earths equatorial plane to the ecliptic plane. Instead, the transition was abrupt and left the moon with a large tilt relative to the ecliptic much larger than is observed today. As the moon moved outward, the Earths steep tilt made for a more chaotic transition as the sun became a bigger influence, Cuk said. Subsequently, and over billions of years, the moons tilt slowly decayed down to the five degrees we see today. So todays five degree tilt is a relic and a signature of a much steeper tilt in the past. Hamilton acknowledges that the model doesnt answer all the remaining questions about the moons orbit. But the models strength, he says, is that it offers a framework for answering new questions in the future. There are many potential paths from the moons formation to the Earth-moon system we see today. Weve identified a few of them, but there are sure to be other possibilities, Hamilton said. What we have now is a model that is more probable and works more cleanly than previous attempts. We think this is a significant improvement that gets us closer to what actually happened. The research paper, Tidal Evolution of the Moon from a High-Obliquity High-Angular-Momentum Earth, Matija Cuk, Douglas Hamilton, Simon Lock, and Sarah Stewart, appears in the October 31, 2016 Advance Online edition of the journal Nature. This work was supported by NASA (Award No. NNX15AH65G). The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views of this organization. Richmond, one of Americas venerable towns, is having a bromance (and womance of course too) with coffee. With a handful of roasters, coffee shops, and neat cafes driving the citys scene instead of each fending completely for themselves, they all club together to form an elbow-rub of love for the bean. Call it camaraderie, if you will. One of these roasters, with more than 10 years of expertise in this town, is Blanchards Coffee Roasting Company, founded by David Blanchard. With a brand new roasting space that just recently opened, the roastery is doing big things for the city, the state, and the country. As it happens, at Blanchards roastery, they simply give coffee away to whoever weighs anchor at the space. During our regular operating hours, whatever were drinking, anyone can come and drink as wellthey just have to bring their own cup, says Stephen T. Robertson, Director of Sales and Marketing, who is also their on-hand copywriter. A decade ago, weary of not getting a solid caffeine fix with all that nuance and beauty, Blanchard sold his wifes car to buy a small Ambex coffee roaster (which was valiantly set up in the garage) and that is how his notion sallied forth. The initial gist was a coffee of the month club for friends and family, but that quickly turned a sharp corner and Blanchards transmuted into the specialized regional craft roaster that it is today. We focus on three major markets: roasting for coffee shops and other brewers looking for a specialty coffee program, roasting for retailers like Whole Foods and Wegmans, to independent markets and smaller regional grocers, and our web store, which now has regular customers in all 50 states, says Robertson. And Richmonders are learning all along the way. You still get to see wonder on a lot of faces in Richmond when you hand them a cup of coffee, says Seth Bauserman, Director of Operations and the Head Roaster. The mindset here is still in tradition, and we try to honor that, but we also get to be a part of shifting some of the population towards a new kind of coffee experience, and that is very exciting to be a part of, he continues. The city, filled with young people and a creative crew at that, is starting to place itself more firmly in the series of alternative East Coast cities in the US comparable to Greenville, Asheville, Beaufort, and even Savannah. One of the ways Blanchards is buddying up with its local community is through public coffee courses on Fridays (the rest of the week, the citys coffee lovers float in to purchase their beans and bring their mugs to sample the latest loot). The Richmond coffee industry is still in its infancy, and one of our biggest goals has been to make specialty coffee approachable and accessible to everyone, says John Kruegler, Director of Education and Assistant Roasterit seems everyone here wears two hats. But really what attracts coffee fans, from all over the country, is Blanchards broad appeal. You like fruit-forward, bright, juicy coffee? We got you covered! You like the dark, bold, rich cup to wake you up in the morning? A fresh bag of Dark as Dark will do the trick! You need just the right coffee to start your next Toddy brew? I have just the bag for you! promises Jake Hansen: Distribution Manager, also an Assistant Roaster. We believe that we speak to coffee novices and aficionados alike. And if you ask the locals theyll say just thatno coffee snobs with too many highfalutin spars here. For now the crew is focused on roasting, and perfecting that. Other coffee [companies] roast their own coffee but oftentimes have their own cafes to manage and maintain, but we dont have that, says Hansen. We roast amazing coffee to sell to anybody who wants some, and dont have to clean up a messy cafe at the end of the day to make ends meet. After all, if you bring your own cup to taste with, youre packing it out, too. With the new location, Blanchards is now employing a Toper 30-kilogram roaster, Loring Kestrel 35-kilogram roaster, and a San Franciscan one-pound sample roaster. Blanchards is so much about inclusivitywith beans from all over the globe expressing that. Right now, we are working with Bayardo Reyes in Nicaragua at Finca San Jose to produce some outstanding coffee. We have a few different sectors of his farm and all of the coffee that he sends us is spectacular, says Hansen. We also receive coffee from Daniel Velasquez in Colombia who runs Campesino Specialty Coffee and Finca El Ocaso. The other avenue that I love to work with is Ally Coffee. They know our palates better than we know our own and never fail to send us incredible samples. And this band of insiders, all friends, share everything. Attitude is what makes this generation of coffee enthusiasts so, lets call it what it is, cool. Hansen agrees: Our generation of coffee enthusiasts is pushing the industry to a position of transparency. For decades the various processes built into the ladder of seed to cup have been hidden and thankfully we are closing the door on the days of discreet sourcing. I see so many roasters and cafes now displaying clearly where their coffees come from and the traceability is spectacular. One of the most beautiful things about coffee is how it has a shared language, says Bauserman with a smile, that makes the world smaller. Daniel Scheffler is a Sprudge staff writer at large. His work has appeared in T Magazine, Travel And Leisure, Monocle, Playboy, New York Magazine, The New York Times, and Butt. Read more Daniel Scheffler on Sprudge. All photos courtesy of Cameron Lewis. The annual Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace, consisting entirely of grey or roan horses with the exception of the famous all-white horse White Bliss, was the feature of the Monday night card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and everybody went all-out for the $10,000 event in the holiday spirit. Pocono marketing manager Jennifer Elvira Starr was in charge of the festivities, which included a theme-decorated winner's circle, marshal Tia Shafer appropriately costumed, the spookiest between-races music heard north of the Bloomsburg Fair, and Pace contestant JS Mcflash wearing a unique equine costume of a white skeleton on his grey coat, showing his bone structure. As for the race itself, favoured White Rolls, wearing an appropriate white shadow roll extension, held off pocket-sitting Gotta Love Him by a neck in 1:53.1, the gelded sophomore by Roll With Joe brought in from Rosecroft by trainer Mike Hall and carrying the lead from the 3/8 pole onward to tally for owner Tammy Crescenze. Second, but no less loved after the race, was Gotta Love Him, who was competing in his fifth Pocono Grey Ghost and Poltergeist Pace, having won the 2013 and 2015 editions. Matt Kakaley, who drove him to those wins, worked out a good pocket trip but just came up shy of catching the winner. The local Weitoish family got another good performance out of their pacer in his 187th career start. Earlier the pari-mutuel goblins struck in consecutive races. Pat Curtin, long-time Chicago mainstay who has come east after Hawthornes closing last month, made his first trip to Poconos winner circle a memorable one. He and his charge Kesons Avaia rallied from last late on the backstretch by coming up a clear inner path, then pouring it on in the last 1/16 with the mare to win over Kaylas Dream by a nose and pay $111.40. Then in the very next race, Todd Schadel sent OMG Hanover to the front and never looked back, coasting home to an open length victory in 1:57.3 and returning $52.80. The Daily Double with Kesons Avaia, by the way, paid $176.60, and there was little spooky about that except maybe that it was the third straight Pocono card that driver George Napolitano, Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes had combined to take the curtain raiser. (And tonight Pat was the Curtin-closer, Double-wise.) Lightning struck thrice in race nine, as John Kakaley made a big sweeping move late in the backstretch and around the far turn to take the lead with Bettor Jus Wing It, then held off Caroline Hanover by three quarters of a length to return $95.00 to his scattered backers. For John Kakaley and trainer/wife Linda, it was their second venture into bomber territory at Pocono this season; their son, driver Matt (who had won the previous race), has three such scores. As noted, no Pocono program this year had had three $50+ winners but one day of racing did! The anomaly came on the only doubleheader card of the year at Pocono, Kentucky Derby Day, where Dolce Ducci paid $90.20 during the brunch card, and then Extracurricular returned $61.80 and Yankee Devil $70.80 in the last two races of the nighttime action. (PHHA/Pocono) Sylvain Filion joined an elite club Monday evening when he watched his lifetime earnings soar past $100 million thanks to another productive night at the office at Mohawk Racetrack. Filion entered the 11-race card needing just under $9,000 to achieve the money milestone, and a second-place finish behind pacing filly Jimbelina pushed him past his target. The Quebec native, who now calls Milton, Ont. his home, is a three-time OBrien Award winner as the nations leading reinsman. The career winner of 8,327 races, is also on the verge of capturing yet another driving title on the WEG circuit. Mondays card at Mohawk also featured more of the Autumn Series, with three-year-old fillies battling in nearly half of the card. I Want Kandy turned out to be a perfect hunch play on Halloween night despite making a lengthy break in the early stages of the mile. The filly, who was off stride for what appeared to be almost one-quarter of the mile, dug herself out of that deep hole for driver Rick Zeron and swept past her foes in the late stages of the $18,000 contest. Her :28.3 closing panel propelled her to the win by 1-1/2 lengths over Devils Advocate in 1:57.3. Dayliner was third. Anthony Montini trains the daughter of Angus Hall-Celebrity Kandy for his wife, Albina Montini, and partners Paul Giammichele, Vincent Albanese and Kwong Sum Low. It was the fifth win of the year and the seventh to date for the career winner of $70,370. Majestic Presence rallied from out of the clouds to win the other division for trotting fillies, and she did so in a career-best clocking of 1:57.3 for trainer/driver Dagfin Henriksen. She got away sixth before getting backed up to be ninth and parked as the field headed into the final quarter of the contest. Henriksen angled her wide as the group entered the lane, and she smoked home in :28 en route to nabbing the win by three-quarters of a length over Whambamthankumaam. Race favourite Trumpets took home the show dough. Gerald Haggerty of Camden East, Ont. recently moved the trotter into Henriksens care, and its clearly a move thats paid of handsomely. It was the first time in 16 starts this season that the filly has managed to hit the board. Shes banked over $13,000 this year and more than $30,000 in her career. The pacing fillies were on display in a trio of $18,000 divisions, and Trilife took advantage of sweet trip en route to posting a nose decision in the opening contest in 1:53.3. Jonathan Drury had Trilife on the lead from Post 8 and together they sliced out the opening quarter in :27.1. They took a backseat to Dancin Inthe Nude in the second quarter, as that foe motored to the top and threw down middle panels of :56 and 1:25. Drury angled off the rail in the lane with the Ben Wallace pupil, and the fillys :28.1 closing speed earned her the narrow win over Never Any Doubt. Even-money favourite Drift Panic was third. Sent off at odds of 5-1, Trilife won for the fourth time this season and for the sixth time in her career. Breeder William Boden of Vancouver, BC shares ownership on the career winner of $54,660 with Wallacestandardbreds Inc of Puslinch, Ont. Docs Sausalito was another winner who rallied from another area code to get the job done. Travis Cullen manufactured the winning trip for the Nick Gallucci trainee who made a three-wide move at the three-quarter pole and then kicked home in :28.4 to win by a length over race favourite Queenofthejungle in 1:54.3. Acefourtyfour Alex cut middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:25.1 before fading to finish third. Bred and owned by Dr. Andrew Roberts of Lexington, KY, the daughter of Art Colony-Docs Lioness improved this years record to 4-3-1 from 17 trips to the track. The five-time winner is just shy of $50,000 in career earnings. Top Royal survived a tough trip to win the final division for the three-year-old pacing fillies. Phil Hudon had her parked and pressing for the lead while racing in the first-over slot nearing the mid-way point of the mile. After battling with tempo-setter Tempus Seelster through middle split of :56 and 1:24.2, the daughter of Royal Mattjesty-Top Of The World dug down deep and used a :29.4 kicker to prevail by a neck over Jimbelina in 1:54.1. Tempus Seelster was third. Toll shares ownership on the eight-time winner with Brydown Farms Inc of Clinton, Ont. The career winner of $76,410 captured the Autumn Series for two-year-old pacing fillies. To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results Mohawk Racetrack. Hannah Beckett of Lynden, Ontario, is the photographer of this stunning shot of Yankee Bounty at Stephensons Training Centre in Flamborough, Ont. The photo was taken in advance of the North America Cup in 2015. Mickey Burke arranged a morning for me to come by and he was turned out in one of the paddocks behind the barn, she explained. After we overcame the distraction of Sassa Hanover and her love for a very large mud puddle, my camera was on Yankee Bounty. He was much more interested in trying to scrounge for a few blades of grass in the relatively bare paddock. Because he refused to keep his head up, I had to get down low to the ground to try and get a more flattering angle. Beckett, 22, has been involved in the industry her entire life -- first as a spectator on the rail at Flamboro Downs, then as a groom and now as a trainer. My Dad ended up with a horse-crazy little girl and taught me the ropes of harness racing. I learned how to ride at a young age and I ended up with an off-track Thoroughbred who solidified my interest in racing in general. Since then, I've had the chance to see the industry from all sides. I have worked for Standardbred Canada and WEG, seeing the inner workings of the industry and getting to work and interview people from all facets of it. I got my trainer's license when I was seventeen and my Dad and I have raised and raced a few homebreds since. When hes not working with the horses, Hannahs Dad, Peter (Beckett) can be found in the winners circle at Flamboro Downs and Georgian Downs where he works as track photographer, and he also managed to pass along his passion for photography to his daughter. My Dad is an incredibly talented photographer and I have been fortunate to have him there to teach me. He put a DSLR in my hands when I was in the sixth grade and I've been working on my skills ever since. He has always emphasized the importance of producing high quality, professional images every time the shutter clicks because in racing, you often only have one chance to get it right. Photography is part of Hannahs personal, professional and academic life. Seeing one of my photos published is always a special feeling. Whether it was this photo of Yankee Bounty, or seeing my photo on the cover of the O'Brien Awards program this past year, it's always very cool. I've always preferred being behind the camera and it's always an interesting way to see the world around me. Hannah is going into her fourth year at the University of Waterloo. She is in the Bachelor of Arts program, studying Political Science and Digital Arts Communications, and is currently on a four-month internship while living in Los Angeles, California. Hannah reinforces the fact shell be back to school and the barn in the new year, and then she can be reunited with her favourite horse, Costantino, a six-year-old trotter she trains and co-owns with her Dad. Its pretty common to hear about top calibre horses travelling on planes in order to compete in some of the worlds most lucrative races. Although, how many people in the industry have actually been able to see what these planes are all about? Take a look inside Air Horse One. USA Today has run a piece on the 727-200 aircraft which is leased by H.E. Tex Sutton Forwarding Company in order to courier upper echelon equine to and from their high-end engagements. The story explains that while some other courier companies may ship equine as cargo, Air Horse One provides horses with the VIP treatment, as the 727 is fully gutted and designed to pamper its passengers. Air Horse One has the ability to haul up to 20 horses per flight. The horses grooms and buddies e.g. goats, etc. are allowed to ride along free of charge. The companys operations manager, Mike Payne, explained that Air Horse One has to be piloted a bit differently than a 727 carrying human passengers. You dont want to give them too many positive or negative Gs because their feet can slip out from under them and they can fall down, Payne was quoted as saying, or theyll get that floating sensation and start scrambling to find the floor. In order to avert stressful situations for the horses that are aboard, Air Horse One pilots utilize wide turns and extra-gentle ascents and descents, as having the horses maintain their balance and not get spooked is key. (With files from USA Today) Sunday: International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church Contact: Katie Rouse, 770-813-0000, Opendoors@demoss.com SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- In 2015, more than 7,000 Christians were killed specifically because of their faith. This Sunday, Open Doors USA is urging Christians and churches to remember those killed and pray for those in more than 60 countries around the world still facing persecution because of their faith. Nov. 6 marks the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Individuals and churches can participate by accessing free, downloadable resources or purchasing a resource kit. Resources include: Church service guide Sermon outline Video files Social media tools Prayer partner card templates Resources can be downloaded and hard-copy materials requested at OpenDoorsUSA.org/IDOP. INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: A pastor working in Central Asia can address the rapid spread of Christianity among Muslims, the growing government control and watchfulness of Christians, and what churches are up against in his part of the world. David Curry, Open Doors USA president and CEO, can discuss ways Americans can support those who are persecuted around the world. Open Doors will also be hosting Facebook Live events this week, featuring interviews with persecuted Christians along with other news, stories and special guests. According to Open Doors President and CEO David Curry, the International Day of Prayer is an important reminder for Christians living in Western countries. "Time and time again we hear Christians who live in fear everyday because of their faith saying prayer is the most important thing we can do," said Curry. "Having a day specifically set aside to pray for the persecuted is an important encouragement to those who are suffering, and we must never forget those who are facing the unimaginable for their faith." About Open Doors USA For more than 60 years, Open Doors USA has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries in support of persecuted Christians. Open Doors works to equip and encourage Christians living in dangerous circumstances with the threat of persecution and equips the Western church to advocate on their behalf. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. For more information, visit OpenDoorsUSA.org. Euthanasia Measure Bad News for Colorado Dore: "Colorado's Prop. 106 is a deceptive and fraudulent measure that promises choice and control for individuals, but takes that choice away." Contact: Margaret Dore, 206-697-1217 DENVER, Nov. 1, 2016 /Standard Newswire/ -- Attorney Margaret Dore, president of Choice is an Illusion, which is fighting efforts to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia throughout the United States, made the following statement in connection with Prop. 106, a ballot measure in Colorado that seeks to legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. Photo: Even if the patient struggled, who would know? "Choice is an Illusion has launched a new website, 'Choice Illusion Colorado,' specifically to fight Prop. 106 in these last days before the election," said Dore. "The website's purpose is to set the record straight on a deceptive and fraudulent measure that promises choice and control for individuals, but takes that choice away." "Prop. 106 seeks to legalize 'medical aid in dying,' a euphemism for physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia," said Dore. "A central problem with Prop. 106 is that a person assisting a suicide or euthanasia can have an agenda," Dore said, "for example, the patient's adult son who will financially benefit from the patient's death due to an inheritance." Dore elaborated, "The son will have a financial motivation to be sure that the death goes through. This may or may not be consistent with the patient's choice." "This central problem is exacerbated by provisions in Prop. 106 that strip away existing patient rights," Dore said. "Under current Colorado law, patients have a right to informed consent regarding treatment options," said Dore. "Under Prop. 106, patients instead have the right to an 'informed decision,' which limits their right to information," Dore explained, "more to the point, they have no right to be told about options for cure." "Worse," said Dore, "there is a complete lack of oversight when the lethal dose is administered." Dore explained, "No doctor, not even a witness, is required to be present at the death." Dore said, "This creates the opportunity for someone else to administer the lethal dose to the patient without his or her consent." "Even if the patient struggled, who would know?" said Dore, "Prop. 106 creates the perfect crime." "Prop. 106 applies to persons with six months to live," said Dore, "the trick is that the six months to live is determined without treatment." "To illustrate," said Dore, "I have a friend who was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and decided that she would use Oregon's assisted suicide law." Dore added, "She had been given six months to live, i.e., without treatment." Dore said, "Her doctor convinced her to be treated for cancer instead of taking the lethal dose. Today, sixteen years later, she is thrilled to be alive." Dore concluded, "Prop. 106, if enacted, will allow the perfect crime. People with years to live will be encouraged to throw away their lives. Even if you like the concept of assisted suicide and euthanasia, Prop. 106 is the wrong law." For more in depth information about Prop. 106, click here and click here. Ten years ago, the worlds leading climatologists chose to reinvestigate the long-term environmental impacts of nuclear war. The peer-reviewed studies they produced are considered to be the most authoritative type of scientific research, which is subjected to criticism by the international scientific community before its final publication in scholarly journals. No serious errors were found in their studies. Working at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers, and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at UCLA, these scientists used state-of-the-art computer modeling to evaluate the consequences of a range of possible nuclear conflicts. They began with a hypothetical war in Southeast Asia, in which a total of 100 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs were exploded in the cities of India Pakistan. In order to give you a clear idea of what an atomic bomb can do, please consider these images of Hiroshima, before and after the bomb, which had an explosive power of 15,000 tons of TNT. The detonation of such an atomic bomb will instantly ignite fires over a surface area of 3 to 5 square miles. The scientists calculated that the blast, fire, and radiation from a war fought with 100 atomic bombs could produce as many fatalities as World War II. However, the long-term environmental effects of the war could significantly disrupt the global weather for at least a decade, which would likely result in a vast global famine. Cloudless skyobscured by 150 million tons of smoke in the stratosphereafter a US-Russian nuclear war adapted from Scientific American, (2010) Local Nuclear War, Global Suffering, Robock & Toon The climatologists also investigated the effects of a nuclear war fought with the vastly more powerful modern thermonuclear weapons possessed by the US, Russia, China, France, and England. Some of the thermonuclear weapons constructed during 1950s and 1960s were 1000 times more powerful than an atomic bomb. During the last 30 years, the average size of thermonuclear or strategic nuclear weapons has decreased. Yet today, each of the approximately 3540 strategic weapons deployed by the US and Russia is 7 to 80 times more powerful than the atomic bombs modeled in the India-Pakistan study. The smallest strategic nuclear weapon has an explosive power of 100,000 tons of TNT, compared to an atomic bomb with an average explosive power of 15,000 tons of TNT. A brief history of nuclear winter The profound cold and the dark following nuclear war became known as nuclear winter and it was first predicted in 1983 by a group of NASA scientists. During the mid-1980s, a large body of research was done by such groups as the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), the World Meteorological Organization, and the U.S. National Research Council of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences; their work essentially supported the initial findings of the 1983 studies. The idea of nuclear winter, published and supported by prominent scientists, generated extensive public alarm and put political pressure on the US and the Soviet Union to reverse a runaway nuclear arms race which, by 1986, had created a global nuclear arsenal of more than 65,000 nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, this created a backlash among many powerful military and industrial interests, who undertook an extensive media campaign to brand nuclear winter as bad science and the scientists who discovered it as irresponsible. Critics used various uncertainties in the studies and the first climate models (which are primitive by todays standards) as a basis to criticize and reject the concept of nuclear winter. In 1986, the Council on Foreign Relations published an article by scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, who predicted drops in global cooling about half as large as those first predicted by the 1983 studies and described this as a nuclear autumn. The nuclear autumn studies were later shown to be deeply flawed, but it didnt matter. Nuclear winter was subject to criticism and damning articles in the Wall Street Journal and Time Magazine. In 1987, the National Review called nuclear winter a fraud. In 2000, Discover Magazine published an article which described nuclear winter as one of The Twenty Greatest Scientific Blunders in History. The endless smear campaign was successful; the general public, and even most anti-nuclear activists, were left with the idea that nuclear winter had been discredited. The rejection of nuclear winter by todays US military and political leaders Yet the scientists did not give up. In 2006, they returned to their labs to perform the research I have previously described. Their new research not only upheld the previous findings, it found that the earlier studies actually underestimated the environmental effects of nuclear war. After the initial series of studies were published in 2007 and 2008, the scientist from Rutgers, Dr. Robock, and Dr. Toon of the University of Colorado, made a series of requests to meet with members of the Obama administration. The scientists offered to brief the White House about their findings, which they assumed would have a great impact upon nuclear weapons policy. Their offers were met with indifference. Finally, after a number of years of trying, I have been told that Drs. Robock and Toon were allowed an audience with John Holdren, the Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama on Science and Technology. Dr. Robock also has met with Rose Gottemoeller, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Dr. Robock has the impression that neither Holdren nor Gottemoeller think the nuclear winter research is correct. the predictions of nuclear winter were disproved years ago. But it is not only Holdren and Gottemoeller who reject the nuclear winter research. According to sources cited by Greg Mello of the Los Alamos Study Group, the US Nuclear Weapons Council the group that determines the size and composition of US nuclear weapons, as well as the policies for their use has stated that The members of the US Nuclear Weapons Council include: The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The Under Secretary for Nuclear Security of the Department of Energy The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy The Commander of the United States Strategic Command It may be that General John Hyten, the Head of the Strategic Command, who is in charge of the US nuclear triad, and General Paul Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the second highest ranking officer in the US, have never seen or heard of the 21 st century nuclear winter studies. Perhaps when they hear a question about nuclear winter, they only remember the smear campaigns done against the early studies. Or maybe they just choose not to accept the new scientific research on nuclear winter, despite the fact that it has withstood the criticism of the global scientific community. Regardless, the rejection of nuclear winter research by the top military and political leaders of the United States raises some profoundly important questions: Do they fully understand the consequences of nuclear war? Do they realize that the launch-ready nuclear weapons they control constitute a self-destruct mechanism for the human race? Renewed Cold War and the possibility of war with Russia and China Meanwhile, US political leaders generally support the ongoing US confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia and China. Mainstream corporate media, including the editorial boards of the New York Times and Washington Post, engage in anti-Russian, anti-Putin rhetoric that surpasses the hate speech of the McCarthy era . The US has renewed the Cold War with Russia, with no debate or protest, and has subsequently engaged in proxy wars with Russia in Ukraine and Syria, as well as threatening military action against China in the South China Sea. Hillary Clinton, who appears likely to become the next president of the United States, has repeatedly called for a US-imposed no-fly zone over Syria, where Russian planes are now flying in support of the Syrian Armed Forces. Marine General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress in September that should the US attempt to set up such a no-fly zone, it surely result in war with Russia Apparently there is now some debate about this, however, Russia has responded by moving its latest air defense systems to Syria, and it stated it would shoot down any US or NATO planes that attempted to attack the Syrian Armed Forces In other words, the US has built and is building launch sites for nuclear missiles on the Russian border. This fact has been widely reported on Russian TV and has infuriated the Russian public. In June, Russian President Putin specifically warned that Russia would be forced to retaliate against this threat Just as there is no discussion of the most existential question of our time, in the American political class the possibility of war with Russia it is the only thing being discussed in the Russian political class . . . These are two different political universes. In Russia, all the discussion in the newspapers, and there is plenty of free discussion on talk show TV, which echoes what the Kremlin is thinking, online, in the elite newspapers, and in the popular broadcasts, the number 1, 2, 3, and 4 topics of the day are the possibility of war with the United States. Cohen goes on to say: I conclude from this that the leadership of Russia actually believes now, in reaction to what the United States and NATO have said and done over the last two years, and particularly in reaction to the breakdown of the proposed cooperation in Syria, and the rhetoric coming out of Washington, that war is a real possibility. I cant remember when, since the Cuban Missile Crisis, that the Moscow leadership came to this conclusion in its collective head. My own personal assessment of the state of the nuclear danger today is that it is profound. The United States is sleepwalking towards nuclear war. Our leaders have turned a blind eye to the scientifically predicted consequences of nuclear war, and appear to be intent in making Russia back down. This is a recipe for unlimited human disaster. It is still not too late to seek dialogue, diplomacy, and detente with Russia and China, and to create a global dialogue about the existential dangers of nuclear war. We must return to the understanding that nuclear war cannot be won, and must not be fought. This can be achieved if we listen to the warnings from the scientific community about the omnicidal consequences of nuclear war. Peer-reviewed scientific studies of the consequences of nuclear war Since the release of FBI Director Comeys Second letter to the US Congress, the presidential elections process has gone haywire, out of control. The bipartisan political apparatus is in crisis. I FBI director [James Comey] am writing to inform you that the investigative team briefed me on this yesterday, and I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation. Two important questions: WHO IS BEHIND WIKILEAKS WHICH RELEASED THE EMAILS? WHO IS BEHIND FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY? In both cases, we are dealing with powerful interest groups. CUI-BONO? Has there been a shift in the Corporate Elites unbending support for Hillary Clinton? Or are the Elites divided? This is something to be carefully investigated. FBI Director Comey (image right) did not take this decision on his own. While he was described as responding to pressures from within the FBI, the crucial question is: Who are the power brokers behind James Comey? What mechanism incited him to take that decision? Does he have a relationship with Trump? Several media have even intimated that Moscow could have been behind Comeys second letter. An absurd proposition. The Trigger Mechanism The trigger mechanism which incited the FBI Director to send a Second Letter to Congress was a report by the Wall Street Journal published four days prior to the sending of his letter to Congress (October 28). On October 24, the WSJ revealed that Clinton friend [Virginia Governor] Terry McAuliffe donated money to an FBI investigators wife when she ran for office . Terry McAuliffe handed the money on behalf of Hillary Clinton: Last nights revelation that close Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe authorized $675,000 to the wife of a top official at the FBI, who conveniently was promoted to deputy director, and helped oversee the investigation into Clintons secret server is deeply disturbing The FBI has been under fire for not recommending indictment against Hillary Clinton.( October 24, 2016) The fact that this was allowed to occur shows either outright negligent behavior by the FBI or a level of corruption that is beyond belief. The FBI needs to fully address these issues as soon as possible, The Wall Street Journal broke the story on Sunday. Breibart October 24, 2016) Comeys decision to send a second letter on October 28 (October Surprise) was triggered by the contents of the WSJ report, pointing to bribery by Clinton and corruption within the FBI. The donation went to the 2015 Virginia state Senate election campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who just so happens to be the wife of FBI official Andrew McCabe who a few months later in January 2016 was appointed deputy director of the FBI in charge of the Clinton Email investigation. How convenient (See WSJ, October 24, 2016). The Hillary donation received by Dr. Jill McCabe was not reported. According to official records she received a total of $256,000 dollars in campaign contributions. Screenshot of FBI Press Release, January 29,2016 Andrew McCabe was Hillarys Trojan Horse within the FBI. Upon the release of the WSJ report, FBI Director Comey, responding to internal pressure from within the FBI, with a view to protecting his integrity, decided to release a second letter regarding the Clinton Emails. His corrupt deputy director Andrew McCabe (image left) who was overseeing the Clinton investigation, sofar has not been fired. House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who told The Washington Post this week that Hillary Clinton would face years of potential probes if she won the presidency, has asked FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to provide documents about his wifes 2015 campaign for Senate a campaign that received financial support from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a close Clinton ally. Chaffetz also tweeted Friday that the FBI would examine new emails related to the investigation into Clintons use of a private server.( Washington Post, October 28, 2016) The trigger mechanism did not originate from FBI Director James Comeys letter per se. It was the Wall Street Journal, mouthpiece of the US financial establishment, which revealed the fraud and bribery scheme: The wife of the Number Two Man at the FBI Andrew McCabe had received a large sum of money from Hillary Clinton, via the Governor of Virginia. The timing of this decision less than two weeks before the elections was crucial. But it was ultimately the WSJ (and those behind the release of the report on the Clinton-McCabe fraud) who determined the course of events. Who on Wall Street was behind the WSJ report on the Clinton-FBI McCabe bribe, which served to trigger James Comeys letter? The WSJ is owned by the News Corp conglomerate, one of the most powerful global media groups owned by the Murdoch Family Trust. Rupert Murdoch is a firm supporter of Donald Trump. Murdoch and Trump met several times in course of last months: The Murdoch-Trump alliance is the result of at least two private meetings between the billionaires this spring as well as phone calls from Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Murdochs view, according to those whove spoken with him, is that Trump is a winner whom the elites failed to take seriously. In March, Murdoch tweeted that the GOP would be mad not to unify behind Trump. ( Fox News In June, Trump meets up with Rupert Murdoch and his wife Jerry Hall in Scotland Meeting in June in Scotland, source NewsMax.com Until recently, the US mainstream media have largely been involved in camouflaging the crimes committed by Hillary Clinton. Are we dealing with an About Turn? The corporate elites are not monolithic. Quite the opposite. Tthere are major divisions and conflicts within the ruling corporate establishment. What seems to be unfolding is a division between competing media conglomerates, with Murdochs News Corp Group (which includes the WSJ and Fox News) supporting Trump and the Time Warner -CNN Group supporting Clinton. Those who triggered the release of the WSJ report were fully aware that this would lead to a response by FBI Director James Comey, which in turn would contribute to weakening and undermining Hillary Clinton. According to Donald Trump, This Is Bigger than Watergate. The Clinton Campaign has responded by accusing FBI Director James Casey of breaking the law. In many regards, the contents of the Huma Abedin Emails (released by the FBI) which have been the object of extensive media coverage is a red herring. But there is more than meets the eye. The Second letter pertaining to the Emails opens up a Pandoras box of fraud, corruption, bribery and money laundering. Sofar the media has concentrated on trivialities with a view to exonerating Clinton. The incriminating evidence of criminality contained in the WSJ report (i.e Clinton money paid to the wife of the Number 2 official in the FBI) is not a media talking point, nor is the fraud underlying the Clinton Foundations money transactions. The second letter by FBI Director Comey came as a Bombshell. Comeys initiative points this time to the possibility that a candidate to the presidency of the United States be under criminal investigation by the FBI. This does not solely pertain to the Email scandal, the FBI has an open investigation into the Clinton Foundation, which constitutes a hotbed of fraud and money laundering. Moreover, a class action lawsuit was launched against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) alleging fraud and collusion with the Hillary Clinton campaign. Act of Treason: Hillary Received Donations from the State Sponsors of Terrorism Who are Funding the Islamic State (ISIS-Daesh) A former Secretary of State (through here familys Foundation) receives generous donations from the State sponsors of terrorism (Saudi Arabia and Qatar): This is an obvious act of treason by a senior US official and candidate to the presidency of the United States. Frank Huguenard Moreover, according to (Global Research , May 30, 2016), the initial FBI investigation has expanded well beyond violating State Department regulations to include questions about espionage, perjury and influence peddling. The Clinton Foundation as a crony money laundering entity is at the center of the FBI initiative, which could lead to a conviction under RICO racketeering charges: The Energizer). When the official investigation into Hillarys email server began, she instructed her IT professional to delete over 30,000 emails and cloud backups of her emails older than 30 days at both Heres what we do know. Tens of millions of dollars donated to the Clinton Foundation was funneled to the organization through a Canadian shell company which has made tracing the donors nearly impossible. Less than 10% of donations to the Foundation has actually been released to charitable organizations and $2M that has been traced back to long time Bill Clinton friend Julie McMahon (aka). When the official investigation into Hillarys email server began, she instructed her IT professional to delete over 30,000 emails and cloud backups of her emails older than 30 days at both Platte River Networks and Datto, Inc . The FBI has subsequently recovered the majority, if not all, of Hillarys deleted emails and are putting together a strong case against her for attempting to cover up her illegal and illicit activities. A conviction under RICO comes when the Department of Justice proves that the defendant has engaged in two or more examples of racketeering and that the defendant maintained an interest in, participated in or invested in a criminal enterprise affecting interstate or foreign commerce. There is ample evidence already in the public record that the Clinton Foundation qualifies as a criminal enterprise and theres no doubt that the FBI is privy to significantly more evidence than has already been made public. Under RICO, the sections most relevant in this case will be section 1503 (obstruction of justice), section 1510 (obstruction of criminal investigations) and section 1511 (obstruction of State or local law enforcement). As in the case with Richard Nixon after the Watergate Break-in, its the cover-up of a crime that will be the Clintons downfall. Furthermore, under provisions of title 18, United States Code: Section 201, the Clinton Foundation can be held accountable for improprieties relating to bribery. The FBI will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that through the Clinton Foundation, international entities were able to commit bribery in exchange for help in securing business deals, such as the uranium-mining deal in Kazakhstan. (Frank Huguenard, Furthermore, under provisions of title 18, United States Code: Section 201, the Clinton Foundation can be held accountable for improprieties relating to bribery. The FBI will be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that through the Clinton Foundation, international entities were able to commit bribery in exchange for help in securing business deals, such as the uranium-mining deal in Kazakhstan. (Frank Huguenard, Global Research , May 30, 2016), Opposition to Hillary Clinton from within the Armed Forces There is also evidence of resentment to Clinton from within the Armed Forces. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed their opposition to the adoption of a No Fly Zone in Syria, which could lead to a war with Russia. Both the No Fly Zone as well as Hillarys nuclear option on the table are the object of debate by Americas top brass. Referring to the use of nuclear weapons against Iran, Hillary said we will obliterate them. If Hillary is elected, inevitably Trump would launch one or more procedures pertaining to fraud at different stages of the election campaign, voting machines, etc. In the words of Donald Trump at a rally in New Hampshire: Hillary Clintons corruption is on a scale weve never seen before, We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office. If elected president, Hillarys criminal record would haunt her throughout her term in office, leading to the possibility of an impeachment. The presidency would become totally dysfunctional from the very outset, which her corporate sponsors including the defense contractors and Wall Street would prefer to avoid. National Emergency Measures, Martial Law? Unquestionably the entire US bipartisan political apparatus is in crisis including US foreign policy, marked by the breakdown of diplomacy, Americas military agenda and the unfolding confrontation with Russia. While it is difficult to predict what might occur in the wake of the November 8 elections, the unfolding political impasse coupled with rising geopolitical tensions in Syria, Iraq as well as Eastern Europe on Russias border could potentially lead at some future date to the suspension of Constitutional government under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) HR 1540, signed into law by president Obama on December 31, 2011. Most media have failed to analyze the far-reaching implications of this legislation. The present impasse in the electoral process is a crisis of legitimacy characterized by the criminalization of the US State, its judicial and law enforcement apparatus. In turn, Washington is committed to a hegemonic US-NATO war without border coupled with the formation of giant trading blocks under the TPP and TTIP proposals. This neoliberal macro-economic agenda has since the early 1980s been conducive to the impoverishment of large sectors of the World population. These developments coupled with a potenital constitutional deadlock point in the direction of rising political and social tensions as well as mass protests throughout the US which could lead America at some future date into the application of martial law. There are multiple US martial law legislative procedures. The adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), HR 1540) would be tantamount to a repeal of civil liberties, the surveillance state, the militarization of law enforcement, the repeal of the Posse Comitatus Act. All the components of Police State USA are currently in place. They go far beyond government snooping of emails and telephone conversations. They also include: Extrajudicial assassinations of alleged terrorists including US citizens, in blatant violation of the Fifth amendment No person shall. .. be deprived of life. .. without due process of law. The indefinite detention of US citizens without trial, namely the repeal of Habeas Corpus. The establishment of Internment Camps on US Military Bases under legislation adopted in 2009 . Under the National Emergency Centers Establishment Act (HR 645) the Internment Camps can be used to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The FEMA internment camps are part of the Continuity of Government (C.O.G), which would be put in place in the case of martial law. The internment camps are intended to protect the government against its citizens, by locking up protesters as well as political activists who might challenge the legitimacy of the Administrations national security, economic or military agenda. With one week left in the most chaotic and dangerous presidential contest in American history, the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign is damaged and sinking. Even the propaganda protection of the Clinton-controlled mainstream corporate media is starting to buckle. Hillary Clinton is being bombshelled on a daily basis by hacker whistleblowers led by Wikileaks Companion sites such as Most Damning Wikileaks , which sorts the raw data and provides analysis, have also been in overdrive. Now the FBI has opened two new investigations into Hillary Clintons emails. The most recent Wikileaks exposures provide clear evidence that Hillary Clinton and her team of aides and operatives knowingly used unencrypted private computers to conduct secret business (including exchanging classified information), knowingly tried to hide and destroy evidence of this activity, and were involved in an active cover-up. Emails of Clinton associate Cheryl Mills also implicate President Barack Obama. Obama not only knew about Clintons private server, he knowingly communicated with Clinton via this private server. It is believed that the overwhelming amount of significant evidence compelled the FBI to act. At the center of it all is top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The FBI has found some 650,000 emails on the computers and devices of Abedin and her estranged husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner. The classified Clinton-related emails were a surprise discovery made in the course of FBIs investigation into Weiners pedophilia case. The Department of Justice has obtained warrant to search multiple Abedin/Weiner computers. What the new stash contains is being sorted out and catalogued by the FBI. The sheer number of surprise new emails raises questions all by itself. What exactly were Hillary and her team trying to hide? Was Clinton running secret operations, with Obamas knowledge and participation, via private devices? If so, what were these secret operations? Was it to hide shadow government foreign policy, and off the books activities? Or was it about hiding the criminal activities of the Clinton Foundation, which has already been exposed by Wikileaks as a (very Iran-Contra) front for the covert funding of terrorists (including ISIS, via Saudi Arabia and Qatar), influence peddling, pay-for-play schemes, money laundering, fraud, weapons deals, and other crimes? Was it to hide personal depravity along the lines of pedophilia and connections to a larger Washington pedophilia ring? Will the new investigation go beyond the violation of security procedures, to the issue of criminal intent, as well as the evidence of crimes contained in the emails themselves? Indictments are being prepared. The FBI decision in context Both FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch (right) are compromised individuals with deep ties to the Clintons. Why did Comey take action at this time? Lynch was pressured or blackmailed by Bill Clinton to stop the initial investigation of Hillary, but did not, or could not, stand in the way of this round. President Obama has adopted a neutral stance. Obama has also stopped campaigning for or with Hillary. The fact that these Clinton surrogates and Obama (an important Hillary cheerleader), are now turning against Hillary speaks volumes: There is so much damning evidence that new probes had to be opened, according to the Hatch Act, which would make it a crime for Comey not to take action. So much that not even Comey/Lynch/Obama can cover for Hillary any longer. Serious internal pressure within the FBI itself caused Comey to do his job, or face a mutiny. Many FBI agents were furious about how Comey let Clinton off the hook the first time. Comey is now covering his rear end. Clintons campaign is damaged, possibly beyond repair. Rats are jumping off the sinking ship. The Democratic establishment may be forced to consider a backup plan to replace Clinton (with Tim Kaine) or cancel the election by some other means. Now that his own security-breaching communications with Clinton via her private server have been exposed by Wikileaks, Obama is distancing himself from Clinton, a major blow to Hillarys campaign. Some skeptical observers have proposed that the FBI investigation could be a smokescreendiversion, a distraction from more potentially damaging, game-ending material expected to be released by Wikileaks and other sources in the coming week. However, it does appear that the actual smoking guns are so numerous and blatant, that the Clintons are in real trouble. The Democratic Party establishment is in panic mode. They have resorted again to blaming Russia. Comey is being attacked as a Russian agent. Comey (left) has now become as much of a target as Trump, who continues to be accused of being a Russian spy. Comey (left) has now become as much of a target as Trump, who continues to be accused of being a Russian spy. The weak and empty response by an already weakened Hillary and the Democratic Party leadership is a sure sign that the election could very well be lost. All the queens women and men In the Watergate scandal, Nixons surrogates took the fall, and Gerald Ford pardoned him. In Iran-Contra, numerous operatives fell on the sword to protect the Bushes and the CIA. What fate awaits Hillary Clinton? Will Hillarys operatives (Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, Neara Tanden, John Podesta, Bob Creamer, etc.) protect her, or turn on her? Who will be left to protect her? Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile, a faithful Clinton surrogate, has been forced to resign, after Wikileaks exposed the fact that she helped Hillary cheat in two debates. (Brazile was abused by Hillary in meltdown mode after she had failed to effectively help Hillary cheat her way through a panel with NBCs Matt Lauer. She will no longer have to put up with being called a cow by Clinton.) Saudi-born (Muslim Brotherhood-connected) Huma Abedin, perhaps the key figure in the case, has asked for immunity. If Abedin tells the truth, she could destroy the Clintons, and be in danger for the rest of her life. Abedin, Hillary Clintons most personal aide, has been missing, not been seen with Hillary or the campaign in days. On the other hand, it would not be surprising if Abedin resorts to pleading the Fifth, or the favorite technique used by the guilty: repeatedly saying I dont recall. Huma has already suggested she had no idea how the emails wound up on her computer. It seems that some of the incriminating documents are contained in a file titled Life Insurance. This suggests that Abedin stashed incriminating material for insurance in the event that the Clintons threatened her life. Weiner, however, is a different matter. He is not beholden to the Clintons, and could be more inclined to sing. The first of a new kind of information war The incendiary warfare for this election, and the control of the US government is all happening without the knowledge of the large segment of the ambivalent/ignorant population that relies exclusively on mainstream (Clinton-dominated) corporate media. The war for information is being fought entirely on the Web and, as exemplified by the Clinton scandals, the battle is over the contents of computer data. Corporate broadcast and print media has not covered much of the action at all. Within the corporate media bubble, Hillary still retains a lead, Trump is still a pervert and a madman, and the FBI is on a puzzling witch hunt. But even this bubble is beginning to burst. Hillary is in so much trouble, that even the corporate media is starting to be forced to report. There is a strong possibility that this election will be fought and decided without the participation of this left-out segment. These people will be shocked, surprised and baffled by it all. There is not much time left to get them to begin to understand. Unprecedented crisis Hillary Clinton and her campaign have been severely damaged by resistance from all sides. According to conditions on the ground, and according to a growing number of the more accurate national polls, Trump is surging . He may even have a significant lead. However, the election has already been rigged and stolen for a Clinton victory. They have the means, the technology, and it is already happening . The question now is whether the FBI investigation, and last minute bombshells from Wikileaks, completely changes the landscape in the remaining days. This conflict will last well beyond the election and its result. Nixon won the presidential election in 1972 in a landslide, but was forced to leave office because of Watergate. Even if Clinton gets her way, she will be also be scandalized and investigated a la Nixon. A constitutional crisis is virtually guaranteed. She could be indicted before or after taking office. She could be pardoned by Obama. She could be impeached. In the unlikely event that she survives all of that, resistance to her will be never-ending. She is so corrupt, and has antagonized so many people and nations, that will not be able to govern or conduct diplomacy in any case. In the short term, the possibility of a major false flag event to distract from, and cancel election, remains the biggest and most terrifying scenario. And/or a martial law crackdown on the US in the event of civil unrest caused by a contested election. More bombshells, possibly the biggest ones yet, have been promised for the final weeks and days, including more Wikileaks, more from Project Veritas, more from Anonymous. It is far from over. Expect October Surprises, November Surprises, and the unprecedented. Play at the new site will be free and first come, first served through the year's end. The Cowlitz Tribes decades-long battle for a reservation may not be over yet. Opponents to the Cowlitz Tribes casino have appealed their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, challenging the tribes right to have a reservation on 156 acres of property near La Center. The Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde and Clark County have dropped out of the case, following the City of Vancouvers withdrawal earlier this year. That leaves Citizens Against Reservation Shopping, the La Center card room owners and three private landowners in the suit. We have believed in the principal of our issue from the very beginning. I havent sensed any waiver at all, said John Bockmier, spokesman for the La Center card rooms. Construction of the Cowlitz Tribes Ilani casino is about 70 percent complete, according to the tribe. The casino resort is expected to generate 1,000 new jobs when it opens next spring near Exit 16. Although Cowlitz Tribe is a relevant party in the case, the suit is actually against the U.S. Department of Interior, which took the land into trust on behalf of the tribe last year. In July, an appeals court sided with a lower courts 2014 ruling in favor of the federal government. Both the U.S. District Court and Court of Appeals rulings have been strongly in favor of the Cowlitz Tribe, and we are very comfortable with the validity of the Appeals Courts decision. The La Center card rooms continued obstruction of this project is counterproductive to the local economy, Bill Iyall, Cowlitz Tribal Chairman, said in a prepared statement. The 452-page appeal details why the opponents think the lower courts erred. Opponents have argued that the department violated the U.S. Supreme Courts 2009 Carcieri vs. Salazar decision, in which the high court said the government can put land into trust only for tribes that were under federal jurisdiction in 1934. The Cowlitz werent officially recognized by the U.S. government until 2002. The Carcieri case was a very important Supreme Court case, and we believe the Appeals Court judge made a mistake when she went in opposition of that ruling, said Susan Gilbert, who is one of the property owner named in the suit. Gilbert and her husband, Greg, are concerned about how the runoff from the casino would affect their rural Ridgefield property, which is located across the freeway. We as layman find it difficult to believe they can contain runoff from their property satisfactory enough to not destroy the stream (which feeds into the Lewis River), Gilbert said Monday. The La Center card rooms are worried the new casino will drive them out of business. Were obviously not opposed to gaming or Native Americans. The location doesnt work. Not just for our business, but a for a lot of private businesses and landowners. Thats why the opposition has always gone for so long, Bockmier said. Dave Barnett, Cowlitz Tribe member and key developer in the casino project, said that the card rooms had offered to drop the lawsuit if the tribe agreed to buy them out. The tribe declined, he said. Bockmier couldnt confirm this report Monday. On Monday afternoon at the Community House on Broadway shelter, GOP gubernatorial nominee Bill Bryant said there are many causes of homelessness, and they will require a lot of different solutions. But he stuck with the approach he has taken throughout his campaign for Washington governor: Ban camping on state property. Allow police to make arrests. Rebuild the states mental health system. He has said he would withhold money from cities that allow homeless encampments on public property. Bryant paid a visit to the Community House as pit stop in a bus tour through Southwest Washington as the 2016 election entered its final week. Bryant has been vocal about his concerns that Seattles Jungle homeless camp has only enabled the homeless, citing reports that when the camp under Interstate 5 was cleared this month, three-fourths of those camping there refused help and shelters. Theres a new population of homeless thats emerged, Bryant said. A lot of these folks dont want help. Bryant said mental health services should go hand in hand with treating homelessness. A staunch critic of the controversies at Western State Hospital, Bryant said problems there have been covered up, and Im not using that word lightly. After ongoing problems with security, patient escapes and understaffing, the states largest psychiatric hospital lost its national accreditation in May but didnt report is for three months. At Community House, Bryant repeated the statement he made in the last debate between himself and Gov. Jay Inslee: We dont need a homeless czar, we need a governor, Bryant said. The statement drew applause from the crowd in Eastern Washington in the Oct. 19 debate. Clearly how were spending the money is not working, he said. The most recent KCTS 9 poll on the governors race, released last week, showed Bryant was within striking distance of Inslee. The poll showed 46 percent were certain they were voting for Inslee compared to Bryants 42 percent. Another 5 percent leaned toward Inslee and 3 percent leaned toward Bryant, with 13 percent undecided. tech2 News Staff Two Google employees working for the Threat Analysis Group have publicly disclosed a critical Microsoft Windows vulnerability. The privilege escalation bug can allow malicious attackers to bypass security sandboxes and gain control of a system. Google has information that the vulnerability is being actively used by miscreants, and have announced the vulnerability so that users can take measures to protect themselves. The vulnerability was reported to Adobe and Microsoft engineers on 21 October. On 26 October, Adobe released a security update after working closely with the Google Threat Analysis Group. Adobe Flash Player was affected by the vulnerability, and the security patch prevents attackers from gaining control of the system. However, Microsoft has neither released a security patch, nor issued an advisory to its users. This is a class of exploits known as zero day exploits. These are previously unknown vulnerabilities, that have not been identified yet as an issue, and which the company is not currently patching. Google allows itself and other companies seven days to either patch or notify users of a critically vulnerable zero day exploits. These are vulnerabilities which leaves a large number of users exposed, with the chances of exploitation increasing on a daily basis. Google is publicly announcing the vulnerability, according to the guidelines laid down in the critical vulnerability policy of Google. To avoid being affected by the vulnerability, users are advised to upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Flash player, if automatic updates are not enabled. Users of Microsoft Windows have to wait till Microsoft itself releases a security patch. Users are advised to install the Windows update and the Microsoft update when they come available. tech2 News Staff The frequency of device launches is increasing by the day. Upgrade cycles are witnessing a shrink in duration as smartphone makers are not stopping at any cost to update as well as bring in new handsets. Its still a competitive market. This has also led to quite an increase in the number of rumours as well as leaks. For instance, right after Apple launched the iPhone 6s last year, rumours regarding absence of the 3.5mm audio jack on the next upgrade had started to flow in. By the time Apple launched the iPhone 7, almost everything had leaked and we were just waiting for it to go official. Some believe that smartphone makers intentionally release crucial information out in the open to build momentum. Whatever be the case, it surely gives us an idea of what smartphone makers are up to and what we can expect in the future. Here is a wrap up of some of the important leaks that we saw in the past couple of weeks. Apple iPhone 8 The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus just made their debut and rumours for the iPhone 8, which could be a 2018 launch, are already doing the rounds. Some suggest that Apple will ditch the metal design and make the iPhone 8 out of glass to mark its 10th anniversary. There are also reports of Apple working with Biel and Lens Technologies, a Chinese company that supplies glass panels to Apple and Samsung. There is also a rumour that there will be three size variants, 4.7-inch, 5-inch and 5.5-inch. There is also a rumour that says that the 5.5-inch version will have a curved display. Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung has been in a bit of a trouble thanks to the failure of the Galaxy Note 7. This has put the Korean giant under pressure and we expect nothing but a beat of a smartphone. Early rumours suggest that Samsung will use a 5.5-inch 4K Super AMOLED display, 6GB of RAM and an Exynos 8895/Snapdragon 830 SoC. Even the launch date has been unofficially confirmed pointing to 26th February launch which will be during MWC 2017. Lets just hope this one doesnt blow up. OnePlus 3T The OnePlus 3 has been one of our favorite smartphones from 2016. While we still need a confirmation from the company, but there is a possibility that the company will launch a refresh of the popular smartphone dubbed as the OnePlus 3T. It is expected to get a processor and camera bump. Expect the new Snapdragon 821 processor and a Sony IMX398 sensor for the camera. If and when this update arrives, it will be $80 more than the price of the OnePlus 3, which doesnt sound a lot. Xiaomi Redmi 4 The Redmi 3S and 3S Prime are impressive smartphones when one considers the sub 10k category. Thanks to a TENNA certification leak, we know that the Redmi 4 is coming soon and will look similar to its predecessor. However there is a possibility that it will get a more powerful Snapdragon 625 SoC. Moto M Motorolas Moto Z series has received a good response thanks to its unique modular design. Now it seems that the Lenovo owned company will launch a battery focused smartphone called the Moto M. It is rumoured to feature a metal design and a chunky 5,100 mAH battery. Expect an announcement before the year ends. tech2 News Staff Microsofts Surface Studio announcement last week captured media attention, but there was one, significant update that snuck under the radar. Microsoft had promised that stand-alone, mixed reality headsets would be coming in March at a starting price of around $300 (around Rs 20,000). These headsets are to be manufactured by a number of Microsofts third-party partners, including Dell and HP. Details of the headset itself were scant, but Microsoft did say that the headsets would be stand-alone devices (i.e. they wont require external tracking units) and that their system requirements wouldnt be too high. In an interview with Polygon, Alex Kipman, Hololens Project Head at Microsoft, explained that Microsofts headsets would address the two main problems pertaining to VR headsets movement constraints and high minimum system requirements. Describing the headsets, Kipman told Polygon that the first wave of headsets will be opaque and that they would be tethered, just like traditional VR headsets. These headsets will however, come with inside-out tracking, meaning that theyll track controllers, hands, obstacles, etc. from within the headset itself rather than rely upon external sensors. "It allows you to freely move through space safely," said Kipman. The final product is not ready yet, but Kipman indicated that more announcements will be made at Microsoft WinHEC at Shenzen, China and Taipei, Taiwan in December. WinHEC or Windows Hardware Engineering Community events are designed to help share deep technical knowledge to help build and optimise hardware for Windows. WinHEC Shenzen will be held from 8-9 December. WinHEC Taipei will be held from 14-15 December. tech2 News Staff NASA has uploaded an Ultra High Definition (4K) video of the International Space Station (ISS) shot with a fisheye lens on YouTube. The video was produced by Harmonic, a video infrastructure provider, for NASA TV. The video explores the various modules that make up the ISS, but is not a single take continuous shot. Equipment and containers are attached to the surfaces in all directions, which shows how claustrophobic the interiors of a space station can get. The video starts and ends at the Cupola, an observation deck with seven windows which offers a spellbinding view of the Earth. The tour then takes viewers through the Unity module, a passive connecting block to which the other modules are attached. It functions as a passageway on the ISS, and was the first US built segment of the ISS to be launched. Up next is the Zarya Functional Cargo Block, a Russian built module that was the first component of the ISS to be launched. The Zarya module is used mainly for storage. The Pirs docking module has ports to interface with Russian Spacecraft Soyuz and Progress. The Pirs is a Russian made airlock, one of the two on the ISS. The video does not show the other Russian docking module, Poisk. The Destiny module is a centrally located US laboratory for space experiments, and is full of scientific equipment. Harmony is a connecting node module. Two ports are permanently attached to the Columbus module and the Kibo Laboratory module. The other two ports are used for docking by visiting spacecraft. The European made Columbus module and the Japanese Kibo Laboratory module are both laboratories for conducting scientific experiments. The Kibo laboratory is the single largest module in the ISS. The Kibo laboratory has an airlock, through which scientific experiments are taken in and out of the ISS. Tranquility is another node module, that connects to both Unity and the Cupola. There are waste management systems on this module, and the oxygen for the crew is generated here. The video ends with another visit to the Cupola. NASA also casts a livestream from the ISS. These show the crew operations on the interiors or at times, just the Earth passing below the station. tech2 News Staff After 4 years at Twitter, Rishi Jaitly, Twitters VP, Asia Pacific and Middle East North Africa is leaving the company. Announcing his intention to move on via Twitter, Jaitly says, Today, after 4 years of user/business momentum in India & the region, Im sharing my intention to move on to new opportunities, same mission. Today, after 4 years of user/business momentum in India & the region, Im sharing my intention to move on to new opportunities, same mission Rishi Jaitly (@rsjaitly) November 1, 2016 Jaitly joined Twitter in 2012 as the India Marketing Director, before rapidly moving up the ranks as Market Director, India and SEA to his current (former) position as VP. Before Twitter, Jaitly spent some time as Director of the Knight Foundation, Co-founded Michigan Corps and even worked at Google India as Head of Public-Private Partnerships. Speaking of the future, Jaitly tweeted, I myself care deeply about the United States, India, emerging markets & intend to devote myself to building bridges in service of my mission. He also mentioned his intention of mobbing to Chicago. While a personal/civic calling takes me to Chicago, Ill spend significant time in India/Asia, drawing on my past to further tech's promise. Rishi Jaitly (@rsjaitly) November 1, 2016 Twitter itself has been the centre of a great deal of controversy these past few months. The company has been bleeding money, potential buyers (of the company) backed off and most recently, the company shut down Vine and axed 9 percent of its work force. "Im really focused on two things: taking care of my family and certainly my children, secondly doing the best job I can to win football games." Indian national held with firearms in city Detectives arrested an Indian citizen along with 10 firearms, 12 magazines and 35 rounds of bullets from Gabtoli area in the city on Monday night. The arrestee was identified as Khairul, a resident of 24 Pargana in Bengal state of India. Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman said tipped off, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) conducted a drive in the area and arrested Khairul at night. The law enforcers also recovered 10 firearms, 12 magazines and 35 rounds of bullets from his possession. Meanwhile, another team of the DB arrested a man named Belal and recovered seven microbus and two private cars from Jatrabari area in the city at night. The details about the drives will be disclosed at a press briefing later. --Dhaka, Nov 1 (UNB) Self-working youth forces can ensure sustainable dev Rampal-Mongla Correspondent : National Youth Day was observed in Rampal on Tuesday. Youth Development Department of Rampal Upazilla chalked out an elaborate programme to celebrate the Day. They brought out a rally at 10 a.m. that paraded Rampal Bazar. After that , a discussion meeting was held at Upazilla Auditorium .Being presided over by Youth Development Officer Md. Fazlur Rahman , UNO of Rampal Upazilla Rajib Kumar Roy was present there as Chief Guest . Ex-Upazilla Chairman and Deputy Muktijoddha Commander of Bagerhat District Command Sk. Abdul Jalil , Upazilla Vice-Chairman Moajjem Hossain and Mohila Vice-Chairman Hosneara Mili were present there as special guest. The function came to an end at 1 p.m. BSS from Rajshahi adds: Speakers at a post-rally discussion here yesterday termed the self-working youth forces as the main foundation of sustainable development. They viewed utmost emphasis should be given on transforming them into competent human resources. All the government and non-government agencies concerned should work together to attain the cherished goal. District Administration and Department of Youth Development (DYD) jointly organised the discussion at Shilpakala Academy auditorium to mark the National Youth Day-2016. The speakers opined that transforming the youths into worthy citizens has become an urgent need for building a happy and prosperous Bangladesh. Importance should be given on involving the unemployed youths in various income-generation activities to protecting them from drug addiction and different other anti-social activities, speakers said. Additional Commissioner (Development and ICT) of Rajshahi division Sultan Abdul Hamid addressed the discussion as the chief guest with Additional Deputy Commissioner Sabet Ali in the chair. Deputy Director of DYD Matiur Rahman welcomed the participants. During his keynote presentation, Dr Tasiqul Islam Raja, retired principal of Shahmukhdum Degree College, gave an overview of the country's existing position of the youths and government intervention in this regard. Chief Guest Abdul Hamid said importance should be given on transforming the youths into skilled citizens through imparting them with training on different vocations. He viewed that many of the youths became derailed due to lack of proper care and nursing besides bad association and ultimately they become burden of the society that is unfortunate for the nation. He urged the attending youths to extend their whole-hearted cooperation to police for freeing the young generation from drug-addiction. BSS from Faridpur adds: National Youth Day was observed here yesterday in a befitting manner. Local Youth Development Directorate and district administration jointly organized the programme as a part of the countrywide programme. In this connection a colorful rally was brought out from DC office premises. A discussion meeting held at the conference room of DC was chaired by Deputy Director of Youth Development directorate ASM Mainul Ahsan while DC Begum Umme Salma Tanzia attended as the chief guest. DC Umme Salma in her speech said that it is youth community who can make our country happy and prosperous by deploying their energy, devotion, skill, patriotism and honesty. She said that by engaging their creativity with limited resources they can be self- employed without depending on others. The DC said there are ample opportunities in several fields created by the government to be self- employed after taking necessary training facilities provided by the Youth development directorate. She also advised the directorate shape the training module as per requirements of the man power importing countries. She said that the present government's digitization program has opened a new avenue for the youths because they can now earn lot of money through on-line outsourcing work. Other speakers mentioning the contributions of the youths in different national crises including the great liberation war said that youths are the most potential resource of a nation and they must not be exploited for evil purposes. Among others ADC(Gen) Protap Chnadra Biswas, Assistant Director of YouthG.M. Faruk, self employed Shahidul Islam, self-employed Sharmin Ferdousi, NGO personnel Jahnagir Alom , Azharul Islam, Kazi Ashraful Hassan and Women Affairs Officer Kh. Daulatana Akhtar. It was disclosed in the meeting that Youth directorate of Faridpur has so far given a credit of Taka 45 crore 85 lakh 21 thousand and provided various training to 73615 youths both male and female. Of the total trained youths about 55846 have become self-employed. In the meeting five youths including two female were awarded district youth awards. Besides, five youths were given cheques of loan amounting to Taka 2 lakh 90 thousand. CCC Mayor A J M Nasir Uddin speaking at a coordination meeting with the officials of Health Department at K B Abdus Sattar Auditorium as Chief Guest on Monday. Day-labourer found dead A Correspondent : A youth was found dead with his throat slit in his rented room in Janata Market building at Kotwali of Chittagong city early on Monday. Md Nazim, 23, son of Md Younus of Satkania, was a day labourer. Being informed by one of his friends, victim's elder brother Selim, informed Kotwali Police about the murder. Police suspect that Nazim's friends might have killed him over some dispute. Tax payer`s number will be 2.5m: Muhith Staff Reporter : A weeklong Income Tax Fair began on Tuesday and drew huge response from taxpayers, much to the delight of the National Board of Revenue, which is expecting revenue more than target. Finance Minister AMA Muhith, who inaugurated the fair at the under-construction Agargaon National Board of Revenue (NBR) building in the capital. NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman presided over the function while State Minister for Finance MA Mannan and FBCCI president Abdul Matlub Ahmed were present as special guests. The finance minister said, "Many countries, including the US, follow this system,". Subsequently, he asked the NBR to work towards it. The number of tax payers will be about 25 lakh this year, hoped Muhith. Tax-friendly environment must be created for assisting the government's development works, MA Mannan said. The FBCCI president recommended for the tax laws to make it easier so that people became interest to pay tax. He also suggested building the tax complex building in every district. Taxpayers are submitting their returns for fiscal 2016-17 and getting acknowledgement receipts on the spot. Fresh taxpayers will also be able to get taxpayer identification numbers online and those who still have the manually issued TINs is getting assistance to re-register for e-TIN. Senior Tax official Syed A M'umen said that this year online tax-paying facilities would be a new attraction for the visitors. This year, the NBR is collecting income tax returns in both old and new formats. To reduce the hassles of the taxpayers, the NBR simplified the income tax return form from this fiscal. Instead of the eight-page form, the taxpayers from this year will fill up a three-page form in the new format. November 30 will be the last date for the submission of income tax returns unlike the previous years when September 30 was the last date for the submission. 109 booths have been setup in 62 thousand square feet area at the fair. Separate booths have been arranged for freedom fighters, senior citizens, women and disable persons. The fair is open from 10am and continue till 5pm every day. Nasim warns to shut pvt medical colleges if they disrespect rules Staff Reporter : Health Minister Mohammed Nasim on Tuesday warned the private medical college hospitals of shut down if they do not follow the rules and regulations. "It is high time to remind all that the ministry gave approval of many medical colleges generously. It should not be continued," he said. The minister said this at a inaugural session of four-day long health campaigning programme on the Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) premises. DRU President Jamal Uddin presided over the programme, while its General Secretary Razu Ahmed moderated it. Associate Professor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dr Shahjada Selim and Head of Marketing of Novo Nordisk Pharma (Pvt.) Ltd Dr Mohammad Saiful spoke at the programme, among others. Nasim said, the private medical college hospitals must improve their quality, and must teach the students properly. Otherwise, the ministry will take stern action against them. "The ministry has already closed four medical colleges for violating law," he said. The medical colleges must have modern library, laboratory, adequate equipments and sufficient number of teachers. If they do not follow our direction, the ministry will take step against the faulty institutions gradually. The world economy without China Stephen S. Roach : Is the Chinese economy about to implode? With its debt overhangs and property bubbles, its zombie state-owned enterprises and struggling banks, China is increasingly portrayed as the next disaster in a crisis-prone world. I remain convinced that such fears are overblown, and that China has the strategy, wherewithal, and commitment to achieve a dramatic structural transformation into a services-based consumer society while successfully dodging daunting cyclical headwinds. But I certainly recognize that this is now a minority opinion. For example, US Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew continues to express the rather puzzling view that the United States "can't be the only engine in the world economy." Actually, it's not: the Chinese economy is on track to contribute well over four times as much to global growth as the US this year. But maybe Lew is already assuming the worst for China in his assessment of the world economy. So what if the China doubters are right? What if China's economy does indeed come crashing down, with its growth rate plunging into low single digits, or even negative territory, as would be the case in most crisis economies? China would suffer, of course, but so would an already-shaky global economy. With all the handwringing over the Chinese economy, it's worth considering this thought experiment in detail. For starters, without China, the world economy would already be in recession. China's growth rate this year appears set to hit 6.7% - considerably higher than most forecasters have been expecting. According to the International Monetary Fund - the official arbiter of global economic metrics - the Chinese economy accounts for 17.3% of world GDP (measured on a purchasing-power-parity basis). A 6.7% increase in Chinese real GDP thus translates into about 1.2 percentage points of world growth. Absent China, that contribution would need to be subtracted from the IMF's downwardly revised 3.1% estimate for world GDP growth in 2016, dragging it down to 1.9% - well below the 2.5% threshold commonly associated with global recessions. Of course, that's just the direct effect of a world without China. Then there are cross-border linkages with other major economies. The so-called resource economies - namely, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Russia, and Brazil - would be hit especially hard. As a resource-intensive growth juggernaut, China has transformed these economies, which collectively account for nearly 9% of world GDP. While all of them argue that they have diversified economic structures that are not overly dependent on Chinese commodity demand, currency markets say otherwise: whenever China's growth expectations are revised - upward or downward - their exchange rates move in tandem. The IMF currently projects that these five economies will contract by a combined 0.7% in 2016, reflecting ongoing recessions in Russia and Brazil and modest growth in the other three. Needless to say, in a China implosion scenario, this baseline estimate would be revised downward significantly. The same would be the case for China's Asian trading partners - most of which remain export-dependent economies, with the Chinese market their largest source of external demand. That is true not only of smaller Asian developing economies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, but also of the larger and more developed economies in the region, such as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Collectively, these six China-dependent Asian economies make up another 11% of world GDP. A China implosion could easily knock at least one percentage point off their combined growth rate. The United States is also a case in point. China is America's third-largest and most rapidly growing export market. In a China-implosion scenario, that export demand would all but dry up - knocking approximately 0.2-0.3 percentage points off already subpar US economic growth of around 1.6% in 2016. Finally, there is Europe to consider. Growth in Germany, long the engine of an otherwise sclerotic Continental economy, remains heavily dependent on exports. That is due increasingly to the importance of China - now Germany's third-largest export market, after the European Union and the United States. In a China implosion scenario, German economic growth could also be significantly lower, dragging down the rest of a German-led Europe. Interestingly, in its just-released October update of the World Economic Outlook, the IMF devotes an entire chapter to what it calls a China spillover analysis - a model-based assessment of the global impacts of a China slowdown. Consistent with the arguments above, the IMF focuses on linkages to commodity exporters, Asian exporters, and what they call "systemic advanced economies" (Germany, Japan, and the US) that would be most exposed to a Chinese downturn. By their reckoning, the impact on Asia would be the largest, followed closely by the resource economies; the sensitivity of the three developed economies is estimated to be about half that of China's non-Japan Asian trading partners. The IMF research suggests that China's global spillovers would add about another 25% to the direct effects of China's growth shortfall. That means that if Chinese economic growth vanished into thin air, in accordance with our thought experiment, the sum of the direct effects (1.2 percentage points of global growth) and indirect spillovers (roughly another 0.3 percentage points) would essentially halve the current baseline estimate of 2016 global growth, from 3.1% to 1.6%. While that would be far short of the record 0.1% global contraction in 2009, it wouldn't be much different than two earlier deep world recessions, in 1975 (1% growth) and 1982 (0.7%). I may be one of the only China optimists left. While I am hardly upbeat about prospects for the global economy, I think the world faces far bigger problems than a major meltdown in China. Yet I would be the first to concede that a post-crisis world economy without Chinese growth would be in grave difficulty. China bears need to be careful what they wish for. (Stephen S. Roach, former Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia and the firm's chief economist, is a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs and a senior lecturer at Yale's School of Management. He is the author of Unbalanced: The Codependency of America and China). Courtesy: Project Syndicate We condemn attack on Hindu villages in B`Baria WE are deeply frustrated and also ashamed of the unfortunate attacks on homes and business establishments of Hindu neighbours at Nasirnagar Upazila headquarters in Brahmanbaria and Madhabpur in Habiganj districts on Sunday. Unruly people went berserk and vandalized over one hundred and fifty houses and business establishments; looted belongings and damaged over 17 temples of the minority community in the incidents. We condemn the incident and demand arrest of the culprits and put them on trial. They must be punished. It is highly disturbing to peaceful coexistence of the minority people who never felt so let down and endangered by their Muslim neighbours. Victims said they did not know the attackers, they are not local people and question arises who are those miscreants and why they were not resisted by police and local administration at the Upazila headquarters who were sitting idle without giving protection to the minority community. It smells something fishy. The cause of the mayhem is a post on a facebook account belonged to a Hindu youth of Nasirnagar Upazila; which apparently showed disrespect to the Holy Ka'ba. But the youth has repeatedly claimed it was not his work and someone may have hacked his account and posted the picture to create communal disorder. Nonetheless, the boy sought apology to local elders and the matter should have ended here. But anti-social elements gave it religious colour and mounted attacks on the Hindu villages bringing shame on the entire nation. Media reports said Muslims and Hindus together tried to resist the attackers but they were beaten back. About 50 people were injured in the attacks. The youth was earlier arrested on Saturday. Meanwhile, local Ahle Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat organized a protest rally at the Upazila headquarter on Sunday and when the rally was in progress the attacks at a distance begun. It is not clear who mounted the attacks although many want to point fingers to religious extremists. Others believe certain vested interest quarters readily seized the opportunity they created from behind. It is no secret that serious conspiracies are going on at home and abroad to destroy communal harmony in Bangladesh and make the country a battleground for militants. We fear the incident of Nasirnagar is not different from attack on Buddhists villages and temples at Ramu in Cox's Bazar district in 2012. Attackers were known by face there but they were not arrested and punished as police also avoided resisting them on Sunday. It appears that police have lodged two cases with about 1200 accused. We are afraid it is going to be a big arrest business soon when the real culprits will go into the dark. In our view the government should investigate why police and local administration remained inactive when minorities were under attack. Brexit will not affect our business is too early to say BRITAIN has reassured Bangladesh of continued duty-free market access for all our exports except firearms until Brexit becomes effective for which the British government is taking steps to invoke the exit clause in early next year. It will also continue after Brexit. British High Commissioner to Dhaka Alison Blake reassured the country's business community on this issue on Monday at a meeting of Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at a city hotel. She said her government and the British High Commission officials in particular in Dhaka are aware of the fears of Bangladeshi exporters and she wants to remove it. Alison Blake's move to remove fear of uncertainty is a timely move to minimize all concerns from Bangladesh side about any risk to duty-free market access. Her comment that Britain is committed to ensure a smooth transition for Brexit to keep at the minimum the disruption in bilateral trade and other businesses also shows how important they value their trade relation with Bangladesh. We must say her specific reassurance has come as a big relief to Bangladesh business and we welcome her statement in this respect. Needless to say Bangladesh is also enjoying duty-free market access to all its exports, except firearms to other EU member states. So we must also take care of the fact that business to all member states are not going to face setback anyway. Britain's duty-free market access will also continue to all trading partners, as it wants to remain open to global trade even after Brexit, the High Commissioner said. But Bangladesh should prepare at the same time to sign new duty-free trade deal with Britain as soon as it will come out of EU in short time. For Bangladesh, the UK is a very important trading partner. It is the second largest investor and third largest market for Bangladesh's exports taking over 10 percent RMG products. Over 200 British companies are doing business. Their total investment last year stood at $ 322 million; which is 13 percent of total foreign direct investment. Even during political turmoil our trade with the UK grew double digit showing the firm business relation from both sides. We believe her reassurance that business will not suffer through Brexit transition will definitely remove the uncertainty in the country's manufacturing sector in planning production and expansion of export industries. It is also reassuring to other segments of our society having multiple relations with British establishments; which dates back to our centuries old relations. However it is too early to be sure whether the United Kingdom's leaving the European Union will not affect our economy adversely. Indian nat`l held with arms An Indian national was arrested by DB Police from city\'s Gabtoli area with ten firearms and some bullets on Tuesday. Staff Reporter : A team of the Detective Branch (DB) of Police have arrested an Indian arms trader from the city's Gabtoli area along with several guns and ammunition. The detained person has been primarily identified as Khairul Mondol alias Shariful Mandol alias Shafikul from North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, India. Ten guns, 35 bullets and 12 magazines were seized from him, police said. The Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate SM Masud Zaman on Tuesday placed him on a five-day remand to interrogate in police custody. Deputy Commissioner (Public Relations) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman said, "On secret information, a team of DB on Monday night conducted a drive in the area and arrested the arms trader Khairul." Khairul might have link with the international arms smuggling gang, the DC said. He came from India to sell and distribute the arms to their agents, he said. He entered the country through the Benapole frontier with the help of a terror group of India, the police official said. HC for explanation on a law section enforcement The High Court on Tuesday sought explanation from the authorities concerned about the enforcement of section 31 (ka) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000. Hearing a bail petition, an HC bench comprising Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice JBM Hassan also wanted to know whether the Supreme Court and the Law Ministry took any step earlier in this regard. The law secretary and the registrar general of the Supreme Court will have to submit a report in this regard within 30 days. Lawyer Kumar Debul Dey and Barrister Osman Aziz argued in favour of the bail petition while Deputy Attorney General Maniruzzaman Kabir represented the state. As per the section 31 (ka) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act-2000, if a case filed under section 20 of the act is not disposed of within 180 days, the tribunal concerned will inform the Supreme Court of it within 30 days explaining the reasons behind the failure. A copy will also be submitted to the government. After reviewing the report, the authorities concerned will take action against those responsible for the failure in disposing of the case within the stipulated time, it said. Kumar Debul said a case was filed with Rangunia Police Station in Chittagong on February 19, 2015 against one Milad Hossain for killing his wife. Later, the case was shifted to the Chittagong Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2. The tribunal framed charges against Milad Hossain on March 21 last but the prosecution could not produce any witnesses till Tuesday, he said. As the case was not disposed of within 180 days, a petition was filed with the High Court seeking bail for Milad. Top diplomats to visit Myanmar`s troubled Rakhine Reuters : Senior diplomats from the United States, China, Britain and the European Union will this week visit Myanmar's troubled northern Rakhine State, which has been cut off to aid workers and observers for more than three weeks, sources said. The diplomats, and the top United Nations representative in Myanmar, will set off for Maungdaw on Wednesday, six people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Troops have poured into the area since militants believed to be Rohingya Muslims launched coordinated attacks on border posts on Oct. 9, killing nine police officers. The government says five soldiers and at least 33 alleged attackers have been killed in the area. Residents and human rights advocates have said government forces have committed abuses including summary executions, rape and setting fire to homes. The government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has denied any abuses have been committed. The sources, who spoke about the planned trip on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the invitation by the government was in response to requests for access to the Rohingya-majority area, which has been designated a military "operation zone". Over two days, the officials will visit Maungdaw by helicopter from the state capital Sittwe, the people said, although the government had not shared a detailed itinerary. However, officials expressed scepticism that the high-level diplomatic mission will address the concerns raised by the international community. United Nations experts have publicly called for the government to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. Diplomats have also pressured the Myanmar government to allow humanitarian aid, including World Food Programme assistance and mobile clinics, to be restored. Honour killing! Staff Reporter : Two family members have been arrested in connection with the alleged "honour killing" of a Narsingdi college girl Monira Begum. The arrestees are Monira's father Khorshed Alam and brother Sohel Miah, police said. Police filed a murder case with Shibpur Model Police Station on Tuesday in this connection. Monira, 18, was a second year student of Narsingdi Imperial College. Police recovered her decomposed body from a grave beside Sherpur Government Primary School on Sunday night. Police and local said, Monira had an affair with Nobel Miah, son of late Abdur Rashid of Jangalia Village of Ayubpur Union Parishad. Nobel, who passed eight grades, was a textile worker. Both of them have been maintaining a secret love affair over the last one and a half years which spread recently. Monira's family also came to know about the affair and asked her to leave the affair immediately. Her father also gave her death threat if she does not break the affair. But she refused to break up affairs with Nobel creating wrath to her father and brother. At one stage her father beat her up. On October 24, Monira and her father engaged with quarrel leading to heavy beating by her father. As a result, she lost her sense and never regain. Later, her body was secretly buried near their house by her father and brother. As the absence of Monira came to the fore to her neighbours, they started asking her family about her but they failed to give any satisfactory answer creating an uneasy situation. Later, the family suddenly left their residence creating a general sense that something was wrong. As a bad smell spread after one week, locals informed police and they recovered the body from a grave. Other members of the Monira's family even could not cry due to fear of her father's cruel behaviour. The OC of Shibpur Police Station Syeduzzaman told The New Nation that the initial investigation suggests that the girl was killed following a family feud. "But we need a broader investigation into the circumstances surrounding to Monira's death to unearth the real cause behind the death," he said. Quoting locals, the police official said it could be an "honour killing" as the girl had an uneven relationship with a local man. "We already nabbed victims' father and brother from a relative's house at Jangalia under Shibpur upazila on Monday. A case has been filed in this connection," he said. Meanwhile, teachers and students of Imperial College held a mourning rally on Tuesday demanding exemplary punishment to the killers. Principal of the College Prof Md Ali Chowdhury, Governing body President Mahbub Ali Chowdhury, teachers Ashraful Haque, Arafat Khan, Omar Faruk, Kobir Hossain and many students were joined the rally. Excitement runs high Fishermen set to net hilsha from tomorrow Staff Reporter : Country's five lakh fishermen are set to net hilsha from tomorrow (Thursday) after a 22-day ban on the catching of the delicious fish. As the ban will go off tomorrow, a surge of excitement is now running high through the fishermen as well as their family members especially in the country's coastal regions. Before they get out on the sea and the rivers to start netting hilsha fish they have already prepared their boats and nets. "With one day left before that date, the boats are ready to go. Like me most of the fishermen have already mended their nets, welded boats and checked engine. We are now very excited," a fisherman in Manpura Upazila of Bhola district told journalists on Tuesday. Apart from five lakh people, about 25 lakh are also indirectly involved in the catch of hilsha fish across the country. Earlier the government imposed a ban on the catching of hilsha fishes from October 12 to November 2 on a vast area of 7000 square kilometers along with twenty-seven districts in the country for conservation of mother fishes during its high breeding season. Apart from the hilsha breeding grounds, all the activities including procurement, marketing, buying, selling, transportation and hoarding of hilsha were stopped for 22 days across the country. Sultan Mazhi, President, Bhola Matshya Samity said over 30,000 fishermen of the coastal district are eagerly waiting for the day. "The mother hilsha have released huge quantity of eggs this year. It is expected that we will be able to net huge hilsha next year," he said. When contacted Narayon Chandra Chanda, State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Minister, said the fishermen are now very happy, as they would be able to catch hilsha from Thursday. "The 22-day ban on hilsha fishing during its breeding period will help raise the output of the delicious fish fry," he said. Replying to a query, he said the fisheries department, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police, River Police, RAB, BGB, District and Upazila administrations including the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry have already been asked to ensure security to fishermen. It has been possible to conserve over 1.6 crores mother hilsha due to the 22 day ban which might have released over six lakh kilograms of eggs, he said. If 50 percent of the eggs turn into spawns and only 10 percent of these spawns survive, he said, around 30,000 crore hilsha fry will get added to the country's hilsha stock. The contribution of hilsha to country's total fish production is 11 percent, the highest as the single species. A total of 3.5 lakh tonnes of hilsha were caught last year and the number might exceed 4 lakh tonnes next year if the mother hilshas are saved during this spawning season. During the 22-day period, a massive combined operation was carried out at all the fisheries ghats, warehouses, hat-bazars and chain-shops across the country. However, defying the ban, some fishermen were involved in catching hilsha fish at midnight in the different rivers including Padma and Meghna to avert arrest. During the mobile court operation across the country a large number of fishermen were arrested and their nets were seized. Hallmark Chairman Jesmin lands in jail Staff Reporter : The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday arrested Hallmark Group Chairman Jesmin Islam in a case filed against her for misappropriating Tk 85.87 crore from Janata Bank. Earlier in the morning, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Joynal Abedin filed the case with Motijheel Police Station indicting Jesmin Islam and 16 others. They have been accused of misappropriating Tk 85.87 crore from Janata Bank's Motijheel branch in between June 2011 and June 2015. An ACC team in a drive arrested Jesmin from Dhaka in the afternoon, ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told The New Nation. On October 4, 2012, the ACC filed 11 cases with Ramna Police Station against 27 top officials of Sonali Bank and Hallmark Group, including Jesmin, on charges of misappropriating over Tk 1,568 crore. The authorities of ACC had submitted the charge-sheet in the cases against Jesmin, Tanvir and others in October, 2013. A Dhaka court has already started the trial of Hallmark Chairman Jesmin Islam, Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud and others in the cases in connection with Hallmark loan scam. The court also granted conditional bail to Jesmin in all the 11 corruption cases filed by the ACC against her after she pledged to pay back Tk 2,600 crore, swindled out of Sonali Bank in monthly installments of Tk 100 crore. However, the latest ACC case has thrown the controversial Hallmark Group Chairman behind bar again. Tanvir Mahmud, who believed to be mastermind of the loan scam, and Tushar Ahmed, General Manager of Hallmark and a close relative of Tanvir, are now in jail. US-Russia ties will improve, hopes Moscow security official Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev (L) looks at President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with the BRICS countries\' senior officials in charge of security matters at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia Reuters, Moscow : A further worsening of relations between Moscow and the United States is in the interests of neither side, Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of Russia's Security Council, was quoted as saying on Tuesday. "As recent history shows, relations between Russia and the USA will sooner or later return to a normal level, all the more so since it is in the interests of neither Moscow nor Washington to have a further degradation (of relations)," Russia's RIA news agency quoted Patrushev as saying. Meanwhile, The head of British intelligence agency MI5, Andrew Parker, on Monday warned of Russia acting in "increasingly aggressive ways" and utilising new technologies in its opposition to the west. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways-involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that," Parker told the Guardian newspaper. The director general of the UK's domestic security service was speaking after British warships earlier this month shadowed a Russian aircraft carrier battle group through the North Sea, which was en route to the eastern Mediterranean. Defence Minister Michael Fallon said the Russian naval deployment was "clearly designed to test" British and broader NATO capabilities. Last month Britain scrambled fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland as two Russian bombers neared, but did not enter, UK airspace. Parker said Russia was increasingly positioning itself against the west and making use of non-traditional methods to do so. "Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the west and seems to act accordingly," he said. "You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. "But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat. Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available," Parker added. The spy chief's comments follow the US earlier this month accusing Russia of trying to interfere in the upcoming presidential election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. News in brief NATO, Russia to hold drills in Balkans AP, Serbia NATO is holding an emergency exercise drill in Montenegro while Russian troops will participate in a war game in Serbia as the two Balkans neighbors seem to be heading in different directions strategically. The five-day drill in Montenegro that started Monday includes fighting floods and chemical attacks. It will include 680 personnel from seven NATO countries and 10 partner states. US extends sanctions on Sudan AFP, Khartoum President Barack Obama has extended US sanctions on Sudan for another year, saying Khartoum's policies remained an "extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States. Sudan has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist groups. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was based in Khartoum from 1992 to 1996. Diwali celebrated at London temple PTI, London Hundreds of people celebrated Diwali at the famous BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir London in the UK, with Europe's largest Hindu temple serving over 1200 vegetarian dishes to the devotees on the holy occasion of festival of lights. The temple, also known as Neasden Temple, in north London was decorated with dazzling displays of bright, intricate Indian patterns and flickering lamps. Hundreds of worshipers and visitors arrived at the temple throughout the day yesterday and offered their prayers. In the evening, a special ceremony for home and business owners was held. Trump`s finger on N-button AFP, Cincinnati : Hillary Clinton tried to pivot away from attacks on her protection of US secrets Monday, warning against her White House rival Donald Trump being allowed control of US nuclear launch codes. In a barnstorming final push before the November 8 presidential vote, Trump has seized upon a renewed FBI inquiry into Clinton's controversial use of a private email server while secretary of state. But, with no sign anything concrete will come of the FBI probe before polling day, Clinton believes she can face down the challenge and return to the issue of Trump's fitness to lead a nuclear power. In Kent, Ohio, she was introduced by Bruce Blair, a former US missile launch officer who organized a joint letter from former colleagues arguing that Trump should not be trusted with nuclear codes. Clinton, pointing to Trump's numerous angry blowups on the trail and often confused responses to questions on security issues, painted him as a dangerous hothead who could trigger Armageddon. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," the 69-year-old Democrat said of her Republican rival Trump, a 70-year-old New York property mogul turned reality television star. "Imagine him plunging us into a war because somebody got under his very thin skin. I hope you'll think about that when you cast your vote." The Undead Archives I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world. Credit: Frank MaddocksGreen Day has returned to the top of Alternative radio. The punk trio's new single "Bang Bang" has reached the number-one spot on the Mediabase Alternative chart, ending the nine-week run of Twenty One Pilots' "Heathens." With "Bang Bang," Green Day now has 10 number-one singles at Alternative radio. They also now have at least one number-one hit in each of the last three decades. The band first topped the format in 1994 with "Longview," and notched several number-ones in the '90s and 2000s. "Bang Bang" is Green Day's first number-one Alternative hit of the 2010s. "Bang Bang" is the lead single from Green Day's new album Revolution Radio, which debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200. The band will embark on a North American arena tour in support of Revolution Radio starting in March. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. "The botnet is having DoS attack mechanism like UDP flood, TCP flood, along with other attack methods, in both IPv4 and IPv6 protocol, with extra IP spoof option in IPv4 or IPv6 too," the researchers note in a blog post. The whole world is still dealing with the Mirai IoT Botnet that caused vast internet outage last Friday by launching massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against the DNS provider Dyn, and researchers have found another nasty IoT botnet.Security researchers at MalwareMustDie have discovered a new malware family designed to turn Linux-based insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices into a botnet to carry out massive DDoS attacks.Dubbed, the nasty malware is written in C++ and, just like Mirai malware , relies on default hard-coded passwords in an effort to infect vulnerable Linux-based IoT devices.The IRCTelnet malware works by brute-forcing a device's Telnet ports, infecting the device's operating system, and then adding it to a botnet network which is controlled through IRC (Internet Relay Chat) an application layer protocol that enables communication in the form of text.So, every infected bot (IoT device) connects to a malicious IRC channel and reads commands sent from a command-and-control server.The concept of using IRC for managing the bots, according to the researchers, is borrowed from the Kaiten malware. The source code used to build the IRCTelnet botnet malware is based on the earlier Aidra botnet.The malware uses the "leaked" vulnerable IoT device's login credential from the Mirai botnet in order to brute force exposed Telnet ports to the Internet.The IRCTelnet malware infects insecure devices running a Linux Kernel version 2.6.32 or above and capable of launching DDoS attacks with spoofed IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, though the scanner is programmed only to find and brute-force Telnet via IPv4.While analyzing the malware's source code, researchers found hard-coded Italian language messages in the user's communication interface, which suggests that the author of the IRCTelnet malware could be Italian.The security firm found around 3,400 bots infected by the IRCTelnet malware and said that this nasty malware is capable of raising almost 3,500 bot clients within only 5 days.The initial scans that distributed the IRCTelnet malware came from IP addresses located in Turkey, Moldova, and the Philippines.Building a legendary, massive botnet that leverages recently vulnerable threat landscape is inviting more incidents like the recent DDoS attack against Dyn that rendered major websites inaccessible, and record-breaking DDoS attack against French Internet service and hosting provider OVH. If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs. On Oct. 26, a Lafayette Parish jury awarded $30 million to Rayne native Ronald Stutes, who was paralyzed in 2013 when an R+L Carriers 18-wheeler failed to yield at a stop sign causing a crash. In January 2013, R+L Carriers employee Gerald Pitre was operating the big rig, which was loaded with hazardous cargo, when he failed to yield from a stop sign and red flashing light at the intersection of Austria Road and U.S. 90 (Cameron Street) near Duson, according to a press release from Stutes attorneys. Stutes, a master carpenter, was on his way to work in his pickup truck at 5:30 a.m. when the 18-wheeler pulled directly into his path. Stutes attorneys say that R+L Carriers hired experts from Los Angeles to Alabama to blame Stutes, who had the right of way, for failing to slow his pick-up truck in heavy fog with a yellow flashing light on U.S. 90. The jury rejected the R+L Carriers allegations of speed and placed all fault on the R+L Carriers, an Ohio based company with more than 13,000 tractors and trailers. The crash injured Stutes spine at the T-5 level, rendering him paraplegic from the chest down with limited use of his arms and has made him dependent upon a colostomy bag and catheter. He also suffered a broken neck, 19 fractured ribs, concussion, traumatic brain injury, broken right shoulder and broken clavicle, among other injuries. His condition has resulted in $9 million in past and future medical expenses. His doctors describe him as a functional quadriplegic who requires 24-hour care. Stutes was represented by Blake R. David and Robert Brahan of the law firm Broussard & David and Marshall Montgomery of the Law Office of J. Marshall Montgomery. It is believed that the $30 million verdict is the highest in the history of Lafayette Parish surpassing a $21 million verdict also obtained by David in 2007. Bud Barrow Our Lady of Lourdes Chief Executive Officer William F. Bud Barrow II, who has been at the helm since 2006 and led the hospitals development of a new south side campus in 2011, this week announced to the hospital staff that he will retire in the first quarter of 2017. The widely respected administrator, 62, joined Lourdes after serving in the top management post at Opelousas General Health System for four years. John Indest, chairman of the hospitals board of directors, will lead the search committee to identify a new CEO. Barrows announcement is intended to provide ample time for a comprehensive search and transition of leadership. He will continue as CEO until his successor has been named and a formal transition is underway early next year. Bud has been a transformational leader for Our Lady of Lourdes, most notably leading the decision and implementation of our move from the original campus to our new location on Ambassador Caffery," says Sister Barbara Arceneaux of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in a prepared statement. "His vision for our ministry to grow with the changing needs of the community exemplifies his deep love for people and commitment to those we are privileged to serve. Barrow says in the statement that he plans to utilize his 30-plus years of health care experience in a leadership and advisory capacity for hospitals in Louisiana while noting that the driving factor in his retirement is a desire to spend more time with his wife of 43 years, his five children and 15 grandchildren. Our Lady of Lourdes has profoundly impacted me. I will proudly watch as it continues to flourish in its care for Acadiana, he says. I am humbled and blessed to be but a small part of this wonderful ministry. Barrow announced his retirement to the hospital board last Thursday at its regularly scheduled meeting. Yesterday he spoke to senior executives and later that afternoon announced to the full leadership team at Lourdes. On Tuesday morning he notified the medical staff. Indest says the search committee will be convened shortly to determine its next steps. Exact timing and details will be announced at a later date. The fever is finally breaking. Our collective state temperature is trickling back down to 98.6. It even appears that a sizeable number in our Legislature are getting it: Louisiana needs functional roads and bridges, libraries, parks and museums, public universities and charity hospitals for the poor. The business and oil/gas lobbies in Louisiana long and successfully sold the notion that their profits are our profits even as theyve profited at the expense of state taxpayers. Finally were seeing an honest, sober assessment of that claim in several areas of state government. We see it in state lawmakers critical look earlier this year at the many business incentives that have proliferated in Louisiana law over the decades. Our legislators, Democrats and Republicans, chose in the face of intense pressure from the business lobby to ask business to pull its weight at least for a few years. We see it in Gov. John Bel Edwards executive order this past spring forcing a rework of the Industrial Tax Exemption program administered by an un-elected and largely unaccountable Board of Commerce and Industry. The ITE program, 80 years old and used under both Democratic and Republic governors, had become a parody of its original self: promoting job creation by forgiving corporations local property taxes in exchange for expansion and job creation. An analysis found that the Board of Commerce and Industry was waiving nearly $17 billion in local property taxes at a cost of $535,000 per job created, and the local taxing authorities, including in Louisianas poorest parishes, had no say in whether an ITE was granted. According to a recent local news report, $5.4 million in property tax exemptions were granted to companies in Lafayette Parish over a 10-year period in 2013. In exchange, the companies made capital investments ranging from $50,000 to $16 million. Their ITE applications said such expansions would create 369 new local jobs. By those numbers, Lafayette Parish gave up $5.4 million in property taxes for our schools, our roads, drainage, police and fire protection to create 369 jobs at a cost of $14,634 per job. Who got the better end of that deal the corporations or us taxpayers? Edwards caved a little to the business lobby this fall and decided that new rules governing ITEs tying them to real job creation and giving local taxing authorities some say in who gets them wouldnt apply to renewals. But the new system will apply to future ITEs. We see it in Edwards maneuvering to get oil and gas to the bargaining table to pay its fair share in fixing our coast, which the industry admits in private documents though not so much publicly it helped shred and sully by dredging canals and leaving abandoned well sites polluted. And we see it in the reconstitution of the state Department of Natural Resources and its division, the Office of Mineral Resources, under Edwards, detailed in this weeks profile of DNR Assistant Secretary David Boulet. He now heads OMR, a little known DNR agency that, when managed properly, accounts for a sizeable chunk of state revenue via oil and gas royalties from state-owned lands. For much of the Jindal era, DNR was the clubhouse overlooking state governments 18th hole where the oilmen sipped their brandy and chuckled at their good fortune. Louisiana missed out on north of $1 billion in royalty revenue and severance taxes from oil and gas operations during Jindals tenure. The clubhouse is closed for renovation. Email Walter Pierce at [email protected] Gov. John Bel Edwards Photo by Robin May One of the more unfortunate aspects of American politics is that as soon as a candidate wins office, speculation begins about his or her prospects for re-election. This speculation has little to do with a candidates record; that has yet to be created. It has everything to do with party politics with its zero-sum approach to elections. Nowhere has this phenomenon been more evident than in the case of Gov. John Bel Edwards. From the moment of his unlikely election last year, Edwards tenure in the governors office has been marked by a strident and vocal opposition designed to ensure that he serves only one term. In part this effort has been coordinated by the state GOP apparatus that is miffed at having swept the six other statewide offices, won a majority in both houses of the Legislature and yet been denied the most important seat of all, the governors. Running at a time of Republican ascendancy, Edwards benefited from a damaging internecine conflict between three well-funded GOP opponents, and, from his point of view, got the best possible opponent for the general election: U.S. Sen. David Vitter. Opposition also comes from those who covet Edwards seat for themselves. Attorney General Jeff Landry, in particular, seems bent on making Edwards tenure in the governors seat miserable with near daily assaults on his administration. Landry has sought to remove the funding for his office from gubernatorial control, disagreed on how coastal restoration monies should be spent and contested Edwards executive order banning LGBT discrimination in government contracts. Landrys constant sniping hinders the governors efforts to undo the effects of former Gov. Bobby Jindals ineptitude and bad management, burnishes Landrys conservative credentials and keeps his name in the voting publics consciousness. A second interested politician is Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle. Angelle, barely shut out of a gubernatorial runoff, is now seeking the 3rd District Congressional seat being vacated by Charles Boustany. This replicates the strategy employed by his former boss, Jindal, who bided his time in the 1st Congressional District seat after the bruising 2003 gubernatorial race before launching his successful second bid for governor in 2007. Running for Congress and winning twice before the next gubernatorial election (2016, 2018) would keep Angelles campaign skills sharp and his fundraising apparatus humming. Of course, even without Landry and Angelle, Edwards re-election prospects are bleak. A September report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the Louisiana economy slowing nearly everywhere. This finding confirmed an August article in Governing Magazine, which ranked Louisianas economy as the 46th healthiest in the U.S. This continuing economic malaise is reflected in the state budget. Edwards must find the money to fill a $1.2 billion budget hole that will open when the onepenny sales tax expires in 2018. His best hope rests on the state budget task force convened under the direction of economist Jim Richardson and Louisiana Revenue Secretary Kimberly Robinson, but the chances that they will discover a painless way to balance this budget are nonexistent. In tax-averse Louisiana, this is a doomsday scenario that foretells the end of a political career. As if that werent enough, Edwards will need the cooperation and partnership of the Legislature to do anything constructive. Yet the Legislature recently demonstrated the limits of its willingness to help in the recent second session, which concluded without fully funding TOPS. If representatives in the House were unwilling to make the popular TOPS program whole, one can only imagine their intransigence on budgetary matters unsupported or opposed by a well-heeled constituency. Adding to Edwards troubles, the election of 2019 marks the second wave of legislative departures because of term limits. The first wave made its deepest cuts in 2007 when nearly 60 percent of sitting House members were forced from office. Anticipating the opportunities presented by so many open seats, Vitter organized the Committee for a Republican Majority, which helped elect more conservative Republicans to seats that were previously held by Democrats. By 2011, this process had reached its conclusion: both houses had Republican majorities. Anticipating similar opportunities, Edwards rival, AG Landry, has just assumed leadership of a reconstituted CRM. Twelve years later, the same scenario will ensure a multitude of open seats in the House (36 percent) and Senate (41 percent). These seats provide Landry with the opportunity to create an even stronger and more ideological Republican majority in both houses. Should his hopes be realized, this change would be particularly dramatic in the Senate which, under the leadership of President John Alario, has resisted most of the more radical impulses dominating in the House. As part of the campaign to stack the Legislature, Edwards will be depicted as a free-spending, tax-raising Democrat, and those candidates recruited by Landry to run for open seats will go out of their way to make sure his legacy is impugned, poisoned and ridiculed. Thats really unfortunate, because in his short time in office Edwards has met adversity with grace and courage. Heroics in the face of floods and shootings are unlikely to save Edwards in 2019, unless the competition between Landry and Angelle once again poisons the GOPs efforts to reclaim the governorship. In the meantime, Edwards is likely to persevere despite ill fortune, remembering the West Point motto: Duty, Honor, Country. Pearson Cross is an associate professor in the Political Science Department at UL Lafayette. He holds a Ph.D. from Brandeis University (1997), and his principal areas of teaching are state and local politics, and Southern politics. Cross interviews local politicians and newsmakers on his radio show, Bayou to the Beltway, which airs on KRVS 88.7 FM at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Contact him at [email protected]. Save Can the Republican son-in-law of a former Democratic governor help clean up a mess left by Bobby Jindal in one of the states least known but most important revenue-generating offices? Were about to find out. Photo by Robin May David Boulet is the assistant secretary of the Department of Natural Resources, where he leads the Office of Mineral Resources. OMR is an office few outside state government and the industry know exists. It plays an essential role in state finances awarding mineral leases on state-owned lands and water bottoms and is charged with ensuring that the state gets the royalty revenue its due from the companies that produce oil and gas from those leases. Boulet makes clear in an interview at DNR that he is on a mission. I didnt come to Baton Rouge because I needed a job, he says. I came here because I want to accomplish something. A Republican, Boulet says Gov. John Bel Edwards campaign theme of putting Louisiana first resonated with him, and that he sought the OMR leadership position because he recognized its significance as a revenue generator for the state; OMR acts as the states landman and royalty collector from mineral produced from state leases, Boulet explains. We have nomination of tracts, they become state leases, and leases lead to production, Boulet says, explaining OMRs work. Were constantly in the flow of ensuring that we are receiving the monies from the oil companies that we expect. Louisiana government is the states largest landowner. Royalty payments are the landowners share of the revenue from oil and gas production. Royalty revenue accounts for up to 10 percent of state General Fund revenue. The percentage and amount fluctuate depending on the price of oil and natural gas as well as production volumes. Royalties peaked at $824 million in 2008; they sank to $239 million in 2015. Boulets wife, Monique, is the daughter of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco. The Boulets and their four children live in Lafayette, and David commutes to work on most days, occasionally staying overnight in Baton Rouge with family there. A New Orleans native, he graduated from UL Lafayette in 1989 with a mechanical engineering degree and worked his way up at Cameron Ironworks as a sales engineer trainee to subsea marketing manager during his 11 years there, according to his LinkedIn profile. Boulet worked in the financial securities industry for just over a year before returning to Louisiana to lead Louisiana Economic Developments new oil and gas cluster initiative late in Mike Fosters second term as governor. Boulet, however, says the job was a disappointment because the promised restructuring of LED never got traction. He left state government before his mother-inlaw became governor in 2004. Boulet stayed in Lafayette and returned to the energy industry, dividing his time working in oil and gas between Lafayette and Houston. He also operated an energy consulting business, Louisiana Business Consultants, between 2009 until he was selected by Thomas Harris (Edwards newly appointed DNR secretary) to become assistant secretary and to run OMR. Harris, who spent 10 years at the Department of Environmental Quality before moving to DNR in 2014, notes in a telephone interview that Boulet had the kinds of skills he was looking for as a leader for OMR. I was familiar with OMR from my time here, and I had a very good relationship with Secretary [Stephen] Chustz since we worked together at DEQ, Harris recalls. I knew that OMR offered some low-hanging fruit, if you will, on the revenue side if we could find the right person to run it. I was looking for someone with some marketing skills and [Boulet] fit the bill. Boulets approach as well as his title mark significant departures from OMRs recent past. Performance audits of OMR by the legislative auditor in 2010 and 2013 found the office was less than aggressive in ensuring the state collected the royalty revenue it was owed. The 2010 report found that it had been 10 years since OMR had used desk volume audits the most accurate production audit to ensure the accuracy of royalty payments. OMR resumed the practice in 2013. The 2013 performance audit noted that the number of audits performed by OMR had steadily declined. It also found that the state Mineral and Energy Board, which oversees OMRs operations, had waived 45 percent of the penalties and fines for late payments of royalties owed the state during Bobby Jindals first term (2008-2011). In all, approximately $5.8 million out of $12.8 million in fines and penalties was waived. DNR said the board waived the penalties in order to avoid litigation with the companies holding state leases. The waiving of the fines and penalties came during the period of annual revenue shortfalls in the state budgets. Coupled with Jindals commitment against new taxes, any dollar not collected from existing revenue sources resulted in cuts to programs not constitutionally protected; specifically, higher education and health care. Boulet says he had heard about the two legislative auditor reports, but had not read them prior to taking the job. He notes that Secretary Harris had discussed the reports in general terms in Boulets job interview, and Boulet says he read the reports in preparation for his interview with The IND. There are a lot of good professionals in this department, Boulet declares. Its a matter, though, of asking what are you doing to improve in the wake of these audits that kind of knocked a ding on OMR. Boulet says he has initiated a review of the OMR staff protocol for making recommendations on penalties and waivers to the Mineral and Energy Board. OMR also suffered from a form of neglect during the Jindal years, according to Boulet. Its been four or five years since an assistant secretary sat in this position, he notes. The office has been without real leadership during that time. Without leadership, things slow down. There is a real opportunity to come in and re-energize the department. I believe that we can refocus on what our true needs are. We are a revenue generator. Boulet is the first Senate-confirmed assistant secretary to head OMR since Marjorie McKeithen left the position in early 2009. Three interim assistant secretaries (Monique Edwards, Louis Buatt and Jody Montelaro) were appointed but not submitted for confirmation after McKeithens departure. The position remained vacant from 2011 until Boulets appointment in March. For the first three of those years, OMR also had responsibility for auditing severance tax payments from wells on privately owned lands. The November 2013 legislative auditors report on severance taxes said OMR failed miserably at that task, as severance tax audit revenue fell by 99 percent. Leaderless OMR was left without advocates at the highest levels of the department to push for the hiring of additional auditors. The 2010 legislative auditors report on OMR said each auditor hired produced an average of $1.2 million in new revenue each year. OMR requested additional auditors over a number of years, but new positions were not funded. Boulet says there are currently five audit vacancies in OMR that he will seek to fill in the next budget cycle, the planning for which is now underway. Obviously, we suffered through the current budget cycle, but now in the 2018 budget cycle, were looking at how we can add field auditors in the department, Boulet says, emphasizing that the hires are not only about building OMRs capacity, but about maintaining it. We have a lot of good senior field auditors that could be retiring in the next few years and, to get auditors up to speed, takes at least a good two years, he continues. Were coming up with a new training manual to try to shrink that time frame a little bit, as well as incorporating new efficiency tools that can help us bring audits to closure quicker and faster. Boulet says oil and gas production remains self-reported by the industry. Production data is collected at three points in state government. One is the Department of Revenue, which collects (and once again audits) severance taxes. DNR collects production data through OMR and through SONRIS (Strategic Online Natural Resource Information System), DNRs proprietary online well database, which has information on every Louisiana well. Royalty payments and severance taxes are based on oil and gas production and pricing. The only way the state can ensure the accuracy of those payments is by rigorously cross-checking monthly production reports and through audits. Boulet acknowledges that DNR and OMRs once-cozy relationship with the industry has been altered by Gov. Edwards use of DNR as the vehicle to insert his office in Coastal Zone lawsuits over wetlands loss. Coastal lawsuits certainly have a lot of hostile connotations to it, but Im trying to lease property. Im looking for opportunities for people who want to invest to produce oil and gas, Boulet says. Yeah, its a challenge, but its got its own life cycle. Well see what transpires. Dean Wilson of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper leads landman Dan Collins on a recent tour of Bayou Postillion. Photo by Robin May Of the many troubling facts to come out of Dan Collins successful whistleblower lawsuit against the state Department of Natural Resources, Collins declared the altering of state maps used in the tract nomination process in the state mineral lease along Bayou Postillion as the most disturbing. To the longtime landman, the altered maps called into question the integrity of the states mineral lease program. Collins was hired by the Atchafalaya Basin Program in 2004 to perform title work on the Bayou Postillion water quality project on the eastern side of the Basin. Around the time that the Atchafalaya Basin Project approved the Bayou Postillion water quality project, OMR nominated a tract for a mineral lease along Bayou Postillion. Collins only discovered this connection years later. When he brought this to the attention of officials at DNR, the state agency that oversees the Atchafalaya Basin Project, Collins claimed (and a jury agreed) that he was punished for blowing the whistle on the project. The process of bringing leases on state-owned lands and water bottoms is called nominating a tract for lease. It begins with the Office of Mineral Resources contracting with a surveyor to define the tract. Years later, after learning of the mineral lease, Collins discovered that the Bayou Postillion water quality project had been hijacked into an oil and gas access project that dredged Bayou Postillion with state funds to provide drilling barges access to remote areas of the tract. Collins was stunned to discover that the states tract nomination process had been expropriated so as to hide the connection between the water quality project and the mineral lease. The deception involved renaming Bayou Postillion in the nominating tract map and misidentifying a pipeline as a parish line. Collins discovered that the original plat of the tract accurately depicted the area, and accurately identified Bayou Postillion. However, when the nominating map prepared by OMR was published, Bayou Postillion had been renamed Bayou Gravenburg, and a pipeline had been identified as the Iberia Parish line. In his court case, Collins showed that the tract identified in the nominating tract map was 20 miles west of the actual tract being nominated. Collins believes the altered maps might have thrown off potential lease competitors. The alterations might also have concealed from environmentalists and others who would have immediately grasped the connection between the water quality project and the oil and gas lease. Collins is confident that the altering of the tract map took place inside OMR, which paid for the accurate tract survey and produced the misleading nominating tract information for the Mineral and Energy Board. DNR Assistant Secretary David Boulet was asked about the Collins case and the evidence of nominating map altering during his interview with The IND. Boulet says he could not comment on the case because an appeal by the state is pending. I cant really speak to that, Boulet says. Its under litigation, fact-finding wise, it would be premature. I know of it. Pressed on Collins point that altering nominating maps calls into question the integrity of the state mineral lease bid process, Boulet defends his office. Im curious, like anybody, if there was some wrongdoing. But, what I see is a very rigorous process within OMR, and nothing but a bunch of good professionals petroleum land people, and land specialists, Boulet says, then adds: But, you know, we close at 5 oclock and if somebodys going to come in and, you know, doctor something for their own benefit I cant speak to that. Collins attorney, Crystal Bounds, says DNR officials who were questioned in trial proceedings tried to pass off the Bayou Postillion map alteration as an honest mistake. In 2015, Collins discovered a second mineral nominating tract map had been altered in connection with a second Atchafalaya Basin Project water quality project, this one on Bayou Fourche. This project was authorized in 2014, and the tract for the state mineral lease for that area was published shortly thereafter. As in the Bayou Postillion project, the nominating map for the mineral lease had been altered. Karen LeBlanc, director of performance audits for the Louisiana legislative auditor, tells The IND that her office has notified the Atchafalaya Basin Program that the legislative auditors office will be conducting an audit of its operations based on allegations that have been made regarding the program. She would not mention Dan Collins by name. Collins, however, tells The IND that he has met with members of the legislative auditors staff about what hes found. Mike Stagg Photo by Robin May ================================================================================================================ === MAJOR FLAVOR Pour a glass and toast to lifes greatest moments when hosting your event at River Oakswhether its an office holiday gathering, a retirement celebratory luncheon, a rehearsal dinner for the bride and groom or a graduation brunch honoring achievement, this team of consultants is ready to create a memorable experience. Plan a multi-course meal or a sweet and simple buffet and discover River Oaks dishes up major flavor. Dont forget about the detailsconsultants can also provide elegant table settings and decor to leave a lasting impression. River Oaks Catering and Event Center** 520 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, LA**** 337-593-8866 www.riveroakscaters.com** =========================================================== === STEAK LOUIS XIII Housed in a 19th century inn, Cafe V offers an historic atmosphere with a seasonal menu offering fresh selections like its signature dish the Louis XIII, which is a prime six ounce filet mignon stuffed with Louisiana crawfish tails, bacon and cheeses finished with a wild mushroom demi-glace and crawfish mornay sauce and served with brabant mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus. Cafe V also has a stunning courtyard area that offers live music to its diners during its seasonal Courtyard Concert Series in the Spring and Fall. Cafe Vermilionville 1304 W. Pinhook Road, Lafayette 337-237-0100 Monday-Friday: Lunch and Dinner; Saturday: Dinner www.cafev.com =========================================================== === OLD-STYLE ITALIAN Check out Nashs and its 19th century mansion atmosphere, which offers dishes that honor old-style Italian cooking. One of Nashs standout dishes is the Veal and Spinach Cannelloni that couples fresh spinach and ground veal cooked in olive oil with Parmesan and ricotta cheese, which is then stuffed into a homemade cannelloni shell then topped with Nashs marinara sauce and served with Fettuccine Alfredo. Nashs Restaurant 101 E. Second St., Broussard 337-839-9333 Monday-Friday: Lunch and Dinner; Saturday: Dinner www.nashsrestaurant.com Photo by Robin May ================================================================================================================ === GET A SLICE This traditional pizzeria is known for its thin, cracker crust and for making all of its dough and sauces fresh in-house daily, as well as its award-winning salads and some of the coldest draft beer in town. One of its signature pizzas is the Landry Special, which is made with pepperoni, hamburger, shrimp, onions and jalapenos. Pizza Village 1935 Moss St., Lafayette 337-232-1418 Daily: Lunch and Dinner 2312 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, 706-8644 Daily: Lunch and Dinner www.pizza-village.com Photo by Robin May ================================================================================================================ === ON A ROLL Shangri-La serves up Japanese sushi and Chinese stir fry options for every palate like its popular Crunchy Lafayette Roll with crab mix, avocado, and asparagus topped with crunchies and sweet and spicy sauces; the Cajun Cowboy made with crawfish, crab mix and avocado topped with seared filet mignon, green onions and masago; and the Flying Crawfish Roll crafted with crawfish, cream cheese, jalapenos, and tempura that is topped with eel sauce and spicy mayo. Shangri-La Restaurant 4702 Johnston St., Lafayette 337-988-4588 Sunday-Thursday: 11AM-9PM; Friday: 11AM-10PM; Saturday: 3-10PM =========================================================== === GUMB0 Old-fashioned chicken and sausage gumbo is the main attraction at Vermilionvilles very own circa-1800s style cafe (open to the public, not just to the museums visitors), which offers a full menu of Cajun and Creole dishes as well as a daily plate lunch special. The cafe also offers a Friday seafood buffet that features savory seafood cornbread, stuffed catfish, shrimp and egg stew and crawfish etouffee along with a delectable bread pudding, fruit cobblers and other home-style desserts. La Cuisine de Maman Vermilionville, 300 Fisher Road, Lafayette 337-233-4077 Tuesday-Sunday: Lunch www.vermilionville.org Photo by Robin May ================================================================================================================ === COMFORT FOOD Villagers Cafe offers an old time, rustic atmosphere with its old wood-framed building and screened front porch along with an inner decor that offers a quaint yet charming country setting. The menu offers simple, yet delectable items including its fair share of poboys like its shrimp poboy with tender, yet succulent shrimp fried to a golden brown crisp and topped with fresh lettuce and tomatoes and encased in a french bread bun. **Villagers Cafe 8400 Maurice Ave., Maurice 337-898-1554 Monday-Saturday: Lunch and Dinner www.villagerscafe.net ** Photo by Robin May ======================================================================================================================= === GASTROPUB Downtown Lafayettes very own authentic German-style gastropub offers a colorful, open-air atmosphere with a constantly rotating selection of German and European beers, local and domestic beers and draught wine. The Wurst features a traditional European biergarten menu items with a bit of Cajun flair like its boudin grilled cheese and Wurst Egg Roll Ever, which is an egg roll styled after a Reuben sandwich with sauerkraut, corned beef and swiss. **The Wurst biergarten 537 Jefferson St., Downtown Lafayette 337-534-4612 Open Daily: Lunch and Dinner www.WurstBiergarten.com ** SaveSaveSaveSave Pre-purchase property inspection is a relatively new thing in the United Kingdom. Its not something that most people have heard about, but it has become increasingly popular over the last few years with the rise in property prices and increased demand for high quality homes. What are the benefits of pre-purchase building inspection? What can you expect to find out when you pay someone else to inspect your home before you buy it? And what should you look for during an inspection? Many people want to know if theyre buying a house thats been well maintained or if its had any serious problems. If youve found a place on the market that seems attractive, but then discover some issues after moving in, you may not be as excited about buying it as you thought you were. Its important to do your due diligence when looking at properties. A lot goes into making a property appealing to potential buyers, from the landscaping to the flooring to the kitchen appliances. The same applies when inspecting a property there are many things that need checking over to make sure everything is running smoothly. Here are some of the benefits of performing a pre-purchase inspection: You get to see exactly what will happen to your money When you go shopping for a new car, youll probably be shown several different models. You might even be shown one that looks like a great value, but doesnt fit around all of the extra features that you want. When it comes time to actually buy the vehicle, however, you wont have seen how your money will be spent on it once you drive it off the showroom floor. Likewise, when you shop for a new home, you dont really know what youre getting yourself into until you move in. In order to get a feel for whether the home youre considering is what you want, you normally have to spend quite a bit of time inside it. This allows you to learn more about everything that youre going to be spending your hard-earned cash on. A pre-purchase building inspection gives you much the same kind of experience without having to spend thousands of dollars. Since youre paying for the service, you can expect to see exactly what youre paying for, instead of just seeing a vague idea of what you might end up with. You find out about potential major repairs Some buildings are very expensive to maintain, which means that owners often neglect them for the sake of saving money. While youre paying for a building inspection, youre also paying for a professional who knows how to spot signs of trouble and repair work that needs doing. If you notice that a particular area of your new home needs fixing right away, you can call in an expert to take care of it quickly. If you find that theres something wrong with your boiler, you wont have to wait weeks for a plumber to come over and fix it. Instead, youll have access to a solution immediately. You can save hundreds of pounds by finding out about potential problems early on One of the biggest expenses when you first buy a home is the cost of moving in. Many people dont realize this until its too late. Buying a home involves not only paying for the actual house, but also for moving costs, furniture, and other items that have to be moved along with the home. Having a good idea ahead of time of what youre likely to encounter can help you avoid these kinds of costs. If you know youll need to replace the plumbing system, for example, youll be able to put together a budget for the expense and plan accordingly. You can protect your investment by finding out if the homes been well cared for While there are plenty of people who think that houses always look better when theyre newly built, youd be surprised at how well maintained older residences can still look nice. Sometimes, though, those homes need some additional maintenance to keep them looking their best. This could involve repairs that arent so noticeable or small improvements that you wouldnt consider otherwise. Even worse, some houses have fallen into disrepair without anyone noticing. This is why having a professional perform a building inspection prior to purchasing a home is such a big benefit. Not only will it give you insight into the state of the property, but it will also give you peace of mind knowing youre not getting taken advantage of. As long as youre aware of the potential pitfalls, youll have less reason to worry about the state of your new home. You can use information gathered during a building inspection to negotiate a lower price If youre worried about buying a home because you suspect that it may need extensive renovation work, you may already have a rough idea of how much work youll need to do to bring it up to scratch. That knowledge can come in handy if you decide to buy the home. You can use all of the details that you gather during a building inspection to present a realistic picture of what the home is worth to prospective buyers. If a potential buyer thinks that the home is worth more than what you paid for it, you can try negotiating a lower price. You can sell your home faster and for more money If you decide to list your home on the market soon after buying it, youll need to price it accurately in order to attract buyers. But if youve already done a thorough building inspection, youll know exactly what work is needed and what the current market conditions are. In other words, youll be able to make a more accurate estimate of the amount of money youve invested in the home and how much its worth. If you find that youre selling your house for close to its full market value, you can use this information to convince the potential buyer that your home is worth the asking price. Even if youre planning to stay in the home for a while before you decide to sell, the fact that you did a thorough building inspection will give you more confidence when listing it. Prospective buyers will know exactly what theyre paying for. Your home will hold its value longer As mentioned earlier, the value of a home depends heavily upon the condition of the building itself. If your home is in bad shape, potential buyers wont be interested in buying it. On the other hand, if youve performed a thorough building inspection and know what sort of repairs are necessary, you can offer your prospective buyer a compelling reason to invest in your property. When you buy a home, youre essentially agreeing to have it inspected periodically to ensure that it stays in top shape. Not only does this allow you to avoid expensive repairs down the road, but it can also increase the value of your home. You can make smart decisions about property investments Buying real estate isnt as simple as just driving a couple of minutes to pick up a house. There are lots of considerations involved, ranging from location to cost. The same is true when youre investing in property. If you find a house that meets all of your requirements, youll want to make sure that you have a solid understanding of where it stands with regards to the rest of the market. If you havent spent enough time researching the area, you could inadvertently end up with a bad deal. There are lots of resources available online that can help you determine the overall level of competition in your area. They can also help you figure out if there are any properties that meet your requirements that you didnt know about. If you own rental property, you can use the information to identify tenants who might cause damage If you own rental property and youve noticed that certain tenants consistently cause damage, you can use the results of a building inspection to identify them. You can then contact them directly to let them know that youre watching them closely and that you dont appreciate the problem theyre causing. They might start taking better care of their homes, which would be good news for everyone. It could also be the case that youll find out that theyre responsible for previous damages that werent caught during a previous visit. You can make smarter decisions about hiring contractors If youve hired contractors to build or repair your home, you might want to ask them for references. However, unless you perform a thorough building inspection, you might not know exactly what to look for. For instance, maybe you only checked the roof for leaks or the walls for cracks. You might not have looked underneath the foundation for anything that could cause a future issue. By performing a building inspection, you can ensure that you hire reputable contractors who will be trustworthy with your money. You can avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition Of course, the main benefit of structural inspections perth is that it helps you avoid purchasing a home thats in poor condition. Before you make the decision to buy a home, you should do whatever you can to find out about the state of the building. You can also ask your realtor about what sorts of inspections are typically recommended. Some agents say that its standard practice to check the heating system, the roof, the electrical wiring, and the floors. 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In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. CARBONDALE As the holidays draw near, shoppers interested in gifts that summarize the spirit of the gift-giving season should schedule some time to attend an annual alternative gift fair. Jess Jobe, the organizer of the alternative gift fair in Carbondale, said the fair is a way for shoppers to shop for something with more meaning and value. "For shoppers it is really an opportunity to add more meaning to your holidays," she said. "To personally feel like you are being generous but also to provide what we call 'gifts that matter.'" Jobe, who has been a volunteer at the local alternative gift fair for 10 years, said her involvement with the fair does not offer a personal advantage, but a charitable one. "You know there's only so many sweaters, or gift cards, or electronic gadgets that people need," she said. "So this is an opportunity for people to purchase the kinds of gifts that are charitable, and they can do that as (part of their holiday shopping)." A longstanding participant in the alternative gift fair is the Good Samaritan Ministries, who according to Patty Mullen, assistant director of the ministry, has taken part for more than 12 years. Locals can purchase tangible items as part of their donation to the nonprofit's cause, Mullen said. "We do have some tangible items that we put in the silent auction," she said. "But what we sell are certificates and they represent services, such as a night's sleep at the shelter or a meal at the kitchen." As for the advantages that it provides, Mullen said it draws awareness to the various nonprofit organizations and the services that they provide. "It gives the community an opportunity to become aware of the nonprofits, and give to agencies that (caters to) community needs and raise funds for their charities." The annual fair is held from 2 to 5 p.m. on the second Sunday in December inside Carbondale Civic Center at 200 S. Illinois Ave.. "We typically have about 20 to 25 nonprofit organizations, most of them local nonprofits, and some of them, like the Marion Medical Mission, have an international focus," Jobe said. Carbondale police officers are asking for the public's help identifying a man who is suspected of stealing the tip jar from the Hangar 9 bar last week. On Sunday, Oct. 23, at about 1:40 a.m., officers with the Carbondale Police Department responded to Hangar 9, at 511 S. Illinois Ave., in reference to a theft. According to a news release from the department, officers learned the suspect stole the tip jar from the bar and fled the establishment. The tip jar contained an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a white male in his late teens or early 20s. During the course of the investigation, the an image of the suspect was located on surveillance video. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the City of Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200, or to call the Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 618-549-2677 or the Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at 618-687-2677. Anonymous tips may also be made on carbondalepolice.com. The Southern A Carbondale woman has been charged with two counts of first degree murder in connection with the death of Robin Stief, whose remains were found burned in August in a wooded area of Carbondale, according to a news release from Jackson County State's Attorney Michael Carr. Lauren L. Stinde, 23, was also charged Monday with one count of concealment of homicidal death, the release stated. The information filed in Jackson County Circuit Court alleges that on Aug. 29, 2016, Stinde, while acting together and in concert with another, and being legally accountable for the actions of each other, knowingly performed acts which caused the death of another. It was not clear from the news release who Stinde had allegedly acted with in causing the death of Stief. Stief's burned remains were found in a wooded area off of East Main Street, near Piles Fork Creek, in Carbondale on Aug. 30. Stinde is currently in custody at the Jackson County Jail with bond at $1 million. Earlier in October, Tiesha Anderson, 22, of Collinsville, and Robert Dennis, 25, of Carbondale, were also charged with concealment of a homicidal death in connection to this case. The investigation is being pursued by the Carbondale Police Department and the Illinois State Police. Assistant States Attorney Casey E.A. Bloodworth is handling the prosecution. ANNA An afternoon at the winery can be enjoyable and relaxing, but it may be vital for homeless pets. Blue Sky Vineyards will host the 23rd annual PAWS (Pets Are Worth Saving) Auction for Animals Benefit from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the vineyards on Rocky Comfort Road in Makanda. The auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year. It is kind of the last big event until the spring. We count on it to carry us through the winter, said Cathy Sheely of PAWS. It is pretty vital that we do well that day, said Karee Sweitzer, president of PAWS. Admission is $35 and will include appetizers and desserts, along with a complimentary glass of wine or a soft drink. The event has evolved over its 23 years, Sheely said. The groups first few auctions were chili suppers at the Anna-Jonesboro High School, and PAWS volunteers did the cooking. As the event grew and others got involved, it moved to Great Boars of Fire and other venues. Sweitzer said this is an exciting time for PAWS as the group is raising funds for a new shelter building. Information about PAWS building plans will be available at the auction. Although this fundraiser will support animals through the winter, donations will be accepted any time for the building project. A silent auction will go throughout the afternoon, and selected items will be auctioned live. We have some really spectacular stuff. We have another gorgeous handmade quilt. We also have a precious baby quilt that has puppies and paw prints on it, Sheeley said. I have been putting pictures on Facebook. Along with the quilts, the auctions will include diamond earrings worth approximately $1,000, Walt Disney World Multi-Passes, an autographed picture of Chicago Cubs pitcher Rob Zastryzny, an autographed picture of Chicago Blackhawks player Patrick Kane, St. Louis Cardinals tickets, Holiday World tickets, power tools and a lawnmower tuneup, truckload of gravel, Charbroil grill with sideburner, Vera Bradley purse with wallet and cosmetic bag, a one-night stay at Blue Sky Vineyards, a $50 gift certificate and overnight stay with Great Boars of Fire, Ninja Auto-IQ coffee bar, as well as items from local artists, gift certificates to local shops, gift baskets and more. Sponsors include Glenn and Jo Poshard and Swafford Pediatrics at the $1000 level; Anna-Jonesboro National Bank, and Bob and Shordy Ramsey at $500; then Charlotte Clover for Country Financial, Anna State Bank, Crain Funeral Homes, Hughey Farms, Heath Glassworks, Illinois Liquor Marts, Lick Creek Acres, and Masters Choice Inc. at $250. Blue Sky is donating use of the venue, and Alex Belcher will serve as auctioneer. Come and enjoy the day with us! We have lots of nice stuff and really generous people who are making it happen, Sweitzer said. This event is a lot of work, but its a lot of fun. And, its wonderful for our babies, too, Sheeley said. All proceeds from the event go to the rescue, care and re-homing of homeless and unwanted dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, through the operation of PAWS Place Adoption Center, a no-kill shelter located at 139 E. Vienna St. in Anna. PAWS has taken in and re-homed nearly 5,500 dogs, cats, puppies, kittens and horses, along with several rabbits, since opening its doors in July 2001. For more information, call PAWS Place at 618-833-3647. CARTERVILLE A candlelight vigil has been scheduled this Saturday for the owners of pets who died or suffered while under the care of former veterinarian Elisa Kirkpatrick. Jessica Rucker of Marion, one of the events organizers, said the purpose of the Rainbow Bridge Candlelight Vigil is to help bring closure to people who have suffered and grieved for their own and others pets related to this incident. The vigil is scheduled to take place at 4:30 p.m. at Cannon Park in Carterville. The public is welcome. The reason for the vigil is to get together to offer peace for people who have been affected by this, people who have suffered as a result, Rucker said. In July, Kirkpatrick, the former owner of the Kitty Klinic in Carbondale, was found guilty of aggravated cruel treatment of an animal and 10 misdemeanors charges: four for practicing without a license, five for neglecting owners duties, and one for failure to seek veterinary care for a suffering animal. Dozens of animals were taken from Kirkpatricks home in rural Creal Springs during a raid in May 2015. Kirkpatrick has filed an appeal of the verdict in her case. That appeal is pending. Rucker said the vigil is not intended to publicly reproach Kirkpatrick. Rather, she said it is to offer animal lovers a chance to grieve together and heal as a community. Rucker said that a lot of people do not realize how large is the network of people throughout Southern Illinois dedicated to animal rescue and advocacy, and said that many people counted in that loose network have suffered and grieved related to the incident. A Facebook page announcing the events states that members of the public who wish to speak in memoriam of their departed loved ones are encouraged to do so. A prayer ceremony will be led by ministers Brian Wilkes and Joyce Rheal of Four Rivers Native American Church in Pinckneyville. In addition to the lighting of candles, the ministers also will be available to bless any pets in attendance. Rucker said pets are welcome as long as they are on a leash. Shes hopeful this becomes an annual event for living pets to be blessed and lost pets to be remembered. Capitol RecordsMary J. Blige has reached a career milestone with her hit track "Thick of It," as the single has climbed to the number-one spot on the Mediabase Urban AC radio chart in just four weeks. The last artist to top the chart in such a short period of time was Whitney Houston with her song, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" in 1995, which shot to the top of the Urban AC chart in its second week, according to Mary's record label, Capitol Records. Mary is currently gearing up for the United States leg of her King + Queen of Hearts joint tour withMaxwell. The duo will hit the road beginning on November 5 in Baltimore, Maryland. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. A man whos served time before is going back to prison. Tyshon Demontrea Johnson, 23, of 2642 Big Buck Boulevard, pleaded guilty to strong-arm robbery last week. Circuit Judge Ed Dickson sentenced the Bowman man to prison for 10 years, but suspended the sentence to four years of probation after he serves four years in prison. He gave Johnson credit for having served 768 days at the Orangeburg County Detention Center. Johnson also pleaded guilty to unlawful carrying of a handgun. Dickson sentenced him to time served for that charge. According to Johnsons indictment, he committed the crimes on Sept. 16, 2014. But an 18-year-old Johnson also served time just a few years ago. On Sept. 21, 2011, the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office charged him with attempted murder in connection with an Aug. 24 shooting and assault on Perry Street. The U.S. Marshals Service taskforce arrested Johnson in Raleigh, N.C. On Dec. 5, 2012, Johnson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of first-degree assault and battery. Dickson sentenced him to four years in prison and gave him credit for time served. Orangeburg Countys mayors say the 1 percent capital projects sales tax has helped towns pay for construction they couldnt otherwise afford. Without the penny tax for the Town of Holly Hill, I really dont know if wed survive, Mayor William Johnson said. Previous rounds of the penny tax allowed the Holly Hill town hall and police department to move to the former Holly Hill Middle School, which was renovated into a municipal complex. Wed like to continue the improvements in Holly Hill, Johnson said. County residents will be asked on Nov. 8 if they want to renew the tax, which was first approved by voters in 1998. If the voters approve the penny tax, it is expected to raise $74.3 million over seven years for a variety of building projects. The share provided to the countys 17 municipalities is divided based upon population. Under the list of projects proposed for the new round of the tax, the town of Holly Hill will receive $200,000 for a multi-purpose building at the municipal complex, $470,000 for improvements to the water and sewer infrastructure for economic development, $21,701 to enhance the towns parks and $60,000 for downtown beautification. Springfield Mayor Ed Furtick said he didnt know how helpful the tax was until he became mayor in January. We'll be looking forward to the people voting on it and hopefully passing it," Furtick said One of the projects already funded by the tax was the development of a walking trail, Furtick said. Theres some money in water and sewage that hasn't been used yet, but I'll get to it shortly," Furtick said. Woodford Mayor Sam Anthony said, "I'm positive about it. Hopefully next year we can do some renovations in town on some of the buildings and upgrading our playground." Anthony also hopes to complete repairs on the shed which houses the town mower. The penny sales tax helps the town complete projects that it wouldn't otherwise be able to afford, he said. Santee Mayor Donnie Hilliard said he endorses the tax whole-heartedly. Its beneficial to areas with low and moderate income, he added. The first round of the penny tax paid for backup generators for the town of Santee. They really came in handy during Hurricane Matthew, Hilliard said. The generators kept the sewer pump system working. The town was also able to assist a neighboring town that also needed to use a generator. The penny tax also allowed the development of the water park and ball parks in Santee. If the next round of the penny tax is approved by voters, Santee will receive $566,225 toward the construction of a law enforcement complex on Bass Drive. The Santee Police Department is in a modular structure that also houses the Santee branch of the Orangeburg County Library system. The law enforcement complex will be built on property that the town purchased a few years ago, which was once occupied by the Clover Inn. Hilliard said the municipal court will also be housed in the law enforcement complex. When the police department moves from its current location, the library will expand its services in the space there. Branchville Mayor Franklin Dickson said if it wasnt for the penny tax, the town wouldnt have been able to rebuild after a devastating tornado in 2008. Dickson said the penny tax has been good for Branchville. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova The Star Kids Group presents a new project for little models. Kids Fashion Show will be held in Baku on November 5, Trend Life reported. The most highly anticipated event of 2016 devoted to the National Flag Day - November 9 - will be held at Excelsior Hotel. The eye-catching show will bring together 50 models and 17 designers. The competition results will define winners in several categories. Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az and Azernews. This year, Azerbaijan will be celebrating National Flag Day for the fourth time. Back on November 17, 2009, this day was declared National Flag Day by a Presidential decree. Since then, Azerbaijanis all over the world have celebrated this day. The national tricolor, which is the face of the country and the most highly ranked symbol of independence, symbolizes Azerbaijani people' patriotism, aspirations, and sentiments in their continuous struggle for independence. This symbol of sovereignty has been a witness to the magnificent events of Azerbaijan's history, the hard times, and also its period of development and prosperity. By Trend Armenia continues to occupy the territories of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts, in flagrant violation of international law and the UN Security Council resolutions, said Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. Mammadyarov made the remarks during his interview with Egypts Middle East News Agency (MENA). As a direct impact of massive displacement of people from their places of origin, close to one million refugees and IDPs continue to be deprived of their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, said the minister. Azerbaijan has made it clear on numerous occasions that the unlawful presence of Armenias armed forces in the occupied Azerbaijani territories is the major destabilizing factor with the potential of escalation at any time with unpredictable consequences, and is the main cause of tensions and incidents in the conflict zone, he noted. The minister added that instead of engaging in negotiations in good faith, Armenia demonstratively disrupts any attempt to settle the conflict by peaceful means. In total disregard of the demands of the UN Security Council and in flagrant violation of international law, Armenia refuses to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan, prevents the hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani forcibly displaced persons from returning to their homes, and tries to further consolidate the status quo, he said. Mammadyarov noted that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs the US, Russia and France at the level of their presidents have repeatedly stated that the status-quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. Moreover, Armenia frequently resorts to armed provocations trying to divert attention from the core, substantive issues of the peace process to technical aspects of the ceasefire, he said. Most recently, in early April 2016, Armenia conducted large-scale attacks against the civilian population of Azerbaijan, noted the minister, adding that Armenia subjected the densely populated areas of Azerbaijan, including schools, hospitals and places of worship, to intensive fire with heavy artillery and large-caliber weapons. With all these, Armenia continues to challenge and tries to undermine the efforts of international community, including the presidents of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, aimed at reaching a breakthrough at the peace talks and getting Armenias troops out of sovereign lands of Azerbaijan, said Mammadyarov. He added that the sooner Armenia reconciles with this reality and withdraws its armed forces from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, the earlier the conflict will be resolved, and Armenia and its population will benefit from the prospects of cooperation and economic development. We are thankful to the international community, including Egypt for the firm position in supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the settlement of the conflict based on these principles according to the UN Security Council resolutions through the negotiations, noted the minister. By Azertac Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of Paraguay has adopted a declaration on the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijans independence at the initiative of head of the friendship group with Azerbaijan Juan Ramirez. Mr Ramirez hailed political and economic independence, religious freedom in Azerbaijan, adding the country was the first one in Muslim world to give women voting rights. Then the draft declaration signed by Juan Ramirez and two other members of the friendship group was adopted unanimously. By Azernews By Amina Nazarli Representatives of central and regional authorities of Azerbaijan and Russia got together in Baku on November 1 to join the 7th Joint Interregional Forum. The forum attended by many officials, MPs, representatives of companies from the fields of economy, industry, tourism, agriculture, construction, trade, consulting, logistics, pharmaceutics, ICT and finance, is considered an important platform in the relation of the two countries. The officials of the two sides discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation in the economic, industrial, agricultural, trade and humanitarian spheres, as well as youth policy, relations between NGOs and media. The event started with the message of Azerbaijan's President Aliyev, who said, the Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forums make positive contribution to strengthening strategic partnership and helping to enhance the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Undoubtedly, a specific agenda of the next meeting will allow the participants to identify ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation, discuss the prospects of tourist flows, exchange experiences in the fields of industry and agriculture, talk about the dynamics of cultural and humanitarian component of bilateral relations, said President Aliyev. This is very important in the current difficult time, when the global crisis has led to serious changes across the world, says the message. I hope that you will be able to coordinate positions on various issues regarding economy and investments, culture and education, determine priorities and develop more effective forms of cooperation, noted Ilham Aliyev. I am confident that this forum will be held in a constructive atmosphere, will be remembered for interesting projects and meaningful discussions, and most importantly, will bring real benefits to our countries. Following the message of Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed to the participants was read out. "It is gratifying that the forum develops the traditions of trust and mutual understanding, based on common pages of the two countries history, helps to enhance the integration processes and mutually beneficial cooperation." I wish you fruitful work and successful implementation of the plans for the benefit of our countries and peoples, added the Russian president. Speaking at the event Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev emphasized that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are at the level of strategic partnership. Russia invested over $3 billion in Azerbaijan's economy, said the minister, adding that Azerbaijan, in turn, invested more than $1 billion in Russian economy. A solid legal framework is created between the two counties, he added. Successful cooperation has been established between the countries in the spheres of trade, investments, industry, cargo transit, energy, transportation and agriculture, as well as in the humanitarian sector, Mustafayev said. The sphere of trade relations is one of the significant areas of the Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation, according to the Economy Minister, who said that the first nine months of this year were marked by positive dynamics in trade turnover. "Russia ranks third in the list of Azerbaijans trade partners," he added. In turn, Russias Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexander Tsybulskiy invited Azerbaijani companies to start operating in Lotus special economic zone (SEZ) in Russias Astrakhan region. Lotus is ready to provide Azerbaijani investors with the most optimal conditions for doing business. As far as I know, there are already decisions of some Azerbaijani companies to become residents in this area, he said. The corresponding agreements will be signed on the sidelines of this forum, the deputy minister mentioned. Generally, some 11 documents including inter-municipal, interregional, inter-company documents and others have been prepared for signing, Tsybulskiy said. Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners, he noted, saying that it is noteworthy that almost 20 percent of the trade turnover accounts for services. Tsybulskiy further explained that the services turnover amounted to nearly half a billion dollars by end of 2015. As for interregional cooperation, around 40 Russian regions have already signed agreements with Azerbaijan on cooperation in different directions, the deputy minister said. It is expected that similar agreements will also be signed with Leningrad Oblast, Ulyanovsk Oblast and with the Republic of Bashkortostan, Tsybulskiy said. Azerbaijans major economic partners are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Dagestan, Stavropol Krai and Krasnodar Krai, as well as Moscow Oblast and Chelyabinsk Oblast - they account for about 75 percent of the total turnover." Azerbaijan and Russia have the widest prospects for development of relations in the non-oil sphere, Chief of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries Vladimir Chernov said during the forum. The more we get to know each other, the more new areas for the development of relations we find, said Chernov. If one looks at the non-oil sector, one should surely note agriculture and high technologies. Azerbaijan has advanced a lot in these areas and is a very interesting and promising partner for Russia. He also noted that interregional forums have become a kind of a brand of the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. It's hard to say what results well come up with at the end of this forum, but Im sure that the forum will bring new ideas and opportunities to the relations between our countries, said Chernov. The friendly cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is doomed to succeed, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia made the remark at the event. "We are very pleased that this important area of ??our cooperation, cooperation with the regions of the Russian Federation, is being successfully developed, the ambassador said. It has become one of the most important and essential components of the strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia." One of the most promising projects of cooperation is the North-South large-scale transport project, which will connect the Russian ports to Asia and the Indian Ocean, the ambassador said, adding that the project will open new prospects of cooperation among Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. The implementation of the project will contribute to the financial stability of all participating countries in general and those Russian regions, through which the route will stretch, according to the ambassador. Head of Dagestan Republic Ramazan Abdulatipov, addressing the event, emphasized that Azerbaijan has become an important regional power. Russia and Azerbaijan are the states, which grow out of heavy post-Soviet crisis, and today both are still in the process of formation. Over the past years, Russia has managed to restore its great power status, and Azerbaijan has become an important regional power. Azerbaijan and Russia conduct an independent and sovereign policy on an international scale," he said. During the forum Azerbaijan and Russia signed 12 documents that envisage cooperation in the humanitarian and economic spheres. By Trend Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forums that are held in both Azerbaijan and Russia, make positive contribution to strengthening strategic partnership and helping to enhance the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev in his message addressed to the participants of the ongoing 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, which opened in Baku on Nov. 1. The message was read out by the president's aide for public and political affairs, Ali Hasanov. I cordially congratulate you on the beginning of the 7th Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forum, which is being held in Baku, said Ilham Aliyev. An imposing list of participants and rich programs of forums, which cover a wide range of topical issues, are a clear evidence of the increased interest in these forums, noted the president's message. Ilham Aliyev underlined in his message that it is quite natural, since direct dialogue is conducted on the sidelines of these forums, and new business contacts are established, constructive initiatives and innovative projects, aimed at deepening of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, come out. Undoubtedly, a specific agenda of the next meeting will allow the participants to identify ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation, discuss the prospects of tourist flows, exchange experiences in the fields of industry and agriculture, talk about the dynamics of cultural and humanitarian component of bilateral relations, said Ilham Aliyev. The president also noted in his message that considering the strong economic potential and rich experience of joint work that the two countries have, it is necessary to unite the efforts more closely and further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries regions. This is very important in the current difficult time, when the global crisis has led to serious changes across the world, says the message. I hope that you will be able to coordinate positions on various issues regarding economy and investments, culture and education, determine priorities and develop more effective forms of cooperation, noted Ilham Aliyev. I am confident that this forum will be held in a constructive atmosphere, will be remembered for interesting projects and meaningful discussions, and most importantly, will bring real benefits to our countries. He also wished fruitful work and practical results, good health and all the best to all the participants of the forum. By Azernews By Rashid Shirinov The bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Brazil and their further expansion have been discussed in Baku. For this purpose, President of Brazils Chamber of Deputies Rodrigo Maia has paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. He arrived in Baku on October 30 and met with the Speaker of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov and the country's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on October 31. Brazil is a supporter to the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of resolutions by the UN Security Council, Rodrigo Maia stated during the meeting with Asadov. The Azerbainai parliamentary speaker said the first visit of Rodrigo Maia in Azerbaijan as the President of the Chamber of Deputies will give impetus to development of bilateral ties, adding that mutual visits of parliamentarians create opportunities to strengthen the bilateral relations. Asadov noted that the two countries should organize joint business forums for expansion of Azerbaijan-Brazil cooperation in economic field. The trade turnover between the countries amounted to $120 million in 2015. This indicator made a sharp rise in the first nine months of 2016, making up $150 million. However, Asadov noted that this growth is still below the potential of the two countries. The speaker also expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian government for supporting the fair position of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Reminding that Brazil has always recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Asadov thanked Maia for the fact that recently Brazilian Chamber of Deputies adopted a Declaration condemning Armenias occupation policy. In turn, Maia noted the importance of further expansion of Brazil-Azerbaijan ties, which was the main purpose of his visit to Baku. He stressed the importance of developing cooperation in the oil, gas and tourism sectors between two countries. At the end, Ogtay Asadov handed Maia the Honorary Diploma of the President of Azerbaijan for his merits in developing friendly bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Brazil. Later, Maia was received by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. They also exchanged views on development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of politics, economy and culture. Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan attaches great importance to developing relations with Latin American countries, as well as with Brazil. The minister mentioned that the visit of Maia would contribute to deepening of relations between the two countries. Mammadyarov noted that there are opportunities for fruitful activity of Brazilian companies in Azerbaijan due to successful economic reforms in the country. Maia, in turn, said Brazil is interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan in all fields. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on October 23, 1993. In addition to embassies, each country created Brazil-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group in 2012 and 2013. Azerbaijan and Brazil share common commitments to universal values, the rule of international law, the principles of the United Nations, including respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders. By Azernews By Nigar Abbasova Azerbaijan and Egypt, the two countries with similar religious, cultural, traditional and social links, are keen to expand bilateral cooperation. The issues of the Baku-Cairo cooperation and ways to deepen the ties will be mulled in Egypt as Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov visits the country. The ministers agenda includes meetings with government officials. Mammadyarov, talking to Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA) ahead of his visit, stated that the two countries have a huge potential for the expansion of ties, particularly in pharmaceuticals, tourism, textile-garment, ICT, agriculture and manufacturing, mentioning that relations in the bilateral and multilateral areas, particularly the cooperation in the energy field will be on the agenda during the visit. The minister stressed that Azerbaijan's energy giant SOCAR and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) have achieved tangible progress in energy dimension of cooperation. Cooperation between the countries currently extends to almost every sphere, ranging from political relations to economics, tourism, energy, and education, cultural and humanitarian issues. Mammadyarov underlined that the bilateral trade between the two countries is far below than real potential. Both countries are keen to further enhance the bilateral economic and commercial relations with special focus on improving transport connections. The minister also mentioned that direct air routes between the countries would also contribute to promoting the trade. Tourism has traditionally played one of the most important places in the economy of Egypt. Last year, more than 3,000 Azerbaijani tourists visited Egypt, while the number is expected to increase in the future. Moreover, Egypt, which has rich and ancient medicine traditions, earlier expressed its interest in opening the plant for the production of medical equipment and drugs in Azerbaijan. The minister went on to say that intergovernmental relations between the countries are developing steadily. He said that the joint inter-governmental commission provides the platform to review and streamline all aspects of relations, while the countries are looking forward to the next meeting of the inter-governmental commission, which is expected to be held in November. With more than 40 signed agreements the legislative base of our relations is substantially wide and it provides the legal framework for consolidating our cooperation, he said. Moreover, the two countries support each other in all international organizations and share similar stances on the fundamental issues on the international agenda. Mammadyarov underlined that mutually beneficial cooperation will continue to grow for the benefit of our countries and peoples, through joint efforts. Since Azerbaijan has gained its independence in 1991, the two countries have started building relations in the political, economic, cultural and educational spheres. Egypt opened its embassy in Baku in 1993, while Azerbaijans first ever embassy in the African continent was established in Cairo in 1994. By Trend Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic is determined to develop relations with African countries, particularly Niger, PressTv reported. Iran and Niger enjoy [before them] a vast area for cooperation in different sectors, Zarif said in a meeting with Nigers Foreign Minister Ibrahim Yacouba in Tehran on Monday. Iran and Niger can have more close cooperation in various political, economic, regional and international fields and the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to expand relations and deepen cooperation with Niger, he added. The top Iranian diplomat noted that the two countries have the potential to cooperate in the economic arena including infrastructures, transportation, banking interaction, agriculture, mines, energy and investment. Nigers foreign minister, for his part, said Iran plays an important role in the region and across the world and expressed his countrys readiness to bolster relations with the Islamic Republic. Niger is ready to open an embassy in Tehran and keen to hold more consultations and political talks with Iran, Yacouba added. He called for a session of the two countries joint economic commission to be held as soon as possible and invited his Iranian counterpart to pay an official visit to Niamey. By Trend Foreign ministries of Uzbekistan and Slovakia will hold political consultations November 2-4, the Uzbek Foreign Ministrys press service said in a message. The consultations are to be held within the framework of the visit of Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Lukas Parizek, the press service said. The delegation of the Slovak Republic headed by the state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Lukas Parizek, will visit Uzbekistan on November 2-4, reads the message. The program of the visit will also comprise discussion of topical issues of bilateral relations in the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, as well as a trip to Samarkand region. The two countries have gained considerable cooperation experience in many spheres; the Uzbek-Slovak relations are regulated by more than 20 intergovernmental documents, including the agreements on cooperation in the field of air transport, tourism, fight against organized crime and protocols on cooperation of foreign political and foreign trade agencies. Meetings at highest level between Uzbekistan and Slovakia are being held, and the contacts between the parliaments, ministries and agencies have been established. ToffeeWeb Survey 2022 We're very keen to get your thoughts on Everton, the array of fan media offerings, and ToffeeWeb specifically. You could win 100 for your trouble. Complete the survey now! This post is prompted by a number of things that have left me pondering how as Christians we are to bring about change in our churches. When we strongly b... 7 years ago Toyota Unveils Custom Builds and Celebrates the Past and Present 2016 SEMA Toyota Media Guide TORRANCE, Calif., (November 1, 2016)Today Toyota revealed an unprecedented suite of 30 vehicles on display at the 2016 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. Toyota selected each vehicle to either honor the past, explore the present or reveal the extremeand in some extreme cases, all three of these elements come into play. There is even a special display honoring Corollas 50 years. The Toyota call to action is Lets Go Places, said Steve Appelbaum, Toyota Motor Sales National Engagement Marketing Manager. This phrase encompasses what we are, what we do and what we create. Its our guiding principle and at the core of our promise to customers. Our SEMA display demonstrates the breadth of that promise, across all generations of Toyota vehicles. The six Toyota extreme builds, four of which are entered into the Battle of the Builders competition, embody the SEMA spirit of imagination and innovationtaking stock builds and transforming them into something inspired. Appelbaum commented, We have a lot to celebrate. This historical collection demonstrates the unique and constant innovation of Toyota. Theres never been an exhibit quite like this one at SEMA. Here is a recap of what is on display through Nov 4th. Toyota Rocks SEMA with 220 MPH Twin Turbo Land Speed Cruiser Land Speed CruiserIts pretty and sleek on the outside but its whats on the inside that counts here. Twin Garrett turbos under the hood make for astounding news. Theyre breathing in to a fully built 5.7-liter Toyota V8 getting power to the earth via a custom ATI transmission. This is the Worlds Fastest SUV, capable of a blazing 220 miles per hour. Every single thing inside this build has been touched. Toyota Unveils XTREME Corolla at SEMA 2016 XTREME CorollaToyota took the main street Corolla and drove it into the SEMA fast lane with this build. This was a four-door and now its a sexy coupe. The wheels, the two-color paint, clean lines, custom interior, turbo engine, a six-speed manual, Sparco seats and a JBL sound system all come together to put this Corolla in a class of its own. Toyota Takes Swagger Wagon to the Max for SEMA with Extreme Sienna Extreme SiennaThis is the most over-the-top Swagger Wagon ever. The exterior is super wide with big TRD brakes, performance wheels and tires, a splitter, rear diffuser, spoiler and dual exhaust. High-end sport luxury is how it strikes you. Its lap-of-luxury Learjet interior is something to behold. The whole vehicle is controlled by an iPad, including the air ride system. This is NOT just a show car, but one that you can drive on the street with zero issues. The Toyota Prius G Proves Hybrids Can Handle Prius GBuilding on the natural handling prowess of the stock Prius comes the Prius G, which grips the road better than hot bubblegum on asphalt. The Prius is not just an eco-car anymore. This Prius pulled .99 g on the skid pad at Willow Springs International Raceway, putting it in the ballpark of cars like the Corvette and Viper. Toyota Motorsport GmbH GT86 CS-Cup Imported to US for SEMA Toyota Motorsport GmbH GT86 CS-Cup This Toyota Motorsport Germany 86 Cup Series is the first cup spec built off of a stock 2017 86. Toyota is pleased to show the car for the first time in the U.S. at SEMA. Its designed for a one-make overseas series, and was brought here to inspire, to innovate and to excite. Its built solely for the track. Its livery pays homage to Toyotas racing heritage with a cool retro red and white design. The aero package looks awesome, but it also helps the car stick with functional downforce. Toyota's Tacoma TRD Pro Race Truck Revealed at SEMA Tacoma TRD Pro Race Truck The all-new Tacoma TRD Pro Race Truck lets you go places most other trucks would ordinarily see only on a map. Toyota plans to showcase this special truck as an entry in The Great American Off-Road Race the MINT 400. However, the driver names are not yet released. Though modified for desert racing, this vehicle is still mostly a stock Tacoma. Toyota Corolla Commemorates 50 Years with Historical Display at SEMA 2016 Corolla 50th Anniversary DisplayJust outside the Toyota booth, in the Patio Annex of the Las Vegas Convention Center, visitors are invited to see a display Celebrating 50 Years of Corolla with representative models from each of the 11 generations. Other key specimens of Toyotas heritage can be seen, such as the 2000GT, also known as the Japans first super car. The Great Race Corolla will also be positioned in the booth. The Wholesale Parts section of the exhibit is hosting live interviews with a bevy of celebrities. The entire collection of project vehicles can be seen in the Toyota display booth (#24800) in Central Hall and ln the adjoining Patio Annex at the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 1-4, 2016. The UAE Cabinet has approved the five-year federal budget for 2017- 2021, with total of Dh248 billion ($67.5 billion), including an Dh48.7 billion for 2017 in addition to the revenues of independent entities and financial investments. The UAE is the first Arab country to prepare a periodic five-year budget, in line with the directives of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to prepare a proposal budget with plans for every five years to improve the level of social services, and upgrade the smart services of the government. Sheikh Mohammad said: We aim to provide all the means and capabilities to meet the requirements of the future Government vision, and make it one of the best governments in the world in various sectors, through the optimal use of resources to enhancing the services provided to citizens and residents. The budget aims at increasing customer satisfaction about the federal government's efforts to enhance the welfare, prosperity, happiness and security of community members. Sectors that are directly related with social services received the largest portion of 2017 budget with more than half allocated for these sectors, valued at Dh25.2 including general and higher education sector at 20.5 per cent (Dh10.2 billion); health care and protection of society at 8.6 per cent, (Dh4.2 billion); pensions at 8.2 per cent, (Dh4 billion), community development at 6.6 per cent, (Dh3.2 billion), housing at 3.3 per cent (Dh1.6 billion). The budget also allocates 42 per cent for government affairs sector, valued at Dh20.7 billion, to manage its financial affairs, provide the finest services to citizens, and achieve the vision of leadership to positioning the UAE in the leadership position in assuring the security and safety of its citizens and residents. This includes special programmes that support the nations relationships regionally and globally, and the development of the judiciary and providing distinctive judicial services. Within the budget, Dh3.3 billion was assigned to federal projects, of which Dh891 million are allocated for projects of the federal ministries, and Dh771 million for development power and water projects in the country to be implemented by the Federal Authority for Electricity and Water. An amount of Dh1.4 billion goes for projects under the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, and Dh13.5 million for the projects of the Ministry of Education. In addition to that, Dh215 Million were allocated to establish police and civil defence centers, and headquarters of naturalization and residence, and scientific laboratories. A total of Dh2 billion has been set aside to supporting government innovation, through the establishment of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fund to Finance Innovation. It will provide financing solutions for innovators and incubation support to turn their ideas into projects that will support the national strategy for innovation and achieving the goals of Vision 2021. The Cabinet approved the final accounts of the Emirates Transport and Al Etihad Credit Bureau for the year 2015 along with the adoption of the funding differences for federal universities and colleges for the first and second semesters for the academic year 2015-2016. In the field of international relations, the Cabinet endorsed a number of international conventions, including the ratification of two agreements between the Government and the Principality of Liechtenstein, and the Slovak Republic on double taxation avoidance and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital. It also endorsed three agreements on air services in-between and beyond the regions with Republic of Uganda, the Republic of Slovakia, and the government of Antigua and Barbuda. The conventions endorsed included the signing of a training exchange programme between the UAE Space Agency and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). TradeArabia News Service The creation of a single GCC currency has become inevitable and its implementation is only a matter of time, Oman's central bank chief has been quoted as saying. Serious measures are being studied to achieve it, the Saudi Arabian-owned Al Sharq al-Awsat newspaper quoted Hamood Sangour Al-Zadjali as saying, according to a Reuters report. However, he said Oman is not one of the countries pushing for a common currency, he said. The creation of a monetary union is on GCC agenda since 1980s. Leading property hotspot Dubai, UAE, has slipped out of the rankings of the best-performing luxury real estate markets across the globe compiled by top property consultancy Knight Frank, said a report. The Canadian city of Vancouver retained its status at the top, reported the Gulf News, citing the latest update from Knight Frank. In the 12 months to September, Vancouvers priciest real estate gained 31.6 per cent. It was followed by Shanghai (China) and Seoul (Korea), stated the report. Across the board, its not been a smooth ride for luxury, as factors such as higher taxes, political uncertainties and investor concerns about bubbles slowed investment flows into these assets, it said. According to the report, Dubai was at the top of the Knight Frank luxury property rankings in 2013-14. Economic jitters have taken hold, said Knight Frank in its report, with new taxes being imposed in Vancouver and Toronto (Canada), as well as in Sydney and Melbourne (Australia). Another market to see higher stamp duty on property transactions - London - also had to worry about Brexit. Prime prices in London are down 2.1 per cent in the year to September, it added. Yzer Property, a Dubai-based real estate portal, has announced the launch of a nationwide free listing offer for all realty brokers with the objective of strengthening the UAEs real estate sector. The new initiative is aimed at offering a wider variety of options to both property brokers and investors, said a statement from Yzer. There are over 6,000 registered realty brokers in Dubai as per the latest statistics by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Rera), the Dubai Government entity regulating real estate organisations and agents in the emirate. In a lead up to Expo 2020, the local property sector is expected to witness rapid growth with robust construction and transactions. As a special offer, all agents who sign up in November will be able to list unlimited inventory for free on the companys website for a period of one year. Aside from the free listing, all real estate brokers will be offered an intelligent CRM system that will allow them to streamline their internal process without any extra cost for the first year. In addition, the newly-launched offer will enhance the service experience of property buyers, leasers and investors who can access most of the properties that are on offer in the UAE under one portal, helping them save time to navigate through multiple websites to compare prices, features and amenities. Tatiana Vishnevskaya, the PR director of Yzer Property, said: "Due to the high costs associated with listing on property portals, many brokers in the UAE limit their inventory, resulting in a narrow choice for buyers and leasers." "Moreover, consumers are faced with the challenge of navigating through low quality listings on multiple websites to search for right properties," noted Vishnevskaya. "With the aim to help consumers overcome these difficulties as well as to assist dealers to listing their properties, we have unveiled a new offer of free listing for a year. We are upbeat that this will enable realty buyers and leasers to browse through genuine and unique inventory to find their dream homes, offices or shops," she added.-TradeArabia News Service Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), a leading architectural firm based in London, UK, has emerged the winner in a design competition for the Urban Heritage Administration Centre in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage had last year organised a competition to select the designer for the 8,780-sq-m head office of the heritage museum. The Urban Heritage Administration Centre will feature a permanent exhibition gallery, library, lecture hall and educational spaces for all age groups besides a scientific institution for conducting field research and documentation of the many archaeological sites in Diriyah. The centre is integral to the ongoing works to preserve Diriyahs Unesco-listed world heritage site, continuing the restoration programmes throughout the 120 km Wadi Hanifah valley, said a statement from ZHA. The centres design is intended to engage with its geographical and cultural context. Interaction between man and nature has defined the oasis within the Wadi Hanifah valley at Diriyah and has guided the designs development, it stated. According to ZHA, the waters of this rich and habitable oasis lie within the vast expanse of the Najd central plateau. "This concept is translated within the Urban Heritage Administration Centre by organising its facilities around an atrium with water at its core, as well as four scooped green oases within its apparently solid facade," said a company spokesman. "The facade has a perforated outer skin that protects the interior from solar gain while maintaining visual connections with the natural surroundings," he stated. According to him, the preserved buildings of Diriyahs historic centre use rammed-earth construction with thick walls and small exterior openings for protection from the heat and sun. This is reinterpreted as a double-facade which creates the apparent solidity from the exterior while also giving natural light and views of the surroundings from the interior, he stated. The centre will also provide the permanent headquarters for the heritage museum as a growing institution with increasingly popular educational workshops and cultural tourism, in addition to the expanding research programmes undertaken by scientists and academics from around the world, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Heidrick & Struggles International, a premier professional services firm, has announced that Naji Skaf has joined the firm as a partner in the Industrial Practice based in Dubai, UAE. "Naji brings with him extensive leadership and management experience in the Chemical industry. He will be working closely with our global Natural Resources practice to drive client coverage in the Middle East. His understanding of the rapidly evolving and increasingly complex leadership needs facing the Natural Resources sector will bring tremendous value for our clients in the region," said Stafford Bagot, regional managing partner of Heidrick & Struggles' APAC Industrial Practice. Skaf joins Heidrick & Struggles from Gulf Cryo, a leading regional industrial gases group headquartered in Dubai, where he served as the CEO for the past five years. "Heidrick & Struggles is pleased to invest in developing our already strong Dubai Industrial Practice team, which mirrors the investments being made across the Middle East in chemicals, refining and upstream oil & gas. Naji's experience leading a dominant regional player in industrial gases will be invaluable in understanding the leadership challenges facing executives driving this growth," said Mark Livingston, global managing partner of Heidrick & Struggles' Natural Resources Sector. "Naji's partnership with Heidrick & Struggles colleagues around the world will further enable the firm to serve our multinational clients who are looking to grow in the region or expand beyond the GCC region into other markets." Skaf holds a BSc from McGill University in Montreal, Canada and an MBA from the University of Houston. He is fluent in Arabic, French and English. TradeArabia News Service Top regional and international maritime industry leaders, decision makers, and high-level government officials will discuss latest industry developments at the Dubai Maritime Summit, tomorrow (November 2). The event, being held under patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, will discuss the present and future of world maritime navigation, with a special focus on best practices in maritime innovation, arbitration and human capital investment, said the organisers. The summit, which will be held on the side lines of the Dubai Maritime Week 2016, will reveal the winners of Dubai Maritime Innovation Award, a significant new addition to the event which recognises the creativity and innovation in the maritime industry, it said. Amer Ali, executive director of the Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA), said that the summit is an important strategic initiative that promotes cooperation between maritime industry leaders and strengthens the knowledge transfer among experts. It highlights the exchange of best international practices and innovative solutions which promote competitiveness in the global maritime clustering. He further noted that inaugural edition of the Dubai Maritime Innovation Award follows the UAEs national efforts to honour innovativeness, creativity and excellence that will drive Dubai as a leader and most innovative city in the world and become the global centre for maritime excellence and innovation. The summit will include five interactive sessions, with the first session themed The State of the Global Industry while the second and third seminar will highlight the Global Shipping Markets, and the Launch of the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre (EMAC), respectively. Maritime innovation will be the centre of discussion at the fourth seminar themed, Innovation in Shipping Technology, while the last seminar will tackle Maritime Regulation focusing on formulating a clear framework to develop a legislative structure that will spur the industry to keep pace with local, regional and international developments, it added. The events guests include Kitack Lim, secretary general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO); Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and chairman of the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime; Sultan Bin Sulayam, chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC) and the chairman of DMCA; and Admiral Mohab Mamish, chairman, Suez Canal Authority and other notable international economic experts, including renowned international economic expert and journalist Todd Benjamin, it stated. TradeArabia News Service The Barakah One Company (Barakah One), a subsidiary of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco), announced today the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Company (Adwec). The PPA is for the purchase of electricity generated at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant. The agreement was signed in Abu Dhabi by Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the board of Enec, on behalf of Barakah One Company and Abdullah Musleh Al Ahbabi, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (Adwea) on behalf of Adwec. The agreement establishes the contractual framework between the two entities for nuclear-generated safe, clean, efficient and reliable electricity produced at Barakah. The electricity produced by the four Barakah Units plays a strategic role in powering the growth of the UAE, aligning the nation to the COP21 sustainability goals, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GhG) in the energy generation sector, said the statement. Al Mubarak said: Since 2009 we focused on the safe delivery of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, and today is another major step towards diversifying the UAEs energy mix and making the nation more energy secure and environmentally sustainable. The Barakah plant will soon provide the nation with the clean energy it needs to grow, through an established, robust and technologically advanced nuclear energy industry. This is a pivotal agreement in the UAE energy sector, and the result of a close collaboration between Barakah One, Enec and Adwea. Strong stakeholder partnerships are integral to the successful delivery of safe, clean and reliable nuclear energy to power the UAE grid, added Al Mubarak. Al Ahbabi said: The signing of this agreement shows the ongoing transformation of Abu Dhabis energy mix. We welcome the addition of safe and sustainable low-carbon nuclear energy to our increasingly diverse power grid. Securing energy from a variety of sources allows us to provide Abu Dhabi with the supply of power and water it needs to sustain its growing economy. In October 2016, Enec and Kepco announced the establishment of Barakah One Private Joint Stock Company (Barakah One), an independent subsidiary owned by both companies, which is mandated to represent the commercial and financial interests of the Barakah project. Under the joint venture agreement signed by the two companies, Kepco owns an 18 percent stake in Barakah One, with Enec as the majority owner of the remaining 82 percent. The four units of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant are scheduled for completion in 2020, with construction having started in 2012. With four reactors online, the facility will deliver up to a quarter of the UAEs electricity needs and save up to 12 million tons in carbon emissions every year. The project at Barakah is progressing steadily. Overall, construction of Units 1 to 4 is now more than 72 percent complete. All four units will deliver safe, clean, reliable and efficient nuclear energy to the UAE grid, pending regulatory reviews and licensing, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service Salalah Rotana Resort has welcomed Simon Azizi as the property's new executive assistant manager. Azizi joins the team with two decades of hospitality experience, having spent 13 years with Rotana. He joined as restaurant manager in 2003, working his way up the ladder through various management positions in hotels across Beirut, Khartoum and Erbil. Prior to taking up the position in Salalah, Azizi served as director of food and beverage at the Erbil Rotana, Iraq. Commenting on the appointment, Hossam Kamal, Salalah Rotana Resorts general manager, said: It is an absolute pleasure to have Simon Azizi join us at Salalah Rotana Resort. He is a great addition to the team, with his vast knowledge of hotel operations especially in food and beverage. I am confident he will implement strategies and lead the teams to achieve the resorts target." Azizi said: I am very elated to take up the position at Rotanas flagship resort in Oman. The team in Salalah has worked very hard with proven track record since the resorts opening in 2014. I embrace the challenges that come with the position and look forward to immensely contributing my skills towards the resorts success." In his new role, he will oversee the resorts operational departments ensuring high performance in guest satisfaction and colleague welfare. - TradeArabia News Service Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach was named the country winner in the category: Best Luxury Contemporary/Stylish Hotel at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2016. Held at a glittering gala ceremony in Doha on October 29, the award was presented to luxury hotels on a country, continent and global basis. The World Luxury Hotel Awards is a global organisation that honours hotels for the world-class facilities and service excellence provided to guests. This prestigious awards system recognises excellence, founded on votes cast by hotel guests, thereby guaranteeing unbiased results. Philip Jones, general manager of the hotel, said: This is a remarkable achievement, which our team truly deserves. The modern, chic and contemporary interiors of the hotel, complemented by the passion of our colleagues to delight each and every one of our guests, have been the winning formula. I would also like to sincerely thank all our loyal guests, who helped us win. Located in the heart of Dubais most dynamic seaside districts, The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach is geared towards satisfying both leisure and business travellers and is just a few steps away from the Jumeirah Beach and The Beach Mall shopping district. Featuring contemporary rooms coupled with exciting dining and recreation options, the fashionable retreat perfectly blends cosmopolitan lifestyle with relaxation. - TradeArabia News Service Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana in Abu Dhabi, UAE, has appointed Murugan Loganathan as the new director of engineering. Loganathan is a professional in Electrical, HVAC and Plumbing with more than 20 years of experience in design, development and maintenance of hotel engineering equipment. His expertise varies from leading, motivating, ensuring zero defect of engineering equipment to effective project management for hotel related works. Loganathan is a great asset to this 443-room resort, with his wide knowledge of installation, testing and commissioning, maintenance operations and crisis management, implementation of servicing schedules for all the engineering and maintenance. In addition, he is passionate about sustainability and bringing innovation, as energy conservation inductive load compensation, reduction in inductive load, conversion to LEDS, motion sensors and control on water consumption into the hotels daily operations, the hotel said. Prior to his new appointment, Loganathan managed several pre openings for hotels in Dubai and India. He was also responsible for the engineering operations as an assistant director of engineering in Beach Rotana, Abu Dhabi. We welcome Murugan in his new challenge with Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana. I look forward to working closely with him and the rest of our colleagues in the continuous improvement and implementation of companys regulations and procedures that achieve or exceed the goals for our five star resort property, said Eleni Tsolakou, general manager at Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana. In the new role, Loganathan will collaborate with other department heads and manage team/peers leadership through motivation, delegation and subordinate development skills for Khalidiya Palace Rayhaan by Rotana. - TradeArabia News Service The city of Luxor in Egypt is hosting the 104th meeting of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The Meeting, which ends today (November 1) will discuss the three priorities of the organization for 2016-2017: safe, secure and seamless travel; the impact of technology in the tourism sector and sustainability. Attending the session are some 170 representatives from 40 countries, including 11 ministers and vice ministers of tourism (Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Japan, Republic of Korea; Serbia, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe). The opening ceremony was presided over by UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai and the Minister of Tourism of Egypt, Mohamed Yehia Rashed. Egypt is a worldwide leader in tourism and will continue to be so. The high level of attendance at this meeting is a confirmation of the confidence of the international tourism community in Egypt. Supporting tourism to Egypt is supporting its future and that of the Egyptian people said Rifai. In manyof our nations, tourism employs a large part of our labour force and helps to create immense benefits to our communities. The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 is a unique opportunity to work together in maximising the contribution of our sector to protect the environment and cultural heritage said Minister Yehia Rashed. Speaking on the importance of promoting a safe, secure and seamless travel framework, the minister said: We must commit to global efforts and work on restoring confidence in destinations affected by any crises namely by working with the media." The council will also discuss the programme of work of the organization and the agenda for the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017. The Executive Council session will be followed on November 1 and 2 by the fifth UNWTO City Tourism Summit dedicated to the the theme of Cities: Local Culture for Global Travellers. The 105th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council will take place in May 2017 in Spain, host country of the organization. - TradeArabia News Service Qatar Airways and Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) have announced that a new transit visa scheme, which allows passengers with layovers of five hours or more in Hamad International Airport to request a complimentary transit visa, will go into effect from today (November 1). The new system will allow transiting passengers of all nationalities to enter Qatar for up to 96 hours in between flights. All visas are granted at the sole discretion of the Qatari Ministry of Interior. The initiative to introduce a free transit visa is the result of a collaboration between Qatar Airways and QTA to position the country as a tourist-friendly destination and to attract more international visitors. Passengers can apply for their free transit visa through any of Qatar Airways offices, or online. To be eligible for the transit visa, passengers must have a confirmed ticket for a journey into Qatar, with a confirmed onward journey out of Qatar on a Qatar Airways-operated flight. To ensure passengers can make the most of the new transit visa, Qatar Airways has restructured its fares for international flights transiting through Hamad International Airport. This will allow passengers to have a free stopover in Doha without any additional charges to their ticket, either on the outbound or inbound journey. However, passengers traveling from the GCC and Middle East on return tickets will be able to take a stopover in Doha on their outbound journey only without additional charges. Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: Qatar Airways is proudly committed to making Doha a world-class tourist destination. Our collaboration with Qatar Tourism Authority in setting the new transit visa enables our passengers to explore the country and its hospitality. The tourism industry in Qatar is experiencing considerable growth inspired by the vision of our leadership for an economically diverse future. As a national flag-bearer and an ambassador of Qatar around the world, Qatar Airways is dedicated to providing passengers with their best experience before, during, and after their stay in our country. Hassan Al Ibrahim, chief tourism development officer at QTA, said: We have witnessed remarkable interest in the new transit visa scheme from passengers who anticipate a stopover in Qatar, and we expect this interest to translate into an increase in visitor arrivals over the coming months. Visa facilitation is an important factor in increasing the attractiveness of a destination, and we encourage investors and tourism business owners to capitalise on the opportunities presented by this development to diversify Qatars tourism products and services. To apply for a free transit visa, passengers must be holding a passport that is valid for a minimum of six months from the time of arrival in Qatar. A valid email is also required to facilitate the visa process, which can be applied for a minimum of seven days (excluding public holidays) prior to arrival in Qatar, and a maximum of 90 days prior to arriving in Qatar. Once approved, the transit visa will be valid for 90 days from the date of issuance, and will be valid for a single entry into Qatar. Passengers must hold a copy of the pre-approved transit visa at the time of boarding at their airport of origin, as well as upon arrival into Qatar. To maximise on their transit through Qatar, visitors can explore Discover Qatar stopover packages offered by Qatar Airways Holidays. These include, desert safaris, city tours, visits to Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif and The Pearl-Qatar island, museum and art gallery visits, architectural tours, and hotel bookings. - TradeArabia News Service In order to enhance security and passenger protection during air transport operations, Turkish Airlines has produced a new inflight safety video featuring filmmaker and social media phenomenon Zach King. With the significant growth in the number of first time or irregular travellers over the recent years, Turkish Airlines chose to leverage illusions to improve the safety level on-board. The main purpose of the video is to keep passengers attention high during the explanation of important safety procedures using the power of magic. M. Ilker Ayc, chairman of the Board and the executive committee of Turkish Airlines, said: With safety being the number one priority at all levels of our airline, creating concise and engaging safety communications has become extremely important. Here at Turkish Airlines we constantly strive to find the most effective and innovative ways to deliver excellent service and overachieve passenger expectations ensuring the highest level of security during all of our operations." Watching the film, passengers are flipped between reality and illusion, with King bringing key aspects of inflight safety to life through his signature digital slight of hand tricks. Dr. Gustav Kuhn, a cognitive psychologist and expert in the science of magic at London Universitys Goldsmiths college said: Magic is one of the oldest and most globally-relevant art forms, studied by psychologists and neuroscientists alike for its ability to involve and indeed engross an audience. It is exciting to see an airline tap into this reality, taking the modern inflight safety video in a whole new direction. - TradeArabia News Service Dukes Dubai, the collection's first international property, will add a quintessentially British flavour to Dubais current premium hospitality offering, when it opens later this year. Owned and operated by leading UAE-based luxury hospitality developer, Seven Tides, Dukes Dubai, which is situated on the trunk of the Palm Jumeirah, will employ over 400 staff, from around the world once fully operational. Dubai is now the fourth most popular destination in the world, it is a cosmopolitan city, a playground for the rich and famous. These international travellers recognise, expect and demand quality service and we have to deliver, not only to realise the Dukes stringent brand values and to secure guest loyalty but to compete successfully in Dubais highly competitive luxury hospitality market, said Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides International. Our intensive training programme will focus on the essence of great British service. With new staff arriving from countries near and far, it is important that we explain the concept of great British service, establish Duke standards and stress the value of consistency, both in theory and practice, added Debrah Dhugga, managing director, Dukes Collection. Dubai welcomed 1.2 million visitors from the UK in 2015, representing the emirates third largest source market, due to its inimitable blend of year-round sunshine, beach, luxury retail brands and leisure attractions, in addition to its tax-free commercial hub status and easy access with Emirates alone offering ten daily flights between London and Dubai. Dubai is an increasingly popular destination for travellers from the UK, and our experience of welcoming loyal guests from the emirates and wider Gulf to Dukes London has helped us identify an opportunity to export our brand, said Dhugga. Spread over 15 floors, Dukes Dubai will offer 279 bedrooms including 64 suites with a women-only Duchess floor featuring 20 rooms plus 227 fully furnished hotel apartments, along with six distinctive dining experiences and extensive landscaped leisure facilities including a private beach and health club. Guests can enjoy unique dining experiences at six distinctive dining venues including the hotels signature outlet, the Great British Restaurant (GBR), which, under the culinary direction of executive chef Martin Cahill, will offer modern British casual-style cuisine. Dukes Dubai will also add a flavour of India to its restaurant repertoire with the launch of the first international outpost for Mumbai-based family restaurant group, Khyber, which will specialise in traditional Northern Indian cuisine. Other dining locations include The Tea Lounge offering Traditional British Afternoon Tea and the award-winning Manhattan style grill and bar, West 14th, whose executive chef, Clive Pereira, was named Gastronomic Superstar at the Leaders in Hospitality Awards 2016. For lighter bites and drinks, theres Dukes Bar serving a signature drinks, and the Cigar Lounge offering a sophisticated selection of fine cigars and malts plus signature cheese boards. Landscaped leisure activities include a choice of three indoor and outdoor pools including an infinity pool and lazy river, fitness centre, private stretch of white sandy beach and kids club. The 227 studio and one-bedroom apartments are targeted at families and long staying guests. Fully furnished, the apartments are made up of 185 studios and 42 one-bedroom units. - TradeArabia News Service Travellers are willing to drop a $100 bill to make their travel a little more 'personalised', a new study has revealed. New research from global travel technology company, Sabre Corporation, which surveyed travellers from 20 countries about what they would spend and why, showed that 80 per cent of travellers purchased air extras on their last trip, spending an average of $62. When asked if they would spend more to personalise their trip, the answer was yes up to $99 if it improved their travel experience. The research was announced at the Iata World Passenger Symposium in Dubai today, as part of a Sabre-hosted industry roundtable on how airlines and hotels can deliver more tailored offers and services to customers. Regional differences in ancillary purchases The survey also found differences between what people from different regions would spend on extras. African travellers, who currently spend $95 on air travel extras, were willing to spend the most ($144), while Middle Eastern travekkers were willing to pay slightly more ($91) from their current spend of $58. APAC travellers (currently spending $63) were identified as the least willing to increase their spend on extras ($76). When asked what they would be most likely to spend money on, the most desired ancillaries were cabin class upgrades, on-board food and beverage and preferred seating and extra leg room all at 11 per cent. This was followed by inflight wi-fi (9 per cent) and extra checked baggage (9 per cent). The popularity of each ancillary varied between travellers from each region, with North Americans and Europeans choosing preferred seating and extra leg room; Latin Americans opting for on-board wi-fi, and Asia Pacific travellers selecting extra checked luggage. For travellers from Africa and the Middle East, on-board food and beverage, and fast track security respectively topped their pick. Its clear that while there are regional differences in ancillary preferences, 80 per cent of all travellers spend on air extras, representing a significant revenue opportunity for airlines, said Dino Gelmetti, vice president EMEA, Airline Solutions, Sabre. Airlines know what their travellers want based on the data they have of past purchases. Yet so much of this data remains unused today. However, by leveraging the latest technology, airlines can unlock this data and show they know their travellers by offering the right products at the right time and tailoring a personalised experience that will improve customer loyalty and generate much needed revenue. Personalisation While technology is preferred by most travellers to plan and book travel, human interaction still plays a significant role in some countries. In Latin America, almost half (48 per cent) prefer the help of a consultant to plan and book travel, compared to around a third of travellers from other regions 37 per cent in the Middle East, 36 per cent in Asia, 35 per cent in Africa and North America, and 33 per cent in Europe. The study also revealed differences in the time it takes travellers around the world to book trips. African travellers were the fastest planners, with 33 per cent saying they spent less than a day planning their last trip, compared to just 12 per cent of travellers from Asia Pacific. At the other end of the scale, American travellers were the most likely to plan in advance with 9 per cent taking longer than a month, compared to just 3 per cent of travellers from Africa and the Middle East. Both airlines and travel agencies have a role to play in providing travellers with a complete booking service that combines the convenience of technology with the power of human interaction, said Shelly Terry, vice president, product marketing, Travel Network, Sabre. Airlines can maximise revenue by leveraging the expertise of travel agencies and ensuring their inventories are conveniently available to passengers through both direct and indirect channels, giving people the choice and freedom to book travel the way it suits them. - TradeArabia News Service Oman's Ministry of Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman LNG and the Spanish Cultural Center today to train 30 jobseekers to learn the basics of spoken Spanish and Italian. This will aim to create opportunities for these job seekers to be effective tour guides and add value to the tourism sector in the country. Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, signed the MOU with Rashid Abdullah Al Nasri, acting CEO of Oman LNG, and Pedro Hernandez, director of the Spanish Cultural Center. Speaking about the collaboration, Al Mahrouqi said, The Ministry highly values the contributions of the private sector organizations like Oman LNG and the Spanish Cultural Center in supporting tourism in Oman. The training that they will provide to the 30 individuals will strengthen our offerings to tourists coming into the Sultanate. We hope that this will encourage other private organisations to contribute to the tourism sector, which is one of the fastest growing sectors in local employment. She also added that this initiative is in line with the strategic goal of the Ministry as it fosters a deeper cooperation between the private and public sectors, as well as developing the potential of the employees within the tourism sector. This initiative will also aim to attract more professionals to the tourism sector. Another significant benefit of this initiative is that it gives tourists a significantly-enhanced experience as these tour guides will be able to provide the tourism experience to tourists in their own language. Oman LNGs acting CEO Rashid Al Nasri said: Oman LNG always looks forward to partnering and support the government. This particular initiative will give job seekers a unique opportunity to develop and flourish in a fast growing sector. He also added that Oman LNGs social responsibility goals align perfectly with the Ministrys initiative and that the company hopes to continue adding value to the country. Pedro Hernandez, director of the Spanish Cultural Center, said: We are happy to collaborate with the Ministry to enhance the capabilities of tour guides in the Sultanate. The Spanish and Italian languages are very important in the current tourism scenario of the Sultanate, and we are certain that our capable tour guides will add even more value when they learn these languages. - TradeArabia News Service UAE-based Thumbay Group has signed an agreement with Satguru Travel and Tourism to promote the groups healthcare and education infrastructure and brand the country as an overall quality care travel destination and education centre. The agreement, which will see the establishment of representative offices in 50 locations across the globe, was signed between Thumbay Moideen, founder and president of Thumbay Group, and Anil Chandirani, chief executive officer, Satguru Travels in the presence of Akbar Moideen, vice president healthcare division, Thumbay Group and other senior officials, at Thumbay group office in UAE. Speaking about the tie-up, Thumbay Moideen said: Dubais strong health regulation framework has been a major catalyst in ensuring quality healthcare and thereby promoting medical tourism across the region. With new representative offices, we want to highlight latest advances in healthcare and medical education field, discuss and facilitate knowledge exchange and contribute to the overall vision, mission and goals of the UAE health authorities. The joint collaboration aims to empower Thumbay Groups medical tourism across the groups large network of hospitals in UAE and India, while also facilitating student recruitment in Gulf Medicals education programs and other upcoming universities. Last month, Thumbay Medical Tourism (TMT) department celebrated the World Tourism Day by welcoming its 6,000th medical tourist at Thumbay Hopsital, Ajman. TMT, currently, has offices in six different countries and is looking to open in 20 different nations. TMT is looking to partner with interested parties to expand its network and is inviting proposals for the same. TMT focuses on promoting Thumbay Groups ultra-modern healthcare services to the growing number of international patients visiting the UAE, at affordable costs. TMT provides a host of travel and medical services to medical tourists from all over the world, and also arranges on-demand translator services, accommodation services, customized treatment packages, preferred cuisine, travel arrangements, priority appointments, airport pick up and drop off, etc. - TradeArabia News Service German Streets Descend into Lawlessness Rainbow Blight: Obama's LGBT Legacy During the first six months of 2016, migrants committed 142,500 crimes, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office. This is equivalent to 780 crimes committed by migrants every day, an increase of nearly 40% over 2015. The data includes only those crimes in which a suspect has been caught.Thousands of migrants who entered the country as "asylum seekers" or "refugees" have gone missing. They are, presumably, economic migrants who entered Germany on false pretenses. Many are thought to be engaging in robbery and criminal violence.Local police in many parts of the country admit that they are stretched to the limit and are unable to maintain law and order."Drug trafficking takes place right before our eyes. If we intervene, we are threatened, spat on, insulted. Sometimes someone whips out a knife. They are always the same people. They are ruthless, fearless and have no problems with robbing even the elderly." Private security guard.According to Freddi Lohse of the German Police Union in Hamburg, many migrant offenders view the leniency of the German justice system as a green light to continue delinquent behavior. "They are used to tougher consequences in their home countries," he said. "They have no respect for us.""It cannot be that offenders continue to fill the police files, hurt us physically, insult us, whatever, and there are no consequences. Many cases are closed or offenders are released on probation or whatever. Yes, what is happening in the courts today is a joke." Tania Kambouri, German police officer....Late last week, NBC News posted an interesting column centered on the "quiet" mission of Obama's gay foreign policy. My only question is: what's quiet about it? Americans have watched an almost eight-year parade of LGBT activism from the rainbow flags at U.S. embassies to global bullying on homosexuality. During her time in the administration, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the Grand Marshall of the celebration, declaring to the world that "gay rights are human rights."And now, two terms into that overseas mission, those "human rights" are profoundly trumping human needs. In a sweeping decision last week, the administration announced a new rule that puts faith-based aid groups in the crosshairs of the far-Left's crusade for genderless bathrooms, showers, and other facilities. National Security Advisor Susan Rice cheered the move in a speech at American University. Insisting that "the United States also needs to do more to institutionalize efforts to promote LGBT rights," she explained that her office is doing its part to reverse what she called the "backwards" environment the administration inherited in 2009. (By "backwards," I assume she means one that respects the First Amendment rights enshrined in the Constitution.) "As part of that commitment, I'm pleased to note that just yesterday, a new rule went into effect that explicitly prohibits discrimination by USAID contractors. This rule means that any organization that contracts with USAID must ensure that all people can benefit from its federally-funded programs, regardless of... sexual orientation and gender identity."Translation: any organization with moral objections to the president's LGBT agenda will be ineligible for government aid contracts... Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village Wednesday support meetings Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:09 P.M., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 8 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m, 328-1/2 E. A, closed; 8:23 p.m., 719 3rd St., Evansville. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back); 7:30 p.m,. 805 E. Richards, Ste. 1. Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688. Al-Anon: 7-8 p.m.,500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200, 12-24 Club, for grades 6 and up. Info: 377-7260 or 258-1444; 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 302 E. 2nd. Use east entrance, meet downstairs in Room 12. Narcotics Anonymous: noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 8 p.m., 302 E. 2nd St., Methodist Church, enter east side. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org. Nicotine Anonymous: noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club. Info: Pam M., 577-0518; Troy Y., 267-6326. OIF/OEF Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m., Casper Vet Center, 1030 N. Poplar St., Ste. B. All OIF/OEF Veterans are invited to attend. No need to pre-register. Info: 261-5355. Teen Addiction Anonymous: 7- 8 p.m., 12-24 Club Teton Room. Info: 258-7439. TOPS #35 Weight Loss: 6:45 a.m., First Christian Church, 520 CY Ave. Weight Loss Support Group, Weigh-in is from 6:30 a.m.-8 a.m. Info: 258-2603 or 234-5644. TOPS #162: 8:30 a.m., United Methodist Church, 1880 Poplar. Anyone interested is invited to join. Info: 472-4926. Gov. Mead at Reveille Gov. Matt Mead will be discussing the state of the budget and associated impacts that the energy industry has on the economy at the Reveille Rotary meeting beginning at 7 a.m. at the Central Wyoming Senior Services Center. Since taking office, the Governor has put a focus on economic growth, a state energy strategy, consolidation of government services, supporting local government and enhancing infrastructure, and creating additional access to high-speed broadband. Gov. Mead continues to travel to communities around the state to hear from residents in the places where they live and work. The membership of the Reveille Rotary Club welcomes guests, and anyone wishing to hear from Governor Mead is invited to attend. Reveille Rotary meetings are held each Wednesday at 7 a.m. in the Central Wyoming Senior Services Center, 1831 East 4th Street. Coffee, Tea and Dee The public is invited to attend the monthly Coffee, Tea and Dee event on Wednesday, Nov. 2 and Dec. 7 at the Tate Geological Museum from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The event now features a chance for attendees to win a $5 gift certificate for the Tates gift shop. The coffee and tea are provided by P. Hawk Coffee Roasters, and are served free of charge courtesy of the Tate, according to Patti Finkle. P. Hawk has developed a special blend of coffee Pleistocene Epoch Coffee Mammuthus columbi, which will be available each month along with special varieties of Rooibos tea, says Finkle Coffee, Tea and Dee provides a monthly opportunity for both the Casper College community and the local community to come visit the Tate, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea at no charge, register for a chance to win a gift certificate, and check out the Tates many exhibits. The Tate Geological Museum is located on the Casper College campus and the event is free and open to the public. Wednesday Writers Would you like to leave a legacy by sharing your memories with the world? Practice writing, share your work and receive constructive feedback from fellow writers at 10 a.m. on the main floor of the Natrona County Library. Call 577-READ ext. 2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information. Small business roundtable Social Media v. Traditional Advertising is the subject for the Casper Business Roundtable from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First Interstate Bank, 104 South Wolcott, 2nd floor. Register to Kate McNally at kate.mcnally@fib.com or call 235-4338. Presenters are Josh Law and Jeff Grutkowski of Flood Marketing. Sponsors First Interstate Bank provides lunch. Nonprofit report presentation Jody Shields, managing director for the Wyoming Nonprofit Network, will present the Natrona County Wyoming Nonprofit Sector report from 1 to 2 p.m., in the Crawford Room of the Natrona County Public Library. This is one of nine statewide locations for the report to be presented. The report outlines the breadth and scope of Wyomings nonprofits and highlights the sectors combined economic impact. Please RSVP to 307-772-9148 or email info@wynoprofit.org Info about caregiver services Wyoming Dementia Care staff will be available from 1 to 1:30 p.m. in Wyoming Medical Centers West Tower lobby to answer questions and provide information about the range of free dementia caregiver services the program offers. For information about Wyoming Dementia Care or the National Alzheimers Awareness Month activities and events, contact Dani Guerttman, 265-4678. Free memory screenings Free, confidential Memory Screenings and education about dementia will be offered at the Midwest/Edgerton Health Clinic from 1-3:30 p.m. Memory screening is an initiative of the Alzheimers Foundation of America. Whether or not youre currently experiencing memory loss, memory screening is the first step toward proper diagnosis and treatment. A memory screening is not used to diagnosis any particular illness and does not replace consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. The screenings will be facilitated by WDCs staff and conducted by Meadow Wind Assisted Livings Tammy Corkill, RN and Natrona County Health Departments Adult Health Manager Mary Ann Lembke, RN. For information about Wyoming Dementia Care or the National Alzheimers Awareness Month activities and events, contact Dani Guerttman, 265-4678. After School at the Library The Natrona County Library will host a math carnival for elementary-age students at 4 p.m. Casper College students will lead a series of fun, hands-on, interactive math games designed to engage and teach students while helping them get excited about math. Snacks and prizes will be provided. Call 577-READ ext. 5 for more information. Day of the Dead celebration at Nic The Day of the Dead is a special time for Mexican people to honor those who have died. Please join us for the second annual family friendly Day of the Dead Celebration and Art Show at the Nicolaysen Art Museum from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Entry is $5 at the door. There are lectures, live music, dance performances, food from Qdoba and the Arepa Barn, face painting, altars, and artwork. For more information, call the Nicolaysen Art Museum at 235-5247. Drunken chicken at the Elks Wednesday Night Special is Drunken Chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and corn. All you can eat for $7, children 5 to 12 are $3, serving from 6 to 7 p.m. or until gone. Members, significant others and guest accompanied by a member. For more information, call 234-4839. Suggestions for food bags The Wyoming Food for Thought Project is providing weekend food bags to nearly 600 children in Natrona County weekly. While all donations are appreciated and used, this year the staff has compiled a list of things to donate monthly, in order to stock the shelves of the pantry at the program center. Here is a list of suggestions for the entire year: November, soup; December, canned chili. Donations can be dropped off any time at Food for Thought drop site locations, which include Great Harvest Bread, eastside WAC, Reliant FCU, Mary Anns Beans, Casper College Library, Aspen Ridge Dental, and the Food for Thought Program Center, 900 St. John St. Ira J Garnier III, 73, was called to heaven on October 28, 2016 surrounded by loving family and in the wonderful at home hospice care for COPD. J was born in Centralia, Illinois to Ira J Jr and Bernice Garnier. He married Juanita Kay Grathwohl June 5, 1962. He moved his family to Casper in 1970. He worked for the telephone company, retiring after 32 years, his first 27 years he worked in the Casper area. In February 1997 he took the management position in Cody, his area was Cody, Powell and Yellowstone Park. Later, prior to retirement he also had Dayton, Ranchester, Sheridan, Story and Buffalo. In 2002 he moved back to Casper as all of the family remained there. He served as a proud member of the U.S. Army Reserves and was a proud member of the National Rifle Association as a life member and benefactor. For years he went camping on the weekends from May through October; ending each year with annual antelope, deer and elk hunts. After retiring to Casper he spent time camping on Casper Mountain, riding his horses and later ATVs. His most treasured time was spent with family. He is survived by his wife of 54 years; his son, Ira Joseph Garnier IV (Jennifer) ; daughter, Julie Kellch Sauer (Vern) ; son, John David Garnier (Shanna); seven grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; 2 step-grandchildren; he has eight little ones under age nine and all living in this area, his pride and joy! He was preceded in death by loving parents and grandparents, a son-in-law, two special brother-in-laws, a nephew and a great nephew. Former Gov. Mike Sullivan is backing Democrat Ryan Greene for Wyomings U.S. House seat. Meanwhile, current Gov. Matt Mead is endorsing his Republican opponent, Liz Cheney. The election is Nov. 8. With U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis leaving at the end of the term, Wyomingites will choose the next occupant of the states only House seat. Greene is the Wyoming choice for Congress, said Sullivan, a Democrat who was governor from 1987 to 1995. As a welder and small businessman, Greene has worked his heart out for Wyoming, and that commitment will carry over to the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition to Sullivan, Greene received the endorsement of another former Democratic governor, Dave Freudenthal, before the primary election in August. Wyoming doesnt need a representative that will perpetuate the hostility and gridlock that have turned so many Americans away from the political process, added Sullivan. Wyoming needs a listener, a knowledgeable advocate, and a proven worker like Greene. Cheneys campaign, meantime, released a list of of supporters. In addition to Mead, a Republican, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney is endorsed by Sen. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, Rep. Cynthia Lummis, Wyoming State Treasurer Mark Gordon, State Auditor Cynthia Cloud, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, former Gov. Jim Geringer, former Secretary of State Max Maxfield and former State Auditor Rita Meyer. Former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson previously said he was backing Cheney. Former Wyoming House Speaker Randall Luthi has supported Cheneys campaign as well. Im honored to have the support of so many dedicated Wyoming patriots and public servants, Liz Cheney said in the statement. I look forward to working with them on behalf of Wyoming families, our energy, agriculture and tourism industries, our small businesses, and all our citizens. Both candidates have been endorsed by a number of trade groups as well. On Sept. 12, the transcript of an interview between state Rep. Gerald Gay and a journalist was published on the website of the left-leaning advocacy group Better Wyoming. The reporter and Republican lawmaker from Casper discussed an assortment of issues facing Wyoming. But it was Gays comments about the gender-pay gap that made headlines first in Wyoming and then nationally. Last year, the Equality State had the worst disparity between mens and womens wages in the United States. Gay said women contributed to the problem, arguing they were taking too much maternity and sick leave: Women are always going to take their full maternity leave, and theres the dependability issue about whether theyre going to show up for things. Women and many men across Wyoming were irate. The representative doubled down on his comments in an interview with the Star-Tribune after the transcript was published. His remarks later made national news and resulted in the Natrona County GOP leadership and some key Republican luminaries distancing themselves from his words. Gay has since said he doesnt blame women for the problem. The media twisted his words because it has an agenda, he said. Gays taken out radio advertisements, blaming the Star-Tribune and establishment Republicans for his troubles. The Gay controversy was the first time this election cycle that work from a group of left-leaning activist organizations in Wyoming has garnered attention. Better Wyoming is a project of Forward Wyoming, an educational nonprofit that has other programs geared toward young people and grassroots organizing. Forward Wyoming, Forward Wyoming Advocacy and ELLA WY are the newest groups to enter Wyomings political scene. ELLA was the first group formed, starting in 2013. The trio of groups are each structured differently under the federal tax code, and their donors are not publicly disclosed. Liz Storer, a Jackson resident and granddaughter of broadcast pioneer George B. Storer, said shes been involved in their formation and is among a group of advisers, whom she did not disclose. Little has been known about the progressive activist groups until now. Anonymous groups, from the trio on the left to the Wyoming Liberty Group on the right, are changing the political landscape in Wyoming, which had prided itself in direct contact between constituents and elected officials. When the groups are involved in electing or defeating candidates, the cash they funnel is known as dark money. State election law largely permits dark money, although the Wyoming GOP has complained about the groups to the Wyoming Secretary of States office. The Republicans accuse the organizations of working closely together in violation of state law. The groups deny the allegations. And Storer downplayed the role that Better Wyoming had in the Gay controversy. It was an interview that was transcribed, so it was really Geralds own comments that upset people, she said. ELLA Throughout much of the last decade, the Wyoming Democratic Party had been steadily losing legislative seats. Democratic candidates complained the party was not providing them enough money and volunteers to defeat their GOP opponents. But in 2014, that trend somewhat reversed: Wyoming was one of a handful of states to increase the number of Democrats in the Legislature. Wyomings gain was small only one additional seat turned blue, bringing to 13 the number of Democrats in the 90-seat Legislature. A new company, ELLA, was widely credited with the electoral success that had previously eluded the party. ELLA specializes in campaign management helping candidates with canvassing, voter data analysis and keeping track of potential supporters. Storer and others involved in the groups formation were looking for left-of-center candidates in 2014. Chris Bell, who was an ELLA staffer back then and is now its executive director, said he and other employees approached people with leadership skills and asked them to run. They looked for people who could inspire the public about issues that transcend party lines, such as the future of public lands, the wage gap and Medicaid expansion. The bigger issue is affordable access to high-quality health care, Bell said. The simplest answer is Medicaid expansion. After success in 2014, ELLA employees did not have to search hard for potential candidates. This cycle, candidates approached ELLA asking for help, Bell said. Six legislative candidates hired ELLA to manage their campaigns this year including Democrat Dan Neal, running for House District 56 in Casper, and Rep. Charles Pelkey, a Laramie Democrat seeking re-election in HD45. Some other candidates did not hire ELLA to run their campaigns but are paying ELLA to access its voter file, including Rep. Mary Throne, a Cheyenne Democrat who is running for re-election in House District 11, Bell said. The Wyoming Secretary of State provides candidates an Excel file of voters addresses, party affiliation and elections theyve voted in, among other things. ELLA has put the information in a user-friendly format, he said. The Star-Tribune tried to learn about all the candidates ELLA is helping, but Bell stopped confirming names, saying he should not discuss them until an investigation into the Wyoming GOP allegations is complete. If this was under different circumstances, I would be happy to talk to you, he said. Pelkey spoke highly about the company, saying its employees are enthusiastic young people who want to make a difference. ELLA gave me good data, he said. If you knock on 100 doors, its sometimes random. But if you have a fairly good breakdown of peoples party affiliation and their party interests, they have that. I save time for myself and I have people help me in my campaign, which has worked out really well. The Storer family Storer is the president and CEO of the $73 million George B. Storer Foundation, founded in 1955 by her grandfather, George B. Storer. The family has long been interested in politics. George Storer helped elect former Gov. Cliff Hansen, current Gov. Matt Meads grandfather, to the U.S. Senate, and Casper oilman John Wold to the U.S. House, Storer said. Both men, coincidentally, were Republicans. He essentially loaned them one of his employees who helped organize their campaigns, Liz Storer wrote in the history of the organizations. I dont know if you could do that today with campaign contribution limits, but both gentlemen told me that this was an important factor in their electoral victories. Storer said she ran for the Legislature in 1996, when she lived in Cheyenne, and lost by a narrow margin. At the time, she recognized candidates needed help in campaign messaging and assembling data. Thirteen years later, the foundation paid for research that examined how the public was educated and engaged in conservation, public lands, education and health care, and other issues. The survey showed that compared to other states, little was being done on the issues by Wyoming nonprofits. Furthermore, no group was highlighting legislators votes on bills relating to the issues. ELLA was born shortly after. Bob Kubichek, a Casper native who worked for Obama for America in 2012, was the first executive director. The Wyoming GOP has tied the trio of organizations to the Obama administration and the Democratic National Committee, although Kubicheks job on the Obama campaign ended when the president was re-elected. Kubichek left ELLA to run the campaign for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Utah, Storer said. In 2014, Forward Wyoming and Forward Wyoming Advocacy were born. Forward Wyoming Forward Wyoming is a nonprofit with an institute to show young people how to become involved in grassroots organizing, said its executive director, Marc Homer. Its an attempt to empower young people, who are often accused of being lackadaisical about the world around them, but who more frequently feel disengaged by the process, Homer said. Better Wyoming is a project of Forward Wyoming, with its own staff, Homer said. Forward Wyoming is also pushing a get-out-the vote message across the political spectrum to people who have common interests in its core issues, such as keeping public lands safe from transfer to the states, he said. Forward Wyoming Advocacy Forward Wyoming Advocacy is spending money on whats known as independent expenditures advertising and other campaign tactics designed to promote some candidates and criticize their opponents. Its legal, as long as the candidates who benefit from the campaign dont coordinate with Forward Wyoming Advocacy. The Wyoming GOP has complained to the Wyoming Secretary of States office about campaigns of the Wyoming Hunters and Anglers Alliance and Women Lead Wyoming, both projects of Forward Wyoming Advocacy. In one of the ads, postcards were sent to Albany County voters, showing a hunter in camouflage, with a backpack and gun, walking toward a grove of trees. Where do your candidates stand on public lands? the text reads. On the other side of the postcard, people are told to vote for Ken Chestek, whos running for House District 46 and who opposes the movement to transfer land to the states. Theyre told to not vote for his Republican opponent, Bill Haley, calling him a coward for saying he wants to investigate both sides of the land transfer proposition. The Wyoming GOP argues theres no way a candidate who has hired ELLA would be ignorant of the independent campaigns. Go to the office I did, said Wyoming GOP chairman Matt Micheli, referring to the ELLA office. Look at it. The address in Laramie, its like two rooms. Theres no way these people arent talking to each other. And its the same people. The progressive groups in their response to the GOP allegations said Forward Wyoming Advocacy months ago moved out of ELLA offices to another location in Laramie. They provided the Wyoming Secretary of States office with a copy of the legal opinion from their attorney, who told them how to keep their operations separate. Forward Wyoming Advocacy now has different Laramie offices than ELLAs. The staff moved several months ago, said Sydney Stein, Forward Wyoming Advocacy executive director. Micheli, the GOP chairman, said that Forward Wyoming Advocacy only notified the state it had moved 10 days before the Republican Party complaint, which he said is suspicious. He said the GOPs attorney visited the Forward Wyoming address and thinks its in an apartment building. Stein denied the allegation. Its our own office, she said. It is not a residence. Bell, of ELLA, said that the connections between the organizations may look unusual but similar activism is occurring in other places. This happens all over the United States, he said. We provide services for people who want to connect with their constituencies. We are so vigilant to make sure we have the appropriate protocols in place. Rep. Jim Byrd, a Cheyenne Democrat, is not employing ELLA this election cycle because he said that when a candidate signs a contract with them, those politicians cannot take political advice from others. He disagrees with that, since none of the advisers have legislative experience. But he thinks the Republicans are silly for panicking over the progressive groups, when for years they have benefited from dark money on the right, which has helped defeat many Democrats and even moderate Republicans. The Democratic Party has little power in Wyoming, Byrd said. If (a GOP candidate) loses theyre building a platform to whine on, Byrd said. And a few of these races they know theyre going to lose. And theyre worried about a few more races because they dont have good messaging. When you have a simple majority for the last 15 years and were in this kind of financial shape, the Republicans own this. Although the donors to the nonprofit organizations are unknown, Storer said the push back is because they are different. There is this culture that doesnt allow for difference of opinion particularly well, she said. If you challenge the status quo, youre pretty much shunned. STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. A Wyoming man has died after his tractor-trailer went off the side of a Colorado highway and rolled onto its top. Colorado State Trooper Nate Reid said 55-year-old Harry Milton Watson died at the scene of the Oct. 31 crash on the west side of Rabbit Ears Pass. His truck, which was loaded with powdered cement, crashed near the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Sky Valley Drive, where drivers negotiate a sweeping left curve. Reid says it's not yet clear what contributed to the crash. Two cats were found alive and taken to a veterinary office. Human Society Shelter Manager Karen Donoghue said the cats have been placed in foster care and are being monitored for signs of head trauma. If you have a question, suggestion or comment that you would like to share with us, please email us at Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $174.7 million contract to develop a hypersonic missile concept for the Pentagon. The contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is for unspecified work on the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, which envisions a cruise missile that can travel over Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, using a scramjet engine. Initially, about $3.4 million of fiscal 2016 research and development funds have been obligated under the contract, according to a Defense Department contract notice. The Pentagon is researching two types of hypersonic missiles to defeat increasingly sophisticated air defenses and attack heavily defended targets. In April 2015, Raytheon was awarded a $20.5 million DARPA contract to develop another type of hypersonic technology, a tactical boost-glide missile. The air-breathing scramjet relies on high speed for its power, pushing more air and fuel into the engine as it accelerates. The boost-glide model rides a re-entry vehicle to extremely high altitudes, where it skips across the Earths upper atmosphere before gliding to its target. Raytheon is competing for the DARPA hypersonic missile work with Lockheed Martin, which last month was awarded a $171 million contract for a scramjet version and $147 million contract for a tactical boost-glide concept. Fighting the fear of cancer just became a little easier: As of last week, all the information patients need to stay organized as they battle the disease is not just in the bag, it is also on the wrist. I think the new bag is going to serve patients so well, said Sherri Romanoski, who founded the nonprofit Bag It in 2003. The USB wristband is an even more improved resource and such a great tool where they can store their information, and I think they will appreciate that they are able to share it with more people who are helping them through their cancer journey. Named for the canvas tote bag that has become recognizable to many cancer patients and their families in the past decade, the organization is on a mission to educate, empower and support newly diagnosed individuals and their families. The new bag contains not only educational information and resources from the National Cancer Institute and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship and the signature tabulated binder in which to organize lab and test results, insurance papers and other medical records, but also a USB wristband think a Livestrong bracelet that contains a USB flash drive with four gigabytes of storage that holds all the publications and forms in the canvas bag in PDF form as well as any desired medical records. Four gigabytes can hold a lot of documents, and patients can use this as another form of storage for medical history, advance directives, test results and any other paperwork. They can customize it as they like, and it is really helpful for patients and medical providers who have electronic medical systems, said Romanoski. Romanoski emphasized that while many patients still prefer a hard copy of their records and many physicians encourage patients to keep a hard copy the new wristband/USB drive will also become essential. Everything is becoming more and more digital with smartphones, tablets and computers and eventually that is probably where everything will be, so we are transitioning slowly. We are listening to what patients and medical providers are saying and want to make information as accessible and user-friendly as possible since the easier it is to use it, the more likely they are to use it, Romanoski said. The USB is also convenient for patients since different hospitals and medical providers often utilize different electronic medical systems. Even if systems arent compatible, if you give them a USB, they can see all your reports and information. Also, with snowbirds and people who spend part of their time in other places, the USB makes information very portable. The medical providers really like it since it is easier to share information in an efficient way and it is just another way to keep patients informed, which is part of our mission, Romanoski said. Romanoski understood the need to take control and become educated after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2001; that desire inspired Bag It, which has helped to empower 70,000 patients and their families . It provides bags to patients with all types of cancer free of charge and currently distributes 7,000 bags through 160 clinics, hospitals and physicians offices statewide annually. We think we are currently reaching about 25 percent of people diagnosed with cancer statewide, and we would like to reach more than that, said Mindy Griffith, the volunteer and event coordinator for Bag It. To facilitate expansion, the organization depends not only on long-time sponsors such as Arizona Oncology and contributions from private donors, but on fundraisers such as the annual Take A Hike For Bag It, which seeks to raise at least $100,000 this year. Now in its 13th year, Griffith said the family-friendly event features hikes or walks suitable for all ages and abilities followed by a themed brunch with a fun and whimsical atmosphere. This years theme is Superheroes Hike for Bag It, and participants are encouraged to dress in superhero costumes; additionally, participants who complete the Challenge Hike into Ventana Canyon will be rewarded with superhero capes. We feel that everyone connected to Bag It and cancer in general are superheroes, from those battling cancer to the people supporting them and caring for them, Griffith said. Griffith hopes the event will attract a diverse audience, from those who enjoy hiking and cancer survivors to those currently undergoing treatment many of whom she said choose to participate in the meditative walk around the grounds of the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. She suggested that those who prefer to sleep in consider the brunch-only option to support the cause. Cancer is something that impacts us all and we need to embrace it and deal with it in the best way we can. We want people to have a good time at this event and feel good about helping themselves and others because, unfortunately, if we havent already been impacted by cancer, we are going to be at some point, Griffith said. A $6.8 million federal grant could mean better sewer service for a community of low-income Douglas residents that has inadequately treated sewage flowing into backyards, streets and alleyways, officials say. But the grant, announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will need a second, larger grant before a major upgrade of the citys sewage treatment plant can get started and new sewer lines can be extended to a colonia outside the city that now relies on septic tanks. It may be more than three years before the entire project is done and residents enjoy new sewer service, said Luis Pedroza, Douglas city treasurer and finance director. The USDA grant will allow the city of Douglas to install sewer lines to replace septic tanks serving 342 homes and three commercial properties at the Bay Acres colonia, lying just outside the citys northeast edge. Colonias, which are officially declared by the federal government, are typically low-income communities in unincorporated rural areas, usually near the Mexican border, that lack some basic public services such as water, sewer, paved roads and safe and sanitary housing. Its the only Arizona project among 85 in 40 states that were awarded $331 million in grants Monday by the agriculture department. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack discussed the Douglas grant award in a Monday morning telephone interview. The work could also allow more homes to be served with sewers in that community if more people move in, he said. Douglas is an area of great need and its an area where there is and continues to be persistent poverty and an area where obviously improved service will make a difference, said Vilsack, explaining why it was selected. But before the residents can get the new sewer lines, the city needs a bigger sewage plant to serve them. That requires a second grant of about $7.4 million to upgrade the 69-year-old sewage plant, Pedroza said. The existing plant now operates at capacity, he said. The grant application is pending before the North American Development Bank, a joint, U.S.-Mexican agency that works with local communities to build projects that improve environmental quality. Residents of the Bay Acres colonia currently use inadequate, septic tank systems that are too small and dont provide big enough areas to build new or replacement leach fields, said a copy of the grant proposal under consideration by the bank. The area is now discharging about 96,000 gallons per day of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater, the grant proposal said. In addition, the systems are either failing or near the end of their useful lives. As a result, inadequately treated sewage, black water, and gray water are discharged into streets, backyards, and alleyways, the grant proposal said. This is a public health concern due to various pathogenic microorganisms, ammonia and nitrate (in the sewage) that may produce a health risk to humans and degrade the environment. When finished, the sewage plant upgrade and the new sewer lines will provide adequate wastewater treatment capacity contributing to the reduction of water pollution and the risk of waterborne disease, the proposal said. Right now, the tanks are not holding what they supposed to be holding anymore; some of the tanks have leaks, Pedroza said. They are pretty old. They are discharging wastes into groundwater. Douglas is in southeast Cochise County, about 118 miles southeast of Tucson. Its population of about 17,370 people had in 2014 an estimated median household income of $26,222, with 31.5 percent of its residents living below the poverty level. By contrast, the statewide median household income that year was $49,928, and 18.2 percent of the states population lived below the poverty level. Pedroza said the entire wastewater project will cost about $18 million, meaning the city will need additional money to make it happen. PHOENIX Five Arizonans serving life terms for crimes committed as juveniles are going to get a chance to get those sentences reduced. In a divided ruling Monday, U.S. Supreme Court justices said their prior court rulings require trial judges to take the extra step when sentencing juveniles to determine whether their crimes reflect transient immaturity or if the defendant is one of those rare children whose crimes reflect irreparable corruption for whom a life without parole sentence may be appropriate. And with that in mind, the justices sent five Arizona cases back to the state to consider whether that judgment was made. An aide to Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said his office will review each case to decide what to do next. The balance we must strike in each of these cases is the requirement to comply with the Supreme Court ruling, the due process rights of each defendant, and the rights to justice and due process of each victim, said Amanda Jacinto. The majoritys action drew an unhappy dissent from Justice Samuel Alito. Joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, he said the only thing set as precedent by the courts earlier ruling is that states cannot impose mandatory life terms on juveniles. Alito said Arizona complies because it does not have such a requirement. A sentence of life without parole was imposed in each of these cases, not because Arizona law dictated such a sentence, but because a court, after taking the defendants youth into account, found that life without parole was appropriate in light of the nature of the offense and the offender, Alito wrote. The majority, in vacating the sentences and sending the cases back to Arizona, did not write a formal opinion. But Justice Sonia Sotomayor felt compelled to write her own explanation of the issue. At the heart of the issue is a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that says sentencing judges are required to take into account how children are different and how those differences counsel against irrevocably sentencing them to a lifetime in prison. The justices concluded children are constitutionally different from adults for purposes of sentencing because of lack of maturity, undeveloped sense of responsibility, susceptibility to negative influences and outside pressure, and less well-formed character traits. More to the point, the justices said that appropriate occasions for sentencing juveniles to the harshest penalty will be uncommon. That standard has been in place since the 2012 ruling. But what caused these five specific cases to come under scrutiny is the justices have previously concluded and reiterated Monday that the standard for imposing life terms on juveniles is retroactive, meaning it applies to those already behind bars. Sotomayor cited the case of William F. Najar out of Mesa, sentenced in 2005 to life behind bars without possibility of release. She said the sentencing judge did note that Najar was 16 and emotionally and physically immature but made no effort to meet the requirements of the Supreme Court standard to show he represented the rare juvenile offender who exhibits such irretrievable depravity that rehabilitation is impossible and life without parole is justified. Similarly, Sotomayor said the judge who sentenced Bobby C. Purcell, 16 at the time of the crimes, minimized the relevance of his troubled childhood, concluding, This case sums up the result of the defendants family environment: He became a double-murderer at 16. Nothing more need be said. What the sentencing judge did not do, Sotomayor wrote, is consider the factors the Supreme Court requires to determine whether a life term was appropriate and whether Purcell was likely to do well in the structured environment of prison and that he possesses the capacity to be meaningfully rehabilitated. Alito, however, said there was ample evidence that Purcell fit into the category of those whose crime reflect irreparable corruption. He said Purcell, a gang member, fired a sawed-off shotgun into a group of teens in Phoenix, killing two of them, under the belief they had flashed a rival gangs sign at him. Purcell was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, nine counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated assault and misconduct involving weapons. And Alito said the trial judge considered his youth and still sentenced him to life without parole. Other cases sent back to review the propriety of the life sentences include: Scott L. DeShaw, convicted of a 1994 murder and kidnapping in Gilbert; Jonathan Arias, involved in a 1999 murder at a Glendale car wash; Bobby J. Tatum, a Tucson resident convicted in the robbery and death of a Glendale woman. PHOENIX The state Democratic Party wants a federal judge to block what it claims are planned voter intimidation tactics by the Republican Party and the Trump campaign. In a lawsuit filed Monday in U.S. District Court here, attorney Mark Elias claims the GOP nominee has a goal of voter suppression. And Elias said Donald Trump is carrying that out by using the loudest microphone in the nation to implore his supporters to engage in unlawful intimidation at Arizona polling places. And Elias cited comments that state Republican officials gave to Capitol Media Services earlier this year as proof of their role in the effort. Attorney Tim LaSota, who represents the state GOP, acknowledged the party wants people to show up at polling places and keep their eyes open. But he said nothing being pushed by Chairman Robert Graham or spokesman Tim Sifert is illegal. The stuff were talking about is legitimate poll-watching efforts, he said. People have a right to be at the polls, LaSota said, whether its to keep watch, hand out literature or even talking to and questioning people coming and going. Thats called protected free speech. But Elias is arguing to Judge John Tucci that what Trump and the GOP are urging voters to do violates not only state election laws but federal statutes designed to protect people going to the polls from intimidation. Some of what Elias cites as evidence is Trumps repeated accusations that the system is rigged and the election could be stolen by Hillary Clinton and her supporters. That includes allegations that people not in this country legally would be going to the polls, and that 14 percent of non-citizens are registered to vote. Elias said that amounts to contending that Latino voters are undocumented immigrants whom the federal government has allowed to pour into this country specifically to vote in the election. More to the point, Trump told supporters at one rally to check out areas because a lot of bad things happen, and we dont want to lose for that reason. But Elias also is using the comments Graham made to Capitol Media Services about how the Republican poll watchers will be the eyes and ears of the GOP to identify people who attempt to drop off multiple early ballots in violation of a new state law. Elias pointed out to Tucci there are restrictions in state law on what can be done by those observers who have been officially designated by a political party to be poll watchers and sit inside polling places. That includes a prohibition against photography and even against approaching a voter inside the polling place or within 75 feet. But Graham said in August the observers are still free to follow voters out into the parking lot, ask them questions, take their pictures and photograph their vehicles and license plate. That information, he said, might give police and prosecutors the information they need to bring charges. That was echoed by Sifert. If a poll observer sees something they are free to go outside that 75-foot limit, he said. Thats where they can turn on their phone to take video or pictures or something like that, Sifert continued. That also includes asking the voter his or her name and why there were multiple ballots. And if the voter tells the observer to shove off? They can take a picture of the person, he said, as well as a photo of the license plate on the voters car which should help identify the voter. Elias wants Tucci to issue an order blocking individuals from questioning, interrogating, or verbally harassing voters or prospective voters. He also wants a ban on following, taking photos of, or otherwise recording voters or prospective voters. LaSota, however, said such a broad-based ban would preclude legitimate political activities. He pointed out that candidates and their surrogates often stand outside polling places, approach would-be voters and hand out literature and potentially even engage them in conversation. You can go up to someone and ask them a question, LaSota said, the same right that allows reporters to walk up to people and question them. That isnt illegal in America. Still, even LaSota acknowledged there are limits. While some of the charges in the legal papers filed here are specific to Arizona, similar lawsuit were also being filed Monday in the other battleground states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Nevada. Gary Miller/FilmMagicNot long ago, a U.S. district court judge agreed to seal a photo in Taylor Swift's civil action against deejay David Mueller -- he sued her for slander, and she claims he assaulted her. A description of that photo has now been revealed in court documents, and the photo is said to show Mueller groping the star's behind and smiling. As the Denver Post reports, Judge William J. Martinez sealed the photo on the basis that widespread media dissemination of this image might significantly complicate jury selection," but he denied a motion to seal a description of the picture in question. Lawyers for Taylor, her mom and Frank Bell, her radio promotions director, spilled the beans on Monday in a reply to Mueller's slander suit. The Denver Post reports that according to a court filing on behalf of Taylor, her mom, and Bell, among others, which you can read on the paper's website, the photo shows "Mueller with his hand in an inappropriate place and a grin on his face." The document also states that Mueller groped Taylor's "bottom," and restates a previous claim that he lifted Taylor's skirt before he grabbed her. The image depicted in the photograph of Ms. Swift with Mueller speaks for itself, states the document claims. Mueller originally sued Taylor for slander in September of 2015, claiming he lost his job after he was falsely accused of groping her backstage at a 2013 concert. Mueller claims a colleague did the groping. In October of 2015, Taylor filed a counterclaim, accusing him of assaulting her. In the court filing, Bell claims that he described the photo to Mueller's boss, and also sent the boss a copy of the photo. Copyright 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Help India! By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net Narendra Modis sudden decision to attend Ravan Dahan function in Lucknowfirst time by a Prime Minister outside Delhito be followed by a trip to his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, and a number of visits to Uttar Pradesh by various Union ministers, especially that of defence minister Manohar Parrikar to Agra, have inadvertently exposed the perception that the Bharatiya Janata Party was not on sure-footing in the poll-bound state till the surgical strike took place. Support TwoCircles Though surgical strike type operations have taken place in the past tooin 1971 the Indian army even mutilated Pakistanyet the September 29 operation initially generated a lot of goodwill for the present government. All the political parties appreciated the army action. But by hurriedly making a political capital out of the incident and overplaying itespecially in dealing with the Bollywoodthe BJP has bared its weakness and unpreparedness in the state which is going to election three months from now. It suggests that had the Uri terrorists attackwhich triggered a surgical strikenot taken place the party would have struggled for any election issue. Till then the BJP was least equipped for the election. It has no agenda, no chief ministerial candidate and no slogan. This is the condition in the state where it, with its alliance partner Apna Dal, won 73 out of 80 seats in the last Lok Sabha election. True, the prime minister while speaking in Lucknow, refrained from taking any credit for the surgical strike, and asked 125 crore Indians to be vigilant of the terrorists yet the whole exercise had specific objective. Burning the effigies of Pakistani prime minister, Nawaz Sharif and dubbing him as Ravan is one thing, but using religious symbols in the state going to poll is something very different. Modi started his speech with the slogan Jai Shri Ram and warned Pakistan on this occasion. He explained as to how the world had been ignoring the threat of terrorism when India used to raise it some three decades back or so. But now the the world is recognizing this fact. Modi could have raised all these issues in Delhis Ram Lila too. But why he travelled all the way to Lucknow and went to no other state capital or any other city? The answer is very much there. In Varanasi on October 24 the prime minister apparently laid down the foundation of several schemes and addressed the people. In Lucknow he was welcomed by his home minister, Rajnath Singh, who is also the local MP. Though the BJP has no regional leader of the stature of Akhilesh Singh or Mayawatieven Congress has projected old hand Sheila Dikshitpolitical observers are attaching too much significance to the way Rajnath Singh played his role in the recent days. Though the party is in a bind over announcing any CM candidate after bitter experiences in Delhi, where it projected Kiran Bedi, and Bihar, where it put up none, yet Rajnath may be tipped for that job if any such situation arises. But the unusual haste in which the party tried to capitalize on the surgical strike for its own end has opened floodgates of criticism not only from all the opposition parties, but even from independent analysts, who were lauding the raid in the terror launch pads inside Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. They are of the view that by going overboard the BJP has harmed its own interest. The posters which greeted PM in Varanasi embarrassed the party bigwigs when it was found that they did not carry the photos of Indian soldiers, but that of US troops in Iraq. How can this happen? Not only this: the way Maharashtra chief minister brokered a deal between film-maker Karan Johar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief, Raj Thackeray only exposed the BJP further. The over-use of surgical strike for political end may prove counter-productive for the party, which is trying to bounce back in UP. But it seems the saffron party has learnt little from the Bihar and Delhi experiences. In Bihar the PM had addressed over 30 election rallies in 2015. The overplay of Jungle Raj abuse and over-criticism of the Nitish Kumar government, instead of yielding a good result, paved the way for a disastrous defeat. Help India! By TCN News Maulana Mahmood Madani, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind expressed concern and anger over the Bhopal encounter and said that the video clips, circumstances of the encounter and other facts substantiate that it was well-staged fake encounter. Support TwoCircles Madani demanded an independent judicial enquiry which follows harsh punishment for those who are involved in it. Madani, who was fighting cases of these slain youths in court, said the investigative agencies of this country indulge in fake encounter to cover up their own failure. He cited his counsels opinion that ATS failed to submit any key evidence against these accused within over many years. The two videos came to the public reveal that these armless youths have been shot from a point blank, he added. Madani also raised doubts that how they fled away from the central jail which is fortified by armed forces and equipped with modern weapons. It is to be noted that the central jail of Bhopal is an ISO 9001 centre. Then, how did these youths scale the all three walls without any security alarm and without coming in contact with live wire on the walls? Madani also condemned the contradictory statements of the State Home Minister and said that he should not cover up the crime of the state police. He urged him to face the facts that how these youths took possession of arms and ammunitions and how can police force in the world go into an encounter, with mobile phones shooting them in action and how so many villagers were present over the site without cordon-off. Madani also expressed his pain at some elements trying to make light of this sensitive issue by branding those killed as terrorists and said that we are a country that follows a legal system which believe in principle of law that no accused should be pronounced guilty until convicted. He added that since Jamiat was fighting legal case of these youths, it will not remain silent but reveal the facts of the matter before court of law. It's Diwali season across India and everyone is in the celebration mood. The Indian televisionshowrunners seem to have realized this fact and are staying away for the twist and turns that might upset the main leads of the show and in turn hamper the festive mood of the viewers. So to capture the festive mood, they are trying hard to integrate romantic songs and dance sequences since we all know that music and dance forms an important part of Indian celebrations. This has resulted not only in Diwali special televised events being telecast on all Indian TV channels but also Diwali special episodes of scriptedshows. Surbhi's Haldi celebrations begin with Saumya and Harman's romantic dance Keeping in line with the happy mood around, Colors channels Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki is about to showcase the main lead Saumya (Rubina Dilaik) and Harman (Vivian Dsena) in a romantic dance performance. According to online reports they will be seen dancing and spending some much needed quality time together on the occasion of Surbhis Haldi ceremony. As expected, Harman and Saumyas close dance will make Nimmi (Reena Kapoor) extremely happy about the situation and the turn of events. The happiness will be short-lived as Harman had promised Preeto (played by Kamya Punjabi) that he will marry someone else once he rescues Saumya from the Kinnar world. Preeto will get Saumya into trouble, Harman will try and rescue Online reports also suggest that Preeto (Kamya Punjabi) will also try to send Saumya to Bangkok through illegal trafficking so that she remains away from Harman and he marries someone else without any further delays and problems. This will result in a Bangkok shoot where Harman will try to rescue Saumya all over again. Apparently Harman will be forced to marry a girl named Mahi. Saumya, on the other hand, will have to accept the reality and make peace with the unfortunate turn of events that have come to pass. Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki airs on Colors Monday to Friday 8 pm ISD. Donald Trump would like tochange the subject of his own legal problemsthat he will face after the election. Famed authorSalman Rushdie posted on Facebook the list of legal issues facing the Republican nominee for President. The list is lengthy.For one, he must answer questions raised ina lawsuit, filed by a woman who claimsTrumpraped her when she was only 13 years old. Trump in trouble if elected That is just the beginning for Trump, who would be in anawkward position of answering these chargesshould he get elected. In another civil lawsuit, the trial that accusedTrump of defrauding students of Trump University in failing to deliver on promises of riches for students dishing out tens of thousand of dollars to the school and receiving nothing in return is scheduled to begin. There was the federal court judge that Trump slammed The Trump University trial judge hasgotten under Trump's skin, who attackedU.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, charging he is notan impartial arbiter, but a hater citinghis Mexican heritage. In fact, Judge Curiel was born in the state of Indiana. The students atTrump Universitywere promised to learn insight to the "secret Trump real estate strategies." Again, theawkwardness of a President-elect distracted by these issues would tarnish his administration. Reminder: Donald Trump due in court after Election Day on child rape and racketeering charges https://t.co/JpVpAixGCF pic.twitter.com/SFOuQkk3Af Raw Story (@RawStory) October 31, 2016 But Salman Rushdie didn't stop at the child rape charges and the racketeering case of Trump University. He called him"a sexual predator."He also pointed out that Trump has gone against tradition in not releasing his income tax returns and used "Trump Foundation" money for personal and business reasons. He also pointed out that he abused the family of an American-Muslim war hero who gave his life for his country.He than made a spirited defense ofHillary Clinton, saying the emails weren't a crime. He closed by writing:"Come on, America. Focus." The Ayatollah of Iran put a fatwa on Salman Rushdie It wasSalman Rushdie, whose fourth novel The Satanic Verses (1988), which provoked some of the Muslim world, and included death threats,including afatwathat called for his assassination ordered by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1988, who was a past Supreme Leader of Iran. It was the British government that put Rushdieunder police protection. Last weekend, a pipeline in North Dakota owned by a Houston-based company, Oasis Petroleum, ruptured. Currently, nearly 70,000 gallons of crude oil has leaked out from this pipeline into the White Earth River, a stream that flows into the Missouri River and alsothe same river that the standing rock sioux are trying to protect by protesting against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Recap of the Dakota Access Pipeline On October 10, Indigenous Peoples Day, a series of well-known protests beganafter the U.S. Court of Appeals denied the ruling to halt the building of theDakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). This pipeline, also being built by a Houston-based company, is planned to be constructed under the Missouri River for carrying thousands of barrels of crude oil. With the Missouri River being the largest river in the United States, there are possibilities that the pipeline will bust ending inextreme pollution to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservations only source of water and water throughout America. In addition to this, the pipeline isbeing builtthrough the ancient burial grounds of theSioux Tribe. Oil leak in North Dakota As mentioned above, last weekend a major oil leak occurred. The ruptureof the pipeline occurred around 11 p.m. on Saturday night and its cause is unknown. So far, Oasis Petroleum has not been successful in capping the pipeline tostop the flow of oiloutwards. Because the oil has made its way into the White Earth River which isa forerunner ofthe Missouri River, multiple oil absorbent booms have been installed in efforts to stop its flow downstream. It is sad to say that the public is notified of very few pipeline spillsthat occur in the United States. This is not the first Oasis pipeline spill in North Dakota; they were responsible for spills in both 2014 and 2015.This occurrenceonly justifies the concerns that the Native American and non-Native American protestors have portrayed through #NoDAPL.It is in great hopes that Oasis Petroleum can put a halt to the oil spill as soon as possible. CGN said to weigh IPO of Malaysian electricity firm Updated: 2016-11-01 09:15 (China Daily) A construction worker talks on the phone in front of a 1Malaysia Development Berhad billboard at the Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Photo/Reuters] China General Nuclear Power Corp, which bought embattled state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd's power assets for $2.3 billion this year, is considering listing the business as early as 2017, people with knowledge of the matter said. The State-owned company could raise as much as $400 million from a Malaysian initial public offering of Edra Global Energy Bhd, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the details are private. Edra Global, based in Kuala Lumpur, is the second biggest independent power producer in Malaysia, trailing only Malakoff Corp. It has 13 electricity projects with a total installed capacity of 6,620 megawatts across Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, according to CGN's website. A representative for CGN didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. An Edra Global offering could help provide a boost to the Malaysian equity market after first-time share sales raised just $270 million this year, the lowest level for any comparable period since 2009, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Southeast Asian nation forecasts its economy will expand as much as 5 percent in 2017, compared with 4 percent to 4.5 percent this year. Malaysian developer Eco World International Bhd said last week it plans to seek more than 2 billion ringgit ($476 million) in a domestic IPO. QSR Brands Bhd, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in Southeast Asia, is seeking bank pitches for a first-time share sale that could raise about $400 million, people with knowledge of the matter said last month. Plans for the listing of Edra Global are preliminary and details could change, the people said. CGN agreed last year to pay 9.83 billion ringgit to buy Edra Global from 1MDB, the Malaysian investment fund that is at the center of several international investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering. The transaction was completed earlier this year. BLOOMBERG Australia's fresh milk taking direct flights to China Updated: 2016-11-01 09:31 (China Daily) A customer chooses products imported from Australia and New Zealand in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily] China's quest for higher-quality food is taking a big swing to the south. In fact, 5,300 miles (8,500 kilometers) down to Tasmania, the dairy-hungry nation's newest source of fresh milk. Businessman Lu Xianfeng plans to begin early next year flying fresh milk to his home city of Ningbo, in eastern China, from the island state where he owns Australia's largest dairy operation. Lu's Moon Lake Investments Pty bought the 191-year-old Van Diemen's Land Co for A$280 million ($214 million) in March, giving him access to 25 dairy farms and enough milk to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every nine days. A share of that will be flown to Ningbo every week, Sean Shwe, Moon Lake's managing director, said in Hobart, where the China-bound bulk deliveries will depart. While countries as far away as the Czech Republic and Chile sell milk to China, Moon Lake is counting on gaining an edge with milk from Tasmania's far northwest coast which boasts "the cleanest air in the world". The volume of milk shipments to the world's most-populous nation has jumped an average of 126 percent a year since 2010, creating a $333 million market dominated by the European Union, according to Chinese customs data. Chinese consumers, ruffled by past food scandals, see imported milk as a safer alternative to domestic supplies, the US Department of Agriculture said in May. Moon Lake has already forward-sold more than 15 million yuan ($2.2 million) of milk from its Van Diemen's Land dairies, which it calls VDL Farms. "This is an exciting venture for our company, VDL Farms and potentially for all Tasmanian producers of fresh, perishable produce such as seafood, fruit and vegetables," Shwe said in a statement. About 10 million liters of milk a year from VDL dairies will be trucked to Hobart for processing by Lion Dairy and packaged under the "VAN Milk" brand, a nod to the dairy operation's ties to Van Diemen's Land Co, according to the statement. Moon Lake is in advanced talks with airlines and airports to begin weekly round trips from Hobart to Ningbo starting in the first quarter of 2017, with a view to increasing the frequency to two-to-three times a week in a year, and adding Beijing as a destination, the company said. The new air freight route will mark the return of international departures from Hobart International Airport after a regular passenger service to Christchurch, New Zealand, was canceled in the 1980s. Initially, fresh milk will be sold in 1-liter and 600-millimeter cartons, with plans to add yogurt and other dairy products, Moon Lake said in the statement. "It is great for VDL and the Northwest Coast community as it moves the farms from ones that previously just produced milk and watched it leave through the farm gate, to ones that now produce a high-quality, value-added export product, giving them more security and certainty about prices," Shwe said. The milk exports will be a boost for Tasmania, Australia's smallest and least-populated state, where an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent lags the national rate of 5.6 percent, and its citizens are more dependent on welfare than in any other state. "VAN Milk" will represent the first sale to China of Tasmanian milk by a wholly owned Chinese company. Having direct stakes in food-producing companies gives Chinese firms an advantage over Australian competitors when it comes to selling into China, according to Michael Harvey, a senior dairy analyst with Rabobank International in Melbourne. "The advantage is being able to navigate some of the complexities in the market," he said. Milk from Down Under "is held in high regard, so there is a strategic priority in China to source the product from Australia", he said. After Germany, Australia is China's biggest supplier of liquid milk, including UHT products, shipping 61,184 metric tons of the product, worth A$62 million, last year, Chinese customs data showed. China's dairy farms are located mostly in the country's central and northern areas, where the climate is more suitable for raising cattle. Weak cold chain logistics have made it difficult to ensure the milk's freshness when it reaches major markets in northeastern and southern China. On top of that, the discovery of contaminants from melamine to mercury have made Chinese consumers wary of the local product. That's slowed the increase in milk consumption in China, which averages about 33 kilograms per person a yearless than a third of the global mean, according to the USDA, which said in May that "milk consumption has plenty of growth potential". Moon Lake said it plans to increase milk production at its VDL Farms by 80 percent within five years. VDL currently produces 7.66 million kilograms of milk solids a year from about 30,000 cows, which graze on 7,000 hectares. Once "VAN Milk" is established in Ningbo and Beijing, Moon Lake wants to take it to Shanghai, Hangzhou and other Chinese cities. Moon Lake's owner Lu, 46, is also executive chairman and the largest shareholder of Ningbo Xianfeng New Material Co, a builder of sunscreen fabrics and shades. "We've chosen Beijing and Ningbo for the initial marketing push because Ningbo is Lu's hometown and he has established networks to sell the product," Shwe said. "Also, the city has among China's highest average incomes and is less saturated with Western products than, say, Shanghai," Shwe added. BLOOMBERG KMT chief pays tribute to Sun Yat-sen Updated: 2016-11-01 07:42 By Peng Yining(China Daily) Hung Hsiu-chu, chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, paid tribute to KMT founder Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum in Nanjing on Monday, and said her five-day trip to the mainland pursues the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Hung, who flew to the capital of East China's Jiangsu province on Sunday, said during a meeting with Nanjing officials that despite a difficult cross-Straits situation, the connection between the two sides won't be cut off and exchanges will continue. "We come in peace, hope and mutual trust between the two sides," she said. "It is not just for this generation, but also for the benefit for our next generation. I hope the seed of hope we spread today will blossom and yield fruit in the future." She flew to Beijing later on Monday for a forum on the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations as well as meetings with high-level leaders of the Communist Party of China. It is the first time that Hung has traveled to the mainland since becoming head of the KMT on March 30. It also marks the first visit by a KMT leader since the party lost the Taiwan leadership and a legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party in elections in January. "I believe Hung's visit meant to remind people of Sun's spirit and to help the KMT after it lost the election," said Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies. Besides Hung, two KMT chairs, Lien Chan and Wu Po-hsiung, have visited the mausoleum, in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Sun Yat-sen, who was born in 1866 in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, was the forerunner of China's anti-feudalism revolution. Marking the 150th birthday of Sun, Hung's tribute also promotes exchanges and mutual trust between the two sides, said Ni. Some Nanjing residents welcomed Hung at the mausoleum with banners saying: "Taiwan and the mainland belong to one family. Welcome, Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu." Liu Xiangping, head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Nanjing University, said, "After Hung became KMT chairwoman, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory telegram to her, which shows the friendly interaction between the two parties and also the mutual political foundation the two parties have shared, "The interaction will continue, and the two parties will both work hard for the well-being of people from both sides," he said. pengyining@chinadaily.com.cn TV reveals grim reality of life in China's hospitals Updated: 2016-11-01 07:43 By Zhou Wenting(China Daily) A documentary series depicts the daily challenges faced by members of staff, the simmering threat of violence and harassment, and mutual distrust between doctors and patients. Zhou Wenting reports from Shanghai. On Oct 21, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's top legal chamber, announced that cases involving violence against medical staff would be regarded as extremely serious, and the nation's best lawyers would work on case reviews to ensure the rapid arrest and prosecution of offenders. The announcement signaled the latest move to curb the abuse and violence that have plagued the nation's hospitals in recent years. Statistics released by the Supreme People's Court in May last year show that 155 attacks on doctors and nurses in 2014 resulted in severe injuries and even death. Last year's figures are not available, but the media reported 20 similar incidents nationwide in 20 days in June alone. Hu Fan (left), a doctor in the emergency room at the West China Women's and Children's Hospital in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, deals with patients and their families. Hua Xiaofeng / For China Daily The scale of the problem has been highlighted by the TV documentary series, Renjianshi, meaning The Ways of The World of Men, jointly produced by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning and the Shanghai Media Group. The program was first broadcast during the summer, but was recently shown again after winning wide acclaim. The series has 10 episodes, each dedicated to a particular topic, such as organ donation, hospice care and the ambulance service. The directors said the program aims to improve doctor-patient relationships by providing the public with the fullest possible picture of the situation in China's hospitals and the everyday work of medical staff. Doctor-patient conflict "Hospitals are such special places because sometimes they are the last defense against death, so there are conflicts between doctors and patients and their families when making decisions about treatment plans, and also when the treatment doesn't save the patient's life," said Dong Luxiang, one of the program's directors. "But after spending many, many hours shooting footage in dozens of hospitals in the past two years, we found that medical approaches are sometimes limited, and the doctors have to compromise their dedication and passion to fit reality. This is common knowledge, but sometimes people forget." In the first episode, Saving Lives, the team filmed two major surgical operations and three other patients being treated for serious conditions. Viewers were shocked when three of the patients died. "That was unprecedented in Chinese television history, which has always cast a veil over 'failures'. But the world is never perfect and we have to face that fact," Dong said. Yao Li, a nurse at an elite hospital in Shanghai, said clinicians want to save patients for the sake of their families, but also because of their own sense of worth and reputation: "We have a saying: 'The doctors want the patients to live even more than their own families do'." That point was underlined by Che Zaiqian, a doctor in the emergency department of Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, who was filmed during an unsuccessful 16-hour battle to save the life of a 24-year-old man with an intestinal hemorrhage. "Very often the cases into which we put the most effort and emotion are unsuccessful. We assume younger patients have a better chance of survival because of their age, but we don't have the right to choose," said Che, who had worked 48 hours straight, assisting with the treatment of three patients, one of whom died. The program also showed the heavy workloads faced by medical staff, such as Zhao Qiang, director of Ruijin Hospital's cardiac surgery department, whose team was filmed performing a heart transplant long after midnight, and Ge Junbo, director of the cardiovascular department at Zhongshan Hospital, who had severe hand cramps after performing surgery for several hours. Heavy workload The directors said one of the strongest impressions the team gained during the two years of filming was that the medical staffs' workload is too heavy. Dong recalled that the batteries in the camera ran out of power when he followed a consultant surgeon performing an operation that was scheduled to finish at 5 pm, but lasted until midnight. "We were feeling hungry and dizzy, so a nurse gave me some glucose. If I remember correctly, the concentration of glucose was 30 percent, but I finished it in one gulp, despite the overly sweet taste. But that's the life the doctors live, and it's like that almost every day," he said. Medical staff arrive before 7:30 am every working day, irrespective of how far away they live or the weather, and they can never guarantee what time they will leave, he said. According to Yao, the nurse, humor helps to ease the burden. "Sometimes we joke that a couple shouldn't work at the same hospital, otherwise the only time they will meet is during consultations," the 29-year-old said. Sun Xiaolin, who has worked as a nurse at a hospital in Shanghai's Pudong district for four years, said the heavy workload and long hours have prompted her to look for another job. Many of her colleagues have already left the profession. "I don't even dare to blink for the entire night when I monitor patients who have just undergone cardiac surgery, and sometimes we have to perform CPR at the end of an exhausting night. I brace my body and mind with just one thought: to save the patient. At that moment, I leave everything else behind, like the stomach cramps and menstrual pains I suffer sometimes," she said. Every working night, Sun cares for more than a dozen patients singlehandedly: "They ring the bell to the nurses' station all night. In addition, I have to cope with unexpected incidents, such as patients' drunken relatives fighting with each other." According to Yao, the younger generation will only want to become doctors when clinicians receive the respect they deserve: "Otherwise, when we get old, where will we find excellent doctors?" Social factors Dong and his team found that the process of bringing patients to the hospital involves a range of problems that grassroots medical workers have been unable to solve. For example, sometimes ambulance drivers have no option but to explain to a patient's family that they have been held up by traffic jams during rush hour. Sometimes congestion delays relatives who are needed to sign permission forms for surgical procedures on behalf of the patient. Moreover, some patients show little respect for the emergency room, which should be a green channel for those who require treatment urgently. One episode of the program showed a patient from Hebei province who arrived at the ER at Shanghai Huashan Hospital nearly two months after a mild stroke. The doctors told him that the ER is for people with acute strokes, but the patient and his relatives insisted on being treated because they'd traveled a long way. "We often meet patients like this and feel embarrassed," said Yu Hai, a neurologist at Shanghai's Huashan Hospital. Insurance problems The social medical insurance system presents another problem. "People who have their medical insurance in a certain province but live elsewhere enjoy a different level of reimbursement when they go to the doctor or have surgery in their 'new' home province. This may stop some people from choosing the best medical plan, which may also be the most expensive," said Qin Bo, Dong's colleague. Despite the problems, many people are confident that China's hospital culture is turning a corner and that doctor-patient relationships will eventually improve. "When my daughter gave birth last year, she stayed in a private delivery room with her husband and a professional midwife at her side. Later, senior nurses came to the ward several times a day to tell the new mothers the dos and don'ts of taking care of themselves and their babies," said Wang Mingjuan, a 58-year-old Shanghai resident. "The hospital also took photos of the newborns wrapped in cute ribbons as gifts to the families. Those services were hard to imagine when I gave birth three decades ago," she said. Contact the writer at zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn Shanghai university celebrates 110 years Updated: 2016-11-01 13:01 By Xu Xiaomin and Wen Wenyi in Shanghai(chinadaily.com.cn) More than 5,000 alumni attended an event at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology on Oct 29, marking the peak of celebrations for the universitys 110th anniversary. In his remarks, Ding Xiaodong, deputy director of Shanghai Education Commission, praised the universitys efforts in connecting the market and deepening education reforms, as well as its innovative personnel training initiatives. Other officials who made speeches during the event included Huang Wei, president of Nanjing Tech University and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Colin Bailey, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, one of USSTs international partners. USST President Hu Shougen delivering a report titled A Tribute to History, An Exploration of the Future, said: The past is like a prologue. This celebration is not only about commemorating the past, it is an opportunity to think about the future and ask questions regarding how we should seize opportunities and respond to questions raised by the times, how we should break the bottlenecks and make a breakthrough, and how we should lead in the future through common values. At the end of the celebration, a mascot called Horse was unveiled, reflecting the year the university was founded 1906, the Year of the Horse and encouraging current and past students of the university to go forth and contribute to society like tens of thousands of horses galloping ahead. Chinese cultural center to open in Serbia Updated: 2016-11-01 16:21 By Zhao Ruixue in Jinan(chinadaily.com.cn) A Chinese cultural center is set to be built on the site of the former Chinese embassy in Belgrade, Serbia, which was bombed 17 years ago. According to an agreement signed between the Ministry of Culture and Shandong provincial government on Monday, the center will be constructed by Shandong Hi-speed Group and is scheduled for completion in June 2018. It will cover 5,999 square meters and feature four separate zones a Chinese cultural center, embassy apartments, a business reception area and office space, said Jiang Cheng, general manager of Shandong Hi-speed Group. Ding Wei, deputy minister of culture, said the center will work closely with artistic organizations in Serbia to offer a platform for both countries to make cultural exchanges. Hunan knocks on Houston's door Updated: 2016-11-01 10:29 By May Zhou in Houston(China Daily USA) Scores of business people from China's Hunan province and Texas conducted one-on-one meetings at the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) to talk business on Monday at the Second Annual Hunan-Houston Business Workshop. He Jian, chairman of Chinese Council for Promotion of International Trade Hunan Sub-council (CCPIT-Hunan), said his 20-plus member delegation is eager to seek cooperation in high-tech, healthcare and senior living management. "We have recently established Xiangjiang development zone in Changsha with senior living and healthcare as the major focus. We plan to build six collaborative cancer centers in this zone. We understand that the Texas Medical Center is top-notch in the world, and we are actively engaging them for cooperation possibilities," said He. He said that 18 companies in various industries are represented in the delegation, and are seeking to buy high-tech products as well as sell products to the US. This is the second year that Hunan has engages Houston for business opportunities and He said it was just the beginning and they plan to come back next year. To lay a firm foundation, CCPIT-Hunan signed a memorandum of understanding with local law firm Lai, Corsini and Lapus for cooperation on intellectual property issues in future business dealings. "We want to make sure that both Chinese and American property rights are protected in the two countries," said He. The Hunan delegation had visited Cuba and Mexico seeking similar opportunities, as well as collaboration on agriculture, before coming to Houston. According to Zhou Shengqiao, director of Huanan International Service Center, the US is Hunan's second-largest trading partner with volume reaching $3.6 billion in 2015. "We certainly want to see more of that, of course," Zhou said. Bob Harvey, president at GHP, a large chamber of commerce serving the 11-county Houston region, welcomed the delegation along with China's Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin, a Hunan native himself. According to Harvey, Houston's trade volume with China reached $18.5 billion last year. mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com S. Korea denies behind-the-scene heavyweight's intervention in THAAD decision Updated: 2016-11-01 07:04 (Xinhua) SEOUL - South Korea's defense ministry on Monday denied a claim by an opposition lawmaker that a behind-the-scene heavyweight may have intervened in the July decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy a U.S. missile shield system on South Korean soil. Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun told a routine press briefing that it would never be true after being asked about Rep. Kim Jong-dae's claim that a political big shot behind the curtain may have meddled in the deployment decision of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). Kim, a lawmaker of the minor Justice Party, said in his Facebook page on Thursday that the THAAD deployment decision was made in July and that rumors were rife about the attempt of Lockheed Martin, the THAAD manufacturer, to contact heavyweights of the Park Geun-hye government. The opposition lawmaker said the behind-the-curtain figure pulling the strings favorable to Lockheed Martin must be found. Kim didn't refer to Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye, who has been suspected of having interfered with state affairs, including the editing of presidential speeches and the accessing of presidential reports on diplomatic and defense affairs. Reversing an earlier stance of so-called "Three Nos," South Korea abruptly announced a joint decision with the United States on July 8 to install one THAAD battery in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year. Three Nos mean no proposal, no consultation and no decision on THAAD deployment. Denying the suspected intervention, the defense ministry spokesman said the THAAD deployment decision was announced after going through legitimate consultation procedures. Police swoop on Paris migrant camp after Calais Jungle clearout Updated: 2016-11-01 09:31 (Agencies) Migrants stand near their tents at a makeshift migrant camp on a street near the metro stations of Jaures and Stalingrad in Paris, France, October 28, 2016.[Photo/Agencies] French riot police swooped on a makeshift migrant camp in northeast Paris on Monday, sparking a brief standoff at a site where numbers have soared since the closure of the Jungle shanty town in the northern port city of Calais. The operation, largely consisting of identity checks on some of an estimated 2,500 migrants sleeping rough around a canal and railway bridge near Paris's Stalingrad metro station, came as pressure mounts on the government to shut the camp. Tension has risen with the speculation that police will move in to evacuate and close the camp definitively in the coming days, as the Paris authorities are demanding. A journalist at the scene said a digger moved in to clear a small part of the camp, a sprawl of tents, mattresses, blankets and the meager belongings of migrants who come mostly from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan. Migrants shouted at police as the digger swept debris and rubbish away. The camp was otherwise left largely intact. One policeman sprayed a migrant with teargas. After a couple of hours, police allowed migrants to move back after a tidy-up by municipal cleaning workers. Red Arrows flying high for first China display Updated: 2016-11-01 18:14 By EARLE GALE(China Daily UK) Britain's famed Royal Air Force aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, will perform in China for the first time at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, between Tuesday and Sunday. The team, which has amazed fans at air shows for decades with its tight formations and apparently death-defying stunts, is seen by many as the public face of the RAF. The appearance above Zhuhai, in China's southerly Guangdong province, is at China's sole international aerospace trade expo, which has been held every second year since 1996. The Red Arrows is on its Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tour 2016, its largest overseas deployment for a decade. Wing Commander Martin Higgins, the officer leading the team, said: "Each member of the Red Arrows is excited by the prospect of the team visiting and performing in China for the first time. The visit showcases the strong links between the UK and China." He said members, who fl y British-built Hawk fast-jets, were honoured to be invited. The Red Arrows, one of the best international aerobatic display teams, has completed more than 4,800 performances since its formation in 1965. The display in China takes the number of countries that have hosted the team to 57. Dame Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador in China, said the Red Arrows "represent the best of British innovation" and "demonstrate the engineering excellence and skills that are hallmarks of both the Royal Air Force and British industry". Pilots will visit schools and universities to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. The team, which arrived in China on Oct 22, held a preview of its display in Zhuhai on Oct 27. Looking ahead - Nov 1 Updated: 2016-11-01 18:24 (China Daily UK) Events and stories coming up in the next few days Huge Asian art festival launching in capital The annual Asian Art in London festival, which involves more than 60 major art dealers, galleries, auction houses and museums, will run for 10 days from Thursday to Nov 12. The celebration of Asian art will feature exhibitions, selling shows, auctions, receptions, lectures and seminars and take place at various locations in and around the capital. Venues supporting the event include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, the British Library, British Museum, and Fitzwilliam Museum. Schools offered China recruitment tips Schools and universities that want to attract more Chinese students can get some tips at Content Marketing in China-Strategies for Universities and Schools to Help Attract More Students on Thursday. The workshop, presented by Edward Teng of Digipanda Marketing, will look at recruitment options available, such as the use of Chinese social media, and highlight students' frequently-asked questions. The event will be at the Academy Room in Newman House on Newman Street, London. Beijing's relationship with Africa discussed The Confucius Institute at Lancaster University is hosting its fifth annual lecture, China and Africa: An Evolving Relationship in a Complex Globalized World, on Thursday. Frannie Leautier, senior vice-president at the African Development Bank Group, will speak from her perspective as someone with a 25-year-career in Africa and around the world, in both the public and private sectors. Jeweler focuses on Asian designs Miranda Rhys Williams will speak about contemporary Asian art jewelry on Friday at Asia House, New Cavendish Street, London. Beyond the Rocks: Asia and Contemporary Jewelry is being hosted by the Bagri Foundation, a UK registered charity that provides education, relief work and health initiatives within Asia and promotes the region's cultural heritage. The event is part of the Asian Art in London 2016 festival. North Korea still commands diplomatic focus Updated: 2016-11-01 10:29 By Chen Weihua in Washington(China Daily USA) US President Barack Obama is looking forward to another meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru, late this month, according to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Monday. Hua was quoting US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken who was in Beijing on Oct 29 for the interim Strategic Security Dialogue. In Beijing, Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when they discussed, among others, the Korean nuclear issue. The United Nations Security Council has been discussing possible new sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after it conducted its fifth nuclear test in early September. Hua reiterated Chinese stance of realizing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding its peace and stability and resolving relevant issues through dialogue and negotiation. "It serves the interests of all," she said. "We maintain that actions by the Security Council should help realize the aforementioned goals without impeding normal business cooperation and exchanges between all parties and the DPRK," Hua said. The message is seen as a dismissal of some Western reports that China might ban all imports of coal, iron ore and other materials from DPRK. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Oct 28 that the resolution should target DPRK's nuclear tests and DPRK's nuclear and missile programs. "As for what kind of resolution will emerge at last from the consultation among all members, we shall wait and see," he said. In a media roundtable in Beijing on Oct 29, Blinken described the DPRK issue as the "top agenda issue". He said DPRK is getting closer to the day when it will be able to marry a miniaturized nuclear warhead to an ICMB that can reach the continental US. "That's simply unacceptable," he said. Blinken indicated the US' strong preference to work this cooperatively with China, but added that "we've also been very clear that we will take whatever steps are necessary to defend ourselves, to defend our allies and partners and to insist on the implementation of sanctions against the regime." The US plan to deploy a THAAD missile defense system in South Korea has drawn sharp criticism from both China and Russia, which believe the system will compromise their national security while doing little to defend South Korea. US National Intelligence Director James Clapper said last Tuesday that the US policy of trying to persuade DPRK to give up its nuclear weapons "is probably a lost cause" and the best that could be hoped for is a cap on the country's nuclear capability. Blinken reiterated that the US policy on DPRK has not changed. Douglas Paal, vice-president for studies and director of the Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said that realism will take over. "Realism is that North Korea has the capability and they are not going to give up," he said. "My view is you make a big offer. You put everything North Korea says and wants on the table. And if they don't take the offer, use that as the appeal to international community to really tighten the sanctions," Paal said. He suggested giving North Korea the chance to probably maintain the minimum nuclear capability as a deterrent against the US or others. "But at the same time, cap that process, so it doesn't become a greater threat and keep that stabilized," he said. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com Race roils over email timing, Trump pounces Updated: 2016-11-01 10:29 By Agencies(China Daily USA) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump plunged into his final-week sprint to Election Day Monday unleashing a harsh new attack against Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan, a state that hasn't favored a Republican for president in nearly three decades. His message was welcomed by supporters, but his location frustrated anxious Republicans who fear their nominee is riding his unorthodox political playbook too long, even as Clinton's developing email problems offer new political opportunity. "Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford," Trump declared in Grand Rapids, pointing to the FBI's renewed examination of Clinton's email practices as evidence the former secretary of state might face a criminal trial as president. Hillary Clinton forcefully challenged the FBI's new email inquiry Monday, declaring during a campaign rally in battleground Ohio, "There's no case here." Clinton's comments were her most pointed yet on the subject, and they underscored her campaign's decision to fight back aggressively against FBI Director James Comey. On Friday - just over a week from Election Day - Comey alerted Congress that the FBI has obtained new material that may be related to its dormant investigation into whether classified information passed through Clinton's private email server while she served as secretary of state. The FBI plans to review the emails to see if they contain classified information and if so, whether they were handled properly. The Justice Department said Monday it would "dedicate all necessary resources" to concluding the review promptly. Clinton accused the FBI of having jumped into the election "with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go". She said that if the bureau wants to look at the emails, which appear tied to her longtime aide Huma Abedin, "by all means, they should look at them." But she insisted the FBI would reach the same conclusion it did earlier this year, when it declined to recommend Clinton and her advisers face charges for how they handled classified information. "They said it wasn't even a close call," she said. "I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this." National polls show a tightening race. But with more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, it's unclear whether Trump has the time or capacity to dramatically improve his standing over the next week in states like Michigan, where few political professionals in either party expect a Republican victory on Nov 8. The breakdown of those voters by party affiliation, race and other factors point to an advantage for Clinton. Overall, more than 23 million votes have been cast, far higher than the rate in 2012, according to Associated Press data. That represents nearly 20 percent of the total votes expected nationwide, if turnout is similar to 2012. In all, more than 46 million people - up to 40 percent of the electorate - are expected to vote before Election Day. Meanwhile, some Republicans are skeptical that the FBI's renewed interest in Clinton's email will erase the Democrat's advantage. "It would take something like an indictment to turn it into a dead heat," Republican pollster Whit Ayres said. A Chinese graduate talks with Shen Quanhong (right), general manager of Tusstar, a Chinese business incubator, about startup opportunities in Beijing during the 2016 Chunhui Cup awards ceremony and networking event at the Chinese Consulate General in New York on Oct 28. The Chunhui Cup Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Chinese Students, sponsored by China's Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science and Technology, is an effort to encourage Chinese oversea's startup ideas. This year, 188 applicants, residing in or around the New York City area, submitted business plans, and 76 proposals were honored. Over the past 11 years, the competition has selected nearly 2,001 innovative and entrepreneurial programs created by overseas Chinese students and professionals and hundreds of them are up-and-running businesses in China today. Cheng Leidai, consul general at the Chinese Consulate General in New York, said on Friday that one of the main purposes of the Chunhui Cup was to encourage talented individuals from around the world to seek out China as a place to start and grow new business. More than 300 delegates from over 40 Chinese business incubator and startup agencies also joined the networking event to attract more Chinese overseas to come back to China. JUDY ZHU / FOR CHINA DAILY Beijing, Kuala Lumpur to develop patrol ships Updated: 2016-11-02 03:13 By ZHANG ZHIHAO, QIN JIZE(China Daily) China and Malaysia have agreed to jointly develop and build a littoral mission vessel for the latter's naval forces, signifying deeper defense cooperation between the two Asian nations. The deal, witnessed by Premier Li Keqiang and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, was signed on Tuesday in Beijing. According to Najib, the first two of the littoral mission ships Malaysia purchases from China would be built in China, with two then built in Malaysia. Further Malaysian-built ships would be subject to government financing. "This deal will enhance the Malaysian shipbuilding and defense industry," he said in a written article. The ships are considered fast patrol vessels primarily used for coastal security, which can be equipped with a helicopter flight deck and missiles, Reuters reported. Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the agreement would be conducive to the peace and stability of the South China Sea. "Both China and Malaysia are countries surrounding the South China Sea, and the strengthening of their naval cooperation will enhance mutual trust," he told reporters. It would mark Malaysia's first significant defense deal with the country, Reuters reported. Jia Duqiang, associate researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Malaysian purchases of LMVs from China will send a clear signal across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "After all, arms trade is always a sensitive issue, and it requires a strong, mutual political trust to execute," he said. Military relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur have grown recently, with the first joint military exercises held last year in the Strait of Malacca. The naval deal is just one of 28 agreements signed by the two countries on Tuesday, covering areas like infrastructure and finance. Another major bilateral deal was that China would provide loans to Malaysia for construction of the planned East Coast Rail Line. Malaysia's transport minister was quoted in earlier reports as saying the loan amount is 55 billion yuan ($8.1 billion), the biggest single deal Malaysia is to sign with China. Chinese companies also are investing more in Malaysia, said Jia. Telecommunication giant Huawei recently established a new research center in Malaysia. The week-long stay is Najib's third official visit to China. Premier Li Keqiang recalled the frequent exchanges between the leaders in the recent years. "I recalled the historical contribution your father made to improve bilateral ties," Li said. The late Tun Abdul Razak Malaysia's second prime minister and Najib's father was remembered for his vision in 1974 when he decided that Malaysia would become the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Contact the writers at qinjize@chinadaily.com.cn Courtesy of Adler Planetarium Founded in 1930 by Max Adler as America's first planetarium, Chicago's Adler Planetarium has become a primary and unrivaled resource for inspiring, motivating and educating the next generation of space explorers. Located on the northeast tip of Northerly Island, the planetarium boasts three full-sized theaters, namely the Definiti Theater, the Samuel C. Johnson Family Star Theater, and the technologically-advanced Grainger Sky Theater, all of which feature unforgettable immersive sky shows. There are also extensive space science exhibitions to explore a magnificent collection of antique scientific instruments and print materials, and the Doane Observatory, which is one of the countrys only research-active, urban public observatories. The Adler Planetarium is one of the best things to do in Chicago with kids. The planetarium offers a variety of exhibitions, special lectures and presentations, daily educational programs and special community events throughout the year. 1300 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, Illinois 60605, Phone: 312-922-7827 -- You are reading "25 Fun Kid-Friendly Things to Do in Chicago" Back to Top Please turn JavaScript on and reload the page. Loading... Checking your browser before accessing the website. This process is automatic. Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. Please wait a few seconds. HCM CITY The Housing Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDBank) last week signed an agreement with the HCM City Department of Health to provide credit to buy medical equipment for grassroots-level hospitals and set up a social work division at all hospitals by 2020. The bank also donated 100 beds worth VN300 million (US$13,333) to the Cu Chi District Hospital. Besides, it will provide a credit line worth VN1 trillion ($44 million) to develop the citys health sector. VNS Seafood being processed for export at Ngo Quyen Processing Export Co in Kien Giang Province. VNA/VNS Photo Manh Linh HA NOI Viet Nam posted trade surplus of US$3.52 billion in the first 10 months of this year, even though the countrys exports were affected negatively by Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 recall. The General Statistics Office (GSO) reported that the countrys export revenue in the period rose 7.2 per cent to $144.12 billion, of which Vietnamese firms made up $41.4 billion, up 4.9 per cent, while foreign invested firms contributed $102.7 billion, up 8.1 per cent. The rise was thanks to the increasing export value of some key export staples, such as textile and garments, computers and electronic products, equipment and machines, footwear and seafood. Textile and garment exports in the 10 months were valued at $19.9 billion, up 5.2 per cent against the same period last year. Computers, electronic products and equipment also contributed $14.79 billion to the countrys total export revenue thanks to a surge of 15.6 per cent. Footwear and seafood also rose 6.9 per cent and 6.5 per cent to $10.36 billion and $5.74 billion, respectively. According to the GSO, Viet Nams export of phones and phone components dropped 3.9 per cent in October to $2.8 billion. However, the products export value in the first 10 months still rose 10.3 per cent against the same period last year to $28.3 billion. GSO noted that in September, problems with the batteries of Samsungs Galaxy Note 7 led to a recall and halt on exports of the smartphone, leading to an expected decline in Viet Nams export turnover for phones and phone components (of which Samsung accounts for a major proportion). According to GSO, in fact, the Galaxy Note 7 incident affected the operations of Samsung Vietnam and made the company suffer from reductions in profit, but it did not significantly impact exports in this commodity group. This was because part of the stock of the Note 7 was distributed in the domestic market, while the export of this product accounted for only a small portion of total exports. At the same time, Samsung Vietnam boosted the export of other products to compensate for the drop in the export of Galaxy Note 7. The GSO also reported that the United States was still Viet Nams largest export market in the first 10 months with $31.8 billion, up 15 per cent compared with the same period in 2015. The runners-up were the European Union ($27.3 billion, up 7.4 per cent), China ($17.3 billion, up 23.9 per cent), Japan ($12 billion, up 3.4 per cent) and the Republic of Korea ($9.5 billion, up 29.1 per cent). For ASEAN alone, Viet Nams exports reached $14.2 billion, down 7.6 per cent. As for imports, the countrys import value in the first 10 months increased 2.1 per cent to $140.6 billion, of which Vietnamese firms represented $57.4 billion, up 2.4 per cent, and foreign invested firms made up $83.2 billion, up 1.9 per cent. China remained the largest import market of Viet Nam with import value at $40.3 billion, down 1.2 per cent against the same period last year. It was followed by the Republic of Korea ($25.8 billion, up 10.8 per cent), ASEAN ($19.1 billion, down 2.8 per cent), Japan ($12.2 billion, up 1.7 per cent), European Union ($9.1 billion, up 6.4 per cent) and the United States ($6.7 billion, up 0.6 per cent). - VNS Officials check fruit imported from China at the Tan Thanh border gate in northern Lang Son Province. VNA/VNS Photo inh Hue HA NOI The zero per cent tariff under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) will bring more goods from ASEAN and China to Viet Nam, especially Chinese fruits. This will create more competition for local products, according to experts. The Government has issued a decree on special preferential tariffs for ASEAN and Chinese products for the 2016-18 period according to commitments under the ACFTA. Under the decree, hundreds of goods from ASEAN and China will enjoy zero per cent import tax to Viet Nam. The goods include vegetables, fruits, processed or preserved fish and other kinds of seafood, as well as cacao and cacao products, cereal, flour and meat. According to the commitments at ACFTA, Viet Nam will abolish tax or reduce it to zero per cent for 90 per cent of existing tariff lines by the end of 2018, while the remaining 10 per cent of tariff lines will see it reduced by 2020. A representative from the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industrys WTO Support Centre said the reduction of import tariffs for ASEAN and Chinese goods would create strict competition between ASEAN, Chinese goods and local products. General Statistics Office (GSO) statistics showed that in the first nine months of this year, Viet Nam had the highest import of goods from China, with total import value at $36 billion. Its trade deficit with China reached $21.3 billion, Nguoi Lao ong newspaper reported. Local enterprises imported from China seafood valued at $45.3 million, vegetables and fruit at $146.9 million, fabrics at $3.93 billion and material for textile, garments, leather and footwear industries at $1.38 billion, as well as computer and electronic products valued at $4.1 billion, machine and equipment at $6.5 billion and steel at $3.2 billion. Nguyen The Bao, director of Suoi Lon Agricultural, Service, Trade and Tourism Co-operative in southern ong Nai Province, said mango growers studied supply at home and also in neighbouring countries to make plans accordingly on production, trading and competition. Depending on the prevailing situation, Vietnamese mangos were exported to Thailand, Cambodia and vice versa. Meanwhile, after many years of exporting mangos from Viet Nam to China, the neighbouring country had begun exporting its mangos to Viet Nam to compete with local products. Nguyen Cong Thua, chairman and general director of Anh ao Agricultural Service Co-operative in the central highlands Lam ong Province, said demand for fruit in the home market had increased, therefore there were times the market lacked supply of fruits and their import surged. As a result, in the future, local farmers would face strict competition from imported fruit products because of their small and medium production scales with high production cost, while Chinas producers had large production scale with lower production cost, he said. Meanwhile, Viet Nam did not have many technical barriers for imported fruit and lacked close control for quality and food safety, which was disadvantageous for local fruit producers while competing with imported fruits, he said. Seafood is also expected to face similar competition when the import tax reduces to zero per cent under the ACFTA. According to GSO, in the first nine months, Viet Nams total import value was $17.1 billion from ASEAN countries and total export value was $12.5 billion, 9.1 per cent lower than the same period last year. Viet Nams trade deficit with the ASEAN region reached $4.6 billion. Goods from the region will have more advantages in entering Viet Nams market when the import tax rate is zero per cent. Meanwhile, the office reported that in the first 10 months of this year, the nations export value from vegetable and fruit products reached $2 billion. China was the largest export market for local vegetables and fruit, accounting for 70 per cent of the value. It was followed by South Korea, the United States and Japan. Exporters said Viet Nams frozen fruit exports to Europe and North America suddenly increased during the 10 months due to attractive prices and boost in communication for Vietnamese fruits in those markets. VNS The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) will direct credit for the agriculture sector into high value production and participation in the global value chain. Photo daidoanket.vn HA NOI The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) will direct credit for the agriculture sector into high value production and participation in the global value chain. ao Minh Tu, SBVs deputy governor, said at a conference on Sunday that credit policies will focus on encouraging high tech farming in order to improve product quality and value. Experts at the conference said a huge amount of capital is needed to restructure the agriculture sector, of which credit must play a key role. However, farmers continue to find it difficult to access banking credit. Lai Xuan Mon, President of the Viet Nam Farmers Union, called it difficult for farmers to borrow money from banks without mortgages, even though the Governments Decree 55 on credit policies for agriculture and rural development allows lending without mortgaged assets. Pham uc Thang, a farmer from northern mountains Ham Yen District, said his family business is struggling to find long-term capital for expanding production. Farmers still needed mortgaged assets to borrow money from banks but, land, a popular asset for mortgage, is often evaluated at low values in rural areas. Trinh Thi My, a farmer from northern Que Vo District, said that her family invested more than VN20 billion (US$895,000) in September to expand husbandry production but only managed to borrow VN2.5 billion from banks and was forced to mortgage six lots of land with a total area of 4,200sq.m. to get the loan. Le Quang Thanh, general director of Thai Duong Company--which operates in animal feed and rearing in northern Hung Yen Province--said there are credit policies for agricultural production, but the policies are not realistic. He said in many countries loans are provided for up to 30 years for the animal raising sector, while in Viet Nam loans are only offered from three to seven years, making it difficult for farmers to repay their debts. Credit policies for the farming sector still do not pay adequate attention to the real demand, Nguyen o Anh Tuan, director of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, said. In addition, small-scale and scattered production as well as risks from climate change, diseases and natural disasters made banks hesitant in providing credit to the agricultural sector. According to Tu, policies and incentives in the agriculture and rural sector should be adjusted, and the central bank should continue simplifying lending procedures to farmers while tightening supervision to ensure loans are used for the right purposes. Economic expert Can Van Luc said support will be provided to farmers in improving financial and banking service awareness. Statistics of the central bank showed that as of the end of September, outstanding loans in the agriculture sector totalled VN925 trillion, up 9.6 per cent over the end of 2015 and 13.4 per cent over the same period last year. The agriculture sector accounted for 18 per cent of the economys total outstanding loans. A land bank? It is critical to bring the industrial production mindset into agricultural production, Nguyen uc Kien, deputy chairman of the National Assemblys Economic Committee, said. Kien said during enterprises privatisation, assets would be allocated to those who used them in the most efficient manner. Why doesnt the agriculture sector apply the same mechanism? Kien questioned. He said the foundation of a land bank should be considered, in which land would be leased for large-scale production. This would be more efficient and essential for agricultural restructuring success. VNS GENEVA Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann has expressed his hope that the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Viet Nam will conclude negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement within the next few months despite certain difficulties at present. In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, the President said as a member of the EFTA, Switzerland expected the FTA would be a booster for trade between Viet Nam and Switzerland as well as other European countries. According to him, the visit to Viet Nam on October 11 by Minister of State for Economic Affairs Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen Fleisch demonstrated Switzerlands interest in developing ties, particularly in commerce, with Viet Nam. President Schneider-Ammann noted that bilateral economic ties remained modest at the moment, with Swiss investment in Viet Nam standing at nearly US$2 billion in 99 projects. At the same time, he underlined development aid as a key component of bilateral cooperation during the past years. Since 1992, Switzerland has provided $470 million in development aid, mostly grants, to Viet Nam. Development will continue to be an important part of the Viet Nam-Switzerland development cooperation strategy for the 2017-20 period, which was announced during Minister of State for Economic Affairs Ineichen Freischs visit. Under the strategy, Switzerland committed to providing 90 million CHF ($92 million) of non-refundable ODA for Viet Nam to implement joint projects in the three main areas supporting the promotion of institution and economic policies, assisting the building of a competitive and effective private economic sector, and backing the sustainable urban development and climate change response. In the time ahead, Switzerland would continue to pay attention to further promoting economic co-operation with Viet Nam and deepening the relationship between the two countries on the foundation of the political ties built over nearly half a century, President Schneider-Ammann said. He added that in the economic partnership with Viet Nam, Switzerland would focus on helping Viet Nam improve public finance management, the financial systems capacity and small- and medium-sized enterprises access to capital. Priority would also be given to raising environmental standards, promoting the effective use of natural resources, clean production and sustainable development of trade, and bettering urban planning and public services. VNS HA NOI The Australian government will continue supporting Viet Nam in growing and exporting Vietnamese agricultural products to Australia, the Australian ambassador has said. At a conference on strengthening partnership between the two countries in Ha Noi yesterday, Craig Chittick, Australian ambassador in Viet Nam, said the two countries have been collaborating well in terms of marketing agricultural products and increasing the contribution of farmers to the economies. During the recent four-day visit to northern Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai and Son La provinces, I saw that farmers in Viet Nam have taken advantage of research from Australia in the cultivation of several plants, including coffee and safe vegetables, he said. The research has helped increase the productivity, quality and profitability of Viet Nams agricultural products. Emphasizing on his commitment to the Australia partnership with Viet Nam, the ambassador said he planned to visit all 63 provinces in the country and had already visited 16 in the last four months. He proposed that representatives from 63 provinces be invited to the next meeting with Australian enterprises, which will take place in May next year. A high-level meeting between the agricultural ministries of the two countries will take place next month, during which the ministries will discuss quarantine regulations and market accessibilities for export products from both countries, he said. Speaking at the conference, Permanent Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Bui Thanh Son said the two countries economies complement each other. He also said the regional economic integration process developed huge collaboration potential for the two countries, as they are both members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The conference was followed by a signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of cooperation between the provincial departments of foreign affairs and the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam. The memorandum will grant access to Australian enterprises to invest in Viet Nams 63 provinces and allow Viet Nams localities to access the Australian market via AusCham. At the conference, representatives from seven provinces of Ha Nam, Lai Chau, Son La and Nghe An, as well as Ninh Thuan, ong Thap and Thua Thien-Hue presented the provinces potential for investment in terms of agriculture, aquaculture, energy and natural resources, as well as education, tourism and services. According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, by September 20, Australia had 378 investment projects in Viet Nam with total investment cost of US$1.7 billion, making it the seventh largest commercial partner of Viet Nam. Two-way trade turnover between the two countries increased by 10 per cent in 10 consecutive years, reaching over $7 billion last year. VNS HA NOI How to improve the quality of natural capital is a challenge and also a target that Viet Nam is aiming for to ensure rapid and sustainable development. This was stated by Nguyen The Chinh, director general of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, at a workshop in Ha Noi yesterday. "The solution is to make use of Viet Nams assets, learn from international experience and combine the development of science, technology and capital sources, including natural capital," he said. The consultant workshop gathered experts and officials from related agencies, institutes and universities to discuss how to operate the Natural Capital Platform in Viet Nam effectively. Natural capital, defined as the net value of a country or regions natural assets, includes geological features, soil, air, water and all living things. It is generally considered to comprise three principal categories, namely natural resource stocks, land and eco-systems. Natural Capital Platform in Viet Nam is a non-profit and non-political organisation. Its aim is to enhance the knowledge base and ensure well-coordinated efforts that will raise awareness of the importance of natural capital considerations among relevant stakeholders to integrate it into planning, budgeting and accounting for sustainable development in Viet Nam. It welcomes the participation of all interested parties -- government policies makers, technical staff, relevant development partners and non-governmental organisations, as well as civil society and private sector. ISPONRE, which founded the platform, also takes the lead and coordinates with national and international platforms. The foreign partners include UNDP, Asian Development Bank and German Agency for International Cooperation. According to Chinh after 30 years of oi moi (reform), Viet Nam has made remarkable achievements. The countrys growth depends primarily on existing natural resources. This has led to environmental pollution, reduction in natural resources and affected the quality of eco-systems, threatening economic development. The gathering agreed that using natural capital effectively is extremely important to help Viet Nam reach Sustainable Development Goals and implement multilateral environmental agreements, including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. ao Xuan Lai, UNDP representative, said We should begin from a scientific foundation. It means we should call for participation and support from scientific institutes and organisations at the beginning of the platforms establishment. Associate Prof Dr ang Huy Huynh, former executive committee deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment, suggested that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment or Ministry of Planning and Investment be the supporting unit in terms of policies for the platform. We should also take into consideration the participation of the community, for example, of 54 ethnic groups in Viet Nam, in discovering and protecting natural capital as they know the countrys natural resources very well, he said. According to ISPONRE, the next steps of the platform are to set up a technical working group, including experts, leading managers working in the natural capital sector in Viet Nam and a coordination committee to propose a list of priority policy briefs for collaborative efforts. VNS By Hong Van Ha Noi cuisine features a wide variety of dishes with vermicelli. Among them, bun cha (vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs) delights, with its seductive taste and aroma. Nothing is better than savouring bun cha at a small food stand in summer, while the intriguing scent of grilled pork surrounds you. Bun cha is one of the characteristic Ha Noi dishes long adored by locals, said culinary artist Pham Thi Anh Tuyet, who has contributed significantly to the preservation of quintessential Hanoian food for years. Writer Thach Lam, famous for his nostalgic prose about ancient Ha Noi, wrote in Ha Noi: 36 pho phuong (Ha Noi: 36 streets and guilds): Bun cha is the most important and characteristic dish of Ha Noi. No place offers better bun cha than Ha Noi. Everyone, or at least food connoisseurs, would say that. The one who created this dish deserves to be remembered, respected and commemorated by us: equally, or even more than, the way we remember one who wrote a literary work, wrote Thach Lam. No one really knows when, where and how bun cha was created. When Anh Tuyet was small, it was already a familiar dish in ancient Ha Noi. In the old days, there were hardly any bun cha restaurants. The dish was found in the handwoven bamboo baskets of vendors who wandered the streets serving the dish, said Anh Tuyet. Bun cha used to be eaten on summer days for its green herbs and fish sauce, which left diners with a fresh feeling which helped to fend off the summer heat. Bun cha offered by vendors is out of this world... Wherever the vendors stopped, that place would be filled with an impressive aroma of grilled pork, wrote writer Vu Ngoc Phan. Bun cha is a harmonious and healthy combination of rice vermicelli, grilled pork, and fresh herbs. This Ha Noi staple is also a tactful blend of different tastes. Dipping the noodles in the sauce, and eating bites of pork and fresh herbs - including lettuce, coriander, Lang basil and perilla - awakens all your taste buds. Two types of grilled pork are served in bun cha: minced pork patties and thinly-sliced side belly pork. In the old days, the pork was clamped by bamboo sticks, which have since been replaced by wire racks, and then grilled over a charcoal fire. Nowadays, if one sees swhirling smoke while driving, it is likely a restaurant grilling pork for bun cha. The accompanying dipping sauce features well-balanced saltiness (fish sauce), sourness (vinegar or lemon), spiciness (chili) and sweetness (sugar). The sauce is sometimes embellished with some thin slices of green papaya or kohlrabi and carrot pickles, looking like flowers floating in a little river. This sauce not only indulges diners tastebuds, but offers a feast of colours including brown-yellow fish sauce, carrots natural orange, light white papaya, and bright red chili. The quality of bun cha depends a lot on the sauce and grilled pork. The pork must be tender and perfectly cooked, said Anh Tuyet. "Whether the sauce is good or not depends on the delicacy of the cooks taste. Some people have precise formulas, but for some cooks just tasting is enough to make the perfect sauce." International fans Nowadays, bun cha can rarely be found in vendors bamboo baskets anymore, but it is widely available on every Ha Noi street. Locals eat bun cha for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is found in rural and urban markets, at food stands on the street, in fine restaurants, and also in many Vietnamese restaurants in foreign countries. Jess Carey is an Australian traveller and blogger who is very passionate about Vietnamese cuisine. "I love Vietnamese food, which is different from food in other parts of the world, because everything is so fresh. Among Vietnamese specialties, bun cha is definitely a favourite food for me and my husband, said Jess. We are really lucky here in Melbourne to have lots of Vietnamese restaurants which offer bun cha. Compared to the bun cha I ate in Viet Nam, it tastes just as good here in Melbourne but the price is unfortunately more expensive, said Jess. The Australian travel blogger also makes bun cha at home at least once per fortnight. I think a lot of people I know would enjoy it, but probably wouldnt know what it is called, said Jess. On his recent trip to Viet Nam, US president Barack Obama sampled a bun cha eatery on Ngo Thi Nham Street. Many major international news agencies ran the story, resulting in Vietnamese - and especially Hanoians - taking even greater pride in bun cha than ever before. This same restaurant now offers an Obama combo, which includes a bowl of bun cha, a fried seafood spring roll and a Ha Noi beer for VN85,000 (US$4): the same combo the US president ordered. Anh Tuyets restaurant on Ma May Street in the famed Old Quarter also serves a wide variety of Ha Noi specialties. Among them, bun cha is always asked for and loved by customers, especially foreigners, said Tuyet. VNS Bun cha is served at: Ha Noi Hang Nga Ngo cho ong Xuan (ong Xuan Market Alley), Hang Chieu Street. 74 Hang Quat Street. Tuyet 34 Hang Than Street. Phone: (04) 39 270 879 Huong Lien Ngo Thi Nham Street. Phone: (04) 3943 4106 Sinh Tu 57 Nguyen Khuyen Street. Phone: (04) 3747 0158 Duy Diem 140 Ngoc Khanh Street. Phone: (04) 38 315 802 HCM City Hoa ong 121 Ly Tu Trong Street. Phone: 0164 667 9671 Anh Hong 140 Ly Chinh Thang Street. Phone: (08) 3930 7878 Ho Guom 135 Vo Van Tan Street. Phone: (08) 6678 3756 a Nang Huong Vi Bac (Northern Taste) restaurant Alley 59, Nguyen Huu Tho Street. Ha Long 228 Cach Mang Thang 8 Street. Bun Ha Noi 362 ong a Street. Ha Noi xua 95A Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. Phone: 0906 220 868 Bun cha Ha Noi 58 Thai Phien Street. Phone: 0511 3823305 HA NOI The second season of Forever Young, a soap opera about friendship and love between young people from Viet Nam and South Korea, returns to Vietnamese television screens on November 3. The Vietnamese-Korean co-production will air on VTV3 every Wednesday and Thursday. The series tells about the lives, dreams and choices of young Vietnamese students who study in Seoul and struggle with conflicting emotions of friendship and love. The series centers on a Vietnamese student named Linh (played by Nha Phuong) and Junsu (Kang Tae-oh), a talented K-pop star. They overcome obstacles of distance and families to fall in love but are faced with a choice between love and career. The show, the first collaboration between Viet Nam Television and the CJ E&M Corporation (South Korea), premiered in Viet Nam in 2014 and earned the highest ratings among the programmes aired at the same time. The success of the series catapulted the actors and actresses to fame. Vietnamese actress Nha Phuong won the Asian Star award at the Seoul International Drama Awards. Before, she won the Impressive Actress Award, while South Korean actor Kang Tae-oh won the Impressive Actor award at the Viet Nam Television (VTV) Awards last year. The first season ended leaving viewers in suspense over the fate of Linhs and Junsus love affair. Forever Young comes back with a new concept. Beside the familiar actors and actresses from the previous season - Nha Phuong, Kang Tae-oh, Hong ang and Shim Hae-sun - new characters will be featured. After four years apart, Junsu meets Linh once again in Viet Nam. He, meanwhile, took up with beautiful designer Cynthia (Jung Hae-na) when they worked in the US. Junsu and Linh now have to decide whether to leave their love story in the past or start a new beginning. We had many arguments during the filming but we know all directors want to make the second series better than the first season, said local director Nguyen Khai Anh who with his Vietnamese colleague Bui Tien Huy collaborated with South Korean director Lee Jeong-wook to produce the second season. The success of the first part of the series and the love of the audience are our motivation, but also put pressure on us, so we have to try better to preserve the youths passion, desire and enthusiasm, as well as to bring new wind to the second season. Beside Viet Nam and South Korea, the series with English subtitles has been aired on Channel M, which broadcasts to Southeast Asia, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The soap opera was shot at many famous locations in both Viet Nam and South Korea, such as Ha Nois Sword Lake, Asian Park in a Nang and Ha Long Bay in Viet Nam, and Namsan Tower, Sky Park, Nami Island and Everland Park in South Korea. VNS Tran Le Quang Tien (left) poses for a photo with his teacher famed violinist Bui Cong Duy at the awarding ceremony of the 6th International Violin Competition in Astana, Kazakhstan. Photo from Bui Cong Duys Facebook page HA NOI Fourteen-year-old Tran Le Quang Tien from the Viet Nam Academy of Music won first prize in the junior group of the 6th International Violin Competition held in Astana, Kazakhstan. The October 26-31 competition brought together 40 young violinists from all over the world to demonstrate their skills in performing masterpieces of Bach, Paganini, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. According to organisers, the main goal of the competition was to hone young participants skills and promote classical music. Vietnamese ambassador to Kazakhstan oan Thi Xuan Hien said all 11 jury members highly praised Tiens performances. Under the guidance of famed violinist Bui Cong Duy, Tien won first prize at the Mozart Violin Competition held in Thailand two years ago. Tien is considered a violin prodigy. After only two years of playing violin, his teacher Duy noted that he could play as well as a graduate student at the academy. Tien learned piano at the age of five and turned to study violin aged six . But he then quit violin to concentrate on painting and dancing before resuming the instrument at the age of nine. Tiens mother, Xuan Ha, said he used to be a reserved and timid boy. I have encouraged him to watch performances by the best soloists in the world, she said, Beside playing violin, he likes painting, cooking and making cakes. Ha said she had no clear plan for his future music career, yet. HA NOI President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina Coyne will visit Viet Nam from November 5-11. The visit is made at the invitation of President Tran ai Quang and his spouse, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Viet Nam and Ireland established diplomatic ties in 1996. Trade between the two countries has increased in recent years. Irish businesses in the dairy, seafood, consultancy and building materials sectors are investing in and trading with Viet Nam, according to the Irish Embassy in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI President Tran ai Quang suggested the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) and the Communist Party of the Czech Republic and Moravia (KSCM) enhance their political ties through regular exchange of delegations, contributing to boosting relations between the two countries. Viet Nam appreciates the achievements the KSCM has gained over the years, the President said at a reception for KSCM Chairman Vojtech Filip, who is also Vice Chairman of the Czech Parliaments Chamber of Deputies, in Ha Noi yesterday. He thanked the KSCM and the Chairman for their support to the CPV, as well as Vietnamese people in the Czech Republic. President Quang lauded Vojtech Filip for his efforts in boosting legislative co-operation between the two countries. Many delegations of the Viet Nam National Assembly visited the Czech Republic to exchange experience in law-making and supervision activities, he said, noting that the close legislative ties will contribute to strengthening two countries relations. The President called on the Czech Parliament to continue supporting the partnership and co-operation between Viet Nam and the EU, helping the two sides reach a free trade agreement and encouraging the EU to recognise Viet Nams market economy status. Viet Nam is willing to assist the Czech Republic to enhance its relations with ASEAN, he said. The host lauded the fruitful development of the two countries political and diplomatic links, as evidenced through regular exchanges of delegations and their effective co-ordination at regional and international forums. However, two-way trade has yet to match potential, he said, suggesting the two sides expand their affiliation in trade and investment. KSCM Chairman Filip said Viet Nam and the Czech Republic have not fully tapped their potential for co-operation, especially in trade and investment. Many Czech businesses have expressed their wish to study co-operation opportunities with Vietnamese partners in training pilots and producing vehicles, along with wind and solar power projects, he said. Filip is in Viet Nam to attend the 18th International Meeting of Communist and Workers Parties which took place in Ha Noi from October 28-29. Earlier, he was received by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. VNS HA NOI Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Viet Nam wants German investors to invest more in the country, particularly sectors of German strength, such as hi-tech manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, and logistics. The PM made the statement during his reception for visiting German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Ha Noi yesterday. Germany has been one of Viet Nams most important partners in Europe, Phuc said, hoping for further development of the two countries friendship. He expressed his delight at the development of the Vietnam - Germany strategic partnership, particularly in politics, economics, education-training, sciencetechnology and justice. He suggested the two nations increase delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, support each other at multilateral forums, contributing to building political trust. Viet Nam is taking measures to facilitate foreign investors, including those from Germany, Phuc said. He thanked the government of Germany for providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Viet Nam, saying that his country wants to continue working with the European nation in implementing co-operation projects and realising the Millennium Development and Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The PM stated that the Vietnamese Government backs the two countries efforts in enhancing affiliation in education-training through the construction of the Vietnam-Germany University, vocational training, co-operation between universities and German language teaching in Viet Nam. Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said 300 German businesses are operating in Viet Nam, noting that Germany is encouraging more firms to invest in the country as the number remains modest. The guest said during his visit to Viet Nam he will attend the roofing ceremony of the German House in HCM City which is expected to help increase Germanys presence in the country. The minister agreed that its time for the two countries to set up a joint chamber of commerce and industry. The German government will maintain its ODA to Viet Nam, especially in vocational training and environmental protection, he said. German businesses have paid heed to the Metro Line No 2 in HCM City and are ready to help in the construction, he said, saying he hopes that the German Development Bank will seek to arrange capital for the project. VNS HCM CITY Seventeen people have tested positive for the Zika virus in HCM City as of yesterday, according to the city-based Pasteur Institute. They were detected through an epidemic surveillance system the local Department of Health has put in place. Tran ac Phu, head of the Ministry of Healths Preventive Health Department, said it is impossible to prevent the spread of Zika because the city has a population of more than 12 million. Besides, the virus is transmitted by the same aedes species of mosquito which also spreads dengue, which is now in its peak season in the city, he said during a discussion yesterday between the Preventive Health Department and the citys health department to seek measures to combat the disease. Peoples awareness of preventive methods, including killing of mosquitoes and larvae, remains low, he said. On Sunday the Preventive Health Department confirmed the countrys first case of microcephaly, or abnormal smallness of the head, in a four-moth-old child, saying it is likely related to Zika. The patient was found in the Central Highlands province of ak Lak. Phu instructed the citys Department of Health to take prompt action to protect pregnant women. They should be the focus of Zika screening and counselling, he said, adding it is a crucial task. He also said pregnant women should have regular medical checks to monitor their health and that of their foetus. In the case of any suspicion they have the disease, they should be tested and counselled, he said. In Viet Nam, 23 people have tested positive for the disease so far, with the remaining six reported in the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Binh Duong, Long An, Tra Vinh, and ak Lak. Increasing surveillance According to the citys health department, the number of facilities designated to monitor Zika has been increased from 30 to 45, and they include private general clinics in District 2 besides paediatrics, obstetrics, and district hospitals. Nguyen Tan Binh, the departments head, said District 2 has the highest incidence of the disease in the city, and thus the threat there is high. People with symptoms such as fever, joint pain and conjunctivitis should visit health facilities for free testing to screen for the disease, he added. The department has said it would provide 2,000 more kits to the 45 designated health facilities for screening. It has also urged the public to kill mosquitoes and larvae in their surroundings. It fines individuals and organisations who fail to carry out the task and larvae are detected in their neighbourhood. VNS Viettel Group has raised donations worth VN12 billion ($540,000) from its staff, each of whom contributed a days salary, to assist relief efforts in the storm- and flood-hit central provinces. Photo kynguyenso HCM CITY Viettel Group has raised donations worth VN12 billion ($540,000) from its staff, each of whom contributed a days salary, to assist relief efforts in the storm- and flood-hit central provinces. It also sent over 100 engineers, who, by October 17, ensured all connections were working. Viettels local technical staff had already moved their equipment to higher places to ensure the network did not go down in flood-prone districts like Bo Trach, Minh Hoa, Tuyen Hoa, Quang Trach, and Quang Ninh in Quang Binh Province and Ky Anh and Cam Xuyen in Ha Tinh Province. Before, the Viet Nam Television (VTV) and Viettel Group collected nearly VN20 billion (US$900,000) during a gala held early this month reviewing the eight year existence of the Heart for Kids charity programme. The programme, begun in 2008 by VTV and Viettel, has funded emergency operations for 3,231 poor children under 16 years old who have congenital heart disease. Total expenses have been VN110 billion (US$5 million). Another 31,600 poor children living in remote and economically difficult areas around the country have received free heart check-ups. The programme has helped improve heart treatment services at seven local hospitals, and has held 10 online discussions between heart experts and congenital heart patients. At the gala night, Viettel Group donated VN6.63 billion, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children VN4 billion, VinGroup VN2 billion, Tan Hoang Minh Group VN2 billion, Ha Noi Cardiology Hospital 50 free heart surgery (about VN2 billion worth), Viettin Bank VN1 billion and Lixil Viet Nam VN1 billion. The Viet Nam Central Red Cross Association has been raising funds from donations of VN18,000 ($0.8 cent) through SMSs sent to the number 1408 between September 15 and November 13. They have raised VN2.7 billion. The Hearts for Kids set a goal from now to 2020 to provide free heart check-ups for over 30,000 poor children and operate on 3,000 poor heart patients. In mid-September, more than 800 children in Tra Vinh Province received free cardiovascular check-ups from doctors at the capitals Bach Mai Hospital and Ha Noi Medical University Hospital. The examinations found nearly 40 children with congenital heart disease, with four expected to undergo immediate surgery. -- VNS Businesses could have their contributions to funds for labour accidents, occupational diseases and unemployment reduced by half under a new Government proposal. Photo phunuvietnam.vn HA NOI Businesses could have their contributions to funds for labour accidents, occupational diseases and unemployment reduced by half under a new Government proposal. The proposal was made at a regular cabinet meeting last weekend by ao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). He said the mandatory contributions could be cut after a review of different types of insurance funds. The proposal was made under Resolution No 35 on supporting and developing enterprises. The Resolution authorises MoLISA to review the different insurance funds in co-ordination with other ministries and agencies and propose a reasonable social insurance regime that ensures the interests of workers, enterprises and society. The labour ministry feels that the new plan is feasible, Dung said. Under the proposal, the employer will contribute 0.5 per cent instead of one per cent of the salary towards the fund for labour accidents and occupational diseases as well as the unemployment insurance fund. Dung said that once the cut takes effect, it would help enterprises save about VN5.4 trillion (US$242 million) a year. The proposed reductions would not affect the Social Insurance Fund as payouts from the above-mentioned funds were too small compared to the contributions received, MoLISA experts said. For example, payouts from the labour accident and occupational diseases fund amounted to just eight per cent of total collection last year. The fund has accumulated about VN26 trillion (US$1.16 million) thus far, nearly 60 times higher than the payout, the cabinet heard. A similar situation prevails with the unemployment insurance fund, the ministry said, adding that the proposed reductions would have a positive impact on businesses. The plan would provide essential assistance to businesses as they were under pressure to lower salaries and production costs as competition heated up, it said. If the plan is approved by the Government, amendments will be needed to Decree 37/2016/N-CP which guides implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Occupational Safety and Hygiene, Dung said. He also said the plan to lower contributions to the unemployment fund had to be submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee for consideration. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the proposal, saying the reduced rate of 0.5 per cent contribution to the two funds would help businesses. He asked the ministry to work with other ministries and agencies in studying the proposal and submit specific plans to the Government for approval. Suing defaulters In related news, a VNA report said yesterday that the Ha Noi Confederation of Labour (HNCL) would co-ordinate with relevant agencies to sue enterprises that have not paid their insurance dues. The confederation has authorised six of its units to complete procedures for taking seven defaulting enterprises to court, it cited deputy chairman Le inh Hung as saying. The procedures should be completed by November and the lawsuits filed in December, Hunng said. The units have been advised to contact the Peoples Court, social insurance organisations at the district level and legal consultancy divisions of the Ha Noi Trade Union for more data and legal support, he added. Nguyen Quoc Khanh, deputy head of the Ha Noi Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs Department, said 31,428 enterprises out of a total of 195,000 enterprises and organisations in Ha Noi have delayed paying insurance fees for their workers. As a result, the citys social insurance debt has risen to over VN2 trillion ($88.9 million, he said. HNCL Chairman Nguyen Thi Tuyen said clear regulations as well as instructions from the Government were needed to deal quickly and effectively with enterprises not paying their insurance contributions, hurting employees. She said drastic measures were needed to punish enterprises who try to avoid paying their insurance contributions so that the rights and benefits of workers are ensured. VNS HA NOI A fire broke out last night on the eighth floor of the CT2 Building of the Rainbow Linh am apartment complex. The complex is located in the southwestern urban area of Linh am, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi City. Chaos ensued when black smoke engulfed the corridor and residents began fleeing the high-rise complex. Long, a resident living on the second floor of the opposite building, was one of the first to discover the fire. He told a Vietnamplus reporter, that at first, he smelled something burning. Looking up, he then saw the fire ravaging an apartment upstairs. The fire alarm in the CT2 building was not working. I had to run to the buildings first floor to activate the alarm, and then went upstairs to the eighth floor to warn people in other apartments, he said. Three fire trucks were deployed to the scene, however, they encountered difficulty accessing the building, since residents cars blocked the entrance. Several people had to manually carry a four-seater car aside to make way for the fire trucks. Fire engines were utilised to spray water directly through the windows of the apartment that was on fire. Firefighters in gas masks were sent to the eighth floor. At about 12 pm, the fire was contained for the most part. Residents have been instructed on how to safely evacuate should such incidents occur. Fortunately, there was no casualty. The incident is under investigation. Deadly shortcomings in fire protection revealed Its ironic how the alarms went off loudly during fire drills, but when a fire actually broke out, they stayed dead silent. Its really lucky no one was trapped inside, Long said, with visible exasperation a sentiment shared by many other residents. However, it seems that the shortcomings in the buildings fire protection dont just stop at malfunctioning fire alarms. At 11:30pm, the fire had gone on for quite some time, but the electricity system in the CT2 building still hadnt been cut off, leaving the whole building at risk of short circuit. The firefighters who were sent to the eighth floor via stairs said they originally intended to connect hoses with internal hydrants (embedded in the walls) to douse the fire. But, instead of water, all they got from the hydrants was a pitiful amount of foul-smelling black mud. The pipelines that firefighters brought to the scene to contain the fire were rendered useless. The fire containment solely relied on ladder trucks on the ground floor. The firefighters job was then to direct old people, young children and women to urgently evacuate by stairs to safety. The Rainbow apartment complex was advertised to feature a state-of-the-art automatic fire hose system located in the general corridor that can quickly extinguish fire. VNS THANH HOA National Highway No.513 in northern Thanh Hoa Province is at high risk of damage by overloaded trucks running night and day, the online vov.vn reported. Road sections in Nhu Thanh and Tinh Gia districts were completely damaged due to the overloaded trucks carrying construction material. Besides spoiling the roads, the trucks also caused serious noise and air pollution, which seriously affected peoples lives in the areas nearby. Nguyen Thi Du, a resident in Tan Truong Commune, said My house is located along the road. My family has to suffer from the noise and dust all day. To avoid dust and noise, I have to keep the door closed all the time, she said. I want the local authority to come up with some solution to solve the problem to ensure a normal life for households living along the roads, she added. Ong Le Van Binh, a local living near a cement factory, said for months, I have had to move my children to my relatives home because the severe air pollution will cause health problems. Like Du and Binh, hundreds of other households in the area are also suffering. The reason the situation has spiraled out of control is due to the failure of the local authority to control oversized and overloaded trucks. According to the locals, for several months, the truck weighing station in the area has stopped working so oversized and overloaded trucks were free to operate. Le Sy Do, deputy chief of inspector of Thanh Hoa Provinces Transport Department, confirmed that the weighing station had stopped its operation one month ago. Explaining the situation, Do said the police had withdrawn from the act of controlling oversized and overloaded trucks in the area. Therefore, the truck weighing station had also been deserted. VNS BEIRUT Lebanese lawmakers ended a two-year political vacuum Monday by electing as president ex-army chief Michel Aoun, who promised to protect the country from spillover from the war in neighbouring Syria. The deeply divided parliament took four rounds of voting to elect 81-year-old Aoun, whose supporters flooded streets across the country waving his partys orange flag. "Lebanon is still treading through a minefield, but it has been spared the fires burning across the region," Aoun said after taking the presidential oath. "It remains a priority to prevent any sparks from reaching Lebanon," the Maronite Christian leader said. Syrias five-year war has been a major fault line for Lebanons political class, and analysts have warned Aouns election will not be a "magic wand" to end divisions. The next challenge will be forming a government and that is expected to take months of wrangling. Presidential media office chief Rafik Chlala said consultations to name a prime minister would begin Wednesday morning, with an announcement expected at noon Thursday. It remains unclear if Lebanons perpetually ineffectual political class can solve key problems, including a trash crisis that has seen rubbish pile up in open dumps. The parliament that elected Aoun has twice extended its own mandate, avoiding elections because of disagreements over a new electoral law. Aoun had long eyed the presidency, and his candidacy was staunchly backed by Iran-backed Shiite movement Hezbollah, his ally since a surprise rapprochement in 2006. Dream come true But the key to clinching the post was the shock support of two of his key rivals: Christian Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and Sunni former premier Saad Hariri. Hariri, expected to be appointed premier, said his endorsement was necessary to "protect Lebanon, protect the (political) system, protect the state and protect the Lebanese people". Hariri and Geagea both oppose Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, while Hezbollah supports Damascus and has dispatched fighters to bolster its forces. That feud left MPs repeatedly unable to reach consensus on the presidency, a post reserved for a Maronite Christian. After taking the oath, Aoun rode in a convoy of black cars to the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, where his wife and three daughters were waiting to congratulate him. In Beiruts majority-Christian neighbourhood of Ashrafiyeh, revellers lit fireworks and fired volleys of celebratory gunfire. The atmosphere in Jdeideh outside Beirut was one of untrammelled joy, with thousands honking car horns and popping bottles of champagne. "Im so happy. After 25 years our dream has come true," said 33-year-old accountant Giselle Tammam. Assad congratulated Aoun on being elected, hoping it would contribute to "reinforcing stability" in Lebanon, Syrias state news agency SANA said. Syrias Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, said the election represents "the triumph of the resistance, of Syria and its allies". President Francois Hollande spoke of Frances "determination" to continue supporting Lebanon "to preserve its integrity and security," his office said. Franjieh respects result The United States called for the rapid formation of a government in Beirut. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini both saw in the election a step towards Lebanese politicians closing ranks in the national interest. Iran "congratulated" the Lebanese people, calling the election "an important step to entrench democracy and ensure Lebanons stability". President Hassan Rouhani called Aoun to congratulate him, Irans official IRNA news agency said. In addition to pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said Lebanon must work to ensure Syrian refugees "can return quickly" home. More than a million Syrian refugees have flooded Lebanon, which is already home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many in squalid camps. Lebanons 127 lawmakers took nearly two hours to elect Aoun, who failed to secure a two-thirds majority in the first round. A second round was repeated twice, after 128 ballots -- exceeding the number of MPs -- were cast. At times the session threatened to descend into farce, with votes cast for pop star Myriam Klink and "Zorba the Greek". MPs, including from speaker Nabih Berris bloc, cast blank ballots in protest at the horsetrading that secured Aouns candidacy. "A blank ballot is an objection to the way things were done," MP Ali Khreis said. Aoun secured 83 votes, far more than the 50-percent-plus-one majority needed for a second-round victory. Christian politician Sleiman Franjieh - Assads childhood friend and Berris favoured candidate - said he "respected the result". "Well see what is proposed to us for the government," he tweeted, hinting at a potential ministerial post as a consolation prize. AFP ISTANBUL Turkish police on Monday detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media. The Cumhuriyet, which had published revelations embarrassing for the government, said at least a dozen journalists and executives were detained in early morning raids. The raids came after authorities fired more than 10,000 civil servants at the weekend and closed 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets, the latest purge since Julys failed military coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Cumhuriyets editor Murat Sabuncu was detained and police were hunting for executive board chairman Akin Atalay, the official news agency Anadolu said. The Istanbul prosecutor said an investigation had been launched into allegations the secular dailys output was "legitimising" the attempted putsch. The newspaper said it would "fight until the end for democracy and freedom" in a statement on its website headlined: "We will not surrender". Cumhuriyet said an arrest warrant was also issued for former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who was sentenced to jail in May for allegedly revealing state secrets. The newspaper had accused the government of seeking to illicitly deliver arms bound for Islamist rebels in Syria. Erdogan had warned Dundar he would "pay a heavy price". Dundar is now believed to be in Germany after he was freed earlier this year pending appeal. AFP On the outskirts of a remote district in northern Afghanistans Takhar province, about 80 armed men gathered near the front line of a -controlled village, ready for battle. Half the fighters were members of the Afghan Local Police, a U.S.-backed militia supervised by the Afghan interior ministry. The others were guns for hire loyal to local power brokers, some of whom are paid with the proceeds from opium sales. For more than three hours the combined forces battled the Taliban in the Koka Bloq area of Eshkamesh district, killing several insurgents including Qari Omar, the top local Taliban official, according to government accounts of the July fighting. When the battle was over, the armed groups went their separate ways. But next time, the guns for hire and police could just as easily be shooting at each other. As Afghanistan tries to institute reforms in its security sector, it has struggled to bring order to the dizzying array of militias, irregular fighters, personal bodyguards and other armed groups that often fight the Taliban but also battle among themselves. In Takhar, which lies along the border with Tajikistan, local officials say influential figures have created several irregular armed groups to carry out private missions in various districts. They cultivate hashish, smuggle it and opium to Tajikistan and extort local farmers with ushr an Islamic land tax usually levied only in times of economic crisis. Both the irregular militias and ALP units have been accused of robberies, killings, blackmail and forcing women into marriage, provincial officials say They have taken government weapons for their own benefit and have had several clashes over power, drug deals and other internal issues, said the deputy governor of Takhar, Farid Zaki. A key driver of the conflict in Takhar is the poppy crop from which opium is produced, the main revenue source for Afghan armed groups, chiefly the Taliban. Local officials say poppy is smuggled into Takhar from neighboring Badakhshan, one of Afghanistans most isolated regions, and trafficked to surrounding provinces. Afghanistans thriving poppy harvest is worth an estimated $3 billion a year, according to the United Nations, although growing, transporting and selling it remain illegal. Officials say fights over opium and hashish smuggling routes have contributed to insecurity that has helped the Taliban gain ground in Takhar and Kunduz province, to the west. Insurgents this month launched an offensive to retake Kunduz, Afghanistans fifth largest city, which they briefly seized a year ago. Lawmakers and some powerful figures in Takhar fight for their share of opium, and these disputes pave the way for the insurgents to infiltrate easily, Zaki said. With U.S. government funding for the ALP, which costs $121 million annually, due to expire in 2018, Afghan officials have sought to hasten reforms in a bid to keep the financial support coming. - Remember the Panama Papers? Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to face corruption probe over leaked documents CALAIS French demolition teams cleared the last shacks in the Calais "Jungle" on Monday, signalling the end of the notorious camp as concerns mount for thousands of migrants sleeping rough in Paris. Squads of workers using diggers, tractors and cranes had torn down the final tents and makeshift migrant homes on the windswept stretch of northern coastline. Sand, mud and piles of rubbish now mark the spot where thousands of migrants and refugees passed through as they tried to sneak into Britain, making the "Jungle" camp a symbol of Europes migrant crisis. Only a church and two small mosques have been spared destruction and they will be preserved only for as long as more than 1,000 unaccompanied teenagers are housed nearby in temporary containers. The minors await news of their transfer to Britain or alternative housing in France, with their fate a source of enduring tension between London and Paris. "They said there was going to be a bus today. When?" asked 18-year-old Mohammed from Sudan, as he rode a bike near where a street of shops had stood in the camp. At its height the camp was home to more than 10,000 people, with the squalid conditions, crime and disruption to Calaiss crucial port and train link to Britain a source of anger and embarrassment in France. Six months before elections, Socialist President Francois Hollande is on a drive to take migrants off the streets and transfer them to shelters around the country where they can seek asylum. And he has promised that the "Jungle" will not be reborn in Calais. saying he understands that the citys residents had endured a tense situation for a long time. "I assure them that there will be no resettlement on the land... no one will be able to get back on it," Hollande said in an interview to be published Tuesday in regional daily La Voix du Nord. Growing camp in Paris While the Calais camp is now demolished and thousands have been sent to lodgings elsewhere, the fate of the unaccompanied minors housed in containers near the site remains unresolved. France has called on Britain, the intended final destination for most Jungle migrants, to do more. Since mid-October, Britain has taken in over 270 children and has promised to take in hundreds more. While there appears to be fresh political will to tackle the migrant crisis in France, activists warn that a new camp in Calais could sprout up and that the country lacks sufficient capacity to house all those in need. Concern is also mounting in Paris where the number of migrants sleeping rough in the northeastern Stalingrad area of the city has swelled since last week when the Calais evacuations began. In a letter to Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve that was made public Monday, the Socialist mayor of the city sounded the alarm over the "dramatic humanitarian and sanitary situation" in the northeast. Only clothes, shoes, documents On Monday, workers in white overalls backed by a digger began clearing tents and mattresses from a street in the area, where around 2,000 migrants have been living under an overhead metro line. Riot police with shields sealed off the area during the operation -- a prelude to a bigger effort in the coming days to clear the camp, which is a long-standing magnet for the homeless in the capital. "If they dont give us shelter, why are they destroying our homes?" an Afghan said at the scene, declining to give his name. Another said he had nothing left besides "my clothes, my shoes and my documents." The city is to open a migrant reception centre with capacity for 400 single men - a fraction of those seeking shelter - in the coming days. Various squalid settlements have existed for decades around Calais, which is home to one of the countrys biggest ports and the Channel Tunnel rail link connecting France and Britain. Major camps have been cleared there at least twice before, in 2002 and 2009. From April 2015, the "Jungle" camp emerged as hundreds of thousands of people headed to Europe from the Middle East and Africa in the continents biggest migrant crisis since World War II. The migrant arrivals in France were mainly Afghans, Iraqis, Eritreans and Sudanese, who would try to stow away on vehicles heading to Britain. AFP LONDON Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who won this years Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to implement a peace deal with FARC rebels, begins a state visit to Britain on Tuesday that includes a trip to once conflict-ridden Northern Ireland. Santos will be greeted by Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Theresa May, before attending a banquet at Buckingham Palace. It is the first such visit by a Colombian president and Santos will be treated to the best of British pomp and ceremony, including a state carriage procession along the Mall in London. But it comes at a difficult time for the 65-year-old after voters rejected his hard-fought peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a referendum on October 2. Santos has since been in talks with the Marxist rebels and those who opposed the deal, notably former president Alvaro Uribe, and said he wants a new agreement to be secured by Christmas. But Angelika Rettberg, expert in peace processes at the Colombian university of Los Andes, warned that while his trip to Britain may boost his international profile, it "doesnt help him fix the crisis at home". If anything, it "aggravates the perception that hes interested in make a good impression abroad" while he should be working on the peace process, she said. The first day of the visit will be dominated by ceremonial events, including tea with heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and a meeting with members of parliament. On Wednesday Santos will hold talks with May at Downing Street, before heading to Belfast on Thursday to meet key figures from the Northern Ireland peace process. "Its success is a constant reminder of what is possible," Santos wrote in The Times on Monday. Santos was briefly caught up in the Irish conflict when, as a young man working in London, he was thrown to the ground by a bomb left in a bin by the IRA paramilitary group. "The experiences of Northern Ireland continue to inspire my vision of Colombia as a country at peace with itself," Santos wrote. "I know that differences and grievances persist in Northern Ireland but its people have learnt to express them through democratic means." Northern Ireland was plagued by three decades of violence over British control of the province, in which 3,500 people died, until the 1998 Good Friday accords largely brought an end to the fighting. Two architects of the peace process - David Trimble and John Hume - won the Nobel Peace Prize that year. The Colombian governments 52-year-long war is of a different magnitude, however. Some 260,000 people have died, and 6.9 million have been forced to flee their homes. Although a ceasefire with FARC has been extended until December 31, Santos warned in the Times that "time has become the biggest threat" to peace. "This is an unstable environment and needs only a spark to start a fire," he wrote. AFP When Samantha DiBiaso applied to be a student leader on VT Engages inaugural service immersion trip to Peru, she was taking a leap out of her comfort zone -- but that was OK. Id been growing this whole time in college and I thought, Its not time for me to stop growing yet, said DiBiaso, of Chesapeake, Virginia, a senior double majoring in public relations and religion and culture in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. DiBiaso was selected for the position and ventured to Peru in May, co-leading with Martha Legg, of King George, Virginia, a junior majoring in civil engineering in the College of Engineering. Over three weeks, the group of 11 students from a variety of majors was immersed in Peruvian culture, serving with two nonprofits and learning about Perus history and social issues. In the Amazon rainforest, working with the Alliance for Research and Conservation in the Amazon (ARCAmazon), the group saw firsthand the complexity of environmental conservation. They learned efforts to protect the environment often clash with communities trying to make a living off the land using environmentally damaging tactics like slash-and-burn agriculture. On the second leg of the trip, the group headed to Cusco to visit historically and culturally significant sites, including Machu Picchu and other Incan ruins. From there, the group traveled to a remote location to serve with Llipin Yahuar, a nonprofit that focuses on empowering high Andean communities through health, education, and nutrition programs. There, the group worked alongside community members building a greenhouse and learning about issues affecting the community. During reflection sessions throughout the trip, Legg and DiBiaso helped their fellow students process their experiences, discussing the big questions they encountered during their service. The trip made me think about service on a deeper level, said Legg. It made me want to explore more not just the social issues, but peoples stories and seeing how their stories are impacted by the issues. 01:54 RBA lifts cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.85 per cent Sky News Business Editor Ross Greenwood says the Reserve Bank of Australia has lifted the cash rate by 25 basis points to 2.85 per cent. 03:30 Democrats distance from stammering and stuttering Joe Biden ahead of midterms Democrat candidates are running further away from US President Joe Biden and are turning to his former boss Barack Obama to get them across the... 03:00 Furious driver drags leftie protesters off busy road Sky News host Caleb Bond says one man in the UK tried to reason with some "lefties" before having to resort to dragging them off a busy road... 01:32 Where is Generation Zs resilience? Sky News host Caleb Bond says one "poor leftie" student in America has posted a video online complaining about having to work an entire day.... 08:51 No perfect solution to fix gas prices Assistant Minister for Treasury Andrew Leigh says there is no perfect solution to fix rising gas prices. OSAGE Mitchell County farmers recently enjoyed hot meals in the field, courtesy of the Rock Creek Watershed Project. The Rock Creek Watershed Project was developed to help implement Iowas nutrient reduction strategy, assisting farmers in the watershed with voluntary implementation of conservation practices such as bioreactors, wetland reconstruction, no-till/strip till and cover crops. Project coordinator Tracy Church reached out to businesses in the Osage area to participate in the Feeding Farmers That Feed Us event as a way to say thank you to farmers adopting the practices. Local businesses were asked for donations to purchase meals from local restaurants at a discount rate. The meals were delivered to about 150 farmers and hands in the field during harvest, with the goal of being able to feed all the farmers in the watershed. Church travels throughout the watershed looking for farmers harvesting crops. Her first stop was at Steve Jensens farm, where he was unloading a grain cart. Jensen gladly accepted meals for himself and his workers. This is wonderful. I want to thank everybody responsible for this, from the bottom of my heart, he said. A warm meal is always greatly appreciated. While waiting for Jensen to complete unloading, Church said, I never stop a farmer in their combine. I only stop them when they are hauling. Ive learned that. Church later surprised Calvin Thompson while he was unloading his combines grain tank. This is just another harvest like any other harvest, but you cant beat this, Thompson said, as he shut off his combine, enjoying his unexpected hot meal. Added Church: The generosity of the community has helped to enhance the spirit of a group that is working hard to better our soil and water. HOPKINTON -- Two New York men have been apprehended in connection with a bank robbery Oct. 21 in Delware County. Two armed men wearing masks and dark-colored clothing entered Citizens State Bank, 103 Fist St SW, in Hopkinton, Iowa and robbed the bank of an undisclosed amount of money. The cooperation of local, state, and federal agencies, the assistance from the public, including information provided by witnesses to the robbery and by allowing law enforcement access to video surveillance camera footage in the area, law enforcement were able to identify Daniel Jackson, 27, and Jason Centeno, 20, both of Yonkers, N.Y., as the suspects in the robbery. Last Friday, the Delaware County Sheriffs Office issued arrest warrants, charging Jackson and Centeno with first-degree robbery. On Saturday, officers with the Volusia County Beach Safety Ocean Rescue located Jackson and Centeno in Daytona Beach, Fla. Jackson and Centeno were taken into custody on the arrest warrants without incident. Jackson and Centeno are currently at the Volusia County Jail awaiting extradition back to Iowa. UPDATE: CEDAR RAPIDS -- The individual involved in the officer-involved shooting earlier this morning has been identified. Jerime Eron Mitchell, 37, of Cedar Rapids, remains in critical condition at the University of Iowa Hospital for injuries he sustained earlier Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing and no additional information will be released prior to the interview of the officer involved in the incident. EARLIER STORY CEDAR RAPIDS -- The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating an officer-involved shooting involving a Cedar Rapids police officer that occurred shortly after 1:15 a.m. Tuesday on the lower part of Coe Road NE near St. Lukes Hospital. Based on preliminary information, a police officer was on a traffic stop with a 37-year-old male. The individual that was pulled over began an altercation with the police officer. During the incident, the police officer discharged his service weapon at the suspect. The suspect fled the scene in his vehicle southbound towards First Avenue East. The suspect vehicle struck an unmarked Cedar Rapids Police Department sport utility vehicle that was responding to the incident near A Avenue and Coe Road NE. The suspect then struck an unoccupied vehicle in a Coe College parking lot off of Coe Road and First Avenue. It was there that the suspect was taken into custody by other responding officers. The suspect was transported to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with serious injuries as the result of the shooting and collisions. The police officer that was involved in the altercation was not seriously injured. The officer that was in the police SUV had to be extricated from the vehicle and was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The name of the suspect is being withheld pending notification of family members. This is an active, ongoing investigation. The names of the officers involved will not be released until after they have been interviewed by the DCI. Traffic Alert: Coe Road NE will be closed from the area where Coe Road begins near Center Point Road/E Avenue area to First Avenue East for most of the day as part of the ongoing investigation. St. Lukes Hospital employees will be able to access the employee parking lot with proper employee credentials. MASON CITY An Osage couple has dropped a lawsuit against the Mason City Municipal Airport that alleged a falling speaker injured the woman during an air show. The lawsuit, filed by Joyce and Gayle Melcher, stated Joyce Melcher sustained significant injury when a propeller plane turned around too close to the crowd at the Fly Iowa Airshow on July 26, 2015. The gust of wind created by the propellers knocked over a speaker that struck Melcher, according to the lawsuit filed in Cerro Gordo County District Court earlier this year. The suit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning the couple can refile their claims later. Iowa Aviation Promotion Group, which organized the airshow, and Claude Spears, of Cedar Rapids, who provided the speakers for the show, also were named in the suit. The Melchers have dismissed their claims against them as well. Chad Swanson, attorney for the Melchers, had no comment. Spears told the Globe in August, according to his employees, a World War II-era B-25 bomber taxied about 25 feet away from the crowd in violation of FAA regulations requiring planes to stay at least 100 feet away which blew over an assortment of tents and chairs, including a 20- to 30-pound speaker that hit Melcher. WEST UNION A rural Fayette man awaiting trial for murder was found dead in jail. According to the Fayette County Sheriffs Office, correctional staff found Matthew Thomas Braun, 39, unconscious in the inmate shower and changing area around 9:45 p.m. Monday. Staff attempted to revive Braun, but he was later declared dead by the Fayette County Medical Examiner. The death does not appear to be suspicious in nature, and there is no indication of foul play; however, a determination into the cause of his death is still under investigation, Sheriff Marty Fisher said in a prepared statement. An autopsy has been scheduled, and the investigation is being conducted with the assistance from the Fayette County Medical Examiners Office, the State Of Iowa Medical Examiners Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Braun was being held on a first-degree murder charge stemming from allegations he beat 57-year-old Kris Simpson, a fellow resident at Prairie View Residential Care Facility in Fayette, and Simpson died from his injuries. Braun was arrested Sept. 17, 2012, and his trial had been delayed several times because of competency issues. WATERLOO A Waterloo woman has been arrested for allegedly selling magazine subscriptions and claiming the proceeds were going to charity. Police had obtained a warrant to arrest Jeanette Marie Marshall in 2015 after several residents said she had told them the money was going to House of Hope or would benefit her nursing training. On Thursday, Waterloo police arrested Marshall, 34, of 2107 Weiss Court, for four counts of third-degree theft and one count of fifth-degree fraud. She was released from the Black Hawk County Jail on Saturday. The arrest stems from an investigation in July and August 2015 when Marshall allegedly took orders for magazines. On Aug. 20, 2015, she collected $164 from one resident after telling her the sales were to help House of Hope, a non-profit that works with homeless woman and children. After the resident contacted police, officers called the charity and confirmed it wasnt involved with magazine sales, court records state. The following week, on Aug. 30, 2015, Marshall allegedly accepted a $58 check from a resident after telling her she was involved with a program called Self-Starters Inc., and the sales would give her points towards her nurses training, but the resident never received the magazines she paid for, court records state. Then on Aug. 31, 2015, she received a check for $975 after claiming she was selling magazines for House of Hope. The resident became suspicious and called House of Hope and then phoned police, who were able to obtain a bank surveillance video showing Marshall cashing the check at the drive-through window, court records state. Marshall was also arrested for cashing a $488 check in July 2015. The victim said she didnt know how Marshall obtained the check, and Marshall initially told police she received the check in connection with a Chicago magazine company called Excellent Sales, court records state. Police were unable to locate the company. Marshall had been arrested for forgery in 2012 for allegedly taking money for magazine subscriptions, saying she was working for a company that investigators later discovered had been out of business for a year. She was sentenced to prison and placed on parole in April 2013. DES MOINES -- Iowa has designated three new transportation Iowa byways and modified three existing byways in the states highway system to benefit travelers and promote tourism. Paul Trombino, director of the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), said the new designations include the 2,300-mile "Jefferson Highway that runs from Winnipeg, Canada, through Iowa -- between Northwood and Lamoni along Highways 65 and 69 en route to New Orleans; an 82-mile route featuring the covered bridges, John Wayne birthplace, and other unique destinations in Madison County; and the 26-mile White Pole Road between Adair and Dexter in west-central Iowa. Trombino expects the signage and promotional materials for these new byway routes will be ready by the 2018 tourism season. Also, he said, three already-existing state byways have been selected for upgrades: the Driftless Area Scenic Byway in the Decorah area will be extended by 44 miles; the Historic Hills Scenic Byway will be extended about seven miles from Moravia to Honey Creek State Park; and the Iowa Great River Road National Scenic Byway that runs along the Mississippi River will get upgrades to improve access to amenities along the riverfront and address safety concerns along the route. Youth poll More than 300 schools are slated to take part in this years statewide Iowa Youth Straw Poll on Tuesday being organized by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. This will be a great, hands-on learning experience for thousands of Iowa students, Pate said. We want to engage Iowas youth in civics and get them excited about the political process. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is a facet of the free Elections 101 curriculum for high school students available at Elections101.org. The Iowa Secretary of States Office will begin announcing the statewide results during a Facebook Live video on facebook.com/IASecretaryofState, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 8. A full list of the schools that are participating in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll will be available online at Elections101.org/iaparticipate Blender pumps Iowa is receiving another round of funding from a federal program to help install blender pumps for consumers seeking to burn gasoline blended with ethanol in their vehicles. Iowa officials said Monday $368,200 has been awarded to support the installation of 15 new blender pumps and three underground storage tanks that can be used to distribute higher blends of renewable fuels. The funds are being awarded to six fuel retailers to assist in installing renewable fuels infrastructure at seven sites across the state. In total, 217 blender pumps and 18 underground storage tanks will be installed at 70 sites by 17 companies to provide consumers with access to higher blends of ethanol as part of a $5 million competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Biofuel Infrastructure Partnership program. All funds must be matched by non-federal funds, including up to $2.5 million from the Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure program. Last in a series of stories profiling area legislative races. STATE CENTER The candidates in state Senate District 36 both make the case for experience in their bids for office. Sen. Steve Sodders, D-State Center, is spending the final week of the race talking about his experience in law enforcement and as a legislator. Sodders has been a sheriffs deputy for 26 years and has been in office since 2008. Republican candidate Jeff Edler is focused on his experience on the board of directors for his local rural electric cooperative, Consumers Energy. Edler was first elected to that position in 2006. Edler, 40, said during his tenure the organization made sweeping changes that led to increased equity without raising rates, which first led him to consider running for state office. I look at doing that, and I think, Well, why cant we do that at a higher level? said Edler, a farmer in State Center. I decided to run for the Iowa Senate in hopes that we can budget much like we do at our cooperative or our homes, being very responsible with how we spend the taxpayers dollars. Senate District 36 includes portions of Black Hawk County, Tama and Marshall Counties. Sodders, 47, points to achievements hes been part of at the state level. He talks about criminal justice reforms during his past two years chairing the Judiciary Committee, particularly an overhaul of the states domestic violence statutes, as well as work on economic development issues. I talk about my experience as a law enforcement officer having to work with all sorts of different people all the time, Sodders added. On issues, both Sodders and Edler make education a top priority. Sodders said he will work with House Republicans, if they still hold the majority, to set education spending early as state law requires but which hasnt been done for the past few years. That would be number one; weve got to get back to this idea that weve got to be able to set allowable growth a year ahead so that the schools can budget and follow the law, Sodders said. Hed also like to see a larger allowable growth rate. Edler, who has five children, said he would focus on investing in education efficiently and effectively. Its a very big priority to me in education and making sure they have jobs available to come back and stay right in the state of Iowa, Edler said of his children. He said he doesnt have preset opinions about education spending before looking at the realities of the budget. He also hasnt formed an opinion about tax reform, something Republican Gov. Terry Branstad said will be a priority if Republicans seize control of the Senate. Edler said he would be a good steward of tax dollars. He would like to have a simplified tax code. Sodders said if Democrats make gains, there will be a priority shift from tax breaks for businesses and corporations to education spending. Beyond education, Edler stresses a focus on integrity in government and the voting process as well as following the U.S. Constitution. He also supports the Second Amendment. Sodders focuses more on health care. He wants to improve access to mental health services after the closure of two mental health institutes in the state. As a law enforcement officer hes seen an uptick in people with mental illness ending up in jails instead of the appropriate facilities. Sodders also wants to expand the state medical cannabis law and improve Medicaid services after the privatization the governor enacted this year. Both candidates also agree the state needs to address water quality. CEDAR FALLS A federal flood disaster declaration is good news for local governments in 19 Iowa counties but does little to help as many as 700 owners of houses and businesses in Black Hawk and Butler counties damaged by flooding, local officials said Tuesday. President Obama designated 19 Iowa counties as eligible for federal assistance to address least $22 million in damage from flooding in late September and early October. The assistance will help local governments with damage to public facilities and cleanup, not individual property owners. That may leave some home and business owners in a lurch. When we applied for this presidential declaration we knew we were not going to get individual assistance. We just didnt have the numbers, said Mitch Nordmeyer, Butler County emergency management coordinator. About nine of the 19 counties unsuccessfully tried to get individual assistance. The fall flood was nearly as bad as 2008 in Butler County, Nordmeyer said. Butler County had 521 private properties affected, from minimal damage to homes that were destroyed. Most were in Clarksville, Greene and Shell Rock. About 79 of those were rated as being in the major damage to destroyed category, below the federal threshold for individual assistance. Its going to be a big deal here. Were working a number of angles with the state of Iowa to figure out ways to help people with unmet needs. ... Its a slow process, Nordmeyer said. Cedar Falls officials estimated estimated about 165 properties in that city sustained some kind of flood damage about 60 percent of some 270 properties the city inspected. Those properties are in the flood-prone northern part of the city, many of them in the North Cedar area. This was a little bittersweet, Mayor Jim Brown said of the disaster declaration. The citys getting reimbursed for its expenses, but nothing we saw related to the folks affected in northern Cedar Falls. Like Butler County, Brown said Cedar Falls officials are looking at all avenues to help affected individual residents and businesses. One avenue Nordmeyer and Cedar Falls officials mentioned is a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program that allows for acquisition, relocation or elevation of buildings in a flood area. Grant requests would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and depend on funds available. Black Hawk and Butler counties had the second- and third-largest losses of the $22 million in damage incurred by public entities in the 19 counties. Black Hawk had $3.4 million damage and Butler $1.6 million. Linn County had the most at $12.4 million. U.S. Sen. Charles Grassleys office also noted individual home and business owners may apply for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Call Grassleys Waterloo office at 232-6657 with any concerns or questions. Waterloo had the largest amount, at $1.9 million, of the $3.4 million in flood damage in Black Hawk County. Our early estimates are $840,000 for emergency protective measures and debris removal and approximately $1 million in repairs needed to streets, city parks and trails, Waterloo chief financial officer Michelle Weidner said. Cedar Falls incurred nearly $900,000 including sandbagging and installing Hesco barriers on the Cedar River flood control levee. Mayor Brown said city officials met with U.S. Sen. Joni Ernsts office for assistance in expediting federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval of a plan to raise the downtown levee by three feet. Grassley already has written a letter to Corps officials requesting expedited approval since the city secured funding though the state two years ago. Counties included in the presidential disaster declaration Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Des Moines, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Howard, Linn, Mitchell, Winneshiek and Wright counties. Rod Boshart of the Lee-Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this story. Hillary and children CAROL HANSON CEDAR FALLS -- All of you have gone through multiple stages of development from growing in the womb to childhood to adolescence to adulthood. If you had not survived any one of those stages, you would not be here today. Any candidate who says they defend children must also support the rights of children to develop into childhood. Hillary Clinton claims she has been a lifelong defender of children's rights; however, she only recognizes a child as a person if they survive development in the womb. Furthermore, she actively promotes legal efforts to kill children while they are developing in the womb. This is utter inconsistency. How can a candidate say they defend children but support laws to kill a child moments before birth? If elected, expect that she will support Supreme Court Justices who will continue their slaughter of children during their most vulnerable stages of development. This election provides the opportunity to reject hypocrisy and truly defend children. Vote for life! This is Freedom? LANNY SCHWARTZ CEDAR FALLS -- We have two congressional candidates here in the 1st District. One is running ads that are perhaps a shade too nice, though now picking up. The other runs attack ads discredited by fact-finders or other ads that show a view of the candidate that is a lie. Yet to be featured in ads is the fact that one candidate is a member of the congressional Freedom Caucus. These Caucus members are a group of 40 or so the far right or alt-right. This group is about 10 percent of the House, and they have thrown a wrench in the gears of most legislation over the last four years. They are the most do-nothing of our do-nothing Congress. Now they are demanding from Speaker Paul Ryan that for their votes for his re-election he must meet certain demands that would let this minority control all congressional legislation. An example, no budget will pass unless it is their super low one requiring vast cuts to government. Iowans do not want this radical group to become our dictators. Freedom their way anybody? Religious freedom MICHAEL BAYER WATERLOO -- This election will determine whether Americans continue to enjoy religious liberty and the free exercise thereof. Religious freedom is the first right mentioned in the Bill of Rights and the foundation of other rights in the First Amendment: freedom of speech, of the press, and the right to assemble. In recent years, religious liberty has been eroded by other created rights that are found nowhere in our constitution. Hillary Clinton says that deep-seated religious beliefs have to be changed. She will undoubtedly appoint Supreme Court justices that share her conviction. The progressive agenda to push religious liberty onto the ash heap of history extends even to our local county supervisors. I wrote to all six Black Hawk County supervisor candidates asking: Do you recognize the recent loss of religious freedom as a problem? What would you do to safeguard our religious liberty? John Dodge and Terry Scheffert wrote that they would stand up for religious freedom and all of our constitutional rights. Chris Schwartz responded to be clear, no, there has not been a loss of religious freedom. In this election, vote for candidates who will protect the free exercise of your religious liberty. Forum attendance LARRY TRACHTE WAVERLY -- An informed electorate is the heart and soul of a democracy. To that end, a crowd gathered for a League of Women Voters forum last week at the Waverly Public Library. The electorate was there, but unfortunately the Republican candidates, Sandy Salmon and Craig Johnson, were not. All who came to be better informed as to where the candidates stood on key issues were disappointed, but especially those who were Republicans, as it turned out to be basically a Democratic caucus. I was very impressed by Brian Schoenjahn. He was clearly well-informed on the issues and repeatedly articulated his support for more adequate funding of education on all levels. I was especially pleased at his stated desire to work together with Republicans for the good of the State of Iowa.I might have been impressed by Craig Johnson, but we'll never know since he wasn't there. 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General Electric (GE) has tested a demonstrator engine with 35% additive manufactured parts. The engine was made to validate 3D printed parts for the clean-sheet design Advanced Turboprop (ATP) engine, which will power the new Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop aircraft. The GE CT7 engine, on which the a-CT7 is based In its quest to turn additive manufacturing into an essential part of the aerospace industry, GE has showcased its most impressive feat of 3D printed engineering to date: an engine comprised of 35% 3D printed parts. The all-new lightweight components for the ATP will contribute to a 5% weight reduction, as well as a 1% improvement in specific fuel consumption (SFC), coming good on the promises made during the initial announcement of the 3D printed engine. The clean-sheet design ATP will feature metal 3D printed parts which reduce the weight of the engine, not only through topologically optimized structures, but also by requiring fewer connecting parts: With subtractive manufactured parts and assemblies, you traditionally use bolts, welds or other interfaces to attach the parts together, which adds weight to the engine, said Gordon Follin, ATP Engineering GM at GE Aviation. On the ATP, additive reduces weight by eliminating those attaching features while also optimizing design of the parts. To validate parts for the ATP, GE developed a CT7-2E1 technology demonstrator engine, the a-CT7, which was designed, built, and tested in 18 months. The demonstrator, reverse engineered from an existing (non-additive) CT7 engine, shows the full power of aerospace additive manufacturing, with more than 900 subtractive manufactured parts reduced to just 16 additive manufactured parts. While the demonstrator is not intended to fly, the engine architecture of the ATP is derived from the CT7, allowing for successfully tested additive parts from the a-CT7 to be incorporated into the ATP. GE's 3D printed fuel nozzle tip The ATP, which will power the new Cessna Denali single-engine turboprop aircraft, will feature more 3D printed components than any production engine in the history of aviation. 855 subtractive manufactured parts will be reduced to 12 additive parts, with those 12 making up 35% of the total part count. 3D printed parts include sumps, bearing housings, frames, exhaust case, combustor liner, heat exchangers, and stationary flowpath components. The use of 12 3D printed parts in the ATP engine marks a dramatic increase in additive usage over the CFM LEAP engine, which contained just one instance of 3D printing: a 3D printed fuel nozzle tip. However, the eight engineers who designed the LEAPs 3D printed fuel nozzle tip returned to the fold to create the 16 additive parts of the demonstrator a-CT7, and further 3D printed parts will be incorporated into the next version of the demonstrator. According to GE, additive manufacturing has not only helped to reduce the weight of engine parts; it has also helped to increase production speed. The combustor liners, for example, were 3D printed in just two days. A huge benefit of additive is expedited test schedules, said Follin. For a program like ATP, one of our big philosophical points of emphasis is getting hardware to test faster instead of spending too much time with models on a computer. By putting real hardware on test as quickly as we can, we can use the resultant data to help us design the next iteration for a better product, and we get that product much faster than if we were to use conventional manufacturing methods. Cessna Denali The 1,240SHP-rated ATP is the first in a new line of GE turboprop engines aimed at Business and General Aviation aircraft in the 1,000-1,600 SHP range, and should be in the air by the end of 2017. The new Cessna Denali, which will be powered by the ATP, will have a range of 1,600 nautical miles and speeds higher than 285 knots. GE Aviation Business vice president Brad Mottier recently reported that GE has spent about $1 billion developing its overall additive manufacturing plan. After failing to secure the purchase of SLM Solutions in October, GE eventually purchased 3D printing giant Concept Laser instead. ATP features: 12 additive parts (35% total part count) 16:1 overall pressure ratio (OPR) 20% lower fuel burn (compared to competitors in same size class) 10% higher cruise power Ruggedized, modular architecture based on CT7 turboshaft All-titanium, 3D aerodynamic compressor for light-weight and efficient power generation Cooled turbine blades enabling higher thrust and fuel efficiency Integrated electronic propulsion control Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Nov 1, 2016 | By Benedict Students at North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota are building a CubeSat satellite that will test the capabilities of a 5 x 5 x 8 cm 3D printer in space. The students believe the project could contribute to the long-term goal of 3D printing spacecraft in space. CubeSats, miniature satellites created by scientists from across the globe, are being developed to carry out all kinds of scientific research, from analyzing the composition of the thermosphere to testing new broadcasting equipment. A large group of students from North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota are now attempting to develop a new use for CubeSats: testing the capabilities of a 3D printer orbiting aboard a satellite. While there is already a 3D printer in space, the Made in Space Additive Manufacturing Facility sits in the relative comfort of the International Space Station (ISS). The 3D printer on the Dakota students OpenOrbiter satellite, on the other hand, will be exposed to the conditions of Earth orbit and will receive no manual maintenance. According to the 90-odd Dakota students and faculty behind the OpenOrbiter 3D printing experiment, the CubeSat could be launched to the ISS early next year, after which it would be released into Earths orbit. Interestingly, the two universities are each developing their own version of the OpenOrbiter, with the best components of each model making up the final satellite. The satellites also serve as backups for one another, with vibration and battery issues both potential banana skins for the project. The 3D printer to be launched on the OpenOrbiter will measure around 5 x 5 x 8 cm, and will be used to determine how certain printing materials behave in microgravity and when exposed to the temperatures and radiation of low Earth orbit. If the universities discover that the 3D printer can successfully fabricate objects in such conditions, the findings could be invaluable for long-term projects such as the in-space fabrication of spacecraft and habitats. In addition to testing the 3D printer, the OpenOrbiter will also be used for other science and engineering experiments. Initially, the university students and faculty hoped to build the 3D printing CubeSat at a cost of no more than $2,500. While the majority of the hardware has cost just over $1,000, the developers collectively decided to invest in a $4,000 radio to ensure that the satellite would provide good telemetry data even in the event of failure. The OpenOrbiter is, according to its creators, the first satellite to be made in North Dakota. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: I.AM.Magic wrote at 11/2/2016 8:55:57 AM:Why are they doing this again? Samuel G. Freedman at VQR: During the summer of 2013, shortly after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager named Trayvon Martin, word leaked out that a juror was already shopping around a prospective book about the case. One particular Twitter user, Genie Lauren, was so outraged that she logged on to condemn the literary agent who was representing the juror. As Lauren later explained, I didnt think it was right that someone would make money off of this tragedy. Almost immediately, thousands of other people began tweeting at the agent, a protest petition circulated online, and the book project was dropped. By some readings of recent history, this episode marked the emergence of Black Twitter, a term that refers to the concentrated, effective, and proudly parochial use of the social-media platform by African Americans. In the years since the Zimmerman trial, Black Twitter has been an information-sharing and opinion-shaping phenomenon for everything from the BET Awards to the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri. Black Twitter, of course, gave birth to the hashtag that became a slogan that became a movement: #BlackLivesMatter. more here. Freya Johnston at Literary Review: Would we have liked to live with him? asked Thackeray, contemplating Swift, a question he immediately ducked by supplying a long list of other writers with whom we might prefer to spend our time. Samuel Johnson, similarly recoiling from the evidence of Swifts character as manifested in his works, thought him a man of rigorous temper, whose vigilance of minute attention must have made him unbearable. Even his best friends, on whose testimony Johnson relied, depicted him as cold, frugal, petulant and severe. None of this would have surprised the man himself. In his autobiographical Verses on the Death of Dr Swift (1731), he imagined widespread indifference to his demise and posthumous distortions of his name. The poem gives neither his vilest enemies nor his closest friends much credit for the sincerity or persistence of their feelings. Instead, it is the public Swift who endures, the man who unmasked cheats and frauds, who stood up for the financial and constitutional independence of Ireland, and who left his money To build a House for Fools and Mad: And shewd by one satiric Touch, No Nation wanted it so much: That Kingdom he hath left his Debtor, I wish it soon may have a Better. more here. Stephen Bayley in The Spectator: In Australia, I have been told, the female pubic area is sometimes known as a mapatasi because its triangular shape resembles a map of Tasmania. And since we are discussing cartography and the nether regions, it is wonderful to find in the British Librarys new exhibition, Maps and the 20th Century, that Countess Mountbatten wore knickers made out of second world war airmens silk escape maps. Maps certainly colonise our imaginations in many different ways. The allies in Iraq had a road map rather than a strategy. So much of personal value can be lost in the creases and folds of our own mental maps. And couples who often travel in cars will know the shrieking horrors of the map row, more complicated nowadays since satnav offers a third and often contrary route selection. If you visit the British Library you might use the Tube or go by road. So you will probably consult the Underground map or an A-Z. Here are two examples of maps as illusions, or, at least, persuasive abstractions. Harry Beck was the London Transport engineering draftsman who created the modern Tube map. With great art he decided to use only verticals, horizontals and diagonals while, for clarity, he greatly enlarged the citys central area. The result is an all-time, trumpets-of-Jericho classic of graphic design, admired and copied everywhere. But if you see a technical plan of the Tube lines as they actually are, it resembles a bowl of spaghetti spilt on the floor. The disparity between tangled reality and Becks superlative, reductive modernist capriccio is shocking. It is not a faithful reproduction of underlying facts, but a lie that works. Therein is a central truth: the human mapping instinct is as much art as it is science. More here. Jessa Crispin at The Baffler: It was not, at one time, considered so remarkable that a candidate for the United States presidency talked to the dead. That the candidate was a former prostitute and an advocate for free love was more worrying. Whats more, her vice-presidential pick was a former slave; that was likely the surest sign that Victoria Woodhull was not going to be the next American president. It was the election of 1872, and Woodhull stood as the nominee for the newly organized Equal Rights Party, with Frederick Douglass as her VP. (Theres no real evidence to show that Douglass agreed to this arrangement, and he certainly did not campaign with her.) Women might not have had the right to vote, but they could run for office, and Woodhull felt that the presidency was her destiny. In the end, the first woman to seek the White House received no electoral college votes, and her party made the ballot in only twenty-two states. Her enemies pounced on her utopian call for sexual freedom for both men and women, and stirred up the fear of miscegenation that white voters felt, with only minimal prompting, at the sight of a white woman consorting with a black man. Meanwhile, Woodhulls history of working as a clairvoyant and her vocal support of Spiritualism were not much of a hindrance to her campaign. Go figure. more here. Thomas Frank in Harper's Magazine: All politicians love to complain about the press. They complain for good reasons and bad. They cry over frivolous slights and legitimate inquiries alike. They moan about bias. They talk to friendlies only. They manipulate reporters and squirm their way out of questions. And this all makes perfect sense, because politicians and the press are, or used to be, natural enemies. Conservative politicians have built their hostility toward the press into a full-blown theory of liberal media bias, a pseudosociology that is today the obsessive pursuit of certain nonprofit foundations, the subject matter of an annual crop of books, and the beating heart of a successful cable-news network. Donald Trump, the current leader of the rights war against the media, hates this traditional foe so much that he banned a number of news outlets from attending his campaign events and has proposed measures to encourage more libel lawsuits. He does this even though he owes his prominence almost entirely to his career as a TV celebrity and to the news medias morbid fascination with his glowering mug. His Democratic opponent hates the press, too. Hillary Clinton may not have a general theory of right-wing media bias to fall back on, but she knows that she has been the subject of lurid journalistic speculation for decades. More here. [Thanks to Eric Chaffee.] When social entrepreneur Michael Paratore quit a career in corporate law to pursue Mohinders, his Mill Valley-based shoe company that sources woven-leather footwear directly from artisans in Karnataka , India, he didn't quite know what he was getting into. "I wasn't brainstorming ideas for new businesses or social ventures at the time," the Cal grad recounts of that first trip to India in 2012. "I picked up a beautiful pair of sandals from a street vendor in Mumbai and became obsessed with finding the artisans who made them." The adventure took Paratore from Mumbai to Kolhapur, a city famous for its namesake handmade leather shoes (Kolhapuri Chappals), to the village of Karnataka, where he saw artisans, who were members of a successful nonprofit cooperative comprising 170 families, handweaving the shoes. Crafted from vegetable-tanned water buffalo leather hidesan ancient process using acacia bark and myrobalan nutsaccording to techniques passed down through generations, the shoes come in three styles (slippers, slides and flats) for both men and women. "I'll dress them up for a business meeting or even a formal event when my wife permits it, or I'll dress them down as an alternative to flip flops," says Paratore. "I'm frequently stopped by strangers who compliment them and want to learn more about them, leading to new connections and even friendships." Mohinders' founder, corporate lawyer turned social entrepreneur Michael Paratore. (courtesy of Mohinders) Below, Paratore chats with 7x7 about his company's social mission, the challenges of building supply chain transparency and Mohinder's latest styles. Why is sustainability central to your business model? Since I was fixated on a shoe that was born and produced by artisans in India, it was clear to me that the right thing to do was to keep the production in their hands, enlist them as the supplier, and pay them fairly for their work. Are the animals specifically raised for their hide? What I've learned during my time in India is that the water buffalo hides come from work animals that die of natural causes. I'm headed to India this January and one of my goals for my trip is to build traceability for our water buffalo hides. Why is building traceability important? To us, traceability means having a relationship with, and trusting, the suppliers for every component of our products from the colorful fabric lining of our shoe bags (printed in India) to the letterpressed hang tags (printed by a local business in San Francisco). That trust is built by relationships formed in person and maintained by countless hours on Skype and regular trips to India or frequent afternoons spent in San Francisco. We also take traceability a step further beyond our suppliers to the raw materials they use. This includes the materials found in every pair of Mohinders: water buffalo-leather upper, goat-leather lining and crepe rubber sole. While we are confident each of these components are produced using environmentally friendly methods under ethical working conditions. We are working to instill auditing for these materials. Artisans weaving Mohinders slippers in Karnataka, India. (courtesy of Mohinders) Since the shoes are still produced in the artisans' homes, how do you foresee scaling sustainably? Given our commitment to keep production with the artisans, we can't "scale" the business in its current form to the point that we could meet infinite demand for our products. That said, there are certain things we can and intend to do, such as train additional people in the village, which will take time but will eventually increase our annual capacity. What's one of the most rewarding aspects of running a sustainable company? The most rewarding part is getting to make decisions based on what sounds fun and exciting to me, and, by doing that, also support artisans financially and help to preserve a craft that has been passed down through many generations. Given that I have not taken any outside fundraising, I'm able to guide decisions based on what motivates me and serves the artisans rather than maximizing profit in the short-term. The most challenging aspect is working with a manufacturing partner who speaks a different language and is so far away geographically. I do understand why other companies get inspired by a product that is made abroad and then decide to manufacture it closer to home. However, despite the challenges of working with artisans in India, I don't regret it one bit. And what's next? We just launched our newest style called the City Slipper Solid this week! It's a slide featuring an upper made from a single piece of solid leather that beautifully highlights our vegetable-tanned buffalo leathera unique material we're proud to use. // $145-$165, Available at The Perish Trust, 728 Divisadero St. (Nopa), theperishtrust.com and online at mohinders.com Protecting older consumers Financial exploitation, which includes consumer fraud, scams and theft, is the fastest growing form of older adult abuse, affecting 1 in 5 older Americans and costing them an estimated $3 billion per year. This translates into an average loss for an older victim of about $120,300, roughly the amount a typical 50-plus household has in retirement savings. Actual losses are likely even higher since financial exploitation, like many other forms of elder abuse, often goes unreported. Financial exploitation of older adults also affects financial institutions, which lost an estimated $1 billion in deposits in 2012 because of fraud committed against people 50 and older. BankSafe will offer training and resources so bank employees and financial advisers can recognize signs of exploitation and offer customers guidance on finding solutions. See Also: Money and Memory - A Coming Concern For travel inspiration, planning, and more, visit AARP Travel. Top 2017 Boomer travel trends show that almost all will travel for leisure with about half traveling internationally. Key findings include the following: General Travel Insights Travel in 2017 looks very similar to what was anticipated in 2016 Most Boomers (99%) will take at least one leisure trip in 2017, with an average of five or more trips expected throughout the year. Most (51%) expect to only travel domestically, but a significant portion are hoping to travel both domestically and internationally (43%). The majority of travel is anticipated in the Spring and Summer of 2017, and to a lesser degree in the Fall, regardless of destination. For Boomers, Bucket List trips are the most popular motivation for an international trip, while domestic trips are a combination of Summer vacations, Multi-generational trips, Weekend Getaways, and Holiday travel. With all the trips anticipated for 2017, it is important to note that most (~85%) have yet to be booked, meaning Boomers are still in the planning or idea phase. Boomers appear confident about making travel arrangements, as 49% report not finding anything particularly difficult to take care of in regards to their travel plans. Among those who noted an issue, budgeting challenges top the list. Boomers are not avid users of online resources for travel planning and booking, especially compared to younger generations. Among those using online resources, the most popular sites include Trip Advisor, Expedia, Travelocity, Yelp, and Google Maps. That said, 41% will book online at the airline/hotel/car website. This is most likely driven by the fact that most Boomers are members of at least one loyalty program. In fact, 82% are currently members of an airline loyalty program. More often than not (~70% Always/Mostly), Boomers will book their travel (flight, hotel, car) with their loyalty program provider. And although many continue to indicate a desire to travel more in 2017 than they did in 2016, a handful of barriers remain in the way; cost (43%), health (34%), and security concerns (28%) top the list. Trip Specifics Most Boomers are looking for a laid back and relaxing trip to give them the opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family. To do so, Boomers are planning to escape to Mexico, the Caribbean, and/or the British Isles (UK, Ireland) for their upcoming international trips. Their domestic trips, although covering a variety of cities, are most often being planned for a Florida or California destination. Regarding authentic experiences, although Boomers would like to eat a meal with locals (50%), or tour with locals (40% among international travelers), they are not as open to staying with locals, domestically or abroad (18%). As seen in past research, among Boomers who are still working, approximately 40% do not anticipate taking all of their vacation days. And when they do vacation, 40% feel it is at least somewhat important to stay connected to work while away, which is why many anticipate spending at least 10% of their vacation time working. A 15-minute online survey was conducted among males and females age 18-plus who have taken at least one leisure trip in the past two years. The survey was fielded in September 2016. Final data have been weighted to the U.S. Census for analysis. For more information contact Vicki Gelfeld at VGelfeld@aarp.org. Suggested Citation: Gelfeld, Vicki. AARP Travel Research: 2017 Travel Trends. Washington, DC: AARP Research, November 2016. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00134.001 Get to know the candidates seeking three spots on Brown Co. Commission Quarterly Update and Appendix 4C Perth, Nov 1, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MMJ PhytoTech Limited ( ASX:MMJ ) ("MMJ" or "the Company") is pleased to provide its quarterly activities report for the period ended 30 September 2016. Highlights: - Proposed spin-out of Canadian subsidiary United Greeneries and Swiss subsidiary Satipharm by way of reverse takeover of TSX-V listed entity Top Strike Resources (TSX-V; TSR) - MMJ enters strategic option agreement to lease 13-acre land package located directly adjacent to existing Duncan Facility - Phase 2 Clinical Trial of PTL101 capsules to measure efficacy for reducing seizures in children with intractable epilepsy set to commence - Appointment of experienced pharmaceutical executive Catherine Harvey as Chief Operations Officer Duncan Facility Expansion Strategy During the September quarter, MMJ advised that its wholly-owned subsidiary United Greeneries Holdings Ltd ("UG") had executed a binding letter of intent ("LOI") with Cowichan Tribes ("Cowichan") in respect to the leasing of a 13-acre strategic land package ('Expansion Land") located immediately adjacent to the Duncan Facility. MMJ estimates that the Expansion Land could support up to 10 acres of greenhouse production space, potentially yielding approximately 25,000kg/year of cannabis, which is more than 25 times the current production capacity of the Duncan Facility. Together with the existing production capacity, the expanded Duncan Facility could produce up to 26,000kg of cannabis per year, which would position it as one of the largest cannabis cultivation operations in Canada. Expanded production capacity would further strengthen the Company's supply chain and will play a key role in supplying the soon to be legalised Canadian recreational market, with conservative estimates forecasting annual sales of approximately C$5 billion. As one of only 29 companies currently licensed to produce medical cannabis in Canada, MMJ expects to be well positioned as a first mover in this emerging recreational market. Cowichan Agreement Overview The LOI grants MMJ an option to lease 13 acres of the 40-acre strategic land package directly adjacent to the existing Duncan Facility until June 1, 2017. Additionally, the agreement provides MMJ with the capacity to increase the acreage beyond 13 acres if needed upon exercise of the option. In consideration for the option to lease, the Company has agreed to pay Cowichan Tribes C$1,000 per month until the earlier of the expiry of the option on June 1, 2017, or the entry into a lease agreement. Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Treatment of Pediatric Epilepsy In August, MMJ advised that its wholly-owned, Israeli-based subsidiary PhytoTech Therapeutics Limited ("PTL"), was finalising preparations to commence a Phase 2 Clinical Study into the efficacy of its PTL 101 capsules in treating intractable epilepsy in children. The PTL capsules contain organically derived, highly purified CBD (cannabidoil) and are utilising proprietary formulations developed through the Company's Gelpell product technology. The Phase 2 study is expected to commence in Q4 2016 at a leading Israeli healthcare facility, and follows the successful Phase 1 Clinical Study which highlighted the safety and high performance of the Gelpell-CBD capsules. If successful, the Phase 2 clinical trial results will be a key catalyst towards the commercial development of the PTL101 prescription drug for the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children. MMJ is also in the final stages of preparing for the commencement of a Phase 2 Clinical Study into the ability of its PTL201 capsules to treat spasticity related symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis patients. Proposed Listing of Core Cannabis Brands of TSX-V On 28 September, MMJ advised that it had signed a binding Term Sheet with TSX-V listed company Top Strike Resources Limited (TSX-V: TSR) ("Top Strike"), for Top Strike to acquire 100% of the issued shares of United Greeneries and Satipharm AG ("Satipharm") respectively. The proposed transaction, which remains subject to a number of conditions, including shareholder approval, is intended to provide MMJ shareholders with direct exposure to the rapidly growing recreational and medical cannabis markets in Canada. Post spin out, MMJ shareholders will, through their shareholdings in MMJ, have an indirect ownership in a fully-financed, growth-focused cannabis company with two key operating brands in UG and Satipharm. The aggregate sale price of UG and Satipharm (C$40 million) represents approximately 97% of MMJ's current market capitalisation (undiluted and based on a share price of A$0.24). TSX-V Listing Highlights / Key Benefits: - Post transaction, MMJ shareholders will have significant exposure to two of the largest commercial opportunities in the global cannabis sector; - TSX-V listing to fast-track growth of both UG and Satipharm cannabis brands respectively, with robust growth pipelines and near-term revenue generating opportunities to be realised; - Direct exposure to Canadian capital markets to be a significant value catalyst; -- Since 1 March 2016 over $200M has been raised by MMJ's Peers - Top Strike to be become a pure play TSX-V cannabis company with world-class brands providing penetration into evolving recreational and medical cannabis markets globally; and - Combination of UG and Satipharm brands in the resulting issuer for capturing the entire spectrum of the Canadian recreational and medical cannabis market is expected to create a competitive advantage over single brand competition and to leverage Satipharm's oral delivery assets into the recreational market. Canadian Recreational Market Opportunity The Canadian medical cannabis market is one of the most highly regulated and favourable operating jurisdictions globally. At present, there are 34 approved companies operating under the current regulatory framework, of which 10 are publicly listed in Canada. The medical cannabis market in Canada is expected to grow to C$3 billion in annual sales by 2024, with new patient enrolments in 2016 increasing by an average of 5,000 new patients per month - a total of 75,000 patients are enrolled at present. A significant value catalyst for Licensed Producers ("LP's") will be the anticipated regulation of the Canadian recreational market, which has a conservative estimated value of circa C$5 billion per annum. The Canadian government has committed to the introduction of the new recreational regulatory system by in the second half of calendar 2017. It is expected that existing LP's under the current regulatory framework will have a strategic first-mover advantage as early stage suppliers to this recreational market. Corporate Overview During the quarter, the Company advised that Mr Ross McKay resigned as a Non-Executive Director due to increased workloads associated with other business interests in Canada. The Board thanks Mr Mckay for his commitment and contribution towards the growth of MMJ over the past 12 months. In August, MMJ appointed Catherine Harvey as Chief Operations Officer. In the role, Catherine will play a significant role in overseeing the daily operations of MMJ's key business divisions, with a focus on the execution of key international growth objectives. Post quarter end, the Company announced that it had raised A$4 million (before costs) through the placement of 19,512,196 fully paid ordinary shares ("Placement") to institutional and sophisticated investors at $0.205 per share. The Placement was well supported by a number of well-regarded institutional investors with the Company accepting over-subscriptions of A$2 million, which is a strong endorsement of MMJ's near-term development strategy and underlying value. Management Commentary MMJ's Managing Director, Andreas Gedeon, commented: "The September quarter was a highly productive period for MMJ, highlighted by the Company's proposal to list its core cannabis brands - United Greeneries and Satipharm AG - on the TSX-V via a reverse takeover transaction. The Company strongly believes listing on the TSX-V will be a significant near-term value catalyst for existing MMJ shareholders, as it provides direct exposure to the rapidly expanding Canadian cannabis market which has an estimated value of approx. C$5 billion. As the framework around the Canadian medical and recreational cannabis markets continues to evolve, a key focus for management has been on ensuring MMJ has the capacity to rapidly scale-up production. As a result, the Company has entered into a strategic expansion land package to acquire an additional 13 acres located directly adjacent to our Duncan Facility, effectively enabling Duncan to produce circa 26,000kg/year of cannabis. MMJ's Israeli-based subsidiary, PhytoTech Therapeutics has also continued to make significant progress during the quarter, as it prepares to commence a Phase 2 Clinical Trial to test the efficacy of our PTL 101 capsules in treating intractable epilepsy in children. I would like to thank our shareholders for their ongoing support, and the Board looks forward to providing further updates on the TSX-V listing and other key operational milestones in the near-term." To view the full report, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/0NWU5DG2 About MMJ Group Holdings Ltd MMJ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:MMJ) is a global cannabis investment company. MMJ owns a portfolio of minority investments and aims to invest across the full range of emerging cannabis-related sectors including healthcare, technology, infrastructure, logistics, processing, cultivation, equipment and retail. For MMJ's latest investor presentation and news, please visit: https://www.mmjphytotech.com.au/investors/ Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report Sydney, Nov 1, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Atrum Coal NL ("Atrum" or the "Company") ( ASX:ATU ) ( ATRCF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to provide its Quarterly Activities Report for the period ending 30 September 2016. HIGHLIGHTS - Atrum secures an additional 42 coal licences from the British Columbia Government, following conversion of all license applications, for its Groundhog Anthracite Project, more than doubling the area of exclusive coal exploration and development rights. - Atrum signs Joint Exploration Agreement with Japan Oil, Gas & Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) to conduct exploration work at Atrum's Panorama North coal tenure in the western area of the Groundhog North Project in British Columbia. - Successful drilling program at Panorama North concludes in the Second Quarter with coal samples from four core holes being sent for testing. - Atrum commenced due diligence regarding possible takeover of Atlantic Carbon Group PLC (ACG), however is no longer considering an acquisition of the shares in ACG. - Atrum secures up to 100,000 tonnes of anthracite from ACG to sell to potential long term international customers. Bob Bell, Executive Chairman of Atrum commented: "It has been a very busy and productive Quarter for Atrum. The multi-year exploration agreement with JOGMEC to finance an exploration program at our Panorama North tenure is already paying dividends as we have been able to complete the first year drilling program. No drilling has ever been done in the Panorama North area before, other than shallow auger holes, and we look forward to releasing the results, after coal testing is complete, and to undertaking an expanded program in 2017 with the support of JOGMEC and our Aboriginal Partners." "Atrum entered an agreement during the Quarter to acquire a 26.68 per cent stake in Atlantic Carbon Group PLC (ACG), a public, but unquoted, anthracite mining company operating in Pennsylvania, USA. The Company then advised ACG of its intention to conduct due diligence with the aim of making an offer for all the shares and warrants in the ACG. However, the tight timeframes required by the UK Takeover Code and the difficulty in conducting due diligence on various US subsidiaries has resulted in a decision by Atrum not to pursue the purchase of ACG shares and warrants either at a minority or controlling level. The Company is in discussions with ACG in relation to a possible alternative transaction involving ACG." "Atrum secured the rights to sell up to 100,000 tonnes of anthracite from ACG. We arranged laboratory testing of the anthracite and the results, confirming its premium quality, have been sent to numerous European and North Asian anthracite buyers. The Company is now in discussions with rail and port operators to co-ordinate possible shipments to potential customers." "During the Quarter, all of Atrum's Groundhog Anthracite Project coal license applications were converted to coal licenses by the British Columbia Government. Atrum now has considerable exclusive coal exploration and development rights and greater certainty with respect to future exploration planning." Groundhog Anthracite Project The Groundhog Anthracite Project is located in the Groundhog Coalfield in northwest British Columbia, Canada. Groundhog covers an area of more than 800km2. Groundhog is prospective for high grade and ultra-high grade anthracite suitable for use in the manufacture of blast furnace steel, as well as electric arc furnaces, as a reductant, filter media, and feedstock for chemical production. The Company has devised concept plans for multiple mines for development in the Groundhog Coalfield, beginning with the Groundhog North Mining Complex, feeding a common coal handling and preparation facility (CHPP). Bulk Sample Project As noted in the Company's prior Quarterly Report, in May 2016, Atrum was awarded a Bulk Sample and related permits required to support the commencement of mining activities at Groundhog North. These permits allow Atrum to extract a bulk sample of up to 100,000 tonnes of anthracite from Groundhog North. The ultra-high grade lump and fine anthracite produced from the bulk sample are expected to be sold to various international customers for trials in blast furnace and sinter plants, with the potential to provide a portion of the product for beneficiation for specialty industrial users. These customer trials will assist the Company to secure long-term offtake agreements for supply of Groundhog Ultra High Grade 10% ash anthracite. During the Quarter, Atrum continued with its preparation planning for the bulk sample mining operations. Additionally, internal planning work advanced in relation to implementation of the Special Use Permit also awarded to Atrum, which enables Atrum to establish ground based site access. Atrum continues to discuss offtake with multiple anthracite consumers, and has received a number of new enquiries from traditional ferrous industry participants, and more recently consumers of specialised anthracite products. The bulk sample will assist customers to assess the suitability of Groundhog Ultra-High grade anthracite in their processes. Potential customers are a key avenue for assisting to fund the development of the Phase 1 mine, and the Company now has several groups investigating the technical details of the Groundhog Project. Given the continuing strong demand for anthracite in the seaborne market, the Company is investigating various ways to accelerate the Company's projects and supply ultra-high grade anthracite that remains in short supply. Conversion of Coal Applications to Licenses Late in the Quarter, all of the Company's Groundhog Anthracite Project coal license applications were converted to coal licenses by the British Columbia Government. Groundhog covers an area exceeding 800km2, and now comprises 88 granted coal licences. The additional 42 licences granted this Quarter almost doubles the area available for active exploration to the Company. Obtaining these new coal licences is another positive development providing considerable additional exclusive coal exploration and development rights in the Groundhog area. They also provide the Company with greater certainty with respect to exploration planning in these areas, which augers well for maximizing the overall potential of the Groundhog Anthracite Project in the future. This is because drilling and mechanical trench sampling are not permitted on license applications but are permitted on full licenses. Panorama Projects Atrum has three projects comprising its Panorama coal block, namely Panorama North, Panorama West and Panorama South, all situated southwest of Groundhog North (see Figure 1 in the link below). These three areas were previously explored in the early 1980's by Gulf Corporation (Canada), however Gulf's exploration efforts concentrated only on surface mapping, trenching and shallow auger drilling. The culmination of this phase of exploration was the declaration by Gulf of significant exploration targets for shallowly emplaced anthracite deposits. The total area of all three Panorama Projects is 25,127 hectares. Panorama North has a total area of 7,359 hectares. Based on the value of JOGMEC's investment under the recently signed Panorama North Joint Exploration Agreement (discussed below), the implied current value of the three Panorama Projects combined is estimated at approximately A$50 Million. Panorama North Joint Exploration Agreement As announced on 29 August 2016, Atrum and its wholly owned subsidiary, Atrum Coal Panorama Inc., entered into a Joint Exploration Agreement with JOGMEC. Partnering with such a respected corporation as JOGMEC will assist Atrum to accelerate exploration at its Panorama North Project. Historical exploration indicates Panorama North is highly prospective for anthracite. The focus of the next stage of exploration at Panorama North will be to build upon historical exploration and to begin quantifying the resource potential of this area. If successful, the three years of exploration will support future feasibility work, helping to establish Panorama North as another development zone within the Groundhog coalfield. First Drilling Program at Panorama North Concludes Subsequent to quarter-end, on October 6th, exploration drilling under the JOGMEC Agreement commenced at Panorama North. This quick start to exploration enabled Atrum to undertake a limited program of about two weeks' duration intended to produce early results confirming the prospects for anthracite coal in select drill areas. It also provided an opportunity for Atrum to further develop relationships with the Aboriginal Groups whose traditional territories overlap the Panorama North tenure. Atrum employed two drill rigs which completed almost 1200 metres of fully cored diamond drilling in four holes. Shallow coal seams were intersected, including a seam with total vertical thickness of 2.30 metres, occurring at 12 metres depth. Two seams within the boreholes have similar geophysical signatures to the Duke E seam which is the primary economic target at Groundhog North. With field work concluded on October 21st, the cores will now be sent for further laboratory testing and analysis. With the encouraging results from this initial program, the Company and JOGMEC intend to commence discussions regarding a 2017 drilling program, covering a wider area. Reengagement with our Aboriginal partners in this process will also be undertaken. Anthracite Market Update Global anthracite markets remain undersupplied, and market prices for anthracite are strengthening. Current prices for imported anthracite are approximately US$165/t for lumps and US$125/t for fines as illustrated in Figure 3 (see the link below). Recent metallurgical coal price increases are expected to put upward pressure on seaborne anthracite pricing. The benchmark coking coal price for premium hard coking coal price for the October quarter, widely reported in the coal industry, more than doubled from the previous level to US$200/tonne FOB Queensland which increases the value of anthracite as a coke replacement product. CORPORATE Acquisition of Shares and Takeover of Atlantic Carbon Group PLC On 4 August 2016, Atrum announced it had entered into an agreement related to the proposed acquisition of a 26.68% interest in Atlantic Carbon Group PLC ("ACG"). ACG is an unlisted public company registered in the United Kingdom and operates three high grade and ultra-high grade anthracite mines in northeast Pennsylvania, USA. On 15 August 2016, Atrum issued an ASX release providing further background on ACG. The acquisition was subject to conditions including, inter alia, further due diligence, funding and Atrum shareholder approval. At an Extraordinary General Meeting held 29 September 2016, the required shareholder approval was granted. On 20 September 2016, the Company announced that it had approached ACG in relation to making a possible takeover offer for all of the shares issued by ACG. Under the UK City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, following an application to the UK Takeover Panel, Atrum had until 5pm on 26 October 2016 (UK time) before it was required to either announce its intention to proceed with the takeover offer (and announce the terms of the offer) or announce that no offer would be submitted. Due to the time constraints of the UK City Code and the difficulty in sourcing information from regulators in relation to ACG's US subsidiaries, the Company announced on 27 October 2016 that no offer will be submitted for all of the shares of ACG and that it has terminated the agreement to purchase a 26.68% minority stake. As of the end of October, the Company is in discussions with ACG in relation to a possible alternative transaction involving ACG. Option Secured for 100K tonnes of Anthracite from ACG On 11 August 2016, Atrum announced it had entered into an option agreement with ACG wherein ACG would make available up to 100,000 tonnes of anthracite to Atrum to sell to potential customers in Europe, South America and Asia. Net profits generated by the sale will be split on a 50/50 basis. This agreement allows Atrum to start selling anthracite into target export markets prior to development of the flagship Groundhog Project and while these markets are undersupplied and anthracite prices increasing. To view the full report, please visit: http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/O03ZSU0A About Atrum Coal Limited Atrum Coal Limited (ASX:ATU) is a metallurgical coal developer. The Company flagship asset is the 100%-owned Elan Hard Coking Coal Project in southern Alberta, Canada. Elan hosts large-scale, shallow, thick, hard coking coal (HCC) deposits with a current JORC Resource Estimate of 298 Mt (70 Mt Indicated and 228 Mt Inferred). Comprehensive quality testing of Elan South coal on samples from the 2018 exploration program, combined with review of substantial historical testwork data for the broader Elan Project, has confirmed Tier 1 HCC quality. The initial focus for development is the Elan South area, which is located approximately 13 km from an existing rail line with significant excess capacity, providing direct rail access to export terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Elan South shares its southern boundary with Riversdale Resources Grassy Mountain Project, which is in the final permitting stage for a 4.5 Mtpa open-cut HCC operation. Around 30km to the west, Teck Resources operates five mines (the Elk Valley complex) producing approximately 25 Mtpa of premium HCC for the seaborne market. The Internal Revenue Service has taken steps to improve the offer in compromise process for both taxpayers and the IRS, but it can still do more, according to a new report. An offer in compromise is an agreement between a taxpayer and the IRS that settles a tax liability for a payment of less than the full amount owed. A taxpayer submits a request for an OIC on Form 656, Offer in Compromise, along with an application fee of $186 and a nonrefundable payment equal to 20 percent of the offer amount or the initial periodic payment (although the fee and payment requirement depends on the type of offer and whether the taxpayer qualifies for the low-income exemption or is filing a doubt as to liability offer). If the IRS doesnt make a determination on an OIC within 24 months, it will be deemed as accepted. The report, from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, acknowledged that the IRS has made progress in the offer in compromise process since a previous TIGTA report in 2012. IRS management has updated the application forms for offers in compromise, created an online pre-qualifier tool, established a group of offer specialists to work on payroll service provider cases, and encouraged more taxpayers to consider whether the offers would actually benefit them. Nevertheless, according to the National Taxpayer Advocates Annual Report to Congress in 2014, the processing of offers in compromise continues to be one of the most serious problems affecting taxpayers. In its new report, TIGTA found that IRS employees did not always complete the initial processing of offers in compromise on a timely basis, nor did they always contact taxpayers by the promised date, or send interim letters when the promised dates were not met. In addition, TIGTA found that 10 of the 92 rejected offer cases in its sample (that is, 11 percent) did not include any documentation that alternative resolutions were discussed with the taxpayer. TIGTA recommended the IRS remind its employees of the requirement to complete the processing determinations for offers in compromise within the required period of 16 days and contact taxpayers within 120 days. The IRS should also ensure its employees are aware of the requirements for sending interim letters when the initial 120-day contact date is not met, and update its review guidance to specifically include verification that alternative resolutions were discussed with taxpayers when an offer is not accepted, TIGTA suggested. In addition, IRS management should emphasize the need to discuss alternate resolutions in operational reviews of subordinate managers and in refresher training. In response to the report, IRS officials agreed with TIGTAs recommendations. The IRS said it would issue a memorandum reminding its employees and managers that processing determinations need to be completed within 16 days of receipt. Taxpayer contact must be made within 120 days, and an interim letter should be sent if taxpayer contact is not made within the initial 120 days. In addition, the IRS agreed to add or revise its review guidance to include a verification that alternative resolutions were discussed with the taxpayer when applicable, and the agency said it intends to conduct refresher training on alternative resolutions. The IRS pointed to the success of its online pre-qualifier tool in streamlining the process and its Fresh Start initiative. This easy to use online tool helps taxpayers determine whether they meet basic eligibility requirements, are a good offer candidate given their financial circumstances, and what a reasonable offer might be given their circumstances, wrote Karen Schiller, commissioner of the IRSs Small Business/Self-Employed Division, in response to the report. Taxpayers who use the tool have a higher acceptance rate than those who do not. Since the implementation of Fresh Start procedures in 2012, the OIC acceptance rate as a percentage of dispositions has increased from 34 percent in fiscal year 2011 to 44 percent in fiscal year 2015. Honda Aircraft Company today announced that the HondaJet, the fastest jet in its class, has officially secured its first speed records over two recognized courses from Teterboro, New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts to Palm Beach, Florida. The United States National Aeronautic Association presented the records to Honda Aircraft Company during the National Business Aviation Associations (NBAA) Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006919/en/ Honda Aircraft Company today announced that the HondaJet has officially secured its first speed records over two recognized courses from Teterboro, New Jersey to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts to Palm Beach, Florida. (Left to Right: Honda Aircraft Director of Sales, U.S. & Canada, Peter Kriegler, Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino, National Aeronautic Association President and CEO Greg Principato and Honda Aircraft Regional Sales Manager Glenn Gonzales) (Photo: Business Wire) In setting the record between New Jersey and Florida, the HondaJet departed Teterboro Airport at 2:15 p.m. EST on April 9, 2016 and landed at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport at 5:06 p.m. Despite average headwinds of 60 knots (nearly 70 mph), the flight took two hours and 51 minutes at a cruising altitude of 43,000 feet with the HondaJet surpassing the existing record from Teterboro to Fort Lauderdale. Factoring the considerable headwind of 60 knots and high temperatures, the HondaJet achieved an average true air speed of 386 knots (444 mph) and maximum ground speed of 414 knots (478 mph) for this flight. For the Boston to Palm Beach record, the HondaJet departed New Bedford Regional Airport at 7:18 a.m. EDT on July 19, 2016 and landed at Palm Beach International Airport at 10:16 a.m. The flight took two hours and 58 minutes. Factoring average 30 knot headwinds, the HondaJet achieved an average true air speed of 380 knots (437 mph) and a maximum ground speed of 422 knots (486 mph). The HondaJet is the first aircraft in its class to officially achieve the Boston to Palm Beach record. We chose several of the busiest business aviation airports with extremely popular routes to demonstrate that the HondaJet will get customers where they need to be faster than any other light jet, said Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. These missions prove just how dramatically HondaJet design innovations like the Over-The-Wing Engine Mount increase performance and fuel efficiency over other light jets." The records are approved by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association and pending approval as world records by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Switzerland. Peter Kriegler and Glenn Gonzales piloted the HondaJet on both flights. The HondaJet is the worlds most advanced light jet, and its distinctive design incorporates advanced technologies and concepts. The HondaJet patented Over-The-Wing Engine Mount configuration, natural laminar flow wing and fuselage nose, and composite fuselage were developed from long-term research activities. The HondaJet is fastest jet in its class with a maximum cruise speed of 422 knots (486 mph); it soars highest in its class with a maximum altitude of 43,000 feet; and it is the most fuel-efficient light jet in its class by up to 17 percent. It has an NBAA IFR range of 1,223 nautical miles (1,408 miles). About HondaJet The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class. The HondaJet incorporates many technological innovations in aviation design, including the unique Over-The-Wing Engine Mount (OTWEM) configuration that dramatically improves performance and fuel efficiency by reducing aerodynamic drag. The OTWEM design also reduces cabin sound, minimizes ground-detected noise, and allows for the roomiest cabin in its class, the largest baggage capacity, and a fully serviceable private aft lavatory. The HondaJet is equipped with the most sophisticated glass flight deck available in any light business jet, a Honda-customized Garmin G3000 The HondaJet is Honda's first commercial aircraft and lives up to the companys reputation for superior performance, efficiency, quality and value. About Honda Aircraft Company Honda Aircraft Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Founded in 2006, Honda Aircrafts world headquarters is located in North Carolina, the birthplace of aviation. The challenging spirit upon which Mr. Soichiro Honda founded Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is alive today as Honda Aircraft fulfills one of Hondas longstanding dreams to advance human mobility skyward. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006919/en/ Honda Aircraft Company Kristy Kennedy, 336-383-2484 Kristy_Kennedy@haci.honda.com James honors Gulf Coast service members at Salute to the Military Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James attended the 38th annual Salute to the Military as the keynote speaker to honor service members from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast Oct. 25. James along with Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Steven Palazzo and Southern Mississippi community leaders gathered to pay tribute to men and women who have and currently serve in the U.S. military. Its really important that Americans understand more about the important work that the military does and that they show that appreciation, James said. I know that appreciation means the world to our men and women in uniform and it certainly means a lot to us who are senior leaders in Washington as well. Theres an old saying that We are the worlds greatest Air Force and we are powered by Airmen. I hope you can tell I am very proud of all of our military members and exceptionally proud of our Airmen. Nine military members from across the Mississippi Gulf Coast were nominated for the Thomas V. Fredian Community Leadership Award due to their commitment to bettering the military and surrounding community. Petty Officer 1st Class Adrianyon Riley Sr., of the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, was this years recipient. During the event, James took time to recognize some of Keeslers award winning Airmen and shared stories of how they helped strengthen ties between the military and local community. Stats are stats, James said. I think stories really tell it like it is. Stories like that of Tech. Sgt. Cassandra Cruz, who was selected for the 12 Air Force Outstanding Airmen of the Year award. In addition to performing her job, she went above and beyond to improve the 81st Force Support Squadron mission and dedicated more than 1,000 hours to sexual assault prevention and response. She is a great example of the hard work and unyielding commitment to the mission and the idea that we serve our fellow Airmen. In addition to highlighting Cruz, an 81st FSS Airman lLeadership school instructor, James also recognized Staff Sgt. Jonathan Bellio, a 338th Training Squadron radio frequency instructor and USO Airman of the Year Award recipient, and stated they were ambassadors for not only Keesler AFB but for the Air Force. These Airmen epitomize the Air Force core values, James said. Not only are we blessed to have them in our ranks because they provide excellence in their specific career fields but also because they went over and above the call to help others and in some cases save others from near death experiences. According to James, Bellio symbolizes the core values because he is willing to go beyond the call of duty even when he is not at work. In March of 2015, Bellio was off duty and came upon a car that flipped over during a car accident and went into a freezing river with a woman trapped inside, James said. When the local news station arrived on scene and interviewed him he declined to be identified. He didnt want credit for his actions. He just said he did what anyone would do. In fact he said, I was just doing my job. I am so happy to recognize him tonight for his quick thinking and bravery. The secretary also thanked the community members present for their continuous support. I do recognize it takes a special community to embrace our military as closely as all of you have, James said. The relationship between Keesler and Biloxi is rock solid because of your hard work, maintaining it and keeping it going forward. At least nine people were killed and 59 wounded Tuesday when a gas cylinder exploded and started a fire inside an oil tanker being broken up for scrap in southern Pakistan, officials said. The accident happened at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in the southwestern province of Balochistan, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Karachi. A gas cylinder explosion caused a huge fire in the ship which was being dismantled, Balochistan Home Secretary Akbar Harifal said, ruling out a deliberate attack. Local government official Zulfiqar Hashmi said: At least nine labourers were killed and 59 others were wounded. The fire was still ablaze and there was not enough equipment to extinguish it, he added. We have requested Pakistan Navy and Marine Security Agency to help us extinguish the fire, Hashmi said. TV footage showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from the ship, as local rescue workers rushed to the scene. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the incident, according to a statement by his office. Industrial accidents are common in Pakistan with workplaces often forgoing basic safety measures and equipment in the absence of legislation to protect labourers. A devastating fire at a textile factory in Karachi killed 255 people in 2012. Popular prime-time news debate host Arnab Goswami was learnt to have resigned as the editor-in-chief of Times Now, various media reported on Tuesday. The move, apparently in favour of turning an entrepreneur and starting his own venture, came after several days of murmurs about his likely exit, the report added. According to some employees of Times Now who did not wish to be named, Goswami told the editorial team that he believed in the media and would continue in the television business. Many sources in the organisation said he might start a news channel with politician and entrepreneur Rajeev Chandrasekhar and American media baron Rupert Murdoch. It was also rumoured that Goswami might join the popular UK news organisation, Fox News. Goswami, the editor-in-chief and president, news, Times Now and ET Now, has been anchoring popular news shows on Times Now since 2006. His talk show The Newshour, according to Exchange for Media, has enjoyed over 70% share of the prime-time audience for the past 8 years. Exchange for Media adds: Goswami has led Times Now to leadership in less than a year of the launch of the channel in 2006. Since 2007, he has maintained and increased the dominance of Times Now. His interview-based show Frankly Speaking with Arnab is one of the most followed interview on television. As editor-in-chief of Times Now, Goswami is known to have popularised a new brand of news coverage, criticised by some for its high-decibel arguments. Eight people were killed and 22 injured when Pakistan troops heavily shelled border hamlets and posts with mortar bombs along the International Border (IB) and the LoC in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday. Two women were killed and 13 others injured during shelling with 82 and 120 mm mortar bombs in Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch districts. Army sources said two Pakistani soldiers have been killed opposite to Noushera sector along the LoC in Rajouri district. Five people died and nine others were injured in the shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today, Deputy Commissioner Samba, Sheetal Nanda said. One persons died due to shock during shelling in the same area taking the total of those killed to six, she said. While three of the injured were given treatment in Ramgarh hospital, the rest were shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu, she said. The casulaties took place during shelling in Jarda and Rangoor camp villages along the IB in Ramgarh sector. Along the LOC, two women were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said three army porters suffered injuries in the shelling in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. Pakistani shells landed in Mendhar town of Poonch district, injuring three people, police said. A total of 18 people, including 12 civilians, have been killed and more than 80 suffered injured in Pakistani shelling and firing along IB and LoC in Jammu since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir. 174 schools in the border belt of Jammu district have been closed by the authorities in wake of the Pakistani shelling. Three mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district, injuring four persons who were identified as Bodraj (44), Niky, Dharana Devi and Chanchla Devi (49), Bhat said. Shelling is on in some areas, he added. One person is believed to have suffered injuries in Balakote sector in the shelling. Two women, Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24), were injured in Mendhar sector of Poonch district last evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms followed by mortars at one place and further spread to four or five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district, DIG BSF (G) Dharmendra Pareek said. They fired 82 mm mortar bombs intermittently, Pareek said, adding, BSF gave them a befitting reply. Britain-based manufacturing multinational Rolls-Royce may have paid an Indian agent among others to win defence deals in twelve countries, according to reports by The Guardian and BBC. Indias defence procurement procedure prohibits the payment of commission or the involvement of a middleman. The company, however, has claimed a policy of zero tolerance to corruption and said it was cooperating with the authorities investigating the case. Alleged arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie also received close to 10 million from Rolls-Royce plc, the company designs and manufactures engines for aviation and other industries. The amount was credited into firms linked to him. Choudhrie is an unregistered arms middleman, according to BBC and Rolls-Royce reportedly paid a large amount of cash to get a contract for manufacturing engines for Hawk aircraft. It is to be noted that Chaudhrie is in the governments list of blacklisted people suspected of corrupt or illegal practices. Sudhir Choudhrie and his family members were also found to be beneficiaries of an offshore foundation set up in 2004 and were exposed in the Panama Papers investigation. Choudhrie, who lives in London is also adviser on Indian affairs to the Liberal Democrats party leader Tim Farron in the U.K. He has donated over 1.6 million pounds to the party. The agent and his son, Bhanu, were arrested and questioned by the SFO in 2014 over charges of bribery but were released when they denied any wrongdoing. A company spokesman said: Concerns about bribery and corruption involving intermediaries remain subject to investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other authorities. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and we cannot comment on ongoing investigations. The Guardian/BBC investigation, broadcast on the BBCs Panorama programme on Monday, disclosed that the use of agents by the blue-chip manufacturer is far wider than previously publicly known. The agents have been hired in at least 12 countries: Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Angola, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Labour and Conservative administrations have forged close relations with Rolls-Royce and have often lobbied foreign governments to give large export contracts to the manufacturer. Britains former Prime Minister David Cameron once praised it as a world leader in the development of advanced technologies of which the whole country can be proud. The Duke of Cambridge called it one of the United Kingdoms great global companies. We are progressing very well because our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a capable leader and monitors the progress of the work done by his ministers. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari are very dedicated and perform their work efficiently. Wealth must be created through excellent training, hard work with cheerfulness. Cleanliness has great importance during Diwali because Goddess Laxmi visits clean and well lighted houses where happy families live and pray sincerely. We must avoid bursting loud crackers because they disturb children and elders and also frighten birds. The smoke emanating from crackers is harmful for our health. Police force is performing a good job but they must keep an eye on those miscreants who burst very loud crackers after 10 pm in the night. The civil society and the parents also must play their part to celebrate safe Diwali without noise pollution and prevent fire accidents. Citizens are not paying too much attention towards maintaining cleanliness and sanitation. On social media, I urged the UP government to prevent the spread of diseases like Dengue and Chikungunya epidemic in Lucknow and Kanpur. The Allahabad High Court has also asked the state government to file an affidavit about what action it has taken to prevent dengue. For achieving prosperity and happiness, it is necessary to acquire various employable skills in technology and paramedics so that youth can find employment and earn decent wages. The duty of the government is to hire expert faculty in our ITIs and engineering colleges so that this aim is achieved successfully. Training must be imparted to children from primary school onwards so that they acquire various skills by the time they grow up. There is demand for heavy duty vehicle drivers, crane operators, specialised welders, X ray and other technicians related to the hospitals. Youths must be taught about first aid practices, basic fire prevention and fire fighting practices so that they can be useful during an emergency. It is also important to maintain health and hygiene. We must perform regular exercises, swimming, jogging to keep our body fit and wash our hands with liquid soap and water when entering house after an outing. People touch various objects which may carry germs and hence they must take precaution and maintain cleanliness. Oral hygiene is very important. Our good behaviour and disposition is very important. How to talk to juniors and seniors, body language, spoken words etc; are very important to make good impression among employers. If we follow such basics, we will always remain happy, healthy and wealthy. A day after eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged police encounter following a daring prison break, their families have decided to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a CBI probe into what they dubbed as cold-blooded murders. The families of the deceased have come to me and are weeping inconsolably for justice. We are going to move the MP High Court for a CBI probe into the entire incident, said lawyer Parvez Alam. It is surprising that the authorities are claiming that the accused climbed the 32 feet boundary wall of the jail. Is this possible? he asked. Police has claimed that the accused from the banned outfit were killed in an encounter hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail where they had slit the throat of a security guard and scaled the wall using bedsheets between 2 AM and 3 AM. Alam described the encounter as fake and said, The TV grabs show police and ATS firing. There is no evidence that the accused fired. This is a fake encounter and (these are) cold blooded murders, Alam claimed. He said Inspector General Yogesh Choudhary had last night told media that the accused made keys to open their lock up with tooth brushes. Can someone open the keys of high security Bhopal Central Jail that has earned an ISO certificate with keys made of tooth brushes, he wondered. What lie these authorities are speaking, he said. Bodies are seen at what police described as the encounter site in Eintkhedi, located on a tableland. Why did they (the eight suspects) move into an open space where they could not hide? local Congress politician Arif Masood wondered. Several Congress politicians and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the ease of the jailbreak and the circumstances leading to the encounter, triggering a verbal joust with BJP spokespersons. But even a BJP parliamentarian, former Union home secretary R.K. Singh, wondered how can weapons reach them immediately after the jailbreak although he blamed it on local complicity and congratulated the police. In school, I was told that as a boy scout, I was expected to do one good deed a day. Hence, I discovered a lot of things that would be considered good deeds. But what if we didnt do the good deeds? We could just write imaginary stories in the notebook. Soon, I learned that many were already doing it. Some of us may have improved our handwriting skills and even creative writing, but this certainly was not the way to perform the good deed. I dont know what happened to my classmates, but as I changed the school, I didnt remain a scout anymore. I didnt have to do 365 good deeds in a year compulsorily. Nowadays, I find a lot of people doing a lot of good deeds. Lesser mortals, celebrities, film stars, and the Richie rich. They all are doing good deeds. I too agree that visiting old people is a good deed because you are lonely when you are old. You can be in your home along with half a dozen others, but they become indifferent to you and your needs. A visitor, irrespective of age and gender, can turn that day into a festival. And if youre in an old age home, a visitor, even if he is the son of the crabby old man, four beds or rooms away can provides some excitement if he/she stops to crack a joke with you. But if he has by come only because he wants to do a good deed and go back feeling nice about it, it is not a good deed. Ditto for a visit to the cancer survivors, giving alms to beggars, helping a visually impaired person to cross a road, donating notebooks to needy students, visiting orphanages, and giving them breakfast or lunch. They are all good deeds, but not if you end up feeling that you are a jolly good fellow. Not when you feel good, take some pictures, and post them on your Facebook wall. Not if you get a PR freelancer to get coverage in the media. And this brings me to the wannabes and celebrities. The good deeds remain the same, but the coverage (paid, certainly) is more. I consider this to be the worst kind of good deed. You open the papers over the morning cup of tea and with a mock surprise to show your wife (or husband) the media coverage that can really be called advertisement and say, We really got good media coverage! Now, you cannot proudly tell your spouse that youve got good advertisement coverage or that every newspaper has published your advertisements. If youre a bigger fish, the arrangement is more discreet. Only your secretary would know why you released an ad for a paper whose demographics dont suit the product your company manufactures. You can continue to pretend to your spouse over the pictorial report of your good deed. Good deed? If you really wanted to do a good deed, you would have transferred your secretarys ailing mother from a Municipal hospital to Breach Candy or helped her daughter get an admission in the medical college. But nobody would have been wiser. It is only when you are a Bollywood star that even a contribution of a lousy Rs. five lakh for the family of a stuntman who lost his life as your double, riding a motorcycle at a maniacal 160 km/h would get you a four-column headline. Why, if youre still a bigger star with a bad image, you can hire an entire PR agency that would transform your image into that of an angel, the Gods Gift to the world a great name for a trust and NGO, no? By writing long articles and news-stories about your, mostly imaginary, good deeds. They would get old women in the wheelchairs or young boys on crutches to your drawing room or if you dont like it, to your sets. You can have a battery of photographers shoot you with them as you wonder why you are doing all this shit when you can shack up with another starlet. Lets not talk about the politicians in the same breath, not even the ministers, who dont do good deeds. Their signatures are considered good deeds whether they gift you a parcel of land to build a hospital or a school. Nor are the Indian businessmen doing any good deed when they build temples after their family name or donate to build an entire ward in a hospital and get it named after their mother. They are not Boy Scouts. The hospitals and colleges named after industrialists or their parents are not acts of philanthropy. These are business organizations where the aim is to have huge profits. Let there be chains of hospitals with state of the art equipment that are free to citizens. Let there be groups of schools and colleges (even medical and engineering colleges) with the same quality education that you sell for premium fees and donations for the citizens. Our Kaamwali wouldnt have to borrow money from every house she cleans to pay for her daughters admission. This will be a big bloody good deed. You wont need media coverage for this. Your name will be etched in the memories of the people, the real people. Dirty Wars That there were dirty wars, being fought by two directors (Karan Johars Ae Dil, Hai Mushkil and Ajay Devgns Shivaay) is obvious even to the dumbest watcher of Bollywood and Kamal R Khan, who talked about having received Rs. 25 lakhs from Karan Johar to trash Devgns Shivaay. All I can do is to quote from a chapter of my The Five Foolish Virgins entitled, Operation Sabotage. The fictional sabotage of a film in my novel ends in the total destruction of the PRO who does it and a scrawled message on the wall: Destroying is easy, creating is difficult. It takes hundreds of people thousands of hours and millions of rupees to make a movie. Sabotaging a film as it releases is like killing a child before it is born dont ever do it. Remember, instead of fractured wrists, you would be crippled for life. Loose Talk One of the things that worries me is the tendency of unthinking people clamping on the freedom to even crack jokes. I havent read the entire article but just read the headline. An interview of a young actress, it read: People must not be allowed to have loose talk. Now, I dont want to argue with the young lady but everything inside me that loves freedom of expression, and values the fundamental right with all its restrictions and limitations, burned with anger. Young lady, what the hell you know about loose talk? It is the loose talk that becomes the seed for the big stories that shake the governments and throws out the tyrants. It was the loose talk around Indira Gandhi that she had used Yashpal Kapoor, a government servant for personal election related work that finally got HC Judge Jagmohanlal Sinha to set aside her election the first ever time an Indian Prime Minister was convicted that led to emergency within 13 days. If I wrote about all the incidents of loose talks, it will end up into a full article and will include Watergate and stories about the alcoholism of one of our most respected Prime Ministers who would be picked up and carried to his bedroom by his SPG team, one of the martyrs who wasnt able to climb the steps to the gallows and was helped up and many more. I love loose talk. In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. The court also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. It court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI on Wednesday in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. Go home and rest, Khan told supporters, You have to return to Islamabad on Wednesday to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground. I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharifs (alleged corruption) will begin from Thursday. PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharifs four children Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies. Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. Aditya Thackeray has demanded the withdrawal of the complaint filed against students failing which Sena will resort to its old style of protesting. Yuva Sena the youth wing of Shiv Sena has strongly condemned the police complaint filed against seven students of Government Polytechnic in suburban Bandra. Aditya Thackeray Yuva Sena chief has demanded the withdrawal of the complaint failing which Sena will resort to its old style of protesting. Since the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Election is just few months away Sena is trying to revive itself and attract youth voters who comprise around 40 per cent of the electorate. Aditya Thackeray has been aggressively raising issues affecting the youth like reviving Mumbais nightlife by allowing hotels to operate 24*7. Sena also has promised to implement this law if it retains power in the BMC. The party has difference of opinion with its alliance partner BJP over this issue. Sena is also known to make anti-BJP statements in media and also had threatened to quit the alliance. The seven students against whom complaint has been filed are activists of Yuva Sena. They had also participated in the protest organised by Sena on October 15. The Education Ministers programme had to be cancelled on account of this. Aditya Thackeray had expressed his displeasure over this issue by posting comments on social media. He alleged that students have received threat letters from the principal for raising their voice against issues like lack of cleanliness. Aditya said, Students of Government Polytechnic, Bandra have received threat letters from the principal of the college about voicing basic student issues. Hearing it for the first time but letter states that FIRs have been lodged on students for being with Student wings and voicing opinions. The Education Minister might have complained against the students due to the cancellation of his programme in the institute, he added. He said the students had raised their voices against lack of order in the college and claimed the principal was absent on two occasions when a Yuva Sena delegation had visited the college. Aditya also posted photos of egregious condition of the toilet facilities of the college, on his twitter account. Shouldnt there be an FIR on that principal then for being absent from college when college is in such shambles, that she threatens students, Aditya questioned. The students facing this bullying and threats from the principal is not because students asked for anything. Only asked for cleaner campus, Aditya tweeted. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Web Toolbar by Wibiya Security should be of the utmost importance to all small business owners, regardless of what industry they are in. Without it, their stock, sensitive customer information and livelihood can be jeopardized. The number of cyber crimes and burglaries involving small businesses has risen in recent years. 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So there is no excuse to not give it the security and protection it requires. KABUL Thirteen years ago, the United States the reconstruction of the Kabul-Kandahar highway the most visible sign of efforts to rebuild Afghanistan. But today, that stretch of road is no longer a sign of progress. Instead, it is now littered with craters from bombs and insurgent checkpoints and is beyond repair, an Afghan official said, and it is a symbol of the failed U.S. intervention here. A released Saturday by a U.S. government oversight body paints a grim picture of the state of Afghanistans roads, including the roughly 10,000 miles that were constructed, paved, repaired or funded by the United States. The new roads were hailed as key to bringing economic growth and security, even when they eventually became too dangerous for travel. Now, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) says 95 percent of the sections of road it inspected were either damaged or destroyed. And 85 percent were maintained either poorly or not at all. The U.S. government has spent nearly $3 billion on road projects in Afghanistan, which had only 50 miles of paved road in 2001. But according to an estimate from the U.S. Agency for International Development, it will cost more than $8 billion to replace the countrys road infrastructure. The report from SIGAR identifies several reasons for the poor conditions, including government corruption, a lack of funding and insecurity along the highways, where criminals and insurgents menace travelers. According to the Defense Department, Taliban militants control of Afghanistans 407 districts. Militants also extort money from construction crews, in exchange for a tacit cease-fire while repairs take place. For some, incidents like this highlighted the flaw in U.S. efforts to forge ahead with massive infrastructure projects no matter the cost. It's easy to point to miles of paved roads as a metric for spending development dollars, military analyst Aiken, SC (29801) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High near 75F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Aiken, SC (29801) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 75F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 53F. Winds light and variable. Assyrians in Iraq to Unify Their Militias (AINA) -- Assyrian leaders in north Iraq held a second meeting on October 29 to discuss the situation of the Assyrians, who were driven from their homes and villages in the Nineveh Plains two years ago by ISIS. Nearly 200,000 Assyrians were displaced when ISIS pushed into Assyrian territory after it captured Mosul in June of 2014. The meeting was attended by political and religious leaders, as well as six Assyrian political parties. In joint statement issued after the meeting, the leaders called for unifying the three Assyrian militias operating in North Iraq and protecting the Nineveh Plains, which are north and east of Mosul, for Assyrians. Here is the English translation of the statement and the original in Arabic. In just a few short decades, South Korea, once one of the poorest countries in the world, has pulled itself out of poverty and transformed into an economic powerhouse. Often called the Miracle on the Han, referring to the major river that runs through Seoul, South Korea now boasts the worlds 13th largest economy and is one of the most wired countries on the planet. Of its roughly 51 million people, nearly half live in the greater Seoul metropolitan areaa bustling, modern mega city that is home to Samsung, one of the worlds top smartphone producers. Four of the top five shipbuilding companies are based in South Korea, and the country is the No. 1 producer of flat-screen televisions. There are construction projects nearly everywhere you look and small cities are taking the place of farmland across the country. Those who were stationed on the peninsula in the late 1990s to early 2000s say it is virtually unrecognizable today. The Republic of Koreas military capabilities also have made impressive strides. The ROK air force includes some 65,000 airmen and 700 aircraft, and its government continues to invest in modern equipment with the purchase of F-35 strike fighters, Global Hawks, Patriot and missile upgrades, as well as AH-64 Apache helicopters. Despite the significant economic, technological, and military progress, the Korean War between the democratic south and the unstable, dynastic communist regime in North Korea never actually ended. For 63 years the Korean Peninsula has operated in a state of armisticenot war, not peace. Real, near, persistent The armistice helps maintain stability in the region, but North Korea is a very real, near, persistent, and lethal threat capable of inflicting significant damage on the South and the surrounding region. Thats why the motto, Fight Tonight, is ingrained in the US forces stationed there, from the lowest-ranking airman to the Army four-star, Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, in charge of US Forces Korea. At Osan AB, South Korea, Lt. Gen. Thomas W. Bergeson, 7th Air Force commander and deputy commander of US Forces Korea, said, We send everybody up to the DMZ [demilitarized zone between North and South Korea] because when you can stand there and look face-to-face with somebody thats on the other side it really brings it home to you. He continued, When you understand the vast array of long-range artillery right along the DMZ, and the thousands and thousands of forces that are right along there, you get the sense that were at armistice and not at peace. North Korea has the fourth largest military in the world, with roughly 70 percent forward deployed fairly close to the DMZlocated not even 50 miles from Osan. Its artillery force is the largest in the world: 13,000 systems, pretty much all of them hidden within 11,000 underground facilities. Capt. Kevin Liu, the deputy director of the commanders action group at Osan, said long-range artillery is typically a tactical weapon, but in South Korea its a strategic threatespecially the Norths 170 mm and 240 mm multiple rocket launchers, posing a significant threat to Seoul. If fired in volleys they would be able to strike Seoul and the surrounding area, potentially causing mass civilian casualties, significant collateral damage, and gross economic destruction, said Liu. North Korea is believed to have 800 theater ballistic missiles with a range of capabilities and enough plutonium for six to eight nuclear weapons, according to a 7th Air Force briefing. Although its aircraft are mostly holdovers from the Korean War, they have a lot of them and quantity is a quality all of its own, said Col. Rob Bortree, commander of the 607th Air Operations Center at Osan. The underground facilities create additional problems because if a crisis were to arise US and South Korean forces would first have to find the weapons and then figure out how to attack, Bortree pointed out. The current assessment is [North Korea] will attack with very little to no notice, he said. They cant sustain offensive maneuver and depth, so their initial plan is to get in and push us to the table to get concessions. The Norths 60,000- to 100,000-strong special operations force is often overshadowed by its aggressive ballistic missile and nuclear development programs, but it is one of the largest SOF forces on record and they have the ability to move them very quickly south, said Bortree, who noted it will be a significant challenge if a crisis erupts. North Korea has the worlds second largest chemical weapons stockpile. Most of the buildings at Osan have heavy duty blast doors that when shut create an isolated and pressurized environment allowing airmen to continue to operate during an attack. Those arent just for show. They are for a reason, said Bortree. One of our assumptions is that we will be fighting in some type of chemical environment, in addition to short notice and everything else. And then the nuclear capability is also out there as something else we have to think about. North Koreas state-run media warned of a more advanced type of nuclear test last year as it was expanding its test site at Punggye-ri, located in the northeast. In January, the North claimed to have detonated its first thermonuclear weapon. US Forces Korea officials said the nuclear tests produce much lower yield than what the North actually claims, noting the January test was either a failed attempt or it was only intended to be a boosting device. Still, North Korea is the only country this century to test nuclear weapons and the tests are becoming alarmingly more regular. A few weeks after Air Force Magazines visit, some 25,000 US service members, ROK forces, and participants from nine nations gathered on the peninsula for the start of Ulchi Freedom Guardianone of the worlds largest military exercises. It is focused on defending the ROK. At the time, North Korea threatened to turn the South into a heap of ashes through a Korean-style pre-emptive nuclear strike if US and Republic of Korea forces showed the slightest sign of aggression during the annual military drill, reported NPR, citing a state-run North Korean media outlet. Such amped up rhetoric has become a regular occurrence during and just before large-force exercises on the peninsula and military officials say they have gotten good at keeping an eye on the real-world threat while conducting the necessary training. However, 7th Air Force Vice Commander Brig. Gen. Kyle W. Robinson said even with daily airborne ISR missions and intelligence briefs, its difficult to predict when or how North Korea will act. Unless they come out and tell us, the only thing we can really do is try to understand or guess at this point, said Robinson. We dont think theyve actually achieved what theyve planned. At the same time, theyve shown slow but steady progress in increasing the yields of what theyve tested so far, USFK officials told Air Force Magazine in August. They do have somewhat of a capability. Its definitely not as mature as most recognized nuclear weapon states, but its something to take into account. On Sept. 9, the North conducted its fifth nuclear test, the second one this year, drawing strong rebuke from the United States and as well as other nations. Since the Korean War no provocation has reached crisis level, but the US has a detailed pre-positioned air tasking order that maps out the first few days of conflict. Its exercised regularly just in case. Everyone stationed on the peninsula knows exactly what their piece of the puzzle would be if the plan is executed. Seventh Air Force, when teamed with the Republic of Korea Air Force, is ready to deliver precise, intense, and overwhelming airpower, said Liu. Constant exercises Though the airspace in South Korea is roughly the size of Indiana, the air campaign in the early days of a second Korean War would be the largest in modern history and would include more than 2,000 sorties per day. Thats more than twice the sorties flown on the first day of Operation Desert Storm. Accomplishing this plan would require forces already stationed on the peninsula, US forces from around the region, and from the 17 sending nations, said officials. (Sending nations are 16 countries that joined the US in committing in 1953 to the UN Commands defense of South Korea.) As a result, Fight Tonight is unlike in other places where you have time to build forces. We have to be able to start the war and then bring everything into position to execute, so this allows us to be able to practice that full-scale movement, said Bortree. Because of the need to remain vigilant US forces in Korea are almost always exercising. A typical year includes some 30 exercises. Exercise Vigilant Ace, first conducted in 2015, bridged the gap between strategic level exercises like Key Resolve and Ulchi Freedom Guardian and the more tactical ones that lacked higher-level command and control. Vigilant Ace was specifically designed to practice the US ability to execute the pre-ATO, including quickly generating forces and accepting follow-on forces. Unlike UFG, where the tactical piece is computer-based, airmen fly 24 hours a day during Vigilant Ace. Last years exercise included Total Force units from Japan and Guam in addition to more than 20,000 US and ROK participants and over 200 on-peninsula aircraft. The playing field spanned eight bases in Korea and required the movement of some 1,000 personnel. ROK and US and other component assets integrate in a very realistic scenario in our training airspace to ensure that not only can we do the strategic to operational like we do in UFG, but we can also do the operational command and control down to those tactical wings, said Col. Paul Kirmis, vice commander of the 607th AOC. Col. Todd A. Dozier, 8th Fighter Wing commander at Kunsan AB, South Korea, said the operational tempo is definitely a challenge, but its also an opportunity. Our mission remains deterrence. Thats our No. 1 thing, said Dozier. Thats why we focus so much on being ready. Readiness is how deterrence is affected. That happens regardless of world events. And theres no doubt events on the peninsula have ramped up in recent years. Despite a series of high-profile launch failures, North Korea is aggressively developing a range of ballistic missiles, including everything from short-range to intercontinental ballistic missiles. Just like it has with its nuclear program, North Koreas missile program has demonstrated slow but steady progress. Bortree said when he first arrived on peninsula he was briefed to expect a couple of North Korean launches a year, but now that can happen in just one month and is often repeated the next month. On Aug. 23, one day after Ulchi Freedom Guardian began, the North launched what US Strategic Command believes to be a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile off the coast of Sinpo. The missile was tracked some 300 miles, until it landed in the Sea of Japan. The launch took place less than a month after North Korea simultaneously launched two presumed Nodong intermediate-range ballistic missilesan older missile typically considered to be a tried and true workhorse. The submarine-launched ballistic missile [was] considered by many to be a laughable notion several years ago. It seemed a little beyond their capabilities, USFK officials told Air Force Magazine. Its still probably not a successful system, but again, they are putting a pretty good amount of resources into it, especially relative to their economic capabilities. To counter such advancements, the US relies on a multilayered air defense system that will soon include the US Armys Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system at the upper tier, Patriots for medium-tier missile defense, and the short-range air defense system at the lower tier, said Bergeson. The US and ROK governments agreed to deploy a THAAD battery to South Korea in July. The anti-missile system, to be located in Seongju county in the countrys south, is slated to arrive sometime in 2017. Bergeson said THAAD is a purely defensive capability thats needed in light of the increased development of longer-range ballistic missiles, but there is still some opposition from the local community, mostly regarding possible radiation exposure from the systems radars. The US Armys 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Osan also directly supports 7th Air Force. The brigade has Patriot Advanced Capability-3 hit-to-kill interceptors, with a seeker in the warhead, and are capable of hitting an incoming ballistic missile nose-to-nose. Its pretty advanced technology. Its like hitting a bullet with a bullet, said Col. Mark Holler, 35th ADA commander. The brigade also has the Patriot Guidance Enhanced Missile Tactical Ballistic Missile. GEM-T has a proximity-fused warhead interceptor that explodes when it gets close to an incoming ballistic missile, but does not directly strike it. Holler said the Army is getting ready to field a new type of interceptor to South Korea, known as the Missile Segment Enhancement, or MSE. Its essentially a more capable PAC-3 interceptor with extended range and lethality, said Holler. I would say that its likely in the very near future that this brigade could actually have three types of interceptors ready to fire. If that happens, the 35th ADA would be the first in the Army to have all three capabilities, he added. De-escalation, however, is a top priority and airborne ISR plays a key role. The four U-2s attached to the 5th Reconnaissance Squadron at Osan fly eight- to 10-hour sorties several times a day. The multi-intelligence platform carries a high-resolution imagery and signals payload, as well as defensive systems at all times, said Maj. Daniel Collette, the squadrons director of operations. Unlike a satellite, the U-2 is a dynamic capability that can easily be redirected if a situation arises, providing the commander more flexibility, he said. The Dragon Lady spyplanes provide the best possible awareness of North Korean activities, helping US leaders decipher Kim Jong Uns intentions and providing warnings when things may go awry, said Col. John Rice, 7th Air Force director of ISR. Flexible deterrent options are another de-escalation tactic implemented this year. Days after North Koreas fourth nuclear test, in January, a B-52 from Andersen AFB, Guam, flew over South Korea at roughly 10,000 feet in a very public demonstration that was soon broadcast by news outlets around the world. The show of force by the heavy bomberescorted by a US F-16 and a South Korean F-15K Slam Eaglewas intended to demonstrate the United States unwavering commitment to South Korea and to show North Korea the US is watching and there could be devastating consequences for its actions. The nice thing is its not extremely provocative, said Robinson, the 7th Air Force vice commander. It shows what could happen, but its not like the Air Force is stationing the aircraft at Osan, which the North might see as a provocation by the US. Just a Reminder The reality is it came, it did a low approach, and it [headed] back out so it was never stationed here, Robinson said. It was simply a demonstration of resolve and then it left. Almost exactly one month later four F-22s flanked once again by US F-16s and South Korean F-15Ks executed another display of force over South Korea in response to North Korean provocations. The Raptors, assigned to JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, had been conducting regular training at Kadena AB, Japan, when they were redeployed to South Korea. The F-22 Raptor is the most capable air superiority fighter in the world, and it represents one of many capabilities available for the defense of this great nation, Gen. Terrence J. OShaughnessy, then 7th Air Force commander, told reporters at the time. OShaughnessy is now commander of Pacific Air Forces. Robinson said the F-22 flyover was similar but not as visible as the B-52 show of force a few weeks earlier, noting that it was meant more for an internal audience. The US conducted a similar demonstration of force in September after the fifth nuclear test. Two B-1B Lancers deployed to Andersen, flanked by two ROK F-15K Slam Eagles from Daegu AB, South Korea, flew closer to the demilitarized zone than any other B-1 in history. Col. Andrew P. Hansen, commander of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan, said pilots are regularly briefed on what North Korea is doing. The F-16s and A-10s assigned to the wing fly at a higher rate than any other combat air force and Hansen said its important for them to understand the why behind the readiness levels. The fact that bad guy land is roughly the distance from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Denver, really drives home how quickly things could escalate, said Capt. Adam Peterson, an A-10 pilot assigned to the 51st FW. Congestion, proximity to the North, and Seouls booming real estate market drove a major infrastructure change that is finally nearing completion. A $10.7 billion construction project at Camp Humphreys is almost done and US Forces Korea officials expect the majority of US troops stationed at the Yongsan Garrison in downtown Seoul to move there next year. Yongsan is the longtime home to USFK headquarters, but like the rest of the capital region, is within easy striking distance of North Korean artillery. The local government wants to turn the garrison, located on prime real estate in central Seoul, into public parkland. (The US will continue to maintain a small footprint there.) The project is nearly 100 percent funded by the Republic of Korea and does not affect airmen stationed at Osan or Kunsan air bases. Camp Humphreys, once a sleepy US base near the seaport city of Pyeongtaek, along the western coast of South Korea, is located about 40 miles south of Seoul and some 12 miles south of Osan Air Base. Under the transformation the post will nearly triple in size from about 10,000 people to about 36,000, including military members, their families, civilians, and ROK forces. The massive construction project, designed to accommodate the influx of personnel, will add an area roughly the size of the District of Columbia to the post, USFK officials said. Both Osan and Humphreys are but a short missile or fighter flight from the North, however. If youre always worried about it, then you cant train. Most of us are fairly confident that the force thats here in the South is large enough and trained well enough that its going to deter any North Korean aggression, said Capt. Zachary Krueger, another A-10 pilot assigned to the 51st FW. That doesnt mean the threat isnt always on his mind. Every time you go up there to fly, its possibly one of the last opportunities well have prior to wartime operations and I try to make it worth it, Krueger said. The smoke had barely cleared along Battleship Row following the attack on Pearl Harbor when the questions began. Why were the US Navy and Army caught by surprise and almost totally unprepared on Dec. 7, 1941? Who was to blame? The next day, Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox flew in from Washington to find out what had gone wrong. His report to President Franklin D. Roosevelt faulted Adm. Husband E. Kimmel, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, and Lt. Gen. Walter C. Short, commander of the Armys Hawaiian Department, for lack of readiness to meet the attack. Kimmel and Short were relieved from command Dec. 16 and reverted to their permanent two-star ranks. A second investigation within the month, headed by Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts, accused Kimmel and Short of dereliction of duty. Both of them were shuffled off into retirement in their reduced gradesShort on Feb 28, 1942, and Kimmel on March 1. Remember Pearl Harbor! became an instant rallying cry for the nation. It was the most enduring slogan of World War II and a fixture in the popular culture for many years. However, not everybody would remember Pearl Harbor the same way. The basic facts are well known. A Japanese task force with six aircraft carriers arrived undetected 220 miles north of Oahu. When the attack began at 7:55 a.m. on Sunday morning Dec. 7, the US Navy and Army in the Hawaiian islands were on a relaxed weekend schedule. The Japanese aircraft struck Pearl Harbor and Hickam and Wheeler Fields in two waves. Eight battleships and 10 other ships were sunk, capsized, or severely damaged. Seventy-six US aircraft were destroyed. The casualty total was 2,403 killed, missing, or died of wounds and 1,178 wounded. Fourteen US pilots, acting on their own, got their P-40 and P-36 fighters into the air and shot down 10 of the Japanese attackers. Losses would have been worse except that the US carriers were at sea. Nine hours later, US forces were surprised again in the Philippines, where the Air Force was caught on the ground and flat-footed. About 100 aircraft were destroyed or damaged, with 225 casualties sustained. (No action was ever taken to hold commanders in the Philippines accountable.) Roosevelt released the report of the Roberts inquiry to the newspapers in January 1942 and many of them printed it in full. Later on, it would be generally agreed that the finding of dereliction of duty was too harsh, but because of wartime secrecy, Kimmel and Short had no opportunity for rebuttal until 1945. In the interim, the Navy and the Army conducted six more investigations and inquiries, citing mistakes and failures on a broad front but with each service placing the larger share of the blame on the other. Accusations first arose during the 1944 election campaign that secret information, withheld for political purposes, would prove that responsibility for Pearl Harbor extended into high places in Washington. This was mostly the doing of minor partisan players and Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican presidential candidate, would have nothing to do with it. Nevertheless, the clamor for further explanation led to a massive investigation by a joint congressional committee with hearings that lasted from November 1945 to May 1946. The mountain of data and testimony accumulated by this committee still remains the fundamental source for most of what is known and said about the Pearl Harbor attack. The joint committee said that the errors made by the Hawaiian commands were errors of judgment and not derelictions of duty. It also acknowledged that the Army and Navy in Washington could have and should have provided more information. That did not let Kimmel and Short off the hook. The inquiry found that they had failed to discharge their responsibilities in light of the warnings received from Washington, other information possessed by them, and the principle of command by mutual cooperation. The committee report faulted the Hawaiian commands for failure to integrate their efforts and work together, conduct effective reconnaissance within the limits of their equipment, maintain a state of readiness, and use their resources to repel the Japanese raiders or reduce the effects of the successful attack. Kimmel and Short continued their efforts to salvage their reputations. Short died in 1949, Kimmel in 1968, but their familiesespecially the Kimmel familyhave kept up the campaign. The government has periodically considered whether Kimmel and Short should be advanced on the retired list to their highest wartime ranks, but nine times between 1957 and 2015 decided against doing so. In the postwar period, a revisionist movement emerged, contending that Roosevelt knew in advance about the attack but let it happen to serve his objective of carrying the United States into the war. At the extreme were the conspiracy theorists who accused Roosevelt of deliberately provoking the attack. Historian Gordon W. Prange studied the Pearl Harbor attack for almost 40 years. The gist of his work, published posthumously as At Dawn We Slept in 1982, is basically consistent with the findings of the joint congressional committee in 1946. Pranges research is widely regarded as definitive. Arguments about Pearl Harbor mainly follow two broad tracks: what information officials in Washington and Hawaii had before the attack, and what actions they took as a result of that knowledge. Portents and Warnings In one sense the Japanese strike on Dec. 7 was a surprise. In another sense it was not. Air attack on Pearl Harbor had been a standard scenario in annual US fleet exercises since 1928, and Japans aggression on the Pacific rim and its hostility toward the United States were widespread knowledge. General Short Sees Danger of Oahu Air Raid, said an Aug. 14, 1941 headline in the Honolulu Advertiser. Follow-up headlines took a more urgent tone: on Nov. 30, Japanese May Strike Over Weekend, and on Dec. 5, Pacific Zero Hour Near. In 1940, the US had broken the Japanese diplomatic code, designated Purple by the Americans. The decoded Purple code intercepts were called Magic. The diplomatic messages revealed a great deal about Japans strategic intentions but they did not contain much real military information. Still, the Army and Navy intelligence shops in Washington guarded their secrets jealously. Kimmel and Short were not on distribution for Magic intercepts. All of the advance information was ambiguous. At no point did any US officials have definite knowledge of the coming attack. Kimmel and Shortespecially Kimmel, as senior commander in the Pacifichad almost as much of the directly relevant information extracted from the intercepts as Washington did. Both of them were aware that Japanese embassies and consulates had been instructed to destroy most of their codes and ciphers and burn their secret papers. Both knew that the main Japanese carrier force had left home waters in November. In addition, Kimmel was told that there had been no radio traffic from the carriers in several weeks and that Japanese navy forces afloat had changed their call signs twice within a month. He did not share that knowledge with Short. On Nov. 27, Kimmel and Short got specific war warning messages. Negotiations with Japan appear to be terminated, said the message from Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army Chief of Staff, to Short. Hostile action possible at any moment, This dispatch is to be considered a war warning, the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Harold R. Stark, advised Kimmel. An aggressive move by Japan is expected within the next few days. Kimmel said later that the term war warning had no standing in official Navy usage and that he did not know exactly what to make of it. Neither Kimmel nor Short knew of the intercepted Purple code message from Tokyo to Washington, transmitted in 14 segments Dec. 6-7, with the final piece sent Sunday morning. The embassy was told to destroy its code machine and deliver the message to the Americans at 1 p.m. Eastern Time (7:30 a.m. in Hawaii, half an hour before the attack was supposed to begin). The message did not disclose anything about the planned attack on Pearl Harbor, nor did it declare war or sever diplomatic relations. What it did was break off negotiations since it is impossible to reach an agreement. Despite that, it was alarming enough for Marshall to send another war warning to Army commands in the Pacific, including Hawaii. Short did not get his copy until after the attack, but it would have told him little more than he already knew about Japanese plans. The most important information not given to Kimmel and Short was the so-called bomb plot message decoded in early October. The Japanese consulate in Honolulu was instructed to report the exact position of ships in specific locations in Pearl Harbor, essentially creating a grid of individual ships at their anchorages. Kimmel had a point when he later complained that this message was a strong implication of a planned air attack. He had not been told because the chief of naval war plans in Washington stubbornly insisted on holding the intelligence report within his own domain. Mysterious Intercepts The revisionists gained in credibility when John Toland joined their ranks with the publication in 1982 of Infamy: Pearl Harbor and Its Aftermath. Toland, who had won a Pulitzer prize for previous work, signed up to the theory that Roosevelt knew several days ahead of time that a Japanese fleet was headed for Hawaii. Toland has responded to criticism by conceding that as much as 50 percent of the new information in his book, released last April, may be proven false, a UPI wire dispatch said in December 1982. But the evidence that Washington knew of the approaching fleet is too overwhelming to ignore, he said. He relied heavily on the word of a former seaman first class, identified only as Z in the book, who was persuaded to talk to Toland by Kimmels son. In December 1941, Seaman Z was a 20-year-old electronics technician at the Twelfth Naval District in San Francisco. On Dec. 2, commercial cable companies reported detection of radio signals they could not identify. Seaman Z made cross bearings of these and calculated the likely point of origin. According to Toland, Seaman Z speculated to his boss that the signals might be from the missing Japanese carrier force. It was common knowledge, Toland said, that Zs boss was a personal friend of Roosevelts and had direct access to the White House. The supposition was that Roosevelt had been promptly informed of the signals. The New York Times and others soon located Seaman Z, whose name was Robert D. Ogg. He said that the tie to the Japanese carriers was pure guesswork. He had no idea of how such signals were tracked or identified. For all that Ogg and his colleagues knew, the signals could have emanated from a Liberian freighter, a commercial fishing fleet, or an off-course Lebanese taxi cab, an analysis by the National Security Agency said. Oggs boss was dead by then, but no record could be found of any report from him to Roosevelt. Seaman Zs story was one of several supposedly proving that the carrier strike force had been detected. In fact, the Japanese fleet had maintained absolute radio silence since its departure Nov. 26 from its assembly point in the Kuril Islands. The ships communicated by signal flags during the day and by blinkers at night. Radio transmitters were disabled and no one was allowed near them. According to Minoru Genda, the officer who planned the attack, the pilots had agreed not to use their radios even if their lives depended on it. Winds Execute Toland also revived the Winds Execute issue, which had been debunked by the joint congressional committee in 1946. In November 1941, US intelligence learned from intercepts that Japan had created a Winds notification system that would kick in should regular diplomatic communications be disrupted. Coded warnings and instructions would then be broadcast by regular short wave radio. The words East wind rain, for example, would mean impending trouble with the United States. North wind cloudy meant the Soviet Union. West wind clear would be Great Britain. To avoid mistakes, Winds messages would be distinctively formatted with prescribed forms and repetitions. The ensuing furor was about a supposed Winds Execute message, which would have activated the procedure. In the 1940s, a naval intelligence officer, Capt. Laurance F. Safford, claimed that a Winds Execute message containing all three code phrases was decoded Dec. 4, 1941, a clue that the war was about to begin. Questioned in the congressional hearings, he was unable to substantiate his claim. A National Security Agency recap noted that Safford kept changing his story. His evidence was revealed as little more than a farrago of fabrication, speculation, poor memory, rumor gathering, and plain error-filled opinion. The story returned in the 1970s, when Ralph Briggs, a former Navy Morse intercept operator, said that he had picked up an East wind rain message on Dec. 4, 1941. His account was weak in several places and he could not produce any evidence, but Toland cited him as a credible source anyway. There was in fact a Winds Execute message. It was broadcast Dec. 7 at 7:02 p.m. Washington time, more than six hours after the Pearl Harbor attack and the code phrase was West wind clear, meaning Japanese relations with Great Britain were in danger. It was not about Pearl Harbor or the United States. Nevertheless, the Winds Execute prediction of warlike the intercepted radio signals and Roosevelts secret schemeslived on in revisionist lore. At Dawn They Slept Defense of the Hawaiian islands was primarily Shorts job, and a corollary mission for Kimmel, as they shared responsibility for reconnaissance and patrol. Kimmel and Short said they would have taken stronger action if they had been better informed or if they had more resources. On the other hand, they had plenty of general warning and commanders at their levels were expected to maintain a proper alert and defense without detailed instructions from Washington. Also, they did not make full use of the resources they had. Kimmel and Short protested long and loud that they did not have enough aircraft for a 360-degree reconnaissance around Hawaii. Kimmels PBY Catalina seaplanes could cover only about a third of that area. His main interest for reconnaissance was to the south, where his carriers were. The fleet was geared to meet and defeat an enemy at sea, not to defending Pearl Harbor. Short pointed out that he had only a few long-range B-17s and said that the operating radius of his B-18s was 300 miles. In fact, without a bomb load, the B-18s had an operating radius of more than 500 miles. Unable to mount a complete patrol, Kimmel and Short elected to do almost nothing, especially toward the northwest, the most likely direction for a hostile approach. Japanese intelligence reported Nov. 22 that, United States air patrols are very good in the area south and southwest of Oahu, but generally inadequate to the north of the island. Short had been told repeatedly that protection of the Pacific Fleet was his primary and overriding mission, but he resisted the idea. In his heart, Short regarded the presence of the Pacific Fleet as protection for his Hawaiian Department rather than vice versa, Prange said. Furthermore, Short saw the main danger as sabotage, not an enemy attack. He pulled enlisted technicians of the Hawaiian Air Force away from their regular duties, cross-trained them as infantry, and put them on guard at airfields and at other locations. He had airplanes removed from their protective revetments and placed them close together in the middle of the field for easier guarding. Ammunition from the aircraft was boxed and stored. On Dec. 7, the airplanes were parked wingtip to wingtip, easy targets for the Japanese, who also scored a direct hit on the hangar where the ammunition was kept. Radar had been key to the defeat of the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain the previous year, but that apparently made little impression on the Hawaii commanders. The Army had six mobile radars at Opana Point on the north shore of Oahu, but on Shorts orders, they were active only from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. On Dec. 7, the radar operator wanted to get in some extra practice and thus, at 7:02 a.m., picked up the first wave of Japanese bombers 136 miles to the north. The information center at Fort Shafter was minimally manned and ignored the radar operators report, figuring that it was a mistake. It did not make that much difference, since the pursuit wing at Wheeler Field had been given the weekend off. Naval personnel were likewise on routine liberty ashore after a week of hard training and the anti-aircraft guns on ships in the harbor were not on effective alert. The Tenth Review A considerable number of senior officers believe that Kimmel and Short did all they could under the circumstances and have been unfairly singled out for blame. Among their supporters have been World War II Adm. William F. Halsey, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James L. Holloway, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Thomas H. Moorer. In 1995, Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services committeeacting at the request of the Kimmel family in his statedemanded that the Department of Defense reopen the case. The inquiry, the 10th since 1941, was led by Edward L. Dorn, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The Dorn report in December 1995 was not what Thurmond wanted. Although it recognized that responsibility for the disaster should not fall solely on Kimmel and Short, it said that they could not be absolved of accountability. The intelligence available to Admiral Kimmel and General Short was sufficient to justify a higher level of vigilance than they chose to maintain, the report said. Different choices might not have discovered the carrier armada and might not have prevented the attack, but different choicesa different allocation of resourcescould have reduced the magnitude of the disaster. The Dorn report concluded that Kimmel and Short had not been victims of unfair official actions and it did not recommend their promotion on the retired list. No change was made in their status. In 1999, Senators William V. Roth Jr. (R-Del.) and Joseph Biden (D-Del.), responding to Kimmel supporters in their constituency, sponsored a nonbinding resolution to exonerate Kimmel and Short. It passed the Senate, 52-47, but the Department of Defense declined to act on it. In 2015, the Navy turned down yet another appeal on behalf of Kimmel and Short. The Memory Evolves With the passage of time, the number of people with personal memory of Pearl Harbor and the reaction to it has dwindled. The sense of it is more distant and less intense. Books and articles continue to appear. The traditional interpretation prevails but conspiracy theorists have found a new forum ideal for their purposes on the Internet. A poll of college students at the University of New Hampshire in 2014 found limited interest and knowledge about Pearl Harbor among millennials. To them, the 9/11 attacks were of far greater significance. In 1994, Congress declared Dec. 7 to be National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. The custom is to fly the flag at half-staff, but it is not an official holiday. Government offices, schools, and businesses do not close. The National Park Service visitor center at Pearl Harbor draws 1.5 million visitors a year. Observance of the anniversary at the historic site each December still centers on the attack and the loss of American lives, but the tone of the remembrance has evolved. The theme for the upcoming 75th anniversary commemoration at Pearl Harbor will be the same as last year, Pathway to Reconciliation: From Engagement to Peace, which the Park Service explains is focused on the rebuilding and solidification of the friendship between the United States and Japan. John T. Correll was editor in chief of Air Force Magazine for 18 years and is now a contributor. His most recent article, Air and Space and Aerospace, appeared in the October issue. The Air Force needs to be prepared for any possibility. To meet that daunting task, it is taking multiple, large-scale steps to determine what its future requirements will actually be and take care to ensure these overlapping plans can move forward to reality, top service officials said at AFAs Air, Space & Cyber Conference at National Harbor, Md., in September. My sense is that we may not have the exact prediction right when it comes to the future of combined arms and the global challenges we face, new Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said in his address at ASC, held just outside of Washington, D.C. History would suggest that may be China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, violent extremism, [but] we dont have that exactly right. To prepare for the future, Goldfein is directing in-depth, long-term looks at key areas he says the service must revitalize and refocus on. The Air Force cant simply throw money at these issues, because the service just does not have it. It is not just strategic planning, howeverthe Air Forces often geriatric equipment needs a refresh to remain relevant against current and future enemies. Air Combat Command and Air Mobility Command are looking to move beyond conventional thinking to get an idea of what is essential for key airframes of the future in a time of strict budgets and intense combat requirements. Balancing this fleet with current demand, reduced capacity of aircraft and personnel, and technological advances among our adversaries make maintaining Air Force full-spectrum readiness a challenge, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said at the conference. But we are taking the necessary steps to ensure the Air Forces dominance for another generation. Three studies Goldfeins first major initiative as the services Chief is to begin a look at three key areas he says will define airpower in the future. A series of studies will take the entirety of his tenure at the top of the Air Force. Goldfein used his inaugural high-profile public speech as Chief of Staff of the Air Force at ASC to announce the three studies. They will investigate how to revitalize squadrons across the service; strengthen the role of Air Force leaders in the joint community; and improve multidomain command and control for the future. If we focus on these, well be ready for [whatever comes] next, Goldfein said. And this is one thing I know with absolute 100 percent clarity. We have from right now until then to get ready. And it will take all of us, airmen, industry, allies, joint partnersall of us working together to present to combatant commanders, to our Secretary of Defense, and our Commander in Chief the air component where squadrons are revitalized as the heartbeat of our Air Force, where our Air Force consists across the board of joint leaders and teams that can step in in a crisis and lead a joint task force if the nation calls upon us to do it. Goldfein named three one-star generals to take the lead on these studies. Brig. Gen. Stephen L. Davis, director of manpower, organization, and resources, will study how the service can refocus on the squadrons. I believe that it is at squadron level where we succeed or fail as an Air Force, Goldfein said. Its where our culture resides. Its where airmen are developed. Its where airmen and families thrive. Its where training and innovation occurs. The service needs to seriously study and understand what the future squadron structure will be. This is where we step back and ask ourselves the fundamental question: What does a 21st century squadron need to look like? Goldfein said. I think it looks different. I think there may be a civilian-military mix to it. In addition to more civilian involvement, Goldfein said the Air Force needs to follow the work of his predecessor, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, and incorporate even more of the Air National Guard and Reserve into the squadron mix. Brig. Gen. Brian M. Killough, director of strategy, concepts, and assessments, will direct the study of strengthening joint leadership in the Air Force. This includes how airmen, both enlisted and officer, are developed and how they can work more with other services. Goldfein said he will strengthen the joint preparedness of wing and numbered Air Force-level commands, so they can be ready to lead task forces. There must be a strong air focus in the planning of campaigns to ensure that we are actually looking at the business of combined arms and ensure that all components, especially air, are optimized. To do so, USAF should produce leaders truly conversant in joint operations, who know how to work with other services. That means we strengthen the path that we go on to be able to build joint leaders who are able to have that airmans voice in the dialogue, especially at the level of campaign design, Goldfein said. So that in campaigns of the future, they are truly joint in nature and all of those cultures are in play to get to the best possible solution. Brig. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, director of future operations, is to look at how to develop networked systems and next generation, multidomain command and control, to prepare the Air Force for what comes next in the information age of warfare, Goldfein said. The service brings in massive swaths of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data and that information must be fused in a way to enable combatants to make decisions immediately and stay ahead of possible adversaries. The service will have to develop common mission systems, common data, and common architecture that can be analyzed using artificial intelligence and machine-to-machine data to understand and make decisions immediately. The Air Forces command and control infrastructure must be the connective tissue for the joint force as we go forward, Goldfein said. Some would say were already there, and I agree. But there are still so many of our processes that are in the industrial age. And for our industry partners, this is a partnership that we have to work together because it starts fundamentally changing the way we think about procurement. The new way of thinking starts with a common mission system, and then thinking about how platforms and sensors can fit into that system, he said. To address this future command and control environment, Air Combat Command is going to look at future procurement and operations, as it recently did with its fighter force. Earlier this year, the command published an Enterprise Capability Collaboration Team project report on the future of combat air, called Air Superiority 2030. In it, ACC experts discussed what the next generation of air superiority could bebeyond the Air Forces newest fifth generation fighters such as the F-22 and F-35. This included increased networking between aircraft and looking at stealth less as a singular component, such as low observable, and more as a combination of approaches. ACC is directing a year-long ECCT project on command and control, because being able to rapidly put resources where theyre most needed can help multiply capacity, Air Combat Command chief Gen. Herbert J. Hawk Carlisle said at ASC. The study comes as the Air Force is beginning recapitalization of its E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System fleet. A draft request for proposals to industry was released days before Carlisle announced the study. The procurement of command and control will continue, because once the JSTARS process finishes, the Air Force will need to recapitalize the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System and its RC-135 Rivet Joint fleet, Carlisle said. Lessons Learned in ISR The state of certain Air Force fleets related to the current demand highlights strategic planning. Since 2007, the Defense Department has increased the number of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft available by 600 percenta dramatic boost in a fleet almost unparalleled across the military, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. said at the conference. Despite this astronomical growth in capability, the Air Force is still only meeting 30 percent of DODs overall demand for ISR. We cannot meet the demands today requested of any of our combatant commands, Carlisle said at the conference. We are short resources across everything the Air Force does. We are undermanned, and under resourced in everything. The military cannot buy its way out of the problem and instead should plan ahead on how it can collect, analyze, and disseminate information, Dunford said. In the meantime, the Air Force is standing up new MQ-9 Reaper operating locations and doubling its classes for operators so future demands can come closer to being met, James said. The problem long-term isnt simply having to buy more aircraft, Dunford said. Instead, the militarys leadership must have enough information to set reasonable requirements and make appropriate resourcing and tasking decisions. We need to make sure were pursuing the right objective, Dunford said. I hope thats music to the ears of airmen, because weve gone to the Air Force over and over again to increase capacity. Critical Air Force modernization programs to address capability shortfalls are multilayered and in various stages of maturity. MQ-9 Reaper ISR and strike capabilities are well-established. The fifth generation F-35 fighter has just reached initial operational capability; it is officially ready to go to war. And the KC-46 Pegasus program is still in the process of getting off the ground. For Air Mobility Command, the focus on whats next should begin before its newest aircraftthe Boeing KC-46A Pegasuseven becomes operational. AMC may recast its 15-year-old strategy of replacing the KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender with a three-phase program dubbed KC-X, KC-Y, and KC-Z. Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II, AMC commander, said a new approach is needed. The Pegasuswhich won the KC-X contestwill likely be the KC-Y, he told reporters, albeit with some new technologies and equipment to let it get closer to heavily-defended airspace. He still has a requirement to buy 479 tankers, but the KC-46A program only provides 179 new aircraft. The Pegasus is larger and more capable than the KC-135, but he needs new tails as quickly as possible, and skipping the second contest might bring new aircraft online faster, he said. Everhart asserted that all too soon, perhaps as early as the mid-2030s, something even more advanced will be needed to deliver fuel to the forward battle areas, and possibly beyond. The KC-Z, he said, might be smaller, possibly unmanned, and capable of penetrating an anti-access, area-denial environment. The time is now to begin assessing that requirement, he said. AMC is conducting studies on this future right now and is working with industry on the possibilities. For the first time in years, AMC hosted an industry day at Scott AFB, Ill., to do this outreach. We are engaging with industry to find out from them, What are you thinking about?? Everhart said. Meanwhile, AMCs strategic airlifters require upgrades and modernization, though they have a lot of life left. The newest airlifter, the C-17 Globemaster III, is receiving upgrades, such as a new head-up display, new oxygen-generating systems, and bigger fuel tanks to keep the fleet fresh. AMC has also studied options for how to best base the aircraft to extend its lifesuch as rotating C-17s from certain regions that contribute to aircraft corrosion to drier regions where that does not happen. Moves like this could mean the C-17 could theoretically last up to 80 years, Everhart said. The notion of military aircraft flying for 80 years sounds, on the surface, absurd. But that may well be reality, as proved by USAFs longstanding plans for the B-52. The current fleet of eight-engine bombers has been continuously upgraded, but todays aircraft were purchased in the early 1960s and are expected to fly into the 2040s, when they will be eight decades old. Secretary James at the conference dropped the biggest bomb, figuratively. Alongside the sole remaining Doolittle Raider, retired Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, James announced the services secretive new long-range strike bomber had a name: the B-21 Raider. The Air Force has maintained for years that it needs to buy 80 to 100 of these aircraft to recapitalize its fleet, but shortly after the name was announced the head of Air Force Global Strike Command said 100 B-21s is probably the minimum acceptable number. AFGSC head Gen. Robin Rand said he must move on from heavy reliance on ancient bombers like those venerable B-52s. The Air Forces bomber fleet is already stretched thin because of B-1s and B-52s rotating through operational commitments in US Central Command and the continuous presence in US Pacific Command, while the BUFFs and stealthy B-2 bombers also have nonstop US Strategic Command nuclear requirements. The command is studying the number of bombers it will need in the 2030-50 time frame. We wont set the official number for a while, Rand said, but I cant imagine we would have one less bomber. October 28, 2013 In a recent article, "Turkey's Lost Illusions," adviser and professor Dominique Moisi wrote that Turkey is now more in search of itself than it is of Europe. According to him, the end of the Soviet-era was a wake-up call for Turkey to revive a long-lost dream of (re)shaping its neighborhood under the banner of neo-Ottomanism. The endeavor, recently encapsulated in the foreign policy slogan of "zero problems with neighbors" turns out to have been an unsuccesful exercise based on costly trial and error. It has bruised Ankara's relations near and far. The backlash stems from rhetoric tinged with a sense of superiority, political insensitivity to history and a peculiar blend of nationalism, sectarianism and activism. Amazingly, new pieces continued to be added to the pattern, next to the long-term frosty relations with Greece. The most recent one, involving Serbia, has Turkey losing ground in one of the more succesful parts of its foreign policy, namely, peacemaking and peacekeeping in the Balkans, one of the former "Ottoman territories." Six days ago in Prizren, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "We all belong to a common history, common culture, common civilization; we are the people who are brethren of that structure. Do not forget, Turkey is Kosovo, Kosovo is Turkey!" He added that he "feels at home" when he visits Kosovo. Erdogan's words caused a fury among Serbian politicians. Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic responded by calling Erdogan's statement "a direct provocation." Belgrade also expressed its desire that the European Union (EU), "via its relevant organs, and also in the capitals of all member-countries," undertake appropriate measures toward Turkey, as is customary in similar situations. "In the Republic of Serbia, such statements cannot be received as friendly. They depart from assurances that we get in contacts with Turkey's top officials," fumed the Serbian Foreign Ministry. There were angry demonstrations in Belgrade, with nationalists retorting, "Kosovo is Serbia." The reactions spilled over into Austria, where Heinz Christian Strache, the leader of the extreme-right Freedom Party, offered, "Turkey is not Kosovo, Kosovo is not Turkey." He further asserted, "We fought for this several centuries ago, and it will always remain like this. At first Erdogan undermined European societies with a mass of its citizens, who he calls 'his soldiers,' and now he openly expresses territorial pretensions in a sovereign European country Serbia. This is absolutely unacceptable." The Serbian Foreign Ministry summoned Turkeys ambassador to Belgrade on Oct. 26 to express its discomfort with Erdogan's remarks. There was more to come, however, and of much more importance. The same day, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic announced that he was pulling out of the trilateral talks between Serbia, Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina on stability in the Balkans. "I expect that reason will prevail in Turkey and that Turkey will apologize to Serbia over this aggression without arms," said Nikolic. "Until then, as president of Serbia, I am freezing my participation at trilateral meetings between Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey, because it is not a meeting on war but of democratic countries with statesmanly reason that leads to peace in the Balkans," he added. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu tried to repair some of the damage. In a televised interview on the TRT1 channel on Oct. 27, he explained, "Prime Minister Erdogan talked about the shared fate of people of the Balkans in his speech. Balkan countries should act together for peace and stability. Belgrade, Prizren and Pristine are cities that we love very much. Some speeches might be presented as sources of [a diplomatic] crisis when they are taken out of context, but we have enough experience to overcome [such crises]. Both Serbia and Turkey are aware of their difference of opinion on the issue of Kosovo, but both sides are continuing their relations by accepting this difference." He is partly right. There was nothing wrong with the first part of Erdogan's statement, the one about common this or common that, but its second phrase touched a raw nerve in Balkan history and twisted the knife in the heart of Serbian national identity. Kosovo is at the center of it as the theater of the famous war between the Ottomans and Serbs in 1389. It is therefore regarded by the Serbs as their "motherland." It is also where Slobodan Milosevic, late president of Serbia, made his famous speech on the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Kosovo that started the bloody Balkan wars in the early 1990s. Wisdom, therefore, says Kosovo is Kosovo. Whether Erdogan's utterance was read from a written text or delivered ad-hoc, this incident fuels the conviction that the primary enemy of Turkish foreign policy is a tactlessness in rhetoric fed by delusions of grandeur. Regardless, the damage is done. The dustup with Serbia adds to the growing troubles with what remains of the zero problem with neighbors policy. It may be resolved soon, but the important aspect is that it showcases Turkey's severe limitations in the Balkans. For years, Turkish-Serbian relations were cool, due to the tragic war in Bosnia and Kosovo. Turkey was one of the first countries (out of 106) to recognize the independence of Kosovo in 2008. Normalization had been a late affair, starting in 2009, following the rapprochement between Belgrade and the European Union, and a push by Ankara. Needless to say, Erdogan's remarks on Kosovo have wrecked the good efforts of President Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Davutoglu. The trilateral talks between Bosnia, Serbia and Turkey were aimed at building confidence. Considerably damaged, it is back to square one. The Kosovo episode will also echo, albeit weakly, in Brussels and more concretely cast a darker shadow over the already forgotten Alliance of Civilizations project, initiated by Erdogan himself. In the broader context, it underlines the question by Moisi: What will be the endgame of Turkey's quest for an identity in its shaken and stirred foreign policy? "From Rhetoric to Reality: Reframing U.S.-Turkey Policy," a fresh, detailed report issued by the Bipartisan Policy Center, in Washington, summed up the situation thus: After a period during which Ankara pursued the vision of zero problems with neighbors, it now has nothing but problems. It has called for the ouster of Syrias Assad, refused to recognize the legitimacy of Egypts new military government, cut off diplomatic ties with Israel, angered Iran with its acceptance of a NATO radar installation and its support for Syrian rebels, quarreled with the Iraqi central government in Baghdad, angered key Gulf states over its support for Muslim Brotherhood movements throughout the region, and alienated Europe with unfounded accusations and conspiracy theories. Is Turkey, after all, taking the longest, winding road to reach its hardest, but most realistic destiny the EU? Strategic wisdom would say there is nowhere else to go. Yavuz Baydar is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor's Turkey Pulse. A journalist since 1979, he has been a radio reporter, news presenter, producer, TV host, foreign correspondent, debater and, in recent years, a news ombudsmen for the daily Sabah. His opinion pieces can be followed in the English-language daily Today's Zaman. October 31, 2016 The public has been watching Avigdor Liberman with a critical eye since he was appointed defense minister at the end of May. Not only does Liberman lack any background in defense, while he served in the opposition, Liberman was not one to hold back his criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Instead, he insisted on offering his own solutions to eliminate the latest wave of terrorism and topple the Hamas regime in Gaza, and it will be a long time before anyone forgets his promise to kill Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh within 48 hours if Hamas did not return the bodies of Israeli soldiers in its possession since the 2014 war on Gaza. The surprises from Liberman havent stopped since. Take, for example, his attention-grabbing Oct. 24 announcement to the Palestinian Al-Quds newspaper that he would be willing to create an airport and seaport in Gaza provided that Hamas lays down arms. This week we learned that last month, the Security Cabinet secretly approved a long list of zoning plans and construction permits for Palestinians living in Area C, which is under full Israeli control. It was all part of Libermans carrot and stick policy. The plan was prepared by the office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories under Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai, where officials are well aware of the anger and frustration felt by Palestinian residents of Area C. While Palestinians see the housing units for settlers continue to multiply, they are not allowed to build in their own villages because of a supposed lack of approved zoning regulations or master development plan. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Raed Najjar, head of the Burin Village Council, said that the Civil Administration even denied him permission to expand the village school. They wont allow us to expand our infrastructure or build new homes to ease the housing crisis, said Najjar. They even gave a demolition order for the Salman al-Farizi Mosque, which was built without a permit. According to a BTselem report, Israel demolished 168 Palestinian residential units in the first half of 2016, leaving 740 people, including 384 minors, without a roof over their heads. In contrast, a report released by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics on Sept. 27, ahead of the Jewish New Year, found that the settlements population growth rate in 2015 (4.1%) was double that of Israels overall rate (2%). Some 60% of the West Bank, amounting to 3.6 million dunams, is defined as Area C, under full Israeli control. The ultimate authority in these territories is the Israel Defense Forces, through the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. The division of the territories into distinct areas (A, B, C) was an integral part of the Oslo Accord (1993). None of the architects of this interim agreement imagined that this temporary division would last for more than two decades. While there are no official statistics available as to how many Palestinian residents live in Area C, a 2014 report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that the population was approaching 300,000. Some of these residents are Bedouin, who live in aluminum shacks and tents in temporary settlements without basic infrastructure such as electricity, water or plumbing. According to the report, only 1% of the territory is zoned for Palestinian development. Some 38 Palestinian settlements, home to about 6,000 people, are on territory declared IDF firing zones by Israel. Over 70% of the communities in Area C are not connected to electricity and water networks, forcing them to buy their water in containers that arrive in their settlements on an irregular basis. In contrast, there are 125 Jewish settlements in Area C. Since the mid-1990s, another 125 illegal outposts that receive government support and assistance have also been established in the area. Its too little, too late, said Najjar in response to the decision. We dont know exactly what they approved and what they are planning to set up. Weve been submitting [construction] plans for years and asking for permits for both buildings and infrastructure, but weve never received a positive response. We received contributions from the European Union and from other donors, who come visit us every now and then. Theyve seen how people live here. Weve been screaming to high heaven for 20 years now, but nothing has budged here. Every building we put up they tear down. Even another 20 years isnt enough to fix what was destroyed, and especially what was destroyed in our hearts. More than anything else, the Security Cabinets approval of the carrots without any publicity shows how decisions are made by Netanyahus right-wing government, and the influence that the settler leaders have on it. The recent decision may just be a meager answer to an enormous problem, and was a missed opportunity for Israel to adopt corrective measures in response to the EUs sharp criticism of the demolition of buildings it funded and constructed in the West Bank. It could also have been an opportunity for Liberman to prove to his critics that his carrot and stick really does include benefits and not just punishments. On the other hand, it seems as though concerns over the backlash from settlers, who consider any Palestinian construction in Area C untenable, outweigh any public, political, security or humanitarian ones. Recall the response Liberman received when he first presented his plan in August. A letter he received from members of the Knessets Land of Israel lobby protesting the plan claimed that it would provide the support that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas needs to fulfill his own plans to take over Area C. Knesset member Yoav Kish of the Likud argued that it is inconceivable that benefits received by the Palestinians should be allowed to create intolerable differences with the Jewish population, which he called the main victim of Palestinian terrorist attacks. Any government worried about the settlers response to its approval of projects necessary for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians under full Israeli control in those areas to go about their daily lives will be unable to move forward in a diplomatic process that demands much larger concessions. October 31, 2016 The relationship between Egypt and the Hamas party in Gaza might be thawing a bit, though no one seems to be interpreting Cairo's recent steps toward reconciliation as altruistic. It is safe to say that the gradual rapprochement between Hamas and Egypt is an Egyptian act of defiance, aimed at pressuring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas into responding to Egyptian demands that Abbas reconcile with his arch rival [dismissed Fatah leader] Mohammed Dahlan and get him ready to succeed him," Raed Enairat, a political science professor at An-Najah National University in Nablus and the head of the Contemporary Center for Studies and Policy Analysis, told Al-Monitor. "The coming period will prove whether the Hamas-Egypt convergence is tactical or strategic, as it is linked to the extent to which their mutual interests will be achieved. These consist of permanently opening the Rafah crossing and preserving the Sinai security from the Gazan side. Yet it is clear that the godfather of this rapprochement between Hamas and Egypt is Dahlan, who wants to be accepted by both sides, Enairat said. Hamas seems well-aware that Egypt's gestures actually arise from Cairos desire to win battles on two fronts, namely against Hamas and Abbas. Cairo may be seeking, at least at the current stage, to neutralize Hamas until Cairo settles its confrontation with Abbas in favor of Dahlan. Humanitarian steps recently taken by Egypt toward Gaza coincide with a significant decline in the relationship between Cairo and Fatah in the West Bank and a chill between Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, due to the latters support for Dahlan. Fatah, which is Hamas' rival party, is experiencing a rift over support for Dahlan to replace the aging Abbas, who is 81. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Amin Maqboul, secretary-general of Fatahs Revolutionary Council, refused to speak of Dahlans role in the rapprochement between Hamas and Egypt and said the relationship between the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and Egypt is fine. "We welcome any rapprochement between the Palestinian and Arab brothers, as the most important thing is to end the Palestinian division [between Hamas and Fatah] that has been ongoing since 2007. In what seemed to be a sign of goodwill, Egypt invited 100 businesspeople and merchants from Gaza to an Oct. 30 economic conference in a bid to improve commercial activity and put forth ideas aimed at facilitating trade and easing the movement of goods and merchants at the Rafah crossing. Egypt's tight-fisted grip on the crossing has long been a source of immense frustration among Palestinians. So recently, when Egypt temporarily opened the Rafah crossing to students, sick people and owners of residences outside Gaza, it was a significant move. From Oct. 16-23, 4,000 people traveled from Gaza. Also, on Oct. 20, Egypt released seven Gazan pilgrims who were detained Sept. 24 on charges of possessing undisclosed banned substances. The pilgrims were arrested as they returned from Saudi Arabia, where they had performed the hajj. Another development in the Cairo-Hamas relationship was revealed when the Israeli al-Masdar website announced Oct. 15 that Hamas had foiled an attack against the Egyptian army planned by a four-member terrorist cell in Gaza. The cell members reportedly had planned to use Kalashnikov assault rifles but were arrested by security forces in Gaza. Investigations are underway to determine the cells relationship with the Islamic State (IS) in Sinai Peninsula, the website added. News of the arrests was also reported Oct. 16 by Al-Masry al-Youm newspaper. No date was given for when the arrests were made. The story was considered especially important because of the deteriorating security situation in Sinai. Most recently, IS attacked an Egyptian security checkpoint in northern Sinai on Oct. 14, and 12 Egyptian soldiers were killed. Also, the Egyptian military said it destroyed a large collection of explosives Oct. 19-22 when it bombed storage sites at Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid in Sinai near the Gaza border. So there appears to be movement by both Hamas and Cairo. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri recently told Al-Monitor, Many contacts were made between Hamas leaders and Egyptian officials to confirm Hamas keenness on having a good relationship with Cairo, as well as its desire to promote such a relationship in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people and preserves Egypt's historical role. Hamas is keen on having a good and positive relationship with Cairo. The movement recently suggested sending a delegation from the Hamas leadership to Egypt as a goodwill gesture amid positive Egyptian signs toward Hamas. It seems too early to tell how stable the Hamas-Egypt relationship currently is, given the extent to which this connection is linked to other issues, including the future of the Sinai security situation, the Rafah crossing opening and Dahlans role. Egypt and Hamas want to keep communication open at least regarding humanitarian and living issues as a prelude to improving their relationship on political and security levels. October 31, 2016 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades leader Zaki al-Sakani was released from the Hamas governments security prisons on Oct. 19. Sakani learned the news less than 24 hours before his release. The surprise move has prompted speculation about a potential agreement between Hamas and dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan. Sakani was arrested by the Hamas government security services on Aug. 2, 2008, after sustaining abdominal injuries during armed clashes. The [Hamas] judiciary laid several charges against him, most importantly for forming terrorist groups, planning terrorist attacks, possessing and manufacturing explosives, and involvement in the Gaza beach explosion that killed five members of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades as well as a child on July 25, 2008. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, a term that was later on reduced to 10 years. Sakani left for Cairo with a temporary passport 24 hours after his release, he told Al-Monitor over the phone. I bid my nuclear family my wife, children, mother, brothers and sisters farewell at the family house a few hours before leaving the Gaza Strip. After that, I went straight to the Rafah crossing. The Gaza Interior Ministry prevented me from bidding my other relatives or neighbors farewell. He said that the Gaza Interior Ministry kept him from telling anyone about his release to avoid being welcomed by a crowd of friends and relatives, and he could just see his nuclear family. Sakani pointed out that he will receive treatment in Egypt for complications caused by his severe injury during his arrest and recover there. Then, he will travel to Saudi Arabia to perform umrah. He continued, After that, I will try to return to the Gaza Strip, because nothing will stop me from going back to my hometown. On my return, there will be communication between Hamas' political bureau and me to guarantee my freedom and ensure that I will not be arrested by Hamas. Two-thirds of Sakanis sentence had been served a year and a half ago. Palestinian law allows convicts to be release upon serving two-thirds of their sentence for good behavior. He said he knew that the Gaza Interior Ministry was willing to free him after serving that time, but he did not know when it would happen. Sakanis release coincides with a rapprochement between Hamas and Dahlan, raising questions on a potential agreement. Sakani revealed there were previous communications between Samir Mashharawi, a Fatah leader and close associate of Dahlan, and Mousa Abu Marzouk, a member of Hamas political bureau, in efforts to free him. He explained, There are strong ties between Mashharawi and me. He had communicated with Abu Marzouk to ask why I was still in prison until that moment, when my health was so poor. For his part, Abu Marzouk instructed Hamas and the Gaza Interior Ministry to set me free. He added, I spoke to Mashharawi, and I asked him whether or not a deal was concluded. He laughed and replied that I am important to him. He assured me that no deal was concluded with Hamas, and that there were communications with Abu Marzouk, after which I was released. Gaza's Interior Ministry Spokesman Iyad Bezm told local news agencies Oct. 20 that Sakani was released after serving more than two-thirds of his jail term and that he went to Egypt for treatment. Whether Sakanis release was part of a comprehensive deal or just the result of communication between Dahlan's current and Hamas, it is a sign that Hamas is playing some of its cards to deliver positive messages to Palestinian and international parties, said Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a political analyst close to Hamas. He told Al-Monitor, I believe that Sakani was a card used by Hamas, in light of the complex situation, to end the accusations of political detention by freeing the one whose name has circulated the most. It is also a message to President Mahmoud Abbas that [Hamas] has in its possession many cards that would clearly affect developments on the Palestinian arena, particularly regarding his opponents and rival Dahlan. In addition, [Hamas] wants to appease regional parties, particularly the Egyptian regime. It is well aware that Sakanis release will be well appreciated by Egypt. In fact, positive signs have emerged, starting with the opening of the Rafah crossing. Madhoun believes that Sakanis release was not part of a deal. The release of a figure of Sakani's stature, however, is noteworthy and usually accompanied with special and detailed arrangements, he said. He noted, In addition to the fact that Sakani is a figure that has importance and ties, there are parties that are trying to take advantage of his release. For instance, Dahlan would love to be viewed as the "man of the moment" who cares about every Fatah member and deserves to lead Fatah and the Palestinian Authority more than Abbas, who cares less about Fatahs members. This is why Dahlan strived to have many pictures showing him and his men and Sakani together and exaggerated their meeting. Whether or not Sakanis release was part of a deal between Hamas and Dahlan, it is likely a sign of the normalization of ties between both sides following communications between Hamas political bureau and close associates of Dahlan. These developments follow more than nine years of rupture since the 2007 Fatah-Hamas conflict that resulted in Hamas takeover of Gaza. October 31, 2016 Baghdad When the Iraqi Commission of Integrity Court entered a default judgment Oct. 16 against the head of the Karbala Real Estate Registration Directorate, ordering her imprisonment for tampering with citizens' real estate records, it came not as a surprise but rather as a manifestation of a known underlying phenomenon. This situation has been raising both popular and governmental concern, as it has spread to various regions, such as Babil, south of Baghdad, where a case of corruption was reported at the Real Estate Registration Directorate earlier this year. In Baghdad, this phenomenon is even more pervasive, according to the parliamentary integrity commission's annual report published March 3; this prompted an investigation into forged property deeds. Several cases of illegal seizure of real estate properties were reported in Baghdad involving property dealers and employees from governmental bodies involved with real estate registration. Real estate owned by emigrants especially Christians has been the main target because of the owners long absence from the country. In some areas of Baghdad where signs of this phenomenon have become noticeable, one is bound to come across houses with walls marked with writing saying things such as confiscated, not for sale or purchase due to problems and house claimed by tribes. Capt. Ali Bahadeli of the Baghdad anti-corruption police told Al-Monitor, Most of these incidents are deliberate and intended to force the owners to sell at a very cheap price, especially since they live abroad and it is not possible for them to learn about the details. He said, Those behind these fraudulent deals have gone as far as threatening the owners by alleging that it is not in their best interests to leave their properties unsold at this time, since no one will buy them later should the owner reject the deal. Not only that, but these swindlers are said to be affiliated with an armed force, according to the secretary-general of the Christian Movement in Iraq, Rayyan al-Kildani. He previously made a Feb. 13 statement to the local press saying, They have seized eight houses belonging to Christians. It has been reported that some outlaw gangs have been involved in these incidents. Seeking to make a profit, these gangs seize expensive properties by spreading fear and threatening owners, who are left with the option of selling their properties at low prices. As a result, real estate owners are forced to sell under the conditions set by those benefiting from these schemes. This led the Ministry of Justice on Aug. 7 to suspend activities at real estate registration bodies. In turn, Basras provincial council on March 10 took measures to curb the phenomenon of fraud involving emigrant-owned properties, suspending work at agencies associated with land ownership. A closer look into this phenomenon seems to reveal a direct correlation with the political and security situation, parliamentary legal committee member Salim Shawqi said. He told Al-Monitor, This phenomenon began after the fall of the [former Iraqi President] Saddam Hussein regime following the US invasion in 2003, giving rise to an ongoing state of chaos, now to a lesser degree, in security and administrative affairs. It should be noted that many real estate registration authorities were victims of arson and looting in the tumultuous period following the ouster of Saddam's regime in April 2003. Shawqi added, After the ousting of Saddam, many estates belonging to former regime figures, as well as properties located on the bank of the Tigris River and in Qadisiyah province, were either illegally seized or sold at low prices. Given the correlation between this phenomenon and the security situation, especially in Baghdad, properties are considered valuable commodities used for political ends, to rally followers and eliminate rivals. During the Saddam era, real estate served the regimes political agenda and power consolidation, with the regime using it to gain support and suppress dissent. During his eight-year war with Iran (1980-1988), Saddam distributed land and houses to families of war victims. Meanwhile, dissenters had to flee and saw their properties stripped from them. In the areas outside Baghdad, the reasons were different. An employee and expert in real estate registration in Babil told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The sale and purchase operations of real estate by means of forgery are only possible with the help of influential parties, as they require legal procedures and official documents. However, he said, Real estate acquisitions are conducted according to the law, as the owners officially cede ownership in return for an amount less than the actual price value of the property as a result of intimidation by the beneficiaries. Mohammad Koun, a member of the parliamentary integrity commission, told Al-Monitor, Influential political and official parties are behind the violations of real estate ownership. They are associated with corrupt networks, with a record in falsifying real estate and land deeds." He added, The governments mission is to put an end to this phenomenon, since it is responsible for following the general policy of the state according to Article 78 of the [Iraqi] Constitution. The infringements on emigrant-owned properties and widespread corruption in real estate registration are examples of the general corruption in Iraq. Transparency Internationals Corruption Perceptions Index released this year confirmed this. The report placed Iraq among the 10 lowest-ranking countries in terms of corruption in 2015, tying with Libya for 161st place out of 168 countries included in the index. The problem, along with its negative social impact, cannot be solved by the temporary measures taken Aug. 7 by the Justice Ministry to suspend property registration. The situation requires the rule of law as well as security and stability in order to end all kinds of corruption. October 31, 2016 Since the multinational anti-terrorist coalition led by the United States launched an offensive on Iraqs Mosul in mid-October, there has been no shortage of criticism from Moscow and Damascus. Russian diplomats and the military tend to downplay the coalitions successes and emphasize its failures, claiming its frequently hitting civilian targets something for which the West itself bitterly criticizes Russia and Syria. But the most worrisome thing for Moscow as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made clear after an Oct. 28 meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Walid Moallem is the prospect of a large-scale movement of Islamic State (IS) fighters from Iraq into Syria. Russia Today, an English-language news site funded by the Russian government, cited undisclosed sources as saying American and Saudi intelligence services have an agreement to allow thousands of militants passage to Syria to prepare a further offensive on Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor, which are partly controlled by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and allied Shia forces. On Oct. 25, Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Main Operative Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, stated that about 300 IS militants had arrived from Mosul to Deir ez-Zor. These statements, however, carry more of a political message than a military posture. Moscow and Washington have been facing off in a battle for public relations superiority since the beginning of the Syrian war and are jumping at any opportunity to poke one another with reproaches and occasional threats. Moreover, after the start of the operation in Mosul, the coalition limited journalists access to the frontline, restricting their news feed to a trickle of official press releases. In Moscow, this was seen as an attempt to cover up the coalitions losses while exaggerating its achievements and diminishing those of IS. So far the biggest success of the coalition as seen from Moscow was the Iraqi army offensive on Oct. 26 in Mosul's Gogjali district, but the army was pushed back out rather quickly and is just now knocking at the door again. And IS hasnt been completely cleared out of other major battlegrounds like Bashiqa, Kirkuk and Sinjar. Despite some statements in Russian government-affiliated media about the Iraqi army mopping up Ar Rutbah, sources on the ground who preferred to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor that about 200 IS fighters fled that city with no resistance, with Iraqi forces entering there a few hours later. In general, the situation in Anbar province, Salahuddin and Diyala is tense because of the constant raids of small, highly maneuverable groups. Therefore, IS seriously hampered the distant approach of the offense not only though a mixture of activities on the frontline such as suicide bombers and car bombs, but also by beefing up its activities in the rear. They thus pushed the Iraqi army and the Kurds to direct their reserve forces to provinces neighboring with Ninevah, which slowed down the coalitions movement. In this sense, the attack launched by IS on Oct. 24 on Sinjar was critical. It was meant to connect Syria and Iraq and to make it easier for some additional forces to approach Mosul through Tal Afar and Bara leading to Raqqa, Syria. In Russia, it was largely seen as a CIA cover-up to help clear the road from Mosul to Syria for IS. However, if we look at the dynamics of the conflict strictly on its merits, the real reason behind this IS move was to secure a stronghold at Sinjar. It was supposed to enable IS to maneuver and rotate its forces. This tricky move bewildered many Russian and even non-Russian media, resulting in diverging interpretations in which IS has been either led from Iraq into Syria or the other way around. In fact, sources on the ground suggest it was mainly families of terrorists who arrived in Raqqa, while the militants focused on transferring well-trained groups to Iraq. The Pentagon also said there is no intended push of IS from Iraq to Syria a large-scale offensive on Raqqa has been announced, while airstrikes of the US-led coalition on the border areas between Syria and Iraq continue. Therefore, the coalition is looking to tie IS hands on the battleground in Syria while diminishing its capacity in Iraq. This, of course, doesnt mean that Moscows concerns are entirely groundless or triggered by the information struggle with Washington. A certain percentage of IS fighters have indeed moved into Syria, mixing with civilians fleeing Mosul and its surroundings as the coalition approaches the city. Yet this exodus is unlikely to be a large-scale one. The flow of refugees from Mosul to Syria since the start of the operation is not significant: By Oct. 25, about 940 Iraqis had arrived in the Al-Hawl refugee camp, with a few hundred more expected soon. These territories are now under the close watch of the Kurdish People's Protection Units, which have extensive experience in filtering the incoming population. The majority of the civilians from Mosul will most likely be accommodated at 11 refugee camps, five of which are already functioning while the rest are being readied. Another reason a large exodus isnt expected is that, as previous experiences have shown, IS is not fleeing big cities immediately when attacked. Instead, it retreats after offering a ferocious resistance. Only after being bombed into the last neighborhood and after days of hard negotiations have they left towns, using civilians as a shield. Baghdad and its allies will also be restricted by the need to minimize collateral damage. In addition to the ethics involved, massive casualties among civilians would potentially create an influx of new fighters to IS. Agreements with local Sunni groups, as well as the battle for their hearts and minds, would be of huge importance in ensuring the dissent doesnt emerge in Mosul again once the city is freed. Besides, taking Mosul under control as well as intensifying military action in Raqqa will inevitably lead to IS digging in at its so-called Wilayat al-Furat (Euphrates Province) between al-Bukamal, Syria, and Al-Qaim, Iraq, where the group has its survival infrastructure. Fleeing to Syria would be a trap for IS: From Iraq it could reach Jordan, Saudi Arabia or elsewhere, but theres virtually no way out for it from Syria. Finally, the Syrian army has so far been distant from IS in the west of the country near the Kuweyres air base and in the Yarmouk neighborhood. Therefore, there is little need for the concern expressed by some Russian experts that IS fighters will emerge en masse in Aleppo. Besides, there can be no doubt that should the United States and its allies launch a ground operation to capture Raqqa Moscow and Damascus would also initiate a large-scale offensive to prevent the situation in the blocked Deir ez-Zor from getting more complicated and to make sure they, too, get their share of the victory. Otherwise, the Syrian territory will be split into halves and all the efforts to keep Syria united will have been for nothing. However, more and more players seem to be placing their priorities elsewhere, taking advantage of the situation by chipping away parts of the Syrian territory for their own interests. October 31, 2016 DIYARBAKIR, Turkey I was in a clothing shop on the main street of Yenisehir district when a customer came in. After he finished shopping, he went to the cashier and wanted to pay with his credit card. The cashier apologized, saying she could not perform the transaction because the internet was down. The customer walked out visibly upset; sales personnel were also disappointed. Similar disruptions were reported from many businesses that rely on internet communications. Internet disruptions began a few hours after the detentions Oct. 26 of the co-mayors of Diyarbakir metropolitan municipality, Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli. First we thought it was a local problem that usually doesnt last long. Internet browser administrators said they had a technical problem. But as time passed, we learned the problem was not confined to Diyarbakir but covered many provinces of east and southeast Turkey. Nobody believed that a technical mishap would disrupt internet service in such a large area, and there must be something else behind it. Many believed that the internet was cut off to prevent the organization of protest actions against the detention of the co-mayors. Selahattin Demirtas, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), also made this allegation. In a statement to journalists, including this Al-Monitor writer, Demirtas said the internet was cut to prevent protest actions. In hospitals, urgent cases cannot be issued medicines. Turk Telekom, GSM companies: You are committing a crime. You cannot turn off the internet because a governor or the minister asked you to. Communication is a right. People have already paid in advance for internet services. Now they should go and sue these companies. Dont let them get away with it, he said. The disruption lasted 12 hours on the first day and was restored to normal late at night. The next day, the disruption lasted more than 12 hours. The next day, the internet went down an hour before a planned protest action and became the longest disruption at 27 hours. Providers were still citing technical problems, but by that time it became clear that somebody was ordering the service disruptions. The health sector was one of those most affected by the disruptions. Pharmacies could not sell medicine or could only sell to those who could pay with cash. A desperate relative of a sick person told Al-Monitor that the pharmacist could not give him the medicine his relative needed. A bus company in Diyarbakir solved the problem by subscribing to an internet satellite connection. Saban Dogmus, manager of the company, told Al-Monitor that it lost at least 50,000 Turkish liras ($16,000) over three days. We set up a new system via satellite. We were desperate. We still cannot handle credit cards. The new system doesnt handle that, Dogmus told Al-Monitor. In disruptions that totaled 48 hours over four days, losses by businesses in the city are in the millions. Alican Ebedinoglu, the president of Union of Traders and Artisans, said city businesses are in a crisis. He said all traders are affected and the citys economy is on the verge of collapse. Lets start with our union. We cannot issue any documents to our members. We cannot register any new members. Our connection to the tax offices is through the internet. Many of our traders have switched to wireless internet. They are now helpless. Our members had been suffering from the tensions and clashes in the area already, and now this. They are at end of their resilience 80% to 90% of our business depends on internet. Businesspeople are about to rise up. A trader owes money and needs credit, but I cannot issue the documents he needs from us. This is a major crisis, Ebedinoglu told Al-Monitor. Ebedinoglu emphasized that he doesnt believe the disruption is a technical malfunction. I dont believe it. Our internet networks had progressed over the years. Surely there must be a backup, he said. Among the most affected are journalists, who have been scampering to find someone with a private connection. The pro-Kurdish HDP has taken the matter to parliament and also lodged a complaint with the court. We cant help but remember the first days of the Syrian war when the internet used to disappear even before the most minor demonstration. Of course, the problem has other ramifications, as it severely affects communications among Kurdish organizations. This is what happens when the state has the unchallenged monopoly over our communications. We were wondering why Hezbollah was spending so much money setting up its own fiber optic communications system in Lebanon that has a developed communications infrastructure. That suddenly make sense, one senior Kurdish official who didnt want to be identified told Al-Monitor. October 31, 2016 With the arrest of the co-mayors of Diyarbakir, Turkeys pivotal Kurdish city, on Oct. 25, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) took another step in its latter-day strategy on the Kurdish question: to kill all terrorists and arrest all their political supporters. A strategy, in other words, that almost all Turkish governments have pursued, more or less, since the establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923 leaving behind thousands of casualties, with no end in sight. Yet there is a major irony in this AKP strategy, because it was none other than the AKP and the intelligentsia who told us, for years, that this security-focused solution to the Kurdish question was a dead end. It was also they who tried a fundamentally different approach: reforms for all Kurds and negotiations with the Kurdish militants. It is interesting how they ended up reverting back to the concepts of the Old Turkey that they had criticized for years. The origin of the AKPs relatively liberal and dovish stance on the Kurdish question goes back to the 1990s, when the partys predecessor, the Welfare Party, departed from the traditional nationalism of the Turkish right. The partys Islamist intellectuals argued that the Kurds were unhappy with the Republic of Turkey exactly for the same reason as the religious conservatives: They were oppressed, humiliated and marginalized, and their reactions were only handled with brute force. When he became prime minister in 2005, Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced this line. In 2005, in an important public speech in Diyarbakir, he used the term Kurdish question, which was then a taboo for Turkish politicians. He promised to win Kurdish votes, as his party initiated a series of significant reforms. In 2003, Kurdish language courses had become legal. Then, the state TV broadcaster TRT started a Kurdish-language TV channel in 2008, breaking another taboo. In 2012, Kurdish-language classes became optional in Turkish government schools. Aside from such reforms on Kurdish-language rights all which were absolutely necessary the AKP also tried something that no previous Turkish government had tried seriously: a political negotiation with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), whose war against the Turkish government has resulted in some 45,000 violent deaths since 1984. With Erdogans blessings, in 2009, Turkish intelligence began bargaining with the PKKs jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan, and the PKKs executives in Europe. In October 2009, some PKK fighters in Iraq walked to the Turkish border without arms and were given amnesty, to the joy of supportive Kurds and the astonishment of skeptical Turks. In October 2011, a PKK attack on a Turkish garrison killed the good mood, and reignited the conflict, which continued until early 2013. But Erdogan pushed for peace again. In March 2013, Ocalan called for a permanent farewell to arms, giving the nation a sense of optimism. However, this second peace process would fail too, in July 2015, the Islamic State began bombing Kurdish targets inside Turkey, and Turkish security forces also took their revenge on the PKK. Why did that second phase of the peace process fail? In August 2015, I addressed this question in an Al-Monitor article, and found the answer in the PKKs militancy, the poisoning impact of the Syrian civil war and grand ambitions in Ankara. That is still valid, but something needs to be added now: The failure of the peace process led to a right-wing drift in Turkey, especially within the ruling AKP. It is a bit like the right-wing drift in Israel after the collapse of the Oslo peace process in 2000. We tried peace with these terrorists, the common logic in both cases read, and saw that they only understand through force. This right-wing drift took place not only in the AKPs policies but also the whole AKP universe the media and a plenitude of AKP-affiliated organizations. The people who were just recently telling us about the great historic Turco-Kurdish peace who were calling everybody to emphasize with the guerrilla are now speaking about nothing but wiping out the terrorists. Similarly, the AKP pundits who sympathized with Leyla Zana, who was arrested in 1991 for being a pro-PKK politician, are now cheering for the arrest of Gultan Kisanak, the co-mayor of Diyarbakir, for again being a pro-PKK politician. Meanwhile, those who call for renewed peace talks with the PKK are condemned by the same AKP crowd for being traitors as they themselves were branded by the opposition parties during the peace process. People can even lose their jobs and find themselves prosecuted with a single pro-peace tweet, as Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a human rights activist, recently discovered. One problem here is that the latter-day AKP is really not a political party in the traditional sense of the word. It is simply an obedient army lined up behind President Erdogan. When Erdogan calls for peace, peace is venerated. When Erdogan vows to wipe out terrorism by all means necessary, hawkishness is venerated. Nobody looks back and wonders whether there is any consistency in the partys principles, values and goals. No one asks, God forbid, whether Erdogan could be wrong. The deeper problem is that by gradually taking over all institutions of the state, the AKP has turned into what it has targeted: a paranoid Leviathan that never finds any fault in itself, and that sees all problems around itself as heinous plots that need to be crushed. All of this is not to say that the PKK is not a real terrorist threat to Turkey it definitely is. And the Turkish government surely has the right to defend itself against the PKK or other terrorist groups. But in its first decade in power, anti-terrorism was not the only thing the AKP had in mind. It was also aware that the PKK has millions of sympathizers, that the state had to win their hearts and minds and that a political solution was the only way out. As faint as it was, this was the best hope Turkey ever had to solve the centurylong Kurdish question. Sadly, it is trashed today by none other than the very party that created it. October 31, 2016 Following the participation of a group of Palestinians in a holiday celebration at a nearby Jewish settlement, Palestinians have been asking themselves a simple question: Why would a population under occupation that bears the brunt of the settlement enterprise visit their occupiers? The event over the Jewish Sukkot holiday on Oct. 19 was widely covered by the media. Mayor of Efrat Oded Revivi told French news agency AFP that 30 Palestinians who live near the Jewish settlement accepted the invitation. Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday during which participants build a hut and pray for rain. Palestine and Israel suffer from a water shortage. The Washington Post reported in detail Oct. 20 what happened when Palestinians participated publicly in the holiday events at Efrat with gun-toting settlers and Israeli army officials. Once the story was made public, the Palestinian security service on Oct. 21 arrested four of the Palestinians who had attended the settlers event. Bethlehem Governor Muhammad Taha told Israeli Army Radio that the four were accused of behavior that encourages normalization with Israel, which according to the governor is a violation of Palestinian law. It is unclear, however, why these four Palestinians were arrested, but it seems they were among the leaders of the group that attended the event. Israeli media outlets reported that the Palestinian security service released the four on Oct. 23, as a result of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus criticism against international human rights organizations for being quiet about the arrests. The question that has been on peoples minds is why the group of Palestinians agreed to legitimize illegal settlers and soldiers who are living on expropriated Palestinian lands. Some have given the simple answer that this was a reflection of interests by people who have little choice; others tried to be more nuanced. Sami Awad, the head of the Bethlehem-based nongovernmental organization Holy Land Trust that promotes dialogue and tolerance, rejected the attempts to delegitimize the Palestinians who went to the settlement. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Awad explained that the visit reflects realpolitik rather than an unpatriotic act. I think the reason that some or many in these villages [in Area C] connect or dialogue with settlers is due to them experiencing a reality and struggle in their daily lives that the Palestinian Authority is not aware of or ignores, he said. Awad said that many of these Palestinians are suffering from the occupation on a daily basis, but that they do not see the Palestinian political establishment work toward any changes. He added, "The Palestinians who made the visit are taking things into their own hands knowing that the settlers are not leaving anytime soon. Ali Abu Hattab, a resident of the village of al-Khader, told Al-Monitor that the relationship is simply one between the strong and the weak, implying that the Palestinians who accepted the invitation to Efrat are the weak party and had little choice but to accept the invitation. Daoud Nassar, whose family has been fighting since 1991 to keep their lands from being expropriated and from being demolished, refused to accept these justifications. Nasser told Al-Monitor, Despite the fact that the situation is very difficult, it is important for people to hold on to hope and to not give up. Succumbing to desperation and giving in to them [settlers] is not the way forward for them [Palestinians] or for the future of the Palestinian cause." Nassars family runs a farm called the Tent of Nations outside of Bethlehem and not far from Efrat. Tent of Nations is celebrating its 100-year anniversary and is fighting in Israeli courts dozens of demolition orders against structures on their land and expropriation of their privately owned land that is slowly being surrounded by settlements. The public visit of Palestinians to a nearby long-established settlement should not be a surprise to anyone; in fact, the real surprise is that these kinds of visits havent happened until now. The international community has not been able to do anything to reverse the nearly 50 years of occupation and the colonial settlement enterprise that has come with it. The Palestinian government, which is in control of small areas of the West Bank (Area A), is completely impotent when it comes to defending Palestinians in Israeli-controlled Area C, which covers 60% of the West Bank and where all settlements are located. The harsh reaction by the Palestinian security service to the Palestinians Sukkot visit, however, is an indication of the weakening of the Palestinian government. Even if the vast majority of Palestinians are opposed to it, using security tactics against the Palestinian participants of the Sukkot event in Efrat indicates that the Palestinian governments grip on power is weakening. The complicated relationship that has evolved over decades requires a level-headed discussion and reaction, and not a militaristic one. The quick release of the four Palestinians is welcomed, but the arrest in the first place was not deemed necessary unless the Palestinian security service feels so insecure that they have no choice but to restore to such tactics. October 31, 2016 The failure of the latest cease-fire in Yemen suggests a long process of attrition is ahead. Neither side appears interested in a political settlement. The de facto partition of the country is increasingly likely. The 72-hour truce barely ended before Saudi and coalition airstrikes resumed on targets in the rebel-controlled cities in northern Yemen. The United Nations had said the truce was mostly holding, but the coalition charged that the Zaydi Houthis and loyalists of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh had violated it repeatedly. Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud and UAE Crown Prince Mohammad bin Zayed met during the cease-fire and apparently agreed to resume the war. Saudi-backed Prime Minister Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has rejected a United Nations road map for starting a political process. Hadi and the coalition remain committed to the 2015 UN Security Council resolution that demands Hadi's return to power in Sanaa and the rebels' disarmament. As long as that resolution remains the basis for negotiations, the war will go on. The rebels fired a Scud missile at Mecca, according to Saudi accounts, after the war resumed. This is the second alleged attempt by the rebels to hit Mecca that was intercepted by Saudi air defenses. The attacks on the holy city have been widely condemned in the region. The Houthis said their target was the airport at Jeddah, not Mecca. Missile attacks were a hallmark of Yemen's last civil war in 1994. The communist south fired Scud missiles acquired from Russia on Sanaa. The north bombed Aden. Saleh's victorious forces acquired the south's missiles and launchers when the south surrendered as well as considerable advanced arms paid for by the Saudis to help the southern secessionist movement. After the war, Saleh acquired more missiles and launchers. The Iranians are assisting the rebels with expertise and equipment. Oman reportedly is a significant smuggling route to evade the Saudi blockade. The Omanis refused to join the Saudi coalition at the start of the war. If arms are being smuggled through Oman's Dhofar province, it shows that much of southern Yemen is not under the firm control of the coalition forces. Muscat denies any involvement in arms smuggling. The Saudis have sought to oust Saleh from power in Yemen for over a quarter century. Riyadh was convinced in August 1990 that Saleh was conspiring with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to carve up the Arabian Peninsula between Iraq and Yemen and possibly with Jordanian King Hussein as well. The Saudis pushed President George H.W. Bush to cut aid to Yemen, and the Saudis deployed considerable forces on the Yemeni border during the liberation of Kuwait in Operation Desert Storm. After the war, the Saudis encouraged the southern separatist movement to rebel against Saleh. The Saudis encouraged Sunni tribes to defect with large financial promises. Saleh retained the support of the military and suppressed the rebellion, humiliating the House of Saud. President Bill Clinton kept America on the sidelines of the war. Aside from surviving in power, Saleh's major success was to unify north and South Yemen in 1990. It was a peaceful process. Now, 26 years later, Saleh has helped redivide the nation. He and the Houthis control most of the Zaydi-populated centers, and the coalition-backed government controls the Sunni centers. Yemen's life as a unified state is increasingly in jeopardy. President Barack Obama has wisely begun to distance the United States from the Saudi campaign. Washington has been more critical of airstrikes that hit civilian targets. But US assistance continues to keep the coalition forces operating. US logistical support and arms deliveries need to be adjusted to pressure the parties to accept a political process. A political solution will require both parties to make significant concessions. Hadi and his supporters need to accept that his government is too tainted to return to power. It should be replaced by an interim government. Saleh needs to recognize that he and his family are also too tainted to serve in government any longer. The Houthis need to withdraw from the capital to let an interim regime take charge. None of this is likely, so de facto partition may be the only realistic option for the foreseeable future. The international community should try to persuade the warring parties to adopt an open-ended cease-fire without conditions. Then a massive surge of humanitarian relief should begin. The international community can provide monitors to ensure that arms are not smuggled in during the truce. Yemen has gotten far too little attention from the world, understandably focused on Syria and Iraq, but that needs to end. November 1, 2016 The Cabinet decision to approve a small number of building permits for Palestinians residing in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank reminds me of the famous story about the rabbi who instructed a Jewish man with many children to bring his goat into the familys one-room home. When the crowding became unbearable, the rabbi instructed the man to take the goat out, and the man felt immense relief. The goat method did not, of course, solve the poor mans original problem. Israel has for years frozen virtually all construction in the Palestinian villages in the area under its full control (some 60% of the West Bank). No wonder the Jewish settlers there are turning the thawing of this freeze (part of Defense Minister Avigdor Libermans carrot-and-stick plan) into a major political scandal orchestrated by the HaBayit HaYehudi party and the Land of Israel lobby in the Knesset. In an Oct. 26 column for Al-Monitor, Ben Caspit described a second Liberman who, unlike the first, is rather pragmatic. Indeed, compared to the Liberman we know and his loud friends on the political right, the defense minister in his current state could be considered a moderate, reasonable man. The pro-reconciliation image he's projecting with the help of his carrot-and-stick plan (of rewarding peaceful Palestinian villages while punishing the villages of Palestinian assailants) might propel him toward the coveted office of prime minister. But 50 years of occupation have proven that this policy distances Israel from another coveted goal: ending the conflict with the Palestinians and ensuring Israels survival as a democratic state and the state of the Jewish people. Liberman did not invent this approach. The Roman poet Virgil wrote in his epic work The Aeneid, Spare the conquered, battle down the proud. Up until the last century, the carrot and the stick were tools used by colonial European states such as France, Belgium, Holland and Portugal to rule Africa. After years of apartheid the white rulers of South Africa understood that this method no longer works in modern times and enlightened societies, in which peoples right to self-determination is indisputable. Israel remains the only enlightened state to adhere to the belief that a system of reward and punishment can still be used to oppress national aspirations and enable rule over another people. The carrot-and-stick approach was first used in the Israeli-held territories, as the late Defense Minister Moshe Dayan called them at the time. Michael Sassar, the former spokesman of Israels military administration in the West Bank, wrote in his diary that Gen. Uzi Narkiss, who was then commander of the central front that includes the West Bank, told a French journalist, Of course the Arabs dont enjoy the Israeli occupation, but we dont care about that. Whats important to us is to achieve a reasonable, minimal extent of cooperation. We will not change the residents religion, culture or language, but we may change several aspects of their civilization. As an auxiliary tool of managing the occupation and an alternative to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) led by Yasser Arafat, Dayan established the village associations in the early 1970s under the leadership of former Jordanian minister Moustafa Dudin. These associations served as a channel of dialogue with the occupation authorities to improve the daily lives of the Palestinian population. The settlers feared that the associations, which recognized the 1967 borders and even expressed willingness to see a few settlers to live in a future Palestine, would become partners for a territorial compromise with Israel. On the other hand, the PLO objected to the associations for fear they would erode its standing as the sole representative of the Palestinian people. Rightly, Caspit gives credit for Libermans relative moderation to Coordinator of Israeli Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav (Poli) Mordechai, who believes that creating a new reality for the Palestinians and building hope on the ground are the keys to calm in the entire region. But Mordechai, like all his predecessors in the job, all the past heads of Israels civil administration in the territories and most commanders of the central front who served in recent decades, did not claim that a bigger stick and upgraded carrots could provide an alternative to the national aspirations of a people under occupation. All of them understood that the Palestinian desire is, first and foremost, to be an independent Palestine in the Middle East and not Libermans vision of a conquered Singapore. Liberman, like Netanyahu before him who coined the mantra If they give, they will get; if they dont give, they wont get, has not learned the lessons of two intifadas and the more recent wave of stabbing attacks: that the concept of an enlightened occupation has gone bankrupt. The first reason is that the Palestinian independence train left the station 23 years ago. One can try to throw a spanner into the works, but one cannot turn it back. The second reason is that the strong settlement establishment has a clear interest in thwarting the two-state solution and shrinking the Palestinians living space. Its representatives will do everything in their power to foil any effort to expand the presence of Palestinians in Area C. They refuse to even return to their rightful owners a baby carrot: the private lands they stole from Palestinians to build the illegal outpost of Amona despite a Supreme Court ruling two years ago ordering them to vacate the outpost. The settlers practice such intimidation against decision-makers that the Cabinet even kept secret its decision to grant the Palestinians a handful of building permits. Indeed, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not a partner for Libermans carrot-and-stick plan, nor for his idea of revoking the Israeli citizenship of residents of the Israeli Arab town of Umm Al-Fahm. But Liberman is highly unlikely to find other candidates to help him carry out this plan. On the other hand, Abbas is a partner for the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, while Liberman is a partner for irrelevant policy plans and new construction in the settlements. It should be noted that those who didnt want the village associations at the time got the PLO, and those who didnt want the PLO got Hamas in Gaza. Next in line is Islamic Jihad. They really are not partners for anything but eternal war. And that is exactly what Netanyahu promised us. November 1, 2016 TEHRAN, Iran He insults me. You are not on the same level as me! You are not my equal! Scream all you want from Iraq! It will not change anything! We will do what we want to do. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan uttered these words Oct. 11 when addressing Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, in the latest round of verbal sparring between the two neighbors. Turkey, which once had zero problems with its neighbors, today has strained relations with every single one of them. Having encountered numerous problems with former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Erdogan was supportive of Abadi's coming into office. Indeed, most observers were expecting that tensions between Iraq and Turkey would lessen when Maliki stepped down. However, it appears that Erdogan is determined to repeat the cycle of tension between Turkey and its neighbors as well as other regional actors. The state of Turkish relations with Syria, Armenia, Egypt, Russia, Iran and Iraq clearly demonstrates Ankaras confused foreign policy on Erdogans watch. The recent controversy over Turkeys military presence in Iraq while different from previous incidents in some aspects has one major aspect that is being repeated: It is a reminder of the role that Turkey has played in Syria. Ankara was one of the first capitals to seriously call on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down and was also one of the first countries that proposed military action against the Syrian government. Neither of these demands have materialized, thus forcing Ankara to adopt a more subdued policy. This raises the possibility that Turkeys new approach toward Iraq, and especially Mosul, is related to its defeat in Syria. Speaking in the city of Bursa on Oct. 23, Erdogan charged that Mosul has historically belonged to Turkey. These remarks come against the backdrop of past statements that Iraq is not capable of addressing the Mosul challenge on its own. This new Turkish approach has resulted in a rare case of political unity between the various factions in Iraq. From Abadi to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, all have condemned the Turkish presidents rhetoric. One key question is what Irans position toward Turkey is amid these developments. One high-ranking Iranian diplomat who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity said, Turkey could not achieve its objectives in Aleppo and now it is looking for the same thing in Iraq and Mosul. Naturally, however, Ankara will not get a better result in Iraq. The Turkish pro-government daily Dirilis Postasi argued Oct. 16 that Iran is conducting a massacre in Mosul, charging that Tehran has for two centuries created bloodshed in the Islamic world so that it can have access to the Mediterranean Sea. There was no accompanying explanation of when precisely Iran has hatched such plots, or any sources or pieces of evidence for the latter. Yet, the article can perhaps be seen as a sign of a new negative Turkish approach toward Iran. A review of recent developments in Iraq and Syria shows that Ankara has generally seen its efforts to play a role worth its standing in the region end in failure. Though Turkeys entry into the Iraqi and Syrian conflicts has received a lot of media attention, in the end, it has not resulted in any tangible Turkish gains and especially in the military sphere. Thus, the big picture appears to be that Erdogans new approach is the result of his dissatisfaction with the regional situation dissatisfaction that is the result of the approaches of both Abadi and the United States. Ultimately, this appears to have led Erdogan to decide to act autonomously and pursue his objectives in Iraq and Syria without waiting for the West. Al-Monitor spoke with Alireza Miryousefi, the head of the Middle Eastern Studies Group at the Foreign Ministrys think tank, the Institute for Political and International Studies. He said, Unfortunately, following the Arab Spring, Turkey made some miscalculations and adopted hasty positions. It has been dealing with the consequences of its mistakes for the past five years. Questioning the legitimacy of borders or talking about the necessity of a new Sykes-Picot Agreement are not considered constructive positions. The positive point here is that, similar to Iran, Turkey will also benefit the most from stability in the region. Therefore, Iran should definitely try to lessen the gap between different political approaches in the region with high-level diplomatic negotiations. In a live TV program Oct. 22, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim spoke about Turkey's continuously reaching out to Iran with the hope of finding a solution to the crises in Iraq and Syria. At the same time, there is no sign that Turkey is withdrawing from Syria, and it does not appear that Erdogan is planning to change course for now. What will Irans reaction then be if Turkey continues with its current approach? Will there be any attempts at mediating between Baghdad and Ankara? Speaking to the Iraqi Kurdish Rudaw news channel Oct. 30, Ali Akbar Velayati, the foreign policy adviser to the Iranian supreme leader, announced Tehrans preparedness to step in, saying, Iran is ready to mediate between Turkey and Iraq to prevent war. Meanwhile, a high-ranking source in the Iranian Foreign Ministry told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Iran is certainly interested in such a thing happening and it has made several attempts in this regard. However, the Turkish side is not interested as it believes that it can manage the issues in Mosul and Iraq through military force and the way it sees fit. However, not only does the Islamic Republic [of Iran] not believe in such a solution, but the realities of the region show that Turkeys planned approach is unrealistic. Former senior Iranian diplomat Nosratollah Tajik agrees, though he predicts more Turkish pragmatism in the end. Tajik, a former ambassador to Jordan, told Al-Monitor, Iran and Turkey have different objectives and approaches regarding Mosul. Turkey has historical claims about Mosul that make the situation more complicated, while it is in Irans interest to have the Iraqi government win the conflict in Mosul and destroy one of the main bases of Daesh [Islamic State]. Turkey will follow a destructive pattern, but in the end it will have to accept the new order although it is trying to allocate a bigger share for itself in the new order. November 1, 2016 Iranian politicians from across the spectrum have praised the election of a new president in Lebanon. The Lebanese parliament elected Michel Aoun Oct. 31, ending a more than two-year presidential vacuum in the country. In Tehran, the move was warmly welcomed. President Hassan Rouhani called Aoun and congratulated him on the victory. Iran is ready to expand diplomatic, economic and cultural ties with Lebanon, Rouhani told Aoun over the phone. Ali Akbar Velayati, the foreign policy adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dubbed Aouns victory as the triumph of the Resistance Axis. The Resistance Axis begins in Iran and continues to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine. He told the Iranian state broadcaster, Lebanon has a pivotal and strategic role in this axis. If Lebanon becomes victorious in resistance as has occurred previously then those who fight the resistance movement will face defeat. With this victory, those who are plotting against the Resistance Axis in Iraq and Syria will face defeat as well. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated the people of Lebanon on his Twitter page. Stability and progress assured when Lebanese themselves decide for Lebanon, Zarif posted on Twitter. Aoun, who was a leading anti-Syria figure during the 15-year Lebanese Civil War, has changed sides since 2006 and become a political ally of Hezbollah. He is a central figure in the Free Patriotic Movement party, which is the largest party among Lebanons Christian community. Due to Aouns political ties, some commentators suggest that his election will further diminish Saudi Arabias role in Lebanon. Iranian conservative daily Kayhan also hailed the new move in Lebanon. Kayhans Oct. 31 front-page headline read, The historic victory of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Kayhans lead editorial column was on the same topic. The election of Aoun showed that the resistance movement under the leadership of [Hezbollah leader] Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah is the main influential movement in solving Lebanons political deadlock, even though the movement has seriously attempted not to intervene in domestic political quarrels, wrote Saadollah Zarei. On the other end of the political spectrum in Iran, the Reformist daily Etemad on its front page published a commentary by the former Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, Massoud Edrisi. Democracy took place in Lebanon, and the figure who was more popular and had more votes has become president, said Edrisi. In Lebanon, the president has an important role in adjusting the countrys foreign affairs, he added, predicting that the new president would make resolving issues in diplomatic relations with international and regional powers a priority. According to Edrisi, France, the United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia are the countries that Aoun will likely attempt to strengthen relations with. I think Iranian-Lebanese political ties will be warming further in the coming days. Aoun is a powerful figure, and he can shape a balance regarding the influences of Iran and Saudi Arabia inside Lebanon. November 1, 2016 RAMALLAH, West Bank According to media outlets such as Donia al-Watan and France 24, Palestinian security sources announced on condition of anonymity that Palestinian security forces arrested a cell in the West Bank city of Nablus, without specifying the date. The cell was planning to assassinate three Fatah leaders in the city: member of the Palestinian Legislative Council Jamal Tirawi, secretary-general of Fatahs Revolutionary Council Amin Maqboul and member of the executive committee of the PLO Ghassan Shakaa. Although the arrest of the cell was revealed in the media, the security apparatus is still reserved about sharing details in regard to the cell, its members and its plans due to the ongoing investigations. Spokesperson for the security apparatus Adnan al-Damiri told Al-Monitor, What has been circulated in the media about the cell was not [officially] issued by the security institution and investigations are still ongoing. We cannot comment at the moment. Nablus Gov. Akram Rajoub reconfirmed the security apparatus stance and told Al-Monitor, The investigations are ongoing on all levels and revealing the details will only harm the investigation process and its desired results. There are several parties linked to the cell that we must uncover, and we must analyze the investigation data to avoid any mistakes. Rajoub said, Leaking the arrest of the cell to the media is not part of the work strategy of the security institution. The news was leaked by people who have personal agendas and interests. As a result, the security institution is facing a dangerous security leak that might be even more dangerous than the assassinations themselves. While Rajoub refused to implicate certain parties in the cells due to the ongoing investigations, he did not rule out this possibility. He said, We will announce the details of the investigation after it is complete. But I do not think this cell was the making of an individual and a spontaneous initiative. Armed men had fired at Shakaas house in Nablus on July 1. No injuries were reported, and the general intelligence announced July 24 the arrest of the perpetrators who admitted to committing the crime, according to the Palestinian intelligence that did not give any further details about them. Shakaa, Tirawi and Maqboul are prominent Fatah figures in Nablus, whose differences outweigh their similarities. Maqboul is close to President Mahmoud Abbas and he is the secretary-general of Fatahs Revolutionary Council; Shakaa had challenged Fatah in 2012 when he insisted on nominating himself for the Nablus municipal elections, despite the party refusing the nomination. Fatah's Anti-Delinquency Committee accused Tirawi, who hails from the Balata refugee camp, of delinquency and of being a supporter of dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan. Thus, it seems the arrest of the cell is a complicated matter and more details are needed before unveiling the issue further. Tirawi, who was among those targeted in the assassination plot, told Al-Monitor, The cell that was arrested consists of four people three of whom are part of the security apparatus and the fourth is a civilian. One of the officers is a major and the other is a brigadier general. Three were arrested, while the cell leader who is a major is still at large, and search operations to find him are ongoing. Tirawi added, The general intelligence arrested the cell and investigated with its members. Then, they [the members] were referred to the general joint security committee formed of all security institutions [which include the police, the intelligence and the preventive security], and they were transferred to the military intelligence prison in Jericho. Regarding the motives of the cell and whether a certain mastermind party was supporting it, Tirawi said, The fourth culprit who is still at large can answer these questions, since he spearheaded the cell. He added, If he is arrested, the security apparatus will have all the information and we will know then who the mastermind of the cell is. The members who were arrested said they had received orders from the cell leader who ran away. The presence of the cell was revealed amid major security tension in Nablus ongoing since Aug. 18 with the onset of a security campaign in the city. Sporadic armed clashes took place between the security officers and armed men in the old town. Five people were killed, mainly Fatah leader Ahmed Abu al-Ezz Halawa on Aug. 23, and a wave of protests and clashes between the citizens and the security forces followed. Rajoub said, Regardless of the identity of the cell members be they security officers or not this is a complicated and thorny issue that necessitates accuracy and caution in issuing statements. He added, Unveiling the cell proves that civil peace and stability are targeted in Palestinian society, but this does not necessarily mean that the cell is connected to the past events in Nablus. He added, Revealing the cell identity and the outcome of the security institutions investigations will entrench the security activity and enhance general stability. Uncovering a cell that planned to execute assassinations has posed many questions about the dimensions and repercussions on the Palestinian arena. Tirawi said that using the logic of blood and assassination to solve domestic issues is dangerous and entrenches the crises and conflicts within Fatah, especially since those targeted in the assassination are Fatah leaders. Tirawi added, If the scheme had succeeded, it would have been a national catastrophe, because each one of the targeted individuals has their national, political and organizational influence, and would have thrown society in a long-lasting bloodbath. Maqboul told Al-Monitor, Some people are trying to stir tension in Palestinian cities, mess with civil peace and distract the Palestinian Authority with domestic issues, thus affecting its follow-up of national and political issues and its confrontation with Israel. Maqboul asserted that the acts targeting civil peace either through assassinations or other steps aim at stirring strife in the Palestinian arena, and nobody will benefit from this except Israel and its agents. Leaking the arrest of a cell that planned political assassinations against Fatah leaders will only increase the internal tensions in the West Bank. It is a worrying indicator of the Palestinian future in case of a political or security vacuum, even if the cell seems unrelated to the escalating tensions resulting from the internal Fatah rift between the movements leader and dismissed leader Dahlan and their supporters. These tensions reached their peak when a meeting held by some Fatah members in Amari camp near Ramallah Oct. 26 was dispersed, resulting in Abbas dismissing leader Jihad Tummaleh. Seventeen other names of Fatah leaders were submitted to Abbas for dismissal. November 1, 2016 Turkeys already bleak chances of becoming a full member of the European Union dimmed further today after the countrys prime minister, Binali Yildirim, announced plans to reintroduce the death penalty. Yildirim said a limited measure to bring back capital punishment could be drafted if a political deal with the opposition parties could be struck. Turkeys most notorious political detainee, Kurdistan Workers Party leader Abdullah Ocalan, will be relieved to learn that if adopted, the measure would not be applied retroactively. Ocalan was sentenced to death for treason in 1999. His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after Turkey scrapped the death penalty except for in times of war. When President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP) catapulted to power in 2002, the death penalty was abolished altogether in line with the governments then-determined push to open full membership talks with the EU. In recent months, Erdogan has repeatedly hinted that he would approve a bill to revive capital punishment and finally saying, If such a bill comes before me I will sign it. It remains uncertain why Erdogan wants to bring back the death penalty when the EU has made it clear that doing so would kill Turkeys chances of ever joining the union. This loss, in turn, could have a profoundly negative impact on Turkey's economy, driving away foreign investors who are already spooked by mounting political stability, terrorist violence and a lack of transparency and rule of law. One theory is that the plans are intended to intimidate Erdogans critics. Another is that its meant to lure the opposition far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), whose support in the parliament may prove critical for Erdogans other big plan: to amend the constitution to allow him to become an executive president. Any such bill, packaged with the revival of the death penalty, which the MHP is believed to be largely in favor of, may prove difficult to resist. It would certainly make it easier for the MHP's Chairman Devlet Bahceli, who fought off a leadership challenge earlier this year, to sell the idea of formalizing Erdogans grip over all the levers of power to his party base. Bahceli made his intentions clear today, saying, Since there is a need for capital punishment, bring your proposals and lets show these traitors how small the world is to them. Any constitutional change requires the support of at least 367 members of the 550-seat assembly. The AKP has 317 and the MHP has 40, leaving it short of an absolute majority but still enough to bring the proposal to a referendum. A recent privately conducted opinion poll suggests that Erdogan would win a referendum on an executive presidency, even though most Turks prefer to stick with a parliamentary system. The same poll, which was not intended for publication and shared with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, also revealed that the massive purges and arrests in the wake of the July coup attempt have not dented Erdogans popularity. If anything, it has surged with around 54% of those polled saying they approve of his leadership style. November 1, 2016 Tension between the West Bank refugee camps and the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) security services has been escalating since Oct. 21, particularly in the Balata, Jenin and al-Amari camps. There are several reasons behind the armed clashes that have been occurring in the West Bank camps over the past 10 days. The Palestinian security services have been pursuing individuals wanted in connection to crimes, and they broke up a meeting of Fatah leaders opposed to President Mahmoud Abbas, most notably Tafa al-Bass, held at al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah on Oct. 22. On the same day, Palestinian news agency al-Quds quoted an anonymous security source as telling the Wafa agency that the dispersal of the meeting followed political instructions from the PA, which believes that Palestinian parties with agendas serving foreign interests were behind it. The sources added the meeting was illegal because it did not get the permit needed to hold it, and the security services could not allow this threat to the rule of law. Clashes erupt every time the Palestinian security forces break into the camps for security operations. The most recent confrontation occurred in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus on Oct. 21. The violence in the West Bank, including clashes that erupted in June in Nablus, have demonstrated the PAs inability to control the internal security situation and stem the rise of armed militants. Fatah leader and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Tayseer Nasrallah told Al-Monitor, The security services' practices in dealing with illegal acts is not working well with Palestinians. The security campaigns in refugee camps should stop, and so should the collective punishment of Palestinians. However, the armed clashes are connected to Fatahs upcoming general conference to be held at the end of November. Each group within Fatah wants to impose its own agenda and elect or appoint the Fatah leaders they prefer. The closer Fatahs seventh conference gets, the more armed clashes between Palestinians intensify, even within Fatah itself. Palestinian political figures called on the PA to act wisely and end the security operations in refugee camps. On Oct. 29, PLC member for Fatah Najat Abu Bakr objected to security services storming into camps and called on forming an arbitration committee to solve the internal Palestinian conflicts. On Oct. 26, member of Fatahs Central Committee and former commander of the Preventive Security Service in the West Bank Maj. Gen. Jibril Rajoub criticized the security services for tightening their grip on the camps and accused some Palestinian security chiefs of crimes against their own people. One of the reasons behind the clashes in the West Bank is the conflict between Abbas and his arch rival Mohammed Dahlan, the Fatah leader who Abbas dismissed in 2011 on charges of financial corruption. Today, Dahlan wields increasing influence in the West Bank and provides funds and weapons for his supporters in the West Bank in the hope of destabilizing Abbas rule there. Palestinian political analyst Hisham Sharabati told Al-Monitor, The clashes in the West Bank reflect how intense the conflict between Abbas and Dahlan has become. The conflict between these two leaders currents recently turned into armed clashes between gunmen and security services in the West Banks refugee camps, resulting in the arrest of every person who criticizes Abbas with charges of supporting Dahlan. This is why the upcoming days will bring an escalating tone of disobedience to the PA and its services in the West Bank areas that Dahlan was able to breach. There will be an arrest campaign to contain the wave of rebellion against the PA and its services. The repercussions of the armed clashes in the West Bank may deepen the internal Palestinian division, which will hurt the stability of Palestinian society even if the PA is able to ensure partial stability in some troubled areas by arresting gunmen or seizing weapons in some refugee camps. Nayef Rajoub, the former minister of endowments and religious affairs and a PLC member from Hamas, told Al-Monitor, The bloody clashes between Palestinians in the West Bank will negatively affect the Palestinian cause. The current situation in the camps is shameful, regardless of its political background. This threatens the Palestinian cause at this critical stage and shows how Israel is benefitting from the internal Palestinian conflicts while it continues to add fuel to the fire. The armed clashes in the West Bank coincided with the Israeli military's statement Oct. 28 announcing the formation of a team to prepare for the possible collapse of Abbas rule or an armed confrontation over the PA presidency. The clashes have reached al-Amari refugee camp in Ramallah, the PA's capital, where its central security services are stationed. The PA could view this as crossing the line and a violation of the security barriers that have protected Abbas since the beginning of his rule in 2005. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace stated on Oct. 20 that the conflict between Dahlan and Abbas could develop into open field confrontations, especially in the West Bank. A Palestinian security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, Palestinians fear that clashes in the West Bank will escalate because Abbas has a list of 17 Fatah leaders he could dismiss for opposing him and getting closer to Dahlan, such as Shami al-Shami, Jamal Tirawi, Dimitri Diliani, Haytham al-Halabi and Issa Abu Aram. The Hamas-affiliated al-Resalah newspaper reported Oct. 28 that the PA has been trying to keep the situation in the West Bank camps quiet and has warned Palestinian media outlets against covering it, saying the incidents have been minor and isolated. Yousef Rizqa, Hamas' former minister of information, told Al-Monitor, The armed clashes in the West Bank reflect the intense dispute between Abbas and Dahlan on the cusp of Fatahs seventh conference. The conflict between the two has skyrocketed after Abbas started fearing Dahlans influence spreading in the PAs own territory in the West Bank. Dahlan has a lot of money and his supporters have been roaming and meeting in several cities, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank. The situation in the West Bank has perhaps become even more dangerous on Oct. 24, after the Palestinian security services revealed the arrest of a cell in Nablus that had planned to assassinate prominent Fatah leaders, including Ghassan Shaka, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, as well as Fatah PLC member Tiwari and Fatahs Revolutionary Council Secretary Amin Maqboul. All this means an unprecedentedly violent security escalation could be underway between the PAs disputing currents. Alabama Explosion This photo provided by the Alabama Forestry Commission shows a fire caused by an explosion along the Colonial Pipeline in Shelby County, Ala., Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. Right now the two wildfires cause by the explosion have been contained at a total of 31 acres. (Phil Montgomery/Alabama Forestry Commission via AP) (Phil Montgomery) A gas line explosion in Shelby County on Monday has already affected gasoline prices on the East Coast. Just hours after the explosion happened 3 p.m. Monday on Grey Hill Road near River Road off Highway 13, Bloomberg reported a 60 percent rise in New York's premium to crude prices. December-delivery gasoline rose as much as 15 percent. Prices will likely continue to rise in the following days, experts said, and shortages are a possibility. Patrick DeHaan of price tracking site GasBuddy.com said the market is "clearly in a panic" over the Colonial explosion, with gas prices likely to rise soon in the affected areas. In September, a spill along the Colonial pipeline sent gas prices higher for a brief period of time. Shortages were reported in some areas. As during the spill, DeHaan urged motorists not to rush to the pump. The interruption "could be worse" than the September pipeline spill and the latest disruption could lead to "significant shortages," DeHaan said. Nationally, the current gas price is $2.20 per gallon, a drop of about 2 cents over last week. The pipeline is owned by Colonial Pipeline Co, which carries refined products from Houston to the New York Harbor. The explosion occurred while eight or nine contractors were trying to flush one of the pipes. According to reports, seven people have been severely burned. Multiple fire departments, law enforcement agencies and the Alabama Forestry Commission assisted with the blaze. According to AFC, the fire burned 31 acres before it was contained. Here are the current average gas prices across Alabama, according to AAA. Mel Gibson's new World War II film, "Hacksaw Ridge," bills itself as the story of the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for his exploits during the Battle of Okinawa. But to hear the people who knew Desmond Doss tell the story, that's not how he would have identified himself. "He said he wasn't a conscientious objector, but a conscientious collaborator," said Doss' stepson, Mike Duman. The strange and inspiring story of Doss ended, in some ways, here in Piedmont, where memorials and memories still persist of the medic who doggedly treated 75 wounded men and carried them to safety, one at a time. But that story is being recounted in the new film which premieres Friday, starring Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn. On Alabama 9, just north of town, is Piedmont Seventh Day Adventist Church, sitting on Desmond T. Doss Drive. Its pastor, Rick Blythe, and his wife Ginger, tell stories of Doss as a devout man who attended regularly into his late 80s. Doss sat in the front row and used a magnifying glass to read his Bible during services while his wife took notes for him. Blythe, a former Navy man, knew of Doss' career through the book, "The Unlikeliest Hero," which he read in the 1970s. Yet he had no idea he would one day be preaching to him. "What an honor it was to be his last pastor," Blythe said, his voice breaking in memory. "He was the most humble man I ever met in my life. He said, 'I have no intent on drawing attention to myself. If I can use my life to draw attention to my Lord, I have no apologies." Doss was a native of Lynchburg, Va. and a Seventh Day Adventist, meaning he practiced the Sabbath on Saturday. He also objected to carrying a weapon but enlisted in 1942, volunteering to serve as a medic. "Hacksaw Ridge," which stars Andrew Garfield, tells the story by recounting how Doss, as a child, was fascinated by a print with the words of the Lord's Prayer surrounded by the 10 Commandments. One aspect of the print depicts the story of Cain and Abel. The image, still owned by Duman, stuck in Doss' memory and inspired his stand not to take life or undergo rifle training. Doss was nearly court-martialed for this, but went on to serve with distinction in Guam and the Philippines, earning the Bronze Star twice before his unit was shipped to Okinawa for one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific Theater. Over a three-week period, Doss was involved in the assault on the Maeda Escarpment, which required soldiers to climb 50-feet of rigging to engage the Japanese. According to his Medal of Honor citation, Doss "refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands." At times Doss prayed that he could "get one more." Over the next few days, he repeatedly subjected himself to fire and, at one point while wounded, crawled off a liter to treat another wounded man and insisted he be treated first. When a sniper struck him in the arm, he bound a rifle stock to his arm as a splint and crawled 300 yards to the aid station, acting "with magnificent fortitude," his citation stated. Duman said Doss would tell his story, not as an indication of any personal bravery, but as a testimony for what he felt God had helped him accomplish. Still, this gave him an unmistakable "aura," even for his stepson. "All he tried to do was save life," he said. "He had a clear conscience." Duman, who has seen "Hacksaw Ridge," said he feels the film does justice to the story and was impressed with the producers' commitment to accuracy. Doss spent more than five years in hospitals after the war, suffering from his wounds and a case of tuberculosis, which required the removal of a lung. In addition, he was given an overdose of penicillin which took most of his hearing. Yet Doss continued to tell his story, recounting it for the Pathfinders organization for young people in the Seventh Day Adventist Church, as well as in documentaries. After the death of his wife Dorothy in 1991, Doss married his second wife Frances and relocated to Piedmont. There, he gave money to establish the church. As Blythe recounted, it was built in six weeks' time so Doss could attend its dedication ceremony, only days before he died in 2006. That sanctuary, though, was destroyed in 2011 during a tornado. The church has since rebuilt. A photo of Doss still hangs in a hallway there, wearing his uniform, saluting in front of an American flag. "What he did," Duman said, straining for words, "was humanly crazy." Kentucky vs. Auburn Baseball Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler awaits an appearance by Gov. Robert Bentley to question him under oath in his office about use of state funds Monday, May 2, 2016, at the Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com) (JULIE BENNETT) State Auditor Jim Zeigler wants Attorney General Luther Strange to weigh in on whether Gov. Robert Bentley can meet privately with a legislative committee that is investigating impeachment charges against the governor. Zeigler, a frequent critic of the governor, requested an attorney general's opinion on whether the closed-door meeting Bentley wants would violate the state's Open Meetings Act. Last week, Bentley wrote members of the House Judiciary Committee and invited them to a meeting in his office on Nov. 10. In the letter, Bentley wrote that he would brief committee members on his almost six years as governor and would try to answer all their questions. Bentley also set ground rules for the meeting. His said his lawyers would not be there and he would not invite Judiciary Committee special counsel Jack Sharman, who was hired to investigate the impeachment allegations. Bentley asked that no recording devices be brought into the meeting. "It is my intention to have an open and frank discussion with you and your colleagues," Bentley said in the letter. Bentley's request for the private meeting came after the Judiciary Committee sent a formal demand to Bentley for the governor to give testimony under oath to Sharman. Several Bentley staffers also received demands for testimony under oath with Sharman. Ross Garber, an attorney hired to represent the governor's office in the impeachment case, said the demands for sworn testimony in Sharman's office were unconstitutional. The Open Meetings Act requires public bodies, like the Judiciary Committee, to notify the public of their meetings and to allow the public to attend. The law allows certain exceptions. In his letter to committee members, Bentley said the meeting he wants would fit under one of those exceptions -- a meeting with state or federal officials "for the purpose of reporting or obtaining information or seeking support for issues of importance" to the committee. Zeigler said Bentley is trying to use a "loophole" that doesn't fit. "The purpose of the Bentley meeting is to receive testimony in a legal proceeding, an impeachment investigation," Zeigler wrote in his request to Strange. "That testimony and impeachment investigation are materially different than just receiving a report from an official." Twenty-three House members signed an impeachment resolution in April accusing Bentley of willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The Judiciary Committee is trying to determine whether the allegations have merit. The impeachment resolution came after former Alabama Law Enforcement Secretary Spencer Collier, whom Bentley fired, accused the governor of having an affair with his political adviser and of interfering with a law enforcement matter. Bentley admitted to inappropriate behavior with former advisor Rebekah Mason, but they denied having an affair. Bentley maintains he has broken no laws and done nothing that would justify removal from office. Bentley said he fired Collier because an internal ALEA investigation found possible misspending of state dollars. An investigation by a special grand jury cleared Collier. The Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to Bentley and the governor's office seeking vast amounts of documents. Bentley's lawyers have given Sharman's office thousands of pages of documents in what they say is an effort to be cooperative. But they say the Judiciary Committee does not have subpoena power. Sharman has said the governor's office has not been cooperative. Garber, the attorney for the governor's office, said the governor is not receiving due process, partly because the allegations are so vague that he can't defend himself. The Alabama House has not considered impeachment of a public official since 1915. That has resulted in uncertainty and disagreement about the process, such as whether the committee has subpoena power. Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has declined comment about Bentley's request for a private meeting. Zeigler's criticism of Bentley is not new. Zeigler has filed an ethics complaint and lawsuits against the governor and has tried, unsuccessfully, to question the governor under oath. FeleciaLucky2.jpg Felecia Lucky wasn't supposed to come back. Not to the poverty, oppression and hopelessness that surrounded her growing up in Livingston, Alabama, the heart of the handful of counties we call the Black Belt, and in a city where 55% of the residents are living below the poverty line--more than double the state rate. Nope, not coming back. She ventured first to college at Tuskegee, not too far away, and majored in accounting, all part of a plan designed to propel her towards a more distant vision: running a Fortune 500 company and "making lots of money." No, nope. She was not coming back. Of course, the best-laid plans of youth are often re-scripted, and as Lucky moved farther and farther from home, gaining new, enlightening experiences and insights along the way, she realized that it all lead her right back to where, perhaps, she was supposed to be. She worked at corporations in Minneapolis, Chicago and Memphis, then returned to Alabama in 1995 and now serves as president of the 12-year-old Black Belt Community Foundation, which seeks to address and maybe even eradicate the kind of poverty, oppression and hopelessness she left behind by attracting financial support to the region, then supporting and coordinating uplifting, grass-roots efforts to improve the lives of residents across 12 counties. For her efforts and the successes of the BBCF, Lucky is being celebrated as one of Birmingham magazine's 2016 Women Who Shape the State. "It took me going away to appreciate coming back," she told me recently. "Having the opportunity now to expose so many to a new message about how we can work together to change life in the Black Belt, well, I would not have it any other way." That new message, Lucky admits, isn't always easy to convey because it's inspired by the broader experiences she enjoyed while away from Alabama, experiences most Black Belt residents have not likely had. "It's a tough message because it's dealing with a mindset," she says. "If all you know is Selma then Selma becomes the gauge by which you measure everything else. But once you find something that is bigger than Selma then your measuring tools are bigger than before. "We're trying to change the measurement tools." "We talk about not just asking for a handout but a hand up," she adds. "We work to strengthen and empower residents of our communities with this message so they can be change agents for their own community." Lucky knows she now sounds a lot like her father, which is as ironic as her living and working in Alabama. Wendell Paris was (still is, frankly) the quintessential community organizer. He used to drag Felecia and her younger brother (there are two older brothers, as well) to meetings while leading and coordinating voter drives, protests, any and all efforts to eradicate discrimination and ignite real change in Livingston and elsewhere in the Black Belt. Wendell went about his work with a "huge amount of ferociousness," says Lucky. "But I said I would never do that. I was like, 'Bump this, I'm going to make me some money.'" Lucky's mother, Almeta Larkin, is a retired educator who stems from a long line of educators, including Lucky's grandmother, whom, she says, "left a strong legacy for her children and grandchildren." Indeed, each of Wendell and Almeta's four children has at least earned a Master's degree; one is working on obtaining a Ph.D. Wendell, too, has laid a broad path for the children. He also attended Tuskegee, where he helped pay for room and board by working on construction crews that built some campus structures that still stand today. He was also an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of the most vital organizations during the height of the civil rights movement. Lucky once found herself in New Mexico for a meeting that required her to submit a bio that asked for the names of her mother and father. "A well-known attorney who had seen the bios came into the room and said, 'Where's the daughter of Wendell Paris?!'," she says. "They had worked together many years ago and he had the most amazing things to say about him. Almost everywhere I go, someone either knows him or has met him. "I would never have thought that, with him being from being such a small place. It made me realize changing the world can start with small but steady victories." The BBCF invests its efforts in four areas: education, the arts, health care and economic development. Launched in 2015, the Black Belt Believe and Achieve initiative seeks to impact the Black Belt's monumental deficiencies in K-12 education, ranging from improving school buildings to ensuring even the most rural areas of the region have the resources needed to provide a quality education. This summer, the Foundation partnered with the SAIL (Summer Adventures in Learning) Collaborative to pilot a program promoting the value of continued learning during the break between school years. "It helps close the learning gap in a lot of communities," says Lucky. In collaboration with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, a partnership in place since 2005, the BBCF promotes broader exposure to the arts and has invested $2 million to support numerous arts festivals, bring artists to the Black Belt, and enable efforts by museums in the Black Belt--such as the Safe House Museum in Greensboro, which was utilized by Dr. Mr. Luther King escape the Ku Klux Klan--to take advantage of the benefits of being aligned national museum associations "Most residents only get to see a museum if they're lucky enough to go to Birmingham and have the resources to do so," says Lucky. In health care, the group helped fund a grant, along with the University of Alabama's Institute for Rural Health Research, to conduct a research study that will allow the community to co-own the findings rather than simply being the subjects of research ultimately owned by others. "That's a big plus for the community," Lucky says. "Usually researchers get all the data from our communities, strip it from us and use it to bring in [grant] dollars, and the community never sees any of the money." The final tent-pole, Lucky says may be "part of the saving grace for the Black Belt", just as it would be for any community long deprived of the kind of jobs that may have kept her in Alabama in the first place. "We've got to make huge investments in entrepreneurs," she says. That means not only challenging schools across the Black Belt to produce students who are optimally prepared for careers in all fields, but also ensuring there are careers waiting for them, as well as resources to support launching small businesses. "Everyone's waiting for the nest Mercedes-Benz to come to town, well, there's only so many of those," she says. "We will recruit some industries, but the greatest growth will come from investing in entrepreneurism." Beyond those worthy efforts and goals, Lucky gains perhaps her most gainful satisfaction from helping Black Belt residents simply feel better about being a part of the Black Belt rather than diminished by its deficiencies and challenges. She spoke of a project called Black Belt 100 Lenses, which put cameras in the hands of students across the region and asked them to capture images of that the Black belt means to them: "I saw a young girl from Sumter County who when she started wouldn't say exactly where she was from," Lucky recalls. "But by the end of the project, she was saying 'I'm from Sumter!' I saw her say it with pride because she was finally seeing that her community has a lot to offer." Maybe so much to offer that one day, she just might choose to stay. The Women Who Shape the State luncheon, presented by Von Maur, will take place Nov. 3 at the Wynfrey Hotel-Hyatt. Tickets and additional details are available at alabamamediagroup.com. Peter Valenti, deputy fire chief for the city of Helena, was one of the first emergency personnel to arrive on the scene of an Alabama gasoline pipeline explosion Monday, and when he got there, he was greeted by what he called a "geyser" of burning gasoline shooting possibly hundreds of feet into the air. "It looked like Old Faithful with smoke and fire," Valenti said. The explosion occurred sometime between 2 and 3 p.m. Monday, killing one subcontractor who was working on the pipeline and injuring several others. As of Tuesday, four workers remained hospitalized and three had been treated and released. All personnel are now accounted for, said Colonial Pipeline, the line's operator. There are different estimates from those who were there about how high the flames reached, but Valenti said during a press conference Tuesday at Helena City Hall that it seemed like 300 feet. Pelham Fire Chief Danny Ray had a slightly more conservative estimate of 100 feet, but either way, Ray said the initial descriptions of a 50-foot column of fire were significantly underestimating the situation. Valenti said the damage on the pipeline appeared to be a single puncture rather than a full breach, but with the pipeline running full bore at the time of the accident, that single puncture was enough to cause a massive explosion that was still burning, within a contained area, 24 hours later. Colonial Pipeline spokesman Bill Berry said the company estimated about 4,000 barrels, or 168,000 gallons, of refined gasoline was lost during the explosion, either to the fire or to evaporation. "At that point, we knew the fire was contained except for the brush fires, once we knew that we had seven, maybe nine victims, our concentration was just on trying to find them," Valenti said. "You had all these departments responding and trying to coordinate everything and look for these victims at the same time. It was really chaotic." Valenti said it took about two hours before they determined the necessary medical evacuations had been made. "We heard one of the victims may have gone to the hospital in their own car, and one had gone to a nearby house," Valenti said. "The guys on the scene were just so distraught they really couldn't give us good answers." Valenti said the response crews stayed about 200 feet back from the fire, on the other side of a hill which provided some shielding from the intense heat and flames. The feeling of loss was tangible at the Tuesday press conference, with Colonial Pipeline's incident commander Gerald Beck visibly shaken as he recalled getting notification of significant injuries to the workers. "I've been working for Colonial for 38 years, and the contractors that we have are like family," Beck said "And the first report I had was that we had people that were critically hurt, sent to the hospital." Beck paused slightly to catch his emotions. "Nobody at Colonial and none of our contractors want to ever hear that," he said. "You never want to go through that. We spend a lot of time money and effort to make sure that never happens. So when you ask me what I felt. I felt bad. I still feel bad. "It doesn't stop me from doing what I have to do going forward, but this is something that is not a routine thing for us. It's a tragic accident. I don't know what caused it, and like [Berry] said, we're going to learn from it and figure out how to keep it from happening again." The injured workers are employees of L.E. Bell Construction company, which was excavating Colonial's Line 1 in order to make permanent repairs to the line due to a leak discovered Sept. 9 that that spilled an estimated 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline. Colonial has used the subcontractors for years doing similar jobs, and said the crew was properly trained and equipped to handle the task. Berry said the pipeline was shut down immediately after they received notification of the fire at 2:55 p.m. Cahaba Riverkeeper David Butler said the explosion site was about one mile from the Cahaba River and about half a mile from Shades Creek. He said the group is conducting water sampling, but so far there is no indication that the products have reached the river or creek. Containment and absorbent boom has been deployed on the creek and the river as a precaution, he said. The Alabama gasoline pipeline explosion that left one worker dead Monday and another four hospitalized was "related" to ongoing efforts to repair the damage from a nearby catastrophic line break last month. A representative of Colonial Pipeline - the company that owns the pipeline that runs from Texas to New York and New Jersey -provided AL.com with new information Tuesday about the circumstances of the explosion and the events and conditions that allowed it to happen. 'Indirectly related' Colonial spokesman David York explained that the work going on at the site in Shelby County on Monday "was related in an indirect way" to the September leak that led to gas shortages and price hikes along the Eastern Seaboard. He said that the company was "excavating the pipe to do some work to help facilitate the installation of new pipe to where the leak actually took place." After the pipeline leak last month, Colonial installed a bypass to go around the break site, allowing the line to come back online after days of gas delivery disruption. "The work that was going on yesterday was in preparation for the permanent installation of the new pipeline in the leak site area," York said via phone "The bypass was only temporary. This was facilitating - this was some type of work that was going to help at some point in time in the next few weeks to put the new pipe in place. The work was going on outside of the bypass area, about five or five-and-a-half miles away. It's indirectly related to the leak site." Asked whether there were exacerbating issues with the line that contributed to the explosion, such as corrosion or age-related wear, York said, "[w]e just don't know at this point. We don't think so but we cannot say so right now. Something happened with the crew that was next to the pipeline. We just don't know what it was right now." The 'fire triangle' Colonial has yet to be able to access the site of the explosion, but York was able to discuss some details of what may have taken place there. "We still can't get to the site. We're getting closer to the site because the fire is burning itself out," he said. "We won't know [what exactly happened] until the fire's completely exhausted itself and we can get to the site." But he said that a combination of factors sometimes referred to as the "fire triangle" is necessary for any such explosion to take place. "What happens with these things - especially when you have a release of gasoline because it's more volatile - it's the right mix of the fuel, the oxygen level and then the ignition source," he said. "You had all three come together in this event here." But he added that beyond a basic understanding of what typically leads to gas line explosions, the company does not "know yet what caused this incident," though a full investigation is underway. "There was an ignition source. We don't know what that was and we will not know that until we conclude our investigation," he said. "It could have been a spark form a piece of excavation equipment or from a pickup truck nearby. We will be looking that in our investigation in the coming days." 'A devastating event' York also cleared up some confusion about the number of people who were harmed in the explosion. Nine people were working on the crew that was impacted by the blast Monday. Eight of them were employed by Heflin's L.E. Bell Construction and the ninth worked for another company that York did not have the name of. One man was killed in the blast and his body was recovered at the explosion site this morning, he said. "Four people were hospitalized. No names are being released at this time," York said. It does appear that there were a few people who were not impacted at all and those people are likely being interviewed by local authorities at this time." While the details of what happened in Shelby County on Monday are of high priority to Colonial, York said that the first order of business Tuesday was caring for the people who were injured at the blast site, as well as their families and that of the man who was killed. "Our focus right now is the care and comfort of the injured and the family of the gentleman who died in this event," he said. "It a devastating event, not only for the company, but also for those families, and we've got to jointly get through that." Leanna Taylor,Maddox Kilgore Leanna Taylor listens to a question from defense attorney Maddox Kilgore during a murder trial for her ex-husband Justin Ross Harris who is accused of intentionally killing their son in June 2014 by leaving him in a hot car in suburban Atlanta, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Brunswick, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, Pool) (John Bazemore) A day after she defended her former husband as a loving father, the ex-wife of a Georgia man charged with leaving their toddler son to die in a hot SUV bitterly told a jury Tuesday: "He destroyed my life." Justin Ross Harris, 35, is charged with murder in the June 2014 death of his 22-month-old son, Cooper. His defense attorneys say Harris accidentally left the boy in his SUV outside his workplace after forgetting to drop him off at day care. Prosecutors say he killed the child on purpose. Leanna Taylor, who divorced Harris in March after eight years of marriage, took the witness stand in his defense Monday. She walked the jury through a series of family photos and video clips cute enough to make some jurors laugh out loud. She said Harris would not have left their son to die intentionally. But Taylor spoke of her former husband in much harsher terms Tuesday after prosecutors questioned how well she really knew him. Evidence in the trial has shown Harris, not long before his son's death, met a prostitute for sex. He went online seeking sexual encounters with men and women. The day Cooper died, Harris was swapping sexual text messages with a 17-year-old girl, asking for a photo of her breasts. "Basically you had no idea how his behavior was escalating over the years," prosecutor Chuck Boring said. Taylor broke down. She had previously said sexual problems plagued her marriage to Harris and they sought counseling years earlier after he confessed to frequently viewing pornography. Taylor said she hadn't known until after their son's death that Harris was having physical affairs. "He ruined my life. He destroyed my life," Taylor said before leaving the witness stand in tears. "I'm humiliated. I may never trust anyone again the way that I did. If I never see him again in my life, that's fine." That testimony contrasted sharply with the image of a playful father and family man Taylor presented under questioning from Harris' defense attorneys on Monday. Even Harris grinned from his seat at the defense table as defense attorney Maddox Kilgore played video clips of Harris trying to teach his son to say "banana" and letting the toddler strum his guitar. Several members of the jury openly laughed. Despite problems in their marriage, Taylor testified Monday, Harris had been an enthusiastic and involved parent who doted on their son. "He wanted to enjoy every second he could with him," she said. Prosecutors say Harris left his son in his car seat to swelter and die on purpose so that he could escape the responsibilities of family life as he sought relationships with other women. Harris told police he strapped Cooper into his car seat after they ate breakfast together at a restaurant, then forgot about the boy during a drive of just over a half-mile to his workplace. Harris worked as a Web developer for Home Depot in the Atlanta suburbs after he and Taylor moved to Georgia from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2012. The trial was moved to the coastal city of Brunswick, 275 away from suburban Cobb County, because of pretrial publicity. A former Home Depot co-worker testified Tuesday that Harris gushed about fatherhood. Jason Abdo said the two of them often discussed music, and Harris told him being a dad was far better. "As much as you love music, you'll love your kid 100 times more," Abdo recalled Harris telling him. Before she left the witness stand Tuesday, Taylor said she hasn't spoken to her ex-husband since she filed for divorce in February. She said she's now living in Florence "to be close to my new boyfriend." At least one fire is still burning -- but is contained -- and emergency response crews are still on scene after working overnight in Shelby County, Alabama Tuesday morning after a gasoline pipeline explosion Monday that killed one pipeline worker and severely burned at least five others. Colonial Pipeline this morning announced a gasoline pipeline will remain closed for the rest of the week while a second line that transports and diesel and jet fuel reopened at about 11 p.m. Monday. The explosion happened on the same line where a gasoline leak in September raised gas prices in several states. While the fire is contained it is being allowed to burn under the supervision of local fire and emergency management personnel. "Our top priorities continue to be ensuring the safety of responders, and supporting the personnel and their families who have been impacted by this event," a statement from Colonial read. "To that end, we are working with our contractor partner and have deployed a family and community support team, which includes grief counselors. Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the four individuals who were injured and who continue to receive care at area hospitals." Colonial also said there have been no "observable impacts ... on nearby waterways or drainage paths. Out of an abundance of caution, containment boom has been deployed at two different locations on the Cahaba River." Capt. Jeff Hartley with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said that Shelby County Road 13 was open, but River Road remained closed. Hartley said the site of the explosion was off of River Road, south of CR 13 (Grey Hill Road). David Butler with conservation group Cahaba Riverkeeper told AL.com this morning that the fire was still burning around the site of the explosion where the gas was still in the pipeline, but there was no evidence yet that it had reached the Cahaba River. The explosion occurred around 2 p.m. Monday, when contractors working for Colonial Pipeline struck the pipe with a trackhoe, according to a statement by Colonial Pipeline. The person killed and those injured were subcontractors working for the L.E. Bell Construction company, which had been hired by Colonial Pipeline to drain the line of gasoline, according to Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego. Four of the injured workers were taken to UAB Hospital's Trauma Burn Intensive Care Unit in Birmingham where family members, friends and chaplains gathered to support the workers and their families. The blast also sparked wildfires in the area that have burned at least 31 acres amidst extreme drought conditions in the area. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said the crews at the scene had built an 8-foot tall, 80-foot wide earthen dam to contain the blaze. Bentley also said this morning he was praying for the injured workers. Colonial Pipeline shut down its two main pipelines running through the area on Monday after the fire was reported, but the gasoline that was already in the line continued to burn through the night. The shutdown of the pipeline has already caused gasoline prices to increase, and it's not clear how long the line will remain out of service. The Colonial Pipeline is the same line that shut down for about 12 days in September after a rupture and gasoline leak that spilled an estimated 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of fuel into an abandoned coal mine. It is unclear at this time whether the work being done on the pipeline this week was related to the earlier spill. The site of this explosion is about five miles west of the site of the leak. That leak was discovered by a mining commission inspector on Sept. 9, and a 500-foot bypass line was constructed around the leaking section of pipe and the line was restarted on Sept 21. The 12-day outage caused gas prices to increase throughout the Southeast, and drove gasoline shortages at some stations in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. The pipeline, built in 1963, normally transports 1.3 million barrels (or 54.6 million gallons) of gasoline per day from refineries in Houston to distributors throughout the Southeast and East Coast. The line runs through distribution centers in Atlanta and Greensboro, N.C. before stretching up the Eastern Seaboard to New York Harbor. Fortune magazine described that 36-inch pipeline as "the largest gasoline conduit in the United States," and it has been estimated to carry around 40 percent of all gasoline sold on the Eastern Seaboard. Colonial has two parallel lines in the area, one of which normally carries gasoline while the other handles diesel, jet fuel or other refined petroleum products. It is unclear which line was affected by the explosion, but Colonial says both lines are currently shut down. AL.com will have continuing coverage of this story throughout the day. AL.com reporters Carol Robinson, Starr Dunigan and Connor Sheets contributed to this report. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency Tuesday following a pipeline explosion Monday in Shelby County that led to a major interstate gas line being shut down for the next week. "The State of Emergency will facilitate the granting of a waiver from the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration," Bentley said in a Tuesday press release. "This waiver is needed to lift the federal government's limitation on the hours a driver can transport gasoline." Tuesday marked the second time in as many months that Bentley, a Republican, declared a state of emergency because of breaks on a gas line owned and operated by Colonial Pipeline. Gas transmission on the pipeline, which runs from Texas to New Jersey and New York, was down for over a week last month following a break in a Shelby County stretch of the line located about five miles from the site of Monday's explosion. One worker died in the explosion and four were hospitalized with injuries, Colonial confirmed Tuesday. The company does not yet know what caused the explosion, though it said Tuesday that it expects its pipeline to be down for at least a week. "My thoughts and prayers are with the six injured workers and with the family of the fatally injured worker," Bentley said in the press release. "An accident of this magnitude is tough for any community to deal with, and I want to personally thank the local first responders for their immediate assistance to this accident, as well as the first responders from surrounding counties. They all provided resources and support to the help Shelby County in their time of need." Bentley's office had yet to return a Tuesday morning call seeking comment as of 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. Gov. Robert Bentley cautioned that there may be a "temporary" gas shortage in parts of Alabama after the Colonial gas line explosion Monday in Shelby County. Speaking in Huntsville at the grand opening of the Polaris manufacturing facility on Tuesday morning, the governor said he would take steps to minimize gas shortages. Bentley also said that one of the lines, shut down because of the explosion, has been re-opened. That line, though, is not immediately operating at full capacity. "What I will do is I will loosen some of the restrictions on hauling gasoline in if we have to have more gasoline in Alabama," Bentley said. "There will not be a total shortage but there will be, unfortunately, some increase in cost. But it will re-adjust quickly." Bentley also offered his condolences to the family of the pipeline worker who died in the explosion as well as those who were injured. "Our thoughts and prayers go with the families and those who have lost this particular individual and those who are hurting right now in the hospital," he said. Bentley said that the gas line leak that occurred in September on the Colonial pipeline in the same area, "was just as bad, if not worse, the last time. "You could see the results of what happened last time. It affects not only Alabama but states all up and down the eastern seaboard. We will get enough fuel even if we have to haul fuel in from other areas." robert bentley at polaris Gov. Robert Bentley with Scott Wine, Polaris chairman and CEO, at the manufacturing facility's grand opening Tuesday in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County. (Paul Gattis/pgattis@al.com) Gov. Robert Bentley said Tuesday he still wants to meet with lawmakers considering bringing impeachment charges against him and he expects it to take place. Bentley last week sent a letter to the House judiciary committee requesting a Nov. 10 meeting. The meeting would exclude lawyers for both sides, under ground rules set by the governor. Though the meeting would be off the record - with no recording devices and no lawyers - Bentley said he was willing to answer the committee's questions under oath. That's a new development, one that Bentley did not mention in his letter to lawmakers asking for the meeting. "I have really never had a chance to tell my story," Bentley said during a stop in Huntsville at the grand opening of the Polaris manufacturing facility. "I want to be able to do that. "I want them to be able to ask me any question they want to. And I was willing to go under oath before them and still am. And we're still going to have that meeting the 10th." The committee has informed Bentley, as well as some members of his staff, that it wants their testimony in the case under oath. A group of 23 House members signed a resolution in April to impeach Bentley for willful neglect of duty and corruption in office. The charges came in wake of Bentley's relationship with former adviser Rebekah Mason. Bentley has denied breaking any laws or doing anything that would justify impeachment. Bentley has apologized for an inappropriate sexually-charged phone conversation with Mason that was secretly recorded by Bentley's now ex-wife, Dianne. "All I really want to do is I just want to be able to tell my story to them, not to a private attorney, but to the elected officials who really make the decision on this," Bentley said. As for whether the people of Alabama should hear Bentley's story, the governor said, "Yes, at some point. But what I would like to do first is to go through this process and then we'll be able to release whatever it is that people want to know." A north Alabama high school student who admitted to sexually abusing two children will not attend school pending the outcome of the criminal case. Anthony Proctor Anthony Edwin Proctor, an 18-year-old Albert P. Brewer High School senior, won't be expelled because the sex abuse charges he faces don't involve other students in the Morgan County school system, Superintendent Bill Hopkins Jr. said. "But he's not going to come to school until we can sort everything out," Hopkins said. "We will find a place that's right for him to continue his education. It will be some kind of alternative placement to help him during the court process." Proctor, who hasn't responded to a request for comment, is charged with sexually abusing two local children: a 5-year-old and 3-year-old, according to Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin. Brewer High Principal Jeremy Childress met with Proctor and the student's father Monday to discuss the situation, Hopkins said. "We wanted to make sure the safety of all children in our school system was ensured," the superintendent said. The Special Victims Unit began investigating the abuse when a report was filed with the Sheriff's Office on Aug. 25 according to an arrest affidavit filed by Sgt. Blake Robinson. File photo Five days later a second victim disclosed Proctor had abused her, Robinson's affidavit states. When Robinson later interviewed Proctor, the suspect admitted he touched the victims "for sexual purposes," court records show. Proctor was arrested Friday and later released on $10,000 bail. Sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 is a Class B felony. If convicted on both counts, Proctor faces up to 40 years imprisonment. A court hearing hasn't been set in the case, and records do not reflect a defense attorney for Proctor. They came from Montgomery and Washington D.C. to throw bouquets at Polaris, heralding the formal grand opening of its new manufacturing plant in Huntsville as an economic windfall to the state. Greg Canfield, Alabama Secretary of Commerce, described the financial impact of the facility that plans to eventually employ 1,700 people at the Huntsville plant as more than $2 billion over 20 years. Speaking from the podium, Canfield turned to Scott Wine, Polaris chairman and CEO. "Scott Wine, I want to say on behalf of the Department of Commerce and I know on behalf of Gov. Robert Bentley, this is a damn good day," Canfield said. "We welcome you to the state of Alabama." Bentley was there and so was U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, who praised the teamwork of north Alabama governments who came together to entice Polaris to the state. "I hope you have big scissors," Bentley said, "because every time I can hold some big scissors, that means we've got good news." Yes, Bentley and Wine teamed up with the giant ceremonial scissors to cut the ceremonial ribbon of the plant in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County that's already been in production since June. The plant currently has about 450 employees and the powersports leader began churning out Polaris RANGER vehicles and Slingshots in June. The Polaris campus in Huntsville - in addition to a multi-shift manufacturing hub - includes a research and development center and distribution warehouse. Wine touted the efficiency of the Huntsville plant, saying it would be a model not only for the powersports industry but across the manufacturing spectrum. "Our expectation is that Huntsville will be twice as fast as the average plant is today," he said. "That speed and higher quality is what gives us the confidence that this facility is going to continue to grow and thrive." He also described Polaris' commitment to the Huntsville area as "unending." Such commitment resonated with Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle as he and other officials courted the Minnesota-based company. "It is a very special day for all of north Alabama and for the state of Alabama and I hope it's a very special day for Polaris," Battle said. "Polaris is one of the companies we targeted early. We were looking for somebody who would be a great community partner. Thank you for coming to locate here." If Bentley has his way, Polaris might not be the only entity putting down roots in Huntsville. "I spend more time in this area than any area in the state of Alabama," Bentley said. "The reason we do is because of exactly what we're doing today and that's talking about a great company coming to a great part of the state." He then looked down from the podium at north Alabama legislators seated on the front row. "It's always good to be in this area of the state," he said. Then the governor joked, "I think we can move the capital up here, guys, don't y'all think so?" The Montgomery man who confessed to driving drunk, crashing his vehicle and killing 25-year-old Ashlee Mock in October 2013 was released on Monday after serving two years in jail. Kevin Crosskey, 31, was released following a Monday morning hearing before Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Truman M. Hobbs. Ashlee Mock's parents knew Crosskey's release was likely as long as he had behaved himself in jail. Crosskey pleaded guilty to murder and received a spit sentence on Oct. 31, 2014 of two years in jail followed by five years of probation. Ashlee's father, Jeff Mock, said he has forgiven Crosskey for killing his daughter, but two years in jail isn't enough. Kevin Crosskey (MCSO) "Two years in the county jail is not a proper sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to murder with a vehicle and assault with a vehicle to Jeremy Gaines (Ashley's boyfriend)," he said. "My daughter is gone and he gets to go home to his family. "We do not like the sentence at all," Jeff Mock continued. "We have forgiven him and spoke to his mom and sister. They also grieved with us about our loss of our daughter, Ashlee. I hope and pray that Kevin Crosskey will use this second chance to help others not to do what he did. " On Monday, Hobbs heard testimony from both sides of the case and "after careful consideration" decided to release Crosskey from jail. Crosskey is now serving five years of supervised probation, court records shows. He is required to submit to weekly drug and alcohol testing. A device was also placed on his vehicle to ensure he doesn't drive drunk. The fatal incident occurred at 11:27 p.m. on Oct. 18, 2013. Ashlee Mock and her boyfriend were standing by Mock's parked car in the 1900 block of Yarbrough Street in north Montgomery, near Gaines' home, saying goodnight when they were struck by a SUV driven by Crosskey. Ashlee died at the scene and Gaines was seriously injured. Ashlee Mock Crosskey later admitted to drinking a dozen beers before getting behind the wheel, according to court records. Just days after Ashlee Mock's death, her mother, Kay Mock, told AL.com that her family's faith in God helped get them through the tragedy. "Our faith is our one thing and the love and the support of all of the people who loved her and she loved," she said. "It gives you strength to make it through the next hour." Jeff and Kay Mock were in the process of selling their Millbrook home at the time of Ashlee's death. Jeff had gotten a new job and had moved to Jacksonville, Fla. Ashlee was working at Premier Physical Therapy in Montgomery, but was planning to move to be near her family by Thanksgiving 2013. In an early morning email to AL.com, just hours prior to Crosskey's eventual release from jail, Jeff Mock reflected on the last three years without his beloved daughter. "Since October 2013, my daughter will not come home for Christmas or ever on this earth with her dog (a Chihuahua named Scooter who went missing in the crash)," he wrote. "All I have left are memories and a box of her ashes. Try hugging a box of ashes of your daughter. That hurts to the core. "My daughter always brought me back to reality when I needed it and every day now because of her I see things more clearly," he continued. "I hope all who hear Ashlee's story, will stop and think about that driving with alcohol is deadly serious." Alabama Explosion Light from a light pole shows a house near a plume of smoke from a Colonial Pipeline explosion, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) (Brynn Anderson) Koch Industries, the privately held multibillion dollar corporation and largest shareholder of the Colonial Pipeline Company, has no liability over Monday's deadly pipeline explosion in Shelby County, Alabama. The company, based in Wichita, Kansas, owns a little over 28 percent of the Colonial Pipeline Company but is deemed only as an investor along with four other co-owners, a New York energy analyst told AL.com Tuesday. None of the other Colonial owners are responsible for the explosion that killed one and injured at least five. "The companies that own the Colonial Pipeline Company are a lot like the shareholders of a publicly traded organization, so they aren't going to be held responsible for workplace incidents that happen," Peter Molica, a senior director and analyst of pipelines and midstream energy at Fitch Ratings, one of the country's biggest credit rating companies. "The overall ramifications of the explosion probably won't be known until the investigation is complete, but I'm sure the owners are worried that there is trouble at one of their investments and are looking closely at insurance coverage." The explosion was reported to have occurred after a piece of human-operated excavation equipment ripped into Line 1, resulting in the "release of gasoline which ignited and caused a fire," according to a press release by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a branch of the Department of Transport. At the time, Colonial contractors were "working on repairs on Line 1 relating to the Sept. 9 failure and associated release of 6000 barrels of gasoline into a retention pond," said the PHMSA press release. "PHMSA continues to investigate the Oct. 31 incident and the cause of the Sept. 9 failure. If PHMSA determines the operator has violated any Federal pipeline standards, the agency can issue an enforcement action, levy civil penalties, or refer the case for criminal investigation." Steve Baker, director of communications and public affairs at Colonial told AL.com that the board of directors was following events closely. "Our leadership team is in regular communication with our board, so that they have current information on a timely basis," said Baker. "The highest priority of the entire Colonial family continues to be ensuring the safety of responders, and supporting the personnel and their families who have been impacted by this event. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of our colleague who succumbed to his injuries as well as those who continue to receive medical care." Colonial Pipeline was originally founded by nine oil companies in 1962 but has since been run by a number of different entities over the last 54 years. Along with largest shareholder Koch Industries, Keats Pipeline Investors, a group made up of a large New York investment company and the South Korea National Pension Service, owns 23.44 percent. The Canadian pension fund, known as the Quebec Deposit and Investment fund, owns 16.55 percent, while Dutch Shell and Industry Funds Management own 16.12 percent and 15.80 percent, respectively. Colonial is a single-asset pipeline company, which exposes it to a greater amount of regulatory, economic, and operating risk than a company with multiple assets, according to a note released by Molica in March this year. The company reported net income of $87.3 million to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the third quarter, up 2.2% from the prior year. Media representatives from Koch Industries and Shell referred AL.com's calls and email requests to the Colonial Pipeline Company's press relations team. The three additional owners did not respond to comment before publication. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is leading Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for the first time since May, according to the latest national presidential poll. Forty-six percent of likely voters said they would support Trump in the Nov. 8 General Election compared to 45 percent who back Clinton, according to the ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll. Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson was the choice of 3 percent; Green Party candidate Jill Stein polled at 2 percent. The difference between the top two candidates is within the margin of error, however, there are positive signs for Trump after weeks of declining poll numbers. Trump's 1 point margin of victory is the first time he's led Clinton in the ABC poll since May, when he was up by 2 points among registered voters. Trump now leads Clinton by 8 points in the share of voters who said they were "very enthusiastic" about their choice for president - 53 percent for the businessman-turned-politician compared to 45 percent for Clinton. The poll is one of the first taken since FBI director James Comey announced the bureau was looking into new emails related to Clinton's use of a personal server while Secretary of State. The emails are linked to an ongoing investigation into Anthony Weiner, the former husband of chief Clinton aid Huma Abedin, and sexual emails he is alleged to have exchanged with a 15-year-old girl. Since Comey's announcement Friday, Clinton has lost 7 points among those who said they strongly support their candidate. Red, blue and battleground states Among states that are strongly Republican, Trump leads Clinton by a broad 60 to 34 percent. Clinton's support in strongly blue states is slightly lower, 54 percent to 37 percent. In the five states designated as toss ups by ABC - Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Utah - the two candidates are virtually tied. Trump's turnaround among independents continues as well. The number of GOP-leaning independents supporting Trump has risen from 80 percent to 86 percent; among those who said they don't prefer either party, the GOP nominee is enjoying a huge advantage - 54 percent to 25 percent. Seventeen percent of independents said they are backing another candidate. Trump's even picked up support among Democratic-leaning independents - from 5 percent to 9 percent. National polling averages RealClearPolitics average of national polls has Clinton up by 2.2 points - 47.5 percent to 45.3 percent. The numbers reflect a massive swing in the polling numbers, with Clinton up by 8 points less than 10 days ago. FiveThirtyEight.com forecasts put Clinton's chance of winning the White House at 73 percent, down from 91 percent on Oct. 12. The numbers reflect each candidate's chances of winning the election if it were held today. Election day 2016 is just days away, but for millions of Americans their ballots are already in. As many as 18 million votes have already been cast in the presidential race between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Those ballots were cast before FBI Director James Comey announced the FBI is investigating newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton's use of a personal server while Secretary of State, which has some people wondering if early voting is good for America. In all, experts predict as many as 50 million Americans will cast their ballots before the Nov. 8 election day, 4 million more than did so in the 2012 presidential election. What early voting forecasts show Official voting results aren't published until election day, however, forecasts on each state can be made based on the number of registered Republican or Democrats that cast early ballots. Based on those numbers, Republicans are ahead in Ohio and Iowa; Democrats are getting good numbers back from Florida, Arizona and Colorado. Florida is under particular scrutiny as Trump sees it almost as a must-win and Clinton could wrap up election night early with a victory in the Sunshine State. Early results show Republicans continue to lead Democrats in Florida but only by a slim margin; CNN reports registered Republicans are ahead by about 13,454 votes, a smaller lead than the one they enjoyed a week ago. Almost 3 million ballots have already been cast in Florida, the highest numbers in the country. Early voting Thirty-seven states - including three that mail ballots to all voters - as well as the District of Columbia allow for early voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Three of those states. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, use an all-mail voting system. All states have some form of absentee voting where ballots can be submitted by either mail or in person. In 20 states, including Alabama, an excuse is required for anyone wanting to vote absentee. Seven states allow people to go on a list of "permanent" absentee voters. In those cases a ballot is automatically mailed to the registered person. Browser not supported. Visit www.270towin.com How can you vote absentee in Alabama? Alabama voters can cast an absentee ballot under certain conditions: if they will be absent from their county on election day; is ill or has a physical disability; is a registered voter living outside the county, including those in the military, college student or employed outside the U.S.; is an election official or poll watcher at a place other than their voting place; or works a shift of 10 hours or more that coincides with polling hours. There are also provisions for emergency voting for those who have to make a last-minute trip or a medical emergency. An application for an emergency absentee ballot has to be made no later than 5 p.m. on the day before the election and must be accompanied by an affidavit in the case of a business trip to a letter from a physician for a medical emergency. Important deadlines for absentee ballots There are two important dates for those wanting to cast an absentee ballot in Alabama ahead of the general election. Nov. 3 is the last day for a voter to make an application for an absentee ballot; Nov. 7 is the last day for a voter to hand deliver or postmark an absentee ballot. water works.jpg Birmingham Water Works The Irondale City Council unanimously approved an agreement last week for its water system to sell up to 1 million gallons of water a day to Birmingham Water Works at double the price Irondale Water charges its customers. But the Birmingham Water Works Board of Directors still has to sign off on the deal. Details have to be ironed out, but if approved Irondale would receive $10.72 per 1,000 gallons of water transferred to the Birmingham system. Irondale Mayor Tommy Joe Alexander said Birmingham Water offered to double the rate Irondale residents are billed by the Irondale Water System. "That means if we can furnish them a million [gallons], that's between $10,000 and $15,000 a day for the city of Irondale," Alexander told the council. Birmingham Water would pay for infrastructure costs to transfer the water. The agreement could be cut off at any time by either Birmingham or Irondale. Birmingham Water General Manager Mac Underwood said the system had a similar agreement with Shelby County several years ago, where Birmingham Water supplied water to the county for weeks before the contract was canceled. The Magic City has experienced a drought over the last month that led Birmingham Water to issue advisories to customers urging them to cut back on water use. Alexander said Irondale's water system has not been taxed over the dry conditions. "Our wells have stayed normal through the drought," he said. IMG_8727.jpg This is 3-mile barge, seen from above. I took the picture floating on the surface in about 40 feet of water. The ongoing drought has resulted in dramatically clearer water in the Gulf as the flow from the rivers of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta has been diminished. This sort of visibility is highly unusual in the Gulf, and occurs very rarely. The hundreds of fish in the image are mostly tomtates, a member of the grunt family. They are about a foot long Suffering under an extended statewide drought, it is hard to remember that this year began with a record-breaking flood. In January, the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers pushed far beyond their banks into the woods, and by the time they gathered together in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, they formed one giant super-river, 13 miles wide. The Alabama River hadn't been so high in 25 years, measuring 53.6 feet above flood stage at the Claiborne Dam. Now, almost 11 months later, the Alabama River is on course to potentially set a new record for the lowest flow ever. In the last week, the river dropped to 4.37 feet, just a foot above the low of 3.4 feet set during the 2007 drought. That record low was reached in late November, meaning we may be on course to meet or exceed the record if the dry conditions hold. Climatologists say the weather models predict the drought to extend into January. It is important to remember that in some measure, the troubles seen on our rivers are self-inflicted. Alabama does not have a water management plan in place for its rivers, as most states do. And for the most part, industry is allowed first priority when it comes to the river flow, sometimes sucking in vast amounts of water for various uses, even to the point of causing tremendous casualties among fish and other aquatic life. Many in the state have been lobbying for a robust water management plan to ensure that our rivers aren't choked dry by overuse, but such a compromise has been hard to come by. Meanwhile, the drought is not all bad news to sportsmen, at least along the coast. In fact, when people across the state begin complaining about a drought, fishermen and scuba divers in coastal Alabama get excited. For all the troubles a drought brings to the inland portions of the state, from lost crops to drying rivers to dying lawns, the dry spells represent something of a bounty along the coast. The big change is in the amount of freshwater flowing into Mobile Bay from the rivers that form the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Less freshwater running into the estuary means two things: higher salinity in the bay, and clearer water everywhere along the coast as the ocean water reaches ever deeper into the Delta. The salinity-induced changes are profound, and dictate changes in what sort of creatures can live where around the bay and points north. For instance, blue crabs and mullet -- two tell-tale saltwater creatures -- were both present in large numbers 43 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, deep in the swampy heart of the Delta. Shrimp, likewise, have ventured far upstream congregating close to 20 miles north of the Causeway. A normal October in a non-drought year will find the shrimp around and below the U.S. 98 Causeway, beginning their migration offshore to deeper water for the winter. But this year, those middle of the pack salinity levels you would normally find at the head of the bay are present far upstream. Barry Scott, proprietor of Scott's Landing bait shop said the east side of the Delta, including the Blakely and Apalachee Rivers, are loaded with both shrimp and speckled trout. "We made three drags this morning and had 4,000 shrimp," Scott said. "It's just getting better and better every day on this side. But they are complaining about it on the other side. That's because the water is so salty on the west side, they're not getting any shrimp. The shrimp are all way up the rivers over there, because of the salt." Scott said the salinity was about 22 parts per thousand on the east side of the bay, where the shrimp are thick. But over on the west side of the bay, salinity is hovering around 28 parts per thousand, which is almost as salty as the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, a number of fishermen report catching red snapper in the last week under the coal docks of McDuffie Island. Finding open ocean fish this far up the bay at this time of year is startling, and speaks to the extreme salinity. "The shrimp are all the way up around Gravine Island. They are catching speckled trout in Gravine Creek," Scott said. "That's telling you how salty it is, for them to be catching trout in Gravine Creek. The fishing is good, I'll tell you that." The salt has other consequences, beyond moving shrimp and their predators to new locations. For instance, it will likely mean a devastating year for the local oyster population. The delicate fringe you see inside this oyster is part of its mantle, which helps it filter food from the water. Biologists fear the bay's oysters may be sitting ducks for predatory oyster drills, which will likely flourish in the high salinity bay. The drills are marine snails that drill holds through the oyster's shell and suck the meat out through a sort of straw-like mouth. That's because the number one predator of oysters, the oyster drill, a marine snail, thrives in high salinity environments. In fact, oyster drills can only survive in high salinity water. One of the key factors that keeps their population in balance is an annual dose of freshwater. That's one of the primary reasons you always find oyster reefs located in brackish estuaries, which are by nature places where the salinity fluctuates during the course of the year from being as salty as the ocean to almost perfectly fresh. Other oyster threats cannot stand the salt, and are kept in check by the regular doses of fresh water. So it is this push and pull of salt and fresh that keeps disease and predators at bay for a health oyster reef. The last time we experienced a drought this severe, 2007, was a deadly year for oysters. In fact, most of the oysters at Cedar Point, long Alabama's primary commercial reef, were wiped out by oyster drills. They have yet to recover. I remember spending a day tonging on the reef that year and pulling up nothing but dead oysters and dozens of the drills in every scoop. Meanwhile, on the coast, the lack of freshwater input has a transformative effect, making the Alabama beaches more like those in Florida. Particularly when it comes to the color and clarity of the water. For several weeks, it has been possible to stand on the deck of a boat in sixty feet of water and see the seafloor down below, along with huge schools of fish. That sort of clarity is rare along the Alabama coast, almost never seen outside of drought years. Meanwhile, that is the norm at points east along the Panhandle. The big factor behind the emerald green of the Gulf along Destin and Panama City is the lack of freshwater flowing into Gulf over that way. But Mobile Bay and the rivers coming represent one of the largest freshwater flows in the nation, draining parts of four states. That freshwater dramatically changes the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of Mobile Bay. You can see the influence of the freshwater most clearly when you compare the water on the Fort Morgan side of Mobile Bay to the water on the Dauphin Island side. To the west of the mouth of the bay, the water bears a decidedly brown cast. That color comes from clays and tannins flowing from the Delta. Tannins are chemicals released by all the leaves decaying in all the rivers around the state. They color the water just like tea leaves. "We have such a huge volume of river water that empties in Mobile Bay, with a lot of suspended sediment. If you've ever been down the Florida peninsula, you see how clear the water is," said Jason Senkbeil, a climatologist and professor at the University of Alabama. "They don't have the rivers dumping in so much freshwater there, so everything is a lot clearer." Senkbeil, who grew up in Spanish Fort on the edge of Mobile Bay, said he wasn't surprised by the reports of exceptional water clarity along the coast. "The upper reaches of the Coosa, and the upper tributaries of the Cahaba, that's where the heart of the drought is. In some cases those rivers aren't flowing. And of course they become the Alabama," Senkbeil said. "The Alabama is experiencing exceptionally low flows. If those rivers aren't flowing, that suspended sediment is not coming down." Senkbeil said that the climate models predict the drought will persist into January. Meanwhile, the rivers will stay low and the salinity level in the Bay and delta will stay high. "We are going to have some winter rain. Some frontal systems will come through. They always do. But we are coming out of a drier than normal September, and October has been much drier than normal," Senkbeil said. "When we do get those rains, they are not going to make as much of a difference downstream because everything is already so dry." Senkbeil said scientists don't have enough data to draw conclusions yet Alabama is seeing the beginning of a permanent change in weather patterns. But, the recent history suggests something may be afoot. "In the past ten yeas, to see some of the worst drought we ever seen, in 2007, and then some of the high water marks as well, that's something," Senkbeil said. "We don't have enough data to substantiate anything, but I certainly believe some of this may be related to climate change... Drought is a natural thing, but if we are seeing extreme droughts, and they are occurring more regularly, every five to ten years, that's not normal. We hadn't seen a drought like 2007 since the 1950s. Now were are looking at another within a decade." John Dindo, the associate director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, predicted the drought would have unexpected benefits for some creatures. "It has been a long time since I have seen the water this clear around the bay. Today the salinity here at the lab is 26.5, nothing brackish about that," Dindo said. Because of the salty water, he said, "This is the latest I have ever seen large schools of menhaden up into Fowl and Dog Rivers. Under normal conditions, they would have moved. This is good for the pelicans, which can stock up on the abundance of food resources before the temperature changes and prey items move offshore to deeper water. "This may mean a larger survival rate and more birds nesting next year, we will see when nesting starts... I would also speculate that lower river output and the resulting higher salinity will result in the influx of the oyster drill snail back onto the natural bottom reefs, another dilemma for the oystermen." But that's a problem for next year's crop. Right now, the super salty water means Alabama oysters will taste exceptionally good. A grand jury has come to the conclusion that Mobile Police Officer Harold Hurst should not face criminal charges over a controversial June 13 encounter that ended with the death of Michael Moore. The case has been divisive, with some raising concerns that deadly force was not called for in the encounter. Numerous rallies, demonstrations and public meetings followed Moore's death, though they all were conducted in a peaceful manner. Officials acknowledged that response to the grand jury report likely would be mixed, but urged for calm as a related Department of Justice investigation continued. At a Tuesday morning press conference, Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich said that the October grand jury had issued its report earlier that morning. Overall, the grand jury had considered 363 cases, returning 295 indictments, no-billing 40 cases and continuing 28. Hurst's case was among those no-billed. According to Rich, the grand jury heard more than 40 hours of testimony in the case. Evidence included the results of a Mobile Police Department investigation and an FBI investigation. A group of 17 jurors considered the evidence; in order for criminal charges to be brought, 12 would have had to agree that they were warranted. The grand jury's conclusion: "Officer Hurst acted reasonably, justifiably and in accordance with all applicable laws. The officer had a right to protect himself, and a duty to neutralize the threat to innocent civilians in this populated neighborhood." Rich said that under the law, she was very limited in what she could reveal about the evidence heard, or the content of the deliberations. "It's important that 17 members of this community made this decision," Rich said. "I hope the public understand that every effort was made in this case" to uncover relevant facts. The dearth of information on the grand jury's deliberations raised immediate concerns about transparency. Among those present for Rich's press conference were State Sen. Vivian Davis Figures and State Rep. Barbara Drummond, representing the group Leaders for Truth and Justice. "There's so much that we don't know," said Figures. "We don't know what was presented to the grand jury." Figures said many had questions about whether Hurst had properly followed police department procedures during the incident, and it wasn't clear whether the issue had even been considered by the grand jury. "I have faith that the Justice Department will continue with its investigation," she said. "We're just going to wait for the federal investigation to be completed." She hopes it will reveal more, she said. "The people need to have confidence that everything was presented and truly taken into consideration," she said. "This is not the end of the story," said Drummond. She added that Leaders for Truth and Justice was "calling upon our community to be very peaceable." Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson called upon Rich to release the grand jury transcript. That would "ensure that remaining questions about the events, evidence and investigations have the best chance of being answered," he wrote on Twitter. "Today marked another point in this tragic situation," Stimpson tweeted. "Our thoughts and prayers remain with all involved. While the Grand Jury has spoken, this chapter is not complete." Finally, on this emotional day, I urge all who desire to express themselves to do so peacefully and constructively Sandy Stimpson (@MayorStimpson) November 1, 2016 Meanwhile, a statement released by attorneys for Moore's family expressed strong dissatisfaction. "We are extremely disappointed with the grand jury decision concerning the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Moore," said a statement from the family released by the law firm of Williams Oinonen LLC. "Multiple objective eye witnesses swore that Michael Moore never reached for a gun as the shooter claimed. Mobile Police Chief Barber informed Michael Moore's mother on the night of the shooting that her son was not armed when he was shot by Harold Hurst." Tuesday's announcement comes well over four months after the June 13 confrontation that ended in Moore's death. At the three-month mark, Mobile Police Chief James Barber said that his department's investigation was nearly complete, but that it would be up to Rich to draw any conclusions based on the evidence gathered by police investigators. "Most of our material has been turned over to the district attorney's office," Barber said on Sept. 13. "We're very close to turning everything over to them." Meanwhile, the FBI and Department of Justice also have been conducting an investigation, focusing at least in part on whether Moore's civil rights were violated. The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division will consider the results from that inquiry and decide whether action is warranted. Rich said Tuesday that she believes that investigation is ongoing. "We must still await findings (from the DOJ) and we will continue to cooperate fully in that investigation," Stimpson tweeted. The statement from Moore's family added: "The family of the Michael Moore calls upon the Department of Justice to hold the Mobile Police accountable for this crime and its subsequent cover-up. The family has been informed that the Department of Justice federal civil rights investigation remains ongoing. The family also intends to bring a civil rights lawsuit for these violations of the United States Constitution as a result of the wrongful shooting of Michael Moore and condemns the racially insensitive and inflammatory remarks that were recently made by the Police Chief and his wife." Barber recently contrasted the Moore case with the death of another shooting victim, angering Moore family supporters and leading to a heated exchange on Facebook. Barber subsequently deleted his post and made a public apology. Moore died following a traffic stop by Hurst on June 13. According to an account released by the MPD, Moore was driving a stolen car and reached for a gun in his waistband during a confrontation with Hurst, leading the officer to respond with deadly force. The gun later was found to be stolen. The circumstances have been disputed, however. It appears no video of the encounter exists, because Hurst was on his way to report for duty and had not yet picked up his body camera. Witnesses and bystander accounts available to the public have left it unclear whether Moore reached for his weapon, and the gun itself wasn't secured at the scene. Police say it remained on Moore's body until he reached a hospital, where it was handed over to officers by medical personnel. The incident came amid several highly publicized cases of fatal confrontations between police and black men in various parts of the country, and shortly before several incidents in which police were killed in apparent ambushes in Dallas and Baton Rouge. In Mobile, tensions over the Michael Moore incident did not flare into violence: A number of rallies, marches, vigils and community meetings involved sometimes fiery rhetoric, but went on peacefully. According to George Talbot, Stimpson's director of communications, Hurst remains on paid administrative leave a status that likely will continue until the Department of Justice announces its findings. Note: This story has been substantially updated from the version filed initially, with additional detail and comment from additional sources. state house mug by julie.JPG (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com) Rep. Arnold Mooney By Rep. Arnold Mooney (R - Birmingham) Co-signed by: Speaker Mac McCutcheon (R-Capshaw), Rep. Will Ainsworth (R-Guntersville), Sen. Greg Albritton (R- Bay Minette), Sen. Gerald Allen (R- Tuscaloosa), Sen. Slade Blackwell (R- Birmingham), Rep. Mack Butler (R- Rainbow City), Rep. Jim Carns (R- Birmingham), Rep. Donnie Chesteen (R - Geneva), Rep. Steve Clouse (R- Ozark), Rep. Terri Collins (R- Decatur), Rep. Dickie Drake (R - Leeds), Rep. Corley Ellis (R- Columbiana), Rep. Allen Farley (R- McCalla), Rep. David Faulkner (R- Birmingham), Rep. Matt Fridy (R-Birmingham), Rep. Danny Garrett (R- Trussville), Rep. Victor Gaston (R- Mobile), Rep. Tommy Hanes (R- Scottsboro), Sen. Bill Hightower (R- Mobile), Rep. Mike Holmes (R- Wetumpka), Rep. Paul Lee (R- Dothan), Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R- Auburn), Rep. Becky Nordgren (R- Gadsden), Sen. Trip Pittman (R- Daphne), Rep .Bill Poole (R- Tuscaloosa), Rep. Chris Pringle (R- Mobile), Sen. Larry Stutts (R -Sheffield), Rep. Allen Treadaway (R- Morris), Rep. Ritchie Whorton (R- Scottsboro), Rep. Jack Williams (R- Mobile), Sen. Phil Williams (R- Gadsden), Rep. Phil Williams (R- Huntsville), and Rep. Rich Wingo (R- Tuscaloosa) Alabamians have the rare opportunity to permanently preserve one of their most basic and fundamental rights - the right to work and provide for their families - by voting YES on Constitutional Amendment 8 on November 8. Our state has enjoyed tremendous successes in economic development over the past several years as businesses like Mercedes, Airbus, Boeing, Hyundai, Honda, and several other Fortune 500 companies have chosen to locate major facilities here. Alabama's success in attracting investments over other states can be attributed to several factors, which include a workforce with an unequalled work ethic and diverse range of skills, a low cost of living, competitive incentive packages, and the fact that large employers and manufacturers, in particular, are also attracted to our status as a right-to-work state. Roughly 60 years ago, when labor union activity and membership were near their apex, a disturbing trend became apparent in the factories, mills, and plants dotting the state. Non-union employees were being threatened, intimidated, and sometimes physically harmed by union members who wanted a "closed shop" workplace, and potential industrial development prospects were reluctant to locate here in order to avoid the sometimes outrageous demands of organized labor. As a result, the Legislature took action in 1953 and passed a right-to-work statute declaring that union membership could not be a prerequisite for employment, and, conversely, joining a union could not disqualify a worker from being employed. But more than a half century after that law was passed, union activity is once again on the rise, and potential employers are expressing concern. They recognize that our right-to-work statute could be overturned with a simple vote of the Legislature and many are asking for a more permanent guarantee of our status. Recent events provide evidence of why their concerns are valid. The United Auto Workers union was able to gain a foothold in organizing the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and, closer to home, workers at the Golden Dragon Cooper facility in Wilcox County moved to join the United Steelworkers labor group by a razor-thin 75 - 74 vote. Labor unions are continuing efforts to organize employees in Alabama's automotive manufacturing plants, but they have been unsuccessful, thus far. In order to provide needed reassurance to economic developers and potential industrial prospects, it is time for Alabama to permanently enshrine our right-to-work status in the state constitution. The provisions of the amendment are simple. It establishes Alabama as a right-to-work state with constitutional protections that prevent labor organizations from forcing employees to join a union, and also prohibit employers from denying union membership to workers who wish to join. Because some labor unions force non-union employees to pay a mandatory "fee" in lieu of membership dues because they, too, could potentially benefit from any collective bargaining negotiations with management, Alabama's proposed constitutional amendment prohibits that practice. The amendment also prohibits labor unions from creating monopolies and preventing other organized labor groups from representing workers on a variety of issues. This reasonable ballot measure will ensure that union and non-union workers and businesses may peacefully coexist in a calm workplace environment, while, at the same time, helping to attract new investments, grow existing industries, and create additional jobs. It also provides you with a plain-spoken, air-tight constitutional right to hold a job and earn a living for yourself and your loved ones. We remain convinced that Alabama's future is bright, and our best days still lie ahead, but we also believe that all of us can reach hat prosperous summit faster if you remember to vote YES on Constitutional Amendment 8 on November 8. Robert Simonson in the New York Times reported yesterday that the Seelbach cocktail was the invention of Adam Seger, former bartender at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, and not in fact a resurrected pre-Prohibition classic. Seger created the cocktail and the backstory to go along with it. In 2012 I was hired to write a story for Mixology Magazine in Germany about the drink, so I interviewed Seger in email and briefly on the phone. I have pasted the story below. One "fact" told to me that didn't make it into the article was that Seger said that a group of Irish interns worked at the hotel and one did a history project. (If memory serves, this is the person responsible for first 'finding' the drink on a menu.) Additionally, Seger said that Max Allen relayed the story to him around 1997, and that Allen was in his mid to late 60s at that point. Here is a portion of the story I wrote: The Seelbach cocktail was created at the Seelbach hotel (now the Seelbach Hilton), grand old hotel in downtown Louisville, Kentucky whose attractions included that it was absolutely fireproof and that it later had air conditioning in the restaurants. The hotel was finished in 1905 by two Bavarian brothers, Otto and Louis Seelbach, and on opening day 25,000 people came to look at the inside of the hotel. The Seelbach had as its guests Al Capone and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Hollywood movie, "The Hustler," starring Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman features scenes shot in what is today The Oakroom, the hotel's 5-diamond restaurant. The hotel proved so popular that the owners immediately expanded it, and in 1907 this expansion included the glamorous, Bavarian-style Rathskeller bar and restaurant with its ceiling of 24 karat gold over stretched leather illustrating the 12 signs of the zodiac. After Prohibition ended, the bar has only been used for special events, but it was here where the Seelbach cocktail was born. The Seelbach Cocktail Original, Pre-Prohibition Recipe rediscovered by Adam Seger in 1996 as Director of Restaurants of The Seelbach, Louisville, Kentucky. 1 ounce Old Forester Bourbon 1/2 Ounce Triple Sec 7 dashes Angostura Bitters 7 dashes Peychaud Bitters 5 Ounces Chilled Korbel Brut sparkling wine. Chill the first four ingredients with ice and pour into a chilled champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine. Rub an orange twist around the rim of the cocktail and drop into the flute. Serve Immediately. Max Allen Jr., a third-generation bartender whose father worked at The Rathskeller before Prohibition, remembered his father talking about the drink. He relayed the creation of the Seelbach cocktail to Adam Seger, who relayed it to us. It was circa 1912 and a young couple from New Orleans was on their honeymoon at The Seelbach. The gentleman ordered a Manhattan with Peychaud's bitters and Old Forester bourbon, the world's first bottled bourbon. The new bride ordered a Champagne Cocktail with Korbel Brut (one of the oldest wineries in the US). The bartender prepared the sugar cube for her Champagne cocktail with Angostura, started to chill the gentleman's bourbon, and opened the sparkling wine- which bubbled over from the flute into the Manhattan. The bartender combined these two drinks, but set them aside to remake the cocktails for the newlyweds. He then tasted the mistake out of curiosity, and with a bit of tweaking, The Seelbach Cocktail was born. Eighty-five years later, Max Allen Jr. was one of the only people who remembered the cocktail at all. As far as we know, it wasnt listed in any cocktail books during its day. Adam Seger, who today lives in Chicago as a consultant and creator of the liqueur Hum Botanical Spirit, was the director of restaurants at The Seelbach in the late 1990s. He was researching the history of the hotel and came across an old menu from The Rathskeller that listed the Seelbach, and included the recipe. Seger asked Max Allen Jr., who was one of his mentors in bourbon knowledge, if he remembered the drink from his time at the hotel, and Max relayed the story above. Seger then put the drink back on the hotel bars and restaurants menus. As the Rathskeller bar is no longer open, today youll have your Seelbach either in the fine dining restaurant the Oakroom, or more likely in the loungey Old Seelbach Bar off the lobby. Seger served it there as a secret cocktail: He didnt list the ingredients, but pre-blended the bourbon, triple sec, and bitters. Even the bartenders didnt know what was in the drink for years. Author Gary Regan became a regular consumer of the Old Seelbach Bar and a fan of the cocktail when he stayed at the hotel during the promotion of The Book of Bourbon and during the writing of New Classic Cocktails. Gary prodded Seger for the recipe, offering to make it famous in the book he was writing. After seeing the recipe, Gary reportedly responded in his usual fashion. He said, "I thought you were full of bullshit, but seeing the year and heavy use of bitters, typical of the era, I see you are not. I'll be putting the recipe into New Classic Cocktails." From there, the drink was finally ready to leave the confines of the hotel. But How Does That Make You Feel? I haven't decided how much I care about this yet, so I guess I'm not too broken up about it. Reactions from bartenders on Facebook vary from, "Let they who have never made up the story to a cocktail cast the first stone..."" to "Now I have even more respect for him as a creative individual with a knack for marketing," to "why are purely selfish fraud and dishonesty things that are so quickly shielded, if not actually celebrated and enabled?". My role in this was to pass along the information I gathered. Obviously I'm not thrilled about being an unwilling participant in spreading misinformation, as I'm a writer who works really hard to avoid mistakes. On the other hand, it's cocktails and not thermonuclear war. Luckily the story came out nearly 5 years ago, and in cocktails, history is a moving target. I stand corrected. I guess I can say for now that I would definitely have a drink from and with Seger again (Have you had his drinks? They're delicious.) But should I interview him again I'll be requesting backup documentation. More than 55 percent of undertrials in India are either Muslims, Dalits or tribals, according to official data. More than 55 percent of undertrials across India are either Muslims, Dalits or tribals, according to new prison figures from the countrys National Crime Records Bureau for 2015. This rankles when one looks at the demographics: Muslims, Dalits and tribals together account for 39 per cent of Indias population. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Kancha Ilaiah, one of Indias most prominent Dalit scholars, explained the double burden. Crimes against Dalits do not get registered owing to biases at every level, and even if they do get registered, the upper-caste offenders tend to get bail easily from the judiciary, said Ilaiah. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims make up 14.2 per cent, Scheduled Castes 16.6 per cent and Scheduled Tribes 8.6 per cent of Indias population. Persecution of Dalits In India, Dalits have long faced persecution. For generations, low-caste Dalit people were considered dirty in the Hindu caste system and were not allowed to eat, marry or mix with higher castes. Historically, the upper castes are exempt from punishment Punishment is supposed to be given to lower castes according to ancient Hindu law The law has now become secular but handling of the justice system remains biased, Ilaiah said. So dire is the situation that earlier this summer, the chief justice of Indias supreme court cried while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the countrys failure to appoint enough judges to deal with the huge backlog of pending cases. READ MORE: Indias Dalit cattle skinners share stories of abuse According to the Crime Records Bureau, more than two-thirds of all Indian jail inmates are undertrials. The government allocated only 0.2 percent of its 2016 budget to the law ministry, one of the lowest proportions in the world. More than 22 million cases are currently pending in Indias district courts. Six million of those have lasted longer than five years. Another 4.5 million are waiting to be heard in the high courts and more than 60,000 in the supreme court, according to the most recently available government data. Rising figures In a country like India that is steeped in economic disparities, the means to prevent incarceration among its poor populace is also limited. The consequences of even minor crimes, of course, are much more severe among poor people. Rich people or the upper castes will just pay the fines, bribe some officials. But for poor and persecuted communities, this proves to be a real hardship, said Ilaiah. The scenes outside any court building in India are vastly similar: long queues of people, many of them from the most oppressed classes, waiting without any guarantee of getting a complete hearing. Identity markers like caste and religion compound the problem. A new Economist report earlier this week delineated the growing estrangement of Indian Muslims including the starkly disparate fates of a Hindu and a Muslim man accused of spreading religiously insulting material. The issue of these higher figures of incarceration among Indias lower castes and Muslims is a political hot potato. At a time when Indian politicians are wary of being accused of pandering to votebanks, it will be left to embattled civil society groups to agitate and demand accountability, said Tanweer Alam, researcher at Oxford University. With the growing number of undertrials and the huge pendency of cases, the Indian justice system needs immediate reform, one that will also critically examine allegations of inherent biases. Emma Sanchez: What about my childrens rights as US citizens to be with their mother? I remember, when I was a young girl, we used to go to the beach in Tijuana for picnics. Back then, there was no wall and hardly any security or border patrols. I used to walk along the shore into California you could walk back and forth freely. When I was 21, my cousin and I wanted to spend the summer holidays with his family in San Diego so I tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro checkpoint. But I didnt have a visa, so I was detained and held overnight. They took my fingerprints and all my details and told me that I was banned from entering the US for five years. But the next day, after I was released, my cousin said to me: Dont worry about it; lets just get in the car and drive over. In 10 years, they have come to see me in Tijuana nearly every weekend and school holiday. I thank the Lord that I have such an amazing husband and such beautiful boys. by Emma Sanchez, deported mother So we got into the car and drove across the border. I showed the guard my passport and he just waved us through. It was different back then there were fewer controls, less paranoia. My cousin told me not to worry and said they didnt keep records, but that time I was detained would come back to haunt me. When I was 24, we drove across the border. It was never my intention to stay in the US I had finished my studies to become a dental technician, and I planned to work for a few months and save some money to open a little dental clinic back in Guadalajara. But within a month, I met my husband Michael. Soon after, I became pregnant with our first son Alex, so I decided to stay. Michael always worried about my immigration status and wanted to regulate my situation right from the start. But it was a confusing process. We moved house a few times and never got an appointment. Time passed and my second son, Ryan, was born. After I gave birth to my third son, Brannon, we finally got an appointment at the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez. Thats when my world fell apart. I remember the date: June 6, 2006. Six-six-six. My husband said it was Devil Day. The immigration officer told me that I had entered the US illegally after being denied entry in 2000. I was told that I had broken the law and would be banned from entering the US for 10 years. It didnt matter that I had three children who were US citizens, or that my husband was a US citizen and a former Marine. None of that mattered. We cried and shouted, but there was nothing we could do. When we left the consulate, I saw my three young boys outside and broke down and cried. What are going to do? I asked Michael. We have to get a divorce. We cant live like this me over here and you over there. He said: No way. Well work it out, well come and visit you every weekend. And they did. In 10 years, they have come to see me in Tijuana nearly every weekend and school holiday. I thank the Lord that I have such an amazing husband and such beautiful boys. But those first few years in Tijuana were a nightmare. I was so scared and hardly ever went out. Sometimes, I would hear noises on the roof and lock myself in the closet. One time, someone did try to break in, but my dog scared them away. My 10-year ban came to an end on June 6 of this year, and now I am waiting to apply for a visa. I dream and pray for the day that I can go back to my life in California and be with my children. It is so cruel to be punished this way, to see my children grow up without me. What about their rights as US citizens to be with their mother? What about my husbands rights? Why do they want to create dysfunctional families in good, hard-working, loving families? I really dont understand it. ALSO READ: US immigration policy To build walls or bridges? Alex Paulsen, 15, Emmas son: They need to think about how the law affects families I was only four years old when they deported my mother. I vaguely remember driving from California to the Texas border to go the US consulate in Ciudad Juarez. We drove for days and the air conditioning was broken so it was really hot. When we left Juarez, we didnt go back to California, but stayed in Mexico. It was like a vacation for us. Eventually, we went back home to the States with my Dad because things were difficult for us in Mexico, and he had to go back to work. My parents also thought it was better if we went to school in the US. He says we used to ask him where mum was and he would say that she was on a timeout and that became life for us: Mum on timeout. It has been difficult for us growing up without our mother. We love her so much and miss her every day. Its difficult for my dad, too, because he had to bring us up on his own. He works two jobs, cooks for us, takes us to school. One time, my dad needed open heart surgery and they didn't even let my mum come to visit him in hospital. They said he needed to be dead, or be hours from dying, to be able to give her a humanitarian visa. by Alex Paulsen, Emma Sanchez's son We miss the little things, like mum making us breakfast, or being there when we have events at school, or when they give out prizes. It makes her feel really bad that she cant be there, too. She says she has had to watch us grow up in photos. Sometimes, kids at school ask where our mother is, but we dont like to talk about it. People think when you get deported it is like being a criminal, so we cant really explain it to them. We go to Tijuana every weekend to see her. Usually, my dad finishes work on Friday evening, we go home, pack our bags and drive to the border. We normally leave around midnight and the trip takes about three hours. Crossing into Mexico is easy, but sometimes when we drive back into the States there are long lines at the border and it takes a while, even in the middle of night on Sundays. We normally get home between 6am and 8am on Monday morning and have to get ready to go straight to school. I dont think the law should be allowed to separate families just because someone entered the country illegally. They need to think about how it affects families. One time, my dad needed open-heart surgery, and they didnt even let my mum come to visit him in hospital. If I could talk to an immigration officer, I would tell them to think about their own families and to imagine what it would be like to have their family separated. ALSO READ: Immigrants and Donald Trump Its a complicated story Montserrat Godoy: All I could think about was getting back to the US to get my daughters by any means necessary I started going out with my ex-husband, who is several years older than me, when I was 12 years old in my hometown of Guanajuato in central Mexico. We got married when I was 16. Even back then, he used to hit me. I was so young, I just accepted that that was the way he was. He persuaded me that we should emigrate to North Carolina. The idea scared me a bit, but I agreed. He paid a coyote and we crossed the river near Matamoros. It was a trip that I would try and repeat on my own years later. I would lose everything in that river. At first, things were OK in the US. My first daughter Carolina, who is now 13, was born soon after we arrived, and my other daughter Catalina was born two years later. They brought me so much joy. But my ex-husband resented them because he wanted a boy. I'm in a vicious circle: I can't go to the US but I must be in the US to get custody of my girls. by Montserrat Godoy, deported mother He started drinking more and became more and more violent. He would beat me and threaten me with a gun, sometimes in front of the girls. Then he would apologise and things would be OK for a few months, but then the abuse would start again. This went on for a few years until one day, he almost killed me. I finally decided to leave for Mexico with the girls. But Mexico was difficult. The girls didnt speak Spanish and were bullied at school. I couldnt find a decent job and could hardly make ends meet. One day, my ex-husband called and said he was sorry. He said he wanted us to return and would send money so we could all travel back to North Carolina. I was desperate at the time and completely fell for it. I delivered the girls to him at the border in Mexicali. They are US citizens, so they can enter freely. It was April 23, 2013. I havent seen them since. I had to go back to Matamoros to cross the river again. Only this time, the US border patrol caught us on the other side. They held me in a detention centre for 30 days. I was in there with hardened criminals. I was going crazy thinking about my girls. When they finally released me, they told me I was banned for 30 years from returning to the US. My world crumbled. I stayed for a few days at a migrant shelter where I called my ex-husband. He told me I was on my own and could forget about the girls. I broke down. Eventually, I headed back to Guanajuato. But all I could think about was getting back to the US to get my daughters by any means necessary. Not long after, I went to Tijuana planning to cross illegally again. I was desperate and in a deep depression. That was when I met Yolanda and the Dreamer Moms. They helped me get back on my feet emotionally and convinced me that it would be better to find a legal way to return to the US. The group has been a huge help for me. We are all deported mothers in similar situations who have been separated from our families, and we have become family as a result. Thanks to our advocacy work, we found out about the U visa, which is granted to victims of serious crimes like domestic abuse. Fortunately, I had filed a police report and this turned out to be crucial for my case. I am currently in the process of applying for a U visa. They only give out 10,000 each year and there is a long waiting list, but it may be my only hope of returning legally because it would overturn my ban and deportation. Thanks to the Dreamer Moms group, we also managed to get a lawyer in North Carolina to work on my custody case and divorce settlement. In April, there was a court hearing which I joined via Skype. The girls were there. I watched them live on the computer screen. It was the first time I had seen them in three years. They looked so pretty, but I was nervous for them because I knew he would try and manipulate them and turn them against me. It was difficult too because I couldnt hear very well, and I felt I couldnt put my argument across, especially as the judge spoke in English and it was all done through an interpreter. In the end, they ruled that we would have joint custody, but only if I was in the US. The girls would not be allowed to go to Mexico. So Im in a vicious circle: I cant go to the US, but I must be in the US to get custody of my girls. They also ruled that I should be allowed to talk to them via Skype on Wednesdays and every other Sunday. But do you think he has kept up that end of the bargain? Other than the U visa, my only hope at this stage is to wait. Wait until the girls get older. The last time I spoke to Carolina, she told me she will always love me and that soon she will grow up and she will be able to call me and come and be with me. But in the meantime, my heart is broken. Every minute of every day and night I think about them. There is no greater suffering than a mother being separated against her will from her children. But it is the love for my daughters that keeps me going. ALSO READ: Trump mounts efforts to woo Florida Hispanics Alicia Frausto: I always paid my taxes and never asked the government for anything When I emigrated in 1981, we just walked across the border at Tijuana beach. There was no wall back then. I lived in California for almost 30 years: 16 years in Orange County, and when my kids Edsson who is now 29, and Tanya who is 24, both born here and citizens of the US were a bit older, we bought a house in Pomona. I worked all kinds of jobs to support the family: in hotels, retail stores, factories, a jewellers, as a cleaning lady. I also volunteered at my kids school. I always paid my taxes and never asked the government for anything, never claimed benefits. Every Sunday, I used to go to Friendship Park in Tijuana - where families meet up through the fence and where I had crossed the border 30 years earlier - because there are often lawyers there who give free advice. by Alicia Frausto, deported mother My legal problems started with a minor offence. One day, I got a ticket for driving through a red light, which I didnt, but the police are always on the lookout for customers, so what are you going to do? I went to the courthouse to pay the fines, and the judge said that, because I was undocumented, the fines could not be paid in money or community work, and that I had to be remanded in a detention centre for five days. It was very strange. A week later I presented myself to the detention centre in Los Angeles. I remember it clearly because it was the 4th of July Independence Day, 2010. I had never been in a place like that. It was a terrible experience, especially for an older woman like me. After four days, I asked them when they would let me out and they said: No, you are not getting out, you will be going to Mexico because you are an illegal alien. It hit me like a bucket of cold water, and I went back to my bed and cried and cried. I was in shock. The next day, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) came for me and dropped me off over the border in Tijuana. Like many deported mothers, I decided to stay in Tijuana to be close to my family in California. I have been here for six years now. It was very hard at the beginning. It is a dangerous place for a woman on her own. I didnt know anybody. My children were worried about me. Every Sunday, I used to go to Friendship Park in Tijuana where families meet up through the fence, and where I had crossed the border 30 years earlier because there are often lawyers there who give free advice. One day in early 2014, I met Yolanda there and we started talking. She was in a similar situation. She had also lived in the US for many years and had been deported and separated from her children, who are the same age as mine. And that was when the Dreamer Moms group began, as a way for deported mothers to help each other. One day, we saw a news report on television in which some American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers were talking about how people who had been deported voluntarily would be given the opportunity to legalise their situation. My deportation counted as voluntary because I had presented myself to the courts and to the detention centre voluntarily. The ACLU people came to Tijuana and held an event in City Hall, which we helped them organise, to explain how people could apply and to find candidates who qualified. They came back a few days later and told me I had been selected and that I had a good case. I signed some papers and we started with my application, which was part of a collective lawsuit for voluntary deportees. A few months later, this July, they called me to say that my case had been accepted by the immigration authorities and asked me whether I was still interested in returning to the US, to which I replied, Yes, of course! Yes, yes, yes! They told me to be patient, but that within a few months I would be given a date to cross the border. They gave me one date, then another, then another, and I was worried that it may never happen, I didnt want to get my hopes up until I can hug my children on US soil. Then the ACLU people called to say they were confident it would happen on Thursday, October 27. And it did. They accompanied me to immigration at the San Ysidro border crossing where there was a brief interview and I signed some papers. It all happened very quickly. Suddenly, I was in the US. There were my kids waiting for me. I cant describe what it felt like. IN PICTURES: Torn families of Cambodian refugees deported from US Edsson Rodriguez, Alicias son: I suppose governments work in mysterious ways: on the one hand, they support my education, and on the other, they deport my mother I remember it was Independence Day, 2010, when my mother was taken into custody. We were told that she needed to go and take care of a traffic violation. It didnt seem too serious. At first, they said they were going to have to hold her for a day, which was odd because it was just a traffic ticket. And then we didn't hear anything the next day, we couldn't reach her, and the next thing we knew, she was in Tijuana. by Edsson Rodriguez, Alicia Frausto's son They kept lying to us and saying they just needed to question her. It was strange because there was a jail there and they took her into the cells. At first, they said they were going to have to hold her for a day, which was odd because it was just a traffic ticket. And then we didnt hear anything the next day, we couldnt reach her, and the next thing we knew she was in Tijuana. It was just such a shock. All of a sudden, mum was gone. It really affected my sister. I mean, shes a woman and she needs her mother in her life, a womans opinion. And she also had a child of her own and my mother could have helped her. Its a child losing a parent. Its not as extreme as a death, but its a big vacancy regardless. And in a way, it messes with your mind more, because shes so close yet so far. I guess it became real when I had to start supporting her in Tijuana. I was studying full-time, working full-time, providing for her and myself and my family. I studied Psychology, Law and Society at the University of California at Riverside. I was fortunate enough to receive a few grants as well as financial aid from the federal government for my studies. I suppose governments work in mysterious ways: on the one hand, they support my education, and on the other, they deport my mother. Seeing that Ive been educated and benefitted from this country and considering everything this country has given me and my family, its difficult to be entirely on one side. But living through it and the emotions that come with it, its hard. I think that people should abide by the laws, but we shouldnt be tricked into something, and thats what happened. I think there is a prejudice against Mexican Americans and Mexicans coming into this country, and they shouldnt be treated any differently from any other immigrant from any other country. As told to John Dickie. From the Witness documentary Dreamer Mums . Watch the full film here. The EMST in Athens may not fire up the art market directly but it is expected to make Greek artists more visible. Athens Introducing modern art to a culture brought up on marble columns and the galloping friezes of the Parthenon would appear to be a daunting and thankless task, but Katerina Koskinas, the director of Greeces first National Museum of Contemporary Art, was giddy with excitement and lack of sleep on the eve of the museums opening. We are very used to feeling proud about our past. Now I think the moment has come to bridge the past with the present, she told Al Jazeera, sitting in the midst of the hangar-sized exhibition space, a converted brewery. Power tools and cardboard boxes were strewn among equally everyday objects, which turned out to be priceless works of art. I think this is something that should have happened years ago, she said. Legislation establishing the museum, known as EMST, was passed 19 years ago. Since then a permanent collection has been bought and the Fix brewery in central Athens refurbished, all at a cost of $37m. Yet the museum never opened its doors until now, because successive governments fought over its regulations and administration. The delays cost EMST a $3.3m European Union subsidy. It won a grant from the shipping-based Stavros Niarchos Foundation to plug the gap, only to see that too withdrawn a year ago because its doors were still shut. Despite these problems, the opening of EMST is a breath of fresh air to artists, who have struggled during Greeces economic crisis. Unfortunately our politicians are not art lovers, says Kostis, a contemporary artist. At some point artworks were used as a proof of taxable income. That sent the art market underground Collectors bought art from overseas. As a result, its now impossible to price Greek art because no one is buying it. EMST may not fire up the art market directly, since it is not an art broker, but it will make Greek artists more visible. Several are involved in the inaugural exhibition alongside Belgian artists sponsored by the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp, or M HKA. Lucas Samaras worked with Jacques Lizene and Douglas Gordon to create The Unstable Self, a 20-yard-long array of precariously balanced objects. A 16mm film spool is inserted on the bristles of a nailbrush. A wedge of wood balances on a cork. A glass sphere perches atop a bamboo cane. Greek society has been raised on classicism and is not used to such abstractness, but Bart De Baere, director of M HKA, warns that contemporary art is not about solutions, about finished things. Its more about a table where we can continue to reflect. He points to a cloth covered with assorted tools, picture frames, an air duct pipe and a china head, among other things. Its a collection of unimportant things, he says, because there are no important things. OPINION: Greece and the swansong of the nation-state This, at least, is a message likely to resonate with Greeks, who have given up more and more of their luxuries and even necessities during a grinding, nine-year recession. There is now a feeling of a divide between the north and south of Europe, and Athens is a symbol of that, said De Baere. The central question of this whole exhibition is, How can we live together?' For too long we have been focused on money and questions of quantifiable needs we are now barely able to speak with one another and barely able to understand one another. So it may be the most crucial thing to do is to try to be able to speak to one another again and try to be able to deal with other opinions, with diversity. Koskina adds an uplifting note, saying: Even in the most difficult periods of our history and even now, because this is a tough moment for Greece, its through civilisation and culture that one can feel free. EMST was conceived in a period of optimism. In the late 1990s, Greece planned its new Acropolis Museum, now the countrys most popular attraction after the Acropolis itself. Athens has since acquired two concert halls, and early next year will have a monumental national library and opera a $600m cultural complex donated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Unemployment here still stands at 24 percent, but EMST is part of this massive, two decades-long investment in Athens as Europes cultural capital. Greece has lacked a national goal as definable as the Olympic Games ever since it successfully hosted them in 2004. The shift to culture could emerge as Greeces next national project. Women activists stand up to attacks in light of the triple talaq ban debate in India. Mariya Salim is a Kolkata born Indian with a degree in human rights law from the School of Oriental and African Studies. A few months after her husband divorced her with a simple telegram in 2015, Shayara Bano, a 35-year-old mother of two, went to Indias Supreme Court to seek justice. She petitioned the court to ban not only triple talaq (the practice allowing a Muslim man to say the word talaq three times to divorce his wife), which allowed her husband to end their marriage so quickly, but also polygamy and nikah halala the practice which forces a divorced woman to marry another man and consummate her marriage before being allowed to marry again her former husband. Since then the case has stirred much debate and controversy in India. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has very vocally come out in favour of banning triple talaq. Even though its affidavit in the Supreme Court in the Shayara Bano case demanding a ban on triple talaq does not make any reference to uniform laws, many see its sudden championing of Muslim womens right as a step to introducing a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which will impose the same rules in family law across all religious communities in India. The potential passing of UCC has long been opposed by various Indian religious groups who insist on resolving family matters within the religious framework of their communities. The law commission of India recently came out with an open questionnaire, asking for peoples opinions on a UCC. In response, the conservative Islamic leadership has denounced Banos petition and accused those in favour of infringing on the freedom of religion of the Muslim community. And we at the Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan organisation, along with others supporting our cause, have found ourselves between the hammer and the anvil. The existence of secular legal alternatives does not mean that there should be no reforms in personal Muslim law, and that Muslims who do not agree with the current conservative status quo should have to use a secular law to resolve family matters. by On the one hand, some liberals call us anti-reform for being against their proposal of a UCC. On the other hand, conservative Islamic leaders, such as the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, have branded us as traitors and called us and all of our studies fake for insisting that there should be reform in the way Islamic law is practiced in India. Despite these attacks, we stand firmly by our position that gender-just reforms have to be introduced into the Muslim community, but that they have to come through equality-seeking interpretations of the Quran and Islamic law, not through a universal family law imposed on the community from above. Why are we against UCC being forced on all communities? The political right has been advocating a Uniform Civil Code since the framing of the Indian constitution. In the debate on a ban on triple talaq, however, the present governments emphasis has been on gender justice, and we welcome its support of our cause of a complete ban on triple talaq. It is important to note that there has never been a draft of such a uniform law presented to the public for debate or discussion. At the same time there are already a number of laws like the Special Marriage Act, which provide a secular alternative for those who want it. This law allows Indians to marry and be governed by secular civil laws, irrespective of the faith followed by either party. Therefore, there is no need to impose on everyone secular civil code. OPINION: Dreaming again for equality in India At the same time, the existence of such secular legal alternatives does not mean that there should be no reforms in personal Muslim law, and that Muslims who do not agree with the current conservative status quo should have to use a secular law to resolve family matters. In our opinion, religion cannot be regarded as a private matter alone because religion is an essential part of the identity of the majority of the women in India. We recognise this and we have adopted it as a guiding factor in the formulation of our movements vision and approaches as well as in its expression of a collective identity. What are we in favour of? As the debate on triple talaq rages on, a number of Indian Muslim organisations headed by male clergy refuse to even sit and have a civil dialogue with Muslim feminists and other liberal voices of men and women. In the current climate of fear of identity appropriation of the Muslim community by the political right, such organisations have taken to social and traditional media to garner the support of the masses and called for a nationwide protest against reforms. They present our call for reform as a political attempt to interfere in communal affairs and denounce it as perceived interference with the divine, even though Islamic law as practised in India is man-made law. One of these organisations, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, in its affidavit to the Supreme Court rejecting Banos petition has gone as far as arguing: [L]egal compulsions of time-consuming separation proceedings and the high expenses of such a procedure may deter him [the husband] from adopting such a course and in extreme cases he may resort to illegal criminal ways of getting rid of her [wife] by murdering her. In such cases, triple talaq, is a better recourse in comparison to these illegal ventures. We reject such narrow-minded thinking and view it as a very harmful understanding of Muslim womens rights where a threat such as murder is being used to legitimise something as barbaric as triple talaq. Instead we call for the progressive interpretation of Islam, using ijtihad (the exertion of a Muslim jurist to deduce legal rulings from Islams sacred texts) and working within a framework which the Muslim community accepts. We have to fight for womens rights, both within and outside the family. What we see as the only solution to the present predicament is the codification of Muslim Personal Law (MPL) and we have already prepared a draft for debate and discussion. The draft calls for the fixing of a minimum age of marriage for boys at 21 and girls at 18, and strictly prohibits polygamy, nikah halala and triple talaq while also addressing issues such as dowry and maintenance. A survey we have conducted shows that Muslim women overwhelmingly support such a move. More than 80 percent of the 4,700 surveyed were in favour of codification of Muslim law. Furthermore, 91 percent of those surveyed supported a ban on triple talaq. This codification, with consensus from academia, progressive Muslim scholars, lawyers, and women on the ground, can go a long way in addressing the existing contradictions between Islamic law as currently practised in India and womens right to equality and justice. OPINION: Is India ready to abolish triple talaq? This approach is also in agreement with the practice of non-interference with personal laws of communities without their initiative. With this initiative we aim to pull the debate out of the political arena and refocus it on the gender concerns and human rights. By depoliticising the debate, we want to put Muslim women at the centre of the issue and have them reassume the role as the rightful agents of transformation within their own lives. Mariya Salim is a Kolkata-born Indian citizen with a degree in human rights law from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She has been working in the development sector for five years, with a special focus on womens rights. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. While Europe seems to be losing humanity in the face of a refugee crisis, a counter-wave of artistic events is emerging. Rachel Shabi is a journalist and author of Not the Enemy: Israel's Jews from Arab Lands. Walking the streets of Palermo, Sicily, it is immediately obvious why this Italian island should be hosting its second festival of migrant literature this year. The festival, on the Mediterranean island where thousands of migrants have arrived after perilous journeys by sea, is a showcase of migrations cultural heritage. And the island itself is a living, breathing celebration of such heritage: a melting pot of different ethnicities, each adding their own layer of influence in the form of food, architecture, art, linguistic influence or economic development. Roman, Greek and Phoenician empires all passed through Sicily. Then Muslim rule of the island turned it into a thriving, cosmopolitan centre of trade and left Arab signatures in the cuisine as well as on the streets, while the Normans, arriving in the 11th century, presided over a period in which art and architecture flourished, amalgamating Arab, Byzantine and western influences. Various European rules came and went right up to the unification of Italy in the 19th century, each similarly drawn by Sicilys location in the heart of the Mediterranean. Now, all this is practically in the DNA of the place, part of its spirit and identity: people come, people go; they add something to the mix, the blend is in itself innovative and the sum is intrinsically interconnected. Migrating across place and time And so a festival of migrant literature, held over four days last month in Palermo, is in keeping, a continuation of that line. Some 150 writers with migrant backgrounds and from around the world brought a range of literary, creative and journalistic discussions to the city: Iraqi, Syrian and Lebanese novelists and satirists alongside Italian, Somalian, Senegalese, Turkish, Polish and Serbian writers and poets, as well as Nobel laureate, Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka. The festivals artistic director, Davide Camarrone, noted that literature and migration are in some sense synonymous, since literature, like people, migrates across place and time. All of which is a bold and welcome counterpoint to the hostile, suspicious and scapegoating language around migration that has surfaced across Europe. It's rare to see a focus on any benefits of migration, or the idea that an exchange between host communities and migrants might bring positives in both directions. by Faced with the largest refugee crisis since the World War II, with thousands fleeing warfare and persecution in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Sudan, Eritrea and Afghanistan, the reaction around much of Europe has been a hardening of hearts and a bolstering of border patrols. Whether it is wealthier nations such as Britain or France, or poorer European Union members such as Romania or Bulgaria, the comments are strikingly similar: countries are too full, refugees are someone elses problem and migrants are either a security threat, a terrible culture clash or a financial burden, to the extent that their arrival must be controlled or stopped entirely. While individuals and organisations have often as is the case in Sicily stepped in to help, the EUs approach to the refugee crisis has been disastrous, failing to share responsibility regardless of where migrants first arrive. And far-right politicians, in concert with tabloid papers, mainstream a constant supply of hatred and anxiety over the issue. No focus on the benefits of migration Even when the discussion around the migration crisis softens, when there are moments of sympathy such as the widespread outpouring of emotion over images of drowned Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, a year ago the context is of refugees as desperate and in need. It is rare to see a focus on any benefits of migration, or the idea that an exchange between host communities and migrants might bring positives in both directions. ALSO READ: Refugees take centre stage at Berlins film festival Stories that do illuminate potential benefits stand out: a recent example being a report on how immigration helped fuel an economic boom in Sweden, which took in more migrants per capita than any other European nation last year. Still, set against all that, cultural festivals with a focus on migrants are popping up across Europe. Italy has already hosted two such literary festivals alongside the Palermo event: in Milan and in Mantua, Lombardy, earlier this year. London is hosting its first migration film festival this month, while international film festivals from Edinburgh to Berlin have this year focused on the issue. These join long-established calendar events, such as Luxemburgs massive migrant and cultures festival now in its 33rd year, or Slovenias migrant film festival, an international event held on world refugee day since 2010. It seems fitting that, while Europe collectively appears to be losing a sense of humanity in the face of a refugee crisis, a counter-wave of literary and artistic events is emerging, where the human wealth, the cultural assets and the knowledge that newcomers bring are acknowledged, explored and celebrated. Rachel Shabi is a journalist and author of Not the Enemy: Israels Jews from Arab Lands. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. Activists launch parliamentary petition calling on Britain to take responsibility for its colonial legacy in the region. Palestinian activists have launched a campaign calling on the British government to apologise for the Balfour Declaration, which pledged a homeland for the Jewish people in historic Palestine nearly a century ago. At a launch event at the House of Parliament last Tuesday, Palestinian groups and their supporters blamed the plight of the Palestinian people on the legacy of the pledge and wider British colonialism in the region. If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures, the British parliament will have to consider debating the subject. Baroness Jenny Tonge, an independent member of Britains upper house of parliament, said pro-Palestinian MPs from across the spectrum would push the issue regardless of what happens with the petition. There will be people in the House of Commons and the House of Lords who will be raising the issue all through the next year, Tonge said. The activists, backed by the Palestinian diplomatic mission in the UK, intend to pressure the British government in the lead up to the hundredth anniversary of the pledge in November 2017. OPINION: Balfour: Britains original sin In 1917, in a letter to Lord Rothschild, the head of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour, promised support for a homeland for Jews in Palestine so long as existing communities in the area were not prejudiced. His Majestys Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country, the text of the declaration reads. Shortly after the letter was published, the Ottoman Empire, which ruled historic Palestine, was defeated by allied powers in World War I, and Britain established mandate rule in the territory. Speaking at the debate, the head of the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), Majed al-Zeer, said the Balfour Declaration marked the beginning of almost a century of Palestinian suffering. [Britains] role directly contributed to the displacement of the Palestinians the suffering that we are living through today is a direct result of Balfours legacy, said Zeer. So instead of independence, Palestinians were to get wars, camps, refugees, blockades, massacres and many more painful memories. British Palestinian author Karl Sabbagh said Balfours promise to the Zionist movement was just one in a series of conflicting pledges made to Jews and Arabs. [Britains by Majed role directly contributed to the displacement of the Palestinians the suffering that we are living through today is a direct result of Balfours legacy.] According to Sabbagh, while the promise initially stated that Britain would endeavour to facilitate a national home for Jews in Palestine, later governments codified the pledge into the countrys foreign policy. By the time it got into the mandate, Britain said it would secure the establishment [of a Jewish national home], Sabbagh said. So suddenly weve gone from a letter expressing mild interest or support for something, into a statement that can be taken as a binding commitment. The existence of the mandate and the terms of the declaration were used willingly and deliberately by successive British governments of all political persuasions to turn Palestine into a Jewish state. Sabbagh further argued that Britains acceptance of its responsibility for its role in dispossessing Palestinians, could force the country to work towards a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Recognition of the injustice would mean future governments would no longer side-step the issue. It would mean at some level Britain would accept responsibility for its share of the situation today and might do more about it than just parroting the long-dead two state solution. In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said that the government recognised sensitivities surrounding the declaration but would not be apologising for it. The Balfour Declaration was a historic statement and one that the UK Government will not be apologising for, the spokesman said. We are focused on encouraging the Israelis and Palestinians to take steps which bring them closer to peace. However we do recognise the sensitivities many people have about the Balfour Declaration and will mark the anniversary accordingly. The UKs longstanding position is clear: We support a negotiated settlement leading to a secure Israel existing alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just settlement for refugees. INTERACTIVE: A century on: Why Arabs resent Sykes-Picot The launch event was marred by controversial comments made by a member of the public attending the event that appeared to go unchallenged by Tonge. Speaking at the close of the event, the unidentified man spoke of Jews having agitated Hitler prior to the Holocaust. In her response, reported by Sky News, Tonge said she did not hear the full rant. I remember the rant very well but I dont remember hearing very much of it. It was a rant, Tonge said You do get ranters at these meetings and I think the best way of dealing with them if you challenge them they go on and on and on and on the best way is to just say yes, thank you very much, next speaker. Tonge later quit as a member of the Liberal Democrat Party. The PRC distanced itself from the comments made by the man and condemned attempts to discredit its activities. PRC reiterates its position, which is that we dont tolerate any form of anti-Semitism nor holocaust denial statements, said PRC spokesman Samir Habib. The fact that some members of the Jewish Neturei Karta said anti-Semitic statements in the Q&A session of our meeting should not be used to defame our event or speakers. Comments being made by members of the audience should not be used to discredit our activities Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based television network that has changed the media landscape in the Middle East forever, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. On November 1, 1996, Al Jazeera, the Arabic-language satellite channel, launched its first broadcast from Doha. It has since expanded into a media network with several outlets, including the internet and news channels in multiple languages. As one of the first Arab news channels, it soon became the most watched TV outlet in the Middle East and North Africa. Its nonstop coverage of conflicts and uncensored talk shows were unprecedented in a region where government control of the media is widespread. The TV channels exclusive stories from Afghanistan, Iraq and African countries established its reputation globally. Voice of the voiceless Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, chairman of the board of Al Jazeera Media Network, said Al Jazeera has been reflecting peoples hopes, revealed their pains and expressed their ambitions. For 20 years, Al Jazeera stood by the side of people all over the world. It defended their right to knowledge and freedom of expression, he said. Mostefa Souag, Al Jazeeras acting director general, echoed Al Thanis statement, saying that Al Jazeera has made itself the voice of the voiceless. As it enters its third decade, Al Jazeera continues as a leading media organisation with its multiple channels broadcasting in different languages, attracting the attention of millions of loyal viewers who trust its credibility and admire its courage and commitment to them, [to being] always with the people, he said. But Al Jazeeras journey has not been an easy one. Reporters have been killed covering war zones in Iraq, Syria and Libya, and its offices occasionally bombed or shut down in many countries. The blows did little to deter Al Jazeera from covering news stories as they unfolded. Changing the landscape In 2010, Al Jazeera was one of the first news channels to cover a mass protest movement spreading across Tunisia, which would later spark a revolution in the Arab World. The Arab Spring has become the highlight of Al Jazeeras growing influence. Al Jazeera Arabic has changed the media landscape in the Middle East and North Africa, that is the Arab world in general and then, when it expanded into a network, I believe that it is changing the landscape of the world rebalancing the global media, Souag said. But Al Jazeeras critical reports on the uprisings in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria angered many governments. Al Jazeera journalists were jailed in Egypt and many other reporters left their countries after receiving death threats. Charlie Beckett, professor of journalism at the London School of Economics, said there have been negatives to Al Jazeeras growing influence as well. There was a kind of backlash against them, he said. They were seen as partisan and, of course, many of the reactionary regimes that have come back after the Arab Spring have made sure that they have got even more control over their own media. As Al Jazeera celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Arab world of 2016 bears little resemblance to the one that existed when Al Jazeera was launched. Speaking from the networks headquarters in Doha, Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra, said: This is where Al Jazeera aired its first news show a moment many believe had a huge impact on the Arab world and changed the way international media cover the region. A legacy journalists here would like to maintain despite the growing influence of new platforms such as social media. Troops approach Gogjali neighbourhood but run into resistance from ISIL fighters who have controlled Mosul since 2014. Iraqs prime minister has urged ISIL fighters in Mosul to surrender as an offensive to drive the group from the countrys second largest city continues. A day after Haider al-Abadi appeared on state TV to order ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, to give up its positions, troops opened fire with artillery, tanks and machine guns on the fighters on the edge of the Gogjali neighbourhood. They have no choice. Either they surrender or they die, Abadi said. The fighters responded with guided anti-tank missiles and small arms to block the anti-ISIL coalitions advance on Tuesday. READ MORE: ISIL retaliates against locals by torching oil wells Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from east of Mosul, said that the battle is intense as ISIL fighters are putting up stiff resistance against the approaching forces. We are being told by the Peshmerga forces that the black sky is the result of ISIL burning oil wells and tyres in and around Mosul, she said. Now we know this is one of their tactics to try to obscure their position from coalition air strikes and also to obscure the ground. The smoke is incredibly thick, so it is an intense battle. If Iraqi forces enter Gogjali, it will mark the first time troops have set foot in Mosul in more than two years, after they were driven out by a much smaller force of ISIL fighters in 2014. Fire and smoke Air strikes by the US-led coalition supporting the operation added to the fires engulfing Gogjali. From the nearby village of Bazwaya, smoke could be seen rising from buildings on the citys edge, where shells and bombs were landing. There too, ISIL fighters lit fires to make smoke to obscure the city from aircraft. Inside the village, white flags still hung from buildings, put up a day earlier by residents eager to show they would not resist the forces advance. READ MORE: Can Mosul survive ISIL? Some residents stood outside their homes, and children raised their hands with V-for-victory signs. The families, estimated to number hundreds, will be evacuated from the village to a displaced peoples camp, according to Iraqi special forces general Haider Fadhil. For more than two weeks now, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shia militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive ISIL from the city. The allied forces have made uneven progress in closing in on the city. Advances have been slower to the south, with government troops still 35km away. To the north, Kurdish forces and Iraqi army units are approaching the city, and Shia militias are sweeping towards the western flank in an attempt to cut off a final escape route for ISIL, also known as ISIS. The Shia forces Iran-backed troops known as the Popular Mobilisation Units are not supposed to enter Mosul, given concerns that the battle for the Sunni-majority city could aggravate sectarian tensions. Continued violence The US military estimates that ISIL has 3,000-5,000 fighters in Mosul and another 1,500-2,500 in its outer defensive belt. The total includes about 1,000 foreign fighters. They stand against an anti-ISIL force that including army units, militarised police, special forces and Kurdish fighters totals more than 40,000 men. As the Mosul offensive has progressed, bombings have continued in the capital, Baghdad, part of what many Iraqis think are sustained ISIL efforts to destabilise their country. Dozens have been killed since the push on Mosul started in apparent retaliation attacks. Lawyer of prisoners killed by police in Indias Bhopal says the killings were pre-planned murder. The police killing of eight prisoners after their alleged escape from a high-security jail in central India was a cold-blooded murder, according to their lawyer, while opposition leaders and activists said the encounter between the inmates and the security forces may have been faked. Perwez Alam, the lawyer who represented seven out of eight prisoners killed on Monday, told Al Jazeera that he believes the prison break and the following deadly incident was staged by the authorities. It is a fake encounter, a cold-blooded murder. It was pre-planned murder and I believe they did not escape the jail, but they were made to flee by the police, he said on Tuesday. I am going to petition the High Court for a judicial inquiry or investigation by the central bureau of investigation. Conflicting accounts Authorities in the state of Madhya Pradesh said on Monday that the men, suspected of being members of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), were shot dead on the outskirts of the city of Bhopal. They had slit the throat of a guard and escaped the high-security Bhopal Central Jail by scaling the facilitys walls with knotted bedsheets, according to officials. It's a truly patriotic responsibility to probe an encounter when it looks fake. Lost faith in the system's lot more damaging than 800 #SIMI https://t.co/KsqgyaQ7ar Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) October 31, 2016 Yogesh Choudhary, Bhopals inspector general of police, initially said that the men were unarmed but were killed after resisting efforts to be returned to custody. Choudhary later changed his account and told reporters that they had weapons and cross-firing took place. Video recordings of the encounter between the police officers and the prisoners, however, showed crude weapons lying next to the bodies, triggering scepticism in some quarters about the police version of events. REPORTERS NOTEBOOK: Most undertrials in India are Dalits, Muslims and tribals In one of the videos, which were shared on social media on Monday, some of the escaped prisoners are seen standing on a hilltop with raised hands. One officer is heard saying, They are trying to talk to us. In another video, a plain-clothed man is seen pulling out what looks like a brand new knife from the waistband of one of the bodies. The purported video which has surfaced in the public space raises very disturbing questions as to whether the encounter was genuine or fake, Congress leader Manish Tewari told the Indian Express on Tuesday. It also raises the equally pertinent question with regard to the alleged jailbreak. Exposing a fake encounter is not anti-national. Staying silent when you know that an encounter appears fake is what is truly anti-national. Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) October 31, 2016 Indian newspapers also questioned the veracity of the police version of events, and asked how eight unarmed prisoners managed to escape from a high-security facility with over 9-metre high walls and a multi-layered security system. No answers were offered by officials on how the prisoners got past the surveillance and why the cameras in the prison were not functional at the time of the jailbreak, they said. READ MORE: Muslim terror drill draws outrage in India It is an ISO certified jail which means it is high-tech and CCTV cameras are mounted in every corner of the prison building, Alam, the lawyer, told Al Jazeera. Why are not the police disclosing the CCTV footage? Now they are saying the CCTV cameras were not functioning. That does not sound convincing. The police said the alleged encounter in which the men were killed took place about eight hours after the jailbreak and 15km away from the prison. An encounter is an euphemism used in India to describe killings by the police or the armed forces of suspects in gun battles. But civil rights activists argue that in many cases, encounters are simply extrajudicial killings by the security forces who want to bypass Indias laws and slow-functioning judiciary. Awaiting trial Indian authorities have accused SIMI of carrying out several deadly bombings and of having links with armed groups based in Pakistan. Police blamed the group for the serial bombing of Mumbai commuter trains in 2006 which killed 187 people, as well as bomb attacks in New Delhi. The government banned the group in 2001 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington. But in India, membership of a banned organisation is not a crime, according to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had ruled in 2011 that mere membership of a banned group does not make a person criminal unless he or she resorts to violence or incites people to violence. OPINION: Are Indias Muslims a minority? The escaped prisoners who were killed during Mondays encounter had not yet been convicted of any crime, and were under trial for crimes relating to the Unlawful Activities act. Their lawyer said the police was deliberately postponing their trial because they knew that his clients may had been acquitted. Had my clients been acquitted, the police investigation would have been questioned. The police did not want this, Alam said. The trial was running for the past six years and the police was deliberately delaying the case. Al Jazeera tried to reach Madhya Pradesh police for comment but the calls went unanswered. Iraqi army says its forces have advanced to the outskirts of Mosul, as thick plumes of smoke rise from the citys east. The Iraqi army says its forces have advanced to the eastern edge of Mosul for the first time since the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) overran the city more than two years ago. The countrys Joint Operations Command said in a statement on Tuesday that its forces had entered Judaydat al-Mufti, an area on the outskirts of Mosul and some 3km away from the citys airport. Meanwhile, Iraqi State TV reported that the 9th armoured brigade had entered the district of Dweikhlah, in an attempt to open up a separate front in the battle against the armed group. The northern city of Mosul was the biggest prize captured by ISIL when it swept over much of Iraqs north and west in the summer of 2014 and declared a caliphate across those lands and the ones it captured in Syria. READ MORE: Marching towards Mosul with the Peshmerga While Iraqi forces have clawed back large swaths of territory in the past year, retaking Mosul is considered crucial in the battle to defeat the armed group. Fighting was also raging on Tuesday in the eastern district of Gogjali as air strikes by the US-led coalition caused thick plumes of black smoke to rise high into the sky. Al Jazeeras Stefanie Dekker, reporting from east of Mosul, said the fighting was intense as ISIL fighters were putting up stiff resistance against the approaching forces. We are being told by the Peshmerga forces that the black sky is the result of ISIL burning oil wells and tyres in and around Mosul, she said. Now we know this is one of their tactics, to try to obscure their position from coalition air strikes and also to obscure the ground. The smoke is incredibly thick, so it is an intense battle. OPINION: Chemical dangers in the battle for Mosul Estimates of the number of ISIL fighters in Mosul vary from a few thousand to not more than 10,000, according to the Iraqi government and the anti-ISIL coalition. Meanwhile, the Mosul offensive involves tens of thousands of soldiers, federal police, Kurdish fighters, Sunni tribesmen and Shia militias. Many of the militias considered to be backed by Iran were originally formed after the 2003 United States-led invasion to fight US forces as well as Sunni fighters. They were mobilised again, and endorsed by the government, when ISIL swept through Iraq in 2014, but they also have been repeatedly accused of human rights violations against the countrys Sunni minority. The United Nations forecasts that up to one million people risk being uprooted by the fighting, which UN aid agencies say has so far forced about 17,500 people to flee, a figure that excludes those taken into Mosul by the retreating fighters. Also on Tuesday, the Turkish military deployed tanks and artillery to its southeastern border with Iraq, military sources said. A 30-vehicle convoy left Ankara for Silopi, sources told the AFP news agency, adding that it was now close to Adana province in southern Turkey. The sources did not explain why the convoy was being sent. Ankara has repeatedly insisted that it would be involved in the offensive in northern Iraq and would be at the table. Defence Minister Fikri Isik said Tuesdays deployment was a part of Turkeys preparation for important developments in the region, referring to Kurdish rebels inside the country and events in Iraq. Turkey is preparing in advance for whatever happens [and] this is one element of that, he said, quoted by the official news agency Anadolu. As the Mosul offensive has progressed, bombings have continued in the capital, Baghdad, part of which many Iraqis think are sustained ISIL efforts to destabilise their country. In a monthly report released by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, 1,792 people were killed in violence in Iraq in October, up from 1,003 the previous month. One thousand, one hundred and twenty of the dead were civilians. Officials say more than 90 percent supported the new charter, though turnout was low following an opposition boycott. An overwhelming majority of voters in Ivory Coast have backed a new constitution in a weekend referendum that was boycotted by the opposition, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission. The results on Tuesday showed 93.42 percent of voters had supported the new charter. Turnout was 42.41 percent of registered voters, commission president Youssouf Bakayoko said on state-owned television. The opposition had previously said that it believed only around 6 or 7 percent of voters took part. The boycott meant there had been little doubt about the outcome and the focus was on turnout as the key measure of whether there was broad public support for the new constitution. Before the vote, President Alassane Ouattara had said the new constitution would help end years of instability in the country. But the proposed package alarmed opposition leaders and prompted accusations that Ouattara is trying to line up a successor for when his term ends in 2020. Ouattaras revised constitution would create a vice president picked by the president, and set up a senate, a third of whom would be nominated by the head of state. READ MORE: Ivory Coasts Gbagbo trial to begin at The Hague It would also get rid of a contested clause on national identity that took effect in 2000. It stipulates that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and not have sought nationality in another country. The issue has previously contributed to of unrest in the country. In recent years, Ivory Coast has made progress, and the International Monetary Fund says it will be Africas fastest-growing economy by the end of 2016. UN chief sacks peacekeeping force commander as troops are accused of failing to protect civilians during Julys clashes. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has sacked the commander of a peacekeeping force in South Sudan following a damning report that accused the blue helmets of failing to protect civilians during an outbreak of violence in July. The report from a United Nations special investigation found that a lack of leadership in the UN mission, known as UNMISS, culminated in a chaotic and ineffective response during the heavy fighting in the capital Juba from July 8 to 11 that killed dozens of people. Peacekeepers abandoned their posts and failed to respond to pleas for help from aid workers under attack in Terrain Hotel, less than a mile from a UN compound, according to the report. About 12,000 UNMISS peacekeepers were in the country at the time. Bans spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the UN chief had asked for the immediate replacement of the force commander, Lieutenant-General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki. READ MORE: South Sudan A country captured by armed factions Al Jazeeras James Bays, reporting from the UN in New York, said the UN would now try to identify those responsible for the security failings, and it would then be up to China, India, Ethiopia and Nepal to discipline their troops stationed in the country for not fulfilling their duties. UN peacekeepers have been deployed to South Sudan since the country gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The worlds newest country descended into war only two-and-a-half years later when President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Soldiers from Kiirs Dinka ethnic group disarmed and targeted troops of Machars Nuer ethnic group, as tens of thousands of people died in the conflict that followed. Many civilians also starved. The rivals signed a peace agreement late last year, under which Machar was once again made vice president, but renewed fighting has seen Machar go into hiding, and a member of his opposition Taban Deng Gai take his place as First Vice President. In September, South Sudan agreed to allow 4,000 additional UN peacekeepers to enter the country, after first rejecting the regional protection force as a breach of national sovereignty. Marrakesh Moroccans protesting over the gruesome death of a fish seller have vowed to continue demonstrating until the full truth surrounding his death is known. Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death in a rubbish truck on Friday, as he reportedly tried to protest against a municipal worker seizing and destroying his wares. We want them [the authorities] to know that the children of this region want to end the oppression, said Faysal Awssal, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. People here want respect for the people of Al-Hoceima. People are [politically] aware. We want an investigation that determines what happens, he told Al Jazeera in a phone interview. Nourredine el-Maalem, 47, another activist in Al-Hoceima, said that people were not only demanding a thorough investigation that will bring justice to Fikri, but also a change that will prevent these things from happening in the future. The city is still very sad, he told Al Jazeera. People are demanding the truth and the prosecution of those responsible for the death of the martyr Mouhcine Fikri. OPINION: The plight of the Rif Moroccos restive northern periphery Last Friday evening, police had confiscated all of Fikris merchandise about $11,000 worth of swordfish, according to media reports a species protected in Morocco. Moments later, Fikri and his friends tried to retrieve as much of the fish as they could. The city is still very sad. People are demanding the truth and the prosecution of those responsible for the death of the martyr Mouhsine Fikri. by Nourredine el-Maalem, 47, activist In a video recorded by a mobile phone that went viral over the weekend, his friends are seen jumping out of the lorry. Fikri, who was slightly heavier and less agile, remained stuck inside and was crushed by the grinding mechanism of the truck. A photo of his lifeless body inspired outrage nationwide. While it is still not clear what exactly happened or who activated the machine that ended Fikris life, protests were held all over the country to demand the prosecution of those responsible for the tragedy widely seen as an act of police brutality and oppression. Moroccan authorities did not intervene during the protest, letting people express their outrage as Fikris death was compared by many observers with the fate of Mohammed Bouazizi, the street vendor whose death sparked the Tunisian revolution in 2011. Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane called on Moroccans to end the protests. Many political parties, such as the Authenticity and Development Party, close to the palace, demanded in a statement a thorough and speedy investigation. The Moroccan Interior Minister, who presented his condolences to the family in person, also sided with the protesters. Our King doesnt want such incidents to recur in our country, he said in a statement. The investigation will make sure people are held accountable. Still, people of Al-Hoceima continued demonstrating on Monday a day after thousands of people took part in the funeral procession for Fikri hoping to press for justice. A Facebook live video showed hundreds of protesters on one of the main squares of the city chanting Mouhcine is a Martyr and Down with the Makhzen, referring to the system of power in Morocco. READ MORE: Morocco A two-speed country In 2011, when protests swept the Arab world, Moroccans also took to the streets. Demonstrations, led by the February 20 movement, demanded more social justice and more freedoms but never called for a regime change. King Mohammed VI quickly responded by pushing for a new constitution that was passed after a referendum. A few years on, the country is still facing most of the problems that sparked the demands for change. Some fear that Fikris death will ignite a new wave of protest in Morocco. Fikris father told the Moroccan news site Hespress that the countrys stability was most important to his family. On Monday, shops in the city reopened and people went back to work. Students, however, did not go to school and gathered on one of the citys main squares during a sit-in that lasted hours. Located in the north of Morocco, the Rif region has always had a complicated history with the monarchy, marked by a violent rebellion in the late 1950s that attempted to get its independence from the rest of Morocco. The Rif region, from where one of the most emblematic Moroccan leaders, Abdelkarim Khettabi, hails, has always been difficult to tame. In 1958, Hassan II, who was the 29-year-old crown prince at the time, crushed a rebellion by the Rifian Berbers in the north and severely punished leaders of the upheaval. During his reign, he neglected the region in terms of economic developments, leaving it lacking in infrastructure and access to services available in the rest of the kingdom. When Mohammed VI became king in 1999, one of his major projects was to open up the region, and many tourism and development projects were subsequently launched. The Rif has been structurally and symbolically severed from the rest of other regions in Morocco, said Abdeslam Maghraoui, a Duke University political scientist and North Africa expert. Language, geography, and the quest for some political autonomy has a lot to do with it. Maghraoui described King Hassans policies towards the Rif as neglectful, if not hostile. King Mohammed VIs more personal and conciliatory touch didnt change the deep structural problems. Todays tensions reflect this heavy legacy. Petition by Imran Khans party seeks probe into corruption allegations against the prime minister and his family. Pakistans Supreme Court has heard the defences arguments in the Panama Papers case involving members of the prime ministers family, while marches are staged by hundreds of people across Islamabad demanding Nawaz Sharifs resignation. The court on Tuesday directed all the respondents to submit their comments to form a commission to investigate the Panama Papers leaks before adjourning the hearings, which will resume on Thursday, according to local media reports. A petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has levelled corruption allegations at Sharif and his family and demanded an investigation. READ MORE: Pakistani politician Imran Khans supporters arrested Sheikh Rasheed, of the PTI-allied Awami Muslim League, has demanded that a commission be formed to follow up the matter. Another petition was filed by the Jamaat-e-Islami demanding an investigation into all Pakistani companies named in the Panama Papers. The hearing coincides with days of anti-government protests led by the opposition politician Imran Khan. He called for a shutdown of Islamabad on Wednesday, to pressure Nawaz Sharif to resign, but reports on Tuesday suggested that he had backed down. Instead of the protest, Khan said that he would hold a celebratory rally, following a decision by the Supreme Court to pursue a case linked to Sharif. On the Supreme Courts advice, we have decided that tomorrow we will thank God and celebrate a day of thanks at [Islamabads] parade ground, Khan told media. Container road blocks Al Jazeeras Kamal Hyder, reporting from Islamabad, said scuffles resumed between Imran Khan supporters and police on Tuesday, however the government managed to stop the protesters marching towards the city by blocking roads with containers and by using of tear gas. The court, which also took up the hearing of Panama data leaks that implicate [Sharif] and his family, has asked both sides to come to an agreement to repose confidence in the court, after which there is a likelihood of a judicial commission being formed, he said. However, we are not sure if that would be enough to stop Imran Khans march aiming at locking down Islamabad. Two PTI supporters reportedly died after inhaling tear gas used by police to prevent hundreds of protesters from entering Islamabad on Tuesday, the opposition party said. Two of our workers have been killed due to excessive use of expired tear-gas shells, said Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a senior PTI leader, said on local Geo TV. READ MORE: Pakistan Police clash with protesters in Rawalpindi Local authorities could not immediately be reached to confirm any deaths. Pakistan police launched a nationwide crackdown on Monday, arresting up to 1,800 PTI supporters following intermittent clashes. Amnesty International on Tuesday called on Pakistan to release the activists detained before a planned mass protest Champa Patel, the UK-based rights monitors South Asia director, said there was no justification for what she called a repressive crackdown by police. Analysts believe the role of the all-powerful army will be key in determining the outcome of the ongoing confrontation, and Sharif may need to strike a deal with them that would leave him further weakened to ensure his survival. Russia says Syria peace talks are delayed indefinitely and accuses the West of failing to rein in violent rebels. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has accused Western countries of failing to rein in violent rebels in Syria, and said the resumption of peace talks had been indefinitely delayed. Shoigu said on Tuesday that rebels backed by Western governments had been attacking civilians in the government-held western Aleppo, despite a pause in Russian and Syrian air strikes. As a result, the prospects for the start of a negotiation process and the return to peaceful life in Syria are postponed for an indefinite period, Shoigu said. Aleppo has been hit by some of the worst violence in Syrias long-running conflict, turning the once-bustling economic hub into a divided and bombed-out symbol of the brutal war. At the moment, Aleppos frontline runs through the heart of the city, dividing rebels in the east from government forces in the west. Rebels launched an offensive last week against western Aleppo, more than a month into an operation by the army to retake the citys rebel-held eastern districts, which it had already put under siege. Shoigu, who was addressing a meeting of Russian military officials, railed against those rebels and their backers, saying they had squandered a chance for peace talks. It is time for our Western colleagues to determine who they are fighting against: terrorists or Russia, Shoigu said, in remarks broadcast on Russian television. Maybe they have forgotten at whose hands innocent people died in Belgium, in France, in Egypt and elsewhere? READ MORE: Syrian peace talks back on Listing attacks that had been carried out by Western-backed rebels inside Aleppo, he said: Is this an opposition with which we can achieve agreements? In order to destroy terrorists in Syria, it is necessary to act together, and not put a spanner in the works of partners. Because the rebels exploit that in their own interests. Shoigu said he was also surprised that some European governments had refused to allow Russian navy vessels bound for Syria to dock in their Mediterranean ports to refuel or take on supplies. But he said those refusals had not affected the naval mission, or interfered with supplies reaching the Russian military operation in Syria. Khaled Khoja, a top negotiator with the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) main opposition bloc rejected widespread criticism of attacks on civilians in western Aleppo, stressing that as HNC we dont accept civilian targets. Khoja acknowledged that there had been civilian casualties as the rebels struggle to break the siege, but blamed international backers such as the United States who had refused to provide accurate weapons. He told AFP news agency in Geneva that the rebels are not targeting civilians, they are targeting the regime, but the bombs they are using are not perfect bombs. On the other side, he said, the Russians are targeting civilians, the regime is targeting civilians. Its uncomparable. Separately, a Kremlin spokesman said that a temporary pause in Russian and Syrian government air strikes on Aleppo was in force for now, but could not be extended if the rebels in the city did not halt their attacks. Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the humanitarian pause in Russian air strikes in Aleppo had allowed civilians to flee, and made it possible for aid to be brought in. But all that is impossible if the terrorists continue to fire on neighbourhoods and humanitarian aid routes, to launch attacks, and continue to hide behind a (human) shield. That will not permit the continuation of the humanitarian pause, Peskov said. All sides may be committing war crimes Meanwhile, all sides fighting over the Syrian city of Aleppo may be committing war crimes through indiscriminate attacks in civilian areas, UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a regular briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. All parties in Aleppo are conducting hostilities that are resulting in large numbers of civilian casualties and creating an atmosphere of terror for those who continue to live in the city, Shamdasani said. READ MORE: Letter from Aleppo My city is not just a death toll Over the weekend, the UN documented the deaths of more than 30 civilians, including 10 children, as well as dozens of injuries, resulting from strikes by mortars, rockets and other improvised explosive devices on western Aleppo, she said. The reported use of ground-based missiles, along with the use of armed vehicles loaded with explosives, used in an area containing more than one million civilian inhabitants, is completely unacceptable and may constitute a war crime, Shamdasani said. The UN did not have enough information to attribute the attacks to specific groups, she said. Government forces and their allies were also continuing to shell opposition-held eastern Aleppo, and the UN had documented at least 12 civilian casualties, including two children, on Saturday and Sunday, she said. Strikes against hospitals, schools, marketplaces, water facilities and bakeries are now commonplace and, if proven to be intentional, may amount to war crimes. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, hundreds of civilians have been killed or wounded in eastern Aleppo in Syrian and Russian air strikes since the collapse of the latest ceasefire and the announcement by President Bashar al-Assads government last month of a major ground offensive to retake the city. Some 250,000 to 300,000 civilians are thought to be trapped in eastern Aleppo, with dwindling food supplies and extremely limited medical care in underground hospitals that have been hit repeatedly by air strikes. At least 12 Cumhuriyet employees affected by decision described by government as arising from probe launched in August. Turkish police have detained at least a dozen people working for the Cumhuriyet newspaper, according to news-media reports. Cumhuriyet said that along with Murat Sabuncu, the editor-in-chief, 13 other other employees of the paper, including its managing staff, writers and executives, were detained on Monday. State-run Anadolu Agency said 12 people from Cumhuriyet were detained, adding that their homes were searched. The detentions come as authorities crack down on anyone suspected of links to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based religious leader accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating a failed coup in July. A statement by the Istanbul prosecutors office said the media employees had been taken into custody for having alleged links to Gulen and the outlawed armed Kurdistan Workers Party. Numan Kurtulmus, a government spokesperson, said on Monday the detentions were the result of an investigation initiated in August. He also said that it was not possible for politicians to comment on the process. There is an ongoing legal process. We will all follow this legal process, he said. Scores of opposition media organisations have been shut down since the government acquired emergency powers following the failed coup, including pro-Kurdish ones such as IMC TV, the Dicle news agency and the Ozgur Gundem newspaper. More than 100,000 people had already been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested since the coup attempt. Over the weekend, Turkey dismissed a further 10,000 civil servants and closed 15 more media outlets over suspected links with armed groups and Gulen. Laptops seized Cumhuriyet said its staff had their laptops seized from their homes after a police search. Footage showed one writer, Aydin Engin, 75, being ushered by plain-clothes police into a hospital for medical checks. Asked by reporters why he was detained, Engin said: I work for Cumhuriyet, isnt that enough? Another veteran journalist, Kadri Gursel, who began writing for Cumhuriyet in May, said on Twitter that his house was being searched and that there was an arrest warrant for him. Readers of the daily gathered in masses at the Cumhuriyet headquarters in Istanbul to protest against the operation. Cumhuriyet, known for its vigorously independent reporting, got wide international attention in 2015 when it reported on a fleet of Syria-bound trucks allegedly sent by the countrys intelligence agency, carrying weapons to Syrian anti-government fighters. Can Dundar, Cumhuriyets previous editor-in-chief, was sentenced to six years for publishing state secrets for that report. Dundar, who lives in Germany now, has ruled out returning to Turkey until the emergency measures are abolished. He is among the people prosecutors issued arrest warrants for on Monday. While Turkey insists it is acting within the rule of law, organisations defending free speech have accused the government of violating human rights. Restrictions imposed under the state of emergency go beyond those permissible under international human rights law, including unjustifiable limitations on media freedom, Reporters Without Borders and other rights groups said earlier this month. The EU criticised Turkey on press freedom following the arrest of senior staff members of a national daily. Turkeys prime minister has shrugged off European Union criticism over media freedom in the country, following the detentions of at least 13 senior staff members of a national newspaper. In a televised speech to his partys legislators, Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday that Turkey will not be taught lessons by Europe, and the government will protect press freedom until the end. READ MORE: Turkey detains top staff of Cumhuriyet daily Mondays detentions of the chief editor, columnists and a cartoonist at one of Turkeys oldest newspapers, Cumhuriyet, sparked an international outcry, including from the EU and the United States. European Parliament President Martin Schulz called the detentions on Twitter yet another red line crossed against freedom of expression in Turkey. .@cumhuriyetgzt isnt just any other independent newspaper: its the oldest secular newspaper in the country, an institution of the Republic Martin Schulz (@MartinSchulz) October 31, 2016 Referring to Schulzs comments, Yildirim said Turkey will not give in to threats and argued that the issue of media freedom is being used by the EU to try to limit Turkeys steps in combating terror. Brother, we wont take notice of your line. The nation draws the red line for us. What importance does your line have? Well draw a line over your line, Yildirim said. They keep putting press freedom in front of us whenever we take steps in combating terror. The Istanbul prosecutors office said the detentions follow an investigation into the left-leaning and secularist papers alleged support to the movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by the government of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt, as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Yildirim said there are two dimensions to the investigation: one based on a procedural complaint filed at the newspapers corporate body and the other a prosecution that began with the charge of supporting terror without being a member of terrorist organisations. The paper, known for its critical stance towards the government, rejected the allegations and Tuesdays edition ran the headline: We will not surrender. The columns of two of its detained writers were left blank. READ MORE: Turkey sacks 10,000 civil servants, shuts media outlets Ayse Yildirim, a columnist at Cumhuriyet, who is not related to the prime minister, told the Associated Press news agency that the newspaper would continue to publish blank columns until its managers and writers are released. International reaction has been very important, she said, adding: I think these reactions will continue and they will stand by us as this may be an issue of democracy for Turkey but we are facing an issue that concerns the whole world. On Monday, hundreds gathered outside the newspapers Istanbul headquarters on Monday to protest against the detentions as Turkeys crackdown on critical media widens. Demonstrators and opposition parties said they will continue the vigil until the detained are released. Since the failed coup attempt, authorities have arrested close to 37,000 people and more than 100,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from government jobs in a purge aimed at eradicating Gulens network. At least 170 media outlets have been shuttered and 105 journalists arrested, according to the Turkish Journalists Association. The government has also appointed trustees to companies with alleged connections to Gulen, as well as at least 28 municipalities with suspected ties to the cleric and the PKK. Turkeys prime minister also said his government could consider proposing a measure for a limited reinstatement of the death penalty amid public demands that the plotters of the failed coup attempt be executed. He added, however, that the measure will not be retroactive and cannot apply to the coup plotters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said he will ratify the bill on capital punishment. A University of Tennessee psychology associate professor told UF students Monday that discussions about the LGBTQ+ community should focus on tackling myths about the community. On Monday, Patrick R. Grzanka spoke to about 50 students about his ongoing study The Born This Way Wars and the Future of Sexual Orientation, which looks at how society views nonheterosexual communities. The Born This Way Wars reflects the diversity in not only the attitudes towards the sexual minorities today, but the various news about what sexual orientation even is, he said. Through his research, he surveyed college students, both who identify as straight and non-straight, on what they believe sexual orientation is, whether they believed it can change and if one can define different sexual orientations. In his findings, he discovered most people do believe people are born a certain sexuality, but responses varied when it came to deciding if a person can be grouped by their sexuality, if they can change their sexuality and if one can tell a persons sexuality without being told. His results show that instead of trying to promote a born this way mentality, activists for the LGBTQ+ community should focus more on dismantling the stereotypes related to sexual minorities in order to create a more inclusive society. Some public figures who have talked about the LGBTQ+ community believe being homosexual or queer is a choice, while others believe sexuality is biological, with a person being born into a sexuality, he said. But he argued that they speak more about how sexual orientation is viewed by the public. Staci Ouch, 22, said she attended the talk because she was interested in understanding intersectionality and how society views sexual orientation. I think basing human rights on the fact that you should treat humans decently because theyre born this way is a good thing to look at, the UF counseling psychology doctoral student said. But also, if sexual orientation was a choice, you should still treat human beings decently. Patrick R. Grzanka Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now While much of Gainesville went door-to-door collecting candy for Halloween on Monday night, a group of UF students and residents celebrated Dia de los Muertos instead. Nueva Alianza, a Hispanic religious organization at UF within Catholic Gators, organized the celebration of the Mexican holiday, which started on . It drew about 60 people to honor their passed-away loved ones. Authentic Mexican food, music and candy-skull face painting greeted the crowd at St. Augustine Church near Midtown. In the middle of the celebration, a three-tiered altar representing heaven, earth and purgatory was decorated with flowers, incense, food and photos of loved ones. We believe that our deceased loved ones will come and be in this festivity, said Sister Ana Galvan, a Catholic Gators campus ministry assistant. Thats why we put food on the altar to invite them. She placed a picture of her grandfather on the altar to remember him on the holiday. Although she is not Mexican, 23-year-old Rebeca Siguenza said she would honor her late grandmother Monday and today. She loved events like this, so I want to remember her and celebrate her life, she said. Members of the Nueva Alianza painted sugar skulls on peoples faces, designs traditionally used to decorate grave stones. Michelle Ordax, Nueva Alianzas historian, said the makeup shows the unification between all people, because below the surface, everyone is a skeleton. It brings unity, the 19-year-old said. It doesnt discriminate. Everyone is the same, and there is no hierarchy, which is beautiful and amazing. We are all a family. We are all the same from dust to ashes. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe Now A community bank in New Jersey has raised millions in funding from Silicon Valley's star fintech venture capitalists. Cross River Bank in Fort Lee closed a $28 million round of investment led by Battery Ventures. Andreessen Horowitz and Ribbit Capital also participated. The $467 million-asset bank said in a press release Tuesday that it plans to use the funds to launch new business lines to support fintech firms, expand its technology and product development teams and continue investing in its compliance infrastructure. "Cross River has always used technology and innovative business strategies to carve out profitable niches and level the playing field against larger competitors where our commitment to compliance is a competitive differentiator," Gilles Gade, the bank's chairman and chief executive, said in the release. Cross River has been an advocate of marketplace lending, partnering with more than 15 online lending companies, including Affirm, Borrowers First, Marlette Funding, Rocket Loans and Upstart. The bank originated more than $2.4 billion of aggregate loans last year. It has also developed payments solutions for faster, more secure and lower-cost transfers that have been integrated by Google Wallet, Stripe and TransferWise and the bitcoin wallet Coinbase, among others. As part of the financing deal, Scott Tobin, Battery Ventures' general partner, will join Cross River's board. Gade "and his team have built a truly disruptive business that combines the best of these technologies with stringent regulatory and compliance procedures in ways that have helped the bank become a partner of choice for both established and emerging fin-tech companies," Tobin said in the release. Leaders of CPC, KMT emphasize opposition to forces supporting "Taiwan independence" Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Taiwan's Kuomintang party leader Hung Hsiu-chu in Beijing on Tuesday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Hung Hsiu-chu, the visiting chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, and called for officials on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to remain committed to the one-China consensus. Holding talks with a delegation led by Hung at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, Xi said ensuring national integrity and protecting the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation is the "common will of all Chinese people". Xi stressed the importance of the 1992 Consensus, essentially a commitment to the one-China policy, which official delegates from both sides of the Straits agreed upon in November 1992. Xi made a six-point proposal on cross-Straits relations, including adhering to the 1992 Consensus, resolutely opposing forces supporting "Taiwan independence", promoting social and economic cooperation between the two sides and working together to carry forward Chinese culture. "Two parties' contributions to the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations has been written in history," Xi added. "The two sides across the Straits have become an integral whole with a common destiny." It is Hung's first trip to the mainland since she became head of the KMT on March 30. It also marks the first visit by a KMT leader since the party lost Taiwan leadership and a legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party in the January elections. During her meeting with Xi, Hung said that CPC and KMT should expand exchanges between the two sides, including economic cooperation and interactions among young people. She also stressed her stance on opposing "Taiwan independence" during her meeting with top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng on Tuesday. Hung arrived in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, on Sunday to start a five-day visit, making her first stop the Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the KMT. On Wednesday, she will attend a forum on peaceful development of cross-Straits ties. The meeting between Xi and Hung is the most significant event since the DPP took Taiwan's leadership in May, said Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies. "Cross-Straits relations have entered a cold period since the DPP takeover. The interaction between KMT and Communist Party of China, however, helps to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," said Ni. In addition of talks with high-level leaders of the CPC, Hung's visit also has led to exchanges among people from both sides, according to Ni. "Her visit to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and a technology hub in Beijing has drawn the public's attention and reminded people of the positive side of cross-Straits relations. Despite the difficult political situation, the exchange and mutual trust among people from two sides still exists," he said. Square 1 Bank, a unit of PacWest Bancorp, has hired two financial services veterans to expand its banking services for venture capital and private-equity firms and named a new leader of that practice. Judy Lee and Chuck Tedeschi have joined Square 1 as senior vice presidents in its equity funds group, the company said in a news release Tuesday. She is based in San Francisco, and he is based in Boston. Lee was vice president in the venture capital and private-equity services practice of Silicon Valley Bank, which is well known for catering to tech entrepreneurs. She held other positions there -- including senior adviser in fixed-income asset management as well as technology and life sciences banker -- during more than a decade of working in northern California's high-tech hub. Tedeschi has spent about 20 years in venture capital, private equity and tech banking. Like Lee, he is also an alum of Silicon Valley Bank, where he spent a decade. Most recently, he held leadership positions at NewSpring Capital and NEPC, where he conducted research on venture and PE firms on behalf of institutional clients. Meanwhile, Square 1 has promoted managing director Brad Smith to head of the equity funds group. Smith joined the company two years ago to expand its relationships with venture capital firms in Northern California. Square 1 is based in Durham, N.C., and its niche is serving tech and other entrepreneurs and their investors in 13 major cities. PacWest, a $21 billion-asset banking company in Los Angeles, bought Square 1 in October 2015 for $847 million. Like me, you must be heartened. Democrats in force are condemning Hillarys bald-faced corruption. It proves that truth, morality, and justice triumph. Hallelujah. Harry Reid, the outgoing Senate minority leader, has broken dramatically with Hillary. In a letter to FBI Director James Comey, per USA Today, Reid asserts: "Your [Director Comeys] actions in recent months have demonstrated a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another," Reid wrote. "I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election. Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law." [emphasis added] Oops. Seems that Reid is doing the opposite. Hes blaming Comey falsely as a diversion. Thats right out of the Democrats playbook. Note that across the mainstream media, lesser Democrats are out in force parroting Reids talking point: blame the FBI director. Thats what Democrats do when their power is threatened: they circle the wagons and mimic whatever their leaders say. Change the focus. Muddy the story. Befuddle voters. Rinse and repeat. Comeys crime, per Democrats: disclosing a renewed Hillary investigation based on the discovery of an estimated 650,000 emails on a laptop in the possession of girl-trolling Anthony Weiner. Thats Huma Abedins estranged beard husband. The Democratic Party needs to pay an agonizing price for robust support of Hillary (Obama, too, for breaching national security by being on Hillarys private servers and lying about it). Theres no wink and a nudge this is just politics excuse for Democrats. You know, Reid and Democrats claiming just to be good soldiers. That works in Washington, a city wallowing in cynicism and with every new revelation, a capitol city riddled with corruption. But elsewhere? Not where honest citizens live. The Democrats are colluding. Theyre knowingly aiding and abetting Hillarys criminal conduct -- multiple criminal actions, in fact. Grave breaches of the law that very likely seriously compromised national security. Thats your safety and your familys. The violations are obvious. Democrats have no plausible excuses for backing the Clintons. Writes Andrew C. McCarthy for National Review: There were other worthy Democrats, but the party chose to nominate the subject of a criminal investigation. That is the Democrats own recklessness; Jim Comey is not to blame. And if the American people are foolish enough to elect an arrantly corrupt and compromised subject of a criminal investigation as our president, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. No point in gainsaying McCarthy about there being other worthy Democrats, but we can most certainly contend with him on a couple of other key points. McCarthy chides the Democrats for nominating Hillary, whos been the subject of criminal investigation. How could Hillary ever have been in the running for the Democratic nomination given her rap sheet? The Clintons have been the subjects of scandal and controversy involving legitimate charges of corruption since the 1980s (their Arkansas days). Since the early 1990s, when the Clintons assumed the national stage, yet more scandals yes, involving not just Bills tawdry sex life, but corruption. Post Bills presidency, which featured an impeachment and perjury (leading to his disbarment, a civil rather than criminal penalty; the charges should have been criminal), the Clintons have operated as scammers. The Clinton Foundation is a pay-to-play influence-peddling enterprise. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton evidently traded access for Clinton Foundation donations. Hillary and Bill have been damaged goods for three decades and counting. The Clintons are serially corrupt. Politics isnt the land of Dudley Do-rights, but, come on, if the Democrats cared about moral character and probity in its partys presidential nominee they would have marginalized Hillary years ago. In fact, the Clintons would have been shunned at least on January 20, 2001. As to McCarthys assertion that the Democrats are reckless, again, poppycock. Theyre fully participating in advancing the careers, power, wealth, and prerogatives of Hillary and Bill. This is premeditation. Theyre accessories. They need to be tagged and treated as such. Says Newt Gingrich about the Clintons activities, per NewsMax: "[The Clintons activities are] a giant criminal enterprise disguised as a foundation and disguised as a campaign," the former House speaker told Fox News' Sean Hannity The dirty truth is that Democrats and their party hope to profit handsomely from a Clinton restoration, as its called. Everyone helping return the Clintons to the White House gets a piece of the action. This is about naked ambition and avarice among Democrats. Richard Nixon was hounded from the presidency for covering up a second-rate burglary at Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate. A sole transgression in the midst of the 1972 election finally brought down Nixons presidency in 1974. Today, there are multiple credible allegations of criminality against Hillary and Bill Clinton, and yet the Democrats, who still consider waylaying Nixon a proud legacy, stoutly, aggressively defend their presidential nominee in light of crimes that far surpass Nixons. And crimes theyll be proven to be. Will Bill and Hillary ever be brought to justice? Only if Donald Trump is elected president maybe. The catch is that President Obama would have ever incentive to pardon Hillary, whether or not she wins the presidency (and, yes, she could win). A President Hillary Clintons DOJ would never pursue criminal charges against Barack Obama for his breach of national security or for cover-ups carried out by Loretta Lynch at his DOJ. Hillary could even pardon her husband and whoever else, should circumstances dictate. Counted among the whoever else are plenty of Democrats whose hands are dirty by degrees. If Hillary Clinton wins the White House expect all hell to break loose. Allegations of wrongdoing will multiply; the proof will keep coming and deepening. Half the nation or more will never reconcile itself to a Clinton presidency. Why should Hillary Clinton ever be trusted? Talk about a cancer on the executive branch. Clintons presidency would begin crippled and then go on life-support. Impeachment? That depends on the U.S. House. Would a Republican majority led by Paul Ryan ever attempt impeachment, particularly if the Democrats control the Senate? The Senate is where president Hillary would be tried. Remember the result when Bill was impeached? (Though wouldnt it be ironic to have two President Clintons impeached? Whod dream that up?) But burn this into your mind. Hillary Clinton could never have advanced to a presidential nomination and, perhaps, the White House but for the Democratic Party. Democrats are culpable for foisting a looming, shattering disaster on the American people. However this election turns out, make Democrats pay dearly, at ballot boxes and in every way conceivable. Chutzpah has a new poster child and his name is Harry Reid. The man who stood idly by as the IRS used its ultimate power to target the Tea Party and other groups in 2012 in order to reelect President Obama, the man who lied on the Senate floor about GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, now claims that FBI Director James Comey violated the Hatch Act by fulfilling his obligation to notify Congress regarding new evidence in the Hillary email investigation: Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid set off a firestorm of criticism Sunday after he said that FBI Director James Comey "may have broken" a federal law when he disclosed on Friday that his office was pursuing potential new evidence related to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server less than two weeks before the presidential election. The Senate minority leader from Nevada wrote in a letter that Comey may have violated the Hatch Act, which bars government officials from using their position to influence an election. "I am writing to inform you that my office has determined that these actions may violate the Hatch Act, which bars FBI officials from using their official authority to influence an election," Reid wrote. "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law." Reid, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of his term, added that Comey's "highly selective approach to publicizing information, along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group." Sorry, Harry -- the Hatch Act was written to prevent government employees from campaigning on the governments dime for a political candidate. It was not designed to prevent an FBI director from keeping Congress informed of any changes or new information in a federal investigation on which he has already testified before Congress. While Comey can say he was keeping a pledge to Congress regarding a federal criminal investigation of a presidential candidate, Sen. Reid has no excuse for the lie he admitted telling in 2012 about Mitt Romney, an attempt to influence the presidential results: One of the strangest incidents of the 2012 presidential campaign was when then-Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid accused then-Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney of having not paid any taxes over the past decade. That Reid made that allegation from the floor of the Senate made it even odder. The problem with Reid's allegation? It's just not true. We know that, at least in 2011 and 2010, Romney did pay taxes. How do we know that? Because Romney released his tax returns for those years. In 2011, Romney paid $1.9 million in taxes; in 2010, he paid slightly more than $3 million in taxes. Our own Fact Checker gave Reid Four Pinocchios for his "no taxes" claim. PolitiFact gave the claim a "Pants on Fire" rating. Yet Reid (D-Nev.) not only refuses to retract the allegation but also seems to take great pride in it. When pressed by CNN's Dana Bash last year about continuing to defend a statement that is not true, Reid responded, "Romney didn't win, did he?" To Harry Reid in 2012, the end justified the means. But unlike Dingy Harry, James Comey is not making this stuff up. He did not make up the multiple servers and devices, some scrubbed with Bleach Bit, some smashed with hammers. He did not make up the mass deletions of emails and the fact that state.gov emails may have wound up on the laptop of a pedophile stalker. If Reid and the others wanted full disclosure, they should have demanded it of Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin. Harry Reid wasnt quite so outraged when another government agency with three letters, the IRS, decided to use its power to target and intimidate Tea Party and other conservative groups. As Politico reports, Reid thought groups that merely exercise their right to bind together in common cause to exercise their free speech rights,deserved to be targeted and investigated by a politically motivated IRS: After accusations that the IRS targeted conservative groups unfairly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid argued on Tuesday that some nonprofit organizations are indeed abusing their tax-exempt status. The Nevada Democrat singled out GOP strategist Karl Rove as an abuser of the system because his tax-exempt group, Crossroads GPS, spent millions on the 2012 election to defeat Democrats. His organization, Roves organization, [has] one purpose and one purpose only and thats to defeat Democrats. Anyone who thinks otherwise is being willfully foolish, Reid said. Preventing overtly political groups like the ones run by Karl Rove as masquerading as social welfare organizations, is really a critically important tasks. Roves group was one that several Democrats singled out in 2010, when they asked the IRS to investigate whether they were violating their tax exempt status. Wasnt the attempt by Lois Lerner and her cronies, in a scandal that also involved lost or deleted emails, conveniently crashed hard drives, etc. to target conservative groups a political move by government employees to influence an election? House and Senate Democrats, it has been documented, often sent letters to the IRS asking that particularly successful and annoying groups be investigated. As Investors Business Daily noted: Senate Democrats, including supporters of the Disclose Act, provided the names of groups they wanted targeted in a taxpayer-funded witch hunt overseen by an IRS employee and Obama campaign donor. Using the Citizens United case as a pretext, retiring Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., on July 27, 2012, wrote IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman to investigate 12 conservative groups he accused of violating their tax-exempt status and engaging in coordinated political activity. The groups Levin asked to be targeted for special scrutiny were Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, Priorities U.S.A., Americans Elect, American Action Network, Americans for Prosperity, American Future Fund, Americans for Tax Reform, 60 Plus Association, Patriot Majority USA, Club for Growth, Citizens for a Working America Inc. and the Susan B. Anthony List. Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire; Tom Udall, New Mexico; and Al Franken, Minnesota; sent a similar letter to Shulman in February 2012, asking the IRS to investigate tax-exempt groups they believed were engaged in political activities. So did retiring Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., in 2010 and House Democrats in 2012, the Atlantic reported Monday. And on the House side, Congressional Democrats were hardly reluctant to have the IRS target conservative groups: Coordination by Rep. Elijah Cummings with the IRS to target conservative was also noted by IBD: Of particular interest to us has been Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking member on Rep. Darrell Issa's House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, who has made every effort to keep the committee from finding out the true extent of IRS corruption and abuse of power in its targeting of conservatives. As we've noted, emails released by Issa, a California Republican, show that Cummings' Democratic staff had requested information from the IRS' tax-exempt division, the one headed by Lois Lerner, on True the Vote, a conservative group that monitors polling places for voter fraud and supports the use of voter IDs, something that Cummings opposes. "The IRS and the Oversight Minority made numerous requests for virtually identical information from True the Vote, raising concerns that the IRS improperly shared, protected taxpayer information with Rep. Cummings' staff," the Oversight panel said in a statement. The hypocritical Democrats doth protest too much. They are the ones who have sanctioned abuse by government agencies to influence elections. All Comey has done is his job -- to keep Congress updated on his testimony and investigations. He also may have done a great patriotic service for his country by keeping a possible felon out of the Oval Office. He may well have prevented a constitutional crisis that would make Watergate look like, well, a third-rate burglary. Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. As America nears the end of the Obama times, one wonders how such a person could ever have become the Leader of the Free World. Americans havent been this divided since the Vietnam War. Obama deserves much of the credit for this sad state of affairs, as he has cynically played Americans off against each other. But voters ate up his pabulum about hope and change, as though the only other items on the menu were doom and inertia. I feel bad for African Americans. The first nominally black president has proved to be a flop in so many areas. Id imagine black folks are relieved that Obama is only half black and that his black half is not of slave stock. (Youve been saying America needs a conversation on race, right.) Some black folks might even make the argument that America still hasnt had a truly black president. The election of Barack Hussein Obama tells us a great deal about the American electorate. Rather than voting for an authentic hero who suffered and sacrificed for his country, America opted for the cool candidate. When told by ABCs Charlie Gibson that theres a good deal of evidence that raising tax rates results in lower tax revenue, Obama said he would raise them anyway, for the sake of fairness. If White Boy spouted such nonsense hed be laughed out of town. Its been joked that Obama is the last black president. That might be the case when the bill for the Obama presidency starts coming due in a year or two and his popularity takes a nosedive. The first black president should have been someone from the party of Lincoln. Indeed, Republicans should have run a conservative African American back in 1996. It would have been even better if the GOP had also put a woman on the ticket. If Republicans had launched a ticket of Jeanne Kirkpatrick and Thomas Sowell, it would have been unbeatable, and the sad history of the last twenty years would have been much different. You want to know why America cant have the best for president, look in the mirror. The American electorate wouldnt vote for the best. If we would vote for the best, the contest this year would be Joe Liebermann or Zell Miller against John Bolton or Newt Gingrich. But the American electorate wouldnt find them sexy enough. Americans want a president who can sing, at least for a bar or two, (if youre a Millennial, heres the real thing). America wants an Entertainer in Chief; someone to feel their pain; someone who can do impressions of Chris Rock. If your intent is to break a succession of white men spanning 220 years, you need to find your best and brightest. Democrats didnt do that with Obama. And if your intent is to break a 228-year string of males, wouldnt you want your first female president to be someone of finer material than Hillary Clinton, a woman without all the baggage, a gal you might even be proud of? But American women are intent on having a female president, no matter her character, fitness, and honesty. Since American women seem to be holding America hostage to a uterus, they might read Fred Barnes article Yup, Shes Crooked. If Americas unmarried women are so intent on having a female president, they should want a woman who doesnt need to ride her husbands coattails. Had Hillary not been First Lady, would New York have considered a carpetbagger to be their U.S. senator? And if she hadnt been the senator from New York, how likely would the rest of her political career have been? If you single gals really believe youve come a long way, baby, then support a woman whos achieved things on her own, like Condi Rice. If the thought of two-tiered justice is abhorrent to you, then Mrs. Clinton needs to face the music; she needs to go through the judicial system and answer for her deeds. That is not gonna happen if you make her president. Prosecutors and attorneys general have cited the specific laws she has broken. Her use of a private computer server alone is prima facie evidence of criminality. The Clintons are more trouble than theyre worth. That brings us to Donald Trump. On October 18, John OSullivan wrote that voters should ask themselves two questions: First, which candidate has the better policies? Second, which candidate represents a greater danger to the Republic? For OSullivan, the answer to the first question is obvious; Trump has the better policies, indeed, better policies than some Republicans. OSullivans answer to the second question is more complicated. If you dont see the necessity of voting for Trump, then scroll down and read the block quote near the end of his article and the little bit that follows; heres the beginning of it: It seems to me that when we break this question down, it is a choice between an evil that is erratic, inexperienced [] and an evil that is remorseless, experienced, reliant on influential power networks going deep at home and abroad, able to call on people of high ability at all levels, and supported by most modern social institutions. OSullivan then makes a convincing case that Hillary could likely never be impeached and removed from office. Not so with Mr. Trump, who would be on a short leash from Day One. (I mydamnself made this same argument back in August.) You see, a Trump presidency is a correctible presidency. Oct. 29 on The Greg Gutfeld Show (Ive positioned the starting point of the video), novelist Charles Kirn said: The most important issue for me is not installing total corruption at the very top of our government in a way we have no method for getting rid of. I mean, electing the Clintons again is like spilling milk in your car. Youre never gonna get the smell out. Mr. Kirn also seems to think that Mrs. Clinton is unimpeachable, to use OSullivans ironic twist on the word. Unimpeachable Hillary wouldnt be beyond reproach, the usual meaning the word, but she would effectively be beyond impeachment and removal. Thats not only because ousting the first female president would go down very badly with Americas women, but also because Democrats do not impeach their own, only Republicans have the stomach for that. So, if Hillary becomes president, well be pretty much stuck with her. If Hillary becomes president, she might just be our last female president. Already, too many Americans dont trust and cannot abide the woman. Americas women need to think bigger, and wait for a much finer woman to send to the White House: an American Margaret Thatcher. I already have such a gal in mind. Jon N. Hall is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City. With less than two weeks until election day, an eight-point drop in the polls over the past week would have any candidate beginning to contemplate the possibility of defeat. It is moments like these, however, where a candidate can define himself as a fighter. Is it possible that out of the ashes of the WikiLeaks inferno, Hillary can emerge as a true champion, a survivor, and someone with the stamina to go toe to toe with the male-centric foreign leadership that constitutes the international system? If you are a member of Hillary's campaign team (pronounced "mainstream media"), then the answer is still...hopefully. Unfortunately, this is not a Hollywood success story about a young American girl who grows up to become the first female president. This is real life, and Hillary is the antithesis of the traits Americans have grown to love about a true underdog. As hard as the media has tried to paint her as a powerful woman to idealize, the reality is, she is the model pantomime villain. As feminist Camille Paglia so eloquently stated, "the woman is a disaster." She isn't reminiscent of the brave General Maximus from the Academy Award-winning film Gladiator. She's Commodus a self-obsessed leader willing to do anything necessary to maintain power while saving face with the masses. Hollywood loves these characters because they are so easy to hate. They are selfish; possess a disgusting lust for power; and will unapologetically lie, kill, and destroy if there is something to be gained. My dad (an Italian born in Brooklyn) tells a story about a time he was visiting his in-laws in Mexico and one of my mom's cousins brought him to a cockfight. The scene he described was something right out of a Tarantino film. He arrived at a remote location, and after walking through a series of corridors, he reached a doorway guarded by armed men. As he passed through the doorway, he was immediately met with a cloud of cigarette smoke, the stench of tequila, and the drunken roar of anticipation. He looked down into a sunken arena where two roosters were about to fight. As the roosters were thrown together, the metal spurs attached to their feet immediately started inflicting devastating damage. Moments later, one of the roosters fell over, and my dad thought the fight was over. However, in an instant, the handler of the fallen rooster swept in, picked up the rooster, sucked out blood from its beak, spit it out, took a swig of tequila, spit it down the rooster's throat, and carefully directed the temporarily revived rooster back into the fight. The half-dead rooster instinctively began fighting again and, as luck would have it, landed an instant killing strike to his opponent. The crowd erupted into a frenzy as money began to be divvied up according to the winning rooster which was now actually dead. As I watch this election come to its brutal end, I find the cockfight experience to have disturbing parallels to Hillary's campaign. The WikiLeaks emails would have killed off any previous candidate, but Hillary's handlers have swooped in at the eleventh hour and are attempting to keep her on her feet just a little longer. She doesn't have to survive long just eleven more days. This desperation is not centered on the fear of not winning; her entire campaign (and surrogates) knows that failing to win has ramifications far beyond a monetary loss. With all presidential elections comes a rebalancing of power, and Hillary's team is considering the possibility of transitioning from untouchable status to scapegoat status. Without an impotent Department of Justice and lapdog attorney general, the media would be Clinton's only protection. With media approval ratings at an all-time low, the most expedient course of action would be to disassociate themselves from this late-term political abortion. How will the recent revelation about the FBI reopening their probe into Hillary's email server play out in the media? At this point, it is anyone's guess. However, if Hillary does make it across the finish line as the victor, it will be reminiscent of the Hollywood classic Weekend at Bernie's her weak and battered corpse carried to the winner's circle, supported on one side by the bloodstained face of Abedin and on the other by a tequila bottle-wielding Podesta. Anthony DeChristopher is a nine-year veteran of the United States Army Special Forces and holds a M.A. in strategic security studies from National Defense University's College of International Security Affairs. He blogs at exceptionism.com. The NY Times and the Wall Street Journal both reported on Monday morning that an FBI warrant application to a federal judge over the weekend for permission to search Huma Abedin's emails and laptop had been granted. The application was made on the basis of the Clinton email investigation. Necessarily, that application (as required by the Constitution's Fourth Amendment) would have been supported by FBI affidavits. This new fact is a development of immense potential significance both for Mrs. Clinton personally and for us as American citizens. It is also unprecedented in American history. At a minimum, it enables us to pierce the thick cloud of black ink and disinformation released over the weekend by Team Hillary and which is being widely misreported in the current news cycle. The FBI agents had to make this warrant application because their existing Fourth Amendment search authority was on the basis of Anthony Weiner's (unrelated) suspected misconduct with an underage girl. That investigation was already a grand jury matter. However, that grand jury's authority which is supervised by a federal judge -- did not authorize the Bureau to pursue information which might be pertinent to the inquiry into Mrs. Clinton's use of a personal email server while she was Secretary of State. Making that application, under standard DOJ protocol, required approval from Main Justice. In this case, the assistant attorney in charge of the Criminal Division, if not the attorney general. Since the application was made, it's safe to conclude that the Criminal Division at Main Justice authorized the warrant application. Thus, at a minimum, the senior leadership of the Justice Department is not as unanimously condemnatory of FBI director Comey's letter to Congress on Friday as media reports would lead us to believe. It also explains why Director Comey issued his letter to Congress. The reporting tells us that the FBI's decision to make a warrant application to the supervising judge of the Weiner grand jury triggered Mr. Comey's decision to notify Congress. Having promised Congressional leaders (perhaps unwisely, since he was not required to do so) that, if the Bureau uncovered new evidence relating to Hillarygate which required further inquiry, he would so notify them, he proceeded on Friday to keep his word and do so. Now he's being condemned by the Democrats and the MSM for not saying why. We'll get to the reason why he's not in a minute. But, first, the granting of the warrant application means several important and new things: 1) A federal judge supervising a grand jury has now made a finding, based on FBI affidavits which present evidence gathered during the preliminary Hillary inquiry (the one which the FBI director stated had been closed back in July), that there's probable cause to believe that a federal crime was committed in connection with Mrs. Clinton's use of a private email server. We still, however, don't know what crime(s) are suspected to have been committed. Or by whom. 2) The FBI can use this new grant of grand jury authority to investigate Mrs. Clinton's use of a private email server for the first time to issues subpoenaes to obtain testimony from witnesses and compel the production of documents and things. The Bureau and DOJ can, furthermore, use the judge's probable cause finding to support further warrant applications. This means that, if DOJ authorizes it, a United States attorney now has the ability for the first time to put subpoenaed witnesses before a grand jury. There, without their lawyer in the room, they may be questioned under oath by a federal prosecutor. If the witnesses take the Fifth and the witness's lawyer is allowed to sit outside the grand jury room and be consulted by the witness before answering a question, they can be immunized and, if they still refuse to testify, a judge can jail them indefinitely until they change their mind. Huma Abedin, according to prior reporting, received a grant of immunity during the FBI's preliminary investigation. During the first Clinton presidency, Clinton allies chose jail over cooperating with the federal grand jury investigating both Clintons. We may get to see if a new generation of Clinton allies are willing to do the same. 3) The liberal media's reporting that the Hillarygate email server investigation has not, in fact, been "reopened" is totally false. Why? Because, not only is the probe reopened, it has been upgraded and expanded. It has been upgraded from a preliminary inquiry to a formal criminal investigation with grand jury power. That also means that, at least at the level of the federal grand jury itself, assistant U.S. attorneys assigned to that grand jury are now for the first time formally involved. In other words: the Beast is now fully awake. 4) This weekend's development potentially escalates the threat to Mrs. Clinton. While several other procedural steps and processes are necessary, it is a federal grand jury, not the FBI, which issues indictments. The FBI -- using the the grand jury to obtain testimony, conduct searches and compel the production of documents and things - investigates crimes. The U.S. Attorneys, acting though the grand jury, charge and prosecute those persons whom the grand jury finds probable cause to believe have committed those crimes. 5) This weekend's development also means that, for the first time in American history, a candidate for President of the United States is likely now a subject/target of a federal grand jury investigation. These facts now enable us to analyze and dispel Team Clinton's attempts to lay down a thick fog of misdirection over the scene. Here it is: Mrs. Clinton's demand that the FBI be "transparent" is pure posturing -- spinning to the max (which Mrs. Clinton, as the most criminally investigated presidential candidate in U.S. history, well knows). Younger readers, please take note: this is not, to put it mildly, Hillary Clinton's first rodeo. Not for the first time, Mrs. Clinton is being totally disingenuous with the voters (and the media). She is also making FBI director Comey into her personal punching bag. And she's doing it because she knows that the director can't fight back. In this, Mrs. Clinton is simply repeating a tactic which she and her catspaw Sidney Blumenthal used to good effect during the Whitewater, Travelgate, and Monica Lewinsky investigations in the 1990s. And that tactic worked. Its called grand jury secrecy. Now that Hillarygate is, for the first time, a grand jury investigation, Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) prohibits the FBI and prosecutors from saying anything about "matters occurring before the grand jury." Their lips are sealed. Team Hillary's lips, however, are not. They are neither federal prosecutors nor "agents of the grand jury." So, Mrs. Clinton and her spokesmen -- unlike the federal law enforcement officials they've been targeting all weekend -- are free to tell us everything they know. Let's see if they do. A reporter should ask them. And, in the meantime, let's not bother to hold our breaths. If Hillary really wants "transparency," let her release the FBI's warrant application for permission to search Huma Abedin and Mr. Weiner's emails for evidence relating to whether Hillary's use of a private server violated federal law. Huma's lawyers likely have it. If not, they can certainly get it. Huma, of course, is also free to release the emails too. That's why Hillary's demand for "transparency" by the FBI is moonshine. She damn well knows the feds can't do it. She also now knows that the threat level against her has just been upgraded to ORANGE. William Safire and Christopher Hitchens, thou shouldst be living at this hour! Back in 1974, Hillary Rodham (who later became Mrs. Clinton) was a young ambitious young woman looking to nail President Nixon. Today, events are going to nail Mrs. Clinton. It's Halloween and the ghost of Richard Nixon is knocking at the door of the Clinton home. It's amazing how today's events have reconnected the two once again. In the end, the child of Watergate learned nothing from the scandal, as J. T. McFarland wrote today: No one knows where this new FBI investigation will lead. Maybe, as with Nixon and Watergate, Secretary Clintons most trusted aides will be forced to testify against her to protect themselves. Maybe the Justice Department will charge Secretary Clinton with a crime. Maybe the political fallout will be so significant she will lose the election. Maybe she will be elected but unable to govern effectively because her presidency will be dogged for months, and even years, by investigations and scandals. No one can know that now. What we do know is that this is not going away. Hillary advanced through her political career thinking if she could always destroy the evidence she and the rest of Clinton Inc. could never be held responsible for their actions. That was the wrong lesson to learn from Watergate. The right lesson was dont do the crime in the first place. The ghost of Watergate still roams the corridors of power. This wont be a Happy Halloween for Hillary. Bill Clinton did not see the "blue dress" coming. Hillary Clinton did not see the emails or Wikileaks. In the end, the Clintons are like poison in the body politic. They pollute us and destroy all the people who have carried their water for years. The Clintons' current problems also speak volumes of the state of the Democrat Party. Where was the Democrat who called on her to drop out a year ago? Unfortunately, there are no such Democrats anymore because this is a party bought and paid for by the Clintons. They own this party and they will destroy it. Mrs. Clinton may win because of their massive ground game. How will she govern? She can't! Maybe she can get advice from the ghost of Nixon. Twice, Richard Nixon put the country over his ambitions. In 1960, VP Nixon had credible evidence of vote fraud in Texas and Illinois. He could have challenged the results and drag it out for weeks. He decided otherwise and put the country first. No one was more grateful than president-elect Kennedy. In the summer of 1974, he could have dragged out the impeachment process and fought conviction in the U.S. Senate. He didn't and saved us again from a nightmare. It's time for Mrs. Clinton to do a Nixon and resign if she is elected. Doug Schoen is right that the country cannot afford a President Clinton in this moment of serious challenges. P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. The WikiLeaks emails prove that Obama knew that Hillary was using a private email system. As an experienced prosecutor, FBI director Comey knew that Hillary would argue in her defense that Obama knew about her using the private unsecured email system. Obama did not stop her, did not object, and corresponded with Hillary on her system. Given these facts, Hillary would argue she did not have the intent to violate the statutes because her superior, the command in chief, the president, conversed with her on her private email system. Hillary would argue, How can I have the intent to violate the law when the president knows I use the private email system he uses to contact me? Leaving aside that it is Hillary making the argument, it is a reasonable and powerful defense against the charges. Comey recited the facts sufficient to establish a prima facie case that Hillary violated the law. This should have been enough to recommend indictment because one can infer intent from the facts. The facts were clear enough to warrant an inference that Hillary acted with intent. It is then up to a judge or jury, the trier of facts, to draw the inference. The trier of facts may or may not draw the inference, but the facts are sufficient to warrant an indictment. But Comey must have known that Obama knew about her use, and that Obama did not object or tell Hillary to stop. The FBI review of the emails must have shown emails to and from Obama and aides to Obama. Accordingly, Comey would have concluded that Hillary did not have the criminal intent because she believed that Obama was OK with her use of a private unsecure email server. A review of Comey's statement of July 5 shows (emphasis added): 1. "From the group of 30,000 e-mails returned to the State Department, 110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains have been determined by the owning agency to contain classified information at the time they were sent or received. Eight of those chains contained information that was Top Secret at the time they were sent; 36 chains contained Secret information at the time; and eight contained Confidential information, which is the lowest level of classification. Separate from those, about 2,000 additional e-mails were "up-classified" to make them Confidential; the information in those had not been classified at the time the e-mails were sent." 2. "Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information. For example, seven e-mail chains concern matters that were classified at the Top Secret/Special Access Program level when they were sent and received. These chains involved Secretary Clinton both sending e-mails about those matters and receiving e-mails from others about the same matters. There is evidence to support a conclusion that any reasonable person in Secretary Clinton's position, or in the position of those government employees with whom she was corresponding about these matters, should have known that an unclassified system was no place for that conversation[.]" 3. "None of these e-mails should have been on any kind of unclassified system, but their presence is especially concerning because all of these e-mails were housed on unclassified personal servers not even supported by full-time security staff, like those found at Departments and Agencies of the U.S. Government or even with a commercial service like Gmail." 4. "We also assess that Secretary Clinton's use of a personal e-mail domain was both known by a large number of people and readily apparent[.]" Comey, as a reasonable prosecutor, must have concluded that Hillary would use Obama as her prime defense witness to show that she did not have criminal intent. Hillary would blame Obama. Obama made her do it. Silicon Valley investor and billionaire Peter Thiel has delivered a spirited defense of the Trump agenda for change, focusing in a wide-ranging speech on the failures of leadership and the future of the Republic. Mr. Thiel says he is "voting for Trump because other politicians are 'just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.'" Thiel contends that Trumpism is a bad dream for the political establishment: To the people who are used to influencing our choice of leaders, to the wealthy people who give money and the commentators who give reasons why, it all seems like a bad dream[.] They just want to move on. Come November 9, they hope everyone else will go back to business as usual. Discussing the stock market bubble and crash presided over by Bill Clinton and the housing bubble and crash presided over by George W. Bush, Thiel observes: Voters are tired of being lied to[.] It was both insane and somehow inevitable that DC insiders expected this election to be a rerun between the two political dynasties who led us through the two most gigantic financial bubbles of our time. That's how long the same people have been pursuing the same disastrous policies. Thiel would have preferred to see a "race between Trump and Sanders" since both in their different ways "viscerally feel the decline of America." Thiel further notes that government once did the Manhattan Project and the moon landing: Voters are tired of hearing conservative politicians say that government never works[.] They know the government wasn't always this broken. Rush Limbaugh quoted from Mr. Thiel's speech: Just as much as it's about making America great, Trump's agenda is about making America a normal country. A normal country doesn't have a half trillion dollar trade deficit. A normal country doesn't fight five simultaneous undeclared wars. In a normal country, the government actual does its job. Following World War I, presidential candidate Warren G. Harding campaigned on a "return to normalcy," meaning at the time a break from war and President Wilson's idealistic notions. In today's context, a "normal" country might include government that serves the people, following constitutional rules and defending constitutional rights. Does a normal country allow its borders to be overrun by illegal aliens and nefarious actors? Does a normal country allow its military to become depleted to levels not seen since before World War II? Does a normal country send its young people to lose life and limb in foreign lands and then abandon the fight for political expediency? Does a normal country allow its military veterans to die awaiting medical treatment and to live without homes? Does a normal country ship out its jobs in the name of globalism and international order? Does a normal country turn its already problematic health care system upside-down in pursuit of political utopia? Does a normal country indoctrinate its children with anti-American notions and call it education? Does a normal country demand political correctness while glorifying cultural rot? Does a normal country foment resentment of its most productive citizens? Does a normal country embrace the status quo of corruption and decline, when, as Peter Thiel notes, "we're on the Titanic, and it's about to sink"? Does a normal country live through a national disgrace of a presidential couple as crooked as the day is long and then nominate them for yet another term? Mr. Thiel considers Hillary Clinton "much more dangerous than Trump" in one more respect: The kind place where I worry about the most on a policy level is, do we get into more wars or not? I'm not sure if that's more of a temperament or more a matter of world view, but certainly I would worry much more in that with Hillary getting us into wars. While Thiel focuses on the need for new leadership in a declining America, a National Review piece by Deroy Murdock warns of the devastating effects of the armies of statists a President Hillary Clinton would appoint at all levels of government, from judicial and cabinet to agency and staff: A President Hillary Clinton would nominate hundreds of people to top positions that require Senate approval. She would hire hundreds of thousands of others and unleash them to perpetrate Hillaryism a toxic blend of lies, elitist nannyism, secretive paranoia, and snarling contempt for the law. These people would enjoy police powers, fat salaries, mouth-watering benefits, and bullet-proof job security at taxpayer expense. [S]he would hire smart, focused, far-left lawyers, economists, inspectors, and administrators to enter the bureaucracy, burrow like termites, and slowly nibble away at what remains of this beautiful country. Thousands of young Rodhamites could infest America's federal agencies and cause incalculable damage until they retire 30 or 40 years hence. Mr. Murdock to his credit presents the "flip side of this threat" that Mr. Trump would bring to the presidency, even suggesting a potential cabinet list: In contrast to that frightful picture, visualize the conservative, free-market constitutionalists whom Donald J. Trump would place in those positions. Think carefully. Vote accordingly. Hillaryism piled on Obamaism is a very bad dream for America. A new return to normalcy in America starts with a break from the toxic mix of liberalism and corruption. I spoke to a Jewish lawyer liberal friend of mine, and he compared Donald Trump's picking up women twenty years ago to Anthony Weiner's recent texting his privates to a fifteen-year-old girl. What is wrong with liberals that they can't distinguish perversion from flirtation? Actually, liberals can't distinguish anything. They mistake policing through stop and frisk into bigotry. They throw out the baby with the bathwater and leave decent people to be harassed by thugs. They watch Muslims decapitate captives and burn them in cages. They justify this because Americans have occasionally accidentally bombed people who were using captives as human shields. Liberals like Obama and Hillary are afraid to use the term "radical Islam." They don't want to verbally define people who are already defined by their horrible behavior. They see the world as weak gray because they don't have the courage to see black and white. So liberals go on confusing the definitions of the world and mistaking gym locker talk from The Donald for Weiner's perversion. Liberal stupidity would be funny except for the fact that they are tumbling the world into a kettle of ill defined stew. I spent nearly two hundred thousand dollars to send my son to Columbia University. They should have paid me. Thank God my son had his family to counterbalance him from the liberal palaver of the meaningless discussions of the university. James Comey finds himself at the center of the bitterest, most divisive presidential election in memory, a fate he sought to avoid. Having decided not to recommend prosecution of Hillary Clinton in July, his hand was evidently forced when agents brought him news of the existence of a vast trove of emails related to Hillary Clintons home-brew server. Voluntarily or not, Comey is now a key player in the highest-stakes political game our Constitution offers, and he is playing his cards like a riverboat gambler. Two pieces of news yesterday seem to indicate that a complicated game is being played by Comey, now that he understands what he is in the midst of. Reuters reports that Comey, in the expression used by the U.K. Daily Mail, called Loretta Lynchs bluff when she tried to get him to keep secret the discovery of hundreds of thousands of emails. An astonishing confrontation between the attorney-general and the FBI director over Hillary Clinton's emails was revealed Monday. Sources told Reuters how James Comey, the FBI boss, challenged Loretta Lynch, the nation's most senior prosecutor, over whether she was directing him to keep the bombshell discovery of new, 'relevant' emails secret from Congress. (snip) The Comey-Lynch confrontation unfolded on Thursday, some time after Comey was fully briefed on the existence of the trove of emails uncovered by agents investigating Anthony Weiner's sexting of a 15-year-old girl. Lynch made it known that she thought his decision violated department policy, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. As Comey and Lynch aides debated last Thursday whether alerting Congress about the emails would comply with longstanding Justice Department policy against announcing overt investigative steps that would influence an upcoming election, Comey asked whether he was being explicitly directed not to do so. Lynch never gave Comey the order not to send the emails, a senior government official said. Comey cornered Lynch into having to take responsibility for what she wanted done. That shows that Comey is indeed a skilled bureaucratic infighter and that he is now playing hardball with Lynch, Obama, and Clinton. Apparently, the hardball message was already received by the White House. Even before the Reuters report, Josh Earnest told the White House Press Corps (via CNN): President Barack Obama does not believe FBI Director James Comey is attempting to influence this year's presidential vote, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday. "The President doesn't believe that he's secretly strategizing to benefit one candidate or one political party," Earnest said. "He's in a tough spot, and he's the one who will be in a position to defend his actions in the face of significant criticism from a variety of legal experts, including individuals who served in senior Department of Justice positions in administrations led by presidents in both parties." The White House had no role in Comey's decision to inform Congress he was investigating new emails related to Hillary Clinton's private server, Earnest added. Earnest said he would neither "defend nor criticize" the decision. He's aiming to preserve the integrity of the review into whether additional emails discovered on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner are relevant to an investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. We have no way of knowing exactly what is behind this startling rejection of the claims of Hillarys campaign and Harry Reid. But it is indicative of strife on the Dems' side. My pet theory is that Comey already let Obama know that the use of a pseudonym to send email to Hillary on her unsecure server is in fact a crime that he committed. It would be a shame if that had to be made an issue. But maybe Obama wants Hillary to win, but not to win big. After all, there are the competing political machines of Obama and Clinton to consider, as well as the personal dislike. And then there is this theory of a friend of mine: You saw that article at Drudge about Podesta's BFF at DOJ and how now all of a sudden the DOJ wants to help the FBI go thru the emails to expedite things. There's the hook that's why earnest/Obama were playing nice with Comey. They want him to think they're being helpful and to cooperate with the DOJ but we all know once the DOJ gets those emails they'll all either be deemed yoga/wedding emails or will get lost or deleted. That's why they praised him! Its bait to lure him into their trap. Then they'll find a way to take Comey down and be the scapegoat We already live in a banana republic. Watching the U.S. election has caused me to revisit that old movie classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart in the main role of Jefferson Smith. I particularly enjoyed Smiths wonderful speech during the filibuster scene and climax of the story. I began to imagine Donald Trump as Jefferson Smith. I struggled a great deal, I have to say. Smith is innocent and idealistic and very articulate in proclaiming the corruption he has discovered at the heart of Washington. Trump, on the other hand, is clumsy and almost childlike in his rhetoric. But I suddenly realized that Jefferson Smith and Donald Trump do have something fundamental in common. They are both repeating the same warning. There is corruption at the heart of democracy, and it has to be rooted out. It has fascinated me how Trump repeats the same message over and over again about how Hillary Clinton needs to be investigated and how the system is rigged. It doesnt matter what any of his detractors say about him even from within his own party; he continues to say the same thing. Then it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps he keeps saying it because he really believes it! After all, Trump does not do sound bite or spin or follow carefully worded scripts. In Britain, Trump is vilified from all sides of the political spectrum with the exception of Nigel Farage. However, two days after the FBI announced it was reopening its case concerning Mrs. Clintons emails, I read a very interesting article by Simon Heffer of the Telegraph. Mr. Heffer says: Now, the Trump rhetoric about Clinton being crooked and corrupt resonates as more than just hyperbole. It starts to seem that there might be some truth in it the reopened FBI investigation could kill Mrs Clintons hopes of the White House. She will be tarnished by the ancient principle of no smoke without fire: or by the slightly more scientific conclusion that tens of millions of voters may now reach, that the FBI would never have acted as they did so close to polling day without very good reason. Add to that a phenomenon that, operating here, brought about Brexit the decision to vote by people who never normally do, but who see in supporting Mr Trump an opportunity to smack the smug, internationalist political elite in the mouth and the idea of a President Trump starts to look possible. He has not yet won, and may well not: but these events play into his hands, and his chances have never looked so good as they do now. Returning to the movie, I would like to quote part of the speech Jefferson Smith makes on the Senate floor as the story reaches its finale. Get up there with that lady that's up on top of this Capitol dome, that lady that stands for liberty. Take a look at this country through her eyes if you really want to see something. And you won't just see scenery; you'll see the whole parade of what Man's carved out for himself, after centuries of fighting. Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color, or creed. That's what you'd see. There's no place out there for graft, or greed, or lies, or compromise with human liberties And it's not too late, because this country is bigger than the Taylors, or you, or me, or anything else. Great principles don't get lost once they come to light. They're right here; you just have to see them again! Perhaps Mr. Trump will go to Washington. I was given the privilege of teaching classes in behavioral science for the FBIs National Academy this week. I arrived a day early, where my family and I visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia. It had a powerful effect upon us. The museum is a testament to the American spirit of self-sacrifice and a reminder that freedom must be fought for. I spoke with people from around the country as well as from China, the Philippines, Central America, and Europe as we moved through the chronology of Marine bravery, skillfully told in imagery, film, and music. As we went from war to war, my wife, Heather, was unable to hold back the tears. I noticed that others, particularly those of middle age or order, struggled with the same, either tearing up or choking back the tears. The staff is used to this, and one question is the single most commonly asked of them. It is not about a location of a specific exhibit, nor where the restroom or cafeteria is located. The most common question they hear is: What happened to our country? At the museum, for the first time in years, I felt proud of my country. For the past eight years, I have been told by the political elite, the media, and the nonsense that children are taught in school that I should feel ashamed of being American, and I should be apologetic for being male. I have been told that law enforcement is the enemy and that success comes only from the benevolence of government. The museum is a testament to the American dream of freedom being worth defending, even dying for. After eight years of lies, propaganda, and the self-loathing of Marxist ideology, I felt restored, rejuvenated, and inspired, and I did not want to surrender this recovered sense of nationalism. The next day, I taught at the FBIs Academy, where the proverbial hallowed halls of learning did not disappoint. Dedicated men and women from around the nation as well as Europe and Australia came to our FBI because they wish to learn from Americas wealth of knowledge in protecting and maintaining the distinctly American way of life. These eager law enforcement professionals walk with dignity, served by dedicated instructors and support who work long hours, well beyond the workday, because they believe in and love what they do. They love their country still. These professionals have been vilified and held responsible for the failures of the policies of the political elite for the past eight years. By observing their attitude toward work, youd never know it. Their morale has been hit hard, but not their gratitude or even their marvel, as they feel, as I do, privileged to be in a place of such great learning. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is free of charge and something every lover of America should visit. The FBI Academy is where the best and brightest of law enforcement receive the training and knowledge on keeping America safe a place of the rule of law with equal justice. A visit to the museum or a tour of the FBI Academy may have the medicinal effect upon you that it did upon us. You want open borders? Amnesty? Subsumption of U.S. sovereignty to the U.N.? Foreign policy under the advice and influence of the Muslim Brotherhood? Vote for Hillary, and you got it. Open borders In her own words Hillary endorses a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders. Describing those who wish to enforce immigration law as obstructionists whose backward-looking mindset is fundamentally un-American, Clinton vows to introduce comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to full and equal citizenship within her first 100 days in office. My dream, she said in a 2013 speech to a Brazilian bank, is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders. Amnesty Though illegal aliens do not qualify for coverage under Obamacare, the Clinton presidential campaign website says that Hillary will expand access to affordable health care to families regardless of immigration status by allowing families to buy health insurance on the health exchanges regardless of their immigration statu Subsumption of U.S. sovereignty Any true understanding of this election requires an appreciation of the one huge political fault line that is driving America into a period of serious political tremors, certain to jolt the political Richter scale. It is nationalists vs. globalists. Hillary Clinton is the personification of the globalist elite -- generally open borders, humanitarian interventionist, traditionally a free trader (though hedging in recent months), totally in sync with the underlying sensibilities of political correctness, a practitioner of identity politics, which lies at the heart of the assault on the national heritage. The Muslim Brotherhood For years, Hillary Clinton has been in bed with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt and other predominantly Muslim countries recently declared an international terrorist organization What is disturbing and puzzling in all this is that we (probably) all know those who do not endorse Hillarys globalist vision (open borders amnesty), much less her trust in the Muslim Brotherhood, and yet are determined to vote for her. Beats me. The art of the marriage deal between Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner seems to have included tolerating perversion with underage girls. The latest email release from WikiLeaks has exposed what Huma and Hillary are willing to tolerate so long as there is political utility. Kelly McLaughlin of the U.K. Daily Mail reports: Hillary Clinton's staffers knew as early as 2011 that Anthony Weiner had been messaging an underage girl, but they did nothing about it, according to WikiLeaks emails published Monday. John Podesta - now chair of Clinton's presidential campaign - and Neera Tanden, another adviser, were forwarded news of an investigation into Weiner's online contact with a 17-year-old Delaware high school student by Jennifer Palmieri, the current campaign communications director, in June 2011. I have always thought the marriage between the daughter of two Muslim Brotherhood career operatives and a Jewish New York politician was weird. The fact that the match was reportedly set up by Hillary Clinton suggests that politics was at its heart. Maybe Hillary was thinking of Humas happiness, but my suspicion is that Hillarys primary concern was a cover story that would: Soften worries about the Muslim Brotherhood background of Huma, since she married a Jew. Make Huma look very normal, with a husband and eventually children. Hillary has built a career on exploiting children for political ends. Any attacks on Humas M.B. background can conveniently be deflected as attacks on innocent children through their mother. Provide a visible and (at the time) potentially very powerful spouse for Huma as dedicated to politics above all as Hillary, who would be fine with her dedicating her life to Hillarys political interests and traveling constantly with her, while deflecting rumors of a lesbian relationship. But poor Huma may no longer be useful to Hillary, just as Anthony is no longer useful to her. It turns out that the willingness of the campaign to tolerate a man so perverse that he texts female children he does not know (and who turned out to be uncontrollable in his perverse addiction) has come back to bite them in the posterior. If the investigation into his alleged child sexting ends up providing evidence against Hillary via her 33K deleted emails, then we can conclude that God is just, and karma does actually operate. The Canada Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is holding a public hearing this week in Gatineau, Quebec. You can attend the hearing by calling Media Relations at 819-997-9403 or by emailing [email protected] You can also hear an audio feed at CRTCs website at www.crtc.gc.ca or see a video feed at www.cpac.ca. The hearing is in answer to questions arise regarding the practices of billing data at different Canadian wireless carriers. The primary concern is when ISPs charge a different amount for data streamed for one purpose over another. This argument goes all the way back to the time when Videotron was allowing unlimited music streaming that did not affect residences of Quebecs monthly data. It was like a side-service that users could have unrestricted access to, but also keep their monthly data allotment. This hardly seemed fair to rival carriers, and they rightly complained about the practice. CRTC CEO and Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais made it quite clear that their proceedings go far beyond the Videotron and poses problems and concerns that all Canadians should be disturbed. Chairman Blais stressed that the problem goes further than differential pricing practices and that all Canadians and internet service providers would benefit from clear and transparent regulatory policy. While reluctant to give unlimited data plans, the carriers fear that light data users would end up paying more for their service to help subsidize the heavy users. I think if the carriers are worried about charging more to lighter users, we can be sure this is probably what would happen. As a light user of data, I would not be happy about paying more on my monthly plan just to help out a heavy user. Many groups and organizations all eager to give their views on how they would like to see Net Neutrality handled, will attend the forum. OpenMedia, opinions from Facebook will be heard, The Independent Broadcast Group and the Competition Bureau will be there to help guide the Canadian legislators into proposing the proper rules and regulations. It may be coincident, but this discussion follows the happenings in the US where T-Mobile is claiming they are offering you unlimited data, yet throttling it once the user reaches 26GB during the month. Canada is trying to be proactive and nip some of these problems in the bud before they escalate to a real issue. Canadas government has always had a heavy hand in their carriers practices as they try to promote competition in the hopes of lower costs for its consumers. Googles Project Fi service is still nearly as limited as it was when it originally launched when it comes to supported devices, with the two newest supported phones being the Pixel and the Pixel XL. Despite the lack of more device support for the service, though, Google is making it easier for those who already subscribe to Project Fi (or will subscribe in the future) to keep an eye on exactly how much data theyre using each and every month with the ability to track their data in real time. If youre unfamiliar with how Project Fi works, it isnt too different from other wireless providers, as you can pick your monthly amount of data and your monthly bill cost will change accordingly. If youre on Project Fis lowest option which is $30 a month that includes the $20 base cost as well as the minimum of 1GB of data, then you may end up cutting it close in terms of data use. With the new features baked into the app, you can go into your data use page and view the details of which apps are using data and theyll update as you use them, which should be really useful for those that prefer to always stay on top of how much data is being consumed. In addition to keeping users informed of live data use updates within the Project Fi app, users can also now see a more granular view of what apps are actually using data with the list showing you how much each app is using individually. Once the app is open, you can simply scroll down to the section that shows you what your current monthly data amount is, and after tapping on the view details button a list should pop up that shows you every app that is currently using data. Google notes that the per app data use can also be seen after tapping the view details button from the recent statements as well, while the real time data use updates should be visible on the main screen once you open the app as well as in the data use Home screen widget. You will need to be on at least K.2.7.20 for these features to show up, but if youre on a Pixel or Pixel XL, youre already on the latest version of the app which is L.2.9.07. Its also possible that this could be a server side thing that Google enables, or the feature might just be slow at rolling out, as these features werent showing up in our personal device. These new features should end up being pretty useful now that Google offers a Project Fi family setup which starts at $15 a month. Googles Chromium team has recently started addressing the general performance of its popular browser by introducing Chrome 53 which reportedly improved its effectiveness by up to 47%. After making the software much less taxing on hardware, developers decided to focus on the other side of the coin page load times. More specifically, the Chromium team has announced a Chrome update which introduces support for Microsofts Profile Guided Optimization (PGO) tech. The update was introduced earlier today, and as of right now, PGO should be used by all 64-bit versions of Chrome 53 and each 32-bit variant of Chrome 54. Before we get into technical details, lets just state the immediate result of this update is an average 5.9% increase in page load times, 14.8% improvement in new tab page load times, and a 16.8% rise in Chrome startup time. In other words, this update should significantly improve the performance of your browser. As for the technology behind it, PGO is a compiler optimization technique based on robust profiling of existing files so that the optimizer knows how to handle them once they are supposed to be turned into output data. In other words, it prioritizes browser functions which are used more frequently than others and optimizes the process of displaying pages accordingly. If a certain function is more likely to be used than another one, PGO will optimize it for speed and attribute less demanding and somewhat slower code to functions which arent likely to be needed. In addition to that, this solution also optimizes codes memory location which means that less common functions are moved away from the regularly occurring ones which are kept in memory as long as possible. Sony A5000 The successor to the NEX-3 in some ways, the Sony A5000 is an entry-level option in to the world of mirrorless cameras from Sony, and what a world that has become. This model comes with an APS-C sized sensor that captures 20.2-megapixels, and is fully-compatible with the wide, wide range of Sony E-mount lenses that the Japanese giant now has on offer for all of their models. This is a great price for something that will produce super-detailed images and allow users a great foot in the door to one of the best mirrorless systems on the market. Advertisement Canon EOS Rebel T5 The EOS line of DSLRs have been around for years now, and the Rebel T5 is no exception, theres a lot out there that competes with this model, but this allows users to jump in to the world of the EOS line with a cheap body option, and to invest in the different lenses and such that Canon has on offer without spending too much money overall. The 18-megapixel CMOS sensor and 3-inch LCD around the back round out what is one of the better value for money combinations that are out there, and there are some excellent bundles available via Amazon, too. Advertisement FujiFilm XA-1 As mirrorless options go, the FujiFilm XA-1 might be a little old at this point, but it offers users a fun alternative to the stuffier options out there. It also has a wide, wide range of different lenses available from Fuji, although these do come at a premium. One of the cheapest mirrorless cameras on the market, theres little to complain about here, although the build quality could be a little better. The 16.3-megapixel APS-C sized sensor is of great quality, and has a lot going for it in terms of detail and clarity. Advertisement Nikon D3300 If youre looking for something more traditional in terms of DSLR, then Nikon is no doubt a name that youll have heard over the years. The D3300 is a great entry-level DSLR, and one that punches well above its weight thanks to the included 24.2-megapixel DX-format sensor that Nikon is rightly very proud of. Despite its low price, the D3300 has what it takes to be a quality shooter for a long, long time to come and there are tons of different lenses out there for the Nikon format, too. A traditional form factor with modern power, this is well worth looking into, thats for sure. Advertisement Olympus OM-D E10 A best seller on Amazon, the OM-D E10 might fool some people out there for an SLR, but its actually a mirrorless camera masquerading as a classic from the past. With a large 16-megapixel sensor, the OM-D E10 delivers excellent results no matter where and when you find yourself. The included lens isnt amazing or anything, but theres a wide range of lenses that this can tap into and the form factor is certainly one that will appeal to prosumers and perhaps the professionals out there, too. Advertisement Panasonic DMC-GM1KA In the mirrorless world, Panasonic might not be one of the biggest names, but the DMC-GM1KA, part of their Lumix brand, is an excellent example of why people like mirrorless cameras in the first place. Its compact and easy to carry around, all the while offering some serious performance nonetheless. The included kit lens is pretty good, but there are a lot of other lenses out there to choose from, and for the women and more trendy photographers out there, this is a good-looking camera, too. Advertisement Pentax K-S2 Pentax is a name that has a long history in the world of photography, and while they no longer quite have what it takes to compete with everyone else, they still make some excellent options. Take for example this, the Pentax K-S2, with a 20-megapixel anti-aliasing filter-free design, which means that theres even less processing done to an image, delivering a smoother, and more natural overall tone. This is a simple and functionality affair, although there are some nice extras added on top. This is definitely a the sort of DSLR that will shine in the hands of those looking to tinker with the settings and such. Advertisement Nikon 1 J5 A stylish and good-looking affair, the Nikon 1 J5 is not just style, packing in a lot of substance as well. The aim of the Nikon 1 J5 is to be compact, functional and useful no matter the situation. As such, this allows for 20 frames of continuous shooting, and also has super-quick PDAF for quick autofocus. Great value, given its price, the Nikon 1 J5 is a sort of retro modern classic that will appear to those looking for something of a looker as well as a compact system that has excellent results, but doesnt cost as such. Olympus PEN E-PL7 The Olympus PEN series of cameras is arguably what started all of this mirrorless business some time ago, but they continue to improve, rather than resting on their laurels. The E-PL7 is one of their latest greatest, and its packed full of technological advancements in a compact casing. The included kit lens is fairly good, but thanks to their long history in the market, theres a whole range of lenses available for the PEN series of cameras. Great for traveling with, as well as working on the basics, the E-PL7 is an excellent camera for any type of photographer. Samsung Chief Executive, Kwon Oh-hyun, has been today released a statement about the business and the difficulties it faces. His comments follow a difficult period for Samsung because of the failed release of the Galaxy Note 7 flagship device, which was originally released in August 2016. Shortly after the initial release, reports started coming in that the Galaxy Note 7 was catching fire or exploding, initially when on charge but after a time, on or off the charger. Samsung recalled the device, citing that an internal short circuit in the battery was causing an issue, which was resulting in a thermal runaway situation. In other words, the separate components of the rechargeable battery were mixing in place and causing a chemical thermal reaction. Unfortunately, a few weeks after the recalled devices were put in service, reports started arriving of the new, post-recall device catching fire including one famous case where an American airliner was grounded and evacuated. Samsung subsequently stopped the manufacturing of the Galaxy Note 7, recalled all devices in circulation and are working on a number of promotions to encourage customers to stick with Samsung-branded smartphones, such as an inexpensive upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S8 shortly after its release next year. In his remarks, Mr. Kwon explained that the business has a long history of overcoming crises and that it should use this crisis as a chance to make another leap by re-examining and thoroughly improving how we work, how we think about innovation and our perspective of our customers. Although Mr. Kwon did not directly tackle the issue of the Galaxy Note 7 battery problem, he did ask that Samsung employees need to assess their work to ask themselves if they have been complacent. The company has promised to bounce back from the Galaxy Note 7 issue, which has already had a material impact on third quarter business and profits. Fortunately for Samsung, the company manufacture much more than smartphones. The business has a very successful display business and has at least 95% of the OLED market. It also has a successful semiconductor arm with interests in both the mobile chipset and memory module markets. Samsung has an eighteen month technological advantage compared with the majority of DRAM competitors and is set to reduce the manufacturing size of its chips in the coming two years, leaving its rivals scrabbling to catch up. Mr. Kwon is adding his voice to the questions asked about Samsungs internal quality control systems and processes and the worry within the business is that the issues surrounding the Galaxy Note 7 battery problems could run considerably deeper. The fact that were living in an Internet era allows for many benefits and conveniences but also generates some issues unique to the 21st century. As everything from speakers, cars, and glasses to door locks, microwaves, and fridges is gaining the ability to go online, hackers suddenly have hundreds of millions of new potential targets to go after. A couple of weeks ago, this problem manifested in the form of a large distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on Dyn, a major domain name server (DNS). Simply speaking, someone or someones sent a malware which hijacked tens of thousands of insufficiently protected Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets and then used the said devices to simultaneously send access requests to Dyn. This created a traffic bottleneck and consequently brought down a number of popular sites like Reddit, Twitter, and Spotify. While device manufacturers are at least partially to blame for that ordeal, governments are also expected to help with cyber security endeavors as the tech industry evolves at a rapid pace and the number of potential targets rises with it. This line of thinking is what prompted the United Kingdom to start investing more in its online security defenses. According to a statement made by HM Treasury, Britains economic and finance ministry, the UK Finance Minister Philip Hammond will announce a major investment in cyber security defenses later today. More specifically, the UK is expected to pump 1.9 Billion ($2.32 Billion) into bolstering its online security. The money will partially be used to fund additional workforce which will actively help defend the country from cyber attacks. While no specifics have yet been given, the UK Treasury implied that its goal is to protect both national infrastructure and private citizens. In other words, a portion of the funds may be used for research which would serve as a basis for enacting more strict cyber security regulations which consumer electronics manufacturers would have to adhere to. The sum above will be invested over the next half a decade and will also fund the Cyber Security Research Institute which the UK is currently setting up, as well as the existing Innovation Centre in Cheltenham, England. Advertisement All in all, this is a significant decision by the UK government given how the country has now effectively doubled its cyber security funding approved for the last five-year period. More details are expected to follow later today after Hammonds press conference. Ben Needham: gypsies, a dead witness and a cover-up Ben Needham has still not been found. The renewed search for the toddler who vanished on Kos 25 years ago has given us nothing of substance. But the tabloids are at work. If we cant see the child, we can continue to gawp at his mother. WHITEWASH ON KOS, says the Sun. Ben Needham case has all signs of a cover-up with sex slurs used to discredit toddlers mum. The story continues: THE hunt for toddler Ben Needham who went missing on the Greek island of Kos 25 years ago has the signs of a cover-up, an investigation found. Greek police were under pressure to end their probe quickly, reports The Mirror, and a witness apparently falsely claimed he had slept with Bens mum Kerry in an attempt to smear her. Wow, indeed, that Greek police have spoken out. Good on them. But wait a moment. a retired cop, one of the first to join the hunt, admitted: We were under pressure to close the case. Everyone wanted to find the child. We did our best. Unnamed ex-policeman says force was under pressure to end the case of the missing toddler who vanished on holiday to an holiday island? Its news devoid of detail. In the Mirror, we read he headline: Ben Needham case has hallmarks of cover-up with cops wanting probe closed quickly and sex lies in bid to blacken mums name We love a conspiracy, eh, readers? Who knew? British police searching for answers to the disappearance of the toddler 25 years ago have tried hard to finally lift the gloom Lucy Thornton writes: The Ben Needham case has all the hallmarks of a cover-up, a Mirror probe has found. The Mirror can reveal Greek police were pressured to close their inquiry quickly and a witness lied that he slept with the boys mum, blackening her name. A key witness account on Kos is missing and a Greek official has dismissed the UK polices theory that Ben was run over by a digger. As the last British tourists leave Kos at the end of the holiday season, a sinister cloud hangs over the island. After that, Thornton makes it about, well, her. Mirror colleagues and I have spent months investigating the mystery and found claims of a Greek cover-up as wicked lies, vanishing statements and smears against the family were made. This is the Lucy Thornton who when reporting on the vanishing of Shannon Matthews, wrote: Ive shared the despair and relief, says the Mirrors Lucy Thornton. Adding: Meanwhile, I was hugged in the street by people I barely knew less than a month ago. They thanked me. What For? For just doing my job. Never mind the missing child, get a load of the reporter. Mirror colleagues and I have spent months investigating the mystery and found claims of a Greek cover-up as wicked lies, vanishing statements and smears against the family were made. She then adds: Rumours continue on the island, that Ben was taken by gypsies, or the mafia. After the wicked- lies and cover-up, round-up the usual suspects. Gypsies. Always the gypsies. In 2000, the BBC reported: Theories have included Ben having been killed, abducted by gypsies or sold on to a family who could not have a child, but police have never closed the file. And in 1997, the Sunday Mirror reported: The search for Ben has become a crusade for Greek private eye Stratos Bakirtzis from Thessalonika, northern Greece. Two years ago he raised the alarm and told police he had found the missing toddler while investigating a gipsy family. However, he claims the child was swapped before police could search the house. So much for rumours and belief. What of facts, and the Mirrors investigation? Kerry believes there has been a cover-up over her sons death and people wanted her to go away.and forget about Ben. More belief. And facts? In a bid to smear the Needham name, a man who worked with Kerry at a hotel on Kos falsely claimed to have slept with her, while she was out hunting for Ben. He left Kos shortly after making the allegation. He turned public opinion against the unmarried British mum and many blamed the family as a result. But Kerry has now been told by South Yorkshire Police officers this witness has finally told the truth. He confessed it was a lie, but claimed he felt bullied into it. It is understood prosecutors on Kos are looking at this admission. As we are invited to understand what the Mirror has understood, we hear from the unnamed source: But he said his main reason for speaking was to reveal the statement of a mysterious witness, a friend of his, was never taken because bosses ignored his report. He told me hed seen a car with number plates from abroad. It had two people in the car and they were not Greek people. The witness said the child was playing outside and someone stepped out of the car and took him. My friend does not lie. I went back but once he knew the child was still missing he didnt want to speak. Can we speak with the witness? He said the witness, like so many others, has since died. Such are the facts. Anorak Posted: 1st, November 2016 | In: Reviews, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink OAMC is a government owned company, responsible for the management and operations of civil airports in Oman. The additional direct flight to the Sultanate is a significant step towards OAMCs strategic goal of placing Omans airports amongst the top 20 airports in the world by 2020. The welcome ceremony of the first British Airways direct flight to Muscat from Heathrow International Airport was attended by Mohammed bin Awadh Al Hassan, acting undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs, Jonathan Wilks, British Ambassador in Oman, Aimen bin Ahmed Al-Hosni CEO of OAMC, and Anjulika Dutton, British Airways spokesperson/ commercial country manager in Oman, UAE, and other Middle Eastern Countries. The CEO of OAMC, Aimen bin Ahmed Al-Hosni, confirmed that the direct flights by British Airways will connect Muscat International Airport to Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, home to British Airways. The United Kingdom, in addition to having a significant number of their nationals living in Oman, is also one of the most important inbound tourism markets for Oman. Additionally, the UK is attracting a large number of business people, investors, and young Omanis completing their studies in the UK, all of whom frequently travel between Muscat and London. The addition of direct flights to London is of great benefit to travellers from both countries. Sheikh Aimen bin Ahmed Al Hosni CEO of Oman Airports said: First British Airways direct flight, from Heathrow International Airport, arrived October 31, at 7:05 am. With the addition of these new direct flights, the passenger experience is enhanced and Oman positioned as a unique tourist destination becomes even more attractive. Under the terms of the agreement with Muscat International Airport, the service will be operated by British Airways Boeing 777, five times per week (daily except Wednesdays and Fridays), featuring four cabins of travel First, Club World (British Airways business cabin), World Traveller Plus and World Traveller (British Airways economy cabin). One of the largest airline carriers globally, British Airways route network covers 199 destinations and carries more than 40 million passenger annually. The redesigned cabin is available in three options, and features multiple upgrades including a new acoustic package, environmental system, and newly designed seat with full articulation. Similar to its 400XTi counterpart, the G90XT interior begins with an advanced composite interior shell that significantly increases cabin volume and dimensions in terms of both height and width. The interior also offers an entirely new acoustic and thermal insulation package that lowers ambient cabin noise at altitude by 50%. Nextant works in colaberation with its sister company, Constant Aviation to design and build all of their interior. Jay Heublein, executive vice president for Nextant Aerospace, advised, The new G90XT cabin brings a level of refinement to this airframe that consumers have been seeking. The interior was designed with owner operators specifically in mind, understanding that many times, their expectations are above and beyond what a corporate flight department would typically look for in terms of bespoke finishes and enhanced utilization of available space that better meets the needs of their individual travel patterns. Everywhere there was a shortcoming with the predecessor plane, the Nextant design team created a solution that has finally delivered the potential this airframe has long been seeking. The landing of the A350 on Sunday 30 October also marked another milestone for the airline as it took place on the same day as the start of a new joint business agreement between Qatar Airways and British Airways. The agreement benefits customers by offering a wider choice of flights by code sharing on all seven Qatar Airways and British Airways direct daily flights between London and Doha. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: The Qatar Airways Airbus A350 is one of the most advanced aircraft in our fleet, offering passengers an unrivalled level of comfort while experiencing our award winning hospitality. It is only right that such an aircraft serves one of our six daily scheduled flights from Doha to London, a route further strengthened by our continued partnership with British Airways. Heathrow chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: We are delighted to welcome the Qatar Airways Airbus A350 to Heathrow. The A350 is part of the new generation of quieter, cleaner planes, helping us to be a better neighbour while achieving our vision of giving passengers the best airport service in the world. Qeshm Island, like its smaller but better-known neighbour Kish Island, doesnt feature in the travel bucket-lists of many international tourists. Of the 397,000 people who flew to the island in the Strait of Hormuz last year, three quarters were Iranian nationals. Qeshms Dayrestan Airport ranks as only the 13th largest gateway in Iran by aircraft movements, despite being the main entry point for one of the countrys much-touted free-trade zones. No foreign carriers fly there on a regular basis. Our customers are Iranian tourists mostly, confirmed Mahmoud Shekarabi, chief executive of Qeshm Air, the airline that provides two-thirds of seating capacity at the island. Due to the sanctions, there were some problems for businessmen to fly here [in the past]. But I believe theres going to be changes. Before, there was tourism and just maybe some students. Now its going to be businessmen, students, tourists, families. Qeshm Air currently operates to 19 domestic and 14 international destinations, including three points in Turkey and seasonal charter services to southern and eastern Europe. Its only long-haul destination is the Thai capital, Bangkok. The airline has 13 operational aircraft: two Airbus A320s, three A300-600s, three BAe RJ100s, one RJ85 and four Fokker 100s. Another eight aircraft are held in storage, including four Fokker 50s that are in the process of being sold. Only two or three of the carriers active aircraft are based in Qeshm, with the majority put to work plying domestic routes elsewhere in the Islamic Republic. Asked about opportunities for expansion following the lifting of Irans nuclear-related sanctions, Shekarabi can hardly contain his excitement. The chief executive has already pledged to add or expand flights from four domestic points Isfahan, Gorgan, Tabriz and Kermanshah as well as bringing Muscat, Oman into the network. The airlines regional Middle Eastern footprint currently only extends to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Baghdad and Najaf in Iraq. But far more ambitious growth lies on the horizon, with management aiming to grow the fleet by more than 50% this year alone. We are trying to lease or lease-purchase at least three A320s rapidly, maybe within two or three months, Shekarabi said in late January. And then after that, by the beginning of May or June, we will go for long-range aircraft like the A330. By the end of the year we are trying to increase our fleet to 20 aircraft. Second-hand narrow-bodies between six and eight years of age will be targeted, he added, with long-term leases running for about a decade. The next phase of the project will then involve placing direct orders for new-build aircraft. We have to see whats going on in the market first, in order [that] we dont put a lot of liability on our company, Shekarabi said of the staggered renewal process. The pace at which Qeshm Air receives the new Airbuses will also determine how quickly its older types are phased out. We are trying to get rid of the Fokker 50s [right now] and then the RJs [will be next to go], the chief executive confirmed. The Fokker 50s are grounded in order that we may sell them. The RJs may be grounded, but it depends on what kind of aircraft we get after the lifting of sanctions. If all goes according to plan, foreign charter traffic to Qeshm Island should be a key driver of the expansion programme. Today, most of Qeshm Airs flights are operated on a scheduled basis from Tehran Mehrabad International Airport and Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. Irans capital city accounts for seven times as many seats as Qeshm Island when looking at the airlines existing scheduled operations. Only 20-25% of our flights are charter, Shekarabi said, referring to the group bookings favoured by many holidaymakers. I am sure this percentage will rise. We dont operate as a tour company we are a pure airline business but we will offer [our aircraft] as charter. In April, the Qeshm Free Trade Zone Organisation (QFTZO) hosted a consortium representing five countries Russia, France, China, Italy and Germany that is working to raise the islands overseas profile. The authorities hope to entice 100,000 foreign visitors a year by promoting its eco-tourism attractions, including its world-class caves, mangrove forests and reef formations. Restoring UNESCO World Heritage status for the Qeshm Island Global Geopark a 30,000-hectare site comprising many of the islands most impressive sights is one priority. The park was removed from the UN list in 2013 due to alleged mismanagement by the authorities. Qeshm Air, meanwhile, plans to diversify operations by increasing charter flights for pilgrims in the northern city of Mashhad. But it is Qeshm Island itself that remains the focal point of Shekarabis efforts, with optimism also growing about its corporate prospects after Russias Tempbank pledged to open a branch on the island. Whether tourists or business travellers ultimately drive the growth, Qeshm Air is re-positioning its on-board product to cater for higher-yielding clientele. Retrofitting its Airbuses with premium cabins absent on all but one of the existing units, an A300 will be the first step. Most of our aircraft are all-economy, so we may now go for business class, Shekarabi said, confirming that upgrades are being sought for both A320s plus the two A300s that lack premium seats. Two-class cabins will also be a staple feature of the airlines upcoming deliveries. Asked how Qeshm Air plans to finance its expansion, the airline boss sounded an upbeat note about the willingness of foreign banks to lend assistance despite uncertainty about Irans legal landscape; lingering financial restrictions; and even the risk of snap-back sanctions. Nobody around the world buys aircraft with cash. We are the same. So we are looking for the financing [deals], he said. We have some financers internally [in Iran], but we prefer to get it from the outside. Initial overtures to foreign banks have already prompted enthusiastic responses, he added, while declining to name the institutions or countries involved. Last year, Turkish media outlets reported that the National Iranian Oil Company, a state-owned body, had seized Qeshm Air from its former owner, Babak Zanjani, after he became embroiled in a corruption scandal. A five-star hotel on the island that was owned by Zanjani was also confiscated, and in March the billionaire was sentenced to death for embezzlement. Mr Zanjani was the first owner of the company, but he had some debts with the government, I believe, so they had to take [the airline] over as his debt, Shekarabi said, without providing further details. We don't have any business with him now. The company has been transferred [back] to the private sector. It is 100% private. Following a spate of disputes between Qeshm Air and the national government, and between the QFTZO and global environmental bodies, Shekarabi is working to put the island back on the map for entirely positive reasons. If he succeeds, Qeshm could yet make an appearance in the travel bucket-lists of foreign tourists eager to discover Persias forgotten charms. A young visitor walks among sculptures by Anthony Stones at the show Between China and West at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. Jiang Dong / China Daily Feng Lili, the widow of UK-born sculptor Anthony Stones who died earlier this year at the age of 82, recalls her husband once telling her that he would rather people remember the statues he made more than his own face. Months after his death in Beijing, an ongoing retrospective exhibition opened on Saturday at the capital's National Art Museum of China, reviewing his career as a sculptor and painter, as well as his close connections with China, where he lived for more than 15 years. Titled Between China and West, the exhibition displays more than 200 sculptures and paintings. It shows the mark Stones left in continuing with the classical traditions of Western sculpture, and his creativity in painting and set design that gives viewers a glimpse of his broad vision of the art forms. Feng donated a bulk of the exhibits to the museum. "I was with him when he worked," Feng says. "He used various material for his sculptures and painted with both hands whether it was oil, watercolor or ink." His experiences also reflected in his art. "Nothing can be a better memory of him than this exhibition," she adds. Wu Weishan, the museum director, says the exhibition traces two periods in Stones' artistic development - before 1984, when he first visited China, and after that when his exchanges with Chinese art circles increased, benefiting artists, especially the country's art students. Born in England, Stones moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was 18. He moved back to Britain at age 49. While continuing to be an active artist, he presided over the Society of Portrait Sculptors in Winchester from 1999 to 2004. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Arts in London. Wu says Stones' humanistic approach and classical style were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. His works are also highly expressive, revealing an influence of French sculptor Auguste Rodin and other movements in modern sculpture. Stones portrayed figures of critics, actors, writers, scientists and philosophers. He also sculpted the characters in theater plays of old masters such as William Shakespeare. "He paid a tribute to those bracing for pure ideals," Wu says. "With his portraits of ordinary people like laborers, including the many he made in China, Stones communicated with the world in a peaceful manner." Stones first came to China on an invitation from New Zealand-born writer Rewi Alley. The visit ignited his interest in Chinese society. He painted a lot of social scenes he saw in the streets. He traveled frequently to China after the 1990s, giving lectures at universities across the country and researching Chinese culture. In 2010, he collaborated with the Shenyang Normal University, in the northeastern Liaoning province, to establish an international sculpture academy named after him. He gave lessons to graduate and postgraduate students, and organized international forums. He didn't come to China to teach people how to replace Eastern art with Western art, says Feng. "He hoped his students in Shenyang would combine Western traditions of sculpture with Chinese history and culture, and create works of an Asian nature." Li Tongtong, a teacher at the Stones International Sculpture Academy, says, "Stones often said in class that Michelangelo is watching over us. Now, I will tell my class that Stones is watching us, too." If you go 9 am-5 pm, Mondays closed, through Nov 6. 1 Wusi Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Democrat Hillary Clinton held a five percentage point lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday, down only slightly since the FBI said last week it was reviewing new emails in its investigation of the former secretary of state, Reuters reports. Some 44 percent of likely voters said they would support Clinton, while 39 percent said they would support Trump, according to the Oct. 26-30 survey. Clinton had held a 6 point advantage over Trump in the five-day tracking poll last Thursday. Other polls have shown Clinton's lead slipping more sharply. Real Clear Politics, which averages the results of most major polls, shows that Clinton's lead has declined from 4.6 points on Friday to 2.5 points on Monday. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey told Congress in a letter made public on Friday that his agency was looking into new emails that may be connected to Clinton, who had been probed by the FBI over her use of a private server and how she handled classified information while America's top diplomat. he FBI has revealed very little to the public about the new emails under investigation, except that they were uncovered during an unrelated investigation into the estranged husband of a top Clinton aide. In July, Comey concluded that Clinton and her staff were "extremely careless" with their handling of classified information, but that there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges. On Friday, Comey told Congress, "We don't know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails." In a separate poll that included alternative-party candidates, 43 percent supported Clinton, while 37 percent supported Trump, 6 percent supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and 1 percent supported Jill Stein of the Green Party. The polling determines likely voters according to a number of factors including voting history, registration status and stated intention to vote. It assumes that 60 percent of eligible Americans will vote. The result of the 2016 election will vary greatly depending on how many voters actually cast a ballot. Currently, Clinton leads Trump in both high and low turnout scenarios, according to the latest poll. Her advantage holds at 5 points if 55 percent of eligible voters participate, and it rises to 6 points if 70 percent of Americans cast a ballot. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It included 1,264 people who were considered likely voters under the assumption that 60 percent of eligible voters would participate. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The prices for Azeri Light oil of Azerbaijan have declined by $ 2.38 or 4.64%, Armenpress reports azadliq.info informs. Currently a barrel of Azeri Light oil costs $48.85. The decline of oil prices in Azerbaijan leads to depreciation of Azerbaijani national currency, manat. The lowest price for Azeri Light oil was recorded in 2001, $19.15, and the highest price was recorded in July 2008, $149.66. Due to the global decline in oil prices and manat depreciation, the Azerbaijani economy has appeared in a crisis. A number of oil companies, private and public enterprises have closed causing unemployment for thousands. Azerbaijani economic growth declines rapidly, and according to international rating agencies, Azerbaijani banks face serious risks. Over a dozen of banks have closed during January-October, 2016. 95% of Azerbaijani exports comprises of gas, oil and crude. 75% of the state budget is formed from the revenues obtained from energy exports. Oil price reduction negatively impacts almost all the spheres of economy of Azerbaijan. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The situation around Aleppo and at the Syrian-Iraqi border in the context of the operation for the liberation of Iraqs Mosul was in focus of a meeting between Russias Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and his visiting Turkish counterpart, Hulusi Akar, Armenpress reports, citing TASS, the Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday. "The sides continued the discussion of cooperation on the settlement of the Syrian conflict, including the issue of the normalization of the situation around Aleppo. They exchanged opinions on the situation in northern Syria and in the area around the Syria-Iraqi border in the context of the anti-Islamic State operation near the city of Mosul," the ministry said. In particular, Gerasimov told his Turkish counterpart about Russias efforts to improve the humanitarian situation in Aleppo. Another topic raised at the talks was the necessity to separate Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) from the Syrian opposition. "The sides reached an understanding to continue contacts between the two countries; General Staffs, including at the expert level," the ministry said. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said earlier that a humanitarian pause has been observed in Aleppo for 16 days, with Russian warplanes delivering no air strikes and eight humanitarian corridors open for civilians and militants willing to leave the city. Terrorists however keep on bombing these corridors not to let civilians use them. A ground operation to liberate Mosul from terrorists of Islamic State began on October 17. It involves the Iraqi troops, Kurdish units and the US-led coalition. Mosul, Iraqs second largest city with a population of 1.3 million, has been controlled by Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) for over two years. According to the Iraqi military, from 5,000 to 6,000 militants are holding the city. On October 19, Gerasimov said militants may by agreement leave Iraqs Mosul unimpeded and head for Syria. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Asian Development Bank plan to sign 50 million loan contract for the implementation of Armenia-Georgia Border Regional Road (M6 Vanadzor-Bagratashen) Improvement Project. Armenpress reports the issue of approving the agreement is included in the agenda of Armenian Cabinets November 3 meeting. The goal of the program is to reconstruct and improve M6 highway in the north of Armenia leading to Georgia: a total of 51.5 kms. The payback period of the loan is 22 years, 15 of which is a grace period. The European Investment Bank has already allocated 51 million loan as a co-funding of the project. Naypyidaw, which the now-ousted military junta built a few years ago to move the government to the countrys interior and away from the full-of-dissenters capital of Yangon, is notorious for having showy buildings and enormous highways with mothing much in, on, or behind them. But its most popular building gets lots of great reviews on social media, so travelers keep turning up. Messages You have no messages MVMT Makes Affordable And Stylish Watches For The People Meet MVMT: The Maker Of Super Stylish But Crazy Affordable Watches The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. Watches are a fashion staple. A good watch can be the difference between a decent outfit and a great one. So whats the hallmark of a great watch? That depends on what you need it to do. Of course, its gotta look good. A nice bracelet, case, and overall design are absolutely essential. But there are a million $10 watches you could buy on eBay that will look the part so what sets a watch of quality apart from the rest? The movement. Movement is the word watch snobs use for the actual mechanism inside your watch that moves the hands around the dial. There are a few different kinds, and some are more reliable than others. There are manual movements, that must be wound manually. There are automatic movements that dont require any winding. There are full-plate, three-quarter-plate and bridge movements, and a bunch of other things that only watch nerds know the names of. Im not a watch nerd, and I dont have the time to dedicate to learning everything there is to know about watches. I dont have thousands to spend on a watch, nor the knowledge to decide which $10,000 watch to buy. Like many guys, I just need a watch I can rely on, that looks good, with a quality movement, for a price that wont keep me from paying rent next month. Luckily for dudes like us, theres MVMT and their new Voyager collection. MVMT was founded on the principle that every man deserves access to a watch that looks good and works well. They were a top-five fashion Kickstarter in 2013, and they havent slowed down since. Their direct-to-consumer business model means no bullshit markups from retailers, distributors or sales reps just quality watches, straight from the manufacturer to your wrist. While all of their collections are worth a look, lets take a peek at their newest line: the Voyager series. The designs are travel-inspired, and feature a 42mm case and 10-ATM water resistance thats the same atmospheric resistance as a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Except the Rollie starts at $6500, whereas the Voyager series from MVMT clocks in (see what I did there) at just $140. Voyager Camo With a matte black dial, muted camo nylon NATO strap, and two-subdial dual time zones, the Voyager Camo watch is a versatile casual option. NATO straps are tight as hell, and make me think of James Bond on his day off enjoying a martini on a mountain-overlook terrasse at a ski lodge in the Swiss alps. Think casual luxury and understated class. $140.00 at MVMTWatches.com Voyager Sterling With a black dial, luminous silver hands and markers, and a mesh stainless steel strap, the Sterling watch is modern but classic, stylish but not excessive. Mesh steel straps are super comfortable, but offer the same rigid and masculine look of a metal bracelet. This is a watch for the man who wont sacrifice looks for comfort, but secretly wants to be comfortable at the same time. The best accessories accentuate your outfit and make you look put-together, while being easy to wear at the same time. And thats exactly what youll get with the MVMT Sterling. $150.00 at MVMTWatches.com Voyager Rosewood Lets take a moment of silence for every outfit I ever wore without this watch. RIP my past self. Ive died and been reborn, and the new me is only ever gonna wear the MVMT Voyager Rosewood. This thing is so f*cking pretty. Honestly, my girl is getting jealous because Im paying more attention to this watch than to her. Featuring a white dial, rosegold-toned case, and chocolate brown leather strap, the colorway here couldnt be more perfect. Its creamy. Its warm. Its distinguished. It looks like the best creme brulee that I never had. The natural leather strap will wear with age and develop a beautiful, unique patina. The 42mm clean white dial will sit perfectly on your wrist. And the rose gold tones will complement pretty much any complexion or outfit color. In case you couldnt tell, this is hands down my favorite watch from this collection. Maybe my fav watch of the year. And at $150, its a no-brainer. You dont even need to treat yourself this should be way under-budget for anybody planning on buying a watch this year. $145.00 at MVMTWatches.com Voyager Onyx For the murdered-out street-goth ninjas among us. If youre the type of dude who only wears black (which I was until like three years ago), you need a watch thats not just black but triple-black. Black case. Black strap. Black dial. And, yup, black hands and markers. If your soul is the same color as your Doc Martens, this is definitely your option. Honestly, the murdered-out all-black colorway is mad clean. Itd work as well with a grey or charcoal suit as it would with a black one. And the nylon NATO strap means you can wear it casually as well. Just avoid wearing with a blue or navy suit and youll be straight. $140.00 at MVMTWatches.com Voyager Patriot This thing is so classic, its hard not to love it. A tri-color NATO strap like this one just vibes rich ex-pat socialite living in Paris drinking a cafe au lait at 3 P.M. because they dont need to work during the day, which is exactly what you should be shooting for at all times. This strap and simple, white-faced dial would sit well with a blue suit and white shirt, or with a rugby and jeans. Its versatile but clean as hell, and would be right at home at the country club or ski lodge, or at a formal event. Dont listen to watch snobs who tell you the strap has to match your belt its a free country and you can flex how you wanna. $140.00 at MVMTWatches.com These are just some of my favorites from MVMTs Voyager collection, but all of the models are worth checking out. Were lucky to live in a time where the everyman has access to watches of this quality at a price that actually makes sense for us. So ditch the $20 Timex, forget about the Rolex replica, and get yourself something of quality without taking out a second mortgage. MVMT is for the people. Youre people. It just makes sense. Related Reading Watches Under $150 Watches Under $300 AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use. Despite a possible lawsuit from Donald Trump, a publication of the American Bar Association (ABA) will run a story thats critical of the US presidential candidate.The ABA is said to have initially had objections and requested edits to parts of the story which was slated to run in Communications Lawyer.The Association drew criticism from media lawyers and the wider community after a New York Times report said that the organisation refused to publish the report it had commissioned.However, Chuck Tobin, a partner at Holland & Knight and former chairman of the ABA communications law group, has revealed that the story written by Susan Seager will be published, according to a report from Law.com.Tobin, who was involved in conversations about the article, said the story originally titled Donald J. Trump is a Libel Bully but also a Libel Loser will run without edits.The turnaround comes after ABA deputy executive director James Dimos wrote an email to editors of Communications Lawyer on October 19 proposing edits that removed or replaced certain words and paragraphs, Law.com reports.Rather than have the article edited, Seager pulled it from the publication and the full and annotated version was subsequently published by Vox Medias The Big Idea.The ABA has denied that it quashed the report, saying editorial and legal staff of the ABAs media lawyer subgroup publication only offered professional opinion for edits that would reduce the supposed partisan tenor, ad hominem tone and the profile as a target for a suit, according to The Big Idea editor Christopher Shea.However, Seager told Shea that it was clear the changes were nonnegotiable. Lawyer Steve Zansberg who was involved in the discussions about the story told Law.com that it was fairly well understood that the edits would have to be done for the story to be published.David Bodney, the immediate past chair of the ABA's media law subgroup told Vox in an email: In my experience, the ABA's attempt to dilute Ms. Seager's article was extraordinary, if not unprecedented, and demonstrates the importance of lawyers standing up against actions taken under the guise of our libel laws that would chill freedom of expression.Speaking to Law.com, Seager said that she decided to call [the ABAs] bluff after the Association said last week that they did not bar the story and would not have the authority to do so.The author, an independent practitioner in California who also teaches media law at the USCs Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, said that a past ABA email makes it clear that the organisations claim it did not refuse to publish the story was false.Seager has resubmitted the commissioned article to Communications Lawyer and its scheduled to be published within the next week.ABA president Linda Klein insists that the Association did not refuse to publish the article which contains the authors and not the Associations opinions.The ABA has a long-standing policy encouraging jurisdictions to adopt legislation to eliminate Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Anti-SLAPP laws). Hopefully, this matter will shine a light on the problem of frivolous lawsuits that turn the justice system into a weapon that has a chilling effect on free speech, Klein said in a statement. By Geraint Lewis, Professor of Astrophysics, University of Sydney How did large galaxies, like our own Milky Way and the nearby Andromeda Galaxy, emerge from the featureless soup that existed after the birth of our universe? Decades of observations and theoretical effort have provided a picture in which atoms pool into galaxies, drawn by the gravitational pull of dark matter. Our synthetic universes, created and evolved on the most powerful supercomputers, beautifully match the distribution of galaxies we see on the universe. Understanding the small-scale detail is going to occupy astronomers for decades to come, but it appears that galaxies are built up over time by accreting (gathering) smaller systems that stray too close. And in the past few decades, it has become clear that the tenuous stellar halo that surrounds large galaxies holds the clues to unravelling galaxies accretion history. Dissecting galaxies A big spiral galaxy can be split into three key pieces: the bulge, the disk and the halo. The bulge and disk are home to the vast majority of the hundreds of billions of stars that make up the galaxy, whereas only 1% of the stars can be found in the halo that envelopes a galaxy. The Conversation, CC BY-ND The halo hosts some of the oldest stars to be found in a galaxy. It is also home to globular clusters, the oldest bound groups of stars we know in the universe. These suggest that the halo was the first galactic component to form, and it should hold some of the best preserved record for the formation history of a galaxy. But to reveal the secrets hidden within a galaxy, astronomers have to take a forensic approach and look at the stellar halo like a crime scene. Galactic cannibals It is within the stellar halo that smaller dwarf galaxies meet their ultimate fate, losing their battle with the destructive forces of gravity. These dwarf galaxies are stripped, harassed and dispersed until they eventually mix with the stars of the larger galaxy. But this destruction, this galactic cannibalism, can take many billions of years, and we expect to catch the ongoing destruction of dwarf galaxies even today. There is observational evidence for the existence of a range of substructures in galaxy halos, such as tidal streams and stellar shells, revealed in our own Milky Way and the neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy. It is within these galaxies that we can identify and isolate individual stars within the extremely faint halo. And it was the halo of Andromeda that formed the focus for our new study published recently. A search for clustering Instead of stars, we used a map of the planetary nebulae that also inhabit the halo of Andromeda. These are the late-stage evolution of stars similar to our own sun, stars that are the debris of disrupting and disrupted dwarf galaxies. Luckily, these are readily identifiable due to their peculiar spectral signature, a signature that also reveals their velocities. We needed to pick over these galactic corpses, dissecting the crime scene to work out just how many victims lay hidden in plain sight. To do this, we looked for how clustered these planetary nebulae are. If the picture of halos growing through accretion is correct, then we should expect an underlying smooth and unclustered distribution, the remnants of ancients accretions that have been completely disrupted and mixed, overlaid with ongoing accretions that should be clustered together in space and velocity. Andrew Cooper, John Helly (Durham University) But there are problems. While we can see where the planetary nebulae are in the sky, and we can measure the velocity along the line-of-sight, distances are unknown, as are the proper motions in the plane of the sky. We had to develop some clever methods to search for clustering signatures, and compare these to expectations drawn from synthetic models of galaxies. And success! The results revealed a mix of smoothly scrambled and lumpy clustered planetary nebulae, precisely in accordance with our cosmological expectations. This provides further evidence for our current best explanation for the cosmos, the Lambda Cold Dark Matter cosmological model, a universe dominated by the gravitational pull of dark matter battling the expansion of the universe, and where galaxies have been steadily built up over time through devouring smaller systems. While this success is heartening, with growing evidence that our understanding of the workings of the universe is well founded, tensions remain. This is particularly so on the scale of individual halos of large galaxies the recently discovered coordinated dance of dwarf galaxies still cries out for an answer. Astronomical effort will continue over the next few decades, but on the question of when we will truly understand galaxy formation and evolution, the jury is still out. Geraint Lewis receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Prajwal R. Kafle receives funding from the Australian Research Council and University of Western Australia. Originally published in The Conversation. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Hi, I have done bsc(IT) from sikkim manipal university (distance education) . So in that case can i apply for Australia Pr as I ave a experience as a graphic designer. and i have check this Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) Graphic Designer-- 232411-- VETASSESS. So can i apply and please guide me how i can apply. Thanks ECU Back in the day when the Porsche Boxster was still in its early years, the German roadster used to embody the overly fun, yet slow type of machine. Things have evolved over the years and, with the turbo flat-four switch done by the new 718-labeled generation, Zuffenhausen has ensured Boxster drivers no longer feel threatened by hot hatch guys willing to drag race them.Heck, the 718 Boxster S, which packs 350 hp and 309 lb-ft (420 Nm) of twist, can cover the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds. And, if the driver insists on mashing the throttle, the mid-engined sportscar will hit a maximum velocity of 178 mph.Throw in some turns and the performance gets even more impressive - the new Boxster S can lap the Nurburgring in 7:42, which makes it as fast as a 997-generation 911 GT3.Now that's fast. But is it enough? Well, if you ask the tuners and their clientele, you'll get a big fat "no" as an answer. So let's return to the Motoren Technik Mayer part of the job and see what the German specialist can do for the current Boxster range-topper.The company is still working on its 718 Boxster packages, but, for now, they've gifted a Boxster S with a custom exhaust and a piggybackremap box. And we've got a Winding Road-supplied review of this Zuffenhausen machine for you.The video at the bottom of the page shows the Porscha being driven inside and outside the city, while also visiting the dyno. At the moment, the said modification allow the 2.5-liter flat-six occupying the middle section of the Boxster S to jump to 390 hp and 324 lb-ft (440 Nm).And yet MTM will probably take the Boxster past the 400 hp border, so we'll keep a close eye on the tuner's work. oh shit! (*gf*) @oldnew_jp #OldandNew997 A video posted by Mark Kawaguchi (@markkawaguchi) on Oct 30, 2016 at 8:31pm PDT Predating the current 991, the 997 generation was manufactured from 2004 to 2012. The last Porsche 911 with hydraulic steering also happens to be a darling of the tuning scene, especially if we take a look in Gemballas backyard . Be that as it may, Japanese company Old & New decided to stay clear from conventional tuning with the 935-inspired slant nose body kit.A single snip at this masterpiece is enough to understand that Old & New is the most appropriate name for the 997-generation 911 before your eyes. Excluding the hood, doors, roof, and glasshouse, every other exterior panel was changed or modified with the Porsche 935 in mind. Speaking of the 935, the iconic car won numerous races, including the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans.The 935's racing accolades convinced Porsche to adapt the 930 into the Flachbau through the manufacturers Sonderwunsch program. Then, the 964 generation also spawned a handful of slant nose models. Curiously enough, the Japan-spec 964 Flachbau featured pop-up units like the 930 Flachbau The Old & New 997, however, doesnt do pop-up headlights due to ECE auto safety regulations. On the upside, the front bumper incorporates two massive round headlights in pure 935 flat nose style. Above them, the company further beautified the 997 with two daytime running lights with five LEDs.Albeit the Old & New website looks a bit unfinished, the company didnt forget to put a price on the 997-to-935 body kit. If you want that unmistakable face, the flared fenders from a Rocket Bunny kit, and a gargantuan Bosozoku-style rear wing, that'll be 1,550,000, thank you!Converted to U.S. dollars, the price of the body kit works out at $14,800. Some of the countries in the EU add points to someones driving license, while others subtract them from a set number awarded when the license is issued. Both systems have a typical result if a driver is uncivilized the right to drive is suspended until the penalty is paid off, and until other sanctions are lifted.This story is not about how Europeans get their license back after it gets taken away for too many offenses. Instead, it is a comparison between multiple countries in Europe and how they treat people that exceed the speed limit by a reasonable margin.Before we get into that, we will divert your focus on an original ticketing system, which is based on something called Day Fine. This is a just solution that makes it tough for rich people to ignore traffic laws because they could easily afford to pay the penalty.Before we get into details, we feel that it would be best if we described the concept. Instead of getting a fixed punishment for a particular driving mistake, like not using your indicators, some countries have legislation that takes a percentage of the persons monthly income as a measurement unit for disposable income, which is then multiplied by a fixed coefficient depending on the severity of the crime.Imagine you earn a fixed sallary each month. In the case of, the fine is calculated after removing social security payments, taxes, and a basic living allowance of 255 per month from the total salary.The remaining sum is split into 60, and the resulting amount is considered a day fine, which cannot amount to less than six euros and is multiplied by the severity of the offense. Having a person in your care deducts 3 per day, per person, from the daily fine.There is a minimum fine in Finland for each offense, and police officers also consider the severity of the action when delivering a financial penalty, which can lead to "expensive situations" if someone does something irresponsible. The Day Fines only apply to some offenses, while others are taxed under a standard system.The best example for Finland is exceeding the speed limit. If you go 20 km/h over the posted limit, you get a regular fine. Once the speed trap gets a vehicle at a velocity that exceeds the maximum allowed on the segment by 21 km/h, the Day Fine system is applied.This leads to terrible differences for just 1 km/h (0,62 miles), but most people forget to consider that we are talking about the difference between 20 (12.4 miles) and 21 km/h (13 miles) on top of the speed limit. It might seem unfair, but it brings revenue to the government, keeps speeders in check, and the roads safer.Finland is not the only country that does this, so keep that in mind before pressing the gas too much while you are on vacation . We did not use a higher speeding offense because of this system that is applied in Finland, which would turn things into a massive equation.To keep everything manageable, we are going to talk about fines regarding the speed limit in the biggest countries in Europe. From there, we are separating the countries with lax fines from those with extreme penalties. The offense we are focusing in this article is going 20 km/h over the listed speed limit.andare among the countries that have relatively small fines for drivers that exceed the posted speed limit by 20 km/h. In the case of Greece, the penalty is close to 50 euros no matter where it happens.Drivers pay a flat rate for exceeding the limit with 20 km/h in German motorways or country roads, but they pay slightly more when it happens in the city.Those that drive in Austria will get a fine of 50 euros if they exceed the speed limit on country roads by 20 km/h, a smaller fine if it happens on the motorway, and an even smaller one if it goes on in the city. Countries like, andalso have legislation that keeps the sentence for this action at around 50 euros., and theare on the list of countries that have what we would call moderate financial penalties for drivers caught over the posted limit by 20 km/h, but nothing more. We used the term moderate because that is the European average when fines for this mistake are concerned.In the United Kingdom, the penalty is consistent no matter if it happens in the city or the motorway, and it is just under 100 euros. Ireland has a smaller penalty, but not close enough to enter the small category.In The Netherlands, the amount of the speeding penalty varies if it happened in the city, country road, or on the motorway, and they range from just over 100 euros to 150 euros.Belgium is stricter than its counterparts from this category, as its standard fines for this action range at about 150 euros no matter where the offense took place. Finland is surprisingly lax, with a fine of 130 euros, without separating city or motorway offenders.France comes just between Finland and Belgium, but its worst offenders can also get a jail sentence. Meanwhile, Spain is placed between Ireland and Finland from this point of view. Italy sits just below strict Belgium when considering the penalty, with a cap of 150 euros for speeding at 20 km/h above the limit.Driving at 20 km/h over the limit incan become extremely expensive, especially in the city, where this will land a 400 euro ticket . Doing the same on the motorway is slightly cheaper, at about 325 euros, while country roads have the smallest punishment for this offense, which is set at 200 euros.has similar legislation, with a 300 euro fine for driving 20 km/h over the limit in the city. Doing the same on country roads or the motorway lands a 200 euro fine.also punishes town speeders with higher amounts, which can reach about 330 for the same speed offense. Driving faster on Swiss country roads will land a 200 euro fine, while doing the same on motorways only costs 150 euros. How affordable, right?The time has come to tell you which is the country where you should never drive faster than the speed limit. Well, do not go 20 km/h over the limit in Norway, or you will get a 500 euro fine if it happened in the city. The offenses that take place on motorways and country roads are situated under 450 euros, but slot at about 430 euros.By the way, driving significantly above the limit in, and(conditionally) will land you a jail sentence. These tend to start at about 36 km/h over the limit, but some countries allow even more before locking up a driver. Do not be that person, drive safe. October was the Octane month, with special offers being run throughout dealerships, but November will be even better as you might win a new Victory Octane by voting one in the custom dealer contest. 27 photos Earlier this year, we wrote about Wanksy, a man from Manchester that got tired of driving through potholes . Since authorities are quick at covering up obscene graffiti, but not so fast when it comes to fixing potholes, the artist decided to continue his illegal campaign against road imperfections.Eventually, the culprit in Manchester was apprehended, but that did not stop the movement that was generated after his capture. Instead, more and more youngsters have begun drawing obscene things over potholes to make authorities fix the road as soon as possible. It usually works, but it can result in a penalty and even a criminal record for those that get involved with this kind of work.The movement that inspired individuals to draw male genitalia over potholes has apparently taken its time to go across the Atlantic. A 27-year old guy from Florida s Miami-Dade County performed such an act on the street called Kendall Drive.The inspirational action from across the pond was supposed to get authorities to fix the seemingly massive hole in the asphalt. Instead, he was spotted by a patrol car, which drove up behind him and took him to the precinct.The artist that goes by the name of Cliff Pryor has stated that he does not feel like he has done anything wrong, The Florida Sun Post reports.Instead, Mr. Pryor believes that his actions are part of a civic duty, and that authorities should fix potholes as soon as possible. While we do not condone graffiti , we appreciate street art when it is done tastefully.In the case of these scribbles, as well as tags, we feel that the self-proclaimed artists should pay to get them removed.Meanwhile, potholes can be reported to the city council. You can always take the time to write to authorities or even file a complaint. They are condoned by law to reply in most countries, and the pothole should get fixed afterward. Social media is also a good alternative, by the way, as long as you make it viral. Good luck with that. Photo of Transit full-size van courtesy of Ford. Its a great year for sales of cargo vans. The National Truck Equipment Association recently revised its 2016 forecast for U.S./Mexico Class 1-3 commercial van sales upward from a previously forecast 7% year-to-year gain up to 10% this year to be followed by an 8% increase next year. Perhaps thats partly because buyers are finding lots more than tires to kick when they check out the latest models. David Sowers, head of Ram Truck brand marketing, says the Great Recession built pent-up demand, with the average age of vans climbing to 10 years. It now stands at 7 years. Last year, Class 1-4 vans and chassis sales reached almost 400,000. We expect that to rise by 10 to 15% this year, Sowers says. Pent-up demand is being met, and theres growth in small businesses since 2009 thats also driving sales. Both fleets and small business owners are buying more vans. He says the two largest groups of buyers are delivery and mobile worksite operations. Lots more delivery vans are being sold to UPS and FedEx, and Ram has secured a contract for 12,000 units with the U.S. Postal Service. Ford says total commercial van sales for 2015 were 423,094, including full-size and compact commercial vans, according to Yaroslav Hetman, Fords brand manager for Transit, Transit Connect and E-Series. Year to date through August, the segment is up 16%, with total van sales of 312,705 vs. 268,625 last year. He says much of that growth is being driven by sales of the full-size Ford Transit, adding that Ford sold more vans in August 2016 than it has at any other time in history. We are literally selling every van we can build even with three production shifts and capacity utilization above 100%, says Joe Langhauser, full-size van product manager for General Motors Fleet. In 2015, we sold 46,000 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana cargo vans. In the first eight months of 2016, weve sold more than 27,000. Demand has been strong across the board, but weve seen an influx of customers who are in the landscaping and catering businesses. Mathias Geisen, general manager of marketing for Mercedes-Benz Vans USA, says sales numbers are steadily increasing and were in the process of signing important contracts with fleet companies. As for this years outlook, Geisen says the full-size Sprinter has a well-established [customer] segment and the mid-size Metris continues to build momentum. We knew wed have a pioneering role with the Metris because the mid-size segment was vacated by the Chevy Astro/GMC Safari a while ago. Photo of Chevrolet City Express courtesy of General Motors. GMs Langhauser says more than 10,000 Chevrolet City Express compact vans were sold last year and well be in the same range this year. He says the City Express, a derivative of the Nissan NV 200, is an important vehicle for us because the broader our portfolio, the more we can serve as a one-stop shop for our customers. The Nissan NV200, according to Mark Namuth, senior manager, commercial vehicle sales, is the right size for owners wanting smaller, more efficient work vans. He notes that the NV200 body was extended 7.9 inches beyond models sold in other global markets to provide more cargo capacity for North American customers. Hetman says Ford invented the compact commercial van segment with the introduction of Transit Connect in 2009. It continues to outsell all the other models that have entered the space. Customers from a wide range of industries, including home security, shuttle and delivery, have adopted Transit Connect. Rams Sowers points to a lot of down-sizing or right-sizing vehicles by customers. We think our ProMaster City offers a great combination of fuel efficiency and productivity. He says its rated for 28 mpg, offers a payload higher than most light-duty pickups and that it drives like a car, with a great turning radius and visibility. We sold over 90,000 of these units in 2015. Photo of Ram ProMaster City courtesy of FCA US. Once the right size van is selected, total cost of ownership is the key purchasing consideration, says Fords Hetman. Our full-size Transit offers up to 46% better fuel economy than the E-Series [it replaced] and provides best-in-class gasoline engine maximum cargo capacity of 487.3 cubic feet when properly equipped up to 75% more than the largest E-Series van. Transit vans also deliver as much as 4,650 pounds of maximum payload capacity. Safety is becoming more and more important, especially when it comes to active safety features supporting the drivers and avoiding accidents and, therefore, also keeping downtime low, says Mercedes-Benzs Geisen. Our vans offer a portfolio of safety features, including Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist and Crosswind Assist. Hetman says the latest safety features have been incorporated into Ford vans, from Blind Spot Assist in Transit Connect to Lane Keeping Alert in Transit. These features are in addition to traction control, electronic stability control, side-wind stabilization, and the use of high-strength boron steel to reinforce key points around the vehicle. Nissan offers telematics, backup cameras, and rear sonar as some of our active safety features, says Namuth. We are seeing an increase in the ordering of these active safety features. Photo of NV full-sie van courtesy of Nissan. GMs Langhauser says connectivity is playing a bigger role in the purchase decision. Thats why we leverage the OnStar safety systems built-in hardware and software to power Commercial Link, a telematics platform that gives access to key information such as location, miles driven and fuel consumption. We also offer the General Motors Fleet Track System, which pairs OnStar with a scalable cloud-based fleet monitoring platform developed by Telogis. Upfitting critical Smoothing the complex upfitting process is now a key differentiator for marketing vans. The sooner [customers] can put a finished vehicle on road, the faster they will see financial returns, says GMs Langhauser. With our ship-through process, upfits can be ordered directly through the dealer. And the GM Upfitter Integration Group can provide technical assistance to the hundreds of upfitters that modify our vehicles. The Nissan Commercial Upfit Program offers customers a wide selection of cargo management packages, graphics packages, or cash allowance, according to Namuth. Our ship-through program offers fleets Nissan-approved upfits at our factory locations. Ford offers 64 different configurations of vans directly from the factory, Hetman says. Through our ship-through upfitter network, the possibilities for customization by leading upfitters are endless. Photo of Metris mid-size van courtesy of Mercedes-Benz. Geisen says Mercedes-Benz customers are searching for a complete solution in a simple ship-thru process. Vans with shelving, refrigeration or other popular upfits will be available as a key-ready solution. To assure the highest quality, we work with three major upfitters, AutoTruck, Knapheide and SmartLiner. Rams Sowers notes that an upfit center is located next to the ProMaster assembly plant to handle everything from the standard stuff to customized requests. Fuels and powertrains Many fleets are committed to reducing their environmental footprint and fuel consumption, notes GMs Langhauser. We also see real potential for small-displacement turbo diesel powertrains in the fleet arena, because they are powerful, durable and fuel efficient. Fords Hetman says customers want the power of choice to be able to smoothly flex to the needs of their businesses. This is why we offer two different gasoline powertrains, a diesel engine, as well as propane, CNG and FFV engine options. Also, several upfitters, like XL Hybrids, cooperate with us on hybrid powertrains. However, relatively cheap fuel has diminished the investment that we previously saw in CNG or LNG products, notes Nissans Namuth, particularly in the infrastructure to support those alternative fuels. Photo of GMC Savana courtesy of General Motors. When it comes to step vans, typically built on Class 4-7 chassis, more than anything electricity is now in the air. Hybrid-electric powertrains are being offered by several step van builders. For example, Freightliner Custom Chassis, which also offers CNG and hydraulic hybrid power, makes a hybrid-electric vehicle chassis for walk-in vans. Other electric step vans now available include the Workhorse E-Gen, which uses an electric-battery hybrid drive, and the all-electric Motiv Power Systems drive option offered by Morgan Olson on its Route Star walk-in model. Chevrolet Chevrolets compact City Express offers 122.7 cubic feet of customizable cargo space, a turning diameter of only 36.7 feet, and a payload capacity of 1,500 pounds. Its DOHC 2.0L, I-4 engine with variable valve timing is rated at 131 hp and 139 lb.-ft. of torque. The full-size GMC Savana and its Chevy Express stablemate offer a 2.8L Duramax turbo diesel and 8-speed automatic on the long and short wheelbase versions of 2500 and 3500 series models. Standard features now include Rear Park Assist and a rear-vision camera. Mercedes-Benz The Metris alone fits in the mid-size van category, Mercedes-Benz says. The rear-wheel drive truck is powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder gasoline engine, rated for 208 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a 7-speed automatic. The powertrain, with optional Eco start/stop function, boasts a service interval of up to 15,000 miles. Ford Fords full-size Transit now comes in 64 configurations, including new 350 regular-wheelbase van, with single rear wheel and 9,500-pound GVWR. The 3.7L engine is now standard on dual-rear wheel vans, which lowers the base price and provides for CNG or LPG power. Nissan The full-size Nissan NV has standard supplemental front seat-mounted side-impact air bags and roof-mounted curtain side-impact air bags for front outboard occupant head protection. The rear-wheel-drive van can be powered by a 4L V6 or 5.6L V8; both mated to a standard 5-speed automatic transmission. Ram The compact Ram ProMaster City is powered by the 2.4L Tigershark I-4 engine, mated to a 9-speed automatic. Its steel unibody architecture cuts curb weight to offer payload up to 1,883 pounds. It provides 131.7 cubic feet of cargo space. Originally posted on Trucking Info Photo courtesy of Wikimedia. The national average price of a gallon of unleaded remained mostly flat for the week ending Oct. 31, staying in the $2.21 range, reports AAA. The average price declined one cent, which was at the same level from a month a go and three cents more than the same time a year ago. The usual seasonal decline has stalled as prices have remained roughly the same since early September, AAA reported. Refinery maintenance continues to cause regional price fluctuations. West Coast gasoline continues to be the priciest as the region counts seven of the most expensive states, including Hawaii ($2.91), California ($2.73) and Washington ($2.73). Prices in the Northwest moved higher following the shutdown of BP's Olympic Pipeline last week. Prices should decline as winter-blend gasoline makes its way to pumps. Late last week, OPEC officials met in Vienna about a potential production freeze agreement. Iran and Iraq have been reluctant to participate in a production cut. Federal fuel data mirrored AAA's data, as the price of regular unleaded retreated 1.3 cents to $2.23 per gallon, which was six-tenths of a cent higher than a year ago. Meanwhile the average price of diesel increased one-tenths of a cent to $2.479. Diesel is six-tenths of a cent higher that a year ago, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Graphic of Toyota's Mobility Services Platform courtesy of Toyota. Toyota has formed a partnership with carsharing provider Getaround that could eventually find a place in commercial or government fleets that manage a portion of their vehicles as an in-house rental fleet, a company spokesman said. Toyota is offering its Smart Key Box that enhances carsharing on Toyota's Mobility Services Platform by working independently of telematics hardware. The box is GPS enabled, according to Brian Lyons, a Toyota spokesman. Toyota plans to offer business services such as vehicle management systems, leasing programs, and insurance with the platform. When the box is in place, users can lock and unlock doors and start the car's engine with the Getaround smartphone app. With other carsharing services, users use shared keys via a vehicle's console box or a dedicated communication device that's connected with the Controller Area Network (CAN). Toyota's partnership with Getaround will begin in January in San Francisco. Toyota's investment fund provided funding to the carsharing provider this month. The program could find use in utility fleets or government fleets that operate rental fleets as part of their motor pools, Lyons said. In a related move, Toyota Financial Services Corporation will develop a new financial product where a lessee is able to use the income generated from carsharing to pay for leasing charges. The aim is to increase the number of vehicles for sharing in a more convenient manner, and to attract new users to mobility services. Toyota is considering using the platform for other mobility services in Japan such as unmanned rent-a-car businesses. WEX and ExxonMobile have agreed to extend their partnership to offer fleet payment cards for another 10 years, the two company announced Oct. 27. WEX has also extended an agreement with Imperial Oil Limited. WEX is excited to continue its 17-year relationship with ExxonMobil and Imperial, supporting the growth of ExxonMobils and Imperials commercial portfolio in the coming years, said WEX President and CEO Melissa Smith in a statement. The contract extensions will also benefit ExxonMobil and Imperial customers, who can take advantage of WEXs world-class products and services. WEX offers commercial credit cards that help fleet mangers track spending by drivers on fuel, maintenance, and other expenses. The extension of the partnership comes two years after WEX acquired ExxonMobile's European commercial card businesses, Esso Card, and processing services for the Asia Pacific commercial card portfolio. Its extension of the ExxonMobil partnership follows two years after acquiring the oil giants commercial fleet card portfolio, Esso Card, in Europe, as well as its card processing operations in the Asia-Pacific region. In their collaboration, WEX offers its commercial card solution for ExxonMobil in the U.S. and for Imperial in Canada, including card processing and add-on services, like spend analytics. WEX also heads the marketing and sales efforts, reports said. The 2017 Global Fleet Conference will be returning to Miami, site of the 2015 conference (pictured), and will offer attendees educational content presented by top fleet professionals. Photo: Chris Wolski Registration for the Global Fleet Conference 2017 has opened. The fifth annual Global Fleet Conference will be held June 6 to 8, and will be returning to Miami, site of the sold out 2015 conference. The conference has sold out each of the previous four years, so early registration is highly recommended. Early registrants will also benefit from preferred pricing on conference passes. For more information about the 2017 conference, go to www.globalfleetconference.com. The Global Fleet Conference is designed for fleet managers and fleet stakeholders with global responsibilities. Educational content is focused on the needs of global fleets. Past subjects have included: how to implement a global fleet safety program, creating a successful global fleet policy, the ins and outs of implementing a global RFP, and market overviews of major global regions such as South America. Networking has been a highlight of Global Fleet Conferences in the previous years and will remain a focus for the conference in 2016. Attendees will have ample opportunities to renew old ties and build new professional relationships. Produced by Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet magazine, and Nexus Communication, publisher of Fleet Europe magazine, the Global Fleet Conference is held in alternate years in a U.S. and European location. The 2016 conference was held in Brussels at the iconic The Hotel. Courtesy of Enterprise Holdings Enterprise Holdings has been inducted into the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). The Department of Defense program addresses unemployment of military spouses by connecting them with more than 335 partner employers committed to recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses. Through the partnership, Enterprise will receive monthly program updates and guidance for promoting portable careers and employment opportunities through the MSEP Career Portal. Enterprise Holdings will use the portal to advertise its hiring initiatives and report on military spouse hiring successes and networking opportunities, according to the company. Military spouses face unemployment rates of approximately 18% compared to the 5% national average, according to 2016 data from Blue Star Families (BSF). In addition, they are six times more likely to earn salaries below their education and experience level. Since the programs inception in 2011, more than 5 million jobs have been posted on the MSEP Career Portal, and the more-than-300 partner employers have hired more than 100,000 military spouses into a variety of industries. Supporting veterans, members of the guard and reserve, and members of the military and their families is part of our DNA, said Pam Webster, assistant vice president of talent acquisition at Enterprise Holdings. Our commitment to hire military spouses is another way for Enterprise Holdings to demonstrate its commitment to military families and builds upon our companys rich history of military support. Photo courtesy of The Hertz Corp. Hertz Global Holdings Inc. will host a live webcast discussion of its 2016 third quarter financial results on Tuesday Nov. 8 at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern time. This webcast can be accessed through a link on the Investor Relations section of the Hertz website and will remain available for replay for approximately one year, according to the company. Hertz will issue a news release detailing the company's financial results and will file its SEC Form 10-Q after market close on Monday Nov. 7. The annual NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition opens officially on Tuesday morning in Orlando, Florida, but it was already a busy day on Monday, with a full slate of news conferences and plenty of reporters and industry officials on site. The show news even got off to an extra-early start, with the announcement from Cirrus on Sunday night that they now have FAA certification in hand for their single-engine jet. Monday brought another full day, with plenty of big players Dassault, Bombardier, Airbus, Textron and more lining up to report on their latest company achievements and product upgrades. Those who could make it out to the static display at Orlando Executive Airport had plenty of airplanes to look at, with more than 100 on display, including the debut of the green Cessna Longitude. Besides all of the latest airplanes, engines and news updates, the NBAA event offers lots of other activities for those who attend. Speakers include David McCullough, author of The Wright Brothers, and political analysts James Carville and Mary Matalin. On Monday, a safety standdown event targeted single-pilot operations. Thursday is career day, and a young-professional networking reception is planned for Thursday morning. Meanwhile, all of the players in the business-industry world will be showing off their latest products, upgrades and innovations. AVweb editors Russ Niles and Paul Bertorelli are on site all week to bring you the details in news stories, podcasts and video. Pratt & Whitney Canada has received type certification from Transport Canada for its PW617F1-E jet engine, the company announced on Monday at the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Orlando, Florida. The engine has been chosen by Embraer to power its new version of the Phenom 100, the EV, which was announced this summer at EAA AirVenture. The new engine, which generates 1,730 pounds of thrust, is built with half as many parts as a conventional turbofan, the company says, which makes maintenance easier and faster. It also comes equipped with dual-channel full-authority digital engine control (FADEC), which reduces pilot workload. The EV, with the P&WC engines, is making its debut this week at the NBAA expo static display. P&WC has delivered close to 2,300 PW600 turbofans worldwide, which have accumulated nearly 3 million flight hours. About 700 of the engines have been delivered to Embraer to power their Phenom 100 jet. Launched only three years ago, the Wheels Up member-based fractional aircraft access program has attracted almost 4000 members and is now eyeing Europe for potential market expansion. At a press conference at the NBAA BACE show in Orlando Monday, Wheels Up founder Kenny Dichter said the companys King Air 350i-based aircraft fleet can serve 90 percent of popular European city pairs nonstop. In this exclusive podcast from NBAA, Dichter said the company has seen explosive growth and has more than 3750 members in the U.S. The companys ethos is to expand access to business and personal transportation in turboprops and jets and Dichter believes the potential universe is 10 times whats being reached by traditional fractional and personal ownership models. Presently, Wheels Up has 70 airplanes: 55 King Airs and 15 Citation XLSs Our business is more Netflix and less Net Jets, Dichter says. Memberships are at two major levels, $29,500 for a corporate membership and $17,500 for an individual member. Hourly fees for the King Air 350i are $3950, according to the companys website. Wheels Up guarantees aircraft availability 365 days a year, with 24 hours notice. Annual dues are about half the membership buy-in and the company does not charge ferry costs. What that guarantees is access to a fleet of 55 Kings and 15 XLSs. You have the use of these airplanes on a one-hour minimum basis. You dont have to worry about crew overnights. You dont have to worry about repositioning, Dichter said. Dichter said Wheels Up is promoting the service among viewers to business news outlets such as CNBC and Fox Business, Bloomberg and ESPN College Game Day. He said these markets have yielded takers who might consider a charter, but dont see the value of a fractional or wholly owned airplane. Dichter believes the traditional market for such services has been about 250,000 people and that Wheels Ups potential is to expand that to be between 2 and 3 million. One way of doing that is to move into the European market, which Wheels Up hopes to do by next year. Europe is a continent thats set up beautifully for Wheels Up. The geography is one third the size of the United States. The King Air is a green airplane and thats very important in Europe, Dichter said. NBAA CEO Ed Bolen is characteristically upbeat going into the show week, commenting on a changing industry that is responding to business needs. He spoke with AVwebs Russ Niles at the Cirrus Jet type certification event on Sunday evening. 1 November 2016 11:22 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Francisco Gonzalez Diaz, the head of ProMexico, a Mexican trust fund promoting international trade and investment, is to visit Azerbaijan to establish cooperation with local companies and to promote Mexican goods in the Azerbaijani market. Mexican Ambassador Rodrigo Labardini announced about this while talking to Trend said on October 31. The exact date of the visit has not been approved yet, but the visit is expected in April-May 2017. Representatives of Mexican business interested in entering the Azerbaijani market are expected to join the ProMexico delegation, the diplomat said. The ambassador added that Mexican travel companies are anticipated to take part in the next Travel and Tourism exhibition to be held in Baku on April 6-8 2017, where they will present Mexicos tourism potential. The Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Mexico amounted to $19.03 million in January-September 2016, as compared to $20.76 million in the same period of 2015. Azerbaijans export to Mexico amounted to $188,100 and import amounted to $18.84 million in the first nine months of 2016. Mexico recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991 and the diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Azerbaijan's Embassy in Mexico was established in 2006. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 10:56 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Azerbaijan Deposit Fund (ADIF) has so far paid compensations worth over 650.98 million manats ($397.39) to depositors of the recently closed Dekabank, Kredobank, Zaminbank, Parabank, Caucasus Development Bank, AtraBank, Bank of Azerbaijan, Ganjabank, Texnikabank and Bank Standard. Banks Volume of paid compensations (million manats/ million USD) Volume of the insured deposits (million manats/ million USD) Bank Standard 368.16 ($ 224.74 ) 460($280.81 ) Zaminbank 51.05($ 31.16 ) 60($ 36.62) Dekabank 2.89($1.76 ) 5.59($3.41) Kredobank 26.14($ 15.95 ) 30.21($ 18.44) Caucasus Development Bank 1.88($ 1.14) 2($1.22) Atrabank 14.17 ($ 8.65) 14.55($ 8.88) Bank of Azerbaijan 24.12($ 14.72) 24.2($14.77) Gandjabank 0.97($ 0.59) 1($0.61) Texnikabank 120 ($ 73.25 ) 122.6($ 74.84 ) Parabank 41.75($ 25.48 ) 43.79($26.73) Acceptance of applications from insured depositors of DekaBank, KredoBank, Zaminbank and Parabank began on August 1, 2016 and the payment of compensations has been carried out since that day. Compensations to the depositors of Caucasus Development Bank and AtraBank are being paid starting from August 23.Payments are being carried out at the branches the banks. Depositors of Caucasus Development Bank receive compensations at the banks main office.Payment of compensations to insured depositors of Bank of Azerbaijan has been carried out since January 29, 2016 at branches of Muganbank and Rabitabank, and since September 8 at ADIFs office. Clients of Ganjabank receive compensations since February 4 at the branches of Rabitabank, Unibank and Kapital Bank. ADIF launchedpayment of compensations to depositors of Texnikabank on February 12. Payment of compensations to the insured depositors of Bank Standard started October 11, 2016 at the banks main office and its branches in the regions of Azerbaijan and will continue for one year. The licenses of all the banks were revoked in 2016, as their assets were not classified in line with the law, and they didnt create adequate reserves and their aggregate capital did not meet the minimum requirements. Some 32 banks are currently implementing their activities in the country. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 12:50 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Russia invested over $3 billion in Azerbaijan's economy, Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the 7th Azerbaijan-Russia interregional forum in Baku Nov. 1. Azerbaijan, in turn, invested more than $1 billion in Russian economy, the minister said. "Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are at the level of strategic partnership. The two leaders attach great importance to the development of political and economic relations. Numerous mutual visits of the countries heads, official delegations and representatives of the business circles are evidence of this, said Mustafayev. A solid legal framework is created between the two counties, he added. Successful cooperation has been established between the countries in the spheres of trade, investments, industry, cargo transit, energy, transportation and agriculture, as well as in the humanitarian sector, Shahin Mustafayev said. The sphere of trade relations is one of the significant areas of the Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation. The first nine months of this year were marked by positive dynamics in trade turnover. Russia ranks third in the list of Azerbaijans trade partners, he added. Russias Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexander Tsybulskiy said that Russia invites Azerbaijani companies to start operating in Lotus special economic zone (SEZ) in Russias Astrakhan region. Lotus is ready to provide Azerbaijani investors with the most optimal conditions for doing business. As far as I know, there are already decisions of some of Azerbaijani companies to become residents in this area, he said. The corresponding agreements will be signed on the sidelines of this forum, the deputy minister mentioned. Generally, some 11 documents including inter-municipal, interregional, inter-company documents and others have been prepared for signing, Tsybulskiy said. Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners, he added. "Russia ranks third on the list of trade partners of Azerbaijan and is Azerbaijans main export partner. It is noteworthy that almost 20 percent of the trade turnover accounts for services, Tsybulskiy said. He explained that the services turnover amounted to nearly half a billion dollars by end of 2015. As for interregional cooperation, around 40 Russian regions have already signed agreements with Azerbaijan on cooperation in different directions, the deputy minister said. It is expected that similar agreements will also be signed with Leningrad Oblast, Ulyanovsk Oblast and with the Republic of Bashkortostan, Tsybulskiy said. Azerbaijans major economic partners are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Dagestan, Stavropol Krai and Krasnodar Krai, as well as Moscow Oblast and Chelyabinsk Oblast - they account for about 75% of the total turnover." Azerbaijan and Russia have the widest prospects for development of relations in the non-oil sphere, Chief of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries Vladimir Chernov said during the forum. The more we get to know each other, the more new areas for the development of relations we find, said Chernov. If one looks at the non-oil sector, one should surely note agriculture and high technologies. Azerbaijan has advanced a lot in these areas and is a very interesting and promising partner for Russia. He also noted that interregional forums have become a kind of a brand of the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. It's hard to say what results well come up with at the end of this forum, but Im sure that the forum will bring new ideas and opportunities to the relations between our countries, said Chernov. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 14:20 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov A total of 19 state-owned properties were sold on November 1 during the auction of Azerbaijans State Committee on Property Issues, the Committee stated. The auction was carried out as part of a new privatization program recently announced in the country, while 101 properties were put up for sale. One of the sold properties is a joint-stock company, 17 are small state enterprises and properties, and another one is a vehicle. Five of the 17 state-owned enterprises and properties are located in Baku, while the rest are in other cities and regions of the country. A total of 31 state-owned properties have been sold at the previous auction of October 25. Next auction, which is due to be held on November 8, will offer 77 objects of state property for privatization. The third stage of privatization started in the framework of the decree dated May 19, 2016 by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on additional measures to improve the process of state property privatization, as well as the presidential Decree from July 19, 2016, on some measures to improve the management efficiency and accelerate privatization of state property. Under the decree, the acceleration of the state property privatization process has been defined as an important direction of the economic policy. The portal for privatization privatization.az, launched in July 2016, reflects all necessary information about the facilities, their addresses, location, and even initial cost and aims at facilitation of the process. The website is available in two languages - Azerbaijani and English. Why Azerbaijan is special section available on the website explains the reasons and advantages of investing in the country. The privatization process is designed to attract both foreign and local investors, as well as improve the business environment of Azerbaijan. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 18:11 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli The volume of the cotton harvest in Azerbaijan is projected to be 100,000 tons per year, Agriculture Minister Heydar Asadov told reporters in Baku on November 1. The minister said that heavy rains, unfortunately, prevent the cotton harvest, despite the fact that all necessary equipment has been purchased for this purpose. "I think that if the weather conditions will be good in November, we will be able to make up for lost time, and achieve our goals. To date, we have collected over 44,000 tons of cotton. You can ask whether weather conditions will impact on the quality of cotton? I can say that we are fully satisfied with the imported cotton seedlings. Of course, the rains may indirectly influence this process, but, on the whole, I think, no serious damage will be observed," he said. Azerbaijan collected 44.080 tons of cotton as of October 31, and this is 1.6 times more than the same period last year, according to the State Statistics Committee. In the 1970-1980s, cotton production was of crucial importance for the national economy, accounting for approximately 25 percent of agricultural revenue. Then, Azerbaijan harvested a million tons of cotton per year. 2016 is expected to be a period of development of cotton growing in the country, as the government is keen to support cotton production to give a new life to this industry. Cotton is regarded as a strategic product and it is not by chance that it is called white gold. The country has big plans for next year and the preparations for 2017 have already begun. Meanwhile, the recent presidential order envisages the state support of cotton production, awarding producers of cotton with grants in the amount of 0.1 manat ($0.06) for each kg of seed-cotton sold to processing enterprises. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 15:22 (UTC+04:00) By Trend The Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forums have become a good tradition, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia, said. Bulbuloglu made remarks at the opening of the 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, which is being held in Baku on November 1. "We are very pleased that this important area of our cooperation, cooperation with the regions of the Russian Federation, is being successfully developed, the ambassador said. It has become one of the most important and essential components of the strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia." It is important that as of January 1, 2016, Azerbaijan signed 36 agreements with 19 Russian regions, he said. The diplomat added that Azerbaijan and the Russian regions have already created successful formats of developing the relations in different spheres. Baku considers it appropriate to approve the draft agreement, taking into account the specificity of each region to further maintain and develop the Azerbaijan-Russia relations, he said. Today, success is mainly determined by the ability to adapt to the new conditions, by finding new ways of cooperation, Bulbuloglu said. One of the most promising projects of cooperation is the North-South large-scale transport project, which will connect the Russian ports to Asia and the Indian Ocean, the ambassador said, adding that the project will open new prospects of cooperation among Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. The implementation of the project will contribute to the financial stability of all participating countries in general and those Russian regions, through which the route will stretch, the ambassador said. The friendly cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is doomed to succeed, he said. The North-South corridor is meant to connect Northern Europe to South-East Asia. It will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. It is planned to transport five million tons of cargo via the North-South corridor per year at the initial stage and later to increase the figure to more than 10 million tons. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 17:33 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova Russias Tyumen region has offered Azerbaijan to implement a number of projects in the field of chemical industry, tourism and agriculture. Governor of Tyumen Region Vladimir Yakushev announced about this at the opening of the 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, which is being held in Baku on November 1. "Tyumen region is ready to discuss the implementation of the project for the production of polyester anhydride, which is used in the production of cars, pipelines, boats, etc., with Azerbaijan," he said. He added that Tyumen region is also ready to discuss construction of potato and grain processing plants with Azerbaijani businessmen. "We are also interested in establishing a retail and wholesale logistics complex on the territory of the industrial park, he added. Thus, it will be possible to supply products to other regions of Russia." Yakushev added that Tyumen region and Azerbaijan could also consider the possibility of establishing joint ventures in oil and gas engineering, the construction of the greenhouse complex, SPA-hotels and others. Azerbaijan intends to strengthen business cooperation with Russian regions, by means of increasing the number of mutual agreements and business entities. Bilateral agreements on trade-economic, scientific-technical, and cultural cooperation were signed with a number of Russian regions at the intergovernmental level till now. Azerbaijan ranks fifth in Russia's foreign trade with the CIS countries (following Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). At the same time, Russia is also considered to be a leading importer of Azerbaijani goods. Some 600 Russian companies are operating in Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 12:15 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The talented Azerbaijani artist, well-known in the art world, Sakit Mammadov, has become an honorable member of the Academy of Art in Rome. The artist was honored with the title for his contributions to the world culture, Azertac reported. Moreover, the European Academy of Natural Sciences (EAEN) awarded the artist with the medal of C. Spitzweg for his contribution in visual arts. He is one of the most famous artists, whose works are in major art galleries and private collections around the world. Sakit Mamedov was born on August 5, 1958, in the city of Neftchala, Azerbaijan. The biography of the Azerbaijani artist is included into the Encyclopedia 'People of our millennium' which is released with the support of the Presidential Administration of Russia, Federation Council, State Duma, UN and UNESCO information center. The artist sensitively catches the rhythms of life and able to listen and hear the time. He is the master of portraits, landscape pictures, still-life paintings and large many-figured paintings. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 13:48 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The Embassy of Mexico in Baku aims at promoting Mexican culture in Azerbaijan through conducting interesting events and concerts. One of such events is the Mezcal Festival, first held in Baku in October-November 2015. This celebration has become a cultural custom that brings people to know the mezcal, a traditional Mexican drink, its production stages and current role in the national economy. The festival opened on October 31 will last till November 5, 2016. The event opened on the collaboration of the Embassy of Mexico in Azerbaijan with Intourist Hotel, Fairmount Hotel, Landmark Hotel, Maya Restaurant, Idkhal Ltd. Especially for presentations of mezcal, the President of the Association pro Culture of Mezcal, Mr. Sergio Inurrigarro has visited Baku. With more than 100 brands, mezcal has gained ground in Mexico and the world, which is shown with annual growth in exports of 40 percent. Mexico, with a production of 2 million liters, exported one million liters per year, mainly to the United States, Chile, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany. It is a growing industry with strong growth, with 15,000 farmers and 29,000 jobs. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 14:44 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov TURKPA (Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries) has always supported peaceful settlement to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Secretary General of TURKPA Jandos Asanov has told Trend. The Secretary General noted that it is the consistent position of the Assembly. During each of its plenary sessions and in all its declarations TURKPA expressed support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, said Asanov. Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-speaking Countries was established on November 21, 2008, according to the Agreement signed by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. The Assembly fosters developing the inter-governmental relations and coordinating overall cooperation of the member-countries. The organization numerously noted its support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan. This was also reflected in the declaration of June 13, 2014 in Baku. The declaration called for the inviolability of borders and non-interference in the internal affairs of countries and emphasizes the need for a rapid settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with the signing of a precarious cease-fire in 1994. Since then, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh, defying international calls and four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces form Azerbaijani lands. As a result of this aggression, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and more than one million people were expelled from their native lands. Moreover, after invading Azerbaijan's territories, Armenia has been pursuing the campaign of ruining cultural and historical monuments of Azerbaijan. The destruction continues to this day. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 11:40 (UTC+04:00) Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA) has issued an interview with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The following is the text of the interview. Would you please shed light on bilateral relations between Egypt and Azerbaijan? How do you see the level of cooperation between the two countries? Azerbaijan and Egypt established bilateral relations 25 years ago after the restoration of independence of Azerbaijan. Since then our countries have enjoyed good relations based on the mutual respect and understanding. Based on the history both countries also have religious, cultural, traditional and social links through the ancient Silk Road. In 1993, the Embassy of Egypt was opened in Baku. Azerbaijans first ever Embassy in the African continent was also established in Egypt in 1994. Diplomatic presence in both capitals has given a further impetus to raise the content and scope of our relations. Political relations, regular dialogue and exchange of visits play a pivotal role in further cementing friendly relations between our countries. Currently, the cooperation between the two countries extends to almost every sphere ranging from the political, economic, tourism, energy, education, culture and humanitarian spheres. We are pleased that as potential oil and gas exporting countries SOCAR and EGPC have achieved tangible progress in energy dimension of our cooperation. However, the bilateral trade between the two countries is far below than our real potential. Both countries are keen to further enhance bilateral economic and commercial relations with special focus on improving transport connections. The two countries have great potential for cooperation in pharmaceutical, tourism, textile-garment, ICT, agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Direct air routes would also contribute to promoting trade, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. Contacts between the business circles of the two countries are also of great importance for fostering commercial and trade relations. At the governmental level the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission provides the platform to review and streamline all spectrum of our economic-commercial, cultural and humanitarian agenda and define priorities and further actions for concrete implementation. With these goals in mind, we are looking forward to the next meeting of Inter-Governmental Commission, which is expected to be held in November. With more than 40 signed agreements the legislative base of our relations is substantially wide and it provides the legal framework for consolidating our cooperation. We also attach particular emphasis on parliamentary dimensions of our relations. Parliamentary friendship groups make their own tangible contributions to carry our agenda of comprehensive cooperation forward. As part of our humanitarian agenda, student exchanges and cultural projects have to be especially highlighted. We are glad that academic and student exchange, including the visit of cultural teams are taking place on a continuous basis. I remain more than reassured that our mutually beneficial cooperation will continue to grow for the benefit of our countries and peoples through our joint efforts. Our relations in the bilateral and multilateral areas, particularly our cooperation in the energy field will be on the agenda during my visit to Egypt. - How do you see the multilateral dimension of Azerbaijans relations with Egypt and Egypts efforts as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council? Azerbaijan and Egypt share the similar position on the fundamental issues of the international agenda. We are also in the firm view that the norms and principles of international law, the Charter of the United Nations should be the basis in addressing the international problems. Proceeding from this understanding and complementing our goodwill bilateral relations Azerbaijan and Egypt have forged profound cooperation within the international organizations as well. In this context, Azerbaijan has supported the nomination of Egypt for the non-permanent seat of the United Nations. We commend the efforts of Egypt to put more emphasis on the problems of Islamic Ummah as a member of UNSC. Azerbaijan has also witnessed support of 155 UN Member States, including Egypt in running for UNSC non-permanent seat in 2012-2013. During its UNSC non-permanent membership Azerbaijan, among other things, initiated the first ever meeting between the UNSC and Organization of Islamic Cooperation on strengthening the partnership synergy between the UN and OIC. It is widely shared view that continuation of this process could further enhance institutional understanding and dialogue between the two institutions and Member States alike. Along with the OIC, Azerbaijans membership to the Non-Aligned Movement and Observer State status at the League of Arab States and African Union, as well as the Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation status of Egypt with OSCE gave us additional platforms for exchange of views and practical collaboration with Egypt. In anticipation of hosting XVIII Summit of NAM in 2019 and chairing this body in 2019-2022, we will seek to have more consultation and cooperation with Egypt, who is one of founding states of NAM. - What is Baku`s stance towards situation in Syria and what could be done to halt the conflict in this country? Having faced with the problem of one million refugees and IDPs in the early years of its independence as a result of notorious ethnic cleansing conducted by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, we fully understand and share the concerns of the international community vis-a-vis the humanitarian catastrophy unfolding in Syria. Azerbaijan by virtue of its capabilities tries to contribute to the humanitarian aid efforts to alleviate the situation of Syrian refugees via the international institutions. We have repeatedly stated that as the first step cease fire and halting of hostilities should be ensured to ease the brunt of humanitarian crises mainly affecting children, women and elders. Afterwards, inclusive political process has to be started to find political solution of the crises according to the will of all Syrian people. The territorial integrity and political unity of Syria has to be guaranteed and safeguarded. - How Azerbaijan sees the efforts of international community to fight against terrorism and growing risks of Islamophobia? The need to strengthen international cooperation geared towards eradicating the menace of terrorism remains strong. It is imperative to take all necessary measures to effectively confront the threats and challenges posed by terrorism, as well as to address its root causes, which include but are not limited to prolonged armed conflicts, illiteracy and social exclusion. Only our joint and concerted efforts coupled with our solidarity can suppress and prevent these inhuman acts which continue to claim the lives of innocent people. Azerbaijan strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. We are seriously concerned also with some unfortunate developments to link the noble religion of Islam with the elements of terrorism. It is completely unacceptable. To the deepest regret, by ignoring innovations and positive influences brought by Islam, international community remains incapable in properly and effectively addressing Islamophobia. We should spare no effort to prevent the increase in frequency and notoriety of this unacceptable trend. We need to further consolidate our efforts within the UN, OIC and other international platforms to prevent this danger. - Could you please update us on Azerbaijans policy to contribute to dialogue of civilizations? Can you also talk about the upcoming Islamic Games that Azerbaijan will host? I am proud to state that as a country which believes that peace and security is achievable through education, science, culture and dialogue, Azerbaijan has transformed into the hub of events fostering dialogue of cultures and civilizations such as 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue. Last month we hosted V Baku International Humanitarian Forum which included panels on a wide range of global issues in the interest of all humanity with the participation of renowned guests, among which were Nobel Prize Laureates. Renowned Egyptian scientist and Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry Ahmed Zewail also regularly attended this platform and shared his wisdom. We have also saddened by the unfortunate news on his death. As a country which has always been at the forefront endeavoring to foster Islamic solidarity Azerbaijan is honored to host the 4th Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku next year. Following the First European Games which Azerbaijan hosted in 2015, we strongly believe that Islamic Solidarity Games will also serve for raising solidarity, peace dialogue and understanding. - Could you please also elaborate on the current status of negotiations towards the resolution of Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict? Armenia continues to occupy the territories of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts, in flagrant violation of international law and resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 adopted in 1993 by the United Nations Security Council. As a direct impact of massive displacement of people from their places of origin, close to one million refugees and IDPs continue to be deprived of their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Republic of Azerbaijan has made it clear on numerous occasions that the unlawful presence of the armed forces of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan is the major destabilizing factor with the potential of escalation at any time with unpredictable consequences and the main cause of tensions and incidents in the conflict zone. Instead of engaging in negotiations in good faith, Armenia demonstratively disrupts any attempt to settle the conflict by peaceful means. In total disregard of the demands of the UN Security Council and in flagrant violation of international law, Armenia refuses to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan, prevents the hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijani forcibly displaced persons from returning to their homes, and tries to further consolidate the status quo. OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs- United States, Russia and France, at the level of their presidents have repeatedly stated that the status-quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. Moreover, it frequently resorts to armed provocations trying to divert attention from the core, substantive issues of the peace process to technical aspects of the ceasefire. Most recently, in early April this year Armenia conducted large-scale attacks against the civilian population of Azerbaijan. It subjected the densely populated areas of Azerbaijan, including schools, hospitals, and places of worship, to intensive fire with heavy artillery and large-caliber weapons. With all these, Armenia continues to challenge and tries to undermine the efforts of the international community, including the Presidents of the OSCE MG Co-Chairing countries, aimed at reaching a breakthrough at the peace talks and getting Armenias troops out of sovereign lands of Azerbaijan. The sooner Armenia reconciles with this reality and withdraws its armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, the earlier the conflict will be resolved, and Armenia and its population will benefit from the prospects of cooperation and economic development. We are thankful to the international community, including Egypt for the firm position in supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and the settlement of the conflict based on these principles according to the UN Security Council resolutions through the negotiations. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 12:19 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli The United States has a very long-standing partnership with the Government of Azerbaijan in security issues, said Michael Carpenter, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. Carpenter, who is on visit to Baku, told reporters on November 1 that the U.S.-Azerbaijan partnership in security is one of the most important pillars of our bilateral relations. The official mentioned that the U.S. has spent over $60 million on security cooperation in Azerbaijan since 2002. Over 25 years of Azerbaijans independence, the U.S. and Azerbaijan have had a partnership on a range of issues, including counterterrorism, cyber security, maritime security and others, he added. Noting that the U.S. is interested in long-standing peace and stability in Azerbaijan, Carpenter also thanked Azerbaijan for the contributions of its peacekeeping mission to the resolute support to Afghanistan. As part of the Baku visit, Carpenter held several meetings with the Azerbaijani officials to mull issues of the defense and security. During his meeting with Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov, the sides discussed prospects of expanding bilateral military cooperation between the two countries, including the cooperation in security and defense spheres, as well as the issues of military education and medical training. The U.S. military official said that his country is interested in expanding and strengthening cooperation with Azerbaijan in the spheres of security and defense and further continuing activity in this direction. Praising the combat readiness of the Azerbaijani Army, Carpenter emphasized that the staff has modern and new weapons and is able to quickly respond to any threat. Hasanov, in turn, spoke about military cooperation programs between Azerbaijan and the U.S, as well as about Azerbaijans contribution to the non-combat mission in Afghanistan. Informing the guest about the military and political situation in the region, Zakir Hasanov emphasized that Armenia poses a real threat to the stability in the South Caucasus. The minister also noted that Armenia, not respecting the norms and principles of international law, continues to occupy the Azerbaijani territories, and despite the efforts of mediators, carries out acts of sabotage on the contact line of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops and aggravates the situation. To discuss cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense, counterterrorism and peacekeeping operations, Carpenter also met with Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The sides also discussed the prospects for the AzerbaijanU.S .relations, as well as the regional issues of mutual concern. The U.S. military official highly appreciated the provision of transit possibilities for the U.S. and allies by Azerbaijan. Touching upon the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mammadyarov informed the guest about the current state of negotiations to solve the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, saying Armenia pursues an unconstructive policy and resorts to various provocations. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 13:03 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Brazil and their further expansion have been discussed in Baku. For this purpose, President of Brazils Chamber of Deputies Rodrigo Maia has paid an official visit to Azerbaijan. He arrived in Baku on October 30 and met with the Speaker of Azerbaijans Parliament Ogtay Asadov and the country's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on October 31. Brazil is a supporter to the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict on the basis of resolutions by the UN Security Council, Rodrigo Maia stated during the meeting with Asadov. The Azerbainai parliamentary speaker said the first visit of Rodrigo Maia in Azerbaijan as the President of the Chamber of Deputies will give impetus to development of bilateral ties, adding that mutual visits of parliamentarians create opportunities to strengthen the bilateral relations. Asadov noted that the two countries should organize joint business forums for expansion of Azerbaijan-Brazil cooperation in economic field. The trade turnover between the countries amounted to $120 million in 2015. This indicator made a sharp rise in the first nine months of 2016, making up $150 million. However, Asadov noted that this growth is still below the potential of the two countries. The speaker also expressed his gratitude to the Brazilian government for supporting the fair position of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Reminding that Brazil has always recognized territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, Asadov thanked Maia for the fact that recently Brazilian Chamber of Deputies adopted a Declaration condemning Armenias occupation policy. In turn, Maia noted the importance of further expansion of Brazil-Azerbaijan ties, which was the main purpose of his visit to Baku. He stressed the importance of developing cooperation in the oil, gas and tourism sectors between two countries. At the end, Ogtay Asadov handed Maia the Honorary Diploma of the President of Azerbaijan for his merits in developing friendly bilateral ties between Azerbaijan and Brazil. Later, Maia was received by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. They also exchanged views on development of cooperation between the two countries in the fields of politics, economy and culture. Mammadyarov said Azerbaijan attaches great importance to developing relations with Latin American countries, as well as with Brazil. The minister mentioned that the visit of Maia would contribute to deepening of relations between the two countries. Mammadyarov noted that there are opportunities for fruitful activity of Brazilian companies in Azerbaijan due to successful economic reforms in the country. Maia, in turn, said Brazil is interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan in all fields. The diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on October 23, 1993. In addition to embassies, each country created Brazil-Azerbaijan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group in 2012 and 2013. Azerbaijan and Brazil share common commitments to universal values, the rule of international law, the principles of the United Nations, including respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of borders. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 17:21 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Representatives of central and regional authorities of Azerbaijan and Russia got together in Baku on November 1 to join the 7th Joint Interregional Forum. The forum attended by many officials, MPs, representatives of companies from the fields of economy, industry, tourism, agriculture, construction, trade, consulting, logistics, pharmaceutics, ICT and finance, is considered an important platform in the relation of the two countries. The officials of the two sides discussed a wide range of issues of cooperation in the economic, industrial, agricultural, trade and humanitarian spheres, as well as youth policy, relations between NGOs and media. The event started with the message of Azerbaijan's President Aliyev, who said, the Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forums make positive contribution to strengthening strategic partnership and helping to enhance the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Undoubtedly, a specific agenda of the next meeting will allow the participants to identify ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation, discuss the prospects of tourist flows, exchange experiences in the fields of industry and agriculture, talk about the dynamics of cultural and humanitarian component of bilateral relations, said President Aliyev. This is very important in the current difficult time, when the global crisis has led to serious changes across the world, says the message. I hope that you will be able to coordinate positions on various issues regarding economy and investments, culture and education, determine priorities and develop more effective forms of cooperation, noted Ilham Aliyev. I am confident that this forum will be held in a constructive atmosphere, will be remembered for interesting projects and meaningful discussions, and most importantly, will bring real benefits to our countries. Following the message of Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed to the participants was read out. "It is gratifying that the forum develops the traditions of trust and mutual understanding, based on common pages of the two countries history, helps to enhance the integration processes and mutually beneficial cooperation." I wish you fruitful work and successful implementation of the plans for the benefit of our countries and peoples, added the Russian president. Speaking at the event Azerbaijans Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev emphasized that relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are at the level of strategic partnership. Russia invested over $3 billion in Azerbaijan's economy, said the minister, adding that Azerbaijan, in turn, invested more than $1 billion in Russian economy. A solid legal framework is created between the two counties, he added. Successful cooperation has been established between the countries in the spheres of trade, investments, industry, cargo transit, energy, transportation and agriculture, as well as in the humanitarian sector, Mustafayev said. The sphere of trade relations is one of the significant areas of the Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation, according to the Economy Minister, who said that the first nine months of this year were marked by positive dynamics in trade turnover. "Russia ranks third in the list of Azerbaijans trade partners," he added. In turn, Russias Deputy Minister of Economic Development Alexander Tsybulskiy invited Azerbaijani companies to start operating in Lotus special economic zone (SEZ) in Russias Astrakhan region. Lotus is ready to provide Azerbaijani investors with the most optimal conditions for doing business. As far as I know, there are already decisions of some Azerbaijani companies to become residents in this area, he said. The corresponding agreements will be signed on the sidelines of this forum, the deputy minister mentioned. Generally, some 11 documents including inter-municipal, interregional, inter-company documents and others have been prepared for signing, Tsybulskiy said. Russia remains one of Azerbaijans main foreign trade partners, he noted, saying that it is noteworthy that almost 20 percent of the trade turnover accounts for services. Tsybulskiy further explained that the services turnover amounted to nearly half a billion dollars by end of 2015. As for interregional cooperation, around 40 Russian regions have already signed agreements with Azerbaijan on cooperation in different directions, the deputy minister said. It is expected that similar agreements will also be signed with Leningrad Oblast, Ulyanovsk Oblast and with the Republic of Bashkortostan, Tsybulskiy said. Azerbaijans major economic partners are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tatarstan, Dagestan, Stavropol Krai and Krasnodar Krai, as well as Moscow Oblast and Chelyabinsk Oblast - they account for about 75 percent of the total turnover." Azerbaijan and Russia have the widest prospects for development of relations in the non-oil sphere, Chief of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries Vladimir Chernov said during the forum. The more we get to know each other, the more new areas for the development of relations we find, said Chernov. If one looks at the non-oil sector, one should surely note agriculture and high technologies. Azerbaijan has advanced a lot in these areas and is a very interesting and promising partner for Russia. He also noted that interregional forums have become a kind of a brand of the relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. It's hard to say what results well come up with at the end of this forum, but Im sure that the forum will bring new ideas and opportunities to the relations between our countries, said Chernov. The friendly cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan is doomed to succeed, Polad Bulbuloglu, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia made the remark at the event. "We are very pleased that this important area of our cooperation, cooperation with the regions of the Russian Federation, is being successfully developed, the ambassador said. It has become one of the most important and essential components of the strategic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia." One of the most promising projects of cooperation is the North-South large-scale transport project, which will connect the Russian ports to Asia and the Indian Ocean, the ambassador said, adding that the project will open new prospects of cooperation among Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. The implementation of the project will contribute to the financial stability of all participating countries in general and those Russian regions, through which the route will stretch, according to the ambassador. Head of Dagestan Republic Ramazan Abdulatipov, addressing the event, emphasized that Azerbaijan has become an important regional power. Russia and Azerbaijan are the states, which grow out of heavy post-Soviet crisis, and today both are still in the process of formation. Over the past years, Russia has managed to restore its great power status, and Azerbaijan has become an important regional power. Azerbaijan and Russia conduct an independent and sovereign policy on an international scale," he said. During the forum Azerbaijan and Russia signed 12 documents that envisage cooperation in the humanitarian and economic spheres. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 13:47 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forums that are held in both Azerbaijan and Russia, make positive contribution to strengthening strategic partnership and helping to enhance the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries, said Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev in his message addressed to the participants of the ongoing 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, which opened in Baku on November 1. The message was read out by the president's aide for public and political affairs, Ali Hasanov. I cordially congratulate you on the beginning of the 7th Azerbaijani-Russian interregional forum, which is being held in Baku, said Ilham Aliyev. An imposing list of participants and rich programs of forums, which cover a wide range of topical issues, are a clear evidence of the increased interest in these forums, noted the president's message. Ilham Aliyev underlined in his message that it is quite natural, since direct dialogue is conducted on the sidelines of these forums, and new business contacts are established, constructive initiatives and innovative projects, aimed at deepening of Azerbaijani-Russian relations, come out. Undoubtedly, a specific agenda of the next meeting will allow the participants to identify ways to enhance trade and economic cooperation, discuss the prospects of tourist flows, exchange experiences in the fields of industry and agriculture, talk about the dynamics of cultural and humanitarian component of bilateral relations, said Ilham Aliyev. The president also noted in his message that considering the strong economic potential and rich experience of joint work that the two countries have, it is necessary to unite the efforts more closely and further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries regions. This is very important in the current difficult time, when the global crisis has led to serious changes across the world, says the message. I hope that you will be able to coordinate positions on various issues regarding economy and investments, culture and education, determine priorities and develop more effective forms of cooperation, noted Ilham Aliyev. I am confident that this forum will be held in a constructive atmosphere, will be remembered for interesting projects and meaningful discussions, and most importantly, will bring real benefits to our countries. He also wished fruitful work and practical results, good health and all the best to all the participants of the forum. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 13:52 (UTC+04:00) By Trend On the basis of a multi-faceted strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan, there are friendly and good neighborly relations, binding the peoples over centuries, said the message of Russian President Vladimir Putin, addressed to the participants of the 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, which is being held on November 1 in Baku. Chief of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Interregional Relations and Cultural Contacts with Foreign Countries Vladimir Chernov read out President Vladimir Putins letter. It is gratifying that the forum develops the traditions of trust and mutual understanding, based on common pages of the two countries history, helps to enhance the integration processes and mutually beneficial cooperation, said the message. He also expressed confidence that the current meeting will take place in the format of a constructive dialogue of representatives of authorities and business community, expert and public organizations of the two countries. The forums agenda will reflect the important issues, such as the expansion of economic and financial cooperation, the deepening of cooperative relations in the scientific, educational and cultural spheres, said Putin in his message. I wish you fruitful work and successful implementation of the plans for the benefit of our countries and peoples, added the Russian president. The 7th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum was opened Nov. 1 at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku. Azerbaijans Economy Ministry and Russias Economic Development Ministry are the organizers of the event. Issues on deepening bilateral interregional cooperation in the fields of industry, transport, energy, tourism and humanitarian sphere will be discussed during the forum. A plenary meeting, round tables and an Azerbaijan-Russia business forum will be held as part of the event. Several documents will be signed during the forum. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 15:41 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Azerbaijan and Egypt, the two countries with similar religious, cultural, traditional and social links, are keen to expand bilateral cooperation. The issues of the Baku-Cairo cooperation and ways to deepen the ties will be mulled in Egypt as Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov visits the country. The ministers agenda includes meetings with government officials. Mammadyarov, talking to Egyptian Middle East News Agency (MENA) ahead of his visit, stated that the two countries have a huge potential for the expansion of ties, particularly in pharmaceuticals, tourism, textile-garment, ICT, agriculture and manufacturing, mentioning that relations in the bilateral and multilateral areas, particularly the cooperation in the energy field will be on the agenda during the visit. The minister stressed that Azerbaijan's energy giant SOCAR and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) have achieved tangible progress in energy dimension of cooperation. Cooperation between the countries currently extends to almost every sphere, ranging from political relations to economics, tourism, energy, and education, cultural and humanitarian issues. Mammadyarov underlined that the bilateral trade between the two countries is far below than real potential. Both countries are keen to further enhance the bilateral economic and commercial relations with special focus on improving transport connections. The minister also mentioned that direct air routes between the countries would also contribute to promoting the trade. Tourism has traditionally played one of the most important places in the economy of Egypt. Last year, more than 3,000 Azerbaijani tourists visited Egypt, while the number is expected to increase in the future. Moreover, Egypt, which has rich and ancient medicine traditions, earlier expressed its interest in opening the plant for the production of medical equipment and drugs in Azerbaijan. The minister went on to say that intergovernmental relations between the countries are developing steadily. He said that the joint inter-governmental commission provides the platform to review and streamline all aspects of relations, while the countries are looking forward to the next meeting of the inter-governmental commission, which is expected to be held in November. With more than 40 signed agreements the legislative base of our relations is substantially wide and it provides the legal framework for consolidating our cooperation, he said. Moreover, the two countries support each other in all international organizations and share similar stances on the fundamental issues on the international agenda. Mammadyarov underlined that mutually beneficial cooperation will continue to grow for the benefit of our countries and peoples, through joint efforts. Since Azerbaijan has gained its independence in 1991, the two countries have started building relations in the political, economic, cultural and educational spheres. Egypt opened its embassy in Baku in 1993, while Azerbaijans first ever embassy in the African continent was established in Cairo in 1994. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 18:11 (UTC+04:00) By Rashid Shirinov The new Turkish military attache to Azerbaijan, Brigadier General Zafer Ocak was introduced to Azerbaijans Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov on November 1. The Defense Ministry reported that Ocak, who replaced Ihsan Basbozkurt in this position, was introduced by Turkeys newly-appointed ambassador Erkan Ozoral. Firstly, Hasanov congratulated the ambassador on starting his diplomatic mission in Azerbaijan and wished him success in expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey. In turn, Ozoral expressed satisfaction with beginning his activities in Azerbaijan and said he will spare no effort for the further development of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations, in particular, in the military sphere. The minister further congratulated Zafer Ocak on his new appointment, and wished him success in future work for the expansion of ties between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Turkey. The sides later discussed the military-political situation in the region and other important issues, as well as stressed the importance of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the nearest future. Turkey became the first state to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. The diplomatic relations were established on 14 January 1992 and the Consulate General in Baku was upgraded to Embassy level. The country has been a staunch supporter of Azerbaijan in its efforts to preserve its territorial integrity and realize the economic potential that arises from its rich natural resources in the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan and Turkey enjoy good and developing economic ties, especially in terms of huge energy projects envisaging the transportation of Azerbaijan's hydrocarbon resources to the European and world markets through the Turkish territory. --- Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 17:09 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Kazakhstan, enjoying 3 percent of the worlds total oil reserves, announced that it will not impose any limits for oil production at the recently-relaunched Kashagan field. Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev noted that Kazakhstans share in the world oil production is very small just 1.5 million barrels from over 34 million barrels of the world oil production , Sputnik Kazakhstan reported. The minister noted that the largest oil producers in the world are Saudi Arabia and Russia, besides Iran, Brazil and Mexico produce a lot. Therefore, reduction or increase in oil production in Kazakhstan "does not play a big role", the minister said. Bozumbayev reminded that the Kashagan field was launched just a month ago. Any limits for Kashagan oil production are out of question, because we have liabilities and a lot of money have been invested," Bozumbayev told reporters. Bozumbayev noted that Kazakhstan plans to sell the first Kashagan oil until the yearend. However, the minister said that natural decline in oil production is observed in a number of other fields in Kazakhstan. He noted that these fields require new drilling works and they cannot maintain production at current oil prices. But it is premature to say that we are going to limit oil production, Bozumbayev said. The Kashagan field, which has earned the unfortunate nickname cash-all-gone due to a series of expensive overruns, finally started up in October 2016. The field, first discovered in 2000, is developed by Kazakhstans state oil company, KazMunayGas, and a consortium of some of the worlds biggest oil companies, including ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell. Kashagan is considered to be the world's largest discovery in the last 30 years, combined with the Tengiz Field. The reservoir lies at the depth of some 4,200 meters below the shallow waters of the northern part of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan's economy depends heavily on the oil sector. It accounts for an estimated 20 percent of GDP, 50 percent of fiscal revenues, and 60 percent of exports The country's proven oil reserve as of early 2016 stood at 30 billion barrels, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy. Largest oil fields of the country alongside with the Kashagan are Tengiz and Karachaganak. --- Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 16:46 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova Speculation is mounting in regard to the possible constitutional changes with the countrys mixed system of government in Kyrgyzstan, which is expecting a presidential election in 2017. Led by Kyrgyzstans president, a number of parties represented in the parliament put forward an initiative to amend the countrys current constitution which was adopted in the referendum after the coup in 2010. Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev signed the constitutional law on holding a referendum on October 31, informs the official website of the President. The proposed constitutional amendments include provisions granting more powers to the cabinet and to leaders of parliamentary factions, as well as, allow combining the position of the prime minister, or deputy prime minister with MP activities. The possible changes in the Constitution were met unambiguously within the country, thus attracting the attention of the West to this legislative initiative. The Venice Commission, a body of constitutional experts hosted within the Council of Europe, responded to a request from a member of the Kyrgyz parliament this summer to review the proposed changes with the determination that they would negatively impact the balance of powers. The commission noted that while the changes were described as needed to clarify the constitution, the majority of the proposed amendments to the Constitution would appear to raise concerns with regard to key democratic principles, in particular, the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. On one hand, some politicians consider that Atambayev wants to alter the constitution according to his own interests since his presidential term expires in 2017 and the constitution prohibits him from a second run. One the other hand, others criticize that the constitution in its existing form lacks a certain division of powers between the president and prime minister that can stoke political conflict. The existing legislation stipulates that Kyrgyzstans mixed presidential-parliamentary constitution cannot be altered until 2020. However, its worth noting that legal provisions have not prevented the ruling elite from making revisions in the past either. Atambayevs harshest critics believe that his calls for a weaker president, stronger prime minister and parliament are predicated on a desire to maintain such a system, or at least ensure his own inviolability under a future chief executive, someone who could possibly be a political enemy of the incumbents. However, Atambayev himself has said repeatedly that he will not seek the role of the prime minister or any other national political office once his current presidential term ends in 2017. Although the possible amendments to the Constitution meet with concern out of the country, most of the population, including the opposition figures consider these changes as a positive step. Agreeing with proposed changes, the former Member of Parliament, lawmaker and an opposition figure Ravshan Jeenbekov said that for the last six years, we have learned towards the presidential model and the authoritarian tendencies that accompany that model, adding that Atambayev may want to change the constitution to ensure his own safety and that of his property, but it would still be a good move since our destiny is to be a genuine parliamentary democracy. The referendum is planned to be held on December 11. Holding a referendum on the draft law on amendments to the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic may be considered by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan if the relevant initiative is made by not less than two-thirds of the total number of MPs, or not less than 300,000 voters, or 10,000 voters (a popular initiative), or MP, or the Government of Kyrgyzstan. The CEC recognizes the referendum valid if there have voted more than 30 percent of voters, included in the list of participants in the referendum. CEC recognizes the decision adopted at a referendum if more than a half of participants in the referendum have voted for it, according to the law. In addition, the Central Election Commission declares the decision adopted at the referendum if for the imposed issue more than half of the participants who took part in elections voted. The referendum is declared invalid if the election results were invalidated in a part of the areas where more than a third of participants of a plebiscite voted. Kyrgyzstan is a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the head of state and the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Kyrgyzstan has had three constitutions: the original 1993 post-independence document which was amended twice before and twice after the 2005 Tulip Revolution, a constitution passed by referendum in 2007, and the present constitution passed by referendum in 2010 after the second revolution. --- Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 10:43 (UTC+04:00) By Trend Foreign ministries of Uzbekistan and Slovakia will hold political consultations November 2-4, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry reported. The consultations are to be held within the framework of the visit of Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Lukas Parizek, the press service said. A Slovak delegation led by Parizek will visit Uzbekistan on November 2-4. The program of the visit will also comprise discussion of topical issues of bilateral relations in the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, as well as a trip to Samarkand region. The two countries have gained considerable cooperation experience in many spheres; the Uzbek-Slovak relations are regulated by more than 20 intergovernmental documents, including the agreements on cooperation in the field of air transport, tourism, fight against organized crime and protocols on cooperation of foreign political and foreign trade agencies. Meetings at highest level between Uzbekistan and Slovakia are being held, and the contacts between the parliaments, ministries and agencies have been established. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 11:31 (UTC+04:00) By Gunay Hasanova The extradition of the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) leader, Fethullah Gulen has been accelerated following the recent U.S. visit of the Turkish justice minister, said Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus, Anadolu Agency reported. "It does not seem easy that Gulen could be extradited to Turkey or provisionally arrested tomorrow morning, but I can say that the process has been accelerated," the minister told reporters in Ankara. "Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag's visit [last week] has sped up Gulen's extradition or provisional arrest," Kurtulmush said. Gulen, who has resided in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, is the alleged mastermind behind the failed bloody July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. Since then, Turkey has officially requested his extradition from the U.S., based on a 1979 treaty between two countries. Upon Washingtons request, Turkey sent another file last August along with evidence to the U.S. that summarized four previously sent files. Afterward, a U.S. delegation visited Turkey at the end of August and monitored those documents. The U.S. then requested an additional batch of files and evidence from Turkey, which Bozdag presented to Lynch during their meeting last week. The extradition treaty includes an article that a suspect should be provisionally arrested until the extradition process starts. On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about the transition of power to them. However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender on July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stood at 246 people, excluding the coup plotters, and over 2,000 people were wounded. Turkeys government blames FETO for the deadly July 15 defeated coup in the country. At least 241 people were martyred in the failed coup, which the government has said was organized by followers of Fethullah Gulen, the head of FETO. Gulen is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the Turkish government through the infiltration of state institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state. --- Gunay Hasanova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @gunhasanova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 1 November 2016 13:13 (UTC+04:00) By Nigar Abbasova Russia, one of the strategic partners of the Islamic Republic of Iran, may assist the country with redesigning and reconstruction of its Arak nuclear reactor. Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan said Russia is determined to honor its commitments regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, also known as the nuclear deal), mentioning that preparatory steps to redesign the Arak reactor are being taken. The ambassador added that Russian experts have visited Iran to contribute to the process of redesigning the reactor. The Arak reactor was one of the toughest sticking points in Iran's long-standing nuclear negotiations. The U.S. and the EU were concerned that the heavy water reactor could have been used to produce plutonium, which in turn might fuel a nuclear weapon as an alternative to highly enriched uranium. The Arak heavy water reactor if operating optimally would have produced about nine kilograms of plutonium annually or enough for about two nuclear weapons each year. Iran, however, said that weapons-grade plutonium was not produced by the Arak reactor. Under the JCPOA achieved between Iran and P5+1 (the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany) and implemented in January 2016, Iran removed the Arak reactors core, while a new reactor with minimum plutonium production capacity is expected to be installed at the site. The removal of the core was one of the final steps required by the deal. Moreover, Iran sold the heavy water produced in Arak during the past years to foreign countries, including the US. The redesigned and rebuilt Arak reactor will not produce weapons-grade plutonium. Research reactors can be used for a number of legitimate civilian goals, including the production of medical isotopes. -- Nigar Abbasova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @nigyar_abbasova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 31 October 2016 17:21 (UTC+04:00) By Laman Ismayilova The Annual Pomegranate Festival, one of Azerbaijans most loved and colorful festivals, was held in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, Trend Life reported. The organizers of the event in Krasnoyarsk were the Azerbaijani National Cultural Community in Krasnoyarsk and Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia (AMOR), as well as the city's authorities. This unique and juicy holiday has been celebrated regularly in early November since 2006 around the country and mainly in Goychay. For one day, the Palace of Labor in Krasnoyarsk turned into turned into the Goychay region of Azerbaijan. Goychays pomegranates have gained world fame as the true Azerbaijani pomegranates. The secret of the magnificent taste and quality of the Goychay pomegranates is unique microclimate and fruitful soil. The event featured exhibition, displaying folk crafts, vivid national dresses etc. The originality and taste of Azerbaijani cuisine has attracted a lot of guests. The festival continued with impressive performances of Azerbaijani folk song and dance ensemble, and performances of Azerbaijani songs. The celebration also featured various competitions and quizzes. Saadat Garayeva, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijani National Cultural Community in Krasnoyarsk informed the guests about the festival. It is great that the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani people, its music, national cuisine, customs and traditions are welcomed here so warmly. That once again demonstrates the centuries-old good neighborly, friendly and brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, she said. Representatives of the Krasnoyarsk authorities, the House of Friendship, the leaders of national-cultural autonomies and public organizations attended the festivity. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 2 November 2016 00:37 (UTC+04:00) By Amina Nazarli Azerbaijan entered the Top 3 most popular destinations of gastronomic tourism. RoomGuru.ru hotel search engine, recognized as the world's best search engine for hotels in the past three years, has determined the most popular destinations of gastronomy tourism for Russian citizens in fall 2016. The rating is based on the search data of hotels with good cuisine in the cities which hosted gastronomic festivals in the period between September 1 to November 30 2016. The top 5 gastronomic destinations most popular with Russian tourists include Belarus, Georgia and Azerbaijan. People who chose hotels with good cuisine on average pay 4,300 rubles per day for accommodation, which is 40 percent more than the rest of tourists do, according to RoomGuru.ru. Azerbaijan hosts Pomegranate Festival from October 26 to November 7. The Goychay region of Azerbaijan this year will mark the 11th anniversary of one of the country's most loved festivals attracting thousands of visitors. The capital city also recently hosted Dolma Festival, Bread Festival, Plov Festival and many other tasty events. Azerbaijani cuisine is one of the most delicious cuisines in the world. Most of the national meals are cooked from mutton, beef, poultry and fish. The variety of national foods also includes many dishes with rice, flour, vegetables and greens. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Residents hold placards and shout slogans outside the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on October 19 to protest the retaking of the Legislative Council oath by lawmakers-elect Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Leung Chung-hang. ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY Lawmakers-elect Sixtus Leung and Yau Wai-ching should have abided by the law and taken their oath for Hong Kong's Legislative Council in a proper manner. Only by so doing, would they demonstrate their dedication to their legislative duties and allegiance to Hong Kong. Instead, Leung and Yao paraded "pro-independence" posters during the swearing in ceremony, and even referred to China as "Shina"a derogatory archaic Japanese term used to discriminate against China during Japan's war of aggression. The event has sparked outrage in mainstream Hong Kong society, prompting thousands of netizens to sign a petition demanding the duo apologize for their behavior. Everybody in the special administrative region should act in accordance with its laws; its legislators are no exception to this. The lawmakers should be the ones setting the example and guiding others, this is why it is unacceptable that Leung and Yau contravened the Basic Law during their oath taking. However, instead of apologizing for the offensive behavior, they have shown no remorse and are stubbornly holding to their stance. The LegCo president has the power not to allow them to retake the oath and revoke their seats in the legislative council, but he did not have enough courage to take that route. They have even been excused by the Legislative Council president, who declared they could retake their oaths without having to apologize. If these wrongdoers are not required to atone for their wrongdoing, they will continue in their ways, and eventually cause damage to society. Executing his legal right as the head of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying has sought to overturn the LegCo president's decision to hear a second oath from the "localist" lawmakers. The move is not the executive branch interfering with legislative operations. Leung has sound legal grounds for making the move, and has acted in accordance with the law. The issue at hand is that these legislators-elect have crossed the constitutional red line. With Hong Kong society in danger of moving towards radical conflict and division, the chief executive can and should take legal action to maintain Hong Kong's political system and social stability. The Supreme Court of Hong Kong has accepted his request, and a hearing is scheduled to take place on Nov 13. The author is a Hong Kong-based National Committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Courtesy: The China Post Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Mostly sunny skies this morning will give way to occasional showers during the afternoon. High 73F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Cloudy with occasional rain...mainly this evening. Low around 50F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Heres what you need to know about getting a home loan as a retiree or senior. 6 min read Sep 29, 2022 At Bankrate we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. While we adhere to strict editorial integrity , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation for how we make money . Our mortgage reporters and editors focus on the points consumers care about most the latest rates, the best lenders, navigating the homebuying process, refinancing your mortgage and more so you can feel confident when you make decisions as a homebuyer and a homeowner. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts , who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. Founded in 1976, Bankrate has a long track record of helping people make smart financial choices. Weve maintained this reputation for over four decades by demystifying the financial decision-making process and giving people confidence in which actions to take next. 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Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that were putting your interests first. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Were transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy , so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers. You have money questions. Bankrate has answers. Our experts have been helping you master your money for over four decades. We continually strive to provide consumers with the expert advice and tools needed to succeed throughout lifes financial journey. With the average monthly Social Security check a scant $1,542.22 in 2022, many seniors struggle to find ways to survive in the face of rising inflation. In an effort to increase their income and remain in their homes, some turn to a reverse mortgage to access some much-needed cash. Heres how reverse mortgages work, and what homeowners considering one need to know. What is a reverse mortgage? A reverse mortgage is a type of loan that allows homeowners ages 62 and older, typically whove paid off their mortgage, to borrow part of their homes equity as tax-free income. Unlike a regular mortgage in which the homeowner makes payments to the lender, with a reverse mortgage, the lender pays the homeowner. Homeowners who opt for this kind of mortgage dont have a monthly payment and dont have to sell their home (in other words, they can continue to live in it), but the loan must be repaid when the borrower dies, permanently moves out or sells the home. One of the most popular types of reverse mortgages is the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), which is backed by the federal government. How does a reverse mortgage work? Despite the reverse mortgage concept in practice, qualified homeowners may not be able to borrow the entire value of their home even if the mortgage is paid off. The amount a homeowner can borrow, known as the principal limit, varies based on the age of the youngest borrower or eligible non-borrowing spouse, current interest rates, the HECM mortgage limit ($970,800 in 2022) and the homes value. Homeowners are likely to receive a higher principal limit the older they are, the more the property is worth and the lower the interest rate. The amount might increase if the borrower has a variable-rate HECM. With a variable rate, options include: Equal monthly payments, provided at least one borrower lives in the property as their primary residence Equal monthly payments for a fixed period of months agreed on ahead of time A line of credit that can be accessed until it runs out A combination of a line of credit and fixed monthly payments for as long as you live in the home A combination of a line of credit plus fixed monthly payments for a set length of time If you choose a HECM with a fixed interest rate, on the other hand, youll receive a single-disbursement, lump-sum payment. The interest on a reverse mortgage accrues every month, and youll still need to have adequate income to continue to pay for property taxes, homeowners insurance and upkeep of the home. What can a reverse mortgage be used for? Supplementing retirement income, covering the cost of needed home repairs or paying out-of-pocket medical expenses are common and acceptable uses of reverse mortgage proceeds, according to Bruce McClary, spokesperson for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. In each situation where regular income or available savings are insufficient to cover expenses, a reverse mortgage can keep seniors from turning to high-interest lines of credit or other more costly loans, McClary says. Reverse mortgage requirements To be eligible for a reverse mortgage, the primary homeowner must be age 62 or older. The additional eligibility requirements include: You must own the property outright or have at least paid a substantial amount of your mortgage. The property must be occupied as your primary residence. You cannot be delinquent on any federal debt. You must have the financial capability to continue to make payments on property taxes, homeowners insurance and homeowners association dues. You must participate in an information session provided by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)-approved reverse mortgage counselor. Seniors should be careful to make the most of the loan by budgeting carefully in order to avoid running out of funds too soon and to be sure that taxes and insurance are paid as agreed, cautions McClary. Types of reverse mortgages There are different types of reverse mortgages, and each one fits a different financial need. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) The most popular type of reverse mortgage, these federally-insured mortgages usually have higher upfront costs, but the funds can be used for any purpose. In addition, you can choose how the money is withdrawn, such as fixed monthly payments or a line of credit (or both options simultaneously). Although widely available, HECMs are only offered by Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved lenders, and before closing, all borrowers must receive HUD-approved counseling. The most popular type of reverse mortgage, these federally-insured mortgages usually have higher upfront costs, but the funds can be used for any purpose. In addition, you can choose how the money is withdrawn, such as fixed monthly payments or a line of credit (or both options simultaneously). Although widely available, HECMs are only offered by Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-approved lenders, and before closing, all borrowers must receive HUD-approved counseling. Proprietary reverse mortgage This is a private loan not backed by the government. You can typically receive a larger loan advance from this type of reverse mortgage, especially if you have a higher-valued home. This is a private loan not backed by the government. You can typically receive a larger loan advance from this type of reverse mortgage, especially if you have a higher-valued home. Single-purpose reverse mortgage This mortgage is not as common as the other two, and is usually offered by nonprofit organizations and state and local government agencies. A single-purpose mortgage is generally the least expensive of the three options; however, borrowers can only use the loan (which is typically for a much smaller amount) to cover one specific purpose, such as a handicap accessible remodel, explains Jackie Boies, a senior director of housing and bankruptcy services for Money Management International, a nonprofit debt counselor based in Sugar Land, Texas. Reverse mortgage pros and cons While borrowing against your home equity can free up cash for living expenses, the mortgage insurance premium and origination and servicing fees can add up. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of a reverse mortgage. Pros Borrower doesnt need to make monthly payments toward their loan balance Proceeds can be used for living and healthcare expenses, debt repayment and other bills Funds can help borrowers enjoy their retirement Non-borrowing spouses not listed on the mortgage can remain in the home after the borrower dies Borrowers facing foreclosure can use a reverse mortgage to pay off the existing mortgage, potentially stopping the foreclosure Cons Borrower must maintain the house and pay property taxes and homeowners insurance Forces you to borrow against the equity in your home, which could be a key source of retirement funds Fees and other closing costs can be high and will lower the amount of cash that is available How much does a reverse mortgage cost? The closing costs for a reverse mortgage arent cheap, but the majority of HECM mortgages allow homeowners to roll the costs into the loan so you dont have to shell out the money upfront. Doing this, however, reduces the amount of funds available to you through the loan. Heres a breakdown of HECM fees and charges, according to HUD: Mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) There is a 2 percent initial MIP at closing, as well as an annual MIP equal to 0.5 percent of the outstanding loan balance. The MIP can be financed into the loan. There is a 2 percent initial MIP at closing, as well as an annual MIP equal to 0.5 percent of the outstanding loan balance. The MIP can be financed into the loan. Origination fee To process your HECM loan, lenders charge the greater of $2,500 or 2 percent of the first $200,000 of your homes value, plus 1 percent of the amount over $200,000. The fee is capped at $6,000. To process your HECM loan, lenders charge the greater of $2,500 or 2 percent of the first $200,000 of your homes value, plus 1 percent of the amount over $200,000. The fee is capped at $6,000. Servicing fees Lenders can charge a monthly fee to maintain and monitor your HECM for the life of the loan. Monthly servicing fees cannot exceed $30 for loans with a fixed rate or an annually adjusting rate, or $35 if the rate adjusts monthly. Lenders can charge a monthly fee to maintain and monitor your HECM for the life of the loan. Monthly servicing fees cannot exceed $30 for loans with a fixed rate or an annually adjusting rate, or $35 if the rate adjusts monthly. Third-party fees Third parties may charge their own fees, as well, such as for the appraisal and home inspection, a credit check, title search and title insurance, or a recording fee. Keep in mind that the interest rate for reverse mortgages tends to be higher, which can also add to your costs. Rates can vary depending on the lender, your credit score and other factors. Is a reverse mortgage right for you? A reverse mortgage can be a help to homeowners looking for additional income during their retirement years, and many use the funds to supplement Social Security or other income, meet medical expenses, pay for in-home care and make home improvements, Boies says. There are also flexible ways to receive the money from the reverse mortgage: a lump sum, a monthly payment, a line of credit or a combination. Plus, if the value of the home appreciates and becomes worth more than the reverse mortgage loan balance, you or your heirs may receive the difference, Boies explains. The opposite, however, can pose a problem: If the balance exceeds the homes value, your heirs may need to hand ownership of the home back to the lender. There are also potential complications involving others who live in the home with the borrower, and what might happen to them if the borrower dies. Family members who inherit the property will want to pay close attention to the details of what is necessary to manage the loan balance when the borrower dies. There are provisions that allow family to take possession of the home in those situations, but they must pay off the loan with their own money or qualify for a mortgage that will cover what is owed, McClary says. Additionally, while not all reverse mortgage lenders use high-pressure sales tactics, some do use them to attract borrowers. It is always best to receive guidance from a nonprofit agency that offers reverse mortgage counseling before signing a loan agreement, McClary recommends. Taking advice from a celebrity spokesperson or a sales agent without getting the facts from a trusted, independent resource can leave you with a major financial commitment that may not be best for your circumstances. Alternatives to a reverse mortgage If youre not sold on taking out a reverse mortgage, you have options. In fact, if youre not yet 62 (and ideally not turning 62 soon), a home equity loan or HELOC is likely a better option. Both of these loans allow you to borrow against the equity in your home, although lenders limit the amount to 80 percent to 85 percent of your homes value, and with a home equity loan, youll have to make monthly payments. With a HELOC, payments are required once the draw period on the line of credit expires. The closing costs and interest rates for home equity loans and HELOCs also tend to be significantly lower than what youll find with a reverse mortgage. Aside from a home equity loan, you could also consider: Cutting expenses Trimming discretionary expenses can help you stay in your home long-term. If you need help with a necessary bill, consider contacting a local assistance organization (the Administration for Community Living can help you find one), which may be able to assist with fuel payments, utility bills and needed home repairs. Trimming discretionary expenses can help you stay in your home long-term. If you need help with a necessary bill, consider contacting a local assistance organization (the Administration for Community Living can help you find one), which may be able to assist with fuel payments, utility bills and needed home repairs. Downsizing If youre able and willing to move, selling your home and moving to a smaller, less expensive one can give you access to your existing homes equity. You can use the proceeds of the sale to pay for another house in cash or pay off other debt. If youre able and willing to move, selling your home and moving to a smaller, less expensive one can give you access to your existing homes equity. You can use the proceeds of the sale to pay for another house in cash or pay off other debt. Refinancing If you havent paid off your mortgage yet, you could look into refinancing the loan to lower your monthly payments and free up the difference. Make sure to weigh the closing costs and the new loan terms, however, to see how these will affect your finances in your retirement years. Reverse mortgage lenders If a reverse mortgage sounds like a good idea for you, take time to research you options. Here are the top 10 reverse mortgage lenders as of 2022, according to Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data: American Advisors Group (AAG) Finance of America Reverse Reverse Mortgage Funding PHH Mortgage Mutual of Omaha Longbridge Financial Cornerstone First Mortgage Open Mortgage HighTechLending Nationwide Equities Corp. How to avoid reverse mortgage scams As you shop for a reverse mortgage and consider your options, be on the lookout for two of the most common reverse mortgage scams: Contractor loans Some contractors will try to convince you to get a reverse mortgage when touting home improvement services. Some contractors will try to convince you to get a reverse mortgage when touting home improvement services. Veteran loans The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doesnt provide reverse mortgages, but you may see ads promising special deals for veterans, such as a fee-free reverse mortgage to attract borrowers. The best way to avoid a reverse mortgage scam is to be aware and vigilant. If an individual or company is pressuring you to sign a contract, for example, its likely a red flag. Reverse mortgage FAQs How much money can you get from a reverse mortgage? The amount of money you can get from a reverse mortgage depends upon a number of factors, according to Boies, such as the current market value of your home, your age, current interest rates, the type of reverse mortgage, its associated costs and your financial assessment. The amount you receive will also be impacted if the home has any other mortgages or liens. If theres a balance from a home equity loan or home equity line of credit (HELOC), for example, or tax liens or judgments, those will have to be paid with the reverse mortgage proceeds first. Regardless of the type of reverse mortgage, you shouldnt expect to receive the full value of your home, Boies says. Instead, youll get a percentage of that value. Who owns the house in a reverse mortgage? Just like any other type of mortgage, you own the home in a reverse mortgage situation. When the borrower dies or moves, however, the mortgage is payable in full. If you cant, or wont, pay off the debt, the lender can sell the home to recoup the money its owed, explains Michael Sullivan, personal financial consultant with nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency Take Charge America. Typically, the homeowner or beneficiaries are not responsible for any costs if the house is sold for less than the amount owed, adds Sullivan. Can you lose your house with a reverse mortgage? As with any mortgage, there are conditions for keeping your reverse mortgage in good standing, and if you fail to meet them, you could lose your home. The ways you could violate the terms of a reverse mortgage include: The home is no longer your primary residence. As part of the reverse mortgage agreement, the home must be your primary residence. This means that you cannot leave the home for more than 12 consecutive months, explains Michael Micheletti, spokesperson for Unlock Technologies, a company that helps homeowners access their equity. This rule doesnt bar you from leaving your home to travel or to come and go as you please, but if you vacate the property for 12 consecutive months, the reverse mortgage loan becomes eligible to be called due and payable. You decided to move or sell your home. If you have to move and put your home up for sale as part of the move, youre still bound by the requirement to live in the house for 12 consecutive months. If selling your home becomes a challenge and you dont find a buyer within that 12-month window, the reverse mortgage can be called due, Micheletti says. You dont pay your property taxes or homeowners insurance. Even with a reverse mortgage, youre still responsible for paying property taxes, and failure to do so could violate the terms of your loan. In addition, you must maintain current homeowners insurance. Bottom line, if a borrower fails to comply with the terms of the reverse mortgage contract, they could lose their home, says Darryl Hicks, a spokesperson for the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association. There are consumer protections established by HUD and by some states that require the company servicing the reverse mortgage to do everything possible to ensure that doesnt happen. If you fail to pay property taxes, for example, or keep the home properly insured, the loan servicer could advance available loan proceeds from the reverse mortgage to cover these expenses, Hicks says. If there are not adequate proceeds available to cover these types of payments, the servicer could elect to advance its own funds to make the outstanding payments. Once this happens, the loan will be considered to be in technical default and the loan servicer will try to establish a repayment plan with the borrower to pay back any funds advanced to pay the property taxes or insurance premiums, Hicks says. If the terms of the repayment plan cannot be met, the loan servicer will have no choice but to call the loan due and payable, and could move to foreclose on the property. Bottom line A reverse mortgage presents a way for older homeowners to supplement their income in retirement or pay for home renovations or other expenses such as healthcare costs. There are many alternatives that should be considered, including a HELOC or a refinance depending on the equity you have in your home. Its best to speak with a HUD-approved counselor before committing to a reverse mortgage (and if youre looking to get a HECM, youll be required to). A counselor can help outline the pros and cons and how this kind of loan might impact your heirs after you pass away. To locate an FHA-approved lender or HUD-approved counseling agency, you can visit HUDs online locator or call HUDs Housing Counseling Line at 800-569-4287. Section 22 is a severability clause, allowing the remainder of the legislation to go into effect even if part of it is overturned in court. Section 23 sets an effective date of July 1, 2017. 3. If such subsequent conviction is for petit larceny, or for any attempt to commit an offense, which, if perpetrated, would be punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary, then such person is punishable by imprisonment in such prison for a term not exceeding five (5) years. 2. If such subsequent offense is such that upon first conviction the offender would be punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for any term less than for life, such person is punishable by imprisonment in such prison for the longest term prescribed upon a conviction for such first offense. 1. If such subsequent offense is such that upon a first conviction the offender would be punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for life, such person is punishable by imprisonment in such prison for life. The next 18 sections are amendatory. If you've looked at Oklahoma legislation online, you know that amended law is always shown as a markup -- deleted text stricken through, added text underlined. It makes it easy to see exactly what is changing. It would have been nice for the voters if that had been done by the proponents, but since it wasn't, I will do that here, but after the jump to keep clutter off of the home page. (If you'd like to show your appreciation for my diligent effort, which took me about eight hours to complete, there are a variety of ways you can do so.) Sections 1 and 2 of the proposition sets out the rationale and gives the proposal a name, but it wouldn't be codified into law: While there may be a case for lightening penalties, particularly for first offenses, I believe this proposal goes too far. I recommend voting NO -- AGAINST SQ 780. When you eliminate the minor differences between HB 2751, which is now in effect, and SQ 780, what's left is one very big, very contentious issue, which hasn't received the attention it deserves -- how should we should deal with drug possession. SQ 780 should have been challenged for violating the single-subject rule -- logrolling popular common-sense ideas like raising the threshold for considering a property crime as a felony with more controversial and divisive issues. When the legislature approved HB 2751, they cleared away the fog and effectively reduced SQ 780 to this question: Should all drug possession crimes be classified as misdemeanors, regardless of the type of drug involve and regardless of the proximity to schools and children? SQ 780 amends 19 different sections in three separate titles of Oklahoma law, affecting penalties and definitions for crimes involving controlled substances, larceny, embezzlement, forgery, and counterfeiting, and affecting penalties for second and subsequent offences. The link, which leads to the Secretary of State's file on SQ 780 , shows the text of those sections of the Oklahoma statutes as they would be if SQ 780 passes, and also contains the record of the dispute over the wording of the ballot title for this complex piece of legislation. Signature thresholds for statutory initiatives are much lower than for proposed constitutional amendments. Eight percent (8%) of the vote total in the last governor's election (65,987) is enough to put a statutory initiative on the ballot. (15% is required for constitutional initiatives.) In this case, the initiative petition provided a spur to action to the legislature. As you'll see in the section-by-section analysis after the jump, twelve of the 19 sections of statute affected by SQ 780 were modified this year by HB 2751 , which passed both houses by wide margins and was signed into law while the SQ 780 petition was being circulated. The bill, like SQ 790, modified the value threshold at which a crime involving theft, fraud, embezzlement, and the like is considered a felony. You can read HB 2751 and see what was added and deleted . Unlike most state questions, its passage will not modify the Constitution. If it passes, SQ 780 will be like the legislature passing a bill. The constitutional power of initiative gives citizens of Oklahoma or any of its political subdivisions the power to legislate in the same way as the corresponding legislative body. City of Tulsa voters could modify the zoning code by putting an initiative petition on the ballot and voting to approve it. State voters can pass state statutes by approving an initiative petition at the polls. I don't know if this has ever happened, but I suppose residents of a school board district could use the initiative power to fire a superintendent or take any other action the school board is empowered to make. The power of initiative exists in recognition that good legislation can at times get clogged up in the politics of the legislature, that legislators can sometimes see themselves (and their lobbyist pals) as an "us" and their constituents as "them." An initiative petition provides a bypass to the obstruction. UPDATED 2016/11/02: Having completed my analysis of all 23 sections of the SQ 780 legislation, I have revised the introductory text below to provide a better summary of the effect of passing the state question. Section 3 would reduce all controlled substance possession penalties to that currently applied to "any Schedule III, IV or V substance, marijuana, a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, or any preparation excepted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act" -- namely a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 and a year in prison. It eliminates drug possession as a felony. It also eliminates the felony charge connected with drug possession near a school or a child. SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2011, Section 2-402, last amended by Section 10, Chapter 228, O.S.L. 2012 (63 O.S. Supp. 2012. Section 2-402), is amended to read as follows: Section 2-402. A. 1. It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly or intentionally to possess a controlled dangerous substance unless such substance was obtained directly, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order from a practitioner, while acting in the course of his or her professional practice, or except as otherwise authorized by this act. 2. It shall be unlawful for any person to purchase any preparation excepted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act pursuant to Section 2-313 of this title in an amount or within a time interval other than that permitted by Section 2-313 of this title. 3. It shall be unlawful for any person or business to sell, market, advertise or label any product containing ephedrine, its salts, optical isomers, or salts of optical isomers, for the indication of stimulation, mental alertness, weight loss, appetite control, muscle development, energy or other indication which is not approved by the pertinent federal OTC Final Monograph, Tentative Final Monograph, or FDA-approved new drug application or its legal equivalent. In determining compliance with this requirement, the following factors shall be considered: a. the packaging of the product, b. the name of the product, and c. the distribution and promotion of the product, including verbal representations made at the point of sale. B. Any person who violates this section with respect to: 1. Any Schedule I or II substance, except marijuana or a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years and by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00). A second violation of this section with respect to a Schedule I or II substance, except marijuana or a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years and by a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). A third or subsequent violation of this section with respect to a Schedule I or II substance, except marijuana or a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than four (4) years nor more than fifteen (15) years and by a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00); 2. Any Schedule III, IV or V substance, marijuana, a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, or any preparation excepted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by confinement for not more than one (1) year and by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00); 3. Any Schedule III, IV or V substance, marijuana, a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, or any preparation excepted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act and who, during the period of any court-imposed probationary term or within ten (10) years of the date following the completion of the execution of any sentence or deferred judgment for a violation of this section, commits a second or subsequent violation of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years and by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00); or 4. Any Schedule III, IV or V substance, marijuana, a substance included in subsection D of Section 2-206 of this title, or any preparation excepted from the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act and who, ten (10) or more years following the date of completion of the execution of any sentence or deferred judgment for a violation of this section, commits a second or subsequent violation of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years and by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00). C. Any person who violates any provision of this section by possessing or purchasing a controlled dangerous substance from any person, in or on, or within one thousand (1,000) feet of the real property comprising a public or private elementary or secondary school, public vocational school, public or private college or university, or other institution of higher education, recreation center or public park, including state parks and recreation areas, or in the presence of any child under twelve (12) years of age, shall be guilty of a felony and punished by: 1. For a first offense, a term of imprisonment, or by the imposition of a fine, or by both, not exceeding twice that authorized by the appropriate provision of this section. In addition, the person shall serve a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the sentence received prior to becoming eligible for state correctional institution earned credits toward the completion of said sentence; or 2. For a second or subsequent offense, a term of imprisonment not exceeding three times that authorized by the appropriate provision of this section and the person shall serve a minimum of ninety percent (90%) of the sentence received prior to becoming eligible for state correctional institution earned credits toward the completion of said sentence, and imposition of a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00). C. Any person convicted of any offense described in this section shall, in addition to any fine imposed, pay a special assessment trauma-care fee of One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) to be deposited into the Trauma Care Assistance Revolving Fund created in Section 1-2530.9 of this title. The language in Section 4 is already in state statute. HB 2751, which was passed into law this year, increased the threshold for grand larceny from $500 to $1,000. SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1704 is amended to read as follows: Section 1704. Grand larceny is larceny committed in either of the following cases: 1. When the property taken is of value exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). 2. When such property, although not of value exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), is taken from the person of another. Larceny in other cases is petit larceny. Section 5 makes a change almost identical to that approved in HB 2751. There's a difference in order of words, but I think it amounts to the same thing. SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1705 is amended to read as follows: Section 1705. Grand larceny is a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections State Penitentiary not exceeding five (5) years , a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment if the value of the property is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more and if the value of the property is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) punishable by incarceration in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or by incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and The defendant shall also be ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991 a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The section on punishments for receiving stolen property is very close to that passed in HB 2751, except that the new state law sets a punishment of one year in county jail for receiving stolen property worth less than $1,000, while the proposal on the ballot sets a penalty of six months in jail and/or a $500 fine for the same crime. SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1713 is amended to read as follows: Section 1713. A. Every person who buys or receives, in any manner, upon any consideration, any personal property of a value of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more any value whatsoever that has been stolen, embezzled, obtained by false pretense or robbery, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe the same to have been stolen, embezzled, obtained by false pretense, or robbery, or who conceals, withholds, or aids in concealing or withholding such property from the owner, shall, upon conviction, if the value of the property is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections State Penitentiary not to exceed five (5) years, or in the county jail not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by both such fine and imprisonment. If the personal property that has been stolen, embezzled, obtained by false pretense or robbery has a value of value of the property received is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the person shall , upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one (1) year and shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. B. Every person who, without making reasonable inquiry, buys, receives, conceals, withholds, or aids in concealing or withholding any property which has been stolen, embezzled, obtained by false pretense or robbery, or otherwise feloniously obtained, under such circumstances as should cause such person to make reasonable inquiry to ascertain that the person from whom such property was bought or received had the legal right to sell or deliver it shall be presumed to have bought or received such property knowing it to have been so stolen or wrongfully obtained. This presumption may, however, be rebutted by proof. Sections 7 and 8 tweak existing laws about the theft of domesticated fish and game, oil and gas, and oilfield equipment that hasn't been amended since 2001. The existing law has three brackets for punishment based on the value stolen -- misdemeanor below $500, felony above $1000, and a special category of felony between $500 and $1000 with options for restitution and nights-and-weekends incarceration. The proposal on the ballot would eliminate that middle bracket category and move the misdemeanor / felony boundary to $1000. SECTION 7. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1719.1 is amended to read as follows: Section 1719.1. A. For the purpose of this section: 1. "Domesticated fish or game" means all birds, mammals, fish and other aquatic forms and all other animals, regardless of classifications, whether resident, migratory or imported, protected or unprotected, dead or alive, and shall extend to and include every part of any individual species when such domesticated fish or game are not in the wild and are in the possession of a person currently licensed to possess such fish or game; and 2. "Taking" means the pursuing, killing, capturing, trapping, snaring and netting of domesticated fish or game or placing, setting, drawing or using any net, trap or other device for taking domesticated fish or game and includes specifically every attempt to take such domesticated fish or game. B. Any domesticated fish or game shall be considered the personal property of the owner. C. Any person who shall take any domesticated fish or game, with the intent to deprive the owner of said fish or game, and any person purchasing or receiving such domesticated fish or game knowing them to have been stolen, shall: 1. Upon conviction, if the current market value of said domesticated fish or game is less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) , be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed sixty (60) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; or 2. Upon conviction, if the current market value of said domesticated fish or game is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by a fine of not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) nor more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not more than five (5) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment. If the current market value is Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or more but less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the person shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by incarceration in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or by incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. SECTION 8. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1722 is amended to read as follows: Section 1722. Any person who shall unlawfully take any crude oil or gasoline, or any product thereof, from any pipe, pipeline, tank, tank car, or other receptacle or container and any person who shall unlawfully take or cause to be taken any machinery, drilling mud, equipment or other materials necessary for the drilling or production of oil or gas wells, with intent to deprive the owner or lessee thereof of said crude oil, gas, gasoline, or any product thereof, machinery, drilling mud, equipment or other materials necessary for the drilling or production of oil or gas wells shall: 1. Be guilty of a misdemeanor if the value of said product so taken is less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) , and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed sixty (60) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; 2. Be guilty of a felony if the value of such product so taken is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by forfeiture of the instrumentality of the crime and by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), and not more than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), or by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term in the range of one (1) year to ten (10) years, or by both such fine and imprisonment. If the value exceeds Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) but is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the person shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by incarceration in the county jail for a term of not more than one (1) year or by incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Section 9, dealing with larceny of merchandise, is another section that was also amended by HB 2751. SECTION 9. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1731 is amended to read as follows: Section 1731. Larceny of merchandise held for sale in retail or wholesale establishments shall be punishable as follows: 1. For the first or second conviction, in the event the value of the goods, edible meat or other corporeal property which has been taken is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), the defendant shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished the violator shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding thirty (30) days, and by a fine not less than Ten Dollars ($10.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00); provided for the first or second conviction, in the event more than one item of goods, edible meat or other corporeal property has been taken, punishment shall be by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed thirty (30) days, and by a fine not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). 2. If it be shown, in the trial of a case in which the value of the goods, edible meat or other corporeal property is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), that the defendant has been once two or more times before convicted of the same offense, the defendant shall, on a second third or subsequent conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment confinement in the county jail for a term of not less than thirty (30) days nor more than one (1) year, and by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). 3. If it be shown, upon the trial of a case where the value of the goods, edible meat or other corporeal personal property is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), that the defendant has two or more times before been convicted of the same offense, regardless of the value of the goods, edible meat or other corporeal personal property involved in the first two convictions, upon the third or any subsequent conviction, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not less than two (2) nor more than five (5) years; and 3. In the event the value of the goods, edible meat or other corporeal property is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by punishment shall be imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections State Penitentiary for a term of not more than five (5) years. The defendant shall also be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Section 10 is another case in which HB 2751 pre-empted SQ 780. The only significant difference that passage of SQ 780 would make would be, once again, to eliminate distinct penalties for the range of $500 to $1000. SECTION 10. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1451, last amended by Section 1, Chapter 235, O.S.L. 2012 (21 O.S. Supp. 2012. Section 1451), is amended to read as follows: Section 1451. A. Embezzlement is the fraudulent appropriation of property of any person or legal entity, legally obtained, to any use or purpose not intended or authorized by its owner, or the secretion of the property with the fraudulent intent to appropriate it to such use or purpose, under any of the following circumstances: 1. Where the property was obtained by being entrusted to that person for a specific purpose, use, or disposition and shall include, but not be limited to, any funds "held in trust" for any purpose; 2. Where the property was obtained by virtue of a power of attorney being granted for the sale or transfer of the property; 3. Where the property is possessed or controlled for the use of another person; 4. Where the property is to be used for a public or benevolent purpose; 5. Where any person diverts any money appropriated by law from the purpose and object of the appropriation; 6. Where any person fails or refuses to pay over to the state, or appropriate authority, any tax or other monies collected in accordance with state law, and who appropriates the tax or monies to the use of that person, or to the use of any other person not entitled to the tax or monIes; 7. Where the property is possessed for the purpose of transportation, without regard to whether packages containing the property have been broken; 8. Where any person removes crops from any leased or rented premises with the intent to deprive the owner or landlord interested in the land of any of the rent due from that land, or who fraudulently appropriates the rent to that person or any other person; or 9. Where the property is possessed or controlled by virtue of a lease or rental agreement, and the property is willfully or intentionally not returned within ten (10) days after the expiration of the agreement. Embezzlement does not require a distinct act of taking, but only a fraudulent appropriation, conversion or use of property. B. Except as provided in subsection C of this section, embezzlement shall be punished as follows: 1. If the value of the property embezzled is less than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) , any person convicted shall be punished by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment; 2. If the value of the property embezzled is Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or more but less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), any person convicted shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or by imprisonment in the county jail for one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the discretion of the court, and shall be subject to a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), and ordered to pay restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991f of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 2. If the value of the property embezzled is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more but less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), any person convicted shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not more than five (5) years, and a fine of not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), and ordered to pay restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991f of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes; or 3. If the value of the property embezzled is Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) or more, any person convicted shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not more than ten (10) years, and a fine not exceeding Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00), and ordered to pay restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991 f of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. For purposes of this subsection, a series of offenses may be aggregated into one offense when they are the result of the formulation of a plan or scheme or the setting up of a mechanism which, when put into operation, results in the taking or diversion of money or property on a recurring basis. When all acts result from a continuing course of conduct, they may be aggregated into one crime. Acts forming an integral part of the first taking which facilitate subsequent takings, or acts taken in preparation of several takings which facilitate subsequent takings, are relevant to determine the party's intent to commit a continuing crime. C. Any county or state officer, deputy or employee of such officer, who shall divert any money appropriated by law from the purpose and object of the appropriation, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not less than one (l) year nor more than ten (l0) years, and a fine equal to triple the amount of money so embezzled and ordered to pay restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991 f of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The fine shall operate as a judgment lien at law on all estate of the party so convicted and sentenced, and shall be enforced by execution or other process for the use of the person whose money or other funds or property were embezzled. In all cases the fine, so operating as a judgment lien, shall be released or entered as satisfied only by the person in interest. D. Any executor, administrator, trustee, beneficiary or other person benefiting from, acting in a fiduciary capacity for, or otherwise administering a probate, intestate, or trust estate, whether the trust is inter vivos or testamentary, upon conviction of embezzlement from the estate shall not receive any portion, share, gift or otherwise benefit from the estate. This statute was last touched in 2001. This is yet another situation in which the effect of SQ 780 passing would be to raise the misdemeanor/felony limit to $1,000 and eliminate the special case of $500 to $1,000. SECTION 11. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1503 is amended to read as follows: Section 1503. Any person who shall obtain food, lodging, services or other accommodations at any hotel, inn, restaurant, boarding house, rooming house, motel or auto camp, with intent to defraud the owner or keeper thereof, if the value of such food, lodging, services or other accommodations is Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or less less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) , shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or be imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding three (3) months, or punished by both such fine and imprisonment, and if the value of such food, lodging, services or other accommodations is more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) but less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), any person convicted pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a felony and shall be punished by incarceration in the county jail for not to exceed one (1) year or incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and if the value of such food, lodging, services or accommodations is valued at One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, any person convicted hereunder shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term not exceeding five (5) years. Any person who shall obtain shelter, lodging, or any other services at any apartment house, apartment, rental unit, rental house, or trailer camp, with intent to defraud the owner or keeper thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not exceeding One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or be imprisoned in the county jail not exceeding three (3) months, or be punished by both fine and imprisonment. Proof that such lodging, food, services or other accommodations were obtained by false pretense or by false or fictitious show or pretense of any baggage or other property, or that he gave a check on which payment was refused, or that he left the hotel, inn, restaurant, boarding house, rooming house, motel, apartment house, apartment, rental unit or rental house, trailer camp or auto camp, without payment or offering to pay for such food, lodging, services or other accommodation, or that he surreptitiously removed or attempted to remove his baggage, or that he registered under a fictitious name, shall be prima facie proof of the intent to defraud mentioned in this section; but this section shall not apply where there has been an agreement in writing for delay in payment. Another section already modified by HB 2751. SQ 780 would eliminate the middle band of violation. SECTION 12. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1521 is amended to read as follows: Section 1521. Every person who shall lease or rent, for any period of time whatsoever, any motor vehicle and, with intent to cheat and defraud, who pays the fees for such lease or rental by means of a false, bogus or worthless check written for the sum of Twenty Dollars ($20.00) or less less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both such fine and imprisonment. If the value of the false, bogus or worthless check shall exceed the sum of Twenty Dollars ($20.00) but is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), any person convicted pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by incarceration in the county jail for not to exceed one (1) year or incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. If the value of the worthless check is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, any person convicted hereunder shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term not exceeding seven (7) years or by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or both such fine and imprisonment. In the next two sections, regarding counterfeit and bogus checks, HB 2751 has already amended the law to the same wording proposed by SQ 780. SECTION 13. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1541.1 is amended to read as follows: Section 1541.1. Every person who, with intent to cheat and defraud, shall obtain or attempt to obtain from any person, firm or corporation any money, property or valuable thing, of a value less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), by means or by use of any trick or deception, or false or fraudulent representation or statement or pretense, or by any other means or instruments or device commonly called the "confidence game", or by means or use of any false or bogus checks, or by any other written or printed or engraved instrument or spurious coin, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. SECTION 14. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1541.2 is amended to read as follows: Section 1541.2. If the value of the money, property or valuable thing referred to in Section 1541.1 of this title is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, any person convicted hereunder shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for a term not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. This next section, dealing with the same crime, was also altered by HB 2751, but not in the same way as SQ 780. SECTION 15. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1541.3 is amended to read as follows: Section 1541.3. Any person making, drawing, uttering or delivering two or more false or bogus checks, drafts or orders, as defined by Section 1541.4 of this title, the total sum of which is Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more , even though each separate instrument is written for less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), all in pursuance of a common scheme or plan to cheat and defraud, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections State Penitentiary for a term not more than ten (10) years, or by a fine not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. If the total sum of two or more false or bogus checks, drafts or orders is Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or more, but less than Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), the person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by incarceration in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or by incarceration in the county jail one or more nights or weekends pursuant to Section 991a-2 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes, at the option of the court, and shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and ordered to provide restitution to the victim as provided in Section 991a of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Section 16, which affects the pawn shop section of Title 59, Professions and Occupations, is the only one in which SQ 780 appears to toughen penalties. There's a little clean-up in paragraph A. Selling or pledging property using fake ID loses any penalty if the value of the property is less than $1,000, but if the property were acquired in a robbery or burglary, a sentence of up to five years could be imposed, regardless of the property's value. SECTION 16. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2011, Section 1512 is amended to read as follows: Section 1512. A. Rule Making Power. The Administrator shall have the same authority to adopt, amend and repeal rules as is conferred upon him by paragraph (e) of subsection (1), and subsections (2) and (3) of Section 14A- 6-104 of Title 14A of the Oklahoma Statutes, as applicable, and such rules shall have the same effect as provided in subsection (4) of Section 14A- 6-104 thereunder. In addition, the Administrator may adopt, amend and repeal such other rules as are necessary for the enforcement of the provisions of Section 1501 et seq. of this title and consistent with all its provisions. B. Administrative Enforcement. Compliance with the provisions of this act may be enforced by the Administrator who may exercise, for such purpose, all the powers enumerated in Part 1 of Article 6, Title 14A of the Oklahoma Statutes, in the same manner as in relation to consumer credit transactions under that act, as well as those powers conferred in this act. C. Criminal Penalties. 1. Any person who engages in the business of operating a pawn shop without first securing the license prescribed by this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine not in excess of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), by confinement in the county jail for not more than six (6) months or by both. 2. Any person selling or pledging property to a pawnbroker who uses false or altered identification or a false declaration of ownership as related to the provisions of Section 1515 of this title shall , if the value of the property is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more, be guilty of a felony, and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not to exceed five (5) years or in the county jail not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine. However, if the property was acquired by means of robbery or burglary, the person shall be punished by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not to exceed five (5) years or in the county jail not to exceed one (l) year, or by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such imprisonment and fine, without regard to the value of the property. 3. Any person who fails to repay a pawnbroker the full amount received from a pawn or buy transaction after being officially notified by a peace officer that the goods he pledged or sold in that transaction were stolen or embezzled shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. D. Private Enforcement. 1. If any person engages in the business of operating a pawnshop without first securing the license prescribed by this act, or if any pawnbroker contracts for, charges or receives a pawn finance charge in excess of that authorized by this act, the pawn transaction shall be void and the customer is not obligated to pay either the amount financed or the pawn finance charge in connection with the transaction, and upon the customer's demand, the pawnbroker shall be obligated to return to the customer, as a refund, all amounts paid in connection with the transaction by the customer and the pledged goods delivered to the pawnbroker in connection with the pawn transaction or their value if the goods cannot be returned. If a customer is entitled to a refund under this section and a pawnbroker liable to the customer refuses to make the refund within a reasonable time after demand, the customer shall have an action against the pawnbroker and in the case of a successful action to enforce such liability, the costs of the action together with attorney's fees as determined by the court shall be awarded to the customer. 2. A pawnbroker who fails to disclose information to a customer entitled to the information under this act is liable to that person in an amount equal to the sum of: a. twice the amount of the pawn finance charge in connection with the transaction, or One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), whichever is greater; and b. in the case of a successful action to enforce the liability under paragraph 1 of this subsection, the costs of the action together with reasonable attorneys' fees as determined by the court. Sections 17 through 19 make counterfeiting of various sorts forgery in the third degree, regardless of the value of the forged note while section 20 defines third-degree forgery as a felony if the dollar amount is over $1,000. Current law, as amended by HB 2751, draws a boundary at $1,000 between second and third-degree forgery and allows multiple related offenses to be considered as one big crime. SECTION 17. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2011, Section 1577 is amended to read as follows: Section 1577. Every person who sells, exchanges or delivers for any consideration any forged or counterfeited promissory note, check, bill, draft, or other evidence of debt, or engagement for the payment of money absolutely, or upon any contingency, knowing the same to be forged or counterfeited, with intent to have the same uttered or passed, or who offers any such note or other instrument for sale, exchange or delivery for any consideration, with the like knowledge and intent, or who receives any such note or other instrument upon a sale, exchange or delivery for any consideration with the like knowledge and intent, is guilty of forgery in the second degree if the value of the instrument is One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more and forgery in the third degree if the value of the instrument is less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) . For purposes of this section, a series of offenses may be aggregated into one offense when they are the result of the formulation of a plan or scheme or the setting up of a mechanism which, when put into operation, results in the taking or diversion of money or property on a recurring basis. When all acts result from a continuing course of conduct, they may be aggregated into one crime. Acts forming an integral part of the first taking which facilitate subsequent takings, or acts taken in preparation of several takings which facilitate subsequent takings, are relevant to determine the intent of the party to commit a continuing crime. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Virginia Martinez Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Virginia Martinez Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Beaumont Police Department has filed two robbery charges on Tuesday with juvenile probation in reference to a robbery that occurred on Sept. 30, leaving a 13-year-old boy with a broken jaw, according to BPD spokesperson Sgt. Cody Guedry. During the investigation, officials learned that one of the juvenile suspects struck the victim in the jaw causing him to fall to the concrete, according to Guedry. On the same day Jefferson County rescinded its contracts with a local police equipment supplier, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel said Monday it would cut business ties with Texas Code Blue, in response to a "fraudulent transaction" involving the county's soon-to-be sheriff. In October, Code Blue was banned for five years from doing business with state agencies and federal grants after the Homeland Security grants division accused it of altering an invoice at the request of Silsbee police chief Mark Davis in May 2015. Davis is running unopposed for Hardin County Sheriff in the Nov. 8 general election. McDaniel said Hardin County's purchasing policy does not cover banned vendors, but he has made department supervisors aware of the ban. "It's something that's already in the works," McDaniel said Monday. Hardin County has no outstanding orders with Code Blue, McDaniel said. County officials have considered whether Davis can oversee grants when he takes over as sheriff next year, McDaniel said. The county's Homeland Security grants are awarded through the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission, which last month advised government agencies of the ban against Code Blue. McDaniel said one option would be for him to administer sheriff's department grants himself or have them handled through the purchasing department rather than Davis, he said. "It is something we've worried about," McDaniel said. "We certainly don't want to be eliminated from Homeland Security grants. "It's just one of those things. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it." Jefferson County Commissioners Court on Monday awarded contracts previously held by Code Blue to three police equipment suppliers. The county, which has done more than $163,000 worth of business with Texas Code Blue since 2013, awarded contracts to Burgoon, Red the Uniform Tailor and GT Distributors. Orange County also suspended its business relationship with Code Blue, Sheriff Keith Merritt said Friday. With no discussion, Jefferson County officials rescinded Code Blue's contracts for equipment and uniforms for the sheriff's office and the correctional facility. Attempts to reach Code Blue owner Tony Cervantes were unsuccessful Monday. Code Blue stood to make $68 for every pair of pants sold to Jefferson County, $114 per jacket, $30 per tactical belt, $32 for Kevlar gloves and 28 percent off additional items for the sheriff's office. The county's legal notice for bids states that bidders must "have a satisfactory record of performance; have a satisfactory record of integrity and ethics, and be otherwise qualified and eligible to receive award." Deborah Syphrett-Clark, the county's purchasing agent, said last week that vendors are required to be in good standing. Code Blue was paid more than $50,000 a year over the previous three fiscal years, Jefferson County records show. The county paid more than $3,700 to Code Blue last month. It is not known how much Orange and Hardin counties have spent with Code Blue. The Lumberton Police Department also makes purchases from Code Blue. Lumberton chief Danny Sullins said Code Blue has been a strong business partner and that the city could continue to make purchases there without federal grant funds. Two other police departments in the cities of Orange and Vidor were listed as references and recent customers in Code Blue's bid for the Jefferson County contracts. Meanwhile, Davis has faced no civil penalties or been accused of any crime. Prosecutors in Hardin and Jefferson counties told the Texas Rangers they would not prosecute a case against Davis. Davis, who has not responded to repeated requests for comment, denied any wrongdoing in a previous interview. A spokesman for the comptroller's office said its action was limited to the vendor, Code Blue. The comptroller's office does not have authority over local government employees, spokesman Kevin Lyons said. A spokesman for the governor's office said last week it considers the history of any individual or organization when approving grant applications, but declined to comment specifically on allegations against Davis. In May 2015, Davis and Cervantes discussed the alteration of an invoice for an equipment purchase. In a recording of the conversation, Davis asked Cervantes to overcharge the police department by about $500 for several items and issue a credit to spend the rest of the grant on later department purchases. Hardin County district attorney David Sheffield cites a conflict because he donated $1,000 to Davis' sheriff campaign. Gary Reaves, an assistant district attorney in Jefferson County, said the action by Davis and Code Blue owner Tony Cervantes was inappropriate but did not warrant criminal prosecution. Silsbee city manager DeeAnn Zimmerman, Davis' direct supervisor, said she did not condone the chief's behavior but stood by the council's decision to take no action against Davis. BScott@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/BrandonKScott Jefferson County Commissioners Court on Monday rescinded two contracts with Texas Code Blue, citing the Beaumont company's recent debarment by the state comptroller's office from doing business with state agencies and federal grant funds. The county, which had done more than $163,000 worth of business with Texas Code Blue since 2013, awarded contracts to three other companies, Burgoon, Red the Uniform Tailor and GT Distributors.Monday's decision is latest fallout from a "fraudulent transaction" that Homeland Security's grants division accused Texas Code Blue of processing at the request of Silsbee police chief Mark Davis in May 2015. Davis is running unopposed for Hardin County Sheriff. Alumni members of Lamar University's social Greek fraternities and sororities will gather to celebrate 60 years of Greek Life at Lamar University, according to a release from the university. Alumni Affairs, in partnership with Greek Life, is hosting the celebration on Friday, Nov. 11 at the University Event Center. President Xi Jinping delivers a speech for the opening day of the World Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) at Le Bourget, near Paris, France, November 30, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua] Friday will mark another milestone in the global fight against climate change, as the Paris Agreement starts to take effect after at least 55 countries, which account for more than 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, have signed the accord. It will also mark a turning point for future UN climate change conferences, with the next one taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, from Nov 7 to 18. At the Marrakech conference, those countries which have ratified the Paris Agreement will sit together to explore how to implement the agreement and help people living on low-lying islands, and landlocked and poorer countries vulnerable to climate disasters. Globalization is in reverse and trade protectionism and populism are taking hold in the Western world, and regional wars, terrorist threats and geopolitical concerns are increasing across the world. The success in the climate fight, even if temporary, is reason for celebration. It is encouraging to see global stakeholders such as China, the United States, the European Union and India "on the same page" on the issue of sustainable development. In particular, China, the US and the EU's driving roles at the climate talks is praiseworthy, and should be emulated at other global conferences for the common prosperity of the world. The Paris Agreement could become a game changer for world development. In contrast to the top-down approach of allocating emission reduction quotas for industrialized countries in the Kyoto Protocol, countries across the world have "voluntarily" pledged their goals and targets in the Paris Agreement, which serves as a framework to manage global carbon emissions during 2020-30 period. For example, China has said its emissions will peak around 2030 and it will take measures to achieve it at an earlier date. It has also devised detailed plans and set targets for energy-saving, coal production and burning, and renewable energy use. The Paris Agreement could expedite the change in the economic development pattern and revolutionize low-carbon technologies. For that to happen, however, the UN should offer a mechanism to encourage countries not to fall short of their promises for the 2020-30 period. That many countries, including China, are very serious about delivering on every single word they have committed is a good sign. For instance, China, which relies mainly on coal to power its economy, has already reduced the growth in coal consumption while maintaining a healthy economic growth rate. To top it, owners of wind farms in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region are seeking to export green energy to European countries and automobile makers have started selling their electric cars worldwide. Moreover, for climate aid, China has helped set up a South-South cooperation climate and sustainability fund under a UN framework. But the outcomes of Kyoto Protocol (2008-12) and its second commitment phase show there is no reason for complacency, as many industrialized countries have not met their emission reduction targets, some have stepped back while others have not even signed the second phase. The world has to understand the Paris Agreement is not only a story of green competition, it is also about cooperation and sharing resources to protect the Earth. The Paris Agreement has not forgotten to mention again that from 2009, developed countries pledged $100 billion by 2020 every year to help poor countries fight and adapt to climate change; the target is "at least $100 billion" a year during the 2021-25 period. The pledge came when Barack Obama entered the White House. While he is preparing to leave office with the Paris Agreement as one of his legacies, it will be interesting to see how his successor honors the promise. Importantly, there should be more scrutiny on how, as a global leader, the US drums up support from developed countries to help the world's South in winning their death-or-survival fight. The author is deputy chief of China Daily European Bureau. fujing@chinadaily.com.cn This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The body of a 20-year-old Texas State student was found underneath a shuttle bus Saturday in Martindale following an off-campus party involving university Greek Life, officials said. The body of Jordin Taylor, 20, was discovered Saturday, in the 300 block of Dupuy Ranch Road in Martindale, beneath a shuttle bus at a music and tubing site near the San Marcos River. Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke says the bus developed mechanical problems Friday night. Crews that went back to fix the vehicle located Taylor's body. RELATED: Four Texas State fraternities suspended for 'alcohol violations' at party the night student was drug to death A cause of death wasn't immediately released. The sheriff says the investigation into the death continues. Matt Flores, a university spokesman, confirmed Taylor was a student at Texas State. He said that the University Police Department was supporting the Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office into the investigation of Taylors death. Taylor was a respiratory care freshman at the university and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, according to Flores. RELATED: 28-year-old mother who died chasing towed car identified, investigation remains open Taylor's friends posted images of the freshman throughout the weekend saying she would be missed. According to her Facebook page, Taylor is from Burleson and graduated from Centennial High School in 2015. Her hometown is listed as Fort Worth on her Facebook page. RELATED: Driver accused in San Marcos crash still jailed, mother who lost husband, child planning funeral More information will be added to this story as details become available. The Associated Press contributed to this report. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The reward for information regarding the disappearance of Zuzu Verk has doubled to $200,000 since she went missing Oct. 12, the Alpine Police Department announced Monday. Verk, a 22-year-old student at Sul Ross State University, went on date with her boyfriend Robert Fabian, 25, on Oct. 11 and was reported missing three days later. Fabian told police he reported her missing after Verks mother called him after days of not hearing from her daughter. RELATED: Missing Texas college student's boyfriend named a suspect, drones used to search Fabian was named a suspect in Verks disappearance Oct. 26 and has been uncooperative with police since. Officials have deployed drones in the search for Verk and West Texas Ranch Realty and Texas Aerial Photography are assisting in looking for the college student. RELATED: 'Extensive search' on for Texas college student last seen on date with unknown man The Alpine Police Department raised the reward to $200,000 Monday and urged those with information in Verks disappearance to call: 432-837-3486. The Associated Press contributed to this report. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 Anthem Blue Cross and its 17 ACO partners saved $70.4 million over a 12-month measure period and also provided high quality care to Anthem preferred provider organization members. Anthem's Medical Director for Provider Enablement Michael Belman, MD, discussed the results during the State of Reform Conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 31, 2016. Here are five key takeaways: 1. Of the 17 partners, 12 groups had more type 1 and type 2 members undergo Hemoglobin A1c testing. 2. Eleven medical groups upped the number of children between three and six who received one or more well-child visits with a primary care practitioner during the 12-month period. 3. Ten groups increased the number of infants who had six or more well-child visits with a primary care physician during the first 15 months of life. 4. Nine groups had more sexually active women between 16 and 24 undergo Chlamydia screening. 5. The participating medical groups, located throughout California, include: Brown & Toland Physicians in Oakland Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Network HealthCare Partners Medical Group with corporate headquarters in El Segundo, San Ramon-based Hill Physicians Medical Group Humboldt-Del Norte IPA in Eureka MemorialCare Medical Foundation - MemorialCare Medical Group/Greater Newport Physicians, with practices throughout Southern California Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara Santa Clara County (Calif.) IPA Fresno-based Sante Community Physicians IPA Medical Group SeaView IPA in Oxnard San Diego-based Sharp Community Medical Group Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego Sutter Palo Alto (Calif.) Medical Foundation Torrance (Calif.) Memorial Medical Center/Torrance Memorial Integrated Physicians UC Davis Medical Group in Sacramento UCLA Health UCSF Medical Group On Jan. 29, 2006, Lee Woodruff received news that altered her life her husband, Bob Woodruff, a journalist and news anchor, suffered a traumatic brain injury from an explosion in Iraq. The prognosis was not good, with medical personnel flagging Mr. Woodruff as "expected," meaning expected to die. "Your entire focus is on this one person and keeping him alive. There are so many ways that we are called upon to dig down deep and find that superwoman inside of us," said Ms. Woodruff, best-selling co-author of In an Instant and contributor of "CBS This Morning." Being a superwoman or superman doesn't mean doing it all it actually is about quite the opposite. Embodying your super-person entails employing the help of others when needed, and recognizing that you may fall short in some areas. "The greatest lesson of my story is that we are capable of so much more than we believe we are. At some points in life, you have to let things fall away. You have to take care of yourself," Ms. Woodruff said. "In my lowest moment, I had to rely on all the people coming into my life. There are moments we don't have to do it all. It is absolutely OK to ask for help." For Ms. Woodruff, this entailed having others help with her kids so she could focus on her husband's health. For the 36 days that Mr. Woodruff was in a coma, many providers would tell Ms. Woodruff to prepare herself and listed off a series of statistics and symptoms that indicated a recovery was highly unlikely. After a medical staff member abruptly told Ms. Woodruff that it was not probable that her husband would make it out of a comatose state, she told this individual not speak to her that way, to think about how he would want to receive news of a loved one's probability of remaining in a coma and to deliver the news in a more compassionate way. "When you own it, stand up for whatever is happening and call someone out, that person's language can change," she said. The same lesson is applicable in many realms of life, including advancing one's career. In her twenties, Ms. Woodruff's male coworker disclosed his salary to her, revealing that he made $5,000 more despite the two putting in the same hours and achieving the same results. "I was quaking in my boots, but I went to my male boss and said 'I bring in just as much business and have been here just as long. I deserve a raise.' And what happened? I got that raise," she said. While family members and patients may have to stand up for themselves and their loved ones, many healthcare providers went into medicine to accomplish one primary goal: to heal. This goal may sometimes be lost in the hustle and bustle of a provider's daily practice, from dealing with trying payers to meeting the many EHR requirements. "What you [do] as medical providers is so important, even if it is the briefest intersection. Being kind is so incredibly important. Don't underestimate that when you are looking at the patient and their families," Ms. Woodruff said. A case exemplifying the importance of compassion is a Houston-based cancer ward. The hospital was at a loss after discovering one floor had substantially better patient outcomes than the other floor and was sending patients home earlier, despite practicing the same protocols. After a handful of weeks dissecting the numbers and looking at all aspects of each floor, the hospital uncovered the difference rested in the housekeeper. The floor with the better outcomes had a staff member who went the extra mile, with Ms. Woodruff referring to the woman as a "bundle of joy." "You can add that something extra that human connection that offers hope, healing, love and that promise of tomorrow. This is possible within what you do and you can be a superwoman or a superman," Ms. Woodruff said. As providers and as humans moving forward in 2016, time is limited and no one person can do it all. To be the best version of yourself, that entails being your own advocate and asking for what you need, because as Ms. Woodruff said, the worst that can happen is someone can say no. "Going through this experience, I feel like when I am honest and bring the cards to the table, I have a much better chance of getting what I want," she said. "There is something empowering in that. Every day, we can get up and put our feet on the floor and ask ourselves, 'where is the superwoman inside of us and how can we help someone else?' We all have the power." More healthcare news: Nobilis completes $22M Arizona Vascular Clinics acquisition; Foundation HealthCare sells ASC business to Healthcrest Surgical Partners & more 5 key notes on ASC companies 7 things for ASC leaders to know for Thursday Oct. 27, 2016 Finding success under a joint replacement bundled payment program in an ASC The following 51 ophthalmologists are leaders in their field, offering their hospitals, health systems and professional societies expertise both clinically and technologically. Note: The following leaders were collected through peer nominations and editorial research. There are no fees involved and no one can pay to be included on this list. They are presented in alphabetical order. Becker's Hospital Review would like to continuously update this list with notable ophthalmologists. To recommend an update, please contact Eric Oliver at eoliver@beckershealthcare.com Brock K. Bakewell, MD, Fishkind, Bakewell, Maltzman, Hunter and Associates Eye Care and Surgery Center (Tucson, Ariz.). Dr. Bakewell is a board-certified ophthalmologist and a fellow with the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He was selected by his peers as a Best Doctor in 2007, and is recognized as one of Tucson's top doctors. He is an active researcher and has contributed to three FDA studies that resulted in the approval of two types of lens implants. George B. Bartley, MD, Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn.). Dr. Barley is the editor of Ophthalmology, a Louis and Evelyn Krueger professor of ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic and the emeritus CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida. When he was the acting CEO of Mayo Clinic Florida, Dr. Barley oversaw the construction of a new hospital, doubled the amount of extramural funding for research, exceeded several fundraising targets and touted the highest patient satisfaction scores of any Mayo Clinic facility. Dr. Bartley has authored or been a coauthor of more than 200 publications. His most notable work is his thesis for the American Ophthalmological Society on the epidemiology of Graves' ophthalmopathy. Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, FARVO, University of Utah (Salt Lake City). Dr. Bernstein is a specialist in age-related macular degeneration with an emphasis on nutrition and environment with its treatment and prevention. He is board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Ophthalmology. Additionally, Dr. Bernstein is a professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, and an adjunct professor of neurobiology, anatomy, pharmacology and toxicology. He is passionate about developing a sustainable model to make modern vitreo-retinal services available worldwide. Valerie Biousse, MD, Emory Eye Center (Atlanta). Dr. Biousse is a fellow of the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society and of the French Society of Neurology. Additionally, she is a professor at Emory Eye Center at the Emory School of Medicine. Dr. Biousse has more than 300 publications credited to her name, and she serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Ophthalmology and Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology. Cynthia Ann Bradford, MD, Dean A McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (Oklahoma City). Dr. Bradford is the president-elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She previously served on the board of trustees as a senior secretary for advocacy from 2009 to 2014. Dr. Bradford is a professor of ophthalmology at the Dean A. McGee Eye Institute at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Daniel J. Briceland, MD, Spectra Eye Institute (Sun City, Ariz.). Dr. Briceland is the senior secretary for advocacy for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has been involved with the AAO for several years. Dr. Briceland is the director of the Spectra Eye Institute and a past president of the Arizona Ophthalmological Society. Claude F. Burgoyne, MD, Devers Eye Institute (Portland). Dr. Burgoyne is the senior scientist and research director of the Optic Nerve Head Research Laboratory at the Devers Eye Institute. Hic clinical specialty is in glaucoma. Dr. Burgoyne began his career after earning his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He completed an internship at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, a residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a fellowship in glaucoma at the Wilmer Eye Institute at John Hopkins Hospitals in Baltimore. He is a fellow with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. Preston C. Calvert, MD, North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (Minneapolis). Dr. Calvert is the vice president for neuro-ophthalmic advocacy and practice with the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. He retired from practicing but remains active in several professional societies. Before retiring from active practice he ran his own private practice for eight years before he accepted a position as the vice chair of the department of neurology at John Hopkins School of Medicine. Louis B. Cantor, MD, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute (Indianapolis). Dr. Cantor is the senior secretary for clinical education at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a Jay C. and Lucile L. Kahn professor and the chairman of the department of ophthalmology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, in Indianapolis. Dr. Cantor has several articles to his name, and he has presented on ophthalmology more than 250 times to a worldwide audience. David F. Chang, MD, University of California (San Francisco). Dr. Chang is a clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco and the chairman of the American Academy of Ophthalmology cataract preferred practice pattern committee. He was a past chair of the AAO practicing ophthalmologist curriculum panel and a past chair of the AAO annual meeting program committee. Dr. Chang has received the highest honor for cataract surgeons from several professional societies. In 2006, he became the third ophthalmologist to receive the Charlotte Baer Award honoring an outstanding clinical faculty member at the UCSF Medical School. Emily Y. Chew, MD, National Eye Institute (Bethesda, Md.). Dr. Chew is the deputy director of the division of epidemiology and clinical applications and the deputy clinical director at the National Eye Institute and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Chew is additionally the director of the medical retina fellowship program at NEI. She has implemented several clinical trials and is a strong proponent of researching diabetic eye disease and age-related eye disease. Combating blindness is of great importance to her. Michael F. Chiang, MD, Oregon Health and Science University (Portland, Ore.). Dr. Chiang is a professor of ophthalmology, medical informatics and clinical epidemiology at OHSU. His practice specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. Dr. Chiang actively researches areas that focus on improving medicine including: telemedicine, clinical information systems, computer based image analysis and genotype-phenotype correlations Stephen P. Christiansen, MD, Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Christiansen is a professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics at the Boston University School of Medicine. He is an avid researcher and his work focuses on pharmacological treatment of strabismus, the response of extraocular muscle to changes in innervation and surgery, retinopathy or prematurity and multicenter clinical studies of strabismus treatment. Robert J. Cionni, MD, The Eye Institute of Utah (Salt Lake City). Dr. Cionni is the medical director of the Eye Institute of Utah, and an immediate past president of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. His specialty is in cataract surgery, refractive cataract surgery and the management of complications from cataract surgeries. Dr. Cionni has published several manuscripts and textbook chapters on cataract surgery techniques and refractive cataract surgery. Sean P. Donahue, MD, PhD, Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tenn.). Dr. Donahue is an associate professor at Vanderbilt University with joint appointments in the departments of pediatrics and neurology. He is also the director of the ophthalmology residency program, the clinical trials unit and the pediatric fellowship. He serves as the medical director of the Tennessee Lions Eye Center for Children and was recently named the chief of pediatric ophthalmology. Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island and Connecticut (Stamford, Conn.). Dr. Donnenfeld is the founding partner of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island and Connecticut as well as a trustee of Dartmouth Medical School and a professor at New York University. He is a past president of many professional societies, and he has published more than 180 peer review papers on cornea, external disease, cataract and refractive surgery. He is currently the Medical Editor of EyeWorld. Jane C. Edmond, MD, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston). Dr. Edmond is a trustee-at-large for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She has served the society for several years. She is also involved with the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. For her work with AAPOS she has received the Academy Achievement and Secretariat Award and the AAPOS Honor Award. Additionally, Dr. Edmond is a professor in the department of ophthalmology and pediatrics at Baylor College, and an active practitioner at Texas Children's Hospital in the pediatric ophthalmology department. Edmond J. Fitzgibbon, MD, National Eye Institute. (Bethesda, Md.). Dr. Fitzgibbon is a neuro-ophthalmologist in NEI's laboratory of sensorimotor research. His tenure with NEI began in 1984 when he started as a fellow. He began practicing at the clinic in 1985. Dr. Fitzgibbon's research is centered around using eye movement studies to diagnose and stage disease in patients with neurodegenerative disease. Robert S. Gold, MD, Eye Physicians of Central Florida, (Maitland, Fla.). Dr. Gold has been an ophthalmologist with the Eye Physicians of Central Florida since 1987. His practice specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult eye movement disorders. Dr. Gold is a fellow with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a specialty fellow with the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of several other professional societies. Dr. Gold was named a best doctor in Orlando and he is considered among "America's Top Ophthalmologists." He also has a faculty appointment with the University of Central Florida. Lynn K. Gordon, MD, UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute (Los Angeles) Dr. Gordon is the vice-chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology Council in addition to being a professor and senior associate dean at UCLA. Dr. Gordon is a past president of Women in Ophthalmology, and the California Association of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. She has been an active researcher for two decades that has resulted in several patents and more than 100 published articles, book chapters and reviews. Bonnie An Henderson , MD, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston (Boston). Dr. Henderson is the vice president/president elect of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. In addition to her professional appointment, she is a partner at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston and a clinical professor at Tufts University. She also serves as the associate editor of the Journal of Refractive Surgery. Throughout her career, Dr. Henderson has published more than 125 scholarly articles and book chapters. Edward J. Holland, MD, Cincinnati Eye Institute. Dr. Holland is the director of Cornea Services at the Cincinnati Eye Institute, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, a past president of ASCRS and the current chair of the organization's program committee. Dr. Holland was awarded the Binkhorst Medal by the committee in 2008. In addition, Dr. Holland was honored with the AAO's lifetime achievement award, and has received the senior achievement and the honor awards. Stephen S. Lane, MD, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). Dr. Lane is a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota. He is a past president of ASCRS and is the current chairman of the ASCRS Foundation's domestic committee. In addition to his professional duties, he also serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. He was named one of the nation's leading medical specialists in Best Doctors in America. Andrew Lee, MD, Houston Methodist Hospital. Dr. Lee is a professor with Weill Cornell Medical College, a practicing neuro-ophthalmologist and the chairman of the department of ophthalmology at Houston Methodist Hospital. Before joining Houston Methodist, he was an associate professor at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Dr. Lee has more than 400 articles in peer reviewed publications to his name. He has been on the editorial board for 14 scientific journals. Richard A. Lewis, MD, Sacramento Eye Consultants. Dr. Lewis is a past president of ASCRS and the former director of glaucoma at the University of California. He has a clinical practice in California, and is actively involved in research on glaucoma therapy. Dr. Lewis serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Glaucoma and Glaucoma Today. He has received several recognitions for his contributions to teaching and leadership. He also initiated the creation of the AAO Subspecialty Day meeting. Richard L. Lindstrom, MD, Minnesota Eye Consultants (Minneapolis). Dr. Lindstrom founded and is the attending surgeon of Minnesota Eye Consultants. He also serves as an adjunct professor emeritus at the University of Minnesota, the associate director of the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank and a member at large for the ASCRS. Dr. Lindstrom is a renowned expert in the fields of corneal, cataract, refractive and laser surgery. He holds 38 patents and a number of solutions, intraocular lenses and instruments used globally were created by him. Dr. Lindstrom has co-edited 10 books, 60 book chapters and more than 350 peer reviewed articles to his name. Mathew W. MacCumber, MD, Illinois Retina Associates (Chicago). Dr. MacCumber is chair of the council for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He started his career in 1996 at Illinois Retina Associates at Rush University Medical Center. He is also a professor and the associate chairman for research with the department of ophthalmology. In addition to his career and his work with the professional society, Dr. MacCumber served as an examiner with the American Board of Ophthalmology and directed the vitreoretinal fellowship program at Rush. His has had 34 peer-reviewed articles and 10 book chapters published. Nick Mamalis, MD, University of Utah (Salt Lake City). Dr. Mamalis is a professor at the University of Utah, an editor of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery and the secretary of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. In addition, Dr. Mamalis is the director of ophthalmic pathology and the director of the Intermountain Ocular Research Center at the University of Utah. Cynthia Mattox, MD, FACS, New England Eye Center (Boston). Dr. Mattox is an associate professor and the vice chair of the department of ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine. In addition she is the director of glaucoma and cataract service at the New England Eye Center. She is a trustee-at-large with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and serves as the chair of the IRIS Registry Measure Development Task Force. Throughout her career, Dr. Mattox has trained more than 40 glaucoma fellows and 80 residents in glaucoma, cataract management and surgery techniques. She has been awarded several honors including the President's Award from the American Glaucoma Society and the senior achievement award from the AAO. Christie L. Morse, MD, Concord Eye Care PC (Concord, N.H.). Dr. Morse holds several job titles. She is the current chair of the advisory board of the foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the chair of the organization's ethics committee and a member of the AAO's board of trustees. She serves on the editorial board of EyeNet and is a member of its steering committee. In additional to her professional commitments, she is a partner in a multispecialty practice, in which she specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus. Jay Mulaney, MD, Lakeland (Fla.) Regional Health Dr. Mulaney is the chairman of the board of directors for Lakeland Regional Health, one of the largest hospital systems in Florida. Dr. Mulnaey has served in numerous leadership roles in the healthcare arena. The Consumer's Research Council of American named Dr. Mulaney to its America's Top Ophthalmologists list nine times. He has published several peer reviewed papers in academic journals including the American Journal of Ophthalmology, European Journal of Ophthalmology and Current Eye Research among others. Nancy J. Newman, MD, Emory Eye Center (Atlanta). Dr. Newman has filled an endowed position, the LeoDelle Jolley Chair of Ophthalmology, at Atlanta-based Emory University since 2002. She is a professor of ophthalmology and neurology and an instructor of neurological surgery at Emory. She also is a lecturer of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and the director of the Eye Center's neuro-ophthalmology section. Dr. Newman has more than 350 publications accredited to her name and is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Joan O'Brien, Scheie Eye Institute at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) Dr. O'Brien is the chair of ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute. She oversees a department with a $60 million annual budget an an endowment of nearly $100 million. Dr. O'Brien is an accomplished researchers and is currently the primary investigator on a $11.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health to study glaucoma. Additionally, Dr. OBrien also has a long history of awards from both the National Cancer Institute for clinical trials and the National Eye Institute for basic science investigations. In 2012, Dr. OBrien was induced into the National Academy of Medicine. Thomas A. Oetting, MD, University of Iowa (Iowa City). Dr. Oetting is an at-large member of the AAO Board of Trustees, a professor of clinical ophthalmology and the residency program director at the University of Iowa. He is also the chief of ophthalmology and the deputy director for surgery at the Iowa City VA Health Care System. Throughout his career Dr. Oetting has received several honors including the achievement and secretariat awards from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Mildred M. G. Olivier, MD, Midwest Glaucoma Center (Hoffman Estates, Ill.). Dr. Olivier is an at-large member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Board of Trustees and the CEO and founder of the Midwest Glaucoma Center. She has held several prestigious titles throughout her career including immediate past president of Women in Ophthalmology. In addition to her professional career, Dr. Olivier has gone to Haiti several times to provide aid. For this work and her contributions to the AAO's task force on Haiti Recovery, she was awarded the American Glaucoma Society's Humanitarian Award. Dr. Olivier also serves as the professor of surgery and as an assistant dean for diversity at Midwest University. David W. Parke II, MD, American Academy of Ophthalmology. (San Francisco). Dr. Parke is the CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Before he began his tenure he was the president and CEO of the Dean McGee Eye Institute. He was also an Edward L. Gaylord Professor and the chair of the department of ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. While at the eye institute he helped it grow into one of the top ranked institutions nationally. Throughout his career, Dr. Parke has held several leadership positions on multiple boards. Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD, FARVO, Baylor College of Medicine (Houston). Dr. Pflugfelder is a professor and the chairman of the ophthalmology department at Baylor College of Medicine. He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of the association for research in vision and ophthalmology. Dr. Pflugfelder focuses his clinical research around the diagnosis and medical and surgical therapy of tear and ocular surface disease. Peter A. Quiros, MD, Doheny Eye Institute (Pasadena, Calif.). Dr. Quiros is a neuro-ophthalmology specialist with the Doheny Eye Institute and the director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Researcher and Disease Investigators Consortium. He is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. Outside of his practice, Dr. Quiros is a notable researcher. His research centers around idiopathic intracranial hypertension, ocular myasthenia gravis, Graves' disease and several other conditions. Jean E. Ramsey, MD, PhD, Boston Medical. Dr. Ramsey is the vice-chair and program director of ophthalmology, an associate professor and an assistant dean at the Boston University School of Medicine. She is board-certified and has admitting privileges at Boston Medical Center. In additional to her practice and educational pursuits, she is an avid researcher. Her research is focused on pediatric vision screening, care systems and amblyopia and strabismus. William L. Rich III, MD, FACS, Northern Virginia Ophthalmology Associates (Falls Church, Va.). Dr. Rich is the president and medical director of health policy for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He has more than 25 years of health policy and financing experience, and is a consultant for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Health Policy Forum and several other foundations. He was one of the founders and an executive committeeman for a local independent practice association and the nation's largest subspecialty PPO. Jonathan B. Rubenstein, MD, University Ophthalmology Associates (Chicago). Dr. Rubenstein is the senior secretary in charge of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting, an examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology, and a professor and the vice chairman of ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center. He also serves as the director of refractive surgery at Rush. Dr. Rubenstein is a renowned instructor and researcher and a noted presenter. Thomas W. Samuelson, MD, Minnesota Eye Consultants (Minneapolis). Dr. Samuelson is a treasurer with ASCRS, the founding partner of the Minnesota Eye Consultants and an adjunct associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota. He is also a past president of the International Society of Spaeth Fellows. Dr. Samuelson received the AAO Achievement Award in 2002 and the AAO Senior Achievement Award in 2008. In addition to his clinical and professional pursuits, he serves as the Glaucoma Section Editor for Ocular Surgery News and as an editorial board member for Glaucoma Today. R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, Dean McGee Eye Institute (Oklahoma City). Dr. Siatkowski is the vice chair for academic affairs and the residency director of the Dean McGee Eye Institute at Oklahoma University. Before accepting his position in Oklahoma, he served on the faculty of the University of Miami. In addition to his educational pursuits, Dr. Siatkowski serves on the board of directors for the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the American Board of Ophthalmology and the Christian Ophthalmology Society. Throughout his career he has published more than 75 articles. He is a recipient of the presidential professor award from the University of Oklahoma. Kerry D. Solomon, MD, Carolina Eyecare Physicians (Charleston, S.C.). Dr. Solomon is president of the AAO's executive committee, a managing partner at Carolina Eyecare Physicians, and the director of the Carolina Eyecare Research Institute. Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today considered him a top 50 opinion leader in the fields of cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Solomon trains physicians throughout the world on the latest technologies. In addition to his practice, he is the chief medical editor of Refractive Surgery Quarterly and serves on the editorial boards of Premier Surgeon, Ophthalmic Practice, Ocular Surgery News, Archives of Ophthalmology and Cataract and Refractive Surgery Today. He also founded a nonprofit with two other physicians. Derek T. Sprunger, MD, IU Health System (Indianapolis). Dr. Sprunger is a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at Indiana University, a pediatric ophthalmologist at Riley Hospital. He earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine before completing an internship at St. Vincent Hospital and a residency at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a member of several professional organizations including the AAO and the International Society for Genetic Eye Disease. Paul Sternberg Jr., MD, Vanderbilt School of Medicine (Nashville). Dr. Sternberg is the assistant vice chancellor for adult health affairs and the associate dean for clinical affairs for the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He specializes in adult ocular tumors, macular degeneration and trauma eye ball. He earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago. He stayed at the university for an internship before he completed a residency at John Hopkins Hospital and Health System in Baltimore. He had a fellowship at the Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C. Prem S. Subramanian, MD, PhD, University of Colorado (Boulder). Dr. Subramanian is a professor of ophthalmology, neurology and neurosurgery, the chair of the neuro-ophthalmology department and the vice chair for academic affairs at the University of Colorado. His practice at the Anschutz Medical Campus focuses on patients with disorders of the optic nerve and orbit. Throughout his career, Dr. Subramanian has received several honors including being named a Top Doctor in America and earning an achievement award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Russell N. Van Gelder, MD, University of Washington Eye Institute (Seattle). Dr. Van Gelder is a past president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a chair and a professor at the University of Washington and an active clinician-scientist. His research work and laboratory are funded by the National Institutes of Health. His research primarily focuses in two areas: non-visual ocular photoreception and molecular diagnostics of ocular inflammatory disease. He has authored more than 100 publications and is actively involved in resident education. Robert E. Wiggins, MD, MHA, Asheville (N.C.). Eye Associates. Dr. Wiggins is the senior secretary for ophthalmic practice for the American Academy of Ophthalmology's American Board of Trustees and the managing partner with Asheville Eye Associates. He is a recipient of the AAO Achievement and Secretariat Awards. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Wiggins spent a year as a clinical assistant and professor of ophthalmology at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia. Pamela E. Williams, MD, Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital (Baton Rouge, La.). Dr. Williams is a board-certified pediatric ophthalmologist with Our Lady of the Lake's Children's Hospital. She received her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. She completed an internship in preliminary surgery and her residency in ophthalmology at the Indianapolis-based Indiana University School of Medicine before completing her fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus. M. Edward Wilson Jr., MD, Medical University of South Carolina (Charleston, S.C.). Dr. Wilson is a professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics at the Storm Eye Institute. He is a past chair and director of the institute and its residency program. His life's work afforded him a senior honor award from the AAO as well as a lifetime achievement award from the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. He is currently the president of AAPOS, where he also serves on the board of directors. Lihteh Wu, MD, Primer Piso Torre Mercedes Paseo (San Jose, Costa Rica). Dr. Wu is an international trustee at large with the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Board of Trustees, a practicing ophthalmologist with Asociados de Macula Vitreo y Retina de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica and an associate professor with the University of Costa Rica. He has published more than 50 peer reviewed chapters and has co-authored more than 40 book chapters. He is a past president of the Pan American Retina and Vitreous Society. After a series of articles called "Counting Charity Care" was published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the governor of Pennsylvania has agreed to review the state's definition of charity care, the newspaper reports. The newspaper received an emailed statement from Jeffrey Sheridan, spokesman for Gov. Tom Wolf (D), stating the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services will begin to review the 2010 Medical Assistance Bulletin that defines charity care for hospitals in the state. The issue raised by the newspaper is in regards to how hospitals make decisions for patients who do not fill out a charity care form. Many hospitals use an algorithm to determine if the patient qualified for charity care based on publicly available data and then submit those claims, according to the report. However, many hospitals do not tell those patients they qualified for charity care and that they are welcome to come back for more free care as they would for a patient who fills out the form, according to the report. This practice means charity care is not necessarily applied evenly among patients and it does not help patients get access to regular care when they need it, patient advocates say, according to the report. Read the full story here. More articles on finance: UHS profit increases as patient volume grows: 5 things to know Bipartisan group of senators unveil proposed Medicare reforms Brigham and Women's invests $4.5M in local organizations Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center is working with GE Healthcare Partners to build a command center that will use predictive analytics to manage the flow of patients in the hospital, according to the Chicago Tribune. GE Healthcare Partners, an advisory firm within GE Healthcare, has already helped Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital launch the Judy Reitz Capacity Command Center, inspired by NASA's Mission Control Center, which combines the latest technology in systems engineering, predictive analytics, experience, volume and patient flow. GE Healthcare Partners is designing the center, which is expected to open in the fall of 2017, according to the report. The walls of the command center will be paneled with screens that display data derived from algorithms and predictive analytics. This information will be used to help hospital decision-makers determine where patients will go and when to prevent bottlenecks, delays and other patient flow issues. The command center will also alert staff of "perfect storm" conditions, according to Jeff Terry, managing principal of GE Healthcare Partners. "A lot of research shows that errors happen when there's a perfect storm of factors on a unit: Somebody called in sick, it's an inexperienced nursing team, it was a really busy morning. And so in all that activity, they missed something," Mr. Terry told the Chicago Tribune. "The command center knows that there's an unusually high risk on that unit. It's monitoring those factors of a perfect storm, so that we can send help to that unit and not wait for something to go wrong." GE developers and engineers based out of Barrington, Ill., will create the algorithms and predictive analytics that will be used in the center, according to the report. Cleveland-based University Hospitals CMO Michael Anderson, MD, is leaving to take over as president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco, effective Dec. 31, according to a Crain's Cleveland Business report. Here are five takeaways: 1. Dr. Anderson will serve as senior vice president of children's services and vice-chair for children's health in the pediatrics department at UCSF Health and UCSF School of Medicine. 2. Dr. Anderson has worked at University Hospitals for 31 years, serving in a number of leadership positions such as vice president and associate CMO for UH, as well as CMO at both UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital in Cleveland and for UH Cleveland Medical Center. 3. He currently chairs the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. 4. Dr. Anderson is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric critical care medicine. He completed a fellowship in pediatric pharmacology and critical care at UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital. 5. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. Vacation time is just one way companies seek to differentiate themselves to current and prospective employees against their competitors. With the holidays approaching, Glassdoor has published a list of the 25 Highest Rated Companies for Vacation & Paid Time Off. This year, three healthcare organizations made the list. Glassdoor based its ratings on benefits reviews from each company's employees. Staff at these highly rated companies said their PTO usually ranges from two to four weeks, with some companies offering the opportunity to earn more days off. Many additionally offer sick days and personal days, as well as time off for volunteering. Here are the 25 Highest Rated Companies for Vacation & Paid Time Off, according to Glassdoor. 1. Amgen (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) 2. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York City) 3. Ikea (Stockholm, Sweden) 4. Google (Mountain View, Calif.) 5. Monsanto Company (St. Louis) 6. Salesforce (San Francisco) 7. General Motors (Detroit) 8. Costco Wholesale (Issaquah, Wash.) 9. Capital One (McLean, Va.) 10. Accenture (No official headquarters) 11. Ericsson-Worldwide (Stockholm, Sweden) 12. American Express (New York City) 13. Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.) 14. JPMorgan Chase (New York City) 15. KPMG (New York City) 16. Nokia (Nokia, Finland) 17. Federal Express (Memphis, Tenn.) 18. Intel (Santa Clara, Calif.) 19. T-Mobile (Bellevue, Wash.) 20. Microsoft (Redmond, Wash.) 21. Deloitte (New York City) 22. Liberty Mutual (Boston) 23. Progressive (Cleveland) 24. Humana (Louisville, Ky.) 25. Eastman Chemical (Kingsport) Watertown, Mass.-based athenahealth is cutting 102 jobs in San Francisco and 44 in Atlanta, according to the Boston Globe. The 146 job cuts represent less than 3 percent of the medical software company's workforce. Although athenahealth is scaling back jobs in two cities, the company is planning to grow in others. Moving forward, the company will focus on growing three research and development hubs in Watertown; Austin, Texas; and Chennai, India, athenahealth spokeswoman Holly Spring told the Boston Globe. More articles on leadership and management: Broward Health board postpones CEO search indefinitely Layoffs cost Baxter $101M: 7 things to know Brain study shows why lying gets easier the more you do it A New York hospital is banning patients from getting into heated debates about the election for fear the stress will negatively impact their health. Hot pink safety notices adorn the walls of Southampton (N.Y.) Hospital's cardiopulmonary rehabilitation gym that read, "Due to the fact that we have patients with heart conditions we cannot allow political debates in the gym," The East Hampton Star reports. Jessica Swiatocha, a nurse practitioner and the manager of cardiopulmonary rehab and wellness services at Southampton Hospital, told the newspaper she and her colleagues decided to implement the rule about a month ago after receiving patient complaints about the spirited discussions taking place in the gym. For example, a woman got sandwiched between a Donald Trump supporter and a Hillary Clinton supporter during a political discussion while she was walking on a treadmill, Ms. Swiatocha told The East Hampton Star. Another exerciser brought a Clinton book to the gym with a fake signature as a joke and gave it to a Trump supporter, according to the report. Southampton Hospital is not the only organization to caution against heated political debate. Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association reported 52 percent of Americans find the election to be a source of stress. It recommended those who are stressed about the election limit media consumption and avoid discussions about the election if they could escalate. Southampton Hospital's signs seem to have cut down significantly on the political banter in the gym, and it plans to remove them on Election Day, according to the report. More articles on leadership and management: Week in review: 13 biggest healthcare stories this week Funeral ad at Canadian hospital goes viral Broward Health board postpones CEO search indefinitely The American Medical Association unveiled a formalized strategy Tuesday to revamp medical education, complete with a textbook to support the emerging curriculum. The new strategy adds a third area of study to medical education: health systems science. This third pillar, which will be added to basic and clinical science, covers value-based care, patient safety, quality improvement, teamwork, leadership, clinical informatics, population health, socioecological determinants of health, healthcare policy and healthcare economics. "We know that the way healthcare is being delivered is changing, but until now those changes have not been widely incorporated into the way we teach our physicians. Our medical schools are very good at preparing students for the basic and clinical sciences that are paramount to providing care to patients, but what is largely missing is how to deliver that care in a complex health system," AMA CEO James Madara, MD, said in a statement. The curriculum is the result of the work of 32 medical schools around the country that received grants to push the boundaries of medical education under the AMA's Accelerating Change in Medical Education program. The impetus behind the program was "to have these schools innovate, collaborate and rethink medical education from the ground up," Dr. Madara said during a media conference Tuesday. The textbook for health systems science was written by the consortium's 11 founding schools. The book will be available to all medical schools mid-December, but many consortium schools have already begun teaching with it, including Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa., and Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, R.I. Penn State began its systems navigation curriculum in fall 2014 with the help of $1 million in funding from the AMA, according to Jed Gonzalo, MD, associate dean for health systems education. This longitudinal curriculum focused on population health, social determinants of health and the leadership processes of healthcare delivery topics which were not taught in depth at Penn State before, Dr. Gonzalo said during the media conference. Penn State also developed a year-long opportunity to embed students as patient navigators. The school is now working to extend these curricular components to third and fourth year medical students, and into its other graduate programs. Brown University's Warren Alpert Medical School used its $1 million grant to develop a primary care/population medicine program, which allows students to earn a dual medical degree and master's degree in four years. The school ultimately plans to roll out similar programs for specialties beyond primary care, according to Jeff Borkan, MD, PhD, assistant dean for primary care-population medicine program planning at Brown. The idea is to prepare future physicians to better understand how patients receive and access care. It aims to help students "hit the ground running to handle the business side of healthcare, in addition to knowing how to diagnose and treat patients," said AMA Vice President for Medical Education Outcomes Susan Skochelak, MD. More articles on integration and physician issues: 3 reasons primary care physicians should treat addiction 4 strategies for dealing with patient discrimination of trainees Making the case for art observation in medical school A federal appeals court has paused a proposed merger between Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care and Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem. Here are eight things to know about the Advocate-NorthShore merger and the appellate court's decision. 1. In 2014, Advocate and NorthShore unveiled plans to come together and create a new system called Advocate NorthShore Health Partners, which would include 16 hospitals. After a 15-month review, the FTC opposed the merger in December 2015. 2. Both sides presented testimony in April over whether the FTC's request for a preliminary injunction to halt the transaction should be granted. The FTC argued the merger would have anti-competitive effects. However, Advocate and NorthShore claimed the merger will not raise healthcare prices for consumers or reduce health insurers' bargaining power. 3. In an order issued June 14, U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso denied the FTC's request to block the proposed merger. He said the government did not provide enough evidence that the partnership would harm competition in the region. 4. The FTC appealed the district court's decision, arguing the court's analysis of the geographic market was flawed. 5. On Monday, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the lower court's decision that denied the FTC a preliminary injunction. "Even with the deference we give a district court's findings of fact, the district court's geographic market finding here was clearly erroneous," the appellate judges wrote in the opinion. 6. The appellate court remanded the case for further action. The court ordered the merger to remain on hold while the lower court reconsiders the government's preliminary injunction motion. 7. Regarding the appellate court's decision, Debbie Feinstein, director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition, said, "The FTC is pleased that the 7th Circuit rejected the district court's geographic market findings, and we are looking forward to proving our case." 8. Advocate and NorthShore are disappointed with the decision. "We believe that blocking this merger will be a loss to consumers and further underscores the conflicting message with the objectives of the Affordable Care Act," the systems said in a joint statement, according to the Chicago Tribune. "While our legal teams review the decision, we remain confident our merger would lower costs and improve outcomes for consumers." More articles on healthcare industry lawsuits: 10 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements Former MetroHealth COO indicted for fraud, accepting bribes Ex-nurse charged with murder of 8 nursing home patients in Canada Rising premiums and departing ACA marketplace insurers have raised concerns these challenges will only exacerbate as healthy enrollees forgo marketplace coverage and leave sicker, more expensive enrollees to influence risk pools, Vox reports. The White House's lead economist Jason Furman dismissed speculations of the so-called "death spiral," saying subsidies will prevent the descent. "I think it is absolutely impossible for these markets to enter a death spiral," Mr. Furman, the chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told Vox. "It is frankly crazy that people are leaping to the death spiral conversation," he said. While 15 percent to 17 percent of marketplace enrollees do not receive subsidies and may exit the market because of rising premiums and limited plan choice, Mr. Furman said there is no incentive for individuals eligible for subsidies to leave the market. In turn, he said many enrollees will stay and sustain a healthy risk pool. "When you have 84 percent in the marketplace subsidized or two-thirds if you include the whole individual market that effectively arrests the death spiral, that effectively prevents it," Mr. Furman said, according to the report. More article about payer issues: To reduce costs, Maine insurance co-op eliminates elective abortion coverage Colorado AG seeks comment on UnitedHealthcare, Rocky Mountain Health Plans deal ACA developer wishes for 'stronger' individual mandate Nurses' clothing especially sleeves and pockets can play a role in the transmission of bacteria in hospitals, according to research presented at IDWeek 2016. The study involved 167 patients who received care from 40 nurses during three separate, 12-hour shifts in the intensive care unit, for a total of 120 individual shifts. All nurses cared for two or more patients per shift and changed scrubs for each shift. Researchers took cultures twice a day from nurses' scrubs, the patients and the patients' rooms. They cultured sleeves, pockets and midriffs of the scrubs as well as the supply cart, bed and bed rails. Sign up for our FREE E-Weekly for more coverage like this sent to your inbox! They found 22 transmissions of the same strain of bacteria. Of those, six were from patient to nurse, six were from room to nurse and 10 were from patient to room. Transmitted bacteria included methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among others. The spots most likely to be contaminated were the sleeves and pockets of the scrubs and the bed rails. "We think it's more common than not that these bugs spread to patients in hospitals because of temporary contamination of healthcare workers," said Deverick Anderson, MD, lead author of the study and associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C. He noted three actions that play a major role in stopping the spread of bacteria: Throughout this week, the FDA released inspection reports that claimed 12 U.S. hospitals did not promptly report patient deaths or injuries associated with medical devices, according to Kaiser Health News. Here are six things to know: 1. Jeffrey Shaun, MD, JD, director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said the report speaks to a larger, nationwide problem of hospitals failing to report patient harm incidents linked to medical devices. Dr. Shaun said the cited hospitals "are not unique" and that many of the hospitals' staff members were not equipped with the necessary training or were not aware of all the FDA's reporting requirements for medical devices. 2. Federal requirements mandate hospitals report serious injuries that medical devices possibly caused to the manufacturers within 10 days. The requirements also require hospitals to report such incidents to both the manufacturer and the FDA about any fatalities resulting from the devices. Manufacturers then have to file reports to the FDA within 30 days of being made aware of the injury or death. 3. Of the 17 hospitals the agency reviewed, the FDA found six hospitals failed to properly report patient deaths linked to devices within 10 days, and five other hospitals did not promptly report serious injuries. 4. The agency listed the following hospitals in the report for failing to report patient deaths as required: Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge, Ill. Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif. Reading Hospital and Medical Center in West Reading, Pa. Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh NewYork-Presbyterian in New York City Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston Massachusetts General in Boston 5. The agency said those that failed to report serious injuries in time were: UCLA Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. 6. KHN reported many of the hospitals cited in the report supported the FDA's feedback and were receptive to efforts to improve device oversight. For more on the story, click here. The U.S. healthcare system is constantly battling data breaches, with cybercriminals gaining access to sensitive patient information they sell on the black web, according to McClatchyDC. Here are four thoughts: 1. Since the middle of last year, the healthcare industry has encountered 22 major data computer breaches, resulting in millions of lost patient records. 2. The "2016 Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Research Report" found almost 33 percent of the largest U.S. hospitals are slow to install security patches to combat cyber vulnerabilities. 3. A person's Social Security number, birth date and account numbers are valued between $14 to more than $25 per record, while medical records' value ranging between 0.25 cents to o $2.42 per record. 4. Despite its lesser value, cybercriminals continue to attack the healthcare industry because organizations have many vulnerabilities and do not practice as rigorous defensive practices as the financial and energy sectors. To continue following the latest news and information for Bedfordshire and surrounding areas, simply enter your full postcode below Salzburgs ski resorts are expected to be a big attraction for passengers Northern Ireland travellers will benefit from another European route in a bumper year for link-ups. George Best Belfast City Airport has launched a new flight to Salzburg in Austria. The Aer Lingus charter, aimed at ski lovers, will run weekly from Christmas Eve to March 11. Katy Best, the airline's commercial and marketing director, said: "Salzburg is a world-class ski destination and its wide range of quality ski resorts, which cater for skiers of all abilities, are all served by our new route. "The demand for ski holidays in the local market is strong, and we are confident this route, facilitated by Aer Lingus, will prove very popular." It's the latest European route from Belfast this year after Ryanair launched links from Belfast International including Berlin, Girona in Spain, Milan and Gdansk and Wroclaw, both in Poland Standard Chartered boss Bill Winters has admitted the bank's profits are "not yet acceptable" as it posted worse-than-expected earnings. The Asian-focused bank, which is listed in London, saw shares slump by more than 7% at one stage after it reported third quarter underlying profits of 458 million US dollars (374 million). This marked an improvement from losses of 139 million US dollars (113.5 million) a year earlier, but left investors disappointed as it fell short of City forecasts. Standard also revealed fresh compliance woes after confirming that Hong Kong's financial regulator planned to take action against the bank over its role as a joint sponsor of an initial public offering in 2009. Mr Winters, who is overseeing a restructure at the bank after taking on the top job last year, said: "We have made progress executing the strategic actions announced a year ago. "We now have a stronger balance sheet, reduced concentrations and are becoming more efficient, but income and profit levels are not yet acceptable." The group posted its first annual loss since 1989 earlier this year after a sharp drop in revenue and surging loan impairments. Mr Winters is slashing costs under an overhaul, axing 15,000 jobs across the group and selling off or restructuring more than 100 billion US dollars (82 billion) of risky assets. In its latest trading update, Standard said it was on track to make cost savings of more than one billion US dollars (817 million) this year. Its third quarter figures showed revenues fell in all four of its divisions, although it improved losses on bad loans, which more than halved to 596 million US dollars (487 million). Group-wide revenues fell 5.9% to 3.47 billion US dollars (2.8 billion). The group said it had stabilised revenues and profits in the third quarter, but cautioned it expects markets to remain "challenging". Banking analysts at Jefferies noted disappointment at Standard's "lack of progress" on improving revenues. Standard announced the departures of its former chief executive Peter Sands and chairman Sir John Peace last year after being plagued by problems including weakening trading conditions in emerging markets as well as US fines over sanctions-busting. Sir John is set to leave on December 1, to be replaced by Jose Vinals, the former deputy governor of the Bank of Spain. The group has also been in sharp focus over its plans after the Brexit vote and said in August it had set up an executive committee and working group dedicated to assessing the implications of the UK's decision to quit the EU. A major international zoo body has concerns about the leadership of Belfast Zoo and how some of its animals are kept, it can be revealed. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) wrote to Belfast City Council this month informing it that the decision to accredit Belfast Zoo has been delayed in light of the issues. In a letter seen by the Belfast Telegraph, dated October 1, Frank Rietkerk, chair of EAZA's Membership and Ethics Committee, said a "key concern" must be addressed before Belfast Zoo can receive accreditation. It raised concerns over leadership of the zoo, questioned the level of aggression between the Andean bears, claimed the educational animals - including rabbits and reptiles - are not kept in acceptable conditions and stated conditions are "terrible" in the old zoo building where animals in quarantine are kept. In response, a spokeswoman for Belfast City Council said that the correspondence from EAZA "relates to an accreditation and improvement process that Belfast Zoo is undergoing". The letter from EAZA raised as a major concern as to why there had not been a dedicated zoo manager for 11 months. "The screeners and the Membership and Ethics Committee found that the 11-month-long lack of a dedicated top level zoo manager has begun to wear on the zoo", the letter stated. "Back areas were not terribly tidy, greens and grounds are not trimmed or maintained, and the uncertainty has begun to wear on the staff. "The Membership and Ethics Committee feels that the leadership gap is so great, they cannot recommend full membership until has had been resolved". The letter also listed seven minor concerns which mostly pertain to the care of the animals at the zoo. It pointed out that the level of aggression between the Andean bears "is unacceptable and questionable welfare for the male". "The team recognises that this is due to the birth of the cub, and that the male had only recently been reintroduced to the female, but the level of aggression the team witnessed was too high", the letter stated. Another concern was the welfare of the educational animals. "They are in too small enclosures (rabbit hutches, basic reptile enclosures) without proper light, furniture, substrate (hedgehogs) or enrichment", the letter said. Next it found conditions in the old zoo buildings were "terrible" and warned that if a guest or "anti-zoo operative" obtained footage, the zoo could "suffer greatly as a result". "The very old zoo area is being utilised in a limited way as a quarantine or temporary holding for some animals", the letter noted. "The condition is pretty terrible, with rusting mesh, concrete floors etc". There were also a number of recommendations and concerns including: Adding salt water to the penguin and sea lion pool; Underwater viewing was in poor condition and should be either blocked off from guests or redone; The ringtail lemur and white ruffed lemur holding buildings were far too small; A husbandry/medical chute should be added to the giraffe's barn for proper maintenance of these animals; The spider monkey house and outdoor exhibit is "old, tired and difficult to manage, and should be prioritised for change/refurbishment"; The Andean bear house is "old and its design is difficult to manage a family group, and very dark." There have been a number of monkey escapes at Belfast Zoo. Last year when two lion-tailed macaques named Rose and Zoid got out for several days, while in 2013 six lion-tailed macaques escaped. Meanwhile, the education programme was recognised as having "huge potential". The letter comes as councillors are debating the future of the zoo, but the committee responsible has ruled out closing the facility. At a meeting on October 12, members were presented with a number of options, including simply maintaining the status quo, transforming the zoo in-house, transferring ownership to a council-owned company, a community asset transfer, a public/private partnership or a hybrid solution. Ulster Unionist councillor Chris McGimpsey expressed concerns, saying that he would prefer to see the exotic animals transferred away, and the zoo transformed to a conservation centre for climatic northern European animals. He said it could do important work conserving endangered local animals such as Irish hares, curlews and corncrakes. "In previous times zoos brought lions to the UK to allow people the opportunity to see them, but now with television and internet, people can see them in their natural habitat," he said. "The zoo could have an interactive screen or virtual reality for more exotic animals, rather than give elephants less than an acre, when in the wild they can roam for 1,000 sq km." A Belfast City Council spokeswoman said work was under way to address the issues raised. "The correspondence from EAZA relates to an accreditation and improvement process that Belfast Zoo is undergoing," she said. "The issues in the letter are raised by EAZA in advance of final accreditation and are to enable the zoo to respond to the issues within an agreed timescale - which we are doing. "The work under way at Belfast Zoo is to ensure the sustainability and continued improvement of the facility. "Regarding the specific issues raised - the zoo manager is currently being recruited and other issues are being addressed as appropriate." The spokeswoman added that the old zoo was not open to the public and had limited functionality in relation to animal quarantine and for animals pending moves to other locations. "At the time of the EAZA visit, the education animals were also in temporary accommodation while enclosure upgrades were taking place." Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) A number of cars had windows smashed in the Holyland area of south Belfast. It's thought five cars were damaged in an early morning attack on Rugby Avenue on Tuesday morning during Halloween celebrations. A fire extinguisher, left lying in one of the cars, was thought to have been used in the wrecking spree. Residents said they estimated the damage to be in the thousands. The owners of the cars damaged could not be contacted, but one resident said he believed that at least two of the vehicles belonged to student teachers. "Students will be suspected," said a resident who asked not to be named, "but you can't be certain. "We do have a problem with blow-ins - those not smart enough to get into university coming into the area to party and then wrecking the place." The resident, who has lived in the area for more than three decades, said Monday night was packed with revellers celebrating Halloween. The retired nurse said he knew to park his car away from the area suspecting there may be trouble, adding: "It's all about the drink, they can't even be bothered to put the effort into the dressing up. "They were running up and down the streets last night and there were house parties going on in nearly every house. We would have complained even if the cars were not smashed. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cars attacked in Rugby Avenue in The Holyland area in south Belfast. (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph) "People think it's twice a year - at Freshers and St Patrick's - it is really bad, but it's never-ending. Anti-social behaviour is rife until the universities close up or the students run out of money for heating and go home." More: Read More The resident added: "We were told that the council and the police had taken 14 to court over the trouble - in a year. "But sure you could book that number of people in one night here. "Until we have big fines, like around 500, for those littering or drinking in the streets then there will be no end to it." "The only option for us is to move but why should we?" The PSNI said in a statement: "It was reported that five cars parked on the street had windows broken sometime during the night. "Many people were out last night attending Halloween events and police are appealing for anyone who was in the area of Rugby Avenue and who witnessed the incident or anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact officers in Lisburn Road on 101 quoting reference number 617 of 01/11/16. "Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111." Mairtin O Muilleoir is in San Francisco and New York to encourage American firms to invest Northern Ireland's finance minister has urged the United States to "cement" the peace with jobs. Mairtin O Muilleoir is in San Francisco and New York to encourage American firms to invest in the region. As well as addressing business and Irish American audiences in California, the Sinn Fein MLA will meet public finance and government figures to highlight progress since the signing of last year's Fresh Start Agreement. Mr O Muilleoir said: "We enjoy a unique and strong relationship with the United States. "I will urge Irish America to initiate its own fresh start in transatlantic relations in order to cement the peace with jobs and investment. "Irish American support has been key to the success of the peace process but now is the perfect time to move our famed partnership up a gear. "With just 6.6 million people on the island of Ireland, but 40 million in the Irish and Scots-Irish diaspora in the US, the power of our global family remains our ace card." Last week First Minister Arlene Foster sparked controversy when she accused Irish government officials of poaching foreign investment and talking down the Northern Ireland economy. She made the claim at the DUP annual conference in Belfast on Saturday. Irish Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan expressed concern at the remarks and raised the issue with the Stormont's Economy Minister Simon Hamilton. Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos has said he is inspired by Northern Ireland's peace process as he works to end more than 50 years of conflict. He arrived in the UK yesterday, beginning the first state visit by a president of the Republic of Colombia. On Thursday, Mr Santos and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, will travel to Belfast, marking the first inward state visit to Northern Ireland by any head of state. Mr Santos, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year, wrote in The Times yesterday that Northern Ireland's achievement of peace inspires his vision for Colombia. "For two centuries, Colombia and the UK have shared common values and related experiences, but none is more pertinent to the current efforts being undertaken in Colombia, than the Northern Ireland peace process. "Its success is A constant reminder of what is possible," he said. He wrote of his efforts to end more than 50 years of conflict in Colombia with the Farc rebel group, including a peace agreement that was rejected by the people of Colombia in October. He said negotiators are now at work to find an agreement with Farc, after having taken in more than 500 proposals from all sections of Colombian society. He added that time was the biggest threat to a peace agreement in Colombia. "That's why on Thursday in Belfast, I want to say to the people of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom in general: we have learnt from your past, we admire your present and look forward to continue working with you in the future." On Thursday, the president is expected to meet with First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and will hold talks with the Secretary of State at Stormont House. The president will then attend a business and civic lunch at Titanic Belfast, hosted by Invest NI and in the afternoon he will visit Girdwood Community Hub in North Belfast. The president will meet community leaders during his Northern Ireland visit and will discuss the challenges of community reconciliation post-conflict. The couple visited the UK as guests of government in 2011 and stayed with the Queen in Buckingham Palace. Anne Morgan, third from left, whose brother Seamus Ruddy vanished 30 years ago, joined other relatives of the Disappeared (Photoline/PA) The brother of a man abducted, killed and secretly buried by republican paramilitaries has said his family cannot rest until he is found. Seamus Ruddy, who vanished in France in 1978, is among four Disappeared Troubles victims whose remains have still not been recovered. His brother Terry said: "We cannot rest until Seamus is brought home." Mr Ruddy is expected to join the families of the Disappeared for their annual wreath laying ceremony at Stormont in Belfast on Wednesday. "As each year passes it gets harder to bear the pain but we will never lose hope and we pray that we will be able to lay Seamus to rest with our mother and father and now (brother) Sean. "It is where he should be," he added. For the last decade, relatives of the Disappeared have staged the walk on All Souls Day to highlight the cases of those still to be found. They walk from Carson's Statue to the steps of Parliament Buildings where a black wreath, with attached white lilies representing those still missing, is laid. Of the 17 Disappeared victims, some 13 have been recovered by the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains (ICLVR) - a body set up by the British and Irish governments during the peace process. As well as Mr Ruddy, the remains of Columba McVeigh, cistercian monk Joe Lynskey and SAS-trained Captain Robert Nairac have not yet been located. Last June Kevin McKee and Seamus Wright were found in a shallow grave in Coghalstown Co Meath. An inquest into their deaths is due to be held in Dublin later this month. Meanwhile, the sisters of Brian McKinney who vanished in 1978 will also take part in the walk. His mother Margaret, now aged 84 and too frail to join the solemn procession, first raised the plight of the disappeared when she met US president Bill Clinton at the White House in 1998. A transcript of a telephone conversation between Clinton and the then prime minister Tony Blair released earlier this year revealed the former president had been so moved by her story that he pushed for the Disappeared to be key focus for the peace process. Mr McKinney's remains were found in Co Monaghan in 1999. Sandra Peake from the Wave Trauma Centre, which supports the families, said: "It's impossible to over estimate the impact on the families of having their mother or father, brother or uncle taken from them in this way. "If we have learned anything about dealing with the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland it is that time and mortality will not resolve it. "Mothers who put their sons' names on the family headstone literally passed on the responsibility of bringing him back to the next generation. "The families will continue to stand together until all the disappeared are brought home." Geoff Knupfer, who leads the ICLVR investigations, will also take part in the event. Anyone with information should contact the ICLVR's confidential telephone number on 00800 5558 5500 or write to them on ICLVR, PO BOX, 10827, Dublin 2. Leading judges have refused to overturn guilty verdicts in the first appeals brought in "joint enterprise" cases since a landmark Supreme Court ruling raised the possibility that hundreds of convictions could be unsafe. Three of the country's most senior judges gave their decision at London's Court of Appeal yesterday in test case challenges brought by several men convicted of group attack murders. The appeals followed a decision in February by the UK's highest court that the application of the law on joint enterprise, otherwise known as common enterprise, had taken "a wrong turn" and been misinterpreted for 30 years. Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, who heard the cases with Sir Brian Leveson, and Lady Justice Hallett, was greeted by cries of protest from supporters of the men in the public gallery as he gave decisions in the individual appeals. At the heart of the case is the "foresight principle" in joint enterprise cases. Used for years to tackle gang violence, defendants have been convicted if they could have foreseen a murder or violent act was likely to take place. But the Supreme Court said the rule was being misinterpreted and juries had to decide "on the whole evidence" if a person had the "necessary intent" to join in the commission of a crime. The judges threw out challenges brought by 13 individuals involved in six separate crimes. Lord Thomas said the cases were not connected "save for the need to consider, individually for each case, the impact on convictions - mainly, but not entirely, for murder" - of the Supreme Court decision on February 18. The first of the test cases heard by the appeal judges in June concerned the conviction of Asher Johnson, his brother Lewis, and Reece Garwood, all in their 20s, who were jailed for life for murdering Thomas Cudjoe on a garage forecourt near a pub in Ley Street, Ilford, east London, in November 2012. A fourth convicted man, Jerome Green, was seen in CCTV footage apparently stabbing Mr Cudjoe. Lawyers for the Johnson brothers and Garwood told the court there was no evidence of common enterprise between them and Green, and the CCTV did not show they had been involved in a planned attack. There was also no evidence they had given verbal encouragement to Green to carry out the killing. Announcing the decision in that case, Lord Thomas said that, "given the jury's findings of fact, their verdicts would have been no different" post the Supreme Court ruling. The Court of Appeal was "satisfied that there was no injustice, let alone substantial injustice". The second case heard by the judges challenged the safety of the convictions of Tyler Burton and Nicholas Terrelonge, who were found guilty of murdering young father Ashley Latty in a group attack after a birthday party in Dagenham, east London, in May 2014. Lord Thomas said a direction given to the jury based on the Supreme Court judgment "would not have made a difference to the jury's verdicts". The convictions "were and are safe". Last week in Belfast five men jailed for high-profile murders in Northern Ireland were refused permission to reopen their appeals against conviction. They included Nigel Brown, one of two men convicted of killing Thomas Devlin in 2005. Senior judges also rejected an attempt by a woman found guilty of the manslaughter of a wedding guest in Londonderry to have her case re-examined. All six have already mounted unsuccessful attempts to have their convictions quashed. MLAs Carla Lockhart and Gary Middleton and delegates, including recent UUP defector, Aaran Callan (far right) It was billed as a political event, but the DUP annual conference in the La Mon Hotel was more like an old-fashioned family wedding. There was singing and dancing, a huge feed, and everybody was dolled up for their big day out. The speeches from the party's top brass were more like an exchange of banter between reunited relatives than serious political discourse. And controversial subjects like equal marriage and abortion were left at the front door. Preparations had been made for how to deal with uninvited guests. The surprisingly heavy police presence outside, rumour had it, wasn't aimed at dissident republicans, but at gay rights activists who might try to gatecrash the event. Inside, it fell to Gregory Campbell to introduce the not-so blushing bride who didn't show any nerves as she walked up the aisle. "I want you all to stand to your feet today to greet the leader of the DUP, the first lady of Northern Ireland, the First Minister of Northern Ireland, the right honourable Arlene Foster MLA," he declared with pride. And Arlene didn't need any groom by her side, she can hold centre stage all by herself. The party had distributed mini-Union flags among delegates, and these were waved with gusto as she made her entrance. The DUP leader maintained the patriotic colour theme with a red jacket and navy blue wide-legged trousers. Though the red, white and blue handbag - bought by a friend for the conference - had been left in the car, she confessed. Arlene took to the podium to the strains of Sister Sledge's We Are Family. She stressed how she had once been the outsider, welcomed to the clan. "When I joined this party, the red carpet was rolled out for me," she said. "I want to guarantee those who are joining us, now and in the future, the same will be the case for you." She welcomed former North Antrim UUP Assembly candidate Andrew Wright - recruited to the DUP that very morning - and ex-UUP councillors Aaron Callan and Graham Craig, who had taken the plunge a few days earlier. Although not privileged with a front pew, Graham wasn't far back in the sixth row. His face lit up at Arlene's words. "I suppose I can clap myself," he said as he joined in the applause. "I've had a warmer welcome from the DUP today than I had in all my years in the UUP," he declared. In her speech, Arlene took no swipes at Sinn Fein - surely a first for a DUP conference - although there was a jibe that predictions of a united Ireland by 2016 had been as reliable as those of a UUP electoral revival. "This will come as a great disappointment to Anna Lo," she quipped. The conference was, first and foremost, about the feelgood factor. Just a year ago Northern Ireland was mired in a political crisis with the institutions on the brink of collapse. The UUP was measuring up the curtains for their new Stormont office, Arlene recalled. It was all very different today, she enthused. The DUP had enjoyed a spectacular election result, its opponents were divided, and the Union and devolved institutions were secure. She had her audience eating out of her hands. They whooped, whistled and cheered whenever they got the chance. The UUP may just have been slightly ahead on delegate numbers at their conference a week earlier but, in terms of enthusiasm and exuberance, the DUP crowd were in a league of their own. "Arlene is our leader, we shall not be moved!" was the first singalong. Later, they were back on stage, altering the Will Grigg chant to 'Arlene's on fire', with Mrs Foster joining them to jump about on stage. In the foyer, Upper Bann MLA Carla Lockhart spotted that Arlene and Diane Dodds were wearing the same jackets, though in different colours. Carla herself sparkled in a silver and black dress. "Style with substance here," she winked. Not to let the women hog the fashion stakes, newly recruited councillor Graham Craig - who seems set to be an independent spirit in the DUP - pointed to his mustard waistcoat and pink tie. "I'm Arlene's first openly gay councillor!" he joked to the media. Colleagues Christopher Stalford and Lee Reynolds didn't know what way to look. Delegates received air fresheners bearing the DUP logo, plus a calendar with scenes of Northern Ireland and a gospel quote for each month. Lunch was stuffed chicken, or salmon, with a hefty serving of potatoes and veg, followed by chocolate pavlova. The majority devoured it, but vegetarian Jim Wells understandably complained that he had been served pasta in cream sauce. "The same pasta that I got last year and the year before that," the South Down MLA sighed. A few tables away, police officers tucked into meat laden plates. They weren't left outside to make do with a sandwich in the cold. That's not how things work at DUP family gatherings. Calls have been made for a solicitor to be investigated over his role in IRA bombings and gun attacks during the Troubles. Dubliner Kieran Conway, who admitted in his autobiography - Southside Provisional - that he was an IRA member for more than 20 years, revealed last week that he took part in fatal gun attacks. He further claimed he was involved in carrying out "five or six" bombings. The lawyer made the admissions on the BBC's Hardtalk current affairs programme. Ulster Unionist Ross Hussey said investigations into legacy cases from the Troubles would be brought into "disrepute" if the the legal authorities did not attempt to question Mr Conway over his activities. The West Tyrone MLA said he had written to PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton to confirm whether Mr Conway had been approached or questioned by police. He said the lawyer should be "made accountable for his actions". He added: "Quite simply, if the judicial system in Northern Ireland does not attempt to question this man, then the very concept of legacy inquests and investigating the past is brought into disrepute. "How can anyone pursue former members of the British Army and RUC in relation to the events of 40-odd years ago if they are not prepared to question former terrorists based on admissions freely made? "As a member of the Policing Board, I have written to the Chief Constable to ask if attempts have been made to question this individual, and if necessary to seek his extradition. "It is surely a supreme irony that Kieran Conway's law firm styles itself as being a 'criminal law and human rights' practice. "Quite how someone can claim to be a human rights advocate and then admit to involvement in terrorist acts and to withholding information is beyond me. "It is high time Mr Conway was made accountable for his actions." During last week's interview he was probed about his role in the IRA. And when asked if he had killed anyone, he responded: "British soldiers did die when I was present and firing at them but I can't be sure it was my bullet which caught them." In his 2014 book he said he had a senior intelligence role in the IRA at the time of the 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, which claimed the lives of 21 people. Academics also found a higher risk of depression among poorer and younger mothers-to-be, as well as those who already have children One in six pregnant women in Ireland is at a probable risk of depression, researchers have found. In the first study of its kind, academics also found a higher risk of depression among poorer and younger mothers-to-be, as well as those who already have children. They warned that antenatal screening for depression is not routine in Ireland, despite increasing scientific evidence that the condition can lead to complications during labour as well as low birth weight. Depression in pregnant women is also suspected of having an impact on the baby's development and an increased risk of mental health problems in childhood and later life. Veronica O'Keane, a professor of psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin who headed the research, said women in Ireland should be screened for depression early in their antenatal care plan and should be encouraged to seek help. "Properly caring for the mental health of women during pregnancy protects the longer-term mental health of both mother and child," she said. "Antenatal depression, as we are seeing with this study, is common. "Rates of depression during pregnancy among women in Ireland are at least as high, and probably higher, than in other EU countries." The Well Before Birth study questioned 5,000 women at all stages of pregnancy attending six hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Mayo between January and September this year. It found depression rates in Ireland are "high" and may be higher than other western countries. Key findings include: :: 16% of women attending maternity services were at probable risk of depression. :: Risk of depression increased as pregnancy advanced; 12.9% of women are at risk in the first trimester, 13.8% in the second and 17.2% in the third. :: 22% of women under 18 were at risk of depression. Ms O'Keane added that hormonal changes that happen during pregnancy can contribute to the development of depression. "This is why it is so important that depression is screened for during pregnancy and that women are encouraged to look for support," she said. "If we don't do this as a systematic part of our antenatal care plan, we are putting women at risk, not only of suffering distress, but of being compromised before birth and so less able to cope with the additional stresses of caring for a baby." Gardai are not treating the deaths as suspicious and are not looking for anyone else An elderly couple have been found dead in their home. The bodies of the man and woman, both aged around 70, were discovered in their house in the Ashfield Park area of Naas, Co Kildare, at about 11.30am on Monday. Gardai said they were not treating the deaths as suspicious and they were not looking for anyone else. Post-mortem examinations are being carried out in a bid to determine the exact cause and time of death. It is understood one line of investigation is that both the man and woman died by suicide. The bodies were taken from the house to the mortuary at Naas General Hospital while the property remained sealed off for further examination. A Donald Trump triumph in the US presidential election would be a "disaster" for the environment, a climate scientist has warned. Joanna Haigh, professor of atmospheric physics at Imperial College London, said it is "terribly worrying" to think about what the consequences would be if Mr Trump were to become president. Her comments come just days ahead of the world's first comprehensive climate treaty coming into force. The Paris Agreement commits countries to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero to stop dangerous climate change. Prof Haigh told the Press Association: "Donald Trump actually refutes climate change as a human-induced temperature increase and has said he will withdraw from any internationally-agreed climate change, so if the US then says it's not going to participate, I can't imagine what will happen, because how will other countries, especially those that have more difficulty, developing countries, how will they manage to do it without the US? It's just terribly worrying." Speaking on whether it would be detrimental if Mr Trump were to attend key environment-related meetings or conferences as president, Prof Haigh said: "If it's him, or his administrators that go along with whatever he says, then yes it would be a disaster." She said it would be a disaster "for the world", adding: "That's not overstating it." Asked if she thinks he could be convinced to change his views on the issue, Prof Haigh said: "I doubt it. I think from what I've seen he's only got one thing that he cares about, which is his own career and his own persona and how he's perceived." Prof Haigh said she would hope UK leaders would not allow themselves to be influenced by Mr Trump if he was to become president. "Let's hope they'd have a bit more oomph to them, a bit more backbone. But of course they will have to go to meetings and talk to him. "They'll have to enter negotiations with him. I don't know. I'd hope it wouldn't water down their commitment and certainly the information that the British Government will be getting from us and from other people around - 'We still need to carry on and do this if we don't want a much warmer world'." Prof Haigh was speaking after a briefing on the state of the climate at the Science Media Centre in London. Belfast pollster Bill White examines whether the UK's decision to leave the European Union in a referendum early this year should have been such a shock. We're still getting the constant refrain from the media that the UK EU Referendum Brexit result was a surprise, it was a bolt-from-the-blue, and no-one saw it coming. Really? We even now have Mr Trump himself saying there's going to be a 'Brexit' in the US election ie he's going to win and it's going to be a big surprise. Why is this? - Were the polls that wrong in the EU Referendum? As a pollster we constantly track all the polls across the UK and the US and indeed usually put up updates on LucidTalk's social media accounts. So I decided to review what LucidTalk's Twitter and Facebook were reporting about the polls in the weeks before the EU Referendum on June 23rd. A table of all the UK-wide EU Referendum polls between Mid-May to Mid-June was published on our social media accounts on the 14th June i.e. 10 days before the actual referendum - see below. As you will see this table also shows whether the polls were carried out online or by phone. You will see in particular the accuracy of the online polls! At this stage, between 6 weeks to 2 weeks out from the referendum the online polls showed a 2% to 5% Leave lead - the final result was 52% Leave to 48% Remain i.e. a 4% point Leave lead. Even here in little old Norn Ireland LucidTalk's online polling predicted the final NI result to within 1% in the NI SUN newspaper on the Monday (20th June) of the referendum week. In fact, if you average all the online polling in the above table, across this 4 week period (mid May to mid June) it comes in at 51% Leave to 49% Remain - not a bad forecast in terms of the actual final result! Even leaving aside the undoubted better accuracy of the online polls, the average of all the polls (telephone and online) were showing a tight race with the forecast being within 53/47 to 47/53 either way. So basically taking into account the normal polling margin of error, the result was always going to be a toss-up, i.e. too close to call! So with the accuracy of all the polling, I asked myself why the result was such a surprise to a lot of people? - frankly including myself. I came to the conclusion that it was the way the media reported and spun the results. Expand Close Belfast pollster Bill White examines whether the UK's decision to leave the European Union in a referendum early this year should have been such a shock. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast pollster Bill White examines whether the UK's decision to leave the European Union in a referendum early this year should have been such a shock. The media had an undoubted pro Remain bias which ironically the post EU referendum polling showed had a sort of reverse effect, and contributed to the swing from Remain to Leave in the last months of the campaign. Likewise the Remain campaign was so poor, both here and in Great Britain that it also had this sort of reverse affect - As the Irish Times Pat Leahy put it 'Every time the Remain campaign said we have a panel of experts, another Leave voter was born'! The key thing with polls is to view them in the round, taking into account all the other evidence and factors that are available at the time. Merge the poll findings in with your own experience, read the poll reviews and commentaries, ask other people about the poll results - what do they think?, and do the poll results feel right to you? Above all read the actual poll results, and not just what the media headlines say about the poll results. Look at what the table above says (published by LucidTalk 10 days before the referendum) and ask yourself 'Why the surprise'? *Bill White is Managing Director of Belfast polling and market research company LucidTalk. You can follow LucidTalk on Twitter: @LucidTalk. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a LGBT rainbow Pride flag given to him by supporter Max Nowak during a campaign rally at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of University of Northern Colorado October 30, 2016 in Greeley, Colorado. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a LGBT rainbow Pride flag given to him by supporter Max Nowak during a campaign rally at the Bank of Colorado Arena on the campus of University of Northern Colorado October 30, 2016 in Greeley, Colorado. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Donald Trumps odds of winning the US Presidential election have halved - but he still remains a long shot to walk into the Oval Office. The revelation that the FBI has reopened its investigation into his Democratic opponent Hilary Clintons use of a private e-mail server while Secretary of State is the latest scandal to impact upon the race. While Trump had been trading at around 5-1 when I analysed the betting markets last Wednesday, his price fell to as low as 2-1 over the weekend. At the time of writing several bookies went going 9-4 on a Trump victory although it wasnt hard to find the reality TV star and businessman at 11-4. That latter price implies that he has a 26.7 per cent chance of winning, compared to 16.7 per cent implied by his pervious odds of 5-1. It's a considerable move in his favour. By contrast FiveThrityEight, which uses polling and other data to produce its forecasts, rates his chance at 21 per cent using a polls only model and 23 per cent using polls plus historical and economic data. So while there appears to be little value in backing Trump at 11-4, Clinton at 1-3 looks under priced. Part of the betting move has been fuelled by a string of polls that suggest the race is tightening. The BBCs latest polls of polls, which uses the median average of the five most recent national US polls, has Clinton at 49 per cent and Trump at 46 per cent. The Washington Post-ABC tracking poll has Clinton at 46 per cent and Trump at 45 per cent, including third party candidates. FiveThirtyEight's Nat Silver, however, notes that Trump had been enjoying a surge in support before Fridays news about Clintons e-mail server, which might have had less of an impact than some commentators suggested, perhaps because it is already on Clintons rap sheet. It is therefore open to debate whether Fridays news, by itself, will have changed many peoples views about her. Read more Read More If the prospect of Trump in the White House makes you shudder, the fact that betting patterns on the US election so closely mirror the betting patterns seen ahead of the UKs EU referendum, with smaller punters who backed Brexit backing Trump while big money punters who backed remain backing Clinton, is worrying enough. The latest Trump surge will have exacerbated those worries. Alex Donohue at Ladbrokes said of the latest betting: There has actually been a small move back to Hillary this morning (1/3 from 4/11) which is due to some of the larger staking players backing her whenever her price hits a certain point - clearly they are many who believe they can extract some value from the way the prices have been manipulated by the masses of smaller-staking Trump voters. Certainly some of the high-rolling Hillary backers believe anything related to emails is pretty much priced in anyway, so she looks a very attractive bet at 1/3 compared to far shorter odds offered last week. By contrast, Graham Sharpe at William Hill, said: Weve seen virtually nothing of any significance for Hillary. Trump has come down and is making the running. Were interested to see where the next move goes. Part of the reason Clinton is starting to look like value at 1-3 is that it is the US electoral college that elects the President and not the popular vote. The college favours Clinton. Expand Close Hillary Clinton speaks with senior aide Huma Abedin on her campaign plane at Westchester County Airport in White Plains (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hillary Clinton speaks with senior aide Huma Abedin on her campaign plane at Westchester County Airport in White Plains (AP) Indications from early voting in both North Carolina and Nevada suggest that these two battleground states have been trending in her direction. The Trump surge would need to continue, and strongly, if he were to overcome her cushion in those states. Read more Read More Alternatively he needs to take some of the other in play states that have looked like they are in Clintons column, such as Wisconsin and Michigan, assuming (as looks likely and as I have tipped) he takes Ohio and also Iowa (and Arizona). Expand Close Anthony Weiner, pictured with his wife and Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner split from his wife in April AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Anthony Weiner, pictured with his wife and Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner split from his wife in April Wisconsin, however, also has early voting (not all states do). New Hampshire is also in play as is the second district of Maine (it assigns its college votes based on the results in each of three districts). Sporting Indexs spread on Clintons performance in the college has fallen to 303-315, down from 325-335. That still represents a comfortable win for Clinton. Using FiveThirtyEights polls plus forecasts, which are more favourable to Trump, and assuming they are correct for each state, Clinton should win 319 votes. Which makes the spread worth a modest buy at 315. I'm assuming with that recommendation that Clinton takes the mid western states she is expected to (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois), Florida, North Carolina, Maine and New Hampshire, while losing Iowa, Ohio, and Arizona. Why would I remain a Clinton backer? The Brexit effect cant be ignored, Trump rage filled supporters have much in common with Brexit backers, but none of the motley crew of Brexiteers that led the two Leave campaigns had the same level of scandal attached to them as does Trump and Id be willing to bet that the next rumpus to emerge out of a campaign with more twists than a John Grisham legal thriller, impacts on him. Officers from an anti-terrorist unit arrest a school counselor at his home in Kedah state, Malaysia, Sept. 28, 2016. Image altered by police. A lawyer defending a Malaysian school counselor who has been charged over alleged links to the extremist group Islamic State (IS) says his client is innocent. The 30-year-old counselor who works at a middle school in Kedah state was arrested during raids by Malaysian police in six states that netted 16 suspects with alleged ties to terrorism in late September and early October. Fourteen of the 16 belonged to a new group known as Black Crows (Gagak Hitam), which is led by Muhammad Wanndy Mohamad Jedi, an IS fighter based in Syria, police said. The school counselor headed the Gagak Hitam network inside Malaysia and sent money to Wanndy in Syria on at least three occasions, according to a source close to the investigation. Wanndy is suspected of having orchestrated an IS-claimed grenade attack that injured eight patrons at a Kuala Lumpur area nightclub in June. The counselor was arrested Sept. 28 under the Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act of 2012, and remains in custody. On Oct. 25, he was charged at the Magistrates court in Kulim, Kedah for soliciting support for a terrorist organization and possessing an item related to a terrorist group, attorney Fadhly Yaacob said. The charge sheet did not specify what the item in question was. I will defend my client and do my part as his lawyer. To me, he is not guilty as per charged, Fadhly told BenarNews, adding his client pleaded not guilty. The arrest shocked the family of the man who was popular among pupils and colleagues at the school in Kulim, the lawyer said. His arrest has affected his family emotionally. They do not believe that he is involved in [this] activity, Fadhly said, describing his client as a pious Muslim and man of good character. He declined to grant a BenarNews request to interview the counselors relatives, citing attorney-client privilege. Suspect funded IS activities: source According to the source close to the investigation, the counsellors first interaction with Wanndy dated to January 2015, when Wanndy shared news about happenings in Syria. He only started to pay infaq in March three times to Wanndy and several others through a middle man here, the source told BenarNews on condition of anonymity, referring to an Arabic word for a voluntary payment meant to please God. It is believed that the money was sent to finance IS activities, the source said. So far, investigations have shown that his role was only to fund IS. There is no indication that he had recruited anyone or a school student to join IS, added the source, who declined to reveal how much money was sent abroad. The counselor had closely followed Facebook accounts belonging to several Malaysian fighters in Syria, and he had pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the source said. Everyone is exposed Meanwhile, according to the chairman of a state education committee in Kedah, the counselor had a clean service record. We feel very sad with the arrest, which is also the first in Kedah, as the state Education Department had issued a clear instruction before this for teachers to stay away from any activity which relates to IS, Tajul Urus Mat Zain told BenarNews. However, we also have to admit that it is almost impossible for the schools authority to monitor what the teachers are doing outside their working hours. We suspect that the teacher had sympathized with extremist ideology through his contact with militant members via the Internet, he added. For many months, Malaysian authorities have warned of a threat of IS recruiting young citizens via social media and campuses, and have said that IS veterans returning from combat stints in the Middle East could plot terror attacks on home soil. According to the U.S. State Department, about 1,000 people from Malaysia and elsewhere in Southeast Asia had joined IS in Syria and Iraq by the end of last year. Since 2013, Malaysian authorities have arrested at least 250 suspected IS members and have charged at least 75 suspects linked to the group in court. Everyone is exposed because IS has very strong propaganda and is penetrating the media to their advantage, Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, the chief of the Malaysian polices counter-terrorist special branch, told BenarNews. ein Google-Unternehmen Google-Dienste anzubieten und zu betreiben Ausfalle zu prufen und Manahmen gegen Spam, Betrug und Missbrauch zu ergreifen Daten zu Zielgruppeninteraktionen und Websitestatistiken zu erheben. Mit den gewonnenen Informationen mochten wir verstehen, wie unsere Dienste verwendet werden, und die Qualitat dieser Dienste verbessern. neue Dienste zu entwickeln und zu verbessern Werbung auszuliefern und ihre Wirkung zu messen personalisierte Inhalte anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen personalisierte Werbung anzuzeigen, abhangig von Ihren Einstellungen Wenn Sie Alle ablehnen auswahlen, verwenden wir Cookies nicht fur diese zusatzlichen Zwecke. 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Some itemsincluding downloadable files or imagescannot be translated at all. No liability is assumed by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for any errors or omissions. Any user who relies on translated content does so at his/her own risk. The bombed house in Fadhiliya. ISIS terrorists had holed themselves up near the familys home when bombs dropped on the house. It was completely destroyed. Von: By P. RONZHEIMER, J. ROPCKE and G. MOUTAFIS (Fotos) Fadhiliya A tragic event took place in the village of Fadhiliya that is proving that driving out ISIS terrorists from Northern Iraq will be at the expense of human lives. Did the US Air Force cause a fatal strike? On October 22, coalition warplanes were conducting at least four airstrikes against five ISIS tactical units, 12 staging areas, six mortar positions, one rocket position and one heavy machine-gun position, according to information provided by the US-led coalition against ISIS. Apparently, these attacks were perpetrated only by US military jets. Bapira (6) shows us a picture of her dead cousin with grief written all over her face. On October 22, he and seven other members of the Yousif family died during an airstrike on Fadhiliya, a village less than ten miles from Mosul with a total population of 5000. The coalition did not report where exactly these attacks occured, and whether the village BILD visited was one of the targets. However, US military confirmed to BILD that the events in Fadhiliya are currently being reviewed: We know about the allegations and we are reviewing whether they are credible, said a US military spokesman. Lesen Sie auch Colonel John L. Dorrian, the spokesman for the anti-ISIS international coalition said to BILD: We do not attack civilians. Before attacking ISIS, we had only been using precision weapons, utilizing special procedures and confirming targets, he said. Dorrian: But these procedures are not perfect." Like many village residents, the Yousif family were farmers. They didnt have anything to do with ISIS, according to relatives. However, ISIS terrorists got more and more violent with the war growing increasingly closer to Fadhiliya. One resident said, ISIS was defending itself from our village. They were shooting rockets towards Peshmerga, hiding in tunnels and using us as human shields. The Iraqi army made advances on ISIS stronghold of Mosul, taking Bazwaya, the last village before the citys outskirts. Next step is to retake the outer suburban neighborhood of Gogjali. ISIS terrorists are defending themselves with booby traps, suicide bombers and snipers. Observers estimate that the battle could take several months. *translated into English by Claudia Haj Ali First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain. Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that. And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details. If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices It can be tough to be a vegetarian. You have to work harder than everyone else to make sure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. So, when its time to take a Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province and elsewhere in Saudi Arabia MAPUTO, Mozambique - The impact of the most severe drought to hit southern Africa in 35 years is expected to worsen in the coming months, a UN climate envoy warned on Friday. Image by 123RF "The crisis has yet to peak," Macharia Kamau, special envoy on El Nino and climate, said at the end of a four-day trip to Mozambique. The devastation, which has affected some 18 million people across the southern African region, will be at its worst around January next year, he said. Mozambique, with 1.5 million people reeling from the drought, is one of the worst-hit countries, along with Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho and southern Madagascar. "For many children, women and the elderly, the next few months will be about looking at survival straight in the face," Kamau told reporters in Maputo after visiting water-starved districts a few hours' drive from the capital. "Frankly, what I saw there saddened and shocked me. We saw stretches of land, bone dry and desolate," he said. Some parts in Mozambique have not seen rains for three years, according to the country's natural disaster management agency. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August launched an emergency aid appeal for $2.9 billion (2.7 billion euros). For Mozambique, $200 million is required "immediately" but only 57% of that has been secured, said Kamau. Drought in the region has been blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon which occurs every two to seven years, affecting rainfall patterns by causing both drought and flooding. Source: AFP. Six members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will announce 38 "pragmatic measures" to boost cooperation in areas like transport and infrastructure, senior diplomats said on Monday. The agreements are one highlight of an eight-day trip in which Premier Li Keqiang will visit Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and Russia. The measures are expected to be signed during Li's first stop, in Kyrgyzstan, Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai told a news conference. Li Keqiang is to attend the 15th meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of Government on Wednesday and Thursday in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, according to Li Huilai. Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said these measures will help promote collaboration within the SCO and enhance China's economic and security cooperation in a key region for the Belt and Road Initiative. The SCO, originally built around security issues, provides a way for China to cooperate with Russia and five Central Asian neighbors in areas like fighting terrorism, especially after the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan was attacked in August. The region's nations also show a strong inclination to link their national strategies with China's Belt and Road Initiative, Li Huilai added. The premier is then expected to attend the 5th Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Riga, capital of Latvia. The premier is expected to sign agreements with Latvia to link the Belt and Road Initiative with Latvia's strategic development and boost cooperation in trade, education and people-to-people exchanges, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing said. After that, Li Keqiang will fly to St Petersburg to join Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for the 21st Regular Meeting between Chinese and Russian Prime Ministers. Agreements will be signed between the two countries to expand achievements in strategic areas such as energy, high-speed railways and civil aviation development. Central and Eastern Europe is a key linkage region for the Belt and Road Initiative and an essential part of China-EU ties, said Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies. China can promote cooperation in energy, connectivity and infrastructure with these countries, he said. "China's cooperation with SCO and CEE countries have produced fruitful results and both sides should take Li's visit as a new chance to help reinforce partnerships that boost global peace and economic recovery," Ruan said. KIGALI, Rwanda - Africa needs an integrated approach to implement its development agenda. The year 2016 marks a double transition period, from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Agenda 2030, and at the continental level, from the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to Agenda 2063. Image by 123RF This is one of the recommendations of the MDGs to Agenda 2063/SDGs transition report launched this week in Kigali, Rwanda by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programmes Regional Bureau for Africa. Africa as a whole has achieved good progress in five out of eight MDGs, especially in improving net primary enrolment, enhancing gender equality, empowering women, reducing child mortality, combating the spread of HIV and AIDS and ensuring environmental sustainability. However, the report argues several challenges remain, particularly regarding economic and social inequalities and the incidence of extreme poverty: 42.8% of the African population are still living in poverty. The partial fulfillment of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) commitments by development partners is also an area of concern. Reflecting on the recent trends on the MDGs, Paul Mpuga, ECA economic affairs officer called on African countries to accelerate efforts to diversify their economies and add value to their primary commodities so as to expand decent employment opportunities for their population. To ensure effective implementation of the new global and continental agendas, the report stresses the need for countries to incorporate these agendas into national frameworks. In this regard, the report highlights the example of Rwanda which has made strong progress and managed to integrate the SDGs into the elaboration framework of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 3 and the Post-2020 Vision. Charne Le Roux, partner with Adams & Adams Cape Town, spoke at the first Global Advertising Lawyers' Alliance (GALA) event to be held on the continent about the South African Advertising Standards Authority's decline and the promise of its resurrection as an ombudsman. While much of the afternoons presentations were funny as we laughed at the silly mistakes marketers make, it was also sobering to realise just how easy it is to get things wrong, and also how frequently this happens. In the final presentation of the event, Le Roux spoke of the future of advertising regulation in SA. She explained that the Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) is an independent non-profit company that has self-regulated local advertising since 1969, guided by the Code of Advertising Practice. The local ads police, if you will. Limited reach of the ads police While ASA membership covers many marketing and communication bodies like the Association for Communication and Advertising (ACA), Cinemark, the Cosmetic Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa, the Direct Marketing Association of South Africa, the Health Products Association of Southern Africa, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa, the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use, the Marketing Association of South Africa, the National Association of Broadcasters of South Africa, the Printing Industries Federation of South Africa the Pet Food Industry Association of Southern Africa and the Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa, membership has declined over past year. Some say its a dead duck, but Le Roux feels it is merely lame at the moment. Heres why Le Roux said the ASAs principles stand for advertising being legal, decent, honest and truthful, with a responsibility to the consumer and promoting fair competition in business. As a result its role should be that of guard dog of reputation and confidence in advertising, to the industry and public alike. Its sanctions are diverse, ranging from the withdrawal of an advertisement to submitting a proposed amendment to the ACA for pre-publication advice, submitting all future advertising to the ACA for pre-clearing, publication of defaulters name, publishing a summarised version of the ruling, disciplinary hearings, or an Ad Alert notice being sent out telling parties to refuse all ads from the offender, which can be devastating. For example, view the below video interview from SABC News two years ago, of the ASA forcing Sanral to take down adverts deemed as "misleading and deceptive to the public", by giving inaccurate e-tag figures: But Le Roux says the guard dogs claws have been sheathed and its bark muted somewhat when it comes to jurisdiction, especially based on the law of contract. The Code applies to the advertiser, advertising practitioner and media owner alike, with Section 55 of the Electronics Communications Act stating that all broadcast service licensees must adhere to the ASA Code. Unfortunately this has since been ring-fenced by the High Court cases against the ASA by Herbex in May 2016 and the Medical Nutrition Institute in September 2015. Both were based on the allegation that the statements advertised were untruthful or couldnt be substantiated. The ASA was ordered to repay appeal fees to Herbex, making all past rulings against Herbex null and void. Now, only members of the ASA are bound by its rulings, making it understandably less attractive for membership as well as dimming its power as an adjudicator of ad disputes. Thats because non-members are not obligated to participate in ASA proceedings, with the ASA ordered to notify respondents in complaints that theyre not bound by rulings and that theyre not obligated to participate if theyre not members. New life as an ombud? Luckily, all is not lost as the Consumer Protection Act allows for ombudsman schemes. Le Roux says this has thrown the ASA a lifeline to potentially rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Through the scheme the ASA can now apply for accreditation, with their proposed Industry Code and request for accreditation published in July 2016. The public can also comment on the ASAs process of applying for accreditation, then recommendations will be made to the Department of Trade and Industry. If accredited, the ASA will be recognised by statute as an authority of advertising. The definition for participants in the industry code will thus include all marketing and advertising agencies, as well as media owners and buyers in the industry, including retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers. These will have to register with the ASA, fund it and be bound by its ruling in complying with industry code. That said, not all provisions or clauses of the ASA will be brought into the industry code, like those for intellectual property and imitation. The sanctions will also not be as severe as before, only extending to the ads in question being withdrawn or amended with the decision to do so published. If the sanctions are not complied with, the matters will be referred to the Competition Commission, indicating a procedural difference in the way competitor and consumer complaints will be resolved. In summary, Le Roux says the ASA is well aligned to act as an ombudsman as it has years of experience in the field and functions well as an organisation. Consumers need to be protected but the ASAs reach is currently curtailed. If accredited, it will no longer be considered a dead duck, rather a lame one. Watch this space for further updates. Click here for a reminder of what three of GALA's global legal lawyers had to say about other advertising pitfalls to avoid, here for an overview of Adams & Adams Pretoria partner Dr Danie Strachans presentation on navigating the pitfalls of promotional competitions in South Africa and here for a gallery of the afternoon. If thats not enough, follow Adams & Adams on Twitter. How do you know the product you're eating contains what the label says it does? Picture:> MISLEADING: A reader paid extra for rolls to avoid gluten for health reasons, only for it to be found that they did contain gluten.Picture: TimesLIVE.co.za The reality is you can't know for sure, not unless you have the food tested in an accredited laboratory, and few of us have the money, time or inclination to do that. So we trust. And every now and then we have reason to wonder how often that trust is abused, most spectacularly a few years ago when a disturbing percentage of processed meat products bought in butcheries across the country were found by Stellenbosch University food scientists to be mislabelled, one of them containing donkey meat. If you have concerns about a product's label claims, you can ask the non-profit group, Topic (Testing of Products Initiated by Consumers), to have it tested. The group reported that Futurelife Crunch Smart Food cereal's "non-GMO" label claim had been confirmed by independent laboratory tests. About a year ago, Topic investigated the "sugar-free" and "gluten-free" claims of Freedom Bakery in Bergvliet, Cape Town. By the time their lab tests were done, bakery owner Natasha Mandiringa had removed the claims from her product labels after customer queries, but was still verbally claiming her products were free from sugar and gluten to those who asked, and continues to do so. Topic sent a chickpea and banana loaf for gluten testing and a lemon meringue tart for sugar testing at separate laboratories. The tart was found to comprise 33,7% sucrose; a product may only be labelled sugar-free if it contains no more than 0,5% sugar. Topic found that the coconut nectar that was used, while natural and not an added sugar, caused the sucrose result and thus the product could not be called "sugar-free". The chickpea and banana loaf was 800 times more than the 20mg/kg limit acceptable for a product to be labelled "gluten-free", despite the declared main ingredients - chickpea flour and coconut flour - both being naturally gluten-free products and Mandiringa having produced lab tests from the chickpea flour supplier showing undetectable amounts of gluten. "It seems that ingredients which on the face of it should be gluten-free, seem to contain large amounts of gluten," said Topic's Peter Becker. "This highlights a challenge for small-scale food product manufacturers, for whom the costs of regular laboratory testing are prohibitive." This month a Cape Town consumer told In Your Corner the sweet potato loaf and coconut rolls she bought from Freedom Bakery looked and smelled like "normal wheat products" and she was concerned as she avoids gluten products for health reasons. "I paid R45 for six rolls and R45 for the loaf of bread, and the wraps cost R60. So those rolls cost more than R7 each, compared with R1,75 for a white wheat roll from a nearby supermarket's bakery. "No one can make rolls look like that using bicarb, coconut flour, coconut milk and salt." I asked the complainant to buy fresh bread products from Freedom Bakery and arranged to have them tested by the Food and Allergy and Consulting Services laboratory in Stellenbosch, the first in South Africa to be able to detect and quantify traces of contaminant allergens in food products. The lab tested the bakery's coconut rolls and quinoa and millet rolls for gluten and wheat four times and reported: "The samples tested positive for the presence of wheat. It may be concluded that they contain levels of gluten consistent with what is expected to be found in wheat flour-based rolls." This month, Mandiringa posted this reply on her bakery's Facebook page in response to a comment: "We don't mill our own flours . we buy ready-milled flours, and also our products are not tested. We bake in faith of our dry ingredients that we source from different companies." Asked to respond to the lab results, Mandiringa didn't comment on the wheat finding, claiming she was the victim of "a malicious and vicious attack". "I can try to defend myself all over again as I did last year but I just don't have the energy or resources to do so," she said. She invited me to spend a day baking the products with her. "I use particular fermentation techniques, I don't simply substitute a wheat flour for a gluten-free flour, but mix and allow to stand. This creates the texture that is baffling my attackers." The fact is that both those rolls have been scientifically proven to contain wheat, and thus gluten, contrary to what was stated on the label. That's food fraud. And it has serious ethical and health implications. The Wits School of Journalism is hosting the 2016 African Investigative Journalism Conference (previously the Wits Journalism Power Reporting Conference) on 7-9 November 2016. It will help journalists gain the much-needed tools to do their job efficiently, without fear or favour. It is designed to provide working journalists of all experience levels with practical, useful tools to use in their day-to-day duties. The conference will deal with issues such as practical safety in dangerous situations, helpful tools to follow the money and weaving your way through social media to link the dots, and share experiences with highly experienced journalists from all over the world on how to run investigations from scratch to publishing. Learn how to bulletproof your story legally, by South African media law specialist, Dario Milo Tips from Cheryl W Thompson from The Washington Post on the ABCs of a hard-hitting investigation Crash course on how to follow the money from John Christensen of the Tax Justice Network and journalist George Turner of Finance Uncovered on uncovering illicit finance Practical workshop on how to protect yourself when covering demonstrations, riots and public unrest by security specialist Jorge Luis Sierra The Wits African Investigative Journalism Conference has been running as the Power Reporting Conference successfully for twelve years, delivering practical investigative skills to South African and African journalists to assist them in doing their duties more efficiently. This year, as the role of investigative journalists in this country is growing in importance, it will continue to serve as a base to pick up, or touch up on your skills. The conference is open to journalists of all seniority and skills levels, and, as every story is an investigation, will benefit journalists in tackling any beat not just hard-core investigations. The conference will culminate in the annual Carlos Cardoso Memorial Lecture, focusing on media freedom, where Burundian radio journalist, Bob Rugurika, will deliver his message, If we give up, this world will deteriorate. For more information, click here or email az.oc.msilanruoj@cjia. Times Media Group (TMG) CEO Andrew Bonamour has poured cold water on reports that the media group had emerged as the frontrunner to buy fellow media company Primedia, which was bought out and delisted by a private equity group almost a decade ago. Fotolia "There is really nothing to comment about," he said in response to an article in the business section of the Star newspaper Business Report, which quoted unnamed sources suggesting a buyout was imminent. Primedia, whose main assets include major radio stations 94.7 Highveld and 94.5 KFM, was delisted from the JSE in 2007 by a private equity consortium that included Brait and the Mineworkers Investment Fund. Rumours that the company would be relisted on the JSE or sold to a trade buyer have been rife for years now, particularly since private equity investors typically seek an exit after anything between five and seven years. According to a media analyst, the sale, or relisting, of Primedia may be complicated by increasing competition in the radio market and by the poor state of the advertising market. It emerged weeks ago that TMG had been designated the lead bidder for Primedia. But it appears the discussions had not progressed to the extent that the parties considered it necessary to inform the market. Bonamour's comment suggests it is now doubtful a full-scale buyout will be consummated. Source: Business Day Rhodes Food Group is acquiring Pietermaritzburg-based pie maker Ma Baker for R212m, it announced on Monday morning. The acquisition of Ma Baker comes four weeks after its R200m purchase of Durban-based instant food producer Pakco. Rhodes Food is already major player in the pie market, owning the Magpie and Saint Pie brands, and also supplying the pies sold by Woolworths and Corner Bakery. "Ma Baker was founded in 1987 in Pietermaritzburg. It has grown rapidly since inception and today operates manufacturing plants in Pinetown and Pietermaritzburg," Rhodes Foods said in the statement. "Its products are sold and distributed nationally to major retailers, independents and convenience stores through its distribution centres in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Its well-established Ma Baker brand is market leader in KwaZulu-Natal." Besides helping it grow its share of the pie market, the group said acquiring Ma Baker complemented its pastry division, including Alibaba Foods and General Mills, which it acquired over the past year. The deal is subject to satisfactory due diligence and competition authority approval. Observers of the South African retail industry are not convinced that Stuttafords can survive business rescue as planned. Is the department store dying? Shoppers at a Stuttafords store in Johannesburg.Picture: Russel Roberts The grand old dame of retailers has announced it has voluntarily submitted itself to business rescue. It will present details of this in February 2017, following festive season trading. "I think by the end of next year, it will be extinct," Kaeleen Brown, a retail analyst at SBG Securities said on Monday. Stuttafords has about 13 international brands including Ted Baker, Gap, French Connection and Banana Republic under its banner. It trades from eight department stores and 15 monobrand stores. But the retailer has failed to maintain momentum among aspirational South African shoppers. CEO Robert Amoils said on Monday that from February, the group had seen a dramatic fall in turnover and margins. Competitors had been promoting and discounting products and Stuttafords was obliged to follow suit. "We saw dramatic declines in customer demand, whether it was in the form of customers buying less or less often and when they did buy, they bought down in terms of lower-priced products," he said. Brown said if the business were to survive, offering further credit might be a big driver of sales. The group had always offered credit. Most recently, this accounted for about 18% of turnover. Howard Audio gets people talking with our latest TV commercial score for MTN Africa. Metropolitan Republic briefed us to compose a cinematic piece to echo the visuals - a story of "always being together" when you use MTN. Director Matthys Boschoff worked closely with Adam Howard to get the tone just right. "We had to illustrate, in music, the dichotomy of separation and connectedness," Adam Howard says The music had to echo the positivity of always together juxtaposed with a sense of missing each other - I think we got the balance right." Watch the ad below... Howard Audio has had the privilege of scoring many MTN commercials over the past 10 years: here are some of our favourites: Last week, Yellowwood launched its white paper on 'Social innovation as a platform for business and brands to grow and thrive into the future'. The whitepaper defines the concept as 'A sustainable and profitable way of solving existing systemic challenges or needs in ways that benefit the public or society, regardless of their social class.' Gearing business to address systemic social challenges While businesses retreat and regroup in an attempt to survive in a tough economic climate, one thing is clear: it is no longer business as usual. Consumer behaviour has changed and businesses need to adjust their approach if they want to thrive in the long term. Increasingly, it is evident that the lines between social and economic flux - and the resultant challenges - are blurred. For savvy marketers, these blurred lines represent an opportunity to partner with government and citizens in order to find sustainable solutions. Yellowwood Social Innovation Value Cycle Having explored the concept of social innovation and what it means for local businesses and consumers, Yellowwood has put intellectual and marketing expertise behind unpacking key themes within the social innovation space - as well as ways in which local marketers can incorporate the concept into their strategies and campaigns. In order to leverage the opportunities within social innovation, marketers need to examine their current approach and gain a new perspective. So how can brands tackling a slowing economy succeed in a complex marketplace? 1. Culturally-led solutions Understanding culture can help marketers anticipate where consumer behaviour may be changing: cultural insights highlight shifts in values, attitudes and behaviours that influence the creation of new opportunities for businesses to initiate fresh conversations that will solve pressing systemic needs. This will help brands prepare and be ready to respond proactively. In addition, social innovation has not only adapted to the need for cultural understanding - it has also started challenging established ideas of business, innovation and social good. It is an empty space that can transform the way marketers do business and interact with society. 2. Moving beyond GDP to measuring social progress GDP is the benchmark that economies and business chase every year, because it has shaped and defined how a countrys success is measured. However, GDP ignores the environment, not taking into account factors like community, happiness and how people in each country experience life. Michael Green, executive director of the Social Progress Index, argues that only looking at a countrys GDP as a benchmark of success in a global economy is a harmful approach. He offers up an interesting alternative - the Social Progress Index, which does not measure the effort or intention of a country or economy, but rather measures real achievement. For example, the Social Progress Index does not measure the amount of money a country puts into healthcare, but rather the length and quality of the lives of the people in that country. It does not measure whether governments pass laws against discrimination but rather whether people who live in that country experience discrimination. The key is always the real, human experience. The fixation on GDP also reveals how business leaders have actually missed the point when it comes to purpose. Too often, we see that businesses treat purpose as a way to simply re-state and affirm their corporate vision, as opposed to making a fundamental change in their operating models. As author and Harvard professor, Michael Porter has argued, Shared value could reshape capitalism and its relationship to society. This is what businesses and marketers need to take into account, particularly when looking to implement truly customer-centric initiatives. The Social Progress Index offers a good starting point for marketers to search for areas that need intervention and to identify where their brands can provide solutions - and create shared value. 3. From the ground up: boosting the African start-up sector One of the strong themes that emerged from Yellowwoods findings was the innovation required within entrepreneurship. Sadly, the many hurdles that African entrepreneurs have to overcome often dampen great aspirations. In South Africa, the governments National Development Plan makes quite clear the great need to develop and nurture entrepreneurial activities on the continent. As the interviews revealed, businesses and marketers can play their part by harnessing social innovation to break down the existing barriers and boost African entrepreneurship. Kofi Amegashi, executive director at the African Leadership Institute explains, for example, that in big multinational companies, You walk in as a new employee and everything works. You have a salary and they automatically deduct your PAYE, pension funds, medical aid, UIF, etc. You just fill out a form and everything is sorted. Now when it comes to drawing up an employment contract for a smaller start-up, sourcing all of these basics can be very challenging. Currently, these benefits are created to cater to the needs of larger businesses, and their structures are framed and created to be feasible in larger multinationals. In his view, entrepreneurs need intervention in the form of an organisation that considers all of the gritty challenges facing start-ups. Today, we talk entrepreneurship but we are not practically enabling entrepreneurs to succeed. 4. Creating white spaces for brands Brands need to become positive deviants in their unique spheres of influence. Positive deviance refers to a behavioural and social change approach, based on the belief that, in any context, individuals confronting challenges, constraints and resource deprivations, will employ uncommon but successful behaviours or strategies to enable them to find better solutions. Critically, these individuals identify solutions where others do not. As a result, they are the key to spreading and sustaining required change. Yellowwood supports the notion of creating white spaces for brands. Disruption is far more than a noun, a book or a process. It is a way of thinking and acting and a way to look at clients business and find new opportunities for them. In addition, it is a way of defining how brands should behave and how agencies should do business every day. Guidelines for developing targeted social innovation strategies Looking ahead, the opportunity lies in becoming a brand that is a champion and stands firmly against consumer frustrations during difficult times. With this in mind, the Yellowwood whitepaper provides guidelines to marketers to start developing targeted social innovation strategies. Place social innovation at the core of business strategy - it cannot be treated as a separate CSI project or tick-box affair Consider the bigger picture and avoid working in silos - environments are interconnected Always keep the African entrepreneurial agenda in mind - how can your business or brand help start-ups and share its knowledge? Consider mentoring young entrepreneurs Devise operating models that consider the socio-cultural impact of the business Listen to conversations before starting new ones. Marketers should gain a deeper understanding of the context in which key consumer trends arise Instead of trying to lead a movement, provide the platform to draw attention to the things that matter the most to consumers Always curate knowledge - Stop collecting more and more information and start creating and applying knowledge in ways that make you more relevant. The whitepaper findings showed that it is critical to recognise that brands and marketers can be profitable and drive social innovation at the same time. Armed with unique cultural insights, a broader world view and business prowess, local marketers can lead the change that communities so desperately need. At the same time, brands will grow stronger and gain much needed relevance in fast-changing markets. For more information, click here. Amid continuing protests, the University of the Witwatersrand says that it has formulated plans to ensure that final-year medical students will write exams. The university has established plans to ensure that examinations are written without disruption. We obviously would not want these plans to be published, says the schools faculty of health sciences dean, Martin Veller. Veller says while some health sciences classes have been disrupted, the school expects all 289 students to sit for final exams slated to begin on November 3 and run through to early December. Source: Delwyn Verasamy/M&G Wits is the fourth of the countrys five major medical schools alongside the universities of KwaZulu-Natal, Stellenbosch and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences to confirm that they expect final-year medical students to write in time to fill community service spots in January. The news follows earlier reservations voiced by some in the media, including health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, that the #FeesMustFall protests could disrupt the healthcare system if almost 3,000 new medical graduates did not take up internship or community service positions next year. If the regular intake of healthcare professionals into the system is disrupted, even for a short time, it will have a significant effect on the ability to ensure that all health services can be delivered, Veller explains. These consequences will only serve to deepen the inequality in our systems. With thousands fewer healthcare professionals in the system, the impact on rural areas will be felt hardest, he says. Graduates in health-related professions, including those from fields such as nursing and psychology, as well as physio, occupational and speech therapists, are required to complete one year of community service in the public sector before they can register as professionals with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Failure to do so means they will not be allowed to practice. Newly graduated doctors must also complete an internship before their community service. Introduced in 1997, mandatory community service aims to help staff chronically under-resourced rural health facilities in particular. During their internship and community service years, medical graduates must provisionally register with the council. Department of health spokesperson Popo Maja adds that the council will remain open into December to accommodate graduates, should exam results be delayed because of protests. The department has been informed that some universities, if forced to stop their 2016 academic year, plan to extend their academic programme to the first three months of 2017, which will still allow medical students to graduate and take up posts by April 2017, Maja says. However, he says the department has not received any indication that final-year medical students wont graduate this year. Late last week, the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Ga-Rankuwa outside Pretoria, released a statement saying it had reached a peace agreement with students. In the statement, the university commended student leaders and committed itself to assisting those who had been traumatised by the arrest of fellow students. According to Veller, three Wits medical students and one pharmacy student who were arrested for violating a court interdict barring students from, among other activities, unlawfully occupying university facilities, have been released from custody and are expected to appear in court in November. Some 300 million children live with outdoor air so polluted it can cause serious physical damage, including harming their developing brains, the United Nations said in a study released on Monday, 31 October. Image source: Wikimedia Commons Nearly one child in seven around the globe breathes outdoor air that is at least six times dirtier than international guidelines, according to the study by the UN Children's Fund, which called air pollution a leading factor in child mortality. UNICEF published the study a week before the annual UN climate change talks, with the upcoming round to be hosted by Morocco, 7-18 November. The agency, which promotes the rights and well-being of children, is pushing for world leaders to take urgent action to reduce air pollution in their countries. "Air pollution is a major contributing factor in the deaths of around 600,000 children under five every year, and it threatens the lives and futures of millions more every day," said Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF. "Pollutants don't only harm children's developing lungs. They can actually cross the blood-brain barrier and permanently damage their developing brains and, thus, their futures. No society can afford to ignore air pollution," Lake said. UNICEF points to satellite imagery which it says confirms that about two billion children live in areas where outdoor air pollution exceeds minimum air-quality guidelines set by the World Health Organisation. The air is poisoned by vehicle emissions, fossil fuels, dust, burning waste and other airborne pollutants, it said. South Asia has the largest number of children living in such areas at about 620-million, followed by Africa with 520-million and the East Asia and Pacific region with 450-million. The study also looked at indoor air pollution, typically caused by burning coal and wood for cooking and heating. Together, outdoor and indoor air pollution are directly linked to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases that account for almost one death in 10 in children under the age of five, making air pollution a leading danger to children's health, UNICEF said. The agency noted that children are more susceptible than adults to indoor and outdoor air pollution because their lungs, brains and immune systems are still developing and their respiratory tracts are more permeable. The most vulnerable to illnesses caused by air pollution are children living in poverty, who tend to have poorer health and little access to health services. UNICEF is calling for more robust measures to reduce pollution, increase children's access to healthcare and to monitor and minimise children's exposure to polluted air. Source: AFP By 2030, 60 percent of the world's population is expected to live in mega-cities. How all those people live, and what their lives are like, will depend on important choices leaders make today and in the coming years. Technology has the power to help people live in communities that are more responsive to their needs and that can actually improve their lives. For example, Beijing, notorious for air pollution, is testing a 23-foot-tall air purifier that vacuums up smog, filters the bad particles and releases clear air. The Smog-free Project. Image source: Kickstarter This isnt a vision of life like on The Jetsons. Its real urban communities responding in real-time to changing weather, times of day and citizen needs. These efforts can span entire communities. They can vary from monitoring traffic to keep cars moving efficiently or measuring air quality to warn residents (or turn on massive air purifiers) when pollution levels climb. Using data and electronic sensors in this way is often referred to as building smart cities, which are the subject of a major global push to improve how cities function. In part a response to incoherent infrastructure design and urban planning of the past, smart cities promise real-time monitoring, analysis and improvement of city decision-making. The results, proponents say, will improve efficiency, environmental sustainability and citizen engagement. Smart city projects are big investments that are supposed to drive social transformation. Decisions made early in the process determine what exactly will change. But most research and planning regarding smart cities is driven by the technology, rather than the needs of the citizens. Little attention is given to the social, policy and organizational changes that will be required to ensure smart cities are not just technologically savvy but intelligently adaptive to their residents needs. Design will make the difference between smart city projects offering great promise or actually reinforcing or even widening the existing gaps in unequal ways their cities serve residents. City benefits from efficiency A key feature of smart cities is that they create efficiency. Well-designed technology tools can benefit government agencies, the environment and residents. Smart cities can improve the efficiency of city services by eliminating redundancies, finding ways to save money and streamlining workers responsibilities. The results can provide higher-quality services at lower cost. For instance, in 2014, the Transport for London transit agency deployed system that lets residents and Londons 19 million visitors pay for bus and subway fares more quickly and safely than in the past. When riders touch or tap their phone or other mobile device on a reader when entering and exiting the bus and subway system, a wireless transaction deducts the appropriate amount from a users bank account. The city benefits by reducing the cost of administering its fare payment system, including avoiding issuing and distributing special smartcards for use at fareboxes. Transit users benefit from the efficiency through convenience, quick service and capped fares that calculate the best value for their contactless travel in a day or across a seven-day period. Environmental effects Another way to save money involves real-time monitoring of energy use, which can also identify opportunities for environmental improvement. The city of Chicago has begun implementing an Array of Things initiative by installing boxes on municipal light poles with sensors and cameras that can capture air quality, sound levels, temperature, water levels on streets and gutters, and traffic. The data collected are expected to serve as a sort of fitness tracker for the city, by identifying ways to save energy, to address urban flooding and improve living conditions. Helping residents Perhaps the largest potential benefit from smart cities will come from enhancing residents quality of life. The opportunities cover a broad range of issues, including housing and transportation, happiness and optimism, educational services, environmental conditions and community relationships. Efforts along this line can include tracking and mapping residents health, using data to fight neighborhood blight, identifying instances of discrimination and deploying autonomous vehicles to increase residents safety and mobility. Ensuring focus on service, not administration Many of the efficiencies touted as resulting from smart city efforts relate to government functions. The benefits, therefore, are most immediate for government agencies and employees. The assumption, of course, is that what benefits government will in turn benefit the public. However, focus on direct improvements for the public can become an afterthought. It can also be subverted for other reasons. For instance, global market projections for smart cities are huge. Companies see big opportunities for selling technology to cities, and local leaders are eager to find new investors who will improve their communities. That can make smart cities appear to be a win-win situation. City leaders may also use smart city discussions as a vague self-congratulatory method to emphasize their forward thinking, and to reinforce a broadly positive if undefined view of the city. By talking about greater connectivity and improved technical capabilities, city leaders can market the city to future residents and businesses alike. But if leaders focus on smart city projects as helping government, that wont necessarily improve residents lives. In fact, it can reinforce existing problems, or even make them worse. Who wins from smart city projects? When governments decide on smart city projects, they necessarily choose whom those efforts will benefit and whom they will neglect. Even when its unintentional which it often is the results are the same: Not all areas of a smart city will be exactly equally smart. Some neighborhoods will have a greater density of air-quality sensors or traffic cameras, for example. And not all smart city projects are having completely positive effects. In India, for example, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to build 100 smart cities as a way to manage the needs of his countrys rapidly urbanizing population. Yet the efforts are bumping up against challenges new and old. These include longstanding problems with land ownership documentation, developing policies to accommodate new markets and limit the old, and conflicts with vulnerable populations pushed out to make room for new smart city initiatives. In Philadelphia, a program intended to provide the citys low-income, underemployed residents with job training on their smartphones didnt address widespread socioeconomic inequality, among other problems. As one researcher put it, the program was empty policy rhetoric designed to attract business. The much-ballyhooed Songdo City development in South Korea involved enormous investment from the public and private sectors to create a smart city billed as an urban hub of innovation and commerce. And yet, 10 years after it began, its highest praise has been from those who call it a work in progress. Others, less charitable, have called it an outright failure. The reason should give us pause when designing other smart cities: Songdo was designed and built as a top-down, high-tech utopia with no history and, crucially, without people at its center. To avoid these troubled fates, officials, business leaders and residents alike must keep a critical eye on smart city efforts in their communities. Projects must be both transparent and aimed at publicly desirable improvements in society. Technology cannot become the focal point, nor the end goal. Smart city innovation, like all urban development and redevelopment, is a very political process. Residents must hold city leaders accountable for their efforts and their implications which must be to improve everyones lives, not just ease government functions. BriteCap, an innovative new platform for connecting job seekers and employers, took top honours at the first SAP Start-Up@RISE Africa event in Cape Town. SAP Start-up@RISE Africa is an initiative by SAP Africa and Barclays Africa's Rise Cape Town. It forms part of the Global SAP StartUp Focus initiative that began in 2012 and kicked off in South Africa in 2013. Jacomien Van der Merwe, co-founder of BriteCap. BriteCap provides an employer benefits platform that connects employers with blue collar workers. A platform for low- and medium-skilled labour to be more discoverable by potential employers with the aim of integrating financial products and services, e.g saving, micro-insurance and micro-loans which ultimately helps build financial resilience for low income communities in Africa. Our vision is to break down the barriers to employment within the lower skilled labour market and help employers to find and retain financially healthy employees, increasing productivity and decreasing employee churn within this market sector. Other participating startups includes Beta Wealth, Fomo Travel, Aliens Moonshot, Revel8 and Zazu. The six startups were invited to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts and potential business connections led by Nicole Anderson, a global expert in financial technology. The companies were invited to a comprehensive training session focused on how to develop prototypes using the SAP HANA Cloud technology on 21 October. The qualifying startup was awarded an Apple Macbook Pro and will also receive a complimentary three-month membership to Rise Cape Town, a gathering space renowned for its innovative approach to hosting Africas brightest minds in the financial services technology industry. According to Elke Simon-Keller, innovation lead at SAP Africa, the panel was immensely impressed by the innovation and disruptive potential of the startups that participated. "Each has the potential to boost the African economy and ultimately help the continent prosper. To date SAP has impacted over 3,750 startups across Africa. Through our collaboration with Barclays Rise, we hope to expand the forum into the rest of Africa and leverage our technology and network to create viable commercial opportunities for South African fintech startups. Warren Squires of Rise Cape Town emphasised the importance of these kinds of collaborations with other corporates as a mechanism to build and support the fintech ecosystem and showcase innovation across Africa. The City of Cape Town's draft Markets Policy and draft Small Business Support Policy are available for public comment until 17 November 2016. The draft Small Business Support Policy aims to reduce the cost of doing business for small-, medium- and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) in Cape Town. All interested and affected parties are invited to submit their comments during this public engagement period. Maurizio De Mattei 123RF.com Unemployment remains one of South Africas key socio-economic challenges and nearly a quarter (24,68%) of the working age population in Cape Town is unemployed. According to the Informal Economy Study conducted in 2015, the informal sector contributes approximately R4,3 billion annually to the Cape Town economy. "Based on the above premise, we need to make sure that our City processes and procedures are simple enough to support the development of SMMEs, including the informal economy. Job creation and economic growth relies on the growth and expansion of existing enterprises and new businesses. We need to do all we can, collectively, to ensure that we lend a helping hand to grow and develop the SMME sector, said the Citys Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Councillor Eddie Andrews. Draft Markets Policy The lack of a management model and a clear definition for markets has added to their failure in some areas. The draft policy provides a clear distinction between markets and events and provides a consistent set of guidelines on the management of markets on City-owned properties. The draft policy outlines the application process for markets, provides a consistent process to assess market applications, and clearly sets out the roles and responsibilities of the market operator and the various City departments. Draft Business Support Policy The current Business Support Policy, adopted by Council in 2003, is outdated. A review is required to highlight the Citys business support package and services available to create an enabling and supportive environment for businesses to grow and develop. Many small business owners have mentioned key challenges that prevent them from growing into sustainable entities in the long-term. On average, small businesses spend eight working days a month dealing with red tape and regulatory burden, which accounts for R1 in every R20 spent by companies. Small business owners have also complained that it is complex to transact with the City. The draft policy provides clear guidelines on the procedures for business owners who wish to transact with the City. It also outlines a clear business support package for Cape Town to be a business-friendly destination. "According to the 2015 Cost of Doing Business Report, the City of Cape Town has the potential to out-perform high-income countries if it implements key reforms. I would like to urge all interested and affected parties to use this opportunity to submit their comments and feedback on the draft policies. We have noted the challenges that both markets and small businesses have faced and we are confident that the draft policies will improve City processes to be more supportive of informal and small businesses. So let us all work together to shape the new policies," added Councillor Andrews. All interested and affected parties have until 17 November 2016 to submit their comments either at local libraries, subcouncil offices, via e-mail, fax, post or online on the City of Cape Town website. The draft policies can be accessed here: The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has withdrawn the summons against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and former South African Revenue Service (SARS) officials Oupa Magashula and Ivan Pillay. NPA head Shaun Abrahams said in a letter to Gordhan's attorney on Monday that after "perusal" of the matter he had decided to "overrule the decision" to prosecute the minister. Abrahams said in the letter he had directed that the summons against Gordhan be withdrawn with "immediate effect". Gordhan was set to face two charges of fraud this week linked to his rubber-stamping of early retirement for Pillay, a former deputy SARS deputy commissioner, and then reappointing him on contract in 2010, during the minister's first stint as the head of the Treasury. Abrahams has come under intense pressure since he announced during a media briefing two weeks ago that Gordhan had been summonsed to appear in court on 2 November on two charges of fraud. This was exacerbated when it emerged in media reports that Abrahams had met President Jacob Zuma at ANC headquarters Luthuli House a day before he announced that Gordhan had been summonsed. The meeting fuelled speculation that the case against Gordhan was politically motivated despite Abrahams and the Presidency saying their meeting was held to discuss the ongoing crisis over tertiary education funding. On Sunday a source close to Gordhan predicted that the charges could be withdrawn as soon as Monday in order to avert a protest march planned to coincide with his court appearance, in which ANC members, leaders and stalwarts were set to participate. The campaign, which has been billed as a "people's assembly against state capture", was also to include participation of about 80 of the country's CEOs as well as a number of attorneys and legal professionals. On Sunday, organisers of the Save SA campaign said they would proceed with the march and the campaign against state capture even if the charges were withdrawn. "It will be a rally marking victory in this battle and consolidating the campaign against state capture, to stop the looting and corruption and restore the integrity of the state," the campaign organisers said in a statement. Source: BDpro Scores of sectional title property owners are now faced with hefty levy hikes if their body corporates haven't made provision for the requirements of new legislation gazetted in October. One of the new stipulations of the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act is that schemes are now required to have a reserve fund, implied by the regulations to be maintained equal to 25% of the schemes total annual levy budget. Although the amendment to the Sectional Titles Schemes Management Act was signed into law this month, it was approved way back in 2011 and efficient, well-established body corporates will have taken advantage of the five-year gap to get ahead and begin accumulating the necessary surplus. "Rainy day" funds The aim of this portion of the legislation amendment is to ensure schemes create rainy day funds and shield home owners from the special levies that body corporates demand from time to time when major repairs or refurbishments take place. Once-off special levies are usually hefty and arent in most cash-strapped home owners budgets, often plunging households into debt to service them. While numerous developments have already created their required level of reserves or are well on the way to doing so, there are also many schemes that have not used the grace period to add small top-up increases to annual levies and home owners in those schemes now face the prospect of substantial levy hikes next year while trustees play administrative catch-up. In real terms, though, what does this mean for existing owners and prospective buyers of sectional title properties? Specialist conveyancing attorney Peet van Rooyen of Dykes Van Heerden Inc explains: The reality is that property owners could see their levies increase by up to 25% initially until adequate reserves have been accumulated. This is in addition to the standard fixed annual increases required to cover the rising costs of maintaining the development. Once the reserve fund has been adequately established, provision has been made for lower contributions, but owners can expect reserve fund levies to be charged, unless the value of the reserve fund is equal to 100% of the schemes total levy budget. Regulation 2 of the act also stipulates that, if the reserve fund is less than 25% of the previous years maintenance contributions, at the start of a new financial year, the owners in the scheme must add 15% to their total levy budget for the coming year as a contribution to bolster the reserve fund. Van Rooyen adds that if, at the end of the financial year, the remaining reserve funds are less than 100% but more than 25% of the value of the past years administration fund contributions, then the contribution to this fund must be at least equal to the repair and maintenance budget which has been formulated for the coming financial year. New level of administration, accountability Lew Geffen, chairman of Lew Geffen Sothebys International Realty, says that while the intent of the new regulations are laudable, their implementation and management require a whole new level of administration and accountability, and trustees will have to raise their game considerably to achieve and maintain compliance. Not only are separate records, budgets and bank accounts mandatory for the general levy and the reserve fund; they must be independently audited every year by an impartial person or company not involved in the schemes financial administration. Trustees must also prepare a detailed written 10-year plan for the use of the reserve fund, and report back to owners annually on its progress and implementation and more often than not, this document will have to be prepared by an outside consultant with the necessary expertise at an additional cost to owners. Geffen adds that the complexities of implementing the new requirements are compounded by a very short window of 90 days in which to meet seven of the key requirements. These include registering the scheme and lodging all governance documentation with the Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS), establishing a reserve fund and opening a separate bank account as well as compiling and submitting the new funds budget and financial statements. Many of these steps are time-consuming and involve reams of documentation as well as a level of expertise that smaller schemes with more simply structured body corporates will struggle to complete in time. Prioritising scheme management Arnold Maritz, Cape Town Southern Suburbs co-principal for Lew Geffen Sothebys International Realty, stresses that it is now essential for prospective buyers to add scheme management to their list of priorities when choosing property, especially investors with budget restrictions. Sectional title levies cover various expenses such as insurance, administrative fees and the maintenance costs of the common property and on-site facilities, and it must be remembered that the more amenities there are and the larger the grounds, the higher the levy. First-time buyers on a tight budget should therefore look for low maintenance schemes that are well run and maintained, and whose financial statements are in good order. Request a copy of the financial statements, and look for the presence of a reserve fund as well as any adverse figures for non-payment by other owners in the complex. Sectional title properties will remain the more affordable option and they will continue to attract first-time buyers. However, it is essential that prospective buyers dont just look at the property and the purchase price. They have to take the new Act and its financial implications into consideration when calculating their budgets and decide what they can afford in the long run, including any substantial levy increases. There is a very apt Afrikaans phrase that applies here, which is that sometimes goedkoop is duurkoop or directly translated, buying cheap initially doesnt always cost less long term. Compare the levy Maritz adds that its also a good idea to compare the levy for the subject property with those in similar complexes nearby on a per square metre basis as this will help to establish a balance between the lowest levy payable versus the expected capital return on the investment. Matthew Raubach, sectional title and area specialist for Lew Geffen Sothebys International Realty between Wynberg and Lakeside says: We have been lucky enough to predominantly sell property in blocks that have been well-managed and that already have established reserve funds with a healthy balance. What this has highlighted for us is how beneficial effective management is to sectional title schemes, not only in the short term but also to the value of owners investments. It is now even more critical and smaller schemes without the necessary resources or expertise would benefit by appointing an experienced managing agent. Shaun Groves, Gauteng rental manager for Lew Geffen Sothebys International Realty, believes that many Johannesburg sectional title owners are in for a nasty surprise. From what I have seen, it appears that the majority of schemes have not planned accordingly and I have no doubt that many owners are going to feel the pain of increased levies which will compound the struggle to realise yields in a notably subdued rental market. This year has been particularly tough as yields have come under severe pressure and any increase in the operating cost of a property will have a direct impact on net profits. Landlords may look to offset this by increasing rentals, therefore pushing prices up and putting even more pressure on consumers. Rental prices dropped The rental market in Cape Town is much stronger and in the most sought-after areas, demand in the lower to middle markets now exceeds supply. However, rental prices have dropped this year in response to the continued economic downturn, with tenants also becoming increasingly educated about the market and aware of current pricing. This is according to Lorraine-Marie Dellbridge, rental manager for Lew Geffen Sothebys International Realty in Cape Towns Southern Suburbs, who adds: I have seen a number of leases including clauses that if levies or rates increase the landlord may adjust the rental accordingly but I would advise against it as a blanket practice, especially if they risk losing stable and reliable tenants. Not only will the landlord have to go through the onerous process of finding a suitable new tenant, it could be costly if the house stands empty which is a real possibility if the increase prices the property out of its current market. Van Rooyen concludes: While it may be daunting, especially for schemes that have only just begun the process, it must be borne in mind that the home owners are members of the body corporate and in terms of their governing rules as prescribed by the new regulations, they have to approve the annual administration and reserve fund budgets. So whilst increases may be unavoidable for many schemes, the trustees cannot just increase the levies arbitrarily. Home owners are not entirely powerless here; they do have a voice. Furthering its mandate to share the successes and vision of South Africa's premier organisations and their leaders with the global economy, Top 500 South Africa's Best Managed Companies is proud to showcase an exclusive interview with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in its 8th annual edition, to be available in November 2016. Finance Minister, Pravin Gordhan Few public figures hold more prominence on the sociopolitical landscape at this time than Finance Minister and former Minister of Cooperative Governance, Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan. Few public figures are tied to the health of the rand, and the South African economy, as intimately. Few public figures can match his reputation for grace under pressure, wisdom in turbulent times and perseverance against the odds. In conversation with the man responsible for stabilising, prioritising and protecting the country's finances, Top 500 has sought to gain Minister Gordhan's in-depth insights on key issues facing the country right now, including the fiercely-debated 'Wealth Tax'; the Ministry's strategy for strengthening and sustaining international investor confidence; the implications of Brexit locally, and the sweeter aspects of the Sugar Tax. The result is a must-read overview of the opinions of one of the sharpest minds ever to hold dear this country's destiny. Once again this year's Top 500 South Africa's Best Managed Companies will outline, following stringent research and analysis (in conjunction with the University of Cape Town's Development Policy Research Unit) the top five companies in 100 business sectors - companies with a collective turnover of over R3.5trn. To more broadly qualify, these companies must be excelling in three key spheres, namely financial performance, empowerment, and policy and accreditation. Yet Top 500 is more than the essential annual directory for local and global decision-makers - it also pulls together profiles of, and interviews with, a number of high-profile private- and public-sector figures who drive the economy forward amid changeable currents. While their individual approaches may differ they, like Minister Gordhan, all share an unflappable commitment to stability, growth and South Africa's best interests. Read more about the new Top 500 here, and contact Brand Manager Odelia Dowie on 086 000 9590 or az.oc.ocpot@eiwod.ailedo with any queries regarding this year's edition. 'Unwritten: A Visual Journey of Nepal' is a visually stunning cinematic account of The Rainmakers Journal founder Shukri Toefy's journey across the Kathmandu Valley. With narration taken from pages of his journal, the film follows Toefy's interactions with artisans, musicians, spiritualists, scholars, and survivors of a bygone era as he searches for lessons applicable to his own life. Unwritten recently brought home the Van Gogh Award for World Cinema: Documentary Feature at the 2016 Amsterdam Film Festival as well as the best Cultural Short Documentary at the 2016 Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards. Tim Leibbrandt sat down with Toefy to chat about his experiences of making Unwritten and why the film has struck such a universal chord. So first and foremost, congratulations are in order for the wide acclaim and awards that Unwritten has received. You seem to have tapped into something quite universal with this film. When you initially began production, what did you hope that audiences would take away from it? Well, we definitely werent interested in making blockbusters! From its conception, we didnt have a script for Unwritten and werent sure which direction it would go. We wanted to shoot something that was visually beautiful and a sort of art piece that could go on a festival lineup. We wanted to create a film which could encourage people to journal and to travel and to think outside of themselves. There really wasnt much shaping or thought around whats going to work or win awards. I think the strength of the film lies in its honesty and the fact that its visually strong. That honesty definitely comes across. Unwritten is certainly a journey in the sense that you start off by going in one direction (searching for old world knowledge in Nepal) and end up somewhere quite different ideologically. What drew you to filming in Nepal? Ive always been fascinated by countries which havent been colonised. Its been said to me before that Nepal is a museum without walls. Its such a spiritual place where a lot of religions and spiritual practices come together. When you watch the film, you can see that even the way that I was writing was very optimistic; were going to a place with old world wisdom that can teach me things! And then, as it went on, we developed a better (or more grounded) understanding - not only of the Kathmandu valley and Nepal, but also of myself and what we were trying to achieve. It became more and more real as it progressed. In the beginning of the film you juxtapose ideas of boardroom knowledge with ancient wisdom quite a bit. Why was that shift in perspective so important to you? Very often in the media/advertising world, there are a few key speakers or thought leaders around the place, but its always the same people who think in the same way; even on a global level. I found it very repetitive, very sterile, very cold. So how do we get out of this comfortable boardroom environment? That was the core of what we set out to achieve. Were not career narrative filmmakers. We (The Fort) are a creative agency and a production company that specialises in visual storytelling for brands. We realised that we needed to be inspired by things outside of the boardroom in order for us to stay fresh. We talk about thinking differently, but sometimes you have to actually do it! I read somewhere and I dont know if this is true that you were offered the opportunity to speak to some quite high profile individuals when filming Unwritten and that you turned them down in favour of ordinary creative individuals. How did you meet or select the people that you ended up talking to? We found a fixer in Kathmandu and when we first got there, they had organised a lunch at the old prime ministers home. We didnt even bring our cameras. They asked us why and we said, We really just want to chat to ordinary people and it was very hard for the first two or three days, because we kept being introduced to the owner of the art council and this or that and we had to push back at it all the time. A lot of the people that we spoke to happened very organically through the crew. Hey, lets sneak off down this side road and try to chat to someone who knows an artist there. Lets spend the whole day driving up to the monastery in the hope that someone will speak to us. Nothing was guaranteed. How big was your crew in the end? There were four of us from South Africa (including me and Amr Singh the director) and then probably four or five people from Nepal. We had a fixer, a translator and someone to help him carry things, a guy who used to burn DVDs and was now our sound guy. I think the crew was a really cool aspect of the trip which we didnt capture in the film, but will include in the Behind-the-Scenes when it gets released. On a more sombre note perhaps, in the end credits you refer to the earthquake in 2015 which occurred after you had wrapped filming. Unwritten contains some of the last footage of certain areas before they were hit. Have you remained in contact with any of the people that you interviewed, after the earthquake? We immediately reached out to everybody; were friends with almost all of them on Facebook actually. Thankfully none of them were affected by the earthquake and many of them have been helping with the relief efforts. The Nepali people are very resilient people. In one sense, it must be so painful that some of the buildings in the early shots of the film are gone forever (Durbar Square for instance). You can see how painful it is when you chat to them, their culture and heritage has endured so deeply. But on the other hand, they are people who move on through their spirituality by telling stories; I almost feel like theres a strength around that which enables them to deal with it better than others. Could you talk a bit about how Unwritten fits into the Rainmakers Journal project? The Rainmakers Journal is basically a platform which encourages people to journal and to share knowledge. How do you share knowledge with people who are not often heard or published? I think if we want a pluralistic view on where we get our information from; thats where Rainmakers Journal comes from. My hope is that Unwritten the movie will be a tool to encourage people and show them the strength of the journal. Journals are clearly important to you. The narration in Unwritten contains a number of scenes of you writing in your journal, mirroring the voice-overs. Was the narration scripted or did it come from actual entries written on the trip? The voice-overs in the film are from my actual journal- there might have been a tweak here and there, but for the most part it is all from my journal. Amr brought the visuals to life very strongly in the sense that the writing sets up the imagery of the scenes quite powerfully. In many ways I think Unwritten is a visual poem of what we went through in Nepal. Its interesting that Lok Chitrakar has apprentices. Hes depicted as being unwilling to just hand out the knowledge he has gained to those who havent earned it. He mentions in the film that some people crush paint with him for a year or more before they are taught anything. Almost everyone I spoke to emphasised that you learn by doing and being part of something; being an apprentice. You cant just sit down and get these answers in one sitting. Theres a line towards the end of the film which really stuck with me, where you refer to yourself as feeling alienated or like a tourist taking in everyone elses life except [your] own. In all honesty, that scene captures a very hard, self-reflexive moment, where it felt like a very foolish endeavour; coming to Nepal on spiritual tourism and trying to get knowledge from other people in a takeaway, single-sitting sort of way. Its very real and thats what I wrote down on that penultimate night. I was walking the street and just watching people laughing and having a cup of tea and thinking What did we achieve here? At that point I didnt realise how the film would come together. And then the guys said You know what, its dark. Lets try and go to Pashupatinath. Lets do one more interview. Unwritten: A Visual Journey of Nepal Trailer from The Fort on Vimeo. So, it was fortuitous coincidence that the scene with the sadhu offered a sense of personal and narrative closure? Theres no way I could explain the feeling in the air, the whole crew were just silent. We were just immersed in a completely different type of energy. We were in a place where people commit themselves to total enlightenment, speaking to someone with no earthly attachments whatsoever. When he spoke, he made the whole trip fall into place for me; Youre living a natural path and thats fine. Theres no single moment of truth; you need to enjoy the little things in life. It took away a lot of the restlessness which was there even a year and a half ago, two years before we went on the trip. You dont often get the chance to meet someone like that! Perhaps thats really where Unwrittens universal appeal lies, searching for affirmation amidst the uncertainty of life and for someone to say Hey, the path youre on is okay! And you dont have to get on a plane and go to a far-off land. I think that the film almost does that for you, because its so vivid and so real. Whatever youre searching for in your life, whatever youre trying to make sense of when you wake up in the morning and get dressed and get into your car. It speaks to that conflict that we all have about What does it all mean?!I think thats the universal story. Unwritten is due for release on 8 December at Sterkinekors head offices in Sandton. More information can be found here. If you are planning your next holiday to the land of unending adventures, Africa, you need to know what places have the experiences you are looking to have. From a walk in the park to the adrenaline filled jaunts that are likely to leave you completely breathless, Africa is an all-inclusive package. These adventure ideas will help conclude your itinerary for your next holiday to Africa. Camel trekking in the Sahara Set out on a camel trek in the endless desert of Morocco. Let the humped animals take you around the villages where you can comfortably interact with the warm locals. It is an opportunity to learn a thing or two about the countrys culture and customs while traversing the grand minarets. Do not miss a ride to Merzouga village in the Sahara Desert, where you can camp at the Nasser Palace. Here, after a days activities, engage other guests or your troupe in outdoor fireside activities such as dances and storytelling. Shark cage diving in South Africa If being with the marine mammals gives you the chills, then South Africa is the place to go. Cage diving with the great white sharks is a common adventure for audacious travellers, teasing the worlds most admired water creatures behind the confines of the cage. Mossel Bay is perhaps the most sought after by cage divers who seek to come eye to eye with the predators as it provides a white-knuckle experience that will forever be embedded in your memory. Experience the Namib Desert The Namib Desert, the oldest in the world offers a platform for numerous adventures - from mountain biking in the mountainous areas to climbing the enormous red sand dunes. Photographing the white clay pans of Deadvlei and Sossusvlei, horse riding, sandboarding and skydiving are just some of the most enthralling adventures to undertake in the Namib desert. As for the romantic lot, you will never have enough of the stunning sunrise and sunset that excitingly reflects the red of the dunes. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda I had to include this one from Rwanda. Gorilla trekking in the deep and dense Virunga Mountains will give you an electrifying experience. Waylaying through thick groves of the rain forests into the waiting congregation of dark hairy giants. You are in a habitat that is home to more than half of the world's (about 900) remaining mountain gorillas. That fact alone leaves you gasping in awe, even as you fervidly search through the thickets to locate those hopping from one tree to another. Water rafting in Kenya The adrenaline junkies would want to head to Sagana in Kenya for an exhilarating white water rafting experience. Navigating the rough waves requires valor, resolve, and the oomph to sail through, which is a great opportunity to build teamwork. Water rafting in the Sagana also gives a chance to view different bird species found along the river valley. MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE: The impact of the most severe drought to hit Southern Africa in 35 years is expected to worsen in the coming months, a UN climate envoy warned on Friday. "The crisis has yet to peak," Macharia Kamau, special envoy on El Nino and climate, said at the end of a four-day trip to Mozambique. Richard Van der Spuy via 123RF The devastation, which has affected some 18 million people across the Southern African region, will be at its worst around January next year, he said. Mozambique, with 1.5 million people reeling from the drought, is one of the worst-hit countries, along with Zimbabwe, Malawi, Lesotho and Southern Madagascar. "For many children, women and the elderly, the next few months will be about looking at survival straight in the face," Kamau told reporters in Maputo after visiting water-starved districts a few hours' drive from the capital. "Frankly, what I saw there saddened and shocked me. We saw stretches of land, bone dry and desolate," he said. Some parts in Mozambique have not seen rains for three years, according to the country's natural disaster management agency. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August launched an emergency aid appeal for $2.9 billion (2.7 billion euros). For Mozambique, $200 million is required "immediately" but only 57 percent of that has been secured, said Kamau. Drought in the region has been blamed on the El Nino weather phenomenon which occurs every two to seven years, affecting rainfall patterns by causing both drought and flooding. Source: AFP The Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) strongly condemns the armed robbery at its compound in Juba on the night of October 27, 2016. During the robbery, the guard on duty was held at gunpoint while assets of AMDISS were taken. According to the security guard, five men two with guns entered into AMDISS compound after cutting the fence at around 3am. The guard said it was raining and he was under the brander protecting himself from the rain. The two men with guns saw him and ordered him to lie down facing the ground. The men told him not to raise his head or else he would be shot. Meanwhile, the other three men broke into offices and took away two laptop computers, a television set flat screen, a camera, one hard drive, and a safe which had 15,000 South Sudan Pounds and 100 US dollars. AMDISS strongly condemns this act and calls on the police to launch an investigation into this case and apprehend those responsible and hold to account. Since its formation in 2003, the association has been a home to many journalists mostly freelancers and has been addressing the lack of capacity of local journalists through training; engaging stakeholders in dialogues for enabling friendly environment for journalists and media houses; advocating for freedom of expression; and ensuring that media laws are in place, implemented and respected by all actors. This statement was originally published by AMDISS. Deutsche Welle has unveiled the new format for its AfricaLink radio program. The show is being relaunched as "social radio". The content of the new format brings together conventional radio programming and social media. Image by 123RF The 30-minute radio show will bring listeners broadcast content Monday through Friday at 16:00 UTC, featuring currents affairs from Africa, Germany and the rest of the world. The African editorial team has also started a new Facebook account, DW Africa, which encourages users to participate in dialogue. The social media team will highlight trending topics and popular hashtags from Africa, incorporating user comments into the latest discussions and thus conducting a direct dialogue with AfricaLink fans. DW Africa's Facebook page will showcase exclusive video content, such as the popular DW series "Africa on the Move". Meanwhile, the radio programming side will introduce the weekly "Blog Report," featuring well-known online activists from across Africa; as well as the new formats "On the Spot," which builds on correspondent reports; and the youth column "YouZone." In addition to covering the latest events in Africa, there will be news featuring top stories from Germany and Europe. DW's director of programming Gerda Meuer stressed that radio "remains extremely popular in Africa. Simultaneously, the use of social media continues to attract scores of new users. We fully take digital media usage into account with the new format for AfricaLink. It will be younger, more dynamic, more conversational." Deutsche Welle started its first radio programs for Africa more than 50 years ago. The format AfricaLink has a network of roughly 200 local correspondents. A representative survey reveals that DW reaches an audience of roughly 40 million listeners in Africa. On Facebook, the number of DW's Amharic, French, Hausa, Swahili and Portuguese language followers has reached more than 2,3 million. Huawei, music vendors to accelerate digital economy in Africa Huawei signed music cooperation contracts with global and local music vendors during the Huawei Southern Africa Partner Summit held at the Huawei Innovation & Experience Center in Johannesburg. The summit attracted over 40 industry partners. Aimed at creating a sharing platform to promote digital collaboration in Africa, the summit witnessed Huaweis efforts in leveraging its Digital inCloud, a software platform, to integrate content across music, video, gaming and other digital service genres of the likes to operators, so that more end users will be able to enjoy digital content at a convenient way. Partners from telecom operators, consultancy, service and content partners including Deloitte, Capasso, Mtech and Siphumelele Zondi as thought leader gathered at the summit. Huawei signed the music cooperation contracts with Spice Music, Mtech, CCA and other local music vendors, which marks a milestone of digitalization of music in Africa. Under the global digital wave, Africa shows great demand for digital services, like music, game and video, etc. According to Huaweis analysis, in 5 years, digital services year-on-year growth will be around 40%. However, there still remains a big gap between the growing damands and the digital productions. Wilson Feng, President of Huaweis Carrier Business in Southern Africa Region, said, Huawei is willing to work hand in hand with Africa partners to create a better industry ecosystem. We will leverage our innovative technologies of digital services, and our global resources to improve African consumers digital experience, and accelerate Africans digital economy development. Through the cooperation, Huaweis digital business cloud will also help our partners in monetization, which means its a win-win solution for all parties in the ecosystem. The cooperation with content providers means that Huawei will have the copyrights of millions of latest music from the international and local vendors. This is Huaweis first breakthrough into the global music space. Huawei will be able to provide the music and platform to telecom operators in South Africa, like Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, etc, and the operators can provide their music Apps to their end users. The end users can download the operators music App , such as MTN Music+, to listen or download the latest and most popular music. At the Summmit, Mtech and Grafton, Huaweis partners from Nigeria shared their successful case in the Nigerian music market how they used the MTN Music+ platform to attract the users and monetize the music products. Praiz Adejo, one of the best musicians from Nigeria, also presented his story of attracting more fans through digitalizing his music through technologies from Huawei. South Africa music copyright association Capasso, SABC, Deloitte, CMGE, MTNCellC, Telkom also shared their opinions on how to develop the digital services in Africa. Siphumelele Zondi, industry though leader, senior producer and anchor of SABC, said during his presentation at the summit: There is a great need for local South African artists to venture into the digital space. Often local content is on demand but not available on digital platforms, which then promotes piracy. Africa is a mobile device intensive environment, and platforms such as Huaweis Digital inCloud can aid the availability of local content to Africa. www.itnewsafrica.com PR Newswire ATHENS, November 1, 2016 ATHENS, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- At today's meeting, Piraeus Bank's Board of Directors elected Messrs George Handjinicolaou, Solomon Berahas and Enrico Tommaso Cucchiani as new non executive members of the BoD to replace members previously resigned. The Board then proceeded to unanimously approve the appointment of Mr George Handjinicolaou as its new Chairman. Mr Handjinicolaou starts his role immediately. Mr Handjinicolaou is a highly experienced international business leader in the financial services sector. His career spans 33 years, the vast majority of which was spent at global financial institutions based in London and New York and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) in London. Mr Handjinicolaou was most recently Deputy CEO of ISDA, where he was a member of the Board of Directors. He previously held senior management positions in the derivatives and fixed income markets at several global financial institutions including Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and UBS in London and New York. Mr Handjinicolaou started his career at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Mr Handjinicolaou also has leadership experience in Greece from his roles as CEO of TBANK and as Vice Chairman of the Greek Capital Market Commission. Mr Handjinicolaou's extensive international leadership experience, deep understanding of global capital markets combined with experience in restructuring within the Greek banking sector will be of significant value to Piraeus Bank's Board of Directors. Mr. Handjinicolaou received his PhD in Finance from the graduate school of business at New York University, where he also earned his MBA. He holds a BS degree from the Law School at the University of Athens in Athens, Greece. Piraeus Bank's appointment of Mr Handjinicolaou marks another major step in the strengthening of the Bank's Board of Directors and its corporate governance, which builds on significant progress made during 2016. During the course of this year the Board has added international leadership experience and technical expertise, in particular in restructurings and problem loan reduction, combining this with deep local market experience. Mr Handjinicolaou's appointment is the seventh new non-executive appointment to Piraeus Bank's Board of Directors in 2016: Mr Arne Berggren, Independent Non-Executive Member of Piraeus Bank's Board of Directors and Chairman of the Nominations Committee, said: "On behalf of the Board of Directors I would like to congratulate Mr Handjinicolaou and to welcome him to Piraeus Bank. George's extensive international leadership experience, deep expertise in global financial markets combined with his understanding of the Greek market will be invaluable to the success of Piraeus' restructuring plan. This is another major milestone for Piraeus Bank to build a strong Board with the combined experience to tackle the Banks challenges effectively and to ensure that the Bank is well positioned to meet the highest standards of corporate governance." Mr George Handjinicolaou, newly appointed Chairman of Piraeus Bank, commented: "I am excited by the opportunity to use the experience and expertise that I have accumulated during my career to contribute to the turnaround of Piraeus Bank. Greece is currently at a critical juncture, and it is an honour to lead Greece's largest bank. Also, having benefited from Greece's public education system, this role provides me with an opportunity to give back to my country. Piraeus Bank has responded effectively to an extremely challenging operating environment and I believe that there are significant opportunities for the Bank to build upon our trusted and valued customer brand, to support economic recovery in Greece and to deliver value for our shareholders over the medium term. I look forward to being part of Piraeus Bank's success, alongside a strengthened Board, a reinvigorated executive team and all of our loyal and committed employees." Nick Tesseyman, EBRD Managing Director, Financial Institutions, said: "We are pleased that Piraeus Bank now has a strong board with several new members, including the Chairman, who bring international experience and a new outlook to help steer Greece's largest bank on its road to recovery. High standards of corporate governance are important and we are confident that the newly composed board will ensure that this is adhered to. This is all the more important as we are seeing encouraging signs indicating that the Greek economy is starting to grow again. In this moment it is crucial to have a well-functioning banking sector with the ability to support the real economy on a sustainable basis. With the recent developments we are confident that Piraeus Bank will be well placed to perform this task." SOURCE Piraeus Bank Canada NewsWire MONTREAL, Nov. 1, 2016 MONTREAL, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - McInnis Cement, in collaboration with Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the other shareholders, presented today an update of the cement plant project. Close to 75% of the construction phase has been completed and certain operations have begun. Shareholders also closed the financing, announced on August 11 for this project. "With the significant turnaround of operations and approximately $280 million in new financing, everything is in place to complete the project on schedule," said Christian Dube, Executive Vice-President, Quebec at la Caisse. "This cutting-edge, world-class cement plant, slated to make its first cement deliveries this spring, will benefit from better-than-anticipated market conditions, strengthening the investment for our clients and the other shareholders." Construction almost completed and start of operationsThe new leadership in the company's management has strengthened expertise, increased productivity through better work organization and stepped up the daytime, nighttime and weekend pace of construction the equivalent of five work weeks per month per worker and consequently regained control over this major project. "This turnaround, achieved in collaboration with the entire staff of McInnis Cement, will allow the cement plant to enter the market at the best possible time," added Mr. Dube. The heightened pace of construction on the company's various sites, starting with the Port-DanielGascons industrial project, will allow the project to be completed in time for the first cement deliveries in the spring. The McInnis Cement team began the operating phase in October, with tests on the crushing line and the conveyers used to transport limestone extracted from the quarry to the warehouse. In the next few days, the company's marine terminal will receive its first ship. By the end of 2016, the company expects to: The Sainte-Catherine and Providence distribution terminals are also under construction. Other sites under development will soon be added to the company's distribution network. At the end of the run-in period, the cement plant will have an annual production capacity of 2.5-million tons. As a result of its leading-edge European technology, offering very high energy efficiency, McInnis will produce cement with a 20% lower carbon footprint per ton than the average of cement plants across North America. McInnis Cement will run the only Canadian cement plant to comply with the NESHAP 2015 U.S. anti-pollution standards. These standards, the most stringent on the continent, are up to 15 times more restrictive than those currently in effect in Quebec, making the Port-DanielGascons plant an industry leader on the environmental front. To see the site's development as of September, click on the following link: https://youtu.be/kj6ECjrsTS0. Closing of financingUnder the terms of the financing closed yesterday, la Caisse will reinvest $125 million in preferred equity. Joining the group of investors for the first time, funds managed by BlackRock Alternative Investors will hold a $125-million debenture. Minority shareholders also increased their support by injecting an additional contribution of $31.75 million in the project. The financing was also approved by all parties taking part in the capital structure. ABOUT CAISSE DE DEPOT ET PLACEMENT DU QUEBECCaisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2016, it held $254.9 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, CDPQ invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure and real estate. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages. ABOUT MCINNIS CEMENT THE NEW CEMENT COMPANYMcInnis Cement is a privately-held Company with corporate headquarters in Quebec, Canada, and United States headquarters in Stamford, CT. The Company's plant in Port-DanielGascons, Canada is one of the largest industrial projects currently under construction in eastern North America and McInnis is the first cement company to build a new plant that will serve Eastern Canada and New England in more than 50 years. McInnis Cement is constructing a deep-water marine terminal, adjacent to the plant, with plans to open other terminals strategically located in the U.S. and Canada. This will allow products to be shipped quickly and efficiently to markets along the East Coast and the entire perimeter of the Atlantic Ocean. As the newest entrant in the North American cement market, the Company's goal is to supply its customers with superior-quality products that are consistently produced and reliably distributed, based on sustainable development principles. The use of advanced technology will enable the McInnis cement plant to meet, if not exceed, the most stringent environmental standards, making its ecological footprint one of the smallest in the cement industry. More information is available at @ciment_mcinnis and mcinniscement.com/en. SOURCE Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado Email no valido Nombre requerido Recibira las informaciones mas relevantes del dia en tiempo real Que informacion desea recibir? Noticias de Ultima hora Boletin Cierre de Mercado Boletin analisis tecnico Boletin Fundsnews Debe seleccionar un tipo de boletin Acepto la Politica de privacidad Debe aceptar la politica de privacidad Responsable EMPRESAS DEL GRUPO WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Finalidad La remision de informacion, novedades y promociones Establecimiento o mantenimiento de Relaciones Comerciales. Legitimacion Consentimiento del interesado. Interes legitimo en el desarrollo de la relacion comercial Destinatario Empresas del Grupo WEB FINANCIAL GROUP Derechos Acceso, rectificacion, supresion, limitacion, oposicion y portabilidad Informacion adicional Politica de Privacidad de nuestra pagina Web + INFORMACION PR Newswire SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2016 SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: YUMC) today announced the appointment of Ruby Lu to the Board of the Directors, effective immediately. The appointment will increase the size of the Board of Directors to 10 members, 8 of whom are independent. "I am delighted to welcome Ruby to our Board of Directors," said Yum China Non-executive Chairman Dr. Fred Hu. "She brings a wealth of experience in high growth technology companies in China and will be an asset to our team. I have no doubt that she will provide an invaluable perspective as we look to chart the next phase of our growth in China, particularly as we scale our digital capabilities. I look forward to working with Ruby and the rest of the Board to help Yum China realize its full potential and generate sustainable value for shareholders." Ruby Lu is an independent venture capitalist investing in technology start-ups in the US and China. Previously, she was the co-founder of DCM China - an early stage venture capital firm. During her over-twelve years' tenure at DCM, she invested in and served as a board member of many leading technology companies including BitAuto Holdings Limited, E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc., and Pactera Technology International Ltd. She also served as an independent director and chairman of the special committee for iDreamSky Technologies Limited before it was taken private. She is currently an independent director and chairman of the special committee for iKang Healthcare Group, Inc. Prior to joining DCM in 2003, Ms. Lu was a vice president in the technology, media and telecommunications investment banking group of Goldman Sachs & Co. in Menlo Park, California. About Yum China Holdings Yum China Holdings, Inc., with executive offices in Shanghai, China, is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China's leading quick-service restaurant concept, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, which is expanding globally and opening in China in 2016. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning concepts outright. Yum China is well positioned for growth thanks to its strong competitive position, integration of its brands into Chinese popular culture and consumers' daily lives, expanding geographic footprint in China and existing operational expertise. It has a strong capital position, no external debt and expects to continue growing its system sales and profit by adding new restaurants and through growing same-store sales. Yum China has more than 7,300 restaurants and more than 400,000 employees in over 1,100 cities, and generated over $8 billion in system sales in 2015. A new generation of younger consumers who are digitally sophisticated and brand driven are fueling growth in consumption in China. The ongoing growth of the middle class and urban population in China is expected to create the world's largest market for restaurant brands, with Yum China poised to be the market leader. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this communication contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. We intend all forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and by the use of forward-looking words such as "expect," "expectation," "believe," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "plan," "estimate," "target," "predict," "likely," "will," "should," "forecast," "outlook" or similar terminology. These statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable under the circumstances, but there can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future business plans, earnings and performance of Yum China, Yum China's digital capabilities and anticipated effects of demographic and macroeconomic trends. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or assumptions will be achieved. Numerous factors could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: whether we are able to achieve development goals at the times and in the amounts currently anticipated, if at all, the success of our marketing campaigns and product innovation, our ability to maintain food safety and quality control systems, our ability to control costs and expenses, including tax costs, as well as changes in political, economic and regulatory conditions in China. In addition, other risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial could affect the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements should be evaluated with the understanding of their inherent uncertainty. You should consult our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the information set forth under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements" in the Information Statement included in our Registration Statement on Form 10) for additional detail about factors that could affect our financial and other results. Media Contacts Yum China Holdings, Inc.Forest Liu, +86 21 2407 7505Director, Financial MediaorBrunswick GroupNaomi Tudhope, +86 21 6039 6388 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yum-china-appoints-ruby-lu-to-board-of-directors-300354484.html SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A 27-year-old man from Brandon who died in a fatal crash Friday was a cheerful guy who made friends wherever he went. I dont know anybody in my life who was as happy and positive, explained his cousin, Alesha Hofer. There was never a time when Id seen him mad or negative. Philip Wurtz was killed when his westbound pickup truck slammed into the back of a semi-trailer that had turned west onto the Trans-Canada Highway from Provincial Road 101 West. GoFundMe Philip Wurtz (right) died after the pickup truck he was driving ran into the back of a semi-trailer. Wurtz, 27, leaves behind a wife and a son. He leaves behind his wife, Jerilyn, and 15-month-old son, Karter the people he was driving home to see. His family was the pride of Wurtzs life, said his uncle and boss for eight and a half years, Ed Dornn. Ive never seen anyone more in love with his family than he was, he said. Wurtz worked in general contracting for Excel-7 Ltd. and this year became an equipment technician and operator in another company of Dornns. Dornn said everybody is in shock about what happened. Philip was loved by everyone because of his positive attitude and energy. He was a very caring individual, with an unbelievable sense of humour, Dornn said. He joined the company as a young adult, shortly after leaving Deerboine Hutterite Colony and moving to Brandon but he returned to the colony regularly. He was still there a lot, because his family was there, he said. Philip was an individual who loved his freedom but he loved the life there otherwise. He had a lot of fond memories. Hofer, who said she thinks of Wurtz as a brother, visited the colony a lot as a child, playing in the woods, building forts and swimming in the pool with her cousin. Their bond strengthened as adults. They never bothered to knock on each others doors; they simply walked in. He would always bring his son over and he actually called my parents his Brandon grandma and grandpa, and they called me aunty, Hofer said. We never had a dull moment with Philip, and thats why its very, very hard. The second driver wasnt injured in the two-vehicle collision in the RM of Cornwallis Friday at 9:20 p.m. Wurtz was the lone occupant in his truck and police believe alcohol was not a factor. Hofer started a GoFundMe page to support the family with a goal of raising $30,000. They exceeded their target in a day. People nobody knows has donated, she said. Sabine Chorley, the photographer who shot the couples Jamaica wedding a few years ago and became their friends, is collecting donations for the Wurtz family instead of payment for two days of photo sessions. It seemed Philips goal in life was to make people laugh, she said. He was bubbly and full of life he was a true inspiration. Hofer is not surprised at the many friends Wurtz made. It shows how many people will miss him. The night that (the crash) happened, we could already feel that that his presence wasnt here anymore, Hofer said through tears. Thats how much an impact he had on everybodys life. Wurtzs funeral will be held Thursday at noon at McDiarmind Drive Alliance Church in Brandon. ifroese@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ianfroese Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Furthering a shared commitment to pursue aboriginal economic success within the local economy, the City of Brandon and the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council have partnered to offer indigenous and aboriginal awareness training to municipal staff and various community stakeholders and organizations this week. Nearly 100 city officials and approximately two dozen community organizations and stakeholder groups are attending the in-depth training, which started on Monday and runs until tomorrow. Delivered by British Columbia-based Indigenous Corporate Training, the training will delve into how to effectively engage, consult, and work with indigenous and aboriginal populations. Tom Bateman/Brandon Sun Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples Council co-ordinator Jason Gobeil, pictured during the Kasikikidenidung Aboriginal Youth Conference at Assiniboine Community College in February, says the indigenous awareness training being provided to municipal staff and community stakeholders and organizations this week is an important step in a journey for Brandon as part of reconciliation efforts. (File) Offering this training is a very important part of our collective work to build aboriginal inclusion into Brandons community andits economy, said Sandy Trudel, the citys economic development officer. We know that creating an environment where aboriginal business can succeed begins with understanding, so we see it as very important that the various groups in the community who play an important role in such success are able to participate in this shared learning opportunity. BUAPC co-ordinator Jason Gobeil noted that this type of training is a key component of the recently released Aboriginal Economic Strategic Plan, which lays out steps to grow economic responsibility through a shared social responsibility. Today marks an important step in a journey for Brandon, as we bring in training that will help in educating government administration, business, and community on the topics of indigenous awareness and engagement, Gobeil said. Reconciliation is about exploring the past to build a better future. We know that through this training will come more opportunities to learn, educate, and find compassion in knowing that we are all in this together and that understanding reconciliation starts with opening the door to learning. Gobeil added that among Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commissions 94 calls to action are ones relating to the professional development and training of public servants, and the importance of linking business and reconciliation. The Brandon Sun Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An immigrant from El Salvador killed in a head-on collision on the Trans-Canada Highway Friday was a beloved father and husband who recently moved into a new home with his family. In 2012, Hassin Ventura moved to Canada to find a better life for his family, who only joined him in Canada last year. On Friday night, Ventura, 29, was driving home to MacGregor from his work in Portage la Prairie when he was struck by a pickup truck travelling the wrong way. Facebook Hassin Ventura (second from right) died after a pickup truck being driven the wrong way on the Trans-Canada Highway crashed into his van. Ventura, 29, leaves behind a wife and two children. Six months ago, he started working as a forklift operator at Simplot Canada and quickly made friends. He was a honest man. He was very full of love for his family and a very kind guy, said co-worker and friend Orlando Alas. When you talked to him, it was like talking to a brother. Ventura was recruited to Brandon by Maple Leaf Foods, where he worked on the production floor for almost four years. He found a good life in Canada, made complete last year when his family joined him. He was so happy, especially when he got his wife and kids, Alas said. Another friend and colleague, Cesar Rodriguez, said Ventura often took his kids to the park and regularly posted videos on Facebook of him playing with his children. The only thing I can say is he was an amazing guy, an amazing father and an amazing husband, Rodriguez said. His other love was music. His Simplot colleagues, many of them immigrants without relatives in Canada, would gather some nights in Portage to sing and play guitar. They all mourned his passing. Every time we talked to people (after his death), the first thing they start to do is cry, Alas said. Who wants that to happen to a person who was so kind and gentle? Ventura died when his westbound minivan was struck by an eastbound pickup truck. RCMP responded to the collision a kilometre east of MacGregor at 8:10 p.m. Prior to the collision police received a report of a speeding pickup truck heading the wrong way. Police tried to intercept the truck. On Monday, Audrey Comte, Simplot Canadas unit director in Portage, said Ventura always had a smile on his face. His whole crew here is devastated by it, she said. Even though hes been here a short time, it was a big loss and that speaks to how well he fit in here with the crew. Ventura leaves behind his wife, Maria, and two young children, Alisson, 7, and Jefferson, 4. The driver of the pickup truck, a 63-year-old man who also resided in MacGregor, has been identified as John Penner. He died at the scene. A family member declined to comment. There were no occupants in either vehicle. ifroese@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ianfroese Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Brandon veterinary clinic hopes to teach some pet owners a new trick tomorrow. Dr. Jay Thrush says his practice, Brandon Hills Veterinary Clinic, is specifically enticing people who cannot afford to spay or neuter their pets to visit his clinic on Spay Day to book an appointment at a reduced cost. The clinic put up posters at the citys womens shelter and Samaritan House, he said. Colin Corneau/The Brandon Sun Dr. Colleen Fisher examines some of the five kittens that were brought into the Brandon Hills Veterinary Clinic on Monday afternoon. The furry sisters are in need of a home. The clinic is one of many in Westman that are participating in Spay Day tomorrow to encourage people to spay or neuter their pets. Its more lower-income households we tend to find dont get regular veterinary care or dont stay as current on their vaccines, Thrush said. A spay and neuter will often fall by the wayside because its an extra cost and they dont have that much disposable income. No matter a pet owners income, Brandon Hills is offering a 45 per cent discount on spays and neuters. Most surgeries will cost under $100. The clinic usually conducts one or two reproductive procedures daily, but 17 are already scheduled on Spay Day. Two doctors will be available to administer the surgeries. In Brandon, other clinics taking part are Brandon Animal Clinic, Grand Valley Animal Clinic, Petmobile Vet Clinic and the Wheat City Veterinary Clinic. Outside the city, the Carberry Small Animal Veterinary Clinic, Dauphin Veterinary Clinic, Neepawa Veterinary Clinic, Souris Veterinary Clinic and Virden Animal Hospital are involved. Thrush said participating in Spay Day is a worthwhile initiative. Its a little way that we can try to give back to the community, and try and help those people, who are a little bit less fortunate, be able to get what is an important surgery looked after, he said. Encouraging owners to fix their critter stems the overpopulation of pets, which remains an issue in Brandon and Westman. There always seems to be more dogs and cats around than people have homes for, he said. The Brandon Humane Society does not euthanize pets, but executive director Tracy Munn said many shelters and dog pounds have no choice because they cannot find a home. Literally, millions of dogs and cats are put down in just North America alone every year, she said, making spaying and neutering an invaluable service. After being fixed, female dogs have a lower risk of breast cancer and male dogs display a better temperament and are less aggressive, Munn said. The shelter usually houses between 30-40 dogs and 30-45 cats at any given time. Spay Day has been held annually in dozens of countries worldwide, but this is the first year it will happen in Manitoba. The Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association is organizing the event. They signed up 32 vet clinics. ifroese@brandonsun.com Twitter: @ianfroese Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA A Manitoba company was showcased by International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland Monday as a prime example of how Canadians will benefit from the new trade agreement between Canada and Europe. Sunday night, Freeland tweeted a photo of herself giving European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom a pair of Kanada moccasins made by Manitobah Mukluks. During a news conference about signing the deal Monday she noted the Winnipeg-based company will benefit once the deal is ratified. I thought it was a gift Cecelia would like, Freeland said of the mukluks. She is from Sweden so she is used to the cold. But I also chose that gift to remind Canadians that opening up markets, and the EU is a market of half a billion people, creates tremendous opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses across the country. In this case, those Mukluks are currently subject to a 17 per cent tariff in Europe. That tariff will go down to zero after CETA is ratified. CETA eliminates most tariffs applied to Canadian exports destined for Europe (and European exports destined for Canada). For the Winnipeg company, the tariff on the 20 per cent of its products that are made in Canada will be eliminated under CETA. Its not entirely clear whether the moccasins and Mukluks made overseas will meet the country-of-origin requirements for no tariff although it is likely they will. The change should make the mukluks and moccasins an easier sell in Europe. The companys website indicates it already has a global presence with sales in Germany, France, the Netherlands and Sweden which are all part of the EU. Manitobah Mukluks was founded by Sean McCormick in 1990. In a statement emailed to the Free Press Monday, McCormick said it was an honour to have the product chosen as a gift for the CETA signing. That gift is symbolic of a tradition that has existed in indigenous communities for generations, said McCormick. We often bestow new moccasins upon those who are about to start a new journey or enter a new relationship together. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau flew to Brussels to sign the completed deal on Sunday, although it must still be ratified in both Canada and across the EU. Freeland said Canada has been told the European Parliament should hold a ratification vote in December. Canada tabled the agreement and introduced enabling legislation Monday afternoon. Provinces could also have to introduce legislation to address CETA changes although Manitoba Trade Minister Cliff Cullen said Monday he didnt believe Manitoba needed to change any legislation in order to accommodate CETA. He said Manitoba will be a big beneficiary of the deal, with an estimated $200 million in additional exports, including agriculture, manufacturing and the service sector. Manitoba is a trading province, he said. Freeland said Monday Canada and Europe are signing this at a time when many around the world are talking about closing borders rather than opening them, is a big deal. CETA is a trade agreement but it is also a very important message from Europe, from Canada, to the world, that open, progressive globalization is possible, Freeland said. That even in 2016 it is possible to have policies that are about building bridges and not building walls. Winnipeg Free Press Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba Pork chair George Matheson welcomed the signing of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which took place in Brussels on Sunday. The 28-country European Union, with a population of 500 million, is both the worlds largest exporter at $188 billion and largest importer at $166 billion of agriculture and agri-food products. However, imports of consumer-oriented items such as meat continue to face significant tariff and non-tariff trade barriers. CETA will secure tariff free access for processed and fresh pork products equivalent to almost 80,000 tonnes after a phased-in period of five years. The opportunity to access a wide variety of markets, such as those that CETA will deliver, is key to Manitobas continued success as a globally competitive producer and exporter of high-quality pork and pork products to the world, Matheson said. While there are ongoing technical negotiations with CETA, we are hopeful that these can be resolved, allowing Manitoba pork producers to enjoy a significant increase in exports to the European Union. Europe is the only important pork-consuming region in the world for which Canada currently has little effective market access, according to Manitoba Pork. Limited by very high tariffs and onerous import administration rules, Canadas pork exports to the EU in 2011 were only 415 tonnes. This compares to total Canadian pork exports in that year of more than 1.1 million tonnes. The Brandon Sun Opinion Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 01/11/2016 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. As a show of solidarity yesterday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs sent out a press release on behalf of 85 First Nations, calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to condemn the role that Canadian company Enbridge Inc. has played in the severe violations of the rights of the Indigenous People and their allies at Standing Rock. Ever since pending construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline became public knowledge back in 2014, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota has opposed the 1,200-mile project on several grounds. First and foremost, they say that the pipeline which is expected to transport as many as 570,000 barrels of Bakken crude oil every day from North Dakota to Illinois will put the Missouri River in danger of contamination. The Missouri happens to be the tribes main source of drinking water. And according to Time magazine, the Sioux further argue that the pipeline will disturb a sacred burial ground and that the federal government did not adequately engage the residents of Standing Rock during the pipelines permitting process, which is a requirement under federal law. Ever since the Army Corps of Engineers in the U.S. approved the water crossing permits for the Dakota Access Pipeline under a fast track option, the Standing Rock Sioux have stepped up their protests. While they are generally peaceful, the push back from the company, its hired security personnel, and state officials in North Dakota has been forceful. Protesters and aboriginal leaders have accused officials and security personnel of brutal treatment in response. Time reports that police have used pepper spray, rubber bullets and concussion cannons, among other tactics, to get protestors to disperse. Security workers also used attack dogs against protestors. In September, a federal judge in Washington halted construction on a portion of the highway, though a site identified as sacred tribal burial ground was bulldozed over the Labour Day weekend by pipeline construction crews. Then last week Thursday, according to a CBC report, law enforcement officers in riot gear fired bean bags and pepper spray to evict protesters. More than a dozen protesters who refused to leave were arrested and forced to cool their heels in the county jail. Authorities said protesters set fire to four large pieces of construction equipment. At least two cars were also burned. For its part, Calgary-based Enbridge, through its affiliate Enbridge Energy Partners, announced last August that it would acquire a 27.6 per cent indirect interest in the Bakken pipeline system, including the Dakota Access pipeline thats an expenditure of about US$1.5 billion. As a result, it has become a target for First Nations groups on this side of the border. Canada likes to think of itself as a human rights leader, despite the way its government and its companies have treated Indigenous people at home and abroad, said Winona Laduke, executive director for Honor the Earth, one of the groups represented on the AMC press release. Yet once again, this time at Standing Rock, we see the Canadian company Enbridge harming our Tribal peoples in the US. Lets not forget that Enbridge is responsible for the biggest inland pipeline spill in US history when they dumped over (four) million litres of toxic tar sands dilbit into the Kalamazoo river in Michigan, and yet now Enbridge and Canada are hoping with the proposed Line 3 pipeline project to send even more tar sands dilbit our way in Minnesota. This is an unfortunate stain on Enbridges reputation with First Nations in this country especially so given all the good will that it earned with our own local Dakota tribes here in Manitoba. Keep in mind that the Dakota people compose two of three main subcultures of the Sioux, and are no doubt related to the people at Standing Rock. Following accusations and protests by the Birdtail Sioux First Nation, Canupawakpa and Sioux Valley that the federal government was denying the Dakota revenue sharing agreements, Enbridge stepped up about a decade ago and worked with the tribes to intervene on their behalf with the federal government. Through its involvement with the Dakota, the pipeline giant also agreed to be a major sponsor for a Dakota First Nation language conference in Brandon, and provided cash for Westman reserves and even job training to reserve members in Birdtail. And as it moved forward with its Southern Lights pipeline that was constructed through Western Canada including Manitoba Enbridge worked closely with the Dakota tribes to jointly excavate two archeologically sensitive areas along the Souris River that suggested they had been used as camp sites for aboriginal people. This was a huge success story for Enbridge, and for the Dakota, as they continue to look for ways to improve their financial situations. But at the heart of that success was consultation, and a mutual belief that working together was better than working at odds with each other. Energy Transfer, the Texas-based company that is behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, has argued it has done its consultation with the tribes, and that no further consultation is necessary. Considering Enbridges precedent-setting actions with the Manitoba Dakota peoples, its role in North Dakota seems to be a large step backward. Surely there could be a better way to work with Standing Rock. The recent cross-border controversy is continuing over trade and competition between the North and the Republic. DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson has described the All Ireland Civic Forum proposed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny as "a talking shop". The North's First Minister Arlene Foster caused surprise at the weekend when she accused the Irish Government of trying to 'poach' investment and talk down the Northern economy following the UK vote to leave the EU. Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has contacted Stormont about the remarks to express his concern. Jeffrey Donaldson (pictured on left below) said there is some evidence to back up the claim. He also claimed the North-South Ministerial Council is being undermined by the All Ireland Civic Forum proposed by Mr Kenny. The forum will bring together political parties, civic organisations, trade unions, business groups and non-governmental organisations from North and South. "Why do we undermine the bodies we've created by creating other bodies? The North-South Ministerial Council in the Good Friday Agreement is responsbilbe for promoting cooperation on EU matters. That's what it says. "Why the Taoiseach has decided to go outside that body is beyond me." Kenya, Sudan sign oil and mining pacts Kenya and Sudan have signed agreements to deepen collaboration in oil and mining industry. Hence, Kenya is poised to gain from the agreements as Sudan has made strides in both sectors. Sudan is an established oil exporting country and has also made progress in mineral business with the government owned Sudan Gold Refinery in Khartoum producing 80 tonnes of pure gold in the last one year. President Uhuru Kenyatta and President Omar al-Bashir witnessed the signing of the two MoUs at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum. The agreement on mining will enhance cooperation in the sector for mutual benefit. It also aims to strengthen cooperation in mineral research and exploration institutions. Further, it will boost Kenyas mining industry through the exchange of expertise and training. Earlier, President Kenyatta was taken on a tour of Khartoum Refinery Company, Sudan Gold Refinery and Cofftea Factory, which imports and does value addition of tea from Kenya. More than 70 per cent of the tea consumed in Sudan is produced in Kenya. He said his visit was fruitful and expects mutual gain for both countries. We also engaged in discussions on regional matters and how our two countries which are stable nations can contribute to more stability in the region, President Kenyatta said. They discussed how to foster peace in South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Central Africa Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. On his part, President Bashir thanked Kenya for the role it played in hosting the Naivasha talks that led to a peaceful resolution of the war that raged in Sudan for more than two decades. The resolution led to the birth of South Sudan. President Kenyatta was also briefed on the resolution of the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. www.nation.co.ke Gangs of bikers and youths pelting fireworks caused Halloween chaos for emergency services across the UK and Northern Ireland. More than 200 motorcyclists gathered for a "Halloween ride out" in Solihull and Birmingham, while in Leeds a group of more than 50 racing off-road motorcycles and quad bikes brought Kirkstall Road to a standstill. Police also faced trouble as fireworks were thrown at them in two separate attacks caught on video, with one officer narrowly avoiding being hit by an explosive in Tottenham, north London, the Metropolitan Police said. Officers in Birmingham also tweeted footage of one of their vans being hit by a volley of fireworks. There were similar scenes in Coalisland as fire crews came under attack from youths with fireworks, with hostile crowds forcing them to withdraw from incidents in Rostrevor and Newry, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said. At least seven people were arrested and 10 motorcycles seized following the incident in Birmingham, West Midlands Police said. The riders, many of whom were wearing face masks, caused "chaos" as they darted between traffic, jumped red lights and performed stunts on busy main roads. At one point a police van came under attack, while the fire service also reported that a group of bikers were stopping them from responding to an emergency call. West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley described it as "outrageous" and "totally unacceptable". "This wasn't a rally of bike enthusiasts - this was loutish, criminal behaviour," he said. "Bikers were riding without lights, at speed, dangerously, pulling wheelies in the street, mounting pavements and damaging vehicles." Police closed Kirkstall Road in Leeds for 90 minutes as they waited for a gang of around 50 bikers to disperse following a similar incident. Witness described the scenes as "utter chaos" and "madness" and compared them to those in the Mel Gibson film Mad Max. A police helicopter attended the event, which is believed to have been organised on social media, but no arrests were made, a West Yorkshire Police spokesman said. Scotland Yard said one youth had been detained in relation to an attack on police in Tottenham, north London. Footage from the dashboard camera of a car being driven by neighbourhood watch group Shomrim showed a firework fly past a running Metropolitan Police officer. The rocket then ricocheted and exploded next to a police car in Fladbury Road at around 9.40pm. MPS Haringey tweeted: "Our officers responding to #ASB fireworks related call, some youths decided to aim at us instead!! No officers injured." #Tottenham RT @Shomrim Shocking video of youths attacking @MPSHaringey officers with lit fireworks, narrowly missing officer on foot pic.twitter.com/YFE4eoXjFx London 999 (@999London) October 31, 2016 West Midlands Police also tweeted footage of a police van repeatedly being hit by fireworks being launched from Balsall Heath Park in Birmingham. West Midlands Police said one teenager had been detained following the incident on Taunton Road at around 8.30pm on October 22. The 16-year-old boy, who was arrested on suspicion of public order offences and criminal damage on October 26, has been released on bail, a spokesman said. Another 16-year-old boy has been referred to the police's youth offending team. Sergeant Andrew Lewis, from Sparkbrook, said: "This was totally irresponsible behaviour. I believe that a group of youths specifically targeted the police. "Fortunately no-one was hurt but we could have so easily been dealing with something far more serious." Police were also targeted as they attempted to disperse a crowd of around 100 youths in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, on Monday night. The group threw fireworks at officers, parked cars and houses in the Rosedale and Andrews Lane areas of the town, Hertfordshire Police said. Some 40 officers attended the incident, which took several hours to defuse, and a number of arrests were made, a spokesman said. US entertainer Bill Cosby's lawyers are set to argue that prosecutors are reaching back to the "casting couch" era to round up female accusers and build a "stale" sexual assault case against him. Before a Pennsylvania judge, they will challenge sexual misconduct claims over Cosby stretching from the 1960s through to the 21st century. Cosby will be present for the hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse. Prosecutors will ask the judge to let 13 other women testify at the scheduled June trial that they were drugged and molested by Cosby in what they claim is his "signature" fashion. Defence lawyers said the women's memories have been compromised by time and widespread media coverage of the case. "The fact that even the most fervently held memories can actually be tainted - or altogether false - is supported by a vast existing and growing body of science," lawyers Brian McMonagle and Angela Agrusa wrote. The pretrial hearing is expected to last two days, with another hearing on the evidence set for December. Cosby, who is now 79 and legally blind, remains free on bail. It has been a half a century since the comedian became the first black actor to star in a primetime TV show, I Spy, and more than 20 years since his top-ranked sitcom The Cosby Show stopped filming. After a Temple University employee made a sexual assault complaint against Cosby in 2005, prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to charge him. But a new prosecutor, district attorney Kevin Steele, reopened the Montgomery County case last year amid new evidence: the scores of public accusers and a newly unsealed deposition which showed Cosby acknowledging he gave Andrea Constand three unlabelled pills and some wine before putting his hand down her pants. Ms Constand, then 30, said she was only semi-conscious after taking what she thought were herbal pills. She had met Cosby through her job and said she went to his house that night for career advice. Ms Constand settled a lawsuit against Cosby in 2006. The star's defence said her accounts of her relationship with Cosby changed in her initial police statements, and added that the two had been intimate before. They also took aim at prosecution claims that Cosby attacked vulnerable young women in "signature" fashion after offering to mentor them. Defence lawyers challenge the point, saying the women had different types of friendships with Cosby, met him in different cities and were various ages. The defence will ask Judge Steven O'Neill to bar their "prior bad act" testimony. "Even if proven (and it could not be), the age-old 'casting couch' is not unique to Mr Cosby, and thus not a 'signature' nor a basis for the admissibility of these witnesses' stories, let alone a conviction," Cosby's team wrote. The judge has so far sided with prosecutors in refusing to dismiss the case. A man has been taken to hospital after reportedly cutting off his toe with bolt cutters and then eating it in England. Police attended the Wilko store in Haymarket, Sheffield, previously known as Wilkinson's, at around 11.10am on Sunday. Russia has hit back at the head of MI5's claims that Moscow is adopting an "increasingly aggressive" approach to pursuing its foreign policy goals, including cyber-attacks. Britain's Security Service director-general Andrew Parker used an unprecedented newspaper interview to warn that Russia had been a "covert threat" for decades but there were now more methods available for its agents to use. He said Russia is carrying out a "high volume" of activity "out of sight", such as cyber- attacks, but the claims were dismissed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "His (Mr Parker's) words do not correspond to the reality," Mr Peskov said. "We do not agree with them, and claims regarding cyber-attacks we have already commented on. "No-one has yet given any evidence so we cannot consider claims that are not founded on evidence." Mr Parker told the Guardian that MI5 was working to disrupt the activities of Moscow's spies who were "at work across Europe and in the UK". The interview came as the Investigatory Powers Bill, dubbed a "snoopers' charter" by critics, returned to the House of Commons in the UK on Tuesday so MPs could consider amendments made by peers. Ministers are determined to complete the Bill's passage through the British Parliament by the end of the year, when many of the spying powers in the compromise Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 expire. Elsewhere, British Chancellor Philip Hammond unveiled the British Government's new cyber-security strategy, insisting the UK would "strike back" if it comes under attack. Mr Parker said that, at a time when much of the focus was on Islamic extremism, covert action from other countries was a growing danger, with Russia the biggest concern. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways - involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks," he said. "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that." Mr Parker said President Vladimir Putin's Russia "increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly". The spy chief said: "You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat. "Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available." Mr Parker also warned about the threat posed by home-grown terrorists. He said there were about 3,000 "violent Islamic extremists in the UK, mostly British". The MI5 chief said his agency would expand from 4,000 to 5,000 officers over the next five years and dismissed suggestions that Brexit would hamper co-operation with European counterparts. In what the Guardian hailed as the first newspaper interview given by an incumbent MI5 chief in the agency's history, Mr Parker explained why he was prepared to speak publicly. "We recognise that in a changing world we have to change too. We have a responsibility to talk about our work and explain it," he said. The Guardian published US whistleblower Edward Snowden's leaked revelations about the work of the intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic and Mr Parker defended his criticism of the disclosure of the files. "I spoke out at the time about the damage that was done to the work of British and allied intelligence agencies, about having so much about how we operate revealed to our adversaries. Secrecy is not something we need for its own sake," he said. Donald Trump taken aim at "Obamacare" as well as homing in on the FBI's renewed examination of rival Hillary Clinton's emails as the US election campaign enters its final week. Campaigning in Pennsylvania, a state where some health care premiums are expected to go up by more than 40%, Republican candidate Mr Trump presented an alternate healthcare proposal at a joint appearance with running mate Mike Pence. Striking a subdued tone and barely mentioning Mrs Clinton's name, the typically fiery Republican still warned that electing his Democratic rival would "destroy American health care forever". He said: "Obamacare has led to higher prices, fewer choices and lower quality. Hillary Clinton wants to expand Obamacare and make it even more expensive." If elected, Mr Trump has promised to immediately convene a special session of Congress to repeal the law. It is unclear what that means, since Congress is already scheduled to be in session several weeks before the new US president is inaugurated. Earlier, Mr Trump pointed to renewed FBI examination of Mrs Clinton's email practises as evidence she could face a criminal trial. He said: "Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford." While the fresh opportunities reinforce Republican attacks, they may be too little and too late to help Mr Trump. As Mrs Clinton's national lead shrinks, she is relying on a firewall of support from women and minority voters in demographically diverse swing states. In rallies across Florida on Tuesday, she plans to target Mr Trump's treatment of women, who accuse him of repeatedly sexually harassing and even assaulting them. She will be introduced by Alicia Machado, the winner of Mr Trump's 1996 Miss Universe crown, whom he has repeatedly insulted for her weight gain. With more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, Mr Trump simply may not have the time or organisational capacity to improve his standing enough over the next week to enter the White House. The Republican nominee still faces a narrow pathway to winning the required 270 electoral votes - one that includes defending states like Arizona and Utah which Republicans have won for decades. The new developments have, however, boosted embattled Republicans as they struggle to defend their Senate majority. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who told Fox News he voted for Donald Trump last week, warned that electing Mrs Clinton and a Democratic-controlled Congress would be "the worst of all possible things". "For those of us who lived through the 1990s, it's sort of a feeling like deja vu," he said. "This is what life with the Clintons looks like. It's always a scandal, then there's an investigation." However, Democrats remain optimistic they will pick up the four or five seats needed to retake Senate control, while Republicans concede they are in a real race to keep their majority. A woman has been arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence, police said. Detectives from the Metropolitan Police counter terrorism command detained the 25-year-old woman when she attended an appointment at a central London police station today. She is being questioned on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and remains in custody. On September 10, officers arrested the woman on suspicion of making false representations in order to obtain a passport. DOHA: With just under two weeks to go until the opening game, AFP Sport runs the rule over the eight stadiums which... It's the sort of activity made in Instagram fitness heaven, and now stand-up paddleboard yoga has arrived in Canberra. The variation on yoga, which is done floating on stand-up paddleboards anchored in shallow water, has been popular over the past few years around the world. Stand-up paddleboard yoga with Jo Flynn from Joga Yoga on Lake Burley Griffin. Local yoga instructor Jo Flynn recently got her qualifications in Bali and is now leading groups of eight in hour-long classes on paddleboards - and occasionally off them - in Lake Burley Griffin. "It's a really good laugh, and it's a super good workout for the core," said Flynn. "So it's like your normal yoga workout, but it's just it helps you stay a little bit more present, and it just presents more of a physical challenge versus just your normal yoga class." For those less than enthused about coming in direct contact with Lake Burley Griffin, the class stays pretty close to the shore, in hip-height water, and Flynn said the water, "really isn't as bad as you think". The classes are held at Molonglo Reach, and you get into the water at the sand - so if you pretend really hard, you could almost imagine you're at the beach. Flynn said you don't need to have done yoga or stand-up paddleboarding before - just wear activewear you don't mind getting wet, and take a towel and a change of clothes. "And no valuables unless you want to donate it to the bottom of the lake," she laughs. The Merry Widow from Bluegum Creek. New book and lyrics by Frank Hatherley, from The Merry Widow, original libretto by Viktor Leon and Leo Stein. Music by Franz Lehar. Directed by Peter Smith. Musical direction by Jennifer Groom. Choreography by Belinda Hassall. Queanbeyan Players. The Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre. November 4-5, 11-13, 17-19. Tickets $35-$45. 62856290 or the q.net.au. Franz Lehar's The Merry Widow first produced in 1905, can lay claim to being the most popular operetta of the 20th century, full of well known tunes. But, says Australian writer Frank Hatherley, the many translations of its original German libretto have never been entirely satisfactory, as he discovered in the early 2000s. The Merry Widow from Bluegum Creek: front row Charles Hudson, Louise Keast and Kenneth Goodge, back row Louisa Gifford, Tony Betts and Madeleine Betts. Credit:Alison Newhouse "I came out from England and was looking for something to do. My brother was directing a production of The Merry Widow at Rockdale Opera in Sydney." Hatherley says The Merry Widow is the best thing the prolific Austro-Hungarian composer Lehar - who died in 1948 at the age of 78 - ever composed. Days after a 16-year-old school-based apprentice fell more than seven metres at a north Canberra worksite, another man has been injured in a fall in the city's south. A formwork labourer fell almost three metres from one level onto another through a "void" in the floor at the SQ1 development in Tuggeranong about 9am on Tuesday, WorkSafe ACT commissioner Greg Jones said. There have been two falls at Canberra work sites in the last week. Credit:Nicholas Rider The man was taken to Canberra Hospital for observation however an ACT Emergency Services Agency spokesman said it was not by ambulance. It is understood his injuries are not serious. Do you know more? Email katie.burgess@fairfaxmedia.com.au In electing 13 women to the new 25-member Legislative Assembly last month, voters did more than just reaffirm their reputation as political and social trendsetters. They nailed their colours firmly to the mast of modern leadership, which is collaborative, consultative and predicated foremost on problem-solving. While men are perfectly capable of exhibiting these leadership attributes, it is women, more generally, who are that way inclined. The assembly now comprises a 52 per cent majority of females, a ratio no other Australian parliament comes close to matching. US studies have confirmed that women who are elected to office will perform better, on average, than their male counterparts. What constitutes effective political representation is debatable, of course, but it should perhaps not surprise that women are more likely than men to be talented, capable and hard-working MPs. If there's an inbuilt bias against members of a particular group striving to reach the highest level, it stands to reason that only those of exceptional drive and determination from that group will make it to the top. And one only has to look at how parliaments around the country function, with their family-unfriendly sitting hours, to glean the essentially clubbiness of politics. There's something poetic about the way the green bluff at Point Ormond rises above the sand to meet the sky. The Bunurong people once came here to collect and cook cockles. One of Melbourne's founders, John Pascoe Fawkner, anchored off Point Ormond before he sailed up the Yarra in 1835. In 1840, a ship called Glen Huntly sailed into the bay flying its yellow flag and Point Ormond became a quarantine station. For years afterwards Glen Huntly Road was known as Typhus Road. Today, Point Ormond is a place where children roll down grassy slopes and cyclists stop for a quick drink of water as they ride along the Bay Trail. Bruce Standish at his shop Natural Health Supplies. Credit:Richard Cornish 4. Bruce the Vegan Bruce Standish has been promoting meat-free and dairy-free eating from his shop, Natural Health Supplies, for the past 35 years. In that time he has ignored almost every merchandising fad, selling his fruit and veg out of cardboard boxes with handwritten prices, and advertising "Health Videos for Hire. 2 for $15". Ramshackle and wonderfully dated, his little shop stocks very good organic produce at remarkably good prices. Pumpkin was just $2 a kilo when we visited, oranges $3.50 a kilo. 78 Ormond Road, 9531 7577 The Turnbull government has admitted it was aware former Family First senator Bob Day faced questions over his eligibility to serve in Parliament four weeks ago, but defended its decision to keep that information private until Tuesday afternoon. It has emerged that questions arose back in August about Mr Day's eligibility due to a government lease, and that the government terminated Mr Day's lease last month. Finance Minister Mathias Cormann said the government received independent legal advice last Thursday night that the lease may be in breach of section 44 of the constitution rules that make it illegal for members of Parliament to receive "indirect pecuniary interests" from the Commonwealth. The government handed that advice, centring on Mr Day's interest in the building where his Adelaide parliamentary office was located, to Senate president Stephen Parry on Friday morning, more than three days before Mr Day formalised his decision to quit the Senate and the controversy became public. Bob Day has resigned from the Senate for the second time in a fortnight, leaving the Turnbull government short one critical vote for its plan to reintroduce the building industry watchdog. The Family First senator has thrown in the towel on his political career, effective immediately, saying a white knight saviour for his stricken building business had failed to materialise. The South Australian, who has been the Coalition's most dependable vote, resigned on October 17 but later modified his departure plans so that he could back the resurrection of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. Family First believes it can have a replacement in the Senate from November 21, likely affecting the passage of the government's ABCC Bill. The federal government's hopes of passing contested legislation in the Senate have been thrown into chaos following explosive revelations that its most compliant crossbench senator, Family First's Bob Day, may not have been legally elected. Acting on legal advice, the government now believes it has been renting office space on behalf of the senator, whose company actually owned the premises. That would be a breach of the constitution amounting to a "direct or indirect pecuniary interest" with the Commonwealth which is specifically prohibited and enough to make a person receiving such profit ineligible to stand as a member of the Australian Parliament. The news is set to force a recount of all South Australian Senate votes from the July 2 election, and that in turn could result in the election of another crossbench senator or even one from the opposition potentially changing the composition of an already hostile upper house. Since making her debut on the front-row of Chanel last year, Lily-Rose Depp has become one of the most sought-after fashion girls. And the 17-year-old has capped off her successful year with a significant style milestone by gracing the cover of December's British Vogue - and she is one of the youngest to do so. The daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, declared "fashion's dream girl" on the cover, has achieved a status that puts her among the ranks of Kate Moss, who secured her first British Vogue cover at the age of 19, and Brooke Shields, who was on the cover of American Vogue at 14. The young model, who is also set to star in the upcoming dramas The Dancer and Planetarium - the latter alongside Natalie Portman - took to Instagram to announce she was photographed by legendary Bruce Weber for the upcoming issue. Lily-Rose Depp attends the Chanel show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2017. Credit:Pascal Le Segretain According to Lily-Rose Depp, being the daughter of an A-list actor and pop star "does not leave anything to rebel against," in fact the young star revealed she instead is focused on forging her own successful career, having worked on five feature films, not to mention her prestigious relationship with Chanel as a brand ambassador. "My parents weren't very strict," she told William Van Meter for the cover interview. Marti Friedlander, self-portrait, aged 54. Credit:Marti Friedlander "It's so nice of you to come. I might pop off tomorrow, but I thought up to the last minute I might as well perform." Then: "Adam, it was the most wonderful ceremony. It was so moving." Smoko, South Island, 1970. Friedlander saw the country with an outsider's eye. Credit:Marti Friedlander She's talking about the event at Auckland University's Fale Pasifika on Monday, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Literature in recognition of her life of photography. "When I grew up in the orphanage in the East End, how could I ever have known that one day I'd go to New Zealand and photograph New Zealand? It's a marvellous story." Chisel tattooo Kirikino Kohitu, Waikato, one of the subjects of Friedlander's famed moko series of photographs, in a print gifted to Te Papa. Credit:Marti Friedlander It's a story that's been told in the 2004 documentary Marti: The Passionate Eye, and in her 2014 book Self Portrait:Martha Gordon and her sister Anne, children of Russian refugees, growing up in a Jewish orphanage in London. Marti taking a job printing photos in a Kensington studio. Heropo Rongo, Waikato, from the 1970 moko series. Credit:Marti Friedlander Marti falling in love with Kiwi dentist Gerrard Friedlander who was in London for his OE, and returning with him in 1958 to an empty, puritanical, authoritarian country at the bottom of the world. The stillbirth of their only child. Marti's decision to pick up her camera and capture what she saw: toitoi, children, sheep, shearers, artists, the protest marches of a changing society. Painter Ralph Hotere was one of many New Zealand cultural greats captured on camera by Friedlander. Credit:Marti Friedlander "I was so incredibly lonely and I thought to myself, look around you Marti. There are other migrants here. They're feeling the same. Why don't you take photographs of this strange country. And that's how it all began." You don't plan to capture history, but you do anyway. Girls in Mt Eden, 1969. People, says Friedlander, are "endlessly fascinating". Credit:Marti Friedlander She tells young would-be photographers: "You think you are so contemporary, but if you photograph what's around you now, in the future young people will say, 'Is that what it was like?'" She thanks Chris as he clips a mic to her shirt, and again when he takes it off. She says how grateful she is for the women caring for her at home, and for the United Nations of people who looked after her recently in hospital. "There's so much humanity and caring out there. I'm so deeply touched by it all." Her voice is deep and strong, still Englishly clipped. "The only thing is, Gerrard and I have been together for 60 years, and I love him so much. I can't really bear that it's so hard for him, but I don't want to take him with me, because he's full of life. He loves life." She takes a tissue. "I woke up this morning, in a little bit of pain, and I looked around this room. The children in Grey Lynn," (she waves at a poster of her 1960s image of grinning Pasifika urchins); "I talked for Christchurch," (a poster for a quake charity event); "my sheep shearers," (a print of the familiar 1970 photo "Smoko"); "my pinboard there. And I thought, aren't you lucky Marti, you have this life. I've always felt lucky Adam, even when I was in the orphanage." She learnt about the doctorate only weeks ago, in an email, and says it's kept her alive. "I was already quite ill, so I said to my GP, 'Paul help me. Let me receive it. It's such an accolade. No matter how sick I am, I really would love to receive it. "That's what my friends have done. They've rallied around. We were all in tears. It was so moving. Adam it was marvellous." In 1970 Friedlander spent two weeks travelling through the rural North Island with Michael King taking photos of kuia for a book about moko. She has been thinking about those women more than ever recently. "Being that age myself, there are little vanities you don't realise. Having hairs taken off your chin. "When I photographed the moko women I adored them. It never dawned on me that they were old. I just saw them as the most beautiful women. "We didn't have the same language, but they were beautiful. We laughed. And now I'm that age." Does she see that beauty of age now, in the mirror? "I never look in the mirror." What about photos of yourself then? You look at them don't you? "I look at photographs of myself when I was young. And I don't see the beauty so much, I see the energy and the personality I was. Full of confidence. Well, not always. That's not true. Full of love. Go and ask Gerrard." Recently, a regular from her local cafe, Alphabet, emailed and said "Where are you Marti? We miss you." It's only in the past year that she's been seriously ill, but she sort of pretended it wasn't happening. "I've known for quite a while. I had breast cancer, and it returned. I didn't talk about it. "My feeling was do as much as you can while you can. I didn't get up each morning and say 'thank God I'm still here'. I just lived. "When you know you're at the end of your life it's the simplest things that you realise are more valuable a lovely toasted sandwhich. Hokey pokey icecream. People complicate their life. People say 'I'm going to give this up. I'm going to become a vegan.' And I say, 'Oh rubbish!'" She isn't bothering to keep up with the nonsense about Trump, though she was thrilled at Bob Dylan winning a Nobel Prize. "I thought at last! The imagination." She's just finished photographing 28 Waiheke Island winemakers for a book due in February. "I'm working right up to the last moment. "I think that's the biggest gift. I've not felt sorry for myself, not once. And I've had tremendous illnesses. We lost our daughter. I've always felt that life is something none of us understand. It's been an amazing journey." She can't pick a favourite photograph. She loves them all "I wouldn't have bothered to take the photograph unless I liked it." She'd like to be remembered, though, as a photographer who "had an attitude to human beings and life and images that had a bit of wit. "There's no point if it's just a prosaic, pictorial copying. It's like writing a poem, where you precis literature and life. You precis what you feel about the human experience. "I couldn't take pretty pictures. I love people. We're all endlessly fascinating." Her technique was always simple. Use available light. Don't take a thousand shots in hope of getting one good one "If you see my strips of film, the second or third shot was always the one.." She and Chris talk about box brownies (her first camera) and Hasselblads ("so heavy!") then she picks up the small Canon digital on her desk and makes us pose: move together; this arm in front of that; stand up please. "This is how I work. It's about getting a different angle." She frames up and takes a few shots from her seat, then shows them on the camera-back screen. Normally she'd stand to take a photo but "I love this. Perfect. You couldn't get it better than that. Marvellous. Isn't that lovely. Look at that. "Anyway," she says, putting the camera down, "that's how I work. Very quickly." She photographed real people but also well-known ones: prime ministers, writers like CK Stead and Dan Davin and Margaret Mahy, artists like Don Binney, Tony Fomison, Rita Angus, Sofia Tekela-Smith. She'd have liked to have photographed Edmund Hillary but it never happened, though she bumped into him once when she and Gerrard were walking Karekare Gorge. She turns on her computer to finds a picture she recently posted on Facebook: a black-and-white image of a rainbow above Karekare beach, taken in the 1960s. She more interested in people than scenery, but she likes this one the paradox of a rainbow made colourless. She can't get out, but she's reading a lot. She's deep into Judas by the Israeli novelist Amos Oz. And The Patagonian Hare, the memoir of Claude Lanzmann, director of the epic Holocaust documentary Shoah. And Vivian Gornick's New York memoir The Odd Woman and the City. "I find it very hard to read light novels." We help her back to the bed, where Chris tries a different angle. She's eager to find the best pose for him, though "I don't want to look ill. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me." She congratulates him when he's done and summons him down for a hug. Then me. "You're a darling. An absolute darling." She looks about. "Is my darling Gerrard anywhere? I feel I've neglected him." She directs us around the room to dig out gifts from a cupboard and under the bed: greeting-card reproductions from an old exhibition; a couple of poster-sized prints. She thanks us again for coming. "I feel totally privileged," she says, though the privilege is all ours. The University of NSW has been awarded $47.8 million to fund 120 research projects in the latest Australian Research Council funding round announced on Tuesday. Four other universities in Sydney combined Macquarie, Sydney, University of Technology and Western Sydney received $56.6 million, just $8.8 million more in ARC funding than UNSW did on its own. "On top of recently being awarded $91 million for three ARC centres of excellence, this means that UNSW has secured $150 million of the $863 million announced by the ARC in 2016," said Professor Nicholas Fisk, UNSW deputy vice-chancellor (research). One of the biggest projects to be funded in this year's ARC round is for UNSW's Climate Change Research Centre. Family and friends attend a 'Condolence Motion' at Brisbane City Hall for Manmeet Sharma. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams "It's an absolute tragedy and while we can't change what happened, we can't change the events of last week, we can ensure that Manmeet's memory lives on in the people of Brisbane." Moorooka councillor Steve Griffiths said he wanted to express his community's "shock and remorse" over the events of last Friday. Brisbane Mayor Graham Quirk asks the community to support Manmeet's family Credit:Lisa Maree Williams "I found it incredible to be involved as the community has responded to this tragedy," he said. After speaking, the visibly upset Cr Griffiths had to leave the chamber. Slain bus driver Manmeet Sharma' Greens councillor Jonathan Sri, of Sri Lankan descent, said he could emphasise with Mr Sharma's family both back in India and in the public gallery at City Hall. "They send them away with the best of intentions and so much love in their hearts and it's a great pain to send your son or daughter to the other side of the world, not knowing when you'll see them again," he said through tears. "And they have the pride that they have made it, they've gone to the West, they've gone to Australia. "What a joy to talk to our friends in the villages and say how wonderful it is that he is over there, that she is over there, and for this to happen makes me so, so sad. "I wish there was more I could say or do to ease your pain and there is nothing." Cr Sri said while he acknowledged there had been no allegation of it being a racially motivated attack, there needed to be more understanding shown towards recent arrivals. "At the same time, I can't help but remark than still in this city today, many taxi drivers, many bus drivers of subcontinental descent continue to experience racism. "They face it on a daily basis. They are abused, they they are cursed, they are criticised and I think, in this context and at this time, it is important to remember that we can always do more. "We don't always make it easy for our brothers and sisters who come here from other countries and, at times like this, I think it's important that we recognise that." Cr Quirk said the best thing Brisbane people could do was to help Mr Sharma's family and, to that end, the council had contributed $10,000 to the fund it set up on Monday. "For people of Brisbane, you need to know that Manmeet, although not overly paid as a bus driver we know that driving buses is not a highly paid profession or occupation in our city but in spite of that he was supporting his family back home," he said. "So the best way we can assist his family at this time is not only through our words of condolence and sympathy, but also in a practical way. "I would just ask today that the people of Brisbane seriously consider making a contribution to the fund set up to support Manmeet's family." The proposed Brisbane Metro could be fully automated, with no need for any drivers to operate the public transport system, under one option under active consideration by the Brisbane City Council. Deputy mayor Adrian Schrinner, who was overseeing the project, said a driverless metro was one solution to the lack of a suitable stabling yard, after the state government declared the council's preferred Go Print site option off limits. In a public transport committee meeting on Tuesday morning, Labor councillor Jared Cassidy noted that Lord Mayor Graham Quirk had conceded the Go Print site at Woolloongabba could not be used as a Brisbane Metro stabling yard and asked what other sites were being considered. That led to Cr Schrinner's revelation that a driverless metro was being considered. More reports have emerged, confirming Queensland Rail was repeatedly warned it did not have enough train drivers and guards. Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe has now demanded all relevant documents from Queensland Rail, complaining he had only seen another warning for the first time on Tuesday. And it has been revealed former chief executive officer Helen Gluer received a $158,214 payout after resigning on October 27. Advice from public transport software and optimisation company GIRO provided to Queensland Rail in March 2016 warns: "QR's current driver and guard resource levels are not sufficient". There is 17,000 kilometres between them but London's Carlton Tavern and the Melbourne pub once known as the Carlton Inn have something in common: both were illegally demolished by developers, and both will be rebuilt after public outcry. Both cities are in the midst of unprecedented apartment building booms. Melbourne's Carlton Inn was built in 1859, and knocked down last month without permission, despite it having a heritage overlay. The property's owners, developers Stefce Kutlosevski and Raman Shaqiri have promised after Planning Minister Richard Wynne sought an order compelling them to rebuild the pub. Alexander McDonald suspected something was fishy when he was given the answers to a crucial test to become a chef. After submitting his work, he discovered an assessor at St John's Regional College had slipped him a cheat sheet, stuffing it into a paper folder. Alex McDonald holds a certificate he received from St John's Regional College in Dandenong. He is concerned it is now worthless. Credit:Paul Jeffers The document which has the words "Answer Book Please Return" emblazoned on the front casts further light on the explosive claims of fraud which have rocked the Catholic school. On Monday, The Age revealed that the Dandenong school was being investigated by the school's watchdog over explosive claims of a $5 million state government funding rort. "Cowboy" developer Stefce Kutlesovski has plans for a sprawling new ranch in Brighton's "golden mile" after his wife splashed out more than $14 million on two properties in the same exclusive street. Mr Kutlesovski is half of 160 Leicester Pty Ltd who, with partner Raman Shaqiri, illegally knocked down Carlton's Corkman Irish Pub last month despite its heritage overlay. The pair had no planning or building permits. The land where, until last month, a 1920s Brighton mansion stood. It sold in June to the family of developer Stefce Kutlesovski for $10.6 million. Credit:Simon Schluter The controversial developer has again left a pile of rubble in his wake, after demolishing both homes in Birdwood Avenue over the past month. This time though it appears Mr Kutlesovski and partner Soyna, whose name appears on the titles of both properties, were granted the necessary council permits before sending in a demolition crew last month. Vital information about a predicted wind change was not properly communicated when a WA firefighter was caught up in the "dead man zone" of a bushfire, an inquest has heard. Albany firefighter Wendy Elizabeth Bearfoot, 45, died in hospital in November 2012 after receiving burns to 80 per cent of her body when she and three colleagues became trapped in the blaze. Albany firefighter Wendy Elizabeth Bearfoot, 45, died in hospital in November 2012 after receiving burns to 80 per cent of her body. Credit:Sky News Counsel assisting the coroner Sergeant Lyle Housiaux said on Monday that at about 9.30am on October 12 the occupants of a rural property in Kalgan, commonly known as Black Cat Creek Farm, first saw the blaze that later went on to destroy 1300 hectares. Although radio communications worked well from the incident control van to the firefighters on the ground, there was no mobile phone coverage, and therefore, no access to the internet or fax machine. A still image taken from drone footage, posted online by the communications arm of the Ahrar al-Sham militant group, purports to show an air strike in Aleppo. Credit:AP They contended that the US was actively backing Islamic State and other extremist militants, and called allegations of war crimes against Syria politically motivated, fabricated, or both. "I'm just a headline the bad president, the bad guy, who is killing the good guys," Dr Assad said on Monday evening in his palace. "You know this narrative. The real reason is toppling the government. This government doesn't fit the criteria of the United States." Members of the Fatah al-Sham Front, a group until recently formally allied with al-Qaeda which is fighting the Assad government, discuss the siege of Aleppo. Credit:AP Despite "thousands of Syrians killed by the terrorists", he said, "no one is talking about war crimes" by rebel groups. In fact, the day before, the United Nations special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, followed by Amnesty International and other international rights groups, condemned the rebel groups' indiscriminate shelling of government-held sections of Aleppo, attacks that have killed scores of civilians. Nevertheless, it is government planes that have pounded insurgent-held residential areas daily; government forces that have imposed starvation sieges; and state detention facilities where thousands of people including peaceful protesters, bloggers and other civilians arrested at random languish without trial, often under torture. Government forces have also been responsible, according to Physicians for Human Rights, Doctors Without Borders and other international groups, for an overwhelming majority of hundreds of attacks on hospitals and medical workers, including numerous instances of "double-tap" strikes, where planes circle back to hit a second time as rescue workers arrive. "Let's suppose that these allegations are correct and this President has killed his own people and the US is helping the Syrian people," Dr Assad said. "After five years and a half, who supported me? How can I be a president [if] my people don't support me?" He gave a small giggle and added: "This is not [a] realistic story." The situation in Syria Dr Assad's remarks came after a two-day conference organised by the British Syrian Society, headed by his father-in-law, Fawaz Akhras, that was billed as part of a new openness and an effort to compete in what was termed a media war. Several dozen international journalists and analysts attended after obtaining hard-to-get visas to report and gain a partial glimpse of the situation in government-held Syria. Reporters in the country are required to travel with minders and even then need elaborate permission to visit specific areas, and there was no sign that this policy was changing. Damascus, the capital, appears less tense than it was a year or two ago. After advances by pro-government forces and what the government calls reconciliation deals with besieged suburbs, there is less outgoing artillery fire, though there are still air strikes on some suburbs. Rebel mortars hit the city less frequently. New bars are packed in the historic old city. The message from the conference speakers, many of them government officials, advisers and supporters, as well as from Dr Assad, was one of confidence: They believe they are winning, and they are ready to engage with the West, but on their own terms. The confident statements come amid a much more complicated picture. The government is depending on Russian air support and thousands of militia fighters from Iraq and Hezbollah to aid army units to retake the rebel-held half of Aleppo. Even so, it is facing stiff resistance and counter-attacks, and the battle is expected to take months at least. Soldiers drafted for two-year service have been fighting for five years. Military officers grumble that the growing role of Russia and Hezbollah in the war effort is giving away too much sovereignty. Millions of Syrian children are unable to attend school. IS, while on the defensive from US-backed forces in Iraq and north-eastern Syria, still holds large swaths of the country. Dr Assad, as is his custom, met visitors on Monday at the top of the sweeping staircase of the palace, saying he found it "more cosy" than the official one, used for ceremonies, on a hill overlooking central Damascus. There were no security checks. The president joked about his love of technology "I follow the gadgets on a daily basis" and noted with pride that 4G mobile phone technology had been introduced in Syria during the war. But he brushed off reports that he loved video games. "The last video game I played was Atari," he said. "Space Invaders." Pressed on how Syria might be restructured or reformed, he said the first change that was needed was in the region's mental "operating system", which he said was based on religion. Islamist ideologies based on "bad interpretation" had taken root before the war and had fuelled it. He rejected analysts' contentions that his government had accelerated the process by building mosques and funnelling jihadist fighters to Iraq during the US occupation. "Islamisation means 'I don't believe in anyone who doesn't look like me, behaves like me, thinks like me'," he said. "Secular[ism] means freedom of religion." He grew steely when asked why he did not release political prisoners and detainees accused only of protesting or writing against the government. "There is no political. We have legal," he said. "The legal criminals are the ones who breach the laws, whether it is political aspect or the military or the security. If you support the terrorists, it's not political prisoner. You are supporting the killers." He said that he had released tens of thousands of prisoners, but that he had the authority to release only those who had been tried and sentenced. Asked about a list of detainees whose families have heard nothing of them for years, he asked for proof that they were in prison. "Do you have documents?" he asked. He said the families should work within the judicial system, but countless families have tried to do that, paying bribes for information only to come up empty. Dr Assad said he was fighting to preserve state institutions. Loading "Good or bad," he said, criticising Western intervention that helped topple the government of Libya in 2011. "It's not your mission to change it." CNN has cut ties with commentator and interim Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile after WikiLeaks revealed that Brazile leaked more primary debate questions to Hillary Clinton's campaign. It marks the second purported email indicating Brazile had tipped off the Clinton campaign to questions that were supposed to be kept secret during the Democratic primaries, when the DNC was ostensibly neutral. The alleged email posted Monday said Clinton would be questioned by a woman from Flint, Michigan, about the town's tainted water. An alleged memo released earlier told the campaign Clinton would be asked about the death penalty at another event that month. Brazile, who didn't respond Monday to a request for comment, said after WikiLeaks posted the earlier email that she never had access to debate questions and wouldn't have shared them if she did. She suggested the WikiLeaks documents may have been "misinformation." The Clinton campaign has said the Russian government hacked the emails of campaign chairman John Podesta and may have altered or concocted some of the thousands it has been posting. Washington: Since President Barack Obama named James B. Comey director of the FBI in 2013, the 6-foot-8 former prosecutor has spoken often of dark chapters in the bureau's history, notably J. Edgar Hoover's order to wiretap the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and use the tapes to try to drive the civil rights leader to suicide. "The reason I do those things," Comey said in a talk at Georgetown University last year, "is to ensure that we remember our mistakes and that we learn from them." His point: The nation's leading law enforcement agency must preserve investigations from any taint of political motive or extralegal influence. So it may be especially painful to Comey that today, after his second sensational public statement on the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's email, that some critics and historians are comparing him to Hoover. "I think this is sort of a flashback to the days of J. Edgar Hoover," said Sanford J. Ungar, a Georgetown scholar, former journalist and author who has written about the FBI's history. "I don't mean to smear Comey, and it may be an unfair comparison. But Hoover would weigh in on issues without warning or expectation. I just wonder how Comey sees his role." Washington: Hillary Clinton won unlikely support on Monday, as a parade of high-profile Republicans piled on, attacking FBI director James Comey who now is being skewered for a double standard in what appears to be a hardball political-play happily releasing information that upended the Clinton campaign, yet urging suppression of information about Russia that would have played awkwardly for Donald Trump. Washington was electrified by a report that more than a month before the election, Comey argued to other security chiefs that it was too close to the poll to accuse Russia of meddling in US politics in a way seen to help Trump; but he had no regard for the proximity of the vote in revealing he was reactivating the FBI's Clinton email investigation with just 11 days to go. In the case of the Russians, the evidence was overwhelming; in the Clinton case, the FBI knew that a new trove of emails had been discovered in a separate probe into the internet sex-life of disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, whose estranged wife Huma Abedin is a Clinton aide and confidante but none of which had been examined for relevance. Quoting a former FBI official, CNBC reported that Comey was so insistent in the case of the Russians, that he insisted his agency's name be removed from an October 7 statement, naming the Russian Government as the perpetrator of hacks on Democratic computers, which was released by the Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence. Latest News Reserve Bank decides on interest rates How November call will affect borrowers Property investors abandon Queensland market Government laws threaten investor control, says industry body The National Australia Bank ( NAB ) has brought in stricter regulations for older property buyers seeking to take out a home loan.The new guidelines apply to mortgage brokers and other third parties offering white-label loans through NABs wholesale funder and distribute Advantedge Financial Services.Where a borrower or co-borrower will reach 70 years of age prior to the expiry of the loan term you must be able to establish how the borrower will be able to meet repayments upon retirement for the remainder of the loan term, the new policy is reported as saying.This strengthens the banks current regulations which ask brokers to establish how borrowers of 60 years old will meet mortgage payments upon retirement.A spokesperson from Advantedge told Australian Broker that the lender was committed to responsible lending and having detailed discussions with customers. The overall point of the policy was to initiate conversations with borrowers around proper lending practices.Age does not affect a customers loan application. Through this policy, we are simply seeking to understand their financial capacity to repay their loan upon possible retirement for example, they may say they will have paid off their loan, or plan to sell their asset, or they will have adequate funds to continue meeting their repayments, she said.However, the Australian Financial Review has reported that certain lawyers and aged groups have said the restrictions might be discriminatory.This issue is ability to repay a loan, not age. It should not matter whether someone is 40 years old, or 50 or 70 if they are able to service their borrowings, Ian Yates, chief executive of Council On The Ageing (COTA), told the AFR.Alex Grayson, a senior associate at Maurice Blackburn, also spoke to the paper, saying that section 28 of the Age Discrimination Act made it unlawful for a provider of goods and services to discriminate against an individual on the grounds of the persons age.Consideration of a loan application should be about an applicant's ability to service a loan and capacity to make their repayments, regardless of their age, she said. Latest News Reserve Bank decides on interest rates How November call will affect borrowers Property investors abandon Queensland market Government laws threaten investor control, says industry body Yellow Brick Road has appointed Andrew Rasby as the companys new general manager for lending where he will be overseeing productivity and lending support for over 160 branches across Australia.Speaking with Australian Broker, Rasby said he has come into the role at Yellow Brick Road with 28 years of experience working in the Commonwealth Bank Group. This included running a financial planning dealership for Colonial First State, sales in rural and regional banking for Bankwest , and NSW/ACT for Aussie Home Loans.He highlighted Mark Bouris leadership as one of the reasons for moving over to Yellow Brick Road.Secondly, I think its a really exciting time for YBR. Theyve got a full suite of products including the wealth offering which I have a background in. Im here in a really exciting growth phase to help grow the store network from a productivity, mentoring, and conversion point of view.By moving to Yellow Brick Road, Rasby said he felt he would have a greater ability to change things as he worked closely with Bouris and the board.My main focus is the store network and particularly from a lending side but I want to make sure that the lending and the wealth go hand in hand seamlessly for our customers.When asked what his plans were for the future, Rasby said he would get out on the ground as much as possible so he could see what was happening in the branch network prior to developing any concrete strategies.Rasby formally commences in the role of general manager today (1 November).YBRs executive chairman Mark Bouris said the introduction of this dedicated role supported the franchises commitment to enhanced productivity and profitability.Weve spent five years building a strong, broad distribution network of dedicated local wealth managers. Now that our footprint is established and growing, we are determined to provide our network with the expertise and mentorship to help them reach their potential, said.Mr Rasby will ensure Yellow Brick Road branches are supported with lending guidance, training and mentoring to increase conversions and support network growth. latest news October 31, 2022 Buddy TV In November, there are hundreds of new and returning TV showsit can be overwhelming to try and choose what to watch. That's why we've selected some of the best options... Asthe title of this episode of Timeless suggests, The Alamo visits the famous battle of the Alamo in 1836. But theres more to the episode than Davy Crockett. Theres the threat of a team members replacement, Lucy confronting her mother about her fathers identity and the alteration of history (a staple in every Timeless episode). Matt Lanter on Why Wyatt is the One Who Wants to Change Things the Most >>> The Mission After a quick glimpse of the past, we see Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus dealing with their own personal troubles. Rufus confronts Mason about his confrontation with the men from Rittenhouse. Wyatt joins a meeting with Agent Christopher and another government official who decide that Wyatts just not getting the job done and will have to be replaced. And Lucy pleads with her mother to let her know who her father is. Ultimately, though, all three characters efforts are fruitless, and they refocus their attention to the matter at hand: Flynn, who has time-traveled to the Alamo. Soon, we see Flynn speaking with General Santa Anna in 1836. He tells him that hes come to offer his assistance on behalf of Queen Isabella and offers him a bag full of gold bars. Santa Anna seems skeptical that Flynn could help him but accepts the valuable metal and his offer. Arriving at the Alamo, Lucy, Rufus and Wyatt encounter the armys leader, Colonel Bowie, and the legendary Davy Crockett, whos telling his men a story about wrestling a bear. While Lucy and Rufus are in awe at Crockett, Wyatt has no time for distractions. Hes on a mission: to kill Flynn. Bad News Flynn, meanwhile, has made his way to Lt. Col. Barret Travis, the man who penned the famous letter Victory or Death. Travis has been warned of Flynn, though, and is prepared. He draws his gun on him and shoots, but the weapon doesnt fire. Flynn reveals that he stole the bullets from his gun. Then Flynn shoots Barret dead, killing him four days before he was supposed to die. After finding his body, the team realizes that Travis never finished writing his letter, which, historically, led to the founding of Texas. But the bad news isnt over yet. Santa Anna has pushed his troops to head toward the Americans and has raised a red flag, a sign that women and children are not to be spared something that never happened in the Alamos history. Under Wyatts lead, the team decides to figure out a new way to restore history. Wyatt orders Lucy to finish writing Travis letter and Rufus to find a new way for the women and children to escape while he speaks to Bowie. Flynn approaches Santa Anna, trying to get him to lower the red flag. He encourages him to let the women and children go, but Santa Anna refuses. And, whats more, he tells Flynn that if he tries to interfere in his plans, hell have him killed. Quiz: Which TV Vigilante Are You? >>> An Escape Plan After chatting with Crockett, Rufus realizes that theres an aqueduct that they can use to escape. The only problem is that its blocked by stone. While trying to break apart the stone, he speaks with Crockett about fear, referencing his earlier story about how he managed to stay calm while wrestling a bear. Crockett confesses that he never wrestled a bear. Instead, the bear came at him, he got scared and shot wildly, hitting the bear by chance. He tells his men that he wrestled a bear, he says, because sometimes men need a leader who can do just that. Wyatt develops a plan with Bowie that will buy them enough time to get the women and children out safely. Wyatt, who has been having hallucinations of his fellow soldiers from war, confesses that he believes he left his former platoon to die. He tells Bowie that they had to get an important piece of intel out, and after they flipped a coin, they decided Wyatt should escape. Even though he earned a medal for his service, he feels like he abandoned his men. After struggling to work past her writers block, Lucy finally writes the letter, signing it, From the men and women of the Alamo. Rufus, on the other hand, figures out a way to get through the aqueduct. He asks Wyatt about a bundle of grenades he brought with him, and after Wyatt gives them up, Rufus drops them in a hole, successfully creating an exit. Santa Annas army starts to infiltrate the area and the battle begins. Lucy goes to retrieve Wyatt so they can escape, but he doesnt want to leave the other men behind. Lucy grabs him and tells him that she and Rufus need him. Shes able to convince him, and they race toward the exit with Wyatt carrying an injured young man with him. As everyone gets into the tunnel to escape, Lucy and Wyatt learn that the young mans name is John Smith, the person who was supposed to deliver Travis letter and the future first mayor of San Antonio. They hand him Lucys letter and tell him that he must deliver it safely. Before Wyatt leaves, Bowie hands him his knife. Return to the Present Back to the present, Christopher and the government official gather that Flynn is still alive and decide that Wyatt must be replaced. Lucy argues that they cant replace him. She tells them that she trusts him, and she and Rufus explain that they wont continue the missions without him. Since Rufus is the only man who can pilot the time machine, Wyatt is allowed to remain on the team. At home, Lucy approaches her mother. Realizing that theyre not going to fight, her mother decides to tell Lucy about her father. She tells her that she met him when she was a junior in college; he was a professor. She got pregnant but didnt want to marry him. After refusing his help, she eventually stopped hearing from him. Her mother then hands Lucy a piece of paper with her fathers name on it, but unfortunately, we see neither the name nor Lucys reaction to reading it. What did you think of The Alamo? Do you think Wyatt will ever be able to complete his mission to take down Flynn? Do you think Lucys father is someone weve already met or a new character? Let us know in the comments section below. Timeless season 1 airs Monday nights at 10/9c on NBC. Want more news? Like our Facebook page. (Image courtesy of NBC) Campus News Voting in first presidential election brings out mixed emotions in UB students Ben Deangelis, a volunteer with UB Votes, registers students in the Student Union. Photo: Laura Hernandez By LAURA HERNANDEZ They want to be a part of an historic event. They dont want to be sitting on the sidelines while others impact the future. Ben Deangelis, graduate student and member UB Votes Jared Danzer feels cheated. Jodie-Ann Mullings is conflicted. Daniel Matthew feels the pressure. With the Nov. 8 election just over a week away, these UB students will be casting their ballots for president for the first time. And for these students, as well as others interviewed recently by UBNow, the decision is not going to be an easy one. For Danzer, a senior business administration major, the election took a disappointing turn when Bernie Sanders lost the Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton. He says he was looking forward to casting his first presidential vote for Sanders, but now the election is far from what he was anticipating. I expected my first presidential election to have more honor and excitement as we watched two brave, dedicated Americans try to make the country, the planet and themselves better, he says. As a strong Sanders supporter, I feel as though I was cheated. He says none of this years candidates including Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein, in addition to Donald Trump and Clinton has talked much about the issues he feels strongly about, such as ending private prisons, legalizing marijuana and moving toward renewable energy. Currently studying abroad in Italy, Danzer has seen how the U.S. election is viewed overseas. Many are scared but sympathetic because they have extremists saying hateful words in their countries, too, he says. They begged me to vote for Hillary in fear of what a Trump America would look like. Danzer does plan on voting for Clinton via absentee ballot. Voting for those who can't Stephen Carro talks with a student about registering to vote. Photo: Laura Hernandez Stephen Carro talks with a student about registering to vote. Photo: Laura Hernandez Matthew, a senior communication major, also is casting an absentee ballot. He says he is feeling the pressure to vote. Im from Florida, so I feel like my vote definitely counts, he says. Being from a swing state adds more pressure to vote. Originally from Trinidad, Matthew gained his dual citizenship in 2011. Coming from a family of immigrants and having been one himself, he didnt want to miss the opportunity to cast his first presidential vote. Having a leader who either supports or doesnt support immigration impacts where I and others live, he says. Im not just voting for myself; Im voting for those who cant. Matthew feels the election is more of a popularity contest and nothing like what he expected it to be like. It turned into a battle of who can get the most votes, rather than who has the best policies, he says. If the campaigns were less biased and less about what has been said and done, it would have been easier to decide who to vote for. Matthew plans to vote for Clinton, who he believes is more experienced and better suited to be president. Regardless, he is still hesitant about which name he ultimately will mark on his absentee ballot. I feel trapped, he says. I know I have to make a decision, but I dont know what decision is the right one. Mullings, a senior psychology and communication double major, hoped her first election would be stress-free, with a clear idea of who to vote for. Thats been far from the case. At this moment, Im voting for the lesser of two evils, she says. I dont like the candidates so Im torn. Despite being unsure of who to vote for, Mullings says she is voting because it is the right thing to do. Ive always wanted to vote and now is my chance, she says. I might as well try to keep someone out of office with my vote. Mullings wishes the news media would report more on third-party candidates Johnson and Stein. She would like to see a candidate with strong plans for the economy, immigration and reducing education costs. I will look into the other candidates [Johnson and Stein] just before the election, she says. But I know I am not voting for Trump. If I could vote for Bernie [Sanders] I would. Choosing the lesser of two evils Kate Ladera, a junior psychology major, is casting her first presidential vote for Clinton, even though she thinks Clinton may not be the best candidate. Many issues for which she stands for, or is trying to stand for, are things I agree with such as abortion rights, gun control and Sanders proposal to make college education debt-free and affordable, she says. And like other first-time voters, Ladera didnt envision her first election to be like this one has played out. I am honestly so disillusioned and embarrassed by this whole election, she says. I didnt expect voting to be like this at all or having to choose the lesser of two evils. Although excited to vote, she is also anxious. Seeing how far Trump has come in the election has made voting a priority for her. It is our job to make sure that the groups of people Trump is marginalizing so heavily are safe and feel like they are just as free and protected in this country as everyone else, she says. These students interviewed by UBNow are not unusual in how they feel about the election. Jacob Neiheisel, assistant professor of political science professor, says the students in his classes like most first-time voters are either unsure about their choice or are certain of who they are voting for. Some of my students are simply voting for the lesser of two evils, Neiheisel says. Others are really excited to vote for Hillary [Clinton] their first time out. He says his students are concerned about whether or not the Republican Party can survive a Trump candidacy. They are also worried about the content of the Wikileaks emails regarding the Democratic National Conventions treatment of Bernie Sanders, the candidate many of his students supported during the primaries. Neiheisel notes that since the polls arent close at this juncture, students seem to be more anxious about the effect this election will have on future elections. They have expressed concern about what this election means for the future of the electoral process and for the political parties, he says. Having an impact Why do people keep leaving their cars unlocked in NJ? We asked Burnham-On-Seas Mayor has spoken out at HSBCs plans to shut down its branch in the town. Burnham-On-Sea.com first reported that HSBC is to shut down its Burnham-On-Sea branch in January 2017. The bank blames a sharp 28 per cent reduction in footfall at the Burnham-On-Sea branch in College Street for the difficult decision. Burnhams Mayor Michael Clarke told Burnham-On-Sea.com: My thoughts are with any staff that will be effected by the sad loss of our local HSBC branch, and to all those customers that rely on having a local branch to be able to carry out their banking needs. Not everyone in our society has access to, or the ability to use internet / telephone banking, and the loss of a local branch will be felt hard by both staff and customers alike. Alex Turco from Burnham-On-Sea Chamber of Trade added: Our thoughts are with the staff at the bank. This decision will impact many community groups and residents in town who bank with HSBC and still receive cheques and need a face-to-face service. Its also very disappointing that the banks closure may lead to a reduction in footfall in Burnham town centre if the banks customers are pushed to use online banking instead of visiting our town centre. Burnhams MP James Heappey told Burnham-On-Sea.com: I am deeply disappointed to hear that HSBC will be closing its branches in Burnham-On-Sea and Shepton Mallet. HSBC briefed me on the closures last week and I understand staff were told last week too. Whilst HSBC are offering opportunities for all affected staff in other branches, my first concern is with those whose jobs are affected. HSBC tell me that customers will be receiving letters explaining the closure and the alternative arrangements they propose in the post today. They argue that the branches are no longer viable as more and more customers are choosing to bank online. But this is the same story as weve seen from HSBC and other banks in other towns across the Wells Constituency and across the country. Undoubtedly more and more people are willing and able to do their banking online but there is scant regard for those who cannot travel to other nearby branches, are unable to use the internet and for small businesses who need a nearby facility to bank their cash every day in order to remain within in the terms of their insurance policies. HSBC will offer the post offices in Burnham and Shepton as an alternative but Post Office are not able to offer a full range of services; especially for small businesses. Theyre not able to do this because the banks wont let them! I strongly encourage both business and personal banking customers to switch their accounts to other banks in the towns. In Shepton this is particularly important as there will now be just one remaining bank. The banks look simply at the amount and value of business done in a branch and so the best way to guard against further closures is to make sure that remaining banks are rewarded with as much business as possible. I have been campaigning in Parliament over the regulations on bank branch closures since the loss of all the remaining banks in Glastonbury last year. Most recently, that has included a meeting with Professor Russel Griggs who has been conducting a review into the Access to Banking Protocols. Professor Griggs will publish his report in the next few weeks but it will include significant recommendations for a revision of these protocols. I have discussed the likely recommendations with HSBC and they have confirmed that they will be seeking to manage the closure of these branches, as much as possible, in accordance with whatever recommendations Professor Griggs makes. It is hugely frustrating that yet more bank branches are closing and there is no escaping that for some in our community, there is no option other than banking in person, over the counter in a local bank. Until post offices are empowered to offer a full service in lieu of a bank and until cashless facilities are available to small businesses without significant transaction fees; it is disingenuous for our high street banks to claim that they can close branches without impact. I will continue to push them hard on these issues. Meanwhile, HSBC says that customers who have questions about the closure should contact the banks community communication team on Freephone 0800 243 364 or via HSBCcommunitycomms@grayling.com. Popular prime-time debate host was learnt to have resigned as the editor-in-chief of Times Now, The Minute reported on Tuesday. The move, apparently in favour of turning an entrepreneur and starting his own venture, came after several days of murmurs about his likely exit, the report added. Independent directors must help find amicable resolution: Arun Duggal I am very saddened by the boardroom battle in . Tata Group is held in the highest esteem in India and is the most respected Indian group internationally. Its corporate governance and ethical standards have been of the highest order in the past. Therefore, the present situation is tragic and I hope the Tata group recovers from it soon. Questionable financial transactions involving former senior executives at prompted the Tata group to conduct a forensic audit of the accounts of the airline company earlier this year, it is learnt. Houses Burned, Churches Destroyed -- Still Not Safe For Assyrians To Return An Iraqi Christian soldier guards the church of Saint Barbara after it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh. ( Reuters) Just over a week since Qaraqosh was liberated from Islamic State, and the Christian-majority town is not safe enough for civilians to return home, Christian Today has been told. Speaking from Alqosh, an Assyrian Christian town about 50km north of Mosul, a spokesperson and soldier for Christian militia the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) said that there are still a number of ISIS militants operating in Qaraqosh, who move around the town via a complex series of tunnels. The NPU, along with the Iraqi special forces and Iraqi military, liberated Qaraqosh -- also known by its Assyrian name Baghdeda -- about nine days ago. It was first overrun by Islamic State militants in August 2014, forcing tens of thousands of people, many of them Christians, to flee. Now that the majority of ISIS militants have been forced out or killed, however, the people of Qaraqosh are still not able to return. "The town is not 100 per cent cleared from IEDs [improvised explosive devices], or from bombs, so it is still not safe for the civilians," NPU spokesman Athra Kado said. But the town's priests arrived on the first day of liberation, and although it's not safe for them to stay overnight, Kado added, they have returned every single day. They have rescued ancient church documents, thankfully untouched by jihadists, and yesterday held Mass for the first time in two years at the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It's a significant moment for Assyrians in the region, who are part of an ancient branch of Christianity with roots dating back to the 1st century AD. The NPU is one of a number of Christian militias operating in Iraq, but it is the only one to be official recognised and supported by the Iraqi government. "After ISIS, it became one of my life goals to reach our towns, because it's like we lost with each Assyrian town [taken by ISIS] a part of our body," Kado said. But when troops liberated Qaraqosh and other Christian towns and villages in the region, they were met with devastation. "It was like a disaster," Kado says of Qaraqosh. "The buildings were crushed, most of the houses burned, the church was -- and is -- still in a very bad way. But of these two sides, happiness and sadness, it was more like happiness. We can rebuild. It's the work of hundreds of years, and ISIS came in two years and broke everything, but we can rebuild." As towns have been liberated, images have emerged of crosses, pulled down and broken by ISIS, being raised again upon church roofs by soldiers. Kado says this has been incredibly symbolic of the Assyrian fight for freedom, and for him it's representative of "Jesus bringing life back by the cross". "He [Jesus] gave us freedom and freedom from sin on the cross... We are almost doing the same thing with that cross when we put it on the roof. ISIS is the sin, and the cross is stopping that sin." It will be several months before the region is secure and Christians can return home, Kado said, but his fellow soldiers are desperate to take back their towns from ISIS. "It [the Nineveh Plain, before ISIS] felt like the only place in the word that we were safe, but even that place was taken from us," he says. "Now, we're trying to get it back." In the past six months, has exited 24 countries and brought down its presence abroad to 110 nations from about 135 earlier. Much of this has been achieved by Umang Vora, who took charge as managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) from September 1. He was elevated from the earlier role of chief operating officer. Vora aims to exit six more countries in the near future and there could be more on the cards. The Kolkata-based group, which has business interest in fast-moving consumer goods, retail and pharmacy, is now looking at the start-up space to make investments. Cloud-based customer engagement software firm has raised Series F funding of $55 million led by Sequoia Capital India, a new investor for the company, and the existing investor, Accel Partners. With the latest round of funding, the total funds raised by the company so far is around $149 million. Ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry has sought an appointment with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also heads the ministry of corporate affairs. However, the government has decided to stay clear, for now, of the boardroom tussle in India's largest conglomerate. Last month, Sanjay Lalbhai-controlled Arvind Ltd announced selling a 10% stake in its brand business subsidiary Arvind Lifestyles at a valuation of Rs 7,400 crore for the business. The market capitalisation of Arvind, even after a 19% rally, is around Rs 10,800 crore, and this deal has brought renewed interest in textiles and garment . India has come to be known as the fastest growing market for smartphones, with usually doing better than other categories, but September quarter was different. Shipment of smartphones priced above Rs 30,000 fell 59 per cent year-on-year, data from Counterpoint Research show. said on Tuesday he had kept Tata Sons interim Chairman Ratan Tata and Tata Trusts trustee N A Soonawala informed on the litigation with NTT DoCoMo over the latter's exit from their loss-making joint venture, Tata Teleservices. Former Tata Sons chairman had kept Ratan Tata, then chairman emeritus and current interim chairman, in the loop about the sale of sagging European operations, a director on the board said. In an escalation on the border, 8 people, including two children and four women, were killed and 22 injured on as Pakistani troops targeted civilian areas here, inviting strong retaliation by Indian forces who killed two Pakistani soldiers and destroyed their 14 posts. The injured included a 18-month-old girl. In view of increased shelling and firing by Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered closure of all the 400 schools along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region. With cross-border firing escalating, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation at a meeting in Delhi which was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials. "Five people died and 8 others were injured in the Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today," Deputy Commissioner of Samba Sheetal Nanda told Press Trust of India. One person died due to shock during shelling in the same area, raising the toll of those killed in the area to six, she said. The deceased have been identified as 19-year-old Ravinder Kour of Jerda village, 7-year-old Rishap, 5-year-old Abhi, 29-year-old Anju Devi, 60-year-old Meeru Ram of Rangoor village and 32-year-old Swaran Singh of Govindgarh. The injured have been identified as 45-year-old Ashok Kumar, 30-year-old Rakesh Kumar, 13-year-old Muskaan, 50- year-old Kamli, one-and-a-half year-old Pari, 29-year-old Sushma of Rangoor Camp village and 28-year-old Kapil Dev and 15-year-old Anjna Verma of Nanga village. Pari, along with Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Muskaan, Kamli and Kapil Dev have been shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu for treatment. Along the LoC, two women Sultan Begum and Maqbool Begum were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district today, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said that three people (army porters) suffered injuries in the shelling by Pakistani troops in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. At 0710 hours today, 3 mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district and injured 4 people, he said. Two women Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24) were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district last evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Army sources said that two Pakistani solidiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite to Naushera sector of Rajouri district today. Pareek said BSF destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action. "BSF gave a calibrated retaliation on IB in response to unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in area of Ramgarh and Arnia Sectors since morning," the DIG said. "Since morning, BSF targeted Pakistan Rangers' posts across IB in the same sector and caused heavy damage to 14 Pakistani Posts," he said. Unlock 30+ premium stories daily hand-picked by our editors, across devices on browser and app. Full access to our intuitive epaper - clip, save, share articles from any device; newspaper archives from 2006. Curated newsletters on markets, personal finance, policy & politics, start-ups, technology, and more. Pick your 5 favourite companies, get a daily email with all news updates on them. 26 years of website archives. The United States (US) on Tuesday issued an advisory to its citizens in India, asking them to maintain a high level of vigilance, as reports indicated ISIS's desire to attack targets in India. "Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL's desire to attack targets in India. The US Embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues," the US Embassy in India said in a statement. Calling on Americans to be highly vigilant, the statement further asserted that citizens must take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Department's Worldwide Caution of September 9, 2016, which says that "India continues to experience terrorist and insurgent activities which may affect US citizens directly or indirectly. Anti-western terrorist groups active in India include Islamist extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami, Harakat ul-Mujahidin, Indian Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Lashkar-e-Taiba. Past attacks have targeted public places, including some frequented by Westerners, such as luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas. One woman was killed and four others were on Monday injured when Pakistani troops violated ceasefire by shelling border hamlets and posts with mortar bombs along the International Border (IB) and the LoC in Samba, Jammu and Rajouri districts. President will embark on a three-day state visit to Nepal tomorrow, the first by an Indian Head of State in 18 years, during which he will hold talks with political leadership there besides visiting historical temples of Pashupatinath and Ram Janki. The President's visit is seen as an extension of "intensive engagement" by India with Nepal, which adopted its democratic Constitution last year, at political and functional levels. "The President has had a long involvement with the people of Nepal, with the political leaders of Nepal and he has been a person who has played an instrumental role on behalf of India in his different capacities as Defence Minister, as Finance Minister and as External Affairs Minister in the process of democratic evolution within Nepal," Press Secretary to the President Venu Rajamony had said. Mukherjee is likely to be received by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. A formal meeting between the two Heads of State has been lined up at the official residence of Bhandari--Shital Niwas. Bhandari will also host a state banquet in honour of Mukherjee. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will also host a dinner in his honour. "India is giving particular focus on our ongoing development, connectivity and economic projects as well as number of projects under the lines of credit. "These projects are being reviewed periodically at the highest level to ensure their timely implementation. We are also trying to move forward expeditiously on the post-earthquake reconstruction projects where India has committed USD one billion assistance to Nepal," Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said while briefing about the visit. Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and the Prime Minister will also call on Mukherjee. The leaders "will discuss the full range of issues covering bilateral, regional and international issues and I am sure regional cooperation issue will figure in the talks," Dalela had said. The then President K R Narayanan had visited Nepal in 1998. Two visits have been lined up for Mukherjee to historical temples. He will be visiting Pashupatinath in Kathmandu on November 3 and the next day he will pay beisnace at Janaki temple in Janakpur which has been hotbed of Madhesi community protests. In Janakpur, a civic reception has been scheduled in his honour where he will interact with local people. The External Affairs Ministry did not rule out Mukherjee's meeting with leaders of Madhesi community which is largely of Indian origin. "Apart from formal engagements...There would be number of opportunities for the Rashtrapati Ji to interact with the political leaders, with the members of civil society at different places and I am sure he will have an opportunity to interact with Madhesi leaders also," Dalela had said. On November 3, Mukherjee will be conferred with an honorary degree followed a civic reception in Kathmandu in his honour. The President will also address a seminar of Niti Anusandhan Pratisthan Nepal and India Foundation. The President, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces, will also visit Pokhra on the same day where he will interact with ex-servicemen of Indian Army from Gurkha community. During the visit, the emphasis of the Indian side is to see the implementation of agreements which have already been entered in both sides. "We have put in place a number of new agreements to promote our cooperation in trade, economic, connectivity, people-to-people connections, tourism and we are trying to implement these agreements and MoUs that we have signed. I think our focus at this stage is to really implement what we have signed," Dalela had said. Companies owned by Indian-origin British citizen and alleged Indian arms dealers Sudhir Choudhrie's family received close to 100 million euros from Russian arms and defence firms over 12 months, an investigation by BBC Panorama and The Guardian into leaked documents from the Choudhries' Swiss bank revealed. Eight activists from the banned group, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who pulled off a daring prison and absconded after killing a security guard from the Bhopal central jail, were hunted down and killed on Monday in a police encounter on the city outskirts. China on Tuesday said it will first find a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries seeking entry into and will then discuss India's application, a day after the two country's held talks over India's bid for membership of the elite grouping. The two sides exchanged views on the enlargement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other relevant issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here about the second round of talks held on Monday between India and China. The talks were held between Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security) Amandeep Singh Gill and his Chinese counterpart Wang Qun. "On India's accession to the NSG, I can tell you that China's position is very clear and consistent. China attaches importance to the accession of non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) members into the NSG," Hua said. "We will carry out relevant work based on the Seoul General Assembly and the inter-governmental process that is open and transparent," she said. "We will seek a solution that applies to all Non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of relevant non-NPT country," Hua said. She, however, did not refer to Pakistan, which has also applied for membership along with India. "We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard," Hua said. In the June Plenary of the 48-member in Seoul, despite strong American support, China had stonewalled India's bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the NPT. China had taken a stand that India was not a signatory to the NPT which is necessary for entry of new members into the club which controls nuclear commerce. Monday's talks were the second round of dialogue between Indian and Chinese officials on India's admission into the NSG with the first round held in September. After holding talks with India, China has held similar round of talks with Pakistan as well. Indian and Chinese officials had described the talks as"substantive and constructive". Jaxport CEO Eric Green said the $23.5 million grant marks a milestone in our initiatives to build the port of the future and move cargo in the most efficient and eco-friendly way possible. India is set to go on the offensive against China at the upcoming negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. A few days ago, the World Bank in its Index ranked India 130 out of 190 nations in the world. It seems the PM Modi led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government didnt take too kindly to the embarrassing findings. A week after the original index was published, the World Bank in a new report has ranked all BJP ruled states as the best places to do business in India. ALSO READ: India moves up by just one notch on World Bank's 'ease of doing business' index International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning International Bureau of Education (IBE), UNESCO in partnership with Google and in collaboration with the UNESCO International Institute of Technology for Education (IITE) in Moscow the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) in New Delhi and the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India (MHRD-GOI) is organizing an International Forum on Adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning. The forum is being held in New Delhi, India from 31th October- 4th November 2016. IBE supports countries efforts both through direct technical assistance but also by proving platform to share experiences and best practices from around the world and build country capacity to harness technology to strengthen education systems for sustained improvement of education quality, equity and inclusion. The forum targets mainly countries which are implementing the UNESCO developed General Education Quality Analysis Framework (GEQAF). Participating countries include Azerbaijan, Botswana, Egypt, Gabon, India, Lithuania, Oman, Seychelles, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Swaziland. Experts from Brazil, Mauritius and the United State are also participating. IBE partner Google is contributing significantly not only India a group of officials/faculty representing RMSA, SCERTs, School Teachers, and National ICT Awardee. NCERT and senior officials from MHRD-GOI and Autonomous bodies under MHRD-GOI are likely to participate. The International Forum is designed differently than the common practice of conferences and workshop characterized by extensive presentations and with very little interaction and hands-on activities For adopting an ICT Perspective to Education and Learning experiential learning is very essential. Therefore, the sessions of the forum are designed to be interactive and to build on concrete cases of ICT integration and inclusion thought practical hands-on activities. Best practice cases from countries like India, Lithuania, Mauritius, Oman and South Africa will be presented in innovating and engaging ways. PM attends Opening Ceremony of Haryana Swarna Jayanti Celebrations The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today attended the Opening Ceremony of the Haryana Swarna Jayanti Celebrations in Gurugram. Speaking on the occasion, he said today is a day to look back at the time when Haryana was formed and the aims with which the state was formed.Haryana is a relatively small state but it has contributed in so many areas, he said. The Prime Minister said that it is believed that Haryana has only farmers, but businessmen from the State have also had exemplary success.People of Haryana have given their lives for the nation by serving in the Armed Forces, the Prime Minister said.In such a distinguished state, female foeticide cannot exist, Shri Narendra Modi emphasized, adding that Haryana has now undertaken an effort to ensure that it does not happen. Let every citizen of Haryana pledge to protect the girl child, the Prime Minister said.The Prime Minister said that the people of Haryana should think about making the entire State, Open Defecation Free, within this Golden Jubilee year.May the process of transformation begin in our villages and when this happens, the development of Haryana will receive an impetus, the Prime Minister said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) has signed a deal to work directly with Ford Motor to expand the carmaker's use of its QNX secure operating system, the Canadian technology company said on Monday, as Ford develops increasingly automated vehicles. British Prime Minister welcomes Bank of England Governor Mark Carney's decision to extend his term at the central bank by one year, her spokeswoman said on Monday. Earlier, Carney said he had decided to stay in charge of the central bank for an extra year until the end of June 2019 to help smooth Britain's departure from the European Union. "The prime minister welcomes the governor's decision to stay on beyond his initial five-year term," the spokeswoman said. "This is good news for the UK. It will provide continuity and stability at the Bank of England as we negotiate our exit from the European Union and look to take advantage of the opportunities that Brexit will present," she said. China's central bank injected a total of 763.71 billion yuan ($112.8 billion) via short- and medium-term liquidity tools in October, its data showed on Tuesday, as it seeks to support credit expansion and the . October liquidity injections were up from 275.55 billion yuan in September, the central bank's data showed. The People's Bank of said in a statement on its website that it lent 763 billion yuan to financial institutions via its medium-term lending facility (MLF) in October. The central bank lent 451.5 bln yuan for six months and 311.5 bln yuan for a year. Outstanding MLF was 2.11 trillion yuan at the end of October compared with 1.91 trillion yuan at the end of September, implying a net injection of 205.5 billion yuan. The central bank also extended 712 million yuan of loans to local financial institutions in October via its standing lending facility (SLF), it said. The total outstanding amount of SLF loans was 500 million yuan at the end of October, compared with 400 million yuan at the end of September, implying a net injection of 100 million yuan. The combined net injections via MLF and SLF climbed to 205.6 billion yuan last month from 152.2 billion yuan in September, the data showed. The central bank uses the SLF and the medium-term lending facility as tools for managing short- and medium-term liquidity in the country's banking system. In October, the central bank made a net 51.1 billion yuan in loans to three policy banks via its pledged supplementary lending (PSL) facility, it said. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned Turkey against provoking a confrontation while saying he does not want war, after Ankara deployed tanks and artillery near the border. Turkey has yesterday insisted that it will play a role in the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, but Baghdad has rejected this assertion and repeatedly called on Ankara to withdraw troops it has deployed near the jihadist-held city. "The invasion of will lead to Turkey being dismantled," Abadi said at a televised news conference. "We do not want war with Turkey, and we do not want a confrontation with Turkey," he said. "But if a confrontation happens, we are ready for it. We will consider (Turkey) an enemy and we will deal with it as an enemy," Abadi said. Turkish military sources said Tuesday that it had deployed tanks and artillery to southeastern districts near the Iraqi border. The 30-vehicle convoy left Ankara for Silopi, the sources told AFP, adding that it was now close to Adana province in southern Turkey. Turkey's Defence Minister Fikri Isik said the deployment was part of Ankara's preparation for "important developments in the region", referring to Kurdish rebels inside the country and events in . "Turkey is preparing in advance for whatever happens (and) this is one element of that," he said, quoted by the official news agency Anadolu. It is the latest escalation in a protracted dispute between Baghdad and Ankara that has seen repeated calls from Baghdad for Turkish troops to be withdrawn, and increasingly belligerent and dismissive remarks from top Turkish officials. A military confrontation between the two countries would be a disaster for Iraq, whose forces are tied down in the battle for Mosul that it launched on October 17. Federal investigators have secured a warrant to examine newly discovered emails related to Hillary Clinton's private server as a prominent Democrat accused Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director of breaking the law by trying to influence the election. The warrant will allow the FBI to examine the emails to see if they are relevant to its probe of the private email server used for government work by Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, while she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens. In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The arrival of ride-sharing app can reveal much about a countrys pressure points and preoccupations. Since launching in Pakistan earlier this year, the high costs of car ownership and low cost of wages have thrown up unexpected problems for the company, offering captivating insights into the prevailing political economy and the role of capital owners in a sharing economy. It is not solo drivers, but those with wealth to hand who have seen as an investment opportunity, and in doing so they have created a distorted incentive system which damages service quality. Last month, Sanjay Lalbhai-controlled Arvind Ltd announced the sale of a 10-per cent stake in its brand business subsidiary, Arvind Lifestyles, at a valuation of Rs 7,400 crore. The market capitalisation of Arvind, even after a 19-per cent rally, is around Rs 10,800 crore, and this deal has renewed interest in textile and garment companies. closed the session on a lower note amid volatile trading session weighed down by defensive sectors like IT, FMCG and pharma. However, the downside was limited due to buying among metal shares and favourable core sector growth in October. Despite efforts by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for enabling offshore fund managers to manage foreign money domestically, not many are ready to relocate to Mumbai. Despite being active in the secondary market, a number of top global funds such as Oppenheimer, Eton Park, William Blair, Wellington, Columbia Wanger, T Rowe Price, FMR, and JPMorgan are refraining from coming in as anchor investors of Indian initial public offerings (IPOs). The market has not factored in a victory in the US elections, since he has been trailing Hillary Clinton in most opinion polls. But the latest Washington Post-ABC Tracking Poll says 46% of likely voters are supporting Trump while 45% are behind Clinton. If he wins US polls, the global would see short-term volatility, say experts. China and Belgium have agreed to expand cooperation in areas such as investment, new energy and in the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping during his meeting with the visiting Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel called on both sides to properly handle issues regarding respective core interests and major concerns, and expand cooperation in key areas such as manufacturing, new energy, environmental protection and services, reports state-owned Xinhua news agency. Urging Belgium to take opportunities provided by the Belt and Road Initiative to boost development of the China-Europe and Asia-Europe logistics industry and cross-border e-commerce, Xi said that the two countries should explore cooperation in high-end technology and industries with high added value. The Belt and Road Initiative was proposed by the Chinese President in 2013 which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road that aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. Xi said that his country appreciates and welcomes the willingness of Belgium to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and wishes it becomes an AIIB member country as soon as possible. He also hoped that Belgium would urge the European Union to fulfill its obligations under Article 15 of the Protocol on China's accession to the Trade Organization (WTO) in due time. The Belgium Prime Minister is on an official visit to China as the two countries celebrate the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Recalling Xi's state visit to Belgium in 2014, Michel vowed to strengthen the cooperation with China in diversified areas, including investment, innovation, aviation, new energy and infrastructure and added that his country is committed towards boosting EU-China ties featuring mutual trust and mutual benefit. A series of cooperation agreements were signed between the two countries on extradition and criminal transfer, and a letter of intent on opening flights between Shanghai and Brussels Urging Brussels to relax restrictions on high-tech exports to China Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his talks with Michel called for a stronger bilateral cooperation in technological innovation, advanced manufacturing and security. Stating that Belgium will stick to free trade, Michel said they are committed to expand cooperation with China in areas including agriculture, information and communication, finance and insurance. Pledging to facilitate negotiations on the EU-China investment agreement, he said that Brussels is ready to deal with issues related to the EU's WTO obligations in a positive and pragmatic manner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With around 25 schools having been burnt down in the Valley in the last three months, the state government on Tuesday asserted that divisive forces at hard at work to ensure the children of the state don't aspire to be anything more than 'stone-pelters', which is why their very education was being targeted. Speaking to ANI here, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh launched an attack on Pakistan, accusing them of leading the current state of unrest in the Valley. "They (Pakistan) are sending terrorists here and using Hurriyat as a mask to run its agenda in the Valley. People of the valley want peace and they want their children to go to school. Back in the old days, they would burn down libraries to hurt the sentiments of people and now, it's the schools," Singh said. Stating that most of the schools that have been targeted are government school, the Deputy Chief Minister added that the agenda of the divisive forces behind attacking schools is that the children do not get educated and remain blind to the reality in the Valley. "Most of the children that come to government schools are poor or from villages. By attacking their education, these divisive forces want to ensure that the children remain nothing more than stone pelters," Singh said. Meanwhile, the state's High Court stepped in today and asked the government to protect the schools in the Valley which are under attack. The High Court has taken "suo moto cognisance" or acted of its own accord to order the state government to take preventive measures. The court also directed the police and administration to ensure protection of schools besides unmasking those responsible. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An exasperated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday asked where was the need to question the nation's law enforcement agencies over the elimination of eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terrorists who broke out of the Bhopal Central Jail on Monday morning. It said that political parties should raise the morale of the police for their achievement, rather than always placing them in the witness box of scrutiny. Lashing out the opposition, BJP leader G V L Narsimha Rao told ANI, "You have parties indulging in cheap politics and targeting the security forces rather than praising them. We are facing terrorism threats from both across the border and within and the Congress and other parties are indulging in political opportunism." Defending its action to open fire on the eight SIMI terrorists, the Madhya Pradesh Police asserted that the escapees were neutralised in 'retaliatory' fire, adding that the suspects have been continuously perpetrating serious offences and also killed police constables in 2008 and 2011. Bhopal Inspector General of Police Yogesh Chaudhry said, "We garnered all possible resources and launched search and patrol parties after we got intelligence that around 7-8 people were seen by locals. It was difficult to locate them as the unequal terrain was a disadvantage, but soon our team was fired upon when we challenged the suspects." Following the encounter, all eight suspects were found dead and with weapons, including knives and local-made pistols on their bodies. Talking about the row over the unverified encounter video that has now become viral where the cops are seen opening fire on the escapees, the top cop said he will look into its veracity. "It was a case of open environment and we will take all matters in consideration as the probe progresses. It is part of our investigation to figure out how they procured weapons after they escaped prison as 3 of our personnel were injured with sharp weapons," he added. Chaudhry said investigators would also ascertain if the terrorists had received any help from outside to facilitate their escape from the prison. The escape of the prisoners and their encounter with security forces reportedly took place under Gunga police station area, about 10 kilometers from the central jail in Bhopal. According to reports, the encounter took place after villagers provided information to the search team on their whereabouts. Five officers of the jail, including the superintendent have been suspended. The Centre has sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh Government over the jail break incident. The Home Ministry has asked details on the escape of eight SIMI activists from Bhopal central jail last night and has also asked for whether there was any lapse on the part of the jail administration and the steps taken to check such incidents. However, Congress general secretary and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh has claimed that the repeated instance of prisoners escaping from jail across the country suggested a larger 'conspiracy'. "It is a serious issue. First SIMI activists fled the Khandwa Jail. Now they have fled from Bhopal jail. I have been reiterating that RSS activists and other similar organisations are behind the anti-Muslim riots in the country. It should be probed whether there is someone behind this or not," Singh told reporters in the capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maintaining that if asking for justice from the courts regarding a government crackdown on his party workers is tantamount to pressurising judiciary, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday asked, "Is asking for justice pressurising the courts?" The Dawn quoted Khan as saying, "If we want to know from the courts [why] we are being baton-charged, roads are being blocked and women are being arrested... is this pressurising the courts?" He said that the issue will be raised in Supreme Court by the PTI leaders. The PTI chief said, what crime they have committed that the PTI workers are being arrested. Why was he put under house arrest? Khan also asked that under which law was the Pervez Khattak-led convoy of PTI protesters was stopped from reaching Islamabad. He also questioned that under which law was the Pervez Khattak-led convoy of PTI protesters stopped from reaching Islamabad. Meanwhile, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Shaikh Rashid said today that PTI chairman Imran Khan should have joined his protest on October 28 in Rawalpindi. He was talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad. The PTI chief was scheduled to address supporters at an AML-organised meeting at Lal Haveli on Oct 28 but he cancelled the plan later on saying that his party is instead gearing up for the November 2 protest in Islamabad. Rashed said that they want to get rid of Nawaz Sharif at any cost. While apparently referring to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the Turkish president, he said, "Now the army needs to decide if they are with Erdogan or with people." Rasheed made it clear that he was not inviting the army while answering a question. He said that the Prime Minister will not be spared by us and will follow him like a stinger or silkworm missile until and unless he gets sacked from his office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following the continuous shelling from Pakistan which has resulted in the loss of lives, the Government has ordered the shutting down of 174 schools along the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu region. 84 schools have been closed in Balakot zone in Poonch and 45 schools in Samba district. Over 25 schools have been gutted in the Valley in the last three months since the unrest broke out after Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani's killing by Indian security forces. Earlier today, the state's High Court stepped in and asked the government to protect the schools in the Valley which are under attack. The High Court took "suo moto cognisance" or acted of its own accord to order the state government to take preventive measures. The court also directed the police and administration to ensure protection of schools besides unmasking those responsible. Meanwhile in the wake of the continuous ceasefire violations and firing from Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh called a high level meeting, in which Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and other senior MHA officials were present. The Border Security Force (BSF) today targeted around 14 Pakistan posts along the International Border (IB) in response to the unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramgarh and Arnia Sector since morning. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of the continuous ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high level meeting at his residence today, where it was concluded that a befitting reply must be given to activities happening across the border and firm action must be taken on those worsening the situation in the Valley. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Ministry and other senior MHA officials were also present at the meeting. The issues discussed in the meeting took into account the matter of securing the border and to give befitting reply to Pakistan for the activities on border. Given the situation of prolonged unrest in the Valley, the meeting further concluded that strong actions must be taken against the perpetrators who are trying to aggravate the situation by burning schools in the Valley. Over 25 schools have been gutted in the Valley in the last three months since the unrest broke out after Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani's killing by Indian security forces. Earlier today, a 19 year old girl was killed and three civilians were injured after the Pakistan troops violated ceasefire in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday declared Kerala as an open defection free state. "Kerala becomes first high density populated state in the country to achieve Open Defecation Free status today on its formation day," Vijayan tweeted. The milestone was achieved after the government constructed nearly 1.75 lakh toilets across Kerala. The announcement was made by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer in New Delhi today. Thrissur was the first district to become defecation free, followed by Kannur and Kozhikode. A group of engineering students in Idukki, set up toilets in the remote tribal village of Edamalakkdy, which received a special mention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a show cause notice to the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), run by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, Naik's counsel, on Tuesday said the notice did not contain violations relating to terrorism or any terrorist activity alleged against the preacher. "There are certain violations which are mentioned in that. We are still studying the notice, will give reply to it within a stipulated period," Naik's counsel Mubin Solkar told ANI here. "There was no mention of any kind of violations relating to terrorism or any terrorist activity alleged against Naik," he added. Earlier, the MHA issued a show cause notice to Naik's NGO thereby initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA licence. MHA sources further state that the process for putting Zakir Naik's educational trust in prior permission category has also been initiated. The Centre had time and again asserted that Zakir Naik's IRF is maligning India and, therefore, on several occasions advocated for a ban. Naik came under the scanner after the Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' revealed that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, was inspired by Naik. Naik is banned in both the U.K. and Canada for his alleged hate speeches aimed against other religions. He is among the 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He is also accused of radicalizing and attracting youth for terror acts and has come under the scanner of the security agencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Railway and Scout Guides organized a 'Run for Unity' campaign here as homage to India's first home minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The run ended at the Moradabad railway station and it was followed by people taking a pledge for unity. "We have prayed for unity because if we are together, then we are powerful," Deeksha Lakhera, a student told ANI. Pramod Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Moradabad Division, Northern Railway, told ANI, "Today is a big event, we have organized the program. 'Run for Unity' for Unity. Our officers, the students and all employees have participated. We are celebrating the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as unity and will also take an oath," "The whole world is going to celebrate the birthday of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel as a festival and as National Unity. Indian railways will celebrate this occasion with full excitement, all the workers of railway, our scout, sport members, railway employees are gathered to participate in this Unity Run. On this great festival we pay our tributes to Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel," a participant Sudhakar Ranjan Tyagi told ANI. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday honoured Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the occasion of his 141st birth anniversary. The government had last year decided to observe Sardar Patel Jayanti Day as Ekta Diwas. This occasion provides an opportunity to re-affirm the inherent strength and resilience of the nation to withstand the threats to its unity, integrity and security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh Government, Chief Secretary and state police after eight activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI,) who had escaped from the Central Jail in Bhopal, were killed in an encounter. NHRC has sent notices to the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), Director General of Prisons and Inspector General of Prisons and Government of Madhya Pradesh over killing of eight under trial prisoners in an encounter with police and called for detailed reports in the matter within six weeks. The Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that 8 SIMI under trial prisoners, who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail were killed in an encounter with police in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on October 31. The Commission has observed, it has always been concerned about the deaths in police and judicial custody as well as in police action. Specific guidelines have also been issued by it, which have been conveyed to all the States/UTs for compliance in the matters of encounter. According to the report, the under trial prisoners escaped the jail after killing a guard and three of those under trial prisoners had escaped from the Khandwa jail three years back and were nabbed in the State of Odisha, this year. The under trial were charged under various crimes including murder, sedition, jail break and bank robberies. As per the news report, all escaped prisoners were killed within hours in an encounter at an isolated forested area, which is about 15 km from the jail. Senior officers have claimed that the police started firing only after being shot at by the accused. Five jail officials have been put under suspension including DIG (Jail) and the Jail Superintendent. The Additional DG(Jail) has been reportedly transferred. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre on Tuesday put the onus for probing the burning of schools in Jammu and Kashmir on the PDP-BJP state regime. Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwah told ANI, "The state government has to look into this matter; they have to maintain the law and order. We hope that they will take action against those indulging in such incidents." Kushwah said the Centre will only interfere if required. On Sunday, a government school was set on fire by unidentified people in Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the third school to be burnt in the state amongst the over 20 where arson has been reported in the last two months. A Jawahar Navodya Vidyalaya school in Aishmuqam was also set on fire on Saturday night. Officials said the cause of fire in both incidents has not been ascertained yet. Schools in Kashmir valley have been closed due to a shutdown call by separatist groups. Dozens of schools are also still occupied by security forces brought here to contain the unrest, which began after the 22-year-old Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani was killed on July 8. So far, the efforts to reopen schools have failed as both government and separatist groups are accusing each other of playing politics over education. The separatists have been saying that children are not safe outside homes because most of the people killed and injured during unrest were students. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lauding Chief Minister Raman Singh for guiding Chhattisgarh on the development path in the last 13 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said there is a great scope for tourism in the state and added the impact of development initiatives will benefit generations to come. Prime Minister Modi, who was speaking on the occasion of the state's Rajyotsav - the 16th foundation day celebrations at Naya Raipur - also used the occasion to shower praise on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's vision as the state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh fifteen years ago. "I am coming here to Chhattisgarh at a time when there is a festive season across the nation. On a day like this, we remember the work of our beloved Atal ji. He was the one who made Chhattisgarh. When the three states (Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal and Jharkhand) were being created (in 2000), it was done in a very peaceful and harmonious manner by Atal ji," said Prime Minister Modi. "For 13 years, Raman Singh ji has got the opportunity to serve the people of Chhattisgarh and create an atmosphere of development. Chhattisgarh shows the way and demonstrates how a relatively smaller state can scale new heights of development. The impact of the development initiatives will benefit generations to come in Chhattisgarh," he added. Ecstatic with his visit to the Nandan Van Jungle Safari in Naya Raipur, Prime Minister Modi said that there is scope for tourism in Chhattisgarh. "I was taken to the jungle safari by the Chief Minister... It is his pet project. I see great scope for tourism in Chhattisgarh. It shows how a relatively smaller state can scale new heights of development. Its impact will benefit generations to come. Tourism is important because it gives economic opportunities to the poorest of the poor," he said. The Prime Minister pointed out that the government's initiative on skill development helps the poor in particular and enhances their dignity. "When I say the government has taken up work on skill development in a big way (then) who does this help? It helps the poor and enhances their dignity," said Prime Minister Modi. "When a farmer produces something, the entire nation has to be the market. Value addition always helps the farmer. Glad to see Chhattisgarh has taken up initiatives that enable value addition for farmers," he added. The state was formed on November 1, 2000, by partitioning 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking south-eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh. Raipur was made its capital city. Chhattisgarh comprises 27 districts including Balod, Baloda Bazar, Balrampur, Bastar, Bemetara, Bijapur, Bilaspur, Dantewada, Dhamtari , Durg, Gariaband, Janjgir-Champa, Jashpur, Kanker, Kabirdham, Kondagaon, Korba, Koriya, Mahasamund, Mungeli, Narayanpur, Raigarh, Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Surguja, Sukma and Surajpur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Answers Africa is one of a kind platform created for Africans both locally and in the diaspora and those seeking for more in-depth information about Africa. We have always focused on creating the highest quality informational contents right from the beginning. We share the most relevant information on the latest and trending news, events, people, and places in Africa. We produce contents across various categories including Politics, People, Love and Romance, Nature, Entertainment, Technology and pretty much everything else that Africans may find relevant. 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The Progression of Howard Sterns Career As A Media Personality And Why He Divorced His First Wife Howard Stern is a legendary American radio host, who has also done some notable work as an actor, producer, author, as well as photographer. The radio personality achieved worldwide fame as a result of his self-titled radio program, The Howard Stern Show. As a professional radio personality, he has worked in different radio stations. Since 2006, ... Lisa Joyners Biography Ethnicity, Net Worth and Other Key Facts Lisa Joyner is an American Journalist, TV talk show host, and actress. Some of her well-known works are her correspondences for the Los Angeles based TV KCBS, inFANity show, Find My Family Show including her film and television appearances in Brimstone, American Sweetheart, The Bold and The Beautiful among others. Lisas passion for reconnecting people with their biological families ... 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This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ... Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a Pakistan appears to be on throes of a leadership crisis, especially when it comes to defining the relationship between the civilian administration and the military top brass. At least this seems to be the case if one were to go by Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeed's fervent appeal to the government and the opposition to mend fences and work for the unity of Pakistan. Saeed, according to the Dawn, has urged ruling and opposition parties to resolve all their issues through talks and avoid becoming tools of international forces who only want both to ignite a crisis in Pakistan. "Just a few days after the Quetta attack, which has left our scores of policemen dead, the country has plunged into a political crisis," he was quoted as saying. Saeed alleged that India is behind this political crisis in Pakistan to prevent Islamabad from raising the Kashmir issue. He lamented that as far as Pakistan is concerned the Kashmir issue has disappeared from the national scene. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief made these comments while addressing a press conference at the Markaz-i-Taqwa, the Karachi headquarters of the JuD. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following the furore among the political circles demanding a probe to verify the authenticity of the encounter in which eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terrorists were neutralised, the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police on Tuesday announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killings. Superintendent of Police (SP) Anurag Sharma from the CID branch, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), and four inspectors have been included in the team. The SIT will report to the Police Head Quarters after the findings. The decision to form the SIT came after the opposition parties demanded an independent high level judicial probe into the matter. Calling the encounter "dubious" the Communist Party of India (CPI), earlier today, dubbed the SIMI encounter as demanded an explanation from the Madhya Pradesh Government. The Congress also cornered the state government with former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh questioning the authenticity of the encounter video after eight SIMI terrorists escaped from a high-security prison in Bhopal. Singh wondered as to what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus while stating that he was against all those playing politics in the name of religion. In response, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan condemned the opposition parties for indulging in vote bank politics "I don't know what sort of political mudslinging has begun. Few leaders of our nation cannot see the martyrdom of our soldiers. They cannot see the sacrifice of Ramashankar Yadav. They are the ones who murdered Shiv Prasad Kushwaha. They killed Sitaram Yadav in Khandwa. Some people are doing vote bank politics on this matter which is highly condemnable. One must refrain from doing this," he added. Chouhan said it is extremely unfortunate that they do not utter a word about the martyrdom of the soldiers. Bhopal Inspector General of Police Yogesh Choudhary on Monday defended its action to open fire on the terrorists, saying the escapees were neutralized in 'retaliatory' fire, adding that the suspects have been continuously perpetrating serious offences and also killed police constables in 2008 and 2011. Choudhary said they had a track record of being involved in serious crimes before. On Monday, Eight terrorists of the banned group SIMI were killed in an encounter after escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Awarded by Tangedco BGR Energy Systems has been awarded a contract for execution of Balance of Plant equipment / systems including civil works for 1 x B00MW - North Chennai Supercritical Thermal Power Project, Stage - III, in the premises of existing NCTPS at Ennore & Puzhudhivakkam Village, Ponneri Taluk, Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu, India on EPC basis worth Rs. 2,600.02 Crores. The contract completion period is 36 months from the date of award. Including this order, BGR Energy carries over an order book of Rs. 7,429 Crores. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BGR Energy Systems rose 6.20% to Rs 125.10 at 12:33 IST on BSE after the company said it won a Rs 2600 crore contract from TANGEDCO for North Chennai thermal power project. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 1 November 2016. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was up 69.02 points, or 0.25%, to 27,999.23. On BSE, so far 2.98 lakh shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 43,256 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 128.30 and a low of Rs 117.80 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 138.80 on 6 January 2016. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 89.40 on 12 February 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 30 October 2016, rising 7.24% compared with 0.23% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had, however, underperformed the market in past one quarter, falling 3.84% as against Sensex's 0.26% decline. The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 72.16 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10. BGR Energy Systems said it won the Balance of Plant (BOP) contract from Tamilnadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) for 1x800 megawatts (MW) North Chennai Thermal Power Project Stage III. BGR Energy secured this contract in an International competitive bidding which witnessed stiff competition. The value of the contract is Rs 2600 crore. The contract completion period is 36 months from the date of award. The contract is for design, engineering, manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, inspection, testing, transportation, erection, testing and commissioning of the balance of plant mechanical, electrical and control & instrumentation works including associated civil works for establishment of coal based 1 x 800 MW North Chennai Supercritical Thermal Power Project Stage-III in the premises of existing NCTPS at Ennore & Puzhudhivakkam Village, Thiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu. Including this order, BGR Energy carries over an order book of Rs 7429 crore. Net profit of BGR Energy Systems declined 21.42% to Rs 8.66 crore on 6.48% decline in net sales to Rs 834.15 crore in Q1 June 2016 over Q1 June 2015. BGR Energy Systems is a leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and balance of plant (BOP) engineering and contracting company for power projects in India. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) rose 1% to Rs 423 at 9:43 IST on BSE after the company said that new data of Saroglitazar will be presented at The Liver Meeting being held at Boston from 11 to 15 November 2016. The announcement was made yesterday, 31 October 2016. Meanwhile, the BSE Sensex was down 9.75 points, or 0.03%, to 27,920.46. On BSE, so far 17,000 shares were traded in the counter, compared with average daily volume of 86,520 shares in the past one quarter. The stock hit a high of Rs 429.45 and a low of Rs 417.55 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 437 on 5 November 2015. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 295.50 on 18 January 2016. The stock had outperformed the market over the past 30 days till 30 October 2016, rising 7.94% compared with 0.23% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 18.84% as against Sensex's 0.26% decline. The large-cap company has equity capital of Rs 102.37 crore. Face value per share is Re 1. said that Saroglitazar (Lipaglyn), a novel agonist having predominant PPAR alpha activity, was launched in India as a prescription medicine for the treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia and Diabetic Dyslipidemia in patients with Type 2 Diabetes not controlled by statins. Saroglitazar is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials in India and other countries. Cadila Healthcare's consolidated net profit fell 28.93% to Rs 337.60 crore on 3.08% increase in net sales to Rs 2336.30 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. is a global pharmaceutical company that discovers, manufactures and a broad range of healthcare therapies. Powered by Capital Market - Live News On 11 November 2016 Silicon Valley Infotech will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 11 November 2016, to consider and take on record the Unaudited Financial Results of the Company for the quarter ended 30 September 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Steel announced yesterday, 31 October 2016 that ratings agency Brickwork Ratings downgraded the company's credit rating to BWR AA from BWR AA+, with negative outlook for the unsecured non-convertible debenture (NCD) issues of Rs 4000 crore. The ratings agency also downgraded ratings to BWR AA- from BWR AA for the company's unsecured subordinated perpetual debt issues of Rs 2500 crore, with negative outlook. The sudden change of guard at the holding company/group level has not only heightened the management risk for Tata Steel, but also has exposed it to uncertainty over continuity of critical decisions on cost cutting and deleveraging the balance sheet concerning the unprofitable UK operations and restructuring its European business, the ratings agency said. Unless the company takes appropriate measures in this regard, it may lead to a further deterioration in financial profile of the company, as also a rating action, the agency added. Shares of auto companies will be in focus as companies start unveiling monthly sales volume data for October 2016 from today, 1 November 2016. Yes Bank announced yesterday, 31 October 2016 that it has received the approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for appointment of Ashok Chawla as Non-Executive Part-time Chairman of the bank for a period of three years from the date of his taking charge. Accordingly, Chawla took charge as Non-Executive Part-time Chairman of the bank with effect from 30 October 2016 upon the expiry of the term of the current Chairperson of the bank, Radha Singh. Ashok Chawla, an independent director, was appointed on the board on 5 March 2016. Cadila Healthcare announced yesterday, 31 October 2016 that new data of Saroglitazar will be presented at The Liver Meeting being held at Boston from 11 to 15 November 2016. Saroglitazar (Lipaglyn), a novel agonist having predominant PPAR alpha activity, was launched in India as a prescription medicine for the treatment of Hypertriglyceridemia and Diabetic Dyslipidemia in patients with Type 2 Diabetes not controlled by statins. Saroglitazar is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials in India and other countries. NBCC (India) announced yesterday, 31 October 2016 that pursuant to Ministry of Urban Development letter dated 28 October 2016, S K Chaudhary, Executive Director has been relieved from the company upon his relinquishing the charge of the post of Director (Projects), NBCC to join as Chairman & Managing Director, IRCON International. Kitex Garments' net profit fell 52.41% to Rs 12.92 crore on 20.32% decline in total income from operations to Rs 106.96 crore in Q2 September 2016 over Q2 September 2015. The result was announced yesterday, 31 October 2016. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has told the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure security at schools and make efforts to resume studies hit for over three months due to an ongoing unrest. "The central government has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government two to three times to provide full security at schools and other educational institutions," Home Ministry spokesperson K.S. Dhatwalia told IANS. He said Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra met Home Minister Rajnath Singh here on Tuesday and apprised him about the situation in the state. Efforts were on to reopen schools in the troubled valley, he added. At least 25 educational institutes have been gutted in mysterious fires in Kashmir in the last few weeks. --IANS sk/tsb/sar/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With assembly elections around the corner, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has upped the ante over the controversy over sharing river waters with neighbouring Haryana. "My government will not accept the ruling of any court on sharing of river water via Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal and Punjab is ready for any sacrifice for this," Badal said on Tuesday while addressing a state-level event here to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of Punjabi Suba. "I want to use this occasion to state one thing clearly, even if it is taken adversely...even if the highest court decides on this issue (sharing of water), we will not give even a drop of water," he said in the presence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP President Amit Shah. "We are ready for any sacrifice. We will not allow Punjabis to die of hunger," he stated. The Supreme Court is seized of the SYL issue and is likely to announce its verdict soon. The Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, which was to link both rivers in these states, has been a bone of contention for over three decades. Punjab maintains that it has no water to spare for other states. Haryana, which has a BJP government since October 2014, is awaiting the Supreme Court verdict on the water sharing issue. In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal, of which Badal is the patron, has an alliance government with the BJP since 2007. Assembly polls in Punjab are likely to be held in January-February next year. --IANS js/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forward Gareth Bale expressed his enthusiasm over extending his contract with Spanish club Real Madrid till 2022 and said the renewal is another dream that came true. The Welsh international on Monday interacted with the media in a press conference on the renewal at the Santiago Bernabeu, Efe news reported. "I extended my contract because I feel very happy," Bale said, according to Real Madrid's official website. "When I arrived I wanted to be successful and win titles. It's another dream come true and I hope there are more titles and trophies," he explained. Bale indicated that Real Madrid is the world's best club and he grew up watching the Premier League and Real Madrid. He pointed out that when "you have the opportunity to play here you cannot waste it". "I will always fight for this club. I have enjoyed every experience, the fans love me and I will try to win all the titles that I can," Bale added. Real Madrid previously announced that the Welshman is linked to the Spanish club until June 30, 2016. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) World Baloch Women's Forum (WBWF) President Naela Quadri Baloch on Tuesday sought India's help for the cause of an independent Balochistan, but urged that the issue should not be mixed up with Kashmir. The Canadian-based leader in self-exile, currently travelling around the world to drum up support for Balochistan's independence from Pakistan, cited the alleged atrocities on Baloch women, genocide of Balochis and severe violations of human rights of the Baloch people. "Pakistanis do not accept Balochis as their citizens, nor are we interested in becoming their citizens. We have been 'independent' since centuries, how can Pakistan claim its their internal issue?" she asked at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Mumbai, presided over by India-Pakistan friendship activist Jatin Desai. Claiming that atrocities against Balochis have increased after China entered the scene, she also held it (China) equally responsible as the Pakistan Army for the "genocide" of the Baloch people. In this context, Quadri also voiced concerns over China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean. She attacked the Pakistan Army and charged it with using chemical warfare, allegedly kidnapping and killing Balochi women and children, and trading in their organs like eyes, kidneys, liver, etc. Quadri welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative on the Balochi struggle during his Independence Day address this year followed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech in United Nations. Though expressing disappointment over the lack of support from previous Indian governments, she said it was probably because they were in a coalition which has its own limitations. "But, Modi has a clear mandate and he should support us. But the issue of Balochistan's independence should not be linked with Kashmir," Quadri urged. She noted that an independent Balochistan, which has a long coastline, will help India open up its trade with Central Asian countries besides curbing Pakistan-sponsored terror. Quadri said the Balochis were lobbying hard for a "government-in-exile" as a step towards an independent Balochistan. In Mumbai for four days now, she said she was overwhelmed by the warmth of the people of 'Bombay', and from the 500 Baloch-origin families settled here, besides another 800,000 scattered across India. --IANS qn/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sitting BJP MP and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar on Tuesday urged the central government to honour Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama with Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. The appeal was made by him at his book release function here. Speaking after the release of the book "Himalaya Par Lal Chhaya" by the spiritual leader, Kumar said the Dalai Lama deserves to be conferred with Bharat Ratna in recognition of his great service to humanity. The book was written by Kumar after the India-China war in 1962. It was reprinted for the second time after 50 years. The Dalai Lama, who calls himself "son of India", has spent more than half a century in the country after he, along with thousands of Tibetans, was forced to flee Tibet in 1959. Kumar, also a former Himachal Chief Minister, said his book was first released in 1965. "After 50 years of the launch of the book, a threat is again looming large on the borders as China is building massive infrastructure and of late has been showing aggressiveness against India," Kumar said. He said the growing proximity between China and Pakistan was a matter of concern for India. The Dalai Lama, in his address, said: "India is a living example that religious traditions can coexist and live together side by side." India has become great due to its rich philosophical thoughts, he said. Stating he is feeling like a citizen of this state, the Dalai Lama said he has been in Himachal Pradesh for more than 55 years. "All these years, the successive governments have supported the Tibetans for which I am grateful to the people of this great land," he said. Without mincing words, he added: "I devolved my political powers in 2011. My concern now is preserving the Tibetan culture." The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based here. --IANS vg/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Guwahati Frontier personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) have seized about eight kilograms of silver about to be smuggled out to Bangladesh, a BSF spokesman said on Tuesday. In a separate incident, they also apprehended one Indian cattle smuggler from near the Indo-Bangla border in Coochbehar district of West Bengal. The incident took place on Monday evening, the spokesman said. "Surveillance was mounted in the border area on Monday based on specific information. However, the suspect approached the target area with the consignment and tried to throw it across the border fence towards Bangladesh. "As the troopers rushed towards the site, the suspect dumped the consignment and fled the spot," the BSF spokesman said, adding that the consignment included 7.976 kg of silver in two packets. "The material was later verified to be genuine silver and the approximate cost of the seized consignment is a little over Rs 3 lakh," he added. Meanwhile, a cattle smuggler was apprehended by the security personnel at a border outpost, along with one cattle head, in the wee hours of Tuesday while trying to push it from India to the Bangladesh side. --IANS ah/nir/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Canadian government has announced that it will allow 300,000 immigrants into the country in 2017. This is the same number as in 2016 even though an expert panel has recommended to raise immigration levels. John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, on Monday tabled the immigration proposal for 2017 in the parliament. "The 2017 levels plan will put Canada in a strong position for the future and support our overall economic and social development as a country," McCallum said. A government statement said the 2017 levels are "a thoughtful, responsible approach that takes into consideration Canada's need for more immigrants while balancing our fiscal responsibilities." The announcement comes amid warnings from the Liberal Party's economic council of advisers that Canada needs to raise immigration levels by the tens of thousands in order to ensure better economic growth. The council recommended the government gradually increase immigration levels to 450,000 per year over the next five years, Xinhua news agency reported. The target number of immigrants from 2011 to 2015 was 260,000, but swelled to 300,000 this year because of what McCallum called the "special circumstances" of the Syrian refugee crisis. There has been much debate over the targeted immigration number at a time when Canada struggles with high unemployment. The 2017 target boosts entries for those in the economic class -- skilled workers, business people and care-givers -- to 172,500 from 160,600. In the family class, the number of sponsored spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents will climb to 84,000 from 80,000. (Gurmukh Singh can be contacted at gurmukh100@gmail.com) --IANS gurmukh/ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Marathi actor Gashmeer Mahajani, who is making his Bollywood debut with the film "Dongri Ka Raja", feels glad that people don't look at Marathi cinema as downmarket anymore. "I am glad that people don't look at Marathi cinema as downmarket. Being Marathi my mother tongue... I am proud about that. As an actor I want to do all kinds of cinema because for me, the language doesn't matter. But Marathi is something which will always be close to my heart," Gashmeer told IANS. Gashmeer is known for his Marathi films including "Deool Band" and "Carry On Maratha". He said: "We have to handle this openness of the audience more responsibly. We can't take it for granted. It's a stepping stone and we need to be more careful." "Filmmakers have to come up with more good content to sustain for a longer time. We should invest only on content-oriented films and let's not drive away the audience that has started coming to theatres," he added. Talking about his Bollywood debut, Gashmeer said: "I couldn't have asked for a better launch. I believe this is the perfect film for me to make my debut in Bollywood. The film is a love story set in the underworld." Directed by Hadi Ali Abrar, "Dongri Ka Raja" also features Ronit Roy, Sachin Suvarna, Ashwini Kalsekar and Ashmit Patel. Produced by P.S. Chhatwal and Filmy Keeda Productions, the film will release on November 11. --IANS uma/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Communications Minister Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said the government is planning to set up a platform in the next one month through which subscribers can directly give their feedback on call drops. "We are setting up a platform through which the consumers will be able to directly give their feedback to the government, especially regarding call drops," Sinha told reporters. He was briefing media after holding a meeting with telecom service providers CEOs on the call drop issue. About the 100-day plan floated by the operators where they had assured that 60,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) will be set up with an investment of Rs 12,000 crore, the minister said: "They have met the target of setting up 60,000 BTS... rather exceeded that target." Bharti Airtel has installed 22,000 BTS, Idea Cellular, 25,382 and Vodafone, 13,870, the minister said, adding that Reliance Jio, which was not part of the 60,000 BTS plan, has additionally set up 35,000 BTS. Sinha said call drops should be wiped out from the country. The telecom operators also discussed the next phase of action for better services with the minister. "Consumers are of paramount importance. They should not be affected," the minister added. Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI) Director General Rajan S Mathews said: "Most operators have executed the 100-day plan that was submitted to the Communications Minister Manoj Sinha, and the results are evident in the decreased numbers of call drops in the country." "The industry has stood by its commitment of spending Rs 12,000 crore to improve network quality. It will continue to invest more and augment its current outlay to ensure that people are given the best quality of service, particularly for those areas where connectivity is still a challenge. We are working closely with all concerned authorities to ensure processes are expedited so that towers can be installed at locations where there is a need," he added. --IANS ag/vd (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Iraqi Army's special forces have captured the headquarters of Mosul's local television station, military sources announced on Tuesday. The broadcasting building is located in Mosul's Gogjali district, considered one of the main access points that would allow allied forces to enter the Islamic State's bastion in northern Iraq from the east, EFE news reported. Lieutenant General Talib Shagati, Chief of Iraqi Joint Operations, told journalists at Bartella base that "taking Mosul's television means taking the city". Shagati said that clashes with IS fighters were still ongoing in the area, although Iraqi troops are already set to enter the adjacent al-Quds neighbourhood in the onslaught on Mosul from the eastern front. "At this moment, our troops are inside Mosul's state television building. It's good news for the people of Mosul because we have now really started the city's liberation," Shagati added. The offensive to liberate Mosul from IS control was launched on October 17. The IS conquered Mosul in June 2014, when it also proclaimed a so-called "caliphate" in the territories under its control in northern Iraq and eastern Syria. --IANS lok/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The southern state of Kerala on Tuesday became the third state overall and the largest state so far to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM- Gramin). The declaration was formally made by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during a ceremony at the Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, an official release said in the national capital. Vijayan also distributed awards to and felicitated district collectors and other government officials who had been instrumental in bringing about this landmark achievement for the state. With this, all 14 districts, 152 blocks, 940 Gram Panchayats and 2117 villages of Kerala have been declared free from open defecation. Freedom from open defecation has been proven to lead to significant health benefits in terms of incidences of water-borne diseases, especially in children, and provide safety and dignity for all, especially women and senior citizens. "Kerala, with a rural population of approximately 3.5 crores, is also the largest state so far to have achieved the ODF Status, after Sikkim (6 lakhs) and Himachal Pradesh (70 lakhs)," the release said. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Vijayan emphasised the importance of behaviour change communication in the efforts made by the state to achieve ODF status. He also underscored the need to sustain this status now that it has been achieved through a continued focus on sanitation, the release said. --IANS nd/sm/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt Gen J.S. Sandhu on Tuesday took over as the Commander of the army's Srinagar-headquartered Chinar Corps. A defence ministry statement said Lt Gen Satish Dua handed over the charge to Lt Gen Sandhu as its 46th Corps Commander. "Commissioned into the regiment of 5th Gorkha Rifles, Lt Gen Sandhu has had an illustrious military career spanning 36 years during which he held varied prestigious command, staff and instructional appointments," said an official statement. He also had an incisive understanding of Jammu and Kashmir, having served five earlier times in the state including while in command of an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control, a Mountain Brigade and the elite Kupwara Division. "A Graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Higher Command Course and National Defence College, Gen Sandhu has also served in the Army Headquarters, Infantry School, Army War College and the DSSC. "He also represented the country in the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu," the statement said. On assuming charge, Lt Gen Sandhu said the army had played a significant role during the ongoing phase of unrest assisting the civil administration in restoring peace and calm in the Kashmir Valley. Outgoing Gen Dua's tenure would be defined by the surgical strikes in Pakistani territory in September launched by the army in response to the terror attack on the army camp in Uri. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The killing of 30 Maoists in a series of alleged gun battles with police in the dense forests on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border last week has dealt the biggest blow to the extremist movement in the region in recent years. The joint operation by Andhra's elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds and the Special Operations Group of Odisha Police in Malkangiri district of Odisha eliminated top cadres, dealing a huge blow to the efforts by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) to regain a foothold in its erstwhile stronghold Andhra Pradesh. The Maoist outfit lost many of its leaders, including state committee members B. Venkataramna alias Ganesh and Krishnaiah alias Daya. Many of the top slain leaders were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The killed Maoists also include Munna (23), son of Ramakrishna or RK, one of the top Maoist leaders and secretary of the state committee of CPI-Maoist. Reeling under the loss of several top leaders over the last decade, the outfit had already retreated from its former strongholds in undivided Andhra Pradesh. In the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, they were more or less confined to the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha Border (AOB) area while in the new state of Telangana, their presence was limited to areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. AOB, with its difficult terrain, was considered the safest zone for Maoists. However, the Greyhounds and Odisha Police not only entered the cut-off area but also dealt a huge blow to the Maoists. By eliminating a large number of cadres, the Greyhounds, which is known for its expertise in fighting Maoists, has avenged the killing of its men in the same region. Maoists had gunned down 38 Greyhounds after surrounding them in Balimela reservoir in 2008. It was the single largest blow to the specially-trained force, raised in 1989. Andhra Pradesh Police officers say the presence of the Maoist top brass in Malkangiri for a meeting indicates they were planning a strategy to regroup in the region. Civil liberties leaders, however, are not ready to buy the police theory that there was an exchange of fire when the Maoists refused to surrender, forcing the police to retaliate. They claim that police surrounded the meeting venue, arrested the Maoists and gunned them down under a covert and planned operation. "The killings in one-sided firing exposed the fascist tendencies of the Chandrababu Naidu-led government in Andhra Pradesh," said civil liberties leader G. Haragopal. The CPI-Maoist has also claimed that a Greyhound commando died after accidentally falling into the water but police used it to cook up the story of an exchange of fire. "If it's really an exchange of fire, why was no Maoist injured," asked Maoist sympathiser and revolutionary writer Varavara Rao, who believes police picked up the Maoists and killed them one by one. Police, however, have rubbished the claims. "These allegations against police are not new. In fact, they have been levelling such allegations for the last several years," said a senior police officer in Andhra Pradesh. The CPI-Maoist, which claims to be fighting against the exploitation of poor and landless farmers, is trying to regain its foothold in north coastal Andhra Pradesh by exploiting the resentment among local tribals against a proposed bauxite mining project and the construction of the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project that would submerge several tribal villages. Analysts point out that the CPI-Maoist had lost ground in recent years as they were not getting fresh recruits, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Though many of the top leaders of the outfit hail from the two Telugu states, it has not been able to draw new recruits or get new arms. The experts attribute this to people losing faith in the ideology of violence and benefits of the government schemes reaching the masses. The apprehensions in some quarters that the CPI-Maoist will resurface in Telangana also proved unfounded as the outfit had failed to regroup over the last two years. The Maoist group was almost eliminated from former strongholds of north Telangana and Nallamalla forests in present Andhra Pradesh, following a series of successes by the police and Greyhounds in undivided Andhra Pradesh. The CPI-Maoist had emerged as the biggest and most powerful Maoist outfit in India in September 2004 following the merger of then CPI-ML People's War Group (PWG) with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Following the failure of talks between the Maoists and then Andhra Pradesh government, the state was rocked by a series of violent incidents followed by the killings of Maoists. (Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in) --IANS ms/vm/hs/tb/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, on Tuesday reviewed the security along India-Pakistan border in Jammu and as shelling and cross border firing by Pakistani troops killed eight civilians. Army Chief, Gen. Dalbir Singh was also present at the meeting, which was dubbed "routine review meeting". "The situation on the border with Pakistan and within Jammu and was reviewed at a high-level meeting here," Home Ministry spokesperson K.S. Dhatwalia told IANS. He said the "routine review meeting" was held to take stock of the overall situation on the International Border, the Line of Control and the valley. On Tuesday, heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts was witnessed in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the International Border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Eight civilians, including five women, were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday as Pakistan troopers bombarded several border areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass exodus from dozens of frontier villages, officials said. The Border Security Force said it destroyed 14 Pakistan outposts in retaliation after the civilian casualties in India. --IANS ao/tsb/vd (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the people of Haryana to protect the girl child in its golden jubilee year and expressed satisfaction that the state has now started contributing towards improving the gender ratio in the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Haryana Swarna Jayanti Utsav" (Haryana golden jubilee celebrations) here, the Prime Minister also urged the people to make the state open defecation free in this glorious year. "I was always pained by the fact that in a modern, cultured state, daughters are killed even before being born. In such a distinguished state, female foeticide cannot exist," Modi said. "I requested them to protect the daughters and today I am satisfied that people of Haryana have respected the sentiment," the Prime Minister said. "I thank the women, who as mothers-in-law vowed to protect the girl child. I also thank the elders who took a leading role in protecting girl child," he said. He also hailed the efforts of the Manohar Lal Khattar government for working towards stopping female foeticide and infanticide. The Prime Minister pointed out that girls from Haryana have become the pride of the nation. "The daughters of Haryana have made India very proud on multiple occasions. Let every citizen of the state take a pledge to protect the girl child." He also urged the people of Haryana to end open defecation in this golden jubilee year. "Haryana should be free of open defecation. I am confident Haryana can do this," he said. Referring to a large number of people from the state joining the armed forces, Modi said: "Haryana has a huge contribution in the safety and security of the country. A large number of youth from the state join armed forces, and some of them have also laid down their lives while protecting the nation." The Prime Minister further said that the people of Haryana are a hard working lot and whatever the state has achieved is because of its hardworking people. On the occasion, he also assured those coming from the lower strata of the society of all support from the government. "Be it agriculture, skill development or economic reforms, our efforts are aimed at helping the poor overcome poverty." In the presence of Governor Kaptan Singh and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Prime Minister also launched three schemes for the state - Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana, Automation of Fair Price Shops and Kerosene Free Haryana. The rural areas of seven districts he declared Open Defecation Free are Panchkula, Sirsa, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Yamunanagar and Panipat. Similarly, the eight districtsAhe declared "Kerosene Free" from November 1, 2016 are: Ambala, Gurugram, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Panchkula and Yamuna Nagar. The Deen Dayal Jan Awas Yojana' aims to put a check on the development of unauthorised colonies and simultaneously achieve the target of 'Housing for All - 2022' at reasonable rates in small and medium potential towns. It also aims at providing small plots to accommodate maximum number of people in the limited area in the medium and low potential towns of the state. --IANS pradeep-ao/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Tuesday urged the Centre to formulate stricter guidelines under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to keep a tab on funds received from Islamic countries. Chandrasekhar said in a statement that a recent report on scrutiny of records of three years on the FCRA website revealed that approximately Rs 134 crore had been received by Salafist NGOs from Islamic countries. "There are many non-governmental organisations and institutions that are receiving funds from radical groups based overseas and misusing these funds for subversive activities," he said. "These funds from Islamic charities are primarily for construction and expansion of buildings -- schools, orphanages and madrassas. However, many of the organisations receiving such funds are run on core Salafist beliefs, which are against Sufi Islam, as practiced in the Indian subcontinent," Chandrasekhar said. The MP said he had written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh on October 25 for an overhaul of FCRA norms, prohibition of funds to religious institutions and also demanded an audit on the funds and recipients. Welcoming action against Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, Chandrasekhar said action against Naik's NGO was a "decisive step to clamp down on individuals and institutions who are funded from overseas but who misuse these funds to create dangerous pockets of radicalism and fundamentalism". On Monday, the Home Ministry served a notice on Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation for cancellation of its FCRA licence. "This case of Zakir Naik is not an isolated one. Such largescale misuse of the FCRA route has gone on unchallenged for so long and has created dangerous pockets of radicalism and fundamentalism as the recent arrests by the National Investigation Agency are proving," the MP said. --IANS ao/tsb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The upcoming 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will not screen any Pakistani film as the two entries sent from the country were "not up to the mark". Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu along with Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Francis D'souza and Directorate of Film Festivals Senthil Rajan, held a press conference here on Tuesday to unveil the poster and share the highlights of the film festival, which will take place in Goa from November 20-28. It was also announced that out of 1032 entries from across the globe, IFFI 2016 will screen 194 films from 88 countries, but Pakistan won't be a part of it. "We are not screening any Pakistani film this year. We had received two entries from Pakistan, but our film committee felt those films were not up to the mark. We received over 1000 entries from 102 countries," Rajan told IANS. "I don't know the name of the two films that were sent, but they were not shortlisted," he added. In 2007, "Khuda Kay Liye" was the first Pakistani film, which was screened at the 38th edition of IFFI. Last year, filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood Raza's Pakistani film "Moor" was screened at the festival. Speaking at the press conference, Naidu said that there is "heavy competition" between films. "As many as 1032 film entries came. The films that have been selected, you will come to know as and when they will be exhibited," he said. IFFI, which earlier used to take place from November 20-30, has been shortened by two days this year. Talking about the same, Rathore said: "One is always experimenting with the film festival to try and make it as attractive and possible. And we have delegates coming from across the globe." "We want them to get the best of cinema in the least amount of time. Therefore, from 10 days we have now reduced it to eight days. There is no reduction in content. The best films are all going to be showcased". Late Polish director Andrzej Wajda's "After Images" -- a biopic based on the life of late Polish painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, will kick off the festival. This year, the country that will be in focus is Republic of Korea. South Korean filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon 's "The Age of Shadows", which is the country's official entry for the Oscars next year, will bring down the curtains on the festival. --IANS sas/nn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A united opposition on Tuesday sought an impartial probe into the death of eight undertrial SIMI activists in an alleged shootout with police after a Bhopal jailbreak even as the government strongly defended the deaths of the "dreaded terrorists". Seeking a judicial probe into the police "encounter" deaths on Monday, the CPI-M, the BSP and the RJD raised doubts over the government's version about the prison escape and the subsequent killings of the SIMI activists. The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had earlier called for a probe, suspecting that the "encounter" may have been staged to kill the accused. A Communist Party of India-Marxist statement said the eight men were undertrials whose guilt had not been established. "How the accused could have escaped from a high security prison raises serious questions. The (Madhya Pradesh) government owes a full explanation how this occurred." The statement asked how was it possible for these men to secure arms after escaping from the prison "while being unable to get a vehicle to make good their escape". "All these raise serious doubts about the veracity of the police claims." RJD chief Lalu Prasad also demanded a high-level impartial probe to clear the suspense over whether it was a real or fake "encounter". BSP chief Mayawati said: "Prima facie the matter appears to be very suspicious and only a judicial probe can answer these doubts." She alleged that use of police force for furthering their political agenda was not new to BJP-ruled states and pointed out that attempts to hush up the Vyapam scam showed the Madhya Pradesh Police in poor light. "There are many other incidents in MP which reflect the ideology of the BJP to use police to serve its political ends." Hitting out at the opposition for doing electoral politics, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said those killed were "of course dreaded terrorists who could have wreaked havoc had they succeeded in escaping". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the opposition was doing "dirty politics" to secure minority vote banks. "Patriotism is important," he said, hailing "the sacrifice" of a policeman who was allegedly killed with a sharpened spoon by the accused while breaking out from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail. In Delhi, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting M. Venkaiah Naidu slammed the Congress for being "concerned about terrorists", calling it "all cheap politics" against the national interest of the country. BJP leader Shrikant Sharma went a step ahead and said those killed were "supporters of Osama Bin Laden and working as sleeper cells". He said the Congress "has taken to communal politics" because it was unable to defeat the BJP over its development agenda. The eight SIMI activists were killed on Monday on the Bhopal outskirts after police claimed they escaped from the prison by killing a police guard with a spoon and plates and forging keys out of "toothbrush and wood" to open the locks of their prison barracks. The accused, police said, were armed when they were cornered and asked to surrender. --IANS sar/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan on Tuesday again summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh to "strongly condemn" the "unprovoked ceasefire violations" on the Line of Control that led to the deaths of six civilians. Director General (SA & SAARC), Mohammad Faisal, summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner, Singh, and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31, 2016, by the Indian forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors, resulting in the deaths of six civilians, including a woman, and injuries to eight civilians, including two women, said a statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office. The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC, the statement said. The Indian diplomat has been summoned several times in the past few weeks over firing by forces on the border. --IANS rn/bg (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed says the political crisis in Pakistan is "an Indian conspiracy" aimed at diverting global attention from the Jammu and Kashmir situation. The Dawn on Tuesday quoted him as saying in Karachi that "the political crisis, violent protests and the rulers' aggressive response to anti-government protests were all affecting the Kashmir cause. "If you go through analytically, in all that panic and crisis-like situation, the Kashmir issue has disappeared from the national scene," he added. Saeed, whose LeT was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that killed 166 people, regretted that it seemed the people of Pakistan had forgotten the plight of Kashmiris in India. --IANS mr/sar (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidant of South Korean President Park Geun-hye suspected of having meddled in state affairs, was placed under emergency detention on Tuesday after hours of questioning by prosecutors on risks of fleeing and destroying evidence Choi, who testified on Monday at a prosecutor's office in Seoul after passing through a massive crowd of media, "is in an extremely unstable psychological state, and it's possible an unexpected event could occur if she is released," a prosecution official told Yonhap News Agency. The prosecution believes that, if left free, the 60-year-old woman may attempt to flee the country or destroy evidence on the allegations of corruption and peddling influence which she is suspected of being involved in. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office now has 48 hours to seek a warrant to formally arrest Choi, who previously denied all of the charges against her on Monday. The woman, who does not hold any public office but is believed to have exercised a great personal influence on Park Geun-hye for years, is accused of having used her personal relationship with the president to access confidential documents and covertly interfere in state affairs, Efe news reported. Prosecutors also believe that, by using her links with Park, she pressured some companies to donate generous grants to two state foundations, Mir and K-Sports, and subsequently took over some parts of the funds. On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets of downtown Seoul to demand the resignation of the head of state, whose approval ratings are dropping. --IANS ksk (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Tuesday, the central government ruled against its own reported objections and appointed five serving judicial officers as judges in the Delhi High Court. But it is clear that the government and the Supreme Court of India are still far from agreement on the question of judicial appointments. A bench led by Chief Justice T S Thakur has yet again expressed concern that the government had moved too slowly to fill up vacancies in the judiciary, asking if it wished to scuttle the working of the institution. The government has responded sharply by claiming that the rate of appointments has not slowed down particularly, and that, in fact, more posts have been created. What underlay the judges concern is the worry that the government is going slow on the appointments process in order to gain bargaining power in its tussle with the judiciary over the mechanism by which such appointments are made. Against the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle and widening rift in the ruling Samajwadi Party, the 'Samajwadi Vikas Rath' was unveiled at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's official residence. Our struggle is to bring social, political, and economic justice to our nation. This is an effort of the Chicano/Mexican American Digital History Project. https://sites.google.com/site/chicanodigital/ Bahujan Samaj Party Supremo is confident of winning the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections that will be held in early 2017. With the split deepening in the Samajwadi Party due to a conflict between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and senior leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, appears sure of BSP's win. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who entered his third year in office on Tuesday, faces the daunting task of fulfilling some key election promises, including making the state toll tax free, abolition of the local body tax, quotas for the Maratha and Dhangar (shepherd) communities, establishment of a Contract Labour Commission and putting over 400 irrigation project on the fast track. Two persons were killed and one seriously injured after a speeding truck collided head on with a motorcycle in the Jamalpur area of the district today. Soumen Chattopadhyay (44), his wife Mahua Chattopadhyay and their son Abigyan (8) were going to a relative's place in Srikrishnapur area of Jamalpur from their residence near Kalna Gate in Burdwan town, the accident happened, the police said. "All three were wearing helmets, but when the motorcycle collided with the sand laden truck, both father and son came under the wheels of the truck and were crushed. They died on the spot. The woman, who was grievously injured was first rushed to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, but was later on shifted to SSKM hospital in Kolkata after he condition deteriorated," said a senior police officer. The killer truck has been confiscated, but the driver managed to flee, the police added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 35-year-old man was allegedly stabbed to death by unknown assailants in northwest Delhi's Keshav Puram area, police said today. Shivshankar was stabbed close to 18 times in Rampura area of Keshav Puram on Diwali night, they said. "Shivshankar was rushed to a nearby hospital by passersby but was declared brought dead," a senior police official said. "He used to work as a contractor and was heavily under debt and wasn't able to repay money to his lenders. He had also quarrelled with them," he added. Police said that they have identified possible suspects and further investigation is in progress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bodies of seven of the eight activists, who were killed in an alleged police encounter following a daring prison break in Bhopal, were on Tuesday laid to rest in different parts of Madhya Pradesh amid tight security. . Bodies of five deceased - Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussain, Mohammad Salik, Sheikh Mehboob and Aqueel Khilji - were buried in their home district - Khandwa. The five bodies were kept at Khilji's residence at Gulmohar locality before being laid to rest at Bada Cemetery close to Abana river around 11 PM. Over 2,000 people took part in the funeral procession. At some places, to avoid any stampede-like situation, police had to drive people away, who had come to take a glimpse of the deceased. Around 700 police personnel, some of them in plain clothes, kept a watch on the funeral procession, sources said. Meanwhile, one slain operative, Mohammad Khalid, who hailed from Maharashtra, was laid to rest in Bhopal. "Khalid was from Solapur, but his parents are no more and his brother, who was also a operative, is lodged in Bhopal Central Jail. Since nobody came to claim his body, he was laid to rest here by police," a police officer said. Another deceased, Abdul Majid, was buried at his hometown at Mahidpur in Ujjain district. Meanwhile, the body of Sheikh Mujeeb was taken to Ahmedabad by his family members, his lawyer Parvez Alam said. The bodies were handed over to the family members after the post-mortem in Bhopal. While taking custody of the bodies, the relatives questioned the genuineness of the police encounter. The kin of Abdul Majid argued with police officials outside the morgue of Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal and alleged foul play in the way he was killed. Zakir Hussain's mother Salma Bi and brother Azaz said the "conspiracy" needs to be probed thoroughly. "Zakir had told me that he did not feel safe and feared for his life," Salma Bi said adding, "My son has attained martyrdom." The eight SIMI activists were killed in the alleged police encounter on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail, killing a security guard on Monday. In an escalation of cross-border military confrontation, 8 civilians were today killed and 22 injured in Jammu region due to Pakistani shelling, prompting a strong retaliation by Indian army which killed two Pakistani soldiers. Since early morning, Pakistan troops resorted to heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani troops used heavy calibre weapons like 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs, army said. "Five people died and nine others were injured in the shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today," Deputy Commissioner of Samba Sheetal Nanda told PTI. One person died due to shock during shelling in the same area, raising the toll of those killed in the area to six, she said. While three of the injured were given treatment in Ramgarh hospital, the rest were shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu, she said. The casualties took place during shelling in Jarda and Rangoor camp villages along the IB in Ramgarh sector. Along the LoC, two women were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said three army porters suffered injuries in the shelling in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. Pakistani shells landed in Mendhar town of Poonch district, injuring three people, police said. "Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms followed by mortars at one place and further spread to four or five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 0630 hours," DIG BSF (G) Dharmendra Pareek said. They fired 82 mm mortar bombs intermittently, Pareek said, adding, BSF gave them a befitting reply. A woman aged between 21 to 22 years died during shelling in a hamlet in Ramgarh sector of Samba district, SSP Samba Joginder Singh said. Six persons have been injured in the ceasefire violations since yesterday. At 0710 hours, three mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district, injuring four persons identified as Bodraj (44), Niky, Dharana Devi and Chanchla Devi (49), he said. Two women, Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24), were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district last evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Earlier, Defence PRO Lt Col Manish Mehta said Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Naushera sector of Rajouri district from 0530 hours using small arms, automatics,82 and 120 mm mortars. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CPI(M) veteran and former chief minister V S Achuthanandan today hit out against the ban on media in courts in Kerala and said the state was witnessing a strange phenomena of "gag on press" when it was celebrating 60 years of its formation. "It is an irony that efforts are on to gag the press by persons who are responsible to ensure justice," he said at the special session of the Assembly held to mark the state's formation day. Targeting the section of lawyers who continued to prevent media persons from reporting in courts, Achuthanandan said the action of a few lawyers should not mar democracy and it was not good for anybody to continue this (ban on media). The veteran Marxist leader sought to know what the situation would be if media was barred from the press gallery in the Assembly just because they had some tiff with one or two MLAs. "Is it not absurd to close the doors of courts to media just became of the stubbornness of a few lawyers?" he asked. Meanwhile, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists also urged Chief Justice of India T S Thakur to resolve the issue as early as possible. Media personnel are not being allowed to cover High Court and other court proceedings since July 19 after a group of lawyers chased them away over a media report about a government pleader allegedly misbehaving with a woman. On October 15, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said there was no bar on journalists reporting court proceedings and had called the action of some lawyers obstructing the media as "unacceptable" and that the government would take action against those violating the law. Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had also sought the CJI's intervention to ensure freedom of media persons. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National carrier has resumed Boeing 777 services on its London's route from here with the replacement of its Dreamliner B787-8 with B777-200 LR aircraft for one of its flights as part of the winter schedule operations. Earlier also, Air India had been operating a B777 on the Delhi-London route. However, in the 2013 summers, it changed the aircraft to Dreamliner. The resumption of B777 services are effective from October 30, sources said. Winter schedule for domestic airlines this year began from October 30 and would last up to the last week of March next year. The B777 aircraft will be operating on Air India's flight AI-111/112 service, sources said. The change of aircraft has, however, reduced the capacity on the flight by 18 seats. This Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which was in operations till the summers had a total of 256 seats in a two-class configuration with 18 seats in business class and the rest 238 in economy. As against this, the B777-200LR has a total of 238 seats in a three-class configuration. There are eight seats in first class, 35 in business, and remaining 195 in economy. Air India flies to eighth destinations in Europe. Besides, it is set to launch a flight to Madrid from December 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid a raging debate over Uniform Civil Code and triple talaq in the country, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said they will deliberate on the line of action to be taken over the issues, in its upcoming convention in the city. Describing the twin issues as an "infringement of the personal law and fundamental rights of Muslims", the AIMPLB said it would give a call for formation of a "secular platform" to counter the BJP and RSS's "evil designs". "The BJP-RSS is trying to infringe into the personal and fundamental rights of Muslims. This will never be tolerated. The upcoming convention will deal with the issues," Trinamool Congress MP and chairman of AIMPLB organising committee, Sultan Ahmed told PTI. According to Ahmed, the AIMPLB usually sticks to only Muslim personal laws which broadly cover marriage, talaq, succession and adoption-related issues, but this time it will step beyond its periphery and speak up against religious intolerance in the country. AIMPLB is an umbrella organisation which has representatives from all Muslim sects, theological schools and religious orders. The body is reportedly the highest decision-making body on Muslim personal laws. Ahmed will formally meet the state administration this week to finalise the venue for the three-day Kolkata convention starting November 18. "We will sit with the state administration and police authorities and finalise the details this week. We have two venues in mind--Park Circus Maidan and Mohammedan Sporting Club for the public meeting," he said. According to sources, the organising committee had already written to the state government seeking Haj Tower on VIP Road and Park Circus grounds for the convention. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Defense Ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told Armenpress the Azerbaijani side made more than 55 ceasefire violations at the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact. The Ministrys announcement reads: Overnight October 31-November 1 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire regime more than 55 times by firing over 840 shots from various caliber small arms at the Armenian positions in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact. In the northern direction the Azerbaijani forces fired also RPG-7 grenade launcher (3 grenades). The Defense Army forces took counter measures for suppressing the Azerbaijani activeness and continued confidently fulfilling their military tasks. The army today bid adieu to the rifleman Bimal Tamang who lost his life in a ceasefire violation from the Pakistani side along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. "Wreath laying ceremony was held in honour of the brave martyr Rifleman Bimal Tamang who laid down his life guarding the Nations frontiers while serving the LoC in Rajouri Sector," an army spokesman said. He said that a military send off was organised wherein, General Officer Commanding, 25 Infantry Division laid a wreath on behalf of Lieutenant General DS Hooda, Army Commander Northern Command and Lieutenant General AK Sharma, General Officer Commanding, White Knight Corps. Rifleman Tamang, (20), belonged to Dharan, Nepal and is survived by his mother, Nirmaya Tamang. He was a dedicated, brave, sincere soldier and a thorough professional, he loved his job to the core, he said. "The nation will remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty. He will continue to motivate the future generations," the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Spouses of Asian diplomats, including from India, are set to host a crafts bazaar in the Egyptian capital in a bid to raise funds for NGOs which work for women and children. The Asian Diplomats' Spouses Association (ADSA) in Cairo will organise the annual bazaar in Cairo on November 12, association president Ranu Bhattacharyya yesterday told reporters at the India House in Zamalek. 11 Egyptian NGOs will participate in the bazaar along with 15 Asian countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Australia, said Ranu, wife of the Indian Ambassador in Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya. "We come from counties which have seen women and children in need. And since we are here we would like to find ways to address that," Ranu said. "These NGOs work with women and children and also they are promoting the crafts which are slowly dying out in Egypt," she pointed out. "They will be offered tables in the bazaar and it shall be free of cost. So whatever money they make, it is for them to put it back into their own organisations," she said. The press briefing was attended by Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China, Dwi Ria Latifa, wife of Ambassador of Indonesia, Hajah Sarimah, wife of Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, and Dianne Hawkins, wife of Ambassador of Australia. "Every year we sit together and update our charity activities and we see which organisation needs to be supported badly. We always stand by the Egyptian women and children and Egyptian people who need support," said Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China. As customary, the Asian embassies will sell traditional hand-made products and the food for which their countries are famous. Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, said ASDA is keen on supporting Egyptian handcrafts. "We keep those products that are dying and give a life to them so they can continue in Egypt through our support," she said. Cultural performances from several Asian countries will be held during the bazaar which will take place in one of Cairo's 5-star hotels for a day. "I think what makes this Asia bazaar different from other bazaars is the cultural performances that will be held. Last year the cultural performers ended up with every body dancing," Dianne Hawkins, wife of the Ambassador of Australia, said. The bazaar will be inaugurated by Ghada Wali, the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Ranu said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The body of a 42-year-old lance havildar in the army was found at a bus stand in north-west Delhi's GT Karnal Road under mysterious circumstances this afternoon. The deceased, identified as Subhash Chandra, had returned from his home town Jammu to Delhi after celebrating Diwali and had deboarded the bus at the bus stop, said a senior police officer. He was posted as a Lance Havildar in the Delhi unit. His body was spotted at the bus stop by a passerby around 1.30 pm who made a PCR call, police said. "Prima facie, it doesn't look that he was murdered by someone who wanted to rob him. All his belongings, including his wallet, ID card, ATM card and money were found intact. There were no external injury marks found on his body. There was a scratch mark found on his back but it doesn't suggest foul play and looks like the mark from an injury sustained due to a fall," said the officer. Chandra was rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital where his body has been preserved for autopsy. His family members in Jammu have been informed and once they arrive here, the post-mortem will be carried out. "It looks like a case of natural death. We will get to know the exact cause of death after the autopsy," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government bonds (G-Secs) declined on selling pressure from banks and corporates, while interbank call money rates remained steady as demand from borrowing banks matched supplies. The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2026 slipped to Rs 104.5650 from Rs 104.7275 previously, while its yield went up to 6.91 per cent from 6.88 per cent. The 6.97 per cent government security maturing in 2026 fell to Rs 101.08 from Rs 101.24, while its yield edged up to 6.82 per cent from 6.79 per cent. The 7.59 per cent government security maturing in 2029 eased to Rs 104.4975 from Rs 104.70, while, its yield rose to 7.04 per cent from 7.01 per cent. The 7.61 per cent government security maturing in 2030, the 7.88 per cent government security maturing in 2030 and the 7.68 per cent government security maturing in 2023 also quoted lower at Rs 105.05, Rs 107.02 and Rs 104.52, respectively. The overnight call money rates ended stable at its previous level of 6.00 per cent after trading in a range of 6.30 per cent and 5.85 per cent. Meanwhile, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), purchased securities worth Rs 36.84 billion in 6-bids at the overnight repo auction at a fixed rate of 6.25 per cent today morning, while it sold securities worth Rs 63.82 billion in 20-bids at the overnight reverse repo auction at a fixed rate of 5.75 per cent as on October 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hollywood star Bruce Willis performed at a jazz benefit concert in honour of blues legend Dr John. The "Die Hard" star showed off his musical talents at the Jazz Foundation of America's annual show, held at New York's Apollo Theater, in honour of Dr John and McCoy Tyner, reported Contactmusic. Willis served as back up on the harmonica for blues veteran Henry Gray as he played the piano, while the Hollywood action man later took over the microphone to sing the blues with a cover of Roomful of Blues' "She'll Be So Fine." Ringo Starr also made an appearance via a pre-recorded video to introduce Dr John's performance, which featured the former Beatles' star's first All-Starr band. Dr John, 75, was later presented with the Hank Jones Award, named after the late piano icon, to celebrate his work in advancing the musical legacy of New Orleans, Louisiana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Technology investor and Padma Shri awardee T V Mohandas Pai today said the Karnataka government's plan to celebrate 'Tipu Jayanti' is like celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, "who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist." "The state government's plan to celebrate Tipu Jayanti is like the central government celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist," he told reporters on the sidelines of an RSS event here. Tipu Jayanti, slated to be celebrated across the state on November 10, is being observed since last year following a Congress government decision, which had triggered a major row and caused violence in Kodagu district in November last. Tipu Sultan was the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom. Pai rued that government is playing politics over Tipu Jayanti and urged it to celebrate anniversaries of benevolent rulers like the Wodeyars and Mysuru Diwan Mirza Ismail. "What the government is doing is playing politics, which is wrong and I would request them not to do it. If they want to celebrate, let them celebrate Mirza Ismail, Wodeyars - both were benevolent rulers. Let them also celebrate Sir Visveswaraya, the greatest engineer we ever had," he said. Ismail was Diwan (Prime Minister) of Mysuru, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was Ismail's mentor. "The government, which is there to rule the entire state, they must never do something which divides people - divides Coorgis, Mangalurean Christians other communities," he said. They should instead bring different communities together. "The BJP and the Congress play politics. They have got their own constituencies. Let them do what they want," he said. Pai said he feels offended that government would celebrate Tipu Jayanti who was a "bigot and tyrant", who killed people of different communities and converted people to Islam. "I am a Konkani and I feel very offended that the government is celebrating somebody (Tipu) who did wrong to both communities." Pai alleged that Tipu Sultan butchered Coorgis and the Christians living in Kodagu and Kerala, and also destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod, in Kerala. "The Coorgis still have anger against him. In Mangaluru, the Christian community are angered because some 26,000 Catholics were put in dungeons," he said. "He (Tipu) destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod," he added. "There is a dark side to Tipu. He was a despot and a bigot. He killed many people converted others to Islam by using sword. There is no denying the fact as such," he said. BJP and RSS have opposed the "Tipu Jayanti" celebrations. RSS had stated recently it opposed the celebration and it would stage protests against it as the ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom was a "religious bigot and a violent sultan". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Factory activity in expanded last month at its fastest pace in more than two years, official and private figures showed on Tuesday, boding well for the world's second-largest . Investors closely watch the purchasing managers' index (PMI) numbers, which gauge conditions at factories and mines, as the first indicators of the health of the each month. The official PMI came in at 51.2 for October, its highest since July 2014, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. That was up from September's 50.4 and was well ahead of the median forecast of 50.3 in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. A figure above 50 signals expanding activity while anything below demonstrates shrinkage. "Production and market demand is picking up again, accelerating expansion," NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a statement. But Zhao added that downward pressures remain on imports and exports owing to the sluggish recovery in global growth. The private Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index, which focuses on small companies, pointed to a similar trend. Its October reading climbed to 51.2, up from 50.1 the previous month and also the highest since July 2014, the Chinese financial magazine said in a joint statement with data compiler IHS Markit. "The seems to be stabilising for the moment, owing primarily to policies implemented to sustain growth," Caixin analyst Zhong Zhengsheng said in the statement. But Zhong warned: "Supportive policies must be continued, or industrial output may be dragged down by a slowdown in investment." The key manufacturing sector has been struggling for months in the face of sagging world demand for Chinese products and excess industrial capacity left over from the country's infrastructure boom. "This might be as good as it gets," HSBC Holdings economic researcher Frederic Neumann told Bloomberg. "A generous stimulus injected earlier this year is still winding itself through the economy," he added, and with the government now "tapping the brakes" in the property sector "growth will likely cool again in the coming months". However, analysts at ANZ Research said: "We believe that today's data signals the end of persistent sluggishness in the industrial sector." Investors welcomed the figures, with China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rising 0.71% and the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on the country's second exchange, gaining 1.11%. But others were more cautious. Analysts at Nomura attributed the PMI rises to a strong performance in the high-tech and high-end equipment manufacturing industries, but expressed scepticism that such growth could be sustained. The death toll from a coal mine explosion in southwest China rose to 18 after three more bodies were pulled out today while rescuers raced against time to locate the 15 people listed missing a day after the mishap. Around 35 miners were inside the mine in Chongqing Municipality when the explosion occured yesterday morning. Fifteen miners were still missing and rescue work was underway, state-run Xinhua agency reported. Two workers escaped unharmed, leaving 33 trapped in a pit at Jinshangou Coal Mine, Yongchuan District. The police were looking into possible misconduct by the mine's management team, said Luo Qingquan, head of the district government. More than 400 rescuers worked through the night, digging carefully through debris to avoid secondary disasters. At least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers were on standing by. When the explosion occurred, Tao Puzhang, 60, working on his land about 500 metres from the mine, heard a big noise and felt the ground shake under his feet. Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator with the mine, working 40 metres from the entrance to the pit, was knocked off her feet by the blast and received injuries to her face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she told the agency. "I have a relative down the pit and I hope he is alive." Following the explosion, Chongqing has ordered a safety overhaul and temporarily closed all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output. The mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has constituted a committee to review fire safety measures at various Central government hospitals and directed it to submit a report within 15 days, a move which comes in the backdrop of a major fire at a hospital in Odisha recently which claimed over 20 lives. Union Health Minister J P Nadda today held a meeting to review the fire safety protocols which are being followed in all Central government hospitals all over the country. "Reviewed fire safety protocols being followed in all Central government hospitals. "The committee has been constituted to review comprehensive guidelines for fire safety and directed to submit its report within 15 days," Nadda tweeted. Sources said that a joint secretary in the Union Health ministry has been made the chairman of the committee which also includes various stakeholders from different hospitals. Sources said that during the meeting, Nadda directed officials to lay stress on having proper fire escape routes and measures in place especially in operation theatres and ICUs so that patients inside these rooms can be evacuated properly during a fire. It can be recalled that more than 20 patients were killed and over 20 others injured in a fire that broke out at Sum private hospital in Odisha recently, in one of the worst such incidents involving a medical facility in the state. The blaze was suspected to have been triggered by an electric short circuit in the dialysis ward on the first floor of the private hospital which spread to the nearby Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Nadda during his visit to the hospital after the fire had said that all those responsible for the incident should be punished. Odisha Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak had also resigned on moral grounds after the incident. The owner of the Odisha hospital was also arrested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actor Benedict Cumberbatch says he had a great time while shooting "Doctor Strange" in Nepal. The 40-year-old actor visited South Asia for the first time while on his gap year and had a fantastic time returning to Kathmandu to shoot scenes for the Marvel film, reported Female First. "It was amazing to go back to Kathmandu, to a place that was familiar but very different. "The earthquake happened seven months before we went and I was adamant we still had to forge ahead with filming there. It was fantastic," Cumberbatch said. The British actor said he also enjoyed the spiritual aspects to the story. "The thing that resonated in 'Doctor Strange' was the power of the mind to shape reality. I think people in all cultures have always needed beliefs. "Wherever we lie on the spiritual spectrum, we'll always wonder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. - In the run-up to its annual Thanksgiving Day Telethon, titled My Artsakh, on November 1, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund launches its SMS donation campaign in Armenia. By sending an SMS to the number 8000 or by calling 090008000, subscribers of all cell-phone carriers in Armenia can support Artsakh with donations of 300 AMD. The proceeds will be allocated to initiatives for rebuilding war-ravaged Artsakh communities, various measures to ensure the safety and security of the peaceful population, and the construction of homes for large families throughout the republic. The Hayastan All-Armenian Funds flagship fundraising event, the Thanksgiving Day Telethon, will be held in Los Angeles on November 24. The SMS as well as donations-through-Haypost campaigns in Armenia will be complemented by fundraising efforts in Artsakh and across the Diaspora. From November 16 to 20, the funds Pan-European Phoneathon will take place in France, mobilizing the Armenian communities of France, Germany, and Switzerland. Also participating in the Phoneathon will be the Armenian community of Greece, which will raise funds locally on November 19 and 20. The first of these events took place in Toronto on October 23, when the local Armenian community raised a record $1 million at its banquet. The Congress' top brass will go into a huddle here on November 7 when they would discuss, besides pressing political issues, the organisational polls, amid continuing uncertainty over Rahul Gandhi's elevation as party president. The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision making body, will also chalk out its strategy for the winter session of Parliament beginning November 16. The organisational elections in Congress are overdue and the party had sought time from the Election Commission to complete the process by December 31. The party had informed the poll panel about it as required under the rules. The meeting is taking place at a time when the talk of Rahul Gandhi's elevation has got revived again following Congress president Sonia Gandhi illness. She had been taken ill suddenly during a road show in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency Varanasi on August 2 and had to be hospitalised. Several Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, have been quite vocal about seeking Rahul's elevation. Ramesh had a few months back said Rahul was already "de facto" (in fact) Congress president and needed to take charge of the party by becoming its "de jure" (in law) leader without waiting for an anti-incumbency building up against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Making a strong pitch for Rahul Gandhi's appointment as Congress chief, Ramesh said, "Uncertainty does not help". He said the challenges faced by Congress were akin to those that prevailed when Sonia Gandhi had taken over the party in March 1998. Rahul was appointed party vice president in January 2013 at CWC's meeting in Jaipur. Besides the organisational polls and the strategy to be adopted for Parliament session, the meeting would also take stock of the current political situation and discuss its plans for assembly elections to some states including Uttar Pradesh and Punjab due next year, party sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Diwali diya was lit at the UN headquarters for the first time amid a celebration of Indian culture and heritage as the festival continued to light up the world body. UN General Assembly President Peter Thomson lit the traditional lamp at a ceremony here yesterday to celebrate Diwali at the UN Secretariat. "The #Diwali Diya is lighted @UN for 1st time. Thank you Ambassador Thomson for your open embrace of multiculturalism," India's Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. The Diwali celebrations at the UN included Indian dance and music performances as traditional Indian fare was served for UN diplomats and officials. "India Artists performing Fusion Dance on the occasion of Diwali," India's mission to the UN tweeted along with a video of the dance performance. Diwali was commemorated for the first time at the United Nations, as the world body's imposing headquarters was lit up especially on the occasion of the Indian festival of lights. The UN's facade was lit in bright hues and the words 'Happy Diwali' along with the image of a traditional diya (lamp) projected onto the building. The image was displayed from October 29-31. It is for the first time that the Indian festival of lights has been celebrated at the UN after it was recognised by the world body. "Happy Diwali! @UN celebrates Diwali for 1st time. Thank you for this initiative,"Akbaruddin had tweeted. The UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution in December 2014 that acknowledged the "significance of Diwali". Noting that the festival is observed in many UN member states, the resolution had called on UN bodies to avoid holding meetings on Diwali, declaring it a no-meeting day. From 2016 onwards, Diwali was made an optional holiday for the UN, India's Permanent Mission to the UN said in a special video message. Thomson had alsotweeted a picture of the UN building lit up in bright blue for Diwali and said, "Light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil -- the UN lights up. Happy Diwali!" City residents had flocked to the UN headquarters in large numbers to take a photo of the first-ever such projection on the building. Earlier this year in June, the UN building was lit up on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, with images of Yoga postures projected on the imposing headquarters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Having achieved the top rank in ease of doing business in the country, Andhra Pradesh has now set its sights on becoming one of the top 10 investment destinations in the world in the next few years. "We are drawing plans for that. Last year we were number two in the country and this year we are number one in ease of doing business. In the coming years, we want to be among the top five, six or ten in the world," Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said while addressing Telugu Desam workers here today. "Rank (in ease of doing business) should create a perception (about the state). The perception should translate into decisions and investments into the state. We have to think beyond India," Chandrababu told his Cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats last night. Andhra Pradesh is now the only state to be ranked, at 51, in the global competitiveness index of the World Economic Forum, where India's rank is 56. Switzerland is number one in the global ranking, followed by Singapore. "We have to benchmark those countries and aim to reach the top. Pick up the best practices from those countries and try to implement them here," Chandrababu said. By 2022, Andhra Pradesh aims to improve its ranking to 38 from the current 51. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Pakistan High Commission employee, who was recently expelled by India for spying, had named 16 other "staffers" who were also allegedly involved in the espionage ring, police said today. During his joint interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, expelled Pakistani High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar had claimed that 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe. His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said. Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who were providing confidential documents and information to Akhtar, who allegedly headed the espionage racket. Two teams of Crime Branch are currently in Rajasthan along with the other arrested accused-- Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib-- to seek details of paramilitary personnel who might be involved in leaking information to them, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said the officer. "It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies," he said. Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Munavvar Saleem's personal assistant Farhat Khan was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage racket. The Pakistan High Commission staffer was caught receiving secret documents here on October 26. Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were held along with Akhtar. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has warned non-performing officials and workers of various departments of action if they fail to comply with government directives. "The government will not hesitate to show them doors. Such officers will be sent home," the chief minister replied to a query here yesterday when asked about non-performing bureaucrats and workers. He said the entire digitisation, Right to Service Act and other pro-people measures have been initiated to reduce friction and direct interface with the people and make entire system transparent, speedy and result oriented. "No excuses will be entertained for red-tapism, or delayed and flawed decision making," the CM told reporters. When asked whether the bureaucracy has mended ways as he had sometime earlier claimed 70 per cent of them were not co-operating, he said most of the senior officers are doing a good job and claimed that even the performance of ministers is being assessed as per Key Result Area (KRA) fixed for the respective department. On the issue of statehood for Vidarbha, a region he hails from, and BJP's promise to create it, he said, the ball is in Centre's court. "As far as I am concerned, and also the BJP, the view is unchanged," he said. Separate Vidarbha was one of the promises of the BJP during the state assembly poll campaign in 2014. Dismissing the view that most decisions taken by him in the last two years were favouring Vidarbha, Fadnavis said his government was only trying to undo the injustice done for decades to Vidarbha and Marathwada. Fadnavis said state had made remarkable progress on several fronts and work was in progress on others. Quoting Niti Aayog ranking declared yesterday, Fadnavis said Maharashtra was adjudged top state in agriculture marketing scoring 81 per cent marks. He said on the 'ease of doing business' front, the state was at the 10th place though it had made remarkable improvement in its score from 49 per cent last year to 92 per cent this year. "The state jumped to third position from 16th last year in education sector. We have started maximum number of accounts under Jan Dhan Yojana. Against 17 lakh farmers insured during Congress- NCP rule, the number has now touched 80 lakh," Fadnavis said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Finance Ministry has short-listed as many as 12 international law firms, including Amold & Porter LLP and Volterra Fietta, to represent India in international arbitrations or disputes. The short-listing has been done on the basis of technical bids of these firms and a final decision will be taken only after the financial bids of these law firms are analysed by the Department of Economic Affairs. The other legal firms who have made it to the list include Cabinet Joubin Bret, Dubai-based Clyde & Co, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, DLA Piper France LLP, Fietta International Law, Foley Hoag LLP, J Cameron Mowatt Law Corporation, Lalive, Switzerland, Paris-based Mayer Brown, and Omnia Strategy LLP. The selected legal firms will represent India in arbitrations or disputes under bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and / or investment chapters of free trade agreement / comprehensive economic partnership agreements / comprehensive economic cooperation agreements. In January, the finance ministry had decided to empanel international law firms to represent India in disputes, including arbitrations, under its investment and trade agreements. The scope of work for the law firms will include assessing and advising the government on legal issues related to arbitration proceedings under Indian BITs and prepare a strategy for representing India. BITs allow settling disputes between an investor and the host government as well as between two governments. Global MNCs like Cairn Energy and Vodafone have invoked BIT and served arbitration notice to India over tax disputes. While the tax demand on Cairn Energy is Rs 10,247 crore, that on Vodafone is Rs 14,200 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a suspected case of sabotage, a fire broke out at a residential quarter of an educational institute in Shopian district of Kashmir tonight, police said. The fire broke out in the residence of the principal of District Institute of Education and Training at Shopian around 10 PM, a police official said. Local residents and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and put out the fire, he said. Officials said the cause of the fire was not immediately known, but did not rule out the possibility of sabotage. Over the past few months, around 25 schools have been burnt down mysteriously across the Kashmir Valley which is under the grip of unrest following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in early July. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Free gas cylinders with ovens were today distributed among 1.10 lakh BPL families in Jharkhand on the occasion of the Bhai Dooj ceremony. State Chief Minister Raghubar Das said that this was a gift to sisters from the government and that in the next three years the government has set a target of distributing free gas cylinders with stoves and Rs 200 as subsidy per month among 1.66 lakh BPL households. "This will cost the government Rs 450 crore," Das said. Das announced this while inaugurating the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yozana at the Vivekanand Auditorium of the Vinoba Bhava University here. Das claimed that Jharkhand was the only state in the country where not a rupee had been taken from beneficiaries in the distribution of free gas cylinders. Das noted that in the 70 years of India's independence many declared schemes for the uplift of BPL families had not been implemented fully. However, the schemes started for the BPL families by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last two and a half years had proved that the Prime Minister meant business. He said that Modi's Ujwala Vikash Yojana was one of the examples. He said that the government had already declared that 2017 would be observed as "Garib Kalyan Varsh" and was proceeding towards achieving the goal. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Hazaribagh MP Jayant Sinha said that by launching the scheme the Prime Minister has fulfilled his promises to the people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A notorious gangster, who was wanted in several criminal cases including murder, was today nabbed by city police. Sandeep Singh alias Sunny was arrested when he was going towards village Dhanas here in a car to allegedly kill a city-based jeweler, police said. Acting on a tip off, a team of police led by inspector Amanjot Singh laid a 'naka' near Dhanas bridge and signaled gangster to stop. However, he took his pistol and aimed at cops. But he was overpowered by Head Constable Durjan Singh and Constable Daulat Ram. A pistol and file live cartridges were recovered from his possession, police said. Sandeep had escaped from the custody of Haryana police while they were taking him back after producing him in District Court Mohali here on October 11 this year. Investigation conducted by police disclosed that the accused also wanted to kill Sub Inspector Om Parkash who had arrested him in a dacoity case. Police said he was addicted to taking sleeping pills and could carry out major criminal activity under the influence of tablets. During the questioning, he also confessed that he befooled several police officials of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and took money from them on the pretext of give information about the gangsters and other heinous crimes which has occurred in their jurisdictions. He also confessed to having extort money from several jewelers by posing as SP, police claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The inaugural function of golden jubilee celebrations of District Courts, Chandigarh was held today. The celebrations are being held for over a period of five days with different events each day, said an official spokesman. Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, Supreme Court judge was the Chief Guest while Justice Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, Chief Justice Punjab and Haryana High Court presided over the function, the spokesman said. A new premises for Juvenile Justice Board was also inaugurated today in the building of Juvenile Home at Sector 25 Chandigarh. It was inaugurated by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Russia is posing a threat to the stability of the United Kingdom and is resorting to all "increasingly aggressive" methods in order to achieve its aims, MI5 Director General Andrew Parker said in an interview with Britains The Guardian daily, TASS reports. "It (Russia) is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways - involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks," the daily quoted Parker as saying." "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today," he said. "It is MI5s job to get in the way of that." "Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the west and seems to act accordingly," the chief of the British intelligence service said. "You can see that on the ground with Russias activities in Ukraine and Syria." "But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat," Parker said. "Russia has been a covert threat for decades." The Guardian reported that Parker became the first incumbent MI5 director general to give a newspaper interview in the 107-year old history of the British intelligence service. The government has excluded 40-odd grades of stainless steel used in auto and engineering sectors from the Stainless Steel Quality Control (QC) Order, 2016. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently came out with the order, which stipulates a mandatory registration with the state-run quality control body. It also prohibits manufacture, import, storage, sale and distribution of stainless steel products by trade and industry without such registration. "Around 40 grades have been exempted. These are customer specific stainless steel flat rolled products used in auto, industrial and engineering sectors, however, those used in utensils and kitchenware applications are covered under the QC Order," a senior government official said. In September, the government had extended the window for registration under the Stainless Steel Quality Control Order, 2016, by three months after several industry bodies approached the Steel Ministry on the matter. The development had come following a bitter war of words between stainless steel industry body ISSDA and industry bodies like PPMAI, MSSMA and AISSIA, which forced the Steel Ministry to set up a panel to look into the issue in August. The order provides stainless steel makers and dealers more time to register their products with the BIS. The QC Order had led to a war of words between various industry bodies associated with the stainless steel sector. While some called it need of the hour, others were protesting that it helps a few companies at the expense of others. Industry bodies like Metal and Stainless Steel Merchant's Association, All India Stainless Steel Industries Association and Process Plant and Machinery Association of India (PPMAI) have alleged that the QC Order has been implemented without discussions with end-users. Slamming such claims, ISSDA said reports on long period of certification is factually incorrect and that BIS has announced a simplified regime for registration that will now only take a month after the submission of complete documents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry has sought an appointment with Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who also heads the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, but the government has decided to stay clear of the boardroom tussle in India's largest conglomerate, for now. Mistry, the first non-family chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, who was unceremoniously removed from his position last month, has sought an audience with Jaitley possibly to explain his side of the story. But the finance minister has for now decided not to meet either side as the government does not want to be seen getting embroiled in the Tata Group turmoil, a senior government official said. Ratan Tata, Mistry's predecessor who was brought in as his replacement in the interim period, has so far not sought an appointment with Jaitley even though there are reports that the two had sought time to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The official said the government will not suo motu get involved in the turmoil at the Bombay House, the seat of the USD 100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate. Ministers, he said, are unlikely to meet either side till the matter reaches the National Company Law Tribunal or any other judicial forum because then it will be a legal battle with the government having practically no role to play. The government does not want to give an impression of siding with either party, the official added. On his part, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal said the government is "keeping a close watch on developments" in the Tata-Mistry tussle. "Sebi and other agencies are also keeping a vigil, but so far, nothing has been referred to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs," he said. Meghwal is also in-charge of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Mistry has accused Tata Sons of cornering him into being a "lame-duck" chairman in the near four-year tenure and also hiding USD 18 billion of potential write-downs across five group firms, including Tata Motors and Tata Steel Europe. He has also alleged potential financial issues at the various companies and violations of securities regulations. His family firm Shapoorji Pallonji Group has 18.4 per cent in Tata Sons. As much as 66 per cent shares in Tata Sons are held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court has upheld an order of a Jalgaon Magistrate detaining an alleged sand smuggler under Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA), saying his movements in the society might lead to disruption of public order. MPDA covers bootleggers, slumlords, sand smugglers and certain other categories of offenders whose activities are a threat to public order. Dismissing a petition challenging detention of Nilesh Dnyaneshwar Desale under MPDA, a bench of Justice Vijaya Tahilramani and Justice Mridula Bhatkar observed that "sand smugglers on the basis of muscle and money power create terror in the vicinity and they are a menace to the public order." Jalgaon Magistrate passed the detention order against Desale, a resident of Jalgaon district near Nashik, in March this year on the basis of four criminal cases and two in-camera statements of witnesses. "The 4 CRs in which the detenu is allegedly involved pertain to theft of sand. On account of sand smuggling, the water available is reduced. Ecological balance is disturbed. On account of reduction in water, there is great scarcity of water for drinking purpose and irrigation. There is monetary loss to farmers and citizens in the area," the court observed. "People in the area know about the activities of the detenu and are living in a state of fear. This amounts to disturbance of public order," the bench said in a recent judgement. "Hence, to protect the interest of the public in such cases, the legislation has amended the definition and incorporated 'Sand Smugglers' in section 2 of the Act. The Detaining Authority has rightly considered the situation, the nature of offences and the nature of its effect on public order and has passed the detention order," the Judges said. The petition was filed by a friend of the detenu and its counsel Aisha Zuber Ansari argued that the detaining authority had not applied its mind properly by not going through the documents. Ansari further argued that the detention order was issued within two days of the detenu's arrest and this was not possible to consider more than 200 page documents in such a short time. Hence, the detention order was not fair, unjust and must be quashed. However, the high court dismissed the petition saying the detention order was fair and totally justified. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reassuring of having done everything 'humanly' possible to augment connectivity between its network and newcomer Reliance Jio, today said it hopes of 'objective outcome' on TRAI's suggested imposition of Rs 1,050 crore penalty over interconnect issue. "We have done everything we could have humanly done...The amount of augmentation runs into thousands of points of interconnect in five weeks...We have offered a staggering pace of augmentation...To the new entrant, and the quantity of augmentation we have done is 2.5 times that of any other player with equivalent set of customers," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, India and South Asia, told PTI. Stating that there has been a "confusion" around the entire interconnect issue, Vittal expressed hope that an 'objective outcome' will emerge through a dialogue with both Telecom Department and TRAI. Blaming Reliance Jio for delays at its end, Vittal said that augmentation of interconnection required efforts on both sides. "Both parties need to be ready...We have had delays on the other side in terms of their own links of transmission into our switching centres...All that has led to what today is... A non issue," he said. It may be recalled that late last month, sector regulator TRAI suggested a penalty of about Rs 1,050 crore each for Airtel and Vodafone, and Rs 950 crore in case of Idea Cellular, dealing a blow to the incumbent operators on the interconnect issue. TRAI, in its recommendation to the Department of Telecom, said it has found the trio non-compliant with licence conditions and service quality norms, given the high rate of call failures and congestion at interconnect points for RJio. "It is our obligation to provide points of interconnect and we will continue to do so," Vittal said. A plea seeking demolition of a factory allegedly built illegally on government land near the 'protected' area of historic Tughlakabad village here, has led the Delhi High Court to seek the response of the government and the Archeological Survey of India (ASI). A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal issued notices to the government and the ASI asking them to file their response by January 13, the next date of hearing. The plea has alleged that a factory has been built illegally on government land in Tughlakabad and the concerned authorities should restore the possession of land to ASI. It claimed that despite Supreme Court's February 2016 order declaring the entire area of Tughlakabad as protected, illegal construction was still being carried out there. "The Supreme Court has also directed the ASI not to allow any such land grabbing/encroachment in the said protected area and public land. But despite this direction, the aforesaid ... was able to build unauthorised construction on the aforesaid land falling within the protected area of ASI," the petition, filed by Vikas Bakshi, president of an NGO, said. During the hearing on the plea, advocate Shakil Akhtar, appearing for the petitioner, referred to the February 4 apex court order describing the Tughlakabad Fort as one of national importance and declaring it a protected monument. The petitioner also alleged that he had filed complaints with the authorities but no action has yet been taken. It has sought a direction to the authorities to restore the possession of land situated at the Tughlakabad village to the ASI and conducting of a "departmental enquiry" against the officials concerned for their failure to take action till date in the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Iraqi forces fought their way into jihadist-held Mosul today, the military said, as a top commander declared the "true liberation" of the city from the Islamic State group had begun. Just over two weeks into the massive offensive to retake Mosul -- IS's last major stronghold in Iraq -- the army said its forces had managed to push within city limits. Troops had "entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti area, within the left bank of the city of Mosul," the Joint Operations Command said in a statement. Mosul is split by the Tigris River, with the eastern half of the city known as the left bank. Judaidat al-Mufti is on the southeastern side of the city. Elite Iraqi forces had also recaptured the key village of Gogjali and taken control of a television station building belonging to a local affiliate of Iraqiya state TV on the eastern edge of the city. Fighters from the US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had pushed into the area amid heavy fighting on the eastern front over the past two days. "Now is the beginning of the true liberation of the city of Mosul," Staff General Taleb Sheghati al-Kenani, the commander of the CTS, told Iraqiya from Gogjali. Soldiers from Iraq's 16th Division also retook a series of villages north of Mosul, according to the Joint Operations Command, while pro-government paramilitaries said they captured villages southwest of the city. Backed by air and ground support from a US-led coalition, tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters have been converging on Mosul. Since the offensive was launched on October 17, federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have retaken a series of villages as they advance on the city from the north, east and south. As his forces advanced, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned the jihadists they would have no place to run. "We will close in on (IS) from every place," he said on state television yesterday, dressed in a camouflage uniform. "They don't have an exit, they don't have an escape, they can only surrender -- they can die or they can surrender," Abadi said. Some 4,000 to 7,000 jihadists are believed to be in and around Mosul, where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a cross-border "caliphate" after the group seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria two years ago. For now the jihadists do have an escape route -- to the west towards IS-controlled territory in neighbouring Syria. Paramilitary forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), an umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militia, launched an assault at the weekend to cut off that route. They have been advancing north, their sights set on the town of Tal Afar which commands the city's western approaches. On the northern and eastern sides of Mosul, peshmerga forces from the autonomous Kurdish region have taken a series of villages and towns and consolidated their positions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fighting raged as Iraq's Special Forces began their assault on Mosul's eastern outskirts on Tuesday, part of operations to drive the (IS) group from the country's second largest city. Troops used artillery, tank and machine gun to fire on IS positions on the edge of the Gogjali neighbourhood, with the extremists responding with guided anti-tank missiles and small arms to block the advance. The US-led coalition supporting the operation used airstrikes to hit the district. If Iraqi forces enter Gogjali neighborhood it will mark the first time for troops to have set foot in Mosul in over two years, after they were driven out by a much smaller group of IS extremists in 2014. Mosul is the final IS bastion in Iraq, the city from which it declared a "caliphate" stretching into Syria. Its loss would be a major defeat for the jihadis. From the nearby village of Bazwaya, smoke could be seen rising from buildings on the city's edge, where shells and bombs were landing. The IS fighters quickly lit special fires to produce dark smoke in order to obscure the aerial view of the city. Inside the village, white flags are raised on some buildings by the residents to show that they wouldn't resist Iraqi forces' advance. The families, estimated to number in the hundreds, will be evacuated from the village to a displaced persons camp, according to Brig Gen Haider Fadhil of the Iraqi Special Forces. For over two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive IS from the city. Entering Gogjali could be the start of a gruelling and slow operation for the troops, as they will be forced to engage in difficult, house-to-house fighting in Mosul's more urban areas. The operation is expected to take weeks, if not months. Iraqi forces have made uneven progress in closing in on the city. Advances have been slower to the south, with government troops still 35 kilometres away. To the north are Kurdish forces and Iraqi army units, and Shiite militias are sweeping toward the western approach in an attempt to cut off a final IS escape route. Iraq's special forces entered the outskirts of Mosul today, taking the state television building and advancing despite fierce resistance by Islamic State group fighters who control the city, an Iraqi general said. It was the first time in over two years that Iraqi troops have set foot inside the city, Iraq's second largest. The advance could be the start of a grueling and slow operation for the troops, who will be forced to engage in difficult, house-to-house fighting in urban areas that is expected to take weeks, if not months. Troops entered Gogjali, a neighborhood inside Mosul's city limits, and later the borders of the more built-up Karama district, according to Maj Gen Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces. As the sun went down, a sandstorm blew in, reducing visibility to only 100 meters and bringing the day's combat to an end. "Daesh is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighborhood and our troops' advance," al-Aridi said, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Bombs have been laid along the road into the city, he added. Later, al-Aridi said the troops had taken the nearby state television building, the only one in the province, and that heavy fighting broke out when they tried to continue further in to built-up areas. An official casualty report has yet to be given, but officers mentioned one dead and one wounded. Mosul is the final IS urban bastion in Iraq, the city from which it drove out a larger but demoralized Iraqi army in 2014 and declared a "caliphate" that stretched into Syria. Its loss would be a major defeat for the jihadis, but with the closest Iraqi troops still some 10 kilometers from the city center, much ground remains to be covered. Today's battle opened up with Iraqi artillery, tank and machine gun fire on IS positions on the edge of Gogjali, with the extremists responding with guided anti-tank missiles and small arms in an attempt to block the advance. Airstrikes by the US-led coalition supporting the operation added to the fire hitting the district. Spokesman Col. John Dorrian said that the US-led coalition, which coordinates all its attacks with the Iraqis, has been observing the battlefield and has noted that IS forces can no longer move in large numbers. "And when we see them come together where there are significant numbers we will strike them and kill them," he said during a televised press conference with Iraqi forces in Qayara, south of Mosul. Concerns over civilian casualties have led to air operations using precision munitions only, he added. In a statement, the coalition said a day earlier it had launched six strikes in the Mosul area, destroying 10 vehicles, including one carrying explosives, as well as a bomb-making facility. It also said it damaged 20 vehicles and a tunnel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh today scoffed at Prime Minister's 'Mann Ki Baat' programme and said RJD would start 'Kaam Ki Baat' to highlight the promises the PM failed to keep. The RJD national vice-president expressed surprise and dismay over a 'Mann Ki Baat' programme aired in November 2015, wherein the Prime Minister sounded ignorant about 'ASHA' workers. "There are altogether nine lakh ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers in the country. But to my utter surprise, PM Modi in his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, aired in November, 2015, said he came to know about the nationwide network of ASHA workers after Bill and Melinda Gates praised their work," Singh said. In order to counter Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat', RJD has decided to start 'Kaam Ki Baat' every month to highlight the unfulfilled promises given by the PM to masses. "By holding 'Kaam Ki Baat', we will not only be talking about issues, but would make efforts to get the works related to poor done, by putting pressure on authorities via agitation," he said. To begin with, the former Union Minister said, RJD would start a stir for paying a fixed amount to ASHA workers and also for enhancing monthly payment to around 20 lakh Aganwadi workers in the country. Besides, the party would also launch agitations for providing more subsidy to farmers and payment of wages to labourers working in fields from the account of MGNREGA scheme, Singh, who is credited with starting the rural employment guarantee scheme during UPA I, said. The RJD leader also sought to know about the fate of the second AIIMS promised for Bihar in addition to the one at Patna. In reply to a query as to why Bihar CM and JD(U) national president Nitish Kumar was not going to Samajwadi Party rally on November 5, Singh said, "If the CM is not going to the rally, what can I do?" Singh, however, said that he would try to create an atmosphere to bring together all the secular forces on a single platform to defeat BJP in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While RJD President Lalu Prasad has confirmed participation in the Samajwadi Party foundation day function on November 5 at Lucknow, JD(U) today made it clear that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not be able to make it to the programme. Absence of Nitish Kumar would dent Mulayam Singh Yadav's efforts to cobble up a broad coalition of socialist and secular forces ahead of crucial Uttar Pradesh poll early next year by parading prominent leaders on one platform at SP's 25th foundation day function. Lalu's close aide Bhola Yadav, MLA, today confirmed RJD chief's participation in the SP function at Lucknow. Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh told PTI "there is fight within Samajwadi Party (SP) family and we do not want to be seen with any one side in this feud." JD(U) Secretary General K C Tyagi said party chief would not be able to make it to November 5 event at Lucknow due to Chhath festival. "You know how important is Chhath festival for the people of Bihar...If he (Nitish Kumar) goes there leaving Chhath, BJP would attack him for not being with the people of the state on such a pious occasion," Tyagi told PTI. Asked while Lalu Prasad is going for SP event and absence of Nitish Kumar would trigger difference among them, Basistha Narayan Singh said "we have strong coalition of JD(U), RJD and Congress in Bihar, but it does not mean that the three should have similar point of view in other states." "Lalujee is related to Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and as such he has freedom to take his decision," he said. The JD(U) chief, however, did not miss the opportunity to express heartburn over the role played by Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP to foil merger of six parties of Janata Parivar earlier in which Nitish Kumar had played an important role. "Nitish Kumar had made a sincere efforts for merger and everybody had agreed to merge under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but it did not succeed the reasons for which is known to everyone," he said. "Today's circumstance is different," he said in an oblique reference to soaring popularity graph of Nitish Kumar after Bihar victory due to which he is considered as a potent candidate for Prime Ministerial post in 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Recently, Nitish Kumar at JD(U) National Council meet at Rajgir had made an overture to UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to enforce prohibition which would help him come out of "shadow of family" and also help win poll himself. Kumar had also pledged support to young UP CM in such a condition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Official Berlin has strictly condemned the police operations in Turkey against reporters and the Cumhurriyet news agency, Steffen Seibert, German Chancellor Angela Merkels spokesman told reporters, Deutsche Welle reports. Mr. Seibert underscored that Mrs. Merkel greatly values press freedom and that this issue is being discussed during meetings between Germany and Turkey. Last month in Potsdam, former editor in chief of Cumhurriyet Can Dundar was among the guests of Merkel. I would like to remind Merkels speech, which was addressed to Dundar. The Chancellor said: Media freedom is possible when there is no interference from the state and censorship. In terms of media freedom, these are our perceptions and we have informed about this the Turkish government during meetings on different levels, he said. He also touched upon the announcements of Turkish officials regarding reinstating death penalty in Turkey. Our stance regarding death penalty is clear and unchanged. A country using death penalty cannot become EU member. Therefore, reinstating death penalty will become the end of Turkeys membership talks to EU. Seibert said this is the stance of the entire Europe, not only Germany. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany also expressed concern regarding press freedom in Turkey. At least four Indian fishermen were today arrested and their trawler seized by Sri Lankan Navy off the coast of northern Jaffna peninsula ahead of a ministerial- level bilateral talks in New Delhi tomorrow to solve the sensitive issue. The Lanka navy said the fishermen were arrested on charges of fishing in Sri Lankan territorial waters off the coast of Delft islet early this morning. The arrested Indian fishermen were handed over to the fisheries inspectorate at Karaingar, Jaffna, by Sri Lankan naval coast guard vessel Elara, the navy added. The arrests were confirmed by Fishermen's Association President Sagayam in Rameswaram. The arrests have come ahead of the scheduled talks tomorrow between Indian and Sri Lanka fishermen to solve the recurring dispute over the arrest of fishermen. A 10-member Lankan fishing association delegation will arrive in India for the talks. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will meet her Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera and Lankan Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. These talks are to be preceded by talks between the fishermen associations of the two countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The scientific community in Japan is looking forward to more collaborations with Indian scientists, Nobel laureate Professor Takaaki Kajita said today. Prof Takaaki, who received the Nobel prize in Physics in 2015, was speaking at the 64th annual convocation of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) here. The Nobel laureate was also conferred with the honoris causa degree of D Sc by the university on the occasion. Takaaki, who is heading a collaboration project between the University of Tokyo and AMU since the past few years, said, "I am confident that my university's collaboration with AMU would increase by leaps and bounds in the time to come". Delivering the annual report on the occasion, AMU Vice Chancellor Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah, said the AMU Amendment Act 1981 entrusted the university with the mandate to work for the educational and cultural advancement of Muslims of the country. "We are there for the minority character of our institution and have been taking all suitable steps to safeguard it. The case is subjudice in Supreme Court. For us it is a matter of life and death and we will not fail," he said. The NDA government had earlier this year told the apex court that it would withdraw the appeal filed by the erstwhile UPA government challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict holding AMU as non-minority institution. The Vice Chancellor said major development initiatives have been launched at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU. A sum of Rs 16 crores have been sanctioned under the National Health Mission for establishing a Paediatric Cardiology and Paediatric Cardiac Surgery at the Medical College, he said. Apart from this, Rs 8 crores have been sanctioned for Early Intervention Centre for Paediatric Department. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sanctioned Rs 6 crores for virology lab in Department of Microbiology, Shah added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A very low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in a car parked near the Judicial First Class Magistrate court inside the civil station here, but no one was injured. "A very low intensity IED was used to trigger the blast", Director General of Police Loknath Behera told PTI. Asked if Kerala police was viewing it a a terrorist act, the DGP said some pamphlets and a picture of al-Qaeda leader Osama-Bin Laden had been recovered from the spot. Behera said had also spoken to a central agency. The blast was similar to the one at the court premises at Chittoor on April 7 in Andhra Pradesh and Mysuru in Karnataka on August 1, he said. An explosion had also occurred in Kollam civil station on June 15 this year near a court complex, in which one person was injured. Malappuram District Police chief Debesh Kumar Behera said that as the blast occurred, there was a smell of ammonium in the air. A small cardboard box with the words 'The Base Movement' on top was also recovered by police from the spot. Today's blast occurred in a car hired by the Homeo District Medical officer (DMO), which had been parked along with some other vehicles near the court. (REOPEN MDS11) Malappuram district police sources said some steel pieces were found near the blast site and it is suspected that a 'Pressure cooker' was used to trigger it. A special team has also been constituted to probe the blast. Steps have been taken to probe the blast incident with utmost seriousness, DGP Loknath Behra said in a release here. The probe would be conducted with the assistance of a Central agency in the backdrop of similar blasts in the Kollam Collectorate complex and in Mysore and Chittor in Andhar Pradesh recently, he said. A speical Intelligence Team and a special team of state police have been deployed in the area, he added. Lieutenant General J S Sandhu has taken charge as the General officer Commanding of the Army's strategic Chinar Corps which is responsible for guarding the Line of Control in Kashmir Valley. Sandhu, who became the 46th Corps Commander of Chinar Corps, took over from Lt Gen Satish Dua yesterday, an army spokesman said today. Commissioned into the 5th Gorkha Rifles regiment, he has had an illustrious military career spanning 36 years during which he held several prestigious command, staff and instructional appointments, the spokesman said. "The General officer has an incisive understanding of Jammu and Kashmir, having served five earlier stints in the state, including command of an Infantry Battalion on the Line of Control, a Mountain Brigade and the elite Kupwara Division," he said. A graduate of the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Higher Command Course and National Defence College, Sandhu has also served in the Army Headquarters, Infantry School, Army War College and the DSSC. He has also represented the country in the Indian Embassy at Kathmandu, Nepal. On assuming the charge, he conveyed his greetings to the people of Kashmir and the entire Chinar Corps fraternity. Earlier yesterday, Lt Gen Dua was given a farewell in Badami Bagh Cantonment which began with both the general officers laying wreath at the War Memorial to pay homage to martyrs. Dua's tenure, which began on August 27 last year, has been characterized by a balanced approach of robust operations along the LoC and in hinterland on one hand, and constructive engagement with the populace, especially the youth on the other, the spokesman said. The Army has played a significant role in the ongoing unrest assisting the civil administration in restoring peace and calm, he said. Dua's tenure though, will be defined by the successful surgical strikes in September launched by the Army in response to the Uri terror attack, he said. Dua now proceeds to New Delhi on promotion to assume the charge of Chief of Integrated Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC). He expressed hope that the situation in the Valley would soon return to normal and conveyed his best wishes to the people of Kashmir and soldiers of Chinar Corps. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mexican rockers Mana are launching a new eco-friendly clothing line to help save sea turtles from extinction. The musicians and activists were initially presented with the idea by designers at a Mexican clothing factory owned by frontman Fher Olvera's cousin, and after an initial hesitation, they decided to move forward with the proposal, reported Contactmusic. Their new line, titled Ritos del Sol, features T-shirts and jeans for men and women, and a portion of profits will be donated to the group's Selva Negra Foundation - an environmental charity aimed at raising awareness and funds to save endangered species and aid poor communities around the globe. "More than a business for the band, we wanted for it to be a positive idea and proposal so that when people would buy the clothes, they would know that they are doing something beneficial for the environment. So Fher came up with this idea of supporting the sea turtles that we have in Mexico," drummer Alex Gonzalez said. Explaining how the production of the range is eco-friendly, Fher said, "The clothing that he (his cousin) makes uses 25 per cent of the water that the factories normally use in Mexico. They are also good to their employees, it's fair trade, and they work in indigenous communities not only in Puebla but in Oaxaca." And the bandmates are sure fans will approve of the products. Gonzalez added, "At the end of the day, it had to be clothing that we wanted to use, both on and off stage. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over a year after Rakesh Maria was removed as Mumbai police chief, reportedly for taking "too much interest" in the Sheena Bora murder case, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said the high-profile officer was "promoted" a bit early to "avoid controversies". "There were 2-3 controversies created at that time. One was about Lalit Modi, where Maria gave a clarification and we accepted it. Secondly, when he was taking keen interest in the Sheena Bora investigation, questions were raised why is a CP taking so much interest. But Maria is known to have a keen interest in criminal investigation. So it was quite possible that he was taking interest out of that nature of his," Fadnavis told PTI. He said that Maria was not transferred but promoted and that there was nothing unusual in a Commissioner of Police being promoted a few weeks earlier than scheduled. "Today, if I say that I knew that the Sheena Bora investigation was not going correctly and that is why I transferred him, it will be an afterthought. But yes, due to these controversies that were happening, I thought that I will promote him a little early to put an end to controversies," he said. Fadnavis said, unexpectedly, a fresh controversy erupted after his promotion which made him give Maria the permission to "supervise" the investigation. "I think apart from this case, Maria had an excellent record. We should give him benefit of doubt but it is also true that till the case was transferred to CBI, I was always briefed that Peter's direct involvement (in the murder) is not seen. "It is quite possible that by the time it (the case) was with Mumbai police they could not track it. I am not casting aspersions on anyone, but I was just surprised at the briefing that I received after Peter was arrested," Fadnavis said. Fadnavis also said the state government has not received any official communication from the CBI about any officer's interrogation or direct or indirect connection with any accused in the case. Maria and two other senior Maharashtra police officers were recently examined by the CBI officials as they were part of the initial probe team which investigated the Sheena Bora murder case and arrested her mother Indrani Mukherjea. Besides Maria, the CBI also questioned Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) and Satya Narayan Choudhary, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-X). A controversy had erupted in June last year after some TV channels showed photographs of Maria with former IPL boss Lalit Modi in London. Modi faces charges of financial irregularities and money laundering in India. After Fadnavis demanded an explanation, Maria issued a statement saying that he had met the former IPL Commissioner at the insistence of the latter's lawyer in London in 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US fast-food giant McDonald's has agreed to pay $3.75 million to settle a labour dispute with workers at a California franchise, according to court documents seen today by media. If approved by a federal judge, the agreement is the first time McDonald's has reached a deal with employees of a franchise. The deal would resolve a class action lawsuit filed in San Francisco two years ago. Under the plan, McDonald's Corporation will pay $1.75 million to the employees and $2 million in court costs. The employees claimed the restaurant franchise withheld wages and overtime pay, as well as reimbursement for the upkeep of uniforms, and denied them legally-required breaks. McDonald's had previously avoided involvement in such labour disputes, saying franchises were independent of the parent company. Attorneys for the workers said the settlement would be "historic" and could open the way for other legal cases. McDonald's told AFP, however, that it agreed to the settlement to end costly litigation. "With this agreement, McDonald's reconfirms that it is not the employer of, or responsible for, employees of its independent franchisees," company spokesperson Terry Hickey said in an email. The ongoing stand-off between lawyers and journalists in Kerala found its echo at functions attended by Chief Justice of India Justice T S Thakur here today with two state ministers underscoring the need for the pillars of democracy to function in coherence along with media. Speaking at the function attended by Justice Thakur and several other Supreme Court and Kerala High Court judges, PWD Minister G Sudhakaran expressed his dismay at the absence of media in covering functions of the judiciary. "Why is the media not seen in such a function? This should be examined. If they haven't been able to come, then the reason should be probed," he said at the function to inaugurate the new district court complex here. Noting that judiciary can function well with the support of the executive, the minister said all the three pillars of the democracy--judiciary, executive and the legislature-- function in coherence along with the media to ensure social and national security. Law Minister A K Balan said good governance was possible when judiciary, executive, legislature and the media work together, understanding their responsibilities and take their stance accordingly. Only then there will be peace in the functioning of courts, he said at another function organised to mark the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court. On the stand-off, he said there were two cases, one of media activism and other of media not being allowed to enter the courts. The courts were supposed to be impartial and neutral and so was the media. Besides Justice Thakur, his Supreme Court colleagues Justice J Chelameswar, Justice Kurian Joseph, Justice Ashok Bhushan were among those present on the dais in the two functions. Media personnel are not being allowed to cover high court and other court proceedings in the state since July 19 after a group of lawyers chased them away, angered over a media report about a government pleader allegedly misbehaving with a woman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the wake of the rising tension on the borders between India and Pakistan and killing of civilians, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today made a fervent appeal for peace and political dialogue between the neighbouring countries to de-escalate the "perilously hostile situation" prevailing in the region. Mehbooba expressed "deep anguish" and "grave concern" over the loss of human lives and destruction of property in the unabated border shelling and firing along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in the state. I am deeply pained over the fresh spate of civilian killings, including children and women, in border shelling and urge the political leadership in New Delhi and Islamabad to take effective and urgent measures to de-escalate the situation and bring an end to the miseries of the hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir, she said. Mehbooba said the repeated border shelling has seen a "tragic humanitarian crisis" unfolding in the region, where innocent civilians and their properties are being targeted. We in Jammu and Kashmir yearn for peace as we have been suffering immensely because of the hostility and violence in the region and know very well its dangers and perilous consequences, she said. The Chief Minister said the necessity and urgency of dialogue has assumed more significance in the "prevailing disturbing situation" and the escalation of violence along the borders should keep reminding both India and Pakistan of the inevitability of sitting across the table to find a peaceful, just and pragmatic solution of all contentious issues. "India and Pakistan must open the channels of communication, at the earliest, realising the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the borders," she said. The Chief Minister called for serious efforts at the political and civil society levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people "sandwiched in a gory scenario of death and destruction". Whatever be the reasons for hardening of stances and attempts by the vested interests to subvert the peace process, there is, however, no substitute to the reconciliatory policy which was started in 2003 and had worked so well, Mehbooba asserted. She asked the divisional administration in Jammu and the district administrations concerned to reach out to the people affected by the border shelling with all possible support. Meanwhile, Opposition National Conference also expressed shock over the loss of human lives in shelling and firing along the IB and the LoC. NC president Farooq Abdullah and working president Omar Abdullah, in a statement, said there is an immediate need for de-escalation of situation on borders, as unfortunately "our people are becoming ill-fated victims of the border skirmishes". The father-son duo expressed concern over continued shelling in civilian areas. Conveying their condolences to the bereaved families, they said the party shares their grief and agony. Eight people were killed and 22 others injured when Pakistani troops heavily shelled border hamlets and military posts with mortar bombs along the IB and the LoC in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts of the state today. One of Britain's senior-most spy chiefs today warned that a terrorist strike in the UK remains "likely" as he said that there were about 3,000 "violent Islamic extremists" in the UK, most of them British. Andrew Parker, the director-general of the British Security Service MI5, also warned against the threat posed by British-born, or so-called home-grown terrorists. "There will be terrorist attacks in this country. The threat level is severe and that means likely," Parker told The Guardian. "That sort of tempo of terrorist plot and attempts is concerning and it's enduring. Attacks in this country are higher than I have experienced in the rest of my career - and I've been working at MI5 for 33 years. The reality is that because of the investment in services like mine, the UK has got good defences. My expectation is that we will find and stop most attempts at terrorism in this country," he said. He said there were about 3,000 "violent Islamic extremists in the UK, mostly British" and that his agency would expand from 4,000 to 5,000 officers over the next five years to deal with that threat. The 54-year-old spy chief also revealed that UK police and intelligence services had foiled around 12 terror plots in the country since June 2013. In comments to the daily after a rare address to the Royal Society's annual diversity conference recently, he said: "ISIS (The Islamic State group) is an enduring threat, here to stay, and is at least a generational challenge. MI5 and the intelligence agencies have good defences because of the investment made in our capabilities. We will find and stop most attempts to attack us, but not all." He, however, stressed that Islamist terrorism centering around ISIS in the Middle East was just one of the major threats, with Northern Ireland and Russia being the other kind of terror hotspots. He said: "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways - involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyberattacks." According to Parker, under Vladimir Putin Russia seems to "define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly". He added: "You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber threat. "Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Gazprom Armenia intends to submit a request to the Public Services Regulatory Commission of Armenia on revising the tariffs of natural gas for consumers, the Press Service of Gazprom Armenia told ARMENPRESS. Gazprom Armenia suggests a new formula on calculating the tariff. Particularly, consumers who have the right to family or social benefits will pay 100K AMD including VAT for each thousand cubic meter of natural gas for yearly up to 600 thousand cubic meters, and, for consumers who use up to 10 thousand cubic meter of gas monthly, the tariff will be reduced to 139000 AMD, from the present tariff of 146700 AMD, including VAT. The company also proposes a new tariff for greenhouse businesses and processing companies. A Ministerial panel, comprising transport Ministers of States, would soon take a call on smooth transfer of registration of private vehicles from one state to another. As per the existing provisions, when a vehicle is transferred to a new State and kept for more than a year, the owner has to seek new registration and pay taxes. "A Group of Transport Ministers from States would deliberate on the matter, given the seriousness of the issue, next week," an official said. The empowered group of Ministers had earlier passed a resolution which inter-alia, stated that no tax may be charged in the new State if the vehicle is more than two years old and where no refund has been made from the original State. The official added that if the owner has to relocate, as per section 47 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and if the vehicle is transferred to a new State and kept for more than 12 months, the vehicle owner has to seek new registration mark for motor and pay road tax as prescribed by the Transport Authority of the new State. However, in case the owner has paid life-time motor vehicle tax in the previous State, he may seek a refund of the road tax on pro-rata basis from that state in the event of transfer to other state, the official said. "Realising the seriousness of the problem, the matter would be deliberated by the empowered group of State Transport Ministers so that transfer of registration could be ensured smoothly," the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After the Diwali lull, war of words between Cyrus Mistry and Tatas appeared escalating today, with the ousted chairman saying it was 'false and mischievous' to suggest that he acted on his own or without the knowledge of Ratan Tata on the Tata-Docomo matter. Mistry also asserted that "insinuations that Docomo issue was handled in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless". A statement issued by his office said the suggestion that Ratan Tata and trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation against Docomo was conducted was contrary to what transpired. All decisions on Tata-Docomo deal were taken with approval of Tata Sons Board and actions were consistent with every such collective decision, it added. "Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired," the statement said. Stating that a number of discussions on the Docomo situation had been held in the Tata Sons board, the statement added: "Mistry had always mentioned that the Tatas should honour all commitments within the law. This stance is based on Tata Sons' board view and was always consistent with the series of board meetings in which the Docomo issue was discussed." Reiterating that the agreement with Docomo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group, the statement said: "All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons board. In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision." Tata Group is entangled in a legal tussle with Japanese firm, NTT DoCoMo. DoCoMo had in November 2009 acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share) with an understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price. DoCoMo, in April 2014, decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly and sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from the Tatas. But the Indian group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with RBI guidelines that states that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity". The Japanese firm then dragged the Tatas to international arbitration where it won a USD 1.17 billion award. Tata Sons has said they will resist enforcement of the arbitration award in India as also other jurisdictions as it has been barred by Indian law and public policy. The statement by Mistry's office further said the Tatas under his leadership requested Docomo to join them in seeking approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which the estranged Japanese partner didn't agree. "Nevertheless, the Tatas applied to RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. The award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas," it added. Tatas did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission, the statement said. "When Docomo sought enforcement of the award in the Delhi High Court, in order to show their bonafides, Tatas deposited a sum in excess of Rs 8,000 crore in court," it added. Insisting that Tata and NA Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed throughout the process, the statement said they even participated in separate meetings held with Mistry. "They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (who also happened to be a trustee of the Dorabji Tata trust) and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times, Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by the Tatas and as advised by legal counsel," it said. "In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mr Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to 'Tata values', or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous," the statement by his office added. BJP President Amit Shah today attacked the previous UPA dispensation on the issue of border security, saying anybody could have "humiliated" the country's borders during the government of "Gandhi Parivar" but the Narendra Modi government has secured the borders. "This government has protected the country's border. There was a time when UPA government was here for 10 years. There was a government of Sonia (Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh. There was government of 'Gandhi Parivar'. "Anybody could humiliate country's borders (at that time) at one's will," he said while addressing a function to mark the Punjabi Suba golden jubilee here today. Shah asserted that in the last two and half years of Modi government, things have changed. "Today, the whole world has come to know that nobody could dare to see with ill-will at the borders areas of India. If anybody tries to show animosity (on border), a befitting reply is given in order to ensure country's security," said Shah. The BJP chief also dwelt on the achievements of BJP led at the Centre after taking over the reins in 2014. "This government has worked the most for the welfare of farmers after country's Independence. New plans are brought for the welfare of poor, Dalits and economically backward. This government has set a tradition to ensure the gains of the plans reach the beneficiaries and as a result of which, there is a wave of change in the country," he said. The BJP President also asked people to vote for the SAD-BJP alliance for further development of the state while cautioning voters not to get swayed by the opposition parties including Congress. "People of Punjab have to decide to whom they want to bring to the power for next five years. One side, there is an Akali-BJP alliance which has been working for three decades and other side is Congress and some new parties. "One side, we are proud of the sacrifices of Punjab's youth and those who participated in the fight for country's freedom ...And other side are those who are defaming Punjab's youth by calling them drug addicts (nasheri) and seeking mandate for Punjab," he said. "Those who cannot be proud of Punjab's youth and bravery do no deserve any right to seek vote," he said. (REOPENS DEL 83) "The declaration of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 being no more legal tender is going to be a game changer which has already started showing its results," Prasad added. Following demonetisation, the backbone of hawala industry besides terrorism and Maoist extremism is almost broken, he claimed. "There are credible reports that even human trafficking for forcing young girls to become sex slaves has also been seriously incapacitated as all this was cash-based. These developments along with lowering of interest rate is going to further accelerate growth rate," he claimed. The country's largest lender, SBI, has reduced marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 0.9 per cent from 8.90 per cent to 8 per cent for one-year tenure, the bank said in a statement. Flushed with funds after demonetisation, the base interest rate for other tenures, including one month, three months and six months, has been slashed by 0.9 per cent. MCLR has been reduced by 0.9 percentage points to 8.10 per cent for two-year term and 8.15 per cent for three-year tenure. Other public sector lenders Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Union Bank of India (UBI) too have brought down the benchmark interest rate by up to 0.9 per cent. An increasing number of people from far-flung corners of the world quietly have tried to sneak into the US among the hundreds of thousands of other, mostly Latin American migrants caught at the Mexican border in the last year, according to arrest data from the Homeland Security Department. The arrests of more than 8,000 people from India, China, Romania, Bangladesh and Nepal between October 2015 and the end of August is offering a new challenge to immigration agents tasked with fully identifying would-be immigrants and quickly deporting people caught crossing the border illegally. The group of overseas migrants represents a tiny fraction of the more than 408,000 people caught crossing the Mexican border illegally in the last year. But the arrests suggest a rising trend in the number of migrants opting for a convoluted trek that sometimes wends across the seas to South America, over land to Central America and then through Mexico before arriving at the US border illegally. For decades Mexico dominated the discussion on illegal immigration as the country from which most immigrants went to the border illegally. But in recent years the number of Mexican nationals who have been trying to sneak into the United States has dropped. India and China are now squarely among the top 10 countries of origin for people caught trying to sneak into the United States. Large numbers of immigrants from those two countries have long come to the United States legally and many have overstayed visas to remain here. Now some people are taking a different approach altogether by making their way to Mexico to try to sneak into the United States as visas are harder to come by. Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Patrol sector chief and director of the Center for Law & Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the rising number of migrants from countries far beyond the Americas should be seen as a growing concern. "That is very unusual. If I was still sitting as the chief of El Paso or Tucson...I'd be a little concerned," Manjarrez said. "In the grand scheme, as a percentage, it's relatively small but the raw numbers are such a big jump historically." The changing face of illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border is a small part of a broader trend of global migration, with millions of people fleeing their home countries. But the arrival of so many people from far beyond US borders brings with it broad implications for US border security and other immigration enforcement efforts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hitting back at Congress for raising doubts over the "genuineness" of encounter of eight SIMI activists by Madhya Pradesh police, MoS for HRD Mahendra Nath Pandey today said the erstwhile UPA government could never gather the courage to act strongly against such terrorists. "BJP-led NDA is acting strongly against terrorists along the borders as well as inside our borders. The government showed its brave face by killing the SIMI activists in the encounter," he said here. His reaction came after eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal, hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail there killing a security guard yesterday. Pandey also praised the Madhya Pradesh police for their "historic and brave work". "Those raising doubts and questioning the state police are trying to weaken our country," he said. "The SIMI activists not just killed a jail security guard but had also pulled off a daring prison break," Pandey said, adding that police action was an appropriate reply to such terrorists. Responding to the controversial remarks of senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh, who questioned why only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus, the Union Minister said, "The former CM's political shops have been shut down. He is trying to grab the opportunity to remain in limelight by making such remarks". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A skeleton found on a remote Pacific island may be the remains of Amelia Earhart - the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, who had mysteriously disappeared while attempting to journey around the world, scientists say. The findings add to the speculation that the famous aviator did not crash in the ocean but landed safely on an atoll. In an attempt to solve the mystery of Earhart's disappearance, the US-based International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery re-examined evidence of a partial skeleton found in 1940 on a tiny atoll Nikumaroro which is part of the nation of Kiribati. The skeleton was discovered three years after Earhart disappeared on July 2 in 1937. Despite speculation in 1940 that the remains were those of Earhart, British authorities rejected the claim after a doctor concluded that the bones were from a male. The bones were lost but the doctor's files were uncovered in 1998. The researchers have now re-examined the doctors findings which included the skeletal measurements, which showed that the length of the forearm was larger than average. It compared the ratio of the skeleton's upper and lower arm bones to that from a clear photograph of Earhart standing in a short-sleeved top and concluded that the two ratios were virtually identical, 'The Telegraph' reported. The finding adds to speculation that Earhart landed safely on Nikumaroro, also known as Gardner Island, after running into plane trouble during her attempt to find Howland Island, southwest of Hawaii. Accompanied by Fred Noonan, her navigator, she planned to fly to Hawaii before completing her journey in California. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scientists are developing a new system that will make it more difficult to register websites for immoral purposes, even before the malicious users have done anything harmful. The system called PREDATOR, developed by researchers at Princeton University in the US distinguishes between legitimate and malicious purchasers of new websites. It yields important insights into how those two groups behave differently online even before the anything obviously bad or harmful is done. These early signs of likely evil-doers help security professionals take preemptive measures, instead of waiting for a security threat to surface. "The intuition has always been that the way that malicious actors use online resources somehow differs fundamentally from the way legitimate actors use them," said Nick Feamster, professor at Princeton University. "We were looking for those signals: what is it about a domain name that makes it automatically identifiable as a bad domain name?" said Feamster. Once a website begins to be used for malicious purposes - when it is linked to in spam email campaigns, for instance, or when it installs malicious code on visitors' machines - the defenders can flag it as bad and start blocking it. However, by then, the site has already been used for the very kinds of behaviour that we want to prevent. PREDATOR, which stands for Proactive Recognition and Elimination of Domain Abuse at Time-Of-Registration, gets ahead of the curve. The researcher's techniques rely on the assumption that malicious users will exhibit registration behaviour that differs from those of normal users, such as buying and registering lots of domains at once to take advantage of bulk discounts, so that they can quickly and cheaply adapt when their sites are noticed and blacklisted. Criminals will often register multiple sites using slight variations on names: changing words like "home" and "homes" or switching word orders in phrases. By identifying such patterns, researchers were able to start sifting through the more than 80,000 new domains registered every day to preemptively identify which ones were most likely to be used for harm. Testing their results against known blacklisted websites, they found that PREDATOR detected 70 per cent of malicious websites based solely on information known at the time those domains were first registered. The false positive rate of the PREDATOR system, or rate of legitimate sites that were incorrectly identified as malicious by the tool, was only 0.35 per cent. Being able to detect malicious sites at the moment of registration, before they are being used, can have multiple security benefits, Feamster said. Those sites can be blocked sooner, making it difficult to use them to cause as much harm - or, indeed, any harm at all if the operators are not permitted to purchase them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Government has no immediate plans to cut further on wheat to a zero level as overseas purchase of the grain still works out to be cheaper at the current customs duty level. On September 23, on wheat was reduced to 10 per cent from 25 per cent to boost supplies and check prices during Dusshera and Diwali festivals. "There was no pressure on domestic wheat prices during the festival period and prices are ruling stable. So, there is no immediate plans to cut on wheat to zero level," a senior government official told PTI. Also, wheat imports are still cheaper at the current level of import duty as international prices are sluggish in the wake of abundant global supplies, the official noted. Meanwhile, flour millers have been demanding withdrawal of the import duty citing 8 million tonnes shortfall in the domestic output. So far, flour millers have imported about 11 lakh tonnes of wheat from Ukrain, Australia and France. More import deals are likely to be clinched in the coming days. There is not much wheat stock in the state-run Food Coropration of India (FCI) as procurement was lower at 22.9 million tonnes as against the target of 30.5 million tonnes set for the 2016-17 marketing year (April-March). The private trade has projected wheat output in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June) to be at 86 million tonnes, which is much lower than the government's estimate of 93.50 million tonnes. CPI-M led LDF government in Kerala courted controversy for not inviting the Governor and three former chief ministers for the 60th year celebrations of Kerala formation day held at the Assembly complex here today. Governor P Sathasivam, former chief minister and CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan and two former Congress chief ministers A K Antony and Oommen Chandy kept away from the function to mark the year-long diamond jubilee celebrations. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the celebrations clarified that the Governor was not invited due to "protocol" issues. In his opening remark at the function, he said the government had not "forgotten" the Governor as stated in some quarters. "It is due to protocol issues that a collective decision was taken on the matter," he said. When contacted, Achuthanandan's office sources said the Marxist veteran did not attend the function as he was not invited. "There is nothing more in it. The leader also has not made any protest or expressed discontentment over the issue," the sources said. Achuthanandan had addressed the special Assembly session held to mark the day and later left for his residence. Meanwhile, taking exception over the ruling Left's attitude, KPCC President V M Sudheeran said the government had shown disrespect to former chief ministers by not allowing them to attend the function. Antony came from Delhi to attend the function after the Chief Minister invited him over telephone. But his name was not mentioned in the programme card, he stated. Oommen Chandy was also not invited, Sudheeran said. Giving reasons for omitting the Governor, Vijayan said "If the Governor was invited, only a limited number of people could have been accommodated on stage. But as you can see now, there are more than 60 persons from various fields who are on stage." Year-long programmes have been lined up as part of the celebrations and a function "more attractive" would be held later, in which the Governor would be invited, he said. "It could be held either in the middle of the next year or as a valedictory function. So we have not forgotten the Governor. I wish to inform you this here," he said. Raj Bhavan sources, however, said, "There was no role for the head of the state at the function. Thus, the Governor was neither informed of the function nor invited." BJP also joined the chorus in attacking the LDF government and demanded an apology from the CM for the lapse. "Not inviting the Governor, who is the head of the state, is a violation of the constitution," BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Islamic Research Foundation, promoted by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, will soon be banned from receiving foreign funds with the Home Ministry initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA registration by issuing a final show cause notice to the NGO. The Home Ministry has also started the process for putting another NGO of Naik namely IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRF's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said. Naik also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India, contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He had been popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy erupted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. In accordance to Prime Minister Karen Karapetyans instruction, Minister of Emergency Situations Armen Yeritsyan held a consultation on November 1 regarding the demolition of a building in downtown Yerevan building of the former publication house #1. The ministry told ARMENPRESS Mr. Yeritsyan tasked an internal investigation to be carried out and set penalties for the responsible senior staff of the Rescue Service. As result of analysis of the consequences and results of the demolition, the ministry will set a 2 months suspension and 1 million AMD fine for the company which implemented the demolition of the building Nortekh Shin LLC in accordance to the law. According to another instruction of the minister, laws and regulations on demolition of buildings by implosions will be revised. Security forces in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh have apprehended an active cadre of the NSCN (K) from Kharsang. The Jairampur Battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of Dao Division apprehended the rebel identified as Chankap Mossang of Phinbero-II village from Kharsang yesterday, an official report said here today. Acting on specific input about his presence in the area, a joint operation was launched by troops of the Assam Rifles and Arunachal Police which led to his arrest, the report said. Four extortion letters of NSCN (K) and one extortion letter addressed to a Kharsang petrol pump were recovered from him. Later, the arrested cadre was handed over to Kharsang Police Station, the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Regional Committee of the Indian Newspaper Society and the Kerala Television Federation have written an open letter to Chief Justice of India T S Thakur, appealing him to resolve the stand-off between mediapersons and lawyers in the state. The letter, carried on page one of all major dailies today, said, "A huge blot left by a section of the legal fraternity has blurred the transparency of the judicial process even as grand preparations for the diamond jubilee celebrations are on." The CJI is on a visit to the state to attend the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala High Court. Welcoming him on the occasion of the state's 60th formation day today, the letter said the actions of a section of legal fraternity have seriously affected the excellent relations that prevailed till recently between the judiciary and the media in the state. The letter recalled a series of incidents played out by a section of lawyers following the reportage of an incident involving government pleader Dhanesh Mathew Manjooran who had allegedly misbehaved with a woman in a crowded street here. Such incidents were a blot on the legacy of judiciary in the state which has benefited from the timely intervention of many illustrious judges whose vision and perspective had given Kerala a right roadmap to evolve as an enlightened society with good legal literacy, it said. Recalling a meeting the senior representatives of the Kerala media had with the CJI in New Delhi, the letter said, "We all were immensely hopeful of an early solution post this meeting. But unfortunately precious little has changed on the ground". "This bleak scenario is continuing inspite of intervention of Governor Justice P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, various international press associations, senior leaders of all socio-political organisations and prominent citizens," it said. The letter also cited an incident in which journalists were hounded out of the Chief Justice's court in Kerala High Court the very next day after a third communique reassuring media of hassle-free entry and reporting, signed by the registrar general, was sent to the media houses in the state. "At the Vanchiyoor court in Thiruvananthapuram, sadly, again in the presence of the judge, journalists, including women, were booed and manhandled and elbowed out of the courtroom," said the letter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pakistan is considering pulling out from India four officers posted at its High Commission in New Delhi, days after India declared one Pakistani official persona non-grata for espionage activities, a media report said today. "This is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly," a source at the Foreign Office was quoted as saying by Dawn . The names of the officers -- commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal -- were made public after a recorded statement of High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar was released to the media, the report said. Akhtar was expelled from India after being declared 'persona non-grata'. Akhtar told Dawn that he had given the statement under duress. In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan had also declared an Indian High Commission official as persona non-grata after New Delhi's action against Akhtar following Indian police's busting of an ISI-run spy ring. Akhtar, who worked in the visa section of the Pakistan High Commission and had diplomatic immunity, was procuring critical details including those about deployment of BSF personnel along the Indo-Pak border from two other accomplices who were arrested in Delhi. Akhtar and two others -- identified as Subhash Jangir and Maulana Ramzan-- were picked up from Delhi Zoo last week. Akhtar was released after around three hours of interrogation as he enjoys diplomatic immunity. A fourth person Shoaib, who is a Jodhpur-based passport and visa agent, was detained by Rajasthan police later. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a setback to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court today ordered to form a judicial commission to probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier, who is under pressure from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, to step down. A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali conducted the hearing in presence of several ministers, lawyers, senior PTI leaders and media, just a day before a rally proposed by Khan who had vowed to bring one million supporters to shut down Islamabad demanding Sharif's ouster. The court heard several identical petitions by Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. "The commission will report to the Supreme Court," the chief justice said, adding that the commission will have the same authority as the top court. The decision of the commission will be considered as the court's ruling and will be binding upon all parties. The court ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. The court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters. "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow," he said. PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children - Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lockdown the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches. All entry points to the capital are being monitored and scores of PTI workers have been arrested. Last night a major rally led by chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was teargassed and forced to return. The PTI is in power in KP and hopes for a major influx of youth from the province to boost the strength of the protest. In Punjab, which is controlled by 66-yar-old Sharif's ruling PML-N, hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested. Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested to maintain law and order. But A prominent Baloch leader today said Indian governments in the past disappointed her people, who are fighting for independence from Pakistan, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "extending moral support" to their movement. "We were disappointed with earlier Indian governments but I thank the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending moral support for the freedom fight of Balochistan (in his August 15 speech)," said Naela Quadri Baloch, president of World Baloch Forum, here. "We are using all forms of struggle, including armed struggle, for independence," she said, in an interaction at the Mumbai Press Club. Pakistan was using chemical weapons against the Balochs, abducting women and killing children, Quadri alleged. Atrocities increased after China's entry into Balochistan (for infrastructure projects it is developing in the region), she said. "We are not Pakistanis, we know it," said Quadri. "Where was the UN when Pakistan invaded Balochistan," she said. Pakistan could not claim that insurgency in Balochistan was its internal matter, the Baloch leader added. Quadri also alleged that Pakistan was nurturing terror with funds obtained (from foreign countries) for the war on terror. Between seven and ten lakh Balochs live in India, according Quadri. Balochs have been living in India for the last 500 years, she added. "Balochistan issue is not human rights violations. It's the issue of independence," Quadri said. In a major shift in India's foreign policy, Modi, in his Independence Day speech this year, had hit back at Pakistan when he talked about human rights violations in Balochistan. It was in apparent retaliation for Pakistan dedicating its Independence Day to the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. (Reopens BOM 12) "Balochistan in 1948 rejected merger proposal by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Balochistan became part of Pakistan after the then Indian government turned down its support to Balochistan and its demand of remaining independent from Pakistan," Quadri said. "We don't want India to use Balochistan's demand for independence as a card to be played in the international politics to counter Pakistan's claim over Kashmir," she said. "Kashmir is India's internal matter and our fight is for our independence. Supporting us in our independence (struggle) is certainly an issue of India's interest," she said. Maintaining that Chinese influence was growing in Pakistan, she said, "China is developing Gwadar port for its business purposes. India's plan for development of Chabahar port (in neighbouring Iran) is certainly useful. It will also be useful for us in our struggle." On Baloch people's expectations from Indian government, she said, "The population of Baloch people is in a few crores but only three per cent turn out to vote. "If the Indian government can start issuing separate documents and passports for us through its various consulates, it would be very useful. The Indian government should start treating us as Baloch people and not as part of Pakistan government. Baloch people trust Indian government," she said. On the Chinese army's presence in Balochistan, Quadri said, "There has been an indirect presence of the Chinese military in Balochistan. Pakistan military officials generally carry out their oppression against Baloch people but they are trained by Chinese military officials." She alleged Pakistan's hand in the recent terror attack in Quetta, Balochistan's capital, in which 59 Pakistan Police academy trainees were killed. "All the trainees were called back to their station a couple of days before the attack. As they returned from their homes, the attack took place. It is a kind of genocide from the Pakistan government against Baloch people so that they can take our land and other resources like gold," she said. The annual ritual of pelting stones at 'Pathron ka Mela' passed off peacefully at Dhami village, around 25 km from here. The ritual which is held a day after Diwali saw two-groups--one representing the erstwhile royal family of Dhami and the other commoners from Jamogi--pelting stones at each other. "The pelting stops when a person starts bleeding after being hit. His blood his offered to Goddess Kali as 'tilak'. This time the pelting ended in 20 minutes and the blood of Hukum Chand of Jamogi was offered to the goddess," general secretary of the Mela, Ranjit said, adding Chand suffered a minor injury. However, social activists dubbed the tradition as "cruel". "The pelting begins after the deity arrives at Dhami village from the Nara Singh and Kali Devi temple in the Dhami palace," he said. The erstwhile royal family of Dhami ruled over Dagoi, Turnu, Kateru and Jatheru villages while Jamogi area belonged to commoners. "Getting injured is considered auspicious. It is said the erstwhile rulers started the ritual after banning the practice of human sacrifice," he said. Meanwhile, minor fires broke out in various parts, including a hospital, of Himachal Pradesh on Diwali, police said. In Panthaghati , on the outskirts of Shimla, a fire broke out at Aastha Hospital and property worth Rs 10 lakh was destroyed. No one was injured, DGP Home Guards and Civil Defence S R Mardi said Over a dozen small fires occurred at other places in Shimla district but there was no loss of life or injury, he said. A residential house was gutted in SJVN Colony at Jeory here and a cowshed in Jasai and electronic shops at Sujanpur villages in Hamirpur were gutted "At Jeory the damage was around Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh at Sujanpur while all livestock in the cowshed-fire were rescued," he said This Diwali, only six burn cases were reported in Shimla town. One from Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and five from DDU hospital, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A photo exhibition on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to commemorate his 141st birth anniversary was organised here in the Chinese capital. The exhibtion of Sardar Patel's historical photographs held yesterday in the Indian Embassy here showcased the important role he played in India's struggle for freedom and in nation-building in the early years of Independence, a press release issued by the Embassy said today. The photos offered a rare glimpse into many key moments such as the Bardoli Satyagraha and the Arzi Hukumat campaign. "The movie "Sardar" portrayed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's indispensable contribution to the making of modern India, particularly during the many crucial moments in the lead up to the achievement of Independence and the integration of the princely states," the release said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today celebrated Bhai Dooj in Chhattisgarh and assured the women that he will continue to work for the welfare of Mother India. Modi launched 16th foundation day celebrations of the state at Naya Raipur, the upcoming new capital of the state. During the programme, a few women, hailing from different parts of the state, wished the Prime Minister on Bhai Dooj on the stage, applying a tilak on his forehead. "I am lucky that I got blessings of sisters today. When mother and sisters shower their blessings, you get more strength to work with dedication," Modi said in his speech. "On Bhai Dooj, lakhs of women, particularly tribals, have given me their blessings by arriving from different parts of the state in the programme. I bow my head in respect to them," he said. "This brother of yours will continue to work for the welfare of Maa Bharti and betterment of 1.25 crore people of the country," he said, adding "I wish everybody on this auspicious occasion of Diwali." Modi launched 'Saur Sujala Yojana' under which solar pumps of 3HP and 5HP capacity, worth Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh, respectively, would be provided to 51,000 farmers in the state by March 31, 2019. The farmers will get the pumps at subsidised prices. The scheme will be implemented on priority basis in the areas where electricity connections have not reached yet. Modi also dedicated the state's first 'jungle safari' and Bus Rapid Transit System at Naya Raipur. He also unveiled a statue of Deendayal Upadhyay and dedicated the two-kilometre long 'Ekatm Path' linking Naya Raipur railway station and the capital complex. The Prime Minister also felicitated representatives of Mungeli and Dhamtari districts and 15 divisional blocks for achieving open defecation-free area status. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A police jawan was abducted by suspected Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, police said today. "Constable Kalmu Hidma was abducted last evening near Puswada villageunder Polampalli police station areawhile he was on way to Puswada CRPF camp," a senior police official told PTI. Belonging to district police, Hidma was initially posted with Polampalli police station but currently he was attached with CRPF camp at Puswada for operational purposes, he said. Hidma had gone to his native place, Polampalli to celebrate Diwali festival with his family, the official added. "On Monday, while he was going back to the camp on his bike he was intercepted by Naxals between Kankerlanka and Puswada. Since then he was missing," he said. Security forceshave been rushed to search the area where the incident was reported, but no communication has been received so far about his whereabouts, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pope Francis held a public mass today for the Catholic minority in Sweden, a Lutheran but secular country where same-sex marriage is allowed even for priests. The Argentine pontiff addressed an estimated 15,000 members of the country's Roman Catholic minority, many of them converts or migrants, at a stadium in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, home to a large immigrant population. "Meekness is a way of living and acting that draws us close to Jesus and to one another. It enables us to set aside everything that divides and estranges us, and to find ever new ways to advance along the path of unity," Pope Francis said, according to an official translation of his remarks. "One very eloquent sign of this is that here in your country, marked as it is by the coexistence of quite different peoples, we are jointly commemorating the fifth centenary of the Reformation," the pope said before he headed back to Rome. A fervent advocate of Christian unity, Francis visited the southern city of Lund yesterday for an ecumenical service marking the start of a year of celebrations for the Reformation -- the dramatic 1517 event that created a Protestant branch of Christianity which rebelled against papal rule. The event in Lund, where the Lutheran World Federation was founded in 1947, also marked 50 years of reconciliatory dialogue between the Catholic Church and Lutheranism, a tradition once fervently hostile to the authority and teachings of the Vatican. Together with Sweden's female archbishop Antje Jackelen and other Lutheran leaders, the pope expressed deep regret over the schism and called for unity. Hailed as "a breath of fresh air" by Lutheran leaders, Francis raised hopes early in his papacy that he might steer the Church towards greater acceptance of homosexuality, and in June he said Christians "must apologise" to gays and lesbians for their past treatment. Anders Arborelius, bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Stockholm who himself converted from Lutheranism, said the pope's approach had been one of continuity, despite a "progressive" image compared to his predecessors. "Pope Francis comes from another continent and has a different way of expressing things, but one cannot say that he has changed anything in the teachings," he told AFP. Sweden's Lutheran Church is among the most liberal in Christendom. A pioneer in women's and LGBT rights, it has been appointing female priests since 1960, a step the Catholic church is still reluctant to take. "I think the Catholics have to change. We need women priests," Ingeborg Stenstrom, a Catholic and retired doctor from Germany who lives in Sweden, told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on November 1 met Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Le Luong Minh in Jakarta, press service of the MFA told Armenpress. The sides discussed issues related to the cooperation development prospects between Armenia and ASEAN, as well as Armenia and ASEAN member states. ASEAN Secretary-General presented the ongoing integration processes, the projects within ASEAN, the results of deepening the economic cooperation, the new opportunities for the member states, as well as the organizations prospects. The possibility of establishing mutual cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and ASEAN was included in the agenda of the meeting. Le Luong Minh said ASEAN is interested in such cooperation, and already steps are taken towards that path both by the member states and the Association. The Armenian FM expressed Armenias support to those efforts. A Catholic priest and 24 others were arrested in Ramapuram here today when they staged a protest against quarrying, police said. Thomas Ayilukkunnel, vicar of a church in Kurinji in Ramapuram panchayat, representatives of local bodies including Jeenas Nath, Mathachan, DCC General Secretary C T Rajan and several anti-quarrying activists were among those arrested. They were leading an agitation against a quarry operating in Kottamala in Kurinji. The agitators staged a dharna in front of a village office, allegedly blocking the movement of Pala Revenue Divisional Officer, police said. The arrested priest and activists were later produced before a local court which remanded them to judicial custody. Protesting against the arrest, the Congress, the BJP and people's movement against anti-quarrying have called for a day-long strike in Ramapuram tomorrow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An NGO today demanded a judicial probe into the killing of 28 Maoists in an encounter with Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Police to bring out the truth. The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) also demanded registering a FIR into the killings. "...The continuing allegation that the governments in both states have supported and ensured impunity and immunity enjoyed by the police from investigation, there are enough grounds to feel that independent, impartial and credible investigation cannot be done by the police forces themselves into the encounters," the PUCL said in a statement. "The PUCL, therefore, demands that a judicial enquiry be initiated headed by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge into the killings so that the truth of the killings can be brought to light," it said. The PUCL further insisted that the Andhra Pradesh government and state police should comply with yesterday's Hyderabad High Court order of producing before it Akkiraju Hargopal alias Ramakrishna and 10 others "who are supposed to be in the custody" of the cops since the alleged encounter. The NGO demanded the police to ensure personal safety of Ramakrishna and others. 28 Maoists were killed in an encounter with a joint team of police from the two states in Odisha's Malkangiri district on October 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said Punjab or Punjabis would not accept any verdict against the state's interest on river waters and are ready to make any sacrifice to safeguard their legitimate share on it. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of 50th year of Punjabi Suba celebrations, he said the successive Congress governments at the Centre have subjected the state and its people to "sheer exploitation by denying the rightful share" of river waters. He said the inter-state issues including denial of a capital to Punjab, transfer of Punjabi speaking areas and resolving river water issues within the ambit internationally accepted Riperian Principle were hanging on fire for long due to "apathetic" attitude of the Congress governments at the Centre. The Chief Minister, however, said with the installation of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the Punjabis have at least seen a light at the end of the tunnel and are eagerly awaiting resolution of these issues on priority basis. While seeking personal attention of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP National President Amit Shah, Badal said people were now questioning for not getting the territorial issues resolved by the central government, in which Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) is also an ally. He urged both the leaders to deliver prompt justice without any further delay. Badal accused the Congress leadership of betraying Punjab, saying they are well known for betrayal with Punjab since the times of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, who had promised to create Punjabi Suba on the linguistic lines but they "backtracked". Paying homage to those who made sacrifices for formation of Punjabi suba, Badal said every Punjabi was indebted to these sons of soil who made this distant dream a reality. On record, nearly 59,000 people were imprisoned and 43 attained martyrdom during the struggle, he added. Terming partition as one of the "darkest chapters" of the India's history, he said Punjab, being a border and most prosperous state of the country, faced maximum brunt and wounds were still afresh in the memories of people who had witnessed it. Badal elaborated the contribution of Punjabis in making the country self sufficient in foodgrains. Recalling the acts of Punjabi soldiers like Naik Karam Singh, Major Somnath Sharma, Air Commodore Baba Mehar Singh and others, he said the successive central governments, led by Congress, had "not recognised the immense contribution" of Punjabis and "inflicted a severe blow" to state's economy by "meting out step motherly treatment". Attacking Congress, Badal said Punjabis would never forgive Congress for its "sins" against the state. He alleged the Congress governments at the centre had "deliberately" denied the state of Punjabi speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and even its legitimate share in river waters. "How can any true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocents in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage?" he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hitting out at the Akali government's 'Punjabi Suba' celebrations, senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh today said trifurcation of Punjab was "second partition for Punjabis after 1947". He also hit out at the Akalis for shrinking the state to fulfill their own sectarian agenda. Punjab celebrated its 50th foundation day today. It was declared a separate state after Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were carved out of it on November 1, 1966. The Akali Dal and various other organisations had demanded for the creation of a Punjabi speaking state during the 1960s. The Akali government celebrated the occasion in Amritsar with BJP President Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal attending the function. The Congress leader, however, flayed the government for celebrating the occasion "which laid the foundation for the continuous decline of the state". "Rather than celebration, it should be a moment of penance and self-atonement for Akalis, who had effectively shrunk the state in such a manner as to deprive it of the rich resources and growth prospects which fell to the share of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in the process," he said in a statement here. Though it was during the Congress regime when Punjab was trifurcated by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Amarinder said Punjab lost out on huge land tracts spanning 80 lakh acres. He said the state also lost precious resources like water, hydroelectric power, forests and tourism to Himachal Pradesh, while large and well-planned industrial belts went to Haryana due to trifurcation of Punjab. Amarinder said, "Thus, while Haryana prospered through industrial growth, particularly in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Panipat, Punjab was left struggling with a legacy of festering disputes, including the demand for Chandigarh as its exclusive capital and a commitment to provide Haryana with our precious water. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With cross-border firing escalating, Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the situation along the Indo-Pak border where eight civilians were killed and 22 injured due to Pakistani shelling and two Pakistani soldiers killed after Indian forces retaliated. The meeting, attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials, took stock of the situation along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The top security brass briefed the Home Minister and the Defence Minister the steps taken to counter firing by Pakistani forces, official sources. Since early morning, Pakistan troops resorted to heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the IB and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani troops used heavy calibre weapons like 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs, army said. The Border Security Force, deployed along the IB, today said it had destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier. Army sources also said two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite to Naushera sector of Rajouri district today. In the wake of heavy Pakistani shelling, the government has ordered closure of all the 174 government and private schools situated along the IB and LoC in Jammu. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 27. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan visited Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen bilateral ties between the countries. During the visit, Paswan called on Foreign Affairs Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dennis Moses in Port of Spain, the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ministry said in a statement. Recalling age old cultural ties between the countries, Paswan said Indian government wants to further strengthen these ties. He also called on Agriculture Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Clarence Rambharat and offered cooperation in the field of agricultural and fisheries. Paswan addressed gathering of Indian Diaspora at Divali Nagar near Port of Spain and donated musical instruments at Indian Caribbean Museum. During stay at London while returning back, Paswan administered "Ekta Divas" pledge at London High Commission yesterday and offered tribute to Sardar Ballabh Bhai on the occasion of Nation Unity Day, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata veteran S Ramadorai has resigned as chairman of the government's skill development agencies -- NSDA and NSDC -- sparking speculation that he might be headed back to India's largest conglomerate. Ramadorai, 71, quit sometime last month and his resignation has been accepted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources privy to the development said. Rohit Nandan, Vice-Chairman of the Governing Body and Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, has been appointed interim head of the National Skill Development Agency till a full-time chairman is appointed. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) Board is likely to meet tomorrow to discuss the future road map, post the resignation. The former Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) chief was appointed chairman of the skill development agencies in May 2013 with Cabinet rank. He is also the Chairman of Tata Institute of Social Sciences and AirAsia India. His resignation triggered talk that he might be headed back to the Tata Group where a search committee is looking for a full-time chairman after the board of Tata Sons ousted its first non-family chairman, Cyrus Mistry, last month. Meanwhile, top sources in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said the government is scouting for a replacement. The Modi government, which has taken the skill development initiatives on top priority, wants to scale up skilling efforts and has set a target to train over 40 crore people in India in different skills by 2022. To achieve the objective, the government is eyeing revamp of key bodies, including NSDC and NSDA. Ramadorai's resignation paves the way for a major shake-up of the bodies. Ramadorai was not available for comments at the time of filing the story. Sources close to him said the 71 year-old, who was appointed by the UPA government, had cited health reasons for putting in his papers. Last year, NSDC's then managing director and CEO Dilip Chenoy and its COO Atul Bhatnagar, who were appointees of the previous UPA government, had also resigned. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy had expressed displeasure at the way NSDC was run in the past and lashed out at its failure to meet the industry's needs for trained manpower. The National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) is an autonomous body under the skill development ministry, which coordinates and harmonizes the skill development efforts of the government and the private sector to achieve the skilling targets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Faced with a huge trade deficit, India is expected to offer a different set of duty concessions for China at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) ministerial meeting in the Philippines on November 4. RCEP is a mega trade agreement under negotiations among 16 entities, including India, Asean, Japan, China and Australia. The pact aims at significant liberalisation of trade in goods, services and investments. Top sources in the commerce ministry said the member countries also realise that China is a concern for India. India's trade deficit in goods with China swelled to USD 52.68 billion in 2015-16, from USD 48.48 billion in the previous fiscal. As the domestic industry has time and again raised concerns about increasing imports from the neighbouring countries, the government does not want to take any chance in this pact that may impact domestic companies. During the ministerial meeting, which will be attended by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the RCEP members will deliberate on the single-tier system of duty relaxation. Sources said India can not give the same treatment to China in terms of duty concessions on goods which it proposes to extend to Asean or other countries like Japan and Korea in the pact. Although the commerce ministry has not yet finalised its stand for this meeting, they said "it will be China with whom we want a different staging period to eliminate or reduce import duties; different set of negative list and different set of offers". As the domestic industry has apprehensions over a deluge in imports from countries like China after the duty cut under the agreement, India may take certain deviations. "When it comes to China, even Japan and Korea are doubly cautious," they added. The 16-member RCEP bloc comprises 10 Asean members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners - India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. In the meeting, India would also emphasised on taking the negotiations of services forward, along with goods. "In the negotiations, it is very clear that all want India to be more flexible on goods, but not even for a minute, they want to consider the same flexibility in services from their end," they added. On services, RCEP members are not moving at all and "we are now going to link up saying equally you progress in services, then we explain about our offers in goods," the sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia's defense minister today accused the Syrian rebels of massive shelling of residential areas in the city of Aleppo. Sergei Shoigu said over 2,000 militants backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles have launched attacks on living quarters, schools and hospitals in the government-controlled part of the city. He also claimed the rebels blocked civilians from leaving the rebel-controlled neighborhoods, killing dozens. The rebels in Aleppo began an offensive Friday to break the government's siege of the eastern part of the city, which has been under their control since 2012. Shoigu said that a Russian moratorium on conducting airstrikes on Aleppo entered a 16th day today. Last week, the Russian military publicly requested that President Vladimir Putin allow the resumption of airstrikes due to the rebel offensive, but Putin rejected the request. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that the president believes that the "humanitarian pause" should hold, but warned that the rebel offensive could trigger a change in that policy. Peskov shrugged off a recent Times of London report alleging that Putin plans to unleash a massive aerial attack on Aleppo once the Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, reaches Syria's shores. The Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, sought today to turn the tables on the US criticism of Russia's action in Syria by accusing the US-led coalition of striking civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Advancing Iraqi troops broke through Islamic State defenses in an eastern suburb of Mosul on Monday, taking the battle for the insurgents' stronghold into the city limits for the first time, a force commander said, Reuters reports. The fighting came after two weeks of advances by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces who cleared surrounding areas of insurgents, in the early stages of the largest military operation in Iraq since the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Commanders have said the battle for the city, the hardline militants' last big bastion in Iraq, could take months. Troops of the Iraqi army's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) moved forward on Gogjali, an industrial zone on the eastern outskirts. The commander of CTS forces east of the city, Lieutenant-General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, told state television his forces had reached the edge of the Karama district inside the city. A Reuters correspondent in the village of Bazwaia saw plumes of smoke rising from a built-up area a few kilometers away which a commander said was the result of clashes already under way inside Karama. A Kurdish peshmerga intelligence source said he received a report saying seven Islamic State militants were killed in the Aden district, adjacent to Karama, and two of their vehicles destroyed. Iraqi state television said there were also clashes inside the city between Islamic State fighters and residents rising up against the group. The Kurdish intelligence source said such "resistance elements" had opened fire on an Islamic State police unit in Intisaar district, south of Karama, and armed fighters had spread out in streets across the city apparently fearing revolt. Reuters could not independently verify the report. The government and its U.S. allies are hoping an uprising inside the city will help loosen the grip of the fighters, who seized it in 2014 and proclaimed a "caliphate" to rule over all Muslims. The fighting ahead in a built-up city still home to 1.5 million people will be more complex than the recent capture of Christian and Sunni Muslim villages and towns outside the city, mostly emptied of their residents. Mosul is many times larger than any other city Islamic State has held, and the United Nations has warned of a worst-case scenario of up to 1 million people being suddenly displaced, requiring the world's largest humanitarian operation. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, speaking at the Qayyara military airbase south of Mosul, said the Iraqi forces were trying to close off all escape routes for the several thousand Islamic State fighters inside Mosul. "God willing, we will chop off the snake's head," Abadi, wearing military fatigues, told state television. "They have no escape, they either die or surrender." Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters started the offensive against the hardline Sunni group on Oct. 17, with air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition. Veteran journalist S Nihal Singh has been chosen for the 'Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award' for his outstanding contribution to journalism which is presented by the Press Council of India (PCI). The award will be presented on November 16 and carries a cash component of Rs 1 lakh. In a statement released today, the PCI also announced other winners of the National Journalism Awards 2016, as per which Renjith Jonh of Deepika Daily has been chosen for his work for the award on Rural journalism and Developmental reporting. In the same category a special mention certificate will be jointly given to freelancer Arvind Kumar Singh and X Xavier Selvakumar of Dinamilar, Coimbatore, the statement added. T P Dhanesh (Malayala Manorama) and Pritam Bandopadhyay (The Asian Age) were chosen in the Single picture category while Vijay Verma of PTI was selected for a special mention certificate. Renuka Puri of The Indian Express was chosen for the award in the category 'Photo feature' which carries a cash component of Rs 50,000. Baiju Poulose of Malayala Manorama was chosen the winner in the Best newspaper art category, while Rohit Jose also of Malayala Manorama was chosen for the special mention. The PCI said that it has also been decided to honour veterans in the field Raghu Rai (photo journalist), Sheetla Singh (senior journalist), Harish Chandra Shukla (Kak) (senior cartoonist) and senior journalists Potturi Venkateswara Rao and Mrinal Pande. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The global oil market should be balanced early next year, the president of Saudi Aramco said today, after over-supply drove prices to multi-year lows in 2016. "The gap between supply and demand is closing," Amin Nasser told an international energy forum. He said the state oil company's analysis sees the market "balanced by the first half of 2017." Last week, the chief of the International Energy Agency said the market would rebalance earlier than expected if major crude producers implement a deal to cap output when they meet next month. Under current conditions, the IEA expects global output to exceed demand until the second half of 2017, Fatih Birol said in Singapore. But he said that if OPEC and non-OPEC producers intervene in the markets, "this rebalance can be earlier than the second half of 2017." In a surprise move, members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries led by Saudi Arabia agreed in September on a deal to trim production. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Scotland Yard have launched a public drive against mass casualty weapons to counter threats of a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom and to stop both illegal and legal arms falling into the hands of terrorists. Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police's national lead for counter-terrorism policing, said yesterday that five of the 10 plots uncovered in Britain in the past two years involved attempts to obtain explosives or firearms. These terrorists were thwarted only because of tight gun laws in the country. He explained: "You've got some very bright, determined, clear-thinking people who buy into and fully commit and are drivers of Daesh [Islamic State] propaganda and terrorism, and then you do get gang members, criminals, people who are already angry, difficult people causing problems in communities who perhaps get given a more clear purpose for their violence by a terrorist ideology, whether they pick that up on the streets or in prison. "Those gang criminality links are an issue that concerns us and we have seen evidence of it potentially linking firearms into terrorism." The public appeal, launched by the Met in conjunction with the National Crime Agency (NCA), is aimed at trying to stop both illegal and legal weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. It is calling for people to tip off the authorities if they know someone trading illegal weapons or alert them to lax security around legally owned weapons. "Currently we believe we hold an advantage. There is low availability of illegal firearms in the UK compared with European and international partners but it is not an advantage that we take for granted, and to maintain that advantage we must not stand still," NCA director-general Lynne Owens told 'The Times'. There are thought to be thousands of illegal guns in circulation in Britain. Last year the NCA sent 884 weapons to National Ballistics Intelligence Service for forensic analysis. The biggest fear is of a Paris-style attack, when gunmen fired indiscriminately at public venues last November killing more than 130 people. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pitching for supremacy of regional languages, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today pushed for the state's demand to make it the medium of instruction for primary education. Speaking at the 61st Karnataka Rajyotsava (stateformation day) celebration event here, he urged the PrimeMinister to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and bring an amendment to the Constitution to thiseffect. "I have written two letters to the Prime Minister.I have also written to all Chief Ministers because the Supreme Court's order is causing a threat to all regional languages," Siddaramaiah said. The Chief Minister said he had also met the Prime Minister in this regard. "We have to bring an amendment to the Constitution.It has to get declared in Parliament that regional languages are supreme in states.. Amendments should be brought to make changes to the Supreme Court order. So Prime Minister has to call a meeting of Chief Ministers of all states and decide," he said. "I will continue to make this demand," he said, adding most language and education experts had opined thatthe mother tongue should be the medium of instruction in primary schools. Siddaramaiah said it would help in development of regional languages and also mental development of children. In May 2014, the Supreme Court while hearing the issue before it challenging two Karnataka Government Orders of 1994, making the mother tongue or regional language compulsory to impart education from Class I to IV, had held that the government cannot impose mother tongue on linguistic minorityfor imparting primary education. The CM said the state government had announced a language policy in 1994, "which was questioned by unaided educational institutions in courts, where we had to face a setback." "Despite appealing against it, we did not get justice. We made all possible efforts, but this was an order passed by the Constitution bench. As the Supreme Court is final, we cannot appeal in any other courts," he added. Pointing out that the state government was taking all steps to protect and encourage Kannada, Siddaramaiah said, "It is our mother tongue; it is language of this land, this soil. "Showing our Kannadiga pride just on November 1 or in this month is not enough, it should be a continuous process." Recalling Karnataka's united fight on the Cauvery water issue, Siddaramaiah said, "Power may come or go. It is not permanent, but the land, water, culture and language of thisstate are paramount." "It is our responsibility to protect even at the cost of power and the state government is committed to it". (REOPEN MDS7) A report from Managaluru said that Kannada Rajyotsava, theformation day of Karnataka,was celebrated with grandeurin the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi today. DK District-in-charge Minister Ramanath Rai hoisted the national flag and inspected a colourful parade by police,Army, Navy and Air wings at a function held at NehruMaidan here. Rai conferred district level Rajyotsava awards to 22 achievers at the function. A colourful procession withattractive tableaux was taken out from Ambedkar circle in the city to the venue of the function. Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadeesh, Mayor Harinath, MLAs J R Lobo, Moideen Bava, Legislative Council chief whip Ivan D'Souza and top police officials were present. In Udupi, District-in-charge Minister Pramod Madhwaraj unfurled the national flag at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial opentheatre ground and received a guard of honour led by the district armed reserve police. A cultural procession by school students was organisedon the occasion. Deputy Commissioner T Venkatesh and peoples' representatives were present. In the wake of the jail break by eight SIMI activists in Bhopal, Gujarat Police has conducted a major search operation at Sabarmati Central jail here to review its security measures which houses over 75 prisoners alleged to be SIMI and Indian Mujahideen activists. Various teams of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) along with city crime branch and Special Operations Group (SOG), led by ATS Superintendent Himanshu Shukla, visited the Central prison late last night to acquire first hand information of the overall security arrangements. As many as 78 prisoners, accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case and alleged to be associated with SIMI or Indian Mujahideen, are currently lodged in a special high security area of the jail. "Following the incident of jail break by SIMI activists in Bhopal, officials of ATS, crime branch and SOG have visited Sabarmati jail to supervise the overall security arrangements," Assistant Commissioner of Police, city SOG, B C Solanki said. "We have made separate teams led by 18 police inspectors to search each and every barrack of the jail. We have also checked if various security systems, such as alarms and CCTV cameras are functional. Nothing suspicious has been found from any prisoner during the search," he added. Sharing details of the enhanced security set up at the jail, senior jailor H M Shah told reporters that around 100 armed personnel from State Reserve Police (SRP) are doing round the clock patrolling in the jail. "Apart from our staff, around 100 SRP jawans were deployed here some time back to keep a close watch on each and every movement," Shah said. In the 2008 terror attack, 21 serial blasts had rocked the city on July 26 and claimed 56 lives while hundreds were severely injured. Gujarat police has so far charge-sheeted 100 people in the case, of which, 78 are behind bars here, while remaining are still absconding. Notably, security at Sabarmati jail has been a cause of concern for authorities after some of the accused attempted to escape from jail in February 2012 by digging a 218-feet long tunnel inside barrack no. 4. Following the jail-escape bid, all the blast accused were shifted to high-security barracks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Anushka Sharma says while her comfort level with superstar Shah Rukh Khan has grown after working with him in three films, theirs is not a "buddy type" relationship as she has way too much respect for him. It was Aditya Chopra who got Anushka and SRK together for the first time in "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi". The two were next seen in late filmmaker Yash Chopra's last directorial venture "Jab Tak Hai Jaan". Now, they have teamed up for Imtiaz Ali's romantic film, tentatively titled "The Ring". "That sense of hierarchy (referring to seniority) will always be there (with Shah Rukh). I come from army background so, that level of respect will always be there for him. He is not my back slapping buddy. He is much more accomplished than I am," Anushka told PTI. Giving a comparison, the 28-year-old actress said she shares a friendlier equation with her "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" co-star Ranbir Kapoorm than with SRK. "I cannot be same with him (Shah Rukh) as I am with Ranbir I can tell Ranbir to shut up and all but I cannot do something like this with him (Shah Rukh). I am much more relaxed with him (Shah Rukh) than what I was in my first film that is because I know him since eight years. I will get more relaxed over the years if we keep working," she said. According to Anushka, the film is shaping up quite well. "It is too early to talk anything about the film. It (film) is an interesting love story is all I can say," she said. "The Ring" has been shot at Prague, Amsterdam, London, Lisbon. After a break of a few days, the team will reunite in Mumbai to shoot the remaining portions of the film. The shoot is expected to start from mid-November. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vietnam's glitterati donned their finest on the red carpet today for the opening of the Hanoi International Film Festival, aimed at boosting the communist nation's little-known movie industry. Welcomed by cheering fans, Vietnam's A-listers were joined by filmmakers and actors from around the globe including from Russia, India and as far afield as Ghana, all in town for the fourth edition of the festival that runs until Saturday. Some are hoping the event will breathe life into Vietnam's movie industry - still in its infancy and mostly unknown, even on home soil. "An event like this, what it does is it bring Vietnamese films into the forefront of international recognition," producer Timothy Linh Bui told AFP at the festival, where his romance-horror film "The Housemaid" is screening. "There's a large talent pool of actors and filmmakers so it's a very exciting time to see what takes shape and where it can grow from here." This year's festival features 146 films from more than 40 countries, including a re-release of "Indochine", filmed in Vietnam and starring French cinema queen Catherine Deneuve, who is in town for the event. But some worry the five-day festival won't be enough to lure in young audiences in Vietnam, most of whom would rather see the latest Hollywood action blockbuster or Korean romance flick than a Vietnamese arthouse movie. "Hoping that the film festival will have some sort of momentum to boost the nation's cinematography is a bit overblown" said Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, deputy head of Vietnam's Cinematography Association. Such momentum has been lacking in recent years: though the number of film studios boomed from 63 in 2009 to nearly 400 last year, the number of Vietnamese movies produced has barely notched up, with many studios producing commercial work instead of feature films. The festival will also host a roundtable with bigwigs from Indian cinema, home to the wildly successful Bollywood industry - a chance for Vietnam's novice industry to learn from business veterans. But the secret to success is not simply copying a formula, but rather encouraging Vietnam's filmmakers to find their own voices, said Indian director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. "In a country like Vietnam, they should not follow Bollywood or Hollywood, that should not be the model," he told AFP. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amidst a raging controversy over killing of eight SIMI activists who had fled from a jail, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today said raising doubts and questioning the police should stop as no conclusion should be drawn on the bases of videos only. Rijiju said facts will come out soon and decried the "habit" of raising doubts and questioning the authorities and police in such incidents. "It is not good to raise questions on security forces dealing with terrorists, just on the basis of videos. "We are facing challenges in border with ceasefire violation. Our forces are responding," he told reporters here. The Minister of Stat for Home Affairs was queried on the circumstances in which the eight SIMI members were killed yesterday near Bhopal by police. The eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail there killing a security guard. As a controversy raged over the police action after the daring pre-dawn jail-break, TV channels showed footage purportedly from the encounter site in which a policeman is seen pumping bullets into a man from close range after some unidentified person takes out what appears to be a knife said to be in a plastic cover and places it back. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) State-owned Coal India today said a supplementary joint venture pact has been signed for revival of Sindhi and Gorakhpur units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd (FCIL) and Barauni fertilizer unit of Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HFCL). The supplementary joint venture agreement was signed yesterday among Coal India, NTPC, Indian Oil, FCIL and HFCL. "A supplementary joint venture agreement was signed on October 31, 20 16 at New Delhi among CIL, NTPC, IOCL (Indian Oil Corporation Ltd), FCIL and HFCL," Coal India said in a filing to BSE. In the joint venture agreement CIL, NTPC and IOCL each will hold 29.67 per cent shares and FCIL and HFCL together will hold remaining 10.99 per cent stake, it said. Initially, a joint venture agreement was signed between CIL and NTPC for the revival of Sindhri and Gorakhpur units of FCIL. Subsequent to this, IOCL, FCIL and HFCL joined in the joint venture. "In addition to the revival of Sindhri and Gorakhpur units, it has also been decided to revive Barauni Fertiliser unit of HFCL," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A team of 30 officials led by Mizoram- Tripura border Mamit district Deputy Commissioner Lalbiaksangi today left for Kanhmun village on the banks of the Tripura border river Langkaih to undertake identification of bona fide residents of Mizoram in a Tripura relief camp from tomorrow. Lalbiaksangi told PTI over phone that the team, comprised of officials from Mamit and Kolasib district on Assam border, which would conduct the identification process in Kaskau relief camp. The identification process is the beginning of the proposed eighth phase physical repatriation of 3,445 Bru families lodged in the six relief camps in North Tripura district and scheduled to continue till November 21. As per the schedule of the Road Map-V for Bru Repatriation, the physical repatriation was to commence from November 30. As per the proposal, 2,594 repatriated families would be resettled in Mamit district while Assam bordered Kolasib district and south Mizoram's Lunglei district would host 628 and 223 Bru families respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Christine Defraigne President of the Belgian Senate says there is a necessity of criminalizing the denial of Armenian Genocide in Belgium. After a meeting with Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Galust Sahakyan, Christine Defraigne told reporters the Belgian Parliament was one of the first European Parliaments to adopt a strict resolution in 1998 on condemning the Armenian Genocide. And we even made steps to move even further ahead and define criminal responsibility for the denial of the Genocide. We began working in that direction quite early. The denial of Armenian Genocide must be equal to a crime. At that time we didnt reach our goal, but I think that by the adoption of resolutions by different level Parliaments of Belgium condemning the Armenian Genocide we will reach the realization of our goal, she said. She added that its not about Parliaments dictating the history, there is simply a need to convey history to the new generations, in order to once and for all condemn all acts of genocide. Our countries must move towards the future. I think our peoples have similar values, and in my opinion we can continue this path together, she added. Defraigne said Europes doors are always open for Armenia. We understand that Armenia is located in a difficult geopolitical position, however I have to say that Europes doors are always open for negotiations, for work in any field and united development. Belgium will spare no effort in supporting Armenia in its decision, she said. Sony pictures has signed filmmaker Tim Miller to executive produce a live-action adaptation of "Sonic the Hedgehog". The "Deadpool" helmer will develop the project with his longtime Blur Studio cohort Jeff Fowler, who is set to make his feature directorial debut, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Jeff is an incredible director with strong story instincts. The world of Sonic presents the perfect opportunity for Jeff to leverage his experience in animation to bring new dimension to this iconic character," Miller said of his collaborator. "Sonic" game released in 1991 and since then the character has become one of the world's biggest gaming icons. Sony plans to make a hybrid CG-animated/live-action family film, with Patrick Casey and Josh Miller penning the script. Neal H Moritz will serve as a producer via his Original Film banner, along with Marza Animation Planet's Takeshi Ito and Mie Onishi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A week before the US presidential elections, Republican nominee Donald Trump has taken a slender lead of one percentage point against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for the first time since May in a major national tracking poll. Trump has overtaken Clinton in the ABC News/ Washington Post tracking poll, according to which the Republican candidate has the support of 46 per cent of the likely voters as against 45 per cent by the former secretary of state. Strong enthusiasm for Clinton has lost seven points since the start of tracking, especially Friday through Sunday, said poll. This is possibly an after-effect of the renewed controversy over her use of a private email server while secretary of state. Trumps strong enthusiasm has held steady in tracking, which started October 20, the poll said. According to the poll, Trump now leads Clinton by eight points in the share of voters who are very enthusiastic about their choice as of Friday. But, compared to past elections its low for both of them - 53 per cent for Trump, 45 per cent for Clinton, it said. However, in RealClearPolitics average of polls Trump trails Clinton by 2.2 percentage points. RealClearPolitics tracks all major national polls. Till about two weeks ago, Clinton was leading Trump by more than eight points in this average of polls. Trump in a tweet celebrated results of the latest poll. Wow, now leading in @ABC/@washingtonpost Poll 46 to 45. Gone up 12 points in two weeks, mostly before the Crooked Hillary blow-up! he said. In another tweet, Trump slammed Clinton for alleged email scandal and claimed she is not fit to be the US president. Look at the way Crooked Hillary is handling the e-mail case and the total mess she is in. She is unfit to be president. Bad judgement! Trump said in the first tweet of the day. Crooked Hillary should not be allowed to run for president. She deleted 33,000 e-mails AFTER getting a subpoena from US Congress. RIGGED! Trump said in his third tweet. In the last few days, various polls coming out from key battleground states indicate that the polls are tightening and it might not be a cakewalk for Clinton any longer. For instance in Virginia, where Clinton was leading comfortably in double digit, the latest poll indicate that Trump is now trailing by six points. In the last two weeks, Trump has pumped in USD 3 million in local advertisements. However, a reliable election model today predicted a win for Clinton in the November 8 presidential elections. Moodys Analytics, latest model today forecast Clinton winning 332 electoral votes to Trumps 206. The Moodys model which picks a party, not a candidate has predicted every election correctly since it was created in 1980. In a scathing attack on Donald Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said her Democratic rival is not only unfit to be commander- in-chief but also a danger to America's national security. Addressing a well-attended election rally in Kent in the battleground State of Ohio, Clinton said Trump cannot be trusted to command nuclear arsenal, alleging that he would lose his cool during a national security crisis and has a foreign policy vision contrary to America's values and geopolitical goals. Trump also has a history of praise for dictators like Saddam Hussein and ties to strongmen like Vladimir Putin, whose government is trying to influence US elections and put its thumb on the scale for Trump, she said. "I am running against a man who says he doesn't understand why we can't use nuclear weapons. He actually said, 'Then why are we making them?' And he wants more countries to have nuclear weapons. Japan, South Korea, even Saudi Arabia. Imagine nuclear weapons smack in the middle of the Middle East," the 69-year-old former secretary of state said. "If you're telling yourself he'll surround himself with smart people who'll stop these crazy ideas, remember this, when he was asked who he consults on foreign policy, Donald Trump said he didn't need to consult because he said and I quote, 'I have a very good brain'. He said he knows more about ISIS than our generals do. No, he does not," Clinton asserted. Clinton alleged that the people Trump has had around him include two men whose activities are reportedly being investigated for their ties to Russia -- Vladimir Putin and Putin's allies. "I started saying last June, I believe, that Donald Trump has proven himself temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief," she said and asked the audience if they can trust someone to command US nuclear arsenal and make literally life and death decisions about war and peace. "How do you handle a crisis? And do you know the difference between our allies and our adversaries? We'll start with nuclear weapons," she said. "Now, I know there are some who will say that any discussion of this topic could be fear-mongering, but I don't think so and in part of what you just heard from Bruce Blair. When dozens of retired nuclear launch officers publicly state that Donald Trump should, and I quote, 'not have his finger on the button', then this is a topic that can't be avoided," Clinton said. The former secretary of state said Trump has repeatedly suggested that more countries should have nuclear weapons. "He must not realise or care that the more nuclear material there is in the world, the more likely terrorists are to get their hands on it -- or that someone will miscalculate and start a war that can't be stopped," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Citing flight of jobs to overseas including some to India, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has vowed to stop such a trend in the US if he is voted to power in the election in about a week from now. During a series of election rallies in Michigan, Trump blamed the Obama Administration and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for this. "Hillary got rich selling your jobs -- the same special interests who pushed the jobs out of America are the people who've given countless millions to the Clintons. Hillary gets rich making America poo," he alleged during his three rallies in Michigan wherein he delivered similar speeches. "Just look at the devastation. Delphi laid off 3,627 workers here in Michigan. Most of those jobs went to Mexico... -- Chrysler laid off over 5,300 workers. Those jobs went to Mexico, China, India and other countries. Ford laid off 2,155 workers. Those jobs went to other countries...A Trump Administration will stop the flight of American jobs," the 70-year-old business tycoon asserted. Trump said if Ford, or another company, announces they want to move their jobs to Mexico or another country, then he would charge a 35 per cent tax when they try to ship their products back across the border. "It used to be the cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. Now, the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint. We are going to turn it all around," he said. Trump said he has outlined a plan for urban renewal, it is called 'A New Deal For Black America'. "That deal includes a plan to use the money we will save by securing our border, and curbing refugee admissions, to invest in communities like Flint and Detroit. It includes a pledge of school choice for African-American children," he said. "My plan also includes a promise to cancel billions in climate change spending for the United Nations -- a number Hillary wants to increase -- and instead use that money to provide for American infrastructure, including clean water in cities like Flint," he said. Trump said his plans also include a pledge to reduce violent crime -- every child in this nation has a right to grow up in safety and peace. "And my plan includes a pledge to restore manufacturing in the United States," he said. A Trump Administration will stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership, he said, adding that he would renegotiate North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and, if he does not get the deal he wants, the US will terminate NAFTA and get a much better deal. "We are going to lower taxes on American business from 35 per cent to 15 per cent. We are going to massively cut taxes for the middle class," he said. Trump said the political class in Washington has betrayed Americans. "They've uprooted your jobs, and your communities, and shipped your wealth all over the world. They put new skyscrapers up in Beijing while your factories in Michigan crumbled," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British government was today accused of capitulating to "media barons" after indicating it may abandon a measure to punish newspapers that refuse to join a government-approved press regulator. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced consultation into whether to implement 2013 legislation that would force organisations to pay all the costs of libel and privacy suits against them, even if they won. The so-called Section 40 measure would only apply to groups that refuse to join a new press regulator, IMPRESS, that was introduced after the 2011 phone hacking scandal. It was intended as an incentive to make sure newspapers signed up to the new system, but has been condemned as a threat to press freedom -- and failed to achieve its purpose. Only around 50 organisations are members of IMPRESS, while around 2,500 have joined the unofficial IPSO regulator -- presenting the government with what Bradley admitted was "a dilemma". "The government is determined that a balance is struck between press freedom and the freedom of the individual," she told parliament's lower House of Commons. "Those who are treated improperly must seek redress. Likewise politicians must not seek to muzzle the press, or prevent it doing legitimate work such as holding us to account." She added: "We have to make this work in this climate and with this situation." But opposition Labour culture spokesman Tom Watson, who helped expose the practice of journalists intercepting public figures' voicemails, said the decision to reopen debate on the issue was "deeply regrettable". "She opens up the executive to the suggestions that they have succumbed to the vested interest of media barons," he said, noting Prime Minister Theresa May's meeting with Rupert Murdoch last month. The 10-week consultation will also look at whether to proceed with the second part of the judge-led Leveson Inquiry into press ethics and behaviour, which would examine any potential wrongdoing. The first part of the inquiry, commissioned in 2011 after Murdoch closed his of the World tabloid over hacking, recommended a complete overhaul of the system of press self-regulation. Part two was intended to look at wrongdoing in the scandal, including the failure of initial police investigations to expose the problem. Some argue this is no longer necessary given that subsequent criminal probes have led to a number of convictions. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is funded by the newspaper industry and critics say it will not be tough enough on Britain's sometimes unruly press. However, critics of the government-backed regulator argue that the new system under which it operates will allow governments to erode press freedom. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today sacked the commander of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan following a damning report showing failure to protect civilians during recent violence in Juba. The report from a UN special investigation found that a lack of leadership in the UN mission culminated in a "chaotic and ineffective response" during the heavy fighting in the capital from July 8 to 11. Peacekeepers abandoned their posts and failed to respond to pleas for help from aid workers under attack in a nearby hotel, according to a summary of the report. The UN mission known as UNMISS has 16,000 troops deployed in South Sudan, which has been at war since December 2013. "The special investigation found that UNMISS did not respond effectively to the violence due to an overall lack of leadership, preparedness and integration among the various components of the mission," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Chinese peacekeepers abandoned their positions at least twice and Nepalese peacekeepers failed to stop looting inside the UN compound, the inquiry found. Ban said he was "deeply distressed by these findings" and "alarmed by the serious shortcomings identified by the special investigation." The UN chief "has asked for the immediate replacement of the force commander," said Dujarric, adding that other measures would follow. Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya had been the force commander since May. The fierce fighting in Juba involved helicopter gunships and tanks pitting President Salva Kiir's government forces and those loyal to ex-rebel chief Riek Machar. Machar fled the capital during the violence that derailed international efforts to form a unity government and restore peace to South Sudan. The investigation led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert was unable to verify allegations that peacekeepers did nothing to help women who were raped near the UN base during the heavy fighting. But in a later incident on September 2, a woman was assaulted near the entrance to a UN compound "in plain sight" of the peacekeepers, the report said. "Despite the woman's screams, they did not react" and other UN staff intervened, it added. After the crisis, peacekeepers "continued to display a risk-averse posture unsuited to protecting civilians from sexual violence" and other attacks, said the report. UNMISS soldiers refused to conduct foot patrols near UN bases and instead would "peer out from the tiny windows of armored personnel carriers, an approach ill-suited to detecting perpetrators of sexual violence and engaging with communities to provide a sense of security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN Security Council has voted to extend the mandate of inspectors charged with determining who is behind confirmed chemical weapons attacks in Syria. The resolution extends the mandate for the so-called Joint Investigative Mechanism, or JIM, which was set to expire yesterday, for two weeks while diplomats try to negotiate a longer extension. France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre yesterday said the mandate extension was only a first step. "As we all know there are more cases of chemical weapons use in Syria. And so it is absolutely critical that the JIM later gets a one-year mandate to continue its investigation. We consider it very important," Delattre said. Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said that the extension was shorter than what western powers wanted but that it would at least allow the inspectors to continue their work. "We will then need to come back to these very important issues of accountability to make sure that everyone involved in the heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria is denied impunity and will receive justice," Rycroft said. Investigators have already determined that the Syrian government was behind at least three attacks involving chlorine gas and the Islamic State group was responsible for at least one involving mustard gas. The United States, Britain and France want the Security Council to impose sanctions on the Syrian government for using chemical weapons. But Russia, Syria's closest ally, has repeatedly questioned investigators' conclusions linking chemical weapons use to the regime of President Bashar Assad. Russia has said it would also like to expand the inspectors' mandate to cover the use of chemical weapons by "terrorists" beyond Syrian territory. Deputy US Ambassador Michele Sison rejected that idea. "Others may argue that we should broaden the mandate of the JIM, so as to focus on multiple countries. To take away time and resources from the JIM's work in Syria would constitute a significant distraction, and further delay its critical work. The JIM was set up in Syria for a specific reason to resolve who was involved and for that reason it should remain focused on Syria," Sison said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Ambassador to India Richard Verma today reached out to Muslims here, denouncing "unacceptable rhetoric" against the community, particularly during the ongoing Presidential campaign in US, and in pockets of "intolerance". Verma said that any form of discrimination was "unjustifiable" and stressed on the need to embrace diversity, which he said was the real promise in the shared values of India and the United States. Delivering a lecture at the Jamia Millia Islamia University, Verma said Indo-US relation was at the central level, crediting the leaderships at New Delhi and Washington for the upswing in ties, which he said will continue "well into the future". "Strains to the international order, compounded by globalization and economic inequality, are also bringing to the fore voices who seek to exploit our fears and build barriers to cooperation. "We see this in many parts of the world, with growing pockets of intolerance and anti-immigrant sentiment. This has included instances of unacceptable rhetoric against Muslims, including in the United States, and particularly during this Presidential campaign season," Verma said. Responding to a question on the anti-Islam sentiments in US, Verma said no explanation can justify discrimination against any individual, while underlining that a broad swathe of the population was not discriminatory. He called for the coming together of "like-minded partners" to overcome challenges like terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, cyber threats, environmental degradation and climate change in the 21st century. Describing India and US as "melting pots" that celebrate diversity, respect minority rights, freedom of religion, protect free speech, the Indian-origin diplomat said Maulana Azad's message of diversity and knowledge holds more importance than ever. Lauding Jamia over its achievements, Verma said that over the past twenty years, more than 50 students and faculty associated with the Central University have participated in US-sponsored educational and professional exchange programmes. Last year, he said, the number of Indian students studying in the United States reached 1,32,000, "the highest number ever", and expressed hope that it would grow even higher. Pitching for more educational linkages, Verma said many US academic institutions are keenly interested in the Indian market, which he said will get a boost if the draft National Education Policy is approved. "We are also looking forward to India's approval of a bilateral MoU between our two countries to enhance our government-to-government dialogue on higher education," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Revolutionary writer Varavara Rao today demanded an inquiry by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge into the encounter in Malkangiri district on Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border last month in which 28 Naxals were killed. Speaking at a press conference here, Rao alleged that the encounter was fake and police never gave any opportunity to the Naxals to surrender. He also claimed that some innocent tribals had been held by police and demanded their release. The encounter was "pre-planned" and police reached the spot two days in advance using helicopters as the place is otherwise very difficult to reach, Rao claimed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Venezuela's embattled government and opposition leaders agreed to hold talks to defuse a growing political crisis, but mistrust lingers after an attempt to recall the president was scuttled. With the mediation of the Vatican and the Union of South American Nations, the two sides agreed yesterday after hours-long talks which ended before dawn on an agenda that includes a new meeting next month. But opponents of socialist President Nicolas Maduro remained wary while the opposition itself is divided over the strategy, with some groups refusing to sit down with the government. "Whether this dialogue has or doesn't have continuity will depend on concrete gestures from the government," said Jesus Torrealba, executive secretary of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), the opposition group taking part in the talks. "The opening of this dialogue doesn't mean by a long shot that the struggle will stop." But Torrealba suggested that the opposition could reconsider holding a planned protest on Thursday in front of the Miraflores presidential palace. In a sign that it is apparently serious about the talks, the government last night released five opposition members who had been imprisoned. However, none were high-profile and the opposition maintains there are 100 "political prisoners" in Venezuela. Seated at a museum on the outskirts of Caracas as the talks began late Sunday, Maduro expressed his "total and absolute commitment to dialogue." He met yesterday with senior US diplomat Thomas Shannon, who had traveled to Venezuela to back the political dialogue. The two had a "very positive" conversation about the start of the talks, the Venezuelan president said. The US government has had difficult relations with Venezuela dating back to the late leftist icon Hugo Chavez. "(Shannon's) visit will underscore our support for the ongoing dialogue process, and our interest in the well-being of the Venezuelan people," the State Department said. The MUD demands that the government release jailed opposition leaders and revive the recall referendum process or organize early elections. The government has denied that the jailed opponents are political prisoners and warns that it will not let itself be toppled. The two sides will meet again on November 11 in Caracas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The aim of the pricing policy of Pobeda Airlines is not dumping, Anna Chobanyan - Head of the Air Transportation Regulation Department of the General Department of Civil Aviation, told a press conference in Armenpress. If it is proved that any airline carries out dumping in the market, respective measures will be taken. That process is regulated by our intergovernmental agreements and conventions, she said recalling about the two certified airlines in Armenia that have entered the market after transitioning the open sky policy. This fact means that the airlines have the respective potential to withstand the competitiveness. The state doesnt sign a contract with the airline over the timing of its services provided and the routes network. Airline must stay in or leave the market based on its demand, she said. A 21-year-old youth has claimed that he was made to strip and his photos were clicked by a sub-inspector while in custody of Vasco police. The youth, accused of not returning Rs 9,000 which he had taken from the family of his former girlfriend, alleged that the sub-inspector clicked his photos in the buff and threatened to upload them on social media if he failed to return the money. The youth, who was taken into custody by Vasco police following a complaint of harassment lodged against him by his family members in last week of September, today filed the complaint with police inspector. In his complaint, the youth has accused the sub-inspector of asking him to remove clothes and clicking his photos while he was in custody of police. "The PSI, Prashant Bhagat, locked his cabin from inside and asked me to remove all my clothes. He asked me to remain completely naked, and I felt ashamed and also like screaming, but I was too scared of his next move as he had already assaulted me badly," the youth stated in the plaint addressed to Vasco station police inspector Sagar Ekoskar. "Further more, he clicked my nude photos on his mobile and told me that he will keep them saved, for if any complaint is made against him, he will use the photos," the complainant stated. The youth said that he was called to the police station on October 27 again as his former girlfriend's mother had lodged a case against him for not returning Rs 9,000 which he had taken from them. "PSI Bhagat told me to get money the next day or else he will upload the nude pictures on social media website. Bhagat said that he has a fake account and nobody would know who uploaded it," according to the complaint. He also accused a woman police sub-inspector Nehanda Tavares of harassing him at the police station. "She asked her juniors to get scissors and cut my hair," the youth claimed. When contacted, both Bhagat and Tavares refuted the allegations against them. "The complaint is (meant) to falsely implicate me," Bhagat said. Police Inspector Sagar Ekoskar said the complaint would be forwarded to senior officers for further action and inquiry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The White House praising the integrity of FBI Director James Comey, who has announced a review of Hillary Clinton's email scandal just before Presidential elections, is a blow to the Clinton Campaign, the rival Trump camp has said. "Today, the Clinton Campaign took another blow as President (Barack) Obama shot down their desperate politicisation of the FBI's criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton's email scandal," Jason Miller, senior communication advisor to the Trump Campaign, said yesterday. In a late night statement, Miller underscored that the White House spokesman has made it clear that the President does not believe the FBI is "secretly strategising to benefit one candidate or one political party." "It is a sign of the Clinton Campaign's troubling times when even the White House cannot defend their desperate accusations. "They have to take ownership that this is a result of corrupt Hillary having a secret illegal server for the obvious reason of shielding criminal activity from disclosure," he said. "Their reckless and deceitful actions are evidenced by the fact that thousands upon thousands of confidential and classified emails involving Secretary Clinton and her top aide were found on a laptop of a suspect under investigation for sexting with a 17-year-old," Miller said. Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest had described FBI Director Comey as a man of integrity. "He is a man of principle. He is a man who is well regarded by senior officials in both parties. He is somebody who served in a senior position in the Bush Administration," he said. "And he is somebody who got strong bipartisan support when his nomination to be director of the FBI was considered by the United States Senate. So, all of those things are true. They speak to his good character," Earnest said. "And the President's assessment of his integrity and his character has not changed. For example, the President doesn't believe Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election. The President doesn't believe he's secretly strategising to benefit one candidate or one political party," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Concerned over cane arrears running into crores of rupees in the district, Minister of State for Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan has said he will face any challenge to protect the interests of farmers in the state. The BJP leader was present at a meeting of farmers here last evening, in which a decision was taken to not supply the cane crop to Titawi sugar mill which owes Rs 150 crores to farmers. Instead, the crop will be supplied to neighbouring states Haryana and Uttarakhand, as per the unanimous decision. After the meeting, some farmers vandalised 70 cane purchasing centres of Titawi mill. While addressing the cane growers, Balyan also urged the SP-dispensation to take stringent action against defaulting mills. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A women's front today pledged resistance against any efforts by the government to "interfere" in the Sharia law and said a mass campaign will be launched to scuttle such efforts. Addressing a programme here, National Women's Front president Zainaba AS said that no interference of the government in the Sharia law will be tolerated and a mass campaign will be launched to aware Muslim women in the country. "The NWF supports Muslim Personal Law board and a campaign will be run across the country to create awareness among Muslim women," she said. "The campaign will comprise seminar, talks, road shows and signature campaigns as per the direction of the board," she added. Other speakers in the programme said that the Central government was "making politically-motivated moves" in the name of triple talaq. They said that the BJP should not interfere in the "internal matters" of Muslims, which will not be tolerated by the community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indonesian search team today found the wreckage of a cargo plane along with the bodies of four crew members in a mountainous part of the country, a government official said. The Caribou plane lost contact yesterday with air traffic control during what was supposed to be a short flight in the remote eastern province of Papua, prompting a search and rescue mission in the rugged area. "The aircraft was destroyed," transport ministry spokesman Bambang Ervan told AFP, adding the bodies had been removed from the crash site. has a poor aviation safety record and Papua is a particularly problematic place to fly due to its mountainous terrain and frequent poor weather. The Caribou set off from the city of Timika yesterday at 7:57 am (local time Sunday) and was headed to Ilaga, a farming community located in the mountains, according to the transport ministry. The plane contacted air traffic control in Ilaga at 8:23 am saying that it was due to land in a few minutes but never arrived. Officials said the aircraft, reportedly carrying construction materials, sent an emergency signal before losing contact. The plane is part of the Caribou DHC-4 family of cargo aircraft which only need a small space for takeoff and landing. A passenger plane operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in the Papua region in bad weather in August last year, killing all 54 passengers and crew aboard. Revealing a critical vulnerability in the Windows operating system, on Monday said in blog post that a bug could allow the attackers to escape the security sandbox. The vulnerability is particularly serious because it is being actively exploited and Microsoft hasnt fixed it so far, said. War of words between Cyrus Mistry and Tatas appeared escalating on Tuesday, with the ousted chairman saying it was 'false and mischievous' to suggest that he acted on his own or without the knowledge of Ratan Tata on the Tata-Docomo matter. Mistry also asserted that "insinuations that Docomo issue was handled in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless". A statement issued by his office said the suggestion that Ratan Tata and trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation against Docomo was conducted was contrary to what transpired. All decisions on Tata-Docomo deal were taken with approval of Tata Sons Board and actions were consistent with every such collective decision, it added. "Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired," the statement said. Stating that a number of discussions on the Docomo situation had been held in the Tata Sons board, the statement added: "Mistry had always mentioned that the Tatas should honour all commitments within the law. This stance is based on Tata Sons' board view and was always consistent with the series of board meetings in which the Docomo issue was discussed." Reiterating that the agreement with Docomo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group, the statement said: "All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons board. In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision." Tata Group is entangled in a legal tussle with Japanese firm, NTT DoCoMo. DoCoMo had in November 2009 acquired 26.5 percent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share) with an understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 percent of the acquisition price. DoCoMo, in April 2014, decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly and sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from the Tatas. But the Indian group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with RBI guidelines that states that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity". The Japanese firm then dragged the Tatas to international arbitration where it won a USD 1.17 billion award. Tata Sons has said they will resist enforcement of the arbitration award in India as also other jurisdictions as it has been barred by Indian law and public policy. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Turkeys Chief of the General Staff Hulusi Akar has arrived in Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Tuesday, TASS reports. "On November 1, Turkeys Chief of the General Staff Army General Hulusi Akar is going to visit Russia upon the invitation of Russias Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov to discuss bilateral military cooperation, exchange views and assess the situation in the region," the statement reads. The two countries chiefs of the general staff previously held talks on September 15 in Turkeys capital of Ankara. At the meeting, the parties decided to set up communication channels and a direct hotline between the two countries militaries in order to maximize cooperation efficiency and improve the level of bilateral contacts. As ousted Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry stepped up his attack, Ratan Tata on Tuesday hit back saying the former's removal was "absolutely necessary" for the future success of the Tata Group. "The decision to change the leadership of Tata Sons was a well-considered and serious one for its board members. This difficult decision, made after careful and thoughtful deliberation, is one the board believes was absolutely necessary for the future success of the Tata Group," the interim chairman wrote to employees of the $100 billion conglomerate. The letter came shortly after Cyrus Mistry ratcheted up war of words by rebutting "insinuations" of mishandling a dispute with Japan's NTT DoCoMo, saying Ratan Tata was party to all decisions regarding the telecom venture. Tata, 78, who retired as Tata Group chairman nearly four years back, justified his return for "maintaining stability and continuity of leadership" and promised to give the group "a world-class leader" when a fulltime boss is appointed. Earlier in the day, Mistry's office issued a statement saying all decisions on the telecom joint venture with DoCoMo and the following dispute were taken with unanimous approval of Board of Tata Sons as well as family patriarch Ratan Tata. The handling of the $1.17 billion compensation slapped by an arbitration panel over breach of agreement with DoCoMo is said to one of the triggers for Tata Sons sacking Mistry last month. "Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired," the statement said. Responding to the statement, a Tata group spokesman said: "The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice." Tata in his second letter to employees after the 24 October sacking of Mistry, said the group companies should focus on their profit margins and their market position and not compare themselves to their own past. "The focus has to be on 'leading' rather than 'following'," he wrote. Mumbai's Development Plan (DP) 2034 has had a tumultuous history over the past 18 months, dividing urban planners, realtors and citizens' groups sharply over its goals and perspectives. The previous 20-year plan for the world's sixth-largest city with an estimated population of 21 million ended in 2014, and the new DP for the city for 2014-2034 was presented by the then Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte in mid-February of 2015. It was a non-starter from the word go. Conservationists found two-thirds of the 1,400 declared heritage structures missing from the new plan, including the iconic Town Hall and Marine Drive's interesting Art Deco buildings. A planner found that an excavation site in the business district of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), which had filled up with monsoon rains, was identified as an existing 'water body'. More serious was the change that green no-development zones (NDZs) like the 2,000-acre Aarey Milk Colony being 'deserved' and slated to become a 'growth area', while the floor space index (FSI) that regulates density, currently at 1.33, was jacked up to 8.0 in the most dense traffic hubs like railway stations! In a media exchange in April last year, Municipal Commissioner Kunte and planning advisor to the municipal corporation, V.K. Phatak, shocked reporters and participants by declaring that the city's plan could not give specific room or reservations to 'affordable housing', and the housing formats for Mumbai in years to come would be determined "by market forces". These statements, and the growing crescendo of opposition to a badly researched and defective Mumbai Plan, forced Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to suspend DP-2034 on April 22 last year, and send it back to the drawing board. After three extensions, the new draft city plan was unveiled on May 27 this year. It expectedly triggered a rash of debates as planners and citizen groups rushed to meet the deadline of July 31 for filing 'objections and suggestions'. Perhaps reacting to the criticism that the government was not doing enough through the planning process for providing affordable housing, the new draft introduced the reservation of 'affordable housing' or 'AH'. Targeting to construct one million affordable homes of 300, 450 and 600 sq. ft each, the plan, as a first baby step, has reserved small plots scattered over various wards that can accommodate around 25,000 units for the poor. But unfortunately, focused planning for affordable homes ends with this. The rest of it is so much fluff. DP-2034, looking at the horizon, suggests an additional 3,330 hectares of land be reserved for affordable housing - 2,100 hectares of NDZ land, 1,100 hectares of tourism development zone (TDZ) land and 130 hectares of coastal land currently used as saltpans. However, the plan stops short of 'reserving' and identifying these lands for affordable housing. There is no demarcation of 'AH' on existing maps of the city. Instead, it offers additional development rights (up from 0.20 FSI to 3.0 for NDZ land) in the hope that the lure of the market will get landowners to opt for affordable housing schemes. Scratch the surface and it may be so much chimera as much of these lands in the draft plan may not exist. Sample this: of nearly 5,400 acres of existing salt pan land, around 2,177 is said to be disputed and a tug of war between the Centre and the state government for control is yet to be sorted out. Similarly, the exact area under encroachment and how much falls under the coastal regulation zone (CRZ)-I is all grey area. The draft plan almost works backwards to 'create' 300,000 units through wishful thinking - heads like cooperative housing societies (75,000 units), redevelopment of old, cessed buildings or rented tenements from the British era (50,000) units, development and redevelopment of the state government's Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) tenements (1,50,000 units) and open market development (25,000 units) conjures up 300,000 units from segments of Mumbai's urban market over which the government has neither control nor scientific information for making these projections. Mumbai's shortage of housing has to be seen in the unique context of an island city stricken by shortage of land and, therefore, land becoming an unusually high input cost. The central Rajiv Gandhi Awas Yojna, for instance, has a sanction for constructing 250,000 units for Mumbai, but the scheme has been a non-starter for lack of land with clear government title. With 20 million people cramming a narrow strip of coast covering just 462 sq. km, land constitutes as much as 60-70 per cent of the cost of a homebuyer. The state government acknowledges an immediate shortage of 890,000 dwelling units in Mumbai or 5 per cent of the national shortfall of 18 million units. It is in this context that existing slums have to be seen as both the source of land for affordable housing as well as pockets of the urban spread most needing transformation. Mumbai's slums are very dense; they occupy just 8 per cent of the city's land mass, but house 48 per cent of Mumbai in nightmarish civic conditions. However, the municipal government's DP-2034 sees these pockets contributing just 100,000 affordable homes. The 'Mumbai Abhiyan', an umbrella group of citizens and housing rights organisations, has said the government has grossly underestimated the potential of slum lands to serve as a source of affordable housing. In a petition seeking modification of the draft DP plan, the Abhiyan calls for 'reserving' the approximately 39 sq. km of urban land occupied by slums for affordable housing. According to the math presented by the Abhiyan, this would yield 900,000 units to rehabilitate existing slum dwellers, besides freeing up land for developing an additional 400,000 'affordable' units for other working and middle classes. The draft plan for Mumbai speaks of making available a land mass of 3,330 hectares or around 8,229 acres for affordable housing. However, till this land is actually identified and demarcated; and then 'reserved' on the city's planning maps for specifically defined 'affordable housing', general platitudes promising 10 million homes by 2034 will remain as so much paper. What is commendable, though, is that 'affordable housing' as a nomenclature of planning has been accepted for the first time in Mumbai. It is now open for the 'Aam Admi' and his supporters to build on it. The writer is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist Country's largest car-maker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) on Tuesday reported a marginal decline in total sales in October at 1,33,793 units as against 1,34,209 units in October 2015. Its domestic sales stood at 1,23,764 units, up 2.2 per cent from 1,21,063 units in October 2015, MSI said in a statement. "Market demand for Maruti Suzuki products remained strong during the month. Strong retail sales of Ciaz, S Cross and Ertiga, besides of course Brezza and Baleno, kept the momentum positive for us," MSI Executive Director (Marketing and Sales) RS Kalsi said. ALSO READ: Maruti, Hyundai sell over 45k cars on Dhanteras While month-on-month sales figures are impacted by very short-term factors like number of working days, availability, stock plan etc, the more accurate reflection of demand is that for the festive season (August to October), he added. "MSI sales have grown by about 14 per cent compared to last year," Kalsi said. Sales of mini segment cars, including, Alto and WagonR, however, declined by 9.8 per cent to 33,929 units as compared to 37,595 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement. The auto major said sales of the compact segment comprising Swift, Estilo, Ritz, Dzire and Baleno declined by 1.8 per cent to 50,116 units in October this year as against 51,048 units last year. MSI said sales of its compact sedan Dzire Tour declined by 27.4 per cent during the month under review at 2,481 units. Sales of mid-sized sedan Ciaz rose by 8 per cent to 6,360 units during the month. Sales of utility vehicles, including Gypsy, Grand Vitara, Ertiga, S-Cross and compact SUV Vitara Brezza surged over 90.9 per cent to 18,008 units in October this year from 9,435 units in the corresponding month last year. Sales of vans -- Omni and Eeco -- declined by 6.5 per cent to 12,790 units in October this year as compared to 13,677 units in the same period of previous year. Exports during the month declined by 23.7 per cent to 10,029 units as compared to 13,146 units in October last year, MSI said. At 11:58 am, the Maruti Suzuki stock was trading 0.28 per cent lower at 5882 level on the BSE. The Maruti Suzuki stock closed 0.35 per cent lower at 5878 points. AirAsia India is investigating certain former employees over irregular personal expense claims, the aviation joint venture of Tata Sons and Malaysian airline AirAsia Bhd said in a statement on Monday. The announcement follows a letter sent last week by the ousted chairman of Tata Sons, which owns 49 percent of AirAsia India, in which Cyrus Mistry said board members were aware of "ethical concerns" with respect to certain transactions. He said a forensic investigation had found "fraudulent transactions" of Rs 220 million ($3.29 million) involving "non-existent parties". That letter prepared the ground for a "probe into the allegation of mismanagement of funds," said an official at the India's financial crime fighting agency Enforcement Directorate. AirAsia India said that together with parent AirAsia and Tata Sons, it would investigate allegations of impropriety and misappropriation. "The three entities do not approve of any unethical practices and will take very stern action against the perpetrators at all levels of the organisation," the company said. LOGAN A judge has postponed the jury trial for a 21-year-old Logan man, Dakota Q. Knight, who is accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2014. Knight appeared in 1st District Court Monday morning for a pretrial conference, ahead of a four-day trial, scheduled to begin November 29. His defense attorney, Wayne Caldwell, asked the court for a continuance, while they hired a new private investigator. Caldwell explained that their former investigator interviewed around seven of the witnesses in the case but later retired, moved out of state and is no longer available. State attorney Jacob Gordon opposed continuing the trial, saying the victim wanted to move the case forward. Judge Thomas Wilmore rescheduled the trial to start January 31, ruling that he saw no evidence that the defense had purposefully tried to delay the trial. Knight is alleged to have assaulted the woman in October 2014. The defendant and victim were reportedly acquaintances at the time. He was later charged with forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony.will@cvradio.com Syria's Christian Population Drops From 1.25 Million to 500,000 As the Islamic State, insurgents, and government forces battle in Syria, the population of Christians there continues to decline, from 1,250,000 in 2011 to less than 500,000 this year, according to ADF International, which advocates for religious freedom worldwide. In a sub-report submitted with the report Genocide Against Christians in the Middle East to Secretary of State John Kerry in March, the ADF International details the ongoing genocide of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. It notes that "Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world" and that in at least 104 countries Christians are harassed and persecuted by governments and organizations. The harassment includes "physical assaults, arrests and detentions, the desecration of holy sites and discrimination against religious groups in employment, education or housing," reads the report. Harassment of Christians "was the highest in the Middle East and North Africa (90% of countries)," reported ADF International. In Syria and Iraq, the persecution of Christians is carried out largely by radical Muslims, such as the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, said the ADF. In Syria, government forces have been fighting against revolutionaries and the Islamic State since March 2011, an ongoing battle sparked by the Arab Spring. In 2015, Syria's population was approximately 20 million, said ADF International, and "92.8% of the population was Muslim, 5.2% Christian and 2% other." "The population of Christians dropped from 1.25 million in 2011 to as few as 500,000 today," said ADF International in its report. "It is estimated that in 2015 alone, over 700,000 Christians in Syria sought refuge" in other countries. Persecution of Christians in Syria is extreme, said the ADF International, and includes the following examples: "Three Christian men who were executed for refusing to convert to Islam, a Catholic priest who was beheaded by the rebels, at least 15 Assyrian Christians who were beheaded or shot, three Christians who were executed, and at least 10 people who were ordered executed by a self-proclaimed 'religious court' for being Christian." "In September 2013, 36 Muslim religious leaders issued a fatwa allowing Sunni Muslims to seize the property belonging to Christians or other non-Muslim religious groups. Numerous Christians and Christian religious leaders became victims of kidnappings. Greek Orthodox Archbishop Boulos Yazigi and Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim are still missing. "In September 2013, Al Nusra attacked the predominantly Christian town of Maaloula, killing 20 people, abducting 15, and destroying Christian religious places. No Muslims were attacked. "In October and November 2013, over 1,500 families in the Christian village of Sadad were being held hostage by Al Nusra. 45 people were killed. "In October 2014 Franciscan Father Hanna Jallouf and 20 Christians were kidnapped by Al Nusra. They were eventually freed. "In January 2015, it was reported that the Armenian Catholic Father Michel Kayyal and Greek Orthodox Father Maher Mahfouz were killed. "In February 2015, IS [Islamic State] seized 35 Assyrian Christian villages, kidnapping over 300 Christians. IS released 23 people in March 2015 and demanded YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be settled exclusively through peaceful means, Christine Defraigne President of the Belgian Senate, said at the meeting with the Armenian Parliament Speaker Galust Sahakyan, reports Armenpress. Such conflicts must be solved exclusively through peaceful means. Only peaceful means can put an end to sufferings of people living in the region, Christine Defraigne said. She said that Belgium has always managed to find solutions in unresolved situations and is famous in the entire Europe for the art of finding options of mutual concession. We are ready to show our support to Armenia to find solutions, the Belgian Senate President said. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Russian shipborne air strike force led by the missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky has arrived in the Mediterranean Sea, Russias Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu said on November 1, TASS reported. "Last week, our shipborne air strike force led by the missile cruisier Pyotr Veliky made a passage through the eastern Atlantic into the Mediterranean Sea. On October 27-29, support vessels replenished the naval group with all types of supplies to the required level," Shoigu said at a conference call in the Defense Ministry. The refusal of some countries to allow Russian vessels to call at their ports did not affect the mission of the Russian task force, he added. "We were especially surprised by the position of certain countries which under the pressure of the US and NATO said in public they denied the request of our warships to call at their ports. This did not affect at all the schedule of their traffic along the planned route as they are provided with all the necessary resources," Shoigu said. According to Shoigu, the Russian groupings at the Hmeymim air base and the Tartus naval maintenance base in Syria are also supplied with all the necessary items as 2,000 tons of cargoes are delivered there on average every day. The refusal of some countries to allow Russian warships to call at their ports has demonstrated how "our partners understand their contribution to the struggle against international terrorism in Syria," Shoigu said. It is time for our Western partners to determine with whom they are really struggling - with terrorists or with Russia," he added. The Russian Northern Fleets aircraft carrier group began its voyage to the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea on October 15. According to data of the Northern Fleets press office, the group comprises the heavy aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, the heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky, the large antisubmarine warfare ships Severomorsk and Vice-Admiral Kulakov and support vessels. | BY Lynchy | Aussie expat Justine Armour, who left a CD role at Wieden+Kennedy, Portland in September, has joined 72andSunny, New York as group creative director. Armours arrival builds on 72andSunny New Yorks momentum since its opening two years ago. In the last year, 72andSunny New York has created award-winning and provocative work including Seventh Generations #ComeClean campaign, featuring a vagina jingle about its feminine care products with Saturday Night Live alumna Maya Rudolph, gold Effie award winning Smirnoffs Drinks Engine, an always-on social publishing model, and CIROCs Lets Get It campaign that celebrates up-and-coming artists alongside Sean Diddy Combs and DJ Khaled. Most recently, Armour was a creative director at Wieden+Kennedy Portland, co-leading the Secret account and creating its Stress Tested for Women campaign that challenged barriers young women face in their careers and relationships. Throughout her career, Armour has worked with a variety of brands across different categories including Chrysler, Dodge, Toyota, Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Nestle, PayPal, Coke, Qantas, and General Mills Old El Paso and Pataks. It feels like Ive joined 72andSunny at a great time, said Armour. There is a real spirit of optimism and collaboration here, and Im so excited to be a part of the team that makes this office the best place to work in New York. | BY Ricki Green | Atomic 212 has crunched the numbers and determined the horses that are getting the most searches in the buildup to todays big race. Compared to the rest of the field, Bondi Beach has been the dominant horse in terms of searches, followed by Australian horse Jameka, in a distant second, then English horse Oceanographer in third. Fourth place in the search battle goes to Big Orange, with equal fifth place awarded to Heartbreak City and Wicklow Brave. Says Jason Dooris, CEO, Atomic 212: It might be the race that stops the nation, but it certainly doesnt stop them searching online for a winner. These figures might give punters that little piece of extra information, although search data is more of a popularity contest than anything else. Its no wonder Bondi Beach is the winner, because people would be searching for the famous Bondi Beach as well as the horse. Its great to see the Aussie favourite Jameka featuring so highly. We are all pumped for the race this afternoon. | BY Ricki Green | The FireFlies Antipodes is calling for riders for its second tour taking place from 19 to 26 February 2017. The ride covers 1000km+ over seven grueling days around Tasmania. Riders are dedicated to raising awareness and fundraising in the media world in aid of Beating Blood Cancers and Leukaemia. A limited number of places are available. Riding with the spirit and motto For Those Who Suffer, We Ride the tour aims to raise AUD$50,000 for The Snowdome Foundation and their own fight against Blood Cancers. The Snowdome Foundation was co-founded by ECD Grant Rutherford in 2010 following the loss of his daughter Chloe to Leukaemia. The call for saddles is open from Monday 1st November Monday 28st November and we look forward to welcoming new riders from Asia and the Antipodes. The FireFlies Tour was established in London in 2001 by advertising executive Sandy Watson Scott, chair, in recognition of relatives and friends battles with Cancer. Each year The FireFlies cycle 1,000km+ across the French Alps from Lake Geneva to Cannes and arrive during the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. RSA Films is the premier sponsor of the tour, which from the outset has been generously supported by the patrons: film directors Sir Ridley Scott and the late Tony Scott. Thanks to international media sponsors, The FireFlies have to date raised in excess of AUD$3 million to benefit the Hammersmith Hospital London, a world renowned leader in research and treatment of Leukaemia and other Blood Cancers. In 2007, FireFlies WEST was created, riding annually from San Francisco to Los Angeles raising money for the City of Hope Hospital in Southern California. After completing The FireFlies Tour in 2013, Wilf Sweetland, managing partner of The Sweet Shop, brought the tour to Australia and New Zealand with riders completing the inaugural tour from Christchurch to Queenstown in February 2015. Says Sweetland: The ride is both physically and emotionally punishing. Youve got to want to do it, have the strength to do it and youve got to have the heart to do it. The courage it takes to face blood cancer is unthinkable, and I can say from experience, theres no greater motivator when youre climbing those peaks. The support, community and friendships weve now grown around this event are extraordinary too. We are honoured to once again be raising money for The Snowdome Foundation. Theyre unlocking new treatments into early phase human clinical trials of next generation drugs and therapies and making hope real for the 11,500 Australians diagnosed every year with Blood Cancers. To register your interest for The FireFlies Antipodes please email Wilf Sweetland: sweetland@thesweetshop.tv. | BY Lynchy | MSLGROUP, part of the Publicis One network, has appointed Jeroen Fermie as General Manager of MSLGROUP Vietnam. Fermie (pictured) will be responsible for day-to-day leadership of the office that boasts a staff of more than 40. Fermie will direct MSLGROUP Vietnams collaboration with the other Publicis One agencies in Vietnam, bolstering MSLGROUPs creative approaches and digital know-how as well as creating more efficiency and value for clients. MSLGROUP Vietnam was known as Venus Communications before it joined the global network earlier this year. Fermie previously was Executive Director of PR for TBWA\Group Vietnam, where he successfully built the groups PR division with expansion into social and strategic consultancy. Before moving to Vietnam, Fermie led internal and external communications for Campbells Soup Company across its European markets. He also held senior roles at global PR agencies Weber Shandwick, Ketchum and Hill+Knowlton in Brussels. He brings vast experience in corporate communications, brand marketing as well as crisis and issues management for clients across a range of sectors, including FMCG, Food & Beverages, Financial Services, Logistics and Technology. His award nominations and wins include European Excellence Awards, Stevie Awards and EMEA SABRE Awards. Jeroens international experience in integrated campaigns combined with a desire for innovation as well as for nurturing talent, makes him the right leader to bring our client advisory to the next level and ensure MSLGROUP Vietnams leading position in this fast-changing industry, said Glenn Osaki, President Asia, MSLGROUP. With the combined resources and capabilities of our local, regional and global network, Jeroen will help us be more effective for our clients by integrating PR, social and activation. | BY Kim Shaw | Steinlager Tokyo Dry, the iconic brewers newest beverage and biggest launch since Steinlager Pure hit shelves 10 years ago, was unveiled to the public today. The new brew takes the best of New Zealands raw ingredients and combines them with Japanese brewing mastery to produce Steinlager Tokyo Dry. In launching this product, Lion and DDB New Zealand has demonstrated what happens when you take the best of New Zealand and transport it to one of the worlds most cutting-edge cities. The launch campaign brings together some of New Zealands top talent, pairing them with Japanese masters. Headlining this is a 90 film exploring another side of dance, combining World Champion New Zealand hip-hop dance group, The Bradas, and the Japanese disciplines of origami, bonsai, sushi, pottery, Japanese calligraphy, robotics and neon lighting to produce a unique music video. DDB executive creative director, Shane Bradnick, says the film captures the vital essence of the two countries in eye-catching fashion. Says Bradnick: Its a collision of the vitality and energy of New Zealand one of the worlds youngest nations with the mastery and futuristic vision of one of the most ancient cultures on the planet. In the film The Bradas dance in various locations around Tokyo. Using motion capture and dynamic simulations, they change into different CGI avatars as their dance evolves to capture all the different types of Japanese mastery. Lion marketing manager, Michael Taylor, says he is excited to see how the public react to both the campaign and the product. Says Taylor: Its been awesome being involved in a project that breaks a number of conventions for beer and beer advertising. Were excited to see what people think of the liquid and how they respond to an amazing piece of film that brings our two cultures together. Rupert Price, chief strategy officer at DDB, says the launch of Steinlager Tokyo Dry represented a rare opportunity to collaborate on a brand from its inception. Says Price: Instead of starting with what the client already had, Steinlager Tokyo Dry gave us the opportunity to begin with a blank sheet of paper and be guided by consumers every step of the way. Through working with our target audience, putting them in charge and co-creating throughout, we built a brand from the bottom up. Price says this approach has resulted in a product designed for its drinkers, by its drinkers. In partnership with Vice, the campaign has also been extended into an online documentary series that explores the other side tattoo, illustration and food. Each of the online documentaries will see talented young kiwis teaming up with Japanese masters to capture the magic that happens when New Zealands raw ingredients meet Japanese mastery. National Marketing Director: Craig Baldie Category Marketing Director Beer: Ben Wheeler Marketing Manager Premium and Craft Beer: Michael Taylor Brand Manager Premium and Craft Beer: Benafsha Hajati Creative: DDB Chief Creative Officer: Damon Stapleton Executive Creative Director: Shane Bradnick Creative Director: James Conner Creative Director: Christie Cooper Lead Business Partner: Scott Wallace Senior Business Director: Jenny Travers Business Manager: Michael Doolan Planning Director: Lucinda Sherborne, Rupert Price Planner: Jack Murphy Senior TV Producer: Rosie Grayson Agency Producer: Andy Robilliard Production Company: Goodoil Executive Producer: Sam Long Production Producer: Llew Griffiths Director: Joel Kefali DOP: Lachlan Milne Tokyo Service Company: Dictionary Films Post Production Company: The Palace Online: Mat Ellin Offline Editor: Levi Beamish Soundtrack/composer/Music: Cam Ballantyne, Beatworms. Sound Mix: Jon Cooper Media: Zenith Optimedia General Manager: Stuart Rutherford Business Manager: Kate Gamble PR: PR Shop Managing Director Pippa Lekner YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Belgium has followed with great attention the process of constitutional reforms in Armenia, Christine Defraigne President of the Belgian Senate told reporters after a meeting with Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Galust Sahakyan. We will see its results after the 2017 Parliamentary elections in Armenia, she said. She added that parliamentarians have a big role in diplomacy. According to Defraigne, parliamentary diplomacy can lead to solidarity among all players. Good people live in our countries, who will make unified efforts to build a good future, she said, thanking Galust Sahakyan for the warm reception. Monday, October 31, 2016 at 9:07PM There wont just be one event thatll detail what we can expect from Microsofts virtual reality headsets. There will actually be two WinHEC events to be held on December 8 to 9 and December 14 to 15 where details on the VR headsets for Windows 10 will be talked about. The headsets are designed primarily for hardware manufacturers to showcase what the company plans to do software-wise for Windows Holographic. Microsoft partnered with the likes of HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and ASUS to create VR headsets that will plug into Windows 10 and provide the Windows Holographic shell and experience. The first round of headsets and devices are expected to ship following the release in March of the Windows 10 Creators Update. These gadgets will debut with prices starting at US$299 and above. These first devices wont be heavily focused on the mixed reality projections Microsoft is targeting with HoloLens. Instead these will be traditional VR headsets that support six degrees of freedom and inside-out tracking. VR experience will differ from product to product as well since they come with various prices and specs. Source: The Verge "It's a visual compendium of Australia but done in a really unusual way because there's just so many books on Australia - which is great and we can never have enough of them - but I wanted to do something really different so the book has a real visual literacy focus, not so much on text," McCartney said. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. While on an official visit to Indonesia, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian on November 1 met Vice-President of Indonesia Jusuf Kalla, press service of the MFA told Armenpress. Indonesian Vice-President welcomed the Armenian FM in Jakarta and attached importance to the further deepening of the bilateral ties. At the meeting the sides stressed the need to intensify the political dialogue between Armenia and Indonesia, expanding the mutual cooperation between various ministries, boosting the trade-economic cooperation and in this context attached importance on holding business forums, establishing cooperation between the chambers of commerce, as well as promoting ties between people and tourism. They also exchanged views on a number of international and regional issues and the efforts aimed at solving them. The same day FM Nalbandian visited the Parliament of Indonesia, where he met Vice Speaker of the House of Representatives Agus Hermanto and the members of the Commission of Foreign Affairs. Issues related to the development of cooperation between the parliaments of two states, the formation of friendly relations, the cooperation within the international parliamentary formats were discussed. By the request of the members of the Indonesian Parliament Minister Nalbandian presented the joint efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries aimed at creating appropriate conditions for moving forward the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. Edward Nalbandian and Agus Hermanto shared the same opinion over not permitting to bring religious factor in the conflicts and underscored the necessity of solving the conflicts exclusively though negotiations and peaceful means. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The President of the National Assembly of Armenia Galust Sahakyan received the delegation led by the President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium Christine Defraigne on November 1. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the parliament of Armenia, welcoming the President of the Senate of friendly Belgium in the Armenian Parliament Galust Sahakyan highlighted the cooperation between the legislative bodies of Armenia and Belgium and the development of the dialogue and expressed conviction that Mrs Defraignes visit will give new impetus for the further deepening of the Armenian-Belgian inter-parliamentary relations. In this context Mr Sahakyan especially emphasized the activities of the Parliamentary Friendship Groups. Regarding the relations between the two countries the President of the Armenian parliament noted that there is a great potential of development, but the mutually beneficial cooperation is still not visible in all spheres. Condemning the severe terrorist act committed in Brussels in March 2016, the Head of the Parliament said: Sharing the same system of values of freedom and human rights and denying any manifestation of terrorism we strictly denounce any terrorist act and we shall always stand with our friends. Touching upon the issue of the Armenian Genocide, Galust Sahakyan thanked his colleague on the occasion of the adoption of the Resolution on the Armenian Genocide Centennial by the House of Representatives of Belgium in July 2015 and expressed hope that due to Christine Defraignes efforts the Belgian Parliament will adopt a bill on criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide, as in our days also, painfully, the danger of repetition of genocides remains hung on the head of mankind. Talking about the Nagorno Karabakh (NK) conflict settlement process, the Head of the Parliament reaffirmed that Armenia sees the solution of the problem exclusively through peaceful means under the auspice of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs. He noted that it is the only format of the NK conflict settlement, which has sufficient potential for finding ways of settlement. In this context Galust Sahakyan noted: The April aggression by Azerbaijan has caused serious damage to the process of negotiations. It is necessary to undertake measures for restoring the mutual trust in the peaceful settlement of the conflict, which will prevent any new use of force and will create favorable conditions for advancing peaceful negotiations. The Head of the Parliament underlined with satisfaction the fact that during one year four Belgian parliamentary delegations visited Armenia, combining them with the visit to Nagorno Karabakh. Those visits, by Galust Sahakyans assessment, are important in terms of the process of the Nagorno Karabakh problem solution, getting comprehensively informed about the pre-history of the conflict, and sharing that information and the received impressions with their colleagues. Thanking for the warm reception, the President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium Christine Defraigne highlighted the exchange of experience between the parliamentarians of the two countries. Referring to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Christine Defraigne reminded that Belgium was one of the first countries among the European countries that in 1998 adopted a Resolution condemning and recognizing the Armenian Genocide. Speaking about the adoption of the Armenian Genocide recognition by the House of Representatives of Belgium in July 2015 she has said that it is only a step on the way of recognition of Genocide and has added that it will be complete by the adoption of the law condemning the denial of the Armenian Genocide. He has expressed hope that due to continuous work the abovementioned law will be called into life. In this context Christine Defraigne said: We should adopt the law condemning the denial in order not to let the Armenian Genocide. Referring to the problem of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, Mrs Defraigne has highly assessed the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs activities and has noted that Belgium sees the solution through peaceful negotiations and is ready to have its contribution to that issue. In the course of the meeting the interlocutors expressed conviction that they will do their utmost for rapprochement and expansion of the cooperation between Armenia and Belgium. At the end of the meeting the President of the National Assembly of Armenia Galust Sahakyan awarded the President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium Christine Defraigne with the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia for her activities in the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and contribution made in strengthening the inter-parliamentary friendship ties. Afterwards in the Alley of Memory, at the Parliament Park they planted an evergreen fir tree symbolizing the Armenian-Belgian friendship. Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact. Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here. Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing. You are our people. You Care. We Care2. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The Catholic Church in England and Wales has brought the medieval manuscript Ars Moriendi The Art of Dying into the digital age, with a website aimed at helping terminally ill people and their loved ones deal with death, Armenpress reports, citing The Guardian. Like the original 15th century work, The Art of Dying Well is intended to bring religious comfort and offer practical guidance to people in the final stage of life. The modern-day version offers videos, animations and interviews with terminally ill people and their carers. Although the content is based in the Catholic tradition, the church says it is intended for anyone addressing end-of-life issues. It features real stories from dying people and their families, as well as interviews with palliative care experts. In recent years there has been growing openness in society around what many see as the last taboo. Death Cafes and other events to discuss issues around the end of life have flourished, websites such as Final Fling, which offer death planning have emerged, and an increasing number of people are using the services of death doulas. Katherine Sleeman, palliative medicine registrar at the Cicely Saunders Institute in Kings College London, said ending the silence about death would reduce fear and improve the quality of life of dying patients. She told The Art of Dying: We prepare about the arrival of a new baby, we plan for it, we think about what we are going to buy and what we are going to call the new baby. It is part of our daily life, our conversation. Why do we not prepare for our death in the same way? I would like everyone to have a good death but we cant achieve that unless we as a society stop whispering and start talking about it. Another palliative care expert, Kathryn Mannix, who has witnessed some 10,000 deaths over the course of her career, said: Many people have lived to enjoy the last weeks and months of their lives. Society expected terminally ill people to remain miserable until they died. The original Latin texts of Ars Moriendi included advice on deathbed etiquette and prayers, and the five temptations that a dying person might face. It was illustrated with woodcuts, one of which depicted the battle between angels and demons for a dying mans soul. The modern digital version includes an animation, voiced by actor Vanessa Redgrave, featuring a fictional family preparing for a peaceful death. Redgrave has discussed wanting to die during health problems. In 2012, Bronnie Ware, an Australian palliative care nurse, wrote a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, based on interviews with terminally ill people. Among the regrets was: I wish Id stayed in touch with my friends, and I wish Id let myself be happier. The Art of Dying Well launches on All Saints Day (Tuesday) the eve of All Souls Day, when Christians traditionally remember the dead. This year, the UK will mark All Souls Day with a mass celebrated by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic church in England and Wales, at Westminster Cathedral. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The House of Hope charity center celebrates its 10th anniversary. A delegation from Germany including Vice-President of the Red Cross of Baden-Wurttemberg state, Governor of Ostalbkreis Klaus Pavel, Mayor of Schwabisch Gmund Richard Joseph Arnold and others arrived in Armenia to take part in the anniversary and simultaneously in the opening ceremony of the 23th season of the Charity Kitchen program. In Vanadzor, Gyumri and Talin, the delegation met with stakeholders of the local centers and reviewed the conditions on spot. During the events, volunteers of the center performed various dance pieces. Ambassador of Germany to Armenia H.E. Matthias Kiesler delivered opening remarks. It is always a great joy for us to be here. Precisely one year ago, during the opening of the 22th season, my wife and I accepted the honorary proposal to serve as patrons of the project. The success of this project is first and foremost due to the fact that such great number of participants work in the same direction both from the German and Armenian sides, he said. Within the framework of the project, 450 elderly and socially vulnerable citizens will receive 1 hot meal a daily in Kanaker-Zeytun, Erebuni, Kentron and nearby areas of Yerevan. Citizens will also benefit from other social services of the House of Hope charity center. Mayor of Yerevan Taron Margaryan also took part in the events. Director of the center, Movses Poghosyan, said the City Hall of Yerevan will cover 50% of expenditures of the center this year. Coordinator and philanthropist of the House of Hope projects, Priest Karl-Heinz Sheide said he is very impressed by the events. I have very positive impressions from the volunteers, not only the ones from Yerevan, but also from provinces Gyumri, Talin, Koti and others. All of them are putting efforts in doing everything in order for people who have appeared in the shadow to feel good, they help them, and their volunteering contribution is really invaluable in all our projects, he said. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The data revealed by the National Statistical Service of Armenia shows that 969 thousand 10 tourists have arrived in Armenia in January-September 2016, reports Armenpress. The number has increased by 3.6% compared to the same period of 2015. 903 thousand 541 people from Armenia departed for other countries for tourism purposes. The figure grew by 3% compared to the same period of 2015. Its one of the most revolutionary and certainly one of the most beautiful cars of all time. Those are the words of eminent collector and famed talk-show host Jay Leno. He was talking about Cord, which is now making a comeback of sorts. One of the great American carmakers of the Art Deco era, Cord was a sister-brand of Auburn and Duesenberg in the 1930s. It produced vehicles like the one pictured here, a 1936 Cord 810 Phaeton sold by RM Sothebys last month for $154,000 in Hershey, Pennsylvania: vehicles that were technologically advanced and singularly beautiful. Despite efforts to keep it going, the company ceased production in 1932, then again in 1937 and finally fizzled out in 1941. It still enjoys a loyal following among certain classic car collectors and enthusiasts, however, prompting one Craig Corbell to launch a revival effort. Details remain sketchy at the moment, but whats clear is that, unlike the resuscitation of marques like Bugatti and Mini. the reborn Cord wont be producing new cars per se. Instead, it will be offering reproductions of old ones, in similar fashion to what weve seen from companies like Superformance and Shelby American that offer continuation Cobras and the like. The effort is made possible by the provisions of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act of 2015. The new law allows small-scale automakers to forgo regulations and standards that would otherwise cripple such fledgling operations, or force them to sell their products as DIY kit cars with no engines. Its measures have been a boon to startups, revivals and established players alike, from the aforementioned Superformance to the reborn DeLorean and even Morgan. Photo Gallery The United Kingdoms vote to exit the European Union hasnt scared Honda away, as the car company has no intention of withdrawing from the country. However, that doesnt mean it wont keep an eye on the factors that could affect it directly, as Executive Vice President, Seiji Kuraishi said, cited by AutomotiveNewsEurope. We need to carefully watch currency exchange and sales trends. But we have no intention of withdraw from the UK and will continue doing business here. Honda is currently investing approximately 200 million ($244 million) in its factory located in Swindon, in order to expand production of the five-door Civic hatch, which is being exported not just to EU markets, but also Japan and the United States. We hope to keep the current production capacity, Kuraiashi added. The Japanese-based manufacturers announcement comes just a few days after Nissan said that it will continue to build the next generation Qashqai and X-Trail in Sunderland, England, after it received the support of the British government. Unlike their rivals, Honda hasnt asked the local government for help. Nonetheless, Kuraiashi believes that the support offered to Nissan should apply to all automakers. PHOTO GALLERY YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs didnt manage to reach an agreement over the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said, reports Armenpress. He also talked about the current stage, recent process and possible developments over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement. We all were carefully following the recent regional visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs during which they visited Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan. As a result of the visit, they issued several statements, one of which said that the situation in the Karabakh-Azerbaijani border is relatively calm. But unfortunately, that day violation of the ceasefire regime resulted in the death of our soldier. There was a talk also on organizing the meeting of the two Presidents, that the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan expressed readiness, however it was stated that those issues will be discussed in Hamburg at the FMs level, the political scientist said. He considers illogical the meeting of Presidents at this stage. Certain agreements were reached during the recent two meetings which were held in Vienna and St. Petersburg. Then we saw that Aliyev publicly refused from those agreements. Moreover, Aliyev avoids that meeting since now there is such a situation in the negotiation process which is problematic for the Azerbaijani side. Aliyev even acknowledged that in the negotiations and in closed rooms pressures are exerted on him to recognize the NKRs independence, the political scientist stated. Now Aliyev will try to reach a new situation through making the situation in the border tense or from time to time taking certain actions. In fact we dont have a negotiation process. I am confident that the Minsk Group will try to gain time since France has new Co-Chair. In any case, certain time will be required in order for him to be fully involved in the Groups works, get acquainted with all the previous processes. Moreover, the Co-Chairs understand that there is a need of new and fresh approaches, Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan said. Its hard to believe that the seventh-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom was introduced way back in 2003 and yet, it still continues to lead the way in the premium sedan market, offering opulence and luxury unmatched by any of its rivals. At the end of this year, however, the current Phantom will die, making way for the next-generation thats set to launch for the 2018 model year. To help send off the current Phantom in style, Carfection jumped behind the wheel of the latest model, tracing its 13 year history and briefly, the illustrious past of the British brand itself. While Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW, the Phantom doesnt simply receive reject parts from its German overlord. It is instead crafted by the finest materials found anywhere in the automotive industry and, to this day, offers a ride like no other. While saying goodbye to the current Phantom is bittersweet, the next-generation car is expected to be even better, particularly thanks to its aluminum architecture, selection of advanced technologies from BMW and potentially, the availability of a plug-in hybrid variant. VIDEO As Toyota looks to the future of mobility and car sharing, the automaker has developed a special Smart Key Box (SKB) which will make lending a car much easier and safer. The SKB can be installed into a vehicle without modification and allows the car to be locked and unlocked and its engine started through a dedicated smartphone application. This app will rely on codes specified by the vehicle owner to interact with the SKB device so as soon as someone borrowing the vehicle receives the codes and approaches the vehicle, the application will recognise the SKB via Bluetooth, allowing the vehicle to be used. Toyota says the SKB will help to avoid problems of typical car sharing networks where physical keys are often shared among users. To introduce the SKB to the market,Toyota will launch a pilot program in the United States with local car sharing company Getaround, starting in January 2017 in San Francisco. According to Getaround founder and chief executive Sam Zaid, Our goal at Getaround has always been to empower people to car-share everywhere. Integrating our experience and purpose-built car-sharing technology with Toyotas activities across mobility services opens up new opportunities to Toyota customers and the rapidly growing car-sharing market. PHOTO GALLERY David Feiss: I think it was just a perfect storm time. Cartoon Network knew me, or, at least, Hanna-Barbera knew me. CN was the new network which was showing the Hanna-Barbera library. In 1994 they said they wanted to do original programming and they put money up to make 52 pilots. Mine was one of the pilots. Well, I had this thing, a book, Id only created three weeks before called Cow & Chicken. They said, We like that one, what story would you do? My book basically only introduced the characters and I had to come up with a story. This was a book youd made for your daughter? David Feiss: I just made it up verbally for her, but the next morning I drew it. And then I did a story and thats what they bought. When I was doing the story, I realized I needed something more than just Cow and Chicken. So thats when the Red Guy came in. He was the devil, basically. David Feiss: Yeah, thats right. Actually thats another thing I was told: they said that was funny for the pilot, but you cant do the devil in America. I didnt really get why. It was fine for me to do the devil, but you couldnt call him the devil. How did you tackle Cow & Chicken from a production point of view? David Feiss: It was a 2D animated show. Most people who directed the pilots werent animators. But I was an animator, so I asked if I could animate it myself. And they said, Well, if you want to It was a way of setting the style. I was working at the time so I did it at night, after work. It took 10 months. Cow & Chicken and, earlier, Ren and Stimpy, which you worked on, were certainly for kids but also felt new and unique at the time. What was your assessment about who they were for? David Feiss: They were for kids, but definitely thinking of adults. I grew up watching Rocky and Bullwinkle, which I laughed at as a kid but then laughed at later and realized they were written for adults! And it was because of Ren and Stimpy that shows like Cow & Chicken could ever be on the air. Before that, Hanna-Barbera would internally make their own show. It wasnt like creators came in and sold their ideas. Ren and Stimpy broke that mold. Was it hard to adapt to a certain style with Ren and Stimpy, given it was so different? David Feiss: That was [show creator] John Kricfalusis style. Thats what he does. A lot of people think my style is like Johns, but my style has always been the kind of style I had on Cow & Chicken. You worked on a re-imagining of YooHoo & Friends with the rapper Flavor Flav, but then there was a lawsuit and it was not shown in many places around the world. What happened? David Feiss: YooHoo and Friends was made originally by a company out of Seoul in Korea and they made these little dolls. They contracted to make that 52-episode series that was made for really young children. It made no sense at all. When I was given this show, they said, Can you make this something to sell? Well, it was not my style, but then I did think of the Woody Allen film Whats Up, Tiger Lily? where he recorded new dialogue for old picture, and I thought that could make sense. And then I just happened to meet Flavor FlavI lived across the street from himand he said, Hey man, I always liked Hanna-Barbera; I love cartoons, I wanna do voices, and I said, I have a character for you. And, in the middle of the street, he said, Call my manager right now! And he told his manager on the phone, I wanna do this! And that was it, and we did it. But there was a copyright lawsuit and the show only aired in a few places including Australia, the U.K. and Latin America. How did it make you feel when it was hardly shown around the world? David Feiss: I was bummed, knowing Flavor Flav he wanted to do this and I didnt have to twist his arm. He did it for hardly any money at all. The idea was that it would be worldwide and be a big thing for him. I wanted the world to see this! Later when you went on to work as head of story on Open Season, that was obviously a cg animated film. How different was that from a technical point of view? David Feiss: Well, drawing the story portion is the same. I still draw in 2D. I mean, I draw on a computer screen but its still traditional drawing. So it wasnt even an issue on Open Season. I do think the 3D looks better. It looks more believable. Look at Zootopia you really believe those places are real. Its a little more engaging for people. I like it a lot. I like how my characters translate in a cg world. One of the fun scenes you boarded in Open Season really shows off your skillswhen Elliot is trying to get Boogs attention and he is throwing rabbits against the garage window instead of say little pebbles. You boarded that scene. an you talk about how it came about? David Feiss: Well the director Jill Culton was describing the scene of Boog in there sleeping and Elliot would throw the pebbles against the glass. And I thought, well, thats great, but why not rabbits? Did you just say that out loud, or did you go ahead and draw it? David Feiss: I just did it. I knew that if I said it out loud people would go, No no no. So it was a surprise. At the time we all worked on paper panels [and put them] up on boards. And Id drawn this out. People told me later, they were looking at it and saying, Are they rabbits hitting the glass!? Id describe the scene of Elliot calling out and then youd hear Wap! and then Wap! again, and then youd cut to the shot of the rabbit outlines hitting the window, and it got big laughs. And then for the entire series, they kind of kept using these rabbits as different thingsBoog would wrap himself in rabbits or hed sleep on a bed of rabbits or thered be a rabbit fight. Poor rabbits. Lets talk about Open Season: Scared Silly what was that experience like? David Feiss: It was made for a real shoe-string budget. It was $5.5 million, which might seem like a lot of money, but for a feature film at Sony Pictures, that was not a lot of money. So we had to be really smart. We couldnt do a lot of moving camera work and we could only do a minimal amount of water. We made it seem like it was an expensive movie, but it wasnt. The film happened in a little bit of a perfect storm, too. The Sony hack happened and my bosses lost their jobs. I was still plugging along and I was kind of left alone. The film opens with a black-and-white sequence David Feiss: Its supposed to be a spooky movie, so I was thinking Young Frankenstein and monster movies, and thought it might be a different thing. And it made it a fun joke because Elliot is telling a story about the werewolf and then McSquizzy the squirrel tells him, Who tells a story in black and white anyway? Anything you can say about what youre doing next? David Feiss: Im developing an original idea of mine. These are always long shots, but thats what Im doing right now at Sony. Hopefully it will have the sensibilities of family films but with a little bit of my twist. Raw viewer video of the fire in West Kelowna that was set off by home made fireworks. While at the fire, RCMP discovered a grow operation. 2 p.m. update: On October 31 at 7:10 p.m, the West Kelowna Fire Dept requested police assistance with a large hedge fire at a residence on Glenford Rd. West Kelowna. The man owning the residence had allegedly shot a firework into his hedge causing the fire. About 70 kilos of undried fresh green leaves and stems as well as about 4 kilos of dried marihuana bud were located behind the hedge were also seized by police. The 48-year-old man was arrested for production of marijuana contrary to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and released pending Crown approval of charges under Section 7(1) CDSA. He was also issued a West Kelowna Bylaw ticket for failing to have a permit to use fireworks. No one was injured. Update 11:30 a.m. Nov 1 - West Kelowna fire officials say homemade fireworks were responsible for a hedge fire on Lower Glenrosa Road on Halloween night. Fire department official, Brian Collier, says the firework was a gunpowder composition in a metal tube. "(It was) similar to a 'fountain.' It would have involved the igniting of the gunpowder and basically shooting into the air about six feet or so. He had it way too close to the hedge," says Collier. About 50 feet of the man's own hedge was consumed by the fire. The man attempted to put out the fire prior to crews arriving. Fire fighters were able to extinguish it. Collier says the man was detained by RCMP for a matter unrelated to the fireworks or the fire. Original Story 9:30 p.m. Oct 31 - Fireworks are the expected culprit that sent firefighters out to battle a hedge blaze right in the midst of trick-or-treat time on Lower Glenrosa Road in West Kelowna. The video below provided by Randy Millis shows the large fire. The exact cause is unknown, but witnesses say it was caused by fireworks, which are banned in the area. A Kelowna man is thinking twice about taking a cab after his safe ride home took a dangerous turn. Having had some drinks at Lake City Casino on Oct. 21, Rob Balsdon and his wife grabbed a Kelowna Cab to take them to their home in Rutland. On the drive, the driver used his computer and crossed over the centre line on Highway 97. After turning onto Leathead Road, Balsdon says he continued to use the computer and crossed pretty much all the way over the yellow line. Feeling unsafe, Balsdon raised his concerns with the driver, to which he says the driver replied: It's late, so it's not a big deal. Unsatisfied, Balsdon had the driver call his supervisor, who called him an asshole and hung up the phone. Mad and very unsatisfied, I said I was not going to pay, said Balsdon. (The cab driver) said, 'Well, we'll call the police' and I said OK. Before police arrived at the scene, eight cabs arrived at Balsdon's home, in what he feels was an intimidation tactic. All the drivers got out of their cars, arms crossed, staring at me, and none of them would talk, Balsdon said. Jesse O'Donaghey of the Kelowna RCMP confirmed police attended the scene that night and found several taxi cabs upon their arrival. Brianne Thorne, manager with Kelowna Cabs, said the driver may have felt threatened. The driver can call an emergency discreetly to the dispatcher, Thorne said. The cars that are around can go. Balsdon ended up paying, not wanting to make the situation a bigger deal than it had become. Thorne said Kelowna Cabs is changing policies to stop drivers from using electronic devices while driving, but can't watch them like a hawk all the time. The company is increasing disciplinary measures, which can include suspension and even termination. The last thing I want is somebody to be seriously injured or killed or something like that because some idiot is sitting there texting on his phone, Thorne said. It's something we are taking very, very seriously. Thorne also apologized for the dispatcher's conduct. Photo: Contributed As a matter of ordinary human experience and common sense, a persons ability to tolerate chronic pain diminishes with age." Those are the words of Madam Justice Griffin in her decision of Davidge v. Fairholm, 2014 BCSC 1948. She was considering what, if anything, to award Mr. Davidge for income losses he might suffer in his future. Mr. Davidge was a young man working in a physically demanding job in the oil fields. He had been injured in a rear-ender crash, but had managed to work through his pain and progress with his career. His income losses in the over five years between the crash and the trial were assessed at only $16,500. He had retrained into the railway industry and had proven himself capable of doing his job even though he was suffering from neck and back pain. He was no longer missing any time from work due to his injuries. Evidence established that he has incredible drive, a work ethic, a huge sense of responsibility to his intended wife and stepchild and that he will do everything in his power to maintain his current career." The typical ICBC argument in these circumstances is: the past is the best indicator of the future." Indeed, the defence in this case took the position that he should be awarded nothing on account of future potential income losses. Fortunately, the court looks at all factors, not just whether or not you can make it through your work day. Your incredible work ethic might have gotten you this far, but a fair assessment of your future losses requires a much deeper analysis. Mr. Davidge was fatigued and irritable coming home from work, and he was having to use prescription medications to help him sleep through his pain. A medical specialist noted that Mr. Davidges physical limitations were unlikely to resolve and he was vulnerable to further injury, opinions that Madam Justice Griffin accepted as common sense. His physical limitations would prevent him from returning to more physically demanding jobs. If he lost his current job, for whatever reason, he would have fewer employment options open to him. The law does not require you to prove the impossible, i.e. that you absolutely will suffer income losses in the future. It does not even require proof that those losses are more likely than not." The legal test is whether there is a real and substantial possibility of future losses. Madam Justice Griffin concluded that there was. She assessed those losses at $250,000, which was the rough equivalent of two years income for Mr. Davidge. I was reminded of this case when reading a much more recent decision of Mr. Justice Pearlman issued Oct.13, 2016: OBrien v. Cernovec, 2016 BCSC 1881. The defence in that case pointed to Mr. OBrien not having missed any regularly scheduled shifts since completing a graduated return to work four years previously, and took the common ICBC position that he was not entitled to anything for a loss of capacity to earn income." Mr. Justice Pearlman made specific reference to the words of Madam Justice Griffin that I quoted at the beginning of this column as part of his detailed analysis. He awarded the rough equivalent of 18 months income in his assessment of Mr. OBriens future losses. Dont let an insurance companys the past is an indicator of the future argument get in the way of fair compensation. Highly motivated, stoic people who successfully work through their pain are entitled to compensation for the risk they will suffer income losses in the future, provided that risk is assessed as a real and substantial possibility." This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Photo: Getty Images Move over for emergency vehicles A reader was travelling in a major municipality recently and was stopped in a large collection of vehicles waiting for a red light at the intersection of two multiple lane highways. Emergency vehicles using lights and sirens approached from the rear and tried to get through the traffic and the intersection. There was significant difficulty and the reader was curious how far forward vehicles could move into the cross flow of traffic to assist in clearing a path. Its a good question as Im sure that we all want to do what we can to accommodate emergency services when someone is in need. However, does it mean that we should try to force our way through the red light and risk causing a collision to do so? The obvious is to state that there is no exemption from having to remain stopped at the intersection when we are facing a red light. For the average driver in a car or light truck, this should not present much difficulty if good driving practices have been followed. Drivers in the front rank will have stopped behind the marked stop line. Generally this will leave at least a vehicle length of open space in front of them to move into without encountering cross traffic. Each subsequent vehicle, having stopped so that the driver can see pavement between the front of their hood and the back tires of the vehicle in front of them now have room to move to the side as well. In the case of a divided street, the left lane goes left and the right lane goes right. Otherwise, everyone moves to the right. In either case, using your signal lights will tell everyone else that you have recognized the situation and warn them of what you intend to do. Once the movement is complete, there is usually enough room for the emergency vehicles to go up the middle or use the left lane. The most likely difficulty would occur when a long commercial vehicle is part of the group. They need more space to move into than a car does and might not be able to move enough to clear the way. In this case we might have to do more than just move to the side. It might mean turning at the intersection instead of travelling straight through. Your inconvenience from having to do this may be miniscule compared to the need to get emergency services to the scene. This may be accomplished when the traffic lights are red before cross traffic recognizes the situation and stops. All things considered, one solution to the issue will be waiting for the lights to change so that everyone can proceed safely. Emergency responses do not always turn out to involve a life-threatening situation so waiting may be better than risking a crash. If you decide that as a last resort, the only thing that you can do is disobey traffic rules and move into cross traffic you are taking a huge risk. If a collision were to occur, the courts and your insurance company will have to apply the laws as they stand to decide liability. Sympathy for your attempt to do the best in a bad situation will be noted, but wont affect the decision. Story URL: http://www.drivesmartbc.ca/emergency-vehicles/making-way-emergency-vehicles This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. A West Kelowna winemaker's heartfelt musical tribute to his slain cousin is having a far greater impact than he ever expected. I tried to say something besides just the sadness. I wanted to make a stand for her, said Jason Parkes. His cousin Aimee Parkes was killed in 2014 by her ex-fiancee, Ryan Quigley. Quigley was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, less credit for time served. Jason, a longtime musician, wrote the song as a way to express his own feelings and frustrations over his cousin's death and the court system he believes let her down. He said the entire process left him feeling, for the first time in his life, ashamed to be Canadian. It was a weird feeling. I didn't mean to feel this way, and it was a terrible feeling. I couldn't believe what was going on, said Parkes. I was pretty upset with the outcome. The video, posted to Facebook on Sunday, has already garnered 11,000 views, hundreds of shares and comments and has kept his phone ringing off the hook. When I first made the video, I was just doing it for my family. For her sake and the family's sake, I needed to say something, said Parkes. But since I put this out there, my phone hasn't stopped. It is making me feel proud to be Canadian again. The problem with our justice system needs to be recognized, but there are a lot of good people out there. Parkes hopes the song will pay tribute to Aimee and bring light to issues in the justice system. Photo: Worman Construction With more than 179,000 stories published and counting Castanet continues its remarkable growth. Founded on Nov. 1, 2000, Castanet grew out of Silk.net, one of Kelowna's first Internet service providers. Today, on its 16th birthday, Castanet is one of the most visited media websites in Western Canada, attracting about 400,000 unique viewers a week more than half a million when there is a big news event. But it's not enough to rest on your laurels when you are the Okanagan's news leader. Castanet is going through an unprecedented growth phase at a time when most traditional media are cutting back. Our new Vernon office is one year old, and this past summer Castanet opened another office in Penticton. With each, came geotargeted editions of the website that give local readers in each market content that is catered to that audience. But that's not all. We broke ground this fall on a brand-new Castanet headquarters in Kelowna, just one block down from our current home on Lawrence Avenue. The two-storey plus penthouse building will include a state of the art studio as Castanet puts more and more emphasis on video and live streaming. With more video content than ever, we've also recently launched features such as our Evening Update news package with veteran reporter Wayne Moore, and the lighthearted Castanet Kids' Report with Ariella Amato. This on top of increased video production from our staff throughout the valley. Castanet founder Nick Frost said: "We see our role as a resource for the valley, each of the cities and even all of B.C. We can't thank the people who come to Castanet every day enough. "We are a part of their community, and often hear that people feel that Castanet is their website, that they take ownership and pride in it and we feel terrific about that. "It's about the community that's the biggest reason we're building new facilities, so we are even more accessible." Photo: CTV Rain, rain, go away. Not if you lived in B.C. in October. Both Vancouver and Victoria established records for days in which rain fell during October. According to Environment Canada, rain fell in Vancouver 28 days in October. The previous record was 26. In Victoria, umbrellas were raised 27 days. That broke the old record of 25. Making matters worse, CTV weather forecaster Marke Driesschen says November is traditionally the wettest month of the year. "It's funny because we always talk about, 'Oh, well, it rains here all the time, we're used to it.' Yeah, but when it gets to about 28-29 days, how used to it are you?" Driesschen says. Throughout the Okanagan, rain fell in Kelowna 14 days during October. In Vernon and Penticton, precipitation came down 19 of the 31 days in October. --with files from CTV Vancouver YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Representative of Baden-Wurttemberg regional organization of German Red Cross, priest Carl-Heinz Schaide, who is within the German delegation in Armenia, thinks that the German Bundestag should have adopted the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide years ago. I am very glad for that decision and particularly for its unanimous adoption. Why it was not adopted for so many years remains a question for me too. Anyway, I would be very proud and happy if Germany had adopted that resolution years ago. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder had touched upon that resolution and had already put into process, the priest told Armenpress. The resolution entitled the Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide of Armenians and other Christian minorities in 1915 and 1916 was put to a vote in German parliament on June 2 and was adopted. The resolution was prepared and presented by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/ Christian Social Union (CSU), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Alliance '90/The Greens party. Photo: CTV A decisive legal victory has put an evangelical Christian university one step closer in its bid to secure recognition for its proposed law school. The Appeal Court of B.C. released a decision in favour of Trinity Western University on Tuesday, describing efforts by B.C.'s law society to deny accreditation to the school's future lawyers as "unreasonable." The legal dispute centres around the university's community covenant that bans its students from having sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage. In a unanimous decision, a panel of five judges said the negative impact on Trinity Western's religious freedoms would be severe and far outweigh the minimal effect accreditation would have on gay and lesbian rights. "A society that does not admit of and accommodate differences cannot be a free and democratic society one in which its citizens are free to think, to disagree, to debate and to challenge the accepted view without fear of reprisal," says the 66-page judgment. "This case demonstrates that a well-intentioned majority acting in the name of tolerance and liberalism can, if unchecked, impose its views on the minority in a manner that is in itself intolerant and illiberal." The decision upholds last year's B.C. Supreme Court ruling against the Law Society of B.C. and its move to prevent the Fraser Valley school's future alumni from working in the province as lawyers. The law society has argued that the controversial code of conduct discriminates against gays and lesbians hoping to enter the legal profession. The Appeal Court decision found that denying approval to Trinity Western would not enhance access to law school for members of the LGBTQ community and therefore wouldn't help the law society meet its public-interest objectives. It found that creating 60 new law school seats, which brings the Canadian total to about 2,500, would divert some law school hopefuls from programs elsewhere and, as a result, increase the number of seats available to LGBTQ applicants. The law school was originally slated to open in 2016, but that date has since been pushed back to the fall of 2018. Photo: The Canadian Press Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is scheduled for a day-parole hearing next March. The lawyer for the families of Bernardo's murder victims, 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy and 15-year-old Kristen French, says he believes Bernardo will never get parole. Tim Danson says there have been many dates set for day-parole hearings, but all of them have been adjourned. Nonetheless, Danson says the process has "gutted" the families of his victims, but he believes Bernardo will die in prison. Bernardo was sentenced in 1995 to life with no chance for parole for 25 years for raping and murdering Mahaffy and French. He was also given a dangerous offender status for admitting to raping 14 other women. Photo: Contributed A strike by professors is underway at the University of Manitoba, affecting numerous classes for up to 29,000 students. Picket lines went up early Tuesday morning at the university's south Fort Garry and downtown Bannatyne campuses. The labour action comes after negotiators for the school and its faculty association reached an impasse in mediated contract talks last weekend. The association represents about 1,200 professors, instructors and librarians. The university said classes affected by the strike will resume once the labour disruption ends, but it's asking students to be sure to check for classes that will continue while the picket lines are up. A conciliator is expected to meet with both sides on Wednesday. The association's last contract expired at the end of March and both sides have been negotiating since then. The university had offered a seven-per-cent increase over four years, but for a third of the members still eligible for incremental raises, the package would amount to 17.5 per cent over four years. The association was seeking a 6.9 per cent overall increase for one year. The university put forward a final counter offer Monday morning, which was rejected. Bargaining unit members were in a legal position to strike as of midnight. An open letter to Foster Parents: Thank you for the good you bring to this world. Thank you for putting yourself second so the child can be put first. Thank you for providing for children you have no prior connection to or knowledge of. Thank you for the time and extra expenses you put into helping children have a happier, more successful future. Thank you for enduring and persevering through the obstacles you encounter as a Foster Parent. For many innocent children in our communities family life goes wrong/ fails/ gets complicated and they end up in foster care. Thankfully, there are Foster Parents who step up and you dedicate your life to helping others. Your huge, caring hearts embrace children and youth. You welcome children into your home, and give them everything that you can to help better them and prepare them for a successful future. You raise them as if they were your own, loving them more and more with every passing day. You watch them grow, teach them how to share, drop them off at school, and then one day, you help them say good-bye. It takes a lot to be a Foster Parent. You must have courage and patience and you must also be selfless. A lot of people cannot handle the pressure and complications of fostering, which is why we appreciate and thank you who are. If you are, were previously, or intend to be a Foster Parent - thank you for all you do. For information on becoming a Foster Parent please email [email protected], or call 250-717-2070 Catrina Roderick Foster Parent Coordinator Central Okanagan Okanagan Foster Parents Association www.okfosterparents.ca Photo: Google Street View Vandals have damaged a cenotaph renovation project in Kimberley that was due to be completed by Remembrance Day. A spokeswoman for a veterans group in the southeastern B.C. city says the vandalism is disrespectful to the service of all veterans. Cindy Postnikoff says obscene drawings have been etched into the nearly dry concrete at the base of the monument. She says veterans have tried to scour the surface to remove the images but the new concrete is custom-coloured, so final repairs could be difficult to match. Work on the cenotaph began in June when the group, Military Ames, received a $25,000 grant from Veterans Affairs Canada and the City of Kimberley matched the funds to replace and partially rebuild the monument and move it to a new site in the downtown core. Postnikoff says the damage total is still being determined, but adds a $1,000 reward has been posted for the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Plans have changed significantly for Tourism Kelowna's proposed new waterfront visitor centre at the foot of Queensway Avenue. The original design called for a 3,000-square-foot footprint with 5,000 square feet of space, including Tourism Kelowna offices, over two floors. The cost was $3.5 million. The building, as originally designed, also encroached on lands covered by the Simpson Covenant. Tourism Kelowna chair Daniel Bibby said plans were altered following a public consultation process after the original design was unveiled in March. "We've realigned the building to remove it from the Simpson Covenant lands, which was really important to our residents and to city council as well," said Bibby. "Our building will be 40 per cent smaller. The public weren't crazy about the offices being downtown, so we worked on a plan to eliminate the second floor, which had administrative offices." Tourism Kelowna will instead work out of office space in Prestige Place, leaving just the visitor centre on the waterfront. Cost of the new building is $2.8 million. "It's set back 15 metres from the water, which is actually double the space of the yacht club." Later this month, Tourism Kelowna expects to apply to the city for rezoning to allow for construction. That could begin early next year with a completion date in early 2018. The visitor centre would replace the current one on Highway 97. Tourism Kelowna CEO Nancy Cameron said use of that centre continues to drop. Only about 20,000 people stopped in this year. She anticipates about 100,000 visits to the new centre once it opens. Tourism Kelowna will fund the building itself through a $2.5-million loan. It will raise the remaining $300,000. The city will lease the land to Tourism Kelowna but retain ownership. Photo: Canada Post Canada Post is replacing the locks on thousands of community mailboxes after an "unacceptable" number of customers had their mailboxes frozen shut last winter. Spokesman Jon Hamilton says the locks on community mailboxes are being replaced in communities that include Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec's eastern townships, Bathurst, N.B., Halifax, Charlottetown and St. John's. He says the postal agency began notifying customers about the lock replacement in September, advising them that the change would be coming. Customers whose mailbox locks are being replaced are sent a new set of keys about two weeks before the change is made. Hamilton says the lock replacement is now underway and the work will continue for the next few months. He says Canada Post wants customers to continue to contact the Crown corporation if they have problems with their mailboxes because that's how the defective lock issue came to light. "Last winter we had an unacceptable level of customers experiencing frozen locks, mainly in Eastern Canada," Hamilton said in an interview. "We're going back to those areas where we had issues and replacing the locks for the community mailboxes in those areas." In the face of declining traditional mail volumes, the corporation had announced a plan in December 2013 to end door-to-door delivery and gave itself five years to implement the move to community mailboxes. About 100,000 made the transition in 2014, and another 900,000 households were expected to switch to community mailboxes in 2015. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a verbal promise, however, to "restore'' door-to-door home mail delivery. But so far, the Liberal government, which came into power a year ago, has committed only to stopping any further reduction in home delivery while it conducts a review of Canada Post's operations. Photo: Heiltsuk Nation The Heiltsuk Nation on British Columbia's central coast says salvage crews are ready to begin the process of raising a sunken tug for removal from Seaforth Channel. But a release from the First Nation warns that a gale warning is in effect over the region, about 500 kilometres north of Vancouver, and all small boats have returned to port. Winds up to 50 knots could delay plans the Heiltsuk say include work to reposition the Nathan E. Stewart from the site on a reef under nine metres of water just west of Bella Bella. When possible, the 30-metre tug is expected to be moved to deeper water, where it will be raised and loaded onto a barge for removal from the ocean off the Great Bear Rainforest. The tug ran aground nearly three weeks ago, tearing its hull and releasing more than 100-thousand litres of diesel and nearly 5,000 litres of lubricants. Since then, large shellfish beds vital to the First Nation economy have been closed to harvesting and the Heiltsuk say a dead seal and otter have been recovered, along with a number of oiled birds. If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,... YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Members of the delegation of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium, who are on an official visit in Armenia, visited Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial complex accompanied by the Vice President of the National Assembly of Armenia Hermine Naghdalyan and Head of the Armenia Belgium parliamentary friendship group Shirak Torosyan on November 1. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Armenian parliament, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Belgium Christine Defraigne and the rest of the delegation put a wreath on the memorial of the Armenian Genocide on behalf of the Belgian Senate, laid flowers near the eternal flame and honored the memory of the Holy victims with silence. The guests also visited the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum where they familiarized themselves with documents evidencing the Armenian Genocide and made a note in the commemoration book. Noting that Belgium is among the first countries to recognize and condemn the Armenian Genocide, Christine Defraigne added, We continue our works in the Senate and highlight the adoption of the bill criminalizing the denial of the Armenian Genocide which is necessary for the descendents of both the victims and perpetrators of the genocide. We wish the Armenian and Turkish communities to gather together some day. YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan met with Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk on November 1 at the administrative complex of the Defense Ministry. As Armenpress was informed from the press service of the Defense Ministry of Armenia, the Armenian Defense Minister introduced the present situation on Karabakh-Azerbaijan contact line, stating that in the recent weeks Azerbaijan regularly incites tension on the contact line by adding the number of shootings and using larger-caliber weapons. The Armenian armed forces retaliate to the mentioned provocations only in case of severe necessity, remaining faithful to the deterrence strategy. Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk noted that the office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office makes constant efforts aimed at reducing the level of tensions and hoped in the near future it will be possible to record progress in that direction. Algerias plan to cease imports from 2017 to affect Tunisian cement industry ICR Newsroom By 01 November 2016 Ibrahim Chbili, Director General of Manufacturing Industry of Tunisias Ministry of Industry, has said that the decision made by Algeria to cease importing cement by 2017 and become self-sufficient in its supply is expected to affect the Tunisian cement industry. At present Algeria buys around 95 per cent of Tunisian cement exports, which reached 1.8Mt in 2015 before registering a drop to 1.2Mt in the first nine months of 2016. With new capacity coming online, Algeria expects to be self-sufficient in cement supply and possibly export a surplus to Mali, Chad, Niger and Mauritania. Published under STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 31, ARTSAKHPRESS: The ministrys statement reads: Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact around 100 times over the weekend. Azerbaijani forces fired more than 2300 shots at Armenian positions, using various caliber small arms. A group of Azerbaijani servicemen, conducting mine clearance, were observed in the neutral zone in the northern direction of the line of contact. The Azerbaijani forces were pushed back as result of counter measures taken by the Defense Army. The Defense Army forces continue maintaining full control along the frontline and confidently carry out their military duties. STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: By sending an SMS to the number 8000 or by calling 090008000, subscribers of all cell-phone carriers in Armenia can support Artsakh with donations of 300 AMD. The proceeds will be allocated to initiatives for rebuilding war-ravaged Artsakh communities, various measures to ensure the safety and security of the peaceful population, and the construction of homes for large families throughout the republic. The Hayastan All-Armenian Funds flagship fundraising event, the Thanksgiving Day Telethon, will be held in Los Angeles on November 24. The SMS as well as donations-through-Haypost campaigns in Armenia will be complemented by fundraising efforts in Artsakh and across the Diaspora. From November 16 to 20, the funds Pan-European Phoneathon will take place in France, mobilizing the Armenian communities of France, Germany, and Switzerland. Also participating in the Phoneathon will be the Armenian community of Greece, which will raise funds locally on November 19 and 20. The first of these events took place in Toronto on October 23, when the local Armenian community raised a record $1 million at its banquet. STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: Issues related to the development of bilateral relations, intensifying the political dialogue between the two states, boosting the inter-parliamentary ties, expanding the legal framework, as well as other regional, international issues were discussed. Edward Nalbandian said his visit to Jakarta aims to further develop the friendly relations with Indonesia. He said a progress has been achieved in the bilateral relations such as a number of agreements were implemented, the Armenian Embassy has been established in Jakarta, Indonesia eliminated the visa requirement for the Armenian citizens, Indonesia cultural days were held in Armenia, cooperation has been established between the educational institutions of the two countries. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis, the refugee issue, fight against terrorism and peaceful settlement of conflicts. Edward Nalbandian presented his counterpart the efforts of Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairing countries aimed at creating appropriate conditions for moving forward the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process. Nalbandian invited Retno Marsudi to visit Armenia. At the end of the meeting the two FMs signed an agreement on eliminating the vise requirement for diplomatic and service passport holders between the two countries, as well as a cooperation agreement was signed between the two Foreign Ministries. The Armenian FM, Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of Indonesia Mohamad Nasir signed a letter of intent on mutual cooperation in science, technology and higher education fields. After the signing ceremony the two FMs held a press conference. Istanbul-Armenian Garo Paylan, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) and member of the Turkish Parliament, joined the ongoing protest outside the office of the opposition Cumhuriyet daily of Turkey. November 1, 2016, 12:45 Armenian MP of Turkey joins picket in support of opposition newspaper STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: Paylan informed in his Facebook and Twitter accounts that he is participating in this demonstration in support of Cumhuriyet. He also urged all democratic forces not to remain silent. By the order of Turkish authorities, the prosecutors office detained the chief editor and several journalists of this newspaper, and on charges of collaborating with terrorists. Edward Nalbandian, Foreign Minister of Armenia, on Tuesday met with Le Luong Minh, Secretary General of the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta. November 1, 2016, 13:59 Armenian FM meets with ASEAN Sec Gen STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS: The interlocutors touched upon the avenues for developing Armenias cooperation with ASEAN and its member countries. Secretary General Minh presented the integration processes within ASEAN, the ongoing projects, and outcomes of deepening of economic collaboration ever since its establishment, and the new opportunities established for ASEAN member countries, and its prospects. The agenda of the meeting focused on the chances of cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the Association for Southeast Asian Nations. In this regard, Le Luong Minh stressed that the ASEAN is interested in such cooperation and certain respective steps are undertaken by its member countries and the Association itself. Edward Nalbandian, for his part, expressed the support of Armenia to these efforts. STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: After a meeting with Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Galust Sahakyan, Christine Defraigne told reporters the Belgian Parliament was one of the first European Parliaments to adopt a strict resolution in 1998 on condemning the Armenian Genocide. And we even made steps to move even further ahead and define criminal responsibility for the denial of the Genocide. We began working in that direction quite early. The denial of Armenian Genocide must be equal to a crime. At that time we didnt reach our goal, but I think that by the adoption of resolutions by different level Parliaments of Belgium condemning the Armenian Genocide we will reach the realization of our goal, she said. She added that its not about Parliaments dictating the history, there is simply a need to convey history to the new generations, in order to once and for all condemn all acts of genocide. Our countries must move towards the future. I think our peoples have similar values, and in my opinion we can continue this path together, she added. Defraigne said Europes doors are always open for Armenia. We understand that Armenia is located in a difficult geopolitical position, however I have to say that Europes doors are always open for negotiations, for work in any field and united development. Belgium will spare no effort in supporting Armenia in its decision, she said. STEPANAKERT, NOVEMBER 1, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS: Such conflicts must be solved exclusively through peaceful means. Only peaceful means can put an end to sufferings of people living in the region, Christine Defraigne said. She said that Belgium has always managed to find solutions in unresolved situations and is famous in the entire Europe for the art of finding options of mutual concession. We are ready to show our support to Armenia to find solutions, the Belgian Senate President said. Leading the faithful from the beginning has been President John Momis, a staunch Catholic, who praised the initiative Bougainvilleans took to welcome Our Lady of Fatima. Catholicism remains the dominant church on Bougainville comprising about 70% of the population. Scores of Roman Catholics poured into churches across the Bougainville Diocese and many more lined the streets and highways as the faithful came together. THE VISIT of the iconic Our Lady of Fatima statue to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville has been a phenomenon that has united Bougainvilleans across the once troubled region. Mother Mary is the mother of Jesus and Jesus is God so she is the mother of God and Jesus, Dr Momis, himself a former priest, said. For us Catholics, during mass it represents the sacrifice that Jesus offered to liberate and empower us to create the kingdom of God here on earth. As Catholics, we affirm that Mary is the mother of Jesus the man who is also is God in nature and we believe that she has the power to intercede on our behalf through her son, he said. Catholics from throughout the Bougainville Diocese gathered at Hahela Parish as they prepared to farewell the statue of Our Lady. Many made the pilgrimage from as far away as the Solomon Islands, South Bougainville and the atolls, braving treacherous seas and long treks from their homes. The unity displayed by Bougainvilleans brought the people together under a common belief. While there may be differing views on the regions political future, a united front to choose to remain with the rest of PNG or to forge an entirely independent nation remains the prerogative of the Bougainville people. Although the image of Our Lady of Fatima has now departed Bougainvilles shores, a strong sense of unity and optimism remains with the people of Bougainville as they face their brave new future. Jermaine Bagnall-Graham believes in the adage that if it's not broken, don't fix it. In his view, Albany is broken. And he wants to have a hand in repairing it. Bagnall-Graham is challenging state Sen. Jim Seward in the 51st Senate District, which includes six towns Locke, Moravia, Niles Owasco, Sempronius and Summerhill in southeastern Cayuga County. Seward, R-Milford, has been in office since 1987. For some, that's a positive. It means he can bring funding back to the district and is influential on policy matters important to the region. Election preview: Seward is cancer free, hopes for another term in NY Senate Nine months ago, you couldn't blame state Sen. Jim Seward for wondering if he would be in good enough shape to seek re-election. From Bagnall-Graham's perspective, though, Seward is part of the status quo. "We've had so much corruption. It's nothing new," Bagnall-Graham said in an interview. "The system is definitely broken ... I feel that we need freshness in the state Senate. And I'm up for the challenge." Corruption in Albany is a major reason why Bagnall-Graham decided to run for the state Senate. He saw the stories about former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and ex-Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos both of whom were convicted on corruption charges. The two cases, along with many others, have led to calls for more ethics reform in Albany. So far, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature have responded with small changes. Major reforms have proved elusive. Bagnall-Graham eyes changes to the state's campaign finance system and limits on the amount of special interest money that's influencing elections across New York. One proposal he supports would prevent legislators from receiving campaign donations from industries they're tasked with overseeing. He's criticized Seward, who chairs the Senate Insurance Committee, for collecting contributions from insurance companies. The industry is one of the senator's major sources of campaign funds. "This is a concern to Democrats and Republicans and independents, not just Jermaine's concern," Bagnall-Graham said. "Absolutely there should be something in place. That will cut out a lot of the special interest money." If elected to the state Senate, Bagnall-Graham said he'll be motivated by doing what's best for the people of the 51st District. While he's a Democrat, he wants to work with Republicans, too. He feels Albany has become too "party-line centric." "Reaching across the aisle is a motivator for me to get the work done," he said. "Put party lines aside. It's about the people." BAGNALL-GRAHAM ON THE ISSUES Education: He pledged to be a vocal advocate to secure more education funding for public schools, such as the Moravia Central School District in Cayuga County. "You do have to pressure the system into making sure that these schools are getting the proper funding, whether it's the governor himself or your leadership," he said. Taxes: To address high taxation in New York, he supports asking state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to play a bigger role in determining how to improve the climate for business owners and residents. He also thinks the state should look at taking over at least some of the Medicaid burden placed on counties. To generate more revenue, he suggested looking at altering tax rates for the wealthiest New Yorkers. Economic development: He noted that there has been in improvement in some areas. Oneonta, which is in the 51st Senate District, recently won a $10 million grant through the state's Downtown Revitalization Initiative. Since Cuomo took office, there have been several economic development initiatives launched. But some regions are doing better than others, and Bagnall-Graham thinks that needs to change. "I think we should really be looking at how we can spread the wealth over the entire state," he said. "When you take money like that and invest in all areas throughout the state, you can spur job growth." Owasco Lake: Bagnall-Graham has closely followed reports of blue-green algae toxins in public water from Owasco Lake. Recent tests have shown the toxins are no longer at levels that are detectable. But local officials are worried about what may happen next year when the algal blooms return during the region's warmer months. Given local concerns, Bagnall-Graham thinks state officials should visit the communities surrounding Owasco Lake and meet with elected leaders. "I've talked to legislators. I've talked to (Cayuga County Legislator) Aileen McNabb-Coleman. Seward hasn't been there," he said. "We gotta find out what's going on." Those conversations, he said, can help determine next steps. He said it could be that there's a need for more regulation. There could be an educational portion to learn how farmers and others around the lake can do their part to improve the lake's water quality. "If we don't have those conversations we won't know," he said. Nine months ago, you couldn't blame state Sen. Jim Seward for wondering if he would be in good enough shape to seek re-election. Seward, R-Milford, learned in February that he had bladder cancer. Once the surprise of the initial diagnosis wore off, his doctors determined that they caught the disease in its early stages. He had surgery in April to treat the cancer. "I had some tough surgery and it was a tough recovery," Seward said in an interview with The Citizen. "I've been declared cancer free and I'm raring to go for another term." With the health scare behind him, Seward said he's focused on continuing his work in the state Senate. Seward was first elected in 1986. At the time, his district included Cayuga County. He said one of the major achievements early on in his career was lobbying the state to build a correctional facility in Moravia. "The state was in a buildup in terms of prisons," he said. "Moravia wanted one. I went to work, even as a freshman senator, and we landed that." From 1993 to 2012, Cayuga County was no longer part of Seward's district. Redistricting altered the area he represented and he found himself covering more of the Southern Tier region. In 2012, new maps were drawn and a portion of Cayuga County was again placed in Seward's district. He now represents six towns in the southern half of the county Locke, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Sempronius and Summerhill. Since his return to Cayuga County, Seward said he's focused on several issues of local importance, including the heroin epidemic. The state has sought to address the treatment gap and raise awareness about the dangers of opioid abuse. But Seward thinks more should be done. He believes the state should "declare war" on heroin and opioid addiction to prevent abuse, crack down on the suppliers of the drugs and get treatment for those in need. He's also received feedback from local leaders and residents on the Interstate 81 viaduct project in Syracuse. The project itself isn't in his district, but it could have an impact on counties in the western portion of the 51st. One proposal under consideration for the viaduct replacement is installing a boulevard through downtown Syracuse. That plan worries officials, including Owasco Supervisor Ed Wagner, who say trucks would avoid I-81 and instead use local roads to connect to the Thruway. Seward said the boulevard is "the worst thing that could happen" for Owasco and other communities near I-81 in Cortland and Tompkins counties. Democratic challenger Jermaine Bagnall-Graham has criticized Seward for his long tenure in Albany. Bagnall-Graham thinks it's time for a fresh face in the 51st Senate District. Seward, however, is proud of his record and the relationships he's established. But that doesn't mean his work is finished. "We want to see through some of these local concerns that I mentioned, such as the lake and the I-81 issue ... There's a lot more to be done," he said. SEWARD ON THE ISSUES Ethics reform: "It looks bad for everyone," Seward said of the corruption cases that have plagued Albany in recent years. He said the state Senate has taken action to adopt new ethics rules, but acknowledged that more can be done. If re-elected, Seward said he'll vote for second passage of a constitutional amendment that would strip pensions from corrupt lawmakers. He also supports imposing term limits for legislative leaders and committee chairs. The Senate has term limits in place for its leaders, but the Assembly does not. "I'd like to actually do that in law so that it applies to both houses of the legislature," Seward said. Another proposal Seward supports: recall elections. Having recall elections, he said, would give people of the state or of a state legislative district the ability to potentially remove an elected official they aren't happy with. "I think that that's a good way to empower people and I think it keeps elected government officials more responsive to the people of the state," he said. Education: Seward touted his role in getting rid of the gap elimination adjustment, a controversial formula the state utilized to erase a large budget deficit. The GEA resulted in schools, such as Auburn and Moravia, losing millions in aid. He also played a part in urging the state Education Department to alter the Auburn Enlarged City School District's aid classification. Auburn, he said, was reclassified as a high-need school district. This allowed the district to receive additional state funding. Now, Seward said the state's goal should be ensuring Auburn, Moravia and other schools in his district receive more funding. "We gotta make sure that increased aid is distributed fairly to the districts that really need the money the high-need, low-wealth districts which pretty well describes the ones in our area," he said. He also supports taking action to address rising student loan debt. He said the state should be providing more help for young people to finance their college education. Economic development: He wants to ensure all regions of the state, particularly those in his Senate district, receive a fair share of economic development funding. While there are several economic development initiatives in place, Seward believes there should be more of a broad-based approach to economic development. He also believes the businesses that have remained in New York for many years deserve recognition. He supports additional tax relief and regulatory reform to help businesses. Owasco Lake: Seward said he's been instrumental in securing two large state grants $200,000 for the Dutch Hollow watershed restoration and $600,000 for other projects in the Owasco Lake watershed. He admitted that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration had been a "little slow" in delivering the $600,000 grant, which was recently released by the state. With concerns about blue-green algae and the potential impact on drinking water supplies, Seward said he remains committed to advocating for more state funding. "Going forward, obviously, we're going to have to continue to fight for additional state resources to ultimately solve this problem," he said. "And that would include helping the city and Owasco in terms of the water plants, making sure they can correct whatever problems come out of that lake." Auburn Community Hospital was cited for several lapses in hygiene and drug administration after an April inspection of the medical facility. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued two reports about the hospital based on an unannounced visit there April 19 and 20. One concerns the Auburn hospital's infection control program, and identified six lapses in the hospital's practices: Inadequate hand hygiene, and hand hygiene policy Auburn hospital staff was observed not performing hand hygiene before donning gloves for catheter insertion, a respiratory treatment and a fingerstick. The hospital's hand hygiene policy also "lacked instruction to staff to perform hand hygiene when donning and (removing) gloves." Not wearing personal protective equipment appropriately Auburn hospital staff was observed not wearing gloves while injecting a patient's eye with lidocaine; staff acknowledged that as per the facility's protocol, gloves should be worn when contact with blood, bodily fluids, mucous membranes or nonintact skin is anticipated. Making available expired medications Two opened multi-dose vials of Humulin insulin were observed in a medication refrigerator on the Auburn hospital's second floor; neither was labeled with the time it was opened. Another opened vial was dated as having been opened Jan. 17, and another vial of NovoLog insulin contained a discard date of Jan. 7. Inappropriate storage of clean supplies and not cleaning equipment between patients An Auburn hospital staff member was observed not cleaning a stethoscope between using it on two patients. The staff member said they only clean the device if a patient is in isolation. Additionally, 12 containers of PDI Sani-Cloth Bleach Wipes were stored in a dirty utility room, the report said, and a linen cart and rolling bin containing clean linen were uncovered in the hospital's main corridor. Storing trash and dirty linen receptacles in a public corridor outside the operating room A row of 10 waste receptacles containing OR trash and soiled linens were not stored in an enclosed room with exhaust ventilation, the report said. Not keeping humidity and temperature within acceptable ranges Per the Auburn hospital's protocol, humidity levels in the OR should be a minimum of 20 percent and temperatures a minimum of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. However, logs from March and April show humidity readings twice falling below that range to as low as 8.2 percent while the temperature in OR No. 3 twice fell to 63.5-65 and 62-63 degrees. In addition to the infection control report, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a report about Auburn Community Hospital's administration of drugs based on the organization's April visit. A nursing staff member was observed not clarifying a physician order for an intravenous injection, and did not administer the injection according to facility policy, the report said. As the staff member prepared the injection of 15 mg of metoclopramide (a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux), they were observed saying, "This seems like a high dosage. I have never pushed that amount before." Nonetheless, the staff administered the injection without asking for clarification. A separate staff member told the observer that the hospital's policy allows nurses to push up to 10 mg of metoclopramide in a single dose. However, the report continued, the Physician Drug Reference 2016 and Nursing 2013 Drug Handbook say doses of metoclopramide larger than 10 mg should be diluted. Auburn Community Hospital has previously been cited by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for both infection control and drug administration. In June 2012, observations included nurses not wearing required isolation gowns and a physician not donning a gown nor gloves, nor washing their hands prior to exiting the room of a patient who had been placed on contact precautions. In September 2015, an observer reported a nurse failing to reassess a patient's pain level prior to giving them a second dose of oral opioid medication within a 10.5-hour span. Per hospital protocol, reassessment of patient pain levels (on a 0-10 scale) is recommended within an hour after medication. In response to the reports, the Auburn hospital released the following statement to The Citizen: "The No. 1 priority of Auburn Community Hospital is the health and safety of our patients, visitors and staff. As soon as these concerns were identified, a voluntary action plan was put into place, and all staff were re-educated on infection control and medication administration practices. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have found the hospital to be in compliance with requirements based upon accreditation by the Joint Commission." There's been no shortage of bad publicity for the state Legislature over the past couple of years, and the state Senate Republican conference has certainly not been an exception. The conviction of former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on corruption charges put a stain on the entire group of lawmakers who supported him. That means voters should enter this election season with a healthy dose of skepticism for any incumbents seeking re-election, and that most certainly should include state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford. Seward's been in Albany since 1986, so the need for a fresh perspective for his 51st Senate District is real. A pledge to provide that new viewpoint and help turn around Albany's corruption culture has been the driving force behind the campaign of Seward's opponent, Jermaine Bagnall-Graham, a Democrat from Chenango County. Bagnall-Graham is effective when he speaks on some of the big-picture issues facing state government, but his candidacy's limitations become apparent when he's asked to speak on more specific topics, especially when it comes to Cayuga County. Like some well-intentioned but ultimately unqualified candidates we've seen for state office in the past, Bagnall-Graham begins to talk far too much in vague generalities when asked about issues like Owasco Lake's water quality issues or safety concerns in prisons. Seward, on the other hand, has a firm grasp on the challenges his Cayuga County constituents face. He's had portions of the county in his district twice during his long Senate career, and that experience has helped him help local leaders in securing funding for the lake, rural school districts in southern Cayuga County and the Fillmore Glen State Park in Moravia, among others. Seward also has the rights ideas for education policy. Unlike Bagnall-Graham, who wants to completely scrap the Common Core standards for public schools, Seward supports the effort to fix the flawed implementation so that the important concept of elevating student performance is preserved. Seward also sees the obstacles that remain in place in New York state for economic growth upstate, favoring a broad-based strategy of continuing to chip away at burdensome taxes and reducing costly regulations. And Seward also agrees that more ethics reforms are needed in Albany, including pension forfeiture for public officials convicted of corruption and increased transparency for the campaign finance system. On the whole, despite a strong inclination to recommend against returning incumbents to Albany, we must look at how prepared each candidate is to represent constituents in state government. Seward's advantage in this regard is clear, and it's the reason we endorse him for the state Senate 51st District. Gasgoo.com (Shanghai June 25) - In a report appearing on the Securities Journal this week, FAW-Toyota President Jiang Jun stated that Toyota's localization progress is still lagging, with its domestic production plan behind those of its competitors. The brand has yet to achieve its goal of ten percent market share in the Chinese automobile market, which it first announced a decade ago. Many in the industry worry about internal competition between FAW Toyota's 11th Generation Corolla and Guangqi Toyota's Levin. Mr. Jiang denied allegations that the two models are competitive, stating that internal competition is harmful to a brand's image. He stated that he believed the Corolla would help raise the Levin's image, allowing it to compete with rivals such as the VW Sagitar and Nissan Bluebird Sylphy. Comments from other Chinese officials from Toyota echoed Mr. Jiang's sentiments. Despite this, ever since the two models launch at April's Beijing Auto Expo, the media has been afloat with rumors of internal competition. the 11th Generation Corolla, released by FAW Toyota, is based on the European Corolla, while the Levin, released by Guangqi Toyota, is based on the Corolla sold in the US. The two models were designed by the same designer, targeted at the same demographic, boast identical dimensions as well as remarkably similar specifications and price tags. Commenting on the discrepancies, designer Shinichi Yasui stated that the next generation Corolla is aimed towards customers looking for advanced technological features, while the Levin boasts a much more sporty feel. That said, it is hard to deny how similar the two models seem to the average consumer. Exactly what is Toyota's plan? Some believe the manufacturer is mimicking a similar strategy done by competitor VW, who used the differences in location, sales method, market positioning and other aspects between its two Chinese joint ventures to ensure that similar models could both achieve strong sales results. According to reports, many parties in Toyota's Chinese operations are unhappy with the plan. One representative from FAW Toyota was quoted as saying that Toyota is in danger of causing internal competition between its two JV enterprises. Increasing localization rates may prove to be an ace up Toyota's sleeves. According to reports, China is the only market where an 8-speed continuously variable transmission is available for the Corolla, models in all other countries only come equipped with 7-speed gearboxes. The 8-speed gearbox is currently only manufactured in Changshu, Jiangsu. Meanwhile, the Corolla's dual VVT-I engine is also manufactured domestically at Toyota's plant in Tianjin. Mr. Yasui states that the fact that its core components are domestically produced allows for this generation of Corollas' price tag to be over 10,000 RMB ($1,623) cheaper than previous generations. Toyota ultimately aims for 90 percent of the Corolla to be domestically manufactured. At the same time, it is aiming to raise domestic production rates for its Crown, RAV4, Vios and other models. By comparison, due to technological and sales factors, the Prius, Prado, Land Cruiser and other models will continue to rely on primarily imported parts. Mr. Jiang believes that this is an impediment to the manufacturer's further growth in the country, as it has been unable to reduce the prices of these models. Toyota's global automobile sales in 2013 totaled 9.98 million units, 250,000 units more than rival VW. However, Toyota's automobile sales in China for the year were just a mere 917,500 units, compared to a whopping 3.27 million units sold by VW in the country. Following its entry in China in 2002, Toyota's market share gradually increased to a high of 9.5 percent in 2008. Since then, however, that figure has been dropping. Toyota hopes that its plan to release 15 new models in the country by 2017 will reverse this tide and put it back on the track to become a top three manufacturer in the country. The manufacturer hopes to increase its annual sales volume to two million vehicles by that time. By Chris Devonshire-Ellis Chinese outbound direct investment (ODI) is becoming a hot topic as politicians seek to attract Chinese money and investment into their countries, hoping to spur employment and create jobs. In particular, banks, law firms, advisors and auditors are all chasing Chinese ODI, with many firms positioning themselves to list Chinese companies on capital markets and possibly generate substantial fees. Yet the realities of Chinese ODI flows is not as openly depicted in the Western media or even on Wall Street. According to Chinas National Statistics Bureau, in 2015, total ODI was US$207 billion in terms of contractual value, with US$118 billion being actualized. Hong Kong received the most Chinese ODI, with Latin America a distant second, with offshore financial centers closely following. The EU and the U.S. fall fourth and sixth on the list, respectively. Moreover, in 2015, Chinese ODI was greater than foreign investment in China for the first time. There are some surprising elements to these figures, not least of which is the relatively small amount of ODI received by the U.S. just four percent. By contrast, Latin America received US$14 billion nearly three times as much. Although many will point to the huge amount being received by Hong Kong as proof that the U.S. is receiving Chinese investment dollars from repackaged offshore investment entities, such as BVI and Caymans incorporations, and while this may be partially true, there is a limit as to how much of this is actually destined for the U.S. Much will often be in the form of Chinese and foreign investment capital, packaged together with equity holdings determined in the Caymans or BVI or other similar offshore investment structures. The truth is, the value of the money being repackaged from Chinese ODI into Hong Kong and then departing Hong Kong cannot be verified. What is known, however, is that much of this will be round-tripping by mainland Chinese investors using Hong Kong as an investment base to obtain preferential tax treatments available under the China-Hong Kong CEPA agreement. Whatever the truth, the reality is that the U.S. is not a priority destination for Chinese ODI. China is ruled by policy laid down by the Chinese Communist Party, and to understand where the money flows to, one needs to follow Chinese policy. It is quite clear in my view that China has a very well defined overseas direct investment policy, and that it is not geared towards the U.S. in any way. Instead, it is geared at securing commodities, food and energy resources, in addition to securing future trade routes. When taken in this context, Chinas ODI into Latin America and Africa make more sense. The Africa picture was explained in my recent book, Chinas New Economic Silk Road, where I identify Chinas search for African oil in Angola, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the development of the Trans-African Railway (paid for by China) in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan. The Nairobi-Mombassa route is currently being constructed and will be operational by 2018. According to Kevin P. Gallagher, an Associate Professor of International Relations at Boston University and a Senior Researcher at the Global Development Institute at Tufts University, about 96.7 percent of ODI into Latin America is done via the Cayman Islands and BVI. This means that Hong Kong is indeed repackaging Chinese money into structures. This will often be with other foreign investors (including U.S.) as China looks to marry up its finance with more regional expertise. Both Africa and Latin America are receiving investment from China as it looks to secure energy and commodities, and the Chinese are quite prepared to build infrastructure to accommodate this. Teams of Chinese companies and engineers are currently building roads, rail ports and other infrastructure on a global scale. I highlighted this trend back in 2013 in the article, China, the Great Infrastructure Developer. The pace of this has only increased and intensified since then. In terms of the bigger picture moving forward, it is quite clear that China is committed to its Silk Road project and to utilizing existing institutional structures it has already put in place. Of these, one of the most important is the Shanghai Co-Operation Organization (SCO), an entity that includes China, Russia, and India, as well as much of Central Asia as members. These three countries also make up the largest shareholders in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a US$50 billion capitalized entity. China has also established a de facto BRICS bank, the New Development Bank, with the same three core members, with the addition of Brazil and South Africa, with US$50 billion. These moves provide a clear indication of Chinas ODI policy infrastructure investment into Eurasia and the securing of commodities in the region as well as in Latin America and Africa. The key to this is going to be infrastructure developments linking the continent together; bringing China, India and Russia together, as well as the neighboring countries in Central and South East Asia. Europe will benefit to some extent as it is on the same land mass. It is also seen as a potential investment partner. Much of Western Europe is already wealthy and stands to gain from investing into the greater flow of trade and services that improved Eurasian infrastructure. China, as we have seen, is also building infrastructure in Latin and Central America. The recent Panama Canal upgrade was financed with Chinese money. In fact, if there is one country that is being specifically excluded from these developments, one may even suggest isolated, it is the U.S. This pivot by China to developing Eurasia has additionally been underlined by the announcement last Friday by Chinas Ministry of Commerce that proposes a Free Trade Area encompassing all the members of the SCO, a suggestion that Russia has suggested expanding to include the Eurasian Economic Union and ASEAN. ASEAN overtook China in the amount of FDI it received back in 2013, and Indias GDP growth rate overtook that of Chinas last year. This combination of huge markets, high growth rates and latent potential are proving more practical and politically attractive than Chinese money supporting American jobs and companies. From these developments, which are being instigated and pushed forward as a matter of Chinese state policy and investment, it is clear where Chinese ODI flows will be heading. It also means that American hopes of Chinese investment entering the United States, investing in factories and creating new jobs is going to remain a pipe dream. Some will happen, but I cannot see much of an increase, if any, from the current level. Much of U.S.-bound ODI has been largely based on property acquisitions, which does not create jobs, and there is only so much American property that Chinese nationals will invest in. Chinese companies looking to sell to the U.S. may well seek listings, but these are unlikely to be as numerous as Wall Street imagines. Tom Chang, CEO of the East-West Bank told me two days ago that Chinas ODI was expected to rise to US$350 billion annually by 2025, making China the worlds second largest overseas investor. It is this figure that is exciting Wall Street. However, the reality is that China has already indicated where this money is to be directed, and the U.S. is not going to be a large recipient. Future trade and investment flows from Chinese ODI will instead be as follows: The China-India Trade Corridor The China-ASEAN Trade Corridor The China-Russia Trade Corridor The China-Central Asia Trade Corridor The China-Middle East Trade Corridor The China-Latin America Trade Corridor The China-Africa Trade Corridor Businesses strategically positioning themselves in these areas will benefit. In my book, I questioned some of the rhetoric used by China and advised caution against hyperbole. I also identified potential problems as well as potential opportunities. Yet amongst the caution expressed, I suggested that indications as to Chinas real ambitions and intentions for the development of Eurasia could be flagged, which would suggest that China is serious about the areas as a recipient of its ODI. A few key development markers were the following: Iran and India join the SCO; Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union commence tax reforms; China expands its DTA to include services; China and the Philippines agree to disagree over the South China Sea; India signs an FTA with the Eurasian Economic Union; and China signs an FTA with the Eurasian Economic Union. Of these markers, twelve months on, the first four have all occurred while both China and India have commenced negotiations concerning an FTA with the Eurasian Economic Union. Other markers, such as the EU dropping sanctions against Russia, and China agreeing to a deal with the European Union, are yet to happen. However, I believe that the message is clear Chinas ODI is going into Eurasia, new trade corridors are beginning to emerge, and businesses globally need to adapt to the idea of Eurasia becoming a new investment and development hub, and position themselves accordingly. Chris Devonshire-Ellis is the Chairman of Dezan Shira & Associates in Asia, and a consultant to Russia Consulting in Moscow. He is able to advise on all matters of Chinese expansion and development into Asia. Dezan Shira & Associates are a multi-disciplinary practice advising foreign investors throughout Asia, and have offices throughout China, Hong Kong, India, and ASEAN. Please contact the firm at asia@dezshira.com or visit www.dezshira.com. Chinas New Economic Silk Road: The Great Eurasian Game & The String of Pearls This unique and currently only available study into the proposed Silk Road Economic Belt examines the institutional, financial and infrastructure projects that are currently underway and in the planning stage across the entire region. Covering over 60 countries, this book explores the regional reforms, potential problems, opportunities and longer term impact that the Silk Road will have upon Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. Establishing & Operating a Business in China 2016 Establishing & Operating a Business in China 2016, produced in collaboration with the experts at Dezan Shira & Associates, explores the establishment procedures and related considerations of the Representative Office (RO), and two types of Limited Liability Companies: the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise (WFOE) and the Sino-foreign Joint Venture (JV). The guide also includes issues specific to Hong Kong and Singapore holding companies, and details how foreign investors can close a foreign-invested enterprise smoothly in China. An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2016 An Introduction to Doing Business in ASEAN 2016 introduces the fundamentals of investing in the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, concentrating on economics, trade, corporate establishment and taxation. We also include the latest development news in our Important Updates section for each country, with the intent to provide an executive assessment of the varying component parts of ASEAN, assessing each member state and providing the most up-to-date economic and demographic data on each. Additional research and commentary on ASEANs relationships with China, India and Australia is also provided. A three-day international conference on underwater archaeology started Monday in Egypt's Alexandria, a city famous for its rich underwater antiquities. The Alexandria International Conference on Maritime and Underwater Archaeology, jointly held by the Library of Alexandria and the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, is expected to discuss multiple topics including recent archaeological findings in Egypt and ancient shipbuilding. "Alexandria and its surrounding waters host the remains of the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion, so this conference represents a quest for bringing back to life the glorious history of the city," said Dr. Ismail Serageldin, the director of the Library of Alexandria. Among the 25 scientists and archaeologists attending the conference is the French archaeologist Franck Goddio, renowned as the discoverer of Thonis-Heracleion. In 2000, Goddio's team discovered the submerged ancient city of Thonis-Heracleion, the main trading port for Egypt before the 4th century BC at the Abu Qir Bay, some 25 km northeast of the city center of Alexandria. Since the discovery of the Hellenistic port city, waters off Alexandria have become an amphitheater of world's leading underwater archaeological missions and a test site for advanced underwater survey and mapping technologies. Feng Lili, the widow of UK-born sculptor Anthony Stones who died earlier this year at the age of 82, recalls her husband once telling her that he would rather people remember the statues he made more than his own face. A young visitor walks among sculptures by Anthony Stones at the show Between China and West at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. Jiang Dong / China Daily Months after his death in Beijing, an ongoing retrospective exhibition opened on Saturday at the capital's National Art Museum of China, reviewing his career as a sculptor and painter, as well as his close connections with China, where he lived for more than 15 years. Titled Between China and West, the exhibition displays more than 200 sculptures and paintings. It shows the mark Stones left in continuing with the classical traditions of Western sculpture, and his creativity in painting and set design that gives viewers a glimpse of his broad vision of the art forms. Feng donated a bulk of the exhibits to the museum. "I was with him when he worked," Feng says. "He used various material for his sculptures and painted with both hands whether it was oil, watercolor or ink." His experiences also reflected in his art. "Nothing can be a better memory of him than this exhibition," she adds. Wu Weishan, the museum director, says the exhibition traces two periods in Stones' artistic development - before 1984, when he first visited China, and after that when his exchanges with Chinese art circles increased, benefiting artists, especially the country's art students. Born in England, Stones moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was 18. He moved back to Britain at age 49. While continuing to be an active artist, he presided over the Society of Portrait Sculptors in Winchester from 1999 to 2004. He was also a member of the Royal Society of Arts in London. Wu says Stones' humanistic approach and classical style were inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. His works are also highly expressive, revealing an influence of French sculptor Auguste Rodin and other movements in modern sculpture. Stones portrayed figures of critics, actors, writers, scientists and philosophers. He also sculpted the characters in theater plays of old masters such as William Shakespeare. "He paid a tribute to those bracing for pure ideals," Wu says. "With his portraits of ordinary people like laborers, including the many he made in China, Stones communicated with the world in a peaceful manner." Stones first came to China on an invitation from New Zealand-born writer Rewi Alley. The visit ignited his interest in Chinese society. He painted a lot of social scenes he saw in the streets. He traveled frequently to China after the 1990s, giving lectures at universities across the country and researching Chinese culture. In 2010, he collaborated with the Shenyang Normal University, in the northeastern Liaoning province, to establish an international sculpture academy named after him. He gave lessons to graduate and postgraduate students, and organized international forums. He didn't come to China to teach people how to replace Eastern art with Western art, says Feng. "He hoped his students in Shenyang would combine Western traditions of sculpture with Chinese history and culture, and create works of an Asian nature." Li Tongtong, a teacher at the Stones International Sculpture Academy, says, "Stones often said in class that Michelangelo is watching over us. Now, I will tell my class that Stones is watching us, too." If you go 9 am-5 pm, Mondays closed, through Nov 6. 1 Wusi Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476. China's organization and management of its rural economy has come a long way, and it is still growing. The people's commune system of the late 1950s was replaced by the household responsibility system (HRS) in the early 1980s and now the seeds of a new system are being sown. Formally a grey area, farmers are now officially allowed to transfer their land rights to individuals or conglomerates, which will not only make use of idle land but will also help catapult farming into the modern age, one with greater returns and higher incomes for those that work or lease the land. Guidelines issued Sunday called for the separation of farmland ownership rights, contract rights, and operating rights, which allows farmers to retain the rights to their allotted land if they choose to lease the land out to others. The question of how to efficiently exploit farmland remains a pressing issue in the world's most populous country, where food security and the well-being of rural residents are high priorities. Liu Wenyu, 56, from the southwestern province of Sichuan, was one of the first farmers to transfer her land. In the late 2000s, Liu transferred 6 mu (0.4 hectares) of land to an orchard. For this she receives 1,100 yuan (around 164 U.S. dollars) in rent annually, and a daily wage of 60 yuan as an employee of the orchard. Her story is in no way unique. As the country becomes increasingly urbanized, lots of rural residents migrate to cities, leaving their farmland unattended. There has been growing demand from rural residents to be able to officially transfer their idle farmland. To improve the lives of its millions of rural residents, many Chinese villages, like Liu's, already allow people to transfer their land to companies in return for a fee. Li Guoxiang, researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, hailed this development as the biggest change in the rural economy since the HRS, saying that Sunday's guidelines will help standardize the practice as a whole. HRS allowed rural households to lease land for independent operation. After paying a fixed fee to the government, they could dispose of surplus production to the market. While this was the correct move at the time, the times have changed and demand for large-scale and professional farming has exploded in recent years. "The separation of ownership rights, contract rights, and operating rights will improve land circulation, increase farmers' incomes, and help modernize agriculture," Li said. Businessman Huang Yuanchao is another beneficiary of rural land transfers. After living in Toronto, Canada, for a handful of years in the early 2000s, Huang returned to his hometown in Tianmen in the central province of Hubei, to start a raspberry farm in 2007. His company, Hubei Gold Berry S&T Development Co., pays villagers about 850 yuan per mu for use of their land in five nearby villages, and employs hundreds of farmers as seasonal workers with a daily wage of 50 yuan. Occupying more than 2,000 mu, Huang's farm is now among the country's largest raspberry farm, and boasts an annual output of around 1,000 tonnes. Huang welcomed the separation of the three rights, but hoped that more specific policies would follow. He said that he often finds it hard to secure loans to support production expansion, adding that this was an area that needed attention. Sunday's guidelines boosted his confidence, Huang said, adding that he hoped that banks would allow investors like him to use the land transferred to them as collateral for loans. The separation of the three rights means that the operating rights will now be of equal importance as the other two rights, a big step in protecting the interests of farmland operators like Huang, said Li Guoxiang. "I expect more specific policies in the pipeline that will benefit the companies using the transferred land," Li noted. You are here: Home Chinese President Xi Jinping called for solid implementation of reform measures at a high-level meeting on Tuesday. Xi asked officials to comprehensively follow the communique released after the sixth plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and unwaveringly carry out reform policies. The remarks were made at the 29th meeting of the central leading group for deepening overall reform, which Xi heads. In addition, guidelines and plans on green agriculture, environmental protection, new circuit courts and construction of personal credit system were approved at the meeting. Relations between India and China, which have taken a hit in recent months, are not showing signs of improvement. Any hope that the 8th BRICS summit - in Goa on October 15-16 - would see the ties mending and the Asian giants striving for greater cohesion in multilateral forums was dashed to the ground. In no small measure this failure to revive any warmth in bilateral relations - be it at the G20 Summit in Hangzhou, the East Asia Summit in Laos or BRICS in Goa - may be attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's single-point agenda to "isolate" Pakistan as the "mothership" of terrorism. Far from isolating Pakistan, the campaign has only embarrassed the India at home and abroad. The negative outcome of this campaign, with the U.S., Russia and the U.K. along with China rejecting New Delhi's case against Islamabad, shows that the Indian government miscalculated. The campaign also painted China as "Pakistan's friend" that held out against the attempt to "isolate" Pakistan. This aspect of the campaign was latched onto by other political parties and influenced public sentiment to the extent that Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now under pressure to confront China for its alleged support to Pakistan. The anti-China mood in India today is such that, even without any explicit official sanction, the clamor for boycott of Chinese goods is spreading. The politics of this drive to boycott Chinese goods do not make economic or diplomatic sense. A boycott would hit Indian traders and importers more than it would hurt China. Many of the goods imported from China are being sold as "Made in India" because traders fear the wrath of those rooting for a boycott and are anxious to offload the large stocks of Chinese goods imported over the months. As the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement, the boycott will not have much impact on China as India accounted for a mere 2 percent of all Chinese exports in 2015 (amounting to US$2276.5 billion). The greater concern is the boycott's negative impact on Chinese investments in India and bilateral cooperation. In diplomatic terms, it does not make sense to let ties worsen because of differences over India's entry into NSG, Beijing's attempts to block a UN ban on JeM Chief Masood Azhar and China's bond with Pakistan. As much as China, the U.S., Russia and the U.K. have refused to line up behind India against Pakistan. To persist with such a campaign to "hurt" China and Pakistan would also hurt India and its standing in the eyes of the world. The tensions between India and China are, doubtless, heightened by New Delhi moving closer to Washington. One way to address that concern is for India to deal with China as the U.S. does - and not as the U.S. asks India to do. U.S.-China ties are instructive on how to maintain ties even in critical times. Neither Washington nor Beijing allows a setback to their interests or strategic goals upset the balance of their economic, political and diplomatic relations. Consider, for instance, the South China Sea issue. Beijing has got the better of Washington for now with the Philippines jettisoning the U.S. and joining hands with China. Although the U.S. has lost face in its tussle with China - while India has suffered no loss of face whatsoever in its dealings with China - the U.S. is not ranting or breathing fire against China. To the contrary, U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus says: "We Americans have an obligation to come to China, to learn more about China. Why? Because with each passing day, it's going to be more and more in our future." In an interview to National Public Radio (NPR) of the U.S., Baucus said that to avoid conflict, Chinese and Americans both need to think more deeply and creatively about their relationship. That means becoming more familiar with each other. The greater the setback, the stronger is the case for knowing each other better and talking more. That's how Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee dealt with Pakistan and terrorism from its soil. That is exactly what Washington does in its relations with Beijing. Sino-Indian relations call for such statesmanship where both sides recognize that mutual interests outweigh differences. The talks this week between the National Security Advisors of India and China could be an opportunity for moving in that direction. The author is an independent New Delhi-based journalist writing on global affairs for Indian, Chinese and international media. He worked as senior editor and writer with leading dailies in India and China, including The Times of India, The Tribune, China Daily and Global Times. He can be reached at: shastriji@hotmail.com For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/ShastriRamachandaran.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. Flash Syrian government troops have recaptured some areas fallen recently to rebels in the northern city of Aleppo, official al-Thawra newspaper reported on Monday. Late Sunday, government forces regained full control of the town of Menyan, which was taken by rebels a day earlier, in the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo, al-Thawra said, citing a military source. The Syrian army also laid siege on rebels in the Assad suburb area, which was infiltrated on Friday by rebels during a major offensive on government forces' positions in Aleppo. The broad rebel offensive aims to break the government forces' siege on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. Over the past three days, Aleppo has witnessed the most intense military showdown since the conflict reached Aleppo four years ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. All kinds of weapons were reportedly used by rebels in their attack, including poisonous gas, believed to be chlorine, against government forces in the Assad suburb. Rebels also fired Grad missiles and hundreds of mortar shells on government-controlled part of Aleppo. The wide-scale rebel offensive and the intensified shelling have pushed the United Nations special envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to express his "shock" over the shelling. In a statement on Sunday, Mistura said there were "documented reports cited from field sources" indicating the falling of tens of civilian victims in government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, including children. The Syrian army has laid siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels mostly ignored the repeated requests for them to leave. Last week, a three-day truce, declared by the government to help facilitate the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with only a few civilians and rebels making it across the designated "exit routes." The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, as well as rebel fighters from leaving. Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. Flash Iraqi security forces on Monday advanced closer to the fringes of the city of Mosul in the latest push to drive out Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Iraq. Iraq's counter-terrorism forces assemble to launch attacks on the city of Mosul in Bazwaia town, on the eastern outskirts of Mosul, Iraq, on Oct. 31, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] After several hours of fierce fighting, the troops recaptured the villages of Bazwaya, Tubriq and Tahrawa, and are now just three km from the outskirts of Mosul, a source from the Joint Operations Command told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Earlier in the day, a military statement said the Iraqi army and counter-terrorism forces started the operation at 6:30 a.m. (0330 GMT), advancing in three routes toward the eastern side of the Tigris River, which bisects the city. The Iraqi army has unleashed artillery and mortar fire on IS positions in the industrial area outside Mosul, as Iraqi and allied aircraft pound IS positions inside and outside the city, the source said. During the past two weeks, Iraqi security forces had inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul, and were making progress on other routes around the city, preparing for a major battle to storm the city and drive out IS militants. On Oct. 17, Abadi announced the start of a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled. Flash China and Belgium agreed on Monday to expand cooperation in such areas as investment, new energy and in the Belt and Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 31, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] In his meeting with visiting Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on both sides to properly handle issues regarding respective core interests and major concerns, and expand cooperation in such key areas as manufacturing, new energy, environmental protection and services. The two countries should explore cooperation in high-end technology and industries with high added value, Xi said, urging Belgium to take opportunities provided by the Belt and Road Initiative to boost development of the China-Europe and Asia-Europe logistics industry and cross-border e-commerce. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes. "China appreciates and welcomes Belgium's willingness to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and wishes that Belgium becomes an AIIB member country as soon as possible," Xi said. Xi said that he hoped Belgium would urge the European Union to fulfill its obligations under Article 15 of the Protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in due time. WTO obligations require that the EU ends its "surrogate country system" by Dec. 11, 2016, under which costs of production in a third country are used to calculate the value of products from non-market economies. Michel is on an official visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday, as the two countries celebrate the 45th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. He recalled Xi's state visit to Belgium in 2014 and Belgian King Philippe's return visit last year, vowing to cement cooperation with China in diversified areas, including investment, innovation, aviation, new energy and infrastructure. Belgium is committed to boosting EU-China ties featuring mutual trust and mutual benefit, he added. The two countries signed a series of cooperation agreements on Monday afternoon including two treaties on extradition and criminal transfer, and a letter of intent on opening flights between Shanghai and Brussels. In the talks with Michel, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged Brussels to relax restrictions on high-tech exports to China, and called for stronger bilateral cooperation in technological innovation, advanced manufacturing and security. He hoped Belgium would promote China-EU negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement and a feasibility study on a China-EU Free Trade Area, to send a signal to jointly fight against trade protectionism and boost stable growth of two-way trade. Michel said that Belgium will stick to free trade and is committed to expanding cooperation with China in areas including agriculture, information and communication, finance and insurance. Brussels is ready to deal with issues related to the EU's WTO obligations in a positive and pragmatic manner, Michel said, vowing to facilitate negotiations on the EU-China investment agreement. China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang also met with Michel, earlier on Monday. Zhang said the Chinese National People's Congress hopes to beef up exchanges and cooperation with the Belgian federal parliament, enhance dialogues on issues such as democracy, rule of law and ecological conservation, and ratify agreements on judicial cooperation. Pledging to enhance cooperation with China in politics, diplomacy, economy and culture, Michel said that his China trip would help to strengthen bilateral trust and friendship. Flash The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that it will try to reach a quick conclusion of the latest probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's emails. Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik assured Congress in a letter that his department "will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resource and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible." The pledge came after FBI director James Comey said Friday new evidences relating to Clinton's private email server are being assessed. Comey's announcement drew criticism from Democrats who accused him of not following the tradition of keeping investigations from the public's sight 60 days before presidential elections. The White House defended Comey Monday, with press secretary Josh Earnest saying President Barack Obama does not believe that Comey was intentionally trying to sway the election. Clinton on Monday played down the damage of the probe, telling a rally in the swing state of Ohio that "there's no case here" and that she's confident no charges will be made. Seizing on the investigation, Republican candidate Donald Trump warned Monday that if Clinton were to be elected, the country would face a "constitutional crisis." Benefitting from the email controversy, Trump narrowed the gap with Clinton by gaining 2.4 percent in the polls over the weekend, according to an average of major polls calculated by RealClearPolitics. Flash Six members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will announce 38 "pragmatic measures" to boost cooperation in areas like transport and infrastructure, senior diplomats said on Monday. The agreements are one highlight of an eight-day trip in which Premier Li Keqiang will visit Kyrgyzstan, Latvia and Russia. The measures are expected to be signed during Li's first stop, in Kyrgyzstan, Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai told a news conference. Li Keqiang is to attend the 15th meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of Government on Wednesday and Thursday in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, according to Li Huilai. Chen Fengying, a researcher at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said these measures will help promote collaboration within the SCO and enhance China's economic and security cooperation in a key region for the Belt and Road Initiative. The SCO, originally built around security issues, provides a way for China to cooperate with Russia and five Central Asian neighbors in areas like fighting terrorism, especially after the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan was attacked in August. The region's nations also show a strong inclination to link their national strategies with China's Belt and Road Initiative, Li Huilai added. The premier is then expected to attend the 5th Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Riga, capital of Latvia. The premier is expected to sign agreements with Latvia to link the Belt and Road Initiative with Latvia's strategic development and boost cooperation in trade, education and people-to-people exchanges, Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing said. After that, Li Keqiang will fly to St Petersburg to join Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for the 21st Regular Meeting between Chinese and Russian Prime Ministers. Agreements will be signed between the two countries to expand achievements in strategic areas such as energy, high-speed railways and civil aviation development. Central and Eastern Europe is a key linkage region for the Belt and Road Initiative and an essential part of China-EU ties, said Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies. China can promote cooperation in energy, connectivity and infrastructure with these countries, he said. "China's cooperation with SCO and CEE countries have produced fruitful results and both sides should take Li's visit as a new chance to help reinforce partnerships that boost global peace and economic recovery," Ruan said. Flash The Israeli government on Monday asked the country's Supreme Court to postpone a court-ordered evacuation of an unauthorized Jewish outpost in the West Bank. In its request, the state asked the court to extend the deadline for the evacuation of the Amona outpost in seven months. In 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that Amona was illegally built on private Palestinian land and must be demolished by Dec. 25, 2016. Pro-settler lawmakers in the right-wing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been pressing hard to find a legal loophole that will retroactively legalize the outpost. However, Israel's attorney general said such a move would be unconstitutional. The new request was condemned by Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group which represents the Palestinian landowners who petitioned the High Court in order to evacuate Amona. "The request for a deferral is an insult to the rule of law," a spokesperson for the group said in a statement. The group called on the court to enforce the law and "return the lands in question to its rightful owners, residents of the Palestinian communities of Silwad, Taybeh and Ein Yabrud." Amona, located east of the city of Ramallah, is the largest among the so-called "illegal outposts," communities built by far-right Israelis without permits from the government. There are about 100 unauthorized outposts and 120 settlements that Israel considered as legal. Both outposts and settlements are illegal under international law as they were built on lands occupied by Israel in the 1967 Mideast War. You are here: Home Flash At least 20 people were killed and several others injured on Monday in a road accident in Parana, Brazil, local media reported. Image provided by Ipora's Road Police shows a bus and a truck on fire at the site of a major road accident on a highway in the state of Parana, Brazil, on Oct. 31, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] A bus collided head-on with a truck on the PR-323 highway in Cafezal do Sol, killing 19 people on the spot. Another passenger, a girl who was injured in the crash, died on the way to the hospital, the Fire Department said. The bus carried 30 passengers, some of them patients at a local hospital, when the crash happened, according to local reports. Flash British Ministry of Defense (MOD) on Monday confirmed with Xinhua that the country's new military base mainly financed by Bahrain in the Gulf nation is going to be launched next month. The overall construction of the new base, with a total investment of around 30 million pounds, is going to be wrapped up next year but it is expected to run operational in November as its major buildings will be opened up, an MOD spokesman told Xinhua. He said that the two sides are still working through the use of the new military base. But British media have earlier reported that the military base, of which construction started one years ago, will be used to help fight extremists in the region and protect ships transporting oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz. The MOD spokesman said a maximum of 600 military personnel will be housed up in the base but normal operation personnel number will be around 250. He called the new base a "gift" from the Bahrain but confirmed that Britain will also pay for part of the facility. The latest move is part of Britain's push to enhance its economic and military ties with the Middle East region where it was joining repeated air raids in Syria. British Defense Minister Michael Fallon was quoted by media as saying when the construction of the base will enable Britain to send more and larger ships to reinforce stability in the Gulf region. LIMA - The cooperation between China and Latin America aims for win-win results and shared prosperity, said a Peruvian economist and a local business leader on Monday. In an interview with Xinhua, Jorge Arias, a scholar on economics, said "any cooperation project between economies is a noble project...as it seeks peace, co-existence and shared prosperity." Speaking of the direction of future cooperation between China and Latin America, Arias said Latin American countries should introduce more Chinese investments to promote their industrial diversification. Peruvian entrepreneur German Guillen is also optimistic about China-Latin America partnership, as the Chinese government has called for "deepening and intensifying ties (with Latin America) in recent decades." "This has been manifested by an increase in bilateral trade and the opening up of markets, boosted by free trade agreements," he noted. Bilateral ties have been further boosted by the China-CELAC Cooperation Plan (2015-2019), which was adopted at the first ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum held in Beijing in January 2015. The plan, highlighting inclusive growth, sustainable development, reduction of social inequality and diversification of production, called on China to increase investment in the region to $250 billion over the next decade. "Ties have been boosted, especially in this century, by the three engines (trade, investment and financial cooperation) with focus on the fields of energy, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, science and technology and ICT," said Arias. He added that despite some political changes in the region, Latin American countries have always underlined their ties with China in hopes of providing more opportunities and better welfare for their citizens. "For Peru, the visit to China in September by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and the upcoming APEC meeting are very important," said Arias. The Peruvian government signed a collaboration agreement with China Eastern Airlines on Oct 25. Arias hailed this agreement as a step forward for China-Peru exchanges, as it is expected to bring more Peruvian goods to the lucrative Chinese market. An illustration of Chinese yuan and US dollar. [Photo/Agencies] Insurance companies' shares fell in Hong Kong on Monday, after mainland's biggest bank card provider Unionpay tightened up on payments for Hong Kong insurance products over the weekend. Major players AIA Group Ltd and Prudential Plc fell 4.77 percent and 2.8 percent respectively in Hong Kong at the close of trading on Monday. On Oct 28, a story saying Unionpay International would suspend all insurance payment access in Hong Kong made a splash in mainland media and many mainlanders rushed to the SAR to catch the last opportunitysome even by plane. A Hong Kong insurance agent surnamed Yip told China Daily that a client who was considering signing an insurance policy immediately went to Hong Kong to make the deal on Friday night after hearing the news. The client swiped his Unionpay card over 300 times to finish the payment for his life insurance, Yip said. UnionPay in February capped overseas insurance product purchases at $5,000 per payment. He said almost all clients choose to swipe the Unionpay card for the first payment, which is usually a large amount, but now most insurance agencies in Hong Kong have suspended the payment method, so he worried many of his "big clients" would quit after "the most convenient payment method had disappeared". An agent in Hong Kong for Prudential, a UK insurance company, confirmed payments of around 20,000 yuan ($2,940) for policies could still be made with the Unionpay card. Unionpay International denied on Saturday it had launched any new regulations, saying that payment with Unionpay for investment insurance product has always been forbidden, but it can be used to purchase travel, accident and disease policies. Unionpay said in a statement that it found that the transaction volume of some overseas insurance companies sharply increased recently, so it needed to reiterate its supervision regulations. The latest curbs will affect more than 20 percent of AIA's annualized new premiums, a gauge of new policy sales, in Hong Kong. They will reduce AIA's overall new business value, the projected profitability of new policies, by about 5 percent, China International Capital Corp was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. Compared with mainland products, Hong Kong's insurance policies offer higher returns, so they are popular among mainlanders, said Ju Lan, director of the Risk Management and Insurance Research Center at the Shenzhen-based HSBC Business School of Peking University. But she said the reason for the remarkable surge in mainland investors this year was the renminbi's depreciation. She said it becomes a method to avoid risks and allocate their assets globally because Hong Kong insurance are assets in Hong Kong dollars, while the yuan is expected to weaken further. Dentists from Jiamei Dental Group offer free oral checkups for children in Beijing. [Photo by Hu Xuebai/For China Daily] Jiamei Dental Group, the biggest privately owned chain of dental clinics in China, said it plans to expand in smaller cities and rural areas, and increase its efforts in growing online medical services, because it is bullish on the significant growth potential of the Chinese oral care market. The company, which has been operating for 23 years, has nearly 100 dental clinics nationwide. It intends to launch more in the next few years, following the government's latest healthcare reform, which has further relaxed restrictions on private capital entering the medical sector. "We plan to expand fast in smaller cities and rural areas and integrate some smaller clinics, as we hope to cover the large market gaps in those areas," said Liu Jia, founder and CEO of Jiamei. "We will send our dentists out and provide training to local doctors, and provide corporate clients and launch more long-distance medical services," Liu said. He added that the new policy was bringing a lot of benefits and freedom to private medical agencies. "Medical services in China are expected to become more market-oriented and the market is going to have a decisive effect on the development, layout and operation of the sector," Liu said. Jiamei, whose current profit margin is around 13 percent, said it believes it is poised to boost net profit margins to around 20 percent, as the government gives subsidies to private clinics. The group has seen decent sales performances in recent years, and has attracted a large number of customers through word of mouth, Liu said. In the next 15 years, the market scale of China's oral care market, including oral disease prevention, nursing and treatment, is expected to reach 500 billion yuan ($74 billion), according to a report released by Chinese toothpaste brand Saky. The rising middle class in China and their increasing awareness of oral care, in addition to their preferences for higher-quality products, are set to drive the sales growth of various oral care products. A construction worker talks on the phone in front of a 1Malaysia Development Berhad billboard at the Tun Razak Exchange development in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. [Photo/Reuters] China General Nuclear Power Corp, which bought embattled state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd's power assets for $2.3 billion this year, is considering listing the business as early as 2017, people with knowledge of the matter said. The State-owned company could raise as much as $400 million from a Malaysian initial public offering of Edra Global Energy Bhd, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the details are private. Edra Global, based in Kuala Lumpur, is the second biggest independent power producer in Malaysia, trailing only Malakoff Corp. It has 13 electricity projects with a total installed capacity of 6,620 megawatts across Malaysia, Egypt, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, according to CGN's website. A representative for CGN didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment. An Edra Global offering could help provide a boost to the Malaysian equity market after first-time share sales raised just $270 million this year, the lowest level for any comparable period since 2009, data compiled by Bloomberg show. The Southeast Asian nation forecasts its economy will expand as much as 5 percent in 2017, compared with 4 percent to 4.5 percent this year. Malaysian developer Eco World International Bhd said last week it plans to seek more than 2 billion ringgit ($476 million) in a domestic IPO. QSR Brands Bhd, which operates KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in Southeast Asia, is seeking bank pitches for a first-time share sale that could raise about $400 million, people with knowledge of the matter said last month. Plans for the listing of Edra Global are preliminary and details could change, the people said. CGN agreed last year to pay 9.83 billion ringgit to buy Edra Global from 1MDB, the Malaysian investment fund that is at the center of several international investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering. The transaction was completed earlier this year. BLOOMBERG A customer chooses products imported from Australia and New Zealand in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by Yu Fangping/For China Daily] China's quest for higher-quality food is taking a big swing to the south. In fact, 5,300 miles (8,500 kilometers) down to Tasmania, the dairy-hungry nation's newest source of fresh milk. Businessman Lu Xianfeng plans to begin early next year flying fresh milk to his home city of Ningbo, in eastern China, from the island state where he owns Australia's largest dairy operation. Lu's Moon Lake Investments Pty bought the 191-year-old Van Diemen's Land Co for A$280 million ($214 million) in March, giving him access to 25 dairy farms and enough milk to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool every nine days. A share of that will be flown to Ningbo every week, Sean Shwe, Moon Lake's managing director, said in Hobart, where the China-bound bulk deliveries will depart. While countries as far away as the Czech Republic and Chile sell milk to China, Moon Lake is counting on gaining an edge with milk from Tasmania's far northwest coast which boasts "the cleanest air in the world". The volume of milk shipments to the world's most-populous nation has jumped an average of 126 percent a year since 2010, creating a $333 million market dominated by the European Union, according to Chinese customs data. Chinese consumers, ruffled by past food scandals, see imported milk as a safer alternative to domestic supplies, the US Department of Agriculture said in May. Moon Lake has already forward-sold more than 15 million yuan ($2.2 million) of milk from its Van Diemen's Land dairies, which it calls VDL Farms. "This is an exciting venture for our company, VDL Farms and potentially for all Tasmanian producers of fresh, perishable produce such as seafood, fruit and vegetables," Shwe said in a statement. About 10 million liters of milk a year from VDL dairies will be trucked to Hobart for processing by Lion Dairy and packaged under the "VAN Milk" brand, a nod to the dairy operation's ties to Van Diemen's Land Co, according to the statement. Moon Lake is in advanced talks with airlines and airports to begin weekly round trips from Hobart to Ningbo starting in the first quarter of 2017, with a view to increasing the frequency to two-to-three times a week in a year, and adding Beijing as a destination, the company said. The new air freight route will mark the return of international departures from Hobart International Airport after a regular passenger service to Christchurch, New Zealand, was canceled in the 1980s. Initially, fresh milk will be sold in 1-liter and 600-millimeter cartons, with plans to add yogurt and other dairy products, Moon Lake said in the statement. "It is great for VDL and the Northwest Coast community as it moves the farms from ones that previously just produced milk and watched it leave through the farm gate, to ones that now produce a high-quality, value-added export product, giving them more security and certainty about prices," Shwe said. The milk exports will be a boost for Tasmania, Australia's smallest and least-populated state, where an unemployment rate of 6.5 percent lags the national rate of 5.6 percent, and its citizens are more dependent on welfare than in any other state. "VAN Milk" will represent the first sale to China of Tasmanian milk by a wholly owned Chinese company. Having direct stakes in food-producing companies gives Chinese firms an advantage over Australian competitors when it comes to selling into China, according to Michael Harvey, a senior dairy analyst with Rabobank International in Melbourne. "The advantage is being able to navigate some of the complexities in the market," he said. Milk from Down Under "is held in high regard, so there is a strategic priority in China to source the product from Australia", he said. After Germany, Australia is China's biggest supplier of liquid milk, including UHT products, shipping 61,184 metric tons of the product, worth A$62 million, last year, Chinese customs data showed. China's dairy farms are located mostly in the country's central and northern areas, where the climate is more suitable for raising cattle. Weak cold chain logistics have made it difficult to ensure the milk's freshness when it reaches major markets in northeastern and southern China. On top of that, the discovery of contaminants from melamine to mercury have made Chinese consumers wary of the local product. That's slowed the increase in milk consumption in China, which averages about 33 kilograms per person a yearless than a third of the global mean, according to the USDA, which said in May that "milk consumption has plenty of growth potential". Moon Lake said it plans to increase milk production at its VDL Farms by 80 percent within five years. VDL currently produces 7.66 million kilograms of milk solids a year from about 30,000 cows, which graze on 7,000 hectares. Once "VAN Milk" is established in Ningbo and Beijing, Moon Lake wants to take it to Shanghai, Hangzhou and other Chinese cities. Moon Lake's owner Lu, 46, is also executive chairman and the largest shareholder of Ningbo Xianfeng New Material Co, a builder of sunscreen fabrics and shades. "We've chosen Beijing and Ningbo for the initial marketing push because Ningbo is Lu's hometown and he has established networks to sell the product," Shwe said. "Also, the city has among China's highest average incomes and is less saturated with Western products than, say, Shanghai," Shwe added. BLOOMBERG A production line of Honeywell International Inc in Suzhou, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Li Junfeng/China Daily] Editor's note: Three years ago, President Xi Jinping launched China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, to link vast transcontinental swathes with a common economic thread. The initiative brought unprecedented opportunities to companies worldwide to expand their business and access new markets. China Daily presents a series of interviews with top executives of foreign companies, looking at the impact of the initiative on their operations as well as markets. In this edition, Stephen Shang, Honeywell China CEO, tells how the US-based technology conglomerate explore opportunities in emerging markets to support the initiative. Honeywell International Inc, the US-based manufacturing and technology conglomerate, said it has been partnering with leading Chinese companies to explore infrastructure development and other opportunities in emerging markets, to support the country's Belt and Road Initiative. Honeywell China CEO Stephen Shang said his group was well-positioned to support the Belt and Road Initiative through its China growth strategy and portfolio. China and Central Asian countries have proposed building an economic belt along the Silk Road, a trans-Eurasian project spanning the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea. In 2009 Honeywell was selected by smartphone group Huaweiwhich is also a leading Chinese telecoms systems provider and EPC management companyas its automation provider to support the Uzbekistan-China Gas Pipeline Line Project. It was selected again in 2012 for Huawei's Line C Project, which is a pipeline project supplying natural gas from Central Asia to China. Honeywell and the China International Contractors Association jointly hosted a high profile meeting in June with more than 20 leading Chinese engineering procurement and construction contractors during the 7th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum in Macao. The event showcased support for the initiative that aims to build cooperation among ASEAN, Central Asian and European countries or regions to redirect China's overcapacity and capital toward development of regional infrastructure and improvements of trade and relations. With 23 branches and over 32,000 local staff in the countries along the "silk road", Shang said Honeywell was fully prepared to contribute further to the initiative to benefit people and livelihood in the region. Honeywell said it is positive about the Chinese economy. "For a long time to come China will continue to be the essential source of (global) growth," Shang said. "We need to pay close attention to China's long-term macro trends and growth prospects while managing the short-term impact of its slowdown." In 2013 China became Honeywell's biggest market outside of the United States for the first time. China is now the single largest contributor to its growth. Wang Qicheng, founder and president of Hakim Unique.[Photo/IC] Hakim Unique's Wang Qicheng and Wu Yan couple, with a fortune of 24.5 billion yuan ($3.62 billion), have become the richest post-80s self-made billionaires, according to a new report. The Post-80s Generation Rich List 2016 was released by Hurun Report for the first time, which includes the Post-80s Generation Self-Made Billionaires and the Post-80s Generation Inherited Billionaires. Chinese drone maker SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd's founder Wang Tao, 36, with a fortune of 24 billion yuan came in second place. Cheng Wei, 33, founder and CEO of Didi Chuxing, and Zhang Bangxin, 36, chairman and CEO of TAL Education Group, tied for third place with a fortune of 13 billion yuan. A total of 68 post-80s entrepreneurs, including 22 self-made billionaires, made it onto the Hurun Rich List 2016 with a fortune of over 2 billion yuan, 12 more than last year. Mobvista's Duan Wei, 30, was the youngest post-80s self-made billionaire, followed by Shao Heng, 31, chairman of Zhejiang Century Huatong Group Co Ltd, and Zhang Xuhao, 31, founder of the online food-delivery service company Ele.me, according to the report. Founders of photo app maker Meitu and online cosmetics retailer Jumei both made it onto the list this year. However, Jumei's founder Chen Ou was the worst performer, whose fortune shrank 64 percent to 2 billion yuan, mainly due to the negative effects of privatization. The Post-80s Generation Inherited Billionaires list showed that 13 inheritors saw their personal fortune over 5 billion yuan. The average age was 33, one year younger than that of the self-made billionaires list. Wang Sicong, son of Dalian Wanda Group chairman Wang Jianlin and Wu Qun, son of Wu Guangming, chairman of Yuwell-Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment & Supply Co Ltd, both 28, are the youngest inherited billionaires. Kuomintang Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu bows before a statue of KMT founder Sun Yat-sen at the memorial hall of the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing on Monday. Ji Chunpeng / Xinhua Hung Hsiu-chu, chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, paid tribute to KMT founder Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum in Nanjing on Monday, and said her five-day trip to the mainland pursues the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations. Hung, who flew to the capital of East China's Jiangsu province on Sunday, said during a meeting with Nanjing officials that despite a difficult cross-Straits situation, the connection between the two sides won't be cut off and exchanges will continue. "We come in peace, hope and mutual trust between the two sides," she said. "It is not just for this generation, but also for the benefit for our next generation. I hope the seed of hope we spread today will blossom and yield fruit in the future." She flew to Beijing later on Monday for a forum on the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations as well as meetings with high-level leaders of the Communist Party of China. It is the first time that Hung has traveled to the mainland since becoming head of the KMT on March 30. It also marks the first visit by a KMT leader since the party lost the Taiwan leadership and a legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party in elections in January. "I believe Hung's visit meant to remind people of Sun's spirit and to help the KMT after it lost the election," said Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies. Besides Hung, two KMT chairs, Lien Chan and Wu Po-hsiung, have visited the mausoleum, in 2005 and 2008, respectively. Sun Yat-sen, who was born in 1866 in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, was the forerunner of China's anti-feudalism revolution. Marking the 150th birthday of Sun, Hung's tribute also promotes exchanges and mutual trust between the two sides, said Ni. Some Nanjing residents welcomed Hung at the mausoleum with banners saying: "Taiwan and the mainland belong to one family. Welcome, Chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu." Liu Xiangping, head of the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Nanjing University, said, "After Hung became KMT chairwoman, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory telegram to her, which shows the friendly interaction between the two parties and also the mutual political foundation the two parties have shared, "The interaction will continue, and the two parties will both work hard for the well-being of people from both sides," he said. Ministries have responded to a series of public concerns over various policies. The Ministry of Environmental Protection responded to the concerns on environmental pollution they received from the public on Oct 27. It said it has finished dealing with 52 cases reported by residents or the media, including issues such as waste gas, water pollution, solid waste, and noise. Various levels of environmental agencies have dealt with the cases by ordering the concerned enterprises to shut down or fining them. Details of three of the cases are cited as examples. The operating team of the 12358 hotline platform, which is used to supervise prices in the market and stop price-related cheating, issued its analysis for September. That month, the number of complaints it received was slightly fewer than for August, but it still ranked as the third-highest in history. Price supervision agencies at all levels have been busy dealing with these complaints. The number of online shopping complaints rose 12 fold compared with the same period last year. Considering the problems and potential dangers with the Galaxy Note 7, a new cellphone produced by Samsung, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has forbidden passengers and crew members from taking the Galaxy Note 7 with them since Oct 26. Airlines, ticket agents and checking points are responsible for informing passengers about the new rule, and those violating the regulation will receive legal penalties from the police. The State Council issued a National Agriculture Modernization Plan 2016-2020, which makes clear arrangements for national agricultural modernization and matches the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15) and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). The plan is the guiding document for China's agricultural development in the coming five years. Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, explained the plan to the press and answered their questions. Han placed special emphasis on the importance of food security, saying that it is an ongoing task for China. "In the future, we may not necessarily ensure our grain output increases year by year, but it is a must that we improve the comprehensive production capabilities of the domestic agricultural sector." Initiative to facilitate supply of health services, bridge development gap for Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei residents Medical institutes and human-resource services will be further integrated in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province, making life easier for residents of the key city cluster. The three members of the cluster will recognize each other's medical institutes for insurance reimbursement as well as standard human-resource services, two key aspects to further integrate the unevenly developed region. The move was confirmed in an agreement signed on Oct 27 by the human resources and social security authorities of the three local governments to promote mutual recognition of their medical institutes and human-resource services. According to the agreement, those who work or reside after retirement in another city will be eligible for on-site medical insurance reimbursement at 2,188 medical institutes in Beijing and 6,887 in Hebei. All medical receipts will be reviewed within one day, prior to the establishment of a national platform for medical insurance reimbursement, the agreement said. Before this, patients had to pay the bill first to get receipts, which would be taken to their hometown for reimbursement. Gao Xiaojun, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, said in a previous interview that recognizing each other's medical institutes will further facilitate services for those who live and work in different cities. In March last year, a guideline was released by the central government to integrate Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei to ease the overcrowding of Beijing and promote balanced regional development. Unlike Yangtze River Delta cities that surround Shanghai, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster has developed unevenly for decades. Millions of Hebei residents have been exploring education and employment opportunities in Beijing and Tianjin, two of China's four municipalities that are much more developed economies. Gao said a survey conducted by his commission found about 23 percent of patients in Beijing hospitals were Hebei residents in 2014. As of July, 695 million Chinese had basic medical insurance, an increase of 5.7 percent compared to the previous year. However, medical insurance systems in provincial-level regions are still separated from each other. To overcome this, Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei started to coordinate medical payment reimbursement and training medical professionals in 2014. Beijing, as the nation's capital with hundreds of prestigious hospitals and thousands of top doctors, has helped Yanjiao, Zhangjiakou, Caofeidian and other cities in Hebei by dispatching experts for surgeries as well as helping to train doctors and nurses at local hospitals. Yanjiao, a small town in Hebei's Langfang city, is adjacent to Beijing's Tongzhou district near the capital's new governmental seat. The town, just 30 kilometers from Tian'anmen Square, is home to about 300,000 people who work in Beijing, more than 40 percent of its total population. A pilot program was conducted in the town in 2014 that allows people to choose two local hospitals and two in Beijing for medical-insurance reimbursement. Yang Kaiji, a 30-year-old IT engineer who lives in Yanjiao but works in Beijing, had little spare time during workdays for medical treatment in Beijing but came back to the town during weekends. Thus, he had to take medical receipts back to his company for reimbursement. "Such a seemingly trivial but factually important procedure" was time consuming, he said. "Now I can get treated and reimbursed at the same hospital either in Yanjiao or Beijing," Yang said. Moreover, the agreement also stipulates that Beijing and Hebei will have standard operations for human-resource services, with 2,152 human-resource agencies in these two regions able to provide unified services such as talent recruitment, training and archive management. Medical and human-resource services are vital parts of regional integration, which will enhance residents' lives and make services like medical reimbursement easier, said Xiao Jincheng, a researcher at the Academy of Macroeconomic Research under the National Development and Reform Commission. "By doing this, the goal of easing Beijing's traffic and environmental burdens will be achieved," Xiao added. A screenshot of the TV documentary series Renjianshi shows surgeons performing an operation at a hospital in Shanghai. First Person Patients' distrust of doctors can sometimes hinder a physician's ability to help them. The level of trust displayed by patients and their willingness to cooperate with a doctor often has an influence on the outcome of their treatment. Doctors always want to help patients to improve their health through various means, but nobody can guarantee a 100-percent recovery. Sometimes a doctor has a radical approach in mind to treat a case, but if the patient doesn't show much trust, the doctor may not even mention the possible option because they don't want to cause trouble for themselves. Medical treatment always involves uncertainty and there are risks in any treatment plan. For example, a doctor may be confident that a surgical plan may have an 80 percent probability of success, but there is always the chance that the surgery may not solve the problem. Doctors are also human beings, and nobody is willing to be physically attacked or sued in the courts. Doctors and patients must face all the risks together because mutual trust is the foundation of medical development. One advantage private hospitals enjoy is that the doctors have adequate time to communicate with their patients. That's really important because it means we can gain comprehensive knowledge of the patient's condition and explain the treatment options and their pros and cons. Recognition of the value of the medical services provided by doctors in public hospitals is really low. The money they earn, excluding "gray income" from prescriptions and sponsored use of medical equipment and instruments, doesn't even begin to repay their years of education and intensive work. For example, an emergency treatment may cost less than 200 yuan ($30). I think the prices are inconsistent with the value of the services provided. We have to build a good system to encourage doctors to continue their work - only in this way, will we see more top talent joining medical teams. Hu Fan (left), a doctor in the emergency room at the West China Women's and Children's Hospital in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, deals with patients and their families. Hua Xiaofeng / For China Daily A documentary series depicts the daily challenges faced by members of staff, the simmering threat of violence and harassment, and mutual distrust between doctors and patients. Zhou Wenting reports from Shanghai. On Oct 21, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's top legal chamber, announced that cases involving violence against medical staff would be regarded as extremely serious, and the nation's best lawyers would work on case reviews to ensure the rapid arrest and prosecution of offenders. The announcement signaled the latest move to curb the abuse and violence that have plagued the nation's hospitals in recent years. Statistics released by the Supreme People's Court in May last year show that 155 attacks on doctors and nurses in 2014 resulted in severe injuries and even death. Last year's figures are not available, but the media reported 20 similar incidents nationwide in 20 days in June alone. The scale of the problem has been highlighted by the TV documentary series, Renjianshi, meaning The Ways of The World of Men, jointly produced by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning and the Shanghai Media Group. The program was first broadcast during the summer, but was recently shown again after winning wide acclaim. The series has 10 episodes, each dedicated to a particular topic, such as organ donation, hospice care and the ambulance service. The directors said the program aims to improve doctor-patient relationships by providing the public with the fullest possible picture of the situation in China's hospitals and the everyday work of medical staff. Doctor-patient conflict "Hospitals are such special places because sometimes they are the last defense against death, so there are conflicts between doctors and patients and their families when making decisions about treatment plans, and also when the treatment doesn't save the patient's life," said Dong Luxiang, one of the program's directors. "But after spending many, many hours shooting footage in dozens of hospitals in the past two years, we found that medical approaches are sometimes limited, and the doctors have to compromise their dedication and passion to fit reality. This is common knowledge, but sometimes people forget." In the first episode, Saving Lives, the team filmed two major surgical operations and three other patients being treated for serious conditions. Viewers were shocked when three of the patients died. "That was unprecedented in Chinese television history, which has always cast a veil over 'failures'. But the world is never perfect and we have to face that fact," Dong said. Yao Li, a nurse at an elite hospital in Shanghai, said clinicians want to save patients for the sake of their families, but also because of their own sense of worth and reputation: "We have a saying: 'The doctors want the patients to live even more than their own families do'." That point was underlined by Che Zaiqian, a doctor in the emergency department of Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, who was filmed during an unsuccessful 16-hour battle to save the life of a 24-year-old man with an intestinal hemorrhage. "Very often the cases into which we put the most effort and emotion are unsuccessful. We assume younger patients have a better chance of survival because of their age, but we don't have the right to choose," said Che, who had worked 48 hours straight, assisting with the treatment of three patients, one of whom died. The program also showed the heavy workloads faced by medical staff, such as Zhao Qiang, director of Ruijin Hospital's cardiac surgery department, whose team was filmed performing a heart transplant long after midnight, and Ge Junbo, director of the cardiovascular department at Zhongshan Hospital, who had severe hand cramps after performing surgery for several hours. Heavy workload The directors said one of the strongest impressions the team gained during the two years of filming was that the medical staffs' workload is too heavy. Dong recalled that the batteries in the camera ran out of power when he followed a consultant surgeon performing an operation that was scheduled to finish at 5 pm, but lasted until midnight. "We were feeling hungry and dizzy, so a nurse gave me some glucose. If I remember correctly, the concentration of glucose was 30 percent, but I finished it in one gulp, despite the overly sweet taste. But that's the life the doctors live, and it's like that almost every day," he said. Medical staff arrive before 7:30 am every working day, irrespective of how far away they live or the weather, and they can never guarantee what time they will leave, he said. According to Yao, the nurse, humor helps to ease the burden. "Sometimes we joke that a couple shouldn't work at the same hospital, otherwise the only time they will meet is during consultations," the 29-year-old said. Sun Xiaolin, who has worked as a nurse at a hospital in Shanghai's Pudong district for four years, said the heavy workload and long hours have prompted her to look for another job. Many of her colleagues have already left the profession. "I don't even dare to blink for the entire night when I monitor patients who have just undergone cardiac surgery, and sometimes we have to perform CPR at the end of an exhausting night. I brace my body and mind with just one thought: to save the patient. At that moment, I leave everything else behind, like the stomach cramps and menstrual pains I suffer sometimes," she said. Every working night, Sun cares for more than a dozen patients singlehandedly: "They ring the bell to the nurses' station all night. In addition, I have to cope with unexpected incidents, such as patients' drunken relatives fighting with each other." According to Yao, the younger generation will only want to become doctors when clinicians receive the respect they deserve: "Otherwise, when we get old, where will we find excellent doctors?" Social factors Dong and his team found that the process of bringing patients to the hospital involves a range of problems that grassroots medical workers have been unable to solve. For example, sometimes ambulance drivers have no option but to explain to a patient's family that they have been held up by traffic jams during rush hour. Sometimes congestion delays relatives who are needed to sign permission forms for surgical procedures on behalf of the patient. Moreover, some patients show little respect for the emergency room, which should be a green channel for those who require treatment urgently. One episode of the program showed a patient from Hebei province who arrived at the ER at Shanghai Huashan Hospital nearly two months after a mild stroke. The doctors told him that the ER is for people with acute strokes, but the patient and his relatives insisted on being treated because they'd traveled a long way. "We often meet patients like this and feel embarrassed," said Yu Hai, a neurologist at Shanghai's Huashan Hospital. Insurance problems The social medical insurance system presents another problem. "People who have their medical insurance in a certain province but live elsewhere enjoy a different level of reimbursement when they go to the doctor or have surgery in their 'new' home province. This may stop some people from choosing the best medical plan, which may also be the most expensive," said Qin Bo, Dong's colleague. Despite the problems, many people are confident that China's hospital culture is turning a corner and that doctor-patient relationships will eventually improve. "When my daughter gave birth last year, she stayed in a private delivery room with her husband and a professional midwife at her side. Later, senior nurses came to the ward several times a day to tell the new mothers the dos and don'ts of taking care of themselves and their babies," said Wang Mingjuan, a 58-year-old Shanghai resident. "The hospital also took photos of the newborns wrapped in cute ribbons as gifts to the families. Those services were hard to imagine when I gave birth three decades ago," she said. A resurgent cult headquartered in Taiwan has been found actively soliciting members on the Chinese mainland as well as in areas overseas recently, according to a report from Beijing News. The Blood of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit Full Gospel Mission, one of the seven cults identified by the State Council in 1995, organizes services at residential buildings in Beijing and Shandong province, and hires believers as cheap laborers for its catering businesses, according to the report published on Monday. One member said he joined the Sunday gathering of the organization's local branch at a preacher's home after being told about it by a neighbor. He used to pay regular visits to Christian churches, but there was no convenient public transportation available after he moved to a new city about five years ago. He was told there was a family church in his neighborhood and attended the weekly gathering a few times. "We read out of the Bible at the first two gatherings, as I did previously. But I felt something was strange at the third gathering, because a preacher told me Zuo Kun is a messenger from God and conveys God's will to us," Zhang said. "I don't believe a messenger could be a living human being, according to the Christianity I know." Zuo, born in Jiangxi province in October 1930, founded the organization, which is also called the Holy Spirit to Rebuild the Church. Authorities in Taiwan identified it as a cult soon after the group was set up. Zuo Kun later moved from Taiwan to the US. According to police authorities, the organization attracted more than 2,000 members in three cities in Shandong province from July to December in 2014, with the youngest believer aged 9, the Beijing News reported. At a 2014 gathering in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, police found most members were middle school and primary school students. The report said the organization runs cafeterias, cafes and noodle shops overseas and hires believers to work for it with little payment. It cited police authorities as saying that the organization had collected more than 1 million yuan ($148,000) from a dozen fast food restaurants in various places, including Beijing and Tianjin. A survey has found a relatively low level of awareness about health and the environment in China, and a lack of knowledge of effective tools for people to protect their rights. The report, released on Monday by the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, found that less than 9 percent of respondents in Beijing, and Hubei and Gansu provinces possessed basic knowledge and skills related to health and the environment. Zhu Zhongjun, a researcher with the organization, said many of the respondents possessed some information about close links between public health and the environment, but failed to understand how pollution worsens health, and other more in-depth questions. "The lack of such knowledge will hinder people from making an accurate judgment on pollution, adds to health risks, and may cause them to act in illegal ways concerning their rights," Zhu said, adding that it could increase governments costs in social management. For example, projects like incineration and chemical plants can be strongly resisted by residents. If governments could communicate necessary information to people about their health and the environment, that would improve the situation and increase awareness, said Wang Jiansheng, a researcher from the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy, of the Ministry of Environmental Protection. "China has put more focus on increasing public awareness of health and the environment, and the ministry is drafting regulations to promote that work," Wang said, adding that the ministry would soon solicit public opinion. In addition, to further protect people's health rights, the central government also plans to draft a new national action plan with more coordinated efforts, he said. Currently, a working committee combining 17 ministerial-level departments is leading the work to protect public health against pollution. Overseas observers have praised the resolve of the Communist Party of China to strictly govern the Party, saying it will enhance the Party's governance capacity and help it lead China to an all-round moderately prosperous society. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, which was held from Monday to Thursday last week, pushed for the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party. For Khalid Mahood, president of the Islamabad Council of World Affairs, the CPC's focus on strict Party governance is "a historic step", which will not only improve governance efficiency, but also enhance Chinese people's trust in the Party and will improve the global image of China and the CPC. "The reforms in the ruling Party will help China foster its comprehensive reform, maintain its economic growth and bring benefits to the world," Mahood said. At the meeting, the CPC called on all its members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core", and resolutely safeguard the authority of the CPC Central Committee and its central, unified leadership. This announcement will help China to establish a clean and righteous political environment and will unite the Party under one strong leader, Mahood said. The meeting also approved two documents on the discipline of the Party, including the norms of political life within the Party under the new situation and a regulation on intra-Party supervision. Bambang Suryono, editor-in-chief of the Inhua Daily in Indonesia, said the documents signify the institutionalization of strict Party governance, which will help curb corruption and disciplinary offense, and ensure the progressiveness and purity of the CPC. China's anti-corruption campaign has entered a "deep-water area" and establishing Xi as the core of the CPC Central Committee will help the party continue its drive to fight corruption, the political analyst said. Gerhard Stahl, a professor at the College of Europe and former secretary-general of the European Union's European Committee of the Regions, said the CPC is trying to adapt itself to a changing environment in an effort to grow into a modern political party. Stahl said fighting corruption is the basis for economic development and strict Party governance needs bottom-up supervision, calling on anti-corruption officials to be responsible while enhancing intra-Party discipline. More than 5,000 alumni attended an event at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology on Oct 29, marking the peak of celebrations for the universitys 110th anniversary. In his remarks, Ding Xiaodong, deputy director of Shanghai Education Commission, praised the universitys efforts in connecting the market and deepening education reforms, as well as its innovative personnel training initiatives. Other officials who made speeches during the event included Huang Wei, president of Nanjing Tech University and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Colin Bailey, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, one of USSTs international partners. USST President Hu Shougen delivering a report titled A Tribute to History, An Exploration of the Future, said: The past is like a prologue. This celebration is not only about commemorating the past, it is an opportunity to think about the future and ask questions regarding how we should seize opportunities and respond to questions raised by the times, how we should break the bottlenecks and make a breakthrough, and how we should lead in the future through common values. At the end of the celebration, a mascot called Horse was unveiled, reflecting the year the university was founded 1906, the Year of the Horse and encouraging current and past students of the university to go forth and contribute to society like tens of thousands of horses galloping ahead. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 A man was sentenced to four years in prison and fined 40,000 yuan ($5,903) on Tuesday for smuggling ivory, a Beijing court announced. Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court sentenced the man, surnamed Liu, on Tuesday morning, saying that he was found smuggling 52 products made of ivory in his suitcase at Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport in June 2014. The value of the ivory was more than 423,800 yuan, the court said. Liu, from Anhui province, said in the trial that he bought the products in Cape Town, South Africa. He claimed to have paid about 9,000 yuan. The ivory, some of which Liu said he had bought for friends, was hidden inside boxes and shoes in his suitcase. He had wanted to process some of it into chess pieces, a statement provided by the court said. "I didn't think the amount of ivory I was carrying violated the law, so I did not report the products to customs," Liu said. The 41-year-old worked for a company in Xi'an, Shaanxi province from 2009 to 2014. Over that period, he went abroad about 10 times. After he quit his job, he went to South Africa seven or eight times and was engaged in a telecoms business in the country, the court said. In his statement at the end of the case hearing, Liu pleaded guilty, adding that he will not appeal to a higher court. It is not the first time that Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court has heard an ivory smuggling case. In October 2015, a 38-year-old woman named Jiang Meixu was sentenced to six years and six months in prison and fined 60,000 yuan for the same charge. Jiang, from Jilin province, was also arrested at the airport attempting to smuggle products made of ivory out of an African country. A crackdown on pyramid selling in Guangdong province has led to hundreds of arrests and asset seizures. The operation, code named Jufeng 21, involved more than 480 suspects in 60 separate cases worth a combined total of 2 billion yuan ($295 million), according to Wu Wuqiang, deputy director of Guangdong provincial department of public security's economic criminal investigation bureau. "Police have also frozen 550 bank accounts, houses and stores owned by the illegal pyramid sales gangs," Wu told a news conference in Guangzhou on Tuesday. One gang in Jieyang was infiltrated in April by an officer who joined their WeChat group, which they used to communicate and organize. The gang was found to have 110 members, who were detained in 30 separate locations, while 120 bank accounts were also frozen for further investigation. This one scheme is thought to have involved more than 200 million yuan ($30 million) and its members came from 31 provinces, regions and municipalities. In Foshan, police detained more than 170 suspects and took possession of 20 houses that were used for illegal activities after breaking up another pyramid sales scheme in mid-September. The Foshan case involved 500 million yuan. Wu, from the crime investigation bureau, hinted that more campaigns would be launched to fight pyramid selling in Guangdong province in the months ahead. Police across the province have investigated more than 680 cases related to pyramid sales in the first nine months of this year, up 24 percent year-on-year. A total of 1,370 suspects were detained from January to September, an increase of 71.3 percent compared to the same period in 2015. BEIJING - Scholars have condemned the activities of a handful of Hong Kong legislators-elect for propagating the idea of "Hong Kong independence," warning that such a notion will lead to nothing but "a dead end." The oath ceremony for the sixth Legislative Council (LegCo) of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) convened on Oct. 12, with the legislators-elect being sworn into office. Some legislators-elect, however, not only publicly advocated for "Hong Kong independence" but also insulted the Chinese nation when reading their oaths. The individuals in question later traveled to Taiwan, in what appeared to be an attempt to collude with "Taiwan independence" supporters. These activities have filled many Hong Kong citizens with indignation. Guo Tianwu, a law professor with Sun Yat-sen University, said the relevant legislators-elect, by capitalizing on the exposure afforded to them because of the oath-taking ceremony, have challenged national sovereignty and security to advocate for "Hong Kong independence." "They have seriously violated the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of Hong Kong SAR," Guo said. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China. As a member of the LegCo, one must act in line with the national Constitution and the SAR's Basic Law, Guo said. "From their words and deeds, they give the impression that they neither love their country nor Hong Kong," he said. Qiang Shigong, executive director of the Hong Kong and Macao Studies Center under Peking University, said, "Any one with a bit of common sense knows that 'Hong Kong independence' will lead to nothing but 'a dead end'." "Their wanton behavior is actually tearing apart the seams of Hong Kong's society; threatening its harmony and stability, and intentionally provoking antagonism between the residents of Hong Kong and the mainland," Qiang said. Qiang called on all the citizens of Hong Kong to unite and oppose "Hong Kong independence" for the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and the nation as a whole. A file photo of Cai Qi. Cai Qi, long before being appointed acting and deputy mayor of Beijing on Monday, was an internet celebrity on social media, in a way, with tens of millions of followers. Cai was one of the active highest-level officials who use Weibo. In 2011, he published his Weibo account in an official meeting, attracting tens of millions of followers in three years. He has been quite active on a verified account as head of the Communist Party of China's Zhejiang Provincial Committee organization department on Tencent Weibo, China's counterpart of Twitter since 2011. He often updated posts and interacted with the followers. One of his replies to an internet user went viral, introducing more people to know him. In 2013, Cai received a concerning mother's complaint from Weibo saying it's frequent to her son who had to drink a lot with the boss as part of his job in a governmental department. Cai replied to the mother right away, saying: "Tell me where exactly he works for? He won't have to drink anymore", and suggesting his cut-to-the-chase work style to solve the problems rather than just talking. In the following two years, Cai worked in the National Security Commission as his Weibo went silence due to the sensitivity of the job. But before he left his post as head of the organization department of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial CommitteeCai released the news on Weibo that was rarely to be seen in official personnel transfer. Usually the drill is to announce the transfer in the internal meetings and then have it reported by local governmental news outlets. Cai announced the news on Weibo, which has been interpreted by media as a signal of the Party opening up and being transparent on internal affairs. Cai recognizes the benefits of officials opening up a social media account for collecting advice from the public. He described it as "We need to learn and get used to work in a 'glass room'" to welcome public supervision. He said: "Weibo is a direct way to the grassroots which can help us to know what people want and think. My Weibo can partly solve the misunderstanding between people and government by solving their problems and sincerely talking to them." As for the doubt if all his Weibo were written by him, Cai said "I am obsessed with Weibo and I check it quite often. All my Weibo posts come from me." An expert witness testified on Monday that British banker Rurik Jutting, charged with the murders of two Indonesian sex workers, was a sadistic narcissist whose condition was exacerbated by cocaine and alcohol. Richard Latham, a consulting psychiatrist, told the court Jutting suffered from at least four mental disorders. Latham, who was called as a defense witness, said the mental disorders experienced by the former Bank of America Merrill Lynch employee did not meet the legal standard for mental illness but "at the moment of killing, the disorders combined to substantially impair his ability to control his behaviour". Latham said Jutting claimed to have been sexually abused by another boy while at the UK's exclusive Winchester College. Jutting is accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, who were found dead in Jutting's luxury fl at on Nov 1, 2014. The 31-year-old Cambridge graduate has pleaded not guilty to murder but attempted to enter a guilty plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The prosecution rejected the lesser plea and his trial continues. Describing Jutting as highly intelligent, Latham said he began drinking heavily in 2010, often until he passed out. He began using cocaine intermittently in 2012 until his drug use escalated dramatically in the weeks prior to the killings. Latham said Jutting became fixated on sexual violence and progressed from viewing extreme pornography to "acting out" fantasies with prostitutes. Then, the psychiatrist said, Jutting progressed to "non-consensual acts", culminating in what he described as "horrific acts". The trial continues. BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for solid implementation of reform measures at a high-level meeting on Tuesday. Xi asked officials to comprehensively follow the communique released after the sixth plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and unwaveringly carry out reform policies. The remarks were made at the 29th meeting of the central leading group for deepening overall reform, which Xi heads. In addition, guidelines and plans on green agriculture, environmental protection, new circuit courts and construction of personal credit system were approved at the meeting. China's First Lady Peng Liyuan and her Malawian counterpart Gertrude Mutharika, both known for their devotion to charity, agreed on Tuesday to work together to fight against AIDS in Africa. China and African countries have made progress in fighting against AIDS with their joint efforts, and China would like to share experiences with African countries including Malawi, Peng told the visiting Mutharika, who is also vice-president of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV and AIDS (OAFLA). China will enhance communications with regional organizations including the OAFLA to provide help for the fight against AIDS and the health of African countries, Peng said. Peng's engagement in anti-AIDS efforts dates back 10 years, when she helped children affected by HIV/AIDS and promoted prevention messages. She is also the World Health Organization's goodwill ambassador for tuberculosis and HIV. Mutharika expressed gratitude for China's help and contribution to the health of African women and children, and the anti-AIDS battle. China has played a positive role for the development of Malawi, and the two countries have enhanced cooperation in areas including infrastructure, economics, trade and capacity building, she said. On Monday, Mutharika attended an event at Beijing University's Affiliated High School, during which she told the students about the impact the AIDS epidemic has had on African women and children. "OAFLA's vision is of 'An Africa free from HIV and AIDS, maternal and child mortality, where women and children are empowered to enjoy equal opportunities,'" she said at the event, adding that she looked forward to more engagement with Chinese teenagers to the public welfare of Africa. anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn CHENGDU -- "Going to the toilet will not be so torturous this winter," said Guan Fuyuan, 62, puffing on a cigarette. Until recently, like most people in Peng'an County, Sichuan Province, Guan had lived his whole life without an indoor toilet. Exposed to the elements, the communal dry toilet nearby was smelly in the summer, cold in the winter and slippery when wet. "Now we have a new bathroom with a flush toilet and a heater," he said with an expression of some considerable pride. SANITATION REVOLUTION Guan is just one of the beneficiaries of a campaign to install new toilets in 55 of the county's most impoverished villages. China's rural toilet revolution began 12 years ago. From 2004 to 2013, 8.27 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) was spent on new toilets in some of the poorest parts of the country, but despite some remarkable achievements, a long march still lies ahead before the revolution can be considered successful. For Yueze Huoshi from Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, also in Sichuan, the woods behind his house is the family toilet. Many villages in the mountainous prefecture are still without any toilet at all, and villagers have to relieve themselves in the wild -- hail, rain or shine. Some are even not clear about what a toilet looks like. Li Aijun of the county government said that with so many local people in extreme poverty, the priority had been finding new sources of income and the toilet problem was largely ignored. All that is set to change with plans to build at least one public toilet in each village. Some "more well-off" areas in the prefecture have toilets, but the environment is harsh and the toilets somewhat unsophisticated. Ada Moer, 42, is a widow who supports her family by raising poultry and swine. Their toilet is just an open pit next to the pigsty, covered with two stone slabs. "We move the stones when using to toilet. Sometimes, the pigs snuffle me with their noses while I'm squatting," she said, pointing to the toilet and its attendant swarm of flies. Are Rigu, head of the township, said that most villager's toilets are attached to pigsties or cattle pens. "Life will get better soon, as most households have received a 35,000-yuan government grant to build new homes. The new houses will have separate toilets and kitchens," he said. MISSED CONNECTIONS In the local primary school, the new buildings are light and spacious. Headteacher Baoji Saner said the school is the best equipped in town, but the whole complex, with 600 students, has only one toilet. At less than ten square meters, there are six pits for boys and six for girls. "At break time, the toilet is far too small for all the students to relieve themselves," Baoji said. At an altitude of 3,400 meters, Kalong village is in dire need of adequate toilets. With the help of a 15,000-yuan grant and the help of her neighbors, Gargo, 72, moved into a new house earlier this year. In her cozy two-storey home against the hillside, Gargo is immensely pleased with her new toilet and keeps it sparklingly clean. But this is only half the story. The toilet is not connected to any drainage system and all the waste is simply discharged onto the grass directly outside. Gargo said many of other villagers are in the same situation, and nothing is being done to address the matter. Liu Weijia, deputy head of Sichuan immigrants poverty alleviation bureau, says the toilet situation is closely linked to the social and economic status of the locale. When people on the poverty line are struggling just to feed themselves, they have neither the desire nor the ability to improve their toilets. Hu Guangwei, professor of Sichuan University, said rural sanitation is a key battleground in the war against poverty. "The day when every household in the countryside has a clean, eco-friendly toilet is probably the day when we can declare victory over poverty," Liu said. China's government group responsible for implementing reform has approved a plan to establish another four circuit courts aiming to share the burden of case hearings in the national top court and improve judicial efficiency. The plan, approved on Tuesday at a meeting of the Leading Group for Overall Reform, led by President Xi Jinping, outlines plans to build up four new circuit courts respectively in Chongqing Municipality, Xi'an in Shaanxi province, Nanjing in Jiangsu province and Zhengzhou in Henan province. The country has two circuit courts in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Shenyang, Liaoning province, which were set up at the end of 2014 and put into practice in early 2015. The Supreme People's Court's circuit courts will provide the convenience of making lawsuits for residents, as well as to solve people's disputes and reduce the pressure of case hearings of the top court. For example, the First Circuit Court in Shenzhen takes charge of hearing cases in Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Hainan province. It means litigants in the three regions will not go to the top court in Beijing to deal with related lawsuits, saving their time and travel costs. The Second Circuit Court in Shenyang, is responsible for tackling disputes in Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. A group spokesperson said in the meeting that: "The new four circuit courts should go on playing the effective role in handling cases in the four regions, especially solving cross-regional administrative, civil and commercial disputes, in a move to improve judicial credibility and keep the justice." In the past, some administrative cases, which are litigations between governmental departments and residents, were often disturbed by the administration's interference. The circuit court can avoid such "governmental protection" or interference, ensuring verdicts fairer and made independently, according to the top court. caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn Rescuers work at Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District of Chongqing, southwest China, Nov. 1, 2016. Eighteen miners have been confirmed dead after an explosion at the coal mine in Chongqing Monday morning. [Photo/Xinhua] CHONGQING - Thirty-three people were confirmed dead in a colliery explosion in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality as the bodies of 15 missing miners were retrieved early Wednesday morning. More than 80 rescuers found the bodies in a pit at Jinshangou Coal Mine, Yongchuan District, at around 2 a.m. and lifted them out of the shaft two hours later, according to the local rescue headquarters. An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way and is being supervised by the State Administration of Work Safety. Local governmental workers are identifying the dead and handling the aftermath. A total of 35 workers were in the pit at the time of the accident just after 11:30 a.m. on Monday. Two escaped unharmed, leaving 33 trapped in the pit. The bodies of 18 miners had been recovered as of Tuesday afternoon. Preliminary investigations show the mine exceeded its mining boundaries, had insufficient and malfunctioning equipment, poor ventilation and disorderly management. Leaders of CPC, KMT emphasize opposition to forces supporting "Taiwan independence" Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Taiwan's Kuomintang party leader Hung Hsiu-chu in Beijing on Tuesday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Hung Hsiu-chu, the visiting chairwoman of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, and called for officials on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to remain committed to the one-China consensus. Holding talks with a delegation led by Hung at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday, Xi said ensuring national integrity and protecting the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation is the "common will of all Chinese people". Xi stressed the importance of the 1992 Consensus, essentially a commitment to the one-China policy, which official delegates from both sides of the Straits agreed upon in November 1992. Xi made a six-point proposal on cross-Straits relations, including adhering to the 1992 Consensus, resolutely opposing forces supporting "Taiwan independence", promoting social and economic cooperation between the two sides and working together to carry forward Chinese culture. "Two parties' contributions to the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations has been written in history," Xi added. "The two sides across the Straits have become an integral whole with a common destiny." It is Hung's first trip to the mainland since she became head of the KMT on March 30. It also marks the first visit by a KMT leader since the party lost Taiwan leadership and a legislative majority to the Democratic Progressive Party in the January elections. During her meeting with Xi, Hung said that CPC and KMT should expand exchanges between the two sides, including economic cooperation and interactions among young people. She also stressed her stance on opposing "Taiwan independence" during her meeting with top political adviser Yu Zhengsheng on Tuesday. Hung arrived in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, on Sunday to start a five-day visit, making her first stop the Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the KMT. On Wednesday, she will attend a forum on peaceful development of cross-Straits ties. The meeting between Xi and Hung is the most significant event since the DPP took Taiwan's leadership in May, said Ni Yongjie, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Taiwan Studies. "Cross-Straits relations have entered a cold period since the DPP takeover. The interaction between KMT and Communist Party of China, however, helps to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," said Ni. In addition of talks with high-level leaders of the CPC, Hung's visit also has led to exchanges among people from both sides, according to Ni. "Her visit to the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and a technology hub in Beijing has drawn the public's attention and reminded people of the positive side of cross-Straits relations. Despite the difficult political situation, the exchange and mutual trust among people from two sides still exists," he said. Highlights Xi Jinping's six-point proposal on cross-Straits relations: - Adhering to the 1992 Consensus, which affirms the one-China principle; - Resolutely opposing forces supporting "Taiwan independence" and their activities; - Promoting the integrated social and economic development of cross-Straits societies; - Working together to carry forward Chinese culture; - Boosting the well-being of people across the Taiwan Straits; - Dedication to realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in concerted efforts. Visitors look at the ongoing exhibitions that showcase ceramics made in China's porcelain hub, Jingdezhen, for imperial courts during the Ming and Qing dynasties at the Palace Museum in Beijing. The imperial-kiln ceramics represent a zenith in the country's porcelain-making history. Photos by Jiang Dong/China Daily Two exhibitions underway at Beijing's Palace Museum are showcasing a slice of imperial ceramic history. Wang Kaihao reports. In 1369, a porcelain kiln was established in Jingdezhen, in Jiangxi province, to serve the imperial courts of the newly established Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and thus began the city's story as a porcelain hub. Last week at Beijing's Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, the country's royal palace from 1420 until the end of Chinese monarchy in 1911, two exhibitions were opened showcasing a part of history of imperial kiln ceramics. Whether in pieces or as complete items, the charm of these artifacts is unmistakable. The Ming Imperial Porcelain: A Comparative Exhibition of Archaeological Findings at the Imperial Kiln Site in Jingdezhen and Chenghua Period Porcelain in the Collection of the Palace Museum, comprises 183 sets of porcelain from the reign of Chenghua (1465-87). Seventy-six exhibits are from the Palace Museum collections, while the rest are pieces with defects found in kilns in Jingdezhen, according to Lyu Chenglong, head of the porcelain research institute at the Palace Museum. "Only the best pieces were sent to Beijing. Those with defects were broken and buried at Jingdezhen. You can immediately tell the difference at this exhibition," says Lyu. "The copying of such pieces by the public was strictly prohibited. So you do not see similar pieces elsewhere." A scene from Go Lala Go! [Photo/Mtime] An Egyptian university on Sunday launched a Chinese movies week themed "Eye on Contemporary China" in cooperation with China Radio International (CRI). The first movie screened at the Suez Canal University in Egypt's Ismailia province, northeast of the capital Cairo, was Chinese award-winning film Go Lala Go! dubbed into Arabic. The movie was greatly enjoyed by over 100 Egyptian students learning Chinese at Confucius Institute in the university. "I would like to thank the Chinese Cultural Center that donated many books to the university, which is important for our students and for the teaching process in the university. I hope everyone enjoys the movie and understands more about China," said Hassan Ragab, dean of Al-Alsun Faculty and executive director of Confucius Institute. An 18-year-old female student who studies Chinese at Al-Alsun Faculty expressed admiration for the opening Chinese movie that depicts the struggle of a white-collar woman to climb a corporate ladder as well as seek true love nowadays in some metropolises of China. "Since I study Chinese, it's important to me to watch such Chinese movies and get to learn about their culture, civilization, habits and traditions," the junior student told Xinhua. Zhang Li, director of CRI Middle East headquarters, said that several Egyptian TV channels have showed interest in Chinese movies and episodes dubbed by the CRI into Arabic. "Many Egyptians told me that when they watched the Chinese movies, they felt Egypt and China share similar cultures," she added. "We would like Egyptians to know more about modern China and modern Chinese girls, and we also hope to improve the passion and interest of Egyptian students to learn Chinese." Besides the Chinese movies week, an exhibition is being held on the university campus about late renowned Chinese author and poet Guo Moruo, displaying posters in Chinese, Arabic and English about his autobiography and masterpieces. Related: 'Transformers 4' producers ordered to pay to Chinese scenic area Celebrating the new harvest with the Miao of Southwest China By Yang Fan ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2016-10-31 Girls of the Miao ethnic group dress up to celebrate Chixin Festival at Guizhou province on Oct 25. [Photo/xinhuanet.com] Every year around October time, people of the Miao ethnic group living in Guizhous Danzhai county don their finest traditional garb to celebrate the first harvest of the year on Chixin Festival. The festival is celebrated by multiple ethnic groups, including the Miao, Dong and Gelao that are commonly found in Southwest China. Since harvests may vary across different regions in the country, the festival does not have a fixed date. Dressing up is a key part of the festivities. Miao girls, known for their fine, elaborate silver headdresses, wear silver bracelets, necklaces, earrings and delicate headwear on top of their exquisite embroidery. Traditional pleated skirts are put on and the ornaments clank as they walk. Signature celebration activities include tasting the new rice crop, worshipping the ancestors, dancing to the Lusheng (a traditional instrument), bullfighting and taking part in Youfang the act of seeking a lover. Chixin means tasting the newly harvested rice in Chinese. On the festival, people would go to the fields and choose the most plump rice grains before hanging them up in bundles and providing them to the ancestors. Then, they will taste the new rice along with other dishes, such as fish, chicken and vegetables. Lusheng is an ancient reed-pipe musical instrument. Girls sing and dance to the music as boys play the instruments. Some places hold a Youfang event, which refers to girls and boys singing songs to each other as a way to express their love. If both sides have the intention to make a deeper communication, they exchange love tokens, such as clothes and bracelets. Bullfighting is considered to be the highlight of the festival to many Miao people. The bulls are carefully selected and well fed before the fight. Paper flowers are attached to the horns of bulls, drawing loud cheers when they are crumpled into pieces. A child puts on a mask as she and her friend visit the Forbidden City on a heavily polluted day in Beijing Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015. [Photo/IC] Never have people in China shown so much concern over the environment and its implications to their health as nowadays. As the country becomes a well-off society, more and more people are asking what increasing material prosperity will mean if there is little clean water to drink or clear air to breathe. Their worries seem not so far-fetched, given the rising environmental challenges China faces. According to a 2015 report by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the quality of underground water was relatively poor in 45.4 percent of the 4,895 monitored spots and very poor in 16.1 percent of these spots. The ministry's data in 2014 also suggested about 1.1 percent of the surveyed arable land in the country is severely contaminated with poisonous chemicals such as cadmium and mercury. While for many who live in the north, smog, sadly, is becoming part of daily life. Compounding these problems is the public's lack of general awareness about what role they can play in addressing these problems, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, which were released on Monday. The survey, which interviewed about 3,100 people in Beijing as well as Central China's Hubei province and Northwest China's Gansu province, tested how much basic knowledge people had of environmental protection and pollution, such as how to dispose of garbage and protect oneself from smog, as well as what steps to take to report incidents of pollution. More than 90 percent of the interviewees failed the test. Such a situation is worrisome. Not only because people's lack of knowledge increases the burden on the health system, but because government efforts to improve the environment may be compromised or even derailed when people lack the necessary awareness. Many garbage incinerator projects in cities, for instance, have been canceled due to strong opposition by residents. After more than three decades of double-digit economic growth at the cost of the environment, the government has come to realize the importance of the environmental protection. Investment in the sector over the past five years has reached 3.4 trillion yuan ($501 billion), or 3.5 percent of the country's GDP, up from 1 percent in 1999. A beautiful China is part of the Chinese dream. But the government alone cannot accomplish this. It is the responsibility of each of us to play our part, by sorting the trash, cutting the use of plastic bags, or even dialing the government hotline to report a polluting enterprise. We have only one planet, and we all share the responsibility to look after it. Criminal justice: Felons convicted of serious corruption would be prohibited from seeking shorter sentences, under a third reading of the draft amendment to the Criminal Law. The amendment aims to "safeguard judicial fairness". China Daily THE CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR DISCIPLINE INSPECTION, China's top anti-graft watchdog, has announced its latest achievements in hunting down and repatriating corrupt officials that have fled overseas. It said a total of 2,210 suspects have been brought back to stand trial and 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) of embezzled money has been recovered. Hunting "foxes", or catching the corrupt that have fled overseas, is an essential part of the anti-graft campaign. China Youth Daily comments: By hunting down the suspects we hope to not only punish those involved in corruption, but also send a warning to the officials with power in hand never to embezzle the money. Some argue that it costs too much to get the corrupt officials back. But the fight against corruption is not a business deal, but a matter of justice. Justice won't be done until those suspected of corruption are brought back to stand trial. We should bear in mind that "fox hunting" will be a long-lasting campaign. Many corrupt officials made good preparations before they fled. Some sent their spouses, children and illicit money overseas, while some laundered their money. The domestic discipline and judicial departments are ready for a lasting battle, too. Since they launched the fox hunting campaign in 2014, the number of suspects brought back has steadily increased month after month, along with the stolen money recovered. And since Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published a list of the 100 most wanted corrupt suspects on the run overseas, 35 of them have been caught. In that process, China is also gaining precious experience and improving its judiciary. For example, during the 2014 APEC meeting held in December in Beijing, an anti-corruption declaration was jointly signed, which strengthened anti-corruption cooperation among different countries. At this year's G20 Hangzhou Summit, the participants reached even greater consensus on fighting corruption. China will render more efforts toward strengthening the global cooperation in the fight against corruption, so that there will be zero tolerance for corrupt officials who will have no place to flee. Gov. Doug Ducey announced Tuesday that Lyndel R. Manson is appointed as the newest member of the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing body of Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. Manson was appointed to fill the vacancy on the board designated for northern Arizona representation. According to the governors press release, Manson served on the board of directors for Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation, was president of the DeMiguel Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization and served on the the Northland Preparatory Academy board of directors. Mansons husband, Michael, is the co-founder of PetSmart. Both Lyndel and Michael Manson have been donors to prominent Republican political campaigns in the past, including John McCain, John Kyl, Mitt Romney and Colorado Republican Stephen Laffey, and to the Republican National Committee. Lyndel Manson also contributed $3,000 to Bill Rings campaign for Coconino County Attorney. Manson received an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration and worked as an investment banking analyst and a market analyst in the private sector, according to a press release. Manson fills the seat vacated by LuAnn Leonard, who was appointed to the board in 2008 by Gov. Janet Napolitano. Leonard was the first Native American appointed to the board. Im thankful to Governor Ducey for appointing me to the Arizona Board of Regents, Manson said in a statement. Higher education in our state has made great strides in quality and access and, as Regent, I will enthusiastically support the great work at all of our states excellent public universities. NAU President Rita Cheng said she looked forward to working with Manson. We appreciate Governor Duceys appointment of a Northern Arizona Regent, reflecting the statewide importance of Arizonas public university system, Cheng said in a statement. Mrs. Mansons connections to K-12 education and her business background make her a tremendous asset to the regent discussions. When the Chinese economy was growing extremely fast, many industries produced good returns for investors. Now that the economy is going through restructuring pains, the investment returns from many industries have decreased, and hot money and speculators have turned to the real estate industry for profits. The government is promoting innovation and entrepreneurship as the main drivers of the transformation and sustainable development of the economy. However, the real estate industry throughout the country has so far proved more attractive to capital especially, in main cities and surrounding suburbs. Some listed technology companies even divert their limited fundswhich could otherwise be invested in research and developmentto speculate in the property market. But the competitiveness of a city lies in its industry, not in its artificially inflated housing market, which yields little added value. If the governments are addicted to the immediate gains from land sales, it will be very difficult for them to plan a city's economic and industrial development in the long run. Local government revenues should come from the tax on competitive enterprises in innovative industries, not land sales. Otherwise, the government actually shows its acquiescence to the estate bubbles, and the Chinese economy will lose out in the restructuring contest with other countries. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (L) and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrive before the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Sunday, Oct 9, 2016. [Photo/IC] With both major political parties having selected their candidates, the U.S. presidential campaign is in full swing. Over the next few months, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will outline platforms on foreign policy, economic revitalization, national security, and immigration. And if prior presidential campaigns are a sign of what is to come, the nominees will say much about China, U.S.-China relations, and international affairs more generally. Presidential nominees have jousted over China for decades. In 1980, candidate Ronald Reagan criticized President Jimmy Carter for formally recognizing China, and promised to renew "official relations" with Taiwan. (Reagan later disavowed this position.) In 1992, candidate Bill Clinton criticized President George H.W. Bush for "coddling" the "butchers of Beijing." As President, Clinton pushed China on human rights, but his efforts are generally thought to have had little impact. In 2012, candidate Mitt Romney pledged to label China a "currency manipulator" on his first day as president. In the present election cycle, Donald Trump has far exceeded his Democratic rival in at least one measure: attacks on China. While announcing his candidacy last June, Trump asked, "When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal? They kill us. I beat China all the time. All the time." In fact, most experts agree that China's accession to the WTO which the Clinton team negotiated was more difficult than that of any other country. Not that the Clinton administration would say they "beat" China. Earlier this year, Trump proposed a 45% tariff on imports from China to compensate for the devalued currency. Such a move would not only violate international trade law (something the United States is eager for China to comply with), it may also spark a trade war (something the United States is eager to avoid). In July 2016, apropos of the U.S.-China trade imbalance, Trump told a crowd in Indiana, "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country, and that's what they're doing." As the ancient Chinese sage Confucius once said, "The gentleman is slow to speak, but quick to act." As the 19th-century American sage, and first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln put it, "Actions speak louder than words." Rather than focusing on the nominees' rhetoric, we would do better to examine their actions vis-a-vis China and the international economy during their respective careers. In spite of stark contrasts on various matters, Clinton and Trump share basic commonalities. Whatever they may say on the campaign trail and their comments will surely grow more colorful in the run-up to November both candidates have supported, and benefited from, free trade and globalization. The 1980 construction of Trump Tower offers an early snapshot of Trump's position on globalization. Located firmly in Manhattan, the tower's construction was not isolated from the international economy. Trump selected the lowest bid to demolish a department store that once occupied the plot where Trump Tower now rises. Most of the 150 workers who showed up were Polish immigrants without proper documentation. According to one source, Trump fired them after learning they were working illegally, depriving many of the workers of their earned wages. Trump later denied knowing about the undocumented laborers. Even if we take him at his word, people at his development company, known as Trump Equitable, did not attach importance to hiring American workers, or treating these workers fairly. The incident says much about Trump's "America First" slogan. It should not lend Trump credence with the working class, but it does, however, say a lot about his attitudes towards globalization, immigrants, and the economically vulnerable. Beyond American borders, Trump has extensive holdings in India, Panama, the Philippines, Turkey, and Uruguay. These luxury projects employ thousands of foreign workers, divert millions of dollars of investment from the United States, and contribute to our longstanding trade deficit. For those interested in buying multimillion-dollar apartments, brochures are available in English and Chinese. The Chinese version uses simplified characters of Mainland China, not traditional characters used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. If China is indeed "raping" us, they should do so in a Trump property. Trump has also taken advantage of globalization in fields outside of real estate. The Donald J. Trump Collection purveys neckties made in China, shirts made in Bangladesh and Honduras, and suits made in Indonesia. These countriesHonduras and Bangladesh in particularhave some of the lowest wages, and least effective labor protections, in the world. Like many multinational enterprises, the Trump Collection aims to produce clothing as cheaply as possible, without much concern for where it is produced, by whom, or under what conditions. I suspect Trump licensed these products, as opposed to building a factory to produce these goods. If so, he contracted out the manufacture of the clothes, affixed the Trump label, and then exported them to the United States. Trump did not "offshore" production because he never had manufacturing capacities in the United States in the first place. Nevertheless, the Trump Collection contributes to the U.S. trade deficit, denies manufacturing jobs to American workers, and erodes the real wages of working Americans, who compete against Chinese, Bengalis, and Hondurans. What about Hillary Clinton? As a candidate in 2016, she has said little about China. She has, however, opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an Asian-Pacific trade pact. During the Democratic National Convention, Terry McAuliffe the Virginia governor and longtime Clinton confidante predicted Clinton's opposition to TPP would melt upon entering the White House. McAuliffe's observation created a minor stir for the Clinton campaign, which now had to double down on its opposition to the TPP. But if we take history as our guide, Hillary Clinton is far more of a free trader than her opposition to the TPP suggests. More pointedly, she was a globalist while in office, and a nationalist while seeking office. As First Lady, she championed the achievements of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), only to call it "flawed" when running to be the Senator of New Yorkers. Once elected, Senator Clinton voted to ratify free-trade deals with Singapore, Chile, Australia, and Morocco. But when she ran for president in 2008, she criticized trade deals with Korea and Colombia, only to seek their ratification as Secretary of State. Even in her own memoir, Hard Choices, Clinton went from endorsing TPP in the 2014 hard-cover version, to omitting mention of the TPP altogether in the 2015 paper-back version. Despite so many hard choices, Clinton is a fairly strong adherent to the basic tenets of globalization. During the Republican National Convention, a group of Chinese diplomats among them the impressive Ambassador Zhang Qiyue visited my university, Case Western Reserve. After exchanging the requisite pleasantries, a Chinese consul asked about the upcoming elections. I responded, "Unfortunately, people say stupid things about China during the presidential campaign. But if the past 40 years have taught us anything, it is how quickly their views evolve once they enter the White House." Whoever wins in November, the next administration will likely enact a China policy stressing economic engagement, person-to-person interaction, and cooperation on a wide range of global challenges. In so doing, the administration will continue along a trajectory set by the previous seven administrations. Tim Webster is Assistant Professor of Law and Director of Asian Legal Studies at Case Western Reserve University. Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic US presidential nominee Hillary Clinton greet one another as they take the stage for their first debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, US, September 26, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] The US-China relationship is one of the most, if not the most, important relationships for the next president of the United States to get right. There are two common perspectives on it among American policy analysts of Asia; those who see the US-Asia relationship as paramount with China just a subsidiary element, and those who see the US-China link as being the priority with the rest of Asia being viewed only in relation to it. These two views can have quite different implications. The two candidates for president Donald Trump (Republican) and Hillary Clinton (Democrat) sit in each camp; Hillary is an Asian-ist first and foremost, while Trump is likely to focus in on China. Understanding the differences between these approaches leads to two potentially wildly divergent policies that the candidates are likely to take towards the region. Clinton's Asia Policy In broad terms, Clinton's foreign policy is a continuation of that of President Barak Obama (albeit, she is more an exceptionalist, and he, a realist). The 2011 rebalance to Asia occurred under Clinton's leadership at the State Department and was driven by Kurt Campbell, then-Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and a likely candidate for a senior position in either the Departments of State or Defense in a Clinton administration. Under her leadership the rebalance will continue. Hillary Clinton has strong relations with a number of Asian powers. As Secretary of State and in her campaign, she has emphasized the importance of working with allies and is likely to take seriously the concerns of long-standing friends. At the same time, Clinton is more hawkish than President Obama more willing to use the military (in this respect she is more akin to a traditional Republican). Both of these factors ensure that reassuring and supporting America's Asian allies will be a priority. Perhaps of less appeal to many of these allies however is the fact that Clinton has been pushed strongly left during the campaign on trade, eventually coming out clearly against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), an initiative that many allies strongly endorse. On the other hand, for most of her career Clinton has been supportive of free trade. While it will take a couple of years to overcome her campaign rhetoric, Clinton will likely support the TPP in time. While Clinton is going to start from a pan-Asian perspective, this does not mean that she is anti-China. In fact, Clinton will look to engage positively with China where she can, picking up on the progress that Obama has made on issues of common interest such as the environment, piracy and disaster relief. There would be few surprises for Asia in a Clinton presidency. As with recent presidents, both Democrat and Republican, she would largely pursue a 'hedge and engage' policy towards China. She would support American treaty and other allies and partners and she would work to ensure that the United States remains the paramount Asian power. Trump's Asia Policy As Donald Trump relayed in a speech in Washington in April, "We must as a nation be more unpredictable". This could play out with regards to America's relationship with China in particular. Trump is likely to prioritize economic growth as a foreign policy objective. This sits behind a number of his policy proposals not least his attitude towards trade agreements (not that they are bad but instead badly negotiated) and his insistence that China play more fairly on currency, subsidies and industrial espionage. If he can find ways to work collaboratively with China on economic issues this will predominate. However, if China takes a more assertive approach on these issues, it will draw out a strong response. The unpredictability comes from understanding what Trump will deem 'fair' in these circumstances. His all or nothing approach could swing either way. Trump has repeatedly made clear his view that America's allies need to take more responsibility for their own security; he has emphasized the importance of burden-sharing which he feels currently isn't taking place (the US is bearing all the burden). While he is extremely unlikely to abrogate America's treaties with allies in the region (although he might suggest so rhetorically), Trump's avowed reluctance to spend down US resources on overseas missions will mean that under his leadership, allies will be left to fend for themselves more. This is likely to work in China's favor; while it might find a more assertive economic policy from the US, it will likely be permitted far more flexibility in security arenas (to the probable detriment of America's traditional allies in the region). Also positive, as seen from a Chinese perspective, will be Trump's attitude to the TPP; as with other trade agreements, Trump has taken a non-traditionally Republican stance, disavowing them as being a disaster, as currently negotiated, for the United States. He would either stop entirely or reopen the negotiations, starting with a far harder position, thus making a successful conclusion extremely unlikely during his tenure. China's RCEP proposal instead will likely gain traction. Finally, a further area of continued collaboration between the US and China would be with regards to North Korea. While recent American presidents have worked with their Chinese counterparts and with the others in the Six-Party talks for many years, Trump's avowed willingness to talk with Kim Jong-un would support the Chinese position promoting a direct US-North Korea link. The Perspective from China While comparing these two policy options might suggest that Donald Trump's policy would be better for China than Hillary Clinton's, that conclusion is not necessarily correct. Clinton's is predictable and she will find ways through traditional diplomacy to work with China. This is likely to lead to opportunities, particularly as Clinton prioritizes Asian engagement. A Trump presidency would ostensibly have a number of advantages for China. On issues such as North Korea, Trump's position is far more flexible. And his Asia policy may facilitate more space for China to act in the security arena and in particular with regards to territorial claims. However, his policy is also far less predictable. The difficulty that China will have in establishing clear redlines, particularly in economic engagement, will mean that they will have to create a wider buffer zone if they wish to avoid conflict with the US. If they unintentionally cross a line, the US is likely to respond aggressively. The cost of which will be uncertain but potentially grave. Conclusion This is a very important election for Asia. While rhetoric in elections is often extreme, emphasizing the differences between the candidates, this year there is reason to believe that the rhetorical divergences between Clinton and Trump could represent very real differences in policy towards Asia and China, with experience sitting firmly in Clinton's camp (many mainstream Republican Asia watchers have disavowed Trump). The US-China relationship is probably the most important one that the next president will need to manage. While China has at times been frustrated by President Obama's policy there have also been real areas of progress together, not least in the environmental space. They can expect the same under a President Clinton. If China plays smartly in the economic space then the opportunities in a Trump presidency could be great and could allow for more leeway in other areas, such as in security. However, if they unintentionally antagonize the United States, then the future is far more uncertain, with potentially significant consequences for all. Xenia Wickett is the head of the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House and the dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs. In late autumn, around China's National Day holiday, Changchun, the capital city of Northeast China's Jilin province, sees farmers driving their tractors with packages of potatoes, Chinese cabbages, and onions to designated selling points to start a more than three-week-long "winter vegetable selling season". For many years this flow of produce has held a symbolic meaning for locals that long, freezing winter days are coming, so better get prepared for them. An old friend of mine, a Changchun native, once told me that it was a fun activity to buy "winter vegetables " in the 1970s, a time when food and materials were very scarce. People usually got up early in the morning, queuing up on the street, praying for getting better and fresher veggies that year, while chatting with others about trivial things. A large queue forms as residents wait to buy Chinese cabbages, which are favored by consumers for its cheap price and the long time in which it can be preserved in comparison with other vegetables. This file photo was taken on Nov 12, 1988, showing people at a temporary vegetable stand. [Photo/Xinhua] "Sometimes, people need to wrap themselves up in long coats over night, holding a wooden stool, in order to get vegetables as soon as possible the next day," he recalled. "You know, when parents were gone, we, a couple of teenagers, would roll around on the floor and fight. I bet no one in the world would feel lonely any more if they happened to hear our noises and feel the atmosphere here." Usually, Chinese cabbages, potatoes, and spring onions, the three "must-have" ingredients, feed people from October to early April the following year, as winter is particularly long in Northeast China. And in fact, people from other parts of Northern China share the same habit of preserving winter vegetables. In Beijing, during the period of planned economy, many people drive bicycles to carry hundreds of kilograms of Chinese cabbages during the winter days. Chinese cabbages are their favorite. In comparison, Northeast China has much longer winter days and is much colder than elsewhere in Northern China. So once people get winter vegetables, how to save them? An effective method can keep them fresh for a long time, especially given that temperature usually drops below minus 20 C. And, each household's method can be creative, too. An old lady wheels a cart full of Chinese cabbage in this file photo taken in Beijing, on Nov 1, 1988, the first day of "winter vegetable selling season". [Photo by Tang Shizeng/Xinhua] "We bury turnips in dirt, put Chinese cabbages and potatoes against one side of the heat brick bed, pickle cabbages, and hang garlic braids under the roof," said my old friend. Winter vegetable preservation seems to be a part of people's memory for a period of time when goods and other materials are in short supply and people tried their best to make a better life, to feed themselves, and find ways to entertain themselves. "Every time I lifted the stew stove lid, a savory aroma of salty fish and potatoes filled the air," my old friend used to tell me. For him and many older generations in Changchun or Northeast China's Jilin province, winter vegetables mean something, a mixture of bitter, sweet, sour, and spice. However, these feelings about winter vegetables seem to be somewhat removed from many people in Northern China. And the tradition seems to have faded away in Changchun, too. Due to an abundant supply of fresh vegetables, and convenient transportation, people's demand for the three "must-have" winter vegetables is in decline. A woman carries a bunch of spring onions at the Minfeng agricultural products market in Changchun on Oct 3, 2016. As the temperature begins to quickly drop in Northeast China, people begin to store fresh vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, Chinese cabbages, and spring onions for winter. However, the tradition of purchasing winter vegetables seems to be fading away in parts of Northern China. [Photo by Lin Hong/Xinhua] Many elderly people regard winter vegetable preservation as an "opening ceremony" of the long winter season, and a living memory of the decades when China's goods were scarce, as Xinhua News Agency reported. Young people rarely consider those good old days of the three "must-have" vegetables. Another friend of mine, who is in his mid-thirties, and also a native of Changchun, told me that his family hasn't purchased winter vegetables for many years, and thought people may need cabbage for pickling only. I think the tradition may dissipate someday because of market supply-and-demand; however, those farmers who drive tractors to Changchun now must think of what to plant and how to sell in the future. Perhaps, they could try to apply some marketing strategies, labeling them organic vegetables, or sell them online after wrapping them in nice, clean bags. Yes, they will find their own way, as do young people. Zhang Yanshun(R), a winter vegetable vendor in Changchun, gives his customer change. This was his first customer in two hours, at his point of sale on Donglingnan Street, Oct 22. [Photo/Xinhua] But, what will really disappear will be the buried turnips, the aroma of salty fish, and the sense of happiness people usually felt in those days of scarcity. People attend a rally asking for the resignation of South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Seoul, South Korea, Oct 29, 2016. Over the past week pressure has been mounting on South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who has been suspected of letting her longtime friend to intervene in state affairs. [Photo/Xinhua] SEOUL - South Korea's defense ministry on Monday denied a claim by an opposition lawmaker that a behind-the-scene heavyweight may have intervened in the July decision between Seoul and Washington to deploy a U.S. missile shield system on South Korean soil. Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun told a routine press briefing that it would never be true after being asked about Rep. Kim Jong-dae's claim that a political big shot behind the curtain may have meddled in the deployment decision of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). Kim, a lawmaker of the minor Justice Party, said in his Facebook page on Thursday that the THAAD deployment decision was made in July and that rumors were rife about the attempt of Lockheed Martin, the THAAD manufacturer, to contact heavyweights of the Park Geun-hye government. The opposition lawmaker said the behind-the-curtain figure pulling the strings favorable to Lockheed Martin must be found. Kim didn't refer to Choi Soon-sil, a longtime confidante of President Park Geun-hye, who has been suspected of having interfered with state affairs, including the editing of presidential speeches and the accessing of presidential reports on diplomatic and defense affairs. Reversing an earlier stance of so-called "Three Nos," South Korea abruptly announced a joint decision with the United States on July 8 to install one THAAD battery in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year. Three Nos mean no proposal, no consultation and no decision on THAAD deployment. Denying the suspected intervention, the defense ministry spokesman said the THAAD deployment decision was announced after going through legitimate consultation procedures. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro talks to the media after his meeting with former Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Caracas, Venezuela October 31, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] CARACAS - Leaders of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) on Monday hailed the start of talks with the opposition, with the aim of seeking a common solution to the country's political crisis. PSUV spokesman, Hector Rodriguez, told a press conference that "we want to applaud the brave attitude of the different political actors who sat at that table." "We want to acknowledge the international support which has been given to the proposal of President (Nicolas) Maduro," added Rodriguez, who called for all sides to move beyond political differences and reject hatred. "We do not want to return to the (violence) of 2014, we want to see a respectful debate of ideas," he said. Envoys from Maduro's government and the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) met late on Sunday. The two sides agreed to four central topics to be discussed: how to bring about peace and justice, reparation to victims and reconciliation, society and economic stability, and coordination on the electoral calendar. The two sides also agreed to meet on Nov 11. In a joint statement after the meeting, the parties voiced commitment to "diminishing the tone of aggression in the language used in political debate." The talks were monitored by three representatives for the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), former Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, former President of Panama, Martin Torrijos, and former Dominican Republic President, Leonel Fernandez. The four topics will each have a separate discussion, with a representative from the government and from the opposition, said Celli after the meeting. The MUD opposition has been divided on whether to sit down with the government. On Saturday, 15 parties within the MUD issued a statement that the conditions were not met to speak with the government, which they said was allegedly continuing "persecution, violence, and terrorizing" of the opposition. US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton holds a Halloween mask while joking with her staff on her campaign plane in Erlanger, Kentucky, US October 31, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - The US Justice Department said Monday that it will try to reach a quick conclusion of the latest probe into Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's emails. Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik assured Congress in a letter that his department "will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resource and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible." The pledge came after FBI director James Comey said Friday new evidences relating to Clinton's private email server are being assessed. Comey's announcement drew criticism from Democrats who accused him of not following the tradition of keeping investigations from the public's sight 60 days before presidential elections. The White House defended Comey Monday, with press secretary Josh Earnest saying President Barack Obama does not believe that Comey was intentionally trying to sway the election. Clinton on Monday played down the damage of the probe, telling a rally in the swing state of Ohio that "there's no case here" and that she's confident no charges will be made. Seizing on the investigation, Republican candidate Donald Trump warned Monday that if Clinton were to be elected, the country would face a "constitutional crisis." Benefitting from the email controversy, Trump narrowed the gap with Clinton by gaining 2.4 percent in the polls over the weekend, according to an average of major polls calculated by RealClearPolitics. Migrants stand near their tents at a makeshift migrant camp on a street near the metro stations of Jaures and Stalingrad in Paris, France, October 28, 2016.[Photo/Agencies] French riot police swooped on a makeshift migrant camp in northeast Paris on Monday, sparking a brief standoff at a site where numbers have soared since the closure of the Jungle shanty town in the northern port city of Calais. The operation, largely consisting of identity checks on some of an estimated 2,500 migrants sleeping rough around a canal and railway bridge near Paris's Stalingrad metro station, came as pressure mounts on the government to shut the camp. Tension has risen with the speculation that police will move in to evacuate and close the camp definitively in the coming days, as the Paris authorities are demanding. A journalist at the scene said a digger moved in to clear a small part of the camp, a sprawl of tents, mattresses, blankets and the meager belongings of migrants who come mostly from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan. Migrants shouted at police as the digger swept debris and rubbish away. The camp was otherwise left largely intact. One policeman sprayed a migrant with teargas. After a couple of hours, police allowed migrants to move back after a tidy-up by municipal cleaning workers. With a week to go before Election Day, about half of the 48,000 early ballots sent to voters in Coconino County have been returned. Coconino County Recorder Patty Hansen said that as of Monday afternoon, the office had received around 24,977 ballots back and more are rolling in. She said the Flagstaff Post Office has been working hard to expedite ballots to the elections office. There are 81,461 people in Coconino County registered to vote Nov. 8, a record. More than 30 percent of voters have cast ballots already. Hansen is reminding early voters who want to mail their ballots should do so by Wednesday in order to make sure they make it in time for Election Day. All ballots have to be in by 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. Alternatives are to drop the ballot off before Election Day at one of several drop boxes in the county or turn it in at any polling place on Election Day. Voters with early ballots must sign the outside of the ballot envelope to have the ballot count. The signature has to be on the envelope so the elections office can verify that the ballot was cast by the correct voter. TRACK YOUR BALLOT The thousands of voters who have mailed in ballots so far dont have to wonder whether their ballot made it from the mailbox to the Coconino County Elections Office. Hansen said voters can call her office at 928-679-7860, email ccelections@coconino.az.gov or use VoterView at https://voter.azsos.gov/VoterView/AbsenteeBallotSearch.do to check on the status of their ballot. Hansen reminded voters that while they may get calls, mailers or text messages from the political parties reminding them to turn in their ballot, those parties dont always have the correct information. Hansen said she herself was called by someone who had inaccurate information about her voter status, and warned voters that such mistakes have happened before. Two years ago, for example, the political parties were calling voters and incorrectly telling them that their early ballots had not been received, when in fact their ballots actually had been received and accepted. That led to some people trying to vote twice because they thought their early ballot had gotten lost or somehow not been logged by elections officers, Hansen wrote. State law requires county elections offices to provide the political parties the list of voters who have requested an early ballot as well as the list of voters who have had their ballot accepted by the elections office, Hansen wrote in an email. Hansen advised voters to go straight to her office or to the Secretary of State to make sure their ballot has been accepted and will get counted. HOW BALLOTS ARE PREPARED When ballots are turned in, the elections office compares the signature on the return ballot envelope to the signature on a voters registration application. If the signature matches, the ballot is logged as accepted in the county voter registration system. The ballots are then grouped into batches of 50 and sent to an early voting board, which works in teams of people who belong to opposing political parties. The board members double check the names on the envelope against a report of ballots accepted, then slice open the ballot envelope, making sure it stays face down so the voters name is not visible. Another early voting board member removes the ballot from the envelope, which is kept face down, and places the unfolded ballot into a tub. When all 50 ballots in a batch have been opened and placed in the tub they are mixed up. Then the early voting members unfold the ballots to make sure they are flat. Those ballots are bundled in batches of 100, then placed in a transfer box and sealed with three seals. The sealed boxes are locked in a secure area until they are transferred to the counting board to be counted starting Thursday. SIGNATURE VERIFICATION Elections officers are responsible for verifying whether the signature on a ballot envelope matches the voters signature on registration application(s). If the signature doesnt appear to match it is given to a staff member trained in forensic handwriting analysis and handwriting fraud. If the signature has been determined not to match, the elections office tries to contact the voter to see if there is a reason for the discrepancy, like an injury or illness that caused their signature to change. The biggest problem we have are spouses that think they can vote for their wife or husband and parents that think they can vote for their children. Arizona state law does not allow a proxy to vote for a voter, Hansen wrote. HOW A BALLOT GETS COUNTED The elections office will start putting early ballots through counting equipment on Thursday. The ballots are hand fed into the ballot counting equipment and it takes four days to process all of them, Hansen wrote. No reports of election results will be run until election night, though the office does run a report at the end of each day that shows the number of ballots counted to compare it to the number of ballots sent to the early voting board. People can watch the ballot counting on live video streaming by going to http://www.coconino.az.gov/elections and selecting Livestream of ballot counting. ALTERNATIVES TO MAIL-INS Coconino County and Flagstaff voters with mail-in early ballots can also drop their ballots off at one of two white ballot drop boxes located at the Coconino County General Services Building, 110 E. Cherry Ave. or at the County Health and Community Services Building, 2625 N. King St. Coconino and Flagstaff ballots can also be dropped off at any Coconino County polling place on Election Day. The ballot must be in its signed and sealed early ballot envelope. Early ballots issued by other counties or states cannot be dropped off at Coconino County polling places. Those ballots must be returned to the county that issued that ballot. Flagstaff voters who want to vote early but didnt get a ballot in the mail can vote early at the Coconino County Elections Office, 110 E. Cherry Ave. until 5 p.m. Friday. The elections office is also staying open until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week in order to accommodate early voters. On Election Day, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. The polling places for the General Election will be at the same locations that they were for the Primary Election in August. Voters looking for their polling place can find it on their sample ballot or by calling the Coconino County Elections Office at (928) 679-7860. Ed.note: This story has changed from the original. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 He Jian, chairman of the Chinese Council for Promotion of International Trade Hunan Sub-council, presents an embroidered painting, a specialty craft of Hunan, to Bob Harvey, president of the Greater Houston Partnership, on Monday. May Zhou / China Daily Scores of business people from China's Hunan province and Texas conducted one-on-one meetings at the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) to talk business on Monday at the Second Annual Hunan-Houston Business Workshop. He Jian, chairman of Chinese Council for Promotion of International Trade Hunan Sub-council (CCPIT-Hunan), said his 20-plus member delegation is eager to seek cooperation in high-tech, healthcare and senior living management. "We have recently established Xiangjiang development zone in Changsha with senior living and healthcare as the major focus. We plan to build six collaborative cancer centers in this zone. We understand that the Texas Medical Center is top-notch in the world, and we are actively engaging them for cooperation possibilities," said He. He said that 18 companies in various industries are represented in the delegation, and are seeking to buy high-tech products as well as sell products to the US. This is the second year that Hunan has engages Houston for business opportunities and He said it was just the beginning and they plan to come back next year. To lay a firm foundation, CCPIT-Hunan signed a memorandum of understanding with local law firm Lai, Corsini and Lapus for cooperation on intellectual property issues in future business dealings. "We want to make sure that both Chinese and American property rights are protected in the two countries," said He. The Hunan delegation had visited Cuba and Mexico seeking similar opportunities, as well as collaboration on agriculture, before coming to Houston. According to Zhou Shengqiao, director of Huanan International Service Center, the US is Hunan's second-largest trading partner with volume reaching $3.6 billion in 2015. "We certainly want to see more of that, of course," Zhou said. Bob Harvey, president at GHP, a large chamber of commerce serving the 11-county Houston region, welcomed the delegation along with China's Consul General in Houston Li Qiangmin, a Hunan native himself. According to Harvey, Houston's trade volume with China reached $18.5 billion last year. mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com Britain's famed Royal Air Force aerobatic display team, the Red Arrows, will perform in China for the first time at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, between Tuesday and Sunday. Red arrows perfrom for the first time at the 11th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition November 1, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] The team, which has amazed fans at air shows for decades with its tight formations and apparently death-defying stunts, is seen by many as the public face of the RAF. The appearance above Zhuhai, in China's southerly Guangdong province, is at China's sole international aerospace trade expo, which has been held every second year since 1996. The Red Arrows is on its Asia-Pacific and Middle East Tour 2016, its largest overseas deployment for a decade. Wing Commander Martin Higgins, the officer leading the team, said: "Each member of the Red Arrows is excited by the prospect of the team visiting and performing in China for the first time. The visit showcases the strong links between the UK and China." He said members, who fl y British-built Hawk fast-jets, were honoured to be invited. The Red Arrows, one of the best international aerobatic display teams, has completed more than 4,800 performances since its formation in 1965. The display in China takes the number of countries that have hosted the team to 57. Dame Barbara Woodward, Britain's ambassador in China, said the Red Arrows "represent the best of British innovation" and "demonstrate the engineering excellence and skills that are hallmarks of both the Royal Air Force and British industry". Pilots will visit schools and universities to encourage students to pursue studies and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. The team, which arrived in China on Oct 22, held a preview of its display in Zhuhai on Oct 27. Hints that the British government might opt to remain within a tariff-free customs union with Europe after it leaves the European Union are raising doubts about its ability to forge an eventual free-trade agreement independently with economies such as China. Change Britain, a lobby group that is pushing for a so-called hard Brexit, said over the weekend that countries such as China are queuing up to do trade deals with Britain once it is out of the EU. But, the group said, Britain can only capitalize on this if it quits the EU customs union. Continued membership of the customs union, which includes non-EU partners such as Turkey, would prevent the UK from striking its own free-trade deals with third parties. Speculation about the customs union option was raised after the government gave undisclosed assurances to Japan's Nissan car company that persuaded it to announce last week that it would continue to invest in its plants in England's North East. Greg Clark, the business minister who secured the agreement after a visit to Japan last month, revealed in a broadcast interview at the weekend that he had assured Nissan that the UK wanted to ensure its homemade vehicles continued to enjoy tariff-free access to Europe. Clark's was the fullest account so far of the Nissan deal, which the government had until then declined to disclose to Parliament. The government's reticence about disclosing its hand reflects a desire not to give anything away in advance to its EU negotiating partners, but also to avoid widening a rift in Cabinet between supports of "hard" and "soft" Brexit. Clark would not reveal whether the deal included a pledge to remain within the customs union. However, some politicians, economists and commentators have insisted it is the only way to interpret Nissan's agreement. Vince Cable, a former business secretary, said the deal with Nissan indicated Theresa May's government had promised it would be staying in the customs union. Writing in Monday's Financial Times, economics columnist Wolfgang Munchau wrote that it made no sense for Nissan to build new models in Britain unless the country remained in the customs union and the single market. China's Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming said last month that Brexit had not dampened the eagerness of Chinese firms to invest in the UK. "On the contrary, it opens the door for the possibility of exploring a higher level of financial, trade and investment arrangements," he said at a London conference. The Change Britain group, which is supported by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and former Conservative leadership challenger Michael Gove, said 14 countries, including China, have publicly indicated they want free-trade deals with the UK. The group says the UK is better placed to make such deals on its own, rather than through the 28-nation EU, which only reached a trade deal with Canada last week after seven years of bargaining. Harvey Morris is a senior media consultant for China Daily UK. Events and stories coming up in the next few days Huge Asian art festival launching in capital The annual Asian Art in London festival, which involves more than 60 major art dealers, galleries, auction houses and museums, will run for 10 days from Thursday to Nov 12. The celebration of Asian art will feature exhibitions, selling shows, auctions, receptions, lectures and seminars and take place at various locations in and around the capital. Venues supporting the event include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, the British Library, British Museum, and Fitzwilliam Museum. Schools offered China recruitment tips Schools and universities that want to attract more Chinese students can get some tips at Content Marketing in China-Strategies for Universities and Schools to Help Attract More Students on Thursday. The workshop, presented by Edward Teng of Digipanda Marketing, will look at recruitment options available, such as the use of Chinese social media, and highlight students' frequently-asked questions. The event will be at the Academy Room in Newman House on Newman Street, London. Beijing's relationship with Africa discussed The Confucius Institute at Lancaster University is hosting its fifth annual lecture, China and Africa: An Evolving Relationship in a Complex Globalized World, on Thursday. Frannie Leautier, senior vice-president at the African Development Bank Group, will speak from her perspective as someone with a 25-year-career in Africa and around the world, in both the public and private sectors. Jeweler focuses on Asian designs Miranda Rhys Williams will speak about contemporary Asian art jewelry on Friday at Asia House, New Cavendish Street, London. Beyond the Rocks: Asia and Contemporary Jewelry is being hosted by the Bagri Foundation, a UK registered charity that provides education, relief work and health initiatives within Asia and promotes the region's cultural heritage. The event is part of the Asian Art in London 2016 festival. China and Malaysia have agreed to jointly develop and build a littoral mission vessel for the latter's naval forces, signifying deeper defense cooperation between the two Asian nations. The deal, witnessed by Premier Li Keqiang and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, was signed on Tuesday in Beijing. According to Najib, the first two of the littoral mission ships Malaysia purchases from China would be built in China, with two then built in Malaysia. Further Malaysian-built ships would be subject to government financing. "This deal will enhance the Malaysian shipbuilding and defense industry," he said in a written article. The ships are considered fast patrol vessels primarily used for coastal security, which can be equipped with a helicopter flight deck and missiles, Reuters reported. Vice-Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said the agreement would be conducive to the peace and stability of the South China Sea. "Both China and Malaysia are countries surrounding the South China Sea, and the strengthening of their naval cooperation will enhance mutual trust," he told reporters. It would mark Malaysia's first significant defense deal with the country, Reuters reported. Jia Duqiang, associate researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Malaysian purchases of LMVs from China will send a clear signal across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. "After all, arms trade is always a sensitive issue, and it requires a strong, mutual political trust to execute," he said. Military relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur have grown recently, with the first joint military exercises held last year in the Strait of Malacca. The naval deal is just one of 28 agreements signed by the two countries on Tuesday, covering areas like infrastructure and finance. Another major bilateral deal was that China would provide loans to Malaysia for construction of the planned East Coast Rail Line. Malaysia's transport minister was quoted in earlier reports as saying the loan amount is 55 billion yuan ($8.1 billion), the biggest single deal Malaysia is to sign with China. Chinese companies also are investing more in Malaysia, said Jia. Telecommunication giant Huawei recently established a new research center in Malaysia. The week-long stay is Najib's third official visit to China. Premier Li Keqiang recalled the frequent exchanges between the leaders in the recent years. "I recalled the historical contribution your father made to improve bilateral ties," Li said. The late Tun Abdul Razak Malaysia's second prime minister and Najib's father was remembered for his vision in 1974 when he decided that Malaysia would become the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Contact the writers at qinjize@chinadaily.com.cn Since its inception as Northern Arizona Normal School in 1899, Northern Arizona University has gone through dramatic changes both in its physical appearance and in its offerings to students seeking an education. It began as a teachers school with 23 students, one professor and two copies of Websters International Dictionary. Several name changes occurred to reflect the widening scope of the school, but none of them stuck very long until the most recent change in 1966. This year, with enrollment at NAUs Flagstaff Mountain campus surpassing 22,000 and even more students studying online or at one of the over 20 extended campuses located throughout the state, the Cline Library Special Collections and Archives put together an exhibit, titled Founded in 1899, Transformed in 1966: Celebrating 50 Years as a University 1966-2016, to showcase the evolution of NAU since it officially became a state university and changed its name from Arizona State College. I love telling stories about the past, said Alexandra Morris, Cline Librarys Elizabeth M. and P.T. Reilly Summer Intern who curated the exhibit. The first day of my internship I received a tour of the archives, and I went home both inspired and wondering what I got myself into. Morris, a second-year graduate student working toward her masters degree in history, sorted through thousands of documents and photographs in the archives and organized them to fit into a storyline with several themes that SCA staff felt would best tell NAUs story. I went through materials with two questions in mind, she said. First, what did becoming a state university mean? And second, what makes NAU NAU? After becoming a university, NAU was able to offer more degrees, especially for graduate students. Home economics, a popular degree in 1966, was dropped in lieu of more marketable degrees such as nursing and hotel and restaurant management, two NAU programs that are now nationally recognized for excellence. Engineering and forestry are two other programs that tend to be at the forefront of recent students minds when they choose NAU. As technology disciplines advanced and became more complex, that was reflected in our degrees offered, explained Todd Welch, project manager and digital access librarian. Student life evolved over the years, too, particularly with the passage of Title IX, which was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972, allowing women equal opportunities in all federally-funded education programs. Male-only clubs like the Chain Gang and women-only clubs such as Cardinal Key became co-ed, ending discrimination. Morris also included a few fun documents that she found to demonstrate how NAU operated in the past. A 1974 flier for a fundraiser by the Associated Students of NAU advertised an attempt by ASNAU President Stuart Leaping Lumberjoke Gerrich to break the world record for longest tricycle jump. A photo of him leaping off of a brick wall is placed next to a brief explanation of the origins of this challenge from Kit Evil Weavil Christensen, student body president of Boise State University, who set the record jump at 16 feet, 2 3/4 inches. The great thing about it is that the university endorsed it, so it really illustrates how different things were just 40 years ago, said Morris. To find out if he was successful, come to the exhibit! The exhibit opened Oct. 7 with a reception and will remain up through August 2017, giving people plenty of time to explore and learn about NAUs colorful history. Welch said he sees students trickle into the exhibit in the afternoon while taking a break from studying in the library and some classes take tours as well. We feel its really important for some of the kids to understand the rich history of NAU and key things that other students before them experienced, Welch said. It's exciting to have been involved in a project that has so much meaning to the campus community, added Morris. As of Wednesday afternoon, all prescribed burn activities planned on the Coconino National Forest have been canceled for the rest of the week due to forest rain and shifting winds. ----- Tuesday 9:45 a.m. Fire managers are planning several prescribed burn projects this week across the Coconino National Forest that will produce visible smoke around Flagstaff, Stoneman Lake and Clints Well. Some of the projects could begin as early as Tuesday. Smoke impacts from one of the projects near U.S. Highway 180 north of Flagstaff also will cause traffic on the highway to be restricted to one lane near Kendrick Park Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. If conditions warrant, ADOT may temporarily close U.S. Highway 180 in that area. All of the prescribed burns are dependent upon weather and wind conditions, and some could be canceled if conditions aren't suitable. HORSESHOE-KENDRICK PROJECT (near Kendrick Park area) When: Ignitions planned for Tuesday starting around 9:30 a.m. The burn is expected to last one day, but could continue through Wednesday. Where: Approximately 17 miles north of Flagstaff near Kendrick Park, along U.S. Highway 180. Size: Approximately 3,200 acres. Closures/Restrictions: U.S. Highway 180 near the Kendrick Park area will be restricted to one lane on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. Smoke Impacts: This is an initial entry burn, meaning that specific area has not had fire on the landscape in a long time and forest fuel accumulation will produce heavy smoke during the burn. For Tuesday, the wind is expected to ventilate the smoke toward the northeast, so smoke will impact motorists along U.S. Highway 180 and could impact U.S. Highway 89 northeast of the burn. Smoke will settle in the Kendrick Park area during the cooler evening hours, so motorists are cautioned to drive slowly and abide restrictions along the highway. For Wednesday, the wind is expected to shift and ventilate smoke toward the southwest and could impact communities such as Williams. EASTSIDE PROJECT (Pine Canyon) When: Ignition planned for Thursday or Friday starting at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m. and duration is expected to be one day. Where: Near Pine Canyon subdivision and the Heckethorn community; approximately two miles south of Little America. Closures/Restrictions: None. Size: Approximately 300 acres. Smoke Impacts: This is an initial entry burn. If winds flow toward the east and northeast Thursday and Friday, smoke will be visible to motorists along Interstate 40, as well as residents of Flagstaff. With the smoke traveling toward the east/northeast, it may impact the following subdivisions in and around Flagstaff: Harold Ranch, Continental, Pine Canyon, Heckethorn and Walnut Canyon. During the evening hours, smoke usually settles in low-lying areas and may impact communities and roads near the burn area. Fire managers will reassess ventilation on Wednesday and Thursday, and may cancel this burn if conditions are not favorable for venting. MORMON LAKE BASIN When: Ignition planned for Thursday or Friday with duration expected to be one day. Where: Approximately one mile west of the Mormon Lake community. Size: Approximately 1,500 acres. Closures/Restrictions: None. Smoke Impacts: This is an initial entry burn, meaning that specific area has not had fire on the landscape in a long time and forest fuel accumulation will produce heavy smoke during the burn. Smoke may impact Mormon Lake communities and Stoneman Lake, Rattlesnake Canyon and Forest Highway 3 (Mormon Lake Road). Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle and drain down nearby canyons, potentially impacting the Village of Oak Creek. Fire managers will reassess ventilation on Wednesday and Thursday, and may cancel this burn if conditions are not favorable for venting. UPPER BEAVER CREEK PROJECT (Stoneman Lake area) When: Planned ignition will be Tuesday (Nov. 1) as weather and conditions allow. Ignitions typically begin between 9-10 a.m. and duration is expected to be one day. Where: Approximately 13 miles west of the Village of Oak Creek and just south of Stoneman Lake. Size: Approximately 870 acres. Closures/Restrictions: None. Smoke Impacts: Smoke may impact Stoneman Lake and Mormon Lake communities to the north, and the Discovery Channel Telescope to the east. Cooling temperatures in the evenings may cause smoke to settle and drain down nearby canyons, potentially impacting the Verde Valley and the Village of Oak Creek. BLUE RIDGE URBAN INTERFACE PROJECT When: Planned ignition will be Tuesday. Where: Approximately eight miles northeast of Clints Well. Size: Approximately 1,000 acres. Closures/Restrictions: None. Smoke Impacts: This is a maintenance burn, which means fire has been on the landscape within the last few years and this burn is conducted to maintain the area and keep it from building large amounts of forest fuels. Smoke during a maintenance burn is typically less dense than an initial entry burn. Good ventilation is expected to push smoke to the north/northeast during the day and may be visible to Happy Jack visitors, Clint Wells residents, others along the rim country, along with motorists on Forest Service Road 300, Arizona Route 87 and Lake Mary Road (Forest Highway 3). MANAGED FIRE The Mogollon Rim Ranger District is currently monitoring and managing a lightning-caused wildfire called the Poverty Fire, which began Oct. 25 and is located six miles directly south of Clints Well. Fire managers will be using road systems to contain the fire today and back-burning from those roads, so smoke will be visible to those near Happy Jack, Clints Well and other surrounding Blue Ridge communities. Smoke will move toward the northeast and likely impact motorists on state Route 87, Lake Mary Road and forest roads in the area of the burn. The public and media can get quick notification of when a prescribed burn or any other activity is happening on the Coconino National Forest by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CoconinoNF. (Photo : Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images) FCC chairman Tom Wheeler stated in the proposal that broadband services providers should properly disclose how they collect data based on users' online browsing activities. Advertisement The Federal Communications Commission recently released its ruling on a landmark privacy law that will limit how internet service providers use or even manage online user data. Privacy activists hailed the ruling as an important step towards protecting user data from data hoarding corporations. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The FCC ruled in favor of the new online privacy law, a move that was greatly lauded by critics, users and activists. In a statement acquired by CBS Baltimore, Free Future blog editor Jay Stanley said, "What we don't want to see is the internet network itself violating your privacy." "The actual company that's providing the wires into your home, that's what these ruled prevent," he added. The latest FCC ruling states that internet users may disallow internet service providers from sharing their sensitive personal information, including mobile location, browsing history and data usage. Internet activists have questioned the practices of several internet service providers that hoard user data and sell it to advertising companies. Ad companies will then use these data to target consumers with specific products. Furthermore, most mobile devices are now equipped with GPS sensors, which can pinpoint the actual location of the user with a great degree of accuracy. Some online activists believe that huge corporations, and even some government agencies, use these tools to track certain individuals of interest, a practice that is a direct violation of the person's privacy. The new FCC ruling still allows users to choose whether they want their information to be shared to third-party entities or not. The five-person commission voted 3-2, in favor of the new ruling. Advertisement TagsFCC, Federal Communications Commission, Online privacy, online security, fcc law, fcc rules (Photo : PIB) New Delhi's skyline disappears in a grey haze during Diwali. Advertisement Perhaps India should go back to Diwali's basics by only lighting oil lanterns and candles instead of igniting millions of fireworks that caused air pollution during this festive holiday from Oct. 29-30 to reach record highs. As experts predicted, pollution levels in Delhi and other major cities went through the roof like Diwali rockets. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Delhi, as expected, was the worst hit. The most air polluted city in the nation (some say this dubious distinction belongs to Gwalior) saw its air-pollution index jump to a high 447 on the morning of Oct. 30 in a scale where a level over 401 is classified as "severe." That already bad indicator worsened to the maximum level of 500 in many parts of Delhi by evening. Many residents reported smelling air that smelt like firecracker smoke and breathing in that air. The city government's plan to mitigate pollution by stationing air-purification devices around the city's major intersections had no positive effect at all. The main culprits for firecracker smoke remaining stagnant over the city far longer than expected were low wind speeds, low temperatures and high levels of moisture in the air. The danger posed by a type microscopic particulate matter called PM2.5 that's the most dangerous to human health more than doubled over the course of a few hours on Oct. 29. By the morning of Oct. 31, government health authorities said PM2.5 levels had exceeded 30 times the World Health Organization's recommendation for average daily exposure. The air pollution story in Patna, second in the Top 10 list of Indian cities with the country's worst air pollution, was equally dangerous. Residents refused to heed the Bihar government's "Say No to Crackers" campaign and paid a heavy health price for this defiance. Data released by the state government showed the ambient air quality of Patna deteriorated alarmingly on the night of Diwali. The levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 spiked to a maximum 1.4 and 3 times higher than the concentration noted from October 25 to 29 before Diwali. The concentration of particulate matter (PM 2.5) has shot up to 6.6 times above the prescribed national ambient air quality standard and 15.8 times above World Health Organization safety limits. Advertisement TagsDiwali, air pollution, New Delhi, Patna, PM 2.5, World Health Organization, firecrackers (Photo : Breakthrough Junior Challenge ) Breakthrough Junior Challenge website Advertisement The Breakthrough Prize has announced the top 30 student semifinalists in the second annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and kicked off the 'Popular Vote' portion of the global competition, posting all videos online for public review at https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughPrize. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The 30 semifinalists represent the top submissions after two rounds of judging. The first round was a mandatory peer review followed by an evaluation panel of Khan Academy judges. The 30 semifinalists hail from the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, Indonesia, Peru, Venezuela, Australia, Brazil, Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, the Philippines and Singapore. More than 6,000 entries from 146 countries were received in the 2016 installment of the global competition for science and math students, designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, or mathematics. All 30 semifinalists will compete in the 'Popular Vote' contest, open until Nov. 9 at 11:59 PM PT. The "Popular Vote" contest invites the public to vote for their favorite semifinalist submission at https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughPrize. Votes can be cast by "liking," "sharing," or issuing a "positive reaction" to the videos on the official Breakthrough Prize Facebook page. The top scorer in the Popular Vote challenge will receive automatic entry into the finalist round, which will be revealed on Nov. 10. The finalists will be reviewed by the Selection Committee consisting of Breakthrough Prize laureates; author and educator Lucy Hawking; Dr. Mae Jemison, science literacy expert, former astronaut and Principal, 100 Year Starship and Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, among others. The winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will be announced at the 2017 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in early December, and will be awarded a $250,000 scholarship. The science teacher who inspired the winning student will win $50,000. The winner's school will also receive a state-of-the-art science lab valued at $100,000. For the second year, students ages 13 to 18 were invited to create original videos (up to five minutes in length) that illustrated a concept or theory in the physical or life sciences. The submissions were evaluated on the students' ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in the most engaging, illuminating, and imaginative ways. Last year's winning submission was from 18 year-old Ryan Chester of North Royalton High School, Ohio. Ryan's video, "Some Cool Ways to Understand the Special Theory of Relativity and What it Means About Time," explored Albert Einstein's theory of special relativity and was noted by judges for its humor and personality. The video was similarly popular among Ryan's peers, and received close to four million online views. In September, Ryan enrolled at Harvard University. Breakthrough Junior Challenge is funded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner, through the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, based on a grant from Mark Zuckerberg's fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and a grant from the Milner Global Foundation. Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global initiative to develop and demonstrate young people's knowledge of science and scientific principles; generate excitement in these fields; support STEM career choices; and engage the imagination and interest of the public-at-large in key concepts of fundamental science. Advertisement TagsBreakthrough Junior Challenge, Breakthrough Prize, 'Popular Vote' contest, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan, Yuri and Julia Milner (Photo : NAO) FAST. Advertisement China's new FAST (Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope), the largest of its kind in the world, officially joined the SETI global network hunting for signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life in the universe. FAST is the world's largest filled aperture (single dish) radio telescope with a dish consisting of 4,450 triangular panels. Located in southwestern Guizhou province, FAST is also the second largest radio telescope after Russia's RATAN-600, which has a sparsely filled aperture. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Andrew Siemion, director of the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, said the center had entered into a partnership with the National Astronomical Observatory of China (NAO) that built and operates FAST in the hunt for evidence of advanced alien civilizations. The Berkeley center's Breakthrough Listen project, which has begun a 10-year search for intelligent life on other world, is leading the hunt for intelligent extraterrestrial civilizations. Siemion said Breakthrough Listen recently entered into a partnership with FAST and NAO. NAO is confident FAST will be a big help in the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. "FAST's potential to discover an alien civilization will be five to 10 (times) that of current equipment, as it can see farther and darker planets," said Peng Bo, director of the NAO Radio Astronomy Technology Laboratory. FAST's field of vision is almost twice that of the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico that's been the world's biggest single aperture radio telescope for the past 53 years. It's expected to shine a brighter light on the origins of the universe by mapping the distribution of hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. FAST will also allow scientists to detect many more pulsars, which are dense, rotating stars that act as cosmic clocks. This could give scientists with the capability to detect gravitational waves -- ripples in spacetime -- that shed light on how galaxies evolved. Locating the telescope dish in a natural hollow provides stronger support for the dish. Locating FAST three miles away from the nearest inhabited town will give the radio telescope the perfect radio silence needed to do its job better. "The FAST telescope will be absolutely incredible for conducting extremely sensitive searches of Tabby's star for evidence of technologically produced radio emissions," said Siemion. "We are very excited to work with our colleagues in China on conducting SETI observations with FAST, including of Tabby's star. Within its frequency range, FAST is the most sensitive telescope in the world capable of conducting SETI observations of Tabby's star, and will be able to detect the weakest signals." Advertisement TagsFAST, Five hundred meter aperture spherical telescope, SETI, Andrew Siemion], search for extraterrestrial intelligence, National Astronomical Observatory of China, Breakthrough Listen project (Photo : YouTube Screenshot ) Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus believes India will surpass China as its worlds largest market as early as next year. Advertisement Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus sees India to surpass China as its world's largest market as early as next year, Pete Lau, the company's CEO, told TOI. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "In 2017, we expect India to surpass China as our biggest market," Lau said. "China is a big market but we would like to focus on one market and capture that country and create a strong platform for us to grow in other countries later on." OnePlus will soon finalize its manufacturing plant location in India and launch a brick-and-mortar experience center in Begaluru, its first outlet as the company only sells online, the Telecom from the Economic Times reported. Currently, OnePlus is undertaking a pilot manufacturing project at SriCity in Andhra Pradesh. The company will soon move to a bigger and better location after it finds success, according to The Financial Express. "The Indian market is big enough for us to make in India and the government is supportive of local manufacturing. We can react to our customers fast by producing locally," Lau noted. Prices of OnePlus' products are expected to be drop as soon as it starts producing locally. OnePlus initially made premium phones and was sold through 'invites only'; however, with its latest launch, the company decided to make its products totally available online. Meanwhile, The Financial Express noted that OnePlus does not have sales target or has not tasked someone in sales. The company solely rely on word of mouth for publicity. Regardless, OnePlus is listed as India's top four premium smartphone brands. Furthermore, Lau said OnePlus will focus on coming up with flagship devices instead of compromising quality by producing mid-range units. Advertisement TagsOnePlus, India, china, smartphone market (Photo : Pixabay) The EU's Digital Economy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has been slammed for making insulting remarks about Chinese people. Advertisement The European Union's Digital Economy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has received flak for a speech he made, which has been branded as "racist" and "homophobic." Oettinger delivered the speech last week in Hamburg. He was recently named the new EU budget commissioner. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement An amateur video on YouTube shows Oettinger calling Chinese people "slitty-eyed." He also made disparaging remarks about a delegation of Chinese ministers claiming that they had "their hair combed from left to right with shoe polish." However, Oettinger defended himself saying that he did not mean to be disrespectful towards China. He told Die Welt newspaper, "That was a somewhat sloppy expression." Oettinger has also been accused of making homophobic comments. Discussing pensions and maternity leave, he added that it is likely that Germany will introduce "perhaps compulsory gay marriage" soon. His comment received some laughter from the audience. In his speech, he talked about China's growing investments in Germany and Europe. He expressed concern that China is not ready to open its market in return for such investments. Oettinger has selected to succeed Kristalina Georgieva as EU budget commissioner. Reacting to his remarks, French Activist group SOS Racisme has called upon German Chancellor Angela Merkel to "impose an adequate punishment" on Oettinger. The remarks have been widely condemned. Oettinger has been criticized by Katarina Barley, the secretary general of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who noted that his racist and homophobic comments show that Oettinger is not qualified for top political posts. The Greens in the European Parliament has also criticized the remarks. Advertisement TagsEuropean Union, Guenther Oettinger, Germany (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese funding project estimated to cost US$ 104.3 million, Lotus Tower stands over the lake on October 15, 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Advertisement Sri Lanka is set to sell an 80 percent stake of its Hambantota port in its south to a Chinese company, an attempt to cut its debt burden, Ravi Karunanayake, the country's finance minister, said. "The value will be more than $1 billion and the deal will be signed around the second week of November," Karunanayake said. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "The money from the deal will be used to repay expensive foreign loans," Karunanayake said, adding that the government was also in final talks over a 6,100-hectare investment zone in the port, which would be signed "as soon as possible." The estimated $1.5 billion project will also turn the port into a Chinese investment zone, The Diplomat noted. The initiative follows after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe made an offer during a visit to China in April to swap equity in Sri Lankan infrastructure projects against some of the $8 billion debt it owes to China, the Fresh Plaza noted. The Hambantota airport was established through Chinese financing in 2010 under the previous government leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, for the current government, the port was not financially viable. For China, however, Sri Lanka, portrays an important role to its ambitious Maritime Silk Road. Given Sri Lanka's proximity and strategic location in the Indian market, Chinese investment in Sri Lanka has geopolitical importance, especially as Chinese naval assets were seen docking in Colombo, The Diplomat noted. This reason alone makes some nations like India and the United States nervous, as Sri Lanka sits near shipping lanes through which a huge volume of the world's trade passes en route to China and Japan, according to the Fresh Plaza. Advertisement TagsSri Lanka, china, Hambantota Port, China and Sri Lanka, Chinese investment zone, Sri Lanka port (Photo : Getty Images) Canberra has accepted Jakarta's request to conduct joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea. Advertisement Invoking the "freedom of navigation" principle, Australia has accepted Indonesia's request to conduct joint naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed on Tuesday that Canberra has accepted Indonesia's request for joint patrols during a bilateral meeting last week in Jakarta. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Bishop said Jakarta's request was "consistent with our policies of exercising our right of freedom of navigation." International law In an earlier interview with the media, Bishop said the joint patrols would be an exercise of the rights to freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway. "That's in accordance with international law and our support for peace and stability in the region," Bishop told ABC radio. China has earlier blasted Australia for conducting surveillance flights over disputed territories in the South China Sea and for joining US patrols in the region. Third party Beijing, which is laying claim to more than 90 percent of the South China Sea, has warned Australia to "speak and act cautiously" on the South China Sea dispute because it has no business in the region and is a third party to the dispute. Bishop said Australia would participate in maritime exercises in the region with Indonesian Navy and would notify other countries if there would be planned exercises in the coming months. "This is a regular part of what our navy does," she said. "This is part of our engagement in the region and this is in accordance with Australia's right of freedom of navigation including in the South China Sea." On July 12, an arbitration court verdict ruled that China has no legal basis to make territorial claims in the contested sea and that it violated international law and the Philippines rights to explore its resources within its exclusive economic zone. China has said that it does not recognize the ruling. There are reports that Beijing continues to build more artificial islands in the region, defying the ruling. Advertisement TagsAustralia, Indonesia, Freedom of Navigation, South China Sea, International Law, Exclusive economic zone, china (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese rescuers rest after a rescue mission at the Shenlong Coal Mine July 11, 2005 in Fukang County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. Advertisement Thirteen people were killed and another 20 missing after an explosion in a coal mine occurred in China's Chongqing, state media reported. As of midnight, rescuers have found 13 dead bodies, while rescuers are continuing their search operation for the 20 other workers who are believed to be trapped inside, Global Times reported citing Chongqing's deputy mayor Mu Huaping during a press briefing early on Tuesday. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The officials also corrected previous casualty reports that said 15 miners were confirmed dead, BBC reported. "We are still working all-out to search for the 20 missing miners... and will exert out utmost as long as there's still a ray of hope," the official said. Over 400 rescue personnel were working overnight, shifting turns on going down the shaft to carry out its search and rescue operation. Global Times noted the rescue team needed to dig through the underground passageways that have been hampered by the ruins from the collapsed tunnels. Also, there are at least 20 ambulances and several medical workers on standby. The blast reportedly took place at 11:30 a.m. on Monday at the Jinshangou Coal Mine in the town of Laisu. There were 35 miners working when the accident occurred, and only two were rescued on Monday. After the accident, Chongqing officials have implemented a strict safety overhaul, temporarily closing down all collieries with less than 90,000 tons of yearly output. The Jinshangou mine has a 60,000 annual output, based on its license. Meanwhile, the State Administration of Work Safety has also launched an investigation into the blast, "adding that those responsible must be strictly punished," the Aljazeera reported. Advertisement TagsGas Explosion, coal mine explosion, explosion accidents, Chongqing explosion (Photo : PLAAF) J-20s show-off. Advertisement The Chengdu J-20 "stealth" fighter, two of which did safe aerobatic maneuvers at the ongoing Zhuhai Air Show, did nothing much to change the overall perception it doesn't stand a chance in an air-to-air fight against the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Too big, too slow and too loud, the J-20 looked every bit like a low observable (LO) jet rather than a true stealth jet fighter. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Military analysts from the west noted the Chinese put both J-20s flown by the Bayi Aerobatic Team through relatively safe maneuvers that lasted for less than one minute. After a very loud low level pass, both jets executed a series of gentle turns before flying away. Nothing revealed by the J-20s at Zhuhai dispelled the notion this aircraft isn't quite the equal of the F-35 the Chinese claim it to be. "When I hear about F-35 vs. J-20, it's almost an irrelevant comparison," said U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein last August, and his observation seems to remain valid given what observers saw at Zhuhai today. Gen. Goldfein argues the J-20 employs technology akin to that of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk single-seat, twin-engine stealth attack jet introduced into Air Force service in 1983 and retired in 2008. This plane has since been succeeded by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the F-35, whose technologies are leaps and bounds ahead of the F-117. As it is, the brand new J-20 remains a standalone weapon bereft of all the advantages of a networked platform. It entered into low rate production a few months ago and fewer than a dozen have left the production line. On the other hand, the F-35 integrates with other U.S .weapons and systems to give it the technological advantage in a contested battlespace, said Gen. Goldstein. "I think we learned very little. We learned it is very loud. But we can't tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility," said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor of FlightGlobal. "Most importantly, we didn't learn much about its radar cross-section." This unanswered question goes to the heart of a debate as to whether the J-20 is a real stealth aircraft or is simply a low observable plane with a few stealth features concentrated along its front end. If the J-20 is merely a LO jet, it's survival in combat against the truly stealthy F-35 is very much in doubt. The key question as to whether the J-20 can match the radar-evading properties of the F-35 and F-22 also remains unanswered. "The J -20 aircraft is China's own new generation stealth fighter, developed to meet the needs of the future battleground," said Sr. Col. Shen Jinke, spokesman of the People's Liberation Army Air Force last week. "Research and development are progressing as planned. The aircraft will further enhance the overall combat capability of the Air Force, which would help the army's sacred mission of maintaining the national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity." Advertisement TagsChengdu J-20, stealth fighter, Zhuhai Air Show, Gen. David Goldfein, Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Theres at least one issue on Arizonas General Election ballot that crosses political and partisan lines public health. All Arizonans, regardless of our stance on just about any other issue, can agree public health and safety are paramount to our wellbeing, productivity and quality of life. Thats why, as two of Arizonas leading health and healthcare organizations, weve come together to oppose Proposition 205, the initiative that would legalize marijuana for recreational use. For hospitals and health professionals across our state, the issue comes down to this: Our mission is to help patients and protect public health. Prop 205 does neither. In fact, the evidence and experience in other states suggests strongly that marijuana legalization would only exacerbate Arizonas existing public-health problems. The picture in states like Colorado that have already legalized marijuana is bleak: More marijuana-related hospitalizations. Greater access to and usage of pot among teens. Increased accidental poisonings of children. Higher rates of marijuana-related DUIs and traffic fatalities. Already, marijuana is the 2nd leading substance for which people receive drug treatment, and a major cause for visits to hospital emergency rooms. Federal research indicates that legalization and increased availability will lead to expanded use of marijuana compounding its ramifications. Is that what we want for Arizona? Perhaps even worse is all that we dont know about the risks of legalizing marijuana. For example: if a pregnant woman uses marijuana, it is unclear how the drug may impact prenatal brain development. Additionally, some research has suggested THC the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana can pass from nursing mothers to their baby. We dont yet know what that means for the child. As health professionals, we believe in research and sound evidence. The simple fact is, voters dont have enough of either in order to make an informed decision about marijuana legalization. Arizonans should just say NO to those who want our state to volunteer itself for this statewide drug experiment. The safest course of action is to wait and watch. Before long, we will know the full range of impacts in states such as Colorado and Washington that have already legalized recreational marijuana and Arizona voters will have the ability to make a fully-informed decision. In the meantime, Arizona faces real and mounting public health challenges. There are the high-profile threats posed by communicable diseases, like Zika, as well as the ongoing struggles with heart disease, cancer and other ailments. Chronic shortages among physicians and nurses each loom in the near future for our growing state. Needless to say, Arizona communities and families already struggle with the devastation of substance abuse. Expanding access to a dangerous drug like marijuana will only put more Arizonans at risk. This November, please join us in voting NO on Prop 205. (Photo : YouTube) It has been barely a month after Google officially released the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones but the modding community been busy working to root the two flagship devices. Advertisement Chainfire has finally released the dePixel8 rooting tool in its bid to root the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. It has been barely a month after Google officially released the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, but the modding community has been busy working on how to root these two flagship devices. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement In a statement released along with the tool, Chainfire said the "images for the Pixel need to be 'fastboot boot'ed, not flashed. After a few minutes, and a couple of reboots, Android should boot fully rooted." Pixel and Pixel XL devices that were sold by Verizon have a bootloader that is not unlockable. However, Chainfire said the tool, dubbed dePixel8, will allow users to root the two Google smartphones, according to Phone Arena. One quick side note, though, Chainfire shared that the dePixel8 tool will no longer be usable once Google starts to roll out the November security update for the two Pixel devices. Thus, modders are advised to unlock the bootloader before Google starts releasing the update. Chainfire added that the dePixel8 tool will also work with other international versions of the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Rooting is a process that allows users of smartphones, tablets and other devices running on the Android platform to attain the privileged control called Root Access. Rooted devices usually allow users to overcome certain limitations imposed by network carriers and hardware manufacturers. While rooting tools are readily available all over the Internet, the process is very complicated and usually done by experts. Amid the fact that rooting unlocks a lot of interesting features, doing it the wrong way can render the device completely unusable or bricked. Keep posted for more dePixel8 rooting tool. Advertisement Tagschainfire, Android, Google, Google Pixel, google pixel xl, Pixel, android root, pixel root, pixel xl root, pixel root access Rabbi: Church should apologize for Luther's anti-Semitism 01 November, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , | LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) As Pope Francis marked the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with a visit to a Lutheran church in Sweden Oct. 31, there was a call from another quarter to renounce the anti-Semitism of Lutheranism's founder. Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California, told The Algemeiner he believes next year's anniversary of the birth of Protestantism, the 500th, would be "the perfect time" to publicly renounce the church's history of anti-Semitism and Martin Luther's role in it. The Roman Catholic Church has already apologized for its past anti-Semitism, an act that has led some Orthodox rabbis with Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Israel to promote a new era of Jewish-Christian relations. On Oct. 31, 1517, Luther nailed a list of Ninety-Five Theses to the castle church door in Wittenberg, Germany. The act in and of itself, the posting of theses for debate, was not unusual. The content, however, was. It struck at the heart of the Catholic Church the pope's ability to forgive sins, to grant sinners an escape from purgatory, the sale of indulgences, and the idea that the pope was the representation of Christ on earth. It set off a series of events, which by 1529, had Protestant princes ruling over Lutheran lands. If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews' blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have to part company with them. They must be driven from the country ... this is the most natural and best course of action which will safeguard the interests of both parties. "It would be appropriate, especially when antisemitism is so rife in Europe for Protestant leaders and groups, like the World Council of Churches, to directly address the issue [of Luther's antisemitism] in the overall context of what they're celebrating in terms of this anniversary," Cooper said. David Michaels, director of United Nations and Intercommunal Affairs with B'nai B'rith, also said the church should acknowledge its past and repudiate the anti-Semitism of Martin Luther. "A number of individual Lutheran church bodies and figures have taken steps over the years to acknowledge, grapple with and repudiate the antisemitism that Luther ultimately promoted. This vile and violent antisemitism targeting both Jews and Judaism was both an outgrowth of and a significant contribution to Christian anti-Jewish animus, especially in Europe, where its influence was still felt in the implementation of the Holocaust," Michaels said. Unfortunately for Protestants, that is true. ON THE JEWS AND THEIR LIES There is no indication of Luther's hatred of the Jews in his early years as a Reformer. In fact, most scholars suggest Luther believed that his "rediscovered" gospel the gospel of justification by faith through grace, granted based on the merits of Jesus Christ alone would resonate with the Jews. It did not. No one knows, however, if this was his principle motivation for attacking the Jews. In 1543, Luther produced his now infamous work, On the Jews and Their Lies. Its contents are raw and gritty and cast long shadows over history. In the work, Luther provided suggestions for dealing with the Jews of his day: - "First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools, and to bury and cover over with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them." When the synagogues are burned, he wrote, "all who are able should toss in sulfur and pitch -- it would be good if someone would also throw in some hellfire." On November 9-10, 1939, 119 synagogues were destroyed by fire in different parts of Germany. The Nazis called it "Kristalnacht," for the sound of breaking glass. - "Second, I advise that their houses be razed and destroyed." - "Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings in which such idolatry, lies, cunning, and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them." The Nazi Party did so, and later burned them in bonfires for their Fuhrer. - "Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth upon pain of loss of life and limb." - "Fifth, I advise that safe conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews." - "Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safe keeping." On April 1, 1933, within just a few months of taking power, Adolf Hitler ordered that signs be distributed and posted throughout Germany, which read, "The Jews have until 1 a.m. on Saturday to reflect. Then the struggle commences. The Jews of the world want to destroy Germany, German people resist -- don't buy from Jews." The Nazis also deposited gold confiscated from Jews in Swiss banks. - "Seventh, I recommend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their living by the sweat of their brows, as it was imposed on the children of Adam (Genesis 3:19)." After 1939, thousands of Jews were sent to work camps which supplied food, clothing and munitions for German soldiers. Those who would not work were executed. - "Furthermore, if they cannot be controlled, they should be expelled. ... If we wish to wash our hands of the Jews' blasphemy and not share in their guilt, we have to part company with them. They must be driven from the country ... this is the most natural and best course of action which will safeguard the interests of both parties." By doing so, Luther wrote, Germany will have shown the Jews a "sharp mercy." Luther's recommendations for dealing with the Jews fell mostly on deaf ears, as his proposals were far too radical for the German princes who had to account for the economic stability of their provinces. And though Hitler regarded Luther as a national hero for his resistance to the Catholic Church, he never cited Luther as the genesis of his ideas for the "Final Solution." Luther is mentioned only once in Hitler's work, Mein Kampf. THE VIRUS Even if Luther's work wasn't the impetus for later persecutions of the Jews, its motifs still spread "like a virus" beyond Europe, Michaels told The Algemeiner. "This reality requires committed Lutherans and other Christians to ensure that there is fitting recognition and rejection of Luther's hateful beliefs about Jews, wherever these persist," Michaels said, even if they were "entirely unaware of the dark side to Luther's theology." "It is so important, then, that all Lutheran bodies and figures of influence shine a light on the sin of antisemitism, both historic and contemporary whether by educating clergy about its incompatibility with genuine faith, sermonizing against it or recognizing it even during events surrounding the 500th anniversary year of the Protestant Reformation," Michaels said. Michaels said he believes the engagement between the pope and Lutherans "is for those communities to manage," but he highlighted the need to confront the past and never forget it is there. He said faith communities should not tolerate anti-Semitism today. Most do not. Pope Francis's visit to Sweden kicks off a year-long celebration for Lutherans around the world. It will culminate in Wittenberg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517. Christianity Today reported last month that there is a movement afoot in Germany to cleanse old church buildings of their anti-Semitic imagery, some of which is directly related to Luther's first followers. Usually presented in bronze or stone sculptures, many feature a "Judensau" or a "Jewish pig." Most do not have inscriptions, though some do. One, at the church where Luther regularly preached, even names a specific rabbi. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case involving a transgender teen who has filed a lawsuit against a school for the right to use the restroom according to gender identity. Gavin Grimm, 17, is a student at Gloucester High School in Virginia, and was allowed to use the boys' restroom at school in 2014, which Grimm did for seven weeks. However after receiving complaints from parents, the school prohibited Grimm from using the male bathroom and instead required using single stall or female restrooms instead. Grimm says that the policy is in violation of Title IX and amounts to sexual discrimination. Earlier, Grimm was using the unisex stall, but said that it was too far and it would take about 10 minutes to cover the distance, leading to tardiness to most of Grimm's classes. The school also built three other single-stall restrooms to accommodate Grimm, but the student felt singled out by having to comply with a segregated arrangement. Grimm filed a lawsuit against the school in 2015 with the help of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and a lower court ruled in favor of the school. But, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 against the school. The panel referred to a letter sent by Department of Education to the school asking them to permit transgender students to use bathroom in accordance with their gender identities. "Transgender kids should not have to sue their own school boards just for the ability to use the same restrooms as everyone else," Grimm had said in a statement after Fourth Circuit announced its decision. Judge Paul Niemeyer, had written a dissenting opinion at the court, in which he sided with the school. "Bodily privacy is historically one of the most basic elements of human dignity and individual freedom. And forcing a person of one biological sex to be exposed to persons of the opposite biological sex profoundly offends this dignity and freedom," he said. "Somehow, all of this is lost in the current Administration's service of the politically correct acceptance of gender identification as the meaning of 'sex'." Making a better Bible is harder than it soundseven if youre given more than a million dollars to do it. Adam Lewis Greene, creator of the Kickstarter-funded Bibliotheca, learned the intricacies of the process as about 15,000 supporters waited through two years of production delays. When his project to create a four-volume, single-column Bible raised $1.4 millionranking among Kickstarters top 10 campaigns of 2014the California-based book and type designer found himself overwhelmed at the scope. Transforming the Bible from its familiar reference-packed pages to a format more like a novel proved to be far more complicated than removing chapter and verse numbers and footnotes. In addition to sorting out design elements and materials, producers had to choose how to present a text that readers have seen the same way for generations. The timeline was pushed back as Greene used the additional funding for a professional revision of the American Standard Version (ASV), complete with copy editors, Bible scholars, and proofreaders to change archaic words like thee and thou and update verses whose translations have improved since the ASVs original 1901 publication. Then came the typesetting, as the team decided how to space each book of the Bible without the typical divides. For example, passages of Isaiah traditionally printed as prose got line breaks like poetry, a better reflection of their Hebrew format, said Greene. What I did not expect was that, through this process, my admiration and reverence for the text would deepen as it hasmaybe tenfold, he said. This literature is so complex and interwoven. The deeper I dig, the more I discover. Finally, specialty materials ... 1 Please Donate In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation. Racist PayPal Tries to Close Down My Blog As you can see from this article PayPal have removed my blog. I would therefore ask people to make any future donations to the following: Name of Account: Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre Account No: 04094107 Sort Code: 09-01-50 Reference: Web donations I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up. Albuquerque Homeless Realize the Sun Will Still Shine on Nov. 9 Contact: Jeremy Reynalds, 505-400-7145 ALBUQUERQUE, Nov. 1, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Joy Junction Founder and CEO, Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. releases the following and is available for comment: Albuquerque Homeless Realize the Sun Will Still Shine on Nov. 9 -- By Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Election coverage is dominating the news cycle. In an unscientific experiment, I put the word "hunger" into the CNN search engine. Just over three thousand hits came back. I then tried "U.S. election," and found 36,985 results. Media coverage can motivate people to action, but the media cover what people want to see or read. It is, after all, the media "business." It appears that hunger is not at the top of the agenda. Instead, we hear predictions on cable news and unparalleled vitriol on social media of dire catastrophe of what will happen if the "wrong" political candidate wins the election. I found this comment on one Facebook page . "(sic) Praying Trump get in the white house so him and God can clean up Obammer and Hellery's mess." Then there was this one. "As a Christian, I do believe we are all sinners One (candidate) is a decent, honest man who loves his country and its people, and one is a female who is a corrupt politician- make your choice." This opposing comment was just as bad on another (much smaller) Facebook page . (sic). "Stick a fork in Trump cause he's done Case Closed." Then there was a post on the same site which was conspiratorially alarmist (sic). "Researching all the sites I could find after waking at 3 a.m., is showing the stock market is going to crash! Only one person said Trump won't hurt us, all of us whether Democrat or Republican Can anyone find info on this? As much as I disagree with all the yrs of criminal & political corruption both Clinton's have done, it's about who will get us through guiding America through this inevitable stock market crash." Now while it may be a surprise to some of both political persuasions, the sun will still rise on Nov. 9. That's because whoever wins, Jesus Christ is still in control. With that in mind, we asked a number of our guests at Joy Junction who makes (or will make) the biggest difference in their lives: Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton or Jesus? One respondent was very clear, saying "I have purposely come to Joy Junction to learn more about Jesus Christ, and try to avoid the distractions of the other two." One woman wrote a touching response, saying that Jesus makes the biggest difference in her life. That's because, she said, "He has helped us through a hurricane and a massive flood in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and while we were on the streets night and day for over eight years. God kept us with food and safe from harm's way; that's why we love Him so much." One guy said that Trump and Clinton don't even know He exists, and neither will die for him. That's unlike Jesus, he said, who took his sins to the cross and died in his place. Jesus, this man said, helps him with the decisions necessary for a better life and is always available. Clinton and Trump, this man emphasized, are too busy destroying each other. A woman said quite unequivocally that Jesus makes the most difference in her life. She added that while the two presidential candidates have said if we vote for them, things will turn around and get better, there's a much more reliable option. "Jesus is the only one that I can put my complete and total trust in." Unlike the presidential candidates, she said, Jesus has never lied. "I know that I can stand on His word and it will be the same today, yesterday and forever. Hillary and Donald constantly change their words to fit the occasion. Men will fail. Only Jesus can bring the truth and total peace." Another woman was also sold on Jesus being the One Who makes the greatest difference in her life, because He is her "personal leader and Savior." She added, "God sacrifices his only son for all of us. I doubt Hillary and Donald would sacrifice any of their children." One guy said that Jesus also makes a huge impact on him. He continued, "Politicians are merely figureheads, and God is the one in control of things in my life and the government leader's lives. So the answer will always be Jesus regardless of what idiots are in charge of the White House." A thought provoking answer came from this man, commenting that whoever wins, Jesus is still in control. He said, "I may be required to submit to authorities such as the president, but I am required to surrender to Jesus." A profound answer came from this person, who like others sided with Jesus making the biggest difference in life. "No man or women will do better for my life, because they are not perfect and are sinners No men or women are true to their words, but God is and knows everything, even behind closed doors and in the dark." One person said that Jesus makes the biggest difference in life, and that living without Jesus is synonymous with failure. "My life will become corrupt with a weak foundation, so I want to make my foundation strong." Someone else said, "Now that I've started to believe in Christ my life has gotten better. I know I still got a long way to go, but it's worth it. I've got a better understanding of death, and I know life truly is a gift." One woman said that Jesus is obviously the winner above politicians, because "He is going to be the only constant in your life, throughout everything whether it be good or bad times." I loved this comment from writer J. Lee Grady , "If Mrs. Clinton wins the White House, I pray that her Methodist upbringing will cause her to call on Jesus Christ in the hour of our visitation. She, like all of us, needs His mercy." Still not convinced? One of our guests gave some badly needed perspective. "Elected officials come and go, but Jesus endures forever." home US Atheists condemn SPLC for labeling ex-Muslim critics of radical Islam as "anti-Muslim extremists" Sam Harris and other members of the atheist community criticized the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) for including atheist and ex-Muslim critics of radical Islam in its list of "anti-Muslim extremists." Among those in the list are Somali-born activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali and former radical Maajid Nawaz. "The Southern Poverty Law Center labels @Ayaan and @MaajidNawaz 'anti-Muslim extremists.' Unbelievable!" Harris wrote on Twitter. Ali has been vocal in her criticism of radical Islam. She has denounced the practice of genital mutilation as well as the repression of women and other minorities in Muslim countries. Ali has stated that she fled from the civil wars in Africa and was forced to go through an arranged marriage but the SPLC report claimed that her stories were false. It went on to say that Ali's "anti-Muslim rhetoric is remarkably toxic." Nawaz currently runs the Quilliam Foundation, which considers itself as "the world's first counter-extremism think tank." The SPLC report questioned Nawaz's motivations as a former radical Islamist and said that his story was disputed by his friends, family members and fellow jihadists. "The evidence suggests that Nawaz is far more interested in self-promotion and money than in any particular ideological dispute," the report stated. Hemant Mehta of the Friendly Atheist blog is concerned that other atheists and others who criticize radical Islam might also be included in the SPLC's list. "The SPLC is making the mistake of equating fair criticism of Islam with unfair bigotry against Muslims. No one has to agree with what Hirsi Ali and Nawaz say about Islam, but it's absurd to claim that they hate Muslims to the point of being extremists," Mehta wrote. Nawaz fears that he might be targeted because of the inclusion of his name on the list. He accused SPLC of "McCarthyism" for creating the list. "Even if someone was an anti-Muslim bigot, there shouldn't be lists of names of individuals," he told The Atlantic. The other names that appear in the list include Pamela Geller of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch, Daniel Pipes of Middle East Forum, David Horowitz of FrontPage Magazine and Walid Shoebat of the Shoebat Foundation. home World Church attendance in UK continues decline The Church of England saw an increase in the attendance on Christmas and festive services in the year 2015 but the number of churchgoers during regular Sunday services continue to decline. According to the statistics released by the Church on Friday, the average weekly attendance dropped from 977,800 in 2014 down to 961,400 in 2015. The figures include a proportion of those who attend the mid-week services. An average of 810,600 people attended Sunday services last year. Despite the decline in the weekly attendance, people continue to flock to churches during the holidays. The Christmas service attendance grew from 2.4 million in 2014 to 2.5 million last year. Around 2.3 million people went to the advent services for the congregation and local community while 2.7 million people participated in the advent services for civic groups and schools. The report revealed that there are 1.1 million people in the worshipping community of the Church of England in 2015. About 20 percent are under 18 years old. Thirty percent are over the age of 70. Fifty percent are aged 18 to 69. William Nye, the Church of England's Secretary General, said that the Church is working on ways to increase the attendance in its services. "The Church of England is setting out on a journey of renewal and reform, aiming to reverse our numerical decline in attendance so that we become a growing church in every region and for every generation," said in a statement. "These figures represent a realistic assessment of where we start from in terms of weekly attendance. We are confident in a hopeful future where our love of God and service of neighbor will form the basis for future growth," he continued. The number of churchgoers have fallen by 12 percent in the past 10 years and the decline is expected to go on for the next 30 years. The Church of England has considered abandoning the requirement to hold weekly services on Sundays for churches with low attendance. home World ISIS kidnaps thousands of civilians to use as human shields in Mosul In a desperate move to hold on to the city of Mosul, ISIS has abducted tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children, to use them as human shields as the battle intensifies in the city. The U.N. agency has received reports that almost 8,000 families from the districts surrounding Mosul have been kidnapped by ISIS. Those who tried to resist have been killed. Those who were abducted had to walk barefoot alongside the militants on their way to Mosul. "ISIL's depraved, cowardly strategy is to try to use the presence of civilian hostages to render certain points, areas or military forces immune from military action, essentially using tens of thousands of men, women and children as human shields," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. The population of Hamam al-Alil, an ISIS stronghold in Mosul, went up from 23,000 to 60,000. Iraqi forces are hoping to storm the town soon but they are concerned about the high number of civilians. The Kurdish Peshmarga forces have been worried as well with regards to clearing the towns and villages north and east of Mosul. "We are taking it slowly. We have to be careful. Our biggest challenge are the civilians. We have to be patient in order to save civilian lives," said Kurdish Peshmarga Col. Abdullah Tato to CNN. Lynn Malouf of Amnesty International said that Iraqi and coalition forces must take the necessary precautions to avoid or minimize harm to civilians. ISIS has also used the same tactic of taking civilian hostages during the battle of Falluja in May. The militant group blamed their enemies for the deaths of the civilians. ISIS has reportedly executed 232 people who were mostly former Iraqi officers on Wednesday. It is believed that the militant group is targeting those with military training or past links to security forces. The U.N. and other human rights groups have estimated that more than 200,000 civilians could be displaced from Mosul which is populated by more than one million people. home World Jailed Canadian pastor in North Korea hospitalized due to failing health Jailed Canadian pastor Hyeon Soo Lim has been undergoing treatment at a hospital in North Korea since August due to his deteriorating health. Lim, pastor of Light Presbyterian Church in Toronto, has been detained in North Korea since January 2015. According to United Press International, the pastor received a sentence of life imprisonment with hard labor in December last year. Canadian diplomats revealed that Lim has been in the hospital for the past two months. The pastor's family was informed about his condition by the Canadian foreign ministry. Lim's family had been worried about his health since January when the pastor appeared in an interview with CNN. "At that time, there were concerns about his health. At this point, we are very concerned that his health may have declined and those concerns are heightened precisely because we have no information," said Lisa Pak, a spokesperson for Lim's family. When the pastor was asked in the interview with CNN if there is anything he needs, he replied: "Nothing much, just a Bible. I have requested one, but it has not arrived yet. I also really need letters from my family. I have received letters twice from my family." Lim said that he sent a letter to his family through Swedish diplomats in Pyongyang but a family spokesperson said they have not received the pastor's letter. The pastor traveled to North Korea 110 times for two decades to perform humanitarian work. He aided in the construction of nursing homes and child-care centers in the communist country. When Lim was charged for "undertaking a special plot to overthrow the state," a North Korean prosecutor allegedly demanded a death sentence but it was overruled. The sentence was reportedly reduced so the pastor would live to witness the reunification of the two Koreas. Canadian Foreign Minister StAphane Dion was able to meet with North Korean official Ri Yong Ho in Laos last July to discuss Lim's case. Last month, the congregation of Light Presbyterian Church in Mississauga, Ontario, made a plea to the Canadian government to secure Lim's release. home World North Korean Christians do not pray for regime change despite persecution Although North Korea is currently known for persecuting Christians, believers in the Communist country are not praying for a change in the current regime. They are instead praying for Christians in other countries and they are hoping to have more of Christ in their lives. Bibles, churches and prayer meetings are considered illegal in North Korea but many Christians living in the country have found creative ways to share the Gospel. Dr. Eric Foley, head of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, has written a book titled "These are the Generations" to highlight the everyday struggles of North Korean Christians. He is also working hard to change Western perspectives of the Communist regime. "Often radio hosts will introduce me by saying, 'This is the worst place in the world to be a Christian.' But I've never heard a North Korean Christian say that. Not because their life isn't difficult, but because they believe that God has drawn close to them in a real way, that the rest of us may not even be able to imagine fully," he told Hope 103.2. A defector told him that North Korean Christians are praying for those in free countries like the U.S. and South Korea because they put faith in money and freedom. The defector pointed out that North Korean believers have neither but they consider Christ to be sufficient. "They don't pray for a regime change. They don't pray for freedom and money. They pray for more of Christ and to mirror more of Christ in their life. That's what we should be praying for ourselves as well," he added. According to the persecution watchdog group Open Doors, about 25 percent of the Christians in North Korea are currently in prison camps that are similar to those in Auschwitz. Some Christian parents have chosen to keep their faith secret from their own children to avoid being accidentally exposed to neighbors and government officials. The church continues to grow despite persecution and Open Doors is able to bring Bibles, Christian literature and other resources to the believers in the Communist country. home US Over 400,000 have visited Ark Encounter within the first 3 months of operation Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, has revealed that the theme park that features a life-size Noah's Ark in Kentucky has drawn over 400,000 visitors since the attraction opened in July. Ham stated that the Ark Encounter is on track to hit the target of 1.4 million visitors in its first year. The creation evangelist noted that a report commissioned by the state of Kentucky has predicted that the park will attract only 325,000 visitors a year. He wrote in a blog post last Tuesday that the number has been reached within two and a half months. Mark Looy, chief communications officer for the Ark Encounter, said that not all of the Ark's visitors are evangelical Christians. "We believe, though we haven't done any intensive surveys yet, it's possible that perhaps 40 percent of our Ark visitors are not 'born-again' as taught by the Bible," Looy told World Net Daily. "That seems to match up with our feasibility study that we conducted a few years ago, that the Ark has such a broad interest among the culture that some non-Christians and even some skeptics will come out to see this immense ship," he added. Looy said that about 75 atheists were present on the first day to protest the opening of the theme park. One of their objections was the false premise that the Ar was built with taxpayers' money. He maintained that the attraction was built with funds from donors. He also said that the Ark Encounter is designed with the intention of sharing the Gospel to its visitors. "We don't hide the fact that we are a ministry that shares biblical truths starting with Genesis but working through the New Testament. And so the Gospel is presented, especially on the second deck of the Ark," he stated. Looy encouraged skeptics and those who profess other religions to visit the Ark. He said that he himself was a former evolutionist until he was able to hear the argument from both sides. The Ark Encounter recently hosted the screening of Ray Comfort's "The Atheist Delusion" as part of its effort to reach out to unbelievers. The film aimed to challenge atheism and present a rational basis for Christianity. home World Philippine president says God threatened to crash plane if he did not stop cussing Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said that God threatened to bring down the plane he was on if he did not stop swearing. Thus, he made a promise that he will no longer use cuss words. Duterte said that he heard God's voice when he was on the way back to the Philippines from his three-day visit to Japan. "I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. And I... everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know 'If you don't stop, I will bring this plane down now.' And I said, who is this? Of course, it's God. Oh, OK. So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words," he stated upon his arrival at the Davao City International Airport on Thursday. "You guys hear me right always because a promise to God is a promise to the Filipino people," he continued. The Philippine president is known for using expletives in speeches that are directed at his critics. He allegedly cursed Pope Francis for the traffic jams caused by his visit to the Philippines. Duterte asked the crowd not to applaud too much because he might break his promise. He added that there will be times when he might use expletives despite the vow. "There is always a time, a time to be foul-mouthed. I don't like anybody reading my mind. It's all calibrated, it's always timing," he said. The president said that his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other officials regarding security, defense and cooperation were productive. Duterte reiterated his promise to eliminate corruption in the government. He said that he will be harsh towards with people from the private sector who have corrupt deals with the government. The president also revealed that he is in possession of a document containing a large list of drug suspects in the government. He said that he did not want to reveal the contents to the public because "it will just make Filipinos cry." The list reportedly includes councilors, policemen and other elected officials. home US Religious beliefs rank the highest in impacting voting choices, says study A new study has revealed that many religious beliefs still exerted a lot of influence among American voters despite the decreasing number of churchgoers in the U.S. According to a recent survey conducted by the Barna Group, religious beliefs were ranked at the top of the list of influences when it came to voting while pastors were placed at the bottom. Eighteen percent of the respondents have admitted that religious beliefs had "a lot of influence," followed by family members with 10 percent. The study noted that Americans were still reluctant to admit that their behavior or views were influenced by external sources, particularly in surveys that overtly asked about such influences like advertising. The reluctance was also commonly displayed when people were asked to measure the impact of certain influences on their political decisions. Eight percent of the respondents said that the news media had a lot of influence in choosing a presidential candidate, followed by friends and advertising campaigns with 7 percent each. American evangelicals were most likely to rank religious beliefs at the top of external influences with 75 percent admitting that it had a lot of impact in their voting decisions. Religious skeptics such as atheists and agnostics said that family members, news media and television analysts had "a lot of influence" on their political choices. George Barna, who serves as a special analyst for the research company, said that churches and pastors have a great potential to influence the choices of American voters. "One out of every four Americans say they trust their church or pastor to exert a lot of influence on their political choices. What a tremendous opportunity for churches to position themselves as relevant to people's life choices while taking advantage of an available opportunity to influence people's lives," he said. He added that most pastors have chosen not to talk about issues related to this year's election, which might explain their low ratings in the survey. Another survey conducted by LifeWay Research revealed that party affiliation was a strong indicator of voting preferences. Among evangelicals, 75 percent who were affiliated with the Republican party planned to vote for Donald Trump while an equal number of registered Democrats said that they were voting for Hillary Clinton. Britains first Cornish Pasty Heritage Centre is asking the public to donate artefacts to help tell its story. The centre, which will open in St Austell early next year, has been described as the pasty museum and will form a component of the wider Cornish food and drink visitor attraction, Cornucopia. Sam Healy, from WMC Retail Partners, the company leading the development, said: With all of the connections to Cornish mining and links overseas, we have a fascinating and rich story to tell. "Its important that we include genuine artefacts from Cornish producers to sit alongside our multimedia displays and demonstration kitchen. Plans for the pasty museum were first announced last October and will offer the public the chance to browse interactive exhibits, make retail purchases and enjoy the on-site food and drinks service. At the moment, the only pasty museum is in Mexico, which opened in 2011. Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall paid it a visit in 2014. 10 More Children Dead In Aleppo As 'Atmosphere Of Terror' Looms Ten children were among the dead in Aleppo this weekend, as more than 30 civilians were killed during strikes on the Syrian city. UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a briefing in Geneva today that "All parties in Aleppo are conducting hostilities that are resulting in large numbers of civilian casualties and creating an atmosphere of terror for those who continue to live in the city." Improvised explosive devices, mortars and rockets also injured dozens of people in western Aleppo, Shamdasani said, as up to 275,000 people remain trapped in the eastern part of the city while the battle between rebels and the Syrian army continues. Shamdasani added that atrocities committed in the city could constitute war crimes. "The reported use of ground based missiles, along with the use of armed vehicles loaded with explosives, used in an area containing more than one million civilian inhabitants, is completely unacceptable and may constitute a war crime," she said. "Strikes against hospitals, schools, market places, water facilities and bakeries are now commonplace and if proven to be intentional may amount to war crimes." Aleppo has been under brutal siege for weeks, intensified by Russian and Syrian bombing of rebel-held areas that began in September. The Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu said today that the resumption of peace talks in Syria had been delayed indefinitely. Russia is allied with Syria and backs President Bashar al-Assad, while the US and its allies want Assad to step down. 500 Years After Reformation, Catholics And Lutherans 'No Longer Strangers' Catholic and Lutheran leaders signed a joint declaration to mark the 500th year of the Protestant Reformation on Monday. Pope Francis travelled to Lund in Sweden for an ecumenical prayer service and urged Christians on both sides of the divide to "move beyond" past controversies and towards unity. The event marked the start of 12 months commemorating the publication of Martin Luther's 95 Theses that heralded the foundation of Protestantism. The Pope said what united Protestants and Catholics was greater than what divided them and they had a "new opportunity to accept a common path". The declaration was signed by Francis, as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, and Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation. It read: "Through dialogue and shared witness we are no longer strangers. Rather, we have learned that what unites us is greater than what divides us. "While we are profoundly thankful for the spiritual and theological gifts received through the Reformation, we also confess and lament before Christ that Lutherans and Catholics have wounded the visible unity of the Church. Theological differences were accompanied by prejudice and conflicts, and religion was instrumentalised for political ends." Francis was careful not to offer any further suggestions that inter-communion was on the agenda. The Catholic Church has insisted that while the anniversary can be marked through prayer and commitments to working together for the poor, sharing the Eucharist will only be possible when full unity has been reached. But Rev Martin Junge, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, expressed a hope that a shared communion could be held sooner. "Jesus Christ calls us to be ambassadors of reconciliation," he said urging Christians to build "bridges so that we can draw closer to each other, houses where we can meet together and tables yes, tables where we can share the bread and the wine, the presence of Jesus Christ who has never left us and who calls us to abide in him so the world may believe". The joint statement acknowledged: "Many members of our communities yearn to receive the Eucharist at one table as the concrete expression of full unity." It vowed "the goal of our ecumenical endeavours" was a shared communion. The service in Lund Cathedral on Monday afternoon also marked 50 years of cooperation between the two Churches in an effort to overcome divisions of the past. Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit would "help us to rejoice in the gifts that have come to the Church through the Reformation, prepare us to repent for the dividing walls that we, and our forebears, have built, and equip us for common witness and service in the world". In his homily he said both Churches had "undertaken a common journey of reconciliation. Now, in the context of the commemoration of the Reformation of 1517, we have a new opportunity to accept a common path, one that has taken shape over the past 50 years in the ecumenical dialogue between the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church." Archbishop Of Nigeria Battles For 'Faithful Church' Against Pressure To Compromise On Gays The evangelical Archbishop who heads the Anglican church's most conservative wing has condemned the inclusion of one of the most liberal bishops in a delegation to meet the Pope. He has also spoken of the growing pressure to "compromise" on the gay issue, which he describes as most intense in the Church of England. Archbishop of Nigeria Nicholas Okoh, chairman of the conservative Global South grouping GAFCON, says in his latest newsletter that he was "deeply disturbed" that the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church (TEC) had gone with the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to Rome. Earlier this year, TEC was penalised by Anglican primates for its liberal stance over same-sex marriage and gay clergy. The church was told it must face the "consequences" of its actions. The primates said TEC should "no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity." Archbishop Okoh writes: "Many of us were therefore deeply disturbed that the Presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, was a prominent member of the Archbishop of Canterbury's delegation in Rome, despite the fact that the Canterbury meeting of Primates in January this year had resolved that, among other things, TEC should not be involved in representing the Anglican Communion in ecumenical or interfaith relations." The Anglican delegation was in Rome at the same time as Archbishop Okoh and the other GAFCON primates met in Cairo for their sixth conference. In Cairo, Okoh preached about the peace which Jesus Christ alone can bring. He writes: "The call to be peacemakers is also a call to evangelism because peace with one another cannot be separated from peace with God, and peace with God cannot be separated from faithfulness to the biblical and apostolic gospel of God. "I therefore warmly commend the Global South Chairman, Bishop Mouneer Anis, for his bold warning about the 'ideological slavery' which some Western Churches seek to impose on the Global South by using their money and influence to promote teachings which overturn the bible and offer a false gospel." He says he has hope for the future. He can see "victory in our spiritual battle for a faithful Church when the orthodox are willing not only to stand, but also to stand together as we experienced in Cairo despite many cultural and historical differences. The Anglican Church in North America came about as a new province because of a willingness to surrender narrow ambitions for the sake of a wider cause and there is a lesson here in godly unity throughout our movement." He also makes clear his desire to see the Church of England not move towards accepting same-sex blessings when General Synod meets again next year. He writes: "It is increasingly clear that the Church of England is becoming the place where pressure for compromise has become most intense and I am encouraged that 88 evangelical Anglicans leaders from varied backgrounds have come together this month to sign an open letter to the English House of Bishops calling on them 'not to depart from the apostolic inheritance with which they have been entrusted'. Please join with me in praying for these leaders in the Church of England, the Mother Church of our Communion, asking for them to have courage and unity at this critical time." Are Anglicans Really Protestants? Complex Row Between Christians In Egypt Reignites Old Argument An organisation of evangelical Protestant churches in Egypt has defended its behaviour towards Anglicans and has denied it is trying to appropriate their churches. The Anglicans fear a recent court decision could see them subsumed into the Central Office of Protestant Churches (COPC) in Egypt and lose their identity as a separate legal entity. Archbishop of the Province of Jerusalem and the Middle East, Mouneer Anis, told ACNS: "They further claimed that they can take possession of all of the Episcopal/Anglican Church properties as their own. They are now forcing us to take their approval before we notarise any document in the government." He also complained that he needed to get approval from COPC to obtain or renew visas for Anglican church workers. "This is causing us a great deal of trouble." COPC spoke out after a judge ruled that the Anglican Church in Egypt is in effect part of their organisation, and Archbishop Mouneer issued a letter criticising the decision. In a statement put out this week, COPC said that in the 1940s the Episcopal Anglican Church asked to be allowed to register marriages and authorise of death certificates. Permission was granted. "Therefore, the General Council of Protestant Churches has implicitly considered the Episcopal Church as a member of the Protestant Churches of Egypt ever since," the statement said. In 1982, COPC designated the Episcopal Church an Egyptian Protestant Church. Currently, the Episcopal Church in Egypt is still officially under the umbrella of COPC. The courts and Supreme Court in Egypt have refused all attempts by Archbishop Mouneer to separate his denomination them. In Egypt, there are more than 1,500 Protestant churches and thousands of other church buildings. The Protestant body said that current disputes over a couple of church buildings were nothing to do with them. COPC does not have the right to buy or sell churches belonging to its members because they are officially owned by these independent denominations, it said. Archbishop Mouneer will be invited to participate in COPC's general council meetings, as a member of the council. He said he is to appeal the latest Supreme Court decision. He said his diocese applied for a visa for one of its workers and had been told it needed a recommendation from the COPC. "This has never happened before, at least in my time as a Bishop from 2000," he said. The secretary general of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, said he was "greatly saddened" by the situation. "There is a very long tradition of Anglicanism in Egypt. We simply cannot lose our identity as Anglicans there. We hope and pray that the Egyptian government and the legal authorities will recognise that we are an independent denomination." In a prayer letter to supporters, Archbishop Mouneer said that the diocese was "under heavy attack" from COPC. He said that for more than two hundred years, the government recognised the Episcopal Anglicans as an independent denomination, but now COPC "is asking the different governmental offices not to deal with us directly but through them." Ban on Religious Christmas Songs Lifted by Florida Mall Following Public Outcry A major shopping mall in Florida that receives millions of visitors every year had imposed a ban on Christmas songs and hymns about Jesus but was eventually forced to rescind the prohibition due to public criticism. Officials from the University Town Center (UTC) Mall in Sarasota County earlier issued a controversial decree directing choral groups performing in the commercial area not to sing Christmas carols, particularly those written in English. "For choral groups, the Mall prefers no clearly recognizable Christian music, such as carols," stated the decree, according to Life Site News. In addition to banning Christmas carols, the mall's management also banned songs referring to Jesus Christ in every possible way, particularly "spiritual" and "Gospel" music. The American Family Association immediately criticised the mall's action, triggering similar responses from Christian consumers. Some Christians even threatened not to shop at the Florida mall anymore, telling the mall owners to take their business elsewhere because of their controversial action. Facing public backlash, the University Town Center Mall's management eventually rescinded its order against Christmas songs and hymns referring to Jesus Christ. In a statement after backtracking on the ban, the mall's management claimed that the prohibition on religious songs actually did not have the approval of higher officials. The mall's spokesman also came out with an assurance that Christian songs can now be played and sang in the commercial establishment. "The materials created and distributed by a third party company relating to the hiring of performance groups for UTC were not reviewed by UTC staff in advance of distribution. These materials do not in any way represent an existing center policy or viewpoint. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused within the Sarasota community," the mall's management said. Black Church Leaders Challenge Hillary Clinton On Abortion And Religious Freedom Leaders of some of the biggest churches in the United States have protested to Hillary Clinton over her views on abortion, expressing "deep concern". More than 20 national African American leaders, including bishops of influential black churches, delivered a letter to Clinton expressing their frustrations over her stance on abortion, along with her positions on their First Amendment right to religious freedom. Abortion, they say in the letter, disproportionately impacts the black community. They also say that religion is what has historically held the African American community together. They are "deeply troubled" by Clinton's policy positions that they see as eroding their First Amendment rights. Their protest comes just days after Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a Christian charity that raises funds to help those in need, said that if America's politicians had the courage to act on the consensus that already exists on the issue of abortion, the number of abortions in the United States could be greatly reduced. The letter, delivered yesterday to Clinton campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, was delivered by Dr Jacqueline C Rivers, a Harvard-trained sociologist who has lived and worked among the urban poor for thirty years and is currently executive director of the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies in Boston. Signatories included Bishop Frank Madison Reid III, chairman of the social justice committee of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. They called for a meeting with Clinton "to discuss some of the critical issues in the black community: education and employment, religious freedom, violence, and justice for the unborn." Rivers said these topics are of great importance to the 41 million blacks in the nation but have largely been absent from the presidential debates. Nearly eight in 10 African Americans belong to one of the country's black churches. They complained in particular that in April 2015 in a speech before the National Organization of Women, Clinton stated: "Deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed." The church leaders say that for political leaders to call for changes in citizens' beliefs constitutes a denial of religious freedom. They state: "Today in the United States more than ten million people of African descent face a crisis of catastrophic proportions. Life in our major post-industrial centers can be poor, nasty, brutish and short. When it comes to the black underclass America's two major political parties appear to have achieved a rare unity in their record of bipartisan indifference." They reiterate that the vast majority of black churches hold to biblical teaching. "Abortion is the deliberate destruction of a human life in its most vulnerable state. Biblical principle and natural law, both of which prohibit the taking of innocent human life, compel our concern about the increasing moral complicity with abortion." Nationally in the US, there are 365 black babies aborted for every 1,000 that are born. Blacks account for roughly 38 per cent of all abortions in the country although they represent just 13 per cent of the population. In New York City in 2013 there were more abortions among black women in the city, more than 29,000, than there were black babies born. On religious freedom they continue: "The drive to normalize immoral sexual behavior has inspired some to dishonor the memory of courageous blacks who experienced the unique horrors of white supremacy, slavery, rape, terrorism and apartheid in the US." They criticise politicians "who seek to criminalize our biblical texts as hate speech." They ask Clinton in the letter: "What would you do as president to guarantee that religious freedoms are balanced against civil rights rather than being trumped by them?" Do You Want To Help Persecuted Christians Through Prayer? These Charities Will Tell You How Charities across the UK are urging Christians to join in prayer for the persecuted Church later this month. The International Day of Prayer comes after a year when more than 7,000 people have been killed for reasons related to their faith. Special advice on how to pray has been put together by the Evangelical Alliance, Open Doors, Release International and Christian Solidarity Worldwide. Release International is inviting churches to stand with the church in Sri Lanka by dedicating their Sunday service on November 20 to pray for persecuted Christians in that country. The charity reports: "The church in Sri Lanka, which is rarely on the agenda of Christians in the UK, is under pressure as local authorities use a 2008 government circular to target churches and intimidate pastors." On November 20 the charity will launch a petition calling for the withdrawal of this circular by the government in Colombo. "Please use your church service on November 20 to collect as many signatures as possible from your Christian family. And let's pray for the petition's success so that churches in Sri Lanka can continue to be bold and shine the truth of the gospel into their local communities," says Release International. In separate resources pack, the charity Open Doors, which compiles the annual World Watch List of countries that persecute Christians, says: "Islamic extremists are intent on eradicating the church in the Middle East, but many courageous Christians are determined to stay and serve their communities. They're crying out to us - their global church family - for support." One church leader working with displaced families in Iraq said: "We need prayer, every day. When we see pictures of ISIS on the television, we're afraid. When we hear that ISIS has been driven back, we regain hope. Every day our feelings change. So please pray for us every day." Christian Solidarity Worldwide quotes Archbishop Ben Kwashi of Jos, Nigeria: "One thing I can bring to you is the voices of those who are saying thank you for praying for us. We have survived and will survive on the wings of prayers from those around the world whom we may never know until we meet at the feet of Jesus." Paul Robinson, chief executive at Release International, said: "We thank God that the gospel is bearing fruit around the world, but it is coming at a high cost for many of our brothers and sisters. "They often choose to pay the price even with their lives, knowing their sacrifice will help to grow the Kingdom of God, but they need our help and prayers to do so. That is our responsibility and one we must take seriously." Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of CSW said: "We're passionate about prayer; it's the foundation on which the rest of our work is built. We've been so privileged to see some incredible answers to prayer: from nation-changing developments through our work at the UN, to the release of prisoners, and everything in-between. "At the same time, there are still many prayers we're yet to see answered. That's why, together with the other members of the RLC, we're calling for an outpouring of prayer for the persecuted Church this November. "We know that our prayers have the power to change the course of history." 'Game of Thrones' season 7 spoilers, plot rumors: battle for the Iron Islands; some of the cast head to the Dragonpit Set photos reveal that Theon (Alfie Allen) and Euron (Pilou Asbk) are fighting each other. Meanwhile, several cast members were reported to be heading to Seville in Spain where the Dragonpit set is located. Previously on "Game of Thrones" season 6, Theon and Yara (Gemma Whelan) waged a war with their Uncle Euron to conquer the Iron Islands. It was previously reported that the Greyjoy siblings will face their uncle at sea where Yara might be taken hostage. Popsugar reports that Theon and Euron were seen fighting each other in Spain where the Iron Islands set is located. It seems that the two will catch up to each other back in their homeland, where their bloody brawl will finally decide who will rule the Iron Islands. It is also possible that Theon is fighting Euron for the freedom of his sister, who has allegedly been taken hostage. Meanwhile, a lot of "Game of Thrones" cast members were spotted at the Dragonpit set in Seville, Spain, while others are already on their way to film there. According to the Winter is Coming fan news site, Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) were seen near the set of the stand-in Dragonpit at King's Landing. It seems that Jaime will be meeting the Mother of Dragons upon her arrival in Westeros, and Jorah will be by her side as he has always been. The Instagram account got_updates also reports that Daenerys (Emilia Clarke), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Jon Snow (Kit Harington), and Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) are all coming to Seville to shoot more scenes. It seems that all the action will be happening at the Dragonpit in King's Landing in "Game of Thrones" season 7. And with Jon Snow and Daenerys meeting soon, will the former finally find out about his real family lineage? "Game of Thrones" season 7 is expected to premiere in 2017. Give Unto Caesar...Christian Pastor Refuses To Obey Order To Hand Sermons To The State Nearly 40,000 people have signed a petition backing a Christian pastor who is resisting demands to hand over his sermons to the state. Walsh, a lay pastor who takes a traditional Biblical line on issues such as sexuality, was fired in 2014 from his job as a health administrator by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Officials had watched some of his sermons on YouTube. Walsh, of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, was then ordered to hand over all his sermons, his sermon notes and his Bible and any other relevant documents going back to when he was just 18 years old to the state in a move criticised as an "unjust assault on people of faith." He has continued to refuse to do so. The Family Research Council petition backing Dr Walsh says: "I stand with Dr Eric Walsh's freedom to believe and live according to his deeply-held beliefs. "The demand that he hand over his sermons, sermon notes, and all pastoral documents including his Bible represents a government intrusion into the sanctity of the church, pastor's study, and pulpit. "Heavy-handed tactics like this have the effect of intimidating and silencing people of faith everywhere. Such targeting of the pulpit by the government is unconscionable, and I urge you to use all means of your authority to correct this egregious overreach of the state into church affairs." Walsh, who is being supported by First Liberty Institute, is suing for religious discrimination. His lawyer, Jeremy Dys of First Liberty, told CBN: "It is illegal for an employer to consider an employee's religion in making their hiring and firing decisions. "No one in this country, including Dr Walsh, should be fired for something they said in the pulpit. "The pulpit is a sacred space...for them to intrude upon that sacred space is a gross violation of the Consititution and religious liberty in general." Walsh himself told CBN: "My mom was a single mother and what got us through was our faith. What I learned at church taught me the value of getting an education and led me to want to serve those in need. That's why I became a doctor and I've held onto those beliefs ever since." He added: "I couldn't believe they fired me because of things I talked about in my sermons. It was devastating. I have been unable to get a job in public health since then. By reviewing my sermons and firing me because of my religious beliefs, the State of Georgia destroyed my career in public service." LGBT groups had protested when Walsh, who had been an advisor on HIV/Aids to President Barack Obama, was offered the job in 2014 running a district of the health department in Georgia. They were concerned that he was opposed to homosexuality. The offer was then rescinded and Dr Walsh was also placed on administrative leave from his job as Pasadena public health director, so that officials could look into his sermons in which he described homosexuality as sinful and also criticised evolution, Islam and Catholicism, according to the Daily Caller. He then resigned from that job. In a statement at the time, a Georgia health department spokesman said the background checks led to the job offer being retracted. How Much Longer Must These Three Christian Men Suffer In Jail For A Crime They Did Not Commit? Three Christian men who have been imprisoned in Ethiopia for two years on false accusations of burning down a church have had their appeal hearing delayed yet again. Tibebu Mekuria, Dawit Jemberu and Belete Tilahun already saw their hearing postponed several times over the summer, Open Doors reports. They were accused of burning down a church building in May 2014 and sentenced to nine years in 2015. They have also been ordered to pay damages of more than 35,000. Two of the men are single but Tilahun is married with three children and owns a home which he risks losing. "I am worried that my family will be thrown out onto the streets. They want to destroy my life and the property I have laboured for all my life," he told a visitor earlier this year, according to Open Doors, which is calling for prayers for the men. Earlier this year, their case was raised in Parliament. Tom Brake, Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington in Surrey, asked the Foreign Secretary to make representations to the Ethiopian government. James Duddridge responded on behalf of the Foreign Office, saying: "We are aware of the ongoing court case of Tibebu Mekuria, Dawit Jemberu and Belete Tilahun, who were convicted of burning down the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Gulema Iyesus in June 2015. "As all three are still pursuing their appeal case through the courts in Ethiopia, with their final appeal hearing set for the 29 June, it would be inappropriate to comment on their case at this time." That was in the summer, and their case still has not been heard with the latest postponement this week. Ethiopia is at Number 18 on the Open Doors persecution watch list. Nearly half the population is Orthodox Christian and a third is Muslim. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is finding itself increasingly challenged by the growing number of evangelical Protestants, sometimes described in Orthodox media as "newcomers" and "false prophets". The three men are being held in Debiremarkos prison, a harsh environment with a history of torture and killing. They are responding to the repeated delays by expressing their trust in God, according to Open Doors, and using the time they have their to evangelise their fellow inmates. Is This The Original Tomb Of Jesus? Preliminary findings by researchers investigating the site where Jesus is believed to have been buried appear to confirm that portions of the original tomb are still present today, the National Geographic has reported. Researchers are continuing their inspection of the tomb, which lies in the middle of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City. Last week, the stone shelf which has for years been encased in marble was uncovered for the first time in centuries. The tomb today consists of a limestone shelf or burial bed which, since at least 1555, has been covered in marble cladding, thought to prevent pilgrims from removing bits of the original rock. The marble was removed last week, and a conservation team from the National Technical University of Athens initially found only a layer of fill material underneath. But during an inspection lasting 60 hours non-stop, a separate marble slab with a cross carved into its surface was exposed. "By the night of October 28, just hours before the tomb was to be resealed, the original limestone burial bed was revealed intact," the National Geographic reported. "I'm absolutely amazed. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn't expecting this," said Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic's archaeologist-in-residence. "We can't say 100 per cent, but it appears to be visible proof that the location of the tomb has not shifted through time, something that scientists and historians have wondered for decades." The shrine at the heart of the complex called the Aedicule, the supposed location of the tomb of Jesus, is being renovated at a cost of $3.4 million and the monument, which in its present form dates back to 1810, is being completely rebuilt. The restoration is expected to be finished in 2017. The renovations will see the marble slabs taken off, the 12th century Crusader shrine beneath the Aedicule repaired and the cracks in the rock-hewn tomb under that filled. The noisy work is being undertaken at night to minimise the disruption to pilgrims. Researchers confirmed the existence of the original limestone cave walls within the 18th-century Aedicule. "This is the Holy Rock that has been revered for centuries, but only now can actually be seen," said Chief Scientific Supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou, who is directing the conservation and restoration of the Aedicule. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was identified as the site of Jesus's crucifixion and burial by representatives of the Roman emperor Constantine, in AD 326. The church is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year and its ownership and maintenance is shared in a complex arrangement between the Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Catholic Churches. It is currently undergoing restoration work after being damaged by many years of exposure to humidity from the condensation from the breath of visitors, and thermal stress caused by candles burning for hours nearby. Mosul Offensive: More Of Iraq's History Could Be Pulverised The operation to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Islamic State risks more serious damage to heritage sites, according to observers on the ground. The museum in Mosul was vandalised after IS overran the city in 2014 and many priceless artefacts were lost. Other ancient cities including the World Heritage Sites of Hatra and Nimrud were attacked, with ancient monuments and statues destroyed with sledgehammers and explosives. Local officials say IS has fighters deployed at or near historic sites. Ahmed al-Assadi, the spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi, an umbrella organisation for pro-government paramilitary forces, told AFP: "Our information indicates that [IS] has a presence in the archaeological sites." He added: "We expect [IS] will try to lure the advancing forces to the sites for the purpose of increasing their destruction." Assadi said Hashed would use "extreme care" near the sites and that "every effort must be made to protect and preserve them". When the operation to retake Mosul was launched on October 17, the head of UNESCO urged parties to the conflict to protect heritage sites. "I call on all involved in military action to protect cultural heritage and refrain from any military use or targeting of cultural sites and monuments," Irina Bokova said. The coordinates of heritage sites have been passed to the Iraqi military in an effort to limit airstrikes in sensitives areas. UNESCO has said of the IS vandalism: "The demolition of the Mosul museum and the destruction of archeological remains in Nineveh will remain in human history as one of the most barbaric attacks against the heritage of humanity. "These crimes must not remain unpunished." Nigeria's Vice President Tells Christian Faithful: God Will Bless Our Nation The vice president of Nigeria is encouraging his fellow Christian faithful in the African nation some of whom are being persecuted to always believe in God and pray that their country and its current government will always be blessed. Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria's second highest elected official and a Christian pastor from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, recently participated at the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries interdenominational crusade held at the Abuja International Stadium, located in the country's capital. During the event, Osinbajo assured Christians in Nigeria that God will always bless them and their country, in line with the crusade's theme: "God Has Sworn to Bless You." The Nigerian vice president said the theme of the event was inspired by God Himself, and is an indication that his nation will continue to be blessed. "When God swears, then you know that there shall be abundance of different kind of miracles to be expected by everybody. I am expecting my own miracle today," the Christian pastor-turned-politician said, as quoted by The Guardian. He cited a Bible verse from the Old Testament's Book of Numbers to further convince Nigerian Christians of God's continued blessings: "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" Osinbajo also stressed to the audience during the event how powerful God is. At the same time, he also urged his fellow Christian faithful to repent their sins to be able to reap God's blessings. "I want you to know that our God, the omnipotent, omnipresence and omniscience, has sworn to bless you and our nation," he said. The 59-year-old Christian pastor was elected as Nigeria's vice president during polls last year. He was also a former state attorney general and commissioner of justice in the Nigerian state of Lagos. North Korea's Christians Aren't Praying for Freedom or Money but for More of Jesus Here is a big surprise: North Korea isn't all that bad for Christians. Although it has been called "the worst country on Earth to be a Christian," the East Asian country of 26 million people ruled by communist dictator Kim Jong-Un actually has a strong underground church and has a surprising message for Christians in America. The revelation was made by Dr. Eric Foley, head of Voice of the Martyrs Korea, in an interview last week with Hope 103.2. For the past 14 years, Open Doors USA has listed North Korea at the top of its list of countries where Christians are persecuted. According to the organisation which champions the cause of persecuted Christians worldwide, North Korea's rulers see Christianity not only as "opium for the people" but also as "deeply Western and despicable." In this country, Christians try to hide their faith as much as possible to avoid arrest and internment in labour camps under horrific conditions, according to Open Doors USA. However, Dr. Foley said depicting North Korea as a "country with a big barbed wire fence around it ... is not a very accurate picture." Foley nevertheless confirmed that Christians are treated like terrorists under the communist regime and that Bibles, churches, and prayer meetings are all banned. He also attested that many Christians have either been executed or taken to concentration camps. But despite the constant threats to their lives, North Korea's Christians are strong and creative about sharing their faith, Foley said. "North Korean people face great difficulties, but it's not as if there is a black cloud hanging over the people of this nation," Foley said. "They have joys and strengths and hopes also." He said Christians in North Korea don't consider their country as the worst in the world as foreigners do. "Not because their life isn't difficult, but because they believe that God has drawn close to them in a real way, that the rest of us may not even be able to imagine fully," he said. Foley said he once told a group of North Korean defectors that the American church is praying for North Koreans. The answer they gave stunned him. "You pray for us? We pray for you!" one North Korean defector told him. "That's the problem with you American Christians and South Korean Christians! You have so much, you put your faith in your money and in your freedom. In North Korea we have neither money nor freedom, but we have Christ and we've found He's sufficient." The unnamed defector said North Korean Christians do not pray for the freedoms Americans have, because "freedom in Christ is something that can't be granted or taken away by a government." "They don't pray for a regime change. They don't pray for freedom and money. They pray for more of Christ and to mirror more of Christ in their life. That's what we should be praying for ourselves as well," the defector said. Raped, Tortured And Forced To Convert: One Yazidi Woman's Abuse Under ISIS A Yazidi woman who was kept as a sex slave by ISIS for more than two years has been rescued and reunited with her family, Fox News reports. Gazal, 22, was kidnapped along with her family when ISIS overran the Sinjar region of Iraq in August 2014. They were first held along with other captured Yazidis in a school, and were later transferred to Mosul. They were given only tiny amounts of food and dirty water, meaning they were forced to drink urine and soon became seriously ill. Then, ISIS militants began "demanding to know who was still a virgin," Basima, Gazal's 17-year-old sister-in-law, told Fox. "And from the age of eight, they were taking girls to the market to sell for a cigarette." Basima and a few others tried disguising themselves as men by cutting their hair off and dressing in male clothing. "We thought that if they mistook us for boys, we would be taken out and killed rather than raped," she said. "But instead, when they knew our trick, the man came in and stripped us in front of everybody. In front of everybody, hundreds, they touched us everywhere, sexually abused us. My father and brother had to watch. And that was the last I saw of them." The women were transferred to Raqqa, and last year Basima and another sister-in-law, 22-year-old Nadifa, were rescued, but not before suffering torture at the hands of their captors. Gazal, meanwhile, was chosen by an ISIS militant to be his sex slave. He forced her to convert to Islam, tortured her and raped her. She was then sold on to another fighter, who abused her baby son. Gazal was finally rescued after her family paid her captor a ransom of $25,000, and last Thursday they were reunited at an IDP camp in northern Iraq. Yazidism is an offshoot of Zoroastrianism, which blends ancient religious traditions with both Christianity and Islam. ISIS believes them to be "devil-worshippers" and has systematically persecuted members of the faith since its rise to power in 2014. When militants took over the Sinjar region two year ago, up to 5,000 Yazidi men were killed in a series of massacres and thousands of woman and children taken captive. More than 3,000 are still missing. Amnesty International last month released a damning report that said survivors needed greater support to cope with the long-term implications of their trauma. Amnesty said that many survivors have been left struggling to pay off huge debts of up to tens of thousands of US dollars after their families borrowed money to pay for their release. An earlier report by the charity found that they often face stigmatisation, and struggle to find husbands, reportedly leading some doctors to perform operations to 'reverse' the loss of virginity. The majority live in "dire conditions, either with impoverished relatives who have been displaced from their homes, or in camps for internally displaced persons in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Their needs outstrip the support available," Amnesty said. It called for a better system to assess the needs of survivors, and to ensure they receive vital care and support. 'Saint Death' Drawing Millions of Devotees in Mexico, U.S. Despite Condemnation from Vatican This "saint" is no saint. In fact, the skeletal female figure represents the devil. And yet millions of people still idolise it, to the chagrin of the Roman Catholic Church. Called Santa Muerte ("Holy Death" or "Saint Death"), the figure has been drawing millions of devotees in Mexico, Central America, and some places in the United States, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported. There is no such saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, in 2013, a Vatican official condemned the devotion to the idol, equating it to "the celebration of devastation and of hell." Fr. Gary Thomas, a Vatican-trained exorcist for the Diocese of San Jose, California denounced the honouring of a saint of death, which he said is a corruption and distortion of what Christians belief about Jesus, who came to give us eternal life. "'Saint Death' is an oxymoron. God is a God of the living, not the dead," the exorcist priest added. It would seem fitting that Santa Muerte is considered a saint among criminals, drug lords in particular. "She's basically the poster girl of narco-satanic spirituality," Andrew Chesnut, a Santa Muerte expert who has been studying the devotion for eight years, told CNA. Chesnut estimates that Santa Muerte has some 10 to 12 million devotees, mostly in Mexico, but also in the United States and Central America. What's drawing this large number of people to the saint of death? Fr. Andres Gutierrez, the pastor of St. Helen parish in Rio Hondo, Texas, said the deity is seen as a non-judgmental "saint" that can be invoked for evil intentions. "If somebody is going to be doing something illegal, and they want to be protected from the law enforcement, they feel awkward asking God to protect them," Fr. Gutierrez said. "So they promise something to Santa Muerte in exchange for being protected from the law." Devotees also seek favours of vengeancesomething they would never ask of God or a canonised saint, Chesnut said. Why Catholics And Lutherans Can't Just Kiss And Make Up Yesterday marked the 499th anniversary of Martin Luther's nailing of his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg church. They were an attack on the moral corruption and theological errors of the Catholic Church to which he belonged, and they touched off the Protestant Reformation. The anniversary marked the beginning of a year of celebrations and commemorations, leading up to the Reformation 500 events next year. It also saw Pope Francis sign a document with the President of the Lutheran World Federation in Lund, Sweden, at the end of a once-unthinkable joint prayer service. It expressed regret for past conflicts and determination to seek unity. Well, that's good news, isn't it? Nice to know all their problems are over, even if it has taken 500 years. That is a little premature. Well, more than a little. The document is significant in that both sides say warm things about the other and admit they've made mistakes ("Lutherans and Catholics have wounded the visible unity of the Church. Theological differences were accompanied by prejudice and conflicts, and religion was instrumentalised for political ends.") There's a lot of talk about moving on to "full unity", but this is a long way away still. But I thought the Pope was a bit of a fan of Luther? That's putting it much too strongly, though he did praise Luther for having restored the centrality of Scripture to the Church, and admitted he made some good points: "There was corruption in the church, worldliness, attachment to money and power." However, Francis' willingness to see the good even in Luther has gone down like the proverbial lead balloon with conservative Catholics, for whom he was the devil's disciple and the man who introduced waves of heresy into the Church. Ah. It's easy to forget Francis is not universally loved. Indeed; in parts of the Catholic blogosphere he is regarded as a traitor. So what are the remaining obstacles to unity, and what would unity look like? How long have you got? Luther's central idea was around "justification", how a person could be made right with God. He was an acute scholar, and reading Romans convinced him it was by faith alone the standard evangelical and Protestant position today. Catholic theology had developed to emphasise the need for good works, confession and penance. So it was an important question: how do you become a Christian? But in 1999 the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation agreed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in which they said they basically believed the same thing and withdrew their fearsome condemnations of each other. So no problem there, then? It was a considerable ecumenical advance, certainly, and shows what can be done if people talk to each other rather than lobbing theological hand grenades into each others' trenches. However, it has to be said that talk of the Reformation being "over" is premature. Evangelical theologians issued a "statement of evangelical convictions" last week saying that the fundamental differences between Catholics and Protestants are still there. In spite of the Joint Declaration, it says, Catholics don't really believe in salvation through faith alone. It also says Catholics do not accept the supreme authority of the Bible, believe in Mary's immaculate conception and bodily assumption into heaven, and in Papal infallibility. Another commentator, Union School of Theology's Michael Reeves, thinks there are still two radically different views of justification that haven't really come closer together. In other words, Catholics are still Catholics? Quite, and Lutherans are still Lutherans. One of the difficulties for Protestants in the Independent tradition, which many evangelicals are, is that Luther wasn't one of them (he believed in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, for example) and the Lutheran Church is certainly way outside that tradition. So in spite of the debt evangelical Protestants owe to Luther, actual Lutherans find it easier to talk to Roman Catholics and find common ground than they do. But if Catholics and Lutherans agree on justification, which was the point of the whole Reformation, at least they ought to be able to kiss and make up? The trouble is that all that happened 500 years ago, and Lutherans have taken radically different paths since then. They have women priests, which Catholics won't hear of, and they are relaxed about same-sex relationships, which is even worse. And there's always the problem of authority is the Pope in charge, or not? And they have a different understanding of priesthood and the Eucharist, some of them tolerate startlingly liberal teaching, and there's a question about the status of the Lutheran World Federation it's a federation, rather than a Church, so has a limited ecclesiastical status. Ah. So there is some way still to go. I wouldn't bet on anything under 500 years. Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods Why Val Kilmer's Faith Probably Won't Help Him If He Has Oral Cancer Val Kilmer was wrongly "outed" this week as suffering from oral cancer by fellow actor Michael Douglas, who suffered from the disease himself. Speaking about the film The Ghost and The Darkness, in which the two appeared together, Douglas said that "things don't look too good" for Kilmer. Kilmer himself flatly denied he was ill, saying in a Facebook post: "I love Michael Douglas but he is misinformed." He said he was "rehabbing steadily" from "a swollen tongue" and had "no cancer whatsoever". Kilmer is a Christian Scientist, and Christian Scientists' views of medicine are decidedly ambivalent, with some refusing to seek medical treatment at all. However, Kilmer said: "Some fans have mistakenly thought my silence about my personal issues meant that somehow I wasn't being responsible to my health, because of my reliance on prayer and Love. "Nothing could be further from the truth... Being healthy and having the respect of my peers and love from my family, friends, peers and fans is a DAILY source of inspiration, for which I am so grateful." But what is Christian Science, and why do some of its adherents decline medical treatment? The movement was founded in the 19th century by Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910), who taught in her book Science and Health that all reality is spiritual and that disease is an illusion. It is to be dealt with by prayer rather than medicine. She came to this revelation after slipping on ice and injuring herself. Eddy said in Science and Health that she had read a Bible passage and "the healing Truth dawned upon my sense". She later wrote that "Dr Cushing of this city pronounced my injury incurable and that I could not survive three days because of it", though Cushing flatly denied it. Eddy taught that sickness was a mental error, and that a right attitude could heal anything including cancer, diphtheria and tuberculosis. Disease was an illusion. Christian Scientists say this healing is "not faith healing, positive thinking, or self-hypnosis. It calls for Christian faith in and understanding of God as unconditionally and dependably good, to whom nothing is impossible." They also say that "Christian Scientists are always free to choose for themselves and their families the kind of health care that meets their needs. However, by practising Christian Science, many have lived happy and healthy lives free of drugs and other systems of physical care." In practice, Christian Scientists are happy to have broken bones set and to wear glasses, but they believe prayer is most effective when it's not combined with medicine. Christian Scientists have been prosecuted for not providing medical care for their sick children. However, Christian Science has long been described by orthodox believers as "neither Christian, nor scientific". It doesn't work, in terms of curing people, and Eddy's rejection of the material world and belief that suffering is an illusion reflect early Christian heresies. It departs from orthodox Christianity at every significant point in its doctrines. In terms of his own faith, Kilmer has said: "I am a religious person. I do pray for specific needs. I do read the Bible every Sunday. I've read the Bible all of my life. I also pray for things that are going on in the world; it has given me a deeper sense of responsibility as a person." And however unorthodox someone's beliefs are, we shouldn't assume someone has to believe exactly the right things before God will hear their prayers. Until October, surfing in Central Texas sounded like an oxymoron. But at the beginning of the month, North America's first surf park opened in Austin, Texas. Less than a week later, another company announced plans for a second artificial lagoon in the state. Now, the Dallas Business Journal is reporting that a Miami-based company is planning to make Texas its biggest lagoon market in the nation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Forget the vampires, sexy witches and Harley Quinns. Selena is this year's go-to Halloween costumes. A sting of well-known faces paid tribute to the Tejano queen this year, including "Scream Queens" actress Keke Palmer. She opted for the bedazzled black bra, beret and offered a heartfelt tribute on her Instagram page: "I fell in love with her music, style and her ability to be such a beacon of hope to her community. She used her voice to paint her culture all over the world, telling their stories that hadn't been told and in being so true she touched many others and inspired so many to be proud of who they were! I AM THE PROOF," Palmer wrote. A video posted by Laurennnn Palmer (@kekepalmer) on Oct 30, 2016 at 10:07pm PDT "She has always been the kind of entertainer I wanted to be because she stood for something. She wasn't trying to fit in any lane but her own and that's why she remains. And when the lights were off she was in TX in a humble home with bae, #balance. Rest In Peace Selena, we miss you so much girl. So Much." Chris Brown's daughter, Royalty, donned the iconic purple jumpsuit immortalized during Selena's 1995 RodeoHouston performance. Insta-celeb Shakyra.Kakes opted for the white outfit from Selena's 1994 RodeoHouston performance. Zahira Gutierrez of Houston group Wild Moccasins created her own classic Selena look. And, of course, DIY blogger Andrea Garcia might have won Halloween by creating her own MAC Selena lipstick costume. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Louisiana-based fried chicken chain Raising Cane's now has a 300th store, which opened Tuesday morning at 5236 S. Rice Ave., near the Galleria. This outpost is the 102nd Raising Cane's in Texas and the 22nd in the Houston area. The next location will open in Kingwood later this month. "Every grand opening is exciting, especially here in Houston. But there's obviously something extra special about a big, round number like 300!" general manager Phillip Goglia said in a prepared statement. "My crew and I couldn't be more pumped about next Tuesday's grand opening, and we can't wait to serve up our ONE LOVE to the residents and workers here in Central Houston at our beautiful new restaurant." RELATED: Ken Hoffman's guide to fast food The fast-food spot has already started its traditional opening week community involvement, with some of the 60 employees at this store helping the Houston Parks & Recreation Department to clean up and landscape Burnett Bayland Park. "We were proud to pitch in at Burnett Bayland for our pre-opening service project, doing our part to keep this city beautiful," Goglia said. "And we're excited about getting even more involved with the local schools and other organizations throughout the area in the weeks, months and years ahead." SEE ALSO: 15-year-old Texas girl writes love song to Chick-fil-A, gets free food Todd Graves founded the fast-food chain in 1996 in Baton Rouge, La. In 2015, a Sandelman & Associates Quick-Track study named it among the country's top 10 quick-service restaurants. Raising Cane's is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 12 Midnight. Houston Winery new releases event: Water-2-Wine, 3331 Westpark; 6-8 p.m. Thursday; $20; info@houston-winery.com. Markham Vineyards wine pairing event: McCormick & Schmick's Uptown, 1151 Uptown Park; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday; $85; 713-840-7900. Katy Wine Fest: Brookwood Cafe, 1752 FM 1489, Brookshire; 7-11 p.m. Friday; $25-$150; 713-344-3451. Fall Wine Festival: BRIX Wine Cellars, 110 Vintage Park; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; $20; 281-374-6100. Introduction to tasting and wines of the New World with Master Sommelier Guy Stout: University of Houston Conrad R. Hilton School demo kitchen classroom. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday. $75. GuyStout.com or gstout@glazers.com. Jones Family Vineyards wine dinner with Stephanie Jones-Bailey: B&B Butchers, 1814 Washington; 7 p.m. Nov. 9; $175 plus tax and gratuity; 713-862-1814 or kristin@bbbutchers.com. Genesys Works Houston Cellar Classic 2016: The Tasting Room Uptown Park, 1101 Uptown Park; 1-5 p.m. Nov. 12; $75 or $200 for VIP; 713-662-4003. Beaujolais Nouveau dinner: Bistro Provence, 13616 Memorial; 7 p.m. Nov. 17; $65 plus tax and gratuity ($30 deposit via PayPal required); 713-827-8008. Texas Wine & Spirits Fall Festival: Bayou City Event Center, 9401 Knight; noon-5 p.m. Nov. 19; $45-$75; 281-549-2030. Three Montgomery County elected officials and a political consultant facing charges of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act will have to wait at least five more months to have their day in court. Judge Randy Clapp of Wharton County set March 27, 2017 as the new trial date for Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal, County Commissioners Charlie Riley and Jim Clark and political consultant Marc Davenport. Clapp, a visiting judge, reset the trial date following a conference involving all parties in the case. The trial, originally set to begin Monday, was pushed back in part due to scheduling issues among the attorneys and the large volume of evidence and grand jury testimony released to the defense late last week. "These lawyers in this case are not transactional attorneys that sit behind a desk," said Conroe attorney E. Tay Bond, who is representing Clark. "We are real trial lawyers that show up and pick juries and have settings for trials that are set out six months in advance." Davenport's attorney, Steve Jackson, has filed a motion to dismiss Davenport's case for lack of jurisdiction, but the judge did not rule on that motion Monday. According to the motion, Jackson stated his client is "not a member or part of a group of members of a governmental body, and as such the defendant cannot be prosecuted in a felony district court." The four were indicted last June following a six-month grand jury investigation that focused on communications about a $280 million road bond referendum that was later placed on the November, 2015 ballot and approved by voters. The misdemeanor charge that each faces is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, up to six months in jail; or both. County Attorney J D Lambright said that if the elected officials plead guilty or are convicted, they would have to resign from the commissioners court. Emails produced in response to an August 2015 public records request by The Conroe Courier show dozens involving the Doyal, certain county commissioners, Davenport and others, including members of The Woodlands-based Texas Patriots PAC, regarding the framework of the road bond. Many emails were exchanged between Aug. 11 and Aug. 21, 2015. Commissioners took no action at their last regular meeting, on, Aug. 11, before the Aug. 24 deadline to place a referendum on the ballot. However, on Aug. 21, Doyal and Riley announced they had reached a memorandum of understanding with the Patriots PAC that cleared the path for the November road bond referendum, which commissioners approved Aug. 24. The bond package did not include the controversial Woodlands Parkway extension or the Robinson Road project in Oak Ridge North, two projects that had been part of a larger road bond package defeated by voters in May 2015. Houston-based Griffin Partners has sold a six-story office building at 12603 Southwest Freeway in Stafford to Stone Mountain Properties. The 143,211-square-foot building, across from the former Texas Instruments campus at U.S. 59 and Kirkwood, is 86 percent leased. RELATED: Mixed-use project planned for former TI site Dan Miller and Martin Hogan of HFF represented the seller, which had renovated the buildings. LandPark Advisors represented the buyer. Houston-based Stone Mountain Properties has expanded its office portfolio with the purchase of buildings at 10701 and 10707 Corporate Drive in Stafford and at 2424 and 2500 Wilcrest in Westchase. RELATED: Nassau Bay retail center changes hands Griffin Partners' portfolio now totals 4.5 million square feet, including five recently purchased properties in Phoenix, Denver and Raleigh, N.C. The company sold the Nassau Bay Town Square shopping center earlier this year. National Academy of Construction Richard Westney, founding partner of Houston-based Westney Consulting Group, has been elected a member of The National Academy of Construction's 2016 class. Westney, whose clients include oil companies, drilling and production service providers, contractors, and project investors, has written five books on project management, cost, and risk. He has served as visiting faculty for executive programs at Stanford, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Moscow School of Management. Klein Oak High School students have taken action to help raise funds for amputees. The Klein district is participating in "Socktober," a campaign to provide those in need with socks. According to the Socktober campaign, every night in the United States, an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. The campaign's goal is to show small acts of love, such as donating a pair of socks to make a difference in the lives of those who are homeless. Klein Oak High School students in the in the International Baccalaureate Program decided to make their participation in Socktober unique. Students in the IB Program at Klein Oak High School are working hard to raise funds for the Socktober Campaign so that for every 75 packs of socks sold, as part of the campaign, LIMBS International would provide one prosthetic leg to an amputee in need around the world. The high school students have been helping to provide prosthetic legs to people in countries such as Bangladesh in the past three years. "What I like about LIMBS International and "Socktober" is that it gets the whole Klein Oak community involved in a cause that changes lives of people living in third world countries," said Karoline Thomas, IB senior. LIMBS International's mission is to raise awareness of amputees in the developing world and their living conditions, empowering students via community service and classroom learning to make a tangible difference in the lives of amputees as citizens of the global community. "Socktober is a great fundraiser because it helps both globally and locally. Globally the funds pay for prosthetics to be sent to those in need, and for each package of socks purchased LIMBS donates a pair of warm socks for KO to donate to a local charity," said Linda Garner, IB Coordinator. "In addition to this fundraiser for LIMBS, students participated in a school wide homecoming carnival raising funds for both Houston Children's Charity and LIMBS." Students of IB programs are take part in programmes of education that have the possibility to lead them to some of the highest ranking universities around the world, and the program encourages students to think independently and drive their own learning. "In addition to this fundraiser for LIMBS, students participated in a school wide homecoming carnival raising funds for both Houston Children's Charity and LIMBS. As the year progresses, students will come up with other activities to raise funds for LIMBS," Garner said. "Overall, the goal is to raise $7500 by the end of the school year for LIMBS International." More than 100 IB schools across the country are participating in the Socktober campaign. Texas has more than 150 IB schools. Houston comes in as the largest number in the state with 29 IB schools. Through the years, Klein Oak High School IB students have raised approximately $24,000 in their efforts with partnering with LIMBS International. The IB sock fundraiser will be running until November 18th. "Klein Oak has been an amazing partner school for LIMBS International over the past four school years," Trevor Bergman said, executive director and director of learning at LIMBS. "During that time, they have provided over 80 legs to amputees across the globe giving hope and mobility to those who would not have it otherwise." Want to know more? Limbs International: https://www.limbsinternational.org/ Socktober Campaign: http://happysocktober.com/ International Baccalaureate Program: http://www.ibo.org/ This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises against choosing the nasal spray flu vaccination option for the 2016-17 flu season. "This year the CDC recommends people receive the flu vaccine through injection and not the nasal spray," Martha Marquez, Harris County Public Health media specialist, said. "This is due to the nasal spray having low effectiveness against the flu strain." For individuals with an aversion to needles, the lack of an alternative to injectable vaccination may invite the question: is it actually that important to get an annual flu shot? According to Harris County Public Health, flu vaccinations are important not only for the vaccinated individual; vaccinations also prevent the flu from spreading to people around that individual, which is especially important for infants, young children, seniors, pregnant women and people with health conditions. For these individuals, the flu can lead to repercussions much more dire than missing a few days of school or work. Kingwood Medical Center chief nurse officer Kevin Manning said thousands of people in the nation die from the flu each year, and even more are hospitalized. "Influenza, or flu, is a contagious disease that spreads around the United States every year, usually between October and May," Manning said. "Flu is caused by influenza viruses, and is spread mainly by coughing, sneezing, and close contact." Anyone, including healthy individuals, are able to contract the flu. The onset of flu symptoms are sudden and can include fever, chills, sore throat, cough, runny nose, fatigue, body aches, headache and in some cases vomiting and diarrhea. The flu can sometimes lead to further complications such as pneumonia and blood infections. Flu can also worsen pre-existing health conditions. According to Manning, new flu vaccines are created each year because flu viruses are constantly changing. While the vaccine created to protect against the most likely viruses may not exactly match a virus, the vaccine may still be able to provide some protection. Dr. Alexis Phillips, pediatrician at Memorial Hermann Northeast, said there are two kinds of flu vaccines. "There's the trivalent, or three-component shot, and the quadrivalent, or four-component shot," Phillips said. The trivalent flu vaccines protect against three influenza virus strains, whereas the quadrivalent flu vaccines are designed to protect against four. "The trivalent is the standard vaccine and the four-component one is for older adults," Phillips said. She said that the first flu vaccine administered to young children is administered in two half-doses. People should consult with a medical professional to determine which vaccine is appropriate for them. Whether a person requires two half-doses, a trivalent or a quadrivalent vaccine, Phillips said that flu shots are recommended annually for anyone 6 months and older. "It's especially important for anybody who will be in regular contact with multiple people in places like school, college and dorm room settings," Phillips said. "These settings increase your risk of exposure and the chance of spreading if to other people." The CDC states that "people with severe, life-threatening allergies to flu vaccine or any ingredient in the vaccine" should not get a flu shot. People should talk to a doctor if they "have an allergy to eggs or any of the ingredients in the vaccine," if they "ever had Guillain-Barre syndrome," or if they are not feeling well. Despite the fear held by some that the flu vaccine itself can cause the flu, Phillips said that is not the case. "You can still have the flu or a cold even if you get the vaccine, but the vaccine protects you against high-risk strains," Phillips said. "So, even with the vaccine, you can still get sick, but it doesn't cause sickness." For the best results, Phillips recommends receiving the flu shot as early on in the flu season as possible - usually around September or October - to allow time for antibodies to form before flu season reaches its peak; usually in January or later. The price of flu vaccinations vary based on location. Locally, prices tend to range between $12, the cost of flu shots at HCPH Health and Wellness Clinics; and $30 to $60, the price of flu vaccines at Kroger Pharmacy. Flu shots are available in several locations throughout the area including doctors' offices, pharmacies and clinics. To find locations offering flu shots, visit vaccine.healthmap.org/. For more information visit www.cdc.gov/flu. Performing classic jazz music written by some of the most prolific composers in American Jazz History, the Kingwood Big Band Fall Concert will feature music that many can tap their toes to Saturday, Nov. 12. Organized through a partnership between the Lake Houston Musical Arts Society and Lone Star College-Kingwood, the band, under the direction of Alfredo Velez, will perform music by featured composers including Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Cole Porter and Dizzy Gillespie, plus the music of noted arrangers such as Oliver Nelson, Bill Holman, Neal Hefti and Tom Kubis. "As the partnership between Lone Star College-Kingwood and the Lake Houston Musical Arts grows, the Kingwood Big Band continues to evolve into one of the leading jazz organizations in the Houston area as well as the southwestern United States," said Alfredo Velez, Kingwood Big Band director and director of bands at LSC-Kingwood professor. The evening performance is at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Student Conference Center at LSC-Kingwood, 20000 Kingwood Drive. For more information on the concert and ticket purchases, visit www.lhmas.org. In its 27th season, the Lake Houston Musical Arts Society supports two community performing groups (the Kingwood Big Band and the Kingwood Chorale and Chamber Orchestra) in partnership with Lone Star College-Kingwood. The society also sponsors performances of professional artists and groups to fulfill its mission to enrich the cultural arts in the community. The Kingwood Big Band, formed in 2004, is an 18-piece jazz orchestra playing era music from the 1940's through contemporary jazz of the last few decades. The band has performed both locally and internationally with performances in Italy and Switzerland culminating in performances at the prestigious Montreaux International Jazz Festival in 2007. The band has accepted an invitation to perform at the prestigious International Jazz Festival in Havana, Cuba in December 2017. Having your car broken into is not usually funny by any means, but no one expects the thief to leave a note explaining their actions. Hunter Jobbins, a Kansas State University student, left his car outside the dorm for a short period. When he came back, something wasn't right. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A fashionable throng - including Becca Cason Thrash and Hannah and Cal McNair - helped raise more than $130,000 during Fabretto Children's Foundation's third annual "Houston Night for Ninos" benefiting Nicaraguan families and youth. Annie Beck and Lauren Randle raised $185,00 during Baylor College of Medicine Teen Health Clinic's annual "Hope for the Future" luncheon at the River Oaks Country Club. In memory of Commissioner El Franco Lee, Dr. Peggy Smith presented a $25,000 gift from the Foundation for Teen Health to Harris County Precinct One Street Olympics. Mayor Sylvester Turner (a.k.a. the city's current "it" honoree) was named BARC 2016's honorary ambassador during BARC on Broadway which raised $210,000 for local four-legged friends. Talk about a hot crowd. The Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation's young professionals soiree welcomed a sea of pretty young things to The Dunlavy for a colorful "Jungle Book Gala." Bravo Lizzie Andrews, Maria and Neil Bush, Pierce Bush, and Dr. Julie Baker Finck. Two of chemistry's most accomplished scientists, Dr. Richard Holm of Harvard University and Dr. Stephen J. Lippard of Massachusetts of Technology, both received the prestigious Robert A. Welch Award, $500,000 and two gold medallions. Karina and Carlos Barbieri hosted the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston's 51st annual "Noche de las Americas which raised funds for student scholarships and programming. After an astounding 93-year history, the Blue Bird Circle has formed its first young professionals group. To toast the newest generation of volunteers, the organization's Montrose resale shop opened its doors for a block party-style celebration. Kudos to Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse. The 2016 "Home Safe Home Around the World" gala raised $432,000 thanks to an impressive group of notable chefs at the Astorian including Mark Holley, Danny Trace, Kiran Verma, and Omar Pereney. The Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts celebrated its 30th anniversary with the launch of the Toni Beauchamp Art Lies Prize in Critical Art Writing at MATCH. Get ready for the 2017 Houston Ballet Ball! Gala chairs Anne and Albert Chao welcomed VIPs and fellow patrons to their home where imagined conversations probably revolved around the ball's "Enchantment" theme. Houston Police Department officers were already at the scene when a fatal gunshot rang out Saturday night in the 3500 block of West Orem. A man was reportedly shot at 8:25 p.m. inside a business at 3504 West Orem in southwest Houston. The identity of the victim is pending notification to family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Almost two dozen women have been arrested in an undercover prostitution sting targeting massage parlors in South Florida. Multiple news outlets report Hollywood police said Oct. 27 that 23 women were taken into custody after detectives found evidence they were performing sexual acts on customers at 20 different locations in the city during the five-month investigation called Operation Red Light. RELATED: South Texas officials nab 15 in prostitution sting Police spokeswoman Miranda Grossman says the women face charges of solicitation of prostitution, operating without a license and misrepresenting themselves as licensed massage therapists. Two of the women, who are owners of massage parlors, also face bribery charges. The Sun Sentinel reported that owners of two of the parlors, Giselle Guo, 44, and Yan Zheng, 47, told an undercover detective they would pay officers $400 a month to stay away from their two businesses," agency spokeswoman Miranda Grossman said. RELATED: 15 women arrested, 8 brothels shut down in Dallas prostitution sting Investigators say they also found beds, clothing and food that showed some of the women were living in the parlors. Police say some of the women admitted they were living there. The Sun Sentinel reported that one of the parlors was voluntarily shut down and is now operating as a shoe store since the arrests. RELATED: SAPD: 8 men arrested for soliciting sex from undercover detectives in prostitution sting "We will continue to crack down on these types of businesses, which are used as fronts for prostitution," Hollywood Police Chief Tomas Sanchez said in a news release, the Sentinel reported. "These massage parlors breed other criminal activities, including human and sex trafficking, drug sales and money laundering." The Associated Press and staff writer Tyler White contributed to this report. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate In the weeks leading up to Election Day, The Woodlands Township has been caught in the middle of increasingly contentious campaigning, with heated accusations of misinformation and cronyism targeted at both sides. On one side, The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers, a nonprofit group started by former chairman of the township board Bruce Tough, has put forth an aggressive campaign - including mailers, signs, billboards, online ads, robo calls and even TV ads - warning residents about a 70 percent property tax increase should the township incorporate now. The mailers, with an eye-catching red and orange design, endorse one slate of candidates: incumbent Mike Bass (Position 2), Amy Lampman (Position 1), Stuart Schroeder (Position 3) and Chris Grice (Position 4). On the other side, the Residents Advocates, a group that emerged during last year's election to unite candidates who opposed the controversial Woodlands Parkway extension, have endorsed an opposing slate: incumbent Gordy Bunch (Position 1), John Anthony Brown (Position 3), Bruce Rieser (Position 4) and Brian Boniface (Position 2). The group also received the endorsement of the Texas Patriots PAC, a local tea party group that has sent out mailers countering the information being circulated by Tough's group. A ninth candidate, Bob Leilich (Position 1), is featured on some literature from the Concerned Taxpayers but did not receive an endorsement from either group. Both Tough and those on the other side have accused each other of spreading misleading information and doing a serious disservice to the community. Bunch and the other Residents Advocates have called Tough's campaign "scare tactics" aimed at influencing the outcome of the board election. They say that the advertising gives the false impression that incorporation and a property tax increase are in question this election cycle and that Bunch and the other candidates are pushing for immediate incorporation. Don Norrell, president and general manager of The Woodlands Township, has confirmed that there has not been an official tax rate study conducted to determine what the actual impact of incorporation would be on property taxes. "The entire Woodlands is being inundated with a message that The Woodlands is trying to incorporate now and a tax rate increase is imminent," Bunch said. "It's a lie." The Texas Patriots PAC decried a mailer sent by The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers targeting senior citizens that featured a message from Tough's father, Coulson Tough, warning them about the "sneaky 'Residents' Advocate' group behind the 'INCORPORATE NOW' lobby effort to raise our local property taxes!" "It's despicable," said Luke Bowen, with the Texas Patriots PAC. "Their tactic is scaring seniors." It's a tactic that just might work, according to Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. "It doesn't matter what's true, it's what you can get people to believe," Rottinghaus said. "The trigger word in Montgomery County is taxes. That's the easiest way to get people's attention and to rally them to get out to vote. There is a serious concern that the taxes are too high, especially in places like The Woodlands with high-value homes." Tough, however, stands by the claims made by his Concerned Taxpayers materials. "It is informative and educational," Tough said. "Everyone who receives the information has been most appreciative." But Tough isn't the only one who has been accused of giving out misleading information. The Texas Patriots PAC sent out a mailer listing a number of claims they labeled "facts" in opposition to the information coming from Tough's group. Residents received a flier in the mail from the Texas Patriots PAC stating that "it is not true that The Woodlands is safe from annexation by Houston until 2057." The statement referred to the regional participation agreement that The Woodlands Township entered into with the cities of Houston and Conroe in 2007 that barred the cities from annexing The Woodlands until 2057. The flier argued that, since the agreement was made by state statute, it could be repealed by state statute, and that The Woodlands has been "on the defense" every legislative session. But, according to state Rep. Mark Keough, R-The Woodlands, this statement is false. "The idea that we as a community should be afraid of this happening is unfounded," Keough said. He explained that the Texas Constitution protects legislation from being applied retroactively. Essentially, even if the law were changed, The Woodlands' agreement with Houston and Conroe would be grandfathered. "I think the narrative that's going around is causing fear in the community," Keough said. Tough also rebutted the Residents Advocates' accusations by accusing the opposing groups of using scare tactics themselves, saying that they've promoted a picture of The Woodlands as powerless to protect the community's roads from becoming like heavily trafficked and strip mall-lined FM 1960. Funding questions As Woodlands residents have been on the receiving end of a barrage of campaign materials, both groups have questioned the funding behind these pushes. Representatives of the Residents Advocates and the Texas Patriots PAC suspect that The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers' advertising effort has been an extremely expensive one, but records of the group's spending are not yet available because it is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization and is not required to report campaign financing. Tough would not reveal the amount of money spent nor who was funding it, but said the effort is led by himself, his wife Diana Tough and his father Coulson Tough. "I'm a nonprofit entity and I'm accepting donations, which I have received," Tough said. Residents Advocates candidates have hypothesized that developers, such as The Woodlands Development Company and parent company Howard Hughes, could be involved in Tough's efforts. "Like many residents and businesses in The Woodlands, we are receiving communications from all the different sides in the current Township election," read a statement from the development company, which did not respond to specific questions. "We are concerned about our community. Like many other businesses in The Woodlands, we oppose an increase in taxes." At the polls As the battle surrounding the township election rages on, voters have turned out in droves to vote early. More than 92,000 voters cast ballots in the first week of early voting (Oct. 24-30), representing 29.3 percent of the registered voters in Montgomery County. The two early voting locations in The Woodlands accounted for 34,893 of those ballots (37.9 percent). Early voting runs through Friday, Nov. 4. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Cars circled the parking lot of the South County Community Center in The Woodlands most of the week, struggling to find a spot. The line for early voting stretched well outside the building's front doors and nearly to the library next door. Signs riddled the green space surrounding the parking lot - most relating to The Woodlands Township election and only a few supporting Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. Still, many of the voters were focused more on national politics than local races. A few locals acknowledged that this year's Woodlands Township election has been more controversial than in previous years. "It's gotten very ugly," said Cheryl Sanford, a 32-year resident of The Woodlands. "I've never seen it like this." "It has not been this contentious," said Renata Tyree, a 10-year Woodlands resident. "It's the first time we've had opinions in opposite directions." Despite having a conflicted relationship with the Republican presidential nominee, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that he voted for Donald Trump last week in Wisconsin. "We need to support our entire Republican ticket," Ryan told Fox News. Ryan endorsed Trump over the summer, but distanced himself from the GOP nominee in the wake of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape that showed Trump making lewd comments about women. After the release of the tape, Ryan said he wouldn't campaign with Trump. News cameras could become a common sight in courtrooms across the state starting as early as March if the Nebraska Supreme Court approves a rule change now up for comment. At a meeting of a Bench-Media Committee of judges, attorneys and the press in LaVista this week, Justice Jeff Funke said judges and attorneys have been working on the issue since May 2015. This year, the conversation expanded to include journalists. "I'm excited," Funke said. "I think we're getting there." While the Supreme Court live streams video of oral arguments, the courtroom in the Capitol has been one of few in the state to allow cameras, either still or video. But that has been changing -- slowly. At this point, judges in seven of 12 judicial districts -- including all Lancaster County Court judges and District Judge Robert Otte -- have given the OK for expanded media coverage in their courtrooms. Funke said Tuesday that a March 1 start date will allow time to address comments sent to the Clerk of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals by Nov. 15 and time to educate judges, court staff and media. Attorney Shawn Renner, who advises print and broadcast journalists on free speech and open meeting issues, said he sees progress, but like any new process, there are going to be growing pains. The idea is to figure out how the system will work before a high-profile case comes up, he said. Sarpy County Court Judge Todd Hutton suggested how-to videos for reporters. He said there couldn't be a more stark contrast between the old rule, adopted in 1992, which said there shall be no broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing in courtrooms and the immediate area unless approved, and the proposed rule, which says expanded media coverage shall be permitted in county and district courtrooms in Nebraska, with limited exceptions. But at the end of the two-hour meeting, Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Heavican reminded the group they are not really pioneers. Other states, including neighboring Iowa, have had cameras in courtrooms for years. "This will work," Heavican said. And it will be a positive thing for the court and everyone involved, he said. A shooting was reported near the University of Houston on Tuesday afternoon and police are searching for a suspect. Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon said the shooting was called in at about 4 p.m. and happened at the intersection of Rosalie and Canfield in south Houston. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Crime Stoppers Houston Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Crime Stoppers Houston Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Crime Stoppers Houston Show More Show Less 5 of 5 Crime Stoppers is searching for a male suspect who is believed to have killed another man in north Houston on Oct. 10. According to a release, Reginald Sherman was fatally shot in the 8200 block of N. Main. A male suspect approximately 5-feet, 5-inches to 6-feet tall was seen on surveillance video riding a purple bike moments before Sherman's death. A wet summer and continued warm weather mean that Houston's fall allergy season has left many sniffling and sneezing their way into November - but there's hope. Though allergies are typically associated with springtime blooms, they afflict some people most severely in the fall. Weeds sprout up in fallow fields and send their spores traveling in the wind, sometimes for hundreds of miles. The end is in sight, allergy specialists said, but this fall's allergy season has been long even for Houston. Dr. David Corry, the chief of Baylor College of Medicine's allergy department, said the region is in the storm before the calm. However, sufferers can fight back against their itchy eyes, runny noses, and cacophony of coughs and sneezes. Ragweed, the main culprit in the autumn, is on a rampage that won't let up until the first good freeze, Corry said. RELATED GALLERY: Allergy statistics in Houston & the U.S. "As soon as we see our first cold spell we will see ragweed counts drop or disappear," city health department spokesman Porfirio Villareal said in an email. "Ragweed doesn't survive the frost." Hopefully that will come in November, but sometimes it takes until Christmas - just a couple of months before the first spring allergens start to float through the sultry Houston air. While Corry and Villareal said the current "heavy" counts of 45-60 ragweed spores per cubic meter of air are not extraordinary for this time of year, the long ragweed season owes partly to the year's high rainfall levels - such as the flooding around Tax Day and Memorial Day - as well as the unusually warm fall, which has seen October temperatures pushing the mercury toward record highs. And while recent ragweed levels are not off the charts, Texas Children's Hospital allergist Dr. Carla Davis said the Houston region's humidity and elevated air pollution can intensify allergens' effect so that a pollen count of 60 here might affect sufferers more than the same count elsewhere. Several allergists agreed the first line of defense is an over-the-counter antihistamine, such as Claritin or Allegra. The long-acting versions of those medicines are less likely to make you drowsy, said Davis. Some insurance plans will pay for these if your doctor writes a prescription first, but many will not cover over-the-counter drugs. The antihistamine keeps your body's infection-fighting cells from releasing histamines, which bring on allergy symptoms to fight pollen or other allergens they perceive as threats. "It's a case of mistaken identity," Corry said. If the antihistamines don't help after three or four days, the doctors said your symptoms may actually be caused by a virus or other illness. If it does help, keep taking it until the pollen counts subside. (You can check daily counts in Houston at www.houstontx.gov/health/Pollen-Mold/numbers.html) Nasal steroid sprays such as Flonase or Nasacort can also reduce symptoms by easing inflammation. Serious sufferers can use them along with antihistamines. Dr. Dat Tran, an allergist at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth who practices at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, also recommended a saline sinus rinse that washes away irritants and allergens - like a shower for your nose. To prevent exposure, you can limit your outdoors time in the mornings, when pollen counts are highest. You can also wash hands and take off clothes when you come home, keep windows closed in your home and car, wash sheets frequently and shower nightly. If you're remodeling, Corry said hard-surface floors don't hold pollen like carpets and rugs do. The allergists said you only need to visit a doctor if symptoms aren't controlled by over-the-counter medicines, if those medicines produce undesirable side effects or if you can't function normally. Tran said allergy-like symptoms sometimes are signs of something more serious, like a virus or even a neurological issue. And if you're sick of feeling sick when pollen is in the air, ask an allergist about immunotherapy treatments, which Corry said offer the only potential "cure" for allergies. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Graffiti has come a long way from being considered vandalism, found only in run down buildings and aging subway cars. Today, the spray paint creations are recognized as an art form, taught in classes and found in galleries. Its artist are household names, like Banksy. Still, graffiti is easy to enjoy when the admirer is not the owner of the business being "tagged," or vandalized. To help policymakers craft better solutions to the crime, researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas interviewed 25 taggers to find out why they paint graffiti. READ MORE: Rockets' Bobby Brown slammed for writing on Great Wall of China The study, conducted by two criminologist and published in the academic journal Deviant Behavior, found that taggers shrug off the guilt associated with graffiti by saying things like: "It's just paint." Researchers call this "neutralization theory." According to Dr. Lynne Vieraitis, an associate professor and program head of criminology who spoke to the North Dallas Gazette, taggers aren't out looking for trouble. "They're teenagers, and they get bored," she said. "They find a lot of satisfaction in tagging. It's exciting, it's status-enhancing and it becomes addicting." Arthur Vasquez, a criminology doctoral student and another author to the study, explained that to these teenagers, graffiti is a form of self expression. READ MORE: Spanish-language school sees anti-immigrant graffiti "We all want to be heard or be recognized for something we did, and taggers are no different," Vasquez said. "Although many people use social media to tell others that they had a good or bad day, taggers use walls." Vieraitis said it's important to teach young people who graffiti that their artwork does have victims, like a business owner who doesn't have money to fix the damage. "By identifying those rationalizations, you can start to challenge them on their excuses," she said. Click through above to see the world's most imaginative street art and graffiti. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At least 12 hours after being dragged 500 feet by a bus with mechanical issues, officials discovered the body of a 20-year-old Texas State student in Martindale, one day after a fraternity party was held in the area. Jordin Taylor, a freshman from Burleson, was found dead in the 600 block of Dupuy Ranch Road near Cool River Ranch, a tubing and music venue near the San Marcos River, on Oct. 29. The previous night, Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke said there was a fraternity party held at Cool River Ranch. RELATED: 20-year-old Texas State sorority member found dead under bus near San Marcos River Zwicke said in a news release that around 11:15 p.m. one of the shuttle buses at the venue, used to haul tubers to and from the river, lost its air braking system causing the driver to leave the vehicle where it had stopped. "This is the bus the female was discovered under the next day when the mechanic arrived at Cool River Ranch to fix the bus's air braking system," Zwicke said. "The investigation further revealed that the female somehow came into contact with the bus and was drug over 500 feet." The sheriff said Taylor's cause of death was "consistent with being stuck and dragged by the bus" and "appears to be an accident." Zwicke asserted that a fraternity party was held at Cool River Ranch, 601 Dupuy Ranch Road, the night before Taylor's body was discovered. However, it hasn't been confirmed by officials that the fraternity party was hosted by a Texas State chapter. RELATED: 28-year-old mother who died chasing towed car identified, investigation remains open Texas State's Greek Affairs deferred questions to university spokesman Matt Flores who told mySA.com that the "matter remains under investigation by the Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office, I can't provide any other details." On what appears to be Taylor's Twitter account, she favorited a tweet posted Oct. 27 containing an image promoting a "Monster Mash" party hosted by Delta Tau Delta, Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Alpha and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternities at Texas State. The flyer, however, did not include a date or location. RELATED: Driver accused in San Marcos crash still jailed, mother who lost husband, child planning funeral Flores, on Monday, confirmed Taylor was a freshman at the university and a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Zwicke confirmed Taylor was from Burleson, and according to her Facebook page, she graduated from Centennial High School in North Texas in 2015. Taylor's sorority tweeted Monday: "Thank you for the condolences during this hard time with the loss our sweet sister, Jordin. All of the love and support means so much. Cool River Ranch did not immediately respond for comment. Friends and family of Taylor continued to express their condolences Tuesday on Facebook and Twitter, posting images of the student. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 Photo Provided by Family/Staff More than four years after his capture in Syria, a banner honoring freelance journalist Austin Tice, a Houston native, will be unveiled in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to boost public awareness of his plight and focus the U.S. government on bringing him home. Tices mother, Debra Tice, will speak during a brief ceremony at the unveiling at the Newseum, an interactive media museum. The 24-foot-long banner will hang on its Pennsylvania Avenue facade until Tice is released. Should Tice remain missing into early next year, the next president will drive past his photograph en route to the White House. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate AUSTIN Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller first blamed a hacker and then a staffer before deleting a tweet that used a vulgar term for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Tuesday, igniting a social media firestorm of condemnation from all political corners, including a rebuke from Gov. Greg Abbott. Miller said a staff member on his campaign team copied and pasted a tweet from another twitter account, but missed the reference to Clinton as a "c--t." "We screwed that. We made a mistake," Miller said by phone late Tuesday. He said his staffer did not read the message closely before posting the tweet. He said his team took it down when they realized what it said. By that time, however, the tweet already had been noted and screen-shot by political reporters who retweeted it across the country. "It's disrespectful and not something I would want my name attached to. We apologize for that," Miller said. READ MORE: Miller posts fake shot of Obama with Che tee Miller, a Republican and avid Trump supporter, added the tweet "was not done maliciously" and the staffer "has been dealt with," but declined to go into further detail. The tweet referenced a Pennsylvania poll from the New Auto Alliance, and read: "Trump 44, C--t 43. Go Trump Go!" An account with an anonymous identity tweeted a similar message to Miller's four minutes before his went out. Texas Democrats pounced, using it in a fundraising pitch less than an hour after the tweet was posted. "It's not about one tweet," said Crystal K. Perkins, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. "It's about a consistent pattern where the Republican Party fails to show even the most basic sense of human decency." Abbott blasted Miller for the tweet, calling it "reprehensible" and "an embarrassment" to the Lone Star state. "No true Texas gentleman would ever talk this way," Abbott said in a statement. As the genesis of the tweet unfolded on Twitter, it sparked criticism on social media of Miller who has found himself immersed in controversy since he first took the office in 2015. Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, said he hoped the tweet was the work of a hacker: "This better be the case. If not, it is outrageous and has no place in our public discourse." Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas tweeted, "Deserve each other: Sid Miller calls woman c-word/ Trump say grab em by the p-word." Tuesday's tweet taps into the sometimes coarse nature of the political discourse in this year's presidential election that has included Trump calling Clinton a "nasty woman" and revelations he bragged about grabbing a woman by the genitals. "When you have Republican office holders using that kind of language, it's very misogynistic," said Rep. Sarah Davis, R-West University Place. "It's definitely damaging to the Republican Party in general, speaking about women that way or a particular woman, Hillary Clinton, that way. It does nothing to promote conservative principles at all and it alienates Republican women, as well as independent women. It's not a good way to grow the party and to grow our base." Rep. Poncho Nevarez, D-Eagle Pass, scoffed at the initial defense by a Miller spokesman who said the commissioner's Twitter account had been hacked. "I call bull," Nevarez tweeted. "Look at his tweets before it was same vein w out obscenity. He cutting pasting Pr Trump stuff w out care." Since his election as agriculture commissioner in 2014, Miller has drawn criticism for a host of actions, including a Facebook post comparing Syrian refugees to rattlesnakes, his travel to receive a so-called "Jesus shot" to alleviate pain while on a state-funded trip, and used state and campaign funds to compete in an out-of-state rodeo. He agreed to refund the money from his trips and was not charged with any wrongdoing. Tuesday was not the first time Miller has had to pull down a message on social media. Last summer his team shared a Facebook post depicting an atomic bomb blast, saying, "Japan has been at peace with the U.S. since August 9, 1945. It's time we made peace with the Muslim world." That post was taken down the next day after sparking outrage on Miller's Facebook page. At the time, Miller's office said future posts that do not reflect the commissioner's views would not be posted. READ MORE: Miller shares Facebook post about nuking the Muslim world Miller tweeted as recently as last Friday that he tweets for himself. The comment came as he took a jab at Clinton's emails, after it was revealed that several members of her staff would check certain tweets. "#CrookedHillary needs a dozen people to check her tweets. My thoughts are my own," he said on Twitter. The agriculture commissioner's campaign consultant, Todd Smith, originally blamed the tweet on a hacker and said the campaign asked Twitter to investigate. "It's just unconscionable and we would never, ever, ever, ever, ever post anything as disgusting and filthy as that and obliviously this is someone attempting to make Commissioner Miller and Donald Trump look bad," Smith said. KIGALI, Rwanda Rwanda's government on Monday said 22 French senior military officers helped to plan and execute the 1994 genocide, in which more than 800,000 people were killed. The French officers were involved both as perpetrators and accomplices, Rwanda's National Commission for the Fight against Genocide said in a statement Monday. "The refusal to end the judicial investigation and pronounce a dismissal against Rwandan leaders who ended the genocide is an attempt to conceal their responsibilities," the statement said, referring to France. The publication of the list, including four French generals, comes after French investigators this month reopened an inquiry into the plane crash that killed a Rwandan president and sparked the genocide. The list published by Rwanda names Gen. Jacques Lanxade, who was the special chief of staff for French President Francois Mitterrand from April 1989 to April 1991 and army chief of staff from April 1991 to September 1995. According to Rwanda, Lanxade received reports of abuses by the Rwandan army but maintained assistance that included the provision of military equipment and trainers. Other senior army officers cited include Gen. Christian Quesnot, Gen. Jean-Pierre Huchon and Gen. Jean-Claude Lafourcade. The cause of the crash has been a contentious issue. The plane had a French crew. Militants from Rwanda's Hutu majority blamed minority Tutsis for the death of then-President Juvenal Habyarimana, sparking the slaughter of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Rwandan government insists the plane was shot down by extremists who opposed the government's efforts to forge a peace deal with Tutsi-led rebels who had invaded Rwanda from Uganda, where they had lived as refugees. A French investigation completed in 2012 found that the missile fire came from a military camp. But Kagame, the leader of rebels who ended the genocide, has been accused by a prominent Rwandan exile of ordering that the plane be shot down. French judges in charge of the investigation have filed an international request to hear the exile, former Rwandan military chief Kayumba Nyamwasa. That decision angered Kagame, who said France should be on trial for its alleged role in the genocide. Nyamwasa told The Associated Press in 2012 that he has evidence Kagame ordered the shooting down of the plane. Nyamwasa, once a close ally of Kagame, now lives in South Africa and has survived multiple assassination attempts that he blames on the Rwandan government. -- Reduced funding led to therapy cuts for disabled kids: report, by the Chronicles Andrea Zelinski. "Nearly 10,000 fewer babies and toddlers with disabilities are enrolled in state-supported therapy programs aimed to help them overcome their disabilities, amounting to a 14 percent drop since 2011, according to a report being released Tuesday. Harris County is one of the hardest-hit areas, where the number of children enrolled in intervention programs is down by nearly a third, and enrollment of black children in the Gulf Coast region has fallen by more than 40 percent, according to the report by Texans Care for Children, a nonprofit advocacy group. -- Abbott puts an end to special session speculation for school finance, by the Chronicles Bobby Cervantes What are those other issues? If Patricks advocacy during the interim is any indication, his Womens Privacy Act and the expansion of so-called school choice legislation are at the top of his to-do list. It is unclear at the moment whether the House will have any appetite for the former, Patricks attempt to legislate Texans public bathroom use. This month, the latter got a chilly reception from the House Committee on Public Education, to say the least, though Patrick promised to keep pushing school choice bills session after session. In both cases, Patrick has to be aware of the steep climbs that await his bills after they likely sail through the Senate, over which he presides. The narrowest victory on issues important to him will require a mighty effort and a favorable calendar. With school finance reform on the agenda in 2017 an issue in which each member has tremendous political incentive to ensure it turns out well for their school districts several more issues likely will fall victim to the 140-day limit and House Democrats chubbing than would in other sessions. -- Cruz, Cornyn focus on Senate GOP instead of Trump, by the Chronicles Kevin Diaz. The Lone Star State's two senators - who have not always been on the friendliest terms - found common cause in a pair of $1,000-a-head fundraisers in Houston and Dallas last month. Together, they raised about $440,000, all of it for embattled Senate Republicans. None of it was for the Trump campaign. The majority of Cornyn's fundraising work has been in Texas, where he has played a role in GOP get-out-the-vote efforts, including a Facebook video reminding supporters about early voting. Cruz, too, has gone local, teaming up with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on a robo-call campaign this week in Harris County. We're counting on you to vote early, Cruz tells voters, and vote straight-Republican ticket. >> ICMYI: Perry encouraged McCaul to challenge Cruz, The Texas Tribune -- Controlling the Senate Democrats are still in the drivers seat thanks to simple math: Republicans essentially have to run the table in the most competitive races to keep the Senate. Democrats are on offense in North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin and Illinois and are only on defense in Nevada. That gives them lots of ways to take back the minimum four seats they need, though Democrats are hoping for much greater gains to give them some cushion heading into a brutal 2018 map. Heres POLITICOs guide to five dynamics to watch in Senate races during what's sure to be a wild final seven days of the campaign. CAPITOL DAYBOOK - No meetings SPEED READ Halliburton is big loser in Baker-Hughes marriage to GE, Houston Chronicle VW brand rehab a model for Wells Fargo, Houston Chronicle Pipeline protesters are increasingly divided over tactics, AP Texas secessionists believe Hillary Clinton win speeds 'Texit, Houston Chronicle Straus steps to help House GOP in tough races, Quorum Report RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE -- Race tightening, Clinton relies on firewall of support, by the APs Lisa Lerer and Johnathan Lemire: With more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, it's unclear whether Trump has the time or organizational capacity to improve his standing enough over the next week to win the White House. While Clinton's newest email controversy may help Trump pick up support in older, whiter states like Ohio and Iowa, the Republican nominee still faces a narrow pathway to winning the 270 electoral votes one that includes defending states like Arizona and Utah that Republicans have won for decades. >> Dems go pedal-to-the-metal on early voting, Politico -- Clinton camp insists it cant be thrown off course, per CNN Clinton aides cite early voting statistics as proof that while the FBI news has drawn heavy scrutiny in recent days, it has not moved the core of her support. Early voting data show that over 3.5 million people have already voted in Florida -- making up nearly one quarter of all registered voters in the state -- with Democrats outpacing 2012 vote-by-mail numbers. Similarly in Nevada, where nearly one-fourth of registered voters have already cast their ballot, Democrats are outpacing Republicans by nearly 30,000. -- Newly obtained documents show that in the early 1990s, as he scrambled to stave off financial ruin, Mr. Trump avoided reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income by using a tax avoidance maneuver so legally dubious his own lawyers advised him that the Internal Revenue Service would most likely declare it improper if he were audited. Thanks to this one maneuver, which was later outlawed by Congress, Mr. Trump potentially escaped paying tens of millions of dollars in federal personal income taxes. It is impossible to know for sure because Mr. Trump has declined to release his tax returns, or even a summary of his returns, breaking a practice followed by every Republican and Democratic presidential candidate for more than four decades. (The New York Times) The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p. In light of continued developments, primarily since 2008, there exists in these United States a Legal System which operates on a proved Two Tiered approach to justice rendered, which primarily benefits Democratic Elites and Woke Ideological Virtue Signalers, representing their co-dependent wards, to the expressed exclusion of normal hardworking American citizens: What is your suggestion in remedying this widespread injustice and, if not corrected, its existential outcome for our Constitutional Republic? Complete overhaul of the Department of Justice and their enforcers - the FBI - to reflect a far more honest justice system to keep patriots remaining calm. Disband the FBI, and request that congress investigate all unethical and non patriotic practices to partially right the wrongs of a distrusted and politically weaponized "Department of Justice." We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Archived Results for November 2016 Tonnie Hutson Ms. Tonnie V. Hutson, age 52, a resident of Belhaven, NC, died Sunday, November 27, 2016 at Vidant Inpatient Hospice, Greenville, NC after a courageous battle with cancer By: Announcements Search Terms: tonnie hutson belhaven Search Terms: obituary Canada Set to Repeal Conditional Permanent Resident Provision for Certain Sponsored Spouses/Partners CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Proposed change would eliminate the cohabitation requirement, granting full permanent resident status to successful spousal sponsorship applicants. A planned change to spousal sponsorship regulations demonstrates the government of Canadas ongoing commitment to the successful integration of newcomers. By spring 2017, it is expected that the conditional permanent residence provision which subjects certain sponsored spouses/partners to a cohabitation requirement of two years before full Canadian permanent residence may be granted will be repealed. Under the current regulations, if a couple applying for spousal sponsorship has been together for two years or less, and has no children in common, the sponsored spouse may receive conditional permanent resident status. Consequently, the couple must live together for two years following the sponsored spouse/partner obtaining conditional permanent residence, or the sponsored spouse/partner risks losing that status. This planned change has been expected for several months. In May 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) informed provincial governments of its intention to change the regulation. In its Forward Regulatory Plan released in mid-October, IRCC stated its intention to [change] those provisions with the objective of addressing concerns that have been identified, such as the vulnerability of sponsored spouses. If the change is approved, it will apply to sponsored spouses and partners who are currently in Canada with conditional permanent residence, as well as to applications currently in process and future applications. Consequently, a sponsored spouse or partner who currently has conditional permanent resident status in Canada would have full permanent resident status after the change takes force, regardless of when he or she obtained conditional permanent residence. Planned change aimed at supporting vulnerable newcomers The conditional permanent residence provision was introduced on October 25, 2012. In the three years following the introduction, 58,128 spouses/partners, along with their children, were granted conditional permanent residence in Canada, representing almost half of all sponsored spouses/partners. In a statement outlining the change, released by the government of Canada, it is explicitly acknowledged that this residence requirement can lead to sponsored spouses/partners remaining in abusive or neglectful relationships. While the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) allow for an exception to the residence requirement for sponsored spouses/partners in abusive relationships, the sponsored spouse must apply for this exception. The governments statement recognizes that many spouses may not know about this exception, or may be reluctant to seek an exception. Of the 58,128 sponsored spouses/partners who obtained conditional permanent resident status, 307 applied for an exception to the residence requirement due to abuse or neglect. Three-quarters of these applications came from women. So far, the government states, 260 of these applications have received a decision 205 of them were approved. IRCC states that data indicates that a number of sponsored spouses likely suffered abuse and neglect before they were granted an exception to the cohabitation requirement. Under the definition to be added to the IRPR, abuse may be physical, sexual, psychological, and/or financial. Addressing doubts of program integrity Conditional permanent residence was introduced as a safeguard against fraudulent spousal and common-law partner sponsorship applications. However, IRCC believes that its numerous other measures that are designed to identify fraudulent applications are sufficient. Moreover, the department states that it is not possible to determine whether the provision was successful in deterring fraudulent applications. On balance, the program integrity benefits of conditional permanent residence have not been shown to outweigh the risks to vulnerable sponsored spouses and partners subject to the two-year cohabitation requirement, IRCC states. The proposed repeal of conditional permanent residence recognizes that the majority of relationships are genuine, and the majority of applications are made in good faith. Eliminating conditional permanent residence would facilitate family reunification, remove the potential increased vulnerability faced by abused and neglected spouses and partners, and support the Governments commitment to combatting gender-based violence. IRCCs attitude receives praise It is commendable that the government of Canada is actively working to ensure the comfort and safety of new permanent residents, says Attorney David Cohen. Immigration to Canada is a process that does not end upon landing at the airport. Settlement and integration is an exciting journey for many thousands of newcomers. Unfortunately, however, this is not the case for everybody. By eliminating the conditional permanent resident provision, IRCC is taking concrete steps towards reducing power imbalances in the spousal sponsorship system that disproportionately affect those newcomers who may otherwise feel trapped in abusive or neglectful relationships. The rationale behind IRCCs action says as much as the action itself this is a department which is continuing to show its commitment to building a stronger Canadian society. Find out more about spousal/common-law sponsorship. To find out if you are eligible to sponsor your spouse/partner for Canadian permanent residence, fill out a free assessment form today. 2016 CICNews All Rights Reserved Immigration Plan 2017: Canada to Welcome Increased Number of Immigrants Through Economic and Family Sponsorship Programs CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A The government of Canada has released its widely anticipated immigration plan for 2017, and the news looks good for individuals looking to immigrate to Canada through one of the economic or family sponsorship programs. Key highlights: Target number of newcomers through Federal Skilled Worker Class, Federal Skilled Trades Class, and Canadian Experience Class increases by 23 percent. Government aims for 51,000 new immigrants to come through the Provincial Nominee Programs. Quebec aims to welcome more than 29,000 through economic programs, including the Quebec Skilled Worker Program. Economic immigration to make up a larger share of overall immigration than in 2016. More spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents to arrive through Family Class sponsorship programs. Although the plan targets an increase in economic immigrants and sponsored persons, the target figures for the Refugees and Protected Persons immigration categories are down compared to the 2016 plan. However, the overall target for these programs, set at 40,000, remains far higher than at any time during the previous Conservative governments tenure. Overall, Canada may welcome as many as 320,000 new immigrants over the calendar year of 2017. The increased scope presented by the government the plan for 2016 allowed for up to 305,000 newcomers is likely reflective of a desire to increase immigration over the coming years in order to respond to labour shortages and demographic challenges. Earlier this year, Immigration Minister John McCallum said that theres a significant feeling that Canada does need more immigrants, partly because we have an aging population, and so we need more young blood to keep our economies going. Before announcing the plan on October 31, 2016, Minister John McCallum met with stakeholders across the country. In a statement, he said that the 2017 levels plan will put Canada in a strong position for the future and support our overall economic and social development as a country. Immigration Category 2017 Target 2016 Target Percentage Difference, 2016 to 2017 Economic Total 172,500 160,600 +7.41% Family Total 84,000 80,000 +5% Refugee and Humanitarian 43,500 59,400 -26.77% Target range 280k320k 280k305k +4.92% (higher range) Target 300,000 300,000 No change To view a full breakdown of the various immigration programs under each of these categories and the target immigration numbers for 2017, click here. Express Entry: Significant increase in ITAs to be issued in 2017 Of all the changes that have been made for the 2017 plan, arguably the most significant is the increased role that Canadas Express Entry immigration selection system is expected to play next year. Express Entry, which was first launched in January, 2015, is a system used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to select candidates for immigration to Canada through the following economic immigration programs: Together, up to 75,300 new immigrants will land in Canada through one of these programs in 2017. This includes applicants who applied prior to the launch of Express Entry and whose applications remain in the inventory of applications that have not yet been processed to completion. Last year, the government set an upper target range of 59,000 for these programs. Moreover, the inventory of applications submitted before 2015 was larger at that time. Consequently, the number of people to be invited to apply for Canadian permanent residence through Express Entry in 2017 is expected to go up considerably. The past few weeks have seen a distinct upswing in Express Entry activity, and this may be a sign of things to come in 2017. The most recent draw, which took place on October 19, was the largest ever, and the number of Invitations to Apply (ITAs) issued per draw has increased for each of the past four draws. Provincial Nominee Programs Around 51,000 (potentially up to 54,000) new permanent residents will come through the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), representing an increase from 47,800 in 2016. Most provinces and territories have base PNP streams, as well as enhanced categories aligned with the Express Entry system. The PNPs allow provinces and territories to nominate individuals who wish to immigrate to Canada and who are interested in settling in a particular province or territory. Over the past couple of years, these programs have become more varied in scope and increasingly dynamic in their approach to bringing newcomers to the provinces. British Columbia, for example, has successfully introduced an exciting new system (the Skills Immigration Registration System) for attracting and ranking candidates. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan has been active both within and outside the Express Entry system, Manitoba continues to conduct draws from its pool of skilled worker candidates, and Alberta continues to process applications across a range of categories. Further east in Ontario, 2016 was such a busy year that the province had to place a temporary pause on some popular PNP streams. That being said, next year may well see even more PNP activity from Canadas most populated province. The Maritime provinces along the east coast also remain active with their PNPs, attracting individuals from different backgrounds and with various occupations. In addition to these popular categories, the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program a new initiative between the federal government and eastern provinces will be launched in earnest in 2017, bringing up to 2,000 more newcomers to Eastern Canada through this program alone. There are a couple of things that are worth noting about the PNPs as we enter 2017. First, individuals who may not be eligible to enter the Express Entry pool (for example, because of limited language proficiency) may be eligible to immigrate to Canada through a PNP. Second, and contrary to much popular opinion, some PNP categories do not require individuals to have a previous connection to the province, and some PNP categories do not require individuals to have a job offer. The PNPs may also prove to be the pathway to permanent residence for international graduates who have completed their studies in Canada, as well as entrepreneur immigrants looking to settle in Canada. Quebec remains a force With a new Expression of Interest-style immigration system expected to be launched at some point in the future, 2017 could be an interesting year for Quebecs economic immigration programs. This unique province, which has a separate immigration agreement with the government of Canada, welcomes skilled workers, investors and entrepreneurs, as well as individuals with experience of working or studying in the province. Last week, Quebecs Immigration Minister Kathleen Weil doubled down on a plan to maintain annual immigration levels above 50,000 for the coming year, despite political opposition. With a target of up to 31,200 to come through Quebecs economic programs, Quebec will remain a force in the overall Canadian immigration landscape. Economic immigration overall Economic immigration supports Canadas long-term economic priorities, with the goal of improving livelihoods for Canadians and newcomers alike, while also improving Canadas global competitiveness. The chart below shows the full range of Canadas economic immigration categories, and their percentage share within the overall target for economic immigration to Canada in 2017. Economic Immigration Program 2017 Levels Plan Target Skilled (FSW, FST, CEC) 71,700 Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program 2,000 Federal Business 500 Provincial Nominee Programs 51,000 Quebec Skilled Workers and Business 29,300 Caregivers 18,000 Overall 172,500 Reuniting more families in Canada Before the Liberal Party won last years federal election, leading party members, including the current Immigration Minister John McCallum, made it clear that Canadas family sponsorship programs needed to be more of a priority in a number of ways. This includes increasing the number of sponsored immigrants, reducing processing times, and removing the conditional permanent residence provision on certain sponsored spouses and common-law partners. Towards this end, the government has made a number of positive changes. The 2017 Immigration Plan reveals a government target of 84,000 sponsored immigrants through family sponsorship programs, including 64,000 spouses, partners, and children, as well as 20,000 parents and grandparents. Moreover, the government plans on repealing the conditional permanent residence regulatory provisions for certain sponsored spouses and common-law partners. If approved, the change is expected to come into force in spring 2017. Finally, the government has also made strong headway on reducing family sponsorship processing times: the latest figures show an overall reduction in processing times of 15 percent over the past year. Continuing growth, beneficial for all Over the past few months there has been much talk, both across Canada and around the world, about immigration. And of all the countries in the world, Canada continues to stands out as a beacon of hope, notes Attorney David Cohen. Compare Canada to the rhetoric coming out of Australia, the United States, and much of Europe so far this year. It is markedly different, to say the least. What the government of Canadas 2017 Immigration Plan shows is a commitment to growth, economic and social. It is as much about bringing the worlds best and brightest as it is about ensuring that their family members, as well as the family members of Canadians, can join them here quickly. Finally, it is crucial that Canada maintains its welcoming attitude towards those who need protection the most, namely refugees, and this plan retains a high share of refugees and protected persons within the mix. To find out if you are eligible for immigration to Canada through one of the many programs currently available, please fill out a free online assessment today. To find out if you or your spouse, partner or dependent(s) is eligible for sponsorship under the Family Class, please fill out a free online family class assessment. To find out if you or your family members are eligible for the Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP), please fill out a free parental sponsorship assessment today. 2016 CICNews All Rights Reserved Parent and Grandparent Program for Immigration to Canada to Reopen in January with new Income Requirements CIC News Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Program intake expected to fill within days, benefiting applicants who prepare in advance Government aims to reduce processing times significantly Canadas Parent and Grandparent Program (PGP) is scheduled to reopen on January 3, 2017, when up to 10,000 new applications will be received. This extraordinarily popular immigration program allows Canadian citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their foreign parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada as Canadian permanent residents. The government of Canada has stated that the Family Class category of immigration, of which the PGP is a part, will become a more prominent category over the coming years. As such, the PGP intake cap for 2017 is double what was initially announced for the 2016 intake, and double the total number of applications that were accepted for both the 2015 and 2014 intakes. Demand expected to outweigh supply In spite of this new commitment to accept more parents and grandparents, it is nonetheless expected that the number sponsors who wish to sponsor their parents and/or grandparents will be greater than the number of spaces available. Consequently, the intake cap may be reached rapidly, perhaps within days, as it was in January, 2016. That January, 2016 PGP intake demonstrates the ongoing popularity of the program. That particular intake opened on January 4, 2016, before the cap of 5,000 new applications was reached by January 7. More than 14,000 applications were submitted between January 4 and January 7, of which the department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) retained the first 10,000 complete applications for processing. Just a few weeks later, IRCC announced that the 2017 intake would receive up to 10,000 new applications. It should be noted that the PGP operates on a first-come, first-served basis. As a result, applicants who have prepared and perfected their application in advance of the opening date and have their application submitted as quickly as possible are in the best position to have their parents and/or grandparents accepted as new permanent residents of Canada. New income requirements Canadian citizens and permanent residents looking to sponsor a parent or grandparent are required to prove certain minimum income thresholds in order to be able to become an eligible sponsor. These minimum income requirements have been revised, and potential sponsors are encouraged to review the latest minimum income requirements. PGP eligibility criteria Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents applying under this program will receive Canadian permanent resident status, and may eventually apply for Canadian citizenship after fulfilling residency obligations. The sponsor in Canada must meet the following requirements: Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; Be 18 years of age or older; Exceed the minimum necessary income level for this program by submitting notices of assessment issued by the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) in support of their sponsorship. Sponsors must also demonstrate they have met the minimum necessary income level for three consecutive years. If married or in a common-law relationship, the income of both persons can be included; The sponsor and the sponsored relative must sign a sponsorship agreement that commits the sponsor to provide financial support for the sponsored person if necessary. This agreement also states that the person becoming a permanent resident will make every effort to support themselves. Dependent children under age 19 do not have to sign this agreement. Quebec residents must sign an undertaking with the province of Quebeca contract binding the sponsorship; and The sponsor must provide financial support for the relative and any other eligible relatives accompanying them for a period of three to ten years, depending on their age and relationship to the sponsor. This time period begins on the date they become a permanent resident. Sponsors in Quebec The government of Quebec is responsible for determining whether or not sponsors living in the province have the financial ability to sponsor family members and also the length of their undertaking. If you are a potential sponsor residing in Quebec, please contact a legal expert about the exact requirements and processes required of sponsors residing in Quebec. Super Visa Apart from the PGP, another option for Canadian citizens and permanent residents hoping to bring their parents and/or grandparents to Canada is the Super Visa. This visa is not a program for permanent residence, but allows parents and grandparents to come to Canada as long-term visitors. Successful applicants receive multiple-entry visitor visas that are valid for up to 10 years, where visa holders may stay in Canada for up to two years on initial entry to Canada. To find out if you or your family members are eligible for the Parent and Grandparent Program based on the eligibility criteria for the most recent application cycle, please fill out a free online assessment today. 2016 CICnews All Rights Reserved Saturday was as beautiful a morning as the one before it. I went out expecting to find the usual circus of the squirrels in the yard-but no, the yard was as still as it could be. It made me smile to think that maybe the squirrels needed a rest-and it was well-deserved. The birds sang anyway and the sun brightened the yard in lovely increments.After a quick breakfast, Will and Jenny went to fetch a load of things from their previous house, and Lyla and I took a stroll. I have been discovering new streets in the Riverside Village. On this day, I found a street full of very old small cottages. They were painted in lively colors and some were adorned with flowered shutters. The exterior trims were ornate and quite appealing. Flowers grew in every yard and there were wind chimes that tinkled in the slight breeze. The yards were small, but were made the most of with all sorts of things growing everywhere. I suspected the residents were lovely folks and very artistic by nature. I loved them for saving the cutest little pieces of history I have seen in a long while.The afternoon was as wonderful as the morning though it still warranted a light jacket. Lyla did nap as she ought to. Will worked in the yard and Jenny put things away. Lyla and I managed an early evening walk. We walked past the time of the low slanted sun rays. I started missing my boys-all of them, all at once. This happens to me frequently when I have a nice visit with any one of them. To me, they are a unit and it feels incomplete when we aren't all together, no matter how nicely a visit is going. It is an impossible conflict, other than a few times a year. I understand fully the logistics of the situation, but I am a mother and a mothers' heart feels as it is inclined to do so without any regard to sensibility at times. I was having such a good time and wished the boys were with me, this autumn night.When the sun had clearly set and with darkness at our heels, Lyla and I began the walk home. I was in a bit of a hurry and trying to keep my bearings straight. My landmarks are things like the huge magnolia , the house with the white dog or the house with the large lantana bush. Why I do not pay attention to signs is beyond me. It was almost dark and I had decided we were on the right trek, when a lady walking a cute little dog stopped for me to admire him-and I did. She asked if I had seen the moon on the river tonight and was horribly shocked when I said no. She insisted I stop immediately and head in that direction. She convinced me. It felt sinful not to take advantage of what she had described as the "the most beautiful moon that ever was". So, taking a sharp right, we headed for the river. I smelled supper cooking in the homes and felt like I accurately named their fare several times. Lights in the windows were shining brightly and muffled voices could be heard as windows were being shut. It made me happy to see families safely gathered.When the moon on the river came in to sight, I was not the least bit sorry I had met the lady with the little dog. Lyla and I were the only ones at the rivers' edge and we watched the moon shining in silence. I thought of Alfred Noyes and his beautiful description of moonlight-"the road was a ribbon of moonlight". I also thought that this moon was shining on my sons and it comforted me to think of it like that.On the way home, I declared this Saturday to be one to remember and so I tucked the memory deep in my heart-where such things are kept. Caritas Cehia in cautarea unui expert/unei experte sau unei echipe de experti in prestarea serviciilor de consiliere psihologica (pe segmentul burnout) pentru echipa mobila de prestare a serviciilor psiho-sociale pentru refugiatii ucraineni You calling me a liar? Its the archetypical male testosterone-fueled challenge, and yes, the media is calling Donald Trump a liar. Isnt that what journalism is all about, telling the truth? New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet has said it would be almost be illiterate to have not called the birther thing a lie, referring to Trumps trafficking in Obama birth-certificate conspiracy theories long after they were debunked. The Times, famously, called Trump a liar on its Sept. 17 front page, freeing up other media outlets to do the same. A precedent has been set. Which is great. But its also complicated. What about Vladimir Putin? What about Bashar al-Assad? What about Iranian mullahs and public figures on both sides of the Israel-Palestinian dispute? What about dissembling CEOs? What about Holocaust-deniers and climate-change contrarians and the players in a host of other domestic and global conflicting-narrative conflicts? Are their lies going to be debunked, with the L word utilized just as it was for Trump? I felt that there was a double standard going on, says Simon Plosker, managing editor of Honestreporting.com, a pro-Israel media watchdog group, when he saw the Times treatment of Trump. Plosker contends that lies frequently flow from Palestinian figures, including officials of Hamas in Gaza and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Perhaps not surprisingly, Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, which promotes the Arab viewpoint on domestic and overseas issues, feels the same way. What bothers Berry, however, are public statements made by Israeli officials that she believes are false. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The challenge for the media is in defining what makes a lie. An expletive that used to be confined to op-eds, blogs and partisan screedsremember Al Frankens satirical 2003 tome Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them?is now being deployed in the world of straight-down-the-middle, mainstream journalism. By using a word that comes from the vocabulary of advocacy in its own voice, the Times and other news organizations have taken the truth-telling standards of the news business to a new level. Until the rise of Trump, only on rare occasionscriminal convictions and instances of plagiarism and falsifying resumeswere words like lie ever used by the media in describing events in the news. In a Sept. 20 column, Times Public Editor Liz Spayd quoted politics editor Carolyn Ryan describing the circumstances in which the newspaper will use the L word. She distinguished lies from spin, exaggerations and squabbling between candidates that are commonplace in politics, and said it is not a word we will use lightly. It wont be used for matters of opinion, but only when the facts are demonstrably clear. There must be intentionality, she said. Lies must be deliberate. The word wont be used to police more frivolous disputes among political candidates or political factions. Under Ryans criteria, Putin and a host of lower-echelon officials would seem to be solid candidates for being called liars. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power has repeatedly denounced Russia for telling outright lies, most recently at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Russian bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo. She used the same outright lies phraseology in a speech while visiting the Ukraine in 2015, denouncing the Russians for their incursions into that country, and previously in 2014, telling the Security Council that they have manipulated, obfuscated, and outright lied. Steven Pifer, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former ambassador to Ukraine, began a March 2015 op-ed for CNN.com by saying Vladimir Putin lies. Blatantly. Publicly. And, apparently, without chagrin. He cited an interview in which the Russian leader denied that troops blocking Ukrainian troops in the Crimea were Russian. Putin clung tenaciously to that fib, but weeks later admitted that he had given the order to take the Crimea in February 2014. Pifer, however, is not insisting on Putin getting the Trump treatment, though he had no objection at all to it being used against Trump. The GOP candidate is an exceptional case, and he sees Putin in that same category. But when he saw the word lie in the headline, it jumped out at me, he says. It suggested to me that a threshold had been crossed. . . . Its a term thatI dont want to say its less serious, but my guess is if readers see it used more commonly, does that cause them to devalue the seriousness of the particular paper theyre reading? He thinks the media already does a good job of communicating Russian dishonesty without explicitly calling Putin and the Russians liars. The lie debate is hardly limited to national or geopolitics. A host of long-running battles on nonpolitical health issuescircumcision, the merits of alternative medicine, and a host of othersare the subject of lie accusations. One combatant in the anti- and pro-vaxxer wars, Karen Ernst, was also startled when she saw the Times and other publications begin to label Trump as a liar. She is executive director of Voices for Vaccines, a pro-inoculation group, which has been at odds with pressure groups seeking to tie vaccines with childhood diseases. Ernsts problem with media coverage of the vaccination controversy is the tendency to engage in false equivalency, putting established scientific fact on a par with unproven faux-science. A CDC [Centers for Disease Control] doctor says that vaccines are safe, but this mom in the suburbs is saying that theyre not safe, says Ernst. Even though she believes the anti-vaxxers traffic in lies, I dont know if I would be totally comfortable calling people liars, Ernst says. For one thing, she believes that anti-vaccination falsehoods are mainly promulgated by people who are well-meaning and do not know that they arent true. Junk science and conspiracy theories are a running theme in American history. Trumps contention that the elections are rigged would sound familiar to any journalist who has followed the rants of conspiracy theorists trafficking in what all kinds of rubbish. Remember the naked shorting jackasses? They were just wrong, notes Roddy Boyd, who heads the Southern Investigative Reporting Foundation, a nonprofit reporting organization that exposes financial wrongdoing. Boyd was referring to conspiracy theorists who blamed pretty much every recent financial calamity, including Bernie Madoff, on a form of trading in which stock is sold but not borrowed. Naked shorting was targeted in 2008 testimony by the CEOs of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, and was blamed by others for the entire financial crisis, a claim not substantiatedor even mentionedby the report of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. Then as now, the truthfulness of big business is regularly called into question, and may also turn out to be grist for use of the L word. One good example is Theranos, a newly minted biotechnology company that promised a whole new approach to blood testing. The CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, was the subject of adulatory press coverage, including a Fortune cover story. But it all came crashing down in October 2015, when a Wall Street Journal investigation found that Theranos was using other companies technology and that the companys claims did not pan out. Should financial journalists take a tougher line on CEOs who lie? Boyd doesnt think so. Part of his reason is strictly practical. Corporations, he notes, are only too willing to sue news organizations for libel to protect their reputations, and sometimes do so even when they are in financial straits. Boyd cant conceive of calling anyone a liar in a SIRF article without irrefutable proof, even in the unlikely event the attorney who vets his articles would approve. And even if lie or liar surmounted that barrier, he doesnt think its necessary. Certain words dont say much in public discourse, notes Boyd. What might pass muster in a barroom conversation, or in a blog or on Twitter, just doesnt belong in a news article, he says. Matti Friedman, a former Associated Press correspondent in Israel and author who wrote an article for The Atlantic critical of press coverage of the region, believes that the medias willingness to expose untruths is often a function of the reporters preexisting political agenda. Its easier for the press corps to call a lie a lie when its the story they want to tell, says Friedman. He believes it would be more difficult for many in the press to call an environmental or human rights organization a liar than it is to use the same term for a Republican presidential candidate. The question is not really why theyre calling Donald Trump a liar when he clearly is, but why its so rare, says Friedman. We as reporters are confronted by lies all the time coming from all kinds of people, and certainly in this place its just a blizzard of misinformation from all sidesfrom the Israelis, from the Palestinians, and from pretty much everyone else in the region. He believes that reporters find it much more difficult to call out untruths by the sides to which they are sympathetic. One example he cites is Gaza, in which he believes the media is manipulated by Hamas, which controls the territory. He notes that the group has denied firing rockets from civilian areas. All reporters know that theyre firing rockets from civilian neighborhoods but you dont see Hamas called liars. He believes that term will be used against targets that the press is predisposed to be suspicious of. The problem with calling out lies by a Hamas official is that one can be expelled from Gaza, Friedman notes. The outcome can be even more daunting for news coverage displeasing the Iraniansas Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian learned. He was imprisoned and tortured for nearly eighteen months. So Friedman is not impressed by the self-congratulations being exchanged in the US media for calling out Trumps lies. There are, he notes, far more difficult targets, and going after an unpopular presidential candidate hardly does ones career any harm. The press is very brave when there is no risk, says Friedman. David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize winning former Times reporter and the author of a recent Trump book, believes that there needs to be a serious discussion within journalism about what to do about political and business leaders who are lying. He views the problem as being engrained within the professiona general tendency to accept the truth of what people in authority say. Another problem, he says, is simple absence of understanding of the subject matter. Most journalists dont have the confidence or deep knowledge to write authoritatively, he says. So while he was thrilled and flabbergasted to see the Times call Trump a liar in a front-page headline, he noted that much of what is now appearing on Trump had been widely known but not previously reported. He expressed frustration at how false narratives have a way of sticking in the public consciousness, and can be repeated again and again. One notorious case is the 1945 Allied firebombing of Dresden. In his 2003 book Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945, British historian Frederick Taylor described how casualty figures were grossly inflated by Nazi propagandists, who lied about the citys numerous war industries, and later by the East German regime. Misinformation about Dresden continued to be spread long after the war, and was disseminated by Kurt Vonnegut in his 1969 novel Slaughterhouse-Five and historian David Irving, whose Holocaust denial is the subject of the newly released film Denial. Pifer sees value in use of the word lie, but he believes it needs to be used cautiously and with an eye toward the consequences. Its the kind of thing that will have value in sending a message to the reader as long as its used sparingly, he says. If we get to a place a year from now in which every other headline says this and that person said a lie, then the readership begins to doubt all the media. Which is precisely what Trump wants, isnt it? Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner is reportedly exploring a post-election Trump TV network which would cash in on his attacks on the dishonest and distorted media. If so, calling Trump a liar, by serving the Trump narrative, promotes his commercial interests. True, the media has wound up in this predicament because of Trumps serial falsehoods. Its a quandary. Its ironic. But on the Internet, its known as getting trolled. Update: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that The Huffington Post was among the publications to follow The New York Times in labeling Trump as a liar. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Gary Weiss is a New York-based investigative journalist and author, reachable via Twitter @gary_weiss. Colorado Public Radio in early October aired a debate between ex-Washington Post reporter T.R. Reid and PR consultant Cody Belzley over a ballot initiative that would bring single-payer health insurance to the state. Before they went on the air, host Ryan Warner asked Reid, Whats it like switching from journalist to advocate? Its a question Reid gets a lot. The 30-year veteran of the Post and author of 11 books, including one about taxes due to be published in April, is now the unpaid chairman of the Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care, and the public face and advocate for Proposition 69 on the Nov. 8 ballot. The former journalist sees his move from reporter to advocate as fairly seamlessand logical. Whats the difference, he asks, between a health reporter wanting everyone to get medical care, an education reporter believing every kid should have a good education, or a political reporter believing everyone has the right to vote? Does that make them advocates? Reporters think its normal that 30 million people in the US have no health insurance. Its wrong, he told me. Anyone who thinks Americas system is normal or right is incorrect. Reids health-care leap can be traced back to a sore shoulder. The ailment became a conceit to travel the world to see how he would be treated under different systems. The result was his 2009 book, The Healing of America, A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care. In the book, he dispels the myths of socialized medicine and discovers that, in the rest of the world, the commitment to provide healthcare to everyone as a moral obligation. The books publication coincided with the debate over Obamacare, it became a bestseller, and Reid soon was in demand as a speaker. Today, Reidthe son of a Ford Motor Co. executive and a Princeton graduatefinds himself as the chief advocate for a Colorado plan that has drawn sharp opposition for being seen as anti-business. Colorados measure would make it the first state to drop Obamacare and the private insurance model on which its based and replace it with a tax-supported alternative that would cover everyone and bring coverage to the 360,000 Coloradans who remain uninsured. Right now, Reid says, many policies currently sold on Colorados Obamacare exchange carry deductibles of $4,000 and some as high as $9,000. Studies show that such high out-of-pocket costs often act as deterrents, even to necessary care. Owen Perkins, communications director for the Colorado campaign, calls Reid the superstar, the celebrity that has attracted activists and the media like nobody else has He gets people to act, speak, and donate, and he inspires me to keep at it. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project Perkins says Reid has helped sharpen the groups image and zero in on target audiences, despite a meager budget for the campaign of about $800,000, most of which has come in the form of 4,000 donations averaging $160. That compares to the $4.5 million budget for the opposition, Coloradans for Coloradans. Some of the countrys biggest insurers, Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, and Kaiser Permanente, which have the most to lose if the measure succeeds, have given $2 million. Hospitals, PhRMA, and Cigna also contributed, according to CleanSlateNow.org, which tracks campaign contributions in the state. Reid said he is undeterred by the big money flowing into Colorado. He speaks to any group, no matter the size or the location, and once drove through a blizzard to Cortez in the southwest part of the state to appear before the League of Women Voters. He accepts no speaking fees if they are offered. At a recent debate in Grand Junction sponsored by Club 20, an association of businesses, communities, and counties in western Colorado, Reid told the audience that if one of his neighbors was in pain or too sick to go to work or school, hed like to help that person get healthcare. One woman in the audience stood up and shouted, Not my responsibility. Half of the 700 people in attendance cheered. Reid told the woman, I dont agree with you. It is my responsibility. I am my brothers keeper. The other half cheered. Thats the split in the state, he says. Half dont want to pay for other peoples healthcare. I say they are already paying for it through Medicaid and the insurance system. Its not clear whether Reids group will prevail on Election Day. On a good day, state Senator Irene Aguilar thinks his side can win by 50.5 percent. On a bad day we may break 40 percent. Constant advertising reminding voters of the $25 billion tax increase is hard to fight, especially with little money. And even more progressive residents who believe people need health insurance may not support Prop 69. Ellen Daehnick, who owns a small business in Denver and is a former board member of the board of Colorados Obamacare exchange, says she is skeptical of the numbers and wont support the measure. But even if the campaign loses, it has softened the ground for another assault. Reid says for the next roundshould they losehed change the plan design. Seniors need a bigger exemption from the taxes that will pay for the new system; a small deductible makes sense; and the governing board would be restructured. But above all, the campaign wont start until theres $150,000 in the bank. We started with no money. Its amazing what weve accomplished. I wanted Colorado to be first. But if Michigan, Oregon, Minnesota, or Washington, where there are serious ongoing discussions of ballot initiatives for single-payer plans, manages to pass something first, Reid is okay with that. Obamacare is not the answer, he tells me. The answer will come from the states. In 2017, the Affordable Care Act allows states to begin experimenting with other insurance arrangements. Says Reid, I will happily help. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Trudy Lieberman is a longtime contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review. She is the lead writer for CJR's Covering the Health Care Fight. She also blogs for Health News Review and the Center for Health Journalism. Follow her on Twitter @Trudy_Lieberman. Owners of more than 300,000 Hondas have yet to get their airbags repaired, despite warnings from the automaker and regulators that the inflators have an extremely high chance of rupturing and causing injury or even death. Last week authorities said one of those airbags, equipped with an inflator made by Takata Corp., ruptured and killed a California woman, adding urgency to the search for the noncompliant vehicles. About 69 million Takata inflators have been recalled due to possible rupture. In June, government regulators said testing showed that inflators in 313,000 older Hondas and Acuras had as high as a 50 percent chance of rupturing in a crash. The regulators told owners of the cars to stop driving them and get them repaired. But four months later, only 13,000 of the cars have been repaired. Takata uses ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate airbags. But the chemical can deteriorate when exposed to heat and humidity and blow apart a metal canister, spewing shrapnel. The inflators have killed as many as 16 people worldwide and injured more than 100. The death of the California woman, Delia Robles, was the 11th tied to Takata inflators in the U.S. Honda says it has mailed letters, placed Facebook ads, made telephone calls, and in some instances has visited owners. But the results point out that major holes remain in the U.S. safety recall system because owners can be hard to find, particularly when it comes to used cars that have changed hands multiple times. And some owners refuse to get repairs done no matter how many times they are notified. Safety advocates have called for laws banning the sale of any vehicle until recall repairs are made, or a national requirement that recalls be done before license plates can be renewed. But so far, there are few such requirements. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, says Honda should do more. No responsible automaker should be so slow in repairing defective vehicles where theres up to a 50 percent chance a driver could be killed or seriously injured if an air bag deploys, he said in a statement last week. But Honda says its doing all it can. Its not for lack of unprecedented effort to try to reach these owners, company spokesman Chris Martin said. Honda will pick up cars and drop off a loaner, says Martin, who adds that Honda has parts ready to repair all the dangerous cars. Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader.com, says its hard for automakers to find owners of low-cost cars that are 10 or 15 years old, because many owners are young and move frequently or are immigrants who may have language barriers. Many cars have had four or more owners, making them harder to find. But because these cars are so dangerous, Brauer says its time to either go to everyones home or take all 300,000 off the road. NHTSA doesnt have legal authority to order those steps, spokesman Bryan Thomas said. The agency knows that traditional ways of contacting owners havent been successful, and its working with Honda on new methods, he said without offering specifics. NHTSA is seeking a rule requiring automakers to notify owners by e-mail and text message, measure that some automakers already take voluntarily. Thomas said Honda has told the agency that many of the 300,000 cars have been scrapped, but the agency wants proof. Robles, 50, of Corona, California, was killed Sept. 30 when her 2001 Honda Civic was hit head-on by a left-turning pickup truck as she was on her way to get a flu shot. Hondas Martin says she bought the car in mid-2015, likely from a small used-car dealer who purchased it two weeks earlier at an auction, which only dealers normally attend. While most automakers require new-car dealers to fix used cars subject to a recall, independent dealers dont have to. Honda mailed Robles multiple notices using an address from California registration data, Martin says. The car was first recalled in 2008, and since then, Honda has sent the four registered owners 20 letters, he says. Theres no way for Honda to verify if Robles received the letters. Her son, Jose Contreras, said Friday that she never mentioned them to him. Martin says its not practical for Honda to visit all the owners with super-dangerous inflators. But he and other Honda employees have gone to some homes. Last summer in Torrance, California, Martin spotted a 2002 Acura TL with a dangerous airbag parked on a city street. He left business cards and even a personal letter on the windshield, but heard nothing. So he went to the owners nearby home. She didnt speak English well and had her son speak to Martin. They set up an appointment for later this week to get the inflator replaced. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. When then-Congressman Richard Burr first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, he drew a tough Democratic opponent: former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles.Bowles, a respected businessman and son of prominent North Carolina Democratic politician Hargrove "Skipper" Bowles, had a stellar resume and a reputation for working across party lines. Although hardly a flashy candidate, Bowles had the potential for crossover appeal and significant name recognition from his unsuccessful but respectable Senate run two years earlier against Elizabeth Dole. Indeed, through the summer of 2004 and into late September, Bowles generally led Burr in the polls, sometimes by significant margins.But then came the only broadcast debate between the two candidates, on September 27. Burr clearly got the better of Bowles , who was uncomfortable in front of the camera and sounded more like a competent functionary than a strong leader. In the midst of the resulting wave of pro-Burr press coverage, the Burr campaign also unleashed an advertising blitz that emphasized the ties between Bowles and Bill Clinton, whose scandal-filled second term was still fresh in voters' minds.In the last few weeks of the 2004 campaign, the polls closed, and then began to tilt Richard Burr's way. An average of the final eight publicly released surveys in the race put Burr two points ahead of Bowles. The Republican ended up winning by nearly five points.Now, as we approach the conclusion of the 2016 Senate race between Burr and his Democratic challenger, Deborah Ross, the polls look strikingly similar. As of October 30, Burr has an average edge of two points, 46 percent to 44 percent, in the recent polls. He also has some momentum, having gained two points since September while Ross is up only one.Of course, history has not quite repeated itself here. In 2004 Burr was on the ticket with George W. Bush, who would go on to win North Carolina easily. This year, he is on the ticket with Donald Trump, who may not win North Carolina at all. The issues and dynamics of the campaign are also different. But I do think that Burr's ability to close well is a common denominator between the two contests.Ross, a former state legislator from Raleigh, isn't nearly as high-profile as Bowles. But she is smart, diligent, and has raised a lot of money. She has presented a real threat to Burr. In response, the Burr campaign and other groups have seized on her record as head of the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, where she defended a number of unpopular causes, as well as her record in the General Assembly.For example, state Rep. Ross was a strong champion of a tax-credit program intended to encourage the preservation of historic buildings. It turns out that she and her husband qualified for $267,000 in tax credits from the program for properties they owned. Pressed to released her tax returns to show how much she claimed, and whether the credits substantially reduced or wiped out her state tax liability, Ross refused. She also voted repeatedly to raise North Carolina's sales tax, perhaps a reliable indicator of how she'd vote on tax and budget issues in Washington.Just as in 2004, Burr outperformed his opponent in the only televised debate of the 2016 cycle, which was broadcast on October 13. Ross faltered at the start and never fully recovered. Burr restated clearly and convincingly his campaign themes - such as his advocacy of tax and regulatory reform to boost job creation, his role as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee in combatting the terrorist threat, and his opposition to the Affordable Care Act and sponsorship of the major Republican alternative (which relies more on tax credits and consumer choice than Obamacare-like regulations).The Senate race remains competitive. But if Richard Burr ends up on top - in a campaign that he has announced to be the last one of his political career - he will have demonstrated once more his ability to close well. #noshaveakron.png No-Shave November is a month-long campaign during which participants forgo shaving in order to raise awareness of cancers that affect men. AKRON, Ohio - Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan is inviting city employees and residents to participate in "No-Shave November" to increase awareness of cancers affecting men. As part of the month-long initiative, city employees, including police officers, are encouraged to grow neatly trimmed beards. "We have lost too many good people in this community too soon from cancer," said Horrigan in a release. "It is vitally important for all of us to recognize the signs and symptoms of cancer, to get regular screenings, and to encourage our friends and family to do the same." The goal of No-Shave November is to "grow" awareness of male cancers by growing hair, which many cancer patients lose during chemo treatments. Additionally, participants are encouraged to consider donating the money they typically spend on shaving and grooming to cancer research. Akron Police members participating in the campaign will be wearing buttons to alert the public of this temporary and meaningful exception to the normal requirement of a clean-shaven appearance, and to help spread the word about the importance of cancer prevention and research. The city of Akron urges residents to visit the American Cancer Society website at www.cancer.org to learn about the symptoms of cancer, ways to stay healthy and how to join the fight. Residents can share before and after pictures on social media to help spread awareness using the hashtag #NoShaveAkron. CLEVELAND, Ohio - While Ohio's income tax rates have gone down over the last few years, local income taxes are up in dozens of villages and cities across the state - with more increases likely after next week's election. Voters in 27 municipalities are being asked to approve local income tax increases. Why the need? Officials in a majority of the cities surveyed by cleveland.com blame cuts imposed by the Republican-led state legislature and Gov. John Kasich, as a major or sole reason for the need to increase taxes locally. Ohio's estate tax was eliminated The The Kasich administration has made lowering income tax rates at the state level a priority - part of an effort to attract business and help small business owners. The administration also has encouraged local governments to become more efficient, and insisted that the Local Government Fund is a small portion of most cities' budgets. Yet increasingly at the local level, voters have approved tax increases, wiping out at least some of the would-be savings from the state tax reductions. Voters saying yes more often A cleveland.com analysis of election results from the secretary of state's office found 20 percent of the proposals for local income tax increases were approved in 2012. The success rate has gone up each year since - to 33 percent in 2013, 47 percent in 2014, 52 percent in 2015 and 64 percent so far this year. From 2012 through the first half of this year, voters have approved 69 income tax increases in cities and villages across Ohio. Voters have become increasingly more likely in recent years to approve income tax increases for Ohio villages and cities. On the Nov. 8 ballot, 27 cities and villages are asking for increases. "A lot of our communities have been effective in communicating to their residents what the challenges are," said Kent M. Scarrett, executive director of the Ohio Municipal League, which represents the interests of villages and cities. Scarrett said many local governments demonstrated to residents that spending cuts were made where possible, but "in lieu of the state changing the policy in terms of revenue sharing, something has to be done locally." Another view Local decisions on tax issues are a good thing, said Greg Lawson, a senior policy analyst for the Buckeye Institute, a conservative-leaning non-profit organization in Columbus. "We want the local control. That's why we have advocated for even more reductions to the [state's] Local Government Fund. ... That would allow local taxpayers to hold local officials more accountable," Lawson said. "If it [a tax increase] is justifiable and the taxpayer agrees, then that makes sense." But, Lawson said, an additional question that should be asked is whether the campaign for a tax is "really an honest campaign." Survey says Cleveland.com interviewed, or surveyed by email, officials at the cities and villages with income tax increases on the Nov. 8 ballot. Each was asked to what degree the elimination of the estate tax and cuts to the Local Government Fund had on the need for a local income tax increase. They said: The sole reason (3): A major reason (12): A small reason (6): No impact (1): Did not respond (5): Here are what officials said in three cities: small, large and suburban. East Liverpool, population 10,846 Some city officials have voiced concern that less sharing of money across the state will make it more difficult for poorer cities to provide basic services without even higher taxes. One of those places is East Liverpool. "The governor's lovely rainy day fund took [money] away from us every year. Now it's storming here," said Brian Allen, safety service director for East Liverpool, which is seeking an increase in the city's income tax from 1.5 percent to 2 percent. "We have high government assistance here. We suffer from generational poverty here. ... It [the city tax increase proposal] has caused a divide in our community. Our working people are saying why should they pay more? ... 75 percent of the population doesn't pay any income tax." Allen said money from a tax increase would help combat what he described as a city "being overrun by a drug epidemic." Three police officers would be added to the streets and a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program would return to the schools, he said. Dayton, population 140,599 Diane Shannon, deputy director of the office of budget and management in Dayton, said the state cuts are the sole reason the city is seeking a tax increase. Shannon, in responding to the cleveland.com survey, wrote that the city payroll has been trimmed by hundreds, employees haven't received raises in three years and workers are taking mandatory furlough days. Shannon, said the city is down millions of dollars a year versus 2010 because of the state tax cuts and policy changes. The proposal in Dayton would increase the city's income tax rate from 2.25 percent to 2.5 percent. Brunswick, population 34,689 Brunswick is asking voters to increase the city income tax rate from 1.85 percent to 2 percent. "The annual decline in revenue is steep and, once applied on an annual basis, is nearly impossible for the city to make up without the need for additional tax dollars," Fischer wrote in completing the survey. Fischer said staffing has been cut sharply in several departments, including parks, finance, and building and service. While Brunswick has "become more financially focused and tries to balance its budget and live within its means," Fischer said, the tax increase is necessary to maintain police and fire/EMS staffing levels. "Maybe some day the cuts to the local government funds can be restored and the city can begin to staff some of its non-safety operations to desired levels," he said. This story is part of an ongoing series by cleveland.com: Impact Ohio: Where the cuts hurt most. Use this link to read previous stories or explore a database detailing the money involved in the cuts for each village and city in Ohio. Medical Marijuana Terrapin Care Station The Ohio Department of Commerce on Tuesday released a summary of its proposed requirements for medical marijuana cultivator licensees. (Jackie Borchardt, cleveland.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio licensing fees for medical marijuana growers would be among the highest in the country if rules drafted by the Ohio Department of Commerce are approved. Would-be medical marijuana growers would compete initially for up to 18 state cultivator licenses -- 12 "Level I licenses for up to 15,000 square feet of growing space and six "Level II" licenses for up to 1,600 square feet. Growers would pay a $20,000 application fee and $180,000 license fee for a Level I license and a $2,000 application fee and $18,000 license fee for a Level II license. The commerce department could issue additional licenses after Sept. 9, 2018, when Ohio's medical marijuana program must be operational. Applicants would also have to submit financial information, a security plan and operational details including what strains of cannabis will be grown and which fertilizers and pesticides will be used. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee reviewed the plan Tuesday morning, and the full rules are scheduled to be posted to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website by Wednesday morning for public comment. Department Director Jacqueline Williams said the rules were developed after reviewing programs in other states and talking with industry experts. "Our goal is to develop a program that ensures the safety of the public and ensures access to safe medical products," Williams told the committee. Ohio's medical marijuana law allows patients with 21 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a doctor. The law prohibits smoking and growing marijuana at home. The law left most of the regulatory details, including how to license growers and register patients, to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio State Board of Pharmacy and Ohio State Medical Board to decide over the next year. An expensive process If adopted, Ohio's large-grow license would cost more than cultivator licenses issued in every state that licenses medical marijuana cultivators except New York and Illinois, which limited its cultivation licenses to 22 statewide. Pennsylvania, which passed a medical marijuana law shortly before Ohio, has proposed a $210,000 application and license fee for up to 25 cultivators. Ohio applicants would have to demonstrate they have $500,000 in liquid assets for a Level I license and $50,000 in assets for a Level II license. Licensees would have to set up an escrow account or provide a surety bond -- $2 million for Level I and $200,000 for Level II -- before they plant one seed in the ground. Applications would be reviewed by the commerce department or a contractor hired by the department and scored using a numerical rubric. Licensees could only own one cultivation license, and they would have nine months to meet the obligations of their application and start growing marijuana or else the license would be revoked. Criticism from advocates The 18 cultivation licenses is more than the 10 proposed in 2015 in Issue 3 and less than proposed earlier this year by Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, backed by national group Marijuana Policy Project. OMM's proposed amendment offered 15 large-grow licenses for a $500,000 application fee and an unlimited number of small grow licenses for a $5,000 application fee. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana spokesman Aaron Marshall said the total square footage is too small to meet the needs of the 200,000 patients the group estimated will register for the program. He's also concerned that state regulators seem to be taking cues from New York, Illinois and Connecticut, which enroll less than half a percent of their populations. "We need to have a robust program," Marshall said. "I'm worried we're looking at states that have real problems establishing programs that help patients." Rules timeline The Ohio Department of Commerce has until May 2017 to establish rules and regulations for cultivators, and rules for dispensaries, processors and testing labs must be set by September 2017. The 14-member Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will advise the three agencies throughout the process. Licensing fees will cover costs associated with running the program. The commerce department and pharmacy board have already requested $1.8 million to set up the program. The full draft cultivator rules will be posted to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website for public comment. They will then be vetted by the Common Sense Initiative, which gauges impact to small business, and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. Public comment will be accepted by both panels. Mobile readers, click here to read the proposed cultivator rules. police tape.jpg A police officer in Brookville, Ohio, was wounded Monday night in a shooting at a gas station, reports say. (File photo) BROOKVILLE, Ohio -- A police officer was taken to a hospital Monday night after a shooting at a gas station, reports say. The condition of the officer is unknown. The condition of a second person shot and wounded also is unknown. The shooting occurred at a Speedway gas station just before 10 p.m., the Dayton Daily News reports. Authorities are looking for a dark-colored SUV with Tennessee license plates, wdtn.com reports. The Daily News says some of the vehicle's windows might have been shot out. It's believed multiple people were in the vehicle. Details about what led to the shooting have not been reported. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. FullSizeRender.jpg Journalist Ted Koppel, left, answered questions from Rick Chircosta, chairman of the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. (Karen Farkas, cleveland.com) CLEVELAND, Ohio - When Ted Koppel began working at ABC in 1963 there were three networks, no Internet, no cable and no social media. Today, people can choose the news that mirrors their views, which has led to a less informed society, he told the audience at Cuyahoga Community College's Presidential Scholarship Luncheon. "As the competition increases instead of organizations giving you the news you need to have they are giving you the news you want to have," he said. "The convenient truths of the left and the convenient truths of the right often bear little resemblance to the facts." Koppel, 76, bemoaned the changes in media as he answered questions posed by Rick Chiricosta, chairman of Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. He said people in power say they don't need the media because they can broadcast their message to millions of followers on Twitter and Facebook. "But journalism is an essential, fundamental requirement of an informed society," he said. More than 1,000 community and business leaders attended the annual event at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. The event raised more than $1.3 million for student scholarships. Tri-C President Alex Johnson announced that separately Medical Mutual gave $1 million to a health care endowment scholarship fund it established in 2012. Since its inception in 1992, the luncheon has raised more than $16 million to help Tri-C students. Tri-C's foundation awarded scholarships to more than 2,600 students last year. Over the course of 26 years as anchor and managing editor of ABC's Nightline, Koppel became the longest-serving news anchor in American broadcast history. He spent 42 years reporting for the network. Koppel said he wanted to end his appearance on a lighter note. "I want to tell you why this is arguably the most historic election in history," he said. "If she is elected it will be the first time two presidents actually slept together. If he is elected it will be the first time a white billionaire occupied public housing recently vacated by a black family." Then, he said, "Go Tribe!" He received a standing ovation. uakronpolymer.jpg The University of Akron's Goodyear Polymer Center is the home of the polymer science department, which received a $3 million gift from the Knight Foundation. (University of Akron) AKRON, Ohio - A $3 million endowment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will create an endowed chair in polymer science and polymer engineering at the University of Akron. The W. Gerald Austen Endowed Chair in Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering recognizes the work of cardiac and thoracic surgeon Dr. W. Gerald Austen and his contributions to the Akron community, the university said. "Ohio is home to the largest polymer industry cluster in America, and many Akron-area businesses are part of this industry," UA President Matthew Wilson said in a statement. "The polymer research made possible at the university by this endowment will benefit the region on many levels." Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibarguen joined Austen, Wilson and other university officials Tuesday to announce the funding, which will establish the largest endowed chair at the university. Austen served on the Knight Foundation board of trustees for 24 years and as its board chair for 14 years. Both Knights were friends of Austen's and sought his medical guidance, the university said. "I am grateful the Knight Foundation has chosen to continue its support of the University of Akron and the greater Akron community in such a meaningful way," said Austen, who received an honorary degree from UA in 1980. Professor Matthew Becker will hold the first endowed chair. Becker is a professor in the departments of polymer science and biomedical engineering. His research group focuses on applying polymer science to develop new medical devices and regenerative medicine applications. Becker's team is supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and multiple industry contracts. It is currently sharing a $6 million grant from the U.S. Army with two other institutions to work on a bone regeneration project expected to lead to limb-salvage techniques. In Senate District 25, incumbent Republican McInnis, a Richmond County auctioneer, faces Democrat Montgomery, an Anson County middle-school teacher Republican state Sen. Tom McInnis expects a "Trump Bump" to send him back for a second term in the North Carolina legislature. But Democratic challenger Dannie Montgomery is counting on a large early voting turnout to smooth any groundswell of support for McInnis.The candidates are competing in District 25, comprising Richmond, Scotland, Anson, and Stanly counties, as well as a small portion of southern Rowan County. The North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation, which tracks state elections, rates the district competitive. The rating is based on conventional voting behavior since 2008.McInnis, an auctioneer from Ellerbe, said the 25th District has a conservative streak that has responded favorably to the campaign of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. He thinks that will help his re-election bid.McInnis said.McInnis said.Montgomery, a middle school teacher at Anson Elementary in Wadesboro, is a lifelong Anson County resident from Lilesville. Montgomery is making her first run for office, but she's not a political novice.Montgomery has been an activist for the Democratic Party in Anson County, where she served as the local party chair. She was a vice chair in the North Carolina Democratic Party, as well as a superdelegate in 2008 to the Democratic National Convention that nominated Barack Obama.Montgomery said.she said.Montgomery has direct classroom experience and has taught more than 200 students computer application skills.McInnis served on the Richmond County Board of Education for eight years before he was elected to the state Senate. He's the son of a public school teacher, and his wife, Janice Russell-McInnis, is a teacher at Richmond Early College High School.McInnis said he was proud of working to raise teacher pay, especially for starting teachers. Montgomery countered that not all teachers have received raises, and that the Republican-led legislature has exaggerated the pay-raise claim.Montgomery said her three main priorities are expanding North Carolina's Medicaid system using federal money available through the Affordable Care Act, improving education by decreasing class sizes, and enacting additional environmental safeguards.Montgomery wants to turn back the clock in restoring the state's reputation since the passage of House Bill 2, better known as the "Bathroom Bill." The law restricts use of public bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers to people whose biological birth anatomy corresponds to those facilities.Montgomery said.McInnis said he would like to continue the work he's accomplished as a member of the Judiciary II, Commerce, and Agriculture committees. He wants to see more research about the effects of expanding Medicaid before deciding to support or oppose it.McInnis said.He intends to tackle an opioid epidemic, which has emerged because of the availability of highly addictive prescription painkillers.McInnis said.The North Carolina Forestry Association recently recognized McInnis as Legislator of the Year.The candidates are happy their race has been positive.Montgomery said. MILLBURY, Massachusetts -- The wife of a police officer is facing criminal charges after she faked a robbery at her home and then tried to blame it on someone from the Black Lives Matter movement, reports say. Maria Daly reported the burglary to police on Oct. 17, saying about $10,000 in cash and jewelry had been taken from the home, CBS Boston reports. Daly also told police she found the letters "BLM" spray-painted on the side of the home; BLM is a common reference to Black Lives Matter. The Washington Post reports Daly quickly went to Facebook to complain about the incident, posting on the same day, "We woke up to not only our house being robbed while we were sleeping, but to see this hatred for no reason." But Millbury police Chief Donald Desorcy tells the Boston Herald that investigators immediately found the story suspicious. "Something wasn't quite right," Desorcy tells CBS Boston. "I think that was pretty obvious and as a result of that investigation, the officers did their due diligence and followed through with the investigation that we had." Last weekend, Daly confessed to fabricating the story, saying she did it because of financial troubles. Desorcy says Daly's husband, a police officer in Millbury, was not involved in the hoax and has been cleared. Maria Daly is charged with filing a false police report and misleading a police investigation. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. In February 2015, the University of North Carolina System's Board of Governors (BOG) concluded an extensive review of the 237 academic centers and institutes housed across the 16 UNC campuses. The goal was to "determine if each center is meeting its intended purpose, and enhancing the education, research, and service mission of the University." A few units, such as NC Central's Institute for Civic Engagement and Social Change, did not meet such scrutiny and were subsequently ordered to shut down, much to the dismay of some students and faculty, who viewed the closures as an ideological attack by the Republican-leaning BOG.Other centers, such as UNC-Chapel Hill's Center for Civil Rights, although deemed to have met the BOG's standard, were required to undergo further review by their respective campuses to ensure that their activities and publications comply with UNC system regulations prohibiting political advocacy. Unfortunately, UNC-Chapel Hill's review of the Center-released in March-is far from the critical and honest assessment the BOG had mandated. It gives the Center implicit approval to continue its campaign of social justice activism and costly litigation.The university defends the Center's activities as they relate to its three-fold mission of scholarly research, teaching, and community service. It cites the Center's long resume of published reports, engagement with low-income communities, and yearly internship and externship programs which, according to the university, give law students a "deep advantage" in terms of gaining work experience in the social justice field. The review also celebrates the uniqueness of the Center, in that it is the only one in the UNC system to engage in litigation-as opposed to purely academic endeavors. That distinction, however, is a dubious one, because the litigation takes the form of legal activism and often comes at the expense of North Carolina taxpayers.The Center has brought numerous cases against county governments and school boards, each asserting that those entities committed some form of racial discrimination. For example, the Center recently challenged the Pitt County school system's student reassignment plan, claiming it would increase racial segregation and violate a 1965 court order mandating that the county's schools integrate. Pitt County eventually won on appeal, where the court found that the school system had achieved integration "decades earlier." Nevertheless, the eight years of litigation added up to more than $500,000 in legal fees, all charged to Pitt County taxpayers.Another case brought by the Center claimed that Brunswick County was guilty of "environmental racism." Residents of a predominantly black neighborhood protested a proposal for a landfill to be built close to their community, claiming it represented institutional racism. That dispute was settled out of court at a cost of $155,000 to the county.Chapel Hill's Center for Civil Rights also has worked with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to compel school systems to conform to the Center's progressive conception of racial inclusion. Since 2010, for example, the Center has helped parent groups file three complaints with the OCR against the Wake County Public School System over a student assignment plan it claimed was insufficiently racially inclusive.The Center's prolonged legal battles have pressured school systems into adopting policies that align with its progressive bent, sometimes at significant cost. For example, the Center successfully aided parent groups in their effort to reopen two schools in the Halifax school system, claiming the subsequent reassignment of hundreds of students created a burdensome disruption for them and their parents. The school system acquiesced despite the fact that, according to the N.C. Department of Instruction, the school buildings were severely under code and would cost between $1 million and $2 million to renovate.Additionally, the Center has, over the years, brought claims against the Halifax county government and has pressured school systems of Beaufort Moore , and Mecklenburg counties. Though the targets of the Center's legal activism vary, the Center's overall aim has remained the same: to force public entities to adopt a liberal stance on any social issues that may arise. Indeed, the Center openly touts its "progressive," social justice mission on its website UNC-Chapel Hill's recent review of the Center tries to downplay the role of the University in supporting this mission, making a point to note that the Center is fully funded through the charity of outside sponsors. But such claims are misleading : the Center's staff members are paid employees of the university; it has ready, cheap access to UNC-Chapel Hill's law school facilities, resources, and students; and it's able to exploit having "UNC" in its title, which may help to give it greater clout in the legal community and raise more outside money.And the Center's reliance on such outside money likely comes with strings attached. For example, its key sponsors -which include Impact Fund, the George Soros- funded Open Society Foundation, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the N.C. Justice Center, and the Ford Foundation-have missions to advance progressive causes. In the eyes of those sponsors, it seems, the Center has had great success, as it won the 2015 "Defender of Justice" award from the N.C. Justice Center for its commitment to "impact litigation" in areas of social and economic justice.But it should go without saying that academic centers and institutes, especially those at public universities, should not exist to promote partisan agendas of any kind, liberal or conservative. Of course, this isn't to say that students and professors interested in doing the kind of work conducted by the Center for Civil Rights are not free to do so outside of the university context.In North Carolina and elsewhere, contrary to claims made in UNC-Chapel Hill's review of the Center for Civil Rights, there are plenty of opportunities for law students wishing to gain experience in social justice work. For instance, the North Carolina ACLU and the Atlanta-based Southern Center for Civil Rights both perform work similar to that of the Center for Civil Rights, and provide internship programs for law students. Also, there are dozens of legal firms in the state that provide legal assistance to low-income and minority communities.At any rate, the Center for Civil Rights, as constituted now, should be cause for concern for UNC system leaders and state policymakers. As a state-affiliated entity it essentially "earns it keep" by suing other state-affiliated entities. Its "impact litigation" clearly pushes a partisan agenda, all while exploiting the resources and prestige of UNC-Chapel Hill and causing North Carolina taxpayers to incur significant legal fees.The purpose of UNC-Chapel Hill's follow-up review was to address those problematic activities. But university officials opted instead to paint them in a rosy light. As such, it may be time for the UNC system's Board of Governors to reopen its files on the Center for Civil Rights. Based on the public record and its own statements, the Center is a partisan organization, and therefore one that operates in violation of system rules and academic standards. Contrary to progressive critics' claims, closing down such a center would not be an "ideological attack," but rather an affirmation that, in public university settings, objectivity should predominate. The FBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort's foreign business connections, law enforcement and intelligence sources told NBC News Monday. Word of the inquiry, which has not blossomed into a full-blown criminal investigation, comes just days after FBI Director James Comey's disclosure that his agency is examining a new batch of emails connected to an aide to Hillary Clinton. And it comes a day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid criticized Comey's revelation and asserted that Comey possesses "explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government." More from NBC News: FBI winnowing through emails from Anthony Weiner's laptop Holder criticizes FBI director over Clinton case 'mistake' A look at Weiner, Abedin and Clinton: It's complicated The FBI did not comment. Manafort told NBC News "none of it is true ... There's no investigation going on by the FBI that I'm aware of." He said he had never had ties to Russian president Vladimir Putin, or had dealings with Putin and his government. He said any suggestion of such ties was "Democratic propaganda." "This is all political propaganda, meant to deflect," he said. NBC News reported in August that Manafort was a key player in multi-million-dollar business propositions with Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs one of them a close Putin ally with alleged ties to organized crime which foreign policy experts said raised questions about the pro-Russian bent of the Trump candidacy. A few days later, amid other reporting on Manafort's Ukraine ties, Manafort was ousted from the campaign. Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, regularly receives sensitive briefings. Schiff said he could not discuss Reid's assertions, but he said, "Americans have every right to be concerned about what they see in terms of Trump advisors and their closeness with the Kremlin, Trump's policies vis-a-vis Russia, Trump's potential financial interest, all of those things ought to be of deep concern to voters." He added, "Whether an investigation is appropriate depends on whether there's evidence of criminal connections. Of course the intelligence community wants to know what foreign influence Russia may be looking to exert in the United States." Manafort was paid millions of dollars $12.7 million in cash, according to The New York Timesrepresenting a pro-Russian politician in the Ukraine. Trump has taken a series of pro-Russian positions that experts from both parties say are far outside the mainstream, and inexplicable from a political viewpoint. He continues to cast doubt on Russian involvement in election hacking, for example, despite the intelligence community's public assessment. "The relationships that Trump's advisors have had with pro-Russian forces are deeply disturbing," David Kramer, a former senior State Department official in the George W. Bush administration and a former adviser to Marco Rubio's presidential campaign, told NBC News in August. "Trump's attitude on Russia is not in line with most Republican foreign-policy thinking. Trump has staked out views that are really on the fringe." An FBI inquiry is a preliminary examination that falls short of a criminal investigation. But in this highly charged atmosphere, it has some arguing that Comey is applying a double standard. "Any specifics of what the FBI or intelligence agencies may be looking at are not something that the bureau should be discussing publicly," Schiff said. "But here, where the director has discussed an investigation involving one candidate, it opens the director up to claims of bias if he doesn't discuss other potential investigations." Eight Nobel laureates joined 362 other economists in an open letter arguing that Americans should not vote for Donald Trump. The letter, released Tuesday and reported on by the Wall Street Journal, lists 13 economic arguments against Trump, but does not specify which (if any) candidate voters choice in lieu of the Republican nominee. "Donald Trump is a dangerous, destructive choice for the country. He misinforms the electorate, degrades trust in public institutions with conspiracy theories, and promotes willful delusion over engagement with reality," the economists write, according to a copy posted online by the Journal. "If elected, he poses a unique danger to the functioning of democratic and economic institutions, and to the prosperity of the country. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you do not vote for Donald Trump," the letter concludes. Despite the apparent breadth of this week's letter, many economists are also against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's policies. In a September letter, 306 economists published a letter against Clinton's "ill-advised economic agenda." For more on the economists' letter, see the story in the Wall Street Journal. Ant Financial, the company behind China's digital payment giant Alipay, has ramped up its global expansion with an investment in Thailand's Ascend Money. The companies said in a Tuesday statement that the deal would help Ascend Money grow its digital and offline payments and financial services business in Thailand, while opening doors for Ant Financial to expand into the broader Southeast Asian market. Details on the investment were not disclosed but a June statement on China's Ministry of Commerce website indicated Ant Financial planned to take a 20 percent stake, with an option to buy a further 10 percent. Bangkok-based Ascend also operates in Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia. The company, which is a subsidiary of Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand, offers e-payment services and micro-loans targeted at customers who are under-served by big financial services players. Ascend CEO Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa told CNBC's "Street Signs" in an interview that Ant Financial had a successful history of catering to the under-banked population in China. Morgan Stanley on Tuesday upgraded Chevron to overweight from equal weight because growing cash flow will support its hefty dividend and the company is the most highly leveraged among oil majors to recovering crude prices. "Going forward, CVX's investments and growth is set to shift to shorter-cycle opportunities, reducing execution risk, improving capital efficiency and enhancing return on capital. The inflection in FCF [free cash flow] and evolution of CVX's portfolio should support relative and continued dividend growth, management's stated top priority," wrote equity analyst Evan Calio in a research note. At the current levels, Chevron pays a dividend yield of 4.12 percent, the fourth highest among all S & P energy companies. The shares are up more than 15 percent year to date compared with a 4 percent gain for the S & P 500 index. Chevron, 1 year Source: FactSet Morgan Stanley believes from 2017 through 2019, Chevron could experience a significant increase in cash flow as the timing of its capital investments will likely coincide with a recovery in oil prices. "We upgrade now because the FCF inflection now also aligns with a recovery and balancing of the oil markets, to which CVX has highest relative exposure, and aligns with what we expect will be the golden age of the Permian , where CVX has the most differentiated exposure among peers," said Calio. After falling for two consecutive years, WTI crude prices have staged a strong comeback in 2016, up nearly 27 percent to $47 per barrel. Chevron's well-timed projects should generate 16 percent production growth from 2016 to 2018, the highest rate among the five major global players in the space, Morgan Stanley said. The analyst notes that Chevron has a history of boosting payments, which have consistently increased in the past 27 years. In the case that oil prices were to turn south, Calio believes Chevron's dividend remains safe as "management will pull all possible levers" to protect the payment. "The inflection in FCF support continued dividend growth, and provides CVX with best dividend cover among global majors at 170 percent vs. 100 percent group average," the note said. In the next 12-month, analysts at Morgan Stanley believe shares of Chevron could trade as high as $130, implying a gain of 24 percent from Monday's close. The Chevron logo is shown at Chevron Plaza in Calgary, Alberta. Brent Lewin | Bloomberg | Getty Images WHEN: TODAY, TUESDAY, November 1, 2016 WHERE: CNBC'S "SQUAWK ON THE STREET" Following are excerpts from the unofficial transcripts of CNBC interviews with Yum Brands CEO Greg Creed and Yum China CEO Mickey Pant today on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street." Following are links to video of the interviews on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000564260 and http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000564283. All references must be sourced to CNBC. CREED ON GROWTH I THINK ALL ISSUES ARE BEHIND US. I THINK THE BIG STORY IS GROWTH, WHETHER IT'S URBANIZATION IN CHINA, WHETHER IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH BEING ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE, IT'S RAILROADS, IT'S AIRPORTS, IT'S TRAIN STATIONS AND THEN MALLS. THERE'S 1250 MALLS GOING TO OPEN. ALL OF THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO BUILD NEW RESTAURANTS AND GROW OUR FOOTPRINT IN CHINA SO WE THINK THERE'S UNLIMITED GROWTH POTENTIAL IN CHINA. CREED ON THE THIRD QUARTER IF YOU LOOK AT OUR THIRD QUARTER, WE HAD A GREAT QUARTER FOR TACO BELL. WE HAD A GREAT QUARTER FOR KFC. THEY LOOK EVEN BETTER NOW THAT OUR COMPETITORS HAVE POSTED THEIR NUMBERS. HONESTLY, WE BELIEVE WE CAN GROW 7% FOR ALL THREE BRANDS ACROSS THE WORLD BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN EMERGING MARKETS AND WE STILL GET THE GROWTH FROM CHINA. CREED ON TACO BELL I DO THINK THERE'S A CHANCE. TACO BELL HAS MOMENTUM BOTH IN SAME STORE SALES AND NEW UNITS AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEGUN TO SCRATCH THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS. WE'RE ONLY IN 22 COUNTRIES WITH 300 RESTAURANTS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT KFC WE'RE IN 125 COUNTRIES WITH 16,000 RESTAURANTS SO TACO BELL HAS HUGE GLOBAL UPSIDE POTENTIAL. CREED ON PIZZA HUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO ON PIZZA HUT. WE KNOW THAT. I WOULD SAY TWO YEARS AGO, KFC U.S. EVERYONE SAID WAS DOWN AND OUT FOR THE COUNT. WE JUST DELIVERED A PLUS SIX IN Q3 WITH FOUR OTHER TRANSACTIONS. IF WE CAN DO IT TO KFC WHICH WAS IN A LOT WORSE SITUATION, WE CAN DEFINITELY TURN AROUND PIZZA HUT. CREED ON THE ELECTION CREED: I'D SAY THE CONSUMERS, THEY'RE IN A WAIT-AND-SEE SITUATION RIGHT NOW. NEXT WEEK THERE'S A LOT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I DON'T THINK THOUGH EVEN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT WEEK, WHICHEVER WAY IT TURNS OUT, I DON'T THINK THE CUSTOMER WILL COME OUT AND OPEN UP THEIR POCKETS FABER: WHY NOT? CREED: I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST CAUTIOUS RIGHT NOW. I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST THE ELECTION. SO I THINK PEOPLE -- BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, GREAT BRANDS THAT ARE TRULY DIFFERENTIATED THAT OFFER A DISTINCT POINT OF DIFFERENCE, LIKE WE DEMONSTRATED IN Q3, THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. PANT ON 20K RESTAURANTS WE'VE GOT ABOUT FIVE STORES FOR EVERY MILLION OF POPULATION AND THAT'S UNDER PENETRATED. IN OUR VIEW WE CAN TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF STORES SO WE THIS AS A MARKET IN THE LONG TERM. WE THINK WE'LL HAVE MORE YUM BRAND STORES IN CHINA THAN WE HAVE IN THE UNITED STATES, SO WE CAN GET 20,000 RESTAURANTS HERE. PANT ON GROWTH LAST QUARTER WE REPORTED SAME-STORE SALES AT MINUS 1. PRIOR TO THAT FOR FOUR STRAIGHT QUARTERS, FROM Q3 OF LAST YEAR AND Q4 OF LAST YEAR AND Q1 AND Q2 OF THIS YEAR KFC ACTUALLY RAN POSITIVE COMPS. FOR THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS THIS YEAR KFC is RUNNING PLUS 4 ON SAME-STORE SALES. SO THERE HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN BUMPS ALONG THE ROAD IN THIS LONG JOURNEY BUT WE SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES AS BEING FAR OUT WEIGHING THE RISKS OF BEING IN CHINA. PANT ON THE CONSUMER I THINK THAT THE CONSUMER IS ALIVE AND WELL.OUR OWN SALES AS I MENTIONED THE KFC HAVE GROWN, EVEN PIZZA HUT, WHICH IS A RELATIVELY MORE EXPENSIVE CONCEPT COMPARED TO FAST FOOD, IN 2015 WHEN THE ECONOMY WAS REPORTEDLY VERY DIFFICULT, WE GREW OUR SYSTEM SALES BY 10%. SO WE BELIEVE THERE'S BUSINESS TO BE HAD. PANT ON THE US CHINA RELATIONSHIP WE'VE RIDDEN MANY, MANY CHANGES OF ADMINISTRATION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE WORLD, IN THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS IN CHINA IN THE PAST. SO THERE MAY BE BUMPS ALONG THE ROAD, BUT OVERALL WE SEE CHINA AND THE U.S. AS HAVING TOO IMPORTANT A PARTNERSHIP FOR ANYONE TO TAKE LIGHTLY OR MAKE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO WITHOUT A MAJOR DISRUPTION. SO IT'S GOOD FOR BOTH COUNTRIES TO KEEP TALKING AND KEEP GOING. 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Considering that Hillary Clinton, from the recently concluded email investigation, is charged with gross negligence, dereliction of duty, was recommended that she lose her security clearance, while pathologically lying to congress, the press and the American People; and even though she was not referred for indictment because she is a Clinton: Will you? 11.84% Vote for Hillary 78.78% Vote for The Donald 9.39% Vote for none of the above 245 total vote(s) Voting has Ended! And now for your additional voting pleasure: What should be the priority of the Federal Government after the "Pulse" massacre: Should we turn our attention toward destroying, earadicating ISIS as Candidate Trump suggests, or, as Democrats' President Obama suggests, broaden our efforts to effect stricter Gun Control laws to limit "Gun Violence?" 88.24% After many years of trying to degrade and contain the murderous ISIS, we should make it the nation's policy to destroy ISIS immediately. 3.68% Gun Violence in America can be eliminated by limiting access to guns for all American citizens. 8.09% I don't care either way; I just live here. 136 total vote(s) Voting has Ended! Should Americans be thankful for North Carolinians setting precedent in taking a stand for their state's right to manage the safety of their public facilities, where separation of the sexes remains, or should they follow Bruce Springsteen's lead and boycott the state as bigots since they will not allow grown Transgender men to use the same bathrooms /locker rooms as pre-pubescent girls? North Carolina is right to control the separation of the sexes as a matter of decorum and safety. North Carolina is a bigoted state to not require that children of opposite sexes share the same public facilities with adults of the opposite sex, although misidentified - the Transgender. I generally prefer the natural environs of the vacant, although rather public, large tree. 236 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? The main issues in that one hour were: 'The FBI has begun an preliminary investigation into Paul Manafort's possible connection to Russian Business men. Paul Manafort served as campaign director for the Trump campaign for about 2 months. He is no longer with the campaign. Trump and Manafort have no history of a business relationship. Democrats are lobbying the FBI to investigate Donald Trump for ties to the KGB as this is reported by Mother Jones News. Rumors are that Donald Trump has been blackmailed by Russians to do their bidding once elected. The FBI has already investigated Trump and found no evidence, but, still, this is an important rumor. Democrats are apoplectic still that there is a "double standard" that Director Comey will not discuss an investigation by the FBI into possible Russian hacking of Democrat emails, but did, however, send a letter to congress that he has reopened the email /illegal server investigation of Hillary Clinton, when 650,000 emails were, inadvertently, discovered on the laptop of Clinton's most trusted aid Huma Abedin. There was no mention that Hillary's destroyed emails, while under subpoena, may be discovered among the 650,000 emails found on the Abedin laptop.'Is there any wonder why so many Liberals have so little knowledge of so much?Of course, possibly, there are more Americans, and some Illegals ("undocumented" is the Liberal vernacular), who will end up voting for the first time, that ascribe more to the Bernie Sanders perspective, even though The Bern was roundly sandbagged by the DNC, which is:Democrat Media paragon MSNBC has spent all of their journalistic principles, or lack there of, on that Socialist Liberal premise. Two doctors clashed Tuesday afternoon over their stances on California's Proposition 61, a referendum that would require state agencies to get the same discount on drugs as the Department of Veteran Affairs. The proposition is shaping up to be one of the most expensive ballot initiatives in California history with a record $120 million contributed. A majority of the contributions oppose the vote with Merck , Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson among the biggest donors. Scott Gottlieb, a physician and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told CNBC's "Closing Bell" that he opposes the measure because "it is an impractical solution to a real challenge in the market place" and claims that there are "too many aspects of our drug market place that really lack the kind of competition we would expect." Zeke Emanuel, the Vice Provost for Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, countered those statements saying that the reason "we don't have a lot of competition in many areas is in part because the government is giving the drug companies monopolies through patents, FDA and marketing exclusivity, without regulation of their prices and they are exploiting that monopoly power." The issue has gained traction since Sen. Bernie Sanders, a proponent for the proposition, tweeted earlier, criticizing the pricing of Eli Lilly's Humalog insulin, citing a Washington Post story and blaming "the drug industry's greed." As a result, Eli Lilly shares dipped more than 1.5 percent on Tuesday. However, Emanuel also acknowledged weaknesses in the proposal, but ultimately believed it's crucial that the proposition passes to send a political message to drug companies about their prices. "This proposal linking the state payment to the V.A. is less than optimal, because it leaves off most people who are not in the state programs, and for those who are getting private insurance, the price could rise for them," Emanuel said. "But politically it is important to send the message to the drug companies that their prices are unacceptable." Gottlieb continued his argument for opposing the proposition, saying that the real problem is different prices reported for the market place. "There is a problem with the growing gap between list price and the actual real price in the market place. It is not the insurance company's fault that the list prices are going up, but more consumers are paying the list price because they find themselves underinsured for drugs. They are paying out of pocket," Gottlieb said. "One thing we can do is change rules to allow drug companies to provide discounts up front rather than having to provide discounts in the form of back ended rebates which don't necessarily benefit consumers. That is a failure of the marketplace." While Emanuel didn't agree that the market place would fix the fundamental problem of drug pricing, he agreed that insurance companies are not to blame for the drug prices and emphasized transparency on actual drug prices. "The insurance companies are trying to protect the commons in this case and drug companies are trying to maximize their profits," Emanuel said. "It would be nice to have more transparency into what the actual prices are. The drug companies control that. But they prefer the shadow game so that they can claim the list price is not the real price and play all of these parties off against each other." If the measure passes, state agencies would be required to comply by July 1, 2017. The critical vote for the proposition will occur on Election Day, November 8. On the first day of open enrollment in Obamacare plans, the Republican presidential campaign chose to have its vice presidential nominee not its presidential one lead the charge with a scathing speech in Pennsylvania decrying the Affordable Care Act, big premium hikes for plans next year and a shrinking number of insurers selling coverage on health marketplaces. Mike Pence brought the fire on Obamacare and then Donald Trump showed up out to fan the flames, at least a little bit. Indiana governor and vice presidential contender Pence laid out, in enthusiastic detail, how Trump proposed to replace Obamacare after repealing it "lock, stock and barrel." "Obamacare is failing," Pence said Tuesday. "The case has never been stronger for repeal." "Obamacare is a catastrophic failure," he said. "Hillary Clinton wants to double down on that failure. Trump then came on stage to echo Pence's remarks on Obamacare. But he spent markedly less time on the subject. And his comments on the ACA were read stiffly, in a subdued manner, from a teleprompter. "Obamacare has to be replaced, and we will do it, and we will do it very quickly," Trump said. "Insurers are leaving, premiums are soaring, doctors are quitting, companies are fleeing." "Obamacare means higher prices, fewer choices and lower quality ... Hillary Clinton wants to expand Obamacare," Trump said. The decision to have Trump play second fiddle to his running mate on Obamacare came a week after the real estate mogul botched remarks on the ACA in which he said his workers were suffering from the health-care reform law. Trump quickly backtracked from that claim, saying that most of his workers received health coverage from his company, as required under the ACA and not from buying individual health plans on Obamacare exchanges, where premiums are rising sharply. On Tuesday, Pence gave the broadest indictment of the law, taking advantage of the fact that millions of people starting Tuesday will be confronted with individual health plans that will cost many of them much more in 2017 than they did this year. Referring to "the so-called Affordable Care Act," Pence noted that the Obama administration last week had revealed that the average price of closely watched benchmark "silver" plans on government marketplaces are going up a steep 25 percent next year. And in a number of states, he added, Obamacare prices are increasing much more than that: 116 percent in Arizona, 69 percent in Oklahoma and 53 percent in Pennsylvania, the state where Pence was speaking. "Our paychecks haven't gone up by that amount," Pence said. The Obama administration has repeatedly noted that most customers on government marketplaces qualify for financial aid that can greatly reduce their premiums. But Pence pointed out the "heartbreaking" fact that in Pennsylvania alone there are "almost 110,000 households who will see their rates spike dramatically with absolutely no" Obamacare subsidies to cut their premium costs. Pence also highlighted the fact that Obamacare plan deductibles tend to be high, particularly for bronze plans, which have the lowest premiums but whose average deductible for a family is more than $12,000 per year. "What good is a health plan if you can't afford to use it?" he asked. And he noted that in many areas of Pennsylvania, as for about 20 percent of Obamacare consumers, they will have only one insurer to select a plan from during open enrollment. Pence said that in addition to Obamacare being "a crushing weight on the American people ... it's also a crushing weight on the American economy." He said the ACA's employer mandate, which requires larger employers to offer health coverage to full-time workers or pay a fine, has "reduced employment by more than 350,000 jobs nationally" a claim that is widely disputed. "Obamacare is killing jobs, and it's destroying small-business growth across the United States," Pence said. He repeatedly tied what he called the failures of Obamacare to Democratic presidential nominee Clinton, a supporter of the ACA who has said she wants to improve on the law if she wins the White House. "We can't trust Hillary Clinton with our health care any more than we can trust her with classified information," Pence said. European shares extended losses on Tuesday's close after investors digested another batch of corporate earnings and prepared for the Federal Reserve's rate decision later in the week. StanChart falls European markets The pan-European Stoxx 600 index had opened the trading day flat before falling 1.07 percent with all sectors posting losses. The U.S. dollar retreated ahead of the looming rate decision from the Federal Reserve and Sterling/Dollar was trading 0.14 percent down at the close of European trading. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones industrial average dipped lower after a promising start to the day, it was 0.45 percent down with the broader S&P 500 index trading 0.59 percent in the red. Standard Chartered had hit the bottom of the European Stoxx 600 after the bank posted its third-quarter earnings which missed expectations and closed down 5.4 percent. Shell, BP earnings Shell , the multinational oil firm, saw its shares rise 2.93 percent, after reporting better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter on Tuesday. Further to this, significant cuts from Shell in spending and an oil price downturn in its third consecutive year seemed to boost investor confidence. BP shares fell 4.4 percent, despite reporting earnings that were above the consensus expectations. The oil major saw its net income nearly halve from the same period last year. US election in focus The political instability regarding the U.S. presidential election remains a concern among investors with only one week to go until voters head to polling stations. A NBC News survey showed that the 6-point lead of Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump seemed unchanged since last week, despite the FBI's announcement that it would be investigating additional emails regarding Clinton's use of a private email server. Elsewhere, both the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Bank of Japan decided to keep their policies unchanged Tuesday. Members of the Federal Reserve are also due to start of a two-day meeting on Tuesday, with a rate decision due Wednesday. Carney set to stay watch now Wall Street is expecting a blowout quarter from Facebook when it reports earnings after the market closes Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Facebook to report earnings per share of 97 cents on revenue of $6.921 billion. If Facebook delivers those results, the company will have grown revenue 54 percent over the same period last year, and it will mark the fourth straight quarter in which the social media giant has expanded sales by more than 50 percent year over year. Among the five biggest companies in the world by market capitalization all tech stocks none comes close to this level of revenue growth. The stock closed Monday at $131 per share, up 29 percent over the past year. The S&P 500 index was up just over 2 percent over the period. Source: Facebook Advertising is of course the big driver of Facebook's revenue and accounts for almost all of its sales. Facebook does not provide earnings guidance, but analysts' checks with marketers show that brands have continued to increase spending on Facebook's ad products. Alphabet's strong earnings results posted on Thursday propelled by strong mobile and video ad sales have strengthened expectations for Facebook. As big brands get more comfortable with Facebook's ad products, it is drawing a greater share of marketing budgets. Facebook has more than 4 million advertisers and is growing ad revenue at three times the rate of the overall online ad market, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Youssef Squali wrote in a note to investors on Monday. "They have a lot of data about their customers and they have been able to offer very accurate targeting around demographics and interests, better than almost anyone else," said Joshua March, CEO of Conversocial, which provides software to help brands communicate with Facebook users. Clients include Google, Alaska Airlines, Hertz and Hyatt. Source: Instagram Facebook does not break out Instagram revenue, so investors will be listening for color from executives regarding Instagram's monetization on the earnings conference call. "There are many levers for Facebook's ad revenue growth. Instagram's one of them," John Blackledge, managing director at Cowen and Company, told CNBC's "Squawk Alley" on Wednesday, noting the powerful user metrics of Instagram's new product, "Stories." The company has only recently started serving ads to Instagram's 500 million monthly active users, and is ramping up advertising quickly. Instagram revenue will reach $2.2 billion this year, according to a projection from JMP Securities analyst Ronald V. Josey. Facebook will continue to grow average revenue per user on Instagram, which should equal Facebook's global average within the next two years, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter wrote in a note to investors on Thursday. The platform will add between $4 billion to $5 billion to revenue growth over that period, according to Pachter's estimate. American Express bot for Facebook Messenger Source: American Express Facebook currently trades around 29 times the next four quarters' earnings, an eye-popping figure, though this is down from 34 times in late January. As such, its current valuation is 15 percent more attractive than at the start of 2016, Nomura analyst Anthony DiClemente wrote in an Oct. 17 note. "What would happen to dip the stock, if it dips at all, it wouldn't be something Facebook oriented. It might be something macroeconomic," said Paul Meeks CIO and portfolio manager at Sloy, Dahl & Holst, on CNBC's "Fast Money: Halftime Report" on Wednesday. Meeks owns Facebook shares. Investors are banking on Facebook's executive team to continue to grow revenue from core Facebook with new ad products and overseas margin expansion and to monetize Oculus, WhatsApp and the Facebook Messenger platform. Facebook remains JMP Securities top internet pick because of these near- and long-term catalysts, analyst Ronald Josey wrote in a note on Oct. 24. Though Facebook is still tweaking its Messenger monetization strategy, brands have flooded onto the platform. Messenger has replaced a lot of the more public engagement that used to take place between brands and consumers on social media, and that trend will only increase, said Conversocial's March. "Compared to all the other internet companies Facebook has the highest profit margin," said Baird analyst Colin Sebastian. "They have been able to control their costs in a very measured way and still drive very strong revenue off of a very massive base, so I think it warrants a high multiple because it's a high growth, premium asset." David Wehner, CFO at Meta Harriet Taylor | CNBC Denmark may not be the first country you would think of when assessing the impact of Brexit, but the Nordic economy is already suffering from the fall of the British pound , analysts say. Aleksander Klug | NurPhoto | Getty Images Amid a low-growth environment, a significant output gap, indebted households and concerns over the impact of negative rates on the housing market, Denmark is already facing an uncertain future without Brexit. "(The fall in sterling) is affecting the Danish economy already," Jan Strup Nielsen, chief analyst, at Nordea Bank told CNBC on Friday. Before the Brexit vote, the pound was nearly 9.8 Danish crown, or krone. That has now dropped to about 8.27 crowns. "The significant weakening of the pound against the Danish krona is hurting exports, including on agricultural products," Nielsen added. According to Nordea, Danish exports to the U.K. dropped nearly 0.5 billion Danish crowns ($0.07 billion) since the June vote. It is now at 2.75 billion DKK ($0.04 billion). The Danish economy is gradually recovering from the 2008 financial crisis, but investment and exports are two of the main issues that the government needs to fix. In its latest economic assessment to Denmark, the International Monetary Fund projected a 1.3 percent gross domestic product growth rate in 2016 and 1.6 percent in 2017. The fund warned: "A sharper than expected slowdown in Europe or in emerging markets could derail the modest recovery, given Denmark's deep integration in the world economy." "The disruption of trade and financial flows that are likely to accompany a Brexit would compound these risks," the IMF added. Claus Hjort Frederiksen, Denmark's finance minister, highlighted in early October worries over trade policy. "Trade-friendly policies aimed at reviving confidence and raising productivity are needed," he said. "The prospect of the UK leaving the EU adds another major source of economic uncertainty. In negotiating the future relations between the U.K. and the EU, as well as with other partners, all efforts should be made to minimize this uncertainty and to ensure continued close economic ties," Frederiksen said. Other analysts expect the impact to be marginal over the short term, but the falling sterling is a longer-term concern for Danish exporters. "We expect Brexit to have only a marginal impact on the Danish economy in the short term. There is nothing much to suggest a sharp deceleration of the UK economy presently, but the decline in sterling is likely to cause a margin compression for Danish exporters to the British market," Teis Knuthsen, chief investment officer at Saxo Private Bank told CNBC via email. "It remains to be seen whether a British exit from the EU will cause a deterioration of bilateral trade flows that are not compensated by increased trade with other countries. However, the timing of that extends beyond 2019, as the U.K. will only trigger the two-year article 50 negotiation program in 2017," he added. Denmark, like many other European countries, has to deal with a rising support for populist movements. The Danish People's party, which opposes the country's EU membership, obtained 15 new seats at the last general election and is the second largest in parliament. Such political and economic landscape, could make the Danish government take a tougher stance in the upcoming Brexit negotiations. Lars Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister said, the Brexit vote was "tragic", but he wants a "friendly divorce", the Wall Street Journal reported. watch now Baker Hughes CEO Martin Craighead on Monday offered CNBC an explanation for why his company's stock sank that morning when the oilfield services company announced it would merge with General Electric 's oil and gas business: The deal is complicated. He may have been referring to the unique ownership structure, but the combination is also complicated because it creates a new type of oilfield services firm that defies easy comparisons. The new GE-controlled Baker Hughes would be the world's second-largest oilfield services company, with revenue projected at $34 billion in 2020. GE Oil & Gas is primarily known as an equipment manufacturer, while Baker Hughes specializes in services and products like horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, which is used to free oil and gas from shale rock by pummeling it with water, minerals and chemicals. "The combination of GE Oil & Gas with Baker Hughes I think is increasingly blurring the lines between the oilfield equipment manufacture process and the services element," said Byron Pope, managing director of oil service research at investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt. The marriage of the two will create what executives billed as the first-ever "fullstream" services company meaning it will cater to all of the industry's three "streams": upstream exploration and production, midstream transportation, and downstream refining and marketing. But the unprecedented nature of its business mix has raised concerns among some analysts about how the companies will be integrated especially since that is where most of the shareholder value is supposed to lie. Shares of Baker Hughes fell almost 3 percent Tuesday, after their more than 6 percent drop Monday, suggesting investors remain skeptical. A 'molecule to megawatt' company At the most basic level, Baker Hughes and GE Oil & Gas have a number of complementary products and services. By combining them, they aim to differentiate themselves from and compete with rivals like Schlumberger and Halliburton . The companies say they believe the deal will add 4 cents a share to GE earnings in 2018 and receive $1.6 billion in financial benefit by 2020, mostly through cutting costs. watch now The new entity can also tap into GE's adjacent businesses, which include aviation, big data analytics and power generation, in order to augment oil and gas services. That makes it a "molecule to megawatt" company, executives said. GE could, hypothetically, turn to its engines and turbines business to build power infrastructure as customers develop new, promising shale prospects in Oklahoma, or they move into the fringe areas of North Dakota's Bakken formation, Craighead said in a conference call Monday. "I think that this structure is quite a bit different than what we've seen so far in that, with the Baker-GE combination, you essentially have an entity that does everything in the life cycle of the energy industry from finding the oil, bringing it on to production, and then also creating the equipment that can generate electricity," Stephens analyst Matt Marietta told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday. Others, however, are less convinced that the deal is so transformative. GE and Baker Hughes executives cast themselves as top-three players in a number of service categories, but Piper Jaffray analyst Bill Herbert said he considers them a distant third in many of those businesses, behind Halliburton and Schlumberger. Herbert said that GE is heavily exposed to offshore drilling an area has been hit especially hard by the downturn in oil prices that started in 2014 and that its combination with Baker Hughes will present mostly just a "competitive nuisance" to Schlumberger and Halliburton when it comes to bidding for big deep-water and international projects, he told CNBC. "It's not a parting-of-the-Red-Sea transaction," he said. "It's a marriage of two considerable entities in oilfield capital equipment and oilfield services, respectively. They're not redefining the business model." Bringing big data to the oilfield The two companies initially came together to discuss how Baker Hughes could use GE's Predix big data technology to boost its efficiency in the oil patch. GE has bet big on big data in recent years, wagering that it can increase profits by monitoring the industrial equipment it sells, running the data through Predix, and selling its customers follow-on services to improve their machinery's performance on the factory floor and now, in oil fields. The marriage of big data and new energy technology could be a game changer. Sensors capable of gathering real-time information have proliferated throughout the oil patch, but McKinsey & Co. researchers have found that less than 1 percent of the information gathered from about 30,000 separate data points they studied reached decision-makers. Martin Craighead, president and chief executive officer of Baker Hughes. Aaron M. Sprecher | Bloomberg | Getty Images Tudor's Pope said predictive analytics are already used in oilfield services, but GE and Baker Hughes stand to expand the use of big data in offshore drilling and within the wellbore, in particular. GE's Predix can, for example, help Baker Hughes determine when a piece of equipment is likely to fail, based on how long it's been in the field. GE and Baker Hughes are also seeking to expand big data adoption as a protracted oil price downturn enters a third year, creating an incentive among their customers to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of wells, Pope noted. Global investment bank Jefferies said GE analytics may raise the bar for the industry, though the firm added that "this is the sort of evolution we already like to think we expect of leading service companies." On that point, Piper Jaffray's Herbert said Schlumberger is already ahead of the curve in adopting big data. Little up front for shareholders? Lastly, the company aims to cut costs by finding redundant jobs, equipment and operations between the two companies. That can include laying off workers whose responsibilities overlap, and consolidating office space. The companies say their projected performance is based on a conservative estimate that oil prices will return to $60 a barrel by 2019, but said the deal makes sense even if crude remains depressed. Cutting costs by finding redundant parts of the two businesses will be crucial in Herbert's view because he believes the ownership structure in which GE will control the new entity and pay a one-time dividend of $17.50 a share to Baker Hughes investors gives shareholders little up-front premium. Successful integration will be important for shareholders, Herbett said. watch now Russian paratroopers march at the Red Square in Moscow, on May 9, 2013, during Victory Day parade. Almost half of Russians fear a third world war due to Moscow's worsening relations with the West, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by the independent Levada Center, found 48 percent of respondents felt opposing positions on the war in Syria could widen to a global conflict. Ten percent of those polled "seriously fear" war while the remaining 38 percent had "some fears" about an eventual military conflict between Russia and the West. Just over half of those asked however did support Moscow's current air campaign in Syria but only 18 percent said they followed the situation closely. Another 52 percent of the 1,600 Russian adults polled across 48 different regions supported the Kremlin's Syria strikes and 49 percent thought Moscow should continue its involvement in the conflict. The research body, which considers itself independent, was fined by a Russian court on October 26 for not registering as a "foreign agent". Dow component Pfizer (PFE) headlines this morning's corporate earnings reports . The drugmaker slightly missed expectations with earnings. Revenue was basically in line. But Pfizer issued light forward guidance. (CNBC) Three potentially market-moving events are coming in the next week, including this morning's start of the Fed's two-day November meeting, the government's October jobs report on Friday, and the presidential election next Tuesday. (CNBC) U.S. stock futures were starting off November in the green , after the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq in October saw their biggest monthly losses since January. The Dow was on a three-session losing streak, while the S&P and Nasdaq were off five in a row. (CNBC) DECISION 2016 Donald Trump used a tax avoidance strategy so "legally dubious" that his own lawyers advised him the IRS would consider the move improper, according to The New York Times, which cites newly obtained documents from the 1990s. Congress banned the practice in 2004. The FBI has been conducting a preliminary inquiry into the foreign business connections of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, law enforcement and intelligence sources told NBC News. Manafort said he's unaware of any investigation. FBI Director James Comey argued privately not to name Russia as meddling in the U.S. election because the voting was so close, an ex-bureau official told CNBC. Hillary Clinton aides accused Comey of a "double standard" in revealing a renew interest in candidate's emails. Clinton's 6-point national lead over Trump remains virtually unchanged since last week, even after FBI email bombshell, according to NBC News|SurveyMonkey weekly election tracking poll from the weekend, which included questions about Friday's move by Comey. China has rejected a plan by Trump to back out of a global climate change pact, saying a wise political leader should make policy in line with global trends, a rare comment on a foreign election. (Reuters) IN THE NEWS TODAY Yum Brands (YUM), which owns Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, is spinning off its China business today. Yum China Holdings (YUMC) is set to start trading on the NYSE this morning. The CEOs of Yum and Yum China join CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" after the opening bell. Sony (SNE) reported a nearly 86 percent drop in quarterly profit compared with a year earlier. The bottom line was impacted by a stronger yen, costs from the sale of its battery business, and softness in key areas like games and semiconductors. (CNBC) Wells Fargo (WFC) has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a case involving home appraisal feels for homeowners who had defaulted on their mortgages. A court must still approve the settlement. (CNBC) Valeant (VRX) shares in the premarket were recovering some of Monday's 12 percent loss. The stock was hit by a Bloomberg report that ex-CEO Michael Pearson and ex-CFO Howard Schiller were subjects of a U.S. criminal investigation. Viacom (VIAB) named Bob Bakish as its new acting chief executive officer, replacing the current acting CEO Tom Dooley. Bakish has been the CEO of Viacom's International Media Networks unit. (Reuters) BlackBerry (BBRY) has agreed to work directly with Ford (F) to expand the carmaker's use of its QNX secure operating system. It's BlackBerry's first direct deal with a major automaker, though it does sell its car technology to auto suppliers. (Reuters) A union representing about 4,700 transit workers in Philadelphia went on strike early this morning, after failing to reach a contract agreement. City officials fear the strike could carry over to Election Day. (USA Today) Travelers who haven't purchased Thanksgiving airline tickets yet better not wait. Fares jump by about $4 per day, on average, approaching the holiday, and late last week, a new airfare hike got underway. (USA Today) BY THE NUMBERS Major hedge funds had a mixed October. CNBC has learned that Dan Loeb's Third Point was down 0.7 percent last month, while David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital was up 1.2 percent in October. Both were up about 6 percent for the year. Bill Ackman's Pershing Square was down 3 percent through Oct. 25, and off more than 21 percent for the year. The October ISM manufacturing index is the biggest economic report of the day, out at the 10 a.m. ET. At the same time, the government releases its construction spending report for September. October U.S. vehicle sales roll in throughout the day, with one exception: due to a fire at its headquarters, Ford (F) won't release its numbers today, but hopes to do so later this week. In addition to this morning's earnings reports, Electronic Arts (EA), Papa John's (PZZA), US Steel (X), Texas Roadhouse (TXRH), Western Union (WU) and Zillow (ZG) issue quarterly results after the bell this afternoon. Tesla (TSLA) will hold a webcast at 5 p.m. ET today regarding its planned acquisition of SolarCity (SCTY). STOCKS TO WATCH BP (BP) reported net profit for the third quarter of $1.62 billion, trouncing the consensus expectation of $686 million, but still only delivering around half of last year's result for the period. Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) issued better-than-expected earnings for its third quarter, but gave a cautious outlook, as the oil giant continues to struggle in an environment of low oil prices. Anadarko Petroleum (APC) lost 89 cents per share, wider than the 57-cent loss forecast by analysts. Revenue was also below estimates, on the continuing weakness in energy prices. L Brands (LB) said October comparable store sales are expected to be up 1 percent. The apparel maker also said third quarter earnings would come in at the low end of estimates. Tenet Healthcare (THC) reported quarterly profit of 16 cents per share, missing estimates by 3 cents and lowered its full-year revenue and profit forecasts. Quarterly revenue did beat expectations. WATERCOOLER Investors may want to look abroad when considering the best plays heading into the new year. International ETFs have thrived in the second half of the year. Exchange traded funds that track Brazil, Japan and Latin America have been the top performing nonleveraged ETFs since the start of the third quarter. The WisdomTree Japan Hedged ETF, the DXJ , has gained 16 percent since July 1 following big outflows in the beginning of the year as the yen has weakened. The iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, the EWZ , is up just over 27 percent since the start of the third quarter. Brazilian equities have soared this year following former President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment in August; the Brazilian Bovespa stock exchange hit a four-year high last week. The broader iShares Latin America ETF, the ILF , is up 20 percent in the same period. And European stocks, particularly in Germany and France, could also see substantial growth in the months ahead, according to Boris Schlossberg, managing director of foreign exchange strategy for BK Asset Management. He calls European stocks "the trade for 2017." "I think you're probably going to see much better performance out of Europe than you will out of the U.S., primarily because of the stronger dollar," Schlossberg said Monday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." These countries' exchange rates have depreciated, Schlossberg added, improving the outlook for European exporters. While European ETFs may not have outperformed some of the funds tracking Latin American markets, Schlossberg said, trading European funds against the U.S. could be successful going into 2017. He cited a trade like getting long the German DAX index and short the Dow. From a technical standpoint, Japan may see a breakout on the horizon, according to Matt Maley, managing director and equity strategist at Miller Tabak. "The euro's been weak, the yen has been weak that's going to make them more competitive, and some multinational companies in these individual countries should do quite well," Maley said Monday on "Trading Nation." The Japanese Nikkei 225 index made a bullish double bottom this year, Maley noted, and may be able to break through a key resistance level of 18,000. "And the same thing with the Euro STOXX index," Maley added. "That made a double bottom, and it's the same type of thing; it hasn't rallied quite as much, but the potential is certainly there." While the Japanese DXJ ETF has rallied in the second half, September marked the fifth consecutive month in which foreign investors sold Japanese equities. But a weakening yen and weekly data that show foreign investors have been net buyers of Japanese shares for four consecutive weeks suggests this sell-off could be ending, according to a note published Monday by Brown Brothers Harriman entitled, "Are Foreign Investors Done Selling Japanese Equities?" The Nikkei, too, gained in four of the last week's five sessions, according to the note, mimicking the previous week's performance. This compares to an underwhelming first-half report card from Burberry with no underlying growth - the only sexy movement coming from a significant drop in sterling. The results indicate the same old macro themes may no longer be the thread investors should focus on, and what is moving the needle is good, old-fashioned retailing: Strong brand marketing, good product lines, distribution channels and cost discipline. In its earnings release last week, Italian luxury company Tods painted a picture of a "volatile and uncertain economic and financial environment", pointing to "persistent weakness of consumption in many important markets for luxury goods". Meanwhile British fashion group Burberry continued to blame macro drivers for its ugly set of numbers, citing slowing spending from Chinese customers globally and an uneven performance from the U.S. But the commentary jars. French giant LVMH said both the U.S. and Europe had positive momentum while Asia Pacific ex Japan accelerated. LVMH wasn't alone, Kering said Europe was growing but specifically noted a significant pick up in the U.S. and Asia. The weak spot for both was Japan. This begs the question, is a macro spiral being unfairly blamed for weak results? If the macro is just an excuse, it means bottom-up stock selectors may be able to extract more value from the sector. The Bain & Co. Luxury Study released last week in Milan in collaboration with Fondazione Altagamma, the Italian luxury goods manufacturers' industry foundation, reinforced the narrative of a better backdrop for luxury. The report described the personal luxury goods sector as steady and, specifically on China, said that even the worst performing categories - watches and menswear -were improving. So what's the missing link for those with earnings disappointments this year from Swatch to Richemont and where the short sellers have circled; Tods and Ferragamo? "That is the worst thing possible for the stock market," Cuban told CNBC's "Squawk Alley," adding that the U.S. stock market fell after Friday's news that the FBI was looking into new Clinton-related emails. Cuban, a supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton and outspoken Trump critic, said the Republican nominee's temperament poses a serious risk to markets. A "stupid and offensive" Trump remark during his term could cause geopolitical discord and hit global markets, the entrepreneur said. Mark Cuban arrives to attend the third and final 2016 presidential campaign debate between Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at UNLV in Las Vegas, Oct 19, 2016. Cuban has repeatedly hammered Trump for his business acumen and potential to drag the stock market down. The billionaire developer has touted his business success on the campaign trail as evidence of his ability to be president. However, he said Trump's bizarre remarks show he lacks fitness for the presidency and voters should not expect that to change. "The thought that once he was elected or if he's elected that all the sudden now with all this potential power he's just going to keep quiet and stay scripted. There's no chance that happens. ... The levels to which he would be corrupted by that power are just beyond conception right now," Cuban said. He added that he sees risks in a Clinton presidency in that some of her proposals favored by the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, like backing out of or reforming some trade deals or expanding government spending on college. Cuban said he does not agree with her on all policies but "she understands how government works enough that I can lobby against her." Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks responded to Cuban's remarks in a statement, saying that "I don't think anyone affiliated with Hillary Clinton has much credibility when speaking about corruption. Furthermore, unlike Mark Cuban, Mr. Trump has a winning temperament and his message has resonated with Americans across the country." Microsoft said on Tuesday that a hacking group previously linked to the Russian government and U.S. political hacks is behind recent cyber attacks that exploit a newly discovered flaw in its Windows operating system. Microsoft said that a patch to defend Windows users against this sort of attack will be released on Nov. 8. The software maker said in an advisory on its website there had been a small number of attacks using "spear phishing" emails from a hacking group known Strontium, which is more widely known as "Fancy Bear" or APT 28. Microsoft did not identify any victims of the attacks. A U.S. intelligence expert on Russian cyber activity said that Fancy Bear primarily works for or on behalf of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were responsible for hacks of Democratic Party databases and emails. Microsoft said the attacks exploited a vulnerability in Adobe Systems ' Flash software and one in the Windows operating system. Adobe released a patch for that vulnerability on Monday as security researchers with Google went public with details on the attack. Microsoft chided rival Google for going public with details of the vulnerabilities before it had time to prepare and test a patch to fix them. "Google's decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk," Microsoft said. The Trans-Pacific Partnership opposed by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will have enough votes for ratification by Congress after the election, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman told CNBC on Tuesday. The 12-nation free trade agreement has been a signature economic objective of President Barack Obama and had initial support from Republicans on Capitol Hill, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But support for TPP has cooled since the start of the presidential campaign. Trump has railed against it, calling it the worst deal ever, and Clinton, who pushed it when she was secretary of state, said she can't support the final deal. "If they [House and Senate leaders] bring it forward, I think we can get the votes there," Froman said on "Squawk Box." "This trade agreement eliminates 18,000 taxes on our exports. And members of Congress are starting to see that." Froman also said the agreement has key industries on its side. "We've got the widest, broadest support across the economy. The technology companies, manufacturers, services companies, [and] virtually the entire agriculture sector [are] all in favor of this agreement." "The textile industry, for the first time in its history, [is] supporting a trade agreement," he added. If the U.S. doesn't set the rules of the road in the global economy, China will, he warned. "They are going to move ahead and get access to these markets at our expense. Our market share is actually going to decline in some of these fast-growing, large markets." China is not part of TPP. In addition to the United States, the signatories are Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Peru. The agreement aims to open up key markets, including those in the Asia-Pacific region. "Trade agreements [are] how we shape the global economy and make sure that we have level playing field to compete," Froman said. House Speaker Paul Ryan speaks during the 1st Congressional District Republican Party of Wisconsin Fall Fest on October 8, 2016 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Despite having a conflicted relationship with the Republican presidential nominee, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Tuesday that he voted for Donald Trump last week in Wisconsin. "We need to support our entire Republican ticket," Ryan told Fox News. More from NBC News: Former Miss Universe Alicia Machado to introduce Clinton Koch Network adds two TV ads in 11th-hour effort Trump companies 'systematically' destroyed or hid thousands of emails and records: Report Ryan endorsed Trump over the summer, but distanced himself from the GOP nominee in the wake of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" tape that showed Trump making lewd comments about women. After the release of the tape, Ryan said he wouldn't campaign with Trump. A union representing about 4,700 transit workers in Philadelphia went on strike early Tuesday after failing to reach a contract agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The strike, which will shut dow bus, trolley and subway transportation, provides about 900,000 rides a day. City officials fear the strike will carry over to Election Day, causing concerns for potential voters who plan to use public transport on Nov. 8 to travel to and from work, while finding time to vote in the process. "Our membership voted to go on strike if we did not reach a new agreement by midnight on October 31," union president Willie Brown said, NBC 10 reported. "Despite months of constructive and innovative proposals from our side of the table, management has refused to budge on key issues including safety issues that would save lives and not cost SEPTA a dime. There is no new agreement, so we are on strike." The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) provides transportation for around 60,000 public, private and charter school students. As of late Monday night, schools along with business and hospitals set aside contingency plans in preparation for a strike. Schools are expected to remain open despite the strike. More from USA Today: 'Go ahead. Look at them,' Clinton says of the new emails Obamas dance to 'Thriller' at White House Halloween party 5 things you need to know Tuesday "SEPTA negotiators stand ready and willing to continue bargaining, and the Authority urges Mr. Brown and TWU leadership to return to the bargaining table to negotiate an agreement that will end a severely disruptive work stoppage," said SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch, according to NBC 10. "In doing so, Mr. Brown walked away from a contract offer that would have provided his members pay raises, enhanced pension benefits, maintained health care coverage levels and continued job security, while also remaining fair and affordable for the taxpayers and riders who fund SEPTA." Nita Mae Ferguson passed away with her family at her side on Oct. 27, 2016, at Cedar Wood Healthcare Community in Red Lodge. She was born to William and Juanita (Stone) Hebbert on July 3, 1938, in Sheridan, Wyo., joining an older sister, Ilene. The Hebbert family moved often due to Bill working as a large machinery operator building roads and bridges throughout Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. They lived in a camper that Bill had built by hand. When Nita was 7 years old, her mother passed away leaving Bill to care for the two young girls. Over the next 9 years, Bill would find women to marry, but the marriages wouldnt last. Ilene and Nita survived those years together. When Nita was 16, she decided to stay in Red Lodge, where her father was currently working, and live with a foster family, James and Virginia Brophy, who were very good to her. Nita entered high school and she flourished. She was a very popular girl; drum majorette for the school band, editor of the Red Lodge Annual and was invited to join Rainbow, a Masonic youth service organization for girls. She was also elected May Queen by the whole student body. Nita and her sister Ilene sang beautifully together and entertained at weddings and other functions. The girls also were able to record a few songs on 78 records that are still in the family. She was also picked to draw a beautiful picture of the schools mascot, a Red Lodge Redskin, for the school newspaper. After graduating high school, Nita went to the U of M in Missoula where she joined the Kappa Kappa gamma sorority. She continued with her singing, and with a trio of friends, formed a group known as the Kappa Keyes. They sang at weddings, parties and many social events. Nita had also decided her field of study would be psychology. Unfortunately, after just a year in college, Nita realized she couldnt afford to go on, so she moved back to Red Lodge. There she met a telephone repairman named Roger Ferguson, whom she married on Nov. 29, 1958. A year later, they welcomed a baby girl, Brenda Sue. Two years later, a son, Michael Paul, arrived. Then, eight years down the road, a surprise, son Jeffery Max appeared. Over the years, Nitas family thrived because of her. She was a wonderful cook, kept a neat and tidy home and was a very warm and loving wife and mother who had an awesome sense of humor! She was always humming a tune or singing a little ditty that her mother had taught her years before. And she was active outside the home as well, making and selling homemade candles with a family friend, beautifully refinishing antique furniture that she collected, canning chokecherry jelly, running her own second hand clothing store called Sophisticated Seconds and making the best original Halloween costumes. She was also very active in P.E.O., the Carbon County Hospital Board and the Red Lodge School Board, where she was very instrumental in helping make major changes for the school. Nita and her family loved to go camping, and with three or four other families, would spend one week every summer for 16 years at Sawtooth Lake in a teepee camped next to the lake. She was also a published author; writing a book about her life and titling it Almost Invisible. In 1989, Nita and Roger bought a neglected little cabin up the West Fork of Rock Creek in an area known as Camp Senia, which was a dude ranch back in the 1920s. Together, family and friends transformed this place into a warm, comfortable home away from home using it for many family gatherings and also letting others us it for a relaxing retreat. Nita and Roger were foster parents to three children, and also opened their home to other children in Red Lodge who needed a stable place to stay for a time. Nita sis survived by her loving husband, Roger of Red Lodge; daughter, Brenda and husband Bryon Whittington of Shepherd, and their kids, Bradley and Cody of Rosemount, Minn.; son, Mike and wife Kimberly (Brammer) of Red Lodge, and their kids Zachary and wife Trinity (Stark) of Missoula, Christopher, Samantha, Alex and girlfriend Elexa Van Ornum, all of Red Lodge, and son, Jeff of Boise, Idaho. She is preceded in death by her parents and sister. Special thanks from Nitas family goes out to the entire staff of Cedar Wood in Red Lodge, who made her short stay both comfortable and happy. They were very caring and professional in every way and it is deeply appreciated. A service will be held at 11 a.m., Nov. 4 at the Red Lodge Community Church, 308 S. Broadway, with a lunch reception following at the Church. Cremation has taken place and spreading of her ashes will take place at a later date. Smith-Olcott Funeral Chapel of Red Lodge has assisted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Yellowstone Wildlife Center, 615 2nd Street East, Red Lodge, MT 59068; or a charity of your choice. Saudi Arabia appointed market regulator Mohammed al-Jadaan as its new finance minister by royal decree on Monday, replacing Ibrahim Alassaf, who had held the post since 1996. Alassaf, 67, had been the last veteran member of cabinet to remain in a key post through a series of government reshuffles after King Salman assumed power last year, including one in May that replaced the long-standing oil minister. He has been made minister of state and will remain a member of the Council of Ministers, as the Saudi cabinet is known, according to the royal decree. The decree also appointed new chiefs for the Public Transport Commission and the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), which both supplies water and generates electricity. It transferred responsibility for consumer protection from the ministry for commerce and investment to the health minister, Tawfiq al-Rabeeah. "I think people in Silicon Valley are still open to change," McNamee said. "But the things that they're working on aren't as valuable as the things people used to work on. And sadly, we've seen far more fraud in the past couple of years than I can remember any time in the 34 years I've been here. And so I think people just want to get rich now, and scams have become part of what goes on in Silicon valley and that troubles me deeply." The bigger issue? Many entrepreneurs are now financially motivated, rather than by an optimism to take risks and improve the world, McNamee said. "I think he's right in the diagnosis, wrong in the prescription for what to do about it," McNamee said. "But that's my political view against his, and we're both entitled to those views." Misogyny and greed are both rampant in tech's heartland, said McNamee, a technology investor. But McNamee said he's not at all bothered that Thiel is a Trump supporter. The past year has revealed enormous challenges in Silicon Valley, but the political divide around Peter Thiel isn't one of them, Roger McNamee, co-founder of Elevation Partners, told CNBC's " Squawk Alley " on Tuesday. Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir Technologies, has incited backlash with a more than $1 million donation to Trump. Thiel said on Monday that Trump provides an outside viewpoint to decades of "bubble" thinking, and that Trump supporters don't always take the Republican candidate's divisive comments as literally as the media. Prominent Silicon Valley figures like Ellen Pao have condemned Thiel's alignment with Trump, citing the real estate mogul's attacks on racial minorities and women. But McNamee said he doesn't think Thiel is responsible for an increased politicization in the Valley. "People have stepped back, if anything," McNamee said. "The Valley has a real misogyny problem ... a lot of the people in the Valley who supported Barack Obama have been reluctant to support Hillary Clinton. And I think it is just part of this very deep-seeded misogyny that the Valley has been struggling with for decades." McNamee said the shift comes as the industry has lost its central values. "If you want to get rich really quickly, this is where you come," McNamee said. "It's been a real change in the culture. And Peter Thiel was one of the early leaders of that new wave and one of the most successful players in it. And I would actually suggest that while the typical person in Silicon Valley is a northern California liberal, the people in the entrepreneur class and in the senior management class are not. And I think there's a very deep libertarian streak there." As a consequence, political engagement has historically been less important to Silicon Valley than it would be to executives in other parts of the country, McNamee said. "I respect Peter Thiel's right to have his own political views, no matter how much I may disagree with them," McNamee said. "I'm not bothered by that part at all. My issues with Peter Thiel much more relate to corporate governance, and having his views associated with businesses I would like to invest in, which I think can do better without him." Some 125 institutional funds have filed a damages claim for more than 100 million pounds ($122.3 million) against British supermarket Tesco relating to its 2014 profit overstatement, the group coordinating the legal action said on Monday. Bentham Europe, which provides financial backing for group claims, said the legal action would seek to prove that Britain's biggest retailer breached the law by making misleading statements to the stock market that omitted material information and which were relied on by investors when making investment decisions. "The claim will assert that Tesco's misstatements are in clear breach of its obligations under the Financial Services & Markets Act and investors must be compensated," said Jeremy Marshall, Bentham Europe's chief investment officer. Donald Trump used a tax avoidance maneuver so "legally dubious" that his own lawyers advised him the Internal Revenue Service would consider it improper, the New York Times (NYT) reports. The NYT said it had newly obtained documents related to the Republican presidential candidate's tax affairs from the 1990sa time at which Trump was attempting to stave off financial ruin as several of his casinos went bustthat shows he potentially swapped canceled debt held by the bankrupt gaming houses for "partnership equity." The newspaper previously reported that Trump declared a $916 million loss on his tax returns in 1995, which would have allowed him to cancel out an equivalent amount of taxable income over the next 18 years. It said such a debt-for-equity swap was likely vital to allowing Trump to keep the tax benefit of that huge loss. Although the NYT's main report implies strongly but does not specifically say that Trump undertook the tax avoidance maneuver, an accompanying interactive graphic alleges that he did. Nov. 1, 2016 A Florida museum led and supported by spaceflight pioneers, community leaders and former space program workers now has a new name to better reflect its mission. The U.S. Space Walk of Fame Museum, founded in 2001, has been renamed the American Space Museum. "The name change was a logical next step in our evolution as it gives visitors a better idea of what they'll experience at our facility," said Tara Dixon Engel, the American Space Museum's executive director, in a statement. The 6,100-sq.foot (570-sq.m) museum, which moved into its current Titusville building in 2014, displays artifacts and collectibles donated by astronauts and space workers who were involved in U.S. program since its start in the 1950s. The museum's exhibition hall devotes galleries to NASA's Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, as well as the more recently-retired space shuttle program. American Space Museum docent Joe Adams explains the Model 4 Sequencer from Launch Complex 16 to students. (SWOFF) One of the museum's most popular exhibits offers visitors the chance to experience the sounds and sensations of an actual rocket countdown and launch. The Cape Canaveral Room features a sequencer from Launch Complex 16 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station that had been used to launch Titan II missiles, as well as consoles from Pad 36A, which were last used in 2005 to launch Atlas-Centaur rockets. Over the past year, the museum has been the focus of an extensive "refresh," including implementing new collection practices, creating interpretive signage and renovating the facility's galleries and public areas. The U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation still oversees the American Space Museum, as well as four monuments erected to honor the workers behind the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs at Space View Park in Titusville and a new digital Space Workers Hall of Honor. "Now that [Titusville] maintains the monuments while our foundation manages the engraving process, we are able to focus more on the form and function of the museum," said Dixon Engel. "We have been upgrading and improving our processes and the overall visitor experience," she said. "Our purpose has never changed; we are here to honor America's space pioneers, preserve our nation's space history and inspire a new generation of dreamers and doers." "That's the constant for our monuments and our museum." The American Space Museum in Titusville, Florida. (SWOFF) The new name was adopted to better convey that goal to visitors, who have sometimes confused the museum with the nearby U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. "Or they thought we were a facility dedicated to those who had walked in space," Dixon Engel stated. "By becoming the American Space Museum, we tell visitors exactly what they can expect from us." In addition to continuing to refresh its artifact displays, the American Space Museum also offers a space education program, a STEAM Shop offering science and technology gifts, and soon, a new "makerspace," providing the use of 3D printers, LEGO toy sets and other hands-on projects. The American Space Museum, located at 308 Pine Street in Titusville, is open to the public six days a week, Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Its mostly silent outside in the mornings now. Snow is predicted for the high country with a slow, dreary rain on the prairie. Fall is here. And yet the meadowlark sings. Bird breeding season is long gone and the vast majority of migratory songbirds have left for points south. And yet the meadowlark sings. In the spring, the western meadowlark is harbinger of better times ahead, and we love it. Some people even make note of the day each year they first hear a meadowlark; mid-March this year, first week of April last year. Like many other prairie birds, meadowlarks nest and forage on the ground. Their chunky bodies and sharp bills are perfect for a life hunkered down on a nest or poking among grasses for insects in the warmer months and seeds in the fall and winter. But when other birds leave and their songs fade away like summer wages, Montanas state bird continues singing into the fall. There are several theories on why the western meadowlark whistles and warbles in autumn. Maybe its this years young males practicing for next breeding season. With a mortality rate of 50 percent or more for many songbirds before they reach the age of 1, that is optimism in the extreme. Maybe the males are staking out territory to get a head start on next year. Its thought Montana meadowlarks dont travel too far south, perhaps to Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, or even New Mexico for the winter. The website for Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a solid natural history description and a wonderful map outlining the summer and winter ranges of the western meadowlark: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Meadowlark/id With not far to travel compared to songbirds that head to Central America, Montanas meadowlarks might stick around to ward off claim jumpers that want to check out next years hot spots for females. And maybe meadowlarks just like to sing. We often put human qualities into birds the majestic bald eagle, the wise old owl so why not assume meadowlarks like to hear their own voices like a TV contestant. Think Americas got talent? Check out the avian world. Not all birds are talented songsters. Some can only grunt or hiss. Sharptailed grouse, one of our native prairie grouse, have air sacks in their throats that allow the males to make booming sounds when courting in the spring. Woodpeckers hammer on whatever makes the loudest noise; sometimes to the consternation of a homeowner when the pecking takes place on a chimney or siding. Then there are those species that produce melodic sounds rivaling symphonies, often to mark territory or attract a mate. Fall is not mating time for North American birds, which brings us back to why the meadowlark sings. Maybe the better question is: Why not? Just the other morning after a rain I walked outside and closed my eyes. It was easy to imagine the calendar read spring. The temperature was delightfully cool, the air smelled of wet earth and the meadowlark sang. Then the bird stopped and there was silence. Fall, again. I know why the meadowlark sings. It sings so we can enjoy it. In John's box of precious things, the former foster child keeps a tattered business card of his CASA. Before swearing in 13 new court appointed special advocates, Yellowstone County CASA Executive Director Cass Staton told the group about John, a child who had bounced between foster homes before being adopted. His CASA volunteer was his only constant. This was the role the new volunteers had agreed to fill for children in the Yellowstone County foster system, Staton said. Among the volunteers sworn in Monday was Yellowstone County Justice Court of Record ticket and DUI clerk Angela Penninger. Even before she worked at the county courthouse, Penninger had heard of CASA. Penninger has an adopted son who she said had siblings who got lost in the foster care system. "Just knowing there are so many kids out there that can use this help," Penninger said, "I'm really excited. It'll be a wonderful experience for me, and hopefully for the child." More than 600 children in Yellowstone County are in foster care, and with about 100 CASA volunteers, they are able to serve about 200 of those kids, Staton said. Yellowstone County District Court Judge Mary Jane Knisely said if people are thinking of becoming CASA volunteers to, "Do it." "I can understand being hesitant," Knisely said. "But if you're considering it, know you get comprehensive training and a more veteran CASA will mentor you. I've never heard of someone being sorry they did CASA." The Yellowstone County CASA program is pushing for an increase in American Indian CASAs, Staton said. AmeriCorps VISTA Shannen Keene and Indian Child Welfare Program Coordinator Nicole Walksalong are two new CASA team members helping with this effort. American Indian children make up 40 percent of Yellowstone County's foster care children, while the Native American population in Yellowstone County was only 4.6 percent in July 2015, Keene said. Keene was hired to try to help bridge this gap. She has reached out to Little Big Horn College and Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council in an effort to learn more about the Native cultures in the area, as well as spread the word about the need for more Native American CASA volunteers. People interested in becoming a CASA volunteer are encouraged to attend a one-hour informational session to learn about the program, Staton said. The next session will be at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 3 at the CASA office, 1201 Grand Ave. Suite 5. For more information, people can visit the Yellowstone CASA website. While recent reports of stolen mail stoked rumors of ballot theft, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has not found voters to be a target. This event started with some complaints of thefts of ballots, which didnt actually turn out to be legitimate ballot theft," said U.S. Postal Inspector Jeremy Leder. Billings police received at least 10 reports of stolen mail around Oct. 19, some of which included absentee ballots. The calls came from various Billings neighborhoods, and police didn't see an immediate pattern to the thefts. Some had ballots stolen, others had not. The reported thefts led someone to launch a full-page ad in The Gazette, which offers a $5,000 reward for information about stolen mail from the Augusta Ranch area. The ad doesn't mention ballots and provides a phone number for the Billings Crimestoppers hotline. Leder said Billings' local postal inspector, who is a federal officer, has worked with police in the matter. Mail theft is a federal crime, and he said the Postal Service takes the reports seriously. But he said that there was no evidence that thieves were targeting ballots. "That wasn't the case," Leder said, "but it certainly made us want to go out and dispel that rumor." Yellowstone County Elections Administrator Bret Rutherford said he hadn't received additional reports of absentee ballot thefts or calls to invalidate a potentially stolen ballot. "I would assume that if the police department gets reports they would talk to us, too," he said. By Monday his office had received nearly 40,000 returned absentee ballots. About 20,000 are still out, Rutherford said. This election season has seen high-profile politicians, such as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, openly question the safety of the election process. The narrative has been present in Montana politics this year, especially after reports earlier this month of volunteers offering to take voters' ballots to elections offices in Missoula and Livingston. At the same time, elections officials have denounced claims of widespread fraud. Montana Secretary of State Linda McCulloch likened them to conspiracy theories. Leder said the Postal Service conducts security reviews on the handling of ballots. While ballots have been stolen before, he said he hasn't seen an "organized attack" to do so. "They understand how important these things are to get delivered," he said. "We very rarely have any issues regarding the security of ballots with the Postal Service. MoDOT seeks more public input on 70/63 connector plans A public meeting from MoDOT seeks more information from the public regarding plans for the I-70/U.S. 63 connector in Columbia. Ten years ago, Billings nonprofit agencies, business and local government leaders recognized that Montanas largest city needed to do a better job of helping homeless people and preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place. That was the impetus for the Mayors Committee on Homelessness, which brought together dozens of Billings people to forge a plan. With federal funding awarded by the state of Montana, Billings became a pilot project that has succeeded in spurring community action here while also sharing information to help communities across the country tackle homelessness. One of the early benefits was simply bringing helpers together. Sitting around a big conference table on the dingy third floor of the old public library, people learned what services other organizations offered. Those revelations helped improve coordination of services and planning to fill gaps. Local faith organizations have always reached out to the poor, but the Mayors Committee brought them into a broader discussion on community homelessness. Churches and spiritual leaders have become important partners in this community effort. Other committee-inspired projects include: The Billings Home Center, which provides education for renters, landlords and first-time home buyers. Billings Community Connect, an annual one-day event bringing dozens of service providers all to one location helping link people who were homeless or at risk for being homeless. The Billings Metra VISTA Project, which has 28 VISTAs placed with local nonprofit agencies now. Some will complete their service in January, others in July. Brenda Beckett, manager of the city office of community development, expects VISTA work to continue as long as federal funding continues. She is hopeful of adding some June-August volunteers next summer to work with elementary school students on preventing summer reading skill loss. Community Innovations and a partnership between Billings police and local addiction treatment providers to get people off the streets and into recovery. Teachers, students and other volunteers have stepped up to organize food and necessity pantries in local public schools. Most recently, Montana State University Billings opened a student food pantry on campus after a survey found that a significant number of students reported not having enough food. Needy students include recent high school graduates as well as nontraditional students who are older and may be juggling work, kids and college. While applauding new initiatives, we also commend long-time helping agencies that continue to contribute mightily to Billings quality of life. For example, St. Vincent de Paul Society, which has assisted needy folks for more than four decades at its charity office on Montana Avenue, is moving those services a few blocks to an accessible building that will better meet changing needs. The Billings City Council was right to support St. Vincent de Pauls project by agreeing to reimburse up to $350,000 in costs of remodeling its new building at First Avenue South and South 30th Street. Homelessness is a community problem, its not St. Vincent de Pauls problem, nor Montana Rescue Missions problem. These nonprofits are part of the solution: broad community involvement to reduce the causes and suffering of homelessness. Mayors Committee members gathered last week to celebrate successes and mark the end of the committee. But the work of reducing homelessness must go on. As Committee Chairwoman Sue Runkle told a Gazette reporter: There are still many opportunities to volunteer for agencies and social service organizations that can use your help. So far this school year, Billings Public Schools have identified 335 homeless students, the same number identified by Oct. 31 last year, according to Runkle, the districts homeless student liaison. Consider how large that number is: Most school districts in Montana have fewer than 335 students total. The city of Billings is a better place because of you, Mayor Tom Hanel told the committee crowd. Billings will be an even better city if all of us keep working together to prevent homelessness. The Oct. 26 Gazette opinion on Marsys Law, CI-116 stopped short of endorsing the crime victims bill of rights initiative based on a number of concerns. Id like to address those concerns and provide some clarifying information to address what I feel the Gazette got wrong. Marsys Law will be a very big step in the right direction for victims of crime in Montana. It will help to empower those whove been victimized and give them equal footing in the courtrooms where today they are considered second-class citizens. Its true that Montana provides many rights for crime victims at the statutory level. The problem is that those existing rights are usually not enforceable for victims because theyre subordinate to the rights of offenders, who already have constitutional rights. Today, when a victims rights come in conflict with the rights of an offender, the offenders rights always trump. Under Marsys Law, a judge would have the ability to weigh the competing rights against each other, finally giving victims the equal footing they deserve. Heres an example. Most of the time victims are informed about proceedings in their case currently a statutory right. But sometimes, mistakes are made and no notification is made. Today, when that happens theres no recourse for the victim that statutory right to be notified is essentially worthless. Under Marsys Law, victims would have an enforceable constitutional right to be notified. In our example, if a mistake is made and no notification is issued, the victim would have the ability to go to the judge and ask that their right be enforced essentially asking that the hearing be done again. And a judge could grant that request. Marsys Law is well designed and has been extensively vetted. Its based on victims rights amendments already in place in many other states. In total, 32 states already have some form of constitutional rights for crime victims. And based on the experience of other states, we know that Marsys Law can be implemented without significant increases in workloads for prosecutors or financial costs for local governments. And that certainly squares with the intent of Marsys Law to ensure speedy justice for victims of crime. On behalf of the thousands of Montanans victimized by crime each year, Id like to personally ask that Montana voters give a yeses vote to CI-116. No one expects to be a victim of crime, but it truly can happen to anyone. And when it does, those victims expect their criminal justice system to keep them informed, involved, and bring them justice. Marsys Law will help ensure that happens. Donna James Leads a Bold Plan to Revive Victorias Secret James has a proven record as a C-suite executive and adviser. Now, shes guiding the lingerie giant toward a more inclusive, financially sound future. Things to See and Do in and Around Columbus in November Google's Daydream View virtual reality headset will start shipping on Nov. 10 for $79. The VR headset will work with phones compatible with Daydream, including Google's Pixel. Users can place a smartphone in the Daydream View to roam virtual worlds, watch movies or play games. The company showed a number of Daydream applications at the Unite 2016 Los Angeles keynote on Tuesday. The applications included a shooter, a kart racing game, a Wall Street Journal financial app and a social interaction application. Over the coming weeks, video apps from Hulu and YouTube will be available. Netflix is also developing an application for Daydream. A number of gaming apps, including Home Run Derby and Need For Speed, will also be available. The headset will be available through Verizon and Best Buy. It will also ship in Canada, the U.K., Germany and Australia. Daydream View is free of tethers, but it won't provide a VR experience as powerful as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, which need to be hooked up to PCs with high-end graphics processors. Many developers are making applications for Daydream View, said Nathan Martz, lead product manager for the Daydream development platform. Users will also be able to make in-application purchases, which is important for developers to monetize their applications, Martz said. The headset weighs about 220 grams, about 8 ounces, and has a stretched fabric cover. More Daydream phones will be announced later this year. Some voters believe that the victim rights statute already in place is sufficient, just as I did, until my child became the victim of an unprovoked, violent attack perpetrated by multiple assailants. In our familys experience, victims are not always notified. Our family has missed several hearings due to the failure of enforcement of the statute. We discovered the first missed hearing when a friend commented on the lack of justice of the hearing and release of one of my childs offenders, which was featured in a news article that morning. In that moment I felt sick to my stomach, flaming tears rolling down my cheeks. I excused myself from the call and frantically searched the web for the article. Thoughts flooded my mind. Were we in danger? Why had we been left out? Montana Code 4624106, subsection 2, states, a victim of a criminal offense has the right to be present during any trial or hearing conducted by a court. Present? We did not even know about it. Clearly, this basic right was violated, and this was just the beginning. Lets imagine that in the event described above the offender was not notified. Because our constitution provides nine sections of rights for offenders, there would be public outrage and, most likely, a lawsuit. Knowing that, offenders are always notified by our criminal justice system. Our constitution is a living document for a reason: that we may update it to better serve our citizens. As such, the current state of this document leaves a large portion of our citizens unprotected, summoning the need for change. Opponents state that victims are not notified because they fail to maintain accurate contact information. I contacted the county attorneys office, provided our information, and stated that I made arrangements with my employer to be at the courthouse in as little as thirty minutes for future hearings. As we missed subsequent hearings, I reminded that office of the arrangement, verified contact information, then spent two days contacting every local, county, state, and national representative. I collaborated with the media to advocate for all Montana crime victims. I spoke at the crime victims forum hosted by the attorney general. Ive gone above and beyond the actions of a typical victim. I am certain the inconsistencies in notification are not intentional. I fully support our justice system and appreciate those who answer the call to serve. I am the daughter of a hero who served his community as a law enforcement officer for 28 years. I learned that upon recognizing a problem, individuals have two choices. They may idly contribute to the problem by doing nothing, or they can speak up. I refuse to be a part of this problem. That's why I plead with my fellow Montanans to investigate how victims benefit from Marsy's Law, CI-116, and cast a yes vote. I look forward to the day when my family can rest assured that we will receive notification, on every hearing, every single time. Cllr Peter Golds is Leader of the Conservative Group on Tower Hamlets Council. Last Thursday, Cllr Mohammed Shahed Ali, a Tower Hamlets councillor for ten years was jailed for five months after pleading guilty to one count of housing fraud under Section 3 of the Fraud Act 2006; for failing to disclose his property portfolio when completing a housing application form for a council tenancy. Ali was elected to the council on three occasions. Firstly in 2006 for the Respect Party, in 2010 for Labour and in 2014 for Tower Hamlets First. After defecting from Respect to Labour he was appointed by then Cllr Lutfur Rahman to his Cabinet. He lost this position in 2010 when Rahman failed to become Labour group leader. He defected to the Rahman group after the 2010 Mayoral election, and was again appointed by Rahman to the Cabinet until Rahman himself was disqualified from office in 2015. The story of his criminality begins in February 2001 when he applied for social housing citing overcrowding and giving an address at Datchett House, E3. On the application form he signed that he would notify the council if his circumstances change. A year later he purchased a former council property in Pinnace House, E14 which he rented out. He did not change the statement on the application form that his circumstances had changed, which he was legally obliged to do. In March 2008 he further purchased the British India Restaurant, 36-38 Connaught Avenue, Frinton on Sea. The premises have family-sized flats on the first and second floors. Once again he did not change the statement on the application form that his circumstances had changed. In 2001 his late father, using Right to Buy legislation, purchased the lease of 38 Welstead House, E1. In all three of his election contests he gave this as his home address on nomination papers. Upon the death of his widowed mother he inherited this property. He continued to rent out Pinnace House and owned and run the British India Restaurant. Eventually his application for social housing reached the top of the housing list and he bid for and accepted the tenancy of 17 Harkness House, 101 Christian Street, E1. In doing this he failed to disclose his circumstances and continued to rent out Pinnace House whilst owning and running the British India Restaurant and officially living at his other property, 38 Welstead House, E1. It was during the 2015 election petition that this all came to light as he registered himself to vote at both Welstead House and Harkness House. In the 2014 election votes were cast in his name from both addresses. In advance of the election court hearing his ballot papers were impounded by the High Court and made available to the police. Predictably, the police were unable to establish evidence of a corrupt practice and so concluded their investigation. No presiding officer reported any voter in his Whitechapel polling station wearing rubber gloves on being handed their ballot paper. In fact there will be few fingerprints on the ballot paper and it is therefore possible to test them for finger prints. Perhaps the Metropolitan Police do not have the equipment? However, this matter was raised in the election court and here are the relevant, numbered, paragraphs in the Mawrey Judgement: 328 At this point I should mention the mysterious case of Mr Shahed Ali. He was registered as being resident at two separate addresses, Flat 38 Welstead House, Cannon Street Road, E1 2LJ and 17 Harkness House, 101 Christian Street, E1 1RX. Both these addresses were in the same division of Whitechapel Ward (WH3) whose polling station was Henry Gosling Primary School. Mr Ali, though submitting a witness statement on behalf of Mr Rahman, was not called as a witness. 329 Absent from any explanation being tendered to the court, it would appear that Mr Ali had himself registered twice in the ward in which he was standing (indeed stood successfully) as a THF candidate. On the face it, both addresses cannot have met the residence test and the inescapable inference is that at least one of them is false. 330 In dealing with the case of Mr Shahed Ali, the court is in no way embarrassed by the refusal of the parties to adduce his evidence or other evidence concerning his electoral behaviour. During the course of the Scrutiny, representatives of the Metropolitan Police removed the two ballots cast from these addresses in the Mayoral election and, it is understood may have obtained by another route the ballots cast in the ward and European elections. Mr Ali was arrested but it was decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge him with an electoral fraud. For a decade this man served as a councillor bound by the Nolan principles. For half of that time he was a senior member of the administration taking part in, and voting on decisions relating to housing allocations and matters of probity. After investigation by the councils internal fraud service he was summoned by the council to appear at Thames Magistrates Court in December 2015. He was represented by Hodge, Allen, Jones (Solicitors). Initially he tried not to enter a plea. He was advised by the Judge to take advice and returned with a plea of not guilty. During the adjournment the Judge established that he was an elected public official and referred the case to Snaresbrook Crown Court. He subsequently dismissed his solicitors and appointed a company based in Dewsbury and was represented at Snaresbrook Court by Recorder Abdul Iqbal QC of Park Square Chambers, Leeds. The case was scheduled for a three day hearing in late September and on the first day, after an adjournment he finally pleaded guilty. Whilst awaiting sentence, Tower Hamlets First, or whatever the currently call themselves, organised a campaign of testimonials to be presented to the Court indicating his long and valued service to the community! There were also indications of his ownership/occupation of yet another property in Upney. In addition it has just been revealed that the council took him to court for unpaid council tax. Once again where are the police in all of this? No doubt Cllr Shahed Ali was one of those spoken to. In the so called investigation following on from the election petition Perhaps the surreal nature of this group is best indicated by revealing that in March 2015, whilst in the Rahman cabinet, he was one of a number of Tower Hamlets First councillors to visit Greece for a meeting with the Syriza Parliamentary Group. This group was led by Cllr Oliur Rahman who wore a Homburg hat, he said, given to him by George Galloway. In the meantime, Lutfur Rahman, at a meeting the previous week, anointed his personal choice as mayoral candidate for the 2018 election. This is to be Cllr Ohid Ahmed, generally regarded even amongst Tower Hamlets First, as one of the weaker councillors in a crowded field of general incompetence. He said in his victory statement that he will not rest until winning back the mayoralty for the community. One may ask what community? Photographs taken at the event showed an all middle aged male line up. I have seen more diversity in an average gay bar The September Tower Hamlets council meeting showed that Tower Hamlets First are up to their old tricks of disruption and intimidation. Shahed Ali led a walkout of their councillors in an outburst of synthetic rage, playing to a crowded gallery where, in 21st century Britain, the Tower Hamlets First supporters sat, men in all the front rows and the women were huddled out of sight, at the rear. That is what they mean by community. Now there is to be a by-election in a ward that has been a by word for malpractice and corruption. The first anonymous leaflet with bizarre allegations has been circulated and indeed tweeted. It will be interesting to see whether the police actually honour their commitment to free and fair elections? None of us are holding our breaths. Christopher Howarth is a senior researcher working in the House of Commons. Prior to this he worked for Open Europe, as a Conservative Foreign Affairs Adviser and senior researcher to a Shadow Europe Minister. Facilitating trade is supposedly the EUs raison detre. Therefore to have to cancel the unveiling of a major trade agreement with that most friendly of states Canada due to a veto wielded by a Belgique region provoked a rare bout of soul searching amongst some in the EU institutions. Canada, a NATO member, a rich open economy, sharing two European languages and one head of state if not Canada then who? Well the unlikely answer is the UK. The threat by Wallonia, the French speaking half of Belgium, to veto the EU/Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) highlights a number of issues. Primarily how the EU, encumbered by national, MEP and now sub-state vetoes, has the ability to block the UKs ability to strike trade agreements with even our closest allies. But if the EU is hard to do business with that raises questions as to what will happen when the UK is at the other end of the EUs stick negotiating a UK/EU agreement. Will we have to contend with veto-wielding Wallonians? Will it take seven years? Why did the Canadian / EU negotiation take seven years? It would be easy to put the dilatory behaviour down to Parkinsons Law: if there is no deadline there is no need to hurry. The tardiness could also be put down to the fact that the EU was under no pressure only 1.7 per cent of the EUs trade is with Canada, meaning EU businesses have not pressed for a speedy conclusion. However, it is not all down to a languid bureaucracy. There were genuine issues to resolve. Canada and the EU were starting from scratch. They had to agree the removal of tariffs and compliance over the full breadth of two highly advanced economies, with Canadian provincial interests and the diverse interests of the EU; from farmers fearing competition on the one hand to the EUs bizarre insistence on a human rights and nuclear non-proliferation clause, to the chagrin of Canada. This and the concurrent negotiation the EU was conducting with the US TTIP all compounded the delays. The UK will, thankfully, be in a very different position. The UK and EU are already in 100 per cent regulatory conformity and both parties have removed 100 per cent of their respective trade tariffs. Whereas the EU and Canada had to discuss the removal of all manner of trade impediments the EU/UK trade talks will have none to discuss, unless for some hereto unknown reason the EU or UK wish to reverse history and recreate trade tariffs and barriers. The politics of any EU UK agreement are very different to CETA If Canada currently accounts for only 1.7 per cent of the EUs trade the UK accounts for 17 per cent of the EU27s exports. Wallonian objectors to CETA had little to lose in terms of their own exports to Canada and so were free to grandstand. Jobs in Wallonia and the rest of the EU do depend on exports to the UK. While Wallonian farmers saw Canadian agricultural exports as a threat, the UK is a big agricultural importer EU farmers faced with UK import tariffs are more likely to protest the absence of a UK trade agreement than a trade deal with the UK that preserves much of the status quo. Even when you look at the details of the precise Wallonian objections there are major differences. While the Wallonian dispute seemed to centre on protections to be given to Canadian investors the so called Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) it seems the real target of the left wing campaigners was not Canada but similar provisions to be put in the US/EU agreement TTIP. The same ISDS sailed through the recent EU/Vietnam trade negotiations without a placard being waved. While at present UK investors in the EU can fall back on the ECJ to uphold their rights and non-discrimination (without NGO complaining), it would be ironic if a continuance of such investor protection should become a stumbling block, if indeed the UK felt the need to ask for them. How the EU concludes trade agreements A further reason why the UK/EU trade agreement unlikely to be held captive by political protests in single states is due to the EUs legal machinery. The EUs decision making process for concluding trade agreements are set out in its treaties (article 207 TFEU here) which states that pure trade agreements are decided by Qualified Majority Voting (QMV), i.e with no national vetoes. This was the case with the EU/Singapore agreement and many others. The EU/Canadian CETA agreement did not follow this course as it was argued by some states that some aspects of the agreement went beyond pure trade agreements into areas decided by unanimity the Commission disagreed with this legal interpretation but relented in order to speed things along. Whether the EU/UK agreement would be held to require unanimity would in the first instance depend on what the UK was asking for. If the UK wished to agree a straight forward zero tariff agreement with the EU, it would not be subject to national vetoes. In any event, given the Wallonian experience and what would be at stake, the Commission and the EU27 could well find a way to agree an EU/UK trade deal without national vetoes. Likewise the European Parliament at the end of the day is highly unlikely to veto an agreement in the face of 27 national governments and political parties. It is likely to be handed a take it or leave it deal by the European Council, and after the obligatory fuss will agree. Could the negotiations be done under Article 50? However, there is another legal mechanism open to the EU and UK under which to negotiate Article 50. Article 50 is the much talked about exit route, it can be stretched out to two years and encompasses the main areas of the UKs withdrawal. As it is probable that the UK will wish to negotiate both its technical exit from the EU and its new trade agreement concurrently, and given Article 50 is QMV, then both agreements could in law or in practice become agreements decided by majority voting. Either way the UK/EU agreement will be unique, it will be the EUs most important third party agreement and will of necessity be concluded quickly. Fortunately, the EU can move when it has to; emergency tariff agreements with Ukraine and each Eurozone patch were done in weeks and months not years. The UK will leave the EU and as the head of the WTO Roberto Azevedo has said will not face a trade vacuum or a disruption. And when the UK has left we are free (assuming we are not stuck with Turkey in the EU Customs Union) to agree our own deals with our Canadian cousins. This may initially be the same as CETA, but there is no reason to suppose we could not do better. And when we do it is highly unlikely Canadian or British investors would require an ISDS clause, given the similarities and mutual confidence we have in each others legal systems. MISSOULA A founder of the Black Lives Matter movement heads to the University of Montana this week to kick off DiverseU's annual forum about diversity. Patrisse Cullors will be at the University Center Ballroom from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Cullors was named by the Los Angeles Times as a "Civil Rights Leader for the 21st Century" and has delivered keynote addresses at more than 12 campuses this year, including Cornell University and the University of Notre Dame, according to her online biography. At UM, Cullors will speak about the Black Lives Matter movement and participate in a Q&A at an event that's free and open to the public. "The most important thing is that we're not trying to cater to people of a certain opinion," said Chloe Reynolds, coordinator for DiverseU. "We're trying to get people from diverse backgrounds and differing opinions to come talk to each other because I think that's the only way we can learn about topics like this." DiverseU is an annual symposium launched more than a decade ago under former UM vice president of student affairs Teresa Branch, said Adrianne Donald, associate director of the University Center. Faculty, staff and students present sessions on topics related to diversity and social justice. The Black Lives Matter movement started in 2013 after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black man. In 2012, Zimmerman fatally shot Martin, 17, in a Florida neighborhood. In recent years, national attention has turned to fatal law enforcement shootings of unarmed black men, and this fall, institutional racism was a topic in at least one presidential debate. According to an analysis published in 2016 by the Washington Post, "black Americans are 2.5 times as likely as white Americans to be shot and killed by police officers." However, the Black Lives Matter website notes the movement goes beyond race and gun violence, and it aims to address "all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state." "The Black Lives Matter is kind of a huge deal right now, and we're just trying to start that conversation on campus," said Reynolds, a junior and journalism major. "DiverseU is all about starting dialogue and civic discourse. And having a speaker from Black Lives Matter is part of that." *** Earlier this semester, the posters advertising the event were removed, re-posted, and removed again, Donald said. "We do believe they were intentionally removed," Donald said. The third time around, DiverseU placed the posters in hard-to-reach areas. But many people have expressed interest in the event, Reynolds said. The coordinator believes that many people assume Montana lacks diversity because it's largely white. "But obviously, that's not true," Reynolds said. "There's all different kinds of diversity. We do have a lot of students from various ethnic backgrounds, and I think at least showing that we are willing to have this conversation and the campus is a place where that can happen is sending a good message." Reynolds also said it's tricky to ensure the event will draw a wide representation of the campus community and won't just preach to the choir. "You can never really tell who is going to show up, but we're just trying to blast this event out and hope that people of various opinions show up." Close The killer clown purge 2016 was reportedly going to begin at midnight before Halloween according to a post on a now-deleted Facebook account that read, " WARNING clowns are allegedly planning their own purge the night before Halloween. Stay inside, keep all pets inside and keep all doors and windows locked. Share this with your family and friends." While some people dismissed it as a hoax, police forces throughout the US, UK and other parts of Europe heightened their security. According to Bitbag, the purge began a week before Halloween with clowns in the UK attacking people. Derbyshire police department said that they have already recorded 23 incidents involving people dressed as killer clowns in the area. Killer clowns arrived in the UK in the first week of October, targeting children, luring them with candies and trying to take them into woods, according to claims. There were reports that two pre-teens were chased by a knife-wielding killer clown on the way to school, while another teen was attacked by a clown, sustaining bruises in Europe, among other clown-related incidents. The killer clown purge hype apparently rests on the plot of the movie, "The Purge." In the movie, crimes were legalized for 12 hours and everyone had the freedom to kill or hurt the other with no one held accountable for it. Similar reports also spread in the US and the authorities took a quick action declaring that killer clown purge prank was no longer funny and anyone caught wearing clown costumes to scare people would be punishable by law. According to Morning Ledger, as of the moment, there is no definite count on how many people were attacked in the purge but reports state that 23 people were attacked in Canada. The victims have been thought to be associated with a clown-related incident causing national security to intervene. Stay tuned to Counselheal for more updates on 'Killer Clown Purge 2016.' See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare A small army of former prisoners raced around a converted car dealership on Friday morning. One man unpacked boxes of donated games and kitchen supplies. A woman cleaned countertops and arranged coffee machines. Earlier in the week, a group hung cabinets and carried in thousands of pounds of food. The 20-plus people had gathered to help Sister Kathleen Atkinson set up her prison re-entry ministry's new, expanded location. Shes been helping me out so many times, and now its my turn to help her out, said 57-year-old Donald Trowbridge, a former prisoner. Many have put in 10-hour days of "blood, sweat and tears for this ministry" over the past week, said Robert Rinehart, another former prisoner with oil field experience, who was acting as foreman on light construction projects. Atkinson, of the Annunciation Monastery, has moved her growing Ministry on the Margins from a 1,000-square-foot storefront in downtown Bismarck to a location six times that size on the east side of town. The new space at 201 N. 24th St. has separate rooms for coffee and dining, prayer, meetings and a food pantry. A grand opening is planned from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday. She said the move has been made possible by generous donations from the local community and the monastery, which will be making it a sponsored ministry along with the University of Mary and St. Alexius. Though Atkinson said she was committed to staying downtown, she wanted to be closer to the new jail and the probation and parole offices. Serving more than 400 people each week, her old location had become too small. Combining spirituality with practical tools, Atkinson has spent the past four years helping people get back on the right path after serving time in prison. Atkinson said she will continue providing the programming shes known for: A weekday coffeehouse to help people socialize, Sunday evening church services, in which people share their stories, and the "stay out of jail supper club," that offers former inmates an opportunity to eat and offer encouragement to one another. Atkinson says she is hoping the new space will afford even more opportunities. Volunteers have offered to help people work on resumes, teach classes and review legal documents. Shes imagining networking events for people with felony convictions and employers willing to interview them. Meanwhile, she shares a building with the WIC office, the Native American Development Center and Bridges of Hope, a ministry for justice-involved kids, organizations she identifies as ripe for collaboration. Were not sure what we want to do yet, but now we have the space to do it, she said. Where are the cracks and the bumps that are keeping people from success? Trowbridge was released from prison about two years ago after more than a decade inside on a gross sexual imposition charge. He said Atkinson found him a cell phone, new clothes, food and an apartment. Since then, he's become an active member of her ministry, often helping set up the weekday coffee shop and bingo games. She helped me break out of my shell, said Trowbridge as he showed off shelves of donated blankets and clothing that he arranged over the past week. This is the only place that I can go to just relax and enjoy myself, instead of thinking about the pen." The location won't officially open until Thursday. "It's a work in progress," Rinehart said, but Atkinson was already giving things away to people who dropped by on Friday morning. "We're open if people need something from Sister Kathleen," Rinehart said. Since August, 411 people have been arrested in connection to Dakota Access Pipeline protests, including several freelance and independent journalists. Last week, Adam Schrader, a freelancer based in New York, was arrested in the midst of a protest that took place at the front line camp off of Highway 1806 in Morton County, where militarized police forced the protesters south toward the main camp. Protesters had set up roadblocks on the highway and lit tires and nearby Dakota Access construction equipment on fire. On Thursday, 141 people were arrested, including Schrader, on charges of endangering by fire or explosion, maintaining a public nuisance and engaging in a riot. Schrader said he was arrested shortly after he witnessed officers holding cans of pepper spray. He said he went back to his rental car, put his camera and voice recorder on the front seat, then went back to the "front lines" and asked an officer about the use of pepper spray. He was arrested a minute later. He said the officer who arrested him yelled loudly, "Resisting arrest! Resisting arrest! Schrader said he was initially told he was going to be charged with resisting arrest, but later saw his charges were changed. He said he was placed in ill-fitted plastic zip-tie handcuffs, taken to Morton County Jail and then transferred to Mercer County Jail, where he stayed until Saturday. Schrader said he arrived at the protest camp last week with a photographer. His rental car was impounded last week, and he said items were taken from his locked vehicle, including a $400 voice recorder that he was primarily using that day to cover the protest. He has since filled out a police report with Morton County. I wasnt able to do my job, Schrader said by phone Monday, near the main protest camp where he's still gathering information. "It took away my ability to report. Donnell Preskey, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff's Department, said vehicles impounded Thursday 70 to be exact were not searched by police, and no evidence was taken from any vehicle. Other journalists have faced criminal charges after covering pipeline protests, including Amy Goodman, who covered an altercation in September between pipeline opponents, private security guards and their dogs at a Dakota Access construction site. The prosecutor brought a riot charge against her last month, which was subsequently thrown out by a judge. Two journalists with Unicorn Riot, a nonprofit educational collective, were also arrested September at a protest near Glen Ullin. Nicholas Niko Georgiades and Christopher Schiano said they were wearing press badges and had a microphone. Georgiades said officers warned them of trespassing, and they followed their orders but were still arrested. "They 100 percent knew we were press," Georgiades said. When it comes to detaining journalists along with protesters, Preskey said Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier's "stance has been dont violate the laws." Everyone was given the same directions, and journalists were treated just like anybody else. If they were committing a crime, breaking the law, they were arrested," she said. Lucy Dalglish, dean of the journalism school at the University of Maryland and former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said she's not surprised. "Situations like this, everybody's really nervous. Everybody's tense. Everybody's just waiting for somebody else to behave really badly, and they're scared," she said. Dalglish recommends journalists follow police orders and stay away from people who are committing acts of violence. "A police officer sees a situation where rocks are flying or somebody is getting punched, they are not going to take the time to look at the press pass around your neck and say, 'Oh, you,'" she said. "Basically, if you're told to get out of the way, get out of the way. If people are pulling out sticks and stones and bricks .... whatever you do, do not bend over and touch anything," she said. Schrader said he intends to follow up with articles and further research police actions. Ive never seen actions by police like this, he said. Its like something youd expect from a totalitarian regime. Caroline Grueskin contributed to this story. The man who escaped his hospital room after being shot by police on Jan. 31 was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on Monday. Travis Clark Jr. pleaded guilty on July 26 to unlawfully possessing a firearm. Clark was accused of possessing a gun on the day he was shot by police; he had prior felony convictions for drugs and burglary that restricted his gun rights. The sentence will start after he is released from the North Dakota Department of Corrections, where he is serving five years on multiple charges from January, including burglary, reckless endangerment and protection order violations. The eight years imposed was the recommendation of the prosecutor. It was the maximum allowable given his charges and criminal history. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised probation. "I believe this is a sentence that is sufficient but not greater than necessary," U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland said. "You've caused unprecedented chaos in the Bismarck-Mandan area, and there have to be consequences for that." Hovland said the 27-year-old Mandan man is likely to be paroled soon from the state penitentiary into the federal system, where he has requested that Clark get access to drug treatment programs. During his sentencing hearing, Clark said he takes full responsibility for his actions. He said he was glad he survived being shot by police, because it gives him a second chance. "I'm just happy that I still have the opportunity to be the father I can be," he said in court, choking back tears as he talked about his 8-year-old son. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dawn Deitz argued that he deserved the longer sentence, because of his criminal history. She said he had more than 23 contacts with the Mandan Police in the past two years, requiring officers to spend from four to nine hours with him on a monthly basis. "Not only is he a danger, he's a burden to the general public," she said. Deitz said Clark showed "blatant disregard of the law" on the day he was shot in his vehicle in January. Clark's attorney Chris Bellmore argued for a shorter sentence to run consecutively with his North Dakota sentence. He said Clark is not getting the mental health and drug treatment he needs at the state penitentiary and that most of his criminal history arises from those issues. He said he wanted Clark to get into the federal prison system and onto supervised release as soon as possible. Bellmore conceded that Clark had a long criminal history but described Clark as a sweet, caring and considerate person now that he is clean. "There's two sides to Travis," he told the judge. On Jan. 31, Bismarck police officers sought out Clark, who was wanted on a felony burglary warrant for breaking into his ex-girlfriends home with a revolver the month prior in violation of a protection order. Officers saw him walk out of a mobile home and ordered him to put up his hands, at which point he got into his car and made a quick, deliberate movement, which officers interpreted as reaching for a gun, according to police at the time. The two officers who shot Clark in his car were cleared of any wrongdoing in April. It turned out there was a gun in the console, the attorneys said in court Monday. A Grand Forks man found guilty of robbing the Ramada Inn in August 2015 was sentenced to serve four years in prison. South Central District Judge David Reich gave 24-year-old Eybon Watkins the mandatory minimum for the felony robbery charge, according to Burleigh County Assistant State's Attorney Julie Lawyer. He also imposed a suspended sentence, meaning, if Watkins fails on probation, he could face another six years in the penitentiary. Watkins is accused of stealing $3,400 from hotel lockboxes at the Ramada Bismarck, 1400 E. Interchange Ave., after threatening a night auditor with a handgun. Watkins went home after the robbery, packed a bag then boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Minneapolis, according to police. He was arrested at the Tennessee State University campus in Nashville on Sept. 29, 2015, according to a report by Nashville TV news station WKRN. He had a loaded handgun in his backpack, the TV station reported. A jury found him guilty of felony robbery in August. Former Tribune reporter Andrew Sheeler contributed to this story. Another $4 million was approved by state officials Tuesday for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services for costs associated to law enforcement's response to Dakota Access Pipeline protests. This brings the total line of credit available to DES through the Bank of North Dakota to $10 million; the commission will evaluate where spending levels are when they meet later this month to determine if more is needed. Members of the Emergency Commission vowed to continue approving dollars for public safety as the situation continues but expressed disappointment in not yet receiving federal assistance. This is really irritating. I cant tell you how disappointed I am on an issue that is clearly a federal issue, Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, said. This is 110 percent wrong that we have to do this. The federal government is responsible for the costs since the ongoing issue involves U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, according to Carlson, who conceded hell continue to vote in favor of additional funds in order to bring the situation to a conclusion. Not all of the original $6 million has yet been spent, but total DES obligations that are estimated to be needed so far total $8 million, Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann said. At this point, the costs are starting to come down, Dohrmann said. Of course, everything depends on what the protesters do. The North Dakota portion of the 1,172-mile, four-state pipeline project is nearly complete. The $3.8 billion line being built by Dakota Access LLC is to transport 470,000 barrels of oil per day. Opponents of the project have been staying at protest camps near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes reservation boundary for months. Theyre concerned about the potential contamination of the Missouri River in the event of a future leak in the line. Dakota Access is waiting for a federal permit to bore under the river less than a mile from the reservation boundary. Work could be finished as early as this weekend, Gov. Jack Dalrymple said of project work in the state outside of corps land. Dalrymple told reporters hes been in touch with the head of the corps on the status of the permit to go under the river. As of today, theres still no indication when the decision will come, said Dalrymple, indicating President Barack Obamas administration is aware of the states stance on federal responsibility for funding and resources. The states congressional delegation has been working on securing federal grant dollars to offset at least some of the costs. To date, at least 410 arrests have occurred as a result of a series of demonstrations at pipeline construction sites in the region. Last week, law enforcement removed more than 200 protesters from private land recently purchased by Dakota Access, which is along the project route. The operation took several hours and resulted in 141 arrests, during which protesters threw objects at officers and set fire to vehicles and makeshift barricades. Police responded with pepper spray as well as bean bag and rubber bullets. Last week, clearing of the Dakota Access property was the peak of response operations so far, with about 300 officers and about 100 National Guardsmen on hand, according to Dohrmann. For the second time in six years, South Dakota is facing a budget deficit. In 2011, Gov. Dennis Daugaard tackled a projected deficit of more than $100 million when he took office and was generally applauded for getting the Legislature to approve across-the-board budget cuts of nearly 10 percent, which rippled through the entire state. Now, we are learning that lagging sales tax collections in the first three months of this fiscal year are sending alarms through the state budget office. According to Jason Dilges, the commissioner of finance and management, sales tax revenue needs to grow by about 17 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year for the state to collect enough revenue to have a balanced budget, which our Constitution requires. In 2010, our budget problems mirrored what was going on across the nation in the wake of the great recession. This time, however, there is not a recession to blame even though prices for corn and cattle are down, which is not unusual for an industry that is accustomed to price fluctuations. So why is the state collecting less sales tax this year and falling short of meeting the increase in revenue state officials forecast when the budget was approved by lawmakers? While there might be other reasons to consider, it seems clear that government at every level in South Dakota has gone to the well in this case, the taxpayers pocketbooks too many times since 2010 and taxpayers are feeling tapped out. Whether it is Rapid City spending $1,700 so the mayor and 11 department heads can spend a day and a night at a Deadwood casino to discuss the pressing topic of succession planning just weeks after approving an expenditure of $44,000 to hire headhunters to help fill two openings, or Pennington County fast-tracking a $6.3 million highway office and shop after spending more than $30 million on various projects since 2011, or the Board of Regents asking the state for $113 million for new facilities even though enrollment is flat at our universities, it is the taxpayers who are bearing the load. In 2014, the Legislature passed the road and bridge spending bill that raised the gasoline tax, the vehicle excise tax and fees for license plates and required counties to either implement or raise wheel taxes to become eligible for some of that money. The county has discussed raising property taxes for the past two years even though rising property values have generated more revenue. Rapid City officials seem determined to charge $250 for a short-term rental permit, thus making it more difficult for beleaguered property owners who want to rent a room in their home on occasion. This comes in the wake of a drainage utility tax that every property owner pays, a new sump pump tax and the relatively recent need to get a building permit when hiring a roofer to shingle your home. The city also has begun charging more to dispose of those shingles at the landfill. South Dakota's elected leaders like to tout conservative values and a common-sense approach to governing, but that no longer seems to be the case if one looks at their spending practices. The reality is that wages in this state are among the lowest in the nation and residents are seeing more of their disposable income taken by government. If state, county and local officials continue on their present course, we can expect budget shortfalls to be part of an annual conversation. -- Rapid City (S.D.) Journal Stop the workplace carnage Touch one, touch all! Statement by the Central Committee, Communist Party of Australia The war on workers has turned even more deadly recently. The needless deaths of five workers in three weeks on construction sites across Australia has put the human cost of the government and employers policies into tragic perspective. Well organised union jobs are safe jobs; non-union jobs can be deadly jobs. Trade unions, the very force that can protect workers health and safety, are being prevented from doing so. The increase in workplace fatalities and serious injuries is a direct result of government and employer attempts to exclude trade unions from construction sites and criminalise legitimate trade union activity. Under the Australian Building and Construction Commission and Labors successor Fair Work Building and Construction unions are fined millions and workers thousands of dollars for doing nothing more than protecting the safety and lives of workers. Speed-ups, long hours, lack of training, the use of unskilled temporary visa workers, cost-cutting including on maintenance and inspection, the exposure of workers to contaminants and risks to the public arising from the manic drive for profit have worsened as a result of the current anti-union push. The Communist Party of Australia expresses its condolences to the families and friends of the workers who didnt come home in recent weeks. It also recognises the trauma suffered by fellow workers of these victims of anti-worker policies and work practices. The Party stands with the unions resisting the imposition of a profit-first, not safety-first, culture in the construction industry and other hazardous industries. It supports their struggles and seeks to rally members of the broader community to demand an end to the persecution of workers as they strive to defend their safety, conditions, incomes and jobs. Even before the most recent events, at least one worker per fortnight died on Australian building sites. The figures for other dangerous industries are similarly shocking and intolerable. The CPA welcomes initiatives aimed at driving back the attacks of the government and employers. The CFMEU has called for workers to wear black armbands on site on November 3. The CPA supports the call for the criminal charge of industrial manslaughter to be established. A large rally in Brisbane the weekend before last supported the long-overdue change to the law. The public has been shocked by current developments and is sympathetic to demands for change to stop the senseless loss of life. The federal government has blood on its hands. The long witch-hunt against the CFMEU has hampered the right of workers and their trade unions to control safety on jobs across the country. The Cole Royal Commission of 2003, the Howard governments establishment of the Australian Building and Construction Commission in 2005, the failure of the Rudd/Gillard government to completely scrap this construction industry Gestapo, the provocatively-named Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption and now the Turnbull governments push to totally revive an ABCC on steroids have led to the present outrageous situation. For all the employer and government claims of thuggery and corruption in the industry, few charges have arisen and none have stood up. The real scandals in the construction industry, including abysmal workplace safety standards, are not being addressed. The public is witnessing the shameful spectacle of anti-union, Family First Senator and failed home building company owner, Bob Day, clinging to his seat in the Senate. This is despite the fact he has admitted he should step down. Marriage plebiscite legislation, ABCC and our other work too important to Family First to have a vacant seat for even one day in November, he tweeted recently. Black lung, a scourge in the mining industry of a by-gone era, has re-emerged as a result of flexible practices imposed by project owners and managers and the failure of governments to ensure adequate and independent monitoring and enforcement of regulations. The recent deaths of four people at the Dreamworld theme park on the Gold Coast took place despite warnings from unions and members of the public. Governments and industry groups wont fix the problems. It is their single-minded drive for maximum corporate profit that has put workers in this intolerable situation. Unions must be free to take any action necessary to achieve safe workplaces and overcome deadly practices. The community must support them. The right to stop work, to inspect workplaces and books and the right of entry should be restored. Political forces committed to the interests of the working class, foremost of which is the Communist Party of Australia, must be strengthened to reverse the dangerous current direction of industrial relations in the country. The Communist Party joins others in calling for a campaign for safe workplaces and the scrapping of legislation for the ABCC and the removal of its remnants in the form of the so-called Fair Work Building and Construction. It is the right of all workers to return home safely. Save Our Hospitals Privatisation rejected The NSW state government recently revealed that the redevelopment and running of Maitland and Wyong hospitals, along with a number of other regional hospitals, would be handed over to a private operator. In effect they would become private, for-profit hospitals with a contract with the state government to provide some, as yet unspecified, service to public patients. Public patients will become an add-on at the very hospitals that were originally built to meet the needs of the local community. Once a hospital is privatised it is then run to maximise profits (from our ill health), and to return these profits as a dividend to the wealthy majority shareholders. The hospital is locked into making as much money as possible, otherwise shareholders will withdraw their money and put it into something more profitable. Do we really want this type of system in public health? Big, often multinational, private health companies see big money to be made in health after all everybody gets sick at some time. The government is doing their bidding in handing over our hospital system to these companies, just as they handed over other essential services such as gas, water and electricity The selling off of our public hospitals takes us further down the road to an American health system very expensive and two-tiered, with public patients treated as charity cases and offered an inferior service. Health care is a basic human right. Oppose the attacks on our public hospitals. Demand the state government properly fund our hospitals so they can continue to provide a first class service to all. Rallies, organised by the health unions, have already been held in Wyong and Maitland and attracted thousands of people. The Newcastle branch of the CPA produced a leaflet and a petition which have been distributed in the Hunter Valley over the last month. Already we have collected more than 300 signatures opposing the sell-off, and distributed hundreds of leaflets. The branch also participated in the Maitland rally. We urge people to maintain and increase the pressure on the Baird government to abandon the sell-off of our hospitals. They have already backed down on the privatisation of Goulburn hospital, which also happens to be in the electorate of a sitting government minister. We need more demonstrations and rallies, more signed petitions. We need to show Baird and the corporations behind him that we will not accept the selling off of our hospitals. The attacks on our health system remind us that, in the long term, our struggle must be for a society where health care is not just another opportunity for the big private corporations to make money. We need a society where health care is a basic service that is provided equally to all in our community, and at no charge. A socialist society. While capitalism remains, our health will always be under threat from parasites. * Grant Osland is Secretary of the Newcastle Branch of the CPA. Statement In solidarity with Venezuelas Bolivarian Revolution The Central committee of the Communist Party of Australia sends a message of solidarity to President Nicolas Maduro during these crucial times for the Bolivarian Revolution. The well organised right wing attack perpetrated by the US, mainstream media and others on the extreme right aims to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution. We reject this interference in the internal affairs of the Venezuelan people and the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro. In the words of President Maduro: This is Simon Bolivars land, this land is sacred and cannot ever be touched by foreign and imperialist boots, and we must assure it with our own lives if necessary. This moment in time is of serious threat to Venezuelan national sovereignty and to the Bolivarian Revolutions achievements. Those achievements have been significant; among them infant mortality down by 49%, life expectancy increased from 72.2% to 74.3%, child malnutrition reduced by 40%, the poverty rate decreased from 42.8% to 26.5% and minimum wages increased 32 times. The Venezuelan opposition, aided by the US, is trying to incite violence among the people in an attempt to overthrow the government. A part of this is the attempt to collect signatures for a recall referendum. The Supreme Court has upheld the regional court decisions to suspend the collection drive after the fraudulent behaviour of the opposition was exposed. The CPA stands in solidarity with President Nicolas Maduro in the fight against this referendum. We also stand in solidarity with his government who we know will remain in power. We will not sit in silence while imperialist forces incite violence and brutality to cause any regression in the continuous struggle for self-determination and freedom. Bob Briton General Secretary Communist Party of Australia UN blasts Australias immigration policy Australias bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Commission may be rejected because of a range of human rights issues within Australia, and in particular because of the governments treatment of asylum seekers detained indefinitely offshore on Nauru and Manus Island under Australian immigration policies. In January Fairfax media revealed that some asylum seekers on Nauru were committing self-harm every two days on average, including by swallowing insect repellent, striking their heads against walls and scalding their bodies with boiling water. Last month the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child published a scathing report on the plight of children detained on Nauru. It highlighted the failure of the Nauru government to investigate complaints of sexual assault of children, and to appoint a human rights commissioner and a dedicated paediatrician. The report condemned the appalling conditions within the detention centre, including the lack of clean drinking water and poor sanitation. It expressed deep concern at reports of corporal punishment being used against the children (illegal under Nauruan law) and noted that many had arrived there after having experienced deep trauma as a result of warfare, and now suffered feelings of hopeless and often suicidal ideation. The report noted with alarm the wall of secrecy that now surrounds Australias treatment of asylum seekers. On 19 October Michael Forst, UN special rapporteur, went further, describing the relationship of fear, censorship and retaliation between the government and its critics, including asylum seeker advocates, as well as the enormous pressure being applied by the government to whistleblowers and public servants in order to stifle criticism of current immigration policies. Forst called for an inquiry into the treatment of Australian Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs, who was castigated by the former Abbott government for alleged bias in her report on the treatment of detainee children on Nauru. She has now been accused of misleading the Senate by government members who are moving to have her sacked. Painted into an ideological corner After sensational revelations about the detention of Australian citizens in immigration centres the Howard government renounced the offshore processing policy. However, the Rudd Labor government reintroduced it, adding the proviso that any asylum seeker who attempted to arrive in Australia by boat would henceforth be banned from settling in the country. The Abbott government subsequently endorsed these policies. Both parties have now painted themselves into an ideological corner. Given their experience on Nauru, the asylum seekers have understandably refused offers to resettle them in poverty-stricken developing countries, and the government has refused an offer by New Zealand to accept some of them, because if it did so the asylum seekers could then get to Australia as New Zealand citizens! Carrying this idea to its logical conclusion, the government now wants to introduce legislation to ban asylum seekers whove tried to come here by boat from ever entering Australia, even as a tourist or business person who has since become a citizen of another country. Labor leader Bill Shorten has rejected the idea of a new lifetime ban on entry, but he is vacillating. Moreover, neither the coalition nor Labor can renounce the current ban on settlement without being accused by the other party of being weak, or being seen by the public as catastrophically incompetent, callous, cynical or opportunist or, for that matter, without being sued for damages by all those who have in effect been imprisoned by successive Australian governments, sometimes for years. Australias bid for a UN seat In August 306 men, 55 women and 49 children were listed as remaining in detention in Nauru. On 17 October the ABC screened a moving Four Corners report which contained interviews with bright, intelligent children whose spirits are now being ruthlessly crushed by their detention on Nauru. In reaction to the wave of criticism that followed the broadcast the Turnbull governments launched a counter-attack, condemning the ABC for not having consulted with the Nauruan government, even though that government has consistently refused permission for journalists to visit the island or interview members of the government with regard to the detainees. A spokesperson for Attorney-General George Brandis also sneered that Forst himself had not presented a balanced view of the situation of human rights defenders in Australia. Thats not a very bright move. Attacking the UN or its representatives is a very different matter from attempting to intimidate domestic critics. The government has also washed its hands of much of the responsibility for the situation, using the pathetic excuse that the conditions on the island and the education of the detainee children are Naurus responsibility, even though they are detained there at the Australian governments request, and funding of the astronomical costs is provided by Australian taxpayers. For its part the Nauruan government has rejected all criticism, accusing the ABC of having insulted the islands people and indulged in political activism and racism. It claims that no asylum seeker children are in detention because they can go anywhere on the island. The grim reality is theyre too frightened to leave the detention centres for fear of being physically assaulted. Forst has refused to comment on the possibility of Australia gaining a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. However, rejection is a distinct possibility in view of the proposed lifetime entry ban and previous UN statements that Australias treatment of asylum seekers breaches the Refugee Convention. The UN is also certain to be influenced by the shocking revelations contained in the Four Corners report, the Moss Inquiry report (whose recommendations are still unfulfilled), the reports of Commissioner Triggs, and the critical statements of medical personnel, teachers, social workers and other professionals who have worked on Nauru. Nevertheless, the government is determined to introduce the proposed lifetime entry ban. If they do, the governments bid for a seat on the Human Rights Council will almost certainly fail, and the government will be directly responsible for that degrading humiliation. Rejection of the bid would certainly be a fitting outcome, in view of the adoption by both the major parties of immigration policies that are a national disgrace, rivalling in odium the white Australia policy and the tragedy of the stolen generation. Necessity and progress October 30 marked the anniversary date of the foundation of the Communist Party of Australia in 1920. It was an historic event and signalled the formation of a party taking Marxism as its guide. A number of events influenced the formation of communist parties at that time, not only in Australia, but also in a number of other countries as well. It was shortly after the ending of World War I, which was caused directly by capitalism and resulted in enormous loss of life and devastation. The experience of this war was a contributing factor in the Russian socialist revolution of 1917 and revolutionary upsurges in many other European countries. In Australia, the modern working class was beginning to emerge with the foundation of a steel industry in 1912, when the BHP was established. Labor Party governments had sided with the imperialist governments of Europe in the war and attempted to conscript soldiers to fight overseas. Some utopian socialist organisations existed before the formation of the Communist Party of Australia and they had awakened an understanding of the class nature of society and opposed capitalism. But their solutions to the problems of the working people were inadequate. At that time the first publication of the writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin and some others brought scientific socialist ideas to readers. On the one hand, the reformist, compromising policies of the Labor Party became apparent. On the other hand, the one-sided anti-parliamentarianism of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) was seen to represent blind alleys in the struggle for the overthrow of the capitalist system and its replacement by a social system based on the interests and needs of the working people. The years of struggle of the Communist movement in Australia have been marked by ups and downs and by many achievements. The movement has persisted despite the never-ending campaigns of the capitalist class to exorcise it from society and, these days, to declare that socialism has been tried and found to be a failure and is now dead. They only wish it were true! Communist parties now exist in more countries than ever and in a number of countries; such as China, they have formed governments and are building socialist societies. In other countries Communist parties participate in the present governments South Africa, for example, and lead provincial or state governments as in India. The working class has grown enormously in the last 100 years and is by far the single largest class in many countries and, together with the peasantry, comprise the overwhelming majority of the populations of all countries. Yet millions remain poor, impoverished and unemployed in a period when all human needs could be met by the productive capacity that exists. The necessity to bring an end to the capitalist system was never more apparent or necessary. The obscene profits of Australian banks show what wealth is being ripped out of the sweat and toil of the working people, wealth which could have been used for the overall benefit of the working people. Marxist and Leninist ideas remain true and are the reliable guide to a better society. It was socialist ideas and policies that rapidly transformed the once backward economy and lives of the Russian people. It was socialist ideas and policies that enabled the people of Vietnam and Cuba to defeat the efforts of imperialism to strangle those countries. It is socialist ideas and policies that could also redistribute wealth in Australia and reverse the present environmental degradation which is a direct result of capitalist rip, tear and bust economic practices. Socialist ideas based on the collective social needs of men and women could eliminate war from the affairs of humanity. The Manifesto to the Workers of Australia was issued by the CPA shortly after its formation in 1920. It declared the capitalist system of production and distribution has outlived its usefulness and become reactionary and destructive of humanity ... Todays task is to change and replace it. Centennial of the October Revolution Socialism, necessary today and for the future Resolution, Communist Party of Portugal The year 2017 marks the centennial of the October 1917 Socialist Revolution. The October Revolution is the major event in the historical process of emancipation of the exploited, the oppressed, the workers and the peoples, a process which has been marked by important revolutionary events from the days of primitive society, through slavery, feudalism and capitalism. After thousands of years of societies in which the socio-economic systems have been based on the exploitation of man by man, the October Revolution began a new epoch in the History of Humankind, the epoch of the transition from capitalism to socialism. It was the first revolution that, through far-reaching democratic transformations in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres, and by ensuring social progress and justice, and corresponding to the yearnings of the workers and the peoples, undertook the edification of a society without exploiters, nor exploited people. Worsening crisis In our times, after the course of the 20th Century and 100 years after the October Revolution, when the capitalist system, with its exploitative, oppressive, aggressive and predatory nature and the tragic consequences which it entails, is afflicted by its worsening structural crisis, it has become even more evident that capitalism is responsible for the growing problems and dangers confronting Humankind. The reality of the world today proves the importance and scope of the October Revolutions goals, and affirms socialism as a requirement of today and for the future. To commemorate the centennial of the October Revolution means to assert it as the most advanced achievement in the millennia-long process of the liberation of Humankind from all forms of exploitation and oppression. To commemorate this centennial is to expose the nature of capitalism, with its dramatic social scourges and the threats which it poses for the life of the peoples and even for Humankinds survival. It is to highlight the relevance and the validity of socialism, to reaffirm the need and the possibility of a revolutionary overcoming of capitalism, by socialism and communism. To commemorate this centennial is to value the role of the working class, of workers and peoples, in the transformation of society. It is to underscore the strength that results from their unity, organization and struggle. It is to reaffirm that the success of the resistance against the current offensive by big capital and imperialism, and the achievement of their social and national emancipation, lies in their own hands. To commemorate the October Revolution is to pay tribute to those who made it and to assert socialisms great political, economic, social, cultural, scientific, technological and civilisational achievements in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its immense contribution to the advancement of the emancipation struggle of the workers and the peoples. Lessons of history To commemorate this centennial means to make good use of the teachings of the, previously unheard of, processes of building socialism in the Soviet Union and in other countries, of the successes and defeats, of the advances and retreats, of all the long struggle that preceded them, as important experiences that enrich and inspire the ongoing struggle for socialism and communism. To commemorate the October Revolution is to, on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, take the initiative and oppose the ideological offensive against socialism and communism, stressing the roots and the role of anti-communism and anti-Sovietism, as tools of capital in the class struggle. The October Revolution and the subsequent historical experience of building socialism should not be marked as historically dated, fixated events from the past, but rather as the source of important teachings, and an example of transformations and achievements which are reflected and are updated in the revolutionary praxis of today, and which project into the future. To commemorate the October Revolution is to assert that the future does not belong to capitalism, it belongs to socialism and communism. On November 7, 1917 (October the 25 according to the old Russian calendar), the Russian proletariat, with the Bolshevik Partys vanguard role, guided by a revolutionary theory, with the notable contribution of Lenin, took its future into its own hands. It rose to power and launched, in a victorious revolution, the foundations of a new society, in a country that had been ravaged by imperialist war (World War I), and with a people that suffered exploitation, repression, hunger and illiteracy. The revolution embodied the yearnings of the millennia-long struggle of the exploited and the oppressed, from the slave revolts of Antiquity, to the peasant revolts of the Middle Ages, the French Revolution of 1789 which was part and parcel of the defeat of feudalism and the advent of capitalism to the working-class insurrections of the 19th Century. The October Revolution had, as historical harbingers, from which it drew important lessons, the 1871 Paris Commune the first, albeit short-lived, historical experience of the conquest and exercise of power by the proletariat, clearly superior also in terms of political democracy; the 1905 Russian Revolution the first great popular revolution with an organised role of the working class and working people; and the February 1917 Revolution, which marked the end of Czarist power, already with a tested working class and a Party that was organisationally and ideologically prepared to assume the leadership of the struggle of the working and popular masses in taking power. The October Revolution undertook the task of putting an end to all forms of social and national exploitation and oppression, and significantly adopted, as its first measures, the decrees on peace and on the abolition of latifundio (big landowning elites) ownership of the land. Transformation The October Revolution was an inspiring revolutionary undertaking which, resisting and overcoming complex situations and difficulties boycotts, sabotage, intervention by imperialist powers, civil war, economic blockade, treason and, in an irregular and bumpy process, transformed into reality the aspirations and dreams of the workers, the exploited, the oppressed, those who were discriminated against, paving the way for the construction of a society hitherto unknown to Humankind. The Socialist Revolution transformed the old and backward Russia of the Czars into a highly developed country, capable of containing, as it did for decades, imperialisms goal of world-wide domination. The USSR, in a historically short time span, achieved significant industrial and agricultural development, eradicated illiteracy and generalised access to education, did away with unemployment, ensured public healthcare and social protection, guaranteed and promoted the rights of women, children, young people and the elderly, expanded the impact of vanguard artistic movements and of the forms of cultural creation and fruition, achieved high scientific and technological standards, putting into practice forms of democratic participation of the workers and the masses of the people, undertook to solve the complex issue of oppressed nationalities, raised the values of friendship, of solidarity, of peace and cooperation between the peoples. The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to put into practice, or develop like no other, fundamental social rights, such as the right to work, the 8-hour maximum working day, paid holidays, the equality of rights of men and women in the family, in society and at work, maternity rights and protection, the right to a home, free medical care, a universal and free social security and free education. The Soviet Union scored pioneering achievements for Humankind, such as putting the first artificial satellite into Space Sputnik and the first man in Space cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The Soviet Union, the Soviet people under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, achieved successes and conquests of major international impact that stimulated the struggle of the workers and the peoples of the whole world. Enter the Communist Parties Under the impact of the victory of the October Revolution, numerous Communist Parties were created all over the world, the international Communist movement arose, the workers movement and its ideals became stronger, the ideals of Marxism-Leninism propagated among the masses. The USSR, the Soviet people, the Red Army, gave a decisive contribution towards the victory over Nazi-fascism in World War II, in a heroic struggle that cost over 20 million lives. After the victory over Nazi-fascism, and due to its example and enormous prestige, to the strength of the ideals of socialism which it projected, and to its solidarity and activity in international affairs, the USSR gave major support to the peoples who chose, and fought for, the edification of socialist societies, to the struggle for and achievement, by millions of workers, of rights and freedoms in capitalist countries and to the dynamic of struggle of the national liberation movement, the downfall of colonialism and the achievement of independence for numerous peoples and nations that had, for centuries, been subjected to the colonial yoke. The USSR and the socialist system were an often decisive factor for achievements and advances that were, for the first time ever, won by the workers and peoples in their world-wide struggle for emancipation. The disappearance of the USSR and the defeats of socialism in eastern Europe, had an undeniable and profound negative impact on the world balance of forces, on the consciousness of the masses and on the development of the struggle for socialism. An enormous regression occurred, in the political, economic, social and cultural conditions of the peoples of those countries and for other peoples of the world. The worlds evolution following the defeats of socialism thus highlighted, even further, the importance of socialisms historical achievements and the civilisational advances associated with it, and underscored the superiority of the new social system in solving the problems and in materializing the aspirations of the peoples. The nature of capitalism did not change, and the need for its revolutionary overthrow persists. The 20th Century was not that of the demise of Communism, but the Century in which Communism was born as a new and superior society. Irreconcilable contradictions The current world situation reveals the exploitative, aggressive and predatory nature of capitalism. Submerged in its structural crisis, capitalism has nothing more to offer the peoples than further accumulation, centralisation and concentration of wealth, heightened exploitation, more social inequality and injustice, attacks against social and labour rights, the denial of democratic rights and freedoms, the plunder and destruction of resources, interferences and aggressions against national sovereignty, militarism and war, which are being taken to all corners of the world in its imperialist stage. Millions of workers are driven to unemployment and the most violent forms of exploitation. Millions of human beings are deprived of their fundamental rights, and left to poverty, hunger and subjected to child labour, slave labour and human trafficking. Millions of human beings are the victims of imperialist aggressions and are fleeing war and destruction. Entire peoples are doomed to underdevelopment, dependence, national oppression. Capitalism, by its own nature, cannot overcome its irreconcilable contradictions namely between capital and labour, between the social character of production and its private appropriation and embarks on an inexorable concentration of capital, with productive disorder. Hungry for the appropriation and concentration of capital, capitalism not only does not give answers to the problems of Humankind as, with the capitalist appropriation of the immense potential opened up by labour, by scientific and technological progress and development, it increases social injustice, contradictions and inequality. Capitalism is a system that permanently clashes with the needs, the interests and the aspirations of workers and peoples. More than ever, socialism emerges with redoubled relevance as a requirement of the process of emancipation of the workers and the peoples. Achieved through different paths and stages, Socialism is becoming with increasing clarity, the goal of the peoples, a prospect and pre-requisite for a future of full human liberation and fulfillment. The PCP reaffirms that over a shorter or longer historical period, through the struggle for the social and national emancipation of workers and peoples, it is the replacement of capitalism by socialism which, in the 21st century, continues to be the real possibility and the most solid prospect for the evolution of Humankind. The PCP reaffirms its unshakable commitment to fight so that socialism may become a reality in the future of the Portuguese people. US abstains on Cuba Something new happened at the United Nations General Assembly on October 26. When, for the 25th consecutive year, the Assembly voted on a Cuban resolution expressing the necessity for the United States to end its decades-long economic, commercial and financial blockade of the island, 191 nations voted in favour, as they did in 2015. But this time, no nation opposed the resolution and the United States and Israel, the two who voted against it in 2015, abstained. For the entire quarter century it was introduced, no more than three nations ever voted No. The many abstentions of the early years had become a mere handful. Now the standby No votes are gone. Prior to the vote, delegates of 39 countries spoke in the Assembly, including those of Cuba and the United States, plus delegates of eight nations representing both regional blocs and their own nation, plus 29 others speaking on behalf of their countries. US Permanent Representative Samantha Power, elicited applause when she announced the United States would abstain. Predictably, she expressed concern over serious human rights violations in Cuba and insisted that US blockade regulations fit with international law. The tone of her remarks, however, was conciliatory and oriented to the future. She conceded that her own country has work to do in fulfilling these [human] rights for our own citizens. She took note of US isolation in regard to Cuba, including right here in the United Nations. Importantly, she praised Cuba for advancing the welfare of its people and peoples abroad. She mentioned Cubas efforts in combating West Africas Ebola epidemic in 2014-15 and took note of Cubas Henry Reeve Brigade, a disaster-relief medical unit named after a Brooklyn man who in the 19th century fought for Cuban independence in Cuba. Samantha Power cited Cuban physician Felix Sarria Baez explanation as to why he returned to Sierra Leone after recovering from Ebola: I needed to come back. Ebola is a challenge that I must fight to the finish here, to keep it from spreading to the rest of the world. For Ms Power, Baez epitomised both multi-national collaboration and what the United Nations looks like, when it works. She expressed hope that the US embargo would end once and for all. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez spoke at length before the General Assembly, outlining a scenario for defeating the blockade. Already in place, he observed, were the heroic resistance of our people; Cuban youth, heirs of this long glorious struggle; and the powerful political and ethical message that this Assembly sent to the peoples of the world. He lamented that most US executive-branch regulations applying to the blockade are unchanged, and that President Obama has left many of them intact, although he has ample executive prerogatives for removing them. Obamas modifications announced October 14 fall short, he said: Instead of benefiting the Cuban people, they favour the United States. Rodriguez thinks facts themselves are more important for taking down the blockade than speeches, press statements, and even the vote of one delegation in this room. In particular, All Cuban families and sectors suffer from its effects, in health care, education, food, services, prices, salaries, and pensions. He reminded delegates of a central thesis of his ministrys recent report to them: The blockade is the principal obstacle to the economic and social development of our people. The Foreign Minister promised Cuban values and symbols will be defended and that struggle to build a sovereign independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous, and sustainable nation will continue. And, lifting the blockade is the key factor for advancing toward normalisation of relations with the United States. Doing so will give significance, depth, and validity to what weve achieved. At the very end of his speech, Rodriguez spoke to the US people, extending our sincere gratitude for their growing support for this worthy purpose. Thus activists in the belly of the beast the US were reminded of their outsized role in the worldwide battle for justice, once and for all, for Cuba. Peoples World Corporate dictatorship Corporate profits over public health With the obligations it has imposed on member countries of the trade body to recognise and strengthen patent protection on pharmaceuticals, the World Trade Organisations Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS implemented more than 16 years ago) is denying patients in the developing world access to life-saving essential medicines. The countries of the South now find themselves ranged against Northern governments and powerful pharmaceutical lobbies in their fight, at the WTO and beyond, to ensure public health takes precedence over corporate profits. Of the 50 percent of the patients in developing countries who lack access to essential drugs, many die because the drugs are patented and therefore too expensive. These patented drugs include treatment for tuberculosis and AIDS as well as the Hepatitis-B vaccine. The problem with TRIPS The TRIPS Agreement requires all WTO members to adapt their laws to the minimum standards of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) protection. During the 1980s, the gradual erosion of the developed countries supremacy in manufacturing and technology, due to the rise of the Asian countries as competitors, was a cause for concern. The industrial lobbies convinced developed-country governments on the need to link trade with IPRs, in order to prevent imitation and to increase returns on research and development. Monopoly rights granted by IPRs were regarded as crucial to prevent the developing countries from further undergoing the catching-up process towards industrialisation based on imitating and copying technologies, as the developed countries themselves had done. In other words, IPR protection was a tool to guarantee the comparative advantage that had so far ensured the developed countries technological supremacy. Prior to the negotiation of the TRIPS Agreement, over 50 countries (including developed countries) did not confer patent protection on pharmaceuticals. Many developing countries regarded the absence of protection as necessary to promote access to drugs at competitive prices. Implementation of the TRIPS Agreement has led to high drug prices, low access and a weakening of national pharmaceutical industries. Twenty-year protection The minimum term of 20-year patent protection required by the TRIPS Agreement has effectively allowed pharmaceutical companies a monopoly over its patented drug. Free from competition, the company will be able to keep the price of the drug high during the protection period. By virtue of TRIPS protection, no generic equivalent can come into the market until expiry of the 20 years, denying patients cheaper alternatives. The TRIPS Agreement extends the scope of patent protection to both products and processes. Product patents provide for absolute protection of the product, whereas process patents provide protection in respect of the technology and method of manufacture. Monopoly protection would be extended through minor changes to the existing medicines where the product patents have expired. Threat to domestic industry Developing-country pharmaceutical producers will find themselves pushed out of the market, having to compete with the large transnational corporations (TNCs). For the smaller producers in the developing world which specialise in and depend on manufacturing cheaper generic alternatives, this would no longer be possible (until the expiry of the 20-year period). The TRIPS Agreement further requires patents to be granted regardless whether the products are imported or locally produced. This rubbishes TRIPS supporters argument that strict patent regimes will increase the flow of technology and investment into developing countries. Overriding patent rights Notwithstanding the above, some provisions in the TRIPS Agreement do provide certain exceptions to patent protection of pharmaceuticals. Parallel imports: Parallel importing is a means by which developing countries could lower drug prices. Where there are price differences for the same product in different markets, it is possible to import the product from the cheaper market for resale. Compulsory licensing: The government or court of law may grant a licence to a third party to use a patent, without the patent holders consent, under specified conditions, such as in cases of national emergency or extreme urgency, or to remedy anti-competitive practices. Experts consider compulsory licensing a crucial element in increasing the affordability and availability of drugs, while ensuring that the patent holder is compensated for the use of the patent. Battle lines drawn But some developing countries were reluctant to use these options for fear of trade sanctions by the developed countries. Health experts and AIDS activists have insisted that one crucial method of improving access to drugs is compulsory licensing, and have condemned the US governments policy of protecting big business over peoples lives. For example, when the South African government sought to enact its Medicines and Related Substances Control Bill, the US government accused it of failing to adequately protect American drug patents. The US objection was directed at provisions in the law which would allow for compulsory licences and parallel importing. Despite the considerable pressure exerted on the government and Parliament of South Africa, the bill was passed in 1997. The pharmaceutical industry in South Africa, backed by the TNCs and the pharmaceutical lobby in the US, filed a legal challenge to the new law. The US government, taking its cue from its pharmaceutical lobby, began a process of negotiations and threats to get the South African government to change its stance. It was only after intense campaigning by AIDS and health activists successfully embarrassing the Presidential candidate at the time, Al Gore, and marring his campaign efforts that the US retreated from its position and eventually reached a resolution of the matter. World Summit for Social Development The North-South battle lines were clearly drawn during the UN World Summit for Social Development, held in Geneva in 2000. The G77 group of developing countries had proposed to exclude essential and life-saving medicines from patentability, in order to ensure access to such medicines. The developed countries including the US, the EU, Canada and Japan vehemently rejected this proposal, citing the need for patents to stimulate research and development. In response to Canadas call to delete the proposal, the South African delegate said: When you are going to lose 25 percent of your productive work force due to HIV/AIDS, you cannot be so blase with your comments. It is a legitimate concern that the TRIPS Agreement does not take into account public health needs. The agreement has from it inception instead been described as a charter of rights for patent holders. Third World Network Culture & Life The free press hurrah! The publicists employed by capitalism are fond of trumpeting the virtues of a free press which capitalist countries supposedly enjoy. Journalists employed by capitalist media, however, know that their much vaunted freedom depends on the goodwill of media proprietors, the political tolerance of advertisers (who control the purse strings) and just what the capitalist state will let them get away with. Protesting Native American activists have been attacked by the police as well as private security thugs hired by the oil industry. The capitalist country that makes the biggest song and dance about having a free press is, predictably, the USA. Yes, I know its ludicrous, but they have been brainwashed on this for so long that they actually accept the idea that privately-owned media are somehow free whereas publicly-owned media are not! Ironically, in the US context, PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service, is in fact used as a mouthpiece by the US government, especially the State Department, not directly of course but by way of planted stories, especially when covering foreign policy stories. The USAs carefully nurtured image as the home of the free press took a bit of a battering recently when authorities in North Dakota heavy-handedly tried to stop the media from reporting the struggle being waged by the Sioux nation against attempts by a private company to build an oil pipeline across tribal Sioux land against the wishes of the Native Americans who call that area home. Native American activists protesting the construction of what is euphemistically called the North Dakota Access pipeline have been attacked by the police as well as private security thugs hired by the oil industry. In the best traditions of Americas shameful treatment of its Indigenous population, the North Dakota states attorney has moved to stop the media even being able to report this struggle. In a vindication for press freedom and land protectors fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline, North Dakota has dismissed the riot charges against Amy Goodman. In September, when journalist Amy Goodman from Democracy Now! reported on pipeline company security guards physically assaulting a non-violent protest that was attempting to protect tribal lands she was arrested and incredibly charged with riot. Subsequently, filmmaker Deia Schlosberg was arrested for documenting a protest in solidarity with the opponents of the pipeline project. Once again, this is not a minor matter: North Dakota authorities have charged Deia with offences that if she were convicted would see her facing up to 45 years in prison! Delphine Halgand, US director for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), said, after the charges against Goodman were dismissed by the court: We are relieved that the charges against Amy Goodman have been dismissed, but they never should have been filed in the first place. Goodman herself said This is a complete vindication of my right as a journalist to cover the attack on the protesters, and of the publics right to know what is happening with the Dakota Access pipeline. We will continue to report on this epic struggle of Native Americans and their non-Native allies taking on the fossil fuel industry and an increasingly militarised police in this time when climate change threatens the planet. The struggle to stop big oil riding roughshod over the people of North Dakota has struck a chord with many people in the US, aware that the actions of the fossil fuel industry and their tame politicians are in fact an attack on democracy itself (this newspaper has ran several reports on the struggle). A press advocacy group with the possibly ironic name Free Press delivered almost 25,000 petitions to the office of the states attorney demanding that authorities drop all charges against Goodman and anyone else covering the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline project. And another group, Food and Water Watch, has called on the US Department of Justice to investigate the arrests of the journalists. Cracking down on Goodman, Schlosberg, and other journalists, according to the organisations executive director, Wenonah Hauter, constitutes nothing less than a war on journalism and a victory for fossil fuel interests that have banked on the pipeline. Amy Goodman identified two of the sides in that war as Native Americans and their non-Native allies on one side and the fossil fuel industry and an increasingly militarised police on the other. In fact, of course, these are merely skirmishes in the much larger on-going war between the workers and the corporations. She is right about one thing however: as part of that class war, the US police force is being steadily militarised. Once a civil force whose prime function was to prevent crime, the heavily-armed US police have metamorphosed into what has been accurately described as an army of occupation. They even have heavy weapons! That, of course, is no more than one would expect. Whenever the people begin to fight back against capitalisms attempts at exploitation, the ruling class steps up its repression and the use of force. All the powers of the state are part of its arsenal, including of course the police and the courts. For all its fine talk lauding the rule of law, capitalism actually enacts most laws for the sole purpose of protecting property and the ownership of property. The courts are therefore a potent weapon in the hands of a ruling class determined to crush any signs of rebellion by the workers and other exploited folk. When the workers win political power, one of the earliest and most important tasks they must undertake is to pass new laws favouring the working people. What can happen to progressive governments when the law still favours the boss class was amply illustrated by the bloodless coup that removed the Whitlam Labor government in Australia after the customary period of destabilisation to convince people that the government was incapable of functioning. A similar coup using crafty legal manoeuvring was carried out recently against the progressive governments of Brazil and Venezuela. Without an election, the left-wing government in Brazil has been replaced by a right-wing caretaker government which is not only an eager tool of Washington but is possibly the most corrupt regime in all of South America. And a pious US government dares to talk about human rights and respecting the rule of law! Ha! Continue Reading Below Advertisement And we're anxiously awaiting a spin-off prequel about how this guy goes to the bathroom. In reality, the 300 Spartans weren't the only Greek force fighting the Persian army; modern estimates put the Greeks' total numbers somewhere between 7,000 and 20,000, against a Persian force of 70,000 to 300,000. It was still vastly lopsided, but 300 was full of such lies. For example: Spartans didn't enter huge stabby battles wearing nothing but one red napkin over their genitals. The film is historically inaccurate and hyper-stylized to the point of unintentional comedy, but there's actually a perfectly logical reason for these over-the-top directorial choices: The story's narrator is a Spartan soldier who wants to glorify his country. Warner Bros. Continue Reading Below Advertisement "... and then Leonidas and Xerxes' wife totally started banging right in front of Xerxes!" From an ancient Spartan point of view, the Persians are evil devil-worshippers who own demon harems. Persia isn't stronger than Greece because it's a richer, more unified country, but because it cheats by using dark magic. Even if actual historical records about whether or not the Persians employed bladed were-pigs are a bit spotty. Everything about Sparta, according to the narrator, is awesome. The way it abuses its children is awesome. The way it scorns diplomacy in favor of killing people is awesome. The way it slaughters all "imperfect" babies is super awesome. Zack Snyder might be a bit insane, but he probably doesn't believe killing babies is a good thing; it's the Spartan narrator who believes that. The opposition's ads about Measure 4 seemed questionable to me, so I decided to check into it. Here's what I found. Tobacco companies have put over $3 million into ads to vote no -- no doubt you've seen their billboards, TV ads and slick fliers. Raise It for Health doesn't have special interest money pouring in from out of state, they are a grassroots organization working to improve the health and welfare of our state. Despite the attempts to mislead voters that this measure is a "blank check," it is exactly the opposite. There are plans for the funds, and there is oversight by the governor and the North Dakota Department of Health. Half of the funds would go to the North Dakota Community Health Trust Fund. Of that, 35 percent would be used for mental health and addiction programs. We've all been alerted to the great need for both of these for many people in our state. 10 percent would go directly to county public health and 5 percent would go to the already-identified chronic disease prevention and control programs (such as heart disease, cancer and stroke) through the Department of Health. The other half would go to North Dakota veterans for programs such as PTSD, Agent Orange treatments, adaptive housing/vehicle grants, and service dogs. The veterans are asking the people of North Dakota for help to fund the programs they desperately need because they have repeatedly been denied by the Legislature. Our veterans deserve to have their needs met. It's proven that higher tobacco prices prevent kids from ever starting, help current users quit, and reduce long-term health care costs for everyone. This is a win-win. Take a look at the facts -- not what the tobacco companies and those in their pockets are saying. Vote yes on Measure 4! A recent letter to the editor caught my attention. It described the good things Hillary Clinton has done for women. Here are some other things she has done. She defended, and got off, a 41-year-old man who raped a 12-year-old girl. She then laughed about it. Shes taken millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia, a country that restricts womens rights. She wants open borders into our country, which will let people to come and go as they please. Some of these people will be murderers, druggies and rapists. Do you want them around your mothers, wives, daughters, granddaughters, etc.? Shes for partial birth abortions. She sold arms to terrorists in Libya and tried to cover it up by letting four Americans get killed in Benghazi. She tells Wall Street behind closed doors she will stick with them. They pay her hundreds of thousands of dollars. She tells the American public the opposite that she will fight Wall Street. She lied to the FBI. She wants to raise taxes on the middle class. She said she arrived in Bosnia under sniper fire. The facts: she was met by Bosnian officials and an 8-year-old girl who read her a poem. Psalm 58:3 describes her perfectly: The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies. Donald Trump knows exactly whats going on with the elite and Washington. Theyre corrupt, greedy and power hungry. They want to control you and me and bring in the One World, or New World Order which will be controlled by the Anti-Christ. Vote for Hillary Clinton and youre part of this satanic system. Data center News Microsoft's Server Design Contribution To Open Compute Project Prompts Partner Interest Joseph Tsidulko Share this Microsoft introduced a cutting-edge server architecture design on Monday, accompanied by a new methodology for collaborating with technology giants on hardware innovation for hyper-scale cloud data centers. Microsoft's Project Olympus, a contribution to the Open Compute Project launched by Facebook, offers a roadmap for designing data center hardware in cooperation with open communities. The proposed approach to hardware development takes inspiration from open source software contributors who collaborate by sharing code with their larger ecosystems well before the projects are near completion. [Related: Telecom Giants Join Facebook's Open Compute Project As Pressure Mounts For Cisco] Microsoft will pursue hardware development for its Azure cloud in that same vein, said Kusagra Vaid, general manager for Azure's hardware infrastructure, in a blog post discussing the project. "Weve learned a tremendous amount from our deep collaboration with the OCP Foundation and the open source community over the past few years," Vaid said. "An important realization is that open source hardware development is currently not as agile and iterative as open source software. " The Project Olympus model recommends sharing cloud server designs by the time they're half completed, allowing early community contributions, modifications and forking. Currently, open hardware methodologies like the one used by OCP members tend to yield design contributions only when projects are near production-ready. Microsoft believes its proposed approach will help not only other vendors, but partners and resellers. We intend for it to become the foundation for a broad ecosystem of compliant hardware products developed by the OCP community. It is an open effort for the benefit of the broader community, and ultimately customers, he told CRN before delivering a keynote on the subject at the Zettastructure conference in London. Many of the large vendors are members of the open hardware and open networking communities and the specification can be used to incorporate their own products or build new products based on our contributions, Vaid told CRN via email. "We certainly keep track of these developments and changes in external stance," said Ben Mead, cloud and infrastructure lead at Credera, a Dallas-based Microsoft Azure partner. Credera works with many of the companies looking to leverage the OCP specifications to deliver lower-cost solutions in their own data centers, Mead said. It's important for Microsoft's channel partners and other OCP vendors to understand the value and limitations of software-defined data center solutions from a Microsoft implementation perspective, he said. The proposed methodology is a natural extension of a model Microsoft has championed for the past few years, Mead told CRN. "From a partner perspective, the continued evolution towards Cloud First coupled with the rapid retirement and reduction in incentives tied to legacy on-premise[s] implementation outcomes is forcing many partners to change their stance," Mead told CRN. For some solution providers, adaptation isn't feasible, and they'll eventually exit the market. "But for those more innovative solution integrators the change should have a positive impact on their overall value proposition with customers who are seeking to fully exploit the promise of the cloud rather than continuing to be exploited by the hardware resellers of yesterday," Mead told CRN. OCP was founded by Facebook to promote collaboration in the design of data center infrastructure. The community has swelled to a who's who of technology behemoths, including Intel, Apple, Cisco and Google. Microsoft joined the Open Compute Project in 2014, a move illustrative of a major shift in posture from the world's largest software company, once strongly in opposition to non-proprietary business models. Vaid noted that Microsoft had been a major proponent of open source technologies for a decade. More than 90 percent of the servers Microsoft purchases for its Azure data centers are based on specifications contributed through the OCP. The technology Microsoft is contributing through Project Olympus involves a universal motherboard, high-availability power supply with batteries, and a new rack power distribution unit for global data center interoperability. "We believe Project Olympus is the most modular and flexible cloud hardware design in the data center industry," Vaid said. "We intend for it to become the foundation for a broad ecosystem of compliant hardware products developed by the OCP community." I am a retired North Dakota physician, who practiced in North Dakota for 40 years. As a former president of the North Dakota Medical Association, I urge you to vote no on Measure 5, medical marijuana. The measure was proposed by compassionate people wanting to relieve suffering of North Dakotans. However well-intentioned this proposal is, it would cause many problems in our state. The North Dakota Medical Association is opposed to Measure 5, because marijuana has not been tested like other medicines. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association are also opposed to medical marijuana. We cannot answer important questions regarding marijuana such as dosage, best administration, drug interactions, side effects and how much THC, cannabidiol, and other chemicals are in the particular marijuana plant you are ingesting? Moreover, there are many problems with the way this measure is written. For example, it allows children of any age to use marijuana in any form. Marijuana interferes with normal development of the human brain. Although compassion centers (marijuana dispensaries) must remain a certain distance from public and private schools, a loophole in the law allows a qualified patient to grow their marijuana right next door to private schools. Just because it is legal in other states doesnt make this widespread proposal right for North Dakota. The effects of legalization of marijuana for medical use in Colorado include a 100 percent increase in traffic fatalities involving marijuana three years after medical marijuana legalization and dramatic increase in the number of poisonings of children (268 percent increase in marijuana exposures between 2006-09 and 2010-13 report years) and pets (four fold in the last six years) Marijuana is not medicine. Please vote no on Measure 5. Princess Cruises announced it has appointed Negin Kamali to the role of director, public relations. Negin brings some 17 years of expertise in the public relations field, working with consumer lifestyle brands like Mattel, Nestle and a portfolio of wine brands within Ste. Michelle Wines Estates including Columbia Crest and Chateau Ste. Michelle. During her time at Golin, Negin managed the Princess Cruises and Cunard Line accounts, spending seven years leading the Cunard Line account team. During that time she worked on the launch of Cunards newest ship, Queen Elizabeth, and developed programs to help increase media coverage for the brand. Within this role, Negin also supported several major initiatives including the launch of Cunards social media channels, the 2011 Rose Parade Float, onboard enrichment programming, in-port functions and familiarization trips. With her integrated consumer marketing communications experience, Negin adds tremendous value to the public relations department at Princess Cruises, said Brian OConnor, vice president of public relations. She is a welcomed leader to the department whose passion for public relations brings new ideas and approaches to continue to drive brand awareness and purchase intent for our cruises. Negin earned a masters degree in corporate public relations from Boston University and received her bachelor of arts in communication from the University of California, San Diego, with a minor in law and society. She is active in the public relations professional community, having served on the board of the Los Angeles chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA-LA) from 2011- 2013, and guest lecturing at various area universities. Crystal Cruises has upped its expedition yacht program from one ship on order to three, while delaying the first delivery by a year to 2019. The companys new ocean-going 1,000-passenger ships are also being pushed back, from 2019 already a year behind schedule to 2022, according to a prepared statement. The ships are all on order at MV Werften, which is a consortium of shipyards owned by Genting Hong Kong, which also owns Crystal. However, in the meantime, Crystal will spend significantly on the Serenity and Symphony, which will see massive enhancements in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Not only do our ocean cruise ships continue to earn the highest guest satisfaction feedback, they do so in record-breaking margins, said Edie Rodriguez, president and CEO. This enthusiasm only validates our commitment to continuing to invest in the most innovative itineraries and onboard spaces and amenities, as those are the features that are resonating with our discerning guests. In the first quarter of 2022, Crystal will introduce the first Crystal Exclusive-class ocean ship that will set a new standard of luxury travel with signature features and guest amenities, and boast luxurious Crystal Residences, allowing travelers to literally call a Crystal ship home. The privately owned apartments will range from 600 to 10,000+ square feet and have access to private amenities, dining and other services, said a statement. On the expedition yacht side of the business, Crystal will take deliveries in 2019, 2020 and 2021. The ships will be 200 passengers and 25,000 tons. Crystal also announced it will rebrand its current Crystal Yacht Cruises as Crystal Yacht Expedition Cruises. The company also said it is planning to add a second Global Express Jet to its Crystal Luxury Air fleet due to the popularity of the existing charter options, and travel partners and guests wishing to customize their vacation experiences with all things Crystal. On the heels of announcing the maiden journey of Crystal AirCruises Boeing 777 with The Peninsula Hotels, which opens for booking on November 1, Crystal will release on that day a selection of its 15- to 29-day all-inclusive journeys for 2017 and 2018. In addition to new experiences, Crystal launched a new All Exclusive branding campaign, a sales and marketing office to further support the Australia region (August 2016), and due to the demand in the Australia market, a branch office will open in Sydney in 2017. Crystal also announced in March plans to make the Shrine Building in downtown Miami its central display showcase location for its portfolio scheduled to open in spring 2017. On Monday, Google disclosed a zero-day vulnerability in Windows, which if exploited will enable an attacker to use it as a security sandbox escape. In response, Microsoft didnt offer details on a fix, instead choosing to promote Windows 10 and argue for coordinated disclosure. Google says the flaw was discovered on October 21, along with a vulnerability in Adobes Flash. Adobe fixed their software last Wednesday, but since the Windows vulnerability is being actively exploited online, Google disclosed basic details about the flaw on Monday. "The Windows vulnerability is a local privilege escalation in the Windows kernel that can be used as a security sandbox escape. It can be triggered via the win32k.sys system call NtSetWindowLongPtr() for the index GWLP_ID on a window handle with GWL_STYLE set to WS_CHILD. Chrome's sandbox blocks win32k.sys system calls using the Win32k lockdown mitigation on Windows 10, which prevents exploitation of this sandbox escape vulnerability," a Google blog post explains. A Microsoft spokesperson said Googles actions have potentially placed customers at risk. The statement goes on to reiterate the software giants belief in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, along with a brief nudge for everyone to update to Windows 10. "We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and todays disclosure by Google could put customers at potential risk. Windows is the only platform with a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as possible. We recommend customers use Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser for the best protection," the company said in a statement emailed to Salted Hash. Google normally has a 60-day limit on disclosure, which starts form the time they discover a given vulnerability and notify the vendor. When the vulnerability is being actively exploited, Google will wait seven days before disclosing. While the ultimate goal is a complete fix, Google believes that seven days might be too soon for a proper patch, but it's plenty of time to issue guidance and notification. This isn't the first time that Google and Microsoft have been at odds over disclosure, and it won't be the last. It's also worth noting the exploit referenced by Google is already mitigated for some since it requires the previously patched Adobe Flash vulnerability. However, if a system is vulnerable to the Flash vulnerabilities - as outlined here - the Windows flaw disclosed by Google is still an issue. 6:11 p.m. - This story was updated with a statement from Microsoft. 11/01/2016 - Microsoft issued additional details and comments, the full blog post is available here. The highlight is that a patch for the flaw will be released on November 8. The blog also blames a Russian actor they call Stronium for the attacks against the flaw, via low-level Phishing campaigns. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Students able to regulate their emotions get better grades and attend school more regularly. So says preliminary findings collected for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence on a program it introduced to the city school district three years ago. Researchers cant yet say if its the emotional intelligence that leads to better grades or the other way around better students are also better able to control their emotions. But Michael J. Strambler, an associate professor at Yale, told a gathering at Fairfield University on Tuesday that data being collected during the 2016-17 school year should start to answer that question. Strambler and other Yale officials said work to sharpen the social and emotional intelligence of the districts 21,000 students would continue despite the impending departure of Interim School Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz. The RULER program which stands for recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing and regulating emotions, was already being tried at Wilbur Cross School when Rabinowitz came to the district in 2014. She expanded the project district wide, and made it part of her district improvement plan in hopes that it would lead to higher academic achievement, fewer absences and fewer student suspensions. We really feel confident at this moment in time that this work is so embedded into the fabric of the schools, and so meaningful to the teachers and the students, that regardless of who is sitting in the district office ... this work will be sustained and will continue in the schools, said Bonnie Brown, a senior consultant for the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Bridgeport is not alone in turning to social and emotional intelligence as an avenue to improving student outcomes. A growing number of school districts around the country are using it. Yale previously conducted a randomized controlled study of RULERs effectiveness in New York City parochial schools. The Connecticut Department of Education recently made social emotional learning a component of its five-year plan. Commissioner of Education Dianna Wentzell said the concepts promise to help students from the inside out. And they are evidence-based, Wentzell said. In Bridgeport, the effort has been fueled by grants. Students learn to identify how they are feeling and how to change those feelings to better learning outcomes. While there is research elsewhere that suggests regulating behavior can help improve learning, the data collected thus far in Bridgeport is largely self-reported and is not considered complete. Surveys were given twice last year to teachers. Only 300 of some 1,500 teachers completed them. Of those that did, 98 percent reported using two or more of the components of the RULER program, 72 percent found it useful and 63 percent felt comfortable with the program. The researchers also looked at school climate surveys all schools must give to students, and found a stronger correlation between higher grades and being able to regulate behavior than between higher grades and trusting the teacher. Students not able to regulate their behavior were absent 6 percent of the time compared to 4.5 percent for those who could regulate and were five times more likely to be suspended than those able to kept their behavior in check. During the 2016-17 school year, the district and its Yale partners will continue to collect data, Stambler said. Rabinowitz said it will take time for the program to have a lasting impact on a district where bullying is still an everyday problem. The preliminary data indicates that the RULER program, when well implemented, positively impacts the culture of the school, she said. If you improve the culture, that means improved relationships, which would certainly help to stem fighting, bullying and absenteeism. It really needs to be in the fabric of all schools, Rabinowitz said. Contributed / Contributed Dr. Charles Atkins, chief medical officer at Community Mental Health Affiliates, LLC, of New Britain, will be the featured speaker at the program, The Opioid Epidemic: Assessment, Intervention and Call to Action: A Public Health Approach, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, at the Center for Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University, 370 Bassett Road. The Connecticut Womens Consortium and the master of social work program at Quinnipiac, are co-sponsoring the program. In addition, the program will feature a panel discussion featuring Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Allison Kernan, who is in recovery; State Rep. Sean Scanlon; and Karen Zaorski, a former state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services social worker who lost her 26-year-old son to a drug overdose six years ago. Zaorski is now an administrator and moderator for The Compassionate Friends Loss to Substance Related Causes, an online support group with 2,500 members. If I have a hidden talent, its putting my foot in my mouth; I might blithely tell you how much your child looks like his stepdad, accidentally mistake your wife for your mother or even re-gift you a present you bought for me last year. Because "foot-in-mouth" is my speciality. Related: 5 Ways to Get Media Coverage as a Startup But, with a faux pas, after a few red-faced moments, all is soon forgotten. Unfortunately, that's not true when speaking with journalists, where what you say might end up being immortalized in print. That possibility can be quite daunting for new entrepreneurs and founders. Not that you should let that put you off seeking press for your startup. Because media coverage can be an enormous win for your company. Not only is third-party or expert content up to 88 percent percent more effective than branded content, but it can gain you exposure in new markets, and set you up as an expert in your field, which will raise your industry profile. Want to get better at the journalism game? There are unwritten rules aplenty, but if you avoid saying or doing the following five things, you'll keep your relationship with the media as healthy as possible. 1. 'Ill pay you to write it.' Nothing will turn a journalists milk sour quite like an indecent proposal. Journalists write about news. Period. If you have an interesting story, and it relates to a particular journalists beat, by all means pitch it. If your company is doing something new or noteworthy, you're "in." Enjoy your shot of media coverage. Alternately, as soon as you offer a journalist money to cover your story, you'll be breaking an ethical code which will likely get you blacklisted, not only by that journalist, but by all his or her colleagues, friends, family and pets. Most journalists value their careers far more than your offer. So . . . don't do it. Offering to pay will be a sure-fire way of saying goodbye to a good contact and decent media coverage -- forever. On the other hand, dismiss any journalist who asks that you pay, in cash or kind, for coverage. TechCrunchs heartfelt apology for a number of incidents involving an intern requesting a Macbook Air from a startup in return for a write-up gives you an idea of just how serious this problem can be. Paid, or "native," content is a legitimate way of supporting the media -- and theres nothing wrong with contacting a publication to post a native ad or sponsored article. Just make sure you contact the marketing department, not the editorial one. 2. 'I must review it before you publish.' Although it may be nerve-wracking, once the interview ends and the notepad has closed, you have no control over the outcome. Its a journalists prerogative to write his or her own story, and you cant expect to impose any influence. As an interviewee, you have no right to ask to review the article before it goes to print. Occasionally, a reporter may call to double-check a fact for accuracy, but that will be as far as it goes. So, avoid the temptation, and just wait for your story to come out. If there are mistakes, by all means get in touch and politely explain what should be corrected. Most journalists will gladly add a note and correction to the article, indicating that errors occurred. Related: 5 Ways to Amplify Your Media Coverage 3. 'Can you hold, please?' or, Sorry, lets do it another day.' Nothing brings forth the gnashing of journalistic teeth quite like being asked to call back. With rapidly diminishing newsrooms and mounting pressure to write more and more stories, journalists have far less time on their hands than they used to. When a journalist asks to interview you about your product, company launch or new product, dont let the opportunity slip. Ask this individual to call you back, or come to the office another day --- and there goes your media coverage. So, treat journalists as you would a well-respected venture capitalist thinking of making an investment in your company. Their time is their money, and they really dont owe you anything. 4. 'Is this is off the record?' You know, my business partner wears a terrible wig. That's off the record, right? Wrong. And there's that faux pas again. Please confirm that what you are about to say is "off the record," before you say it. Unless agreed upon, anything you say is fair game. And, believe me, if it's juicy, its going into the story. Need confirmation? We all know what happened to Donald Trump and Billy Bush. Their disturbing conversation laughing about sexual assault was caught on tape -- When youre a star, they let you do it- -and it was perfectly legal for that to be made public (though Trump has threatened to sue). Of course, thats an extreme example, but the same goes for emails, text messages, Post-it notes: Anything you say or write down may be included in the article. So, those angry tweets? Theyre going in. Those private Facebook messages? Front-page news. Anything, in fact, that you say may be used for or against you, so always think before you speak, tweet or email. 5. 'You didnt include me in your article.' Journalists interview a whole range of different people all the time. En route, they build up backgrounds enabling them to really understand a story and tell it in a clear and comprehensive way. Unfortunately, not every interview makes the cut, and some interviewees are left out of the final story. This may be the journalists decision, or a copy editor may take it out so that the story fits its layout. Of course, if you're the one getting left out, you may feel quite frustrated, especially when you were hoping to boost your business with a mention in a great feature. But none of that matters. What does is how you react. Journalists hate being berated for ignoring an interviewees story. So, whatever you do, dont complain. One angry email from you, and theyll cross you off their contact list for the next story. Instead, write to the journalist with congratulations on the article; this will set you up as a willing source for the future, and you never know what good might come out of it for you or your company. Related: 12 Ways to Land Media Coverage Without a Press Release Dealing with the media can be a difficult and delicate process, but it is also extremely rewarding. Remember to treat journalists with professional respect, and recognize that you are potentially presenting your company to hundreds of thousands of people. So, prepare and practice beforehand, and you'll be excited by another big step for your company. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved On Nov. 8, voters will decide whether lengthy changes are made to the North Dakota constitution through Measure 3, the so-called "Marsy's Law." We urge a no vote on this measure. The proponents of Measure 3 argue that this measure will ensure five rights for crime victims: first, the right to be heard at every stage of a criminal proceeding; second, the right to notification of all hearings and trials in a criminal case; and finally, the right to restitution, privacy, and to be free from harassment. What the proponents ignore is the fact that under existing North Dakota law, crime victims are already afforded all of these rights in one form or another. Measure 3 adds nothing new to existing rights. North Dakota currently has thorough, progressive victim rights statutes. Our Legislature has, from time to time, amended these statutes in order to improve them. This cannot be done under Measure 3, as the fine tuning of a constitutional amendment requires yet another constitutional amendment. Under Measure 3, the level of victims' services required, for example, for the large retailer who receives a $10 bad check and the family of a murder victim would be the same. This would require an increased burden on the taxpayers. The North Dakota Office of Management and Budget estimates that this burden on the taxpayers will amount to approximately $5 million over the next 2 1/2 years. Because it is flawed and unnecessary, Measure 3 is opposed by the Council on Abused Women's Services, the North Dakota Victim's Assistance Association, the North Dakota Women's Network, the North Dakota Trial Lawyers, the First Nations Women's Alliance, the North Dakota Criminal Defense Attorneys' Association, and the North Dakota State's Attorneys' Association. Please vote no on Measure 3. Jason Eaton went to his girlfriend's Indiana home last week with an engagement ring, he told police. He planned on proposing to Wendy Sabatini, according to court documents. But Sabatini told Eaton "no" before he even got the question out. Then, Eaton grabbed a gun, he later told police. Eaton now stands accused in the fatal shooting of Sabatini. The Greensburg Daily News reports that Eaton faces a murder charge in connection with Sabatini's death, a crime authorities say he has confessed to. Eaton walked into the Greensburg police department on Oct. 25 and asked to speak with an officer, according to a probable cause affidavit. He told the officer that he had killed his girlfriend, and authorities went out to check on Sabatini. They were met at Sabatini's Indiana home by her son, who thought his mother was still at work. The son was eating dinner after an internship, and was "unaware of any problems in the home," the affidavit notes. "Officers searched the residence and found Sabatini deceased in an upstairs bedroom from an apparent single gunshot wound to the crown of her head," the documents read. "A firearm located inside the bedroom was found and seized." After Eaton was detained at the police station, he told police about the failed proposal attempt and subsequent shooting. "Eaton advised that earlier in the afternoon, he was speaking to Sabatini in the upstairs bedroom and approached her with an engagement ring, with the intent to ask Sabatini to marry Eaton. Sabatini declined before he asked," the court documents state. "Eaton said that he then retrieved a firearm from a nightstand and moved behind Sabatini, who was seated on the opposite side of the bed. Eaton said the gun fired, striking Sabatini in the head." Eaton told police that he left the gun in the bedroom and went downstairs. Eventually, he told investigators, he left the house and traveled to the home of another woman. Eaton told that woman "that he messed up and he thinks he killed Sabatini," the affidavit states. The pair then drove to the police department. The affidavit notes that the investigation is ongoing, "with regard to intent, motive and timeline." "The investigation by the Greensburg Police Department is ongoing," Prosecuting Attorney Nathan Harter said in a statement released to the Greensburg Daily News. "Any person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty. This office will have no further comment on this pending criminal case, consistent with the Indiana Rules of Professional Conduct." A message left with Eaton's attorney was not immediately returned. Sabatini's son, Lake, spoke with Fox 59 after the shooting, telling the station that he knew his mother, who was divorced, would turn down a proposal, saying that she simply did not want to get remarried. "Anybody instantly would fall in love when you met her," he said of his mother. "She was a wonderful person." Sabatini's sister told the Fox affiliate that she was shocked by Eaton's reaction to the rejection. "I would have never seen this side out of him, but I guess you truly don't know everybody," Heather Rasmus told the station. "He just didn't get the answer he wanted." Of her slain sister, Rasmus said: "She was a very stern woman. She stood her ground." Sabatini's friends remembered the 44-year-old as a supportive woman who was "inspiring," according to the Logansport Pharos-Tribune. Her ex-husband recalled her smile, telling the newspaper that when they met: "I couldn't take my eyes off her." "There was just something about her," John Sabatini told the Pharos-Tribune. "She was always smiling." Another acquaintance, Lora Collins, said learned of Sabatini's death the morning after the shooting, after noticing several missed calls. "If she wanted something," Collins told the newspaper, "Wendy went out and got it. But she was also so humble and had an awesome personality, and I will always remember that laughter." I was born on June 2, 1918, in New York City. Woodrow Wilson was president, the United States was fighting World War I, and women could not vote in this country. It would be another two years before women could vote in U.S. elections. But when they could, my mother registered and took me to the polls to watch her cast her ballot. I cast my first vote in 1940 for Franklin D. Roosevelt, and I have voted in every primary and presidential election since. (Contrary to the notion that women of my generation followed their husbands' lead and voted as the men did, I always voted the way I wanted, and so did the women I knew.) I've also never regretted one of my votes. The vote I was most proud of was for Hillary in the 2008 Democratic primary. She didn't make it, but I was very proud to vote for her. And this year, I got to vote for her again: I cast an early ballot for Hillary Clinton for president. In terms of the issues that matter to me in this election, I like the policies that Clinton has been promoting about the middle class, and about education, which I think is the most important. I have a doctorate in educational leadership and spent 40 years in the Compton Unified School District in California. Eventually, I was the assistant superintendent of the district. I worked mostly with men, but I was held in high esteem because I was quiet and fair, and I knew my business. I understood what a quality education should be, and I pushed it to the hilt. I don't know if it made a difference to the female students to see me, a woman, in leadership, but I know my students appreciated me. (Marv Fleming, a four-time Super Bowl champion, was my student when I was an English teacher. He came back every year to visit me.) I tried to train all the people under me to be leaders, and they were. When I went back for a reunion, I was greeted by three people when I walked in, all former students and a mixture of men and women. One was a mayor, one was a state official, and one was a college professor. I never thought much about a woman being president, or about any women who might have been good presidents. There were no role models for that. When Hillary Clinton was in the White House as first lady, I never imagined her running for president. But I also never thought much about whether we would have a black president before I voted for Barack Obama in 2008. I was astonished when he was elected. He also happens to be the best president we've had in my lifetime. He has such a dynamic personality, in his own quiet way. When it came time to decide for whom to vote this year, I didn't like Bernie Sanders or anyone on the Republican side. (I have no comment on Donald Trump.) I was centered on Hillary. I feel she's qualified. What she's done for the past 30 years or more is make her mark on the world. She's well-known and well-loved all over the world. And she has tremendous and powerful experience. I think women do bring something different to office: a sensitivity that most men don't have. I saw the election of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May. Merkel, May and Hillary would be a wonderful triad to rule the world. Maybe they'd be able to bring about some peace and quality growth that hasn't happened yet. What surprises me most about today's politics is how vicious the campaigns are. The reporting of the campaign is too nasty. No privacy whatsoever for the candidates. If someone sneezes, it's reported. Candidates hurt each other, and that's bad. I don't think that happened previously. It was more dignified. Today, this is like a catfight. But Hillary will do well as president. She doesn't have to worry about world connections. They adore her everywhere. She has to rebuild some confidence in the United States, and she must be given a chance to do that. The countries of the world know her and enjoy her and appreciate her. It's about time we did, too. - Schultz is a lifelong educator who now lives in Rockville, Md. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Tuesday that he has voted for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, but he has no plans to campaign for him in the final week of the race. "I stand where I've stood all fall and all summer. In fact, I already voted here in Janesville for our nominee last week in early voting," Ryan said in an interview on Fox News Channel. "We need to support our entire Republican ticket." His comments came as Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton prepared for another busy day of campaign events in a contest that has been roiled by news that news that FBI Director James Comey is revisiting his probe into the potential mishandling of classified material in Clinton's email practices as secretary of state. Clinton plans to campaign in Florida, where aides said that she will focus on Trump's treatment of women. Trump will visit Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, two states where polls show Clinton leading him. Ryan's remarks also highlighted the extraordinary lack of unity that continues to plague the Republican Party with Election Day drawing near. Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, are scheduled to campaign in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, late Tuesday afternoon. Ryan said on Fox News that he only learned of their visit "about 10 minutes ago" and does not plan to be there. Instead, he will be in Indiana, Michigan, New York and Virginia campaigning for House Republicans. Ryan and Trump have had an uneasy relationship throughout the campaign. After The Washington Post reported last month that Trump was heard on a hot microphone making vulgar comments about forcing himself on women sexually, Ryan announced that he would no longer campaign for Trump or defend him. He said Tuesday his position has not changed. "I'm just crisscrossing the country right now fighting for congressional Republicans," said the speaker. Before heading to Wisconsin with Pence, Trump plans to deliver a speech in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, late Tuesday morning about repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The GOP nominee also took aim at Clinton over her emails on Twitter on Tuesday morning, writing: "Look at the way Crooked Hillary is handling the email case and the total mess she is in. She is unfit to be president. Bad judgement!" A Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll conducted Thursday through Sunday showed Trump at 46 percent and Clinton 45 percent in a four-way contest. The poll finds little shift in Clinton's overall support following news of the FBI's renewed look at her emails, but strong enthusiasm among her supporters fell behind Trump in combined Saturday and Sunday interviews. In Florida, where both Clinton had her husband, former President Bill Clinton, are scheduled to return Tuesday, her campaign has made a heavy investment. It doesn't view the state as must-win but one where a victory would almost certainly cut off Trump's path to the White House.Vice President Joe Biden also plans to campaign for Clinton in Florida on Wednesday, her campaign said. Hillary Clinton plans three early voting rallies, one mid-afternoon event in Dade City and evening stops in Sanford and Fort Lauderdale. Bill Clinton has events scheduled in Florida City, Immokalee and St. Petersburg. In Dade City, Clinton is scheduled to be introduced by Alicia Machado, the former Miss Universe pageant winner whom Trump accused of a massive weight gain and attacked on Twitter in the aftermath of the first debate. The Clinton campaign also released a new ad Tuesday featuring clips of Trump speaking about women in disparaging ways. Aides said the ad will air in eight targeted states, including Arizona, a heavily Republican state where Clinton is making a late play. Hillary Clinton's planned attacks on Trump's treatment of women follow a day in which she repeatedly argued that he doesn't have the temperament to control the nation's nuclear arsenal and conduct its foreign policy. Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, is campaigning in Wisconsin. Clinton has been leading in the state but Trump is making a late push there to try to expand the map. Both Clinton and Kaine have stops planned in Arizona in coming days, as polls there have tightened. The last Democrat to carry the state in a presidential race was Bill Clinton in 1996. Top aides for Clinton on Monday accused Comey of a "double standard" in his handling of the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook called on Comey to explain why he rushed to disclose new information about the status of the investigation into Clinton, while reportedly opposing, on the grounds that it would be too close to the election, a public statement by the FBI that the Russian government was seeking the influence the presidential race. "It is impossible to view this as anything less than a blatant double standard," Mook said. Aiming to quickly redirect the focus of the presidential race, the Clinton campaign seized on news reports that Comey had rejected efforts within the FBI to identify Russia as the source of hacking incidents this year, which primarily affected Democrats, including Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Clinton's press secretary, Brian Fallon, said that Comey "set a standard for narrating a play-by-play for matters involving Hilary Clinton," but has not set the same standard for inquiries into Russian hacking and potential ties to Trump's campaign. "Director Comey owes the public an explanation for this inconsistency," Fallon said. Meanwhile, in Warren, Michigan, on Monday, Trump hammered on the issue of Clinton's emails during an afternoon rally that started more than two hours late. He repeated his claim that Clinton's use of a private email server is "the biggest scandal since Watergate," and told Clinton to stop blaming the scandal on others. The Democratic presidential nominee addressed the email issue at the start of a speech at Kent State University on Monday. "I'm sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about, and why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of wrongdoing," less than two weeks before Election Day, Clinton said. "That's a good question." "I understand. And as I've said, I'm not making any excuses" for setting up her private email system as she did, Clinton said. "I've said it was a mistake, and I regret it." On Monday afternoon, the Justice Department responded to growing calls from a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress for additional information about the renewed inquiry. In a letter to lawmakers, the Justice Department said it was moving "as expeditiously as possible" to investigate the new emails, but it did not provide any additional information. Clinton's campaign pushed back hard all weekend against Comey's decision. Clinton denies that her email put the country at risk, and her campaign says she testified truthfully. Other Democrats also demanded swift answers about what Comey is looking for and why he chose to renew the inquiry less than two weeks before Election Day. Democratic senators asked for answers by the end of the day Monday. At her rally in Ohio, Clinton predicted that the new inquiry will reach the same conclusion as Comey did at the end of the FBI investigation in July, when he announced that despite what he called sloppiness, there was no evidence of criminal conduct. "There is no case," Clinton said, adding that she thinks most Americans have long since decided how they feel about the email issue. "Now, what people are focused on is choosing the next president and commander in chief of the United States of America." - - - Wagner reported from White Plains, N.Y. Johnson reported from Grand Rapids, Mich. The Washington Post's Abby Phillip, Anne Gearan, Emily Guskin and Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report. The corporate culture at the worlds largest hedge fund where its billionaire manager, Ray Dalio, preaches radical transparency isnt for everyone. James Comey bought in. So much so that when President Barack Obama nominated the Westport resident to be FBI director in 2013, Comey told the Senate that he would carry the same principles from Bridgewater Associates to the bureau. Comey served as general counsel of the $150 billion fund from 2010 to 2013. I went to Bridgewater, in part, because of that culture of transparency, Comey said during his confirmation hearing. Its something thats just long been part of me. So I think its incumbent on every leader to foster an atmosphere where people will speak truth to power. For Comey, that onus of speaking the truth has been magnified resoundingly with his oversight of the now on-again FBI investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. First, the Republicans reviled him. Now, its the Democrats. Both say the former deputy U.S. attorney general could swing the election following Comeys revelation Friday that the FBI is investigating a new batch of emails from Clinton to her longtime aide, Huma Abedin. Ken Dixon/Hearst Connecticut Media Questions about timing The stunning disclosure has resurrected concerns about Clintons mishandling of classified materials at the State Department. It is allegedly tied to a overlapping probe into sexually explicit messages sent by Abedins estranged husband, former Congressman Anthony Weiner, to a 15-year-old North Carolina girl. The timing has opened Comey up to intense criticism across the nation, including in his hometown of Westport, where his seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom Greens Farms mansion is currently on the market for $2.5 million. Hes got a reputation as being a straight shooter and a man of integrity, said Kristan Peters-Hamlin, a former assistant U.S. attorney who practices law in the area and supports Clinton. However, I disagree with what he did in this instance, and it is incomprehensible to me. I do not think he should have written that letter to the Senate. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Comey has a solid reputation. Ive always thought of Jim Comey as a man of huge integrity and, as such, Im reserving judgment on the wisdom of his move, Himes said. The decision to go public in July was unusual. Clearly, the decision to write the Congress was also unusual. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who took part in Comeys 2013 confirmation hearing, was flummoxed by the latest twist in the email scandal. As a former federal prosecutor and state attorney general, I believe there is serious reason for concern regarding Director Comeys cryptic comments and hope that more facts will be disclosed as quickly as possible, Blumenthal said in a statement to Hearst Connecticut Media. Such actions are highly unusual and urgently require explanation. Dalio declined to comment Monday about Comey, who presided over legal and ethical matters as the hedge funds general counsel. One of Dalios management mantras is to understand the nature of a problem before deciding how to respond to it. Prominent resident Sal Liccione, a member of Westports Democratic Town Committee, said Comey is well-regarded in the community. I think hes stuck between a rock and hard place, Liccione said. The Republican House and Senate pushed him into what he needs to do. Liccione said the lingering investigation doesnt inspire confidence in voting for Clinton. As a Bernie Sanders supporter, Im very hesitant, Liccione said. It could turn the election right over. In Westport, Comey has been active in town affairs, serving as the commencement speaker last year at Greens Farms Academy, where his daughter, Claire, was a graduate and student council chairwoman. Comey is married with five children. In 2014, Comey attended the funeral for Susan Wynkoop, a former Westport Historical Society president and one of the first women to be hired as an FBI special agent. Police and town officials declined to comment Monday about whether they have heightened security for Comey and his family. Comey started his career as a federal prosecutor, handling mafia cases involving the Gambino crime family. During the first term of President George W. Bush, Comey stood in as acting attorney general while John Ashcroft was hospitalized. To insulate them from politics, FBI directors traditionally serve 10-year terms, which could create an awkward dynamic for Comey if Clinton is elected. But then again, Comeys previous boss was no shrinking violet. He even made light of the idiosyncratic management style of Dalio during his confirmation. Bridgewaters founder suggested I consider taping all meetings of the FBI, Comey deadpanned. Im not prepared to commit to that. neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy The investigation into the death of six bald eagles that ingested poisoned prairie dogs is pending lab results before any federal charges can be brought in the matter. Standing Rock Sioux Tribe game wardens discovered the dead birds in March on the former Wilder Ranch near McLaughlin, S.D. The ranch is partially owned by David Meyer, of Flasher, according to the Corson County (S.D.) registrar. Tribal game and fish director Jeff Kelly said the dead birds were found on the ranch, which straddles North and South Dakota within the reservation, and possibly some mix of reservation land leased for ranch grazing. Meyer was a main bidder on the 20,000-acre Wilder Ranch when it went up for auction a year ago. County records show some of the property is still in Maurice Wilders name, though the Florida real estate mogul -- who got into trouble with South Dakota authorities over dead, starving and roaming buffalo -- has since died. Meyer is also former owner of the Cannonball Ranch, which he recently sold for a reported $18 million to Dakota Access LLC in a sale thats being investigated by the North Dakota attorney generals office for possible violation of the states anti-corporate farming law. The Cannonball Ranch is the site of a heavily protested pipeline crossing near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation boundary. Rich Grosz, an investigator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Monday the case of the dead eagles involves the use of Rozol, a poison approved to control prairie dogs, which was applied over more than 1,000 acres in the area. Grosz described the land as being in North and South Dakota mostly within the Standing Rock boundaries, with some acreage outside the reservation in North Dakota. Grosz did not confirm land ownership for this story. He said the agency can divulge only limited information about the case while its under investigation and that court documents would reveal more details if charges are filed. At the time of the discovery, Kelly said it was alarming to find six dead eagles in the same general area through which hundreds of bald eagles migrate in the springtime. He said his investigators found the poison broadcast around the burrows of prairie dogs, along with remains of those creatures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also is involved in the investigation, Grosz said. According to the websites for the EPA and the product, Rozol must be injected into burrows, not scattered across the land; and dead prairie dogs must be monitored and disposed of every 12 hours to prevent the deaths of raptor birds and other predatory species. Bald eagles are no longer on the Endangered Species list, but they are covered by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty, Grosz said. The protection act treats the first death as a misdemeanor and any others as felonies, while the treaty punishes all eagle deaths as misdemeanors, Grosz said. Violations can result in a $100,000 fine and one years imprisonment. A woman accused of firing a handgun at police officers as protesters were evicted from private property Thursday was charged with attempted murder. Red Fawn Fallis faces the most serious charge of any Dakota Access Pipeline protester arrested so far. She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and is being held on $100,000 cash bond set Monday. The 37-year-old woman from Denver is one of at least 137 people facing felony charges from Thursday's events. Protesters started fires and threw objects at police, who used pepper spray and bean bag guns in a push to remove people from a northern camp established by protesters. The camp was on property recently purchased by Dakota Access LLC -- land the protesters claimed was theirs by treaty. Fallis is accused of firing a gun while being arrested for "being an instigator and acting disorderly" at the protest, according to an affidavit filed in her case. One shot allegedly struck the ground near a deputy. She is also charged with preventing arrest, carrying a concealed weapon and possessing marijuana. According to the affidavit, she told law enforcement that she was trying to pull the gun out of her pocket and it went off when deputies jumped her. She also reportedly said they were lucky she didn't shoot them all. Morton County State's Attorney Allen Koppy said in court Monday that he believed the officers were the intended victims, but added that bystanders were put at risk, too. Fallis, who has been arrested twice before on misdemeanors during the protests, said in court that she understood the seriousness of the charges, but asked for a surety bond because she has legal and family support. Judge Bruce Romanick rejected her request because a firearm was involved. Weekend court Most of the 141 people arrested on Thursday were charged with one felony and two misdemeanors each. The most serious charge is the Class C felony of endangering by fire or explosion, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of $10,000. The misdemeanor charges were maintaining a public nuisance and engaging in a riot. "Endangering by fire or explosion" means intentionally starting or maintaining a fire or causing an explosion, thereby recklessly placing people or inhabited buildings in danger or causing more than $2,000 damage, according to the North Dakota Century Code. As the charges were all filed with citations, much like traffic tickets, the exact factual bases for them are not clear. A Tribune reporter on scene noted that some of the people arrested were not directly involved in starting fires. "There were little old ladies from Pennsylvania sitting in a prayer circle who are charged with endangering by fire," said Bill Tilton, a Minnesota attorney who recently obtained a temporary North Dakota license so he could help defend the protesters. Koppy declined to comment on the basis for the felony charges, saying he did not want to make out-of-court remarks. Bismarck-based criminal defense attorney Erica Shively, who is representing several protesters, said it is "rare" to see felony charges filed with only a citation. Normally, there is a detailed affidavit outlining the allegations. She said she was only familiar with the practice in traffic cases when drugs were found. The protesters made court appearances Saturday in Burleigh and Morton counties -- many by videoconference, as they were housed in jails across the state, said Tilton, who represented many of them. He said everyone he represented was assigned a $1,500 bond, and most are required to come back Dec. 5 for a preliminary hearing. At a felony preliminary hearing, a person can enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. Providing representation As the number of people arrested at pipeline protests continues to climb spiking after Thursday's standoff public defenders and private attorneys from across the region have joined to represent them. More than 20 court-appointed lawyers and a dozen private attorneys many working pro bono are defending the 400-plus people who have been charged with unlawful activity since the protests began. In many cases, they are collaborating with lawyers from across the region, holding meetings and calls to discuss strategies and legal issues surrounding the arrests and charges, said Bismarck-based lawyer Jackie Stebbins, who represented former Red Warrior Camp spokesman Cody Hall. Stebbins, who hosted one of the meetings of defense attorneys in mid-October, said the group is concerned about overcharging by the prosecutors, the rights to assembly, and the rioting charges filed against a reporter. "I think criminal defense attorneys are a huge part of the checks and balances," she said last month. Though the attorneys are hesitant to discuss strategy in their cases, Stebbins noted the combination of defendants who believe in what they're doing and lawyers who believe their clients are wrongfully charged may be a recipe for a number of jury trials. "Its not just a handful of city charge B misdemeanors. This is very different," she said. But more than simply interesting legal issues, the cases have struck a chord for some defense attorneys involved. "I think Ive been called to make sure the government doesnt overstep its bounds and doesnt take advantage of people that dont have the information, are maybe poor, maybe transplanted here from other states," Shively said. Connections to particular protesters or a simple desire to help has drawn lawyers from across the country, said Bruce Ellison, a Rapid City, S.D., attorney involved in coordinating counsel through the National Lawyers Guild. Lawyers working through the organization are assisting local attorneys both formally and informally. Many wearing green hats are working as legal observers, providing advice to protesters about civil disobedience and what to do if they get arrested. "Hopefully, together we can provide at least one effective assistance of counsel," Ellison said. Others, such as Tilton, have secured temporary licenses to work in North Dakota. Tilton, who defended people charged at Wounded Knee in the 1970s, said he came to the state to assist an acquaintance who was arrested, but he also feels strongly about the cause. "I defend the people who are righteously protecting their environment," he said. "I'm an old lefty lawyer and proud of it." Ellison said one of his goals is to provide some help to the public defenders, who are taking on a significant number of cases. Public defenders have been assigned to 105 cases so far, with more to come in the wake of Thursday's events, according to Jean Delaney, executive director for the Commission on Indigent Defense. "It's definitely felt," Delaney said. Public defenders in the district are usually assigned 346 cases in a month. So far, the office has used the four full-time public defenders in the Bismarck-Mandan area; 14 people who work on monthly contracts; and public defenders from Dickinson, Minot, Fargo, Grand Forks and Watford City. Delaney said she will soon need to start hiring extra "conflict" attorneys to work on an hourly basis, and she believes she'll have to request additional funding. "We have no choice if someone is found eligible (for a public defender). We need to find an attorney," she said. Public defenders are available to anyone earning less than 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline, with assets totaling less than $20,000. As for law enforcement, the Morton County state's attorney's office has recruited the help of McLean County State's Attorney Ladd Erickson to file cases. The Morton County Sheriff's Department also has enlisted aid from law enforcement agencies across the state and the country. Until Thursday, the vast majority of protesters had been charged with misdemeanors such as disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and engaging in a riot. A few accused of locking themselves to construction equipment were charged with felonies. CultNews101.com: news, links, resources. Cults101.org: resources about cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations and related topics. CultMediation.com: offers resources designed to help thoughtful families and friends understand and respond to the complexity of a loved ones cult involvement. Intervention101.com: to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement. CultRecovery101.com: assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice. Last month Memphians and more packed the decorated room of Amurica Studios on N. Cleveland Street to catch a glimpse of a living, breathing presidential candidate. Dr. Jill Stein, the Green Partyas presidential nominee, spoke to Amurica about America and more specifically, how to bring asocial movements into the political battle.a She then took questions from the multigenerational crowd. Winston Belisle, 63, said that Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton was actually politically atoo far righta for his liking with atoo many corporate interests.a aI think we need a third party,a Belisle said after the rally. aIam not satisfied with what we got. Iave been a Democrat all my life; then when Bernie stepped down and started rooting for her, it let the air out of the balloon.a Memphian Trenton Brown, 23, also began researching Jill Stein after Bernie Sanders dropped his presidential bid. aIam voting for Jill this election,a Brown said. aI just got tired of the established candidatesaRepublicans and Democrats, so I decided to vote for a third party that can actually offer a solution.a Dr. Jill Stein and Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson are the two major third-party candidates in the current election that younger voters are gravitating towards as they shun athe two major political parties on a scale not seen since Ross Perotas third party bid for the presidency in 1992,a according to The New York Times. Surveys by Pew Research Center show that half of the millennials polled describe themselves as political independents, but vote heavily Democratic and for liberal policies on many social and political issues. While both the 2016 Green Party and Libertarian Party candidates align on issues like abortion being a womanas unrestricted right, the legalization of marijuana, the pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens and avoiding foreign entanglements, some attendees at Octoberas Stein rally described the twoas politics as aday and night.a Dr. Jill Stein herself criticized Gary Johnsonas policies when questioned by The Daily Helmsman on Oct. 4. aI think Gary is sort of coasting on this idea that heas the alternative,a Stein said. aWeave been trying to get Gary into a debate, and he wonat debate. He wonat actually stand up and defend his positions and where he stands. Many people fear that the Libertarians are about getting government out of the way so that corporations can just run roughshod over us.a Dr. Stein also said she disagrees with Johnsonas plans for income tax, climate change and student debt. While in Memphis, the Green Party nominee claimed that the Libertarian nominee has ano solutiona for the ajob crisis.a aIn my mind, we have three candidates here which are sponsored by multinational corporations,a Stein said. aGary Johnson doesnat want to get money out of politics. He thinks that itas just fine for corporations to buy our government. He thinks they need to wear the logo to identify where the moneyas coming from, but heas not identifying where his money is coming from. Heas got a Super PAC, which is basically how you hide the money.a 30-year-old Walt Granecki, the vice-chair of the Libertarian Party of Shelby County, refuted some of Steinas accusations. He said that he couldnat speak to Johnsonas Super PAC but believes Johnsonas experience and background as a two-term governor of New Mexico speak for themselves. aWhether Stein, Johnson, Clinton or Trump is elected in November, come January of 2018, I donat think that the money will be out of politics,a Granecki said. aBut I think thereas policies that can begin to be set in place to help us establish that. I think that weare fighting within the rules to get as much media coverage as we can and currently, the only way to do that is to raise money.a According to insidegov.com, Johnson has raised significantly more money than Steina$11.3 million to $3.53 million. He also was closer to getting on the debate stage with Clinton and Trump. The Commission on Presidential Debates established in 2000 that for a presidential candidate to be included in the national debates, they must collect at least 15 percent of votersa support across five national polls. According to a Sept. 22 Washington Post/ABC News poll, conducted before the first debate, Clinton and Trump were tied at 41 percent among registered voters, with Johnson at 7 percent and Stein at 2 percent. At his peak, Johnson was polling at 11 percent according to a Sept. 13 NBC News/Survey Monkey poll. This was despite Johnsonas aAleppoa gaffe, when he questioned what the city of Aleppo was in an interview with MSNBCas Mike Barnicle. However, by the time the 2016 presidential debates began, Johnson did not get to participate as third-party candidate Ross Perot was able to in 1992. Before the debates, Granecki felt it was Johnsonas arolea to debate the Republican and Democratic nominees. aItas hard to change the system outside of the system,a Granecki said. aWeare just trying to make real progress and pick and choose our battles.a Stein believed a debate specifically between Johnson and her should be the first order of business. aWe think there needs to be a debate here because people are clamoring for another political party, but they need to know what the choices are,a Stein said. While Johnson and Steinas platforms are separated with Johnson taking a more conservative stance and Stein taking a more liberal stance specifically on domestic and economic issues, some worry that either candidate could asplita the vote in a similar way that Ralph Naderas Green Party presidential run did in 2000. Nader's votes could have otherwise gone to one of the major-party candidates, but allegedly cost Al Gore the presidency. Memphian Jaron Weidner is the secretary of the Libertarian Party of Shelby County and the co-owner of Avenue Coffee, located near the U of M campus. He is not concerned about the Libertarian candidate splitting the votes come Nov. 8. aIave heard kind of an equal number of people tell me that if you vote for Gary Johnson itas only going to help Hillary,a Weidner said. aBut Iave heard an equal number of people say itas going to help Trump.a Weidner describes himself as being asocially accepting,a but that opening his own business encouraged him to become aeconomically mindeda as well. He was drawn towards Republican candidate Rand Paul at first. Then, after Paul dropped out, Weidner decided on the Libertarian option. aHistorically, the Libertarian party pulls equally from both Democrats and Republicans,a Weidner said. aThe Libertarian Party kind of coincidentally has a list of things in common with each side, and so itas possible to definitely attract people from both of the major parties. Some of the other third parties might not have that same advantage. The Constitutional Party is kind of like a Republican Party and Green Party is kind of like a Democratic Party.a Kate Culver, the co-founder of the Green Party of Tennessee, believes that her party is actually a place where Republicans, Democrats and even Libertarians can afind a good home.a aI know a lot of people want to place the Green Party further left than the Democrats, but I donat think thatas true,a Culver said. aI donat think this is some linear continuum. Itas a circle. Everything is a circle, and so we have a place where some Republicans could find a good home. We have a platform where some Democrats could find a good home, or a Libertarian could find a good home. The main thing is that people who care about their children, who care about their environment, who care about justice in the world and that itas all fair and that we respect each otherathese people are going to find a good place here in the Green Party.a Culver said she represents the stereotype of her party as a aBirkenstock-wearing, tree hugging hippy,a but said by no means is she the majority. In the past, Culver has also worked with Libertarians. aI wonat vote for them, but I am so happy they are there,a Culver said. aMy feeling is we need a multi-party democracy. We need more voices and the lawsuits that I have undertaken with the Green Party of Tennessee against the state of Tennessee have one time been with the Constitution Party and one time been with the Libertarian party. Even parties that I have a very different political view with, we have a common ground and an understanding that more voices at the table does everybody good.a Granecki agreed. aI think the Green Party and the Libertarian Party certainly do need to come together regarding ballot access in the debates instead of throwing shade at each other,a Granecki said. aI still want to be able hear that other voice and keep Republicans and Democrats honest. Getting as many voices heard as we possibly cana to [open the] rest of the publicas [eyes] up to who Jill Stein and Gary Johnson and the Green and Libertarian Party represent.a According to Weidner, ballot access is definitely important for third party candidates. For example, while Gary Johnson is technically on the ballot in all 50 states, he is listed as a Libertarian option on only some of them. On others, such as Tennessee, Johnson is listed as an Independent. After the election, all the votes cast for Johnson, whether he's listed as an Independent or a Libertarian will be counted afor the party.a If the party gets five percent of the popular vote, they will receive federal funding for the 2020 campaign. In Tennessee, where Johnson is listed as an Independent, votes will still count towards the partyas five percent of the national popular vote and the candidateas 2016 presidency. aIn Tennessee, the current law says that Republicans and Democrats need 25 signatures of votersajust 25 people to sign petition so they can be on the ballot,a Weidner said. aAny third party needs 33,844 signatures of valid Tennessee voters just to be on the ballot with their party name. So thatas why you donat see other parties in [political] office or the House of Representatives.a Granecki said these numbers are avery unfair,a and Culver said she doesnat believe the presidential election is anot a rigged election.a aIn the past, I would have never said my candidate could win,a Culver said. aIave been working in Green Party politics for 16 years, and itas always been about building the partyaseeing the long-term goal. But I never deluded myself [into thinking] that my candidate could win. This year, Iam not going to predict anything, but Iam also not going to hold back the tide of the crazy change thatas upon us. Who knows? I have been surprised every time I turned around in this election cycle.a Weidner hopes that next Tuesday, voters actually consider the party they choose to vote for. aI hope that itas not just a vote out of spite for the other two,a he said. There are now just seven days to go in the most colourful, most outrageous, and, quite frankly, most depressing U.S. presidential election in living memory. Seven days before the American people choose the next incumbent of still the most powerful office in the world. And what a choice! On the one hand, Donald Trump: a boor, a braggart, a liar and a bully, a conspiracy theory made flesh, a man who has openly invited Russian hackers to leak secret files about his opponent and refuses to say if he will accept the result if he loses. The choice lies between a paranoid, bullying, posturing President Trump, right, who could prove a Russian puppet, and a tainted, indecisive and politically crippled President Clinton, left, who could easily end up on the wrong side of a criminal investigation No wonder so many people accuse him of being merely a puppet for the Russian President Vladimir Putin. After all, could any Russian scientist have come up with a more convincing embodiment of every cruel stereotype of the 'ugly American'? And then you have Hillary Clinton: tired, tarnished and shopworn, a woman seemingly incapable of giving a straight answer to a simple question. She may be one of the most experienced candidates ever to run for the Oval Office, but if she serves a full two terms, she will be almost 80 upon leaving. And even if she wins as polls suggest she will she will take office hobbled by the legal investigation into her private emails, which was dramatically reopened at the end of last week. In that case, it will probably not be long before her opponents call for a major investigation led by a special prosecutor, which could destroy her presidency before it has even begun. The choice, therefore, lies between a paranoid, bullying, posturing President Trump, who could prove a Russian puppet, and a tainted, indecisive and politically crippled President Clinton, who could easily end up on the wrong side of a criminal investigation. President Barack Obama has cut a graceful, decent and intelligent figure Either way, the chances of decisive American leadership seem almost non-existent. For the Western world, the decline of U.S. power is nothing less than a tragedy. Yes, our Atlantic cousins have not always wielded their power wisely. They have not been perfect. But then, what country ever has? Much as we in Britain like to moan about our American friends, we need them. Indeed, the world needs them, for without American leadership, the Western alliance is nothing. Throughout the dark years of the Cold War, it was U.S. leadership that held the alliance together, from Harry Truman and John Kennedy to Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Alas, there has always been a streak of isolationism at the heart of the American dream: a belief in the United States as a 'shining city on a hill', standing aloof from the dangerous complications of the Old World. And since the debacle of George W. Bush's adventure in Iraq, the American people have turned ever further inwards. As president, Barack Obama has cut a graceful, decent and intelligent figure. But he has not been a leader. His mantra, by his own account, has been 'Don't do stupid s***'. Fair enough. But, too often, it has seemed more like 'Don't do anything at all'. It is more than two years since Mr Putin's forces seized Crimea and poured over the Ukrainian border to support pro-Russian secessionists in war-torn Donetsk and Luhansk. Hillary Clinton, pictured on Monday, may be one of the most experienced candidates ever to run for the Oval Office, but if she serves a full two terms, she will be almost 80 upon leaving Yet, even though this put Russian forces on the border of Europe, Mr Obama's response could hardly have been weaker. Our leaders can talk about sanctions all they like, but those sanctions have done nothing to dissuade Mr Putin from his increasingly aggressive path. Indeed, for all his fine words, Mr Obama has not even provided strong rhetorical leadership. Remember John F. Kennedy, who went to Berlin and intoned 'Ich bin ein Berliner'? Or Ronald Reagan, who followed him to the German city and told his Soviet antagonist: 'Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!' Where has Mr Obama been? Where was his ringing denunciation of Soviet adventurism in Ukraine? Who can remember his blistering words about the brutal bombing of Syria? Vladimir Putin knows the West has no intention of moving against him, because he knows the West is weak The answers, respectively, are 'nowhere' and 'nobody'. In historical terms, the quality of today's Western leadership is astonishingly poor. Mr Obama has been no Roosevelt or Reagan, just as Angela Merkel is no Konrad Adenauer (Germany's first post-war Chancellor, who led the country from ruin to prosperity) or Helmut Kohl. (As for Francois Hollande, a comparison with Charles de Gaulle would simply be unkind.) But behind all this lies an even more disturbing trend. Perhaps not since the Thirties has Western democracy itself been at a lower ebb. It is telling Mr Trump refuses to say whether he will accept the result of the election, just as it is revealing that so many people refuse to accept the result of the Brexit referendum. For not only have we lost a sense of Western solidarity in the face of tyranny, we have also lost a sense of the sacredness of the democratic process. Once, it would have been unimaginable for a major U.S. presidential candidate to question the process itself. But in a nation crippled by division, blind to anything but its own discontent, Mr Trump's disregard for democracy is merely a symptom of a deeper malaise. American democracy once an inspiration to the world, and a beacon of freedom during the Cold War has never been in a tawdrier condition. By contrast, Mr Putin's domestic popularity has rarely been higher. And as a man who knows his history, he surely remembers what happened 60 years ago this week, when, with the West distracted by the Suez crisis and with President Dwight Eisenhower absorbed by his re-election campaign, the Red Army rolled into Budapest to crush a Hungarian uprising. Back in 1956, the Hungarians were fighting for freedom. They appealed to the West for help; but answer came there none. To younger readers, this may sound like ancient history. But this week, of all weeks, it could hardly be more resonant. For today, the West appears rudderless and divided. And while Washington dithers, the Russian president remains ruthlessly focused. Since coming to office in 2000, he has steadily strengthened his grip on power and rebuilt his nation's standing in the world. Like his predecessors in 1956, he has reportedly identified the U.S. election as the crucial moment of Western weakness. According to reports, he has now ordered a final assault on Aleppo, held by rebels defying his blood-soaked client, President Bashar Al-Assad. In other circumstances, such an escalation of the Syrian conflict might raise fears of a full-blown superpower confrontation perhaps even all-out war. But Mr Putin is no fool. He knows the West has no intention of moving against him, because he knows the West is weak. In stark contrast to the pygmies contending for the White House, he is one of history's most ruthless pragmatists. He knows the West's weakness is Russia's opportunity and it is one he will not waste. In the past few weeks, he has sent short-range missiles and motorised rifle divisions to the Baltic borders, menacingly close to the former Soviet territories of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. And as the world readies itself for seven more days of Mr Trump's demagogic blustering and Mrs Clinton's half-crazed grin, Mr Putin and his Syrian clients move ever closer to the final battle for Aleppo. If he strikes as I suspect he will then the next few weeks could prove the most perilous since the end of the Cold War. The security of the West may well hang in the balance. Today a National Audit Office report exposes the spectacular failure to tackle rampant tax-dodging by the super-rich, and confirms all of this newspapers fears about the outrageous double standards of Her Majestys Revenue and Customs. For too long, HMRC has harried small businesses for every last penny while punishing ordinary taxpayers with punitive fines for late returns. Meanwhile, the wealthy elite get the soft soap treatment. Multi-billion-pound firms such as Facebook, Amazon and Apple pay peanuts in corporation tax, while a cosy deal let Google pay just 3 per cent on 6billion of profits. Firms such as Facebook (pictured, CEO Mark Zuckerberg), Amazon and Apple pay peanuts in corporation tax, while a cosy deal let Google pay just 3 per cent on 6billion of profits Now the NAO reveals this shameful approach extends to tax-dodging by thousands of millionaires. Astonishingly, one in three of the 6,500 people in Britain worth at least 20million is being probed over back taxes totalling up to 1.9billion. But a HMRC unit, which employs nearly 400 people to combat this scourge, has secured just one successful prosecution for tax evasion in its seven-year existence. Ministers must make real their endless promises of a genuine crackdown. Otherwise, the super-rich with their armies of accountants and lawyers will just carry on shamelessly pilfering from the public purse. A posturing Governor Mark Carney, the Bank of England Governor, has confirmed he will stay in office until 2019 Mark Carney, the 879,000-a-year Canadian Bank of England Governor, has confirmed he will stay in office until 2019. Like so much about his conduct, the staging of the announcement appeared designed to generate maximum publicity. His supporters say his departure would have spooked the markets at a time of economic uncertainty. But would the fallout have been so much worse than that from his relentless doom-mongering? And what are we getting for our money? Time and again Mr Carneys economic forecasts have proved woefully inaccurate. During the referendum campaign, he disgracefully undermined the Banks political independence by taking to the TV studios and joining in George Osbornes Project Fear. Then, when no catastrophe materialised, he tried to take the credit for the economys resilience. Mr Carney would do well to take a lesson from the quiet competence of past governors such as Eddie George and Mervyn King. In short: say less, stop politicising your office and for goodness sake start talking Britain up! No lesson in Orgreave Considerable credit should go to Home Secretary Amber Rudd for rejecting demands for a public inquiry into the so-called Battle of Orgreave, when police clashed with miners outside a coking plant near Sheffield in June 1984. In a statesmanlike House of Commons performance, she faced down the all-too-predictable howls of outrage from Labour which never ordered an inquiry when it was in government. Her reasons were simple and entirely justified: there were no deaths or wrongful convictions, and what happened 32 years ago has no lessons for modern policing. The Mail believes an inquiry would have uncovered little or nothing we dont already know, become a lucrative payday for lawyers and turned into an expensive exercise in political point-scoring. Former Tory deputy premier Michael Heseltine, 83, says he strangled his mothers pet Alsatian, Kim Former Tory deputy premier Michael Heseltine, 83, whose nickname is Tarzan, tells the attractive interviewer Charlotte Edwardes that he strangled his mothers pet Alsatian, Kim. I went to stroke him and he started biting me, he explains in Tatler magazine. If you have a dog that turns, you just cannot risk it. So I took Kims collar a short of choker chain and pulled it tight. 'Suddenly he went limp. I was devoted to Kim, but hed obviously had some sort of mental breakdown. What does the RSPCA think? We are considering our response, says a spokesman. Labour's new life peeress, Shami Chakrabarti, 47, has escaped the controversy over her title by flying to Brisbane, Australia, to give a speech and a lecture. A fee, and all travel costs, accommodation and some hospitality were paid by Griffith University, she says in the Lords register of interests. Lady Chakrabarti charged from 2,500 to 5,000 for speeches prior to her ennoblement. A modest rise in her rates is in order. Labour's new life peeress, Shami Chakrabarti, 47, has escaped the controversy over her title by flying to Brisbane, Australia, to give a speech and a lecture The Prince of Wales welcomes the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon, 65, and his wife, Maria, known as Tutina, who arrive on a state visit today. When Charles and Camilla visited Bogota in 2014, President Santos presented them with sombreros, pictured. Why not reciprocate with Prince of Wales Highgrove-check caps? The Prince of Wales welcomes the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon, 65, and his wife, Maria, known as Tutina, who arrive on a state visit today Sir Mick Jagger, 73, is now obsessed with antigravity aerial yoga to preserve his bony frame hes regularly strung up in a hammock suspended 6ft in the air and eschews the drink and drugs lifestyle. I use other relaxation techniques, he says. Speaking of which, the frisky father of seven has recently impregnated ballerina Melanie Hamrick, 29. Mayor of London Sadiq Khans latest report on social integration contains 33 photographs of himself in a 47-page document. This might be a new record, says Estates Gazette magazine, adding mischievously, but with 13 of the snaps on the front page, including Khan in obligatory hard hat, that still leaves 27 pages with no visual trace of the man or 27 missed opportunities Mayor of London Sadiq Khans latest report on social integration contains 33 photographs of himself in a 47-page document Prince Andrews battle to enhance the royal status of his daughters, Beatrice, 28, and Eugenie, 26, raises interest in other parts of the family. Prince Edwards wife Sophie, 51, is keen to secure a royal future for her children, Louise, 12 and James, eight. With Harry likely to bring another princess onto the payroll, its possible the Royal Family will balloon to a size that would have met with the approval of Queen Victoria. When the Sydney-based actor Andy Whitfield scored the lead role in the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, he had no idea that it would rocket him to fame in such a short period of time. Tragically, soon after the first season aired, the staggeringly handsome actor would be diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and die at the young age of 39, leaving behind two young children and a grieving widow. Now Vashti Whitfield, his wife and partner of 13 years, has opened up in a new book about her husband's extraordinary life and their journey with the life changing experience that took him away. Scroll down for video Andy Whitfield (above) star of the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand died in 2011 after a battle with cancer Vashti tells her story candidly and often with humour to show how she and her family have rebuilt their lives with the aim of promoting Andys legacy of inspiring others to reach for what's possible. 'We didn't tell the kids he had cancer, we told them that Daddy had something wrong with his blood and was going to see a special doctor to have treatment for the next few months,' she explains in her book Spartacus and Me. In the book Vashti writes about how her husband's back pain turned out to be non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with a tumour wrapped around his spine. Now his wife, Vashti Whitfield (left) has written about the couple's life together and the diagnosis The cancer was so advanced that the doctor advised that if the actor didn't get treatment as soon as possible, he would lose the ability to walk within three weeks. But despite this, the couple remained positive. 'Not at any stage did we think, "Oh my gosh, is Andy going to make this?" That never came into my mind, nor Andy's. We never, ever, questioned that treatment wasn't going to work,' the mother-of-two wrote. Despite the prognosis, after six sessions of chemotherapy the tumour had shrunk, and in June 2010, only five months after the initial diagnosis, his scans were all clear. 'We'd kicked cancer in the guts,' Vashti wrote. 'We'd had it, we'd experienced it, and we'd beat it. Dr Doocey was like, "Okay you can get on with the rest of your life now." So we did.' The couple were together for over a decade and fought the cancer together (pictured above on New Year's Eve 2000) They initially told their two children Jesse (right) and Indi (left) that Andy simply had something wrong with his blood and needed to see a doctor It seemed as if everything was good, but the family's joy was short lived. Shortly after he was declared in remission, Andy had to get a medical check to go back to filming Spartacus. The news was dire. Not only was the cancer back, but it was worse than before. Despite both fighting it with various treatments, including the most aggressive form of chemo, Andy got worse. In the early stages of Andys diagnosis, documentary maker Lilibet Foster had begun filming the familys most intimate moments, the highs and lows they underwent as time went on. The cancer diagnosis came in 2010, with doctors telling Andy (above, with Vashti on their wedding day) that without treatment he would lose the ability to walk in three weeks In the book Lilibet asked how Vashti was able to 'turn devastating news into something positive'. She replied, 'What else is there to do? 'It does not mean you are going to get a happy ever after,' Vashti wrote. 'But thats the point. You get what you get, so make the most of it, because it can be something extraordinary. One last opportunity then presented itself, with a chance for him to travel to New Zealand and get acupuncture treatment designed for those battling cancer. Despite this, Andy beat the cancer with chemo, and even attended events for his TV show Spartacus I spent the next three hours saying "Andy" very gently,' Vashti said. 'He'd respond "Yes", and I'd know he was still alive.' Two friends accompanied him while Vashti stayed in Sydney with their children, but not long after she got a call to say that Andy had taken a turn for the worse. She flew to New Zealand only to find her beloved husband in what she believed to be in the early stages of his body breaking down. But then, only months after being in remission, Andy discovered that the cancer had come back Andy took a trip to New Zealand for treatment and got rapidly worse, with Vashti having to fly over to bring him home to Sydney The journey back to Sydney was terrifying for Vashti. 'My seat was just across the aisle from Andy's, on a slight angle. I couldn't clearly see his face, so I spent the next three hours saying "Andy" very gently,' she said. 'He'd respond "Yes", and I'd know he was still alive.' He was moved to hospice for his final days, waiting in a bed in Darlinghurst for his family and friends to say their final goodbyes. It was the end of the road for the 39-year-old father of two, and Vashti, already dealing with her own grief, had to tell their two children the news that their daddy's body couldn't be fixed. The couple finally had to tell their children that he was dying, with son Jesse crying that he didn't want his Daddy to go Vashti stayed with her husband to the end, lying next to him in bed while he took his final breath The children went into Andy's room, where he hugged them and told them that he was going to heaven because his body was 'really broken', but would always be looking down on them. 'It's like a butterfly when one of its wings is broken, it can't fly anymore,' he said. 'But don't worry because I'm going to go up into the sky and every time you look up you'll see me'. After everyone else had said goodbye, his wife went in a laid down next to him on his bed to comfort him as he passed away. In her book, Vashti describes a key moment that happened a few months later as she watered jasmine plants on the deck. Now the single mother is living her life as best she can, and has written a book about her husband to keep his memory alive Vashti Whitfield's book Spartacus and Me is out now, published by Simon & Schuster 'I saw Indi running frantically towards me. "Look Mummy, look!" She squealed. She lifted her little hands towards me and there, cupped between her two palms, she held a huge black and white butterfly the size of a mans hand. "Daddys here," she said. "Hes come to see us and he even has a broken wing." It took my breath away, Vashti said. That butterfly was such a thing of beauty, but it was clearly broken. 'It reminded me of Andys body after hed taken his last breath; his body still a thing of beauty even though he was no longer here. 'The metaphor of the butterfly, seeing the representation of someone in the world after they have gone, is very poignant for me, and thats what the future is about now: Andys legacy of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary and inspiring others to turn their worse case scenarios into something far more meaningful. Other mothers and fathers have taken to Facebook to share their stories The humorous post has already resonated with the blogger's followers 'Holy f***, a tiny human was about to come out of my wife!,' he posted Mr Kearns said he thought he was cool under pressure, but he wasn't He recently posted on the subject of childbirth and how terrifying it was In the past, he has posted about 'being a mum for a day' and not being able to party now he's a dad. But father-of-two and prominent daddy blogger, Brad Kearns, 27, hit a nerve with his latest update - which was on the subject of childbirth. The 27-year-old from Tuggerah, New South Wales, wrote a brutally honest post about the lead-up to his wife giving birth. Terror: Brad Kearns, 27, from NSW, posted on the terror that is childbirth (pictured) on Monday, in a story that resonated with his followers Scary: According to the father-of-two (pictured with his children), he always thought he was cool under pressure, but this blew everything out of proportion 'I've always thought of myself as pretty cool under pressure. 'But the first time I got that call that my wife's waters had broken, something changed,' Mr Kearns, who is known as DadMum online, posted on Facebook. Mr Kearns then went on to detail how his mood totally shifted once his wife went into the hospital: 'The excitement of almost being a dad went straight out the window because holy f***, a tiny human was about to come out of my wife,' he humorously wrote. Honest: DadMum's posts are usually brutally honest, and this one, about his wife, Sarah (pictured), giving birth was no exception Change: 'The excitement of almost being a dad went straight out the window because holy f***, a tiny human was about to come out of my wife,' Mr Kearns (pictured) humorously wrote Fear: While Mr Kearns did say at the end of his lengthy post that 'childbirth is amazing', he also added that he felt pretty scarred when his wife was having contractions While Mr Kearns did say at the end of his lengthy post that 'childbirth is amazing', he also added that he felt pretty scarred when his wife was having contractions: The louder she got, the higher my heart-rate spiked and the faster we went 'Now as a man I obviously couldn't feel the pain. But let me tell you, when those contractions were hitting, I had a pretty good idea what was going on,' he said. He recalled speeding down the motorway at 160kmh with Sarah, his wife, in tow: 'It was f***ed. This was happening. Holy sh**... The louder she got, the higher my heart-rate spiked and the faster we went.' Mr Kearns said that, unfortunately for the couple, 'we weren't as close to D-Day as we thought' so they set up in one of the birthing suites while they waited to deliver. 'Knox was eventually born and it was beautiful,' he wrote. 'If you know any men out there who are pretending not to be nervous. Tell them they should be very f***ing nervous. 'Or send them my way. I'm a pro now.' Pro: He says that these days he is a pro at childbirth, and so is happy to offer advice to other dads to be Hit home: In typical DadMum fashion, the candid story has resonated with the blogger's huge social media following In typical DadMum fashion, the candid story has resonated with the blogger's huge social media following. With close to 2,000 likes and hundreds of shares in 13 hours, other mothers and fathers have chimed in with tales of how their husbands handled the situation. 'Thanks mate. I have to go through this exorcism very soon,' one father-to-be posted. There are few things Emma McQuiston, the camera-courting Viscountess Weymouth, likes more than being the centre of attention. And Emma, 30, wife of Ceawlin Thynn, 42, heir to the 7th Marquess of Bath who will one day own the Longleat Estate in Wiltshire, has become quite adept at ensuring that all eyes are on her. Whether flaunting her fantastic figure in skimpy swimwear, sprawled on the bonnet of a safari van in a corset and hot pink heels, or attending star-studded soirees in one of her many thigh-skimming, cleavage-baring dresses, shes impossible to ignore. Halloween parties at the weekend provided the ideal opportunity for her to do what she does best. And her outfits didnt disappoint. For a party at Mayfair haunt Loulous on Friday, Emma opted for a black lacy bra under a sheer dress, with a black veil and scarlet lipstick. Scroll down for video There are few things Emma McQuiston, the camera-courting Viscountess Weymouth, likes more than being the centre of attention The Countess, married to the heir of Longleat, has become adept at making sure all eyes are on her with her outfits For a party at Mayfair haunt Loulous on Friday, Emma opted for a black lacy bra under a sheer dress, with a black veil and scarlet lipstick, pictured with Made in Chelsea's Mark Vandelli The following night, the mother of one pouted up a storm in a transparent dress, platinum blonde wig, feathered headpiece and ghostly silver make-up The following night, the mother of one pouted up a storm in a transparent dress, platinum blonde wig, feathered headpiece and ghostly silver make-up. One can only imagine what the ghosts, prowling the 130 history-steeped rooms of the 16th-century mansion of which she is chatelaine, make of it all. For its fair to say that Ceawlins father, Lord Bath, 84, and mother, the Hungarian-born Anna Gael, 73, havent held back with their disapproval. Despite their own unconventional some might say louche lifestyle (Lord Bath is an erotic artist best known for his string of more than 70 wifelets, who occupy cottages around the estate, while the long-suffering Lady Bath is a former erotic actress once nicknamed the Naked Lady of Longleat), they were snooty in the extreme about their sons choice of bride. Ceawlins mother went as far as describing his marriage to Emma Britains first mixed-race viscountess as a disruption to 400 years of English bloodline, and she did not attend their 2013 wedding. Although the rift is reportedly now healed the arrival of the couples adorable son John, now two, must have helped you cant help but wonder whether Emmas exuberance is a well-aimed one in the eye for British aristocracy. Barely a week goes by without the indefatigable Viscountess appearing at parties, charity galas or red carpet events, and posting photographs of her exploits on her several social media accounts. Emma, 30, is wife of Ceawlin Thynn, 42, heir to the 7th Marquess of Bath who will one day own the Longleat Estate (pictured) in Wiltshire. His parents havent held back with their disapproval Ceawlins mother went described his marriage to Emma (pictured with Daniel Lismore) Britains first mixed-race viscountess as a disruption to 400 years of English bloodline For her engagement, Emma posed provocatively on the cover of Tatler in a scarlet Vivienne Westwood gown, while she sold pictures of her wedding at which she wore a bespoke designer dress and diamond-studded tiara to Hello! But showing off in the spotlight is second nature to Emma. Her glamorous blonde mother, Suzanna, was a society beauty of the Seventies, who charmed a flock of male admirers. One partygoer recalls Suzanna who changed her name from the more mundane Eileen after separating from her first husband, Ian McQuiston, during the Sixties wearing some very provocative clothes. She was superbly beautiful and knew how to dress to impress, adds the friend. She would wear black leather mini-skirts because she had wonderful legs. Like mother, like daughter. In the mid-Eighties, Suzanna met Oxford-educated Nigerian oil tycoon Ladi Jadesimi, then a chartered accountant who lived in Londons so-called Millionaires Row in Hampstead with his wife. The pair had a steamy affair and, in 1986, Emma was born. As a girl, she attended the upmarket Queens Gate girls school in Kensington alma mater of the Duchess of Cornwall, chef Nigella Lawson and actress Vanessa Redgrave where she was appointed head girl. Popular and outgoing, Emma was never short on confidence. After studying history of art at University College London, she started modelling part-time and enrolled on a postgraduate drama course, before moving to Los Angeles for a year to pursue an acting career. Made In Chelsea star Mark Francis with his friend the Viscountess Weymouth enjoying some leisure time on a boat The Viscountess, who attended the upmarket Queens Gate girls school in Kensington, dazzles in a red dress at a Chelsea party Although this failed to materialise, she insists it was her choice to come home and try TV presenting instead. Im a better fit for presenting because I have a very unique look and acting is such a lottery, she explained, with her usual humility. She maintains that she was nearly cast for the fantasy series Game Of Thrones and still harbours ambitions of being a Bond girl though shes yet to receive the call. Emma first met her husband when she was just four years old and a bridesmaid at the wedding of her half-brother, Iain, to Ceawlins half-aunt, Silvy. During her childhood, they saw each other regularly at family gatherings at Longleat. But it wasnt until 2011 that their relationship blossomed, after a meeting at the London members club Soho House. At this time, Emma was described in diary columns as a would-be TV chef and former actress, though there was little evidence of either. Like her mother, she quickly gained a reputation for her attention-grabbing dress sense and camera-ready smile. Twelve years Ceawlins junior, she began appearing on his arm in a collection of flamboyant, figure-hugging dresses, most with a thigh-high split and low-cut neckline. She describes herself as so not a casual girl and says she wears jeans once in a blue moon. Indeed, shes so comfortable with her own body that she once stripped down to her knickers to change her clothes mid-interview without batting an eyelid. The Viscountess is ready to rock at an Elton John concert at Longleat Now a mother herself, one might imagine Emma would have toned down her behaviour. But her marriage into one of Britains most eccentric families seems only to have fuelled her craving for the spotlight. Could it be that Emma cant bear to be outdone by the exploits of her unconventional in-laws? Despite the thawing in relations, she seems unable to resist antagonising them. Among the posts on Emmas Instagram account are selfies showing her sprawled across the stairs at Longleat, ballgown hitched up to her thighs just the ticket to rub her disapproving in-laws up the wrong way. A concerned friend of the family said there was dismay and disquiet about the marriage. Thats because Emma appears to be so self-promoting, the source explained. The Viscountess admires her 2013 wedding portrait at Longleat Neither was seen in attendance at Emmas lavish 30th birthday party, held at Longleat, back in March, at which she wore a corset tied with a huge white bow and drank cocktails served by topless barmen. Theres also the matter of her fledgling cookery career or an apparent lack of it. Though she and Ceawlin arent short of money Longleat Enterprises holds assets of 10 million, while Emma, whose father is one of the richest men in Nigeria, owns a 9 million London townhouse her string of public appearances certainly detract attention from her bid to make it as a TV chef. Emmas food blog, once brimming with low-calorie recipes for sweet treats such as macaroons and chocolate cake, has been taken down from the internet. Meanwhile, the website for Emmas Kitchen, a new venture at Longleat, using local produce and traditional recipes to make meals and host demonstrations, hasnt been updated since it was first advertised more than a year ago. On the site, Emma, dressed in a skimpy, white lace dress, promises a space for me to share my passion and some of my favourite recipes but none appear to have been uploaded. It may be that Emmas priorities have shifted but, nonetheless, a busy social calendar does help to gloss over a career that has so far failed to materialise. While she may be hoping this will slip from our minds, Viscountess Weymouth certainly doesnt want the public to forget about her. Once inside the Emirates marquee she was seen chatting to Julie Bishop She said she doesn't gamble but that Aussies should tip local horses Her hat stole the show with its white veil Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has arrived at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup carnival looking glamorous in all-white. The 62-year-old is most known for her classically simple ensembles, and has been known to embrace pants - even for black tie events. But for the race that stops a nation, the billionaire stepped out in a vintage-style white dress and pearl accessories. The white lady: Gina Rinehart (above) arrived at the Melbourne Cup 2016 in an all-white ensemble Sheer and sexy? The mining magnate's dress was in a vintage style, with white lace on the chest and sleeves Arriving at the exclusive Emirates marquee in the Birdcage at lunchtime, Rinehart was surrounded by a scrum of photographers who were quick to snap pictures of her. She opted for a white dress that fell just below the knee, with slight slits offering a glimpse of leg. The top of the outfit was the standout though, with sheer and delicate lace covering her chest and arms. Diamond's aren't a girl's best friend: The 62-year-old opted for pearl jewellery with drop earrings, bracelets and a long necklace Hat's off: Instead of a fascinator Rinehart opted for a large hat with white netting acting as a veil Whoops! The 62-year-old took a tumble later in the day, shortly after the race took place She paired the dress with matching accessories, including a large hat with white netting, and a white tasseled purse and a white fur shawl. She finished the outfit with stunning drop pearl earrings, pearl bracelets, a long pearl necklace, and nude kitten heels. Going with this year's trend, her hair was slightly curled and her makeup simple except for a bright pink lip. Slight slip: The dress fell just below the knee, with some small slits offering a glimpse of leg 'Let's back our Australian horses': Rinehart said that she doesn't gamble but that she thought Aussies should bet on locals Upon arriving at the Birdcage she said that she doesn't gamble, but that her tip for the race was 'Let's back our Australian horses'. Once inside the exclusive marquee the mining magnate was seen chatting to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. Ms Prezioso is a guest on Tuesday evening's Insight at 8.30pm on SBS Both the young boys, Ms Prezioso and her unborn baby were unharmed She said she had screamed for other people's help, but no one acted She said she would do the same again, adding anyone would act as she did Even though she was heavily pregnant, she jumped in to save the children Lauren Prezioso, from NSW, saved the lives of two young drowning boys It's an impossible question most of us will never have to contemplate. Would you risk one life in order to save another? Yet for 35-year-old Lauren Prezioso, from Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, there was never a doubt as to what she would do. When she saw two boys who couldn't swim drowning while she was enjoying a day at Coffs Harbour Creek with her family in 2014, she knew she had to try to save them - whether she was eight months pregnant or not. Life saving: When Lauren Prezioso saw two boys drowing at Coffs Harbour Creek while she was enjoying a day with her family (pictured), she felt she had to try to save them 'Someone needed to do something': At the time, Ms Prezioso (pictured), 35, was eight months pregnant - but, no one around her seemed to be reacting to the screams of the boys' mother 'Someone needed to do something about it,' Ms Prezioso told Daily Mail Australia. I don't believe there is anyone who wouldn't go in after two drowning boys 'There were lots of people around on the beach where we were, but my husband was off with my son swimming elsewhere and no one could hear the screams of the boys' desperate mother who couldn't swim. 'It was a split second decision to jump in and save them, but I don't believe there is anyone who wouldn't go in after two drowning boys. 'My being pregnant didn't change that.' Instant choice: She says it was a split second decision to jump in and help the boys, but she also adds that: 'I don't believe there is anyone who wouldn't go in after two drowning boys' Strong: Ms Prezioso was lucky insofar as she is a confident swimmer, and also has lifesaving training - she managed to drag the two boys to safety, eventually with the help of another man While Ms Prezioso told Daily Mail Australia that there was something in the back of her mind that meant she was conscious she was a 'strong swimmer', she said that she wasn't really thinking about it when she started trying to bring the boys back to safety. 'I had screamed for other people's help before I went out myself, but no one was doing anything,' she recalled. Ms Prezioso said she struggled to hold on to both boys and simultaneously keep her head above the water as she dragged the young children through the creek. However, the confident swimmer, who also has lifesaving training, managed to get all back to safety eventually with the help of another man who was on the beach at the time, Jake Dean. Thankfully, both she, her unborn baby, Mr Dean and the boys were unharmed. Unharmed: Everyone came out of the situation unharmed, and the mother is confident she would do the same again Struggling: Ms Prezioso knows that it was a king tide and the boys were struggling 'I'd do the same again in a heartbeat,' Ms Prezioso told Daily Mail Australia. 'It was a king tide and the boys were going under.' Lauren Prezioso is a guest on Tuesday night's episode of Insight on SBS at 8.30pm. You would be forgiven for thinking it's a giant t-bone steak. But a photo of Natalie Sideserf holding what appears to be a huge chunk of meat is not what it seems. The talented baker from the US creates realistic-looking cakes that could be confused for a steak, animal or even a severed head. Steak or cake? Talented baker Natalie Sideserf (pictured) bakes realistic looking cakes 'So realistic I'd be afraid to eat it': Her wedding cake was of her and her husband's severed heads alongside the words: 'Till death do us part' Balancing act: Believe it or not, this circus elephant is actually made of cake Ms Sideserf, from Austin, Texas, owns Sideserf Cake Studio. Recently she took to Instagram to share a photo of her cake that looks exactly like Breaking Bad character Mike Ehrmantraut. 'The inside is made of layers of vanilla cake and swiss buttercream,' she told Bored Panda. 'Once carved, the entire cake is covered in a layer of chocolate ganache and a final layer of modeling chocolate to sculpt the details.' Baking bad: One of her recent works is of Breaking Bad character Mike Ehrmantraut, the details of the face made with modelling chocolate Ms Sideserf first made headlines for her work after sharing a photo of her gruesome wedding cake with husband David. The cake was of the couples' severed heads, blood pooling around them on the plate. Next to the heads was written: 'Till death do us part'. 'We were watching a horror movie, and I was always interested in sculpting lifelike cakes, especially in the face, so I thought, 'How neat would it be if I did our severed heads?'," she told ABC News. 'I didn't tell anybody about it, so it made it really interesting to see people's reactions 'Everybody was shocked and loved it.' Shocking: 'I didn't tell anybody about it, so it made it really interesting to see people's reactions,' she said of her wedding cake Animal antics: One of her cakes is of a jackalope wearing a bow tie Other cakes she has done are of animals, including a jackalope - mythical animal of North American folklore - and a circus elephant balancing on a ball. She shares the photos on her Instagram page Sideserf Cakes, where she has more than 8,000 followers. They also watched a race from behind the trackside rail There they spoke with members of the racing industry in WA They spent Melbourne Cup 2016 at the races in Perth The Dutch royals earlier arrived in Australia to unveil an artifact As the race that stops the nation gripped Australia, it seemed that visiting Dutch royals King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were keen to embrace the atmosphere too. The King and Queen, who are in Perth to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog in Australia, spent Melbourne Cup day at Perth's Ascot Racecourse where they watched the races. ABC reported that the royals watched the Melbourne Cup itself from the Perth Racing Chairman's Suite, before heading to the mounting yard to speak to members of WA's racing industry. King Willem-Alexander (right) and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands watched the Melbourne Cup from Perth racecourse The Dutch King and Queen are in Australia to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog King Willem-Alexander (centre) and Queen Maxima talk with Neil Pinner, Chairman of Perth Racing at the races on Melbourne Cup Day in Perth They then moved trackside to watch a local race from behind the rail. Queen Maxima wore an elegant knee-length dress for the occasion in a spring-like blue hue. She wore a wide-brimmed hat and matching gloves as well as sophisticated drop earrings and a delicate chain around her wrist. The royal couple enjoyed a close up view of the racing as they stood trackside Queen Maxima looked elegant in her knee-length dress and wide-brimmed hat The couple watched eagerly as the horse raced past them on the day Donning sunglasses to shield her eyes from the bright sun, she smiled and waved to well-wishers as she walked among racegoers with King Willem-Alexander, who looked equally smart in a suit and shirt, by her side. The Dutch pair began the second day of their WA trip by visiting the offices of oil and gas company Shell, before touring Curtin University. Queen Maxima shielded her eyes from the glare of the Australian sun with a pair of sunglasses The couple chatted with members of the racing industry during their visit, including jocket Steven Farnham (pictured) The royal couple mingled with other racegoers for the occasion On Monday, the royals were met with fanfare by children from the Language One school, members of the Dutch community and historians at the Western Australian Maritime Museum Perth Now reported members of the crowd held up signs that read 'We Love Max', and people were 'lost for words' after meeting the Dutch Queen. Viewers tuning into a new ITV drama about Britain's first serial killer were left spluttering on their tea last night. Spooky period drama Dark Angel documents the life of Mary Ann Cotton, a County Durham housewife who is thought to have murdered up to 21 people using arsenic-laced tea in the middle of the 19th century. Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggratt takes the lead role in the two-part drama and left viewers more than a little unnerved at the idea of drinking the nation's favourite brew, especially if someone else was making it. Scroll down for video Last night saw ITV's two-part drama Dark Angel air. The series documents the life of Mary Ann Cotton (Joanne Froggatt) who was sent to the gallows in 1873 for poisoning up to 21 people including three husbands and a lover Anyone for a brew? Joanne Froggatt's portrayal of Mary Ann Cotton, thought to be Britain's first serial killer left viewers feeling a little nervous about accepting cups of tea I'll make my own: Viewers took to Twitter to say the arsenic-laced brews served up by Cotton had left them suspicious of anyone else making them a hot drink The majority of tweets reacting to the macabre drama, which seemed to see a different person polished off every ten minutes, were from men making quips about their wives making them cups of tea. Cotton, who was executed for her crimes at the age of 40 in 1873, did away with three husbands and a lover during her killing spree as well as possibly up to 11 of her children. @KevJack14 was one such viewer getting worried: 'Watching Dark Angel on ITV1 now, about some girl poisoning her fellas with cups of tea. In break, my Sue says "do you want a cuppa?"' @darrenbizzle had a similar experience, saying: 'Watching Dark Angel, other half says: "do you want a cuppa tea?" I said: "can I watch you make it?"' And the jokes flowed as quickly as the arsenic tea... When Cotton's first husband Billy (Tom Varey) returns home from work having been laid off, she soon delivers a damning fate. Right: viewers saw Cotton become obsessed with her lover Joe (Jonas Armstrong) Cotton was locked up at Durham Prison after her conviction, but continued to protest her innocence until the day she died @VictorMeldrew17 penned: 'Just been watching Dark Angel. Wife asked if I wanted a cup of tea....stood over her the whole time!' Imaginations were running riot during the hour-long show, which saw Froggat's Cotton come across as a kind and caring mother and wife with a murderous streak. @cjbrett66 wrote: 'After watching Dark Angel, I will be making my own tea' and @mrskellyyoung said: 'I may never accept a cup of tea ever again!' Sinister: Cotton killed her victims by poisoning them, and historians believe she could have killed 21 people, including 11 of her own children The case against Cotton: It is long believed that she was responsible for up to 21 murders Mary Ann Cotton is thought by historians to have killed as many as 21 people - including 11 of her own children @JanetteDunkerl1 agreed, saying: 'Me too! Think I'll just have a tea bag in a cup please!' The show drew wide praise for its suitably sinister account of Cotton, who made it look as though her victims died from fever with her slow poisoning technique. There has been some doubt about just how guilty Cotton was; a researcher who has spent the last 30 years investigating her conviction has said the case is not so clear-cut - saying authorities took shortcuts and used hearsay to get a conviction, and said presenting her as a 'psychopath' is unfair. While Jack the Ripper remains one of the most notorious serial killers ever to baffle investigators, Cotton remains comparatively unknown. Historian Ian Smyth Herdman has called for the public to take the drama with a pinch of salt though. He told MailOnline: 'It is sickening that over the years MAC's family have to suffer hearsay, rumours and accounts of MAC's as being accurate, when I'd say 99 per cent of the information is nothing more than rehashed accounts.' A mother has warned of the dangers of children riding in cars without booster seats after her six-year-old daughter was 'cut in two' during a car crash. Samantha Swartwout, from Richmond, Virginia, was in the back of the car without a booster seat on the way home from a fair with her father Sam when he crashed into a tree. She was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries after she was found bleeding and unconscious in the back of the car. Scroll down for video Lesson: Shelly Martin, pictured right with her daughter Samantha Swartwout, six, pictured left, has warned of the dangers of children riding in cars without booster seats Narrow escape: Samantha, pictured with her huge abdominal scar from a seat belt, almost died in a head-on crash with a tree because she was not in a booster seat Passenger: Samantha, pictured, was riding in the back of the car as her father drove her home from a fair Samantha, whose nickname is Mantha, narrowly escaped with her life after she was rushed into surgery where doctors tried to bind her together. A doctor who treated her said the belt 'cut through' her abdominal wall and that her intestines were 'protruding'. Surgeons put a 'binder' around her stomach in a bid to hold her together. Warning of the dangers of children leaving their booster seats too early, her mother Shelly Martin, 44, told Daily Mail Online that her daughter is seeing a counselor for post traumatic stress disorder following the accident. She said she also 'struggles with the nightmares and loud noises'. Shelly added: 'It only takes a second to put your child in a proper car seat. It will take the better part of a year for her to heal from this. 'Mantha will still need another surgery sometime in the next few months... 'She is also afraid to be by herself. There are so many sides to the aftermath that people don't think about.' She said the severity of her daughter's injuries was 'completely avoidable'. Life-threatening: The child had to be bound together after doctors said the seat belt 'cut through' her abdominal wall and that her intestines were 'protruding' Unnecessary: Shelly said her daughter's injuries were 'completely avoidable' 'Because stuff happens so quickly, there's always going to be that guilt that we could have done better,' she told WTOL 11. Shelly admitted that Samantha, whose father has visitation at weekends, had moved out of the booster too early and that she was wearing her seat belt incorrectly. 'A lot of people seem to think that when the children don't fit so easily in the booster that it's OK to take them out of the booster. That's not the case,' she said. After nearly three weeks in hospital she was allowed to return home but she will not be able to return to school until January at the earliest and doctors are considering further surgery. Dr Charles Bagwell, chairman of the division of pediatric surgery at VCU Medical Center, said: 'The far edge of the belt had actually cut through her abdominal wall and she had protruding intestines from that. 'You could see the stripe of the seat belt and an enormous bruise across her abdomen. 'She was just about cut in two, much of which quite frankly couldn't be completely repaired. The injury was too severe.' Shelly said her daughter had also moved the shoulder belt behind her - adding to the potential danger. 'So now the lap belt was carrying twice the force and because she's not tall enough without a booster that lap belt went across her stomach instead of her hips,' she told NBC 12. Mistake: She admitted that her daughter was moved out of a booster seat too early Pending: Hanover County Sheriff's office said the crash is still under investigation and that they are awaiting the results of blood tests She said getting the call from police who informed her of the accident was 'torture'. 'They told me that she had a head injury and stomach lacerations and that she was still in surgery and that's all they would tell me for a couple of hours,' she told WTOL 11. Eyewitnesses who stopped to help in the aftermath of the crash described the bloody scenes. Laura Kenny, 17, said: 'I immediately yanked the door open because I could see blood everywhere... 'She was leaned over unconscious when I found her and she was starting to wake up when we pulled her from the vehicle. She never cried once.' Sergeant Cooper, a spokesman for Hanover County Sheriff's office, told Daily Mail Online that the crash is still under investigation and they are awaiting the results of blood tests. He said the head-on crash happened on September 17 at approximately 3.50pm when the car 'ran off the roadway and collided with a tree.' He said the driver was transported to the VCU Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries and Samantha had life-threatening injuries. Laura MacKinnon is the UK's most eligible singleton - after it was revealed she has the most popular online dating profile page in the whole country. Since signing up for online dating in February, she's been bombarded with more than 2000 messages from doe-eyed blokes looking for love - more messages than anyone else in the UK. The 32-year-old doctor has both beauty and brains - meaning she's no shortage of suitors. Laura MacKinnon has been named the UK's most eligible singleton thanks to her hugely popular online dating profile But bad luck lads - she's just started dating a lucky bloke she met on Match.com. Paediatrician Laura, from Bedford, reactivated her profile on the dating site in February, after coming out of a long term relationship. She received so many messages she'd spend up to an hour every day replying to them all. Laura says she spent hours every day replying to the more than 2000 messages she has received Her eligibility has seen Laura have a successful love life and is now dating a man she met on Match.com Laura said: 'I definitely feel good about it. It's quite flattering. I was shocked and surprised when I found out my profile is the most popular. 'Every day I have email notifications through, even when I have not been on it. 'I joined because I was alone and I didn't meet people through my job. 'I'm just not interested in meeting another doctor, and I didn't get many opportunities to go out. 'I joined Match as it seemed like it could be as serious or as relaxed as you want it to be. 'I've been a member three times, and on all three occasions I've managed to find a long term relationship.' Despite receiving so many messages from interested men, Laura tries to respond to every one she gets. Laura says that she never likes leaving messages unanswered and urges others to reply in order to have the same success It means that many evenings and coffee breaks can be taken up by replying to new contacts. The 32-year-old said: 'I never like leaving a message unanswered. I am always determined to message people back. 'If I get a message I log in to read it, especially as logging on increases the likelihood of people finding you. It's a daily thing, depending on work. 'I can be online for at least half an hour to an hour in the evening.' Not surprising for somebody who gets so many messages herself, Laura does not bother contacting people first. But she also partly puts that down to the expectation that men approach women first. Laura said: 'I think it's easier for girls. They feel the traditional thing of guys having to approach them. Laura's top five tips for a punchy dating profile are: 1. Be positive - nobody likes to be presented with somebody putting their worst foot forward. 2. Be open - it's ok to give away a little information about yourself. It helps the conversation flow, and lets you build a connection. I was always quite open about my name, as I did not mind people knowing who I was. I think that helps. 3. Pay attention! - this goes for people's profiles, as well as what they say. It pays to make a little effort. There's little more off-putting than when you know someone just doesn't care what you say. 4. Reply! - I always made sure to reply to messages. Sometimes you'll find someone much more attractive after chatting to them than you did from their profile. And it helps to make your profile more popular, so you get even more hits. 5. Look natural - I had a professional photo as my profile picture, but the rest of my photos were natural and with little makeup. I always made sure I was doing something in them, so people can get more of an idea of what you are like. Advertisement 'I never send messages first. I felt guys should make the effort. 'I had a few favourites that I thought about contacting but people would always approach me. 'I always made sure I was nice to people though. I have heard from quite a few guys that girls can be quite cruel.' Laura was inspired to join a dating website as she struggled to find time to meet people outside of work. Her busy schedule as a doctor meant she had minimal time for socialising, and she preferred to spend that time with friends rather than finding someone new. With her experience of fielding 2000 messages, Laura knows exactly what she likes from both a profile and an opening gambit. If a guy cannot show he's bothered to read her profile, he can expect a short and sweet dismissal. Laura said: 'I like messages where people address what I have in my profile.. It shows they've taken time to make an effort. 'Sometimes you get to conversations and it's clear they have not listened to what you have said. 'That's just a waste of time. 'I like people who open up quickly, and listen to what you are saying and respond. 'My second boyfriend used to do top five things. That was quite fun and it was a good way to find out about each other and a bit of a game. 'People also need to be positive on their profiles. Too many people spend too much time saying they don't do much, which is just so boring. 'Hobbies are important, and even if I'm not into them I'm still willing to find out what people enjoy.' She describes her new man who stole her heart as 'outgoing and very handsome.' Laura said: 'His profile was really great as it showed he did so many things. 'He has difference music tastes to me, which is interesting, and is in to extreme sports. I love people who can introduce me to new things. 'He also travel a lot and is really outgoing, so I don't have to worry about him when he's with my friends in a group. store with the GOP nominee and his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway After the event, Tiffany stopped at a local Wawa Tiffany Trump filled in for her older siblings on Tuesday when she hit the campaign trail with her father Donald. The 23-year-old was the only one of Donald's children who traveled with him to the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday to watch him and his running mate Mike Pence discuss what they believe are the failures of Obamacare. However, the highlight of Tiffany's trip may have been when they left the event and made a pit stop at a local Wawa gas station to grab some snacks. Doting daughter! Tiffany Trump traveled to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday to watch her father Donald speak The 23-year-old was with her father when he and his campaign team stopped at a local Wawa convenience store Donald entered the convenience store with his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and walked around to shake hands and greet the people inside. Meanwhile, Kellyanne kept close to Tiffany as she made her way to the Tastykake shelf and picked up a box of Krimpets and five individual fruit pies in various flavors, including caramel and blueberry. Tiffany also grabbed a single fruit pie, and the two women handed their treats to an aide to purchase before walking out with Donald. Donald's youngest daughter, who is his only child with his second ex-wife Marla Maples, donned a nude peplum top and a matching pencil skirt for her appearance in Pennsylvania. Hungry for pastries: Tiffany and Donald's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway made a beeline for the Tastykake aisle Making her selection: Tiffany ended up grabbing a single fruit pie off the shelf Rolling deep; Tiffany, Donald, and Kellyanne were flanked by Secret Service agents when they entered the convenience store together Tiffany recently graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and despite her formal attire, she looked like she could be any other college student roaming the Wawa's aisles. And while Tiffany was on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, her older half-brother Donald Jr. is set to visit Columbus, Ohio, for a private event Tuesday evening. Her half-siblings Ivanka and Eric were also absent from the trip, however, Eric made it clear that he felt like he had missed out. Fueling up? Kellyanne purchased a box of Krimpets and five individual fruit pies Crowd-pleaser: Tiffany was all smiles as her dad stopped to take pictured with fans in the store Jealous: Tiffany's half-brother Eric admitted that he regrets missing the campaign trip 'Best day ever': Kellyanne also took to Twitter to gush about going to the Wawa 'I love Wawa! This is a stop I regret missing! From Jacksonville Florida! #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #Wawa #TrumpTrain [sic],' he tweeted on Tuesday. Kellyanne also took to Twitter to share her delight over the stop, writing: 'Best. Day. Ever. Up in the new #polls, & joining @RealDonaldTrump today in #Philly suburbs today to visit my favorite store: #Wawa.' Donald Jr., Ivanka, Eric, and Tiffany all recently joined Donald and their stepmother Melania for an interview with George Stephanopoulos, which aired on Good Morning America last week. Outing: Tiffany, Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka joined their dad and stepmother Melania at a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Trump International hotel in Washington, D.C. last week Teamwork: Tiffany and Ivanka later traveled to Marietta, Georgia to campaign for their dad When asked if she would be following in her siblings footsteps and joining the family business, Tiffany said she is 'interested' but noted that her main focus is going back to school. 'I think I'm applying to law school though so I like to bring a different kind [of] skill set to the company,' she said. After the interview, Tiffany and Ivanka headed to Georgia together to continue campaigning for their father. Kylie Jenner, 19, puts her personal stamp of approval on every Lip Kit shade that she creates, but it's no secret that she has a few favorites. Earlier this year, she revealed in a Snapchat Q&A that Candy K, a rosy neutral tone, is her go-to. Indeed, she has been spotted wearing the lip color in social media posts and at red carpet events countless times. When she launched Exposed back in May, however, she called it 'the best nude' and wore it all over town. It comes as no surprise, then, that in a new infographic created by Seventeen.com, both rank among the top Google searched Kylie Lip Kit shades across the US in 2016. Candy K dominated the map with 21 state victories, while Exposed was most popular in 14. Playing favorites: Candy K (pictured), one of Kylie Jenner's favorite shades in her own Lip Kit collection, is the most searched for hue in the United States according to Seventeen.com The neutrals have it: In addition to Candy K, Exposed and Koko K are among the most popular shades in many states Though the bold blue, black and green shades never seem to have trouble selling out, Kylie Cosmetics shoppers from New York to California are overwhelmingly partial to neutral, everyday hues. Dolce K, a caramel color, and Koko K, a pale pink, also staked a claim in a number of states on the map. There are several states that aren't afraid to stand out in the crowd, however. The dark purple Kourt K was the most searched for shade in both New Mexico and Arkansas, while the two-month-old deep berry shade Leo, has surpassed the brand's other 21 released hues in Delaware. Rounding out the list is the mauve Posie K, a favorite of FEMAIL's and the population of Hawaii. Shop the most popular Kylie Lip Kit shades below before they inevitably sell out. From 'tempting' lickerous to alliacious, meaning tasting of onion or garlic They are among 101 words included in her new book: The Taste Dictionary Alliacious, suaveolent, conflagrant: these unusual words are a struggle to pronounce, let alone spell. But while you may have never used any them in a sentence before, these words can all be used to describe your plate of food in a deliciously specific way. They are among 20 of Countdown star Susie Dent's favourite foodie terms, which the queen of Dictionary Corner has shared exclusively with Femail Food&Drink. And they in turn are just a few of the 101 words to describe each mouthful that she has collated for Sainsbury's in a new free book called The Taste Dictionary, out today. Pertish - meaning to have a brisk taste - is one of Countdown star Susie Dent's favourite foodie words, and is among the 20 she has shared with Femail to celebrate the release of her book Susie, aka the woman in Dictionary Corner on Countdown (pictured), has collated 101 words for a book about how to describe how we eat food ALLIACIOUS How do you pronounce it? Al-ee-ey-shuh s. What does it mean? With a strong taste of onion or garlic. In a sentence: The wonderfully alliacious aroma of slow-cooked stew makes my mouth water. Why Susie loves it: 'I love both garlic and onions, and this word pithily captures the rich tastes of both.' BRACKISH Brackish means fresh-flavoured with a salty tang, and can be used to describe sushi (pictured) How do you pronounce it? Brak-ish. What does it mean? Fresh-flavoured, but with a salty tang. In a sentence: The best sushi has the unmistakably brackish tang of the sea. Why Susie loves it: 'Why use salty when you can have brackish? It carries a sense of part-water, part-salt, too, just like the sea.' CLAGGY How do you pronounce it? Klagi. What does it mean? Clotted and sticky in texture. In a sentence: The best sticky puddings are gloriously rich and claggy. Why Susie loves it: 'Claggy is often seen as a negative word, yet for me it describes perfectly that full-mouthed feel of a treacle tart of banoffee pie.' CONFLAGRANT Conflagrant means to induce a peppery or hot sensation, such as when you eat a chilli How do you pronounce it? Kuh n-fley-gruh nt. What does it mean? Inducing a peppery or hot sensation. In a sentence: The extra chillies in a Thai salad give a conflagrant kick thats not for the faint-hearted. Why Susie loves it: 'I love adding fire to my food, and conflagrant has a slight hint of danger about it too.' GLOPPY How do you pronounce it? Glop-ee. What does it mean? Food of a semi liquid consistency. In a sentence: A rich lentil soup makes for a deliciously gloppy starter. Why Susie loves it: 'A word that delivers its meaning through sound. Nicer than gloopy, it says a lot about a particular consistency and warmth.' FIRE-FANGED Susie (pictured with her new book) has come up with the 101 ways we can describe each mouthful, but many of the words are hard to pronounce and spell How do you pronounce it? Fahyuh r fanged. What does it mean? Having a scorched appearance or taste. In a sentence: Make sure to give your creme brulee its distinctively fire-fanged topping. Why Susie loves it: 'If you use a blowtorch on your creme brulee, you are definitely going for a full, fire-fanged approach. 'It has a slight hint of a dragons breath and a sense of ancient legend about it.' FRIABLE How do you pronounce it? Frahy-uh-buh-l. What does it mean? Easily crumbled. In a sentence: Shortcrust pastry should feel crumbly and friable in your fingers. Why Susie loves it: 'Friable isnt often used of food, yet its meaning lends itself perfectly to pastry and crumbly biscuits.' HOGO Hogo, which can be used to describe most French cheeses such as camembert (pictured), is taken from the French haut gout, meaning a 'high' or piquant taste How do you pronounce it? H-oh-g-oh. What does it mean? Highly flavoured or seasoned, from the French 'haut gout'. In a sentence: Reblochon has the characteristic piquant, hogo flavour of so many French cheeses. Why Susie loves it: 'The British love taking a French word and making it fit more easily on the English tongue. Hugo began as "haut gout", a "high" or piquant taste.' LARDY How do you pronounce it? Lard-ee. What does it mean? Fatty. In a sentence: Country-style bread-cakes offer a classic lardy richness. Why Susie loves it: 'I grew up eating lardy cake and relished its sweet, fatty richness.' LICKEROUS How do you pronounce it? Lik-er-uh-s What does it mean? Sweet and tempting. In a sentence: The Bake-Offs showstoppers are the most sweetly lickerous of all. Why Susie loves it: 'A great word for something delicious to taste that has you coming back for more - it has "lick" in it too.' MEDULLINE How do you pronounce it? Med-oo-lin. What does it mean? Relating to the soft pulp or pith of a fruit. In a sentence: The soft, medulline flesh of citrus fruits make them ideal for marmalade. Why Susie loves it: 'Medulline (the "i" is pronounced like "eye") is a beautiful word to replace a not-so-beautiful one: pith. It has a full-bodied feel to it too.' MORDACIOUS Martinis are very mordacious - a word meaning sharp, and possessing a real bite How do you pronounce it? Mawr-dey-shuh s. What does it mean? Sharp and possessing a real bite. In a sentence: Why not kick off a night out with one or two mordacious Martinis? Why Susie loves it: 'We dont usually associate "biting" with something positive; a biting wind or comment are ones to avoid. 'Yet food with a kick can be a marvellous thing, particularly if it starts off a meal, or as a corrective to something overly-sweet. Many spirits such as tequila work well here too.' NEPTUNIAN How do you pronounce it? Nep-too-nee-uh n. What does it mean? Carrying the strong flavour of the sea. In a sentence: There can be no better Neptunian dish than a Spanish paella. Susie Dent's new book, The Taste Dictionary, is out today Why Susie loves it: 'Neptune, god of the sea, retains a legacy in this resonant adjective for something that conveys the salty personality of the sea.' OPULENT How do you pronounce it? Op-yuh-luh nt. What does it mean? Rich and sumptuous. In a sentence: Herbs can add the perfect touch of opulent green foliage. Why Susie loves it: 'Opulent conveys sumptuous luxury or abundance like no other word. But it neednt be reserved for expensive foods like oysters; beautifully presented food can look opulent on the plate, too.' PERTISH How do you pronounce it? Purt-ish. What does it mean? With a brisk taste. In a sentence: Good tiramisu (Italian for 'pull me up' ) has a definite pertish kick to it. Why Susie loves it: 'I like the idea of food being a little bit bold or impudent.' SLAPE How do you pronounce it? Slay-p. What does it mean? Rich, soft, and sweet. In a sentence: I love the silky, slape smoothness of my local ale. Why Susie loves it: 'Slape sounds as though it slides off the tongue, just as a good ale will do.' SUAVEOLENT Baklava could be described as suaveolent - which means deliciously scented and sweet smelling How do you pronounce it? Swah-vol ent. What does it mean? Deliciously scented and sweet smelling. In a sentence: Baklava offered the sweet, suaveolent sensation of honey. Why Susie loves it: 'Smooth, sweet, and fragrant: suaveolent has it all.' TREMULOUS How do you pronounce it? Trem-yuh-luh s. What does it mean? Producing a quivering sensation. In a sentence: Children love jelly for its soft, tremulous consistency. Why Susie loves it: 'What better adjective to describe the wobbly dish children adore? Grown-up foods can be tremulous too: like scallops, for example, which quiver a little in the mouth.' UNCTUOUS How do you pronounce it? Uhngk-choo-uh s. What does it mean? Oily, smooth, and full in flavour. In a sentence: The meaty taste of monkfish can give a stew the perfect unctuous touch. Why Susie loves it: 'Unctuous has a slightly naughty, over-indulgent side to it, reserved for foods that offer a fatty, luxurious richness of taste.' JC Rook and Sons was crowned overall winner for 'fry-up in a sausage' Sausages containing chip shop curry sauce, blueberries and even maple syrup have been named as some of the best butcher's bangers in the country. The unusual 'Franken-bangers' have been named as two of the most innovative sausages on sale in the UK right now at the British Sausage Week awards today. But they were beaten to the top prize by a sausage containing two of the most beloved ingredients in a fry-up: black pudding and bacon. Scroll down for full list of winners Tilly Penny, 21, (pictured with her award-winning sausages), of Vaughans Family Butchers, came up with the unusual blueberry and maple pork sausage recipe Morris Adamson of Rothbury Butchers in Northumberland with his award-winning chip shop curry sauce sausage Butcher Andrew Rook, of J.C. Rook and Sons in Kent, whose other award-winning sausage is made using his grandad's recipe from 1965, was named overall winner for his Pork Black Pudding and Bacon Sausages. Andrew has already won first prize in the 2016 Champions of Champions national sausage contest earlier this year for his grandad's classic Pork And Sage Sausage. Andrew said: 'Winning British Sausage Week has now just topped off what has been an absolutely phenomenal year.' The banger was also one of seven of the most innovative sausages being sold in the UK this year - alongside a chip shop curry sauce banger by Rothbury Family Butchers in the north-east, 15 miles above Newcastle, and a blueberry and maple pork sausage by Vaughans Family Butchers in Chester. Trainee butcher Tilly Penny, 21, who has only been working at Vaughans for three months, was the brains behind the quirky blueberry creation. Andrew Rook picked up two prizes - as well as overall winner- for an innovative black pudding and bacon sausage (pictured held by Andrew) and a banger made using his grandad's recipe An unusual Italian-style sausage (pictured being held by butcher Kimberley Daniels of Artingstalls Family Butchers) also won in the innovative sausage category Her proud boss, owner Steve Vaughan, told Femail Food&Drink: 'She wanted to make a healthy breakfast sausage, as you often have blueberries and maple at breakfast, so she thought it could work in a sausage. It was her first time entering one into the competition.' Despite not being a fan of blueberries himself, he loves the taste of the banger - and says it's been a winner with his customers too. Also winning in the innovative category was Artingstalls Family Butchers in Bristol for its unusual Italian-style sausage containing herbs, spices and peppers. Another seven sausages were winners in the traditional sausage category. More than 500 bangers competed in the prestigious awards. JLS pop star turned farmer, Jonathan Benjamin 'JB' Gill, hosted the annual awards at Smiths of Smithfields in central London today. He said: 'The quality and taste of this year's entries has been truly astounding and it's a huge honour to be able meet some of the butchers and producers behind the country's best bangers.' British Sausage Week is now in its 19th year and runs all this week until Sunday, to celebrate the variety and quality of British bangers being produced by the nation's butchers and producers. My hip is causing me a lot of pain and trouble when walking, and my orthopaedic surgeon wants me to have a hip replacement soon. But as I have a heart condition hypertrophic cardiomyopathy my cardiologist is looking at doing a procedure called an alcohol ablation first. Im feeling nervous about all this, and hope you can reassure me about the use of anaesthetic and its downsides. Gillian Lovatt, Aldridge, West Midlands. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited condition, where the heart muscle becomes thickened and scarred, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body A hip replacement will help ease the pain and stiffness of your hip and greatly improve your quality of life. However, it is major surgery and places a strain on the body, particularly if a patient has any pre-existing heart condition which is why your cardiologist wants to treat yours beforehand. For other readers, I should explain that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an inherited condition, where the heart muscle becomes thickened and scarred, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. The thickening typically affects the muscle wall of the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber, and starts in puberty, often remaining undetected until later in life. Some people have only minimal symptoms, while others experience breathlessness, chest pain or palpitations. Medications can help, such as drugs to make the heart pump more efficiently. But people with severe symptoms or who do not improve with medication may be advised to have a procedure to reduce the excess muscle. This can be done through an open-heart operation to cut away the thickened muscle, or by the non-surgical technique that you have mentioned: alcohol ablation. This is where the cardiologist inserts a catheter (a fine tube) into the femoral artery at the top of the leg and threads it up to the heart, into a branch of the artery that supplies the muscle. Alcohol ablation is where the cardiologist inserts a catheter (a fine tube) into the femoral artery at the top of the leg and threads it up to the heart, to destroy some of the muscle tissue Alcohol is then injected through the catheter to destroy some of the muscle tissue. Over the next few weeks, the enlarged muscle will shrivel, allowing blood to flow more easily through the left ventricle. This procedure is successful in more than 80 per cent of cases, although there is a small risk of it causing heart block where the heart beats more slowly, due to collateral damage to its electrical system. Write to Dr Scurr To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk - including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. His replies cannot apply to individual cases and should be taken in a general context. Always consult your own GP with any health worries. Advertisement If this happens, then the patient will need to be fitted with a permanent pacemaker. This must sound dramatic, and may be causing you some anxiety. But I can assure you that it is a routine procedure for the experts who carry it out. I know you are nervous, too, about the anaesthetic, but all that is needed for this procedure is some local anaesthetic where the catheter is inserted. As well as improving the function of your heart, the ablation should help protect you from any heart complications that could arise from your hip surgery (such as an abnormal heart rhythm) or during your subsequent recovery. I should add that a hip replacement is not always carried out under general anaesthetic: some orthopaedic surgeons use local anaesthetic, such as an epidural. Whichever option is recommended for you, though, it would be safest overall for you to first have the heart treatment that has been proposed. Our son-in-law, who is 41, has been diagnosed with non-epileptic absence seizures. They started last year, when he collapsed at work. He was taken to hospital, but epilepsy was ruled out. A consultant has suggested a childhood emotional trauma could have caused it, or a minor car accident or injury. It has been difficult for him, as he has been told he cannot drive or work, and the seizures can happen at any time without warning. He is waiting to see a neurologist, but this could take months. Can you help? Name and address withheld. The reader's son-in-law, who is 41, has been diagnosed with non-epileptic absence seizures. They started last year, when he collapsed at work Every day, GPs see patients with symptoms that are difficult to understand or explain. Sometimes, the symptoms can be quite troubling such as the seizures experienced by your son-in-law. And yet, when tests are carried out, we can find no obvious sign of disease or abnormality, so it is difficult to reach a diagnosis and offer effective treatment. I assume that your son-in-law was given an EEG (electroencephalogram, a recording of brainwave activity) and a brain scan (CT or MRI, to exclude a brain tumour or brain injury) and that both were negative. This would have ruled out epilepsy as the diagnosis. When there is no medical explanation for such seizures, the conclusion may be that they are occurring for psychological reasons. Seizure disorders can be difficult, as they can happen at any time and prevent the patient from independent activities such as driving This is not always easy for patients and their families to understand because they may feel it implies that the symptoms are made up. Its also a difficult issue for doctors to understand and explain, particularly as there is no straightforward way to ease the problem. I would suggest that it is best to think of your son-in-laws seizures as due to a functional disorder a condition where a structure or organ looks normal in tests or under a microscope, but does not work as it should (irritable bowel syndrome is one such example). In this case, it is the central nervous system that is prone to functioning abnormally. Your son-in-laws seizures are real, beyond his control and disturbing his life considerably. But instead of being caused by a disease of the brain, they are driven by subconscious mechanisms. Another term for this condition is dissociative seizures. One explanation is that they may be the bodys way of dealing with an emotionally upsetting experience from the past. Instead of being caused by a disease of the brain, some seizures are driven by subconscious mechanisms. Another term for this condition is dissociative seizures The theory is that the seizure effectively stops a bad memory from being relived. At the moment, there is no medication for this condition, and your relatives care must become the province of a neurologist who specialises in this type of event, or a psychiatrist or psychologist. They may offer therapy to re-examine the exact history of a patient. Over time, this may help unearth the events that triggered the problem, which are often so deeply buried in the pysche that even the patient is unaware of them. It takes a skilled professional to establish a secure, trusting environment, which is essential for this to happen. In the meantime, do read the book by consultant neurologist Suzanne OSullivan, Its All In Your Head. This specifically addresses the problem, and you will gain great insight maybe that alone will enable you to inspire him and unlock the driving issues in his subconscious that have triggered these seizures. A mum-of-two who noticed an annoying spot on her chest in her wedding photos later realised it was skin cancer. Deborah Crofts, 41, noticed a pimple just above her right breast on her wedding day nine years ago - but quickly forgot about it. After consulting her doctor over fears of a raised mark on her back a year later, he was more worried about her chest pimple and referred her for a biopsy. Just a month later, she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma the most common type of skin cancer, mainly caused by exposure to UV light. Since her diagnosis, the malignant cells have returned twice. But currently she does not need any further treatment. But it wasnt until she went through her wedding snaps on Facebook that she realised the annoying spot had actually been the first sign of cancer. Deborah Crofts, 41, noticed a pimple just above her right breast on her wedding day to Martyn, 47, nine years ago - but quickly forgot about it. She was later diagnosed with the most common form of skin cancer - but it wasn't until she went through her wedding snaps that she realised it the spot was the first sign Mrs Crofts, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, said: 'I was shocked and frightened when I was given my diagnosis. 'However, I felt able to take it in my stride, because I was reassured I could have surgery to remove the cancerous cells and that I wouldnt need chemotherapy. 'I was so shocked that I looked back at my photos from a holiday in New Zealand in 2008. 'The spots so obvious there, too. But it never occurred to me at the time it could be cancerous. 'I didnt like the word "cancer" it was scary. Now Ive had so many reoccurrences I just think "not another one". Mrs Crofts married underwriter Martyn, 47, in a church in Auckland, New Zealand near when she had grown up in February 2007. Just a month after consulting her doctor, she was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma the most common type of skin cancer, mainly caused by exposure to UV light Since her diagnosis, the malignant cells have returned twice. But currently she does not need any further treatment (pictured with daughter Madison in 2008) After her honeymoon, the spot became a scab that wouldn't heal, but she didn't think it needed treatment because it was small and flat. Then in March next year, she went to see her GP about a raised mark on her back, which he said was fine, but the spot on her chest worried him. She was then referred to a consultant at who confirmed it was basal cell carcinoma after a biopsy a month later. In July, she had surgery to remove the cancerous spot under a local anaesthetic, forcing her to be awake for the whole time. She was left with a 15cm long scar on her chest after they had to cut out a canoe-shape to ensure they removed the cancer. After surgery, she tried to put her experience to the back of her mind, but her horror was not over. She noticed a red mark on her back and another rough patch on her forehead, and in September immediately went to see her GP. Doctors referred her for a biopsy the next month, but both spots were confirmed as malignant. The cancerous cells on her back were cut out during the biopsy. She then had surgery to remove the cancerous lesion on her forehead at a different hospital under local anaesthetic in January. Never much of a sunbather, she thinks she developed skin cancer as a result of too much sun exposure while growing up in New Zealand Now she is extra cautious with her skin and doesnt take any chances. She uses sun cream, a hat, sunglasses, and tends to choose clothes that cover her shoulders (pictured at her bridal party with a host of friends) And in early 2015 she went to her GP with another mark on the centre of her chest. They confirmed once again that the cancer had returned. She was given a cream to treat it, which reacts with your skin if it detects cancerous cells, and treats it like an infection. Mrs Crofts added: 'I have become fairly good at spotting them. WHAT IS A BASAL CELL CARCINOMA? A basal cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer - the most common one in the UK. The most common cause is too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or from sun beds. Basal cell carcinomas can occur anywhere on your body, but are most common on areas that are exposed to the sun, such as your face, head, neck and ears. It is also possible for a basal cell carcinoma to develop where burns, scars or ulcers have damaged the skin. Basal cell carcinomas are not contagious. Basal cell carcinomas mainly affect fair skinned adults and are more common in men than women. Advertisement 'A big patch of the skin on my neck came out in a red angry rash, and what it highlighted was that I had a whole load of cancerous cells at a microscopic level. 'This treatment is even scarier than surgery. 'I didnt like the thought that the cream was on my skin when my son was cuddling me, but I checked with the doctor and it was safe.' Mrs Crofts has had four rounds of the treatment so far and doesnt need any further treatment for the time being, doctors say. She is still at the risk of reoccurrence, and will see her doctor in six months for a review. Never much of a sunbather, she thinks she developed skin cancer as a result of too much sun exposure while growing up in New Zealand. Now she is extra cautious with her skin and doesnt take any chances. She uses sun cream, a hat, sunglasses, and tends to choose clothes that cover her shoulders. Mrs Crofts added: 'I nearly cried when my son didnt have a hat and sun cream at school on an unexpected sunny day last year. 'No amount of tanning is worth the stress of healing cancerous skin cells.' A traumatised mother who suffered a miscarriage was forced to wait alone inside a maternity ward where she could see newborn babies. Laura Percival, 27, from Croydon, had gone into hospital for a 12-week scan when doctors revealed that her child's heart had stopped beating. But she was forced to sit in the waiting room for three hours to have medical treatment following her miscarriage - before being told to come back the next day. Upon her return, she endured a six-hour delay before being given tablets to help pregnancy tissue leave the body. But the drugs failed to get rid of most of the baby and she was then allowed to have surgery - but on the way a porter wheeled her through a ward full of newborn babies. She said the experience was 'the hardest thing she has had to go through'. Laura Percival had gone into hospital for a 12-week scan when doctors revealed that her child's heart had stopped beating. But she was forced to sit in the waiting room for hours for medical treatment following her miscarriage where she saw a range of newborn babies Ms Percival said: 'They did the scan and said there was no heartbeat. That day will stay in my mind forever. 'I will always remember the crushing feeling in my chest, the confusion of all the "what ifs" and "whys", the tears and most of all the guilt.' She said that she could see a woman having contractions and a young couple wheeling a newborn baby around. 'I just thought this is not okay, I was really upset and I cried to my sister in front of my son. No woman should have to go through that,' she added. 'It just felt like a whirlwind that didnt need to be as stressful as it was, and when I was left outside watching all of these mums wheel their babies around, my heart just sank and it felt truly awful. 'It was just poor management, when speaking to nurses they said that there wasnt enough staff and they were stretched beyond their means. Ms Percival, who also gave birth to her three-year-old son Luka at the hospital, said: 'When I was left outside watching all of these mums wheel their babies around my heart just sank' 'I could see that, but it is no excuse for the way I was treated.' After her miscarriage, she waited alone for three hours before being told that she needed to come back the next day for a pessary. The news devastated the mother-of-one as she had already been planning a baby shower and had announced it on Facebook. She was given an information sheet telling her what was going to happen next - but she said it wasn't 'very helpful'. But when she returned to Croydon University Hospital, south London, she was forced to wait for a further six hours before the treatment to remove the baby. She claims a young doctor was very uncompassionate and told her false information as to what was going on - before being corrected by a nurse. She then passed a blood clot the size of an orange before doctors finally allowed her to have surgery because there was 'still a lot of baby in there'. As she was being wheeled in for surgery, a porter took her through a maternity ward and she watched women have contractions and new parents wheel their babies around in plastic cots. She said the experience at Croydon University Hospital was 'the hardest thing she has had to go through' after a porter wheeled her through a ward full of newborn babies Since her treatment in September, Ms Percival has since lodged a complaint with the hospital, which have since apologised. She has also launched a petition calling on the NHS to be more compassionate, rather than avoiding miscarriages as a taboo subject. Ms Percival, who also gave birth to her three-year-old son Luka at the hospital, said: 'My mother is a paediatric nurse and when I told her I was bleeding, she was honest and told me to expect the worst. 'I went to St Helier and they told me there was nothing they could do and they said to go to Croydon University Hospital. When they said that I just thought horror. 'The last time I was there when having my first son I had to have an emergency C-section, once I had come round I was being rushed off the bed. 'I was in so much pain, I cant even begin to describe how much pain I was in, and it just seemed as if the staff then wanted you in and out as quick as possible.' A spokesperson for Croydon University Hospital said: 'We were very sorry to hear about Lauras experience and have apologised sincerely to her for the distress she has experienced. A graduate was nearly blinded after she ripped part of her eyeball while trying to remove her contact lenses. Meabh McHugh-Hill, 23, had blurred vision after she had kept her lens in for 10 hours slightly longer than recommended. But because of the length of time it was in her eye for, it had become stuck to her eyeball when she tried to remove it. In a desperate attempt to take it out, she accidentally tore part of her cornea. It forced her left eye shut and made her right sensitive to light. Doctors told her to spend five days in bed with the curtains drawn to prevent any light from being let in - which was causing her pain. Luckily, she escaped losing her eyesight but has been warned she will never be able to wear contact lenses again, The Mirror reports. Meabh McHugh-Hill, 23, was in pain after she had kept her lens in for 10 hours slightly longer than recommended. But because of the length of time it was in her eye for, it had become stuck to her eyeball. In an attempt to take it out, she accidentally tore part of her cornea Miss McHugh-Hill, originally from Belfast but studying in Liverpool, said: I suffered a week of unbearable pain - it was excruciating, like nothing Ive ever experienced before. My vision is okay now but my eye is still very sensitive. I was so, so lucky. I could have lost my sight. I just didnt realise how dangerous wearing contact lenses could be if your eyes are not moistened. 'I ran upstairs to take them out and stupidly, in a rush, I just pinched my eye first like I normally would do to get the contact out. 'But I should have moistened them first - because this time my eye was so dry the contact had actually glued itself to my eyeball.' Miss McHugh-Hill began wearing the lenses when she was 16 as she hated wearing glasses, the newspaper reports. Doctors told her to spend five days in bed with the curtains drawn to prevent any light from being let in - which was causing her pain She used to just wear them at nights, but by the time she began university she was wearing them constantly. She regularly suffered from dry eyes and infections and would have to use eye-drops to put the contacts in. But in August this year, the film studies graduate realised she still had her contacts in when her vision became blurred while she was watching a movie with her boyfriend. WHY YOU SHOULDN'T SLEEP WITH CONTACT LENSES IN Contact lens wearers were warned earlier this year that they face permanent vision problems and even blindness if they sleep in them. The alert follows official data from the US which found that a fifth of contact lens-related infections led to eye damage. Worryingly, more than a quarter of the 1,075 infections may have been triggered by poor hygiene or laziness on the part of the wearer. Misuse included sleeping with lenses in which raises the risk of infection up to eight-fold, as well as wearing lens for longer than advised, cleaning them with tap water and swimming with them in. Advertisement Rushing to remove the lenses, she didn't moisten her eyes before trying to remove them. When she woke the following day, she was unable to open her left eye at all. Her right also shut when she was exposed to light. She then went to an optician who referred her straight to the hospital. Here, she found out she had pulled the top layer of her eyeball away. Doctors told her they were glad she had received medical attention straight away. Miss McHugh-Hill was confined to her bed for five days with the curtains drawn to prevent any light from being let in and causing pain. She was also given antibiotics to take every hour. She now has a permanent scar on her pupil and can only wear one contact lens in her right eye - leaving her 'blind' if she chooses to not wear glasses. Doctors have also told her that because of the corneal scarring she is not suitable for laser eye surgery either. Experts say contact lenses should be worn for no more than eight hours a day to avoid any vision problems. While earlier this year users were reminded to not sleep wearing the lenses due to the risk of permanent eye problems. She now has a permanent scar on her pupil and can only wear one contact lens in her right eye - leaving her 'blind' if she chooses to not wear glasses Leading UK vision expert Dr David Allamby, of Londons Focus Clinic, has long campaigned about the dangers of contact lenses, warning that many users simply arent aware of the problems they can pose. He said: 'Contact lenses need to be treated with great care and the dangers of using them are often underestimated and ignored. 'Studies have shown that youre five times more likely to develop an eye infection if you wear contact lenses. 'Loss of vision from corneal infections can be permanent, depending on when the problem is diagnosed. 'If caught early and correctly treated, there may be little or no scarring and no sight loss. 'If left for a few days, permanent vision reduction may occur, especially with infections in the middle part of the cornea. 'Meabh was incredibly lucky, but it is unfortunate that she will now have to wear glasses for the rest of her life, having caused so much damage to her eye that she can no longer wear contact lenses or undergo laser eye surgery.' AFM is a rare virus but the CDC has recording a recent surge in infections He was one of 8 children in Seattle Children's Hospital with AFM recently Daniel suffered two strokes last week. He was pronounced brain dead on Sunday afternoon AFM (acute flaccid myelitis) is a fever which can lead to paralysis in kids His parents thought he had a stomach ache, but tests showed he had AFM A six-year-old boy has died after contracting a mysterious paralyzing polio-like disease that is sweeping the US. Daniel Ramirez was admitted to Seattle Children's Hospital on October 15, with slurred speech, drooling, incontinence, and pain in his leg. At first his parents Marijo de Guzman and Jose Ramirez, of Bellingham, Washington, thought he had a stomach ache but tests revealed he was one of hundreds of children to have recently contracted a rare virus called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which attacks the brain and the spinal cord. The disease was first identified in 2014 when more than 100 children were hospitalized. Scores of them are yet to make a full recovery. So far, the medical community remains largely ignorant about what causes the disease and how to treat it. The CDC has issued a report warning there has been a surge in the number of children struck down by AFM this year and experts fear this outbreak could be worse than previous ones. Scroll down for video Tragic: Daniel Ramirez (pictured) was admitted to Seattle Children's Hospital on October 15, with slurred speech, drooling, incontinence, and pain in his leg. He died two weeks later Rare illness: Daniel had contracted acute flaccid myelitis, a fever that can cause paralysis in children. He suffered two strokes between October 21 and October 27. Pictured in hospital Marijo and Jose announced Daniel's death on Sunday on Facebook Daniel suffered two strokes between October 21 and October 27. The disease was too advanced for doctors to control and he was pronounced brain dead at 1.33pm on Sunday. Daniel was kept on a ventilator until Monday. He was one of eight children admitted to Seattle Children's Hospital with AFM, according to The Kansas City Star. Five have been released, two remain in hospital. Daniel's parents Marijo and Jose (right) had set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to find a cure for the untreatable condition. The disease was too advanced for doctors to control when their little boy was admitted to hospital Daniel's mother posted this heartbreaking message to her son on Facebook on Monday Daniel, pictured with his mom Marijo De Guzman, was described as a 'sweet little boy who could put a smile on anyone's face' SURGE IN CASES OF TRANSVERSE MYELITIS SUB-TYPE A mysterious polio-like illness is sweeping the United States, sparking fears of a potential outbreak. Acute flaccid myelitis, a fever which leads to paralysis in children, was first detected in 2014. Scores of children were infected, and more than 100 of those hospitalized have yet to recover. Now, the CDC has issued a report warning there has been a surge in the number of children struck down by AFM this year. The way the figures are going, experts fear this outbreak could be worse than before. But the medical community remains largely ignorant about what causes AFM and how to treat it. 'You hate to be an alarmist, but there's reason to have some concern,' Dr Avindra Nath, chief of the section of infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Washington Post. 'What we don't know is where are these cases. Are they clustered? Do they all look alike? Getting more information on these cases would be helpful.' WHAT IS TRANSVERSE MYELITIS AND AFM? The term 'myelitis' means inflammation of the spinal cord. Transverse myelitis is the broad name of the disease, and there are various sub-types. It is a neurological disorder which inflames the spinal cord across its width ('transverse'), destroying the fatty substance that protects nerve cells. That can lead to paralysis. AFM is an unusual sub-type of transverse myelitis. Patients starts with the same spinal inflammation, but their symptoms are different and the disease develops differently. Primarily, AFM patients are weak and limp, while patients with general transverse myelitis tend to be rigid. Most AFM patients start to struggle with movement of the limbs, face, tongue, and eyes. They then begin to lose control of one limb or sometimes the whole body - though many maintain control of their sensory, bowel and bladder functions. Unlike transverse myelitis, which has been around for years, doctors are still in the dark about why and how AFM manifests itself. Advertisement Daniel's parents had set up a GoFundMe page in a desperate bid to raise funds to find a cure for the untreatable condition. The family announced Daniel's death on their Facebook page Praying For Daniel Ramirez. 'It saddens us to announce that Daniel passed away on Sunday, October 30, 2016, surrounded by his family,' the statement said. 'Daniel was an amazingly sweet little boy, who could put a smile on anyones face. He had a personality that made him loved by everyone who ever met him. 'Daniel was taken from us too soon, but his memory will live on, and he will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace Sweet Daniel!' The CDC issued a report in September warning that there has been a recent surge in the number of children contracting AFM this year. AFM, a fever which leads to paralysis in children, was first detected in 2014. Scores of children were infected, and more than 100 of those hospitalized have yet to recover. Now, the way the figures are going, experts fear this year's outbreak could be worse than before. 'You hate to be an alarmist, but there's reason to have some concern,' Dr Avindra Nath, chief of the section of infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, told The Washington Post. 'What we don't know is where are these cases. Are they clustered? Do they all look alike? Getting more information on these cases would be helpful.' The term 'myelitis' means inflammation of the spinal cord. Transverse myelitis is the broad name of the disease, and there are various sub-types. It is a neurological disorder which inflames the spinal cord across its width ('transverse'), destroying the fatty substance that protects nerve cells. That can lead to paralysis. AFM is an unusual sub-type of transverse myelitis. Patients starts with the same spinal inflammation, but their symptoms are different and the disease develops differently. Primarily, AFM patients are weak and limp, while patients with general transverse myelitis tend to be rigid. Most AFM patients start to struggle with movement of the limbs, face, tongue, and eyes. They then begin to lose control of one limb or sometimes the whole body - though many maintain control of their sensory, bowel and bladder functions. Unlike transverse myelitis, which has been around for years, doctors are still in the dark about why and how AFM manifests itself. 'Daniel was taken from us too soon, but his memory will live on, and he will never be forgotten' Last year, Keith Van Haren, a child neurologist at Stanford University School of Medicine, told The Atlantic that doctors don't know how to treat or prevent the illness. 'It actually looks just like polio, but that term really freaks out the public-health people,' he said. Although officials do not know the specific cause of the illness, the CDC reports that the polio-like illness is most similar to illnesses caused by enteroviruses, West Nile virus, herpesvirus, and the adenovirus. Rebecca Whitney, of the Transverse Myelitis Association, told Daily Mail Online the organization has seen an uptick in families seeking support this year - particularly for children. For families seeking support, families can contact the organization for advice via their website. Whitney, whose child has transverse myelitis, also advised families to consider taking part in the study CAPTURE to help identify causes and treatments. They also run a summer camp, usually in Scottsville, Kentucky, for families and patients. Washington, DC, has voted to legalize assisted suicide. The city council voted 11-2 in favor of the bill on Tuesday afternoon. It would permit doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to mentally independent patients who have less than six months to live. The decision sparked outrage among the dozens of protesters who attended the hearing on Tuesday. After the vote was adjourned, the Washington DC Archdiocese held an impromptu prayer circle in the town hall, denouncing the vote. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Washington, DC, has voted in favor of legislation that would permit doctors to prescribe life-ending drugs to mentally independent patients who have less than six months to live Mayor Muriel E Bowser (Dem), who has not voiced a position on the legislation, still has the right to veto. Without a veto, this vote makes DC the sixth municipality to legalize euthanasia amid a growing swell in support - despite heated opposition. The 'Death With Dignity Act' is based on the law Oregon passed in 1997 - the first in the country. Patients must be mentally and physically sound enough to feed themselves the lethal medicine prescribed by a doctor. 'This bill allows someone who is on death's doorstep the option to choose a peaceful death to decide in one's final moments, when the illness is terminal and death is imminent, how he or she will face the end,' said Democrat council member Mary Cheh, who sponsored the bill. 'It is a choice among many one could make, and, as Justice Sandra Day O'Connor noted, death will be different for each of us. 'But we should respect and honor this choice for those who want it. 'I know how wrenching and difficult this vote was and I am deeply grateful to my colleagues for supporting the bill.' A Gallup poll in May 2015 found 68 percent of Americans support assisted suicide for people with six months to live. And a Lake Research poll in July 2015 found Washington DC residents to be a good reflection of national opinion: 67 percent of DC residents are in favor of the Death With Dignity bill, according to the poll. The state of Colorado will vote on the same legislation next week. It is exactly two years today that California native Brittany Maynard made headlines taking her own life in Oregon. Maynard was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2013 after she was rushed to hospital with a searing headache. CT scans showed a rapidly-growing tumor. Hearing that her inevitable death to the disease would be painful, Maynard researched how she could legally take her own life. At the time it was illegal for terminally ill patients to end their life through voluntary self-administered lethal injections in California. In 2014, she and her family moved to Oregon, where it was legal. She took her own life on November 1, 2014, after going for a walk in the woods near their home. The female orgasm has long been a source of fascination. For more than a century researchers have focused on two things: the vagina and the clitoris. Some say a woman can climax with vaginal stimulation alone. Many say the clitoris has to be involved. However, a new study calls to expand our understanding of how a woman can be aroused. Scroll down for video A new study calls to expand our understanding of how a woman can be aroused. Crucially, they explore how a woman's erotic body map changes over time, unlike a man's which doesn't WHY DO ORGASMS FEEL SO GOOD? A STUDY EXPLAINS... Dr Adam Safron of Northwestern University has mapped how rhythmic stimulation alters brain activity. In a nutshell, sexual stimulation focuses our neurons in such a way that we are sent into a trance, blocking out everything else and concentrating solely, intensely on the sensation alone. We lose our usual self-awareness and consciousness of other noises, feelings, and smells around us. No other natural stimulation could recreate this level of concentration. Stimulating nerves in a particular way at a particular speed over and over again focuses our neurons. They begin to synchronize their activity. This focusing process is called neural entrainment. Eventually, if stimulation continues long enough, this synchronization can spread throughout the brain making us more focused than ever. This may be crucial for allowing for a sufficient intensity of experience to trigger the mechanisms of climax. Advertisement In an extensive review of sex studies, researchers at Concordia concluded the female orgasm is not so elusive once a woman knows what turns her on. With the right kind of touch and rhythm, a woman can experience orgasms from the clitoral, the G-spot, the cervix - and even non-genital areas such as the lips, nipples, ears, neck, fingers and toes. It is particular to each individual woman. But partners should not get complacent once they have found 'the formula', the researchers warn. While a man's erotic body map does not change, a woman's 'trigger zones' are constantly evolving over time. Different partners, settings, sounds, and experiences also play a significant role in laying the foundations as a woman builds up to a climax. 'Unlike men, women can have a remarkable variety of orgasmic experiences, which evolve throughout the lifespan,' said senior author Jim Pfaus, a psychology professor. 'A woman's erotic body map is not etched in stone, but rather is an ongoing process of experience, discovery and construction.' Pfaus was working with Concordia graduate students Gonzalo Quintana Zunino and Conall Mac Cionnaith, as well as Mayte Parada from McGill University. Together, they analyzed how the clitoris-vagina stimulation debate has developed since the Victorian times. Fundamentally, they dismissed the idea that there is one set region for stimulation, and one set formula of how to arouse a woman. Although the clitoris contains 8,000 nerve endings (double that of the penis), it is not an 'on button' that guarantees stimulation. A crucial part of reaching a 'whole' orgasm is a woman intimately understanding how each part of her body responds to different sensations. A woman's erotic body map is not etched in stone, but rather is an ongoing process of discovery and construction Professor Jim Pfaus 'Orgasms don't have to come from one site, nor from all sites. And they don't have to be the same for every woman, nor for every sexual experience even in the same woman, to be whole and valid,' Pfaus said 'With experience, stimulation of one or all of these triggering zones are integrated into a 'whole' set of sensory inputs, movements, body positions, arousals and cues related to context. 'That combination of sensory input is what reliably induces pleasure and orgasm during masturbation and intercourse. It will take another two months for the Super Speciality Block of the Safdarjung Hospital to be operational. But ahead of its inauguration, a battle is brewing between the hospitals faculty and the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS), which is based across the road, over the control of the facility. AIIMS director MC Misra wants the Super Specialty Block to be under the control of his institute rather than Safdarjung Hospital and, according to sources, he wrote to Union health minister JP Nadda two weeks ago on the issue. The new block is the single largest investment by the Central government to boost infrastructure in the health sector But faculty members of the Safdarjung Hospital have strongly opposed the move and have lodged their objections to JP Nadda in a letter seen by Mail Today. AIIMSDirector Prof MC Misra wants control of the new facility It read: The Safdarjung Hospital and Vardhaman Medical College Teaching Faculty Association is pained by the moves being made by the director AIIMS to take over the nearly complete Super Speciality Block on the Safdarjung Hospital Campus. "The commissioning of the Emergency and Super Speciality Block would make Safadrjung Hospital the biggest central government hospital in the country. Any attempt by AIIMS to take over the Super Speciality Block would dash all plans and hopes of the staff and the people of the country to avail the facilities of the hospital." "The association requests you to use your good offices to thwart such attempts by AIIMS to take over facilities being created by the government for Safdarjung Hospital, the letter added. The Emergency and Super Speciality block was meant to augment the services provided by the Safdarjung Hospital by increasing the number of beds, establishing state-of-the-art facilities, decongest the hospital, increase the postgraduate medical seats and provide the infrastructure for cutting-edge research, stated the letter. Faculty members of New Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital have voiced their objections over losing control of the new block to Union minister JP Nadda in a letter The creation of the increased infrastructure is a long cherished desire of all the staff working at Safdarjung Hospital and VMMC to improve the services being provided and also increase the capacity of the hospital to service the sick and needy. "This increase in infrastructure would also increase the surge capacity of the hospital to cater to disaster and calamities, stated the letter. Police shot dead eight Islamist prisoners who escaped from jail hours earlier on Monday by using knotted bed sheets to scale the walls, officials have said. The men, members of banned militant group Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), which is awaiting trial, fled the high security jail in the early hours in the city of Bhopal, in Madhya Pradesh, after slitting the throat of a prison officer. Police tracked the armed men down after local villagers reported suspicious movements, surrounded them outside the city and shot all eight dead, inspector general of police Yogesh Choudhary told Reuters news agency. Scroll down for video Security agencies at the encounter spot at Acharpura village, where eight fugitives who escaped from jail were shot dead by police The escaped prisoners "fired on the police party first" he said. "In retaliation police fired and all eight were dead. Four firearms and three knives were recovered." The men had been facing charges including murder and robbery, Choudhary said. Three had escaped from another Indian prison in 2013. The SIMI was formed in 1977 and has been accused of involvement in bomb attacks across the country. CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan demanded an NIA inquiry into the incident The home ministry has ordered an inquiry into the prison break. Meanwhile, the incident has shocked Bhopal, an otherwise sleepy town. After news of the prison break and the fugitives subsequent deaths, allegations began flying thick and fast about the encounter being staged and a video quickly surfaced that showed a cop shooting a dead SIMI operative and other cops hurling abuse in the background. At around 3am that morning, the top brass of Bhopal police, IG Yogesh Chaudhry, SSP Raman Singh Sikarwar and SP North Arvind Saxena received information that a jail break had taken place. Jail warder Ramashankar had been killed - his throat was cut with improvised knives made inside the jail by the fugitives before they escaped. There are another 20 SIMI operatives in Bhopal jail, including the high value Abu Faisal who has also escaped from prison in the past. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was informed about the incident at about 3.15am, after which security was beefed up at his residence and a Special Task Force team deployed. Police personnel carry the body of one of the SIMI terrorists killed in the encounter. All eight terrorists were cornered and gunned down 10km away from the prison they escaped from In the next hour, four teams were formed, one each from STF, Counter-Terrorism Group, district police and crime branch. Police personnel were called in from all police stations of the city and a massive manhunt launched. Senior police officials looked to what had happened in Khandwa on October 1, 2013, when six SIMI operatives had escaped from prison. Social media, especially WhatsApp, was put to use to disseminate pictures of the fugitives as their identities had been established. Indian police and bystanders gather at the site where eight SIMI activists, who escaped from Central Jail in Bhopal, were killed by the Special Task Force Three of the eight fugitives were identified as Zakir, Mehboob and Amjad who had escaped in the 2013 jail break but later nabbed. The others were Mujeeb Sheikh, Khalid Ahmed, Aqueel Khalji, Abdul Majid and Salik. At about 4.40am, a guard posted at a residential colony near the jail informed police that he had seen a group of youths bearing resemblance to the photos circulated. Police began moving in that direction. A little later, after daybreak, a farmer informed police that he had seen some unidentified people near his field. (The video below is said to show police shooting the already dead prisoners.) Soon police teams began arriving at Acharpura village, 10 km from Bhopal. Based on input from locals, the fugitives were zeroed down on a craggy hill with shrubs next to the village. The STF and CTG teams reached the hilltop and fired at the fugitives for about 20 minutes. Police said the fugitives fired back with country-made weapons and hurled rocks at them, but no officers were injured. Two country-made pistols of .315 bore and two of 12 bore were recovered besides three knives that police said were used to slit the jail warders throat. Two fired shells and two live rounds were also recovered. Chavan called a press conference and said that he has demanded an NIA inquiry. He also ordered an inquiry by a former DGP. He, however, refused to take any questions from the media, saying that he did not have operational details. Question marks hang over police and prisoners' 'encounter' A video showing an armed police commando pumping bullets into what appeared to be a nearly-dead terror suspect raised questions over what top Madhya Pradesh authorities called a gunfight. In the footage, accessed exclusively by India Today TV, an officer in civvies was seen pulling out a knife wrapped in a plastic sheet from the trousers of another slain man lying on the same rocky ground resembling what was officially identified as the scene of the encounter. No firearms were spotted near the bodies. Before the clip surfaced, police claimed the fugitives, accused of links with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), were killed in a cross-fire about 30 km north of Bhopal. Jail warder Ramashanka was killed by the fugitives during their escape from jail on Monday Police insisted that they were gunned down within 10 hours of the jailbreak, during which they also killed a prison guard. A second video also appeared on Friday, purportedly showing five SIMI suspects waving, apparently to turn themselves in. In its audio, police were purportedly heard radio-messaging the control room about the whereabouts of the men, who didn't appear to be armed. Women console the wife of jail warder Ramashanka, whose throat was slit during the incident Police were also heard receiving orders to surround them. We located the eight inmates, they fired on us, and all of them were killed in the cross-firing, said Yogesh Chaudhary, an inspector general of Madhya Pradesh police. But state home minister Bhupendra Singh said that the men were unarmed. The SIMI members used jail utensils as weapons. They didnt have guns, but police had no choice but to kill them, he said earlier in the day. Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh raised suspicions over the jailbreak and subsequent encounter. Eight civilians were killed and nine others wounded in Kashmir today as the disputed border area between India and Pakistan saw the worst day of violence since India's so-called 'surgical strikes' in September. A police officer said six people, including two children, were killed by Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy. Civil administrator Pawan Kotwal said two women also died in Rajouri sector in cross-border firing. He confirmed that at least nine civilians has been injured. Brother of Indian woman Rajinder Kaur, who was killed in Pakistani shelling wails during her funeral at Khour village in Ramgarh sector, Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, India (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Civil administrator Pawan Kotwal said two women also died in Rajouri sector in cross-border firing Kotwal said hundreds of civilians living in villages along the frontier have been evacuated to safer places in recent weeks and are spending nights in government-run shelters. Thousands of villagers in the Pakistani-administered areas of Kashmir also moved to safer places as the cross-border shelling continued amid heightened tensions, said the region's revenue minister, Sardar Farooq Sikandar. An army officer and a border guard official in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir said Indian soldiers "befittingly" replied to what they described an "unprovoked" violation of a 2003 cease-fire accord. Mother of Indian woman Rajinder Kaur, who was killed in Pakistani shelling, cries during her funeral in Khour village (AP Photo/Channi Anand) The officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, said the exchange of fire continued at several points along the border frontier. The Indian and Pakistani armies guard the Line of Control that divides the two parts of Kashmir. Each country also has a separate paramilitary border force that guards the frontier separating Indian-controlled Kashmir and the Pakistani province of Punjab. Relatives grieve near the body of Indian woman Rajinder Kaur, who was killed in Pakistani shelling during her funeral at Khour village in Ramgarh sector, Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, India (AP Photo/Channi Anand) In Islamabad, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian deputy high commissioner on Tuesday and "strongly condemned unprovoked cease-fire violations" by Indian troops. It urged India to respect the cease-fire accord and "stop targeting villages and civilians." Troops from the two countries have regularly traded fire since last months' 'surgical strikes' against suspected militants in the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. Mother grieves over the body of Rajinder Kaur who was killed in Pakistani shelling during her funeral at Khour village in Ramgarh sector, Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, India (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Pakistan however dismiss the claim and called on India to produce evidence that the so-called 'surgical strikes' ever took place. The tensions have also escalated at the government level, and last week each nation expelled a diplomat. Both sides accuse the other of firing first. Two of the three wars between India and Pakistan since 1947 have been fought over their competing claims to Kashmir. Each has administered part of Kashmir since 1947. Are journalists desensitised to the suffering in J&K? Away from the fighting, journalist Jagrati Shukla, who is a producer at ZEE Media took to social media to suggest that the cost of civilian life was justifiable in order to 'get rid' of terrorists. Twitter users were quick to criticise her as the focus narrows on the ongoing border dispute between India and Pakistan and not the suffering of the Kashmiri people. Advertisement Father of Indian civilian Sawarn Singh who was killed in Pakistani shelling mourns outside a hospital in Ramgarh sector, Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, India (AP Photo/Channi Anand) Journalist Jagrati Shukla took to social media to say, 'If we need to commit genocide in Kashmir Valley to get rid of all these terrorists and their aides, then lets (sic) do it' Father of Indian civilian Sawarn Singh who was killed in Pakistani shelling mourns outside a hospital in Ramgarh sector, Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, India (AP Photo/Channi Anand) A child is treated in Kashmir after heavy bombardment Pari Kumar's fight for survival begun aged just one-year-old. She celebrated her first birthday barely two months ago. The infant was hit in the neck and the spine when a Pakistani shell crashed down on her home in Rangroor village of Samba sector. And on Tuesday, Pari lay unconscious on a hospital bed in Jammu, her tiny hands tied to medical drips before a potential surgery. Her father Rakesh Kumar and mother Sushma were also wounded. The Kumar family was rejoicing on Bhai Dooj when the mortar turned their small house into a graveyard. Kumar lost his father, one of this three sisters and two nephews aged 7 and 5 years in the shelling as they prepared to celebrate the festival together. In the deadliest Pakistani assault in a single day on the Indian side after the September surgical strikes, eight civilians, including four from the Kumar family alone, were killed in indiscriminate shelling in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, authorities said. The ceasefire violations by the Pakistan Rangers were reported in the Samba and Nowshera sectors. According to the BSF, the assault began with gun-fire from small arms. It was subsequently followed by mortars, BSF spokesman Dharmendra Pareek said. Indian volunteers and officials carry an injured villager into The Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu Around 20 people were wounded in the firing. The Rangers, he explained, shot 82-mm mortars intermittently and the BSF retaliated strongly. But the Pakistani shelling forced hundreds of residents out of their homes in Samba district. Civilians fled the line of fire, some of them on foot. A 16-year-old girl, who was hit by a mortar splinter, was among the dead. Dozens of livestock were also killed or injured in the shelling. Pakistan's army also shelled Indian positions in Nowshera sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district, authorities said. When India Today TVs crew visited Naika Panjgraian in Rajouri, villagers were seen mourning a woman and her daughter in-law, who were killed in the Pakistani attack. Kashmiri mourners shout pro-freedom and anti-Indian slogans during a funeral According to local residents, as many as 100 shells pounded on their village within an hour. "This heavy round of shelling destroyed our fields and houses," said Mohammad Yaqoob, a resident of Naika Panjgraian. A relative described how the two village women lost their lives in the mortar fire. "Both of them were working in their fields and suddenly shells rained down on them. They died instantly," said Salma Begum. "Pakistan has destroyed our family," she wailed. There have been more than 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and the international border in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian army in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir, military sources say. A shootout also broke out between militants and security forces in Bandipora area of Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday. Security sources said three suspected Lashkar terrorists, holding up in Ajar village in Bandipora, were involved in the gunfight. When it comes to performance electric vehicles with extended ranges, Tesla dominates the scene. However, these new images suggest Elon Musk and his popular Model S and Model X cars could soon be in for some competition, and from a vaguely familiar name. Henrik Fisker, the Danish designer who brought us the Fisker Karma in 2011 is back, and this is the car he envisages battling with Tesla, called the EMotion. Scroll down for video Emotion: This is the electric car that could go head-to-head with the Tesla Model S in the future. Called the Fisker EMotion, it has a claimed 400-mile range Fisker was previously design director at Aston Martin, where he brought the world the V8 Vantage and DB9. His design CV also includes the BMW Z8. But you may also remember him for Fisker Automotive, which five years ago released the Karma - a five-door plug-in hybrid that cost around 84,000 ($102,000). Despite selling around 1,800 units in the first two years of production, the brand was hit with early quality and reliability issues and lost hundreds of vehicles in Hurricane Sandy in 2012 after its insurer refused to payout on the destroyed models. The final nail in the coffin came when the sole battery supplier for the car went into administration and Fisker Automotive filed for bankruptcy soon after. While the Karma continues to be sold under the name Karma Automotive - owned by the Chinese Wanxiang Group who bought the rights - Henrik Fisker, the brains behind the original operation has been plotting his comeback. The renders were revealed by Henrik Fisker himself on Twitter earlier this week Butterfly doors: This diherdral door opening design should make getting in and out easy but at the same time cause issues if you're parking in a garage with a low ceiling or a multi-storey car park Based in California, the name Fisker Inc was registered earlier this year, suggesting a return was on the cards - and these new images confirm the Dane's desires to resurrect the name. The images of the EMotion, first tweeted by Henrik Fisker himself on Monday, showcase a car that could go head-to-head with the Tesla Model S. In an interview with Business Insider last month, Fisker promised a new electric car that would cover 400 miles or more on a full charge and be priced similarly to the family saloon sold by rival Tesla. That means a price tag of anything between 55,000 and 118,000 - the current asking fee for a Tesla Model S 60 and Model S P100D respectively. Henrik Fisker (pictured) looks set to make a return with a new electric car The Fisker Karma arrived in 2011 and cost between $102,000 and $116,000 in America The Karma featured a solar panel roof to help recharge the batteries powering the motor While details for the EMotion remain thin on the ground, there's no denying that the look is interesting - as you might expect when you consider Fisker's CV of designing cars for brands such as Aston Martin. It's a far sleeker design than that of the more aggressive Karma, though the front features a heavily vented bumper and bonnet as well as sharp, boomerang-style LED headlights. It also displays a stunning 'butterfly door' design, like the dihedral doors fitted to the McLaren P1 hypercar but with a reflecting opening for the rear doors too. The Fisker EMotion could be similarly priced to the Tesla Model S electric car Henrik Fisker (left) has previously designed car for the likes of Aston Martin and his former Fisker Automotive brand became a high-profile automotive casualty in 2013. Elon Musk (right) is the CEO of Tesla Cars Fisker has also promised a more spacious interior as well as a new focus on user experience to bring 'technology and streaming content into a simple logical order'. So, should Elon Musk be quaking in his boots? Not just yet, as these are currently only renders of what the car could look like. Meanwhile, Tesla has moved on from focussing on its flagship Model S, to introduce the Model X SUV and prepare for the launch of its BMW 3-Series-sized Model 3. It is easy to look at Bloomsbury Publishing as a one trick pony Harry Potter. Because, of course, it gave life to the novels of JK Rowling and has done pretty well on the back of it. A big budget spin-off from the franchise, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, starring Eddie Redmayne, hits cinema screens early next month, providing a further reminder. Succesfull: Bloomsbury has done pretty well on the back of JK Rowling's novels And in the run up to Christmas, Bloomsbury plans the launch of the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The latest results, which were out last week, are a reminder that there is more to this company than the boy wizard, or a single author for that matter. Under chief executive Nigel Newton there has been a concerted effort to diversify the revenue stream. And there has been a decisive move into higher-margin professional and academic publishing, where the focus is digital. The numbers themselves revealed the company performing solidly during the transition. Revenues grew by just under a fifth to 62.7million in the first half of the financial year, while adjusted profits were 1.5million. Publishing is a back-ended loaded business with most of the earnings pouring in during the run-up to Christmas. Analysts predict full-year profits will be in the order of 12million. Bloomsbury at a Glance Ticker: BMY Value: 110million Share price: 148p Year high: 179.5p Low: 140p The headline figures, though, dont tell the full story. A growth initiative called Bloomsbury 2020 appears to be gaining traction. It is digital in focus and as mentioned earlier aimed at the academic and professional publishing market. These new, non-consumer services are more profitable than the traditional business with operating margins of 25-40 per cent versus 8-18 per cent for print products. Because of this, professional publishing businesses of this kind are highly prized by investors. The interim results statement showed the split between consumer and non-consumer stands at 59-41 per cent. But as Bloomsbury 2020 continues to take shape, so the balance will even-up. The academic side is catching up and we are aiming for the split to be 50-50, chief executive Newton said. The City broker Numis reckons Bloomsbury 2020 will increase both quality and quantity of earnings after an initial investment period. Interesting from an investing standpoint are a couple of factors. 'Cheap' pastime: An analyst suspects that reading is one of the few discretionary activities that isnt affected when household spending is cut The results themselves revealed that Bloomsbury could be one of a handful of Brexit winners as it has strong dollar earnings. In fact, Numis reckons the foreign exchange rate lift was in the order of 5 per cent in the wake of the UKs vote to leave the EU in June. The company is also a defensive stock that tends to be relatively robust in times of economic turmoil. One leading media analyst said that among the stocks he followed, it was the second best performer during the last downturn. Books are so cheap at an average price of 5, according to the Bloomsbury CEO, who suspects reading is one of the few discretionary activities that isnt affected when household spending is cut. Mr Newton said: History suggests we would weather an economic downturn well. Finally, for income hunters, Bloomsbury is a very solid play with a dividend yield of around 4.5 per cent and a decent record of maintaining and growing the pay-out. Steve Liechti, of broker Investec, hailed the sales momentum witnessed in the last results as he said initiatives such as Bloomsbury 2020 would provide a longer-term boost to the business. Mr Newton also noted: We are making the investment because there is terrific upside potential for shareholders to have a part in best-seller publishing when things take off and on the other hand the higher margin, steadier income of non-consumer. Britains biggest ever tech failure has triggered a bitter transatlantic row over what went wrong. At its height, Powa Technologies was feted by former Prime Minister David Cameron as a jewel in the nations computing crown. It was a rare British unicorn a tech business with a value of more than 2bn but it collapsed into administration earlier this year amid claims of profligacy by chief executive Dan Wagner (pictured below) as it became clear the mobile commerce companys rhetoric had exceeded its reality. Now a spat has developed between Wagner and American investor Wellington Management over who is to blame for the companys demise. The former boss claims that Wellington which ploughed 161m into the firm between 2013 and 2015 sought to wrest the company away from him in an ill-judged power grab. Wagner, 53, claims that board member Ben White emailed Wellington to say investing any more money would be a total waste of time. Two days later, Wellington called in administrators White and Wellington then reportedly took control of the firms flagship product PowaTag, which allows consumers to pay for goods using a mobile phone. Wagner said the company was dealing with its issue up to the point that Ben White and his co-conspirators provided Wellington with an alternative option. Earlier this month, he alleged he had been targeted by enemies. My outspoken and brash and controversial approach to running my business is not well-liked by the establishment, Wagner said. Wellington disputed his version of events, and a spokesman said the fund was at all times focused on serving the best interests of our clients in the face of what turned out to be a failed business model. White also denied the claims. Wagner previously ran a business called MAID, later known as Dialog Corp, which was sold after the dotcom crash when its shares plunged 95 per cent. It was at this firm the entrepreneur earned his unorthodox reputation, once wearing a Donald Duck waistcoat to a press conference. His flamboyant approach continued at Powa, which was launched to great fanfare in 2007. Stories emerged of wild parties, Wagner drove a Bentley to work and in January this year he sent staff a bizarre email of himself dressed as David Bowie. But despite paying staff more than 25m, the firm is alleged to have only had 4.8m in sales. Wagner claimed to have signed a Chinese deal with limitless potential, while 1,200 firms had given him their backing. It emerged these had signed letters of intent, not contracts meaning they were not committed to anything. Missing millions Building services provider TClarke has launched an investigation into one of its contractors over allegations that 2.8million was stolen by a rogue employee. TClarke said that it had uncovered financial irregularities at DG Robson Mechanical Services a privately owned contractor it acquired in 2010 for 6.5million. Missing millions: TClarke said that it had uncovered financial irregularities Sachs row The judgment of a former leading eurocrat has been called into question after he accepted a job at Goldman Sachs in London. More than 150,000 people have signed a petition branding Jose Manuel Barroso, who was president of the European Commission from 2004 to 2014, morally reprehensible for joining the bank. Fast wine Majestic Wine has launched a next-day delivery service to cash in on the festive season. The firm has also built a warehouse in West London to handle online orders and take the pressure off stores. Mine deal Anglo American has completed the sale of its Callide coal mine in Australia, as it continues a global sell-off to refocus on diamonds, copper and platinum. The deal with Batchfire Resources comes as reports claim Anglo is sounding out investors on a spin-off of its South African operations. Oil giant Baker Hughes and General Electric are joining forces to create the second-largest oilfield services group. The firm, which will have 26billion in combined revenues, will have dual headquarters in Houston and London. Fashion retailer Cath Kidston has appointed a new director to help develop the brand overseas Stylish move Fashion retailer Cath Kidston has appointed the former managing director of Harrods as its new non-executive director. Marty Wikstrom, who served as Harrods first female managing director before departing in 2003, has been picked to help develop the High Street brand overseas. Hsbc post Former London Stock Exchange boss Dame Clara Furse is set to head up HSBCs British retail bank, sources claim. Furse will become chairman of the division after it is separated from the main bank under new ring-fencing rules in 2019. An announcement is due this week, according to reports. Vegas flights Low-cost airline Norwegian has increased pressure on rivals by launching flights to Las Vegas with a one-way price tag of 179. It began its twice-weekly service to Sin City yesterday in a move that will compete head-on with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. Tesco sued Tesco is being sued by 125 institutional funds amid allegations it cooked its books in 2014. A petition demanding pension and investment cold calling be made illegal has won the support of two former Pensions Ministers and a growing band of industry supporters. More than 3,500 people, including Ros Altmann and Steve Webb, are backing the initiative to help stop unregulated firms and scammers tricking savers into putting money in high-risk or fraudulent investment schemes. The petition, launched by Derbyshire-based financial adviser Darren Cooke, says: 'Banning cold calling would dramatically reduce the number of people falling prey to fraudsters and losing their savings and pensions.' Building support: If the petition attracts 10,000 signatures, the Government will have to issue a response to it, and at 100,000 it will be considered for debate in Parliament An outright ban on these types of calls would also do away with any ambiguity - someone receiving a call out of the blue would know for sure that it was illegal and to be very wary. Cooke, director of Red Circle Financial Planning in South Normanton, told This is Money he hoped to 'cut off the food source' of fraudsters. 'For scammers, cold calling is their main way of contacting individuals. They will find a way round it. I have no illusions. But it might stop pension scammers in their tracks. It might help.' Cooke said imposing sanctions was up to legislators and regulators, but suggested fines and jail time as potential punishments for flouting what he believes should be a blanket ban on calls and emails about pension and investment opportunities. 'I struggle to think of any exceptions. I don't know any financial advisers who cold call. I don't think good, honest financial advisers use cold calls. If you don't make it a blanket ban you leave chinks the scammers can get through.' Darren Cooke: Hopes to 'cut off the food source' of fraudsters Cooke said he was moved to set up the petition after watching last summer's BBC Panorama documentary about pension rip-offs, which featured a network of businesses based about 16 miles from him in Derby. While viewing the programme, he was angered to realise there was a link between those firms and one he had reported to the Financial Conduct Authority two and a half years before. If his petition attracts 10,000 signatures, the Government will have to issue a response , and if it hits 100,000 signatures it will be considered for debate in Parliament. Pension freedom reforms introduced in April 2015 now allow over-55s to access their entire retirement savings pots, making this money an obvious target for unscrupulous sharks. Fraud experts say that a combination of new rules, investors looking for returns and pensioners withdrawing large sums of cash have created a potentially fertile hunting ground for conmen, but it is hard to estimate just how much has been lost. Lady Altmann, who served as pensions minister under David Cameron, and tweeted in support of Cooke's petition (see below), revealed last week that she was repeatedly blocked by officials when she tried to take action against cold-calling by scammers defrauding pensioners out of their life savings. Please get as many people as you can to sign this petition to ban pension cold calling https://t.co/Zt2b4sd9I3 Pension scams ruin lives Ros Altmann (@rosaltmann) 31 October 2016 'I had several meetings with officials to try to see why we couldn't ban cold calling and also to see what we were doing to prevent people being scammed,' she told Steve Swinford of The Telegraph. 'The officials each time told me that banning cold calls either wasn't possible, or wouldn't be effective and each time I challenged their reasons they came up with others.' Her predecessor as Pensions Minister, Steve Webb, now director of policy at Royal London and This is Money columnist, also tweeted support for the petition (see below). Great to see @RedCircleFP petition pass the 3,000 mark. @RoyalLondon colleagues now being alerted to the petition. Onwards and upwards! Steve Webb (@stevewebb1) 28 October 2016 He was joined by Rory Percival, a former technical specialist at the Financial Conduct Authority, who has just left to set up a new venture, and tweeted that he had signed it. @RedCircleFP @Hulbert_Money @HoCpetitions don't tell anyone but I signed this a couple of weeks ago Rory Percival (@rorypercival) 28 October 2016 Top financial services firm Hargreaves Lansdown has also thrown its weight behind the campaign. Head of retirement policy Tom McPhail said: 'Investment fraud can be devastating for individuals, particularly when it is targeted at retired pension investors and cold calling is one of the fraudsters most common tactics. Poll Should making cold calls about pensions and investments be illegal? Yes No Should making cold calls about pensions and investments be illegal? Yes 39 votes No 11 votes Now share your opinion 'It is important however to acknowledge that regulated businesses also need to be able to contact individuals for a variety of legitimate reasons, for example in relation to a workplace pension, or a beneficiary of a will or a trust, or simply for market research, and this would have to be reflected in the wording of any ban. 'Ultimately this campaign will need to be clear about exactly what it wants to ask policymakers to do; in the meantime it is great that efforts are being made to put this issue on the agenda.' Andrew Tully, pensions technical director at Retirement Advantage, said his firm supported the pension scam petition and encouraged everyone to sign and force the Government to formally respond. Investment cold-calling is a modern day scourge as reported pension fraud losses are in the millions. We must do more to help and protect people approached by conmen, which is why getting behind this petition is so important. Tully said research carried out by his firm earlier this year found 35 per cent of people aged 55 or over had been targeted by a potential pension scammer, offering free pensions advice or investment opportunities by phone, text or email. Retirement Advantage offers tips to detect scams below. Beating fraud: Petition seeks to stop unregulated firms and scammers from tricking savers into putting money in high-risk or fraudulent investment schemes A Government spokesperson said: 'We are determined to tackle the scourge of nuisance calls especially those of a fraudulent nature. We take the issue of pension scams, and the targeting of vulnerable people through cold calls, very seriously and are currently considering ways to protect consumers from pension scammers.' It has established a joint taskforce, Project Bloom, to co-ordinate action to tackle scams which encompasses the National Crime Agency, police forces, Pension Wise, regulators and key Government departments. Asked about the case raised by Cooke above, the FCA said it did not comment on individual firms. It also declined to comment on the petition. However, it pointed to its ScamSmart initiative launched last year and stressed its ongoing efforts to collate, analyse and act on information to help stamp out fraud. The FCA runs a register of regulated firms which you can check before parting with your cash. When robots are driving our cars, doing our shopping, writing our blogs and articles, cleaning our homes and providing medical care what will be left for us to do? asks Anthony Howard. In the book Humanise: Why Human-Centred Leadership is the Key to the 21st Century, he argues it wont be a question of what we do, though, but of who we are, of what kind of people we are, of how we relate to one another, how we care for one another. This reminded me of Father Siricos closing address at Acton University in 2015 during which he said, We know better how to form children, we know better how to care for the dying and sick and to tend to the lonely and the troubled [] precisely because we believe in the dignity of all human life. Sometimes the threats to humanising the culture come from attacks on the religious freedom of institutions. Other times, a properly human culture is threatened by a lack of reflection on leadership and ethics, particularly as these involve technology. Howard says, When people ask, Where is the new Mandela? or the next Ghandi, Mother Teresa, or Martin Luther King Jr., I suspect they are looking for people who are committed to Beauty, Goodness, and Truth, who are guided by a sense of purpose and a life of virtue, who think clearly and make wise choices that align with timeless human principles. Do we have human-centred leaders motivated by a belief in the dignity of all human life, alert to their own consciences, and driven by a vision of true human flourishing? Humanise is filled with memorable and relatable anecdotes. Howard recounts hosting a group of professionals in conversation with the chairman of one of Australias Top 100 listed companies. In describing his expectations for his executive team, the Chairman discussed deliverables, numbers, and outcomes. He then told them, But at the same time, what really matters is that if you are married now, then you are still married in 12 months time. We have to secure the foundations of a human-centred world before we find ourselves on the periphery, says Howard. Human-centered leaders are the key. They are the moral force that will defend humanity. In a time where business ethics is often taught in a superficial way, Anthony Howard presents a compelling case for humanising enterprise, calling our attention to a nobler standard of leadership to which we can all aspire. Foundation which is under investigation while his brother Tony is also focus of a probe about foreign corruption The extent to which Hillary Clinton's key advisers are now the focus of major FBI investigations is becoming clear. The Clintons' long-term inner-circle - some of whom stretch back in service to the very first days of Bill's White House - are being examined in at least five separate investigations. The scale of the FBI's interest in some of America's most powerful political fixers - one of them a sitting governor - underlines just how difficult it will be for Clinton to shake off the taint of scandal if she enters the White House. There are, in fact, not one but five separate FBI investigations which involve members of Clinton's inner circle or their closest relatives - the people at the center of what has come to be known as Clintonworld. The five known investigations are into: Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin's estranged husband sexting a 15-year-old; the handling of classified material by Clinton and her staff on her private email server; questions over whether the Clinton Foundation was used as a front for influence-peddling; whether the Virginia governor broke laws about foreign donations; and whether Hillary's campaign chairman's brother did the same. The progress of the Clinton Foundation investigation and that into McAuliffe was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The FBI does not generally comment on investigations, so it is entirely possible there are more under way. Here are the advisers and consiglieri - and how the FBI is looking at them What does she know: Huma Abedin has been Clinton's shadow for 20 years but now finds herself off the campaign trail and facing new FBI interest Huma Abedin: secrets and access - and perjury? Probes: Clinton emails; Clinton Foundation Who is she: Currently vice-chair of the Clinton campaign she was has worked with Clinton for 21 years, since she was 19, as among other things, intern, 'body woman', chief of staff and senior adviser. Huma Abedin is now represented by attorneys as the FBI begins the lengthy process of examining a laptop seized in the inquiry into her estranged husband's sexting relationship with a 15-year-old. It is the most recent stage in the Clinton emails investigation in which the FBI has looked into whether Clinton and her staff broke strict laws on the handling of classified material while she was Secretary of State through their use of the now notorious Clintonemail.com server. The case appeared to be closed in July when James Comey, the FBI director announced that Clinton would not be prosecuted. It was later made clear there would be no other prosecutions. However last week's bombshell announcement that new emails were being examined put the focus squarely on 40-year-old Abedin. Although the decision had been made not to prosecute, that was on the basis of the existing evidence at the time. But if the search finds new evidence of breaking laws about the handling of classified material, there is nothing to stop a prosecution of Abedin - or anyone else. That, however, is not the only potential for a brush with the law for Abedin. The FBI investigation into the Clinton Foundation also drags her into the spotlight. The probe, the Wall Street Journal reported, is into whether the Foundation was involved in financial crimes or influence-peddling. That would directly draw in Abedin. Her overlapping series of roles while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State has been unmasked by emails published either as a result of lawsuits against the State Department, or hacked from John Podesta's account. She was at various times Clinton's White House deputy chief of staff; her senior adviser; a consultant for Teneo Holdings; working for the Clinton Foundation. It was also revealed that while she was at the State Department where she was Clinton's gatekeeper, Abedin received emails from Doug Band - Bill Clinton's right-hand man at the Clinton Foundation - asking for help and access for 'friends' or 'friend of ours'. And finally there is the possibility of a federal perjury case. The discovery of a laptop during the Anthony Weiner sexting investigation by the FBI appears at odds with testimony she gave under oath as part of a deposition in a federal case that she had passed on all relevant devices to the FBI. Best of friends: Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe with Hillary Clinton as she headlined a fundraiser for the PAC he controls. It then gave $500,000 to the wife of the now FBI deputy director for her own political ambitions Terry McAuliffe: Clinton cash from China Probes: Clinton Foundation; links to foreign donations Who is he: Currently Democratic governor of Virginia. Has previously been prolific Clinton fundraiser and chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and chairman of Hillary's failed 2008 run for the White House. McAuliffe was a board member of the Clinton Foundation from at least 2004, so he will surely be caught up in investigations conducted by the FBI's Washington DC field office into whether it was used as a front for influence-peddling. But the overlaps between him and the Foundation go further than that and into his own campaign for governor and related campaigning. The Washington Post reported in 2015 how he and the foundation had 120 overlapping donors, who had given him, his campaign or his political action committee $13.8 million. That political action committee then went on to fund another campaign - that of Dr Jill McCabe, whose husband Mark is currently the deputy director of the FBI. He was the assistant FBI director when Jill McCabe was running for state senator in Virginia. The PAC controlled by McAuliffe, which had received money from Clinton Foundation donors, gave Jill McCabe more than $500,000, prompting her husband to stand back from the Clinton Foundation investigation. Chinese government front? Wang Wenliang, the billionaire McAuliffe at first claimed he had never met, filmed entering a fundraiser attended by the governor at Clinton's home Part of the $13.8 million is, however, involved in a second FBI investigation which focuses on McAuliffe personally regarding donations of $120,000 from a Chinese man called Wang Wenliang. The FBI is investigating whether donations made were in breach of a ban on foreign governments influencing US elections. Wenliang, a billionaire according to Forbes, is a member of the one-party state's parliament - as well as a donor to the Clinton Foundation. He is also a US permanent resident and his donations came through a US firm. This weekend's tidal wave of revelations also shed new light on an FBI investigation into the donations. McAuliffe's attorney was reported by the Wall Street Journal to have said that the investigation focused on whether he had previously failed to register as an agent of a foreign entity. In May, when the revelation of the FBI foreign donations probe emerged, McAuliffe denied ever meeting Wenliang. Then he backtracked - saying 'I did not deals' - when told by his staff that there were 'likely' several meetings. DailyMail.com revealed footage of him going to a fundraiser also attended by Wengliang. The venue was Hillary Clinton's Washington DC home and the attendees included Huma Abedin. The governor's lawyer told the Wall Street Journal the probe is focused on 'whether he failed to register as an agent of a foreign entity'. Cheryl Mills: Woman at center of Clintonworld Cut a deal: Cheryl Mills gained partial immunity from the FBI in return for opening her laptop Probes: Clinton Foundation; Clinton emails Who is she: Long-term Clinton lawyer who advised Bill during impeachment then Hillary over emails; Foundation director; State Department chief of staff. Cheryl Mills is unusual among Clinton insiders; she has already cut a deal with the FBI. She exchanged partial immunity from prosecution in return for opening her laptop to FBI review during the Clinton email investigation. Mills was chief of staff under Clinton at the State Department and communicated extensively on the Clintonemail.com private server. The deal with the Justice Department - headed by Attorney-General Loretta Lynch - was hugely advantageous as it also limited the search to no later than January 31, 2015, the point at which the server's existence became known to a Congressional committee. In March backups of Clinton's emails were destroyed by a technician, a move which could have been seen as illegal destruction of evidence. And the deal allowed for the destruction of Mills' laptop. Heather Samuleson, another more junior aide, cut the same deal. Mills went on to sit in with Clinton on her FBI interview in early July as her attorney, an unusual arrangement given that she had previously been a focus of the investigation. However the renewed move by the FBI to examine the Huma Abedin emails on the Weiner laptop could set the immunity aside. If they find new emails, those could open the way for prosecution. Equally, if they examine emails already seen on her laptop and conclude that they represent a case for prosecution over the handling of classified material, that too would be unlikely to be covered by the immunity deal. Foundation role: Cheryl Mills was deeply involved in the Clinton family charity during a war between Chelsea and Doug Band, her father's right-hand man In fact, any part of Mills' role in setting up the server could now be back in play. She was clearly identified in one of the Wikileaks emails as part of the reason for secrecy around Clinton. That is only one of Mills' roles in Clintonworld which the FBI are concerned with. The other is her role as director of the Clinton Foundation for two periods, 2004 to 2009 and then from 2013 on. The influence-peddling investigation has not been the subject of public commentary by the FBI but would involve anyone who held a high-level role. Mills was heavily involved in the Foundation not just as a director, but while she was working at the State Department. During that time it was at the center of a fierce battle between Chelsea Clinton and Doug Band, in which Band was effectively forced out. Mills drew up a new structure for all of Bill Clinton's operations - at the time it was the William J. Clinton Foundation - and, Wikileaks publication of John Podesta's email shows - took part in a number of exchanges about it. The State Department has previously said that Mills paid her own way to go to Clinton Foundation meetings in New York. But neither the department nor the Clintons have addressed whether the FBI is looking at whether the Clinton Foundation monetized access to the Secretary of State through the overlapping roles of, among others, Mills and Abedin. At her side: Phillipe Reines was effectively Hillary Clinton's chief spin doctor when she was Secretary of State - the point at which the email and Foundation probes center on Phillipe Reines: What does he know of emails and access? Probes: Clinton emails; Clinton Foundation Who is he: Hillary Clinton press secretary when she was senator; press secretary to failed 2008 presidential campaign and spokesman for Chelsea during it; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Hillary; played Donald Trump in debate prep. As one of her inner circle at the State Department, Phillipe Reines was one of those - he told the FBI - who Clinton turned to for help with her IT issues. He also bought her an iPad in June 2010, when the technology was new. Clinton was to go on to claim she only had 'one device'. Reines meanwhile used both his state.gov email and his personal gmail for government business while in office. Reines was also deeply involved in responding to the Benghazi committee's demands for information about the server and the public relations response to it, Wikileaks emails from John Podesta's gmail have revealed. However the other Clinton Foundation probe could also drag in Reines. Reines was a key member of the inner circle when Clinton was Secretary of State. His official title was 'deputy assistant undersecretary' for strategy, effectively her most powerful public affairs adviser. That means that any knowledge he has of how the Clinton machine in the State Department interacted with the Clinton Foundation and Bill Clinton Inc machines in Manhattan would be crucial to the FBI investigation Key role at center of the Clinton web: John Podesta, whose leaked emails were leaked. He took the helm of the Clinton Foundation, which is being probed on whether it peddled access John Podesta: 'Dean' of Clintonworld Probes: Clinton Foundation Who is he: Bill Clinton's first White House deputy chief of staff and later chief of staff; founder of DC lobbying firm Podesta & Podesta, now the Podesta Group; took charge of the Clinton Foundation in 2011 ; now Hillary campaign chairman; at 67, often seen as the 'dean' of the Clinton political machine. The leaks from John Podesta's emails revealed by Wikileaks have shown how he was a key player in the Clinton Foundation - at precisely the time that the focus of the FBI influence-peddling investigation is likely to be. At the time Clinton was Secretary of State and Doug Band, who had effectively run the foundation, wrote a memo which emerged in Podesta's leaked emails. In it, Band detailed the overlap between the commercial activities of Bill Clinton and the charitable fundraising of the William J. Clinton Foundation (now the Clinton Foundation) - material which is likely to be pertinent to the influence-peddling case. Podesta's role at Foundation lasted into 2012, so his knowledge of how it interacted with Hillary Clinton's aides - particularly Cheryl Mills, with whom he was in frequent contact, according to the emails - would be relevant to the FBI probe. Lobbyist: Tony Podesta is the brother of Clintonworld 'dean' John Podesta but is being investigated by the FBI over taking a contract from a firm which may have been a front for corrupt cash from Ukraine's deposed president Viktor Yanukovych - an ally of Vladimir Putin Tony Podesta: Dined with Hillary, lobbied for Putin's ally? Probe: Undeclared lobbying for foreign government Who is he: Older brother of John Podesta, with whom he founded what is now The Podesta Group of which he is chairman; social acquaintance of the Clintons; Democratic fundraiser The FBI and the Justice Department are investigating possible ties to alleged corruption involving the former president of Ukraine - and Podesta's firm is one of those targeted. Perhaps surprisingly, the investigation also lapped at the Trump campaign, as its then chairman Paul Manafort stepped down in August when it was revealed that his company was also being investigated. The broad-based investigation is looking into whether U.S. companies and the financial system were used to enable corruption by the party of former pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, CNN reported. The Podesta Group hired an independent legal firm to investigate whether it had been misled by the Center for a Modern Ukraine, a not-for-profit group linked to the ousted Ukrainian government, a spokeswoman for the group said in a statement to Reuters in August. The key to the FBI investigation is that Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates may have been paid by the Yanukovych government to push its case in Washington without declaring that the money came from abroad. One of the firms Gates appears to have hired to help push the Center for a Modern Ukraine was The Podesta Group. The FBI will therefore look at whether Podesta knowingly or negligently breached laws requiring all foreign attempts to influence U.S. politics to be registered. Yanukovych was ousted as Ukranie's leader in 2014 - and is exiled in southern Russia, after long-term accusations that he was a friend of Vladimir Putin. The older Podesta, his brother's emails disclosed, remains extremely close to John, sharing the use of an apartment in New York until earlier this year. Official records also show he is a 'bundler' for Clinton who had raised $62,000 by the end of June. It is a long-standing relationship. One email forced out of the State Department showed how in 2012 the Clinton Foundation used the then Secretary of State to host a dinner at her home where attendees included donors - and Podesta. Body man: Doug Band was Bill Clinton's personal aide at the White House but went on to effectively run the Foundation - then boasted in a leaked memo of making the ex-president rich Doug Band: Man who made Bill rich Probe: Clinton Foundation Who is he: Bill Clinton's 'body man' in the White House; his chief aide after leaving office until 2011; CEO of Teneo Holdings. The FBI investigation into whether the Clinton Foundation committed financial crimes or was involved in influence-peddling will inevitably focus on one man in particular: Band. Band was at Bill Clinton's side to the same extent as Huma Abedin was at his wife's, starting as his 'body man' in the White House, putting himself through law school in the evenings, and then running Bill Clinton's post-presidency life. His emails to Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin which have emerged in lawsuits forcing publication by the State Department show how he sent messages asking for meetings for people described as 'friend' or 'good friend of ours'. Any influence-peddling or financial crimes committed by the Foundation appear to have some connection to them, if they were to exist. His explosive memo detailing the project to make Bill Clinton rich which he sent to John Podesta made clear how involved he was in 2011 in the Clintons' lives and finances. 'Independent of our fundraising and decision-making activities on behalf of the Foundation, we have dedicated ourselves to helping the President secure and engage in for-profit activities including speeches, books, and advisory service engagements,' he wrote. 'In that context, we have in effect served as agents, lawyers, managers and implementers to secure speaking, business and advisory service deals.' It also put a figure on Bill Clinton's personal gains via Band. 'Since 2001, President Clintons business arrangements have yielded more than $30 million for him personally, with $66 million to be paid out over the next nine years should he choose to continue with the current engagements,' it said. His current exact status in the Clinton inner circle appears unclear. On the one hand he has not been pictured with the Clintons in many years or listed at their events. On the other hand, he continues to donate to the Clinton cause and to those of its allies - he was one of the donors to Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe's PAC which was used to pay $500,000 to the FBI assistant director's wife for her failed campaign bid. And in 2013 he asked John Podesta to help remove any stain on his reputation with a glowing letter of reference. Podesta obliged by redrafting it for him. Inner circle: Justin Cooper set up the Clinton email server and edited Bill's autobiography - but the FBI is also looking into the Foundation he was involved in Justin Cooper: Smashed BlackBerry with a hammer Probes: Clinton Email; Clinton Foundation Who is he: Staff assistant for Oval Office operations in Bill's White House; Doug Band's right-hand man; edited Bill's memoir My Life; registered the notorious Clintonemail.com server; now works for Teneo with Band. Justin Cooper's role in the Clintonemail.com secret server started at the very beginning of its operation: he registered its existence. At the time he was being paid by the Clintons as a family aide and through the Clinton Foundation. He told one Congressional Committee - the Oversight and Government Reform Committee - that he had no security clearance. However as the man with complete control over the server, he had unlimited access to its contents. He also destroyed devices which had been linked to the server, including a BlackBerry smashed with a hammer. He was not prosecuted under the initial inquiry but if the Huma Abedin-Anthony Weiner record leads to new evidence, such a deal would be off the table. He was also at the very center of the Foundation's operations during much of the time Hillary Clinton was in office. He frequently appears in the leaked John Podesta emails as 'justin@presidentclintonoffice.com' and is involved in a series of key meetings. That would make him a key focus for the other investigation into the foundation he was so intimately involved in was a front for influence-peddling or financial crimes. Unhappy together: Huma Abedin and Anthony Weiner were seen on the day DailyMail.com revealed he had sexted a 15-year-old girl, setting off the explosive chain of events leading to the renewed FBI probe Anthony Weiner: Sexual sleaze Probe: Sexting 15-year-old girl Who is he: Former New York congressman when Clinton was senator; estranged husband of her key aide Huma Abedin; notorious serial sexter. The FBI probe into Anthony Weiner is unlike any of the other Clinton associates and their family members. Weiner is being investigated after DailyMail.com revealed how he had had a sexting 'relationship' with a 15-year-old girl who told him he was underage. Notorious image: This is the picture Weiner sent a girl, 15, which was part of the DailyMail.com bombshell which prompted the FBI probe The girl told DailyMail.com that Weiner spoke about rape fantasies with her. She showed messages in which he spoke about being 'hard' and how he 'would bust that tight p****'. The revelations came a month after Abedin had announced that her six-year-old marriage to him was over when he was caught sexting a woman in her 40s to whom he sent a picture of himself in bed, apparently aroused, with his son by Clinton's chief aide sleeping by his side. The FBI moved on Weiner in the wake of the DailyMail.com revelations and seized all his mobile and electronic devices. It was on a laptop he had used that they found emails 'relevant' to the discontinued Clinton email server investigation - setting off a bomb under the presidential election. Weiner's computer was apparently being searched for child pornography at the time of the discovery. The FBI now have a fresh search warrant which will allow them to examine the material found on the laptop which had apparently been stored by Huma Abedin. Swedish World War Two hero Raoul Wallenberg has been pronounced dead, 71 years after he was arrested by the Red Army A World War Two hero, credited with helping at least 20,000 Hungarian Jews escape the Holocaust, has been pronounced dead 71 years after he vanished in mysterious circumstances. Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat who helped thousands escape the Nazis by giving them Swedish passports and sheltering Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory. He was serving as his country's special envoy in Budapest in the latter stages of the war, between July and December 1944, when he issued the protective passports. By that stage more than 400,000 Jews had already been deported, the vast majority to the death camp in Auschwitz, where they were murdered. Details of Wallenberg's death are scarce. He was arrested by the Red Army on suspicion of espionage in 1945, but the Soviets initially denied he was in their custody. It wasn't until 1957 that they changed their story, saying the diplomat, nicknamed the Swedish Schindler, died of a heart attack in prison on July 17, 1945. His personal belongings, including his passport and cigarette case, were returned to his family in 1989 - a decade after his mother and stepfather had both committed suicide, distraught over the lack of information about Wallenberg's disappearance. A memorial stone to the late Swedish diplomat was erected in Budapest just before Wallenberg's 100th birthday in August 2012 Wallenberg is credited with saving more than 20,000 Hungarian Jews during his time as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest in 1944 Two years later, an investigation concluded that Wallenberg had been executed in 1947, possibly having been exposed to C-2 poison. Nevertheless, there have been numerous unconfirmed witness reports claiming to have seen him many years later. For more than seven decades he was officially considered a missing person in Sweden, long after authorities gave up hope of finding him alive. Raoul Wallenberg is commemorated across the world, with a set of stamps issued in the US to highlight his heroism during the latter stages of World War Two Wallenberg is celebrated across the world, with this stamp issued in Canada, where he is an honorary citizen This book cover highlights the mystery that has surrounded Wallenberg's disappearance since he was arrested by the Red Army in 1945 The Swedish Tax Agency, which registers births and deaths in Sweden, has now confirmed that Wallenberg had been pronounced dead. Pia Gustafsson, who heads the agency's legal department, told The Associated Press that the decision was taken on October 26 after an application from Wallenberg's family. She said the date of Wallenberg's death was set as July 31, 1952, a date chosen by default under a rule saying a missing person who is presumed to have died should be declared dead five years after his disappearance. She told reporters: 'This date is purely formal. Legally, we must choose a date at least five years after his disappearance and there were signs of life until the end of July 1947.' Last year Wallenberg's family said a declaration of death would help deal with the trauma they had lived through. A telegram from Swedish authorities asking Moscow for Wallenberg's whereabouts is among 45,000 pages of classified documents relating to his disappearance has been released Wallenberg vanished after being arrested by the Red Army in 1945. The Soviet authorities initially denied arresting Wallenberg Wallenberg, who was born in 1912, helped Jews escape Nazi-occupied Germany by giving them Swedish passports. Many countries have memorials commemorating his work, including Israel, which designated him as one of the 'Righteous Among the Nations,' the highest honor granted to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. He became the second person, after Winston Churchill, to be declared an honorary citizen of the United States. This followed a bill sponsored by Congressman Tom Lantos, who was himself saved by Wallenberg. He is also an honorary citizen in Canada, Hungary, Australia and Israel. Russias increasingly aggressive behaviour is a threat to the stability of the UK, the head of MI5 has said. Andrew Parker, the director general of the home intelligence service, gave the first interview by a serving spy chief in 107 years, and took aim at Moscow for escalating tensions at a time when the West was fighting Islamist extremists. He told the Guardian that Russia had plenty of spies still working in Britain but that the difference between today and the Cold War era was that it was also using the weapon of cyber warfare. Russia was targeting military secrets, industrial projects and economic information, he said. Andrew Parker said Russia was making more use of propaganda, spying and cyber-attacks It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber attacks, he added. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5s job to get in the way of that. Tensions with Moscow have been reignited by its incursion in Ukraine and intensified with Russias bombardment of Aleppo. Last month, a Russian aircraft carrier skirted British waters on its way to Syria. Mr Parker said: Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly. You can see that on the ground with Russias activities in Ukraine in Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber threat. Russia has been a covert threat for decades. Whats different these days is that there are more and more methods available. He also revealed yesterday that 12 terror plots in the UK have been foiled since 2013. However, he warned that Islamic State posed the biggest current threat to national security and it would last a generation. Tensions with Moscow have been reignited by its incursion in Ukraine and intensified with Putins bombardment of Aleppo Together with MI6, GCHQ and the police, MI5 has disrupted 12 plots in the UK since June 2013, said Mr Parker. ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is an enduring threat, here to stay, and is at least a generational challenge. MI5 and the intelligence agencies have good defences because of the investment made in our capabilities. We will find and stop most attempts to attack us, but not all. In a keynote speech at the Royal Society he said MI5s technological expertise makes it less likely people will be killed by terrorism or our secrets will be stolen. His speech came just hours after Britains counter-terrorism police chief warned of the threat of a Paris-style gun rampage in Britain as he said half of the terror plots foiled involved suspects trying to get guns. Mark Rowley said five plots uncovered in the past two years involved fanatics trying to amass machine guns and others firearms to launch an attack on our streets. Assault weapons like the ones used in the Paris massacre last November are being smuggled into Britain by criminal gangs from the Balkans and Eastern Europe and could be sold on to terrorists, he said. Yesterday Scotland Yard launched an unprecedented appeal together with the National Crime Agency for the publics help amid rising concerns about the flow of weapons into Britain. In some cases firearms and gun components are being ordered online and sent through the post direct to untraceable PO Box addresses. Criminal gangs are also targeting weaker spots in Britains borders such as small ports, harbours and airfields. NCA director general Lynne Owens said: Its inconceivable that we will completely secure our sea borders. New York Times bestselling author Ed Klein has just published his fourth book about the Clintons since 2005, Guilty as Sin. Klein had told how Bill Clinton enjoyed foot rubs, massages and romps in his presidential library with female interns and has described new details about Hillary's medical crises. In this exclusive excerpt he explains Hillary's relationship with top aide Huma Abedin. Guilty as Sin is available in bookstores and for order from Amazon. Huma Abedin came down the stairs in Chappaqua, rubbing her puffy eyes and looking a bit disheveled. 'Did you get your power nap?' Hillary asked. She placed both hands on Huma's neck and began massaging her shoulders. 'Huma smiled, but looked embarrassed,' recalled one of Hillary's oldest friends, who had been invited along with a group of women to spend the afternoon with Hillary, and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Chappaqua get together was private. 'Huma's tough, but there are times when she can look like a shy little girl, especially when Hillary displays an interest in her in front of other people.' Huma went off to a corner of the room to check on Hillary's emails, and one of the women handed Hillary a glass of Chardonnay. After a sip, Hillary recounted a conversation she had had with her lawyer, David Kendall, about the enemies who were closing in on her from all sides. Hillary Clinton massaged top aide Huma Abedin's shoulders at her Chappaqua, New York, home, which made Abedin 'embarrassed' Trey Gowdy's Benghazi committee was about to release its long-anticipated report about Hillary's responsibility as secretary of state for the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. 'They're going to savage me,' Hillary said. Indeed, the committee's Republican majority viewed Hillary's failure to provide the Benghazi consulate with adequate security as an unpardonable dereliction of duty. Clinton once called FBI director James Comey an 'a**hole', saying he'd 'been after' her for years The Republicans were equally outraged that Hillary had lied to the families of the dead Americans, telling them that the attack on the consulate was a spontaneous response to an anti-Islamic video, when in fact she had emailed Chelsea on the night of the deadly assault that it was a well-planned, al-Qaedasponsored attack. On another front, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan had granted Judicial Watch the right in its FOIA case to take testimony from Huma, Cheryl Mills, and Bryan Pagliano, the IT specialist who had been granted immunity from criminal prosecution by the Justice Department in return for testimony regarding Hillary's use of her private email server. Pagliano's immunity did not cover civil litigation such as the Judicial Watch case, and Hillary worried he might offer damaging testimony. Worse yet, Judge Sullivan had ruled that Hillary herself might have to appear in court to answer questions under oath. Then, of course, there was Hillary's nemesis, FBI Director James Comey. 'That a**hole has been after me forever,' Hillary said, according to the friend who was interviewed for this book. 'Well, let him bring it on!' she added, pumping her fist in the air in a gesture of defiance. To top it all off, Bernie Sanders had vowed to take the fight for a socialist 'revolution' all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in late July. 'Bernie has s**t all over my nomination,' Hillary said. 'That weasel tries to spoil everything.' Sanders had gotten under Hillary's skin by challenging her sense of entitlementthat she was 'owed' her party's nominationand when she called him a 'weasel,' she raised her arm as if to strike him, and half the wine in her glass went flying through the air. 'Good thing it wasn't Cabernet,' she said. While lunch was served, someone asked Hillary about Bill. 'I have no f***ing idea where he is,' she said. 'Probably with some . . . ' She let the sentence hang in the air. She went on to say that Bill was raising money for her campaign, but that she rarely saw him. He ran a completely separate operation from hers, wrote his own speeches, and arranged his own transportation. Her staff in Brooklyn had no idea where he was going next and what he was going to say. Abedin becomes a 'shy little girl' when 'Hillary displays interest in her' in front of others, a source said Chelsea Clinton's relationship with Abedin is 'remote and cold' and they have what appears to be a sibling rivalry Hillary had long ago learned to live with Bill's idiosyncrasies (for want of a better word), but she was worried about recent signs that he was losing it. 'He blew up at the Black Lives Matter people,' she complained, 'and the whole episode was caught on video. That wasn't very f***ing helpful. Then he got into an argument in front of the TV cameras with a Bernie supporter over his welfare program when he was president. Not f***ing helpful!' In a fit of pique, she grabbed a handful of her hair and in an odd mannerism, which her women friends had seen before, she yanked at the hair so hard it looked as though she was trying to pull it out. New York Times bestselling author Ed Klein has just published his fourth book about the Clintons since 2005, Guilty as Sin 'Hillary don't!' one of the women said. Huma, who was sitting across the room, started to giggle. She caught Hillary's eye, and Hillary stopped pulling on her hair. 'Huma's seen this hair-pulling routine a hundred times, and she knows the best way to handle it is to make light of it,' her friend recalled. Hillary got up and said to Huma, 'Okay, okay, let's take a quick walk to get the blood flowing before we get back to work.' Chelsea Clinton was respectful of Huma when her mother was around, but she treated Huma with undisguised contempt when Hillary wasn't present. In fact, Chelsea seemed happiest when her mother chewed out Huma for doing something that displeased her. Hillary was aware of Chelsea's feelings, and she dismissed the whole thing as a case of natural sibling rivalry. But the highly charged emotional triangle that existed among Hillary, Huma, and Chelsea was more complicated than that. Abedin was meant to turn over all devices with state department emails Believes Abedin didn't do anything wrong and just married 'a very bad guy' Sydney Leathers said she would support the Democratic nominee Monday Anthony Weiner's former sexting partner will be voting for Hillary Clinton - and is rooting for the disgraced congressman's estranged wife. Sydney Leathers, 26, said in an interview on Inside Edition Tuesday that she will support the Democratic nominee. She is surprised Weiner came back to haunt the Clinton campaign. 'It definitely is a surprising situation,' she said. 'Truth is stranger than fiction; you cannot make this stuff up.' Leathers also claimed she feels bad for Weiner's estranged wife Huma Abedin, who 'didn't do anything wrong' but was married to 'a very bad guy'. Scroll down for video Sydney Leathers, 26, said in an interview on Inside Edition Tuesday (pictured) that she will vote for Hillary Clinton in this year's presidential election The Indiana native, who was 22 when she and Weiner began sexting, once worked as a field organizer for Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Her support remains with the Democratic party. 'I definitely didn't mean to do any damage to Hillary because I will be voting for Hillary,' Leathers said. The FBI announced last week it would investigate Clinton's emails further after finding new material during a probe concerning Weiner. The FBI announced last week it would further investigate Clinton (pictured Friday) after finding new emails possibly related to her handling of classified information Weiner is under investigation due to accusations that he exchanged explicit messages and photos with a 15-year-old girl. Investigators said they found emails potentially related to Clinton's handling of classified information on Weiner's laptop. Abedin was supposed to have handed over all devices containing emails related to her State Department work. A source close to the investigation told the Associated Press Friday that Abedin, the vice-chairwoman of Clinton's campaign and Clinton's top aide, didn't expect her work emails to be on her estranged husband's laptop. The source said this was 'news' to Abedin, who left Weiner in August after it emerged he had sent another woman a photo of his crotch with their young son next to him. Leathers also claimed she 'feels bad' for Huma Abedin (left), the estranged wife of Anthony Weiner (right). Abedin hasn't been since on the campaign trail since Friday Abedin has stepped off the campaign trail since Friday. Leathers, who was involved with Weiner's second sexting scandal during his failed run for New York City mayor, is supporting Abedin. 'I feel very bad for Huma, she hasn't done anything wrong in this situation, she was just married to a very bad guy,' Leathers said. 'I am sure it is humiliating enough to have a philandering husband but when he is going after children that is just a whole other level of weird and creepy and wrong,' she added, referring to allegations that Weiner sexted with a 15-year-old. The FBI obtained a warrant Sunday to review the emails. Investigators will have to check whether they are new messages or duplicates of emails that have been investigated before. One of Australia's highest-ranking mafia bosses, Bruno 'The Fox' Romeo, has died in Adelaide. The 87-year-old Italian-born crime-figure was once one of Australia's most wanted men for his role in multi-million dollar cannabis crop operations across Australia. Dubbed the fox because of his skill at evading police, Romeo was named as the South Australian leader of the 'Ndrangheta' a Calabrian mafia group, reports The Advertiser. One of Australia's highest-ranking mafia bosses, Bruno 'The Fox' Romeo, has died in Adelaide Federal police are anticipating a flood of high-profile organised crime figures from across the country to attend Romeo's funeral. Domenic Perre, who is a suspect in the 1994 National Crime Authority bombing which killed Perth Detective Sergeant Geoffrey Bowen in Adelaide, is expected to be among the mourners. Two of Romeo's three sons, Joe and Bruno Jnr, have also been convicted of drug cultivation and served lengthy prison sentences. Romeo and his wife Nazzarena were born in Plati, Calabria, before moving in 1951 to Griffith in NSW, a stronghold of the N'drangheta. He spent over two years at large from police for his role in an $8 million cannabis-crop on a remote Western Australian cattle station. He was nabbed at Lismore, NSW, marijuana plantation in December 1992, and sentenced to 10 years' jail in WA. Romeo was the South Australian leader of the 'Ndrangheta' mafia group and once one of the most wanted men in Australia While awaiting his trial he allegedly took out murder contracts on two protected witnesses set to testify against him. He said the alleged abuser was 'withdrawn' not expelled from school The headmaster at one of Australia's most elite private schools helped a student accused of sexual abuse move to another exclusive school. Dr Timothy Hawkes, headmaster at The King's School in Parramatta in Sydney's west this week gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse. A boy, known as CLC, was allegedly masturbated on by another student, known as DFE, while he was sleeping at a school camp in April 2013, leading him to suffer bullying afterwards, the commission heard. Dr Timothy Hawkes, headmaster at The King's School in Parramatta in Sydney's west this week gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse The all-boys school was told by police it had a legal obligation to report the alleged abuse, ABC News reported. On Monday Dr Hawkes was cross examined by Angela Cook about how The King's School handled the alleged abuser. DFE was technically 'withdrawn', not expelled from the school, Dr Hawkes said. 'The term expelled, or withdrawn, the nuances... between the two are often a very fine line in as much as he was withdrawn prior to me expelling him.' Dr Hawkes agreed with Ms Cook that expelling a student would make it difficult for them to get into another school. Ms Cook then asked Dr Hawkes if he tried to 'smooth the way' for the alleged abuser after he was withdrawn from The King's School by his mother. 'I don't like the term smooth, I think that's a pejorative term and I think that leads to inappropriate judgment,' Dr Hawkes said. Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort is reportedly being probed by the FBI over his foreign business connections. The preliminary inquiry comes just days after FBI director James Comey revealed that his agency is investigating a new batch of emails connected to an aide to Hillary Clinton. Manafort told NBC News 'none of it is true... There's no investigation going on by the FBI that I'm aware of'. NBC quoted intelligence sources but the FBI has not officially commented. Manafort added that he had never had ties to Vladimir Putin or dealings with the Russian government. Scroll down for video Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort is being probed by the FBI over his foreign business connections. He is seen in this July 17, 2016 file photo talking to reporters on the floor of the Republican National Convention at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland Manafort is seen with Trump and daughter Ivanka at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 21. He quit the campaign in August The former Trump campaign chief quit in August after allegations emerged that he helped a pro-Putin party funnel $2.2million payments to DC lobbyists to influence US policy - and not declared it. He was also accused of being allocated more than $12million in cash in a secret ledge in Ukraine but denied receiving it. Hillary Clinton personally waded into the murky issue of connections between Trump's associates and Vladimir Putin's Russia, on a day when her campaign vented about a 'double standard' following Comey's astonishing disclosure last week. Clinton hit at the FBI on the campaign trail at a campaign stop in Cincinnati Ohio and her supporters booed when she brought up 'this new email story'. 'The people that Donald Trump has around him include two men whose activities are also reportedly being investigated because of their ties to Russia, Vladimir Putin, and their allies,' Clinton said. Hillary Clinton brought up connections between Donald Trump's associates and Russia on a day when her campaign complained of a 'double standard' by the FBI in what it has revealed about its investigations 'It is impossible to view this as anything less than a blatant double standard,' campaign chair Robby Mook told reporters on a conference call Monday. Campaign spokesman Brian Fallon added that Comey 'set a standard for narrating a play-by-play for matters involving Hillary Clinton' while keeping quiet on Russia, and 'owes the public an explanation for this inconsistency'. It was unclear if Clinton was referring to Trump advisor Carter Page, who visited Moscow during the campaign, Manafort, who has well-documented ties to a pro-Kremlin regime in Ukraine, or Trump informal advisor Roger Stone. Clinton campaign chair John Podesta has publicly raised Stone's claims of having a channel of communication to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, whose site has been posting thousands of damaging emails hacked from Podesta's personal campaign account. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton greets supporters during a campaign rally at the Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, Monday Clinton said the inquiry into the emails the FBI got a warrant to look through emails on a computer longtime aide Huma Abedin shared with husband Anthony Weiner wouldn't lead anywhere. 'There is no case,' she said. Continuing to attack Trump while speaking in a muted voice at an outdoor rally on the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Clinton continued: 'It's almost impossible to understand how somebody could run for president who seems not to like America as much as we do.' She made the comment after bringing up Trump's comments about immigrants and various groups. Clinton also said she wasn't interested in taking people's guns away. She was introduced by former Arizona representative Gabby Giffords, who got shot in the head during a campaign event in Tucson in 2011. The experts at Macquarie Group have meticulously analysed 40,000 horses across over 4,000 races to come up with their predictions for the Melbourne Cup. The global bank is known for its research team, which every year crunches the numbers to come up with consistently accurate forecasts of the race's finish line. But with a few dry results in past years, the Macquarie Quant research team upgraded their model to identify 'behavioural biases in betting patterns that systematically distort the odds.' According to their data analysis, the horse most likely to win the race that stops the nation is favourite Hartnell at $5.50, while the best value is found with Assign at $61. Scroll down for video Punters looking for that last bit of wisdom before placing a bet can look to Macquarie Group for their forecast, after the global bank analysed over 40,000 horses across 4,000 races Best outsider chance: Macquarie Group says the best value bet will be Assign at $61, which will be ridden by model-turned-jockey Katelyn Mallyon, who is just 22 years old (pictured) The global bank also advises that Assign, Curren Mirotic and Almoonqith are more likely to win than their odds suggest (pictured are punters celebrating a win at the Melbourne Cup) 'For punters who are out for gold and glory, we use the unbiased odds calculated by our alpha model to pick horses with the highest likelihood of winning. Our top three are Hartnell (9.6%), Jameka (8.9%) and Big Orange (6.6%),' the team told clients. The research team also captured how over- or undervalued horses' were relative to their odds, outlining the best bets for punters looking to catch a bargain. 'However, for value investors out for a bargain, the most undervalued horses are Assign, Curren Mirotic and Almoonqith. We think these horses are more likely to win than their odds suggest,' the team explained. Assign will be ridden by jockey Katelyn Mallyon, a 22-year-old who turned down a modelling contract in New York to pursue a racing career. Mallyon is only the fifth woman to compete in a Melbourne Cup race since 1861. According Macquarie Group's research, punters have a tendency to crowd their bets into 'younger horses, better form ratings, proximity to inner barrier and lower handicap weights' - which are not necessarily key indicators of performance. In 2007 and 2010 Macquarie Group's Quant Research team picked a box trifecta (top three finishers in any order), as well as the winners in 2009 and 2010. MACQUARIE GROUP'S EXPERT TIPS Most likely to win Rank Horse 1. 6. Hartnell 2. 12. Jameka 3. 1. Big Orange 4. 20. Oceanographer 5. 4. Bondi Beach Most undervalued horse Rank Horse 1. 18. Assign 2. 3. Curren Mirotic 3. 9. Almoon-qith 4. 7. Who Shot 5. 8. Wicklow Brave Odds 8.1 8.5 13.6 12.1 13.2 Odds 33.3 31.8 22.6 18.5 16.1 Probability of winning 9.6% 8.9% 6.6% 6.4% 6.3% Relative under-valuation 30% 20% 17% 14% 11% Source: Macquarie Research, Tabcorp, October 2016 Advertisement Macquarie Group back Hartnell (pictured with jockey James McDonald), which has been installed as the $5 favourite for the 2016 Melbourne Cup Daily Mail Australia has also crunched the stats for the last 20 years of the big race to give some crucial tips about what to look for when selecting which horse to choose in 2016. Favourites Hartnell ($5), Oceanographer ($7.50) and Jameka ($8.50) all have a lot going for them and have been well-backed for a good reason, but fancied horses have not done so well in the big race in recent times. Of the outsiders, Gallante ($67) has age and weight on his side, as well as a brilliant barrier draw at number two, and won the Group 1 Sydney Cup over 3200m - the same distance as the Melbourne Cup - back in April. Wicklow Brave ($17) could be the best of the foreign raiders, but will have to break the curse of British horses in order to taste Melbourne Cup success on Tuesday afternoon. MACQUARIE GROUP'S PREDICTED FINISHING ORDER 6. Hartnell (6yo, 56kg, barrier 12) 12. Jameka (4yo, 54.5kg, barrier 3) 1. Big Orange (6yo, 57kg, barrier 7) 20. Oceanographer (5yo, 52kg, barrier 11) 4. Bondi Beach (5yo, 56kg, barrier 5) 17. Almandin (7yo, 52kg, barrier 17) 8. Wicklow Brave (8yo, 56kg, barrier 24) 7. Who Shot Thebarman (8yo, 56kg, barrier 20) 13. Heartbreak City (7yo, 54kg, barrier 23) 9. Almoonqith (7yo, 54.5kg, barrier 19) 5. Exospheric (5yo, 56kg, barrier 13) 19. Grey Lion (5yo, 52kg, barrier 16) 23. Qewy (7yo, 51.5kg, barrier 15) 18. Assign (6yo, 52kg, barrier 22) 3. Curren Mirotic (9yo, 56.5kg, barrier 18) 11. Grand Marshal (7yo, 54.5kg, barrier 9) 15. Excess Knowledge (7yo, 53.5kg, barrier 21) 2. Our Ivanhowe (7yo, 57kg, barrier 6) 21. Secret Number (7yo, 52kg, barrier 10) 10. Gallante (6yo, 54.5kg, barrier 2) 24. Rose of Virginia (7yo, 51kg, barrier 8) 16. Beautiful Romance (5yo, 52.5kg, barrier 1) 14. Sir John Hawkwood (8yo, 54kg, barrier 14) 22. Pentathlon (5yo, 51.5kg, barrier 4) Advertisement Described his partner as a 'bubbly, great mum who just loved to live life' The family had been on their way home from a summer camping trip Mark Goldsmith's daughter Aimee, partner Tracy Houghton and her two sons Ethan and Josh were killed in a crash by lorry driver Tomasz Kroker With his family torn apart, Mark Goldsmith yesterday recalled the devastating moment Tomasz Kroker's lorry ploughed into traffic. Mr Goldsmith had been driving with his son Jake behind the Vauxhall Corsa that contained his daughter Aimee, partner Tracy Houghton, and her two sons Ethan and Josh, as they headed back from a summer camping trip. He said: 'We all sat down, had a bite to eat, just saying, "We can't wait to get home"... And then we're all hugs and kisses and all got back in the car. Days before the tragedy: From left, Tracy Houghton and her sons Ethan and Josh, who were in the Vauxhall Corsa with her partners daughter Aimee, far right A camera in the cab of Tomasz Krokers lorry facing out of the windscreen shows traffic ahead slow to a stop. Another camera, right, shows the driver use his mobile at the same time Devastated: Mark Goldsmith, left, and Kate Goldsmith, centre, lost their daughter Aimee when lorry driver Tomasz Kroker crashed into traffic. Mr Goldsmith's partner, Tracy Houghton, and her sons were also killed. Pictured right, Doug Houghton, the boys' father, outside court today 'We pulled up behind some lorries just crawling along, everyone slowed down, and then that was it bang. 'I looked down at this car and went, "Oh my God." I couldn't believe it. 'I held Jake and I must have realised who he was and then I just stood in the middle of a bloody road looking.' He said the children had, during the camping trip, 'loved all the jokes, playing cards, having a laugh, all the banter'. Mr Goldsmith paid tribute to Mrs Houghton as a 'bubbly, great mum who just loved to live life'. Aimee's mother, Kate Goldsmith, said her daughter had loved animals. 'She wanted to be a vet, someone that looked after animals, and talked about having her own place where animals could go,' she said. 'She had a kitten for Christmas, his name's Vimto and he loves and misses her very much. Father Doug Houghton said seeing his sons in their coffins was the worst day of his life 'I continue to see drivers using their phones and it sickens me. 'If they had seen the devastation they brought my family or to other families ...' She also described how losing 'in the blink of an eye' his sister Aimee and best friend Ethan had left her son Jake 'changed for ever', with little to say and plagued by anger, upset and nightmares. In a victim-impact statement read to Reading Crown Court, she spoke of her 'absolute and utter devastation' at the loss of her daughter, whom she called 'my hope, my happiness, my balance'. And Doug Houghton, the father of 11-year-old Josh and Ethan, 13, paid tribute to his 'beautiful boys'. He said: 'I thought that was the worst day of my life, my kids being killed, but I think it was three weeks later when I went to the funeral directors and actually saw them dead, cold in their coffins.' Ethan Houghton, left, and brother Josh, right, died alongside Aimee Goldsmith, centre The family's car was shunted underneath the back of a heavy goods vehicle and crushed to a third of its size in the horrific crash (pictured) on the A34 near Newbury He may as well have been driving with his eyes closed: Judge's verdict on trucker who killed mum and three children while distracted by mobile By Andy Dolan and Ian Drury for the Daily Mail A lorry driver who killed a mother and three children because he was distracted by his mobile phone at the wheel was jailed for just ten years yesterday. Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and 11-year-old Josh, and stepdaughter Aimee Goldsmith, 11, were killed when Tomasz Kroker ploughed into stationary traffic at 50mph. Footage from inside his lorry cab showed Kroker, 30, scroll through music on his mobile for seven seconds before the crash. Too late: The driver looks up in horror, right, as his lorry bears down on the cars ahead Impact: As his lorry hits traffic at 50mph, a bicycle from the car in front is thrown into the cab Mrs Houghtons Vauxhall Corsa was shunted under the trailer of another lorry and crushed to a third of its size. Outside court yesterday Aimees mother Kate Goldsmith fought back tears as she appealed for motorists to make a personal commitment to stop using mobile phones while driving and make our roads safer for everyone. She said: The ten-year sentence will not ease our pain and suffering, nor do we believe it will send a strong enough message to those who lack the self-restraint to not use a mobile phone when driving. Mrs Goldsmith, from Dunstable, Bedfordshire, said Kroker had turned his vehicle into a lethal weapon and she felt as though her daughter had been murdered. Aimee Goldsmith (pictured), who wanted to be a vet, was killed along with stepbrothers when returning from a camping trip. Her mother described her as her 'hope' and 'happiness' Weeks after the August 10 crash on the A34 north of Newbury, Berkshire, the Mail launched a campaign for tougher penalties against drivers who flout the law on using mobile phones behind the wheel. Ministers have since proposed doubling the fixed penalty punishment. The judge jailing the Polish haulier said his driving was so poor he might as well have had his eyes closed. Footage from two dashboard cameras one pointing into Krokers cab and one looking at the road ahead showed the driver looking at his phone, then glancing up just a split-second before impact. The horrified driver then drops the phone and grabs the steering wheel to prepare for the impact. The lorry smashed into a hatchback, sending it upside down, before hitting a small van. Aimee's parent's Mark and Kate Goldsmith (pictured) said the 10 year jail sentence handed to Kroker was not enough. Mr Goldsmith witnessed the horrifying crash from a nearby car Mrs Houghtons partner Mark Goldsmith was with his son Jake, 13, in his Vauxhall Zafira behind the Corsa as they travelled back to Dunstable from a camping trip. His car was shunted into the back of the Corsa containing his daughter, Mrs Houghton and her sons. Kroker, who became a father five months before the crash and lived with his partner in Andover, Hampshire, claimed at the scene that his brakes had failed and went on to tell his company: Had radio on. Not tuning it. Not on phone. Just hours before the pile-up he had signed a declaration with his employer promising not to use a phone at the wheel. When police confronted him with the footage he admitted he had been looking at his phone. Charles Ward-Jackson, prosecuting, said: It is a particularly distressing feature that the two surviving members of the family were in the car behind, and a 13-year-old boy was forced to witness at close range the deaths of four members of close family. Mark Goldsmith (right) was in a car near his Ms Houghton (left) with his son Jake when he witnessed the crash that killed his two sons and daughter The barrister said Kroker would have had an excellent view of the road ahead had he been looking. Jailing him, Mrs Justice McGowan said she wholeheartedly supported relatives calls for greater awareness of the dangers of using mobile phones at the wheel. She told Reading Crown Court: One can only hope that the publicity surrounding this case will bring greater awareness of the consequences of using a phone, not just to text or to call, but also a phone to play music or use some form of navigation software while driving. Kroker pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving last month. He was disqualified from driving for seven years. Brothers Josh (left) and Ethan (right) were remembered by their father as 'beautiful boys' Outside court, Adam Pearson, whose back was broken when his Mazda was shunted upside-down on to the embankment, said the penalty for death by dangerous driving needed to be increased. Mr Pearson, of Milton Keynes, said: As a society we have to start to view mobile phone use while driving in the same way that we view driving while under the influence of drink and drugs. It cannot be socially accepted. Jake Goldsmith, who witnessed his sister Aimees death, suffers post-traumatic stress disorder, his mother said in a statement. She said their nights were now plagued with nightmares and broken sleep. Detective Sergeant Gavin Collier, of Thames Valley Police, said: The most tragic element of this incident is that it was avoidable. The RAC foundations Steve Gooding said the organisation had called for a drive-safe mode on phones to limit distractions. EU rules mean Kroker could be allowed to stay in the UK after his release. Officials must look at whether offenders are a threat to public security, public policy or public health. Part of the test is based on length of legal UK residence, as they gain permanent right of residence after five years. Kroker is thought to have moved to the UK between 2000 and 2007. The Home Office said all jailed foreign-national offenders were considered for deportation. Killer who had just become a dad himself By Andy Dolan and Alisha Rouse for the Daily Mail Jailed: Lorry driver Tomasz Kroker Tomasz Kroker is believed to have moved to the UK after 2000 and was joined by his Polish girlfriend in 2007. The couple settled in rented accommodation in Newbury, Berkshire, with her brother and mother ten miles from the scene of the multiple fatal crash he would later cause. Records show that while living in the town Kroker set up his own haulage firm, listing himself as company director. Neighbours yesterday described him as friendly, but quiet and recalled him starting work at 6am daily. One woman said: They were a lovely young couple just starting out in life. They helped me with everything when I first moved in, just lovely. Its a real shock and a shame that this has happened. Kroker later got a job working for a haulage firm in Andover, Hampshire. He and his girlfriend moved to Andover, at the start of this year to make a new start ahead of the arrival of their first baby, who was born five months before the crash. They were said to be excited to start a family together. There was no answer at their 1970s terraced house in Andover yesterday, but a neighbour said: Ive seen on the TV what happened I had no idea at all it was him. He mostly worked nights. They never really spoke to anyone. Reading Crown Court heard 30-year-old Kroker was of previous good character. The court was told that he regularly drove on the stretch of the A34 where the crash happened. According to the Polish National Road Safety Council, the country ranks among the worst in the Euorpean Union for traffic accidents. In 2014, the country had an average of 8.3 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with an EU average of 5.3. There were 382,998 road accidents in Poland that year, leading to the death of 3,202 people, while 42,545 were left injured. Michael Hamburger, a Jew born in Germany and exiled in England in 1933, borrowed the persona of the previous centurys German Romantic poet Friedrich Holderlin to express in verse the madness of the modern world. For Hamburger, Holderlins well-documented shall we approach this delicately? mental issues, were a proportional response to a world he perceived as approaching the precipice. In his 1941 poem titled Holderlin, Hamburger wrote: I have no tears to mourn forsaken gods Or my lost voice. This is my wisdom where no laughter sounds, No sighs, this is my peace. Glory is gone, and the swimming clouds; My dumb hand grips the frozen sky, A black bare tree in the winter dark. For truly observant Roman Catholics, the contemporary milieu echoes Hamburgers lament vis-a-vis Holderlin about forsaken gods, or, at the very least, forgotten or casually ignored for conveniences sake Church history, doctrine, dogma and precepts. Overtly, one need look no further than recent WikiLeaks revelations concerning John Podesta and companys desire for a Catholic spring; the Affordable Care Acts attempted bulldozing of religious liberties; the media and its green allies embracement of many of the pronouncements found in Pope Francis Laudato Si encyclical; government compulsion of florists and pastry chefs to violate their respective religious conscience; the tragic abortion morass wrought by the Supreme Courts discovery of an unknown until 1973 penumbra of privacy in the U.S. Constitution; and the combined deleterious effects on the family unit caused by the twinning of the sexual revolution with no-fault divorce. Less obvious are efforts within the Church itself, which include nuns, laity and clergy promoting government wealth-redistribution efforts under the guise of charity as well as engaging in ill-informed environmental activism that pose very real negative threats to the worlds poorest and consistently contradict the Churchs explicit teachings on such matters. As your writer can attest, post-Vatican II Catholic school education did little to inform its students about the Deposit of the Faith due to focusing on such social goods as economic equality and using pop music lyrics to advance squishy theological concepts that tilted heavily toward socialism and pantheism. One need only close ones eyes to recall the wheat-germ scented nuns of the 1970s agitating for more government programs. Its all enough to make someone stand athwart Christian history, yelling Stop! and that someone is John Zmirak, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism: The Most Politically Incorrect Institution in the World! (Regnery Publishing, 2016, 370 pp, $21.99). Those of us familiar with Zmiraks other books and essays shouldnt be surprised he wields a mighty pen and encyclopedic knowledge of Catholicism and many other topics when it comes to demolishing liberal shibboleths and the agendas to which theyre attached. Its all quite simple, he explains, and proves it in wonderfully complex detail that is nevertheless easily understandable and often quite funny although detractors might discern no dearth of glibness, stridency and impatience with those ideologues that deliberately misinterpret and twist the Catholic faith to their own nefarious and/or boneheaded ends. Among those singled out by Zmirak are the seamless-garment folks, a group whose beliefs but one are shared by the majority of the Democratic National Committee. Zmirak explains: [Cardinal Joesph Bernardin (1928-96)] was the most influential Catholic prelate in America. He reigned from 1982 to 1996 as archbishop of Chicago, and in that time was credited as the guiding force behind some of the most politically activist statements from the U.S. Catholic Conference. Under his tutelage, the American bishops embraced positions on economics, welfare policy, and defense that were a virtual mirror image of the Democratic Party platform. Bernardin was the Catholic Lefts key rhetorician and strategist. By 1983 he invented the term seamless garment to describe a supposedly consistent pro-life philosophy which must bind every Catholic. To be truly pro-life, Bernardin claimed, one must go far beyond opposing abortion and euthanasia which entail the direct killing of innocent human beings. It was equally important, he suggested, to take correct Catholic stands on a long list of topics including military spending, Medicaid funding, pollution control, the minimum wage, food stamps, and pretty much every subject dear to the Democratic National Committee. By presenting such disparate issues as a seamless whole, and pretending that their own progressive views on these subjects bore the stamp of Church authority, leftist Christians could claim that while Republicans might be sound on just one of those topics abortion Democrats were better on all others. So pro-lifers not only could but probably should vote for liberal pro-choice candidates, since on balance their record was better. And hey presto! Proponents of abortion had an argument that being a pro-choice Democrat was compatible with being a Catholic: Sure I may differ with the Church on one or two issues, but so does my Republican opponent. Unlike him, I stand with the bishops conference on Medicaid, immigration, and U.S. policy toward Neeka-RAO-gu-WAH. Zmirak then proceeds to dismantle such hooey by employing the history and doctrine of the actual Catholic faith that he has previously and usefully provided as a primer in the first several chapters of the book. Additionally, he identifies scientism (as opposed to actual science), Liberation Theology and Ayn Rands Objectivism as anathema to Catholic teaching. Not only does he provide solid evidence, he further supports his arguments with Scripture, papal encyclicals and such third-party sources as the often brilliant writings of Actons own Samuel Gregg and Joseph Carter to great effect. Also useful are the several Books Youre Not Supposed to Read sidebars Zmirak peppers throughout each chapter. Lest readers be put off by the title and picture of gun-toting nuns on the cover, it should be noted, Zmirak also has kind words for the ecumenical partnerships observant Catholics have formed with like-minded Protestants. His gloss on Catholicism and free markets also is highly recommended for those unfamiliar with the writings of Sam Gregg that obviously informed Zmiraks chapter: When, as we shall see, Leo XIII and his successors condemned every form of socialism, they were recognizing that forcibly taking from people the property, fertility, and liberty that monks and nuns willingly give up indeed amounts to a diabolical parody of the good. Lets give those popes credit for being prophets: long before the gulag, and the famines and purges that decimated Russia, China, North Korea, and Cambodia had demonstrated the true evil of socialism, these theologically educated men saw it. The popes were relying on more than logic; they also had the lessons of history in the form of crackpot millenarian movements that had erupted in late medieval Europe, composed of outraged peasants and self-appointed messiahs who began as penitents trying to ward off the plague by scourging themselves and ended as armed mobs massacring Jews and merchants and creating short-lived tyrannies that tried to abolish liberty, property, and the familyand the clear principles of moral law written in both revelation and on the human heart. Zmiraks work deserves to be read by every journalist presuming to write at all on Catholic matters, but as well warrants perusal by practicing and nominal Catholics in order for them to understand each other from a common perspective and vocabulary too often neglected in favor of partisan bickering. Lastly, there is much in Zmiraks book that may enlighten people of all faiths or no faith whatsoever as it presents clearly what and why Roman Catholics are supposed to believe, why we should be held to our professed faith and as well presents common ground for our shared goals for a flourishing society before total madness takes hold. All is not lost, and the sky remains a long way from frozen. opened people up to the occult A Western Australian Catholic school has asked its students not to celebrate Halloween due to it 'endangering spiritual life'. Father Greg Skulski from Chisholm Catholic College in Bedford a suburb of Perth sent a strongly worded email on Sunday to all 1767 students warning them of the dangers of embarking on a day that was seen as 'an abomination to God', according to the West Australian. Father Skulski warned that people who celebrated the custom on Monday would 'open the door to occult' and could also 'reveal Satan'. Father Greg Skulski sent a strongly worded email on Sunday to all 1767 students of Chisholm Catholic College warning them off celebrating Halloween 'As we look at its history, we find that its roots go deep into heathenism, paganism, Satanism and the occult and its modern expression is no better,' Father Skulski wrote in the email. 'Halloween practices can open the door to the occult and can introduce forces into people's lives that they are not equipped to combat. 'There is genuine power in the occult, but it is demonic power. 'Any serious study of biblical demonology will reveal Satan as the power behind false religion, witchcraft, idolatry and the occult.' The email was met by shock and outrage by stunned parents who saw Halloween as a fun and gimmicky evening. Parents of Chisholm Catholic College (pictured) were shocked and outraged when they received the email Father Skulski warned that people who celebrated the event on Monday would 'open the door to occult' and could also 'reveal Satan' Most people are unaware of the fact that just one out of every 400 cups issued by coffee shops ends up being recycled An environment minister has ignored calls to introduce a 5p charge on throwaway coffee cups, claiming voluntary measures by major chains are enough to tackle waste. The prospect of a nominal fee being imposed per cup was dismissed by Dr Therese Coffey MP yesterday. Instead, the Government signalled it will rely on voluntary measures by chains such as Costa, Caffe Nero and Pret a Manger to reduce the blight. Most people are unaware of the fact that just one out of every 400 cups issued by coffee shops ends up being recycled. This is because they contain a plastic coating that means they cannot be recycled along with other paper waste. As a result, 2.5billion are thrown away in the UK alone every year and end up going to landfill where they take up to 30 years to rot away. Academics, environment groups and the Lib Dems are among those calling for a 5p charge on the cups to encourage alternatives that can be easily recycled. They say the 5p charge on plastic bags has had an enormous impact in terms of reducing the number handed out at the tills by around 70 per cent more than five billion a year. Last year, the former Conservative environment minister Rory Stewart expressed some support for the idea of a 5p cup charge after the issue was highlighted by waste campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. However, Mr Stewart has since moved departments and his successor, Dr Coffey, appears to have rejected the idea. In a letter to the Lib Dems, she said the firms have a legal duty to recover and recycle 'a proportion' of the cups they give out. This mostly relates to those left in their own bins. Dr Coffey said some companies are taking voluntary measures to cut down on the number of cups given away. 2.5billion cups are thrown away in the UK alone every year and end up going to landfill where they take up to 30 years to rot away Starbucks gives customers a 25p discount if they bring their own re-usable cup. Costa gives a 25p donation to charity when people bring their own cup. But the Lib Dems' environment spokesman, Kate Parminter, rejected the Government's approach. 'This letter shows the Conservative Government is in complete denial about the scandalous waste caused by throwaway coffee cups,' she said. 'Not only is the minister refusing to act, she is refusing to even acknowledge this as an issue. We saw with the 5p plastic bag charge how a small intervention can make a huge difference in cutting unnecessary waste and protecting the environment. A taskforce set up to catch wealthy tax dodgers has claimed just one scalp in seven years. The 380-strong unit targets the super rich who hide their money offshore or use aggressive avoidance schemes. More than 2,000 individuals each worth at least 20million are suspected of dodging almost 2billion between them. But only one has been successfully prosecuted and that was back in July 2012. The HM Revenue & Customs unit is also racking up a 15million annual wage bill. MPs said today's report from the National Audit Office showed the wealthy were often let off the hook while families and small businesses were hounded. The HM Revenue & Customs unit is also racking up a 15million annual wage bill (stock photo) 'We're wimps when it comes to taking on the rich and powerful,' said Margaret Hodge, who is the Labour chairman of a cross-party group on responsible taxation. 'This is yet another piece of evidence that confirms that HMRC will not use the legal powers at its disposal to pursue the richest in our country who are deliberately avoiding tax but have an army of lawyers, accountants and bankers at their disposal.' The Commons public accounts committee says it will launch an inquiry based on the audit office findings. Its chairman, Labour MP Meg Hillier, said: 'This low prosecution rate underlines concerns that high net worth individuals and their advisers are able to keep one step ahead of HMRC. 'We will be questioning HMRC about the level of prosecutions and whether it is taking the right approach.' Labour MP Meg Hillier (pictured) said she will be questioning HMRC about the level of prosecutions The taskforce was established by HMRC in April 2009 to focus on Britain's 6,000 wealthiest individuals. In its report the audit office reveals the unit is currently investigating around 2,150 people thought to owe around 1.9billion to the Treasury. This included 40 individuals named in the notorious 'Panama Papers' that were leaked earlier this year. HMRC officials have boasted of the success of the unit, and say it hauled in an extra 416million in unpaid tax in the financial year to April. But it has been extraordinarily reluctant to launch criminal investigations, despite being given extra public funding to pursue tax dodgers through the courts. According to today's report, the unit's agents have investigated and closed 72 cases over the past five years. Seventy of these were civil cases, with individuals suspected of legal but highly aggressive tax avoidance. This is where they are judged to have bent the rules but not broken the law. The other two cases involving illegal tax evasion were passed to the Crown Prosecution Service. One was taken forward and led to the conviction of Michael Shanly. The property developer pleaded guilty to tax evasion worth 430,000 after hiding an inheritance from his mother in a secret Swiss bank account. Even this case was handed to HMRC on a plate by French authorities. Mr Shanly was on a list of 6,000 UK citizens who hid money in HSBC bank accounts in Geneva. The list was stolen by an employee of the bank and passed to HMRC in 2010. Campaigners accuse the agency of pursuing ordinary taxpayers, who cannot afford lawyers and accountants, far more aggressively than the rich. Hundreds have been taken to court for small sums in an HMRC crackdown on plumbers, families who employ nannies and even strippers. A separate report by the audit office in December found that 16billion was lost to tax fraud every year. It accused HMRC of pursuing less complex cases involving less than 10,000 in order to hit a target of launching 1,000 prosecutions a year. Despite pledges to crack down on evasion from a succession of prime ministers, including Gordon Brown and David Cameron, Britain has an annual 'tax gap' of 36billion. That is the difference between the amount of tax owed and the amount collected by HMRC. Labour MP Chris Leslie said: 'It is pathetic that HMRC and the Treasury are continuing to let the rich and powerful slip through their fingers. The system needs tilting back in the direction of the ordinary, honest taxpayer.' THE PROPERTY BOSS WHO IS TAXMAN'S SINGLE SCALP Michael Shanly (pictured) was convicted of tax evasion in July 2012 Michael Shanly, a millionaire property developer from Berkshire, was convicted of tax evasion in July 2012. Four years later, he remains the only scalp claimed by the HMRC unit set up to pursue the UKs richest individuals and it could count itself fortunate to secure even this single conviction. It owes much to Herve Falciani, a former IT worker at HSBCs Swiss private bank in Geneva, who stole a list of thousands of people who had hidden money in secret bank accounts and offshore trusts. The list included 6,000 UK citizens among them Mr Shanly. HMRC was passed the list by French authorities in 2010. Mr Shanly was prosecuted at Wood Green Crown Court and pleaded guilty to tax evasion worth 430,000. He had already voluntarily paid 387,103 to HMRC, bringing the total to 856,547. The case involved a Swiss bank account he had opened with his and his mothers money. After she died he closed the account and transferred all the money avoiding 430,000 inheritance tax. His solicitor said the money transferred in 2008 went to a childrens charity not to Mr Shanly, then worth an estimated 132million. Advertisement A spokesman for HMRC said: 'HMRC man-marks the wealthy with highly sophisticated tax experts because their affairs are complex and involve large amounts of tax. 'This is why one in three of them are currently being investigated by HMRC and why more of them are subject to such intensive scrutiny than small businesses or personal taxpayers. Last year this resulted in an additional 416million in compliance revenues from the very wealthiest.' Supporters of HMRC say pursuing a criminal prosecution is hugely expensive it takes an average of 44 months to take a case to court. But critics say it is wrong to give offenders sweetheart pay-off deals instead of going through the courts. In August, ministers said tax dodgers who hid money offshore faced swingeing fines. They are now being given two years to come clean about the scale of their offshore wealth or face penalties of up to 200 per cent of the amount owed. The previous maximum fine was 100 per cent of the money owed. Officials said a new deal on information sharing with tax havens such as the Cayman Islands and Luxembourg meant there was now a much better chance of recouping money. Huma Abedin's lawyer has thrown new confusion into the Clinton email probe - saying she never used the laptop seized by the FBI where the messages were found. In a dramatic development, Abedin's newly-hired attorney claimed that the laptop was solely in the possession of the Hillary Clinton aide's ex-husband, pervert Anthony Weiner. The claim on Abedin's behalf deepens the mystery of how emails relevant to the Clinton server investigation could be found on his laptop. Initial reports had suggested the device was shared by Abedin and Weiner before their estrangement. But Karen Dunn told Politico the computer belonged to Weiner alone. Wasn;t mine: Huma Abedin - who was off the cmapaign trail and pictured exclusively by DailyMail.com on Monday - denies the laptop seized by the FBI from Anthony Weiner was his Layered up: Huma Abedin has reacted to the probe launched by the FBI and announced by James Comey by hiring Clinton insider Karen Dunn Dunn - who is a Clinton insider who helped the candidate prepare for her debates with Donald Trump - claimed that Abedin only learned about the FBI move on Friday. She said Abedin learned 'from press reports of the possibility that a laptop belonging to Mr Weiner could contain emails of hers'. 'While the FBI has not contacted us about this, Ms. Abedin will continue to be, as she always has been, forthcoming and cooperative,' Dunn said in a statement released to Politico. 'From the beginning, Ms. Abedin has complied fully and voluntarily with State Department and law enforcement requests, including sitting for hours-long interviews and providing her work-related and potentially work-related documents.' She claimed that Abedin's ' willing cooperation has been praised' by law enforcement previously, as well as by members of Congress. Abedin's personal and political future is now in huge doubt and her decision to hire Dunn emphasizes how high the stakes are. If she is found by the FBI to have breached the law on handling classified information she could face prosecution with the possibility of prison, while she may also face a perjury probe over why she claimed under oath to have handed over all the devices she knew to contain emails. Abedin swore under oath while testifying in a lawsuit brought against the State Department by Judicial Watch that she had handed over all of her devices that could hold emails relevant to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. A federal perjury conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years. Dunn's defense of her as having not used the laptop appears to be an answer to the perjury claim. The scandal leaves the Clinton campaign facing disaster after FBI director James Comey announced their discovery had led him to reopen the investigation into Clinton with 11 days until the election. Agents from the FBI New York field office stumbled on what they thought were pertinent emails when they were searching the laptop during their sexting investigation. At bay: The dramatic development in the email server investigation has put the Clinton campaign into crisis They stopped the search and immediately called in colleagues. They have a subpoena for Weiner's laptop, but it only relates to his emails, not Abedin's. So they needed new approval to broaden their search - which they obtained on Sunday night. There is a chance some of the emails could be duplicates of those they have already seen, but investigators could also find it is a trove of messages Clinton deleted from her server. Abedin told colleagues she has no idea how the emails ended up on her husband's computer, and insists she rarely used it. The Washington Post reported that her lawyers didn't hand over the device because they didn't think it contained any of her emails. The FBI swooped in on Weiner in September after DailyMail.com revealed he had sent explicit messages and graphic pictures to a 15-year-old girl Conflicting reports suggest the emails could either have been sent from Abedin to Clinton, forwarded between Abedin's accounts so she could more easily print them off, or duplicates of emails already investigated by the FBI earlier this year. As she stayed off the campaign trail in one of the campaign's critical final days - the thid day in a row - Abedin may have to contend with some of her sworn statements in a Judicial Watch lawsuit, when she got asked how she went about searching for records she turned over to the State Department. 'I looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department work on it and returned returned gave them to my attorneys for them to review for all relevant documents. And gave them devices and paper,' Abedin said. The FBI swooped in on Weiner in September after DailyMail.com revealed he had sent explicit messages and graphic pictures to a 15-year-old girl Asked what devices she handed over, Abedin replied: 'If memory serves me correctly, it was two laptops, a BlackBerry, and some files that I found in my apartment, Abedin said. The devices were requested as part of a lawsuit by the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch and were later reviewed by the FBI. Abedin then told Judicial Watch attorney Ramona Cotca that she was 'not involved in the process' of selecting what documents on her devices would be given to the State Department. She said she asked her attorneys 'to find whatever they thought was relevant and appropriate, whatever was their determination as to what was a federal record'. 'And they did,' she added. 'They turned the materials in, and I know they did.' Abedin, one of Clinton's most trusted aides, said she conducted 'the majority' of her work at her computer and Blackberry but also gave her attorneys the login and password to her personal 'Clintonmail.com' account. ANTHONY WEINER SEXTING SCANDAL The FBI, the New York Police Department, and US attorneys in New York and North Carolina opened investigations into Weiner's conduct in late September, after DailyMail.com exclusively reported on Sept. 21 that the former politician carried on a months-long online relationship with a 15-year-old high school girl. Weiner exchanged flirtatious and sexually-charged messages with the teen for months after the girl struck up a conversation with him on Twitter in January. Weiner told the girl he woke up 'hard' after thinking about her, sent her shirtless photos, and complimented her body. He also encouraged her to talk to him on the video-chat application Skype. The girl alleged that during these Skype conversations, Weiner asked her to get undressed and touch herself. She claimed he also asked her to dress up in school girl outfits and pretend he was her teacher and brought up 'rape fantasies.' Weiner issued a statement to the Dailymail.com apologizing for 'repeatedly demonstrate[ing] terrible judgment about the people I have communicated with online and the things I have sent.' In one particularly lewd message, he told the teen: 'I would bust that tight p***y so hard and so often that you would leak and limp for a week.' Advertisement She said she relied on her State Department email for the 'vast majority' of her work, but admitted there were occasions she used the Clintonmail.com account for 'State-related matters'. The latest development in the Abedin drama came on a dramatic day in Washington and on the campaign trail as a result of Friday's bombshell. Clinton moved to distance herself from Abedin, referring to the woman she had called a second daughter as 'one of my staffers'. Instead she made her attack directly about Comey and the FBI, accusing it of acting in a partisan manner and influencing the election. That was echoed by Harry Reid, the Senate minority leader, who wrote to Comey asking if he was breaking the Hatch Act. But shortly after Clinton's attack on Comey, the White House slapped down Reid and starkly contradicted the Democratic candidate, calling Comey a man of 'integrity' and 'principle' - and saying that the president did not believe the FBI boss was trying to influence the election. Instead, said press secretary Josh Earnest, he was in a 'tight spot' and had acted in line with his 'integrity'. Sources then told Reuters of the extraordinary confrontation between Comey and his boss, the attorney-general Loretta Lynch, before he wrote to Congress with the Clinton email bombshell. It emerged that she had said she did not believe that he should reveal the development - but when he asked if she was going to order him not to write to Congress, she backed down and did not give such an order. Donald Trump, on the campaign trail, was ebullient, saying for the second day 'than you Anthony Weiner' and using it to boost the feeling of momentum he has gained in recent days. Hillary Clinton maintains a comfortable six-point lead over Donald Trump in a new poll that shows the FBI's announcement on Friday had no effect on voters. A survey conducted online by NBC from October 24th to the 30th shows little changed on Saturday and Sunday compared to data collected from the days before. On Friday, FBI Director James Comey announced an investigation to determine whether emails found on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced politician and husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, contained classified information. While several other polls also confirmed Clinton's lead, the margin was significantly smaller, with signs the race is tightening with just eight days to go until November 8. Hillary Clinton maintains a comfortable six-point lead over Donald Trump in a new NBC poll that shows the FBI's announcement on Friday had no effect on voters Trump's campaign has seized on revelations of a trove of emails on Anthony Weiner's laptop as further evidence that the Clinton dynasty cannot be trusted The NBC survey showed Clinton leading at 47per cent compared to Trump's 41 in a four-way match up. The figures did not change after the FBI's announcement on Friday A majority of the voters surveyed thought the FBI's announcement was an important issue The announcement, made after Weiner's laptop was seized during an investigation into sexual messages he sent to an underage girl, is likely to have the greatest impact on independents The NBC survey showed Clinton leading at 47per cent on Saturday and Sunday compared to Trump's 41 in a four-way match up including Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. Both Clinton and Trump's figures remained the same compared to data collected earlier last week. But other polls showed the Democratic candidate's lead was shrinking, with some predictions of a Clinton presidency hanging on a knife's edge. A Politico/Morning Consult poll showed Monday that she has a three point lead over Trump, in the first survey to be conducted entirely after the FBI's sensational news. The Democrat has 46 per cent of the vote against her rival's 43 per cent, the poll showed. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson has seven per cent and Green Jill Stein has five. The online survey, which has a margin of error of two points, was conducted over the weekend. Her three-point lead is the same as a poll conducted just before the revelations, Politico said. An automated poll conducted in eight swing states showed it was a toss-up. Trump made significant gains in Florida, breaking a tie from polls conducted last week Some 39 per cent of voters said the new email review would not sway which candidate they chose. A third said it made them much less likely to vote for Clinton - although most of those were already Trump voters. Among undecided voters, 42 per cent said they were less likely to vote for her - but 41 per cent said it would not make a difference to them. A national tracking poll by the Times Picayune-Lucid, as well as one conducted by ABC News/Washington Post showed Clinton up by just one point. An automated poll conducted in eight swing states by Republican consulting firm Axiom Strategies showed it was a toss-up, although Trump made significant gains in Florida, breaking a tie from polls conducted last week. 'The presidential race remains very competitive as we move into the final stretch. Hillary maintains an advantage leading in Colorado and Pennsylvania, but at this point anything can happen', said Titus Bond, Director of the Remington Research Group. While it remains to be seen whether the email investigation will tip the election over to Trump, Clinton's unfavorability ratings have reached a high of 60 per cent, her worst showing since the survey began tracking in May last year, shortly after she announced her candidacy. In comparison, Trump was disliked by 58 per cent of voters, according to theABC News/Washington Post tracking poll conducted from October 27 to 29. Clinton and Trump are the most unpopular presidential candidates by far since the ABC/Washington Post poll began in 1984. The billionaire's unfavorability ratings reached a high of 70 per cent in mid-June. Pictured, Clinton and Huma Abedin earlier this month on her campaign plane It emerged Sunday that the FBI now has a warrant to search the emails, numbering some 650,000 according to the Wall Street Journal. Coming after weeks of emails published by WikiLeaks - which have given voters an unprecedented insight into a candidate's political machine - Trump's campaign has seized on the revelations as further evidence that the Clinton dynasty cannot be trusted. 'We never thought we were going to say "thank you" to Anthony Weiner!' Trump crowed to a Las Vegas crowd. Forty-five per cent of respondents to the poll said they agreed with Trump's claim that Clinton's ongoing email scandal is 'worse than Watergate'. Clinton and her campaign have demanded that the FBI give specifics on what exactly they are investigating, while several key Democrats have accused the organization of breaking the law by trying to sway the election. All eyes may be on the Melbourne Cup, but this runaway horse has turned some heads in Sydney after making its way down a main road in peak hour traffic. The horse gave chase down Oxford Street, in the cities' inner east, after bolting from its handler in Centennial Park around 9am on Tuesday morning. Social media images show the saddled horse being contained by members of the public and police outside Paddington Town Hall. Social media images show the saddled horse being contained by members of the public and police on Oxford St A NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the horse, which bolted from its stable, has since been reunited with its rider. NSW Police and Emergency services announced the bizarre scene and accompanying traffic delays on social media. We've had an early jumper on the #MelbourneCup this year. The Mounted Unit have contained a loose horse on Oxford St, Paddington, wrote NSW police. Oxford St near Oatley Rd - Horse was on the loose. Mounted Police have contained the horse. No lanes impacted, Live Trffic Sydney posted. The horse gave chase down Oxford Street, in the cities' Inner East, after bolting from its handler in Centennial Park NSW Police and Emergency services announced the bizarre scene and accompanying traffic delays on social media He posed as Mr September for the department's calendar in 2014 Jumped the curb, crashed into a fence and passed out again, sources said Fell asleep in his Nissan; woke up five hours later, according to witnesses Noel Reyes, 32, of Brooklyn, was arrested early Monday in New York City A hunky FDNY firefighter has been arrested for driving while intoxicated. Noel Reyes, 32, of Brooklyn, fell asleep in his parked car and woke up hours later only to start the vehicle and crash into a low fence Monday, witnesses said. He was dressed as a boxer for Halloween and was wearing gray shorts, hand wraps and what looked like fake blood on his chest. He wasn't wearing a top when he was arrested. Reyes, who has worked at the FDNY for 10 years, posed shirtless for the department's 2014 calendar. He also participated four times in American Ninja Warrior, according to his Facebook profile. Scroll down for video FDNY firefighter Noel Reyes, 32, who once posed shirtless for the department's calendar (pictured), was arrested Monday and charged with driving while intoxicated Reyes, of Brooklyn, has competed four times in American Ninja Warrior, according to his Facebook profile. He is pictured on the show Reyes was first seen sleeping inside his parked Nissan Altima around 2am in Murray Hill, witnesses told the New York Post. He woke up about five hours later, started his vehicle, jumped the curb and crashed into a fence before passing out again, witnesses said. Police said they found Reyes in his still-running car, slouched in the driver's seat and smelling of alcohol, with a blood-alcohol level beyond .08. Reyes, who was off-duty, told officers he had five or six tequila drinks, according to the police, who also said Reyes was slurring his words. Witnesses said Reyes (pictured left and right in his uniform) fell asleep in his parked car, then woke up, started the vehicle and crashed into a low fence before passing out again He was charged with driving while intoxicated, authorities said. Reyes' wife, Margarita, 29, told the New York Post she hoped the FDNY would be forgiving. 'He's always doing things for people, even when people don't deserve it,' she said. 'My only hope is the department is forgiving, and everyone is forgiving and realizes that a human being can make mistakes and we can just take this as a lesson and move forward.' Reyes' calendar picture, which served for the month of September, shows him shirtless in front of a wall of badges. One of his Ninja Warrior submission videos, in which he asked to be on the show in 2013, showed him introducing his three children then aged 7,5 and one as well as his wife, who at the time was expecting their fourth child. Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Jason Schweitzer was killed when Suzanne Whitlow, 26, of Lexington, Kentucky, allegedly crashed into him while drunk A woman who allegedly killed a Kentucky police officer and a University of Kentucky employee in a drunk driving crash had just completed DUI classes for a prior conviction, according to court records. Suzanne Whitlow, 26, of Lexington, Kentucky, is said to have killed 37-year-old Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Jason Schweitzer and Timothy Moore, a 56-year-old University of Kentucky employee while driving under the influence. On October 6, she received a certificate for completing a court ordered DUI class for a 2014 conviction, the New York Post reported. Just 23 days later, she allegedly killed Schweitzer and Moore in the crash. Whitlow is charged with two counts of manslaughter and one count of DUI. She has previous DUI convictions, shop lifting and forgery charges on her record. Whitlow (pictured) had just finished a court-ordered DUI course 23 days before the fatal crash In December of last year she wrote on Facebook: 'Replacing my heart with another liver so I can drink more and care less.' Schweitzer, who was a vice president of the River City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 614, was expecting his second child with his wife Jessica, according to Louisville police. His wife now fears that she will be unable to afford their home, cars and everyday expenses, a GoFundMe page says. Whitlow is also accused of killing Timothy Moore (pictured), a 56-year-old University of Kentucky employee, while driving under the influence Whitlow is charged with two counts of manslaughter and one count of DUI. She has previous DUI convictions, shop lifting and forgery charges on her record 'We offer our sincerest condolences to Jasons family and friends for when one of us hurts, we all hurt. 'Please keep Jasons family, friends and co-workers in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,' Louisville Metro Police Department Chief Steve Conrad posted on Facebook. Moore, a Navy veteran and father of three, was only a year away from retirement when he was killed. University of Kentucky spokesman Jay Blanton said Moore was giving directions when he was struck and killed. Schweitzer (left) was expecting his second child with his wife Jessica (right) in March next year 'This is a terrible tragedy for his family and for his UK family. Mr. Moore was one of the people that keep the place running day in and day out. It is a tremendous loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time,' Blanton said. A funeral mass is scheduled for Wednesday for Schweitzer. A decision to give official recognition to a Press regulator funded by Max Mosley is set to face a legal challenge over questions surrounding the watchdogs independence from the tycoon, it was announced yesterday. Lawyers acting for the News Media Association, which represents newspaper publishers, said they intended to seek a judicial review over whether the Press Recognition Panel was right to rule last week that regulator Impress met the standards set out by the Governments royal charter for the Press. Impress, which describes itself as Britains first independent Press regulator, is almost entirely reliant on multi-millionaire Mr Mosley, who has given 3.8million towards its running costs. A decision by the Press Regulation Panel to officially recognise Impress, funded by Max Mosley, pictured, as a regulator is set to face a legal challenge The money is donated via two charities, and the Governments PRP decided last week that the funding process meant the regulator was independent of its benefactor. Its board voted unanimously to recognise Impress as an official Press regulator, but the NMA intends to challenge that decision. The NMA said it believed there were grounds to challenge whether Impress could be considered independent from motor racing tycoon Mr Mosley, who has campaigned for tougher rules for the Press since the News of the World printed photographs of him taking part in a sadomasochistic orgy with prostitutes dressed in military uniform. Its lawyers said the funding, donated via the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust and the Independent Press Regulation Trust, meant Mr Mosley was effectively given a monopoly over the funding arrangements of Impress. In a letter to the PRP, the NMAs lawyers added: The funding of Impress cannot reasonably said to be independent. The NMA legal team is also expected to challenge whether the watchdog could be an effective regulator, as it does not have a single mainstream newspaper among its members. Mr Mosley, pictured, who is believed to have put 3.8million towards Impress' running costs, has campaigned for tougher press rules since the News of the World printed pictures of him taking part in a sadomasochistic orgy Most major newspapers, including the Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph and The Sun, have signed up to a code of conduct and complaints system run by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. It can levy large fines and force newspapers to correct inaccuracies. The PRP said it would publish all the information related to its decision to approve Impress within 30 days of the decision. It declined to comment on the NMA legal challenge. Sudhir Choudhrie, pictured at the Asian Business Awards 2013, has been arrested with his son over alleged links to firms that received secret payouts An Indian billionaire who has donated more than 1.6million to the Liberal Democrats was last night at the centre of a Rolls-Royce corruption scandal. Sudhir Choudhrie, 67 an adviser to Lib Dem leader Tim Farron and his son Bhanu were arrested over their alleged links to firms that received secret payouts from the engineering giant. Mr Choudhrie, an arms dealer who collected a business award from Theresa May in 2013, was also on an Indian government blacklist of people suspected of corruption, it emerged. A joint BBC and Guardian investigation revealed Rolls-Royce hired a network of agents to help it land lucrative contracts in at least 12 different countries. Sometimes they used bribes and they may have benefited from the use of illicit payments to boost profits for years, it was claimed. The network of agents is now the focus of large-scale investigations by anti-corruption agencies in the UK and the US. Rolls-Royce, which makes engines for fighter jets and commercial airliners, was sucked into a multinational corruption scandal in 2012. It became the subject of a bribery probe by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The ongoing investigation concerns intermediaries, middlemen who help seal business deals when a company has a limited local presence. Rolls-Royce hired law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, which launched an internal investigation, ending with information being passed to the SFO. Sudhir Choudhrie (left) with former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg MP (centre) and Kalpesh Solanki (right) at the GG2 Leadership Awards in 2013 held at the Westminster Park Plaza Hotel London The internal probe is understood to have unearthed the evidence of corruption in a number of countries. The fresh evidence shows the firm made secret payments of around 10million to an unregistered Indian agent. The money included a suspicious payment of cash that may have helped Rolls-Royce win a major contract for engines on Hawk aircraft. Rolls-Royce paid money to companies linked to Mr Choudhrie, it was claimed. It is illegal to pay secret middlemen to win defence contracts in India. Mr Choudhrie, who lives in London, and his son were arrested and questioned by the SFO over the bribery allegations in 2014. Both denied wrongdoing and were released without charge. Mr Choudhrie is also on an Indian government blacklist of people suspected of corrupt or irregular practice. It warns Indian civil servants and government ministers to take extra care when dealing with such unscrupulous persons. Mr Choudhries lawyers told the BBC he has never paid bribes to government officials or acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals. They said he has no knowledge of the contents of the list. He is an adviser on India to Mr Farron, and his family has donated more than 1.6million to the party. His family foundation owns more than 600 rare works by artists including Picasso, Renoir and Andy Warhol. The joint investigation also found evidence of a suspicious payment made in cash. It involves Bhanu Choudhrie, who accompanied an arms executive called Peter Ginger to Switzerland in 2007. During the trip, it has been suggested that Mr Ginger made a cash payment amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds into a secret bank account. It was apparently opened in the name of Portsmouth and bank documents showed a balance of more than one million Swiss francs. Mr Choudhrie is an adviser to Lib Dem leader Tim Farron (pictured) Mr Ginger was a key negotiator on the sale of Hawk aircraft to the Indian government. All of the planes had Rolls-Royce engines and the deal was worth around 400million to the company. Bhanu Choudhries lawyers told the BBC he has never been paid to secure deals for Rolls-Royce in India, including the sale of Hawk jets. Mr Choudhrie has never paid any bribe to Mr Ginger or anyone else, his lawyers said. Mr Choudhrie has no knowledge of what bank accounts have been set up or operated by Mr Ginger or what sums (if any) he has deposited in them in cash. Mr Ginger said he has never acted for Rolls-Royce or had any financial dealings with them. He says he has never taken nor paid any bribes. A Rolls-Royce spokesman said: We have made it clear that Rolls-Royce will not tolerate business misconduct or inappropriate behaviour of any kind. The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention announces the presentation of $658,000 in grant funding to be distributed to 20 nonprofit child and family welfare programs in Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair Counties dedicated to protecting local children. Fourteen Region 6 local agencies will share funds to help protect vulnerable children who reside in these counties. The agencies include: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham; Camp Fire Alabama; Childcare Resources Parent Education; Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention Center; Family Guidance Center of Alabama; Friends of the Court/CASA of Shelby County; Girls Incorporated of Central Alabama; Glenwood Inc.; IMPACT Family Counseling; Kid One Transport; St. Clair County Day Program Inc.; United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham; and Vineyard Family Services of Central Alabama. Learn more about what each agency does and hear the stories of clients effected by supporting this legislation. Event: The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Check Presentation and Media Event Date and Time: Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m. Location: IMPACT Family Counseling, 701 Montgomery Highway, Suite 202, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 There will be opportunities for interviews, photography and video at the event. Contact Ruth Kennedy at IMPACT Family Counseling at (205)916.0123, or rk@impactal.org or visit www.ctf.state.al.us for more information on programs and services. Alabama's Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Act, or ACANP, was adopted by the Alabama Legislature in 1983 to address the state's growing problem of child neglect and maltreatment. To address the problem at its origin, The ACANP Act established The Children's Trust Fund, now known as The Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention. These state dollars are intended to provide annual funding of community based prevention programs throughout the state as well as create a self-sustaining pool of funds to provide for funding these programs in the future. As Alabama's ONLY state agency designated to prevent child abuse and neglect, it will be our goal to encourage and support each community in this state in their efforts to find new and effective solutions for preventing child abuse before it occurs, and ultimately strengthening Alabama families to prevent this tragedy in the future. Media Contact: Ruth Kennedy IMPACT Family Counseling 701 Montgomery Highway, Suite 202 Birmingham, AL 35216 (205)916.0123 rk@impactal.org It's the race that stops the nation and across the country as thousands of Australians celebrate the Melbourne Cup. But some punters could see the weather rain on their parade as a cold front approaching Victoria and South Australia threatens to bring showers. Melbourne will only reach 17 degrees on Cup Day and it is likely to rain about 3pm - the exact time the main race kicks off. Scroll down for video Rain has hit Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne ahead of the cup on Tuesday afternoon Melbourne Cup Day is being celebrated across Australia on Tuesday A cold front approaching Victoria and South Australia brought showers The weather started to turn early at Flemington Racecourse before the rain arrived Many came prepared for showers with plastic ponchos and umbrellas The weather has already started to turn at Flemington Racecourse, with threatening clouds looming overhead. Racegoers were advised to pack an umbrella for their big day out. MELBOURNE CUP WEATHER: WHAT'S IT LIKE IN YOUR CITY? MELBOURNE: Min 9, Max 17. Late shower SYDNEY: Min 12, Max 23. Mostly sunny BRISBANE: Min 19, Max 27. Possible thunderstorm PERTH: Min 10, Max 26. Sunny ADELAIDE: Min 11, Max 18. Possible shower CANBERRA: Min 2, Max 18. Mostly sunny HOBART: Min 9, Max 16. Windy with showers DARWIN: Min 25, Max 34. Possible thunderstorm Advertisement Meanwhile Sydneysiders will enjoy a mostly sunny day with a top of 23, making it the perfect spring day to celebrate outside. In Brisbane there is a chance of showers and a possibility of thunderstorms later in the day. Further south in Adelaide the cold front moving across the south of Australia could also bring some rain. Hobart will be windy with showers for most of Tuesday, with a top of just 16 degrees. Canberra had a chilly start to the morning at just two degrees, but should heat up to about 18 with a mostly sunny day. In Darwin, there is also a chance of thunderstorms and the maximum temperature of 35 degrees. A woman is sheltered from the rain by a man (let), while other punters gather below umbrellas (right) Punters are pictured here at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday Sydneysiders will enjoy a mostly sunny day with a top of 23 Many took the opportunity to dress up for the occasion like these men A neglected shih tzu mix was hospitalized after it was thrown out of a car on Saturday A neglected and severely underweight shih tzu mix was hospitalized after it was thrown out of a car on Saturday. The dog, now renamed Grant, inspired people to raise more than $9,500 for the Ramapo-Bergen animal shelter in New Jersey, after he was rescued. But officials are still on the hunt for its owner, who could be jailed for six months and face fines up to $18,000, according to NJ.com. Witnesses said a car slowed down on Granite Ave in Paterson, New Jersey, on Saturday when the dog was thrown out from the passenger side, according to the animal shelter. Grant couldn't walk, and his heavily matted fur obscured his eyes and reeked of urine. He was also about 14lbs underweight at just 6lbs, with photos of the dog after his fur was shorn revealing his skeletal frame. The animal shelter wrote on his GoFundMe page: 'This sweet little creature moved towards us and gave kisses. 'He was stumbling over from the weight of his matts and weakness of his body, yet he yearned to love and be loved.' The dog, renamed Grant, had difficulty walking and was about 14 pounds underweight at just six pounds, with photos of the dog after his fur was shorn revealing his skeletal frame Grant's condition stabilized after he was put on an IV and given a blood transfusion, although he still needs an ultrasound to determine whether he suffers from additional health problems The Paterson Animal Control notified the shelter, citing that Grant needed 'immediate urgent rescue help.' Despite his numerous health issues, which included a dental disease and blood in his feces, the dog remained friendly. Grant's condition stabilized after he was put on an IV and given a blood transfusion, although he still needs an ultrasound to determine whether he suffers from additional health problems. Veterinarians at the Oradell Animal Hospital in Paramus are trying to get Grant's weight up, but it could take about a month before he is fully recovered. More than 240 people have raised $9,511 as of Monday night on a GoFundMe page set up by the animal shelter to pay for Grant's medical bills. The Paterson Animal Control is investigating, and the person who abused Grant could face six months in jail, along with up to six tickets of $3,000 each for violations including inflicting unnecessary paint to a living creature, and abandoning an animal on a roadside. John DeCando, an animal control officer, said: 'A person with no heart would do something like this. If you abuse an animal, you should go directly to jail.' Movie theaters across the country will show the presidential election on the big screen November 8. AMC Theaters has announced it will show CNN's election night coverage at 50 of its locations in 25 cities. The company will even designate a 'red' and 'blue' room to keep like-minded voters together. Chief content and programming officer for AMC Theaters, Elizabeth Frank, told the New York Times the idea has been in the works for about a year. The move is similar to AMC's rivals, Regal Cinemas, which screened the final two presidential debates live in more than 200 theaters across the nation, according to the New York Times. AMC Theaters have announced that they will show CNN's election night coverage at 50 of their locations in 25 cities (stock image) Other chains have picked up on the idea of screening live election coverage and will be showing their own viewings of election night. Austin, Texas, chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema screened the debates for more than 7,000 people and will open for election night again. The chain is renown for having a zero-tolerance cellphone and talking policy during its screenings of movies, but will relax there rules for election night. 'Youve got people in a room for two or three hours watching cable news together. Its one of the few times we can come together and watch something together,' John Smith, social media director of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, told the New York Times. Most theaters won't be charging for entrance like they do with films. Regal didn't charge patrons during the debate and AMC will only ask people to join its loyalty program to reserve a seat. Smith said Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas would charge a fee to reserve a seat but would give guests a voucher for food and drinks. The theaters say they make more profit from the concession sales than ticket prices. The company will even designate a 'red' and 'blue' room to keep like-minded voters together (stock image) AMC is hoping that when guests arrive on election night they will be civil and any violence that has been sparked at rallies will not be present in the theaters. 'I think the people who are going to turn out for this are people who are much more sincerely interested in the process,' Franks said. Smith said his company would have 'political hosts' to help 'set the tone' of the evening. 'Because we have alcohol, weve got a ton of staff whos monitoring whats going on. Weve got managers who are pretty constantly in that room. For the most part someone whos going to go to an Alamo theater, we dont expect them to cause a riot or to cause any security issues,' Smith told the Times. Alfa Bank and Trump's campaign deny using the servers to communicate Trump's server went dark not long after reporters started asking questions Servers were designed to communicate in 'secretive' way, Tea Leaves says A server at the Trump Organization may have communicated secretively with Russia, a group of computer scientists believe. A malware hunter going by the nickname Tea Leaves told Slate in a story published Monday he had found the server in July. Closer observation revealed the server, registered to Trump Organization on Fifth Avenue, was communicating exclusively and covertly with Moscow-based Alfa Bank, according to Tea Leaves and his colleagues. When reporters began asking questions, Trump's server went dark, the computer scientists claimed. Scroll down for video A server at the Trump Organization may have communicated secretively with Russia, a group of computer scientists believe The Trump campaign and Alfa Bank have both denied using the servers to communicate. Tea Leaves, according to Slate, is part of a community of computer scientists who go after hackers and cyber-attackers. Cyber-security experts narrowed down on Moscow in the spring after allegations that Russian hackers had gotten into the Democratic National Committee's servers. They thought Trump's campaign might be at risk as well and decided to investigate to 'preserve the integrity of the election', one of them told Slate anonymously. Tea Leaves encountered the server registered to the Trump Organization by scouring the domain name system (DNS). The DNS is a protocol that regulates communications on the internet. It is what allows internet users to type in the name of the website and to land on the appropriate page. The DNS makes it possible to link the name of the website to the actual page by prompting communication between servers. Computer scientists can spot signs of malware by inspecting DNS databases. Some of them work for private contractors and keep a close eye on communications between servers around the world. This is what Tea Leaves was doing when in July he spotted signs of malware coming from Russia. Alfa Bank was founded in 1990 by Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman. The bank's top men were described to Slate as being like 'judo pals' with Vladimir Putin (pictured right) He took note of it and investigated further. It turned out, according to Tea Leaves, that a bank in Moscow was sending pings to a server registered to the Trump Organization, based on Fifth Avenue. Tea Leaves enlisted the help of six colleagues and gave them logs of the DNS activity on the Trump server. The communications, according to the experts, followed the pattern of human exchanges, as opposed to automated conversations. They occurred during office hours in New York and Moscow and showed a 'sustained relationship' between the server registered to Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, Slate reported. The Trump server was set up in a curious way, refusing pings from the rest of the world and handling only a small amount of traffic, the researchers said. It had been created in 2009 and at first sent out mass emails during marketing campaigns. But by the time Tea Leaves found the server, it received so few communications it was hard to justify its existence, and 87 percent of the traffic involved Alfa Bank's two servers, Slate reported. Alfa Bank founder, Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman (pictured), is now the second richest man in Russia and is worth $15.3billion according to Forbes Alfa Bank denied any connection with Trump and said Fridman (pictured left shaking Putin's hand) does not have and has not had any contact with Trump or his organizations Fridman collaborated with economist Pyotr Aven (pictured shaking Putin's hand). Aven and Fridman 'have assumed an unforeseen level of prominence and influence in the economic and political affairs of their nation,' according the US District Court for the District of Columbia 'The parties were communicating in a secretive fashion. The operative word is secretive. This is more akin to what criminal syndicates do if they are putting together a project,' internet pioneer and DNS author Paul Vixie told Slate. It is unclear whether the servers actually exchanged email. The traces of communications could come from spam or redirected mail. 'I'm seeing a preponderance of the evidence, but not a smoking gun,' one scientist told Slate. But cyber-security researcher Richard Clayton, who has reviewed the evidence, believes mail is more likely. Computer Scientist Nicholas Weaver told Slate that assuming the DNS logs are authentic, 'they do indicate effectively human-level communication'. Conversations between the Trump server and Alfa Bank peaked during important moments of the election, such as the Republican and Democratic conventions, according to Tea Leaves and his colleagues. Alfa Bank was founded in 1990 and emerged in the post-Soviet era. Its founder, Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman, is now the second richest man in Russia and is worth $15.3billion according to Forbes. Fridman collaborated with economist Pyotr Aven. Both 'have assumed an unforeseen level of prominence and influence in the economic and political affairs of their nation', the US District Court for the District of Columbia wrote in 2005 while dismissing a libel lawsuit filed by the two men. Hillary Clinton brought up connections between Donald Trump's associates and Russia on a day when her campaign complained of a 'double standard' by the FBI in what it has revealed about its investigations Alfa's top men, according to a former US government official who knows Fridman, were like 'judo pals' with Vladimir Putin. 'They were always worried about where they stood in the pecking order and always feared expropriation,' the official told Slate. Alfa Bank has invested in companies in foreign companies, including Uber, to which it gave $200million in February. New York Times reporters Eric Lichtblau and Steven Lee Myers began looking into the Trump server in September, according to Slate. Lichtblau spoke to an Alfa Bank representative based in Washington that month. Shortly after, the Trump server stopped functioning. This, according to the computer scientists, is a sign that the server was shut down. A new host name was created for the Trump server four days later, meaning the communications through that server could resume, Slate reported. The first attempt to communicate with the newly-named server came from Alfa Bank. There is no way to look up a server that has been renamed - meaning someone must have known the Trump server's new name. 'That party had to have some kind of outbound message through SMS, phone, or some noninternet channel they used to communicate [the new configuration],' Vixie told Slate. Communications between the servers stopped completely not long afterwards. A former intelligence officer and Russian counterintelligence specialist told Mother Jones in a story published Friday that Moscow has tried to co-opt Trump for years. The former spy said he had considered the evidence he amassed 'sufficiently serious' to share it with the FBI. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Sunday sent FBI Director James Comey a letter about Trump's possible ties to Russia. 'In my communications with you and other top officials in the national security community, it has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisors, and the Russian government,' Reid wrote. 'The public has a right to know this information.' Hillary Clinton tweeted on Monday evening: 'It's time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia' followed by a link to Slate's story about the server Alfa Bank denied any connection with Trump. 'Alfa hired Mandiant, one of the world's foremost cyber security experts, to investigate and it has found nothing to the allegations,' the bank wrote. 'Neither Alfa Bank nor its principals, including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, have or have had any contact with Mr Trump or his organizations. Fridman and Aven have never met Mr Trump nor have they or Alfa Bank had any business dealings with him. 'Neither Alfa nor its officers have sent Mr. Trump or his organizations any emails, information or money. Alfa Bank does not have and has never had any special or exclusive internet connection with Mr. Trump or his entities. The assertion of a special or private link is patently false.' Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied any communication with Alfa Bank or Russia. 'The email server, set up for marketing purposes and operated by a third-party, has not been used since 2010. The current traffic on the server from Alphabank's [sic] IP address is regular DNS server trafficnot email traffic,' she told Slate. 'To be clear, The Trump Organization is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server. The Trump Organization has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity.' Hillary Clinton tweeted on Monday: 'It's time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia' and linked to Slate's story. 'This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow,' her campaign's policy adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. 'This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking Trump's ties to Russia. It certainly seems the Trump Organization felt it had something to hide, given that it apparently took steps to conceal the link when it was discovered by journalists. Family First senator Bob Day has formally resigned from the upper house. In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Day said the major investor that had been examining his Home Australia business over the past fortnight had decided not to proceed. 'It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a senator for South Australia and I am sorry it has ended this way,' he said. 'I will now devote my time and energy to assisting those who have been affected by the company's closure.' Family First senator Bob Day has formally resigned from the upper house after he was unable to find a major investor for his liquidated construction business Opposition leader Bill Shorten was quick to blast the 64-year-old for 'ripping off hundreds of families and contractors' Senator Day has provided a crucial vote for government legislation and motions since he was first elected in 2013, acting as a stable vote for the Coalition. His absence will leave Malcolm Turnbull's government one vote short on the reintroduction of the building industry watchdog. The 64-year-old former politician and businessman wrote to Senate President Stephen Parry on Tuesday morning to tender his resignation effective immediately. He announced earlier this month that he would quit the Senate because of financial problems with the housing group he founded. But last week, the senator indicated he might stay on and see out his parliamentary term if an investor could revive his housing group. After the major investor fell through he took to Twitter to announce the resignation. Senator Day's Home Australia group has been placed into liquidation, halting construction on 207 new homes across the country (pictured is one of those homes, in Adelaide) Senator Day said he would devote his 'time and energy to assisting those who have been affected by the company's closure' Opposition leader Bill Shorten blasted Senator Day for his treatment of employees. 'Not as worried about Bob Day's future as I am about the hundreds of families and contractors who've been ripped off by his companies,' he wrote online. Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister and member for Warringah, said he had always liked and respected Senator Day. 'He built up a very successful business. Obviously, it's disappointing that, with Bob necessarily busy in the senate and unable to give it much attention, the business is now in trouble,' Mr Abbott wrote on Facebook earlier this month. His former chief of staff Rikki Lambert confirmed he would put himself forward as a candidate for the now-vacant Senate seat but wouldn't make any comment on the preselection. Senator Day's Home Australia group of companies has been placed into liquidation, halting construction on 207 new homes in SA, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and NSW. He said he would attend the parliamentary sitting starting next Monday to support bills allowing a same-sex marriage plebiscite and reinstating the building industry watchdog. The building manager of a South African hotel where an Australian banker was found dead has claimed the victim invited his killer into his apartment. James Starkey was found in his luxury apartment at the Raphael Penthouse Suites in Johannesburg with strangulation marks around his neck and burns on his body. His mutilated body was discovered on October 8 after a concerned colleague asked staff to check on the Sydney man who failed to make contact. General manager of Legacy Hotels David Stroud has revealed there was no sign of forced entry of the door in his apartment, Fairfax Media reported. James Starkey (pictured) was found dead in his luxury apartment in South Africa last month His mutilated body was discovered after a concerned colleague asked staff to check on him 'This incident was not a breach of security in the building and took place between the tenant and his invited guest in a private apartment,' Mr Stroud said. 'We are not in the habit of presuming to tell occupants who they should or should not have visit them.' The Raphael Penthouse Suites are monitored by security guards 24 hours a day and guarantee 'tight, highly effective, and extremely efficient security controls'. But someone was suspected of gaining access to the room, despite the apartment being safeguarded by several security card protected doors. 'While we have biometric readers and security personnel present 24/7, and we can control what takes place in the common areas, we have very little control over what takes place in private and behind closed doors,' Mr Stroud said. Paramedics revealed his mutilated body was found with burns and strangulation marks A colleague found the banker after becoming concerned with his welfare and asking staff to force entry to his room at the Raphael Penthouse Suites (pictured), in Johannesburg The revelation comes as South African police are still investigating the murder. South African Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said investigators have not determined a list of suspects or a motive for the killing. Paramedics said Mr Starkey suffered severe injuries, including burns and strangulation marks visible around his neck. Police confirmed he was not sexually assaulted in the attack. A Legacy Hotels spokesperson said staff became aware of the murder after Mr Starkey's colleague asked them to contact police. 'The police told us it was a domestic matter and to leave it with them,' rooms manager Mandy Sibudi told the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Starkey (pictured), who was reportedly engaged to be wed, has worked for several financial consultancy firms including Goldman Sachs, Ernst and Young and JP Morgan His distraught family buried his body at Macquarie Park cemetery in Sydney on October 21 Mr Starkey, who graduated from Macquarie University and was reportedly engaged to be wed, has worked for several financial consultancy firms including Goldman Sachs, Ernst and Young and JP Morgan. The dual Australian-British citizen travelled to South Africa for work with his current employer, banking management firm Catalyst. They have offered condolences to Mr Starkey's family, who buried his body at Macquarie Park cemetery, in Sydney's north, on October 21. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Sydney Morning Herald the slain banker's family were being supported by the British consular. A burger bar has been accused of harassing a single young mother in text messages after she left a negative review. Bethany Kazi, 23, ordered lunch to be delivered from Stack'd Burger Bar in Berwick, Melbourne, and was told it would take two-and-a-half hours. She received a confirmation text after ordering online at Menulog, and took up the offer to cancel the order with a full refund because of the drawn-out estimated delivery time. But when Ms Kazi still hadn't received the refund five days later, she followed up and was told she was 'barred' from the restaurant and threatened with legal action for leaving a negative review. Bethany Kazi, 23, ordered lunch to be delivered from Stack'd Burger Bar in Berwick, outer south-east Melbourne, and was told it would take two-and-a-half hours The order was made on Thursday, October 20, and Ms Kazi cancelled when she was told it would be about two-and-a-half hours to deliver. The string of follow-up text messages are from Tuesday, October 25 The text messages, supplied to Daily Mail Australia, are republished in order but not in full. They show Stack'd told her the order had been successfully refunded. Five days later, last Tuesday, Ms Kazi texted again: 'How long does it take for a refund to come through please.' A staff member then responded: 'Please be advised u r permanently banned from Stack'd.' 'Because I wanted a refund for something I never received!! You're pathetic,' Ms Kazi replied. The text messages, supplied to Daily Mail Australia, are republished in order but not in full 'u just made a joke out of urself,' Ms Kazi was told She was then told 'fake reviewing is illegal in Australia and we will be sending u a legal notice this week for ur fake review'. 'It's not a fake review,' Ms Kazi said. 'Stop ripping off your customers.' The single mother had given the burger bar a one-star review on Menulog, complaining she had never received the refund. After a string of text-messages, Ms Kazi asked them to leave her alone and threatened to press charges for harassment when she was told: 'Hahahahahhahaha u r such a joker.' 'Don't chicken out,' the staff member said. She was told by text her review, and all other negative reviews left in solidarity with her, would be removed Ms Kazi had ordered lunch on Thursday, about a week-and-a-half ago, and cancelled it when she was told it would take two-and-a-half hours Ms Kazi called the text messages 'disgusting, harassing and bullying behaviour'. She confirmed to Daily Mail Australia she did not report alleged harassment to police. Daily Mail Australia has been unable to confirm if Stack'd has sought legal action for the allegedly faked review. 'I believe their behaviour was extremely disgusting and unprofessional. My friends and family will be boycotting Stack'd Burger Bar as will my kids and I. This is no way to run a business,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Threatening a single mum doesn't look good for anyone.' Ms Kazi later posted the text message exchange to social media and it was shared more than 1,000 times. Stack'd then addressed the controversy in a Facebook post. Ms Kazi left a 1-star review of the restaurant on Menulog when she never received her refund Messages between Menulog and Ms Kazi. Menulog refunded her directly and provided her with an additional $40 voucher 'Hello everyone, we are very sad to hear that one of our beloved customer was treated inappropriately yesterday by a staff member who was sacked earlier today for its behaviour,' the post said. Stack'd addressed the controversy in a Facebook post and later deleted the page 'If our customer is not happy, we are not happy. We pride ourself in Great Customer Service and great food and always take appropriate measures to maintain high standards of customer service. 'To make it up to Bethany, we would like to offer her a free meal along with her family or a free meal delivered.' Ms Kazi declined the offer, and the Stack'd Facebook page has since been taken down after receiving a flurry of negative feedback. The burger bar now has a 1.1-star rating online. Ms Kazi took it to Menulog, who refunded the order themselves and provided her with an additional $40 voucher, according to messages provided to Daily Mail Australia. Stack'd Burger Bar in Berwick, outer south-east Melbourne, now has a 1.1-star rating online 'We are incredibly disappointed to hear about this customer's experience,' a Menulog spokesperson said A Menulog spokesperson confirmed she had been provided a refund directly as well as a discount code for a voucher. 'Our priority is to ensure a seamless and enjoyable ordering experience for all of our customers and we have stringent processes in place to make sure this happens,' the spokesperson said. 'We are currently investigating the issue and as per the Menulog terms and conditions the restaurant will remain live while this is in progress.' According to messages Ms Kazi provided, Menulog investigated and Stack'd was warned and placed on high alert for the behaviour. The spokesperson confirmed restaurants are not able to delete reviews or ratings from Menulog. The website's conditions require customers to have been delivered the food in order to make a balanced review, which is why Ms Kazi's review was deleted. 'We are incredibly disappointed to hear about this customer's experience,' the spokesperson said. Hernandez was tried for the murder in 2015, but the jury was deadlocked And she says he was controlling and short-tempered in their marriage She also told the court he had a photo of Etan among his possessions At the time she thought he meant a teen; Hernandez was 22 at that point His ex-wife told the court he said he'd strangled a boy who 'violated' him Pedro Hernandez, 55, is accused of killing Etan, who went missing in 1979 Pedro Hernandez, 55, the man accused of killing six-year-old Etan Patz in 1979, told his ex-wife that he strangled a 'muchacho,' or young boy, before their marriage, a court heard Monday. Daisy Rivera, 50, said that Hernandez made the shocking declaration to her after a prayer circle meeting in 1982, when she was just 17. He told her his victim 'violated him,' she said. 'He said that after he felt violated he got very angry and he lost control and he grabbed the person by the neck,' she said through tears, according to the New York Daily News. Suspect: Pedro Hernandez (right) is on trial for the murder of Etan Patz (left) who vanished without trace in New York in 1979. Hernandez's ex-wife says he confessed to killing a boy She said she thought at the time that Hernandez, who was then around 22, was talking about a teen closer to his own age. 'I figured somebody had gotten fresh with him - somebody had did something sexual to him,' she said. Hernandez made similar remarks to others in the prayer circle, although the story changed each time. Rivera described Hernandez as controlling and short-tempered, saying she wasn't allowed to talk to family or invite friends over to their home. She couldn't even attend church without him, she said. But she confronted him after finding Etan Patz's photograph, cut out from his missing persons poster, among Hernandez's possessions. Poster: She said she thought he meant a teen when he said in 1982 he'd strangled a 'muchacho.' He also had this photo of Etan among his personal possessions, she said Believing that he might have fathered the boy with another woman, she demanded to know who the child was. 'That was a child that disappeared around the area where I lived at,' Hernandez said. This is the second time that Hernandez, 55, has gone to court over Patz's disappearance. His first trial ended in May 2015, after three months of testimony and 18 days of deliberations, with a deadlocked jury voting 11-1 to convict. Six-year-old Etan disappeared on May 25, 1979, the first day parents Stan and Julie allowed him to walk the two blocks from their New York home to his bus stop alone. He became one of the first missing children whose face was put on milk cartons, and his case caused many parents to stop letting their children roam their neighborhoods alone. Hernandez was then a teenage stock clerk at a corner store near the Patzes' SoHo home at the time of Etan's disappearance. But he didn't become a suspect until 2012, when his brother-in-law told police about his remarks to the prayer group regarding his attack on a 'muchacho.' His neighbor also said he'd made similar statements. Detectives then got a confession from Hernandez himself, who told them how he choked the boy. Gone: Etan's parents, Stan and Julie, seen on the fire escape of their SoHo loft in 1980. He vanished after being allowed to walk to the bus stop alone for the first time 'I wanted to let go, but I just couldn't let go,' he told them in a videoed confession. 'I felt like something just took over me.' He claimed to have killed Etan after luring him to the convenience store basement with the promise of a soda. Prosecutors suggest the motive was sexual. Hernandez's defense says the Maple Shade, New Jersey, man has mental problems that made him imagine he attacked Etan. A defense psychiatrist diagnosed Hernandez, now 55, with schizotypal personality disorder; symptoms can include delusions, which Hernandez's family says he has had. 'Pedro Hernandez is the only witness against himself,' defense lawyer Harvey Fishbein told jurors last year. 'Yet he is inconsistent and unreliable.' Last Monday, the prosecution argued that Hernandez may have been Patz's 'invisible friend' Johnny, whom the boy had talked about 'going away' with before he disappeared. One of Patz's childhood friends testified that Patz had talked about Johnny giving him candy, but said that in her 'overall memory' she 'believed it was imaginary, that it was a game.' The grandmother of a 16-month-old boy put on life support the day after contracting meningococcal disease has posted a confronting photo of his worsening condition. Bianca Bais, of Christie Downs in Adelaide, posted the image of her grandson Charlie to Facebook as he lay in a hospital bed with a purple-spotted rash and red raw skin. 'I'm begging everyone, please pray your hardest for my grandson Charlie who is fighting for his life at the Women's and Children's Hospital against the cruel and ugly meningococcal disease,' Ms Bais wrote on Tuesday afternoon in capitalised text. In an earlier post by Ms Bais, which was taken down after it was reported for nudity, she explained how Charlie's condition deteriorated rapidly in a matter of hours. Adelaide toddler Charlie Bais, who is just 16 months old, is fighting for his life on child support just one day after contracting the deadly meningococcal disease At first Charlie's parents thought he had a tummy bug, but they took him to hospital when 'a few red dots' appears on his body (Harry is pictured before contracting disease) 'Charlie was just miserable all day, we thought it was a tummy bug, took him to Noarlunga Hospital but they cleared him at 5pm and sent him home,' Ms Bais wrote. 'A short time later, Charlie threw up and his mother noticed 'a few red dots' and thought it was chickenpox.' 'Bonnie (the mother) took Charlie to Flinders hospital and within less than an hour he was put on life support and then in two hours he was rushed to the Women's and Children's Hospital where he is still fighting for his life in very dangerous critical condition.' She encouraged other parents to 'research this ugly disease and when your child gets sick keep a close eye on them.' 'Charlie is fighting for his life for the second night now but the doctors said thanks to Bonnie's quick actions in getting him to the hospital not once but twice, it has kept him from already being pronounced dead and given him the best possible fight chance,' she added. His grandmother has been posting updates on the little boy's deteriorating condition, and requested that no donations be made to his mother Bonnie After noticing purple spots on Charlie's body his mother Bonnie raced him to hospital, where he was put on life support in less than an hour (meningococcal disease pictured) SA Health said they have provided precautionary dose of the antibiotic chemoprophylaxis to eight people who had been in contact with the infant. Meningococcal health information has been distributed to contacts in accordance with the Invasive Meningococcal Disease Communicable Diseases Network Australia: National Guidelines for Public Health Units. According to SA Health the case is the 21st reported in South Australia so far this year, compared to 27 at the same time last year. A total of 30 cases of the disease were reported in 2015. For more information about the disease visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au. The man allegedly then told her to 'come with me' while grabbing her He allegedly placed his hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek The schoolgirl was walking her dog when she was approached by the man The incident happened in Geelong, in Victoria, on Monday at 1.30pm Man, aged between 50 and 70, is accused of attempting to abduct a girl, 12 A man is accused of trying to abduct a 12-year-old school girl as she was walking her dog. The young girl was walking along Purnell Road in Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, when the man believed to be aged between 50 and 70 approached her on Monday at 1.30pm. The man allegedly stopped beside the girl to pat the dog before putting his hand on her shoulder and kissing her on the cheek. Police have released a computer generated image of a man they believe attempted to abduct a girl, 12 While still holding onto the victim the man tried to make her walk with him, saying 'come with me'. The girl struggled free from the man and ran to a nearby school where she sought assistance from a staff member. Police have released a computer generated image of a man they believe may be able to assist with their enquiries. The man was described as having tanned skin, short white hair, unshaven, with a heavy accent which was described as being European. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Several activities will be take place Friday, Nov. 11, to honor veterans as part of the Veterans Day celebration in north Baldwin. The activities will include a breakfast, parade and special ceremonies throughout the day. The recognition begins at 8 a.m. with a breakfast at the John F. Rhodes Civic Center in Bay Minette. The breakfast is free and open to the public. The Baldwin County High School ROTC will post the colors for the event. Police Chaplain Robert Gates will give the invocation. Retired Army Sgt. Matthew Craig will sing the National Anthem and God Bless America. Craig served as teacher with the Baldwin County Board of Education for more than six years before joining the military in 2011. He returned to the classroom this year at Bay Minette Middle School. He was stationed at Fort Riley in Kansas and was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom 12-13 from May 2012 to February 2013. Craig was awarded the AAM with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, ARCOM with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Combat Action Badge, and a Meritorious Unit Citation. He medically retired with an honorable discharge in 2014. He now resides in Bay Minette with his wife Arin and son Sawyer. Mayor Robert A. "Bob" Wills will provide opening remarks at the breakfast and introduce the guest speaker Ret. U.S. Air Force Major Jamie Barnes. Barnes enlisted in the Air Force in 1994 as a communications systems operator. During his enlisted career her served at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Lajes Field Air Station, Azores, Portugal, and Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, Montgomery. While at Maxwell-Gunter, Barnes completed his Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Faulkner University and was selected to attend officer training school. He received his commission in 2002 as a Cyber Warfare operations officer and was assigned to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He went on to complete his Masters Degree in Computer Systems Management from Webster University in Missouri. After serving at Scott Air Force Base, Barnes was again assigned to Lajes Field in Portugal where he served as Mission Support Group Executive Officer and Flight Commander of the Special Programs and Projects Flight. In 2007, Barnes was selected for training into the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga. Barnes was then assigned to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado as a Counter Intelligence/Criminal Investigator. In 2012 he was selected for reassignment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he taught as an associate professor in the Defense and Strategic Studies Program. Before retiring in 2014, Barnes served in Combat and Intelligence Operations supporting the Global War on Terrorism and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Kyrgastan, Turkey, Germany and Greenland. In November 2014, Barnes assumed command of the Alabama 931st Junior Reserve Officer Training Program in Bay Minette. Veteran's Day Parade and Eternal Flame Ceremony Following the breakfast, the annual Veterans Day parade will begin at 10:15 a.m. from Bay Minette Intermediate School. The parade will end at the Eternal Flame on Courthouse Square for a brief ceremony. Kay Corley will sing the National Anthem and Retired U.S. Army Major Stephen Sexton will give the invocation. Following a performance of Taps, SFC Todd Jarrell with the US Army National Guard will give the dedication and Corley will sing America the Beautiful. Mabron Williams will serve as the Grand Marshal of the Veterans Day Parade in Bay Minette. Williams was named the Veteran of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3568 in Bay Minette. The presentation was made by VFW representatives Frazier Martin and Johnny Boyington. For the parade, Mabron Williams will serve as the Grand Marshal. Williams was named the Veteran of the Year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3568 in Bay Minette. In 1942 Williams left high school to join the US Navy. During WWII, he participated in seven invasions in the South Pacific and received a citation from President Harry Truman for his involvement in WWII along with numerous medals and ribbons. Williams retired from the US Navy in 1962 after 20 years of active service and remained in the Fleet Reserve until 1972 for a total of 30 years of service. After his retirement from the Navy, he and his family moved home to Bay Minette and he worked for 20 years at Kaiser Aluminum before retiring in 1984. Williams is an active member of First Baptist Church Bay Minette, VFW, American Legion, Naval Fleet Reserve Association, and Masonic Order. He had the privilege of being on the first Honor Flight South Alabama to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 2009 with Dr. Barry Booth. Looking back on his life, he said: "I feel it was an honor and privilege to serve God and my country in war and peace times." Korean Memorial Ceremony Another special Veterans Day ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the Korean War Memorial monument on the front lawn of the Bay Minette Public Library. The ceremony will include the First Call, lowering of old flag and raising of new one, and the laying of the wreath, among other events. William F. Green Veterans Home Ceremony At 2:15 p.m., a ceremony will take place at the William F. Green State Veterans Home in Bay Minette. This event is open to the public. For more information about these events, call the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce at 251-937-5665. Furious punters were seen storming out of a Brisbane racecourse just minutes before the Melbourne Cup after a power outage caused them to miss the coveted race. Spectators are 'p***ed off' and demanding their money back after a fuse blew at the Eagle Farm racecourse an hour before the 3pm race, shutting down all televisions and suspending trackside betting, according to The Courier Mail. Men and women dolled up in their racing attire were left sitting in the dark, huddling under marquees to watch the annual race on their phones, or running to the closest pubs to catch what was left of the race. Scroll down for video Angry punters are demanding their money back after a power outage at the Eagle Farm racecourse in Brisbane on Tuesday caused them to miss the 2016 Melbourne Cup Punters were seen storming out of the racecourse to the nearest pub to catch what was left of the coveted race 'Everyone is just storming out to watch the race somewhere else. This just shouldn't have happened,' Chantelle Dinnage, 28, said. Bookmakers' clerk Joe told The Sydney Morning Herald punters were becoming increasingly agitated as well as the bookies. 'We're losing money every time we can't put a bet on,' he said. 'People are pissed off. 'People have taken the day off and it's coming to nothing because we can't even place bets for the biggest race in Australia.' A fuse blew an hour before the 3pm race, shutting down all televisions and suspending trackside betting Men and women were left sitting in the dark, huddling under marquees to watch the annual race on their phones 'Someone's head is going to roll,' a Brisbane Racing Club staffer said Punters took to social media to vent their frustrations. 'Eagle Farm! At least give us free alcohol,' one woman said. 'Still no power at Eagle Farm. No bet on the big race, winnings forfeited. Lucky we can stream the race...who else would be doing that? #Grr,' one man wrote. 'Disastrous scene at Eagle Farm! All power is out,' The Punting Club posted on Twitter. Punters took to social media to vent their frustrations about the power outage (pictured) Brisbane Racing Club officials at the racecourse were also overheard discussing the incident. 'Someone's head is going to roll,' a BRC staffer said. A transformer blew and knocked out the power an hour before the race was set to start, a spokesperson told The Courier-Mail. Despite Energex staff working on the issue, as the start time neared, people began fleeing the racecourse to watch it elsewhere. Seven-year-old Almadin claimed this year's title of the 2016 Melbourne Cup and the $3.6 million prize. He had a great run under jockey Kerrin McEvoy at Flemington racecourse on Tuesday afternoon. Punters were forced to wait around as the race neared while Energex staff attempted to fix the blown fuse Some punters appeared to get bored and began entertaining themselves These are the horrifying injuries suffered by a man shot in the face at point-blank range after daring the gunman to pull the trigger. Joshua Small was talking on his phone on Tuesday morning at a friend's home in Christchurch, on New Zealand's South Island, when a man pulled a .22 calibre pistol on him, stuff.co.nz reported. Mr Small did not expect the gunman to carry through when he challenged him to fire the gun, leaving him jetting blood and severely swollen from a wound to his eye. Joshua Small did not expect the gunman who pulled a 22 calibre pistol on him to pull the trigger when he dared him to do so Small said he had a verbal stoush with the man after he arrived to his friend's house before he took off and returned wielding a firearm. 'I thought he was just playing around and then he pulled the gun on me and pulled the trigger. I didn't hear the shot, my glasses just blew off my face and there was blood p*****g out everywhere,' Mr Small said. Mr Small staggered to a nearby Caltex service station, where concerned employee called him an ambulance. He was rushed to hospital and has since been discharged. 'I feel lucky to be alive. I thought it was going to be the end, honestly.' Mr Small said he would not lay charges against the man because it went against his values to do so. Christchurch police are investigating the incident, which they said was isolated but concerning. He was left jetting blood and severely requiring stitches for a bullet wound to his eye Small said he would not lay charges against the man because it went against his values to do so He also wanted to recruit five people to help carry out the attack Galea is linked to a number of far-right groups including Reclaim Australia man has been charged two terrorism-related offences An anti-Islam extremist conducted surveillance of 'left-wing' premises where he planned to launch deadly bombing attacks, police allege. Victorian man Phillip Michael Galea, 31, has also been accused of trying to recruit others to carry out his plans. 'Loss of life to persons possessing left-wing ideologies was the focus of the attack,' police say. Scroll down for video Victorian anti-Islam extremist Phillip Michael Galea, 31, has been charged two terrorism-related offences after planning to bomb 'left-wing' premises. He is charged with two terrorism-related offences over his alleged activities between September 2015 and early August this year. Galea was remanded in custody after facing the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday, when documents outlining police allegations were released. Investigators say Galea has been linked to far-right groups Reclaim Australia, United Patriots Front, Patriots Defence League Australia, the True Blue Crew and also a 'neo-Nazi, self-confessed militant group' called Combat 18. He allegedly ordered ingredients for smoke bombs last year and mercury - which has explosive properties - was found at his Braybrook home in November. Galea was charged over his alleged activities between September 2015 and early August this year Galea has been linked to far-right group Reclaim Australia (pictured) and was allegedly preparing a 'Patriot's Cookbook' based on The Anarchist Cookbook He has also been linked to United Patriots Front (pictured) a group who claims to be against the spread of Islam Video footage seized in the same raid shows Galea carrying out reconnaissance of a target, the documents allege. Police say he met with an associate in April this year and discussed plans to attack two locations associated with the political left. 'Galea outlined his intentions were to cause as much devastation to these locations as possible in a team co-ordinated attack, using smoke bombs and improvised explosive devices,' police allege in the documents. 'Galea's plans were to recruit at least five other capable persons to assist with his plan.' The documents do not name specific targets. Galea is accused of researching homemade bombs, ballistic armour and guns. He was also allegedly preparing a 'Patriot's Cookbook' based on The Anarchist Cookbook and his own research. Galea is also alleged to have wanted to recruit at least five other people to help carry out the attacks Galea was also linked to True Blue Crew who are another Pro-Australian group who are against Islamisation Galea's lawyer, Allan McMonnies, requested an adjournment of the case on Monday after telling the court his client had been moved to Thomas Embling Hospital - a high security mental health facility - last week. He was moved there for treatment after being assessed by a psychiatrist at a remand prison, the court heard. 'Thomas Embling has indicated to us he is not well enough to attend court,' Mr McMonnies said. Galea, who appeared via videolink, spoke out after his lawyer. 'I am not, and have never been, suffering from any form of mental illness,' the accused said. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody until December 19. Advertisement Fascinators and frothy beers were all out in full force in Sydney as thousands left city offices deserted to watch the Melbourne Cup. Revellers wouldn't let being nearly 900km from Flemington Racecourse stop them from decking themselves out in their finest frocks and suits to watch the 'race that stops the nation'. Onlookers couldn't take their eyes off big screens at pubs and public places as German stayer Almandin beat Heartbreak City to the finish line by a whisker in a thrilling final stretch. Hartnell, the favourite, took third place while late entrant Rose of Virginia clutched the wooden spoon - despite picking up a flood of bets in the final hours of betting. Scroll down for video These three women dressed up for the occasion even though they were in Sydney for the race that stops the nation This pair weren't deterred from partying for the Melbourne Cup even though they were in a different state This couple took a break from their celebrations to embrace each other on the side of the street in Sydney A pair of glamorous women sipped beverages as they waited for the 'race that stops the nation' to begin in earnest Mwah! A lady in pink shoots an air kiss at the camera as thousands streamed into the streets of the Sydney to watch the Cup Revellers kept in touch with friends (left) and shot selfies (right) while other onlookers were glued to the big screen Up close and personal! These two ladies were more than happy to strike a pose directly in front of the photographer Champagne was flowing across Sydney as workers ditched their office to celebrate the Melbourne Cup A woman in a tight-fitting yellow dress joined a male friend on the dance floor inside a Sydney pub on Tuesday afternoon A reveller pours herself a celebratory glass joining hundreds celebrating the landmark annual race Onto a winner? Tense punters clutch their glasses as the country's biggest race roars towards a thrilling conclusion Cup onlookers share shy smiles as they show off a wide variety of headwear and big sunglasses for the cameras It was fashions OFF the field for these ladies - posing for pictures alongside an elaborate floral arrangement in Martin Place Friends chatted and clutched their phones as they watched the race unfold with hundreds of strangers A Sydney doctor accused of underdosing patients has refused to apologise for ignoring guidelines. A government review earlier this year found more than 100 of Dr John Grygiel's head and neck cancer patients across Sydney and the state's central west were given reduced doses of chemotherapy drugs. Dr Grygiel has revealed there may have been other doctors giving significantly reduced doses of chemotherapy drugs at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital. Scroll down for video Dr John Grygiel (pictured), accused of underdosing more than 100 cancer patients in Sydney and the state's central west has refused to apologise for ignoring guidelines He told a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the bungle that he believes he wasn't the only doctor using 'those sorts of doses'. Dr Grygiel repeatedly refused to apologise for ignoring medical guidelines while being grilled at the inquiry on Tuesday, saying no one was harmed as a result of his treatment. 'In the cases that have prompted this inquiry there is no evidence that the guidelines' dose would have led to a better outcome,' he said. 'Indeed in many cases I believe it could have had a negative impact as it would have discouraged patients from continuing treatment.' The senior doctor, who has since been sacked from St Vincent's Hospital said he was completely 'blindsided' when the issue was exposed in a media report in February. The director of cancer services at St Vincent's, Dr Richard Gallagher, later asked him to consider early retirement to avoid a 's*** storm', he claimed. Dr Grygiel has revealed there may have been other doctors giving significantly reduced doses of chemotherapy drugs at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital (pictured) Dr Grygiel told a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the bungle that he believes he wasn't the only doctor using 'those sorts of doses' Dr Grygiel said he decided on a level of chemotherapy dosage 12 years before guidelines were introduced in 2006. 'I explained to (my patients) that there were guidelines and I explained to them that I used lower doses,' he said. St Vincent's Hospital's CEO and clinicians told the inquiry on Monday that Dr Grygiel continued to practise until last November despite the issue coming to the attention of the hospital last June. He said his superiors were made aware of his practise as early as 2006 but believed he had been exonerated after an internal hospital investigation into his unorthodox prescriptions in 2015 found none of his patients had been hurt by his treatment. The medical oncologist is the only person to have lost their job over the scandal. A New York teacher who lost the feeling in her legs after she fell off a 150ft cliff while fleeing a sex attacker in a Thai jungle has now walked again for the first time. Hannah Gavios, 23, fractured her spine in September after Apai Ruangwong, 28, led her up the side of a mountain and attacked her. But on Sunday her mom announced that Gavois had taken her first steps since the accident thanks to custom leg-braces bought with online contributions totaling $112,000, The New York Daily News reported. Hannah Gavios (seen in hospital after her attack) was left paralyzed after a Thai man attacked her and she fell off a 150ft cliff while fleeing. But on Sunday she walked again for the first time Apai Ruangwong (seen with a bandage on his ear, which Gavios bit while being assaulted for hours) was given five years in prison earlier this month on a plea deal; he could have got ten 'Hannah is walking better with her custom foot braces that arrived last week,' mom Gwen Gavios said on the now-closed GoFundMe.com page. The young teacher still has no feeling in her ankles, feet and backside, and is currently undergoing physiotherapy in New York. The 23-year-old had been teaching English in Vietnam when she took a holiday to Thailand. Her mom said her physiotherapy is expected to last up to two years, or even longer 'Hannah's recovery period is expected to last up to two years or more,' Gwen Gavios added. 'Many of the expenses, such as physical therapy will not be covered after several months,' she said, explaining how the raised funds would be spent. 'We may have to make changes to our home, including a remodeling of our bathroom to accommodate Hannah's disabilities.' The page was closed on Monday after the family decided that they had raised enough money. Gavios was attacked on September 1, the day she arrived in the Thai resort of Krabi, during a holiday from teaching English in Vietnam. She became lost on pitch-black Railay Beach and went into a local tourist shop asking for help back to her hotel. Hired-help worker Ruangwong offered to show her the way but instead led her into the jungle where they started climbing a mountain. Still tired after arriving in Thailand just the day before, Gavois innocently followed him before realizing she was in danger. The man pinned her down and tried to rip off her clothes - but Gavois bravely fought back and bit off part of his ear. She then fled but blindly ran off the edge of a cliff edge in the darkness, fracturing her spine and smashing her head on the way down before she landed crippled at the bottom. Ruangwong then scrambled after her and repeatedly sexually molested her for several hours as she lay helpless. He left but then returned later with other people who raised the alarm. Gavois was then found by rescue team and taken to hospital. Ruangwong pinned her down and tried to rip off her clothes, but Gavois bravely fought back and fled; he then sexually assaulted her for hours after she fell off the cliff and was paralyzed Gavois (pictueed in an ambulance) was not located until daybreak on Friday, when the search team found her lying on a rock 15 metres down the 45-metre deep cliff Gavois said at the time: 'I honestly thought I was going to die. 'I hit my head a few times and landed on a big bump. I was screaming in pain. It was the most painful thing ever. 'I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldn't move anything. 'I was stuck with this crazy person. I was in the woods in the bushes with wild snakes crawling on me while he was still continuing to harass me. He got on top of me. 'He didn't rape me but he did everything else.' Ruangwong was made to reenact the assault by Thai police. Gavois's therapy is being paid for out of $112,000 raised by kind donors online Gavois was taken to hospital and later flown back to her home in Queens, New York, where she is still undergoing intensive treatment. Twisted Ruangwong was sentenced to ten years earlier this month but that was halved after he pleaded guilty to the obscene behavior and causing serious injury, according to the New York Times. Gavois' mom slammed the sentence at the time, saying: 'I am dismayed that it is automatically cut down to five years because of a guilty plea.' She added that 'Hannah will suffer the consequences of the attack for the rest of her life.' A mother and father watched their two young daughters lives slip away as they tried desperately to resuscitate them after they drowned in their backyard swimming pool. The sisters, Patricia, three, and Taya, four, Young from Logan, south of Brisbane were found by their older brother Aige, five, after 1.30pm on Tuesday. The Young girls were unresponsive when they were pulled from the pool by their mother Renise - who tried CPR on them alongside their father Troy. Scroll down for video Taya, left, and Patricia, right, lost their lives in their own swimming pool on Melbourne Cup Day The girls' mother, pictured, could not revive them and they were pronounced dead at the scene Both their parents and paramedics frantically performed CPR but the young girls couldn't be revived, Nine News reported. 'He's cut up something terrible and she's just as bad because she had to dive in the pool to get them out,' Mr Brown told Nine News.' The girls' heartbroken aunt , Tamara Sengstock, told Fairfax Renise was 'trying to hold herself together for her son and other two daughters'. The young mother was comforted outside the home following the tragic accident 'R.I.P beautiful girls. Taya and Patricia young (sic), you were both taken so soon,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Can't believe you beautiful angels were taken so soon and only were 4 and 3yrs old.' The girl's uncle commented on the post. 'That's my older sister that lost her babies. My two nieces,' he wrote before admitting he already missed the young children. Two girls, aged three and four, have tragically drowned in a backyard swimming pool The girls were pronounced dead at the scene. Queensland police said the deaths are not being treated as suspicious. Inspector Glenn Allen told The Australian the accident was a 'tragedy'. 'Imagine just one let alone two, at one time - it must be so awful,' he said. According to the publication the children had eaten lunch and were preparing to go for a swim in the freshly cleaned pool. The backyard pool is fully fenced however Logan City Council officers are on the scene checking if all fences meet regulation. The children were pulled from the pool by their mother but couldn't be revived Police aren't treating the deaths as suspicious but are looking into how the two girls got into the pool The two young girls were found in the pool by their five-year-old brother Stephanie Scott's killer Vincent Stanford is planning to appeal his LIFE sentence for the school teacher and bride-to-be's horrific murder. Stanford was sentenced to life in jail last month for Ms Scott's rape and murder in Leeton, New South Wales, with Justice Robert Hulme saying 'The level of culpability is so extreme that it warrants the maximum penalty.' But the Court of Criminal Appeal today told Daily Mail Australia that Stanford's legal team had lodged a notice of intention to appeal last week. Scroll down for videos Vincent Stanford (left) is escorted by correctional service officers from Griffith Local Court in October. He was given life in prison after pleading guilty to raping and murdering school teacher Stephanie Scott Schoolteacher and bride-to-be Stephanie Scott with her mother, Merrilyn Scott Justice Robert Hulme said Stanford, 25, showed 'not the slightest hint of remorse' as he confessed to the murder of Ms Scott (pictured with fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley) They now have six-months to lodge the appeal. News of the planned appeal comes the day Ms Scott's father died in a tragic farm accident. Robert Scott, aged in his 60s, was struck by a falling tree while clearing bush at the family farm in the central west of New South Wales on Tuesday. In July, the 25-year-old cleaner pleaded guilty to the April 2015 rape and murder of Ms Scott at Leeton High School in April 2015 just days before her wedding to Aaron Leeson-Woolley. In Stanford's sentencing in early October, Justice Robert Hulme said the killer showed 'not the slightest hint of remorse' as he confessed to the murder of Ms Scott. Justice Hulme described Stanford's offending as 'conniving', 'callous', despicable' and 'heinous'. A young Stephanie Scott pictured with her father, Robert, who died in tragic farm accident on Tuesday Stephanie Scott's mother, Merrilyn Scott (centre), and father Robert Scott, depart Griffith Local Court in October Ms Scott was due to marry her partner in only a matter of days when she was killed in 2015 The judge said he found it hard to believe the 25-year-old cleaner's crime was not premeditated, and Stanford had carried out Ms Scott's rape and murder in a 'calculating manner'. 'I cannot sentence on the basis of speculation. Having made this observation, I have not blindly accepted everything that has been placed before me, I must put it aside for this sentence,' Justice Hulme said. He said Stanford's actions before and after he raped and murdered Ms Scott showed the 25-year-old could make 'well-considered choices to serve his own interest'. 'The offender's conniving, callous and self-interested conduct continued in the immediate aftermath with his disposal of incriminating items. 'One of the most despicable acts being his despatch of Ms Scott's engagement and graduation rings and her driver's licence to his brother, Marcus, in South Australia. Stanford's actions following Ms Scott's murder were described as 'calculating' by Justice Robert Hulme 'Another despicable act was the offender's return to the Cocoparra National Park and photographing the charred remains. 'There was also the keeping of Ms Scotts bra as something of a 'souvenir'.' Justice Hulme said 'there can be no question the offender is a very disturbed individual'. 'The calculating manner in which the offender carried out the various activities following the murder, and to some extent before, indicates that he was well capable of making well-considered choices about how to best serve his own interests and to achieve his objectives,' he said. The court also heard Stanford told police 'good luck with the search' after he denied seeing Ms Scott at Leeton High School, in central New South Wales, at the time of when she went missing. Sportsmanship was very much alive and well at one of the closest Melbourne Cup finishes in history with the runner-up patting the winner on the back. Brazilian jockey Joao Moreira, riding second-placed Heartbreak City, physically congratulated the victor, Kerrin McEvoy, moments after his rival rode Almandin to a place in history. Melbourne Cup winner McEvoy, 36, said Moreira, 32, was chivalrous. 'He was happy for me that I won the race,' he told Seven News on Tuesday. 'He ran second, it was a nice touch by him.' Scroll down for video Melbourne Cup runner-up Joao Moreira (pictured) right pats race victor Kerrin McEvoy (pictured left) on the back in a chivalrous gesture McEvoy, who wins $180,000 from his five per cent share of the $3.6 million first-prize pool, said he was confident at the last 100 metres at the 3200-metre Flemington racecourse. 'It was a ding-dong battle as racing purists like to say,' he said. 'There were no hard luck stories - Joao had his chance, I had a great run.' It was the closest race since 2011, when Dunaden just beat Red Cadeaux in a photo finish which goes down as the closest contest in the Melbourne Cup's 155 year history. Second-placed jockey Joao Moreira (pictured right) missed out of $135,000 of extra prize money after narrowly losing to Kerrin McEvoy at the 2016 Melbourne Cup Kerrin McEvoy (pictured left) narrowly wins his second Melbourne Cup against Joao Moreira (pictured right) who rodes in his third Melbourne Cup Moreira, who will take home $45,000, said he also thought he was going to win the 2016 race. 'It was a fantastic run, unfortunately we didn't win the race,' he told racing.com. 'He had a beautiful run through the field and turning for home I thought I was going to win.' This was Moreira's third Melbourne Cup. He came fourth in 2014 on the horse Signoff. Sydneysider McEvoy is 2015 Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne's brother-in-law and won the race in 2000 with horse Brew. Double killer Rurik Jutting had sex with transsexuals and searched for sex with other men as his life spiralled out of control from taking drugs and watching violent pornography, a court heard today. The British banker even lied to his employers he was HIV positive after missing so much work because of his drug use and addiction to prostitutes. Jutting surfed the gay website Grindr looking for black men to have sex with, his lawyer Tim Owen QC told the court. He also had encounters with two transsexuals as well as numerous prostitutes while high on drink and drugs. British banker Rurik Jutting, 31, pictured in 2014, has pleaded not guilty to the murders of two Indonesian sex workers Jutting was charged with the murders of Sumarti Ningsih (left) and Seneng Mujiasih (right), whose bodies were found in his upmarket apartment near Hong Kong's red-light district A court in Hong Kong was told in the two weeks before killing two prostitutes in October 2014 he had failed to turn up for work as he took cocaine and met prostitutes. The sordid sex life of the Cambridge educated banker was detailed by a top psychiatrist from Broadmoor Hospital for the criminally insane who talked about his lengthy interviews with Jutting in prison. Professor Derek Perkins spent 15 hours with Jutting earlier this year talking about his early life, work and the death of the prostitutes. Jutting opened up about his life and how it had spiralled out of control leading to the murder of two Indonesian prostitutes in October 2014. Jutting, who has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denied murder, told Professor Perkins he wanted 'new experiences'. The court has previously heard from UK based psychologist Dr Richard Latham that Jutting suffered from narcissistic personality disorder and sexual sadism disorder. He had also been abused as a boy at top public school Winchester College and witnessed his father attempt suicide. The court has been told Jutting was addicted to cocaine and violent pornography and tortured his first victim Sumarti Ningsih, 23, for three days before slitting her throat. His second victim, 26-year-old Seneng Mujiasih, died after she tried to flee from his luxury high rise flat in Hong Kong. A 350,000 a year highflying advisor with Bank of America Merrill Lynch he called police from his flat to confess. Rurik Jutting (shown in a court drawing) said he took huge quantities of cocaine before clambering on to the balcony of the apartment in the Wan Chai district with some vodka and an energy drink - fearing special forces were in his home They later found 43 videos on his iPhone where he filmed his victims and talked about the horrific torture they had suffered before dying. The court in Hong Kong was told today after killing his second victim called his boss at the bank to tell them they had to 'protect their reputation.' Jutting said: 'I am in a lot of trouble and you need to do something to protect the reputation of the bank.' Bank of America have refused to make any comment on Jutting who was employed at their Hong Kong offices for just over a year. Giving evidence as an expert witness for the defence, Professor Perkins said Jutting's life began to unravel in 2013 when he came under investigation for financial trading irregularities while working in London for Merrill Lynch. He said until that time Jutting had described his career as 'stellar' but he was put on restricted duties while investigations by financial authorities were carried out. Professor Perkins said Jutting said his move to Hong Kong in 2013 was a way of 'getting him out of the way.' Professor Perkins said: 'He cried when he got an email that was critical of his actions. He thought it was unjustified and his activities were being monitored.' Jurors viewed harrowing iPhone footage showing his attacks on Sumarti Ningsih (pictured), whose body was later found dead in a suitcase in his Hong Kong flat The court was told Jutting had been involved in a tax deal for clients that he had been trying to set up in Luxembourg. As a result he was under investigation for possible violation of trading rules and Jutting admitted he was under a 'massive amount of stress.' Professor Perkins said the investigation was a major turning point for Jutting and likely tipped him on the path to become a depraved double killer. At the time he was earning over 250,000 a year and had been put forward for a Vice President's position within the bank such was the success he was having. The investigation by financial watchdogs meant his career had stalled, the court heard and Jutting said he was 'locked in a battle of wills' with his bosses. He was moved to a different part of the bank and later transferred to Hong Kong. 'Because of his narcissistic personality, success, power and admiration were the things he constantly sought,' he told the court. 'They reached their climax and when he was challenged he describes it as a turning point in his career. All the success and admiration would be lost. This is a major blow.' Jurors were shown iPhone footage of Rurik Jutting (pictured) taken by him during and after he killed two Indonesian women in his luxury Hong Kong flat Before moving to Hong Kong Jutting was drinking three quarters of a bottle of vodka to help him get to sleep. He was also taking large amount of cocaine and when he moved to Hong Kong indulged in his addiction to prostitutes. 'There was a coming together of events. You could see the general collapse under that situation and the spiral out of control in the use of drugs and sex workers. This was his reaction to the situation.' The court heard Jutting smuggled cocaine onto a flight back to London for a wedding in 2014. While staying at the Waldorf Hotel in London he hired two prostitutes and was so drugged up that he was unable to get into work. Jutting told Professor Perkins he was able to 'drag himself' into work but on return to Hong Kong he would spend his time taking drugs, having sex and watching TV, including the series 'Breaking Bad'. Professor Perkins said Jutting would watch hours of violent pornography and the torture and murder of the two prostitutes showed he wanted to act out what he had been viewing. He also said Jutting filmed the women so that he could watch it again for his pleasure. In the weeks leading up to the killings Jutting searched for sex with men and transgender people as well as numerous prostitutes. Professor Perkins said Jutting's personality disorder meant that he was unable to cope with the rejection from work and sought solace from drugs and sex He said his sexual sadism escalated in the three years prior to the killings. His life was out of control, it was chaotic because of the difficulties he had with narcissistic personality disorder it also enabled the development of the sexual sadism disorder. THE TWISTED 'CONFESSIONS' OF BANKER RURIK JUTTING In a series of videos and police interviews, Rurik Jutting revealed how he tortured and killed two women in his Hong Kong flat. Here are some of the twisted 'confessions' he made: 'I just killed someone, first person I ever killed, I cut her throat in the bathroom ... to be precise I cut her throat while she was bending over licking dirty toilet bowl.' 'I treated her as a non person, a sex object. And that turned me on.' 'She died here alone. She died after being tortured and raped and just mentally brutalised. Threats of death and mutilation. I have never seen anyone so scared.' 'She would voluntarily eat faeces out of the toilet and then smile. That is how scared she was. She just did anything.' 'Do you want me to hit you? If you say 'Yes', I hit you once. If you say 'No' I hit you twice'. If you scream I will punch you, you understand?' In a series of videos and police interviews, Rurik Jutting revealed how he tortured and killed two women in his Hong Kong flat. Armed police are pictured outside the court in Hong Kong 'Its better than being beaten isn't it? Do not cry, take it like a good girl.' 'This doesn't really hurt does it? You deserve some water don't you? Just one more before some water.' 'Killing her may have been kindness, living with that would have haunted her.' 'At the moment I am supposed to feel pretty disgusted and pretty bad but at the moment I am feeling hungry. That is not the mind of a sane person.' 'Initially I felt disgusted but now I feel more positive than negative.' 'I knew before I killed her that I was planning to restrain her and keep her captive and be more rough. I was not planning to torture her. I was planning to tie her up and be more rough.' 'Actually she was a really, really nice person, lovely.' 'It's Monday night. I've held her captive since early Saturday, I've raped her repeatedly, I tortured her, tortured her badly.' 'Although not feeling guilty, I feel sick. Body has a soul, but the mind has not.' 'I genuinely feel sexually happy after the event, (even) when not under the influence of alcohol.' 'I have killed two. The first one I tortured. There will be no redemption. But they are dancing on (sic) Angels.' A Hong Kong Correctional Services van carrying double murder suspect Rurik George Caton Jutting leaves the High Court in Hong Kong 'Newly unemployed, soon to be unemployed, part time rapist and murderer,' (after musing over future plans to kidnap, torture and rape young girls). 'They would be, say, 15 years old and I would basically turn these three girls into my sex slaves, it would be good to psychologically play them off against each other.' (on plans to abduct three pupils from 36,000-a-year Wycombe Abbey girls' school in Buckinghamshire). 'I would like to be clear here - to kidnap and keep captive and torture and rape young girls - under 18 and over 13. A variety. Different kinds. Build up experience.' Reveals aim to 'push the boundaries of complete and utter abnormality.' 'I've always had dark fantasies.' 'Some people may see this as the narcissistic ramblings of a torturer and murderer. I hope someone, somewhere finds this (video) vaguely useful to understand basic abnormality.' 'When I am high on coke, I have a propensity to do stupid stuff.'. 'I didn't know I would go as far as I did. I killed someone. Jesus.' 'One of the triggers (for killing his victim) was when I made her shave her eyebrows. That made her less like an attractive hooker and more like a thing.' 'How the f*** does a single man with no dependants spend more than a million dollars in two years? The answer is drugs and prostitutes.' 'Mum and dad, don't blame yourself... There is nothing you could have done. Regular phone calls would not have changed who I am.' 'Essentially from Friday to Monday I would phone up and take large amounts of cocaine, getting high and drinking. Visiting sex workers or them visiting me.' '(Killing Miss Ningsih) had awoken something I didn't think existed but once it was awoken I knew there would be more.' 'She was unlucky to be the person in my flat when I realised that physically hurting someone when under cocaine was something I gained satisfaction from.' Advertisement 'His life moved from one of managed success to being out of control with increasing descent into more and more extreme behaviour in substance misuse and his propensity for increased sexual violent fantasies. 'He had a life plan and this then fell out of his control and he engaged in behaviour and it affected his physical health. 'He engaged in horrific behaviour. He did it because of the coming together of these different disorders. He did these terrible things that he filmed because he gained pleasure from them and he filmed them so he could re-enact them later.' Earlier the prosecution had screened parts of the iPhone videos made by Jutting as Dr Latham was cross-examined. Jutting, who was wearing an open neck blue shirt, stared intently at the expert witness, while also reading from his report. Police are pictured guarding a security van transporting Jutting from the court last week The court heard Latham asked to see a psychiatrist when he was at Winchester School after he was caught sneaking out to see a girlfriend On the film Jutting could be seen showing off a blowtorch he had bought to torture his second victim and a sex toy wrapped in coarse sandpaper he had planned to use. Dr Latham accepted that Jutting was 'calm and aware' of what he was doing but maintained his control was impaired by the amount of drugs and alcohol he had consumed. Prosecutor John Reading said, 'Even when he was at his most aggressive, even when he was torturing her, his conduct to her was very controlled. Latham said that Jutting was in control in parts leading up to the killings but insisted the killings were not something he had planned. 'There is little doubt in my mind that he knew what he was doing. He clearly remembered it...but knowing what he was doing is different to controlling his behaviour,' he said. Lawyers for Jutting closed their case today with two medical experts their only witnesses in the murder trial. Dr Latham and Professor Perkins were the only people called by Jutting's team at the court in Hong Kong. There were no character witnesses or family members who spoke on behalf of the British banker on trial for the murder of two prostitutes in October 2014. Prosecutors will close their case on Wednesday with testimony from their own psychiatrists who examined Jutting. The jury of five men and four women will have to decide if Jutting, 31, was so affected by drink, drunks and his personality disorder that he did not know what he was doing or was guilty of murder. Earlier, Professor Perkins told the court of a rare show of emotion from Jutting while he interviewed him over 15 hours at the Kowloon prison where he has been held in the past two years. He said Jutting became tearful when talking about his first victim Sumarti Ningsih saying he felt sorry for her as she was trying to do the best for her family and living so far from home He had raped and tortured her over a three-day period before slitting her throat and stuffing her body in a suitcase on the balcony of his flat. Professor Perkins said: 'He became tearful when talking about one of his victims. 'I thought it was a real show of emotion and the only show of emotion so it stood out.' The psychologist said he did not think Jutting was faking the emotion as he was looking away at the time and caught a glimpse of the banker tearing up. Throughout the trial Jutting has remained impassive as gory videos he made showing the lifeless bodies of his victims were played in court. Professor Perkins, who interviewed Jutting in January this year, said his father's attempted suicide when he was 16-years-old would have had an effect on him and helped form his narcissistic personality disorder. 'The fact that he tried to kill himself and that experience would have an effect on him, he told the court. AFP's Error, Editorializing and Omissions | Main | Kudos to the Boston Globe on UNESCO Commentary November 01, 2016 Palestinian Peace Negotiator and Media Favorite Honors Terrorists Saeb Erekat Top Palestinian Authority (PA) official and perennial media favorite, Saeb Erekat, recently proclaimed his admiration? for imprisoned terrorists. According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), a non-profit organization that monitors Arab media in eastern Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), Erekat offered words of praise terrorists in an Oct. 19, 2016 edition of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, the official PA daily newspaper. Erekat, referring to Palestinians imprisoned by Israel for committing acts of terrorism, said: Our brave prisoners, who gave and sacrificed their freedom for Palestine and its freedom, are worthy of aid, support, and constant activity by us in order to release them and put an end to their suffering. The prisoners' cause is a national and central cause, and we bow our heads in admiration and honor of the prisoners' sacrifices, for their acts of heroism, and for their ongoing battle with the occupation. As CAMERA has highlighted before, many Palestinian officials consider all of Israel to be an occupation on what they believe should be only Muslim-ruled lands. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida also stated that the release of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists is at the head of the priorities? of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. PMW noted that terror-masterminds Abdallah Barghouti, Ibrahim Hamed and Abbas al-Sayid were among the terrorists whom drew Erekats admiration. Those three terrorists alone were found by Israeli courts to be responsible for the murders of more than 120 Israelis in terror attacks during the Second Intifada (2000-05). Erekat served as chief negotiator for the Palestinian Authority when Israel and the United States offered a two-state solution to the Palestinians in exchange for peace and recognition in 2000 at Camp David and 2001 at Taba. He also served as chief negotiator when Israeli Prime Minister Olmert a Palestinian state with its capital in eastern Jerusalem in 2008 following the Annapolis Conference. Each offer was rejected without a counter proposal, by Palestinian Arab leadership. Despite his rejections of peace and praise for terrorists, many in the press often mislabel Erekat as a moderate, treat him as a reliable source and provide him with a platform to push his propaganda. The Washington Post, for example, published an Op-Ed by Erekata mere five days after his praise for terroristsin which he blamed Israel for the lack of peace and a Palestinian state (As long as Israel continues its settlements, a two-state solution is impossible,? October 24, online). Erekat claimed that Israeli settlements,? are expanding. In fact, as CAMERA has pointed out most of the expansion within these Jewish communities in the West Bank is due to natural population growth; high birth rates and not newcomers from other parts of Israel (see, for example, Washington Post Treats State Department, Palestinian Allegations as Facts, Aug. 4, 2016). Erekat, decrying what he views as the Obama administrations inability to confront what he calls the problem of settlement expansion,? tells ,I>Post readers that strong statements? alone by the U.S. administration are not going to move us toward? a two-state solution.? Erekat does not offer an explanation as to how bestowing honors for terrorists advances the cause of peace or a two-state solution. Unfortunately, The Post failed to ask this question as well. Posted by SD at November 1, 2016 11:27 AM Besides Erekat supporting Palestinian terrorists who massacre Jewish kids in disco's and pizzeria's. Erekat opposes a Kurdish state. Erekat = Arab fascist. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/the-arab-world/plo-opposes-kurdish-self-determination-15814 Saeb Erekat of Fatah. Kurdish independence would be a poisoned sword against the Arabs? Sep 10, 2015 Posted by: Barry Meridian at November 4, 2016 03:45 AM Great article on the liar Erekat. http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2014/09/saeb-erekat-describes-his-strategy-of.html#.VCwZPmddWSo Saeb Erekat describes his strategy of lying September 30, 2014 Posted by: Barry Meridian at November 4, 2016 03:48 AM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment An increasing number of people from far-flung corners of the world have quietly tried to sneak into the United States from the Mexican border in the past year. Those individuals now account for some of the hundreds of thousands of mostly Latin American migrants who been arrested as they try to cross over into the country. The arrests of more than 8,000 people from India, China, Romania, Bangladesh and Nepal between October 2015 and the end of August is offering a new challenge to immigration agents tasked with fully identifying would-be immigrants and quickly deporting people caught crossing the border illegally. Scroll down for video New challenges: More than 8,000 people from India, China, Romania, Bangladesh and Nepal were arrested trying to cross the border in the past year (Cars entering the US from Tijuana above) The group of overseas migrants represents a tiny fraction of the more than 408,000 people caught crossing the Mexican border illegally in the last year. The arrests suggest a rising trend however in the number of migrants opting for a convoluted trek that sometimes wends across the seas to South America, over land to Central America and then through Mexico before arriving at the US border illegally. For decades Mexico dominated the discussion on illegal immigration as the country from which most immigrants went to the border illegally. In recent years though the number of Mexican nationals who have been trying to sneak into the United States has dropped. India and China are now squarely among the top 10 countries of origin for people caught trying to sneak into the United States. Large numbers of immigrants from those two countries have long come to the United States legally and many have overstayed visas to remain here. Now some people are taking a different approach altogether by making their way to Mexico to try to sneak into the United States as visas are harder to come by. Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Patrol sector chief and director of the Center for Law & Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the rising number of migrants from countries far beyond the Americas should be seen as a growing concern. 'That is very unusual. If I was still sitting as the chief of El Paso or Tucson...I'd be a little concerned,' said Manjarrez. 'In the grand scheme, as a percentage, it's relatively small but the raw numbers are such a big jump historically.' The changing face of illegal immigration at the US - Mexico border is a small part of a broader trend of global migration, with millions of people fleeing their home countries. But the arrival of so many people from far beyond U.S. borders brings with it broad implications for U.S. border security and other immigration enforcement efforts. The Homeland Security Department has made arresting, jailing and deporting recent border crossers a top priority for immigration agents. Most Mexican migrants caught at the border are sent home within just a few days, but for migrants from countries a continent away the process is often far longer and costlier for the government. Those migrants must wait in immigration jails for travel documents to return home or a judge to decide their fate. Going down: The number of Mexican nationals trying to sneak into the United States has decreased in recent years (a sign on the border in Arizona) The uptick in arrivals of people from other continents, combined with an increase in overall border crossings in the last 12 months, has led to a spike of more than 40,000 people being held in immigration jails in recent weeks. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget gives them enough money to house 34,000 people at any given time and the recent overflow has officials worried they may face a budget shortfall of more than $130 million in the coming months if the trend continues. DHS spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said the agency has enough money to 'operate at current levels' until December 9, when a temporary budget resolution expires. After that, she said, DHS will work to either shift money from other parts of the department or find another 'alternative budget strategy.' She described the possible budget adjustment as 'common.' Manjarrez said border agents and immigration officials face multiple challenges with a rise in immigrants from so far away, including language barriers and crowded detention centers. 'The further away you get from the Americas, the more difficult it is to really know who they are,' Manjarrez said of the government's ability to fully identify some would-be immigrants. The director of the Washington Office on Latin America's Mexico program, Maureen Meyer, said it appears that many of the overseas migrants are making their way through Mexico via South American countries, including Brazil, where entry visas are either easy to come by or not required. And their final destination is more often than not the United States. 'I think it's reflecting a gradual trend, as of at least particularly the last year,' said Meyer. While the exact draw of the round-the-world route isn't entirely clear, Meyer said an expanding network of human smugglers appear to be taking advantage of the increasingly popular smuggling routes that use Mexico as a transit country. 'There's a lot of smuggling that goes through Mexico that you don't see,' said Meyer. She added that rumors of lenient treatment of some immigrants in the United States may also be a factor. The recent influx of overseas migrants may be a harbinger of things to come. More than 7,000 people who claimed to be from Africa have been arrested in Mexico between January and August, according to statistics maintained by Mexican federal immigration authorities. The number of such immigrants has been on the rise in recent years. Victoria Police said nine people were arrested and 78 evicted from the venue during the day Ambulance paramedics treated 31 people and five were taken to hospital, a spokesman said But the festivities appeared to have been too much for some and o ne man was restrained by four police The revellers flocked to the venue for the final day of the Spring Racing Carnival for 2016 More than 100,000 punters attended the Melbourne Cup at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday Advertisement Four police officers were needed to restrain and handcuff one man who let the occasion get the better of him at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday afternoon. The suspected arrest came at the end of a heavy day of drinking at Flemington Racecourse as punters celebrated wins or commiserated in their losses. But the man was just one of many who appeared to have over-indulged during the day's excitement. Scroll down for video Police officers are seen pinning a man to the ground during the Melbourne Cup race day on Tuesday It took four officers to restrain the man at Flemington Racecourse, where he was pinned to the ground A group of police officers tackle the man in a bid to bring him to the ground at the event on Tuesday As early as 8.30am, many racegoers appeared to be preparing for an eventful day, including a group of young men who posed for a photo in front of the iconic bronze statue of Phar Lap. 'That $600 drunk and disorderly fine come at us,' the photo was captioned. More than 100,000 punters had flooded the venue by the time the horses took their places for the world-famous race at 3pm. Images from the event showed people imbibing and some appeared to be feeling the effects. The man was restrained and led away through the crowd at Flemington Racecourse by police He appeared to have been handcuffed before being led away. It is not clear if he was arrested Victoria Police said in a statement that nine people were arrested. Seven people were arrested for being drunk, one in relation to assault and one in relation to drug trafficking. Between them, police and security staff evicted 78 people. An Ambulance Victoria spokesman told Daily Mail Australia paramedics treated 31 people and took five to hospital. Anecdotally, numbers of people requiring treatment were down on previous years and paramedics were happy with crowd behaviour, he said. Almandin claimed the honours with a brilliant victory with the seven-year-old securing the $3.6m prize for first with a brilliant run under jockey Kerrin McEvoy. One woman in multi-coloured striped pants and a purple rain jacket rested on her friend to await the world-famous race with beer cans strewn in front of her Melbourne Cup racegoers appeared to be tiring early in the day and this woman decided to take a morning nap on her friend With the final race out of the way, celebrations began to get rowdy as punters kicked up their heels and let loose Three men were seen rolling on the grass with their heads dragging along the ground and alcohol held carefully in the air The barmaid who had a baby with a defrocked vicar twice her age today defended her lover and denied he is a 'randy reverend'. David Huntley, 53, met barmaid Charlene Goudie, 27, while preparing her for baptism at St Lawrence the Martyr Church, in South Shields. Two weeks later the vicar and his parishioner had sex for the first time, the Bishop of Durham's Disciplinary Tribunal heard, and he has now been banned for two years. The couple admitted that they continued to have sex over the next few weeks before Miss Goudie became pregnant having fallen 'madly in love'. She said: 'No way was abortion an option to either of us. No matter what situation this happened in we had been blessed and this child is what God intended.' In trouble: Father David Huntley, pictured, has been banned for two years after having an affair with a parishioner half his age and getting her pregnant Relationship: Huntley is out of work after having a baby with Charlene Goudie, right, who says their only crime was 'falling in love' Today Miss Goudie denied that she was still in a relationship when she embarked upon her affair with Rev Huntley, who she said she met in secret to hide their growing relationship from the congregation. She said: 'My heart skipped with excitement when I knew we would speak. We would hug and hold hands, also share the occasional kiss. Then, as we are only human, one things led to another'. Charlene did not expect to fall pregnant as she had been fitted with a contraceptive coil, but after she started feeling sick she bought a pregnancy test and discovered she was expecting. She gave birth to a baby girl in October 2015. She said: 'I was confused and happy. We together made this tiny, helpless life, one of God's children, our child'. Huntley was sacked despite and apology to his archdeacon in a letter, which said: 'I have been growing close to one of my parishioners, which has gone further than it should and she is now pregnant.' The divorced vicar, who already has an older daughter and does not live with Charlene or their daughter, now one, hopes to return to the church when his two year ban ends. He declined to comment. Family: Charlene and vicar David Huntley, 53, together shortly after the birth of their daughter in October 2015 Fired: Huntley was sacked from his job at St Lawrence the Martyr in South Shields, South Tyneside - but he can return to work as a vicar in two years time She also compared their relationship to the love affair between French nun Heloise d'Argenteuil and scholastic philosopher Peter Abelard in the 10th century. Heloise fell pregnant and Abelard was castrated. Defending her lover Charlene said: 'David was there for the birth of our daughter and he was amazing I could not have done it without him. 'He did everything he could and stayed so calm. I love David with all my heart, my heart still skips a beat. 'David is not a randy reverend and I find that so offensive. No one got caught in the act by anyone. The court did not heard of such a thing as a late night clinch. 'If you want to read another amazing love story and the church's response, the same happened to Abelard and Heloise some 800 years ago.' She added: 'Our only crime was to fall in love. We are definitely getting married'. This morning on Facebook she told friends: 'Don't believe a word'. It came days after a priest was defrocked after his wife alerted church authorities to his sex addiction, visits to gay saunas and library of horrific pornography. Reverend James Meredith Day gave the appearance of respectability but those closest to him learned of his dark sexual fantasies and fondness for violent images. The behaviour of the former Reverend James Meredith Day and his dark sexual fantasies (right) was reported by his estranged wife, Birte (left) Speaking at a Church of England tribunal in London, Birte Day said her husband had taken part in group sex, visited gay saunas and attempted to set up meetings with prostitutes. Mrs Day, who is now estranged from the vicar, said he grew 'powerful and menacing' and even strangled her with a scarf until she couldn't breathe and spanked her for wearing shorts around workmen. 'While he was holding the ends of the scarf he pulled me close and spat in my face,' she said. 'It temporarily stopped me from breathing.' Advertisement Students painted the town red across the country as they partied into the night to celebrate Halloween. From scary ghosts, clowns, vampires, and witches to funny sheikhs and Harry Potters - the streets of many city centres, pubs and nightclubs were packed out with party-goers. Halloween is one of the most popular nights out of the year and thousands of people braved the cold in revealing outfits for the occasion, including women dressed as French maids and nurses covered in fake blood. A paramedic talks to a woman in Birmingham who had a nose bleed. She was eventually taken to hospital in an ambulance Police and paramedics diffuse ealrier tensions as nightclubs start to turn out at the end of the Halloween night on Birmingham's Broad Street A man dressed as a fairy looks at his phone on Broad Street (left) and a girl wears a very tight leopard print outfit (right) that doesn't leave much to the imagination A man sleeps in a doorway whilst stood up during the night of Halloween on Broad Street in Birmingham Two women with their faces painted and bits of straw tied to their hair pose for a photograph on Broad Street in Birmingham A drunk zombie cheerleader looks at her phone (left), while a man was seen sleeping on Broad Street (right) Two friends are seen laughing as they lie down against a tree in the centre of Birmingham on Halloween night A man carries his friend, who is holding a can of Coke, as they pose for a photograph on Broad Street in Birmingham A girl tries to stay warm in a ripped T-shirt as her friends hug each other on Halloween night in Birmingham A girl lies down behind her friends on the steps of the Jury's Inn on Broad Street in Birmingham during Halloween celebrations A zombie styled nurse sticks her head out of a sunroof as the driver ducks out of the line of sight It was nightmare on Broad Street in Birmingham last night. Party-goers could be seen collapsed on the floor as paramedics tended to them while another appeared to urinate against a wall. Another guy, dressed in camouflage, was violently sick on the street and a girl was also crouched over vomiting as her friend comforted her. Students went all out with their fancy dress as part of the Nightmare on Broad Street event, which saw over 4,500 people hit the citys infamous strip. Some had slit throats and coloured contact lenses, with one girl using make-up to look like she had a broken pencil poking through her nostril. A girl dressed as Boy George sits with another girl and their drag queen friend on the steps of the Jury's Inn in Birmingham Two friends in fancy dress eat food after a night of partying on Birminghams Broad Street during the night of Halloween It was a busy night for paramedics in Birmingham as some revellers needed medical attention in the city centre Halloween is one of the most popular nights out of the year and thousands of people braved the cold in revealing outfits for the occasion, including women dressed as French maids and nurses covered in blood. Pictured are revellers in Birmingham Pictured are women on Broad Street in Birmingham dressed up as Snow White (left) and a bloody schoolgirl (right) Revellers spooked out the streets of Birmingham for Halloween. Pictured are two scary figures - one wearing the stars and stripes of the American flag Revellers dressed as nurses in stockings, doctors and witches as they partied on Broad Street in Birmingham last night Revellers are pictured dressed as Sheikhs as they partied on a rainy night in Glasgow for Halloween Too early? A man is dressed up as the Grinch from the Christmas film along with two scary mimes in Glasgow A woman dressed as the evil character from the Saw movie series checks her phone on Halloween night in Birmingham A group of women with their faces painted with fake blood pose for a photograph of Broad Street in Birmingham Halloween is one of the most popular nights out of the year and thousands of people braved the cold in revealing outfits for the occasion, including women dressed as French maids and nurses covered in fake blood While many people dressed up as scary and evil characters, one woman in Birmingham went for the angelic look A group of women, two dressed up as scary cheerleaders, eat hot dogs on the steps on Broad Street in Birmingham A group of men, one dressed as an American clown, go out to party in Glasgow city centre for Halloween Two revellers walk under an umbrella to keep out of the rain on a wet Halloween night in Glasgow city centre A woman dressed as a zombie Snow White poses for a photograph with her friend on a rainy night in Glasgow Students went all out with their fancy dress as part of the Nightmare on Broad Street event, which saw over 4,500 people hit Birmingham's infamous strip One of Hillary Clinton's aides left a file containing classified information in a hotel room in Beijing in May 2010 when she visited while Secretary of State. The disclosure, coming hot on the heels of FBI director James Comey's disclosure that the agency is investigating a fresh batch of Mrs Clinton's emails, could inflict further damage on her campaign with only a week to go until election day. State Department spokesman John Kirby told Fox News: 'In May 2010, Secretary Clinton was on official travel in Beijing, China, accompanied by senior staff. 'Upon Secretary Clinton's departure, a routine security sweep by Diplomatic Security agents identified classified documents in a staff member's suite.' Hillary Clinton speaking during the trip to Beijing in 2010 when one of her aides left classified information in a hotel room Mrs Clinton met China's then President Hu Jintao (pictured) during the 2010 trip. He has since been replaced by Xi Jinping The aide was not identified by the State Department but it comes as the FBI is scrutinizing her long-time senior aide, Huma Abedin, over allegations made against her pervert husband Anthony Weiner. Republican Congressman Devin Nunes wrote to Mr Comey yesterday asking for more information on the Beijing incident. But Mr Kirby told Fox News: 'To be clear - this was not Secretary Clinton's hotel room and no citation whatsoever was given to Secretary Clinton, nor were any reports written about Secretary Clinton's conduct.' He added: 'Ultimately, Diplomatic Security concluded that classified information had been improperly secured, but that the evidence did not support assigning culpability to any individual. 'Furthermore, the Diplomatic Security investigation concluded that due to the fact that the documents were found within a Diplomatic Security controlled area, the likelihood that the information was compromised was remote.' Mrs Clinton's closest and most trusted aide, Huma Abedin, whispers into her ear. The FBI has been probing Ms Abedin as part of a sexting investigation into her husband Anthony Weiner Mrs Clinton, who had been ahead in the polls turning into the final stretch, is thought to be furious that the focus of attention has returned to her after weeks of discussion about Donald Trump and his attitudes to women. She believes Mr Comey may have broken the Hatch Act after he revealed to members of Congress that the FBI had renewed its probe into her mishandling of sensitive information on a private server as a result of an 'unrelated' case - thought to be the Abedin/Weiner investigation. Mr Comey reportedly went public with the information about Mrs Clinton's emails against the advice of attorney general Loretta Lynch and other top Department of Justice officials. Under the Hatch Act - originally passed in 1939 and named after New Mexico Senator Carl Hatch - it is illegal for federal officials to engage in acts which may influence elections. This poll by NBC News/Survey Monkey shows Mrs Clinton maintaining her six-point lead over Trump but the intervention of Mr Comey is thought to have closed the gap in some key states Donald Trump returns the applause of his supporters at an event in Warren, Michigan last night Mrs Clinton told supporters at Kent State University in Ohio yesterday: 'I'm sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about and why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of wrongdoing with just days to go? Thats a good question. 'Now they apparently want to look at emails of one of my staffers and by all means, they should look at them. I am sure they will reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the last year.' She urged her audience 'not to get distracted from the real choices of this election and the consequences for your future'. Mr Nunes said Ms Abedin had asked another aide to remove items Ms Abedin had left in a car during a trip to India. But Mr Kirby told Fox News the India incident was not believed to have involved classified material. A woman has been revealed as the main suspect in the murder case of a British banker who was found tied naked to a chair having been tortured with boiling water. The mutilated body of James Starkey, 36, was found by a colleague on October 8 after he became concerned with the banker's welfare and asked staff to force entry to his luxury apartment at the Raphael Penthouse Suites, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Paramedics described his injuries as 'brutal', and a woman entering the complex with the victim has been identified by police as the main suspect. The mutilated body of James Starkey was found by a colleague on October 8 inside his luxury South African apartment Mr Starkey entered the hotel with a female guest the evening of October 7, the night before he was found dead. Both he and the guest were seen by the complex's staff as they entered through the front entrance, where a biometric security system picks up guests' faces before they walk to the lifts. The guest was not asked to sign the visitor book as she was accompanied by the tenant himself. No one else is thought to have entered his room. Mr Starkey is believed to have been found naked and tied to a chair and appeared to have had boiling water poured on him. The source said there had been no similar incidents at the Raphael, but that a similar method had been used in robberies in South Africa to obtain details such as bank card PIN numbers. 'It's a method people use to try and get personal information from someone,' the source said. Police have refused to divulge whether anything was stolen from Mr Starkey's room, but are rumoured to be studying his laptop. They are also inspecting CCTV footage which shows Mr Starkey entering with his guest, and are thought to be confident that they know the suspect's identity but are keen to keep the case under wraps until an arrest is made. 'The police have an idea from the footage who they're looking for but they need to tread carefully and not scare the suspect away, people can go deeper underground if they think they are being looked for,' the source said. Paramedics revealed his body had been mutilated, with burns and strangulation marks visible around his neck A colleague found the banker after becoming concerned with his welfare and asking staff to force entry to his room at the Raphael Penthouse Suites (pictured), in Johannesburg The Raphael Penthouse Suites, where Mr Starkey was staying, are monitored by security guards 24 hours a day and guarantee 'tight, highly effective, and extremely efficient security controls'. The complex's David Stroud, speaking on behalf of owners Legacy Hotels, told the Sydney Morning Herald there had been no breach of security and that their tenant had invited his guest to the private flat. He added: ' We are not in the habit of presuming to tell occupants who they should or should not have visit them.' South African Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini had initially said investigators had not determined a list of suspects nor a motive for the killing and only revealed Australian-born Mr Starkey, was not sexually assaulted during the attack. A paramedic told another financial services worker the body showed signs of brutal injuries, including burns and strangulation, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Mr Starkey (pictured), who was reportedly engaged to be wed, has worked for several financial consultancy firms including Goldman Sachs, Ernst and Young and JP Morgan Mr Starkey, who graduated from Macquarie University and was reportedly engaged to be wed, has worked for several financial consultancy firms including Goldman Sachs, Ernst and Young and JP Morgan. The dual Australian-British citizen travelled to South Africa for work with his current employer, banking management firm Catalyst, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. They have offered condolences to Mr Starkey's family, who will bury him at Macquarie Park cemetery, in Sydney's north, once his body is returned to Australia. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Sydney Morning Herald the slain banker's family were being supported by the British consular. His devastated family released a statement yesterday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. It read: 'Words cannot describe how devastated we are. Bankrupt Family First senator Bob Day's resignation from the Australian parliament has created a constitutional crisis for the Turnbull Government. The federal government will ask the High Court to decide if Mr Day was invalidly elected to the Senate in July. This means the Christian conservative Family First party won't automatically fill his Senate vacancy, creating a constitutional and political crisis for the government, which had relied on Mr Day's vote to pass contentious laws in a messy upper house. Family First lawmaker Bob Day's eligibility to even sit in the Senate in the first place has been referred to the High Court by Attorney-General George Brandis WHAT THIS CRISIS MEANS Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right government relied on Bob Day's vote to pass controversial new laws in the 45th parliament. In the 76-seat Senate, his Liberal-National coalition has only 30 seats, leaving it short of a majority. It often relies on 11 crossbenchers from six minor parties (excluding the Greens) to pass legislation. Mr Day's Family First vote was important when Nick Xenophon's team of three senators blocked government bills. However, a recount of the South Australian Senate vote could see Mr Day's seat go to Labor or One Nation, election analyst Antony Green said. This could jeopardise plans to bring back the Australian Building and Construction Commission, which Mr Day supported but Labor opposed. Advertisement When senators resign, state parliaments normally appoint a replacement from the same party. However, Senate President Stephen Parry, a Liberal, has asked South Australia's Governor Hieu Van Le to delay the state parliament from confirming a replacement for Mr Day. Attorney-General George Brandis said the Turnbull Government would refer Mr Day's legal standing as an elected politician to the High Court when parliament resumed on Monday. It relates to Section 44 (5) of the constitution, which bans federal members of parliament from having a financial contract with the Commonwealth, he said in a statement on Tuesday night. Special Minister of State Scott Ryan was concerned about Mr Day's commercial interest in his Adelaide electorate office. The building, in inner-city Kent Town, allegedly had connections to the outgoing senator's building company, Homestead Homes, which is part of Mr Day's Home Australia group of companies. Senator Parry has written to all senators about Mr Day possibly being in breach of the constitution. Daily Mail Australia has seen property records showing Mr Day sold his electorate office, at 77 Fullarton Road, for $2.1 million in September 2014 to a business associate Colin Steinert. Attorney-General George Brandis (pictured) will ask the High Court to rule on whether outgoing senator Bob Day had a financial conflict of interest with his electorate office The High Court will be asked on Monday to investigate if outgoing senator Bob Day was legally elected to the Senate in July Attorney-General George Brandis and Special Minister of State Scott Ryan released a statement on Tuesday night Bob Day's commercial interest in his electorate office (pictured) at 77 Fullarton Road in Kent Town, South Australia, has seen the federal government ask the High Court whether his election to parliament was invalid Labor Senate leader Penny Wong said Mr Day's eligibility as a lawmaker had been called into question, and suggested a recount of July's South Australian Senate race. 'This occurred after the 1987 election when Robert Wood from the Nuclear Disarmament Party was found not to have been validly elected,' she said. Election analyst Antony Green said a recount of the South Australian Senate vote could see the seat go to Labor or One Nation, which would make it even harder for the government to pass legislation. ABC election analyst Antony Green has tweeted about the possibility of Bob Day's Senate seat going to Labor or One Nation in a recount of the July result Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Day said he had resigned from the Senate because of financial difficulties with his Home Australia business during the past fortnight. It is illegal for bankrupts to sit in parliament. 'It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a senator for South Australia and I am sorry it has ended this way,' Mr Day said in a statement. 'I will now devote my time and energy to assisting those who have been affected by the company's closure.' Mr Day has provided a crucial vote for government legislation and motions since he became a senator in 2014, acting as a stable vote for the Liberal-National coalition government. He ran for office at July's double dissolution poll, which put all senators up for re-election. Mr Day's absence will leave Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's centre-right government one vote short to revive the controversial Australian Building and Construction Commission. Labor and the Greens oppose this policy, which sparked July's double dissolution election of all federal seats. Mr Day, 64, wrote to Senate President Stephen Parry on Tuesday morning to tender his resignation effective immediately. He announced earlier this month that he would quit the Senate because of financial problems with the housing group he founded. But last week, the outgoing senator indicated he might stay on and see out his parliamentary term if an investor could revive his housing group. Mr Day's Home Australia group has been placed into liquidation, halting construction on 207 new homes across the country (pictured is one of those homes, in Adelaide) Mr Day said he would devote his 'time and energy to assisting those who have been affected by the company's closure' Former prime minister Tony Abbott said he had always liked and respected Mr Day. 'He built up a very successful business. Obviously, it's disappointing that, with Bob necessarily busy in the Senate and unable to give it much attention, the business is now in trouble,' Mr Abbott wrote on Facebook earlier this month. His former chief of staff Rikki Lambert confirmed he would put himself forward as a candidate for the now-vacant Senate seat but wouldn't make any comment on the preselection. Mr Day's Home Australia group of companies has been placed into liquidation, halting construction on 207 new homes in SA, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and NSW. He said he would attend the parliamentary sitting starting next Monday to support bills allowing a same-sex marriage plebiscite and reinstating the building industry watchdog. Advancing Iraqi troops broke through Islamic State defences in an eastern suburb of Mosul to take the battle into the city limits for the first time, a force commander said. As the offensive to liberate the Iraqi city from ISIS control intensifies, the country's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his soldiers would 'cut off the snake's head' as coalition forces look to block off all escape routes. He said terrorists had two options - surrender or die. But it appears the terror group has already entered damage control by ceasing to call Mosul their capital, in an attempt to downplay the seemingly imminent liberation mission. Tribal fighters walk as fire and smoke rises from oil wells, set ablaze by Islamic State militants before militants fled the oil-producing region of Qayyara, Iraq A Iraqi soldier stands near a checkpoint as smoke rises from burning oil fields in Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq Advancing Iraqi troops broke through Islamic State defences in an eastern suburb of Mosul to take the battle into the city limits for the first time, a force commander said Smoke rises from oil wells, set ablaze by Islamic State militants before fleeing the oil-producing region of Qayyara, Iraq As the offensive to liberate the Iraqi city from ISIS control intensifies, the country's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his soldiers would 'cut off the snake's head' as coalition forces look to block off all escape routes The terror group has started setting fire to trenches filled with oil, a tactic employed to throw approaching soldiers off guard It appears the terror group has already entered damage control by ceasing to call Mosul their capital, in an attempt to downplay the seemingly imminent liberation mission In the nearby village of Bazwaia, plumes of smoke were seen rising from a built-up area a few kilometres away which a commander said was the result of clashes already under way inside Karama Troops of the Iraqi army's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) moved forward on Gogjali, an industrial zone on the eastern outskirts The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service entered the state television station in Mosul, capturing the first important building in the Islamic State-held city since the start of the offensive about two weeks ago, a commander of the elite unit said. The terror group has started setting fire to trenches filled with oil, a tactic employed to throw approaching soldiers off guard. It is being reported ISIS militants have been using the huge plumes as smoke screens to flee the oil-rich region of Qayyara. Troops of the Iraqi army's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) moved forward on Gogjali, an industrial zone on the eastern outskirts. They clashed with ISIS fighters outside a flour factory near the eastern entrance of the city this morning, it has been reported. The commander of CTS forces east of the city, Lieutenant-General Abdul Ghani al-Assadi, told state television his forces had reached the edge of the Karama district inside the city. In the nearby village of Bazwaia, plumes of smoke were seen rising from a built-up area a few kilometres away which a commander said was the result of clashes already under way inside Karama. A Kurdish peshmerga intelligence source said he received a report saying seven Islamic State militants were killed in the Aden district, adjacent to Karama, and two of their vehicles destroyed. Iraqi state television said there were also clashes inside the city between Islamic State fighters and residents rising up against the group. The Kurdish intelligence source said such 'resistance elements' had opened fire on an Islamic State police unit in Intisaar district, south of Karama, and armed fighters had spread out in streets across the city apparently fearing revolt. The fighting came after two weeks of advances by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces who cleared surrounding areas of insurgents, in the early stages of the largest military operation in Iraq since the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Government forces and its US allies are hoping an uprising inside the city will help loosen the grip of the fighters, who seized it in 2014 and proclaimed a 'caliphate' to rule over all Muslims. The fighting ahead in a built-up city still home to 1.5 million people will be more complex than the recent capture of Christian and Sunni Muslim villages and towns outside the city, mostly emptied of their residents. Mosul is many times larger than any other city Islamic State has held, and the United Nations has warned of a worst-case scenario of up to 1 million people being suddenly displaced, requiring the world's largest humanitarian operation. Having previously declared it a caliphate in Iraq, ISIS have now ceased calling Mosul its capital in the country, according to state satellite TV network Al Sumaria. The network reported: 'A sudden change occurred to ISIS mass media inside the city of Mosul through statements that the city is not the capital of the caliphate, contrary to the ideology followed by ISIS since 2014, that Mosul is the capital of its caliphate.' 'The mass speech of ISIS started to focus on word taboo, saying that the fall of Mosul is not the end of the battle, by listing comparable situations in Islamic history how Muslims suffered many losses before achieving grand victories.' Mosul is many times larger than any other city Islamic State has held, and the United Nations has warned of a worst-case scenario of up to 1 million people being suddenly displaced, requiring the world's largest humanitarian operation The fighting came after two weeks of advances by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces who cleared surrounding areas of insurgents, in the early stages of the largest military operation in Iraq since the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his soldiers would 'cut off the snake's head' as coalition forces look to block off all escape routes Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, speaking at the Qayyara military airbase south of Mosul, said the Iraqi forces were trying to close off all escape routes for the several thousand Islamic State fighters inside Mosul. 'God willing, we will chop off the snake's head,' Abadi, wearing military fatigues, told state television. 'They have no escape, they either die or surrender.' Iraqi security forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters started the offensive against the hardline Sunni group on Oct. 17, with air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition. 'They are making deliberate progress, they're on their timeline,' British Major General Rupert Jones, deputy commander for strategy and support of the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State coalition, told Reuters. The recapture of Mosul would mark the militants' effective defeat in the Iraqi half of the territory they seized two years ago. Ranged against them are some 50,000 Iraqi troops, policemen and Kurdish peshmerga, with air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition. Thousands of battle-hardened Iran-backed Shi'ite militia fighters also joined the campaign west of the city two days ago. Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the Badr Organisation, the largest of the Shi'ite militia groups, expressed hope that Mosul would not descend into a protracted and devastating conflict like the four-year-old battle for the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Shi'ite militias are also fighting. 'We are afraid that Mosul would be another Aleppo, but we hope that will not happen,' he told reporters in Zarqa, south of Mosul. The recapture of Mosul would mark the militants' effective defeat in the Iraqi half of the territory they seized two years ago Ranged against them are some 50,000 Iraqi troops, policemen and Kurdish peshmerga, with air and ground support from the U.S.-led coalition. Thousands of battle-hardened Iran-backed Shi'ite militia fighters also joined the campaign west of the city two days ago Islamic State militants have been fighting off the offensive with suicide car bombs, snipers and mortar fire. Islamic State said on Monday it carried out a suicide operation against a joint convoy of the army and Shi'ite militias south of Mosul. It gave no casualty figures. The militants have brought displaced thousands of civilians from villages toward Mosul, using them as 'human shields' to cover their retreat, UN officials and villagers have said. They killed 40 former members of the Iraqi Security Forces near Mosul on Saturday and threw their bodies in the Tigris river, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Tuesday, citing reports from the field. ISIS also tried to transport about 25,000 civilians from Hammam al-Alil, a town south of Mosul, on dozens of trucks and minibuses during the hours of darkness early on Monday, probably for use as human shields in defence of IS positions, she said. They have also set oil on fire to create smokescreens, choking the region in smoke. 'Scorched earth tactics employed by retreating ISIS members are having an immediate health impact on civilians, and risk long-term environmental and health consequences,' the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. The warring parties have given no casualty figures among their own ranks or civilians. Both say they have killed hundreds of their opponents. A convicted rapist on the run from police in New Zealand is targeting women online for dates, and has allegedly violently assaulted a women he met up with. Police believe Jessie Heke-Gray, 32, is active on social media and is meeting up with women for dates through Facebook and other social media apps. Last Tuesday he is alleged to have violently assaulted a woman he met over social media. Jessie Heke-Gray (pictured) is on the run from police in New Zealand, is targeting women online for dates, and has allegedly violently assaulted a women he met up with last week Mr Heke-Gray has been wanted by Northland Police since September, after he breached his prison release conditions when he left his approved accommodation in Otara and went on the run. Mr Heke-Gray was jailed for eight years in April 2009 after he pleaded guilty to a violent sexual attack on a 21-year-old woman at a hostel in Nelson, reported stuff.co.nz. He admitted one charge of rape, two of unlawful sexual connection, two of assaulting a female and one of injuring with intent to injure. Police have been making inquiries into his whereabouts for the past several weeks, but are yet to locate him. Officers went to an address in Whangarei last week after receiving information that he may be there, but he was not located. Northland Police said Mr Heke-Gray is believed to be a meth user and is displaying signs of paranoia. He is also believed to have access to weapons, including a firearm. New Zealand Police believe Mr Heke-Gray is active on social media and is meeting up with women for dates through Facebook and other social media apps Inspector Al Symonds from Northland Police said: 'We need to catch this man as soon as possible. Anyone who may be helping him to hide should consider that they will have the full force of the law thrown at them if we find that that they have helped him to avoid capture'. Inspector Symonds described him as 'a very dangerous man'. Politician said he was 'shocked' the picture did not have a target on it Republican Senator Richard Burr (shown) has apologized for saying the NRA might want to put a 'bull's eye' on Hillary Clinton Republican Senator Richard Burr has apologized for saying gun-rights supporters might want to put a 'bull's eye' on presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. The North Carolina senator, who is locked in a fierce battle for re-election, was forced to backtrack after a recording of his comments was published. He had told GOP volunteers on Saturday he was 'shocked' the cover of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine, which featured Clinton, did not have a target on it. 'Nothing made me feel any better than [when] I walked to a gun shop, I think, yesterday in Oxford. There was a copy of Rifleman on the counter,' he said. 'It's got a picture of Hillary Clinton on the front of it,' he said. 'I was a little bit shocked at that - didn't have the bull's eye on it.' His comments, first reported by CNN, prompted laughter from the crowd of campaign supporters at a get-out-the-vote meeting in Mooresville, North Carolina. Burr then added: 'But on the bottom right it had everybody for federal office in this particular state that they should vote for.' The North Carolina senator told GOP volunteers on Saturday he was 'shocked' the cover of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine, which featured Clinton, did not have a target on it 'Let me assure you, there is an army of support out there right now for our candidates.' The remarks promoted a furious backlash, with the pro-gun-control Brady Campaign calling on Burr to step down. Burr, the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, has since apologized and admitted his comments were 'inappropriate'. 'The comment I made was inappropriate, and I apologize for it,' he said in a statement. A campaign official also clarified that Burr's comment about feeling 'better' was not in any way related to Clinton potentially being shot. A poll released today has revealed how Clinton has maintained a six-point lead over Donald Trump over the past few days The November issue of the National Rifle Association's magazine features an unflattering picture of Clinton on the cover, with the words: 'If Hillary wins, she won't forget her campaign promises'. It then uses red arrows to point out her wrinkles and list her pledges, including banning semi-automatic weapons and shutting down gun shows. A poll released today has revealed how Clinton has maintained a six-point lead over Donald Trump over the past few days. This suggests the news about the FBI probe into her emails may not have dramatically swayed voters. The Australian tourist who was missing in remote Malaysian jungle for weeks had gone on a trip to find himself. Andrew Gaskell, from Tasmania, was found emaciated, covered in leeches and in urgent need of medical attention at a camp in Malaysia's Mulu National Park about noon Tuesday. Mr Gaskell was conscious and able to speak, but was taken to hospital where he told emergency crews he had resorted to eating wild ferns from the jungle floor to survive, the ABC reported. Scroll down for video Australian backpacker Andrew Gaskell, 25, has been found alive after being missing for weeks in remote Malaysian jungle When Mr Gaskell was found on Tuesday he was weak, covered in leeches and required medical care 'These last few days I picked up a few wild ferns from the jungle, aside from that I ate virtually nothing I was getting weaker and weaker every day,' he said. 'By the end of it I was quite concerned I wouldn't make my 26th birthday.' Before leaving Australia to travel, he'd written in a blog about wanting to 'come to some sort of conclusion as to who I am'. 'In August 2016, I will be embarking on a journey beginning somewhere in Asia and heading in a generally westward direction for an indefinite period of time,' he wrote. He revealed he wanted to have cultural experiences and climb mountains. 'And maybe, just maybe, in the course of my travels I'll come to some sort of conclusion as to who I am and what I want to do with my life. And so begins my journey beyond the horizon.' Besides a few injected cuts on his feet, Mr Gaskell had no major injuries. On being found, Mr Gaskell was conscious and able to speak, but was transported to hospital by his rescuers due to his emaciated condition The 25-year-old backpacker went hiking in the remote Mulu National Park in the Sarawak region (pictured) in Borneo on October 18 Despite his condition, rescuers said Mr Gaskell could talk and was happy Before leaving Australia on his travels, Mr Gaskell wrote about wanting to find himself His mother Elizabeth said the family was 'very thankful and grateful' he'd been found and for the search effort. Earlier, his father and brother travelled to the region to join the search for the 25-year-old backpacker. Andrew Gaskell went hiking on October 18 and hadn't been in touch with family or friends since. He indicated at the time he'd be walking in the area - which has poor mobile phone coverage and is known for its caves and vast formations - for about a week. Acting Inspector Darren Latham on Monday said Tasmania Police were liaising with Malaysian police during the search. Police were alerted to Mr Gaskell's disappearance by family members living in Tasmania who had been in constant contact with the solo traveller during his overseas trip, Act Insp Latham told reporters. Mr Gaskell grew up in Hobart but has lived in Cairns for the past three years. Volunteers from a rural village that had contact with Mr Gaskell before he disappeared had also joined the search in the national park over the weekend. Mr Gaskell's family on Sunday said they were 'overwhelmed' by the Malay people's kindness and generosity of spirit. Mr Gaskell is from Tasmania but has lived in Cairns for the past three years Searchers during the efforts to find Mr Gaskell in the national park Chris Bopst (pictured) dressed in blackface for a party in Richmond, Virginia over the weekend and has since had to resign from his jobs at an alt-weekly and as a music booker in the wake of the backlash A music promoter in Virginia is facing backlash on social media for dressing in blackface as part of his Halloween costume over the weekend. Chris Bopst apologized for his actions after posting a photo of himself on Facebook on Saturday dressed in blackface with a red bow on his head with the caption 'I am pretty.' The photo had many in the community up in arms, including Samantha Willis who commented on the photo when it was posted online. 'I really wanted to understand why,' Willis told CBS 6. 'You don't have to be African American to be super offended by this, it's racist behavior that has no place in modern American society.' Bopst, one of the founding members of metal band Gwar, told WRIC that he usually dresses up as a clown for Halloween, but was running low on white face make-up this year, so he used black instead. Scroll down for video Bopst apologized in the wake of the incident, saying that he threw the costume together last minute and didn't give it the thought it deserved He also wrote two posts on Facebook. The first was a short apology and the second was a longer explanation of his actions He added that he threw the costume together in less than an hour, before heading into work at Richmond's Balliceaux restaurant, where he booked music. He has since resigned. 'I wasnt thinking,' he said. 'Really, truly I was just going. I had to get to work.' In addition to resigning from his position as Balliceaux, Bopst has also given up his job as Calendar Editor at Style Weekly, a local alt-weekly newspaper. 'Due to my reprehensible behavior, I am resigning from my position as the music booker at Balliceaux,' he wrote in a message on the restaurant's Facebook page on Monday. 'I am sorry for my actions and the unforgivable harm Ive caused. I betrayed myself, my family, my friends, the hard-working people and patrons of Balliceaux and humanity as a whole. There is no excuse.' Bopst dressed in blackface for a party at Balliceaux, where he booked music. He has since resigned from the position Bopst said in another Facebook post Monday he wore the costume to be thought-provoking and funny but has since realized that the costume was in poor taste. 'In writing this, I want in no way to absolve myself of my actions. People have every right to be angry; I am disgusted with myself and I will be for the rest of my life. I will never stop being ashamed. 'Ive demeaned myself, my family and all those close to me. No apology will ever be enough,' he wrote. Some aren't accepting the apology though. King Salim Khalfani, director of the Richmond Chapter of Americans Resisting Minority & Ethnic Discrimination, told WRIC: 'We dont buy [Balliceauxs apology] because someone had to see him. Your supervisors know when youre there. At a party like, that people are looking. Apology not accepted.' British troops are getting training from Lithuania on how to combat Russian propaganda, it has been revealed. A special unit from the Baltic state has been teaching UK forces about Moscow's tactics for manipulating public opinion. Lithuania is on the front line between Russia and the West, and has extensive experience of Vladimir Putin's information warfare. Vladimir Putin has been accused of using sophisticated propaganda tactics against the West as tensions rise The expertise is reportedly being shared with the Army's 77th Brigade, which specialises in information warfare. A defence source told the Times: 'The UK has a great deal to learn from the disinformation campaign which is being waged against Lithuania.' Tensions have been rising with Russia for several years, with the annexation of Crimea and bombing in Syria to support Bashar Assad's regime. In Crimea, Russian-backed forces are said to have used sophisticated techniques to confuse military opponents and sap the will of the local population. There have been claims that the Putin regime is trying to destabilise the UK by encouraging Scottish independence. The Kremlin has been accused of subsidising Russian pop concerts in Lithuania to gain influence. The Lithuanian advisers are said to have warned that Russia is waging information war throughout Europe when they spent a week in the UK last month speaking to 77th Brigade and government officials. An MOD spokeswoman said: 'The UK has a longstanding Defence relationship with Lithuania, which is strengthened by routine joint activity. Relations between Russia and the West plunged into the deep freeze following its military action in Ukraine. Pictured, Moscow-backed rebels launch missiles during the conflict 'We will continue to work together to share expertise across our Armed Forces.' Russian tactics are said to include Blanket text messaging of communities before attacks to create confusion. Soldiers have also been warned to be aware of attempts to flood platforms such as Facebook and Twitter with misinformation. Experts have insisted that leaving electrical devices at home while on exercises should be 'the norm' for troops. Earlier this year it was claimed Russia had set up a propaganda factory where at least 400 people are employed to spread damaging lies about Britain on the internet. The English-speaking internet trolls get around 600 a month to post comments on websites in the UK with claims to stir readers from the 2014 Scottish Referendum was fixed to Mr Cameron was never Mr Honesty. It emerged earlier this week that Lithuanians have been handed manuals telling them what to do in the event of a Russian invasion. The 75-page booklet, called 'Prepare to survive emergencies and war', urges citizens to 'have the will to resist' if Vladimir Putin's forces attack. Extensive guides range from how to recognise Russian tanks to step-by-step survival tricks, including using condoms to help transport food and water. It comes weeks after Russia deployed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles into its Kaliningrad outpost that borders the country and Poland - both NATO members. Were you the man in the robbery? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk Took a phone and wallet and fled scene near Rome's main railway station He was joined by three accomplices, who wrestled with him on the floor One of the men walked alongside the tourist before tripping him up This is the dramatic moment a British tourist was tripped up by a gang of four teenage robbers who put an orange in his mouth to stop him screaming. The men, said to be from north Africa, pounced on the tourist as he was returning to his hotel in central Rome at 3am on Friday night. CCTV of the incident on the Via Vicenza near the Italian capital's main railway station shows the Briton thrashing on the ground as the robbers pinned him down. One of the hooded men guided the tourist along the pavement before tripping him on the ground One of the hooded men guided the tourist along the pavement before tripping him up. The orange was then put in his mouth to muffle his shouting, despite the obvious risk of choking. Straight away, another man dashed in and held the tourist's legs as his accomplice pinned him down. He was soon joined by two other men, who wrestled with the Briton on the floor while apparently going through his pockets. The hotel doorman raised the alarm and three of the four men were arrested by a police patrol when they attempted a similar robbery nearby, reported ilgiornale. The men were aged between 18 and 19. The fourth man is still on the run and his identity is not known. The British tourist was reported to be unhurt except for a few minor bruises. The incident follows the alleged beating, rape and robbery of an Australian tourist near the Colosseum earlier this month. Straight away, another man dashed in and held the tourist's legs as his accomplice pinned him down Advertisement The Queen welcomed the President of Colombia to Britain yesterday with a lavish state banquet, despite sporting a severely bloodshot eye. The 90-year-old monarch, who undertook a gruelling day of engagements including an official greeting on The Mall and lunch before the white-tie dinner, did not appear to be suffering any discomfort from the condition. It's not the first time the Queen has appeared in public with a bloodshot eye. In 2006, on an official visit to Belfast, the monarch's right eye was completely bloodshot and so swollen that she could open it only halfway. Buckingham Palace failed to respond to requests for a comment yesterday but sources who had been with the sovereign during the day said she had appeared just fine. It comes as the Prime Minister prepares to announce a new oil and gas partnership with Colombia. Theresa May will host Mr Santos at Downing Street today, the second day of the three-day state visit. Scroll down for video The Queen welcomed the President of Colombia to Britain yesterday, despite sporting a severely bloodshot eye The 90-year-old monarch, who undertook a gruelling day of engagements including an official greeting on The Mall and lunch before the white-tie dinner, did not appear to be suffering any discomfort from the condition The Queen toasts Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos during a State banquet held in his honour at Buckingham Palace Prince Philip, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and the Queen before the dinner Guests stand at the state banquet held in honour of the Colombian president and his wife in the Buckingham Palace ballroom The Queen thanked Mr Santos, pictured together, for bringing her some of his nation's 'world famous' coffee in a speech Mrs May is expected to tell him that Colombia is one of Britain's most important partners in Latin America, with which the UK will aim to boost trade following withdrawal from the European Union. The two leaders will announce a new double taxation agreement to help businesses and employees in both countries. The Prime Minister will announce 1 billion in UK export finance to encourage investment in healthcare and energy projects. Mrs May is expected to say: 'As the UK prepares to leave the EU, I am determined that Britain should become the global champion of free trade, and that means boosting trade with fast-growing economies like Colombia. 'A peaceful, prosperous Colombia is in both our interests, and I look forward to working with President Santos to forge an even stronger partnership in the years ahead.' Downing Street said that the UK has been Colombia's third largest foreign investor over the past decade, with a trading relationship worth 1 billion last year. Bringing together the cities of Aberdeen and Barranquilla, the new oil and gas partnership will share best practice in areas like regulation, supply chain development and training. Guests dined on a menu of Dover sole and pheasant At last nights glittering state banquet, guests including tennis star Jamie Murray who has a Colombian wife, Alejandra and Theresa May dined on Dover sole with Morecambe Bay shrimps in a light saffron cream, followed by pot-roasted Windsor estate pheasant with pickled cabbage, port and truffle jus, broccoli and potatoes. Resplendent in a gold gown, the Queen thanked President Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon for bringing her some of his nation's 'world famous' coffee, joking it ' should ensure that everyone is wide awake' at a business meeting later this week. Mr Santos was joined by his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, at the banquet, where he delivered a speech praising the 'genius' of Shakespeare, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The 170 guests were entertained by the Countess of Wessex's String Orchestra which played an eclectic mix of music including Coldplay's Viva La Vida and a song from War Horse, a personal favourite of the Queen. The three-day state visit, the first to the UK by a Colombian president, comes at a pivotal moment in history as Mr Santos continues to work towards securing a peace deal for his country following five decades of civil war. Toasting Mr Santos, the Queen compared the Colombian journey towards peace to the end of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Mr Santos helped broker an historic deal with Farc rebels which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize. The Queen also praised Mr Santos' 'courage and and perseverance' as she paid tribute to his continued efforts in brokering a peace deal with the Farc rebel movement. Mr Santos, who is on a three-day state visit to Britain, said he was 'proud' to be allies with Britain in his speech at the dinner The Queen also praised Mr Santos' 'courage and and perseverance' as she paid tribute to his continued peace efforts Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, were met by the royal couple She said: 'T he Colombian author Laura Restrepo once wrote, 'War or indifference; it's hard to know which is the hardest to fight' - a phrase which continues to ring true in this uncertain world. It is a reminder that the waging of peace is the hardest form of leadership of all, but also the most rewarding. 'Finding the balance between deeply-held opposing views, while never forgetting the needs of the disengaged, requires patience, resourcefulness and grit. TASTE OF BRITAIN: MENU FOR THE STATE BANQUET To start Turban of Dover Sole with Morecambe Bay shrimps in a light saffron cream Main Pot-roasted Windsor estate pheasant with choucroute (pickled cabbage), port and truffle jus, sprouting broccoli and sable potatoes To finish A light mango and passion fruit cream entremet Advertisement 'Although you have faced recent setbacks, to have come to the cusp of a historic peace agreement, against the expectations of many, is a testament to your courage and perseverance, and that of the Colombian people.' The Queen went on to highlight the strong ties between the UK and Colombia. Her words were echoed by Mr Santos, who said he was 'proud' to be allies with the nation who 'gave humanity the genius of Shakespeare and Dickens; the science of Newton and Darwin; the political boldness of Churchill, and the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones'. He added: 'And today we are also grateful for your constant and decisive support in the search of peace for Colombia, and in the upcoming challenging period of the post conflict, so as to ensure a stable and long-lasting peace, after half a century of war.' The President has been very appreciative of his trip so far, even offering the Duke of Edinburgh a thoughtful gift. He presented Prince Philip with the 'baligrafo' - a pen made from a recycled bullet - after he and the first lady enjoyed a lunch at Buckingham Palace. It is seen as a symbol of Colombia's move towards peace. Bullet pens were used to sign a historic deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, although the accord was narrowly rejected by Colombians in a vote. Mr Santos said the decision to use a bullet pen for the signatures showed Colombia's changeover from a country of bullets into a country of 'education and future'. Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh (left) join Colombia's president Juan Manuel Santos (right) and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos in looking at Colombian items from the Royal collection in the gallery of Buckingham Palace The Queen smiles at the Colombian president as she accompanies the visiting dignitary through the palace gallery The Queen and Prince Philip show the President and his wife around the exhibition staged in the Buckingham Palace gallery Mr Santos was shown photos of the Queen meeting other Nobel Peace Prize winners over the years including Mother Teresa and Mr Carter. Pictured from left: Prince Philip, Maria, Her Majesty the Queen and Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three-day tour to Britain President Juan Manuel Santos and the First Lady of Colombia Maria Clemencia Rodriguez Munera pay a moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Westminster Abbey in central London during their first ever official state visit to the UK The President lays a wreath of flowers at the grave of the Unknown Warrior with services personnel during a visit to Westminster Abbey in central London The Queen was presented with a silver filigree clutch purse. Mr Santos is known to be a big fan of the wartime prime minister Sir Winston Churchill and the Queen and Philip gave him a bound album of 'Churchilliana', including facsimiles and photographs from the Royal Archives relating to the politician. He also received their customary gift - a silver framed pair of photographs of his royal hosts. Mrs Santos was presented with a jewellery box by the Queen's nephew, Viscount Linley. Among the other items on show in the Royal Collection exhibition was a Colombian pilot licence presented to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1962 during the first royal visit to the republic. The Queen was entertained by the inclusion of a sombrero - given to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their trip to Colombia in 2014, while Philip picked up a black and white photo of himself, the Queen and former US president Jimmy Carter in 1977 to closely examine it. Mr Santos was shown photos of the Queen meeting other Nobel Peace Prize winners over the years including Mother Teresa and Mr Carter. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria arrived into Britain to be greeted by full pomp and pageantry today as the Queen pulled out all the stops to ensure his first ever state visit to the UK was a memorable affair Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife Maria were formally welcomed by Her Majesty and Theresa May at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade. Pictured: Mrs May performs a curtsy for the Queen during the ceremonial welcome Theresa May performs a curtsy for the Queen as she greets Her Majesty at the formal welcome at Horse Guards Parade Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard with Prince Philip during his ceremonial welcome today The Queen and President Juan Manuel Santo left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace - travelling along The Mall Union and Colombian flags line the Mall as the Queen and President Santos depart Horse Guards Parade this morning STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS: FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE HOSTED BY THE QUEEN State Visits play an important role in strengthening Britain's relationships with countries around the world. Every year the Queen, or a member of the Royal Family acting in her stead, undertakes two or three State Visits overseas. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh also host incoming heads of state roughly twice a year. Here, a list of the incoming State Visits since 2005: 2005 Italy: President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and Signora Ciampi, 15-18 March China: President Hu Jintao and Madame Liu Yongqing, 8-10 November 2006 Brazil: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senhora Lula da Silva, 7-9 March 2007 Saudi Arabia: King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, 30 October-1 November Ghana: President John Kufuor and Mrs Kufuor, 13-15 March 2008 France: President and Madame Nicolas Sarkozy, 26-27 March 2009 Mexico: President Felipe Calderon and Senora Zavala, 30 March-2 April India: President Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Dr. Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, 27-29 October 2010 South Africa: President Jacob Zuma and Mrs Zuma, 3-5 March Qatar: Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser AlMissned, 26-28 November 2011 USA: President Barack Obama and Mrs Obama, 24-26 May Turkey: President Abdullah Gul and Mrs. Gul, 22-24 November 2012 Indonesia: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudohoyono, 31 October 2 November Kuwait: Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, 27-29 November 2013 UAE (United Arab Emirates): President Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 30 April 1 May South Korea: President Park Geun-hye, 5-7 November 2014 Ireland (the Republic of Ireland): President Michael D. Higgins and Mrs. Sabina Higgins, 8-11 April Singapore: President Tony Tan Keng Yam and Mrs. Tan Keng Yam, 21-24 October 2015 Mexico: President Enrique Pena Nieto and Senora Angelica Rivera de Pena, 3-5 March China: President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan, 20-23 October Advertisement Mr Santos also delivered a speech to both Houses of Parliament, saying his nation is ready to 'substantially increase' trade and investment in the UK once it reaches a deal with the EU. He also thanked the UK for ratifying Colombia's free trade agreement with the EU. His speech included a recognition of the role of the British Legions in helping liberate Colombia from Spanish rule in the 19th century. But, drawing parallels with the Northern Ireland peace process, he focused mainly on the peace deal he brokered with left-wing Farc (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels, which earned him a Nobel peace price. He said: 'We must build on existing foundations and identify new opportunities that will allow us to substantially increase our bilateral trade and investment. 'And I want to point out that during this state visit we are signing a treaty to prevent double taxation, which constitutes an additional advantage and provides greater legal security for British and Colombian investors.' Earlier, Mr and Mrs Santos arrived at Horse Guards Parade - Henry VIII's former jousting yard - by car after being greeted at their London hotel by the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who visited Colombia in 2014. Under grey skies, the Queen and Philip stood waiting to welcome the visitors with Mrs May, Ms Rudd and Mr Johnson, as well as military top brass and other leading figures. On the parade ground the Guard of Honour, the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, formed in two lines with the Corps of Drums of the Battalion and the Band of the Regiment, under the command of Major Charles Starkey. Following time-honoured tradition, Prince Philip led the visiting head of state to inspect the Guard of Honour. President Santos walked past the lines of Guardsmen, glancing at the soldiers who, when not performing ceremonial duties, are active servicemen. The Duke walked a few paces behind the foreign leader, who strode ahead past the lines of troops in their grey greatcoats and famous bearskins. Earlier, the Queen, who wore an ensemble by Angela Kelly - a green cashmere coat, silk crepe dress in shades of apple green, grey and gold lame, and matching hat - introduced Mr Santos and his wife to the Prime Minister and other VIP guests. After the welcome ceremony ended, the Queen left in a carriage procession for Buckingham Palace. Mr Santos and his wife will stay with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, and will be entertained at a lavish state banquet this evening. Queen Elizabeth rides a carriage with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos as they leave Horse Guards Parade at lunch The Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen share a moment as they have their photograph taken with President Santos and Maria Under grey skies, the Queen and Philip stood waiting to welcome the visitors with military top brass at Horse Guards Parade Following time-honoured tradition, Prince Philip led the visiting head of state to inspect the Guard of Honour upon his arrival The Queen - wearing a green cashmere coat, silk crepe dress in shades of apple green, grey and gold lame, and matching hat (left) greets Maria Clemencia de Santos at the ceremonial welcome for her and her husband President Juan Manuel Santos The Queen met with military top brass before welcoming the President's wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos (right) Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall greets President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria It is the first time a state visit to the UK has been carried out by a Colombian president but the South American leader and his wife have met the Queen before - during a private audience in 2011. To mark the occasion of the state visit, the London Eye will be lit up in yellow, blue and red the colours of the Colombian flag tonight and tomorrow. The state visit, the first since Mrs May became Prime Minister, will also feature Downing Street talks. Tomorrow, Mrs May will host the President at 10 Downing Street for a working lunch, and the President will also attend events at Mansion House, the Natural History Museum and the London School of Economics. Juan Manuel Santos de Calderon and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, was formally welcomed by The Queen at the Royal Pavilion on Horse Guards Parade, London. He and his wife are pictured leaving Stansted Airport yesterday The President, who has been leading Colombia's peace process, will also meet with Theresa May, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Boris Johnson during the procession before enjoying at lavish dinner at Buckingham Palace with the Queen tonight During his visit, the President - accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh - will inspect the Guard of Honour, before enjoying a state carriage procession along The Mall to Buckingham Palace. Pictured: The Queen during the ceremonial welcome today The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh prepare to welcome the President with Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Amber Judd The Queen and Prime Minister Theresa May meet and greet dignitaries during the ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (right) is greeted by the Queen during a ceremonial welcome to mark his first visit The Queen greets Maria Clemencia de Santos as her husband Juan Manuel Santos looks on at today's ceremonial welcome Boris Johnson will take the President on a private tour of the Cabinet War Rooms. Mr Johnson said: 'We are delighted to welcome President Santos to the UK. Britain works hand-in-hand with Colombia on the world stage whenever the occasion demands. 'We have an important national interest in the security and prosperity of Colombia, and we look forward to forging new links in science, education and research, while reinforcing the traditional friendship between our two peoples through increased tourism. 'Colombia is on the verge of a historic peace agreement and through our ongoing support for the country the UK is well-placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will follow. We will continue to support President Santos and the people of Colombia as they work to secure lasting peace. 'As we leave the EU, Britain remains a bold and outward-looking nation, and we are forging a new global role and taking advantage of economic and diplomatic opportunities in the wider world, beyond Europe. 'Colombia holds huge potential for British investors in areas ranging from health care to transport, defence and energy, and I hope that the state visit will help to open up these opportunities.' Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd were all in attendance today Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrive to take part in a ceremonial welcome for Colombia President Santos Guardsmen prepare to take part in a ceremonial welcome for Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (centre right) is met by Lord-in-Waiting Viscount Hood (centre left) as he and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez (behind) arrive at London Stansted Airport in Essex yesterday ahead of his first UK state visit Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez leave in Queen Elizabeth II's official car with the President's Colombian Air Force plane on the tarmac after arriving at London Stansted Airport in Essex yesterday Following his trip to London, President Santos will then travel to Belfast on Thursday to hear first-hand about Northern Ireland's experience of peace-building, and the benefits that peace and political progress has brought for community relations and efforts to build a stronger economy. The UK has strong ties with Colombia and a longstanding relationship built over more than 200 years. The two countries work closely on a range of issues, including trade and investment, security, defence, and climate change. Trade between Colombia and the UK was worth 1 billion last year, and continues to grow. The UK also works closely with Colombia's law enforcement agencies to tackle the threat of drug trafficking and serious organised crime issues that affect people in the UK too. Colombia is emerging from the longest-running internal conflict in the Western hemisphere. The UK has played a central role in supporting Colombia's peace process. Peace will benefit not only Colombia and the surrounding region, but will create opportunities to further expand the bilateral relationship between Colombia and the UK. President Santos recently received the Nobel Peace Prize, recognising his continued efforts to secure peace. He was hailed for his political courage for helping to broker the deal with left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. Although the accord was narrowly rejected by Colombians in a vote, the leader has extended a ceasefire with the country's largest rebel movement to allow more time for efforts to save the peace deal. British and Colombian national flags line The Mall in central London today ahead of President Santos' visit to meet the Queen Flags of the UK and Colombia flying on the Mall, London, ahead of the state visit the Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos Professor Stephen Hawking has warned even he is not equipped to help Theresa May tackle Brexit. The theoretical physicist was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Prime Minister at last night's Pride of Britain awards. Professor Hawking's life's work has been to explain the mysteries of the universe and Mrs May said he was 'one of the most inspirational scientists in the history of our time'. Prime Minister Theresa May, second right, next to host Carol Vorderman in the red dress, presented Professor Stephen Hawking, left, with a life time achievement prize at last night's Pride of Britain awards After taking to the stage, Professor Hawking quipped: 'Thank you Prime Minister for those very kind words. 'I deal with tough mathematical questions every day but please don't ask me to help with Brexit. 'I would like to thank the organisers of Pride of Britain for this award.' The 74-year-old opposed Brexit and joined other scientists ahead of June's referendum in claiming quitting the EU will hurt Britain's contribution to science and research. Mrs May - whose mantra since taking over at No 10 has been 'Brexit means Brexit' - presented the award at the event in London. She said: 'He's an amazing man. He is quite simply one of the most inspirational scientists in the history of our time. 'It's my great pleasure to present the lifetime achievement award to Professor Stephen Hawking.' A night out can often cost more than you had expected and this was certainly true to for one teenager who ended up spending nearly 700 - on a kebab. Hannah Whitehouse visited Central Kebab and Burger House in Wrexham in the early hours of Sunday morning and expected to pay a reasonable 8:90 for her chicken kebab. The 19-year-old from the nearby village of Llay was with friends Abby Richards, 19, and Lauren Buckley, 20, when she handed over her card to pay. Hannah Whitehouse (pictured) visited Central Kebab and Burger House in Wrexham in the early hours of Sunday morning to buy an 8:90 kebab Central Kebab and Burger House (pictured) accidently charged the teenager a massive 690.50 for her meal. But, when she got her receipt she was shocked to discover she had forked out 690.50 for the food. Miss Whitehouse, who runs a dog grooming business from home, said: 'We decided to go for a kebab and cheesy chips. It was about 3am on Sunday. 'We asked to pay half card, half cash because all the cash machines in Wrexham were out of money. 'I was not concentrating and just put my PIN in and carried on waiting for the food.' When Miss Whitehouse saw the huge amount on her receipt, she asked a staff member to have a look and he fetched his boss. She said: 'Everyone was laughing in the kebab house. It was the most expensive kebab I've ever had. When Hannah saw the amount on her receipt (pictured), she spoke to the manager. He agreed to refund her money but could not do it until the next day 'The boss was trying to refund me and couldn't do it, so they said to come back the next day and they would give me the money. 'I took my receipt, wrote down my number on their receipt, and took the food. I went back at 3pm on Sunday. My friend had lost her purse and they had found that too. 'They gave me the money back, but I still had to pay for the kebab. 'We go there all the time and would definitely go back. The kebab was lovely.' Shop manager Rush Yaman said he was happy to sort the problem out as soon as he could. A group of hunters got themselves into a sticky situation when they tried to rescue a baby elephant from the mud. After discovering the trapped young animal stuck up to its neck in a muddy puddle, the buffalo hunters decided to turn their hand to conservation. But they were in for a shock when the ungrateful elephant decided to turn on them. After hauling it to its feet again it with a rope the hunters were forced to turn and flee when the stressed animal shaped up to charge them. A group of hunters rescued a baby elephant who was stuck up to its neck in a muddy puddle The elephant, who was less than three-years-old had been stuck in mud all night, and was struggling in the sweltering conditions Fortunately the rescuers were able to get out of the way before they or the elephant was hurt. Professional photo guide Norman Crooks was accompanying the group in Chirundu, Zimbabwe, when they discovered the baby. He said: 'A member of the National Parks and Wildlife went out on a game drive with conservation students and discovered an elephant, less than three-years-old, stuck in the mud a couple of hundred metres away. 'Her mother was standing nearby, and was exhausted as she had been trying to get the youngster out all night. 'As soon as the group arrived she charged them, and they pulled back and radioed our hunting camp for help. Conservation students first saw the stricken elephant in Chirundu, Zimbabwe, before the hunters were called in to help The men used ropes to pull the animal free - but the stressed elephant decided to turn on them 'We immediately abandoned our buffalo hunt and went to help, as I know from experience that when animals get stuck they do not last long. 'In the direct sunlight it is 42 degrees at this time of year, and the sunlight and the stress of the struggle can quickly take their toll.' Describing the dramatic rescue, he said the elephant was quite aggressive, but the hunters managed to pull him out with the help of their Jeep. 'When I arrived with other from the hunting camp we found the elephant bogged down in the mud, with the mother nowhere to be found,' Mr Crooks said. 'The first thing to do was pour water over the youngster to cool him off, which seemed to revive him. The hunters poured water on the elephant to keep him cool in the oppressive 42 degree heat The rescuers were able to get out of the way before they or the elephant was hurt, and he was later reunited with his family 'He was quite aggressive and lunged at us with his trunk, but eventually we managed to get a rope underneath him. 'We attached a rope to a winch on our jeep and started pulling, and slowly but surely he came out. 'After two or three pulls he was out and up, and all hell broke loose. The young bull charged us immediately. 'Fortunately the rope slackened and came off and he was free to join a nearby herd of elephants. 'We checked the next day and he was reunited with his mother and a little sister. Until recently, missile bunkers along Crimea's southern coast were a destination for tourists, costing $50 to visit. But the crumbling and abandoned former Soviet sites, which served during the Cold War as a defence against naval attack from the Black Sea, are coming back online. Known locally as Object 100, signs placed around the site warn visitors against entering a 'forbidden zone of the Russian Ministry of Defence'. The formerly disused bunkers from the Cold War era are back in use, and locals describe it as a functioning military base Both Russia and NATO are boosting their military capabilities across eastern Europe, prompting officials such as Polish President Andrzej Duda and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to talk of a return to open hostilities A resident of a nearby village, close to the Simferopol site, who said he was employed at the base last year said Russian soldiers had re-occupied the sites and blocked roads leading into the area. He was unable to say when the Russian soldiers arrived. 'It is a functioning military base with an anti-ship missile system,' the villager told a Reuters reporter who visited the area in July. The bunkers are just one small part of a new Russian programme to militarise the Crimean peninsula. Based on recent site observations by Reuters, accounts from locals, media reports and official Russian data, Moscow has reanimated multiple Soviet-built facilities in the region, built new bases and stationed soldiers there. The military units, in the south of Crimea, are now functioning bases, according to locals Crimea sits at the southern end of a line of new and refurbished Russian military facilities that stretches north in an arc through western Russia and ends in the country's Baltic outpost of Kaliningrad. The military buildup is echoed in NATO countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, where U.S. forces are beefing up patrols and conducting more frequent exercises. Spurred by years of growing mutual distrust and in particular the conflict in Ukraine, both Russia and NATO are boosting their military capabilities across eastern Europe, prompting officials such as Polish President Andrzej Duda and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to talk of a return to open hostilities. Construction work under way to restore a Russian military facility in Crimea, which had previously been a tourist destination 'We have, in effect, slid into a new Cold War,' Medvedev told a security conference in Munich in February. To be sure, the scale of the military confrontation is not the same. Disarmament deals in the past three decades have lowered the temperature of the nuclear confrontation. Absent too are the hundreds of thousands of troops who were stationed on either side of the Iron Curtain in eastern Europe during the Cold War. But elements of the conventional military standoff are now returning. Crimea is one of the starkest examples. In a week touring the region, a Reuters reporter saw 18 sites, including naval bases, radar stations and airfields. Some were entirely new, some were old military sites that had been refurbished, and others were in the process of being refurbished. A Russian military facility at the Fiolent Cape near Sevastopol, Crimea, where military resources The bunkers are just one small part of a new Russian programme to militarise the Crimean peninsula Moscow has made no secret of its buildup in Crimea. But Reuters' observations, combined with the other information, shed light on its scale. Britain's Defence Minister Michael Fallon said in September that London was concerned about military buildup in Crimea 'and indeed the militarisation of the Black Sea region generally. Both Bulgaria and Romania feel very threatened.' Crimea is now the closest Russian-controlled territory to NATO member Romania, which since May has hosted part of a U.S.-controlled international missile shield. The project is scheduled to become operational in late 2018, when work on a radar installation in Poland - the other main land-based component in the shield - is completed. Britain's Defence Minister Michael Fallon said in September that London was concerned about military buildup in Crimea Washington says the shield is designed as a defence against Iranian missile strikes. But Russian President Vladimir Putin says the system and NATO are both threats to Russia's security, and has promised to retaliate. Russia's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment about its activities in Crimea. Nor did the regional government in Crimea. One part of Russia's expansion programme appears to be an attempt to re-create a chain of radar stations on rocky hilltops around Crimea. These stations offer an ideal vantage point for monitoring the Black Sea, and nearby NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. Russian military helicopters pictured amid the strengthening of resources around the Black Sea, where former Cold War bases are coming back into operation One of the stations - a facility with four revolving radars each encased in a large white dome - sits halfway up a mountain near the Crimean seaside town of Feodosiya. Built in Soviet times, the station had been abandoned by the Ukrainian military. Now the Russian armed forces have moved in. In July, two green Russian military vehicles with tall antennas were parked beneath the radars. 'There is a military base here, air defence system and missiles,' said a man who lives in a village about 300 metres from the base. 'There are air defence systems on every cape here.' Further around the coast, on the outskirts of the port city of Sevastopol, sits another radar station, called 'Dnepr.' Built by Soviet engineers, the station was out of order for years before the Russian annexation. A Reuters reporter saw dozens of soldiers in Russian military uniforms inside the base and guarding the perimeter. Military facilities in Crimea, which have been disused since the Cold War, are coming back into operation A Russian military facility on the bank of the Black Sea in Sevastopol, Crimea Behind three lines of perimeter fencing were two structures, each around 300 meters long, with sloping sides partially covered by black metal sheets. The structures match archive images showing the Dnepr radar system. A Russian flag flew from the roof of a building near the two radar structures. A sentry said that a nearby lighthouse that used to be a tourist attraction was now part of a military base and off limits to the public. Russian newspaper Izvestiya quoted a military source in May as saying Moscow will restore the Dnepr station so it can 'detect launches of ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles from the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea area.' The Russian defence ministry did not respond to questions about the radar station. The Russian military buildup seen by Reuters goes beyond what existed in Crimea when it was under the control of Kiev, according to soldiers in Crimea, local residents and Ukrainian accounts of deployments before the annexation. Russian servicemen pictured in Crimea in July, where resources are being strengthened amid increased tensions between Russia and NATO At Perevalnoye, a small village at the foot of a mountain not far from Simferopol in the centre of the peninsula, Russia is transforming an abandoned Ukrainian military facility into two new bases. Inside the fenced perimeter of one in August, stood two 500-metre-long green hangars into which military vehicles drove. Nearby, trucks rumbled between a huge concrete plant and a construction site that will become a second base. According to documents lodged by the defence ministry on the official website for public procurement tenders, one of the two bases will be for coast guards and the other for artillery units. The ministry documents, which were lodged from October 2014, indicate the combined projects will include dormitories for more than 1,000 soldiers, residential buildings with more than 300 apartments, an ammunition depot, hangars for more than 500 military vehicles, an artillery range and dining facilities. A new school and a kindergarten with a pool, as well as barracks for a military orchestra, are also planned, the documents show. Most of the expansion in Crimea is being carried out by the Russian navy and ground forces. But air capabilities are also being beefed up The ministry did not respond to questions about the Perevalnoye base. Before Russia annexed Crimea, Moscow leased facilities from the Ukrainian state to house its Black Sea fleet, which has been based in Crimea for more than two centuries. Those facilities, mainly around Sevastopol, are now being expanded. In one bay on the outskirts of the city, according to procurement documents, the Russian military is building a training centre for navy divers. There will also be a mooring area and an aircraft runway that has been unused for 20 years will be brought back into service. From the perimeter fence, a Reuters reporter saw concrete taxiways, large cranes, and work underway to reinforce the shoreline. The ministry did not reply to questions about the plans for that site. Russia has remained silent on its expansion plans in the region Most of the expansion in Crimea is being carried out by the Russian navy and ground forces. But air capabilities are also being beefed up. The former Belbek civilian airport has been turned into a military air base, according to a Reuters reporter who went to the base. The terminal building has been shut and the entrance to the base is now guarded by a Russian marine. An Il-76 heavy military transport plane, with the insignia of the Russian air force, was parked on the airfield when Reuters visited. Two other military airfields that were abandoned by the Ukrainians are also now in use again by the Russian military. At the Novofyodorovka airfield, in a coastal village to the north of Sevastopol, a Reuters reporter saw half a dozen dark-grey SU-30 fighter jets and light-grey SU-24 frontline bombers. At the other recommissioned air base, in Djankoy, 40 km south of the de facto border separating Crimea from Ukrainian-controlled territory, Russian servicemen in blue uniform came and went throughout the day. Seven MI-24 attack helicopters were parked on the airfield. 'There were just two airplanes here when Ukraine ruled. And look at this place now, you can see much more here,' a young soldier told Reuters at the checkpoint. The defence ministry did not respond to questions about the air bases. Brian Lee Adams has pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft A Florida man faces up to 12 years in federal prison for burying his mother in her backyard so that he could continue collecting her retirement payments to the tune of $35,000. Prosecutors say Brian Adams admitted that he failed to notify anyone that his mother, Janell Adams, had died of natural causes in July 2014. The 56-year-old Adams of Green Cove Springs near Jacksonville pleaded guilty on Monday to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. Adams told investigators that he used his mother's name on Social Security and pension payment checks and transferred $35,345 between her accounts, which he also used himself. Adams now faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison, including a mandatory two-year sentence for the identity theft charge. Brian Adams, of Jacksonville, buried his mother on or before July 4, 2014, to conceal her death Adams then stole his dead mother's pension funds and Social Security benefits until June 2015 'It was part of the scheme and artifice that Brian Lee Adams would bury his dead mother so that the event, cause and circumstances of her death would remain undiscovered after she died,' the indictment states. 'It was further part of the scheme and artifice that Brian Lee Adams would prepare and use written checks fraudulently signed.' He acknowledged to investigators that he had buried his mother after she died in order to continue collecting both her Social Security payments and a pension payment that she received monthly, federal officials said. Mrs Adam's body was found when the Clay County Sheriff's Office was working a missing persons case and foundJanell Adams' remains buried in the yard of her former home. After the remains were found, her son was arrested in North Carolina, on an outstanding warrant for violating probation in connection with a charge of possession of methamphetamine charge, not connected with his mother's disappearance. Adams used his mother's name on checks that he would write to transfer money between her accounts. He would then use the funds on himself. The total amount Adams stole was $35,345 Adams faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison, including a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not yet been set 'We are trying to determine if the cause of death was natural or as a result of homicide, but the suspect who was responsible for this burial is in custody in another state,' Clay County Sheriff Rick Beseler said to News4Jax. 'The individual that the out-of-state law enforcement agency has in custody has indicated that he's the one responsible for the illegal burial.' A sentencing date has not yet been set. Adams has a record of multiple arrests in dating back to June 2009 when he was charged with speeding. He was charged with marijuana possession in November 2011. He remained living in Portsmouth, Hampshire, until his death in 2006 Soon after going home he had to run again following the Soviet-backed putsch The incredible tale of Jiri Hartman has come to light The remarkable story of a Czech pilot who fought for Britain in between fleeing fascism and then communism in his homeland has emerged after 70 years. Jiri Hartman became a Spitfire hero after he sought sanctuary in England following the Nazi invasion of his homeland in 1938. The immigrant airman defended London by engaging in dog-fights over the English Channel and provided air cover for the disastrous Dieppe raid, the D-Day landings and the Battle of Arnhem. He also protected bombers during raids on German airfields, ports and trains. In all he flew on 168 sorties and shot down or damaged numerous enemy aircraft, which won him the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war he was given the honour of leading 54 Spitfires of the Czech Air Force back home to Prague. He married an Englishwoman who he took to Czechoslovakia but following the Soviet-backed communist putsch of his country in 1948 he had to flee a second time. Czech airmen who served with the Western Allies in the Second World War were arrested and subjected to 'political torture'. He managed to stage a dramatic escape across the mountains to Germany while being pursued by border guards. Jiri emigrated to England and rejoined the RAF. He was later credited with establishing the British Search and Rescue Helicopter Service. Mr Hartman became a Spitfire hero after he sought sanctuary in England following the Nazi invasion of his homeland in 1938 Throughout his service he won a most of medals, which can be seen here along with his logbook After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1990 the Czech government gave Jiri the honorary rank of Major General in the Czech Air Force but he remained living in Portsmouth, Hants, until his death in 2006. His heroics and service to his adopted country can now be told after his wartime medals and RAF logbooks were put up for sale at auction. Bernard Pass, of Bosleys auctioneers of Marlow, Bucks, which is selling the lots, said: 'The story of Jiri Hartman shows that it wasn't just the Brits who flew in the RAF and defended Britain from the German Luftwaffe. 'The Czechs and the Poles played a very important part in RAF operations throughout the war. 'In many respects it was more important to them because it was their homeland that had been occupied by the Germans that they were fighting to free. 'These pilots had an extra incentive to fight. 'They were also very brave because the Germans treated people from Eastern Europe as subhuman. 'A captured British airman would have ended up in a German Stalag but the Czechs and the Poles ran the risk of going to a concentration camp or being handed over to the SS. 'Then the fact Jiri Hartman had to escape his own country twice from different regimes just adds to the incredible story. The immigrant airman defended London by engaging in dog-fights with the Luftwaffe over the English Channel He also provided air cover for the disastrous Dieppe raid, the D-Day landings and the Battle of Arnhem In all he flew on 168 sorties and shot down or damaged numerous enemy aircraft, which won him the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross 'After the communist coup of Czechoslovakia, he was desperate to get back to Britain. It is a bit ironic that he had to escape through Germany to get here given that is the country he originally fled from. 'The Czech airmen who served in the RAF on the Western Front were held with suspicion. They were sent to political camps like gulags to be politically tortured. 'After he emigrated to Britain he carried on serving in the RAF. The Czech's loss was very much Britain's gain.' After Jiri first fled Czechoslovakia he joined the French Air Force and was undergoing training there when the Nazis invaded and occupied France. He managed to escape to England in June 1940 in a Hudson aircraft. Because he was wearing his French Air Force lieutenant's uniform he was sent to an airfield in Wales to join up with the French general Charles de Gaulle. On meeting him the future French president kissed him on both cheeks and said 'Vive la France' before Jiri explained he was actually Czech. A Donald Trump supporter who described himself as a 'white nationalist' has been making automated phone calls to voters in Utah, in which homophobia is used as a weapon against independent candidate Evan McMullin. In the latest poll in Utah, Trump on 32 per cent led McMullin by only two points with Hillary Clinton a distant third, on 24 per cent. McMullin, a former CIA operative, businessman and GOP policy director, immediately hit back, tweeting: 'I've stood for liberty and equality in this race; it's natural for @realDonaldTrump's white supremacists to attack me. A fight worth having.' He also accused 'white nationalists' of attacking his faith - he is a Mormon - and spreading 'baseless lies'. Evan McMullin (pictured, during a rally in Draper, Utah) has chosen to stand in only 11 states but in his home state of Utah he is becoming a serious threat to Trump In the robo-call William Daniel Johnson says: 'I am a farmer and a white nationalist. I make this call against Evan McMullin and in support of Donald Trump.' The call labels McMullin, a conservative who is running in only 11 states, as 'an open borders, amnesty supporter'. It then goes on to say: 'Evan has two mommies. His mother is a lesbian, married to another woman. Evan is okay with that. Indeed Evan supports the Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage.' McMullin's mother Lanie married a woman after she got divorced and he told the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper he believed in the 'sanctity of traditional marriage', in other words between a man and a woman. But he added: 'My mother has a different view. That is OK. I love her very much, and she is one of my best friends. She is a wonderful mother.' Johnson then points out that McMullin is 40 and unmarried, jumping to the conclusion that he is a 'closet homosexual'. McMullin immediately hit back on Twitter, before Trump's campaign apologized on behalf of William Johnson Evan McMullin (left) and Donald Trump (right) are neck and neck in Utah, with Hillary Clinton trailing in a poor third place The Daily Beast said Johnson had told them the robocall had cost just $2,000 and would be going out to 193,000 homes in Utah this week. In February this year Trump said he would return a $250 donation he received from Johnson after the white nationalist was linked to robo-calls in which voters in New Hampshire were told: 'We don't need Muslims. We need smart, well-educated, white people.' The fear of losing Utah, a solid Republican state, to an independent appears to have spurred Johnson into action again. But Hope Hicks, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, apologized for the call and said: 'We strongly condemn this rhetoric and these activities of which we have no knowledge.' McMullin tweeted: 'This attack is consistent with Trump's bigoted, deceitful campaign and vision for America. Utahns won't be fooled.' William Daniel Johnson (pictured) is a corporate lawyer and chairman of the American Freedom Party but has paid for robo-calls in support of Donald Trump The 40-year-old independent also poked fun at himself in a tweet yesterday: '#MormonMafia campaigning coffee shop to coffee shop in Park City.' In 2012 Mitt Romney was the first Mormon to become a presidential candidate but his religion never became a major campaign issue. Trump has failed to disavow all of these white supremacist people...he has dog whistled the radical right since the beginning of the campaign Mark Potak, Southern Poverty Law Center Mark Potak, from the Southern Poverty Law Center, told Mail Online: 'He calls himself a farmer but he is actually a corporate lawyer based in Los Angeles.' Mr Potak said: 'In 1985 Johnson wrote something called the Pace Amendment which recommended changing the US Constitution so that nobody could be a citizen of the United States if he has an "ascertainable trace of Negro blood".' He said Johnson had also paid for robo-calls on behalf of Trump in New Hampshire and elsewhere. A burka-clad female ISIS supporter who converted to Islam screamed 'Allahu Akbar' while attacking German police with a knife, it has emerged. Police had gathered outside her apartment block in Mulheim an der Ruhr after receiving a phone call early on Sunday morning to say she was 'going berserk'. The neighbours said she was hurling furniture, books and clothes to the street five storeys below her apartment. Police had to break down the door to her flat where she was armed with the knife. Scroll down for video Police had gathered outside her apartment block in Mulheim an der Ruhr (file picture) after receiving a phone call early on Sunday morning to say she was 'going berserk' 'Once inside they were attacked by the tenant who was completely veiled and armed with a box cutter,' said police spokesman Marco Ueberbach. 'During the incident she repeatedly screamed Allahu Akbar.' Police used pepper spray on the woman to subdue her after threatening to draw their weapons. No-one was injured in the incident. A search of the flat turned up Isis flags and literature. The police spokesman added; 'The woman is already known to police for radical Islam-motivated threats.' Media reports said the woman is aged 53, a German who converted to Islam 16 years ago and had a Facebook page where she called herself Amina al Almaniyya. Police had to break down the door to her flat where she was armed with the knife (file picture) Until the page was taken down following the weekend incident she had clicked 'like' on a report about the killing of innocent tourists in Tunisia in 2014 by terrorists. Other posts included; 'Change your ways to the correct path of Allah' and 'the world is the prison of the believers. 'The best practice in prison is patience and the defeat of your own rage. The believer has no country in the world. His country will be tomorrow in the hereafter.' Germany remains on high alert for a terror attack following two incidents by Isis recruits in July in which both died. Hundreds of bikers caused 'utter chaos' in three major UK cities last night during a Halloween night of terror. In Birmingham, 200 masked bikers sped through the city centre before launching fireworks at police and smashing car windows. Traffic came to a halt in Leeds as riders continually circulated along a narrow stretch of road, mounting pavements and pulling wheelies. And in London, a gang of 200 people rode from the south-east suburb of Blackheath into Oxford Street and the City, throwing firecrackers at officers. In Birmingham, 200 masked bikers sped through the city centre before launching fireworks at police and smashing car windows Police in Birmingham arrested seven people, including two youths, following the Halloween night of violence. Ten bikes, including this one, right, were seized Terrifying footage shows fireworks being launched at a police van, (pictured) while another video shows dozens of bikers riding in a Mad Max-style convoy Police in Birmingham arrested seven people, including two youths, following the violence. Terrifying footage shows fireworks being launched at a police van, while another video shows dozens of bikers riding in a Mad Max-style convoy. One man suffered serious injuries after his bike - which he was apparently riding without lights or registration plates - crashed into a car. At one stage a group of up to 100 masked bikers surrounded a police van in Chelmsley Wood, kicking at the wing mirrors and trying to smash its windows. On Kirkstall Road, east of Leeds city centre, a police helicopter was called after bikers took over a small 200 yard section of the route. Riders pulled wheelies and many drove on the wrong side of the road. Other traffic is brought to a crawl by the chaos and the police had to shut the route. Footage showed at least 50 bikers, some waving their hands and doing wheelies, moving through two semi-pedestrianised shopping streets Chief Superintendent Paul Money, Leeds District Commander, said: 'The appalling behaviour that was witnessed in Leeds last night was completely unacceptable' Footage also showed at least 50 bikers, some waving their hands and doing wheelies, moving through two semi-pedestrianised shopping streets. The event appears to have been organised on social media, with one man boasting to the camera: 'Is this what I caused on my phone!' Organisers of the 'Leeds Ride Out' said they were raising money for a 17-year-old mother who had died. They were selling 'bike life' t-shirts for the event at 17 and said that all profit made from them going to Sophie's family. Sophie was found injured at a house in Tempest Road, Beeston, in the early hours of October 14 and was pronounced dead later in hospital. Jack Hurley, who lives nearby to the scene, said: 'The police had two ends of the street cordoned off while the bikes were swerving in and out of cars. 'They were going up the side streets and back down again. In London, a gang of 200 masked bikers rode from the south-east suburb of Blackheath into Oxford Street and the City, throwing firecrackers at officers This rider was seen pulling a wheelie on a dual carriageway in the capital 'They would come up proper close to you if you were on the pavement and would make their presence felt.' Mr Hurley said he thought the event was a 'some kind of Halloween prank'. He added: 'It was going on for well over an hour. 'It was all compressed into 200 yards of mayhem. It seems like some kind of Halloween prank. It's like mischief night on steroids.' Chief Superintendent Paul Money, Leeds District Commander, said: 'The appalling behaviour that was witnessed in Leeds last night was completely unacceptable. 'Their actions caused significant disruption and nuisance in the area and members of the public were left understandably concerned. 'Detectives from Leeds District CID are continuing to conduct detailed and comprehensive enquiries today to identify those involved and take robust action against them.' 'IS THIS WHAT I CAUSED ON MY PHONE!' MAN FILMED BOASTING OF CHAOS IN LEEDS The Leeds event appears to have been organised on social media, with one man boasting to the camera: 'Is this what I caused on my phone!' West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley added: 'This wasn't a rally of bike enthusiasts - this was loutish, criminal behaviour.' The man was filmed boasting, 'Is this what I caused on my phone' as dozens of motorcycles pass by A voice behind the camera can be heard counting down from three before the man's outburst Advertisement West Midlands Police Chief Inspector Jack Hadley described the bike gathering as dangerous and criminal. He said: 'Bikers were riding without lights, at speed, dangerously, pulling wheelies in the street, mounting pavements and damaging vehicles. 'We had one call from fire service colleagues reporting a group of bikers stopping a fire truck from responding to an emergency call.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Over the course of the evening offers stopped 20 vehicles - 17 motorbikes and three quad bikes - at various locations across the Capital. Helen Hopkins, 48, allegedly pocketed money from Ysgol Bro Sion Cwilt in Cardigan A headmistress allegedly plundered cash from her school's funds to spend on herself - even using the money to take her two children on holiday, a disciplinary hearing was told. Helen Hopkins, 48, allegedly pocketed money from Ysgol Bro Sion Cwilt in Cardigan, West Wales, including a Christmas card collection and book funds and left 'IOU' notes in the place of cash. The Education Workforce Council hearing in Cardiff heard Mrs Hopkins took money over five years before 'financial irregularities' were noticed by colleagues. She is accused of using money meant to pay for exchange trips to pay 831.31 for her two children to join her on an education trip to Dublin. Case presenter Cadi Dewi said: 'Hopkins sought to reclaim the costs of taking her children to Dublin using money from school funds. 'In taking money from a Christmas card fund and Scholastic book fund, it shows she was acting dishonestly.' Mr Dewi said: 'Hopkins in large admits the allegations against her, but she denies acting dishonestly or improperly in her actions.' The headteacher is said to have taken cash totalling 423.63 from envelopes given in by parents to buy their children books and left 'IOU' notes in their place. The misconduct hearing was told Hopkins 'dishonestly' took cash from school funds and collections and used it for her 'own personal use.' Hopkins became the Welsh school's first headteacher after it opened in January 2010 Mrs Hopkins repaid the money at later dates - but the hearing was told she never supplied receipts for school-related items she claimed she'd used the money for. These included a bench for the playground which was never delivered and school books supposedly sent to a teacher in Lesotho, Africa. She faces nine allegations of professional misconduct relating to mismanaging funds during her time at Ysgol Bro Sion Cwilt. Patrick Llewellyn, representing Hopkins, said the former head, who was suspended in October 2014 after a colleague reported his concerns to the council, had an 'enviable record' at her 114-pupil school. Mr Llewellyn said: 'She is an extremely experienced headteacher. She had an enviable record at an enviable school. 'She admits failing to employ and adhere to procedures. But she says there was a lack of support. 'She wholly denies dishonestly and impropriety. 'She always had the best interest of her school at heart, sometimes to her detriment.' Hopkins became the Welsh-language school's first headteacher after it opened in January 2010. She admits two allegations of failing to ensure performance management procedures were maintained, two of failing to manage private school funds, and failing to ensure a staff member was paid at the correct level. She also admits taking money and replacing them with 'I.O.U' notes, failing to set up an effective system for collecting payments from children, and failing to claim funding for a new teacher. But she denies claiming funds to take her children to Dublin, using school funds for personal use, and that her actions were dishonest. Names of victims are not being released until their families are notified The front of the yellow school bus was almost Vehicle had hit a Ford Mustang, then a pillar before heading onto oncoming traffic where it collided with the MTA bus Advertisement Police say at least six people are dead after a school bus plowed into a commuter bus in a horrific early morning crash in southwest Baltimore. The Baltimore City Schools bus driver was killed when his vehicle smashed into the side of the Maryland Transit Administration bus at around 6.30am on Tuesday. Police are investigating whether he may have suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel. There were also 'significant injuries' in the crash which left at least an additional five hospitalized - one of whom is in critical condition. Authorities confirmed that no children had been aboard the school bus at the time. Scroll down for video Police say at least six people are dead after a school bus and a commuter bus crashed in southwest Baltimore Several more were injured in the crash which took place just outside the National Cemetery Loudon Park, in Southwest Baltimore An injured female passenger is stretchered away from the scene by emergency responders Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said there were also 'significant injuries' in the crash Tuesday morning The school bus, which was carrying just one adult passenger and the driver, had been driving to pick up its first student of the day, who lives just four or five blocks away from the crash site, when it initially hit a Ford Mustang. The yellow bus then kept going eastbound, striking a pillar at the cemetery before it moved into oncoming traffic. 'It struck an MTA bus on its driver's side and basically ripped the entire driver's side off of the vehicle,' Smith said in his briefing. 'It literally looks like a bomb exploded in the bus. It's catastrophic damage.' Smith said there were no skid marks on the road - indicating that the driver never slammed on his breaks to avoid the collision. 'Something catastrophic took place,' he added. Of the six fatalities, five victims were aboard the MTA bus which was carrying around 13 people at the time. Ten people were injured including eight aboard the MTA bus, the school bus aide and the driver of the Mustang, who were taken to hospital. Emergency crews are on the scene and Frederick Avenue, in Southwest Baltimore Fire department and rescue officials are at the scene of an early morning fatal collision between a school bus and a commuter bus Tuesday Emergency crews are on the scene and Frederick Avenue, in Southwest Baltimore Police have confirmed there were no children aboard the school bus at the time Emergency crews were at the scene of the deadly crash which occurred just outside the National Cemetery Loudon Park, in Southwest Baltimore, on Frederick Avenue. The road is closed and will remain so for 'a significant period of time' officials said. Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said police are investigating the cause of the 'absolutely tragic situation that occurred this morning.' But he said a medical examiner will be able to determine a working theory that the school bus driver may have suffered a 'medical emergency.' 'We also have a surviving victim that was on the yellow bus,' he added at the morning press conference. 'We will be able to interview her to find out more.' The crash was so powerful that it shook the nearby cemetery, according to its Superintendent Matt Wagster. 'It sounded like a train wreck,' he told the Baltimore Sun. 'It was loud and it shook the ground.' 'A mangled mess, that's what it looked like,' witness Rasean Aldridge said of the aftermath of the crash. Aldridge told Reuters he had seen emergency crews dragging people from their vehicles i including one woman who was covered in dirt. 'I don't know if she'd been ejected from the bus or what,' he said. A member of the Baltimore Police Department walks past the Ford Mustang which was rear-ended by a school bus Officials approach the scene of an early morning fatal collision between a school bus and a commuter bus in Baltimore A group, including a man dressed as Santa, pray near the scene of an early morning fatal collision Smith also described a 'pretty horrific scene.' He said that the school bus was such a wreck after the crash that emergency crews were forced to cut out the seats to get access to the injured passengers. Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford added that emergency crews were still struggling to access parts of the bus this morning. Smith said police are not releasing the names of anyone involved in the crash until their next of kin had been notified. 'We have six families that we have to notify that their loved ones are coming home,' he added. Video from above the scene shows the front part of a yellow school bus smashed into the side of the commuter bus. The driver's side of the MTA bus is ripped off with debris spilling down onto the road. The scene is about two blocks from Mount St. Joseph High School. Keith Scroggins, chief operating officer of the city school system, said the school bus driver works for the contracted company AA Affordable Transportation. A Baltimore City Schools spokesperson confirmed that the school bus was contracted to work for city schools. 'None of the fatalities reported were juvenile,' he said before directing all other inquiries back to Baltimore Police Department. The deadly crash occurred just outside the National Cemetery Loudon Park, in Southwest Baltimore The driver's side of the MTA bus is ripped off with debris spilling down onto the road Emergency crews were called at just after 6.30am after the two buses collided Police confirmed that no children were aboard the school bus, but there were six fatalities in the crash Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said that the road would remain closed for some time The City Schools website states that all City Schools buses and contract buses are inspected 'thoroughly' three times a year and school bus drivers must complete an 'extensive and comprehensive training program' in order to become certified and eligible to drive. They must also complete annual in-service training. MTA coach number 05090 was the one involved in the wreck, WBAL reports. Investigators from the MTA were at the scene this morning. DailyMail.com has reached out to the administration for comment. Governor Larry Hogan released a statement, saying he and the First Lady were 'deeply saddened' by the news. Alicia Bromfield (above) has been charged with unlawful sex with a minor A substitute teacher and administrator at a private Florida school was arrested on Friday after her co-workers told authorities that she had sex with one of her students. Alicia Bromfield has been charged with unlawful sex with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor after an official at The Crenshaw School in Gotha notified welfare workers at the Department of Children and Families about the alleged relationship, who in turn contacted the Orlando police. reports that the 28-year-old allegedly picked up the student, 16, from his home in Kissimmee and then drove him to her Orlando apartment where she drank vodka with him before the two had sex. Prior to that Bromfield, who divorced her husband of just over two years in June, had allegedly exchanged lewd photos with the boy on Snapchat. The incident between Bromfield and the student occurred last month, and soon after she told some of her fellow workers what happened between the two. Those individuals then told the attorney for the school, who contact the DCF hotline. Scroll down for video Bromfield is accused of sleeping with a 16-year-old student at The Crenshaw School (above) in Gotha, Florida, where she works in the front office 'There was alcohol involved. She provided the alcohol, he consumed it. Both parties were probably under the influence,' said Orlando police Sergeant Tami Edwards. Bromfield, who is related to the student account manager at The Crenshaw School, began working at the prep school in August. She was a substitute teacher for a brief while, and twice had the young boy she is accused of sleeping with in her class. Bromfield then moved into a more administrative role at the school and began working in the front office. The school has yet to comment on Bromfield's arrest. Autumn put on a special show in Britain today with glorious golden leaves and mist rolling through the valleys. Stunning photographs were taken as it emerged the country had experienced its driest October for 65 years. Parts of Wales enjoyed a hotter Halloween than Athens and Madrid yesterday as temperatures soared to 72F (22C). But widespread frost is likely in rural areas tonight into tomorrow with 29F (-2C) temperatures expected overnight. The Met Office has revealed the UK saw its fourth driest October on record with a third less rain than expected. Migrants in Germany have committed 142,500 crimes in just six months, police figures have revealed This was the equivalent of 780 crimes a day - an increase of nearly 40 percent over 2015, according to data from Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office It comes as German chancellor Angela Merkel remains under pressure over her open-door policy on immigration amid concerns over how to integrate 900,000 newcomers who arrived last year. Angela Merkel (pictured) is under more pressure over her refugee policy after it was revealed migrants committed 142,500 crimes in Germany during the first six months of 2016 A separate report from late last year by the Federal Criminal Office found that migrants registered as living in Germany committed more than 200,000 crimes over the whole of 2015 with two-thirds involving theft counterfeiting and financial crimes. According to the Gatestone Institute, an international policy council, police in some parts of the country fear they are being stretched to the limit amid climbing crime figures. Their report said: 'During the first six months of 2016, migrants committed 142,500 crimes, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office. This is equivalent to 780 crimes committed by migrants every day, an increase of nearly 40 per cent over 2015. The data includes only those crimes in which a suspect has been caught. 'Migrant crime statistics for all of 2016, when they become available, are likely to show a significant increase over the 2015 numbers. One reason for this is that thousands of migrants who entered the country as 'asylum seekers' or 'refugees' have gone missing.' The statistics emerged against a backdrop of rising tensions over Merkel's liberal refugee policies. The rightwing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) harnessed a wave of anger over the refugee influx to claim around 14 percent of the vote in Berlin state in September. The statistics emerged against a backdrop of rising tensions over Merkel's liberal refugee policies. In October, thousands of protesters massed in the eastern German city of Dresden to mark the second anniversary of the anti-migrant and Islamophobic movement Pegida (file picture) In October, thou sands of protesters massed in the eastern German city of Dresden to mark the second anniversary of the anti-migrant and Islamophobic movement Pegida. Carrying flags bearing slogans like 'Refugees not welcome', the crowd chanted 'Merkel must go'. Earlier in the month, Pegida supporters sparked outrage when they heckled Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck during German reunification celebrations in Dresden. No violence had broken out so far at the rally, police said, while independent research group Durchgezaehlt estimated turnout at between 6,500 and 8,500 people - far less than the 20,000 who joined the anniversary rally a year ago. Pegida was forced to hold its anniversary gathering this year on Sunday rather than Monday - when it usually holds its rallies, because two public events aimed at countering the Islamophobia group had already reserved the space in Dresden's old town. Saxony, of which Dresden is the state capital, saw far-right hate crimes targeting shelters for asylum seekers rise to 106 in 2015, with another 50 recorded in the first half of this year. Police are today hunting for a Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen lookalike burglar who also has a penchant for colourful clothing. Detectives issued an e-fit asking for locals to help identify him after he broke into a home on Westerham Close in Canterbury last week. But Kent residents have said it looks 'just like' former Changing Rooms presenter Mr Llewelyn-Bowen, the self-confessed 'dandy' known for his garish interior design and clothes. The wanted man grabbed a bike, electrical items and various items of clothing from the home in Canterbury but was seen by the owner who described him as having long foppish hair and a 'bright green jacket'. Wanted man: Kent Police are searching for this burglar - but many have pointed out how he looks 'just like' Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen On seeing the Facebook appeal Alan Robertson, of Canterbury, joked that the e-fit looked 'just like' the TV star Laurence, and pledged to 'keep an eye out' for anyone like him. He said: 'I'll be keeping my eye out for anyone who looks a bit like Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Description: Police saw the burglar also has colourful dress sense but there is no suggestion the Changing Rooms star was involved 'If I catch a glimpse of someone with foppish hair and wearing an outrageously bright shirt I'll be on the blower to the police'. Another local, calling themselves RichyB54 said: 'Watch out Canterbury! Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is in town - and he's turned bad!' There is no suggestion that the TV star had anything to do with the burglary attempt - he lives more than 300 miles away in Cornwall. Police are treating the matter with more seriousness. A spokesman for Kent Police said the suspected burglar, who has shoulder-length hair and was wearing a bright green jacket, had sneaked into a home in the cathedral city and tried to steal various items. He grabbed a bike, electrical items and various items of clothing from the home and piled them outside by the gate, but ran off when he realised he had been spotted by the owner, who had just returned home. Famous: Mr Llewelyn-Bowen, left at the height of his BBC fame, and right in 2014, lives in Cornwall, not Kent A police spokesman said: 'Officers investigating a report of an attempted burglary in Canterbury have released a digital image of a man they would like to identify. 'At around 7am on 2 August a resident in a house in Canterbury found that some of her belongings had been collected together and piled up outside by the rear gate.' The spokesman said the suspect had shoulder-length hair and was wearing a 'bright green jacket' Detective Constable Rebecca Mross said: 'Following lines of enquiry into the incident, witnesses have recently come forward to help create a digital image of the man we would like to speak to. 'We would ask anyone who recognises the man pictured, or who might have been in the area at the time, to contact Kent Police.' VANCLEAVE, Mississippi -- A Vancleave man is in intensive care at Ocean Springs Hospital after he was shot by Jackson County deputies during a standoff Monday night. Sheriff Mike Ezell says deputies responded to a call of a man with a gun on Sugar Gate Drive shortly after 11 p.m. Monday. Upon arrival, they found 47-year-old William Thompson armed with a handgun. The deputies tried to calm Thompson down and ordered him to drop the gun, but he refused to comply. Ezell also said an Officer Safety Alert had been issued for the Sugar Gate Drive address after deputies responded to several calls there during the past week and were threatened by Thompson. The two deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay pending investigation of the incident. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the investigation -- standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. President Francois Hollande has hailed the evacuation of the squalid Calais 'Jungle' camp a success as he vowed that makeshift refugee settlements would never be allowed to return. All that remains of the infamous camp is a barren wasteland after tens of thousands of refugees were cleared from the site. 'There were no incidents from start to finish,' Hollande said of the evacuation of the Jungle camp during a visit to a reception centre for migrants in Doue-la-Fontaine in western France. The Calais camp, which housed as many as 10,000 people from the Mideast and Africa seeking to cross the English Channel to Britain, has been cleared 'We had to rise to the challenge of the refugee issue. We could not tolerate the camp and we will not tolerate any others,' he added. Hollande has also said that another 1,000 child migrants, who are currently in a container camp in Calais, will be moved to Britain 'within days'. The Jungle camp, which people fleeing war and poverty have used for years as a springboard for attempts to sneak into Britain, was mostly evacuated in a major operation this week that saw thousands of people bused to reception centres across France. Huge fires ravaged the area during the evacuation, and piles of rubbish have been left behind The French government began clearing it out last week and relocating its migrants across the country During the evacuation, huge fires erupted, ravaging large swathes of the camp that has become a stark symbol of Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II. The Calais camp, which housed as many as 10,000 people from the Mideast and Africa seeking to cross the English Channel to Britain, grew to become Europe's biggest slum, lacking basic human amenities and any government control. The French government began clearing it out last week and relocating its migrants across the country. Since mid-October, Britain has taken in 274 children from the Jungle, mostly unaccompanied youngsters with relatives already living in the country. Britain's Help Refugees charity estimated that as of late Friday there remained more than 1,000 unaccompanied children still living in the container camp. Underage migrants have been temporarily housed in containers in Calais, and President Hollande said more than 1,000 will be sent to the UK Since mid-October, Britain has taken in 274 children from the Jungle, who were mostly living in the camp unaccompanied Hollande said that more the underage migrants, who are now housed in containers in Calais, will move within days to 'dedicated centers' where British authorities can study their cases. Hollande urged Britain to 'do its share' to take in child migrants fleeing fighting and poverty in the Middle East and Africa who had converged on Calais in hopes of reaching Britain. Horse racing? Check. Fancy frocks and sharp suits? Check. A few glasses of bubbly? Check, check and check. But what Melbourne Cup day would be complete without a half-clothed sprinter making it on to the racecourse? It seems one punter provided the goods at the final hurdle on Tuesday after being filmed sprinting shirtless during the last race of the day. A shirtless man earned his fifteen minutes of fame at Ascot on Tuesday after being caught on camera sprinting down the home straight during the last race of the day The unidentified man snagged his fifteen minutes after being caught on camera at Ascot racecourse, in Perth, where the Melbourne Cup was being screened alongside the day's races. During the ninth and final running the man stripped his shirt off, vaulted the barrier, and then ran alongside as Variation cruised to an easy victory. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands did attend Ascot to catch the Cup action, but are believed to have left before the final race and so would likely have missed the spectacle. Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands also attended Ascot, thought it is not known if the stayed for long enough to witness the spectacle Police said the crowd was largely well behaved, with only two arrests made and around a dozen move-on notices issued, WA Today reports. A 22-year-old man was also assaulted after being hit in the head with an object, believed to be a glass bottle. That was in contrast to Flemington itself, where nine people were arrested including one for assault and another for drug trafficking. More than 150 Tory MPs backed the nomination of Keith Vaz (pictured) to the Justice Committee last night More than 150 Tory MPs approved Keith Vaz's appointment to a committee overseeing Britain's justice system despite the Labour MP facing a police probe into claims he paid rent boys for sex. Just five MPs - all Tories - opposed Mr Vaz's nomination to Parliament's powerful Justice Committee in a Commons vote last night. Mr Vaz, a former Labour minister, was forced to resign as chairman of the Commons home affairs committee in September following newspaper revelations that he paid for two male escorts at a time when the committee was investigating prostitution. Claims that Mr Vaz offered to pay for cocaine for the prostitutes are the subject of a complaint to both the police and the Commons standards watchdog. Despite the row, Mr Vaz put himself forward to fill a vacant spot on the Commons justice committee and the move was backed by the Labour party. Remarkably, Tory whips ordered their MPs to support Mr Vaz's appointment after Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen forced a rare vote in the Commons last night. Cabinet ministers including Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox were among 201 MPs who voted in favour of Mr Vaz's nomination to the committee. In total, 159 Conservative MPs joined 38 Labour MPs, three DUP MPs and independent MP Simon Danczuk in supporting Mr Vaz's nomination to the Justice Committee. In a feisty debate in the Commons, Mr Bridgen questioned how Leicester East MP Mr Vaz could seek a position on a 'prestigious and influential' justice committee when he judged himself 'not fit' to be chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee by resigning after the newspaper allegations in August. Remarkably, Tory whips ordered their MPs to support Mr Vaz's appointment after Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen forced a rare vote in the Commons last night Keith Vaz was covertly filmed with two gay escorts at a flat he owns in Edgware, north-west London in the summer Mr Bridgen added a 'potential police investigation still hangs over' Mr Vaz after he wrote to the Metropolitan Police to establish if a crime had been committed regarding an 'allegation of conspiracy to supply a controlled substance'. He noted the force had yet to finish its assessment of the information and decide the appropriate course of action is. Mr Bridgen later claimed Mr Vaz is alleged to have 'abused his position in public office' with four witnesses interviewed by Leicestershire Police as part of inquiries which have been ongoing for at least 12 months. Mr Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, added to Speaker John Bercow that he has 'raised concerns with you about the conduct of the Right Honourable Member for Leicester East historically'. But Mr Bercow advised Mr Bridgen he would be 'unwise to go into those matters' having earlier asked him to 'desist'. In a feisty debate in the Commons, Mr Bridgen questioned how Leicester East MP Mr Vaz could seek a position on a 'prestigious and influential' justice committee when he judged himself 'not fit' to be chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee by resigning after the newspaper allegations in August Andrew Bridgen (pictured standing in the Commons last night) claimed Keith Vaz is alleged to have 'abused his position in public office' with four witnesses interviewed by Leicestershire Police as part of inquiries which have been ongoing for at least 12 months During his speech, Mr Bridgen told Mr Bercow: 'You have often spoken that this place must reflect the society with which we make the laws and I agree with you. 'I respectfully point out to the House that in any other sphere of activity a candidate with so much hanging unresolved over him would be very unlikely to be considered for such an important office. 'I believe and if [Mr Vaz] was in his place today I'd ask him to stand down from his nomination, but he's not. 'So I'd ask this House to reject his appointment otherwise I think we cannot blame the Great British public for having a low opinion of its politician and its politics - we can only blame ourselves.' Tory MP and fellow Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen (pictured) forced a Commons vote on Keith Vaz's appointment He later told the Commons: 'I think it'd be a huge mistake for this House to place him in a position on the Justice Committee when he has so many questions to answer.' The Speaker then urged Mr Bridgen to focus on matters which were 'proper and legitimate' for him to raise. The division list shows 159 Conservative MPs backed the motion, suggesting Mr Vaz's appointment to the committee along with fellow Labour MP Kate Green, with two voting both with the ayes and noes to show formally that they abstained. Five Tory MPs voted against the motion. The result in the House was declared as 203 ayes versus seven noes, although once the abstentions are considered this means 201 backed the motion with five against. In addition to a possible investigation by police, Mr Vaz, 59, will also be the subject of a probe by Parliament's sleaze watchdog. Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson announced she will conduct an official investigation into Mr Vaz's conduct and determine whether he breached MP rules. She will investigate whether the Leicester East MP broke Clause 10 of the MPs' Code of Conduct, which covers public interest and whether damage was done to the reputation of the House of Commons. It states: 'Members shall base their conduct on a consideration of the public interest, avoid conflict between personal interest and the public interest and resolve any conflict between the two, at once, and in favour of the public interest.' The investigation will also probe whether he breached conflict of interest rules as chair of the home affairs committee. His committee had conducted investigations into drug use and prostitution. Hollie Allen (left) gave birth to baby Rachel (centre) after four generations of just boys being born in David Allen's (right) family Two new parents have welcomed the first girl into their family after more than 100 years. Hollie Allen, 30, gave birth to baby Rachel after four generations of only boys being born in her husband David Allen's family. The week-old baby is the first female for 101 years and the excited parents are thanking science and 'boring sex' for breaking the mould. The couple researched quirky old wives' tales such as elevating your legs after intercourse to give slower female sperm a head start and eating acidic oranges to kill off male sperm. But the Allen's chose to dismiss these and used the Shettles Method based around a woman's ovulation to give the girl sperm the best chance of reaching the egg first. The theory involves the couple having sex two to three days before the woman ovulates to make the journey more difficult for male sperm, which is faster but has a shorter lifespan. Mrs Allen, who is also mum to two-year-old Jacob, said: 'We never thought it was possible to have a girl to be honest. 'It was at the 20 week scan where they said she might be a girl, but she was being a bit awkward so they couldn't give us a definite answer. 'It wasn't until she was born and they said "it's a girl", and we asked "is it really?" It was a bit of a shock. Rachel (pictured) is the first baby girl in the Allen family for more than 100 years. Her parents were 'in shock' when they discovered they were having her Mrs Allen, who is also mum to two-year-old Jacob (pictured left) said she 'never thought it was possible she could have a girl'. The Allen's tried a range of techniques to improve their changes of having a girl, including having 'boring sex' and 'eating acidic oranges' 'The family are so over the moon because of the family history we just thought we would have another boy.' The last baby girl to be born into the Allen family was Winifred on May 10, 1915. After a 100 years of only boys being born the myth that 'Alllen men don't make girls' formed. Since then six boys have been born into the family before Mrs Allen decided to do her research and find out how she could have a little girl instead. Mrs Allen, a trained hypnotherapist, said: 'There were so many theories and old wives' tales but we dismissed those and thought we would go with science. 'The theory is, if you have sex two to three days before you ovulate, the sperm which gives you a boy dies off quicker so gives you the chance to have a girl. 'As well as the time of having sex, they also say that if a woman enjoys the sex and has an orgasm it can release the egg early. So you basically have to have boring sex. 'So we had boring sex to give us the best chance.' IT engineer Mrs Allen, 32, added that 'it was a real struggle'. After an anxious wait and five-hour hypnobirth at Colchester General Hospital in Essex, Rachel was born two weeks early at 4.26pm on October 26. Mr Allen said: 'It was very exciting to have broken such a run of males because it's been an ongoing joke since my wife got pregnant with Jacob. 'My parents, Wendy and the late Reverend Richard Allen, had made us aware of it as they'd known for quite a while. 'Hollie is one of two sisters and has two brothers so even before we'd met, she wanted one of each with a two to three year gap which is exactly what we have. The last baby girl to be born into the Allen family was Winifred on May 10, 1915. After 100 years of only boys being born the myth that 'Alllen men don't make girls'was born 'She'd done a lot of research into the conditions male versus female sperm thrive in and for girls, it's some time before ovulation rather than closer to it.' Mrs Allen said it was lovely to have a little girl that she always wanted and Rachel was born weighing 8lbs 3oz. She added: 'I always said my dream was to have a boy and then a girl so the big brother could protect her. 'As much as we both really wanted a girl we thought we would try the methods we can but as long as the baby was healthy, we didn't really mind. 'Everyone is just a little bit shocked but she's a healthy, content and calm little girl with a lot of protective men in her family for her.' Husband of four-years Mr Allen added: 'She's been flooded with pink things as we'd kept everything neutral. 'For us it was hope more than belief. We'd done everything we could and if it wasn't meant to be we'd be happy with a healthy baby as that in itself is a reason to celebrate. 'There were limits to how much we were willing to try because we came across some really wacky ideas. 'The only other advice we got was from my mum who said to not get our hopes up, but Hollie put her order in and it all worked out. A kitten dubbed 'too ugly' to be loved has been taken in by a charity after being left for dead because of his unusual face. The ginger cat was adopted by Laura Llacer of the Santuario Compasion Animal rescue centre in Spain where he was given the name Romeo having been abandoned on the street. The out-of-luck cat's brothers and sisters all found homes, but he was left behind because of a deformity to his eye. A kitten dubbed 'too ugly' to be loved cannot find anybody to adopt him because of his unusual face The ginger cat was taken in by Laura Llacer of the Santuario Compasion Animal rescue centre in Spain where he was given the name Romeo having been abandoned on the street The out-of-luck kitten's brothers and sisters all found homes, but he was left behind because of a deformity to his eye Romeo has settled in nicely in his new home, and his new owners are hoping his story can stop pet prejudice all over the world They said: ' He spends his days playing and calling the attention of the volunteers to listen to him.' Romeo is as playful and affectionate as any other kitten, who simply needs owners who would see more than just his physical features Romeo has settled in nicely in his new home, and his new owners are hoping his story can stop pet prejudice all over the world. They said: ' He spends his days playing and calling the attention of the volunteers to listen to him. 'It seems Romeo was a kitten to which no one wanted to give a home because they said he was ugly, and now people from all over the world have written us to ask for him. Alamandin claimed honours with a brilliant victory in and Heartbreak City was beaten into second by a nose Skylarking punters mucked around with wheelie bins and posed in eye-catching little dresses Nine people were arrested and a whopping 78 people evicted from the stands for troublemaking Extraordinary pictures have laid bare the scale of debauchery at Australia's biggest race event Chaos and carnage reigned as almost 100,000 packed the stands at Flemington for the Melbourne Cup Advertisement Punters rode wheelie bins as if they were racehorses, vomited loudly into gift bags and tumbled across the grounds with bottles of drink in hand. There is little doubt this year's Melbourne Cup one of the rowdiest race days in recent history with extraordinary photographs from Flemington laying bare the scale of debauchery. Chaos and carnage reigned as almost 100,000 people packed the stands to make merry (and watch the horses) at Australia's biggest racing event on Tuesday. Police arrested nine - seven for being too drunk - and a whopping 78 troublemakers were evicted from the racegrounds throughout the day. Victorian paramedics were also kept busy treating 31 people and taking another five to hospital 'for medical reasons'. The party was far from over when Almandin crossed the finish line, with struggling punters lolling around amongst the tonnes of garbage left behind and playing karaoke with empty chip containers. Scroll down for video This enthusiastic punter decided to ride the bin as if it were a horse, while her friend and a security guard watched on The woman is seen crawling down off the bin as her friend runs away, after a security guard tells them off Limbs everywhere: These punters couldn't keep on their feet, crashing to the ground together. A $5 note fluttered out of the gentleman's pocket Who needs horses when you can play on the grass? Racegoers enjoying Melbourne Cup day celebrations on Tuesday A racegoer covered in grass stains throws his arms back in elation as he clutches to his cigarette packet during Melbourne Cup celebrations Oscar the Grouch? Bins were being used for more than rubbish on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Racecourse 'All waste accepted': A young man was seen taking a ride home in a bin on Tuesday after Melbourne Cup celebrations Any room in there? A young man wheels his friend out of Flemington Racecourse in a bin Racegoers frolic on the grass not bothered by the empty cans, rubbish and half eaten food One enthusiastic punter appears to attempt a handstand on the grass as her friends watch on A punter with hair full of gel attempts the 'dabbing' dance move, bottles in hand Power nap: A couple take some time out to get some Z's between races at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday This couple could be seen taking some time out to embrace each other on the grass, with a bottle in hand A man carrying a plastic cup with a missing bottom holds his friend upright during Tuesday's Melbourne Cup festivities Long day: A woman appears to take a nap on a camping chair, sandwich in hand Racegoers trip over and fall into a hedge following Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse This group of four women were seen helping a friend as she appeared to vomit into a Debortoli wine gift bag Security guards and police officers led the man out of Flemington race course with his hands behind his back in handcuffs One man puts up a fight as four police officers worked to handcuff him and bring him to the ground A woman appears to shield herself from the sun with a cardigan while her friend looks at her phone on Melbourne Cup Day Must have back a winner: A group of men hold up their friend, can in hand, at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday Two women dressed in their finest race wear walk past bags full of rubbish at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday A racegoer dressed in black pretends to stand on her friend as she frolics on the grass with a packet of chips Get up! A woman dressed in black attempts to help her friend, who seems content with relaxing on the grass This punter seems to be mistaking a chip packet for a microphone as she enjoy's Melbourne cup festivities on Tuesday While many punters were lining up for alcoholic beverages, this woman appeared more content enjoying a packet of chips on the ground Compared to last year's six arrests and five evictions, Victorian police arguably suffered through one of their biggest race days in years. Victorian paramedics were also kept busy treating 31 people at the race grounds and taking another five to hospital 'for medical reasons'. Last year's crowds were praised for their good behaviour, but police said there were still a few who let down the rest. One woman was arrested for pushing a high-ranking police officer into a bush, while three others were arrested for trespassing on the main street while protesting about animal rights. After the 'race that stops the nation' ended, thousands of racegoers continued the year's biggest party. And as booze continued to flow inside the Flemington race course, many threw their inhibitions as well as their shoes to the wind. Let me on! Punters in their finest suits and dresses attempt the 'human tower' at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday A seagulls paradise: The empty cans and left over food attracted a flock of seagulls to Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday We're all winners! Racegoers pose for a photo on Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Race Course A punter was seen rolling on the grass on a what was a windy Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Racecourse As this woman tumbles down alongside her friend, one man appears to think the situation is hilarious as he watches on These two girls were seen laughing uncontrollably as one straddled the other while other race-goers watched on Melbourne Cup racegoers appeared to be tiring early in the day and this woman decided to take a morning nap on her friend Punters appeared to grow more enthusiastic as the day wore on, with one young race-goer even deciding to crawl on top of a wheelie bin and ride it as if it were a horse. The woman's jovial antics did not appear to tarnish even as juice from the bin dripped out and oozed over her friend's brown leather boot. And as the sun lowered in the sky, punters appeared to care less about maintaining their decorum and more about simply having a good time. One middle-aged woman appeared to grow so ill that she was forced to vomit into a wine gift bag. Drooping her face down and into the Debortoli wine bag, three women gathered around her in a vain attempt to help. That's not a seat! A young man in sneakers struggles for balance as he attempts to sit on a pot plant at Flemington Racecourse Whoops! A young man falls head over heels for a pot plant on Tuesday as his friend struggles to stay on her feet A woman makes a phone call while she keeps herself warm with bin lining, as her friend takes a breather on a blue tarp A tired racegoer avoids getting grass stains on his jacket and white pants by resting on a tarp That's not a body bag: A knackered punter takes some time out relaxing on a tarp as his friend talks on her phone A man with a lip piercing wakes from a nap on the grass as police stroll through Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday A woman in white takes a photo of the aftermath of Melbourne Cup day celebrations With the final race out of the way, celebrations began to get rowdy as punters kicked up their heels and let loose Take that! Two men 'enjoying' Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday Boys will be boys: Young men were seen 'play fighting' in their suits at Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday As many racegoers made their way towards the exit, others appeared more content taking time out on the ground with friends. One woman had no choice but to fall to the ground when a male friend lunged at her and brought them both toppling down. The woman, clad in a blue dress and black heels, appeared to land face down on the ground as friends nearby rejoiced in the moment. Soon after the pair took a dive to the ground, another woman appeared equally as content taking a moment to relax on the ground. While many punters lined up for alcoholic beverages, the woman appeared to be entertained enough using a Pringles packet as a microphone. Two women console their friend as she appears upset at how the day has ended lying with her head in one of their laps This couple decided to enjoy the sun while it was out, taking a quick nap on the grassy fields This woman used blankets to shield her from the day's events as she quietly took some time out for herself With an array of unique outfits on display on Tuesday, one woman in particular left very little to the imagination, bursting out of a tight low-cut black dress with a full face of make-up and tattooed arms. The revealing gown was embellished with jewels across her chest, and featured nude detail along the neckline. And while some dresses were more revealing than others, there was no lack of bare skin from a large contingency of the racegoers. But barely-there dresses were the least of concerns for paramedics who were tasked to oversee the Melbourne Cup after it was revealed how many were treated on the grounds for being too drunk. Brave Hearts: Some opted for fancy dress rather than suits and dresses for a big Melbourne Cup day Most were partying with friends, but the day's antics got the better of others, deciding to take a nap on the grass Attempting to shield himself from the rain, this man covered himself with a blue poncho while lying on the ground surrounded by empty bottles Great day for a picnic: A group of friend enjoying everything Melbourne Cup day has to offer This woman refused to let go of her bottle as she was helped up from the ground by a concerned friend The woman in pink was getting some help from a friend to put her shoes back on, as two men stood by and watched Excited punters pose for a photo in front of a rose garden at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday Racegoers make their way through the rubbish strewn across the grass at Flemington Racecourse on Melbourne Cup day Photos captured from Tuesday's event paint the punters as a 'friendly' bunch, as men and women both jump to the aid of their struggling friends. One woman who is sitting on the ground is seen being lifted from the ground by a concerned man. But as she extends a hand out, she refuses to take the bottle of alcohol out of her mouth in order to stand with more ease, simply relying on her friend to get her up. Another woman, clad in pink and black, is seen lying back as her friend helps her put her high heels back on. Resting on her elbows and peering over at her feet, she appears all too content to let her friend to the work for her. Women were happy to pose for photographs as the biggest party of the year kicked up a notch One busty woman posed for photographs in a rather revealing outfit trackside Three men were seen rolling on the grass with their heads dragging along the ground and alcohol held carefully in the air After the ninth and final horse race of the day punters started to really relax and make the most of the track The action appeared to start early as many racegoers planned for the day of debauchery ahead. One group of young men who were seen posing for a photo in front of the iconic bronze statue of Phar Lap, predicted an eventful day ahead for themselves. 'That $600 drunk and disorderly fine come at us,' the photo was captioned. Just moments before the horses took to their positions for the 'race that stops the nation', thousands of spectators were forced to duck for cover as steady rain rolled in. But the rain seemed to add to the day's antics, as people ran for cover and others embraced some-what less fashionable blue ponchos to shield themselves from the downpour. Many racegoers were also seen huddling together, refusing to move from their track-side positions. One heck of a clean-up: Birds of prey were used to keep sea gulls at bay during the races, but with the official event out of the way the birds were free to scavenge on the leftover rubbish This heavily tattooed Melbourne Cup race-goer was pictured enjoying a hot dog in her floral dress Paramedics were seen attending to this woman clad in a black and white dress while, ensuring she drank enough water This girl who appears to have fallen over still managed to hold onto her XXXX Gold can WHO CROSSED THE FINISH LINE FIRST IN THE RACE THAT STOPS THE NATION IN 2016? Almandin claimed the honours with a brilliant victory with the seven-year-old securing the $3.6m prize for first with a brilliant run under jockey Kerrin McEvoy. The seven-year-old secured the $3.6m prize for first with a superb run under jockey Kerrin McEvoy, who also won the Cup in 2000 on Brew, and made owner Lloyd Williams the most successful owner in the history of the race in the process. After a thrilling battle down the final straight, Heartbreak City was just beaten into second by a nose, with favourite Hartnell taking third place a few lengths further back. Advertisement Others huddled under large umbrellas and one annoyed racegoer even used their coat to try and keep dry This woman threw on a yellow rain coat to shelter herself from the shower ahead of the big race One couple decided to lie on the grass and snap a selfie right in the middle of the crowd Revellers wouldn't let being nearly 900km from Flemington Racecourse stop them from decking themselves out in their finest frocks (left) and suits to watch the 'race that stops the nation' This racegoer ditched her shoes well before the main event and posed with horse statues Some made the most of the dance floor just before the rain set in ahead of the big race at 3pm One woman in multi-coloured striped pants and a purple rain jacket rested on her friend to await the world-famous race with beer cans strewn in front of her She happily posed for photos at Flemington before looking down at her phone The woman is pictured here with a friend, who is decked out in an all-white suit Others were seen celebrating their wins with a drink in hand as the first races of the day kicked off As the main event approached, these young women took an opportunity to snap a photo in front of the iconic bronze Phar Lap statue at Flemington Racecourse Security officers were pictured asking to see the inside of racegoers' eskies and wine coolers to ensure there was no illegal alcohol brought from offsite A tattoo-clad woman and a man dressed in a stylish plaid jacket take a moment to chat on Tuesday Security checked the bags thoroughly as a condition of general entry was no alcohol be brought onto the grounds. Any cutlery considered dangerous including metal forks and knives were also banned from Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday The crowd was milling with punters by midday on Tuesday as fans started positioning themselves in prime viewing spots ahead of the main event 'That $600 drunk and disorderly fine come at us,' the photo was captioned These young women had glasses of champagne in hand well before race one kicked off at 10.40am Some enjoyed a breakfast of fruit from their picnic basket after arriving at the track well before Race One These three women dressed up for the Melbourne based racing event even though they were in further north in Sydney This pair were pictured in Sydney, but it didn't deter them from celebrating the Melbourne Cup in style Many punters managed to claim enough grass to stretch out on picnic blankets and enjoy champagne and food while the rain held off This woman held onto her red fascinator as she ran through the crowd just after 8.30am to find a good seat Some racegoers opted for unusual attire and this woman chose to wear a red feather boa, heart-shaped glasses and a cropped wig This man appeared to be celebrating a race win as he watched the big screens during a morning race There was plenty of time of discussing the day's events once the races finished Racegoers left plenty on the ground for the seagulls to feast on Don't rain on my party: The Cup saw typical Melbourne weather with sun, wind, clouds and rain all in one day Hillary Clinton's campaign is claiming 'bad polling' is responsible for the candidate's sudden fall from grace in a daily tracking survey she's lead since May, not her emails. A senior campaign official told reporters traveling with Clinton today an ABC News/Washington Post poll that gave Donald Trump a one-point advantage was wrong. 'It's just not what we see at all. Its not what other people seem to have. There just seems to be something about that model that seems off,' the aide said. Trump has continuously complained that the polls are 'rigged' and he's actually ahead. Hillary Clinton's campaign is claiming 'bad polling' is responsible for the candidate's sudden fall from grace in a daily tracking survey she's lead since May, not her emails He told Fox News last week, 'Im winning in certain polls, and then in other polls, the dirty polls we call them, I was losing by numbers that were ridiculous.' 'There is tremendous dishonesty in the polls. I have never seen anything like it. Tremendous dishonesty,' he said. Clinton's campaign manager said this morning on ABC News that he's not worried Trump will come from behind and win it all. 'I'm not,' Robby Mook said on Good Morning America after he was asked if the ABC survey suggests the race could 'slip away' from the Democrat and her team. Mook brushed it off, arguing, 'The polls are going to go up and down. Theyve done that the whole time on this race. We have a week to go. 'We're running like we're 20 points behind.' Clinton's campaign says it isn't worried that Donald Trump will come from behind and win the presidential election in the last days. 'The polls are going to go up and down. Theyve done that the whole time on this race' The ABC News/Washington Post survey posted this morning gave Trump the advantage for the first time since May. The candidates are separated by less than a point in the survey, but the race is tilting far enough in Trump's direction that pollsters gave him a 46 percent share of the vote to Clinton's 45 percent. This is only the second time Trump has beat Clinton the poll. His first surge was in May. A week ago Clinton was ahead by six. She was polling 48 percent. Trump was at 42 percent. ABC's pollsters detected a shift late in the week and a swing in Trump's direction after FBI Director James Comey's surprise letter to Congress informing lawmakers that the bureau was assessing new emails in connection to Hillary Clinton's case. The candidates are separated by less than a point in the survey, but the race is tilting far enough in Trump's direction that pollsters gave him a 46 percent share of the vote to Clinton's 45 percent Clinton's campaign has shredded Comey for refusing to make additional details available to the public given the stakes. Especially after learning that he wanted to withhold details on Russian hacking because of the timing. The presidential election is just seven days away. A Clinton campaign official denied today that Clinton's lead deflated because the FBI restarted a probe of the former secretary of state's personal emails, though. 'The race has tightened,' the aide said, 'but do not see anything that would suggest that that FBI story is impacting it.' The official who provided the background briefing to reporters wouldn't provide specific on the campaign's internal polling. 'But we think that we have a relatively substantial national lead,' the aide said. Asked today if he thought the campaign's strategy of putting Comey through the ringer would backfire, Mook said, 'I don't think so.' Comey has been criticized by attorneys general and Justice Departments officials on both sides of the aisle, Mook noted. His superiors warned him not to contact Congress, and yet he did. Now it has been reported that the FBI is looking into one of Trump's former campaign managers, Paul Manafort, and a foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, over their alleged ties to Russia. 'Id like Director Comey to clarify all that,' Mook said. 'He had no problem going out and having a long press conference and editorializing on investigations into Secretary Clinton. I dont see why he cant come out and explain what is going on with Donald Trump. ' The fight with Comey opened up a rift between the White House and Clinton's campaign, with President Barack Obama's spokesman refusing on Monday to accuse the law enforcement official of meddling in the presidential election. 'The President is completely confident that Director Comey has not taken any steps to try to intentionally influence the outcome of the election or to advantage one candidate or one political party,' White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. The White House official said that Obama believes Comey is a 'man of character, hes a man of integrity, hes a man of principle. 'The President thinks very highly of Director Comey. And, yes, you can assert that he continues to have confidence in his ability to do his job.' Earnest contended that the episode hasn't led to 'a significant change in the race.' A cocaine-taking rogue businessman, whose cold calling company swindled elderly people out of 600,000 by misselling them a device that blocked such calls has been jailed for five years. Giles Ward-Best, 43, from Bournemouth made 'fake' calls to almost 10,000 unwitting customers, in order to sell them the 99 Call Blocker device. But his victims - mainly pensioners - found that either gadget did not work, caused their internet to fail or was only compatible if they had a caller ID on their landline. Disgruntled customers then found they were unable to return faulty devices or were not refunded after cancelling their orders within the specified cooling off period. Giles Ward-Best, 43, from Bournemouth made 'fake' calls to almost 10,000 unwitting customers, in order to sell them the 99 Call Blocker device Telesales staff from the bogus company, trading as Telecom Protection Services Ltd, also duped victims by claiming they were calling from reputable organisations including BT. Trading Standards officials were inundated with over 200 complaints about the Bournemouth-based company and launched a two year investigation. During that time Ward-Best dissolved the business in an unsuccessful attempt to hide from the investigators. Earlier this year Trading Standards' specialist Scambuster Team executed a raid on Telecom Protection Services Ltd and seized telesales scripts and bank statements. They found that the firm carried out 9,633 transactions for the call blocking device totalling 861,153. After successful refunds and declined bank payments Ward-Best's compant pocketed 600,000, of which he withdrew 424,000 in cash and transferred 44,100 into his own bank account between September 2013 and July 2015. By his own admission, Ward-Best began drinking heavily and taking cocaine following the breakdown of his marriage as well as the death of his mother. Trading Standards and Dorset Police prosecuted Ward-Best who was charged with operating a business for a fraudulent purpose contrary to the Companies Act 2006. He denied charges but was found guilty after a trial. In jailing him at Bournemouth Crown Court, Judge Jonathan Fuller QC described cold-call centres such as his as 'endemic' in Britain. He said: 'A distasteful part of this fraud was that it used the methods that it claimed to try and stop. You therefore exploited those you promised to protect from exploitation. 'You were just another scammer using carefully crafted lies. Scripts were riddled with falsehoods and misleading information. 'You deserve to be called a scammer and a fraudster.' Disgruntled customers then found they were unable to return faulty devices or were not refunded after cancelling their orders within the specified cooling off period (file photo) Ward-Best, who last year was fined 80,000 for failing to register consumers personal data with the Information Commissioner's Office, was also disqualified from directing a company for 10 years. Arthur and Doreen Simmonds, who were scammed by Ward-Best, today described his sentence as 'very good news'. Mr Simmonds, 84, from Suffolk, said: 'When I first took the call from his company they sounded legitimate, they said they were working through BT. 'I had no reason to think it was a scam. 'After I placed an order and paid my money I spoke to someone who told me it didn't work so I tried to cancel the order and send the package back. 'But the claimed that they never received it and refused to return my money. 'I am glad to hear that he has been sent to jail. That is very good news. 'I think all cold callers should be banned as they are a nuisance and generally prey on elderly and vulnerable people.' Andy Sherriff, Trading Standards manager at Bournemouth Borough Council which investigated Ward-Best, said: 'Ward-Best established his business on a foundation of lies. 'He sought to take advantage of ordinary people who simply wanted relief from the scourge of cold-calling, and he exploited customers who were entitled to believe that he could help them. 'He adopted trading styles that appeared to relate to TPS (the Telephone Preference Service) in order to convince customers that his business was legitimate. 'I am delighted that the jury were able to see through his self-serving excuses and that the hard work of our officers and colleagues paid off. 'This sentence should also be a warning to others with get-rich-quick ideas and no scruples. The law recognises what you do as a scam, a con, a fraud - and will deal with you accordingly.' Lord Toby Harris, chair of National Trading Standards, said: 'I am delighted that the investigation by our Scambuster Team has led to these sentences. A man has avoided jail for putting hydrochloric acid into a lube dispenser at a gay sex club in Sydney's west. Hengky Irawa, 62, entered Arrows in August with the intention of injuring gay and bisexual men visiting the 24-hour premises at Rydalmere. However, he was given a two-year good behaviour bond and avoided jail after his lawyer argued he was mentally ill and the magistrate rejected a police suggestion his actions were a hate crime. Hengky Irawan (pictured) has escaped jail for pouring hydrochloric acid into lube dispensers at gay sex club Arrows in Sydney's west However, was given a two-year good behaviour bond and avoided jail The showers of the Arrows gay sex club (pictured) where customers meet other customers Parramatta Local Court was told he entered the sex club, in an industrial area, with a litre bottle of acid, along with a funnel and a knife. He poured the acid into the lubricant container, but this activated an alarm when he broke the dispenser's seal, alerting staff at the club. Police later charged him with administering poison with the intent to cause injury, distress or pain, and malicious damage. His defence lawyer applied to have those charges dealt with under the Mental Health Act, the ABC reported. He submitted a report from a doctor and a psychologist, telling the court his client suffered from mental illness and a doctor had referred to the act as an 'irrational, uncharacteristic episode'. Medical specialists had recommended consultations and possible medication for Irawan, the court heard. The nondescript Arrows club (pictured) at Rydalmere attracts gay and bisexual men seeking to have sex with other customers on the premises Police prosecutor Nathan Blatch told the court his actions were a 'textbook example of motivation for hatred of people'. '[He] knows it to be a place where sexual intercourse takes place,' he said. But Magistrate Beverley Schurr rejected the suggestion his actions were a hate crime and sentenced Irawan to a two-year good behaviour bond. She said depression and an incident earlier this year had caused this behaviour. The incident took place several years after a shooting on the premises was captured on closed-circuit TV cameras. Daily Mail Australia visited Rydalmere soon after Irawan entered Arrows to hear from locals about one of the area's most popular establishments. 'They come and go 24/7... It blows me away,' a local businesswoman said. A mother-of-two stabbed in a Sainsbury's car park called to cancel a job interview as she lay bleeding on the ground, a court heard today. Janet Morsy was left fighting for her life after she was stabbed a dozen times with a four-inch blade outside the store in Hampton, south-west London. Ethem Orhon is currently on trial for attempted murder over the attack and those on Suzanna Brand, 53, Jean Sullivan, 68, and Charandasi Chandiramani, 71, who were also seriously injured. At the trial today, 62-year-old Ms Morsy told the court: 'I called Reed and said I've been stabbed, I won't make my appointment.' Four women, aged between 53 and 71, were injured in the attack at the Sainsbury's store Janet Morsy, pictured with fellow victim Charandasi Chandiramanim, told the court she phoned to say she would not make a job interview she was due to attend as she lay wounded Orhon carried out the attack the day after he was arrested for alleged drugs possession and carrying a knife. The 67-year-old, who lives in Hampton, Middlesex, does not dispute the stabbings but denies two counts of attempted murder, and two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Jonathan Polnay, prosecuting, said Orhon 'regretted' his actions but was not in 'control' at the time. He said: 'This case is about a vicious stabbing spree, committed by this defendant, Ethem Aydin Orhon, against four entirely innocent members of the public. 'By stabbing innocent women, doing their shopping in Sainsbury's, the defendant aimed to get his revenge on police, for what he perceived as mistreatment of him.' All four women were stabbed in or near the Tangle Park car park by Hampton Sainsbury's on May 20. Holding up a knife with a 4in blade, Mr Polnay told the jury that Orhon 'plunged this knife at least 20 times into four innocent members of the public who had been doing their shopping'. The court heard how two schoolboys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, distracted the defendant and called 999. Orhon carried out the attacks just 90 minutes after police released him, it is alleged Forensic officers work at the scene after the four women were stabbed, including mother-of-two Janet Morsy, 62 Horrified onlookers, including the schoolchildren, other shoppers and passers-by, saw the attack. Mr Polnay said: 'You will also hear about the true bravery of two schoolboys from Hampton Grammar school. 'They distracted the defendant, warned others that he was armed and dangerous, called police, and remained on the phone with the 999 operator the entire time. JURORS SHOWN CCTV FOOTAGE OF ORHON RUNNING AROUND CAR PARK 'LOOKING FOR HIS NEXT VICTIM' Dramatic CCTV footage of Orhon allegedly attacking two of the women with a knife was shown to jurors today. He is seen first chasing a schoolboy before turning his attention to Jean Sullivan and stabbing her in the back as she tried to flee. After that, Orhon is allegedly seen running around the carpark before finding his next victim, Janet Morsy. He appears to grab her with his left hand before plunging a knife into her body. Miraculously, Ms Sullivan, unaware she has been stabbed in the back, climbs into her car and reverses out. It is only when she has driven halfway round the carpark that she realises she has been stabbed, stops and seeks help. Members of the public are then seen helping her before police arrive just minutes later. Advertisement 'They had decided as long as the defendant was concentrating on them then he would not be hurting anyone else. 'It was a calculated risk the boys took having realised that they were obviously much faster than him. 'Without their help it may be more people would have been attacked.' Detailing the attacks, Mr Polnay said: 'Suzanna Brand was on her way to meet her mother in Sainsbury's as she always does at 10.30am on a Friday. 'The defendant came up behind her, Miss Brand didn't even have a chance to defend herself. He stabbed her twelve times. 'All she was able to do was kick out at the defendant when she was on the ground.' Mr Polnay told jurors Miss Brand, who has learning difficulties, was stabbed in her back, side, arm and leg, and suffered two collapsed lungs and a laceration to the liver. Miss Sullivan was carrying her shopping to her car when she heard a woman's voice screaming 'don't stab me'. The prosecutor said: 'She located this 'hysterical woman' and parked her car and got out. 'On exiting her car she felt a pain in the right side of her back, she reached around and felt her back with her right hand. 'On inspection she could see that she had blood on her hand.' Orhon was wearing the same clothes from the day before and carrying a rucksack containing Turkish identification materials WOMAN, 71, DESCRIBES MOMENT SHE WAS STABBED AFTER SHE CHECKED BUS TIMES NEAR THE SUPERMARKET Charandasi Chandiramani, who described Orhon as 'deranged', told the court of her ordeal. She said: 'I was about to check when the next bus was coming over when suddenly I heard a terrible scream. 'It seemed to very prolonged. I saw a woman on the ground and a man standing next to her. This woman was on the ground and he was still hurting her. 'I did not know he had a knife, I thought he was punching or hitting her. He looked up and made eye contact with me. 'I ran away, I was terrified, he came running towards me. I had a bag with me but in fear and terror I left it at the bus stop. I knew I was in danger so ran across the car park. I ran as fast as I could. He came after me and he stabbed me twice in the back. 'I ran to the car park where I knew there would be more activity and I'd be safer.' Ms Chandiramani told jurors she had seen a car driving away in the car park and then flagged it down. She said: 'I asked a woman for help. By this point I felt wetness in my back and knew I had been stabbed.' Ms Chandiramani had described Orhon as looking 'deranged and on a mission' in her police statement. Advertisement Miss Sullivan was taken by ambulance to St George's Hospital, south London, where she was found to have been stabbed in the right side of the back of her lower chest, with injuries to her chest wall muscle, her right lung and her liver. Mr Polnay told the court the third victim, Ms Morsey, was attacked while walking to the bus stop. She said Orhon towered over her and was about 6ft 3in: 'I zapped [locked] the car, walked away and then I heard what sounded like a woman shouting 'there's a man with a knife'. 'About this time this man appeared in front of me. 'It was held outwards so I could see what was coming. It looked dirty. I looked at him and he looked at me and I could see what was happening. 'I said 'please don't hurt me, please don't do it please'. He seemed to do it with intent, he didn't hesitate. 'He started to lurch towards me, I was now paralysed to the spot. He swung his arm back to get a good swing, I put my arm up and he stabbed me in the ribcage. 'I started screaming.' Mr Polnay said she was attacked with a four inch long 'dirty knife'. Ms Morsy was admitted to intensive care as the stab wound had severed a vein and blood was draining into her chest. Orhon was then arrested by police. He was wearing the same clothes from the day before and carrying a rucksack containing Turkish identification materials, a UK passport, 1,075 euros and 307.87 in cash, the jury was told. The court heard Orhon had been arrested the day before the attack on suspicion of drugs possession in Kensington SCHOOLBOY WHO DISTRACTED THE DEFENDANT SAID ORHON WAS 'UNBELIEVABLY SCARY' AND WAS GOING AFTER 'ANYONE HE COULD GET NEAR' The boy described watching the 71-year-old Charandasi Chandiramani banging on a car door, asking the driver for help before being spotted by Orhon. He said: 'He was following her. But then he sees us, forgets about her, and we're not sure about this guy. 'We didn't feel too unsafe just yet. He comes across the road towards us. 'We thought, 'this is just wrong'. He is still walking, and we just thought he was a bit wrong in the head. He didn't look right. He looked bat-s*** f****** insane. 'Maybe he was off his meds or something.' The boy said as the man approached he revealed the knife in his right hand. 'As he came towards us he was almost calm, but his eyes were just wrong,' he said. 'He was making stabbing motions at us. I stumbled again. I'm not thinking clearly. At this point, he starts to come after me. 'He didn't have a specific target. He was just going after anyone he could get near to. The way he was moving was unbelievably scary.' Advertisement Mr Polnay said Orhon came to the UK from Turkey in 1989, and had lived in a council property for 14 years, a home that was only minutes away from the supermarket. The court heard Orhon had been arrested the day before the attack on suspicion of drugs possession in Kensington. He was also found with a 'Leatherman' knife but bailed the next morning to attend court at a later date. The court heard Orhon later said in a police interview that he had felt 'mentally tortured' by police, adding: 'I went home and got my other Leatherman. I shouldn't have done it. I feel bad. It was a loss of control. I felt humiliated.' Describing the attack on Ms Chandiramani, the prosecutor said: 'The defendant ran towards her at speed. She felt two hits to her low back. She was running for her life.' Mr Polnay added: 'On his arrival home he picked up his spare Leatherman and went straight back out.' Police later searched Orhon's home and found a guide to the London Underground with the words 'murder at green lights' written in pen, a newspaper cutting about a terrorist attack and brochures advertising Leatherman knives. Mr Polnay told jurors Orhon does not dispute the stabbings. He added: 'He said he regretted it now but was not under his own control. 'The only issue that you will have to determine is what he intended when he stabbed each of those four women. 'Quite why, or what thinking process led him to do what he did, we may never know.' OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- An estimated 3,000 children and adults came to downtown Ocean Springs Monday night for the annual Trick-or-Treat Down the Street event. Sponsored by the Historic Ocean Springs Association and the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce, the event provides a safe environment for Halloween revelers, with sections of Washington Avenue and Government Street closed to traffic and downtown businesses providing the treats. Despite an advertised start time of 6 p.m., by 5:45 p.m. there were lines of trick or treaters up and down Washington Avenue, with business owners obliging the early start. Ominous weather forecasts held down last year's attendance, but such was not the case this year, with clear skies and temperatures in the 70s. At 7:45 p.m., just 15 minutes before the event was scheduled to end, there were still lines waiting for candy up and down the downtown area. "This is just great," said St. Martin resident Brandon Gaither, attending with his 3-year-old daughter, Cindy. "No cars to worry about, everybody having a great time -- this is absolutely the best way to do Halloween, especially with younger kids." The man, 30, said he was going through 'an emotional breakdown' The four-year-old was released from hospital on Sunday She was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital where she made a recovery Father of girl, 4, who drank GHB from a water bottle is The father of a four-year-old girl, who drank GHB from a water bottle and was rushed to hospital, has said he is in a 'world of pain' over the incident. The 30-year-old man, who was caring for his daughter in Albury at the time, has been charged with drug possession, reported the Herald Sun. The girl was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne on Friday about 11.30am after emergency services received reports of a child choking. The father of a four-year-old girl, who drank GHB from a water bottle and was rushed to hospital, has said he is in a 'world of pain' over the incident (stock image) She was discharged from hospital on Sunday. The family cannot be identified because of an investigation by the Department of Family and Community Services. The man said he couldn't speak about the incident, saying he was going through an 'emotional breakdown'. The man's father said that his granddaughter had made a full recovery and was playing at the park on Sunday. He described his son as a 'dedicated, hardworking citizen who made a bad choice'. 'He realises he made a mistake and he will accept responsibility,' he said. The 30-year-old man, who was caring for his daughter in Albury at the time, has been charged with drug possession after police seized two water bottles GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, is a clear substance often referred to as liquid ecstasy and is commonly colourless, odourless but tastes bitter or salty. It can cause hallucinations, confusion, impaired movement and speech and convulsions, police said. The man will face Albury Local Court for a mention hearing on November 22. Hillary Clinton's campaign tweeted out a link that stacked up her own 'corruption' against that of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But it listed just one for Clinton, that she had 'Poor email server management.' The tongue-in-cheek list said it gave a 'complete accountings of the candidates offenses and misdemeanors' and urged voters to weigh them using their 'moral compass.' The online magazine published the list in light of FBI Director James Comey's decision to reveal the bureau was once again looking at Clinton's emails. Trump, on the other hand, gets the full treatment, with a kitchen-sink catalogue that runs to 239 offenses. Hillary Clinton's campaign sent out a mock voters' guide about ''How to choose between the most corrupt, least popular candidates of all time?' The Clinton camp sent out the tweet with the staid headline, ' A guide to help you make your choice for president.' Slate opted for the more sardonic, 'How should voters weigh the sins of these two uniquely corrupt candidates?' by Gabriel Roth. Among those listed for Trump are that he: 'Said he would force the military to commit war crimes,' proposed to make 'a database system to track Muslims in the U.S.,' and said a 'U.S.-born judge couldnt be impartial because of his Mexican heritage. Slate's list catalogued hundreds of statements by Trump, from condoning torture to off-hand remarks from his rallies Number 5 on the list is that Trump 'advocated assassinating terrorists families. Many of the others are familiar. Some can be found in Clinton campaign ads, such as Trump having said 'women should be punished for having abortions,' urging supporters to ''beat up protesters at his rallies,' and having 'made fun of a reporters physical disability.' Trump says he was doing no such thing in connection to a New York Times reporter. As the list gets lower, it includes some of Trump's greatest hits from the campaign trail such as saying, 'I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose voters.' The list included some of Trump's statements about dictators This referenced Trump's campaign announcement The list dragged up all manner of Trump comments from the campaign trail It says he 'bragged about the size of his penis during a primary debate,' what may amount to a fair reading of when Trump said 'I guarantee you there's no problem.' Number 239 is that Trump posted a tweet urging voters to 'check out' a 'sex tape,'in relation to former Miss Universe Alicia Machado and then denied it in a debate. The list's minimization of the server question to 'poor' management, while facetious, doesn't match what Clinton herself has said about it. She apologized about it twice Monday on the campaign trail. The issue relates to preservation of official government records, protection of critical information that protects the U.S. from its adversaries, the potential for hacks amid weak security, and various government protocols that U.S. agencies enforce on government workers. A few other issues might have made the list if Slate wanted to dig a little harder. There is no mention of Clinton's paid speeches, which garnered hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single showing, and took place before firms with major government influence, such as Goldman Sachs. Rentfro is currently on leave pending the investigation, the company said It is not clear if Microsoft knew the customer it reported was one of its own employees at the time Rentfro admitted to investigators he saved the images on an external hard drive connected to his Microsoft OneDrive account Microsoft informed authorities that a customer uploaded 'four images of minors engaged in sexuality explicit conduct' Microsoft employee Gregory Rentfro, 49, has been charged with possessing child porn A Microsoft employee has been charged with child pornography possession after his own company tipped off authorities. Gregory Rentfro, 49, was arrested after Microsoft informed the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a customer had uploaded 'four images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct', court documents state. Probable cause documents do not indicate if Microsoft knew if Rentfro was also one of its own employees when they reported him. Rentfro, of Duvall, had been working as a senior security analyst at the company's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington for more than four years. The married father-of-one admitted to 'finding depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from the internet', according to court documents. Rentfro allegedly told investigators he had been saving the images on an external hard drive connected to his Microsoft OneDrive account. He is currently on leave at Microsoft while the case is being investigated, a spokesman for the company told KIRO 7. Rentfro, pictured with his five-year-old daughter, was arrested after Microsoft tipped off authorities that he had uploaded 'four images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct' Investigators believe Rentfro's 'deviant interests' pose a risk to his five-year-old daughter. Rentfro, who was arrested on Thursday, is currently being held at King County Jail on $75,000 bond. Microsoft has been fighting child exploitation for years, developing the PhotoDNA technology to remove some of the 'worst of the worst' images from the internet. PhotoDNA has since detected millions of illegal images that the company has then reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Microsoft utilizes PhotoDNA on its own products and services - like OneDrive - and also offers the technology for free to other companies, like Facebook and Twitter. He is now three months clean but still suffers from serious health issues He was on the brink of death following a bad hit of ice in February On one occassion he destroyed objects of sentimental value in the house A mother-of-two has detailed the terrifying experience of watching her son succumb to his methamphetamine addiction, which left him on the brink of death. During the darkest days, Lina Pugh, 50, often thought about handing her son Taylor, 25, over to the police herself. 'We used to wish he would get caught so we would know where he was at night, that he was being fed and safe,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Lina Pugh, 50, has detailed her terrifying experience watching her son, Taylor (pictured), succumb to his methamphetamine addiction which left him on the brink of death Ms Pugh (pictured with husband and Taylor's dad Aubrey) wished her son 'would get caught [by police] so we would know where he was at night' Ms Pugh says the 25-year-old's addiction began 'about four years' ago, when friends of his began using. For about a year he was a social user 'on the weekend with his mates' but the addictive nature of the drug sucked Mr Pugh in, and he soon lost his car, his girlfriend, his job and he began dealing. 'He was constantly aggressive, Ms Pugh said. 'He had previously loved being with family, immediate and extended but the drugs changed that.' She recalls one experience when he destroyed objects of sentimental value in the house. 'He used to pick things in the house and smash it, wedding photos, anything hed given me when he was little. 'He was never violent with us, or his sister, but it was terrifying.' In February Mr Pugh had to be rushed to hospital where 'he literally had half an hour of life left in him.' Ms Pugh says the 25-year-old was 'constantly aggressive' and once smashed objects in the house that held sentimental value to her Ten days after a bad hit of ice was taken to hospital he had massive pneumonia, his kidneys were shutting down and his blood had gone septic He got sick after bad hit of ice he had smoked, she told Daily Mail Australia. He was having bad psychosis and actually thought his head was going to explode. She tried convincing him to go to hospital but he refused and his health deteriorated. Ten days after that bad hit, Taylor woke up and collapsed on kitchen floor. He had massive pneumonia, his kidneys had almost shut down and his blood had gone septic. After a number of relapses, Mr Pugh (pictured with sister Courtney, 28) is now three months clean, but still struggles with the consequences of his addiction After being taken to the hospital, a team of 15 doctors and nurses worked on him for hours until he was finally stabilised and taken to the Intensive Care Unit. 'He was so gravely ill. Looking at him in that bed, I was just in shock and terrified,' Ms Pugh said. After eight days Lina's once 'strong and healthy son, reduced to nothing but skin covering a skeleton' was coming home. After a number of relapses, Mr Pugh is now three months clean, but still struggles with the consequences of his addiction. 'He has to see a haematologist about his red blood cell level and he has gout in his right knee, right foot and right hand. 'But he has reconnected with family and mended bridges he broke while using. He's able able to be honest with us.' Mr Pugh has to see a haematologist about his red blood cell level and he has gout in his right knee, right foot and right hand She now runs Doors Wide Open in Bunbury with friend and mother of three meth addicted sons, Julie Kent (left) On the day Ms Pugh brought her son home from the hospital she decided to launch the 'Ice in Bunbury. A Mothers Nightmare' Facebook page, in hopes of finding others in similar situations in the Western Australia city. In just a week the page already had 1000 followers. 'When I first started it up I actually expected backlash, people saying ''you're son's nothing but a junkie,"' Ms Pugh said. 'Now we have over 4000 people following the page, the problem is exponential down here.' She now runs Doors Wide Open in Bunbury with friend and mother of three meth addicted sons, Julie Kent. They support and education centre for people wanting to recover from ice addiction and is raising money to open a crisis care clinic after being rejected for funding by the Western Australia government. 'It's a disgrace,' Ms Pugh said. 'This issue is a government issue, and we know what we're doing works'. It's been revealed he is planning to appealed that life sentence Murderer Vincent Stanford was sentenced to life in prison last month His daughter's body was found just days before she was to marry It is a shocking second tragedy for the tight-knit family from country NSW His body was found at the family farm near Canowindra on Tuesday The family of murdered bride-to-be Stephanie Scott are 'beside themselves' after her father was killed in a freak accident. Robert Scott, was struck by a falling tree while clearing bush at the family farm in the New South Wales central west. It is a shocking second tragedy for the tight-knit family, coming just 18 months after school teacher Stephanie was killed by school cleaner Vincent Stanford. Following the news of the devastating accident, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Stephanie's killer plans to appeal his life sentence for the school teacher and bride-to-be's horrific murder. The tortured family endured further grief, when police and paramedics rushed to their Canowindra property about 12pm Tuesday following reports a 59-year-old man had died. It was believed Mr Scott had gone to the property on Monday and failed to return home, 9 News reported. Scroll down for video Robert Scott (left), father of late school teacher Stephanie Scott, has died in a freak accident. Here, he is pictured speaking at a memorial for his daughter in April 2015 Robert's daughter Stephanie (pictured with him as a child, left; and right with her mother Merrilyn) died last year just days before she was to marry her fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley A Facebook tribute page set up for the murdered bride-to-be 'Remembering our Stephanie', now bears messages for her father. 'I can not believe this. Robert Scott was a tower of strength and goodness,' one user posted. 'This is so unfair. May you fly high with your beautiful daughter Stephanie.' Another added: 'How much suffering for one family? Thoughts with you all on loss the of your father and husband.' Stephanie - a teacher just like her father - was murdered by school cleaner Vincent Stanford in April 2015. Her burnt body was found in the Cocoparra National Park just a day before she was to marry her fiance, Aaron Leeson-Woolley. Mr Scott smiled and had a beer with family after his daughter's killer was sentenced to life in October Ms Scott would have turned 28-years-old last month. Stanford, 25, was condemned by a judge as a 'very disturbed individual' who showed 'not the slightest bit of remorse'. Meantime, presiding judge Robert Allan Hulme praised Mr and Mrs Scott for their 'inspiring' dignity. Mr Scott stood by his wife, Merrilyn, as she read a powerful statement about the 'difficult and harrowing time' they had been through together. Mrs Scott told reporters her daughter would want them to resume their normal lives. 'Stephanie embodied all that is good about humankind,' she said. Together for justice: Mr Scott stood by his wife Merrilyn as she read out a statement outside Griffith Local Court on October 13 Facebook tribute page set up for the murdered bride-to-be now bears messages for her father The shocking second tragedy for the Scott family has left many devastated 'She made a tangible difference to the lives of so many people. 'Stephanie would want us to resume our lives. 'We need to be kind to ourselves, and let the music and fun back in. 'We need to be able to fade from public view, to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief.' In a separate development, Stanford's legal team lodged a notice of intention to appeal last week. He has six months from October 28 to lodge any appeal. A nine-year-old Christian boy and his mother were arrested and tortured after the child was falsely accused of burning a Koran in Pakistan, it has been claimed. The boy, Inzam, and his mother, Shakil, from Quetta in the province of Balochistan, were questioned for four days after being accused of blasphemy. But they were released after refusing to confess during the interrogation amid protests from Christian groups in the area. The boy, Inzam, and his mother, Shakil, from Quetta (pictured) in the province of Balochistan, were questioned for four days after being accused of blasphemy According to the British Pakistani Christian Association, the child had been accused of burning the holy book at his school on October 20. He and his mother, a nurse at the city's hospital, were arrested after an unnamed person claimed to have witnessed the alleged act. The pair were eventually released when police admitted they had no evidence a crime had been committed. A nine-year-old Christian boy and his mother were arrested and tortured after the child was falsely accused of burning a Koran in Pakistan, it has been claimed (file picture) But after their ordeal, the mother and son claimed they had been tortured during their four-day incarceration. Local reports suggested that government officials had also pressed for the two family members to be released. A coroner has vowed to fully investigate safety measures at the beach Their deaths came just weeks before the deaths of five men at the beach Brave father attempted to save him but also died after falling unconscious He and his friend got into trouble in the water amid high winds A coroner has vowed to fully investigate safety measures at a beach where seven people died in the space of a month. East Sussex coroner Alan Craze spoke during a pre-inquest review into the deaths of the men at Camber Sands, near Hastings, East Sussex, in July and August. Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, was the first victim at the beach on July 24. Mohit Dupar, who fell unconscious while trying to save him, died in hospital four days later. The following month, Nitharsan Ravi, 22, Kenugen, 19, and Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan, 21, Gurushanth Srithavarajah and Inthushan Sriskantharasa, 23, were pulled from the water after a day trip from London this summer, on the hottest day of the year. Pre-inquest hearings were heard into their deaths in Hastings today. Kenigan Nathan, 19, left, his brother Kobi Nathan, 22, right, could not swim, their father said Nitharsan Ravi, left, and Inthushan Sriskantharasa, right, also died at the beach in August Victims Gurushanth Srithavarajah, 26, left, and Nitharsan Ravi, right Coroner Mr Crazsaid there might be a case to moor boats at sea during busy periods at the popular beach, which can attract up to 30,000 day-trippers in the summer. And Mr Craze suggested writing to other local authorities to learn more about how 'Baywatch towers' based on beaches can help monitor visitors. The coroner said he also wanted to hear expert evidence at the full inquest into what public safety measures would be practical and recommendable, including the possibility of having sections of the beach for swimming only. Mr Craze said: 'The provision of safety for the vast numbers of people that go to Camber is now an extremely important matter, and I owe it to the community as a whole to investigate as far as I conceivably can do.' Earlier today, the inquest heard Mohit Dupar, 36, rushed to the aid of Brazilian Gustavo Silva Da Cruz, 19, after he was swept out to sea at the beach. The 19-year-old, who was in the UK to visit family in Croydon, south London, is believed to have got into trouble in the water in strong winds on July 24. Gustavo Silva Da Cruz (pictured) drowned despite the efforts of Mohit Dupar, who also died trying to save the Brazilian teenager Mr Dupar called out to his son 'somebody needs my help, they are drowning' as he made a bid to save the teen. Today's hearing heard he and his son Ankush, 17, got into difficulties themselves as they tried to save Gustavo, and were pulled from the water by RNLI lifesavers. CPR was administered to the father and son in front of horrified bystanders on the packed beach. It took 80 minutes to revive Mr Dupar who was unresponsive and in cardiac arrest. He was flown to William Harvey Hospital in nearby Ashford but died four days later having suffered irreversible brain damage. A statement from his heartbroken son Ankush Dupar, who awoke from a three-week coma to discover his father had died, said: 'That day I lost everything. My dad was everything for me. I love him more than anything in this earth.' A helicopter at the beach on the day the five daytrippers from London died in August The inquest heard sand bars meant weak swimmers could get stranded as the tide rose Beach goers spotted Mr Silva Da Cruz's body washed up on the shore later that day. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An inquest at Hastings Coroner's Court today heard Gustavo had been enjoying a day at the beach with his father, stepmother and brother before he entered the water with his friend Guilherme Camaogo, 14. A report from his friend read aloud in court said: 'I went into the water with my friend Gustavo. This is the first time I had been in the water with him so I didn't know if he could swim well or not. 'We spent about 20 minutes just mucking around with each other but we were always within our depths. After a while I could no longer touch the floor so I headed back but Gustavo was further out. 'I called out to him to come back it's getting deep. He called out I can't breathe. I swam back as quickly as I could to get help.' Ankush Dupar, from Hayes, Middlesex, is now relying on family friends to get by as his father was his sole carer. The incident happened just weeks before five men from London also died at the beach Describing what he can remember, he told the inquest: 'My dad was going far swimming and I followed him. 'I didn't know he was going to save someone. When I saw him go too far I called to him why are you going so far. He replied someone needs help I am going to help him. 'In a few seconds water levels came up and tides pushed me and I didn't have any control of my body. Next I woke up I was in hospital.' Mr Dupar's wife Irena, who had been waiting on the beach for the pair to return, told the coroner neither were strong swimmers. Mr Gustavo's father Gutenberg, who attended court wearing a t-shirt with his son's picture, said he could swim but he was unsure how well. The cause of death of Gustavo Silva Da Cruz was recorded as drowning. Mr Dupar died of brain injuries after he suffered a cardiac arrest from drowning. Neither of them had been drinking. Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, died on Monday in hospital after being attacked in the earlier hours of Sunday morning A University of Wisconsin student from Saudi Arabia was beaten to death outside a pizza shop by an unidentified, 6ft white man. Hussain Saeed Alnahdi was studying business administration at the University of Wisconsin Stout when he was attacked outside Toppers Pizza in Menomonie, Wisconsin, in the early hours of Sunday morning. The 24-year-old joined the university in 2015 after moving from Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and was 'so happy' to be in America, friends said. He was attacked by an unidentified, 6ft white male who ran away from the scene after beating him. Alnahdi died in hospital on Monday from severe head injuries. He was bleeding from the mouth and nose when police found him outside the pizza shop at around 2am on Sunday. A worker at the shop declined to comment on the tragedy on Tuesday. Menomonie Police Department detectives are appealing for information about his death. Detectives are canvassing the surrounding streets of the incident for CCTV, a spokesman said on Tuesday. ' On October 30 at approximately 2:11am, the Menomonie Police Department and Menomonie Fire Department were dispatched to the 400 block of Main Street East, near Toppers Pizza, for a report of a physical altercation. 'Upon arrival, officers located an unconscious male, bleeding from his mouth and nose. Video courtesy of KTSP Alnahdi was found outside Toppers Pizza in Menomonie on Sunday shortly after 2am, bleeding from the nose and mouth Friends of the student rushed to pay tribute to him after his death. They described him as 'selfless' and 'happy' and said he was thrilled to have gained a spot at an American university 'Further information provided by witnesses at the scene indicated that the victim had been assaulted by a white male who was about six feet tall, who fled the scene on foot westbound on Main Street prior to law enforcement arrival,' a spokesman said. Friends of the student gave adoring tributes to the student, describing him as 'selfless' and 'happy'. 'He always had a smile on his face and made an effort to put a smile on the face of others. 'He often considered myself and our other roommates as his family. He was there for us when we needed him most. 'He is one of the best friends I've ever had and life will be a little darker with out him here to light it up. 'He had no enemies. Only friends,' Tommy Hutson, one of his closest friends told DailyMail.com. 'If I ever spoke to someone that thought negatively of Saudis or Muslims I would tell them they needed to speak to Hussain and they would feel differently. We came from different worlds, but he showed me everyday how much we had in common. 'He was my brother and I'll never forget him,' he said. Alnahdi (above in a student ID photograph) moved to the US from his native Buraydah, Saudi Arabia and joined the university in 2015. Police are appealing for information about his death Eric Collier, another of the student's friends, said he was 'so happy' to be studying in the U.S. 'He was so happy to be here in America, and even more happy with the community of friends he was surrounded by. 'And some piece of s*** robbed him of the rest of his life. Hussain was selfless. It's so unfair.' Maggie Sills, another of his friends, suggested the crime was racially motivated. 'Today we lost a wonderful person with a beautiful heart. I feel so blessed to have known someone who could light up any room he walked into. 'Hussain you will be deeply missed,' she wrote alongside the hash tag 'end hate crimes'. Police would not comment on a potential motive for the killing but confirmed it was being treated as a homicide. The University's president issued a statement offering the student's family in Saudi Arabia his condolences. ' Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, as well as the entire UW-Stout campus community. It is difficult to find the right words in light of such of a tragedy, except to express our sorrow for all who knew Hussain. 'We thank the Menomonie Police Department as it continues its investigation and hope the perpetrator can be identified soon.' He shared police's appeal for information on the attack. 'Anyone with information, even second hand, about the assault is asked to call the Menomonie police investigator Kelly Pollock at 715-231-8511. Anonymous information can be submitted at 855-847-3866. You may also text TIPDUNN followed by your message to 274637 (CRIMES).' The tragic deaths of two sisters aged three and four is being investigated by police and safety authorities after the youngsters drowned in their backyard swimming pool. Taya Young, four, and Patricia Young, three, were found in their pool in Logan, south of Brisbane, by their older brother Aige, according to The Australian, but by the time their mother got to them they couldn't be revived. The children's parents Renise and Troy Young performed CPR - as did ambulance crews but it wasn't enough and the two girls died. Scroll down for video Taya Young, left, and Patricia Young, right, lost their lives in their own swimming pool on Melbourne Cup Day The girls' mother, pictured, could not revive them and they were pronounced dead at the scene The young mother-of-five told The Courier Mail the children had finished lunch and went to play outside when the girls went missing. The family members went looking for them and it was Aige who spotted them first. 'I was screaming and grabbing them and making sure their head was above the water and just yelling because there was nothing I could do,' Ms Young said. 'All a mother could do when they see their baby like that is just scream at the top of their lungs.' The backyard pool is fully fenced however Logan City Council officers are on the scene checking if all fences meet regulation. The tragic death of the young girls is not being treated as suspicious according to Inspector Glen Allen from Queensland police, however the parents will face questions about supervision. 'Imagine just one, let alone two - it must be so awful,' the Inspector said of the tragedy. The young mother was comforted outside the home following the tragic accident Emergency services were called to a Kingston home in Logan, south of Brisbane, on Tuesday The girls' parents are yet to speak with media - however their grandfather Peter Brown told Nine News the parents were devastated. 'He's cut up something terrible and she's just as bad because she had to dive in the pool to get them out,' Mr Brown said. 'It's going to be a bad memory for a lot of people.' The girls' heartbroken aunt , Tamara Sengstock, told Fairfax Ms Young was 'trying to hold herself together for her son and other two daughters'. The distressed aunt also posted about the loss on social media. 'R.I.P beautiful girls. Taya and Patricia Young (sic), you were both taken so soon,' she wrote on Facebook. Two girls, aged three and four, have tragically drowned in a backyard swimming pool Police aren't treating the deaths as suspicious but are looking into how the two girls got into the pool 'Can't believe you beautiful angels were taken so soon and only were four and three years old.' The girl's uncle commented on the post. 'That's my older sister that lost her babies. My two nieces,' he wrote before admitting he already missed the young children. According to The Australian the children had eaten lunch and were preparing to go for a swim in the freshly cleaned pool. A trampoline or chair could have been used by the girls to get into the pool according to Nine, police are investigating this lead. The children were pulled from the pool by their mother but couldn't be revived They can be the bane of motorists - police camera operators hiding around corners or behind bridges to catch out unsuspecting drivers. But now one has been caught at his own game after being recorded using his phone while driving by activists to the east of Perth. The operator was recorded taking a picture of the protesters who had been alerting road users to his presence in the Bedfordale suburb. This is the moment a police camera operator was caught using his mobile phone while driving - violating the very law he was supposed to be enforcing Speaking anonymously to 9 News, one of the protesters said: 'He certainly should not be breaking the law he is enforcing. 'I don't think it's fair for a member of the WA police force to be taking photos of the public and acting in an intimidating way. 'This operator breached the law and he put pedestrians and other road users at risk.' Activists said the incident was reported to Western Australia police, who say they are investigating. Activists captured the man taking a picture of them after spending the day warning motorists about where he was stopped Western Australia Police, who recently launched a crackdown on using phones while driving, say they are disappointed at the man's actions and are investigating A police spokesman told WA Today that they are disappointed in the operator's actions, and do not condone using phones while driving. The demonstrators were from group Revenue Raiser Resistance who believe road fines are a 'fraud' used by the government purely to raise money. They regularly identify the location of police camera traps and set up signs nearby to warn motorists. Teran's family say she went to the Mom slain: Dallas realtor Martha Teran, 42, was fatally shot in the stomach while meeting with prospective buyers of her daughter's phone A Dallas real estate agent was shot dead in front of her daughter while trying to sell the girl's iPhone outside of a restaurant Sunday, the victims family have revealed. Martha Teran, 42, was found suffering from fatal gunshot wounds near Medieval Times on North Stemmons Freeway at around 6pm Sunday. According to Teran's relatives, the woman went to that location after being contacted by a prospective buyer of her daughter's iPhone7 through the digital marketplace app OfferUp. The app allows users to post items for sale and to connect with potential buyers. Teran had listed her daughter's smartphone on the app, and on Sunday someone reached out to her about buying the device, her family told the station WFAA. The would-be buyer initially suggested one location for a face-to-face meeting, but the realtor rejected it and instead proposed they meet in the Medieval Times parking lot. Carnage scene: The shooting occurred in the parking lot of Medieval Times in Dallas, Texas Teran's family said she had been contacted by someone on the app OfferUp (left) who expressed interest in purchasing her daughter's iPhone7 (stock image on the right) Within seconds of arriving at the agreed upon location with her daughter, Teran was shot and the suspects fled. Terans loved ones told the station the mother and her killers exchanged little to no words before gunshots rang out. The woman's daughter witnessed the shooting. According to the victims family, there were likely three suspects. So far, police have not released any descriptions for the person or persons suspected in the slaying. Police responded to the shooting at around 6pm to find Martha Teran had been shot in the stomach. The shooter or shooters managed to make a getaway by car. The 42-year-old victim was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital but died a short time later. According to Teran's Facebook page, she was a real-estate associate with Gilchrist & Co. Real Estate in Dallas. Tom Gilchrist, Teran's boss, described her to the station CBS DFW as a 'no nonsense gal' with a gentle spirit and a smile on her face who was a hard worker. Within seconds of arriving at the meeting place, Teran was shot in the stomach. Her teenage daughter witnessed the brutal killing According to Gilchrist, Teran had been planning to a take a trip to Colorado with her family. Anyone with information on the murder is asked to contact Detective Scott Sayers at 214-671-3647. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction in the case. House Speaker Paul Ryan revealed this morning on 'Fox & Friends' that he's already made his selection for president voting for the GOP nominee Donald Trump. 'I already voted here in Janesville for our nominee last week in early voting,' Ryan told the morning show hosts. The House speaker whose had a rocky relationship with Trump throughout this presidential election year talked about the importance of voting Republican up and down ballot. Scroll down for video House Speaker Paul Ryan said this morning on 'Fox & Friends' that he had already cast a ballot for Donald Trump, during Wisconsin's early voting period House Speaker Paul Ryan (left) talked to the hosts about the importance of voting for Republicans up and down the ballot to help prevent four years of Clinton scandals Another prominent Republican, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, expressed his displeasure with Trump by writing in Sen. John McCain's name on his presidential ballot, the party's 2008 nominee. But Ryan, looking ahead at what could come if Hillary Clinton won, said he was fully behind the party's 2016 choice. 'For those of us who lived through the 1990s ... it's sort of a feeling of deja vu, the point I keep trying to make to younger voters who did not live through the 1990s, this is what life with the Clintons looks like,' Ryan told viewers. 'It's always a scandal one after another, then there's an investigation,' Ryan added. He warned viewers that the Clintons 'live beyond the rules.' And he touted his website Better.GOP, suggesting that Republicans couldn't put those plans in motion without a Republican in the White House and the GOP leading Congress as well. 'If we don't win the White House, if we don't win Congress, we don't get this,' Ryan huffed. 'We get Clinton scandal.' 'She will come in just like Barack Obama did, but with her scandal baggage,' he continued. 'I don't think that's what the American people want to see,' the Wisconsin congressman added. While Hillary Clinton's numbers seem to have taken a hit since Friday, at least according to a national ABC News/Washington Post poll, Ryan said the reality of a Democratic White House and a Democratic Congress is still very much a possibility though it's more likely that just the Senate goes blue. 'They can win and she could come in with a Democrat Congress, the worst of all possible things, if Republicans do not turn out and do not vote,' Ryan warned. Ryan said he was most focused on preserving the House majority, and thus his job, as Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi would likely become speaker again if the Republicans' fortunes in the House reversed. 'I'm going to Indiana, Michigan, New York and Virginia today to fight for House Republicans to make sure we keep this majority, but we've got to win the tables,' he said. Trump is in Ryan's home state of Wisconsin today, stumping alongside the state's governor, Scott Walker, but the speaker said he had no plans to campaign with them. 'I just heard about it about 10 minutes ago,' Ryan admitted. 'I didn't know that. I'm on my way right now to Indiana with one of our members running there then I'm going to Michigan, then I'm going to New York, then Virginia.' 'I'm just crisscrossing the country right now fighting for Congressional Republicans, which is my primary responsibility, as you know Ainsley,' Ryan told 'Fox & Friends' co-host Ainsley Earhardt. Earhardt then asked the house speaker if he had changed his mind and planned to campaign with Trump with just one week left before voters head to the polls. 'I haven't changed anything,' the speaker replied. 'I'm just focusing on my primary responsibility, which is saving our House majority.' 'I've already got a long schedule that's been long in place fighting for House Republicans and also Senate Republicans because that is what the speaker of the House does,' he continued. A man chopped off his big toe and ate it in front of stunned shoppers. The incident happened at Wilkinson's Haymarket store in Sheffield on Sunday morning. The man was said to have used bolt cutters from the electrical aisle to chop off his toe. The incident happened at Wilkinson's Haymarket store (pictured) in Sheffield on Sunday An eyewitness said he stood in front of people and began to eat his own body part. Emergency services were called to the scene and the man was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries. The shocked shopper told the Sheffield Star: 'A man went into Wilkinson's Haymarket, went upstairs to the electrical aisle, picked up some bolt cutters, chopped his big toe off and stood eating it. 'The aisle was taped off until police and forensics went.' A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: 'Emergency services were called to a shop in Haymarket, Sheffield, at around 11.10am on Sunday, October 30 following reports of concern for a man inside the premises. 'Upon officer arrival, the man was taken to hospital with injuries to his foot, where he remains. 'There are not believed to be any other parties involved. The incident is not being investigated as a crime.' A British father has told of his hurt after his wife volunteered at the Calais Jungle and fell for an Afghan migrant. Richard Muller, 37, said he was devastated after his wife, Helen, who had been working in the French camp for five months, ended their nine-year marriage. Now Helen, 28, a mother of two, reportedly wants to marry her new lover, Ahmed, and live with him in the UK. Speaking to MailOnline at his home in Bridgend, Wales, shattered Richard said he was upset over his marriage breakdown - but vowed to get on with his life for the sake of the couple's two young children. 'Obviously I am very hurt but I don't want to talk about what's happened', he said. But I just want to turn the other cheek and move on.' Wife: Helen Muller, 28, from Bridgend in Wales has reportedly left her husband and two young children for an Afghan migrant that she has met in the Calais Jungle Lover: Afghan refugee, known only as Ahmed, was working as an interpreter in the Calais Jungle when he met Helen, from Bridgend in Wales Husband: Shattered Richard, 37, has told of his hurt after his wife left him and has now reportedly fallen for an interpreter who speaks four languages Richard, who was a print assistant when he married former childcare worker Helen at Lamphey church, in a village east of Pembroke in 2007, referred to her as his 'ex' but refused to comment on whether their divorce had been finalised. He added: 'I'm one of these people who would rather forgive and forget. Everyone makes their own choices in life and she's made hers.' Mother-of-two Helen had been travelling between Wales and Calais to volunteer in a medical caravan at the Jungle camp for five months when she met her new love interest, known only as Ahmed. She told the BBC he was a camp resident volunteering as a translator while he waited for a chance to enter Britain. 'He would come to translate for the British doctors as he can speak four languages,' she said. Helen continued: 'There was no payment. I think he was so bored in the Jungle that he just went to translate. Devastated: Richard, who was a print assistant when he married former childcare worker Helen at Lamphey church in 2007, referred to her as his 'ex' but refused to comment on whether their divorce had been finalised New love: Mother-of-two Helen had been travelling between Wales and Calais to volunteer in a medical caravan at the Jungle camp for five months when she met her new love interest, known only as Ahmed 'We spent some time when it was quiet speaking about different things, mainly about Islam and cultural differences. 'From that day that I first met him we've literally spoken for hours every day. Every time I went to the Jungle I would arrange to meet him there.' The closure of the camp last week saw the woman's new partner moved to Lyon but she has said he will not be able to stay there. He will be deported when he goes to claim asylum in France because he does not have the right papers, which Helen said had put a strain on their relationship. 'Everything's had to become a lot more serious a lot faster,' she said. She is hopeful that he would be able to get a visa to come to the UK from Italy, but marriage is their only option if he is to stay. Upset: Speaking at his home in Bridgend, Wales, shattered Richard said: 'Obviously I'm very hurt but I don't want to talk about what's happened. I just want move on.' The mother of two had been travelling between Wales and Calais, pictured, to volunteer in a medical caravan at the Jungle camp for five months when she met her new love interest Helen revealed she fell for the interpreter during her time in the Jungle, pictured, leaving Richard at home with their children. She told the BBC 'He would come to translate for the British doctors as he can speak four languages.' She told the BBC: 'For him to be able to legally move to the UK I would have to marry him within three months of him getting here. 'Everyone says I'm crazy but it's the only legal way he can come here. A young mining specialist has been arrested and charged with allegedly smuggling 23kg of cocaine with a street value of more than $7 million to Australia from the United States in the post. Bennet Schwartz, a former capital projects analyst with mining giant Rio Tinto, was arrested by Australian Federal Police at Sydney's domestic airport, the Daily Telegraph reported. The 29-year-old private school educated man was pulled off a plane on September 2 while travelling with his blonde fiancee, who he was weeks away from marrying. Bennet Schwartz (pictured left in Brisbane) was weeks away from marrying his fiancee Sarah Wakefield (right) when he was arrested and charged with allegedly smuggling cocaine from the US Bennet Schwartz has been charged with conspiring to import 23kg of cocaine from the US Schwartz is now behind bars in a Sydney prison and faces life in jail. Australian Federal Police officers arrested him at Sydney's domestic airport on September 2 when he was pulled off a flight, which his paediatric nurse fiancee Sarah Wakefield was also on. The glamorous couple were living in a riverfront apartment in the wealthy inner-city Brisbane suburb of New Farm. The couple's wedding was meant to have been held in October but was hastily cancelled after he was handcuffed and bundled away by police, the News Corp story said. Property records show Schwartz owns two apartments in New Farm, bought for a total of $1.1 million in 2014 and 2015. Schwartz was schooled at the exclusive Sydney Grammar. Schwartz was pulled off a flight he was on with fiancee Sarah Wakefield (pictured), who has not been arrested or charged with any offences Australian Federal Police officers arrested Bennet Schwartz at Sydney's domestic airport His LinkedIn profile, which has since been removed, stated he worked as a 'senior analyst' for mining giant Rio Tinto in their Asia Pacific East projects team. He also referred to himself as a 'capital projects specialist'. Schwartz also sells teas online through his website 'Tea Time'. Police allege Schwartz was involved with two other men in importing two packages of cocaine through the mail from the U.S. The first package allegedly containing 8.4kg of cocaine was sent on August 3 last year, which customs officers detected. The second package allegedly containing 15kg was detected on May 23 this year, the newspaper report said. Schwartz has been charged with importing a commercial quantity of cocaine and is due back in Sydney's Central Local Court on November 26. Schwartz's two co-accused were arrested on September 12. A headless body has been discovered underneath four feet of garbage inside an Ohio hoarder's home. Police said the body, which was removed from the Chillicothe house on Monday, was so badly decomposed they could not even determine a gender. Authorities believe the head was removed after the person had already died and said entire skeletal remains were found. The identity will be released after the autopsy is completed. Scroll down for video A headless body was found underneath four feet of garbage inside this Chillicothe, Ohio home on Monday, which happened to be Halloween Chillicothe police said the body, which was removed from the home (pictured inside) on Monday, was so badly decomposed they could not even determine a gender Courtesy ABC6/WSYX Chillicothe Police Detective Bud Lytle said there are currently no indications of foul play, but investigators won't be sure until after the autopsy is completed. Lytle said the extent of the hoarding at 623 Glencroft Avenue was the 'worst' he had seen in his 20 years on the force, he told the Chillicothe Gazette. He added that there was four feet of garbage 'throughout the entire house in the pathways', as well as trash 'stacked floor to ceiling' in certain places. The hoarding was so bad it took investigators hours to locate and remove the body from the home, even requiring chainsaws just to cut through the brush outside. Charles Kaltenbach, the home's owner, was described by neighbors as a recluse. He hasn't been seen for six months. Patty Shacklford, Kaltenbach's cousin, said she's sure it was him that police found on Monday. 'It's sad. He was the only person living in the house,' she told WCMH. 'He didn't ask for help.' Chillicothe Police Detective Bud Lytle said there was four feet of garbage 'throughout the entire house in the pathways', as well as garbage 'stacked floor to ceiling' in certain places The hoarding was so bad it took investigators hours to locate and remove the body from the home, even requiring chainsaws just to cut through the brush outside Charles Kaltenbach, the home's owner, was described by neighbors as a recluse. He hasn't been seen for six months Neighbors said they often saw Kaltenbach sleeping in his truck, which he parked on the street, rather than inside his home. Others told the station they hadn't seen Kaltenbach since he returned from a stay at a local veterans hospital. Kaltenbach had developed health problems after serving as a United States Marine, family members told WSYX. Doug Bernhardt, who lives next door to Kaltenbach, recently contacted police after suspecting that drug users were stealing from the house. 'I think he went in there and died,' Bernhardt said of Kaltenbach, 'But there's been people in and out of that for months and months.' Bernhardt said he had two people arrested after calling police. 'I'm glad they got it all over with,' he said. 'You know the guy's got to be put to rest the right way.' Billionaire Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya would seem to be the very embodiment of the American Dream but he is getting trolled for 'wanting to drown the US in Muslims' after hiring refugees to work in his factory. Mr Ulukaya, 44, came to the US from his native Turkey in 1994 to study business and eventually bought a derelict factory in upstate New York to manufacture Greek-style yogurt. He later bought a second plant, employs 2,000 people and is estimated to have made a fortune of $1.4billion, much of which he pledged to donate last year when signing up to the Giving Pledge, along with Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Polarizing: Chobani founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya has created 2,000 jobs but he is being vilified by some for hiring 300 refugees But Mr Ulukaya, who was born into a Kurdish dairy farming family, is getting hassled on the internet for employing too many refugees or, as one troll put it, 'trying to drown the United States in Muslims'. The online hatred has its roots in events in the town of Twin Falls, Idaho. Since the 1980s the town has had a refugee resettlement program which gives sanctuary to around 300 people a year. But in June this year a five-year-old girl in the town was raped and three refugee boys from Iraq and Sudan were charged. A sexual assault on a girl in Twin Falls, allegedly by three refugees, sparked an avalanche of bile on social media Later another refugee was accused of sexually assaulting a mentally disabled woman, a charge that has since been dropped. In August an article on Breitbart led to calls on fringe Right-wing websites for customers to boycott Chobani goods. Death threats have even been made against the mayor of Twin Falls, Shawn Barigar, after he was accused of covering up for Chobani and the refugees. Mr Barigar, who was forced to delete his Twitter profile, told Mail Online: 'Chobani are just one of many companies who take refugees into their employee pool. But Hamdi's visible stance in support of refugees in general got convoluted into this issue. He said: 'A false narrative has been the marching orders of anti-refugee groups and the notion that the city, and I, are being paid off by the Obama administration to turn a blind eye to refugee resettlement so Chobani can have a steady stream of workers. It's completely false. There's not an iota of truth in it.' Mr Barigar said threats made to himself and his wife were still being investigated by the FBI. He said there had been another 'false narrative' spread that thousands of Syrian refugees were coming to Twin Falls. He said they had NO Syrian refugees and most of those who had resettled in the town were Afghan, Eritrean, Burmese, Iranian or Iraqi. 'Mr Barigar said: 'Trump's rhetoric has helped to fuel the anti-refugee fire.' Many people have issued messages of support for Mr Ulukaya on social media. Activist Richard Lapchick tweeted: 'Hamdi Ulukaya, owner of Chobani should be commended for his efforts to help refugees, not threatened.' The Chobani yogurt brand only came on the scene in 2007 but it has proved hugely successful and is now stocked all over the U.S. Turkish political scientist, Ebru Erdem Akcay, tweeted: 'Ulukaya, an immigrant, has enriched American dairy aisles w/a product representing his cultural heritage. THIS is what makes America great.' Cecillia Wang, director of the Immigrants Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, told the New York Times: 'Whats happening with Chobani is one more flash point in this battle between the voices of xenophobia and the voices advocating a rational immigration policy.' Mr Ulukaya started out in business making feta cheese, using a family recipe, and received an $800,000 loan from the Small Business Administration which allowed him to buy the New York factory and start selling Chobani yogurt in 2007, which became an overnight success. The Mayor of Twin Falls, Idaho, Shawn Barigar, deleted his Twitter profile as a result of the abuse aimed at him and Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya In recent years he has become passionate about the welfare of refugees and set up a foundation called Tent, which provides relief on issues like education and health care. Since its founding in 2007, Chobani has helped drive the surging popularity of Greek yogurt, which is thicker and has more protein than traditional supermarket yogurt. More recently, however, it has been facing tougher competition from bigger companies like General Mills, which has been more aggressively pushing Greek varieties of its Yoplait yogurt. In 2014 Chobani secured $750million in financing from private equity firm TPG Capital when it was facing a cash crunch. Last year Mr Ulukaya settled a lawsuit filed by his ex-wife, who laid claim to half the Greek yogurt empire. MPs have hailed a 10 week consultation on the next steps for press regulation as a vital step in protecting newspaper freedoms. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley revealed she would 'take stock' before reaching a final decision on whether the much-delayed second part of the Leveson phone hacking inquiry would ever begin. The review will also consider whether tough rules on awarding costs under libel laws, intended to 'incentivise' newspapers to sign up to authorised regulators, should ever be brought into force or be scrapped. Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson accused Ms Bradley of trying to 'cover up the cover up'. But the decision was hailed by Tory backbenchers who have long been fearful of greater Government intervention on the free press. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley, pictured in the Commons today, said the Government needed to consider if part two of the phone hacking inquiry was in the public interest Ms Bradley told MPs that the Government wanted to consult before making a final decision on the future of the second part of the probe Jacob Rees-Mogg mocked Impress, which is funded by former Formula 1 tycoon Max Mosley who successfully sued the News Of The World over false accusations about his sex life. Mr Rees-Mogg branded Mr Mosley 'a degenerate libertine who was embarrassed by three newspapers a few years ago' and dismissed Impress as an organisation which 'has only 50 subscribers' while Ipso has 2,500. He said the Culture Secretary is 'quite right' to review the decision and the freedom of the press 'which is more important than the press being responsible'. Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) said: 'Having an effective and robust press is even more important than effective, robust press regulation. 'And if we have 2,500 newspapers including nearly all those represented by the Society of Editors, and we have a pretty pathetic list in Impress - most of which I don't think have a circulation of more than about two or three hundred or thousand - that we must not introduce Section 40.' Part one of the Leveson Inquiry, which ended in 2012, examined the culture and ethics of the press while part two of the inquiry would further examine wrongdoing in the press and police. But Ms Bradley told MPs that the Government wanted to consult before making a final decision on the future of the second part of the probe. It was placed on hold at the end of part one to allow criminal trials to finish - a process which is almost complete. The announcement was enough to end chances of a rebellion on the Investigatory Powers Bill on to which Labour peers have tried to force amendments enacting laws on costs awarded against newspapers. The Culture Secretary said: 'Given the extent of these criminal investigations, the implementation of the recommendations from part one of the Leveson Inquiry and the cost to the taxpayer of the investigations in part one, which is 43.7 million and 5.4 million respectively, the Government is considering whether undertaking part two is still in the public interest. 'We are keen to take stock and seek the views of the public and interested parties, not least those who have been victims of press abuse. 'We will also formally consult Sir Brian Leveson on the question of part two at the appropriate time in his role as inquiry chair. 'I can announce that today we are launching a public consultation inviting comments on both Section 40 and part two of the Leveson Inquiry from organisations that are affected by it and from the public.' Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson accused Ms Bradley of trying to 'cover up the cover up' Mr Watson called the announcement a 'sad day' and accused the Government of letting down the victims who have been 'thrown to the wolves' The announcement comes after the Press Recognition Panel (PRP), set up under a Royal Charter after the inquiry into media practice, gave its backing to a new regulator for the press industry called Impress. The vast majority of newspapers and magazines in the UK are already signed up to a system of self-regulation under the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) which was established by the press industry in September 2014 following the inquiry. But critics believe Ipso is not independent and the regulator has indicated it has no intention of applying for recognition from the PRP as it believes such a move would open the door to state regulation. But the blessing of the PRP is viewed by many as important. Fears have been expressed that the approval of Impress would trigger the implementation of Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (CCA). The consultation launched by Ms Bradley was published and co-authored by Home Secretary Amber Rudd, pictured in Downing Street this morning That legislation could force newspapers to pay all the costs of libel or privacy actions brought against them - even when they win - prompting concerns that many could be forced out of business. However, organisations that join a regulator approved under the Royal Charter would be exempt from such laws. Ms Bradley reiterated the Government's commitment to creating a system which is fair to newspapers but also to individuals who have been mistreated. She said: 'The Government is determined that a balance is struck between press freedom and the freedom of the individual. 'Those who are treated improperly must have redress. Likewise, politicians must not seek to muzzle the press or prevent it doing legitimate work such as holding us to account and the police must take seriously its role in protecting not only its reputation but also those people it is meant to serve. 'This is the balance that we wish to strike and this consultation is the most appropriate and fairest way of doing so.' Brexit Secretary David Davis, pictured right with Trade Secretary Liam Fox in Downing Street today, had previously backed the cautious approach to press regulation of former PM David Cameron Ministers, including Development Secretary Priti Patel, pictured, all gathered in No 10 for the regular Cabinet meeting today Labour deputy leader Mr Watson called the announcement a 'sad day' and accused the Government of letting down the victims who have been 'thrown to the wolves'. He told the Commons: 'We believe they have been discussed and debated enough, they should have been implemented years ago. The victims of press intrusion cannot wait a day longer.' He said the events of the past five years, including the jailing of 'fake sheikh' Mazher Mahmood for tampering with evidence in the collapsed drugs trial of pop star Tulisa Contostavlos, made Leveson 2 'more urgent not less'. Alfa Bank and Trump's campaign deny using the servers to communicate A computer scientist says he found exchanges between Russia's Alfa Bank in Moscow and the Trump Organization, but the FBI believes it was spam None of the queries Hillary Clinton's campaign pushed for turned up evidence that the billionaire, or his company, is working with Russia A server at the Trump Organization that supposedly communicated with a Russian bank in secret was a dead end The FBI found no evidence that Trump was involved in Russian hacking of Democratic Party officials' emails Federal law enforcement officials combed over possible links between Donald Trump and the Russia and came up with nothing Federal law enforcement officials combed over possible links between Donald Trump and the Russia and came up with nothing. The FBI found no evidence that Trump was involved in Russian hacking of Democratic Party officials' emails even though he egged it on. A server at the Trump Organization that supposedly communicated with a Russian bank in secret was a dead end, too. A New York Times report reviewing Trump's alleged connections to the Kremlin says that none of the queries Hillary Clinton's campaign pushed for turned up evidence that the billionaire, or his company, is working with the Russian government or the country's oligarchs. Scroll down for video Federal law enforcement officials combed over possible links between Donald Trump and the Russia and came up with nothing. A server at the Trump Organization that supposedly communicated with a Russian bank in secret was a dead end The FBI is said to be probing Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, to determine whether he accepted illegal cash payments from corrupt Ukrainian officials. That inquiry has not expanded to include Trump, however, and it is more about Manafort's business dealings in Ukraine than it is about contact with Russia. The hacking, the FBI determined, was not about Trump. The Kremlin is looking to disrupt the election as part of a broader scheme to usurp America. 'It isnt about the election,' a law enforcement official told the Times. 'Its about a threat to democracy.' A former spy for a Western country says that Russia is trying to assist Trump, though. He told Mother Jones that he made the FBI aware of Russian efforts to manipulate the United States businessman, and the bureau asked him to keep digging. The bureau wouldn't confirm the source's claims, but Mother Jones says the spy was deemed credible by a government official. Hillary Clinton tweeted on Monday evening: 'It's time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia' followed by a link to Slate's story about the server Investigators have determined that the server at the Trump Organization that computer scientists believed to be sending secret messages to Russia was most likely receiving spam. The Times' explanation for the server coincided with a report in Slate yesterday that told the story of a malware hunter with the nickname Tea Leaves who says he found the server in July. Closer observation, he says, revealed the server, registered to Trump Organization on Fifth Avenue, to be covertly communicating with Moscow-based Alfa Bank. Alfa Bank emerged in the post-Soviet era in Russia. Its founder, Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman, is now the second richest man in Russia and is worth $15.3 billion according to Forbes. Hillary Clinton co-opted the Slate article on Monday evening and tweeted: 'It's time for Trump to answer serious questions about his ties to Russia.' The Democratic White House candidate's Twitter account accused Trump of having a 'secret server' that he used to have private talks with Russia. He shut it down after reporters caught on and created a new server with the same purpose, her account said, pulling out details from the Slate article. Clinton's campaign said the server could be the 'secret hotline may be the key to unlocking Trump's ties to Russia' 'This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow,' her senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. 'This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking Trump's ties to Russia. Sullivan said, 'It certainly seems the Trump Organization felt it had something to hide, given that it apparently took steps to conceal the link when it was discovered by journalists. 'This line of communication may help explain Trump's bizarre adoration of Vladimir Putin and endorsement of so many pro-Kremlin positions throughout his campaign.' Both the Trump campaign and Alfa Bank have both denied having communications. The Times says the 'look up' messages between the sever and the bank began in the spring. Look up messages are only the first step toward communication. FBI investigators determined that the 2,700 messages it discovered were likely unwanted marketing messages. Alfa Bank was founded in 1990 by Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman. The bank's top men were described to Slate as being like 'judo pals' with Vladimir Putin (pictured right). They say they have no ties to Trump, though Slate's article says the communications, according to the experts, followed the pattern of human exchanges, as opposed to automated conversations. They occurred during office hours in New York and Moscow and showed a 'sustained relationship' between the server registered to Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, the publication reported. Trump's server, set up in 2009, curiously refused incoming traffic from other areas of the world, the researchers Slate cited said. It's initial purpose was to send out mass marketing emails. But Tea Leaves says it is currently receiving so few messages that it is difficult to justify its existence. The malware hunter found that 87 percent of the traffic came from Alfa Bank's two servers. Traffic peaked during the Republican and Democratic conventions, the computer expert said. Alfa Bank founder, Ukraine native Mikhail Fridman (pictured), is now the second richest man in Russia and is worth $15.3 billion according to Forbes. Fridman has 'never met Mr Trump,' though Alfa says, and the bank has not 'had any business dealings with him' 'The parties were communicating in a secretive fashion. The operative word is secretive. This is more akin to what criminal syndicates do if they are putting together a project,' internet pioneer Paul Vixie told Slate. Even the Slate article said it is unclear whether the servers actually exchanged email, though. The traces of communications could have come from spam or redirected mail, the piece acknowledged. 'I'm seeing a preponderance of the evidence, but not a smoking gun,' one scientist in the article said. Alfa says it hired Mandiant 'one of the world's foremost cyber security experts, to investigate and it has found nothing to the allegations.' 'Neither Alfa Bank nor its principals, including Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, have or have had any contact with Mr Trump or his organizations. Fridman and Aven have never met Mr Trump nor have they or Alfa Bank had any business dealings with him. A statement to slate said, 'Neither Alfa nor its officers have sent Mr. Trump or his organizations any emails, information or money. Alfa Bank does not have and has never had any special or exclusive internet connection with Mr. Trump or his entities. The assertion of a special or private link is patently false.' Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied any communication with Alfa Bank or Russia. 'The email server, set up for marketing purposes and operated by a third-party, has not been used since 2010. The current traffic on the server from Alphabank's [sic] IP address is regular DNS server trafficnot email traffic,' she told Slate. a black man and a Jewish man in the attack, caught on film A man hurled racist homophobic and anti-Semitic abuse at tram passengers - as patient commuters on the packed service tried to calm him down. One filmed the hateful outburst on a mobile phone camera as the pensioner let rip on the Metrolink in Manchester city centre. The white-haired aggressor told a fellow passenger - a bearded man with a skullcap who appeared to be Jewish - 'Why don't you f*** off back where you come from?' He then called a male passenger who was trying to calm him down, a 'f***ing f***** before telling a different person that he 'looked like a f****** paedophile or a f****** nonce'. Dozens of commuters witnessed the horrific outburst, which was filmed on Monday evening after the man boarded the busy tram at Market Street. He eventually got off at Abraham Moss in Crumpsall. The passengers didn't let it go unchallenged. One told him: 'Get off you offensive old git.' Another tried to restrain him so he couldn't assault anyone, repeatedly telling him: 'I'm asking you to stay calm.' One young man tried to restrain the white-haired passenger who launched an astonishing racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic rant at passengers. He tried to get him to sit down The man targeted a passenger wearing a skullcap, telling him to go back where he came from Patient passengers even offered the man a seat as they attempted to calm him down, but he had to be restrained after he appeared to raise his fists to commuters. He was told he was being filmed - and tried to grab the phone from Stephen Stokes, from Bury, who was capturing the outburst on his mobile phone. The agitated man reportedly attempted to start a fight after he got off the tram, before terrifying passengers by banging on the doors. Mr Stokes, a Lib Dem activist, reported the incident to Greater Manchester Police who confirmed they are investigating the incident as a hate crime. He said: 'It was quite a crowded tram. He was very agitated and was pushing his way through people. 'He was raising his fists and trying to fight people. A man restrained him so he couldn't hit anyone. Told he was being filmed, the man became more aggressive and confronted the cameraman 'When he let go of him, he called him a f*****. He then targeted a Jewish guy, who was minding his own business and hadn't said a word, before having a go at a black guy. 'He was talking about how long he'd been in the military. He singled out a black guy and a Jewish guy - and was homophobic. 'It was disgusting. The whole carriage was sickened. He was trying to fight with people when he got off the tram and was banging on the doors. 'This kind of behaviour is absolutely unacceptable. It was a horrible thing to see, but at the same time, showed the unity of regular people to challenge him. 'This kind of intolerance has to be fought and exposed.' The unpleasant incident is being investigated as a hate crime by Greater Manchester Police It's not the first time Manchester tram passengers have challenged abusive people. Earlier this year, Juan Jasso was propelled to fame after becoming the victim of alleged racist abuse on the Metrolink. The former US soldier became a social media hero - dubbed 'Super Juan' - after calmly telling those accused of berating him to mind their language on a busy carriage. Transport for Greater Manchester's Metrolink Director, Peter Cushing, said: 'This type of behaviour has no place on Metrolink or anywhere else. Chargers Titans Football Tennessee Titans' Bishop Sankey (20) runs the ball for a touchdown as San Diego Chargers linebacker Shaq Petteway (56) defends during the second half of an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski) (Mark Zaleski) The New England Patriots lost one of their top practice squad players Tuesday when running back Bishop Sankey was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs. Sankey's agent, Jason Bernstein, announced the transaction on Twitter. Cut by the Titans at the end of the preseason, Sankey signed with the Patriots practice squad in early September. The former second-round pick was never promoted to the active roster. Because he was signed off the practice squad by another team, Sankey must remain on the active roster in Kansas City for at least three weeks. The Chiefs are dealing with several injuries at running back, as Jamaal Charles (knee) and Spencer Ware (concussion) could miss time. The Pats are carrying five running backs on the active roster in LeGarrette Blount, James White, Brandon Bolden, D.J. Foster, and Tyler Gaffney. Dion Lewis, who recently began practicing, is eligible to come off the PUP list in Week 10 against Seattle or Week 11 versus San Francisco. With Lewis primed to return, the Patriots did not necessarily need to retain Sankey. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murdering his parents whose bodies were found at their suburban home in the early hours of Monday morning. Andrew Balcer is accused of killing the couple at their secluded home in Winthrop, Maine. He was remanded in custody at Augusta District Court on Tuesday afternoon after a brief hearing. The bodies of Antonio and Alice Balcer, both 47, were found at the family's house shortly after 1.45am on Monday morning after a neighbour called police. Their deaths are shrouded in mystery, with police refusing to disclose how they died or which, if any, weapons were used. Andrew Balcer, 17, has been charged with murdering his mother Alice (left together in September) and his retired US coastguard father Antonio (right) at their home in Winthrop, Maine The only information released was that both of the deaths were 'highly suspicious'. Police refused to comment further as Balcer faced court on Tuesday afternoon. Neighbours called 911 shortly before 1.30am on Monday after a woman ran to their house in fear of her life, The Portland Press Herald reported. She said someone at the home had a gun, according to ABC. It's not known whether she was a member of the family. None were available to comment on the tragedy on Tuesday afternoon when contacted. The Attorney General in Maine is seeking to have Andrew tried as an adult. They recommended he undergo psychiatric assessment. He was held in custody, with no further information released by the Augusta District Court Clerk. The couple's other son Christopher, 25, is not thought to have been harmed. Andrew remains at the Long Creek Youth Center without bail. Court documents were sealed and his next appearance is scheduled for November 17. He faces two Class A murder charges, each of which is punishable by 25 years to life imprisonment if he is tried as an adult. In Maine, juveniles who are convicted of felony murder and tried as juveniles must face 25 years imprisonment but can then be considered for parole. Police were called to the family's house in Winthrop, Wisconsin, at 1.45am on Monday morning Mrs Balcer worked at the local veterinary hospital which paid tribute to her on Tuesday Andrew and his mother on a 2014 trip to Italy. The Attorney General in Maine is seeking to have him tried as an adult Mandatory non-parole murder sentences were eliminated from the state in 2012. The Winthrop Police Chief's office did not respond to inquiries nor did the Maine Pubic Safety Information officer. The case is being closely guarded because of the defendant's age. At 17, Balcer is a juvenile but prosecutors can apply to have him tried as an adult. He is a student at Winthrop High School where students were being offered counseling on Tuesday. Friends described the couple as 'loving' and 'wonderful people' in social media tributes Superintendent Gary Rosenthal said Andrew was a well-liked student who gave no 'tell tale' signs of violence. 'From what best I know, he was a very good kid, a very good student, an academically superior student,' he told Central Maine. 'There were no tell tale signs that I know of that would indicate there were any problems, and the family seemed to be well liked, and the mother was very personable. 'Its one of those dilemmas you shake your head at.' The boy, who towered over is mother in a recently shared photograph of them, is a keen discus thrower. He appeared to spend his free time with his mother, taking part in a recent running race with her and in the past going skiing. The Attorney General, who is prosecuting the case, was not available on Tuesday afternoon. The teenager's lawyer Walt McKee of Augusta, Maine, confirmed he had been contacted by the defendant's family but would not speak further. Friends of the couple have flooded social media with tributes to them, describing them as loving parents and 'wonderful people'. Mrs Balcer worked at Winthrop Veterinary Hospital and her husband, a retired US Coast Guard, is ordained as a reverend. He belongs to the motorcycle group, Exiles Maine. Mr Balcer became an ordained reverend after retiring from the US Coast Guard Former colleagues of Mrs Balcer paid tribute to her in a public post on Facebook. 'In remembrance of our dear friend, co-worker, and animal lover "Ali" was a member of our tight knit hospital family. 'She inspired all of us. Her smile, caring determination, generosity and positive nature added so much to our community. She will be missed.' Several animals were taken from the home in cages on Monday as police searched it. Family friend Darren Fisher, who is close with the couple's oldest son Chris, said they were a 'terrific couple'. 'They both had undying love for their sons. Tony was a friend and brother to all. I will miss the exchanges we had when we would talk about sailing,' he said. An elementary school that was due to host a 'Christian' haunted house cancelled the event after learning it would depict the screaming victims of the Pulse nightclub massacre. Tyrone Tappler Productions, who specialise in Christian productions, was to stage the Halloween attraction at Fernwood Elementary School in Chicago, Illinois over the weekend. But the day before it was due to open, school officials reportedly found out that the event would feature scenes where people would hear the screams of people who were caught up in the gay nightclub shooting in Florida in June, where 49 people were killed. An advert by Tyrone Tappler production promoting the haunted house that was due to be held at Fernwood Elementary School And they then took the decision to inform the production company they were no longer welcome to stage their event at the school. It came after an ad for the haunted house posted on Facebook in August came to light where it appealed for actors to audition for a part in the event. Tyrone Tappler who owns the production company and is also an ordained minister, wrote in the now deleted post: 'Club Pulse, Dancers, Victims CAGED PEOPLE/SCREAMERS, Extras needed trying to escape a cage! SOUNDS INTERESTING? COME OUT THIS SATURDAY!!! The Windy City Times also reported that other scenes would also feature a botched abortion and the Charleston massacre where nine black Christians were murdered by a suspected white supremacist. Tyrone Tappler, who runs the production company then took to Twitter to confirm the event had been cancelled He then followed up his tweet with another post where he declared he was a 'trailblazer' This forced the school to pull out of hosting the event, with the Chicago Public School's authority saying: 'The event organizers mischaracterized the true content of the event, and we did not approve any association with the activities the organizers have now advertised. 'The event will not be held on CPS property.' Later Tappler took to Twitter where he confirmed that the haunted house event had been cancelled. Gunman Omar Mateen stormed the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, pictured, earlier this year, pledged his allegiance to ISIS before shooting dead 49 revellers He wrote: 'GM THE ROOM IS OFFICIALLY BANNED! As of Friday, 7:17pm. There will be no show TODAY OR Tomorrow! . Sorry for the inconvenience.' (sic) He then followed it up with: 'They dont know im a Trailblazer....' (sic) However, following his tweet, many people bombarded him with criticism for using the shooting as inspiration for the event. Tony wrote: 'Maybe you can call the survivors and the loved ones of the Pulse Nightclub and tell them how trailblazing you are.' However, following his tweet, many people bombarded Tappler with criticism for using the shooting as inspiration for the event The online criticism had led to the school then refusing to stage the haunted house event Vorpall tweeted: 'Congratulations on being the most horrible, disgusting person I've met online in 2016. It's quite a momentous achievement.' While Taminy Jenkins added: ' There is justice in the world. Shame on you for using a national tragedy for self promotion.' Gunman Omar Mateen stormed the Pulse nightclub in Orlando earlier this year, pledged his allegiance to ISIS before shooting dead 49 revellers. Hillary Clinton chief John Podesta is getting paid $7,000 under a consulting contract with a foundation linked to a major Clinton donor, a new hacked email reveals. Emails hacked from Podesta's personal account and posted by Wikileaks reveal that Podesta gets the monthly payment from the Sandler Foundation, a group founded by Clinton donor Herb Sandler and his late wife Marion Sandler. The money is for advice on grant-making and other foundation functions. Sandler is personally a donor to the Clinton campaign and he and his family have made large donations to Democratic causes. The campaign doesn't comment on whether the hacked emails are authentic. But Herb Sandler confirmed the arrangement to Politico. Nice work: John Podesta (left) is getting $7,000 a month from the foundation of Herb Sandler (right) and his late wife Marion, for advice on grant-making and the foundation's other activities Contract: The document setting out the arrangement between the Clinton Foundation donor and the Clinton campaign chairman 'I have never asked for anything of any political person zero requests ever,' Sandler said. 'If they're responsive, it's because they regard me as thoughtful, and a major contributor to Democratic causes,' Sandler said. Podesta doesn't take a salary from the Clinton campaign. He previously served as a counselor to President Obama, a chief of staff to Bill Clinton, and head of the Center for American Progress. Sandler defended the arrangement by saying Podesta 'knows that he doesn't get bulls*** from me'. 'He knows I have no hidden agenda. He knows that my values are similar to his and that we care about people and not the billionaires, even though I ended up by some crazy thing to be one.' Well-connected: John Podesta with (center) Tim Cook, the Apple CEO after a lucrative Silicon Valley fundraiser for Clinton in Los Altos Sandler and family members have donated $4.4 million to the Clinton campaign and groups supporting the candidate. The Sandlers became wealthy running a Savings and Loan institution that they sold to Wachovia bank for $26 billion not long before the financial collapse. They made more than $2.6 billion from their holding in it and donated much of their worth to the foundation, according to the publication. Sandler was criticized for the institution having made adjustable rate mortgages that were later securitized, and were ripped for contributing to the financial collapse. Podesta's emails have become one of the most toxic problems to hit the Clinton campaign - albeit not on the scale of the new FBI probe into Huma Abedin's emails, courtesy of her pervert ex-husband Anthony Weiner's investigation for sexting a teenage girl. Among the embarrassing highlights have been the disclosure of the project to make Bill Clinton rich outlined in a memo to Podesta by Doug Band, which revealed how Clinton Foundation donors and Clinton commercial interests overlapped. in the sentence, her heart was warmed by the outpouring of support she received from around the world The victim in the highly-publicized Stanford rape case was named a 'Woman of the Year' by Glamour magazine on Tuesday. While she has decided to remain anonymous, the victim known as Emily Doe accepted the honor by penning an essay for the magazine about the aftermath of the trial. 'Emily Doe' was 22 years old on January 18, 2015, when she went to a Stanford fraternity party with her little sister and was sexually assaulted by 19-year-old swim team member Brock Turner. 'Emily Doe,' the woman who was raped by Brock Turner (pictured above being released from jail on September 2), was named a Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine this year Doe writes that she was happy when a jury convicted Turner, but was 'struck silent' in court when she learned the light sentence handed down by Judge Aaron Persky. 'Immediately I felt embarrassed for trying, for being led to believe I had any influence. The violation of my body and my being added up to a few months out of his summer. She continued: 'I began to panic; I thought, this cant be the best case scenario. If this case was meant to set the bar, the bar had been set on the floor.' Immediately I felt embarrassed for trying, for being led to believe I had any influence. The violation of my body and my being added up to a few months out of his summer. Emily Doe on the moment she heard Brock Turner's sentence Judge Persky sentenced Brock to just six months in jail. He only ended up serving three for good behavior. Doe wasn't the only one upset by the sentence. The decision led to outrage across the country, with petitions even started in California to remove Persky from his position. The decision sent Doe into a dark place, but that all started to change when she allowed Buzzfeed to republish her victim's impact statement online. Immediately she started receiving letters of support from around the world, that let her know the positive effect she had made. 'I started getting e-mails forwarded to me from Botswana to Ireland to India. I received watercolor paintings of lighthouses and bicycle earrings. A woman who plucked a picture of her young daughter from the inside of her cubicle wrote, This is who youre saving,' Doe writes. In an essay for the magazine, Doe said she was 'struck silent' by Judge Aaron Persky's decision to sentence Turner to just three months in jail Among those supporters was even Vice President Joe Biden, who wrote an open letter to Doe saying she had a 'spine of steel'. Not all of the comments were positive though, and one comment in particular stayed with Doe. It was from a woman, in the beginning of 2015, who commented on the story. Her message was: 'Sad. I hope my daughter never ends up like her'. Doe writes that she takes issue with that statement because it frames her life as over for something that 'what was done to me'. In response to that comment, she writes: 'I hope you end up like me, proud of who Im becoming. I hope you dont end up, I hope you keep going. And I hope you grow up knowing that the world will no longer stand for this. Victims are not victims, not some fragile, sorrowful aftermath. Victims are survivors, and survivors are going to be doing a hell of a lot more than surviving.' Above, pictures of Turner's dirtied face and hands from the night of the sexual assault Doe attended a fraternity party with her sister the night of the attack, before Turner took her outside and sexually assaulted her near these dumpsters She continues to say that in order to see real change, we need to remove the blame from the victim and start giving attackers true justice for their crimes. 'If you think the answer is that women need to be more sober, more civil, more upright, that girls must be better at exercising fear, must wear more layers with eyes open wider, we will go nowhere. 'When Judge Aaron Persky mutes the word justice, when Brock Turner serves one month for every felony, we go nowhere. A masked thug repeatedly stabbed a 14-year-old boy during a night of Halloween violence. The suspected attacker, dressed in a hooded top, green washing up gloves and wearing an oxygen mask, launched at the teenager after he allegedly made sexual comments to the group. The incident happened outside the fast food restaurant chain in Ealing Broadway, London. At around 9.30pm the attacker, said to be aged in his late teens, stabbed the 14-year-old 'in the back of the head and on his back'. A masked thug repeatedly stabbed a 14-year-old boy (pictured) during a night of Halloween violence at McDonalds When emergency services arrived, the victim was taken to hospital and paramedics found a 16-year-old boy with a minor head injury, but he was not taken to hospital. Eyewitness Rory Thomas said security workers called police after a fight broke out and two ambulances and three police cars attended the scene. He said: 'The man who they claim 'had a knife' stabbed one boy in the back of the head and on his back and there was a significant amount of blood.' A McDonalds spokesperson said: This incident did not take place inside our restaurant. The pictures show the victim being treated in our store and we are relieved to hear that injuries are not life threatening. We are supporting the Police fully in its subsequent investigation, including the provision of our CCTV. The attack was part of a wider night of Halloween violence where four people were stabbed and one killed in Croydon, south London. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Officers attended after 9.30pm on October 31 and found two injured parties. 'The first - a boy aged 14 - had suffered stab wounds and was taken to hospital by ambulance. His injuries are described as not life threatening. 'The second - a boy aged 16 - had suffered a minor cut to the head. He was not taken to hospital. Ealing CID is investigating.' The incident happened at the fast food restaurant chain in Ealing Broadway, London At around 9.30pm the attacker, said to be aged in his late teens, stabbed the 14-year-old 'in the back of the head and on his back' Ealing Broadway councillor Alexander Stafford described the incident as 'senseless violence'. He said: 'I am appalled and saddened by this senseless violence last night in Ealing. 'Halloween is a time for children and communities to have fun together - but this horrific incident has shocked Ealing to it's core. An office clerk in China has made headlines after allegedly dating 20 men at the same time. More incredibly, the young women, who lives in Shenzhen, has managed to buy a house after selling the iPhone 7s her boyfriends had given her, reported People's Daily Online. The woman, named Xiao Li, had demanded each of her boyfriends to buy her the newly released handset before selling them for a total of 120,000 yuan (14,500). A Chinese woman allegedly demanded an iPhone 7 from each of her 20 boyfriends (file photo) The shocking story was originally revealed in an online post, written by a web user with the screen name of 'Ao Jiao De Qiao Ba', before being covered by media. The web user was thought to be a colleague of Xiao Li. In the post, uploaded to a Chinese forum called Tianya, 'Ao Jiao De Qiao Ba' described how a co-worker had been dating 20 men simultaneously. Part of the post, uploaded on October 14, wrote: 'Oh gosh, today all of my colleagues were talking about a female colleague who had 20 boyfriends at the same time. How can she do that?' The user then went on claiming that the female colleague, Xiao Li, had asked each of her boyfriends to buy her an iPhone 7 in September - shortly after it was launched in China. An iPhone 7 costs 5,388 yuan (650) to 6,988 yuan (844) in official Apple stores in mainland China. The woman, who lives in Shenzhen (pictured), then sold all of the handsets, reports claimed She managed to earn more than 120,000 yuan from the 20 iPhones she had been given The office worker then sold all of the 20 iPhone 7s on a resale platform named Huishoubao in late September for a total sum of 120,000 yuan (14,500). Staff at Huishoubao confirmed that a woman approached the site to sell 20 brand new iPhone 7s, according to People's Daily. The staff said: 'More than 10 iPhones were still in their plastic package. Each sold for more than 6,000 yuan. She earned more than 120,000 yuan from the 20 iPhones.' Xiao Li reportedly spent all her money on the down payment of a house in her home town. The writer said in the post: 'I just knew about this news today. I was shocked. 'I have spoken to her several times. She is quite nice and outgoing. She is quite efficient at workplace. I could not believe it when I heard this.' According to 'Ao Jiao De Qiao Ba', Xiao Li's parents are not rich, but they hoped to have their own house, which had put Xiao Li, their eldest child, under pressure. A friend of Xiao Li told People's Daily: 'She has come to Shenzhen for less than one year. Her salary is not high. She works as an office clerk. 'We were shocked when we saw her sharing pictures of her house on Wechat (a Chinese messaging app).' With the money she earned from selling iPhone 7s, the woman reportedly bought a new house A follow-up post by 'Ao Jiao De Qiao Ba' claimed that Xiao Li had been fired by the company after the story was revealed. The event has attracted wide discussion on Weibo and Tianya. One user commented: 'It is a successful illustration of crowd-funding.' Another one wondered: 'I could not even get one boyfriend. How can she have 20 boyfriends?' Edward Michael Dorsey, 54, of Largo, Florida is in custody on a charge of domestic battery after he took out his glass eye and threw it at police and medical personnel A man from Florida has been arrested by police after he took out his glass eye and threw it towards staff at a hospital where he was being treated. Edward Dorsey, 54, from Lago near Clearwater, was first taken into custody by police on Sunday morning on charges of domestic violence for allegedly hitting his wife. According to The Smoking Gun, a police report suggests that drugs and alcohol played a role in confrontation that occurred just before 8 a.m. After being taken to Largo Medical Center for treatment Dorsey removed his glass eye and threw it at hospital personnel. While in the emergency room, Dorsey 'removed his glass eye' and then 'threw his glass eye at the ER doctor and ER nurse,' according to a Largo Police Department officer. Dorsey was being checked out by emergency room staff at Largo Medical Center, pictured, when he removed his glass eye and threw it at the doctor and nurse Dorsey had been instructed by medical personnel and other police officers not to remove his eye, yet he decided to ignore the requests. 'I can do whatever I feel like doing,' he is alleged to have called out to staff in the moments before flinging his fake eye across the room. It's not known whether the glass eye became damaged or if it did in fact hit anyone. Three members of a Somali sex gang who trafficked, raped and subjected vulnerable British schoolgirls to 'violent and horrible' abuse have been jailed for 32 years. Girls as young as 14 were plied with drugs and alcohol before being 'pestered again and again' for sex by the men who operated in inner city Bristol. Bristol Crown Court heard the rapes became 'routine' and the men regarded some of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as 'cheap and easy'. Sakariya Sheikh, 23, (left) was jailed for 16 years at Bristol Crown Court for three sexual assaults, two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, rape and supplying a class B drug. Meanwhile, Mohammed Dahir, 24, (right) was jailed for eight years for two counts of rape Seven Somali men went on trial at the beginning of September accused of 46 charges in connection with the sex ring, who preyed on girls from a range of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Three of the men - Sakariya Sheikh, 23, Mohammed Dahir, 24, and Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23 have now been convicted of 14 charges, including trafficking, sexual assault and rape. Sheikh was jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of three sexual assaults, two counts of trafficking for sexual exploitation, rape and supplying a class B drug. Both Dahir and Abdulahi were convicted of two counts of rape each and jailed for eight years. Sentencing them, Judge Peter Blair QC said: 'You have brought shame upon your families and upon yourselves. 'You are not worthy of very much further attention in this court room. My attention is focused upon the victims of your crimes. 'They were four children trying to find their way in life, some of them struggling with difficult issues at home. 'You used your older age, your personal freedom and your relative stronger power to manipulate and coerce them into becoming for you little more than objects to satisfy you sexually.' Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23, was jailed for eight years at Bristol court for two counts of rape The judge described the consequences of the abuse on the victims as 'disastrous'. 'You made them feel worthless, dirty, unloved,' he told the defendants. 'Their pain goes on and so it will for you now. They are at long last receiving some measure of justice from your convictions. Their very brave and difficult decision to give evidence against you has been vindicated and I pay tribute to them.' The trial, codenamed Operation Button, was the third in a series of prosecutions of Somali men for child sexual exploitation and drugs offences. In two earlier trials in 2014, codenamed Operation Brooke, 14 men were jailed for more than 100 years. The three convicted defendants in Operation Button - Sheikh and Abdulahi and Dahir - were also found guilty in Operation Brooke. The case follows similar exploitation of girls across English towns and cities such as Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and Telford. During the trial, the jury heard that in March 2013 a 15-year-old girl was simultaneously raped by Sheikh and another man at a flat in Bristol. The majority of the offences happened between 2011 and 2012 against girls who had travelled to Bristol by train to meet the men. Anna Vigars, prosecuting, said the victims 'suffered sexual abuse, some of it violent, degrading and horrible, some of it less so'. Eleven of the convicted charges - including eight rapes - related to one victim. 'These men exploited her vulnerability and her longing to be wanted, they had sex with her as much as they wanted to,' Mrs Vigars said. 'They had no interest in whether she got anything out of it or what she wanted. They wanted sex and didn't consider whether she was consenting or not. 'It was about power and control and exploitation of her vulnerability.' Seven Somali men went on trial at Bristol Crown Court (pictured) at the beginning of September accused of 46 charges in connection with the sex ring and abusing young girls In total, seven men went on trial accused of 46 charges. The men were Sheikh, Dahir and Abdulahi, as well as Abdirahman Galal, 26, Mohammed Osman, 29, Nuridin Mohamoud, 22, and Nasir Mahamoud, 23. Mohamoud was acquitted of the two charges he faced; Galal was acquitted of one charge and the jury could not reach verdicts on two further charges; Osman was acquitted of three charges and the jury was unable to reach verdicts on three charges and Nasir Mahamoud was acquitted of one charge and the jury could not reach verdicts on three charges. Sheikh was convicted of 10 charges, acquitted of six and the jury did not reach verdicts on three charges. He previously admitted two charges of supplying cannabis. Dahir was found guilty of two charges, acquitted of three and the jury could not reach verdicts on three charges. Meanwhile, Abdulahi was convicted of two charges, acquitted of one and no verdict could be reached on a further charge. 'IT WAS EXPECTED OF ME': RAPE VICTIM TELLS COURT During the seven-week trial at Bristol Crown Court, one victim described how she was raped by different men. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she felt 'pressurised' into having sex with the men and believed it was 'expected' of her. She said the incidents happened when she was aged 14 or 15 and took place during visits to Bristol in 2012 and 2013. Jurors found Sakariya Sheikh, 23, known as 'Zak'; Mohammed Dahir, 24, known as 'Kamal'; and Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23, known as 'Abs' or 'Older Abs' all guilty of raping her. Other men were acquitted or the jury failed to reach verdicts. Her allegations formed 32 of the 46 charges the defendants faced on the indictment and included rape, sexual assault, false imprisonment and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. The teenager told the jury that she would be given alcohol or drugs during visits to various homes in the Bristol area and then would be raped by the men. Asked why she had sex with Dahir, the girl replied: 'Because I was at his house. It was expected of me. 'They would keep on asking me and they would give me stuff like weed and shisha and alcohol and I felt I had to do it or they would eject me from the house.' Referring to another rape by Dahir, the girl told the jury: 'I told him I didn't want to do it but he didn't seem to want to listen to me.' The girl also described being raped by Sheikh and another man, and told the court: 'I just lied down and let it carry on and let them finish.' She told the jury she did not consider herself to be in a relationship with any of the men she accused of raping her. 'A lot of the time they kept on asking me, they would keep on asking me, so in the end I gave in,' she said. 'A lot of the time it was expected of me by the person whose flat I was in or by my friend as, if I didn't, she would no longer get stuff off them like alcohol and weed.' Advertisement The judge ruled that charges should be stayed where the jury could not reach verdicts for defendants without convictions. Such charges for defendants convicted of offences were ordered to lie on file. The defendants denied all the charges. Some claimed they did not know the girls or said they had been wrongly identified. Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Lisa Jones, of Avon and Somerset Police, said: 'These defendants befriended these vulnerable young people who were still at school, grooming and sexually exploiting them. 'Their systematic abuse over a number of years slowly eroded their confidence and made them think these crimes were normal behaviour.The men gave no thought to the long-term pain and torment they were inflicting on them. 'It is impossible to comprehend the torment and anguish these girls have suffered at the hands of these offenders. They are on a journey of coming to terms with this abuse and I have no doubt this will be a life-long journey. 'The offenders have also refused to take any responsibility for these truly despicable crimes, forcing all of their victims to relive their ordeal by giving evidence at the trial. Their bravery and determination has ensured our communities will now be protected from these dangerous offenders.' A series case review published in March found that the gang was able to continue the systematic abuse due to failings by social services, police and doctors. Cuts left the police so stretched it took six months to launch an investigation, during which time the girls were passed around for 'horrific' sexual exploitation. Some officers were so busy they had 100 crimes waiting to be reviewed in their inbox, the review of the investigation - Operation Brooke - revealed. The delays meant the men were free to abuse their nine victims undetected, subjecting them to ordeals 'beyond most people's comprehension'. Victims were blamed by police for their 'lifestyle choices' and one was told she had 'brought it all on herself' after she reported two rapes. Meanwhile, contraception was dished out to girls as young as 12, who went to their GPs complaining of heavy bleeding, abdominal pains and needing tests for STDs. Schools also 'struggled to distinguish between disruptive behaviour and early signs of vulnerability', meaning abused pupils were excluded rather than being cared for. This was often because confusing national guidance meant professionals got 'hung up' on patient confidentiality and failed to share vital details and concerns. Huw Rogers, Head of the Complex Casework Unit for CPS South West, described the crimes against the girls - many of whom were in care - as 'chilling'. He said: 'The victims were deliberately targeted as they were perceived to be vulnerable and impressionable. 'The defendants' relationships with the victims focused on complete control, ensuring they were always in charge. 'They wanted sex from the girls and demanded this from them. 'The victims did not have the freedom to consent to any of these acts, and on some occasions were threatened so that they could not leave.' The report, commissioned by the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board, said that while some of the victims are now recovering, others continue to lead 'abusive and traumatic lives'. After the review was published, Assistant Chief Constable Kay Wozniak said: 'We recognise that there were shortcomings. 'Unfortunately, financial pressures continue not just in Avon and Somerset but across the country.' Hillary Clinton is taking yet another campaign trip in the campaign's final days without longtime aide Huma Abedin at her side. Abedin, whose emails triggered the FBI's stunning announcement that it was reopening an inquiry into Clinton's emails, did not board Clinton's plane as she prepared to fly to Florida for a day packed with campaign events. 'Shes not here today,' said a Clinton campaign official, who didn't delve into the reasons. Abedin has been off the plane ever since news broke Friday while she was on board that FBI Director James Comey had informed Congress about developments in the email case. They have raised the possibility that Abedin could be prosecuted and even jailed, with both mishandling of classified material and perjury possible charges. Abedins absence has her missing out on a trip that will have Clinton overnight away from her home in Westchester County. Later this week, Clinton plans a campaign swing to Arizona and Nevada. Scroll down for video See you: Hillary Clinton boarded her plane in Westchester, New York, without Huma Abedin Wasn;t mine: Huma Abedin - who was off the campaign trail and pictured exclusively by DailyMail.com on Monday - denies the laptop seized by the FBI from Anthony Weiner was his Layered up: Huma Abedin has reacted to the probe launched by the FBI and announced by James Comey by hiring Clinton insider Karen Dunn It has since been revealed that what triggered the new action were the existence of Abedin's emails aboard a laptop owned by her husband, disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner. Questioned about Abedins unexplained absence, a senior Clinton campaign official responded with simple declarative statements that did not reveal whether there was any purpose behind Abedins sudden disappearance from the campaign trail or whether she had in fact been instructed to stay off Clintons aircraft, emblazoned with the campaigns Stronger Together slogan. 'Shes in Brooklyn, said the official. 'I note that her lawyer put out a statement yesterday. Shes there in Brooklyn and happy to cooperate if they want to talk to her, said the official, referring to the FBI. Asked whether the reason had to do with optics of the situation, the official would only respond: 'Shes not here today Shes in Brooklyn today. Abedin's lawyer, longtime Clinton associate Karen Dunn, made her first statement on the case Monday, saying Abedin was unaware that her emails were on her husband's computer. She swore in a deposition that she had turned over all the devices that she used. Her lawyer threw new confusion into the Clinton email probe on Monday - saying she never used the laptop seized by the FBI where the messages were found. Abedin's newly-hired attorney claimed that the laptop was solely in the possession of the Hillary Clinton aide's ex-husband, pervert Anthony Weiner. The claim on Abedin's behalf deepens the mystery of how emails relevant to the Clinton server investigation could be found on his laptop. Initial reports had suggested the device was shared by Abedin and Weiner before their estrangement. But Karen Dunn said the computer belonged to Weiner alone. She said Abedin learned 'from press reports of the possibility that a laptop belonging to Mr Weiner could contain emails of hers'. 'While the FBI has not contacted us about this, Ms. Abedin will continue to be, as she always has been, forthcoming and cooperative,' Dunn said in a statement. 'From the beginning, Ms. Abedin has complied fully and voluntarily with State Department and law enforcement requests, including sitting for hours-long interviews and providing her work-related and potentially work-related documents.' She claimed that Abedin's ' willing cooperation has been praised' by law enforcement previously, as well as by members of Congress. Abedin's personal and political future is now in huge doubt and her decision to hire Dunn emphasizes how high the stakes are. If she is found by the FBI to have breached the law on handling classified information she could face prosecution with the possibility of prison, while she may also face a perjury probe over why she claimed under oath to have handed over all the devices she knew to contain emails. Abedin swore under oath while testifying in a lawsuit brought against the State Department by Judicial Watch that she had handed over all of her devices that could hold emails relevant to the investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. On the plane: Hillary Clinton leaving Westchester - without Huma Abedin. On Monday she called the woman she had once spoken of as another daughter 'one of my staffers' A federal perjury conviction carries a maximum sentence of five years. Dunn's defense of her as having not used the laptop appears to be an answer to the perjury claim. The scandal leaves the Clinton campaign facing disaster after FBI director James Comey announced their discovery had led him to reopen the investigation into Clinton with 11 days until the election. Agents from the FBI New York field office stumbled on what they thought were pertinent emails when they were searching the laptop during their sexting investigation. The FBI swooped in on Weiner in September after DailyMail.com revealed he had sent explicit messages and graphic pictures to a 15-year-old girl They stopped the search and immediately called in colleagues. They have a subpoena for Weiner's laptop, but it only relates to his emails, not Abedin's. So they needed new approval to broaden their search - which they obtained on Sunday night. Abedin told colleagues she has no idea how the emails ended up on her husband's computer, and insists she rarely used it. The Washington Post reported that her lawyers didn't hand over the device because they didn't think it contained any of her emails. The FBI swooped on Weiner in September after DailyMail.com revealed he had sent explicit messages and graphic pictures to a 15-year-old girl. Conflicting reports suggest the emails could either have been sent from Abedin to Clinton, forwarded between Abedin's accounts so she could more easily print them off, or duplicates of emails already investigated by the FBI earlier this year. Abedin, one of Clinton's most trusted aides, said she conducted 'the majority' of her work at her computer and Blackberry but also gave her attorneys the login and password to her personal 'Clintonmail.com' account. She said she relied on her State Department email for the 'vast majority' of her work, but admitted there were occasions she used the Clintonmail.com account for 'State-related matters'. Clinton appeared to distance herself form Abedin on Monday. A drunk man is facing three years in prison after he claimed there was a bomb on a plane in a desperate bid to stop his wife from leaving Kyrgyzstan, police in the country said. Police in the country said 30-year-old Ilya Eremeev called to make the threat on Monday afternoon, as his wife was due to fly from Manas International Airport to Moscow on a business trip. The airport, near the capital Bishkek, was evacuated and several flights were cancelled as a result of the hoax call. Nine flights from Manas International Airport were grounded after a drunk man made a hoax call to stop his wife from leaving Kyrgyzstan Mr Eremeev was arrested, and officers said he was 'in a drunken state' when he was detained. The country's national security agency gave no further details, but said Mr Eremeev was being detained while police investigate. If charged, he could face up to three years in jail for providing false information about an act of terrorism. He allegedly made the anonymous call to emergency services at 4.15pm local time (10.15am GMT), which resulted in mine flights from the country's main airport being grounded. Justin Ross Harris' ex-wife told the court on Tuesday that her former husband was treated for low levels of testosterone. Leanna Taylor told the jury how doctors discovered Harris had low levels of testosterone and prescribed testosterone injections and patches earlier in their marriage. He improved over time, she said. What Taylor didn't know was that her husband was using Skype and Craigslist to set up meetings with men and women in the following years. 'That was a part of his personality that he did not share with me,' she said. Scroll down for video 'He ruined my life,' Leanna Taylor (right) told the court Tuesday when defense attorney Maddox Kilgore asked her how she felt about her former husband (left) now Taylor, who now lives in northern Alabama, was asked by defense attorney Maddox Kilgore how she felt about her former husband. 'He ruined my life,' Taylor said. 'He destroyed my life. I'm humiliated. I may never trust anyone again, because of the things he did. 'If I never seem him again after this day, that would be fine,' she said. as her testimony concluded. Harris, 35, is charged with intentionally leaving his 22-month-old son Cooper to die in a locked SUV for seven hours on a hot June day in 2014. Taylor's remarks wrapped up her testimony for her ex-husband. She filed for divorce in February and had been counted as a star witness for Harris' defense team. Taylor's remarks on Tuesday wrapped up her testimony for her ex-husband in the death of their son Cooper Jurors have already heard how Harris had a 'double life' - a life that included multiple sex partners, a prostitute and an obsession with sexting other women and exchanging graphic images of genitals. On Tuesday Taylor also confirmed she had conversations with her former husband about children being left in cars. 'It was a fear of mine,' she said, adding she did not know that Cooper was too tall for the car seat he was in the day he died. Harris' brother - a police officer - also took to the stand Tuesday. Michael Baygents told the court that Harris was fond of speaking in 'ten-codes' commonly used by police officers on day-to-day radio communications, his brother testified Tuesday. Baygents is a veteran police officer in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where Harris also worked for a time as a police radio dispatcher. 'I don't do it when I'm off duty,' Baygents joked, but his brother liked using it in everyday conversation. Harris' fondness for the codes was 'quirky and annoying, he said. Ross liked 'legal jargon and cop talk,' he continued, and recalled a time when Harris was showing him around the Home Depot office where he worked. 'He pointed to a room and said, "This is where we do 10-7." It was the break room,' Baygents said with a smile. Last week investigators questioned Harris' use of legal language when he was being interrogated in the hours after Cooper's death. Harris insisted there was no 'malicious intent', which lead detective Phil Stoddard said was a phrase he never mentioned. A second detective, Paul Raissi, who was sitting in the police department's 'box' during the exchange, said the comments struck him as strange and spurred him to record Harris' conversation with Stoddard. Harris' brother Baygents said he was ashamed of his brother's actions, which prosecutor Chuck Boring called a 'dark' dimension to Harris' life. 'You would agree, as a law enforcement officer, you come across people who portray themselves in one light, or somebody you think is a great person, yet they still commit horrible acts?' Boring asked. 'Sometimes yes,' Baygents said. 'You would agree that sometimes it may be the last person you'd expect who violates a child or commits a crime? That's true,' Baygents said. Harris sobbed as his sibling testified. But while he found his brother's actions troubling, Baygents said 'I think he loved Cooper more than life itself.' He was kind to him. He played with him. He was very attentive. That was his little buddy, Baygents said, adding that his brother appeared to be a loving husband who treated his wife well. Since this has happened, you realized there was another side to your brother. Would you agree with that? Boring asked. I would agree that he made a lot of mistakes,' Baygents replied. Ross Harris in a photo he sent to wife Leanna, which the jury saw on Tuesday Prosecutor Chuck Boring cross examined Taylor in court for her second day of testimony Harris sobbed as his brother Michael Baygents testifiesd Another defense witness called Tuesday was Aundrae Brown, a computer systems engineer, who worked with Harris for several years at Home Depot. He told the court Harris showed great promise as a web development intern and did his work well, but 'after a while, it kind of started to lag,' he said. Harris frequently missed morning team meetings. His work slowed and Harris became less motivated as time went on, Brown said. Harris often seemed forgetful but didn't seem stressed at his job, he added. 'The work fell off a lot' as he lost interest, he said. Jurors watched evidence video last week of Harris as he awaited questioning by detectives. The video showed a distraught and sobbing Harris, often wailing and crying in grief before police conducted their interview. Subsequent video showed Taylor when she was allowed to see Harris in that interrogation room. Taylor appeared composed and calm as she consoled her husband. She hugged him, telling him she knew it was an accident and that she didn't hate him. The difference in how Ross Harris and his then-wife reacted to the death of their toddler son has sparked numerous debates and discussions on social media sites and radio talk shows as his first-degree murder trial entered its fifth week. As the video continued, Harris began to cry again, using his shirt to wipe his tears. But she showed little emotion as they talked and hugged. She showed no tears. Taylor asked her husband if he had 'said too much' to police, a comment that raised eyebrows and caused investigators to consider her as a suspect in Cooper's death. During the police questioning Harris seemed chatty, friendly and matter-of-fact at times. Other moments showed him as argumentative. Taylor told jurors Monday that she found sexting messages on Harris's phone, and the couple sought counseling In Monday's testimony, Taylor denied she had ever searched the internet about deaths in hot cars or told police that she had. She also remembered her 'say too much' question. 'I know how Ross responds to people, especially people he doesn't know. He talks a lot even if he doesn't have anything to say. I couldn't understand what was happening' she told the jury. 'I didn't understand why he was being charged. I didn't understand the actions that were being taken. The only thing I could think of in my head was, "What did you say?" And those are the words that came out' she continued. Lead Cobb County Detective Phil Stoddard said last week Taylor didn't react in the way he thought she should when police allowed her to see Harris that night at police headquarters. Taylor did not ask to see her dead son's body, Stoddard said. Taylor was never arrested because no evidence emerged to show she was complicit, police witnesses said last week. Taylor said Monday that her own voice and mannerisms were foreign to her when she watched herself on tape. ''This isn't real, this isn't right, this isn't happening,' were the thoughts that kept circling in my head.' she told the jury. Taylor told the court she tried to remain strong for her husband. She left the police headquarters and returned home later that night. Friends and Taylor's parents came to stay with her, she said. 'I didn't want to go in my home. It was like I knew if I went through my door it would be real. I didn't want it to be real. So I sat down on the sidewalk. We finally went inside and I walked into Cooper's room and I just cried. I finally was able to cry,' she said. Taylor wept in court on Monday. She told the jury that the couple had 'sexually related' intimacy problems in the early years of their marriage Harris sobbed in court as his former wife, Taylor, testified in front of jurors on Monday morning Several court observers said Taylor seemed credible and believable in Monday's testimony and did quite well for her ex-husband's defense. One legal observer called her testimony 'pivotal' in the case. But another observer said, 'Her whole testimony came across as very scripted and not very believable.' A third said her answers seemed 'rehearsed.' 'Where is her real tears and grief?' the observer asked. Taylor was originally listed as a witness for both the prosecution and Harris' defense but was not called as a state's witness, court officials said. Defense attorneys said Monday they do not plan to call Harris himself to testify. The trial is now in its fifth week. The couple sought counseling with their pastor at their church, Taylor said Monday. Harris later developed erectile dysfunction problems. 'I didn't react well to them,' she said. 'I was afraid it was me, that he no longer found me attractive.' She told the jury they were in a small group at church, reading a book called Sacred Marriage. At the time, Taylor still loved her husband and wanted to save their marriage. She says Ross never resisted counseling. 'He was a very involved dad,' ex-wife Leanna Taylor said of Harris on Monday Harris pictured with his son in video shown to the jury Harris is accused of deliberately leaving his toddler son locked inside the car in 2014 while he worked for seven hours on a hot summer day at his web-development job near Atlanta. Jurors circled the car on Thursday Since his arrest, she had become aware of sexual issues outside their marriage, she said. She told the court she hadn't known her husband met with a young woman for oral sex in a parked car. She didn't know that he'd had women in their home to have sex with them. Nor did she know that he had expressed love for other women or engaged in sex acts with a prostitute. 'If I had, I would have divorced him right then,' she said. 'I just very bluntly one night said, 'Do you want a divorce? If you want one, I will give it to you'.' Harris replied, 'That's the last thing I want', she said. On Monday the jury were shown images and video of Harris playing with his young son. On the day Cooper died, Taylor said she wasn't sure what Harris could see in the backseat, but confirmed he would have seen Cooper when he turned his head to change lanes after leaving Chick-fil-A. A horrified mother claims her four-year-old daughter could have died after her Halloween costume burst into flames while she was trick-or-treating. Mother-of-two Stacey Greenwood says her daughter, Sienna-Rose, is lucky to be alive after the 10 costume from Wilkinson's allegedly spontaneously combusted due to heat from a nearby lit pumpkin last night. The 27-year-old care assistant, from Cliffe in Kent said she feared the worst when flames enveloped the youngster as the costume set alight and melted to Sienna-Rose's leggings. Mother-of-two Stacey Greenwood, from Kent, says her daughter, Sienna-Rose, is lucky to be alive after the 10 costume from Wilkinson's allegedly spontaneously combusted In 2014 television presenter Claudia Winkleman's eight-year-old daughter Matilda was rushed to hospital after a horrific accident in which her Halloween costume went up in flames. A spokesman for Wilkinson's said they were 'shocked' to hear of the incident and said all their Halloween costumes were independently tested under more rigorous conditions than are legally required. Mrs Greenwood, who also has a son, Harvey, aged six, said: 'I just can't get over how different it could have been - it is every mum's worst nightmare. It does make you worry. 'She could have died or been scarred for life. 'Harvey keeps saying "I remember when Sienna-Rose caught fire" and he said she could have died. Pictured: The damaged dress after it caught fire when Sienna-Rose was wearing it 'I don't think it has sunk in for Sienna-Rose but it is just so lucky she had her leggings on - without them it could have been so much worse. 'The kids were all standing by the door with some of the parents and the rest of us were a bit further away, then all of a sudden a lady was screaming "somebody's costume is on fire". 'It all just happened so quickly. It looked like the flames were all over her and there was so much smoke. Mrs Greenwood with her children Sienna-Rose and Harvey - she is concerned about the safety of outfits following the incident 'Everyone patted her down straight away to get the flames out, she came running towards me as she didn't understand why everyone was patting her. 'I just grabbed the fabric to make sure it was all out - I naturally wanted to take it off but I was worried about it catching her hair if it was still on fire. 'It can't have been that the bottom of the dress dangled into the flame, because the bottom of the dress is perfectly intact. 'The flames were higher than that, the hole is about 4in up from the bottom of the dress.' Mrs Greenwood purchased the 10 grey and black 'zombie bride' costume from her local Wilko store in nearby Strood, Kent, last week. She, Harvey and Sienna-Rose joined a group of about ten children trick-or-treating with parents on their street at about 7pm last night. Although Sienna-Rose escaped unscathed, the dress melted itself to her leggings and was left with a huge 7in hole and three smaller holes from where the flames touched it. Mrs Greenwood said Harvey has been left upset by the incident and she is now concerned the children's other fancy dress costumes could be a secret danger. Although Sienna-Rose escaped unscathed, the dress melted itself to her leggings and was left with a huge 7in hole and three smaller holes from where the flames touched it The mother-of-two said: 'Inside the label of the dress it says 'warning keep away from fire' and to keep it away from candles and naked flames. 'But it also says the garment has undergone additional safety testing for flammability but that clearly isn't enough. 'Sienna-Rose was wearing a long veil with the costume too which went down to her bottom and if that had gone up in flames it could have been so much worse. It could have gone so many different ways. 'You would think it about a very cheap costume maybe but Wilko is a reputable brand. I never expected something like this to happen. It was such a shock - no one realised how bad it could have been until afterwards. 'Harvey and Sienna-Rose are always dressing up and have 20 or 30 costumes and it makes you worry for the other ones in their dressing up box. Mrs Greenwood said Harvey has been left upset by the incident and she is now concerned the children's other fancy dress costumes could be a secret danger 'There would never be a naked flame around in my house but what about if she had been walking near the gas cooker in the kitchen or near our open fireplace - could it have caught light from that? A Wilkinson's spokesman said: 'We are shocked to hear about this incident. As a family business nothing matters to us more than our customers' safety and that of their young families. 'All of our costumes comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.. 'Additionally, for this year's Halloween, we independently tested all of our own label Halloween costumes under more rigorous conditions than are currently legally required by testing to the voluntary BRC Code of Practice. 'In line with other retailers, we also placed warnings on products, packaging, point-of-sale material and on line advising that costumes could still ignite and therefore must be kept away from naked flames and advised that a constant watch be kept on Halloween activities to avoid close proximity to naked flames. 'We have also introduced LED tea lights which can safely replace naked flames in traditional candle tealights. Mother-of-three Sarah Robyn Russell, 29 (pictured), lashed out at Kerry Bagnall on a bus in Bath, Somerset, after Ms Bagnall challenged her over her racist comments A mother-of-three who was overheard complaining about 'all the Muslims' in Primark elbowed and slapped a bus passenger who confronted her over her racist rant. Mother-of-three Sarah Robyn Russell, 29, lashed out at Kerry Bagnall on the number 13 bus in Bath after Ms Bagnall challenged her over her overtly 'racist' comments. Ms Bagnall, 44, had overheard Russell telling her partner that 'all the Muslims were touching the lift button in Primark and I couldn't get out of the shop.' Her partner is also said to have told a child: 'Shut up or I'll send you to Istanbul to join ISIS.' Ms Bagnall, also a mother of three, said she felt she had to challenge the couple over their comments and told them to get off the bus if they wanted to talk like that. But a fuming Russell elbowed Ms Bagnall in the ribs before slapping her in the face as she barged off the bus. The incident in Bath, Somerset came just two weeks after the shock Brexit vote and was mentioned in Parliament by local MP Ben Howlett. Russell from Bath, has now been given an 18-month conditional discharge by the city's magistrates after she admitted assault. She was also ordered to pay 100 compensation to Ms Bagnall. Lead magistrate Nicky Stubbs told Russell: 'This wasn't a pleasant offence. You weren't setting a good example to your children. 'The location of the offence makes it more serious as it was on public transport. 'We have also heard there is an ongoing effect on the victim, who's anxious to use that bus route.' The court heard Ms Bagnall she said she 'thought she had to say something' after she overheard the abuse on the number 13 bus in Bath on July 5. Ms Bagnall, 44 (pictured), had overheard Russell telling her partner that 'all the Muslims were touching the lift button in Primark and I couldn't get out of the shop'. She said she felt compelled to challenge them but was then elbowed and slapped by a furious Russell In a statement, Ms Bagnall - who was with her three children at the time - said: 'I couldn't believe something like this could escalate so quickly into violence. 'I was in disbelief. I was shocked and appalled by their racist behaviour. 'I have never heard two people being so out and out racist in a public place, oblivious to the shock of people around them.' She added: 'She had no right to assault me. 'The country since Brexit has been divided but that doesn't give people the right to be racist.' When interviewed, Russell denied elbowing Ms Bagnall and said her comments about Muslims in Primark were 'a joke' and she was not racist. She admitted striking the complainant with her hand but claimed: 'I didn't hit her hard at all.' Defending, Emma Crawshaw said: 'She doesn't remember her partner saying anything about ISIS. 'There was a Muslim family with lots of children banging on the button of the lift and that caused her delay leaving [Primark]. 'She had a discussion about that with her husband. 'This incident was out of character, spur of the moment and not premeditated. 'She said to me, 'I am shocked this conversation started on the bus and I lost my temper. He also allegedly sexually assaulted and photographed an unconscious, naked person Using phone data, investigators determined that Heaggan-Brown offered two other people money for sex several times last year Heaggan-Brown later texted a mentor that he had messed up 'big time' and claimed the sex was consensual He said he drank too much, passed out and woke up feeling drugged to find Heaggan-Brown sexually assaulting him Rape victim told investigators Heaggan-Brown bragged he was the boss while drinking at a bar and watching TV coverage of the protests A Milwaukee police officer who sparked violent protests over the summer after fatally shooting a black man was fired Monday, after he had been charged with sexually assaulting a bar patron and another person. Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown was terminated as a result of the department's internal investigation into the sexual assault charges, according to a statement from Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn. Heaggan-Brown was ordered last week to stand trial on five charges, including two counts of second-degree sexual assault, in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Heaggan-Brown fatally shot 23-year-old Sylville Smith in August on Milwaukee's north side, which sparked a weekend of violence in the Sherman Park neighborhood not far from where Smith was killed. Scroll down for video Dominique Heaggan-Brown was arrested last week and charged with sexual assault. On Monday, he was fired from his job with the Milwaukee Police Department Heaggan-Brown is seen in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on October 26. He is facing five charges that accuse him of sexually assaulting two men and soliciting sex from two others The 24-year-old officer was later accused of sexually assaulting two men and soliciting sex from two suspected male prostitutes. One of the men told police he watched news coverage of the August violence while at a bar with Heaggan-Brown a day after the officer fatally shot Smith. The man also alleged Heaggan-Brown bragged about being able to do whatever he wanted without repercussions. Flynn said Heaggan-Brown was fired because he was found to be in violation of the department's code of conduct, which in part said whether on or off duty, department members shall not behave in such a way that a reasonable person would expect that discredit could be brought upon the department, or that it would create the appearance of impropriety or corruptive behavior. Heaggan-Brown remained jailed on $100,000 bond and was expected to be arraigned in court Friday. The alleged victim, unidentified in a criminal complaint, told police on August 15 that Heaggan-Brown had sexually assaulted him while off duty. Heaggan-Brown fatally shot Sylville Smith on August 13. Police said Smith was brandishing a gun when he was shot after a brief chase. According to the criminal complaint, Heaggan-Brown took the victim to a bar late on the night of August 14 where they drank heavily and watched TV as coverage of the protests aired. The victim told investigators that Heaggan-Brown bragged that he was the boss and that there were 'no limitations' on how he lived and that he could do whatever he wanted 'without repercussions.' The victim told police the day after the alleged assault that he had trouble remembering everything that happened after they left the bar, but that he felt drugged. Heaggan-Brown is the officer who shot dead 23-year-old Sylville Smith (pictured) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in August He said he woke up to Heaggan-Brown sexually assaulting him. The complaint said Heaggan-Brown took the man to St. Joseph's Hospital early on August 15. The officer told a security guard who helped him wheel the man inside that the man had had too much to drink and was 'completely out, zonked out of his gourd.' But when nurses began providing aid, the man 'flipped out,' grabbed a security guard's arm and exclaimed: 'He raped me, he raped me,' indicating Heaggan-Brown. Later that morning, Heaggan-Brown texted his mentor, Sgt. Joseph Hall, saying he had messed up 'big time.' 'Need your help big time. ... But need to handle this the most secret and right way possible,' the text read in part. The sergeant told investigators that Heaggan-Brown claimed the sex was consensual. Flynn said Thursday that Hall reported his contact with Heaggan-Brown to command staff but the sergeant is under internal investigation as well. Hall remains on duty. 'We're going to get to the bottom of what that exchange was about,' Flynn said. Using photographs and other data from the officer's cellphone, the complaint said, investigators determined that Heaggan-Brown offered two other people money for sex several times in December 2015 and in July and August of this year and that he sexually assaulted another unconscious person in July, and photographed that victim naked without that person's consent. The charges include two felony counts of second-degree sexual assault, two misdemeanor prostitution counts and one felony count of capturing an intimate representation of a person without consent. The head of Milwaukee's police union said in a statement that the facts of the case will dictate the outcome. 'The MPA condemns all criminal behavior by any member of society, whether part of this organization or not,' the union's president, Mike Crivello, said in the statement. Heaggan-Brown joined the police department in July 2010 as an aide. Smith's death set off several nights of protests in Milwaukee. Above, police move in on a crowd throwing rocks in Milwaukee on August 14, while Haeggan-Brown was watching tv coverage with the alleged victim Like Smith, the man who was fatally shot, Heaggan-Brown is black. He was assigned to patrol the city's heavily minority north side. Flynn has said that Smith was fleeing from a traffic stop when he was shot. Heaggan-Brown's body camera showed that Smith was shot after he turned toward an officer with a gun in his hand, according to investigators. Smith's death sparked two nights of violence in the Sherman Park neighborhood, with several businesses burned. It also ramped up long-festering racial tension in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Department of Justice investigated Smith's death and has turned the case over to Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm for a charging decision. It's not clear when a decision in that case will be made. An immigrant who was turfed out of the Calais Jungle camp last week was picked up by border control after attempting to get into Britain on a kayak. In what is believed to the be the first solo attempt by a refugee to cross the Channel, the man was within eight miles of his destination when he was spotted in the middle of one of the World's busiest shipping lanes by people on board a passenger ferry. The Walmer Lifeboat was scrambled after being alerted to the man and made their way to him on Saturday. But they did not pick him up, and instead waited alongside until a cutter from the UK border force was dispatched from Dover, Kent. An immigrant who was turfed out of the Calais Jungle camp last week was picked up by border control after attempting to get into Britain on a kayak According to Sky News, the man is in his 30s and was a software engineer in his native Iran before he fled the country because he had been persecuted for converting to Christianity. His case is being dealt with by fast-track procedure at a centre in Croydon - his future is likely to be decided within a fortnight and he will not be allowed appeal if his case is rejected. French officials declared the clearance of the refugee camp complete on Saturday, with the site evacuated of 5,596 people since the operation began the previous week. While some 5,000 Jungle residents agreed to be bused to resettlement centres around France, many others headed off independently, saying they still wanted to get to the Britain. France sees the Jungle as a problem chiefly of the UK's making given that most of its inhabitants were seeking to reach British shores. The man was within eight miles of his destination when he was spotted in the middle of one of the World's busiest shipping lanes by people on board a passenger ferry (file image) French officials declared the clearance of the refugee camp complete on Saturday, with the site evacuated of 5,596 people since the operation began on Monday A source said: "The inflatable kayak with one person on board was spotted by a ferry in the South West Shipping Lane. "That is the English side and so he had made it more than half way across. "It is so shocking that something like this can happen. To paddle across the channel like that he must have been incredibly fit. He must have arms life Popeye! Although it would be incredibly dangerous, crossing some of the biggest shipping lane in the world. "A small kayak like that would be almost impossible to spot from the bridge of a container ship or tanker." Detectives are searching for an armed rapist wearing a Halloween mask who attacked a student at the University of Utah. The woman's horrific ordeal began just after 12 noon when she was returning to her car in a parking lot at the Joseph F. Merrill Engineering Building in Salt Lake City. A man wearing a Grim Reaper mask forced her into the back seat of her car and sexually assaulted her. Police are looking for a rapist who attacked a student at the University of Utah, pictured The suspect was wearing a Grim Reaper costume at the time of the attack Sergeant Garth Davis, from the University of Utah Police, said the assailant fled the area on foot. The suspect was described as six feet tall and clad all in black. Because of the date, and his Halloween costume, he may have been able to pass through the area without triggering any suspicions. Sgt Davis told the Deseret News: 'We're putting out as much information as we can in hopes that we can find someone really quick. It's not a lot to go on, but it's what we have.' He said: 'I've been here 17 years and this is the first sexual assault I've seen on a Halloween night.' Advertisement From a volcano spewing ash over the landscape to the blue green sea of Hawaii, these are some of the stunning images from around the world that are in the running to be named nature picture of the year. The 2016 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest has been launched and aims to find awe-inspiring images of the world around us. They are urging photographers to send in the pictures they think best depicts nature, which could range from a powerful wildlife shot to a stunning landscape. And some of the images already submitted show scenes such as the sun setting over a herd of zebras over the African plain, a grasshopper inspecting some flowers and two kingfishers sharing some food. Photographers have until Friday to send in their entries, with the overall winner bagging a trip to the diverse Galapogas Islands. For more information visit the National Geographic website. Early morning sun rays are reflected against the intense smoke of Mount Bromo in Indonesia during an eruption earlier his year A herd of zebras stand under the setting sun late one evening earlier this year in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya Four lions aim to fight off a pack of hyenas in Etosha National Park in Namibia who tried to muscle in on their prey of an antelope While snapping pictures of flowers at eye level photographer Alex Wiles captured this shot of a grasshopper inspecting the plants The green and blue colours of the ocean merge together to create a stunning image by Aaron Feinberg taken in Polihale State Park in Hawaii A male kingfisher hands over a present of food to his female counterpart in another picture entered into the competition A lone polar bear wanders across the ice seeking a meal near the Prince Regent Inlet in the Canadian high Arctic circle In another one of the pictures in the running, a grizzly bear chases a salmon in the river, who tries to escape by jumping out of the water A diving gannet bird plunges deep into the water to catch fish off the coast of the island of Noss in the Scottish Shetland Islands An orphan orangutan appears to scratch his chin as he looks around his habitat of the island of Borneo, which has become a victim of deforestation Photographer Fabrice Petruzzi captured the mystical scene of the landscape in Glen Coe during his trip to Scotland A night time view under the stars of the Chamonix glacier near the summit of Mont Blanc in the French Alps Photographer Tianyuan Xiao captured a peaceful scene before sunrise of the a mountain in the Chinese town of Xingping The lava created from the Erta Ale shield volcano in Ethiopia appears to have created the image of a stick man Donald Trumps running mate Mike Pence said Tuesday that there's a familiar model for killing off the Affordable Care Act: The Samsung Galaxy 7 Note smartphone. He offered a new attack on Obamacare as he introduced Trump himself at a rally in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, highlighting the Republican candidates case against President Obamas signature legislation and as part of a concerted push to take electoral advantage of soaring premiums. Trump himself said his first day as in the White House would see him ask Congress to sit in special session to repeal the act. Samsung's decision to recall the phones instead of pushing a software update that would stop batteries from overheating, the Indiana governor said, is the opposite of the Obama White House's decision to cling to the Affordable Care Act as premium increases give Americans 'unprecedented sticker shock'. Scroll down for video 'If we don't repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever,' Trump said Tuesday Pence quoted the president in a Florida speech last month. 'He actually compared Obamacare to the Samsung Galaxy 7 phones that spontaneously burst into flames,' he told the crowd. Mike Pence (pictured Monday) offered a new attack on Obamacare as he introduced Trump at a rally in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania 'I'm serious!' he went on, as laughter broke out among an invited audience of about 500 people in a hotel ballroom near Philadelphia. 'President Obama said, quote here's the quote! "When one of these companies comes out with a new smartphone that has a few bugs, what do they do? They fix it. they upgrade it. Unless it catches fire, then they pull it off the market".' 'Well, what a coincidence, Mr. President! Because that's exactly what we're going to do with Obamacare. We're going to pull it off the market so it stops burning up our wallets.' Pence's speech was an equal split between policy and politics. He blasted Hillary Clinton for pushing 'actually to introduce what's called single-payer more government-run health care.' He said one of Clinton's paid speeches north of the border exposed her desire to implement 'universal health care coverage like you have here in Canada.' 'Well, we don't want the socialized health care they have in Canada. We want American solutions,' Pence said. 'When you order every American to have government-approved health insurance whether they want it or need it, when you create a government-run plan paid for with job-killing tax increases, that is plain and simple a government takeover of health care,' he insisted. 'Before it was called Obamacare, it was called Hillarycare,' he recalled. 'We can't trust Hillary Clinton with our health care any more than we can trust her with classified information.' Donald Trump, appearing after Pence, said he would ask Congress on his first day in office to convene a special session 'so we can repeal and replace' Obamacare. 'We will do it, and we will do it very quickly, because it is a catastrophe,' he pledged. 'Obamacare is a catastrophic failure,' Pence agreed. Samsung had to conduct an expensive recall after a number of its Galaxy Note7 phones caught fire In its place, he said the Trump plan would 'replace Obamacare with health care reform that lowers the cost of health insurance without growing the size of government.' It would 'get rid of the individual mandate, because government shouldn't tell you how to spend your money and set priorities in your life.' Americans could purchase policies across state lines in a Trump administration, 'just like you can your car insurance and your life insurance.' He also touted the introduction of Health Savings Accounts that Americans 'can use to pay first-dollar expenses for their health.' The presidential election, just seven days away, is a hotly fought contest that could result in a Democratic victory if the Republican rank-and-file that opposed Trump's nomination stays away from the voting booth. 'It's time to come home,' Pence urge them. Trump said Obamacare represents 'higher prices, fewer choices, and lower quality. Yet Hillary Clinton wants to expand Obamacare and make it even more expensive.' 'She wants to put government totally in charge of health care in this country.' 'If we don't repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever,' he said ominously. A group of Republican members of Congress who are physicians, and one nurse, warmed up the crowd. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, complained that a Democratic majority in Congress passed the Affordable Care Act without a single Republican vote. 'For people who think government is the answer, this is their solution,' he said. Georgia Rep. Tom Price had stronger language for Obamacare's rate hikes and contraction of health care services. 'Folks, this is lunacy. This is lunacy. This is what happens when you put the government in charge,' Price said. Texas Rep. Mike Burgess said Republicans in Congress are 'chomping at the bit' to develop a replacement law 'that will then go down to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue to be signed by President Trump. That, he said, 'will end Obamacare for once and for all.' "No Republicans were consulted, and this thing was rammed through [Congress]," he said of the Affordable Care Act. Rep. Andy Harris of Maryland said all but one insurer providing Obamacare medical policies in his district have dropped out of the government-managed exchanges. President Obama lied to the American people, he charged, by saying that "if you like your plan you can keep your plan." "Well, there's only one in my district right now," Harris said. The vast majority of terrorists convicted in Britain since 9/11 have already been released from prison and are back on the streets, it was revealed today. Out of a total of 583 jailed in the UK for terror offences since 2001 around 418 have been released again, including three who were given life sentences. This group, 164 of whom walked free since 2014, included several people who helped the suicide bombers who failed to blow themselves up in London three weeks after 7/7. Out: Adel Yahya and Ismail Abdurahman were both jailed for their part in the 21/7 plot - either helping a suspect afterards or collecting information for them - and both are now free men New research by Sky News found that 104 left prison after serving between a year and four years, while 24 were released after more than four years. Some are understood to have been released without agreeing to take part in anti-radicalisation classes while behind bars. Omar Khyam, who was jailed for a plot to blow up a shopping centre and nightclub in Kent with homemade bombs, is among the two thirds of extremist prisoners who refused to change their views. Former jihadi Hanif Qadir who now runs a counter-extremism outreach said deradicalisation in jails is 'failing miserably'. He said: 'There are experts out there that are equipped and able to tackle the problem but they are not the ones that are doing it in prison. 'At the moment the prison imams, God bless them, they're not adequate and they're not experienced enough to tackle the problem of radicalisation within prisons.' Yeshi Girma knew of husband Hussain Osman's plan to blow up a Tube train but did nothing. She was secretly freed in 2013 Lord Blunkett, who was Labour's Home Secretary when many were jailed, told Sky News: 'It's perfectly reasonable to say that once someone's served their sentence, if it isn't possible to reassess them, we should continue to monitor them outside prison. 'So, if there's any indication at all that they are reconnecting with organised terrorist groups, the intervention can take place very quickly rather than allowing them to commit another act and then having to try to pick them up again.' At least four criminals jailed for their part in the 21/7 plot have been freed, with some moved to hostels or council properties. Adel Yahya, who admitted collecting information useful to terrorists and jailed for six years and nine months in November 2007. He is believed to have been freed by 2010. Yeshi Girma knew of husband Hussain Osman's plan to blow up a Tube train but did nothing. She was secretly freed in 2013. Ismail Abdurahman was released from prison after just three years behind bars for helping the July 21 bombers in 2005. He was moved to a bail hostel after winning an appeal against a bid to send him to Somalia. This year the British Government was ordered him more than 13,000 because his human rights were 'violated' during police interviews over a plot to attack London. Zahoor Iqbal, 35, Mohammed Irfan, 36 and Hamid Elasmar, 49 were freed and living in Birmingham despite being linked to a plot to slaughter a serviceman 'like a pig'. Guns like those pictured are being brought into Britain by criminal gangs and are being sought by terrorist groups to use in atrocities, the police have revealed The NCA has launched a campaign to stop guns falling into the hands of criminal gangs It came as the head of MI5 has warned that the police and security services will not be able to stop all terrorist attacks on Britain despite their successes in recent years. Andrew Parker, director general of the domestic intelligence agency, revealed yesterday that 12 terrorist plots in the UK had been foiled since 2013. However, he warned that Islamic State posed the biggest current threat to national security and it would last a generation. 'Together with MI6, GCHQ and the police, MI5 has disrupted 12 plots in the UK since June 2013,' said Mr Parker. 'ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) is an enduring threat, here to stay, and is at least a generational challenge. MI5 and the intelligence agencies have good defences because of the investment made in our capabilities. We will find and stop most attempts to attack us, but not all.' In a keynote speech at the Royal Society he said MI5's technological expertise 'makes it less likely people will be killed by terrorism or our secrets will be stolen'. His speech came just hours after Britain's counter-terrorism police chief warned of the threat of a Paris-style gun rampage in Britain as he said half of the terror plots foiled involved suspects trying to get guns. Mark Rowley said five plots uncovered in the past two years involved fanatics trying to amass machine guns and others firearms to launch an attack on our streets. the symbols before destroying it with a knife Police officers in the UAE called in a Muslim cleric to tackle a mysterious case of a 'cursed' melon that washed up on the beach. The fruit, which had been impaled with pins and nails and had inscriptions carved over it, scared locals when it was spotted on the Al Khan beach in the city of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates. Local police officers decided to call in a Muslim cleric to cleanse the supposedly voodooed melon. Scroll down for video Police officers in the UAE called in a Muslim cleric to tackle a mysterious case of a 'cursed' melon that washed up on the beach The fruit, which had been impaled with pins and nails and had inscriptions carved over it, scared locals when it was spotted on the Al Khan beach in the city of Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates The cleric took the fruit and removed the nails and pins before cutting away the scribbles with a knife The cleric took the fruit and removed the nails and pins before cutting away the symbols with a knife. Police confirmed it had been found by worried beachgoers before officers confiscated it and removed it from the beach. The melon was then handing it over to the cleric sent by the Sharjah Department of Islamic Affairs. Billy Williams currently serves as the United States Attorney for the District of Oregon. The buck stops with him. He gets the credit or the blame for DOJ successes and failures in Oregon. Billy Williams must be held accountable for two massive FAILURES under his command. Billy Williams FAILED to issue arrest warrants for criminal trespass on the first day of the Bundy gang takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Instead, he, Billy Williams, allowed armed de facto law breakers to commandeer the MNWR for 41 days. Billy Williams FAILED to secure a conviction for various and blatantly obvious crimes committed by the armed Bundy gang. Oregon DOJ Chief, Billy Williams, double FAILURES of judgement have brought shame on Oregon and the Department of Justice. Billy Williams decision making FAILURES will likely encourage more violent assaults on federal property in Oregon and throughout America. Oregon's entire congressional delegation and governor must publicly ask President Obama to immediately remove Billy Williams from Oregon. Williams replacement must publicly and unequivocally state that any and all future attempts at armed occupancy on federal property in Oregon will be dealt with swiftly regardless of the race or amount of weaponry of those who commit criminal trespass. Richard Ellmyer North Portland Author of The Ellmyer Report, a newsletter that informs, educates and influences on public policy. Occasionally distributed to more than a quarter of million readers in Oregon and beyond. http://macsolve.org/lists/?p=subscribe He took a plea deal and will receive 25 year to life with Michael Donyell Norwood (pictured), 39, has admitted killing his pregnant girlfriend in front of her children by stomping on her head inside their upstate apartment A New York man has admitted killing his pregnant girlfriend in front of her children by stomping on her head inside their upstate apartment. Michael Donyell Norwood, 39, pleaded guilty on Monday in Montgomery County Court to second-degree murder. He was facing first-degree murder and first-degree rape, as well as the second-degree murder count, before taking a plea deal. Norwood raped 30-year-old Beth Ann Logan in Amsterdam, New York, late on the night of March 28, then stomped on her head and body while wearing work boots while her four children ranging in age from nine to 13 were present, authorities say. Logan was pregnant when she was killed. During the attack, Logan's daughter, nine, fled from the apartment to a neighbor's house in an attempt to get help for her mother. The 30-year-old was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery but later died from her injuries five days later. 'He should rot for what he did. He didnt only destroy Beths life, he destroyed her four kids lives. Thats something her kids are never going to forget,' Logan's mother Darlene Feocco told the Daily Gazette. Beth Ann Logan (pictured) was pregnant when she was killed in the attack for which her four children ranging in age from nine to 13 were present During the attack, Logan's daughter, nine, fled from the apartment to a neighbor's house in an attempt to get help for her mother Because Logan was only 13 weeks pregnant, Norwood was not charged with murder in the loss of the pregnancy. A pregnancy must be 24 weeks along to constitute murder. Logan's children are now in foster care. 'Obviously, this incident is going to stay with them for the rest of their lives,' Montgomery County District Attorney Jed Conboy told the Daily Gazette. The children testified before a grand jury about the horror murder, the Daily Gazette reported. Because Norwood has pleaded guilty, the children will not need to testify again. 'The main witnesses in the case were going to be Beths children. So we have a real incentive not to make them relive this incident in front of a jury. I think, for all involved, this was the best resolution,' Because Norwood (pictured) took the plea deal, he will avoid a life sentence without the possibility of parole Logans sister Antonette Reed said she understands why Norwood received the sentencing under the plea deal but still wished he had been sentenced to death In a plea agreement with prosecutors, he's expected to be sentenced next month to 25 years to life in prison. Because he took the plea deal, he will avoid a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Logans sister Antonette Reed said she understands why Norwood received the sentencing under the plea deal but still wished he had been sentenced to death. 'Its a fitting sentence for a scumbag who does things like that in front of little kids,' she said. Reed said the family has been given updates on the children and said they're safe now. Dr Stephen Frost is accusing the Ministry of Defence of wrongful dismissal after he was sacked from the medical corpse A Ministry of Defence medical official denied deliberately suppressing crucial facts in a report which led to the dismissal of an Army whistleblower, a tribunal has heard. Dr Stephen Frost who led calls for an inquest into the death or weapons expert Dr David Kelly - was sacked after a maimed Afghanistan war veteran was wrongly prescribed morphine six times his normal dose. The 69-year-old, who neither prescribed nor dispensed the tablets, was fired by the Ministry of Defence for allegedly not telling the soldier that he had been issued with the wrong tablets and was at risk of overdosing. But an employment tribunal heard that the serviceman whose left leg was blown off by an IED - insisted he had never been given 60mg tablets of powerful morphine sulphate. He claimed he had only ever been given the correct strength of 10mg pills and Dr Frost said he did not show withdrawal symptoms indicating he had never taken the higher dose. The hearing in Manchester was told that if he had taken the wrong dosage he would have consumed 120 mgs of morphine every day for 16 days. Dr Frost believes he was dismissed by text while on holiday for blowing the whistle on a drugs rackets at an Army base. He has testified that he believed the soldier may have illegally sold the wrongly administered stronger pills on the black market and told colleagues there should have been a police investigation. In a dramatic twist, Samantha Cotgrave, the former deputy clinical director of Army Primary Health Care Services (North), admitted that the soldier's insistence he had not been given 60mg were not in her interim report into the incident. Dr Stephen Frost (pictured, left with solicitor Helen Clifford) led calls for an inquest into the death or weapons expert Dr David Kelly (right) and claims he was sacked for blowing the whistle on a drugs racket She also admitted that she had failed to record a meeting between Dr Frost and the soldier outside a pharmacy where the patient was shown a distinctive orange 60mg tablet - as opposed to a brown 10mg one - and had told the doctor he had never seen one before. John Hendy QC, for Dr Frost, accused Mrs Cotgrave of having a closed mind and had deliberately suppressed the details in her report which was submitted to senior officers at Weeton Barracks, near Blackpool. He told her: You deliberately suppressed the fact that the patient had categorically denied receiving 60mg tablets. It did not fit in with the picture you were trying to paint. Mrs Cotgrave replied: It was not intentional. I was not trying to paint a picture. There was overwhelming evidence that there had been a dispensing error. The only tablets he could have had were 60mg because they were the only ones dispensed on that date. John Hendy QC, for Dr Frost, accused Mrs Cotgrave of having a closed mind and had deliberately suppressed the details in her report which was submitted to senior officers at Weeton Barracks (pictured), near Blackpool. But Mr Hendy challenged her: Because you were convinced, you were prepared to leave out evidence to the contrary. Mrs Cotgrave said that her report was attached to all the witness statements so that the three senior officers could make a final decision. Mr Hendy said: So it was up to the decision makers to extract this from all the statements? Mrs Cotgrave replied: It was not intentionally excluded. It was not my intention. I was not trying to portray a picture. She agreed that her report included a reference to Dr Frost not being sure enough that an error had been made and pointing out that he was not the patient's lead clinician. Dr Frost, from Colwyn Bay in North Wales, claims he was dismissed because he had uncovered a potentially criminal appropriation of morphine at the military base. He says that senior officers then tried to smear him by labelling him a conspiracy theorist and a Russian sympathiser when he challenged his dismissal. Advertisement A stunning display of 4,000 knitted poppies has been draped from an Army garrison church to mark Remembrance Day. The curtain of red was unveiled at the weekend to commemorate Britain's fallen servicemen and women. Volunteers spent months hand stitching the poppies adorned on the side of St Lawrence Chapel in Warminster, Wiltshire. Glorious: A stunning display of 4,000 knitted poppies has been draped from an army garrison church to mark Remembrance Day Painstaking: Volunteers spent months hand stitching the poppies adorned on the side of St Lawrence Chapel in Warminster, Wiltshire The impressive display was designed by the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal organiser for Warminster, Lesley Fudge. She said: 'The poppies are all knitted or crocheted, most of it is synthetic wool so it's not going to lose its colour. 'There is probably just over 4,000 on there, they are supported on the back by a strong ribbon that's been cable tied on to camouflage netting. 'It was done as a tribute to the fallen, to our veterans and to our serving military personnel of whom we have quite a lot in this town. Inventive: The awe-inspring display was designed by the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal organiser for Warminster Lesley Fudge 'I drive through town every day for a look to check on it to make sure it's all still there. 'Every time I go past there are crowds of people taking photographs and posing in front of it and the comments we've had are astonishing, everybody loves it. 'It's the third year of the centenary of World War One and it's the centenary of the Battle of the Somme so it seemed an appropriate year to put it up. Devotion: The poppies are all knitted or crocheted, most of the display is synthetic wool so it's not going to lose its colour Popular: The display has been photographed by hundreds of people who have been stunned by the attention to detail 'We will put it up again for the rest of the centenary of World War One, so up to 2018.' The names of all the soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan have also been sewn into poppies which have been cascaded over the town's memorial bench. Warminster Town Council clerk Heather Abernethie said: 'The town council is delighted to see the wonderful displays prepared by volunteers to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.' The cascade will remain intact after Remembrance Day on November 13 up until the Christmas period. An elderly couple who have spent nearly every day together since they met in 1946 will be allowed to stay in the same residential home after a U-turn by the social services. Relatives of Ray and Jessie Lorrison from South Shields took up their case with South Tyneside Council after they were initially told they would not be allowed to stay in the same care home. Mr Lorrison, who is 95 and who has Alzheimer's Disease, has been staying at Westoe Grange Care Home, while his 88-year-old wife has been treated in hospital following a fall. Their family had said it was 'disgusting' the couple would not be allowed to be together once Mrs Lorrison was well enough to leave hospital. Social services initially said she would return to the marital home where she would receive daily visits from carers. Jessie Lorrison, 88, and Ray who is 95 and has Alzheimers disease, will be allowed to stay together in the same care home after social services performed a U-turn Mr Lorrison, who was a cook in the Merchant Navy, and his wife, a shop manager, met in 1946, married in 1950 and went on to have three children Mr Lorrison, who was a cook in the Merchant Navy, and his wife, a shop manager, met in 1946, married in 1950 and went on to have three children, Gary, 64, Cheryl, 60, and Debra, 49. Their grandson Lee Bates, 41, started an online petition urging the council to reconsider their decision, and by Tuesday lunchtime more than 20,000 people had signed it. It said: 'My grandfather sits and waits for her everyday - confused, anxious and lonely without the woman who has been by his side for 70 years. 'My grandmother misses her husband terribly and still wants to do what she can to care for him - even if its just sitting by his side holding his hand. 'This treatment is inhumane and cruel.' At around that time, the council performed a U-turn and announced the couple would be allowed to stay in the same care home. Following the decision, Mr Bates said: 'I'm extremely happy and relieved about the council's decision, as are the rest of my family. 'My grandmother cried this morning when she found out what had happened. She can't wait to be back with the man she's loved for 70 years.' The couple (pictured on their wedding day in 1950, left, and at their ruby wedding anniversary in 1990, right) have spent nearly every day together since they met in 1946 Mr Lorrison, who also worked in a pit, and his wife, a shop manager, met through his older sister Myra. Mrs Lorrison, who was originally from North Shields, moved across the River Tyne and they spent over 60 happy years living together in Marsden, South Shields. The only time they spent apart was when he went to sea with the Merchant Navy. The couple have eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and one great-grandchild on the way. It was not until Mrs Lorrison was rushed to South Tyneside Hospital nine weeks ago after a fall that they were separated from each other. The couple's daughter Cheryl Bates (pictured) criticised the 'disgusting' treatment of her parents by social services Mr Lorrison was not well himself and so arrangements were made for him to go into a home while she recovered. He started to deteriorate and so it was decided it was best for him to stay in the home permanently. Mrs Lorrison was released from hospital after two weeks and was allowed to stay at Westoe Grange Care Home with her husband. But just three days later she collapsed again and was rushed to hospital with sepsis. The family were told Mrs Lorrison did not meet the criteria to move into the home with her beloved husband. Their daughter, Cheryl, described it as 'heartbreaking and cruel', adding 'what gives social services the right to play God?' Her son, Lee, then decided to create the petition in the hope of getting 100 supporters to take to South Tyneside Council. He said the support his family had received from around the world was unexpected. 'The sheer volume of support gave my mother the strength to put greater pressure on social services earlier today', he explained. 'The public support has been astonishing. 'We have had in excess of 20,000 people sign the petition from all over the world, Australia, Poland and the US. The speed it has gone at is incredible.' Marriage: The couple are seen on their wedding day at Christ Church in North Shields in 1950 A South Tyneside Council spokesperson said: 'The assessment process has now been completed and the lady will be placed in the same residential home as her husband. 'Although she is no longer able to live independently we are pleased that at least the couple will be able to stay together.' The council said multi-disciplinary assessments had needed to be completed, involving health and social care services, before a decision could have been made. Taylor was a TSU freshman majoring in respiratory care and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority hosted a party at Cool River Ranch and shuttle buses were used to transport students home after the event went back to repair the bus 14 hours later and discovered Taylor's body Taylor was somehow unknowingly struck by the bus on Friday night and dragged more than 500 feet A Texas State University freshman attending an off-campus fraternity party was struck by a shuttle bus and dragged more than 500 feet to her death, and her body was not discovered until 14 hours later. Guadalupe County Sheriff Arnold Zwicke said Monday that an autopsy showed 20-year-old Jordin Taylor's cause of death to be consistent with being hit and dragged by a bus. Taylor's body was discovered shortly after 1pm on Saturday beneath the vehicle at Cool River Ranch, a concert venue and tubing site near Martindale. Scroll down for video Tragic death: Texas State University freshman Jordin Taylor, 20, was found dead beneath a shuttle bus in Martindale, Texas, on Saturday afternoon Investigators say Taylor was struck by the bus and dragged more than 500 feet to her death Friday night. It was not until 14 hours later that her body was found wedged beneath the bus Party scene: The incident took place at Cool River Ranch, a concert and tubing venue in Martindale, which was the site of an off-campus fraternity party At around 11.15pm Friday, the operator of the shuttle bus reported problems with the vehicle's air braking system, which are now believed to have been caused by the collision with Jordin Taylor, reported the station KXAN. The driver apparently was unaware at the time that the bus had struck someone. The driver's supervisor instructed him to leave the incapacitated bus where it had come to a stop and transfer students who were on board to another bus, reported KVUE. The buses were transporting party goers from the venue of the celebration, which according to local reports had been organized by several fraternities. Neechui Sosa, a senior who attended the event Friday night, said there was a large police presence at the site and there were paramedics on hand keeping watch of students. He said the event ended at around 11.30pm. Mechanics who went back the following day to fix the broken down bus in the 600 block of Dupuy Ranch Road discovered Jordin Taylor's body underneath the rear axle. Family: Taylor is pictured left with her father, Joey, and right with her older sister, Ashtin Sorority girl: Taylor was a TSU freshman majoring in respiratory care and a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority (pictured) A cause of death was not immediately released, but deputies believe the crash was an accident. Texas State University spokesman Matt Flores said Taylor, of Burleson, Texas, was majoring in respiratory care and was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. The Greek organization on Monday sent out a tweet that read: Thank you for the condolences during this hard time with the loss our sweet sister, Jordin. All of the love and support means so much. She is survived by her father, Joey Taylor, sister Ashtin and brother Dustin. Jordin was preceded in death by her mother, Kara Taylor, who passed away unexpectedly from a brain tumor in 2012 at age 47. You send your kid off to school and you don't anticipate that they're not coming back, a devastated Mr Taylor told the station WFAA by phone. Video courtesy of CBS Austin Those who knew the 20-year-old co-ed remembered her as a kind-hearted young woman with a bubbly personality. She lost her mother to a brain tumor in 2012 Those who knew Jordin Taylor described her as a kind-hearted young woman with a bubbly personality and an infectious laugh. The Kremlin has attacked 'unfounded and baseless' claims by the head of MI5 that increasingly aggressive tactics from Russia such as cyber attacks were a threat to Britain. Andrew Parker, the director general of the home intelligence service, had warned Russia was at 'work across Europe and in the UK and carrying out a 'high volume' of secret activity. In an unprecedented interview, he said Russia had been a 'covert threat' for decades however there were now more methods available for its agents to use, such as propaganda, subversion and cyber-attacks. The Kremlin has attacked 'unfounded and baseless' claims by the head of MI5, Andrew Parker, that Russia was making more use of propaganda, spying and cyber-attacks But Russia hit back and said there was no evidence to support the claims. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: 'Those words to do correspond to the reality. 'We do not agree with them, and claims regarding cyber-attacks we have already commented on. 'No-one has yet given any evidence so we cannot consider claims that are not founded on evidence. 'Until someone produces proof, we will consider those statements unfounded and baseless.' The Russian embassy in London posted a message on Twitter saying it was 'saddened to see a professional trapped to (sic) his own propaganda-created world'. Alongside the message was a poster for the 1966 film The Russians are coming, The Russians are coming. Intelligence sources told the Mail that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ had become increasingly worried about the activity of Russian spies and the difficulty in tracking their activities. Russia hit back and said there was no evidence to support the claims. Pictured: Vladimir Putin They have become harder to follow because of an increase in sophisticated encryption technology, the source said. Mr Parker told the Guardian that Russia was adopting an 'increasingly aggressive' approach to pursuing its foreign policy goals. He said Russia was carrying out a high volume of activity 'out of sight'. Mr Parker said that MI5 was working to disrupt the activities of Moscows spies who were at work across Europe and in the UK. He took aim at Moscow for escalating tensions at a time when the West was trying to fight Islamist extremists. He said that Russia had plenty of spies still working in Britain but that the difference between today and the Cold War era was that it was also using the weapon of cyber warfare. Russia was targeting military secrets industrial projects economic information and government in foreign policy he said. It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive way involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5s job to get in the way of that. The director general of the home intelligence service had warned Russia was at 'work across Europe and in the UK and carrying out a 'high volume' of secret activity. Pictured: The Kremlin The interview came as the Investigatory Powers Bill, the so-called Snoopers Charter, returned to the House of Commons so MPs could consider amendments made by peers. Security services will be given greater powers and be able to hack into computers, networks, mobile devices and servers under the proposed plans. Earlier this year the Mail revealed how there are now more Russian spies trying to gather intelligence in Britain than at the height of the Cold War. A former GCHQ official said foreign intelligence agents were trying to intercept secret communications between arms companies making deadly weapons, members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence. He now faces extradition after an EU arrest warrant was issued for him Paul Wright, 35, pictured at Westminster Magistrates Court today, was convicted over a car crash in Malia, Greece in 2003 A British father-of-two who was convicted by a Greek court over a car accident that happened 13 years ago has been told he will not be extradited. Paul Wright, 35, from Mold in Flintshire, claims he was a passenger in a car that collided with a parked scooter in Malia, Crete in 2003. A European arrest warrant was issued in 2009, three years after he was tried in his absence and convicted of joyriding and causing criminal damage. The warrant was passed to British authorities in 2015. Mr Wright said he was only made aware of the case when he was arrested at home by North Wales Police officers in March this year. He faced extradition to Greece but District Judge Mike Snow threw out the case today, criticising the 'appalling' delay between the accident and subsequent action. In his judgement at Westminster Magistrates' Court, the judge also said he was not satisfied Mr Wright had deliberately not attended court in Greece. The judge said: 'There has been no explanation for the delay of three years between the offending and his conviction, the further delay of three years before the EAW was issued or the further delay of six years before it was sent to the UK authorities. The delay in this case is appalling.' Mr Wright told WalesOnline how his friend was driving the car when it crashed into a parked moped. He claimed a barman had asked them to move the vehicle and his friend had volunteered. Mr Wright, then just 22, claims he reported his accident but his friend 'legged it'. Family man: Mr Wright, pictured with wife Ceri, son Kacie and daughter Mia. He claims he was only made aware of the case when he was arrested at home in Flintshire in March this year He said: 'I then got arrested and taken to the police station and put in there overnight. The next morning I was questioned, and obviously I didn't ask for a solicitor because I didn't think I'd need one.' 'One officer turned round and said I was free to go so I thought it was done and dusted.' Mr Wright said the following day he was threatened by four men who claimed to own the car who demanded he hand over 700 euros. With the help of a couple staying in the room next door, Mr Wright booked a flight and returned to the UK, believing that was the end of the matter. A court summons was sent to the Birmingham address Mr Wright had provided police in 2006. But he had since moved and so did not receive the notice. Mr Wright was tried in his absence and convicted of taking a motor vehicle without consent and causing criminal damage. He was ordered to serve 15 months in prison or pay a 4,100 fine. Legal battle: Mr Wright, pictured with his family, faced extradition to Greece but District Judge Mike Snow threw out the case today, criticising the 'appalling' delays in the case A European arrest warrant was issued in 2009. The warrant was passed to the National Crime Agency in 2015 and served to Mr Wright in March this year. He told WalesOnline: 'I got a knock on my door and it was a police officer from Wrexham asking me about what had happened when I went on holiday. 'I was in France earlier in the year so I assumed he was talking about that, but he said "no, when you were in Greece", and then it clicked with me.' District Judge Snow said in his judgement: 'I cannot find that Mr Wright was deliberately absent from his trial unless I am satisfied to the criminal standard. He added: 'I found his explanation of what occurred at the police station to be credible. I am not satisfied so that I am sure that when he left the police station he was aware that he faced ongoing proceedings. Victory: Mr Wright, pictured outside Westminster Magistrates' Court today, claimed a barman had asked them to move the vehicle and his friend had volunteered 'I am not satisfied so that I am sure that he left Crete to evade those proceedings. I am not satisfied that he was deliberately absent from his trial.' The judge also said he was not sure Wright would be entitled to an appeal if he was extradited to Greece and concluded he was not a 'fugitive from justice'. The judge was also critical of the delay in serving the Euopean Arrest Warrant on Wright. He said: 'There was considerable delay between the issuing of the EAW and its certification. The NCA have explained that the EAW was not received by them until 26 September 2015. 'I am satisfied that the judicial authority were aware that he was a British citizen and were given his address in Birmingham in 2003.' Following the decision, prosecutor Ricard Evans indicated the prosecution would appeal but would give the final decision to the court on November 8. Advertisement When it comes to performing on stage with animals, it can often require a little divine intervention. Fortunately, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, gave his blessing to part of the cast of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on Tuesday. The Cardinal blessed three camels, a sheep and a donkey that are part of the show's famous living nativity scene which has been part of the production since its inception in 1933. The blessing of the animals took place outside Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, where the show will run from November 11 through January 2, 2017. Scroll down for video... Radio City Rockettes from left,Jessica Davison, Lauren Renck, Christine Sienicki and Christine Walsh Warren pose with Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York Cardinal Dolan blessed the animals in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular All the animals were extremely well behaved as they gathered for their photoshoot One of the camels used in the live nativity scene in the annual production of the 'Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes' walks up 6th Avenue near Radio City Music Hall Radio City Rockette star Lauren Renck stands between camels during the blessing of animals Backstage during the The Living Nativity as seen during last years production The living nativity scene includes camels, sheep and a donkey and has been a part of the show since it first premiered in 1933 Camels walking along the sidewalk made for quite the unusual sight on Tuesday morning Camels love nothing more than a bit of window shopping when in New York Sheep are put into their position for the The Living Nativity scene in the show, seen in 2015 The Radio City Rockettes are a legendary dance company and have been a part of the fabric of New York City for decades Bill Clinton took the unusual step today of addressing his wife's email scandal in a Florida speech. Completely unprompted the Democratic White House candidate's husband said voters 'shouldn't' change their minds about casting a ballot for her in response to the FBI's announcement on Friday that it was reviewing new emails in relation to her case. Bill noted that Hillary has been endorsed by Republican security experts and news outlets that have historically backed the GOP's candidates for president such as the Arizona Republic and Dallas Morning News. 'So, you better tell your friends and neighbors that people who do this for a living have evaluated these charges and found them falling flat,' he said in at an early afternoon rally in Florida City, Florida. Bill Clinton took the unusual step today of addressing his wife's email scandal in a Florida speech. Completely unprompted the Democratic White House candidate's husband said voters 'shouldn't' change their mind about casting a ballot for her He also claimed that the Republican candidate in the race believes there's one set of rules for him and his 'crowd' and another set for everyone else - turning an attack that Donald Trump has repeatedly used against his family on the billionaire. The ex-president, who was kept away from press at the rally, did not wade into his wife's fight with FBI Director James Comey. That he referenced her email saga at all in his remarks in the influential state that has already begun voting was evidence that the episode is weighing heavily on his mind. Twice on Tuesday Bill brought up the drama surrounding Hillary's secret server. Early on in his remarks the retired politician recalled a speech he gave over the weekend in North Carolina. A homecoming event prevented the ministry from holding his speech inside the church, he said. 'For the first time in my life on Sunday I got to go to church services in a hotel,' he claimed. Bill said attendees chanted, 'Those emails aren't gonna change my mind. We already voted for Hillary. The bishop said that.' 'But what I want to tell you is that they shouldn't,' Bill told his Florida audience. 'So, you better tell your friends and neighbors that people who do this for a living have evaluated these charges and found them falling flat,' he said in at an early afternoon rally in Florida City, Florida Continuing, he said, 'Don't you think it's interesting that Hillary's opponent spends all of his time talking about this?' 'And yet most of the people who' have been tasked with 'protecting the security of this country for the last 20 years in both parties have endorsed her,' Bill said. 'They know what the real security issue is having somebody who will keep us safe and strong.' The chanting did happen, but it was on Saturday, not Sunday, as the former president said, and it was in Ohio, not North Carolina. Bill seemed to make another boo-boo later in his his speech as he told prospective voters that Trump was being secretive about his own emails. Mimicking a back and forth between his wife and Trump, Bill said, 'She says we're stronger together, he says no we're not. 'She says, answers are better than anger, he says, I like it when people are mad. That's the only way I can get any votes.' Clinton eventually said 'the only reason America's the longest lasting free democracy in history is that we all agree about the rules in which competition occurs and there has to be the same set of rules for everybody.' Hillary Clinton is also in Florida today. She's pictured here arriving in Lakeland on her campaign plane Imitating Trump again, Clinton said, 'Cooperation is always more important than conflict, and he says, no it's not. There ought to be one set of rules for me and my crowd and another set for you. 'I got 40 years of your tax returns, people have zero years of mine. That's fine. That's they way it ought to be. And on and on and on. 'You want to see my emails? You must be out your mind, let's look at hers. 'One set of rules for me, another set for everybody else. Cooperation over constant conflict.' Trump's emails have not been a subject of debate within the campaign. Hillary's came up because she was a government official using a privater server and email address to discuss sensitive information. The FBI investigated her communications and determined that she did not intentionally discuss classified information through the unsecure channel. New emails found on a computer belonging to the estranged husband of a top aide, Huma Abedin, have the FBI giving Clinton's case a second look. Russia's version of Nessie has made a new appearance in a remote lake in Siberia where it 'destroyed the fishing nets of a monster-watcher'. The so-called 'Labynkyr Devil' is believed to inhabit a lake so remote no-one lives within an almost 100 mile radius of its deep and icy waters. But travel guide and adventurer Andrey Solovyev, 32, is keeping a lonely all-winter vigil at the lakeside in the world's coldest region with temperatures dipping to below minus 50C, and claims the monster broke his fishing nets. Scroll down for video A strange sighting of the 'Russian Loch Ness monster' in Lake Labynkyr that's never been explained Andrey Solovyev, 32, (pictured) is keeping a lonely all-winter vigil at the lakeside in the world's coldest region and claims the monster broke his fishing nets The adventurer is staying at this house during the winter - where temperatures dip below 50C Tales of a Loch Ness-style monster have existed since at least the 19th century, and sonar readings of Lake Labynkyr indicate at last one giant creature lurks beneath surface, according to some scientists. There have been a number of 'sightings' over the years, and now Mr Solovyev claims he may have encountered the fabled monster. 'Two weeks ago when the ice was still not completely frozen some dark creature swam out of the lake - but I couldn't identify it,' he said. Asked if it could be the notorious 'devil', he said: 'It is quite possible, but I can't be certain.' He is surviving by fishing daily in ice holes at Lake Labynkyr, 3,100 miles east of Moscow, but said his nets were ripped apart. 'Some strange things were happening here, like in September when I set very robust nets and they were torn to shreds, like I could never imagine,' he said. 'I saw huge - meters in diameter - holes on these nets. 'It definitely wasn't done by a fish, even a pike couldn't bite through this net.' Mr Solovyev (pictured) is surviving by fishing daily in ice holes at Lake Labynkyr, 3,100 miles east of Moscow, but said his nets were ripped apart The inside of the house where Mr Solovyev is staying in Siberia The house Mr Solovyev is living in during the winter months - he claims he may have encountered the fabled monster Soviet geologist Viktor Tverdokhlebov studied the monster in Soviet times and wrote: 'There have been all sort of theories about what kind of creature it could be - a giant pike, a relic reptile or an amphibian. 'We did not manage to prove or to disprove these versions..... we managed to find remains of jaws and skeleton of some animal.' A report by Itogi magazine analysed the sightings and concluded: 'Comparing the stories we can say that it is 9-10 metres long, 1.2-1.5 metres wide. 'Its jaw is huge, up to one-third the size of its body, looking like a huge beak with lots of teeth, and there is a sort of bone-made horn on the top of the animal.' Legend suggests it lives in a secret underground passage between Labynkyr and a lake 20 miles away called Vorota. The water level of the two lakes are identical. Mr Solovyev, who is braving freezing temperatures, claims the monster broke his fishing nets There are more than 800,000 lakes in this region of Siberia, yet only two have rumours of monsters, Labynkyr and Vorota One theory is the lake is inhabited by a school of ichthyosaurs, prehistoric marine reptiles resembling dolphins or sharks, or long-necked plesiosaurs. Another is that relic killer whales could have become marooned in Labynkyr. Some accounts even suggest the 'creature' makes a hideous primeval cry as it attacks its prey. Associate Professor of Biogeography Dr Lyudmila Emeliyanova, of Moscow State University, recorded 'several seriously big underwater objects' with sonar readings on a trip to the lake. 'As a scientist, I cannot offer you any explanation of what this object might be,' she said. 'I do believe that when the information about something strange circulates among local people for so many years, it just can't be groundless, it means something is there,' she said. Screen Shot 2016-11-01 at 8.23.26 AM.png Good Tuesday Morning, Fellow Seekers. Just when you think Campaign 2016 couldn't get anymore surreal, this happens: Thank you, Morning Joe for at least helping to break up the mind-numbing insanity of the race for the White House with some good, old-fashioned weirdness. Onward ... The crowds at Republican Donald Trump's rallies might be shouting "Lock her up. Lock her up," but when it comes to which presidential candidate Pennsylvanians trust more, Democrat Hillary Clinton gets the nod. Even as fresh questions swirl about Clinton's use of a private server while she was Secretary of State, nearly a third of Pennsylvania voters (34 percent) say Clinton is more honest and trustworthy than Trump, according to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll out Tuesday. Before either side gets too self-satisfied, however, that still means that an overwhelming number of respondents to the poll don't trust either Trump or Clinton as Election Day closes in. If there's some consolation for the former Secretary of State, it's that Keystone State voters give an overwhelming edge in many of the key qualities they look for in a president. For instance: Respondents said, 61-17 percent, that she has the experience over Trump to be president. By a margin of 59-24 percent, respondents said Clinton is most prepared to handle foreign policy issues. Said, 48-25 percent, that Clinton has the character and good judgment to be president. By a margin of 45-33, respondents said Clinton best understands the concerns of everyday Americans. Ruled, 47-39 percent, that she's best qualified to protect the nation against terrorism And decided, 43-38 percent, that she is better prepared to tackle the nation's economic problems. The poll of 863 registered voters, including 652 likely voters, was completed largely before FBI Director James Comey announced late last week that the agency had reopened its email probe. Some 238 interviews were completed after Comey's Friday afternoon news drop. A plurality of registered voters (46 percent) held a favorable impression of Clinton, compared to 52 percent who viewed her unfavorably. Clinton's favorables remained static in the new poll (47 percent) in September, while her unfavorables rose nominally (50 percent) during the same one-month period. Nearly two-thirds of state voters (62 percent) viewed Trump unfavorably, compared to 60 percent in September. Trump's favorables also remained largely static, rising to 35 percent in October, compared to 32 percent in September. The survey includes 418 Democrats, 327 Republicans and 118 self-identified independents, with an overall margin of error of 4.4 percent. The sample of likely voters had a margin of error of 5.1 percent. The rest of the day's news starts now. GOP Veep nominee Mike Pence campaigns in Westmoreland County on Tuesday, The Tribune-Review reports. Pa. Dems have filed suit, accusing the Trump campaign, GOP of voter intimidation, The Post-Gazette reports. Here's the only thing you need to know about Philly today - if you're a commuter, life sucks. SEPTA is on strike. The Inquirer has all you need to know. So where's the highest rent in Philly? BillyPenn breaks it down. Here's your #Harrisburg Instagram of the Day: Dave Davies of NewsWorks/WHYY-FM profiles Pat Toomey 'long road to 2016.' And PennLive's Charlie Thompson has the F&M results from the Toomey/Katie McGinty match up. The Morning Call asks its readers whether companies should give their employees the day off for Election Day. In a new ad, Katie McGinty takes the fight directly to Pat Toomey (via PoliticsPA). Just when you think it couldn't get worse for John Podesta ... Marijuana legalization could get a boost in the Democratic Senate, Roll Call reports. What Goes On (Nakedly Political Edition). GOP Senate candidate John DiSanto holds a 5:30 p.m. reception at the Italian Lodge in Hershey. Admission runs $75 to $1,000. WolfWatch. Gov. Tom Wolf heads to Philly this morning for a 10 a.m. roundtable on Pre-K education at the United Way on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Heavy Rotation. Here's an old favorite from Love Spit Love that popped up on the way to work this morning. It's the utterly heartbreaking "Am I Wrong?" This from a live performance on the Conan O'Brien show. And now you're up to date. See you all back here in a bit. A Ukip leadership candidate said he supports bringing back the death penalty for paedophiles - but only if their victims are under 13. John Rees-Evans, one of four candidates in the race to replace Nigel Farage as Ukip leader, said his definition of a paedophile only applied to those attracted to 'pre-pubescent' children. Asked if all proven paedophiles should be subject to the death penalty, he said 'yes,' but immediately issued a remarkable caveat. He said: With paedophile, I wouldnt necessarily say someone who [is sexually attracted to a child who] looked 18 and was 15 and a half.' John Rees-Evans, one of four candidates in the race to replace Nigel Farage as Ukip leader, said his definition of a paedophile only applied to those attracted to 'pre-pubescent' children In a Ukip leadership debate with his three fellow candidates on LBC Radio tonight, he added: Obviously it depends on what you define as a paedophile. In some countries it is legal to get married much younger. It is the latest remark by Mr Rees-Evans to cause controversy. Since entering the Ukip leadership race last month he has had to face questions over his bizarre claim that a gay donkey raped his horse. He made the claim while campaigning as a parliamentary candidate in 2014 but dismissed the comment last week as 'playful banter'. He also faced questions over reports he took a handgun into an Ikea store in Bulgaria 'in case terrorists laid siege to the building'. His latest comments on paedophilia are likely to cause further outrage. John Rees-Evans made the controversial comments in the Ukip leadership hustings on LBC Radio tonight, alongside fellow candidates Paul Nuttall (left), Suzanne Evans (second left) and Peter Whittle Mr Rees-Evans said he supported the death penalty for child killers and child sex offenders but insisted on giving his own definition for paedophilia, describing it as 'someone who is pre-pubescent' 'I would have the death penalty for somebody [who is sexually attracted to a child] who is evidently pre-pubescent.' Asked by leadership rival Suzanne Evans if 13-year-olds were 'fair game,' Mr Rees-Evans replied: Theyre fair game for the current punishment that we dish out to people right now, yeah. Paul Nuttall, the Ukip leadership front-runner, said he fully supports bringing back capital punishment for certain crimes, such as child killers. A grand jury has indicted an Atlanta man accused of killing two 17-year-olds behind a suburban supermarket, prosecutors say. Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard announced on Tuesday that a grand jury indicted 20-year-old Jeffrey Hazelwood on charges including murder, aggravated assault and aggravated sexual battery. Lawrence Zimmerman, an attorney for Hazelwood, did not immediately have a comment on the charges. Prosecutors say Hazelwood killed Carter Davis and Natalie Henderson on August 1 in Roswell. A medical examiner's report said Henderson was found naked in a 'sexually suggestive position', while Davis was wearing only shorts with his arms outstretched on each side. Both teens had been fatally shot in the head. Indicted: Jeffrey Hazelwood, 20, has been charged with two counts of murder, three counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault among several others charges Police say Hazelwood did not know either of his victims - Natalie Henderson (left) or Carter Davis (right) - directly, and have been unable to ascertain a motive for the killings Howard said the investigation revealed that Hazelwood secretly watched the two teens behind the store before killing them. At an earlier hearing in August, detectives said they had been unable to find a link between the killer and his victims. During that hearing, family members of the victims wept in court as the new information was read out, while the lead detective also fought back tears on the stand. Detective Jennifer Bennett told a judge how Hazelwood's car was spotted alone outside a Publix store in Atlanta at around 3am on the morning of August 1, though she did not say why he was there. Some time later cars belonging to Henderson and Davis pulled into the parking lot and went behind the store before stopping there, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. Jeffrey Hazelwood, 20, appeared in court in August charged with the murders of 17-year-olds Natalie Henderson and Carter Davis, with disturbing details revealed in the case Relatives of Henderson and Davis wept as detectives told how Hazelwood spied on the pair 'for some time' before threatening them with a gun and forcing Henderson to strip Detective Jennifer Bennett also fought tears as she told how Hazelwood forced Henderson to bend over before spanking her and then shooting her in the head Police say that Henderson and Davis's bodies were found laid out in one of these parking spaces behind a Publix store. Hazelwood had spied on them from the roof Henderson and Davis then climbed into the backseat of her car, while Hazelwood, who was on the roof of the store, watched them from above. Bennett said Hazelwood spied on the couple 'for some time' before approaching her vehicle with a gun he had stolen from his grandfather's truck. Hazelwood said he became scared of Davis, and so shot him in the head, police said according to WTOC. Cops say he then forced Henderson, who was partially clothed, to climb out of the car and remove the rest of her clothing. He then forced the teen to bend over the bonnet of the car and spanked her, Bennett said, before shooting her once in the head. Hazelwood also claimed to have digitally penetrated Henderson before she died, though an autopsy report revealed no trauma to her genital area Hazelwood also claimed to have digitally penetrated the teen, though an autopsy report showed no signs of genital trauma. Cops say Hazelwood took jumper cables from Davis's vehicle and stole Henderson's debit card, before making his way to a nearby gas station. Officers say they used social media to track the alleged killer, before honing in on the gas station when Hazelwood tried to use Henderson's card. Hazelwood initially said he drove the killer to the scene but did not carry out the murders, before later saying he had been forced to do it by someone else When they arrived, officers said they found Hazelwood pacing around shirtless, wearing a V for Vendetta mask similar to those worn by anti-capitalist protesters, and acting erratically. Inside his vehicle they found a 9mm pistol along with a can of gas. After being arrested Hazelwood initially claimed he had been present during the killings and seen the bodies fall to the ground, but did not know who carried out the murders, police say. He later changed his story, saying he had driven the killer to the scene, before admitting he was responsible for the deaths, according to investigators. However, he also told detectives that somebody else made him kill the pair. During questioning police say Hazelwood continued acting unusually, switching to a British accent to answer difficult questions. Bennett added that Hazelwood's grandparents, who he was living with at the time of the murders, were afraid of him and had ordered him to move out of their house by August. They had previously reported Hazelwood to police for taking knives and guns from their safe and 'threatening to hurt people', records show, though he has no criminal history having never been convicted of a crime. Officers say that Hazelwood's grandparents, who he was living with at the time of the killings, were afraid of him and had ordered him to leave by August Hazelwood also wrote extensively, officers say, and had discussed becoming an assassin in journals found at his girlfriend's house Detectives added that Hazelwood also wrote extensively, and kept a lot of ledgers at his girlfriend's house, writing in one that he wanted to be an assassin. Police said Hazelwood did not know either Carter or Henderson directly, but knew one of Davis's friends. Judge Karen Smith Woodson ruled there was enough evidence to send the case to trial, adding sexual assault to the long list of charges Hazelwood faces. Hazelwood, who is being held in custody without bond, was reported to be shaking and rocking back and forth during the hearing. During his first court appearance Hazelwood had been shaking uncontrollably, visibly twitching his head, and appeared to pet an invisible dog while wearing a wedding band, despite the fact he's not married. Friday's court appearance came the day after autopsy reports for Henderson and Davis were released by Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office. The reports contain more police testimony, saying that Henderson and Davis's bodies had been posed after death. Henderson was in a 'sexually suggestive pose' with her legs spread wide, detectives said, while Davis was shirtless and had his arms stretched out in the shape of a cross. When he was arrested Hazelwood was found shirtless, pacing around in a gas station parking lot and wearing a Guy Fakwes mask from film V for Vendetta (file image) Both victims had been shot once in the head, the report says, and while no shell casings were recovered from the scene, examiners concluded the weapon to be a revolver. Henderson had blood and hair smeared on the inside of her thigh, while both victims had blood on their feet. Davis had a burn injury on his left big toe, while Henderson had one on her right big toe, though it is not clear if these were caused on the night they died. Henderson also had a laceration on her nose, bruising to her lips and eyes, and had a feather placed in her hair, according to detectives. Sexual assault kits were prepared for both victims, though the outcome of these tests is not known. Williams hopes he can use it to prove that Clinton is his father Bill Clinton self-proclaimed secret love child is appealing to borrow Monica Lewinsky's notorious stained dress to conduct DNA testing. Danney Lee Williams Jr., 30, believes that the former White House intern's famous blue dress contains the key to proving that he is the former president's illegitimate son. Williams has long claimed that he is the son of Clinton who met his prostitute mother, Bobbie Ann, while she was working on the streets of Little Rock, Arkansas, he claims. The 30-year-old's claims garnered international attention in 1992, as then-Arkansas Gov Clinton was gearing up to run for president. Bill Clinton self-proclaimed secret love child, Danney Lee Williams Jr., is appealing to borrow Monica Lewinsky's (right) notorious stained dress to conduct DNA testing But a DNA test, reported by a tabloid during the 1990s, stated that Williams could not possibly be Clinton's son and eventually the story was dropped. Yet questions remained about the accuracy of the test. Just last month, Williams had threatened to sue Clinton unless the former president unless he submitted to a new DNA test. But now he believes he has found a new solution. Williams told Radar that he hopes to be able to borrow Lewinsky's dress to compare his DNA to that of Clinton. Lewinsky, now 43, testified during Clinton's impeachment inquiry, that the stain on her GAP dress resulted from a sex act that she performed on the former president while she was an intern at the White House in February 1997. FBI tests later revealed that the semen matched Clinton's DNA. Danney Lee Williams Jr., 30, believes that the former White House intern's famous blue dress (pictured in black and white) contains the key to proving that he is the former president's illegitimate son 'I done my homework and I saw they returned the dress to her after the tests and I thought why not ask her for it. I'm praying on it that she will make this happen for me. I'm sure [the Clintons] hurt her as they hurt me.' 'I believe Hillary told my dad I would ruin her chances of being in the White House,' continued Williams. 'I feel she cut him off from being in my life, but this isn't political.' The father-of-five's letter to Lewinsky, seen by Radar, claims that his requests for Clinton to voluntarily provide a blood sample have been ignored. 'Now I face the prospect of a long drawn-out paternity lawsuit in the State of Arkansas which lawyers tell me could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of litigation,' wrote Williams. 'I am not a rich person and would have [to] try to raise the mountain of money needed to pay for the lawsuit.' 'I respectfully request you provide the sample of genetic matter we require so that we may match it with my own sample,' he added. But it is possible Lewinsky may not even have the infamous dress any more. In an interview with Vanity Fair magazine in 2014, the ex-White House intern spoke of her desire to move beyond her affair with Clinton, saying: 'It's time to burn the beret and bury the blue dress.' She added: 'I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton.' Last month, just an hour before the final presidential debate, Williams held a press conference where he announced he was planning to file a lawsuit against the Clintons unless Bill agreed to submit to a new test. 'I have compelling reasons to believe I am the son of former president Clinton,' he told reporters at a Las Vegas hotel. 'I am simply seeking the truth. I respectfully request DNA from President Clinton to determine paternity. I have had no response to my requests, so today I have authorized my attorneys.. to file a lawsuit in New York state to get... an order for a supervised test.' In December, Danney started a Facebook page under the name Danney Williams-Clinton, and has been posting several comparison shots between himself and Clinton in order to show a resemblance Danney's mother claims Clinton laughed at her when she told him that she believed her son was his Williams said he had been seeking a paternity test for his entire adult life. The father-of-five said that he was demanding a new DNA test because the 1999 test, was inconclusive. According to the Drudge Report, Star magazine had conducted the paternity test using the DNA analysis from the Kenneth Starr impeachment report which reviewed analysis on the semen stain on Lewinsky's dress with Clinton's blood sample. Star's 1999 report had compared that analysis with samples from Danney and Bobbie and concluded that Clinton could not be the father. But Slate magazine reported that it would be impossible to determine whether Clinton was Danney's father with the 'imprecise' data. Slate argued in 1999 that the paternity test, because it was based on the limited analysis provided in the Starr Report and not a new DNA sample, was inconclusive. The magazine stated that the FBI actually performed two genetic fingerprinting tests on Clinton's DNA but the Starr report had only provided data on the less specific of the two tests. 'I would love a DNA test to be done,' he said. 'All my life I've been told Bill Clinton is my father,' he added. 'Everywhere I go, people say this is Bill Clinton's son, he looks just like him. All I want to know is where I come from.' Monica Lewinsky famously kept the 'DNA-stained' blue dress, which she wore during her liaisons with then-President Bill Clinton in the nineties (pictured with him in 1996) She had been just 22 years old when she first began her affair with Clinton, who was married to Hillary Clinton and residing at the White House (pictured at federal court in 1998 in Washington, to testify before the federal grand jury about her affair with Clinton) Williams, who goes by the name Danney Williams-Clinton on Facebook, was brought up by his aunt Lucille Bolton, because his mother was constantly in and out of prison when he was growing up. The Globe interviewed Danney's mother, Bobbie Anne Williams, in the 1990s, who told the story of how she allegedly met and began a relationship with Clinton in 1984. She says Clinton went out for a run one day in Little Rock, when he jogged by her housing project and introduced himself to her. She was 24 years old at the time. A few days later, Clinton allegedly jogged by the housing project again and paid Bobbie $200 for her to have sex with him behind some bushes. After that, Bobbie says that she and Clinton regularly had sex, sometimes alone, sometimes with other female partners THE INFAMOUS HISTORY OF THAT DRESS Monica Lewinsky famously kept the 'DNA-stained' blue dress, which she wore during her liaisons with then-President Bill Clinton in the nineties. She had been just 22 years old when she first began her affair with Clinton, who was married to Hillary Clinton and residing at the White House. Their illicit rendezvous hit the headlines in 1998. Lewinsky claimed to have had sexual relations with Clinton nine times between 1995 and 1997 - something that Clinton initially swore to be false. Lewinsky said her relationship with the president had involved oral sex but not sexual intercourse - and famously kept her blue dress, which she said was stained with Clinton's DNA. In late July, 1998, Lewinsky turned the uncleaned dress over to Kenneth Starr's investigators after signing an immunity agreement. On August 3, a blood sample was taken from Clinton. Fourteen days later, the FBI reported that Clinton was the source of the semen on the dress 'to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty.' Clinton later admitted in taped grand jury testimony that he had had an 'improper physical relationship' with Lewinsky, before confessing to the affair on TV. Clinton was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives, but acquitted by the Senate in December 1998. Both he and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary have since moved on. Last year, Lewinsky was reportedly been offered a whopping $1million for her dress. The 41-year-old has been offered the enormous sum of money by the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, which had previously tried to pay her a smaller $250,000 for the infamous GAP dress. Advertisement Eventually, Bobbie became pregnant and she suspected that it was Clinton's child. But when she told the governor, he allegedly laughed in her face. 'He rubbed my big belly and said, 'Girl, that can't be my baby.' But I knew it was. I just had this kind of woman's feeling that this was his child.' Bobbie told The Globe. She became even more sure when she gave birth to the baby boy on December 7, 1985, because the boy's skin tone was so light. Bobbie says her son could only be Clinton's because he was her only white client at the time she got pregnant. Shortly after giving birth though, Bobbie was imprisoned, and Bolton started taking care of the young boy. Danney's mother, Bobbie Ann Williams (right), says Bill Clinton paid her for sex on several occasions in 1984, around the time she became pregnant. When she gave birth to her son, she says she knew it was Clinton's because of her son's light skin tone. Bobbie claims Clinton was the only white client she had at the time Bolton is said to be the first person who tried to force the former governor to take a DNA test, and reportedly spoke about the matter with Hillary herself. When the governor's office began shutting her out, a local activist took up the cause and started spreading a flyer about the matter titled 'The Hottest Thing Going: Bill Clinton's D*** Will Keep Him From Running for President of the United States of America'. Bolton said she once took Danney to the Governor's Mansion in Little Rock in a bid to confront the Clintons but they were chased off the grounds. 'There was a car coming out of the front gate, right. When the gate swings open, I ran up in there and ran behind the gate.' 'In 1995 when my father was president of the United States, the state of Arkansas put us in foster care,' he says in the nine-minute video. 'I lived in foster homes. 'It made me feel horrible because I know his child, Chelsea, was well taken care of and we was house-to-house, hungry at nights.' He said he dropped out of school in 11th grade to work in a donut shop to support his brothers and sisters. Police then found 70 grams of bulk heroin in their hotel room, which is enough to fill another 2,3000 bags with an $11,500 street value Michael Anthony Persaud, who goes by Montana Millz, was arrested alongside Tiffany Irizarry at Days Inn Hotel in Lebanon, Pennsylvania A rapper behind the song titled Sell Drugz is now behind bars after he allegedly sold 70 bags of heroin to an undercover police officer. Michael Anthony Persaud, 29, was arrested alongside Tiffany Irizarry, 28, on Friday in the parking lot of a Days Inn Hotel in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Authorities said they found 70 grams of bulk heroin in the couple's room, enough to fill another 2,300 bags with an approximate street value of $11,500. Rapper Michael Anthony Persaud, 29, was arrested alongside Tiffany Irizarry, 28, for allegedly selling 70 bags of heroin to an undercover police officer in Pennsylvania on Friday Authorities said they found 70 grams of bulk heroin in Persaud's room, enough to fill another 2,300 bags with an approximate street value of $11,500 Cutting agents - which are used to dilute recreational drugs - were found in the room as well, along with a grinder and new packaging material, according to the Lebanon District Attorney's Office. Persaud, who is signed to the Alien Music Group, posted this picture of half a million dollars on Instagram earlier this year and gave a shout out to his record label Persaud, who goes by the stage name Montana Millz, and Irizarry were arrested in connection to a 'month-long investigation throughout the city', according to Lebanon Daily News. Both Persaud and Irizarry are from Johnston, Rhode Island. The rapper, who is signed to the Alien Music Group label, has been charged with possession of heroin, possession with intent to deliver, criminal conspiracy and criminal use of communication facility, among others. Irizarry's charges include possession of heroin, possession with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal conspiracy. They are both being held at the Lebanon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 bail. Persaud's catalog includes songs titled Gun Play, Armed and Ready and Groupie Hoes. Persaud's catalog includes songs titled Gun Play, Armed and Ready and Groupie Hoes. He now faces nine drug-related charges The Russian escort accused of extorting close to $400,000 from disgraced politician Eliot Spitzer hid behind her hair as she was indicted on multiple counts in a Manhattan courtroom on Tuesday. Svetlana Travis Zakharova, 26, is facing 20 counts of larceny and forgery for targeting Spitzer and two other victims who have not yet been named. She allegedly managed to extort $50,000 from one of those men and used the other man's information to rent apartments without his knowledge. Bail was continued at $1million and Zakharova is due back in court early next month. Scroll down for video Svetlana Travis Zakharova (above), 26, was indicted on 20 counts of larceny and forgery in a Manhattan court on Tuesday The Russian escort is accused of extorting close to $400,000 from disgraced politician Eliot Spitzer She also allegedly extorted $50,000 from a second man and used the information of a third man to rent apartments without his knowledge The case is being handled by Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark after Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. recused himself because of the close ties between his office and Spitzer, the former governor of New York. Zakharova was allegedly given checks made out in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $50,000 over a two-year period by Spitzer and then transferred the money to Russian bank accounts. She left New York City in February after an encounter with Spitzer in her room at The Plaza Hotel which left her in the hospital. Zakharova later told authorities that she was assaulted by Spitzer in her suite at the luxury hotel when she informed him of her plans to return to Moscow. Zakharova hid her face behind her hair while appearing in court on Tuesday Zakharova(left) managed to obtain close to $400,000 from Spitzer (left) Spitzer admitted to his relationship with Zakharova in July when he filed suit against the Russian national and said he had been paying her money in exhange for her silence. He claimed in those documents that Zakharova had demanded hundreds of thousands of dollars and trips to Paris or she would 'ruin his life.' This came eight years after Spitzer resigned as governor in 2008 amid revelations that he had sex with prostitutes. Rachel Dolezal's memoir will be released in March but she's already facing backlash after announcing it was available for pre-order Rachel Dolezal's memoir won't be released for another five months, but already the critiques are starting to pile up. The former NAACP leader, who became a national sensation after it was revealed she was a race faker, announced her book was available for pre-order on Amazon. Dolezal's Instagram announcement about her memoir, titled In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World, was immediately met with backlash. 'Please tell me what she knows about being a REAL TRUE black woman?' one user commented on Dolezal's post. 'You'll NEVER know our struggles and I don't care how much dark spray tan you put on.' Another commenter tried to plead directly with Dolezal, telling her she should be a 'white ally' instead of a 'civil rights leader underneath a lie'. 'You really don't understand the Black Experience because you still hold your white privilege,' they added. 'To get a book published because of your lie is a slap in the face to all of the struggling Black Women authors that cannot land a book deal due to prejudices.' The book is described as the story of Dolezal's path from being a child of white Evangelical parents to 'an NAACP president and respected educator and activist who identified as black' Writers on Twitter have since hit back at Dolezal's book, voicing their concerns that she was writing about discrimination when black women are underrepresented in the publishing world The book is described as the story of Dolezal's path from being a child of white Evangelical parents to 'an NAACP chapter president and respected educator and activist who identified as black'. Dolezal will explore the 'deep emotional bond' she developed with her four adopted black siblings and the 'sense of belonging she felt while living in black communities', according to the synopsis. The $15 hardcover book, which is 256 pages, will also discuss 'the discrimination' Dolezal claims to have suffered 'while living as a black woman'. 'Her story is nuanced and complex, and in the process of telling it, she forces us to consider race in an entirely new light,' the synopsis concludes. 'Not as a biological imperative, but as a function of the experience we have, the culture we embrace, and, ultimately, the identity we choose.' A number of writers on Twitter have since hit back at Dolezal's book, voicing their concerns that she was writing about discrimination when black women are underrepresented in the publishing world. The $15 hardcover book said it would discuss 'the discrimination' Dolezal claims to have suffered 'while living as a black woman' - which Twitter found hard to believe 'Rachel Dolezal wrote a memoir about being "discriminated against" but real Black women have trouble finding literary agents', wrote Evette Dionne. 'Rachel Dolezal got a a book deal, meanwhile, black writers sometimes can't even get articles published. How annoying,' added Ivie Okechukwu-Ani. 'If the first line of Rachel Dolezal's book isn't "I'm White" I'm not interested,' added another. Hanif Abdurraqib and Gabino Iglesias both encouraged their followers to buy or share news about books written by black women or people of color rather than publicizing Dolezal's memoir. And other users were just angry to see Dolezal's name back in headlines. 'Why are people still paying attention to Rachel Dolezal,' one user wrote. 'The first week it was funny but now its played out.' 'Which white actress in blackface will play Rachel Dolezal in the Lifetime movie based on her hack book about her life of a lie?' asked Janee Woods. The book's synopsis concludes that Dolezal's 'nuanced and complex' story will force people 'to consider race in an entirely new light' But many writers encouraged their followers to buy or share news about books written by black women or people of color rather than publicizing or reading Dolezal's memoir Dolezal made international headlines after her parents revealed she was a white woman pretending to be black. The educator resigned from her post as the Spokane, Washington NAACP leader and also lost her job as an adjunct instructor at Eastern Washington University. Dolezal later conceded that she 'was biologically born white to white parents', and compared herself to Caitlyn Jenner, claiming race is 'not coded in your DNA' and should be viewed like gender or religion. Since the scandal, Dolezal has given birth to her third child, a boy named Langston Attickus Dolezal. She now makes a living by braiding hair, specializing in styles popular among African-American women, according to The Daily Beast. In September Dolezal spoke at BraidOn Economic Liberty Parade and Festival, an event focused on African-American hair. Murderer Vincent Stanford was sentenced to life in prison last month His daughter Stephanie was found dead days before she was to marry The father of Stephanie Scott who died in a freak accident has been remembered by former students for his dad jokes and making them 'better people'. Robert Scott was struck by a falling tree as he was clearing bush at the family farm near Canowindra, in New South Wales' central west, on Tuesday. His death is the second tragedy for the tight-knit family, coming just 18 months after Mr Scott's daughter and bride-to-be was killed by school cleaner Vincent Stanford. Former Year 7 students from Canowindra High School were shocked by the news and shared stories on social media about how Mr Scott taught them metal work, told hilarious jokes and made them 'better people'. 'You always had the lamest jokes that actually made us all laugh with how silly they were,' Natika Ann shared on Facebook. Scroll down for video On Tuesday, Robert Scott's daughter Kim (pictured, centre) shared a picture on Facebook after he was tragically killed by a falling tree on the family's farm Mr Scott's former Year 7 student Natika Ann (pictured) remembered him for teaching her right from wrong and his hilarious dad jokes 'I remember our first lesson in Year 7 and you were telling us how to draw and all about the "German pencil sharpener". 'You had us believing it was the best thing since sliced bread and since then it's the only brand I'll buy.' Mr Scott taught at Canowindra High School for 15 years before he retired at the end of 2015. Ms Ann said he taught her how to make candle holders and tool boxes in metal work class and 'made high school enjoyable'. Other students said Mr Scott was responsible for his daughter's passion and talent for teaching. After the devastating accident, it was revealed the Scott family were 'beside themselves' with their second tragedy in just 18 months. Police and paramedics rushed to the Canowindra property about 12pm Tuesday following reports a 59-year-old man had died. It was believed Mr Scott had gone to the property on Monday and failed to return home, 9 News reported. Together for justice: Mr Scott stood by his wife Merrilyn as she read out a statement outside Griffith Local Court on October 13 Robert Scott (left), father of late school teacher Stephanie Scott, has died in a freak accident. Here, he is pictured speaking at a memorial for his daughter in April 2015 His former Year 7 students from Canowindra High School were shocked by the news and shared stories on social media about Mr Scott Robert's daughter Stephanie (pictured with him as a child, left; and right with her mother Merrilyn) died last year just days before she was to marry her fiance Aaron Leeson-Woolley A Facebook tribute page set up for the murdered bride-to-be 'Remembering our Stephanie', now bears messages for her father. 'I can not believe this. Robert Scott was a tower of strength and goodness,' one user posted. Mr Scott smiled and had a beer with family after his daughter's killer was sentenced to life in October 'This is so unfair. May you fly high with your beautiful daughter Stephanie.' Another added: 'How much suffering for one family? Thoughts with you all on loss the of your father and husband.' Stephanie - a teacher just like her father - was murdered by school cleaner Vincent Stanford in April 2015. He was sentenced to life behind bars on October 13. Her burnt body was found in the Cocoparra National Park just a day before she was to marry her fiance, Aaron Leeson-Woolley. Ms Scott would have turned 28-years-old last month. Stanford, 25, was condemned by a judge as a 'very disturbed individual' who showed 'not the slightest bit of remorse'. Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed that Stanford plans to appeal his life sentence for the horrific murder. Mr Scott stood by his wife Merrilyn outside of court last month, as she read a powerful statement about the 'difficult and harrowing time' they had been through together. Students said Mr Scott was responsible for his daughter's passion and talent for teaching Facebook tribute page set up for the murdered bride-to-be now bears messages for her father The shocking second tragedy for the Scott family has left many devastated Mrs Scott told reporters her daughter would want them to resume their normal lives. 'Stephanie embodied all that is good about humankind,' she said. 'She made a tangible difference to the lives of so many people. 'Stephanie would want us to resume our lives. 'We need to be kind to ourselves, and let the music and fun back in. 'We need to be able to fade from public view, to mourn our beautiful girl and work our way through our grief.' In a separate development, Stanford's legal team lodged a notice of intention to appeal last week. He has six months from October 28 to lodge any appeal. Fighting tonight broke out between rival gangs of alleged unaccompanied children hoping to get to Britain from Calais. CRS riot police were called to the site of the former Jungle camp, which was razed last week in a high profile operation carried out by the French authorities. While up to 7,000 migrants were ejected, up to 1,500 youngsters were left behind in a temporary centre made out of former shipping containers. Up to 1,500 youngsters were left behind in a temporary centre made out of former shipping containers It was members of this group who tonight took part in the brawl, which started at around 6pm by a Christian place of worship that was left intact during the demolition of the Jungle. 'A fight broke out in the southern part of Calais camp between more than a hundred Eritrean and Afghan migrant children,' said a spokesman for the prefecture that covers Calais. 'The security forces intervened immediately to separate the two groups, and security was strengthened in the temporary reception centre.' Order was restored by around 7pm, and there were not thought to have been any arrests or serious injuries. Riot police were called to the site of the former Jungle refugee camp this evening, and order was restored after around an hour A correspondent for the AFP news agency said he saw the two gangs fighting by the place of worship, which is commonly referred to as church, even though it has not been consecrated. It has been left behind along with two mosques for the Muslim youngsters to pray in. The French government is still struggling to deal with the 1,500 unaccompanied minors who live in what remains of the Jungle. French president Francois Hollande has urged Britain to take its share of responsibility for these these migrant children, especially as many say they have family in the UK. Britain has so far agreed to take in about 250 of them, but there are suspicions that many are not in fact children at all. An aerial view of the camp today following its demolition A UK government spokesman said last week that Britain remained 'firmly committed to working with the French to safeguard and protect children who remain in Calais - and that includes transferring eligible children to the UK safely and as soon as possible'. Many of the 5,000 people officially evacuated from the Jungle have been taken to reception centres around France, where they will be processed. But thousands more have headed off alone, and many are determined to get to Britain still. A number have headed to Paris, where some 3000 mainly young migrant men are sleeping rough close to the Eurostar hub in the north of the city. It was a bank holiday in France today (tues), but the French authorities have pledged to clear the capital's streets by the end of the week. A new documentary has revealed how former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il made fun of his small stature and bemoaned how people in the secretive state were 'close minded'. The secret recordings were made to South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and his estranged actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, who were kidnapped and forced to make films in the North. Their dramatic story is the subject of a new film called 'The Lovers and the Despot' which examines the 17 movies they produced for Kim, who was desperate to transform the country into a movie powerhouse. It also details the emotional reunion with their families following their escape after eight years. South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and his estranged actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, were kidnapped and forced to make films in the North Kim, who before he succeeded his father as leader, was in charge of the country's film industry and was obsessed with movies. His adored James Bond films as well as first Rambo movie. He found the North's filmmakers lacking in creative talent and so came up with an desperate plot to fix that, by kidnapping the most successful movie star and producer in the South. In 1978, he abducted director Shin Sang-ok and his wife, Choi Eun-hee, and forced them to make films for him in the shadowy North. Kim, who before he succeeded his father as leader, was in charge of the country's film industry and was obsessed with movies After being kidnapped, they were kept apart and held in solitary confinement for five years. Eventually, in 1983, when it was believed they had been indoctrinated, they started making films for Kim. The pair created 17 movies for the dictator until their escape in 1986. The film 'Lovers and the Despot' by creators Ross Adam and Rob Cannan examines their time in the despotic state, which includes secret recordings of their meetings with Kim. In them, he openly talks about his frustrations with the country's 'useless' film industry and its dearth of creative talent. They covertly filmed him with a hidden micro-casette recorder in Choi's handbag, CNN reported. The couple with Kim after they were kidnapped and lived in the North for eight years He told them: 'We don't have any films that get into film festivals. They are all dogmatic. But in South Korea, they have better technology. They are like college students; we are just in nursery school. People here are so close minded. 'Why do our films always have the same ideological stories? Why are there so many crying scenes?' He added: '[They are] stuck inside the fence [and that] they only see their own things and they are happy with it.' On a more personal note, according to Choi, he made fun of his tiny frame when he first met her. 'Look at me,' she said he told her. 'Aren't I small?' South Korean actress Choi pictured alongside movie star Marilyn Monroe in 1954 In 1986 the couple, who had won Kim's trust, were allowed to travel to Vienna where they fled, eventually reaching the US. A year earlier they had smuggled the secret tapes and an intermediary brought the recordings to the State Department in 1985. The tapes were crucial for intelligence as it was believed to be the first time anyone in the US government had heard Kim's voice. October comes less than one week after Rupert Murdoch very publicly discussed her contract negotiations Those number helped Fox News top CNN and MSNBC in weekday ratings for the month of October The O'Reilly Factor did however managed to bet out The Kelly File in overall viewers, with 3.383million viewers turning in nightly versus 2.984million Kelly pulled in an average of 641,000 viewers a night in that key demo, 20,000 more than her fellow Fox News host Bill O'Reilly for the month of October among viewers aged 25 to 54 October was big month for Fox News host Megyn Kelly, who managed to beat all other cable news programs in the key demo. Among individuals aged 25 to 54, Kelly pulled in an average nightly audience of 641,000 viewers, putting her 20,000 viewers ahead of fellow Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. The O'Reilly Factor did however managed to bet out The Kelly File in overall viewers, with 3.383million viewers turning in nightly versus 2.984million for Kelly's program. Sean Hannity meanwhile finished third in both overall viewers and the key demo, part of the reason Fox News topped CNN and MSNBC in weekday ratings for the month. Scroll down for video Big win: Megyn Kelly (above in 2014 with Bill O'Reilly) was the most watched cable news program for the month of October among viewers aged 25 to 54 This ratings news comes less than one week after Kelly reportedly got quite the shock when she read an interview Rupert Murdoch gave about her private contract negotiations just before she was set to tape her live news program. Murdoch made the decision to make the negotiations very public by granting an interview to one of the newspapers his company News Corp. owns, The Wall Street Journal. Variety spoke with a a person familiar with Kellys thinking who said that the host was 'bemused' by Murdoch's actions but not so upset that she would consider leaving Fox News because of his questionable negotiating strategy. In the interview, Murdoch said that keeping Kelly is a priority, but that he has other hosts who could take over the program should she try and go to a rival network. '[W]e have a deep bench of talent, many of whom would give their right arm for that spot,' said Murdoch. Kelly, who is said to be making $15million this year, is reportedly looking to make more than $20million when she renegotiates her contract next July. Kelly's star has continued to rise over the past year, and next month she will be releasing her first book, Settle For More. It has also been revealed that Kelly will be appearing Live With Kelly! the day after the election, marking the first time she is set to appear on Ripa's morning show as a co-host. Her popularity is one of the main reasons Murdoch says he wants to get her contract signer 'very soon.' He added however that whether or not Kelly stays at the network is 'up to her.' It is unclear where Kelly might land if she does not stay with Fox News, but CNN seems like a very likely possibility for the popular host. Kelly also has a huge fan in CNN head honcho Jeff Zucker, who called her a 'tremendous anchor' earlier this year. And former CNN president Jon Klein applauded Kelly for not backing down to Donald Trump in the first Republican debate when she questioned him about his treatment of women, this despite the fact that her then boss Roger Ailes was a supporter of the Republican nominee. 'To be able to stand up and ask tough questions to your boss's choice of president shows a certain steeliness,' said Klein. Victory: Kelly (above last week) pulled in an average of 641,000 viewers a night in the key demo, 20,000 more than her fellow Fox News host Bill O'Reilly The article also points out that Kelly also separated herself from other Fox News anchors during the internal investigation into Ailes' alleged sexual harrassment by speaking with the lawyers hired to look into the claims being made by former host Gretchen Carlson. That revelation about Kelly's speaking with investigators was confirmed by people who were familiar with the matter. Some have said that Kelly is set to be the center of Fox News after the exit of Ailes, but Murdoch shot down those claims saying: 'We're not changing direction ... that would be business suicide.' Murdoch also said that he wants to make sure Bill O'Reilly also resigns with the network when his contract is up next month. One rival news executive told Vanity Fair in August that the rivalry between Kelly and O'Reilly has devolved to the point that one of them will likely leave when their contracts expire. O'Reilly shot down reports of a feud between himself and Kelly in June however, telling The Hollywood Reporter: 'Oh, thats all fabricated. Shes in a totally different part of the building. The last time I saw Megyn Kelly was in Detroit in March [at the Fox News GOP debate].' Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Fox News said: '[Fox News President] Bill Shine and [Executive Vice President, Programming & Development] Suzanne Scott have maintained a close relationship with Bill and Megyn for years and have helped both of them in many instances, all while co-existing under the same roof.' Kelly has previously hinted that she would be willing to leave the network where she has worked for the last 12 years. 'There's a lot of brain damage that comes from the job. There was probably less brain damage when I worked in the afternoon. I was less well known. I had far less conflict in my life,' Kelly said in an interview with Variety earlier this year. 'I also have three kids who are soon going to be school from 8am to 3pm I come to work at 3:30. I like to see my children.' Take that: News of Kelly's big win for the month of October comes less than one week after Rupert Murdoch (above in 2014) very publicly discussed her contract negotiations Kelly says she's thought about hosting her own talk show but isn't sure 'what the market looks like for that in 2016' and just doesn't think 'that's the perfect thing for me'. As for co-hosting a morning show like Today, Kelly said she's tried that before and she's not much of a morning person. 'You have to wake up so early. The alarm goes off at 3:30am,' said Kelly. 'When I did America's Newsroom, which started at 9am, I remember saying to the makeup artist at the time, "If you could only know the afternoon me, you'd like me so much better.'" The video above was recorded by a campaign tracker at the private Ruby fundraising event, Keep Ruby Weird on October 28, 2016, in the final days of the campaign. The video depicts known JavaScript agitant Justin Searls, who spoke for approximately 27 minutes at the rally with a message that advocated restoring Ruby to its former prominence in the open source software community. While the content of the speech contained pointed populist rhetoric, it did not present any specific policy proposals. Opponents to Ruby have raised concerns that the strong language used by Searls will only embolden Rubys most radical proponents to take action against JavaScript, the open, standards-based language of the Future. Sources in the campaign say that prominent JavaScript leaders are alarmed, fearing that the Ruby communitys counter-cultural message could attract developers frustrated by JavaScripts slow-moving, deliberate standards bodies to move the web forward. Campaign officials worry that if a cohesive movement organizes around a non-JavaScript language, it could set back their goal of establishing a new world order in which 100% of new software across the world is finally written in JavaScript. Test Double does not endorse the contents of this video and Searls has been placed on paid conference speaking leave, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. 00:24 > Brandon: Ok. While 00:27 Justin is setting up. This is Justin 00:30 Searls. Does everybody know Justin? Hi Justin! 00:33 > Justin: Hello. 00:36 Are you guys ready to hear a talk? 00:39 You believe that you're 00:42 ready for my talk? 00:45 Because I guarantee you are not. 00:51 > Brandon: Alright. So here is 00:54 the real fact about someone who is not Justin 00:57 This person, joined the Army 01:00 to rappel out of helicopters and shoot wire 01:03 guided missiles at tanks. It's a true 01:06 fact, but it is not true about Justin so far as I know 01:21 So, most people don't know this about Justin 01:24 But, 01:27 he tweets. On the Internet 01:30 This is a little know fact about Justin 01:33 Is that he says things on Twitter 01:36 > Brandon: And, he, umm 01:39 > Brandon: Alright, I have a fake 01:44 He once tweeted a rant so powerful that he made the 01:47 fail whale cry 01:50 > Justin: This is a young crowd. I don't know if 01:54 That was back when Twitter was written with Ruby 02:00 > Brandon: Everybody, Justin Searls, who is 02:03 really great. 02:09 > Justin: Alright, just gotta get set up here. It's a 02:12 complicated talk 02:15 One complication is that I'm not going 02:18 myself. 02:21 I'm going to give this talk as somebody else. 02:27 Alright, just gotta button this up 02:30 And, we're off! 02:33 Woo! 02:36 What a great room, Austinhands down 02:39 one of my favorite cities. I was telling 02:42 how TREMENDOUS the crowds in 02:45 Thank you Brandon, he's a really nice 02:48 Alright, please 02:51 live-tweet all of your grievance to 02:57 We good? Alright. 03:00 Oh No! 03:03 > Audience: You got a bum mic! 03:06 Oh, right, yeah 03:09 This is a 03:12 dongle conspiracy. 03:15 It's rigged, yeah! 03:18 Now it just fell out 03:21 We're going to start this one 03:27 Here, I'm going to try this way. Ok, so 03:30 let's just call that a do-over 03:36 I just ordered the new MacBook Pro, and so 03:42 It's just Apple calling to me 03:54 Woo, alright! Got all the nerves out 03:57 So, yeah, everyone please live-tweet 04:00 your grievances to @searls and I will 04:03 most terrible things that you say. 04:06 developers, my company, Test Double, 04:09 are the best of the best 04:12 I stand before you today 04:15 to deliver (It's okay, it's intentionally 04:18 I stand before you today 04:21 message. Ruby's heroes 04:24 Ruby 04:27 is a SPECTACULAR language, but 04:30 other language, Ruby has 04:33 But today their ineffective 04:36 threatens the very survival 04:39 who can save it. Together 04:42 our language back. This goes all 04:45 the way back, folks, to 04:48 Now in the beginning (unintentional black) 04:51 There was Matz. 04:54 Some people, tell me 04:57 Which, I think, is fantastic 05:00 The Japanese love me 05:03 I am told he's very nice, but that 05:06 for him to become Ruby King. Matz 05:09 weak it took a decade for Ruby to 05:12 Seriously! And thanks to Matz's weak 05:15 leadership, we became dependent 05:18 heroes. First, came pragmatic Dave 05:21 Thomas and Andy Hunt, who wrote 05:24 boring) book about Ruby and pickaxes 05:27 Now this book showed how 05:30 Ruby is, but Prag Dave and Prog Andy 05:33 lined their pockets building a corrupt 05:36 that today is the biggest source of 05:39 biased technology books on the planet 05:42 Later, "cheeky" Chad Fowler and 05:45 Weirichso called "community 05:48 went on to create a national ruby 05:51 they started a service called RubyGems 05:54 spread their lies and propaganda 05:57 easily. "Jolly" Jim went so 06:00 far as to make a CORRUPT tool called 06:03 force us to build gems how 06:06 The corrupt heroes created RubyGems 06:09 open borders, letting in hippies like 06:12 Whacky _why and D-List DHH 06:15 And they've been flooding 06:18 _why acted like the purpose 06:21 to make arthe had no respect for 06:24 He yanked all of his gems, which was 06:27 totally unprofessional and NOT NICE 06:30 Total Disaster. D-List DHH was so 06:33 desperate to have an MVC 06:36 that he ported Java's Struts 06:39 And, personally, I prefer frameworks 06:42 that weren't ported 06:45 But soon, things settled down. 06:48 receded. Ruby entered its golden age 06:51 Developers were unbelievably 06:54 In no time at all we built hugely 06:57 companies (and also Daily Deal 07:00 Coupon Sites) and it was 07:03 all thanks to Ruby. Ruby was 07:06 winning. Every new startup was using 07:09 if their staff had no clue 07:12 didn't matter, Ruby's poll numbers 07:15 Every developer on earth was either 07:18 jealous of people writing Ruby. And 07:21 those days. I wrote a lot of 07:24 back then, let me tell you. In fact, 07:27 that my Ruby was the cleanest code 07:30 We need to get back to that Ruby 07:33 But soon, the establishment 07:36 wanted to change Ruby. 07:39 They wanted "Enterprise" and 07:42 weak-kneed heroes were all 07:45 "Jumpy" Jose Valim worked 07:48 thread-safe. The traitor, Zed Shaw, 07:51 made the Mongrel server fast 07:54 Aloof Yehuda made bundler, a hostile 07:57 takeover of your dependency 08:00 And everyone's favorite, 08:03 Spent years of his life 08:06 rewriting the slow and 08:09 for Rails's ActiveRecord, 08:12 create MASSIVE enterprise 08:15 so fast that we didn't 08:18 if we should. But now that Ruby 08:21 is mature, your heroes 08:24 you for other languages. 08:27 B-Tier heroes too low energy to 08:30 like Terence Lee and 08:33 With our heroes gone 08:36 Ruby isn't winning anymore 08:39 language and it's time to take action 08:42 As a result, I, Justin A. Searls am 08:45 calling for a total and complete 08:48 Heroes switching to Elixir 08:51 can figure out what the hell is going on 08:57 We need to start planning for 09:00 And if you support me, we can 09:03 Make Ruby Great Again 09:06 We have to look beyond 09:09 phony loyalty to a language 09:12 is a disgrace. And you know the 09:15 Heroes have known this for 09:18 Here's what a left-wing, agile 09:21 school called Extremist Programming 09:24 They're not willing to call it that 09:27 Extremist programming. Here's what 09:30 had to say. "Heroes go it 09:33 alone, working long hours 09:36 accomplish what others think is 09:39 The result is unrealistic expectations by 09:42 management and inevitably results 09:45 SPIRAL as the whole team falls further 09:48 and further behind. That's the ballgame 09:51 folks. Heroes knew that they 09:54 death spiral and yet they did nothing 09:57 Now some of our Ruby heroes, 10:00 are good people. Many did 10:03 decent work for the language, 10:06 addicted to your retweets 10:09 fees, they closed the door on us. Ruby 10:12 heroes became the ultimate insiders 10:15 Heroes hid behind shadowy 10:18 "The NIH" to explain why we should 10:21 gems instead of writing our own. They 10:24 led our thoughts, and they told us 10:27 that we couldn't be heroes too. 10:30 Those same heroes abandoned us for 10:33 newer, more attractive languages. 10:36 become helpless without them. 10:39 And by the way, somebody needs to 10:42 to say it. Ruby hero, D-List DHH 10:45 was the WORST abuser of SemVer 10:48 in the history of programming 10:51 And rails-core was a total enabler 10:54 let me be clear, if Rails won't 10:57 lock down their versioning, 11:00 them up. 11:03 The establishment 11:06 venture capitalists that once 11:09 are now shipping our jobs 11:12 nobody makes things in Ruby anymore 11:15 We need to send them a message 11:18 your power. They know that I'm the 11:21 bring jobs back to Ruby. The venture 11:24 capitalists in their ivory 11:27 open plan offices have rigged 11:30 the mainstream media 11:33 against Ruby, if you open a hacker 11:36 newspaper the entire front page 11:39 app in anything but Ruby 11:42 Elm, Clojure, Rust, and of course 11:45 Node.js and React. But for Ruby 11:48 to survive, these other languages 11:51 It's as simple as that. Our 11:54 have let these other languages 11:57 some Ruby heroes are trying to 12:00 secret that they are in fact only 12:03 That they falsely claim that I have 12:06 Rubocop report. 12:09 These are bald-faced lies 12:12 release my full, unabridged 12:15 But, unfortunately, I am currently 12:18 under a code audit, which 12:21 for some reason happens to me 12:24 I'd be stupid to release them until 12:27 the code audit is complete. Only 12:30 Rubocop report while under audit. 12:33 But I would gladly release 12:36 as soon as Node.js returns the 12:39 30,000 deleted e-mails that 12:42 says were lost because I 12:45 of a Promise chain 12:48 Unbelievable. Node.js 12:51 Such a nasty runtime. 12:57 Our heroes left us out in 13:00 guarantee I know more about 13:03 than all of Ruby's heroes put together 13:06 I'll go to the other languages and 13:09 Ruby can start winning again. In fact 13:12 I've learned that Ruby hero 13:15 is the founder of Elixir 13:18 And because he's a hero, 13:21 Totally shameless. Jumpy Jose 13:24 he has a secret plan to destroy Ruby 13:27 But, can anyone imagine 13:30 It doesn't look very productional to me 13:33 You know, I saw 13:36 some Elixir when I walked by a coworker's 13:39 It didn't feel as 13:42 free as Ruby. Ruby was great 13:45 We didn't need heroes to tell 13:48 age, we felt free to write whatever 13:51 wanted. And we need to realize 13:54 stranger together. 13:57 A lot of people don't know this, 14:00 weirdness. Our heroes' failed 14:03 weird reserves at historic lows 14:06 use code words like "mature" 14:09 creativity that they deem 14:12 like "Shady" Sandi Metz would 14:15 "Syntactically Correct" way to write 14:18 I talk to a lot of developers 14:21 of all of this syntactical correctness 14:24 Ruby heroes called our 14:27 creativity weird because 14:30 wouldn't need them anymore. They 14:33 We didn't need them. Anyone 14:36 gems. In fact, I made two 14:39 Tremendous gems. Code climate 14:42 loved them. If we're going 14:45 to save Ruby, we need to rediscover 14:48 first step: stop listening to 14:51 Other than me. Keep listening to me. 14:54 Some people are sayingand I'm not 14:57 I've been toldthat we should 15:00 Heroes like Chicken Tenderlove, 15:03 Ryan Davis, Cranky Gary Bernhardt 15:06 And by the way, since Chicken 15:09 are the founding members of 15:12 Something needs to be said, 15:15 are too afraid to call 15:18 Radical Parenthetical Terrorism 15:23 It's just horrible More 15:26 omitted and killed by Rubyists in 15:29 in the world. And our heroes 15:32 did nothing. If you support me 15:35 I will deport Seattle.rb to 15:41 Without heroes, we'll all need 15:44 to make Ruby great again. Post 15:47 Record a screencast. Start a weird 15:50 And stop reading the lies in The 15:53 that tell you Ruby isn't great. 15:56 all of them. And I've been doing 15:59 Ask anyone, they will tell you 16:02 writes the wordiest blogs and 16:05 screencasts. And have you seen any 16:08 Nobody makes more slides at Ruby 16:11 than me, nobody. I build the most 16:14 But I'm just one person and 16:17 to slow Ruby's demise. We all 16:20 step up and say what's really 16:23 Write your own gem. You 16:26 publish on the blogs. And if you're 16:29 Argue about it with others 16:32 or on The Failing Hacker News 16:35 can't show that Ruby is a strong 16:38 languages will keep walking all over us 16:41 Back when Ruby was winning 16:44 If someone wanted to learn how to 16:47 assume that they should learn 16:50 to program computers and don't even 16:53 know. These smug, elitist 16:56 languages are ignoring you and 16:59 and to make Ruby great again, we 17:02 have to make deals with 17:05 Starting with the most popular: 17:08 JavaScript. 17:11 JavaScript is a total 17:14 lightweight. Like a lot of you, I 17:17 understand why JavaScript is 17:20 You want my opinion? 17:23 Tops. 17:26 Maybe a 5, if it loses the semi-colons 17:31 And JavaScript is very weak on types 17:34 Unbelievable how weak on types 17:37 two Dates? I will be very strong 17:40 on trade with JavaScript, 17:43 wealth. Wealth like you wouldn't 17:46 We have conventions over 17:49 the path of least surprise, which, 17:52 a beautiful path. The path of 17:55 Our weak and ineffective heroes foolishly 17:58 tried to hide JavaScript from us for years 18:01 RJS. Turbolinks. ActionCable 18:04 This weak, isolationist strategy 18:08 And is leading to Ruby dying out 18:11 And that's why I propose we go to 18:14 good leader would do: negotiate 18:17 Ruby can start winning again 18:20 Instead of continuing 18:23 policies of mixing JavaScript into 18:26 HTML, I am going to Build. A. Wall 18:30 Between our Ruby and our JavaScript 18:33 Oh, don't worry, we'll make JavaScript 18:36 pay for all the HTML. 18:39 Ruby will providequiet generously 18:42 APIs, but JavaScript is what 18:45 Ruby web apps and it will pay to fix it 18:48 We need to be tough on JavaScript 18:50 but I'll also be very very fair, much more 18:53 fair than JavaScript has been 18:56 Look what they did last time we 18:59 By giving them CoffeeScript 19:02 They stole all CoffeeScript's good ideas 19:05 And they totally choked! 19:08 is a joke. Their arrow functions 19:11 JavaScript's secret cabal 19:14 the TC-39, is a total disaster 19:17 Unbelievable. And now some 19:20 Have claimed that my ultimate 19:23 goal is to transpile Ruby into JavaScript 19:26 These are heinous lies and 19:29 from the truth. And, besides, 19:32 JavaScript wouldn't be my first choice 19:37 Nice try. 19:40 So people say that Ruby's dead, 19:43 Aren't you? Look around you in 19:46 today because you believe Ruby 19:49 But it doesn't feel safe to 19:52 If you're caught using Ruby 19:55 attack your first amendment rights 19:59 But we can fight back 20:02 There's a silent majority that 20:07 And the system is rigged, folks 20:09 The establishment venture capitalists 20:12 has a future. They want teams 20:15 massively complex micro Node.js 20:18 services and React web site apps 20:21 for their unproven startups in 20:24 their pyramid funding schemes. 20:27 They want to ensure that it takes 20:30 taxi car app. And numerous years to 20:33 sync a directory of files to a server 20:36 The establishment venture capitalists 20:39 development is, but they don't 20:42 They want it to be huge. 20:45 Their entire empire is threatened 20:48 I'm in business, I know this better 20:51 The VCs are so desperate that 20:54 old reposhorrible people. 20:57 And so my staff have asked me that I make 21:00 before we continue: 21:03 ahem I apologize 21:06 for using domain specific 21:09 project from 11 years ago 21:12 It was a foolish decision. 21:15 My use of Ruby DSLs has become 21:18 from the issues that really matter 21:21 In truth, it was just locker room code 21:24 That's all it was 21:26 Programmers when working on private 21:29 DSLs all the time. In fact, even 21:32 Tenderlove used RSpec on a project 21:35 as last year. Truly disgusting. 21:38 And I gotta tell you I don't 21:41 I think Ruby's still really, really popular 21:44 Everybody I talk to loves Ruby 21:47 use Ruby all around the world 21:49 But Ruby teams are just too busy 21:52 and making tons of money to stop 21:55 comment about it on Hacker News 21:58 And, if after all I've done, you 22:02 This will have been the biggest 22:05 energy in my life. If you don't save 22:08 Ruby after this, Austin, I'll be honest 22:11 I'll never forgive you. 22:14 But irregardless, I will totally and 22:17 graciously accept the result of 22:21 next programming language. 22:27 OK, hat's off! 22:30 Whew! 22:36 I can think so much 22:39 more clearly now 22:42 Let's bring it back to reality 22:45 Where I co-own a serious company 22:48 And which hopes that you 22:56 So there's a good chance that 22:59 Do I think that heroes who 23:02 Of course not. Some of my 23:06 Ok, seriously, I'm done. 23:10 I waslike Trumpobsessed with being 23:13 validated by others and I made it my 23:16 myself. I wanted to see what it felt 23:19 it's been a fantastic experience, if 23:22 But, when I hear that Ruby isn't 23:25 It's our outsider/insider system 23:28 that always stood out to me as wrong 23:31 Why is there this huge divide by 23:33 and the people who consume them? 23:36 in the grand scheme of things, and 23:39 relatively big fish. So, that 23:42 But, I don't think we've done the job 23:45 problems our system of Ruby heroes 23:48 Because, I can tell you, I've met dozens 23:51 in my travels, and I've seen what the 23:54 that comes from looking to a small, 23:57 solution to every problem can cause 24:00 Worse, we have this habit of 24:03 they're very common in Ruby and 24:06 "Katie wanted to do this, but we told 24:11 to do it that way instead". These 24:14 suck the joy of programming. "Sam, 24:17 module of plain old Ruby objects, 24:20 deleting them and showing 24:23 Now Trump-Searls has a point 24:26 Because, as Ruby became mature 24:29 Thoughtleaders run on retweets and 24:32 maturity is a known retweet allergen 24:36 So they moved on. And early on, 24:39 assumed when they came to Ruby 24:41 keeping relevant was going to be 24:44 do nothing, I think that eventually Ruby 24:47 cute-little scripting language status 24:50 So even if we want to to replace our 24:53 heroes with new heroes, I don't think 24:56 not the hottest language in the world 24:59 tons and tons of new talent. Today, 25:02 So we have to look within 25:04 Ruby has its work cut out for it 25:07 all become heroes than just select 25:10 So, it'll be a steep climb, but honestly 25:13 You look at languages like 25:16 have really fast async I/O, and that's 25:19 Rust and Go are just really fast, period 25:22 and that's something that Ruby could 25:25 popular languages, there are 25:28 we love about Ruby. Ruby still has 25:31 We have tools and culture that's 25:34 programmer happiness and 25:37 obviousness via the path of least 25:40 through well-considered conventions. 25:43 value-based test suites. All 25:46 that represents a niche that's 25:49 even if it's currently out of fashion, 25:52 application development is not 25:55 scale; if anything all of these 25:58 kind have taken Ruby's performance 26:01 Neither is the hardest problem having 26:04 In fact, dependency churn is this 26:07 on a lot of teams' productivity. 26:10 been long-term maintainability 26:13 suited, I think, to show 26:16 more maintainable applications. Ruby's 26:19 gives us a certain empathy 26:22 Ruby helps Rubyists create 26:25 tests. And the conventions are strong 26:28 portable from project to project 26:31 We're already seeing a ton of legacy 26:34 Project teams are asking 26:37 "How did we get to this big ball of 26:40 and understandable Ruby could 26:43 potential answer for teams like that 26:46 final plea is that if you believe 26:49 for some reason, tell people about it 26:52 maintainability, even if it's a boring 26:55 ecosystems. Screencast tutorials 26:58 Even if other people have said them 27:01 different. Find an organization like 27:04 Girls Code and show them the gentle 27:07 syntax and community. And I don't 27:10 the Failing Hacker News, but if 27:13 stand up for Ruby. Hacker News drives 27:16 the tech that companies use, 27:19 And Ruby is rarely mentioned there 27:22 anymore, because it's not new and 27:25 Turmp-like tribalism. It's not us- 27:28 -vs-them. Let's all be polyglots. 27:31 draw in outsiders. So when you work 27:34 empathize! Be kind. Don't assume 27:37 have had the same lessons that you 27:40 valuable things to teach them just like 27:43 So, anyway, that's what we try to do 27:46 at my company Test Double. We like 27:49 with people working in other languages 27:52 where they already are. And we're 27:55 So if you want to work with us, Test 27:58 always interviewing. If you want 28:01 or Make JavaScript Great For The 28:07 Shoot us an e-mail at 28:10 It's a real easy conversation. We 28:13 We just talk to you about who you are 28:16 And then tell you about how we work and see 28:19 you wanna do. 28:22 So I'll be around all evening. I got 28:25 a bunch of Test Double stickers and I 28:28 Great Again stickers, some are already 28:31 in the sticker table in the back, but I've 28:34 here, so I hope I get a chance to meet 28:37 Thanks so much for keeping it weird 28:47 > Brandon: Thank you Justin. That was 28:50 problematic. 28:56 I don't think I'm a millennial, because 28:59 bad at detecting the line where people 29:02 ironically co-opting populist 29:05 actually just using it. 29:08 Thank you Justin, 29:11 You're a good dude. Searls referenced a number of historical figures and events specific to the Ruby community in the talk. The following is a collection of links leading to more information on many of them: But hiring more black teachers could have important effects on the lives of black students The study's two authors weren't sure exactly what caused the discrepancy Difference between having a black or white teacher highest for black boys New study published Tuesday matches students' race with that of teachers Black students are less likely to get suspended, expelled or sent to detention when they have black teacher, a new study has shown. Researchers from American University and the University of California, Davis, analyzed data regarding discipline for elementary school students in North Carolina over several years. They found that black students, especially black boys, got disciplined less frequently with black teachers than with white teachers. Black students are nearly four times more likely to get suspended than their white counterparts, according to data from the US Department Of Education. Black students are less likely to get suspended, expelled or sent to detention when they have black teacher, according to a new study published Tuesday in Education Next (stock picture) Hiring more black teachers and having more diversity at the front of the classroom could help reduce this discrepancy, according to the study, published Tuesday in quarterly journal Education Next. These findings are especially important with regards to the 'school-to-prison pipeline' model, which links exclusionary discipline in school with later encounters with the criminal justice system, such as incarceration. The study's authors, Constance A Lindsay and Cassandra M D Hart, followed the same set of students for several years and compared years when they had teachers of the same race as them and years when they had teachers of a different race. They found that black students were less likely to face exclusionary discipline when they had black teachers, but white students didn't particularly benefit from having white teachers. Black male students, according to the author's calculations, had a 16.1 per cent chance of getting suspended, expelled or sent to detention with a white female teacher. That percentage fell to 13.7 per cent with a black female teacher, and 12.7 per cent with a black male teacher. But black teachers were underrepresented in the nation's workforce. About 80 per cent of teachers were white between 2000 and 2012, whereas the proportions of black teachers fell below 10 per cent. Meanwhile, diversity among students increased - but not among teachers. The study's authors weren't sure what caused black students to be less likely to get excluded, suspended or sent to detention with black teachers. Black male students, according to the author's calculations, had a 16.1 per cent chance of getting disciplined with a white female teacher. That percentage fell to 13.7 per cent with a black female teacher, and 12.7 per cent with a black male teacher, as shown on this graph 'It is possible that biases based on assumptions about race influence teachers and students behavior,' they wrote. 'Black teachers may be more lenient toward same-race students, and white teachers might be less lenient toward students of a different race. Perhaps black students are inclined to behave better for black teachers. 'It may also be that black teachers simply have more effective classroom-management practices than white teachers, on average, and are therefore better able to induce misbehaving students to exhibit better behavior.' But hiring more black teachers could have important effects on the lives of black students. 'We find clear evidence that exposure to black teachers can reduce the likelihood of black students being subject to exclusionary disciplinary consequences, and increase their reading achievement,' Lindsay and Hart wrote. Spending time with close friends can help people feel better when they are stressed. But surprisingly, this trait is not unique to us humans. A new study has found chimpanzees produce fewer hormones related to stress when they spend time with their friends. A new study has found chimpanzees produce fewer hormones related to stress when they spend time with their friends. The researchers think the findings will help us learn more about how to prevent stress in humans CHIMPS' FRIENDS HELP THEM FEEL LESS STRESSED Dr Roman Wittig, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and his colleagues looked into how chimpanzees reacted after stressful experiences, like natural encounters with a rival chimpanzee band and mimicking of rivals tree-drumming signals by experimenters. They compared levels of glucocorticoids, a class of stress-related hormones, in the urine of 17 wild chimpanzees following rest, grooming, or a stressful experience. The study showed when a chimp interacted with one of its friends during a stressful event, the level of stress hormone did not increase. Grooming by a social partner also reduced glucocorticoid levels below those observed during resting. These findings suggest social interactions play an important role in reducing stress levels and potentially in maintaining health. Advertisement The researchers think the findings will help us learn more about how to prevent stress in humans. 'The social relationships amongst chimpanzees are fairly similar to the ones among humans,' Dr Roman Wittig, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and lead author of the paper told MailOnline. 'Therefore chimpanzees can help us to learn how friends can help to buffer stress in humans.' He added: 'it is a general pattern that close social relationships buffer stress, but it is not known how this operates.' The research has been published today in the journal Nature Communications. Dr Wittig and his colleagues looked into how chimpanzees reacted after stressful experiences, like natural encounters with a rival chimpanzee band and mimicking of rivals tree-drumming signals by experimenters. They compared levels of glucocorticoids, a class of stress-related hormones, in the urine of 17 wild chimpanzees following rest, grooming, or a stressful experience. The study showed when a chimp interacted with one of its friends during a stressful event, the level of stress hormone did not increase. Grooming by a social partner also reduced glucocorticoid levels below those observed during resting. The study showed when a chimp interacted with one of its friends during a stressful event, the level of stress hormone did not increase. Grooming (pictured) by a social partner also reduced glucocorticoid levels below those observed during resting These findings suggest social interactions play an important role in reducing stress levels and potentially in maintaining health. 'We are the first to relate stress hormone changes to single social interactions in chimpanzees in the wild under ecological relevant conditions,' Dr Wittig told MailOnline. Videos taken at the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, and published last week, shed new light on the evolution of teaching in chimps, showing how young chimpanzees learn from their mothers to catch termites with fishing probes. CHIMPS AND BONOBOS: KISSING COUSINS Findings published last week show that modern apes have had an interesting evolutionary past. Just like our closest cousins, human DNA is peppered with the remnants of other long-gone hominids, from our ancestors hooking up with Neanderthals and Denisovians. Humans, chimps and bonobos all sprouted from the same branch of the evolutionary tree, with a last common ancestor perhaps as far back as 13 million years ago. Genetic data have shown that chimps and bonobos diverged from one another later, forming two separate groups around 2 million years ago. Today, they are separated by a geographical barrier - the Congo River. While chimps and bonobos are distinct enough to be classed as different species, they can and have interbred. The latest study reveals a number of interbreeding events in the past which have left their genetic trace in the animals' genomes today. Some chimps may inherit as much as 1 per cent of their genes from bonobos. Advertisement Now the clocks have gone back, were seeing all those traditional signs of autumn. Conkers and acorns, leaves turning brown...and an army of lethal ladybirds invading our homes. With winter just around the corner, swarms of multi-coloured harlequin ladybirds are coming in from the cold, carrying diseases with them. Scroll down for video Harlequin ladybirds (pictured) are responsible for a huge decline in the population of some of Britain's weaker native species Theyre gathering in vast numbers in the cosy corners of our kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms. Larger than our native ladybirds and, as their name suggests, a colourful array of reds, oranges, yellows and blacks they are also killers. The larvae of the harlequin ladybird are voracious feeders: eating aphids, the young of other ladybirds and even turning cannibal, killing their own larvae. Harlequins also carry a fungal disease, which is spread when the ladybirds mate and can be fatal for our native species. Numbers of our most familiar species the two-spot ladybird, with a pair of black spots on a red background have plummeted by 50 per cent in the past decade. Thats especially sad given the central place of these colourful little beetles in our culture. They feature in nursery rhymes Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home... and, of course, there are the Ladybird Books. According to ladybird expert Dr Helen Roy, at least seven of our 25 native species are declining and its all down to the larger, tougher and nastier harlequin. Yet as recently as the turn of the millennium, harlequins were unknown in Britain. Originally from Asia, they were first spotted in the UK in Essex in 2004. Known as the worlds most invasive ladybird, the insects arrived in Europe as stow-aways on flowers, fruit and vegetables. Having arrived on the Continent, they simply flew across the Channel to Britain. Others came on fruit and vegetables imported from North America, where the species was misguidedly introduced in the early 20th century to control aphids. In the U.S. and Canada, they are known as the Halloween ladybeetle, because they enter homes at this time of year in search of a warm place to spend the winter. They secrete a sticky, protective mucus that could be dangerous for other animals. Dr Lindsay Mitchell, a vet in Kansas, recently posted online a graphic photo of a dog that had around 40 ladybirds stuck to the roof of his mouth. Dr Mitchell said it was not the first case she had seen and that it could cause long-term issues for animals if left untreated, including ulcers on the tongue and mouth. In just over a decade since harlequin ladybirds reached Britain, these colourful insects have spread all over the country. They are common throughout England and Wales, and have been seen from the Isles of Scilly in the south to Shetland in the north. I remember first noticing them a couple of years after they arrived, when I found dozens swarming on my office window at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol. Numbers of two-spot ladybirds, the UK's most familiar species, have fallen by 50 per cent My colleagues and I were amazed to see so many ladybirds clustered together in one place. But we had no idea this was just the start of an unprecedented invasion. Moving north at a rate of more than 60 miles a year, harlequin ladybirds are officially the UKs fastest ever invasive species. Each female can produce around 1,000 to 2,000 eggs in its lifetime, laying them in batches of ten to 30 per day. They have spread more than ten times more rapidly than other non-native creatures, such as grey squirrels, muntjac deer and ring-necked parakeets. Harlequin ladybirds are not always easy to identify. Thats partly because they are one of the most variable insects in the world, displaying a bewildering range of different shades, colours and patterns. However, they are noticeably bigger than our familiar native ladybirds being up to one-third of an inch long. The commonest variety is usually pale orange or red in colour, with up to 20 black spots. Others are black with just two, three or four red spots. But Ive also seen ones that are all red or completely black. These different varieties are very sociable especially at this time of year. So if you discover a cluster of multi-coloured ladybirds in your home, you know that youve been invaded. The best way to prevent infestations is to make sure your doors and windows are well sealed. If theyve already got inside your home, some pest controllers suggest using a vacuum cleaner to Hoover them up. But be careful, because when disturbed they emit a nasty- smelling yellow liquid that can stain carpets and woodwork. Of course, the harlequin is not the only insect invader accidentally introduced into Britain. The latest is the Asian hornet, a lethal killer of honey bees. The first confirmed sighting in the UK came just last month, when one was seen in Gloucestershire. Beekeepers are terrified that these predators which can grow up to 2 in long will destroy their precious colonies. The hornets wait just outside the hive and then ambush the unsuspecting honey bees as they go in and out, dismembering the unfortunate creatures alive. In our newly globalised economy, where produce is imported from all over the world, its hard to see what we can do to prevent unwanted stowaways such as harlequin ladybirds hitching a lift. So do they bring any benefits? Some entomologists think that the harlequin may do some good by killing and eating aphids. There is also a suggestion that larger native insects, such as house spiders, may be preying on the harlequins, helping to slow down their population boom. Much of what we know about harlequin ladybirds and many other invasive species comes from members of the public recording sightings and sending them to various conservation societies. Using the public to track the spread of these unwanted invaders is just one aspect of citizen science, and is helping us to protect our native fauna and flora. So if you spot any harlequin ladybirds in your home, you can take part in the UK Ladybird Survey its a great way to make children aware of the changes happening to our wildlife (ladybird-survey.org). As Dr Helen Roy points out, these thousands of sightings dont just help us track the ladybirds progress, they also enable scientists to work out exactly how to deal with the next insect invasion. So, what does the future hold for harlequin ladybirds? Lured by our warm, centrally heated houses, they will be staying put until next spring. Project's board has singled out Spain's Canary Islands as an alternative But the project has met fierce protest due to its chosen Hawaiian site 'Next generation' instrument will use a 30-metre mirror to view the stars An enormous telescope due to be built in Hawaii could instead be constructed in the Canary Islands. The team behind the controversial project, which aims to build one of the largest telescopes in the world, has picked out the Spanish island of La Palma as an alternative following months of demonstrations in Hawaii. Native Hawaiians and environmentalists have strongly opposed plans for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), which would cost 1.1 billion ($1.4bn), at the Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island. The team behind the controversial TMT telescope, which aims to build a huge telescope in Hawaii, has picked out the Spanish island of La Palma as an alternative following months of demonstrations. Pictured is the Gran Telescopio Canarias, on the Canary Island of La Palma Mauna Kea has proved to be a valuable site for astronomers, with a number of telescopes on the extinct volcano having played major roles in astronomical discoveries. But due to the significant opposition from protesters, the project has had to look further afield than its first choice location. Henry Yang, chair of the TMT International Observatory Board, said in a statement the board explored a number of alternative sites for the telescope. Ultimately, it selected La Palma, the most westerly of the Canary Islands off the coast of Morocco, as the primary alternative to Hawaii, Yang said. Mauna Kea has proved to be a valuable site for astronomers, with a number of telescopes on the extinct volcano (pictured) having played major roles in astronomical discoveries Native Hawaiians and environmentalists have strongly opposed plans for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), which would cost 1.1 billion ($1.4bn), at the Mauna Kea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island (pictured) THIRTY METER TELESCOPE The construction of the TMT will be a joint venture between universities in California and Canada with partners from China, India and Japan. Its primary mirror will measure 30 metres in diameter and be made up of 492 individual segments, enabling it to capture a phenomenal amount of information from the cosmos. When construction is complete, it is expected to be three-times wider than the largest existing visible-light telescope in the world, and will have nine times more area. Astronomers are hoping that the instrument will enable them to see into the early universe. The telescope could find planets around other stars in the 'habitable zone,' where liquid water is possible on a planet's surface, the project's website says. Advertisement His statement did not say what made that particular site ideal for the project. The designation of the Canary Islands as an alternative comes nearly a year after the Hawaii Supreme Court blocked construction of the telescope on the Big Island. The court found state officials acted improperly when they issued a building permit without holding a process known as a contested case hearing where opponents could speak out. On 20 October, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources opened a new set of hearings on the project, with a retired judge overseeing those proceedings. The hearings will last at least several weeks and later the retired judge will issue a recommendation about the project to the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, Dan Dennison, a spokesman for the department, said in a telephone interview. Yang said the Big Island continues to be the preferred choice of the team behind the telescope and the group will continue 'intensive efforts to gain approval' for it in Hawaii. The TMT International Observatory Board selected La Palma, the most westerly of the Canary Islands off the coast of Morocco, as the primary alternative to Hawaii With a 30-meter primary mirror made up of 492 individual segments, the TMT will be three-times wider than the largest existing visible-light telescope in the world. Astronomers are hoping that the instrument will enable them to see into the early universe (illustrated) The area around the summit of Mauna Kea, the volcano, already has 13 working telescopes, according to the website of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. Astronomers consider the site ideal for observing outer space because of the dry atmosphere above the volcano and because of its distance from urban lights. China's controversial stealth jet has made its first flyby, giving the public and media a glimpse of the aircraft believed to be a copy of America's F-22 and built using hacked US military blueprints. Taking to the skies at the airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai, in Guangdong province, the J-20 stealth fighter passed by onlookers in a thunderous demonstration. The aircraft is believed to have been built in part from plans of US war planes, obtained by Chinese hackers jailed earlier this year a claim which Beijing has firmly denied. Military analysts have said it is still too early to tell if the jet matches the capabilities of the US F-22 Raptor. Scroll down for video China's newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter, made its first public flight at an airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai. It bears an uncanny resemblance to US military's F-22 Raptor Copy-cat? Pictured above is America's F-22 which shares a similar design to the J-20. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade After arriving as a pair at low-level, one of the J-20s quickly disappeared over the horizon, leaving the other to perform a series of turns, revealing its delta wing shape against bright sub-tropical haze. But analysts said the brief and relatively cautious J-20 routine - the pilots did not open weapon bay doors, or perform low-speed passes - answered few questions. 'I think we learned very little. We learned it is very loud. But we can't tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility', said Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor of FlightGlobal. 'Most importantly, we didn't learn much about its radar cross-section'. A key question whether the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, or the latest strike jet in the U.S. arsenal, Lockheed's F-35. But the mere display of such a newly developed aircraft was a revealing signal, others said. 'It's a change of tactics for the Chinese to publicly show off weapons that aren't in full squadron service yet," said Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, 'and demonstrates a lot of confidence in the capability, and also a lot of pride'. But the fighter jet's development has been controversial, embroiled in claims of espionage. Chinese national Su Bin admitted in a plea agreement with US authorities to conspiring with two unnamed military officers in China to try to acquire plans for F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft. He was sentenced to just under four years. Pictured at the Chinese airshow is the new J-20 Spot the difference: America's F-22 (pictured) shares many identical features FIRST LOOK AT THE J-20 STEALTH FIGHTER Today's flypast marks the first public flight for China's new war plane. The fighter jet is swift, stealthy, and armed with long-range missiles. Its design is similar to US fighter jets, stoking concerns that the Chinese military used 'stolen' plans obtained by hackers to develop the stealth plane and further drive its military ambitions. Experts have said that the plane represents a leap forward in China's ability to project power in Asia, and will compete with US military technology. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Advertisement Earlier this year, a Chinese national, 51-year-old Su Bin, was sent to prison for his part in stealing US military plans and sending documents to Beijing. The documents were reported to include plans for the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, which would have enabled the Chinese military to rapidly catch up with US capabilities. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, has offered Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace and to underline its defence ambitions. China is set to overtake the US as the world's top aviation market in the next decade. Unofficial shots of a J-20 prototype fueled discussion over the region's power balance when first glimpsed by plane spotters in 2010. Experts say China has been refining designs in hopes of narrowing a military gap with Washington. Cao Qingfeng, an aircraft engineer watching the flypast, said the 'stunning' display was a show of China's strengthening aircraft industry and manufacturing - and Western officials agreed. 'This shows they now have confidence to put it out in public,' said a Western industry official who has monitored the biennial show from its inception 20 years ago. 'This is the airplane for China in the way that the J-31 is not; this is the one they develop for themselves,' he added. Despite the impressive show of aerial military might, some foreign observers have questioned its stealth capabilities. CHINA'S J-20 Top speed: 1,305 mph Range: 2,113 mi Length: 67 Wingspan: 42 0 Weight: 43,000 lbs Engine Type: Xian WS-15 turbofan engines Cost: $110m Manufacturer: Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group Advertisement AMERICA'S F-22 Top speed: 1,498 mph Range: 1,839 mi Length: 62 Wingspan: 44 0 Weight: 43,430 lbs Engine type: Pratt & Whitney F119 Cost: $130m Manufacturers: Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Advertisement Two of the J-20 jets flew over dignitaries, industry executives and spectators and gathered at the show's opening ceremony during a 60-second flypast (pictured) In this image made from video, the J-20 stealth fighter pulls a sharp incline to a a crowd of spectators and dignitaries at the Zhuhai airshow The demonstration flight of the two J-20 stealth jets generated a deafening roar, setting off alarms of parked cars at the site CHINESE HACKERS TARGET US MILITARY In July this year, a Chinese national was sentenced in Los Angeles to three years and 10 months in prison for hacking US defense contractors to steal trade secrets on Beijing's behalf. Su Bin, 51, who went by the names Stephen Su and Stephen Subin, was also ordered by a federal judge to pay a $10,000 fine. Su in March had admitted in a plea agreement with US authorities to conspiring with two unnamed military officers in China to try to acquire plans for F-22 and F-35 fighter jets and Boeing's C-17 military transport aircraft. According to court documents, the trio managed to steal sensitive data by hacking into the computer networks of major defense contractors and sent the information to China. Washington and Beijing have repeatedly clashed over what the US describes as rampant cyberspying by the Chinese government on US industry. Advertisement Other aircraft scheduled to be on display alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones include the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, and what organisers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production, the AG600. The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 - first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against China's claim to parts of the South China Sea in July - is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. Notably absent from the airshow schedule is the Comac C919 passenger jet, designed to compete with Europe's Airbus Group and Boeing Co of the United States, the rivals who dominate the global supply of airliners. The 150-seater C919 is scheduled to stage an often-delayed maiden flight this year, but industry sources say this will now slip to 2017 - three years behind original plans. Airbus and Boeing continue to expand in China with recent plant announcements. Boeing is expected to announce a new supplier partnership at the show. The air show showcased China's aerial strength. Along with the latest J-20 stealth jet will be the seven-strong J-10 fighter jets of China's Bayi Aerobatic Team (pictured) The airshow, in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, will provide a platform for Beijing to flex its long-range military muscle to the public and watching nations around the world. Pictured are the J-10 jets of the Bayi Aerobatic Team at Zhuhai airport China's only international aerospace exhibition, held biennially in the southern city of Zhuhai, this year boasts its largest-ever display of military hardware and aircraft, with 11 exhibition halls, 430,000 square metres of indoor and outdoor viewing area, and 151 aircraft from 700 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions. China is aggressively moving to develop its domestic weapons industry, from drones and anti-aircraft systems to homegrown jet engines and hypersonic planes. Beijing has previously been accused of copying designs from Russian fighters, and analysts say its J-31 stealth fighter is very similar to the US-developed F-35. China's military focus on stealth technology remains a key issue for Beijing. Earlier this month, leaked images emerged of the military's enormous stealth warship, currently under construction at the Jiangnan Changxing shipyards. Known as a Type 005 destroyer, the vessel is believed to be armed with electromagnetic railguns capable of shooting down missiles and firing on land targets. It was also reported in September that a Chinese firm claimed to have developed radar technology capable of detecting stealth jets (stock image used) The leaked images revealed the battle ship's progress, with signs of portals on the stern for sensors and weapons and up to 128 vertical launch system cells for missiles. It was also reported in September that a Chinese firm claimed to have developed radar technology capable of detecting stealth jets. Called the quantum radar, the technology was reportedly created by Intelligent Perception Technology, a branch of defence and electronics firm CETC. They firm claims it is capable of detecting a target at a range of 60 miles and was successfully tested last month. China has pushed for dominance in the South China Sea, following a number of contentious claims over who owns territory in the region. The two major island chains in the region, the Spratlys and the Paracels, have become central to the international argument, causing tensions to rise. Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines all have claims on the region, but China has surged ahead with expansive military operations, including the building of its own islands in disputed spots to stake its claim and bolster a military presence. Windows recommends customers use its Edge browser for protection But Microsoft hit back saying it was dangerous of Google to release details Two tech firms are locked in a public battle over security flaws disclosed by Google yesterday. The search engine firm revealed details about a weakness in the Windows 10 operating system's security that it knows hackers are already exploiting. But Microsoft said it was dangerous to disclose the flaw, as it has not yet made a fix for the bug. Scroll down for video Two tech firms are locked in a public battle over security flaws disclosed by Google yesterday. The search engine giant revealed details about a weakness in the Windows 10 security that it knows hackers are already exploiting THE SECURITY FLAW The search giant says it told Microsoft about the bug on October 21, but the company had not fixed it yet. The '0-day vulnerability' has only just been made known to the public. But Microsoft hit back, suggesting Google put customers at risk by making the flaw public when it was aware hackers were exploiting the bug. 'We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and today's disclosure by Google puts customers at potential risk,' a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. 'Windows is the only platform with a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as possible. 'We recommend customers use Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser for the best protection.' Advertisement Google wrote yesterday on a security blog: 'We are today disclosing the existence of a remaining critical vulnerability in Windows for which no advisory or fix has yet been released'. The '0-day vulnerability' has only just been made known to the public. 'This vulnerability is particularly serious because we know it is being actively exploited,' Google added. The search giant says it told Microsoft about the bug on October 21, but the company had not fixed it yet. But Microsoft hit back, suggesting Google put customers at risk by making the flaw public when it was aware hackers were exploiting the bug. 'We disagree with Googles characterization of a local Elevation of Privilege as critical and particularly serious, since the attack scenario they describe is fully mitigated by the deployment of the Adobe Flash update released last week,' a Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement sent to MailOnline. 'Additionally, our analysis indicates that this specific attack was never effective in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update due to security enhancements previously implemented.' 'We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and today's disclosure by Google puts customers at potential risk,' a Microsoft spokesperson told VentureBeat. 'Windows is the only platform with a customer commitment to investigate reported security issues and proactively update impacted devices as soon as possible. 'We recommend customers use Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser for the best protection.' This is not the first time that Google has called Microsoft out on an error before a fix was ready, it did so back in January 2015 for two issues with Windows 8.1. But this time, it is more serious because the company knew the flaw was already being used by hackers. 'We encourage users to verify that auto-updaters have already updated Flash and to manually update if not and to apply Windows patches from Microsoft when they become available for the Windows vulnerability,' Google said. Apple is expected to unveil the most radical redesign of its flagship handset so far for the iPhone's 10th anniversary in 2017. It is rumoured there will be a curved edge-to-edge OLED display in one model, alongside two models that have standard LCD displays. Now the latest feature experts are predicting the iPhone 8 will have is wireless charging. Scroll down for video Apple firm is expected to unveil the most radical redesign ever of its flagship handset for the iPhone's 10th anniversary in 2017. Pictured are two concept drawings Foxconn Technology Group in New Taipei City, Taiwan is making wireless charging modules to go with Apple's next iPhone, due for release in 2017, according to an industry source familiar with the matter, Nikkei has reported. 'But whether the feature can eventually make it into Apple's updated devices will depend on whether Foxconn can boost the yield rate to a satisfactory level later on,' the source told Nikkei. It is not clear whether Apple would offer a wireless charging plate, along the same lines as the one made by Samsung for its Galaxy S smartphones. But a patent application, filed by Apple with the US Patent and Trademark Office in September showed images of a round charging device with a concave top, similar to the plastic wireless charger used by the Apple Watch. The patent was first filed in late 2015 but was only just published last month. While the patent is largely focused on brushing and polishing tools for metallic cylindrical and contoured devices, it also refers to an 'inductive charging station', notes Patently Apple. A patent application, filed by Apple with the US Patent and Trademark Office in September showed images of a round charging device with a concave top, similar to the plastic wireless charger used by the Apple Watch (pictured) It appears that the polishing tools are being developed specifically for a wireless charging station with a metal finish, which would match the iPhone. 'In describing how the tools would work, the application includes multiple illustrations of a charging station used to provide electrical current to another device via inductive power transmission,' notes Mac Rumours. END OF THE HOME BUTTON? A patent granted to Apple recently revealed technology that places the home button underneath the display. The innovation uses an electrostatic lens that connects the connect the screen and sensors, allowing the device to accurately read fingerprints on the screen. Depending on the position of these lenses, relative voltage and shape, the layer or layers are able to shape or bend the electric field associate with the users finger, reports AppleInsider. These specially designed lenses would also reduce the spreading of the electric field of a users finger when placed on the screen, as this type of bending can sometimes offset a fingerprints natural dispersion. Advertisement 'An inductive transmitter coil wraps around a metal core and is designed to pair with a receiver coil and charge the battery in the electronic device'. Previous rumours have suggested new MacBook computers could include a wireless charging module on which the device can be placed to power it up. Last week it was revealed Apple is set to launch three versions of the iPhone 8 next year, including a new 5inch handset. Citing a supply chain source, Nikkei said Apple will release the three iPhones in the following 5.5 inches, 5 inches, and 4.7 inches (14cm, 12.7cm and 11.9cm). Apple recently killed the headphone jack and its next victim could be the home button, according to previous rumours. A patent awarded last month describes technology that is capable of scanning fingerprints almost anywhere on the screen of an iOS device - making the home button obsolete. The latest application suggests using a special lens behind the display that connects the screen and sensors, allowing the device to capture an accurate print reading. Rumours of Apple doing away with the iconic home button are not groundbreaking - many believed the firm would leave it out of the iPhone 7 design. Apple killed the headphone jack and its next victim could be the home button. A recent patent describes a special lens behind the screen that scans fingerprints anywhere on the surface These specially designed lens (pictured) would also reduce the spreading of the electric field of a user's finger when placed on the screen, as this type of bending can sometimes offset a fingerprint's natural dispersion Advertisement The limestone slab where Jesus Christ's body is said to have been laid out after his crucifixion has been pictured for the the first time. The historic tomb where he is said to have been 'rested' and his body anointed was opened last week for the first time since at least 1555 AD - and scientists were given 60 hours of access before it was resealed. After removing the marble slab that encased the tomb, scientists at the University of Athens and National Geographic were stunned to find a limestone burial shelf intact and a second marble slab with a cross carved into its surface. Scroll down for video The tomb where Jesus Christ's body is said to have been rested was unveiled last week for the first time in centuries. As researchers continued their work over the course of 60 hours, another marble slab with a cross carved into its surface was exposed (pictured). Inscribed with a Christian cross, this broken marble slab may date to the Crusader era Researchers were given the unprecedented access as part of restoration work. The team were shocked to find portions of the tomb are still intact today, having survived centuries of damage. The original surface was exposed during the restoration work being done at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem, according to National Geographic. Until then, marble had encased the slab since at least 1555 AD, and likely centuries earlier. When work first began the conservation team from the National Technical University of Athens showed only a layer of material underneath the marble slab. But as researchers continued their work over the course of 60 hours - and with just a few hours left before the tomb was to be resealed, another marble slab with a cross carved into its surface was exposed. A restorer removes debris beneath a broken marble slab to expose the original rock surface of what is considered the burial place of Jesus. The original surface was exposed during the restoration work being done at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. Until then, marble had encased the slab since at least 1555 AD. 'I'm absolutely amazed. My knees are shaking a little bit because I wasn't expecting this,' said Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist-in-residence at National Geographic. 'The most amazing thing for me was when we removed the first layer of dust and found a second piece of marble,' he said. 'The shrine has been destroyed many times by fire, earthquakes, and invasions over the centuries. We didn't really know if they had built it in exactly the same place every time. 'But this seems to be visible proof that the spot the pilgrims worship today really is the same tomb the Roman Emperor Constantine found in the 4th century and the Crusaders revered. It's amazing.' 'This is the Holy Rock that has been revered for centuries, but only now can actually be seen,' said Antonia Moropoulou of the National Technical University of Athens, who is leading the restoration of the Edicule. The burial slab was enclosed in an 18th century shrine structure known as the Edicule a word derived from the Latin term aedicule meaning 'little house'. The team cut a window into the southern interior wall of the Edicule, exposing one of the cave walls. The tomb has now been resealed and will probably not be opened again for hundreds, possibly even thousands, of years. But before it was resealed, the surface of the rock was extensively cataloged. Work on restoration of the Edicule is expected to continue for at least the next five months. 'The architectural conservation which we are implementing is intended to last forever,' says Moropoulou. National Geographic has been filming the work being done at the church, which is considered the most sacred site in Christianity. THE ASTONISHING HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE Christian tradition says Christ's body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans more than two thousand years ago, shown in this painting by Friedrich Overbeck Christian tradition says Christ's body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans. The burial slab was enclosed in a structure known as the Edicule a word derived from the Latin term aedicule meaning 'little house'. An ornate structure with hanging oil lamps, columns and oversize candlesticks, the Edicule was erected above the spot where Christian tradition says Jesus' body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried before his resurrection. Jewish tradition forbade burial within the walls of a city, and the Gospels specify that Jesus was buried outside of Jerusalem, near the site of his crucifixion on Golgotha, also known as 'the place of skulls'. However, soon after the burial, the walls of Jerusalem were expanded, putting Golgotha and the nearby tomb within the city itself. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD built a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite in order to bury the cave in which Jesus had been buried, and assert the dominance of Roman state religion. The first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great, ordered in 325 that the temple be replaced by a church. When his representatives arrived in Jerusalem to attempt to locate the tomb, they were sent to the temple built by Hadrian 200 years earlier. The Roman temple was razed and excavations beneath it revealed a rock-cut tomb. This picture shows workers removing the top of the tomb of Jesus Christ in the Church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The burial slab was enclosed in a structure known as the Edicule a word derived from the Latin term aedicule meaning 'little house The top of the cave was sheared off to expose the interior, and a church was built around it to enclose the tomb. During the building of the Church, Constantine's mother Helena claimed to have rediscovered the 'true cross'. It is claimed that she found three crosses she tested each by having it held over a corpse and when the corpse rose up under one, that was the true cross. The church was then completely destroyed by in 1009 by the Fatmid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, known as the 'mad Caliph' or 'Nero of Islam' in a bid to destroy Christian sites. It was then rebuilt once again in the mid-11th century, when an agreement was reached between the Fatimids and the Byzantine Empire in 10278. The rebuilding was finally completed with the financing at a huge expense by Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople in 1048. The rebuilt church site consisted of 'a court open to the sky, with five small chapels attached to it'. A floor plan of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, with the Edicule chamber marked in red on the left A 12th-century restoration by the Crusaders gave the Holy Sepulchre its current appearance, while in 1808 a fire all but destroyed the Edicule. In 1852, the Ottoman authorities then governing the Holy Land provided a framework for resolving disputes inside the church. It was last reconstructed in the early 19th century after a fire destroyed it but repairs are long overdue as the structure was damaged in an earthquake in 1927. Excavations inside of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre during the 20th century revealed remains of what is believed to be Hadrian's temple and walls from Constantine's original church. Archaeologists also found an ancient limestone quarry and at least half a dozen other rock-cut tombs, some of which can be seen today. Advertisement Christian tradition says Christ's body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans. He was resurrected three days after his death, according to scripture, and the women who came to anoint his body said no remains were found. The evidence for this is not definitive, however, according to Dan Bahat, a former district archaeologist in Jerusalem and in Galilee. 'We may not be absolutely certain that the site of the Holy Sepulchre Church is the site of Jesus burial, but we certainly have no other site that can lay a claim nearly as weighty, and we really have no reason to reject the authenticity of the site,' Bahat said. An ornate structure with hanging oil lamps, columns and oversize candlesticks, the Edicule was erected above the spot where Christian tradition says Jesus' body was anointed, wrapped in cloth and buried before his resurrection. It stands a few hundred yards from the supposed site of Jesus' crucifixion. The burial slab (pictured being revealed from its marble case last week) many Christians believe once held the body of Jesus Christ has been uncovered by scientists for the first time in centuries. The original surface, partially shown in this picture, was exposed during restoration work at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem Christian tradition says Christ's body was laid on a slab cut from a limestone cave after his crucifixion by the Romans more than two thousand years ago. This slab had been encased in marble since at least 1555 AD. Worshippers are pictured praying to the slab underneath the marble casing, before it was uncovered An ornate structure with hanging oil lamps, columns and oversize candlesticks, the Edicule was erected above the spot where Christian tradition says Jesus' body was anointed. With its stone staircases, gilded ornamentation and many dark chambers, the church is one of Christianity's holiest shrines With its stone staircases, gilded ornamentation and many dark chambers, the church is one of Christianity's holiest shrines. But that hasn't stopped clerics from engaging in turf rivalries over the years. The Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches are responsible for maintaining separate sections, and each denomination jealously guards its domain. While the clergymen who work and pray at the church generally get along, tensions can rise to the surface. In 2008, an argument between Greek Orthodox and Armenian monks erupted into a brawl. This time, the clergymen put aside their differences a reflection of the dire need for the repairs. Last year, Israeli police briefly shut down the building after Israel's Antiquities Authority deemed it unsafe, prompting the Christian denominations to join forces. The Edicule and the tomb are currently being restored by scientists from the National Technical University of Athens. The university's chief scientific supervisor Professor Antonia Moropoulou told National Geographic that it is 'the critical moment' for restoring the Edicule. The original surface was exposed during the restoration work being done at the Church (left, in June, and right, in May) This file photo shows what the tomb of Jesus in the Holy Sepulchre church has looked like for the past 200 years. It was last reconstructed in the early 19th century after a fire destroyed it. But repairs were long overdue as the structure it was damaged in an earthquake in 1927 It was last reconstructed in the early 19th century after a fire destroyed it. But repairs are long overdue as the structure it was damaged in an earthquake in 1927. Lack of financial resources prevented the work from being done, but donors to the project - estimated at more than $4 million (3.26 million) - include Jordan's King Abdullah II, and Mica Ertegun, who gave $1.3 million (1.06 million) to the World Monuments Fund to support it. Earlier this year, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, as well as the the Roman Catholic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church (the three main out of six Christian sects that have custody of the church) invited the NTU to lead the restoration project. The Edicule and the tomb are currently being restored by scientists from the National Technical University of Athens. Using cotton swabs dipped into a solution of liquid soap and water, centuries-old layers of wax and carbon dioxide are scrubbed away by a restoration expert The Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches are responsible for maintaining separate sections, and each denomination jealously guards its domain Work is expected to be complete in the spring of 2017. The church, one of the world's oldest, was built in 325 A.D. by the Roman Emperor Constantine. That structure was destroyed in 1009 by Muslim Caliph al-Hakim. A 12th-century restoration by the Crusaders gave the Holy Sepulchre its current appearance, while in 1808 a fire all but destroyed the Edicule. In 1852, the Ottoman authorities then governing the Holy Land provided a framework for resolving disputes inside the church. They put into effect the 'status quo,' a set of historic laws and power-sharing arrangements that rigidly regulates the denominations' activities inside the Holy Sepulchre. Christian nuns watch as renovations of Jesus' tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's old city began earlier this year Earlier this year, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, as well as the the Roman Catholic Church, and the Armenian Orthodox Church (the three main out of six Christian sects that have custody of the church) invited the NTU to lead the restoration project. While the tomb is stable, it needs urgent attention after years of exposure to environmental factors like water, humidity and candle smoke More than two centuries have past since the last time any restoration work was done in the chamber, partly because it is a holy site for many branches of Christianty RESTORATION WORKS The shrine is being carefully restored. Its marble slabs have weakened over centuries, with the weight of thousands of daily visitors adding to the strain. Broken or fragile pieces will be replaced and those sections which can be preserved will be cleaned, and the support structures reinforced. Advertisement The Rev. Athanasius Macora, a Franciscan monk who represents the Catholics at the inter-church commission that negotiates disputes at the Holy Sepulchre, said the renovation might have been more ambitious if not for the status quo rules. 'I personally would have liked to maybe contemplate some alternative to simply restoring the current structure. But because the status quo is so conservative in its nature. We had to more or less accept the fact that there would be no change whatsoever to the current structure, and it would be restored as it is now,' he said. Still, for pilgrims like Italian Claudio Pardini, the restoration is 'an important sign' that all of the Christian churches are getting together to preserve their faith's traditions. 'It's good to take care of our churches so that we can leave the next generations a sign, something to visit,' he said. 'Because Christ isn't an idea. He's a story.' An ornate marble carving of Jesus Christ decorates the tomb where his body is believed to have been laid A Franciscan friar peers into the exposed tomb during the conservation work done by a team of Greek team of preservation experts in Jerusalem It may sound like a line from a dystopian sci-fi movie, but the devices in your home could be used to take down the internet. With technology firms pushing for greater connectivity, more and more household devices are sharing data about the most mundane of household habits. Connected kettles enable people to boil water from another room, while smart fridges enable us to order ingredients we need for dinner. But these devices may be vulnerable to hackers, who are capable of recruiting an army of household objects to carry out cyber-attacks. Beyond sharing how you like your toast, or what time you have your morning coffee, these devices may be vulnerable to hackers, which can recruit an army of household objects to carry out cyber-attacks. WHICH HOUSEHOLD DEVICES ARE AT RISK? Analysts have warned, thanks to malware such as Mirai, millions of vulnerable web-connected devices could be under the control of hackers and used to carry out cyber attacks. Any number of connected devices have been known to have security flaws, where default security settings have not been changed. These include: Baby monitors Webcams Printers Internet routers CCTV cameras Security experts advise people to use strong passwords and keep security software up to date. Advertisement Today, Westminster called for more to be done to defend the UK from cyber-attacks, launching a new security strategy to bolster the countrys defense against hackers and rogue states. But the strategy also aims to allay fears over vulnerabilities being exploited through the connected devices via the 'Internet of Things' (IoT). 'Cyber-attacks conducted by seemingly harmless connected devices are no longer just the stuff of movies, or even of the future, but are a very real and current threat,' said Denis Makrushin, a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab. The firm recently tested connected household devices to see how vulnerable they were to attack. Mr Makrushin told MailOnline: 'When it comes to app-controlled coffeemakers, its not even necessary for an attacker to be on the same network as the victim. 'The coffeemaker examined during another Kaspersky Lab experiment was sending enough unencrypted information for an attacker to discover the password for the coffeemaker owners entire Wi-Fi network.' Last month, hackers carried out a huge attack on a US firm which monitors and routes internet traffic, cutting off internet access to millions of users. In one of the most substantial attacks in recent months, hackers swamped the servers of a Dynamic Network Services provider called Dyn, preventing people from accessing everything from Netflix to Facebook. It is thought the attackers recruited 100,000 connected devices to send requests to Dyns servers, causing them to buckle under the volume of requests. While most computer users and smartphone owners will keep their passwords under wraps, other connected household devices, such as webcams or kettles, may be over looked with owners forgetting to factory default security settings. By harnessing vulnerable internet connected devices - enslaving them and making them contact a central server - hackers can greatly boost the strength of an attack WHAT IS A DDOS ATTACK? A DDoS or distributed denial-of-service attack is used to target a specific machine, server or website. This is accomplished by flooding the chosen machine, server or website with simple requests for information in order to overload it and prevent it from being used. Hackers use 'botnets' to do this - networks of devices that they bring under their control. They do this by getting users to inadvertently download software, typically by following a link in an email or agreeing to download a corrupted file. These botnets are then used to bombard the servers with requests, carried out simultaneously, causing them to become overwhelmed and shut down. Advertisement Hackers are all too aware of these flaws, and have used them to their advantage. By using default security settings, they have been able to spread malicious code to vulnerable devices - gaining control of their functions. Recently, web security analysts warned of a flood of online attacks from hackers after code for a bot used to carry out a huge hack was published online. The code, which can turn unsecured devices such as web cameras, routers, phones and other hackable internet-connected devices into bots, could be used to target websites, knocking them offline The malware, called Mirai, is believed to be behind a landmark attack on security website Krebs On Security, which flooded the servers with a huge volume of requests. It is thought the same code is behind the Dyn attack which temporarily robbed people of their Twitter access. By spreading this malware to unsecured devices, such large-scale cyber-attacks can muster an army of objects as innocuous as fridges and kettles, to take down the internet. Analysts warn, thanks to malware such as Mirai, millions of vulnerable web-connected devices could be under the control of hackers and used by botnet servers to carry out online attacks Analysts warn, thanks to malware such as Mirai, millions of vulnerable web-connected devices could be under the control of hackers and used by botnet servers to carry out online attacks. In order to avoid being hacked, Mr Makrushin advises using strong passwords, regularly checking for and installing software updates, and implementing appropriate security software. 'This approach should be applied to every connected device on the network, including routers,' he told MailOnline. But manufacturers and the security industry also has a role to play. Mr Makrushin added: 'We need to work together to ensure that strong protection and patch management is designed-in from the very start. 'Once a product is on the market, it is already too late.' She already has Elizabeth Banks, Demi Lovato and Meryl Streep lining up in her corner - and now Hillary Clinton can add Brittny Gastineau to her column. Kim Kardashian's best friend spoke briefly to DailyMail.com as she headed out for dinner with a mystery man in West Hollywood. Asked who she would be throwing her support behind on November 8, Gastineau replied: 'Oh that's a tricky one but I think living in [Democrat hotspot] LA, everyone knows who they're voting for.' Pressed on the subject and asked if she liked Clinton, she confessed: 'Yeah, I like her.' Kim Kardashian's best friend Brittny Gastineau told DailyMail.com 'I like her' when asked if she liked Hillary Clinton She spoke as she headed out for dinner with a man in West Hollywood, suggesting that living in Los Angeles - a Democrat hotspot - 'everyone knows who they're voting for' Clinton already has a long list of celebrities supporting her, including Elizabeth Banks and Katy Perry But the 33-year-old remained tight-lipped on the subject of her best friend, who was robbed at gunpoint in Paris on October 2. Looking chic in a pair of Saint Laurent boots and clutching a Chanel bag, the socialite would only say that she has seen Kim since the robbery - and described what happened to her as 'not good'. Gastineau, who hails from New York and now lives in Los Angeles, has been part of the Kardashian's inner circle for more than a decade but has also been pursuing a career of her own as a model. She also runs a fashion and lifestyle blog called Eye On Glam which she uses to dispense style advice and shopping ideas to her fans. In one recent post, she discusses her love of Clinique foundation - noting that over lunch with 'my two friends Courtney. One Semel, other Kardashian', everyone complimented her skin. But the 33-year-old remained tight-lipped on the subject of her best friend, who was robbed at gunpoint in Paris on October 2. She said she has seen Kim since the robbery - and described what happened to her as 'not good' Snappers caught Gastineau taking selfies while she dined with a mystery man last week Gastineau is also close to Kourtney, 37, and, in a rare interview with an Australian publication last year, credited the star with introducing her to best friend Kim 11 years ago. 'I kind of was offended,' she said at the time. 'I was like, "Wait, we're not going to be best friends?" [But] the day that we met we instantly became best friends.' Kim has hardly been seen since the $11million robbery in Paris but was spotted filming scenes for Keeping Up With The Kardashians in Los Angeles this week. Along with her mother Kris Jenner, 60, and sister Kourtney, the 36-year-old has also been spied heading into the Forum over the past three nights to see husband Kanye West complete the LA leg of his Life of Pablo tour. She was seen buying frozen yogurt from a deli in Beverly Hills on Monday night, accompanied by close friend Jonathan Cheban. Kim, pictured with Gastineau in August, has hardly been seen since the $11million robbery in Paris Unusually, the glamorous star opted for a low-key look - wearing a simple white hoodie-dress and keeping make-up to a minimum. Friends, including Cheban and Gastineau, have been rallying round the 36-year-old as she recovers from the Paris heist earlier this month. A furious West is also thought to have been reviewing security arrangements for his family - demanding 'Secret Service-style' protection for his family according to insiders. Kim is thought to have been spending much of her time off with family, with sister Khloe, 32, who told talk show host Ellen DeGeneres that the heist had been 'incredibly traumatic' for her sister. Speaking on October 11, she said: 'She's not doing all that well. I mean, it's incredibly traumatic what happened to her. Samsung has impressed many with its products over the years. Their innovation in processors, memory and screen technology is the envy of many in the tech world. The latest Galaxy Note 7 battery issue however is an example of a minor tech issue turned into a full-blown crisis. Sadly, a phone which was hailed as virtually perfect went from top of the world to bottom in a matter of weeks. Todays battery technology is dangerous it just is. Expose these things to air and they can explode. Examples include hoverboards, Teslas and in the past decades, various laptops. Interestingly in most cases above there was limited damage. Battery issues in laptops are fairly frequent. Tesla had one or two problems but was able to show these were unique situations, where the battery was punctured. In the past year or so we did see an entire product category wiped out to some degree because of poor battery casing design and/or manufacturing defects hoverboards. So Samsung shouldnt have been surprised that they had what we might call a catastrophe with the Note 7. The problems they are facing are NOT unprecedented. They should have seen the hoverboard situation and realized the same thing could happen to them. How bad is the challenge for the company? Well, when you take a flight, your airline warns you to leave your device at home. The problem is outlined very well in an article by Rob Enderle who explains the financial types took over the company and basically destroyed it from within. In an age where cell phones are basically attached to us 247 leaving it at home is the same thing as not buying one and Samsung of course is trying to get all of these devices back as soon as they can. Their goal of sending new and improved units and reducing the charge amount to reduce the likelihood of fire just didnt work out. Now, every time people travel they will be reminded to leave their Samsung at home. The damage to the entire brand will be severe for years to come. Its a very bad time to be Samsung and the situation reminds us how one product can cast a shadow over an organization and hurt its global brand. More importantly, Rob thinks the management problems at Samsung are happening at other companies as well. If hes right, well see more stories like this in the near future. They're known for adding a touch of glamour to our television screens. And both Myleene Klass and Kym Marsh did not disappoint in the fashion stakes at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday night. The pair dazzled in gold and black floor-length numbers as they arrived on the red carpet, taking inspiration from the Halloween holiday to go gothic-gorgeous. Scroll down for video Sophisticated: Myleene Klass dazzled in a gold and black gown at the Pride of Britain Awards Elegant: Kym Marsh, 40, wore a figure-hugging gown featuring an Oriental-inspired print Myleene, 38, showed off her slim figure in a sophisticated lace gown, displaying a hint of cleavage and a flash of leg through the sheer panelling. The television presenter accessorised the dress with a simple black clutch, adding a touch of colour with a matte berry lipstick. She wore her sun-kissed locks over her shoulders in loose waves, accentuating her eyes with lashings of mascara. Glamorous: The television star wore her sun-kissed locks over her shoulders in loose wave Subtle: She displayed a hint of cleavage and a flash of leg through the sheer panels Meanwhile, Kym, 40, wore a figure-hugging halterneck gown featuring an Oriental-inspired branch pattern. She paired the dress, which featured a dramatic cut-out at the back, with a boxy clutch and simple gold accessories. The actress wore her raven locks in a glamorous up-do, finishing the look off with a taupe lipstick. Kym was joined at the bash by her boyfriend Matt Baker, 24, who donned a blue velvet tuxedo for the occasion. The twice-married star rekindled her relationship with personal trainer Matt Baker at the end of last summer after their brief two-month fling in 2014. Loved-up: Kym was joined by her boyfriend Matt Baker, 24, who donned a blue velvet tuxedo Beaming: She wore her raven locks up, finishing the look off with a taupe lipstick Myleene recently returned from a half-term break to Dubai with her daughters Ava, nine, and Hero, five. While the television star only shared snaps of her and her girls she was potentially joined by another - after going public with her boyfriend, PR guru Simon Motson. She told the Daily Mirror of her new romance: 'He is so hot. It's lovely. I'm enjoying myself.' The fashionista kept their relationship under wraps for six months until Simon's marriage to his wife of seven years, Anna Walton, was officially over. Myleene was previously married to bodyguard Graham Quinn - the father of her daughters Ava and Hero - but he ended their six-month marriage and decade-long relationship when he walked out on her 34th birthday in April 2012. Her husband Justin Timberlake came under fire after posing for a selfie at a voting booth - which violates state law in Tennessee. And on Monday, Jessica Biel teased her beau in a playful Instagram post she shared after she voted. The 34-year-old, who rocked the 'I voted' sticker in three different shots, shared the collage hours after she was spotted filming the movie Shock And Awe in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her playful side: Jessica Biel teased her husband Justin Timberlake on Monday after she voted; he posted a selfie at a voting booth in Tennessee, which violates state law She captioned the election themed Instagram picture: 'When you're so turnt up about voting that you do a photo shoot with your sticker and think it's cool but then second guess it.' Adding: 'But you've already posted, but at least you waited to get home before snapping so you won't almost go to jail, shout out to @JustinTimberlake.' Jessica, who opted for a makeup free face and natural tresses for her selfie session, put the sticker on her eye, her nose and her forehead in the snaps. Soon after, Justin, her husband of four years, showed off his humorous side with his response to Jessica. Natural beauty: The 34-year-old was spotted filming the movie Shock And Awe in New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday The musician reposted her photo and wrote: 'Well played, Wifey. Well played...@jessicabiel #getoutandvote #rockthevote #votelikeyoumeanit #everyvotehashtagever.' Justin added: 'Ps. No selfies in the booth.' Last week, Justin posted a selfie while standing inside a voting booth to his Instagram account; he snapped the picture after voting at the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Germantown, Tennessee. Taking a photo or recording audio in one of the state's voting booths is a crime; the penalty is up to 30 days in prison and a $50 fine. What a gorgeous lady: The actress showed off her slim form while sporting low-cut jeans with a striped top and minimal makeup while on the film set Earlier in the day, Jessica Biel was seen on the set of her upcoming drama Shock And Awe, which is set to hit theaters next year. The film is about a group of journalists covering President George Bush and his 2003 invasion of Iraq. Jessica showed off a hint of her flat stomach in low-cut light-wash denim bottoms, adding a striped top. Oops! Justin posted a voting booth selfie to his Instagram account after voting at the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Germantown, Tennessee Even a spooky holiday is a time for families but when you have two families, the special day can become a little bit tricky. On Monday little King Cairo celebrated Halloween twice, once with mom Blac Chyna and then with dad Tyga and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. Adorably the rapper and his four-year-old son dressed in matching skeleton costumes. Scroll down for video Double the fun or double the drama? On Monday little King Cairo celebrated Halloween twice, once with mom Blac Chyna and then with dad Tyga and his girlfriend Kylie Jenner where he and the rapper dressed like skeletons Tyga turned up to the little boys pre-school in a matching look, much to King's delight. Heading home, the skeleton duo got into some rough and tumble play with King jumping on his dad and sitting on him. Making sure to capture the special father son moment with her thousands of fans, Kylie shared a video on Snapchat. Raving about their close bond, Kylie said: 'They are obsessed with each other.' Apple of his eye: Making sure to capture the special father son moment with her thousands of fans, Kylie shared a video on Snapchat saying, 'They are obsessed with each other' Getting in on the fun: On Saturday night Tyga dressed as Juelz Santana from Dipset and Kylie dressed as Christina Aguilera But his close bond with his father was not the only paternal relationship being celebrated on Monday. King was also dressed to match his mom's boyfriend Rob Kardashian. While Rob was absent on Monday, King was adamant he wanted to dress like the 29-year-old for Halloween. Other father figure: But his close bond with his father was not the only paternal relationship being celebrated on Monday, King also dressed to match his mom's boyfriend Rob Kardashian Dressed to impress: The little tot wore baggy black clothes, a fake tattoo sleeve, imitation Gucci slides and Rob's constant headwear, a Dodger's cap Signature style: Robe was not with his family on Monday but is known to wear a very similar look (pictured May 28) The little tot wore baggy black clothes, a fake tattoo sleeve, imitation Gucci slides and Rob's constant headwear, a Dodger's cap. Chyna gave her son the option of going like his almost-step-dad or dressing like Ferrari driver. But the four-year-old insisted he wanted to be Rob despite Ferrari being his favourite. Options: Chyna gave her son the option of going like his almost-step-dad or dressing like Ferrari driver Getting in on the act: Chyna also dressed as her fiance with her friend to dress as her When King turned four earlier this month both his mother and his father threw him separate Ferrari parties. The two events were reportedly a source of contention between the two parents. Chyna had thrown King's party first but then Tyga threw a much more extravagant one. She rocked a plunging suede catsuit to resemble a fox for Halloween. And Ferne McCann looked equally enticing in a showstopping column gown at the Pride of Britain Awards in London on Monday night. The 26-year-old reality star turned heads in the dramatic dress which dipped perilously low to showcase her tanned back. Scroll down for video Turn around: Ferne McCann looked enticing in a showstopping column gown at the Pride of Britain Awards in London on Monday night The I'm A Celebrity! star posed dramatically on the red carpet to show off the gown's train to full effect. Looking coyly over her shoulder, she popped her leg to reveal a glimpse of toned limb. Despite the plunging back, the gown featured a high neckline and hugged her toned physique. Striking: The 26-year-old reality star turned heads in the dramatic dress which dipped perilously low to showcase her tanned back Chic: Despite the plunging back, the gown featured a high neckline and hugged her toned physique Ferne's brunette tresses were swept back in a low ponytail, while a side-parting framed her features. She plumped her full pout with a matte brown lipstick and emphasized her eyes with a bronze shimmery eyeshadow. Keeping accessories to a minimum, the former TOWIE star rocked a pair of metallic barely there sandals. Looking good! Her brunette tresses were swept back in a low ponytail, while a side-parting framed her features The Pride Of Britain Awards celebrate the achievements of remarkable people - with winners coming from tens of thousands of public nominations. Nominated by the public, the winners are from all walks of life, of all ages, and from all over the country. Screened on ITV, it is the biggest awards show of its kind on British TV. She's the mother of eight children that TV fans have followed in various reality show incarnations since 2007. Now 41-year-old Kate Gosselin and her brood will be back to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their reality show, Kate Plus 8. Season 10 will kick off on TLC on November 22, EW reported on Monday. Pilgrim mother: Kate Gosselin and her eight children - twins Mady and Cara, and sextuplets Aaden, Collin, Joel, Leah, Alexis and Hannah - will be back in Kate Plus 8 on November 22 It will start with an anniversary special featuring never-before-seen footage and new interviews with the huge family. And it will show just how much things have changed for the family since they made their television debut. Twins Mady and Cara, the oldest daughters, are turning 16 and preparing to start driving. Holiday fun: Kate, now 41, celebrated her 40th birthday with her huge brood at a beach resort in Mexico, captured by TLC's cameras The sextuplets - sons Aaden, Collin, and Joel, and daughters Leah, Alexis, and Hannah - will be celebrating their 12th birthdays. Season 10 may only be just eight episodes long, but TLC has revealed the Pennsylvania-based family is going to get plenty of vacation time in, with trips planned to New Orleans, the Poconos and the beach. And the show will include the family's new pups, German Shepherds Shoka and Mak and white Shepherd-mix, Nanuq, who are all expected to be part of the action. Reality star-turned-author: The blonde wrote about her experiences as the mother of twins and sextuplets in New York Times bestseller, Multiple Blessings, published in 2008 before her divorce from husband Jon Gosselin The reality show started as Jon & Kate Plus 8 on Discovery Health in 2007, which documented their lives. However, the couple divorced in December 2009 and the show was placed on hiatus. Over the weekend, she made a triumphant return to Strictly Come Dancing, after an ankle injury forced her to temporarily pull out of the BBC One show a week prior. And Laura Whitmore, 31, showed she was back to full health as she made a glamorous arrival at the star-studded Pride of Britain Awards in London on Monday. Wearing a flattering black floral gown, the Irish beauty opted to walk the Grosvenor House Hotel's red carpet on the arm of her Strictly dance partner Giovanni Pernice. Scroll down for video Stepping out: Laura Whitmore attended the Pride of Britain Awards with her Strictly Come Dancing partner Giovanni Pernice at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Monday night Dashing Italian Giovanni, 26, looked particularly happy to be hanging out with his new pal, posing outside the event with his arm firmly around Laura's waist. And while Laura topped the leaderboard with her tango during the last instalment of Strictly, her semi-sheer sleeveless number also proved to be a winner. Carrying a small black handbag, she wore her golden tresses in a glamorous half updo, while a red poppy gave her ensemble a patriotic touch. Getting cosy: Giovanni posed with an arm around his pretty dance partner on the red carpet Sheer delight: Irish beauty Laura, 31, wowed as she arrived in a black floral semi-sheer dress Also sporting a poppy, stylish Giovanni went for a classic look, stepping out in a black tuxedo, worn with a matching tie and white shirt. Inside the bash, Laura mingled with a host of stars, including Strictly competitors Daisy Lowe and Louise Redknapp. Laura recently admitted that she was nervous about dancing in Strictly's Halloween show, after being forced to miss the previous week's show due to the injury. Triumphant return: The TV personality made a triumphant return to Strictly Come Dancing over the weekend, after an ankle injury forced her to pull out of performing a week prior With the pain flaring up during rehearsals for the jive, doctors told her she would be unable to dance due to fears she had torn a ligament. The former MTV host said on It Takes Two last week: 'It's quite upsetting. [The jive] was the one we were really looking forward to doing.' 'You spend a while doing a dance, choreographing it but we really didn't know until right up until the day whether I could dance it or not. She added: 'I feel like there are no tears left to come out, because it wasnt easy.' Dapper gent: Dashing 26-year-old Italian Giovanni cut a dapper figure in a black tuxedo The injury affected the star not just physically but mentally too - leaving her fearful for her future prospects on the show and less confident in her dancing ability. Writing in her blog for Glamour Online, she explained: 'You're allowed to miss one show if the doctor says you are not physically fit to dance - but only one.' However, she fears regular training sessions could cause the joint to flare up again: 'The fear is, if it's not fully recovered it could get inflamed again. We have a lot to catch up on but I'm not ready to throw the towel in just yet. 'It's too much fun (yes despite the wonky ankles, tears and stress it's the best show to be part of!)' Waltzing in: Laura's fellow Strictly contestant Louise Redknapp was seen arriving at the event with her husband Jamie Redknapp She made a dramatic arrival to Derby Day last Saturday, covering her long tresses with a turban. But Jodi Anasta took on a more demure approach on Tuesday, sporting a pink knee-length Roksanda frock as she arrived at Flemington Racecourse for Melbourne Cup. The 31-year-old highlighted her figure in the form-fitting number, accessorising with a pair of pointy-toed heels and a bow of a deeper pink hue in her hair. Scroll down for video Tickled pink! Jodi Anasta, 31, made a demure arrival at Melbourne Cup 2016 on Tuesday in a knee-length form-fitting Roksanda frock The Myer ambassador highlighted her svelte figure in a Roksanda frock that finished just below the knee. Stitching just under the bust drew attention to the star's slender waist, while extra fabric at the elbows accentuated her lithe arms. Elongating her frame with a pair of pointy-toed jewelled heels in a purple hue, she accessorised further with a silver shoulder bag and an oversized bow by Kim Fletcher Millinery. Svelte: Stitching just under the bust drew attention to the star's slender waist, while extra fabric at the elbows accentuated her lithe arms Leggy lady: A pair of pointy-toed jewelled heels elongated Jodi's lean frame Beauty: The Home And Away star enhanced her striking facial features with a bronzed complexion, defined brows, a set of false lashes and a nude lip Jodi swept her signature brunette tresses into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, finishing off the effortless look with an oversized bow by Kim Fletcher Millinery. The Home And Away star enhanced her striking facial features with a bronzed complexion, defined brows, a set of false lashes and a nude lip. Tuesday's look was in dramatic contrast to last Saturday when the actress arrived at Derby Day in a high-necked white midi-dress by Jonathan Simkhai and a matching turban by Ann Shoebridge. While at Derby Day, Jodi imparted some of her sartorial wisdom upon those women attending the swanky racing carnival, advising them not to flash too much skin. Low-key: Jodi let several strands frame her face, making for an effortless beauty look All tied up: Upon turning to the side, Jodi gave the camera another look at her oversized bow Pretty in pink: Turning to the back, all eyes were on Jodi's oversized bow by Kim Fletcher Millinery '[Race-wear] should be ladylike, it should be elegant,' the mother-of-one told Daily Mail Australia. 'It doesn't mean you can't show pops of skin here and there but I think it's about doing it the right way,' she said. The former Home And Away star also confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that she is still single following her split from husband Braith last year. All-white: Tuesday's look was in dramatic contrast to last Saturday when the actress arrived at Derby Day in a high-necked white midi-dress by Jonathan Simkhai and a matching turban by Ann Shoebridge 'I'm single and just focused on work to be honest. I don't really have time to date right now,' she said. The pair, who share two-year-old daughter Aleeia, split in December just days after they were seen having a heated argument in a Coogee park. Braith has seemingly since moved on with personal trainer Rachael Lee. In 1997, Geri Horner, nee Halliwell, left the world in shock when she grasped Prince Charles' bottom during the premiere of Spice World: The Movie. The pregnant former Spice Girl and her bandmate Emma Bunton were reunited with the royal at Monday night's Pride of Britain Awards, where the trio appeared to share a giggle - perhaps also reminiscing about the time Geri planted a kiss on his cheek. Having skipped the red carpet at the glamorous bash, the 44-year-old expectant mum appeared backstage in a stunning one-shouldered gown where she could not contain the giggles in the presence of the royal. Scroll down for video Good times! Pregnant Geri Horner and her bandmate Emma Bunton were reunited with the royal at Monday night's Pride of Britain Awards, where the trio appeared to share a giggle Earlier this month, Geri - who is already mother to 10-year-old daughter Bluebell from a past relationship - and her husband Christian Horner announced they are 'overjoyed' to be expecting their first child together. And the mummy-to-be is proudly displaying her blooming bump, as illustrated in her sensational form-fitting gown which perfectly showed her changing physique. Showing off the fabled pregnant woman glow, Geri could not stop smiling as she joined her bandmate, who she has recently reformed alongside in Spice Girls reboot GEM, in greeting the Prince. The artist formerly known as Ginger Spice has enjoyed a number of meetings with Charles, yet none stand out as prominently as the now infamous incident. Way back when: In 1997, Geri, nee Halliwell, left the world in shock when she grasped Prince Charles' bottom during the premiere of Spice World: The Movie Perhaps as a disappointment to the iconic pop culture moment, in a previous interview with The Times, the stunning star insisted she did not actually grapple with the royal's behind. She said: 'I didnt pinch Prince Charless bum, as was reported. I patted it. Patting him on the bottom was against royal protocol but were all human. 'It was the premiere of our film, Spice World, in the late Nineties. There was a lot of nervous energy young women, happy antics.' Many meets: In 2004, Geri was spotted greeting the royal fondly at his charity The Prince's Trust's annual concert Party In The Park Just this year! The duo were back together once more for the Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards at the London Palladium in March After Geri quit the band in 1998 - much to the shock and devastation of fans - it was reported that Prince Charles sent a personal letter to the star. At the time, BBC reported that Buckingham Palace confirmed that a note on Royal letterhead was sent on 31 May 1998, the day she left the band, where he stated his sadness at the departure. The letter is reported to have stated 'the group will not be the same without you' before querying: 'What will I do without your wonderfully friendly greeting?' - allegedly in reference to the infamous meeting. On the way! Aside from her former wild child antics, the pop star is delightedly awaiting the arrival of her second child Aside from her former wild child antics, the pop star is delightedly awaiting the arrival of her second child. Earlier this month, a spokesperson for Geri confirmed: 'Geri and Christian are absolutely delighted to announce they are expecting their first child together. 'The couple are overjoyed with the good news and cannot wait to welcome the newest addition to their family.' Her 'pregnancy' has been the subject of much discussion. And Cheryl's absence at Monday night's Pride of Britain Awards only set tongues wagging further as the songstress failed to explain why she missed the bash, merely stating she was 'gutted' to not be present. The 33-year-old is said to be expecting her first child with boyfriend Liam Payne, 23, yet no announcement has been made - while Girls Aloud bandmate Kimberley Walsh, who is pregnant, talked nany rumours. Scroll down for video Where are you? Cheryl's absence at Monday night's Pride of Britain Awards only set tongues wagging further as the songstress failed to explain, merely stating she was 'gutted' to miss the show Cheryl remains coy about her alleged pregnancy despite showing off a rounded stomach and the fabled new mother glow. She confirmed her relationship with One Direction hunk Liam earlier this year shortly after the demise of her short-lived marriage to French businessman Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini. Her absence from Monday night's festivities has left fans scratching their heads, yet she kept her reasoning ambiguous as she took to Twitter to send her apologies. In her note, she penned: 'Gutted I couldn't make the Pride of Britain awards tonight. One of my favourite awards!. Good luck to all the nominees you're all amazing'. So sorry... In her note, she penned: 'Gutted I couldn't make the Pride of Britain awards tonight. One of my favourite awards!. Good luck to all the nominees you're all amazing' Confirmation: The 33-year-old is said to be expecting her first child with boyfriend Liam Payne, 23, yet no announcement has been made as expectant mother Kimberley Walsh talked baby rumours Cheryl has frequented the awards for many years, previously appearing alongside the band before making her solo appearances. Despite Cheryl being away from the red carpet, her former bandmates Kimberley and Nicola Walsh stormed the bash in something of a mini Girls Aloud reunion. Kimberley was offered congratulations for her friend while on the red carpet and see simply replied, 'thanks,' neither confirming or denying rumours, according to The Mirror. Oops! Kimberley seemed to suffer a Cheryl-based gaffe as she appeared to finally confirm the news when she found herself in a tricky situation during a red carpet interview Through the years: Cheryl has frequented the awards for many years, previously appearing alongside the band before making her solo appearances (pictured left-right in 2009, 2011, 2015) Kimberley previously spoke of her happiness for her pal in an interview with the Daily Star's TV Life magazine earlier this week - before coyly stating she did not want to 'go in to too much detail'. She told the magazine: 'Yes, I'm really happy that she's happy. She left heads turning at the Brownlows last month when she stepped out in a very revealing gown. And on Tuesday, AFL WAG Jessie Habermann toned down her edgy look as she attended the 2015 Melbourne Cup races with her fiance Marc Murphy. For the event, the 26-year-old channelled Barbie with an 80s inspired one-shoulder dress. Scroll down for video Stole her look: AFL WAG Jessie Habermann channelled Barbie on Tuesday with an 80s inspired one-shoulder dress as she attended the Melbourne Cup The embroidered garment showed off the blonde beauty's curves as it hugged tightly around figure before finishing inches below the knee. For the occasion, Jessie pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail while styling the ends with a wave. As she opted for a well-blended foundation, she highlighted her cheekbones with a light pink blush and lips with a bold red lipstick. Old school: At the event, the 26-year-old showed off her curves in the fitted garment as she walked arm-in-arm with her fiance Marc Murphy She also added length to her eye lashes with a thin layer of black mascara and eye liner. With a pair of silver high heels giving the beauty some height, she finished off her accessorises with a white clutch bag and silver stud earrings. The model also added a matching pink headband to her look. Pulled back: For the occasion Jessie wore her blonde hair in ponytail while adding a bold red lipstick to her plump lips While she opted for a more vintage look, her sportsman beau dressed in a classic grey pin-striped suit. Marc added a white button-up shirt and a blue floral tie to his attire along with a pair of black dress shoes. Her AFL star beau proposed last September and the loved-up couple are set to wed on December 29. Classic: Her sportsman beau dressed in a classic grey pin-striped suit with a white button-up shirt and a blue floral tie Last year, Jessie took to social media to announce she said yes to the Carlton captain. 'Dinner last night escalated to this...engaged to the man of my dreams... I'm still in so much shock!!' The nuptials will be held at the Luminare hotel in South Melbourne. Story highlights Public gets first look at China's newest fighter jets J-20 seen as China's answer to US F-22s and F-35s (CNN) Two of China's brand new, top-of-the-line stealth fighter jets streaked and screamed across an air exhibition on Tuesday as Beijing showed its newest military hardware to the public for the first time. The J-20 fighter is called Beijing's answer to the US F-22 stealth fighter and the F-35 that will be soon deployed in the Pacific by the United States and Japan. J-20 stealth fighters of the Bayi Aerobatic Team of PLA's (Peoples Liberation Army) Air Force perform on Tuesday in their first public appearance. The J-20, a long-range, radar-avoiding stealth combat aircraft, first flew in 2011 but had not been shown to the public until Tuesday. Two of the twin-engine jets made passes over the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Hong Kong. Once a girl scout always a girl scout. And Gigi Hadid seemed to be enjoying a bit of nostalgia as she headed to Taylor Swift's Halloween party at her apartment in New York. The 21-year-old was spotted heading to the intimate gathering and was later featured in some Instagram snaps from inside the soiree. Scouts honor: Gigi Hadid seemed to be enjoying a bit of nostalgia as she headed to Taylor Swift's Halloween party at her apartment in New York The gorgeous Victoria's Secret model wore her hair in pigtails as she donned a large cowboy hat. Completing her attire was a blue denim shirt, suspenders, green velvet trousers and a some moccasins. Once at the party Taylor posted snaps of her and her squad in costume. The moccasins were made for walking:The 21-year-old was spotted heading to the party and was later featured in some Instagram snaps from inside the soiree Go big or go home! The gorgeous Victoria's Secret model wore her hair in pigtails as she donned a large cowboy hat Taylor went for broke in a costume inspired by her friend Blake Lively's husband Ryan Reynold's character Deadpool. Earlier that day Gigi was seen looking sophisticated and seriously chic in her long black coat, turtleneck halter dress, and ankle boots. Gigi was giving her undivided attention to her phone as she strutted down the sidewalk solo. Fun with friends: Once at the party Taylor posted snaps of her and her squad in costume Taylor went for broke in a costume inspired by her friend Blake Lively's husband Ryan Reynold's character Deadpool The motley crew: The group of friends posed up in a variety of costumes The catwalk queen had her curly brunette tresses scraped back into a sleek, no-fuss ponytail, a style which put her simply radiant facial features on full show. However, her blemish-free complexion was hidden behind a pair of large and super edgy black shades. She also had a black leather purse slung over her shoulders. The star's younger sister, Bella Hadid, 20, was also spotted out in Manhattan that day in a long fuzzy black coat, leggings, and furry loafers. Spellbinding! Earlier that day Gigi rocked a super bewitching look as she stepped out on Halloween in New York City Not a hair out of place! The catwalk queen had her curly brunette tresses scraped back into a sleek, no-fuss ponytail, a style which put her simply radiant facial features on full show Walk and talk! Hadid was giving her undivided attention to her phone as she strutted down the sidewalk Both Gigi and Bella will be appearing in the upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Gigi recently announced the big news with her Instagram followers by sharing a video of herself strutting down the catwalk during the 2015 show. 'There is no feeling in the world like walking down this runway,' she wrote in the caption. 'I'm elated to say I'll be returning to the @VictoriasSecret Fashion Show this year.' Look who's here! Bella Hadid, 20, was also spotted out in Manhattan that day in a long fuzzy black coat and leggings Sister act! Both Gigi and Bella will be appearing in the upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 'Thank you @ed_razek for putting on the show that has been one of my greatest motivators since I was a teenage fan of the Angels, and for making this dream come true for me again. 'It will forever be an honor. Can't wait to join the surreally beautiful and inspiring women that are the #vsfs2016 lineup. See you in Paris.' The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air on television in the US on December 5 on CBS. It will take place in Paris, after previously being held in New York in 2015. Kathy Hilton joined her half-sisters Kim and Kyle Richards on Monday at a family baby shower in Beverly Hills, California. The 57-year-old mother of Paris and Nicky Hilton donned a pair of funky mirrored sunglasses for the baby shower at Il Pastaio. Kathy also wore a short-sleeved scoop neck black blouse and a tan visor. Family affair: Kathy Hilton joined her half-sisters Kyle and Kim Richards on Monday for a baby shower in Beverly Hills, California Kyle, 47, sat in the middle between her sisters. The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star dressed up with a peach jacket over white collared blouse with a front cutout. Kim, 52, kept it simple in a lowcut black blouse with a key necklace. The sisters also got together last month to celebrate Kim's birthday at the Palm Restaurant in Beverly Hills. Reality star: Kyle looked stylish for the baby shower at Il Pastaio Kim also recently became a grandmother as her daughter Brooke Wiederhorn, 30, welcomed a son last month. Brooke wed Thayer Wiederhorn in 2014 with famous cousins Nicky and Paris in attendance. Her father is the late Monty Brinson. New grandmother: Kim Richards recently became a grandmother Kim also is the mother of Whitney Davis, 26, and Chad Davis, 25 who she shares with ex-husband Gregg Davis and Kimberly Jackson, 21, from a previous relationship with John Jackson. Kyle has been filming for RHOBH recently. Kim again will be a guest in the upcoming seventh season of the Bravo reality show after being a regular cast member for the first five seasons. She's currently dating former AFL legend Barry Hall. But Lauren Brant appears to have trouble letting go of the past as she's spotted sporting the engagement ring given to her by ex-fiance Warren Riley before their public split last year. Heading to the Melbourne Cup race day celebrations on Tuesday, the 27-year-old showed off the sparkler in a selfie taken in the car. Scroll down for video Trouble letting go? Lauren Brant was spotted heading to the Melbourne Cup races on Tuesday while still wearing her old engagement ring from her ex 'On our way to the races - has anyone got any tips??? (sic)' the former Hi-5 member captioned the snap. Lauren added the hash-tags: 'Melbourne Cup 2016', 'all dressed up', 'currently stuck in traffic' and 'selfie mode' to her post. The entertainer wore a headpiece featuring little brown flowers and had her short brunette locks tied back in a chic up-do. Messy split: Lauren made headlines last year after her ex-fiance Warren Riley allegedly discovered her affair with retired NRL player Beau Ryan Happier times: The Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! star is now wearing the ring on her right hand (pictured wearing it on her wedding ring finger in March 2015) The former reality star appeared to have switched her engagement ring over to her right hand, holding it up in clear view for the snap. Despite still rocking the ring her ex proposed to her with, Lauren has recently confirmed her romance with retired sport star Barry, with whom she shared a stint on the reality series I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! last year. The couple were spotted sharing a tender kiss on the Gold Coast in October, The Daily Telegraph reported. New romance: Lauren has recently confirmed her relationship with former AFL player Barry Hall (right) after the pair were spotted kissing on the Gold Coast 'We have been spending a lot of time together and we have been enjoying each other's company,' Lauren told the publication of her beau, who is 12 years her senior. 'Who knows what the future holds?' The romance comes after a tough year for Lauren, whose alleged affair with Beau Ryan made headlines. Making headlines: The former Hi-5 member's engagement came to an end after she reportedly admitted to having an affair with Footy Show star Beau (pictured) Sorry: Ryan admitted that the scandal caused immense stress on his wife Kara and their kids After her time in the South African jungle last year, news emerged of Lauren's alleged fling with the former Cronulla Sharks player. Her fiance at the time, personal trainer Warren Riley, took the story to Woman's Day, after allegedly discovering a text exchange between the former Hi-5 member and her friend who asked her what was going on with Ryan. When pushed, Lauren is said to have confessed to a romance with married Beau - when they starred together in Sydney's production of Aladdin And His Wondrous Lamp back in July of that year. The couple confirmed their relationship in July this year. And Michael Klim and girlfriend Desiree Deravi made a bold entrance at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. Fashion designer Desiree opted to wear a bright orange dress while Olympic campion Michael went for an all navy ensemble. Scroll down for video Dynamic Duo: Michael Klim and girlfriend Desiree Deravi made a bold entrance at the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday Arriving just moments after Michael's ex Lindy and her fiance Adam Ellis, the duo narrowly avoided what could have been somewhat of an awkward encounter. Lindy announced her engagement to Adam Ellis last month. And at the event, the stunning bruntette couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she continued to pack on the PDA with her new beau. While flashing her to citrine stone engagement ring, the 38-year-old wore a bright red soldier-inspired dress, which finished at the knees Better not bump into each other! Arriving just moments after Michael's ex Lindy and her fiance Adam Ellis, the duo narrowly avoided what could have been somewhat of an awkward encounter She accessorised her attire with simple black heels and a matching red bag as well as a black silk headpiece, which had a silver broach. While wearing her thick brunette hair out with a wave, the mother-of-three flaunted her natural complexion through a nude-base makeup, which included a beige lipstick. Adam also looked the part on Tuesday as he wore a grey three-piece suit to the event, along with a white button-up shirt and a silver toned tie. On show: While flashing her to flash citrine engagement ring, the 38-year-old wore a bright red soldier-inspired dress, which finished at the knees Details: The round-collared garment featured large gold buttons down the front and a thick white panel around her waist and sleeves While attending the annual Derby Day in Melbourne days earlier, Lindy revealed details about her most recent engagement to Daily Mail Australia. The former wife of Olympic swimmer Michael Klim explained her elegant ring was a 'citrine stone' and had a rose band. She told the proposal was 'unexpected' but 'romantic'. Adam dropped to one knee during a getaway to Morocco last month after nearly 10 months of dating. Justin Timberlake and family can't stop the feeling. The 35-year-old actor and wife Jessica Biel got in the Halloween spirit along with their son Silas as they got all done up in costumes from his new children's flick Trolls. The A-list couple each took to their Instagram accounts to share photos of them in their costumes including their 18-month-old son. Family fun: Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel joined 18-month-old son Silas as they dressed as Trolls from the 35-year-old singer's new flick Justin was dressed as his character Branch as his 'skin' was blue as he sported a green vest made of leaves. He also sported brown shorts with patches all over it along with a black wig with tall hair and large ears attached to it. He completed the look with large furry feet and a big nose as his son was dressed the exact same way sans the mask. Jessica, 34, was dressed as female character Poppy who is being portrayed by Anna Kendrick in the soon-to-be released flick. 'We be Trollin'': The family looked happy to frolick together as they celebrated Halloween She was pink as she wore a green patterned dress, pink wig complete with large ears and huge nose. Justin posted the adorable family photo with the caption: 'When you make your whole family dress up as the characters from the movie you're in but your wife secretly loves it and your son won't keep his troll wig on... 'Shoutout to @jessicabiel #2BranchsandaPoppy #Trolls #didIuseaholidayforselfpromo. Happy Halloween, everybody!!!!' Jessica wrote: 'Happy Halloween from Poppy, Branch and lil Branch. We be Trollin'...' On-the-go: Justin has been busy promoting the animated film as he appeared on The Tonight Show last week Trolls is centred around the two characters as they are sent off on a journey to rescue their friends after an invasion. It also stars Zooey Deschanel, Christine Baranski, Russel Brand, Gwen Stefani, John Cleese, James Corden, Jeffrey Tambor, Ron Funches, Kunal Nayyar and Quvenzhane Wallis. Trolls - directed by Walt Dohrn and Mike Mitchell - is set for release this Friday in the US and is currently playing in the UK. Her playful side: Jessica also teased her husband on Monday after she voted; he posted a selfie at a voting booth in Tennessee, which violates state law He's been plagued by health problems and was left having to use a wheelchair and turned to alcohol to cope after a serious fall in Thailand in January, where he came dangerously close to being paralysed. And on Tuesday, Molly Meldrum looked a little worse for wear as he attended the Melbourne Cup at Flemington racecourse. The 73-year-old looked to be having a ball as he was seen letting loose and being escorted by two women inside the Emirates marquee in The Birdcage. Scroll down for video Back on his feet! Molly Meldrum, 73, was escorted by two women at Flemington Racecourse for Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. The music critic has been plagued with health problems following a life-threatening fall in Thailand earlier this year Despite his health problems, Molly was also spotted puffing away on a cigarette in the enclosure. Molly donned a black suit, teamed with a crisp white shirt and a statement gold tie for the event. Sporting simple black dress shoes, he wore his signature Akubra hat and accessorised further with a pair of Dame Edna-esque glasses. The household name couldn't stop smiling as he was spotted being escorted by two Emirates ambassadors, clad in their trademark beige and red attire. High spirits: Another moment saw Molly playfully pulling his tongue out for the camera in a very close-up shot Relaxed: While at the star-studded race day, the star was seen enjoying a cigarette Another moment saw Molly playfully pulling his tongue out for the camera in a very close-up shot. While at the star-studded race day, Molly was seen enjoying a cigarette and posed for a photo with Derryn Hinch who was enjoying a glass of wine. The last time Molly came to headlines was in July this year when he was forced to cut short a 10-day cruise on board a luxury yacht after injuries he suffered after his fall in January flared up on the cruise. All smiles: There was no denying Molly's sense of content at Melbourne Cup Dr Brian Pliatsos shared with The Daily Telegraph at the time: 'After struggling with an acute health issues whilst overseas, Molly Meldrum has been safely returned home to Australia for urgent evaluation and treatment.' Dr Pliatsos continued: 'The decision to manage him in Australia was made to ensure appropriate continuity of care given some ongoing complications following his [first] serious fall in 2011.' 'I want to assure everybody that his prognosis is excellent and ask that his privacy be respected pending a full and proper recovery,' he later added. Famous faces: While at the star-studded race day, Molly was seen enjoying a cigarette and posed for a photo with Derryn Hinch The Australian music legend was enlisted as the DJ on board the five-star Seabourn Odyssey - dubbed the 'Love Boat' - but had to leave the ship and fly home to Melbourne. The injuries were a result of a serious fall in Thailand in January this year. The record producer and entrepreneur dislocated one of his shoulders and fractured several ribs when he slipped while getting out of a taxi in front of his Bangkok hotel. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph after the accident, Molly revealed that he came close to having his arm amputated and turned to alcohol to cope. The former Countdown host also suffered a life-threatening fall when he tripped down the stairs while putting up Christmas decorations in 2011. Nearly one month after being robbed at gunpoint in Paris, Kim Kardashian has returned to social media. The 36-year-old took to Facebook on Monday to share a very glamorous image of herself that promoted her favourite line of cell phone cases. 'Downtime #LumeeCollab,' the caption read. Her grand return: Kim Kardashian took to Facebook on Monday to share a very glamorous image of herself that promoted her line of cell phone cases The image was of Kim, who has designed cases for the company before, sitting down with her long locks flawlessly styled as she sat down with her iPhone in hand and a blackberry on her lap. The image may have been scheduled to appear on Kim's Facebook for some time. But it wasn't the only new item to appear on Kim's Facebook that day. The reality star's Facebook timeline included a link to her website www.kimkardashianwest.com for a video entitled, 'From Kourtney: Halloween With The Family.' Childhood memories: The reality star's Facebook timeline included a link to her website www.kimkardashianwest.com for a video entitled, 'From Kourtney: Halloween With The Family' 'I love that we have so much video footage of our childhood because my dad loved filming us!', the post read. 'This one is from Halloween 1982. Made for such amazing memories to look back on. I have clearly been a into dressing up as Wonder Woman for a really long time (see photos of me as a superhero from last year). Watch this clip of Kim and I as toddlers.' The video was of Kim and Kourtney, dressed as a pumpkin and Wonder Woman respectively, and was recorded by their father, the late Robert Kardashian. All dressed up: The video was of Kim and Kourtney Kardashian when they were just toddlers So sweet: 'Pumpkin!' Kim responds enthusiastically before rushing towards the garage 'October 1982,' Robert says. 'Kourtney is three and a half, and Kimberly is two years old. Look at Kourtney, who are you? Louder, I can't hear you!' 'Wonder Woman!', a young Kourtney says with a smile. 'And Kimberly, who are you?' Robert asks her. Daddy's little girl: Robert Kardashian sat on the floor as his little girl approached the camera Super cute: Two-year-old Kim smiled as she ran around the garage in her pumpkin costume 'Pumpkin!' Kim responds enthusiastically before rushing towards the garage. The video ends with Robert affectionately pulling Kim into his arms. A third post also linked back to Kim's website, and was a blog post written by Kim's assistant, Stephanie Sheppard. Earlier: The super star was spotted on October 2 in Paris 'From Steph: The 5 Things You Need For A 5 Minute Halloween,' the post was titled. 'Not everyone has the time to put together an intricate Halloween look,' the post read, 'but here's all you need if you've only got 5 minutes to get out the door.' Stephanie announced earlier this month that she would be helping to update Kim's app while she takes time off. Sister act: Kourtney shared a home video from their childhood on Monday (pictured with Kim in Paris on October 2) The handwritten note read: 'Hey guys, so you may have noticed we haven't updated the app in a couple weeks, 'Keeks is taking some much needed time off. But not to worry guys we've called upon kims closest friends, fam & yours truly to serve up some exclusives, 'Stay tuned for new posts and app takeovers!! Thank you so much for your support for my girl, love you mean it!' Kim was left fearing for her life when a five-men gang broke into her room at Hotel de Pourtales in Paris, France, on October 3, waved a gun in her face, gagged her and tied her up in the bathroom while they raided her drawers and made off with her lavish jewellery worth an estimated $8.5 million. They've signed up for the second series of First Dates to find their perfect match. And on Tuesday's debut episode, single mother and 'milf' Lisa, 35, and former army man Ryan, 30, got along like a house on fire as they both enjoyed one another's confident personalities. During the cringe-worthy date, Victoria-based Lisa asked Ryan if he had a 'small package,' while Ryan was quick to assure he was well endowed. Scroll down for video 'Should I worry that you've got a small package?' On Tuesday's series return of First Dates, single mother and 'milf' Lisa, 35, (pictured) and former army man Ryan, 30, (pictured) got along like a house on fire during a cringe-worthy dinner 'Are you sure there are no faults with you? Should I worry that you've got a small package?,' she brazenly asked him. 'No, you should definitely not worry about that,' Ryan replied, smiling. In a piece to camera, the buff hunk - who hails from NSW - said he thinks he's the perfect catch. 'I think I'm the full package and I have a full weapon down below.' 'I have a full weapon down below': Ryan was quick to assure he was well endowed The question of his package was on her mind, with Lisa confessing to camera that it's a big factor for whether she dates someone. 'This is pretty embarrassing, but it's really important to me that he is well endowed,' she admitted. 'No little cocktail frankfurts' she added. During their dinner conversation, Lisa - who said she'd describe herself as being 'sexy' - said Ryan was 'describing' her when he said he likes fun, attractive women who are 'good in bed.' 'No little cocktail frankfurts': Lisa said she sometimes asks dates if they have a big package as it's 'really important' to her Later the pair didn't hold back, with Ryan - who is also a gym owner - asking the blonde if she had 'fake boobs.' 'Do you have fake boobs?,' he quipped, after the pair talked about the size of their nipples. She said she didn't but then told him she was only joking. The divorcee made Ryan laugh and he quipped to camera: 'They are amazing!' Ryan eventually got the bill and they agreed to go on a second date when talking together on camera in their final confessionals. Their chemistry was evident as the pair then shared a smooch on screen. Priorities! Later the pair didn't hold back, with Ryan - who is also a gym owner - asking the blonde if she had 'fake boobs' The perfect match! Their chemistry was evident as the pair shared a smooch on screen When she joking asked 'will you marry me,' he quipped he would have to see her 'naked first.' It was revealed off-screen, they went for a drink after their date and 'Ryan was shaken and stirred.' Another interesting date on the series return was between Tonee, 22, and barber and base player Jake, 24, with the pair both hailing from NSW. It was a potential case of love at second sight after the pair realised they knew each other already and went to primary school together back in the day. Love at second sight? Another interesting date on the debut episode was between Tonee, 22, and barber and base player Jake, 24, with the pair both hailing from NSW (pictured), who went to primary school together Tonee said she liked musicians and men with 'dirty facial hair'. Despite her blind date being an old acquaintance, she was open to possibly finding love with him. He footed the bill and afterwards the pair said they wanted to see each other again and go on a second date, before sharing a kiss on-screen. It was revealed during the end credits, they never caught up again but added each other on Facebook instead. A match? He footed the bill and afterwards the pair said they wanted to see each other again and go on a second date, before sharing a kiss on-screen Another date was between Lebanese man Shadi, 28, from Victoria and Lebanese scientist Natalie, 27, from Victoria. The pair appeared to have some good banter, joking and laughing together about their lives. Shadi revealed he was a 'mummy's boy' - to the point where he called his mum while on the date, but from the bathroom, to ask her advice on what to do because he genuinely liked Natalie. He said he was 'scared' to find love as he has had two failed serious relationships but his 'mum wants me to settle down.' Getting along: Another date was between Lebanese man Shadi, 28, from Victoria and Lebanese scientist Natalie, 27, from Victoria (seen together) Shadi revealed that he married in his early twenties after being set up, but he wasn't ready. 'We got hitched for 44 days,' he told Natalie. 'I beat Kim K,' he said to camera referring to Kim Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries that famously lasted 72 days. 'Even Kim K got married for 77 days. I couldn't even make 44,' he said with a laugh. Shadi also admitted after his marriage split he developed anxiety and depression but turned to humour to get him through it. 'I beat Kim K!' Shadi revealed he married in his early twenties after being set up, but wasn't ready He eventually said he wanted to go on another date with Natalie but she confessed she could only see them being friends, adding that she'll pop over to his family's house 'for hummus'. Another date on the episode featured Roxy, 26, and 26-year-old Aarun. The nanny revealed she's never been in a relationship and has always been single, calling herself the 'Australian Bridget Jones' and 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride.' The brunette said her mother tries to line her up with guys and gives out her number on a business card that also has her photo on it. However, she admits, she's never had a call from the handouts. During the date, Roxy admitted she once joined eHarmony and got a refund from the dating site after only scoring one match - with a man in his 60s. Her prince charming?Nanny Roxy, 26, was partnered with 26-year-old Aarun (pictured) She also spoke about her dating life with him, saying she changes for a man but the relationship never works out. 'I change myself for them to like me and they still dump me,' she said. Aarun wasn't deterred and paid for their meal, with Roxy saying a man has never paid for her before. After Aarun asked Roxy out on a second date, she was left in tears because she felt bad telling him she only saw him as a friend. 'I don't think there was any sexual attraction, I'm willing to go to the movies as friends,' she said, before crying because she 'felt bad.' She added: 'I hate when guys do it to me!' She recently had a disagreement with Coleen Nolan after blasting the new trend of using make-up trickery to create realistic cuts and scars for fancy dress on Halloween. And Katie Piper was seen for the first time since her impassioned outburst on Monday as she stepped out at the Pride Of Britain Awards. The 33-year-old looked stunning in a floor length blue velvet gown which clung to her slim figure. Scroll down for video... She wore blue velvet: Katie Piper looked stunning in a clinging floor length velvet gown as she stepped out at the Price Of Britain Awards on Monday night in London The long sleeved frock also featured a short train which added to the dramatic effect. Her blonde hair was worn in as chic updo while her eyes were outlined with smokey black eye make-up while she accessorised with layers of silver rings and bracelets by Sif Jakobs. Katie branded costumes featuring temporary burns, scars and disfigurements as 'distasteful and offensive' in an impassioned outpouring to her 385,000 followers last Wednesday. Chic: Her blonde hair was worn in as chic updo while her eyes were outlined with smokey black eye make-up while she accessorised with layers of silver rings and bracelets Accessorise: Katie wore layers of silver bracelets and wings and teamed her outfit with a boxy taupe clutch bag The TV personality, 33, was scarred for life in 2008 when her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch hired Stefan Sylvestre to throw acid on her face in an attack which left her still needing reconstructive surgery nearly a decade later. However, Colleen Nolan voiced her disagreement with the campaigner, saying that, while she had the utmost respect for Katie and her work, Coleen explained she believes gory makeup at Halloween is all part of the fun for children. 'She's a fantastic woman and it's incredible how she helps other people going through the same trauma, I have to say though that in this instance I don't agree with her,' explained Coleen on Friday's episode of Loose Women. 'It's Halloween, kids look forward to it and the more fake blood you put on them, they all want scars. It's kids having fun. It would be different if they were taking the mick.' Outburst: Katie branded costumes featuring temporary burns, scars and disfigurements as 'distasteful and offensive' in an impassioned outpouring last Wednesday Be mindful of people's feelings: Katie urged horror fans not to dress up as someone 'that has had trauma happen to them' The philanthropist had written on her Instagram: 'It's not even Halloween and I've had over 20 photos on my feed of make-up artists posting Halloween gore-overs. 'It's distasteful and offensive to make temporary burns, scars and disfigurements on someone's face for Halloween. 'Some of us have these differences all year round. When did Halloween turn into people imitating accident victims?' Next to the image, the mother-of-one attached a further note, reading: 'I enjoy Halloween just as much as the next person but please don't dress up as someone that has had trauma happen to them. 'Even if you don't care about other people's feelings how about remembering non of us are immune and it could be you one day with those injuries no Halloween make up needed. 'Pumpkins, witches, cats, bats whatever but not someone who has been seriously injured please.' Having her say: Coleen Nolan, speaking on Loose Women on Friday, has insisted she doesn't agree with Katie Piper's criticism of gory Halloween makeup Coleen's Loose Women co-stars agreed with her that children should be allowed to have fun and choose their own Halloween makeup and costumes, although mother of two Ayda Field, wife of Robbie Williams, admitted she was enjoying the final years of picking outfits for her kids. 'I'm at the little princess stage, Robbie loves to dress up like a princess,' Ayda joked. 'No, I realise this year is the last year I get to decide what my children get to wear. Teddy wants to be a princess, but she's going to be a giraffe. It is age-based. What if five years from now she wants to dress like a zombie?' Coleen pointed out: 'When they get older they don't want to be so comical or cute.' Survivor: Acid-attack survivor Katie has this week condemned the new trend of using make-up trickery to create realistic cuts and scars for Halloween fancy dress Brave Katie has undergone more than 300 surgical procedures since a terrible acid attack at the hands of her ex-boyfriend back in 2008. The mother-of-one suffered horrific and life-changing burns at the hands of her convicted ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch who organised an assailant - Stefan Sylvestre - to throw acid in her face in March 2008. The incident was caught on CCTV and both Lynch and Sylvestre were handed life sentences. Katie's recovery is ongoing and she's an advocate for body confidence, setting up The Katie Piper Foundation in order to help burns victims and people suffering from disfiguring injuries. Katie's words came after TOWIE star Amber Dowding was forced to apologise to fans after she faced backlash against her Halloween costume. Impassioned: Katie branded costumes featuring temporary burns, scars and disfigurements as 'distasteful and offensive' in an impassioned outpouring to her 385,000 Instagram follower The 23-year-old newbie dressed as a gory escaped prisoner complete with slashed wrists, a cut throat and a bloodied convict-inspired dress - yet a pre-filming selfie caused outrage among followers as it looked as though she had self-harmed. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, she shared a selfie to exhibit her realistic prosthetic make-up, leading to her sincere apology in the face of the bitter backlash from fans. Amber, who joined the show earlier this year as the girlfriend of Chris Clark, led her co-stars in filming Halloween episode as she dressed as a sexy prisoner. Not happy: Katie has expressed her unease with the use of realistic prosthetic make-up over Halloween Realistic: But charred zombie make-up has been heavily criticised by the TV personality In her selfie, the rest of the costume was not visible, which appeared to lead fans to believe she was feigning slit wrists - when in fact the look was supposed to be caused by handcuffs. Users lashed out at the star for being 'insensitive in the face of mental illness', as they penned: 'Slit wrists bit insensitive considering it's just been mental health week #epicfail 'The make up artist is very talented in creating this, however this isn't what I'd call Halloween, more the consequence of self harm, not nice... I'm sure your intention wasn't to upset anyone though @amberdowdingx x'. Amber seemed to realise how the image looked as she offered a gushing apology: 'I am sorry if I have upset anyone. As you will see in my next picture I am a prisoner and they are cuts from the handcuffs.' Insensitive: Katie's outburst comes after TOWIE star Amber Dowding was forced to apologise to fans after she faced backlash against her Halloween costume Katie has previously detailed the moment she realised the full extent of her injuries after her attack. Writing in her book, Beautiful, she said: 'Taking a deep breath, I held it up to my face. That little mirror was a window into hell. 'My skin was red raw. My eyelids were puffy and underneath, my eyeballs protruded like cartoonish globes. 'My left eyeball looked milky and opaque. My lips were swollen like sausages and my eyelashes and eyebrows gone. 'My nose was a shrivelled mound. My cheeks had sunk into my skull. My face had melted into my neck like candle wax. 'I wasn't a model and TV presenter any longer. How could I be, looking like that? "No," I whimpered, my chest heaving with sobs. No tears came: my ravaged eyes couldn't even cry.' Katie married husband Richard Sutton in November 2015, after welcoming daughter Belle into the world in March 2014. A letter from six women at a spinning mill in southern India, describing the sexual harassment they face at work and asking for help, exposes the widespread exploitation of women in the multi-billion-dollar textile industry, campaigners said. "He forces himself on us, constantly hugging us and squeezing our breasts," the women write, describing the behavior of their male supervisor. "Any worker who resists his advances loses part of her salary. We need this job and don't know who to talk to about the abuse we face everyday. Please help us." Sent to the social welfare officer in Dindigul, a district in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the eight-page letter dated Aug. 29 is a plea for help from abused and exploited women, rights campaigners said. "Women normally share their experiences only after quitting their jobs," said S. Thivyarakhini of the all-women Tamil Nadu Textile and Common Labour Union. "This is the first time, we have such raw details of ongoing exploitation. The letter has exposed the underbelly of the textile industry in the region." The mill management said they were unaware of the letter and had not received any official complaint. "There were unsubstantiated allegations against the same person around a year back by a woman worker," said K.R. Shanmugavel, senior manager at the Rama Spinning Mills. "We gave him a warning and also terminated the (employment of the) woman worker to avoid further problems." India is one of the world's largest textile and garment manufacturers. Many of the workers employed in this $40-billion-a-year industry are trapped in debt bondage, face abuse or are forced to work long hours in poor conditions, activists said. Traditionally, the dyeing units, spinning mills and apparel factories have drawn on cheap labor from villages across Tamil Nadu to turn the cotton into yarn, fabric and clothes, most of it for Western high street shops. More than 2,000 units employ an estimated 300,000 people, most of them young women from poor, illiterate and low-caste or "Dalit" communities. There are around 100 women working in the Rama Spinning mills near Nallamanarkottai village in Dindigul district. "There is constant use of vulgar language and other male workers are also encouraged to seek sexual favors from us," the letter states. "Some desperate women go along with the exploitation and they are exempt from over time work. But those of us who resist are forced to complete the work orders. Any show of protest results in wage cuts." The women said that they were unable to communicate their problems with the mill owner, who lives in a different city and relies on the manager for feedback. Dindigul social welfare officer G. Shanti told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that they were in the process of putting together an enquiry committee to inspect the mill premises and look into the allegations. queeniebridesmaid | pastel bridesmaid dresses She's already put her own sexy spin on Superwoman and Alice In Wonderland costumes this past weekend. So it was no wonder that Paris Hilton turned heads as she arrived at Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine's Halloween party in a racy Tinkerbell ensemble in Los Angeles on Monday night. The heiress, 35, showed no hesitation in flaunting her leggy frame in a thigh-skimming mini-dress, which showed off her impeccably toned figure as she emulated the Disney princess. Scroll down for video Disney princess: Paris Hilton, 35, turned heads as she arrived at Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine's Halloween Party in a racy Tinkerbell ensemble in Los Angeles on Monday night The sparkly neon green number boasted a bandeau neckline and fell at an incredibly short length on her statuesque frame. Further boosting her height, the former The Simple Life star complemented the colour scheme by strutting into the venue in towering bright yellow heels. And like the childhood favourite she was imitating, the DJ topped off her look with a glittering tiara fit for a princess, which sat on top of her flowing blonde mane of curls. If she uses her magic the star may have scored herself an invite to see Adam and Maroon 5 rock out on November 11 as they are rumoured to be playing at the Airbnb Open Event. Dare to bare: The heiress, 35, showed no hesitation in flaunting her leggy frame in a thigh-skimming mini-dress, which showed off her impeccably toned figure Eye-catching: The sparkly neon green number boasted a bandeau neckline and an eye-wateringly short hemline A bright future: Further boosting her height, the former The Simple Life star complemented the colour scheme by strutting into the venue in towering bright yellow heels The day prior, Paris was in a more heroic mood as she set pulses racing with a sultry Superwoman ensemble. Featuring a skintight bustier and a frilled hemline, Paris certainly ensured all eyes were on her as she put on a very leggy display. She vamped up her Halloween party look even further with a pair of racy thigh-high leather boots. She certainly started things off with a bang on Saturday night when she made quite the convincing Alice in Wonderland as she attended the 6th Annual treats! Magazine Halloween Party. Walking the walk: Further boosting her height, the former The Simple Life star strutted into the venue in towering bright yellow heels as she showed off her socialite prowess Princess: The childhood favourite she was imitating, the DJ topped off her look with a glittering tiara fit for a princess, which sat on top of her flowing blonde mane of curls Finishing touch: Paris well and truly stole the spotlight with her a sparkly silver tiara She was joined at the party with her good pal Jasmine Waltz who braved getting Paris' autograph tattooed on her by the woman herself. The blonde beauty gave all her social media followers a behind-the-scenes view of the spontaneous inking process at the late-night Hollywood bash. Paris took to Snapchat where she revealed a back room where a professional tattoo artist, dressed in a blood-soaked T shirt, was inking up party guests. In character: The socialite couldn't help but flaunt her look on Snapchat Halloween looks: The day prior, Paris was more in a heroic mood in a sultry Superwoman ensemble and she made quite the convincing Alice in Wonderland on Saturday And the blonde beauty didn't appear to have a hard time convincing her brunette friend to get a tattoo in her honor. 'My girl Jasmine is getting a 'P' on her arm for Paris,' she exclaimed. But the 'P' design quickly escalated into Paris' full name and signature drawn by Paris who stood close by and filmed the entire process. The pair likely first met while filming Pledge This! in 2006 where Paris held the title role and Jasmine played 'Smoking Girl #3.' They're without a doubt the Queens of morning TV, thanks to their roles on Good Morning Britain. So it was only fitting that Susanna Reid and Charlotte Hawkins channelled a regal style for their outfits at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday night. Susanna, 45, and her 41-year-old counterpart looked both showed off their stylish streaks in figure-hugging ballgowns that retained a chic yet classic feel. Scroll down for video Queens of breakfast TV: Susanna Reid and Charlotte Hawkins channelled a regal style for their outfits at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday night Susanna stole the show with her fitted red number, which featured a daring low-cut neckline. The Croydon-born star, who famously defected from the BBC to ITV for GMB, showcased her slender curves in the elegant floor-length dress. Thanks to a dipping neckline, the former breakfast TV favourite flashed a hint of cleavage whilst retaining her modesty. A further air of classical style was lent through the intricate wrapped detail on the torso. Classical chic: Susanna stole the show with her fitted red number, which featured a daring low-cut neckline Susanna kept the rest of her look uncluttered but suitably stylish, with the former Strictly Come Dancing star adding a smattering of glittering rings and some dangling earrings to her look. Wearing her hair piled up in a classically stylish 'do', the journalist's brunette locks were coiffed and teased to perfection. Susanna kept her make-up in-line with the rest of her look, and opted for a palette which complemented her natural skin-tone and outfit. Belle of the ball? The Croydon-born star (pictured with co-host Ben Shephard), who famously defected from the BBC to ITV, showcased her slender curves in the elegant floor-length dress Sartorial success:Thanks to a dipping neckline, the former breakfast TV favourite flashed a hint of cleavage whilst retaining her modesty Charlotte, who is also an anchor for the GMB alongside Susanna, Piers Morgan and Ben Shepherd, opted for an asymmetrical blue ballgown. The figure-hugging velvet number clung to her lithe frame and allowed the presenter to showcase her trim and toned figure to the max. The simple yet stylish gown featured an glittering clasp on the right shoulder to hold the gown in place, whilst it also featured a small trail. Simple and stylish: Charlotte, who is also an anchor for the GMB alongside Susanna, Piers Morgan and Ben Shepherd, opted for an asymmetrical blue ballgown which featured a trail Figure-flaunting fashion: The figure-hugging velvet number clung to her lithe frame and allowed the presenter to showcase her trim and toned figure to the max Charlotte rounded off her look with a pair of silver stiletto heels, which served to further highlight her figure. The Chichester native kept things simple in the accessories department and added a silver clutch and a smattering of jewellery to round off her look. The GMB regular wore her blone locks in a swept side-parting with her locks tease into a gentle wave at shoulder length. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian was famously married for just 72 days to ex-husband Kris Humphries. And trumping that was First Dates contestant Shadi, 28, who revealed to his set-up on Tuesday night's episode, that he was married for just 44 days. Shadi, a self-described 'mummy's boy', made light of the situation and joked to camera: 'I beat Kim K!' Scroll down for video 'I beat Kim K!' First Dates contestant Shadi, 28, (pictured) revealed on Tuesday night's episode that he was married for just 44 days and joked about it being shorter than Kim Kardashians infamous 72-day marriage 'Even Kim K got married for 77 (sic) days. I couldn't even make 44,' he said with a laugh. The TV contestant - who has a Lebanese background - revealed to his date Natalie that he married in his early twenties after being set up, but wasn't ready. 'We got hitched for 44 days,' he said. Wasn't meant to be! Reality TV star Kim Kardashian was famously married for just 72 days to ex-husband Kris Humphries (seen together in New York in February 2011) Shadi admitted he wasn't happy on the wedding day and recounted: 'I specifically remember asking the priest if it's too late to go home now'. The Victorian-based contestant added: 'From the moment we got together, six months in I was telling her "I can't do this, I don't want to do this". 'No one really listened to me.' 'She said to me after 40 something days, "you were right, I should of listened to you, we shouldn't have done this",' the divorcee told Natalie Too young? The TV contestant - who has a Lebanese background - revealed to his date Natalie (pictured) that he married in his early twenties after being set up, but wasn't ready 'She goes "I'm sorry for being stubborn. I just wanted to have my day and celebrate my day." Shadi also admitted his marriage split led to anxiety and depression but he turned to humour to get through it. The 28-year-old, who hails from Victoria, was matched with the 27-year-old Lebanese scientist, also from Victoria. The pair appeared to have some good banter, joking and laughing together about their lives. Funnyman: Shadi also said that after his marriage split he developed anxiety and depression but turned to humour to get him through it Shadi revealed he was a 'mummy's boy' - to the point where he called his mum while on the date, but from the bathroom, to ask her advice on what to do because he genuinely liked Natalie. He said he was 'scared' to find love as he has had two failed serious relationships but his 'mum wants me to settle down.' While he thought there could be a serious connection with 'bombshell' Natalie, it seems the pretty brunette wasn't feeling it. She admitted she could only see them being friends, adding that she'll pop over to his family's house 'for hummus'. After the rejection, Shadi noted: 'In all seriousness and all jokes aside, I am still looking for love... I know she's still out there. I'll just keep looking.' They have kept their silence over the collapse of Brad Pitt's marriage to Angelina Jolie. But Jennifer Aniston's husband Justin Theroux appeared to have taken a well-hidden swipe at the actress' very famous first husband. The actor shared a graffiti design by street artist Nick Flatt to express his feelings surrounding the upcoming US presidential election. Scroll down for video A jibe? Jennifer Aniston's husband Justin Theroux appeared to have taken a well-hidden swipe at the actress' very famous first husband Brad Pitt but the actor quickly shot down any talk of throwing shade True feelings? The 45-year-old actor shared a graffiti design by street artist Nick Flatt to express his feelings surrounding the upcoming US presidential election, and eagle eyed fans were quick to notice it featured the slogan 'F**k Brad Pitt' The image showed a woman biting on her middle finger as she flipped the bird while she is surrounded by expletives, including 'F**k politics', 'F**k war', and 'F**k imperialism'. But one slogan sent his followers wild - next to the woman's face is the words 'F**k Brad Pitt'. However, the 45-year-old quickly shot down any talk of him throwing shade at Pitt as he updated the caption on the Instagram post. His new hashtag read, '#andNOthispostisNOT'shading'anyone', adding, 'becauseimnotelevemyearsoldimeanseriously'. Eagle-eyed fans were quick to comment, with many congratulating Justin for 'throwing shade' at Jen's ex, who famously left her after meeting Angelina on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005. The post comes after the couple's mutual pal Chelsea Handler came to the actress' defence when the subject of Brangelina's divorce came up in a chat with Grazia - saying it was 'ridiculous' people thought she'd care. Frenzy: Justin's followers went wild over the post, congratulating the actor for 'throwing shade' at Jen's ex 'She doesn't care': The post comes after Jen's BFF Chelsea Handler insisted the actress couldn't care less about Brad's unfolding divorce from Angelina Jolie Chelsea, who is the star of her own Netflix chat show, hasn't been afraid to address the subject of the biggest divorce in Hollywood. And as news broke of Brad and Angelina's split last month she called the By The Sea actress a 'f***ing lunatic'. Quizzed on Jennifer's attitude towards the breakdown of her ex-husband's second marriage, Chelsea certainly wasn't afraid to share her opinions. 'It's so stupid and pathetic,' the comedian said of Jen being dragged into the matter. 'As if Jen cares - she doesn't care.' Over it: Chelsea, 41, came to the actress' defence when the subject of Brad Pit and Angelina Jolie's split came up in a chat with Grazia - saying it was 'ridiculous' people thought she cared Chelsea said it was 'ridiculous' the former Friends star was being placed in the same headlines as Brad, who left Jennifer for Angelina, and the break-down of his marriage. Soon after the break-up was announced numerous reports surfaced suggesting the We're The Millers actress was gleefully watching her ex's marriage implode. Sounding off her feelings on the matter, Chelsea snapped: 'Hello! As if she [Jennifer] is sitting around even caring about this.' 'Hello! As if she [Jennifer] is sitting around even caring about this': She said it was 'ridiculous' the former Friends star was being placed in the same headlines as Brad and his relationship The former E! network heavy hitter was unrepentant with her less than favourbale views on Brangelina, explaining she was simply voicing what many others were thinking. The couple shocked the world in September when they announced that they were separating after two years of marriage and 12 overall years together as a couple Turning her thoughts back to her friend Jennifer, the comedian softened her tone and applauded Jennifer for taking a swipe at the scrutiny surrounding her life. Loyal friend: Turning her thoughts back to her friend Jennifer, the comedian softened her tone and applauded Jennifer for taking a swipe at the scrutiny surrounding her life 'It was just so nice for her to finally respond to it,' she said. 'It doesn't matter how famous or rich or wealthy you are, you're still able to get your feelings hurt.' Earlier this year, the actress, 47, wrote an op-ed piece for The Huffington Post where she responded to scrutiny surrounding her life. 'We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child,' wrote the actress. 'We dont need to be married or mothers to be complete. We get to determine our own happily ever after for ourselves.' She was praised for her piece by many celebrities and fans, with her husband Justin Theroux amongst the first to congratulate his wife on her carefully penned article. She's pregnant with her second child with fiance Greg Shepherd, who popped the question on a romantic holiday to the Maldives back in February 2014. But Billie Faiers has admitted despite her family expanding, she and her long-term beau won't be rushing down the aisle, as she discussed her sister Sam's TV backlash, dealing with trolls and plastic surgery in a revealing new interview with MailOnline. The former TOWIE star, 26 - who raises daughter Nelly, two, with Greg - branded marriage 'old fashioned' and said the couple have pushed their lavish overseas wedding back to 2018. Scroll down for video Exciting times: Billie Faiers has discussed prearing for baby number two, wedding plans and her sister Sam's TV backlash in a new interview with MailOnline Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Billie said of her nuptials: 'I know some girls are desperate to get married and want to get married before they have children, but I feel it's so old fashioned. 'In this day and age, getting married is lovely but I just think it isn't more important than having children. I think if you're not married and you have a kid it goes to the back of your mind a little bit. 'We're aiming for 2018. We want to do it abroad and we have some locations in mind but we need to just do it rather than be indecisive. We want to do it abroad because we want to narrow our numbers down. We have lots of friends and family.' Launching her stunning new Christmas clothing campaign for In The Style, Billie explained she won't be in any rush to shift the baby weight once her second child arrives. Happy couple: The former TOWIE star, 26, is pregnant with her second child with fiance Greg Shepherd, who popped the question on a romantic holiday to the Maldives in February 2014 Doting mother: Greg and Billie are proud parents to daughter Nelly, two (pictured in May) And the doting mother explained she and Greg would be happy with either a little boy or a little girl when they welcome their bundle of joy into the world next year. Billie told MailOnline: 'I'm not worried at all. I have a really busy year so I hope that will give me motivation. The baby's priority. I'm hoping to stay active throughout my pregnancy. 'People say prepare yourself for two and that it's so much harder, but it's going to be worth every second. I'm quite organised so it will make it less stressful. It'll be more challenging. 'I don't mind if it's a girl or boy. Either would be lovely now I've got my little girl.' Wedding bells: Billie branded marriage 'old fashioned' and said the couple have pushed their lavish overseas wedding back to 2018 Stunning: The reality star chatted to MailOnline as she launched her new Christmas clothing campaign for In The Style Glamorous: Billie joins Geordie Shore's Charlotte Crosby (L), 26, and Made In Chelsea's Binky Felstead (R), 26, as they revealed their In The Style collections on Tuesday One person who will be no doubt be helping Billie throughout her pregnancy will be sister Sam, 25, who is a mum to baby son Paul, 10 months, with property developer beau, Paul Knightley, 27. Former TOWIE star Sam is currently starring in her own ITVBe series, The Mummy Diaries, which documents her first few months of motherhood. But the reaction from viewers hasn't been altogether positive, with some branding Paul 'controlling' and even 'chauvinistic', which Billie insisted is simply not the case. Speaking about the backlash surrounding the show, Billie told MailOnline: 'What you see on TV is so different to what you see in real life. It's edited down. Dressed to impress: Billie posed in her new collection as she admitted she won't be in any rush to shift the baby weight once her second child arrives next year Lucky lady! Billie is blessed with stunning curves and an hourglass figure most women could only dream of 'It's difficult to portray someone in an hour's episode. In anything we do the risk is there but you just get used to it, I suppose.' 'It was a stressful time for Sam when the show first came out, because she had not long had a baby. I think she's quite thick skinned and you've got to take it with a pinch of salt.' Billie also joked that she is now dying to drag Sam out for a night on the town, as the new mother hasn't partied since welcoming adorable baby Paul into the world in December 2015. She said: 'I think if Samantha wasn't breastfeeding she'd definitely have been out, but while she's breastfeeding she can't really because she's committed to that. Happy family: Billie also addressed the backlash her sister Sam, 25, has suffered after her boyfriend Paul's appearance on her ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries 'It's not the case': Billie dismissed claims that Paul is controlling of Sam, and insisted it's simply a case of the programme being 'edited down' 'I love seeing my friends and going out for dinner and stuff. But I think being a mum changes you. Sam's still got it in her, she won't be sat home with a baby forever.' Although Sam has had to battle against her fair share of trolls in recent weeks, Billie dismissed cruel social media bullies as 'nobodies'. Billie said: 'I don't get anything horrible, but I just don't look through comments. I don't get a lot of hate. 'I think if you look good. people don't like it and they don't like it if you look bad. I'd never respond. They're nobodies.' Billie is blessed with stunning curves and an hourglass figure most women could only dream of. Party time? Billie also joked that she is dying to drag Sam out for a night on the town, as the new mother hasn't partied since welcoming baby Paul into the world in December 2015 Glamour girls: Sam and Billie both shot to fame on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2010 (pictured together in December 2012) And while her figure is all-natural, she admitted she wouldn't rule out plastic surgery int he future. She told MailOnline: 'I haven't had any done. I'm not against it. If people want something done, why not? It's not hurting anyone if they're doing it for the right reasons. If it comes to a time and I wanted something, why not? It's not like I'm against it, but I'm only young.' On Tuesday, Billie - along with Made In Chelsea's Binky Felstead, 26, and Geordie Shore's Charlotte Crosby, 26 - launched the 'Centre Of Attention' Christmas collection for their In The Style clothing ranges. Talented trio: Billie has made her clothes to cater 'party season' and has specifically designed her pieces for women with 'bigger boobs' Chic: Billie (pictured with Binky and Charlotte) said she is hoping to design a maternity line in the not too distant future Legs eleven: Charlotte showcased her toned and tanned legs in scarlet and gold velvet thigh-skimming pieces from her sexy Christmas collection Festive fancy: The Geordie Shore star modelled a black satin playsuit with lace trim This time around, Billie has made her clothes to cater 'party season' and has specifically designed her pieces for women with 'bigger boobs'. She told MailOnline of the collection: 'It's party season so it's more velvet, lace and silk. We designed the collection before I got pregnant, so some I won't be able to wear come Christmas! 'We're hoping to get a maternity collection out there as there is a gap in the market. I one million per cent try and cater for those with bigger boobs. I'm all about the fit. 'I want it to go in at the waist so it shows my best assets as a woman. I struggle to find things that fit my top and bottom half.' Billie, Binky and Charlotte's 'Centre Of Attention' Christmas collection for In The Style launches November 1. Taking the plunge: Binky dazzled as she showcased extreme cleavage in two racy plunging designs from her festive collection Her business acumen enables her to live the high life. And Chloe Khan's decision to dress as a sexy Cleopatra for Halloween night at Macs in Preston certainly seemed apt. The 25-year-old showed off her famous assets in a glitzy bralet while she covered her shoulders with a silk jacket. Scroll down for video Chloe Khan, 25, dressed as a sexy Cleopatra for Halloween night at Macs in Preston Always one to prefer a scanty ensemble, Chloe displayed her taut tum and slender legs in a pair of tiny white shorts. She walked tall in a pair of striking knee-high gladiator heels, while an extravagant blue and gold headpiece and matching collar recalled the riches of Egypt's Pharaohs. Continuing the heavily accessorised look, she wore gold cuffs and a matching statement ring, while she returned to the present day with her Louis Vuitton handbag. Flaunt it: Always one to prefer a scant ensemble, Chloe displayed her taut tum and slender legs in a pair of tiny white shorts Chloe decorated her plump lips in a glossy peach shade, while she wore white contact lenses, fake lashes and thick eyeliner. Her long, sleek locks feel straight over her shoulders as she sauntered through the night. The reality star was joined by new beau Ashley Cain, 26, who appeared to have chosen a Grecian theme. Smitten: Chloe and Ashley first puckered up for a snog during the National Reality TV Awards late last month Ashley wore nothing but a pair of tiny gold shorts with a Moschino belt and a golden leaf crown. The muscular hunk proudly displayed his tattoos and matched Chloe's contact lenses. The pair first puckered up for a snog during the National Reality TV Awards late last month. They packed on the PDA once again during a night out at Cafe De Paris in London the following week. They dressed up as matching kittens for a spot of Halloween fun and frolics on Monday night. And Tamara Ecclestone and her two-year-old daughter Sophia continued to dress to impress as they arrived at the press breakfast for her charity boutique on HEWILondon.com in central London on Tuesday. The socialite, 32, looked great in a figure-hugging black dress and sexy thigh-high boots, while her mini-me looked adorable in a tutu-style dress. Scroll down for video Fashionistas: Tamara Ecclestone and two-year-old Sophia dressed to impress as they arrived at the press breakfast for charity boutique on HEWILondon.com in London on Tuesday The chic, yet flirty black number showed off Tamara's sensational figure as she worked her magic in front of the cameras. Flaunting her eye-catching wedding ring on her left hand, Tamara held hands with Sophia as they headed inside. The tweed top half of Sophia's pretty dress flared out into a sparkly puffy skirt and she kept warm with black tights and matching silver shoes. Thigh's the limit: The socialite, 32, looked great in a figure-hugging black dress and sexy thigh-high boots, while her mini-me looked adorable in a tutu-style dress Work it, girl! The chic, yet flirty black number showed off Tamara's sensational figure as she worked her magic in front of the cameras What a cutie: Flaunting her eye-catching wedding ring on her left hand, Tamara held hands with Sophia as they headed inside Sporting a silver clip in her hair, the toddler stole the spotlight as she accompanied her mother into the charity event. HEWILondon.com is an online platform where people can buy or sell their own luxury items - and Tamara's earnings will be going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity. Tamara's eye for luxury was evident as she recently enjoyed a sunny getaway in Dubai. Little ballerina: The tweed top half of Sophia's pretty dress flared out into a sparkly puffy skirt and she kept warm with black tights and matching silver shoes Princess: Sporting a silver clip in her hair, the toddler stole the spotlight as she accompanied her mother into the charity event Good cause: HEWILondon.com is an online platform where people can buy or sell their own luxury items - and Tamara's earnings will be going to the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity Adorable: The pair have recently returned from a sun-soaked break in Dubai The doting mum looked sensational in a teeny bikini as she ran into the water with her little girl before having some fun with some water pistols. Despite possessing a body that looks impeccably toned and gym-honed, the busy mum-of-one recently admitted that she doesn't spend any time in the gym. As far as workouts go, it's running around after Fifi 24/7 and pushing her in the stroller,' Tamara recently told FEMAIL of her very laidback exercise regime. Two peas in a pod! The glam mother and daughter are rarely spotted apart Family getaway: The doting mum looked sensational in a teeny bikini as she ran into the water with her little girl before having some fun with some water pistols in Dubai recently 'As for food, I tend to have porridge for breakfast, wholegrain pasta for lunch and then quinoa and chicken for dinner.' Tamara - who shares Sophia with husband Jay Rutland, 35 - also enjoyed further mother/daughter bonding time over the Halloween weekend. The pair dressed up as cats to go trick-or-treating in London on Monday night, with the toddler showing off an elaborate face paint design to go with her outfit. She's a television veteran having racked up countless hours on the small screen, charming the nation on everything from Countdown to Loose Women. But Carol Vorderman showed the steelier side of her personality on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain when she shot down Susanna Reid live on air. The 55-year-old appeared on the show to speak about the Pride of Britain Awards, but as talk turned to rumours of an I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! appearance she lost her cool. Scroll down for video For a good cause: Carol Vorderman showed the steelier side of her personality on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain when she shot down Susanna Reid live on air Sitting down on the sofa with Pride Of Britain winner Nikki Christou, Carol appeared unimpressed when Susanna asked is she would be heading to the outback. After a nice, peaceful chat with the former Countdown star and vlogger Nikki, the journalist was given the cold shoulder when she tried to get a scoop. 'Before we let you go, rumours are swirling around if you are going to go in the jungle,' the 45-year-old breakfast favourite began. However, her line of questioning was instantly shot down by Carol, who cut her off with: 'From the sublime to the ridiculous were going now.' The 55-year-old appeared on the show to speak about the Pride of Britain Awards, but as talk turned to rumours of an I'm A Celebrity appearance she lost her cool As Carol repeatedly said 'No' alongside a rather amused Nikki, the questions kept coming. Never one to shy away from an awkward encounter, Susanna pressed the point, asking the TV stalwart if she could 'confirm or deny' the rumours that she had signed up for the hit show. Turning to Nikki, Carol chose to ignore Susanna and her co-host Ranvir Singh, saying: 'I cannot confirm nor deny, can I Nikki?' From sublime to ridiculous: Her line of questioning was instantly shot down by Carol, who cut her off with: 'From the sublime to the ridiculous were going now' Here for a different reason: Sitting down on the sofa with Pride Of Britain winner Nikki Christou, Carol appeared unimpressed when Susanna asked if she was heading to the outback Ranvir then awkwardly pointed out: 'Shes not even making eye contact with us anymore.' In September rumours first broke that Carol would be one of the big names set for this year's installment of the jungle-based reality show. According to a report in The Sun, Carol has been offered a six-figure sum by ITV bosses to appear in the new series of I'm A Celebrity. No comment: Carol repeatedly said 'No' alongside a rather amused Nikki, but the questions kept coming No messing: Turning to Nikki, Carol chose to ignore Susanna and her co-host Ranvir Singh, saying: 'I cannot confirm nor deny, can I Nikki?' At the time a telly insider told the newspaper that the blonde presenter, who launched her career on Channel 4's Countdown, would be an ideal contestant. 'She is well-known and still carries a lot of sex appeal,' they explained. 'ITV chiefs are also hoping that she will be the brains of the camp. Shes a TV legend and theyre prepared to splash the cash to land her.' Despite being in a modelling competition, not all of the Australia's Next Top Model contestants appeared to be comfortable in their own skin. On Tuesday night's episode, the Top 6's physiques were front and centre of their shoot challenges during 'body week', with Belinda feeling particularly out of her depth. Freaking out during the fitness shoot and later before the swimwear shoot, the 18-year-old confessed: 'I'm not really confident about my body whatsoever'. 'I'm not really confident about my body whatsoever': Belinda felt particularly out of her depth on Tuesday night's episode of Australia's Next Top Model as the Top 6's physiques were front and centre of their shoot challenges during 'body week' 'I have an issue with my body, I'm not as beautiful as I used to be,' she said backstage of their Cozi shoot for host Jennifer Hawkins swimwear line. Model mentor Cheyenne Tozzi was on hand to lend some tough love. 'All this low self confidence is boring,' the brunette stunner told the country girl, before launching into an impassioned speech, encouraging her to empower other young girls to believe they're beautiful. 'For someone who came in with such little body confidence, she was a total natural,' Cheyenne said after Belinda's shoot in a blue leopard print one-piece. 'She gets the shot eventually but she's not an every frame kind of girl,' celebrity photographer Pierre Toussaint noted. 'I have an issue with my body': The 18-year-old was nervous about flaunting her figure in a one-piece from host, Jennifer Hawkins's swimsuit brand, Cozi 'All this low self confidence is boring': Model mentor Cheyenne Tozzi was on hand to give the contestants some tough love 'For someone with such little body confidence, she was a total natural': Cheyenne seemed surprised after Belinda's shoot as she looked over the shots with celebrity photographer Pierre Toussaint During judging, Belinda was pleasantly surprised with her busty photo, however, it was a mixed reaction from the judges. 'Your body looks incredible,' designer Alex Perry told her encouragingly. Jen, owner of the swimwear line showed off her business acumen, noting: 'When I looked at the shot, I didn't look at the swimwear, I looked at the arm'. And while the red-haired beauty eventually believed the hype, it was too little too late. Pleasantly surprised: During judging, Belinda was pleasantly surprised with her busty photo, however, it was a mixed reaction from the judges Distraction? Owner of the swimsuit brand, Jennifer Hawkins, noted: 'When I looked at the shot, I didn't look at the swimwear, I looked at the arm' 'Your body looks incredible': Designer Alex Perry (right) was encouraging and maintained he liked the image (pictured with Megan Gale, left, and Jennifer Hawkins, centre) Despite scoring well for her swimsuit shot, the earlier 7 out of 10 in the Fit Bit challenge left the 18-year-old at the bottom of the leaderboard and in the bottom two. Eventually it came down to her and best friend Linnea, with the blonde's bikini clad image edging out Belinda from the competition. Her elimination left her and the other girls all in tears, with Daisy admitting: 'I'm super gutted. No-one else has that spark'. Too little too late: The red-head beauty's scores weren't enough to keep her out of the bottom two on the leaderboard Bottom two: Eventually it came down to her and best friend Linnea, with the blonde's bikini clad image edging out Belinda from the competition 'You're such a lovely girl, so don't change,' Jen told the teen beauty, while hugging her goodbye. For Belinda, the news was bittersweet, as she was disappointed to go home but proud of how far she had some. 'Getting eliminated is a stab in the heart but it's my turn to go,' she said. 'Don't change': Jen hugged the eliminated contestant and offered her parting words of advice Close knit: The Top 6 were all left in tears as the tight-knit group struggled to say goodbye to the country girl 'I'm so proud of myself - I'm just a country girl, I didn't even know I could take a decent photo,' she added. Elsewhere, tensions rose between Kassidy and Aleyna. Blonde beauty Kassidy won the earlier Fit Bit challenge, becoming an ambassador for the brand after winning the Fitness and Fashion one-minute photoshoot challenge. Contestants were given 15 minutes to style themselves with only 60 seconds in front of the camera on-set to get the shot. Winner! Blonde beauty Kassidy won the earlier Fit Bit challenge, becoming an ambassador for the brand after winning the Fitness (left) and Fashion (right) one-minute photoshoot challenge Tensions brewing: After winning the coveted role, Kassidy (right) had her eye on the prize - wanting to beat her biggest 'threat' in the competition - Aleyna (left) They did one round outdoors for a fitness look and a second round indoors with a more fashionable element. After winning the coveted role, Kassidy had her eye on the prize - wanting to beat her biggest 'threat' in the competition - Aleyna. During judging Kassidy told the judges she had hoped to beat the front-runner this week, with the brunette beauty taking her comments the wrong way and walking out of the room amid a suspected panic attack. 'I made to feel like I'm going to win but I don't feel like that, they've all got that confidence and I don't and I'm so over it,' Aleyna told judge Megan Gale, who followed her out. 'I'm so over it': After Kassidy called out Aleyna as a threat during judging, the brunette beauty had a panic attack and walked out of the room 'Your so good': Megan Gale followed out the beauty and gave her a pep talk and calmed her Upset: Kassidy later admitted she didn't mean to upset her friend and competitor but just answered the judges question honestly 'Your so good and so unaware of it, which makes it harder for them,' Megan told her. After the pep talk, the pair returned inside with Alex Perry adding for good measure: 'It's better than NOT being considered a threat'. But it was unlikely winner Sabine who knocked the socks off all of the judges - scoring three perfect tens for her bronzed Brazilian bikini shot - a particularly sweet victory after being bottom of the leaderboard in the earlier challenge. 'It makes you want to go out and buy that bikini - I think it's the perfect swimwear shot,' Alex said as he awarded her a total of 30 out of 30. Winner! It was unlikely winner Sabine who knocked the socks off all of the judges for her bronzed Brazilian bikini shot She was dumped on national television in September by Bachelor Richie Strahan. And while she's still being single after the heartbreak, Nikki Gogan had a very special date for a Melbourne Cup outing on Tuesday - her father. The 31-year-old decided to forgo a traditional date for the Melbourne Cup function at Perth's Ascot Racecourse, instead spending a daddy-daughter day trackside. Scroll down for video Daddy's girl! The Bachelor's Nikki Gogan attended Perth Racing's Melbourne Cup event at Perth's Ascot Racecourse, as an ambassador for WA Country Cups, deciding to take her father along as her date on Tuesday Nikki took a selfie with her father before arriving at the racing event, both showing toothy grins in anticipation for the race that stops the nation. As a newly appointed ambassador for WA Country Cups, the star was also working the event by partaking in a Snapchat takeover for Perth Racing during the day. She wore an off-the-shoulder dress that hugged at her slim frame and pert derriere. Having taken her dad as her date, she chose a design that modestly contained her ample assets. Cutting a chic figure! Nikki wore an off-the-shoulder dress that hugged at her slim frame and pert derriere and chose a design that modestly hid her cleavage after choosing to take her dad as her date Insta dad? She also posted a picture with Britt Taylor and another friend with a glass of Champagne in hand during the event, perhaps taken by her father She also posted a happy snap with Britt Taylor and another friend with a glass of Champagne in hand during the event. The reality star's hair was worn down in a perfectly waved do, along with a feathery black fascinater headpiece. Nikki had her make-up professionally applied for her appearance, with a bronzed smokey-eye with dark eyeliner and a shiny pink lip gloss. She took to Instgram to rave about her fabulous look, claiming she needed no filter. 'No filter': Nikki took to Instagram to rave about her professionally applied makeup for her appearance, claiming the bronzed smokey-eye, slight blush and shiny pink lip gloss look made her confident without any filter necessary The Melbourne Cup date with her dad comes days after she fueled rumours of a fling with Bachelorette's Cameron Cranley after bumping into each other at Melbourne's Derby Day. Posted to Tiffany Scanlon's Instagram story, the pair were seen chatting to a group of fellow Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants before running into one another. In the video, Tiffany is heard yelling at Nikki and Cam to 'hook up' after rumours emerged of a budding romance post watching the Bachelorette finale together. Nikki looked extremely uncomfortable with the suggestion to 'hook up' on camera, waving her hand in front of her and mouthing the words, 'no'. It was a busy day Monday for the Georgia Supreme Court and school issues. In one decision, the states highest court unanimously struck down a state statute that criminalized upbraiding, insulting, or abusing a public school teacher, administrator, or bus driver in the presence of a student while on a school bus or school premises. The measure was overly broad in violation of the First Amendments guarantee of free speech, the court said. In another Oct. 31 ruling, the court held that a Georgia law that prohibits firearms on school property takes precedence over one passed around the same time that says a person licensed to carry firearms may carry them into school safety zones. In the speech case, West v. The State , Michael Antonio West was charged under the upbraiding statute after he reportedly boarded a school bus in 2015 and verbally abused the driver over the alleged bullying of his child by other students. The Georgia Supreme Court agreed to take up the case after West lost a pretrial motion to strike down the law. Among the aspects of the law that the court found troubling was that the statute does not proscribe all speech that might be boisterous or disruptive, the opinion says. Instead, the law prohibits only that speech directed at public school officials which may be perceived as negative or unfavorable, the court said. The practical effect of the plain language of [the statute] is that any personmay it be a parent, school system employee, or concerned citizen while on school premises or a school buswho dares to speak critically to school officials at any time in the presence of minors must leave the premises when so ordered by a school official or face arrest and prosecution for a misdemeanor. We agree with West that this statute, though perhaps well intentioned, neither regulates unprotected speech nor is appropriately tailored to meet its intended objective and is therefore overbroad, the court concluded. Gun Law In GeorgiaCarry.org Inc. v. Code Revision Commission , a gun rights group sought to compel a state panel to reinstate a statute that authorized licensed gun owners onto school property. That measure was signed in to law by Gov. Nathan Deal on April 22, 2014. The next day, Deal signed HB 60, a bill that made it unlawful for any person to have a firearm within a school safety zone unless that person was dropping off or picking up a student. The Code Revision Commission determined that the two measures were in conflict, and it gave effect to the school weapons prohibition because it became law later. The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the two laws are in irreconcilable conflict. These provisions are contradictory in that they address the same circumstances, but one expressly authorizes the carrying of a firearm and the other expressly criminalizes such conduct, albeit with a limited exception, the court said. Accordingly, the two statutes cannot stand together and the provisions of [the first measure] related to the carrying of firearms in a school safety zone did not survive the subsequent enactment of HB 60. She had gathered a room full of high profile celebrities, fashion influencers and pals to celebrate the launch of her new M&S clothing collection. So naturally Alexa Chung, 32, was in the mood to celebrate on Tuesday evening, at a party held inside Bush Hall in Shepherd's Bush, London. The model and fashion designer worked the room - even pulling a few fun moves on the dancefloor - as she styled out a second outfit from the new Archive By Alexa AW16 range in one day. It's my party: Alexa Chung was the centre of attention at the official launch of her M&S clothing collection Archive By Alexa AW16 on Tuesday night in London Alexa hit the dancefloor with conviction, rocking a pair of chunky, retro heels to set off her lingerie-style dress. With her arms in the air, Alexa certainly seemed ready to let her hair down - now doubt thanks to the media frenzy sparked by her second collection with the brand. On the night, Alexa was surrounded by loyal pals, including Jack Guinness and Pixie Geldof, as well as the TV presenter's old T4 screen companion, Rick Edwards. The Saturdays' Mollie King also proved herself to be a fan of the collection by sporting the cute polka dot dress that fans have been keen to get their hands on. Busting a move: The brunette wore a third outfit from her fashion collection, a slinky animal print dress Laugh out loud: The stunner certainly seemed to be embracing her fun side Wild thing: The music was obviously enough to get Alexa up and dancing Wahoo! Alexa threw her arms into the air as she celebrated the evening She styled it in her own way, adding a retro red lipstick and pinning her hair back into an elegant up-do. Earlier that day, she'd worn the must-have pinafore dress at the high street favourite's Marble Arch store in London, where she made a special appearance in aid of the launch. The model looked striking as she stepped out in the chic black dress, which exhibited every inch of her statuesque frame. Layering up: Proving that the collection is very versatile, the fashionista layered on her velvet jacket, which is a staple for the season ahead Sibling support: Alexa was accompanied by her brother, Dom Chung, who DJ'd at the event Famous faces: Mollie King was in attendance, rocking the stylish polka dot dress A must-have: She made the AW16 item look like a must-have, with her retro styling Alexa's midi-length number cinched in her waist, and was worn with a pair of sheer black tights. The British model injected a splash of colour to her ensemble with patent red kitten heels. Alexa kept her make-up natural, allowing her smudged cat-eye liner to do all the talking. The former TV presenter's shoulder-length locks framed her face to perfection and she looked striking as she showed off key pieces from her collection. Dancing queen: The star lifted her dress to enable her freedom of movement Dance partner: She danced with old friend Jack Guinness on the dancefloor All the moves: The duo appeared to be perfectly in sync when it came to their moves Friends reunited: Alexa bumped into former T4 co-presenter Rick Edwards Loyal pal: Pixie Geldof was also in attendance, helping to celebrate her friend's success Fashion fan: Laura Jackson sported the shimmering gold blouse, ready for Christmas The new collection is dubbed a 'modern interpretation of archive pieces, fusing a rich heritage with contemporary style'. The collection features the animal prints and PVC skirts that she often wears on the front row of fashion week. Alexa also recently announced that her new label, Alexachung, will be landing in stores in May 2017 and will be sold at luxury retailers Selfridges and MatchesFashion.com. Alexa has been dating Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard, 40, since last year. It was previously rumoured that an engagement could be on the cards between Alexa and Alexander. Style queen: Alexa, 32, celebrated the store launch at the high street favourite's Marble Arch store in London ealier on Tuesday Dressed to impress: The model looked striking as she stepped out in a chic black dress, which exhibited every inch of her statuesque frame Chic: The former TV presenter's shoulder-length locks framed her face and she kept her make-up simple, aside from dramatic kohl eyeliner Plenty to smile about: Alexa's new collection is dubbed a 'modern interpretation of archive pieces, fusing a rich heritage with contemporary style' 'Alexa has told friends that [an English stately home] would be her dream wedding location and now they are saying that they wouldn't be surprised if an engagement was on the way,' a source told Grazia magazine. 'Alexa's relationship with Alex is going great. That's why she was happy for him to meet her family she would only ever introduce someone she was serious about to them.' The actor recently appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live and denied he was about to marry Alexa. Replying to a caller who said she'd read reports of wedding bells, he replied: 'Wow, I hope I'm invited. Wow, thank you.' 'Are you getting married in the next year?' the host prodded. 'Not that I know of,' the actor replied. 'But if it's in a gossip magazine, I guess it's probably true, so I better get started.' Smitten: Alexa has been dating Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgard, 40, since last year Kate Gosselin's hot-tempered, bossy ways have not changed a bit in the preview for TLC's Kate Plus 8, which dropped on Tuesday. The 41-year-old reality star lost her cool and raised her voice several times in the teaser from the eight-episode fifth season, which premieres November 22. During one angry kitchen outburst, the former registered nurse screamed at her 16-year-old twins and 12-year-old sextuplets: 'Could I have the waffles, please!' Scroll down for video Count to 10! Kate Gosselin's hot-tempered, bossy ways have not changed a bit in the preview for TLC's Kate Plus 8, which dropped on Tuesday While trying to load her big brood into the SUV, Kate yelled: 'Where are the puppies? Come on, I'm being serious. No, I'm serious! Where are they?!' And in another clip, Gosselin - born Kreider - accused her crying daughter of 'whining' after she injured her thumb at an archery range. 'I just want you to stop yelling and being stressed,' Madelyn aka Mady calmly tells her mother. 'That's wrong!' The 41-year-old reality star lost her cool and raised her voice several times in the teaser from the eight-episode fifth season, which premieres November 22 During one angry kitchen outburst, the former registered nurse screamed at her 16-year-old twins and 12-year-old sextuplets: 'Could I have the waffles, please!' While trying to load her big brood into the SUV, Kate yelled: 'Where are the puppies? Come on, I'm being serious. No, I'm serious! Where are they?!' 'No one cares!' And in another clip, Gosselin - born Kreider - accused her crying daughter of 'whining' after she injured her thumb at an archery range 'It's annoying.' Both Mady and her twin Cara agree that the 'exhausted' matriarch is 'so overdramatic' and 'likes to make a scene.' 'No one ever wants to be on Mommy's team,' the teenagers said of a family trivia game. Madelyn aka Mady calmly tells her mother: 'I just want you to stop yelling and being stressed. It's annoying' Outspoken: Both Mady (R) and her twin Cara (L) agree that the 'exhausted' matriarch is 'so overdramatic' and 'likes to make a scene' The teenagers said of a family trivia game: 'No one ever wants to be on Mommy's team. She's way too competitive' 'She's way too competitive.' Noticeably missing from the trailer was Kate's ex-husband Jon, whom she divorced in 2009 after a decade-long marriage. Last month,In Touch Weekly unveiled police reports from last year where she accused him of being 'a drug dealer' and having an 'inappropriate relationship' with their daughter Hannah. Patriarch: Noticeably missing from the trailer was Kate's ex-husband Jon, whom she divorced in 2009 after a decade-long marriage (pictured in 2009) Feuding exes: Last month, In Touch Weekly unveiled police reports from last year where she accused him of being 'a drug dealer' and having an 'inappropriate relationship' with their daughter Hannah A source close to the half-Korean 39-year-old told Radar Online: 'That's just gross to suggest. It sounds like Kate is making up stories again' A source close to the half-Korean 39-year-old told Radar Online: 'That's just gross to suggest. It sounds like Kate is making up stories again.' Gosselin - who has a new girlfriend called Colleen - requested an emergency custody hearing where a judge found no evidence behind Kate's eye-popping claims. The former TGI Fridays waiter - whose DJ name is 'N-DO' -will next man the decks this Friday at the Pennsylvania pub JD McGillicuddys in Drexel Hill. Innocent: Gosselin - who has a new girlfriend called Colleen (3-L) - requested an emergency custody hearing where a judge found no evidence behind Kate's eye-popping claims He no doubt wants to replicate the achievements of Louis Tomlinson when this series of the X Factor comes to an end. And finalist Matt Terry, 23, already has the One Direction star's looks down to a tee, with the show even tweeting its disbelief at their similarities. The lookalike pair can be seen posing side by side in a selfie which has been posted by the official X Factor account. Scroll down for video Who's who?X Factor finalist Matt Terry, 23, already has Louis Tomlinson's looks down to a tee, with the show even tweeting its disbelief at their similarities Alongside the snap, it said: 'We can't get over how much @MattTerry93and @Louis_Tomlinson look alike!' Matt and Louis, 24, are both wearing dapper suits complete with ties in the shot. The latter opted for a grey number, while Matt selected a black combination. The pair sport similar stubble and quiffs, and produced closed-mouth smiles as they gazed into the camera. Heartthrob Matt is one of the favourites for this year's crown, and his rendition of Nina Simone's I Put A Spell On You on Saturday night was heavily praised by the judges. Following in his footsteps: Matt no doubt wants to replicate the achievements of Louis Tomlinson when this series of the X Factor comes to an end Simon Cowell said: 'Matt, for me this is your best performance in the whole competition.' While Louis Walsh labelled him a class act. Meanwhile, Louis, his sister Lottie, 18, and his girlfriend Danielle Campbell, 21, attended the Pride of Britain awards in London on Monday night. Danielle previously praised Louis and his ex Briana Jungwirth, 23, when speaking to ET Online at Variety's Power of Young Hollywood event. Showstopping: Heartthrob Matt is one of the favourites for this year's crown, and his rendition of Nina Simone's I Put A Spell On You on Saturday night was heavily praised by the judges When asked about baby Freddie, 10 months, she said: 'I think Louis and Briana have done a great job in raising him, and he's one of the most special little boys, so they've done a great job - he's stunning. He's got beautiful parents. I have so much respect for Briana for everything that's she's doing. I think she's a wonderful mother.' However, she stopped short of saying she'd also like children of her own at such a young age. She said: 'I think right now (Louis and I are) young and we're enjoying each other's company,' she added. 'He's been so good to me, and I care about him a lot.' Heading into season seven The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills lost former castmates Yolanda Hadid and Kathryn Edwards, but that doesn't mean there's any shortage of drama. Eden Sassoon and Dorit Kemsley have joined the show to round out the cast, and a new trailer has the latter already getting into it with co-star Erika Girardi. The just over two-minute video also teases trips to Greece, Hong Kong, and Mexico, and appearances by Boy George and Kim Richards. Scroll down for video They're back! The first trailer for the new season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has been unveiled What a life! The housewives embark on three international vacations in the trailer - Greece, Hong Kong, and Mexico The entertaining trailer kicked off with the highlights, with Lisa Rinna wanting to usher in a 'new chapter.' declaring: 'End of story. Let's move on.' And the cast looked to be enjoying each other's company, as they set out on a series of luxurious vacations. They relaxed on what looked to be a private beach in picturesque Mykonos, not wasting a minute before hopping into the pool at their lavish resort. The housewives also toasted each other as they toured Hong Kong, taking a private boat tour which enabled them a stunning view. Cheers! Lisa Vanderpump raises her glass in a toast as the housewives take on Hong Kong Stunning: The housewives certainly know how to do a vacation Wild and crazy: Erika Girardi certainly looks to be enjoying herself while filming a naughty pillow fight Kyle even managed to snag a selfie with cattle as the group giddily toured Hong Kong in another scene. But that wasn't the end of it, as they still took in a scenic gondola ride before heading off to another dreamy getaway in Punta Mita, Mexico. The group relaxed in the pool as they ate off of a floating table, hit the town, and took in the view from a luxurious yacht. Keeping busy: The trailer gives a glance at the Housewives' luxurious lives, filled with extravagant trips and expensive hobbies Center of attention: Rinna put on a show dancing for her friends as she partied on a yacht Good so far: The women could be seen taking luxurious trips, in one clip freaking out a bit as they rode a gondola with a see-through, glass bottom Enthusiastic: Erika playfully cheered on pal Kyle as she modeled her toned figure in a bathing suit 'This is like living on a whole other level,' Eileen says, during the cheery, bonding segment of the trailer. Another castmate asserts: 'This is the way hanging out with girlfriends should be.' And during what looked to be another fun outing, Lisa Vanderpump joked: 'Tonight, we should do wife-swapping.' In the lap of luxury! The new season appears to promise a lot of idyllic getaways Not a moment to spare: People could be seen hopping right into the pool as the housewives took on Mykonos in one scene But first, let me take a selfie! Kyle made snagged a selfie with cattle while touring in Hong Kong Dreamy: The housewives ate off a floating table as they enjoyed the water in Punta Mita, Mexico Introductions seemed to have gone well for Dorit, as Kyle looked excited to meet her, after hearing great things from Dorit's husband's client Boy George, who also lives with her family. She also bonded with Rinna over 'Xanax and smoothies.' And Erika and Rinna seemed thrilled to meet Eden, as they gushed about her father, Vidal Sassoon, who the former said had 'defined a generation.' I'm the king of the world! Breathtaking views were a bonus of the high-class getaways Getting into the spirit! Kyle looked ready to dance while out on the housewives' Punta Mita vacation Feeling wild? At one point Vanderpump suggested 'Tonight, we should do wife-swapping' Connected: The addition of Dorit Kemsley also brought along the live-in client of her husband, Paul 'PK' Kemsley, Boy George The warm welcome appears to fade, but of course, it wouldn't be The Real Housewives without any drama. While the video kicks off well, with all of the women excited over a stress-free season, it quickly devolves into bickering. Things first get prickly as Dorit makes a passive aggressive comment seemingly referring to Erika and/or Kyle Richards, after a conversation about going commando. Playful: Vanderpump joked around, grabbing hold of Rinna's hands as she laughed in another scene Carefree: The housewives looked to be having a blast as they goofed around together in the first half of the trailer Life's a party! They housewives took lavish vacations to Mykonos, Greece, and Punta Mita, Mexico Lavish: The Bravolebrities were also seen attending an opulent Twenties-themed party She later tells a speechless Lisa Rinna 'If you're a lady, if you've got no undies on, you've got a short dress, cross your legs.' Lisa Vanderpump then dramatically purrs: 'Nothing bothers your enemies so much as forgiving them,' before Kim makes her appearance. She is already deep into a fight with Rinna in the clip, insisting that she had never badmouthed the soap opera star's husband. Warning: 'I have not put alcohol in this smoothie, but I have thrown a Xanax in' Rinna announced while hanging out with Dorit and Eden Sassoon Say that again? Eden seemed a bit taken aback by Rinna's wild, Xanax confession Making friends: Dorit discussed bonding with Rinna over 'Xanax and smoothies' at a dinner party Shocking! Vanderpump teased Kyle about not wearing underwear, but was shocked to learn that Erika wasn't wearing any either But Rinna is not having it, and immediately tries to change gears to a topic she knows is likely to fire everyone up, suggesting to Kim: 'Let's talk about your arrest.' Rivals seem to emerge, with Rinna and Kyle on tense ground, and Erika seemingly ready to explode on newcomer Dorit. 'The more you talk about s**t, the worse it gets,' Erika asserts, before Kyle warns: 'If you f**k with me, I will be a b***h.' 'If you're a lady' Dorit seemingly shades Kyle and Erika as she talks to Rinna about the two going commando, advising: 'If you've got no undies on, you've got a short dress, cross your legs' Having it out: Rinna can be seen going off on Kim Richards, after the former RHOBH star denied trash talking her husband, suggesting: 'Let's talk about your arrest' Overwhelmed: Kyle seemed shocked as sister Kim and Rinna argued nearby Erika then makes her first move as she quickly snaps at Dorit, while hanging out with Vanderpump, her husband Ken Todd, and Kyle, after the designer declared that 'Americans need to kind of take a deep breath.' 'You're an American! You were born in Connecticut,' Erika shouts, which is not untrue. She then confronts her fully while seemingly out on a girls' night with the other castmates, gushing: 'Because I don't like bulls**t, Dorit, and that's what I think you are.' Watch out! Vanderpump warned not to get involved in other people's business Tense: A seemingly fun girls' night out took a turn as Erika confronted Dorit Over it: And before the end of the just over two-minute clip, Erika is over pleasantries with Dorit, sharing: 'I don't like bulls**t, Dorit, and that's what I think you are' Another clip has Rinna deflecting her own attacks, yelling: 'What the f**k is your problem? Stop coming after me!' Unfortunately it doesn't seem as if the women had listened, as then Kyle fumed: 'Lisa Rinna needs to sew her f**king lips shut.' And Erika, Eileen, and Vanderpump all seem tangled up in their own blowouts, before Dorit declares: 'This means war!' Can't take the heat: Rinna feels overwhelmed in another clip, shouting: 'What the f**k is your problem? Stop coming after me!' Not a chance: However, Kyle doesn't listen to her plea, fuming to someone else: 'Lisa Rinna needs to sew her f**king lips shut' 'That's f**ked up!' Eileen Davidson looked moved to tears after another argument Multiple women then suggest someone is 'going through a hard time,' and Erika is seen breaking down at the dinner table. It all builds up to Rinna dramatically declaring: 'She is close to death.' As many revellers nursed throbbing foreheads and bleary eyes the morning after Halloween, Victoria's Secret Angels were fresh-faced and back to work. Alessandra Ambrosio, Josephine Skriver, Lily Aldrige, Adriana Lima and Elsa Hosk were photographed Tuesday outside the brand's fitting session in New York City. Ambrosio looked particularly exquisite in a coin grey For Love And Lemons jumper dress cut high enough to showcase her vertiginous legs. Hard at work: Alessandra Aambrosio was one of a quintet of Victoria's Secret Angels who turned up for the brand's fitting session in New York City on Tuesday Butterfly sunglasses from Linda Farrow were perched on her face, and she'd slipped into a pair of lace-up thigh-high fossil grey Le Sila stiletto boots. Her double-breasted velvet Ralph Lauren coat featured a silver floral pattern swirling across a zaffre field. The 35-year-old let her brown hair flow free, mostly concealing the drop earrings she'd popped on for her day of work. Grey as the weather: The 35-year-old complemented a coin grey For Love And Lemons jumper dress with a pair of fossil grey Le Sila stiletto boots Bootsy bella! The star continued to wear the outfit later in the day Skriver bared her enviably flat midriff in a turtlenecked full-sleeve crop top that interspersed slender white stripes with wider black ones. A pair of loose slacks were pewter grey in front and, at the back, featured purple pinstripes against white. The 23-year-old, who's only been a Victoria's Secret Angel since this February, accessorised with a black leather purse that dangled on a pink chain. When you got it: Josephine Skriver's striped crop top bared her enviably flat midriff A pop of colour: Her black leather handbag dangled on a pink chain Meanwhile, Aldridge had opted for a Louis Vuitton pallas chain monogram purse, striding across the pavement in torn cutoff jeans with small hem slits. She'd emphasised her petite waist with a brown leather belt that complemented her sand-coloured tasselled boots. The 30-year-old had donned a jumper with purple, red, grey, orange and white sections, pulling the sleeves up a bit so that fabric bundled near the elbow. Glammed up: Lily Aldridge arrived wearing a pair of Shauns sunglasses and carrying the Louis Vuitton pallas chain monogram purse Swinging as she walks: Her sand-coloured boots featured tassels at the sides Adriana Lima had heaped on the layers for the New York City autumn weather. A blue and white tartan shirt hung open over a gleaming black floor-length gown. Not only did the dress feature a V-neck that bared a good deal of her cleavage, it also had a thigh slit showing she was wearing jeans underneath. Black dress shoes rounded out the ensemble, and she slung a black - possibly faux - fur coat over the same arm that carried her purse. Layers upon layers: Adriana Lima wore a tartan short over a black floor-length dress over jeans Ready for the chill: She'd slung a black possibly faux fur coat over her arm Elsa Hosk let her wavy blonde hair fall free over a red and black double-breasted tartan coat with a cute collar and some fringe at the hem. Her tight black top was tucked into a black leather pencil skirt, which she'd cinched about her petite waist with a matching belt. Black leggings spilled into a pair of red and black patent leather Louis Vuitton monogram boots with high heels, and she swung a black snakeskin leather purse. Seasonal: Elsa Hosk arrived in a cute red and black ensemble complete with a pencil skirt For ten years she has been one of the faces of Children In Need. So it came as no surprise to see Fearne Cotton, 35, out in force as she attended a concert in aide of the charity at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. The event was held in honour of late Children In Need host Terry Wogan, who presented the annual fundraiser for 34 years before he passed away earlier this year. Scroll down for video Red alert: It came as no surprise to see Fearne Cotton, 35, out in force as she attended a concert in aide of the charity at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday Posing with the iconic mascot, Pudsey, the television presenter oozed glamour in a scarlet co-ord that flattered her lithe frame. Looking every inch the superstar, she donned a satin blouse open at the neck to reveal a flash of decolletage. She teamed the garment with a pair of high waisted trousers that flared out to reveal a pair of gold platform heels. Red hot! The television presenter oozed glamour in a scarlet co-ord that flattered her lithe frame. Looking every inch the superstar, she donned a satin blouse open at the neck Blonde beauty: Channelling old Hollywood glamour, the mum-of-two wore her golden locks in luscious bouncy waves that framed her pretty face and cascaded down her shoulders Beary nice! Posing with the iconic mascot, Pudsey, the star donned a pair of high waisted trousers that flared out to reveal a pair of gold platform heels Channelling old Hollywood glamour, the mum-of-two wore her golden locks in luscious bouncy waves that framed her pretty face and cascaded down her shoulders. Adding to the retro nature of her look, she lined her hazel coloured peepers with a cat eyeliner, whilst her plump pout was painted a glossy shade of red. She finished off the look with another touch of glamour in the form of her chunky gold rings. Two of a kind: Fearne - who dazzled on the evening - was joined at the event by her former Radio 1 co-DJ Greg James, who looked dapper in a navy tuxedo Fearne was joined at the event by her former Radio 1 co-DJ Greg James, who looked dapper in a navy tuxedo. After ten years at the helm of the show, the bubbly blonde was no doubt full of advice and tips for Greg, who will be one of the co-presenters at this year appeal show. It's believed Fearne will not be presenting this year's show, with Tess Daly, Rochelle and Marvin Humes and Ade Adepitan said to be taking the honour. Stealing the show: Adding to the retro nature of her look, Fearne lined her hazel coloured peepers with a cat eyeliner, whilst her plump pout was painted a glossy shade of red Best pals: After ten years at the helm of the show, the bubbly blonde was no doubt full of advice and tips for Greg, who will be one of the co-presenters at this year appeal show Sorely missed: The event was held in honour of late Children In Need host Terry Wogan, who presented the annual fundraiser for 34 years before he passed away earlier this year Graham Norton will also host for the first time, following the death of beloved Children In Need icon, Terry Wogan. As a regular presenter, Terry became firmly associated with the annual event, which he fronted until 2014 when he stepped down due to ill health. Dermot O'Leary then hosted a year of the show. National treasure Sir Terry passed away in January following a short and secret battle with cancer. Something funny? Fearne pulled a series of amusing facial expressions as she left the basg in a decidedly more casual ensemble than she had arrived in Peek-a-boob: The star unwittingly flashed her nipple pasties through her navy jumper Forgotten something? Whilst Fearne's casual ensemble could be understood after a night in her fitted co-ord it was unclear why she left without her shoes They regularly show off their comedic sense of humours on social media. And on Tuesday, Married At First Sight's Alex Garner and Zoe Hendrix poked fun at themselves as they mocked the annual Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Fields. In a photo posted to Instagram, the father-to-be flashed his bum-crack as he pulled his pants down while his expected wife rocked patterned tights tucked into her sneakers. Scroll down for video Fun and games: Married At First Sight's Alex Garner and Zoe Hendrix poked fun at themselves on Tuesday as they mocked the annual Melbourne Cup Fashions on the Fields While Alex finished off his 'builder's' attire with a grey jumper and high-top boots, Zoe paired her tights with a tight black T-shirt, a woollen jumper and a puffer vest. 'Fashion on the field builders style. #fasiononthefield #melbournecup @zoehendrix,' the cheeky male captioned the photo. Zoe seemed shocked when she noticed the joking picture had been uploaded on social media, commenting under the photo: 'You uploaded that pic! You cheeky bastard!!!' Revealing: In a photo posted to Instagram, the father-to-be flashed his bum-crack as he pulled his pants down while also sporting a jumper and ankle boots Busting out: His expected wife rocked patterned tights tucked into her sneakers as well as a tight T-shirt and multiple layers of jackets Over the weekend, Zoe told her Instagram followers she's in 'early labour' despite still having a 'couple' of weeks until her due date. She explained: 'OB said I'm in early labour, but it can take days or weeks to progress, so it's the waiting game. '@alex_garner_ is putting up with my constant complaining,' the expected mother laughed. The cheerful post came two weeks after Zoe feared for her unborn child's life, when movement lessened dramatically. Busting out: Over the weekend, Zoe told her Instagram followers she's in 'early labour' despite still having a 'couple' of weeks until her due date Worried: The cheerful post came two weeks after Zoe feared for her unborn child's life, when movement lessened dramatically Posting a picture in a monitoring studio, the soon-to-be mother let out a sigh of relief on Instagram when she could hear the heartbeat of her child. 'Bubs sweet heart beat,' she wrote beside an image of herself standing with wires and straps encasing her burgeoning belly. 'By far my favourite sound in the world. This pic is from a few days ago when we had a scare and went in for monitoring. 'I had dramatically lessened movement from baby and after trying the hot shower/cold drink, which always worked but didn't, we decided to go in for monitoring. We were terrified,' she added. She's one of the most recognisable faces in fashion. So Lara Stone was naturally in one of the guests of honour at the Hair by Sam McKnight exhibition private view in London on Tuesday night, which saw the industry's elite descend upon Somerset House. The 32-year-old model looked chic yet understated in a loose white blouse, worn tucked into cropped black trousers. Scroll down for video Fashionista: Lara Stone attended the he Hair by Sam McKnight exhibition private view at Somerset House in London on Tuesday night Lara added some extra height to her already statuesque frame thanks to a pair of funky patterned heels. She carries a mirror embellished metallic bag, giving her ensemble a quirky, futuristic feel. The beauty queen played it safe in terms of her hair and make-up, pulling her blonde locks back in a ponytail and opting for barely-there foundation. Smartening up: The 32-year-old model looked chic yet understated in a loose white blouse, worn tucked into cropped black trousers All natural: The beauty queen played it safe in terms of her hair and make-up, pulling her blonde locks back in a ponytail and opting for barely-there foundation Lookalikes: Amber Le Bon, 27, and her supermodel mother Yasmin, 52, looked more like sisters Lara recently told VOGUE Paris she was never planning a career as a model until she was scouted in her teens. She said: 'Fashion was a complete different world from where I stood, and didnt really exist in our little village. I hadnt heard of Vogue till I was 16!' The star hopes to break the mould for less stick-thin models and is hopeful the industry is evolving in a positive way. Wow: The models both shows off their killer figures in leg-baring skirts and cool coats Cool and casual: Erin O'Connor looked effortlessly cool in a cosy knit and military style jacket Checking in: Arizona Muse opted for cute tweed coords and a matching bag Man of the hour: Hairdresser Sam McKnight, who has coiffed everyone from Princess Diana to Madonna, is being celebrated in the new exhibition 'Theres always room for more diversity in fashion. But I love that the ideal of beauty is always changing and evolving', she said. The likes of Yasmin Le Bon, 52, and her lookalike daughter Amber, 27, were also in attendance at the event, with fellow supermodel Erin O'Connor also putting in an appearance. Hairdresser Sam McKnight, who has coiffed everyone from Princess Diana to Madonna, is being celebrated in the new exhibition. Photographs pay tribute to the stylist's 40-year career from the late 1970s to the current day. Hair by Sam McKnight at Somerset House is open to the public from Wednesday. Fashion legend: Esteemed hairdresser Sam posed with Dame Vivienne Westwood Making a statement: Stylist and designer Judy Blame opted for a somber look and cool cap Chatting away: Sam caught up with Stella Tennant at the star-studded private view TOWIE viewers witnessed the explosive break-up after it was revealed Pete Wicks had been secretly sexting a host of girls. And after wrestling with her conscious, it seems Megan McKenna, 24, has decided to take her beau back after they were spotted getting cosy whilst filming scenes for the ITVBe show on Tuesday. Gathered at a fireworks show ahead of Bonfire Night, the star-crossed lovers seemed to be keeping each other warm in the chilly winter air, as they cuddled up close away from the prying eyes of their co-stars. Scroll down for video Feeling a spark? After wrestling with her conscious, it seems Megan McKenna, 24, has decided to take Pete Wicks back after they were spotted getting cosy filming TOWIE on Tuesday Viewers have seen Pete attempting to win back her heart and by the reality starlet's appearance she certainly seemed on the up as she beamed and smiled on her way in. The former Ex On The Beach star masked her lithe physique from beneath a warm brown fur coat, and ensuring she did not feel any of the autumnal chill descending on the UK, she wrapped up tight while upping the sex appeal with thigh high boots and leather trousers. While her boots certainly made an impression, she shattered her sexy look slightly when she arrived at filming in decidedly un-sexy UGG boots with one visible striped sock peeking out from the sheepskin number. Smouldering star: Viewers have seen Pete attempting to win back her heart and by the reality starlet's appearance she certainly seemed on the up as she beamed and smiled on her way in An eternal flame? Gathered at a fireworks show ahead of Bonfire Night, the star-crossed lovers seemed to be keeping each other warm in the chilly winter air Something funny? Megan had a giggle during the festivities Having a laugh: While her boots certainly made an impression, she shattered her sexy look slightly when she arrived at filming in decidedly un-sexy UGG boots On the up: Megan has been at the centre of the storylines in the 19th series of the ITVBe show after she discovered her boyfriend Pete had been sexting other women behind her back Happy days: Megan's estranged beau Pete appeared to be in high spirits as he larked about upon entering filming - looking as overjoyed as his girlfriend Living it up: He kept things slick in a black leather jacket while tucking his long tresses into a stylish flat cap which rounded out his look perfectly After her love woes surfaced last month, Megan chopped a new fringe into her tresses and the look appears to be here to stay as she showed off her sharp cut while the rest of her hair was scraped into a high bun. While Megan's look was made-up of an array of muted shades, Chloe Sims was determined to stand out among the girls as she wowed in a bevvy of pastel shades. The stand out element of her look was undoubtedly her shaggy pink coat which boasted a candyfloss hue. Beneath the coat she wore a loose-fitting light denim dress which skimmed her calves in length while featuring a pretty frill around the base. Stunners: The former Ex On The Beach star masked her lithe physique from beneath a warm brown fur coat while Chloe made a bold statement in a bright pink shaggy number Pretty in pink: While Megan's look was made-up of an array of muted shades, Chloe was determined to stand out among the girls as she wowed in a bevvy of pastel shades Pink Ladies: Also donning a pink look was Georgia Kousoulou who opted for a double baby pink look with a fur coat and fluffy jumper Fifty Shades Of Grey: Newbie Amber Dowding opted against sporting a coat as she simply wore a thigh-skimming grey fluffy dress which she cinched in at the waist Wrapped up: Looking uncharacteristically covered-up was the show's resident buxom babe Kate Wright (left) who looked sensational in head to toe black with ribbed jeans and a heavy coat She too opted for boots, yet Chloe wore a tan-coloured pair which coordinated with her thick choker in the same colour. Also donning a pink look was Georgia Kousoulou who opted for a double baby pink look with a fur coat and fluffy jumper. Newbie Amber Dowding opted against sporting a coat as she simply wore a thigh-skimming grey fluffy dress which she cinched in at the waist. Looking uncharacteristically covered-up was the show's resident buxom babe Kate Wright who looked sensational in head to toe black with ribbed jeans and a heavy coat. Rap star: Danielle Armstrong seemed to borrow from the likes of Kanye West as she sported a floor-grazing monochrome fur coat Furry fun: Danielle certainly made an impression in her long-line number Always together: Best pals Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows arrived together as they went for a similar colour scheme comprising of nude, grey and black hues Never apart: Yet another inseparable duo to arrive as one was Lydia Bright and Chloe Lewis who wrapped up warm before watching the glowing display Danielle Armstrong seemed to borrow from the likes of Kanye West as she sported a floor-grazing monochrome fur coat. Best pals Courtney Green and Chloe Meadows arrived together as they went for a similar colour scheme comprising of nude, grey and black hues. Yet another inseparable duo to arrive as one was Chloe Lewis and Lydia Bright who wrapped up warm before watching the glowing display. Hunky duo: Liam Blackwell wore Hunter wellingtons with a longline camel padded jacket while Chris Clark also opted for a camel coat - although his was a slick overcoat The whole gang: The girls were loving life as they joined up to watch the fireworks Megan's estranged beau Pete appeared to be in high spirits as he larked about upon entering filming - looking as overjoyed as his girlfriend. He kept things slick in a black leather jacket while tucking his long tresses into a stylish flat cap which rounded out his look perfectly. Liam Blackwell wore Hunter wellingtons with a longline camel padded jacket while Chris Clark also opted for a camel coat - although his was a slick overcoat. Are sparks flying? Chloe's Lewis' latest love interest Ben Shenel grinned as he cosied up to Chloe Sims All that glitters: The duo seemed to be having a whale of a time as they enjoyed the festivites She was one of the chosen stars for Burberry's festive film - which reportedly costing a whopping 10m to produce. And Lily James, 27, proved that she at least was certainly worth every penny as she oozed glamour at the English fashion house's advert party in a brocade mini dress. Despite cutting a solo figure on the night - as beau Matt Smith was across town at the premiere of his new series, The Crown - Lily still seemed in good spirits as she rubbed shoulders with the stars at Thomas's in London. Scroll down for video English rose: She was one of the chosen stars for Burberry's festive film and Lily James, 27, proved to be the perfect choice as she oozed glamour at the fashion house's party on Tuesday Flaunting her fantastic pins, the English rose donned a vibrant brocade mini dress that grazed her tanned and toned thighs. High-necked in design, the garment bore fluted sleeves and nipped in at her tiny waist before flaring out in spectacular fashion. Adding to the glamour, she wore her chestnut coloured locks in loose waves, whilst she painted her pout with a rosy pink gloss. Glamorous: Despite cutting a solo figure on the night - as beau Matt Smith was across town - Lily still seemed in good spirits as she rubbed shoulders with the stars at Thomas's in London Three of a kind: Lily was joined at the party by CEO Christopher Bailey and Domhnall Gleeson - who also starred in the stunning Christmas advert titled The Tale of Thomas Burberry Two's company: The pair both did an excellent job representing Burberry at the bash, with Lily flaunting her fantastic pins in a vibrant brocade mini dress that grazed her toned thighs Cosy co-stars: Across town, Lily's beau Matt Smith was in chirpy spirits as he joined his co-star Claire Foy to walk the red carpet at The Crown premiere at Leicester Square's Odeon Lily was joined at the party by CEO Christopher Bailey and Domhnall Gleeson - who also stars in the stunning Christmas advert titled The Tale of Thomas Burberry. In the three minute extravaganza which was written by Matt Charman and directed by Asif Kapadia - Irish actor Domhnall stars as Burberry founder Thomas Burberry. Meanwhile, Downton Abbey star Lily stars as pilot Betty Dawson, a fictionalised character inspired by the real life achievements of Betty Kirby- Green, who broke the world record in 1937 for a return flight from England to Cape Town in an aeroplane named The Burberry. Leggy lady: Lily had all eyes on her at the party as she flaunted her fantastic pins. The English rose donned a vibrant brocade mini dress that grazed her tanned and toned thighs Gorgeous in green: High-necked in design, the garment bore fluted sleeves and nipped in at her tiny waist before flaring out in spectacular fashion Brunette beauty: Adding to the glamour, she wore her chestnut coloured locks in loose waves, whilst she painted her pout with a rosy pink gloss Fashionista: Jenna Coleman also attended the The Tale of Thomas Burberry event alongside her love interest - both on and off screen - Tom Hughes Low profile: The pair, who fell for each other while playing young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, kept a coy distance at the event, posing separately As one of the stars of the campaign, it was clear to see why Lily could not accompany boyfriend Matt to the glamorous star-studded premiere of his new series, which occurred on the same evening. Matt still seemed in great spirits, however, despite having his girlfriend by his side, and put on a cosy display with his co-star, Claire Foy. Matt and Lily's relationship became public knowledge after they were seen indulging in some PDA at a north London pub in October 2014, but they've since kept their romance largely under the radar. Pretty as a picture: Jenna looked lovely as ever, clad in a ladylike Burberry shirt with an elegant ruffle neckline Perfectly dishevelled: The former Doctor Who star styled her brunette bob in tousled waves Chic style: She sported a baby blue coat and added a fashionable touch to her look with a bright red lip Beaming: Someone was certainly making Jenna smile during her night on the town Star-studded affair: The event marked the debut of Burberry's new holiday campaign Whilst she may have been apart from her beau, Lily was in great company at the Burberry bash which was also attended by Jenna Coleman. Jenna looked lovely as ever, clad in a ladylike Burberry shirt with an elegant ruffle and bell sleeves where she joined love interest - both on and off screen - Tom Hughes. The pair, who fell for each other while playing young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in the ITV drama, Victoria, kept a coy distance at the event, posing separately. Furry nice! Mary J Blige wowed in a floor length brown fur coat worn over her all-black outfit Blonde beauty: The star wore her golden tresses in a neat bob that exposed her hoop earrings Slim fitting: Vogue Williams sported a black dress with thigh high split Flower power: Amber Anderson and Arlene Phillips both opted for florals for their night out Other attendees included Mary J Blige who looked stunning in a floor length brown fur coat worn over her all-black outfit. The star wore her golden tresses in a neat bob that exposed her hoop earrings. Vogue Williams, meanwhile, looked glamorous in a black gown with thigh high split. Perfect pair: Sai Bennett (L) and Sam Doyle seemed in good spirits at the bash Military style: Sai sported a maroon coat and slim fitting black jeans and boots Model moment: Erin O'Connor (L) and Lady Alice Manners wowed in their stylish ensembles Cosy: Clara Paget (L) and Jack Guinness cuddled up as they posed for snaps together Oregon Militia Occupiers Acquitted: What Happened? For 41 days in January and February, armed militants seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. The occupation became a news-cycle and social media circus, as the occupiers broadcasted video from inside the refuge and made no secret about their goals. As one of the occupier's attorneys told the Los Angeles Times, "His point in this case was to be convicted. His point was to go to the Court of Appeals and make legal arguments about the United States' ability to own land .The notion of being acquitted never entered his mind." But that plan hit a bit of a snag last Thursday when seven of the occupiers, including infamous ringleaders Ammon and Ryan Bundy, were acquitted on conspiracy and weapons charges. So how did they get off, after admitted to the crimes and wanting to be convicted? Legal Strategy All seven defendants were charged with conspiracy to impede officers of the U.S. from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats. Some were also charged with bringing weapons onto federal property with the intent to commit a crime. At first blush, these seemed easy enough to prove: armed men stormed federal property and occupied it -- surely they must have intended to do so. But, among other "legal theories that experts called wrongheaded and laughable," the defendants argued they weren't trying to intimidate anyone, and Ammon Bundy claimed that he was trying occupy the refuge long enough to gain legal title through "adverse possession." (It should be noted here that adverse possession doesn't work against the federal government.) Still, Bundy's attorney argued that if his client and fellow protesters believed, even wrongfully, they were pursuing a valid legal process, they couldn't have also been intending to intimidate federal employees. Legal Standard of Proof That argument, along with alleged overconfidence of prosecutors, was enough to lead to across-the-board acquittals. A juror told the Oregonian: "All 12 agreed that impeding existed, even if as an effect of the occupation ... But we were not asked to judge on bullets and hurt feelings, rather to decide if any agreement was made with an illegal object in mind ... It seemed this basic, high standard of proof was lost upon the prosecution throughout.'' Both right-wing supporters and left-wing critics of the case thought this may be a matter of jury nullification, where the jurors simply disregard the evidence, the law, or judicial instructions to instead come to a verdict based on their own consciences. But the same juror seemed intent on clearing that up: "It should be known that all 12 jurors felt that this verdict was a statement regarding the various failures of the prosecution to prove 'conspiracy' in the count itself -- and not any form of affirmation of the defense's various beliefs, actions or aspirations." Instead, it seems like prosecutors thought the case spoke for itself, when they really had some explaining to do. Related Resources: They shared a passionate on-screen romance in ITV period drama Victoria. And Jenna Coleman was attending the The Tale of Thomas Burberry event at the high-end fashion house's all day cafe Thomas on Tuesday alongside her love interest - both on and off screen - Tom Hughes. The pair, who fell for each other while playing young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, kept a coy distance at the event, posing separately. Scroll down for video Fashionista: Jenna Coleman was attending the The Tale of Thomas Burberry event at the high-end fashion house's all day cafe Thomas on Tuesday alongside her love interest - both on and off screen - Tom Hughes Low profile: The pair, who fell for each other while playing young Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, kept a coy distance at the event, posing separately Jenna looked lovely as ever, clad in a ladylike Burberry shirt with an elegant ruffle and bell sleeves. She sported a baby blue coat and added a fashionable touch to her look with a bright red lip. Tom was looking equally dapper in a smart coat and jeans, keeping cosy in a turtleneck jumper. Pretty as a picture: Jenna looked lovely as ever, clad in a ladylike Burberry shirt with an elegant ruffle neckline Stylish from head-to-toe: Jenna was the perfect poster girl for the brand, toting a smart handbag with buckle detailing Secret love story: Jenna and Tom have 'been together for months, on and off since last summer', the Mail On Sunday reported Jenna and Tom are reported to have taken their relationship to the next level after secretly dating for a year; the pair are alleged to be hunting for a house together close to Jennas rented home in Hampstead, North London. The stars, both 30, have viewed a number of properties valued at more than 1 million, according to the Mail On Sunday. They have 'been together for months, on and off since last summer', it has been claimed. Perfectly dishevelled: The former Doctor Who star styled her brunette bob in tousled waves Chic style: She sported a baby blue coat and added a fashionable touch to her look with a bright red lip The event marked the debut of Burberry's new holiday campaign, starring Domhnall Gleeson and Sienna Miller, as well as Lily James and Dominic West. The stunning three-minute cinematic trailer focuses on the luxury brand's of founder Thomas Burberry. 'What he created has stood the test of time and influenced those who came after him his work had such an impact and legacy after he was gone', Domnhall said. 'I found that inspiring its what most artists dream of.' Beaming: Someone was certainly making Jenna smile during her night on the town Australia, Indonesia mull joint South China Sea patrols Australia is considering joint patrols with Indonesia in the disputed South China Sea, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said Tuesday, in a move set to irk Beijing. The possibility was raised by Jakarta during meetings between Bishop and Defence Minister Marise Payne and Indonesian officials including Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu last week. "We have agreed to explore options to increase maritime cooperation and of course that would include coordinated activities in the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea," Bishop told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, seen in September 2016, said the option for Australia to join Indonesia in South China Sea patrols is "consistent with our policy of exercising our right of freedom navigation" and follows international law Justin Tallis (AFP/File) "This is all consistent with our policy of exercising our right of freedom of navigation and that's in accordance with international law." Ryacudu was cited by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying he had proposed a "peace patrol" with Australia. "There are no intentions to disrupt the relationship (with China). It is called a peace patrol, it brings peace. It is about protecting fish in each other's areas," he said. Beijing asserts sovereignty over almost all of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite rival claims from its Southeast Asian neighbours -- most notably the Philippines, which took the case to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration. The court ruled in July that there was no legal basis to China's claims -- a verdict Beijing dismissed vehemently. Australia, like staunch ally the United States, has no claims of its own in the area, but insists that all shipping has a right to pass through seas it regards as international waters. Last month the US sailed a warship near disputed territory in the South China Sea, with Beijing slamming the move as a "serious illegal act" and "deliberately provocative". Discussion on potential joint patrols comes amid uncertainty in the region with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte unsettling Manila's traditional allies by signalling a shift away from Washington towards Beijing. Unlike some Southeast Asian neighbours, Jakarta has long maintained it has no maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea and does not contest ownership of reefs or islets there. But Beijing's expansive claims overlap Indonesia's exclusive economic zone -- waters where a state has the right to exploit resources -- around the Natunas, a remote scattering of islands that are rich fishing grounds. In June, Indonesian President Joko Widodo toured the islands on a warship, in a move seen as sending a strong message to China to respect Indonesian sovereignty. Americans worn out by presidential election The US presidential election is only a few days away, but for most Americans worn out by the vicious campaign, the vote can't come soon enough. "People are always somewhat stressed during elections but I've never seen it this extreme," said Judi Bloom, a Los Angeles-area psychologist. According to a recent Harris Poll on behalf of the American Psychological Association (APA), more than half of Americans are stressed out by one of the most adversarial contests in recent history. The fear, negatativity and accusations around Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's campaign have increased voter angst Mark Ralston (AFP/File) For months, Donald Trump, the Republican candidate vying for the White House, has hammered away at President Barack Obama's policies on health care, Syria or trade, denouncing them as a "disaster" and warning that his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton would lead the country to "catastrophe." He has also warned that hordes of migrants, described as "rapists" and "criminals," are seeking to slip into the United States through the border with Mexico -- where he wants to build a wall -- and that jihadists are hiding among Syrian refugees. Clinton for her part has also gone for the jugular, denouncing her rival as "unstable" and capable of unleashing nuclear war "just because somebody got under his very thin skin." She has lashed out at him over allegations of groping women and sexual assaults -- charges he has denied. "It's a very negative campaign, with candidates accusing each other of lying, saying the election is rigged and it generates a sense of hopelessness, of 'this is the end my friend,'" Bloom said. "I get a lot of 'I'll move to Canada.'" Robert Bright, a psychiatrist in the western state of Arizona, said not since the September 11, 2001 attacks or the financial crisis has he seen this level of anxiety among Americans. "Just yesterday, I saw a woman who had trouble sleeping at night," he told AFP. "Another patient who is very ill joked that the good thing about dying is that he will not have to watch any more political commercials." Rather than using campaign slogans such as Obama's rallying cry of "Yes We Can," the 2016 frontrunners in the race have played up the Fear Factor which has increased voter angst. - 'Stop catastrophizing' - "People fear for their financial safety, for the national security, terrorist attacks, there's a fear of the 'other,'" Bright said. He added that Republicans especially are concerned about the future makeup of the US Supreme Court, where the next president will potentially appoint three or more new justices to lifetime seats. Added to that, Republicans are also fearful of losing control of both houses of Congress and are fretting over the future of their party, which has been left in tatters. The campaign has meanwhile often sunk below the belt amid lurid sex scandals and hyperbole. Trump has repeatedly labeled Clinton "crooked" and appeared with women who have accused his rival's husband -- former president Bill Clinton -- of sexual assault. He has also talked about the size of his penis and, in a lewd 2005 recording that upended the campaign, bragged about grabbing women's genitals and making unwanted advances. "Those words, images, created a feel of lack of safety for women in general," Bright said. "And for those having had sex aggression, it absolutely triggered things, reactivated traumas, gave them nightmares." But despite all the gloom and doom of the campaign, the APA noted that whatever the outcome of the November 8 vote, "life will go on." "Out political system and the three branches of government mean that we can expect a significant degree of stability immediately after a major transition of government," it said. "Avoid catastrophizing, and maintain a balanced perspective." The race for the White House Thomas SAINT-CRICQ, Paz PIZARRO (AFP) Republican candidate Donald Trump has hammered away at President Barack Obama's policies on health, Syria and trade and says rival Hillary Clinton would be a disaster Jeff Kowalsky (AFP/File) Prosecutors detain 'female Rasputin' at core of S. Korea political crisis The woman at the centre of the snowballing political scandal engulfing President Park Geun-Hye has been put under emergency detention after prosecutors said she was "unstable" and a flight risk. Choi Soon-Sil, who faces allegations of fraud and meddling in state affairs over her decades-long friendship with Park, was grilled for hours Monday after she returned to the country and handed herself in following mass street protests. "There is a possibility of Choi trying to destroy evidence as she is denying all the allegations," a prosecution official told the Yonhap news agency, explaining the decision to hold her for 48 hours. Choi Soon-Sil arrives at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, on October 31, 2016 Yonhap (Yonhap/AFP) "She has fled overseas in the past, and she doesn't have a permanent address in this country, making her a flight risk. "She is also in an extremely unstable psychological state," the official added. The media has portrayed the 60-year-old Choi as a Rasputin-like figure, who wielded an unhealthy influence over Park and interfered in government policy despite holding no official post and having no security clearance. She flew back to Seoul Sunday from Germany and was mobbed by hundreds of journalists and angry protesters waving placards demanding her arrest. Dressed from head to toe in black, Choi lost her hat, sunglasses and one Prada shoe as she struggled through the scrum to the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office Monday. "Please forgive me. I have committed a deadly sin," Choi said after she made it inside the building, Yonhap reported. After a night in detention, she was escorted back to the prosecutors' office early Tuesday wearing prison uniform for another round of questioning -- which could last for days, Yonhap said. Prosecutors have to decide whether to seek a warrant to formally arrest Choi before the emergency detention period expires. - 'Help Choi die' - Park and Choi have been close friends for 40 years. The precise nature of that friendship lies at the heart of the scandal which has triggered a media frenzy in South Korea, with lurid reports of religious cults and shamanistic rituals. Choi is the daughter of late shadowy religious leader Choi Tae-Min, who was married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own cult-like group known as the Church of Eternal Life. He befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother -- whom he said had appeared to him in a dream -- becoming a mentor to Park, who subsequently formed a close bond with his daughter. Suggestions that Choi vetted presidential speeches and was given access to classified documents have exposed Park to public anger and ridicule and, with just over a year left in office, pushed her approval ratings off a cliff. According to a survey published Tuesday, Park's approval rating was 9.2 percent, with 67 percent of voters saying she should step down. Choi has also been accused of using her relationship with the president to coerce corporate donations to two non-profit foundations, and then siphon off funds for personal use. Park issued a public apology last week, acknowledging seeking limited advice from Choi on her speeches. But it did little to assuage public outrage, with mass street protests erupting in Seoul and other cities to demand Park's resignation. On Tuesday, a man rammed an excavator into a key building belonging to South Korea's prosecution service in Seoul. The 45-year-old was detained and later told police interrogators that he had carried out the attack in a bid "to help Choi die as she said she committed a deadly sin", according to Yonhap. The Hankyoreh newspaper reported Tuesday that Choi had been a frequent visitor to the presidential Blue House since Park took office in 2013 -- something Park's administration has staunchly denied. Park carried out a partial reshuffle of her key aides Sunday and is considering calls from to form a neutral multi-party cabinet to restore public trust. Analysts say the scandal could paralyse Park's administration, underlining her lame-duck status ahead of presidential elections in December next year. Policemen stand near an excavator after its driver attempted to ram the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office on November 1, 2016 where Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the centre of South Korea's political crisis, was being held Yonhap (Yonhap/AFP) Protesters wearing masks of South Korean President Park Geun-Hye (front) and her confidante Choi Soon-Sil demonstrate ahead of a candle-lit rally in Seoul, on October 29, 2016 Jung Yeon-Je (AFP/File) China manufacturing indices at highest in 2 years Factory activity in China expanded at its fastest pace in more than two years last month, official and private measures both showed on Tuesday, boding well for the world's second-largest economy. Investors closely watch the purchasing managers' index (PMI) numbers, which gauge conditions at Chinese factories and mines, as the first indicators of the health of the economy each month. The official PMI came in at 51.2 for October, its highest since July 2014, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed. The purchasing managers' index gauges conditions at Chinese factories and mines and is seen as the first indicator of the economy's health - (AFP/File) That was up from September's 50.4 and was well ahead of the median forecast of 50.3 in a Bloomberg News survey of economists. A figure above 50 signals expanding activity, while anything below demonstrates shrinkage. "Production and market demand is picking up again, accelerating expansion," NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a statement. But Zhao added that downward pressures remain on imports and exports owing to the sluggish recovery in global growth. The private Caixin Purchasing Managers' Index, which focuses on small companies, pointed to a similar trend. Its October reading climbed to 51.2, up from 50.1 the previous month and also the highest since July 2014, the Chinese financial magazine said in a joint statement Thursday with data compiler IHS Markit. "The economy seems to be stabilising for the moment, owing primarily to policies implemented to sustain growth," Caixin analyst Zhong Zhengsheng said in the statement. But Zhong warned: "Supportive policies must be continued, or industrial output may be dragged down by a slowdown in investment." The key manufacturing sector has been struggling for months in the face of sagging world demand for Chinese products and excess industrial capacity left over from the country's infrastructure boom. "This might be as good as it gets," HSBC Holdings economic researcher Frederic Neumann told Bloomberg. "A generous stimulus injected earlier this year is still winding itself through the economy," he added, and with the government now "tapping the brakes" in the property sector "growth will likely cool again in the coming months". China is a vital driver of global growth, but its economy expanded only 6.9 percent in 2015 -- its weakest rate in a quarter of a century -- and has slowed further this year. Beijing has said it wants to reorient the economy away from relying on debt-fuelled investment to boost growth and towards a consumer-driven model, but the transition has proven challenging. US markets on edge for more election surprises Bombshells notwithstanding, US stock markets still see a victory by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump as the less likely outcome of the November 8 vote, analysts say. But if he does defeat Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, the reaction could be dramatic. What is less clear is whether that initial post-vote market reaction will last. MIT economics professor Simon Johnson, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, says the reaction could be brutal, given the fragile state of the US and global economic recoveries. Analysts say a Donald Trump victory in the presidential election could cause a stock market crash and world recession Stan Honda (AFP/File) "A big adverse surprise -- like the election of Donald Trump in the US -- would cause the stock market to crash and plunge the world into recession," Johnson said in a column published Monday. "Trump promises to boost US growth immediately to 4-5 percent, but this is pure fantasy. It is far more likely that his anti-trade policies would cause a sharp slowdown, much like the British are experiencing." Johnson warned that Trump "would not need congressional approval to slam the brakes on the US economy," and that would push Europe back into recession as well. While he noted that investors "regard a Trump presidency as a relatively low-probability event," if they are wrong, he said, "we should expect... a likely crash in the broader market." - 'October surprises' shake markets - This presidential campaign is far different in tone than any in recent memory, so political analysts who dismissed the "October surprise" effect on US elections as mostly myth, may be eating their words. Twice in the past month surprise revelations have rocked the campaigns of the two candidates, both times sharply moving Wall Street -- though in opposite ways. The Dow gained 0.5 percent the day following the release of the recording of Trump describing in vulgar language his behavior towards women, which many saw as an admission of sexual assault. Yet stocks fell back the very next day. And the market fell sharply by 1.0 percentage point last Friday on news the FBI is investigating a new trove of emails possibly tied to Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of state. But shares rebounded some ground by the close, and were flat Monday. - Dangerous 'black swan' risks - With just a week left before the key vote, some analysts warn of unforeseeable "black swan" events. "We have warned throughout the campaign that black swan risks, including scandals and information warfare, are extraordinarily high, and hence have been less bullish for a Clinton victory than consensus," Citi Research analysts Tina Fordham and Tiia Lehto wrote in a report. "The extent to which the 11th hour development will influence voter behavior is likely to remain uncertain right up until Election Day." While they still see a 75 percent probability of a Clinton victory, the latest development certainly will "further dent voter confidence," the analysts added. But, as was the case with the two October surprises, there is ample research that stock market reactions following elections do not last long and do not favor either party. A 2004 Federal Reserve research paper debunked the notion of a stock premium under Democratic administrations, saying: "Ultimately, our results are consistent with the notion that neither risk nor return varies substantially across the presidential cycle." And BlackRock investment strategist Russ Koesterich wrote earlier this year that who wins the elections does not really matter to stocks over time -- mirroring his analysis of the 2012 election as well. "Historically, whether a Republican or Democrat occupies the White House has had no statistically significant impact on US equity markets," he said. Malaysia PM signs defence deal in tilt toward China Malaysia and China signed a defence deal and pledged closer cooperation in the South China Sea Tuesday, signalling a potential strategic shift by Premier Najib Razak as his ties with the United States fray over a corruption scandal. Najib's week-long trip marks another potential setback for Washington's "pivot" toward Asia, two weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte of longtime US ally the Philippines visited China with olive branch in hand. Meeting at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, Najib and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang witnessed the signing of nine agreements spanning defence, business and other spheres. Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak leaves Finance Ministry to unveil the 2017 financial budget to the Parliament, in Putrajaya on October 21, 2016 Manan Vatsyayana (AFP/File) "I believe this visit will bring our bilateral ties to a new high... a historic high," Najib said prior to meeting with Li. Asked for details of the defence arrangement, Chinese vice foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said that the two countries were "focusing on naval cooperation," adding that the deal "marks a big event in our bilateral ties." China and Malaysia have an outstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea, which is claimed almost in its entirety by Beijing. Parts of the vast maritime region are also claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam, among others, who have found themselves caught in an increasingly tense dispute between the US and China over Beijing's construction of military-capable artificial islands in the region. "China and Malaysia are littoral states of the South China Sea so we need to enhance our cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the South China Sea and enhance our mutual trust," Liu said. -- Separation anxiety -- Last month in Beijing, Duterte stunned observers by announcing his country's "separation" from longstanding partner the United States. Though he subsequently backed off, saying their alliance remained intact, the episode underlined China's increasing diplomatic and economic gravitational pull at the expense of the United States. Najib's visit provides fresh evidence, said Southeast Asia politics analyst Bridget Welsh. "This is the new regional norm. Now China is implementing the power and the US is in retreat," she said, adding Washington's Asia "pivot" was "dead in the water". Taking office in 2009, Najib reached out to Washington, and relations warmed following decades of periodic distrust. But he has increasingly leaned toward China as it became Malaysia's biggest trading partner, and especially after the eruption last year of a massive corruption scandal implicating Najib and a state investment fund he founded. Billions are alleged to have been syphoned from the fund, 1MDB, in a stunning international campaign of embezzlement and money-laundering that has sparked investigations in several countries. Najibs ties with Washington became strained when the US Justice Department moved in July to seize more than $1 billion in assets it says were purchased by Najib relatives and associates using stolen 1MDB money. Justice Department filings said a "Malaysian Official 1" took part in the looting. Malaysia has since admitted that official was Najib. Najib and 1MDB deny wrongdoing and have railed at foreign forces they say concocted the scandal. 1MDB launched a fire sale of assets to stay solvent, and Chinas biggest nuclear energy producer China General Nuclear Power Corporation came to the rescue last year, purchasing its power assets for $2.3 billion. Depressed oil prices have slashed government revenue in energy-exporting Malaysia, which also faces rising public-sector debt. "This trip reflects not only Malaysias geostrategic re-alignment to China as the 'regional banker' but also the reality that Najib is desperate for alternative financial sources," Welsh said. China has increasingly won major infrastructure and other projects in Malaysia. Among the agreements was one to build a new rail line on Malaysia's east coast. Later this week Najib will meet President Xi Jinping, as well as Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba. China welcomes Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak with a state dinner on November 1, 2016, in Beijing, followed by a meeting with Premier Li Keqiang Ye Aung Thu (AFP/File) China priests' fears over Vatican's Beijing olive branch Secret talks between the Vatican and Beijing are raising hopes of a "historic" rapprochement after six decades of estrangement, but some Chinese clergy fear that Rome will accept a Communist stranglehold over the country's Catholics. Since becoming head of the Holy See in 2013 Pope Francis has tried to improve relations with the Chinese government in the hope of reconnecting with Catholics in China who are divided between two denominations, loyal to either Rome or Beijing. But opponents -- among them the respected Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen -- say the agreement risks abandoning loyal believers and amounts to a deal with the devil. Since becoming head of the Holy See in 2013 Pope Francis has tried to improve relations with the Chinese government in the hope of reconnecting with Catholics in China who are divided between two denominations, loyal to either Rome or Beijing Fred Dufour (AFP/File) Since January, Chinese and Vatican officials have met at least four times, including in Rome, to try and resolve the delicate issue of the appointment of bishops -- the heart of the dispute. Each side has long insisted that it should have the final say on the issue -- the Vatican as God's representative on Earth, and the Communist party as the final arbiter on all issues in China. "We're hoping for a very important, historic agreement that we've been waiting for for nearly 70 years," said Jeroom Heyndrickx, a Belgian priest who has been involved with Chinese Catholics since the 1950s and is closely following the discussions. "A Chinese delegation will head to Rome at the beginning of November for a last round of negotiations," said Heyndrickx, acting director of the Ferdinand Verbiest Institute in Leuven, which studies Catholicism in China. China and the Vatican have not had diplomatic relations since 1951. The country's roughly 12 million Catholics are divided between the government-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA), whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party -- but sometimes accepted by Rome -- and an unofficial church where bishops named by the Vatican are not recognised by Beijing, but sometimes tolerated. But earlier this year the pope sent greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and said he was an admirer of Chinese civilisation. Xi responded in September with a gift of a silk print of an 8th-century stele -- a nearly three-metre tall carved stone tablet -- from Xian, the earliest known trace of Christianity in China. The agreement is currently expected to see the Vatican recognise four out of the eight CPCA bishops it does not currently acknowledge, according to Father Heyndrickx. Beijing could also name two new bishops in Shanxi and Sichuan provinces with Rome's blessing. The two would also agree on how to select future bishops. "Rome could accept a situation in which the final nomination is made by the pope," Heyndrickx adds. But it was not clear whether the Vatican would have a choice of candidates. Crucially, the agreement will not address the 30 bishops consecrated by Rome but rejected by Beijing. "Their fate will certainly not be resolved in the near future," said Father Heyndrickx. Even if Beijing agreed to recognise them, he predicted, "I am convinced that they would refuse to join the Patriotic Association." - 'Reality is cruel' - Chinese Catholics are divided over the prospect of an agreement, with Cardinal Zen -- who spent seven years teaching in the official church in the 1990s -- the most high-profile opponent. The Chinese Communist party is officially atheist and Zen said of the CPCA: "They don't believe in God, they don't understand what is the church. They only have political considerations." He contrasted the Pope's approach with that of his predecessor John Paul II, who lived under both Nazi and Communist rule in Poland and played a key role in the advent of democracy in eastern Europe. "Communism is a terrible totalitarian regime and people who haven't experienced that find difficulty to understand that," Zen told AFP from Hong Kong. Pope Francis, he said, "wants to make peace with everybody, that's very good, but sometimes I think the reality is cruel". For Francesco Sisci, a researcher at Renmin University who has been following Vatican issues for decades, the split in the Catholic church in China is more than political. "The Catholic church is split between factions that hate each other," he explained. "In the same area, you have two bishops rivalling for power, for money." Zen described the CPCA's members as "puppets of the government" who have profited from their positions. If Rome recognised it, he added, Beijing could feel emboldened to "eliminate" the underground church, whose members would be left "desperate". Vatican authorities "say they hope that by this agreement, the people may live their faith peacefully," Zen said. "But if there is no freedom there is no peace." Roughly 12 million Chinese Catholics are divided between the government-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) and an unofficial church where bishops named by the Vatican are not recognised by Beijing, but sometimes tolerated Wang Zhao (AFP/File) Melchior Shi Hongzhen waits in the sacristy before meeting worshippers after a service celebrating the Feast of the Ascension, at the 'underground' Zhongxin Bridge Catholic Church in Tianjin, in 2015 Greg Baker (AFP/File) India's Kashmir death toll hits 8 India said one more civilian had been killed late Tuesday by Pakistani mortar shelling in the disputed Kashmir region, taking the toll to eight, as tensions soar between the nuclear-armed rivals. Pakistan for its part said six of its citizens had been killed by Indian gunfire on Monday and summoned a senior Indian diplomat to protest what it termed an unprovoked ceasefire violation. India and Pakistan's armies have regularly exchanged fire across the LoC as well as along their undisputed part of the border since a militant attack on an Indian army base on September 18 that left 19 soldiers dead. Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months, with India blaming Pakistani militants for a raid on an army base in its part of Kashmir in September that killed 19 soldiers Tauseef Mustafa (AFP/File) Both countries accuse each other of violating the ceasefire and engaging in "unprovoked firing". In India, two children and three adults were killed Tuesday near the city of Jammu in the Samba sector across the border with Pakistan's Punjab province, a top civil official, Pawan Kotwal, told AFP. Two women were also killed in the mountainous Rajouri district along the line of control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed territory, Kotwal said in a text message. Later Tuesday, another senior police official, Danish Rana, confirmed the death of one more man in the shelling. Twenty-two people were injured in the cross-border firing, the Press Trust of India news agency said, referring to the shelling which began in the early hours of Tuesday. Local media reports said Indian security forces killed two Pakistani soldiers and "destroyed" 14 of their posts in retaliation after the latest cross-border firing. Eight Indian troops have also died in the border skirmishes since September. Relations between the two countries have plummeted in recent months since the attack on the Indian army base, the deadliest in more than a decade. India has blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack. India said it responded by carrying out strikes across the heavily-militarised border, although Islamabad denies these took place. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full. President Xi meets Taiwan opposition leader, stresses 'One China' Chinese president Xi Jinping met the leader of Taiwan's opposition party Tuesday as Beijing's relations with the island's new president worsen. Xi met Kuomintang (KMT) leader Hung Hsiu-chu at the Great Hall of the People, the official Xinhua news agency said. He called on Taiwan to respect the "One China principle" and stressed the importance of protecting "national integrity". Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang leader Hung Hsiu-chu at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 1, 2016 Cross-strait ties have deteriorated under Taiwan's first female president Tsai Ing-wen, whose China-sceptic Democratic Progressive Party took office in May after its landslide victory over the KMT. Tsai has refused publicly to accept the concept of "One China", prompting Beijing to cut off all official communication with her government. Beijing sees Taiwan, which has ruled itself since KMT forces fled there at the end of the civil war in 1949, as part of its territory requiring reunification. Xinhua previously reported that Hung was leading a delegation from Taiwan to "promote stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait". On Monday the group stopped in Nanjing to visit the mausoleum of Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen before the 150th anniversary of his birth. Hung -- whose stance leans towards China and who is also her party's first female leader -- was chosen to lead it in March despite being ousted as the KMT's presidential candidate last October due to her conservative views. Supreme Court to Decide Which Bathroom Trans High School Student Can Use Last week, the Supreme Court announced that they will be taking up the case of Gavin Grimm, the high school student who has been told he can't use the boys' restroom because he is transgender. The case will be heard at some point next year, as the Court has only accepted to hear the case at this point. When a case is appealed to the Supreme Court, one party to a case is asking the Court to review a Federal Appeals Court's decision. The Supreme Court is asked to review thousands of cases each year, and only selects about 80 to review. Although Gavin won the last appeal, the Supreme Court ordered that the appeals court's decision not go into effect until they decide to reject the case or after they decide the case. The Case of Gavin Grimm Gavin's case was forced upon him. When he started high school as a freshman, he initially used the unisex/single stall restroom in the nurse's office. However, it was the only single stall in the building and Gavin did not feel like he could solely use that restroom as it was the only one. When he requested that he be allowed to use the regular boys' bathroom, the school approved his request. However, when some other students' parents learned that Gavin was using the regular boys' bathroom, they petitioned the district to stop Gavin, and won. But Gavin didn't stop fighting for his rights as a transgender student. Gavin challenged the school district in court and on appeal, Gavin won. After the appeal, but before the Supreme Court announced that they would weigh in, the Department of Education, with the Department of Justice, issued formal guidance on how public schools should handle any policy relating to sex segregation and gender identity. Basically, both agencies state that Gavin, and other trans students, should be able to use the bathroom that conforms with their gender identity, regardless of how they are identified in legal documents. Trans Bathrooms: Separate Is Not Equal For the purposes of Title IX, which applies to schools that receive federal funding, a student's gender identity is their sex, and Title IX prohibits discrimination based on sex. Soon, the Supreme Court will weigh in and may provide some judicial certainty to this politically divisive question. Related Resources: Ethiopian reshuffle offers concessions to protesters Ethiopia's prime minister on Tuesday reshuffled his cabinet to create a more ethnically diverse team after an unprecedented wave of protests. Hailemariam Desalegn had promised the reshuffle after imposing a six-month state of emergency in October. In the reshuffle, Hailemariam gave senior roles to two politicians from the Oromo people who have spearheaded sometimes deadly anti-government protests over the last year, reducing the dominance of the minority Tigrayans. Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, promised to reshuffle his cabinet after imposing a six-month state of emergency in October Zacharias Abubeker (AFP/File) The new ministers of foreign affairs and of communications -- Workneh Gebeyehu, a former transport minister, and Negeri Lencho, a journalism professor -- are Oromos, replacing the Tigrayans who previously held the posts. Speaking to AFP after his appointment Negeri, who is also now government spokesman, said the changes were necessary in the light of the protests and subsequent state of emergency. "So many challenges have been raised by the public. There has to be a change," he said. "This new cabinet is ready to respond and provide a better service with professionals from many directions." Nine of the previous 30-strong cabinet retained their posts, among them long-standing party loyalists Siraj Fegessa, in charge of defence, and Debretsion Gebremichael who runs telecommunication and information technology, as well as Hailemariam's deputy, Demeke Mekonnen. The new government, which includes just three women, was immediately approved by parliament in which every seat is held by Hailemariam's ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Until his dismissal, former government spokesman Getachew Reda had been considered a "rising star" within the EPRDF but was unpopular among the public. Hailemariam had promised the reshuffle would be based on skills rather than "party loyalty". S.Africa's Zuma starts court bid to block graft report South Africa's President Jacob Zuma launched his court bid Tuesday to block the publication of a potentially explosive report that resulted from a probe of his ties to a powerful family of Indian businessmen. The report investigated allegations that Zuma allowed the Gupta family undue political sway, including letting them choose some cabinet ministers. But Tuesday's proceedings in Pretoria High Court focused on procedural matters, such as which parties could join the case, and will resume Wednesday on the core issue of Zuma's effort to keep the report secret. South African President Jacob Zuma has survived a string of damaging scandals, but has faced increasing criticism as the economy has stalled Rodger Bosch (AFP/File) On Tuesday the court ruled four opposition parties and a former ANC lawmaker have the right to challenge Zuma's bid. Dali Mpofu, the lawyer representing some of the opposition parties, said Zuma's application was motivated by fears that his implication "might lead to the invocation of the impeachment proceedings or motion of no confidence." Another lawyer, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi representing the left-leaning Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) argued that Zuma's application was a desperate attempt to try to prohibit the publication of the report. Former ombudswoman Thuli Madonsela concluded the report last month, shortly before the expiry of her seven-year non-renewable term. It was due to be released on October 14 but Zuma moved to block it. Zuma, 74, has survived a string of damaging scandals, but has faced increasing criticism as the economy has stalled and after the ruling ANC party suffered unprecedented losses in local polls. The Guptas -- brothers Ajay, Atul and Rajesh -- built an empire in mining transportation, technology and media after coming to South Africa from India in the early 1990s. One of Zuma's sons, Duduzane, is their business partner. Deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas early this year accused the family of offering him the job of finance minister, something he said he rejected. Zuma last month said he was not given enough time to respond to the investigators' questions. - 'Wheels coming off' - The current political malaise in the country has prompted calls for Zuma to resign, with the country's biggest public sector union being the latest voice to call for Zuma's head. The National Education Health and Allied Workers' Union said Tuesday its executive meeting had resolved that "it could no longer be denied that Zuma's leadership in government is now untenable." The union said it was in the interest of the ANC to ensure that Zuma "is no longer the head of state," by the next general elections in 2019. Zuma is currently serving his second five-year term, and is due to step down in 2019. The beleaguered leader is also fighting a court order that could reinstate almost 800 corruption charges against him. Last month the chief whip of the ANC in parliament, Jackson Mthembu urged the entire leadership of the party including Zuma to resign over poor performance. The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Tuesday slammed the recent state of political affairs in the country, likening it to witnessing "the wheels coming off the vehicle of our state." "We are reaping the results of a political trend of personalising matters of state around a single individual leader," the organisation said in a statement. Iraqi commander says 'true liberation' of Mosul has begun The commander of Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service said Tuesday that, with his forces at the edge of jihadist-held Mosul, the "true liberation" of the city had begun. Iraqi forces launched a massive operation aimed at retaking Mosul from the Islamic State group more than two weeks ago, and have been advancing on the city on multiple fronts. "Now is the beginning of the true liberation of the city of Mosul," Staff General Taleb Sheghati al-Kenani told Iraqiya state television. An Iraqi tank advances towards the village of Salmani on the outskirts of Mosul Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP) "Our final goal is arriving at Mosul and liberating the city," Kenani said from Gogjali, a village on the edge of the city. CTS has been advancing toward Mosul from the east. Sudan says keen to normalise US ties despite sanctions Sudan said Tuesday it will press ahead with efforts to normalise ties with the United States despite Washington extending sanctions imposed on Khartoum that adversely impact the east African country. On Monday, President Barack Obama extended the sanctions by another year, saying Khartoum's policies remained an "extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States. Sudan has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist groups. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was based in Khartoum from 1992 to 1996. Sudan has been subject to a US trade embargo since 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist groups In recent years, the government's scorched earth tactics against ethnic minority rebels in Darfur have been cited as a reason not to lift the sanctions. Sudan's foreign ministry played down Obama's decision, saying it was a "routine" annual procedure, but one that negatively impacted the humanitarian situation in the country. However, the extension of sanctions will not hamper ongoing efforts to improve ties between the two countries, it said. "The ministry confirms that Sudan will continue to be part of a high-level dialogue currently taking place between the two sides," the ministry said in a statement. "Afterwards, there will be an assessment of the two countries' vision towards normalising all aspects of relations." The extension of sanctions comes into effect from Thursday. "The actions and policies of the government of Sudan continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Obama said in a statement while extending the measures. There had been speculation that the sanctions might be eased after repeated visits to Khartoum in recent months by US special envoy Donald Booth. - Relief still possible - In a statement released late Monday, the American embassy said the extension was purely "technical" and the sanctions could still be eased. It was "part of a routine, annual process that does not prejudice the ability of the president to provide sanctions relief at any point in the future," it said. The United States -- which has also blacklisted Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism since 1993 -- intended to continue its policy of engagement, it added. But Washington "has been quite clear with the government of Sudan on the steps that need to be taken to secure economic sanctions relief". the embassy said. An end to fighting in Darfur and in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states is a key condition demanded by the Obama adminstration for any easing or lifting of sanctions, diplomats said. "Over the past six months the Obama administration has insisted that the two sides reach an agreement on cessation of hostilities in these three conflict zones, but that has still not happened," a European diplomat told AFP. In August, talks held in Addis Ababa between Khartoum and key rebel groups failed to reach an agreement on the issue. Washington was a key supporter of the peace accords that led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011, and there had been speculation at the time that the blacklisting would be lifted as a reward. But the Darfur conflict has continued to dog relations. President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide related to the conflict. He denies the charges. In September last year, Washington refused Bashir a visa to attend the UN General Assembly, citing the ICC arrest warrant. The United Nations says at least 300,000 people have been killed and about 2.5 million displaced since the Darfur conflict erupted in 2003. Hundreds have also been killed in Blue Nile and South Kordofan in similar conflicts. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and genocide Ashraf Shazly (AFP/File) Up to 600,000 children trapped in Mosul: NGO Up to 600,000 children are among the civilians trapped in jihadist-held Mosul, Save The Children said on Tuesday, calling for safe corridors as Iraqi forces advanced on the city. "It is a critical moment to protect children and open safe routes to allow the 1.5 million civilians, including about 600,000 children, still trapped in the city to leave safely," the charity said. Iraqi forces reached the edges of Mosul on Tuesday, two weeks into a massive operation to retake the city they lost to the Islamic State jihadist group in June 2014. Children look on as Iraqi forces enter the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul, on October 28, 2016 Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File) "We cannot sit back and wait for another situation like Aleppo to unfold, whilst there is still the opportunity to get children out of the war zone," the NGO's Iraq director Maurizio Crivellaro said. An estimated 250,000 people have been besieged by regime forces in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo for three months. The battle for Mosul: what we know Iraq's military says security forces have entered jihadist-held Mosul for the first time since 2014. Here is what we know so far about the country's biggest military operation in years: Where are the Iraqi forces? Iraqi army forces entered the Judaidat Al-Mufti area in southeast Mosul on Tuesday, the military announced, while forces from the elite Counter-Terrorism Service retook a village and a local television station on the city's eastern outskirts. Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi drive their vehicles towards the village of Umm Sijan, south of Mosul, on October 31, 2016 during Iraqi forces' operation to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP) North of the city, soldiers retook several villages as they neared the edge of Mosul, while Kurdish forces have also gained ground north and east of the city in recent days. The forces on the southern front -- including the Rapid Response Division, CTS's interior ministry counterpart, as well as police -- started the farthest away and have the longest distance still to go, with more than 10 kilometres (six miles) between them and the city. The Hashed al-Shaabi, an umbrella group for pro-government paramilitary forces that is dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, are fighting southwest of Mosul in an operation aimed at retaking the town of Tal Afar, which lies between the city and Syria. They have gained ground in recent days, but the western approach to Mosul remains largely open for now. What is the US-led coalition doing? The US-led anti-IS coalition is carrying out air strikes against the jihadists as well as targeting them with artillery. It has hit IS with nearly 3,000 bombs, missiles, rockets and shells since the drive for Mosul began on October 17. But some Iraqi commanders have still complained that there are not enough strikes, and said they want the coalition to step up its campaign. Most of the more than 7,000 coalition military personnel in Iraq are in advisory or training roles, but there are also those carrying out artillery strikes, as well as special forces personnel who have carried out raids against IS. How are the jihadists responding? IS has targeted attacking Iraqi forces with suicide bombers, mortar rounds and small arms fire, in addition to bombs hidden in houses, buildings and roads that make up an integral part of the jihadists' defences and still cause casualties even after they withdraw. Inside the territory they still control, the jihadists are responding with the same brutality that has been the hallmark of their more than two-year rule. The United Nations said it has received reports that IS has executed nearly 300 people in the Mosul area since October 25, and also seized tens of thousands of people for use as human shields. IS attempted to transfer some 25,000 civilians from the Hamam al-Ali area south of Mosul to places in and around the city on Monday, but most of the vehicles IS brought were prevented from reaching Mosul because of patrolling coalition aircraft, the UN said. The jihadists have also staged diversionary attacks in the northern city of Kirkuk and the western town of Rutba in attempts to draw attention and forces away from the Mosul theatre. How are civilians affected? As Iraqi forces advance, thousands of civilians have fled IS-held areas to escape both jihadist rule and impending fighting -- a number that could increase exponentially if people leave Mosul en masse. According to the UN, up to one million people could be displaced by the battle for the city -- a major problem given that existing, under-construction and planned camps can only house about half that number. The International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday that 17,900 people have been displaced since the operation began. Displacement is especially difficult for rural farming communities, whose wealth lies in fields and livestock that they cannot take to camps. The situation for displaced Iraqis will get even more difficult as winter rains and colder weather set in. Shiite fighters from the Hashed al-Shaabi prepare missiles to hit Islamic State group's jihadists' positions as they head to the village of Umm Sijan, south of Mosul Ahmad Al-Rubaye (AFP/File) Spate of politician killings in Mozambique At least three politicians have been killed in less than a week in Mozambique, where peace talks are faltering after fighting erupted between the military and ex-rebel fighters, police said Tuesday. Two local members of the ruling Frelimo party were assassinated on Saturday in the town of Mutua by a group of "bandits" from the opposition Renamo, police spokesman Inacio Dina told reporters in Maputo "They were kidnapped, held and killed. A third man who was injured managed to flee and confirmed that the bandits said they were from Renamo," the spokesman told AFP, naming the dead pair as Arao Chiguemane and Antonio Macurreia. Renamo, the main opposition and former rebel group in Mozambique's 1976-1992 civil war, took up arms again in 2013 to contest Frelimo's grip on power John Wessels (AFP/File) Less than 24 hours later Juma Ramos, Renamo's chief in the provincial assembly in Sofala was shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen in Beira, the country's second city, some 50 kilometres (31 miles) from the first killings, Dina said. Renamo said a fourth man, a former guerrilla and member of the party Luciano Augusto, was killed at his home in Gurue last Thursday. "Frelimo death squads are responsible" for the killings, Renamo spokesman Antonio Muchanga told AFP, referring to government militias which target opposition strongholds to eliminate Renamo supporters. Frelimo and the government have rejected the accusations and in response blame Renamo for attacks gripping the centre of the country. Renamo, the main opposition and former rebel group in Mozambique's 1976-1992 civil war, took up arms again in 2013 to contest Frelimo's grip on power. On Friday talks between the government and Renamo, underway since May with international mediators, were suspended for two weeks with no sign of real progress. The peace process has faltered in recent weeks since the killing of one of the Renamo negotiators on October 8 and the failure of a meeting between Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama and two mediators in the central Gorongosa mountains, where he has lived in hiding for the last year. Renamo has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party -- in power since the former Portuguese colony's independence 40 years ago. UN commander sacked in S. Sudan for failure to protect UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday sacked the commander of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan following a damning report showing failure to protect civilians during violence earlier this year in Juba. The report from a UN special investigation found that a lack of leadership in the UN mission culminated in a "chaotic and ineffective response" during heavy fighting in the capital from July 8 to 11. Peacekeepers abandoned their posts and failed to respond to pleas for help from aid workers under attack in a nearby hotel compound, according to a summary of the report. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked that the commander of the peacekeeping force in South Sudan be replaced Fabrice Coffrini (AFP/File) The UN mission known as UNMISS has 16,000 troops deployed in South Sudan, which has been at war since December 2013. "The special investigation found that UNMISS did not respond effectively to the violence due to an overall lack of leadership, preparedness and integration among the various components of the mission," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Chinese peacekeepers abandoned their positions at least twice and Nepalese peacekeepers failed to stop looting inside the UN compound, the inquiry found. Ban said he was "deeply distressed by these findings" and "alarmed by the serious shortcomings" of the UN mission. The UN chief "has asked for the immediate replacement of the force commander," said Dujarric, adding that other measures would follow. Lieutenant General Johnson Mogoa Kimani Ondieki of Kenya had been the force commander since May. UN mission chief Ellen Margrethe Loj of Denmark steps down at the end of November after more than two years in the job. The fierce fighting in Juba involved helicopter gunships and tanks pitting President Salva Kiir's government forces against those loyal to ex-rebel chief Riek Machar. Machar fled the capital during the violence, which derailed international efforts to form a unity government and restore peace to South Sudan. - No response to screams - About a dozen aid workers and UN staff housed at the Terrain hotel compound were attacked by South Sudanese soldiers on July 11, but the peacekeepers, just 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) away, failed to come to their aid. There were multiple requests to the peacekeepers from China, Ethiopia, India and Nepal for forces to be dispatched, "but each UNMISS contingent turned down the request, indicating their troops were fully committed." During the attack, "civilians were subjected to and witnessed gross human rights violations, including murder, intimidation, sexual violence and acts amounting to torture perpetrated by armed government soldiers," said the report. The investigation led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert was unable to verify allegations that peacekeepers did nothing to help women who were raped during the heavy fighting. But in a later incident on September 2, a woman was assaulted near the entrance to a UN compound "in plain sight" of the peacekeepers, the report said. "Despite the woman's screams, they did not react" and other UN staff intervened, it added. After the crisis, peacekeepers "continued to display a risk-averse posture unsuited to protecting civilians from sexual violence" and other attacks. UNMISS soldiers refused to conduct foot patrols near UN bases and instead would "peer out from the tiny windows of armored personnel carriers, an approach ill-suited to detecting perpetrators of sexual violence and engaging with communities to provide a sense of security." British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft described the report as a "damning indictment" and said the Security Council as well as the UN system must draw lessons from the failures. The council is set to discuss the crisis in South Sudan on November 17. UNMISS has 16,000 troops deployed in South Sudan, which has been at war since December 2013 Albert Gozalez Farran (AFP/File) Displaced women carry goods as a Nepalese peacekeeper from UNMISS patrols outside the premises of the UN Protection of Civilians site in Juba on October 4, 2016 Albert Gonzalez Farran (AFP/File) Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast's iron-willed president To his fans, Ivory Coast's Alassane Ouattara is a dynamo president whose leadership is bringing much-needed stability to the world's top cocoa producer. To his critics, he's a dangerous authoritarian. The US-trained economist was the driving force behind the new constitution that was overwhelmingly backed at a referendum on Sunday, according to official results. However less than half the registered voters cast their ballots after opposition leaders called for a boycott. Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara gestures after casting his vote in the ballot box, at a polling station in Abidjan, on October 30, 2016, during a vote for a referendum on a new constitution Sia Kambou (AFP/File) Ouattara insists the changes will help cement Ivory Coast's recovery from years of conflict, but the opposition says it concentrates too much power in the executive and is mostly aimed at lining up a successor. The new constitution's design bears American influences, perhaps a reflection of Outtara's years studying in Pennsylvania: a strong executive, a senate, fixed election dates and a vice-president picked by himself. A former top official at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO), 74-year-old Ouattara is credited with making good use of his contacts to pump investment into the war-scarred economy since taking office in 2011. After a decade of unrest and a civil war that saw the once prosperous former French colony split in two, Ouattara has overseen major infrastructure works including new roads, bridges and dams. He has pledged to press on with the development agenda since he was re-elected for a second term last year, despite questions over his methods, which have seen entire seafront communities and districts prone to landslides razed and residents evicted. - Deep wounds to heal - Known as a tireless worker who gets by on little sleep, Ouattara has also vowed to wipe out corruption. But while Ivorians have cheered his efforts to boost the economy, he has come under fire on the judicial front. Rights groups slammed the detention of opponents ahead of October's presidential vote, and campaigners say little justice has been meted out to members of his own camp since the deadly 2010-2011 post-election crisis that brought him to office. Some 3,000 people were killed in the conflict, sparked when then incumbent Laurent Gbagbo -- now facing war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court -- refused to step down and cede power to Ouattara. Ouattara has appealed to Ivorians to put aside religious and ethnic differences of the past, but to many the president -- who hails from the mainly Muslim north -- is a living reminder of the rifts that split the country between north and south in a 2002 civil war. - National identity questions - Known as "Ado" after his initials, Ouattara was born in Dimbokro in central Ivory Coast. But his father was from Burkina Faso and Ouattara did most of his schooling there, feeding a controversy over his national identity that has repeatedly come back to haunt him. After spending most of the 1970s in the United States working for the IMF and studying for his PhD, Ouattara was appointed vice-governor of the BCEAO in 1983 before serving as its chief. He was Ivory Coast's prime minister from 1990-1993, and was considered a candidate for the 1995 presidential race -- until he was barred from running as his opponents accusing him of being of Burkinabe origin. After another stint with the IMF, Ouattara returned to Abidjan in 1999 and was appointed head of the Rally of Republicans party, launching himself into the 2000 presidential campaign. But his candidacy was rejected once again due to accusations that he was insufficiently "Ivorian", and Gbagbo won that election. The repeated barring of Ouattara from running for the highest office is widely seen a trigger of the 2002 low-level civil war that split the country between the pro-Gbagbo south and pro-Ouattara rebels in the north. The 2010-11 conflict fractured the nation along similar lines, with Ouattara finally taking power with the help of a major offensive from northern ex-rebels. The new constitution aims to move on from the deadly divisions of the past, removing a contested clause stipulating that both parents of a presidential candidate must be born on Ivorian soil and that the candidate must not have sought nationality in another country. Ouattara is married to Frenchwoman Dominique Folloroux-Ouattara and has two children from a first marriage. People hold placards and a portrait of former president Laurent Gbagbo (C), as they gesture and chant slogans during a protest march against the new Ivory Coast's draft constitution in Abidjan, on October 28, 2016 ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP) Paul, Gray clash over Supreme Court in US Senate debate LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says he "can't imagine" voting for a Supreme Court nominee from Hillary Clinton, but stopped short of vowing to continue a blockade of Democratic appointments during the first and only televised debate with challenger Jim Gray. Paul, who is seeking re-election in Kentucky after his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination, said he would invite any Clinton nominee to his office for a "private discussion" and said he would support anyone who "pledges to uphold the separation of powers." "It is going to be very difficult for me to vote for a candidate who is coming forward saying they want to abuse the Constitution," he said. "I can't imagine voting for a Clinton nominee unless she would appoint somebody that actually were someone who believes in the separation of powers as the founders wrote into the Constitution." Paul's pledge to meet with a Democratic Supreme Court nominee is more than some of his colleagues in the Republican-controlled Senate has done. Led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also of Kentucky, the Senate has refused to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court simply because it occurred less than a year from the presidential election. Since then, other Republican senators including Ted Cruz of Texas and John McCain of Arizona have suggested a Republican-controlled Senate would block any Democratic nominee indefinitely. Gray, the mayor of Lexington, criticized Paul and other Republicans for not considering Obama's nominee, calling it "another example of gridlock and dysfunction." "The Constitution is pretty clear on this. The president makes the nomination, and the Senate then takes up that nomination through and advice and consent process," Gray said. "I think the Senate should have done its job." The exchange was one of several fiery moments of what has otherwise been a quiet Senate campaign. Paul mostly stuck to the script of Republican campaigns in conservative Kentucky by landing most of his punches on Clinton and Obama. He made sure to note Gray's support of Clinton's presidential campaign at every opportunity, even going so far to say it disqualified Gray from representing Kentucky in the Senate. "Sen. Paul has already mentioned Hillary Clinton three times. That tells me that he is still obsessed about the presidential campaign," Gray said. "He's still thinking about the presidential campaign, he's not thinking about Kentuckians and Kentuckians' needs and challenges and problems. That's what I'm committed to." Gray then turned to Paul and asked him to commit to serving a full, six-year term in the Senate if he is re-elected. That prompting Paul to call Gray a hypocrite one of the few times he has engaged Gray during this campaign by pointing out he would not be able to complete his full term as mayor if he were elected. "If anybody up here is distracted by running for two offices, it's you," Paul said. "Why don't you take a pledge to do your job as mayor?" Gray tried to pin down Paul on several of his Senate votes, including voting against funding for a bill to treat opioid addiction and his opposition to a bill that would rescue the pensions and health benefits of retired union coal miners. "Sen. Paul said he's against it because it's not perfect. He's always letting the perfect get in the way of good. This is a big problem," Gray said. Paul said he supports the concept of the bill to rescue miners' pensions, but wants to include provision that would scale back some of Obama's energy policies. He defended himself against Gray's charge that he was an obstructionist, pointing out his work with Democratic Sen. Cory Booker on criminal justice reform and Sen. Barbara Boxer on making it easier for companies to bring their overseas profits back into the country. 6th Cir. Says No to Ballot Selfies for Michigan Voters Want to commemorate your vote for America's first potential Madame President? Feeling like sharing your Trump ballot with your friends on Facebook? Well, think twice before snapping a ballot selfie if you're a voter in Michigan, where a ban on displaying completed ballots has been in place since 1891, long before ballot selfies became a thing. That ban has survived 125 years so far and will last through this election, after the Sixth Circuit stayed an injunction against the rule until after ballots are cast this Election Day. Show Your Ballot, Lose Your Ballot Michigan voter Joel Crookston really wants to snap a photo of himself with his ballot. He wants it so much that he filed suit little over a month ago, seeking a preliminary injunction to stop Michigan from enforcing the law during the current election. Last week, a district court granted his motion, but the Sixth Circuit quickly intervened to issue a stay. Under Michigan's law, anyone who shows a marked ballot to another, except for a minor child, will have their ballot "rejected for exposure." The Michigan Secretary of State has also forbidden the use of video cameras and cell phone cameras at polling places, making a successful ballot selfie a risky proposition for Michigan's electorate. "Timing Is Everything" Crookston had argued that the law was a First Amendment violation, and the Sixth Circuit acknowledged that "Crookston's motion and complaint raise interesting First Amendment issues." But "timing is everything," the court said, and Crookston's timing was off. The court noted that Crookston snapped and shared a ballot selfie during the 2012 election, but waited until just weeks before voters were primed to go to the polls to file his lawsuit. That delay was the "first and most essential" reason to grant a stay, the court wrote. "Call it what you will -- laches, the Purcell principle, or common sense -- the idea is that courts will not disrupt imminent elections absent a powerful reason for doing so," Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote for the two-judge majority. Ballot selfies didn't make that cut. Chief Judge R. Guy Cole Jr. disagreed. Voters should not be asked to chose "between their freedom of expression and their right to vote," he wrote. "The penalty in Michigan for taking a ballot selfie is the loss of one's right to vote. In permitting the loss of such a fundamental right, the majority puts the administrative interests of the state above the individual rights of the citizens of Michigan." Michigan, of course, isn't the only state to ban ballot selfies. Some states have laws forbidding photographing ballots; others have legislated against taking pictures in polling places. Just 19 states plus the District of Columbia explicitly allow ballot selfies. Related Resources: The Latest: 13 dead, 20 missing after China coal mine blast BEIJING (AP) The Latest on an explosion in a western China coal mine (all times local): 10 a.m. State media now say 13 miners have been found dead after a gas explosion inside a coal mine in western China, and rescuers continue to search for another 20 people trapped inside. The state-run Xinhua News Agency said Tuesday that rescuers had found the bodies of 13 people inside the Jinshangou coal mine in China's Chongqing region where the explosion occurred before noon Monday. Xinhua had previously reported 15 deaths in the explosion, but said Tuesday that Chongqing's deputy mayor corrected previous reports from local coal mine safety authorities. Local officials did not answer phone calls from The Associated Press, and a person answering the phone at the coal mine hung up. 9:30 a.m. Fifteen people have been confirmed dead from a gas explosion inside a coal mine in western China, and the status is still unknown for 18 others trapped inside. Rescuers on Tuesday were still trying to locate survivors inside the Jinshangou coal mine in China's Chongqing region where the explosion occurred before noon Monday. Xinhua News Agency cited the Chongqing municipal coal mine safety inspection bureau in reporting the deaths. Local officials did not answer phone calls from The Associated Press. A man who stabbed his estranged wife with a kitchen knife outside a courthouse was shot dead moments later by a sheriff's deputy. The couple, aged in their 20s, were seen arguing before the woman 'ran for her life' towards the Chatsworth Courthouse in Los Angeles yesterday, witnesses said. She was just a few feet from reaching the courthouse door when her husband started stabbing her with the large knife at around 12.15pm. A responding deputy and a courthouse security official both fired at the man and he later died in hospital from a gun shot wound to the chest. A man who stabbed his estranged wife (shown) with a kitchen knife outside Chatsworth Courthouse in Los Angeles was shot dead moments later by a sheriff's deputy Thomas Feher, an attorney who witnessed the incident, told KTLA-TV the couple were seen having a heated argument while sitting in a car in the parking lot. The parking attendant called for help when he saw the man holding a knife to the woman's throat. 'The woman was literally climbing out of the car and stumbling and running for her life toward the courthouse,' Mr Feher said. 'The man was behind her, chasing her with the knife.' The attorney said the man grabbed the woman in one hand and had the knife in the other, Mr Feher said. Deputies told him to put the knife down, but when he did not obey commands, they opened fire. The woman had come to the courthouse with her estranged husband to deal with an outstanding traffic ticket, according to sheriff's Lt. Mike Rosson. She suffered stab wounds to her upper torso and numerous defensive wounds on her hands and wrists. La Presse says Montreal police tracked journalist's iPhone MONTREAL (AP) A Montreal journalist whose iPhone was monitored by police for months said Monday he was outraged to discover he'd been "spied on" as part of what he calls an effort to identify his sources. The French-language newspaper said it learned at least 24 surveillance warrants were issued for columnist Patrick Lagace's phone this year at the request of Montreal's police's special investigations unit. That section is responsible for looking into crime within the police force. Three of those warrants reportedly authorized police to get the phone numbers for all Lagace's incoming and outgoing texts and calls, while another allowed them to track the phone's location via its GPS chip. Lagace said police told him they obtained the court-authorized warrants because they believed someone they were investigating was feeding him information. "I was living in the fiction that police officers wouldn't dare do that, and in the fiction that judges were protecting journalists and hence the public against this type of police intrusion," Lagace said. "Clearly, I was naive." Montreal police Chief Philippe Pichet said the surveillance was in response to an "exceptional situation" and he pointed out the operation targeted the force's own officers and not Lagace. The surveillance was ordered as part of an internal investigation into allegations police anti-gang investigators fabricated evidence. Five police officers were arrested this summer and two were charged as a result. "We are very aware of the importance of freedom of the press," he told a news conference. "On the other hand, the (Montreal police) also has the responsibility to investigate all types of crimes involving police officers." He said to his knowledge no other journalists had been placed under surveillance recently, but added he could not guarantee it. Reaction to La Presse's story was swift, with many unions and media organizations denouncing the police operation, and some calling for Pichet to step aside while the matter is investigated. La Presse's vice-president of information, Eric Trottier, called the surveillance "an unequivocal attack on the institution that is La Presse and against the entire journalistic profession." The Latest: S. Korean president nominates new prime minister SEOUL, South Korea (AP) The Latest on South Korea's political scandal (all times local): __ 10:20 a.m. South Korean protesters march after a rally calling for President Park Geun-hye to step down in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. South Korean police detained a man who rammed a large excavator into a gate Tuesday near the office where prosecutors questioned a woman at the center of a scandal that threatens the country's president. The woman had earlier said she "deserves death" and the detained man said he "came here to help her die." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) South Korea's embattled conservative president has replaced her prime minister and two other top officials in a bid to restore public confidence amid a political scandal involving her longtime friend. President Park Geun-hye's office said Wednesday that Park nominated Kim Byong-joon, a former top policy adviser for late liberal President Roh Moo-hyun, as her new prime minister. Kim's selection is subject to parliamentary approval. The nomination is seen as an effort by the conservative Park to reach out to liberals for bipartisan support amid mounting public anger over the scandal that has already forced her to fire eight presidential aides. The two other Cabinet jobs that Park reshuffled are the finance minister and safety minister. __ 12:30 p.m. North Korea is joyfully jumping into a bizarre political scandal rocking Seoul, calling it the inevitable result of a corrupt regime and saying the administration of South Korean President Park Geun-hye is "the most deformed, abnormal and stupid in contemporary society." Pyongyang, while allowing none of its media the freedom to point criticism at its own leadership, has wasted no opportunity to lambaste Park in the harshest ways it can. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday called the scandal a "hideous power-backed corruption case unprecedented in South Korean history." Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, added the "deformed, abnormal and stupid" characterization and, just for good measure, called Park a "colonial stooge." __ 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Police say they've detained a man who tried to ram an excavator into a gate near a Seoul prosecutors' office where the woman at the center of a snowballing political scandal was questioned. The ramming happened Tuesday morning after prosecutors detained Choi Soon-sil following hours of questioning. Prosecution officials say the man tried to enter the gate of a prosecution office near another office where Choi was investigated. Yonhap news agency says the man told investigators that he tried to meet Choi to help the woman with her death because she said she "committed a sin that deserves death." __ 3:35 p.m. Monday The woman at the center of a scandal roiling South Korea says she "committed a sin that deserves death." Choi Soon-sil is meeting with prosecutors who are examining whether she used her close ties to President Park Geun-hye to pull government strings from the shadows while amassing a fortune. According to Yonhap news agency, Choi told reporters Monday on her way to meet with the prosecutors, "Please, forgive me. I'm sorry. I committed a sin that deserves death." The scandal exploded last week when, after weeks of speculation, Park acknowledged that Choi had edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help. Widespread media reports have speculated that Choi, who has no official ties to the administration, had a major role in government affairs. ___ 3:20 p.m. The woman at the center of a scandal roiling South Korea is meeting with prosecutors who are examining whether she used her close ties to President Park Geun-hye to pull government strings from the shadows while amassing a fortune. Choi Soon-sil, a cult leader's daughter with a decades-long connection to Park, was nearly knocked off her feet several times Monday as she tried to walk through a massive crowd of media, protesters and security surrounding the entrance to the Seoul prosecutor's office. Wearing a bucket hat and scarf, she held her hand to her mouth and appeared to be gasping as the crowd converged on her. Protesters screamed: "Arrest Choi Soon-sil" and "Park Geun-hye should resign." The scandal exploded last week when, after weeks of speculation, Park acknowledged that Choi had edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help. Alabama pipeline blast sparks worries about South gas prices HELENA, Ala. (AP) A deadly explosion that sparked a geyser of fire has shut down a vital pipeline supplying gasoline to millions of people across the Southeast, raising fears of another round of gas shortages and price increases after the pipeline's second accident and shutdown in two months. Continuing fires in the drought-stricken area of central Alabama hampered officials' efforts to fully assess the damage Tuesday afternoon, and firefighters built an earthen berm to contain the burning fuel. The accident happened when a dirt-moving track hoe struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and sparked a blast Monday, killing one worker and injuring five others, Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline said. A flame continues to burn after a Monday explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Four of the injured remained hospitalized, Colonial spokesman Bill Berry said Tuesday afternoon in nearby Helena, Alabama. UAB Hospital, where the injured were treated, declined to release information on them, citing requests by their families for privacy. Another worker was treated for less-severe injuries and released from a hospital, Berry said. The company said it hoped to restart the pipeline as early as the weekend. As much as 168,000 gallons of gasoline could have burned, spilled, evaporated or remained in the pipeline, the company said. The explosion happened a few miles from where the Colonial pipeline sprung a leak and spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline in September. After the leak, the company used one of Colonial's two main lines to move gasoline as it made repairs, but it still led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made. Contractors were working on repairs related to the September leak when gasoline ignited and spread fire to the pipeline, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Tuesday. The nine-member crew was using the track hoe to excavate the pipeline so that permanent repairs from the September leak could be made, Colonial Pipeline executive Gerald Beck said. The pipeline provides nearly 40 percent of the region's gasoline and usually runs at or near full capacity. Together Colonial's two lines carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day. By mid-day Tuesday, Colonial Pipeline said it was able to restart the second of its two main lines, which carries diesel fuel and jet fuel. The severity of the gasoline shortage will depend on how long the gasoline pipeline remains closed, AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. "We would encourage drivers not to panic, so don't run to the gas station and start filling up every gas can you can," said AAA spokeswoman Tamra Johnson. After the September leak, Colonial said it made up some of the gasoline shortfall by sending gas through the line that usually carries diesel and jet fuel. The company has not said whether it will do so again. Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids daily in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings. Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of Alabama where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks. Pete Valenti, deputy fire chief in Helena, said the pipeline was spewing a geyser of flame several hundred feet into the air when crews arrived. "There was a hole in the pipeline. Product was just shooting out," he said. From 3,000 feet in the air, a flame could be seen still burning in a haze of smoke Tuesday when an AP photographer flew over the site. Photographer Brynn Anderson said the blackened earth and a large area of charred trees are surrounded by other trees awash in fall colors just beyond the burned area. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal temporarily eased limits on the hours that truckers carrying gasoline may drive. Other governors took similar action following the September leak, which allowed truckers to transport more gasoline by highways, making up for some of the shortage. In North Carolina, Attorney General Roy Cooper reminded residents that North Carolina's price gouging law remains in effect. Gov. Pat McCrory urged citizens not to participate in panic buying. McCrory, a Republican, and Cooper, a Democrat, are rivals in the 2016 governor's race. In 2003, the EPA fined Colonial $34 million for gross negligence after it spilled almost a million gallons of diesel in South Carolina, polluting waterways in four states. The company also agreed to spend $30 million to upgrade environmental protections on its pipeline system. Since 2006, the company has reported 178 spills and other incidents that released a combined 193,000 gallons of hazardous liquids and caused $39 million in property damage. Most were caused by problems with materials, welding or some other equipment failure, according to federal accident records reviewed by The Associated Press. The company paid $381,000 in penalties for violating safety rules during the same period. ___ Associated Press Writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed. Jay Reeves reported from Helena, Alabama; Jeff Martin reported from Atlanta. Light from a light pole shows a house near a plume of smoke from a Colonial Pipeline explosion, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A flame continues to burn after a Monday explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A plume of smoke rises from the site of an explosion on the Colonial Pipeline on Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) An Alabaster firefighter walks near the scene of an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Light from a light pole shows a house near a plume of smoke from a Colonial Pipeline explosion, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A plume of smoke from a Colonial pipeline explosion fills the sky Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A group of first responders watch a large plume of smoke near the scene of an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A fog of smoke covers the trees near an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The pipeline explosion occurred on Monday. The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) A fog of smoke covers the outlining trees near an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The pipeline explosion occurred on Monday. The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) This photo provided by the Alabama Forestry Commission shows a fire caused by an explosion along the Colonial Pipeline in Shelby County, Ala., Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. Right now the two wildfires cause by the explosion have been contained at a total of 31 acres. (Phil Montgomery/Alabama Forestry Commission via AP) A fire truck drives on River Road near the scene of an explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, in Helena, Ala. Colonial Pipeline said in a statement that it has shut down its main pipeline in Alabama after the explosion in a rural part of the state outside Birmingham. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Attorneys make final pitch to jurors in Rolling Stone trial CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Making their final pitches to jurors, attorneys sparred in court Tuesday over whether the writer of a botched Rolling Stone article about a brutal gang rape at the University of Virginia was the victim of an elaborate ruse or an agenda-driven reporter with little regard for the facts. After hearing more than two weeks' worth of evidence, jurors are expected to begin deliberating Wednesday to decide whether Rolling Stone and author Sabrina Rubin Erdely defamed university administrator Nicole Eramo in their 2014 story about the alleged sexual assault of the woman identified only as "Jackie." Eramo claims she was unfairly portrayed as trying to sweep Jackie's sexual assault under the rug to protect the university and is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine. University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo, center, leaves federal court with her attorney Tom Clare, right, after closing arguments in her defamation lawsuit against Rolling Stone magazine in Charlottesville, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine over its portrayal of her in the 2014 story by Sabrina Rubin Erdely. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) An attorney for Eramo argued that Erdely set out from the beginning to tell a story of "institutional indifference," ignored from her sources that didn't fit that preconceived narrative and pushed her own views about the administration onto the vulnerable women she was interviewing. "Once they decided what the article was going to be about, it didn't matter what the facts were," attorney Tom Clare said. The story about Jackie's rape set off a firestorm at the University of Virginia and in schools nationwide and prompted police to launch an investigation into the alleged assault. Eramo received hundreds of angry letters and emails and faced protesters outside her office. The story crumbled after other news outlets began asking questions and police found no evidence to back up Jackie's claims. The article was officially retracted in April 2015. There are only three statements about Eramo in the article in question, including one in which she is quoted through Jackie as saying that the university doesn't publish all of its statistics about sexual assault because "nobody wants to send their daughter to the rape school." Eramo also claims that Erdely defamed her in statements she made on a radio program and podcast after the article was published. The judge has dismissed Eramo's claim that the story, when taken as a whole, implied that Eramo was a "false friend" to Jackie a claim that Rolling Stone called a "critical element" of her case. Eramo must prove that Rolling Stone statements about her made her appear "odious, infamous or ridiculous" and that the magazine acted with "actual malice," meaning it knew that what it was writing about her was false or entertained serious doubts as to whether it might be true. Scott Sexton, an attorney for Rolling Stone, said that Erdely and Rolling Stone editors have proven repeatedly that they never had any doubts about Jackie's story before it was published. Sexton urged jurors to put themselves in Erdely's shoes at the time of her reporting and questioned why it would be unreasonable for the writer to believe Jackie when the university itself had taken the woman's gang rape claim seriously. "Everyone who encountered this young woman believed her," Sexton said. "Yet we are the ones, in a sense, being tried for having believed her." Rolling Stone has agreed to pay all of Erdely's legal costs and any penalties that may be levied against her. Over the course of the more than two-week trial, the 10 jurors have watched 11 hours of video testimony, heard from a dozen live witnesses and have examined nearly 300 exhibits. Jurors will first decide whether the statements in the article defamed Eramo before they consider monetary damages. Attorneys had initially said that seven jurors will deliberate and three will serve as alternates, but Libby Locke, an attorney for Eramo, said Tuesday that all 10 jurors are expected to deliberate Wednesday. ____ Follow Alanna Durkin Richer on Twitter at twitter.com/aedurkinricher. Her work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/journalist/alanna-durkin-richer Rolling Stone contributing editor Sabrina Rubin Erdely, left, and Rolling Stone magazine Deputy Managing Editor Sean Woods, right, walk with their legal team to federal court in Charlottesville, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine over its portrayal of her in a 2014 story written by Rubin Erdely. Closing arguments in the case are continuing. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Rolling Stone contributing editor Sabrina Rubin Erdely walks with her legal team to federal court in Charlottesville, Va., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine over its portrayal of her in a 2014 story by Rubin Erdely. Closing arguments in the case are continuing. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Japan protests China's drilling activity in East China Sea TOKYO (AP) Japan's government has lodged a protest with China over drilling activity in the waters between the two countries. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that Japan had confirmed that a moored Chinese drilling ship is conducting some kind of activity in the East China Sea. He called China's oil and gas exploration efforts "extremely regrettable" at a time when the maritime boundaries between Japan and China have not been established. Japan has complained about similar activity before, largely in the waters between the Chinese mainland and Okinawa and other southern Japanese islands. Race tightening, Clinton revives Trump-women issue KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (AP) With just a week to go and the race for the White House tightening, Hillary Clinton with help from President Barack Obama unleashed a fresh offensive Tuesday against Donald Trump and his vulgar comments about women. Trump strove to blend a quieter, presidential tone with his usual tough rhetoric, warning that a Clinton victory would "destroy American health care forever." The White House contenders clashed from afar Clinton in battleground Florida and Trump in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin with the sprint to next Tuesday's finish well underway. "For my entire life, I've been a woman," Clinton, who would be the nation's first female president, declared in critical Florida. "And when I think about what we now know about Donald Trump and what he's been doing for 30 years, he sure has spent a lot of time demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting women." Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally at Reverend Samuel Delevoe Memorial Park in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Trump has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in recent weeks, complicating his efforts to win over women in both parties. He has denied every accusation, but Obama said there was a pattern at work to which voters needed to pay heed. "This is a lifetime of calling women pigs and dogs and slobs," Obama said at a rally in Ohio. "The part we're concerned about is if we start acting like this is normal." For Trump, he spent the day relentlessly on message, eschewing wild tangents and political fights in favor of carefully scripted remarks focused on health care and attacks on his opponent. He cautioned that Clinton's plan to strengthen "Obamacare" would lead to dire consequences, although he offered few specifics about his own plan. "If we don't repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever," Trump charged in a speech outside Philadelphia. He also promised, if elected, to call a special session of Congress to replace the law. However, Congress would already be in session when the next president takes office, raising the question of just what he meant. Clinton worked to ensure voters would not forget Trump's most damaging moments six days before the election. Alicia Machado, a former beauty queen who Trump previously described as "Miss Piggy," introduced the Democratic nominee before her appearance in central Florida. "He was cruel," Machado said of Trump's criticism of her weight. "For years afterward I was sick, fighting back eating disorders." Trump spent several days in late September assailing the winner of his 1996 Miss Universe pageant and encouraging his Twitter followers to view her "sex tape," although none exists. The Machado appearance was in line with Clinton's broader closing argument against Trump. "He thinks belittling women makes him a bigger man," Clinton said. "He doesn't see us as full human beings." Clinton also unveiled a television ad set to run in eight battleground states, including his remark caught in a 2005 video that he kissed women and grabbed their genitals without permission. Obama, amid his pitch to working-class voters in Ohio, tried to boil the choice down to a question of character, saying the Oval Office "amplifies who you are. It magnifies who you are. It shows who you are." "If you disrespected women before you were elected, you will disrespect women once you're president," Obama said. And speaking directly to men, Obama said "we have to get over the hump" of electing the first woman president. "I just want to be honest with you because she's been out there for so long sometimes in this culture we always want to see the new shiny object," he said. Trump, however, did not immediately take the bait. In Wisconsin, he urged early voters there who "are having a bad case of buyer's remorse" to change their ballots before Thursday's deadline. Four states Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania allow early vote switches but the practice is extremely rare, according to the Early Voting Information Center at Reed College. Still, frustrated Republicans were encouraged that Trump was focusing on policy prescriptions for one day, at least after a roller-coaster campaign marked by self-created controversy and political missteps. Meanwhile, both sides continued to spar over the recent revelation that FBI investigators are again probing Clinton's email practices. A lawyer for Clinton aide Huma Abedin said Tuesday that her client learned from media reports last Friday that a laptop belonging to her estranged husband, Anthony Weiner, might contain some of her emails. The attorney said Abedin has not been contacted by the FBI about the development and she will cooperate if asked. The revelation has put Democrats on the defensive, at least briefly, and hurt Clinton's plans to promote a positive message over the campaign's final week. "The Trump campaign is on the offensive and we're expanding our map," Trump aide David Bossie said, suggesting the campaign now sees opportunities to compete in traditional Democratic states such as New Mexico and Michigan. Yet few Republican or Democratic operatives view the email news as a game-changer in the race for Senate control. The balance of power in Congress could have profound consequences for the future of health care in America, among other policy debates. Trump on Tuesday promised to replace the federal health care law with health care savings accounts, while allowing states to craft their own Medicaid programs to cover the poor. The nonpartisan Center for Health and Economy determined this summer that Trump's proposal would lower premiums significantly for policies purchased directly by consumers but also make 18 million people uninsured. The nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund predicted that 20 million people would lose coverage under Trump's plan while Clinton's would add coverage for 9 million. Trump on Tuesday seized on projections of sharp health care cost increases as he campaigned in Pennsylvania, a state where some premiums are expected to rise by more than 40 percent. He was introduced by his running mate Mike Pence, who expanded Medicaid coverage as part of Obama's law as Indiana governor. Pence called Obamacare "a crushing weight" on the American economy. "We're going to pull it off the market so it stops burning up our wallets," he declared. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Lerer, Erica Werner and Ken Thomas in Washington, Kathleen Hennessey in Columbus, Ohio and Julie Pace in Dade City, Florida, contributed to this report. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign stop at UW-Eau Claire's Zorn Arena in Eau Claire, Wis., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (Dan Reiland/The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram via AP) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes the stage with Alicia Machado, who won the Miss Universe pageant in 1996, to speak at a campaign rally at Pasco-Hernando State College in Dade City, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Alicia Machado, who won the Miss Universe pageant in 1996, laughs on stage during a rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Pasco-Hernando State College in Dade City, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, left, listens as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with small business leaders, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Altoona, Wis. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci) Defense wants video kept out of ex-officer's murder trial CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) The attorney for a white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist asked a judge Tuesday to keep the dramatic cellphone video of the shooting out of the trial. The motion came as a jury pool was qualified to hear the case of former North Charleston officer Michael Slager. He faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted in the April 2015 shooting of Walter Scott. The video shot by a bystander shocked the nation, showing the 50-year-old Scott being shot eight times in the back. In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2016 photo, Former North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager sits in the courtroom, in Charleston, S.C. Slager, who turns 35 next month, faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted in the April 2015 death of 50-year-old Walter Scott. The requests are among a flurry of motions attorneys for Michael Slager have filed in recent days. Jury selection begins next Monday, Oct 31, 2016, in Slager's murder trial. (Grace Beahm/Post and Courier via AP, Pool, File) In a motion filed Tuesday, Slager's attorney Andy Savage called the video "prejudicial, inflammatory and factually deficient." He said it was taken from the point of the bystander, Feidin Santana, 137 feet away and not from the officer's perspective. "In addition to the fact that the Santana video is obscured or blurry and thus confusing, more critically, it misdirects the factfinder's attention to a perspective other than that of Officer Slager," the motion said. It also says the video does not show the entire fight that took place between Slager and Scott, who was shot while fleeing a traffic stop. The motion says that if the video is allowed into evidence, it should not be shown in slow motion because that implies that Slager had malicious intent toward Scott. "Slow motion tends to unfairly suggest greater purpose or intent on behalf of actors," the motion said. Savage has said in previous hearings that the short video seen worldwide never showed the full details of the incident, including the two men tussling on the ground, with Scott on top of the officer as they wrestled, and Slager warning Scott that he would shoot. Judge Clifton Newman individually questioned nine potential jurors late Tuesday after a pool of about 130 was qualified. The questions ranged from postings that appeared on one man's Facebook page to whether a woman's religious beliefs could affect her ability to render an impartial verdict. Seventy-five potential jurors were randomly picked from the pool. They were expected be presented to attorneys who will be able to use strikes remove some of those they don't want late Tuesday. But the defense wanted more time to review those in the pool. The jury will be seated Wednesday morning and opening arguments could come later in the day. During the jury roll call behind closed doors, potential jurors were polled on whether they had seen the shooting video. During the hearing the judge said the clerk of court can provide that information to the press and public. The information was not available late Tuesday. Savage also asked the judge to order that information about Santana be made available to the defense, including how much he made from selling the video. Santana's attorney, State Rep. Todd Rutherford argued the information was protected by attorney-client privilege. But he said he would make it available to the court for Newman to review before deciding whether it could be released to the defense. Audio captures police strategizing about nightclub shooter ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Police negotiators talking to the Orlando nightclub gunman at first weren't sure if the person they had on the phone was actually in the Pulse nightclub, according to audio recordings. The recordings between police negotiators and shooter Omar Mateen don't stray from transcripts of conversations released previously by the city of Orlando. But they do capture police officials strategizing among themselves about how to talk to Mateen, who hung up several times during the 3-hour standoff at the gay nightclub. Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber ruled Monday that Mateen's calls should be made public. But she won't rule on releasing other 911 calls from the mass shooting until she has listened to them. Darryl Bloodworth, left, an attorney for the City of Orlando, hands two envelopes containing 911 calls during the Pulse nightclub shooting to Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber, Monday, Oct, 31, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. Schreiber on Monday ordered the city of Orlando to release audio recordings of the Pulse nightclub gunman talking to police dispatchers and negotiators. But she won't rule on releasing other 911 calls from the mass shooting until she has listened to them. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP) More than two dozen news groups, including The Associated Press, have been fighting the city in court over the release of more than 600 calls dealing with the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The city has released about two-thirds of the calls but are still withholding the 232 calls that lawyers for the city say depict suffering or killing and are exempt from Florida's public records laws. The media groups have argued that the city's application of the exemption is too broad and that the 911 calls will help the public evaluate the police response to the shooting at the gay nightclub. In one of the calls released, a police official can be heard early on saying he's not convinced the person on the call is in the club. At another point, the lead police negotiator, named "Andy," said, "He sounds like he is in a very sterile environment, like he's at a home or an apartment." But another police official said Mateen could be in an office or bathroom. The recordings also show how the negotiators were feeling out whether they had accurately identified the suspect. "We called him Omar," said Andy, who was then interrupted by another police official who says, "He didn't deny it." Between calls, they mulled over what Mateen had told them, such as his refusal to answer if he had an accomplice. They discussed Mateen's claims that he was wearing a vest and that he had explosives in a car outside the nightclub. He wasn't wearing a bomb vest and there were no explosives in a car, but police officials didn't know that at the time. "He said the bombs are in a car in the parking lot. He's not confirming anything," a police official can be heard saying in the background as Andy implores Mateen to respond. Andy tells another police official that Mateen had claimed to be wearing a vest but he didn't know what type. "A dress vest. A bulletproof vest, or a bomb vest. That's all I got. We questioned him on it and he shut down," the police negotiator said. The judge allowed family members of the 49 patrons who died to testify about whether they wanted the remaining 911 calls made public. Some opposed the release while others were OK with the transcript being made public. "It would be extremely difficult for family and friends to listen to these calls," said Jessica Silva, whose brother, Juan Rivera Velazquez, died with his partner in Pulse. "Just listening to one of the calls ... We can recognize voices. Just listening to them screaming ... How are we going to feel?" The FBI has offered no indication of when the probe into the shooting that also left 53 people seriously wounded will be done. An FBI spokeswoman didn't immediately return an email seeking comment. Aileen Carillo, whose brother, Simon Adrian Carillo Fernandez, died in the nightclub, said she would like to listen to the calls to help her understand what happened, but didn't want them to be made public. "I would like to know what happened. We haven't really heard what happened. We are unaware of the facts," Carillo said on the witness stand through a Spanish interpreter. FILE - In this June 12, 2016 file photo, law enforcement officials work at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., following a mass shooting. Police negotiators talking to gunman Omar Mateen at first weren't sure if the person they had on the phone was actually in the Pulse nightclub, according to audio recordings released Monday, Oct. 31, after a judge ruled they should be made public. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) Turkish prime minister rejects criticism on paper detentions ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey's prime minister on Tuesday shrugged off the European Union's criticism on media freedoms, following the detentions of at least 13 senior staff members of an opposition newspaper. In a televised speech to his party's legislators, Binali Yildirim said Turkey will not be taught lessons by Europe, and the government will "protect press freedom until the end." Monday's detentions of the chief editor, columnists and a cartoonist at one of Turkey's oldest newspapers, Cumhuriyet, sparked an international outcry including from the U.S. and the EU. European Parliament President Martin Schulz called the detentions on Twitter "yet another red line crossed against freedom of expression in Turkey." Erdem Gul, Ankara bureau chief of Cumhuriyet, holds a latest copy of his newspaper with a headline that reads: "We will not surrender" in Ankara, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Turkish police detained the chief editor and at least 12 senior staff of Turkey's opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper on Monday, a move that signals a widening crackdown on dissenting voices. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Referring to Schulz's comments, Yildirim said Turkey will not give in to threats and argued that the issue of media freedoms is being used by the EU to try to limit Turkey's steps in combating terror. "Brother, we won't take notice of your line. The nation draws the red line for us. What importance does your line have? We'll draw a line over your line," Yildirim said. "They keep putting press freedom in front of us whenever we take steps in combating terror." The Istanbul prosecutor's office said the detentions follow an investigation into the left-leaning and secularist paper's alleged support to the movement led by U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen accused by the government of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt as well as the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Yildirim said there are two dimensions to the investigation: one based on a procedural complaint filed at the newspaper's corporate body and the other "a prosecution that began with the charge of supporting terror without being a member of terrorist organizations." The paper rejects the allegations and Tuesday's edition ran the headline: "We will not surrender." The columns of two of its detained writers were left blank. Ayse Yildirim, a columnist at Cumhuriyet who is not related to the prime minister, told The Associated Press that the newspaper would continue to publish blank columns until the managers and writers are released. "International reaction has been very important," she said and added, "I think these reactions will continue and they will stand by us as this may be an issue of democracy for Turkey but we are facing an issue that concerns the whole world." Hundreds gathered outside the newspaper's Istanbul headquarters Monday to protest the detentions as Turkey's crackdown on critical media widens. Demonstrators and opposition parties said they would continue the vigil until the detained are released. Since the coup attempt, authorities have arrested close to 37,000 people and more than 100,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from government jobs in a purge to eradicate Gulen's network. At least 170 media outlets have been shuttered and 105 journalists arrested, according to the Turkish Journalists' Association. The government has also appointed trustees to companies with alleged connections to Gulen as well as at least 28 municipalities with suspected ties to the cleric and the PKK. "All of these are signs that they are trying to lay the groundwork to appoint a trustee here," said Ayse Yildirim. Trustees have been appointed to several media organizations since October 2015 with alleged links to Gulen. Turkey's prime minister also said his government could consider proposing a measure for a "limited" reinstatement of the death penalty amid public demands that the plotters of the failed coup be executed. He added, however, that the measure wouldn't be "retroactive" and can't apply to the coup plotters. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly said he would ratify the bill on capital punishment. ___ Associated Press writer Suzan Fraser contributed from Ankara. Members of a leftist group shout slogans to condemn the detentions of Cumhuriyet journalists, in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. Turkish police detained chief editor and at least eight senior staff of Turkey's opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper on Monday, amid growing fears over Turkey's widening crackdown on dissenting voices. The placard at left reads: " Free press cannot be silenced! " (AP Photo) Erdem Gul, Ankara bureau chief of Cumhuriyet, speaks to his staff in Ankara, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Turkish police detained the chief editor and at least 12 senior staff of Turkey's opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper on Monday, a move that signals a widening crackdown on dissenting voices. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Erdem Gul, Ankara bureau chief of Cumhuriyet, left, welcomes pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas as he arrives for a visit in solidarity and to condemn the detentions of Cumhuriyet journalists, in Ankara, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Turkish police detained the chief editor and at least 12 senior staff of Turkey's opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper on Monday, a move that signals a widening crackdown on dissenting voices. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas speaks to the media after a visit in solidarity to the Ankara bureau of Cumhuriyet newspaper to condemn the detentions of its journalists, in Ankara, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Turkish police detained the chief editor and at least 12 senior staff of the opposition newspaper on Monday, a move that signals a widening crackdown on dissenting voices. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) 10 Things to Know for Wednesday - 2 November 2016 Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday: 1. HOW CLINTON, TRUMP ARE TRYING TO CLOSE THE DEAL As the race heads to the finish line, both candidates aggressively cast the other as a catastrophic choice for the White House. A boy looks out from a car window at a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The U.N. human rights office is lauding efforts by the U.S.-led coalition in the battle against the Islamic State group in Mosul. The office in Geneva says coalition flights over Iraq have largely succeeded in preventing IS from bringing in 25,000 more civilians to the city center, where the militant group has been using people as human shields as Iraqi forces advance on Mosul.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana) 2. FBI CHIEF'S DECISION ON EMAILS FITS PATTERN It's not the first time James Comey has found himself in the spotlight for taking a stand on what the 6-foot-8 lawyer saw as the moral high ground. 3. WHY SECURING MOSUL COULD TAKE MONTHS In wresting the city from Islamic State militants, Iraqi and other troops will need to fend off booby traps and ambushes in difficult, house-to-house fighting. 4. CUBS FORCE GAME 7 Jake Arrieta pitches into the sixth inning as Chicago turns back Cleveland 9-3 and knots the World Series at 3 games apiece. 5. BILL COSBY AWAITS CRUCIAL COURT RULING The entertainer's lawyers press a judge to keep the comedian's damaging deposition in a decade-old lawsuit out of his sexual assault trial. 6. SCHOOL BUS IN DEADLY PRE-DAWN CRASH ON WAY TO FIRST STOP Both drivers are among six people killed in Baltimore when the school bus with no students aboard smashes into a commuter bus. 7. AUTHORITIES ASSESS DAMAGE TO ALABAMA PIPELINE A deadly explosion the pipeline's second accident and shutdown in two months raises fears of another round of gas shortages and price increases. 8. POPE RULES OUT WOMEN'S ORDINATION The pontiff says the "last word" on the question was delivered by St. John Paul II and that no changes are foreseen. 9. 'MY MESSAGE FOR MY SISTERS IS THAT WE AREN'T WEAK' A Pakistani gang-rape victim walks the fashion runway, seeking to serve as a symbol of hope to other Pakistani women. 10. NEWS NETWORKS THRIVING AMID PRESIDENTIAL RACE MSNBC reaches its biggest weekday prime-time audience in the network's 20-year history in October. Rivals CNN and Fox News Channel had strong months, too. Pakistan's gang rape victim Mukhtar Mai, centre, walks with models during a fashion show in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Gang-raped and paraded naked 14 years ago, Mukhtar Mai walked on a ramp in Pakistan fashion week on Tuesday. A red-carpet reception accorded in Pakistani southern city of Karachi by country's elite fashionista is her debut appearance, which she says she's doing as a symbol of courage for womenfolk. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil) Top official says Russia won't give up disputed islands MOSCOW (AP) The speaker of the Russian parliament's upper chamber says Moscow isn't going to give up any of the disputed Pacific Ocean islands to Japan. The disagreement over the southern Kurils, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, has kept the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their World War II hostilities. The Japanese prime minister's two visits to Russia this year have led many to believe that both parties were pushing to end the dispute and that Russia may even be prepared to give up one or two islands to accommodate Japan. Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko, who is in Japan to lay the groundwork for President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit, told Russia news agencies Tuesday that Moscow is not considering giving up any of the islands. Colombian president on UK state visit as peace deal teeters LONDON (AP) Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos began a three-day state visit to Britain Tuesday, telling lawmakers that his country wants to boost trade with Britain after the U.K. leaves the European Union and Colombia cements an end to its decades-long civil war. Santos, who received the Nobel Peace Prize last month for his efforts to end Colombia's bloodshed, said in a speech to both houses of Britain's Parliament that the two nations should "substantially increase our bilateral trade and investment." "British investment in our country, already sizeable, will be able to grow with much more confidence and peace of mind in a country that has ceased to suffer the effects of an armed conflict," Santos said. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, 2nd left, reacts as he greets fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Lord David Trimble, following his address to members of both the Houses of Britain's parliament, in the Robing Room at the Palace of Westminster in London Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. This year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Adrian Dennis/Pool via AP) The state visit is the first to Britain by a Colombian leader, and is being used by U.K. officials to highlight Britain's international focus as it prepares to leave the EU. Exit negotiations are expected to start in early 2019 and last at least two years. "Colombia is on the verge of a historic peace agreement and through our ongoing support for the country the U.K, is well placed to take advantage of the opportunities that will follow," said Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Earlier, Santos was welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II at a military ceremony while at home his government tries to salvage a hard-won deal to end decades of violence. Santos was greeted by the queen, her husband Prince Philip, Prime Minister Theresa May and other dignitaries at Horse Guards Parade, a historic parade-ground in the heart of London. The band of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards played Colombia's national anthem, and Santos inspected an honor guard of troops clad in gray greatcoats and bearskin hats. After the ceremony the royals and their guests traveled by horse-drawn carriage to Buckingham Palace, where Santos and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, will stay. Tuesday's schedule includes a state banquet at the palace for 170 guests. The giant London Eye Ferris wheel beside the River Thames will be lit up in yellow, blue and red, the colors of the Colombian flag. Santos won the Nobel Prize for striking a deal with Colombia's main rebel group to end the South American country's civil war, which has killed more than 200,000 people. But the peace pact with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia was narrowly rejected by voters in an Oct. 2 referendum. Santos told Britain's Observer newspaper that he was "working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with my team to get another agreement." "This uncertainty is very risky, because anything could happen that could really make the process explode," he said. Santos is due to hold talks with May at 10 Downing St. on Wednesday. He will also travel to Northern Ireland, where a decades-long civil conflict was ended through political negotiation in the 1990s. Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard with Britain's Prince Philip, behind right, during a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in central London, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguezis are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Stefan Wermuth/Pool via AP) Maria Clemencia Rodriguez wife of the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, arrives by carriage with Britain's Prince Philip, at Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool) Britain's Queen Elizabeth rides a carriage with Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, obscured, during a ceremonial welcome in central London, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Stefan Wermuth/Pool via AP) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greets Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, during a ceremonial welcome for Colombia's president and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, at Horse Guards Parade in central London, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate is on a three day state visit to Britain. (Stefan Wermuth/Pool via AP) Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard with Britain's Prince Philip, centre behind, during a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade in central London, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguezis are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Stefan Wermuth/Pool via AP) Britain's Prince Charles, right, greets President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos in their hotel suite in London during a State visit on Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016 . The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate is on a three day state visit to Britain. (Chris Jackson, Pool via AP) Flags of Britain and Colombia are flown on the Mall, London, Monday Oct. 31, 2016, the day before the state visit of the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Buckingham Palace is seen in the background. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP) Britain's Queen Elizabeth II with the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, right, arrive by carriage at Buckingham Palace in London, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, Pool) Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos inspects an honour guard during a ceremonial welcome, at Horse Guards Parade in central London, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos, this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his wife, Maria Clemencia Rodriguezis are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Stefan Wermuth/Pool via AP) Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, on podium 3rd left, and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, 2nd left, listen as the Speaker of Britain's House of Commons, John Bercow, speaks from the lectern, during an address to members of both the Houses of parliament, in the Robing Room at the Palace of Westminster in London Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. This year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Adrian Dennis/Pool via AP) Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos addresses members of both the Houses of Britain's parliament, in the Robing Room at the Palace of Westminster in London Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. This year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate the President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos and his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez are on a three day state visit to Britain. (Adrian Dennis/Pool via AP) Pipeline protesters demonstrate through Facebook check-ins BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A flurry of Facebook check-ins to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation at the epicenter of a protest against the Dakota Access pipeline is at least partially a response to a posting that law enforcement is tracking protesters. Most people, however, probably aren't actually making the trip to remote North Dakota. The check-ins appear to be in reaction to a Facebook post that claims law enforcement is using the social media giant to track protesters. Two members of the Stutsman County SWAT team talk while deployed to watch protesters demonstrating against the Dakota Access Pipeline encroaching the water source near the Stand Rock Sioux Reservation, as they stand next to a police barricade on Highway 1806 in Cannon Ball, N.D., Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/John L. Mone) The post urges people who support the protest to check into the site to confuse authorities. The Morton County Sheriff's Department fired back with a post of its own Monday, calling the claim "absolutely false." The main camp supporting the protest says the check-ins brought welcome publicity, but also urged supporters to take "physical action," as well. Turkey deploys tanks, military vehicles to border with Iraq ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey's defense minister said Tuesday his country is making preparations for "all kinds of possibilities" after the military began deploying tanks and other vehicles to the border with Iraq. Fikri Isik said the deployment is in response to "important developments in our region," including events in neighboring Iraq and Turkey's fight against outlawed Kurdish rebels. "On the one hand there is a serious struggle against terrorism inside Turkey, on the other hand there are important developments on the other side of the border," the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Isik as saying. "Turkey is in the position of making preparations for all kinds of possibilities." Turkish state media, quoting unnamed military sources, reported that tanks and military vehicles were moving from Ankara and the nearby province of Cankiri toward the border town of Silopi. The deployment comes days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey would be closely monitoring Shiite militias' behavior in northern Iraq and seeking to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens there. Erdogan said the militia group could prompt a Turkish response if it "terrorizes" the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tal-Afar. Last week, Erdogan also suggested that Turkey's military could pursue Kurdish rebels across the border into northern Iraq's Sinjar region, which he said was fast becoming a new base for the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Turkey's air force regularly carries out raids in northern Iraq against targets of the PKK, which has led a three-decade-long insurgency against Turkey from bases in northern Iraq. In a vicious election cycle where nothing seems out of bounds, one politician's attempts to clone his deceased son remains untouched in his bid for Congress. Mark Hunt, a Democrat from West Virginia, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars tying to clone his son Andrew, who died at just 10 months from complications from an operation to correct a heart defect in 1999. Hunt, who is now running for a seat in the House of Representatives as the Democrats jostle for a chance to take the majority, speaks out about the tragedy that changed his life. Mark Hunt, a Democrat from West Virginia, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars tying to clone his son Andrew, who died as a baby in 1999. He is now running for the House of Reps Andrew, who died at 10 months old in 1999, would have turned 18 in October. Pictured, Hunt with his wife Tracy and their two other sons It's gut-wrenching every time the topic comes up, Hunt said, but he is willing to share his story. Hunt's baby boy still beams a smile down over his dad from a framed picture in the office at a law firm he's run for 22 years. Andrew died at 10 months old, and would have been 18 years old in October. 'That's that child right there, with those blue eyes that you could look in and see eternity,' Hunt said. After Andrew died a surgery to correct his heart defects, Hunt and his wife, Tracy, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to set up a laboratory inside a Nitro, West Virginia community center. They hired Brigitte Boisselier, the chief executive of Clonaid, to clone their son's DNA, but the lab was never came close to doing so. Hunt said his opponent Republican Representative Alex Mooney (pictured) won't revisit the issue because polls show people will sympathize with him as a grieving parent Hunt shut it down within months under pressure from the Food and Drug Administration, and cut ties with the founders of Clonaid, who also promoted what they called the Raelian Movement and claimed extraterrestrial scientists created life on Earth. For scientific, ethical, and commercial reasons, no reputable experts have tried to clone a complete human since. Hunt said Republican Representative Alex Mooney won't revisit the issue because polls show people will sympathize with him as a grieving parent. Mooney said he doesn't think cloning is right, but he doesn't plan to bring the issue up in the race for the 2nd Congressional District, which stretches across the middle of the state, through Charleston and the Eastern Panhandle's Washington suburbs. Hunt, who served 14 years in the House of Delegates, pointed out that he was elected multiple times after the cloning episode. 'My son died. We would've done anything to save him. We would've done anything to create a twin of him, if it were possible. We tried,' Hunt said. 'We broke no laws. We spent our money. And maybe we were taken advantage of by people. But finally we had to let him go.' His son Andrew died at just 10 months from complications after an operation to correct a heart defect in 1999. (pictured, Hunt at a social event on October 29) Hunt is now running for a seat in the House of Representatives as the Democrats jostle for a chance to take the majority Outside the Legislature, Hunt has become wealthy suing drug and insurance companies over faulty product claims, and he and his wife are raising two other sons. This election contest instead has focused on issues more relevant to the duties of a congressman. Hunt says jobs are his primary goal; he promises to secure federal infrastructure funding and draw businesses and tourism to West Virginia. Hunt is also painting Mooney as missing-in-action, particularly for taking a trip to Egypt and Jordan in June while floods ravaged the state and killed 23 people. Mooney, who said he was visiting the troops, is running on his record of trying to limit the Environmental Protection Agency's power, promote gun rights and oppose abortion. Mooney has cast his lot with Donald Trump, popular in West Virginia for making broad-stroke promises to put coal miners back to work. His yard signs call for a Trump-Mooney ticket. Russia accuses rebels in Aleppo of killing civilians MOSCOW (AP) Russia's defense minister on Tuesday accused the Syrian rebels of massive shelling of residential areas in the city of Aleppo. Sergei Shoigu said over 2,000 militants backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles have launched attacks on living quarters, schools and hospitals in the government-controlled part of the city. He also claimed the rebels blocked civilians from leaving the rebel-controlled neighborhoods, killing dozens. The rebels in Aleppo began an offensive Friday to break the government's siege of the eastern part of the city, which has been under their control since 2012. Shoigu said that a Russian moratorium on conducting airstrikes on Aleppo entered a 16th day Tuesday. Last week, the Russian military publicly requested that President Vladimir Putin allow the resumption of airstrikes due to the rebel offensive, but Putin rejected the request. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that the president believes that the "humanitarian pause" should hold, but warned that the rebel offensive could trigger a change in that policy. Peskov shrugged off a recent Times of London report alleging that Putin plans to unleash a massive aerial attack on Aleppo once the Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, reaches Syria's shores. The Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, sought Tuesday to turn the tables on the U.S. criticism of Russia's action in Syria by accusing the U.S.-led coalition of striking civilians in the Iraqi city of Mosul. Also on Tuesday, Russia's top military officer hosted his Turkish counterpart for talks focusing on the situation in Syria, a sign of expanding military contacts between Moscow and Ankara. The negotiations between the Russian military's General Staff chief, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, and his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hulusi Akar followed a September meeting in Ankara. The two generals also met in October in Istanbul, where Gerasimov was part of visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin's delegation. The Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday that Gerasimov and Akar discussed "cooperation in settling the Syrian conflict, including the normalization of the situation around Aleppo," along with the "situation on the Syrian-Iraqi border in the context of operations against the Islamic State group in Mosul." German cannibalism killing case retrial begins in Dresden BERLIN (AP) A German police officer is being retried on allegations he killed and dismembered a man he met in an internet chat forum devoted to cannibalism. Detlev G., whose last name wasn't released in line with German privacy laws, went on trial Tuesday at Dresden state court. He was convicted last year of killing a 59-year-old businessman from Hannover in 2013 "to fulfill his sexual desires." Prosecutors say the victim fantasized about being eaten, but there was no evidence the suspect actually did so. Detlev G., right,the defendant in a murder trial,is guided at the State Court of Saxony in Dresden, Germany, Tuesday Nov. 1, 2016. The German police officer is being retried on allegations he killed and dismembered a man he met in an internet chat forum devoted to cannibalism. Detlev G., whose last name wasnt released in line with German privacy laws, went on trial Tuesday in Dresden state court. (Arno Burgi/dpa via AP) Jury ends 1st full day without verdict in bridge case NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Jurors concluded their first full day of deliberations in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case Tuesday without reaching a verdict, but not without causing some heated exchanges between lawyers for both sides. The panel's questions reflected a possible division over the indictment's top two counts whether Christie's former deputy chief of staff and his top appointee to the authority that runs the bridge conspired and then put into action a scheme to punish a mayor for not endorsing Christie in 2013. Jurors asked whether they could convict Bridget Kelly and Bill Baroni of deliberately causing traffic jams if they acquit them of conspiring to do so. They also asked about the nature of the conspiracy charge and the alleged political retaliation motive behind it. Bridget Kelly, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Kelly and former bridge authority appointee Bill Baroni, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) The question of motive has underscored much of the trial. Defense attorneys had argued before the judge issued jury instructions last week that the government based its entire case on demonstrating that the two conspired to punish Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, and that if jurors didn't believe that they could acquit them. Prosecutors argued the motive wasn't part of the charge and that they didn't have the burden of proving it. U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton agreed. When Wigenton said Tuesday she would respond to the jury's question by saying they could convict without necessarily believing the motive was proved, Kelly's attorney Michael Critchley told the judge: "By answering that way, you're directing a verdict of guilty." A few minutes later, he slumped back in his chair and shook his head, earning a sharp rebuke from Wigenton. Earlier, a prosecutor objected that Critchley had gotten so loud during his argument over the point that jurors could hear him in the adjacent room. Kelly was Christie's deputy chief of staff and Baroni was a top-level Christie appointee to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that operates the bridge. Both defendants testified they believed former Port Authority official David Wildstein when he said reducing three access lanes to one between Fort Lee and the bridge connecting New Jersey and New York was part of a legitimate traffic study. The lane closures plunged into gridlock for four days in September 2013. Baroni and Kelly were charged in a nine-count indictment last year with conspiracy, misapplying the property of the Port Authority, wire fraud and deprivation of civil rights. The most serious charge carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence. Wildstein pleaded guilty and testified against them. Christie wasn't charged and has denied knowledge of the lane closures until weeks after they occurred. But Kelly, Wildstein and Baroni all testified during the trial that he knew before and while they were in progress. Bridget Kelly, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Kelly and former bridge authority appointee Bill Baroni, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) Bridget Kelly, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Kelly and former bridge authority appointee Bill Baroni, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) Bridget Kelly, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former Deputy Chief of Staff, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Kelly and former bridge authority appointee Bill Baroni, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) Bill Baroni, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Baroni and Bridget Kelly, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) Bill Baroni, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Baroni and Bridget Kelly, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) Bill Baroni, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's former top appointee at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, arrives at Martin Luther King Jr. Courthouse for a hearing, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Newark, N.J. A jury is deliberating the fate of Baroni and Bridget Kelly, two former allies of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, charged in the George Washington Bridge lane-closing case. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz) From the outset, the UPDJC, which is supposed to be made up of all-inclusive stakeholders, is not at all inclusive, especially where the warring parties or the Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) are concerned. The Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatory eight EAOs, that are members of the UPDJC, only have two armies that field over five or more thousands troops, one army has around a thousand and the rest are small armed groups varying from fifty to a few hundreds. But the ethnic armies that are outside the fold, which are thirteen in all, has thrice more troops, if not more according to available conservative estimate. The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) is an alliance made up of seven ethnic armies, while one -Karen National Union (KNU)- has suspended its membership due to disagreement over signing the NCA and two Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) have handed in their resignation because of the governments exclusion of them from the peace process and unsatisfactory military backing from the ethnic military alliance, when they were massively attacked by the Burmese military. The rest EAOs that have not signed the NCA are United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Arakan Army (AA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K). Aung San Suu Kyi didnt hide her frustration, when she during her opening speech on 28 October said: We need to find ways on how to include the groups that have not yet sign (the NCA). The non-signatory groups would also need to be enthusiastic about it. Termination of the conflict is the only way. Without ending the conflict, there is no way peace could be achieved. Therefore, we all must aim for the termination of conflict. She further stressed: So, all must help to think (about it). Dont drag the time too long. With clear indication to counter criticism to her hush-hush pushing of the peace process, particularly with regards to the non-signatory EAOs complaint, she said: Some told me to give more time. It is not that I dont want to give more time, but dont like to drag the time. Giving time and dragging time is different. Giving time is to give time in order to finish the necessary work. Dragging time is giving various reasons because of not wanting to make decision by (intentionally) dragging the time. She made her point by saying: Time and tide wait for no man. This (allotted) time needs to be made use of in a correct way. She further stressed that the country has been hungering for peace for decades and that how much time do the stakeholders need to realize it, adding: I would like to urge to take time in discussion within the conference, which in effect means not to hinder the peace conference by staying outside. The only problem with Suu Kyis urging is that bilateral ceasefire, the military offensives and all-inclusiveness and equitable participation of all EAOs, on all levels of the peace process, are not yet ironed out, so that the non-signatories could come in, sign the amended NCA that covers the EAOs aspirations and participate in the peace conference. The argument of Suu Kyi, which seems to bank on let us sign now and iron out the outstanding issues later doesnt work here, as the core basic necessary rules that is essential to have a basis of level playing field is starkly violated, which is the cornerstone of any durable, lasting political settlement. And thus, the Suu Kyis argument of Time and tide wait for no man clashes violently with the peace study notion of Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. Burma Army Offensives To add more confusion and as if to weaken the Suu Kyis argument, the military has been actively bombarding Kachin Independence Army (KIA) positions, while the UPDJC meeting was still in process. According to Kachin sources and Gum San, Chairman of the Kachin Alliance based in the United States, on 28 October KIA positions near Laiza headquarters were bombarded and attacked by the Burma Army to achieve military strategic edge, which is detrimental to the peace process. Gum San, regarding the bombardment said: Shooting occurred near our headquarters. For example, on 28 October, the outpost Gidon was bombarded 17 times with 82 mm cannon. Mai Ja Yang based Federal Law Academys headmaster Aung Htoo is of the opinion that without agreement on contractual obligation, going ahead with the political dialogue would reach nowhere. He pointed out correctly, when he said: Unless the treaty (NCA) is basically altered that it is acceptable for the EAOs, framework for political dialogue would not be effective. The UNFC has tabled an eight point proposal to be included in the NCA, so that they could sign it. The basic call of this proposal are bilateral ceasefire declaration, all-inclusiveness and equitable participation in all levels of the peace process. According to 31 October report of Kachin News Group (KNG), on the 56th anniversary of the founding of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), their Chairman, General Lanyaw Zawng Hra, warned in a speech that the Burma Armys ongoing offensive against all eight of the KIOs brigades, was making peace more difficult. He said that while the Burmese government says it is trying to continue to maintain a dialogue with armed groups, the Burma Army has been increasing its military offensives. He argued that the new Burmese government has not been able to stop the military offensives launched by the Burma Army. Instead the government has blamed the non-signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), like the KIO and claimed that they do not desire peace even though the National League for Democracy (NLD) has called for building a genuine federal union together during the election campaign. The KIO chairman alleged in his speech that the Burma Army has been trying to control the KIO headquarters through military means in order to make the group sign the NCA and defeat the armed groups through the DDR (disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration). UPDJC Meeting According to the governments Global New Light of Myanmar, the UPDJC meeting was held for two days, from 28 to 29 October, when the draft structure for political dialogue, work guidelines or Terms of Reference (TOR) for national level political dialogues, regional level political dialogues, content-based or issue-based national level political dialogues, supervisory committee of the UPDJC, the UPDJC, the UPDJC Secretariat, work committees and the UPDJC Office organizational structure and topics to be discussed at the first national-level political dialogues were drawn up. The gathering, which is the eighth meeting since the signing of NCA on 15 October 2015, was said to have made 9 decisions and 8 meeting records. Reportedly, the pilot project, national-level political dialogues will begin in some regions and states that are ready to host them. UPDJC, the highest organ in directing the countrys political dialogue, is made up of 16 members each from three blocs: government, parliament and military; Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs); and political parties, which the UNFC and other non-signatory EAOs that have still to sign the NCA are not represented or included in the set up. Outlook The pilot project in some ethnic areas, regions and issue-based national-level political dialogue, which would provide with inputs for a wider national-level political dialogue is a good way out for the short term. But it is far from being a comprehensive solution that would empower the union-level, second 21st Century Panglong Conference (21CPC). The first one, officially known as the Union Peace Conference 21st Century Panglong, under Suu Kyi initiative was held on 31 August of this year. In elaborating her pilot projects, Suu Kyi explained: We would arrange so that all could participate. Therefore, I think it is now time to experiment national-level discussions. Why I have to say it is experimental period is that because we cant do it all over the country at the same time. The recent political maneuver seems to be pushing the final decision making-process back to buy time, as Suu Kyi knows going ahead stubbornly with the reason of having no time to wait and non-all-inclusive approach would be doomed to fail. A clever move, it might seem, but Suu Kyi wont be able to dodge the problem for too long. Sai Nyunt Lwin, general secretary of the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), on 29 October, told Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN), during the Committee for Shan State Unity (CSSU) meeting in Rangoon: National-level political dialogue is in reality still just a thinking and could be seen only in the chart. (We) cannot be doing according to ethnic, region and issue-based. The framework for political dialogue is not also been endorsed and going ahead without endorsement is a waste of energy. We will have to wait and see until November. Sai Nyunt Lwin further stressed: I think national-level political dialogue is still quite far away. Actually, the CSSU doesnt know of national-level political dialogue and it is just a coincidence. CSSU, formed a few years ago, is made up of two Shan political parties, two Shan armies, one peoples militia and several Civil Society Organizations. As it is now, Suu Kyi has to weigh in to persuade the military to stop its war of aggression and offensives on the EAOs both signatories and non-signatories, in the first place. Lashing out and blaming both warring parties the military and the EAOs wont be enough to move the process forward, in an objective manner. As for the UNFC, it is more inclined to amend the NCA than participating as unofficial observer status in the Framework for Political Dialogue (FPD) meetings and amendments, where it has no official say or voting rights. It has also made it clear its position, with its eight point proposal to be included in the NCA, which centers around bilateral ceasefire declaration, all-inclusiveness and equitable composition of participation in all levels of peace process. In other words, creating a level political playing-field is its priority. From the government side, the logic of FPD amendment undertaking, which was pulled through during the last two months was that the UNFC might develop a sense of co-ownership of the process, which was quite far-fetched. Yet, another wishful thinking from the side of the military and government might also be that personal contact could lead to easier accommodation for each other entrenched positions. Thus, in sum, no amount of Suu Kyis urging or blame game would move the UNFC to sign the NCA, unless the said basic required core points, which would lead to the creation of level playing field, are met. The pilot project of state and regional level political dialogue might be able to give more inputs to the union-level political dialogue, still the cart before the horse scenario is the reality and wouldnt change. In other words, ironing out the basic document of NCA so that all could participate is the first priority and only after this could the FPD and national-level political dialogue could follow, without much hustle. But by continuing the strategy of cart before the horse, the UNFC and the rest of non-signatory EAOs will be out in the cold and the Suu Kyi initiated 21CPC would continue to be only a gathering of partial-ceasefire groups, combined with the government, military and political parties, with the war raging in Shan and Kachin states, if not on a more wider scale. It is time that Suu Kyi should start thinking to place the horse in front of the cart and not vice versa. Turkey names trustee after elected pro-Kurdish mayor jailed ANKARA, Turkey (AP) Turkey has appointed a local administrator to replace the elected mayor of Turkey's largest mainly-Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, who was arrested over alleged links to Kurdish rebels. Gultan Kisanak Diyarbakir's first female mayor was arrested on Sunday along with co-mayor Firat Anli. They are accused of "membership" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and were placed in a maximum-security prison in western Turkey. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the government on Tuesday appointed a local Ankara district administrator to take over Kisanak's duties. In September, the government similarly ousted 28 mayors and other administrators and appointed trustees in their place. Deadly Halloween crash shakes small town in Mississippi CHUNKY, Miss. (AP) Every Halloween in the rural eastern Mississippi hamlet of Chunky, families and groups of friends load costumed children onto flatbed trailers and drive from house to widely spaced house for trick-or-treating. It's how things have been done for as long as Joyce Reynolds, the co-owner of a local trading post, can remember. On Monday night, a pickup truck slammed into the back of a small utility trailer carrying 10 people on a dark stretch of two-lane highway just outside Chunky, killing a mother and her two young daughters and severely injuring seven other Halloween revelers. "Most everybody stays in the city limits where the lights are on," Reynolds, whose own children and grandchildren rode golf carts for trick-or-treating, said Tuesday. "What was unusual was them driving out Highway 80 where it was dark." Brittany Farmer speaks about a deadly car accident Halloween night that took place about a quarter mile from their home near U.S. Highway 80, in Chunky, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Farmer said she and her children watched TV news coverage about the wreck as they got ready for school Tuesday morning, and her son asked if he knew anyone involved. She had to tell him she didnt know any names but he might hear some at school. "I told him all you can do is just pray for them," Farmer said. "It's terrible, whether you knew them or not." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) The crash happened after sunset on a stretch of two-lane U.S. 80 that has no street lights. Killed were 33-year-old Kristina Shaver and her daughters, Baylie, 8, and Brooke, 2, who lived near Chunky. Mississippi Highway Patrol Staff Sgt. Andy West said seven people were injured and were taken by ambulance or helicopter to one hospital in Jackson, about 80 miles to the west, and two hospitals in Meridian, 20 miles to the east. The driver of the Jeep pulling the utility trailer, Terry Smith, 58, of Chunky, and his two passengers escaped injury, as did the driver of the pickup that hit the trailer, Chase Cook, 20, of nearby Decatur. No one was immediately charged, but an investigation continued Tuesday. West said the children on the trailer were dressed up for Halloween but the wreck scene was so horrible, he said that he didn't remember exactly how their costumes looked. Pieces of wrapped Lifesaver Gummies, MilkyWay and Kit Kat chocolate bars and Starburst candies were still scattered by the roadside at the site Tuesday. Investigators used bright orange paint to mark the spot where the crash occurred. Among the other seven people injured on the trailer were three children, two teenagers and a woman. Their conditions were not immediately known. Initially after the crash, authorities said six people were in critical condition. West did not know the age and gender of the seventh injured person. Kristina Shaver became a widow three months ago when husband, 36-year-old Kerry Douglas Shaver, died in late July, a local funeral home said. Chunky population about 325 is in wooded hills and is a popular launch spot for canoeing on the Chunky River. It's a place residents choose for a quiet, country lifestyle. Reynolds and her husband, Dwayne, own Chunky River Recreation Trading Post and Campground, a wooden building with a wraparound porch full of rocking chairs. It rents camping sites and sells snacks, cold drinks and "Chunky Mississippi" T-shirts. Most longtime residents of the town know each other by name or reputation. Brittany Farmer, her husband, their two children and a menagerie of dogs, cats and rabbits live on a wooded lot full of Halloween decorations about a quarter mile from the crash site. She said she took their 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter trick-or-treating in Meridian and returned home after emergency workers had taken away the dead and injured. Farmer said she and her children watched TV news coverage about the wreck as they got ready for school Tuesday morning, and her son asked if he knew anyone involved. She had to tell him she didn't know any names but he might hear some at school. "I told him all you can do is just pray for them," Farmer said. "It's terrible, whether you knew them or not." Brittany Farmer speaks about a deadly car accident Halloween night that took place about a quarter mile from their home near U.S. Highway 80, in Chunky, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Farmer said she and her children watched TV news coverage about the wreck as they got ready for school Tuesday morning, and her son asked if he knew anyone involved. She had to tell him she didnt know any names but he might hear some at school. "I told him all you can do is just pray for them," Farmer said. "It's terrible, whether you knew them or not." (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Skid marks, accident location paint, dried blood and vehicle fluids remain after a pickup truck slammed into a small utility trailer on Monday, Halloween night on U.S. Highway 80 in Chunky, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Mississippi Highway Patrol said the crash left a few people killed and several injured. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Mississippi Highway Patrol troopers walk along U.S. Highway 80 in Chunky, Miss., Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, where authorities say on Monday night, a pickup truck slammed into a small utility trailer carrying a group of trick-or-treaters. Mississippi Highway Patrol said the crash left a few people killed and several injured. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Kosovo police official released from Serbian jail BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) Serbian authorities have released from detention a senior Kosovo police official who was jailed on suspicion of terrorism over a month ago. The state Serbian TV says that Nehat Thaci was released on Tuesday after prosecutors dropped the investigation against him. Thaci was jailed after crossing from Kosovo into Serbia late in September, a sign of ongoing tensions in the volatile Balkans. Kosovo has protested the arrest. Soldier who took AR-15 to mall has weapons charge dismissed FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) Prosecutors have dropped a weapons charge against a Fort Bragg soldier who carried an AR-15 automatic rifle into a North Carolina mall for a photo shoot and triggered a lockdown. The Fayetteville Observer reports (http://bit.ly/2foogNj) that the Cumberland County District Attorney said the charge against 25-year-old Bryan Wolfinger was dismissed last week. Wolfinger was arrested in July 2015 and charged with "going armed to the terror of the public" when he carried the gun into a photo shop in the Cross Creek Mall. District Attorney Billy West said investigators determined Wolfinger had the store's permission to carry the gun in for a photo shoot. The infantryman with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division said he wanted pictures for a casting call for a "Captain America" movie. ___ Venezuelan opposition eases temperature at Vatican request CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela's opposition warily welcomed on Tuesday the government's release of four jailed activists, agreeing to delay a symbolic trial in Congress to void President Nicolas Maduro's authority and to scrap a protest march set for later this week. The moves were a response to the Vatican's efforts to avert bloodshed and dampen acrimony in the oil-rich South American country. Talks that began Sunday under its tutelage aim to defuse a crisis exacerbated by the socialist government's derailing of a referendum to recall the highly unpopular Maduro. The Democratic Unity opposition alliance said the releases did not sufficiently address its demands, which begin with immediate freedom for more than 100 people still behind bars that it considers political prisoners. A inflatable figure in the likeness of late president Hugo Chavez is seen in a demonstration in favor of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, near the Congress building in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. Venezuela's opposition on Tuesday welcomed the government's release of four jailed activists, but said it doesn't come near to meeting its demands, which include new elections. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Its executive secretary, Jesus Torrealba, called the releases "important but insufficient." "The releases need to continue. They should reinstate the recall referendum or, failing that, advance presidential elections," he told reporters. Torrealba was among opposition leaders who met privately Tuesday with U.S. special envoy Thomas Shannon, the undersecretary of state for political affairs. He offered no details but said Shannon backs the Vatican initiative. The opposition won control of congress in December for the first time in the 17 years that the late Hugo Chavez and his political heir, Maduro, have governed Venezuela. But Chavistas have a firm hold on the executive branch, the courts, the military and the security apparatus. Congress has no impeachment powers, but had summoned Maduro to a political trial Tuesday. Maduro called the proceedings a "coup attempt" and instead of appearing launched a noon radio program dedicated to salsa music. Borges told reporters that, honoring the Roman Catholic Church's mediation efforts, the opposition would delay the trial pending the next round of exploratory talks on Nov. 11. Later Tuesday, opposition lawmaker Henry Ramos called off a planned march on the Miraflores presidential palace set for Thursday. He cited a Vatican request. A wave of anti-government unrest in 2014 resulted in more than 40 deaths and dozens of arrests. Food and medicine shortages have only worsened in the interim in a nation with one of the world's highest murder rates. Opposition leaders complain that Maduro is using the dialogue to ease tensions exacerbated by his mismanagement of the economy and oil revenues where the opposition alleges massive graft has occurred that is causing widespread suffering. Opinion surveys show four in five Venezuelans want Maduro out. The best-known of the released men is Carlos Melo, leader of a small party in the Democratic Unity opposition alliance who was held for two months. Opposition leaders complained that Melo, 65, spent more than six weeks in the basement jail of SEBIN secret police despite a release order. Melo told Colombia's Radio Blu on Tuesday that he credited international pressure for the releases. Among top imprisoned opposition leaders are Leopoldo Lopez, former mayor of the capital's wealthy Chacao district, and Antonio Ledezma, the sitting Caracas mayor. Sunday's talks included former Presidents Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero of Spain, Martin Torrijos of Panama and Leonel Fernandez of the Dominican Republic. ___ Associated Press writers Frank Bajak and Juan Zamorano contributed from Bogota, Colombia. Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro show their backing during a rally near the congress building, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. The opposition won control of congress in December and summoned Maduro Tuesday to a political trial that seeks to declare his presidency void. Maduro has called the proceedings a coup attempt and signaled his intention to boycott it. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro show their backing during a rally near the congress building, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. The opposition won control of congress in December and summoned Maduro Tuesday to a political trial that seeks to declare his presidency void. Maduro has called the proceedings a coup attempt and signaled his intention to boycott it. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro show their support during a rally near the congress building, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. The opposition won control of congress in December and summoned Maduro Tuesday to a political trial that seeks to declare his presidency void. Maduro has called the proceedings a coup attempt and signaled his intention to boycott it. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Supporters of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro show their backing during a rally near the congress building, in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. The opposition won control of congress in December and summoned Maduro Tuesday to a political trial that seeks to declare his presidency void. Maduro has called the proceedings a coup attempt and signaled his intention to boycott it. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Bolivarian National Guard officers deploy strong security measures to avoid incidents with pro government protesters in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. Venezuela's opposition on Tuesday welcomed the government's release of four jailed activists, but said it doesn't come near to meeting its demands, which include new elections. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) A Bolivarian National Guard officers rest nearby Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. Venezuela's opposition welcomed the government's release of four jailed activists, but said it doesn't come near to meeting its demands, which include new elections. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) The president of the congress Henry Ramos Allup, second right, talk with pro-government congressman Hector Rodriguez, left, moments before the start of the session in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. As a gesture of good faith, the opposition postponed "for at least a few days" a political trial in congress seeking to declare Nicolas Maduro's presidency void for violating the constitution, said Julio Borges, leader of the opposition bloc of lawmakers. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) Pro-government lawmaker Hector Rodriguez exits Venezuela's congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Tuesday, Nov, 1 , 2016. As a gesture of good faith, the opposition postponed "for at least a few days" a political trial in congress seeking to declare Nicolas Maduro's presidency void for violating the constitution, said Julio Borges, leader of the opposition bloc of lawmakers. (AP Photo/Alejandro Cegarra) State media say 13 killed in karaoke fire in Vietnam HANOI, Vietnam (AP) A fire at a large karaoke parlor in Vietnam's capital killed 13 people on Tuesday, state media said. The fire broke out at the eight-story karaoke parlor in Hanoi and quickly spread to several nearby buildings housing restaurants and other karaoke parlors, they said. It took firefighters about five hours to put out the blaze. Online newspaper VnExpress quoted Maj. Gen. Doan Viet Manh of the fire department as saying that 13 bodies were recovered from the scene. State-controlled media quoted a guard at the karaoke parlor as saying the fire started at its sign board, and staff tried to put it out but failed. Government officials were not available for comment late Tuesday. Turkey denies rights group's allegations of post-coup abuse ISTANBUL (AP) Turkey denied allegations by a human rights group Tuesday that police have tortured or abused detainees following a failed coup in July. A joint Justice and Interior Ministry statement criticized a Human Rights Watch report detailing 13 alleged abuse cases since the July 15 coup attempt as "one-sided and baseless," saying the country has "zero tolerance to ill-treatment and torture." The 43-page report published last month, entitled "A Blank Check," said a state of emergency adopted after the coup attempt has weakened safeguards against torture. The report described cases involving sleep deprivation, severe beatings, sexual abuse and rape threats. The ministries said only two of the abuse claims included concrete information and argued that the facts were misrepresented in the Human Rights Watch accounts. For example, the ministry rejected allegations that one detainee was hospitalized after being beaten, insisting he lost his balance and fell down stairs because he had been fasting. The man was detained for alleged links to the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which the government accuses of masterminding the coup. Gulen has denied the accusation. The rights group did not approach the authorities for comment before it published its findings and may have prepared the report "under the influence of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization," the ministry statement said. The statement also noted that many suspects were detained after clashes with security forces and may have sustained wounds during the struggle. At least 270 people were killed and more than 2,000 people injured during the coup attempt. In its report last month, Human Rights Watch said authorities have failed to respond appropriately to abuse allegations, instead accusing rights groups of being coup supporters. Since the coup attempt, nearly 37,000 people have been arrested. The state of emergency has extended the period of detention during which suspects can be held without charges to up to 30 days and restricted access to lawyers for up to five days. Italians throw party to welcome migrants in Milan MILAN (AP) More than 1,000 Italians on Tuesday threw a block party featuring a pasta lunch, a brass band and crafts to welcome some 80 migrants to the neighborhood in Milan, contrasting with rising anti-migrant tensions throughout the country including a protest at the barracks the night before. Shouts of welcome went up as a small contingent of about 30 migrants came out of a recently repurposed army barracks for what was billed as the first welcome party of its kind in Italy. "I feel happy," said 22-year-old Zakaria Abdellahi from Ethiopia, who arrived in Italy three months ago with his wife. "I feel like I am famous. Everywhere I look, they are taking pictures. I think I am Obama." Migrants and citizens dance and hug each others outside the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) The previous night the mood outside the barracks had been less welcoming. About 200 people belonging to a right-wing party and an extremist movement protested, carrying banners that read "Italians first." Migrants peeked uneasily from the barracks' windows overlooking the piazza, before closing the shade. It was the third such protest in recent days, with anti-migrant campaigners pledging more. Tensions over migrants have been rising in Italy amid persistent arrivals creating a crunch in the housing system in the months since Rome has stepped up its border controls under pressure from European neighbors. Organizers of Tuesday's welcome event said that politicians on the right have been using the crisis in arrivals to stir up anti-migrant sentiment, leveraging Italy's economic stagnation to create uncertainty and fear. They decided on the welcome party after the city's plans to open the barracks to migrants became a political flashpoint, hoping that familiarity with the newcomers would help ease residents' reservations. "It is very important that we meet each other and try to face the future in a different way. This is one reason for this event. The other is that politicians are trying to use the migrant issue to get votes," said Selana Tesfai, a founder of the Zone 8 Solitary Committee. Migrant arrivals in Italy have topped 153,000 in the first 10 months of the year, close to that of all of last year although still shy of the record 170,000 in 2014. But with fewer heading north, Italy has had to come up with more migrant housing and aid - and more often has met local resistance. Last week, dozens of residents of the small Adriatic clamming town of Goro blocked a road to prevent a dozen female migrants from being housed in the local hostel. The act was widely condemned, but received support from right-wing politicians. Milan remains the city with the most migrant arrivals in Italy, largely because it is seen as a transit point, the city official charged with social policy, Pierfrancesco Majorino, told The Associated Press at the welcome party. "In these months we have seen many small manifestations against (migrants) in northern Italy, even in Milan," Majorino said. "This is the first time there is a mobilization to welcome them. I find this very nice." Organizers said they have approached the charity that is running the barracks shelter to create programs so the migrants feel at home, such as sporting events, cooking classes and a map of places in the neighborhood that want to help with the transition. Since the crisis began on Oct. 18, 2013, 108,000 migrants have passed through Milan. From 2013-2015, just 2 percent of migrants requested asylum; that has now jumped to 75 percent, Majorino said. Currently, the city is housing 3,760 migrants. The 300 new beds at the barracks will be filled in the coming days with migrants already in Milan shelters. The spots were added to prevent overcrowding and to keep migrants from sleeping outside during the winter months. Majorino said the city is now at capacity, and migrants who make their way there will be returned to the city where they first entered Italy, so the Interior Ministry can work out a balanced distribution. Migrants wave as they enter the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A woman dances as migrants play bongos outside the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Kalilou Kuton, from Gambia, plays with a ball outside the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A woman holds the hands of a migrant outside the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Migrants and citizens dance in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Migrants wave as they enter the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A migrant walks past a banner reading "refugees welcome" outside the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) A man waves past a soldier standing guard as he enters the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Soldiers stand guard as migrants enter the Montello barracks, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. More than a thousand Italians turned out to welcome a group of migrants who have been moved to a recently purposed military barracks following demonstrations against their presence. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) CasaPound right-wing activists demonstrate outside the former Montello barracks, where migrants are being transferred by Milan's prefecture, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Migrants stand behind a window as right-wing activists protest outside the former Montello barrack where migrants are being transferred by Milan's prefecture, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) CasaPound activists demonstrate outside the former Montello barracks, where migrants are being transferred by Milan's prefecture, in Milan, Italy, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno) Michael Mann's Collateral has one of the simplest and most startling shootouts in movie history. Even though it's short and unvarnishedevery bullet fired in a single stationary camera shot interrupted only to see Jamie Foxx's reactionactor Tom Cruise gets every motion just right. In this video, Larry Vickers, a retired special forces veteran, carefully recreates the scene moment by moment, explaining the rationale behind each action. It's striking how much care Mann and Cruise took to get it right, given Hollywood's usual cartoon gunplay. [via] Here's the original for reference: (I also like how Collateral was shot digitally just as the technology matured, giving it a weird, evocative look that's reminiscent of both VHS and 16mm, and now seems perfectly mid-2000s) Pope rules out women's ordination forever VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis has ruled out women's ordination, saying the "last word" on the question was delivered by St. John Paul II and that no changes are foreseen. Francis was asked en route home Tuesday from Sweden, where the Lutheran church is headed by a woman, if the Catholic Church might ordain women priests. Francis said: "The last word was clear and was given by St. John Paul II and this remains. This remains." PICTURED: Poles honor heroes, loved ones on All Saints' Day WARSAW, Poland (AP) Poles honored their dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, turning graveyards into seas of flickering candles and whispering prayers to the souls of their departed ancestors. Observing one of the most sacred days on the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation, people solemnly filled cemeteries across the country, the numbers diminished this year only somewhat by an autumn rain that fell on Warsaw and elsewhere. For many, Tuesday was the culmination of a four-day weekend devoted to returning to hometowns to clean tombstones and then adorn them with candles and fresh flowers. People stop in front of the graves of some of the Warsaw 1944 Uprising insurgents at the Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) Those far from the resting places of loved ones paid their respects to the dead, too, visiting the burial sites of famous war heroes like Jozef Pilsudski and the graves of the countless fallen soldiers killed in the wars and the uprisings of the past sacrifices long-remembered by a patriotic people with a turbulent history. Grazyna Blajer, a 56-year-old teacher, paid her respects in an old section of Powazki, Warsaw's best-known cemetery, which has tombstones dating back centuries. A new arrival in Warsaw, she has no family graves there, so she looked for neglected graves without candles or flowers and left fresh tributes of her own. "I felt the duty and the need to be here today," Blajer said, speaking as dusk approached. President Andrzej Duda visited the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow to honor the late President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria Kaczynska, who died together in a plane crash in Russia in 2010. "On All Saints' Day, we Poles visit the graves of our loved ones, our friends, those whom we consider important in our lives," Duda said. "I think it's natural that I am here today." At least 16 European countries with a strong Catholic identity or history observe Nov. 1 as an official holiday that closes offices and schools, including Spain, Lithuania, Belgium, Austria and France. Members of older generations in those countries still make graveyard visits in memory of cherished souls, but few nations commemorate the day with the devotion of Poland. The day is so engrained in the culture that people even visit Jewish cemeteries, a sign of how entwined the two faiths became over centuries of co-existence. Members of Poland's tiny Roma minority enacted a tradition of their own, drinking vodka at gravesites. A nation of animal lovers, some Poles on Tuesday remembered the cats and dogs that they loved and lost at a pet cemetery in Warsaw. All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day, shares its origins with Halloween a foreign custom in Poland that has grown in popularity in recent years. Some conservative Poles resent this import, fearing its spooky playfulness and what they suspect is dabbling in the occult could damage Poland's own truly hallowed tradition that is observed, religiously, each year on November 1. ___ Alik Keplicz in Warsaw and Marisol Medina in Madrid contributed reporting. People light candles at the Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) People light candles at the Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) People walk past graves at the Old Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) People walk past the grave of film director Krzysztof Kieslowski, with a sculpture of hands forming a film frame, at the Old Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) A woman stops in front of a grave at the Old Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) A woman stops in front of a grave at the Old Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) A man prays in front of a grave at the Old Powazki cemetery in Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz) In this photo taken on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 a sculpture of a deceased pet dog, Kaja, adorns a grave at a special cemetery for animals in Nowy Konik, near Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. As Poles remembered their dead on All Saints' Day, a hallowed day in the Catholic calendar, some also remembered their beloved pets.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) In this photo taken on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 a tombstone of a deceased pet dog, Szina, adorns a grave at a special cemetery for animals in Nowy Konik, near Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. As Poles remembered their dead on All Saints' Day, a hallowed day in the Catholic calendar, some also remembered their beloved pets.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A man lights a candle at a grave during All Saints Day at the cemetery in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Europe as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, observing one of the most sacred days in the Catholic calendar. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) A wreath of flowers forming a FC Barcelona team shield are placed in front of a grave during All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday to reflect on the saints and deceased relatives, at the Montjuic cemetery in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) Members of the Roma community traditionally drink vodka on the graves of their passed relatives on All Saints' Day at the cemetery in Wlochy, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016.Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) Members of the Roma community traditionally drink vodka on the graves of their passed relatives on All Saints' Day at the cemetery in Wlochy, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016.Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A member of the Roma community places a lantern as another traditionally drinks vodka on the grave of their passed relatives on All Saints' Day at the cemetery in Wlochy, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A woman sits in front of a grave as she visits on All Saints' Day at a cemetery in Wlochy, Warsaw, Poland, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. Candles illuminated tombstones in graveyards across Poland as people communed with the souls of the dead on Tuesday, All Saints' Day, observing one of the most sacred days in the calendar for this deeply Catholic nation. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) In this photo taken on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016 a tombstone of a deceased pet dog, Misiu, adorns a grave at a special cemetery for animals in Nowy Konik, near Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. As Poles remembered their dead on All Saints' Day, a hallowed day in the Catholic calendar, some also remembered their beloved pets.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A woman rests seated beside a grave decorated with flowers at the state cemetery during All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday to reflect on the saints and deceased relatives, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) A woman holds a bouquet of flowers next to a grave at the state cemetery during All Saints Day, a Catholic holiday to reflect on the saints and deceased relatives, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos) Woman fatally shot in Boston had just moved to US from Haiti BOSTON (AP) A Haitian community says a woman shot and killed in Boston had moved to the United States from Haiti just three months ago. The Boston Police Department on Tuesday identified 36-year-old Benine Timothee as the victim of the Saturday afternoon shooting. Police say Timothee was shot while walking down a street in the Dorchester neighborhood. She died at a hospital. A teenage boy was also wounded by the gunfire but survived. No arrests have been made. FIA lets Vettel off despite expletive outburst at Mexico GP PARIS (AP) Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has avoided disciplinary action following an expletive-laced outburst in Sunday's Mexican Grand Prix. F1's governing body said in a statement Tuesday that Vettel's "sincere apology" has spared him a tribunal hearing. The Ferrari driver launched tirades at Red Bull's teenage driver Max Verstappen and FIA race director Charlie Whiting late on in the race. First place finisher, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, of Britain, left, celebrates with third place finisher, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel, of Germany, following the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix auto race at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2016. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) With Vettel pressuring him, the 19-year-old Verstappen braked late and went off on a turn - before rejoining the track in front of Vettel. Although Verstappen had clearly gained an unfair advantage, he then ignored his team's suggestion but not an explicit team order to let Vettel pass him again as a show of sportsmanship. This prompted a series of Vettel expletives that were captured on race radio, and which continued a series of spats between Verstappen and Ferrari drivers Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen this season. The FIA said Vettel apologized in person to Whiting immediately after the race and then apologized to FIA president Jean Todt in a letter. He also sent a further letter of apology to Whiting. "In the light of this sincere apology and strong commitment, the FIA President has decided, on an exceptional basis, not to take disciplinary action against Vettel," the FIA said, adding that Vettel would "likewise be contacting Max Verstappen" and that he also "vowed that such an incident would never occur again." A repeat incident would see Vettel or any other driver brought before the FIA's tribunal. Verstappen became the youngest driver to win an F1 race when he won the Spanish GP in May when he was still 18. The Dutchman is the rising star of F1 and brings much-needed panache to a sport that has struggled to attract new viewers in recent seasons. Races have been totally dominated by Vettel when driving for Red Bull, and since then by Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. Verstappen has stormed through his second Formula One season with several more podium finishes and aggressive overtaking moves that have drawn complaints from other teams notably Ferrari and safety warnings from race officials. Moments after Sunday's race, Vettel drove up beside Verstappen and wagged his finger. Verstappen, who has consistently been unapologetic for his daring yet borderline reckless driving, responded by shaking his fist. "He's a very frustrated guy, shouting on the radio like a child," Verstappen said about Vettel. Verstappen crossed the line in third but was then demoted as Vettel took his place. But following a further review of the race, Vettel was demoted to fifth and Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo moved up to third with Verstappen fourth. The 29-year-old Vettel won four straight titles for Red Bull from 2010-2013 and has 42 career wins. Although he won three F1 races in his first campaign with Ferrari last season, he has yet to win this year and has often expressed frustration during races. He is fourth in the F1 standings, behind Ricciardo, Hamilton and Rosberg. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, drives his car during qualifications for the Formula One Mexico Grand Prix auto race at the Hermanos Rodriguez racetrack in Mexico City, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) Fugitive wanted in New Jersey slaying captured in Guatemala PLAINFIELD, N.J. (AP) One of New Jersey's 12 most wanted fugitives has been captured in Guatemala. Union County prosecutors announced Tuesday that Welder "Dario" Morente Dubon was arrested last week. The 30-year-old former Plainfield resident is charged with murder in the 2007 beating death of Joseph Tremarco. He's expected to be extradited back to New Jersey in the next few months. Authorities say Tremarco ran a scrap metal salvage business and argued with Dubon at a tire shop where Dubon worked. Dubon is accused of beating Tremarco with a blunt instrument and putting his body in a pickup truck he then parked on a street in neighboring North Plainfield. Tremarco's body was discovered the next day. Mayflower II ship heading to dry dock for 2 years PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) The Mayflower II is making another pilgrimage to Connecticut this time for a more expansive rebuilding and refitting. The 60-year-old replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620 is being towed to Mystic Seaport on Tuesday. It's expected to arrive there on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on tides and weather. Once there, it will be placed back in dry dock for major reconstruction that's expected to take 2 years. Organizers say they plan to return the ship to its home port of Plymouth in 2019, in time for the 400th anniversary celebrations to be held in 2020. Officials have been scrambling to raise $12 million for the restoration project. All in the family? 13 grizzly bears gather in foothills GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) Maybe it was a grizzly bear family reunion. Montana wildlife officials spotted 13 grizzly bears together on a private ranch in the foothills of the Rocky Mountain Front southwest of Dupuyer. Fish, Wildlife and Parks grizzly bear management specialist Mike Madel tells the Great Falls Tribune (gftrib.com/2ekwDah) that it seemed like a gathering of females and young who were related or familiar with each other. Madel was tracking radio-collared grizzly bears along the front during the third week of October when he spotted and photographed the group. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services grizzly bear biologist Wayne Kasworm says he's never seen that many bears in one location in Montana. He echoed Madel's theory that the bears could have some relationship, possibly mothers and daughters and even grandmothers. Texas election judge fired over Facebook post with slur DALLAS (AP) An election judge in Texas has been fired for a Facebook post that included a racial slur. The Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com ) reports that during a Dallas County Commissioners Court meeting on Tuesday, Randy Smith initially told officials he didn't remember what he had posted. But a county official displayed an iPad in front of Smith showing comments he had made last summer that included a derogatory term for blacks. Smith then acknowledged he made the comments but asked for leniency. Smith had worked for nearly 20 years as a Democratic Party election judge, supervising a polling place on election days. After the meeting, the 43-year-old said he had been angry because he had been stabbed by a black man at a group home and was exercising his "constitutional right." ___ Miss. attorney tries to revive Confederate emblem lawsuit JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A Mississippi attorney is asking a federal appeals court to revive his lawsuit that sought to erase the Confederate emblem from the state flag. A district judge dismissed Carlos Moore's lawsuit in September, rejecting his argument that the emblem is an unconstitutional vestige of slavery. Moore's attorney filed papers Tuesday asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to order a judge to hold a trial on the merits of Moore's other arguments. Moore says the flag symbolizes a government embrace of white supremacy and the status of him and other African-Americans as "second-class citizens." Rhode Island sues HP Enterprise over DMV computer system PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) The state is suing Hewlett Packard Enterprise over a long-delayed project to build a new computer system for its Division of Motor Vehicles. A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Rhode Island Superior Court seeks a temporary restraining order and injunction that would block the Palo Alto, California-based company from walking off the project. The lawsuit says the state has already paid more than $13 million for a new DMV computer system that hasn't been fully delivered. Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo said in a statement Tuesday that she is holding the company accountable because it is "unfairly demanding more money to complete an 8-year-old computer upgrade" and is "trying to double the price of this project." She referred to a 2013 pledge made by CEO Meg Whitman to devote more resources to get the project done in a way state residents deserved. HP Enterprise was one of two companies formed last year by the breakup of tech giant Hewlett-Packard Inc., which had inherited the DMV project after acquiring another company. The project was first contracted in 2008 to replace a decades-old system written in obsolete code. After the DNC hack, security experts began playing close attention to the security of servers associated with the Trump campaign, on the assumption that if the Democrats had been targeted, the Republicans would be, too. They discovered a series of weird DNS lookups by an even weirder email server run by the Trump organization. This mail-server seemed to be engaged in regular email volleys with another server at Alfa Bank, one of Russia's biggest banks, run by a Russian/Ukrainian oligarch with close ties to Putin. Both servers seemed to be configured to reject connections from anyone except each other. The metadata showed that the servers were only active during the overlapping Moscow/NYC business hours, and the timestamps and other metadata were highly indicative of human conversation (and not, for example, spam or forgotten automated processes). When the NYT questioned Alfa Bank about this server, it promptly vanished. Then, just as promptly, another server popped up, with all the same properties. The experts who've analyzed the data are a who's-who of internet security and infrastructure guarantees (though the primary analysis came from an anonymous person calling themselves Tea Leaves), including Paul Vixie, one of the core authors of DNS. The Trump campaign denies that the server is doing anything weird, but their explanation is contradictory and technically incoherent. Alfa Bank has retained a reputable security company to audit their end of the connection, and claim that their experts see nothing nefarious going on but those same experts say they've reached no conclusions as yet. There are no smoking guns here all we see is the metadata indicating something that appears to be a highly secretive dialog between a politically connected Russian bank and the Trump organization. Without the content of these conversations, it's hard to tell exactly what's going on. Weaver's statement raises another uncertainty: Are the logs authentic? Computer scientists are careful about vouching for evidence that emerges from unknown sourcesespecially since the logs were pasted in a text file, where they could conceivably have been edited. I asked nine computer scientistssome who agreed to speak on the record, some who asked for anonymityif the DNS logs that Tea Leaves and his collaborators discovered could be forged or manipulated. They considered it nearly impossible. It would be easy enough to fake one or maybe even a dozen records of DNS lookups. But in the aggregate, the logs contained thousands of records, with nuances and patterns that not even the most skilled programmers would be able to recreate on this scale. "The data has got the right kind of fuzz growing on it," Vixie told me. "It's the interpacket gap, the spacing between the conversations, the total volume. If you look at those time stamps, they are not simulated. This bears every indication that it was collected from a live link." I asked him if there was a chance that he was wrong about their authenticity. "This passes the reasonable person test," he told me. "No reasonable person would come to the conclusion other than the one I've come to." Others were equally emphatic. "It would be really, really hard to fake these," Davis said. According to Camp, "When the technical community examined the data, the conclusion was pretty obvious." It's possible to impute political motives to the computer scientists, some of whom have criticized Trump on social media. But many of the scientists who talked to me for this story are Republicans. And almost all have strong incentives for steering clear of controversy. Some work at public institutions, where they are vulnerable to political pressure. Others work for firms that rely on government contractsa relationship that tends to squash positions that could be misinterpreted as outspoken. Was a Trump Server Communicating With Russia? [Franklin Foer/Slate] (via /.) Children as young as five should be taught about pornography and the dangers of sexual abuse, a new report has advised. It called for 'compulsory' classes on healthy online and real-world relationships for those aged five to seven to help combat grooming, exploitation and violence. Labour MP Sarah Champion said children are currently 'regarding porn as a lesson in how to have sex' as she launched the Dare2Care report following work with charities. But the move has prompted outrage from some, with one doctor claiming the material will expose children to 'overly sexual' messages and 'deviant sex'. Children as young as five should be taught about pornography and the dangers of sexual abuse, a new report has advised (stock) The Dare2Care report demanded an overhaul of the way pupils are taught about the internet in order to make youngsters and parents more aware of the online dangers. It recommended that the Government should make age-appropriate 'resilience and relationships education' compulsory from Key Stage 1. Ms Champion, the shadow women and equalities minister, said children should learn about porn at school so they understand it is just a 'fantasy'. 'It is natural for children to be curious about sex, but without good statutory education, children do their own research through online pornography,' she said. 'Children are regarding porn as a lesson in how to have sex, without the context or the understanding to view it as a fantasy, promoted by an industry that normalises violence against women and girls.' Labour MP Sarah Champion (shown) said children are currently 'regarding porn as a lesson in how to have sex' as she launched the Dare2Care report In the foreword to the report. the MP for Rotherham claimed young people are 'much more tolerant of relationship violence than previous generations were'. She blamed the influence of online pornography and the lack of compulsory education. The internet had made it easier for paedophiles to target children and also led to cyber-bullying, sexting and grooming, she warned. The report highlighted previous research indicating that more than 57,000 children have been identified as needing protection from abuse in the UK. The research also suggested one in 20 youngsters will experience child sexual abuse. Sun doctor Carol Cooper criticised the move, saying pornography is 'unsuitable' for children. 'It's exposing them to overly sexual messages - and often very violent messages - and deviant sex.' At a launch event in Westminster, Ms Champion will be joined by women whose lives have been directly affected by abuse. This includes Lorin LaFave, whose 14-old-son Breck Bednar from Caterham, Surrey, was murdered by a 19-year-old who had groomed him online. She backed the call for compulsory education on the issue, saying: 'By learning these important safety lessons in school, every child will have the opportunity to make the right choices for themselves on the risks that they will surely face throughout their lives. 'This plan is a long term answer to protecting our children as well as creating better citizens who understand and strive to build healthy relationships for life.' Barnardo's chief executive Javed Khan said: 'All children are at risk of sexual abuse, whether they're on the internet, in the playground, or in their own bedroom. Much, much more must be done to prevent this vile crime. 'Compulsory lessons on sex education and healthy relationships from an early age are essential to help children understand consent and respect.' Matthew Reed, chief executive of The Children's Society, said: 'The internet can present a serious threat to children's safety. Some young people we work with tell us that contacts they meet online have gone on to exploit them for sex and coerced them to share inappropriate sexual images. 'The internet also provides access to pornography which is reshaping young people's views of what constitutes a safe and healthy relationship. This too can put them at risk of abuse or exploitation, not only from online predators, but also from classmates and other young people their own age. 'This important report highlights the urgent need for age appropriate sex and relationship education in every school. 'Hounded' Iraq veterans will prosecute MoD - solicitor Soldiers who were "hung out to dry" in the aftermath of the Iraq war will take the Ministry of Defence to court, their lawyer has said. Solicitor Hilary Meredith claimed veterans were being "hounded" by the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (Ihat) despite being sent to a war zone without knowing what to do when the enemy is captured alive. She made the claims as she announced veterans were pushing on with a judicial review against the MoD, calling for greater support with Ihat, which is examining allegations of UK troops torturing, abusing and murdering Iraqi civilians. Many Iraq veterans say they have been 'hung out to dry' by Ihat Ms Meredith said the veterans were calling for a fair trial, funding for independent legal advice and an apology for those who allegedly lacked support. She said: "The MoD stands by and does nothing when individuals are hounded and lives ruined 10 or 20 years after serving in conflict zones away from family and friends with the daily risk of serious injury or death. "The military on the ground were faced with large numbers of captives with no idea what to do with them or where to put them. "So whilst British service personnel knew when to shoot under rules of engagement they received no guidance on what to do when arresting, detaining or interrogating someone. "In the aftermath of Iraq, our servicemen and women have been hung out to dry. It must stop." Ms Meredith has written to Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon to warn him of the veterans' plan to take the MoD to court. An MoD spokesman said Sir Michael had recently announced that troops facing allegations of misconduct in Iraq or Afghanistan would receive legal support. He added: "It is right that our Armed Forces are held to the highest standards but we are taking action to crack down on spurious claims and to increase welfare support." Ihat faced criticism in September as a "taxpayer money-eating machine" after it emerged costs reached nearly 35 million. Donald Trump triumph would be disaster for environment, climate scientist warns A Donald Trump triumph in the US presidential election would be a "disaster" for the environment, a climate scientist has warned. Joanna Haigh, professor of atmospheric physics at Imperial College London, said it is "terribly worrying" to think about what the consequences would be if Mr Trump were to become president. Her comments come just days ahead of the world's first comprehensive climate treaty coming into force. The Paris Agreement commits countries to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero to stop dangerous climate change The Paris Agreement commits countries to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero to stop dangerous climate change. Prof Haigh told the Press Association: "Donald Trump actually refutes climate change as a human-induced temperature increase and has said he will withdraw from any internationally-agreed climate change, so if the US then says it's not going to participate, I can't imagine what will happen, because how will other countries, especially those that have more difficulty, developing countries, how will they manage to do it without the US? It's just terribly worrying." Speaking on whether it would be detrimental if Mr Trump were to attend key environment-related meetings or conferences as president, Prof Haigh said: "If it's him, or his administrators that go along with whatever he says, then yes it would be a disaster." She said it would be a disaster "for the world", adding: "That's not overstating it." Asked if she thinks he could be convinced to change his views on the issue, Prof Haigh said: "I doubt it. I think from what I've seen he's only got one thing that he cares about, which is his own career and his own persona and how he's perceived." Prof Haigh said she would hope UK leaders would not allow themselves to be influenced by Mr Trump if he was to become president. "Let's hope they'd have a bit more oomph to them, a bit more backbone. But of course they will have to go to meetings and talk to him. "They'll have to enter negotiations with him. I don't know. I'd hope it wouldn't water down their commitment and certainly the information that the British Government will be getting from us and from other people around - 'We still need to carry on and do this if we don't want a much warmer world'." Nato war with Russia next year not likely, says Sir Michael Fallon Fears that Russia and Nato are on a collision course for war next year have been dismissed by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon. Sir Michael insisted that a hot conflict with Moscow was not likely in 2017, as he gave evidence to the Commons Defence Committee. Pressed about warnings by former Nato deputy allied commander in Europe, General Sir Richard Shirreff, that the plot of his novel 2017 War With Russia was plausible, Sir Michael said that was an extreme view. Sir Michael Fallon was giving evidence to the Commons Defence Committee "Well, there are a lot of people writing books and trying to sell them, and his is a very good one. However, I don't agree that war with Russia is likely next year. I think that is too extreme. "We have seen much greater Russian aggression this year, and in previous years, in terms of long-range aviation, in terms of submarine activity, and the carrier task group that sailed through our waters, the role of Russia in Syria, and elsewhere. But I don't think that presages an open conflict next year. "And I hope that General Shirreff would - and I think he does this - recognise that Nato is now responding. So, Nato is waking up to the challenge," Sir Michael said. The Defence Secretary insisted the decision to send 800 British troops to Estonia next year was intended to create an "earlier tripwire" and act as a deterrent against possible aggression. "The whole point of forward deployment to Estonia is to arrange, if you like, an earlier tripwire so the force there doesn't have to wait for tension to escalate. The force will be there from next spring in any event, in all three of the Baltic states. It's partly reassurance, but it's also deterrence - to make it very clear to any potential aggressor that Nato is ready to respond." Sir Michael also used his appearance before the committee to announce plans to invest 1.1 billion in new accommodation for service personnel and their families by 2020. The move will see 2,600 extra bed spaces created, and bring 200 jobs to south-west England, Sir Michael said. He said: "Our armed forces deserve facilities and housing that match the need of this generation. "We're committed to delivering a better defence estate, ensuring our armed forces are properly supported and provided for. "With our defence budget secure and rising to 2020, we can now properly invest in our soldiers, their families and communities." The move will see significant investment in the Salisbury Plain and Aldershot areas, with new and improved technical, office, catering, retail and leisure facilities included in the Project Allenby Connaught initiative. The construction programme is scheduled for completion by 2020, meaning all British Army units based in Germany can return to the UK by then, resulting in savings of up to 240 million per year by 2022/23, Sir Michael said. Asked if Britain would have the army capability for any war with Russia in 2018, or 2019, Sir Michael said: "Yes, we would be ready to increase the tempo in that kind of situation, which I don't immediately foresee. Tomas Berdych edges past Joao Sousa in Paris Tomas Berdych kept alive his hopes of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals with a tight win over Joao Sousa at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. The Czech slipped below Marin Cilic in the race to London after the Croatian won last week's Swiss Indoors title in Basle. That left Berdych, who has qualified for the O2 every year since 2010, needing a strong week in the French capital to make the top eight. Tomas Berdych is looking to continue a run of six straight appearances at the ATP World Tour Finals The 31-year-old has struggled with appendicitis since the summer and missed the US Open but opted not to have surgery. However, his form has suffered, and Berdych went into his second-round clash with Portugal's Sousa on a three-match losing streak. It looked like that might well become four when Sousa had two break points at 4-4 in the deciding set but Berdych eventually came through 6-3 3-6 7-5. Police attend RAF weapons range amid reports of soldier's death Police have sealed off an RAF air weapons range amid reports that a soldier has died and another has been injured. Officers were called to RAF Tain on the Dornoch Firth, in Easter Ross, at 5.55pm on Tuesday to investigate reports of an incident. A police cordon has been set up around the base as authorities deal with the incident. Police were called to RAF Tain, near Inverness Unconfirmed reports suggest that one person has been shot dead and another injured in a live firing training exercise. The range is used by the RAF and the army and has a rifle range and small arms range as well as bombing ranges. An Army spokesperson said: "We are aware of an incident at the Tain base, near Inverness. "We will release more information as and when it becomes available. It would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this point." Police said officers were at the scene. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police are currently in attendance at RAF Tain following reports of an incident. "A call was received by police at 5.55pm and officers are at the scene." The Tain range is used by tri-service, US Air Force and other Nato air forces for bombing and strafing practice. It has 18 separate targets suitable for a variety of weapons and different delivery methods. Typhoons and Tornados from RAF Lossiemouth are the main air users of the range. Tain is also responsible for Cape Wrath Range near the village of Durness. Islamic State claims responsibility for attack outside U.S. embassy in Nairobi CAIRO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - A follower of Islamic State was responsible for an attack last week on a Kenyan police officer outside a U.S. embassy in Nairobi, the group's Amaq news agency said on Saturday. A knife-wielding man whom police described as a criminal was shot dead outside the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi last Thursday after he attacked and injured a Kenyan police officer. Backers of Paris climate pact play down Trump threat to deal as election looms By Alister Doyle OSLO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Backers of a global accord to fight climate change that formally comes into force on Friday say they are confident the deal can survive any legal challenges by U.S. Republican candidate Donald Trump if he wins next week's presidential election. Trump has threatened to reject the accord negotiated by nearly 200 governments, including that of U.S. President Barack Obama. Trump once tweeted that global warming was a concept invented by the Chinese to harm U.S. industry. By contrast, his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton has strongly supported the plan, which enters into force after major greenhouse gas emitters the United States, China and India ratified it. The Paris Agreement aims to phase out man-made greenhouse gases in the second half of the century to avert floods, heatwaves, droughts and rising sea levels. Delegates from signatory nations meet in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh on Nov. 7-18 to start turning their many promises on tackling climate change into action and draw up a "rule book" for the sometimes fuzzily worded accord reached last December. Adding urgency, 2016 is set to be the hottest year since records began in the 19th century. The U.S. election, on Nov. 8, injects a large dose of political uncertainty into the gathering of environment ministers and senior officials in Marrakesh. The relatively speedy ratification of the climate pact, a year before many predictions, was partly driven by Trump's threats to reject the accord. Some delegates played down the risk of a President Trump reneging on the deal. "The momentum is such that it would take a heck of a climate sceptic to back pedal," said Tosi Mpanu Mpanu of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who heads the group of 48 Least Developed Countries at the Morocco negotiations. "That's really why we have had this strong mobilisation (to ratify). If Trump wins I don't think it will change anything." Its entry into force gives some protection for the Paris Agreement under international law. Its Article 28 says any government wanting to quit has to wait through four years of formalities - the length of a U.S. presidential term. "ASTONISHING PROGRESS" If he wins, Trump is likely to focus his efforts domestically on undoing Obama's plans to cut U.S. emissions, such as from coal-fired power plants. The Paris Agreement also helped to unlock U.N. accords this year to limit emissions from airlines and from powerful greenhouse gases used in air conditioners and refrigerators. "There has been astonishing progress" on climate change after years of deadlock, said Andrew Steer, head of the World Resources Institute think-tank. The global pacts contrast with more nationalist forces that helped Trump to win the U.S. Republican nomination for president and, on the other side of the Atlantic, Britain's vote in June to leave the European Union. The Paris Agreement enters into force after passing a threshold last month of ratification by 55 nations representing 55 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. The tally is now 87 nations representing about 60 percent of emissions. The United States alone accounts for 18 percent of global emissions. Under a Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Trump could not renounce the U.S. share and then argue that the entire entry into force was invalid. "Entry into force only goes one way. It can't be reversed," said Elliot Diringer, executive vice-president of the non-partisan Center for Climate and Energy Solutions in Washington. But there could be legal challenges. The U.S. Republican Party platform says Obama, a Democrat who used his executive powers to ratify the agreement, should have submitted it to the Senate, where it would almost certainly have been rejected. Governments in Marrakesh will try to bolster the pact, which sets many goals for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 or 2030. Governments are under pressure to spell out what they will do now rather than leave it to their successors. At its core, the Paris Agreement promises to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. But current pledges for limiting emissions are too weak and will allow temperatures to rise by perhaps 3C (5.4F) or more by 2100. Diplomats expect it will take two years or more to write a rule book for the accord. Among difficulties, the Agreement lets all countries set their own targets for emissions. That free-for-all design helped ensure wide support but is at odds with a need for a central set of rules to monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions from factories, cars, farms and power plants. Irrespective of the rules, the prices of renewable energies are falling sharply, prompting a shift from fossil fuels. U.S. climate envoy Jonathan Pershing said wind and solar energy accounted for two-thirds of all new electricity generating capacity installed in the United States in 2015. "The U.S. solar industry now employs more people than coal," he said. In Indonesia, men don mini-skirts to end violence against women By Beh Lih Yi JAKARTA, Nov 1 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Syaldi Sahude recalls how he was left speechless eight years ago when he came across a study that showed 85 percent of Indonesian women who have suffered violence at the hands of their partners remain in the relationship. Astonished, Sahude discussed the subject with his friends as he sought an explanation - and then he realised something was missing. "There were women's empowerment, legal aid and trauma programmes for survivors but the root cause of this is men," said Sahude, who was working at a women's rights group at the time. More discussions followed with like-minded activist friends, and a year later a campaign group Aliansi Laki-laki Baru - or the New Men's Alliance - was born. The men-led campaign has taken on eliminating violence against women as their mission - challenging a deep-rooted and often hidden issue in Indonesia's patriarchal society. MINI-SKIRT PROTEST Through online campaigns, public rallies, discussions and counselling targeted at men, they challenge misconceptions about masculinity and broach subjects such as sexual identity, rape and consent. While the activities are also open to women, their main targets are men and boys, groups that women's rights campaigners have traditionally had difficulties reaching, Sahude said. "Many Indonesian men still think women have no rights to tell them this or that, that women are inferior to men," the 37-year-old co-founder of the group said. Violence against women has come under the spotlight in Indonesia this year after the brutal gang-rape and murder of a schoolgirl, which prompted the government to introduce harsher punishments for sex offenders including the death penalty and chemical castration. Activists say cases of violence against women have been on the rise although the real scale remains hard to gauge in the Southeast Asian country of 250 million people. There were 321,752 such cases in 2015 - including domestic violence and sexual assaults - a threefold surge from 105,103 in 2010, according to the government-backed National Commission of Violence Against Women. The commission said the figure, compiled mainly based on complaints lodged with religious courts, was just the tip of the iceberg as many women lack the resources or are too afraid to report abuse. A nationwide online poll in July found 90 percent of rape cases go unreported, with activists blaming social stigma for many women's unwillingness to go to the authorities. Sahude said the stigma surrounding victims of sexual abuse is an issue his group wants to tackle. Some men in the group, for instance, have donned mini-skirts to protest a senior government official's suggestion that women should not wear short skirts on public transport to avoid being raped. "Too often it's about the way women dress or the way they behave. So we thought if it's really about mini-skirts, how about men wearing them?" Sahude asked. 'AGENTS OF CHANGE' A 2013 United Nations study in Asia showed nearly half of 10,000 men interviewed in six countries - including Indonesia - had used physical or sexual violence against a female partner, while nearly a quarter had raped a woman or girl. The tendency towards sexual violence is common in cultures where male toughness is celebrated and men have a sense of sexual entitlement, it found. Risya Kori, a gender equality expert from the Indonesian office of the U.N. Population Fund, one of the U.N. agencies which sponsored the 2013 study, said involving men in the fight to end violence against women would have "positive effects". The New Men's Alliance initiative is one of many around the world aimed at engaging boys and men to tackle violence against women. In Colombia, for example, the Men and Masculinity Collective uses theatre and music to challenge gender stereotypes. And in Mozambique, another approach has been to get thousands of boys and men in kitchens and cooking to confront machismo. The needs are great in Indonesia, as many practices that violate women's rights are considered "normal", Kori told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Sahude of the New Men's Alliance said men used to be branded "effeminate" for speaking up on women's issues but the tide is turning slowly, as more men seek to become "agents of change". At one of its monthly training sessions in the capital Jakarta, 24-year-old Fajar Zakhri was among a group of young men learning about topics including gender-based violence. Raised by a single mother, Zakhri said women's rights "concern everyone" and said he hoped more men would speak up. Samsung Elec CEO says firm must learn from crisis SEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Chief Executive Kwon Oh-hyun on Tuesday said the South Korean tech giant must improve, as it reels from the costly withdrawal of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Without referring directly to the failure of the fire-prone Note 7s, Kwon said in a statement Samsung employees should look back and ask whether they had been complacent in their work. "We have a long history of overcoming crises," Kwon said. "Let us use this crisis as a chance to make another leap by re-examining and thoroughly improving how we work, how we think about innovation and our perspective of our customers." The global smartphone leader and Apple Inc rival last week said it aimed to recover quickly from the withdrawal of the fire-prone Note 7 in October. The debacle raised concerns about Samsung's quality control systems and dragged its third-quarter mobile earnings to their lowest level in nearly eight years, but so far no one at the firm has been publicly held responsible. Samsung is expanding its probe into the Note 7 fires beyond batteries, as it tries to get to the bottom of one of the worst product failures in tech history. Romania - Factors to watch on Nov. 1 Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Romanian financial markets on Tuesday. FX RESERVES DATA The central bank will release October foreign exchange reserves data. The bank's reserves, excluding 103.7 tonnes of gold, rose by 331 million euros on the month to 33.3 billion euros ($37.41 billion) at the end of September. DEBT PLANS Romania aims to sell 3.33 billion lei ($808.55 million) worth of leu currency bills and bonds in November, including 330 million lei in non-competitive rounds of auctions, the finance ministry said on Monday. CEE MARKETS Central European currencies moved little on Monday in sluggish trade during a market holiday in several markets. Expectations for no changes from Romania's central bank at its meeting on Friday also held the leu steady. For the long-term Romanian diary, click on For emerging markets economic events, click on For an index of all diaries, click on China's coal imports surge again, but how long can the party last?: Russell By Clyde Russell LAUNCESTON, Australia, Nov 1 (Reuters) - China's imports of coal from the seaborne market surged again in October, thereby justifying the jump in prices but also raising questions as to how much more of the fuel the world's top buyer can suck in. Seaborne coal imports were 20.03 million tonnes for October, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Supply Chain and Commodity Forecasts. This is the highest monthly total since Thomson Reuters stated assessing the data in January 2015, and shows that China's appetite for imports remains undiminished in spite of a spike in the prices of both thermal and coking coal. The seaborne data doesn't exactly match Chinese customs data as it excludes shipments from North Korea and overland from Mongolia, as well as coal that arrives on small vessels or barges. It may also be revised slightly in coming days as more data becomes available on when ships discharged cargoes. However, seaborne imports are what matters from a market pricing perspective, as cargoes from North Korea and Mongolia tend not to affect the regional price benchmarks. The seaborne imports for October are almost 3 million tonnes above the 17.06 million assessed for September, which represents a significant jump and will no doubt have contributed to a tightening of the market. The benchmark Australian thermal coal price, the Newcastle weekly index, rose to $105.81 a tonne in the week ended Oct. 28, the most in 4-1/2 years and 109 percent higher than at the end of last year. Australian premium hard coking coal <_.PHCC-AUSSI>, the regional benchmark for coal used in steel-making, rose to $257.70 a tonne on Monday, more than three times the $78.20 it fetched at the end of last year. Despite these stellar gains, it's becoming harder to see how they can be sustained, especially since history shows that any spectacular rally is normally followed by a collapse. While China's decision to cut its domestic coal output has no doubt been the driver of coal's gains this year, the question is how quickly can the Chinese reverse course, and how rapidly can coal exporters ramp up output to meet Chinese demand? China's total coal output dropped 10.5 percent to 2.46 billion tonnes in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2015, while imports have gained 15.2 percent to 180.18 million tonnes. In volume terms, China's production is down by about 300 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2016, while imports are up by about 23 million tonnes. This shows that higher imports have only compensated for about 7.6 percent of the drop in domestic output. CHINA MINE OUTPUT IS KEY What this means is that what China does with domestic output will have a far bigger bearing on the future of coal prices than anything coal exporters such as Australia, Indonesia and South Africa can do. China has asked miners to quickly ramp up output ahead of the northern winter, and to cap prices at or below current spot market levels. For thermal coal with a heating value of 5,500 kilocalories per kilogram, this implies a price of around 660 yuan a tonne, equivalent to about $97.48 a tonne, which is slightly below the current free-on-board price of Newcastle coal, which is of similar quality. This implies that as soon as China can ramp up domestic coal output, the price of seaborne coal will likely fall to a level where it can compete, once freight and taxes are added. Can China quickly ramp up coal output? Yes and no. The positive is that the reduction in working days can likely be quickly reversed, meaning output from existing mines can ramp up. The negative is that restarting idled mines takes far longer and owners have to be convinced that the higher prices are sustainable before committing fresh capital. This applies to miners in exporting countries as well, where many have been burned by five years of losses from 2011 to 2015, a bleak period that saw capital and operating costs slashed and many mines hunker down in survival mode. Right now many coal miners are happy to take the higher prices and rebuild cash reserves, while waiting to see if the rally can prove sustainable. This suggests that prices will remain strong, at least until the market sees how Chinese domestic production responds to official entreaties for it to rise. Defence in HK murder trial says British man warned bank of reputation risk HONG KONG, Nov 1 (Reuters) - British investment banker Rurik Jutting called his boss at the Bank of America in Hong Kong and warned him that its reputation was at risk after he had killed a second woman, a Hong Kong court heard on Tuesday. Tim Owen, a lawyer defending Jutting against charges of murdering two Indonesian women in his Hong Kong apartment, detailed the stress that Jutting felt during his working life that culminated in a cocaine-fuelled torture and killing spree two years ago. Jutting, 31, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, on grounds of "diminished responsibility", but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. The women's bodies were found in Jutting's luxury high-rise apartment. Ningsih's mutilated body was found in a suitcase on the balcony. Mujiasih was found in the apartment with wounds to her neck and buttocks, the prosecutor told the court. Jutting captured hours of footage on his iPhone of him torturing Ningsih. He also filmed rambling monologues in which he discussed the murders, binged on cocaine and explained his violent sexual fantasies. Segments of the footage were earlier shown to the court. Owen said that after killing Mujiasih, Jutting had called his boss and said: "I am in a lot of trouble, you need to do something about the reputation of the bank." Owen explained how Jutting earned quick promotions after joining Bank of America in London in 2010 from Barclays. He found himself under more pressure once he moved to Hong Kong in September, 2013. In 2014 his boss in Hong Kong told him that his professional activities were being monitored, which he described as unjustified. It was then that he started consuming large amounts of vodka before sleeping, Owen said. He said Jutting was "humiliated" when his boss sent a junior to find him when he did not go to work. Bank of America declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Tuesday. During his time in Britain with the bank, Jutting had been involved in risky tax products, was regarded as unpredictable, and was also monitored for high travel costs, said Owen. One tax product in Luxembourg was flagged by internal auditors as a serious risk to the organisation and Jutting was moved to another part of the bank before moving to Hong Kong, Owen told the court. Jutting's boss in London had told him he was one of the most unpredictable people he had worked with, said Owen. 'DISORDERS' Earlier, prosecutor John Reading said Jutting was calm and aware of his actions when he killed the women, rejecting his defence's argument that he had lost control due to drugs and sexual disorders. Reading cross examined defence witness Richard Latham, a British psychiatrist, stating "even when he was at his most aggressive, even when he was torturing her (Ningsih), his conduct to her was very controlled". Latham told the court on Monday that Jutting has recognised disorders from cocaine and alcohol abuse on top of his other personality disorders of sexual sadism and narcissism, which impaired his ability to control his behaviour. Latham on Tuesday acknowledged that Jutting was in control in parts leading up to the killings, but emphasised the killings were not something Jutting intended. "There is little doubt in my mind that he knew what he was doing. He clearly remembered it ... but knowing what he was doing is different to controlling his behaviour," he said. The defence has said Jutting suffered sexual abuse as a teenager during his time at Winchester College, one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious schools, when he was forced to perform oral sex on a boy. The defence also detailed Jutting's father's attempted suicide by slashing his wrists when he was 16. Owen said Jutting was constantly seeking new experiences to excite him, including looking on the social app Grinder for a "black man to have sex", with him. His narcissistic personality disorder, which made him boastful and arrogant, was his attempt to cover a "fragile" shell, Latham testified on Monday. Jutting's alcohol abuse disorders started from 2011 as well as a strong preference for sexual violence, torture, rape and slavery, Latham said on Monday. Derek Perkins, a professor of Forensic Psychology at West London Mental Health NHS Trust and Royal Holloway University, testified that Jutting had a narcissistic personality disorder. Perkins said in the 15 hours he spent with Jutting, he took control of the conversation from time to time and spoke in a very matter of fact way. The defence and prosecution were largely in agreement over the physical evidence, but the dispute may lie in psychiatric and psychological evidence provided by the defence to determine whether it was a case of murder or manslaughter. India says it is committed to global tobacco-control treaty By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - India reaffirmed on Tuesday its commitment to a World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco-control treaty, despite lobbying from its $11 billion industry that opposes some measures in the treaty that will be discussed at a conference next week. Delegates from about 180 countries will attend the Nov. 7-12 conference near New Delhi on the only global anti-tobacco treaty, called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The treaty aims to deter tobacco use that kills about 6 million people a year, including about a million in India. Reuters reported last week that tobacco industry groups were lobbying the government with letters and signature campaigns to safeguard the interest of farmers and to ensure that no "unreasonable" proposals are adopted at the conference. The Tobacco Institute of India (TII), the cigarette industry body, said in Sept. 28 letter to the government that "there is no obligation on any signatory to the FCTC" to comply with its provisions. The government response to those letters has not been made public but on Tuesday, the health ministry published half-page notices in several newspapers to say India would apply the treaty's provisions. "India reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of WHO FCTC," the ministry said in the notice, that included a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government said in the notice that tobacco "drains the economy" of nearly $16 billion a year. The TII, which represents cigarette makers including ITC , part-owned by British American Tobacco, and Philip Morris International's local partner, Godfrey Phillips, declined to comment about the government notice. Last week, tobacco farmers protested outside the health ministry and the WHO regional office in New Delhi asking the government to boycott the conference. More than 100,000 farmers also sent the government a petition seeking protection from FCTC rules. Tobacco groups want India to include farmers in its official delegation. A health ministry official said last week the government would not agree to their requests. The tobacco industry has been at odds with the federal government this year over a rule requiring makers to print bigger health warnings on packages. The WHO FCTC conference decisions, designed for implementation at national level by signatories, have a direct bearing on the nearly $800 billion global tobacco industry. Thailand offers $1.29 bln loan to struggling jasmine rice farmers BANGKOK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Thailand's rice management committee said on Tuesday it will offer loans worth $1.29 billion to jasmine rice farmers struggling with falling prices, on the condition that they store the grain for six months to slow down market supply. The new rice harvest season is currently underway in Thailand, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, and the Southeast Asian nation expects output of the grain for the 2016/17 production year to come in at 25 million tonnes. Prices for jasmine rice, Thailand's highest quality rice, have tumbled to their lowest level in years, leaving the military government scrambling to appease the country's farmers. The rice management committee had said on Monday it would offer loans worth $1 billion to jasmine farmers but revised that figure on Tuesday, following an adjustment of the market price of jasmine rice, Commerce Minister Apiradee Tantraporn said on Tuesday. "Farmers will be eligible for a loan of 13,000 baht ($371.53) per tonne," she said. That figure is up from 11,000 baht ($314.38) per tonne announced on Monday. The 45.3 billion baht ($1.29 billion) loan will be implemented by Thailand's state-owned Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC), Supat Eawchai, the bank's assistant manager, told Reuters on Tuesday. Loans will be provided to 2 million farm households to hold on to their jasmine rice stocks for six months from now until the end of February, Supat said. Prices for Thai 100 percent jasmine rice were quoted at $725 per tonne, FOB Bangkok, on Friday. It was the lowest since hitting $710 a tonne in January 2008, according to Reuters data. Thai jasmine rice made up 25 percent of Thailand's total rice exports from January to August this year, according to data from the Thai Rice Exporters Association. Pakistan opposition leader backs down from threat to shut down capital ISLAMABAD, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan backed down from his threat to shut down the capital on Wednesday, vowing instead to hold a celebratory rally about a Supreme Court decision to pursue a case linked to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "On the Supreme Court's advice, we have decided that tomorrow we will thank God and celebrate a Day of Thanks at (Islamabad's) parade ground," Khan told media on Tuesday, speaking outside his home in Islamabad. Ousted Tata chairman denies mishandling DoCoMo dispute By Aditi Shah and Abhirup Roy MUMBAI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Cyrus Mistry, who was ousted as chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons last week, said "insinuations" that he mishandled a dispute with Japanese telecoms firm NTT DoCoMo Inc were baseless, ratcheting up a war of words with the Tata board. People close to the matter have said one of the reasons for Mistry's dismissal was his handling of a long-running dispute with DoCoMo, Tata Sons' partner in a telecoms joint venture in India. Mistry's office said in a statement that all decisions related to the dispute were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons board, and that of Tata family patriarch Ratan Tata, and Tata trustee N.A. Soonawalla. "The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice," said a Tata Sons spokesman, adding the company would not comment further on the matter. Mistry has been embroiled in a bitter public spat with Tata since his removal as chairman of the $100 billion steel-to-software group. In a leaked letter to the Tata board last week, Mistry criticised corporate governance practices and blamed Ratan Tata, who ran the company for over two decades and is now back as interim chairman, for some of its costliest missteps. Tata Teleservices and DoCoMo have been locked in a long tussle over the Japanese company's move to exit a partnership formed in 2009. Under the terms of that deal, in the event of an exit, DoCoMo was guaranteed the higher of either half its original investment, or its fair value. When DoCoMo decided to get out in 2014, Tata was unable to find a buyer for the Japanese firm's stake and offered to buy the stake itself for half DoCoMo's $2.2 billion investment. India's central bank blocked Tata's offer, saying a rule change the previous year prevented foreign investors from selling stakes in Indian firms at a pre-determined price. In an attempt to resolve the matter, Mistry said he asked DoCoMo to join the Tatas in seeking approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he said in his statement, but DoCoMo refused, and initiated arbitration in a London court. DoCoMo won that arbitration, and Tata was asked to pay a penalty of $1.17 billion, which it has deposited with the Delhi High Court. The issue is still under litigation. Ratan Tata is likely to seek help from the Indian government to resolve the DoCoMo issue, including seeking relaxed norms for paying the Japanese company, TV channel ET NOW said on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Japan this month and meet his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties. Mistry said in his statement on Tuesday that Ratan Tata and Soonawalla had been kept informed throughout the DoCoMo proceedings, and had at all times approved what Tata Sons was doing. Prague newcomer Moneta set to leapfrog O2 in MSCI index battle By Petra Vodstrcilova and Jason Hovet PRAGUE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - General Electric's gradual sale of its stake in Moneta Money Bank has lifted the Czech bank's chances of joining MSCI's benchmark country index, potentially attracting a new pool of investors. The New York-based index provider recalculates its stock indexes twice a year and since the last review in May, GE has cut its stake in Moneta to 18.1 percent from 42.5 percent, in turn boosting the bank's free float market capitalisation. The value of shares in the hands of public investors is one of the criteria used by MSCI to assess whether to put a company in its indexes and analysts say Moneta is now almost certain to join the MSCI Czech Republic Index. Moneta's shares have risen 25 percent since debuting on the Prague bourse in May to value the firm at 43.5 billion crowns on Tuesday, of which 35.6 billion ($1.5 billion) is in freely floating shares. That's more than three times the free float market capitalisation of telecoms firm O2 Czech Republic, which is one of three companies already in the MSCI Czech index along with utility CEZ and Komercni Banka. Speculation that Moneta could leapfrog O2 in the MSCI index battle boosted the bank's shares 12 percent in October alone, though they have plateaued since hitting a record high of 89.10 crowns on Oct. 20 and traded at 85.10 on Tuesday. MSCI is set to reclassify its indexes on Nov. 14 with the changes taking effect Dec. 1. Inclusion in MSCI's indexes opens stocks to a wider pool of investors and funds investing in index funds, or exchanged-traded funds that track index performances, a potential boon for new entrants' shares and a sure drop for stocks that fall out. O2 itself is a third bigger than Moneta by total market capitalisation but the PPF investment vehicle of the country's richest man, Petr Kellner, controls 84.06 percent of the shares in the telecoms company, limiting its free float value. Analysts said there was a risk O2 could fall out of the MSCI index and its shares lost 3.3 percent in October despite an announcement last week of a dividend policy that could yield investors 9 percent. After Czech company Pegas Nonwovens was excluded from the MSCI index in 2015, its shares fell 7.5 percent in a day and took four months to recover. Whether O2 remains in the index, even if Moneta is included, will partly depend on whether it still meets the minimum free float value after MSCI has carried out its review of stocks around the world. "With Moneta, it is almost certain it will be included in the MSCI index," J&T Banka analyst Milan Vanicek said. "But whether it sits next to O2 or replaces it is still a question." Patria Finance analyst Ondrej Konak estimated that if O2 shares remained in the index, Moneta could take a 19 percent weighting, pushing O2 down to 7 percent and leading to index trackers to cut their holdings of the stock. CEZ has the biggest weighting accounting for 47.1 percent of the Czech index with Komercni on 43.1 percent and O2 with 9.9 percent. Black Sea wheat exports could rise 12 pct in 16/17 -UkrAgroConsult KIEV, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Leading wheat producers in the Black Sea region - Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan - are likely to increase their exports by around 12 percent in 2016/17 due to a bigger harvest than last year, analyst UkrAgroConsult said on Tuesday. It forecast exports from the three countries would total 54.1 million tonnes in the marketing year ending next June. Their wheat production rose to 114.3 million tonnes this year from 101.7 million tonnes a year earlier after the planted area increased by about 800,000 hectares to 46.2 million hectares, UkrAgroConsult said in a report. "In the current season the Black Sea region has become the key player in the world wheat market by achieving record high productivity during the 2016 harvesting campaign," UkrAgroConsult said. "No doubt, in the 2016/17 marketing year the region will confirm its leadership as the world's largest wheat supplier." Ukraine boosted its wheat exports by 13 percent in the first quarter of 2016/17 while Kazakhstan's shipments for the past five marketing years could be a record high, the consultancy said. It expects a 15-20 percent increase in Kazakh grain export capacity and 20-25 percent growth in wheat flour exports this season. Russia sales, however, are currently behind target, the consultancy said. "Wheat exports are 4.5 percent higher (than a season earlier), this is not enough to reach the stated goal of (exports) 30 million tonnes," it said. "Some market participants have already reduced their export estimates by 1-3 million tonnes to 28-29 million tonnes." UkrAgroConsult said that an unexpected fall in the quality of Russian wheat, problems with Egypt about ergot content and the postponing of a decision on scrapping wheat export duty were the main downward factors. BLACK SEA 2016/17 WHEAT SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE 2016/17 2015/16 open stocks (tonnes) 13,396,000 12,564,000 sown area (ha) 46,240,000 45,471,000 harvest (tonnes) 114,300,000 101,700,000 export (tonnes) 54,100,000 48,170,000 ending stocks (tonnes) 20,188,000 13,396,000 (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Susan Fenton) Colombia's Santos wants closer trade ties with post-Brexit Britain LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Colombia hopes to strengthen trade and investment ties with Britain following its exit from the European Union, President Juan Manuel Santos told lawmakers in London on Tuesday. Santos, whose three-day trip is the first state visit to Britain by a Colombian president, said British investment would be able to grow once a peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group comes into effect. "We must build on existing foundations and identify new opportunities that will allow us to substantially increase our bilateral trade and investment," Santos told lawmakers in parliament's grand Robing Room. According to the British government, bilateral trade was worth around 1 billion pounds ($1.22 billion) last year and the UK has been Colombia's third largest foreign investor over the past decade. Britain's trade with the European Union was worth 30 billion pounds in August alone. Santos, who is due to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday, said Britain and Colombia would remove one barrier to trade by signing a double-taxation agreement. Earlier on Tuesday, the Colombian leader was formally welcomed to London by Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip. Santos is scrambling to save a hard-won peace deal with FARC, hammered out over almost four years of negotiations, which was narrowly rejected in a plebiscite last month. Many voters believed the plan was too lenient on the rebels. Santos, who last month won the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the 52-year old conflict that has killed more than 220,000 people, said he hoped a national dialogue to listen to the public's views would ensure a new agreement can be reached. Return of trade concession depends on Sri Lankan govt action - EU parliament By Shihar Aneez COLOMBO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's chances of regaining a lucrative European Union trade concession, mainly for its garments exports, depends on it fulfilling a raft of international laws and amending a proposed tough new terrorism act, a EU parliament delegation said on Tuesday. The South Asian island nation lost the concession six years ago because of its failure to address human rights concerns. The 6-7 percent concession offered by the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Plus had brought substantial benefit to the garment industry, Sri Lanka's second biggest foreign exchange earner after remittances. Jean Lambert, head of a four-member European parliament delegation, said discussions had turned around Sri Lanka's present prevention of terrorism act and whether it met international standards. "This is not something decided government to government. We hope it will be a 'Yes' vote, but it depends on Sri Lanka meeting the criteria," she told reporters in Colombo. Sri Lanka is considering a new counter terrorism act, tougher than the current one, say local civil society organisations. It is also in the process of amending the criminal procedures code which local media say could deprive access to lawyers prior to recording statements from suspects in detention. President Maithripala Sirisena's administration in July filed the application to regain GSP Plus, which industry players have estimated would provide a benefit in the range of more than $500 million annually. Lambert said a decision on Sri Lanka's application would be finalised in May next year. Sri Lanka lost the EU concession in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected demands from the international community to address human rights abuses allegedly committed during a 2009 offensive to crush a Tamil insurgency. Since ousting Rajapaksa in January last year, President Sirisena's administration has agreed to address the alleged rights violations through an impartial local mechanism that meets international standards. Sirisena has renewed Sri Lanka's relations with the West and India, in a departure from Rajapaksa's China-first policy. The United Nations in March postponed an international war crimes report for six months at the request of the new government. In April this year European Commission lifted Sri Lanka's fish export ban to the EU. Deal on Cyprus reunification closer than ever -U.N. envoy NICOSIA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - A deal to end the partition of Cyprus, one of Europe's most enduring conflicts, is closer than ever and could be clinched by the end of this year, a senior U.N. envoy said on Tuesday. Rival Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are slated to meet at a Swiss resort for talks from Nov. 7-11 to pave the way for greater convergence between two sides split since a brief Greek coup and ensuing Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. "We are way ahead of what has ever happened before," said Espen Barth Eide, Special Adviser to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The Swiss meeting will focus on proposed territorial trade-offs but will not be a make-or-break affair resulting in a fully fledged agreement, the Norwegian diplomat told a conference. Ban was due to be present at negotiations starting in the resort of Mont Pelerin on Monday in the presence of President Nicos Anastasiades, the Greek Cypriot leader, and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. "No negotiations on Cyprus have come close to the level we are at now," Eide said of past peace efforts. Anastasiades and Akinci are both moderates leading their respective communities split for 42 years, but also for many years preceding of inter-communal strife that led Turkish Cypriots to withdraw into enclaves. Talks are focused on reuniting Cyprus as a loose federation of two constituent, largely self-governing states. That is very likely to entail moving a ceasefire line boundary now cleaving Cyprus east to west, and will be tackled in next week's talks. But other matters such as security issues will need input from Turkey, and are expected to be addressed after the territorial issue is worked out. Ioannis Kasoulides, foreign minister of the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus comprising the southern two-thirds of the island, said the quality of a peace deal, rather than its timing, is crucial. Alluding to one of several outstanding issues, that of Turkey's intervention rights over Cyprus under a 1960 constitution which Greek Cypriots demand be scrapped, Kasoulides said: "Definitely the time has come for Cyprus to be a fully independent and sovereign country." Up to 30,000 Turkish troops remain in northern Cyprus, a breakaway state recognised only by Ankara. Eide, who has presided over dozens of sessions involving Anastasiades and Akinci since the latter's election in 2015, said "practically every meeting" had yielded more convergence. "It is possible to arrive at a comprehensive political settlement (by the end of the year) but we have to use every single day from now on to maximum effect to do so," Eide said at the conference in Cyprus's divided capital Nicosia. From Sunday, Nicosia was partitioned not just by the ceasefire line monitored by U.N. peacekeepers but by time. Northern Cyprus is one hour ahead of the south, after Turkish Cypriot authorities decided to follow Ankara's cue and stick to daylight saving hours on Oct. 30. Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday that a hacking group previously linked to the Russian government and U.S. political hacks was behind recent cyber attacks that exploited a newly discovered Windows security flaw. The software maker said in an advisory on its website there had been a small number of attacks using 'spear phishing' emails from a hacking group known Strontium, which is more widely known as 'Fancy Bear,' or APT 28. Microsoft did not identify any victims. Microsoft's disclosure of the new attacks and the link to Russia came after Washington accused Moscow of launching an unprecedented hacking campaign aimed at disrupting and discrediting the upcoming U.S. election. Microsoft says it will release a patch next week to address vulnerabilities in its Windows operating system exploited by a group tied to the Russian government The U.S. government last month formally blamed the Russian government for the election-season hacks of Democratic Party emails and their subsequent disclosure via WikiLeaks and other entities. Russia has denied those accusations. Microsoft said a patch to protect Windows users against the newly discovered threat will be released on November 8, which is Election Day. It was not clear whether the Windows vulnerability had been used in any of the recent U.S. political hacks. Representatives of the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security could not immediately be reached for comment. A U.S. intelligence expert on Russian cyber activity said that Fancy Bear primarily works for or on behalf of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency, which U.S. intelligence officials have concluded were responsible for hacks of Democratic Party databases and emails. The group have been linked to the theft of emails from the Democratic National Committee In spear phishing, an attacker sends targeted messages, typically via email, that exploit known information to trick victims into clicking on malicious links or open tainted attachments. Microsoft said the attacks exploited a vulnerability in Adobe Systems Inc's Flash software and one in the Windows operating system. Adobe released a patch for that vulnerability on Monday, when security researchers with Google went public with details on the attack. Microsoft chided rival Google for going public with details of the vulnerabilities before it had time to prepare and test a patch to fix them. 'Google's decision to disclose these vulnerabilities before patches are broadly available and tested is disappointing, and puts customers at increased risk,' Microsoft said. A Google representative declined to comment on Microsoft's statement. Google disclosed the flaw on Monday, following its standing policy of going public seven days after discovering 'critical vulnerabilities' that are being actively exploited by hackers. Commentary: How Putin is losing his grip on pipeline politics By Agnia Grigas Nov 1 (Reuters) - As President Vladimir Putin seeks to reinforce Russia's position as a global power through nuclear saber-rattling and military campaigns in Ukraine and Syria, the next U.S. administration will need to both contain and cooperate with him. If played right, that may get easier in the years to come. The reason: The transformation of the world's natural gas markets is weakening Moscow's economic toolkit. And that will make Putin's pipeline politics - his use of natural resources for foreign policy purposes - obsolete. It's clear that Russia will try to make a last stand to hold on to its natural gas market in Europe. On Oct. 25, the European Union granted Russian gas behemoth Gazprom access in Germany to the Opal pipeline, which connects to central and eastern European markets. Other Moscow plans include building new pipelines in the Black and the Baltic seas. During a recent visit to Ankara, Putin signed an agreement with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdoan, to build the on-again-off-again Turk Stream undersea gas pipeline, which will allow Moscow to strengthen its position in the European gas market. In addition, Moscow is ignoring strong opposition from such EU member states as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia as it tries to bulldoze ahead with its planned Nord Stream II pipeline, which will bypass Ukraine to bring Russian gas to Germany. Even if these pipelines are built, which is increasingly unlikely in the case of Nord Stream II, Russian energy politics are coming to the end of their heyday. Since the late 2000s and the early 2010s, the global gas sector has experienced a significant shift following the boom in U.S. shale-gas development. The breakthroughs in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling techniques have irreversibly altered the landscape of the American natural gas industry. The United States is the world's leading gas producer and, since 2016, a liquefied-natural-gas (LNG) exporter to Brazil, India, United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Portugal, Kuwait, Chile, Spain, China, Jordan and, most recently, the United Kingdom. This creates competition for Russian gas both inside and outside Moscow's traditional European turf. Outside of the rise of shale-gas production, growing global LNG trade and the expansion of gas-transport infrastructure have transformed the markets, too. International sales of this previously localized resource have boomed. By the end of 2015, global LNG trade rose to its highest-ever, 244.8 million tonnes (about 270 U.S. tons), which surpassed 241.5 tonnes (267 tons) in 2011. There are 19 LNG-exporting countries - the largest include Qatar, Australia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Indonesia - and 37 importing countries. Two newcomers, Colombia and Ghana, entered the import market in 2016 and 2017, respectively. In Europe and beyond, this spells competition for Russian gas pipelines because importing states can increasingly turn to liquefied natural gas and new pipelines - such as the planned Southern Gas Corridor - not controlled by Moscow. Most important, these developments have changed the geopolitical rules governing traditional gas suppliers like Russia and consuming states. In this new age of gas, all suppliers face increased competition and greater market pressure; the era of monopolists and near-captive markets is gone. Long-term gas supply relationships still matter, but there are abundant opportunities for spot trading and the establishment of mutually beneficial short-term relationships. Large-scale infrastructure, with its sizable investment requirements and long-term commitments, still plays a significant role, but new technology such as floating LNG, compressed natural gas and other innovations offer buyers more options. Russia, which has a history of using natural gas supplies for foreign policy purposes, will bear the brunt of this change. Indeed, it is already losing its monopoly - and its accompanying political leverage in Europe and beyond. This, in turn, forces Gazprom to make commercial concessions, such as lower prices, remove destination clauses that restrict on gas re-exports to other markets, move away from long-term contracts and allow more spot trading and hub-based natural-gas pricing versus oil-linked pricing. A case in point: Before the small Baltic country of Lithuania, hitherto 100 percent dependent on Russian gas, built its LNG import terminal in 2014, it managed to renegotiate from Gazprom a 20 percent discount in its new contract. Meanwhile, Russia's efforts to shift its gas exports from Europe to China demonstrated that it will be Beijing, not Moscow, setting the terms of their gas relationship at a time when liquid global markets give importing states the upper hand. South Korea's ruling party in turmoil ahead of election By Christine Kim SEOUL, Nov 2 (Reuters) - The scandal engulfing South Korean President Park Geun-hye has plunged her conservative Saenuri Party into turmoil and cast the country's political landscape into disarray as it heads into an election year. Park's approval rating has been dragged to an all-time low of just 17.5 percent in a Realmeter poll as prosecutors investigate whether an old acquaintance exerted inappropriate influence over state affairs and gained personally from their friendship. The opposition has been moving carefully since the crisis involving Park's friend Choi Soon-sil erupted, refraining from demanding the president step down or raising the idea of impeachment. If Park gives up her position, the law requires that an election be held in 60 days. Analysts say the opposition is unprepared to take on the ruling party in such a high stakes contest so soon. The winner of such an election would be entitled to serve a full five-year term. The presidential election is due in December 2017. "If Park steps down, this will drive everyone mad as they have been preparing with a full year to campaign in mind," said Kim Man-heum, head of the Korea Academy of Politics and Leadership. BAN KI-MOON The Saenuri Party, which unexpectedly lost its parliamentary majority in April, had already split into two factions as many senior members had sought to distance themselves from the unpopular Park even before the recent scandal. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has long led opinion polls to be his country's next president, even though he has not said whether he will enter the race, had been expected to join Saenuri if he runs. The damaged Saenuri would be a less attractive home for Ban, potentially compelling him to opt for a new party if he runs. South Korean political parties often dissolve and re-form under new names. "It will be difficult for the Saenuri Party to regain the support they once had if they do not disband and form a new party," said Rhee Jong-hoon, a commentator who runs Political Management Consulting Inc. "They are in complete ruin," he said. Over 20 Saenuri lawmakers formed a coalition this week calling for the party's leadership to step down. "Efforts to clarify this scandal and to normalise government work are direly needed, but we have felt under our current leadership that will be impossible," said Oh Shin-hwan, a Saenuri lawmaker at a meeting for the coalition on Tuesday. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT Park added another wild card to the political outlook last week when she proposed an amendment to the constitution that would allow presidents to serve multiple terms or establish a parliamentary system. South Korean presidents serve a single five-year term and appoint a prime minister, whose role is largely administrative. It is an arrangement that critics say gives the president too much power but also turns them into ineffectual lame ducks as their tenures wind down. Park would be prevented by law from serving another term, even if an amendment succeeds. Eight of Park's top aides have resigned and expectations are high she will replace the prime minister and some government ministers. Opposition parties could form an alliance to push the constitutional amendment issue, which enjoys broad public support, once a new prime minister is in place. Saudi Aramco CEO expects oil price rise in 1st-half 2017 By Reem Shamseddine RIYADH, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco expects oil prices to rebound in the first half of 2017 and for demand to remain healthy following two years of painfully low prices, the state-owned producer's Chief Executive Officer Amin Nasser said on Tuesday. "The gap between supply and demand is closing ... Our anticipation now is that it will be balanced by the first half of 2017," Nasser told a conference. "That will see an adjustment upwards in terms of prices." Nasser also said that preparations for an initial public offering (IPO) of a stake in the company were "going very well". "We are in the process of preparing all segments of the company in terms of issuing our quarterly results starting hopefully next year in 2017," Nasser added. He reiterated the listing will happen sometime in 2018 in Tadawul, the Saudi stock exchange as well as other markets, which Saudi Aramco is still evaluating. CLIMATE CHANGE, INVESTMENTS Nasser said climate change is driving the transformation of the global energy system, which is commendable, he said. "But a successful transformation requires alternatives that are ready to reliably and economically shoulder the burden of growing world demand." "Pragmatism demands that sufficient investments must continue to be made in oil and gas during the long transition," he said. Doubling gas production to 23 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd) will help Aramco increase the share of clean gas in power generation to 70 percent. Nasser has said Aramco will play a major role in achieving the kingdom's target of generating 9.5 gigawatts of power from renewable energy by 2030. To turn carbon dioxide into chemicals, Aramco has acquired Novomer, a U.S. company, Nasser told the conference. On the sidelines of the conference, asked by reporters to give details on the size of the investment, Nasser said an announcement will be made soon. "It is a company that will convert Co2 to valuable chemical products. It is very important, especially when we talk these days about climate change. This investment is spot on." Besides climate change, the company is maintaining its investments not only in oil but also in gas "even under current market conditions". Nasser said he expects a gradual increase in unconventional gas as a share of Aramco's total gas production starting with the end of 2017. Aramco is also looking at other investments in downstream, in Indonesia, China, Malaysia and other markets and is looking to similar offshore drilling rig investments such as a joint venture it set up with Nabors Industries of the United States. CBL team with the awards. From left: M.M Rushan, Janaka Godagedara , Tissa Gunawardane ,Sampath Jayawansa , Mohan Wettamuni and Anil Nishantha Kumara Ceylon Biscuits Limited (CBL), the largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) conglomerate in the food manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka, was one of the top winners at the recently concluded SLIM National Sales Congress Awards 2016 (NASCO) in the FMCG (Food) category. CBL has participated at NASCO since the inception of the popular awards ceremony and over the years many members of its sales force located across the island have been adjudged winners. At this years competition, CBLs TissaGunawardane and Janaka Godagedara won gold and silver awards respectively in the Territory Manager of the Year category, while Sampath Jayawansa, Mohan Wettamuni and W.A.N. Kumara picked up Gold, Silver and Bronze awards respectively in the Sales Supervisor/Executive category. In the Front Liner category, M.M. Rushan walked away with the silver award. I. M. Khan, Director/Group General Manager Sales of CBL said, On behalf of the group, I applaud these employees for their efforts and dedication towards the company. To showcase such prowess in such an outstandingly competitive environment is testimony once again, to the talent and drive behind the excellent force and their dedication to reach the next level. As a marketer and sales personality, it is my belief that finding the right tools and strategies to understand the front liners and accordingly design processes to empower, energize and motivate them become the most important function of todays sales managers. A sales person could make or break the brand. This is why I call them the ambassadors of the company and the brands they represent. Therefore, it is very important to make sure that the brand has the Best or the highest motivated people in the front line who could make the first impression to the consumer a positive one. Speaking about the event, SLIM President for 2016/17, Upul Adikari commented, It is absolutely encouraging to see the level of participation during this years competition and the level of enthusiasm among participants. This year we mark the record of receiving over 500 entries and Im sure that the acceptance of SLIM NASCO Awards has taken its due position in the sales and marketing fraternity. SLIM NASCO which was introduced 16 years ago has grown in leaps and bounds benchmarking the event as the most sought-after Awards Ceremony held for the sales fraternity. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) will conduct its third consecutive annual seminar held to create awareness among the corporates on how to prepare good annual reports. Titled Best practices to be adopted in preparation of annual reports, the seminar will be addressed by CA Sri Lanka Annual Reports Awards Committee Chairman and B. R. De Silva & Company Partner Sanjaya Bandara. His presentation will be followed by a panel discussion, with the participation of two technical managers from CA Sri Lanka. Chathumin Gunarathne and Diluka Nadeeshani, both respective Technical Managers of CA Sri Lanka, will join the panel discussion along with Bandara. The welcome remarks will be made by CCC CEO Dhara Wijayatilake. The seminar is held in the backdrop of the modern-day annual report moving away from only providing accounting and legal information merely for the purpose of disclosure. Companies now consider the annual report as an opportunity to showcase its triple bottom line achievements, which are social, environmental and financial. Companies can also use the annual report to communicate corporate messages to a wide range of stakeholders. The seminar will be held on November 7, 2016 at the CCC, starting at 2:30 p.m. Those who wish take part may call on 115588882 or email to events@chamber.lk. Colombo Fort Magistrate today ordered the disabled war veterans who are protesting outside the Presidential Secretariat not to block the entrance and to vacate the premises. Sri Lanka yesterday hosted the inauguration of the French travel agents SNAV congress, now referred to as Les Entreprises du Voyage (LEV), in Colombo. The event, which is happening first time in 10 years at a long-haul destination, will go on till November 5. The picture shows Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama and SNAV officials during the lighting of the traditional oil lamp to mark the inauguration of the event Pic by Damith Wickremasinghe Les Entreprises du Voyage (LEV), the French travel agents and tour operators association, yesterday committed to helping boost tourism into Sri Lanka while kicking off LEVs annual congress, which the island nation is hosting this year. Our common goal is to re-establish Sri Lanka as a prime destination in the Indian Ocean for French travellers, LEV President Jean-Pierre Mas said yesterday at the inauguration, attended by over 300 LEV members, as well as local tourism stakeholders. Mas also noted that the French travel professionals have no worry over Sri Lankas quality of products, safety and stability for tourism. His endorsement comes at a time when security concerns are on the rise at popular tourism destinations across Europe and the Middle East. As a show of support from the French government, Trade, Crafts, Consumption and the Social and Solidarity Economy State Secretary Martine Pinville was also in attendance and noted that Sri Lanka is well known for its culture and attractions. While also noting the growth prospects arising from the congress, Tourism Development, Land and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga expressed his appreciation for French travellers. French tourists helped to keep tourism afloat during the war, he noted. Arrivals from France so far this year has grown by 12.9 percent year-on-year (YoY) with 76,875 tourists, while last year, 86,126 French had visited Sri Lanka, growing 9.2 percent YoY. The French market makes up around 5 percent of the total tourism market of Sri Lanka. LEV comprises of over 5,700 state-approved travel agencies and tour operators who are present across 5,000 sales points across France. Parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila today sought permission from the Colombo High Court to travel abroad. He requested Court to temporarily lift the travel ban imposed on him so that he could travel to India between November 21 and 24 and travel to Japan between December 9 and 20. He did so through a motion filed in Court in connection with the case in which he is accused of defrauding Australian citizen Brian Shaddik of Rs. 110 million using fraudulent power of attorney, Mr. Gammanpila requested court to lift his travel ban temporally. In the wake of State Counsel appearing in the case objecting to this request, High Court Judge A.A.R. Heiyantuduwa fixed November 9 to consider the request. Meanwhile, the Colombo High Court yesterday served indictment on the other suspect in the case, Sidney Chandrasekara. He was released on a cash bail of Rs 100,000 with two sureties of Rs.500,000 each and imposed a travel ban. Mr. Gammanpila had on an earlier occasion served indictment and released on bail. (Shehan Chamika Silva) The joint opposition said today the SLFP ministers in the Cabinet should resign without criticizing the Central Bank (CB) bond scam and former CB governor Arjuna Mahendran, who is responsible for the scam. JO member G.L. Peiris said the SLFP Ministers shouldnt continue to be a part of a Cabinet which was headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as he was directly backing Mr. Mahendran. The Prime Minister took the Treasury under his purview. Then he appointed Mr. Mahendran, a foreign national, as the CB Governor amid objections. Mahendran is only a cats paw. Its the Premier and other high rankers who are responsible, he said. Mr. Peiris called for the resignation of the Prime Minister so as at make way for an impartial investigation and said the President should remove Mr. Wickremesinghe if he didnt resign from the post. Video by Amantha The Railways Departments effort to procure 200 sets of colour lights, to be installed in unprotected railway crossings, from a company which has not even fulfilled the basic requirements has become the topic of discussion today. When tenders were called for the procurement of sets of colour lights, five companies, both local and foreign, offered their bids. Casting away all these prospective tenders that fulfilled the required criteria, an unfitting company which failed to even meet the basics is to be granted the tender at the behest of a senior official of the Transport and Civil Aviation Ministry, according to the needs of another senior official in the ministry. It is noted that among some 1,213 railway crossings in the country, 758 remain unprotected. As this has always been a major concern of the Railways Department, tenders were called in November 2011 for the purchasing of colour lights, in a bid to curb unfortunate accidents. By tender identified as S R S /N 6919 bids were called and 12 companies, both local and foreign, submitted. The tender board, appointed by the Railways Department that examined the bids, selected three quotations from these companies, and in the process rejected the entire tender of one company that did not make up to their expectations, the railway workers said. Later, when tenders were called under Tender No S R S / N 7089 in September 2015, five suppliers quoted, of which only one company was local. Accordingly, a Technical Evaluation Committee headed by A.T.L. Palitha Samarasinghe, the head of the signals unit of the Railways Department, was appointed. It was entrusted with the duty of identifying a supplier capable of handling the project whilst adhering to set standards and maintaining high quality. Though the Railways Department was responsible to select a company for this purpose, an unsuitable firm which had not been identified by the Technical Evaluation Committee has been chosen as the supplier. The railway workers maintain that this same company was entrusted with the installation of CCTV cameras at Colombo Fort and Maradana railway stations in 2012, and that it failed to do a good job. However, the official responsible for allocating this tender had again attempted to interfere for the procurement of sets of colour lights. With his transfer from the department, it saved them from allocating the tender to the same company. It was also learnt that this establishment had not qualified the first stage of the uninterrupted security certificate classification. It is, however, strange that the report of the technical committee had been misplaced. With the change of government, the official who made a frantic effort to secure the bid for the already-rejected company had now returned, and is in a better place and seems to be leaving no stone unturned in his latest endeavour to obtain the tender for his friendly company. When inquiries were made as to how this company was selected for the project, an official who wished to remain anonymous said: this is a contract involving billions of rupees. When we called for tenders, we insisted that the bidders comply with six requirements. But, it appears that the Transport Ministry has been bias in selecting a nonentity company for the execution of this high-security undertaking. When questioned them on this concern, they said: the project was given to a local company and therefore other conditions did not arise in the case. As this is to provide security for the public, we wonder who will be answerable in case of destruction caused to human lives. Moreover, in the quotations, the selected supplier had submitted the FOB price as USD 6,478,190, and in addition, stated CFR USD 8,032,955. This is surprising. If the preferred company is a local one, then why is payment quoted in dollar terms, and why does it include a shipping cost. Therefore, serious concerns have surfaced in the minds of everyone about whose pocket is going to be filled ultimately. This issue is well-known to the Chief Engineer of the signals section of the Railways Department. When encountered J.I.D. Jayasundera, the Chief Engineer of the signals section, he said he was unable to comment on this matter without the consent of the Ministry Secretary. Meanwhile, Piyal Fernando, the Chief of the Final Technical Committee entrusted with the task of evaluating the tender and suitability of the chosen supplier, said their recommendations had been handed over to the General Manager of Railways and therefore they were unable to say anything regarding this issue. Our attempts to contact the General Manager of Railways on his office telephone number 0112187233 was unsuccessful, and after we disclosed that we represented the Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa newspapers, his secretary responded saying he was at a meeting. Even our final effort to contact the minister-in-charge Nimal Siripala de Silva failed as the telephone lines were faulty. At a time when the present government is committed to wiping out frauds and acts of corruption, this large-scale scam carried out with the connivance of senior officials at the Transport Ministry is surely going to affect the Yahapalanaya government with their cherished ambitions being severely shattered by these unscrupulous bureaucrats. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday said Sri Lanka was in the process of agreeing to a debt-equity swap with two Chinese companies to manage the loss-making Hambantota Port and the Mattala Airport. He said the two entities would be converted to exclusive Investment Promotion Zones on the baisi of a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Chinese companies paying US$1 billion to Sri Lanka while absorbing their debt portfolio. The Premier said the proposal would make the rupee stronger and increase the country's foreign reserves, he added. "City-centered development has been the norm in economic progress in major and emerging economic powers and Sri Lankas ambitious Megapolis and Western Development was based on the concept of making the entire Western Province a mega investment, trade and financial centre in South Asia." In his keynote address at a ceremony to mark the World Cities Day under the theme Inclusive Cities Shared Development organized by the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry at the Smart Tower at Battaramulla, the Premier said the US economy, the strongest in the world, has been developed round mega cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Houston. "London's impact on converting Britain to a tiger economy in Europe was immense. In France, three or four cities have made a similar contribution making France an economic power in the world. The biggest emerging economic entity is China with its open market economic policies in place of communist ideology has taken Beijing, Shanghai and Canton as the midpoint of development with the inclusion of Mundong and Hong Kong to its economic resurgence, the Premier said. "The Megapolis Development Plan will make Sri Lanka the Naval, Trade, Banking and Financial Center in South Asia between Dubai and Singapore with industrial corridors in Jaffna, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Kandy, Galle, Hambantota, playing a major role as centre points of development with specialized industries and tourism playing the major role as specialized revenue earners in the respective regions." Prime Minister Wickremesinghe recalled that when late President J.R.Jayewardene decided to launch the accelerated Mahaweli Development Project in 1978 under a separate Ministry and the Mahaweli Authority, a group of politicians and officials requested not to remove the project from the Agriculture and Irrigation Ministries as it would badly affect the Irrigation Ministry. But Mr. Jayewardene not only stood by his decision because he wanted a speedier development not in 30 years but in six years and tasked the job to the then Mahaweli Development Minister Gamini Dissanayake. The results of that decision are well known. The massive contribution to the national economy from Mahaweli Development Project is a blessing. We launched the Megapolis and Western Development Project with the same objective. The job has been entrusted to Megapolis and Western Development Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka -- one of the most capable, efficient and qualified engineers," he said. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe launched the official Facebook of the Megapolis and Western Development Ministry on the invitation of Minister Ranawaka. Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage and Deputy Megapolis and Western Development Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna were also present at the occasion. (Sandun A Jayasekera) Sri Lankas tourism sector has many benefits. It is the countrys third largest foreign exchange earner and contributes a substantial percentage towards gross domestic product (GDP). In post-war Sri Lanka, tourist arrivals have seen a tremendous increase and there is a significant increase in investments in tourism as well as infrastructure development, through opening up of new tourist attractions and channelling of funds for promotional campaigns. Concurrently, ecotourism as well as cultural and nature tourism have also increased in popularity due to the policy decisions and legal coverage of Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005, which has provided several features such as identifying tourist development areas with historical or environmental interest, identifying areas for trekking and nature trails, etc. Figure 1 describes the importance of the tourism sector in the Sri Lankan economy. Ecotourism There are different types of tourism and ecotourism is a sub-set of tourism. The Mexican environmentalist and architect, Hector Ceballos-Lascurain first introduced the concept of ecotourism in 1983. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines ecotourism as Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people and involves interpretation and education of both staff and guests. According to the TIES, ecotourism in 2004 grew three times faster than overall tourism. Nearly 90 percent of the British tourists recognize active protection of the environment and support of local communities to be part of hotel responsibilities when selecting holidays, whilst in Germany, nearly 42 percent of travellers prefer environmental friendly accommodation. Furthermore, nearly 53 percent of American travellers prefer to experience local customs and culture of the country they visit. A higher number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka are from Western Europe (nearly 31 percent). Further, the top 10 sources of tourist arrivals are from the countries that show the highest demand for ecotourism in the world (Figure 2). Moreover, nearly, 68 percent of foreign visits are for leisure or holiday, followed by other reasons such as visiting relatives and friends. Thus, there is a greater potential to develop ecotourism in the country. Given Sri Lankas rich biodiversity, culture and natural beauty, the country has great potential to develop ecotourism compared to many other tourist destinations in the world. The countrys rich repository of natural resources adds to ecosystem diversity. Sri Lanka is also considered among the top 24 biodiversity hotspots in the world, which provides several avenues to enhance ecotourism in the country. IPRs in tourism Intellectual property rights (IPRs) can be used as a tool to support tourism development through the creation and protection of ideas, knowledge and innovations in the sector. The main IPRs in the tourism sector are trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, copyrights and trade secrets. Trademarks are essential in the service sector to distinguish one enterprise from another. Examples include St. Moritz, Trivalley California and Love NY. Moreover, the most common marketing term used in the tourism sector around the world is destination branding. Further, destination branding embodies many intellectual property rights, mainly trademarks. For an example, New Zealands destination branding 100 Percent Pure New Zealand is a success story and it has helped to increase the number of tourist visits into the country. Geographical indication (GI) is also important especially for ecotourism, where a particular ecotourism sector or a sub-sector such as birding tourism, culture tourism or forest tourism can be further developed by protecting GIs. For example, GI registration of Turkish handicrafts has improved the production of handcrafts in Turkey. Moreover, developing countries could use GIs to promote their indigenous products in the international market. However, the biological resources and farmers traditional knowledge and skills have not been registered or documented in most developing countries including Sri Lanka. With globalization, biodiversity and traditional knowledge, skills and technologies possessed by the local farmers in developing their crop varieties are at stake. Thus, implementing a proper protection system will lead to enhancing the tourism sector especially, ecotourism, which also includes agro-tourism and health tourism. Traditional knowledge of village people is also important for ecotourism. For example, British Columbia has identified Aboriginal culture as a tourism attraction after Aborigines shared their traditional knowledge with tourists. Prior to the introduction of Aborigine culture tourism, the authorities made arrangements to preserve their traditional knowledge. In Sri Lanka, a majority of villagers use traditional knowledge for health and agriculture purposes. Ecotourism includes tours of local farms to take a first-hand look at the growing, traditional methods of crop protection, astrological practices in the field, attracting support from spirits and gods for cultivation, harvesting and processing of locally grown food as well as sampling them on site or in local restaurants and cafes. There are also lectures and other learning opportunities for the tourists who also have the possibility of staying at one of the farms to absorb the experience. Copyrights are also used to protect promotional material. Thus, protecting IPRs and taking measures to strengthen them will provide an incentive to private and government investors to promote tourism in the country. Existing IPR system Presently, Sri Lanka does not have an established IPR protection mechanism for the tourism sector. Countries such as New Zealand, Switzerland and Hong Kong have implemented several types of IPRs to promote their tourism industry. In 2016, Sri Lanka tourism has identified tourism branding plan as one of its main strategies. Sri Lanka has used several taglines such as Paradise Island, Land like no other and presently, Sri Lanka: Wonder of Asia in branding. However, it is questionable whether the branding and rebranding have been placed correctly when compared to countries like Singapore (Uniquely Singapore and Your Singapore), India (Incredible India) and Malaysia (Truly Asia), etc. For example, have enough wonders been identified in the country to promote under the brand Sri Lanka: Wonder of Asia? What changes were made in what is offered to tourists when moving from the tagline Paradise Island to Land like no other? Sri Lanka has made a request to the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP) projects of the World Intellectual Property Rights Organisation (WIPO) to implement IPRs in the tourism sector in the near future. The Intellectual Property Rights Act No: 36 of 2003 covers the IPRs in Sri Lanka. Currently, very few hotels and restaurants use trademarks to promote their businesses. However, on most occasions, only large-scale hotels are concerned about registering their trademarks or industrial designs. Thus, IPRs are not commonly used in the countrys tourism field. Way forward Despite the countrys rich cultural heritage and biodiversity, the tourism sector has yet not reaped the benefits of IPRs, especially the benefits that the sector can gain from promoting brands, establishing GIs, etc. There are several activities relating to ecotourism, which could be strengthened through strong IPRs. For example, there are several locations, which can be developed as ecotourism destinations by introducing GIs (tours in tea estates/cinnamon estates/paddy fields, etc.). Branding Sri Lanka as a tourism destination should be carefully carried out considering its competitive strength, strategic position and competitors. Rebranding should not just be a change in the slogan but be accompanied with variations that are offered to tourists. As a developing country, Sri Lanka should take advantage of the arrangements provided by the Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) Agreement of the WTO and provide protection via geographical indication, sui generis system and folklore to enhance the tourism sector, by prioritizing ecotourism, which has proved to be a booming industry in the economy. It is clear that the country should have a well-established national policy on tourism focusing on ecotourism as it is identified as one of the main subsets of the tourism sector. The country lacks a well-built protection system for tourism, including ecotourism; this may lead to exploitation by outsiders when natural resources are open for sightseeing and exploration. Therefore, when promoting tourism, it is important to identify and devise ways and means to strengthen customary laws for the protection of traditional knowledge and natural resources of the community from exploitation by outsiders. Further, it is essential to increase public awareness on the subject and keep them updated, as they are an entity that has a voice and the power to influence the government. As SMEs in the hotel sector is expanding and the number of unclassified hotels is increasing, it is vital to provide knowledge on the values of the culture and traditional knowledge amongst the public and the importance of safeguarding the countrys resources. In addition, it is important to have a separate unit or a committee at the Intellectual Property Office or at the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board to promote and monitor tourism sector-related IPRs and to provide financial and other advisory support to investors and people who are engaged in this area of the tourism sector. Further, it is of utmost importance to provide the necessary inputs to WIPO, CDIP with the aim of implementing the necessary IPRs in the tourism sector in Sri Lanka. (Dilani Hirimuthugodage is a Research Officer at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS). To view the article online and comment, visit the IPS blog Talking Economics www.ips.lk/talkingeconomics) Germanys most innovative premium kitchen brand is finally in Sri Lanka. Leicht Kitchens Germany recently signed a memorandum appointing Centrepoint Homes as the sole authorized agent for its premium range of kitchens in Sri Lanka. For more than 80 years Leicht Germany has been causing a stir with design innovation with its premium kitchens. The winner of numerous global awards in the past five years for innovative design, Leicht is well known for combining quality material with brilliant colour architecture and light. Many trend-setting developments for the whole kitchen industry originated at Leicht, such as the grid system of shelving. Leicht offers a huge range of contemporary kitchens in many finishes, textures and colours and varying budgets allowing architects and developers ideal choice to suite their new developments or upgrades. Leicht can also undertake projects of any scale, with many completed projects to its credit all over the globe. Leicht is a highly modern industrial manufacturer, producing some 280,000 kitchens a year from two plants in Southern Germany. Every Leicht kitchen is made for each customer, based on individual requirements rather than mass-market flat packs. We develop exclusive kitchens oriented to the market and to our customers desires. Lovers of beautifully designed kitchens can surpass themselves with Leicht kitchens as there are no limits when it comes to individual kitchen planning, said Leicht Kitchens Germany Export Director Harald Blessing. Centrepoint Homes is proud to be a leader in the Home Interior solutions business for over a decade. The collaboration with Leicht Kitchens Germany will enhance our ability to broaden the product offering to our customers, who will appreciate the design, quality and value of such a globally acclaimed brand, stated Centrepoint Homes CEO Rajeeve Kulatunge. Centrepoint Homes is a fully-owned subsidiary of Fairway Holdings, one of the most diversified business conglomerates in Sri Lanka. Budget airline Mihin Lanka will cease operations from today in line with the current Government's policy to amalgamate the airline with the national carrier Srilankan. The budget airline launched in 2007 was operating at a huge loss for several years with some economic analysts attributing the losses to mismanagement while others to under capitalization. National Enterprises Development Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne told a media briefing yesterday that Minin Lanka would only be amalgamated with Srilankan and that it would not be a merger. He said the Mihin Lanka license would not be cancelled but transferred to the Government. The deputy minister said the airline had business class seats though it was promoted as a budget airline. Mihin Lanka was a low-fare airline based in Colombo and operated flights from Bandaranaike International Airport to a number of cities in the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East the Persian Gulf, South East Asia and Eastern Africa. (Yohan Perera) The increase in the value-added tax (VAT) rate from 11 percent to 15 percent will be credit positive for Sri Lanka as it will support the governments fiscal consolidation agenda and will also put the derailed International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme back on track, according to a global credit rating agency. After a more than four-month delay, Sri Lankas parliament last week passed the VAT amendment bill to increase the tax rate effective from November 1 after being blocked by the court of law for not following the due constitutional framework. This is credit positive because a higher VAT rate will facilitate fiscal consolidation by strengthening Sri Lankas low revenue-to-GDP ratio, which is a key credit constraint, Moodys Investors Service said in a brief note. Despite being hailed, the move will further make Sri Lankas tax system regressive hurting the poor and the vulnerable, further widening the income inequality, as the poor spend most of their incomes on food and basic commodities, on which the VAT is largely imposed. The share of direct taxes, which was 61 percent of total tax revenue in the pre-1977 era, fell to just 22 percent in 2015 with the corresponding rise in indirect taxes, while the taxes on domestic goods and services rose from 20 percent to 40 percent during this period. However, the continuity of the IMF programme was a higher priority for the government for which the passage of the VAT bill was a key condition as the three-year programme was held in abeyance with the multilateral lender being unable to complete a review. The higher VAT is expected to bring in an additional Rs.15 billion during the balance two months of 2016 and Rs.100 billion a year from 2017 onwards. Fiscal consolidation is a major focus of the IMF programme and the government targets to achieve this by raising revenue as the government has no headroom for international borrowings to bridge larger budget deficits. The space for curtailing expenditure is also very limited as most of such expenditure is either committed or cannot be slashed without affecting the needy segments in society. The government can also not afford to cut the public expenditure as it is used to because that adversely affects the growth. Meanwhile, despite the primary deficit in the budget, which excludes the interest payments, came in at Rs.38.6 billion by June 2016, ahead of the IMFs target of Rs.46 billion, the primary deficit had widened markedly in July due to the suspension of the VAT. The VAT hiatus makes meeting primary deficit targets challenging, at Rs.85 billion for September and Rs.97 billion for December. In particular, salary and pension payments accounting for about 36 percent of primary expenditure and interest payments amounting to around a quarter of total expenditures constrain room to cut expenditures, Moodys said. Sri Lanka spends over 90 percent of its revenue on debt servicing interest and capital repayment and is forced to borrow even for other recurrent expenditure. The government targets a budget deficit of 5.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, 4.7 percent in 2017 and further 3.5 percent in 2020, which according to Moodys, is an ambitious and would be the smallest deficit in the past 25 years and indeed in most years since 1950. Moodys forecasts for budget deficits remain conservative as they project 6.0 percent for this year and 5.5 percent for 2017. The government wants to achieve these deficit targets by increasing the revenue-to-GDP up to 15.8 percent by 2020 from 13.0 percent expected for this year but the revenues of some of the Southeast Asian peers hover above 20 percent of GDP. The motorcyclist, who was seriously injured in a head on collision with a trishaw at Thimbirigasyaya last night had succumbed to his injuries at the Colombo National Hospital, sources said. The victim Ashen Randir Fernando (21) was a resident of Huludagoda, Mount Lavinia. He was on his way to Colombo along Havelock Road, when the trishaw that entered the Havelock Road collided with the motorcycle at Thimbirigasyaya, the Police said. The driver of the trishaw and a passenger were injured and admitted to hospital as well. The Bambalapitiya Police are investigating. (Reka Tharangani) Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's then deputy leader Maithripala Senanayake, his wife and Mahinda Rajapaksa were paid by J.R. Jayawardena to divide the SLFP. At an event in Gampaha, she said she had ample proof to support her allegations. I have the receipts to prove these transactions took place. Rajapaksa was paid Rs.35,000 on a monthly basis. Rajapaksa is trying to destroy the party today in a similar manner that he was paid to do years ago, Ms. Kumaratunga said. She claimed that when President Jayawardenas move to destroy the SLFP by depriving former prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike of her civic rights failed in 1980, the then president had opted to bribe both Rajapaksa and Senanyake to divide the party. The job for the payments made from 1980 until we came to power was to destroy the SLFP and chase Sirimavo away, Ms. Kumaratunga said. Hinting that the party had been diluted during Rajapaksas tenure as leader, she said former leaders of the party were in no way associated with corruption. We had generous leaders who gave up everything for the party and the people of this country. But the party was diluted within nine years by Rajapaksa, she said. 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Filing a comprehensive report before Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha peiris, the CID stated that Wadiwel Pakkilisami and Rathnasami Paramanandan were allegedly abducted by unknown individuals in a white van. According to the CID both Pakkilisami and Paramanadan were not suspected of being engaged in terrorist activities nor involved in such activities nor aided such activities. (Shehan Chamika Silva) The impact of shipping surcharges including terminal handling charges have been battering the import and export industry from 1991 to 2004. The import-export trade knowing the effects on their respective business and keeping the end consumer in mind lobbied with every government from the inception, highlighting the unfair trading practices that were taking place without any control. However due to various pressures and wrong interpretations by some parties, the past regimes were unable to make a clear policy decision on this. As all of us are aware that importers and exporters need to use additional service providers like shipping, air lines, freight forwarder, consolidators, NOVCCs and transporters to move goods between buyers and sellers. Accordingly, during trading one common fundamental factor applies. That is an agreed price for each transaction. Nowhere in the world there are transactions done without an initial agreement on price and service. Similarly in all trade transitions as well, there is a payment for every component of the services given and the party who buys the service pays for it. In other words, the contract party pays. For an example for any layman, if a seller in Kandy is sending a load of Tea to a buyer in Colombo, there has to be a transport mode. Assuming it is transported in a lorry, either the buyer or seller [contracting party] who arranges the transport agrees with a transporting agent for a price for the lorry with a commitment on delivery. Accordingly, the seller or the buyer (contractingparty) agrees with the Transporter for the freight an amount for a particular delivery point. In this case we assume seller is the contracting party for freight. Accordingly the contracted party (seller) pays the transporter freightfor the delivery of goods in Colombo. In this scenario, the Kandy seller has already paid the freight to the transporter and expectthe transporter to deliver the goods to the buyer In Colombo. But the transporter does not deliver the load as expected to the buyer in Colombo but demands additional charges to release goods holding the buyer for a ransom. As a result, the buyer has no option but to pay transporters demands on charges as follows which are unfair and unrealistic charges and can be called as trade terrorism. Tyre surcharge Truck guarantee charge Terminal Toll charge Truck cleaning surcharge Truck terminal handling Engine correction charge Truck seal charge Overtaking surcharges Traffic light surcharge Round about charges Truck washing charges Truck status changing charges So it is quite clear that the buyer in Colombo is not responsible for any ofthe above said charges as the seller has already paid freight up to the point that the buyer received goods. In other words up to the point that buyer has the control of the cargo. Finally the total surcharges demanded from the buyer is more than the freight paid by the seller in Kandy. Similar or worse situation was happening in Sri Lanka and as well as in other countries before the legislation was made to regularize the service providers in the trade in 2004. Accordingly below are the basic principles that should apply in a transaction of this nature. Contract party pays freight to the transporter If transporter has surcharges during his transporting time, all those should be included in his freight price. Every transaction should have one ALL INCLUSIVE price Supply and demand along with market forcesshould decide the all inclusive price. These principals clearly give any business transparency, predictability about the transactional cost which is paramount important in everyday business. In import export trade before the introduction of terminal handling charges (THCs) and followed up with other surcharges, it operated on the above principals. Traditional freight rates included all charges namely, ocean freight charges, terminal charges and other costs at ports up to the point that Consignee received cargo. But since the introduction of the THCs in 1991, the interpretation became freight rate is a port-to-port charge that covers only the sea leg, while the on-shore costs of using the container terminals were charged separately as THCs, although both THCs and freight rates were collectively handle by the conferences/lines (One party). Accordingly, the separation of ocean freight rates from other surcharges including terminal charges have increased the overall shipping charges. Also most of the trade nowadays takes place through confidential service contracts and it is very important to identify the specific pricing tools that are more advanced and effective than the usual cartels. These action can be very evident, if one follows closely the empirical situations that are prevailing in the current market. Merchant Shipping Act By identifying all the issues in depth, the Sri Lankan government in 2014 during the budget proposals, proposed to set up a fully fledged Merchant Shipping Authority by introducing timely amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act, in order to prevent the monopoly in pricing in the shipping trade stating the no shipping line will be permitted to levy terminal handling and other charges in addition to freight. This bold and pragmatic policy decision to incorporate all surcharges to freight establishing an all-inclusive freight rate addressed a very long standing grievance in the industry which suffered due to unfair trade practices being used by various service providers. This also especially resolved the terminal handling charges issue going back to 1990s where the shipping lines arbitrarily and unilaterally introduced a separate Terminal Handling Charge (THC) which was in fact part of the freight until 1997. Also this virtually stopped large amounts of surcharges billed in UD$ collected locally. Subsequently these collected large sums would have drained out of the country even violating against the exchange control laws as only Freight can be remitted out of the country...Obviously with this correction it was a major hit for the parties who were continuously involved in unfair or wrong trade practices who collected large amounts of monies. Turning out to be unpredictable These unrealistic and unethical surcharges including THC amounts were mounting up without any control and importers business operations became so unpredictable due to ruthless surcharges levied on import consignees especially on LCL imports. Zero freight was another trick that the service providers used on the import community to rip them off by way of additional surcharges after the shipments landed in Colombo. All complaints / disputes were never heard by the service providers and majority of the CIF shipments landed in Colombo was a disaster for the consignees. Many service providers demanded only cash payments to release the delivery orders. Until all unrealistic charges were paid, the goods were held for ransom incurring demurrage. Accordingly, Importers absolutely did not have any option but to pay the absurd surcharges including arbitrary amounts of THCs. As a result, all these additional costs had to be passed to the end consumer or had to add to the re-export price. Both these actions gave adverse effects to the country as either it effected the cost of living of the country or the re- exporter lost the competitiveness in the export market. Finally form an era of agony, with the regularization of the all-inclusive freight rates, the import community got revived and were able to return back to competitive business which created ease of doing business with confidence within the business community. Also this practical approach was a great relief especiallyfor the SME Importers /exporters, and the domestic consumers. This course of action also received high praise from the international and local shipping communities. The style in which the anti-competitive practices pragmatically fixed without intervening in pricing (shipping rates are not regulated globally) proposing a mechanism to ensure fair trading practices from which all stake-holders of the supply chain and consumers getting benefitted was commendable. In modern-day multimode transportation, freight rate is considered and defined as cost of moving cargo from point A to B or point of acceptance to point of delivery, Then all charges in that space should be in the freight cost. Freight is not a charge derived out of sales contacts or incoterms but from the contact of carriage. Accordingly with this legislation it becamea good system to the country where and both the shippers and the service providers who are doing an honest job benefit. During the latter stages, identified 50 +surcharges was spreading like a virus beyond boundaries, including the zero freight concept where the importer finally demanded by the service provider to pay much more than freight as surcharges.Finally through the regulation majority of the unfair and unethical malpractice came to an end and further the freight market settled down according to supply and demand whichbrilliantly helped all parties in the business disallowing a handful of parties who held importers and exporters of Sri Lanka to a ransom in order to make profit by manipulating the market situations. In top gear Currently the government is in top gear to improve the ease of doing business and to improve trade facilitation in the country. They have clearly identified the importance in removing the trade barriers, unethical trade practices which enable to keep the cost at the most competitive levels to complete at international levels while minimizing the operational times. Needless to say that Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture to promote trade and FTAs etc. In a situation like this, a good governance regime will never allow unethical and unfair reading practices to rise. Due to this surcharges issue, the import and export trade was adversely affected while the additional cost was passed to every citizen of Sir Lanka. So, in this context, the trade is very confident that no one will attempt to open a can of worms againwithin the import /export community as this was like a badly infected trade wound that got healed in 2014 with an invaluable policy decision which received international recognition as well. However closely observing the recent media articles, the trade feels that some interested groups are trying to paint the picture with different colours by giving unrealistic facts. In our view the respective businesses should be innovative and should create proper pricingmechanisms without jeopardizing theImport Exportcommunity again when the government is fully focusing on improving the countrys GDP with the support of International Trade. (Dinesh De Silva, functions as the Chairman of the Import Section of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. He was also the Immediate Past Chairman of the Sri Lanka Shippers Council) The second Joint Business Council Forum of Sri Lanka and Pakistan was held recently in Colombo. The forum, a joint initiative of the Sri Lanka Pakistan Business Council (SLPBC) and Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Council, which was formed in 2015, is aimed at enhancing trade, investment and tourism opportunities between the two nations. It will also work together towards ironing out trade issues, etc. The 18-member Pakistani delegation was led by Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Council President Imran Khalil. During the forum, a joint business council steering committee was initiated in order to resolve various issues faced by exporters of both countries. The joint business council steering committee comprises seven members: two members from each side, respective council presidents and Secretariat of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. Delivering the welcome address, SLPBC President Rohitha Thilakarathna said, The formation of the joint steering committee would assist both councils to resolve issues in the existing free trade agreement (FTA) and through public sector involvement to clear policy matters and make suggestions/recommendations to the concerned authorities. In response, Khalil remarked, The forum will enable us to act as a technical committee to resolve issues and move forward and we believe that this is a very vital step taken towards the betterment of the two nations. We also urge the Sri Lanka authorities to resolve visa issuance delays experienced by the Pakistani businessmen, who want to visit Sri Lanka. We also like to invite Sri Lanka to hold a Single Country Exhibition in Pakistan in reciprocation to Pakistan gesture, he said. Speaking further, Khalil said, There is a huge potential available for Sri Lanka with the growing youth population in Pakistan; their new mind-set, eagerness to travel, which I think your tourism planners should focus on. During discussions, both parties also touched on issues as valuation, existing non-tariff barriers faced by the exporters of both countries, also how to expand tourism links, businesses such as pharmaceutical, construction, sugar and garments, etc. Forum chief guest Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Dr. K.A.P. Sipra addressing the gathering emphasized that the security situation in Pakistan has now been improved and encouraged Sri Lankans to travel to Pakistan, a destination now looked globally with religious and cultural tourism. He also wanted Sri Lankan businessmen to look at areas such as precious stones, ornamental fish, fruits, apparel and non-traditional exports. While emphasizing the need to expedite the expansion of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSLFTA), Dr. Sipra reiterated the soft credit loan of US $ 200 million granted to Sri Lanka establishing the close contacts between the two countries. The road in front of Fort Railway station was closed for traffic for the second day as a result of disabled soliders protesting against army pension procedures, police said. From left: European Delegation in Sri Lanka and Maldives Political, Trade and Communications Counsellor Paul Godfrey, EU Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives Tung-Lai Margue, European Parliament Member Jean Lambert and European Delegation Administrator Kristin Arp Pic by Pradeep Pathirana By Chandeepa Wettasinghe Sri Lanka could enjoy the preferential tariff regime of General System of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) facility with the European Union until as late as 2023, according to the sentiments expressed by the European Delegation in Sri Lanka. GSP Plus is only awarded to countries in the low and lower-middle income categories as classified by the World Bank, and an upgrade to an upper middle income country makes it ineligible for the GSP Plus facility, according to EU Regulation 978/2012. Were expecting Sri Lanka to reach that (upper middle income) by 2019, Political, Trade and Communications Counsellor, European Delegation in Sri Lanka and Maldives, Paul Godfrey, told Mirror Business. He also noted that Sri Lanka will have to remain in the upper middle income segment for 3 years, plus another year where the EU will observe the situation, before the country becomes ineligible for GSP Plus. According to the Central Bank, Sri Lankas current per capita gross national income is US$ 3836, and the threshold for 2016 to be classified as an upper middle income country was US$ 4036. The World Bank is expecting Sri Lanka to grow at 4.8 percent this year, and just over 5 percent next year. But the threshold also goes up each year, Godfrey said. However, the threshold also declines, as it had in 2016, and the threshold saw a continuous decline over several years in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, in response to a question whether Sri Lanka could compete with countries who can afford to produce goods cheaper, and have made inroads with their access to GSP Plus for the past 6 years, Godfrey noted that Sri Lanka depending on its leading export again would not be a good idea. Going back to the EU with just apparel would be a mistake. Sri Lanka has to diversify. Now, he said. The Sri Lankan government is expecting windfall of US$ 1.9 billion annually with the resumption of GSP Plus, mainly through apparel exports. Sri Lanka could expect a decision on whether it is reinstated with GSP Plus privileges between January 13 and May 12, depending on how long the EU parliament decides to debate and put the issue to a vote. The EU delegation currently in the country was very diplomatic in providing answers, saying that the progress so far has been positive, but that much more needs to be achieved, especially related to the office of the missing persons, devolving powers to provinces, child marriage laws, gender equality, etc. A number of things are moving here in a positive direction, but its only the beginning of change. There needs to be a continuation and a deepening of what we have seen, European Parliament Member Jean Lambert said. The Sri Lankan government has set a tourist arrival target of 2.2 million for this year. Despite the lower arrival rates experienced recently, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Paddy Withana, as well as Tourism Development, Land and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga have been making the rounds lately, expressing that they are highly confident of achieving the target, given the advance bookings seen for the final calendar quarter of the year. However, simply put, can the current room supply in the country accommodate the remaining number of tourists needed to reach this target in the final calendar year? The crunch Calculating the number of tourists a given number of rooms can accommodate or the number of rooms required to achieve a certain tourist arrivals target is quite simple. The number of tourists is calculated by multiplying the number of rooms in supply with the number of days in the period under discussion, number of tourists that stay in a room and average occupancy levels of a hotel, divided by the average duration of stay. Two of these variables are readily available. The number of days for the three months from October to December (4Q16) is 92, while the number of tourists staying in a room is set at an industry standard of 1.8. In terms of the room supply, since new properties are being added quite frequently, though at a slower pace this year, according to the Central Bank statistics, Mirror Business contacted the authorities to get an update on the picture. According to SLTDA Director Chandana Wijeratne, as of last week, there were 32,063 rooms in the formal sector, including hotels and supplementary accommodation. This number had been 31,168 in June. The addition of 500-room RIU Ahungalla Resort, which is a joint venture between the Aitken Spence group and multinational TUI Group, was the main reason for the boost. While Wijeratne was not able to give an estimate for the informal sector, which has a near quarter of the accommodation market share, SLTDA Director General Malraj Kiriella in June had said that there were approximately 4,000 rooms in the informal sector, placing the total rooms in the country at present at just above 36,000. Further, in the case of occupancy rates, SLTDA Statistics and International Relations Department Junior Manager Aruna Prasanjeewaafter obtaining permission from Kiriella, due to the standing orders in the SLTDA to repress the disclosure of information to the mediatold Mirror Business that the occupancy rate for the first nine months of 2016 was 74.42 percent in the hotel sector. The past data shows the occupancy rates in the registered, supplementary accommodation, which accounts for a quarter of the accommodation market share, to be much lower and in unregistered accommodation, which accounts for another quarter of the market share, to be much higher, though it is quite difficult to extract accurate data on the supplementary and informal sectors. Prasanjeewa noted that the duration of stay for the past nine months was provisionally calculated to be 10.1 days. The start of the peak season in the latter part of Decembersince most hotel chains such as Aitken Spence and Cinnamon have historically promoted deals to locals until as late as Christmas daydo give both the occupancy and duration of stay figures a boost, while October and November witness average occupancy. For example, 4Q15 saw an occupancy rate of 75.87, helped by a December occupancy rate of 82.8 percent, as against an annual occupancy rate of 74.5 percent, according to the SLTDA data. The 4Q14 occupancy rates increase to 77.87, compared to an annual occupancy rate of 74.3 percent. According to Prasanjeewa, even the average duration of stay increases slightly during the final quarter of the year due to increased arrivals of Europeans, who stay for longer to avoid the winter. This is compared to tourists from India and China, who stay for around six to eight days and are the largest markets of Sri Lanka. However, there may only be a limited impact of the increase seen in the last half of December, on the entire quarter. However, many tour and hotel companies are corroborating the claims made by Withana and Amaratunga, saying that bookings for the final quarter of this year are better than the last, which could make the occupancy for the three months this year at least better than the 75.87 percent observed in 2015. A few scenarios Under the first hypothetical scenario, taking into consideration a simple weighted moving average for the occupancy rates of final quarters over the past five years, the occupancy for 4Q16 would be 77.3 percent. If further, an assumption is made that the duration of stay increases to 10.5 days in 4Q16, the number of tourists that can be accommodated would be 438,887. Higher durations of staywhich the country should be striving to achieveconvert to more rooms required for tourists and vice versa. Under a more unlikely scenario of an extremely bullish 85 percent occupancy with a 10.5-day duration of stay, the industry would only be able to support 482,605 tourists. Given that 1.51 million tourists had arrived in Sri Lanka in the first nine months of the year, in the first scenario, the countrys tourism industry could only accommodate 1.95 million tourists, while under the second scenario, 1.99 tourists could be accommodated. Even in the unlikely scenario of 100 percent occupancy, 567,771 tourists could be accommodated during the quarter, leading to 2.07 million tourists being accommodated through the industry during 2016. VFR effect However, in reality, more tourists could arrive in Sri Lanka than could be accommodated through the tourist industry. This is due to the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) tourists, who make up a quarter of the tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. A majority of these tourists are either Sri Lankan expatriates or their descendants and therefore, a sizable portion of these tourists in turn tend to stay in their family homes or with their friends. However, these VFR tourists also display many common characteristics of other leisure tourists by visiting many destinations within Sri Lanka and staying at hotels. Even so, to get a clear picture of this segment is difficult, since their local family or friends may have booked the accommodation on their behalf or in the case of dual citizens, may have used their own National ID during hotel bookings. Perhaps some research has to be done in this area to determine how many VFR tourists stay in hotels as their primary lodging and for how long and how many stay in hotels as a smaller part of their holiday and the SLTDA could perhaps publish the breakdown of the purpose of travel over the 12 months of the year to determine VFR seasonality. If 2.2 million tourists do arrive in Sri Lanka this year, approximately 550,000 tourists may be arriving to visit their friends and relatives and for 691,595 tourists the country needs to attract in 4Q16 to reach the target, 172,898 would be VFR tourists. Therefore, even if none of the VFR tourists stay in tourism accommodationwhich is unlikelythe industry has to support 518,697 tourists during the final quarter, which is still a massive gap from the 443,429 tourists the industry could accommodate in the first scenario. In fact, to accommodate 518,697 tourists, the country would need 42,546 rooms, around 6,000 more that it currently has. Reality of tourist arrivals Therefore, it is quite unlikely that Sri Lanka will achieve the 2.2 million arrival target for this year, simply because there is not enough accommodation to house them. It appears that there may be a disconnect between the dreams of the government and the reality of the situation. A minute portion of the public and private sector individuals have admitted in the recent past that there are doubts about reaching the target. It was also interesting to note that both Withana and Amaratunga had not made any mention of tourist arrivals at the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka Annual General Meeting held last week, though these numbers are usually the first words out of their mouths when addressing public forums and the media. This is likely to become the second year in a row that Sri Lanka has not been able to achieve its targets and both instances after the regime changenotwithstanding the change of arrivals calculation methodology in 2013which some might use to create political mileage. However, the stark reality is that Sri Lankas arrivals growth has been in decline since 2011 and hoping for a bigger growth without proper marketing is not logical, unless all the stars align in Sri Lankas favour. A Rs.800 million marketing campaign is set to take off early next year after numerous delays, though how much of an impact it can have to increase growth levels remains in question, given that competing countries spend billions in their marketing efforts and many have already taken great steps towards filling the shoes of some of the more popular destinations that are on the decline due to terrorism threats. Further, Withana, fresh from the failure of not reaching the 2015 target, had earlier this year set the new 2.2 million arrivals target for 2016 and a 4.5 million target for 2020 from the 2.5 million and 4.2 million targets, respectively set by the past regime, by stating that the former government had not done research to set realistic targets. Clashing with sustainability? Cutting through this rhetoric of generating increased arrivals is the rise of the sustainable tourism agenda, according to which, practicing sustainable tourism leads to higher revenue from an equal number of tourists, as they would be willing to pay more to enjoy their holiday with a clean conscience with regards to the effect they have on a destinations society, culture, economy and environment. According to celebrated tourism academic Michael C. Hall, politicians will always talk about increased income derived from tourism through increased arrivals, which is in direct opposition to sustainability. In Amaratungas defence, he has spoken of sustainability, and yet, without going into details on how he would accomplish this by involving the grassroots in tourism planning. So far, Amaratunga has accommodated the whims and fancies of the powerful, mercantilist tourism lobbies, while local academics are pointing out that with the lack of proper planning to spread tourism across all regions, the more popular destinations are facing environmental and social decline. The new government, just like how it reopened infrastructure projects it alleged had been started without proper environmental assessments, would likely be pushing for even more arrivals, given the state of its finances, while paying lip service to sustainability. This is being experienced by the people in Paanama first hand right now, where the government is refusing to return their land, which had been occupied by the military several years ago, which are now being used to construct hotels. There is certain a white collar one holding deputy status in a department linked to the countrys law and order. His better half is holding a second rung post in a cash-rich office connected to public transport. Although they are public servants drawing relatively moderate pay they had become billionaires during the recent past, they say. The white-collar one attached to the department concerned with law and order had made it a point to buy a 10 to 15-acre estate practically in every area he served during his career. He is also said to be the proud owner of a number of tourist hotels in various parts of the country. Many inquisitive ones in the department are trying to find the answer to the question: How could this white-collar one acquire such valuable assets running into billions of rupees with the typical public servants pay they were drawing? By the way, the better half of the lucky white-collar one on receiving an order transferring her to another office recently had called on the top team member in charge of the subject of transport and shed enough tears to melt his heart. The secret behind the phenomenal material success of the couple lies hidden within the four walls of the office the lady was working, they say. Sixty-nine years after separating from India, a rogue nation with an increasingly backward-looking and Islamist population lives in hostility with its neighbours, pursuing a primitive fantasy of monocultural isolation. I am, of course, referring to the British who are, today, the Pakistanis of Europe. Having cynically encouraged Muslim separatism to undermine India's independence movement, it is a great irony that the UK so clearly mirrors the Land Of The Pure now that it has achieved its own Partition via the Brexit referendum. Both states are artificial constructs well past expiry, fractured by secessionist forces as the Scots and the Balochis inch towards freedom. Minorities live in fear in both - racist attacks are now regular in Britain - steeped as they are in deluded notions of exceptionalism and a brainless pining for past empires. The loss of the Raj hurts the British as much as the decline of the Mughals does Pakistan. Both nations exist in retrospect, unable to conceive of the world and future other than through a nostalgic projection of the past. These simple mono-dimensional peoples have together enjoyed an easy historic rapport while, unable to fathom the depth and complexity of India, have treated her with condescension and suspicion. For decades after 1947, the British expected their fellow monotheists to wholly surpass the incomprehensible and seemingly disparate pagans of Hindustan. Without imperial glory to boost their esteem and give them an identity, these twin societies now increasingly seek shape and comfort in conservative Islam. British women flock to the faith to escape the boozy menopausal despair that consumes so many in an inebriated culture in which gender-relations have disintegrated and family breakdown is the norm, finding structure and purpose in following the Sharia under the firm supervision of a Muslim husband. Among Britain's rapidly growing three-million-strong Muslim population - that has doubled in merely a decade - there is a rising incidence of desert traditions: burkas, polygamy and triple talaq, forced marriages and, of course, jihadism. The spiritual and demographic destiny of post-Brexit Britain is not an independent Anglo-Saxon resurgence but, more likely, a political and economic union with Pakistan - its soulmate among nations. Since the 1990s, the two countries have been major contributors to the jihadi cause. A thousand Brits are believed to have joined ISIS. With 60-times more Muslims, India has sent them only 23. UK PM Theresa May will be in India soon. (Photo credit: India Today) British intelligence admitted that 4,000 UK citizens went to fight with the Taliban, while not one of India's 180 million Muslims was among those foreign jihadis captured by NATO, despite their country being a comparative stone's throw from Afghanistan. This high-concentrate fanaticism is proof that Britain, like Pakistan, poses a far graver danger to the civilised world than India ever will. Britain's emulation of Pakistan is so profound that neurotic Pakistani anti-semitism is mainstream politics here. The Labour Party, beholden to the Pakistani bloc-vote, has nurtured anti-Jewish sentiments for years, and Labour politicians of Pakistani extraction make the same lunatic claims about Jews as the rabid illiterate imbeciles who gather for ISI-staged rallies in Rawalpindi. This week, Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister, will visit India. Given this present state of affairs and the boggy no-man's-land Britain finds itself in, having declared a Brexit but not yet executed it, India should treat the British in a new way: that is, like Pakistanis. As Indians know, the Pakistani state responds most productively to muscular diplomacy laced with a healthy dose of contempt. Any extension of respect is taken as weakness and exploited. The British are the same. Now that India's polity is no longer the preserve of Doon and Mayo types with a colonial affinity with Britain, it is time to emulate the Chinese, American and the EU's stony disdain for this declining power. Future trade deals, support for a permanent seat on the Security Council, and a host of other useful ends can be met by simply regarding the British with some derision. The British love being looked down on. They are, by nature, a servile people still clinging to a medieval social order that is lorded over by a monarchy. Their Upper House is not only unelected but substantially hereditary. One only has to watch ten minutes of Downton Abbey to know the subservient masochistic bliss they derive from keeping to their allotted place in the hierarchy while relishing their superiors' haughty disgust for them. Like its Pakistani soulmate, British democracy is merely a camouflage for feudalism. And the myriad unspoken codes and etiquettes of its class-system - ignorance of which exposes one's rank and risks humiliation - exist simply to enable the British to savour every expression of contempt imagineable. Contempt is Britain's lifeblood: it flows from the throne downwards, to be eagerly lapped up and added to by those in each tier below. This is why immigrants are so disliked in the UK: their ambition and individualism challenges the painfully constipated status quo, filling the Brits with with shame and terror as they sense how far history has accelerated away from them. Like Pakistan, Britain is a self-loathing nation whose reality falls far short of its estimation of itself: psychologically this makes them a people who cannot respect those who show them respect. And, odd as it might feel after nearly 70 years of being respectful, Indians too should adopt the hauteur with which President Barack Obama addresses the British. He not only explicitly told them to not vote for Brexit but has since poured scorn on their "mistake" and scolded them for disobeying him. Patronising the British has, for decades, been an unshakeable pillar of American foreign policy, and has done much to prevent Brexit being enacted so far. Throughout his visit to the UK last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping wore an expression of disgusted boredom as the British fawned and left no expense spared to give him a pomp-filled state visit that included carriage rides with the Queen and a lavish banquet at which he seemed to be asleep. Her Majesty was later recorded bitching about the extreme rudeness of the Chinese entourage who made inordinate demands of their hosts. This outright contempt won China a fat slice of the UK electricity sector: the nuclear reactor they will build will allow the Chinese to milk the British public for untold billions of pounds for decades to come. And now the EU is giving the Brits a tight slap on a daily basis, as one European leader or other declares how brutally they will hardball them during Brexit negotiations. A price of 25 billion has been quoted simply as the fee for leaving. And should Britain depart, it will then have to strike a trade deal with a global economic superpower with a GDP seven-times larger than its own: not a fair fight. With only two years to agree one, the Europeans only have to let the timer run out and the British will sign any last-minute offer that is thrown at them. The Japanese have also joined in the browbeating. Their government issued a humiliating list of demands the UK must meet if Japanese investment is to continue after Brexit, while Nissan hinted at leaving the country should its profits be damaged. The British government has given the necessary assurances and the carmaker is staying put - for now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has begun India's long-overdue self-assertion in the world. His nationalist government pays, quite rightly, less lip-service to the history India shares with Britain than any before, and should now be even bolder in muscling the British into assisting India's ambitions. News / Education by Stephen Jakes Mthwakazi Academic College an educational institution founded to help people of Mthwakazi acquire educational qualifications has finally been opened according to a senior official.The institution is based in South Africa.In notice to prospective students, college's chief Executive Officer Dr Mpiyesizwe Churchill Guduza said the doors of learning are finally open at Mthwakazi Academic College (MAC)."We are delighted, as this great institution of historic proportions embarks on an uncharted journey with optimism, dedication and absolute commitment to efficiency and effectiveness considerations. It is therefore my great pleasure on behalf of the people of Mthwakazi, to welcome you to this great people's institution. It is indeed a very special occasion, witnessed by the smiling Gods, in view of the resilience that we endured for such a long time under conditions of serfdom and savageness, to be able to rise again full of confidence in charting our own destiny and future through education," Guduza said."The establishment of this MAC makes a clear distinction between subjugation and freedom. It is on these terms that your attention is cordially drawn to the attached Registration Information which should help you complete the enrollment process ONLINE with immediate effect. We truly hope that you will share in the vision of MAC - and support its development as a cornerstone of a new reality that seeks nothing else, but the freedom and development of all the marginalised people of this world."He said such support should result in the establishment of Satellite Centres in most of Africa, including in Bulawayo, Gaborone, and at the heart of the colonial mind, London."Wishing you the best academic discourse, intellectual development and interrogation at MAC in the years ahead," he said.Below are the accreditation details and programmes offered by the institution:ACCREDITATION INSTITUTION: ATHE (AWARDS FOR TRAINING AND HIGHER EDUCATION) IN THE UNITED KINGDOMACCREDITATED COURSES ON OFFER FOR NOW UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:* ATHE Level 4 Certificate in Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 4 Diploma in Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 4 Extended Diploma in Management (QFC),* ATHE Level 4 Diploma in Computing (QCF),* ATHE Level 4 Extended Diploma in Computing (QCF),* ATHE Level 5 Certificate in Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 5 Diploma in Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 5 Extended Diploma in Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 6 Diploma in Business and Administration Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 6 Extended Diploma in Business and Administration Management (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Award in Programme Leadership (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Award in Sustainable Business Strategy (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Certificate in Developing Organisational Vision and Strategic Direction (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Certificate in Finance for Strategic Managers (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Certificate in Management of Continuous Organisational Improvement (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Certificate in Research for Senior Managers (QCF),* ATHE Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Managers (QFC), and* ATHE Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management (QFC).3. FEESThe structure of fees is competitive ranging from R28,000 (twenty eight thousand rand) to R45,000 (forty five thousand rand).4. ENTRY REQUIREMENTSThese qualifications are designed for learners who are typically 19 (nineteen) years old and above, in terms of which:* They should be available to everyone who is capable of reaching the required standards,* They should be free from any barriers that restrict access and progression,* There should be equal opportunities for all those wishing to access these qualifications.5. ENROLLMENTApplications should be submitted on line with immediate effect so as to effect enrollment without delay. Students' applications will be captured and processed online monthly with immediate effect. It is noteworthy that all the information required by the student is available on login.6. CONCLUSION"Finally, in presenting this call for enrollment to you, the student, it is hoped that Mthwakazi Academic College will make an original contribution to knowledge, especially regarding the marginalized communities throughout Africa, which have not moved an inch since European decolonization," Guduza said. Delek US Holdings, Inc. engages in the integrated downstream energy business in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Refining, Logistics, and Retail. The Refining segment processes crude oil and other feedstock for the manufacture of various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, asphalt, and other petroleum-based products that are distributed through owned and third-party product terminal. It owns and operates four independent refineries located in Tyler, Texas; El Dorado, Arkansas; Big Spring, Texas; and Krotz Springs, Louisiana, as well as three biodiesel facilities in Crossett, Arkansas, Cleburne, Texas, and New Albany. The Logistics segment gathers, transports, and stores crude oil, intermediate, and refined products; and markets, distributes, transports, and stores refined products for third parties. It owns or leases capacity on approximately 400 miles of crude oil transportation pipelines, approximately 450 miles of refined product pipelines, an approximately 900-mile crude oil gathering system, and associated crude oil storage tanks with an aggregate of approximately 10.2 million barrels of active shell capacity; and owns and operates ten light product distribution terminals, as well as markets light products using third-party terminals. The Retail segment owns and leases 248 convenience store sites located primarily in West Texas and New Mexico. Its convenience stores offer various grades of gasoline and diesel under the DK or Alon brand; and food products and service, tobacco products, non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, and general merchandise, as well as money orders to the public primarily under the 7-Eleven and DK or Alon brand names. It serves oil companies, independent refiners and marketers, jobbers, distributors, utility and transportation companies, the U.S. government, and independent retail fuel operators. Delek US Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee. Motorola Solutions, Inc. provides mission critical communications and analytics in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation, and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Its land mobile radio communications and video security and access control devices include two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras, and accessories; radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters; and video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions. The Software and Services segment provides repair, technical support, and hardware maintenance services. This segment also offers monitoring, software updates, and cybersecurity services; and public safety and enterprise command center software, unified communications applications, and video software solutions through on-premise and as a service. It serves government, public safety, and commercial customers. The company was formerly known as Motorola, Inc. and changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. in January 2011. Motorola Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, investment, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities. In addition, the company provides investment management services for institutional pension fund mandates; and manages various retail investment products, including investment funds, unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and individual savings accounts for third-party financial institutions, pension funds, public sector organizations, investment professionals, and private investors. It markets its products through a network of insurance brokers, as well as MyAviva platform. The company was formerly known as CGNU plc and changed its name to Aviva plc in July 2002. Aviva plc was founded in 1696 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. The following companies are subsidiares of NOV: APL France SAS, APL Norway AS, APL do Brasil Ltda., ASEP Otomotiv Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Acker Holdings LLC, Ackerman Holdings C.V., Ackerman Holdings GP LLC, Advanced Production and Loading, Advanced Wirecloth S. de R.L. de C.V., American Pipe and Construction International, Ameron B.V., Ameron International, Ameron International Corporation, Ameron Pole Products LLC, Ameron Polyplaster Industria E Comercio de Tubos Ltda., Ameron Singapore Holding LLC, Andergauge Limited, Andergauge Redback LLC, Arabian Rig Manufacturing Company, Big Red Tubulars Limited, Bondstrand Ltd., Brandt Oilfield Services (M) Sdn. Bhd., C.M.A. Canavera S.R.L., CJSC Fidmash, CJSC Novmash, Chemineer Inc., Coil Services Middle East LLC, Cooperatie Intelliserv Holding U.A., Cooperatie NOV NL U.A., Danco AS, Elmar Far East Pty Ltd, Enerflow Industries, Environmental Procedures LLC, Fiber Glass Systems (Qingdao) Composite Piping Co. Ltd., Fiber Glass Systems L.P., Fiber Glass Systems Oman L.L.C., Fiberspar, Fiberspar Australia Pty. Ltd., Fibra Ingenieria y Construccion S.A., FidService LLC, Fjords Processing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing AS, Fjords Processing Australia Pty Ltd, Fjords Processing France SAS, Fjords Processing Korea Co. Ltd., Fjords Processing Limited, Fjords Processing Middle East DMCC, Fjords Processing UK Ltd., Fryma S.a.r.l., GPEX L.P., Grant Prideco (Jiangsu) Drilling Products Co. Ltd, Grant Prideco (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Grant Prideco III C. V., Grant Prideco Inc., Grant Prideco Jersey Limited, Grant Prideco Mauritius Limited, Grant Prideco Netherlands B.V., Grant Prideco PC Composites Holdings LLC, Grant Prideco S. de R.L. de C.V., Grant Prideco de Venezuela S.A., GustoMSC B.V., Hebei Huayouyiji Tuboscope Coating Co. Ltd., Hydralift AmClyde Inc., Hydralift France SAS, Inspecciones y Pruebas No Destructivas S. de R.L. de C.V., IntelliServ Norway AS, Intelliserv GP Holdings LLC, Intelliserv Inc., Intelliserv International Holding Ltd, Intelliserv LLC, JiangYin Tuboscope Tubular Development Co. Ltd, Keystone Tower Systems Inc., MSI Pipe Protection Technologies UK Limited, Merpro Group Limited, Midsund Bruk AS, Mono Group Pension Trustees Limited, Mono Pumps New Zealand Company, Monoflo NOV S.A.I.C., Moyno Inc., NKT Flexibles I/S, NOV (Asia) Inc., NOV (Barbados) Holding SRL, NOV (Barbados) SRL, NOV (Caymans) Ltd., NOV (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., NOV - Oil Services Angola LDA., NOV APL Limited, NOV Africa Pty Ltd, NOV Australia Pty Ltd, NOV Azerbaijan LLC, NOV Brandt Europe France, NOV Brandt Oilfield Services Middle East LLC, NOV CAPS Pte. Ltd., NOV CV1 GP LLC, NOV CV2 GP LLC, NOV Canada ULC, NOV Completion Tools LLC, NOV Completion and Production Solutions Korea Ltd., NOV Denmark Cooperatief U.A., NOV Downhole Argentina LLC, NOV Downhole Bolivia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Colombia LLC, NOV Downhole Comercializacao de Equipamentos para Petroleo Ltda., NOV Downhole Congo LLC, NOV Downhole Eurasia Limited, NOV Downhole Italia S.R.L., NOV Downhole Kazakhstan LLC, NOV Downhole Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Downhole Pty Ltd, NOV Downhole Thailand LLC, NOV EU Acquisition SNC, NOV Elmar (Middle East) Limited, NOV Eurasia Holding LLC, NOV Expatriate Services Inc., NOV FGS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, NOV FGS Singapore (Pte.) Ltd, NOV Flexibles Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Flexibles Holding ApS, NOV Fluid Control B.V., NOV GEO GP LLC, NOV GEO LP1 C.V., NOV GEO LP1 LLC, NOV GEO LP2 C.V., NOV GEO LP2 LLC, NOV Gabon SARL, NOV Germany GmbH, NOV Germany Holding GmbH, NOV Ghana Limited, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Equipment Manufacturing LLC, NOV Grant Prideco Drilling Products Middle East FZE, NOV Grant Prideco L.L.C., NOV Holding Danmark ApS, NOV Holding Sub UK 1 Limited, NOV Holding UK 1 Limited, NOV Holding UK 2 Limited, NOV Holdings B.V., NOV India Private Limited, NOV Intelliserv UK Limited, NOV International Holdings C.V., NOV International Holdings GP LLC, NOV International Holdings LLC, NOV Intervention & Stimulation Equipment US LLC, NOV Intervention and Stimulation Equipment Aftermarket Comercio de Equipamentos e Servicos Ltda., NOV Kenya Limited, NOV Kostroma LLC, NOV Kuwait Light & Heavy Equipment Repairing & Maintenance Co., NOV LP (Trading) LLC, NOV MFG India Private Limited, NOV Mexico Holding LLC, NOV Middle East FZCO, NOV Mozambique Limitada, NOV NL Mexico Holding B.V., NOV Oil & Gas Services Egypt (S.A.E), NOV Oil & Gas Services Senegal S.A.R.L., NOV Oil & Gas Services Uganda Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Ghana Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services Nigeria Limited, NOV Oil and Gas Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Tanzania Limited, NOV Oilfield Services Vostok LLC, NOV Oilfield Solutions Ltd., NOV Park II B.V., NOV Process & Flow Technologies AS, NOV Process & Flow Technologies Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies Pte. Ltd., NOV Process & Flow Technologies UK Limited, NOV QFZ LLC, NOV Rig Solutions Pte. Ltd., NOV Romania LLC, NOV Saudi Arabia Co. Ltd., NOV Saudi Arabia Trading Co., NOV Services Ltd., NOV Servicios de Personal Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., NOV Tanajib Kuwait for Services and Maintenance of Oil Rigs Refineries and Petrochemicals W.L.L., NOV Tuboscope Italia S.R.L., NOV Tuboscope Middle East LLC, NOV Tuboscope NL B.V., NOV Tubulars and Connectors Ltd., NOV UK (Angola Acquisitions) Limited, NOV UK Finance Limited, NOV UK Holdings LLC, NOV UK Holdings Limited, NOV UK Korea LP, NOV Wellbore Technologies Norway LLC, NOV Wellbore Technologies do Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Ltda., NOV Wellsite Services Germany GmbH, NOV Worldwide B.V., NOV-BLM SAS, NOVM Holding LLC, NOW International LLC, NOW Nova Scotia Holdings LLC, NOW Oilfield Services LLC, NQL Holland B.V., National Oilwell (U.K.) Limited, National Oilwell Algerie, National Oilwell Varco (Beijing) Investment Management Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco (Thailand) Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Algeria, National Oilwell Varco Almansoori Services, National Oilwell Varco Bahrain WLL, National Oilwell Varco Belgium SA, National Oilwell Varco Denmark I/S, National Oilwell Varco Egypt LLC, National Oilwell Varco Eurasia LLC, National Oilwell Varco Guatemala Limitada, National Oilwell Varco Guyana Inc., National Oilwell Varco Hungary Limited Liability Company, National Oilwell Varco Korea Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco L.P., National Oilwell Varco MSW S.A., National Oilwell Varco Mexico S.A. de C.V., National Oilwell Varco Muscat L.L.C., National Oilwell Varco Norway AS, National Oilwell Varco Peru S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Petroleum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Poland Sp.z.o.o., National Oilwell Varco Pte. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Rig Equipment Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., National Oilwell Varco Romania S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco Solutions S.A. de C.V., National Oilwell Varco UK Limited, National Oilwell Varco Ukraine LLC, National Oilwell Varco de Bolivia S.R.L., National Oilwell Varco de Chile - Servicios Limitada, National Oilwell Varco do Brasil Ltda., National Oilwell de Venezuela C.A., National-Oilwell Pte. Ltd., National-Oilwell Pty. Ltd., PT Fjords Processing Indonesia, PT H-Tech Oilfield Equipment, PT NOV Oilfield Services, PT National Oilwell Varco, PT PROFAB INDONESIA, Pesaka Inspection Services SDN.BHD., Pipex Limited, Pipex PX Limited, Pridecomex Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., R&M Energy Systems Australia Pty Ltd, R&M Energy Systems de Argentina S.A., R&M Energy Systems de Venezuela C.A., R&M Singapore Holding LLC, RE.MAC.UT. S.r.l., RHI Holding LLC, ReedHycalog International Holding LLC, ReedHycalog L.P., ReedHycalog LLC, ReedHycalog UK Limited, Robannic Overseas Finance A.V.V., Robbins & Myers B.V., Robbins & Myers Foundation, Robbins & Myers GP LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings LLC, Robbins & Myers Holdings UK Limited, Robbins & Myers Inc, Robbins & Myers Inc., Robbins & Myers Italia S.R.L., Robbins & Myers N.V., Rodic S.A. de C.V., Romaco S.a.r.l., STAR Sudamtex Tubulares S.A., STSA, Screen Manufacturing Company Unlimited, Slip Clutch Systems Limited, South Seas Inspection, Subseaflex Holding ApS, T-3 Energy Preferred Industries Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., T-3 Energy Services Cayman Holdings Ltd., T-3 Energy Services Cayman Ltd., T-3 Energy Services LLC, T-3 Energy Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., T-3 Investment Corporation IV, T-3 Mexican Holdings Inc., Telluride Insurance Limited, Tianjin Grant TPCO Drilling Tools Company Limited, Tuboscope & Co. LLC, Tuboscope (Holding U.S.) LLC, Tuboscope Brandt de Venezuela S.A., Tuboscope Norge AS, Tuboscope Vetco (France) SAS, Tuboscope Vetco (Osterreich) GmbH, Tuboscope Vetco Capital Limited, Tuboscope Vetco Moscow CJSC, Tuboscope Vetco de Argentina S.A., Tubular Coatings Solutions Ltd., Tucom Composites Polyester Sanayi Ticaret Ltd., Urban WLY LP, Varco BJ B.V., Varco CIS LLC, Varco International de Venezuela C.A., Varco L.P., Varco US Holdings LLC, Vetco Enterprise GmbH, Vetco Saudi Arabia Ltd., Visible Assets Inc., Wilson International, Woolley Inc., XL Systems Antilles N.V., XL Systems Europe B.V., XL Systems International Inc., voestalpine Tubulars Corporation, voestalpine Tubulars GmbH, and voestalpine Tubulars GmbH & Co KG. Read More Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Gatestone Institute..30 October '16..This has become predictable. Given two minutes of breath, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas resorts to the old tactic of courting Hamas as a way of hiding from the disaffection of his own Fatah faction. The overtures towards Hamas are a smokescreen for what many Palestinians are beginning to perceive as the beginning of a revolt against Abbas.Last week, Abbas held a surprise meeting in Qatar with Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khaled Mashaal. The meeting reportedly considered ways of ending the longstanding dispute between Fatah and Hamas and achieving "national reconciliation."Abbas aides said the meeting also dealt with the possibility of forming a Palestinian "national unity" government and holding long-overdue presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.The unexpected meeting was held under the auspices of the rulers of Qatar, a country that has long been the Number One sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood organization, of which Hamas is an offshoot.The surprising nature of the meeting between Abbas and the Hamas leaders makes sense: for one thing, the two sides had, prior to the encounter, denied that it would take place.Moreover, the meeting came only weeks after Fatah and Hamas traded allegations over the cancellation of the Palestinian municipal election, supposed to be held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on October 8. Tensions between the two rival parties have since been mounting over the cancellation of the local election, with each side holding the other responsible for "foiling the democratic, electoral process."So what is really behind Abbas's latest decision to throw himself into the open arms of Hamas? Is the PA president suddenly smitten with genuine concern for "national reconciliation", or did something else prompt him to rush to Qatar? Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman as an investment bank catering to institutions and businesses. Among the firm's first products are the revolutionary use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs which opened a new method of finance for business and industry. The original firm expanded to Goldman Sachs in 1882 with the inclusion of son-in-law Samuel Sachs and again in 1885 with a son and another son-in-law. The firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 expanding into trading of its own and in 1898 it was worth $1.6 million. The company began its work in the IPO market in 1906 with the initial public offering of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and then moved on to Ford and other prominent names of the time. The 1930s brings a change of leadership and a new direction for the firm. The company shifted toward a purer play on investment banking and embarks on a campaign of acquisition that lasted until the present day. The company doesnt go public itself until 1999 and from that point on it will change into a bank holding company that not only offers investment banking services but takes deposits too, and in 2016 the company added consumer banking to its list of services. Today, Goldman Sachs is a financial institution that provides a range of financial services for corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The company operates through four segments that include Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. According to US banking regulations, it is systemically important to the financial health of America. The company is headquartered in New York, New York, and operates 6 regional headquarters as well. Regional headquarters are located in financial hotspots such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore, and Warsaw. Among its many prominent CEOs are John Corzine and Hank Paulson who both went on to successful work in government. The company's Investment Banking segment provides a full range of financial advisory services as well as underwriting for the public markets. The financial advisory services include but are not limited to strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, restructuring, and spin-offs. This segment is also engaged in middle-market lending and transaction banking. Underwriting services include IPOs, preferred stock, debt instruments, and bridge loans. Goldman Sachs Global Markets segment facilitates market transactions for institutions, banks, brokerages, corporations, and governments. Services include execution, derivatives, financing, clearing, settlement, and custody. The Asset Management segment manages client portfolios across the investment spectrum while the Consumer & Wealth Management segment provides advisory and banking services to consumers. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Commentary Magazine..01 November '16..If journalist-activist Rania Khalek did not exist, someone would have to invent her.A prominent supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, she has proven herself unable to maintain the distinction between the Zionists and Jews, which BDS supporters insist that they carefully make. In December 2013, in the Electronic Intifada, Khalek proposed that the left-wing journal The Nation has a problem with Palestinians. Why? It hosted a forum on the boycott movement that included four Jews and one Palestinian. Never mind that a majority of the panel favored the boycott. Jew-counting is the best way to determine a journals stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.The BDS movement also wants to deny that it really singles out the Jewish state. True, BDS supporters say, not all the worlds suffering takes place on the West Bank. But, whether because Israel and the U.S. have a special relationship, or because better things are expected of Israel than an Iran or Syria, Israel should be subjected to special pressure. To put it another way, because Israel is not a pariah state, it should be treated more harshly than pariah states.But Khalek is incapable of walking even this line. A week ago, reporting from Lebanon, she seemed shocked that people there seem more consumed with Syria and ISIS than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In other words, it is not only Americans who have a special relationship with Israel, or those otherwise inclined to think well of Israel, who should focus on Israel instead of on conflicts that have already taken hundreds of thousands of lives. Rather, everyone, including those who actually live in a region falling apart for reasons that have nothing to do with Israel, is expected to focus on BDS.Khalek has perhaps now gone too far even for her allies. Although she insists that all right-thinking people must boycott conferences that take place in Israel, she is in Syria to attend a conference in Damascus on The Ramifications of War in Syria. Its no mystery why the organizers of the conference invited Khalekwho thinks the Western media narrative is tilted against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assadto speak on the effects of sanctions on Syria. It is more of a mystery why a woman who thinks chefs should spurn an event in Tel Aviv for fear of legitimizing Israel agreed to speak at a conference that also has Assad regime officials on its roster.It is a mystery, that is, if you buy the line of BDS activists that they are after Israel because they care so much about human rights.Khalek, who grudgingly withdrew her name from the program after her participation was exposed, was too late to save herself. She has parted ways with the BDS vehicle, the Electronic Intifada, for whom she served as associate editor.But Khalek is not a marginal figure within BDS. She has lectured or been a panelist at events at Columbia University UC Berkeley , and Arizona State , among other venues.The BDS movement is going to find it hard to disown her. State water quality officials are asking Lake Monticellos water and sewer provider for more information on what caused a pipe break that spewed wastewater into a tributary stream. The request follows up on an incident letter sent to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality by provider Aqua Virginia after the break was discovered and repaired. A DEQ investigator was at the site Monday to do a personal inspection of the break and repair, officials said. Were requesting some additional information on the cause of the failure and some details on the coupling: why it broke and how it was repaired, said Brandon D. Kiracofe, of the DEQ. We want to get a handle on what can be done to keep this from happening again at this and other locations. Water quality tests show Lake Monticellos waters were not severely impacted by a broken sewer line that spewed sewage into the 350-acre lake, according to the Lake Monticello Owners Association. According to the association, the level of E. coli was far below the states limit of 88 parts per 100 milliliters. The tests showed the levels at the lakes Beach 4 were 9 parts per 100 milliliters. Jackson Cove, near where the broken pipe was discovered, was tested at 27 parts per 100 milliliters, and no E. coli was detected at the Lake Monticello spillway. The levels of E. coli at Lake Monticello are comparable to what would be seen in a pristine stream, said Judy Fish, of the association. These low E. coli levels are well under the Virginia Department of Health guidance for a swim advisory. Typically, tests are run for E. coli, a type of bacteria found in the stomachs of most warm-blooded animals and in sewage, because it is easily detected and its source is more easily traced. Neither the DEQ nor the Virginia Department of Health issued no-swim orders for the lake. A significant sewage impact would have resulted in E. coli levels well over the swim advisory standard, Fish said. The leak was found Oct. 24 by a team of Rivanna Conservation Alliance StreamWatch volunteers who were sampling fauna and flora in tributary streams in more remote areas of the lake. They came upon a sample near Jackson Cove that contained unusually low levels of insect life in Lake Monticello. StreamWatch volunteers found tubifex worms in the samples. Also known as sewer worms or blood worms, they thrive in wastewater. The worms, and lung breathing snails that are also often seen as a sign of organic pollution, were the only creatures in the samples. The more bugs we find and the more diverse the bugs, the better the water quality is, said alliance director Robbi Savage. Unlike fish, bugs cant go anywhere, so if the water quality goes down, they just die. And thats what happened here. The volunteers followed the stream to a broken sewer pipe that runs behind homes on Blacksmith Terrace, according to a letter to the DEQ filed Oct. 27 by Aqua Virginia. Pictures of the site show a PVC pipe and metal pipe that became disconnected. Aqua Virginia officials said the pipes were reconnected with a coupling about an hour after crews found the leak. The exact duration or volume of the overflow prior to notification is unknown. Untreated wastewater discharged during this event did reach waters of the commonwealth. However, no fish kill was observed, states the letter, written by Bradley A. Campbell, company compliance coordinator. Lake Monticello contains some 22 miles of shoreline and the subdivisions wastewater system has an estimated 75 miles of collection pipe with 2,000 manholes. The water and sewer facilities serve only the subdivision and nearby properties. Aqua Virginia officials said recent flow from the collection system typically ranges between 600,000 to 700,000 gallons per day in a system that was mostly built in the 1970s. The specific age of the pipe that broke and how long it was broken is unknown, the company said. Officials said the company has been monitoring and evaluating the waste-collection system to identify areas in need of repair but didnt notice the break. The company estimates it has spent about $28 million on both water and wastewater systems in Lake Monticello since purchasing the system in 2003. A former Downtown Mall business owner who made headlines this summer after a dramatic but brief departure from the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville is facing scrutiny once again, this time from the 5th Congressional District Republican nominee Tom Garrett Jr. George Benford, the former owner of the now-closed Siips Wine and Champagne Bar, is being accused by Garrett, a state senator representing the 22nd District, of attempting to fool district constituents and his opponent, Democratic candidate Jane Dittmar, the former Albemarle County Board of Supervisors chairwoman. In a news release Monday, Garretts campaign questioned whether Benford is actually a Republican, a claim he makes in a new television ad supporting Dittmar. While the new ad shows Benford saying hes a lifelong Republican, Virginia Public Access Project disclosures show that both Benford and his wife, Patricia, owner of Travel by Patty Benford, have contributed more than $2,500 exclusively to Democratic candidates in local and state elections over the last 15 years. On Monday, Benford disputed Garretts claims about him not being a Republican. Claiming to have previously voted for the districts retiring Republican congressman, Robert Hurt, Benford said he supports Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump but favors Dittmar in the 5th District race. When asked why he is supporting Trump, he said he could not bring himself to support Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, saying he has no respect for her. Benford, a self-described moderate Republican, said the financial disclosures dont include his contributions to Republican presidential candidates. With the exception of supporting Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election, Benford said he has always voted for Republican presidential candidates. I have been a Republican for more than 40 years. I dont know how much more Republican I can be, he said. Everyone in the city knows Im a Republican. Nearly $1,100 of the $2,625 that Benford, his wife and her company contributed went to local elections that includes $200 for Dittmars 2013 campaign for the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. The other $800 went to Democratic candidates for City Council, including $150 for Mayor Mike Signer, $225 and $250 for Councilors Wes Bellamy and Kathy Galvin, respectively, and $250 for failed council candidate Melvin Grady. Benford said it is smart business to support candidates he thinks can effectively represent constituents, regardless of their party affiliation. Benford said that would explain why he and his wife contributed a combined $550 to Del. David J. Toscano, D-Charlottesville, in 2009, when he defeated independent challenger Robert Brandon Smith III. In other cases, such as when he donated $300 in 2008 to the gubernatorial campaign of Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath County, just months before Deeds won the June 2009 Democratic primary, Benford said he decided to support him because of a personal affinity for Deeds. In addition, Benford and his wife donated $200 and $500, respectively, to committees associated with Virginia Sen. Mark R. Warner in 2001, when Warner defeated then-Republican Attorney General Mark Earley to become governor. Benford said those were the only times he supported a Democrat for governor. When asked why his Facebook account has his political affiliation listed as Independent, Benford said his voting record since returning to Charlottesville from West Virginia in 2007 reflects a nonpartisan stance. He added that in recent elections, especially in local contests, his choices have been limited. Im not pulling the wool over anyones eyes, he said. Everything Ive said is absolutely correct. Later Monday, the Garrett campaign sent a second release, saying Benford registered to vote in the Democratic primaries in 2009, 2013 and 2015. However, he did register to vote in the Republican primary in 2012, when Democratic President Barack Obama was uncontested by a Democratic challenger. Genni Cox, communications director for the Dittmar campaign, indicated Monday that Dittmar will not heed Garretts call for a retraction of the advertisement featuring Benford saying hes a Republican. Referencing a recent donation by the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC to his campaign, Cox said: Its obvious that Senator Garrett is trying to distract from the fact that hes been bought and paid for by the $800,000 of dark money being poured into his campaign. A Dittmar release sent Monday also makes accusations of misleading advertising, particularly in one Garrett ad funded by CLF that says Dittmars plan to combat terrorism in the Middle East consists of a public relations campaign. The release says that is false and that Dittmar has discussed the need for coordinated actions amongst global leaders to contain and defeat ISIS. The Dittmar campaign also blasted Garrett for recently accepting $1,000 from a political action committee associated with the Timken Company, a global bearings and components manufacturer that recently announced it would be closing its plant in Altavista next year, leaving about 100 employees without work. While Benford is no longer the owner of a business in the city, he is currently the co-chairman of downtown business association. Earlier this year, he submitted a resignation letter amid accusations of misrepresenting the downtown business community as a legal battle over rates at the Water Street Parking Garage raged between the city and Charlottesville Parking Center. Benford eventually retracted his resignation, and both he and business owner Joan Fenton were appointed as co-chairs. In a phone interview Monday, Fenton said Benford has told her hes a lifelong Republican. She said his support for local Democrats is understandable, as business owners with DBAC work in tandem with elected officials to promote commerce. She added that he disclosed his political affiliations to her sometime ago. When he first told me, I was shocked, she said. But its not something Ive just recently heard. Benford said Monday that if Hurt were running for re-election, he would consider voting for him. However, given that hes known Dittmar for several years in his capacity as a civic-minded downtown business owner, he said he would be supporting her instead of Garrett. Citing her record on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, Benford said he thinks Dittmar has shown she can compromise with the opposite party. I feel thats so important in our politics today, to have people who are not so wedded to one side, he said. We need people who are going to work together. KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. With just a week to go, Donald Trump strove to blend a quieter, presidential tone with his usual tough rhetoric Tuesday, warning that a Hillary Clinton presidency would "destroy American health care forever." Clinton pushed back with a scathing effort to remind swing state voters about her Republican opponent's degrading comments about women. The White House contenders clashed from afar Clinton in battleground Florida and Trump in Pennsylvania with the sprint to next Tuesday's finish well underway. For Trump, the day's appearance marked a sharp shift from his standard brash tone as he delivered carefully scripted remarks focused on health care. He cautioned that Clinton's plan to strengthen "Obamacare" would lead to dire consequences, although he offered few specifics about his own plan. "If we don't repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever," Trump charged. He also promised, if elected, to call a special session of Congress to replace the law. Congress would already be in session when the next president takes office, however, raising the question of just what he meant. Still, frustrated Republicans were encouraged that Trump was focusing on policy prescriptions for one afternoon, at least after a roller-coaster campaign marked by self-created controversy and political missteps. Clinton worked to ensure battleground state voters would not forget Trump's most damaging moments six days before the election. Alicia Machado, a former beauty queen who Trump previously described as "Miss Piggy," was scheduled to introduce the Democratic nominee in Florida. Trump spent several days in late September assailing the winner of his 1996 Miss Universe pageant, encouraging his Twitter followers this fall to view her "sex tape," although none exists. The Machado appearance was in line with Clinton's broader closing argument against Trump. Clinton, as has been all but overlooked in recent months, would be the nation's first female president. Trump has faced allegations of sexual misconduct that complicated his struggle to win over women in both parties. Clinton unveiled a new television ad Tuesday highlighting Trump's history of sexist statements, including his remark caught in a 2005 video that he kissed women and grabbed their genitals without permission. "Anyone who does what he does is unfit to be president," reads the final scene of the ad, which Clinton's campaign says will run across eight battleground states. At the same time, both sides sparred over the recent revelation that FBI investigators were again probing Clinton's email practices. A lawyer for Clinton aide Huma Abedin said Tuesday that her client learned from media reports last Friday that a laptop belonging to her estranged husband, Anthony Weiner, might contain some of her emails. The attorney said Abedin has not been contacted by the FBI about the development but she would cooperate if asked. The revelation put Democrats on the defensive, at least briefly, and hurt Clinton's plans to promote a positive message over the campaign's final week. Yet neither Republican nor Democratic operatives view the news as a game-changer in the race for Senate control. The balance of power in Congress could have profound consequences for the future of health care in America, among other policy debates. Trump on Tuesday promised to replace the federal health care law with health care savings accounts, while allowing states to craft their own Medicaid programs to cover the poor. The nonpartisan Center for Health and Economy determined this summer that Trump's proposal would make 18 million people uninsured, while also lowering premiums significantly for policies purchased directly by consumers. The nonpartisan Commonwealth Fund predicted that 20 million people would lose coverage under Trump's plan while Clinton's would add coverage for 9 million. Trump on Tuesday seized on projections of sharp health care cost increases as he campaigned in Pennsylvania, a state where some premiums are expected to rise by more than 40 percent. Trump was introduced by his running mate Mike Pence, who expanded Medicaid coverage as part of Obama's law as Indiana governor. Pence called Obamacare "a crushing weight" on the American economy. "We're going to pull it off the market so it stops burning up our wallets," he declared. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who has been silent on Trump's candidacy in recent weeks, told Fox News that electing Clinton and a Democratic-controlled Congress would be "the worst of all possible things." "For those of us who lived through the 1990s, it's sort of a feeling like deja vu," Ryan said. "This is what life with the Clintons looks like. It's always a scandal, then there's an investigation." Harry Houdini was known as the King of Cards, and as an amazing escape artist. He died at 1:26 p.m. on Oct. 31, 1926. Exactly 90 years later at the Historic North Theatre in Danville, owner Wayne Alan led fellow magic lovers through an anti-seance to see if his spirit would return Monday on the anniversary of his death. To prove his return, which Alan did not really expect, Houdini would have to do nine things, including knocking over the signboard that came from the B.F. Keys theater where he often performed, untie a knot from a rope he used in a performance, blow out the candle at the table, open the vent of a heating duct from his hospital room, talk through a kettle and flip pages in Alans Magic Meatless Meals cookbook. Houdini and his wife had a famous deal that whichever one of them died first would hold yearly seances for 10 years after the other one passed away, hoping to hear the code that they had agreed on Rosabelle believe. Bess Houdini thought she had reached him in 1929 when psychic Arthur Ford spoke their code, but it was later discovered that he had figured out the code on his own, and she no longer believed that Harry had been reached. Alan is a life-long Houdini fan, and has collected pieces of his history for years, including several things used in the anti-seance. Alan believes that Houdinis reputation was trashed after his death because other magicians were jealous of his skills. Alan will be releasing a book, titled Houdini: The Inside Story of His Life and Legend on March 24, the same weekend as a Houdini festival in North Carolina and Virginia. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality hasproposed fining Dominion Virginia Power about $260,000 for two oil spills that fouled public waters in January, including a 13,500-gallon spill that flushed from a Crystal City, Virginia, substation into a waterfowl sanctuary and the Potomac River. The environmental agency recommended on Monday that the utility pay a fine of $259,535 and reimburse the state $5,883 for its investigative costs related to both the Crystal City spill and a 9,000-gallon spill in Staunton in Augusta County, Virginia. The consent order is out for public comment for 30 days, after which it probably will end up at the State Water Control Board for action at its December meeting, said DEQ spokesman Bill Hayden. Dominion was required to monitor its wells for the past two weeks of October because of the spills and will have to do so again during the last two weeks of January 2017. The proposed fine could have reached $1.3 million. Hayden said the recommended amount was based on investigation and analysis of the spill's impact. A Dominion spokesman said the company would comply with the order. The Crystal City incident began Jan. 24 when mineral oil spilled from a transformer at Dominion's substation in Arlington County. About a week later, oil was seen in the nearby Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary and the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport. An oil sheen on the Potomac was spotted as far south as Dyke Marsh, south of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The utility's investigation into the incident, submitted to the state in August, said most of the spill was contained in an underground vault or troughs, but those vessels were not completely sealed. The oil leaked through a storm drain system into Roaches Run and from there into the Potomac River. About 11,120 gallons of oil was recovered, Dominion said, and the utility spent $4.2 million on the response, remediation and restoration in Arlington. Twenty-one birds, mostly Canada geese, died after the oil coated their feathers, and more were treated by a wildlife rescue team. Recreational fishermen were urged not to consume fish they caught in the vicinity during the two-week period when the spill was under investigation by a Coast Guard-led team. The Staunton spill, on Jan. 6, ran from a transformer into a tributary of Bell Creek and into a farm pond. Dominion said all but 100 gallons was recovered there. Amaravati: Having achieved the top rank in ease of doing business in the country, Andhra Pradesh has now set its sights on becoming one of the top 10 investment destinations in the world in the next few years. "We are drawing plans for that. Last year we were number two in the country and this year we are number one in ease of doing business. In the coming years, we want to be among the top five, six or ten in the world," Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said while addressing Telugu Desam workers here today. "Rank (in ease of doing business) should create a perception (about the state). The perception should translate into decisions and investments into the state. We have to think beyond India," Chandrababu told his Cabinet colleagues and senior bureaucrats last night. Andhra Pradesh is now the only state to be ranked, at 51, in the global competitiveness index of the World Economic Forum, where India's rank is 56. Switzerland is number one in the global ranking, followed by Singapore. "We have to benchmark those countries and aim to reach the top. Pick up the best practices from those countries and try to implement them here," Chandrababu said. By 2022, Andhra Pradesh aims to improve its ranking to 38 from the current 51. New Delhi: The government has excluded 40-oddgrades of stainless steel used in auto and engineering sectors from the Stainless Steel Quality Control (QC) Order, 2016. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) recently came out with the order, which stipulates a mandatory registration with the state-run quality control body. It also prohibits manufacture, import, storage, sale and distribution of stainless steel products by trade and industry without such registration. "Around 40 grades have been exempted. These are customer specific stainless steel flat rolled products used in auto, industrial and engineering sectors, however, those used in utensils and kitchenware applications are covered under the QC Order," a senior government official said. In September, the government had extended the window for registration under the Stainless Steel Quality Control Order, 2016, by three months after several industry bodies approached the Steel Ministry on the matter. The development had come following a bitter war of words between stainless steel industry body ISSDA and industry bodies like PPMAI, MSSMA and AISSIA, which forced the Steel Ministry to set up a panel to look into the issue in August. The order provides stainless steel makers and dealers more time to register their products with the BIS. The QC Order had led to a war of words between various industry bodies associated with the stainless steel sector. While some called it need of the hour, others were protesting that it helps a few companies at the expense of others. Industry bodies like Metal and Stainless Steel Merchant's Association, All India Stainless Steel Industries Association and Process Plant and Machinery Association of India (PPMAI) have alleged that the QC Order has been implemented without discussions with end-users. Slamming such claims, ISSDA said reports on long period of certification is factually incorrect and that BIS has announced a simplified regime for registration that will now only take a month after the submission of complete documents. In September last year, HSBC said it would rebrand its British business as HSBC UK HSBC Holdings Plc is set to appoint Clara Furse as the chairman of its ring-fenced British business HSBC UK, a move which could be announced as early as Tuesday, Sky News reported on Monday. Furse, a member of the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee, will oversee the British retail banking and wealth management, commercial banking and global private banking operations of the lender, Sky News said. In September last year, HSBC said it would rebrand its British business as HSBC UK, to distinguish its ring-fenced UK retail banking from riskier parts of the business. Ring-fencing rules aim to avoid a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, when banks' bad bets threatened ordinary depositors' cash, leading to big taxpayer-funded bailouts. The rules apply to all banks in Britain that have both retail and commercial or investment banking activities. HSBC's ring-fenced bank will be headquartered in Birmingham from 2018, a year before the separation of the business has to take place. Furse is likely to have to step down from the Financial Policy Committee as a result of the appointment, which has been approved by banking regulators, Sky News reported. Furse is the non-executive director of Nomura Holdings Inc, Vodafone Group Plc, Amadeus IT Holdings SA and the Department for Work and Pensions, according to the BoE's website. HSBC could not be immediately reached for comment. Dattatreya also laid emphasis on reconciliation of inoperative accounts and formulation of a housing scheme for EPF subscribers. New Delhi: Retirement fund body EPFO on November 1 said it has issued guidelines to its field offices to settle death claims within seven days and retirement cases before a worker retires from the job. Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya on November 1 took stock of the action taken on directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a review meeting on October 26, the Labour Ministry said. Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) informed the Minister that on Prime Ministers' directions, EPFO has issued detailed guidelines on retirement and death cases, it added. These guidelines have been issued to the field offices to sensitise them and "take prompt and proactive action to settle the death claims within seven days and in retirement cases on or before the day of retirement," the Ministry said. It was also stressed upon that grievances on social media need to be replied to expeditiously, it added. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on November 1 celebrated the 64th Promulgation Day of the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. On the occasion, Dattatreya, who was the chief guest, took stock of the achievements and future road map of the organisation. The Minister appreciated that EPFO had joined the network of Common Service Centres (CSC) by signing an MoU with CSC e-Governance Services India on October 25, 2016. This will facilitate issue of Jeewan Praman Patra (life certificate) of 50 lakh EPF pensioners having Aadhar ID, the ministry said. He also reviewed the status of compliance management and grievance handling system of EPFO. Dattatreya emphasised increased coordination between the different subordinate bodies of the Ministry for the purpose of data sharing so that the coverage and compliance position vis-a vis implementation of labour laws improves further. He also laid emphasis on reconciliation of inoperative accounts and formulation of a housing scheme for EPF subscribers, the ministry added. New Delhi: As many as 90 applicants, including junior government functionaries and bank officials, have applied for the post of deputy governor of the Reserve Bank that fell vacant after elevation of Urjit Patel as the Governor. "We have received about 90 applications, and after shortlisting at our end forwarded it to Financial Sector Regulatory Appointments Search Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha," sources said. Shortlisting was required because some applications were from junior level and some mid-level bank officials, the sources added. The committee will now further screen and call eligible candidates for the interview. Applications were invited by the Department of Financial Services and the last date for sending in application was October 21. The committee may also make nominations for the post. Also, the cabinet secretary-headed panel may recommend relaxation in the eligibility and qualifications or experience criteria in respect of outstanding candidates. The central bank has four deputy governors - two from within the ranks and one commercial banker and an economist to head the monetary policy department. Currently, RBI has three Deputy Governors -- R Gandhi, S S Mundra and N S Vishwanathan. As per the finance ministry's notice inviting application for the post, the candidate should have at least 25 years of relevant experience and be below the age of 60 years. It said the appointment will be for three years and the person will be eligible for reappointment. The interested candidates should apply latest by October 21. The post carries a pay scale of Rs 80,000 (pre-revised). The candidate should have work experience in public administration, including experience at the level of secretary or equivalent in the Government of India, or in an Indian or international public financial institution. New Delhi: The government will set up a platform for consumers to provide direct feedback on call drops in the next one month, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said on November 1. Sinha also warned operators that his Ministry will not hesitate on slapping penalty and other actions in case consumers continue to face the menace of call drops and call failures. The issue has intensified in recent times following the interconnectivity dispute between incumbent operators and newcomer Reliance Jio. Speaking after his meeting with the heads of telecom operators, Sinha expressed satisfaction at the progress made by companies in installing base stations for improving connectivity. "TRAI reports indicate that the call drop situation has improved... I have said to the industry that TRAI measurement is circle-wise. (But) sometimes, there are black spots where call drops happen. This is not covered under that report," he said. Stating that this was also discussed at the meeting, Sinha said, "Telecom Ministry is considering making a platform that will take direct feedback from people on call drops... we will quickly build that platform". Earlier this year, telcos had submitted a 100-day action plan on strategy to address call drop issue. They had committed to setting up of 60,000 base stations within 100 days, and one lakh base stations over one year. "Till consumers say that they are free of call drops, I won't accept it... The platform would be ready in the next one month and that would be the right parameter to gauge the call drop situation," he said. He added that the ministry will not hesitate to take action -- of penalty and beyond -- if there was a need for the same. Sinha said the operators have gone beyond the targeted 60,000 BTS' with 61,000 base stations being set up. This, however, does not include Reliance Jio's numbers. "Operators have got 965 MHz spectrum. They have taken what was required and they have been directed to roll out at the earliest now," Sinha said adding that the government hopes to assign spectrum to successful bidders by November 19. On the issue of interconnection between Reliance Jio and incumbent operators, where TRAI has suggested a penalty of Rs 3,050 crore on existing players, the Minister said, "the recommendations are there... in our purview, if we have given a licence to someone, they should also give service, we will ensure this." "In the regulatory framework, mutual consultations pave way for solutions, I feel that path will be found," he added. Farhan Akhtar shared the new picture on his official Twitter account. Mumbai: Ever since their first look was released, fans are extremely excited to join Farhan Akhtar, Shraddha Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli and others on their musical journey in 'Rock on 2'. With the film's first trailer, filmmaker Shujaat Saudagar has definitely pushed the envelope, by the metamorphosing a buddy flick into a crusade venture. The 'Magicians' have grown older, gotten broodier and also been exposed to a great talent from the North-east. In a new picture that was shared by Farhan Akhtar on Twitter, we see the team sporting a retro look. While Purab Kohli, Arjun Rampal and Farhan reunite to create 'Majik' on-screen sans Luke Kenny, they're joined by Shraddha and Shashank Arora, this time round. Prachi Desai and Shahana Goswami, who played Farhan and Arjun's wives respectively in the prequel, are also returning to reprise their roles. The music is denser, the conflicts are stronger and the performances, all the more power-packed. The film is all set to hit the theatres on November 11, 2016. These pictures of Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan were shared on Instagram. Mumbai: B-Town was in festive spirit this Diwali with several celebrities throwing parties at their residences and numerous stars stepping out in style for it. Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan were some of the celebrities who had invited their friends from the industry to celebrate Diwali. And Bachchans party was one of the most star-studded, with almost the entire industry making an appearance for it. Shah Rukh Khan, his wife Gauri and daughter Suhana were also seen at Bachchans residence Jalsa. Manish Malhotra shared this picture on Instagram of him having having an enjoyable time with Gauri and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, while popular photographer Dabboo Ratnani and his wife Manisha also shared a selfie with Shah Rukh. While Suhana's arrival in ethnic wear for the bash was snapped by shutterbugs, another inside picture from the bash was shared by Ritesh Sidhwani, where he is posing with Suhana, Malaika Arora Khan and Chunky Pandeys daughter Ananya Pandey. Going by the pictures, the stars definitely had a gala time at the bash. Mumbai: Bollywood Superstar Salman Khan has not been approached for the third installment of action thriller 'Race 3' yet but the makers would love to work with the 'Dabangg' star. "We have not narrated any idea to Salman. We are yet to take a call on 'Race 3'. Next year we will decide about the casting and other details of the film," the duo, Abbas-Mustan told PTI. "The writers are working on the script. We haven't heard the story so we can't say anything about casting. There are reports that Salman is going to be part of the third part of the film but the fact is work is in progress so it's too early to say anything," they said. The first two parts of action thriller film have done well commercially. The first film released in 2008, starring Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna in prominent roles while the sequel, released in 2013. Asked if Saif and Anil will feature in the third part as well, the filmmakers said, "Not decided the characters yet. In her silver screen Hollywood debut film 'Baywatch', PC plays the role of a baddie named Victoria Leeds. Mumbai: With her Hollywood thriller drama Quantico's success, Priyanka Chopra has become a common household name in the West. People in Hollywood absolutely adore Priyanka for the fabulous person that she is. On Halloween, Priyanka's fans even dressed up as her character from the show. One of such fans was Priyanka's co-star's daughter. Yes, we are talking about Dwayne Johnson, who will be soon seen sharing screen space with the actress in her Hollywood debut film 'Baywatch'. On Halloween, Dwayne's daughter Simone Garcia-Johnson dressed up as Priyanka's Alex Parrish from 'Quantico'. Simone's costume was so well that it won her praises from the actress herself. "U look stunning Simone! @TheRock your baby looks way better than I ever could in that outfit!Adorable #alexparrish," Priyanka Chopra tweeted. Dwayne Johnson was quick to respond to Priyanka's tweet. He wrote: Priyanka Chopra replied back by tweeting, "Sure Looks like I am DJ.. Looking forward to meeting everyone Xoxo." Here are few other fans who dressed up as Alex Parrish this Halloween. In 'Baywatch', which happens to be Priyanka's silver screen Hollywood debut film, the actress plays the role of a baddie named Victoria Leeds. The film, which also stars Zac Efron in the lead role, is set to hit silver screens in 2017. Apart from the entire Khandaan, Sooraj Pancholi and Arbaaz Khan's rumoured girlfriend was also present at the bash. Mumbai: Bollywood's Dabangg, Salman Khan, who often drives off to his Panvel farmhouse for some me time with friends and families or to celebrate special occasions, this time ditched his usual comfort space and flew off to Goa for Diwali. With his family and few close friends, the actor was seen having a great time surrounded by the loves ones as they celebrated Diwali in Goa. Apart the entire Khandaan, which includes Arpita Khan Sharma, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, and their hubands Aayush and Atul Agnihotri, Sohail Khan along with his wife and son, Sooraj Pancholi and Arbaaz Khan's rumoured girlfriend Yellow Mehra were also present at Salman's Diwali party. At the bash, the youngest of them all, little Ahil was also there. Fourteen women took part in this year's pageant, held in the northern city of Haifa on Sunday (Photo: YouTube) Haifa: Their hair styled and make-up applied, a group of elderly women carefully take to a red carpet catwalk, waving, blowing kisses and posing for pictures to cheering crowds. Wearing dresses adorned with sashes, the women strut down the runway, at times assisted, for the fourth Holocaust survivors' beauty pageant, a contest in Israel honoring those who saw the horrors of World War Two when they were young. Fourteen women took part in this year's pageant, held in the northern city of Haifa on Sunday. "Tonight we're letting some women who survived the Holocaust have something that was robbed from them in their youth," said David Parsons of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, a sponsor of the Helping Hand group which organized the event. "We want to give something back to them tonight it's for them to enjoy." Walking along to tunes like "Pretty Woman", the participants included German-born Malka Gorka, 73, who came to Israel in 1948 with her parents and Hungarian-born Carmela Ben Yehuda, 89, who arrived in British-run Palestine in 1945 after surviving the Nazi German Auschwitz death camp. Judges named 75-year-old Russian-born Anna Grinis, who was two-days old when the war started, as the winner. "When my mother was alive, she always used to tell me about this period (when) we ran way from Moscow ... and there was nothing to eat there," she said. "We barely survived." Some commentators and survivors have said the event cheapens the memory of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews were killed by the Nazis. They say a beauty contest is a superficial way to acknowledge the hardship the women went through early in the lives, and point out that it might just as well involve men. Participants and judges say critics are missing the point, saying the contest is about recognition and respect rather than beauty. Click below to watch For the promotions of her upcoming movie xXx: Return of Xander Cage, Deepika Padukone recently sported a lingerie-inspired dress. Internationally, models Bella Hadid, Chrissy Teigen and reality TV stars Kim and Khloe Kardashian have been styling themselves with pieces of lingerie, too. Victorias Secret had also started a campaign recently, which encouraged women to wear, bodysuits, slips, slip dresses, bralettes, lace and sheer on the outside. Though the campaign received a backlash from few people, many others argued that there are ways to wear lingerie, without really exposing. Stylists say that celebrities go for the raunchy look, but there are many tricks to wear lingerie as outerwear without feeling over-exposed and follow the ubiquitous trend. Celebrity stylist Nitasha Gaurav, who styles Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha says that, Lingerie was worn outside in the 90s, but the trend is making a comeback. And its a doable look. Layering is the best way to wear it. Women can wear a slip dress and team it up with tweed or denim shirts. Another easy way of doing it is wearing a bralette and teaming it up with a jacket and denim skirt. Since its winter, its a style that can be totally followed. What accessories and make-up can one wear with this trend? Nitasha says, Go for delicate accessories. Two or three thin chains along with cuffs and bracelets should do. Ankle-length boots will complete the whole look really well. Celebrity stylist Rick Roy, who has styled Tamannaah, says, Its a huge international trend. Rihanna, Kendall Jenner and Kim Kardashian have rocked the look. In India, I dont think you can go too sexy. There are many stars like Deepika Padukone, who opt for the mid-way look. Lot of lace can be worn and covered up with a jacket. I think one should go for the complete look or dont sport the look at all. It should have the oomph factor. Washington: To avoid asthma attacks, children with the respiratory disease shouldnt breathe indoor air thats contaminated by pollutants and allergens known to aggravate their symptoms, U.S. doctors advise. Reducing exposure to things like second-hand cigarette smoke, dust mites and furry pets may be as effective as medications at controlling asthma, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children may be particularly vulnerable to indoor environmental allergens and pollutants because their airways are still developing and because they may spend more time on the floor in closer contact to these irritants than adults, doctors argue in the report published October 31st in the journal Pediatrics. Exposure to indoor allergens, such as furry pet allergens, mice and cockroaches, and mold, are linked to more severe asthma, said lead report author Dr. Elizabeth Matsui of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Children exposed to the things to which they are allergic may require a higher dose of daily asthma medication and have exacerbations more frequently, Matsui added by email. Once these exposures are removed, children typically have a marked improvement in their asthma. Asthma is one of the most common chronic childhood illnesses, affecting as many as 10 percent of U.S. children, researchers note in the report. Asthma rates are as high as 25 percent in some U.S. communities. For the report, researchers focused on previous studies of indoor irritants and to explore how avoiding certain triggers for asthma attacks might help keep children healthier. Up to about two-thirds of children with persistent asthma are allergic to cats and dogs, according to the report. Dust mites and mold are more common in environments where humidity is high, the report notes. An estimated 30 percent to 62 percent of children with persistent asthma are allergic to dust mites, which are microscopic members of the spider family, and roughly half are sensitive to mold and regularly exposed to it. Cockroaches and rodents may be an even bigger issue, however. Roughly 75 percent to 80 percent of U.S. homes contain detectable amounts of mouse allergen, the report says, and concentrations in homes in urban neighborhoods with high poverty rates are as much as 1,000-fold higher than those found in suburban homes. While second-hand tobacco smoke exposure is a known problem, parents and caregivers also need to keep in mind that fumes and fine particles from gas ranges, wood stoves or fireplaces can be an irritant for some kids with asthma, the report also warns. In addition, chemicals found in household cleaners and air fresheners can be respiratory irritants and trigger asthma symptoms. Blood tests can help identify specific triggers for children with asthma and point parents in the right direction to remove irritants from the home, the report recommends. Strategies to minimize indoor asthma triggers may include using high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and allergen-proof mattress, box spring and pillow encasements. The association of exposure to indoor irritants and allergens with poor asthma control and exacerbations has long been established, said Dr. David Stukus, a researcher at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine. However, the routine assessment of the indoor environment and recommendations for tailored interventions is not conducted for most children with asthma, partly due to lack of awareness and partly due to the amount of time it takes to be thorough, Stukus, who wasnt involved in the study, added by email. Not all kids will be triggered by the same irritants, though, and parents may get a good result for kids by focusing on a select few pollutants or allergens that pose the biggest problem for their child, Stukus said. It is important to understand the multiple different types of exposures that can adversely affect anyone with asthma or allergies and how to reduce exposure. Even things with perceived benefit, such as essential oils or cleaning products, can be harmful to the sensitive airways of children with asthma, Stukus added. Ongoing exposure to indoor irritants or allergens will lead to suboptimal control of asthma, risk for exacerbations, and ultimately decreased quality of life. Scientists are trying to develop a drug to stop transmission from humans back to mosquitoes - will help to eradicate the deadly disease. (Photo: Pixabay) Seattle: When Kayode Ojo first fell sick with malaria as a young boy in Nigeria, his grandfather shunned modern medicine, venturing into the bush to search for herbs and plants to treat the disease. Having succumbed to malaria a further 50 or more times in his life, the United States-based scientist, now in his forties, is determined that his research - to develop a drug to stop transmission from humans back to mosquitoes - will help to eradicate the deadly disease. "When people in Nigeria, the world's hardest-hit country, get malaria, many simply shrug their shoulders and see it as normal ... that needs to change," Ojo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a lab at the University of Washington in Seattle. Ojo is one of thousands of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs striving to develop innovations to end malaria in a city dubbed the "Silicon Valley of saving lives", which boasts more than 160 organizations working on global health issues. It is also home to the world's richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, whose global health and education charity has set the aim of eradicating the disease by 2040. The world has made huge strides against malaria since 2000, with death rates plunging by 60 percent and at least six million lives saved globally, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). Yet efforts to end one of the world's deadliest diseases - which killed an estimated 438,000 people last year - are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to measures such as insecticide-treated bednets and anti-malarial drugs. To combat rising resistance, Seattle's malaria-fighting community is developing innovations ranging from data modeling and genetic modification to single-dose drugs and sugar traps. But malaria spending, which rose to $2.7 billion annually in 2015 from $130 million in 2000, must double over the next decade to ensure new solutions outpace drug and insecticide resistance in the push to achieve global eradication by 2040, experts say. "We need to develop new tools that make it possible to find and root out every parasite in every person," said Martin Edlund, chief executive of campaign group Malaria No More. "The only way to eradicate malaria is with relentless innovation." 'Playing God' Gates' goal of permanently ending transmission of malaria between humans and mosquitoes is more ambitious than the Sustainable Development Goal of ending epidemic levels by 2030. This focus on eradication has accelerated the need to innovate and take more risks, according to David Brandling-Bennett, senior adviser for malaria at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We have shifted from 'any drug or vaccine is good' to 'what will be a game changer in pursuit of this outrageous goal?'" The Gates Foundation and partners are working on affordable technologies including eave tubes installed between walls and roofs of homes that kill mosquitoes when they try to enter, and outdoor poisonous traps which exploit their attraction to sugar. Innovations are also in the pipeline to deal with the challenge posed by asymptomatic carriers - people with a few parasites in their blood who don't fall sick but can act as a reservoir and spread malaria when mosquitoes bite them again. Scientists are striving to improve rapid diagnostic tests - which require a drop of blood to provide a diagnosis within 20 minutes - so that they can also detect these malaria carriers. "The challenge is making the test more sensitive but keeping it simple for health workers," said Kevin Nichols of patent firm Intellectual Ventures (IV), which works with Gates on the Global Good initiative - creating innovations in developing countries. One of the most cutting-edge approaches among Seattle's scientists is genetically modifying mosquitoes, either by adding genes to block the malaria parasite, or altering them to make most offspring male, which could cause populations to plummet. But this 'gene drive' approach has raised questions ranging from the impact of fewer mosquitoes on the food chain to how to regulate releasing genetically edited mosquitoes into the wild. "There is an ethical question about editing mosquitoes' DNA," said a scientist who asked to not be named due to the work of his organization. "We have to be careful about playing God." Don't Discount The Drugs While innovations to alter, control or kill mosquitoes catch the eye, drugs and vaccines should not be neglected given that parasite-carrying people travel further and live longer than mosquitoes, said Bruno Moonen, malaria deputy director at Gates. More than 30 malaria vaccines are under development, with Seattle's scientists hoping for more success than the first approved vaccine, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, which is only partially effective and needs to be administered in four doses. Yet a single-dose cure that would wipe out all parasites in humans could soon replace existing artemisinin combination treatment (ACTs) drugs, which must be taken over three days. "When people fail to complete the course, it increases the risk of resistance developing, and this is a worry," said Larry Slutsker, malaria program leader at health organization PATH. Counterfeit malaria drugs in sub-Saharan Africa are another concern to health experts as they contain no artemisinin, leaving people sick, or substandard amounts, which increases resistance, according to Ben Wilson, a senior research scientist at IV. Wilson and his peers have developed a tool which uses light waves to instantly analyze malaria tablets in a region where as many as one in 10 drugs are estimated to be fake or substandard. "Counterfeit antimalarials are a billion-dollar industry, and new technologies are needed to stay ahead of criminal networks," said Wilson, adding that the tool could soon be adopted by state inspectors, pharmacies and aid agencies. Funding Fears Outside of the malaria-focused labs dotted around Seattle, experts are turning to data in the fight to end the disease. "Data used to be stuck in spreadsheets," said Neal Myrick, of computer software company Tableau. "How can you make sense of that?," he added, pointing to a database consisting of 300,000 entries before showing off an interactive heat map in its place. Detailed maps on prevalence, mortality, treatment rates and use of bed nets, and data modeling tools, allow users to monitor malaria cases, track the origin and predict its spread. "Innovations to fight malaria are exciting, but surveillance is essential to enable scarce resources to be best spent to make the biggest impact," said Stephen Lim of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. It is the issue of limited resources that troubles many of those fighting to eradicate malaria by 2040 - who calculate that more than $100 billion will be needed to finish the job. In a region like sub-Saharan Africa, home to nine in 10 of the world's malaria deaths, domestic spending on the disease will need to rise considerably in the coming years, experts say. Yet this may prove difficult in countries like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo - they account for 40 percent of global malaria deaths - which are struggling economically. "In DRC ... we see drug shortages, issues with payments to health workers, and irregular distributions of bednets," said Marit De Wit, health advisor for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in DRC. "The parasite has a free ride in parts of the country." Health experts also fear that as the number of cases falls, it will become harder to maintain the momentum to eradicate malaria among donors, governments and people in endemic regions. Yet for Seattle's scientists and innovators, such as Ojo, such concerns are no obstacle to their hunt for solutions. "When I caught malaria for the fortieth or fiftieth time, I realized that it never gets any better, or any easier," he said of the disease, which can strike a patient several times a year. "It made me realize that we need to innovate and strive not just to treat or control the disease, but to end it for good." Russia: People do have secrets in their personal lives and while some are aspects of life they share with few people, some people have a separate life which they have kept hidden from everyone else, and details of which can be extremely shocking. One such individual is Svetlana Topol, a school teacher from Russia, who was forced to step down from her job when the staff and other students learnt of her secret life as a pornstar who interestingly specialised in playing a schoolgirl. While the news of a teacher being a pornstar is enough to shock people, the revelation was regarding a person who was considered a modest young women and someone who never wore revealing clothes. Her cover was blown when links of her x rated movies were leaked to staff members and students by an anonymous source. While many said that she quit working as an adult film actress after becoming a teacher, the source who leaked her videos said that many videos were made this year. The videos were made in Hungary and Czech Republic, where actresses are paid more than Russia and even as her husband handed in her resignation, a debate is raging on with some outraged while other arguing that her porn career didnt affect her work as a teacher. Chennai: A 60-year-old woman, gagged and hands tied, was found dead at her residence on Habibulla road, a posh residential area in T Nagar, on Monday. There were no external injuries on her body probably indicating she could either have been strangled or smothered to death. After her mothers death, the victim, Shanthi (60), was living alone in her ancestral house, which is the only old building in the now posh Habibullah road. The murder came to light when her cousin Ramesh checked on her since his calls to her were unanswered since Sunday. Thangaraj, a private security guard, saw the woman on Saturday night, asking restaurant employees to abstain from bursting firecrackers along Vidhyodaya main road. I spotted a stranger clad in full sleeves and wearing a backpack loitering. I went to check on him and he appeared as if he belonged to a jewellery chain office. So I let him pass without asking him anything. At around 4.20 am, I saw him in the company of two others, one wearing a full sleeve shirt and the other clad in a green T-shirt, he said. The woman, whom the neighbourhood talks of as a sweet person and who was a graduate from a college in the city, remained a spinster. Vijayalakshmi, who had been Shanthis friend for 3 decades and who runs a hostel in the vicinity, said that she last spoke to her on Saraswathi Pooja. I suggested she takes a room in my hostel or gets into a serviced apartment so that she doesn't have to worry about her daily chores. She is a tough woman who would not even allow even her relatives inside her house. She used to complain that her relatives keep coming to her asking for money, Vijayalakshmi said. Preliminary investigations revealed that miscreants had broken into the house through the cement-window grille. A CCTV camera installed by the City Police is across from Shanthi's house. Since storm water drain work was going on along Habibullah road, two earthmovers had been parked near her house, which had reportedly blocked the view. Sources said her house in Habibullah Road could fetch several crores while she was also in possession of another prime property located in Perungudi and these properties were believed to have led to her murder. DCP (T. Nagar) P. Saravanan said the murder could have taken place during the small hours of Sunday. We are examining the CCTV footage, and are pursuing specific leads, he told DC. Enumeration of senior citizens to be revived The murder of a senior citizen who was living alone in an upmarket residential area on Habibullah road is likely to lead to the revival of the enumeration of senior citizens by police. Such citizens are always deemed as soft targets by anti social elements. The drive is also expected to instil confidence in the cops who reach out to them; besides helping the elderly keep cops in the loop on the movement of any strangers. The City Police's first of its kind initiative was launched in August 2014 following a spate of murders of senior citizens across the City. Besides enumeration, the cops also sensitised them on safety aspects. That drive became popular among the senior citizens, especially those who availed the assistance of cops in getting done their domestic chores, ranging from paying utility bills and collecting medicines from the pharmacy, which was allowed if the elderly were in such a state of health as to be incapable of attending to such chores themselves. According to statistics disclosed by the City Police in a press conference on Aug. 8, 2014, the City Police had been able to enumerate as many as 8,965 elderly who were living in flats and individual residences. The drive dwindled after the City saw a change-of-guard in the top brass. There is still a register for this in every police station in all the 12 police districts under Greater Chennai Police jurisdiction. A senior police official took exception to the claim that the drive had been dismantled. He said the drive to ensure the safety of senior citizens had not been discontinued. In fact, we have been holding regular security meetings with functionaries of resident welfare associations and among residents as well. We will find more ways to better implement the safety of the senior citizens in the City, the official said. Chennai: Three expensive watches worth Rs 2 lakh, an Apple iphone valued at Rs 65,000, two other cellphones and costly dresses were recovered from a man who stole them from a posh mall here, hiding in the toilet and breaking into the shops after their closure. Arun Sasi (33), a native of Kottayam in Kerala, was nabbed yesterday by a special team which scrutinised CCTV footage from Express Avenue mall here, police said today. Earlier, managers of a retail showroom and a watch store had filed complaints of dresses and expensive wristwatches going missing from their shops, police said. The video footage revealed that the same person had broken into both shops following which a probe was launched, police said, adding, the IMEI numbers of the missing mobile phones were also traced, which led to the suspect. Interrogation of Sasi revealed that he hid in toilets and other areas in the mall less frequented by others and later broke into the shops using a set of tools, they said. Sasi was later remanded to custody. Police inspect the encounter site at the hillocks of Acharpura village after the STF killed eight Simi activists who escaped Central Jail in Bhopal on Monday. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: Two of the SIMI activists, among the eight killed in an encounter near Bhopal, were wanted by Tamil Nadu police in connection with the 2014 train blast case in Chennai and warrants obtained for bringing them to the city remained pending due to concerns that they might escape in transit. Sources in CB-CID, which investigated the May 1, 2014 blasts on a Bengaluru-Guwahati train at the Chennai Central station which killed a young software engineer, said the Madhya Pradesh police were apprehensive that the duo might escape if they were sent here. Out of the three accused in the case, Aijajudeen was killed in an encounter by police on April 4, 2015 at Suryapet in Telangana and the remaining two Zakir Hussain, and Mehboob died in the encounter today. Their death virtually brings the curtains down on the case. (The above video is unverified) Both Zakir Hussain alias Sadiq and Mehboob alias Guddu had escaped from Khandwa jail in Madya Pradesh in 2013. "A prisoners' transit warrant was obtained to bring Zakir Hussain and Mehboob to Chennai in connection with the Chennai blasts case. However, MP authorities were concerned. They thought that the duo may try to escape if sent out," a senior police official told PTI. He said by July this year, the PT warrant was obtained for the duo, however, it remained pending. Another official said, "all legal procedures will be followed in the case" with the death of the accused persons, but did not elaborate. He said the links of the accused to several crimes in more than one state involved probe by multiple state and central agencies. The SIMI activists, called "Khandwa module" in police parlance, were behind a number of serious crimes. After their escape in 2013, they were involved in a number of crimes including the Rs 46 lakh heist at SBI's Choppadandi branch at Karimnagar in Telangana in February 2014, police said. New Delhi: After failing to elicit an appropriate response from the Pakistan army on Indian soldier Chandu Babulal Chavan, the soldier who strayed into Pakistani territory, the India government is all prepared to take up the issue through diplomatic means. According to a report, the MEA has so far stayed away from the matter, giving space for the Army to try and secure Chavans release. The DGMO of the Indian Army, Ranbir Singh had earlier sought Chavans release through his counter-part, but the authorities are yet to respond. Chavan, a sepoy with the 37 Rashtriya Rifles posted in Jammu and Kashmirs Mendhar sector, had apparently strayed into Pakistani territory inadvertently, the government and the Army had claimed, adding that the soldier had no role in the surgical strikes that took hours before his crossing. It added that such crossings by civilians and soldiers were not uncommon. Though it had denied the presence of the soldier initially, the Pakistan Army later, acknowledged that he was captured and was being interrogated. The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, had then claimed that relevant channels were being pursued to secure Chavans release. But consistent lack of response from Pakistan is now forcing the MEA to come forward and take charge, the report noted. Chavans family, earlier, had also requested the government to secure his release at the earliest, fearing that he might be tortured in Pak custody. We are worried they will torture him, and tell him lies that the army doesn't care about him. That could drive him to take his own life, his brother, Bhushan Chavan has said. Chavans crossing took place at a time of high military and diplomatic stand-off with Pakistan following the Uri attack and the subsequent surgical strikes by India. Making the picture gloomier, India recently expelled two Pak Inter-service Intelligence operatives working out of the countrys High Commission in New Delhi, citing espionage charges. Jammu: BSF on Tuesday destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action along International Border (IB) in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier. Eight people were died, mostly children and women, were killed and 22 injured when Pakistan troops resorted to heavy shelling on border hamlets and military posts with 82 and 120 mm mortar bombs along the IB and LoC in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir today. "BSF gave a calibrated retaliation on IB in response to unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in area of Ramgarh and Arnia Sectors since morning," its DIG Dharmendra Pareek said. "Since morning, BSF targeted Pakistan Rangers' posts across IB in the same sector and caused heavy damage to 14 Pakistani Posts," he said. Earlier, Army sources said two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite to Naushera sector of Rajouri district today. Meanwhile, state government ordered closure of all 174 schools along the International Border in Jammu region. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the situation along the Indo-Pak border. The meeting, attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials, took stock of the situation along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The top security brass briefed the Home Minister and the Defence Minister the steps taken to counter firing by Pakistani forces, official sources. Schools continue to be targeted by unknown arsonists in the Valley. (Photo: File) New Delhi: Concerned over burning down of several schools in Kashmir, the Centre has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government to check such attempts and make efforts for reopening the schools which have been closed for more than 110 days due to unrest in the Valley. In a communication, the Home Ministry conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure protection of schools, especially those which are vulnerable to attacks, and make all attempts for reopening all educational institutions across the Valley. The central government is deeply concerned over the incidents of setting ablaze of schools and worried about the future of the children who are the worst sufferers due to the prolonged turmoil in the state, a senior Home Ministry official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also said to be worried that the closure of educational institutions for such a long period is affecting thousands of students and feels that if schools reopen, it would be a great step towards restoring normalcy in Kashmir, officials said. At least 26 schools in various parts of the Valley were set ablaze in recent past. The Home Ministry is said to have persuaded the Jammu and Kashmir government to direct the state Board of School Education to notify over 500 schools to conduct regular examinations. Examinations for Class X will commence from November 15 and will culminate on November 28 while examinations for Class XII will commence from November 14 and will culminate on December 3. Educational institutions in the Valley are closed since July 9 afer outbreak of clashes and a strike call by separatists following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Sources said the assessment of security forces is that radical forces are trying to force children in rural areas to join religious schools or madrassas and not opt for modern education so that youngsters could be radicalised easily. Amid outrage over increasing number of schools being burnt in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday stepped in, directing police and civil administration to ensure their protection besides unmasking the "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with an "iron hand". The Supreme Court had come down heavily on the govt for delaying judicial appointments. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: In an effort to end the prolonged stand-off with the government over judicial appointments, the Centre on Monday cleared the names of ten judges to be appointed in the Guwahati and the Delhi High Courts. According to a report, the government is also mulling recommendations for 35 judges in the Allahabad High Court, after the SC took a dig at the Centre on Friday, wondering if it wanted to lock down the judiciary. In a terse statement, the court on Friday said that the Centre cannot allow the executive to decimate the judicial system. The three-judge bench had held that the appointment process cannot be stalled due to non-finalisation of the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) and criticised the tardy progress in processing files pertaining to judges' appointment. The five appointments in the Delhi High Court are reportedly from the judicial service while the five appointments in the Guwahati High Court are sourced from the bar association and the judicial commission. During the vetting process, the Law Ministry had earlier expressed objections to two of the five names that were forwarded by the collegium. It cited adverse reports on the judges' reputations by the Intelligence Bureau. An 11-storey building Moulivakkam suburb of Chennai will be demolished on Wednesday using implosion technique. (Photo: PTI/Representational) Chennai: An 11-storey block adjacent to an under-construction building in a suburb of Chennai that collapsed in 2014, killing 61 persons, will be demolished on Wednesday using implosion technique and employing controlled blasting of explosives as the structure was unsafe, the Tamil Nadu government said on Tuesday. On June 28, 2014 one of the two blocks of an under construction residential building at suburban Moulivakkam collapsed killing 61 workers and injuring scores of people. The collapsed structure was also 11-storeyed. Subsequently, the seined block too was declared unsafe by the authorities and the matter went to the Supreme Court which allowed it to be brought down after perusing an expert committee's report. "Eleven storeyed building (Block B) in Moulivakkam, Kancheepuram District collapsed in 2014 and the adjacent building (Block A) is also found to be structurally unsafe," District Collector Kancheepuram, R Gajalakshmi said in a public notice issued on Tuesday. She said an order for demolition of this unsafe structure had been issued under 141 Cr P C. "Supreme Court by an order has directed the government to demolish this unsafe structure. In compliance with this order, it is proposed to demolish the building tomorrow between 2 and 4 pm," she said. She said "implosion technique using controlled blasting of explosives will be deployed. All precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that no danger is caused to the people and adjoining constructions." "As a measure of caution, however, residents living within 100 meter radius from the structure as marked by Revenue and Public Works departments are requested to move to a safer place." Temporary accommodation has been made for residents at a nearby hall, she said, adding, after demolition the public could move to their houses. "The public are requested to cooperate in this regard." Some time back, Ponlingam, Chief Executive of Maglink Infra Project Ltd, which bagged the contract to demolish the building, had said that the building would be brought down in less than 10 seconds. New Delhi: The Pakistan High Commission employee, who was recently expelled by India for spying, had named 16 other "staffers" who were also allegedly involved in the espionage ring, police said on Tuesday. During his joint interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, expelled Pakistani High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar had claimed that 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe. His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said. Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who were providing confidential documents and information to Akhtar, who allegedly headed the espionage racket. Two teams of Crime Branch are currently in Rajasthan along with the other arrested accused Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib to seek details of paramilitary personnel who might be involved in leaking information to them, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said the officer. "It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies," he said. Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Munavvar Saleem's personal assistant Farhat Khan was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage racket. The Pakistan High Commission staffer was caught receiving secret documents here on October 26. Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were held along with Akhtar. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. Gurugram: Hailing Haryana as a land whose daughters have made India proud on several occasions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asserted that female foeticide cannot exist in such a distinguished state, and called on the people of the state pledge to protect the girl child. Speaking at the Haryana Swarna Jayanti Utsav celebrations in Gurugram, the Prime Minister said that even though Haryana is a relatively small state but it has contributed in so many areas. "It is believed that Haryana has only farmers but see the exemplary success of businessmen from Haryana. People of Haryana have given their lives for the nation by serving in the armed forces. In such a distinguished state, female foeticide cannot exist. Haryana has undertaken an effort to ensure female foeticide doesn't happen," the Prime Minister said. Modi expressed his desire about making Haryana an Open Defecation Free state in this golden jubilee year. The prime minister said he hope that when the process of transformation begins in villages, the development of Haryana will receive an impetus. Pakistan has violated ceasefire over 45 times since Indian security forces conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) on September 29. (Photo: PTI/ Representational Image) Jammu: In an escalation of cross-border military confrontation, 8 civilians were killed and 22 injured in Jammu region on Tuesday due to Pakistani shelling, prompting a strong retaliation by Indian army which killed two Pakistani soldiers. Since early morning, Pakistan troops resorted to heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani troops used heavy calibre weapons like 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs, army said. "Five people died and nine others were injured in the shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today," Deputy Commissioner of Samba Sheetal Nanda said. One person died due to shock during shelling in the same area, raising the toll of those killed in the area to six, she said. While three of the injured were given treatment in Ramgarh hospital, the rest were shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu, she said. The casualties took place during shelling in Jarda and Rangoor camp villages along the IB in Ramgarh sector. Along the LoC, two women were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said three army porters suffered injuries in the shelling in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. Pakistani shells landed in Mendhar town of Poonch district, injuring three people, police said. "Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms followed by mortars at one place and further spread to four or five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 0630 hours," DIG BSF (G) Dharmendra Pareek said. They fired 82 mm mortar bombs intermittently, Pareek said, adding, BSF gave them a befitting reply. A woman aged between 21 to 22 years died during shelling in a hamlet in Ramgarh sector of Samba district, SSP Samba Joginder Singh said. Six persons have been injured in the ceasefire violations since yesterday. At 0710 hours, three mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district, injuring four persons identified as Bodraj (44), Niky, Dharana Devi and Chanchla Devi (49), he said. Two women, Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24), were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district last evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Earlier, Defence PRO Lt Col Manish Mehta said Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Naushera sector of Rajouri district from 0530 hours using small arms, automatics, 82 and 120 mm mortars. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Thiruvananthapuram: As Kerala celebrates the 60th year of its formation, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday said steps need to be taken to make Malayalam, the mother tongue, compulsory in the curriculum. Addressing a special session at the state Assembly to mark the day, he said Kerala might be the lone state where one graduates without studying the mother tongue. Malayalam had been sidelined even in the examinations, conducted by the state-run Public Service Commission, he said. "We should make compulsory the study of our mother tongue Malayalam. We are yet to make Malayalam the medium of study and administration even now," he said. Recounting the significant contributions by renaissance movement leaders for the social development and upliftment in the state, Vijayan said the LDF government was committed to carry forward the achievements so far. Later, inaugurating the year-long anniversary celebrations at the Assembly complex, in which a galaxy of personalities from various walks of life participated, he said that Kerala, with its limited resources, had made remarkable achievements in universal education and public health system in the last 60 years. The state was able to implement reservation for Backward Classes and ensured minimum wages to all. "This has actually led to the social development in Kerala, which is not witnessed in any other parts of the country," he said. However, the CM also pointed out certain issues faced by the state in housing, agriculture and education sectors. Though the 'Kerala model' of education had been lauded the world over, the state could not make any remarkable improvement in its quality in the higher education sector. "The slogan of House for All is still remains a dream. Effective intervention is needed in this area," he said. The Chief Minister said the LDF government had lined up various initiatives to take the state forward by utilising the state's inherent potential to the maximum. Colourful cultural festivities marked the function, in which writers, artists and religious leaders like Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma Metropolitan, besides ministers and MLAs participated. Lucknow: Accusing the Madhya Pradesh government of using police for fulfilling the RSS agenda, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into the encounter of eight prisoners associated with banned organisation SIMI. She also charged that police is misused for political and communal motives in BJP-ruled states. "Eight prisoners related to SIMI were unarmed. They could have been arrested easily again but no attempts were made in this regard. Prima facie this matter appears suspicious and justice demands judicial probe into the entire incident of encounter," she said in a statement. Read: SIMI encounter: Examining videos to verify autheticity, says Bhopal IG "Its visible that police is misused for political and communal motives in BJP ruled states. Police had saved Vyapam scam, which had taken many lives, accused in MP. Only after SC intervention the matter was handed over to the CBI. MP government is using police for fulfilling RSS agenda", she charged. BJP government should not avoid instituting judicial probe as many parties and organisations have raised their on the encounter. Eight SIMI activists were yesterday killed in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail killing a security guard. Yesterday, police had dismissed criticism over the encounter killing of eight SIMI activists near Bhopal, saying there was heavy exchange of fire in which they were felled after which four countrymade guns and some sharp-edged weapons were recovered from them. Also, IG Chaudhary repeatedly maintained that all questions raised over the encounter were a matter of investigation as the series of events over seven hours between their escape and killing were still being probed. This came soon after a controversy raged over the police action following the daring pre-dawn jail-break, as TV channels showed footage purportedly from the encounter site in which a policeman is seen pumping bullets into a man from close range after some unidentified person takes out what appears to be a knife said to be in a plastic cover and places it back. Besides the veracity of the video, police is also probing how the SIMI terror suspects could lay their hands on weapons after their escape. Bodies of SIMI terrorists who were killed in an encounter after they escaped from Central Jail, being handed over to their relatives and family members after post-mortem in Bhopal. (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: Amid growing opposition clamour for a judicial probe into the encounter killing of eight SIMI activists, Madhya Pradesh's Home Minister Bhupendra Singh today said there was no need for any investigation, while state's police chief Rishi Kumar Shukla maintained the CID will go into the incident. Eight undertrial terror suspects of the outlawed SIMI had been shot dead by police in an alleged encounter within hours of their escape from high-security Bhopal central jail after killing a constable. Videos shot purportedly at the scene of the encounter appeared to question its authenticity, prompting demands by opposition parties for a judicial inquiry. "It is mandated by the law that the state's CID will investigate the encounters for a free and fair probe," Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla told PTI, adding there was nothing new in it. "CID is going to do its duty according to the law and inform the (competent) court," he said. Home Minister Singh, however, struck a different note. "There is no need for any investigation into the encounter," he told reporters in Anuppur district earlier in the day. "Bhopal Police Range Inspector General Yogesh Choudhary has already briefed the media about details of the encounter yesterday," he said. "He (IG) has briefed on how the encounter took place. So there is no need for any inquiry," Singh said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), he said, will only look into the jail break incident -- the plan, from where the accused got help, from inside and outside, their links in the country and their network. "NIA will not inquire into the encounter," he said. Meanwhile, sources close to DGP Shukla said he has already asked Superintendent of Police (CID) Anurag Sharma to head the probe into the encounter. New Delhi : Islamic Research Foundation, promoted by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, will soon be banned from receiving foreign funds with the Home Ministry initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA registration by issuing a final show cause notice to the NGO. The Home Ministry has also started the process for putting another NGO of Naik namely IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRF's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said. Naik also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India , contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia . Police investigate the encounter site at the hillocks of Acharpura village after the STF killed 8 Students of Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Bhupendra Singh on Tuesday said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will probe how 8 SIMI terror accused escaped from Bhopal Central Jail after killing a security guard on Monday. However, he added that there was no need for a separate investigation into the encounter in which the 8 SIMI terror accused were killed by police. "Whenever terrorists are killed in an encounter, there are a few people in our country who raise doubts, especially Congressmen," Singh claimed. Bhopal IG Yogesh Chaudhary however was reported as saying that the police was examining the videos which claimed to show that the encounter killing was fake. Asked if CCTVs were working in the jail premises, MP Jail Minister Kusum Mehdele said she had no idea as she was not present there. However, she added that the media should 'praise' the government for the encounter, while admitting that lapses had been committed because of which the accused escaped. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan met the kith and kin of the slain constable Ramshankar Yadav. Later, mortal remains of Yadav were taken for the last rites. He (Ramashankar Yadav) sacrificed his life fighting against terrorists. I came here to pay my last tributes to him, Chouhan said. Some political leaders cannot see the martyrdom of our jawans, he added. Some people are doing vote bank politics on this matter which is highly condemnable. One must refrain from doing this, he said. The CM announced that Rs 10 lakh compensation will be provided to the family of Yadav, as well as Rs 5 lakh for his daughter's marriage. He added that the colony will be renamed in Yadav's name. The Opposition has demanded a probe into the killing of the terror accused, a demand which the ruling BJP in the state and at the centre has angrily rejected. Police investigate the encounter site at the hillocks of Acharpura village after the STF killed 8 Students of Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). (Photo: PTI) Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday demanded that a judge from outside Madhya Pradesh should probe the Bhopal SIMI encounter case. NCP leader Majid Memon told ANI, "There is a need to have a judicial probe by a judge outside Madhya Pradesh who would independently and immediately start collecting evidence so that we are interested in knowing the truth." "This whole episode has raised many questions, and therefore, the genuineness of this news is under suspicion. It is very difficult to believe that eight SIMI activists were able to kill a guard and run away from the prison. What about the other prison staff? Second, they were found in their private dress. When did they change their dress and how come they were not in their jail uniform when they were killed? None of eight has survived to make a statement," he added. Madhya Pradesh Police is asserting that the escapees were neutralised in retaliatory fire and had a past history of attacking law enforcement officials in prison. Read: 2 SIMI activists killed in encounter were wanted by Tamil Nadu police Bhopal Inspector General of Police Yogesh Chaudhary stated all the eight SIMI terrorists were killed in cross-firing and had a track record of being involved in serious crimes before. "We garnered all possible resources and launched search and patrol parties after we got intelligence that around seven to eight people were seen by locals. It was difficult to locate them as the unequal terrain was a disadvantage, but soon our team was fired upon when we challenged the suspects," he said. Eight terrorists of the banned group SIMI, who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail after killing a guard, were gunned down in an encounter by the state police yesterday. Yogesh Chaudhary, Inspector General of Bhopal, said the terrorists possessed weapons and were killed when they were trying to flee. "They were killed in cross firing. It was a big challenge and the team accepted it properly," he said. Seven of the accused were arrested Tuesday. They have been sent to police remand till November 4. (Photo: ANI Twitter) Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman, who was hunting for an accommodation, was allegedly raped by eight persons in suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai, police said. Seven of the accused were arrested Tuesday. They have been sent to police remand till November 4. The incident occurred at Amboli last night when the victim and her live-in-partner were searching for an accommodation at Shamnagar slum with the help of a family friend. Since, it got late in the night, the couple chose to stay at the family friend's house, they said. After sometime, eight persons barged into the house and gangraped the victim in front of her husband before fleeing. "After the incident, the woman and her partner reached Amboli Police Station to lodge a complaint. Police registered a case against eight persons, one of them had criminal records," Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe said. A case has been registered against eight persons in this connection under relevant sections of the IPC with Amboli Police Station. All eight accused have been arrested and have been remanded to police custody till November 4th and all of them fall in the age bracket of 19-25. The woman was admitted to a hospital and is stated to be stable, police said. The Army did not disclose the name of the slain soldier saying it has to follow the rule of informing his family first. (Photo: file) Srinagar: An Army jawan and a woman resident were killed and another wounded on Monday after Pakistani troops pounded several Indian posts and civilians areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch and Rajouri districts, using small arms and mortar bombs. In Muzaffarabad, the authorities said that, at least, four civilians including a woman were killed and six others were injured in the Indian firing at different locations in Nakyal sector of PoK. The Army said that the ceasefire violations by the Pakistani troops are being retaliated with massive fire assault. It added that the Pakistani troops violated the November 2003 ceasefire agreement by resorting to unprovoked firing and shelling on Indian positions and villages in the twin frontier districts since Monday morning. Pakistani troops indulged in unprovoked ceasefire violation from 9 am in the Balakote sector using 120 mm and 82 mm mortars, automatic and small arms, a spokesman of the Armys Udhampur-based Northern Command said. He said that in the afternoon several areas including Mendhar, Mankot, Tarkundi and Balakote areas of Poonch and Rajouri districts came under heaving Pakistan firing and shelling. The Army did not disclose the name of the slain soldier saying it has to follow the rule of informing his family first. Officials said that two women injured in the Pakistan firing were rushed to Jammus Government Medical College Hospital where one of them succumbed later during the day. She has been identified as 50-year-old Rubina Kausar, a resident of Tarkundi of Rajouri district. The 198-km stretch of International Border (IB) between Paharpur in Kathua district and Chickens Neck corridor in south of Akhnoor sector where the LoC begins where a lull had prevailed for a couple of days witnessed skirmishes between Border Security Force (BSF) and Pakistan Rangers again on Sunday. The BSF alleged that the Pakistan border guards resorted to unprovoked small arms firing and mortar shelling along the IB in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts, prompting BSF to retaliate. The BSF and the Army authorities said that there have been more than sixty ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir since surgical strikes against alleged terror launch-pads in PoK conducted by the Army in last week of September. In all thirteen people, including four civilians, and nine Army and BSF personnel have been killed and over 40 people, mostly civilians, injured in the incidents. In Islamabad, the Pakistani authorities on Monday said that, at least, six civilians have been killed and 21 injured as a result of Indian violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary as the stretch of the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir is referred to by it in less than a week. Pakistans Intern-Services Public Relations (ISPR) accused the Indian troops of resorted to unprovoked firing along the LoC on Monday. It said, India yet again resorted to unprovoked firing on LoC in Kel, Nakyal and Jandrut sectors today. Pakistani troops are befittingly responding and targeting Indian posts. The ISPR in a statement also said that earlier on October 28, Indian firing on civilian population in Nakyal sector Chafrigahi village killed three people including a woman and a child and injured five others. On October 27, firing on Working Boundary in Chaprar and Harpal sectors and on the LoC in Bhimber sector resulted in the deaths of two civilians and injuries to nine, it said. Meanwhile, the cross-LoC bus Karvan-e-Aman could not operate between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad on Monday apparently due to tensions prevailing along the de facto border. This is for the second consecutive week, when the peace bus, a major Confidence Building Measure (CBM) introduced on April 7, 2005 by India and Pakistan, was suspended. Last Monday, the bus could not operate due to official celebrations across the LoC in PoK over its national day. A Border Security Force jawan during a night patrol near the fence at the India-Pakistan International Border at the outpost of Akhnoor sector, Jammu. (Photo: PTI) Jammu: Pakistani terrorists were caught on camera trying to infiltrate into India from across the Line of Control and then returning to Pakistan. The Infiltration bid was foiled by the Border Security Force on October 29-30 in Hiranagar sector in Jammu and Kashmir. #WATCH: CCTV visuals of Pakistani terrorists infiltrating across the International border in J&K's Kathua district (Thermal imagery) pic.twitter.com/3XNRTzNdTS ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 The Army, which has shored up its defences along the LoC, has foiled several infiltration bids last month. Technical surveillance was being maintained, besides using illuminators to prevent the militants, who could be present, from escaping under the cover of darkness. The Army repulsed infiltration bids, raining bullets on the militants and forcing them to return to PoK. Recently, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had briefed the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) that Pakistani army has mobilised about 100 terrorists across the LoC to push them into India to carry out attacks in Jammu and Kashmir. At the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was stated that the Pakistani army was planning attacks by terrorists on Indian defence personnel and security establishments besides select civilian targets in the wake of September 29 surgical strikes. According to the assessment given by Doval, nearly 100 terrorists were readying to infiltrate India from unconventional launch pads. Indian Army had carried out surgical strikes on September 29, crossing over the LoC in Kupwara sector in the Kashmir Valley and Poonch in Jammu region and smashing launch pads meant for terrorists. It was believed that nearly a dozen terrorists were killed in Kel, Lipa and Bhimber Gali and given a quiet burial. Personnel from three divisions of the Army were involved in the surgical strikes and, before the operation, the army teams ensured that they cut off the possibility of any reinforcements from Pakistani army, sources said. New Delhi: Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Tuesday alleged that Madhya Pradesh Police killed the 8 SIMI activists who escaped from the high security Bhopal Central jail in an encounter as it feared they would make some revelations. In a series of tweets in Hindi, the Congress General Secretary also pitched for a court-monitored NIA probe into the incident as also a judicial inquiry into the functioning of the jail. Read: 2 SIMI activists killed in encounter were wanted by Tamil Nadu police The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister wondered as to how only jail inmates associated with SIMI only escape and alleged that the eight have been gunned down by the Madhya Pradesh Police. He sought to know whether the SIMI activists were armed. "If all had been caught alive they would have given information about the whole incident, but would have also revealed the sequence of events. Perhaps, that is why they were gunned down," Singh claimed. New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a three-day state visit to Nepal on Wednesday, the first by an Indian Head of State in 18 years, during which he will hold talks with political leadership there besides visiting historical temples of Pashupatinath and Ram Janki. The President's visit is seen as an extension of "intensive engagement" by India with Nepal , which adopted its democratic Constitution last year, at political and functional levels. "The President has had a long involvement with the people of Nepal, with the political leaders of Nepal and he has been a person who has played an instrumental role on behalf of India in his different capacities as Defence Minister, as Finance Minister and as External Affairs Minister in the process of democratic evolution within Nepal," Press Secretary to the President Venu Rajamony had said. Mukherjee is likely to be received by President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu . A formal meeting between the two Heads of State has been lined up at the official residence of Bhandari-Shital Niwas. Bhandari will also host a state banquet in honour of Mukherjee. Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will also host a dinner in his honour. " India is giving particular focus on our ongoing development, connectivity and economic projects as well as number of projects under the lines of credit. "These projects are being reviewed periodically at the highest level to ensure their timely implementation. We are also trying to move forward expeditiously on the post-earthquake reconstruction projects where India has committed USD one billion assistance to Nepal ," Joint Secretary (North) Sudhakar Dalela said while briefing about the visit. Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and the Prime Minister will also call on Mukherjee. The leaders "will discuss the full range of issues covering bilateral, regional and international issues and I am sure regional cooperation issue will figure in the talks," Dalela had said. Investigation by UKs Serious Fraud Office has found suspicious payment that was made in cash to Chaudhries son Bhanu. (Photo: AP) New Delhi: British automobile giant Rolls Royce has found itself in the eye of the storm after reports indicated that the company may have resorted to illicit payments in as many as 12 countries including India to avail lucrative deals. According to the BBC, the company is alleged to have paid money up to the tune of 10 million pounds to organisations associated with Indian-born London based arms dealer Sudhir Chaudhrie in order to secure a major contract for engines on Indias Hawk aircrafts. It is to be noted that Chaudhrie is in the governments list of blacklisted people suspected of corrupt or illegal practices. Sudhir Choudhrie and his family members were also found to be beneficiaries of an offshore foundation set up in 2004 and were exposed in the Panama Papers investigation. Investigation by UKs Serious Fraud Office has found suspicious payment that was made in cash to Chaudhries son Bhanu. Bhanu is alleged to have received the kickbacks from an arms executive during a road trip to Switzerland. The arms executive in question, Peter Ginger, was a key negotiator on the sale of Hawk aircraft to the Indian government, the report claimed. But Bhanu Chaudhries lawyer denied the allegations and claimed that he has never been paid to secure deals for Rolls-Royce in India, including the sale of Hawk jets. Rolls Royce also said that it was fully co-operating with the authorities and that it could not comment on the ongoing investigations. Rolls Royce had bagged a deal700 mn-pound deal with the Hindustan Aeronauntics in early 2010. The deal followed an order for 66 Hawk jets by India in 2004. Police investigate the encounter site at the hillocks of Acharpura village after the STF killed 8 Students of Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). (Photo: PTI) Bhopal: The top official at Bhopal Central Jail, from where 8 SIMI prisoners escaped on Monday before being killed in an encounter by police, said on Tuesday that the jailbreak was waiting to happen. According to an NDTV report, LKS Bhadauria, the head jailer of Bhopal Central Jail, said that there were as many as 29 SIMI terror accused in the jail. Bhadauria said that he had been asking for those arrested on suspicion of being members of SIMI to be kept in separate prisons, but the request was ignored, and "all were transferred here". Read: Video: 8 SIMI activists gunned down in encounter killing in Madhya Pradesh The SIMI members who escaped on Diwali had been imprisoned on charges ranging from murder to terror attacks. They slit the throat of a prison guard and scaled the nearly 30-feet wall with tied-up bedsheets to escape. They were cornered by the police on the outskirts of Bhopal before being killed in an alleged encounter. While the escapees carried spoons when they fled, they were reported to be holding country-made pistols during the encounter. But a series of videos, shot on a cellphone, show the policemen opening fire at point blank range on the men, raising questions about the police's version of events. The Congress and other Opposition parties have condemned the alleged encounter, and demanded a probe into the incident. However, the ruling BJP has refused the demand for a probe, calling it vote bank politics. Kolkata: Seeking to play a major role in national politics post-2019, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) wants to unite secular parties against the "divisive politics" of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS. TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee few days ago had asked her party leaders to prepare a booklet highlighting the evils of communal politics and dangers of the rise of BJP and RSS throughout the country. "We want to unite the secular forces and parties across the country. The TMC will play a pivotal role and act as a glue to hold the secular forces together. The booklet will talk about the methods to counter the evils of communalism and divisive politics," a senior TMC leader told PTI. The draft for the booklet has been prepared and is waiting for the final nod of the top leadership, the leader said. Apart from the call against communal politics, the booklet will also have details about the achievements of the TMC government, its policies and the Singur land acquisition. Banerjee had chalked out a three-point programme to counter the rise of the saffron brigade in the state. The booklet is part of that three point programme to counter these forces as well as conducting small rallies and street corner meeting from November 3- November 11 throughout the state, where the dangers of communalism and the threat BJP-RSS possesses to the state will be highlighted. It will also talk about TMC's aggressive stance against the BJP in the upcoming Parliament session. TMC sources said the party leadership is keenly awaiting the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, as it will indicate in which way the wind is blowing. "We are waiting for the outcome of the UP polls, as the results will make lot of things clear about which way the wind is blowing. The BJP is fast losing popularity throughout the country, the Congress is still in a mess. There is a still a vacuum in opposition space. "As time passes, the call for anti-BJP platform will gain momentum. We want to fill that vacuum. After the massive mandate in West Bengal Assembly polls the popularity of TMC is all time high," another senior TMC leader and MP said. The TMC leader regretted that irrespective of TMC winning 34 Lok Sabha seats in the 2014 polls, the party didn't have any role to play in national politics as BJP on its own managed a majority. "We couldn't play a major role after 2014. But the situation will not be the same after 2019. Be it a secular front or federal front, the anti-BJP front can't be formed without TMC," the TMC leader said. The vacuum of the opposition political space is fast being explored by the BJP and other Hindutva forces. The TMC leadership is, therefore, now facing a challenge from these forces, which it hopes to counter emphatically in days to come. New Delhi: Voters have a fundamental right to know the academic qualification of a candidate and any false declaration on this count can warrant rejection of nomination papers, the Supreme Court has held. "Every voter has a fundamental right to know about the educational qualification of a candidate. It is also clear from the provisions of the Act, Rules and Form 26 that there is a duty cast on the candidates to give correct information about their educational qualifications," a bench comprising Justices A R Dave and L Nageswara Rao said. The apex court also ruled that if there are only two candidates in the fray and it is proved that the returned candidate's nomination papers have been "improperly accepted", and then the one who lost the poll does not need to produce proof that the election has been materially affected. The verdict came on two cross appeals filed by Mairembam Prithviraj alias Prithviraj Singh and Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh against each other challenging the judgment of the High Court of Manipur. The High Court had declared as "void" the election of Prithviraj, who had contested the 2012 polls on a Nationalist Congress Party ticket against Congress nominee Sharatchandra from Moirang Assembly seat in Manipur. It was alleged that Prithviraj, in his nomination papers, had said he was an MBA, which was found to be incorrect. Upholding the High Court verdict, Justice Rao, writing the verdict for the apex court bench, said it was not "in dispute that the Appellant did not study MBA in Mysore University" and the plea that it was a "clerical error" cannot be accepted. "The contention of the Appellant that the declaration relating to his educational qualification in the affidavit is a clerical error cannot be accepted. It is not an error committed once. Since 2008, the Appellant was making the statement that he has an MBA degree. The information provided by him in the affidavit filed in Form 26 would amount to a false declaration. The said false declaration cannot be said to be a defect which is not substantial...," the bench said. The bench also dealt in detail the legal question whether it was necessary to "plead and prove that the result was materially affected when the nomination of the returned candidate was found to have been improperly accepted, moreso, when there are only two candidates contesting the election." "There is no dispute that an election cannot be set aside on the ground of improper acceptance of any nomination without a pleading and proof that the result of the returned candidate was materially affected. "The point to be considered is whether the law as laid down by this Court relating to the pleading and proof of the fact of the result of the returned candidate being materially affected, applies to a case where the nomination of the returned candidate is declared to have been improperly accepted," it said. The bench said there was a difference between improper acceptance of a nomination of a returned candidate and the improper acceptance of nomination of any other candidate. There is also a difference between cases where there are only two candidates in the fray and a situation where there are more than two candidates contesting the election, it said. "If the nomination of a candidate other than the returned candidate is found to have been improperly accepted, it is essential that the election Petitioner has to plead and prove that the votes polled in favour of such candidate would have been polled in his favour. "On the other hand, if the improper acceptance of nomination is of the returned candidate, there is no necessity of proof that the election has been materially affected as the returned candidate would not have been able to contest the election if his nomination was not accepted. "It is not necessary for the Respondent to prove that result of the election in so far as it concerns the returned candidate has been materially affected by the improper acceptance of his nomination as there were only two candidates contesting the election...," the bench held. (Reopens LGD6) Though the mere finding that there has been improper acceptance of the nomination is not sufficient for declaration that the election is void under Section 100 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, "but, there would be no necessity of any proof in the event of the nomination of a returned candidate being declared as having been improperly accepted, especially in a case where there are only two candidates in the fray," the apex court bench said. If the returned candidate's nomination is declared to have been improperly accepted, it would mean that he could not have contested the election and that the result of the election of the returned candidate was materially affected need not be proved any further, it said. The bench also allowed the plea of the losing candidate that now he be declared winner as the election of the returned candidate has been declared void. "We are in agreement with the High Court and we do not intend to interfere with the discretion exercised by the High Court," it said. Deputy commissioner of Jammu said the order shall apply to government and private schools in the areas near the IB and LoC (Representational Image) Srinagar/New Delhi: A day after the High Court rap, Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Tuesday held a high-level meeting over burning of schools in the valley and came up with a number of decisions, including steps to enhance vigil and a directive to police to speed up the investigation. However, on the same day, a decision to shut some schools too was taken. As many as 174 schools in the border belt of Jammu district have been closed by the authorities in wake of the Pakistani shelling. The schools shall remain closed till further orders, said deputy commissioner of Jammu Simrandeep Singh. He said the order shall apply to government and private schools in the areas near the IB and LoC and the chief education officer Jammu has been asked to ensure its compliance. Concerned over burning down of schools, the Centre has asked the Mufti government to check such attempts and make efforts for re-opening the schools. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also said to be worried that the closure of schools for such a long period is affecting thousands of students and feels that if schools reopen, it would be a great step towards restoring normalcy in Kashmir, officials said. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, meanwhile, has made a fervent appeal for peace and political dialogue between India and Pakistan to deescalate the perilously hostile situation prevailing in the region. New Delhi: The government has hit out strongly at the communal tone being given to the Bhopal encounter. Suddenly, in this case (Bhopal) the religion has come. This is all cheap politics. I appeal to all to avoid politics take care of security and safety of the country, Union information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu said on Tuesday. Claiming that it was nothing but dirty politics, he said that it being a matter concerning the safety and security, nobody should try to politicise it. Union minister of state for home affairs, Kiren Rijiju, said that it has virtually become a habit to question authorities and raise doubts. He added that facts will come out soon which will denounce the habit. It is not good to raise questions on security forces dealing with terrorists, just on the basis of videos, Mr Rijiju said. A controversy had erupted when unverified videos of the encounter started coming out on certain TV channels. The Left parties have also demanded that a judicial enquiry should take place. CPI leader and Rajya Sabha MP D. Raja said, The BJP has been politicising the issue as its wants to polarise people communally. This is being done with Assembly elections on mind, especially those in Uttar Pradesh. While the CPI(M) politburo said they see many discrepancies in the statements which came from the Madhya Pradesh government and the police, the politburo said, The claim by the police that the accused were shot dead after they were attacked by these men who were armed is contradicted by states home minister, Bhupendra Singh. These men securing arms while being unable to get a vehicle to make good their escape sounds implausible. The encounter has united several opposition parties which include the BSP and the RJD. There is a growing chorus of having a court-monitored probe in both the jailbreak and the encounter. The opposition feels that it can leverage its position and embarrass the Madhya Pradesh government on this issue. With the BJP solidly backing the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and rejecting a judicial probe into the encounter, the issue could well be highlighted in the upcoming winter session of Parliament. Why only Muslims fleeing jail? questions Digvijay Asking why only Muslims were breaking out of prisons and not Hindus, Andhra Pradesh state Congress affairs in-charge Digvijay Singh on Tuesday demanded an inquiry into repeated instances of jailbreaks by Simi activists in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr Singh said that he was against all those who do politics in the name of religion, and reminded that he had sought a ban on Simi when he was the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. I was the first CM to seek a ban on Simi and Bajrang Dal, he said, and demanded that Madhya Pradesh CM, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, initiate an inquiry into Mondays jailbreak and the subsequent killing of the eight Simi activists. Mr Singh also wondered why the BJP was shying away from publicly showing respect for M.S. Golwalkar, and its sudden love for Vallabhbhai Patel. Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the government not to demolish any of the buildings in the Secretariat complex for 10 days. It asked the government to file an affidavit explaining the reasons for demolition of certain buildings in the complex. Telangana advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy said it was a policy decision of the government and was not only for vastu reasons. He told the court that some of the existing buildings did not meet fire safety norms. The state government proposed to demolish certain blocks and build new ones that had modern safety and security equipment. He contended that the scope for judicial review of a policy decision was limited. The Madras and Karnataka High Courts had rejected challenges to the construction of new Secretariat complexes in those states, he pointed out. The bench said, If the decision to demolish all the buildings is based upon vastu then the court can examine it. But if the decision is based upon fire safety norms or other administrative reasons, it has a very limited scope. Referring to the argument that every act of the government has to be reasonable, the bench said that the test was whether the decision violated Article 14 of the Constitution of India or not. When the petitioner pressed for an interim order, the A-G said demolitions would not commence immediately and urged the court to grant time to file a counter. Making it clear that no demolition would take place till November 14, the bench granted time to the A-G. When petitioners counsel requested a stay on shifting of departments from the buildings identified for demolition, the bench refused and said the government was free to take that decision. Telangana awaits court decision on secretariat complex The TS government is waiting for the final outcome on the writ petition filed by Congress MLA T. Jeevan Reddy on demolition of the Secretariat blocks before it taking any steps. The TS government has completed paperwork on the action plan for vacating the offices in the Secretariat, relocating them and for demolishing the existing buildings for the construction of new ones. The government was finalising the orders on vacating the secretariat blocks when the Congress MLA filed his writ petition in the High Court, forcing the government to wait for the courts decision. Sources said that the fire services department and the JNTU have submitted reports to the state government on the condition of existing buildings. They said that these buildings are not safe in case of a fire. The sources said that the government will include these reports in the counter petition it will submit before the court. Earlier, the TS government had decided to vacate the Secretariat buildings by the end of October so that work on the new complex can begin in November. New Delhi: Controversial preacher Zakir Naiks NGO, Islamic Research Foundation, will soon be banned from receiving foreign funding as home ministry has now sent a notice to the organisation for cancelling its registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act. The home ministry has also initiated the process for bringing another NGO of Zakir Naik called IRF Educational Trust under the prior permission category which would prevent the organisation from getting any foreign donations without getting approval from the Centre. Sources said the decision has been taken after investigations carried out by multiple security agencies revealed that the IRF was using the donations for allegedly radicalising youth and inspiring them for terror activities. Home ministrys foreigners division has inadvertently renewed IRFs FCRA licence in September following which five officers, including a joint secretary level official were placed under suspension, said official sources. Mehmood Akhtar, the Pakistani spy who posed as a High Commission official (left), and two informants (right). (Photo: ANI Twitter) New Delhi: The Pakistan government may recall four of its officials from its high commission in New Delhi, a Pakistani media report claimed, after some Indian TV channels on Saturday made public their names, alleging the probe into the recent espionage scandal had revealed the four were ISI handlers at the high commission. TV reports had claimed the names of the four high commission officials cropped up in investigations after mission staffer Mehmood Akhtar was caught red-handed by the Delhi police while he was receiving sensitive documents on Indian military and paramilitary deployments. India had decla-red Akhtar persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country. Hyderabad: Prisons in the state, which lead in terms of education, reforms, greenery and industries, are as vulnerable from the security standpoint as the Bhopal Central Prison from where eight Simi activists escaped on Monday, killing a head warder. They were subsequently shot dead. TS prisons including the three Central jails at Cherlapally, Chanchalguda and Warangal can hold 6,848 prisoners. Right now, they are home to 6,102, including 2,360 convicts, nearly 3,000 undertrials; and the rest being detenues and women prisoners. Of the total, about 600 are recognised as trouble-makers, including 50 with suspected links to the ISI, Simi and the Indian Mujahideen. The Central and district prisons and sub-jails are short of staff. The dearth of head warders and other staff is leading to poor maintenance of correctional services, implementation of prison rules and monitoring the inmates. Three decades ago, the central prison, now in Cherlapally, was located at Musheerabad on a five-acre site. At that time, it was sanctioned 150 staff to oversee 500 prisoners. It was shifted to the 145-acre Cherlapally site and the intake increased to 2,000 but the number of staff sanctioned has remained the same. This is leading to major problems like prisoners using cellphones and availability of narcotics like ganja with the prisoners. The jail has 140 staff of whom 90 to 100 are available for the four daily shifts. Each shift has only 15 to 20 staff from warder to DSP rank officials. Similar problems are being faced at Chanchalguda and Warangal Central prisons where 1,400 and 1,000 inmates were lodged. Prisons DG V.K. Singh told this newspaper that the sanctioned posts in all the prisons was 1,700 but there were only 1,400 staff. The situation in the women prison is poor. It has only a head warder, a warder, a jailer and a superintendent. They are working in shifts. We have written to the government seeking additional staff and home guards till the recruitments are taken up, he said. State announces more money but does not pay The state Budget had allocated Rs 30 crore to the prisons department to procure electronic equipment to beef up surveillance but the money has not been sanctioned. Following this, prisons DG V.K. Singh announced in April that the department would procure gadgets to implement staff-less surveillance technology apart from purchasing X-ray scanners, metal detectors, emergency lighting system, high-power searchlights, cellular emergency lamps. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, TS prisons have 18 CCTV cameras, 24 metal detectors, 183 walkie talkie sets and 43 VHF sets, which are not sufficient. The CCTV cameras were installed at the three central prisons and women prison. Mr Singh said that the staff was conducting manual searches at barracks and while inmates were returning from courts. It is not possible to check each and every barrack or inmate without equipment. Staff from every jail is facing problems due to the lack of equipment and manpower, he said. A retired jailer said that except for lack of manpower and equipment, inmates could not break out of any jail in TS. Following the previous experiences, we have enhanced the height of jail walls. But, we thoroughly observe movements of staff lest then took advantage of the situation. The NCRB said that five prisoners had escaped from TS prisons in 2015 but officials said that was not the case: Two had escaped during court trial and three from police custody. One escape, in 2016, was that of Salauddin, who had killed the tigress Sakhi. He was caught three days later. Besides, staff had been attacked in 2011 by ISI suspects. The state forum reduced the amount to Rs 20,000 and 17 Special Drawing Rights (SRDs) per kg of baggae as directed by the Montreal Convention. (Representational image) Hyderabad: The Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has reduced the compensation ordered by the Ranga Reddy Consumer Forum for loss of baggage of an Air India passenger. The RR district forum had directed the airline to pay Rs 50,000 as compensation to passenger Pathuri Vittal, a resident of Satavahananagar, Kukatpally, for inconvenience and mental agony caused by the loss of his baggage, and Rs 50,000 as the cost of the contents. The state forum reduced the amount to Rs 20,000 and 17 Special Drawing Rights (SRDs) per kg of baggae as directed by the Montreal Convention. The order came on an appeal filed by Air India against the order of the district forum delivered in January 2014. Mr Vittal and his wife were to visit their daughter in New Jersey, US, in July 2012 from Hyderabad. Due to a strike, the flight was cancelled and the couple booked again to travel to Delhi and from there to New York by a connecting flight. Once on board the flight from RGIA Hyderabad to Delhi on July 11, 2012, the flight attendants told the couple that as there was a space constraint, they should hand over their hand luggage, for which tags were issued. At New Jersey, the two hand bags weighing about 8 kg, containing clothes, silk sarees, medicines, important documents and medical records were not handed back to the two passengers. Air India, in its counter, said no complaint was registered at JKF Airport, New York, about the missing bags, which would have been tracked if a complaint had been lodged. It said the passengers had been requested to remove valuables from the hand baggage and were provided a sling bag for the purpose. It said the liability of the carrier was limited under the Montreal Convention. The airline argued that Mr Vittal was entitled to compensation for weight loss, 17 SDRs per kg totalling 136 SDRs for 8 kg, equivalent to $203.95. The state forum found email evidence that the couple had filed a complaint, and said no effort was made to trace the baggage. However, it did not accept the valuation of the contents of the bags at Rs1 lakh. The state forum ruled: The value of 17 SDRs was shown at Rs 11,360 as on July 2012, which was not acceptable under any stretch of imagination in view of the fact that the same was not paid by the appellants, though admitted. However, the compensation awarded by the (district) forum is on the high side. In these circumstances, we feel it is just and necessary to direct the appellants to pay the value of 17 SDRs per kilogram at the rate existing. Chennai: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) schools in the city are apprehensive of disclosing their staff salary and balance sheet details in public as it may lead to unnecessary public scrutiny of schools. CBSE has made it mandatory for affiliated schools to make their fee and infrastructure details public by uploading information on the school website. In an office memorandum issued on October 25, it has asked the schools to disclose the information under six categories including the general, management, infrastructure and fee details, staff details and other vital information. A senior principal of a reputed school in the city said, We have already uploaded details such as student strength, fee structure on our schools website. Now the board is asking for additional information like the teachers date of birth, salary and other details. But most of the teachers are not willing to put the salary and date of birth details in a public domain. Otherwise, we dont have an objection to putting out all the information, he said, adding that the main idea for seeking these details is to find out which schools are commercially based and which schools are doing it as a service. Another provision directs schools to upload the transfer certificates on the website. It will put our schools in a tight spot as we may receive more recommendations for vacant seats. It also may lead to commercialization of admission, he said. Many schools are apprehensive of uploading the balance sheet on the website. We can submit the balance sheet to the board and we have no issues. If we upload the salary details of the teachers then unnecessary comparisons may arise, K. Mohana, principal, Modern Senior Secondary School, Chennai. In our meetings, we all felt that the cbse is asking too many details. We are waiting to know the response of other schools, said Radhika Unni, Principal, SBOA School and Junior college, Chennai. We have all details as we need these details for affiliation purpose. They only want us to split up all the details in small units. But the only thing is we wanted to know why so many details are being asked? she said. The schools have to disclose the information on or before November 30. Chennai: Chennai generated 67 tonnes of additional hazardous waste mostly comprising crackers during this Deepavali season. Zones with commercial areas like Adyar, Kodambakkam and Teynampet generated maximum garbage during the festival of lights making the total accumulated garbage of Chennai (Saturday and Sunday) to 10,101 tonnes. On an average Chennai generates around 5,500 to 6,500 tonnes of waste per day but during Deepavali the accumulation of plastic and cracker waste is more, a corporation official said adding that 67 tonnes of cracker waste had been moved to a common hazardous waste treatment facility on Gummidipoondi Sipcot campus for further incineration. To make the city look clean, most of sanitary and contract staff sacrificed their Deepavali celebrations and were on duty, the official said. According to a press release from Ripon Buildings north Chennai saw less generation of garbage during this Deepavali when compared to south and central Chennai where shopping complexes and hotels are located. In Chennai, the Teynampet area had the highest amount of garbage with about 1,390 tonnes collected on October 29 and 30, followed by Adyar with 1,366 tonnes of waste. Manali zone had the least generation of 73.7 tonnes of waste followed by Manali and Thiruvottiyur recording less than 300 metric tonnes of garbage during Deepavali. Amritsar: BJP President Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the previous UPA dispensation on the issue of border security, saying anybody could have "humiliated" the country's borders during the government of "Gandhi Parivar" but the Narendra Modi government has secured the borders. "This government has protected the country's border. There was a time when UPA government was here for 10 years. There was a government of Sonia (Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh. There was government of 'Gandhi Parivar'. Anybody could humiliate country's borders (at that time) at one's will," he said while addressing a function to mark the Punjabi Suba golden jubilee here today. Shah asserted that in the last two and half years of Modi government, things have changed. "Today, the whole world has come to know that nobody could dare to see with ill-will at the borders areas of India. If anybody tries to show animosity (on border), a befitting reply is given in order to ensure country's security," said Shah. The BJP chief also dwelt on the achievements of BJP led at the Centre after taking over the reins in 2014. "This government has worked the most for the welfare of farmers after country's Independence. New plans are brought for the welfare of poor, Dalits and economically backward. This government has set a tradition to ensure the gains of the plans reach the beneficiaries and as a result of which, there is a wave of change in the country," he said. The BJP President also asked people to vote for the SAD-BJP alliance for further development of the state while cautioning voters not to get swayed by the opposition parties including Congress. "People of Punjab have to decide to whom they want to bring to the power for next five years. One side, there is an Akali-BJP alliance which has been working for three decades and other side is Congress and some new parties. "One side, we are proud of the sacrifices of Punjab's youth and those who participated in the fight for country's freedom ...and other side are those who are defaming Punjab's youth by calling them drug addicts (nasheri) and seeking mandate for Punjab," he said. "Those who cannot be proud of Punjab's youth and bravery do no deserve any right to seek vote," he said. Lauding the Parkash Singh government in Punjab, Shah said the state has seen "massive" development during the Akali-BJP regime in the last 10 years. "From every aspect, be it farming, industry, rural development, urban development, health and employment, SAD-BJP government has turned the state into an ideal in the county in last 10 years," he said. "In the coming days, elections are coming and people of Punjab have to decide to which party or alliance, they want to hand over the reins of the state," he said. Shah also tried to woo voters by saying that Modi government removed all "the blocks" in the way of Punjab's development in last two and half years. "There is a government of BJP and Akali (NDA) at the Centre. In the last two and half years, all the blocks lying in the way of state's development were lifted with efforts of Narendra Modi, (union minister) Arun (Jaitley). If people give another five years of mandate to SAD-BJP, Punjab will be known in the world for its development," he said. He also congratulated the Badal government for carrying out beatification work outside the Golden Temple. Describing that the alliance between Akali and BJP as an alliance of "national integration" (Quami Ekta), Shah said the alliance was the result of the mutual respect enjoyed by Modi and Badal for each other. "Both leaders worked for several times to take this alliance forward," he said. He said Badal was the only leader who is respected by the whole country. "Punjab saw the development only under his leadership," he asserted. The BJP chief also hailed the sacrifices made by Punjabis in the freedom struggle. "You can see the list of sacrifices made by Punjabis. Martyrs Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Madan Lal Dhingra, Lala Lajpat Rai, they made sacrifices for the nation," he said, adding that it was Punjab which filled the godowns of the country with food grains during Green Revolution. Shah added that the NDA-led Centre was also celebrating the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh. Chennai: The November 19 election will witness a triangular contest between the ruling AIADMK, DMK and the BJP, claimed BJP senior and partys Rajya Sabha MP L. Ganesan. The contest in the three constituencies of Thanjavur, Aravakkurichi and by-poll in Thirupparankundram will be triangular and the BJP will make its presence felt, said Mr Ganesan. Speaking to reporters at the airport here on Monday he said though PMK and DMDK are also in the fray, they would hardly make any impact. The election to Thanjavur and Aravakurichi Assembly seats, which ought to have been held in May was deferred in view of rampant distribution of money to voters. The by-election in Thirupparankundram was necessitated following the death of AIADMKs Seenivel who passed away after winning the seat in the May 16 poll. Mr Ganesan informed that he would be part of President Pranab Mukherjee-led delegation to Nepal from Nov. 2 and 4. Meanwhile, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan called upon the electorate of Thirupparankundram in Madurai to lead the state in rejecting the political parties that bribed them. You should be a role model to the state in refusing to accept money for voting and also rejecting the political parties that attempt to bribe you, Mr Radhakrishnan urged. There is an unmistakable false note in the BJPs bid to appropriate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for its own. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is walking the extra mile to restore Sardar Patel to his rightful place after he was pushed into the shadows by the sycophants of Jawaharlal Nehru. What seems to impel the BJP and the PM is the grudge against Nehru more than anything else. So they forget to give the just praise that is due to Patel. The most important thing the BJP forgets about Patel is that he was a formidable Congressman, just like Maha-tma Gandhi, Nehru and others. Of course, their stature was larger than the party, but they worked within the party framework. The fight between Patel and Nehru, and its futile to pretend they didnt have strong differences and even hated each other in the way only strong individuals hate their peers, which also carries a grudging respect behind it, was between two Congressmen. Patel was an unapologetic right-wing politician, who had nothing but contempt for much of the socialist rhetoric of Nehru and his acolytes, and particularly Jayaprakash Narayan. He was a right-wing Congressman. He didnt believe in the ideas and arguments of either Syama Prasad Mooker-jee or Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. The BJPs bid to latch on to him as they know Savarkar the politician faded away too long back for his name to resonate with people, and that Mookerjee, with his admirable talents, abandoned the national role he could have had if he didnt choose a narrower ideology. The ideas of Mookerjee/Jan Sangh/ BJP were at one end of the political spectrum, with the Communists at the other. Patel was in the middle, and he didnt agree with either. He remained a Congress-man. He wasnt a Hindutva politician in the Cong-ress either, as some liberal secularists have hinted. Patel didnt leave the Congress and didnt walk away from Gandhi. He would have if he believed in the argument of India for Hindus and Pakistan for Muslims. He didnt profess secularism as Nehru and others did in fine liberal language. He was a practical man, never given to high-flown phrases. He was determined that Mus-lims in India who stayed back would remain equal citizens, but he refused to handhold them. That was the man. As Indias first home minister, Patel left no stone unturned to see that there was no massacre of Muslims moving from this side to the other. Muslims were killed in the Partition riots despite that. Even his most implacable critics cant cull out evidence to show he left Muslims to fend for themselves at a time when the communal frenzy was at its peak. Patel could have walked out of the Congress over his differences with Nehru, and even Gandhi. He could have joined the Hindu Mahasabha, or set up a party in the Jan Sangh mould as Mookerjee did long after. What both the BJP and Nehru camp followers forget is that it was Nehru who was in a minority in the Congress, and Patel who had the majority with him. He could have pushed Nehru out of the Congress after Gandhis death on January 30, 1948 and before his own passing on December 15, 1950. There were nearly three years when Patel and Nehru were face to face with each other, and their sharp differences didnt disappear. Nehru too could have threatened to walk out of the party. But he didnt. He didnt drop Patel from the Cabinet, which he could have. Nehru and Patel just pulled along. They didnt put aside their differences. Patel still rallied his supporters in the party. But they worked together. Patel and Nehru shared information and notes when Patel set to work pulling in all the princely states into the Indian Union. Even over Hyderabad and Jammu and Kashmir, the two stayed in close touch. They had different perspectives, but one didnt undermine the other in the Cabinet and the government. There is a famous letter that Patel wrote to Nehru on the issue of Tibet in 1949. It is more likely that Nehru would have agreed with Patel on Tibet, but it wasnt an easy situation. The Tibetan government before the Chinese takeover was arrogant and claimed Sikkim and the present Arunachal Pradesh for itself, a fact not many experts seem to have noticed. At the end of the day, despite their growing irritation with each other, Nehru and Patel stood by each other. Patel didnt endure Nehru due to any sentimental deference to Gandhis memory and wishes. He knew Nehru was the man to be there where he was. That is why he didnt do anything to undermine Nehrus position. At the same time, he didnt let go his control of the party. He checkmated Nehru. But the rivalry stopped there. It was Nehru and Patel who were fed up with the Muslim Leagues intransigence during the short coalition phase in the Provisional Government, and they knew that Partition was inevitable. So when the BJP and Narendra Modi want to praise Patel to denigrate Nehru, they are going against the facts. Nehru and Patel trusted each other and they worked together. That is the plain truth. There is quite a bit of gossip that Nehru didnt want any home ministry officials to attend Patels funeral in Bombay at the governments expense. It isnt necessary to deny the narration as he might have been worried about precedents for the future, or may have hated Patel so much that he thought this was the time to get his way. Apparently, he didnt even want President Rajendra Prasad to go as well. It is, however, based on anecdotal evidence that is not sufficient to qualify as historical evidence. But what stands against talk about personal animosity is the fact of Patel and Nehru working closely from the days when the Provisional Government was formed in 1946 and till Patel died in 1950. There are just too many uncomfortable questions about the jailbreak by eight Simi prisoners from Bhopal Central Jail early on Monday, and their subsequent killing in a supposed encounter by the Madhya Pradesh police. Only an impartial inquiry, capable of locating guilt wherever it lies, including with the government, can help prevent similar occurrences in the future. Some questions are specific to the Madhya Pradesh government. Such as: how do jailbreaks take place with disturbing frequency when high-risk prisoners are involved? Seven Simi prisoners had escaped from Khandwa prison in 2013. But theres also the larger, worrying, issue of Indias name as a democracy being besmirched as a country where jailed individuals as is being widely suspected are permitted to break free from prison by the state and then shot dead in cold blood and the event given the appearance of a police encounter with armed runaway prisoners. In the Bhopal case, it was officially said that the prisoners had made good their escape using spoons as weapons. Can men with spoons fire back? The whole thing looks fishy at this stage. The suspicion needs to be either proved or dispelled. A similar incident is thought to have occurred when Narendra Modi was chief minister of Gujarat. A terrorist module had been apprehended, allowed to leave detention, and then allegedly killed in cold blood. The matter is still shrouded in mystery but strong grounds for suspicions exist. In Gujarat, the administration was in the hands of an avowedly pro-Hindu party while the deceased were Muslim. The same is the case in respect of Mondays Bhopal incident. Earlier, in the 1970s and 80s, Naxalites used to be killed in encounters that were widely believed to be fake. The BJP was not in power then. Quite simply, a culture of killing inconvenient prisoners was developing. But this trend had been more or less arrested. Are we now seeing its recrudescence, in a communal reincarnation? The MP chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the National Investigation Agency. This wont wash. A BJP government in the state being investigated by the BJP government at the Centre is worse than laughable, all the more so when the MP home minister is publicly seeking credit for killing violent terrorists. A democracy must guard itself against evil-doers and those seeking to undermine it by exploiting principles that are favourable to individuals in relation to the state. But a democratic state is obliged to act according to the legal system it has created, and by allowing due process to prisoners of all kinds, including suspected terrorists. Mummy passed away peacefully. Will you be coming home? My sisters simple WhatsApp message on October 6 informed me of the death of my beloved mother who died as simply as she lived. Flying home from Rome for the last rites, I couldnt help thinking that my mum was one of the anonymous saints who live among us. After Diwali, the festival of lights, this week Christians commemorate All Saints Day (November 1) and All Souls Day (November 2). Additionally, Jesuits celebrate all saints of the Society of Jesus (November 5). I think that saints those recognised as such, and those unknown are simple, faithful folk who, by their lives, dispel darkness and destroy death in its many forms. Normally, men outnumber women in the galaxy of saints. The Bible portrays holy men like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel and Joseph, as well as women like Sarah, Ruth, Esther and Mary, mother of Jesus. Men are normally busy with duties of the sanctuary and cult, besides being immersed in public affairs. Thus, their role in religion is more likely to be recognised and rewarded. But, since most women silently and selflessly spend themselves in household chores, their heroism largely goes unnoticed. Everyone is called to sainthood. Religions provide checklists for determining sanctity. For instance, the Gospels contain the Beatitudes that depict the blessed as poor in spirit, merciful, humble, pure in heart, peacemakers, etc. Likewise, in his Vaishnava Jana To bhajan 15th century Gujarati poet Narsinh Mehta describes the true Vaishnavite as one who feels the pain of others, helps those in misery, is free from ego-avarice-greed-lust, pure in thought-word-deed, free from attachments, respectful towards all and united to God. Can we not strive to imbibe these virtues? Beyond religions, Ive met many people who are living saints in the way they help all people, strive for justice, defend the poor and protect Mother Earth. By so doing they dispel darkness and breathe life into situations of despair and death. Saint Ambrose wrote: The foolish fear death as the greatest of evils, the wise desire it as a rest after labours and the end of ills. For my mother, eternal rest was the crowning of a life fully lived, and the cessation of the many sufferings she bravely bore. Before his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr, requested that at his funeral no mention be made of his achievements, but that it be said that he tried to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and love and serve humanity. His tomb bears the words: Free at last, free at last, Thank God Im free at last! May we live the here-and-now fruitfully so as to enjoy full and final freedom. With no fanfare but an abrupt announcement by the master of ceremonies, the dark, powerful jets rumbled side by side over the sun-baked spectators. Two of China's secretive J-20 warplanes swept over a gasping crowd at the Zhuhai air show Tuesday, potent symbols of Beijing's aspirations to military might. The fighters were not announced on the schedule and appeared in the sky just after a colourful aerobatics show by the People's Liberation Army Air Force. With no fanfare but an abrupt announcement by the master of ceremonies, the dark, powerful jets rumbled side by side over the sun-baked spectators. Two minutes later one blasted vertically into the sky and the jets were gone. Swift and heavily armed, the warplanes represent a leap forward in China's ability to project power in Asia and compete in capabilities with the United States. Beijing is seeking to modernise and upgrade its military both to protect its borders and project power into regions such as the South China Sea, a resource-rich strategic waterway where it has disputes with several neighbours. This year's Zhuhai exhibition, the largest ever, features an array of new made-in-China military technology including assault vehicles, anti-aircraft missile systems, drones and fighter jets. Two huge exhibition rooms showcased the latest sea, land, and drone-based defence systems on giant screens, with enemy ships and aircraft as targets. Tourists posed next to missile launchers and atomic clocks used to control the country's home-grown Beidou satellite navigation system. China's only international aerospace expo, the Zhuhai event serves as a stage for Beijing to flex its muscles before an audience of cheering citizens and foreign guests from 42 countries including Russia, Pakistan and Britain. It has also become a key platform for top global aerospace firms to hawk their wares for a share of the booming aircraft market in the world's second-largest economy. China is projected to become the world's largest aviation market by 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association. Boeing and Airbus are in a heated competition to win Chinese customers for their aircraft, while home-grown national champions COMAC and AVIC aim to capture market share for Chinese firms. President Xi Jinping has declared aerospace one of the target industries for his "Made in China 2025" plan to make the country's firms capable of dethroning foreign competitors in high-value manufacturing and services. On Monday the president of China's state aerospace company AVIC maker of the J-20 jet said in Zhuhai that the firm had annual overseas earnings exceeding 80 billion yuan ($11.8 billion) and declared its "sacred mission" to serve the country, carry out the strategic plan of the Communist party, and "closely unite around the core leadership of comrade Xi Jinping". Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The global smartphone leader and Apple Inc rival last week said they aimed to recover swiftly from the withdrawal of the fire-prone Note 7 in October. Chief Executive of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Kwon Oh-hyun has called for improvement for the South Korean smartphone manufacturer, as it is still facing the hits of the costly withdrawal of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. Not referring directly to the failure of the fire-prone Note 7s, Kwon said in a statement Samsung employees should look back and ask whether they had been contented in their work. We have a long history of overcoming crises, Kwon said, Let us use this crisis as a chance to make another leap by re-examining and thoroughly improving how we work, how we think about innovation and our perspective of our customers. The global smartphone leader and Apple Inc rival last week said they aimed to recover swiftly from the withdrawal of the fire-prone Note 7 in October. The debacle raised concerns about Samsungs quality control systems causing them to pull their third-quarter earnings to their lowest level in nearly eight years, but so far no one at the firm has been publicly held responsible. Samsung has started its investigations into the Note 7 fires beyond its batteries as it tries to get to the bottom of one of the worst product failures of all time. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. They will be offered tables in the bazaar and it shall be free of cost. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP) Cairo: Spouses of Asian diplomats, including from India, are set to host a crafts bazaar in the Egyptian capital in a bid to raise funds for NGOs which work for women and children. The Asian Diplomats' Spouses Association (ADSA) in Cairo will organise the annual bazaar in Cairo on November 12, association president Ranu Bhattacharyya on Monday told reporters at the India House in Zamalek. 11 Egyptian NGOs will participate in the bazaar along with 15 Asian countries, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Vietnam and Australia, said Ranu, wife of the Indian Ambassador in Cairo Sanjay Bhattacharyya. "We come from counties which have seen women and children in need. And since we are here we would like to find ways to address that," Ranu said. "These NGOs work with women and children and also they are promoting the crafts which are slowly dying out in Egypt," she pointed out. "They will be offered tables in the bazaar and it shall be free of cost. So whatever money they make, it is for them to put it back into their own organisations," she said. The press briefing was attended by Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China, Dwi Ria Latifa, wife of Ambassador of Indonesia, Hajah Sarimah, wife of Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam, and Dianne Hawkins, wife of Ambassador of Australia. "Every year we sit together and update our charity activities and we see which organisation needs to be supported badly. We always stand by the Egyptian women and children and Egyptian people who need support," said Wang Jine, wife of Ambassador of China. As customary, the Asian embassies will sell traditional hand-made products and the food for which their countries are famous. Mandara Yogarajan, wife of Ambassador of Sri Lanka, said ASDA is keen on supporting Egyptian handcrafts. "We keep those products that are dying and give a life to them so they can continue in Egypt through our support," she said. Cultural performances from several Asian countries will be held during the bazaar which will take place in one of Cairo's 5-star hotels for a day. "I think what makes this Asia bazaar different from other bazaars is the cultural performances that will be held. Last year the cultural performers ended up with every body dancing," Dianne Hawkins, wife of the Ambassador of Australia, said. The bazaar will be inaugurated by Ghada Wali, the Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity, Ranu said. Johannesburg: The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Tuesday sharply criticized South African President Jacob Zuma, saying "political meddling for private interests" during his tenure has weakened state institutions and poses a threat to the country's democracy. "It is painful for us at the Nelson Mandela Foundation to bear witness to the wheels coming off the vehicle of our state," the foundation said in a statement that was unusual because the organization, created by Mandela, has avoided direct commentary on political disputes. Instead, the foundation has focused on themes such as justice and equality, as well as the legacy of racism dating from South Africa's era of white minority rule, which ended in 1994 when Mandela was elected South Africa's first black president. The statement came amid an outcry in South Africa over Zuma, who has lost popularity even within his own ruling African National Congress party because of a series of scandals. One of those unfolded in court on Tuesday as government lawyers argued against the release of a state watchdog report about allegations that a business family linked to Zuma sought to influence some Cabinet post selections. "The public has got a right to this report as soon as possible," countered Dali Mpofu, an opposition lawyer. Opposition groups planned a major demonstration in Pretoria, South Africa's administrative capital, on Wednesday. The rally originally was meant to coincide with a court appearance by the finance minister, who was charged with fraud in what critics alleged was a move by pro-Zuma factions against perceived opponents. Organizers decided to go ahead with the protest even though the director of the National Prosecuting Authority dropped the charges against the minister while denying they were politically motivated. "We have seen a weakening of critical institutions such as the South African Revenue Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and law enforcement bodies due to political meddling for private interests," said Njabulo Ndebele, chairman of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Ndebele referred to another scandal in which the Constitutional Court said in March that Zuma had flouted the constitution when he didn't pay back some of the more than $20 million in state funds used to upgrade his rural home. Zuma apologized and paid back more than $500,000, an amount determined by the national treasury. "It is increasingly a national consensus that he has failed the test" of his constitutional obligations, Ndebele said. The Nelson Mandela Foundation chairman did not directly call for Zuma's resignation, as some South Africans have done, but urged the ruling party to ensure that the state is put "in safe and capable hands." Bongani Ngqulunga, a spokesman for Zuma, said he had not seen the statement and could not immediately comment. Zuma retains powerful supporters in the government despite growing rifts within the ruling party, which suffered heavy losses in local elections earlier this year, partly because of public dissatisfaction with the president. Fire department and rescue officials are at the scene of an early morning fatal collision between a school bus and a commuter bus. (Photo: AP) Baltimore: A school bus blocks away from its first stop Tuesday morning rear-ended a car, hit the entrance to a cemetery and then veered into an oncoming commuter bus in a crash that killed at least six people and injured 10, authorities said. No children were on board the school bus, whose driver was killed along with at least five people on the Maryland Transit Administration bus, Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said. "It literally looks like a bomb exploded in the bus. It's catastrophic damage," Smith said. The only other occupant of the school bus, an aide, was taken to a hospital, as were the car driver and eight people from the commuter bus, Smith told a news conference. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical, he said. The school bus slammed into the MTA bus, crumpling both driver's areas, and then raked the side of the commuter bus, tearing off sheet metal. It finally came to a stop with its front end buried toward the back of the MTA bus. Smith noted a lack of skid marks at the crash scene on Frederick Avenue near Loudon Park Cemetery, leading to what he called a working theory that the school bus driver had suffered a medical emergency. Firefighters were still working their way through the wreckage of the commuter bus about two hours after the 7 a.m. crash, Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford said. "This was a significant, significant wreck, so there are still portions of the bus that our people have not been able to fully access," Ford said. He said firefighters also had to enter the school bus from the rear and cut out the seats to reach the driver and aide. Smith characterized it as an accident investigation, not a crime-scene investigation, despite the presence of homicide detectives. Smith said they were called because they are accustomed to conducting death investigations. University of Maryland Medical Center spokeswoman Lisa Clough said the hospital received one patient in critical condition and four others in fair condition. The survey added that 90 per cent of all respondents said Clinton's political experience made them more likely to vote for her. (Photo: AP) New York: Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is a clear favourite among under-graduate students of the prestigious Harvard University to win the presidency, even as almost half of those supporting her say they do not find her trustworthy, according to a new poll. The poll conducted by the university's daily student newspaper 'The Harvard Crimson' said that 87 per cent of surveyed undergraduates would vote for Clinton in the 2016 election, compared to just six per cent for Republican Party nominee Donald Trump. However, despite students' overwhelming support for Clinton, not all in her favour said they believed she was trustworthy. The poll said 56 per cent of respondents who indicated they would vote for Clinton found her trustworthy. In comparison, 52 percent of survey respondents who said they would vote for Trump said they found him trustworthy. The survey added that 90 per cent of all respondents said Clinton's political experience made them more likely to vote for her, while 13 per cent of all respondents said Trump's status as a political outsider made them more likely to vote for him. About 91 per cent of respondents will be eligible to vote on Election Day, while 8 per cent are not US citizens, and 1 per cent are too young to vote. Crimson said two-thirds of surveyed undergraduates affiliated with the Democratic Party, compared to about 12 per cent who identified as Republican and 19 per cent who identified as independent. In The Crimson's 2012 survey of Harvard undergraduates and graduate students, 77 per cent of respondents indicated they would vote for President Barack Obama, while 17 percent chose his Republican opponent Mitt Romney. The survey said that 70 per cent of Harvard respondents view Clinton favourably, while 3.5 per cent of surveyed undergraduates view Trump favorably. Clinton's running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, received a 46 per cent favourability rating, while Trump's running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, received an 8 per cent favourability rating. On an average, 61 per cent of surveyed students found Clinton's stance on immigration, trade, relations with police, counter-terrorism, taxes, environment, and the Syrian refugees crisis to be favourable. The Crimson said 72 per cent of respondents viewed Clinton's stances favourably on immigration and the environment, while 41 per cent viewed her stance on trade favourably. On the other hand, eight per cent of those surveyed said they viewed Trump's stance on immigration, trade, relations with police, counter-terrorism, taxes, environment, and the Syrian refugees crisis as favourable. "This year's presidential candidates differ significantly in their relative amount of political experience. Clinton has been involved in politics for more than two decades, while Trump has never before held elected office," the Crimson said. Against the backdrop of the public controversies facing the two nominees, 49 per cent of respondents said that Clinton's use of a private email server made them less likely to vote for her, while 46 per cent said her actions made no difference. When asked about other controversies that the Clinton campaign has faced, including her handling of the 2012 Benghazi attack and her paid speeches at Goldman Sachs, a majority of respondents said they had no opinion or that the controversies made no difference in whether they would vote for her. Still, 34 per cent of students said Clinton's handling of the Benghazi attack made them less likely to vote for her, and 38 per cent of students said her speeches at Goldman Sachs made them less likely to vote for her. Ninety-five percent of those surveyed said Trump's comments on Muslim and Mexican immigrants made them less likely to vote for him. Clinton believes she can face down the challenge and return to the issue of Trump's fitness to lead a nuclear power. (Photo: AP) Cincinnati: Hillary Clinton tried to pivot away from attacks on her protection of US secrets Monday, warning against her White House rival Donald Trump being allowed control of US nuclear launch codes. In a barnstorming final push before the November 8 presidential vote, Trump has seized upon a renewed FBI inquiry into Clinton's controversial use of a private email server while secretary of state. But, with no sign anything concrete will come of the FBI probe before polling day, Clinton believes she can face down the challenge and return to the issue of Trump's fitness to lead a nuclear power. In Kent, Ohio, she was introduced by Bruce Blair, a former US missile launch officer who organized a joint letter from former colleagues arguing that Trump should not be trusted with nuclear codes. Clinton, pointing to Trump's numerous angry blowups on the trail and often confused responses to questions on security issues, painted him as a dangerous hothead who could trigger Armageddon. "Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis. Imagine him plunging us into a war because somebody got under his very thin skin. I hope you'll think about that when you cast your vote," the 69-year-old Democrat said of her Republican rival Trump, a 70-year-old New York property mogul turned reality television star. Daisy girl In parallel to the blood-curdling new stump speech, Clinton issued an ad recalling the renowned 1964 "Daisy Girl" television spot that then president Lyndon Johnson used to paint his challenger Barry Goldwater as a danger to all human life. Trump meanwhile, has done nothing to moderate his own rhetoric, storming through a series of usually Democratic states in an effort to break Clinton's apparent lock on the electoral college. His attacks on Clinton's private email server which he alleges put US secrets at risk are aimed at undermining the advantage the former secretary of state has in terms of experience. But the first major poll to have been partly conducted after Friday's bombshell news that the FBI is re-opening its email probe, showed little movement in his direction with eight days to go. An NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly poll showed Clinton's six percentage point national lead remained essentially unchanged since last week. Trump nevertheless campaigned in Michigan, where Clinton has led every poll since the race began, hoping to capitalize on the controversy over the renewed focus on a newly uncovered batch of emails. Allegations Clinton put America at risk by using a private server were thrust back into the spotlight when FBI Director James Comey said the bureau would study the messages to see if they are "pertinent." The bombshell announcement could shift the momentum in a race where Clinton was increasingly seen as the prohibitive favorite -- with leads in more states than she would need to secure victory. Clinton and her supporters were furious that Comey made his announcement without providing any new evidence of wrongdoing but, after three days of rage, Clinton took a more emollient tone Monday. "I made a mistake. I'm not making any excuses," she said, inviting the FBI to pursue its probe and suggesting that the agency would again find, as it had in July, that she has no case to answer. "It wasn't even a close call," she said, "And I think most people have moved on, They're looking and focused on 'OK, who is going to be the next president and the commander-in-chief?'" Constitutional crisis True to form, Trump wasn't letting go, adding the threat of constitutional crisis to his oft-stated claim that Clinton's email use was criminal in intent and the worst scandal since Watergate. A Clinton victory, he warned supporters, "would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford." He predicted "a criminal trial for a sitting president," and chastised Clinton for seeking to blame others for a scandal that has lasted for 20 months: "She has brought all of this on herself." University of Virginia politics professor Larry Sabato said the FBI development has indeed changed the race's dynamics. "She would have been running a victory lap this week, running up the score," he told AFP. "Instead, she's trying to hold on." But Sabato added that Trump's strategy of touring Democratic-leaning states reflects a stark truth: he needs to flip at least one of them in order to win -- and even that may not be enough. "He is going to have to turn a blue state or two in addition to winning the battlegrounds," he said. "He has to win almost everything. If he wins all the battlegrounds, he needs one more blue state." According to US media reports, Comey's FBI probe was renewed after agents seized a laptop used by Clinton's close aide, Huma Abedin, and her now estranged husband, Anthony Weiner. The disgraced former congressman, who resigned in 2011 after sending explicit online messages, is under investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl. Clinton campaigned Monday for a third straight day without Abedin by her side. New York: CNN cut ties with political commentator and interim Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Donna Brazile after leaked emails suggested she offered advisers to Hillary Clinton advance information about presidential debate questions, the news network reported on Monday. Brazile came under fire earlier this month after a hacked email published by WikiLeaks showed she may have tipped off the Democratic presidential nominee's campaign about a March CNN town-hall debate question about the death penalty. CNN announced her departure after a subsequent leaked email showed she said she was privy to "questions in advance" and offered to "send a few more." Brazile had offered the network her resignation earlier this month, CNN reported. Brazile previously denied allegations that she gave the Clinton campaign information about debate questions ahead of time, according to media reports. Brazile, currently serving as interim head of the DNC, did not immediately respond to a request for comment but posted several tweets on Monday as the news broke. "Thank you @CNN," Brazile tweeted. "Honored to be a Democratic strategist and commentator on the network. Godspeed to all my former colleagues." Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised CNN, alleging it is biased against his campaign. A Clinton spokesman said in an email the campaign would not comment "on the authenticity of any individual emails that have been hacked by the Russian government." FBI Director James Comey said on Friday the agency was probing more emails that might relate to Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. Orlando: Police negotiators talking to the Orlando nightclub gunman at first weren't sure if the person they had on the phone was actually in the Pulse nightclub, according to audio recordings released after a judge ruled they should be made public. The audio recordings between police negotiators and shooter Omar Mateen don't stray from transcripts of conversations released previously by the city of Orlando. But they do capture something not in the transcripts: police officials strategising among themselves about how to talk to Mateen, who hung up several times during the 3-hour standoff at the gay nightclub. A police official can be heard early on saying he's not convinced the person on the call is in the club. At another point, the lead police negotiator, named "Andy," said, "He sounds like he is in a very sterile environment, like he's at a home or an apartment." But then another police official said Mateen could be in an office or bathroom. The recordings also show how the negotiators were feeling out whether they had accurately identified the suspect. "We called him Omar," said Andy, who was then interrupted by another police official who says, "He didn't deny it." Between calls, they mulled over what Mateen had told them, such as his refusal to answer if he had an accomplice. They discussed Mateen's claims that he was wearing a vest and that he had explosives in a car outside the nightclub. He wasn't wearing a bomb vest and there were no explosives in a car, but police officials didn't know that at the time. "He said the bombs are in a car in the parking lot. He's not confirming anything," a police official can be heard saying in the background as Andy implores Mateen to respond. Andy then tells another police official that Mateen had claimed to be wearing a vest but he didn't know what type. "A dress vest. A bulletproof vest, or a bomb vest. That's all I got. We questioned him on it and he shut down," the police negotiator said. Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber ruled yesterday that Mateen's calls should be made public. But she won't rule on releasing other 911 calls from the mass shooting until she has listened to them. More than two dozen news groups, have been fighting the city in court over the release of more than 600 calls dealing with the worst mass shooting in modern US history. The city has released about two-thirds of the calls but are still withholding the 232 calls that lawyers for the city say depict suffering or killing and are exempt from Florida's public records laws. We believe that there continues to be a terrorist threat within Pakistan against the Pakistani people and also posing a threat outside of Pakistan and we continue to work closely with the Pakistan government to try and address it, Pentagon said. (Photo: Representational Image) Washington: The Pentagon has warned that there continues to be a terror threat from within Pakistan to the Pakistani people and to outside, even as it acknowledged that "more can be done" to address the issue. "Focusing on counter-terrorism has been a big part of our ongoing conversations with Pakistan and will continue to be a major focus of our efforts with Pakistan," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters. "We believe that there continues to be a terrorist threat within Pakistan against the Pakistani people and also posing a threat outside of Pakistan and we continue to work closely with the Pakistan government to try and address it," he said in response to a question. "We think there's more that can be done and this is something that will continue to be a major focus," he added. Cook said the United States continues to have regular communication with Pakistani counterparts on the safety and security of nuclear weapons. He said the US is watching the situation and the region closely. "This is a part of the world that's had its share of political upheaval in recent years and this is something that we'll watch carefully and that in particular with regard to our military relationship we'll continue to engage our counterparts on that front," he said. The United States, he said, is engaged on a regular basis with Pakistani military counterparts. "We will continue to have the conversation that we always have with them with regard to stability in the region, stability of Pakistan, and of course, the terrorism threat that emanates from Pakistan and the area," Cook said. 23-year-old Hannah Gavios, a New York-based teacher, was holidaying in Thailand when the incident took place. (Photo: Facebook) A Thai man, who was arrested in September for sexually assaulting a US woman, had his 10 years prison sentence shortened by half because he pleaded guilty in the case. The Thai local who had been identified as 27-year-old Apai Ruengvorn had sexually assaulting and masturbated atop 23-year-old Hannah Gavios, a New York-based teacher, was holidaying in Thailand when the incident took place. According to reports, Gavios mother had slammed the courts decision to shorten Ruengvorns sentence and said that her daughter would suffer for the rest of her life because of what had happened. Gavious had broken her back after she fell from the 150ft cliff during a bid to save herself from the sexual predator, but to her horror, he found her again and performed sexual acts on her, as she lay helpless on the ground. Unlike many victims of sexual assault, Gavious chose not to hide her identity and gave the media a blow-by-blow detail of what had happened. Recalling the fateful day, Gavious said it all started when she got lost in Thailands Railay Beach and sought help at a nearby tourist shop to get back to her hotel. It was then that Ruengvorn offered to help her, but little did she know his true intentions and he soon waylaid her into a jungle instead of leading her to safety. Gavious said she was too tired to think and realised that she was being led to danger too late. 'I really thought I was going to die,' she said. 'I didn't get the best feeling about him but I was tired and wanted to get home. I'd been travelling for 16 hours so I guess I wasn't feeling myself,' Gavios recalled. She remembered asking him repeatedly if they were on the right way. As they continued walking, he suddenly grabbed her and tried to take her clothes off. "I started punching him in the face and beating him up and biting off his ear. I was biting his ear so hard it almost came off. His ear was half torn off," she said. "He was in pain and asked me to stop, so we shook hands and he stopped but I was still nervous and he was still trying to harass me so there was no choice but to run. I started walking back to where I came from. Once there was distance between us I started running." The jungle was pitch black and she could hardly see anything, but she did not have the time to think and as she continued to run, she soon found herself falling from a cliff. It was pitch black and before I knew it I was in mid air falling off a cliff. I was honestly thinking I wouldn't survive, she said. I hit my head a few times and landed with a big bump. I was screaming in pain. It was the most painful thing ever. I felt like a total vegetable. I felt completely vulnerable. I couldn't move anything. Ruengvorn, found his way back to her and proceeded to sexually molest her, while she lay injured and motionless from the pain. 'I was stuck with this crazy person. I was in the woods in the bushes with wild snakes crawling on me while he was still continuing to harass me. He got on top of me. He took of his pants and masturbated on me, she said. Gavious was grievously injured and had broken her spine due to the fall, she kept begging Ruengvorn to call for help, but he did not listen to her, not a first at least. I honestly didn't know what to do. I just had to remain calm. whenever I screamed he was choking me so I had to try to keep cool and stay friendly with him. As soon as it got lighter I started calling for help. He kept saying "no police no police," Gavios said. After some time, Ruengvorn left the spot, but to Gavios relief, he came back with other people who rescued her and admitted her to a hospital. Ruengvorn later confessed to his crime and was arrested for sexually assaulting Gavios. Washington: The Trump Organisation has a secret server registered to Trump Tower that has been covertly communicating with a Russian bank, a media report said in the latest allegation of questionable links between Donald Trump and Russia just a week ahead of the presidential polls. A report in the Slate said a server registered to the Trump Organisation was found to have been in contact with the Alfa Bank, the largest private commercial bank in Russia. Activity on the server indicated "a sustained relationship between a server registered to the Trump Organisation and two servers registered to an entity called Alfa Bank", it said. Trump was "secretly communicating" with this Russian bank, claimed the report, which was denied by his Campaign. Slate said it spoke to one scientist, referred to as Tea Leaves for anonymity, and two of his collaborators. It alleged that the server was set up to communicate privately with the bank. The server was shut down after a reporter asked about it. Hillary Clinton, Trumps Democratic presidential rival, in a tweet demanded that "its time for Trump to answer questions about his ties to Russia". The Trump campaign said "the only covert server is the one Hillary Clinton recklessly established in her basement while serving as Secretary of State, compromising our national security." "To be clear, The Trump Organisation is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server. The Trump Organisation has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity," it said. Hillary for America Senior Policy Adviser Jake Sullivan said: "This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow. Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organisation to a Russian-based bank. "This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trumps ties to Russia. It certainly seems the Trump Organisation felt it had something to hide, given that it apparently took steps to conceal the link when it was discovered by journalists." "This line of communication may help explain Trumps bizarre adoration of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and endorsement of so many pro-Kremlin positions throughout this campaign," he alleged. "It raises even more troubling questions in light of Russias masterminding of hacking efforts that are clearly intended to hurt Hillary Clintons campaign. We can only assume that federal authorities will now explore this direct connection between Trump and Russia as part of their existing probe into Russias meddling in our elections," Sullivan said. Meanwhile, Mother Jones news magazine quoted a report sent to FBI according to which Russia was "cultivating" Trump. "Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by Putin, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance," the report said, adding that assistance allegedly included receiving information from the Kremlin on Democratic and other political rivals. New York: Whether FBI Director James Comey broke the law may hinge on whether he had political motivations or was merely doing his job by reviving Democrat Hillary Clinton's email controversy just days before the Nov. 8 presidential election. Richard Painter, a chief White House ethics lawyer to former Republican President George W. Bush, on Saturday accused Comey of violating the 1939 Hatch Act when the FBI chief wrote Congress on Friday that more of the candidate's emails would be scrutinized. On Sunday, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote to Comey to accuse him of partisan actions that may have broken the law. The Hatch Act bars government employees from taking part in political activities that include soliciting or accepting donations from a political party and using official authority to interfere with the outcome of an election. Stephen Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said, "I would be surprised if this complaint leads to anything significant, but I would also be surprised if Comey's tenure as the FBI director will not be shortened." "Even if he didnt violate the letter of the Hatch Act, he certainly violated the spirit of the Hatch Act, which should have prompted him to think twice before issuing that letter. Especially because the letter didnt say anything," he said. Little is publicly known about the new email trove. Comey wrote Congress the FBI had yet to determine the significance. Painter filed his complaint with the independent Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and the Office of Government Ethics. A spokesman for the OSC, which has a specialized Hatch Act investigative unit, declined to comment. A Hatch Act investigation is an administrative, not a criminal, matter. Penalties may include removal from office, a demotion or temporary suspension, or a civil penalty no higher than $1,000. In cases of high-level officials, the disciplinary decisions on OSC actions are made by the president. On Monday, the White House said President Barack Obama believes Comey is a man of integrity and is not trying to influence the election by announcing the scrutiny of additional emails. Jan Witold Baran, a lawyer at Wiley Rein in Washington, suggested it would be hard to construe what appeared to be Comey's engagement in normal government business as a violation of the Hatch Act. But Kenneth Gross, former associate general counsel of the Federal Election Commission, said Comey's letter fell outside the FBI director's normal duties as there is no legal obligation to disclose details of an ongoing probe to Congress. Increased discipline Painter's complaint said that barring extraordinary circumstances, a public communication about a pending FBI investigation involving a candidate for public office so close to an election likely violated the act. Comey said in an internal memo obtained by news media that even though it is not common to update Congress on the progress of investigations, he felt obligated because he had repeatedly said the probe was completed. The OSC Hatch Act unit, which usually experiences a surge in complaints during election years, has disciplined 84 employees the last five years, almost a three-fold increase over the previous five years, an OSC 2015 report to Congress said. Hatch Act violations usually relate to inappropriate electioneering. For example, the 2015 report cited a complaint against a U.S. Agriculture Department official who allegedly asked two subordinate employees to donate to a political action committee supporting Obama's 2012 re-election. In a 2016 letter, the OSC found that Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro violated the act by advocating for and against presidential candidates during a media interview. Castro called it an "inadvertent error." San Francisco: An Indian-origin teenager has been arrested in the US for carrying out a cyberattack that swamped Arizona's emergency services with several bogus calls, an incident he claimed was a non-harmful joke gone wrong. Meetkumar Hiteshbhai Desai was taken into custody after the Surprise Police Department, Arizona, notified the Sheriff's Office of more than 100 hang-up 911 calls. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arrested the 18-year-old, accusing him of carrying out a cyberattack on the 911 system, according to a Sheriff's Office statement. Desai was booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of three counts of computer tampering. Interference with critical infrastructure could have disrupted the 911 system in the Phoenix area and potentially other states, The Arizona Republic reported. Investigators traced the calls and discovered they originated from a link posted to Twitter, according to the statement. The link was to a site named "Meet Desai" and its domain was hosted out of San Francisco. When the link was clicked, it continually called 911 and would not let the caller hang up. Peoria police and the MCSO also received a large number of calls, and the volume had the potential to shut down 911 service across Maricopa County, the Sheriff's Office said. MCSO detectives identified 'Meet' and took him in for questioning last Wednesday. "Meet claims that his intention was to make a non-harmful, but annoying bug that he believed was 'funny'," the Sheriff's Office statement said. Desai told investigators that he was approached by an online friend with a bug. Desai then tweaked the bug so it would add pop-ups, prompts to open e-mail applications and activation of automatic telephone dialing on iOS devices, all via coding that Desai wrote himself. Desai told sheriff's detectives that he was interested in programmes, bugs and viruses that he could manipulate and change. Desai said Apple Inc., the hardware and software company, would pay and credit him for discovering such bugs and viruses. The MCSO cybercrimes unit executed a search warrant and seized multiple items at Desai's residence that will be forensically examined, the Sheriff's Office said. The video, in two segments, shows the actor in a sari and painted brown face, dancing to modified lyrics of the song loaded with negative stereotypes, in a badly attempted Indian accent. (Photo: Video grab) Hon Kong: Hong Kong based actor Derek Wong is facing a huge backlash on the internet after he posted a racist Indian parody of viral hit song Pen Pineapple Apple Pen. The video, in two segments, shows the actor in a sari and painted brown face, dancing to modified lyrics of the song loaded with negative stereotypes, in a badly attempted Indian accent. He then proceeds to scream Indian auntie, pulls up his sari, and starts rubbing his legs suggestively. In the second segment of the video, another attempted parody of the same song. The Indian auntie is now shown rushing to the loo after eating a sumptuous meal of Chicken curry and mango lassi. Chicken curry, mango lassi. Eugh! Don't be afraid to shit yourself after drinking lassi, chimes the song in the background. Wong later on followed up his bizarre and racist videos with another video titled Indian auntie, where he speaks about his take on Bollywood. He also reportedly said in the video caption that he learnt his Indian accent from his Indian friends in the US. The video, that was uploaded by a local anti-migrant paper in its Facebook page has drawn much criticism for its portrayal of the Indian community. This is flipping racist. Please understand brownface is a aggressive racist act. Or shall I say, please stop living in the 1940s and come back to 2016, on user wrote, while others expressed wonder at how someone so familiar with racism issues abroad could make such a video. Japan called China's oil and gas exploration efforts extremely regrettable at a time when the maritime boundaries between Japan and China have not been established. (Photo: Representational Image/AFP) Tokyo: Japan's government has lodged a protest with China over drilling activity in the waters between the two countries. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday that Japan had confirmed that a moored Chinese drilling ship is conducting some kind of activity in the East China Sea. He called China's oil and gas exploration efforts "extremely regrettable" at a time when the maritime boundaries between Japan and China have not been established. Japan has complained about similar activity before, largely in the waters between the Chinese mainland and Okinawa and other southern Japanese islands. The two countries also are entangled in a dispute over a group of uninhabited islands that they both claim farther south in the East China Sea. British banker Rurik Jutting as pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility which was rejected by the prosecution. (Photo: AP) Hong Kong: British banker Rurik Jutting was so consumed by his personality disorders and addictions that he was not in control of his actions when he killed two women in his Hong Kong apartment, a psychiatrist told his trial Tuesday. Jutting, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility which was rejected by the prosecution. Cambridge graduate Jutting is accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, two years ago, slashing their throats after saying he would pay them for sex. He tortured Ningsih inside his apartment for three days before killing her and stuffing her body in a suitcase found on his balcony. The prosecution grilled defence witness Richard Latham, a forensic psychiatrist from London, as they sought to argue Jutting was in control of his decisions at that time. Jutting had said he had decided to take Ningsih's life because she might report him, which is a logical reason, Reading said. "I suggest to you that he was in control of himself," Reading said. Latham argued Jutting's decisions to kill were impaired by his use of cocaine and alcohol, combined with sexual sadism and narcissistic personality disorders. "I think it's wrong to say that he had a completely ordinary level of control," Latham told the court, saying that killing Ningsih had not been part of Jutting's plan. The psychiatrist argued there should be a distinction made between Jutting knowing what he was doing and being in control of what he was doing. "Knowing what he was doing is different from exercising control over his behaviour," Latham said. Reading argued that Jutting's shopping trips to buy rope, a hammer and other implements with which he meant to torture Mujiasih, his second victim, also showed "significant planning". Latham said Jutting's behaviour was likely driven by the desire to be in control and cause harm for sexual pleasure. "In relation to killing (Mujiasih), that likely wasn't his intention," said Latham. Latham said Jutting was so severely dependent on drugs and alcohol it would have been almost impossible for him to resist his craving to take them. His consumption was "close to automatic and involuntary", said Latham. The psychiatrist said he was not sure whether Jutting was aware of the effects of cocaine and alcohol on his behaviour. "I think he was constantly pushing himself into unknown territory with the amount he was using," he told Reading. London: The head of British intelligence agency MI5, Andrew Parker, on Monday warned of Russia acting in "increasingly aggressive ways" and utilising new technologies in its opposition to the west. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways, involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that," Parker told the Guardian newspaper. The director general of the UK's domestic security service was speaking after British warships earlier this month shadowed a Russian aircraft carrier battle group through the North Sea, which was en route to the eastern Mediterranean. Defence Minister Michael Fallon said the Russian naval deployment was "clearly designed to test" British and broader NATO capabilities. Last month Britain scrambled fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland as two Russian bombers neared, but did not enter, UK airspace. Parker said Russia was increasingly positioning itself against the west and making use of non-traditional methods to do so. "Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the west and seems to act accordingly," he said. "You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat. Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available," Parker added. The spy chief's comments follow the US earlier this month accusing Russia of trying to interfere in the upcoming presidential election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. A focal point of strained relations between Russia and the west has been Syria, where Moscow is backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 and has since killed more than 300,000 people, with fighting most recently centring on the country's second city Aleppo. Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, earlier this month said the government had evidence Russian jets had been involved in bombing raids which hit aid workers. "We are trying to document that fully because that is in my view unquestionably a war crime," he told The Sun newspaper. "The world's attitude towards Russia has been hardening and I think people now believe that Russia is in danger of becoming a pariah nation," Johnson added. London: Driving home the point that men can be victims of sexual abuse as well, a 45-year-old man, who endured an 18-month-long abusive relationship with his girlfriend, has revealed that he was branded, hit with a hammer, scalded with hot water and had burning cigarettes stuffed up his nose. According to a report in the Metro, Ian McNicholl met Michelle Williamson Birmingham New Street train station in 2006. The physical and mental abuse started just after four months the couple moved in together to their home in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, when Williamson hit Ian across the face with a vacuum cleaner lead for not revealing his past sex life to her. And this was only the start. Turning vicious as time went by, Ian reveals that Williamson began lashing out at him if he ever refused. Shed rant You dont love me enough, you have five minutes to be ready for sex. That, of course, is the last thing on your mind. Then shed say You now have four minutes, three minutes At the end of five minutes shed blocked out what she had done. In other separate incidents, he was branded with hot iron, broken a champagne bottles across his knees, hit with a mobile phone, iron bar and a hammer. His ordeal ended when a concerned neighbour drew the authorities attention to the violence. Williamson was eventually charged and put in prison for 7 years, and is free now. When he thought that he was finally free from the abusive relationship, Williamson threatened him that she was well connected, and that she would have him killed. With the whole episode behind him, Ian has suffered cracked ribs, a fractured skull, broken cheekbones, and has been scalded twice. He is currently associated with an NGO that works for the benefit of domestic abuse survivors. Police said the officers found flags with symbols of the Islamic State group after they overpowered the 53-year-old woman. (Photo: Representational Image/AP) Berlin: German police say a Muslim convert attacked officers with a box cutter while shouting "Allahu akbar" after they were called to her apartment in the western city of Essen. Police spokesman Marco Ueberbach said on Tuesday the officers found flags with symbols of the Islamic State group after they overpowered the 53-year-old woman. The officers were called to her apartment on Monday because she was throwing furniture from a window. She didn't open the door, so officers broke it down. They overpowered the woman and used pepper spray when she attacked them with the box cutter. None of the officers was hurt. Ueberbach said the assailant was taken to a psychiatric clinic, and investigators were also looking into a possible extremist background. The bodies of a Syrian woman and her two daughters, aged 7 and 9, have been found in a freezer in a town in Denmark and the woman's husband and father of the children was being sought, Danish police said on Tuesday. The discovery was made on Sunday night in Aabenraa in southern Denmark. The family came to Denmark in summer 2015 and obtained refugee status, police said. A court on Monday pronounced the Syrian father, Hamid Farid Mohammed, "imprisoned in absentia," meaning he should be detained immediately. Police said 33-year-old Mohammed fled Denmark on Friday into Germany and then flew to Turkey. Danish police said they were cooperating with the Turkish. For over two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive IS from the city. (Photo: AP) Bazwaya: Iraq's special forces have begun an assault on Mosul, part of operations to drive the Islamic State group from the country's second city. Troops have opened up with artillery, tank and machine gun fire on IS positions on the edge of the Gogjali neighbourhoods, with the extremists responding occasionally with rocket-propelled grenades. From the nearby village of Bazwaya, smoke could be seen rising from buildings on the city's edge, where shells were landing. Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil of the special forces says the operation began on Tuesday morning. For over two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive IS from the city. The operation is expected to take weeks, if not months. Islamic State militants seized the northern city of Mosul two years ago, declared a caliphate and then grabbed villages like the one where Ali once worked as a trader. (Photo: AP) Bashiqa: Abbas Ali wept as his wife slowly pushed him in his wheelchair out of their village in northern Iraq, a risky escape along a route where ISIS snipers three days earlier had shot dead a couple seeking freedom from their rule. Flanked by their four children, they looked behind them to see if any terrorists were still around to carry out their threats of shooting anyone who tried to flee ISIS's self-proclaimed caliphate. Kurdish peshmerga fighters stood on a berm, watching closely for any signs of suicide bombers, who sometimes pose as civilians. Two men behind them lifted their shirts to show they were not strapped with explosives. "A nearby village held by Daesh was attacked. We heard the five remaining Daesh members in our village went to help their comrades there," said Ali as he was pushed along to a base held by Kurds that is often attacked at night by terrorists. Daesh is the Arabic acronym used by opponents of ISIS to describe the group. The hardline militants seized the northern city of Mosul two years ago, declared a caliphate and then grabbed villages like the one where Ali once worked as a trader. Iraqi military forces and the peshmerga fighters have seized dozens of villages as part of an offensive launched on October 17 to clear ISIS terrorists out of Mosul, their biggest stronghold. People who live in the ISIS-occupied villages have been encouraged by those advances, which are backed by US-led coalition airstrikes. Still, they face a difficult decision -- do they risk death to take advantage of Iraqi forces momentum, or do they stay put? The Sunni group has spread fear in towns and villages they control with a clear warning. Anyone who tries to escape will be shot dead. Another villager who escaped said someone who was caught was whipped 95 times. "They get word around," Ali said. "But we could not take it anymore. Life was so difficult." The peshmerga will take the refugees to tented camps that have been set up by Iraqi authorities to deal with an expected flood of people fleeing from Islamic State's harsh rule. Instant death As Ali began to weep again, his wife Bushra, covered from head to toe in black as required by ISIS, poured water on his head, the only comfort in a dusty desert area not far from another hamlet where 120 terrorists are in control. "They barred us from everything you can imagine. You can't do this. You can't do that," Bushra said, wiping the dirt off her children's faces with bottled water. "May God show Daesh no mercy." Crouching down on a wall near her were relatives, young men with beards of the length required by Islamic State. Militants micro-managed every aspect of life with brutality, from facial hair to schools. They sat patiently while peshmerga officer Qamar Rashid inspected their identification cards. "We have to make sure they are not Daesh," he said. "I am smoking for the first time in so long," said one of the men smiling, recalling how cigarettes were banned under terrorist rule. A violation meant 50 public whippings. Among those being questioned was Omar, who happened to be visiting relatives in Ali's village, Abou Jarbouh, the day ISIS seized it. A resident of the Kurdish regional capital of Erbil, he lost contact with relatives and friends and still has no idea what happened to his carpentry business. "Using a cell phone could be instant death," said Omar, holding a notebook with financial records of his Erbil shop. People who were able to run a business under ISIS rule could only do so by paying them a cut, according to villager Kassim Hassan. He was an unemployed labourer who depended on his wife's small sewing business to survive. "We had to pay Daesh every month. We had no choice," he said. A loud blast rocked a ship docked in the ship breaking yard, setting the ship on fire. (Photo: Representational Image/Youtube grab) Karachi: At least 10 persons were on Tuesday killed and over 50 others injured when a series of explosions rocked an unused oil tanker that was being dismantled at a shipbreaking yard in Pakistan's southern Balochistan province. The fate of at least 30 other workers remains unknown following the explosions at the Gadani shipbreaking yard, where over 100 people were working on the ship at the time, local media reported quoting officials. At least 10 people have been killed and 50 others wounded in the explosions. Some workers remain trapped inside the ship while others who were able to exit the ship from above threw themselves into the sea, reports said. About eight explosions have occurred in the oil tanker due to gas welding work, and more explosions are feared. Rescue workers are limited in the area and a single fire engine present at the scene has been unsuccessful in putting out the fire, reports said. A loud blast rocked a ship docked in the ship breaking yard, setting the ship on fire, Geo News reported. More than 25 of the injured have been rescued so far, it quoted rescue sources as saying, who added that tanks on the ship caught fire, setting the entire ship ablaze. The fire is spreading fast, hampering rescue work, it said. The injured are being brought to hospitals in Karachi and fire brigades summoned from Hub and Karachi are in the process of putting out the fire but with little progress so far as the flames are spreading fast, the report said. President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives. Sharif directed authorities to extend best possible medical treatment to the injured besides ordering an inquiry into the incident. Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak arrives in the Chinese capital on Tuesday for a six-day visit. (Photo: AP) Beijing: Malaysia's premier on Tuesday begins an official visit to China where he will sign a "significant" defence deal," in a potential strategic shift as his ties with the United States fray over a corruption scandal. The week-long trip by Prime Minister Najib Razak marks another potential blow for Washington's "pivot" toward Asia, two weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte of longtime US ally the Philippines visited China with olive branch in hand. Malaysia and China will be finalising "the first significant defence deal" between the two countries during his visit, Najib told Chinese state news agency Xinhua, giving no details. A total of 10 agreements spanning business, defence and other spheres will be signed, Malaysia has said. Najib said last week Malaysia and China "are committed to achieving new highs and entering into new areas of cooperation." Last month in Beijing, Duterte stunned observers by announcing his country's "separation" from longstanding partner the United States. Though he subsequently backed off, saying their alliance remained intact, the episode underlined China's increasing diplomatic and economic gravitational pull at the expense of the United States. Najib's visit provides fresh evidence, said Southeast Asia politics analyst Bridget Welsh. "This is the new regional norm. Now China is implementing the power and the US is in retreat," she said, adding Washington's Asia "pivot" was "dead in the water". China welcomes Najib, who arrived Monday, with a state dinner Tuesday night in Beijing, followed by a meeting with Premier Li Keqiang. Later this week Najib will meet President Xi Jinping, as well as Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba. Drawn into China's arms Taking office in 2009, Najib reached out to Washington, and relations warmed following decades of periodic distrust. But he has increasingly leaned toward China as it became Malaysia's biggest trading partner, and especially after the eruption last year of a massive corruption scandal implicating Najib and a state investment fund he founded. Billions are alleged to have been syphoned from the fund, 1MDB, in a stunning international campaign of embezzlement and money-laundering that has sparked investigations in several countries. Najib's ties with Washington became strained when the US Justice Department moved in July to seize more than $1 billion in assets it says were purchased by Najib relatives and associates using stolen 1MDB money. Justice Department filings said a "Malaysian Official 1" took part in the looting. Malaysia has since admitted that official was Najib. Najib and 1MDB deny wrongdoing and have railed at foreign forces they say concocted the scandal. 1MDB launched a fire sale of assets to stay solvent, and China's biggest nuclear energy producer China General Nuclear Power Corporation came to the rescue last year, purchasing its power assets for $2.3 billion. Welsh said the trip could result in "multiple billions of dollars in deals" for Najib's cash-strapped government. Depressed oil prices have slashed government revenue in energy-exporting Malaysia, which also faces rising public-sector debt. "This trip reflects not only Malaysia's geostrategic re-alignment to China as the 'regional banker' but also the reality that Najib is desperate for alternative financial sources," Welsh said. A key question is whether there will be a "quid pro quo" in which Malaysia sides more with Beijing rather than the United States on strategic issues like South China Sea territorial disputes, she said. China has increasingly won major infrastructure and other projects in Malaysia, and Chinese companies are widely expected to be handed a planned high-speed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and expected to cost up to $15 billion. Colombo: The leader of a delegation from the European Parliament urged Sri Lanka on Tuesday to improve its human rights conditions, including the replacement of a tough anti-terrorism law, if it wants to regain lucrative EU trade concessions which the island nation lost six years ago. Jean Lambert said the success of Sri Lanka's application to get back the trade concessions depends on meeting human rights requirements set by the EU. She said Sri Lanka needs to replace its Prevention of Terrorism Act and amend its Code of Criminal Procedure to ensure the rights of detainees in keeping with international standards. The Generalized System of Preferences Plus tariff concessions helped Sri Lanka's garment industry, which is the country's second-biggest foreign exchange earner after remittances from overseas workers. Sri Lanka lost the EU concessions in 2010 after the then-government rejected demands from the EU to address human rights violations. Sri Lanka applied to regain GSP Plus last year after a new government came to power. Lambert is heading a four-member inspection team that is evaluating the groundwork laid for the GSP application. The delegation met with senior government officials and representatives of civil society, and discussed progress in national reconciliation and ways to empower Sri Lankan women politically and economically. Islamabad: Pakistan's opposition on Tuesday abruptly called off a planned "lockdown" of the capital after the country's Supreme Court paved the way for an investigation into allegations of corruption against the prime minister's family. Premier Nawaz Sharif has been under growing pressure from opposition parties, mainly Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), which had vowed one million supporters would shut down Islamabad on Wednesday as part of long-running efforts to force the government out of power. Police have repeatedly clashed with protesters in recent days, detaining more than 1,000 PTI supporters from across the country since last week after imposing a ban on all public gatherings in Islamabad, which was later partly lifted by a court order. On Tuesday, Pakistan's Supreme Court began hearing a case into the Panama Papers Leaks and offered to form a commission to investigate revelations that Sharif's children had offshore accounts. "We are determined to resolve this issue. We will solve it and we will solve it as soon as possible. Now the highest forum in the country in regards to dispute resolution has taken up this matter, so now you hold your positions, please restrain," Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, one of the five judges hearing the case told the court. The ruling was applauded by Khan, who held a press conference at his home on the outskirts of Islamabad to declare victory. "I am so happy that the Supreme Court has decided that from Thursday it will begin probing Nawaz Sharif," he said, surrounded by ecstatic supporters. He added that his supporters would instead hold a rally thanking the Supreme Court for its decision. The move brought an anti-climactic end to what observers believed could have become a protracted confrontation, similar to a four-month sit-in led by Khan in 2014. But although Khan had repeatedly vowed to bring a million protesters to the capital, disruption had been thus far limited to a few areas around the city and the Peshawar-Islamabad highway, where some 5,000 PTI supporters were blocked from entering the capital. The planned protest also came at a sensitive time for Sharif, whose relationship with the all-powerful army is at a low following the publication of a media report which said civilian officials had warned the military to stop backing jihadist fighters abroad. The military has used the pretext of civil unrest to sweep in and replace elected governments three times in the country's history, and analysts had warned that Sharif may need to strike a deal with the army to ensure his survival. Islamabad: Pakistan is considering pulling out from India four officers posted at its High Commission in New Delhi, days after India declared one Pakistani official persona non-grata for espionage activities, a media report on Tuesday said. "This is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly," a source at the Foreign Office was quoted as saying by Dawn News. The names of the officers, commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal were made public after a recorded statement of High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar was released to the media, the report said. Akhtar was expelled from India after being declared 'persona non-grata'. Akhtar told Dawn News that he had given the statement under duress. In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan had also declared an Indian High Commission official as persona non-grata after New Delhi's action against Akhtar following Indian police's busting of an ISI-run spy ring. Akhtar, who worked in the visa section of the Pakistan High Commission and had diplomatic immunity, was procuring critical details including those about deployment of BSF personnel along the Indo-Pak border from two other accomplices who were arrested in Delhi. Akhtar and two others, identified as Subhash Jangir and Maulana Ramzan were picked up from Delhi Zoo last week. Akhtar was released after around three hours of interrogation as he enjoys diplomatic immunity. A fourth person Shoaib, who is a Jodhpur-based passport and visa agent, was detained by Rajasthan police later. Islamabad: In a huge setback to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a probe against him in the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. The court also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. It court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, PTI chief Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters, "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow." PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children - Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lockdown the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches. All entry points to the capital are being monitored and scores of PTI workers have been arrested. Last night a major rally led by chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was teargassed and forced to return. The PTI is in power in KP and hopes for a major influx of youth from the province to boost the strength of the protest. In Punjab, which is controlled by Sharif's ruling PML-N, hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested. Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested to maintain law and order. But PTI claims that thousands of its workers were arrested. The party has also urged the court to take suo moto action against arrests by the government. Altogether 33 miners were stranded in a pit of Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District after the explosion went off at 11:33 am on Monday. (Photo: Representational Image/AP) Beijing: Rescuers were racing against time to save 20 workers who were trapped after an explosion rocked a coal mine near China's Chongqing city, killing at least 13 miners. State-run Xinhua news agency had last night reported that 15 workers had been killed but revised the toll on Tuesday to 13 with 20 still missing. Rescuers were working around the clock to search for 20 miners who are still trapped in the colliery in southwest Chongqing Municipality since nearly 24 hours following a gas explosion, the report said. Altogether 33 miners were stranded in a pit of Jinshangou Coal Mine in Yongchuan District after the explosion went off at 11:33 am on Monday. As of midnight, rescuers had retrieved 13 dead bodies, but the remaining 20 were still unaccounted for, Chongqing's deputy mayor Mu Huaping told a press briefing. The official corrected previous casualty reports provided by the local coal mine safety authorities. "We are still working all-out to search for the 20 missing miners and will exert our utmost as long as there's still a ray of hope," he said. More than 400 rescuers have been working overnight, taking turns to go down the shaft for the search and rescue operation. They needed to dig through the underground passageways, some of which had been blocked by ruins from collapsed tunnels, carefully avoiding secondary disasters. At least 20 ambulances and dozens of medical workers are standing by for first-aid. When the explosion went off, 60-year-old Tao Puzhang was working on his land about 500 meters from the mine. "I heard a bang and felt the ground was shaking under my feet," he was quoted as saying Liu Fuxiu, a winch operator with the mine, was working 40 meters from the entrance to the pit. She was swept away by strong shockwaves following the explosion and was injured on the face and back. "My injuries are nothing," she said while answering questions from investigators. "I have a relative down the pit and I hope he will survive," she said. Altogether 35 workers were in the pit when the accident happened. Two of them managed to escape unhurt. Following the explosion, Chongqing authorities have intensified a safety overhaul and demanded all collieries with less than 90,000 tonnes of annual output be temporarily closed. The Jinshangou mine has a designed annual output of 60,000 tonnes, according to its license. Beijing: China on Tuesday said it will first find a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries seeking entry into NSG and will then discuss India's application, a day after the two country's held talks over India's bid for membership of the elite grouping. The two sides exchanged views on the enlargement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other relevant issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here about the second round of talks held on Monday between India and China. The talks were held between Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security) Amandeep Singh Gill and his Chinese counterpart Wang Qun. "On India's accession to the NSG, I can tell you that China's position is very clear and consistent. China attaches importance to the accession of non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) members into the NSG," Hua said. "We will carry out relevant work based on the Seoul General Assembly and the inter-governmental process that is open and transparent," she said. "We will seek a solution that applies to all Non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of relevant non-NPT country," Hua said. She, however, did not refer to Pakistan, which has also applied for NSG membership along with India. "We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard," Hua said. In the June Plenary of the 48-member NSG in Seoul, despite strong American support, China had stonewalled India's bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the NPT. China had taken a stand that India was not a signatory to the NPT which is necessary for entry of new members into the club which controls nuclear commerce. Monday's talks were the second round of dialogue between Indian and Chinese officials on India's admission into the NSG with the first round held in September. After holding talks with India, China has held similar round of talks with Pakistan as well. Indian and Chinese officials had described Monday's talks as "substantive and constructive". The CCB sleuths arrested four more persons who were involved in dacoity at the residence of Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple priest Vasudeva Asranna at Kateel on October 4. With this, the total number of arrested is 11. City Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar said on Monday that the arrested are Bharath Shetty (30) of Karkala, Mohammed Ali (35) of Melkar, Purushotham (44), of Haleyangadi, and Harish Gatti (41) from Ucchila in Mangaluru taluk. The police have also recovered 455 grams of gold ornaments, one revolver, one pistol, one breech loading gun, 11 live rounds and five mobile phones. The police commissioner said four teams were formed to crack the high profile case. The CCB team had visited Maharashtra, Goa, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru to hunt down the suspects. Acting on a tip-off, the CCB police arrested Bharath Shetty from Palli, Karkala taluk, on October 30. Following the clues that he gave, the cops arrested the other three suspects. The plan was hatched reportedly by H K Sudheendra Rao alias Sudheendra alias Susheendra Rao (33), son of H K Haridasa Rao, a resident of Bejai Kapikad in Mangaluru. He was assisted by Suresh Kumar (40), an employee of the Kateel Temple. Chidananda, another suspect, contacted Shetty to commit the offence. Mohammad Ali had tried to enter Asrannas house twice but failed. Purushottam was a childhood friend of Shetty and helped him escape after committing the crime. Shetty had been involved in several criminal acts earlier and, with a warrant issued against him in the Court of Mumbai, was absconding. Stating that some people had attempted to pressurise the police by setting a deadline for the arrest of the suspects and giving a different story through social media, the officer said that the police are looking for six more persons who are still at large. The police commissioner announced cash prizes of Rs 10,000 each to the CCB team and the Bajpe police team. Baliga murder To a query on four accused, including prime accused Naresh Shenoy, in the murder of Vinayak Baliga getting bail, the officer said that the City Police will file a supplementary chargesheet shortly to the court. We are collecting a few documents pertaining to the case. Once the documents are procured, the police will file a supplementary chargesheet, he added. Chandra Sekhar said that four teams have been constituted in connection with the murder of a 27-year old youth at Assaigoli on October 22. Hillary Clinton has established a slim edge over Donald Trump in early-voter turnout in several vital swing states, pressing her long-standing advantages in state-level organisation and potentially mitigating the fallout from her campaigns latest scrap with the FBI. Even as Democrats continued to reel from revived questions about Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state a jolt delivered 11 days before the election in an abstruse letter from the FBI director, James Comey turnout tallies and interviews with dozens of early voters suggest that even a vintage October surprise may pack less of a punch than it once did. In a race between two deeply polarising candidates, opinions appear to have been cemented weeks if not months ago for most voters. And the contest is well underway in some of the most important battlegrounds. At least 21 million people have voted across the country. In the states that are most likely to decide the election among them Florida, Colorado and Nevada close to a quarter of the electorate has cast ballots. While their votes will not be counted until Election Day, registered Democrats are outperforming Republicans in key demographics and urban areas there and in North Carolina, where extensive in-person voting began late last week and which has emerged as one of the most closely contested battlegrounds for the White House and control of the Senate. Now, the salient question appears to be whether an unforeseen plot twist in the campaigns final days can still upend an election that is over for millions of voters. Though Democrats can take solace from the fact that their large organisational advantage has supplied a cushion when they need it most, the race is still exceedingly close. And the latest eruption in the email affair still threatens to turn many voters against Clinton and put Democrats in lower-level contests on the defensive just when it appeared Trump and other Republican candidates were falling out of contention. We cannot get distracted by all the noise in the political environment, Clinton urged voters on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reminding them that 3 million Floridians had voted. Weve got to stay focused. While the early-voting numbers appear strong for Clinton, there were signs of weakness over the weekend, especially among African-Americans in North Carolina, where the turnout as of Saturday night showed that they had not voted at their 2012 levels so far. Among both supporters and critics of Clinton, early returns suggest the latest uproar has changed few minds, despite seeming to break through the campaign din. In interviews with more than three dozen voters in three early-voting states Colorado, Florida and North Carolina most had at least a passing familiarity with the email developments but said the news had no bearing on their decisions at the ballot box.Enough is enough with the emails, said Marialuisa Glait, 33, of Miami, holding her 2-year-old son, Joaquin, after voting for Clinton. Fernando Gonzales, 26, another early Clinton voter in Miami, said this consistently implausible election season had long ago deadened his nerves to shock. The October surprise doesnt mean anything, he said. The bars been lowered so much, you cant lower it any more. Because of a large advantage in mail-in ballots, registered Republicans in Florida have the thinnest of edges over registered Democrats in votes cast less than a percentage point. But that advantage has diminished as in-person voting has begun and is smaller than the lead Republicans had at this point four years ago. The Democratic gains owe in large part to high turnout among Hispanics, who have typically waited until much later to vote. Hispanics are outperforming, said Daniel A Smith, a political science professor at the University of Florida who has been analysing demographic data about early turnout that the state is required to collect. They are more engaged in this election cycle, and more are voting earlier than we saw in 2012. In North Carolina, Democrats have a wide lead in the number of ballots cast, with 43% to Republicans 31%. But because the state significantly curtailed early voting, Democrats have lagged behind their 2012 participation rate, while Republicans are running ahead. As more polling places open, Democrats are catching up to their 2012 rates. They keep eating that deficit away, said J Michael Bitzer, a professor of political science at Catawba College. Bitzer said there should be other warning signs for Trump: Women have cast 56% of the votes in North Carolina, and rural voters are slightly behind their 2012 participation rates. The nagging question for Clinton is whether Democrats can bolster black turnout, which is down 17%, Bitzer said. Thats the biggest concern for her, he added. Going strong Democrats are also beating Republicans in Colorado and Nevada, where Trump held rallies over the weekend and continued to question the integrity of the voting process, even as he implored his supporters to send in their ballots. Do you think those ballots are properly counted? Do you think? Trump said on Sunday in Greeley, Colorado. Thirty-nine percent of the ballots received in Colorado have been from registered Democrats, 35% from Republicans. Democrats overcame Republicans long-standing registration advantage there this year, a worrisome sign for Trump and his party. Both campaigns have embarked on an intense chase for those among their supporters who are least likely to vote people who could hold the key to the election. If these people turn out, then early voting actually adds to Clintons or Trumps vote totals. Otherwise the effect of early voting would be relatively meaningless: People would have voted anyway, just at a different time. Clinton aides said they had created a battleground-state model that scores voters from 1 to 100 based on factors such as their likelihood of voting and their susceptibility to advertising. So far, among those the Clinton campaign sees as least likely to turn out people who have skipped nonpresidential elections Democrats are voting in far greater numbers than Republicans in both North Carolina and Nevada, and in slightly larger numbers in Arizona. The FBIs disclosure Friday, rather than changing many minds, seemed to largely confirm the sentiments of people who were voting early. If I was a Democrat, Id certainly be questioning my vote, said Steve Flynn, a 65-year-old construction worker who lives outside Denver and voted for Trump. But his daughter-in-law, Whitney Dorman, said she and her husband would still be likely to cast their votes for Clinton. I really dont care, said Dorman, 31, a graphic designer. Is she in peoples pockets? Sure, why not. Hillary Clinton has forcefully challenged the FBI's new email inquiry, declaring during a campaign rally in battleground Ohio, "There's no case here." Clinton's comments yesterday were her most pointed yet on the subject, and they underscored her campaign's decision to fight back aggressively against FBI Director James Comey. On Friday just over a week from Election Day Comey alerted Congress that the FBI has obtained new material that may be related to its dormant investigation into whether classified information passed through Clinton's private email server while she served as secretary of state. The FBI plans to review the emails to see if they contain classified information and if so, whether they were handled properly. The Justice Department said yesterday it would "dedicate all necessary resources" to concluding the review promptly. Clinton accused the FBI of having jumped into the election "with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go." She said that if the bureau wants to look at the emails, which appear tied to her longtime aide Huma Abedin, "by all means, they should look at them." But she insisted the FBI would reach the same conclusion it did earlier this year, when it declined to recommend Clinton and her advisers face charges for how they handled classified information. "They said it wasn't even a close call," she said. "I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this." The investigation appears to center on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former congressman and Abedin's estranged husband. It's unclear whether the material on the device was from Clinton. It's also not known if the emails in question are new or duplicates of the thousands the former secretary of state and her aides have already turned over. In another sign of the Clinton campaign's escalating feud with Comey, her advisers leapt on a CNBC report that the director opposed releasing information close to Election Day about Russian interference in the White House race. Campaign manager Robby Mook called the report evidence of a "blatant double standard." The AP has not confirmed that report, and the FBI declined to comment on it yesterday. Intelligence agencies have linked Russia to the hacking of Democratic groups during the campaign. Clinton has charged the Kremlin is trying to tilt the election in favor of Donald Trump and has questioned the Republican's financial ties to Russia. The Obama administration delayed for weeks formally blaming Russia because of sensitive negotiations that were taking place with Moscow at the time over Syria, according to people familiar with the investigation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the hackings, which were investigated as counterintelligence cases. Pakistan is considering pulling out from India four officers posted at its High Commission in New Delhi, days after India declared one Pakistani official persona non-grata for espionage activities, a media report said today. "This is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly," a source at the Foreign Office was quoted as saying by Dawn News. The names of the officers -- commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal -- were made public after a recorded statement of High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar was released to the media, the report said. Akhtar was expelled from India after being declared 'persona non-grata'. Akhtar told Dawn News that he had given the statement under duress. In a tit-for-tat action, Pakistan had also declared an Indian High Commission official as persona non-grata after New Delhi's action against Akhtar following Indian police's busting of an ISI-run spy ring. Akhtar, who worked in the visa section of the Pakistan High Commission and had diplomatic immunity, was procuring critical details including those about deployment of BSF personnel along the Indo-Pak border from two other accomplices who were arrested in Delhi. Akhtar and two others -- identified as Subhash Jangir and Maulana Ramzan-- were picked up from Delhi Zoo last week. Akhtar was released after around three hours of interrogation as he enjoys diplomatic immunity. A fourth person Shoaib, who is a Jodhpur-based passport and visa agent, was detained by Rajasthan police later. With the pollution data showing that along with the particulate matter (PM), the level of several other gases has also gone up this Diwali, experts said that there should be a stronger regulatory action against bursting of crackers and restrain the cracker sale. According to data released by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Diwali pollution has not only worsened this year, but has become more toxic as gases like Carbon Monoxide (CO), which was otherwise on a declining trend in Delhi, also shot up. The minimum and maximum levels of Nitrogen Oxide (NO2) this year increased by nearly 1.5 and two times than in 2015. Similarly, Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels ranged between 2,000 to 4,200 microgramme per cubic metre as opposed to 1,100 to 4,000 microgramme per cubic metre last year. High level of CO can curdle blood and lead to instant deaths. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) which otherwise records very low level in Delhi also escalated significantly. Amid the pollution build up, the experts said that neither policy nor awareness campaigns could prevent the toxic loading up the lungs of the residents and suggested that the government should enforce strict labeling of crackers with statutory warning on health. Anumita Roychowdhary, Executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said that the government's focus should not only be on cracking down on Chinese crackers but it should also regulate and take strong action on all harmful crackers. "Diwali pollution has continued to add to the pollution woes. Sustaining the pollution control efforts for further reduction in pollution levels is turning out to be an enormous challenge. The key is to have a drive to contain overall busting of crackers. Considering that Diwali has come earlier this year when winter has not set in properly compared to 2015, it is worrying that the pollution is higher than last year," she said. Before Diwali, the government had issued several appeals and run campaigns asking people to cut down on the use of fireworks. "It is important to step up campaigns by involving the medical community and putting out hard health evidences in the public domain to sensitise people about the harmful effects of fire crackers. The government will also have to start enforcing the guidelines that were directed by the Supreme Court in 2005. Licensing policy must also be devised to restrain volume of crackers," she added. China today said it will first find a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries seeking entry into NSG and will then discuss India's application, a day after the two country's held talks over India's bid for membership of the elite grouping. The two sides exchanged views on the enlargement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other relevant issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here about the second round of talks held yesterday between India and China. The talks were held between Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security) Amandeep Singh Gill and his Chinese counterpart Wang Qun. "On India's accession to the NSG, I can tell you that China's position is very clear and consistent. China attaches importance to the accession of non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) members into the NSG," Hua said. "We will carry out relevant work based on the Seoul General Assembly and the inter-governmental process that is open and transparent," she said. "We will seek a solution that applies to all Non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of relevant non-NPT country," Hua said. She, however, did not refer to Pakistan, which has also applied for NSG membership along with India. "We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard," Hua said. In the June Plenary of the 48-member NSG in Seoul, despite strong American support, China had stonewalled India's bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the NPT. China had taken a stand that India was not a signatory to the NPT which is necessary for entry of new members into the club which controls nuclear commerce. Yesterday's talks were the second round of dialogue between Indian and Chinese officials on India's admission into the NSG with the first round held in September. After holding talks with India, China has held similar round of talks with Pakistan as well. Indian and Chinese officials had described yesterday's talks as "substantive and constructive". Islamic Research Foundation, promoted by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, will soon be banned from receiving foreign funds with the Home Ministry initiating the process for cancellation of its FCRA registration by issuing a final show cause notice to the NGO. The Home Ministry has also started the process for putting another NGO of Naik namely IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRF's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said. Naik also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India, contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He had been popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy erupted. In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court today ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. The court also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. It court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, PTI chief Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters, "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow." PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children - Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lockdown the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches. All entry points to the capital are being monitored and scores of PTI workers have been arrested. Last night a major rally led by chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was teargassed and forced to return. The PTI is in power in KP and hopes for a major influx of youth from the province to boost the strength of the protest. In Punjab, which is controlled by Sharif's ruling PML-N, hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested. Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested to maintain law and order. But PTI claims that thousands of its workers were arrested. The party has also urged the court to take suo moto action against arrests by the government. A prominent Baloch leader today said Indian governments in the past disappointed her people, who are fighting for independence from Pakistan, and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "extending moral support" to their movement. "We were disappointed with earlier Indian governments but I thank the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending moral support for the freedom fight of Balochistan (in his August 15 speech)," said Naela Quadri Baloch, president of World Baloch Forum, here. "We are using all forms of struggle, including armed struggle, for independence," she said, in an interaction at the Mumbai Press Club. Pakistan was using chemical weapons against the Balochs, abducting women and killing children, Quadri alleged. Atrocities increased after China's entry into Balochistan (for infrastructure projects it is developing in the region), she said. "We are not Pakistanis, we know it," said Quadri. "Where was the UN when Pakistan invaded Balochistan," she said. Pakistan could not claim that insurgency in Balochistan was its internal matter, the Baloch leader added. Quadri also alleged that Pakistan was nurturing terror with funds obtained (from foreign countries) for the war on terror. Between seven and ten lakh Balochs live in India, according Quadri. Balochs have been living in India for the last 500 years, she added. "Balochistan issue is not human rights violations. It's the issue of independence," Quadri said. In a major shift in India's foreign policy, Modi, in his Independence Day speech this year, had hit back at Pakistan when he talked about human rights violations in Balochistan. It was in apparent retaliation for Pakistan dedicating its Independence Day to the freedom of Jammu and Kashmir. In an escalation on the border, 8 people, including two children and four women, were killed and 22 injured today as Pakistani troops targeted civilian areas here, inviting strong retaliation by Indian forces who killed two Pakistani soldiers and destroyed their 14 posts. The injured included a 18-month-old girl. In view of increased shelling and firing by Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered closure of all the 400 schools along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region. With cross-border firing escalating, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation at a meeting in Delhi which was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials. "Five people died and 8 others were injured in the Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today," Deputy Commissioner of Samba Sheetal Nanda told PTI. One person died due to shock during shelling in the same area, raising the toll of those killed in the area to six, she said. The deceased have been identified as 19-year-old Ravinder Kour of Jerda village, 7-year-old Rishap, 5-year-old Abhi, 29-year-old Anju Devi, 60-year-old Meeru Ram of Rangoor village and 32-year-old Swaran Singh of Govindgarh. The injured have been identified as 45-year-old Ashok Kumar, 30-year-old Rakesh Kumar, 13-year-old Muskaan, 50- year-old Kamli, one-and-a-half year-old Pari, 29-year-old Sushma of Rangoor Camp village and 28-year-old Kapil Dev and 15-year-old Anjna Verma of Nanga village. Pari, along with Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Muskaan, Kamli and Kapil Dev have been shifted to Government Medical College (GMC) hospital in Jammu for treatment. Along the LoC, two women Sultan Begum and Maqbool Begum were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district today, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said that three people (army porters) suffered injuries in the shelling by Pakistani troops in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. At 0710 hours today, 3 mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district and injured 4 people, he said. Two women Robiya Kouser (28) and Tasveer Bi (24) were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district last evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Army sources said that two Pakistani solidiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite to Naushera sector of Rajouri district today. Pareek said BSF destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action. "BSF gave a calibrated retaliation on IB in response to unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in area of Ramgarh and Arnia Sectors since morning," the DIG said. "Since morning, BSF targeted Pakistan Rangers' posts across IB in the same sector and caused heavy damage to 14 Pakistani Posts," he said. Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms, followed by mortar shelling at one place and spread it to 4-5 places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 0630 hours today, BSF DIG said. Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC in Naushera and Balakote sectors of Rajouri district from 0530 and 0900 hours respectively using small arms, automatic weapons, 82 mm mortars and 120 mm, Defence PRO said. Over 400 schools have been closed along IB and LOC -- 62 in Kathua, 45 in Samba, 174 in Jammu, 30 in Rajouri and 84 in Poonch districts in wake of further escalation in firing and shelling from Pak troops, officials said. The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to Madhya Pradesh government, police and prison authorities over the killing of eight SIMI activists in an alleged encounter after they had fled from a jail in Bhopal. The Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report on the case and observed that it has always been "concerned" about deaths in police and judicial custody as well as in police action. The NHRC has issued notices to the state's Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and the Director General and Inspector General of state prison department, and sought detailed reports in six weeks. Eight SIMI activists pulled off a daring prison break and escaped in the wee hours yesterday after killing a security guard at the Bhopal Central Jail. Within hours, they were hunted down and killed in an alleged police encounter on the city outskirts. The Commission has always been "concerned about the deaths in police and judicial custody as well as in police action. Specific guidelines have also been issued by it, which have been conveyed to all the States/UTs for compliance in the matters of encounter," the NHRC said in a statement today. "Reportedly, the under trial prisoners escaped the jail after killing a guard. Three of these under trial prisoners had escaped from the Khandwa jail three years back and were nabbed again in the state of Odisha, this year. The under trial were charged under various crimes including murder, sedition, jail break and bank robberies," it said. "Senior officers have claimed the police started firing only after being shot at by the accused. "The police team had initially asked the escaped prisoners to surrender, as stated in the report. Five jail officials have been put under suspension including DIG (Jail) and the Jail Superintendent. The Additional DG (Jail) has been reportedly transferred," it added. The incident has kicked up a raging controversy with the government and the opposition parties locked in a war of words over the issue. Raising doubts, Congress and Left parties have sought a judicial probe into the incident. Technology investor and Padma Shri awardee T V Mohandas Pai today said the Karnataka government's plan to celebrate 'Tipu Jayanti' is like celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, "who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist." "The state government's plan to celebrate Tipu Jayanti is like the central government celebrating the anniversary of Aurangzeb, who was a tyrant Mughal Emperor and a staunch religious fundamentalist," he told reporters on the sidelines of an RSS event here. Tipu Jayanti, slated to be celebrated across the state on November 10, is being observed since last year following a Congress government decision, which had triggered a major row and caused violence in Kodagu district in November last. Tipu Sultan was the 18th century ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom. Pai rued that government is playing politics over Tipu Jayanti and urged it to celebrate anniversaries of benevolent rulers like the Wodeyars and Mysuru Diwan Mirza Ismail. "What the government is doing is playing politics, which is wrong and I would request them not to do it. If they want to celebrate, let them celebrate Mirza Ismail, Wodeyars - both were benevolent rulers. Let them also celebrate Sir Visveswaraya, the greatest engineer we ever had," he said. Ismail was Diwan (Prime Minister) of Mysuru, Jaipur and Hyderabad. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was Ismail's mentor. "The government, which is there to rule the entire state, they must never do something which divides people - divides Coorgis, Mangalurean Christians other communities," he said. They should instead bring different communities together. "The BJP and the Congress play politics. They have got their own constituencies. Let them do what they want," he said. Pai said he feels offended that government would celebrate Tipu Jayanti who was a "bigot and tyrant", who killed people of different communities and converted people to Islam. "I am a Konkani and I feel very offended that the government is celebrating somebody (Tipu) who did wrong to both communities." Pai alleged that Tipu Sultan butchered Coorgis and the Christians living in Kodagu and Kerala, and also destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod, in Kerala. "The Coorgis still have anger against him. In Mangaluru, the Christian community are angered because some 26,000 Catholics were put in dungeons," he said. "He (Tipu) destroyed Konkani temples near Sultan Bathery and Kasargod," he added. "There is a dark side to Tipu. He was a despot and a bigot. He killed many people converted others to Islam by using sword. There is no denying the fact as such," he said. BJP and RSS have opposed the "Tipu Jayanti" celebrations. RSS had stated recently it opposed the celebration and it would stage protests against it as the ruler of the erstwhile Mysore kingdom was a "religious bigot and a violent sultan". India today protested to Pakistan over the unprovoked firing from across the border to give cover to infiltrators when its Deputy High Commissioner was summoned for the fourth time in just over a week over alleged "unprovoked ceasefire violations". "Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh today and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors," the Foreign Office said in a statement. The statement said the firing killed six Pakistani civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others. Singh protested against the unprovoked firing from Pakistani Rangers, saying it was primarily to give cover to infiltrators, Indian officials said in New Delhi. He also mentioned the killing of civilians on Indian side in the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, they said. "The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC," the FO statement added. This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28. On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as "persona non-grata". As ousted Tata Group Chairman Cyrus Mistry stepped up attack, Ratan Tata today hit back saying his removal was "absolutely necessary" for the future success of the Tata Group. "The decision to change the leadership of Tata Sons was a well-considered and serious one for its board members. This difficult decision, made after careful and thoughtful deliberation, is one the board believes was absolutely necessary for the future success of the Tata Group," the interim chairman wrote to employees of USD 100 billion Group. The letter came shortly after Mistry ratcheted up war of words by rebutting "insinuations" of mishandling a dispute with Japan's NTT DoCoMo, saying Ratan Tata was party to all decisions regarding the telecom venture. Tata, 78, who retired as Tata Group Chairman nearly four years back, justified his return for "maintaining stability and continuity of leadership" and promised to give the group "a world-class leader" when a fulltime boss is appointed. Earlier in the day, Mistry's office issued a statement saying all decisions on the telecom joint venture with DoCoMo and the following dispute were taken with unanimous approval of Board of Tata Sons as well as family patriarch Ratan Tata. The handling of the USD 1.17 billion compensation slapped by an arbitration panel over breach of agreement with DoCoMo is said to one of the triggers for Tata Sons sacking Mistry last month. "Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired," the statement said. Responding to the statement, a Tata group spokesman said: "The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice." Tata in his second letter to employees after the October 24 sacking of Mistry, said the Group companies should focus on their profit margins and their market position and not compare themselves to their own past. "The focus has to be on 'leading' rather than 'following'," he wrote. Stating that he was excited to work with them once again, Tata in his letter to over 6.6 lakh employees sought to soothe them in the wake of high profile top level change and its subsequent public spat with Mistry. "Your company and the Tata group are well served. The directors on your boards and the empowered leadership of your companies continue to serve with the same degree of passion and ethical commitment as they have done in the past," he wrote. As a group, Tata continued, "we are steadfast in our resolve to maintain the Tata culture and value system that all of us have worked so hard to nurture over the decades." Praising the spirit the employees, he said, "During its long history, the group has faced and overcome many challenges. Our employees have displayed their spirit at all times to create great companies that have delivered value to the shareholders." Mistry's office had earlier in the day reiterated that the agreement with DoCoMo had been executed before he became executive chairman of the Tata Group and "all decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons board". "In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision." Tata Group is entangled in a legal tussle with Japanese firm, NTT DoCoMo. DoCoMo had in November 2009 acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share) with an understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price. DoCoMo, in April 2014, decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly and sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from the Tatas. But the Indian group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with RBI guidelines that states that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity". The Japanese firm then dragged the Tatas to international arbitration where it won a USD 1.17 billion award. Tata Sons has said they will resist enforcement of the arbitration award in India as also other jurisdictions as it has been barred by Indian law and public policy. Insisting that Ratan Tata and NA Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed throughout the process, the Mistry's office said they even participated in separate meetings held with him. "They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (who also happened to be a trustee of the Dorabji Tata trust) and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times, Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by the Tatas and as advised by legal counsel," it said. Meanwhile, N S Rajan and Nirmalya Kumar resigned as non- executive directors on boards of Indian Hotels Company and Tata Chemicals respectively, days after Group Executive Council set up by Mistry was disbanded. Resuming the war of words, Cyrus Mistry, who was unceremoniously dismissed as Tata Sons Chairman, said that Ratan Tata and N A Soonawala were kept in loop on the Docomo issue and it was as false as it is mischievous to state that he acted on his own or contrary to Tata values. Throughout the process, Ratan Tata and N A Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mistry. They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times, Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel, Cyrus Mistrys office said in a statement. All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons Board....In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to Tata values, or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous, the statement added. Japans NTT Docomo had acquired a 26.5% stake in Tata Teleservices for nearly Rs 12,700 crore. As per the agreement, Docomo was to be paid 50% of the acquisition price if it exits within five years. Docomo exercised on July 7, 2014, its right (option) to request that a suitable buyer be found to purchase its TTSL shares for 50% of the acquired price, amounting to Rs 7,250 crore (or 125.4 billion yen), or a fair market price, whichever is higher. But the Tatas offered Docomo only Rs 23.34 per share according to the Reserve Bank guidelines following which the Japanese telecom major invoked arbitration against the Tatas and won $1.17 billion. According to the statement, it was Tatas under Mistry who requested Docomo to join the Tatas in seeking the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Docomo did not agree. Nevertheless, Tatas applied to the RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. The award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas. Tatas under Mistry did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission, the statement said. Before Debbie Bowers had surgery for breast cancer, her doctor promised that insurance would pay for reconstruction, and said she could even go up a cup size. But Bowers did not want a silicone implant or bigger breasts. Having something foreign in my body after a cancer diagnosis is the last thing I wanted, said Bowers, 45, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I just wanted to heal. While plastic surgeons and oncologists aggressively promote breast reconstruction as a way for women to feel whole again, some doctors say they are beginning to see resistance to the surgery. Patients like Bowers are choosing to defy medical advice and social convention and remain breastless after breast cancer. They even have a name for the decision to skip reconstruction: They call it going flat. Reconstruction is not a simple process, said Dr Deanna Attai, a breast surgeon in Burbank, California, and a past president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, adding that more of her patients, especially those with smaller breasts before diagnosis, were opting out of reconstruction. Some women just feel like its too much: Its too involved, there are too many steps, its too long a process. Social media has allowed these women to become more open about their decision to live without breasts, as well as the challenges, both physical and emotional, that have followed. For a recent video created by wisdo.com, a social media platform, and widely shared on Facebook, Bowers and her friend Marianne DuQuette Cuozzo, 51, removed their shirts to show their scarred, flat chests. And Paulette Leaphart, 50, a New Orleans woman whose clotting disorder prevented her from having reconstruction after a double mastectomy, walked topless from Biloxi, Mississippi, to Washington this summer to raise awareness about the financial struggles of cancer patients. Breasts arent what make us a woman, Leaphart said. The nascent movement to go flat after mastectomies challenges long-held assumptions about femininity and what it means to recover after breast cancer. For years, medical professionals have embraced the idea that breast restoration is an integral part of cancer treatment. Womens health advocates fought for and won approval of the Womens Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, which requires health plans to cover prosthetics and reconstructive procedures. Since then, breast reconstruction has become standard care. More than 1,06,000 reconstructive procedures were done last year, a 35% increase since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. While it is not known exactly what percentage of women opt for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, one study found that in 2011, 63% of women who were candidates for the procedure chose to have it. In some parts of the United States, the number is closer to 80% today. In promoting the surgery, doctors cite studies that suggest breast reconstruction improves a womans quality of life after cancer. But some women say that doctors focus too much on physical appearance, and not enough on the toll prolonged reconstructive procedures take on their bodies and their psyches. Up to one-third of women who undergo reconstruction experience complications. A systematic review of 28 studies found that women who went without reconstruction fared no worse, and sometimes did better, in terms of body image, quality of life and sexual outcomes. Thats the dirty little secret of breast reconstruction: The risk of a major complication is higher than for the average elective surgery, said Dr Clara Lee, an associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University who perfor-ms the procedure. Cuozzo, who appeared in the Facebook video with Bowers, spent a year having her breasts rebuilt after a double mastectomy, but after four infections in five months, she had the implants removed. The reconstruction, she said, was getting worse than the cancer. While some states, including New York, now require physicians to tell women about the availability of breast reconstruction, women say they often are not informed of the option to remain flat. I was never told there was a choice, Cuozzo said. I went from the breast surgeon to the plastic surgeon, and they said, This is what youre going to do. Dr David Song, chief of plastic surgery at the University of Chicago and immediate past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said that the risk of complications was real, but that focusing on them was like focusing on plane crashes when millions of flights land safely. Given advancements in surgical techniques, the aesthetic result can be better than the native breast, Song said. But it is that kind of talk suggesting that a reconstructed breast is an improvement on a womans natural breast that enrages many women who have undergone mastectomies. For starters, a reconstructed breast is often numb and can no longer play a role in sexual arousal. It often lacks a nipple, since the nipple is usually removed in a mastectomy. Not everyones choice Rebecca Pine, a cancer survivor from Long Island who co-founded a photography and writing project called The Breast and the Sea, said, Its a tremendous amount to put your body through, and its not like were going to get our breasts back. Pine, 40, had reconstruction after her first mastectomy, but had the implant removed later when she had a prophylactic mastectomy on her other breast. They dont look or feel, in most cases, like our breasts, she said. The nerves are cut, so theyre not receptive to feel or touch. Dr Marisa Weiss, founder of breastcancer.org, said doctors should not assume every patient wants reconstructed breasts. Ive had go-go dancers who do not want reconstruction and nuns who say, I need reconstruction,' she said. Some women say physicians pressured them to get implants. When Catherine Stapleton woke up after her mastectomy, she discovered that her breast surgeon, a woman, had left unsightly flaps of skin and tissue that could be used for breast reconstruction later, in case she changed her mind. When I woke up from anaesthesia, I was in shock, said Stapleton, who is now facing additional major surgery to correct the first. Geri Barish, president of the Long Island adv-ocacy group 1 in 9, said a doctor had chided her when she opted against reconstruction. One doctor said to me: How can you walk around like that? You look deformed,' she recalled. Support groups and social media have allowed women to share stories about the realities of reconstruction. A lot of the women in my support group had infections, and they were surprised at how many surgeries were involved, said Alicia Staley, 45, who stayed flat after a double mastectomy. Coming to terms with a flat chest after breast cancer can be difficult. While some women wear a prosthesis in their bra, it is not uncommon for them to stop using it. Theyre heavy, theyre uncomfortable, and theyre in a sensitive area where you have scars, Pine said. The state government has stressed upon the usage of Kannada in the administration. In this context, every Kannadiga has to work as the cultural ambassadors of Kannada culture, said District In-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai. Speaking after unfurling the flag on the occasion of Kannada Rajyotsava at Nehru Maidan in Mangaluru on Tuesday, he said that the government has provided special grants to the Kannada and Culture Department in the budget. Steps are being taken for recruitment of teachers and providing of basic amenities in schools. He expressed a need to create awareness on Kannada among the young generation. Along with preserving Kannada language and culture, the magnanimity of the land must be kept aloft, he advised. Laptops were distributed to government high school students who excelled in SSLC examinations. Kannada institutions with 100% results were also felicitated. A cultural procession was taken out from Jyoti circle to Nehru Maidan prior to the formal function. Various folk troupes and tableaux took part in the procession. Students presented cultural items after the formal programme. Dist Rajyotsava awards The district Rajyotsava awards were presented to 22 achievers from various fields: Prabhakar Mayya (Agriculture), S M Aboobakar (Education), B Seetarama Tolpadittaya (Yakshagana), M Sumitra Kumar (Sports), Talent Research Foundation (Social Work), Bhaskar Kulal Barke (Literature), Sathya P (Folk art), Ramakrishna R (Journalism), Dr Alonans Suresh Joseph Aranha (Fine arts), Gopalakrishna Bangera (Fine arts), Khalid Tannirbavi (Music), Jayanti S Bangera (Theatre and Tulu Literature), Narayana Kotian (Sports), P Sadhu Poojary (Education), Modambail Ravi Shetty (Social work), S Jagadishchandra Anchan (Sports writeup), Yogish Kumar K S (Social work), Brahmashree Narayanaguru Seva Sangha (Social work), Swastik Kala Kendra (Social work), Sri Sharadamba Bhajana Mandali (Social work), Jagadish Shetty (Yoga) and Hamid (Visual media). Government Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Ivan DSouza, Legislative Council Opposition Chief Whip Capt Ganesh Karnik, Zilla Panchayat president Meenakshi Shantigodu, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, MLA J R Lobo, Mayor K Harinath and Deputy Commissioner Dr K G Jagadeesha were present among others. Yettinahole activists arrested Activists of Sahyadri Sanchaya attempted to demonstrate with black flags at Nehru Maidan during Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations. The police, who had prior information about the activists plan, took them into preventive custody near the Mini Vidhana Soudha. Some activists tried to demonstrate with black flags and shout slogans at AB Shetty Circle during the programme and got arrested by the police. The activists were released later. National Anthem ignored As the audio by the tableaux was being played in a loud volume, the National Anthem played by the police band troupe after the unfurling of the National Flag could not be heard to the audience. The sound from the tableaux continued to play even after the completion of the anthem, while the minister, elected representatives and officials stood as mute spectators. Govt schemes Rs 25 lakh grant sanctioned for international-level swimming pool in Emmekere; Rs two crore project chalked out for a stadium in Benjanapadavu, Bantwal. Rs 12.31 crore sanctioned under SFC to urban local Rs 3.14 crore already released. 20-km rural roads selected in every Assembly constituency to be developed as transport roads. Rs 32 lakh released for endosulfan victims. Rs five crore 29 lakh released towards development of basic faculties in temples. Rs 29.5 crore allocated and Rs 11.84 crore released towards Grama Vikasa scheme. Touts having their way in government hospitals is commonplace. But, the same seems to be replicating at leading private hospitals in the city, of late. Convenors or acquaintances as they call themselves, the middlemen play a role in moderating between patients and doctors. While a few middlemen help patients connect with doctors, considering the patients financial situation, a few others arrange for stay and also medication. With Bengaluru emerging as a hub for medical tourism, doctors say touts are encashing the opportunity. A doctor from a cardiac care centre told DH, It is mostly patients who do not know the local language who seek help from them. The middlemen instruct the patients on the specialist they can consult. They seem to have understood the system so well that they can even direct a patient to a particular doctor based on his or her condition. For instance, on October 27, Arindam Dutta (50) visited a private medical college hospital with super-speciality facilities for the treatment of his spine problem. He was accompanied by a tout. Dutta was instructed by a middleman on what best he could do. Not only did the middleman intervene as the discussion was on with the doctor regarding the cost of surgery, but also assured the patient medication at the lowest price, elsewhere. Doctors say that while a few patients approach the touts on their own, others get referred to them by people from their own community or state. They seem to rely on the touts as they claim to be from the same place as theirs. A few come to Bengaluru as patients, settle here and turn middlemen themselves. They charge the patient anywhere between Rs 500 and a few thousand rupees. A few hospitals have their own teams that play the role of middlemen to bring more patients, said a doctor. Dr Devananda N S, cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, said that the middlemen seem to be doing patients some good. They know the best places where patients caretakers can stay. It is more of a symbiotic relationship. In case the patient dies during treatment, mediators also help in the procedures that need to be followed to transport the body home, he said. Touts not just target patients from other states, but also those from other countries. Having an online presence, they connect with patients abroad who wish to come to India for treatment. Dr Bhujang Shetty, chairman, Narayana Nethralaya, said there is minimal presence of middlemen to facilitate ophthalmic treatment. Some touts bring patients, mostly foreign nationals. Growing tribe Help patients from other states, abroad connect to specialists for cost-effective treatment Facilitate stay and medication of patient Arrange for accommodation of patients caretakers Some hospitals have their own team of middlemen to bring patients Touts help family with procedures, transporting body if patient dies The police have launched a search for two contract killers who shot dead realtor-cum-financier Parachuri Surendra Kumar near his bungalow on Sunday night. We have constituted four special teams to solve the murder case. One team is working in Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, while another team is in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. There are definite leads about the motive behind the attack. The police will arrest the assailants soon, a senior police officer said. The police have questioned over 30 persons so far, including Kumars family members, friends, relatives and staff. The police said that a financial dispute between Surendra Kumar and his former manager Kapil triggered the incident. Kapil had worked as a manager at Parachuri Global Foundation. In a complaint to the RT Nagar police, Surendra Kumar had stated that Kapil had misused the foundations funds. He had also filed 12 petitions in a court in Uttar Pradesh against Kapil. Kapil failed to comply with the bail conditions and hence he was remanded in judicial custody. Kapils family members had threatened to kill Kumar in Karnataka. Hence, the police have decided to detain Kapil for questioning. During questioning, the victims personal assistant Deepankar told the police that he did not notice the registration number of the black Pulsar motorcycle on which the suspects sped away after the attack. The police said that local residents did not hear the gun shots as crackers were being burst in the locality when the attack took place. The attack took place on 1st main road, Postal Colony, Hanumaiah Layout, which is just about 50 metres away from the Sanjaynagar police station, around 9.40 pm when Surendra Kumar was about to open the gate. The assailants accosted him and opened six rounds of fire from a close range and escaped. Sixty-one achievers from various fields received the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award at the 61st Karnataka Rajyotsava programme held at Ravindra Kalakshetra here on Tuesday. Chief minister Siddaramaiah, Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and Mayor G Padmavathi felicitated the award winners. The award winners were draped in a ceremonial shawl and felicitated with a 20 gram gold medal, a purse of Rs 1 lakh and a citation. Actress Lakshmi Narayan, popularly known as Lakshmi, who was awarded for her contribution to Kannada films, said, People asked me why I am getting the award now and why did I not receive it earlier. I told them that the state and government are like a mother. They know when the time is right. Former Supreme Court judge Justice Shivaraj Patil appreciated the Siddaramaiah government for bringing to light the service of many lesser-known people by presenting the award. He said, People of Karnataka have big hearts. We dont harm others over issues of land and water. But if someone hurts us, we will not be silent about it. Siddaramaiah appreciated the expert committee and minister Umashree for selecting the awardees. Karnataka Rajyotsava is the most prestigious award in the state. Those who have received this honour are the guiding light for society. He urged people to promote Kannada and culture of the state, not only on November 1, but throughout the year. DH News Service Members of Parliament can expect a steep hike in salary soon as the Centre has decided to give a 100% raise, taking their basic pay from Rs 50,000 to a lakh per month. The Prime Ministers Office is learnt to have agreed to consider a recommendation made by the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of Members of Parliament, which is headed by BJP MP Yogi Adityanath. The PMO is believed to have agreed to revise not only Parliamentarians salary, but also their allowances. The basic compensation for a lawmaker will climb from Rs 1,90,000 per month to Rs 2,80,000 per month (salary along with constituency and office staff allowances). The government had last revised MPs salary in 2010. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier was of the view to set up a separate commission for reviewing the salary, instead of MPs themselves, he abandoned it following pressure from the MPs, government sources aware of developments told DH. The government has also taken a call to increase the President of Indias salary from the existing Rs 1.5 lakh per month to Rs 5 lakh, and governors salary to Rs 2.5 lakh per month from existing Rs 1.10 lakh. The government is planning to bring separate bills in the winter session of Parliament, which is starting from November 16, to give affect to salary hikes for President, governors and MPs. In the same session, the government will also seek Parliament nod to raise the salary of the vice-president, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha. As per the accepted proposal, an MPs constituency allowance will go up to Rs 90,000 from existing Rs 45,000 every month, the secretarial assistance and office allowance will get a jump from Rs 45,000 to Rs 90,000 per month. Annual furniture allowance for MPs official homes will double to Rs 1,50,000 a year and free broadband worth Rs 1,700 per month will be provided at parliamentarians official homes in their constituencies. The monthly pensions for former MPs will also go up from Rs 20,000 to Rs 35,000 per month. Even those who have served for more than five years would get an additional amount in pension the number of years multiplied by Rs 2,000. At present, the additional amount is the number of years multiplied by Rs 1,500. Besides salary, the MPs are also entitled for government accommodation, air travel and train travel facilities, besides three landline telephone connections and two mobile phones. They also get a loan of Rs 4 lakh to buy a vehicle. The BJP and the central government on Tuesday came out in support of the Madhya Pradesh Police on the encounter of Simi activists. It slammed the Opposition for indulging in cheap politics as they demanded a probe into the matter. Eight Simi activists were on Monday shot dead after they sneaked out of the Bhopal Central Jail. Rejecting the demand for a judicial inquiry, the BJP said the Congress was playing vote bank politics. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju backed the BJP-ruled state police as he urged the Opposition to give up the habit of raising doubts, questioning the authorities and police on the encounter. Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, at a press conference said, I am at loss to understand why some people are more concerned about terrorists, Simi, the people who escaped from jail, instead of the safety and security of the nation. These people are showing more concern towards people who break the law. It has become a fashion for some today. Naidu also expressed reservation over a question on whether the encounter was given a communal colour. What is the colour? About 28 to 29 Maoists were killed four-five days ago on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border, nobody talked about their community or religion. Suddenly in this case, (Bhopal encounter) religion has come. This is all cheap politics. I appeal to all to avoid politics, take care of security and safety of the country. Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Congress was in the habit of siding with terrorists as they did after the Batla House encounter. He demanded Congress president Sonia Gandhi to clarify whether questions raised on the police encounter by Digvijay Singh and other leaders were in party line. During the press meet, BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma kept referring to Congress as Italy Congress, alluding to Sonias foreign origin, and charged that the Opposition party was mourning over the deaths of Simi terrorists. On the other hand, the BJP congratulated the policemen for shooting them dead. In a fast political development, Congress strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday met Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh to discuss a grand alliance in Uttar Pradesh. The proposed alliance will comprise the Samajwadi Party, Congress, JDU, RJD and the RLD. Mulayam Singh, who is keen on making the SP anniversary event at Lucknow this week an occasion of multi-party meeting, has been trying to rope in different parties. However, it could not succeed because other parties including the Congress and the JD(U) viewed the infighting in the SP as being detrimental to the cause of anti-BJP mobilization. In a related development, Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar on Tuesday flew down to the national capital to discuss grand alliance for Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. He discussed the proposed alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh. Kumar also discussed the issue with his party leaders including former party chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Yadav and general secretary K C Tyagi. He met Yadav at his residence. We discussed the matter and the Bihar chief minister spoke to RLD chief Ajit Singh over telephone. We will take a final decision in two-three days, Tyagi told DH. Kumar is evading SPs celebration Tyagi will attend the ceremony. The leaders of proposed alliance are also in touch with Rahul Gandhi to make his party a constituent of the proposed alliance. The Congress was part of similar alliance formed in Bihar alliance and is likely to join alliance in UP. A farmer and his wife committed suicide by consuming pesticide at Chikkallathuru on Monday. Their two children who were fed pesticide-laced food also died. The deceased are Anand (35), his wife Shobha (25) and sons Manteswamy (4) and Mantelinga (2). Anand had borrowed Rs 8 lakh from a bank and private moneylenders. As he could not repay the loans due to crop loss, he went to Bengaluru to work in a private firm. But, he he could not earn and returned to his village. Upset over harassment by moneylenders, Anand is said to have bought pesticide. Later, he went to his aunts house. When he returned home, his wife had poisoned their children and had consumed the pesticide. All the three were lying dead. Anand too consumed pesticide and boarded a bus to Kollegal. By the time the bus reached Kollegal, he had died. The High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi remained mum on a report published in the neighbouring country, suggesting that Islamabad might withdraw four officials posted in its mission in India. The Dawn, which published the report on its website www.dawn.com on Tuesday, quoted a source in the Foreign Office of Pakistan Government as saying on Monday: This (withdrawing of officials) is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly. The names of the officers commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal were made public after Indian officials released to media a recorded statement of a high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, who was expelled from India after being declared persona non grata, the Dawn reported. New Delhi on October 27 expelled Akhtar, who was working as an assistant to Habib at the High Commission of Pakistan in New Delhi. He was declared persona non grata after the police caught him red-handed spying for the military intelligence agency of the neighbouring country. Akhtar told the Delhi Police crime branch officials that he had joined the Baloch Regiment of Pakistan Army in 1997 and had been assigned to work for the Inter Service Intelligence in 2013, just months before he had been posted in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Fingers are crossed in New Delhi, as the Iraqi Army advanced to wrest Mosul from Islamic State terrorists, who had kidnapped 39 Indians from the city in 2014. New Delhi is in touch with Baghdad and keeping tabs on the situation with the Special Forces of Iraqi Army zeroing in on Mosul, which turned into an IS stronghold ever since it fell to the terrorists led by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in June 2014. It was in Mosul that the IS terrorists took captive 39 Indians, who remain untraceable even as more than two years have passed since their abduction from the war zone in northern Iraq. Sources in New Delhi told DH on Tuesday that the embassy of India in Baghdad was in touch with the ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of defence of the government of Iraq. The newly opened consulate general of India in Erbil (the capital of autonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq) is also in regular contact with officials of the Kurdistan regional government, as the Kurdish Peshmerga forces too are supporting the Iraqi Army soldiers in the offensive to wrest Mosul from IS. The soldiers of Iraqi Armys elite counter-terrorism service purportedly entered the city limits of Mosul on Tuesday despite fierce resistance from the militants. India on October 28 last extended its strong support to the efforts by the Iraqi government to liberate Mosul and other cities from the control of the terrorist organisation Islamic State. New Delhi requested Baghdad to convey to the commanders of the Iraqi Army units that once Mosul was wrested from the IS, the soldiers should be instructed to look for the 39 Indians, whom the terrorists had taken captive 27 months ago. The US-led coalition is providing air and ground support to the Iraqi Army and Kurdish Peshmerga forces advances into Mosul. New Delhi expects the Iraqi Army or Peshmerga soldiers to get some information about the fate of the hostages, once they are able to re-take control of the city from the IS. What added to New Delhis worry is the possibility of high civilian casualty in and around Mosul in the coming days. Reports indicated that the IS might use the civilians as human shield to stop the advancing troops of the Iraqi Army. Forty Indian workers mostly from Punjab and West Bengal among other states were kidnapped from Mosul in northern Iraq, after the city fell to the jihadists of the IS on June 15, 2014. They all were working for the Tariq Nur Al Huda Company and engaged at a construction site in Mosul. One of them later escaped from the custody of the militants. New Delhi for months relied on inputs from intelligence agencies to track the whereabouts of the hostages and claimed repeatedly that the hostages remained unharmed. An intelligence agency of a West Asian nation even conveyed last year that the IS had been forcing the hostages to work for them, although none of them had been harmed. This aerial view is going to remain green forever in the memory of visitors opting to take the chopper ride over Hampi for the next one week. The By Sky initiative in the temple town is drawing crowds by the hordes, be it riders who want to hop on to the chopper for a panoramic view of the heritage complex or those content with a glimpse of the metal birds. Ballari district incharge minister Santosh Lad inaugurated the rides on Tuesday afternoon, as part of the Hampi Utsav. Inaugurating the joyrides, Lad said the service is being offered to the people at affordable rates. The minister said a few celebrities would be invited for the Utsav, but the names were yet to be finalised. The three-day Utsav kicks off on November 3, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah doing the inaugural honours at 6 pm, opposite the Basavanna mantap. A Pawan Hans helicopter of the central government and one of the Chipsan Aviation company are taking enthusiasts for joyrides, much to their glee. The rides - of seven-minute and 10-minute durations - cost Rs 1,900 and Rs 2,600, respectively. Those taking the ride were treated to a birds eye view of the Virupaksha temple, car street, Matanga Hill, Anjanadri Hill and the meandering river. As the helicopters took off for the rides, they were cheered by keen onlookers. While some took pictures of the copters in the sky, others clicked selfies standing by the metal birds. Anjali from Bengaluru had this to say, I have taken flights many times. But this one was an out-of-the-world experience. DH News Service Most farmers, living in villages bordering forests having to bear with the threat of wild boars destroying their crops, will finally heave a sigh of relief as the state government has finally granted permission to hunt them down. The order, however, comes with a rider, that of killing only wild boars and not the harmless ones. The human-wild boar conflict has turned into a serious concern due to increasing population and shrinking natural habitats, which force the boars to intrude the villages and farms on the fringes of the forests. As per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, there is a provision to hunt any wild animal that is dangerous and which poses a threat to human life. Accordingly, the State Chief Conservator of Forests or any authorised officer has the right to permit hunting of the animal that turns into a menace. It may be mentioned that the Union Ministry for Environment and Forests had given permission to the Bihar government to kill nilgai that was destroying crops and had turned into a nuisance for farmers there. Similarly, in May 2016, the Ministry gave permission to kill short-tailed macaque at Himachal Pradesh. This however, received widespread criticism from wildlife supporters. Now, the department of Ecology, Environment and Forest has given permission to hunt wild boars that have turned into a menace for the farmers. Farm owners should however, seek permission from the Forest department and abide by their instructions and guidelines. According to the guidelines, a farmer can hunt only the wild boars that destroy crops within his farm limits. He should use only a licensed gun and the boar dead or alive should be handed over to the Forest department within 24 hours. There is no permission to consume or use it for any other purpose. Now, the Forest department has an additional responsibility of burying the carcass of the boars or burn them. A report should be submitted to the Chief Conservator of Forests in this regard. A committee, comprising a local legislator, DCF and residents should be constituted to monitor such incidents. Killing of wild boars in forest area is banned. Moreover, lactating wild boars should not be killed. According to the guidelines, if the wild boar escapes into the forests, chasing the animal to kill it is not allowed. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said it has taken suo motu cognizance of the killing of eight Simi undertrial prisoners who escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail. The Students Islamic Movement of India (Simi) members were killed in an encounter with the police in Bhopal on Monday. It has issued notices to the state chief secretary, director general of police and the DG&IG (prisons), seeking detailed reports in the matter within six weeks. The commission said that it has always been concerned about the deaths in police and judicial custody as well as in police action. Specific guidelines have also been issued by it, which have been conveyed to all the states/UTs for compliance in the matters of encounter, it observed. Referring to news reports, the panel said all escaped prisoners were killed within hours in an encounter at an isolated forested area, which is about 15 km from the jail. Senior officers have claimed that the police started firing only after being shot at by the accused. The police team had initially asked the escaped prisoners to surrender, as stated in the report. Five jail officials have been put under suspension including DIG (Jail) and the Jail Superintendent. The Additional DG (Jail) has been reportedly transferred, it observed. The commission said it had noted that various news reports had said the undertrial prisoners escaped jail after killing a guard. Three of them had escaped from the Khandwa jail three years ago and were nabbed again in Odisha this year. They were charged under various crimes including murder, sedition, jail break and bank robberies. Nitish backs probe demand Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday supported the oppositions demand of an independent probe into the Bhopal killings. Eight civilians, including four women and two children, were killed as Pakistani troops continued shelling and firing from across the border on Tuesday. This is the highest number of civilian deaths on a single day on the border after a ceasefire agreement was signed between India and Pakistan in 2003. In addition to the deaths, two dozen were injured on Tuesday. In retaliatory action, the Indian Army killed at least two Pakistani soldiers. The casualties could include some civilians on the other side. Pakistani troops have used 120 mm and 82 mm mortar shells to pound border hamlets and military posts since early Monday morning, reports say. Man dies of shock Deputy Commissioner (Samba) Sheetal Nanda said five people were dead and nine injured in Jarda and Rangoor villages of Ramgarh sector. A man died of shock during shelling. Two children aged five and seven, and two women were among the casualties, she said. Two women were killed in Panjgrian village in the Manjakote sector of Rajouri, Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shabir Bhat said. The DC added that three army porters also suffered injuries in the shelling. Eyewitnesses told DH over the phone that several mortar shells had landed inside or near the houses on the border, triggering panic. In many villages, people couldnt go out of their houses as shelling continued all day. Pakistani troops have violated the 2003 ceasefire nearly 70 times since the September 29 surgical strikes by the Indian Army against terror launch-pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Nineteen people, including 11 civilians and eight security personnel, have been killed, and over 60, mostly civilians, have suffered injuries in these incidents. A senior army officer said ceasefire violations could continue for some time as Pakistan is relentlessly trying to push heavily armed militants into India to disturb peace and inflict casualties on the security forces. However, well aware of the new strategy of Pakistan, we have strengthened our anti-infiltration grid. Whenever the militants try to infiltrate, they will be killed or forced to retreat, he said. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed anguish over the loss of life and property. She also called for dialogue between India and Pakistan. Destroyed 14 Pak Rangers posts: BSF The BSF on Tuesday said it has destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action along the International Border (IB) in the Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier, PTI reports from Jammu. Pak summons Indian envoy India protested to Pakistan over the unprovoked firing from across the border to give cover to infiltrators when its Deputy High Commissioner was summoned for the fourth time in just over a week. See P8 Children of Men promotional poster (dir. Alfonso Cuaron, 2006). Graphic: Universal Studios 25 December 2016 (Desdemona Despair) Dont tell Desdemona that you havent seen Children of Men. This film is pure doomer porn, executed with the deft and utterly convincing cinematic touch of the great Alfonso Cuaron. Hie thee to the nearest video store / Red Box / Netflix queue and consume immediately. Its 2027, and global civilization has collapsed, causing enormous waves of refugees to flood into the United Kingdom, the last functioning nation state. The masses are caged in the street as the authoritarian government clamps down on illegals. Director Cuaron uses production design in an attempt to make his audience recognize the present, and he demands that this design fade into the background he calls this scheme the anti-Blade Runner. Cuaron told the Seattle Times in 2006, the stuff that you see on the screen is nothing but a reference of stuff that has been happening on this planet in the last five years or so. And like Desdemona, he is not offering a cautionary tale, because I dont believe theres time for caution. Promotional graphics follow the design scheme of the film: incidental artifacts that form the background and fade into it. Heres Battersea Power Station, complete with Pink Floyds flying pig. It houses the Ark of the Arts, where a few of the worlds rescued masterpieces are stored. One of the recurring themes in Children of Men is the abject failure of the 1960s Hippie revolution, with 60s music used to wickedly ironic effect, notably In the Court of the Crimson King for this scene. We couldnt save La Pieta, says the curator, cheerfully. Clive Owen dines beneath Guernica. Pink Floyds flying pig over Battersea. The failure of 60s idealism hovers over everything. Pot-smoking hippies have been forced into hiding by the brutal government crackdown on civil liberties. 1960s Hippie idealism has been replaced by doomsday cultism. Future history forgotten: the production team had to create an entire history of events leading up to 2027 and then make that history recede into the wallpaper. Religious imagery pervades nearly every frame in Children of Men, but Cuaron is not advocating religion as a remedy for human extinction. In an interview with Christianity Today, Cuaron confirmed this belief that we should place our hope not in God, but in the next generation. As Desdemona readers know, more humans are resorting to prayer as the world falls apart around them; we also know that God will not save us. Quietus: You Decide When. At the sunset of the human species, the suicide drug, Quietus slickly marketed, with a catchy three-word slogan provides the only empowerment available to most: the power to decide when to die. TRAI aims to protect the interest of consumers, and facilitate further growth of the Internet and broadband services in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), has directed telecom companies to bring more transparency by informing customers about the data usage limits on their broadband plans. In a statement released yesterday, TRAI has asked telcos to provide fixed line broadband users with details about data usage limit, specifying speed of broadband connection up to specified usage limit and speed post that data limit. TRAI has also directed service providers to inform mobile broadband users about data usage limit with specified primary technology (i.e. 3G or 4G) and speed offered for data usage beyond that limit. TRAI is also suggesting telecom service providers to publish the data on their websites in the form of advertisements published through any media. TRAI says the move is aimed at bringing transparency across telecom services in the country. TRAI also says the new directive will help consumers better track their data usage. In case of fixed broadband services, TRAI has advised telcos to ensure minimum download speed of 512kbps under any Fair Usage Policy. Back in August, TRAI recommended telecom service providers to make 2Mbps minimum broadband speed. The new directive asked broadband providers to provide alerts to subscribers via SMS on their registered mobile number each time the usage crosses 50, 90 and 100 per cent of the limit under existing plan. European Metals Holdings announced on Tuesday that it was granted a new exploration licence at Cinovec III. The AIM-traded company said the new Cinovec III licence fills the gap between its existing Cinovec II licence and the Czech-German border over the northern part of the Cinovec deposit, and extends east, adjoining the company's Cinovec II licence area. It said the aerial extent of the Cinovec III licence is 6.8 square kilometres, covering a geologically prospective area to the east of the Cinovec deposit, with prospects of discovering and developing additional lithium and tin ore. The best lithium intercept recorded in historic drilling is 82.8m averaging 0.31% Li2O, starting at depth of 585m, the board reported. It added that the potential lithium mineralization east of Cinovec is blind, with historic scout drilling identifying greisenised and lithium mineralised granite at depths of 500 meters below surface. We welcome the fact that the Czech government has granted us this third exploration licence for which we recently applied, said CEO Keith Coughlan. The licence not only covers a small area above the Cinovec deposit itself along the Czech-German border, but also gives the company exclusive rights to explore for potential deep seated lithium ore east of the Cinovec deposit. Geologic data indicate presence of mineralized granite similar to the one at Cinovec, but at deeper levels and not outcropping. Coughlan said the exploration target is high grade lithium and tin mineralization amenable to extraction from deeper horizons of the future Cinovec underground mine. Having this licence granted means that the company now controls 100% of the known mineralisation of the Cinovec ore body and adjacent mineralised areas. European stocks closed in the red on Tuesday as investors looked ahead to this weeks central bank meetings and digested a batch of manufacturing figures. Germanys DAX fell 1.30% to 10,526.16 points, France's CAC 40 dropped 0.86% to 4,470.28 points, Italy's FTSE MIB shed 1.32% to 16,898.28 points and Spain's IBEX 35 dipped 1.12% to 9,040.70 points. Investors were likely to be cautious ahead of rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Earlier, both the Bank of Japan and the Reserve Bank of Australia stood pat on their monetary policies. IGs Joshua Mahony said: Overnight announcements from the BoJ and RBA saw two of the four central bank decisions this week err on the side of caution. In much the same way as we expect the Fed to remain steady on rates, with the election uncertainty looming, the same story goes for everyone else, with the outcome sure to significantly alter the state of play for currencies, bonds, commodities and stock valuations. On the economic data front, Chinas official manufacturing purchasing managers index increased to 51.2 in October from 50.4 the month before. A reading above 50 indicates expansion. The Caixin manufacturing PMI edged up to 51.2 in October from 50.1 in September. Both readings beat forecasts. In the UK, the Markit/CIPS manufacturing PMI fell to 54.3 from 55.5 in September, missing expectations for a reading of 54.5. Still, it remained well above its long-run average of 51.5. In the US, Markits final manufacturing PMI came in at 53.4 in October, up from an initial reading 53.2 and 51.5 in September. The ISM's headline manufacturing index rose to 51.9 from 51.5 in September, beating forecasts for a reading of 51.7. In contrast, US construction spending declined 0.4% in September on the month to a seasonally-adjusted $1.15bn, according to the latest figures from the Commerce Department. It missed economists expectations for a 0.5% increase. Meanwhile, oil prices edged higher on a weaker dollar, with Brent crude up 0.20% to $48.71 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate up 0.02% to $46.87 per barrel at 1607 GMT. On the corporate front, the energy sector was in focus as oil giants BP and Shell reported their earnings. BP was under the cosh after it said underlying third-quarter profits halved compared to last year, although the fall was not as bad as feared. However, Royal Dutch Shell fared a lot better, racking up solid gains as its third-quarter profits beat analysts expectations. Tyre maker Nokian rallied after posting a 2% rise in third-quarter operating profit while consumer goods group Orkla was also in the black after reporting better-than-expected core operating profit for the third quarter. Moneysupermarket surged as it said it was on track to meet forecasts for a record year after a resurge in insurance offset a flat period for credit card and loan switching in the third quarter. Asia-focused Standard Chartered slumped after the bank swung to a third-quarter profit, but the numbers missed analysts expectations. In the quarter ended 30 September, underlying pre-tax profit came in at $458m from a $139m loss in the same period a year ago, but it was below the $520m analysts had pencilled in. Danish jewellery brand Pandora was on the back foot despite reiterating its full-year revenue guidance and reporting an increase in third-quarter profit. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Why J.D. Vance is crucial to GOP's U.S. Senate hopes While the GOP deals with unpredictable races in states such as Pennsylvania, Republicans hope Ohio will show up for Senate candidate J.D. Vance. Olympia voters to consider income tax on high earners The measure would raise $3 million a year for a public college tuition fund for all Olympia public high school graduates and GED recipients. By RACHEL LA CORTE Associated Press OLYMPIA Washington voters have rejected personal income tax-related measures at the statewide ballot several times over the past eight decades. Now voters in the state capital will decide whether to approve an income tax on the city's highest earners, even as the legality of the measure remains in question. Initiative 1 seeks a 1.5 percent tax on household income in excess of $200,000 for residents of Olympia, a city of about 50,000 people. The measure seeks to raise an estimated $3 million a year for a public college tuition fund that would give all Olympia public high school graduates and GED recipients tuition for at least the first year of community or technical college, or the equivalent amount about $4,000 for in-state public university tuition. It puts the spotlight on the finances of education, said Democratic state Rep. Sam Hunt of Olympia, a supporter of the measure. Obviously, it's controversial. But I think at some point people need to step forward and say what we're doing isn't working, and we need to find better solutions. And this is one step toward finding a better solution. Opponents of the measure argue that Seattle activists are focused solely on teeing up a test case for the state Supreme Court, and using a tax on the residents of the city of Olympia to accomplish that goal. The last time Washington voters approved an income tax was in 1932, but the measure was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court the following year. In 1984, the state Legislature approved a law that that prohibits a county, city, or city-county from levying a tax on net income. It's not about education, said Olympia Mayor Cheryl Selby, who noted that she supports the idea of a statewide income tax and has voted in favor of one before. What I'm trusting is that our community, because we are so literate and educated around political issues, will see through this. Last month, the state Court of Appeals ruled that the Olympia income-tax measure should appear on the ballot even as legal challenges to it continue. The ruling came following an appeal of an August ruling by Pierce County Superior Court Judge Jack Nevin, who found the measure went beyond the scope of local initiative power and ruled it should not appear on the ballot. The appellate court order noted that there will be ample time to litigate the issues raised after the election. The phrase income tax does not appear on the ballot title after a superior court judge ruled in favor of initiative proponents that it would be prejudicial to the proponents, who say the proposed tax is technically an excise tax because it taxes gross income. Instead, the ballot title simply says that the measure concerns establishing and funding a college grant program. In the fuller description below the title, it notes that the grants would be funded by a tax on household income above $200,000. Supporters of the measure including the Economic Opportunity Institute in Seattle have raised more than $213,000, with the top donations coming from residents of Seattle and surrounding areas. Opponents have raised about $5,700. Washington is one of seven states Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming without a personal income tax. New Hampshire and Tennessee have a limited income tax on interest, dividends and capital gains, but they do not tax wages and salaries, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Voters last weighed in on a statewide income tax on in 2010, overwhelmingly defeating a measure that would have taxed the top 1 percent of the state's earners. Initiative 1098 was defeated in all 39 counties, including Olympia's Thurston County, where nearly 61 percent of voters rejected it. But of the 60 precincts within the city of Olympia which is more liberal than the rest of the county the measure prevailed in 38, garnering 11,380 yes votes to 8,925 no votes. Hugh Spitzer, a University of Washington law professor specializing in state constitutional law who is affiliated with the law firm that is representing the City of Olympia in the case, said that if the state Legislature passed an income tax or asked the voters to pass a statewide income tax, there's a reasonably good chance the court would uphold such a law this time around. But the effort in Olympia is beyond a code city's statutory authority, Spitzer said. Heather Weiner, a spokeswoman for the initiative campaign, said the state needs to ensure that there is enough of an educated local workforce so that big companies aren't forced to seek talent from outside of the state. As the seat of state government, Olympia is the perfect city to have that discussion, she said. It sends a message to the state Legislature that we need to find progressive tax solutions to our higher education crisis, Weiner said. Subscriber content preview GRAFTON, Vt. (AP) Political style yard-signs with the giant word NO over the image of a wind turbine pop up on roads leading into the southern Vermont town of Grafton, evidence that yet another community in the state is debating whether to become home to an industrial wind farm. But added to an already emotional debate in Grafton and neighboring Windham is the developer's promise of direct payments to residents of the two towns if voters approve the project Nov. 8. Some are calling that offer, first made public this month, an outright bribe. . . . Subscriber content preview OLYMPIA (AP) A new report from Washington state's Attorney General's Office says nearly a half a million residents were impacted by data breaches between July 2015 and July 2016. A new law went into effect last year that requires businesses and public agencies to report data breaches. In the first year under the new law, companies and organizations reported 39 incidents and affected at least 450,000 Washingtonians. . . . Subscriber content preview SEATTLE King County records show the Palace Ballroom building in Belltown sold for $7.9 million. The seller was 2100 Fifth LLC, which acquired the property in 1999 for $1.7 million. The buyer was J & J Fifth Avenue LLC, associated with private real estate investors with a Seattle residential address and Bellevue attorney. . . . A Letterkenny shop owner has described the support he has received from locals since his shop was broken into over the weekend as overwhelming. David Faughnan of Universal Books issued an appeal for information on social media after he discovered his shop had been broken into on Sunday.The appeal has reached over 40,000 people. The shop on Church Lane was broken into between 5.30 on Saturday evening and 10 o'clock on Sunday morning. A sum of money was taken from the shop and a lot of damage was done to the shop. The raiders used a crowbar to gain entry to the back of the shop. David told the Democrat: ''The support locally has been fantastic. Our landlady was fantastic too. The amount of people who came to help us too was overwhelming." Many people are now visiting the shop in support of David and purchasing items during their visit. Gardai are investigating the incident and are examining footage from CCTV footage. David has also offered a reward of 500 to catch those responsible for the break in. "What I would really like to say to people who have information in relation to this, is how would you feel if it was your mum's house or your dad's house? I really hope that people take what happened to be on board and are exercise more vigilance over Christmas," he said. Anyone with any information can contact gardai at Letterkenny Garda Station at 074 91 67100. Bridget McHugh, Ramelton The death has taken place of Bridget McHugh, Ramelton. Removal from her hom at 2.30pm to St Mary's Church, Ramelton for Funeral Mass at 2.30pm, with burial afterwards in Milford Cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to Ramelton Community Hospital Patient Comfort Fund. Aidan Donaghey, Ballylin, Ramelton The death has taken place of Aidan Donaghey of Ramelton. Removal from his home at 12 noon today to St. Mary's Church, Ramelton, for 12.30pm Funeral Mass. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Donations in lieu of flowers to Donegal Hospice, care of Mc Ateer Funeral Directors or any family member. Alice Tobin, Gweedore Road, Dungloe The death has occurred of Alice Tobin (nee McGonagle), Gweedore Road, Dungloe. Removal from her home this evening at 7pm to St Cronans Church, Dungloe, for 7.30pm to repose overnight. Funeral Mass will take place on Wednesday at 11am with burial afterwards in Belcruit Cemetery. House private from 11pm to 10am. Mary McGlynn of Dun Laoghaire and Letterkenny The death has occurred of Mary McGlynn, (nee Deehan) of Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin and formerly of Ros Suilighe, Letterkenny. Removal from her home this morning to arrive at 9.50am at Our Lady of Victories Church, Sallynoggin arriving at 9.50am. Funeral immediately after 10am requiem mass to Shanganagh Cemetery, Shankill. Family flowers only please. Donations if desired to Greystones Cancer Support. Donation box at rear of church. Bridget McHugh, Ramelton The death has taken place of Bridget McHugh, Ramelton. Requiem Mass today at 2.30pm in St Marys Church, Ramelton. Burial afterwards in Milford Cemetery. Family flowers only. Donations, if desired, to Ramelton Community Hospital Patient Comfort Fund. Pa Sharkey, Mullaghdearg Banks, Kincasslagh The death of Pa Sharkey, Mullaghdearg has occurred. Funeral Mass on Wednesday, November 2nd at 11am at St. Marys Chapel, Kincasslagh. Burial afterwards in the adjoining cemetery. Donations in lieu of flowers to the Oncology Ward, Letterkenny University Hospital c/o any family member. House private from 11pm to 10am and on the morning of the funeral. Rosary both nights at 9pm. Alice Tobin (nee McGonagle), Gweedore Road, Dungloe The death has taken place of Alice Tobin (nee McGonagle), Gweedore. Removal at 7pm this evening to St Cronans Church, Dungloe, for 7.30pm to repose overnight. Funeral Mass on Wednesday at 11am with burial afterwards in Belcruit Cemetery. House private from 11pm to 10am. Ambrose Given, Jr, Knockagarron, Convoy The sudden death has taken place, in Dublin on Friday, of Ambrose Given, Jr, Knockagarron, Convoy, Funeral arrangements to be announced. * If you wish to have a death notice included, please e-mail: editorial@donegaldemocrat.com and include a contact telephone number for verification Taoiseach Enda Kenny will make a flying visit to Dundalk on Thursday to reassure local business and agriculture that Brexit will not cripple the economy in this area. On the day after the launch of his all-Ireland forum on Brexit, Mr Kenny is due to visit Dundalk and Carlingford. He will visit Horsewear in Dundalk, hold meetings with local business people, and then go to Carlingford where he is expected to address concerns about local tourism and how Brexit might affect it. The visit will come just days after a Red C poll for The Sunday Business Post claims that 56 per cent of people living in border counties will go north to do their Christmas shopping in the next few weeks. The Governments economic growth for next year has been cut from four per cent to 3.5 per cent because of the expected rise in the number of people travelling north to shop due to the fall in sterlings value. Mr Paddy Malone Dundalk Chamber of Commerce said once the euro changed hands for 90p, which it is now doing, Dundalk traders would really suffer, but he said: we are going to have to do what we did in 2009. Speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland on Monday, Mr Malone said: We have been here before. So we just have to get on with it. What we have found is that people want service. They want to know they can go back to their local retailer they will get backup service. Otherwise they might as well use the internet. He said the threat in the past was to this border region, but because of the internet the threat now extends to all of the country as people use the internet to buy UK goods. But we have created a local currency, he said. We are promoting it under the the name Shop Local and we're encouraging employers to use it as a way of giving people a bonus at Christmas and that way the money will stay in Dundalk. Mr Malone said Dundalk Chamber has been pleading with various governments for twenty years to realise that Dundalk has exceptional trading difficulties. He said businesses here are paying more in rates, insurance, and the minimum wage, than their counterparts in the north and although Dundalk is the poorest 'Gateway' town, we dont come under the Living City Initiative, a financial support scheme thats available to Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny. Economically that just doesnt make sense, Mr Malone added. A fancy dress weighlifting competition was held at Aiken Barracks last week. The charity event raised 1,530 in aid of the Gary Kelly Cancer Centre. Thirty members of the 27th Infantry Battalion took part. All members of the battalion came in on their day off, said Corporal John Rooney. There were two people on each team, a total of 30 people divided into two teams. It all took place in the Dermot Early gym here at Aiken Barracks. We would like to thank Conor McGahon who acted as DJ. Also Ken Coleman from Apex Gym for supplying the proteen prizes for the winners. John Pepper from Dundalk Tai-kwon-do for supplying materials. The Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre was established to create a safe and holistic environment. To preserve the dignity and privacy of the person at all times. To provide counselling, information and psychological support for people affected by cancer and those who care for them free of charge. The Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre is situated in Georges Street, Drogheda. It is a support centre for people living with cancer, their families and thoses who care for them. The centre offers holistic and complementary therapies, education and psychological support which is nowadays regarded as part of standard support for people with cancer. The centre is open to people on the island of Ireland. All therapies and supports are free of charge. The centre is committed to providing a safe and holistic sanctuary of reflection, retreat and recovery. The centre is a non-referral service and an appointment is not necessary. Gary Kelly donated 750,000 to the setting up of the centre. KUKA Robotics has been providing automated robotic solutions in the UK since 1974. After experiencing a period of significant growth, operations have now been established at a state of the art facility in Dundalk, supporting a strategy to develop our presence within the Irish market. Having experienced an increased demand for robotic solutions in Ireland, KUKA made the decision to acquire a unit on the Brewery Business Park in Dundalk, embracing an act local, serve local ethos. The 281sqm offices will provide on premise client support to all of its Irish customers, including sales, customer services and training. This strategic move will enable KUKA to strengthen relations with existing service partners and establish new partnerships aligned to the needs of the market. To celebrate the opening of the new offices, KUKA invited business leaders and dignitaries to come and visit. An open house was held across two days, during which visitors were given a tour of the new site and experienced demonstrations of many of the cutting edge Industry 4.0 technologies and class leading robots that KUKA build into its automated robotic solutions. KUKA Robotics UK CEO, Jeff Nowill said: The opening of a new office in Ireland will be a significant step for KUKA and cement our position as the only OEM-robot supplier currently directly operational in the country. In 2014 and 2015 KUKA completed a number of significant installations in Ireland. A presence in the country seemed the natural next step in order that we are able to capitalise on additional opportunities and provide local support to existing customers. The new offices shall be headed by General Manager for Ireland, Brian Cooney, who added: This is tremendously exciting for KUKA, building on our continued success in the Irish market and coming at a time when Irish manufacturing is embracing Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing technologies. We are eagerly looking forward to the launch of our new office this month and to welcoming our guests, old friends and new. Artisan enclaves add more to your property value in hip Bethnal Green Move over Waitrose Effect, theres a new attraction for home buyers according to the latest report by estate agents, Hampton International which states that artisan microchains are drawing in home buyers and pushing up house prices even more. The Olympic Park area of London, a short cycle ride away from Guinness Homes new development in hip Bethnal Green for example, has seen an 18% increase in microchains and artisan shops that have changed the area, boosting the average house price. Bethnal Green is renowned for its markets and has become a magnet for artisan shops, local produce, creative arts and independent cafes. For those house buyers wanting to invest in this growing area of delis, premium butchers, shoemakers and artistic wares they should look to Titanium Point, off Palmers Road. The canalside development offers chic, urban living There are currently 11 two bedroom homes available and seven three bedroom homes left at to purchase all offering incredible, panoramic views of the Olympic Park in the north to the bustling Liverpool Street quarters to the south of the capital. Julie Stafford, Head of Sales and Marketing at Guinness Homes comments: This area is so close to such a thriving part of London, and we are finding many local people and young professionals buying here. They are attracted to the development as it is close to one of Londons oldest street markets, Roman Road, as well as independent stores and is central to the city with tubes only taking six minutes. So while central London access is easy to reach - the calm, quiet road where the development backs on to the canal and expanses of green spaces, like Victoria Park - gives house buyers the best of both worlds. We feel apartment living in London is very much on the up and especially where there are artisan and independent stores attracting affluent living-style that can also be affordable. All two and three bedroom apartments within the development have access to balconies or terraces, allowing residents to enjoy the grandeur of the East London skyline, as well as providing a great outdoor space for dining and entertaining. The homes offer a high specification, with cutting edge style, including fully-fitted kitchens, floor to ceiling windows, timber flooring and en-suites to all master bedrooms. The apartments also offer a concierge service and underground parking for convenience. The development is close to six of Londons renowned street markets and plenty of independent stores, so residents can shop to their hearts content. Bethnal Green also has a bustling environment about it, offering a wealth of cultural leisure facilities including a lively mix of cutting-edge creativity and that unique East End charm. There are also plenty of dining, leisure and entertaining opportunities from Victorian pie and mash shops and some of Londons oldest boozers, to the independent wine store Out of the Box and authentic restaurant Padron, where food comes straight from Spain, meaning residents have plenty to do. The homes at Titanium Point are just 15 minutes walk from both Bethnal Green and Mile End underground stations, with tubes into Liverpool Street taking only six minutes. Several bus routes also operate in the local area, and Santander cycles are located a three-minute walk from the development, for those who prefer to get around on two wheels. Two bedroom apartments at Titanium Point start from 615,000. For more information, visit guinnesshomes.co.uk. Mortgage holders taking out home cover through their bank overpay by nearly 90 million Homebuyers are paying over the odds on their home insurance according to new research from comparethemarket.com. Around 17% of mortgage holders could be paying 66 more than they need to by opting for home and buildings insurance through their mortgage provider rather than searching out more competitive deals. With around 7.8 million mortgaged households in the UK, this equates to an overpayment of nearly 90 million by consumers across the country. In a survey of over 2,000 mortgage holders commissioned by comparethemarket.com, it was revealed that around 17% had taken the home insurance policy that was put forward by their bank or building society instead of searching for the best deal. Consumers cited the fact that their mortgage provider represented the easiest option, with 44% saying that this was the reason they went via their mortgage provider. One reason that could cause concern is that 11% of customers who took out home insurance through their mortgage provider felt pressured to do so to secure a mortgage. Buildings insurance is compulsory when purchasing a freehold property with a mortgage and covers the building itself should it be destroyed or damaged, for example by fire or flood. However, a large portion of consumers taking out a mortgage admit to simply taking the offer provided to them by their bank without seeing whether there are more attractive options available on the market. However, customers appear to be getting savvier; over half (52%) shopped around for a better deal on their home insurance within the last year and only 6% said they had never researched alternative providers. Gemma Sonfield, Head of Home Insurance at comparethemarket.com, said: When you consider the huge outlay required when buying a house, it is very easy to ignore the potential savings from shopping around for a home insurance policy. However, as the statistics show, almost 90 million is being overpaid unnecessarily by taking the default option of home insurance via their bank. Perhaps the most concerning finding in our research is that more than one in ten people felt pressured to take the home insurance policy in order to secure the mortgage and that the same number didnt even know that shopping around was a possibility. If some people feel forced to take what can be a more expensive policy, banks need to evaluate how they communicate with their customers. I have never been so excited about an email subscription before. Zak S. DHAKA - The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (Accord) has terminated its members' relationship with a further six supplier factories in Bangladesh due to their failure to implement workplace safety measures. This follows on the back of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety earlier last month announcing it had suspended seven factories for failure to show "evidence of remediation progress," a move which brought the total number factories suspended by the Alliance to 104. With the Accord itself having now suspended around 50 factories, and the remediation process for both Accord and Alliance members significantly behind schedule, a notable rationalisation of the Bangladesh ready-made-garment (RMG) sector would appear likely moving forwards. MILAN - Benetton has launched a new sustainability initiative aimed at empowering women in the textile sectors in Bangladesh and Pakistan. The Italian apparel retailer will support more than 5,000 women employed in Bangladesh's ready-made-garment (RMG) sector and a further 1,500 women in Pakistan as part of its Sustainable Livelihood Project which will operate under Benetton's Women Empowerment Program (WEP). The project includes a two-year calendar of initiatives aimed at empowering home-based female workers in the two countries. The National Academies of Science has just released its long-awaited report Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects. I was a reviewer on this report months ago and as far as I can tell it hasnt changed much from when I sent in my comments. Heres what I said: In light of public polarization of opinion of GE foods, this report tries to do something quite difficultto come to evidence-based opinions about the risks and benefits of these foods now and in the future. The report makes it clear that the committee listened carefully to a wide variety of opinions about risks and benefits and tried to make sense of the varying viewpoints based on available evidence. This was not easy, given the inadequacy of much of the evidence. I give the report high marks for its neutral tone and cautious interpretations. The report clearly reveals how little is known about the effects of GE foods, how much GE is about crops fed to animals and how little is about food for people (except indirectly) and how minimally the promises of food biotechnology have been realized, except as they benefit large agricultural producers. In trying to be fair, the committee will please nobody. Proponents will be distressed that the benefits are not more strongly celebrated. Critics will be upset that the report treats many of their concerns pejoratively (activism). Both sides will find plenty in the report to buttress their views. The overall conclusion, more research needed, makes sense but is not helpful in bringing the two sides together. Some examples: The Environmental Working Group, for example, likes: The implied call for mandatory GMO labeling: Mandatory labeling provides the opportunity for consumers to make their own personal risk-benefit decisions. The recommendations to fix the GMO regulatory system, including putting in some limits on GMO crops and the chemicals used with them. The confirmation that GMO crops have not, to date, increased actual yields and should not be exclusively relied upon to meet long-term food security needs. But Food & Water Watch issued a statement and a position paper claiming that the academies and committee members have ties to the biotechnology industry and agricultural corporations. The group says that Monsanto, DuPont and Dow Chemical Company each donated between $1 million and $5 million to the academies in 2014, citing a treasurers report and that the report is conflicted from the get go. Todays New York Times has a good summary of diverse reactions to the report and points out: Perhaps because of the sensitivity and complexity of the issue, many of the documents conclusions are hedged by caveats. We received impassioned requests to give the public a simple, general, authoritative answer about GE crops, Fred Gould, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University and chairman of the committee that compiled the report, wrote in the preface. Given the complexity of GE issues, we did not see that as appropriate. Watch the public release event on the National Academies of Science report: [vimeo https://vimeo.com/167020587 expand=1] Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, which she chaired from 1988-2003. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Will Vegans Save the World? Join Jamie Olivers Food Revolution UN Says Glyphosate Unlikely to Cause Cancer, Industry Ties to Report Called Into Question Nebraska Farmers Sue Monsanto Alleging Roundup Gave Them Cancer By now, you might have heard that checking in at Standing Rock, North Dakota, on Facebook is not throwing off cops who are using the platform to target Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protesters on the front lines. However, the million-plus Facebook users who have falsely updated their statuses are actually doing something important: Its bringing the protest to the mainstream. [facebook https://www.facebook.com/EcoWatch/videos/1333980263281574/ expand=1] On Monday, Oct. 31, a Facebook user posted a claim that the Morton County sheriffs department was using the social media platform to locate protestors. Water Protecters are calling on EVERYONE to check-in at Standing Rock, ND to overwhelm and confuse them, it read. As the Guardian reported, the post quickly went viral. The number of check-ins at the Standing Rock reservation page ballooned from 140,000 to more than 870,000 by that afternoon. The Sacred Stone Camp told Snopes they are not behind the tactic but pointed out it was a great way to express solidarity with the pipeline protest. Meanwhile, the Morton County Sheriffs Department stated in a Facebook post it is not and does not follow Facebook check-ins for the protest camp or any location. This claim/rumor is absolutely false. Native American communities and their supporters have been battling the construction of the controversial $3.7 billion, 1,168-mile pipeline since April. The proposed DAPL will transfer up to 570,00 barrels of crude oil per day from the Bakken oilfield in North Dakota to a refinery near Chicago, crossing the Missouri River less than a mile away from the Standing Rock Reservation. The people of Standing Rock, often called Sioux, warn that a potential spill into the river would threaten their drinking water, desecrate sacred sites and risk the health of their reservation. Thanks to social media, the protest is entering the national conversation. So how else can you help the protestors on the front lines? There are a number of ways you can support the campaign: Donate money to the Official Standing Rock Sioux Tribe DAPL Donation Fund or the Sacred Stone Legal Defense Fund via Fundrazr or directly via PayPal to save on processing fees to freshetcollective@gmail.com. The Sacred Stone Camp has an official GoFundMe account and an Amazon WishList. You can also physically mail checks, cash or supplies to Sacred Stone Camp, P.O. Box 1011, Fort Yates, ND 58538 or 202 Main Street Fort Yates, ND 58538. You can phone local leaders and other decision makers. North Dakota governor Jack Dalrymples phone number is 701-328-2200. Call the Army Corps of Engineers and demand them to reverse the permit at 202-761-5903. And here are some numbers at Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline. Executive vice president Lee Hanse, 210-403-6455. Vice president Glenn Emery, 210-403-6762. Lead analyst Michael (Cliff) Waters, 713-989-2404. Sign and share the official White House petition. .@MarkRuffalo Delivers Solar Panels to Camp Where Hundreds Are Fighting Dakota Access Pipeline via @EcoWatch: https://t.co/KL8AwRuETJ Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) October 27, 2016 Over the past several months, the peaceful protest against the DAPL has at times turned violent, with officers using mace and unleashing dogs. Hundreds of arrests have been made. The Guardian reported that the United Nations advisory forum for indigenous issues is now investigating claims that North Dakota law enforcement has used excessive force, unlawful arrests and mistreated the protesters in jail. Dakota Access pipeline protests: UN group investigates human rights abuses https://t.co/sh8Y7th0i7 The Guardian (@guardian) October 31, 2016 Roberto Borrero, a representative of the International Indian Treaty Council who is assisting the UN forum told the Guardian that the activists stories are very shocking. When you look at what the international standards are for the treatment of people, and you are in a place like the United States, its really astounding to hear some of this testimony, he said. According to the Guardian, jailed protesters said it seemed clear that police werent prepared to handle hundreds of people at once in their local correctional facilities. A day after their release, many still had numbers and charges written on their arms in markerwhich advocates said was an unusual and dehumanizing way for police to track inmatesand some were temporarily kept in cages that they said felt like dog kennels.' Police have accused the activists of being overly aggressive in their demonstrations and have charged many protesters with criminal trespassing. What Are GMOs? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been modified in a laboratory in order to produce a specific result. For example, many types of food sources, especially corn and soybean crops, are genetically modified in order to withstand herbicides and insects. This method stems from the concept of selective breeding and dates back to at least 8000 BCE, although genetically altering DNA didnt happen until 1973. Austrian monk Gregor Mendel is credited with identifying the founding principles of genetics when he crossbred two pea breeds in 1866. In 1922, hybrid corn made its commercial debut, while plant breeders discovered how to alter DNA with radiation and chemicals in 1940. After 1973, the FDA approved insulin in 1982 as the first genetically engineered product for human use. However, genetically modified food didnt get FDA approval until 1994, when a GMO tomato became the first to go commercial. While on the surface it appears that GMOs are 100 percent positive, they have been surrounded by controversy for decades. How Are GMOs Made? Creating GMO plants first involves identifying and isolating a desired trait, from the aforementioned herbicide resistance to drought resistance to disease tolerance. That trait is then copied and inserted into the plant DNA thats being modified, with the final result initially grown in a lab. The seeds from successful modifications are then sold to farmers. Current Use of GMOs Besides corn and soybeans, other commonly grown GMO crops in the U.S. include cotton, canola, potatoes and sugar beets. The latter are used to make granulated (or white) sugar; in fact, more than half of this type of commercially sold sugar comes from GMO sugar beets. GMO-derived ingredients are also prevalent in processed foods, such as lecithin and emulsifiers from soybeans; canola and cottonseed oil used in packaged goods; and high-fructose corn syrup, which is found in everything from soft drinks and salad dressing to bread and sweetened yogurt. While its often thought that GMOs are only found in processed food and drink, genetically modified produce exists as well: apples, summer squash and papaya are among the ones grown in the U.S. GMO grains are also fed to the majority of livestock (cows, chickens) used in the meat and dairy industry, with corn, soybeans and alfalfa ranking as the most popular choices. The FDA claims that livestock fed a GMO diet pose no greater risk to human health than ones that arent, and so far there havent been any conclusive studies that prove otherwise. In the meantime, the benefits appear to outweigh any possible risks, although these might be more apparent to farmers and the agricultural industry than to consumers, since GMO crops can be altered to better withstand drought conditions and pests, require less pesticide, cost less money to grow and even increase nutritional value. Are GMOs Safe? Though unproven, GMOs have been tied to everything from reduced fertility to cancer. GMOs are considered safe by the FDA, but long-term effects are still being studied, and these studies have only been performed on animals. Cancer Although correlations exist, there are currently no definitive studies that GMOs cause cancer, and this is the stance of cancer organizations in the U.S., UK and Australia. A 2013 study raised concerns when it studied the effect of glyphosate, the active ingredient used in most herbicides on GMO crops, in human breast cancer cells. The results suggested that glyphosate could cause breast cancer, but the lab study also used breast cell tissue that was already cancerous. Another study, this time from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015, reported that glyphosate doubled the risk of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. It connected the highest risk to farmers and farm workers, and California has since added glyphosate to its list of cancer-causing chemicals. It should be noted that glyphosate is the main ingredient in the popular weedkiller Roundup, which has been linked to thousands of cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Despite this, the EPA has declared glyphosate isnt likely to pose a cancer risk in people. The question remains whether or not GMO crops require more pesticides (including herbicides and insecticides) than non-GMO crops. A 2016 study examined this issue. On the one hand, GMO crops altered to resist insects technically dont require additional insecticide. On the other hand, it turns out that farmers sprayed more weedkillers on glyphosate-tolerant corn after 2007. The same goes for glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. As to why, a co-author of that study suggested it was due to weeds becoming more resistant to glyphosate over time. Organs In 2011, the journal Environmental Sciences Europe reviewed 19 studies involving animals that were fed GMO diets of corn and soybeans. It concluded possible links between this diet and kidney and liver disorders, as well as altered body weight and genital cancer in second-generation females, but that further research was needed. A more recent 2019 study published in GMO Science also suggested a link between liver and kidney damage in rats fed a GMO corn diet. However, this particular diet involved Monsanto-engineered corn for the Egyptian market containing a pest-deterring insecticide. The earlier study also fed rats an insecticide variant. Fertility Problems A 2014 study possibly linked fertility issues to GMO-heavy diets, while a 2018 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that pesticide-tainted food, often associated with herbicide-tolerant GMO crops, might have been the cause behind 100,000 unsuccessful pregnancies at fertility clinics. While the study recommended that pregnant women and those trying to conceive should avoid pesticides and GMOs where possible, it didnt measure how much of participants pesticide consumption came from GMO foods that were pesticide resistant. Offspring According to a 2015 Harvard University article, various studies havent proven any causation between GMO consumption and negative impacts on offspring. The article cites a South Dakota State University study that tracked rats eating GMO corn for four generations, including pregnant rats, and did not find any changes in offspring size or organ damage. It should be noted that GMOs can be found in non-organic baby food, and just like other food studies, the long-term effects are unknown at this time. Allergies An early study in the 90s found a possible allergic reaction to GMO soybeans, but that was only upon adding a nut protein, and only affected people with specific nut allergies. The FDA states that people are only apt to be allergic to a GM food if theyre already allergic to the non-GM version, such as soy. DNA Mutations There have been some concerns that eating genetically altered food would alter human DNA. Bruce Ames, a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California in Berkeley, developed a test to track mutations from food, and this test has been used on GMO corn and tomatoes without any findings to suggest a connection. The Royal Society, one of the worlds oldest scientific organizations, asserts that one doesnt affect the other, and that the DNA in GM food is no different from the DNA in non-GM foods. Pros and Cons of GMOs Pros of GMOs As touched upon earlier, GMO crops are meant to provide benefits. For example, certain GMO crops technically require less pesticide, while other GMO crops can achieve higher yields or withstand droughts. Added Nutritional Value Some GMOs can also boost a foods nutritional value, although this area has been mired in controversy. Take Golden Rice, which is just white rice thats been modified with Vitamin A to help prevent blindness and other Vitamin A deficiencies, especially in children, in developing countries. While a good idea in theory, Golden Rice has been caught in a 20-plus-year battle due to opponents who question the rices safety and effectiveness. Although the Philippines approved Golden Rice for the commercial market in 2020, it has yet to reach consumers. Increased Food Supply Besides the potential to add nutritional value, GMOs are another way to possibly reduce world hunger. Food demand is expected to grow 70 percent by 2050, and that requires even more deforestation going forward. However, GMO crops could prevent that in a number of ways, such as employing modifications that would double production yields without requiring additional land. Thats already the case with cotton crops in developing countries, where GMO cotton has increased yields in India and China. Although GMO food crops are currently banned in India and other nations that could benefit from an increased food supply. Combat Climate Change Then there are climate crisis considerations. There are studies indicating that GMO crops have reduced pesticide spraying by 8.7 percent, while less soil tillage and fuel dependence have decreased greenhouse gas emissions that are the equivalent to 15 million fewer cars on the road. Additionally, larger GMO crop yields resulting from drought resistance, among other reasons, have reduced the need for farmers to acquire more land. Scientists are also researching ways that GMOs can actively fight climate change, such as altering plants that can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, require less sunlight or convert nitrogen for growth purposes. GMO crops could even reduce methane emissions from livestock by employing plants that create less methane from consumption. Cons of GMOs Besides the negative health implications and increased herbicide usage already covered, there are additional drawbacks for the environment and farmers. Superweeds There have been claims connecting GMO crops to superweeds, where, instead of reducing a reliance on pesticides, certain crops have become more herbicide resistant, thus requiring greater usage of weedkillers such as Monsantos Roundup. The elephant in the room is the fact that until recently Monsanto owned the majority of the countrys GMO seeds. Roundup has been linked to thousands of cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, leading to a $10 billion settlement from Bayer, who acquired Monsanto in 2018. A 2018 study stated that 38 global weed species have become resistant to glyphosate. Decreased Pest Resistance Insects, similar to weeds, are becoming increasingly tolerant of pest-resistant GMO crops, particularly cotton and corn. Known as Bt crops (Bacillus thuringiensis), due to the type of bacteria that makes them pest-resistant, they initially worked to resist common threats such as bollworms and rootworms, and reduced the need for insecticides. However, new strains of these pests are no longer deterred by GMO crops modified to resist them, re-upping the need for insecticides. Biodiversity Loss Increased Roundup and herbicide usage has also been tied to dwindling monarch butterfly populations, one of many biodiversity issues. Thats because the toxin also kills milkweed, the main diet for monarchs and commonly found in crop fields. Farmer Suicides In recent decades, India has attracted attention for its farmer suicide rate, which some have attributed to the GMO industry. There have been about 300,000 farmer suicides in the past twenty years, and biotech opponents blame these on the GMO cotton sector, which is the only industry allowed to use GM crops. The majority of the countrys cotton comes from modified Bt cotton seeds. The supposed problem is the rising cost of these seeds, which many farmers cant afford and often go into debt for in order to buy them; bad crops and fluctuating global cotton prices often create a debt spiral thats hard to recover from. Yet there are studies that dispute a connection between Bt cotton and farmer suicide rates, instead suggesting that the reverse is true due to higher crop yields. Besides the theory that Bt cotton is sending growers into debt, theres the other issue of bollworms becoming resistant to GMO cotton, requiring heavier doses of pesticides. Due to different regulations, its not uncommon for fieldworkers to apply toxic chemicals without the proper protection, or even shoes and masks. Adding another layer, a different paper found that small farms were at a higher risk for suicide rates than large ones since they depend more on rainwater for successful crops than large operations, which use irrigation pumps. If anything, the study authors found the bigger problem is the threat of groundwater shortages for large farms, since groundwater usage is unregulated. Seed Sovereignty Not least is the matter of seed sovereignty, giving farmers the freedom to use whatever seeds they wish, thereby decreasing reliance on major seed companies who favor patented GM seeds. Seed sovereignty is an ongoing issue thats been ceding control to large corporations concerning which seeds farmers can plant. Which Foods Might Contain GMOs? Though GMOs appear prevalent, there are only a small number of GMO crops grown in the U.S. The most common are corn, soybeans, sugar beets, canola and cotton. However, about 90 percent of these crops use GMO seeds. There are also GMO alfalfa crops, used mostly for livestock feed. GMO versions exist for some produce, including apples, summer squash and papaya. Ranger Russet, Russet Burbank and Atlantic potatoes all have GMO versions, and are sold under the White Russet label. While it appears easy to avoid some GMO foods, such as produce sold under a particular label, others, including GMO corn, soybeans and canola oil, can turn up in unexpected places. For example, corn can pop up in anything containing high fructose corn syrup, dextrose or glucose, and encompass bread, cereal, soda, frozen meals and even Vitamin C supplements. GMO soy can be found in infant formula, protein drinks, tofu, edamame, canned tuna and salad dressing. Its a safe assumption that unless an item is sold under an organic label or is considered a whole food, it likely contains GMOs. Then there are GMO foods which are marketed as healthy vegan alternatives to meat, such as the popular brand of Impossible Burgers. Sold by major chains, from White Castle to Bareburger, the plant-based burgers contain GMO soy protein and heme, the molecule responsible for replicating the realistic beef-like taste and appearance. This molecule is genetically engineered by combining soybean DNA with yeast. In 2015 the FDA approved AquAdvantage Salmon, a genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. This new salmon grows faster than non-GE Atlantic salmon due to a hormone from Chinook salmon. The FDA asserts that this GE salmon will be labeled as bioengineered. AquaBounty, the company behind the new salmon, plans to sell it to consumers sometime in 2021. So far many entities, from Aramark and Walmart to supermarkets and restaurants, have refused to carry the salmon. Its worth noting that GMOs arent limited to food. Most cotton, whether produced in the U.S. or abroad, actually comes from the aforementioned Bt cotton seeds. So unless organic cotton was used, most clothes, bedding and towels are GMO goods. Although GM cotton also enters the food supply via cottonseed oil derived from cotton seeds, and the oil can be found in potato chips, baked goods and pasta sauce. What Is Being Done About GMOs? GM Labeling Due to the unknown long-term health effects from GMOs, along with environmental protestors and preliminary studies linking them to health risks such as cancer, theyre banned, or partially banned, in 19 out of 27 EU countries, including France, Greece, Italy, Germany and much of the UK. Additionally, GMOs are currently banned in Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Venezuela and most African countries. The EU also requires GMO labeling, something the U.S. has resisted, but will start adding in January 2022. At that point foods containing certain types of GMO ingredients will be required to display a bioengineered label. CRISPR CRISPR is a type of gene editing technology that can precisely alter cells; a new technique allows for plant alteration without introducing foreign DNA, hence the end result is not a GMO. While this new technology could positively alter the current GMO landscape, its still in the rudimentary phase. Monitoring There are some organizations such as the Non-GMO Project that independently monitor products for GMOs and verify whether or not certain standards are met. The site also facilitates checking specific food items for their GMO status and provides guidance for identifying potential GMO foods. In the meantime, the FDA continues to monitor and regulate GMOs, which involves working with other government agencies to ensure that the same safety standards are met as non-GMO foods. This includes monitoring pesticide usage. Otherwise, beyond ongoing independent studies, the American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the World Health Organization, among others, have all deemed GMOs safe and as such no further action is being taken at this time in the U.S beyond GMO labeling. What Can You Do? Consumers can err on the side of caution by choosing organic food and goods whenever possible, buying from local farms, looking for non-GMO certification labels and reading ingredient lists. The Non-GMO project also breaks down which crops are deemed most likely to be genetically modified, along with listing high-risk, animal-derived ingredients. Some of the items might be surprising, including honey and eggs, due to the amount of GMOs used in crops and livestock feed. Takeaway At of time of publication there is no conclusive evidence that GMOs as a whole are more harmful than non-GMOs, whether to ones health, the environment or farmers, so it appears that avoiding GMOs entirely would have a negligible impact based on the current facts available. Meredith Rosenberg is a senior editor at EcoWatch. She holds a Masters from the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in NYC and a B.A. from Temple University in Philadelphia. By Meg Wilcox Just north of Denver lies Colorados most productive agricultural region, Weld County. Its rolling hills, grasslands and South Platte River system provide fertile ground for dairy cows, beef cattle, corn, sugar beets and forage crops. But Weld County also sits on top of the Niobrara (DJ Basin) shale formation and that makes it the number one hotspot in the U.S. for new hydraulic fracturing activity. Over the past five years, close to 7,000 wells were drilled within its 3,996 square-mile area. Among the myriad impacts of fracking on county residents is stress on their water supply. To recover the natural gas unevenly distributed throughout the shale formation, the hydraulic fracturing process blasts large volumes of water, fine sand and chemicals into the ground to crack open the formations. Weld Countys nearly 7,000 fracking wells, in fact, used 16 billion gallons of water over the past five years, more than any other county in the U.S., according to new research by Ceres. And thats a concern because Weld County is a region with extremely high water stress, according to the World Resources Institute Aqueduct Map. Extremely high water stress means that more than 80 percent of the countys available water resources are already allocated for municipal, industrial and agricultural uses. Ceres Weld County is not alone. Fracking activity throughout the arid south and west is placing increasing pressure on ever-tighter water supplies, with Colorado and Texas being ground zero. Ceres researchers mapped water use in hydraulic fracturing across the U.S., using data from FracFocus.org and the World Resources Institute, and found that 57 percent of hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells between Jan. 1, 2011 and Jan. 1, 2016 were in regions of high water competition. Our newly released interactive map shows water use by shale play and operator. Check it out: Click on the interactive map to explore. Ceres Among our key findings: The top three shale plays by water use were the Eagle Ford in Texas, Marcellus in Pennsylvania and Midland Plays in Texas, with the Eagle Ford and Midland Plays being of particular concern given both their high water use and exposure to high water stress, drought and declining groundwater supplies. Chesapeake, EOG Resources and Anadarko Petroleum were the biggest water users overall, while Pioneer Natural Resources and Encana were especially active in regions with extremely high water stress. A total of 358 billion gallons of water was used for hydraulic fracturing over the 5-year timeframe, equivalent to the annual water needs of 200 mid-sized cities. While overall fracking-related water use peaked in 2014 along with the slowdown in oil and gas production and plummeting prices, average water use per well doubled since 2013, from 2.6 million gallons per well to 5.3 million gallons per well at the end of Jan. 2016. This is likely due to modifications in drill site activity. Even though oil and gas production have slowed, local communities at the epicenter of frackingmany in the countrys most water-stressed regionsstill face significant long-term water sourcing risks. Our research found that, in seven of the top 10 counties for fracking activity, annual water use for hydraulic fracturing reached more than 100 percent of each countys domestic water use. That high level of demand for water from shale production companies can potentially drive up the price of water for everyone else, or make supplies harder to come by. Several years ago, for example, Kent Peppler, a fourth-generation Weld County farmer, told The Associated Press that he was fallowing some of his corn fields that year because he couldnt afford to irrigate the land for the full growing season, in part because energy companies were driving up the price of water. There is a new player for water, which is oil and gas, Peppler said. And certainly they are in a position to pay a whole lot more than we are. Local communities also face the issue of wastewater disposal, with its potential impacts on drinking water supplies and earthquake activity. The enormous volumes of wastewater produced by hydraulic fracturing are disposed of in underground deep well injection sites, which has been linked to both surface and groundwater contamination and to earthquakes. But the companies themselves face long-term water sourcing risks in these regions with high water stress, as well as an emerging regulatory risk related to wastewater disposal. Oklahoma, for example recently ordered the shut down of 37 wastewater disposal wells after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the state. Investors with oil and gas companies in their portfolios are taking note. As Steven Heim, managing director for Boston Common Asset Management, recently put it, Hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction, which used to be unconventional, is now a part of most conventional energy company portfolios in the U.S. and Canada. This has made water management a critical liability or competitive advantage for companies and their investors. There are certain operational practices and other steps that oil and gas companies can take to lessen their water impacts and lower their risks. For example, shale operators can consult with local communities on water needs and wastewater plans before starting operations, collaborate with industry peers and other industries on local water sourcing challenges and develop local source water protection plans. You can find a full list of our recommendations here. Samsungs lack of transparency on the disposal of its Galaxy Note 7 leaves tons of precious minerals at risk of being discarded into the environment. According to calculations by Oeko-Institut, a research and consultancy institution based in Germany, the 4.3 million smartphones contain more than 20 metric tons of cobalt, more than 1 ton of tungsten, 1 ton of silver, 100 kilograms of gold and between 20 and 60 kilograms of palladium. These materials could be recovered but will instead end up harming the environment if Samsung doesnt repurpose or reuse them. Despite issuing a global recall of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung has not offered an official explanation for the malfunctioning phones. It has said that it will not recycle the returned phones but has offered no further clarity on what it will do with them. Samsung now has an opportunity to set an example for the industrywill it recover and reuse the precious metals and other valuable materials in these 4.3 million devices and avoid an environmental disaster or will it simply dump them? said Jude Lee, senior IT campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia. We are launching a global petition challenging Samsung not to dump the phones and instead take this chance to totally rethink how it designs and produces its products. Millions of phones were recalled worldwide after a number of high profile cases of exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 devices. Samsung expected to sell 14 million Galaxy Note 7 devices within the first two months of its official launch. The company has currently produced 4.3 million devices and sold 1.8 million in more than 10 countries including South Korea, U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and China. One million of Samsungs 4.3 million recalled phones were sold in the U.S., more than any other country. Samsung has not stated how it will deal with these phones, but has mentioned that its existing takeback program does not apply to the Galaxy Note 7. The Galaxy Note 7 incident negatively impacts Samsungs reputation and dumping the 4.3 million phones would call into question Samsungs claims of supporting a circular economy. The incident also highlights the disposable economic model of many smartphone manufacturers. Why Fixing Your Phone Is One of the Most Empowering Things You Can Do https://t.co/NVy4zJ0WqA @kwiens @greenpeaceusa @ifixit EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) September 13, 2016 In 1995, following a defect in its newly produced Anycall phones, Samsung disposed of 150,000 phones and set them on fire. Samsung has a unique opportunity to recover the resources that have produced the recalled phones, said Elizabeth Jardim, senior corporate campaigner for Greenpeace USA. But all electronics and smartphone manufacturers should learn from this incident and design products that can be more easily repaired, recycled or reused. In August, Greenpeace released the results of a consumer survey which found that many people believe that phone manufacturers should be responsible for providing people with the means to recycle their phones. More than half of the respondents surveyed agree that manufacturers are releasing too many new models every year. Greenpeace is calling on Samsung not to dump or burn the devices and minimize the environmental impact by finding alternative ways to reuse the resources. It must also be transparent and publish its plan for dismantling and disposing of these phones. According to this new information the Russians have known about alien civilizations for several decades, to many this comes as no surprise,... The Georgia Supreme Court today delivered a blow to gun rights activists in a ruling that said a law that prohibits guns at school property trumps one passed at the same time that allowed firearms inside school safety zones. The ruling came in a challenge the gun rights group GeorgiaCarry.org brought after the governor signed two conflicting bills passed by the 2014 Legislature. On April 22, 2014, Gov. Nathan Deal signed House Bill 826, which allowed licensed gun owners to bring their weapons onto school property. The next day Deal signed House Bill 60, which said the only time guns are allowed on school property is when someone is dropping off or picking up a student; otherwise guns on school property was specifically prohibited. The Code Revision Commission, which cleans up and revises laws passed by the Legislature, ruled that HB 60, the restriction on guns on school property trumped the other bill because it was signed second. GeorgiaCarry.org and two fathers filed lawsuits in the summer of 2014 in two counties, claiming they wanted to arm themselves when they visited their childrens schools but needed guidance on which law is recognized. Phillip Evans said in his case he wanted to bring a gun when he attended functions at Centerville Elementary School in Snellville. James Johnson filed a similar suit, saying he wanted to bring his 9 mm Smith and Wesson when he went to his childrens activities at New Prospect Elementary School in Alpharetta. As a parent its my responsibility to look out for my family, Johnson said at the time. The justices said in the unanimous decision that if the two laws cannot reasonably stand together, the later enacted bill controls. We agree with the trial courts conclusion that their provisions relating to the carrying of weapons within a school safety zone are in irreconcilable conflict. The K-12 community may be grappling with a brand-new education law and a big backlash against standardized testing. But during the presidential campaign, the question of what to do about schools has been overshadowed by much larger and more dramatic discussions about immigration, terrorism, trade, and other topics. A different dynamic has taken hold at the state level, with education issues getting a relatively large amount of attention in states such as California, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. And among states overall, the upcoming elections could have a major impact on approaches lawmakers take to the Every Student Succeeds Act, which in December replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. A lack of focus on education has allowed Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, to largely sidestep the politically dicey area of K-12 policy and spend most of her time talking about early-childhood education and higher educationwhich are a lot less divisive in the party. Differing Approaches On early-childhood education, specifically, Clinton wants to expand preschool to every 4-year-old over a 10-year period and to double spending on the federal Early Head Start program. Shes also pitched new resources for school construction, including a five-year, $275 billion infrastructure program called Modernize Every School Bonds. And she wants to invest in and modernize the teaching profession, although she hasnt offered details. Clinton was endorsed early on by both national teachers unions, even though some of their members were hoping leaders would give more consideration to Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, her rival in the Democratic primaries. Thats led many experts to speculate that a potential President Clinton would be much more beholden to the unions than her predecessor, President Barack Obama, who pushed through policies that many educators disliked, such as teacher evaluation through student-test scores. Meanwhile, Republican nominee Donald Trump began his campaign without a significant track record when it comes to education. And with the exception of one plan to dramatically expand school choice, Trump has largely dealt with education only in sound bites that are often light on details. Trumps position on the federal role in education has been difficult to discern clearly. On the one hand, hes called for a dramatically scaled-down U.S. Department of Education, or no department at all. On the other, hes called education one of the top three priorities for the federal government. And its not clear how his signature K-12 proposal, a $20 billion federal program to allow low-income students to attend private, magnet, and public schools of their choice, would work without a federal education department to oversee it. (That money would also leverage additional state investments in choice programs, under Trumps plan.) Tapping into a key issue for many conservative voters in recent years, Trump has called the Common Core State Standards a disaster without saying why. He wants an end to gun-free school zones. And he has said that the United States spends way too much for poor scores on international exams. At the state level, 12 governor seats, 5,915 legislative seats, and five superintendent positions are up for election this year. Shaping States Policy Those who take office will have a greater say, under ESSA, in shaping teacher evaluations and school accountability systems, two politically volatile issues. In the vast majority of states, candidates on the campaign trail have so far steered clear of those issues. But there are some exceptions. In some deeply conservative states, such as Indiana and Oklahoma, teachers unions have fought hard in recent months to oust politicians that supported incorporating student-test scores into school accountability systems and teacher evaluations. In Indiana, where a teacher shortage has left thousands of students being taught by uncertified teachers, Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg has campaigned to bring back the dignity of the teaching profession and replace the states decades-old standardized test. His Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb, promised during an education-focused debate in September to continue some of the strict accountability measures that current Gov. Mike Pence instituted, including the states controversial letter-grade school accountability system. (Pence is running as Trumps vice presidential candidate.) North Carolina gubernatorial candidates Pat McCrory, the incumbent Republican, and Roy Cooper, a Democrat, have sparred over which party has done more to boost that states teachers salaries and working conditions. And in Oklahoma, after staging an electrifying rally in 2014 over teacher pay and other grievances, more than 40 teachers filed to run for office themselves. Education activists in several other states have decided to skirt altogether the messy legislative process by taking initiatives directly to voters. California voters will decide whether to lift the decades-old English-only mandate and to expand bilingual education programs to benefit its growing population of English-language learners. Teachers unions in Oregon and Maine have backed tax the rich ballot measures that, if passed, could bring millions more dollars to the public school systems there. A ballot measure in Oklahoma would raise the sales tax by a penny to, among other things, provide teachers with a $5,000 raise. And in one of the nations most hard-fought policy showdowns, Massachusetts voters will decide whether to lift a cap on the number of charter schools in their state. That race has attracted millions of dollars from teachers unions and charter proponents alike from across the country and sparked a very public debate over how money influences education policy. Hawaiis board of education will search for a new schools superintendent to succeed Kathryn Matayoshi when her contract ends June 30, even though she has expressed the desire to stay. Last month, the board gave Matayoshi, who took over as acting superintendent in January 2010, a positive annual performance evaluation, saying she exceeds expectations in overall rating and in overall management abilities and fully meets expectations in performance objectives and program accomplishments. However, critics have questioned her leadership, and principals complained about a lack of support and of the top down management that reduced their decisionmaking ability at schools. In addition, they complained of sweeping academic reforms that dragged down morale. The percentage of English-language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools is steadily increasing, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. While much of the growth is in urban areas that have traditionally attracted immigrants, significant increases in ELL populations can be found all across the nation. Since new and veteran teachers often feel inadequate when teaching ELLs, its crucial that we acquaint ourselves with them as individuals and avoid stereotypes or misconceptions about these learners. After numerous conversations with other educators, including some fellow English-as-a-second-language teachers, Ive compiled a list of common assumptions that might affect our ability to relate to our ELLs. Assumption #1: ELLs are homogeneous. Reality: Contrary to stereotypes, not all families of ELLs are Hispanic, poor, and/or uneducated. English-language learners span a wide array of cultures, races, socio-economic levels, and academic experiences. There are growing numbers of Asian, Middle Eastern, African, and European populations in pockets of the United States. Furthermore, its not uncommon to find a variety of cultures, dialects, and races in any given ethnic group. Also, many of our ELL families immigrate for professional reasons, and they are well-educated and economically stable. Assumption #2: All ELLs are immigrants. Reality: In 2012, 57 percent of English-language learners were born in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Educations Office of English Language Acquisition . For those born outside of the United States, their immigration stories are as individual as they are. And its important to make no assumptionmuch less askabout their immigration status. Not only is it illegal for educators to inquire about their status, it is completely irrelevant. Assumption #3: Parents of ELLs do not speak English. Reality: Just because a child is not proficient in English doesnt mean his or her family isnt. Many parents (perhaps in an effort to retain their home language and culture) will purposely not expose their children to English prior to attending school. Some students live in a bicultural and bilingual home with one American parent and one immigrant parent. A few years ago, I taught a young man whose American father had been a missionary in Mexico, where he met and married his spouse and started a family. They lived in Mexico until the son was in middle school. My student spoke very little English until his sophomore year in high school when he was served in the ESL program. Lastly, we also have many adoptees. Some of these kids may not appear as ELLs based on name, or even appearance, but they will need language support as most will speak no English whatsoever when they are welcomed to the United States by their new parents. Assumption #4: ELLs are fluent in their native language. Reality: Its not uncommon for children to replace their first language with English, especially international adoptees. Because they have no one in the home to converse with in their native tongues, they forget everything they learned as young children. However, you may find many of them still have difficulty understanding and producing English. These students will not need a translator, but they most definitely need scaffolding and differentiation. Assumption #5: English-language proficiency is an indicator of intellect. Reality: Can an English-language learner be academically gifted? Most certainly! She can also have learning differences, although we cannot identify them until we rule out language issues. While it may be difficult to distinguish between a language deficiency or a learning disability, its crucial that we offer comprehensible input and scaffolded instruction that draws on the experiences of students in order to maximize understanding. Furthermore, assessments are not valid if students do not understand the questions, although they may be assimilating the material. Assumption #6: Social English proficiency equates with academic English proficiency. Reality: Academic English proficiency can take up to 10 years, yet social English is usually acquired within only one to two years. Its not uncommon for students to be fully conversational with teachers and peers relatively quickly, but still unable to grasp academic concepts because of their deficits in academic language. While it may appear as apathy or laziness, language gaps often interfere with learning, causing students to lose momentum. Assumption #7: Using a native language in school interferes with English-language acquisition. Reality: From annotating passages to academic conversations to brainstorming an essay, having students process content in their native language will maximize learning and help them acquire English more effectively. Learners dont need to drop their native language in order to be proficient in English. Quite the contrary. It can be an effective strategy that increases comprehension and validates the individuals identity. While they do need to be assessed in English, bilingual materials can help ELLs assimilate the curriculum and give them a jumpstart. And dont fret about your inability to understand their native language. As educators, we know full well when students are off-task. Ive observed some beautiful think alouds in Thai as students discussed English readings, which positively impacted subsequent assessments. Assumption #8: English is their second language. Reality: It may actually be their third or fourth. And dont assume that the students strongest language is the official language of their most recent residence. This is especially important when providing translation. How will we know? Just ask. Assumption #9: A classroom buddy is a translator. Reality: A classroom buddy does not need to speak the learners native language, although it would be an asset. Classroom buddies are simply students who will watch out for our ELLsmaking sure they are on the right page or website, providing handouts they may not have picked up and more. The best buddies are students who are tolerant, compassionate individuals. And while it may seem that this additional duty may be a distraction to the buddies, it can actually serve to reinforce their learning as they explain content to the English-language learner. Assumption #10: Communication is not possible because of language barriers. Reality: Technology tools are at our fingertips. While they may not be perfect, they are tremendously helpful. From translation to visual aids, bridging the communication gap is not an unrealistic task. Furthermore, kindness and compassion are understood by all, and a smile will speak volumes. Whether or not you share a common language, students know when you are their ally. Bottom line, theres no room for xenophobia among educators, and we cannot allow common stereotypes to keep us from serving our ELLs well. While these common myths may be normal practice, its high time we debunk them and learn as much as possible about our ELLs, so every student can start our classes with a clean slate. LG to Give Tesla's PowerWall a Run For Its Money ROY, MI.--( eSolarEnergyNews )--LG Chem Ltd., a global leader in lithium-ion batteries for automotive, stationary and consumer application... Internet of Things Includes the Ocean, and it's Solar Powered SAN DIEGO, CA--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Kyoceras solar panels, tested for long-term deployment in marine and coastal areas, are powering an inno... IKEA Taps Phoenix Solar for Rooftop Solar Project in Singapore SINGAPORE & SULZEMOOS, GERMANY --(eSolarEnergyNews)--Singapores Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd has been awarded a contract by IKEA Southeast Asi... IKEA Installs the Largest Rooftop Solar in Memphis,Tennessee MEMPHIS, TN--( eSolarEnergyNews )--IKEA, the worlds leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that solar panel installation is com... IKEA to Install Washingtons Largest Rooftop Solar Array in Renton, WA RENTON, WA.--(eSolarEnergyNews)--IKEA, the worlds leading home furnishings retailer, today announced plans to install solar panels atop t... Sunnova and PetersenDean Partner to Deliver Integrated Solar Solutions to California Homebuilders HOUSTON, TX--( eSolarEnergyNews )--Sunnova Energy International Inc. (NYSE: NOVA), one of the leading U.S. residential solar and battery sto... Colorado Fires up Latest Solar Power Project WELLINGTON, CO --( eSolarEnergyNew s)-- PSEG Solar Source, Platte River Power Authority and juwi today joined to dedicate the PSEG Rawhide F... Amazon Meets Solar Goals Quicker Than Expected SEATTLE, WA--( eSolarEnergyNews )--Amazon today announced the early completion of its commitment to host 50 solar systems on its fulfill... SolarCraft Completes Rooftop Solar Installation for Appellation Trading Company Novato, CA, December 07, 2021 --( eSolarEnergyNews.com )-- The solar photovoltaic system is roof mounted and consists of 153 high-efficienc... Federica Mogherini, the chief of the EU diplomacy, said that EU citizens have the right to boycott Israel, citing freedom of expression. She rebuffed the claims of the Israeli government that boycotting Israel amounts to illegal anti-Semitism. Ms Mogherini said that the EU itself was against boycotting the Jewish state but upheld the right of the EU citizens to support the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement. However, she also added that The EU rejects the BDS campaigns attempts to isolate Israel and is opposed to any boycott of Israel. The EU stands firm in protecting freedom of expression and freedom of association in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which is applicable on EU Member States territory, including with regard to BDS actions carried out on this territory, Ms Mogherini said and further explained that Freedom of expression, as underlined by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, is also applicable to information or ideas that offend, shock or disturb the State or any sector of the population. However, the Palestinian leadership welcomed Ms Mogherinis comments. Riya Hassan, a senior member of the Palestinian BDS National Committee, commented that We welcome the EUs belated defense of the right of European and other citizens to stand in solidarity with Palestinian rights, including through BDS tactics. She added that the Palestinians expect the EU to take steps against Israel, including, at the very least, imposing a military embargo on Israel, banning products of companies that do business in Israels illegal colonies. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has not commented on Ms Mogherinis statements yet. EU-Israel relations have been frequently tense over the last few years due to what the Knesset perceives as a pro-Palestinian bias in the EUs policies and statements. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced former EU Commissioner and currently EU Parliament's vice-President, Italian ChristianDemocrat/EPP long-time MEP, Antonio Tajani, speaking Today to "Eurofora", stressed that the potential role of core Humanistic Values in the Fight against ISIL-like Deadly and Destructive Terrorism, including through Inter-Religious Dialogue between Christians, Muslims, Jews, Budhists, a.o. confessions, is Crucial : - "I really Believe that. It's very Important !", vice President Tajani clearly underlined, inter alia, Replying to a relevant "Eurofora" Question this Evening in Strasbourg, on the sidelines of EU Parliament's October II Plenary Session here. Tajani is Officialy in charge, since 2014, also of Inter-Religious Dialogue, as far as EU Parliament's policies are concerned, including for the Fight against Radicalisation provoked by propaganda and/or criminal acts recently inspired particularly by ISIL's Deadly Terrorists, atrocious BeHeaders even of Innocent Civilian People. - In this Regard, he pointed at the Fact that, Nowadays, particularfly after the recent Terrorist Attacks in several European Countries and even inside the US, there is "an Urgent Need for Fraternity", but "a Major Question is Which Pathway to follow for that ?" So that, instead of Dividing, we should Unite People in the "absolute Imperative" for an Efficient Fight against provoked Radicalisation. => Therefore, Tajani personaly confirmed and pointed today at a "Message" to try to Advance Further than the usual forms of Dialogue between Religions, which, for the EU, should be "part of the Solution", since, in principle, they all Defend the "Sacred Value of Human Life", as well as "Human Dignity", particularly by aiming to "Deepen" this towards the "Possible" Emergence of "a New Humanism". EU Parliament's competent vice-President was reacting personaly Today to a reference made by "Eurofora" at a Letter with such mentions, earlier transmitted by his Office to a recent Collective Meeting on "Inter-Religious Dialogue and Fight against Radicalisation", organized by Strasbourg's relevant Think-Tank Association "DECERE", (presented by an Experienced former Long-Time EU Parliament's Protocol Director , Francois Bernagel), in cooperation with Strasbourg area's "Council of Churches", headed by the Christian Catholic ArchBishop Mgr. Grallet, Together with other Religious Leaders, etc., Earlier this Month, at the prestigious "ENA" Higher School of France's Public Administration's Senior Officials, where "Eurofora" had been invited. Obviously, such an Idea, could also Alleviate Fears of some about alleged attempts to Impose a so-called rampant "Islamisation", since the main Aim would be, Not to let an Ideology Spread itself under Brutal Threats, to the Expense of Others, but, the Contrary, to strive to Build something in Common to all Religions and/or Free Thinkers, that would participate to such a joint endeavour. Moreover, nowadays, both the concrete, astonishing example of even ...Libanese Hezbolah and Iranian Shiites Volunteers, joining Syrian President Bashar Assad, (a Muslim Politician in the Middle-Eastern Country which still Hosts, comparatively, the Greatest Percentage of Christians), in a Fight against Al Quaida offsprings such as ISIL or Al Nusra and other such Islamist Extremist, Deadly Armed Gangs, as well as Iraqi Government's mainly largely Shiite Armed Forces, Both aided, (as well as American and/or Russian Forces), in that purpose, also by Kurdish Fighters in Syria and in Iraq, added to Various Muslim People fallen Victims of indiscriminate ISIL Terrorist Attacks from Yemen, Iraq and Syria or Turkey, until even inside Europe itself, recently, Killed side to side with a Majority of Christian, Jewish and/or other People independently of their various Beliefs, clearly indicates that the Real Issue is, in Fact, quite Different and much Wider, than those who Hide themselves Behind such atrociously InHuman, Barbaric Islamic Terrorists cowardly aggressing even innocent and defenseless Civilians (Women, Children and Elders included), would pretend... (../..) *** ("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora"s Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version, might be published asap). *** Sarah Chaffee last week offered some needed instruction to Sean Illing at the website Vox, which purports to explain the news. Illing interviewed science educator Amanda Glaze about teaching evolution in the American South, including Louisiana with its academic freedom law, the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA). Illing points out a video (above) in which Dr. Glaze and other teachers in the South talk about the challenges they face in discussing biological origins. I dont doubt their experiences, and Amanda Glaze seems like a personable, sympathetic, and intelligent woman who would make an excellent teacher. The video, from public radios Science Friday, includes an interview with a student of hers whos charged up with enthusiasm for biology. Even his parents, who sound a little leery when it comes to evolution, are impressed that their son comes home talking about science as he might be expected to about sports. But note some ironies. Says Amanda Glaze at the end of the video: This is not a war of evolution versus religion. To me this is a war for science literacy. And you know what, if it costs me my job somewhere, then it costs me my job somewhere, but Im still going to teach evolution. Good for her. However, permitting teachers to let students know about scientific evidence for and against Darwinian theory is precisely in the service of promoting science literacy. Looking ahead to next week, its the scientific difficulties with Darwinism that have promoted some very distinguished scientists to seek a Third Way of evolution (neither orthodox Darwinism nor intelligent design), a theme that will be explored at the much anticipated Royal Society meeting, November 7-9 in London. And that it should not cost you your job to teach evolution in an objective, fully informed manner is the point of academic freedom laws! Teachers should be able to teach without the fear of axe-grinding retaliation hanging over their head. Dr. Glaze says regarding her own studies, I research the evolution conflict in the southeastern United States. Good, so she ought to have her facts on the subject straight. Another teacher in the video says of some her own students, They think they know what evolution is. They have the idea that evolution is about people coming from monkeys. Were all for accuracy or we should all be for it. Yet look at this exchange between Sean Illing and Amanda Glaze at Vox: Sean Illing I lived and taught in Louisiana until recently, and there you had a well-educated Republican governor [Bobby Jindal] who was backing a law that allowed creationism to be taught in public school science classes. And he had the overwhelming support of the state legislature. Amanda Glaze Oh, yes. And weve seen similar movements across the South in Alabama, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and elsewhere. Sean Illing The defenders of these laws say things like, were just introducing students to the debate. By that logic, we ought to teach the Stork Theory of reproduction in biology class or alchemy in chemistry class or astrology in astronomy class. Amanda Glaze But, again, if you tell people their religious beliefs are obscured, youre going to have a fight on your hands. What bothers me is the lack of understanding about what science actually does. Illing mischaracterizes the LSEA, as Sarah Chaffee points out. He goes on to offer a stupefying comparison. Introducing students to a fascinating debate in mainstream science is equivalent to teaching alchemy, astrology, or the Stork Theory of reproduction! That is beyond preposterous, but Glaze fails to call him out on it. She lets the absurd analogy pass right by. The Royal Society, among the worlds most august scientific organization, will devote a major event to examining calls for revision of the standard theory of evolution, including relevant subjects that it concedes are hotly contested. Contested by scientists, not by religious fundamentalists. That information doesnt seem to have registered with our news explainer Sean Illing, or, to judge from her apparent silent consent to his ignorant comments, with science educator Amanda Glaze. Students really are intellectually poorer for being kept in the dark about developments in science. You bet they are, and not only in the American South. Im on Twitter. Follow me @d_klinghoffer. Proactively From the Sea; an agent of change leveraging the littoral best practices for a paradigm breaking six-sigma best business case to synergize a consistent design in the global commons, rightsizing the core values supporting our mission statement via the 5-vector model through cultural diversity. It's Saki from Turkey. We're a family with two kids and living in Izmir, the western part of Turkey. We're going to move to Southern Cyprus because of my wife's business and planning to live in Nicosia or Limassol. Anyone here to give some advise regarding living in Cyprus as aTurkish citizen. I also appreciate if there's someone here to know some Turkish people living there who we can get in contact with and ask for recommendations. Thanks in advance Saki Do not have any retirement accounts The forms and instructions arose from a report by the Courts Task Force to Study Self Represented Litigants, which included a recommendation for universal divorce forms for uncontested divorces. The Commission enlisted members of that Task Force to assist in developing the forms. Other volunteers were pulled from the Commissions Self-Represented Litigants Advisory Committee to work on this project. The Commission solicited feedback from the private bar including the Tennessee Bar Association, court clerks, trial and general sessions judges, legal aid attorneys, and other access to justice stakeholders to create the best possible version of these forms and instructions. The Commission deeply appreciates the many hours spent by dedicated volunteers on this project over the past three years, said Marcy Eason, Chairperson of the Commission. These forms and instructions are the result of the extraordinary focus and expertise of our community partners. This packet of forms complements existing divorce forms and instructions for uncontested divorces when the parties do not have minor children, which the Court adopted in 2011. Numerous reports from judicial staff and other access to justice resources cite family law issues as one of the most prevalent legal matters experienced by low income Tennesseans. These forms and instructions will provide a much-needed resource to some of our most vulnerable citizens, added Justice Cornelia Clark, Supreme Court liaison to the Commission. They are a way for those who dont qualify for free legal help to access our court system and better understand the legal process for their divorce. The forms and instructions are written in a fifth- to eighth-grade reading level to help a wide range of Tennesseans. They will go into effect on January 1, 2017, and will be available for free on the Administrative Office of the Courts website,TNCourts.gov, and the Courts access to justice website, TNJusticeForAll.com. Tuesday, November 1, 2016 (NewsUSA) - Riding while female. It's the new shorthand for the potential danger faced by women using app-based, ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. And if you don't understand just how dangerous many say it can be, you've obviously missed the slew of headlines like these from across the country: * "Uber Driver Charged With Rape Ordered Held After Dangerousness Hearing" (Boston Globe, August 2016) * "Police Had Tip That Lyft Driver Charged With Sexual Assault Planned to Flee Country" (Dallas Morning News, November 2015) * "Police: Uber Driver Returns to Rape, Burglarize Passenger at Her Home" (FOX8-TV New Orleans, January 2016) * "Fake Uber Driver Arrested After Brutal Sexual Assault of Passenger in Westlake: LAPD" (KTLA-TV Los Angeles, April 2016) That's right, per that last headline, we've now reached the point where bad guys are actually posing as Uber drivers in order to lure unsuspecting women into their cars. "With the alarming number of alleged sexual assaults involving ride-hail app drivers, it's urgent that we bring this issue to the forefront of conversations," says Delilah Rumburg, CEO of the nonprofit National Sexual Violence Resource Center. To that end, the organization has allied with another nonprofit, the National Limousine Association (NLA), which -- in calling for a "Passenger Bill of Rights" last year as part of its "Ride Responsibly" initiative -- has been at the forefront of a nationwide movement to subject drivers for the Ubers of the world to the same rigorous criminal background checks as those behind the wheels of taxis and limos. And now, upping the ante, both have enlisted none other than Pamela Anderson -- yes, the former "Baywatch" star -- to make their case in a Public Service Announcement. "You can't always vet the driver you are using," she says in "The Driving Game!" video, "but the service you are using should." Whether even Pam will be enough to steel the backs of politicians up against formidable opponents in the ride-hailing industry in general, and Uber in particular, remains to be seen. The main sticking point: forcing the industry to finally start spending the extra bucks to fingerprint their drivers instead of relying on what NLA President Gary Buffo dismissively calls "the perilously incomprehensive background checks" Uber and its ilk continue to defend. Just how formidable is the ride-hailing industry? Well, a few months after Uber and Lyft pulled out of the Austin, Texas, market last May, rather than comply with new fingerprinting regulations that voters had just endorsed, the issue came up again in Massachusetts. Boston, you understand, had been experiencing a rash of alleged sexual assaults by Uber drivers that left women on edge. Even so, lawmakers were unable to muster the votes needed to include a fingerprinting requirement in the statewide law that ultimately passed. "It's really frustrating when you see these attacks happen over and over again," State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, who favored fingerprinting, tells the Boston Globe. "It's hurtful to the victim and hurtful to the community." "When," she adds, "is it going to stop?" Article Resources Link to this article: Copy and paste the following code Embed this article: Editors, click here for story elements. Let's block ads! (Why?) What's the job market like for chemists? Dude -- it's always bad.* How bad is it? How the heck should I know? Quantifying the chemistry job market is what this blog is about. That, and helping chemists find jobs. E-mail chemjobber with helpful tips, career questions or angry comments at chemjobber -at- gmail dotcom. All correspondence is kept confidential. (Didn't get an e-mail back? It's okay to try again.) Voicemail/SMS: (302) 313-6257 Twitter: @chemjobber RSS feed here (The Blogger spam filter gets hungry sometimes, and likes to eat comments. You can e-mail me, and sometimes I can get it to cough up your comment. I am always happy to try.) (*For the literal-minded, this is a joke. Mostly.) Lowes Home Centers says its seeking a fair and appropriate valuation by waging a legal battle to have its San Antonio area stores valued as if they were empty a move that could dramatically cut its property values and taxes and sets the stage for other retailers to follow suit. The North Carolina-based home improvement chain argues that the Bexar County Appraisal District should price its 10 area stores, all measuring about 136,000 square feet, as vacant buildings, or dark stores, instead of functioning businesses. Big-box retailers including Lowes have convinced judges in Michigan and Indiana to value their stores this way rather than under the highest and best use method preferred by county appraisers, which assesses the market value of the property in its current condition. The value of the chains stores currently priced between $80 and $85 per square foot could plummet about 60 percent to around $30 a square foot if Lowes wins in its lawsuit against the appraisal district. Lowes spokeswoman Karen Cobb said the retail chain wants a fair assessment of its properties from the appraisal district. She said the company often hires independent appraisers to compare like properties in the area when determining individual stores value. But she did not discuss the dark store strategy or how many lawsuits the company has filed in Texas using the argument. Like any property owner, we are concerned with the fair and appropriate valuation of our property under the law, Cobb said in an email. State and local governments have processes in place for all owners to appeal the valuation of their property. Lowes pays property tax, income tax, sales and use tax and, just like homeowners, we want to be taxed on the fair value of our buildings and land. City and county officials forecast big losses in commercial property value and tax revenue and an increased property tax burden on homeowners if Lowes emerges victorious from its lawsuit against the appraisal district. And, other retailers and businesses could embrace the strategy, officials say. Commercial properties in Bexar County could lose $64.3 billion in assessed value within five years if Lowes wins and other commercial property owners adopt the dark store assessment strategy, according to estimates tallied by the Bexar County Appraisal District. A separate estimate based on the appraisal districts projections predicts the city could lose $272.5 million in tax revenue within five years of a favorable ruling for Lowes. If they can get their properties valued as an abandoned building, that domino effect starts going to everybody else, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said. It would have a huge impact beyond just what might be happening at Lowes. When asked about the potential financial impact on tax revenue, Cobb said, its inappropriate to speculate on the outcome of a situation the courts are considering. Its Lowes intention to always pay our fair share of taxes, Cobb said. Taxing entities in Michigan and Indiana took a hit after Lowes and other retailers successfully sued to have their buildings valued as dark stores. Michigan taxpayers have handed back almost $100 million to retailers since 2013 after the Michigan Tax Tribunal made several rulings in favor of retailers who used the argument, a 2015 study by the Michigan Association of County Treasurers shows. Another study conducted last year by the Indiana Association of Counties found big retailers such as Lowes saw $120.8 million in tax reductions resulting from dark store assessments as other taxpayers saw their tax bills spike by $49.9 million. Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot. Lost tax revenue isnt county treasurers only concern when fighting dark store lawsuits. Appraisal districts in Hunt, Taylor and Denton counties have opted to settle similar lawsuits filed by Lowes and other retailers rather than spend scarce public funds on protracted legal battles. Bexar County Chief Appraiser Michael Amezquita said he projects legal costs for arbitration proceedings concerning four of the contested properties to climb past $300,000. If Lowes decides to proceed with its lawsuit in court, that figure could climb into the millions, Amezquita said. But, Amezquita said, thats a drop in the bucket compared to what we stand to lose if this becomes public policy for taxation in Texas. jfechter@express-news.net Twitter: @JFreports The standing ovation at the end of a Toronto International Film Festival screening Moonlight was long and loud. The Q&A was lively. Then festival artistic director Cameron Bailey, moderating the discussion, called for a last question. The gray-haired gentleman Jonathan Demme, what is your question? It is not typical for a filmmaker on the rise to field queries from a storied film director in such a public setting, but that is the position that writer-director Barry Jenkins finds himself with his second feature, an adaptation of Tarell McCraneys play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, about a young boy named Chiron growing up in Miami during the 1980s crack epidemic. Eight years ago, Jenkins made a striking debut with Medicine for Melancholy, an Independent Spirit Award nominee set in his then-home of San Francisco, a relationship drama that also examined gentrification and its impact on the African-American community. With Moonlight (opening Friday), he explores the personal once again. He and McCraney never knew each other, but they grew up within blocks of each other in Miami. The environment that Chiron navigates is one he knows well. The following Q&A is culled from conversations in Toronto and San Francisco. Q. You walked the same streets in reality that Chiron walks in the movie. What are your memories of growing up in that neighborhood? A. I didnt realize that I had a rough childhood or a dark childhood until I started meeting other people who told me about their rough childhoods, and I was like, That is not rough at all. I kind of remember it like those kids playing in the grass in the movie. Its funny, Tarell and I were talking about this, about how the movie is somewhat more autobiographical for him than it is for me, but then his personality and the characters personality are different. So I think when you watch the film, theres this divergence where its Tarells story, but now Im putting more of my personality into Chiron. Where hes not really speaking. Hes not really emoting. When I think about growing up there, Im sort of not participating. Kind of like being in the world, but watching it, observing. Q. What was it like returning to the neighborhood after so many years? A. When I went back, a lot had changed, but a lot was the same. I guess I had changed. I had to reimmerse myself in the neighborhood and re-prove that I was who I was. The only things that really film there often are the show The First 48, its an A&E show, kind of in the style of Cops, but elevated. A homicide happens. They follow the detectives for the first 48 hours. Its showing the worst aspects of the neighborhood. So when we showed up, people were like, The only people who come around here are people who want to exploit us. There was this great process of the neighborhood getting used to me, me getting reintegrated into the neighborhood, and the neighborhood realizing that we were telling a story that was rooted in the place. Q. Do you see a connection between this film and Medicine for Melancholy? A. You know, its all about place. I think about Medicine and how gray that film is. Its because that was sort of my emotional response to San Francisco at the time. It just made me feel very gray. I think you watch Moonlight and you can see that Miami made me feel very alive. Its a place where things blossom. This movie is about where Im from. Its the same sense of place in a certain way, but I think its more of a reckoning with who I am. Q. What do you think about the movie coming out at this time? The country is in such an odd state right now. A. It takes a long time to make a film. So whatever it is that is happening right now, the seeds for it were planted many, many years ago. Particularly all these movies that are being framed as filling this vacuum, as a response to lack of diversity and Oscar So White. What I see in that is the will of these filmmakers, these storytellers, to have their voices heard. It was a response to an actual feeling, the actual lack of those voices. I used to say the world is on fire. Im not sure the world is on fire, but I think theres never been a more appropriate time for people to be telling actual, personal, passionate stories. I think thats what we need right now. Pam Grady is a freelance film writer. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Twelve years after Stephanie Villarreal spent the second grade in Ramiro Macias class at Bellaire Elementary School, she returned, carrying the same tiny pair of wooden shoes Macias gave all his students that year after his vacation in the Netherlands. This time, though, Villarreal became the teacher. She and more than 50 other Palo Alto College students working toward an associates degree in teaching take elementary schools by storm on Fridays to give lessons on career readiness, financial literacy and entrepreneurship created by the international Junior Achievement program. Last week, they were at Bellaire in the Harlandale Independent School District. It was the third of seven elementary schools Palo Alto students will take over this semester as part of a new partnership between the community college, Harlandale and Edgewood ISD. Called JA in a Day, the program allows the Palo Alto students to give Junior Achievement lessons all day under the supervision of professional teachers and college faculty. Spanish was Villarreals first language, and she was still learning English when Macias was her teacher. She spoke both languages Friday to Macias dual-language third-grade class. I have a passion for kids, especially bilingual kids, Villarreal said. I would like to help them master both languages, because thats really important now. JA in a Day already existed at Northwest Vista College in partnership with Northside ISD, and at Northeast Lakeview College with Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, said Bernadette Byrd, director of programs at Junior Achievement of South Texas. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board requires students in certain education classes to earn 16 hours of field work under the supervision of a certified teacher. In the past, Villarreal and other PAC students fulfilled that requirement by teaching the Junior Achievement curriculum for an hour a week. After several months, their supervising teachers would submit written evaluations to Amie De Leon, associate professor of behavioral sciences. Now De Leon attends the day-long school takeovers, walking from class to class and giving the Palo Alto students feedback in real time. The college students work harder, and get a better sense of what teachers go through, when they spend an entire day leading classes. The program was made possible by Palo Altos new schedule limiting classes to four days a week, leaving Fridays free for the school takeovers. Before this semester, teacher education students would sometimes skip classes to do their field work, De Leon said. At last weeks class, Villarreal and another Palo Alto student, Gloria Romano, taught Macias students about different forms of payment. They told the children to imagine shopping with cash, a check, a credit card or a debit card. When you have cash, you have money now and you can buy things now, Villarreal said. So what do you want to buy with your cash? Chicken, third-grader Adan Rangel said, drawing laughter all around. Macias said Villarreal was an excellent student in elementary school, and he remembered her smile. Im really proud that she wants to go into teaching and shes on her way up, Macias said. amalik@express-news.net Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonios Cancer Therapy & Research Center will affiliate with health care giant MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, a move that University of Texas officials said will expand cancer treatment services throughout the southern part of the state. The San Antonio institution will be known by a new name: UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center. The partnership will give patients in 38 South Texas counties greater access to MD Andersons treatment protocols, standards of care, clinical trials and research, UT officials said Tuesday at a news conference in San Antonio. The endeavor will eventually allow the San Antonio cancer center to treat a larger volume of patients, said Dr. William Henrich, president of the UT Health Science Center, where the cancer center is based. Were doing this because theres a major increase coming in the number of cancer cases in our region because of the age of our population, Henrich said. So I anticipate that we will have a tremendous increase in capacity and in the breadth of services. MD Anderson will help identify an executive director to lead the clinically integrated program. The highly regarded Houston institution will also help boost recruitment of faculty, teach its best practices to physicians and enhance clinical trials. Both cancer centers are part of the UT System. What we are very focused on in this collaboration is to provide higher quality care the best care possible in the world today to the people in San Antonio and throughout South Texas, where they live, said MD Anderson President Dr. Ronald DePinho. We see an enormous number of patients from this region now that go to Houston. It would be much better for patients and families for those patients to remain closer to home. More than 1,000 patients travel outside San Antonio for cancer care each year, said Gary Woods, chairman of the San Antonio Cancer Foundation, formerly known as the CTRC Foundation. Many of them go to Houston to seek treatment at MD Anderson, widely regarded as one of the best cancer centers in the country. Hopefully, today will change that, and well be able to have the resources, the focus, the collaboration to make it work for San Antonio, Woods said. While the name of San Antonios cancer center is changing, it wont be a satellite or branch of MD Anderson, Henrich said. This is not a legal merger that involves a blending of bottom lines, Henrich said. This is the responsibility of our health science center to make successful. Health science center officials who oversee the San Antonio cancer center had been exploring a possible relationship with MD Anderson for months. San Antonios Cancer Therapy & Research Center, founded in 1974, has been losing market share in recent years. Its patient volumes remained flat even as the number of cancer patients in the area increased. The affiliation will allow the UT Health Science Center to make a number of improvements to its cancer treatment facility at the South Texas Medical Center. Those will include a newly renovated patient and family welcome center, a larger and more efficient pharmacy, an infusion center and a diagnostic suite. Those renovations and upgrades are expected to be finished by the middle of next year. The health science center will reimburse MD Anderson for some costs the Houston institution incurs to launch the clinically integrated program. That exact dollar amount is not yet known, Henrich said. Both sides are still negotiating how much of the San Antonio cancer centers revenue will go to MD Anderson as a result of the partnership, Henrich said. No specific dollar figures or percentages were publicly disclosed. This is the fifth co-branding partnership that MD Anderson has formed in the United States. The Houston powerhouse has similar partnerships with four cancer centers in other states: Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center in San Diego; Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Gilbert, Arizona; MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper in Camden, New Jersey; and Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Some donors had questioned whether San Antonios cancer center could lose its coveted National Cancer Institute designation as a result of the partnership with MD Anderson. The cancer center here is one of four formally designated NCI centers in Texas. Health science center officials met with the NCI several weeks ago and shared their plans to affiliate with MD Anderson. They were most supportive of our plans to increase access to cancer services in South Texas, Henrich said in an email sent Tuesday to the San Antonio Express-News. We have every reason to believe that this affiliation will strengthen the health science centers standing as an NCI-designated cancer center. Professor Ed Schumacher, who chairs Trinity Universitys health care administration department, said he believes the affiliation will benefit San Antonio. People come from all over the country, and even the world, for MD Anderson, Schumacher said. So to have that name is a really valuable asset. One drawback of similar hospital affiliation agreements, Schumacher said, is that fewer entities control the market, opening the door to higher prices. But he doesnt believe thats a danger facing San Antonio. I dont think in this case theres a real risk of any of that, in part because its a national market, Schumacher said. In general, people will travel longer to get cancer care than to get their knee replacement done. The new collaboration will be beneficial to both MD Anderson and San Antonios cancer center, said UT System Chancellor William McRaven. This is not a case of MD Anderson being the big brother and San Antonio being the little brother, McRaven said. This is the case of two strong research institutions coming together to be even better as a result of the partnership. MD Anderson will work very closely with physicians here, DePinho said. Some of the physicians on occasion will go to MD Anderson and spend some time there, to actually see firsthand our practices, he said. Well bring physicians here and evaluate how the practices are unfolding. Among the many UT officials celebrating the new endeavor Tuesday was Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Scarano, dean of the health science centers medical school in San Antonio and executive vice president for medical affairs. He recently announced he will step down from those positions at the end of the year. Gonzalez-Scarano will remain on the health science centers neurology faculty through next summer, a spokesman said. pohare@express-news.net bmartin@express-news.net WASHINGTON With a week to go before a roiling presidential election, Texas Republican Ted Cruz is heading to Missouri to campaign for U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a conservative in the traditional mold who has been a fixture of his states politics for more than 30 years. Blunts bipartisan brand may not match Cruzs, but the Texans trip on Wednesday signals Missouris importance for Republican control of the Senate, which has become Cruzs focus in recent weeks. Largely on the periphery of Donald Trumps presidential campaign which he did not back until Sept. 23rd Cruz has been stepping up his efforts to help the GOP maintain its majority in the upper chamber, which could be imperiled depending on the fortunes of Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Senior Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, whose support for Trump also has been muffled, has focused his energy on the Senate, as well, helping raise big dollars for Republicans around the nation. Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, has raised more than $16 million for GOP candidates in this election season, an aide said Monday. Cornyn, however, has been less visible than Cruz, the GOP runner-up in the presidential primaries who bluntly refused to endorse Trump at the national convention in July. The Lone Star States two senators who have not always been on the friendliest terms found common cause in a pair of $1,000-a-head fundraisers in Houston and Dallas last month. Together, they raised about $440,000, all of it for embattled Senate Republicans. None of it was for the Trump campaign. The majority of Cornyns fundraising work has been in Texas, where he has played a role in GOP get-out-the-vote efforts, including a Facebook video reminding supporters about early voting. Cruz, too, has gone local, teaming up with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on a robo-call campaign this week in Harris County. Were counting on you to vote early, Cruz tells voters, and vote straight-Republican ticket. The appeal to a straight-GOP ticket is as close as either Cruz or Cornyn has come to campaigning for Trump, who seemed to be flagging in the polls until the FBI announced that it was extending its review of potentially classified Clinton emails. With or without a strong nominee at the top of the ticket, the Republican Party has been on a divided trajectory of Trump and NeverTrump factions even before a 2005 video surfaced last month in which Trump can be heard talking about groping women and discussing his attempts to seduce a married woman, a scandal that prompted a wave of defections from endangered GOP incumbents, including Texas U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. Many down-ballot Republicans, as well as those like Cornyn and Cruz who are not on the ballot at all, now find themselves serving as the water-carriers for their partys ground game. There is certainly some lukewarmness toward Trump, but even if there werent, the Republican Party has had to pick up much of the slack from the Trump campaign about his ground organization, said University of Texas political scientist Sean Theriault. Theyre just trying to fill a void that at least in the Democratic Party over the last three election cycles the presidential campaign has filled. With no certain role to play since his confrontation with Trump at the Cleveland convention, Cruz has spent much of his political capital on the Senate, where he often has found himself an outsider. In addition to the $440,000 Cruz raised jointly with Cornyn to help six GOP Senate candidates, a constellation of Cruz political organizations have contributed about $200,000 to help other GOP candidates this year, campaign finance records show. Half of that went to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the political arm of the Senate Republicans. Cruzs leadership PAC, called the Jobs, Growth and Freedom Fund, has given another $45,000 directly to nine Republican colleagues in the Senate. Among them are Kelly Ayotte, in a tough re-election battle in New Hampshire, and Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who turned into one of Cruzs most bitter rivals in the GOP presidential primaries. Perhaps more importantly, Cruz has offered access to the extensive voter data he collected during his presidential campaign. Cruzs largesse has shown a willingness to overlook bad feelings from the past. Ayotte was an outspoken critic of Cruzs role in a 2013 government shutdown in a battle over Obamacare. Rubio and Cruz tangled over their positions on immigration earlier this year. In a further peace offering, Cruz met Rubio for lunch in Washington last month and offered to campaign for him in Florida, if needed, according to a top aide. Where Cornyn has been content to raise money from donors largely behind the scenes, Cruz has spent more time on the campaign trail, including a recent trip to Nevada to stump for Republican challenger Joe Heck, who is vying for the Senate seat being vacated by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. The races in Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire and Missouri are among at least seven contests that could help determine control of the Senate next year, along with Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Indiana. Cruz also travelled last week to Colorado to help long-shot Senate candidate Darryl Glenn, a Republican trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet. Cruzs trip to Missouri this week to help Blunt, a Republican fending off charges of being too much of a Washington insider, demonstrates that despite his well-known differences with Trump, the Texans name still has a certain cachet in conservative circles. Lets face it, if Cornyn shows up in Missouri, who possibly is going to show up at that rally? Theriault said. Cruz clearly speaks to a certain segment of the Republican Party. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Only one contested race is on the ballot at Seguin City Hall, for the post of mayor, but across town a slate of four candidates backed by a political action committee is vying for control of the school board. The mayoral election pits challenger Edward Eddie Davila Jr., seeking his first elected office, against incumbent Don Keil, who served six years as a councilman before becoming mayor in 2012. Keil proudly touts economic development successes, ongoing infrastructure upgrades and quality of life inititiatives including a new library. Were doing well and we want to keep going, said Keil, 67, noting the Texas Economic Development Council this month honored the city for landing Niagara Bottling Co., which recently opened a 557,000 square foot plant that will eventually employ 95. Plus, Im also working mightily to stop the Post Oak landfill, said Keil, who owns a business that sells laboratory supplies. But Davila, an oil and gas broker, said, Its time for a change, for new faces and new ideas. He wants business recruitment efforts expanded beyond manufacturers that recently set up operations here to include medical and technology firms that he says will pay higher wages. I bring a vision thats going to lead us to another phase of economic development and offer additional opportunities, said Davila, 48, whose slogan is Dependable, Decisive, Determined. Transparency, independence and fiscal responsibility are issues in the Seguin Independent School District contests featuring incumbents Ricardo Guerra (District 1), Craig Thomas (District 3) and Carol Sewell (District 7) against Carl Jenkins, Cinde Thomas-Jimenez and Elaina Reihl, respectively. Ben Amador is unopposed for the District 6 seat being vacated by longtime trustee Louis Reyes III. Fresh Start Seguin, a local PAC led by Bob Stephens, is supporting Amador and the challengers in a campaign that has tended to focus on Superintendent Stetson Roane, who was hired last year. We feel the board has not done due diligence on initiatives that he proposed and hasnt provided the appropriate checks and balances, Stephens, a physician, said of Roane. The incumbents point to rising student test scores, record pay hikes for staff and new district facilities, while rejecting critics claims that theyre too secretive and merely rubber stamps for Roane. Sewell, a Realtor, said some information must be kept confidential, like contract negotiations, but noted the district televises board meetings and posts on its web site financial data that includes it budget, check register and Roanes contract. We try to give the public as much as information as we can, said Sewell, 60, noting locals used to seeing superintendents hired from within district staff are still adjusting to Roanes ambitious leadership style. Reihl, who owns a salon and spa, cited as examples of fiscal irresponsibility recent board votes in support of Roane proposals to buy a local newspaper/radio company and to spend $1.3 million on a scoreboard at Matador Stadium. Guadalupe Media backed out of the $400,000 deal after an outpouring of intense opposition from residents at the meeting where the board authorized Roane to proceed. Theyve created a culture of distrust with the community by not putting information out there so the community can have the facts, said Reihl, 52. Incumbent Thomas, who works in mortgage finance, noted trustees saved the district $5.3 million by refinancing its debt, and this month approved the highest teacher raises in a decade, ranging from 4-6 percent. Weve done so many great things over the past couple years and I want to continue that momentum going forward, said Thomas, 48. He sees Stephens ultimate goal as replacing Roane, saying, It sounds to me like hes using these candidates as puppets to govern from the sideline. The challengers say theyll be independent, not pawns of Fresh Start Seguin, if victorious. Thomas-Jimenez, a former teacher in Seguin schools, said staff morale has suffered under Roane. Hes running the show, said Jimenez, 58, now the environmental education administrator at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority. We need to make him understand that he works for the board, they dont work for him. Jenkins, a registered nurse, saw the proposed purchase of the media company as a district bid to control coverage of itself, rather than a hands-on opportunity for Seguin journalism students. He said he recently began attending board meetings and was left with more questions than answers. I just want to be transparent to the community and provide more information so they can understand how decisions are made, said Jenkins, 47. Guerra, a Continental/Motorola retiree seeking his third term on the board, could not be reached. zeke@express-news.net AUSTIN Nearly 10,000 fewer babies and toddlers with disabilities are enrolled in state-supported therapy programs aimed to help them overcome their disabilities, amounting to a 14 percent drop since 2011, according to a report being released Tuesday. In a 28-page report on Texas Early Childhood Intervention program, the nonprofit advocay group Texans Care for Children linked the decline to Texas lawmakers cutting 11 percent from the programs budget since 2010, which resulted in a tightening of eligibility criteria and a drop of service providers. Thousands of Texas kids are missing out on therapies that could help them communicate with their families, walk on their own, or be ready for school, said Stephanie Rubin, the groups CEO. The states Early Childhood Intervention program, or ECI, provides free or discounted therapy for babies and toddlers under age 3 with developmental disabilities, such as speech delays, Down syndrome and autism. Statewide enrollment fell from 59,092 children in 2011 to 50,643 children last year, according to the study. Harris County is one of the hardest hit areas, where the number of children enrolled in intervention programs declined by nearly a third, to 6,028, and enrollment of black children in the Gulf Coast region fell by more than 40 percent, according to the report. Bexar Countys ECI enrollment fell from 5,635 to 5,339, a decline of 5.3 percent. While that decline is not as steep as the reduction in some of the other major metro areas, its still worrisome, particularly considering that there was a 5.5 percent increase in the population of kids under age 3 in Bexar County from 2011 to 2014, said Peter Clark, communications director for Texans Care for Children. Holly Grogan, ECI program director at Brighton Center, which provides services to more than 800 children a month, said the nonprofit stands to lose some $200,000 from the latest funding cuts. But we are going to go out into the community and raise that money through grants and other ways, she said. Our families are not going to be affected, because we are committed to providing these services. Actually, we are obligated by the law to provide these services. Without additional funds, advocates fear ECI providers will have to further restrict eligibility, cutting off some families from intervention. When they get to first grade or kindergarten, theyre not going to be school-ready, or were going to pay more money later, said Kelly Klein, development director for Easter Seals Greater Houston. Nationwide, 32 percent of children in state intervention programs did not need special education services when they started school. Reduced funding for child therapy programs sounded alarm bells last year after lawmakers approved $350 million in cuts to Medicaid, which provides health coverage to low-income people. Lawmakers argued the programs spending had skyrocketed in the previous few years. Parents and providers sued to keep the funds intact, but the Texas Supreme Court rejected the case in September, giving the Department of Health and Human Services the green light to move ahead with more cost reductions. The (enrollment) drop primarily occurred from 2011 to 2012, when the state narrowed program eligibility, said agency spokeswoman Carrie Williams. Enrollment has risen in the last few years, just not to its 2011 level. The study comes as state lawmakers wrestle with how to address educating children with special needs following a Houston Chronicle investigation that revealed the Texas Education Agency effectively capped school districts acceptance into special education programs at 8.5 percent of enrollment. The national average is 13 percent. Staff Writer Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje contributed to this report from San Antonio. andrea.zelinski@chron.com twitter.com/andreazelinski This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate At the annual Fort Davis Hummingbird Festival in August, Kelly Bryan, who has banded thousands of the tiny creatures, took some friendly kidding about the possible sighting of an exotic new tropical species. Two months later, it happened. On Oct. 14, a bird never before recorded in the United States began sipping nectar from a feeder at Bryans home in the Davis Mountains. By sheer serendipity, the juvenile male amethyst-throated hummingbird, a species native to Mexico and Central America, chose a feeder that was being live-streamed to birders around the globe. I guess it was mind persuasion. I was telling the bird Go to the cam. And at first it was coming in tentatively and being attacked by the other birds, Bryan recalled of the brief unexpected visit. It was gone the next morning after sunrise, said Bryan, disappointing local birders who were hellbent for the once-in-a-lifetime sighting. Some cosmic justice may have been at play when the bird came to Bryan, who for the last decade has overseen the West Texas Hummingbird Project. Under his direction, more than 18,000 hummingbirds of 15 different species have been captured, banded and released. The study seeks to determine the status and distribution of the various species that migrate through each year. Birds banded in the West Texas project have been recaptured as far away as Alaska, California and Idaho. Until the appearance of the amethyst-throated hummingbird, a species with a bright pink neck at maturity, Texas and Arizona were tied for the bragging rights for the most hummingbird species sighted. This definitely resolves that issue for now. We have 19 and they have 18, and they still have one on their list that was recorded back in the 1800s, remarked Bryan. Unlike other claimed new sightings that fail for lack of good evidence, the bird that visited Fort Davis last month was recorded in both still images and on the live cam installed by Cornell University about a year ago. Since then, hummingbird lovers in 190 different countries have logged 650,000 views and observed 12 species in frenetic activity at feeders at Bryans house. The lucky ones watching on Oct. 14 saw the 13th, one never before recorded in Texas. News of the reported new species traveled fast among birders. There is a lot of excitement about these very rare and spectacular species. Its particularly exciting when something brand new shows up that has not been recorded in the hundreds of years that people have been paying attention, said Jeffrey Gordon, president of the American Birding Association. This is absolutely the first in the United States and the first in Texas. Its a little feathery super nova, he said. The ABA maintains an official checklist used by birders of the roughly 1,000 species that have verifiably been seen in the United States and Canada. But before a bird makes the list, the evidence of its presence must be vetted and confirmed by committees, including one in Texas, a process that can take months, he said. I dont want to usurp the committees, but the expectation is that this will be uncomplicated, he added. Dr. Byron Stone, an Austin-area psychiatrist who is also president of the Texas Ornithological Society, said the groups Texas Bird Records Committee will evaluate the evidence of the sighting near Fort Davis. The bird on Kelly Bryans property was well-documented. Not only is he a very knowledgeable observer, but there were multiple observers, and he also had video and cameras going. It could be what we informally call a slam dunk, he said. And sometimes, he said, the real significance of such a sighting, of a semi-tropical bird so far from its historic range, goes beyond birding. In the long run, sometimes events like this are harbingers of impending change. It could be that as our climate is warming up, a bird like this is extending its range, and this one was the vanguard, he added. jmaccormack@express-news.net The car that chased Rene Burrola at high speeds to his death on Friday as he fled on a motorcycle had the word police on its side. It was not, however, a San Antonio Police Department vehicle. His pursuer was a deputy constable, a low-level county law enforcement officer charged solely with providing bailiff services for justices of the peace and serving civil papers. The deputy had tried to stop Burrola for speeding and not having a visible license plate. When he fled, the deputy chased him at speeds up to 100 mph, according to a police source. Had SAPD initiated the traffic stop in the 1500 block of Thousand Oaks, the 17-minute chase through the Stone Oak area would not have occurred. Unlike Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodichs deputies, San Antonio police officers are restricted from pursuing vehicles except in connection with a violent felony or a misdemeanor involving a weapon. In a 2012 reform by Police Chief William McManus, officers are prohibited from chasing anyone for traffic infractions, nonviolent misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. Police wont even assist other agencies that pursue vehicles for such offenses; the risk to public safety is simply greater than the need to apprehend. Burrola, 44, was killed when he ran a red light at the intersection of Blanco and Huebner Roads, struck a Mustang and was hit by a Dodge Charger. After his death, officers learned the motorcycle he was riding had been stolen. A call to Vojvodich for comment was returned by Lt. Alfredo Vasquez. Pursuits are generally authorized for fleeing felons, said Vasquez in Vojvodichs office.If theyre attempting to evade in a vehicle, then its a felony. (Vasquez added that the deputy constable felt that the motorcycle may have been stolen when he decided to pursue.) In other words, Vojvodichs deputies are never prohibited from chasing a fleeing suspect. This aggressive pursuit policy mirrors that of Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau. In both agencies, the philosophy seems to be: Suspects who dont stop must be guilty of something awful, so go get 'em. Both Pamerleau and Vojvodich permit their deputies not to chase if they deem road or traffic conditions prohibitive. Nonetheless, its a reckless approach to initiating dangerous, possibly fatal pursuits that could injure or kill not only the suspects, but also innocent bystanders. On Monday, Pamerleau said her deputies are well-trained to avoid reckless pursuits. Our training is geared to take as much risk out of pursuit situations as possible, she said. Thats not to say Pamerleau approves entirely of Vojvodich. She does not support his insistence on emblazoning county police on the sides of his vehicles, according to Bexar County Commissioner Kevin Wolff. Nobody has the right to call themselves police unless the sheriff has bestowed that title, Wolff said, and (Pamerleau) will tell you that she has not bestowed that title on constables. Its not surprising that Vojvodich has ignored this technicality; hes notorious for exceeding his constitutionally mandated duties. Earlier this year, San Antonio Express-News columnist Gilbert Garcia reported that the constable initiated a human-trafficking investigation. Vojvodichs officers also once detained a woman in a holding room until she agreed to pay a speeding ticket, and his deputies have initiated dangerous, high-speed chases against drivers with outstanding warrants. Wolff has worked to rein in such behavior by reducing the budgets of all four Bexar County constables. In September, Bexar County commissioners cut 17 positions in the constables offices. (They approved an additional six months funding for the posts to allow them to become vacant through attrition and to give employees time to apply for other county jobs.) With 16 deputies now in Precinct 3, the cuts will reduce Vojvodichs unregulated police force by about one-third. Whether this alters his reckless policies remains to be seen. bchasnoff@express-news.net Shropshire A Full-Time position is available for an assistant herdsperson on a family dairy farm in mid Shropshire. We have a 250 dairy herd rearing own replacements together with a b... The agricultural industry must embrace the opportunities and rise to the challenges for a vibrant future, NFU Scotlands President Allan Bowie told the Unions Autumn Conference. The Conference focused on the most pressing issues on the political agenda, which in turn heavily influences agricultural policies. The morning session welcomed the convenors of the two Scottish Parliamentary committees dedicated to scrutinising legislation relevant to the agricultural sector Edward Mountain MSP, of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee, and Graeme Dey MSP of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. Over 120 delegates heard about the key legislation going through the Scottish Parliament in the coming months and how the agricultural industry can work with MSPs to inform and influence the process. In the afternoon session, the Secretary of State, David Mundell, discussed the UK governments negotiating position towards the UKs exit from the EU, focusing on how the interests of Scottish farming and crofting will be best represented. Allan Bowie said that by embracing innovation, the whole agricultural industry can grow and thrive Mr Mundell said: "Scottish farming is already leading the way... Just ask Highland Wagyu who are aiming to become the biggest producer of Wagyu cattle in Europe "Or Mackies who have sold their ice cream as far afield as South Korea, or Ogilvie Potato Vodka who are growing, harvesting, brewing and distilling potatoes for the international vodka market. "There is no doubt we have a worldwide reputation for quality." Mr Mundell spoke alongside AHDBs Chief Strategy Officer, Tom Hind, who addressed the key concerns on future trade agreements, agricultural policy and labour requirements in a panel session dedicated to informing members about the latest Brexit developments. 'Shape and influence a new policy' Opening the conference, President Allan Bowie said 'it is an exciting time for Scottish agriculture'. "We have an opportunity through Brexit that weve never had before - to shape and influence a new agricultural policy, which works for Scotland, and the rest of the UK," Mr Bowie said. We need a policy which is designed to suit our farming and crofting practices. It is now our responsibility to get things right for future generations. The system weve had for the last 40 years, which has been driven by Europe, isnt working for Scotland or the UK. Every single person in this room has the opportunity to input into what would work for this country, for our farmers and crofters, for those working the land who know what would be best and practically possible. Research, innovation and education must also be integral to this new policy. We know the markets are in a difficult place, however there is a glimmer of light for certain sectors as prices being paid to farmers start to increase, and margins narrow. We continue to work with retailers and those across the supply chain to fight for better margins for our food producers and better returns. As an industry we must embrace the opportunities and rise to the challenges, Mr Bowie concluded. Ambitious Plan Calls For A Floating Bike Path On The Chicago River By Stephen Gossett in News on Nov 1, 2016 8:30PM A local company is courting support for a grand vision that would connect stretches of floating bike trail to existing and future bike paths along the Chicago River. The project, called RiverRide and spearheaded by Second Shore, envisions a chain of modular concrete pontoon segments, reinforced with steel that would run along the water, connecting dozens of north and side neighborhoods. Components would be produced locally, at Port of Chicago, and use renewable energy such as solar-activated lights and precipitation-activated awnings and heating, according to an overview sent to Chicagoist. The path would be secured into the riverbed at various points, but could also be repositioned if riverside development or manufacturing renewal dictated, according to Second Shore co-founder James Chuck. The design would be near-permanent, that can also be viewed as temporary, Chuck told Chicagoist. Chuck said he and his team began studying the viability of a floating river trail in 2012. He said Second Shore has studied the legal, technical and financial concerns and is now gauging public support working to build aldermanic coalition. Most recently, he took his proposal to the 33rd Ward Transportation Action Committee on Thursday. The news site DNAinfo reported on his plan Tuesday. Technical doubts are irrelevant. It has been proven to work in a number of environments much more difficult than Chicago, Chuck said, citing Portlands floating bike path. Now were making sure citizens want this project, getting feedback and hearing concerns. As for a timetable, Chuck said pilot projects, with approval, could be installed as soon as 2018with Lake Calumet and a river leg between Belmont and Western being prospective pilot sites. Components could potentially be built within less than a year, he said. Cost could range anywhere between $2 million to $10 million per mile, depending on manufacturing variables, such degree of climate resistance and seasonal use, Chuck said. In October, biking advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance floated (sorry) their own vision for a continuous river trail that included floating stretches "where no land is available for a traditional trail segment." The two projects were developed independently of each other, Chuck said. [H/T DNAinfo] A 40m scheme has been launched by the Northern Ireland agriculture minister which will award 2,000 grants for agricultural businesses. Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen officially launched the Farm Business Improvement Scheme yesterday. "This scheme is an important investment by the Executive, through my department, in farms today and farming in the future. It offers significant support for capital projects on farms, and aims to fund sustainable growth in the industry," Farmers had been encouraged to begin preparations in advance for the opening of the scheme. Key features of the initiative were highlighted at an early stage, with online tools available to assist with aspects of the process. Mrs McIlveen said: "This year, there has been a particular emphasis on improving farm safety and investing in the farmers of tomorrow. "I want to ensure that we invest in the next generation of farmers and those committed to developing themselves and their farm practices. Also, safety is an ongoing issue and I am pleased that a large number of farmers have already completed the online Making it Safer Farm Safe risk assessment tool." Safer businesses FBIS - Capital is a two-tiered programme which supports on-farm investment projects costing 5,000 and above. Tier 1 aims to improve the sustainability of farms and Tier 2 aims to drive transformational investment guided by a robust business planning process. The scheme will remain open for applications until 16 December 2016 for Tier 1, and will accept applications for Tier 2 between 19 December 2016 and 24 February 2017. The minister encouraged those interested in the scheme to visit the Departments website, and to consider attending one of the information road show events being held between 7 and 17 November 2016. "The Farm Business Improvement Scheme offers a package of measures which will help to transform our farms into more sustainable, efficient and safer businesses. This is not only good for farming and the agri-food industry, but also the wider Northern Ireland economy." Farming unions have reiterated that it is essential for the sector to maintain 'full, unfettered' access to the single market while having continued access to a 'flexible, competent and reliable' workforce. This is the message from the Presidents of the four UK farming unions (NFU, UFU, NFU Scotland and NFU Cymru) following a meeting with agricultures largest processing customers. During the meeting at Stoneleigh yesterday (Monday October 31), the Presidents unveiled their post-Brexit thinking on a range of policies and discussed how the agri-food industry can come together to speak with one voice on important issues such as trade and access to labour. The Presidents outlined their vision for the industry, one where competitive, profitable and progressive farming and food businesses deliver an increasing proportion of the nations needs for high quality, safe, affordable food to British people, as well as to new export markets. 'Bigger than automotive and aerospace industries combined' In a joint statement, the four Presidents said: UK agriculture supplies the building blocks to the UKs largest manufacturing sector, food and drink. Worth 108bn and employing 3.9m people spread across every parliamentary constituency, the industry is bigger than the automotive and aerospace sectors combined. In common with other sectors of the economy, British farmers and food producers need Government to be acutely aware of whats at stake for this vitally important industry and the UK economy as a whole. Retaining tariff-free access to the EU single market is vital for UK farmers, its where 75% of our food exports go, so all our farming unions will be working hard with our partners across the food and farming supply chain to achieve this outcome. Continued access to a reliable and competent workforce is also essential to British farming's competitiveness as this underpins the UK food chain's timely delivery of high quality affordable food to consumers. If we achieve both these goals then the whole of society and the economy will benefit. The discussions between the farming unions and the industrys major customers will continue through the autumn in advance of the UK governments forthcoming Brexit negotiations. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England have today come together in a commitment to intensify their fight against rural crime. Norfolks PCC, Lorne Green, was joined by the PCCs for Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire in signing a Rural Crime Concordat, pledging to work across county borders to tackle the crime issues affecting rural communities. The signing of the Concordat took place at the Norfolk PCCs Rural Crime Summit, hosted by Anglia Farmers, giving Norfolks rural communities, organisations, land and business owners the opportunity to have their say on the countys proposed new rural policing strategy. People here in Norfolk told me about their crime and policing concerns and what they felt they needed from the police to feel safer living or working in their local area, PCC Lorne Green said. Rural crime cost the county half a million pounds last year I pledged to take up their concerns and drive forward Norfolks approach to tackling rural crime. Representatives of Norfolks rural communities have today had the chance to find out what more our police will be doing to address their concerns about police visibility, to tackle feelings of isolation, help them feel more engaged with their police service, and encourage the reporting of rural crime. But the rural crime issues affecting our county are by no means unique to Norfolk. Criminals do not respect county boundaries, and that is why, as eastern region PCCs, we are pledging to join forces, work across borders and be united in our commitment to fighting rural crime. Norfolk PCC signing the Rural Crime Concordat 'Threatens local livelihoods' The PCC for Cambridgeshire, Jason Ablewhite, said rural Crime 'continues to be a big problem' across the UK. It threatens local livelihoods, puts pressure on policing resources and increases the fear of crime within our rural communities. Figures from rural insurer NFU Mutual show Cambridgeshire was the fourth highest county for rural thefts last year. Its more important than ever that we work together to continue to address this threat. Lincolnshire PCC Marc Jones said: It is a clear signal to would-be criminals that the combined will and resources of our forces will be brought to bear to protect our rural communities and that historic borders will not afford them any protection. Our collective endeavours will tackle issues such as hare coursing that plague our beautiful countryside and, by this commitment together, we are being clear about our objective to meet these challenges head on in to the future. Suffolk PCC Tim Passmore Said: Suffolk is a safe place in which to live, work, travel and invest, but it is a large rural county and this brings its own challenges. Rural areas typically tend to be safer, but I do believe that the impact of crime can be greater on victims in isolated rural locations, making them feel more vulnerable. Clarke Willis, Group CEO of Anglia Farmers, welcomed the opportunity to host the summit, saying: Our members are at the heart of Norfolks rural community so it is fitting that the new Norfolk Rural Policing Strategy is unveiled at Anglia Farmers. People who live and work in rural areas should have the confidence that their views are being listened to and acted upon. A selection of Anglia Farmers farmer members from across the county were here to share their views and thoughts on rural policing, and hear how the PCC is looking to address their issues and concerns. A month-long campaign is being launched by Police Scotland today to raise awareness among dog owners about the devastating effects of livestock worrying. It coincides with a rise in livestock attacks by dogs during November, a time when sheep are brought down to low lying pasture, in areas more accessible by people exercising their dogs or by local dogs that are allowed to roam free. Numerous rural industries and organisations are joining forces to promote responsible dog walking in the countryside. Inspector Jane Donaldson, Police Scotland Rural Crime Co-ordinator, said: Rural dog owners and those who choose to exercise their dogs in the countryside must ensure they are under control at all times and avoid going into fields where livestock is grazing. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code says that dogs shouldnt be taken into fields where there are lambs or other young farm animals. The worrying of sheep and other livestock by domestic dogs not only has an obvious financial and emotional impact on farmers when their animals are killed or injured, but also has an effect on the animals themselves, their productivity and welfare. During a campaign in this years spring lambing season we discovered in nearly three quarters of livestock worrying cases, the offending dog was local to that area, with more than half of all incidents involving a dog roaming free and where no owner or responsible person was present. 'Farmers personal heartache' The partners involved in this initiative are also encouraging farmers to help educate dog owners and dog walkers and prevent incidents occurring. We are encouraging farmers and landowners to engage with dog walkers and to help by putting up signs up on gateways and on key roads and paths alerting them to the presence of sheep and other livestock in their fields, added Inspector Donaldson. Farmers and those who use the countryside are urged to report all incidents of livestock worrying to police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Gemma Cooper, Policy Manager for National Farmers Union Scotland said instances of dog worrying 'is never acceptable'. "They cause our farmers personal heartache, and often substantial and ongoing financial loss. "It is disappointing that instances are still high in number. We would urge farmers affected by this issue to ensure that they report this via 101 as this will help ensure that the multi organisation momentum that has been ongoing for some time now is kept up. "In addition, we would urge Local Authorities to use Dog Control Notices more frequently, as this option can be very effective, but is currently quite underutilised as a method of dealing with this problem." Waitrose has become the first UK retailer to introduce responsibly sourced non-GM soya for animal feed from Europe, reducing its reliance upon South American supply. In October the grocer landed its first shipment of soya grown in the Danube Region of Europe an area stretching from the Black Forest to the Black Sea - for use as a source of protein in pig feed used by the retailers dedicated pork supplier, Dalehead Foods. The move marks the start of the retailers plans to replace responsibly sourced soya beans from non-deforested land in Brazil, lowering the risk to its supply chain as demand for South American Soya from the developing world increases. Waitrose to responsibly source European soya in UK retailer first The Soil Association has said this is the most significant move in the UK against the use of GM crops since 1999, when British supermarkets took 70% of processed food that contained GM off their shelves. While European players including Frances Carrefour, the third biggest retailer in the world, German retailers and the German Poultry Association (ZDG), have continued to move away from GM feed, most British supermarkets have increased their use of GM animal feed. Most UK supermarkets sell meat and dairy products from animals fed on imported GM soya and GM maize which they are not required to label under EU law. Environmental groups, such as Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, GM Freeze and the Soil Association, have opposed this large-scale use of GM crops for over 15 years. "Waitrose is currently the only retailer in the UK that has committed to continuing to use non-GM poultry feed and to start using non-GM soya in other animal feed," said Peter Melchett, Soil Association Policy Director. "But we warmly welcome this very important development. GM soya from Latin America is linked to rainforest destruction, so sourcing non-GM soya from the Danube region, and using more UK-grown protein crops, is good for the climate, good for UK farmers, and good for consumers. We expect other retailers to follow Waitroses lead." Convert 10% of arable land to agroforestry, Woodland Trust says Chinese government will implement rules more specifically to improve government information transparency, calling for more public participation in policy making and better sharing of information. A new guideline, which specifies a set of requirements on government affairs transparency, was approved on Monday during the State Council's executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang. "Government affairs transparency is vital to transforming government functions," Li said. "And we need better efforts in improving government affairs transparency." The new guideline is a set of specific rules and requirements on improving government affairs transparency through stages of policy making, implementation, information regulation, public services as well as keeping the public informed. It designates that by the end of 2017, government at all levels should set up a system that allows attendance from the public at government meetings, especially attendance from the press, stakeholders, and experts. It requires that policy documents, especially those that may impose or result in a crucial impact on people's lives, need feedback from the public before they are issued. It also requires government at all levels to set up a specified catalog for types of documents that ought to be publicized by the end of 2018, while adjustment will be constantly required on such catalogs. Li pointed out that government should work hard in building a comprehensive platform for public services and government resource sharing so as to enhance policy interpretation, while giving a prompt reply to public concerns. More adequate and prompt interpretation on State Council level policies are required, according to the new guideline. Government departments in charge of drafting particular policies should give a full interpretation when such policies are issued. Systematic approaches are also required for government at all levels in giving prompt reply to public concern. "Through efforts in improving government transparency, we work to make our government more service-oriented and provide more convenience for those starting business," Li said. The new guideline calls for a clearer and defined responsibility across all government departments in government information sharing and transparency so that work will be further enhanced. Meanwhile, a third-party evaluation will also be introduced on evaluating how well the above measures are implemented. The government has been making comprehensive efforts on improving public information sharing and government affairs transparency, especially since 2013. The State Council has just approved another guideline on improving government services via the internet across the country in September, an effort that helps with government information sharing. "Ensuring government affairs transparency is a duty for government departments at all levels," Li stressed. "For policies that may exert a big influence on the market as well as people's livelihood in particular, government should inform the public of these policies promptly. Otherwise, any delay may fail market expectations, and thus have an ill effect on economy as well as public confidence in the government." "Especially in cases of public emergency, related departments should take the initiative in sharing information with the public and answering concerns from the media, and take responsibilities where possible," Li added. Fayetteville woman says anti-abortion laws hurt her mom, then herself Judy Pittard said her and her mother's pregnancy complications that required abortions were made worse by the decisions of "old men in big buildings." In his ambitious blueprint, Li Xiaokun, President of Wenzhou University, said that he wants to transform the school into a Chinese version of Stanford by encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship. Li Xiaokun, president of Wenzhou University [Photo provided to China.org.cn] Founded in 1933, the university is nestled in Wenzhou, a coastal city in East China's Zhejiang Province, where self-made millionaires abound and locals are known among their fellow countrymen as having the "business gene". The city is a major source of "Made in China" goods, such as shoes and clothes, with its success riding on an export-oriented economy. "Wenzhounese, known as the Jews of the Orient, are innovative, open-minded, self-reliant and business savvy people, who can sense opportunities and transform them into commercial success," Dr. Li told China.org.cn during an exclusive interview. As first prize winner for the 2015 National Scientific and Technological Progress Award, the charismatic president believes that Wenzhou is the best place to convert scientific advances into economic and social benefits. He confessed that the innovation and entrepreneurship spirit deeply rooted in the city is one of the most important reasons he came to work here almost 10 years ago. Tapping into the "business gene" Walking on the campus, one is never sure whether the student you just encountered with will be another billionaire like Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba. Wenzhou University is one of China's first schools of higher learning to have introduced a flagship entrepreneurial education project while tapping into a business-oriented climate. Boasting a flexible educational system, the university allows students to suspend courses for business-endeavors and encourages them to convert creative ideas into commercial projects. Feasible and detailed business plans can also serve as a student's graduation thesis or project. "Entrepreneurial education in Wenzhou University ranks 11th in the country," said the helmsman of the university. He also added that the school especially values application-oriented teaching and learning, as it invites chief engineers from established companies to design curriculums and asks them to join the faculty in order to impart hands-on practice and experience in real-life business scenarios. "Foreign students on the campus are also inspired by the business-friendly atmosphere here," Li revealed. "Some of them have started businesses in the city after they learned Chinese language, culture and entrepreneurial skills." Eyes on the "Belt and Road" As part of its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), the school aims high on China's Belt and Road Initiative, which is comprised of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and tries to incorporate its globalized strategy into the country's flagship project. "The Belt and Road Initiative is not only about setting up businesses, making infrastructure investment or cooperating on production capacity," he argued. "It is also about education, cultural communication, people-to-people exchanges and expanding China's soft power." The school has decided to channel more efforts towards its globalized strategy and plans to recruit 1,500 more foreign students, mainly from countries along the Belt and Road region, in the next five years, said Feng Fangsheng, vice director of the school's publicity department. Some of the foreign students have come here to stay starting their businesses and settling down in this land of dynamism while others take their knowledge of China back to their home country and contribute to local operations of Chinese overseas ventures. Dr. Li believes that people and education are essential to the success of the Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes that Wenzhou University can make a difference on this front. The university has also explored various school-running modes like public-private and Chinese-foreign cooperation, with the notable example of Wenzhou-Kean University, founded in 2014. Founding this university based on quality educational resources in both innovation and entrepreneurship will "generate huge energy that facilitates socio-economic development in the region", as Xi Jinping said in 2006 while serving as party chief of Zhejiang Province. When asked about his vision for the school, Dr. Li compared it to a "soaring petrel," quoting several lines from "the Song of the Stormy Petrel" by Maxim Gorky. "Up above the sea's grey flatland, wind is gathering the clouds; in between the sea and clouds proudly soaring the Petrel, reminiscent of black lightning." Since Belaruss independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, it has maintained strong economic and cultural ties with Russia and has been dependent on Russias economic support. Recent conclusions by international finance institutions, such as the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), however, suggest that the Belarusian government is demonstrating an eagerness to revive its relationship with the West and an intention to open its market to foreign businesses. This effort to pivot away from its Eastern neighbor is primarily due to recent geopolitical developments in the region, including the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that started in 2014, and has led to a broader political crisis with Russia on the one side and the United States and European nations on the other, with the Western sanctions against Russia having a trickle-down effect on Belaruss economy. Between 2013 and 2016, the World Banks development portfolio for Belarus under the Country Partnership Strategy has increased from $500 million to $1 billion. On September 7, 2016, the EBRD, a major investor in Belarus, adopted a four-year Strategy for Belarus, noting that in the recently changed regional geopolitical environment Belarus has engaged in greater international openness and become more willing to discuss domestic political developments, including the human rights situation in the country. Despite the positive outlook regarding the Belarusian investment climate by the World Bank and EBRD, multiple international organizations, NGOs, and the countrys civil society have expressed concerns regarding the countrys true state of corruption, the rule of law, and transparency in judiciary, governance, and business. As discussed below, these concerns reflect deeply rooted corruption among high-level officials, the lack of protection of foreign investors under the domestic legal regime, and the absence of an independent judiciary. Reliable information on the true state of corruption in the country is very scarce. Civil society inside and outside Belarus has virtually no access to any trustworthy statistics regarding the true level of corruption in Belarus. The government has recently initiated a number of corruption cases against well-known Belarusian businessmen and officials. Those cases appear to stem from political motives of the authorities rather than their true eagerness to eradicate corruption. Though petty corruption is not a pressing problem in Belarus, some experts argue that official corruption is a method of governance in the country. In multiple reports adopted since June 2012 on the state of corruption in Belarus, the Council of Europes Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) supports this conclusion. According to GRECOs Summary of the Evaluation Report on Belarus dated December 6, 2013, only limited reliable information about corruption in Belarus is available, which makes it difficult to establish the true scale of corruption in the country. GRECO further notes that some information suggests that the day-to-day (so called low level) corruption is less endemic as it is kept under better control through strong law enforcement measures and that the problem of corruption in Belarus is more alarming higher up in the hierarchy and within the predominantly state-run enterprises. The limited research available is not enough to adequately describe the situation and there is virtually no information of any substance from sources independent of the State. In its latest Summary of the Interim Compliance Report on Belarus published on September 1, 2016, GRECO reinforced its conclusions regarding the state of corruption and the anti-corruption measures in the country, stating that . . . of the twenty-four recommendations considered pending in the Compliance Report on Belarus none have been implemented satisfactorily or dealt with in a satisfactory manner [] no concrete projects or proposals seem to be under way that could contribute substantially to improve this situation. GRECO subsequently concluded that Belaruss level of compliance with its recommendations remained globally unsatisfactory. To ensure transparency of the GRECO process and to facilitate the implementation of its recommendations, GRECO has on multiple occasions urged the Belarusian government to make the reports public. Thus far the Belarusian authorities, however, have not authorized the publication of any of the GRECOs reports. The Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 supports the GRECOs conclusions in regards to the high level of corruption in the country, ranking Belarus 107 among 168 countries. The Freedom House, in its Nations in Transit 2016 Report, corroborates the GRECO reports results, stating that though petty corruption, such as bribery of police or customs officials, remains relatively uncommon in Belarus, higher-level corruption is more difficult to detect and represents a serious problem. Much of the economy is still controlled by the state, which creates fertile ground for graft [] A large part of the Belarusian economy remains in the shadows, as companies avoid paying taxes and social security contributions. Belarusian entrepreneurs think that the initiative for corrupt activities usually comes from state officials, according to opinion surveys. So what should the businesses interested in investing in Belarus do? While investing in Belarus is becoming more attractive to international businesses, as the reports coming from the World Bank and EBRD suggest, a more balanced view of the business climate in Belarus indicates that foreign companies should be prepared to address the unique risks of the hidden but pervasive high-level corruption and the absence of independent judiciary. Operating or investing in Belarus, with its history of economic instability, state-controlled economy and authoritarian government, calls for implementation of advanced preventive measures, including rigorous risk-assessment, due diligence, and advanced compliance and anti-corruption programs. In the next post, Ill outline specific compliance and anti-corruption measures to help companies minimize their risks related to business opportunities in Belarus. ____ Maryna Kavaleuskaya, pictured above, is a law clerk in Miller & Chevaliers international department. She focuses on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act-related matters, business and human rights, global anti-corruption training programs and rule of law issues. Before starting her LL.M. program at Harvard Law School, she practiced law in Belarus where she focused on high-profile criminal cases. Amy Schumer has reportedly splashed out $12.1 million on a New York penthouse. Amy Schumer The 35-year-old actress is said to have snapped up the five-bedroom home on the city's Upper West Side, after the price was slashed from a staggering $18.9 million. Amy's new abode is set over two floors and the glass walls give amazing views of the Hudson River and New Jersey. The property's listing on Youtube reads: "Perhaps the most unusual and gorgeous penthouse ever to appear on the market. Chic, bright and airy like a Malibu beach house with the sophistication of New York architecture." According to its listing, the home measures at 4,500 square feet on the inside, and almost 3,000 square feet on the outside and also features a gas fire place and power room. The 'Train Wreck' star recently put her Upper West Side brownstone up for sale after buying it in 2014 - but it has so far failed to sell. It was originally on the market for $2.075 million last November but knocked the price down to $1.625 million in August. Despite being a huge star, Amy recently revealed she is still really close to her high school friends and arranged for them all to attend 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' premiere last year. She admitted: "I was like, 'I have to bring all my friends from high school.' They were like, 'Are you serious?' "I was like, 'Yeah, if I go and don't bring them, it'll be an issue.'" Amy keeps photos of her old pals all over her New York apartment and regularly receives gifts from them. She said: "It's all my friends from high school - these girls, these monsters. They're afraid I'm going to forget about them. So, like, they keep buying me things, to remind me of them." Sam Mendes is to return to the theatre to direct a new play by his 'Spectre' writer Jez Butterworth. Sam Mendes The 51-year-old director worked with Butterworth on his second James Bond film - which he co-wrote with Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan - and now he is going to return to his stage roots to helm 'The Ferryman', penned by the 47-year-old playwright. 'The Ferryman' is set in rural County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and the play takes place in 1981 at the height of the prison hunger strikes which claimed 10 lives during the ethno-nationalist conflict which took place in the country and was known as 'The Troubles'. Speaking about the project, 'Jerusalem' creator Butterworth, 47, told the London Evening Standard newspaper: "It is a play about a family where the past comes back into the present in a way that shows it was never really buried. It is set during the end of the hunger strike, but it is away from that urban setting of the hunger strike and set on a farm where the main preoccupation is bringing the harvest in. It is looking at the notion of whether you care for the land with a capital L or a small l, and whether you take up the sword or the plough." The news of Mendes' move back to the theatre comes after he admitted earlier this year that he would no longer be working on the Bond franchise following his two films 'Skyfall' and 'Spectre' - which starred Daniel Craig as 007 - as he wants a fresh challenge. He said previously: "[James Bond] was an incredible adventure, I loved every second of it. But I think it's time for somebody else. I'm a storyteller. And at the end of the day, I want to make stories with new characters. "I can guarantee whatever happens with it, it will not be what you expect. That's what she [producer Barbara Broccoli] has been brilliant at, and that's how it'll survive." 'The Ferryman' will run at the Royal Court Theatre in London between April and May 2017, and comes as part of a number of new plays for the theatre's 2017 season which creative director Vicky Featherstone has dubbed as an "exciting mixture". She said: "I am humbled and thrilled to be announcing such a varied and exciting mixture of work from playwrights and theatre-makers at the top of their game, pushing the limits of their potential to challenge, surprise and provoke us. "This is the Royal Court at its best - a place for attracting some of the great playwrights and theatre-makers of our times to experiment and take risks to give us, the audience, the most extraordinary experiences possible." Queen Elizabeth with host the President of Colombia at a state banquet tonight (01.11.16). Queen Elizabeth The 90-year-old monarch will welcome Juan Manuel Santos and Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos to the UK at Buckingham Palace, where they are staying, and will later treat them to a feast which has been "well over a year" in the making. The Royal Family website states: "Preparations for a State Banquet begin well over a year in advance, but the final build of the State Banquet table starts around five days ahead of the arrival of the visiting Head of State." Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, will officially welcome the couple into the country at a ceremony on Horse Guards Parade, where Prime Minister Theresa May, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd will be watching on. The Colombian President and the First Lady will be in the UK until November 3, and will also travel to Belfast, Northern Ireland, before heading back to the South American country. A statement on the Royal website recently said: "The President of the Republic of Colombia, His Excellency President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon, accompanied by Mrs Maria Clemencia Rodriguez de Santos, has accepted an invitation from The Queen to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from 1st to 3rd November 2016. "The President and Mrs Santos will stay at Buckingham Palace." This comes after Santos won this year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end Colombia's 52-year war with left-wing rebels. He recently revealed plans to donate more than 800,000 of his prize money to victims of the conflict. EastEnders' Ronnie Mitchell will be drowned by her wedding dress. Samantha Womack as Ronnie Mitchell The Albert Square resident - who is portrayed by Samantha Womack - will meet a grisly end when she is dragged to her death by the attire over the new year shortly after marrying Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) for the second time. A source told The Sun newspaper: "Ronnie has had some grim storylines, it's fitting she goes in similar fashion." Ronnie will meet her maker after tragically finding her drunk sister Roxy - who previously slept with Jack - face down dead in a swimming pool. But when Ronnie jumps in to try to save her sibling - portrayed by Rita Simons - she too will die. Samantha and Rita have both played out some hard-hitting storylines since they arrived in Albert Square in 2007. Ronnie has seen her daughter Danielle killed in a car accident in April 2009 and just eight months later she suffered a miscarriage when her dad Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) pushed her into the Queen Vic's bar. A year later she revealed Archie raped her as a child and in late 2010 she swapped her dead son James Branning, who died of sudden infant death syndrome, with Kat and Alfie Moon's (Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie) baby Tommy. She was later jailed for kidnapping Tommy in April 2011, but she returned to Walford two years later and went on to murder Roxy's boyfriend Carl White (Daniel Coonan). Sam confirmed she was leaving 'EastEnders' in August. She tweeted: "Thank you SO much for all your kind words about me leaving EE. "It's so humbling to know you loved Ronnie as much as I did! Very grateful Xxx (sic)" Just a few weeks later, Rita also confirmed she was departing Albert Square. She tweeted: "Thanku guys 4 all the continued love & support u have shown me (and Roxy) over the years. I'm so grateful for my time on EE. Love to u all "As the saying goes 'Mitchell sisters..together forever' @Sam_Womack Haaaaa you're stuck with me sis! (sic)" If you were in Fethiye last Thursday morning and anywhere near Beskaza (the town square) you would be forgiven for thinking that something serious had happened. Billowing smoke, people screaming and sirens blaring. Cries for help from people trapped in cars and buried in piles of rubble, both in and around the buildings overlooking the square. Had there been and explosion? Had the buildings collapsed? In fact something serious was happening A crisis response exercise, focusing on an earthquake scenario, was being carried out by participants from fifteen services from Mugla Province. These types of crisis exercises are held regularly throughout the country, however it was the first one of its kind to be held in Fethiye. The exercise was organised by Mugla Health Directorate and co-ordinated by UMKE (National Medical Rescue Team) AKUT (Search and Rescue Association), AFAD ( Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) and Mugla 911 (Search and Rescue Research Association) were also involved. Volunteers were drafted in to play the parts of the trapped and injured victims and the scene was set. Earthquake hits Fethiye Suddenly the air was filled with thick orange smoke and sirens could be heard getting nearer. You could almost feel the earth moving and sense the buildings shaking. The police and jandarma were first on the scene, closely followed by ambulances, medical crews and the fire brigade. The teams from each department made a fast assessment of what was happening; police and jandarma formed a cordon to stop friends and relatives of those trapped inside from running towards the areas of danger. Medical crews tended to, and transferred the injured that were easily accessible to the triage centre set up nearby. Ambulances transported the seriously injured to hospitals. The fire brigade used the jaws of life to rescue two injured girls from a crushed car. Cries for help could be heard from the fourth floor leading to dramatic rescues via ropes and pulleys No casualties In this situation there were no fatalities or injuries, however in a real life situation things would be very different. It is reassuring to know that there are crisis plans in place and Mugla Province emergency services come together in such an organised way to respond to any crisis situation. Mustafa Skman, the British Honorary Consul said We are very pleased at how well organised today has been. There are fifteen services and three hospitals participating today and, although we realise this is an exercise, it has gone very well He also went on to say At the Consulate we hold smaller exercises and discuss what action we would take in a crisis, however this is the first time we have taken part in an exercise on this scale and had an opportunity to work closely with UMKE and Mugla 911 UMKE representative and coordinator Hakan Babayigit. Mugla 911 representitive and chairman of the board Cenk Ayata British Embassy representatives: Joanne Pietsch Consular Country Manager (Turkey) and Regional Crisis Advisor for Wider Europe. Ahmet Dorduncu Vice Consul Fethiye Mustafa Skman Honorary Consul Fethiye Seniha Tanrininkulu Consular officer Marmaris Honorary Consulate Elvan Korukoglu Consular Officer Antalya Vice Consulate Useful information on what the FCO can do for you during crises abroad and who they can help can be found here The exercise was attended by The Mayor, Behcet Saatc and various other officials British Honorary Consul, Mustafa Skman, with a group of the actors who took part George Rimmer, who took part in the exercise said It was very realistic. We were in the building when the earthquake hit and there was a girl trapped under some rubble. We had to make the decision to leave her and go for help as the rescue services werent aware she was there Hasan Dogan (District Director of Education) with a group of students who took part in the exercise More about earthquakes Next week we will bring you more about earthquakes, the precautions you should take and what to do if there is an earthquake. Last edited by Lyn Ward on November 2, 2016 at 16:37 Fast Retailing, a public Japanese retail holding company, has launched Innovation Factory in joint venture (JV) with Shima Seiki, a pioneer in knitting machine manufacturing, especially WHOLEGARMENT knitwear. The JV is for the development and manufacture of knit products aimed at establishing a new production system utilising knit production technologies. The JV has been set up with an invested capital of 400 million yen. In this venture, Shima Seiki holds an equity share of 51 per cent while Fast Retailing holds the remaining 49 per cent. The JV is aimed at producing high-quality, value-added WHOLEGARMENT knit products. In future, the joint venture company is expected to function as the lead factory in the production of innovative knit products for the Fast Retailing Group. Fast Retailing, a public Japanese retail holding company, has launched Innovation Factory in joint venture (JV) with Shima Seiki, a pioneer in knitting machine manufacturing, especially WHOLEGARMENT knitwear. The JV is for the development and manufacture of knit products aimed at establishing a new production system utilising knit production technologies.# Innovation Factory was originally established in December 2015 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shima Seiki producing WHOLEGARMENT knitwear. Following the JV, the company will now produce WHOLEGARMENT products for the Fast Retailing Group, principally Uniqlo. WHOLEGARMENT is a seamless knit product developed by Shima Seiki using seam free construction. It yields comfort and draping effect thus providing value-added products with greater design flexibility as compared to traditional knitwear products. (RR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Emanuel Chirico, the CEO of PVH, a marketer of several apparel brands has bagged the 2016 Responsible CEO of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, given away by Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine. The awards are presented to CEO's who visibly exceed standards in the areas of energy, environment, governance, compliance, human rights, etc.All award winners were nominated by members of the CR community and selected by an independent judging panel comprised of previous winners and industry leaders. Emanuel Chirico, the CEO of PVH, a marketer of several apparel brands has bagged the 2016 Responsible CEO of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, given away by Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine. The awards are presented to CEO's who visibly exceed standards in the areas of energy, environment, governance, compliance, human rights, etc.# The award recognises PVH's progress, working with various stakeholders to drive positive impacts around the world.PVH's CR programme is structured with 10 commitments across three key focus areas, namely, empowering people; preserving the environment; and supporting communities.The commitments support 14 of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, covering issues such as building safety, chemical management, greenhouse gases, inclusion and diversity, and supporting the needs of women and children. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Under a scheme by the textiles ministry, there may be a rise in the insurance cover of handloom weavers. The plan involves three-fold hike in insurance cover to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 60,000 in case of natural death. There is also a possibility of increase in the accidental death cover, which may be raised to Rs 4 lakh, from the present Rs 1.5 lakh. Textile industry is India's second-largest employer after agriculture. Insurance cover to handloom weavers in case of natural and accidental death and total and partial disability is provided under the Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana. We plan to increase the insurance cover for weavers in the handloom sector. This will encourage more weavers to get covered in the insurance net and attract more people to join the sector's workforce, a senior official from the ministry told a news agency. Under a scheme by the textiles ministry, there may be a rise in the insurance cover of handloom weavers. The plan involves three-fold hike in insurance cover to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 60,000 in case of natural death. There is also a possibility of increase in the accidental death cover, which may be raised to Rs 4 lakh, from the present Rs 1.5 lakh. # In the year 2015-16, under the insurance scheme, the government had released Rs 16.67 crore, which is slightly higher than Rs 16.39 crorethe sum was released when 5.74 lakh weavers were enrolled in the year 2014-15. We welcome the move. It will work as a great morale booster for the weavers. Weavers are the lifeline of textile industry. Out of 110 million people employed in the textile sector, more than 60 per cent are in handlooms, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry secretary general Binoy Job told the agency. (RR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Coats, world's leading industrial thread manufacturer and a key player in America's textile crafts market, has appointed Rajiv Sharma as its group chief executive with effect from January, 2017. Sharma is currently the executive director and global CEO, Industrial. Under Sharma, this division accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the group revenues in 2015. Sharma who had joined Coats in 2010 will be replacing Paul Forman, the current group chief executive, who will be leaving on December 31, 2016. Forman will be joining Essentra plc as the chief executive. Forman has been the group chief executive of Coats since December 31, 2009. Sharma was appointed executive director of Coats in March 2015. Prior to joining Coats he worked at Honeywell, GE and Shell amongst others. His experience spans multiple disciplines, including M&A, digital and leading large complex businesses, in a range of industries, across five continents. Coats, world's leading industrial thread manufacturer and a key player in America's textile crafts market, has appointed Rajiv Sharma as its group chief executive with effect from January, 2017. Sharma is currently the executive director and global CEO, Industrial. Under Sharma, this division accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the group revenues in 2015.# Speaking of his elevation in the company, Sharma said, I am energised and excited to be taking on this new role. Paul is passing me the baton of a company in a market leading position, holding a strong strategic hand of cards. Superior customer experiences, motivated employees, innovation, digital and technology will be the pillars of our continuing profitable sales journey within a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace. I look forward to guiding Coats through its next positive chapter. Paul has been working closely with me and the Board in order to identify the most appropriate time to step down and prepare for a seamless transition. In light of this, Coats has been considering both external and internal candidates and identified Sharma as the best suited individual for the role. He has strong leadership skills; a proven track record of running our core Industrial business and increasing its profitability; and has been fully involved in developing our corporate strategy, Mike Clasper, chairman of Coats, said. (RR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Here is some good news for all Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh's fans. According to reports, Ranveer and Deepika were spotted together recently and were looking very happy. A report in Filmfare stated, ''After a long day at their respective work stations, Deepika and Ranveer were seen entering Deepika Padukone's building on Tuesday. The two were happy in each other's company and made their way to the lift hand in hand.'' Rumours About The Break-Up Many rumours claimed that that the alleged break-up between Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone happened because of Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor. Rumours About Shahid Kapoor According to a leading daily, "Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone's relationship hitting a rough patch has something to do with Shahid Kapoor. It was Dippy who was keen on Sasha being cast in Padmavati.'' Ranveer Upset With Shahid? ''This is something that did not go down well with Ranveer. Not only will Sasha get more screen time with Deepika, he will also have several intimate scenes with her in the film,'' the source had said. Padmavati ''There is also buzz that Deepika has asked director Sanjay Leela Bhansali to feature just her and Sasha in the film's first look. This has apparently left Ranveer fuming," the source had added. Issues Resolved? Well, if recent reports are to be believed, it seems that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have resolved all their issues and are back together....(and we are super happy for them!) A few days back, it was reported that Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have ended their relationship. When a leading daily asked Deepika Padukone about the same, she said, ''I have understood it (the speculations) well enough to know what I should absorb and what I shouldn't. After a point, one becomes completely immune to these things. You can only do things that are in your control." Also Read: Don't Miss! Here's Why Aishwarya Rai Didn't Kiss Ranbir Kapoor in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil Deepika Padukone further added, "Certain things are a given when you are in this industry. This is one of the things one has to deal with, and that's totally fine. The ups, the positives, and the love we get is way too much for us to get bogged down by the speculations or the negativity." On the work front, Deepika Padukone is gearing up for her Hollywood debut xXx: Return of Xander Cage. She is paired opposite Vin Diesel in the film and the movie will hit the screens on January 20, 2017. Deepika will also start the shooting of her next Bollywood film, Padmavati, soon. Apart from Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor will also play important roles in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus, Padmavati. New name. New location. Expanded service. ST. LOUIS, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TricorBraun announces an extensive European expansion via its subsidiary based in the United Kingdom. As a reflection of this expansion, the company will change the name from Packaging Design Limited to TricorBraun Limited. As the first rigid packaging distributor with a global presence, TricorBraun has maintained a solid presence in Europe for many years. We are now positioned to more efficiently help our customers bring their new and existing products to market with localized access to our expertise in package design, engineering, and mold building. The increased logistic capabilities with global warehousing options means more transparent oversight for our global customers for which importing and exporting packaging components is a daily business operation. An expanded geographic coverage in Europe is good news for customers of TricorBraun on either continent as TricorBraun Limited's deep sourcing connections increase our product depth and breadth of stock and custom packaging. All customers of our 40+ offices in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Asia will have many more choices of glass and plastic bottles and jars, closures, tubes and all other rigid packaging. Located northeast of London, the TricorBraun Limited facility is well positioned to provide our customers in the UK and the rest of Europe with the kind of unparalleled service that has been a hallmark of TricorBraun for nearly 115 years.Below is the contact information for the new facility. TricorBraun Limited Beacon Innovation Centre Beacon Park, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth Norfolk, NR31 7RA Telephone: +44 (0) 7769 203279 TricorBraun helps customers bring new and existing products to the market efficiently using our spectrum of solutions to create custom and locate stock rigid packaging components.TricorBraun Design & Engineering is the fully integrated design studio, combining package design and custom mold building within one organization.A global presence ensures that customers are effectively served throughout the world using the vast resources in North America, Europe and Asia. SUN VALLEY, IDAHO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/16 -- Sun Valley Gold LLC ("Sun Valley") announced today that it has acquired control and direction over an aggregate of 500 common shares ("Common Shares") of Orezone Gold Corporation ("Orezone") for and on behalf of client accounts over which it has discretionary trading authority. The Common Shares were acquired over the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange for a purchase price of $0.77 per share. Following the acquisition, Sun Valley exercises control and direction over an aggregate of 25,337,533 Common Shares for and on behalf of client accounts. The 25,337,533 Common Shares over which Sun Valley exercises control and direction represent approximately 16.45% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. The securities of Orezone were acquired for investment purposes. Sun Valley may increase or decrease its ownership of securities of Orezone depending upon future market conditions. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, OR TO OBTAIN A COPY OF THE EARLY WARNING REPORT FILED BY SUN VALLEY UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION, PLEASE SEE THE CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW. Contacts: Sun Valley Gold LLC Linda J. Kish Chief Legal Officer (208) 726-2399 (208) 726-0842 (FAX) WATERLOO (dpa-AFX) - BlackBerry Limited (BBRY, BB.TO) said that it signed an agreement with Ford Motor Co. (F) for expanded use of BlackBerry's QNX and security software. The deal signifies an acceleration in BlackBerry's pivot from hardware to software in support of the automaker's goal of providing connected vehicles and mobility to its customers. As part of this agreement, BlackBerry will dedicate a team to work with Ford on expanding the use of BlackBerry's QNX Neutrino Operating System, Certicom security technology, QNX hypervisor and QNX audio processing software. The terms of the deal are confidential. BlackBerry noted that the combination of BlackBerry's expertise in security and QNX's mission-critical operating systems and software for automotive applications, allows the company to offer the most secure, trusted and reliable platform that can power every aspect of the connected car. BlackBerry's QNX software powers more than 60 million vehicles, including the SYNC 3 Infotainment system in Ford's current models. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. SINGAPORE, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hoffman Agency, a communications consultancy with roots in the tech industry, today celebrates 20 years in Asia. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161027/433257-INFO Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161027/433255LOGO "It has been an amazing, fun, torturous, weird, satisfying, frustrating and enlightening run," offered Lou Hoffman, CEO of the consultancy. The catalyst for the Agency's decision to expand to Asia occurred in 1994-- a press tour in Asia for Hyundai Electronics (now known as Hynix). At the first press conference in Tokyo, the local PR agency had neglected to mention that the format for overhead projectors in Japan-- LCD projectors were still a curiosity back in 1994-- was different from the format of the overhead projectors in the U.S. The Hyundai executive put the first foil on the projector ready to sing the virtues of the latest technology only to see roughly 20 percent of his information cut off at the screen. The journalists reacted with a gasp and then absolute, utter silence. While this theme of "things not going according to plan" continued throughout the press tour, the mishaps gave courage to what was then a 42-person company to expand globally starting with Asia in November 1996. Today, the Agency projects global revenue at US$11.5 million from its offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S., with an average global growth of 9% since 2012. The largest percent of the company's revenue comes from Asia, the only U.S.- or European-born communications consultancy that can make such a claim. Eschewing the conventional PR agency model that worships the P/L in each office, The Hoffman Agency has created a different type of global communications consultancy, one that cultivates collaboration across geographic boundaries. "I've always remembered the passage from the book, 'The Monk and the Riddle' by venture capitalist Randy Komisar who points out that companies are like the laws of physics, neither inherently good nor evil," said Hoffman. "I'll take this a step further and say that companies at their best enrich employees' lives. Asia is a huge part of striving to do this." Operating offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, Hoffman Asia Pacific supports a range of clients from tech and non-tech industries. These include ARM, AsiaMalls, CenturyLink, Chicago Booth School of Business, CKGSB, Corning, Evernote, Fashion Walk, LinkedIn, Niantic Labs, NVIDIA, Nutanix, Parrot, Uber, Wearable IoT World, Western Digital and WeWork. Bullet Points from the 20-Year Journey The first staff member hired in Asia in 1997, Maureen Tseng , still works for the Agency as director of client services in Singapore . in 1997, , still works for the Agency as director of client services in . Hoffman Asia Pacific's longest tenured client is Google, a relationship that started in 2001. longest tenured client is Google, a relationship that started in 2001. Lou Hoffman reckons his 217 office visits in Asia translate into 10.5 days waiting in line to go through immigration at airports. reckons his 217 office visits in translate into 10.5 days waiting in line to go through immigration at airports. In less than 15 months after the birth of Hoffman Asia Pacific, Lou Hoffman marked a new milestone in 1998 by opening The Hoffman Agency Japan in downtown Tokyo . marked a new milestone in 1998 by opening The Hoffman Agency Japan in downtown . The Hoffman Agency Singapore in 2014 worked with the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) and Earth Hour to launch the global campaign-- "Use Your Power"-- to much fanfare with the cast of "The Amazing Spiderman 2" joining the team at the launch. Lydia Lau has processed 17,760 employee payrolls during her 16 years at Hoffman-- definitely a force to be reckoned with. Additional Resources Chicken Rice for the Soul, blog on Asia Pacific operation operation Maureen Tseng , the first staff member hired in Asia , shares her perspective on the journey , the first staff member hired in , shares her perspective on the journey 10 Takeaways from "PR in China" seminar that might surprise you Sample Hoffman Asia Pacific Awards 2015/2016 PR Awards Asia 2016: Southeast Asia PR Consultancy of the Year Southeast Asia PR Consultancy of the Year Mumbrella Asia Awards 2016: Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year PR Awards 2016 Hong Kong : Bronze Award for "Best Engagement-- Targeted Community" U.S.- Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program-- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World Bronze Award for "Best Engagement-- Targeted Community" U.S.- Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program-- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World 2016 In2 SABRE A wards : Certificate of Excellence for "Best Use of Visual Social Platforms" U.S.-Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program-- 2016-- Wearable IoT World Certificate of Excellence for "Best Use of Visual Social Platforms" U.S.-Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program-- 2016-- Wearable IoT World 2016 In2 SABRE Awards: Certificate of Excellence for "Media Partnership." Meet The Opportunities in China-- 2015 CKGSB's Media Partnership In Korea-- CKGSB Media Contact: Jenny Chan The Hoffman Agency +852 2231 8101 jchan@hoffman.com Gladys Chow The Hoffman Agency +852 2231 8115 gchow@hoffman.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Flight Attendants of Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV), represented by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 556, voted to ratify the Tentative Agreement that both parties reached in September 2016. The new contract includes a ratification bonus and annual wage rate increases over the life of the contract. The Union reports that 53.86 percent of those who cast ballots voted in favor of the contract agreement, and 89.21 percent of eligible Southwest Flight Attendants voted. Negotiators for Southwest Airlines and TWU 556, which represents more than 14,500 Southwest Flight Attendants, began contract discussions in 2013. The newly-ratified contract becomes amendable on November 1, 2018. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Mobility Services Platform Outline Toyota Motor Corporation Public Affairs Division Global Communications Department Tel: +81-3-3817-9926 Toyota City, Japan, Nov 1, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation will establish a Mobility Services Platform (MSPF) to collaborate with various service providers, as well as telematics insurance. Based on the proliferation and popularity of mobility services, like car-sharing; the MSPF will have various functions to support mobility services, and leverage the Toyota Smart Center (TSC), the Toyota Big Data Center, and financial services.Shigeki Tomoyama, President of Toyota's in-house Connected Company stated: "As a mobility service platform provider, by collaborating with various companies and services, we would like to help create a new mobility society in order to offer safer and more convenient mobility to our customers."Recently, Toyota has developed individual business functions, such as vehicle management systems and leasing programs, and offered them to mobility service providers. The MSPF will aggregate and comprehend these functions. Going forward, when Toyota partners with mobility service providers, the provider can select and use functions in the MSPF to offer more convenient and refined services to users.To enhance a MSPF-based car-sharing, Toyota developed the Smart Key Box (SKB); that can be placed in a vehicle without modification. Car-sharing users can lock and unlock doors, and start the engine with their smartphone. Thus providing a safer and more secure way of lending and renting cars.A smartphone application will receive codes to access the SKB device, which the assigned vehicle owner has placed in the vehicle. When the smartphone is brought near the vehicle, the codes are authenticated with the SKB through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communications, and the user can operate the key with the smartphone, similar to regular smart key operation. The time and period when the user can access the SKB is set and managed by the TSC, based on the vehicle reservation.In traditional car-sharing services, users have shared keys-physically, via a vehicles console box, or a dedicated communication device would be connected with the Controller Area Network (CAN). These traditional methods present room for improvement.Using the MSPF and SKB, Toyota will conduct a pilot program with U.S. car-sharing company - Getaround. The pilot program will start in January 2017 in San Francisco, Calif. To support this collaboration, the Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership, a fund in which Toyota participates, provided strategic investment to Getaround in October. During the pilot program, Toyota and Getaround will explore the benefits and convenience of the SKB in car sharing.Toyota Financial Services Corporation will develop a new financial product where the lessee is able to use the income generated from car-sharing to pay for leasing charges. The aim is to increase the number of vehicles for sharing in a more convenient manner, and to attract new users to such mobility services. Based on the exploration results, Toyota will consider using the MSPF for other mobility services in Japan, like unmanned rent-a-car businesses.Toyota Connected Inc., Toyota's U.S.-based global company focusing on connectivity, will develop and operate the MSPF."Our goal at Getaround has always been to empower people to car-share everywhere," said Sam Zaid, Getaround's Founder and CEO. "Integrating our experience and purpose-built car-sharing technology with Toyota's activities across mobility services opens up new opportunities to Toyota customers and the rapidly growing car-sharing market."About ToyotaSupported by people around the world, Toyota Motor Corporation (TSE: 7203; NYSE: TM), has endeavored since its establishment in 1937 to serve society by creating better products. As of the end of December 2013, Toyota conducts its business worldwide with 52 overseas manufacturing companies in 27 countries and regions. Toyota's vehicles are sold in more than 170 countries and regions. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.Source: ToyotaContact:Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. SEOUL, KOREA, Nov 1, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - Suprema, a global leader in biometrics and identity solutions and provider of BioSign fingerprint authentication algorithm, today announced that the company enters into partnership with Egis Technology Inc., a leading global provider of fingerprint sensors.The partnership will bring a solid layer of security and robustness for mobile fingerprint authentication of top-tier smartphone manufacturers by blending world's leading Suprema BioSign fingerprint algorithm and Egis's advanced sensor technologies.Earlier this year, Suprema launched BioSign, a mobile fingerprint authentication solution at MWC 2016 which derived from the company's 16 years of expertise in biometrics.Supporting of the world's smallest fingerprint sensor size is the key advantage of BioSign over competition. While reducing the size of the sensor, BioSign provides improved authentication performance compare to existing technologies."In general, fingerprint authentication performance has strong co-relation with size of sensors. While smaller sensors often result in poorer accuracy, BioSign overcame such inherent limitation, providing even superior performance with smallest sensor in the market. Such breakthrough will provides direct benefit in cost reduction to manufacturers," said Brian Song, CEO at Suprema.In addition, BioSign provides unrivaled level of security by achieving lowest error rate (False Acceptance Rate) among competitions, and performs over 300% faster authentication speed while using 50% of memory to conventional solutions. Such advantages also make BioSign as an optimal choice for low-end smartphone markets where adoption of fingerprint sensors is emerging today."The latest market trend of growing demand for mid-range smartphones has significantly increased the needs for reduction in costs without sacrifice to performance or features. BioSign's capability to work with smaller sensors will help with cost reduction efforts.""At Suprema, we are expecting more growth potential from mid-to-low range smartphone segments as BioSign is designed to support low-cost smaller sensors and takes less memory than existing solutions. BioSign is now on testing at a number of top-tier smartphone producers and we expect successful market entry in near future," Song added.Earlier to this contract, Egis Technology Inc. announced that the company's fingerprint sensors are selected to Samsung Galaxy A5 and Galaxy C7 models.About Egis Technology Inc.As a leading provider of fingerprint biometrics, Egis Technology Inc. specializes in providing a total turnkey solution with superior sensor performance and software functionality. Egis' leading edge fingerprint technology is the ideal choice for implementation in mobile devices. As a board member of the FIDO Alliance, Egis aims to provide security and authentication for all in the online world. Egis is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan with a branch office located in China and subsidiaries in Japan and USA. For more information, please visit www.egistec.com.About SupremaSuprema is a leading global provider of biometrics and security technology. By combining world renowned biometric algorithms with superior engineering, Suprema continually designs and develops industry leading products and solutions. Suprema's extensive range of portfolio includes biometric access control systems, time & attendance solutions, fingerprint live scanners, mobile authentication solutions and embedded fingerprint modules. Suprema has worldwide sales network in over 130 countries and is one of the world's Top 50 security company in its turnover (ranked in A&S's Security 50, 2010-2015). For more information, please visit www.supremainc.com.Press Contact:Andy AhnHead of Marketing, Suprema Inc.Email: andyahn@suprema.co.krSource: Suprema Inc.Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. EQS Group-News: Swiss Green Electricity Management Group SA / Key word(s): Investment Swiss Green Electricity Management Group, the independent owner and operator of energy storage assets globally, announces its first investment in US PJM Regulation Market 2016-11-01 / 06:30 For publication on Tuesday 1st November 2016 *Swiss Green Electricity Management Group, the independent owner and operator of energy storage assets globally, announces its first investment in US PJM Regulation Market.* - _SGEM acquires its first US project and starts building a 20 MW / 10 MWh Energy Storage Plant outside Chicago to provide real-time frequency regulation service to the US regional transmission PJM Market_ - _SGEM announces a partnership with Leclanche and selects Leclanche as the overall Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor and battery energy storage system supplier for Marengo Project_ *LAUSANNE, Switzerland, 1st November 2016.* Swiss Green Electricity Management Group (SGEM), an innovative investment company focused on the rapidly growing international energy storage market, has been formed by a group of Swiss entrepreneurs led by Swiss investor Antoine Spillmann, the CEO and executive partner at Swiss-based Bruellan Wealth Management. *SGEM* *acquires late-stage energy storage projects on a build-own-operate model*. The group provides equity capital, leads project finance and supervises construction and operation of the respective energy storage assets to deliver risk-adjusted returns to investors. "The significantly higher share of renewable energy in the electricity mix poses substantial challenges to a stable supply and requires strengthened grid stability," explains Antoine Spillmann, Chairman of SGEM. "As a direct result, demand for frequency regulation is growing considerably. The smart deployment of battery energy storage systems is the lowest-cost solution to help grid operators to reduce and defer their investments into transmission and distribution infrastructure upgrades. These services result in significant savings for both consumers and operators as illustrated in the already well-structured U.S. market. In parallel, the EU is now adopting new market regulation which will stimulate the implementation of similar projects in key European markets." "SGEM works with strategic partners and co-investors on specific projects which are expected to benefit from risk-adjusted infrastructure returns, thanks to a portfolio of projects which is well diversified across geographies and market applications. We believe that SGEM is the industry's first independent owner and operator of energy storage projects," highlights Spillmann. *Preferred Partnership with Leclanche and First Project acquired from GlidePath Power* SGEM entered into a preferred partnership with Leclanche SA, a leading global, fully vertically integrated battery energy storage solution company. This partnership provides SGEM a right of first offer to Leclanche's qualified projects. The first project of this partnership is the acquisition of the Marengo Energy Storage Plant located outside of Chicago, Illinois. The grid-scale energy storage project, with 20 megawatts (MW) of power capacity and the ability to store 10 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy capacity, is among the largest fully commercial battery storage projects in North America.The project was developed by GlidePath Power, a leading developer of advanced energy solutions, which recently sold three similar projects to British power producer RES and French utility EDF. SGEM and GlidePath worked together to validate the project's technical and economic performance. GlidePath selected Leclanche as the overall engineering, procurement and construction contractor, system integrator and battery energy storage systems (BESS) supplier. Leclanche's integrated BESS provides superior performance factor as defined by the Reg D PJM Regulation Market. The Marengo plant will be interconnected to the local Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) electric grid and will provide real-time frequency regulation service to PJM Interconnection (PJM). The project will respond almost instantly to the continually changing needs of the grid, allowing PJM to deliver higher-quality reliable electrical service, at a lower cost, to end users in the 13 states and the District of Columbia. "By entering the well-structured and dynamic PJM energy storage market with the Marengo Project, SGEM investors are providing long term commitments to this fast growing asset infrastructure class," said Spillmann. "We look forward to a continued long-term partnership with Leclanche as the Marengo Project illustrates the Swiss company's technological expertise and its innovative solutions in providing viable and competitive BESS, as well as in managing the construction of the asset as the global engineering, procurement and construction project contractor. The partnership's project portfolio provide a high quality and diversified pipeline of energy storage assets. We look forward to further growing our portfolio in the North American market and looking into other projects worldwide." "Battery storage projects can respond instantaneously to smooth out the peaks and valleys in electric voltage, which allows grid operators to provide a more stable supply of power while generating revenue for project owners," commented Dan Foley, CEO and founder of GlidePath Power. "SGEM's investment demonstrates European investors' growing interest in the American energy storage market. Projects like Marengo will be critical to maintain the stability of the electric grid as more renewables and distributed generation come online." "SGEM is the first independent investment firm to deploy dedicated capital into this new infrastructure asset class and is paving the way to new responsible equity investments. Leclanche is now focused on constructing the project on cost and time" said Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanche. # # # *About SGEM* SGEM is an independent owner and operator of energy storage assets based in Switzerland. Driven by its long-term vision as an investor in energy storage infrastructure, SGEM covers all the value-added activities from final stage of project development, financing, construction supervision, operations & maintenance. SGEM built strong cooperation with various developers in selected markets and geographies to complete the validation of their project technical and economic performance. These different activities call on a range of capabilities, including industrial expertise and financial innovation. For more information visit: www.sgemgroup.com [1] *About GlidePath* GlidePath Power is a leading greenfield developer that has the depth of experience and understanding spanning the breadth of skills required to develop financeable power projects, regardless of the technology. In less than two years, GlidePath Power has demonstrated its ability to develop, contract, and commercialize three battery storage projects, totalling 60MW, or roughly 40% of PJMs installed capacity of battery storage projects. GlidePath Power continues to develop advanced energy solutions across the US, including 280MW of additional PJM battery storage projects. For more information, visit: www.glidepath.net [2] *About Leclanche* Leclanche is a fully vertically integrated battery energy storage solution provider. It delivers a wide range of turnkey energy storage solutions for homes, small offices, large industries, electricity grids, as well as hybridization for mass transport systems such as bus fleets and ferries. Leclanche offers a rich portfolio of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) comprised of bespoke battery systems from industry leading lithium-ion solutions. Leclanche is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SIX: LECN). For more information, visit: www.leclanche.com [3] # # # *Media contact* media@sgemgroup.com # # # *Disclaimer* This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements and assessments or intentions concerning SGEM and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, assessments or intentions. Additional features: Document: http://n.eqs.com/c/fncls.ssp?u=PSQJDTEPAY [4] Document title: Kit End of Corporate News 516209 2016-11-01 1: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=7612a30f8b199e3a4200196dbf5008c6&application_id=516209&site_id=vwd&application_name=news 2: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=791bf030cc261137c9cc4510b04de884&application_id=516209&site_id=vwd&application_name=news 3: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=57d2f8871d72682fbb267101ca070095&application_id=516209&site_id=vwd&application_name=news 4: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=39ec54f6eb1e30ef79a3468f67741f7f&application_id=516209&site_id=vwd&application_name=news (END) Dow Jones Newswires November 01, 2016 01:30 ET (05:30 GMT) Aarhus, Denmark, 2016-11-01 07:45 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --On 18 August 2016, Vestas initiated a share buy-back programme, ref. Company announcement No. 26/2016. The programme is implemented in accordance with Article 5 of Regulation No 596/2014 of the European Parliament and Council of 16 April 2014 (MAR) (the "Safe Harbour" rules). The purpose of the programme is to adjust Vestas' capital structure and to meet the obligations arising from share based incentive programmes to employees of Vestas.Under the programme Vestas will buy back shares for an amount up to DKK 2,984 million (approximately EUR 400 million) in the period from 18 August 2016 to 30 December 2016.The following transactions have been made under the programme during the period 25-31 October 2016:Number of Weighted average purchase Transaction shares price, DKK value, DKK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 October 2016 80,000 547.39 43,791,248 26 October 2016 68,848 539.32 37,131,310 27 October 2016 33,400 537.99 17,968,873 28 October 2016 40,000 539.92 21,596,968 31 October 2016 35,652 542.04 19,324,906 Accumulated under the 2,775,513 548.33 1,521,896,149 programme --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Details of all the transactions relating to the share buy-back programme during the period are presented in the attached appendix.Contact details Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Denmark Hans Martin Smith, Senior Vice President, Group Treasury and Investor Relations Tel: +45 9730 8209Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=602411 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Regulatory News: EMAS Offshore (OSE:EMAS) The Board of Directors (the "Board") of EMAS Offshore Limited (the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") refers to the announcements released by Perisai Petroleum Teknologi Berhad, which the Company owns an equity stake of 11.5% ("PPTB"), on 27 October 2016 on Bursa Malaysia, as well as the announcement released by Perisai Capital (L) Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PPTB on 27 October 2016 on SGXNET (collectively, the "Perisai Announcements"). The Perisai Announcements are available at http://news.cision.com/emas-offshore-limited/r/announcements-relating-to-perisai-petroleum-teknologi-berhad,c2111336. The Company is monitoring the situation and assessing the impact on the Group. Further announcements will be made in due course as and when appropriate. Shareholders and potential investors should exercise caution when trading in the Company's shares in relation to this Announcement. When in doubt as to the action they should take, shareholders and potential investors should consult their financial, tax or other advisers. By Order of the Board Shannon Ong Company Secretary 28 October 2016 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101005762/en/ Contacts: Mr Jason Goh Chief Financial Officer Email: investor_relations@emasoffshore-cnp.com Address: 15 Hoe Chiang Road, #28-01, Tower Fifteen, Singapore 089316 Tel: (65) 6349 8535 Seasoned Investor Brings Two Decades of Experience to Further Create Value in Europe for KKR Investors KKR today announced the appointment of Timothy R. Franks as a Member in its London office as of 1 February 2017. Timothy will lead coverage of the Consumer Retail industries in Europe, Africa and Middle East as a member of the Private Equity team, will support UK coverage and will sit on the European Private Equity Investment Committee. Timothy will join KKR from Advent International, where he was a partner, a European Investment Committee member and Head of the European Retail, Consumer Leisure team. He also successfully led the launch of Advent's office in New York between 2010 and 2013, and whilst there built up the firm's North American Technology practice. He has more than 17 years' investing experience in both Europe and North America, and has been involved in a number of high-profile investments. Johannes Huth, Member and Head of KKR Europe, Africa and the Middle East said: "I am delighted to welcome Timothy to KKR. His impressive track record of leading successful investments in both Europe and North America, in particular within the consumer retail sectors, will be a valuable addition to KKR's strong private equity team in Europe." Timothy R. Franks said: "KKR has an excellent reputation as a long-term investor in the European market and is a leading firm in the private equity industry globally. I look forward to working closely with my new colleagues to continue creating value for investors across all parts of the capital structure." Since 1996, KKR has invested in more than 55 major companies across industrial sectors in Europe, representing approximately $20 billion in invested long-term capital. -ends- About KKR KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages investments across multiple asset classes including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation at the asset level. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners' capital and brings opportunities to others through its capital markets business. References to KKR's investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101005767/en/ Contacts: For KKR Victor Mallet Finsbury Phone: +44(0)20 7251 3801 Email: victor.mallet@finsbury.com SAN FRANCISCO andGHENT, Belgium, Nov. 1,2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Showpad, the world's most powerful sales enablement platform, today announced its partnership with ComLine, a leading IT distributor in the DACH region, France and Eastern Europe. Through the partnership, ComLine resellers will now have the opportunity to actively support their customers with the digital transformation of their sales and marketing material. "Showpad is an ideal addition for our many resellers who want to enhance the productivity and mobility solutions they offer to their clients," said Johannes Borm, Marketing Director at ComLine GmbH. "Showpad already has many well-known customers in the enterprise sector. We are pleased that through this partnership, ComLine and our dealer network will now be able to address the needs of the small and medium-sized corporate market." "Showpad provides easy access to all vital sales and marketing material from any mobile device. With the Showpad platform, salespeople save time and achieve better results in their sales interactions," said Orhan Dayioglu, Sales Productivity Consultant with Showpad DACH. "Furthermore, companies that choose Showpad also see a need for tablet technology, which creates demand for other services offered by ComLine's resellers." "Through this partnership, ComLine and their resellers will be able to offer a strategic content activation platform to their customers," explained Michael R. Mazzarella, Partner Sales Manager at Showpad. "This in turn will make their customer's sales and marketing more mobile and more effective, providing them a distinct competitive advantage." About Showpad: Showpad delivers the world's most powerful content activation platform - one that makes content incredibly easy to find, present, share and measure. Showpad empowers businesses to deliver their content to the right audience at the right time with the most intuitive and robust content platform. With Showpad, sales and marketing teams work better together to engage with audiences, advance conversations, inspire loyalty and accelerate your business. The Showpad platform can be deployed quickly and scales for any company. Founded in 2011, Showpad activates the content of over 850 companies around the world, including Johnson & Johnson, Fujifilm, Audi, Intel and Kimberly-Clark. Showpad has dual headquarters -- in San Francisco and in Ghent, Belgium -- plus offices in Portland and London. For more information on Showpad, email press@showpad.com, visit www.showpad.com or follow us on Twitter: @showpad. About ComLine: Flensburg-based ComLine was founded in 1992 as an IT distributor with its main focus on the creative Mac market. Today ComLine offers manufacturers excellent marketing and channel strategies in DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), France and Eastern Europe. Besides reliable and fast logistics services, ComLine offers resellers additional services that are indispensable for successfully operating in today's IT business: software cloud services, renewal management, CRM as a Service, deployment for mobile devices and personalised CTO configurations. German resellers have once again voted ComLine one of the best wholesalers (CRN Excellent Distributor 2016). More details at http://www.comline-shop.de PORTLAND, OR -- (Marketwired) -- 12/15/16 -- iovation, the leading provider of device intelligence for authentication and fraud prevention, today announced it has been named "Outsourced Partner of the Year - The Best Buddy Award" in the Post Digital Insurance Awards. This is the third consecutive year Post Magazine has recognized iovation in its insurance industry awards. Judges from Post Magazine -- a UK-based insurance publication founded in 1840 -- and Europe's leading business advisory and startup accelerators selected the company for its device-based fraud prevention solutions successfully helping UK insurers reduce risk. "As insurers innovate, they are moving the customer experience such as claims processing and policy issuance online. And while insurers are building 360 degree views of their customers through an omni-channel approach, it opens the doors for fraudsters to attack," said Tom Pak, Vice President of Global Sales at iovation. "We are honored to win this award and help UK insurance companies harness new technologies, while enabling them to prevent fraud and enhance the consumer experience. We'll use this recognition as motivation to continue building upon and delivering our robust fraud-prevention technologies." "Our partnership with iovation has enabled us to offer fraud detection and prevention solutions which benefit our whole panel of car and van insurance partners," said Dan Cassell of UK insurance aggregator Gocompare.com. "We can also provide even further value to our partners who also use iovation, giving them more control over the quotes we send them. The abilities that iovation give us to at the earliest step in the quote process are extremely powerful in the fight against fraud." By leveraging iovation's intelligence about billions of internet devices, insurers can identify and stop fraud at point-of-sale, claim, mid-term adjustment, renewal or even at post-sale detection. The device insights help insurance companies identify risky transactions from devices already associated with fraud and abuse at other businesses -- dramatically increasing operational efficiency while enhancing the online experience for "known good" customers. Post Magazine recognized iovation during an award ceremony held on Nov. 18, 2016 in London. The publication similarly named iovation the "Outsourced Partner of the Year" last year, and the "Claims Technology Partner of the Year" in 2014. About iovation iovation protects online businesses and their end users against fraud and abuse, and identifies trustworthy customers through a combination of advanced device identification, shared device reputation, device-based authentication and real-time risk evaluation. More than 3,500 fraud managers representing global retail, financial services, insurance, social network, gaming and other companies leverage iovation's database of billions of Internet devices and the relationships between them to determine the level of risk associated with online transactions. The company's device reputation database is the world's largest, used to protect 18 million transactions and stop an average of 300,000 fraudulent activities every day. The world's foremost fraud experts share intelligence, cybercrime tips and online fraud prevention techniques in iovation's Fraud Force Community, an exclusive virtual crime-fighting network. For more information, visit iovation.com. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3091982 CONTACTS: iovation Inc. Connie Gougler 503-943-6748 Email Contact Flash China and Belgium have agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation and elevate their relations to a new high. The pledge was made on Tuesday during visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai's meeting with Kris Peeters, Belgian deputy prime minister and minister of employment, economy and consumer affairs, in charge of foreign trade. Lauding the smooth development of bilateral ties in recent years, Ma said that the China-Belgium relationship is at its height and the momentum for further cooperation remains strong. The two countries decided to upgrade their relations to an all-round partnership of friendship and cooperation in 2014 Recalling Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Belgium in 2014 and Belgian King Philippe's visit to China in the following year, Ma said high-level interactions between the two nations are getting closer and political mutual trust is increasingly strengthened. "China values its ties with Belgium," Ma said, noting that China is actively preparing for the upcoming visit of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, which is expected to inject new impetus into China-Belgium relations. He added that China is willing to join hands with Belgium to deepen political mutual trust and cooperation in various fields, especially investment, finance, high-end industries, regional cooperation as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, in a bid to elevate bilateral ties to a new high. As to the problem of global steel overcapacity, Ma said that the fundamental settlement is to push for a strong, balanced, sustainable and inclusive growth of the world economy, which requires joint efforts from all countries, adding that China has shown strong determination by applying practical and effective measures to address the issue. In terms of Article 15 of the protocol on China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Chinese vice premier stressed that all WTO members should respect the rules and deliver on its obligations. Peeters said Belgium is looking forward to Prime Minister Michel's upcoming visit to China, expressing the hope that the cooperation with China on aerospace, finance, regional development, small and medium-sized enterprises as well as other areas would be further enhanced. Belgium welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest in Belgium and will create a friendly environment for that purpose, he added. Ma is in Brussels to co-chair the sixth China-EU High-level Economic and Trade Dialogue with European Commission Vice President Jyrki Katainen. Baltika Group's fourth quarter resulted in net profit in the amount of 620 thousand euros, which is 287 thousand euros improvement over the same period comparative result in the previous year. The result of last year fourth quarter was net loss of 4,641 thousand euros and comparative figure of continued operations was a profit of 333 thousand euros. In connection with Baltika Group's exit from the Russian retail business, which represented a major line of business of the Group, the 2015 results of the Russian companies' retail are presented as discontinued operation. In the fourth quarter Baltika's revenue was 12,704 thousand euros, decreasing 6% compared to same period last year. Revenue growth was largest with 19% in wholesale and franchise and were 923 thousand euros. The increase in revenue is mainly attributable to Russian retail market's transition to franchise partner and Monton women's collection entrance to German department store chain Peek & Cloppenburg. Within year the number of Monton selling Peek & Cloppenburg department stores increased from 3 to 25. In addition to wholesale channel the franchise is actively being developed as well. At the beginning of October Baltika signed a franchise agreement with Serbian enterprise Victoria Elegans d.o.o., who will open Baltika's brands representing store Monton&More in Novi Sad Serbia in March 2017. Monton&More is a Baltika's new store concept to increase international sales, in addition to Monton other Baltika's brands are represented in these stores as well. At the end of fourth quarter there were 33 franchise stores, forming 26% of total stores portfolio. Retail revenue in fourth quarter decreased by 8% compared to same period last year and was 11,413 thousand euros. Revenue from Baltika Group's e-store Andmorefashion.com increased 12% in the fourth quarter and was 310 thousand euros. Countries with largest e-store sales were Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Finland. The e-commerce sales volume increased most in Lithuania where revenue increased 48% compared to same period last year. Baltika's gross profit margin in the fourth quarter was 51.8%, which is 3.8 percentage points higher than the comparative 48.0% margin in the same period last year. Gross profit margin has increased due to better intake margin and lower mark-downs. Gross profit in the fourth quarter was 6,575 thousand euros, which is 98 thousand euros more than in same period last year. Baltika's 2016 revenue totalled 46,993 thousand euros, which is 4% less than in the previous year. In the year total resulted in a net profit 177 thousand euros. In the last year the net loss was 6,359 thousand euros and the comparative result from continued operations was a loss in amount of 844 thousand euros. One of the reasons behind the improved results is the decision to leave from unprofitable high risk retail markets in Ukraine and Russia and transfer those brand stores over to franchise partner. This has allowed to increase franchise channel revenue while minimizing the risks and to keep Baltika's brands on these complicated markets. In addition, the results have improved as well due to more effective gross profit margin management and decrease in distribution and administrative expense. The year gross profit amounted 23,497 thousand euros i.e. 421 thousand euros more than in last year and distribution, administrative and general expense has decreased almost 800 thousand euros. In a year 2017 Baltika will continue with chosen course and strategy. Baltika's objective in home markets: in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is to maintain and strengthen their current position and the company's objective is also to grow outside Baltics through wholesale and franchise. Highlights of the period until the date of release of this quarterly report -- At the beginning of October Baltika signed a franchise agreement with Serbian enterprise Victoria Elegans d.o.o., who will open the first Monton&More multibrand store in Novi Sad Serbia in March 2017. -- On 22nd of October in Tallinn Kultuurikatel during Tallinna Fashion Week Baltman - the first men's fashion brand in Estonia - presented its special collection to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Baltman. -- At the last week of October in Riga Fashion Week, which is the most influential fashion event in Baltics, Ivo Nikkolo presented its 2017 spring-summer collection, which received a warm feedback from Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian fashion-audience. In addition, an overview of the collection was published in Vogue Russia and Elle Italy websites. -- At the beginning of November Monton marketing team won Digitegu 2016 ("Digital deed 2016") award for the best e-mail marketing. -- In the fourth quarter one new Baltman retail store was opened in Riga Mols shopping centre. In October, two freshly renovated Baltika's brand shops: Monton and Mosaic were opened in Kaunas Mega shopping centre. Both stores were upgraded into modern and fashionable stores using some of the new brand concept store elements which will provide better costumer experience. Consolidated statement of financial position 31 Dec 2016 31 Dec 2015 ---------------------------------------------------------- ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 419 398 Trade and other receivables 1,956 1,607 Inventories 11,096 10,424 Total current assets 13,471 12,429 Non-current assets Deferred income tax asset 228 234 Other non-current assets 522 584 Property, plant and equipment 3,022 2,910 Intangible assets 1,676 1,944 Total non-current assets 5,448 5,672 TOTAL ASSETS 18,919 18,101 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Current liabilities Borrowings 5,835 3,009 Trade and other payables 6,923 6,709 Total current liabilities 12,758 9,718 Non-current liabilities Borrowings 1,196 3,312 Other liabilities 0 283 Total non-current liabilities 1,196 3,595 TOTAL LIABILITIES 13,954 13,313 EQUITY Share capital at par value 8,159 8,159 Share premium 496 496 Reserves 1,182 1,182 Retained earnings -5,049 1,310 Net profit (loss) for the period 177 -6,359 TOTAL EQUITY 4,965 4,788 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY 18,919 18,101 Consolidated statement of profit and loss 4 Q 4 Q 2016 2015 2016 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Continuing operations Revenue 12,704 13,505 46,993 48,806 Client bonus provision 23 -70 23 -70 Revenue after client bonus provision 12,727 13,435 47,016 48,736 Cost of goods sold -6,152 -6,958 -23,519 -25,660 Gross profit 6,575 6,477 23,497 23,076 Distribution costs -5,242 -5,555 -20,336 -21,010 Administrative and general expenses -630 -683 -2,504 -2,603 Other operating income 95 282 44 242 Operating profit (loss) 798 521 701 -295 Finance costs -173 -147 -519 -508 Profit (loss) before income tax 625 374 182 -803 Income tax expense -5 -41 -5 -41 Net profit (loss) from continuing operations 620 333 177 -844 Net loss for the period from discontinued 0 -4,974 0 -5,515 operations Net profit (loss) for the period 620 -4,641 177 -6,359 Basic earnings per share from net profit 0.02 -0.11 0.00 -0.16 (loss) for the period, EUR From continuing operations 0.02 0.01 0.00 -0.02 From discontinued operations 0.00 -0.12 0.00 -0.14 Diluted earnings per share from net profit 0.02 -0.11 0.00 -0.16 (loss) for the period, EUR From continuing operations 0.02 0.01 0.00 -0.02 From discontinued operations 0.00 -0.12 0.00 -0.14 Maigi Parnik-Pernik Member of the Management Board maigi.parnik@baltikagroup.com Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=617713 Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Arco Vara AS and SIA Arco Real Estate (hereinafter "Company") management jointly announce management buyout (hereinafter "MBO") of the Company.On 31 October, 2016, Arco Real Estate AS, which is Arco Vara AS 100% subsidiary, sold its 70% stake in SIA Arco Real Estate to its current shareholder and chairman of the management board. After acquisition is complete Mr. Aigars Smits will become the major and controlling shareholder of the Company.The Company has no significant influence on the financial results of Arco Vara group. As the major shareholder without the decisive influence over the Company, Arco Vara group decided to sell its shares in the Company to Mr. Aigars Smits.The Company will continue its services as usually according to its best practices under rebranded new name. No changes will be made in the current management of the Company as well as in the Company's structure. All current contracts shall remain valid and binding towards any third person.According to MBO contract the Company management shall complete the Company rebranding within 180 days from the acquisition.Arco Vara AS' CEO Tarmo Sild's comment:"During the last five years, SIA Arco Real Estate generated on average 5% of the Group's revenue, but no profit for the Group's shareholders. While we recognized the complicated situation on Latvian real estate market after the crisis and today, the parent company's views on conducting brokerage and valuation business did not match the views of our Latvian management and 30% shareholders. Therefore, we agreed on a logical and mutually respectful solution whereby the management bought from the Group the existing organization and office. Arco Vara Group will continue doing real estate business in Latvia under its brand name Arco Real Estate and is open to new ventures, while we wish the best to our former partners and new competitors".SIA Arco Real Estate Chairman Mr. Aigars Smits' comment:"SIA Arco Real Estate has been in the market for almost twenty years. The company has gained its reputation as a reliable, professional and trustable company. Major part of our employees has been in the company for more than a decade and key persons since company was founded in year 1997.The company provides services mostly for the local market, therefore MBO is a logical solution for the company's future".Evelin Kanter Head of Legal Department Arco Vara AS Tel: +372 614 4594 evelin.kanter@arcovara.ee http://www.arcorealestate.com SOEST, Germany, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In February 2017, the National Military Museum of the Netherlands (NMM) stages the European premiere of the exhibition 'Genghis'.This exhibition tells the story of one of the greatest empires that ever was and the impact it had. 'Genghis' will be presented at the NMM until the end of August 2017. Genghis, an empire built on horseback The exhibition uses a variety of show-pieces to provide a glimpse of Genghis Kahn's life from a military perspective. This exhibition is the most comprehensive introduction to Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire ever presented internationally. Visitors will learn about the history of the development of the empire and how Genghis, with the help of his army and military innovations, rose to such fame. Reaching beyond the often told tales of the life of Genghis Khan, this exhibition expands the story of the Mongols, revealing that the history of the Mongol empire is richer, more exciting, and more important to the world we live in today than it could ever have been imagined. Extraordinary treasures Using wide-ranging contemporary sources, digital media and some of the rarest objects from the museums of Inner Mongolia, this is the story of the Mongols as it has never been told before. Some 123 artefacts come from the Inner Mongolia Museum (Hohot, China), including a golden saddle, whistling arrows and gold jewellery. It is for the first time that such a variety of artefacts is accessible to the public outside of China. Genghis takes its visitors on an immersive journey through the steppes, deserts and palaces of the Mongol Empire. The exhibition 'Genghis' is a project of Nomad Exhibitions, in collaboration with the Inner Mongolia Museum and the University of Edinburgh. National Military Museum The National Military Museum (NMM) is an iconic museum about the significance of the armed forces for the Netherlands in the past, present and future. The museum illustrates this significance using stories, activities and topical exhibitions you will not forget lightly. The museum boasts a huge presentation hall where visitors can get close to a variety of imposing items from the collection, such as aeroplanes, tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters. For more information, go to http://www.nmm.nl. LONDON, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Last night saw the completion of the biggest property deal since Brexit, with the official transferral of the former New Scotland Yard headquarters to new owners, BL Development Limited, an investment vehicle controlled by ADFG. Northacre, London's leading property developer has been appointed to undertake construction of the new scheme, named 'The Broadway'. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161027/433313 ) ADFG acquired New Scotland Yard from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) in December 2014 for 370 million, with planning permission granted in April 2016. Set to complete in 2021, The Broadway will provide 485,000-sqft residential, 146,000-sqft commercial and 37,500-sqft of retail space in the heart of Westminster. The Broadway's six architecturally striking buildings will provide a 20,000-sqft public realm linking Victoria Street with Broadway Street. Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Helen King, ADFG CEO Jassim Alseddiqi, ADFG COO Mustafa Kheriba and Northacre CEO NiccolA Barattieri di San Pietro marked the completion of this landmark deal in front of the iconic New Scotland Yard sign, before its move to the new headquarters on Victoria Embankment. Jassim Alseddiqi comments; "The Broadway represents the future of urban living, a thriving destination to live, work and play in a world class address surrounded by unparalleled views of London's most famous landmarks." NiccolA Barattieri di San Pietro comments; "The official handover of New Scotland Yard marks the beginning of the first phase of its development. The Broadway is an important milestone in Northacre's history; our first major mixed-use development which will set a new standard for London living, working and leisure." Helen King comments; "The Metropolitan Police Service is focused on providing a more modern, efficient and cost-effective estate, ensuring we remain at the forefront of 21st century policing and get more officers out on the streets, cutting crime and providing total care for Londoners." "By selling this building and moving our headquarters to Curtis Green, we're able to make savings to invest in frontline policing, improving the technological capability of the force and develop facilities like a brand new, state of the art police training centre in Hendon which was officially opened this month. This is a significant and exciting move for us and marks a new era of policing for the MPS." http://www.northacre.com Following the September announcement of a partnership with Code for America, cBrain has now agreed to establish an office at the SUPERPUBLIC Lab in San Francisco, where Federal State, City, Academia and private sector collaborate around public sector innovation. The office will allow cBrain to collaborate and work with the most technologically advanced cities in the world, at the heart of Silicon Valley innovation and entrepreneurship. cBrain brings many years of experience as a supplier to public sector organizations. This includes the F2 standard software and cloud. F2 was built for government in close collaboration with Danish ministries and is now used by half of all ministerial departments in Denmark as well as many agencies. cBrain also brings in a new fast track approach for delivering better citizen services as well as business and data control for Municipalities and Cities, based on F2. This is called "Municipality-as-a-Service" and is used by cities like Copenhagen City in Denmark and Liverpool City in the UK. About SUPERPUBLIC. SUPERPUBLIC was launched in May 2016, by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, U.S. General Services Administrator Denise Turner Roth, U.S. Department of Commerce, and the City Innovate Foundation as the first-of-its-kind Innovation Lab bringing public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors together to solve urban problems. The Innovation Lab at SUPERPUBLIC is located on the top floor of 50 U.N. Plaza in the heart of the civic district of San Francisco Per Tejs Knudsen, CEO Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Japanese yen continued to be weak against its major rivals in the early European session on Tuesday. The yen fell to a 3-week low of 115.49 against the euro, nearly a 4-week low of 129.03 against the pound and nearly a 4-week low of 106.39 against the Swiss franc, from early highs of 114.81, 127.95 and 105.82, respectively. Against the Australian, the New Zealand and the Canadian dollars, the yen dropped to nearly a 4-month low of 80.64, nearly a 2-month low of 75.44 and a 4-day low of 78.54 from early highs of 79.56, 74.87 and 77.97, respectively. The yen edged down to 105.12 against the U.S. dollar, from an early high of 104.67. If the yen extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 117.00 against the euro, 132.00 against the pound, 107.00 against the franc, 82.00 against the aussie, 76.00 against the kiwi, 80.00 against the loonie and 107.00 against the greenback. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MANCHESTER, England, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Asset Management Group Sanford DeLand Asset Management Limited (SDL Limited) is delighted to announce that Rosemary Banyard has joined the team as Investment Director and will work alongside the founder of SDL, Keith Ashworth-Lord, who manages the highly successful CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/MM6128211 ) (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/MM61282 ) As Co-Head of Schroders Pan-European Mid and Small Cap Team and manager of various UK Small Cap, UK Mid Cap and Unconstrained UK All Cap mandates, Rosemary was responsible for AUM of circa 1bn. Widely recognised as one of the UK's top fund managers with an award-winning track record, Rosemary, who is married with two daughters, is a highly experienced investment manager. Whilst at Schroders, she built up an extensive knowledge bank of small to mid-cap sized companies across all UK sectors developing a very successful and sustainable set of open-ended, closed-ended and segregated pension scheme portfolios over her 18-year career. Following Rosemary's decision to join the SDL team she commented: "I am delighted that after a short break from the City I have chosen to work with the SDL team. They are very professional in both approach and ethics. Keith and I also have very similar principles when it comes to investment. Both of us have had the privilege to build very successful investment portfolios. I am eager to combine our financial and analytical skills so we can innovate and introduce, subject to the appropriate FCA approvals, new investment products in the future to complement SDL's highly successful Buffettology product already in the market." Ian Page, Chairman of SDL Limited said: "This is very exciting for us to attract such a high calibre, well-respected fund manager to the team is compelling. She is a fantastic addition and I believe that the combined skill sets of Keith and Rosemary will open up further opportunities for us to enhance the business that we have built over the last five years; I have known Rosemary for many years; she is a great communicator with the ability to engage with a diverse range of stakeholder groups. From her track record we have seen that through her clear and disciplined investment approach she has been able to deliver industry leading returns for her client portfolio and we hope to see this success replicated over the coming years as part of the SDL team." Managing Director and founder of SDL Limited, Keith Ashworth-Lord added: "Rosemary and I both discovered that we shared a passion for fundamental business analysis, long-term thinking and Business Perspective Investing. I believe that as likeminded individuals we can add new business and new products that will be able to attract further asset management opportunities and drive stakeholder returns over the medium to long-term. It is a very exciting time and we all look forward to the future with confidence." Since its inception in 2011, the CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund has demonstrably outperformed the UK Stock market, winning attention from the national press, receiving top ratings and collecting several industry awards. Since launch it has returned 116.7% against the benchmark index of 48.9% and sector average performance of 51.2%, placing it 8th out of 239 funds in its peer group. Current funds under management are 64m. TO READ the News Release, Team Biographies and Company information in full click on this link http://www.sanford-deland.com/17/in-the-press NORTH READING, Massachusetts, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --TraceLink Inc., the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the life sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace, today announced an early access program for a European Union (EU) hosted Life Sciences Cloud, which will be available to select customers and trading partners by February 2017. With data residency in both the EU and U.S., global customers can utilize TraceLink's unique network-tenant platform approach to significantly reduce the time, cost and risk of achieving regulatory compliance for global requirements, including the EU Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD), and eliminate the need to verify and certify point-to-point connections to each government system. As the industry prepares for the impending 2019 deadline for the EU FMD, the need for greater vigilance around drug product security in the EU has become increasingly crucial in light of recent drug counterfeiting incidents. In Europe, counterfeit medicine accounts for an estimated industry loss of approximately 10 billion in annual revenues and direct employment losses of approximately 38,000 jobs, according to a recent industry report1. TraceLink's unparalleled industry expertise and proven Life Sciences Cloud, utilized by 444 customers and 242,000 partners on the global network, provides the ultimate protection and security for drug products that are manufactured, packaged, sold and dispensed in the EU, with the added benefit of speed, scalability and reassurance of a mission-critical, highly available supply chain service. "We've rapidly expanded our global footprint due to the industry's need for a proven solution, and remain dedicated tohelping our customers around the world meet their compliance, trade and corporate obligations," said Shabbir Dahod, president and CEO, TraceLink. "With this commitment and investment in Europe, TraceLink will be able to address our customer and partners' requirements for data security, scalability, control and compliance, as the European market prepares for massive network and data challenges in order to meet serialization regulations." European data residency for the Life Sciences Cloud will be hosted by Amazon Web Services and deployed in Germany across multiple availability zones designed to automatically route serialized data feeds to the appropriate global region. With offices in the UK, India, Singapore and the United States, 69 percent of TraceLink's current pharmaceutical and contract manufacturing customers have compliance requirements for the EU (EU Falsified Medicine Directive), as well as other regions, including India, Brazil, China, South Korea, Turkey, Argentina, Russia and Saudi Arabia. To learn more about TraceLink's complete EU Falsified Medicines Directive solution, visit www.tracelink.com. 1.Nathan Wajsman, et al. "The Economic Cost of IPR Infringement in the Pharmaceutical Industry," EUIPO, September 2016. About TraceLink TraceLink is the World's Largest Track and Trace Network for connecting the Life Sciences supply chain and eliminating counterfeit prescription drugs from the global marketplace. Leading businesses, including 16 of the top-20 global pharmaceutical companies, trust the TraceLink Life Sciences Cloud to deliver complete global connectivity, visibility and traceability of pharmaceuticals from ingredient to patient. A single point and click connection to the Life Sciences Cloud creates a supply chain control tower that delivers the information, insight and collaboration needed to improve performance and reduce risk across global supply, manufacturing and distribution operations. A winner of numerous industry awards including Deloitte's Technology Fast 500 (ranked number 293 in 2015), the Amazon AWS Global Start-Up Challenge Grand Prize, and the Edison Award for Innovation in Health Management, the Life Sciences Cloud is used by businesses across the globe to meet strategic goals in ensuring global compliance, fighting drug counterfeiting, improving on-time and in-full delivery, protecting product quality and reducing operational cost. For more information on TraceLink and our solutions, visit www.tracelink.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. TraceLink is funded by FirstMark Capital, Volition Capital and F-Prime Capital. VIENNA (dpa-AFX) - European stocks are inching higher on Tuesday, with resource stocks outperforming, after twin manufacturing PMI surveys from China added to recent signs that the world's second-biggest economy is stabilizing. The latest survey from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that activity in China's vast manufacturing sector continued to expand in October, and at a much faster pace, with a manufacturing PMI score of 51.2. The Caixin manufacturing PMI rose to 51.2 in October, marking the fastest pace of improvement since March 2011. Meanwhile, with the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Bank of Japan holding rates steady, as widely expected, investors now look ahead to meetings from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England for further direction. The pan-European Stoxx Europe 600 index is currently up 0.4 percent at 340.22 in opening deals, snapping a six-day losing streak. The German DAX is up half a percent at 10.718 and France's CAC 40 index is moving up 0.4 percent to 4,527 while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 is marginally higher at 6,957. Miners Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Glencore and Rio Tinto are up 1-2 percent, boosted by encouraging manufacturing data out of China. Royal Dutch Shell shares are rallying 3 percent as the Anglo-Dutch multinational oil firm swung to a third-quarter profit and announced an interim dividend. Rival BP Plc shares are down 2 percent. The company's third-quarter profit nearly halved amid a slump in oil prices. Novartis is marginally higher after the U.S. FDA granted priority review status for its drug LEE011 (ribociclib) used in the treatment of advanced breast cancer. Syngenta shares are declining half a percent after ChemChina extended its $43 billion cash offer for the Swiss agrichemicals group to Jan. 5. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. MUNICH, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On 01 November 2016, GEMA and the online platform YouTube signed a licensing agreement which also covers the contractual gap since 2009. 70,000 music authors and publishers represented by GEMA are now going to receive again remuneration for the exploitation of their musical works protected by copyright. After years of legal disputes and lengthy negotiations, GEMA and YouTube managed to agree on a licensing contract. By concluding this contract, GEMA members will now be paid for the exploitation of works protected by copyright via the online platform with the furthest global reach. GEMA is fulfilling its fiducial duty to manage the rights on behalf of its members by signing this contract. The public is another beneficiary of this agreement. From now on, so-called blocked content notices will discontinue. YouTube is no longer going to place them prior to music videos containing GEMA repertoire protected by copyright. Dr Harald Heker, GEMA CEO, commented the contract as follows: "After seven years of tough negotiations the conclusion of this contract with YouTube marks a milestone for GEMA and its members. We remained true to our position that authors should also get a fair remuneration in the digital age, despite the resistance we met. It is crucial that the licensing agreement that we have now signed covers both the future and the past. By reaching this agreement, we can secure the royalties for our members." On top of the traditional ad-based service, the agreement covers the new subscription service that YouTube is already offering in the USA and which it is planning to launch in Europe. Thomas Theune, Director of Broadcast and Online at GEMA, adds: "The conclusion of this contract with YouTube is a clear signal to all online platforms that successfully build their business models on the musical works of creatives. Authors must be fairly remunerated for the exploitation of their musical works. GEMA will continue to actively pursue this goal." There are still different legal positions held by YouTube and GEMA on the issue of whether YouTube or the uploaders are responsible for the licensing of the used musical works. Irrespective of these diverging views, GEMA and YouTube decided to look forward and create a secure foundation for GEMA members and YouTube users. Dr Harald Heker reinforces this point, and states: "Despite the conclusion of this agreement, the challenge remains for the politicians to create a clear legal framework. The economic value of cultural and creative works must also be passed on to the creators of the works. A modern copyright needs to be created which enables music creators to claim their financial share in the digital value chain." Please find footage material here: http://www.gema.de/youtube/footage Further information here http://www.gema.de/youtube GEMA represents the copyrights of more than 70,000 members in Germany, and more than two million copyright owners globally. Press contact: Nadine Remus, Communications Manager E-mail: nremus@gema.de Phone: +49 89 48003-583 VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - November 01, 2016) - American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP ("AHIP") (TSX: HOT.UN) (OTCQX: AHOTF) announced today the acquisition of a 104-room hotel located in Nashville, Tennessee (the "Nashville Property"). The Nashville Property features a multi-year, rail crew lodging contract with a large national U.S. railway and is being acquired for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$8.7 million, including US$950,000 for planned capital expenditures and excluding closing and post-acquisition adjustments. The Nashville Property is being purchased at a capitalization rate of approximately 10% after all management fees, FF&E reserve contributions, and renovation costs. ACQUISITION HIGHLIGHTS The Nashville Property is being purchased for approximately US$84,000 per guestroom, which is below management's estimate of replacement cost, and the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to AFFO per unit. Planned renovations include immediate conversion of the property to the industry-leading Oak Tree Inn rail crew hotel standards, which includes the incorporation of "Dark and Quiet" guestrooms, common area upgrades, and new property and yield management systems. The multi-year rail crew lodging contract is with an existing railway customer and will guarantee 58 guestrooms per night. Nashville is the state capital of Tennessee and has a metropolitan population of 1.8 million. According to STR, Inc., Nashville is one of the strongest RevPAR growth markets in the United States with an August 2016 Trailing Twelve Months RevPAR growth rate of 9.2%. Nashville has a number of strong demand generators, including being a major music recording and production centre, numerous health care companies, universities, large automotive companies including Nissan and Bridgestone, as well as other Fortune 500 companies. The acquisition will be funded with cash from the July 2016 bought deal offering. AHIP intends to obtain mortgage financing within 30 days of the completion date. This transaction is expected to be completed in early December 2016, subject to customary closing conditions and documentation. Mr. Ian McAuley, President of AHIP, commented, "This strategic acquisition of a rail crew hotel, uniquely located within a strong, high-demand commercial and leisure market, allows us to both strengthen our relationship with one of our key railway customers and also maximize transient and commercial lodging business." Mr. Rob O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer of AHIP, continued, "The continued growth of our contractual relationships with major railway companies is consistent with AHIP's strategy of providing long-term sustainable returns to our unitholders." Upon completion of the Nashville acquisition, along with the previously announced acquisition of six select-service, branded hotels in Florida, AHIP's portfolio will consist of 91 hotels totaling 8,686 guest rooms, with 46 rail crew hotels totaling 3,893 guest rooms and 45 branded hotels totaling 4,263 guest rooms. The Property will be managed for AHIP by its exclusive hotel manager Tower Rock Hotels & Resorts Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of O'Neill Hotels & Resorts Ltd. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, references to: the acquisition of the Nashville Property and the expected completion timing therefor; the cost and scope of the planned capital expenditures for the Nashville Property; the manner in which AHIP will fund the acquisition of the Nashville Property; post-acquisition adjustments to the purchase price for the Nashville Property; management's expectation that the acquisition of the Nashville Property will be immediately accretive to AFFO per unit; the terms of the rail crew lodging contract for the Nashville Property; AHIP's intention to refinance the purchase price with new mortgage financing; the future performance of any Oak Tree Inn hotels; the total number of hotels and rooms owned by AHIP after giving effect to the acquisition of the Nashville Property and the six select-service, branded hotels in Florida; and the management of the Nashville Property by Tower Rock Hotels & Resorts Inc. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by AHIP, including, without limitation: a reasonably stable North American economy and stock market; the continued strength of the U.S. lodging industry; management's estimate of the replacement cost of the Nashville Property; the ability to secure mortgage financing on the Nashville Property; the condition of the Nashville Property; the timing and scope of renovation work required to convert the Nashville Property to Oak Tree Inn standards and the ability to successfully complete such work; the ability to successfully integrate the Nashville Property; the long-term strategic benefit of the Nashville Property; the accuracy of third party reports with respect to lodging industry data for the Nashville area and expectations and assumptions related to capitalization rates, fees and reserves, as applicable. Although the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on what AHIP's management believes to be reasonable assumptions, AHIP cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with such information. Forward-looking information reflects current expectations of AHIP's management regarding future events and operating performance as of the date of this news release. Such information involves significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. These include, without limitation, those factors that can be found under "Risk Factors" in AHIP's Annual Information Form dated March 17, 2016 and under "Risks and Uncertainties" in AHIP's Management's Discussion and Analysis dated August 9, 2016, both of which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent AHIP's expectations as of the date of this news release, and are subject to change after this date. AHIP assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. ABOUT AMERICAN HOTEL INCOME PROPERTIES REIT LP AHIP is a limited partnership formed under the Limited Partnerships Act (Ontario) to invest in hotel real estate properties located substantially in the United States and is engaged primarily in the rail crew lodging, transportation-oriented, and select-service lodging sectors. AHIP's properties are mostly located in secondary and tertiary markets in the United States in close proximity to railroads, airports, highway interchanges, and other demand generators. AHIP's long-term objectives are to: (i) generate stable and growing cash distributions from hotel properties substantially in the U.S.; (ii) enhance the value of its assets and maximize the long-term value of the hotel properties through active management; and (iii) expand its asset base and increase its AFFO per unit through an accretive acquisition program, participation in strategic development opportunities and improvements to its properties through targeted value-added capital expenditure programs. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Additional information relating to AHIP, including its other public filings, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on AHIP's website at www.ahipreit.com. THE TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR THE ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Andrew Greig, Investor Relations American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP Suite 1660 - 401 West Georgia Street Vancouver, B.C. V6B 5A1 Phone: 604-630-3134 Email: agreig@ahipreit.com WINNEMUCCA, NEVADA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. (NYSE MKT: PZG) ("Paramount" or the "Company") announced today that it has received approval of the Company's drill program at its 100%-owned Grassy Mountain Gold Project in Eastern Oregon under Division 37 guidelines by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries ("DOGAMI"). The drill program is a key component of its Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") that the Company began in August. A 29-hole drill program was developed by Paramount in conjunction with its advisors, Mine Development Associates, Golder Associates, AUSENCO, and SPF Water Engineering to obtain additional data required for completion of the PFS, as follows: -- Further define the high grade gold zone to be mined underground and potentially expand the size of the zone; -- Acquire material for PFS-level metallurgical testing needed to design the recovery process including definition of crushing equipment and milling circuits required to optimize gold recoveries; -- Obtain geotechnical data on rock stability for underground mine design and mining methodology. -- Obtain hydrological data for hydrological modeling and to install various sensors for monitoring. Paramount has contracted Major Drilling to mobilize three rigs to the site and start the drilling in early November. Glen Van Treek, Paramount's President and CEO, said: "We are excited to work with DOGAMI to advance Grassy Mountain and we are very pleased with the level of co-operation we have received. This drill campaign will enable us to advance the project to the PFS level and report reserves. We will continue to work with DOGAMI and the federal Bureau of Land Management to obtain all necessary permits to initiate construction and mining." The PFS is scheduled for completion in late 2017. The PFS will provide the deliverables required to meet important milestones in the permitting process in 2017, including initiation of an Environmental Impact Statement ("EIS") and commencement of the final permitting processes with the federal Bureau of Land Management and state authorities in 2017. The project's Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") completed last year contemplated a 10-year underground mining operation with low cash operating costs driven by a higher than average underground gold grade of 5.32 g/T gold. The PEA estimated average annual production of 53,000 ounces of gold and 82,000 of silver yielding robust economics at a $1,300 per ounce gold price and silver at $17.50 per ounce. The project contains a global measured plus indicated mineralized inventory of 69 million tonnes with an average grade of 0.82 g/T gold and 2.25 g/T Ag containing an estimated 1.7 million ounces of gold and 4.9 million ounces of silver. The core underground mineralized material totals 3.3 million tonnes grading 5.32 g/T Au and 8.9 g/T Ag (For more details, see our release of July 7, 2016). Richard Delong of Enviroscientists Inc., Paramount's Environmental and Permitting Coordinator and an Environmental Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved this release. About Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Paramount Gold Nevada is a U.S. based precious metals exploration company. Paramount has an unusually high ratio of ounces of gold in mineral inventory to shares outstanding, providing its shareholders with exceptional leverage to the gold price. For our mineral inventory, click here. Paramount holds a 100% working interest in the Grassy Mountain Gold Project which consists of approximately 9,300 acres located on private and BLM land in Malheur County, Oregon. The Grassy Mountain project contains a gold-silver deposit (100% located on private land) for which a PEA has been prepared and key permitting milestones accomplished. For the PEA, click here. Additionally, Paramount owns a 100% interest in the Sleeper Gold Project located in Northern Nevada. The Sleeper Gold Project, which includes the former producing Sleeper mine, totals 2,322 unpatented mining claims (approximately 60 square miles or 15,500 hectares). Paramount's strategy is to create shareholder value through exploring and developing its mineral properties and realizing value for its shareholders in three ways: by selling its assets to established producers; entering into joint ventures with producers for construction and operation; or constructing and operating mines for its own account. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Concerning Estimates of Indicated and Inferred Resources This news release, and the disclosure to which it refers, use the terms "measured and indicated resources" and "inferred resources". We advise U.S. investors that while these terms are defined in, and permitted by, Canadian regulations, these terms are not defined terms under SEC Industry Guide 7 and not normally permitted to be used in reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. "Inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility studies, except in rare cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves", as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in this category will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of an inferred resource exists or is economically or legally minable. Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements This release and related documents may include "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") pursuant to applicable United States and Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analyses and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. Management believes that the assumptions and expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: the quantity and grade of resources included in resource estimates; the accuracy and achievability of projections included in PEAs; Paramount's ability to carry on exploration and development activities, including construction; the timely receipt of required approvals; the price of silver, gold and other metals; prices for key mining supplies, including labor costs and consumables, remaining consistent with current expectations; work meeting expectations and being consistent with estimates and plant, equipment and processes operating as anticipated. Paramount's future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans or prospects constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other applicable securities laws. Words such as "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates" and similar expressions should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: uncertainties involving interpretation of drilling results, environmental matters, lack of ability to obtain required permitting, equipment breakdown or disruptions, and the other factors described in Paramount's disclosures as filed with the SEC and the Ontario Securities Commission. Except as required by applicable law, Paramount disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this document. Contacts: Paramount Gold Nevada Corp. Glen Van Treek, President, CEO and Director Christos Theodossiou, Director of Corporate Communications 866-481-2233 Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. iconectiv: What: Stephen Ornadel of iconectiv, an authoritative partner of the global communications industry connecting more than two billion people every day, will lead a panel of fraud and roaming experts to discuss "The Future of Near Real Time Roaming Exchange (NRTRDE)" at the GSM Association Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS) event. NRTRDE is an interface used to exchange usage details of customers roaming abroad to their home network to identify and minimize potential fraudulent behavior. Who: Ornadel is Director of Business Development, EMEA for iconectiv and is responsible for products covering interconnection, fraud and number portability. Prior to iconectiv, Ornadel was Director of Roaming and Interconnection at T-Mobile UK/ EE and is credited with leading the industry's adoption of NRTRDE. He is a full member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. When: 9:00 a.m. GMT Thursday, November 3, 2016 Where: The Convention Centre Dublin Spencer Dock North Wall Quay Dublin, Ireland About WAS The Wholesale Agreements and Solutions Group (WAS) to be held in Dublin, Ireland, the week of October 31st to November 3rd, is a working group within the GSMA. WAS is responsible for Operator-to-Operator and Operator-to-Hub interoperability (including Interworking and Roaming) to provide GSMA members with a consistent, reliable GSM service to offer their customers. The WAS group comprises roughly 3,000 members. About iconectiv At iconectiv, we envision a world without boundaries, where the ability to access and exchange information is simple, secure and seamless. As the authoritative partner of the communications industry for more than 30 years, our market-leading solutions enable the interconnection of networks, devices, and applications for more than two billion people every day. Working closely with private, government and non-governmental organizations, iconectiv has intimate knowledge of the intricacies and complexities of creating, operating and securing the telecommunications infrastructure for service providers, governments and enterprises. iconectiv provides network and operations management, numbering, registry, messaging and fraud and identity solutions to more than 1,200 customers globally. A US-based company, Telcordia Technologies, doing business as iconectiv, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ericsson. For more information, visit www.iconectiv.com. [Suggested Tweet] .@iconectiv is discussing the future of NRTRDE at the WAS4 in Dublin, Ireland on 11/3. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101005854/en/ Contacts: Global Results Communications Media: Mike Kilroy/ Lora Wilson +1-949-608-0276 iconectiv@globalresultspr.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Lydian International Limited (TSX: LYD) ("Lydian" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that all privately owned land required for its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project have been acquired. Lydian now controls all surface rights within the footprint of the Rock Allocation Area as granted to Lydian by the Republic of Armenia. Privately owned land plots within the Rock Allocation Area were in the vicinities of the heap leach facility and along portions of the conveyor corridor. In total, the Company purchased 278 land plots covering approximately 150 hectares. Other surface rights within the Amulsar Gold Project area are also under Lydian's control through long-term leases with local communities. "All land access to build the Amulsar Gold Project has now been obtained. This was a very complex process, involving 145 individual land owners from the Gndevaz community. We believe this favorable outcome is a result of having engaged openly and respectfully with all parties, and reflects our sound working relationship with community members that will continue to support our advancement at Amulsar. We are very proud of this achievement," said Howard Stevenson, Lydian's President and CEO. About Lydian International Limited Lydian is a gold developer, focusing on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. Amulsar presents an opportunity for a large scale, low cost operation with production expected to begin in 2018. Open pit mining and conventional heap leach processing contribute to excellent scale and economic potential. Amulsar will be Armenia's largest gold mine, with estimated mineral resources containing 3 million measured and indicated ounces and 2 million inferred ounces. Gold production is targeted to average greater than 200,000 ounces annually over an initial 10 year mine life. Existing mineral resources and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the mine life. The Company is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. For more information and to directly contact us, please visit www.lydianinternational.co.uk. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information contained in this news release is "forward looking". All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "intends", "anticipates", "proposed" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "should", or "occur" or the negative or other variations of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the land and surface rights required in connection with the Amulsar Gold Project; the location of key components of the Amulsar Gold Project and the land and surface rights related thereto; the realization of mineral resource estimates and the timing of development of the Amulsar Gold Project, including the expected start date of production; results of future exploration and drilling; the potential improvement of average annual production and extension of the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of currently defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; the commitment to and implementation of good international industry practices; the expected gold production from, and life of mine of, the Amulsar Gold Project; the expected mining methods at the Amulsar Gold Project; the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold over the life of mine of the Amulsar Gold Project; and the expected cost of operations at the Amulsar Gold Project. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered when the property is developed. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: changes in gold and silver prices; adverse general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; failure to improve average annual production and extend the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; as well as "Risk Factors" included in the disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Contacts: Lydian International Limited Howard Stevenson President and CEO +1 720-307-5080 (d) +1 775-771-0739 (m) moreinfo@Lydianinternational.co.uk Lydian International Limited Doug Tobler CFO +1 720-307-5087 (d) +1 303-905-4442 (m) www.lydianinternational.co.uk LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Horizonte Minerals Plc, (AIM: HZM)(TSX: HZM) ('Horizonte' or 'the Company') is pleased to announce that it is proposing to raise GBP 9.0 million (before expenses) through a conditional placing of 450,000,000 ordinary shares of 1 pence each in the capital of the Company (the "Placing Shares") at a price of 2 pence per Placing Share (the "Placing"). The net proceeds from the Placing will be used to fund the preparation of a definitive feasibility study for the Company's 100% owned Araguaia Nickel Project in Brazil ("Araguaia") and for general working capital purposes. The Placing is conditional upon, among other things, approval of the resolutions at a general meeting of the Company, as further detailed below. Highlights: -- Proposed Placing of GBP 9.0 million by the issue of 450,000,000 Placing Shares at 2 pence per Placing Share -- Strong support from both new and existing UK and Canadian institutional and accredited investors -- Fundraising to be by way of a conditional Placing by finnCap and Shard Capital of 374,000,000 Placing Shares and on a non-brokered private placement basis in Canada of 76,000,000 Placing Shares. NRG Capital and Paradigm Capital are acting as financial adviser in connection with the Placing -- Net proceeds to be used to fund the definitive feasibility study for Araguaia and for general working capital purposes -- Follows the results of the Pre-Feasibility Study released in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") in October 2016 which demonstrated a post-tax NPV of U$328M and IRR of 19.3% based on a long term nickel price of U$12,000/t generating US$1.3 billion in free cash flow over the 28 year life of mine producing approximately 14,500 tonnes per annum nickel in ferronickel Jeremy Martin, CEO of Horizonte commented, "I am delighted that we have received conditional commitments to raise GBP 9.0 million through predominantly institutional investors in London and Toronto which will fund Araguaia's definitive feasibility study. Our principal shareholders, namely Teck, Henderson, Richard Griffiths and City Financial, have continued to show support for the development of Araguaia through participation in this Placing and we welcome two new significant institutional shareholders to our register further enhancing our existing high quality shareholder base. Their support is testament to the quality of the Araguaia nickel project. The work programme for the definitive feasibility study is expected to commence shortly, building on the recent Pre-Feasibility Study released in October, which demonstrated the robust economics of this Tier 1 project. The medium to long term consensus outlook for nickel is positive and we believe Araguaia is well aligned to maximize value for shareholders as we deliver the project milestones. We look forward to keeping shareholders updated at this exciting time in the Company's development." Further Information The Placing is conditional, inter alia, upon passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting due to be held at 10.00 a.m. on 29 November 2016 and the Placing Agreement between the Company, finnCap and Shard Capital becoming unconditional. It is expected that, subject to passing of the Resolutions, the Placing Shares will be admitted to trading on AIM at 8.00 a.m. on 30 November 2016. The TSX has conditionally approved the Placing subject to fulfilling all of the listing requirements of the TSX. Unless otherwise indicated, the scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed, approved and verified by Francis Roger Billington B.Sc. (Hons) P.Geo. (APGO), a consultant to the Company and co-author of the Report, and a Qualified Person. A circular dated 1 November 2016 setting out details of the Placing and giving notice of general meeting to approve the resolutions has today been sent to shareholders and will be available on the Company's website at http://horizonteminerals.com/uk/en/investors_and_media/ and its issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Capitalised terms not otherwise defined in this announcement shall have the same meaning ascribed to such terms in the Circular unless the context requires otherwise. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of EU Regulation 596/2014. For further information visit www.horizonteminerals.com. Background to and reasons for the Placing On 3 October 2016, the Company released the Report on the Araguaia Project, located south of the Carajas mineral district, north east Brazil. The results of the PFS were positive and demonstrate that the project is economically viable at current nickel prices. Following the recommendations of independent mining consultants, Snowden, it is the Company's intention to start work on a definitive feasibility study to establish the engineering and project costings involved. Details of the Placing The Company has today announced that it intends to raise GBP 9.0 million (C$14.7 million based on the Exchange Rate), before expenses, through a conditional placing by finnCap and Shard and on a non-brokered private placement basis in Canada pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement, of 450,000,000 Placing Shares at the Placing Price, which represents a discount of 3.8 per cent. to the closing mid-market price on AIM of 2.075 pence per Existing Share on 31 October 2016 (being the last practical date prior to the announcement of the Placing and a discount of approximately 18.5 per cent. (based on the Exchange Rate) to the closing price of C$0.04 on the TSX on 27 October 2016). The Placing Shares will represent 38.4 per cent. of the Company's issued ordinary share capital immediately upon completion of the Placing. The Placing Agreement Pursuant to the terms of the Placing Agreement, finnCap and Shard, as agents for the Company, have conditionally agreed to use their reasonable endeavours to procure subscribers for 374,000,000 Placing Shares. finnCap and Shard have conditionally placed such Placing Shares at the Placing Price. The Placing is conditional, inter alia, upon passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting, the Placing Agreement becoming unconditional and upon Admission becoming effective, in each case by no later than 8.00 a.m. on 30 November 2016 (or such time and date as the Company, finnCap and Shard may agree, being not later than 8.00 a.m. on 30 December 2016). The Placing is not being underwritten. The Placing Agreement contains customary warranties from the Company in favour of finnCap and Shard in relation to, inter alia, the accuracy of the information in this announcement and other matters relating to the Group and its business. In addition, the Company has agreed to indemnify finnCap and Shard in relation to certain liabilities it may incur in respect of the Placing. finnCap and Shard have the right to terminate the Placing Agreement in certain circumstances prior to Admission, in particular, in the event of a breach of the warranties given to finnCap and Shard in the Placing Agreement, the failure of the Company to comply with any of its obligations under the Placing Agreement and the occurrence of a force majeure event. The Subscription Agreement Pursuant to the terms of the Subscription Agreement, the subscriber has conditionally agreed to subscribe for 76,000,000 Placing Shares at the Placing Price. The parties' obligations under the Subscription Agreement are conditional upon (i) the Placing Agreement being entered into and becoming unconditional by no later than 8.00 a.m. on 30 November 2016 (or such later time and date as the Company, finnCap and Shard may agree, being not later than 8.00 a.m. on 30 December 2016); (ii) the passing of the Resolutions at the General Meeting; and (iii) Admission. Settlement and dealings Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the Placing Shares to be admitted to trading on AIM. It is expected that Admission will become effective and dealings in the Placing Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on 30 November 2016. The issuance of the Placing Shares pursuant to the Subscription Agreement is expected to occur on or about 2 December 2016. The Company has received the conditional approval for listing of the Placing Shares from the TSX. Listing is subject to the Company fulfilling all of the listing requirements of the TSX. The Placing Shares will, when issued, rank pari passu in all respects with the Existing Shares including the right to receive dividends and other distributions declared following Admission. Related Party Transactions The Insiders (as defined below) are related parties of the Company for the purposes of the AIM Rules by virtue of their status as substantial shareholders (as such term is defined in the AIM Rules) and the Insiders are considered insiders of the Company pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws as they each beneficially own or control, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the Existing Shares. Henderson Global Investors, Richard Griffiths, and Teck Resources Limited (collectively, the "Insiders") have agreed to subscribe for 50,000,000, 62,235,000 and 21,517,250 Placing Shares respectively, conditional on Admission. Taking into account the related party transactions noted above, the Independent Directors consider, having consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, finnCap, that the terms of the Placing with such related parties are fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's Shareholders are concerned. Canadian Securities Law and TSX Matters Participation by the Insiders in the Placing will be considered a 'related party transaction' pursuant to Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ('MI 61-101'). The Company intends to rely upon the exemptions from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval in connection with the Insiders' participation in the Placing in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the Placing Shares, insofar as it shall involve the Insiders, will exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization (calculated in accordance with MI 61-101). The Company is relying upon section 602.1 of the TSX Company Manual in connection with the Placing, which exempts the Company from obtaining shareholder approval under sections 604(a)(ii) and 607(g)(ii) of the TSX Company Manual, on the basis that the Placing is being completed in accordance with the standards of AIM and the volume of trading of the Ordinary Shares on all Canadian marketplaces in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of the application by the Company to the TSX for conditional approval of the Placing was less than 25%. General Meeting A notice convening the General Meeting, to be held at the offices of finnCap, 60 New Broad Street, London EC2M 1JJ at 10.00 a.m. on 29 November 2016 is set out in the Circular where the Resolutions will be proposed for the purposes of implementing the Placing. The Resolutions authorise the Directors to allot the Placing Shares and disapply the pre-emption rights in the Company's articles of association in relation to the issue of the Placing Shares. The authorities and powers granted by the Resolutions are in addition to any subsisting authorities and powers to allot shares and to disapply pre-emption rights. The Resolutions, if passed, will allow the Placing Shares to be issued without them first being offered to Shareholders generally in accordance with their statutory pre-emption rights. The Directors have concluded that proceeding with a placing, rather than a rights issue or open offer, is the most suitable option available to the Company for financing the feasibility study over the Araguaia Project and that issuing the Placing Shares at such a discount under the Placing is fair and reasonable so far as all existing Shareholders are concerned. Total Voting Rights Assuming the Resolutions are passed at the General Meeting, Admission becomes effective and the Placing Shares are issued pursuant to the Subscription Agreement, the Company's issued share capital will comprise 1,171,934,300 Ordinary Shares, all carrying voting rights. This figure (1,171,934,300) may be used by Shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to, their interest in the Company under the UK Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. Disclaimer With respect to the United Kingdom, the Placing is only being, and may only be, made to and is, and this announcement is, directed only at persons in the United Kingdom who are either both (a) a "Qualified Investor" within the meaning of Section 86(7) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA") and (b) within the categories of persons referred to in Article 19(5) (Investment professionals) or Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (High net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotions) Order 2005, or are persons in the United Kingdom to whom the Placing may otherwise be made or to whom the Placing may otherwise be directed without an approved prospectus having been made available to the public in the United Kingdom before the Placing is made, and without making an unlawful financial promotion, all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons". The securities being offered are only available to, and any invitation, offering or agreement to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire such securities will be engaged in only with, Relevant Persons. Any person who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this announcement or any of its contents. This announcement is not a prospectus or an admission document nor does it contain an offer or constitute any part of an offer to the public within the meaning of Sections 85 and 102B of FSMA or otherwise. Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements, forward-looking information and other cautionary notes Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements derived from the PFS, including, without limitation: estimated capital costs, operating costs, and other various other costs, estimated net present value, initial rate of return, anticipated construction period, expected LOM, production schedule, recoveries, estimated mineral reserves and mineral resources, expected sensitivity to prices, expected production and other economic and operational parameters inherent to a pre-feasibility study for a mineral project; statements with respect to targeted milestones going forward, including, without limitation, the expected timing for a definitive feasibility study, commencement of construction, and the timing of exploration activities. In addition, this news release includes forward-looking statements with respect to the General Meeting, including the passing of the resolutions; completion of the Placing, as contemplated or at all, and the Admission; use of proceeds from the Placing; potential of the Company's current or future mineral projects; the success of exploration and mining activities; and cost and timing of future exploration, production and development. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company's lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company's future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company's title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company's dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company's dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company's joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company's ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company's plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company's dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law or the AIM Rules. Such forward-looking information represents management's and/or its Qualified Persons' best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. This news release includes geographic and economic information, industry data and market share information obtained from independent industry publications, market research and analyst reports, surveys and other publicly available sources. Although the Company believes these sources to be generally reliable, geographic and economic information, industry data and market share information is subject to interpretation and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any statistical survey. Accordingly, the accuracy and completeness of this data is not guaranteed. The Company has not independently verified any of the data from third party sources referred to in this news release nor ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources. For readers to fully understand the scientific and technical information in this news release, they should read the Report in its entirety on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including all qualifications, assumptions and exclusions that relate to the PFS. The Report is intended to be read as a whole, and sections should not be read or relied upon out of context. This news release refers to expected cash cost, free cash flow, and certain other non-IFRS measures. These measurements have no standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. These measurements are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. Contacts: Horizonte Minerals plc Jeremy Martin +44 (0) 20 7763 7157 Horizonte Minerals plc David Hall +44 (0) 20 7763 7157 www.horizonteminerals.com finnCap Ltd (Corporate Broking) Joanna Scott +44 (0) 20 7220 0500 finnCap Ltd (Corporate Finance) Christopher Raggett +44 (0) 20 7220 0500 finnCap Ltd (Corporate Finance) James Thompson +44 (0) 20 7220 0500 finnCap Ltd (Corporate Finance) Anthony Adams +44 (0) 20 7220 0500 Shard Capital Stockbrokers (Joint Broker) Damon Heath +44 (0) 20 7186 9952 St Brides Partners Ltd (PR) Lottie Brocklehurst +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 St Brides Partners Ltd (PR) Elisabeth Cowell +44 (0) 20 7236 1177 NRG Capital Partners (Financial Adviser) Rita Adiani +44 (0) 20 709 4504 NRG Capital Partners (Financial Adviser) Mick Oliver +44 (0) 20 709 4504 VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- San Marco Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: SMN) ("the Company" or "San Marco") announces that surface right access agreements have been reached with the local ejidos (community landowners) at the Company's 100% controlled Chunibas project, Sonora, Mexico. The agreements are an essential step, allowing San Marco to advance the permitting process for planned mechanical trenching and drilling at Chunibas. The agreements are for an indefinite period, and are subject to reasonable annual payments. Chunibas mineralization consists of variably oxidized, shear / vein gold occurrences, hosted in an intermediate intrusive of Cretaceous age. The area contains numerous prior workings, which testify to the presence of locally high-grade free gold in the near surface. Past workers completed several widely spaced reconnaissance RC drill holes at varying orientations in 1997. Results of that drilling included the following near surface intercepts(i); -- 1.04 g/t gold over 42.6 metres, including 1.25 g/t gold over 30.4 metres. -- 2.04 g/t gold over 22.9 metres, including 4.4 g/t gold over 9.1 metres -- 2.80 g/t gold over 15.2 metres, including 6.20 g/t gold over 6.1 metres. Driving structures are thought to be oriented north - south; east-west bridging shears and stockworks occur between the main faults. The stockworks developed at the intersections of these two structural orientations are key to localization of higher grade gold. This is a well-organized, structurally controlled gold system which appears open in all directions, and which has been tested to only 60 metres below surface. Click here to view map. Mineralized shear/veins are generally 1 - 2 metres in width, but are surrounded by haloes of lower grade stockworks, breccias and fractures that constitute broader targets. This disseminated style of mineralization occurs in intrusive host rock without visible vein or shear development. Recent field studies have led the Company to reclassify the exploration model for Chunibas as intermediate sulfidation or intrusion-related rather than low sulfidation epithermal as past workers assumed. The company believes there is real potential for both bulk tonnage, near surface deposits as well as high grade, underground mineable resources. San Marco field crews are currently completing detailed geological mapping and sampling within the 800 X 800 meter area of known mineralization. Preliminary work has already identified additional mineralized structures to the west, where follow up detail sampling is ongoing (please see the Company's news release dated December 14th, 2014 for more details regarding Chunibas). Many of these newly discovered structures trend under alluvial cover. Crews will shortly begin a 1.25 by 1.25 kilometre soil geochemical survey to aid in tracing new and existing zones under cover. In addition, San Marco is working to acquire all historic geological and geophysical data to better plan for future exploration. Permit applications for trenching and drilling have been submitted to SEMARNAT and are expected to be approved before year-end. San Marco's CEO, Bob Willis stated, "We're excited to be back at work at Chunibas, completing the multi-faceted exploration program the project deserves. Initial work has shown that mineralization is much more extensive than records indicated, and that there is potential for bulk tonnage zones in addition to narrow, high-grade targets. The current program will position us to carry out an efficient and cost effective program of trenching and drilling on this 100% owned project." About San Marco San Marco Resources Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a portfolio of promising projects in mining-friendly Mexico, including the Chunibas & Mariana Projects in Sonora State. San Marco actively pursues strategic project generation program focused on high-calibre, low acquisition cost opportunities in the North-western Mexico. The Company has a committed management team with extensive experience in Mexico and a proven track record of building shareholder value. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Robert Willis, P. Eng. President & CEO National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure This news release has been approved by San Marco's CEO, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. (i)This news release includes technical information that was generated prior to the introduction of National Instrument 43-101. Details of the sampling methods, handling, and quality control methods used in the generation of this historical technical data are unknown to San Marco, and the drill material, assay results, true width of intercepts herein cannot be and have not been verified by the Company's Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this document may include forward-looking statements. While these statements reflect management's current plans, projections and intents, by their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond the control of San Marco Resources Inc. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. San Marco's actual results, programs, activities and financial position could differ materially from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contacts: Nancy Curry info@sanmarcocorp.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Rockcliff Copper Corporation ("Rockcliff "or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: RCU) is pleased to announce the first drill hole assay results from its phase 2 drill program on the Talbot Property, Manitoba. Drill hole TB-011 intersected multiple lenses of volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization with the following composite results; Main Lens-6.3 metres grading 9.0% Cueq including 1.7 metres grading 20.4% Cueq, Footwall Lens-7.2 metres grading 3.6% Cueq and Hanging Wall Lens-3.5 metres grading 2.8%Cueq Ken Lapierre, President and CEO commented, "With high grade copper and gold assays in multiple zones including a newly intersected mineralized hangingwall zone, we have decided to increase our planned drill meterage to 6,000 metres from its original 5,000 metres. All three lenses have significant grades while the main lens contains high grade gold mineralization which could have significant economic benefits for the property moving forward. The gold-rich Talbot copper deposit is open in all directions and we look forward to expanding its limits as well as testing proximal high priority geophysical targets." Completed drill hole information from its ongoing phase 2 drill program is tabled below. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cueq (Copper Hole # From (m) To (m) Length (m) equivalent %) Copper % ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TB-011 701.05 707.4 6.35 2.0 1.3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 701.05 704.55 3.50 2.8 1.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 713.2 719.47 6.27 9.0 3.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 713.2 714.92 1.72 20.4 7.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 731.31 738.53 7.22 3.6 2.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 732.69 736.78 4.09 4.2 2.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hole # Gold g/t Zinc % Silver g/t Comments ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TB-011 Talbot Deposit(TD)-New 0.50 0.4 14.6 HW lens ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 0.73 0.3 22.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and TD-high grade copper 4.82 2.7 57.8 corridor of main lens ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 12.21 5.6 136.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and TD-footwall FW lens 0.62 1.0 18.5 extension ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- includes 0.61 1.3 21.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (m) = metres represents down the hole thickness as true thickness are not currently known,% = percentage, g/t = grams per tonne, (i)copper equivalent value used US$2.50/pound copper, US1300/ troy ounce gold, US$1.15/pound zinc and US$20 /per ounce silver, 100% metal recoveries were applied, copper equivalent calculation is: CuEq = Cu grade + (Zn grade%/100(i)2204.6 x Zn price) + (Au grade/32.15/1000 x Au price) + (Ag grade/32.15/1000 x Ag price)/Cu price/20. The numbers may not add up due to rounding. TB-011 was drilled at UTM NAD83 co-ordinates 458451E/5997044N, to a depth of 785 metres, along an azimuth of 285 degrees, and a dip of -70 degrees. The gold-rich Talbot copper deposit is defined as a stratabound, VMS deposit consisting of several lenses of coarse grained to stringer to massive sulphides of pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and pyrrhotite in a quartzofeldspathic gneiss. The depositional environment is similar to that of present and past producing base metal deposits of bi-modal volcaniclastic rocks in the Flin Flon - Snow Lake Greenstone Belt. On February 4, 2016, Rockcliff announced on the Talbot Property an Inferred Mineral Resource as set out in the National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") technical report dated January 25, 2016 and titled "Technical Report on the Talbot Property, Manitoba, Canada" (the "Technical Report"), a copy of which is available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, in respect of an initial Mineral Resource Estimate prepared by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. ("RPA") for the Talbot Deposit located on the Talbot Property, central Manitoba. The Inferred Mineral Resource Statement prepared by RPA for the gold-rich Talbot copper deposit is detailed below. Mineral Resource Statement, Talbot Deposit, Manitoba, RPA, January 26, 2016 Grades -------------------------------------------- Zone Tonnes (kt) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Zn (%) Ag (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talbot Main 1,441.0 3.4 2.6 2.4 61.0 Talbot Main FW 443.9 2.2 2.0 2.4 55.6 North Lens 283.4 0.7 2.0 1.3 20.6 Total 2,168.3 2.8 2.4 2.2 54.6 Contained Metal -------------------------------------------------------- Zone Cu (Mlb) Au (koz) Zn (Mlb) Ag (koz) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talbot Main 107.0 118.6 76.4 2,827.8 Talbot Main FW 22.0 28.5 23.2 793.8 North Lens 4.6 18.3 7.9 187.6 Total 133.6 165.4 107.4 3,809.3 Notes: 1. CIM definitions were followed for the estimation of Mineral Resources. 2. Mineral resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of $140 Net Smelter Return (NSR) (equivalent to a copper NSR cut-off of 2.0%) using metal prices, estimated recoveries and offsite payments. 3. Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term copper price of US$3.50 per pound, gold price of US$1450 per ounce, zinc price of US$1.25 per pound and silver price of US$22 per ounce. 4. An US$/C$exchange rate of 1.18 was used. 5. A minimum mining width of 2 m was used. 6. The average bulk density is 3.2t per cubic meter. 7. Numbers may not add due to rounding. 8. Given the tonnage, grade and orientation of the deposit, RPA considers the Talbot Deposit to be reasonably amenable to extraction using underground mining methods. 9. Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Samples of half core are packaged and shipped directly from Rockcliff's field office to TSL Laboratories (TSL), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. TSL is a Canadian assay laboratory and is accredited under ISO/IEC 17025. Each bagged core sample is dried, crushed to 70% passing 10 mesh and a 250g pulp is pulverized to 95% passing 150 mesh for assaying. A 0.5g cut is taken from each pulp for base metal analysis and leached in a multi acid (total) digestion and then analyzed for copper, lead, zinc and silver by atomic absorption. Gold concentrations are determined by fire assay using a 30g charge followed by fire assay gravimetric an atomic absorption finish. Samples greater than an upper detection limit (3000 ppb) are reanalyzed using a 1 AT charge. Rockcliff inserted certified blanks and standards in the sample stream to ensure lab integrity. Rockcliff can earn a 51% interest in the Talbot Property from Hudson Bay Exploration and Development Company Limited (HBED), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hudbay Minerals Inc. Please refer to the news release dated October 11, 2016 for specific points of the option agreement. Please visit our website at www.rockcliffcoppercorp.com for additional information. Ken Lapierre P.Geo., President and CEO of Rockcliff., a Qualified Person in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101, has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this press release. About Rockcliff Copper Corporation Rockcliff is a Canadian resource exploration company focused on the discovery, advancement and consolidation of the highest grade unmined metal deposits in the prolific Flin Flon - Snow Lake (FF-SL) greenstone belt specifically centered on Snow Lake, MB. The Snow Lake Project, totalling in excess of 45,000 collective hectares is located in and around the Snow Lake mining camp and hosts the highest grade unmined copper deposits, the highest grade unmined zinc deposits and the highest grade former gold producer. The properties include two high grade VMS NI 43-101 Resources (the gold-rich Talbot copper deposit and the Rail copper deposit), two historic high grade zinc-rich VMS deposits (the Lon zinc deposit and the Bur zinc deposit),and a Net Smelter Return Royalty (NSR) on the Tower property which includes the T-1 copper deposit. The Snow Lake Project also includes the highest grade former lode gold producer (Laguna) in the FF-SL greenstone belt. Rockcliff also owns a zinc-silver rich NI 43-101 Resource (the Shihan deposit) in Ontario and a royalty on two gold properties in Colombia, South America. Rockcliff is well funded with over $3.0 million in its treasury and no debt. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although Rockcliff believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Contacts: Rockcliff Copper Corporation Ken Lapierre, P.Geo President & CEO Cell: (647) 678-3879 klapierre@rockcliffcoppercorp.com CHF Capital Markets Cathy Hume, CEO (416) 868-1079 ext.231 cathy@chfir.com TORONTO, November 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Richmont Mines Inc. (TSX: RIC) (NYSE MKT: RIC) ("Richmont" or the "Corporation") announces operating and financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, driven by solid results from the Island Gold Mine. The Corporation will host a conference call and webcast on Thursday, November 10, 2016, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (details below). (All amounts are in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise indicated.) Third Quarter and Recent Highlights Company-wide production was 18,856 ounces of gold for the quarter, a 20% decrease over the same quarter of 2015, primarily as the result of the depletion of the Monique stockpile earlier this year and the required downtime related to the scheduled 25-day mill electrical upgrade at the Island Gold Mine. The Island Gold Mine produced 14,031 ounces of gold in the third quarter, a 7% decrease over Q3 2015, in-line with expectations as lower production was anticipated due to the electrical upgrade. Revenues for the quarter were $31.2 million ( US$23.9 million ), an 8% decrease over Q3 2015. ( ), an 8% decrease over Q3 2015. Company-wide cash costs [ 1 ] for the quarter were $1,063 per ounce ( US$815 per ounce), a 15% increase over Q3 2015. Cash costs for the Island Gold Mine were $958 per ounce ( US$734 per ounce), an 8% increase over Q3 2015, in-line with expectations, as lower production was anticipated, as discussed above. for the quarter were per ounce ( per ounce), a 15% increase over Q3 2015. Cash costs for the Island Gold Mine were per ounce ( per ounce), an 8% increase over Q3 2015, in-line with expectations, as lower production was anticipated, as discussed above. Company-wide All-in-Sustaining Costs [ 1 ] ("AISC") for the quarter were $1,604 per ounce ( US$1,230 per ounce), a 22% increase over Q3 2015. AISC for the Island Gold Mine were $1,330 per ounce ( US$1,019 per ounce), a 5% increase over Q3 2015, in-line with expectations, as lower production was anticipated, as described above. ("AISC") for the quarter were per ounce ( per ounce), a 22% increase over Q3 2015. AISC for the Island Gold Mine were per ounce ( per ounce), a 5% increase over Q3 2015, in-line with expectations, as lower production was anticipated, as described above. Earnings for the quarter were $0.2 million ( US$0.2 million ), a $3.1 million ( US$2.4 million ) decrease over Q3 2015, primarily due to increased exploration expense. On a per share basis, earnings for the quarter were nil per share (nil in US$ per share). ( ), a ( ) decrease over Q3 2015, primarily due to increased exploration expense. On a per share basis, earnings for the quarter were nil per share (nil in US$ per share). Operating cash flow (before changes in non-cash working capital [ 1 ] ) for the quarter was $5.8 million ( US$4.5 million ), or $0.09 per share ( US$0.07 per share), a decrease of $5.8 million ( US$4.5 million ) over Q3 2015 due to lower production and higher costs, as described above. ) for the quarter was ( ), or per share ( per share), a decrease of ( ) over Q3 2015 due to lower production and higher costs, as described above. Richmont ended the quarter with a reduced cash balance of $78.9 million ( US$60.1 million ), in-line with plan due to lower production and higher cash costs related to the 25-day mill shutdown as well as higher capital investment requirements as anticipated for the quarter. ( ), in-line with plan due to lower production and higher cash costs related to the 25-day mill shutdown as well as higher capital investment requirements as anticipated for the quarter. On September 12, 2016 , the Corporation announced a positive revision to its 2016 operational guidance estimates driven by significantly better than expected performance from the Island Gold Mine in the first six months of the year. , the Corporation announced a positive revision to its 2016 operational guidance estimates driven by significantly better than expected performance from the Island Gold Mine in the first six months of the year. On October 12, 2016 , the Corporation reported continued positive results from delineation drilling at the Island Gold Mine located within the expanded Expansion Case Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Expansion Case PEA") area as well as initial results from the strategic Phase 2 exploration drilling program. , the Corporation reported continued positive results from delineation drilling at the Island Gold Mine located within the expanded Expansion Case Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Expansion Case PEA") area as well as initial results from the strategic Phase 2 exploration drilling program. On November 1, 2016 , the Corporation provided a status update on the Expansion Case PEA currently underway at the Island Gold Mine that will consider a potential ore mining and productivity increase to 1,100 tonnes per day beginning in 2018, with minimal capital investment required. __________________________ [1]Non-IFRSperformancemeasure.RefertotheNon-IFRSPerformanceMeasuressection containedintheThirdQuarterManagement'sDiscussionandAnalysis. "The third quarter was a pivotal quarter for Island Gold that positions this cornerstone asset for the next stage of its growth strategy. Following the successful completion of the electrical upgrade, the mine and mill have consistently averaged base case productivity of 900 tonnes per day and are well positioned to support the 1,100 tonnes per day scenario that was outlined in the recent Expansion Case PEA update. Results from our near-mine drilling programs have been very encouraging, which could support the evaluation of a further expansion scenario to 1,200 tonnes per day as we grow our resource inventory and extend mine life," stated Renaud Adams, CEO. He continued, "As we move into the final quarter of the year, we remain on track to achieve our company-wide revised guidance and the Island Gold Mine is well positioned to meet, or exceed, revised guidance as production in the fourth quarter is expected to increase. With a strong cash position and operating cash flow profile that is supported by a disciplined management team, Richmont is well positioned for continued shareholder value creation." Financial Highlights Quarter ended Quarter ended (in thousands of $, except per share amounts) Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Revenue from mining operations 31,244 34,107 Net earnings per share, basic - 0.06 Operating cash flow, per share 0.05 0.20 Adj. operating cash flow, per share[1][2] 0.09 0.20 Net free cash flow, per share[2] (0.26) (0.02) Revenue from mining operations (US$) 23,942 26,058 Net earnings per share, basic (US$) - 0.04 Operating cash flow, per share (US$) 0.04 0.15 Adj. operating cash flow, per share[1][2] (US$) 0.07 0.15 Net free cash flow, per share[2] (US$) (0.20) (0.01) Nine months Nine months ended ended (in thousands of $, except per share amounts) Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Revenue from mining operations 124,496 111,869 Net earnings per share, basic 0.19 0.19 Operating cash flow, per share 0.59 0.63 Adj. operating cash flow, per share[1][2] 0.64 0.56 Net free cash flow, per share[2] (0.20) 0.11 Revenue from mining operations (US$) 94,187 88,785 Net earnings per share, basic (US$) 0.14 0.15 Operating cash flow, per share (US$) 0.44 0.50 Adj. operating cash flow, per share[1][2] (US$) 0.48 0.45 Net free cash flow, per share[2] (US$) (0.15) 0.09 [1] Before changes in non-cash working capital. [2] Non-IFRS performance measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS performance measures section contained in the Third Quarter Management's Discussion & Analysis. Operational Highlights Quarter ended Sept. 30, Quarter ended 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Gold produced (oz) 18,856 23,478 Gold sold (oz) 17,774 22,962 Average cash costs per ounce ($)[1] 1,063 926 Average AISC per ounce ($)[1] 1,604 1,311 Average realized gold price per ounce ($) 1,754 1,482 Average cash costs per ounce (US$)[1] 815 707 Average AISC per ounce (US$)[1] 1,230 1,001 Average realized gold price per ounce (US$) 1,344 1,132 Nine months Nine months ended ended Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Gold produced (oz) 74,545 75,651 Gold sold (oz) 74,901 75,319 Average cash costs per ounce ($)[1] 899 961 Average AISC per ounce ($)[1] 1,296 1,290 Average realized gold price per ounce ($) 1,659 1,482 Average cash costs per ounce (US$)[1] 680 763 Average AISC per ounce (US$)[1] 980 1,024 Average realized gold price per ounce (US$) 1,255 1,176 [1] Non-IFRS performance measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS performance measures section contained in the Third Quarter Management's Discussion and Analysis. Island Gold Mine Highlights Nine months Nine months Quarter ended Quarter ended ended ended ISLAND GOLD MINE Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Gold produced (oz) 14,031 15,076 59,237 40,837 Gold sold (oz) 13,673 14,233 59,851 38,859 Cash costs per ounce ($)[1] 958 890 770 1,036 AISC per ounce ($)[1] 1,330 1,267 1,025 1,416 Realized gold price per ounce ($) 1,756 1,485 1,657 1,483 Cash costs per ounce (US$)[1] 734 680 583 823 AISC per ounce (US$)[1] 1,019 968 776 1,125 Realized gold price per ounce (US$) 1,346 1,135 1,254 1,177 Underground tpd 735[2] 669 833[2] 660 Mill tonnes 58,836 66,416 214,666 181,785 Mill tpd 640[2] 722 783[2] 666 Head grade (g/t gold) 7.70 7.27 8.91 7.20 Recoveries (%) 96.3 97.1 96.4 97.0 Sustaining costs ($000's) 5,090 5,371 15,283 14,754 Project costs ($000's) 13,457 7,539 28,390 16,389 Non-sustaining exploration ($000's) 3,509 695 10,903 1,735 Sustaining costs (US$000's) 3,900 4,103 11,562 11,710 Project costs (US$000's) 10,312 5,760 21,478 13,007 Non-sustaining exploration (US$000's) 2,689 531 8,249 1,377 [1] Non-IFRS performance measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS performance measures section contained in the Third [2] Quarter Management's Discussion and Analysis. Quarter and Nine months ended Sept. 30, 2016 productivity includes a 16-day underground mine shutdown and a 25-day mill shutdown. At the end of the quarter, the Island Gold Mine reported more than 5.8 years (over 2 million man hours) of operations without lost-time injury. Production for the quarter was 14,031 ounces of gold (13,673 ounces sold), a 7% decrease over Q3 2015. Production achieved in the quarter was in-line with expectations, which forecasted lower production as part of the planned electrical upgrade. The operation remains on track to meet, or exceed, revised production guidance. Cash costs for the quarter were $958 per ounce ( US$734 per ounce), an 8% increase over Q3 2015. Cash costs were in-line with expectations due to the lower production estimated for the quarter. Cash costs remain on track to meet, or exceed, revised guidance. per ounce ( per ounce), an 8% increase over Q3 2015. Cash costs were in-line with expectations due to the lower production estimated for the quarter. Cash costs remain on track to meet, or exceed, revised guidance. AISC for the quarter were $1,330 per ounce ( US$1,019 per ounce), a 5% increase over Q3 2015. AISC were in-line with expectations due to the lower production estimated for the quarter. AISC remain on track to meet, or exceed, revised guidance. per ounce ( per ounce), a 5% increase over Q3 2015. AISC were in-line with expectations due to the lower production estimated for the quarter. AISC remain on track to meet, or exceed, revised guidance. A mine and mill electrical upgrade was successfully completed as planned during the quarter. The upgrade included a 25-day mill shutdown and a 16-day mine shutdown, which have been incorporated into the revised annual guidance. The mine and mill upgrade could support the potential production growth scenario that is being considered as part of the Expanded Case PEA. During the quarter, the mine reported a mill head grade of 7.70 g/t gold, higher than anticipated, resulting from stope mining activities in the first mining horizon and development in ore in the lower grade extensions of the second mining horizon. During the fourth quarter, stope mining will begin in the eastern and western extensions of the second mining horizon and development in ore will begin in the third mining horizon. During the quarter, underground mine productivity averaged 890 tonnes per day, excluding the 16 days of downtime related to the electrical upgrade. During the quarter, the underground mine achieved a positive reconciliation (mined vs. reserves) of 19% and 15% on grades and tonnes, respectively, or 37% on ounces, as compared with the December 31, 2015 Mineral Reserves. Mineral Reserves. The percentage of higher cost development ore versus total ore mined was 44% for the quarter (49% YTD), as compared to a planned 40%. Mill productivity averaged 878 tonnes per day, excluding the 25 days of downtime related to the electrical upgrade. The development of the main ramp continued and reached a vertical depth of 810 metres at the end of the quarter. It is expected that the ramp development will reach the bottom of the higher grade third mining horizon at the 860 metre level in the first quarter of 2017. A status update was recently released on the Expansion Case PEA, which is currently underway that will consider a potential productivity increase to 1,100 tonnes per day beginning in 2018, with minimal capital investment required. A further upside scenario of up to 1,200 tonnes per day will also be considered as additional resources are included in the mine plan. Drilling to date in the Expansion Case PEA area demonstrates the potential to grow the near-mine reserve inventory and identify potential new resource blocks located within the Expansion Case PEA area. These ounces could extend mine life above the 1,000 metre level and be incorporated into the near-term mine plan utilizing current infrastructure. Initial results from the recently launched 18 to 24 month Phase 2 exploration program continue to show the potential to increase resources laterally along strike, primarily to the east, and at depth below the 1,000 metre level. Beaufor Mine Highlights Nine months Nine months Quarter ended Quarter ended ended ended BEAUFOR MINE Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Sept. 30, 2016 Sept. 30, 2015 Gold produced (oz) 4,825 5,714 14,143 20,759 Gold sold (oz) 4,101 5,919 13,879 21,638 Cash costs per ounce ($)[1] 1,411 974 1,433 974 AISC per ounce ($)[1] 1,893 1,225 1,837 1,144 Realized gold price per ounce ($) 1,751 1,481 1,674 1,476 Cash costs per ounce (US$)[1] 1,082 744 1,084 773 AISC per ounce (US$)[1] 1,451 936 1,390 908 Realized gold price per ounce (US$) 1,342 1,131 1,266 1,171 Underground tpd 282 338 297 355 Mill tonnes 27,426 30,437 85,025 97,102 Head grade (g/t gold) 5.62 5.93 5.28 6.74 Recoveries (%) 97.3 98.6 98.0 98.6 Sustaining costs ($000's) 1,979 1,484 5,611 3,683 Sustaining costs (US$000's) 1,516 1,134 4,245 2,923 [1] Non-IFRS performance measure. Refer to the Non-IFRS performance measures section contained in the Third Quarter Management's Discussion and Analysis. Production for the quarter was 4,825 ounces of gold (4,101 ounces sold), a 16% decrease over Q3 2015. Production in the quarter was impacted by low availability of underground mobile equipment, which resulted in approximately 6,000 tonnes of broken ore at 7.0 g/t gold remaining in inventory and unavailable for processing. It is expected that this broken ore will be processed in the fourth quarter. As a result of the low availability of mobile equipment during the quarter, the operation prioritized its efforts on waste development to better position stope mining operations in the higher grade Q Zone in the fourth quarter. Cash costs for the quarter were $1,411 per ounce ( US$1,082 per ounce), a 45% increase over Q3 2015, mainly as a result of lower production in the quarter. per ounce ( per ounce), a 45% increase over Q3 2015, mainly as a result of lower production in the quarter. AISC for the quarter were $1,893 per ounce ( US$1,451 per ounce), a 55% increase over Q3 2015, mainly as a result of lower production and higher sustaining costs in the quarter. per ounce ( per ounce), a 55% increase over Q3 2015, mainly as a result of lower production and higher sustaining costs in the quarter. Grades and underground productivity are expected to increase in the fourth quarter as a greater proportion of stope mining is planned from the higher grade Q Zone, which should contribute to higher production and lower costs. Upcoming News & Events Phase 2 exploration update (Q1 2017) December 31, 2016 Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates ( mid-February 2017 ) Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates ( ) 2017 Operational Outlook and Guidance ( February 2017 ) ) Expansion Case PEA (H1 2017) Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis The financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis can be found on the Corporation's website at http://www.richmont-mines.com or under the Corporation's profile on http://www.sedar.com and with the Securities and Exchange Commission at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Webcast and Conference Call A webcast and conference call will be held on Thursday, November 10, 2016 starting at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Senior management will be on the call to discuss the results. Conference Call Access -International& Toronto:1-416-764-8688 -Canada&U.S.Toll Free:1-888-390-0546 Please ask to be placed into the Richmont Mines 2016 Third Quarter Results Conference Call. Conference Call Live Webcast The conference call will be broadcast live on the Internet via webcast. To access the webcast, please follow this link: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1282095&s=1&k=F4C4E0F118C1317E32F3869F267FBFF0 Archive Call Access If you are unable to attend the conference call, a replay will be available until 08:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, November 24, 2016 by dialing the appropriate number below: - International & Toronto: 1-416-764-8677 Passcode: 435976# - Canada & U.S. Toll Free: 1-888-390-0541 Passcode: 435976# Archive Webcast The webcast will be archived for 90 days. To access the archived webcast, visit the Corporation's website at http://www.richmont-mines.com or follow this link: http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1282095&s=1&k=F4C4E0F118C1317E32F3869F267FBFF0 About Richmont Mines Inc. Richmont Mines currently produces gold from the Island Gold Mine in Ontario, and the Beaufor Mine in Quebec. The Corporation is also advancing development of the significant high-grade resource extension at depth of the Island Gold Mine in Ontario. With 35 years of experience in gold production, exploration and development, and prudent financial management, the Corporation is well-positioned to cost-effectively build its Canadian reserve base and to successfully enter its next phase of growth. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that include risks and uncertainties. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may", "objective" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and apply only as of the date on which they were made. Except as may be required by law or regulation, the Corporation undertakes no obligation and disclaims any responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include changes in the prevailing price of gold, the Canadian-United States exchange rate, grade of ore mined and unforeseen difficulties in mining operations that could affect revenue and production costs. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations could also affect the results. Other risks may be set out in Richmont Mines' Annual Information Form, Annual Reports and periodic reports. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release. Cautionary note to US investors concerning resource estimates Information in this press release is intended to comply with the requirements of the Toronto Stock Exchange and applicable Canadian securities legislation, which differ in certain respects with the rules and regulations promulgated under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), as promulgated by the SEC. The requirements of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). U.S. Investors are urged to consider the disclosure in our annual report on Form 20-F, File No. 001-14598, as filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which may be obtained from us (without cost) or from the SEC's web site: http://sec.gov/edgar.shtml . National Instrument 43- 101 The geological data in this news release has been reviewed by Mr. Daniel Adam, Geo., Ph.D., Vice-President, Exploration, an employee of Richmont Mines Inc., and a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101. Renaud Adams, President and CEO, Phone: +1-416-368-0291 ext. 101; Anne Day, Vice-President, Investor Relations, Phone: +1-416-368-0291 ext. 105 Flash At least 84 civilians have been killed and 280 others wounded since the rebels unleashed a major offensive in Syria's northern city of Aleppo, the Syrian army said in a statement Monday. The high number of causalities came as the rebels fired over a hundred mortar shells, 50 Grad missiles, and 20 explosive-laden cylinders on government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, said the army in a statement, carried by state news agency SANA. The army also mentioned the gas attack the rebels unleashed on a military academy and residential areas in western Aleppo on Sunday, saying 48 people suffered suffocation and breathing difficulties. Over the past three days, Aleppo has witnessed the most intense military showdown since the conflict reached Aleppo four years ago, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The broad rebel offensive aims to break the government forces' siege on rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo. The rebels succeeded in infiltrating the Assad suburb area in western Aleppo and the town of Menyan, but the army on Sunday recaptured Menyan and said it had besieged the rebels who infiltrated the Assad suburb area. The Syrian army has laid siege on rebel-held areas in Aleppo in recent months, urging the rebels to surrender themselves or leave eastern Aleppo to other rebel-held areas in the northwestern province of Idlib. The rebels mostly ignored the repeated requests for them to leave. Last week, a three-day truce, declared by the government to help facilitate the evacuation of civilians and rebels who want to surrender in exchange for pardon, expired with only a few civilians and rebels making it across the designated "exit routes." The Syrian government accused the rebels of preventing the civilians, around 250,000, as well as rebel fighters from leaving. Observers believe that Aleppo is going to be the decisive battle ground among the fighting groups, and the winner will be the one dictating its conditions to resolve the crisis, as the province contains all the groups that are supported by regional and international powers, with the civilians paying the price for this proxy war. MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Midland Exploration Inc. ("Midland") (TSX VENTURE: MD) is pleased to report that the latest trenches excavated at the end of August have confirmed the excellent potential associated with a new OreVision-type induced polarization anomaly identified on its Heva gold project. In addition, the recent soil sampling program also identified several new exploration targets that will be the focus of a prospecting campaign in early November. This project is wholly owned by Midland and is located near the prolific Cadillac Break, about 5 kilometres northwest of the Canadian Malartic gold mine, jointly held by Agnico Eagle Mines Limited and Yamana Gold Inc., where proven reserves are estimated at 54.89 million tonnes grading 0.97 g/t Au (1.72 Moz Au) and probable reserves at 166.64 million tonnes grading 1.12 g/t Au (6.0 Moz Au), for a total of 7.72 Moz Au. The Heva Project, acquired by Midland in May 2013 from Arianne Phosphate Inc., consists of two claim blocks, Heva West and Heva East, totalling 33 claims and covering a surface area of more than 1,200 hectares. Near the end of August 2016, three (3) new trenches were excavated on the Heva Project, one of which (HEV-16-11) was mainly designed to explain a strong OreVision-type induced polarization anomaly identified during a recent test survey. Preliminary sampling in this trench, which exposed sedimentary rocks with silica and biotite alteration, led to the discovery of a new showing with grades reaching up to 13.7 g/t Au in grab sample. This sample was collected in a quartz vein exhibiting visible gold grains. These encouraging results thus confirm the excellent potential of this new OreVision target, which was only partly explained by the trench because of the presence of thicker overburden above the geophysical anomaly. (Note that gold values from grab samples may not be representative of the mineralized zones). Sampling completed in another trench (HEV-16-10) in the East area, where grades reaching 9.1 g/t Au were previously obtained (see Midland press release dated July 5, 2016), returned values reaching 4.28 g/t Au, 3.26 g/t Au, 3.25 g/t Au, 2.50 g/t Au, 2.48 g/t Au, 2.14 g/t Au, 1.82 g/t Au, and 1.38 g/t Au in grab samples. Midland will begin a new phase of exploration work shortly, including prospecting, in an effort to explain the new soil geochemistry anomalies, as well as a detailed magnetic survey in order to clarify the geological and structural framework of the property, particularly in the vicinity of the OreVision-type induced polarization target which graded up to 13.7 g/t Au. Figures showing the location of new results on the Heva Project may be consulted using the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Heva_Nov_2016.pdf Quality Control All analysis were performed by ALS Minerals in Val d'Or. All samples were analyzed for gold by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish (AA23) on a fraction of 30 grams and a gravimetric finish for values greater than 3.0 g / t Au. For the quality control, in each transmission, certified standards and blanks were inserted at regular intervals throughout the sequence of samples. The data was reviewed by Mario Masson, VP Exploration for Midland, certified geologist and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. About Midland Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold, platinum group elements, base metals and rare earth elements. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Teck Resources Limited, SOQUEM INC., Osisko Exploration James Bay Inc., Japan Oil and Gas and Metals National Corporation and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value. This press release was prepared by Mario Masson, VP Exploration for Midland, certified geologist and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. For further information, please consult Midland's website: www.midlandexploration.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities. Contacts: Midland Exploration Inc. Gino Roger President and Chief Executive Officer 450 420-5977 450 420-5978 (FAX) info@midlandexploration.com www.midlandexploration.com MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. ("MOBI724" or the "Company") (CSE: MOS)(CSE: MOS.CN), a Fintech leader offering all in one fully integrated EMV payment, card link couponing and digital marketing is pleased to announce that iQ724 Inc. ("iQ") a wholly owned subsidiary of MOBI724 has signed a commercial agreement with Bane-Welker Equipment to design, implement and operate a loyalty and digital marketing program for its 13 CaseIH agricultural dealerships in Indiana and OhioThe customer will also benefit from the Data Analytics and its business intelligence services.Bane-Welker Equipment is iQ's first turnkey loyalty and digital marketing program in the United States. Bane-Welker's 13 CaseIH agricultural dealerships is complemented by the other 13 Case IH agricultural dealerships that iQ also services in Canada. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has successfully closed a second tranche equity private placement in the aggregate amount of $217,000.00 dollars by issuing 4,340,000 common shares ("Shares") at $0.05. For each common share received, the subscribers were issued one common share purchase warrant at an exercise price of $0.15 exercisable on or before August 31st, 2018 after which they shall expire. The Company also converted of bona fide debt in the amount of $10,000.00 at a price of $0.05 per common share and $45,000.00 at a price of $0.063 for an aggregate issuance of 914,285 common shares. The Shares were sold pursuant to exemptions from prospectus requirements to purchasers in Canada and are subject to a hold period of four months and one day following the closing of the private placement. The Shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). The Company will use the net proceeds to support project deployments of the Company's solution, for ongoing obligations and for working capital requirements. Since August 31, 2016, the Company has raised $ 2.467 million dollars and this second tranche closing totals $467,000.00 in the aggregate with respect to the $1 million financing announced on September 6, 2016 About Bane Welker Equipment, LCC Bane-Welker Equipment is a privately-owned Case IH agriculture equipment dealership with 13 locations in the Midwest United States. www.bane-welker.com About iQ724 iQ724 is based in Montreal and was founded in 2007. iQ724 provides a customer retention/loyalty marketing platform to medium and large merchants iQ724 also provides professional services, digital marketing, data analytics and business intelligence solutions as part of their offering .For more information, visit: www.iq724.com About Mobi724 Global Solutions MOBI724 Global Solutions Inc. (CSE: MOS)(CSE: MOS.CN), a leader in the Fintech industry based in Montreal (Canada), offers a unique and fully integrated suite of Payment & Digital Marketing solutions. We are innovating in our market with a combined EMV Payment, Card Linked Offers, and Digital Marketing platform that works on any card and any mobile device. We pioneered in adding intelligence to all types of transactions benefiting banks, retailers and cardholders. We succeed in leveraging all available user and purchasing data to increase transaction volumes and spend. MOBI724 provides a turnkey solution to its clients to capture card transactions on any mobile device, at any point of sale or from any payment card. Our easy-to-adapt gateway Switch is designed for easy integration with all payment protocols in our target markets. Within the same solution suite we combined our Card Linked Offers solution, and provided financial institutions' payment card portfolios and retailers the ability to add offers and/or coupons which can be redeemed directly at the Point of Sale, in a seamless user experience for all the parties in the eco-system. MOBI724 Global Solutions unleashes the true potential of both payment and card-linked couponing/rewards transactions for both online and offline points of sale (POS). The Corporation provides its customers with full and comprehensive traceability and enriched consumer data through its offering. Its solutions enables card associations, retailers, manufacturers, offer providers, mobile operators and card issuers to create, manage, deliver and "track and measure" incentive campaigns worldwide to ANY mobile device and allow its redemption at ANY point of sales. Our credit and debit EMV payment solutions will allow banks to process end to end EMV transactions, focusing on authentication, approved security and quick merchant adoption which allows the users to process payments with a wide range of devices over a secure and seamless transaction. MOBI724's PCI and EMV cloud-based switch, with their device agnostic connectivity, simplifies deployment and integration, and introduces new payment and digital incentives solutions to the market enabling multi layered intelligent transactions therefore SMART TRANSACTIONS. Certain statements in this document, including those which express management's expectations or estimations with regard to the Company's future performance, constitute "forward-looking statements" as understood by applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements are, of necessity, based on a certain number of estimates and hypotheses; while management considers these to be accurate at the time they are expressed, they are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and risks on the commercial, economic and competitive levels. We advise readers that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other known and unknown factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Investors are advised to not rely unduly on the forward-looking statements. This advisory applies to all forward-looking statements, whether expressed orally or in writing, attributed to the Company or to any individual expressing them in the name of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events, or other circumstances. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed this news release and does not accept responsibility for its adequacy or accuracy. This news release does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States. Contacts: Marcel Vienneau Chief Executive Officer Mobi724 Global Solutions 514 394-5200 x413 marcel.vienneau@mobi724.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSX VENTURE: CNX) (OTCQX: CLLXF) is pleased to announce that it has commenced a step-out drilling campaign for up to 10,000m to focus on expanding its new zinc and gold rich Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") discovery at the 100% owned Pine Bay Project near Flin Flon, Manitoba (See Figures 1, 2 and 3). The discovery hole intersected 10.3m grading 13.1% Zn Eq. containing 6.0% Zn, 1.8 g/t Au, 60.4 g/t Ag, 0.7% Cu and 0.4% Pb including a higher grade interval over 4.2m grading 20.8% Zn Eq. containing 11.8% Zn, 2.4 g/t Au, 73.8 g/t Ag, 0.7% Cu and 0.7% Pb (See News Release dated October 18, 2016). Callinex will expedite the step-out drilling campaign with the addition of a second drill rig in order to ensure it is completed before the end of the winter drilling season. Max Porterfield, President and CEO, stated, "We are eager to advance our new discovery with this sizeable drilling campaign that will provide us with indications as to the extent and grade of nearby mineralization. We are undertaking several measures in order to fast-track the campaign and look forward to providing further exploration updates as they become available." The initial step-out campaign is planned to consist of several deep "parent" drill holes and accompanying wedges in order to intersect mineralization at 125m spacing over a strike length of 300m and vertical depth of 300m (See Figure 3). The 10,000m campaign is fully funded and may be upsized based on results given the Company's strong treasury. Additionally, the target area can be drilled year-round providing additional flexibility in conducting exploration. The new zinc and gold discovery was made after extending a historic Placer Dome drill hole by 38m. Placer Dome explored the property in the early 1990s when they had a mandate to discover a 30 million ton VMS deposit at the project. For additional details about the new discovery, please refer to the Company's recent news release dated October 18, 2016. James Pickell, P.Geo, a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 and a consultant to Callinex, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. Figures To view Figure 1: Overview of Flin Flon Area Properties, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1074552_fig1.pdf To view Figure 2: Plan Map of the Northern Pine Bay Area, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1074552_fig2.pdf To view Figure 3: Longitudinal Section of the Cabin VMS Horizon, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1074552_fig3.pdf About The Pine Bay Project The Pine Bay Project is located 16km east of HudBay's 777 Mine and processing facilities near Flin Flon, MB. The project area spans 6,000 sq. ha. and covers a significant portion of the Baker Patton Felsic Complex, one of the largest and most highly altered packages of felsic volcanic rocks within the Flin Flon Greenstone Belt. Historic exploration activities have outlined four mineral deposits, three of which are located within a mineral lease that has advanced permitting status and includes the right to conduct mining activities. The Pine Bay deposit, the largest of the four historic deposits, has a 212m vertical shaft with significant underground workings from previous exploration activities. The project has two distinct areas with VMS mineralization, the northern Pine Bay area and the southern Sourdough area. These areas are each related to historic deposits and occur along an approximate 10km NE-SW VMS trend near the top of the Baker Patton Felsic Complex. The Sourdough area is immediately adjacent to HudBay's past-producing Centennial Mine. Callinex has recently intersected new VMS zones in both the Pine Bay and Sourdough areas. During the 1990s, majors including Placer Dome Inc. and Inmet Mining Corporation conducted limited exploration programs in the Pine Bay area to define a large VMS deposit at depth. A review of historic work has confirmed that several proposed drill holes and targets outlined by Placer Dome that were never completed. The property position was recently consolidated for the first time combining several large claim blocks previously operated by companies including Placer Dome, Inmet, Newmont, HudBay and Cameco. Previous to Callinex' modern geophysical and geological exploration programs, very limited work was conducted between 1996 and 2014. Callinex has digitally compiled more than 1,000 mostly shallow drill holes and has completed large airborne and ground geophysical surveys to identify and evaluate the most prospective drill targets. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pine Bay Historic Resources(1)(2)(3) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deposit Cu Tons Eq%(2) Cu % Zn % Au g/t Ag g/t ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pine Bay 1,113,200 2.76 2.76 N/A N/A N/A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sourdough 291,150 2.98 1.46 1.71 1.03 29.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cabin 125,000 2.18 0.84 4.02 N/A N/A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Baker Patton 95,000 3.66 0.80 5.28 0.83 56.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 1,624,350 2.81 2.26 0.92 0.24 8.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notes: (1) Values have been converted from the imperial to metric system (2) Historical resource estimates include (a) a Cerro-Mining-Guggenheim Joint Venture report titled "Feasibility Study for 550 ton per day mine & mill", prepared by Wright Engineers Limited in 1971, reported a "geological ore reserve" 1,113,200 tons at 2.76% Cu at the Pine Bay deposit, (b) a Keys report in 1963 reported a historical resource estimate of 291,150 tons at 1.46% Cu at the Sourdough deposit, (c) a Pine Bay Mines report in 1976 reported a historical resource estimate of 125,000 tons at 0.84% Cu at the Cabin deposit and (d) a Macmillan report in 1968 reported a historical resource estimate of 95,000 tons at 0.80% Cu at the Baker Patton deposit. The historical "geological ore reserve" and resource estimates cited above is mentioned for historical purposes only and uses terminology not compliant with current reporting standards. The reliability of these historical estimates is unknown but considered relevant by the Company as it represents a significant target for future exploration work by the Company. The assumptions, parameters and methods used to calculate this historical resource estimate are not known to the Company. The qualified person has not made any attempt to re-classify the estimates accordingly to current NI 43-101 standards of disclosure or the CIM definitions. In order for these resources to be current, the Company will be required to conduct additional drilling on the Pine Bay Property. The Company is not treating this estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined in NI 43-101. Although the Historical resource estimate was also designated as "ore" it cannot be compared to mineral reserves as it is not supported by at least a current pre-feasibility study. (3) Copper equivalent grades are based on metal prices of: copper US$3.00/lb, zinc $1.00/lb, gold US$1200 per oz, silver US$20 per oz. Metal recoveries of 100% are applied in the copper equivalent calculation. CuEq = 100 ((Au Price in (g) x Au Grade) + (Ag Price in (g) x Ag Grade) + (Pb Price(i)2204.6 x (Pb Grade(%)/100) + (Cu Price(i)2204.6 x Cu Grade(%)/100) + (Zn Price(i)2204.6 x (Zn Grade(%)/100))/Cu Price(i)2204.6 About Callinex Mines Inc. Callinex Mines Inc. is focused on discovering and developing zinc and copper rich mines within prolific Canadian VMS mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively exploring its Pine Bay Project, located in the Flin Flon mining district of Manitoba, which hosts significant historic VMS deposits that are within close proximity to a processing facility. The larger project portfolio hosts three significant zinc rich mineral resources including the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack Projects located in Eastern Canada. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete contemplated work programs and the timing and amount of expenditures. Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement. Contacts: Callinex Mines Inc. Max Porterfield President and Chief Executive Officer (604) 605-0885 info@callinex.ca Its partner and EPC contractor, Hitachi High-Technologies, finished building the array according to schedule and on budget, they said in an online statement. The electricity will be sold to regional utility Tohoku Electric Power at a feed-in tariff (FIT) rate of 40 ($0.38)/kWh over a period of 20 years. The installation is expected to generate roughly 25.6 GWh of electricity per year, or enough to cater to the needs of about 7,300 homes. Etrion has taken an 87% stake ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 1, 2016) - Pistol Bay Mining Inc. (TSXV: PST) (FSE: OQS2) ("Pistol Bay" or the "Company') and AurCrest Gold Inc. (TSXV: AGO) ("AurCrest") are pleased to announce that Pistol Bay has executed a Definitive Option Agreement (the "Agreement") with AurCrest to acquire all the mining claims held by AurCrest in the Confederation Lake greenstone belt southeast of Red Lake, Ontario. The AurCrest property comprises 108 mining claims with a total of 321 claim units with an area of 5,136 hectares (12,700 acres), being the Confederation Lake Property and the Fredart Lake Property. It covers a 31 kilometre length of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt. It includes two substantial mineral deposits and a number of mineralized drill intersections that are in need of follow-up drill testing. Mineralization on the property is all of Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) type, dominated by zinc, copper and silver, with occasional associated gold values. In combination with the 100 percent optioned Dixie and Dixie 3 properties, the Company now controls 7,050 hectares (17,400 acres) containing most of the significant mineral occurrences over 43 kilometres of the total 60 kilometre length of the belt. Mr. Desjardins, President of Pistol Bay, stated, "Upon completion of this acquisition, Pistol Bay is a major land holder in a very prolifically mineralized VMS-rich belt. Our holdings include the largest zinc-copper-silver deposit in the area, the second-largest VMS deposit remaining (Fredart Lake Property), and a portfolio of exploration targets ready for follow up drilling. Pistol Bay anticipates commencing an ambitious exploration program in November 2016 that will not only pursue existing targets and known VMS deposits, but will use the latest airborne geophysical survey technologies to explore the whole area to a greater depth than was possible in the past." The Arrow Zone has a 43-101 compatible mineral resources as follows: 3% Zn equivalent cutoff: Indicated Resource 2,071,000 tonnes @ 5.92% Zn, 0.75% Cu, 21.1 g/t Ag and 0.58 g/t Au Plus Inferred Resource 120,550 tonnes @ 2.60% Zn, 0.56% Cu, 18.6 g/t Ag and 0.40 g/t Au 5% Zn equivalent cutoff: Indicated Resource 1,762,000 tonnes @ 6.75% Zn, 0.79% Cu, 22.3 g/t Ag and 0.61 g/t Au Plus Inferred Resource 51,630 tonnes @ 3.86% Zn, 0.79% Cu, 23.9 g/t Ag and 0.58 g/t Au 10% Zn equivalent cutoff: Indicated Resource 633,000 tonnes @ 14.3% Zn, 1.11% Cu, 31.7 g/t Ag and 0.85 g/t Au The other substantial deposit is the Copperlode "A" or Fredart Zone. It has a historical mineral resource of 425,000 tonnes grading 1.56% copper. This historical resource estimate does not comply with the standards of National Instrument 43-101 and has not been reviewed by a Qualified Person. The zone was drill-tested to a depth of approximately 200 metres over a length of 350 metres, and was reported as being open at depth. The area was also explored for molybdenum in the 1970s, and samples containing up to 1.46% Mo were reported. A diamond drilling program was carried out by AurCrest in 2010, in an attempt to expand the resource base by drilling down a possible easterly plunge in the area of an IP anomaly. A fence of five holes was drilled, without intersecting any significant mineralization. A borehole EM survey carried out on those drill holes in 2010 identified a strong off-hole conductor in two adjacent holes, with an interpreted conductive zone lying between the two holes. It is anticipated that this anomaly may represent the down-plunge extension of the Copperlode "A" zone, or possibly a new zone. The following is a partial list of diamond drill intercepts in the Joy-Caravelle area, which occupies a separate claim group west of the main AurCrest holdings: Joy Zone: Diamond Willow: Caravelle Zone: Joy South: Creek Zone: DDH 3.35 metres @ 0.17% Zn, 4.01% Cu DDH 4.2 metres @ 1.8% Zn, 2.3% Cu DDH 1.1 metres @ 4.4% Zn, 0.2% Cu DDH 0.6 metre @ 17.7% Zn, 0.28% Cu DDH 0.95 metre @ 0.16% Zn, 1.37% Cu Pistol Bay is engaged in compiling data and re-appraising the AurCrest property with a view to planning an aggressive exploration program in November 2016 that will generate new drill targets, as well as follow up existing target areas and known deposits.Under the terms of the Agreement, Pistol Bay has the option to acquire a 100% interest in the AurCrest properties by paying AurCrest an aggregate of $250,000 and issuing an aggregate of 5 million common shares over four years with an initial payment of $25,000 and the issuance of 1 million common shares on closing, the payment of a further $25,000 within 90 days following closing and the payment of $50,000 and the issuance of 1 million common shares on each of the four anniversaries following closing. Each of the AurCrest properties is subject to a 2% net smelter returns royalty in favour of third parties. The transaction is also subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Technical material in this news release has been prepared and/or reviewed and approved by Colin Bowdidge, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101. About Pistol Bay Mining Inc. Pistol Bay Mining Inc. is a diversified Junior Canadian Mineral Exploration Company with a focus on precious and base metal properties in North America. For additional information please contact Charles Desjardins - pistolbaymining@gmail.com - at Pistol Bay Mining Inc. About AurCrest Gold Inc. AurCrest is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties. AurCrest has a portfolio of properties in Ontario, which include the Richardson Lake and Bridget Lake gold properties. For additional information please contact Ian Brodie-Brown, President and C.E.O. of AurCrest at (416) 844-9969 or ianbrodiebrown@gmail.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors PISTOL BAY MINING INC. "Charles Desjardins" Charles Desjardins, President and Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary note: This report contains forward looking statements. Resource estimates, unless specifically noted, are considered speculative. Any and all other resource or reserve estimates are historical in nature, and should not be relied upon. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risk and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on factors that will or may occur in the future. Actual results may vary depending upon exploration activities, industry production, commodity demand and pricing, currency exchange rates, and, but not limited to, general economic factors. Cautionary Note to US investors: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission specifically prohibits the use of certain terms, such as "reserves" unless such figures are based upon actual production or formation tests and can be shown to be economically and legally producible under existing economic and operating conditions. TOKYO, Nov 1, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - Sharp Corporation today unveiled its new corporate motto, Be Original., which embodies the company's drive to become an inspiring global brand. Be Original. will be featured in Sharp's future global branding campaigns and serves as the company's new commitment to customers around the world.Be Original. underscores two important messages for Sharp.Since its establishment 104 years ago, Sharp has always worked to develop its own originality. Be Original. reflects the corporate spirit that founder Tokuji Hayakawa described in Sharp's Business Creed, "Sincerity and Creativity," which guides the company's conduct.In addition, Be Original. is Sharp's promise to its global customers. Sharp is committed to be a people-oriented company that continues to bring new value to its customers. As part of this goal, Sharp will introduce unique and innovative products and services, creating ways to meet customer needs and to enable them to enjoy the convenience that technology offers. The period at the end of the new corporate motto highlights the company's strong resolve to deliver on this promise.About the new Sharp corporate motto: Be Original.Launch: November 2016Advertising: Healsio water grill TV commercials (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya)Plasmacluster Refrigerator TV commercials (Japan nation-wide)About Sharp CorporationSharp Corporation (TSE: 6753) is a worldwide developer of innovative products and core technologies that play a key role in shaping the future of electronics. As a leader in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and digital technologies, Sharp offers one of the broadest and most advanced lines of consumer electronics, information products and electronic components, while also creating new network businesses. For more information, please visit www.sharp.co.jpSource: Sharp CorporationContact:Copyright 2016 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. First IQMS Pinnacle user conference in Europe features speakers from new partner Proximity, the British Plastics Federation and Oracle IQMS, a leading manufacturing ERP software and manufacturing execution system (MES) authority, announced the formation of the IQMS European Customer Advisory Board at its inaugural European Pinnacle User Conference. The move is part of IQMS' commitment to supporting the rapidly growing number of customers across Europe. The company also used the conference to bring visibility to: Additional development resources dedicated to the success of European customers. Growing operations in Europe with the addition of regional sales and service partners. New IQMS partner Proximity, a software consultancy with deep expertise in manufacturing solutions that serves companies across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The IQMS European Pinnacle User Conference ran October 26-28, 2016 at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham, U.K. The event brought together European manufacturing executives, enterprise resource planning (ERP) technical experts, and industry thought leaders in 15 sessions examining manufacturing technology and business best practices, as well as how to get the most of IQMS software. In addition to Proximity, guest speakers included executives from the British Plastics Federation and Oracle. "The IQMS customer conference was a huge success," said Joanna Kuropatnicka, IT manager at Glazpart Ltd. "The presentations, the training, and interactions with the other IQMS customers and the IQMS team were outstanding, and we are looking forward to next year's conference." Proximity Extends IQMS UK/Ireland Support Proximity develops, maintains, and supports high-performance software solutions and applications for companies across the UK and Ireland. Established in 2007, the consultancy has more than 40 experts with extensive experience in delivering solutions tailored to the real-world needs of businesses in the manufacturing, logistics and retail sectors. As an IQMS partner, Proximity is expanding regional support for IQMS software, helping manufacturers to implement and maximize their value in using IQMS. "Our interactions with IQMS customers at this conference demonstrated that IQMS is becoming a leader in the UK plastics technology market," observed Rob Jackson, Proximity sales and marketing director. "Europe is now responsible for 20% of the worldwide plastics goods production, and the British Plastics Federation's reports on the strength of the industry at our conference this week reinforce our strategic decision to expand operations in the European market," said Gary Nemmers, president and CEO of IQMS. "We look forward to building on the strong participation at our first European Pinnacle User Conference by some of the region's leading plastics manufacturers, as well as strategic technology and solution partners, such as Oracle and Proximity." IQMS Integrated System for MES and ERP IQMS software uniquely combines robust ERP and MES functionality into one comprehensive system. All modules operate as a powerful, cohesive system, capable of handling all extended ERP needs using a single, embedded database. This empowers manufacturing enterprises to take a streamlined approach to centralizing activity across the supply chain and ensuring that complete, accurate information is available to all authorized users at all times. The comprehensive MES functionality is also available as a standalone solution that can be readily integrated with manufacturers' existing ERP systems. The Choice is the New Cloud program features three deployment models for the IQMS system that are designed to support the needs of manufacturing firms-from software as a service and managed cloud solutions to on-premises software. About IQMS IQMS uniquely combines ERP and MES functionality to give manufacturers a comprehensive end-to-end suite for running the business, backed by the real-time performance and scalability that companies demand. Developed specifically for mid-market repetitive, discrete and batch process manufacturers, IQMS provides robust capabilities for addressing strict customer and regulatory certification and compliance. IQMS achieves this by delivering traditional ERP functionality for accounting, sales orders, material requirements, inventory and purchasing, plus extended native features for CRM, human resources, production scheduling, shop floor control, warehouse and quality modules. With offices across North America, Europe and Asia, IQMS serves manufacturers around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.iqms.com. Engage with IQMS at: Website: IQMS.com Twitter: @IQMSerp LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/IQMS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IQMSerp YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/IQMSerp Google+: https://plus.google.com/+IQMSerp View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101005548/en/ Contacts: IQMS Steve Bieszczat, 805-227-1122 Chief Marketing Officer sbieszczat@iqms.com Alta's World-Record Solar Technology Allows C-Astral to Realize Its Founding Vision: to Offer Long Endurance Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) for Remote Surveying and Sensing C-Astral Aerospace and Alta Devices today announced that Alta's world-record-breaking solar technology will be used to significantly extend the endurance for the most sophisticated of C-Astral's next generation unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Details of the agreement are not being disclosed. C-Astral's latest system, called the Bramor ppX-LRS (long range solar), can fly at least two hours longer with the addition of Alta's solar technology. This new Bramor enables highly efficient and precise global surveying and sensing capabilities in remote and urban areas. One example application is mapping and surveying of long stretches of road from the sky -- finishing the project in only a few days without disrupting traffic; if done from the ground, this kind of work would take two to three months of road closures. The beyond-line-of-sight capability of the UAV, together with its advanced gas detection and SWIR (short wave infrared) sensors, is also suited for pipeline monitoring, replacing manned aircraft systems and helicopters at a fraction of the cost. Alternatively, these aircraft can dramatically accelerate and reduce the cost of surveying major railway lines and power line infrastructure. "From the time of our founding, we have known that solar technology is useful for extending flight times and have continuously pursued it," said Marko Peljhan, C-Astral co-founder. "Alta's solar technology is the only mature option on the market that allows us to achieve extended flight times without compromising our high performance aircraft design." "C-Astral has an incredible track record of innovation," said Rich Kapusta, Chief Marketing Officer at Alta Devices. "There are very few companies with the deep expertise required to develop this type of aircraft, and we are extremely proud to be working with them on this endeavor." Alta Devices designs and manufactures the most efficient, thinnest, and flexible solar technology in the world and is revolutionizing the endurance of unmanned systems. The company recently announced that it had achieved another world record of 31.6% solar efficiency with its newest cells. The new C-Astral BRAMOR ppX airframe is made of advanced composite materials (Kevlar/Carbon/Vectran) that provide a high level of survivability. Compared with a standard Bramor, the Alta enhanced LRS version adds less than two ounces of weight, while increasing flight time to about 5.5 hours. This new system is the leading all-electric, high productivity UAV for global surveying and remote sensing in remote areas (where access to fuel is an issue), and in urban areas (where pollution and noise must be contained). The Bramor ppX has an operational ceiling of 14,000 feet and is capable of operating in winds of up to 25 knots. Embedded autonomous flight procedures include an array of fail-safe options based on man-rated standards. It is equipped with a high rate GNSS receiver and IMU precision data-logging electronics. About C-Astral C-Astral is a global market leader with established reputation in the specialized, fixed wing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) manufacturing and services field, with a specific focus on high productivity, endurance, surveying and remote sensing. Currently, C-Astral systems are flying with six sovereign entities on force protection, border protection, fire control and surveillance operations on four continents and more than 150 commercial and scientific operators globally. C-Astral is based in Ajdovscina, Slovenia and has established a multidisciplinary software and hardware laboratory for aerodynamics, systems integration and electronics work and a prototyping CAD/CAM workshop facility for composite materials manufacturing and modeling. About Alta Devices Alta Devices is (EM)POWERING THE UNPLUGGED WORLD by delivering the world's most efficient, thin and flexible mobile power technology. By converting light of any kind into electricity, Alta Device's AnyLight power technology extends the energy source of a system, and in many cases, completely cuts the traditional power cord. The solution can be completely integrated into the final system, and is ideal for use in unmanned systems, consumer electronics, sensors, automotive, remote exploration, or anywhere size, weight, and mobility matter. Alta Devices holds world records for energy conversion efficiency and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA. For more information, visit http://www.altadevices.com. Alta Devices is a Hanergy company. All trademarks and registered trademarks are those of their respective companies. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101005482/en/ Contacts: For more press information contact: Roeder-Johnson Corporation Abigail Johnson/Paul Michelson, 650-802-1851 http://email.roeder-johnson.com or For more customer information contact: Alta Devices Rich Kapusta, 408-585-2050 Chief Marketing Officer info@altadevices.com or For More Information about C-Astral, contact: C-ASTRAL Uros Kravos, +386 (0)5 85 00 840 http://www.c-astral.com sales@c-astral.com FMW-Redaktion Die Borsenaufischt in Zypern? Was habe ich schon mit Zypern zu tun, wird sich so mancher Forex-Trader oder Zocker in Binaren Optionen fragen. Aber schauen Sie mal nach bei Ihrem Broker - Zypern ist neben London der Hauptstandort fur Forex-Broker und Binary Options-Anbieter in der EU. Nicht nur aufgrund seiner geographischen Lage gilt der Standort Zypern quasi als der insgeheime Lieblingsstandort fur Broker in Europa, da man hier relativ frei seinen Geschaften nachgehen kann - so mochten wir es mal neutral formulieren. Aber anscheinend wird es wohl selbst der dortigen Aufsichtsbehorde "CySec" zu bunt. So steht man laut Leaprate offenbar kurz davor den auf Zypern beheimateten Binary Options-Anbietern (wir sprechen hier absichtlich nicht von Brokern) das Recht zu entziehen Neukunden Bonus-Gutschriften anzubieten. Aber warum das, werden sie fragen. Ja, es klingt zunachst paradox, denn Gutschriften sind doch immer positiv zu sehen. Aber anscheinend haben sich die Kundenbeschwerden bei der CySEC derart gehauft, und ... Den vollstandigen Artikel lesen ... USound, manufacturer and supplier of MEMS-based audio systems has extended its management team with Thomas Gmeiner, who was appointed as USound Vice President Global Program Management and Business Development. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170314005737/en/ Thomas Gmeiner joins the management team of USound. Credit: Alex Scholler (Photo: Business Wire) Mr. Gmeiner previously held the position of Vice President R&D at Knowles Sound Solutions in Austria, and prior to that, he was the Director R&D at AKG Vienna Austria. Mr. Gmeiner has more than 20 years of experience in the audio industry. He holds master degrees from Graz University of Technology and from Pennsylvania State University. He reports directly to Ferruccio Bottoni, co-founder and CEO of USound, who explains: "Thomas is a highly experienced audio acoustic professional with outstanding qualifications. He is a perfect match for our team and will play a central role in managing the intensive business growth that we are aiming at." "It is great to be part of such a talented and ambitious team. USound provides exactly the type of challenge I have been looking for", says Thomas Gmeiner. About USound USound GmbH is a fast growing audio start-up, founded with the mission of developing and producing the most advanced audio systems for mobile applications based on MEMS technology. The technological platform developed by USound is enabling the production of a revolutionary generation of MEMS micro speakers that will be deployed in the world's top mobile applications. For more information on USound, its products and services, please visit www.usound.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170314005737/en/ Contacts: Reiter PR for USound Thomas Reiter Tel.: +43 676 66 88 611 Email: thomas.reiter@reiterpr.com Flash Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Mr. Hong Liang handed over 3.5 million doses of Hepatitis B Vaccines for children to the Myanmar government Sunday in Yangon, in an effort to help the Myanmar government prevent Hepatitis. The handover ceremony is held in Yangon on Monday. [Photo/CRIENGLISH.com] This is the second batch of Hepatitis B Vaccines that China has sent to Myanmar under an exchange letter between the two governments in 2012. Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Hong Liang said the first batch of vaccines were handed over to the Myanmar side in May 2014, and tens of thousands of Myanmar children had benefited from the vaccines since then. The second batch arrived in Yangon Airport on Tuesday, October 25, 2016. The total value of the vaccines is 35.5 million yuan (about 5.22 million US dollars). Both sides have jointly inspected and acknowledged the quality, quantity and specification of the vaccines. He also said that if the Myanmar government requested other types of vaccines, the Chinese government would try its best to provide them. The Myanmar Union Minister of Health and Sports, Dr. Myint Htwe, signed the Handover Certificate on behalf of the Myanmar government and expressed his thanks to the Chinese government. He said, the rate of Hepatitis was very high in the country. In Yangon, the rate of Hepatitis B positive is about 12%. In other provinces and regions, the rate is even higher. With the vaccines provided by the Chinese government, Myanmar should be able to reduce the number of Hepatitis B cases with all children vaccinated being free of Hepatitis B. According to official statistics, the immunization coverage of Hepatitis B among Myanmar children has risen from nearly 10% in 2012 to about 75% in 2015 and 2016. MINNEAPOLIS, MN--(Marketwired - November 01, 2016) - HighJump, a global provider of supply chain network solutions, announced today that Auckland, New Zealand-headquartered Big Chill Distribution has selected HighJump's Enterprise third party logistics solution and the associated Pulse data mining and analysis tool to manage the company's new temperature controlled distribution center. Big Chill began operations in 1996 with a single truck, operating between Auckland and the seaside community of Tauranga, on North Island's east coast. Currently, the firm provides express delivery of chilled and frozen food products throughout New Zealand with a fleet of some 190 line haul and metro trucks and a network of nine regional depots strategically situated on both North and South Islands. Primarily cross-docking hubs, each of these depots also provides a limited amount of chilled and frozen storage capacity. The new 45,000 square meter Auckland facility is projected to open in early 2017 with 2,000 chilled and 2,200 frozen pallet spaces, with the HighJump software serving as the logistics management platform. The HighJump software will provide Big Chill with precise detailed information on customers' product from the time it is logged into the facility, throughout its time in storage and through the picking and outbound staging and loading processes. Big Chill selected the HighJump solution based on its outstanding richness of functionality, its scalability and its third party logistics/customer facing approach. "We were looking for a 3PL-focused warehouse management solution with rich, flexible functionality that could accommodate the varied and unique needs of multiple potential customers," said Scott Anderson, the company's national supply chain manager. "Our requirements mandated a well-established, best practice WMS solution as well as a customer-focused alerts/communication management portal." Key elements in the search included superior inventory control and traceability as well as in-storage visibility and order management, Anderson said, "Inclusion of the HighJump Pulse module will provide us with flexible and detailed labor productivity and visibility information. Too, we feel confident that HighJump will be able to meet our expectations as we continue to expand both in terms of space and services." "With this new high tech facility, Big Chill is branching out from its transportation origins into best practices warehousing," Anderson said. "After our initial roll-out in Auckland, we will further deploy into our South Island operations in Christchurch." "We are honored to be part of Big Chill's transformative expansion program," said Joe Couto, chief operating officer of the HighJump Logistics Group. "Our software will play a major role not only in allowing Big Chill to service its existing clientele more effectively and profitably, but will also provide a solid platform on which to base its ambitious expansion plans." About Big Chill Big Chill Distribution is a freight company that specializes in express delivery of chilled and frozen product throughout New Zealand. Its goal is to offer a reliable and consistent service for its customers. About HighJump In almost every industry, buyers are becoming more fickle and more demanding. For logistics executives, effectively meeting buyer needs has become a relentless quest for speed and agility. Traditional supply chain solutions - siloed, complex and hard-to-implement -- no longer suffice, as competitors find ways to deliver goods faster and more profitably. In today's "now" economy, HighJump helps you stay agile, with adaptable, connected solutions that harness the power of your trading partner community. From the warehouse to the storefront, from the desktop to the driver's cab, we can help you achieve new levels of supply chain responsiveness, performance and profitability. HighJump's suite of warehouse management, business integration, transportation management and retail/DSD solutions form a complete, powerful and adaptable platform that allow you to drive growth, customer satisfaction and revenue. HighJump: supply chain accelerated. For more information, visit http://www.highjump.com. HighJump is a trademark of HighJump Software Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2016/10/27/11G119846/Images/Big_Chill-6c4b4bc187f3adea946e9ee029a8adf3.jpg Media Contact Katie Wolfe HighJump 1-800-328-3271 x1186 Email contact BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- InspireMD, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NSPR) (NYSE MKT: NSPR.WS) ("InspireMD" or the "Company"), a leader in embolic prevention systems (EPS), neurovascular devices and thrombus management technologies, today announced 12-month follow up data from PARADIGM-101 of the CGuard Embolic Prevention System (EPS) which were presented in two presentations at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) 2016 scientific symposium, taking place October 29 - November 2 in Washington, D.C. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. In an oral presentation today in the Featured Clinical Research Session titled "Twelve-month Safety and Efficacy of CGuard Micronet-Covered Embolic Prevention Stent System: Routine Use to Perform Carotid Revascularization in Symptomatic and Increased Stroke Risk Asymptomatic Patients: The PARADIGM All-Comer Prospective Academic Study," Prof. Piotr Musialek, MD, DPhil, FESC, from the Jagiellonian University Department of Cardiac & Vascular Diseases, in Krakow, Poland, reported 12-month follow up data from PARADIGM-101. PARADIGM-101 is an investigator-led clinical study evaluating the use of CGuard EPS in 101 consecutive patients with carotid artery stenosis. Key findings from the presentation included: Zero device-related adverse events at 12 months CGuard EPS device and procedure success were each 99.1%. The device showed excellent placement precision, and there was no foreshortening or elongation Vessel narrowing was reduced from 83+/-9% to only 6.7+/-5% (p < 0.001) by independent core lab analysis Peri-procedural death/major stroke/myocardial infarction (MI) was 0%. One peri-procedural event was adjudicated by the Clinical Events Committee as a minor stroke (0.9%), with no change in NIH Stroke Scale or modified Ranking scale and no clinical sequel At 12 months the device showed a normal healing profile, and the patency of the external carotid artery was normal "These data further reinforce the strong safety and efficacy profiles reported in previous trials of the CGuard EPS, and validate the system as an important option for endovascular management of patients with carotid artery disease," said Prof. Musialek. "Importantly, the very low incidence of peri- or post-procedural complications and stroke create a positive risk-benefit profile for CGuard EPS in patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease. These patients are frequently denied intervention due to fear of the complications associated with conventional intervention, and are left with a substantial risk of stroke when treated only with medication. Our study found that CGuard EPS is applicable in up to 90% of all-comer patients with carotid stenosis. These data indicate that CGuard EPS may fundamentally alter the paradigm for managing patients with carotid artery disease, whether they have symptoms or not." In addition, a poster titled "Highly Calcific Carotid Lesions Endovascular Revascularizaton Using a Novel Dual-layer Carotid Stent System CGuard: Analysis from the PARADIGM Study," was presented by Adam Mazurek, MD, also from the Jagiellonian University Department of Cardiac & Vascular Diseases. Dr. Mazurek's study described the use of CGuard EPS to treat highly calcific carotid stenosis. Because patients with highly calcified carotid lesions are typically contraindicated for endovascular intervention due to suboptimal procedural outcomes with conventional stents, CGuard provides an important new treatment solution. Key findings from Dr. Mazurek's presentation included: 16 of the 101 patients in PARADIGM-101 had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions No difference in procedural success rates with CGuard EPS between highly calcified lesions and other lesions treated in this trial Use of CGuard EPS in management of highly calcified lesions was safe, with no neurologic or cardiac events during the procedure and during the stent healing period Highly calcified lesions treated with CGuard EPS showed no restenosis at 12 months "Highly calcified lesions are particularly difficult to manage with conventional endovascular intervention due to the difficulty in achieving optimal procedure results on one hand, and the risk of carotid artery rupture or perforation on the other. Patients with these lesions remain at risk of stroke, and they require a safe treatment," said Dr. Mazurek. "The results of this study show that the design and mechanical properties of CGuard EPS enable safe and effective endovascular management and revascularization of highly calcified lesions. I believe CGuard EPS has significant potential as a new approach to managing these difficult lesions and reducing the risk of stroke in patients with highly calcified lesions. Additional studies of CGuard EPS in this patient population should further validate common use of this innovative embolic prevention stent system to improve the treatment and outcomes of carotid artery disease." The data presented at TCT add to a growing body of clinical evidence validating the use of the CGuard as a proven treatment for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients with carotid artery disease. About PARADIGM PARADIGM is an investigator-initiated Prospective evaluation of All-comer peRcutaneous cArotiD revascularization In symptomatic and increased-risk asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis, using CGuard Mesh-covered embolic prevention stent system. Dr. Musialek previously presented data from the first cohort in the PARADIGM study, which comprised 71 CGuard EPS procedures in unselected all-comer patients, at EuroPCR 2015. The early outcome data in the target cohort of 101 patients were presented as a Late-Breaking Clinical Trial at EuroPCR 2016 and were simultaneously published in EuroIntervention. These data showed a 100% success rate for the CGuard Embolic Prevention System during the placement procedure. Importantly, there were no procedure-related complications during CGuard EPS placement and at 30 days post procedure. Similarly, there were no major adverse cardiac or neurological events, as determined by operator-independent neurologist and non-invasive cardiologist evaluation. The new data presented at TCT are important because they confirm safety and durability of the CGuard EPS innovative treatment over 12 months. About CGuard EPS The CGuard EPS is designed to prevent peri-procedural and late embolization by trapping potential emboli against the arterial wall while maintaining excellent perfusion to the external carotid artery. MicroNet is a bio-stable mesh woven from a single strand of 20 micron Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). CGuard EPS is CE Marked and not approved for sale in the U.S. by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at this time. Carotid stenosis is a narrowing of the carotid arteries, the major arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain. This narrowing results from a buildup of plaque inside the blood vessel and reduces blood flow to the brain. The presence of plaque in the blood vessel can also cause the development of blood clots, which may also reduce blood flow to the brain. In some cases, plaque may rupture or dislodge from the vessel wall and block smaller downstream arteries. Patients with carotid stenosis have an increased risk of stroke as a result of cerebral embolism and decreased blood flow to the brain. Patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis are typically treated by placement of a stent inside the blood vessel in order to re-open the carotid artery and improve blood flow to the brain. InspireMD's CGuard EPS uses the company's patented MicroNet technology to provide the revascularization benefits of a stent with a mesh "safety net" that secures the plaque against the blood vessel's arterial wall and thereby prevents plaque and other debris from flowing through the stent's scaffold. About InspireMD, Inc. InspireMD seeks to utilize its proprietary MicroNet technology to make its products the industry standard for embolic protection and to provide a superior solution to the key clinical issues of current stenting in patients with a high risk of distal embolization, no reflow and major adverse cardiac events. InspireMD intends to pursue applications of this MicroNet technology in coronary, carotid (CGuard), neurovascular, and peripheral artery procedures. InspireMD's common stock is quoted on the NYSE MKT under the ticker symbol NSPR and certain warrants are quoted on the NYSE MKT under the ticker symbol NSPR.WS. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "intends," "may," "will," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "projects," "predicts," "estimates," "aims," "believes," "hopes," "potential" or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control, and cannot be predicted or quantified and consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) market acceptance of our existing and new products, (ii) negative clinical trial results or lengthy product delays in key markets, (iii) an inability to secure regulatory approvals for the sale of our products, (iv) intense competition in the medical device industry from much larger, multinational companies, (v) product liability claims, (vi) product malfunctions, (vii) our limited manufacturing capabilities and reliance on subcontractors for assistance, (viii) insufficient or inadequate reimbursement by governmental and other third party payers for our products, (ix) our efforts to successfully obtain and maintain intellectual property protection covering our products, which may not be successful, (x) legislative or regulatory reform of the healthcare system in both the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions, (xi) our reliance on single suppliers for certain product components, (xii) the fact that we will need to raise additional capital to meet our business requirements in the future and that such capital raising may be costly, dilutive or difficult to obtain and (xiii) the fact that we conduct business in multiple foreign jurisdictions, exposing us to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, logistical and communications challenges, burdens and costs of compliance with foreign laws and political and economic instability in each jurisdiction. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's web site at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor Contacts: InspireMD, Inc. Craig Shore Chief Financial Officer Phone: 1-888-776-6804 FREE Email: craigs@inspiremd.com Lazar Partners David Carey Investor Relations Phone: (212) 867-1768 Email: dcarey@lazarpartners.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Starrex International Ltd. ("Starrex" or the "Company") (CSE: STX) announces that its board of directors has unanimously appointed Matthew Hill as the Company's new President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. He has also been appointed as a member of the Audit Committee. Mr. Hill, who previously served as the Company's Senior Vice President, replaces Philip Garrett Clayton who resigned those offices in order to devote more of his time to his other business interests. Mr. Clayton will continue to be involved in the affairs of the Company as one of its directors. The board of directors looks forward to the anticipated further development of the Company under the leadership of Mr. Hill through organic growth of its existing business and through strategic acquisitions to add to its mortgage appraisal businesses and to expand into related fields that can provide synergies and growth, all with a view to enhancing shareholder value. The board of directors also wishes to express their appreciation to Mr. Clayton for his efforts and dedication to the Corporation over the past three years, overseeing its transformation to an active business in the United States mortgage services industry. The board further welcomes his continuing involvement as a director of the Company. The Company is pursuing an application to the Ontario Securities Commission to revise the existing management cease trade order to accommodate the change of its Chief Executive Officer. This news release may contain or refer to forward-looking information. All information other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that Starrex believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the plans, goals and expectations for the newly-acquired company and for Starrex as a result of the acquisition noted above. This forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties beyond Starrex's ability to control or predict that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Starrex disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although Starrex believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on this forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Contacts: Starrex International Ltd. Ronald Mann Secretary, Chief Operating Officer and Investor Relations Officer (647) 981-2782 rmann@starrexintl.com SAN FRANCISCO, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Large Touchscreen Collaborative Technology Company to Showcase at Key Partners, Principals, and Managing Directors Conference Today, Touchjet is honored to announce they have been invited as an exhibitor at the Technology Exhibition at the Deloitte 2016 Partners/Principals/Managing Directors Meeting on November 1st, 2016 in Las Vegas. Taking pride of place in the booth will be Touchjet's newly released software, Touchjet Present. Released on October 24th in both the App Store and Google Play, Touchjet Present allows users to wirelessly share, collaborate, annotate on presentations, and create meeting notes and documents across all platforms simultaneously. This allows participants to be on the same page all the time and their handwritten note details to be captured across all devices. In addition, Touchjet Present will generate an automated report following any meeting or presentation, ensuring maximum efficiency for recordings and follow-ups. Also on display will be the Touchjet Pond' Touchscreen Projector, which turns any flat surface into an interactive 80" tablet, and offering full compatibly with all Android Apps. This was one of the top 20 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns. It won 2016 Edison Award GOLD. In addition, the Touchjet WAVE' TV Tablet System, which turns any flatscreen TV or display monitor into a giant Android tablet with multi-touch, will also be available for visitors to experience. The Touchjet WAVE' is priced at $299.99 for up to 65" displays compared to alternative touchscreen tablets that cost thousands or tens of thousands dollars. Helen Thomas - Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Touchjet comments; "Being asked to exhibit by a such a widely-recognized firm such as Deloitte is truly remarkable. We're delighted to be showing the capabilities of our new Touchjet Present Software, and we firmly believe it has the ability to revolutionize the way people approach paperless meetings, presentations and collaborative projects. Deloitte are known for their successes in innovation, and we are proud to be displaying our products to them as exhibitors." --- ENDS --- Editor ' s notes High-resolution images, logos and videos can be found here For more information, please visit the Touchjet website: http://www.touchjet.com/present/ YouTube videos: https://youtu.be/JfcQ5PXAGmU https://youtu.be/EXlVBAoWzt0 About Touchjet Founded in 2013, Touchjet brings people together in shared experiences using its patented touch technology. Touchjet has a global team of top engineers and designers who are continuing to develop innovative applications for the company's touchscreen and collaboration technology. Visit www.touchjet.com for more information. ESPOO, Finland, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Metsa Wood's competition has inspired architects worldwide to design wooden extensions to city centres. Entries from 40 countries proposed wooden solutions to the challenges of urbanization. Winning designs were made to New York, Shanghai and Tampere, Finland. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7969851-metsa-wood-competition-city-above-the-city/ Architects from 40 countries created their Plan B for urbanisation using wood (Kerto LVL - laminated veneer lumber) as the main material. The task was to design a wooden extension to an existing urban building. The entries were designed for 69 cities worldwide, including Sidney, Shanghai, New York, Berlin, Paris and London. The competition was organised by Metsa Wood. "Construction must become sustainable and cities must stay liveable. I am happy that so many architects share this view, especially the younger generation," says Michael Green from MGA architects and DBR Design Build Research, who chairs the jury. "The entries were innovative and added value to both the building and the community." "The designs were realistic and demonstrated a good understanding of LVL as a building material," says Professor Stefan Winter, who holds the Chair of Timber Construction and Structural Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. "Because of its lightness and fast construction time, Kerto LVL is an ideal material for this challenge." "Building wooden extensions in existing communities can be a significant solution for urbanisation. Instead of demolishing communities, we could enhance them," says Mike Kane, an architect and senior lecturer at London South Bank University. "This competition should be seen as a catalyst for future debate on sustainable and progressive cities worldwide." Winners from different parts of the world "Urbanisation has increased interest in building with wood. The potential for timber extensions is large - over 100 million square metres in Germany alone," says Mikko Saavalainen, SVP of Business Development at Metsa Wood. Winners received awards in two categories: small-scale intervention and large-scale intervention. The total value of the prizes is EUR35,000. First prize winners in the small-scale intervention category were Nile Greenberg (USA) for his design for New York and Alma Studio (Spain) for their design for Shanghai. The runners-up were Superspace (Turkey) with a design for Istanbul and Sigurd Larsen Design & Architecture (Germany) with a design for Berlin. First prize winners in the large-scale intervention category were Lisa Voigtlander (Germany) and SungBok Song (Korea) for their design for Tampere, Finland. The runners-up were Basic Architects (Australia) with a design for Perth, L Arkkitehdit (Finland) with a design for Helsinki, Giuseppe De Marinis Gallo and Gianluca Gnisci (Italy) with a design for New York and Kim Min Jae Architects (Hong Kong) with a design for Hong Kong. See the complete works at: planb.metsawood.com Images:http://databank.metsagroup.com/l/QXN_pcPcgdjH Metsa Wood provides competitive and environmentally friendly wood products for construction, industrial customers and distributor partners. We manufacture products from Nordic wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Our sales in 2015 were EUR 0.9 billion, and we employ about 2,000 people. Metsa Wood is part of Metsa Group. Contact for media: Henni Rousu, Marketing Manager, Metsa Wood, mobile: +358(0) 405548388,henni.rousu@metsagroup.com For press information, please contact: Matt Trace, Director, Defero Communications, t. +44(0)7828663988,matt@deferouk.co.uk (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/434735 ) Video: http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7969851-metsa-wood-competition-city-above-the-city/ WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Donald Trump has claimed that Hillary Clinton is likely to be investigated for long and her election would mire the US government in a constitutional crisis. 'The investigation over the email scandal will last for years, a trial will probably start, nothing will get done, and our country will continue to suffer,' the Republican presidential nominee said in an election rally in Michigan Monday. Over 650,000 emails have been found on a laptop shared by Hillary Clinton's close aide Huma Abedin and her husband, and FBI is set to review the newly-discovered data. With the presidential election at the doorstep, the business tycoon stepped up his attack over his Democratic rival taking advantage of the new episode of the email scam. Trump said Doug Schoen, one of Clinton's longtime supporters and a top Democratic Pollster, is now totally withdrawing his support to the Democratic presidential nominee. Trump quoted from an article he wrote entitled 'I'm a Democrat, I worked for Bill Clinton, but I can't vote for Hillary.' Schoen writes: 'I am now convinced that we will be facing the very real possibility of a constitutional crisis with many dimensions and deleterious consequences should Secretary Clinton win the election.' Schoen warns that if Hillary is elected, she would be under protracted criminal investigation - and probably a trial of a sitting President. Trump vowed that he will bring back the jobs that Americans lost to foreigners. Michigan has lost more than 1 in 4 manufacturing jobs since Bill Clinton signed NAFTA, a deal strongly supported by Hillary Clinton, according to him. Before NAFTA went into effect, there were 280,000 auto workers in Michigan. Today, that number is only 160,000. 'We are living through the greatest jobs theft in the history of the world,' Trump said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de VANCOUVER, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fineqia International Inc. (the "Company" or "Fineqia") (CSE: FNQ) (OTCPink: FNQQF) (Frankfurt: FNQA) is pleased to announce that it has closed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 517,119,950 units ("Units") issued at a price of CAD$0.01 per Unit, raising gross proceeds of CAD$5,171,199.50 in an oversubscribed round. The final close follows raising of the Private Placement target three times from CAD$2 million to CAD$5 million due to continued investor interest, since the Company's completion of the first tranche of the Private Placement and issuance of 157,900,000 Units, raising gross proceeds of CAD$1,579,000 on August 11, 2015.Each unit consists of one common share and one transferable common share purchase warrant ("Warrants") exercisable at CAD$0.05 per share for a period of five years subject to an accelerated vesting provision. Fineqia intends to provide a U.K. regulated platform and associated services to place andadminister debt and equity securities issuances. The UK industry for mini-bond debt securities is expected to be worth A8 billion (CAD$13 billion) by 2017 from about A90 million (CAD$148 million) in 2012, according to the U.K's Capita Registrars. Insiders of the Company subscribed for 67,770,000 Units, with Bundeep Singh Rangar, CEO and a director of the Company, subscribing for 34,320,000 Units through his controlled companies; Stephen John McCann, CFO and a director of the Company, subscribing for 30,950,000 Units in his own name and through a company he controls, and Brij Chadda, a director of the Company, subscribing for 2,500,000 in his own name. As a result, the Private Placement is a related party transaction (as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101")). The Company relied upon the "Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets" and "Fair Market Value Not More Than CAD$2,500,000" exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements, respectively, under MI 61-101. As a result of the Private Placement: (i) Mr. Rangar's beneficial ownership of common shares of the Company ("Beneficial Ownership") decreased from 7.05% to 6.19% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company; (ii) Mr. McCann's Beneficial Ownership increased from 0.06% to 4.70% and Mr. Chadda's ownership increased from 0.11% to 0.41%. The Private Placement was unanimously approved by the board of directors of the Company, with Messrs. Rangar, McCann and Chadda each having declared his interest and abstained from approving any issuance of Units to himself or companies controlled by him. As required by CNSX Markets Inc., the Units that were issued under the Private Placement to directors, officers, promoters or persons who acquired over 10% of the voting common shares of the Company, are subject to escrow. In this regard, the securities that were acquired under the Private Placement by Messrs. Rangar and McCann are subject to escrow pursuant to a Form 46-201 Escrow Agreement dated October 28, 2016 among Fineqia, Computershare, Messrs. Rangar and McCann. The Company issued finder's Units equal to 5.7% (i.e. 29,437,920) of the aggregate number of Units sold in the Private Placement through the efforts of each finder at a price of 7% per finder's Unit. The finder's Warrants are exercisable under the same terms as the Warrants. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period. The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for general working capital, debt settlements and making strategic investments. The material change report filed in connection with the Private Placement will be filed less than 21 days prior to the closing of the Private Placement. The shorter period was necessary in order to permit the Company to close the Private Placement in a timeframe consistent with usual market practice for transactions of this nature. Debt Settlement Concurrently with the closing of the Private Placement, the Company completed debt settlements in which various creditors agreed to accept common shares of the Company for past consulting services provided to the Company totaling CAD$277,220 by the issuance of a total of 20,224,000 common shares of the Company at deemed prices of CAD$0.01 per share (for non-insiders) and CAD$0.05 per share (for insiders). Following closing of the Private Placement and debt settlements, the Company now has 661,752,416 common shares issued and outstanding. All securities issued pursuant to the debt settlements are subject to a four-month hold period. Stock Option Grants The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to purchase up to 10% of its issued and outstanding common shares at an exercise price of CAD$0.05 per share for a period of three years to its directors, officers and consultants in accordance with the provisions of its stock option plan. About Fineqia International Inc. Fineqia's business model is to provide an online platform and associated services for the placement of debt and equity securities, initially in the UK. The platform will transparently highlight the risks and objectively outline opportunities involved. For more information, visit http://www.fineqia.com. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATORY SERVICE PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to complete the Change of Business, failure to obtain sufficient financing, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. mediacontact Karolina Komarnicka, Marketing Associate, T: +1(778)654-2324, E: info@fineqia.com, W: http://www.fineqia.com WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - At a rally in Cincinnati on Monday, Hillary Clinton sharpened the contrast between her years of public service with Donald Trump's divisive candidacy that has shown him unfit to lead the nation's military and national security apparatus. Clinton highlighted Trump's inability to understand the gravity of nuclear weapons, how his thin skin could turn a national security crisis into a catastrophe and his ties to Russia that conflict with America's values and geopolitical goals. All of these have prompted dozens of retired nuclear launch officers to take the unprecedented step of publicly saying that Donald Trump should 'not have his finger on the button,' Clinton said. Accompanied by Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly, Clinton also expressed her belief that America needs a president who will address the epidemic of gun violence in the country, not one who lacks the guts to stand up to the gun lobby. As 33,000 Americans are killed by guns every year, Clinton committed once again to pass commonsense gun reforms that respect the Second Amendment while keeping America's kids our communities safe. The majority of Americans support comprehensive background checks, Clinton said. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - US President-elect Donald Trump is scheduled to address the voters in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Tuesday night in the second leg of his 'Thank You' tour, which takes him to predominantly those regions that helped him earn a surprise presidential election victory. The first in a series of rallies was held last week in Cincinnati, Ohio - the site of one of Trump's rallies during the presidential campaign. Trump announced the key posting of retired Marine Corps general James N. Mattis as the new Secretary of Defense at that meeting. He is expected to officially nominate Mattis at the Fayetteville gathering, Trump's spokesman Jason Miller told reporters. Miller also released the President-elect's other stops in the 'Thank You' tour. The third event will be held at Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, at 7 PM Thursday. And the next day, he will speak to his supporters at DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 7 PM. During the campaign, Trump often outclassed his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton with the size of his rally audiences, which gathered thousands of his supporters. He had originally planned to launch a weekend victory tour immediately after the election, but changed focus to building his transition team. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Andy Ahn Head of Marketing, Suprema Inc. Email: andyahn@suprema.co.kr SEOUL, KOREA, Mar 14, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Suprema, a global leader in biometrics, today announced the launch of its new SFM6000 Series fingerprint embedded modules.Loaded with the range-leading 1GHz CPU and latest Suprema algorithm, the new SFM6000 Series achieves the world's fastest matching speed of up to 5,000 matches per second and massive user capacity of up to 25,000 fingerprint templates. For developers, the new SFM6000 Series now allows the easier integration by supporting open source hardware platforms including Arduino and Raspberry pi.SFM6000 Series is designed to provide optimal fingerprint authentication solution for various areas including access control terminals, time attendance devices, door locks, alarm panels, safes, vending machines automotive, ATMs and fast-growing IoT applications.Moreover, SFM6000 Series brings significant improvements on hardware side to provide a robust solution for applications with harsh environment. The new improved optical sensor structure now provides IP65-rated ingress protection and operating temperature is also extended from -15 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius.SFM6000 Series also provides complete backward compatibility by maintaining SFM5000 & 3000's form factor and sensor types. This allows existing customers of SFM5000 & 3000 Series to put minimal effort in adoption of improved benefits of SFM6000 Series fingerprint modules."Suprema's new SFM6000 Series is our answer to dynamic market demands from leading global manufacturers. SFM6000 Series will be the first choice for those who aims to build a best-of-breed fingerprint terminals and will also address growing demand from open source hardware applications," said Brian Song, CEO at Suprema. "With biometrics becoming more popular for IoT, SFM6000 Series will provide our customers better opportunity to penetrate their business into this emerging market," Song added.Suprema is the world's largest provider of fingerprint embedded modules and has shipped more than a million modules till today. For more information, visit www.supremainc.com.About Suprema Inc.Suprema is a leading global provider of biometrics and ID solutions. By combining world renowned biometric algorithms with superior engineering, Suprema continually designs and develops industry-leading products and solutions. Suprema's extensive range of portfolio includes fingerprint authentication/enrollment scanners, identification solutions and physical access control solutions. Suprema has worldwide sales network in over 130 countries and is one of the world's Top 50 security company in its turnover (ranked in A&S's Security 50, 2010-2016). For more information, please visit www.supremainc.com.Source: Suprema Inc.Contact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. DARMSTADT, Germany, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer deaths in women are expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2030 Merck, a leading science and technology company, and the American Cancer Society (ACS) today released a report that shows all four of the top causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide are mostly preventable or can often be detected early, when treatment is more successful. The report, titled "The Global Burden of Cancer in Women," is the first tangible output from an innovative partnership between Merck and the American Cancer Society focused on raising awareness and strengthening advocacy around women's cancers. "We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to address the impact cancer has on women worldwide," said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck. "This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that recognizes that no one sector can tackle this challenge alone. Improving women's health and well-being has an uplifting ripple effect on our world, and we know when women do better, our communities do better." The research examines the increasing impact of cancer among women in low- and middle-income countries - and outlines potential solutions to minimize the economic and societal impact of the disease for women, their families and healthcare systems. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers claiming the most lives each year. With cancer rates on the rise as the global population grows and ages, the number of women who will lose their lives to cancer is expected to increase, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2012, there were 3.5 million deaths among women due to cancer; by 2030 that number is expected to increase to 5.5 million deaths - a more than 57% increase in less than two decades. Increased education and prevention efforts will be essential to addressing this growing global health crisis. "It's incumbent upon both the public and private sectors, as members of the global health community, to find ways to reduce the impacts of cancer on women by increasing prevention and treatment, saving the lives of women across the globe," said Ambassador Sally Cowal, senior vice president, global cancer control at the American Cancer Society. In addition to the physical challenges women with cancer and their families experience, the burden of cancer also extends to the economy. The study found that in 2009, the global economic burden of cancer was estimated at about $ 286 billion, and much of that cost was due to premature death of members of the workforce. In the United States alone in 2008, years of productive life lost due to cancer in women corresponded to $ 82 billion, not to mention the many professional achievements that might have been realized. The report was released at the World Cancer Congress during a Merck panel moderated by Ambassador Cowal. Other participants included HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan; Dr. Alise Reicin, Head of Global Clinical Development in the biopharma business of Merck; and Dr. Edward L. "Ted" Trimble, director, Center for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute. This partnership will also catalyse the evolution of the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program, which aims to educate and cultivate health and civil society professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and India to affect meaningful change in prevention and early detection of cancers among women in low- and middle-income countries. This report is part of Merck's involvement with the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which explicitly links the issue of women's health and well-being with economic growth. The full "Global Burden of Cancer in Women" report is available http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/global-burden-cancer-in-women. About the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Initiative Merck is a founding partner of the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which brings together the evidence about women's health and well-being and its impact on economic growth with the best practices that governments, employers and non-governmental organizations can follow. It aims to identify and implement policies that advance women's health and well-being to increase their economic participation in the societies in which they live. About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. About the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars Program The American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program aims to educate and cultivate young health and civil society professionals around the world to bring their energy, voice and new ideas to the new and growing field of integration of women's cancer prevention and early detection. All Merck press releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of 12.85 billion in 66 countries. Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151207/293543LOGO ) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278051LOGO ) LONDON, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The fifth annual Out Leadership Summit in Europe will bring together leading figures from across the financial services, technology and other industries to continue the dialogue about corporates' role in advancing LGBT+ equality around the world. Panels will include: "Wired Money: Technology, Business & LGBT+ Inclusion": Kevin Dallas , Chief Product & Marketing Officer, Worldpay Vivienne Ming , Founder and Executive Chair, Socos Claudia Brind-Woody , VP & MD, Global IP Licensing, IBM Deborah Sherry , GM and Chief Commercial Officer, GE Digital Europe Moderated by Richard Socarides , Head of Public Affairs, GLG Keynote Fireside: "Out in Diplomacy: The Pitfalls and Rewards" Rufus Gifford , U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Moderated by Francine Lacqua , Anchor & Editor-at-large, Bloomberg Before the Summit opens to the press at 4 pm , and off the record: "Regional Risk and Innovation: Learnings from Asia and the Middle East ": Stephan DuCharme , Chairman of Supervisory Board, X5 Retail Group Laura King , Global Head of People and Talent, Clifford Chance Paul Reed , CEO, Integrated Supply & Trading, BP Eileen Taylor , Global Head of Regulatory Management, Deutsche Bank Moderated by Colin Passmore , Senior Partner, Simmons & Simmons More than one hundred senior European business leaders will gather today at the Out Leadership: Europe 2016, hosted by HSBC at the HSBC Tower, 8 Canada Square, London. "We not only aim to attract and nurture LGBT+ talent but also to deploy it to help fulfill our purpose of connecting customers to opportunities," said, said Noel Quinn, Chief Executive of Global Commercial Banking, HSBC. "As we said at this year's Pride celebrations, we are proud to support everyone's hopes, dreams and ambitions. Banking is an industry that exists to support the ambitions of individuals, companies, and society. To connect with our customers, we need to reflect the increasing diversity and changing expectations in the world around us." "This year's Summit agenda reflects the growing number of discussions taking place at the intersection of LGBT+ progress and business," said Todd Sears, founder and Principal of Out Leadership. "We convene every year in the world's financial capitals, but what we discuss resonates across industries, disciplines and borders. While LGBT+ people have made enormous progress towards equality in Europe and abroad, many regions and jurisdictions still present distinct challenges. Executives who aim to leverage the power of business to build acceptance for LGBT+ people around the world have much to learn from each other, and we're proud to drive the conversation forward." The HSBC Group HSBC Holdings plc, the parent company of the HSBC Group, is headquartered in London. The Group serves customers worldwide from around 4,400 offices in 71 countries and territories in Europe, Asia, North and Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. With assets of US$2,608bn at 30 June 2016, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations. Out Leadership Out Leadership is a global LGBT+ business organization that partners with the world's most influential companies to build business opportunities, cultivate talent, and drive LGBT+ equality forward. LGBT+ inclusion positively impacts business results, and including LGBT+ people at the most senior level of executive leadership powerfully and positively benefits business bottom lines. We call this idea Return on Equality'. Comprised of more than 70 member firms from the financial services, technology, legal and insurance industries, and dedicated to cross-industry collaboration, Out Leadership is a certified B Corporation. Out Leadership operates two industry-specific business initiatives:Out on the StreetandOut in Law, and two talent initiatives:Quorum, which aims to increase LGBT+ representation on corporate boards; OutNEXT, the first global talent development program for emerging LGBT+ leaders, and OutWOMEN, convening and celebrating LBT+ women in business. For more information, please visit www.outleadership.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- WPC Resources Inc. (the "Company" or "WPC") (TSX VENTURE: WPQ) is pleased to report it has signed a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with Mandalay Resources Corporation ("Mandalay") to acquire Mandalay's 100%-owned subsidiary, Lupin Mines Incorporated ("LMI"). LMI owns 100% interests in the Lupin Gold Mine and the Ulu Gold Property (the "Properties"). The Lupin Gold Mine (the "Lupin") was in production from 1982 to December 2004. Lupin was placed on to care and maintenance in February 2005. To date over 3.4 million ounces of gold have been mined and recovered from Lupin with an average mill-head grade of 8.9 grams per tonne (0.259 ounces per ton). Currently, Lupin holds all permits required to maintain its present good standing including a Type "A" water licence which allows for the transition from care and maintenance to the restart of operations and ultimately to commercial production. LMI also holds, in restricted cash accounts approximately $27.5 million, which have been pledged through letters of credit to cover future estimated environmental reclamation costs on the Properties. Stephen Wilkinson, WPC's President and CEO commented, "The signing of the Agreement to acquire the Lupin Gold Mine and its 2,300 ton per day mill and processing plant together with the Ulu Gold Property is the start of a new era for WPC. Our strategy is to build a significant gold producer by taking advantage of the favourable purchase terms and advanced stage of the Properties. Post-closing, WPC will focus on leveraging the existing permits, infrastructure and defined near surface drill targets to bring Lupin into production in a shorter period and with lower capital costs than would be possible for a typical mining project. Immediately upon closing, the Company will focus on drilling to confirm a mine plan with a view to advancing toward restarting production." Should the technical feasibility and the economic viability of the project establish mineral reserves supported by completion of a feasibility study, it is management's intention to bring the Lupin project into production. The Agreement represents an arm's length transaction between the parties and supersedes the previous Ulu option agreement. It includes the following terms: 1) On closing, WPC will pay purchase price consideration to Mandalay consisting of C$3M cash, 15 million common shares of WPC and a $1.6M principal amount convertible promissory note. The promissory note will be repayable four years from completion of the transaction, bear interest at 6% per annum and be convertible at Mandalay's election into common shares of WPC at a price of C$0.10 per share. 2) WPC will make an aggregate cash payment equal to the equivalent of 10,000 ounces of refined gold, payable in 12 quarterly installments equal to the cash equivalent of 833 1/3 ounces of refined gold per quarter, based on the average gold price for each such quarter, beginning with the second quarter immediately following the full quarter after the commencement of commercial production. 3) Beginning in the quarter after the completion of payment of the aforementioned 12 quarterly instalments, WPC will pay to Mandalay a royalty of 1% NSR on gold production mined from the Lupin property. The transaction, which is expected to be completed prior to December 31, 2016, is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including WPC completing a private placement or other financing for gross proceeds of not less than $5 million and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Upon completion of the transaction, Mandalay will own 20 million common shares of WPC and will have the right to acquire up to an additional 16 million common shares of WPC upon conversion of the convertible note. About the Lupin Gold Mine Lupin is situated approximately 400 kilometres ("km") north of Yellowknife on the west side of Contwoyto Lake within the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut. The Lupin property consists of five contiguous Mining Leases covering 6,758 hectares. The property is subject to a 1.0% net smelter return royalty payable to Kinross Gold Corporation. The on-site infrastructure includes the 2,300 ton per day gold mill building and equipment, shaft and hoist, residence for operational personnel, 1.6 km all-season air strip, tank farm for diesel fuel storage (containing approximately 2 million liters of fuel), permitted tailings areas and developed mine workings to a depth of approximately 1,600 metres. At Lupin gold is associated with pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and quartz veins developed in an amphibolite iron formation with a mapped strike length of several kilometers. The iron formation is hosted in the Archean-age Contwoyto Formation. Multiple stages of deformation have folded the iron formation into a steeply dipping "M-shaped" structure. The principal gold zones are confined to the continuous amphibolitic Lupin iron formation. Other, more recently identified zones of gold mineralization, are hosted in a subsidiary amphibolite iron formation in the footwall of the principal gold zones. In 2011, Elgin Mining Inc. re-evaluated the Lupin resource database. Using 5 grams gold per tonne ("g/t Au") over a minimum horizontal width of 2.5 metres as a lower cut-off, an inferred resource was estimated to contain 1,110,000 mineralized tonnes grading 11.32 grams per tonne gold, containing 403,000 ounces of gold mainly within the West Zone - South of Shaft. Note: (ii)WPC considers this to be an historic resource as estimated at December 31, 2011 in the NI 43-101 technical report on the property entitled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Lupin Mine Property, Kitikmeot Region - Nunavut, for Elgin Mining Inc." by G. A. Harron, P.Geo. The technical report is available for viewing under Elgin's corporate profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. A qualified person on the behalf of WPC has not done sufficient work to classify this historic estimate as a current mineral resource and WPC does not treat it as a current mineral resource. About the Ulu Gold Property The Ulu Gold Property is located approximately 125 km north of the Lupin Gold Mine, and consists of mining lease #3563 covering 947 hectares containing 16 known gold occurrences. The property has seen extensive exploration work since its discovery in 1989. Past work at the Ulu Gold Property includes 1.7 km of underground development and approximately 98 km of diamond drilling in 405 holes to define a gold resource with most work focused on the Flood gold zone. In July 2015, WPC announced an independent NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate for the Ulu Gold Property and filed an amended technical report, entitled "Technical Report on the Ulu Gold Property, Nunavut, Canada" dated July 10, 2015. The Ulu mineral resource was estimated by independent consultants using a 4 gram per tonne ("g/t") of gold cut-off value as follows: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold Gold Classification Gold Tonnage Grade Contained ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut-off (g/t) Tonnes g/t Ounces Flood Zone greater Measured than 4.0 1,000,000 8.48 272,000 greater Indicated than 4.0 1,500,000 6.90 333,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- greater Measured & Indicated than 4.0 2,500,000 7.53 605,000 greater Inferred than 4.0 891,000 5.57 160,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gnu Zone greater Inferred than 4.0 370,000 5.57 66,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total - Flood and Gnu Zones greater Measured & Indicated than 4.0 2,500,000 7.53 605,000 greater Inferred than 4.0 1,261,000 5.57 226,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Qualified Person: The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian Regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101. The technical information provided in this press release was reviewed by Warren Robb, P.Geo., a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101. About the Company WPC is a Vancouver-based gold company focused on mineral exploration and development in northern Canada. It has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the historic Lupin Gold Mine and Ulu Gold Property from Mandalay Resources Corporation. In addition, in May 2014, the Company signed an agreement to acquire Inukshuk Exploration Inc., the owner of a 100% interest in the 8,000-hectare Hood River property located contiguous to the Ulu Gold Property. The Company trades on the TSX-Venture Exchange under the symbol, WPQ, and has 98,700,304 common shares currently issued and outstanding. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX-Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Release. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking information. All information included herein, other than statements of historical fact, including the expected completion of the Placement and the timing thereof, and the expected use of proceeds are forward-looking statements and involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Contacts: WPC Resources Inc. Stephen Wilkinson President and CEO 778-379-1433 WPC Resources Inc. Wayne Moorhouse CFO and Secretary 778-379-1433 PHOENIX, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Bishop Fox partner Christie Terrill, who leads the cybersecurity consulting firm's enterprise security team, will present a keynote session on "Preparing a Next-Generation IT Security Strategy" on November 15, 2016 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. EST at a Dark Reading Virtual Event. The talk will provide insight on how to develop a "futureproof" enterprise information technology (IT) security plan. One of the main reasons information security is so hard to achieve today is that IT itself is changing so rapidly. Cloud computing places security in the hands of a third-party service provider. Mobile technology, meanwhile, places security in the hands of the end user. And the emergence of intelligent, Internet-connected, non-computer devices -- the Internet of Things -- represents an entirely new set of security challenges. Terrill will discuss how IT organizations can build a security strategy that works when so much of the computing environment is outside their span of control. She will also touch upon how security departments can implement technologies and practices that will work in both today's IT environment and tomorrow's dynamic, multi-dimensional computing world. At Bishop Fox, Terrill oversees enterprise security projects related to security governance, risk management, compliance, and technical controls. Before joining Bishop Fox, Terrill worked in the security consulting practices at Accenture and Ernst & Young for clients in the Global 500. For more details and to register for the event, please visit: Dark Reading Conference. Bishop Fox is an independent cybersecurity firm that protects businesses from today's increasing security threats. Headquartered in Phoenix since 2005, the firm provides assessment and penetration testing and enterprise security consulting services to the world's leading organizations. For more information, visit www.bishopfox.com. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3073581 Contact: Amy Blumenthal 617-879-1511 amyb@blumenthalpr.com MONTREAL, CANADA -- (Marketwired) -- 03/01/17 -- Theratechnologies Inc. (Theratechnologies) (TSX: TH) today announced that it hosted a webcast meeting (Webcast) for the investment community. The purpose of the meeting was to provide the investment community with its corporate strategy for the years to come and an updated guidance for the fiscal year 2017. During the Webcast, Theratechnologies indicated that its corporate strategy was based on growing sales of EGRIFTA (tesamorelin for injection) in the United States, successfully launching and commercializing ibalizumab, an investigational drug, by leveraging its existing U.S. commercial infrastructure and by in-licensing or acquiring approved or late-stage development products that fit its current infrastructure or benefit from its expertise. The previously disclosed results of the market studies on ibalizumab for the United States market were also presented. These market studies were carried out by its internal team and by independent external consultants specialized in physician and payer market research. The main conclusion of the studies is that approximately 20,000 to 25,000 patients in the United States are currently infected with multidrug resistant (MDR) HIV-1 (defined as resistant to at least one drug in at least 3 different classes of antiretroviral therapies (ART)). The research also showed that between 50%-56% of these patients experience a virological failure over a period of 48 weeks of treatment, requiring their physician to modify their treatment. Market research also confirmed that 78% of physicians believe there is a high unmet medical need for MDR HIV-1 patients and that ibalizumab was highly rated by physicians to treat those patients. Physicians expressed an intention to prescribe ibalizumab to approximately 50% of their MDR patients experiencing virological failure. Market research also indicated that payers in the U.S. agreed that there was a high degree of usefulness for ibalizumab in the MDR HIV-1 setting and that they expected to reimburse it. Theratechnologies also summarized the mechanism of action of ibalizumab and reviewed the previously disclosed clinical data obtained during the pivotal Phase III study using ibalizumab. A summary of these data is available in Theratechnologies' press releases dated May 24, 2016, October 24, 2016, October 28, 2016, November 10, 2016 and February 14, 2017. Theratechnologies announced a major expansion of its sales organization to prepare for the potential launch of ibalizumab and to cover additional territories. The Company has begun recruiting sales representatives and sales managers, with the objective of increasing its sales organization to 41 people, from the existing 12 people. "We have carefully mapped out prescribing physicians and the MDR patient population and feel that an organization of this size will permit maximum reach for ibalizumab. The expanded sales effort will also have a direct positive impact on EGRIFTA sales for 2017 and beyond," said Luc Tanguay, President and Chief Executive Officer, Theratechnologies inc. "If approved by the FDA, we expect that ibalizumab will be a commercial success," added Mr. Tanguay. "Our 2017 EBITDA will be affected by the investment required to prepare for the launch of ibalizumab but we will quickly reap the benefits. Considering revenues coming from EGRIFTA and our strong cash position, we believe that the financial risk is limited and well worth it," said Philippe Dubuc, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. 2017 Revised Guidance During the presentation, Theratechnologies revised its guidance for net sales of EGRIFTA for fiscal year 2017 and announced that net sales of EGRIFTA are now expected to be in the range of C$44,000,000 to C$46,000,000 (previously C$40,000,000 to C$42,000,000). Theratechnologies' expectations for its Adjusted EBITDA(1) for fiscal year 2017 are in the range of C$(2,000,000) to C$(3,000,000). An assumed average exchange rate of USD 1 = CAD 1.32 was used in providing this guidance. (1) See "Non-IFRS Financial Measures" below Webcast replay As a reminder, the Webcast will be archived and accessible via the Company's website at www.theratech.com in the Investor Center section, under Corporate Events. Non-IFRS Financial Measures Adjusted EBITDA is a non-IFRS financial measure. We use adjusted financial measures to assess our operating performance. Securities regulations require that companies caution readers that earnings and other measures adjusted to a basis other than IFRS do not have standardized meanings and are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Accordingly, they should not be considered in isolation. We use Adjusted EBITDA to measure operating performance from one period to the next without the variation caused by certain adjustments that could potentially distort the analysis of trends in our business, and because we believe it provides meaningful information on our financial condition and operating results. We obtain our Adjusted EBITDA measurement by adding to net profit or loss, finance income and costs, depreciation and amortization and income taxes. We also exclude the effects of certain non-monetary transactions recorded, such as share-based compensation for stock option plan and write down of inventories, for our Adjusted EBITDA calculation. We believe it is useful to exclude these items as they are either non-cash expenses, items that cannot be influenced by management in the short term, or items that do not impact core operating performance. Excluding these items does not imply they are necessarily nonrecurring. Share-based compensation costs are a component of employee remuneration and can vary significantly with changes in the market price of the company's shares. In addition, other items that do not impact core operating performance of the company may vary significantly from one period to another. As such, Adjusted EBITDA provides improved continuity with respect to the comparison of our operating results over a period of time. Our method for calculating Adjusted EBITDA may differ from that used by other companies. About Theratechnologies Theratechnologies (TSX: TH) is a specialty pharmaceutical company addressing unmet medical needs to promote healthy living and an improved quality of life among HIV patients. Further information about Theratechnologies is available on the Company's website at www.theratech.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, or, collectively, forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws, that are based on our management's belief and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. You can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "would", "outlook", "believe", "plan", "envisage", "anticipate", "expect" and "estimate" or the negatives of these terms, or variations of them. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, but are not limited to, our long-term strategy, our financial guidance, the number of MDR HIV-1 infected patients, the percentage of patients experiencing an increase in viral load over a 48-week period and the launch of ibalizumab as an HIV treatment in the United States. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Theratechnologies' control that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. These assumptions include but are not limited to, the following: sales of EGRIFTA will continue to grow, ibalizumab will be approved by the FDA and, if approved, physicians, patients and payers will recognize the benefits of this product and sales of ibalizumab in the United States will be successful, our estimates in determining the number of MDR HIV-1 infected patients is accurate" Theratechnologies will have set-up on time the necessary infrastructure to launch ibalizumab and no unforeseen event will occur which will deviate the Corporation from its announced growth strategy. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk that sales of EGRIFTA do not grow or decrease over time, EGRIFTA is subject to a recall, no product is available for acquisition or in-licensing at terms and conditions satisfactory to us, ibalizumab is not approved by the FDA or, if approved, there exists a significant limitation on its use, the sources consulted to draw conclusions on our estimates are no longer up to date, we miscalculated our estimates, the FDA requires that additional clinical trials are conducted prior to making a decision on ibalizumab, and we are unable to have all the necessary infrastructure set-up to successfully launch and commercialize ibalizumab in the United States, if and when approved by the FDA. We refer potential investors to the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Information Form (AIF) dated February 7, 2017 for additional risks and uncertainties about Theratechnologies. The AIF is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The reader is cautioned to consider these and other risks and uncertainties carefully and not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release and represent our expectations as of that date. We undertake no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Contacts: Philippe Dubuc Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (514) 336-7800, ext. 297 THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX) ("Benton" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has signed a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") to enter into an option agreement (the "Option") with Traxxin Resources ("Traxxin"), a privately owned company, to acquire a 100% interest in their Bedivere Property located 130km west of Thunder Bay, Ontario and 18km north of Highway 11/17 accessible by new logging roads in the area. Recent prospecting by Traxxin resulted in a new high grade gold discovery where surface grab samples have returned assays ranging from trace up to 1281gpt gold (41 ounces), some of which contain impressive visible gold (see Company website for photos). These samples were taken from the Traxxin occurrence in a small pit that was dug on the west side of a large quartz vein system that ranges from 4m to at least 20m wide before being lost under shallow overburden. The Traxxin occurrence has been traced on surface for 250m. Benton completed limited due diligence surface sampling along the 250m long partially exposed quartz system and confirmed the presence of highly anomalous gold from trace to 2.5gpt gold. In addition the Company had previously identified gold in surface sampling 1.5km to the southwest along the same structure which graded from trace up to 3.4gpt gold indicating that the system could potentially have a substantial strike length. The new gold zone sits in the Marmion batholith and lies on a major northeast structural splay similar to that of the multi-million ounce Hammond Reef deposit (NI 43-101 Global M&I Resource: 196.4 Mt @ 0.86gpt Au, NI 43-101 Global Inferred Resource: 75.7 Mt @ 0.72gpt Au; currently owned by Yamana Gold and Agnico Eagle), lying parallel to the west in of the Traxxin discovery, also lying in the Marmion batholith. Recent government sampling from the Traxxin Zone also confirmed high grades up to 115gpt gold (3.7 ounces) and previous lake sediment sampling performed by the Ontario Geological Survey (Dyer, R.D. 1999. Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Data from the Atikokan-Lumby Lake Area; Northwestern Ontario. Ontario Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Release - Data 43) exhibits some of the highest grades of gold in the survey sitting along the same structure which also hosts the Sandy Lake occurrence where grades of up to 1.57gpt gold in selective grab samples have been obtained. The structure is completely untested with diamond drilling and has seen little historical exploration despite the 4km of intermittent gold mineralization. Under the terms of the Option and subject to regulatory approval, Benton can earn a 100% interest in the Property which consists of 109 units in 12 claims by paying to Traxxin $450,000 and issuing 3,000,000 shares over a four year period on the following schedule: -- $45,000 and 300,000 Company common shares on signing the LOI; -- $85,000 and 600,000 Company common shares on first anniversary of signing the LOI; -- $95,000 and 600,000 Company common shares on second anniversary of signing the LOI -- $100,000 and 600,000 Company common shares on third anniversary of signing the LOI, and; -- $125,000 and 900,000 Company common shares on fourth anniversary of signing the LOI The Property will be subject to a 3% NSR royalty in favour of Traxxin of which 1% can be purchased by Benton at the Company's election for $1 million. In addition, the Company must spend a total of $1 million in exploration expenditures over the four year period with a minimum of $250,000 expended within the first year from the date of the LOI. The Company will also grant to Traxxin a 1% NSR on surrounding ground staked by the Company as long as the Company or any of its affiliates holds an interest in the optioned claims. Stephen Stares, Company President and CEO stated, "Our team is extremely pleased to have executed an agreement on such a prospective new high grade gold discovery with many specimens containing impressive visible gold. Benton will commence systematic exploration work immediately and will initiate permitting for trenching and diamond drilling as soon as possible." About Benton Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE: BEX) Benton Resources Inc is a well-funded Canadian-based junior with a diversified property portfolio in Gold-Silver, Nickel, Copper, and Platinum group elements. Clinton Barr, PGeo, Vice-President of Exploration for Alset, is the qualified person responsible for this release and has prepared, supervised and approved the preparation of the scientific and technical disclosure contained within the release. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Benton Resources Inc., Stephen Stares, President NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to gold price and other commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. Contacts: Stephen Stares 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A8 Phone (807)475-7474 Fax (807)475-7200 www.bentonresources.ca Investor Relations: Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Bettina Filippone bfilippone@renmarkfinancial.com Tel.: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989 www.renmarkfinancial.com GRAND CAYMAN, CAYMAN ISLANDS -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Tethys Petroleum Limited ("Tethys" or the "Company") (TSX: TPL)(LSE: TPL) today announces that it acknowledges the press release by Olisol Petroleum Limited ("Olisol") on October 28, 2016 relating to Tethys subsidiary, Tethys Aral Gas LLP's ("TAG") gas sales contract with Intergas Central Asia ("ICA"), the Kazakh State-owned gas transport company ("Gas Contract"). Olisol's unauthorized release of confidential information contained factual inaccuracies and Tethys wishes to clarify certain matters. Prior to Olisol's press release, Tethys had filed a confidential material change report (the "Report") with the relevant Canadian securities regulator as it is permitted to do under applicable Canadian securities laws. Tethys filed such Report confidentially as the Company contests the grounds for the cancellation of the receipt of gas by ICA and its right to terminate the Gas Contract, is in discussions with ICA and Kazakh Government officials regarding such matters, and is hopeful that such matters will be resolved amicably and to the satisfaction of all parties in the very near future. As such, the Company believed that disclosure of the cancellation of receipt of gas and the termination of the Gas Contract would be unduly detrimental to the interests of Tethys, and potentially be misleading or confusing to investors, in the event that the Company is successful in having the Gas Contract reinstated. Contrary to Olisol's assertion that the cancellation of the Gas Contract is irrevocable, the Company continues to be in discussions with ICA and Governmental officials, and believes that there remains a reasonable prospect that ICA will reinstate the Gas Contract. Further, the Company does not believe that the loss of the gas sales to date have been material to the Company. The relevant facts regarding the Gas Contract are as follows: On October 13, 2016, representatives of TAG received a letter from ICA indicating that it would be cancelling acceptance of gas from TAG under the Gas Contract. Following receipt of the letter, representatives of TAG engaged in discussions with ICA regarding the letter and payment for amounts due under the Gas Contract. On October 17, 2016, TAG received a letter from ICA stating that ICA was cancelling its acceptance of gas from TAG effective as of 1pm (Kazakh time) on October 18, 2016. On October 18, 2016, TAG sent a response letter to ICA questioning the basis for cancellation of the gas. On October 19, 2016, representatives of TAG met with Governmental officials as well as members of ICA to try to resolve matters. On October 21, 2016, TAG received a further letter from ICA indicating that in addition to cancelling acceptance of gas from TAG, it was terminating the Gas Contract. In this letter, ICA acknowledged outstanding amounts for unpaid gas of US$3 million though did not set a timeline for payment of such amounts. The Company continues to contest the grounds for cancellation of the receipt of gas by ICA and its right to terminate the Gas Contract and is in discussions with ICA and Government officials regarding such matters and is hopeful that they will be resolved amicably and to the satisfaction of all parties in the very near future. About Tethys Tethys is focused on oil and gas exploration and production activities in Central Asia and the Caspian Region. This highly prolific oil and gas area is rapidly developing and Tethys believes that significant potential exists in both exploration and in discovered deposits. Disclaimer Some of the statements in this document are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the intent, belief and current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to the potential that exists in both exploration and in discovered deposits in Central Asia and the Caspian Region and resolution of the Gas Contract matters. When used in this document, the words "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "may," "will," "should" and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are not promises or guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those suggested by any such statements including risks and uncertainties with respect to the potential that exists in both exploration and in discovered deposits in Central Asia and resolution of the Gas Contract matters. No part of this announcement constitutes, or shall be taken to constitute, an invitation or inducement to invest in the Company or any other entity, and shareholders of the Company are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Save as required by the Listing Rules and applicable law, the Company does not undertake to update or change any forward-looking statements to reflect events occurring after the date of this announcement. Contacts: Tethys Petroleum info@tethyspetroleum.com www.tethyspetroleum.com The company also announces new patient awareness platform to help aid in breast cancer treatment decisions Agendia, Inc., a world leader in personalized medicine and molecular cancer diagnostics, announced today that the American Medical Association (AMA) has granted a Category I, MAAA Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Code for the MammaPrint 70-Gene Breast Cancer Recurrence Assay. "The approval of the Category 1 CPT code for MammaPrint is an important reimbursement milestone for Agendia," commented Mark Straley, Chief Executive Officer, Agendia. "Following the recent publication of the MINDACT study in the New England Journal of Medicine, this announcement underscores the importance of having Level 1A evidence supporting the clinical utility of the MammaPrint Assay. Our new Category I, MAAA CPT Code along with our Level 1A evidence will facilitate reimbursement negotiations with payers and professional associations to ensure further access to this important test for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer." The company also announced the launch of a new patient-focused platform "Know if You Need Chemo, Know if You Don't!" The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness of the MammaPrint 70-Gene Breast Cancer Recurrence test and to provide patients and their physicians more clarity in their treatment decision. As part the campaign, Agendia launched a new patient-centered website: KnowYourBreastCancer.com where patients can find more information on the MammaPrint test and hear from others that have had similar diagnoses. Agendia will promote the campaign and website through a strong online advertising and social media campaign in the coming weeks. The MammaPrint test has received increased media attention recently following publication of the MINDACT study in August. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the MammaPrint test was featured on television programs like Good Morning America, The Doctors, and on other prominent stations like Univision, among others. "The decision to utilize chemotherapy for breast cancer patients is one of the most challenging decisions that we face as physicians," said Dr. William Audeh, Chief Medical Officer at Agendia. "We believe that it is important for patients to know what their options are and to work with their physician to make their treatment decision with confidence. For patients with early-stage breast cancer, MammaPrint is the only assay with the highest level of evidence (Level 1A), to help physicians make the critical decision as to whether chemotherapy should or should not be part of the treatment plan. As proven in the definitive MINDACT trial, 46% of women with breast cancer and high risk clinical features were able to safely avoid chemotherapy based on their MammaPrint results." Other genomic assays available claim to provide similar information about the prognosis of patients and benefit of chemotherapy, but they don't have the level of evidence (Level 1A: prospective, randomized evaluating distant relapse outcomes) to support those claims. The "prediction of chemotherapy benefit" claim so heavily promoted by the makers of Oncotype Dx, only helps physicians to identify a small group of patients that benefit from chemo. It does not help identify the large group of patients that have high risk clinical features but yet do not benefit from chemotherapy. The "Predictive Claim" of the Oncotype Dx test only represents 8% of all Oncotype Dx results according to their own data from SEER.1 Recently presented results from the Prospective study Of MammaPrint in breast cancer patients with an Intermediate Oncotype Dx recurrence Score study (PROMIS), at ASCO 20162, showed that MammaPrint can provide clearer guidance on whether a patient should receive chemotherapy or not, compared to the indeterminate results from the 21-gene assay (Oncotype Dx). In this study of 840 Oncotype DX intermediate risk patients, 466 were reclassified as High Risk by MammaPrint, with 342 having a Recurrence Score (RS) =25. According to St. Gallen Guidelines (Goldhirsch, Winer et al. 2013), these patients would not be recommended to receive chemotherapy, risking up to a 73% chance of under-treatment. Additionally, 79% of physicians reported that they had greater confidence in their treatment recommendations with MammaPrint. MammaPrint is a diagnostic test that helps predict clinical outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer, identifying patients who in the presence of a high risk clinical assessment are unlikely to benefit from chemotherapy, sparing them from suffering unnecessary side effects and toxicity. It is the only FDA cleared breast cancer recurrence assay designed for woman of all ages. Unlike other assays which give an intermediate or indeterminate result 393-674 percent of the time, MammaPrint provides definitive "High Risk" or "Low Risk" results only, identifying 75% of the most commonly diagnosed breast cancer as Low Risk and safe to forego chemotherapy. Furthermore, MammaPrint is supported by the highest level of evidence (Level 1A) from the MINDACT study that was recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.5 For more information on Agendia or the MammaPrint 70-Gene Recurrence Assay, visit Agendia's patient-facing website KnowYourBreastCancer.com or the corporate website Agendia.com. Follow Agendia, Inc. on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn to stay up-to-date with the latest news. About MammaPrint MammaPrint is a FDA-cleared in vitro diagnostic test, available from an FFPE sample, performed in a single laboratory, using the gene expression profile of breast cancer tissue samples to assess a patients' risk for distant metastasis. The MammaPrint result is indicated for use by physicians as a prognostic marker only, along with other clinical-pathological factors. MammaPrint is not intended for diagnosis, or to predict or detect response to therapy, or to help select the optimal therapy for patients. Results should be taken in the context of other relevant clinical-pathological factors and standard practice of medicine. About Agendia Agendia is a privately held, leading molecular diagnostics company that develops and markets FFPE-based genomic diagnostic products, which help support physicians with their complex treatment decisions. Agendia's breast cancer tests were developed using an unbiased gene selection by analyzing the complete human genome. Our offerings include the FDA-cleared MammaPrint FFPE 70-gene breast cancer recurrence assay as well as BluePrint, a molecular subtyping assay that provides deeper insight leading to more clinically actionable breast cancer biology. These tests can help physicians assess a patient's individual risk for metastasis that is, which patients are more sensitive to chemo, hormonal, or combination therapy, and which patients may not require these treatments and which patients may be treated with other, less arduous and costly methods. In addition, Agendia has a pipeline of other genomic products in development. The company collaborates with pharmaceutical companies, leading cancer centers and academic groups to develop companion diagnostic tests in the area of oncology. For more information, visit www.agendia.com. 1 Petkov V., Shak S., et al. npj Breast Cancer 2, Article number: 16017 (2016) 2 Tsai M.,et al. The 70-gene signature provides risk stratification and treatment guidance for patients classified as intermediate by the 21-gene assay. (PROMIS). Poster; ASCO 2016 3 Carlson, JJ, et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. (Aug 2013) 141(1): 13-22. 4 Sparano J., et al. N Engl J Med 2015; 373:2005-2014 November 19, 2015 5Cardoso, F., et al. N Engl J Med. 2016 Aug 25;375(8):717-29. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1602253. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006403/en/ Contacts: FleishmanHillard Scott Speer (US media) 310-482-4283 scott.speer@fleishman.com or Instinctif Partners Leon Melens Jen Lewis Dana Garbe (EU media) +31 6 538 16 427 +44 20 7457 2020 +49 30 2408304-11 agendia@instinctif.com Acquisition Expands End-to-End Digital Smart Grid Services to Help Clients Integrate Information and Operational Technologies Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has acquired Realworld OO Systems B.V., a Netherlands-based division of Realworld Holding B.V. that specializes in geographic information system (GIS) solutions. These solutions help utilities digitize and optimize their electricity, water and natural gas networks. The transaction will expand Accenture's end-to-end portfolio of smart grid services and accelerate its plans to grow digital consulting services in Europe. By adding GIS services, Accenture will be able to further help clients with integrating information and operations technologies. In an area which is increasingly important for utilities, GIS is fundamental in automation, sensors and the integration of information technology and operational technology. It enables the exchange of data between GIS, operations and enterprise resource planning systems. "Our already leading Accenture Smart Grid Services business is now even better positioned to help clients to optimize and manage digital assets and intelligent grid operations," said Stephanie Jamison, global managing director, Accenture Smart Grid Services. "Realworld OO Systems brings new skills and capabilities to Accenture's end-to-end smart grid services portfolio with talented professionals who have invested years in mastering geographic information system solutions for utilities." Accenture's robust international presence at most large utilities companies, provides Realworld OO Systems an opportunity to immediately expand its business in Europe, while providing employees new technology or industry consulting career paths. "Our people have an outstanding role to play by combining the deep GIS knowledge of Realworld OO Systems with Accenture's smart grid services. This will support our clients' digital transformation with the latest technologies and services," said Frank van Ham, chief technology officer, Realworld OO Systems. "Together we will benefit from our organizations' strong client overlap and our past experience of working on joint projects to quickly ramp up our long-held goal of growing beyond the Netherlands." Founded in 1994 and based in Culemborg, the Netherlands, Realworld OO Systems collaborates with several leading GIS platform and software providers. They are ISO (International Organization for Standardization) certified and have extensive experience in ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and GIS. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions underpinned by the world's largest delivery network Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With approximately 384,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: the company and Realworld OO Systems B.V.will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for the company; the company's results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; the company's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions, and a significant reduction in such demand could materially affect the company's results of operations; if the company is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; the markets in which the company competes are highly competitive, and the company might not be able to compete effectively; the company could have liability or the company's reputation could be damaged if the company fails to protect client and/or company data or information systems as obligated by law or contract or if the company's information systems are breached; the company's results of operations and ability to grow could be materially negatively affected if the company cannot adapt and expand its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings by new entrants; the company's results of operations could materially suffer if the company is not able to obtain sufficient pricing to enable it to meet its profitability expectations; if the company does not accurately anticipate the cost, risk and complexity of performing its work or if the third parties upon whom it relies do not meet their commitments, then the company's contracts could have delivery inefficiencies and be less profitable than expected or unprofitable; the company's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the company's profitability could suffer if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful, and the company may not be able to improve its profitability through improvements to cost-management to the degree it has done in the past; the company's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; the company's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; the company might not be successful at identifying, acquiring or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; the company's Global Delivery Network is increasingly concentrated in India and the Philippines, which may expose it to operational risks; changes in the company's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in the company's treatment as an Irish company, could have a material adverse effect on the company's results of operations and financial condition; as a result of the company's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue geographic expansion, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; adverse changes to the company's relationships with key alliance partners or in the business of its key alliance partners could adversely affect the company's results of operations; the company's services or solutions could infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company might lose its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others; if the company is unable to protect its intellectual property rights from unauthorized use or infringement by third parties, its business could be adversely affected; the company's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if the company is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; any changes to the estimates and assumptions that the company makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of the company's contracts include payments that link some of its fees to the attainment of performance or business targets and/or require the company to meet specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company's revenues and impact its margins; if the company is unable to collect its receivables or unbilled services, the company's results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be adversely affected; the company's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; the company may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006324/en/ Contacts: Accenture Guy Cantwell, +1-281-900-9089 guy.cantwell@accenture.com or Matt Corser, +44-755-784-9009 matthew.corser@accenture.com Pendragon PLC: Transaction in Own Shares Pendragon PLC (the "Company") announces that it has purchased for cancellation (through Jefferies International Limited) the following number of its ordinary shares of 5p each on the London Stock Exchange. Date of purchase: 1 November 2016 Number of ordinary shares purchased (aggregated volume): 104,177 Highest price paid per share (pence): 30.25p Lowest price paid per share (pence): 30.00p Volume weighted average price paid per share (pence): 30.0127p Following the purchase of these shares, the Company has 1,440,880,021 ordinary shares in issue. All of the shares have equal voting rights and there are no shares held in treasury. This figure 1,440,880,021 represents the total voting rights in the Company and may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they can determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The schedule below contains detailed information about the purchases made by Jefferies on behalf of the Company as part of the buyback programme. HILARY C SYKES COMPANY SECRETARY 1 NOVEMBER 2016 Schedule of Purchases - Individual Transactions Number of shares purchased Transaction price (pence per share) Time of transaction Trading venue 1726 30 09:22:29 London Stock Exchange 3453 30 09:24:39 London Stock Exchange 4863 30 09:24:54 London Stock Exchange 5160 30 09:55:19 London Stock Exchange 2300 30 10:50:49 London Stock Exchange 2375 30 10:50:53 London Stock Exchange 5298 30.25 11:15:50 London Stock Exchange 5036 30 11:18:52 London Stock Exchange 4560 30 11:56:55 London Stock Exchange 5328 30 12:07:05 London Stock Exchange 5732 30 12:08:51 London Stock Exchange 5834 30 12:14:17 London Stock Exchange 4732 30 13:02:57 London Stock Exchange 5703 30 13:40:26 London Stock Exchange 4809 30 14:15:54 London Stock Exchange 5176 30 15:06:33 London Stock Exchange 1119 30 15:13:34 London Stock Exchange 4578 30 15:13:36 London Stock Exchange 1244 30 15:33:37 London Stock Exchange 4319 30 15:33:37 London Stock Exchange 4688 30 15:39:38 London Stock Exchange 2079 30 16:06:47 London Stock Exchange 2442 30 16:06:47 London Stock Exchange 3735 30 16:19:57 London Stock Exchange 1180 30 16:19:57 London Stock Exchange 6708 30 16:29:49 London Stock Exchange -ENDS- PUNE, India, November 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Smart Connected Assets and Operations Market by Module (Hardware-Sensors, Processors, Network Connectivity- Wired & Wireless; APM Software & Platform, and Services- Professional & Managed), Industry, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, was valued at USD 103.82 Billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 215.53 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 10.26% during the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 65 market data Tables and 74 Figures spread through 198 Pages and in-depth TOC on"Smart Connected Assets and Operations Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/smart-connected-assets-and-operations-market-131281533.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Factors such as growing demand for better operational performance, reduction in cost & energy, and increase in manufacturing agility are driving the growth of the smart connected assets and operations market. Automotive and transportation expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period The automotive and transportation sector held the largest share in the smart connected assets and operations market in 2015, followed by the healthcare sector. The IoT platform in transportation application provides a range of infotainment, traffic, navigation, vehicle maintenance, security, and safety features. IoT in transportation forms an entirely novel mobile platform by bringing together component suppliers, auto manufacturers, telecom vendors, and content providers. APM Software and platform for smart connected assets and operations market expected to grow at the highest rate between 2016 and 2022 The APM software and platform plays an important role in the Smart Connected Assets and Operations Market. The companies have already installed, set up with the traditional equipment and hardware. For connecting the assets and operations smartly, IIoT platform and software is required, which is used to manage the asset's performance (APM software) to generate better operational performance. Therefore, the APM software and platform market is expected to grow at a higher rate than the hardware components. Smart connected assets and operations market in APAC likely to grow at a high rate during the forecast period Several initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India such as Make in India and Digital India is one of the major factors supporting the growth of the smart connected assets and operations market in APAC. As China and Japan are the leading countries in semiconductor and electronics industry, due to this the scope for smart connected assets and operations system is high. Such initiatives by the government and companies are driving the smart connected assets and operations market. Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=131281533 Major players operating in the smart connected assets and operations market include Intel Corporation (U.S.), Cisco System Inc. (U.S), IBM Corporation (U.S.), ARM holding plc (U.K.), General Electric Company (U.S.), Texas Instruments (U.S.), Cypress Semiconductor (U.S.), Rockwell Automation (U.S.), NXP Semiconductor (Netherlands), and STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland). Browse Related Reports IoT Sensors Market by Type (Pressure, Temperature, Humidity, Magnetometer, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Inertial, Image), Network Technology (Wired & Wireless), Vertical (Consumer IoT, Commercial IoT, Industrial IoT), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sensors-iot-market-26520972.html Machine-to-Machine (M2M) Connections Market by Technology (Wired, Wireless), Industry (Healthcare, Utilities, Retail, Consumer Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, Security & Surveillance, Others), and by Geography - Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/machine-to-machine-market-732.html Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr. Rohan MarketsandMarkets 701 Pike Street, Suite 2175, Seattle, WA 98101, United States Tel: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog@ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the baby diaper market in Middle East and Africa (MEA) is expected to reach USD 7.07 billion by 2020, growing at a CAGR of nearly 12%. This research report titled 'Baby Diaper Market in MEA 2016-2020' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. The report discusses the major drivers that are influencing market growth and the challenges faced by vendors and the market as a whole. Increasing urbanization and rise in disposable income in MEA are the major reasons for the growth of the market. Every year, the urban population is increasing by 3.5% in Africa, and by 4% in the Middle East. There has been an increase in the number of expats in the Middle East due to the opportunities for high income. In addition, people living in urban areas are more aware of hygiene issues and are thus opting for baby diapers. Also, the birth rate in MEA is on the rise, leading to a high demand for baby diapers in the region. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=54172 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Technavio's analysts categorize the baby diaper market in MEA into five major segments by product. They are: Disposable diapers Training diapers Cloth diapers Swim pant diapers Biodegradable diapers The top three product segments for the baby diaper market in MEA are: Disposable baby diaper market in MEA An increase in number of dual-income households that are opting for disposable baby diapers because of the convenience they offer, and growing awareness of the importance of maintaining hygiene for babies, are some of the factors driving the demand for disposable baby diapers across the globe. However, in Africa, the demand for disposable baby diapers is still limited. The rural population, which forms more than 59% of the total population, cannot afford disposable baby diapers and hence the demand is low. According to Abhay Sinha, a lead analyst from Technavio, "Even in the urban areas, the usage is still limited due to low awareness and low disposable income. The introduction of innovative materials such as superabsorbent fibers and engineered fabrics, coupled with advances in product design and low cost, will boost the sales of disposable baby diapers in the region during the forecast period Training baby diaper market in MEA Training baby diapers are gaining popularity in developing countries. Most training baby diapers have flexible sides that can be easily pulled down by a baby, and therefore aid in toilet training. These diapers are designed like underwear and are increasingly being used to help children switch from using diapers to using toilets. Training baby diapers are usually used for toddlers of two years or more. The demand for training baby diapers is expected to increase mainly from the working-class women, who find it more convenient to use these diapers, compared with cloth baby diapers, and from people who can afford and continue to buy diapers even after the baby is more than two years of age. The demand for such diapers is expected to be low from the rural parts of Africa, since people in the region cannot afford to buy diapers and usually stop buying them after the baby is more than two years. Cloth baby diaper market in MEA Cloth baby diapers are low-priced, can be reused, and are eco-friendly. They are also safe for a baby's skin as they do not have any harmful chemical ingredients. Most fitted diapers come with Velcro straps. This eliminates the need to use pins, which are potentially hurtful. Cloth baby diapers are popular in most developing countries due to their low costs. Although in recent times, the market for fitted cloth diapers has lost its share to other categories of diapers, some consumers still prefer them as they are both economical and eco-friendly. "The demand in the cloth baby diaper market is expected to come from the rural population in Africa, which cannot afford disposable baby diapers. Cloth baby diapers are also popular in the Middle East. There is a new trend of cloth baby diaper libraries emerging in the region," asserts Abhay. The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's research analysts in this report are: Kimberly-Clark P&G SCA Unicharm Browse Related Reports: Global Diaper Market 2016-2020 Adult Diapers Market in the Americas 2015-2019 Adult Diaper Market in the APAC 2015-2019 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006484/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Danbel Ventures Inc. ("Danbel" or the "Company") announced today that its board of directors has approved a change of the Company's auditors. Ernst & Young, LLP (the "Former Auditor") has resigned effective November 1, 2016. The audit committee and the board of directors have appointed HS & Partners LLP as the successor auditor (the "Successor Auditor"), effective November 1, 2016, until the close of the next annual general meeting of the Company. The Company has sent a Notice of Change of Auditor (the "Notice") to the former Auditor and to the Successor Auditor and has received a letter from each, addressed to the securities commissions in each of Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario stating that they agree with the information contained in the Notice. The Notice together with the letter from the Former Auditor and the letter from the Successor Auditor have been reviewed by the Company's audit committee and its board of directors and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. There were no disagreements or unresolved issues with the Former Auditor on any matter of audit scope or procedures, accounting principles or policies, or financial statement disclosure. It is the Company's opinion that there have been no "reportable events" (as defined in National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligation) between the Company and the Former Auditor. Contacts: Danbel Ventures Inc. Michael Stein President & CEO 416-816-9690 michael.stein@rogers.com Technavio analysts forecast the baby food and formula market in theUSto grow at a CAGR of close to 3% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the baby food and formula market in the USfor 2016-2020. The report also lists prepared baby food, dried baby food, milk formula, and other baby food, as the four product segments on the basis of which the market size is calculated. According to Manjunath Reddy, a lead analyst at Technavio for food research, "One of the key drivers influencing the market, is the rising number of working mothers. Widespread presence of retail chains and urbanization has also led to increased demand for quality baby nutrition products." Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=51439 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Technavio food and beverageanalysts highlight the following five factors that are contributing to the growth of the baby food and formula market in the US: Increase in working women population Rising urbanization and economic development Increasing health concerns among parents Expansion of product portfolios by vendors Impact of advice from reliable sources Increase in working women population The increasing number of working women in general, and specifically mothers, has contributed significantly to the growing demand for baby food and infant formula. According to 2013 Pew Research Center Analysis census data, the mother was the sole or primary earner in four out of 10 American households. This figure is the highest on record and has quadrupled since 1960. Aside from working mothers, single-parent families have also increased manifold. "Given the fast-paced modern lifestyles, people are pressed for time and seek convenient and nutritious feeding options. Baby foods and formulas therefore emerge as attractive feeding options for infants and toddlers," says Manjunath. Rising urbanization and economic development The US saw a rise in the number of households in urban area as more people have shifted to urban areas in search of employment and also for education. In 2015, the US had about 81%-83% of its population residing in urban areas. Urbanization has led to increased internet use, owing to high awareness and more access to laptops and smartphones. This has led to increased awareness among consumers about the benefits of baby food. Urbanization has also led to growth in the purchasing power and improved living standards of consumers, owing to their higher disposable income. Increasing health concerns among parents To ensure healthy growth and development of their babies, parents look to offer optimal nutrition. They opt for packaged baby foods and formulas to supplement breastfeeding. Extensive marketing and advertising by leading vendors attracts consumers to major brands. Increased economic wellbeing and higher disposable incomes have made high-quality, expensive baby foods more affordable. Organic labels have also caught on as they are marketed as being safer and nutritionally superior to conventional foods. In general, the increased concern of parents toward the health and nutritional requirements of their babies has significantly contributed to the growth of the market. Expansion of product portfolios by vendors Consumers increasingly demand varied options in terms of blends and flavors to cater to their babies' nutritional requirements. Leading baby food manufacturers continually update their product lines to include new and unique products that set them apart from the competition. In July 2013, Plum Organics launched a toddler snack range, Mighty 4, a range of blended organic fruits, vegetables, and grains. Furthermore, it is believed that offering different variants and flavors of vegetables, fruits, and cereals will help develop the food habits of babies as they grow. In addition, companies are continuously developing their products to improve them as parents prefer to give healthy and tasty food to their babies. Abbott launched its non-GMO infant formula Similac in the US in 2015, which aims to enhance the nutritional values and increase levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), lutein, and vitamin E available to babies. It also launched products in the nutrition markets in China, India, and Europe. Therefore, the extension of product portfolios by vendors is another driver that is propelling the growth of the market. Impact of advice from reliable sources Most of the advice on baby food and infant formula for parents comes from family and friends, and it is significantly influential, as acknowledged by parents. Recommendations that come from health experts also influence the buying decisions of consumers. Parents are first introduced to baby food and infant formula by doctors and hospitals, who are considered reliable by the parents. Browse Related Reports: Global Baby Food and Infant Formula Market 2016-2020 Global Organic Baby Food Market 2016-2020 Global Baby Health and Personal Care Market 2015-2019 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. About Technavio Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006486/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- FP Newspapers Inc. (TSX: FP) invites members of the investment community and media to participate in the third quarter results conference call. Ron Stern, Chairman, Bob Cox, Publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press and Dan Koshowski, Chief Financial Officer will discuss the third quarter results. The review will be followed by a question and answer session. Please plan to connect five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. FP Newspapers Inc. Third Quarter Earnings Call, Monday, November 14, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern (11:00 a.m. Central). Conference call Participants may join the call by dialing 416-340-8530 or dial toll free at 800-766-6630 five minutes prior to 12:00 p.m. ET. The call will be available at any time for replay until December 15, 2016. To hear the replay dial 905-694-9451 or dial toll free at 800-408-3053. The replay code is 3311549. About FPI FPI owns securities entitling it to 49% of the distributable cash of FP Canadian Newspapers Limited Partnership ("FPLP"). FPLP owns the Winnipeg Free Press, the Brandon Sun, and their related businesses, as well as the Canstar Community News division, the publisher of six community newspapers in the Winnipeg region, The Carillon in Steinbach with its related commercial printing operations and the Carberry News Express weekly publication. The Winnipeg Free Press publishes six days a week for delivery to subscribers and single copy sales, and publishes a single copy edition on Sundays. Vividata, a third party research firm, which measures newspaper readership across Canadian markets, estimates that weekly 75% of all Winnipeg adults read the print or digital edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. The Brandon Sun publishes six days a week, serving the region with an average circulation of approximately 11,050 copies. Canstar Community News publishes weekly with an average circulation of approximately 200,000 copies. The businesses employ approximately 475 full-time equivalent people in Winnipeg, Brandon, Steinbach and Carberry, Manitoba. Further information can be found at www.fpnewspapers.com and in disclosure documents filed by FP Newspapers Inc. with the securities regulatory authorities, available at www.sedar.com. Contacts: FP Newspapers Inc. Daniel Koshowski CFO (204) 771-1897 Wood pellet imports to the United Kingdom have gone up dramatically the past five years and are likely to reach a new all-time-high in 2016, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The US South is the main supplying region with shipments having increased eight-fold since 2012. The United Kingdom is by far the largest importer of wood pellets in the world followed by Denmark, South Korea and Belgium. In the 2Q/16, the UK imported record volumes of just over two million tons, which was 11% higher than the previous quarter and 21% more than in the 2Q/15. Pellet producers in the US South continue to be the major suppliers to the UK, accounting for about 50% of the total import volume in the 2Q/16. The other major supplying countries are Canada and Latvia. Monthly pellet import data to the United Kingdom is reported in more detail in a recent WRQ Trade Snapshot (NEW service) that is available to subscribers of the Wood Resource Quarterly. Some of the highlights in the Snapshot included: Ninety percent of all wood pellet imports to the United Kingdom in the 2Q/16 were shipped from only three countries, the US, Canada and Latvia. Import volumes in August this year fell by 24% year-over-year to the lowest level in 1 years. Import prices have been fairly stable the past 12 months with prices for US sourced pellets having been $20-40/ton higher than prices for pellets from other supplying regions. Pellet manufacturers in the US South have been a reliable and steadily growing supplier to the UK over the past five years. In 2012, the UK imported less than half a million tons from the US and in 2016, shipments may reach more than eight times as much, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The surprise Brexit vote earlier this year to leave the EU is unlikely to impact near-term pellet exports from North America to the UK as supply contracts remain in place, and official negotiations regarding the EU exit process are yet to begin. However, in the longer term, the decision to stay outside the European Union could impact policy decisions regarding bioenergy incentives with subsequent market impacts. The North American Wood Fiber Review has tracked wood fiber markets in the US and Canada for over 20 years and it is the only publication that includes prices for sawlogs, pulpwood, wood chips and biomass in North America. The 36-page quarterly report includes wood market updates for 15 regions on the continent in addition to the latest export statistics for sawlogs, lumber, wood pellets and wood chips. Wood Resources International LLC (WRI), an internationally recognized forest industry-consulting firm established in 1987, publishes two quarterly timber price reports and have subscribers in over 30 countries. The Wood Resource Quarterly, established in 1988, is a 52-page market report and includes sawlog prices, pulpwood and wood chip price and market commentary to developments in global timber, biomass and forest industry. The other report, the North Americam Wood Fiber Review, tracks prices of sawlogs, pulpwood, wood chips and biomass in most regions of Canada and the US. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006684/en/ Contacts: Wood Resources International LLC Hakan Ekstrom info@woodprices.com www.woodprices.com Technavio analysts forecast the global advanced combat helmet (ACH) marketto grow at a CAGR of close to 4% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global advanced combat helmetmarketfor 2016-2020. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the market, market shares, and growth opportunities by end-users. Defense and homeland security have been identified as the two main end-use segments for the global ACH market. APAC has the fastest projected growth during the forecast period. The growth is mainly attributed to the increasing terrorist attacks in this region. Hence, countries like India, China, Japan, and South Korea are investing in force protection equipment. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=52149 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Technavio aerospace and defense analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the global ACH market: Increase in warfare Mounting security threats Focus on soldier protection Trafficking of illegal weapons Increase in warfare In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of armed conflicts globally. The ongoing ISIS conflicts, Indo-Pakistani conflict over Kashmir, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, the Syrian civil war, the Lebanon conflict, and the conflicts between the US and North Korea are a few examples. According to Arushi Thakur, an industry expert for defense research, "Increasing tensions across borders and between countries has led to an increase in the demand for ballistic protection products such as bulletproof vests, ballistic headgear, ballistic eyewear, ballistic armored car, ballistic missiles, and ballistic shields among different end-user segments." The US and Europe are also facing a number of potential threats. In addition, the rise of ISIS in the Middle East poses a significant threat to civilians and to soldiers. Countries such as the US, Canada, the UK, France, Russia, Europe, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya are taking measures to combat such threats and also ensure the safety of their soldiers fighting at the borders. The need for defense against the ISIS and other similar groups has led to an increase in the procurement of combat helmets. Mounting security threats Internal and external security threats affect a country's growth and development as well as its international image. The homeland security or the law enforcement agencies of a country safeguard the internal and external security from internal or domestic terrorism and also prevent terrorist attacks and organized crimes. They also face life-threatening situations when unexpected terrorist attacks and riots occur. It has been noted that almost 95% of injuries are the result of falling or flying glass, mortar shrapnel, and explosive fragments. Therefore, ACH plays a vital role in protecting armed personnel against such attacks and injuries. In addition, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the ongoing war with ISIS have forced defense agencies to improve personal protection equipment (PPE) and body armor for soldiers. The losses in terms of life and equipment have triggered the enhancement of protective armor for troops. Thus, irrespective of their falling defense budgets, regions such as North America and Europe are investing in improving ballistic protection equipment, such as ACHs, and armor for both troops and vehicles. Focus on soldier protection Defense ministries of several countries have increased their focus on providing protective gears to their soldiers to ensure a high level of safety against any form of attacks including ballistic. Numerous developments have taken place in the global ballistic protection market such as the introduction of lightweight and flexible body armor, ballistic armor for women, advanced ballistic materials, and combat helmets equipped with night vision devices. Manufacturers are focusing on breathable and fireproof fabric clothes that can protect the wearer from slash-type attacks. Trafficking of illegal weapons Terrorist and guerrilla groups are increasingly acquiring weapons. They are acquired in two ways. The first is the illegal trade of small arms and light (man-portable) weapons such as grenades, mortars, assault rifles, and land mines. Many of these weapons have been in use for decades, as a result of the US and Soviet support for their respective allies during the Cold War. Such weapons are easily smuggled across borders, aided by all of the financial, logistic, and communication benefits that globalization provides to unlawful international commerce. The second way that non-state organizations acquire weapons is from soldiers they defeat in battle or military supplies from areas they conquer. "With this illegal trafficking of weapons, the attack on armed forces and homeland security is increasing, which further mandates increased investments in protective equipment such as ACH," says Arushi. Browse Related Reports: Global Head-mounted Display Market 2016-2020 Global Military Electro-optical and Infrared Systems Market 2015-2019 Global Premium Motorcycle Helmets Market 2015-2019 Do you need a report on a market in a specific geographical cluster or country but can't find what you're looking for? Don't worry, Technavio also takes client requests. Please contact enquiry@technavio.com with your requirements and our analysts will be happy to create a customized report just for you. About Technavio Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006587/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Members of the media are invited to attend an important update on the Government of Canada's infrastructure plan Investing in Canada related to public transit with the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and the Honourable Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Dun & Bradstreet (DNB) announced a profit for third quarter that fell from last year. The company said its profit declined to $66.2 million, or $1.79 per share. This was down from $66.9 million, or $1.84 per share, in last year's third quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $1.74 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 0.3% to $412.8 million. This was down from $414.2 million last year. Dun & Bradstreet earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q3): $66.2 Mln. vs. $66.9 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -1.0% -EPS (Q3): $1.79 vs. $1.84 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -2.7% -Analysts Estimate: $1.74 -Revenue (Q3): $412.8 Mln vs. $414.2 Mln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -0.3% Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - United States Steel Corp. (X) announced it has agreed to proposed terms with Bedrock Industries Group LLC regarding the sale and transition of ownership of U. S. Steel Canada, Inc. to Bedrock. U. S. Steel will continue to provide certain shared services to U. S. Steel Canada and will enter into an agreement to supply U. S. Steel Canada with all of its requirements for iron ore pellets through 2021. On Sept. 16, 2014, U.S. Steel Canada applied for relief from its creditors pursuant to Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. As part of the CCAA proceedings, U. S. Steel submitted secured and unsecured claims of approximately C$2.2 billion. The company said, should the transaction be approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and ultimately close, U. S. Steel will receive approximately $126 million in satisfaction of its secured claims, including interest, and unsecured claims. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced that it has reached an agreement with the Emerging Europe Accession Fund (EEAF) to acquire DEUTEK S.A., a leading Romanian paint and architectural coatings manufacturer. PPG expects the transaction to close in the first quarter 2017, following the receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed. DEUTEK, established in 1993, manufactures and markets a large portfolio of well-known professional and consumer paint brands, including OSKAR and Danke!. The company's products are sold in more than 120 do-it-yourself stores and 3,500 independent retail outlets in Romania. DEUTEK, which is currently owned by EEAF, reported sales of 30 million euros in 2015. "DEUTEK is a well-managed business with a long heritage of excellent customer service and a portfolio of leading, well-recognized brands in Romania," said Jean-Marie Greindl, PPG senior vice president, global architectural coatings, and president, PPG Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). "The acquisition adds the fastest-growing paint brands in Romania, where PPG has only a small presence in architectural coatings." PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers' biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $14.8 billion in 2015. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this news release relating to matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 reflecting the company's current view with respect to future events or objectives and financial or operational performance or results. The forward-looking statements contained herein include statements relating to the timing of and expected benefits of the DEUTEK transaction. Actual events may differ materially from current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the satisfaction of the conditions of the transaction and other risks related to completion of the transaction and actions related thereto, the parties' ability to complete the transaction on the anticipated terms and schedule, including the ability to obtain regulatory approvals, and the other risks and uncertainties discussed in PPG Industries' periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and its current reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of their initial issuance, and PPG Industries does not undertake any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161101006882/en/ Contacts: PPG Media Contact: Mark Silvey, +1 412-434-3046 Corporate Communications silvey@ppg.com or PPG Investor Contact: Scott Minder, +1 412-434-3466 Investor Relations sminder@ppg.com investor.ppg.com VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- DuSolo Fertilizers Inc. (TSX VENTURE: DSF) ("DuSolo" or "the Company") today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Tembo Capital Mining Fund LP extending the maturity date of the Company's convertible debenture in the amount of $750,000 and due on October 31, 2016 (the "Loan") by one month, until November 30, 2016. The terms of the Loan were previously announced by the Company on September 29, 2015. The extension will allow the Company and Tembo to complete discussions regarding the repayment or potential re-structuring of the Loan as it continues to work on the development of its Bomfin Project in Brazil. ABOUT DUSOLO DuSolo Fertilizers Inc. is focused on developing a fully integrated process to produce and sell phosphate based fertilizers within the Cerrado region of Brazil as part of a nationwide effort to increase domestically sourced fertilizers and achieve agricultural self-sufficiency. On behalf of DuSolo Fertilizers Inc. Giles Baynham, Chief Executive Officer and Director Forward-looking statements Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of DuSolo which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and DuSolo disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange Inc.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Contacts: DuSolo Fertilizers Inc. (604) 484 7122 Email: ir@dusolo.com OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 11/01/16 -- Federal, Provincial and Territorial Housing Ministers Note to editors: There is a photo associated with this press release. Federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for housing met today to advance the development of a National Housing Strategy for Canada that will build on a strong housing foundation. Continuing the progress achieved at their June meeting in Victoria, ministers discussed a shared vision for housing in Canada: Canadians have housing that meets their needs and they can afford. Housing is a cornerstone of sustainable, healthy and inclusive communities and a strong Canadian economy where we can prosper and thrive. The Ministers discussed their shared long-term aspirations to improve housing affordability and reduce homelessness across Canada. They also discussed more specific outcomes of a National Housing Strategy that would improve housing conditions and affordability for the most vulnerable, including those with distinct needs, Indigenous peoples and those in Canada's three territories. The proposed outcomes would also contribute to economic growth, environmental sustainability, and increased social and economic participation of low income households. The outcomes of a National Housing Strategy and the details of a federal, provincial, and territorial partnership will be established through a multi-lateral framework to be developed in 2017. Federal, provincial and territorial housing ministers agreed to work together in a way that recognizes provinces and territories as primary partners in the development and delivery of a National Housing Strategy and recognizes the importance of collaboration in achieving the best possible outcomes. Consultations with Canadians, including National Indigenous Organizations, municipalities, housing experts and national stakeholders, have yielded significant feedback on a wide range of housing themes. The results of what was heard will be released on National Housing Day, November 22, 2016. A National Housing Strategy framework will be made public in 2017. Quotes "A National Housing Strategy will set ambitious outcomes for all levels of government to work towards. I am confident that through mutual respect and collaboration with the provinces and territories, and engagement with National Indigenous Organizations and municipalities, we will be in a position to significantly improve the lives of Canadians through better, more affordable housing and more vibrant, inclusive communities. " - The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation "Provinces and territories are the primary partners with the federal government in developing a National Housing Strategy that ensures all Canadians have access to safe, affordable and appropriate housing. It's imperative that we work collaboratively in new and innovative ways to increase housing and rental supply across Canada." - The Honourable Rich Coleman, Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for Housing, Government of British Columbia Quebec stated that: While it shares many of the objectives sought by the other provinces and territories in the area of housing, Quebec will not be able to join a national housing strategy at this time, unless the strategy fully respects Quebec's programs and jurisdiction in the matter. In Quebec's view, the current approach raises major challenges in this regard. Quebec, however, will continue to participate in the process of developing a national housing strategy through sharing of information and best practices. Related links: Let's Talk Housing (https://www.letstalkhousing.ca) To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/CMHC1101.jpg Contacts: Media Contacts: Mathieu Filion Director of Communications Office of the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development 819-654-5546 mathieu.filion@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca Charles Sauriol Media Relations Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation 613-748-2734 csauriol@cmhc-schl.gc.ca Province of BC Contact: Lindsay Byers Ministry of Natural Gas Development and Responsible for Housing Government Communications and Public Engagement 250-952-0617 Lindsay.Byers@gov.bc.ca Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 11, 2017) - Northern Sphere Mining Corp. (CSE: NSM) ("Northern Sphere" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into an engagement letter with First Republic Capital Corporation (the "Lead Agent") pursuant to which the Lead Agent has agreed to act as lead agent for the offer and sale, on a "best efforts" private placement basis, of up to 2,000,000 flow-through common shares of the Company ("Flow-Through Shares") at a price of $0.50 per Flow-Through for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of up to $1.0 million (the "Offering"). The gross proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the exploration and development of the Company's mineral properties in Ontario, Canada. The gross proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares will be used to incur "Canadian exploration expenses" that are "flow-through mining expenditures" (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) on the Company's properties in Ontario which will be renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2017, in the aggregate amount of not less than the total amount of the gross proceeds raised from the issue of Flow-Through Shares. The Company has agreed to pay the Lead Agent a corporate finance fee of 1.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering together with broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants") equal to 1.0% of the Flow-Through Shares sold pursuant to the Offering. The Company has also agreed to pay the agents under the Offering a sale commission of 6.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering together with Broker Warrants equal to 6.0% of the Flow-Through Shares sold pursuant to the Offering. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one ordinary common share of the company at a price of $0.50 per share for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Offering. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about April 24, 2017 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals. The securities issued in connection with the Offering, including the common shares issued upon the due exercise of the Broker Warrants, will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing of the Offering. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Northern Sphere Mining Corp. Northern Sphere Mining is dedicated to growth through the acquisition and development of mining assets, with an emphasis on near term production opportunities. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Northern Sphere Mining has a strong project pipeline of properties with a focus on gold, silver and other metal production in pro-mining jurisdictions. Cautionary Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements which reflect Northern Sphere's current expectations regarding future events. The forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those projected herein. Northern Sphere disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by applicable securities laws. For further information, please contact: A. John Carter Chief Executive Officer Northern Sphere Mining Corp. Tel: 905-302-3843 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Achilles Therapeutics, a London, UK-based newly formed developer of cancer immunotherapies, has launched with 13.2m in funding. The round was led by Syncona with the Cancer Research Technology (CRT) Pioneer Fund and The UCL Technology Fund with the support of UCL Business (UCLB) and the Crick. The new private company will bring together research from UCL (University College London) and the Francis Crick Institute, funded by Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), to design therapies to target truncal tumour neo-antigens. Truncal tumour neo-antigens are unique flags to the immune system present on the surface of every cancer cell, which were first discovered by Cancer Research UK and the NIHR University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) funded scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and UCL Cancer Institute. CRT will receive equity milestones and royalties from products developed and commercialized by Achilles Therapeutics. Any such financial reward from the company will be shared with UCLB and the Crick. Achilles has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize neo-antigen technologies arising from Cancer Research UKs 14million TRACERx, a clinical study involving 850 people with non-small cell lung cancer, which tracks the evolution of patients cancers over time, in different parts of their tumours and in response to treatment. The company founders are: Professor Charles Swanton, Group Leader and Royal Society Napier Professor at the Francis Crick and UCL Cancer Institute working on cancer evolution and genome instability and a consultant at UCLH Professor Karl Peggs, Group Leader of the Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Immunotherapy Group at UCL Cancer Institute and a consultant at UCLH Dr Sergio Quezada, Group Leader of the Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group at UCL Cancer Institute Professor Mark Lowdell, Director of the Centre for Cell, Gene & Tissue Therapeutics at the Royal Free Hospital. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 Perlego, a London, UK-based e-book platform, secured 500K in seed funding. Private angels from the United Kingdom, Belgium and France participated in the round including Simon Franks, who co-founded film rental service LOVEFiLM and film distribution company Redbus. The company intends to use the funds to grow the team, publishing partnerships and continue developing the platform. Founded by Gauthier Van Malderen and Matthew Davis, Perlego offers academic and professional e-books under a monthly subscription fee. The company has already partnered up with over 240 publishers including Packtpublishing, Oxford University Press, Palgrave and Elsevier, offering over 85,000 ebooks to date. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 Axonify, a Waterloo, ON, Canada-based employee knowledge platform, raised US$27M in growth equity funding. The round was led by new investor JMI Equity and existing investor BDC Capital, through the BDC IT Venture Fund. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate customer acquisition and extend the capabilities of the platform. Led by Carol Leaman, President and CEO, Axonify leverages brain science, adaptive learning, gamification, microlearning and knowledge-on-demand to provide a SaaS-based employee knowledge platform which enables organizations to intelligently deliver information to employees in a personalized and engaging way, designed for long-term knowledge acquisition. The solution also features analytics and reporting capabilities. The company serves such brands as Walmart, Toyota, Bloomingdales, and Johnson & Johnson. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 OurCrowd, a global equity crowdfunding platform, has launched a digital health fund focused on Israel. OurCrowd Qure, dedicated to the digital health market, valued globally at $70 billion US in 2015 and projected to be over $230 billion US by 2020, will focus on investing in the Seed and Series A rounds of innovative startups. Led by managing partners Allen Kamer and Dr. Yossi Bahagon, the fund has also established a collaboration with Johns Hopkins University to provide validation of value, fast track market access, on-going feedback and exposure of unmet needs. Allen Kamer Kamer was co-founder of Humedica, a population health and analytics company, which was acquired by UnitedHealth (NYSE UNH the largest U.S. health insurer) in 2013. Most recently, he served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Optum Analytics (a division in Optum, UnitedHealth Groups health services company), a position he assumed following the acquisition. Previously, Kamer was a director at the healthcare investment bank, Leerink Swann (now Leerink Partners), and held management positions at Biogen. Yossi Bahagon Bahagon, an active family physician, was Founder and CEO of Luminox Health, an Israeli healthcare startup specializing in digital medicine which was acquired by OurCrowd in June 2016. Over the last four years, he has seeded some Israel-based digital health companies backed by leading VCs and corporate funds, including Philips, Qualcomm Ventures, Orbimed, Walgreens, Fuson Pharma and Pitango. Previously, Bahagon founded and managed one of largest digital health platforms in the world at Clalit the second largest Health Maintenance Organization in the world. Led by CEO Jon Medved, OurCrowd is an equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors to back tech startups globally. OurCrowd also provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigns industry experts as mentors, and takes board seats. The community of almost 15,000 investors from over 110 countries has invested over $300M into 100 portfolio companies and funds to date and had nine exits, two IPOs and seven acquisitions. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 Ripple, a global provider of financial settlement solutions, announced changes in its leadership team. Chris Larsen has decided to transition from his operational role as chief executive officer of Ripple to executive chairman of the board of directors. He has named Brad Garlinghouse his successor as CEO, effective January 1, 2017. As executive chairman of Ripple, Larsen will be responsible for leading the board of directors, strategic oversight of the business and identifying strategic partnership opportunities. Hell remain the controlling shareholder of the company. after more than a year and a half as Ripples president and chief operating officer, Garlinghouse is now becoming CEO. He was previously CEO of Hightail. The company provides global financial settlement solutions to enable organizations around the world to exchange value by enabling banks to transact directly and with real-time certainty, optionally using the digital asset XRP to further reduce liquidity costs. Banks around the world are partnering with Ripple to improve their cross-border payment offerings, and to join its global network of financial institutions and liquidity providers. Venture-backed, the company has offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Sydney and Luxembourg. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 Simulity Labs, a Bangor, Wales, UK-based Internet of Things (IOT) development company, completed a 4m growth funding round. Foresight Group made the investment via Foresight VCT. The company intends to use the funds to continue to grow its existing SIM and SIM operating system market share targeting Tier1 Smart Card OEMs and Module Vendors as well as expand into new markets. Founded in 2009 by Stephane Fund, CEO, Simulity Labs is an IoT technology company providing embedded communications software for SIM, eSIM and next generation connected products. The company which also operates offices in Belfast and Cape Town serves a worldwide customer base including over 45 mobile network operators, delivering software for over 5 million SIM cards a month. FinSMEs 01/11/2016 Actress Lisa Haydon got married to her beau Dino Lalvani after the two dated for a year. Lalvani is the son of Pakistan-born British entrepreneur Gullu Lalvani. Lisa and fashion designer Malini Ramani took to their Instagram accounts to share a few images from the ceremony. The beautiful couple #love #weddingbliss A photo posted by Malini Ramani (@malini_ramani) on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:01pm PDT Captioning the image in which Lisa is seen kissing Dino, Lisa posted: "Just Married". Clad in an off-white flowing gown with a long veil cascading behind her, Lisa walked the aisle for the ceremony -- which seems to have taken place on a beach. A photo posted by Malini Ramani (@malini_ramani) on Oct 30, 2016 at 5:30am PDT Wedding blessings A photo posted by Malini Ramani (@malini_ramani) on Oct 30, 2016 at 8:26am PDT In the photographs, the couple and the wedding guests are seen holding onto their champagne glasses, cheering for the bride and groom. The groom looks dapper in a white shirt teamed with a matching off-white blazer and trousers. Walking to forever A photo posted by @lisahaydon on Oct 29, 2016 at 8:34pm PDT Lisa didn't mention the location. Just Married A photo posted by @lisahaydon on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:52pm PDT "Its love...Wedding bliss. Congratulations Dino and Lisa," Ramani captioned one of the photographs, where she is seen posing with the newly-wed couple. A photo posted by @lisahaydon on Oct 29, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT The 30-year-old, who was last seen on the big screen in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, last month announced her plan of marrying Dino. (with inputs from IANS) Jignesh Shah, once considered the poster boy of Asian commodities, has virtually fallen off Indias corporate radar with his hop-in-hop-out jail terms in the Rs 5,600 crore NSEL scam, which, many claim, is virtually going nowhere. On Wednesday, 19 October 2016, Shah was out of a jail in Kalyan on the southern fringes of Mumbai after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) failed to convince a lower court why Shah was arrested. This was the third time he walked in and out of a jail term. A lawyer even reminded Shah that he has already spent 156 days in jail ever since the Rs 5,600 crore plus NSEL payment crisis unfolded in 2013. That is, almost, half a year, and the case almost three years old. Probe agencies - the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police - took Shah repeatedly into custody eventually ending up confessing in courts that they found no money trail to Shahs lockers. And every time the judge asked the agencies reasons for his arrest, none had answers as to why Shah had to spend time among hardened criminals and undertrials at a prison in Kalyan on the outskirts of Mumbai. Even Shahs lawyers are trying hard to know why. Eyewitnesses in the court said Shah did not remark when informed about his total jail term, his face peaceful against the tumult of his mind ever since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested him on 20 September 2016, in connection with a case unrelated to the NSEL payment crisis. The arrest was linked to the renewal of licence to MCX-SX by market regulator Securities Exchange Board of India in 2010 that the CBI claimed Shah obtained illegally, bypassing stipulated guidelines. The homes of four Sebi officials, Vishakha More, Rajesh Kumar Dangeti, SV Muralidhar Rao and JN Gupta, were also raided on 20 September 2016, as the CBI suspected that they may have received bribes from Shah in relation to the licence renewal. What appeared strange is that Shah was being blamed for illegal wealth discovered in a Sebi officials house in 2016, given that the alleged case of corruption occurred in 2010. Interestingly, none of those four Sebi officials raided were arrested. But a charge was also made out under Section 420 of the IPC in relation to a 2008 buyback agreement between two promoters of MCX-SX, namely MCX that held a 51 percent stake and Financial Technologies Ltd, now known as 63 Moons Technologies Ltd., which held 49 percent stake. This agreement was part of a stake sale undertaken by the promoters to comply with new Sebi guidelines restricting the maximum stake an individual company could hold in an exchange to 5 percent. And there lies the biggest catch of this bizarre case. Shahs lawyer Amit Desai argued in the court that Sebi had actually opposed renewal of licence to MCX-SX and the matter went to the Bombay High Court which ruled in favour of MCX-SX, saying the buyback arrangement was absolutely legal. Secondly, if the licence was obtained on the basis of bribes offered to the aforesaid Sebi officials, then how come the then chairman CB Bhave was not mentioned in the FIR filed by CBI? This licensing case, by all accounts, is purely incidental to the Rs 5,600 crore NSEL payment default that has been haunting Shah since 2013. The CBI had no answer when the judge asked the public prosecutor Kavitha Patil why was Shah arrested. Worse, Desai reminded the court that the Bombay High Court had heard this matter in 2012 and held that this wasn't sufficient ground for cancelling the exchanges licence. The Bombay High Court order had ruled, "The buyback agreements cannot be held to be illegal as found in the impugned order of the Whole Time Member of SEBI on the ground that they constitute forward contracts." When Sebi challenged this judgment in the Supreme Court their plea was dismissed as the Supreme Court maintained the Mumbai High Court order. Despite such a crucial validation from the highest judicial authority, many legal experts are now wondering whether or not the CBI was overruling the Supreme Court. Patils argument that Shah had not been forthcoming about the sources of funds used to set up MCX-SX did not work with the judge because Sebi had already conducted due diligence in 2008 before granting MCX-SX "fit and proper" status. Hence, what purpose are these arrests serving? With the latest arrest, it is clear that there is a pattern in the way all the investigative agencies went about handling the case. Shah was taken in for non-cooperation all three times and released all the three times after the judges found several faults in his arrest, including the fact that he had been cooperating very well with the investigating agencies. Eminent Supreme Court advocate KTS Tulsi says he is aghast: In each arrest and the subsequent bail, I find no logic. It is not possible for the police to continue to arrest the person for, on the same threats, on the same allegations, time and again, on the mere pretext that he is not-cooperating. You can't arrest a person for not-cooperating. Cooperating means that I must turn into a witness against myself. Majid Memon, another top lawyer, said the arrests were totally out of place. Different wings cannot treat a citizen like a vegetable, tossing him from one place to another. And every time, the investigating agencies are drawing a blank. So why are they arresting Shah? There should be no selective arrest. There should not be vindictive approach in the matter of investigation. Arrest is always the last resort. The Supreme Court has expressed its anguish, that the liberty of citizen cannot be curtailed by way of some vindictive approach or to humiliate him or to cause loss of reputation or something of that kind, said Memon said in an interview. Its intriguing that the CBI custody came close to the heels of the EDs arrest. However, when he was granted bail by the PMLA Court on 6 August 2016, Shah was vindicated for the second time as the ED had found no evidence of the money trail. In fact, the PMLA Court stated: The ED has failed to satisfy the Court how Shahs arrest is legal in a different case. There is no vicarious liability unless statue specifically provides. Even in 2014, when Shah was granted bail after being taken into custody by the EOW-Mumbai, the Bombay High Court, while granting bail stated: Though projected a 'scam of Rs 5600 crores', the ill-gotten amount has not gone to the applicant (Shah), or for that matter, to NSEL. Lost in the rubble of arrests is the case of missing Rs 5,600 crores. Someone needs to focus on it, and bring the cash back to those who lost it. Worse, with three failed arrests, its now increasingly becoming clear Shah is merely the target, not answer to the loss. The reason for Cyrus Mistrys unceremonious exit as the chief of $100 billion Tata empire isnt fully known yet. All that we know is the much-talked about differences between Mistry and interim chairman Ratan Tata on the larger policy course governing the group that operates in over 100 companies across 100 countries. But, it is naive to imagine that Mistrys abrupt, disgraceful sacking was over mere policy differences. There must be something else that irked the owners uncontrollably to stage a boardroom coup, the kind not heard in the Tatas' 148 years of history. Perhaps, the actual reason will never be known to the public. Tata Sons, the privately held holding company of the group, isnt really answerable to general public beyond a small group of its shareholders. The Trusts literally control the empire with 66.4 percent stake holding. The Shapoorji Palonji group, to which Cyrus Mistry belongs, is the second biggest shareholder with 18.4 percent stake. Either you have the majority in a company or nothing, said Pratip Chaudhuri, former chairman of State Bank of India when asked about the influence Mistrys commanded in the Tata empire. The owner is the boss. So, if someone thinks he has the absolute freedom to do what he think is right, he is wrong. Even if you are made full-time chairman, you should consult the owner. I would like to believe that in this case he (Cyrus Mistry) did not adequately consult the owner on key decisions, Chaudhuri said, citing examples in other groups, both Indian and overseas, where similar episodes have taken place. Chaudhuri is right. A disconnect with the Tatas is indeed one of the most talked about reasons that eventually led to Mistrys overnight sacking. What could be the real differences? One can only speculate. But, if one goes by certain media reports like this one in the Mumbai Mirror, one reason that irked Tatas was Mistrys interest in real estate projects thought to benefit Shapoorji Pallonji & company (SP Group) controlled by his father Pallonji Mistry and elder brother Shapoor Mistry. Then there was Mistrys sale of the loss making family Jewels built or acquired by the Tatas over years. This included the sale plan of UK-division of Tata Steel. The DoCoMo dispute was another point of friction. The Tatas were reportedly unhappy about the manner in which Mistry dealt with the $1.2 billion dollar settlement with the Japanese firm following a bitter legal battle. Tatas were also unhappy with Mistrys decision to sell the Taj Boston Hotel and approach to other Tata iconic brands. But, remember, none of these issues happened overnight. Mistrys policies were known to the Tata trusts from Day One. Hence, these cant be the reasons to sack him that brought worldwide attention to this unusual move by the Tatas. Moreover, from a corporate perspective, there arent really any strong points that the Tatas can accuse Mistry of or find fault with his strategy to sell off bleeding units in the group and cut down losses. That is what any prudent company chief would do. There is nothing really unusual in the Tata-Mistry episode. People routinely change at the top and it is up to the owner/s to decide these moves. In privately held companies, especially, such changes can happen at any point taking into confidence only a small group of stakeholders. But, seeing Mistry's exit from purely a corporate governance perspective (for which the Tata Group is known for), this is one area where the Tatas have messed up and it could not get any worse than what it is now. It is not Mistrys exit per se, but the manner in which the board ousted the 48-year-old chairman of the group that sends a wrong signal to the outside world about the Tatas' 'governance standards' and the kind of internal systems that are in place. For sure, Mistrys removal could have been handled in a more mature manner without taking internal affairs to such ugly heights in full public view. Also, the group should have taken note that even though Tata Sons isnt listed, the fortunes of several entities in the group are inseparably linked to the developments in the holding company. In all certainty, the Tatas vs Cyrus Mistry episode would be a long drawn-out affair. The immediate events that followed Mistrys exit signal that more skeletons may tumble out of the closet. At least three top executives--HR head N.S. Rajan, business development and public affairs head Madhu Kannan, and strategy executive Nirmalya Kumar have resigned. A slugfest is on between Mistry and Tatas over alleged fraudulent transactions, unethical practices, Ratan Tatas investment decisions and a conflict of interest. Mistrys allegation that he was reduced to a lame duck chairman is even more serious. This is particularly so given the advice Ratan Tata gave to Mistry when he handed over the baton in the winter of 2012 You should be your own person, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to. Back in January, speaking to a group of students Tata, then chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, had made an interesting comment on the freedom to decide. If India is to shine now and in future, people must have the freedom to decide. While governments can be in the business of monitoring, they should have no role in telling people what to do." Be honest in what you think and do and this goes for any profession, Tata said. Though Ratan Tata said this in a separate context, there is a curious connection that can be seen as a link to the Cyrus Mistry episode as well. In a recent interview, Mistry had said that the group will have to take tough decisions to face challenging times. If the reason for sacking Mistry from Bombay House is because of the bold, often unpleasant decisions he chose to take to set the house in order, which didnt go down well with the owner, then Ratan Tata has failed to practice what he preached by preventing Mistry to be his own man. If there is truth in Mistrys allegations post his disgraceful exit from Bombay House that Ratan Tata failed to keep his promise of independence in corporate decisions and that he wasnt allowed to be his own man during his four years in office, the irony of Tata's remark cannot be ignored. Not just that, Tata is now leading the opposite camp against Mistry. The promise of freedom to decide has been irretrievably broken. True, life will go on at Bombay House with a new head, logically a Tata loyalist, taking over the charge of the group. The Tata group is too big a corporate brand to get impacted by one exit, even if that is of the chairman. But, the manner in which Cyrus Mistry was ousted has certainly left a big blot on Tatas' corporate governance legacy. (Data contributed by Kishor Kadam) Known for his benevolent Diwali gifts to his employees, Surat-based billionaire diamond merchant Savji Dholakia has this year too kept over a thousand cars and 400 flats to his well-performing staffers with the company bearing part of the monthly instalments. Dholakia, who owns the Hare Krishna Exports, has gifted 400 flats and 1,260 cars as Diwali bonuses to his employees. However, the company will bear a part, Rs 5,000, of the loan instalments on the flats and the cars for five years. We have selected 1,716 employees as the best performers this year. We are arranging for houses for those who already own cars, while those who dont have a four-wheeler will get one, Dholakia told IANS. He said the 400 flats each of 1,100 square feet would be allotted in a housing scheme of the company itself. The flats would come dirt cheap at Rs 15 lakh and the monthly instalment, which the employee will start paying after five years will be Rs 11,000, he said. The bonus, which were announced at an informal meeting of employees, on Tuesday have been an annual ritual at Hare Krishna Exports. Last year, Dholakias company similarly gave 491 cars and 200 flats to its employees. The year before that, it spent Rs 50 crore on performance incentives, Dholakia said. The diamond merchant, who hails from Dudhala village in Amreli district in Saurashtra region, established and nurtured his business using a loan from his uncle. He had sent his son Dravya to eke out a job in Kerala to learn the ropes. Ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a statement has said that the allegations by the Tatas that he handled the DoCoMo issue "in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values" are baseless. The statement further said the agreement with Docomo had been executed before Mistry became executive chairman of the group. Earlier in a tell-all letter to Tata Sons board, Mystry had alleged that the deal structure of Tata Teleservices and DoCoMo raised many questions. On Friday, Mistry had refuted all allegations of not keeping the board in the know of the solar farms deal with Welspun. In the statement today, Mistry also said that to suggest that Mistry acted on his own is as false as it is mischievous and that all decisions were taken with unanimous approval of Tata Sons Board. Here's is the full text of the statement by Mistry on DoCoMo deal: 1) Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mr. Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired. 2) A number of discussions on the Docomo situation had been held in the Tata Sons board. Mr. Mistry had always mentioned that the Tatas should honour all commitments within the law. This stance is based on Tata Sons' board view and was always consistent with the series of board meetings in which the Docomo issue was discussed. 3) To begin with, the agreement with Docomo had been executed before Mr. Mistry became executive chairman of the Tata Group. 4) Tatas under Mr. Mistry requested Docomo to join the Tatas in seeking the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Docomo did not agree. Nevertheless, Tatas applied to the RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. The Award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas. Tatas under Mr. Mistry did not challenge the Award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission. 5) Docomo sought enforcement of the Award in the Delhi High Court. In order to show their bonafides, Tatas deposited a sum in excess of Rs. 8,000 crores in Court. 6) Throughout the above process, Ratan Tata and N.A. Soonawala, Trustee, were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mr. Mistry. They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel (who also happened to be a trustee of the Dorabji Tata trust) and who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel. 7) All decisions were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons Board. In fact, all decisions were collective decisions and the actions were consistent with every such collective decision. 8) In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mr. Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to Tata values, or without the knowledge and/or concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala is as false as it is mischievous. New Delhi: Fund raising by Indian firms from institutional investors fell sharply to Rs 609 crore during April-August of 2016-17 from Rs 8,320 crore mobilised in the same period a year ago. The funds have been raised for expansion, refinancing of debt and to meet the working capital requirements. According to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) data, listed firms garnered Rs 609 crore via qualified institutional placement (QIP) route during April-August period, much lower than Rs 8,320 crore mopped-up in the same period last fiscal. In terms of numbers, five issues were witnessed during the period under review as compared to 16 in the first five months of the last fiscal. In the entire 2015-16, about Rs 14,588 crore was mopped up through 24 issues, as per the Sebi data. QIP is an alternative mode of resource raising available for listed companies to raise funds from the domestic market. In August, firms had raked in Rs 230 crore through the QIP route, while Rs 56 crore was mobilised in July. A total of Rs 61 crore was raised in June and Rs 262 crore in May. No issues were witnessed in April. In a QIP, a listed issuer issues equity shares or non-convertible debt instruments along with warrants and convertible securities other than warrants to qualified institutional buyers only. New Delhi: S Ramadorai, a key official driving the government's ambitious skill development agenda, has resigned from the posts of chairman, National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Rohit Nandan, Vice-Chairman of the Governing Body and Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, will discharge the function of chairman, NSDA, till a new appointment is made. Ramadorai's resignation from the two government's high-profile posts raises speculation that will the former TCS head be named as the chairman of Tata Sons after Cyrus Mistry's unceremonious departure last week? The NSDC board is likely to meet tomorrow to discuss the future road map post the resignation. Sources said the Prime Minister has accepted his resignation. Meanwhile, top sources in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said the government is scouting for a replacement. Ramadorai was not available for comments at the time of filing the story. Sources close to him said the 71 year-old, who was appointed by the UPA government, had cited health reasons for putting in his papers. Last year, NSDC's Managing Director and CEO Dilip Chenoy and its COO Atul Bhatnagar, both appointees of the previous UPA government, had also resigned. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy had earlier expressed displeasure at the way NSDC was being run in the past and lashed out at its failure to meet the industry's need for trained manpower. By Martinne Geller, Sophie Sassard and Lauren Hirsch | LONDON/NEW YORK LONDON/NEW YORK Japan's Ajinomoto (2802.T) and PepsiCo (PEP.N) are among bidders seeking to buy a stake in African dairy and drinks company Promasidor in a deal that would give them access to its distribution network across the continent, sources told Reuters.A deal could value Promasidor at roughly $1 billion, said the sources. The interest from the Japanese food maker and U.S. drinks giant shows how multinationals based in mature markets are looking abroad for growth and betting that Africa's expanding middle classes will buy more packaged food and drinks.The deal could be announced as soon as this week, according to the several sources familiar with the matter, who declined to be named as the talks are confidential. A third bidder is involved in the process, said two of the sources, but its identity was not immediately clear. Ajinomoto was seen as more likely to clinch a deal than PepsiCo.One of the sources said the deal was for a third of South Africa-based Promasidor, which sells Cowbell milk, Top Tea and Yumvita infant cereal. That would mean an investment of more than $300 million, based on valuations in the sector and Promasidor's estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about $100 million.Promasidor and PepsiCo declined to comment, while Ajinomoto could not be reached outside Japanese business hours. The owners of Promasidor are looking for an investment from an industry player that would benefit from selling its own products through Promasidor's distribution network in more than 30 African countries, the sources said. Ajinomoto, which sells MSG and other seasonings as well as frozen foods, has been vocal about its international ambitions, as its home market of Japan suffers due to an aging population and a faltering economy. Its president told Reuters last year that it could spend up to $1.7 billion by the end of 2016 on deals to help it become a top-10 global food maker. AFRICAN DEALS Promasidor was founded in 1979 by Robert Rose, who left Britain in 1957. He began selling milk powder in small, affordable sachets in Democratic Republic of Congo and the company has since grown to include a range of brands, with a strong presence in West Africa and growing business in East and Southern Africa. Investment fund Tana Africa Capital - founded by E. Oppenheimer & Son and Singapore's sovereign wealth fund Temasek - owns a minority stake in the company and is looking to exit, according to three of the sources. The source who said the deal was for 33 percent of the Promasidor added that this comprised a 25 percent stake owned by Tana and the rest from some members of the founding Rose family who want to cash out of the business. Promasidor is being advised by Nomura, according to the sources. Ajinomoto is being advised by Goldman Sachs while PepsiCo is being advised by UBS, according to one of the sources. Tana, Nomura, Goldman and UBS all declined to comment.Africa's food and drink market has seen several deals in recent years. Coca-Cola (KO.N) invested in Nigerian drinks firm Chi Ltd in January, Kellogg (K.N) bought a stake in Nigerian food company Multipro last year, and Danone (DANO.PA) has made several stake acquisitions in Africa over the past three years. (Editing by Pravin Char) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Sankalp Phartiyal and Abhirup Roy | MUMBAI MUMBAI The bitter public feud between the Tata family, which controls India's most respected conglomerate, and its now ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry has created an unwelcome stir in the tiny Parsi community to which both sides belong.There are only about 58,000 Parsis in India, a nation of 1.2 billion people. Yet, the community has included some of India's biggest business names, its top nuclear scientists, world-class musicians and several senior military officers including the country's first field-marshal.Parsis are also known for maintaining their privacy."They should have settled this between themselves instead of what has happened so publicly," said a Parsi woman stepping out of the community's fire temple in downtown Mumbai.The row between Ratan Tata, family patriarch of the sprawling $100 billion salt-to-steel Tata Sons empire, and Cyrus Mistry, a scion of the billionaire Shapoorji Pallonji clan, erupted in public last week. Both families are pillars of the Parsi community, comprised of descendants of Persians who first landed in India in the ninth century.Tata Sons announced on Oct 24 that Mistry had been removed as chairman of the company. Sources close to the company said Mistry's corporate strategy was seen as transgressing the core Parsi value of working for the greater common good.A five-page e-mail response from Mistry to the Tata board was leaked two days later, containing scathing criticism of the company's corporate governance practices and Ratan Tata's role in some of the company's costliest errors. The two sides have traded barbs on a near-daily basis since then. While business spats are not uncommon in India's financial capital Mumbai, the public allegations of malfeasance and the central role of two billionaire Parsis has not gone down well in the community."I would say Cyrus, walk out with a little dignity and self respect. Don't wash dirty linen in public. Don't make the press your playground. Fight battles inside boardrooms," said Rumi Behram Balsara, a second generation shareholder in some Tata group companies. TATA ETHOS From shipyards to textiles, Mumbai's Parsis have led the city's commercial development from a group of sleepy fishing villages to one of Asia's business capitals. Parsi business houses owned by the Tata, Wadia and Godrej families are at the forefront of India's corporate world. The Tata empire stretches from Jaguar Land Rover to Tetley Tea, while the Wadia family owns textile and food-product businesses. The Godrej Group owns interests in everything from consumer goods to chemicals. Parsis follow the Zoroastrian faith, an ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran. Some of the tenets of the faith like charity and doing good to others have long been woven into the Tata heritage and business ethos. Much of the dividend paid out by Tata Sons gets funneled into charitable trusts involved in philanthropic work.The crux of the Tata world view, said Morgen Witzel, a U.K.-based author of a book on the Tata company, is shareholder value should not be an end in itself. "Companies are not machines for making money. They exist to provide value and service to their communities; profit is a by-product of that process." That view appears to be at the heart of the boardroom dust-up. Mistry was attempting to gradually transform Tata from a sprawling empire of middling businesses into a much more focused profit-driven enterprise, but that involved decisions like axing businesses and jobs, moves that jarred with the Tata ethos, say sources close to the conglomerate."Over time, the Tatas had built up a fantastic reputation. However, the size and resistance to change meant that many of their businesses were not able to keep up with the times," said Ronny Bharda, a Mumbai-based Parsi businessman. "Cyrus Mistry brought about a renewed sense of enthusiasm. He had the ability to bring about change.""Eventually, what social good can the house of Tatas do, if they do not earn any money?"MORE THAN BUSINESS Some Parsis believe the community should ignore the spat. "The Parsi community isn't the custodian of thoughts, words and deeds of every Parsi," said Baghzaad Bhomisha, a Mumbai-born Parsi settled in Australia, adding Parsis had bigger concerns than the "egos and worthless legacies of Parsi billionaires."Mistry, an Irish citizen, was the first chairman in the Tata group's 148-year history to not belong to the Tata family. He was named chair of the group in 2011 after a lengthy search for a replacement for Ratan Tata. In an organization populated by veterans, his anointment at age 43 was a marked departure for the Tatas.Mistry's family is also prominent and has long had ties with the Tatas. His elder brother Shapoor runs the Shapoorji Pallonji conglomerate, which is focused on construction and real estate. It also owns the largest individual stake in Tata Sons, after the family trusts headed by Ratan Tata.The two families are related by marriage - Cyrus Mistry's sister is married to Ratan Tata's half-brother Noel."Mistry's ouster shows a person with a keen business sense only won't work. Tata is built on more than just business," said Kaizad Todywalla, a Parsi who owns a coin auction house in Mumbai. "I personally believe you need a Tata to make sure that the ethos of the group or the philosophy behind it remains." (Additional reporting and writing by Rahul Bhatia and Euan Rocha; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Aditya Kalra | NEW DELHI NEW DELHI India reaffirmed on Tuesday its commitment to a World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco-control treaty, despite lobbying from its $11 billion industry that opposes some measures in the treaty that will be discussed at a conference next week.Delegates from about 180 countries will attend the Nov. 7-12 conference near New Delhi on the only global anti-tobacco treaty, called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). The treaty aims to deter tobacco use that kills about 6 million people a year, including about a million in India.Reuters reported last week that tobacco industry groups were lobbying the government with letters and signature campaigns to safeguard the interest of farmers and to ensure that no "unreasonable" proposals are adopted at the conference.The Tobacco Institute of India (TII), the cigarette industry body, said in Sept. 28 letter to the government that "there is no obligation on any signatory to the FCTC" to comply with its provisions.The government response to those letters has not been made public but on Tuesday, the health ministry published half-page notices in several newspapers to say India would apply the treaty's provisions. "India reiterates its commitment to the full implementation of WHO FCTC," the ministry said in the notice, that included a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government said in the notice that tobacco "drains the economy" of nearly $16 billion a year.The TII, which represents cigarette makers including ITC, part-owned by British American Tobacco, and Philip Morris International's local partner, Godfrey Phillips, declined to comment about the government notice. Last week, tobacco farmers protested outside the health ministry and the WHO regional office in New Delhi asking the government to boycott the conference.More than 100,000 farmers also sent the government a petition seeking protection from FCTC rules. Tobacco groups want India to include farmers in its official delegation. A health ministry official said last week the government would not agree to their requests. The tobacco industry has been at odds with the federal government this year over a rule requiring makers to print bigger health warnings on packages.The WHO FCTC conference decisions, designed for implementation at national level by signatories, have a direct bearing on the nearly $800 billion global tobacco industry.Topics for debate at the conference include alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers and e-cigarette regulation. (Editing by Tom Lasseter, Robert Birsel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Aditi Shah and Abhirup Roy | MUMBAI MUMBAI Cyrus Mistry, who was ousted as chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons last week, said "insinuations" that he mishandled a dispute with Japanese telecoms firm NTT DoCoMo Inc were baseless, ratcheting up a war of words with the Tata board.People close to the matter have said one of the reasons for Mistry's dismissal was his handling of a long-running dispute with DoCoMo, Tata Sons' partner in a telecoms joint venture in India.Mistry's office said in a statement that all decisions related to the dispute were taken with the unanimous approval of the Tata Sons board, and that of Tata family patriarch Ratan Tata, and Tata trustee N.A. Soonawalla."The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice," said a Tata Sons spokesman, adding the company would not comment further on the matter.Mistry has been embroiled in a bitter public spat with Tata since his removal as chairman of the $100 billion steel-to-software group. In a leaked letter to the Tata board last week, Mistry criticised corporate governance practices and blamed Ratan Tata, who ran the company for over two decades and is now back as interim chairman, for some of its costliest missteps. Tata Teleservices and DoCoMo have been locked in a long tussle over the Japanese company's move to exit a partnership formed in 2009. Under the terms of that deal, in the event of an exit, DoCoMo was guaranteed the higher of either half its original investment, or its fair value.When DoCoMo decided to get out in 2014, Tata was unable to find a buyer for the Japanese firm's stake and offered to buy the stake itself for half DoCoMo's $2.2 billion investment.India's central bank blocked Tata's offer, saying a rule change the previous year prevented foreign investors from selling stakes in Indian firms at a pre-determined price. In an attempt to resolve the matter, Mistry said he asked DoCoMo to join the Tatas in seeking approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), he said in his statement, but DoCoMo refused, and initiated arbitration in a London court.DoCoMo won that arbitration, and Tata was asked to pay a penalty of $1.17 billion, which it has deposited with the Delhi High Court. The issue is still under litigation.Ratan Tata is likely to seek help from the Indian government to resolve the DoCoMo issue, including seeking relaxed norms for paying the Japanese company, TV channel ET NOW said on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Japan this month and meet his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in a bid to strengthen bilateral ties.Mistry said in his statement on Tuesday that Ratan Tata and Soonawalla had been kept informed throughout the DoCoMo proceedings, and had at all times approved what Tata Sons was doing.Asked to respond to Mistry's statement, Tata's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi told CNBC-TV18: "It doesn't serve much purpose ... to keep making these allegations and counter allegations in the press." (Reporting by Aditi Shah and Abhirup Roy; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Aditi Shah | MUMBAI MUMBAI Ratan Tata, interim chairman of India's Tata Sons conglomerate, will outline a revamped top management structure for the $100 billion group within days, a person close to the company told Reuters on Tuesday.The new structure is being put in place after Tata Sons last week removed Cyrus Mistry as chairman, and disbanded his advisory Group Executive Council, triggering a very public spat between Tata and Mistry. In a letter to employees on the day Mistry was ousted, Tata said "a new management structure is being put in place," with a selection committee formed to find a new chairman."The new management structure that (Ratan) Tata promised will soon be put in place, and it will speak a lot about the future of the group," the source said, asking not to be named as the matter is private.Details on the structure and the personnel are being finalised, the person said. A spokesman for Tata Sons said he was not aware of any such development, and declined to comment further.Setting up the new management structure will be one of Tata's first steps since he returned as interim chairman, four years after stepping down and appointing Mistry in his place. Mistry's advisory team included five people in key roles such as group heads of business development, strategy and public affairs. Two of those five - Mukund Rajan, Tata's brand custodian, and Harish Bhat, who oversaw Tata's retail ventures - are likely to be part of the new management structure, the source said.The other three members of Mistry's advisory council have resigned.Tata veteran Prasad Menon, who last served as chairman of Vistara, an airline venture with Singapore Airlines, has been brought in to help Tata put the new structure in place, the source said. Earlier on Tuesday, CNBC-TV18 reported that S Ramadorai stepped down as chairman of India's National Skills Development Council (NSDC) and National Skills Development Agency (NSDA) amid speculation of his return to Tata. Ramadorai is also chair of AirAsia India, another airline joint venture Tata has with Malaysia's AirAsia Bhd.A source at the NSDA said Ramadorai tendered his resignation in September citing ill health. The source was not aware if that move was related to a possible return to Tata Sons. (Reporting by Aditi Shah; Editing by Euan Rocha and Ian Geoghegan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Chandigarh: With Haryana's year-long golden jubilee celebrations starting on Tuesday, the BJP government in the state on Monday announced welfare measures for various sections of the society including unemployed post-graduates, ex-servicemen, Home Guard jawans and those drawing social security pension. Making these announcements in Chandigarh, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said, "the golden jubilee year is an important year for the state, and our government will also complete half its term during the year. During five years term, the mid-term is the most crucial period, this is the year when most work is done." The government is preparing a scheme to grant special remission to the prisoners during the State's golden jubilee year celebrations, Khattar informed. The year-long celebrations start from Gurugram on Tuesday, where Prime Minister Modi will be the chief guest at the inaugural function. Haryana was carved out as a separate state on 1 November, 1966 and the state is celebrating 50 years of its inception. Making the announcement for the unemployed post-graduate youth of the State who are registered with the employment exchange, Khattar said, "we have formed a scheme that for 100 hours of work per month, they will get an honororium of Rs 9,000." "This is not any salary, but those unemployed post-graduates who are looking for job, various government departments will give them some work. We have also asked private sector to see if these youths can be given work or hired for a job," the Chief Minister told reporters. "This scheme named 'Shikshit Yuva Sammanit Huva' will start from tomorrow. At present, the number of post-graduates who are registered with the employment exchange is 1100. However, their (fresh) registration will start from tomorrow. This scheme will be open for Haryana domicile people," he further said. Khattar said though only 1100 unemployed post-graduates are registered with employment exchange at present, according to estimates, there are 30,000 unemployed post-graduate youth who have not registered. "If we include these too for the monthly honorarium to be given to them, then it will put a burden of Rs 324 crore per year on the state ex-chequer," Khattar informed. Giving benefit to the Home Guard jawans, Khattar said that their per day pay has been hiked from Rs 300 at present to Rs 572 per day, making it at par with police constables from the state are given. "This will benefit 14,025 Home Guard jawans and will entail a financial implication of nearly Rs 50 crore per year," he said. For ex-servicemen, Khattar said a Rajya Sainik Board already exists for their welfare and looks into problems faced by them. "Still, we felt that since Haryana contributes nearly 10 per cent to the number of defence forces of our country, a decision has been taken to have a separate Department for the ex-servicemen. This Department will have a Minister-incharge as head," he said. Khattar said Haryana government gives monthly pension to various categories of people including old age, widow pension, pension to physically challenged persons, besides others. He said that instead of 1 January, 2017 as announced earlier, the benefit of enhanced pension of Rs 1600 from present Rs 1400 per month will be given to these people with effect from Tuesday. Twenty two lakh people of various categories are getting this monthly pension at present, he informed. Khattar also said that earlier physically challenged people having 70 percent disability were given pension, now decision has been taken that people having 60 percent disability too will be entitled to get this pension. "According to our estimates, 30,000 people fall in this range of 60-70 per cent disability," he said. Speaking about the destitute children, he said their financial assistance of Rs 500 per month has been enhanced to Rs 700. These children get this assitance till age 21. Village chowkidars will now get a bicycle and an umbrella in addition to the torch which they used to already get during a five-year period, entailing an expenditure of Rs 2 crore, Khattar further said. About Gurugram Development Authority, whose announcement was made recently, Khattar said it will start functioning with effect from tomorrow and IAS officer V Umashankar, who was on deputation in Delhi, he has been made OSD of the GDA. Earlier, Khattar said that during past two years since the first-ever BJP Government was formed in Haryana, "to understand the system, making announcements and preparing schemes, all this has been going on. Works have also been done. Out of 2200 announcements made so far, work on 1300 of these has either been completed or is under progress." "In addition, 800-900 announcements are in pipeline on which we will work in the coming year," he said. He also said of our of 90 assembly segments, "I have covered 78 constituencies and hope to tour the remaining ones by the end of December this year." Meanwhile, on being asked if honorarium for unemployed post-graduate youths came with a rider that beneficiaries must clear electricity dues to avail the scheme, Khattar, without conforming, said, "There is nothing wrong if people are asked to clear their dues." "Financial assistance to non-school going differently-abled children will be increased from Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per month," he announced, adding special camps will be held to distribute artificial aids and appliances to one lakh "Divyangs". "A Rs 3,000 per month financial assistance will be given to ex-servicemen who are 60 years or above, including those who are physically disabled or paraplegic. Their war-widows and orphan children will also benefit. It is also for war-widows of 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars," Khattar announced, adding the assistance is now between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000. "Scholarship to cadets from Haryana at the Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun will be increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 per year," he said, adding police personnel will wear a 'Haryana Swarna Jayanti Medal' on their uniform. "Strength of village sanitation workers will be increased from 11,300 and their monthly honorarium from Rs 8,100 to Rs 10,000. It has a financial implication of around Rs 25 crore," he said. The under construction Haryana Vishwakarma Kaushal Vikas Vishwavidyalaya (HVKVV) at Dudhola will start operating out of a HUDA building tomorrow with Raj Nehru as Vice-Chancellor, he said. On inter-state water and territory issues with Punjab, Khattar said, "The State has effectively pursued Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal issue in Supreme Court." "For the first time in the last five decades water has reached some tail ends of Southern Haryana," he said, adding the State has a Rs 2,000 crore scheme to strengthen irrigation system. "I have also taken up the construction of Lakhwar dam with the Centre. Some other states are also involved in the national project," he said, adding construction of Renuka and Kishau dams will improve availability of water. On funds for implementing projects in the Golden Jubilee year and 7th Central Pay Commission, he said,"Steps would be taken to mobilise additional resources." "With revenue leakage checked, receipts have increased. There is no dearth of funds," he assured, adding "losses of PSUs and Power Utilities will be reduced." Khattar said the Golden Jubilee celebration's inaugural function at Gurugram tomorrow will not cost Rs 1,700 crore as projected in "some media reports". "The amount is for various projects and schemes during the year-long celebrations. However, this amount could exceed the announced funds," he said. Times Now editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami has reportedly relinquished his position in the Bennett and Coleman Company Limited. Goswami, who also heads the group's business channel ET Now announced his decision to a closed group of employees in an editorial meeting, The News Minute reported. There is no official confirmation to this effect from the news channel or from Goswami himself so far. The outgoing Times Now editor-in-chief has been known for his programmes NewsHour and Frankly Speaking with Arnab. Goswami was recently also given "Y category" security cover from the government after the Intelligence Bureau perceived a threat to his life from "Pakistan based terrorists groups". The move to provide security cover to a journalist was questioned and criticised by many, including former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju. Goswami started his career with The Telegraph in Kolkata after which he moved to NDTV 24x7. He joined Times Now in 2006. Goswami's brand of journalism has often come under flak, especially the daily NewsHour. However, it should be kept in mind that the brand Times Now and brand Goswami are almost synonymous. Like this Caravan article points out, "Discussions about Times Now are invariably discussions about Goswami, whose abrasive moderation every weeknight has inspired angst-ridden open letters, a stream of parodies, and even standup comedy routines." His success let him run the show at his terms. The revenue pouring in purely on the success of his emotionally charged prime time show, kept the reins in his hand. As the article in Caravan points out, it was the revenue from advertisements in his show, that made up for the wages of the majority of employees. And Goswami well realised the value of an emotional reportage over an objective one. The article in Caravan further reads, "from the inner pages of newspapers he plucked events scantly explored but rich with emotional resonance." And as the channel caught up with Arnab Goswami's narrative, the channel assumed the face of brand Arnab rather than it being the other way round. Disclaimer: Firstpost is from the same stable as CNN News18 which competes with Times Now. Bengaluru: A 50-year-old real estate businessman was shot dead near his house on Diwali night by two unidentified assailants, police said on Monday. "Surendra Kumar was shot from a close range around 10 pm on Sunday by the masked assailants who came on a motorbike and fled from the spot in the cover of darkness and noise from bursting fire crackers," Additional Commissioner of Police KSR Charan Reddy told IANS. As a bleeding Kumar collapsed at the gate of his house in upscale Sanjay Nagar, his car driver and another employee rushed him to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him dead. "An FIR has been registered under section 302 of the IPC and the Arms Act on a complaint filed by the employee who witnessed the incident along with the driver. We have set up multiple teams to investigate the case and hunt down the killers," said Reddy. Kumar, a bachelor, who hailed from Andhra Pradesh's Guntur, was living in the city since 2000 and was involved in various business activities, including real estate and property development. He was returning home after celebrating Diwali with his staff in his farmhouse at Devanahalli and his nearby office when he was attacked. "We are investigating the incident from all angles. Preliminary inquiry hints at business rivalry or a financial deal going awry. Our priority is to first nab the killers to crack the case," said Reddy. Kumar's lawyer Vinod K, however, told reporters that Kumar's former employee Kapil Saraswat was the prime suspect. "He had threatened to kill Kumar for filing a cheating complaint, resulting in his arrest and imprisonment in Mathura jail (in Uttar Pradesh) early this year," said Vinod. Saraswat is reported to have borrowed Rs 3 crore from Kumar to purchase prime land in Uttar Pradesh but failed to return the money. "Kapil's brothers also came to Bengluru recently and threatened Kumar of serious consequences if he did not withdraw his complaint," alleged Vinod. New Delhi: India on Monday continued its discussions with China over the issue of its membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which Beijing has been stalling. Sources in New Delhi said Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (Disarmament & International Security) in the Ministry of External Affairs, held talks with Wang Qun, Director General in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing over the issue of India's membership in the NSG. Wang leads Chinese delegations in NSG deliberations. The sources said the talks were substantive and constructive and the engagement would continue according to the directive of the leadership of both countries. At the NSG plenary in Seoul in June, China had blocked India's membership on the ground that for a country to become a member of the 48-nation bloc, it has to be a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). On 13 September, Gill and Wang started their discussions on the issue in New Delhi. At least six new mega ports have been cleared to be built under the ambitious Sagarmala Project, taken up by the Ministry of Shipping. The National Perspective Plan (NPP) for the much talked about project envisions these new infrastructural facilities as part of its multi-pronged strategy to enhance Indias cargo handling capacity. The Ministry of Shipping's project, that aims to modernise India's ports, is estimated to save up to Rs 40,000 crore per year spent on logistics by key industries. According to the NPP, the greenfield ports are likely to come up at Sagar in West Bengal, Paradip Outer Harbour in Odisha, Enayam in Tamil Nadu and Vadhavan in Maharashtra. As part of the Sagarmala Project, detailed masterplans are being developed for all the new major ports. The new Vadhavan port, estimated to cost around Rs 10,000 crore, will help ease the congestion in the present shipping capacity. Vadhavan currently handles about 40 percent of the total container traffic in India. The new port will be able to handle 40 to 60 million tonne of cargo every year, as per sources in the Ministry. The present capacity of the port is 4.16 million tonne per year. The proposed Paradip Outer Harbour project, estimated to cost around Rs 8,200 crore, will be developed to facilitate the coastal shipping of thermal coal for power plants in Southern and Western India. The new port will have a capacity of 175.5 million tonne per year. Similarly, the Sagar port, proposed to handle the overflow of traffic from Kolkata and Haldia facility, has received an initial grant of Rs 515 crores as viability fund from the Centre. A special purpose vehicle, named Bhor Sagar Port Limited, has also been floated under the partnership of the Kolkata Port Trust and the West Bengal Government. The project is expected to incur an expenditure of Rs 12,000 crore and IIT Madras has been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing a detailed project report. A new port, either in Machilipatinam or Vodarevu, in Andhra Pradesh has also been proposed to handle the thermal coal, cement and container cargo in the region. A similar facility, either in Cuddalore or Shikazhi, in Tamil Nadu is also being contemplated to handle the movement of thermal coal. Enayam in Tamil Nadu has been selected as Indias future mega transshipment destination, aimed to capture the international business opportunity presently enjoyed by Singapore and Sri Lanka. The new ports are likely to enhance Indias cargo handling capacity by 466 million tonne per year. As part of the Sagarmala vision, Indias cargo traffic handling capacity will be enhanced from 1,550 million tonne per year to 3,000 million tonne per year by 2025. The rest 980 million metric tonne capacity needed to meet the target will be fulfilled by enhancing the capacity of major and non-major ports. The new infrastructural facilities will also help enhance Indias earning from the transshipment business. Currently, India loses a lot of foreign currency to Sri Lanka and Singapore due to lack of transshipment facilities. A whopping 25 percent of the Indian cargo is transshipped in Colombo and Singapore. One of the major reasons behind this is that Indias biggest container port has a draft of just 14 m, whereas a capsize vessel requires it to be above 16 m to load and unload goods. Indias cargo volume is estimated to rise by up to 2,500 metric tonne per year from the current evaluation at 972 metric tonne per year. Infrastructural enhancements are likely to ease the pressure on the existing facilities. The new ports will also boost up coastal shipping, thus decreasing the dependence on transportation through railways and roadways. This is likely to cut down the inland transportation costs by up to 80 percent. Presently the country has 12 major ports. New Delhi: Concerned over burning down of several schools in Kashmir, the Centre has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government to check such attempts and make efforts for reopening the schools which have been closed for more than 110 days due to unrest in the Valley. In a communication, the Home Ministry conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure protection of schools, especially those which are vulnerable to attacks, and make all attempts for reopening all educational institutions across the Valley. The central government is deeply concerned over the incidents of setting ablaze of schools and worried about the future of the children who are the worst sufferers due to the prolonged turmoil in the state, a senior Home Ministry official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also said to be worried that the closure of educational institutions for such a long period is affecting thousands of students and feels that if schools reopen, it would be a great step towards restoring normalcy in Kashmir, officials said. At least 26 schools in various parts of the Valley were set ablaze in recent past. The Home Ministry is said to have persuaded the Jammu and Kashmir government to direct the state Board of School Education to notify over 500 schools to conduct regular examinations. Examinations for Class X will commence from 15 November and will culminate on 28 November while examinations for Class XII will commence from 14 November and will culminate on 3 December. Educational institutions in the Valley are closed since 9 July after outbreak of clashes and a strike call by separatists following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Sources said the assessment of security forces is that radical forces are trying to force children in rural areas to join religious schools or madrassas and not opt for modern education so that youngsters could be radicalised easily. Amid outrage over increasing number of schools being burnt in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday stepped in, directing police and civil administration to ensure their protection besides unmasking the "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with an "iron hand". The burning of schools in Kashmir indicates that a very smart strategist is coordinating the unfolding challenge to the Indian state. The objective is multi-layered. At the most basic level, this round of arson has raised the ante on whether board examinations can be held, and if schools can function again. A large number of students and parents were eager that exams be held. The state board has set exam dates beginning from the second week of November. Over the past couple of months, this has become the main battleground in the states attempts to restore 'normalcy'. As with so much in Kashmir, perspectives have been polarized simplistic, contrarian and uni-dimensional. Education Minister Naeem Akhtar has boldly gone on the front foot, insisting that exams will be held. Three weeks ago, he wrote a moving and erudite open letter to secessionist leader Ali Shah Geelani, citing Islamic traditions and the example of the Prophet. Geelani responded by first saying that education had 'blossomed' during the shutdown (presumably education on 'occupation' and 'oppression'), and then arguing that barbarity and education could not go hand in hand an allusion to the horrific cruelty with which some of the youth who have been locked up are said to have been treated. Schools a battleground of hartal That the functioning of schools has become so contentious should not be a surprise. A counter-narrative against the shutdown/unrest/uprising by distraught parents of schoolchildren made a telling impact on social media a couple of months ago. That gave the issue a high profile. Closed schools are now the last major bastion of the 'hartal' (shutdown) which began when militant commander Burhan Wani was killed on 8 July. Colleges and the University are limping back to life; college teachers have been instructed to draw up copious notes and post them where their students can access them. Other than education, most government departments have functioned over the past month, and tough action (including dismissal) has forced most employees to abandon the paid leave that hartals have come to mean for government employees over the past couple of decades. Functioning schools would bring a visible measure of 'normalcy' to every village and town. It would involve the movement of hundreds of thousands of students daily. So, of course, the coordinators of the current uprising must be dismayed at the prospect of schools reopening. They have already taken to such extreme steps as burning vehicles and shops that defy the shutdown. A shop which had remained open through much of the hartal in Shopian town was set on fire in the dark early hours of 31 October. Tying down security men Burning schools would not only help to maintain the 'shutdown'. It is a calculated move to tie down a large number of policemen or troops to stand guard at schools at a time when forces are being deployed all over the Valley for the developing war-like situation. Militancy, as well as fresh infiltration, have increased dramatically; the threat is huge. A side-effect of the deployment of troops at schools is that it leads to harassment (including frisking) and unease for students, particularly women students and teachers. Once a camp is established, troops tend to remain. This happened after a large number of schools were burnt in the 1990s too. Mini-camps, often of the CRPF, remained in the compounds of several schools and colleges. After an expose by a student journalist in 2007, the then defense minister had ordered troops to vacate all educational institutions. The current round of arson could bring things back to square one. Whodunit rumours Over the past few days of arson, during which more than two dozen schools have so far been torched, Kashmir has been rife with whodunit rumours which tend to speculate on everything but the obvious fact that this arson suits those who want the hartal to continue. The list of arson suspects in public discourse is variegated: the government, the opposition, the army, students and teachers, even contractors. Yes, the rumour mill even speculates that a contractor-bureaucrat nexus is in position for the Centre to send funds for reconstruction. Indeed, after a similar arson in the mid-1990s, large numbers of schools were rebuilt generally bigger and better than they had been. However, although Kashmirs conflict economy is amazingly resilient and innovative, it is hardly likely that those who might be cynically eager for reconstruction funds would actually go so far as to light the ugly fires themselves. The sad thing is that, amid the swirling whodunit speculation, even those among the public who claim that arson has been foiled and arsonists chased away in certain places, say that they dont know who the arsonists were. As for the government, a senior PDP functionary says that some of the arsonists have been identified in south Kashmir. Lets hope they will be brought to book and details shared publicly. For, contesting the war of narratives is as vital as restoring functionality. Real normalcy will remain elusive unless that battle is transparently engaged. Islamabad: Pakistan is considering pulling out from India four of its officials posted in the High Commission in New Delhi, days after Indian authorities declared one diplomat persona non grata. "This is under consideration. A final decision would be taken shortly," a source at the Foreign Office said on Monday. The names of the four officials Commercial Counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and First Secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal were made public after Indian officials released to media a recorded statement of a High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar, who was expelled from India after being declared persona non grata. Akhtar told Dawn news that he had given the statement under duress. "They took me to a police station after detaining me where I was forced to read out a written statement provided by them in which the names of the four officers were given and was told to state that they belonged to Pakistan's intelligence services," the former High Commission official, who returned to Islamabad last week, said. Akhtar narrated how he was "manhandled and picked" from outside a zoo while on his way back from Nizamuddin shrine and taken to a Delhi police station, where he was coerced into recording a statement before being expelled from the country. The incident has jeopardised the security of the officers and their families besides restricting the normal diplomatic functioning of the high commission. Pakistan and India have in the past expelled each other's diplomats and officials due to their tense relationship, but it is one of those rare occasions where one of the countries took the extreme step of revealing the identities of officers. Pakistani officials believe that India did this on purpose to heighten the tensions. "We consider it as a serious breach of diplomatic norms. The Indian move has complicated the already tense situation and threatened the lives of our diplomatic staff," a Pakistani official said, adding it was a "deliberate and provocative action". Jammu: A teenaged girl was killed and four other civilians were injured as Pakistan troopers bombarded border areas of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass migration from the bordering Samba district near Jammu, the state police said. A police spokesperson said the 16-year-old girl, Rosy, was killed in Jerda village of the district after she was hit by a mortar splinter. The police said Pakistan Rangers indiscriminately targeted civilian areas and defence facilities in the Ramgarh sector. "The BSF is retaliating effectively and heavy shelling and firing exchanges are going on," the police official said. The spokesperson said hundreds of residents were forced to abandon their homes in the Samba district along the International Border (IB). They used every mode of conveyance, even walked barefoot, to escape from the line of fire. Dozens of cattle were reportedly killed or injured in the shelling. Locals are worried about their harvest-ready ripe crops. The Pakistan Army also resorted to heavy shelling and firing at Indian positions in Naushera sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district. President Pranab Mukherjees visit to Kathmandu, the first by an Indian head of state in 18 years, has been declared a public holiday in Nepal. The 2 November holiday has been ridiculed by many in the Himalayan country. To deflect criticism, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal or Prachanda as he is popularly known, promptly said that a holiday will also be declared when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits later in the year. The dates for the Chinese visit have not yet been announced. The governments argument is that the holiday was to ensure that the general public are not inconvenienced during the visit as there would be many road blocks for security reasons. Critics are questioning why the government is going out of his way to please Delhi by this gesture. In his second innings as prime minister, the fiercely independent former Left wing guerrilla commander is seen as decidedly soft on India as he tries to "correct" his predecessors China tilt. Since the change of government, ties have progressed well. "India and Nepal has had intensive engagement in the last few months. The President's visit will add to our current forward looking ties, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said. The President himself knows Nepal well, having dealt with that country in his capacity as senior minister in various Congress governments. He knows nearly all the political leaders, cutting across party lines. The anti-India feelings in Nepal, triggered by several months of economic blockade have now settled down. People now believe that former prime minister was brash to overplay the China card. Despite periodic outbursts of anti-India sentiments, the Nepalese have much more in common with India than they can ever have with China. Centuries of people to people contacts as well as religious and cultural links tie Nepal closely to India. But China is also increasingly playing a more important role in Nepal, though at the moment India has the upper hand. At least the political parties are back to the fold and the new government is committed to ensuring that the Indian-origin Madhesis and other smaller groups living in the Terai areas also get their due place in the Republican Constitution. One of Indias top priority in Nepal is to ensure that the Constitutional amendments are passed and quickly adopted by Nepals Parliament. That is the crux. But at the moment lawmakers are distracted by a major issue: The move to impeach the anti-corruption chief Lokman Singh Karki. This bureaucrat, appointed in 2013, as the head of the Commission of Inquiry into Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has had unprecedented powers and had let loose a witch hunt not just against those who are corrupt but also against the press. Well-known media persons like Himal editor Kanak Mani Dixit and his brother Nepali Times editor Kunda Dixit, had been consistently harassed. So much so that Himal, one of Nepals best known magazines is closing shop. But Karki did not just go after the Dixit brothers, the entire press corps critical of him have been tarred with the brush of corruption. Dixits are well-known for their feisty journalism and their commitment to upholding freedom of the press. The arrest of Kanak Mani Dixit led to outrage not just in Nepal but among all free thinking people across South Asia and beyond. Kunda Dixit had to flee Nepal in September to evade arrest. As always in Nepal, the impeachment of Karki is also indirectly linked to India. There are murmurs of an India-hand in this case too. Nepalese say he was appointed with the blessings of the Indian authorities. Once a loyalist to the monarch, he came to India on a spiritual trip and spent months with his Indian guru. When he returned to Nepal, he switched allegiance from the monarch to the Republican cause. Since then he is alleged to be close not just to the India but also to Madhese political leaders. Nepalese believe that Karki has now become a liability and India finds no value in pushing his case. Karkis problems began when he tried to investigate the political class, including the ruling Maoists and opposition CPN-ML. To counter this move 157 UML-Maoist, MPs have filed an impeachment motion against Karki. He has stepped down but the Nepali Congress is yet to give the green signal for the impeachment. The impeachment motion will be taken up again on 18 November, when Parliament reconvenes after a break. The stability of Dahl government is intertwined with the impeachment motion. If the NC supports the move, it will be well and good. If they oppose it, there are chances of the government being toppled yet again. According to sources in Kathmandu, the Nepali Congress, is trying to link the impeachment with the constitutional amendment and present this as a package deal. They believe that India is working through the NC to get it approved. If the Maoists want to go ahead with the impeachment, they should also not dither on righting what is seen by India as a wrong. Signs are that the government and Madhesi parties have more or less come to a comprehensive agreement on fixing of provincial boundaries, citizenship, representation on the upper house and recognition of the languages spoken by Madhesis and Janajatis. Pranab Mukherjee is visiting at a time when impeachment is the current hot topic. Indias efforts will be to ensure that the Constitutional amendments come through. If linking the impeachment to the Constituional amendment is the only way to get it through Parliament, Delhi has no problems. The ruling BJP government in Madhya Pradesh congratulated the police over the alleged encounter of eight SIMI activists, who escaped from Bhopal Central Prison on Monday, while Opposition parties sought to pick holes in the sequence of events given by the officials and asked probing questions. Accusing other parties of vote bank politics, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said, "Those who seek proof for the martyrdom of jawans will not recognise the sacrifice of the prison guard Ramashankar Yadav." He also declared a compensation sum of Rs 10 lakh for Yadav's family, Rs 5 lakh for his daughter's wedding, and added that a colony will be named after him. He (Ramashankar Yadav) sacrificed his life fighting against terrorists,came here to pay my last tributes to him: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/MHTtkV8m0d ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 State BJP president Nandkumar Singh Chauhan, in a press release, said his party congratulated the police for tracking and killing the SIMI "terrorists", who murdered a security guard of Bhopal Central Jail and escaped. He also praised members of public for helping the police in tracking down the SIMI activists after their escape in the wee hours on Monday. "The central and state governments won't tolerate any kind of terrorism," Nandkumar Singh Chauhan said. However, the Congress sought clarifcation on the possession of weapons by the SIMI members. IG Yogesh Choudhary said the fleeing SIMI activists had weapons in possession and opened fire when confronted and the police fired in retaliation. "How they got weapons and why they remained near Bhopal for 8-9 hours (after the jailbreak) is a matter which raises questions," Madhya Pradesh Congress President Arun Yadav said in a statement. "As per the jail manual, not more than eight hardened criminals should be kept in a single prison. But here as many as 35 of them were lodged together," Yadav said. CPM leader Badal Saroj, in a statement, said there were many loopholes in the police theory about the SIMI members escaping from jail and then spotted in forests. Their disappearance from the prison and subsequent appearance in forests with pistols and knife raise many questions. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that truth in the matter comes out, Saroj said. The CPM leader demanded a probe by a high court judge in the entire episode and said an inquiry by the NIA will not achieve much. Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday alleged that Madhya Pradesh police killed the eight SIMI activists in an encounter as it feared they would make some revelations. In a series of tweets in Hindi, the Congress General Secretary also pitched for a court-monitored NIA probe into the incident as also a judicial inquiry into the functioning of the jail. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister wondered as to how only jail inmates associated with SIMI escaped and alleged that the eight have been gunned down by the Madhya Pradesh police. He sought to know whether the SIMI activists were armed. "If all had been caught alive they would have given information about the whole incident, but would have also revealed the sequence of events. Perhaps, that is why they were gunned down," Singh claimed. Videos (of #BhopalEncounter) have gone viral on social media. I demand a court monitored probe in the case: Digvijaya Singh, Congress pic.twitter.com/7eZTFvBjxd ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Why do only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus: Digvijaya Singh, Congress #BhopalJailBreak pic.twitter.com/dyi6QLn1xq ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 With inputs from PTI Jailbreak before dawn. Encounter by noon. This is the headline some men in the Madhya Pradesh security establishment thought will appear in the newspapers on 1 November. In fact, between noon and 7 pm on Monday, their phones were buzzing with congratulatory messages. And then the videos emerged, leaving them red in the face. IG of Madhya Pradesh police Yogesh Choudhary's answers created more questions in the minds of those who listened to him at a media conference. The Bhopal police story was simple. Eight SIMI activists escaped from Bhopal Central Prison between 2 and 3 am, killing head constable Ramshankar Yadav inside the jail. But by 11:30 am, all of them were killed in an encounter, 12 km from Bhopal, in a place called Eintkhedi. Those who think jailbreak is child's play need to bear in mind that Bhopal prison is not a cattle shed. It is an ISO 9001 centre, in fact the first jail in India to be awarded this certificate in 2002. Though it must be mentioned that the ISO tag was more to do with the facilities to prisoners than security measures. - How is it then possible that no one in the jail raised an alarm when the guard was killed? - How is it that the CCTVs monitoring the escape route were not functioning? Why didn't the security personnel manning the CCTV room not smell a rat? - The parapet wall has live wire. How did eight prisoners scale the 32 feet wall without even one, coming in accidental contact with the live wire? Or had some insider help switched it off? - How is it that all eight undertrials scaled the 32 feet wall no mean feat without a soul inside prison coming to know of it? The jail houses around 2,400 prisoners. Their lawyer also has raised doubts, saying at least three of the eight operatives are not fit enough to do this. - Every central prison has watchtowers, to be manned by armed Special Police Force and not the jail staff. The complex has searchlights and spotlights that keeps moving. Did no one notice anything? - If the entire SIMI gang had plotted its escape, why did its leader Abu Faisal lodged in a separate cell, not join them as well? Questions there are no answers to. Let us look at the encounter next. The MP police version is that the SIMI men were armed, with four country-made pistols and two knives. The state home minister Bhoopendra Singh sang a different tune, claiming they used utensils as weapons and had no arms. ATS chief Sanjeev Shami also denied the men were armed. Who is speaking the truth? The video footage that has emerged shows the men standing on a hillock at a distance, "trying to talk to the police" (heard clearly in the policeman's audio over walkie-talkie) and raising their hands in surrender position. If the police wants to tell the world that it was not a fake encounter, as the video seems to strongly suggest, it needs to come clear on these points. - Which professional police force in the world will go into an encounter, with mobile phones shooting them "in action"? - If the men on the hillock were really armed and firing at the cops, how is it that none of the policemen and the 'cameraperson' were even trying to take cover, fearing getting shot? - Which sensible policeman will go into combat mode against "armed opponents" wearing a bright red shirt (visible in the footage) that would make him a sitting duck for any sharpshooter, which these SIMI activists are said to be? - Why would a cop fire at bodies after they have been neutralised? What was the Madhya Pradesh ATS trying to fix? - How is it that the man in blue t-shirt knew exactly where the undertrial had kept a gleaming, brand new looking sharp knife like object? In the video, he can be seen lifting the shirt and taking it out. - The cop in blue t-shirt uses no gloves to touch the weapon. Which trained cop would destroy forensic evidence by tampering with the scene of crime like that? - All the SIMI men were wearing shoes, watches and belts. If the police are to be believed, some outside help provided all this to the terror operatives. Wouldn't vehicles to escape as soon as possible been a priority over sartorial accessories? In light of so many doubts over the police version, it is fair to assume there is more than what meets the eye. One can surmise that a lot happened between 2 am and 3 am inside jail. Not for a moment is one holding a brief for the SIMI prisoners. But we are a country that follows a legal system. The terror suspects were in judicial custody, which means in the protection of the court. Are all those who claim it is nationalistic to kill deshdrohis fine with mutilating the system instead of the fair process of law deciding their fate? It is clear that there are missing links between what happened inside jail and the encounter site. The NIA which has now been entrusted with the investigation will need to probe these points. - Whether any outsiders entered Bhopal prison around 3 am? - Eyewitness account says the police fired in the air after the prisoners had been killed. Was it a ploy to create the setting of an encounter in which the police, according to the IGP, fired some 45 rounds? - Eyewitness account also says the spot where the bodies were kept is next to a gorge, making it impossible for them to escape, as the police claim. If they had, they would have fallen to their death. One conspiracy theory suggests that the SIMI men tried to escape and killed the guard. They were spotted and overpowered by the jail staff. Angry at their bravado, it was then decided to teach the terror suspects a lesson. The CCTV was switched off and the eight men were taken out. The counter to this however is, why would Bhopal prison authorities agree to their reputation getting tarnished. The Madhya Pradesh police is finding no support even among its own fraternity. Najmul Hoda, IPS officer from Tamil Nadu who was involved in the investigation into the Chennai Railway station blast case of 2014 in which this SIMI gang was allegedly involved, made this important point in a post on his Facebook page: "... quite a sizable number of killings have been for medal and machismo rather than exasperation and frustration or nationalism and patriotism.'' When your own raise questions, it means the stink is getting unbearable. Moral of the story for the police: Never allow a policeman to carry a smartphone to an encounter site. There seems to be a striking resemblance between the state of Madhya Pradesh and the nebulous Islamic caliphate spread between Iraq and Syria. The visuals from a video of the encounter of eight suspected SIMI members, who escaped from Bhopal Central Jail on Monday, were no less abominable than the public beheadings of the Islamic State prisoners. The video shows the local people urging the policemen to shoot the dead bodies/half-alive suspected activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), egging them on in the cold-blooded killing of the suspected activists. The actions of the security forces, on the outskirts of Bhopal, were indicative of the political journey of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from a democratically-elected leader to an inefficient political executive, swayed by the blood-thirsty impulses of a mob. Right from the word go, the state administration conducted itself in a manner which is quite akin to the functioning of a well-organised gang. The Bhopal Central Jail, one of the safest prisons in Madhya Pradesh, is a well-guarded facility for under trials, whose safety and security are the constitutionally-ordained responsibility of the state. It is indeed a matter of shame for the jail authorities that the eight SIMI activists facing trial on sedition, bank robbery charges among others not only managed to escape but also killed a security guard in the process. Since their escape, however, the police showed its heightened efficiency. They tracked down the escapees and gunned them down, all in less than five hours. This cock and bull story would pass muster had it not been for the technologically-abled villagers, who caught the whole thing on video. The videos clearly show that those killed could have easily been arrested and brought to book. If the police had conducted itself within the ambit of the law, they would have framed a water-tight case against the SIMI activists. But instead, they found extra-judicial execution to be the best available option. This leads to a pertinent question: From where do these policemen get the confidence to violate the law so flagrantly? The answer to this query became apparent straight away, when the states home minister, Bhupendra Singh, patted the back of the security forces for doing a commendable job. The chief minister also expressed his happiness with the gallant act of the men in uniform. Ironically, those in power feel that even if the summary execution of the under trials, without due judicial process, violates the basic principle of justice and equity, it is just a minor collateral in the war against terrorism. Of late, we have heard of many such stories emanating out of Madhya Pradesh, where the police had acted in a brazen communal manner. Opposition leaders have often accused the chief minister of acting in a partisan manner in order to please his bosses in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The killing of the SIMI activists exposes the hideous face of a dangerous blend of a subversive ideology with criminalised and inefficient governance. Madhya Pradesh has emerged as a clear manifestation of this pernicious cocktail. https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/792977466008535040 Of course, it would be naive to assume that the Bhopal incident is reflective of a new trend. Far from it. The history of fake encounters in post-independent India can be traced back to Indira Gandhi, when a western Uttar Pradesh gangster, known as Sundar, was killed at the instance of Sanjay Gandhi prior to the emergency. Those involved in the encounter were rewarded by the then prime minister. Similarly, VP Singh, in his stint as UP chief minister, let loose the state police as a killing machine to randomly pick and execute dacoits in the Chambal ravines. As the gangsters acquired more power and started to get political patronage, the extra-judicial execution not only found social approval but was also glamorised by many film-makers in Bollywood. At the political and governance level, the killings in fake encounters were cited as a recipe for success in Punjab and parts of North Eastern states like Tripura. With peoples confidence in the efficiency of the judiciary reaching its nadir, the state found instant justification for its recklessness. A long list of extra-judicial executions in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh would reveal the ease with which the states killing machine (read the police) got away with cold-blooded murders. Take the cases of Maliana, Hashimpura and Pilibhit, where UP police picked up innocents and shot them, while the accused were never effectively brought to book. In most of these cases, those accused of killing resorted to patriotism, by assuming the role of protectors of the countrys interests. The killings in Bhopal are merely a sequel to this sinister trend, which in fact not only debilitates the concept of nationhood but also flagrantly violates constitutionalism. The visuals from Bhopals encounter are a clear manifestation of the apostasy of those who swear by the constitution. The Bhopal jailbreak was the second such incident in the last three years. A similar incident had occurred in 2013, when seven SIMI members had managed to escape from a jail in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. In the virat saffron parivar, everyone loves a Tees Maar Khan. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan may have just become one. Tees Maar Khan, as the legend goes, became famous as a dreaded warrior because he was believed to have killed "thirty at once". Though he had just swatted flies circling his food, Khan got hailed as a hero because those who passed on his fairytale forgot to mention the nature of victims. On Monday, when MP cops killed eight SIMI men in an "encounter" on the outskirts of Bhopal, Chouhan ensured his place in the annals of counter-terrorism. By most accounts, the victims were unarmed, surrounded, trapped; in some videos purportedly of the incident, the victims appeared ready to surrender. But, for reasons best known to cops, they were swatted like trapped flies. Within the Hindutva parivar, killing SIMI activists is considered an act of great bravado and daring. For years, Chouhan has sold his anti-terror credentials by pointing out how he has battled SIMI in the Malwa and Nimar regions of his state. Monday's incident will bolster his image of Central India's greatest defender against radical Islamist. Chouhan's government has so far failed miserably to get most of the SIMI activists in the state's jail convicted. According to estimates, 29 members of the outlawed group are in Bhopal's "high security" jail on charges of sedition, unlawful activities, and bank robbery. But, so far, the government has been successful in getting convicted just one high-profile activist Abu Faisal, the so-called head of the MP unit of SIMI for killing a constable of the anti-terror squad in 2013. Most of the accused are still facing trial. Eight of these undertrial prisoners were killed in Acharpura village on the outskirts of Bhopal after they fled the high-security jail, reportedly after killing a guard, climbing the parapet walls of the prison before mysteriously appearing on a hillock a few km away. Circumstances of their escape, video footage of the shooting and contradictory versions of the state police and home minister raise suspicions of the encounter being staged. But, the incident could not have come at a better time for Chouhan. The joy within the BJP was apparent. While the party celebrated, Chouhan immediately patted the backs of his brave cops. The sweets and crackers, incidentally, came much before anybody from the government or the party visited the family of the slain jail guard Rama Shankar, whose throat was allegedly slit by prisoners during the jailbreak. For the past few months, Chouhan has been under immense pressure from within and outside government. His political rival, Indore heavyweight Kailash Vijayvergia has been rising within the BJP hierarchy because of proximity to Amit Shah. Chouhan was considered the undisputed leader of the party in the state till a few years ago. But, now rival Vijayvergia is seen as a possible replacement. Outside, relations between the state police and the RSS had reached a flashpoint because of a series of clashes that led to the removal of several senior officers from their posts. The tiff between the two khaki outfits had left Chouhan in a messy situation. With the "encounter" of SIMI activists facing trial establishing his credentials as a warrior against terrorism, Chouhan can breathe easy. The tale of Tees Maar Khan will keep his constituency chattering for a few days and his rivals silent. Only in India can the moral hazard of fake encounter killings be diluted by presumptive political positioning that serve to turn focus away from the real issue to a predictable, partisan tu tu main main. The controversy over the jailbreak and subsequent killing of eight SIMI operatives by the Madhya Pradesh Police has predictably given rise to building of narratives over ever-deepening fault lines. Prima facie, it appears that state and police versions of the dramatic events are riddled with inconsistencies. And when such a thing happens, when the line is blurred between the legal and the outlawed and the state's moral legitimacy seems shaky, it is natural for democracy's watchdogs to raise tough questions and demand clarity. But what is equally morally hazardous is the hardening of battle lines over a controversial event even before the facts are clear in a fast-developing situation. The eight terror undertrials and a slain police constable then become mere pawns of a familiar political game whose ultimate aim is to translate the event (any event, for that matter) into a ringing of the electoral register. In this game, nobody is interested in the truth or the answers that tough questions should elicit. What matters is the slanging match played over and over through various mediums of mass media replete with obfuscations, rhetorical gymnastics and cherry picking of facts to suit respective narratives. Just a few hours into the incident where eight SIMI activists ostensibly broke a high security jail in Bhopal and were subsequently killed by a special task force of the MP Police that some political parties and a section of the media began drawing sweeping conclusions. Facts were still hazy but opinions were not. Cold blooded murder. Period Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) October 31, 2016 Today 8 hostages were killed in India in perhaps the most brutal terrorist attack since uri. Hope perpetrators are punished. Monkey Bath ?????? (@brumbyOz) October 31, 2016 Speaking to ANI, Congress Rajya Sabha member and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh said: "It is a serious issue. First SIMI activists fled the Khandwa Jail. Now they have fled from Bhopal jail. I have been reiterating that RSS activists and other similar organisations are behind the anti-Muslim riots in the country. It should be probed whether there is someone behind this or not." There is no question that Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan and his police department have some really tough questions to answer. The contradiction in statements of state home minister Bhupendra Singh and IG Yogesh Choudhary do not make for a happy read. There are far too many loopholes in the 'story' that the state has propagated and only an impartial, time-bound probe should get us closer to the truth. There can be no justification to extra-judicial killings. There is no moral ambiguity here. The prudent option would be to wait for clarity to emerge from the enquiries that have already been ordered. But why be prudent when we can pluck some 'facts', pass instant judgement, draw sweeping conclusions from it and engage in a persecution narrative? If there are loopholes in the state's 'story', there are equally glaring loopholes in the conspiracy theories. For instance, if the cops had to stage a fake encounter, why on earth would they do it in a manner (like huddling the bodies in open space) that instantly gives rise to a thousand questions? If they were indeed raining bullets on unarmed fugitives (as some videos whose authenticity cannot be verified have suggested) why on earth would they shoot self-incriminating videos and circulate it among media? The JNU episode should have taught a few lessons to our media on trusting the veracity of spurious videos that emerge from any scene of controversy with alarming regularity. But in our haste to draw conclusions in a super-charged political atmosphere journalists often forget the basic rules of due diligence. While many anonymous videos call into question the state's story, news agency ANI, for instance, has posted a video that seems to conform to the police version that locals had spotted the SIMI activists and alerted the police. Besides, quite apart from the debate over a staged encounter (which at no circumstances can be condoned) is the troubling attempt to paint the SIMI operatives as the very picture of innocence. As news reports have indicated, all the of the eight fugitives were on trial for serious charges. The Hindu reported that two of them were wanted by the Tamil Nadu police for their involvement in the twin blasts on the Bangalore-Guhawati Express that killed one woman passenger and injured a dozen others in Chennai on 1 May, 2014. One of them, reported Hindustan Times, was accused in several terror-related cases including the 2009 triple murder of state anti-terrorism squad constable Sita Ram Yadav, a bank manager and a lawyer. He was also one of the accused in the 2008 Ahmadabad serial blast case and the murder of another ATS constable in Ratlam district in 2011. Another report in The Times of India informs us that those killed were allegedly key members of SIMI's Abu Faisal module that had developed links with al-Qaida to free 9/11 accused Aafia Siddiqui from FBI's custody in US and also had a blueprint to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They had also hatched a plan to bomb Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad and tunnel out SIMI supremo Safdar Nagori. Three of them, reports the newspaper, were arrested in February from Khandwa jailbreak in 2013. If we question the state for trying to cover up an extra-judicial killing, we must also inquire about the motive of those who prefer to draw judgments even before facts have presented themselves. Bhopal: Just a few hours after killing the eight SIMI members in an encounter, police officials in Bhopal were finding it difficult to face the media and evaded questions about the circumstances surrounding the encounter. It was a strange situation, considering that there was a feeling of jubilation and the policemen were congratulating each other after the encounter earlier in the day. The eight SIMI operatives had escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail at around 2.30 am after killing a security personnel, officials said in the morning. This prompted the state government to remove an Additional Director General of Police (ADG) and apart from suspending many other top officers, the chief minister announced Rs 5 lakh reward on arrest of each absconder. The SIMI operatives, however, couldn't go past 10 km in eight hours. They were cornered and gunned down in the outskirts of Bhopal. Initially, the top officials said that the escapees had no weapons. But later in the day, police officials announced that firearms had been recovered from them, though they hadnt been able to fire. Throughout the day, officials of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Bhopal police kept mum. Opposition leaders and rights groups raised a host of questions, but there were no answers. Soon, a video surfaced in which a policeman was seen firing at the SIMI operatives (either dead or injured) lying on the ground. The photographs showed that the SIMI operatives were wearing new clothes and had watches, which were not allowed in prison. Bhopal Central Jail is a high-security prison with over 30 feet high walls and and a multi-layered security system. There were no answers on how the operatives got past the surveillance and why the cameras were not functional. According to eyewitnesses, the SIMI operatives threw stones at police. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Yogesh Chaudhary finally called a press conference in the evening. Regarding the claim that police fired in self-defence, he was asked how no policemen were injured during the cross-fire, he said that there were injuries, but no bullet injuries. He was also asked why no one was caught alive and about the contradicting statements of the different officials on whether the SIMI men were armed or not. The reply to most questions was that investigation was on. The ATS officials were also not forthcoming. Three years ago, six SIMI operatives had escaped from Khandwa jail. After that, a massive manhunt was launched. SIMI state chief Abu Faisal was caught from Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh, later. Two others were gunned down in an encounter in Telangana while the rest were arrested. Three of them were part of Monday's jail break, not Abu Faisal though, who remained in jail. The SIMI operatives were arrested for sedition and for planning attacks on Hindutva leaders. They were also charged with murder of a policeman, Shiv Pratap, who they believed specially targeted SIMI prisoners and tortured them. One of the SIMI operatives, Sheikh Mujeeb, was alleged to have a role in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast. The lawyer, however, said that cases against SIMI operatives were not strong, were being unnecessarily dragged and they could have been acquitted soon. This is a case of murder. There are many loopholes in the story. I will approach the high court for a CBI inquiry, said Parvez Alam, the lawyer. Monday's encounter raised the following questions: China has warned India that bilateral ties may suffer "damage" and peace and stability of the border areas could be affected if it allows Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims is part of its southern Tibet. On October 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said, India's invitation to the Dalai Lama for activity in the disputed areas between China and India will only damage peace, stability of the border areas as well as the bilateral relationship between China and India," adding, India should "refrain from taking any action that may complicate the issue, do not provide any platform for anti-China separatist activities by the 14th Dalai Lama. On 28 October, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said, India's invitation to the Dalai Lama for activity in the disputed areas between China and India will only damage peace, stability of the border areas as well as the bilateral relationship between China and India," adding, India should "refrain from taking any action that may complicate the issue, do not provide any platform for anti-China separatist activities by the 14th Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is scheduled to visit Arunachal Pradesh in March next year at the invitation of chief minister Pema Khandu. His will be a fortnight-long visit during which he is expected to visit Tawang, Itanagar and the eastern districts of the state. Chinese warning has come soon after its strong protests against the recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh by the US Ambassador to India. Chinese warning has come soon after its strong protests against the recent trip to Arunachal Pradesh by the US Ambassador to India, Ricahrd Verma, a trip that it viewed as American involvement in an India-China territorial dispute. That such an inference is nothing but ludicrous when China is deeply involved in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a different matter altogether. It may be noted that following the Chinese invasion of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, then only 14-year-old, escaped to India in 1959. In fact, he had entered India through Tawang. And when the Dalai Lama goes there next year, it will be his sixth visit to the town (seventh overall to the state of Arunachal Pradesh), which Beijing describes to be a part of China on grounds that the sixth Dalai Lama was born there in the 17th century. Incidentally, this argument of China is equally absurd. If Mongolia, where the 4th Dalai Lama, Yonten Gyatso or Yon-tan-rgya-mtsho, was born in 1589, is not a part of China, how can Tawang town (and hence Arunachal), the birthplace of the 6th Dalai Lama, be a part of China? In my considered view, it is in fitness of things that external affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup has said that the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibets topmost spiritual leader, is a "guest of India" and is free to travel across the country, including Arunachal Pradesh where he has a sizeable following among Buddhists, who would like to seek his blessings. It was in 2008 that South Block possibly could not resist Beijings bullying tactics to thwart the Dalai Lamas proposed visit to Tawang. He was denied the Restricted Area Permit by the Union home ministry, a rule applicable to all foreign nationals visiting Arunachal. This decision might have been influenced by the fact that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had undertaken a successful visit to China that year. In fact, so sensitive was the UPA government to Chinese position on Tawang that even though Prime Minister Singh went to Arunachal soon after his journey to China to show that "the state was an integral part of India,'' he didn't visit Tawang. However, next year (2009), the Manmohan Singh government, emboldened as it was after getting a renewed mandate from the Indian people, allowed the Dalai Lama to go to Tawang during the annual Tawang festival to mark the half-century of his exile from Tibet. Be that as it may, there is now a powerful school of thought in India against the Dalai Lamas presence in the country. Along with powerful politicians from Indias two communist parties, the likes of former Minister of External Affairs Natwar Singh, diplomat-turned Congress politician Mani Shankar Aiyar, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, media baron N Ram and columnist Prem Shankar Jha have systematically argued that China has not been able to solve its Tibet problem because of India, which has given the Dalai Lama shelter and kept the Tibetan political and cultural identity alive. Swamy has argued in his book, Indias China Perspective, that Sino-Indian relations can never become close and friendly unless Indias blind spot on Tibet and the Dalai Lama is removed. He advocates that if the Dalai Lama leaves India or his activities are curtailed, China will be flexible in border negotiations. In fact, the logic is that a grateful China will rethink its blind support to Pakistan, which is Indias most problematic neighbour. These arguments are based on two unstated premises. First, China is much more powerful than India and so it is better to buy peace with Beijing and leave the Dalai Lama to face his own fate. Second, in this bipolar world, China is best suited to challenge US hegemony and make the world truly multipolar. So India must be friendly to China. The pro-China lobby in India downplays the fact that while China promotes a multipolar world, it is not interested in a bipolar Asia. True to its theory of being the Middle Kingdom, it will not allow another pole, whether India or Japan, in Asia. Historically speaking, China has done everything possible to halt the growth of Indian influence and dent Indias eminence. This policy toward India will continue whether or not New Delhi appeases Beijing on the Dalai Lama issue. On the other hand, by continuing to shelter the Dalai Lama and his followers, India stands to gain more. First, his presence adds to Indias standing in the global community as a democratic country, given the Dalai Lamas innumerable powerful supporters around the world. It strengthens Indias credentials for offering political asylum to democratic leaders escaping and fighting oppressive authoritarian regimes. Secondly, India cannot just sever its historical and cultural links with Tibet to please the Chinese. A closer look at geography, ancestry and royal dynasties reveals close ties between India and Tibet. India is bound with Tibet, as two of the holiest Hindu shrines, Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, are located there. Tibet is also the source of four great rivers that flow into India. The Dalai Lama has periodically pointed out that the Tibetans are descendants of Rupati, king of a south Indian kingdom who escaped to Tibet with his subjects after the epic Mahabharata War. As for the king of Tibet, it is believed that around 150 BC a prince of the Magadha Kingdom (present-day Bihar) escaped to Tibet after being exiled from his kingdom. Tibetans named him Nyatri Tsenpo and made him their king, and so began the Tibetan royal lineage. In fact, recently I came across the text of the talk that Lhasang Tsering, a prominent Tibetan-activist, had delivered way back on 17 March 2000 in Mumbai as part of the week-long Festival of Tibet 2000 organised by the Friends of Tibet (INDIA) and Tibetan Youth Congress. The title of his talk was Indias Tibet: A Case for Policy Review. Tsering, who is a strong advocate of Tibetan independence (and in this he differs with the Dalai Lama, who is talking of genuine autonomy within, not separation from, Communist China), says that he would prefer Tibet becoming Indias Tibet to being Chinas Tibet. Let me quote from his Mumbai-speech: I have often wondered why India doesnt stake its claim on Tibet. Between China which seeks to exterminate the Tibetan people and to wipe out Tibetan religion and culture; and India which gave Tibet the Buddha Dharma and has helped to save Tibetan religion and culture there is no doubt; India has the greater claim. It is like the story of young Prince Siddhartha who saves the swan his cousin Prince Devadatta has shot. The claim of the latter rests on the grounds of having shot the swan. On the other hand, Prince Siddhartha the future Buddha stakes his claim on the grounds of having saved the life of the wounded swan. The King rightly awards the swan to Prince Siddhartha. In todays world of realpolitik and spineless world leaders, we could hardly hope for such a decisive verdict. Nevertheless; even if only as a diplomatic exercise, why doesnt India file a case in the International Court of Justice and also raise the issue in the United Nations to stake its claims over Tibet? In the first place, India gave Buddhism to Tibet the life-force of Tibetan life and culture. Today India has rendered crucial assistance and helped to save Tibetan religion and culture. If Tibet must belong to either of its giant neighbours, then surely, it should be to India which has helped to save Tibet; and not China which seeks to destroy Tibet. I am not going into the merits or otherwise of Tserings thesis, but the fact remains that whether it was Britain until 1947 or the former Soviet Union until 1990, the recent history of international relations suggests that other countries have always considered Tibet as belonging to Indias sphere of influence. Finally, and most importantly, the presence of the Dalai Lama and his innumerable assertions supporting India on the boundary disputes strengthens Indias claims of territorial rights during negotiations with China. Let it not be forgotten that had Tibet been under Chinese "suzerainty" as was the case throughout history (The Chinese say that Tibet became a part of the Chinese empire when the great Mongol Genghis Khan annexed most parts Tibet in the early 13th century. Taken to its logical conclusion, one could argue that China is a part of Mongolia and does not deserve to exist as an independent nation), and not under its sovereignty as has been the case since the 1950s, the Sino- Indian border dispute would have been resolved a long ago. The Dalai Lama has been on record saying that he recognises the McMahon line as the border between India and Tibet. Considering all this, the Dalai Lama is a strategic asset to India. Mumbai: Opposition Congress-NCP have slammed the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government, which completed two years on Monday, saying it is the regime of all-round failures. The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of NCP attacked the Fadnavis government accusing it of being a "selfish" government which is interested in taking selfies only. "What kind of a government is this? It did not provide loan waiver to farmers nor did it give good price for agriculture produce. It also failed to stop farmers' suicide," alleged Munde. He further said the government had failed to provide reservations to Marathas, Dhangars and Muslims. "Law and order is at its lowest ebb, the common man, especially women, are not safe and also the police feel insecure," he said. "There is chikki scam, degree scam, mid-day meal scam... still all ministers get a clean chit. Infants are dying due to malnutrition, farmers are committing suicide and teachers demanding their rights are beaten with sticks," Munde alleged. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil of Congress claimed that the Fadnavis government in the last two years had taken the state on the downhill. "The government is not serious on issues concerning common man including farmers. This regime is very fast in spreading social disharmony. Fadnavis government is ranked number one only in protecting corrupt ministers and farmers suicides," he further said. Vikhe Patil said the government had failed to fulfill people's expectations. The previous Congress-led governments had created a good atmosphere for foreign direct investment (FDI) so the state was always numero uno in the industrial field. However, in the last two years, the situation had reversed, the Congress leader alleged. Devendra Fadnavis had taken oath as Maharashtra Chief Minister on 31 October 2014. Later Shiv Sena, which had snapped ties with BJP before the 2014 Assembly polls, had joined his government. Patna: While RJD President Lalu Prasad has confirmed participation in the Samajwadi Party foundation day function on 5 November at Lucknow, JD(U) on Tuesday made it clear that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not be able to make it to the programme. Absence of Nitish Kumar would dent Mulayam Singh Yadav's efforts to cobble up a broad coalition of socialist and secular forces ahead of crucial Uttar Pradesh poll early next year by parading prominent leaders on one platform at SP's 25th foundation day function. Lalu's close aide Bhola Yadav, MLA, on Tuesday confirmed RJD chief's participation in the SP function at Lucknow. Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh told PTI "there is fight within Samajwadi Party (SP) family and we do not want to be seen with any one side in this feud." JD(U) Secretary General K C Tyagi said party chief would not be able to make it to 5 November event at Lucknow due to Chhath festival. "You know how important is Chhath festival for the people of Bihar...if he (Nitish Kumar) goes there leaving Chhath, BJP would attack him for not being with the people of the state on such a pious occasion," Tyagi told PTI. Asked while Lalu Prasad is going for SP event and absence of Nitish Kumar would trigger difference among them, Basistha Narayan Singh said "we have strong coalition of JD(U), RJD and Congress in Bihar, but it does not mean that the three should have similar point of view in other states." "Lalujee is related to Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and as such he has freedom to take his decision," he said. The JD(U) chief, however, did not miss the opportunity to express heartburn over the role played by Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP to foil merger of six parties of Janata Parivar earlier in which Nitish Kumar had played an important role. "Nitish Kumar had made a sincere efforts for merger and everybody had agreed to merge under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but it did not succeed the reasons for which is known to everyone," he said. "Today's circumstance is different," he said in an oblique reference to soaring popularity graph of Nitish Kumar after Bihar victory due to which he is considered as a potent candidate for Prime Ministerial post in 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Recently, Nitish Kumar at JD(U) National Council meet at Rajgir had made an overture to UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to enforce prohibition which would help him come out of "shadow of family" and also help win poll himself. Kumar had also pledged support to young UP CM in such a condition. Mumbai: NCP on Tuesday announced candidature for three of the six Legislative council seats which will go to polls on November 19, retaining two sitting MLCs. State NCP Chief Sunil Tatkare told PTI that Shekhar Gore has been nominated to contest Sangli-Satara local bodies seat, while Rajendra Jain (Bhandara-Gondia) and Anil Bhosale (Pune local bodies) have been retained. Tatkare said candidates for the remaining three seats Yavatmal, Jalgaon and Nanded would be announced later on Tuesday. When asked about alliance with Congress, he said, "Ball is in the court of the Congress." NCP's decision has virtually ended the chances of Congress-NCP aligning for the biennial elections to six seats from the local bodies. Congress has been demanding Yavatmal, Sangli-Satara and Bhandara-Gondia local bodies seats from the NCP's kitty, saying that it was in a better position to win. Congress has a sitting member from the Nanded local bodies, while Jalgaon is with the BJP. Leaders of the two parties had held two rounds of meetings to finalise the seat adjustments after agreeing in principle to contest the polls in an alliance. The notification for the polls was issued on 26 October. The process of filing of nomination will end tomorrow and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is 5 November. Counting of votes will be taken up on 22 November. When contacted, sources in the State Congress said the party is firm on its demand for 3:3 ratio in seat adjustments. "Out of the six seats, where elections are scheduled, NCP has 4 sitting members while Congress and BJP has one each. It is unacceptable to us that NCP will contest four and asks us to contest one or two seats. Decisions taken six years ago can't be followed now," sources said. "We are still hopeful for a solution if NCP wishes. Since November 5 is the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers, the matter can be resolved. Congress is firm on decision to contest three seats in an alliance. We are open to discussion on the three seats where NCP has announced its candidates," they added. Even though Congress has not officially announced its candidates, Mohan Kadam, brother of senior party leader Patangrao Kadam, has filed his papers for Sangli-Satara local bodies seat, according to sources. Praful Agrawal, son of Congress MLA Gopaldas Agrawal has filed his papers for Bhandara-Gondia local bodies seat, while sitting MLC Amar Rajurkar has filed papers for Nanded seat. Party sources said the candidates will be officially announced if the alliance with NCP does not materialise. Editors note: Kannur, the northern district of Kerala, hit the headlines for a spate of political violence that saw two murders in just 48 hours last month. The murders have given rise to fears that the cycle of violence, which had ebbed to an extent in the last few years, may be returning to haunt the regions. The new political context the state ruled by the CPM-led LDF and the Centre ruled by BJP-led NDA makes the situation in Kannur all the more complex, since the key parties that are involved in the violence are the CPM and BJP. Firstpost travelled to Kannur, probing the historical, sociological and communal dynamics of the political violence in the region. This is the first in a five-part series from ground zero. In the run up to the Kerala assembly elections in May 2016, many had expressed fear that if Pinarayi Vijayan becomes the chief minister, the political scene in the state will become more turbulent. The fear has come true with the state witnessing a steep increase in not only political clashes but also attacks by criminal and quotation gangs since the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by the Communist Party of India(Marxist) leader assumed power in the state. According to official sources, Kannur, Vijayan's home district, alone has reported as many as 301 incidents of political violence in the first four months of his tenure. The northern district, which is considered the cradle of communist movement in Kerala, is the epicentre of political violence in the state. Though clashes involving all major parties occur in Kannur, the district has gained notoriety as the killing fields of Kerala, because of the unrelenting conflict between the CPI(M) and the Rashtriya Swayamseva Sangh (RSS). Killings and counter killings have become the order of the day in Kannur since the Sangh Parivar started carving out a space in the communist bastions. The violence involving the workers of the CPM, RSS and BJP combine has claimed more than 250 lives and left hundreds maimed in the district in the last five decades. The post-poll violence that began with a bomb attack on the victory rally of the ruling party on the counting day on 19 May have left seven people dead and 171 injured so far. Apart from this, one BJP worker died in a bomb explosion in the district, while handling bombs kept in his house. CPM activists, who traditionally nurse hostility against workers of the rival parties, have been trying to settle scores everytime the party comes to power. Political analysts say this is because they are confident that the party-led governments will protect them. An analysis of the official statistics related to the incidents of political violence since 1991 obtained from the Kannur district police headquarters show an increase in the reported cases of political violence during every term of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government led by the CPM compared to that of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). For example, the number of political murders went up from a mere eight during the 1991-96 term of the UDF government to 28 during the 1996-2001 when LDF was in power. The number of murders came down to six during the subsequent term of the UDF government from 2001 to 2006. This shot up to 27 during the 2006-11 LDF term and came down to 11 during the last UDF government term. CPM workers feel emboldened to settle political scores during their government's term, since the party, which always holds the home portfolio, has established a system to protect the workers who are involved in tackling the party's rivals. According to the system, the party uses specially recruited and trained gangs to kill the political rivals. Noted writer Umesh Babu, who was active in the CPM till 2007, says the party never assigns the task to its regular cadres as it is easy to trace their roots to the party. "The killer gangs are kept in the periphery. Senior leaders will never contact them directly. They pass the message through local leaders. This is to ensure that the police will never turn towards them," says Umesh Babu, who was expelled from the CPM for questioning the wrong doings of the party. The writer, who has survived five attempts on his life since his expulsion nine years ago, said that the party leaders also use the criminal gangs to eliminate rebels within the party. The practice is to kill the rebels and pass the blame to the rival camp. The writer also said that the criminal gangs were ready to carry out the tasks assigned to them by the CPM as they are confident that the party will protect them. The party provides safe haven to them in its pocket boroughs, which are known in Kannur as party villages. Apart from CPM, the RSS and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest constituent of the UDF, also have such villages, where outsiders and the police have very little access. The Kannur police have identified 50 such villages in the district. Umesh Babu said that the RSS and the BJP were also following the CPM style in eliminating their rivals and providing protection to them after committing the crime. Like the CPM, the RSS and the BJP also maintain criminal gangs. They are under the control of RSS karyavahaks, who mostly do not belong to Kerala. After harbouring the criminals in the party villages, the parties misguides the police by planting false accused and witnesses, says a senior police officer at Kannur. He said several police men in Kannur were knowingly accepting the list, especially that of the CPM. "These are the policemen who are loyal to the party. The CPM has sizeable number of such cops in the force. The party-led government posts only such committed cops in sensitive areas. Officers, who try to defy the party, are intimidated and even attacked by the musclemen of the party," he said. "All parties in Kannur have large pool of volunteers, who are ready to own crimes. These people are ready to oblige the parties as they get handsome rewards. Moreover, they know that their cases will not stand judicial scrutiny," says the officer, who requested anonymity. This is one reason why there is little conviction in political murder cases in Kannur. Even though 173 CPM activists were arrested in connection with 21 murder cases in the last ten years, no one has been convicted so far. Most of the arrested people are acquitted either by the lower court or the higher court. On the contrary, there have been mass acquittals in several such cases in the recent past. The high court had in February this year acquitted a total of 26 CPM workers who were sentenced to life by trial courts in two political murder cases. The court could not find their direct involvement in the crimes. A classic example of arraigning false accused was seen in the sensational murder of Jayakrishnan a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader. The Supreme Court found that four of the five accused, who were sentenced to death by the trial court, were falsely arraigned. The apex court acquitted them and commuted the death sentence of the other to life term. The murder had shocked Kerala as Jayakrishnan was lynched to death in front of the students in a school where he taught in December 1999. The parties have battery of senior advocates to plead the cases of the planted accused. If in any case, the advocates fail to ensure the acquittal of these accused, the parties support their families as long as they are in jail. The CPM additionally tries to free them when it comes to the power and provide them jobs. The party uses the mass remission provision to prematurely release the planted accused from jail. The 1996 LDF government led by late E K Naynar had freed as many as 610 life-term convicts after they served eight years of jail term. The 2006 LDF government headed by V S Achuthanandan had released 25 life-term prisoners by commuting their sentence. The BJP and the UDF had alleged discrimination in the selection of prisoners for the remission. They had alleged that the government had let off only prisoners sympathetic to the Left parties. Curiously, the UDF government has also started using the provision to free their favourites. The BJP fears that the appointment of P Jayarajan, who is an accused in two sensational murder cases currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as a member of the Jail Advisory Committee recently by the Pinarayi government could be aimed at paving the way for freeing the party men lodged in jails in connection with various cases. District Superintendent of Police Kori Sanjaykumar Gurudin, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, claimed that he had stopped the practice of police blindly accepting the list of the accused and witnesses supplied by political parties. "I take care to ensure that only the real culprits involved in the incidents of violence are arrested. This could many times lead to delay in making the arrests. We are ready to take the blame as we firmly believe that the violence could be brought to an end only if actual culprits are punished," said Gurudin. The police officer claimed that the police, however, were able to arrest most of the real culprits involved in the recent murders. According to him, the police have nabbed 12 CPM workers and 17 BJP workers in connection with four of the seven murders reported from Kannur since the new government came to power. Gurudin said that he was personally monitoring all the cases to ensure that his men in the field did not act under political influence. The police officer said that he had not faced any interference from political parties to influence the investigation. Political observers have been predicting a spurt in political violence in Kannur after the assumption of power by Pinarayi since he is widely seen as a product of the culture of political violence haunting the district. New Delhi: The BJP on Tuesday called the Pakistan High Commission here "a den of ISI" after the recent arrest of its staffer in an espionage case, while hitting out at the Congress and other opposition parties for demoralising security forces by raising doubts over the killing of eight SIMI activists, who had escaped from a Bhopal jail, in a gunfight with police. "It is not just a diplomatic centre but it is being used to send (India-related) information to Pakistan. The recent reports have confirmed it. The high commission has become ISI's 'adda' (den)," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Shrikant Sharma at a press conference here. Sharma blamed Congress for communalising the Bhopal jailbreak and gunfight issue in order to earn political mileage. "Congress has always questioned the security forces when it came to killing of terrorists, be it 2008 Mumbai attack or Batla House encounter. On one hand, security personnel are putting their lives in danger (to eliminate terrorists), on other hand, our Italy Congress is busy demoralising them to keep its Muslim vote bank intact. By doing such kind of politics, it is actually insulting Muslims of the country," he alleged. The Madhya Pradesh Police and its Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) gunned down eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) undertrials after they broke out of Bhopal jail early on Monday morning. However, Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Left parties raised serious questions pointing at the possibility of a staged gunfight. Sharma questioned the Congress for "supporting terrorists". "We do not understand why the Congress supports the terrorists who are indulging in anti-India activities on behest of Pakistan. They (killed SIMI members) were supporters of Osama Bin Laden and working as sleeper cells. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of Italy Congress, why they have sympathy for the terrorists and questions for security personnel," Sharma said, claiming that Congress was mum on the death of head constable Ramshankar Yadav, who was killed by the fugitives while escaping from the jail. Sharma also said that Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had blamed the RSS for the Mumbai terror attack while its "Home Minister sympathised with terrorist Afzal Guru". He also claimed that Congress cannot compete with BJP on issues of development, "hence it has taken to communal politics, adding it was "nearing its end by indulging into such kind of politics". Like a game of chess, political parties in Uttar Pradesh are busy in fragmenting and defragmenting the diverse social constituencies at macro and micro level to form a winning social coalition in the upcoming 2017 Assembly election. To accomplish that, new and a shared sense of politically relevant social cleavages are engineered to disturb the conventional wisdom of social identities. In this backdrop, the possible four patterns of partisan alignment and de-alignment need special consideration: Dalit-Muslim alignment by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP); Yadav-Muslim combination by the Samajwadi Party (SP); Brahmin-Muslim-Most backward castes consolidation by the Congress; higher castes-sub-castes of OBCs and Dalits formation by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). Will the parties be able to carve out partisan loyalties of the voters or will the voters change their loyalties to shift the balance so quickly and dramatically at the polls? It is surprisingly difficult to provide clear answers to these questions. Given the varying social circumstances and political experiences, it is logically unpersuasive that there will be a sudden major shift in the partisan loyalty of the distinct social groups like Muslims, Dalits, OBCs particularly Yadavas, higher castes particularly Brahmins. Dalit-Muslim alignment For decades, Dalits and Muslims were the part of rainbow coalition maintained during Congress system which eventually collapsed with the rise of low caste politics and political parties in the state. Though the inner cleavages within these social identities remained static for long as could be seen, Muslims and Dalits got consolidated with SP and BSP respectively and overwhelmingly. It is only since mid-2000s, political parties started carefully picking the thread of the caste cleavages within these social groups by invoking the Pasmanda identity in Muslims and non-Jatava caste clusters in Dalits in very visible ways. The disproportionate shift of Pasmanda Muslims from SP to BSP owes much to the growing consciousness among them on their relative socio-economic deprivation and high casualties during communal violence comparing elite/Ashraf Muslims. It can be easily verified from the Sachar Committee report as well as the recent communal riots including Ghaziabad (2012), Faizabad (2012), Muzaffarnagar (2013) and Bijnor (2016). To drift the non-Jatav sub-caste categories from BSP, BJP came out with a strategy of appropriating BR Ambedkar, bathing and dining with Dalits, distributing party portfolios and Assembly tickets, softening stand on reservation, embracing Buddhist monks, and, most importantly, employing Dalit youths particularly from Valmiki, Khatik, Nai, Mochi, Kumhar, etc. community during the communal riots to polarise their mind. But given the rise in atrocities against Dalits exposed in Una and other places and the powerful return of BSP to its classical strategy of Dalit victimhood, the dent in Dalit votes in the name of Hindu solidarity appear a little difficult proposition. The non-Jatav will not shift massively and decisively in favour of BJP rather will consolidate further with BSP in view of the partys high prospect of winnability in 2017 due to emergent bonding with Muslims. Yadava-Muslim combination The ruling Yadava-Muslim combination of SP is crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions. It owes much to not only the recent high voltage family drama but also the poor performance of SP on the front of providing physical security to Muslims during recurrent communal riots, maintaining law and order and bringing the much promised economic and financial dividend to the community. Tragically, Muslims felt an acute sense of betrayal when they noted the tacit support of SP to communal violence. But the SPs strategic design of continuous communal riots to keep Muslims in the party padlock for fear of BSP will fail to deliver. The drift among lower caste Muslims are high as despite they being the recipient of extreme sufferings are taken for granted by the party. Strangely, the cluster of peasant groups, Yadavas, who happen to be one of the most assertive caste formations and the biggest beneficiary of SPs regime, started getting disillusioned due to intra-dynastic fight within the party. There is also a slight shift in their partisan loyalties in urban areas from SP to BJP which was already observed in 2014 Lok Sabha election. It has also been triggered by the BJP through its subtle use of Hindutva ideology while highlighting the threat of possible bonding of Dalits and Muslims in 2017 elections. It must be highlighted that Yadavas treats Dalits particularly Jatavas/Chamars as their great enemies and vice versa in Uttar Pradesh. Brahmin-Muslim-most backward caste consolidation Conspicuously, the much hyped Brahmin-Muslim-Most Backward Caste consolidation by the Congress will fail to evolve in a grand manner in 2017 except improving its vote share in certain pockets of Uttar Pradesh. It owes much to the lack of confident and enthusiastic cadres at booth level, poor party management and absence of effective leadership having mass appeal. The strategy to appeal Brahmin voters will pay for the party only in 2019 Lok Sabha election but not in 2017 Assembly election. The poor conversion of Brahmin votes for the Congress is because of the empirical calculation of Brahmin voters who would not like to vote for a party which does not have a prospect to form the government in the state. For them, voting for Congress is just like wasting their votes. Instead, they may choose to remain intact with BJP or prefer its new ally, BSP. Similarly, Muslims too have no reasons to go with Congress except in circumstances when voting for Congress becomes a necessity to defeat BJP candidates in certain constituencies. At the same time, the most backward castes have largely consolidated behind BSP and if there is any possible dent, it will be only in favour of BJP. Higher castes-sub-castes of OBCs and Dalits formation For BJP, the higher caste social formation is priceless as they are the core vote bank for the party. But to attain winning margin, BJP is on the strategy to fragment the sub-caste categories of OBCs particularly non-Yadavas like Kurmi, Lodh, Koeri, Gujar, Kahar, Gadaria, Teli, Barahi, Kachi, Kewat, Nai, etc. and Dalits particularly non-Chamars/Jatavas like Pasi, Dhobi, Kori, Nishads, Balmikis etc to their advantage. In the process, the party found itself in a bind whose votes to keep, which ones to lose due to inherent dualistic cleavages between higher castes and lower and lowest castes. Be that as it may, given the declining sway of Prime Minister Narendra Modis charisma and high probability of Dalit-Muslim alignment with the tactical support from Brahmins to BSP, even the bleak possibility of BJP forming the government appears little difficult. Be that as it may, the recent campaign agenda of BJP is to arouse nationalist and communal passions with extreme subtlety. Whatever may be the outcome of the 2017 Assembly elections, it becomes absolutely conspicuous that political parties are guided more by the electoral compulsions than ideology or principles or fostered sense of syncretism. The author is Associate Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. He can be emailed at afrozalam2@gmail.com. By Adam Jourdan and Jackie Cai | SHANGHAI SHANGHAI At the end of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's landmark visit to China last month, he held a brief private meeting with a businessman who may have played a crucial role in improving ties between the two nations.Huang Rulun, a rags-to-riches Chinese billionaire funding two huge drug rehabilitation centres in the Philippines, has been held up by Duterte as a symbol of the relationship between the two nations.Born to a poor family in coastal Fujian province, Huang was a small-time businessman in the Philippines in the 1980s. He spent five years in Manila's Chinatown district, Binondo, before returning home to found a construction company, Century Golden Resources Group, according to the company's web site. Huang has a "strong emotional connection" with the Philippines, the company said.According to its web site, privately-held Century Golden now employs 20,000 people and posted close to $5 billion turnover last year. It owns 20 five-star hotels and 10 shopping malls, including the major Century City complex in Beijing.Huang maintains a relatively low profile in Beijing, although he has extensive political contacts in his home province of Fujian, said a source who knows the businessman well.He seems to have hit it off with the Philippines president. After a meeting with Huang, Duterte said that being able to meet him made his October visit to China "more complete," according to a statement from Century Golden. Duterte also said the Philippines "needs friends like Huang", the company said.The meeting took place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Beijing the day after Duterte declared a "separation" from the United States and a realignment of his nation's foreign policy towards China. He has since back-tracked, and said he was merely pursuing a more independent foreign policy by strengthening ties with China.For the Philippines leader, Huang's support for the rehabilitation centres is in sharp contrast to the criticism of Duterte's drugs war by the United States and other Western nations.China, Duterte said, had offered help "without boasting, without news, without publicity". "This is how you treat your friends," he said in a speech. "You do not go about reprimanding."At least 2,300 people, mostly small time addicts and peddlers, have been killed in the Philippines since Duterte took office four months ago and started the crackdown.CLEAN LIVING About 700,000 addicts have registered with Philippine authorities but the country has few facilities to treat them. Huang has said he will fund two 10,000-bed rehabilitation centres for drug addicts. "Drugs have always been a public hazard worldwide," he said in comments emailed to Reuters by a company official. "They hurt people's bodies and disrupt social order."It is unclear how much he is spending on the centres, whether he will pay for all recurring costs or just the cost of building them, or whether he will receive anything from Manila in return.Huang declined to be interviewed for this story but has portrayed himself to Chinese media as a clean-living philanthropist and says he is funding the centres to improve ties between the two countries."As long as the Philippine government maintains a friendly relationship with China, I am very happy to invest in the Philippines," Huang was quoted as saying by China's state-run Global Times newspaper in October."I don't gamble, I don't whore and I don't do drugs," he told the official Securities Daily newspaper in 2013. "Me and my son together can't spend away all my money through our lives. So why not use it to do something meaningful." Huang, a school drop-out, was a small-time trader in Manila and made "a modest fortune", according to The Philippine Star newspaper. It was not clear what he traded. According to Forbes magazine, he is now worth about $3.6 billion.Century Golden was one of 17 firms and individuals who made payments to Bai Enpei, the former Communist Party boss of southwestern Yunnan province, in return for favours, according to online court documents from a major corruption case in China earlier this year. It was not immediately clear if Century Golden faces any further legal proceedings. Huang himself was not named. Court officials declined comment. Officials at Century Golden also declined to comment on the case.Huang has been among China's top six philanthropists named by the Hurun Report since it began publishing a list of top donors in 2012, and donated an estimated $125 million in 2015. According to Hurun, the money was donated to education, infrastructure and social welfare projects.Prior to the Beijing meeting, Huang has seen Duterte three times in recent months to discuss what he could do in the Philippines, according to government officials.Philippines Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said Huang came up with the idea for funding the rehabilitation centres after meeting Duterte at the presidential palace in July."He seems very simple and unassuming. He is mild mannered and seem very kind. He is sincere in helping the Philippines," Ubial told Reuters. (Reporting by Jackie Cai and Adam Jourdan in SHANGHAI, Karen Lema in MANILA and Benjamin Kang Lim in BEIJING; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Roberta Rampton and Mark Hosenball | WHITE PLAINS, New York/WASHINGTON WHITE PLAINS, New York/WASHINGTON A top aide to Hillary Clinton on Tuesday urged the FBI to disclose what it knows about any ties between Republican Donald Trump and Russia, accusing the law enforcement agency of unfairly publicizing its inquiry into Clinton's email practices while staying quiet about Trump.A week before Election Day, the Clinton campaign has been trying to contain damage from FBI Director James Comey's announcement on Friday of new emails that might pertain to Clinton's use of a private server while secretary of state.Trump seized on the revelation to intensify his criticism of a rival he has long dubbed "Crooked Hillary" and welcomed a slight improvement for him in a new ABC/Washington Post poll on Tuesday.Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook questioned why the Federal Bureau of Investigation's director had not released any information about its investigation into Russia's role in the U.S. election or ties to Trump and his senior aides."If you're in the business of releasing information about investigations on presidential candidates, release everything you have on Donald Trump. Release the information on his connections to the Russians," Mook said on CNN."They don't say a thing when it comes to Donald Trump and investigations against him, yet when it comes to Hillary Clinton, for some reason, they are more than happy to talk."The FBI opened a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Trump or his associates might have had questionable dealings with Russian individuals or businesses, but found no evidence to warrant opening a full investigation, according to sources familiar with the matter.The inquiry reviewed allegations that Trump or his associates might have engaged in contacts or commerce with individuals subject to U.S. or international financial sanctions or violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.U.S. intelligence agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, which generally are barred from investigating or spying on U.S. citizens, did not investigate Trump or his alleged dealings in Russia, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security recently declared that they had concluded that the Russian government was trying to disrupt or discredit the U.S. presidential election and the broader U.S. political process by hacking into Democratic Party and Clinton campaign emails.The United States has blamed Russia for cyber attacks on Democratic Party organizations.An article in Slate said that a group of computer scientists had been alarmed by records showing thousands of apparent connection attempts between a mail server operated on behalf of the Trump Organization and computers inside a Russian company, Alfa Bank in Moscow.Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the server in question, which had been used to send out hotel marketing material, had been dormant for years. SHIFTING FOCUS The Clinton campaign has been furiously pressing the FBI to provide details on the new trove of emails, which Comey said may or may not be significant in the case. Little is publicly known yet about the emails, other than that they were found during an unrelated probe into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin.In an effort to shift the focus back to Trump's vulnerabilities, the Clinton campaign released a provocative new ad raising the specter of a possible nuclear war if Trump is elected president. Clinton emphasized the message that Trump has a bad temper and an overly cavalier attitude toward nuclear weapons at rallies in the battleground state of Ohio on Monday.The FBI spent a year investigating Clinton's use of a private email server, instead of government systems, while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. Comey concluded in July that while Clinton and her staff had been "extremely careless" in handling classified information, there were no grounds for any charges. Comey has said he released more information about the investigation than is typical because of election year sensitivities."If Director Comey was so concerned about how information would be handled and about the reputation of the FBI, why did he release this letter that was full of innuendo and absolutely no facts?" Mook said on CNN, referring to Comey's letter to members of Congress on Friday.The New York Times also assailed Comey, accusing him in an editorial in its Tuesday edition of sending "a brief, inscrutable, election-shaking letter" in a "breathtakingly rash and irresponsible decision." (nyti.ms/2dYvJ4J)The FBI announcement 11 days before the Nov. 8 presidential election blindsided Clinton, who had extended her lead over Trump in opinion polls after the release last month of a 2005 video in which the Republican bragged in vulgar terms about groping women. Opinion polls show Clinton's lead has narrowed slightly since early last week. It was not known if the email controversy would hurt her support.Clinton held a 5-point lead over Trump in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, supported by 44 percent of likely voters, compared with Trump at 39 percent. (Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, John Walcott, and Joseph Menn; Writing by Doina Chiacu and Jeff Mason; Editing by Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Gernot Heller | BEIJING BEIJING Germany's outspoken economy minister Sigmar Gabriel made plain his concerns about Beijing's trade policies in talks with Chinese government officials on Tuesday marked by tensions over corporate takeovers."We didn't mince our words - on either side," Gabriel told reporters after meeting Chinese Trade Minister Gao Hucheng.Germany is particularly concerned about China dumping its excess steel overseas at cut prices, and about restricted access to the Chinese market for German firms, he added.Gabriel ratcheted up tensions with Beijing ahead of the trip with 60 business executives by putting the brakes on the latest Chinese takeovers of German technology companies.The German minister, who leads the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD) and is also vice chancellor, was forced to dismiss speculation of a row with the Chinese after cancelling an engagement after his meeting with Gao.The two men had been due to give the opening speeches at a German-Chinese Economic Committee after their meeting but cancelled at the last minute. Gabriel said this was because their meeting overran and he did not want to jeopardise his following appointment, with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. "I suggested that myself," he said of the schedule changes, which saw German state secretary Matthias Machnig step in for Gabriel."I don't see that as an affront," Machnig added of Gabriel's no-show for his speech. "That won't put too much of a burden on German-Chinese relations."Gabriel's trip comes a week after his ministry withdrew approval for Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund (FGC) to buy chip equipment maker Aixtron (AIXGn.DE), citing new security concerns. "The process with Aixtron has no political motive," Machnig said. Asked if the Chinese raised the Aixtron issue in Tuesday's talks, Gabriel replied: "No".The German government is also scrutinising the sale of Osram's (OSRn.DE) general lighting lamps business Ledvance to a consortium of Chinese buyers.Adding to the awkwardness in Berlin's relations with Beijing, Germany's EU commissioner was forced into playing down remarks he made about the Chinese ahead of Gabriel's visit. In a speech he gave in Hamburg last month, Guenther Oettinger, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, used the derogatory term 'Schlitzaugen' - slit eyes - to describe people from China and other Asian descent.Germany has benefited from China's rapid expansion - its automakers, in particular, enjoy access to the world's largest car market. But they complain they are only allowed to manufacture cars domestically in China through joint ventures with local partners.While Beijing has repeatedly pledged to increase market access for foreign firms, critics accuse it of not following through on its reform agenda and introducing new regulations that are restricting market access even further. (Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Tom Heneghan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The FBI director's decision to relaunch an investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails has jolted the US political establishment in the final countdown to Election Day on 8 November. The long-running controversy has poisoned the Democrat's bid for the White House, with opponents accusing Clinton of lying to the Congress and putting state secrets at risk. Here's what we know about the case: New email trove In a bombshell announcement made on Friday, 11 days before Election Day, FBI Director James Comey revealed that the agency was reviewing a new batch of emails that "appear to be pertinent to the investigation" into Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State. US networks reported on Sunday that the FBI had obtained a warrant to start combing through the emails about which Comey has provided no details to see if they contain classified information. According to the US media, the new emails were discovered on the computer of disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Weiner, who resigned in 2011 after sending explicit online messages, is under federal investigation over allegations he sent sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl. Probe reopened? Comey has effectively relaunched the probe into Clinton's unauthorised use of a private server, which was closed without any charges being filed in July. After investigating emails sent and received by the former secretary of state, the FBI had concluded that 110 messages contained classified information at the time they were sent. More than 2,000 emails were later categorised as classified or containing confidential or secret information, fueling attacks by Clinton critics who said she put national security at risk. On 5 July, Comey recommended that Clinton not face criminal charges. But he criticised her as "extremely careless" in the handling of "very sensitive, highly classified information" and said she potentially exposed classified information to hostile foreign governments. A Republican appointee, Comey came under fire from the Republicans at the time for declining to recommend charges. Now he is under attack from the Democrats over the timing of the new revelations, which they say could interfere with the election result. Defiant Clinton camp doubles down Initially caught off guard, Clinton's campaign has swung between defiance, counter-attack and painting Trump as a mortal danger since the FBI director revived her email scandal. The decision by Comey initially dumbfounded Clinton and her allies, throwing what was already America's ugliest presidential election into spasms of shock. An aide said the former secretary of state, first lady and senator took it "like a champ" but the campaign is furious about the renewed focus on her use of a private email server and frustrated that Comey has still not provided answers to them or the public. An angry campaign chairman John Podesta went on the attack, the most senior Democrat in the Senate said Comey may have broken the law and campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a "double standard." How it all began Clinton contravened official guidelines during her tenure as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 by using a personal email address (hdr22@clintonemail.com) via a private server installed in her Chappaqua, New York home instead of a government account, potentially exposing confidential information to hackers. The Democratic presidential candidate apologised for what she called a mistake, but maintains she did nothing illegal. The matter was made public in a New York Times article published on 2 March, 2015. Clinton's personal account accumulated more than 60,000 emails over four years. At the State Department's request, she turned over around half of them, pertaining to her official duties, in October 2014, and deleted those deemed personal. The State Department published the emails in waves on a judge's orders. Why didn't Abedin know? The email discovery raises an immediate question: How could close aide Abedin have been unaware of their existence? It's possible that Abedin did not know about the emails on Weiner's computer, forgot about them or for some other reason did not turn them over. In a sworn deposition taken in June as part of a lawsuit filed by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, Abedin was asked about what devices she had used to send or receive messages from her account on the clintonemail.com server. As part of the process in 2015 of returning her work-related emails to the State Department, Abedin said she "looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department" work and provided two laptops and a Blackberry to her lawyers for review. Abedin made no mention of there being additional devices where her emails might have been saved. If the FBI finds emails, Abedin sent or received through the clintonemail.com server archived on the device recently recovered from her home, that would appear to conflict with what she told the FBI earlier this year. In an April interview, Abedin told FBI agents that after she left the State Department in 2013, Clinton's staff transitioned to a different email server and she "lost most of her old emails as a result." She said she had only accessed her clintonemail.com account through a web portal and that she "did not have a method for archiving her old emails prior to the transition." FBI email action 'may have broken law' The US Senate's top Democrat blasted FBI chief James Comey for announcing a new review of Clinton's emails, an action he says "may have broken the law." "As soon as you came into possession of the slightest innuendo related to secretary Clinton, you rushed to publicise it in the most negative light possible," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement. "Through your partisan actions, you may have broken the law," Reid said, alleging that Comey had violated the Hatch Act, which bars the FBI from influencing elections. Clinton has demanded the FBI director explain in detail why he had effectively reopened an inquiry declared complete in July, branding Comey's move "deeply troubling" so close to Election Day. Can this sway the election? Republican nominee Donald Trump currently lags behind by less than three points in the national poll average following a tightening of the race which had begun even before the FBI's announcement. A Politico poll conducted over the weekend has Clinton leading with 42 percent support to Trump's 39 percent, in a four-way race with two lesser known candidates. It remains unclear how much the Comey announcement will move the needle on a race where Trump continues to lag behind Clinton in key battleground states. But for Republicans, whose champion has been damaged by a string of allegations of sexual misconduct, the renewed focus on Clinton's emails is a welcome boost. There is so far no indication whether the FBI could eventually revisit its decision not to charge Clinton, but Republicans have seized on the controversy to brand Clinton as criminally reckless. "We would have a criminal trial for a sitting president," Trump told supporters in Michigan. The Politico poll found that 45 percent of Americans believe the Clinton email scandal is worse than the Watergate scandal that brought down president Richard Nixon echoing a favourite Trump talking point. With inputs from agencies Arbil (Iraq): Elite Iraqi forces were poised on Tuesday for a first push into Mosul, after the prime minister warned jihadists who hold the city have no choice but to surrender or die. Forces from Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) were fighting IS in Gogjali, a village on the eastern edge of Mosul that they reached on Monday. While CTS may soon enter Mosul, which IS overran two years ago, it will likely have to wait for other units to catch up before making a concerted push into the city. "We are currently advancing in Gogjali," Staff Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi, a senior CTS officer, told AFP. "The next will be towards Al-Zahra and Al-Karama on the eastern side of Mosul," he said, without specifying when that step would take place. For CTS's "Mosul Regiment", which has been fighting its way towards the city, retaking it is a matter of pride. They were the last to retreat when IS seized the city on 10 June, 2014 and they want to be the first back in. The voice of Colonel Mustafa al-Obeidi came sputtering over the radio as his men advanced cautiously through Bazwaya, a village east of Gogjali, on Monday, sidling along walls and scanning the empty streets with their rifles raised. "They're fleeing, the jihadists are fleeing into Mosul," Obeidi said. Backed by air and ground support from a US-led coalition, tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters are converging on Mosul on different fronts, in the country's biggest military operation in years. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi appeared on state television on Monday wearing camouflage uniform. "We will close in on (IS) from every place," he said. "They don't have an exit, they don't have an escape, they can only surrender - they can die or they can surrender." For the time being, the jihadists do have an escape route - to the west towards IS-controlled territory in neighbouring Syria. Paramilitary forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), an umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militia, have been advancing north in a bid to cut it but they still have some way to go. They are not directly headed for Mosul, instead setting their sights on the town of Tal Afar which commands the city's western approaches. The Hashed said on Monday that they had retaken a series of villages during their advance and surrounded others. Their leadership says publicly that they do not intend to enter Mosul, which has an overwhelmingly Sunni population, but commanders on the ground say they want to fight inside the city. On the northern and eastern sides of Mosul, peshmerga forces from the autonomous Kurdish region have taken a series of villages and towns and consolidated their positions. By Stephen Kalin and Dominic Evans | EAST OF MOSUL, Iraq EAST OF MOSUL, Iraq Iraqi forces battled Islamic State fighters on the eastern edge of Mosul on Tuesday as the two-week campaign to recapture the jihadists' last main bastion in Iraq entered a new phase of urban warfare.Artillery and air strikes pounded the city, still home to 1.5 million people, and residents of the eastern neighbourhood of al-Quds said the ultra-hardline Sunni militants had resorted to street fighting to try to hold the army back.Soldiers of the elite Counter Terrorism Service (CST) also entered the state television station in Mosul on Tuesday, the first capture of an important building in the Islamic State-held city since the start of the offensive about two weeks ago, the force commander, Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati, said."This is a good sign for the people of Mosul because the battle to liberate Mosul has effectively begun," Shaghati said.Iraqi troops, security forces, Shi'ite militias and Kurdish peshmerga have been advancing on several fronts towards Mosul, backed by U.S.-led troops and air forces. Special forces units sweeping in from the east have made fastest progress."We are currently fighting battles on the eastern outskirts of Mosul," CTS Lieutenant-General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi said. "The pressure is on all sides of the city to facilitate entry to the city centre."He said CTS forces had cleared Islamic State fighters from most of the eastern district of Kokjali, close to al-Quds, on Tuesday, "so now we are inside the district of Mosul".Blackish grey smoke hung in the air east of the Islamists' stronghold and the regular sound of outgoing artillery fire could be heard, said a Reuters reporter near Bazwaia, about five km (three miles) east of Mosul.Inside the city, residents speaking to Reuters by telephone said they heard the sounds of heavy clashes since dawn.One inhabitant of al-Quds district at the city's eastern entrance said bullets were fizzing past and hitting the walls of houses, describing the explosions as "deafening and frightening". Many people in the area have stayed indoors for the last two days."We can see Daesh (Islamic State) fighters firing towards the Iraqi forces and moving in cars between the alleys of the neighbourhood. It's street fighting." One witness said he saw nine cars, laden with families and furniture, heading from the eastern half of the to the west bank of the Tigris River to escape the encroaching frontline.Away from the eastern fringe of the city, however, traffic was relatively normal, markets were open, and Islamic State fighters were patrolling as usual."CHOP THE SNAKE'S HEAD" Mosul is many times bigger than any other city held by Islamic State in Iraq or Syria. Its recapture would mark the collapse of the Iraqi wing of the caliphate which it declared in parts of both countries two years ago, although the hardline Sunni militants have recovered from other setbacks in Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Monday that Iraqi forces were trying to close off all escape routes for the several thousand Islamic State fighters inside Mosul."God willing, we will chop off the snake's head," Abadi, wearing military fatigues, told state television. "They have no escape, they either die or surrender."Commanders have warned that the fight for Mosul, which could be the toughest of the decade-long turmoil since the U.S. invasion which overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003, is likely to last for months.The United Nations has said the Mosul offensive could also trigger a humanitarian crisis and a possible refugee exodus if the civilians inside in Mosul seek to escape, with up to 1 million people fleeing in a worst-case scenario.The International Organisation for Migration said that nearly 18,000 people have been displaced since the start of the campaign on Oct. 17, excluding thousands of villagers who were forced back into Mosul by retreating jihadists who used them as human shields.U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Islamic State fighters tried to force another 25,000 civilians from a town south of Mosul back towards the city on Monday. Most of the trucks carrying them turned back under pressure from patrolling aircraft, she said. Not all those heading back were doing so under duress from the militants, according to Mosul residents who said people were streaming in from the south as military operations edged closer to the city.Most came without any belongings, though some brought sheep and a few camels into the city, they said.In Bazwaia, CTS guards told Reuters that a suicide car bomber tried to attack their position early on Tuesday, but they halted it with machinegun fire. Rubble and parts of the attacker's body could still be seen by a nearby berm.As well as the suicide attacks, the Islamic State militants have slowed the army's advance with snipers, mortar fire, roadside bombs and booby traps inside abandoned buildings. In Bazwaia, recaptured by Iraqi troops a day earlier, about a dozen civilians could be seen coming out of the village, waving white flags and bringing with them their livestock -- about 200 sheep and a few cows and donkeys.Saidi, the CTS officer, said 500 civilians had already been moved from Bazwaia to a camp for displaced people further away from the frontline."We expect to encounter more civilians as we push through the city," he said.(Graphic on tmsnrt.rs/2cMNG3q) (Additional reporting by Saif Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Tom Miles in Geneva, Writing by Dominic Evans in Baghdad, Editing by Angus MacSwan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Ian Simpson and Gina Cherelus A school bus with no students on it smashed into an oncoming Baltimore commuter bus during Tuesday's morning rush hour, killing at least six people and injuring 10, police said.The school bus rear-ended a car, struck a cemetery entrance pillar and then crashed into the Maryland Transit Administration bus, ripping off much of its driver's side, police spokesman T.J. Smith said at a news conference."It literally looks like a bomb exploded in the bus, and it's catastrophic damage," he said at the crash scene in southwest Baltimore. The cause is under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending an investigative team to Baltimore.Five people aboard the commuter bus, as well as the school bus driver, were killed. School bus seats had to be cut out to reach victims, and the death toll could rise as the wreckage is searched, he said. Ten people were taken to hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to critical, Smith said.The school bus was on its way to pick up a student with the driver and an aide aboard. Thirteen people were on the Maryland Transit Administration bus, he said. There were no signs of skid marks and the accident scene extended over several hundred yards, police said. The Baltimore City School District and the transit agency did not have an immediate comment on the crash. (Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York and Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Foxconn is working on wireless charging for next generation iPhone, according to a latest report from Nikkei Asian Review. The contract smartphone manufacturer is testing wireless charging modules intended for use in the 2017 10th anniversary iPhone. The modules are intended for the 2017 iPhone, but its unclear whether all 2017 iPhone models will include wireless charging or whether it will be reserved only for higher-end Plus models. At the beginning of this year it was reported that Apple is working on long range wireless charging for iPhone and iPad. Earlier today Sharp CEO hinted that next generation iPhone will sport OLED display. The 4.7-inch and 5-inch models will have LTPS display wile a premium 5.5-inch handset is slated to have a curved OLED screen. But whether the feature can eventually make it into Apples updated devices will depend on whether Foxconn can boost the yield rate to a satisfactory level later on, the source said. Samsung, Sony and Google have already released wirelessly-charged smartphones that still require proximity to a charging plate. Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly has announced his plans to leave the company after a four year stint. Jaitly had joined Twitter in November 2012 as marker Director India. He announced his plans to move on from Twitter in series of tweets. For the last one year, he has been the Vice President, Media, Asia Pacific & Middle East North Africa. Prior to joining Twitter, Jaitly worked as a Policy Analyst at Google India. My mission remains the same: harness tech/medias scale to connect users/citizens to their voice/agency/leadership in places they care about, Jaitly said in one of the tweets. Jaitly did not share his next plans but said he will be in Chicago for a personal/ civic calling. [HTML1] Image Source: Zee News Which is a better buy: Suncor Energy Inc. (SU 2.70%) or Phillips 66 (PSX 3.41%)? The answer may depend on what piece of the energy market you're looking to invest in. However, oil prices are another issue you'll want to think about carefully. When you boil things down, one very big thing separates this pair. The big difference The first thing you need to understand about Suncor Energy is that it's a play on the Canadian Oil Sands. In fact, oil sands make up nearly 90% of the company's 7.7 billion barrels of reserves. Clearly, the company has other oil operations, including Norway, the U.K., Libya, and Syria. But the future of Suncor is really tied to the Canadian oil sands. Phillips 66, meanwhile, doesn't drill for oil. It's business is focused on what comes after the drilling, including midstream, chemicals, and refining. The company's chemicals exposure comes from a 50/50 partnership with Chevron. Midstream, meanwhile, moves oil from where it's drilled to where it's used, and Phillips 66's exposure here is largely made up of its investment in Phillips 66 Partners LP (PSXP). Phillips 66 Partners LP is an interesting relationship because Phillips is the general partner of the LP, allowing it to earn a fee for managing the assets. It also owns partnership units so it gets distributions. And it can earn incentive payments for increasing the distribution over time. All the while, it gets to retain control of assets that it has sold, or dropped down in industry speak, to the partnership -- allowing it to raise cash for further investment at the parent company without losing control of key assets. Suncor has similar assets to Phillips 66, but they aren't the main focus of its business. It's oil that rules the day. So if you're looking at Suncor and Phillips, the first question you have to ask is, what part of the energy industry do you want to focus on? If the answer is the oil part, then Suncor is the better choice, assuming you want to spotlight the Canadian oil sands. For reference, Canada's Alberta Oil Sands has the third largest oil reserves in the world, after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. If you believe the oil industry has a long-term future, the size of the oil sands will make it an increasingly important piece of the global oil puzzle. And a big part of that is because of the long reserve life of oil sands projects, which can last up to 50 years. The future impact That said, there's another interesting thing that separates these two stocks; performance. Since Phillips 66's initial public offering in early 2012, the stock is up over 140%. Over the same time span, Suncor Energy has fallen 16%. Phillips advance has a lot to do with growth in its midstream business, but it's interesting to note that Phillips 66's return on invested capital was heading generally lower through that span. So a big piece of Phillips' advance appears to be related to multiple expansion. And falling oil prices have helped that along. Companies that have refining operations make money on the difference between their input costs (oil and natural gas) and the cost of what they sell (chemicals, gasoline, and such). Low natural gas and oil prices, as we've had in recent years, are often a plus for refiners and investors clearly know that. To put some numbers on that, Phillips remained solidly in the black as oil prices plunged in mid-2014 while Suncor has lost money in four of the past eight quarters. Clearly, oil price moves affect the two companies very differently and investors have reacted to the shares differently, too. But there's change afoot. Phillips 66's earnings peaked in 2014; held fairly steady in 2015, dropping about 7%; and have fallen off around 50% year over year in the first half of 2016. The reason is that margins are being squeezed primarily by falling prices for refined products, but it doesn't help that oil and natural gas prices have trended higher lately, too. PSX data by YCharts But higher oil prices are very helpful to Suncor Energy's business. That's why Suncor is up around 8% over the year-to-date period. In fact, Suncor's cash flow from operations had trended down for four consecutive quarters but picked up in the second quarter of the year. That's a hint that the worst may be over, though second-quarter earnings looked particularly weak because of write-offs related to fires in the Oil Sands region. All of that said, if you look at the chart above, Suncor's stock price has been following its return on invested capital lower while Phillips 66's stock has been heading higher while return on invested capital has been falling. That makes Phillips appear a lot less desirable now that its starting to face business headwinds. Suncor, on the other hand, could soon have the wind at its back--or at least a breeze--instead of running headlong into an oil price tsunami. In other words, Suncor could be the better value if oil prices strengthen, as they appear to be doing. Focus and outlook If you're trying to figure out which is the better buy, Suncor Energy Inc. vs Phillips 66, then you have two things to think about. First, do you want to highlight midstream and refining (Phillips 66) or oil (Suncor)? But you also might want to consider the outlook for each, since rising oil prices, as we've seen so far this year, will help Suncor's business to stabilize and, perhaps, move higher. Conversely, rising energy prices mean rising input costs for Phillips 66, which could make life harder on the midstream-focused company. Right now, it seems Suncor could be in the better position to prosper. What happened Shares of Cobalt International Energy (NYSE: CIE) plunged more than 11% by 10:45 a.m. EDT on Tuesday after reporting lackluster third-quarter results. So what Cobalt reported a loss of $213 million, or $0.52 per share, for the third quarter, which was much deeper than the $49.7 million, or $0.12 per share, loss it reported in the year-ago quarter. Driving that deepening loss was a $95.9 million contract amendment with drilling contractor Rowan (RDC) and a $42 million write-off associated with its Goodfellow exploration project, which combined to cut $0.34 per share from its bottom line. Cobalt also increased its full-year capex guidance in the Gulf of Mexico to between $525 million and $575 million, up from its prior forecast of $500 million to $550 million. Likewise, the company increased its total uses for cash to between $725 million and $775 million, up from $650 million to $700 million. Driving this expansion is the cash outlay attributable to the early termination of the Rowan rig contract. Finally, the company noted that it has opened the data room and has been actively marketing its 40% interests in Angola blocks 20 and 21. While it is pleased with the level of interest in the properties, it does not have a buyer. Quickly finding a taker for these assets is critical for the company after its $1.75 billion deal fell through earlier this year. While Cobalt currently has $683 million in cash, it could burn through that in no time given its current spending level. Now what Cobalt International Energy did not have much good news for investors this quarter. It continues to report steep losses due to rig expenses and dry holes, which are causing it to burn through its cash. Meanwhile, it had to start from scratch on a major asset sale, which isn't likely to fetch anywhere near the previous price. Given its current financial situation, Cobalt needs to get a buyer for those assets in place soon so that it does not sink any deeper. Whether youare for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, both sides will agree that this election has been dynamic since the beginning. With all the twists and turns, itas no wonder votersa stress levels are taking a hit. The American Psychological Association (APA) says 52% of adults who participated in its survey acknowledged that this yearas presidential election is a big source of stress. aWeare seeing that it doesnat matter whether youare registered as a Democrat or Republican a U.S. adults say they are experiencing significant stress from the current election,a Lynn Bufka, Ph.D., APAas associate executive director for practice research and policy, told FOXBusiness.com. One of the biggest triggers of stress for most voters comes from social media. Nearly four in ten adults (38%) say that political and cultural discussions on various social media platforms make their blood boil. Even a hospital in Southampton, New York is barring its patients from heated political debates in the gym. Jessica R. Swiatocha, the manager of wellness services & cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Southampton Hospital, tells FOXBusiness.com that heated political debates have made patients uncomfortable, which ultimately led to the hospitalas decision to hang up a sign barring election discussions. aI do feel that more people are stressed out this election and it is a more negative election than we have seen in recent election cycles,a says Swiatocha. aI clarified to all of our patients that they were free to discuss politics but not debate because it was causing stress to other patients in the gym. All of our patients are either recovering from heart surgery, have had a heart attack or a cardiac intervention or suffer from CHF (congestive heart failure).a Stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It can increase blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, and anxiety. Stress can also decrease the bodyas immune response. Survey findings also show that election-related stress does not confine itself to a certain demographic. However, Hispanics are most likely to say that the election is a very or somewhat significant source of stress at 56%, followed by Whites and Native Americans at 52% each. Some companies are even trying to capitalize on the mounting stress levels of voters. Earlier this month, GlaxoSmithKlineas (NYSE:GSK) over-the-counter headache medicine, Excedrin, sent Twitter into overdrive before the final debate with its promotional tweet, aThe possibility of a #DebateHeadache is high. Be prepared with Excedrin.a Scott Yacovino, senior brand manager for Excedrin, told FOXBusiness.com that the move was really based off of health research. aWe talked to Americans across the country and uncovered that 68% said the 2016 Presidential Election has caused more headaches than any other election,a he said. And, if youare looking to keep your stress levels at bay until Election Day, the APA advises you to avoid social media and only read or watch the news to stay informed, then go for a walk or spend time with your family. Also, try to keep your political opinions to yourself. New car sales declined broadly in October, hurt by fewer selling days compared with a year earlier and by falling demand for passenger cars. The nation's largest auto suppliers disclosed single-digit percentage declines from a year ago, fueled by a recent trend of weaker demand for sedans, coupes and other passenger vehicles. A complete picture for the month wasn't available because some companies were still tallying results. Ford Motor Co. also delayed release of its sales due to a fire at its headquarters on Monday. Among the top four sellers: General Motors Co. said its sales overall slipped 1.7% compared with the same time last year, a reflection of its moves to pare less profitable sales to fleet buyers like car rental customers. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV reported sales tumbled 10% in the month. Toyota Motor Corp. said its sales fell 8.7% with a sharper 17% decline in passenger car sales. Nissan Motor Co.'s sales declined 2.2%, as an 11% rise in truck sales tempered a 13% decline in car sales. Honda Motor Co. reported is sales fell 4.2% as car demand slipped 4.9%, offsetting a 1.1% rise in light trucks. Overall, sales of U.S. cars and light trucks are expected to drop 7% in October from a year ago, according to data provider J.D. Power, despite continued discounts to keep car shoppers interested. The month had 26 selling days -- two fewer than in 2015 -- dragging the year-over-year comparison. On a selling-days-adjusted basis, sales were expected to be essentially flat. Retail sales, which exclude fleet buyers, are expected to drop nearly 8% -- or roughly 1% on an adjusted basis -- the sixth time in the past eight months that sales have fallen on a year-over-year basis, the firm predicts. That puts the industry in territory "not seen since before the recession, " said J.D. Power auto analyst John Humphrey. GM, the largest U.S. auto maker by volume, said retail sales to individual buyers strengthened, rising 2.5% from a year ago. It credited "key fundamentals like job security, rising personal incomes, low fuel prices and low interest rates." Fiat Chrysler also said its retail sales accounted for 77% of the total and pointed to continued strength in its Ram truck and Jeep sport-utility vehicle brands. Its truck sales rose 12%, which weren't enough to offset the sharp 33% decline in car sales. Ford said it would delay reporting its results until later in the week. An electrical fire interrupted power to several buildings, including one of the company's main data centers that its dealers use to report and track sales. The No. 2 U.S. auto maker by sales said battery backups protected data in the system, but the lack of full power shut the data center down for most of work hours on Monday, leaving dealers unable to report final-day sales. Analysts expect industry sales of about 1.35 million vehicles in October. Forecasts call for a seasonally-adjusted annual sales rate between 17.7 million and 17.9 million, the strongest pace so far in 2016 but a notable decline from the 18.1-million rate in the same month last year. "The industry's performance was much stronger than the raw numbers suggest," said Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell. Even with month-to-month and year-to-year sales decreases, a 17.8 million SAAR in October would tie for the highest monthly sales rate of 2016. "And considering that there are no popular weekend sales events in October, auto makers and dealers can feel encouraged by this month's performance as they head into what they hope will be a busy holiday season," she said. Analysts have suggested that vehicle sales will contract slightly this year, as well as in 2017. Still, sales are expected to remain near an all-time high in October as incentives, along with low interest rates and gas prices, have kept car shoppers active, analysts say. Kelley Blue Book estimates the average transaction price for light vehicles in the U.S. rose 2.3% to $34,663 in the month -- with Detroit auto makers posting gains between 4% and 6%, amid continued strong demand for their trucks and SUVs. But incentive spending across the industry is offsetting much of the transaction price increases, said Kelley Blue Book analyst Tim Fleming. "With industry sales reaching a potential plateau, auto makers should adjust production to better match demand, which should reduce the need for such high incentives," he said. North American car and light-truck production hit an all-time September high, although it inched up just 0.1% compared with September 2015, according to WardsAuto.com. U.S. dealer inventory also hit an all-time September record, as attempts to reduce car stocks failed to keep up with sliding sales. BlackRock has attracted nearly $5 billion to its lowest-cost segment of exchange-traded funds since it announced a price cut last month aimed at financial advisers, the company said on Tuesday. The world's largest asset manager on Oct. 5 said it was lowering fees on 15 funds in its "Core" U.S. iShares ETF lineup. It touted the move as a boon for financial advisers and brokers, who will soon be governed by Labor Department regulations seen favoring inexpensive investments. The change affected about a quarter of the nearly $1 trillion held in iShares' U.S. ETFs, bringing fees down by 2 to 5 hundredths of one percent. BlackRock disclosed the latest sales figure while announcing more changes to the Core lineup that include adding a bond fund and a real-estate fund that will each charge 0.08 percent annually, or $8 for every $10,000 managed. "Our aim is always going to be to provide the highest quality exposures at the best value in the marketplace," said Martin Small, BlackRock's U.S. head of iShares. The ETFs - iShares Core 5-10 Year USD Bond ETF and iShares Core U.S. REIT ETF - are scheduled to start trading on Thursday. They replace two bond ETFs that were removed from the Core slate earlier in October. A rule announced by the Labor Department in April and effective next year sets a so-called fiduciary standard for financial brokers who sell retirement products, requiring them to put clients' best interests ahead of their own bottom line. The language in the new rule is tougher than existing rules that require brokers only to ensure products are "suitable." BlackRock's iShares unit has faced intense competition from rivals, including Vanguard Group and Charles Schwab Corp . Both came later to the ETF business and have been quick to cut costs. The average Vanguard stock ETF charges 0.09 percent, compared with Schwab's 0.18 percent and iShares' 0.40 percent, according to Thomson Reuters Lipper, a research service. Yet all three are profiting as investors have moved money from "active" stock-picking managers to index funds. BlackRock's iShares has taken in more than $100 billion globally this year, the company said recently. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Dan Grebler) A new premium Denali version of the midsize GMC Canyonpickup has helped boost its popularity -- and its average transaction prices.Image source: General Motors. General Motors (NYSE: GM) said that its U.S. sales fell 1.7% in October, hurt by fewer selling days and a planned 19% reduction in sales to rental-car fleets. But GM's more profitable retail sales rose 3% last month, likely outperforming the overall market. The key numbers: How GM's brands performed in October Brand Total Sales Change (YOY) Retail Sales Change (YOY) Chevrolet 181,964 (0.8%) 141,641 5.8% GMC 42,668 (6.2% 37,039 (6.6%) Buick 20,046 7.4% 17,366 6.6% Cadillac 13,948 (9.4%) 12,244 (7.9%) Total 258,626 (1.7%) 208,290 2.5% Data source: General Motors. YOY = year over year. What worked (and didn't) for GM in the U.S. last month Year to date, the Chevrolet brand's retail sales in the U.S. are its best since 2006. At a time when rivals are struggling to sell midsize sedans, Chevy's midsize Malibu is doing well: Retail sales of the Malibu were up 39% from a year ago. (Overall sales were down, reflecting reduced rental-fleet sales.) Chevy's Suburban, Tahoe, and Trax were all up by double digits at retail, as was its midsize Colorado pickup. Likewise, the upscale GMC brand is also posting strong sales of its SUVs and trucks, along with fast-growing average transaction prices at retail. GMC's Acadia (up 17% at retail), Yukon (up 26% at retail), and midsize Canyon pickup (up 15% at retail) are all premium-priced, highly profitable products. And while GM's overall full-size pickup sales were down last month, the premium GMC Sierra had its highest average transaction price ever at $46,876. The Cadillac luxury brand, however, continues to be a work in progress. While its average transaction price of $55,058 was up more than $2,300 from a year ago, sales of three of its four sedan models were down by more than 25% from a year ago. (The fourth, the CT6, is new.) Only the big Escalade SUV and the new XT5 crossover appear to be gaining any ground. The all-new 2017 Buick LaCrosse sedan is already beating its predecessor's lacklustersales performance at retail. Image source: General Motors. Buick is also struggling a bit, although the brand managed a 7% year-over-year gain at retail. Sales of the new (and considerably improved) LaCrosse sedan were up 13% at retail, GM said, and the Envision crossover had its best month since it was launched in the U.S. earlier this year. The small Encore crossover managed an 8% overall sales gain, but sales of the Regal sedan and big Enclave crossover were downsignificantly from a year ago. Analysis: A good month in a tough market Despite the overall year-over-year decline in sales and weakness at some of GM's brands, there was still a lot to like in GM's report for October. First and foremost, GM's U.S. retail market share rose 1.6 percentage points to 18.1%, its highest level in October since 2009. That's a big deal. Historically, GM was very reliant on sales to commercial and rental-car fleets. But under CEO Mary Barra, and backed by much-improved products, the company has worked hard to change that, making a point of focusing on retail sales gains in the U.S. Why? Profitability. Retail sales, generally speaking, are more profitable than fleet sales -- particularly sales to rental-car fleets. Not only are rental-fleet sales heavily discounted, but the rental vehicles depress used-car prices when the rental-car companies sell them off in bulk a year or two later. (Why does GM care about used-car prices? Lower prices make it harder for GM to offer competitive lease deals, as leases are priced around the expected value of the vehicle at the end of the lease's term.) GM is also getting very good prices for its products. Its average transaction price in October, which reflects retail transaction prices after incentives, was $36,155, up over $1,000 from a year ago. That bodes well for GM's continued profitability even though the overall U.S. market may be past its cyclical peak. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. John Rosevear owns shares of General Motors. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Image source: Getty Images. Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO) reported earnings on Friday, much to the chagrin of investors, but the diabetes specialist has a plan to deal with pricing pressures from insurers and pharmacy benefit managers: innovate and diversify. Novo Nordisk results: The raw numbers Metric First 9 Months 2016 Actuals First 9 Months 2015 Actuals Growth (YOY) Revenue 82,208 million Danish Krone 79,051 million Danish Krone 4% Operating profit 37,226 million Danish Krone 38,319 million Danish Krone (3%) Net profit 29,226 million Danish Krone 26,602 million Danish Krone 10% Data source: Company press release. YOY = year over year. What happened with Novo Nordisk this quarter? Revenue growth for the first nine months of the year was hurt by the stronger Danish Krone. In local currencies, revenue increased 6% year over year. Novo Nordisk continues to see pricing pressure for its older insulin products. Sales of its top-selling insulin NovoRapid, for instance, fell 4% in Danish Krone and even registered a 2% year-over-year decline in local currencies during the first nine months of the year. There have been some bright spots so far this year. Sales of next-generation insulin Tresiba nearly tripled in local currencies during the first nine months of the year as the drug launches in new markets. And sales of its GLP-1 drug, Victoza, continue to increase, up 13% in local currencies. Novo Nordisk's updated version of Victoza, semaglutide, which only has to be taken once a week, produced a significant reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 26% compared to placebo when added to other medications the patients were taking. In September, Novo Nordisk announced layoffs to reduce its costs, a prudent move give the difficult environment for insulins. What management had to say With the increasingly challenging payer environment, Lars Rebien Sorensen, Novo Nordisk's presidentand CEO, commented on the company's plan to deal with the issue: "Going forward, we will apply an even higher innovation threshold for progressing R&D projects. We will further intensify exploration of current assets in adjacent disease areas of high unmet medical need." Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, Novo Nordisk's chief scientific officer, gave a little more detail on those potential adjacent disease areas, including the potential for licensing programs from biotechs:"We'll focus on disease areas adjacent to diabetes, including end organs such as the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system as far as this would significantly strengthen our activities for accessing novel project in the above areas as well as generally enhancing external academic collaborations and strategic alliances in the pursuit of new biologic drug targets." Looking forward Management estimates that the pricing pressure will have a negative 2% to 3% impact on sales in future years, which isn't horrible, but it's hard to produce substantial growth when a company has to start by digging out of a hole. Given the headwinds, management lowered its long-term goal of operating profit growth of 10% year over year down to an average of 5%. Since pharmaceuticals have such long development times, it's quite hard for drug companies to pivot on a dime and move into a new growth area. Fortunately, even with the pricing pressure, Novo Nordisk is generating plenty of free cash flow -- expected to be in the range of 38 billion to 41 billion Danish Krone (about $5.7 billion $6.1 billion) this year -- that could potentially provide growth in the near- and medium-term through acquisitions and partnerships. A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here. Brian Orelli has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday as a weaker dollar boosted greenback-denominated commodities, although worries that OPEC will not do much to reduce a global glut kept the market near one-month lows. U.S. gasoline futures dominated action outside of the crude oil complex, spiking 11 percent before giving back some gains, after Colonial Pipeline Co shut its main gasoline and distillates pipelines following an explosion in Alabama. The dollar index, measured against a basket of currencies, hit a near two-week low after U.S. construction spending unexpectedly fell in September, setting the pace for what could be a mild downward revision to third-quarter U.S. growth estimates. Brent crude was up 33 cents at $48.94 a barrel by 11:26 a.m. EDT. It traded as low as $48.51 earlier, after losing nearly 3 percent the day before in the biggest one-day drop since Sept. 23. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 24 cents to $47.10. WTI's session low was $46.56, after a near 4 percent drop on Monday. Crude prices rallied about 15 percent over a three-week span after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries proposed on Sept. 27 its first production cut in eight years to reign in a global oil oversupply. Brent hit one-year highs and WTI 15-month peaks in early October as OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia talked up the plan, inviting non-member producers such as Russia to make cuts too. In the past two weeks, however, a growing number of OPEC member have said they were unwilling or unable to cut, casting doubts on what the group could do when it meets on Nov. 30 in Vienna. "Notwithstanding day-to-day rebounds, the oil rally since late September on the notion of OPEC cuts has been almost wiped out," said David Thompson, executive vice-president at Powerhouse, a commodities-focused broker in Washington. "It looks like we will break down more momentously unless the Saudis intervene with big output cuts of their own," said Thompson, who sees WTI testing support next at $45. OPEC officials approved on Monday a document outlining the exporter group's long-term strategy, in a sign its members are making progress in ironing out differences over how and when to manage production levels and, ultimately, oil prices. "Even if the fear of such low prices leads OPEC to deliver an agreement on November 30, we reiterate our view that the odds of it succeeding are low," Goldman Sachs said in a research note. (Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in LONDON and Aaron Sheldrick in TOKYO; Editing by Marguerita Choy and William Hardy) Improving poll data, including the latest ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll, has the GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump ahead for the first time since May. According to the latest poll results, Trump leads Clinton by one percent among likely voters, carrying 46% in the latest poll versus Clintons 45%. With one week left until Election Day, former Senator, and 2016 presidential candidate, Rick Santorum (R-PA) told the FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto that the momentum is in Trumps favor. If you look between now and Election Day, I really dont see anything that changes the narrative, which is FBI investigation. There are more Wikileaks coming out. Hillary Clinton is going to be in the news, and as weve seen, anytime a candidate in this race is the news their number goes down because the news is never good, he said. While citizens in some early voting states have already cast their ballots, the former Senator said his home state, Pennsylvania, votes on Election Day and therefore, its citizens will be able to make a fully informed decision come November 8th. We dont have early voting in Pennsylvania thanks be to God and absentee voters, even those who vote early can change their vote on Election Day, Santorum said on FOX Business Network Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast. Despite some polls suggesting Clinton is leading in Pennsylvania by upwards of 11 points, Santorum thinks her lead is decreasing as her campaign continues to dominate the news cycle. I think she [Clinton] is melting down, whether she is melted down completely at this point; the polls are indicating her lead is melting away. Santorum said Trumps path to the White House doesnt necessarily need to include winning Pennsylvania, but he thinks the Republican Partys nominee can pick up additional points with Clintons integrity in question. I dont think there is a path for Hillary Clinton without Pennsylvania and I think Trump is absolutely in play; the continuing question of Hillarys integrity, her honesty is going to weigh on lot voters in suburbia Philadelphia, Santorum said. Victoria's Secret has released photos of Jasmine Tookes which havent been touched up or edited, and people are loving it. It only takes a quick glance through any Angels Instagram to realize they have absolutely fantastic bodies, but these behind-the-scenes shots show Jasmine isnt completely perfect. In the snaps, the gorgeous model appears to have stretch marks down the left hand side of her thigh, bringing a touch of reality to the luxury underwear brands latest campaign. And girls across the web are absolutely loving it. Victoria's Secret not photoshopping a model's stretch marks Becky Newcombe (@beckynewcs93) October 29, 2016 I love that Victoria's Secret is now using models which show off stretch marks lucifer (@Lucyvmartin) October 31, 2016 Jasmine, who has only been an Angel for one year, was picked to wear the precious 18ct Bright Night Fantasy Bra at the brands 2016 fashion show in Paris. Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid will walk in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show The showstopper was designed by Eddie Borgo, and contains a whopping 9,000 precious stones. The bra took 700 hours to create and is more than 450 carats meaning Jasmine had to train herself to keep her back straight for the photo shoot. The bra was specially molded to Jasmines shape, a laborious process which took hours. Tyra Banks, Giselle Bundchen and Claudia Schiffer have all had the honour of wearing the world-famous bra, which is the highlight of the VS catwalk, in the past. The good press comes as women have spoken out to complain that notoriously hard-to-please VS judges treat the models like pieces of meat, and criticize their near-perfect bodies. This article originally appeared in The Sun. When Kayode Ojo first fell sick with malaria as a young boy in Nigeria, his grandfather shunned modern medicine, venturing into the bush to search for herbs and plants to treat the disease. Having succumbed to malaria a further 50 or more times in his life, the United States-based scientist, now in his forties, is determined that his research - to develop a drug to stop transmission from humans back to mosquitoes - will help to eradicate the deadly disease. "When people in Nigeria, the world's hardest-hit country, get malaria, many simply shrug their shoulders and see it as normal ... that needs to change," Ojo told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a lab at the University of Washington in Seattle. Ojo is one of thousands of scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs striving to develop innovations to end malaria in a city dubbed the "Silicon Valley of saving lives", which boasts more than 160 organizations working on global health issues. It is also home to the world's richest couple, Bill and Melinda Gates, whose global health and education charity has set the aim of eradicating the disease by 2040. The world has made huge strides against malaria since 2000, with death rates plunging by 60 percent and at least six million lives saved globally, says the World Health Organisation (WHO). Yet efforts to end one of the world's deadliest diseases - which killed an estimated 438,000 people last year - are under threat as mosquitoes become increasingly resistant to measures such as insecticide-treated bednets and anti-malarial drugs. To combat rising resistance, Seattle's malaria-fighting community is developing innovations ranging from data modeling and genetic modification to single-dose drugs and sugar traps. But malaria spending, which rose to $2.7 billion annually in 2015 from $130 million in 2000, must double over the next decade to ensure new solutions outpace drug and insecticide resistance in the push to achieve global eradication by 2040, experts say. "We need to develop new tools that make it possible to find and root out every parasite in every person," said Martin Edlund, chief executive of campaign group Malaria No More. "The only way to eradicate malaria is with relentless innovation." 'PLAYING GOD' Gates' goal of permanently ending transmission of malaria between humans and mosquitoes is more ambitious than the Sustainable Development Goal of ending epidemic levels by 2030. This focus on eradication has accelerated the need to innovate and take more risks, according to David Brandling-Bennett, senior adviser for malaria at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We have shifted from 'any drug or vaccine is good' to 'what will be a game changer in pursuit of this outrageous goal?'" The Gates Foundation and partners are working on affordable technologies including eave tubes installed between walls and roofs of homes that kill mosquitoes when they try to enter, and outdoor poisonous traps which exploit their attraction to sugar. Innovations are also in the pipeline to deal with the challenge posed by asymptomatic carriers - people with a few parasites in their blood who don't fall sick but can act as a reservoir and spread malaria when mosquitoes bite them again. Scientists are striving to improve rapid diagnostic tests - which require a drop of blood to provide a diagnosis within 20 minutes - so that they can also detect these malaria carriers. "The challenge is making the test more sensitive but keeping it simple for health workers," said Kevin Nichols of patent firm Intellectual Ventures (IV), which works with Gates on the Global Good initiative - creating innovations in developing countries. One of the most cutting-edge approaches among Seattle's scientists is genetically modifying mosquitoes, either by adding genes to block the malaria parasite, or altering them to make most offspring male, which could cause populations to plummet. But this 'gene drive' approach has raised questions ranging from the impact of fewer mosquitoes on the food chain to how to regulate releasing genetically edited mosquitoes into the wild. "There is an ethical question about editing mosquitoes' DNA," said a scientist who asked to not be named due to the work of his organization. "We have to be careful about playing God." DON'T DISCOUNT THE DRUGS While innovations to alter, control or kill mosquitoes catch the eye, drugs and vaccines should not be neglected given that parasite-carrying people travel further and live longer than mosquitoes, said Bruno Moonen, malaria deputy director at Gates. More than 30 malaria vaccines are under development, with Seattle's scientists hoping for more success than the first approved vaccine, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, which is only partially effective and needs to be administered in four doses. Yet a single-dose cure that would wipe out all parasites in humans could soon replace existing artemisinin combination treatment (ACTs) drugs, which must be taken over three days. "When people fail to complete the course, it increases the risk of resistance developing, and this is a worry," said Larry Slutsker, malaria program leader at health organization PATH. Counterfeit malaria drugs in sub-Saharan Africa are another concern to health experts as they contain no artemisinin, leaving people sick, or substandard amounts, which increases resistance, according to Ben Wilson, a senior research scientist at IV. Wilson and his peers have developed a tool which uses light waves to instantly analyze malaria tablets in a region where as many as one in 10 drugs are estimated to be fake or substandard. "Counterfeit antimalarials are a billion-dollar industry, and new technologies are needed to stay ahead of criminal networks," said Wilson, adding that the tool could soon be adopted by state inspectors, pharmacies and aid agencies. FUNDING FEARS Outside of the malaria-focused labs dotted around Seattle, experts are turning to data in the fight to end the disease. "Data used to be stuck in spreadsheets," said Neal Myrick, of computer software company Tableau. "How can you make sense of that?," he added, pointing to a database consisting of 300,000 entries before showing off an interactive heat map in its place. Detailed maps on prevalence, mortality, treatment rates and use of bed nets, and data modeling tools, allow users to monitor malaria cases, track the origin and predict its spread. "Innovations to fight malaria are exciting, but surveillance is essential to enable scarce resources to be best spent to make the biggest impact," said Stephen Lim of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. It is the issue of limited resources that troubles many of those fighting to eradicate malaria by 2040 - who calculate that more than $100 billion will be needed to finish the job. In a region like sub-Saharan Africa, home to nine in 10 of the world's malaria deaths, domestic spending on the disease will need to rise considerably in the coming years, experts say. Yet this may prove difficult in countries like Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo - they account for 40 percent of global malaria deaths - which are struggling economically. "In DRC ... we see drug shortages, issues with payments to health workers, and irregular distributions of bednets," said Marit De Wit, health advisor for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in DRC. "The parasite has a free ride in parts of the country." Health experts also fear that as the number of cases falls, it will become harder to maintain the momentum to eradicate malaria among donors, governments and people in endemic regions. Yet for Seattle's scientists and innovators, such as Ojo, such concerns are no obstacle to their hunt for solutions. "When I caught malaria for the fortieth or fiftieth time, I realized that it never gets any better, or any easier," he said of the disease, which can strike a patient several times a year. "It made me realize that we need to innovate and strive not just to treat or control the disease, but to end it for good." Malaria No More and the Washington Global Health Alliance provided a travel grant for this story. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 After getting word of a Georgia moms campaign to spread awareness of children with disabilities, OshKosh BGosh met with her family, and now their son, who has Down syndrome, will be part of the childrens clothing companys holiday advertising campaign. In July, Meagan Nash, 27, of Buford, Georgia, had submitted photos of her son Asher to an advertising agency working with OshKosh, but the agency told her that the company wasnt looking for babies with special needs. After photos of the 15-month-old went viral, the Atlanta-based company reached out to Nash, and she and Asher met with the CEO of Carters, Michael D. Casey, as well as other company executives, on Oct. 25. OshKosh BGosh is a subsidiary of Carters. The company asked Asher to participate in an upcoming photoshoot for their holiday campaign, which will be run on their website, social channels and email marketing blasts, an OshKosh BGosh company spokesperson told FoxNews.com. Im still trying to process what happened, but Im so happy with the outcome, Nash told FoxNews.com. They didnt have to pick Asher. The point was for them to start using and including people with disabilities. Nash spoke with the executives about Ashers story and the challenges facing children with disabilities. Asher was delighted to meet new people. Hes just so happy when hes around people; he loves the attention, Nash said. They saw that firsthand. When he walked into the meeting, both hands were up and waving, and by the end he was blowing kisses and didnt want to leave. It was nice of them to see what Ive been saying about Asher. Nash and her husband. David, 31, found out their son had Down syndrome 12 weeks into the pregnancy, which was Nashs second. Their daughter, Addison, 8, is Ashers best friend, and even got her classmates to wear blue and yellow in honor of October being Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Nash said. We didnt know what do think, what to do, Nash recalled of learning their sons diagnosis. Down syndrome, a condition in which a person has an extra chromosome, impacts brain and body development, affecting 1 out of 700 babies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Nashes dove into researching, and preparing themselves and their friends and family. Looking back, Meagan Nash would have approached Ashers diagnosis differently. If I knew what I know now before he was born, I wouldnt have researched a thing, she said. I tell people all the time hes just a baby. Thanks to help from therapists and doctors hes had a physical therapist since he was 2 months old Asher has hit his main milestones of holding his head up, sitting up, and crawling within the range of typical babies and those with Down syndrome. Down syndrome babies have a longer range for their milestones, Nash explained. Now, hes almost walking, and while many parents worry about that developmental stage and everything it brings, Ashers parents are actively encouraging him as much as they can, knowing how difficult it is for him. Nash is looking forward to seeing her sons OshKosh photos. OshKosh BGosh has also invited Asher to participate in a casting call and photoshoot in March. Were probably going to frame [the photos], she said. We are very happy. People look at people with disabilities differently, and the goal is to see them the same as everybody else. The University of Wisconsin-Stout student assaulted in downtown Menomonie early Sunday morning has died. Unconscious and bleeding from his nose and mouth, Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, was airlifted to Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire and regained consciousness early Monday morning, but according to Menomonie Police Chief Eric Atkinson, his condition worsened and he passed away later in the afternoon. The Menomonie Police Department is now treating what began as an assault by an unknown man as a homicide. The investigation into Alnahdis death is being conducted in partnership with the Dunn County Medical Examiners Office and the UW-Stout Police Department. Alnahdis body will be taken for an autopsy to the University of Wisconsin Madison Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. An international student who came to UW-Stout in 2015, Alnahbi was a junior majoring in business administration. In a statement, Chancellor Bob Meyer said, Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to Hussains family in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and his friends at UW-Stout. Police seek perpetrator At 2:11 a.m. Sunday, the Menomonie police and fire departments were called to the scene of a fight that took place in the 400 block of Main Street East near Toppers Pizza. When they arrived, officers found a man unconscious and bleeding from his mouth and nose. According to witnesses, the man had been assaulted by a 6-foot-tall white man who fled on foot westbound down Main Street before the police arrived. Atkinson said that MPD does not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community, but law enforcement has not received any information about a possible motive for the crime. Anyone who witnessed or has information relating to Alnahbis death is asked to contact MPD Investigator Kelly Pollock at (715) 231-8511, or by texting TIPDUNN followed by a message to 274637 (CRIMES). Information can also be provided through Dunn County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-847-3866, at http://dunncocrimestoppers.com. I want to make a personal appeal to anyone on campus or in the community who might have information that would help authorities locate the individual involved in the attack to come forward, said Meyer. NEW ORLEANS The death of a 68-year-old Tennessee man in 2015 sheds light on a rare tick-borne pathogen known as the Heartland virus, according to a new report of the man's case. When doctors analyzed tissue samples from the man's body after his death, they found signs of the virus in nearly every tissue in his body, according to the report. The Heartland virus was first found in patients in Missouri in 2009. However, the virus wasn't described in the medical literature until 2012. Since then, there have been very few cases of the virus, and only two deaths have been reported, according to the report, presented Oct. 27 at IDWeek 2016, a meeting of several organizations focused on infectious diseases. The 68-year-old man first came to the hospital because he had pain and a rash on his leg where he thought he had been bitten by a tick, said Dr. Mary-Margaret Fill, an epidemic intelligence service officer at the Tennessee Department of Health and the lead author of the study. The man was generally healthy, and worked as a landscaper, Fill said. Indeed, scientists think that the Heartland virus is transmitted through tick bites; several studies have shown that the Lone Star tick, which lives in roughly the eastern half of the U.S., carries the virus. The man was initially treated with a drug called doxycycline, which is an antibiotic often used when doctors suspect that a patient has tick-borne illness, Fill said. But the man got sicker and returned to the hospital, where additional tests showed that he had symptoms associated with a tick-borne disease, though the exact disease was unknown, she said. His symptoms increased in severity, and the man eventually went into shock, Fill told Live Science. He was placed on a ventilator, given medications to keep his blood pressure up and put on dialysis for kidney failure, she said. However, despite the very aggressive care the man received, he died, she said. Currently, not much is know about the Heartland virus. In the case of the 68-year-old man, it wasn't until after the man passed away that doctors determined he had the Heartland virus, Fill said. After the man died, tissue samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for an "unexplained death evaluation," Fill told Live Science. Researchers at the CDC determined that the man had had the Heartland virus, and asked Fill and her team to investigate the man's case further. A widespread infection Previously, scientists have found the Heartland virus in patients' bone marrow and blood, Fill said. In the first patient who died from the Heartland virus, the virus was also detected in his lymph nodes and spleen, she added. But in this case, investigators found the virus in the man's liver, pancreas, heart, lungs, bowels, kidneys, testes, skin, muscles and brain, Fill said. In the tissues where the virus was found in his body, the researchers also found damage, Fill said. For example, the researchers noted inflammation in the heart, and bleeding, inflammation and scarring in the kidneys, she said. It's unclear, however, if the damage came from the virus itself or from the immune system's response to the virus, she said. In addition, the virus's presence in various organs may explain some of the man's symptoms, Fill said, though this is just a hypothesis, she added. The man's confusion and altered mental state may have been caused by the virus infecting his brain, and the man's kidney failure may have been caused by the presence of the virus in the kidneys, she said. Ultimately, the virus "can cause a much more widespread infection than we knew," Fill said. The new report suggests that even in relatively healthy people, the infection can spread rapidly throughout the body and be fatal, she added. Fill noted, however, that it is likely that in the vast majority of cases of Heartland infection, people have mild symptoms or possibly no symptoms at all. Currently, there are no treatments for the Heartland virus, besides giving the patient supportive care, Fill said. In addition, the only way to test for the virus is to send a blood sample to the CDC, she added. But people can take precautions to prevent getting tick bites, Fill said. She advised people to wear long pants and long sleeves in areas where ticks are present, and to use bug spray with DEET. The findings have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Editor's Note: This story was updated to include information regarding the severity of the virus in the majority of cases. Originally published on Live Science. Bethany Thompson was left with an off-center smile after suffering nerve damage during a procedure to remove a tumor related to her battle with brain cancer. Eight years after defeating the cancer, the 11-year-old Ohio girl shot and killed herself after what her parents believe was relentless bullying over her smile. Bethany rode the school bus on Oct. 19 with a friend and shared that she planned to kill herself later that day. She told her she loved her and that she was her best friend forever, but that she was going to kill herself when she got home, Wendy Feucht, Bethanys mother, told The Columbus Dispatch. Once Bethany arrived at her home in Cable, she found a loaded handgun on an upper shelf, went to the back porch and shot herself. The Columbus Dispatch reported that it was unclear who owns the gun. Feucht and Bethanys father, Paul Thompson, both questioned whether bullying at school may have contributed to their daughters death. Feucht, who is divorced from Thompson, said her daughters friend told her that a group of classmates picked on the girls relentlessly that week. I think that she was just done. She didnt feel like anybody could do anything to help her, Feucht, 34, told The Columbus Dispatch. People need to know that even the littlest things can break someone. Feucht told the newspaper that her daughter had created anti-bullying posters, but an administrator prevented her from displaying them because they werent positive. Im sure she felt pretty defeated, Feucht told The Columbus Dispatch. Bethanys suicide isnt the first for Triad Middle School four years ago a 12-year-old boy killed himself. Triad Local Superintendent Chris Piper acknowledged bullying behavior against Bethany last year, but declined to provide details, saying the matter was resolved. There was no evidence of a pattern of bullying this year, Piper told the newspaper, adding that efforts are underway to address bullying. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The drug that Alyssa Luciano fought so hard to get for her little girl was ready. Two nurses held syringes. Together, they counted down: 3, 2, 1. Then they jabbed the needles into Avalynns chubby thighs. The sobbing 2-year-old shrieked even louder. Though it was tough to listen to her baby wail, Luciano knew this medicine was essential for wiping out any last leukemia cells lurking in Avas body. She had been told by every authority she could reach the manufacturer, federal regulators, scores of hospital pharmacies that it was unavailable. But shed refused to take no for an answer. So now, here she was, soothing Ava and, she hoped, saving her life. The drug, called Erwinaze, is one of a small number of critical medications in short supply right now in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration keeps a running list of drugs that are tough to obtain, often because of a manufacturing glitch or a problem obtaining a raw material. On the list right now: 61 medicines, including a patch that reduces nausea, a radioactive agent used to image the kidneys, and an injectable steroid. And Erwinaze, to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The drug, which is used in patients like Ava who are allergic to the first-line leukemia medicine, is sold by only one company in the world, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, of Dublin. A contractor for Jazz encountered a problem when making Batch 178 of Erwinaze and quality control inspectors discovered that unknown particulate matter had contaminated it. The drug couldnt be given to patients. And no other batches were ready: They take nine months to brew. It would soon be unavailable. The Florida hospital treating Ava Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital, here in St. Petersburg had a small supply of Erwinaze in stock. But then a 7-year-old boy suffered an unexpected relapse of his leukemia. He got the last precious doses. And doctors had to tell Luciano they had no more of the drug for Ava. Luciano was glad the little boy got his medicine; she knew his family and understood how much he needed it. At first, she thought it would just be a day or two before the hospital got in more doses for Ava. But on the Friday afternoon before Columbus Day weekend, her internet research turned up reference after reference to shortfalls of Erwinaze, and the former third-grade teacher began to panic. I was taken aback. I didnt dream that it was going to be a real shortage, she said. I started to freak out that evening. Luciano spent most of the weekend on the phone, calling more than 100 hospital pharmacies in every US state, plus a few in Canada. No one had extra doses of Erwinaze in stock. Desperate for updates, she tried the FDA at least once a day. On Facebook, she tracked down the CEO of Jazz, and he connected her to company officials. She spoke with them two, three, four times a day, her panic rising as she realized that no one had a supply of the drug. Ava had already missed one dose of Erwinaze, on the Friday before the long weekend. She was due for three infusions the following week. Ava missed her Monday dose. Then her Wednesday dose. Luciano kept calling. Friday came and went. Four missed doses. The doctors couldnt say if the lapse in treatment would affect Ava. They hoped not. But no one could say for certain. Researchers whod studied the drug had never considered such a scenario. A little girl falls ill Avas illness had come on suddenly. A few days before Christmas last year, shortly after her second birthday, Ava took a tumble and stopped walking. Luciano took her for X-rays, but the doctor couldnt see anything on the scans and promised shed be back to her old self within a few days. Over the holidays and through most of January, though, Ava kept getting worse. She stopped sitting up. She complained that it hurt when her mom brushed her straight blond hair. Her eyes swelled and her limbs bruised. Her nights were interrupted with sweats and fevers. Doctors kept telling Luciano that she was overreacting, that Ava would be fine. She just had an injury. A cold. A harmless black-and-blue mark. On Jan. 30, Luciano put all the symptoms together in her mind for the first time, and suddenly knew with grim certainty what they were dealing with. The son of a friend of a friend had been diagnosed with leukemia, and hed had all the same symptoms. Luciano convinced doctors at a nearby urgent care center to test Avas blood. The second they got the results, they urged her to rush the toddler to the hospital. After 10 minutes at All Childrens, Ava was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Doctors kept her in the hospital for a dozen days as they doused her leukemia cells with high-dose chemotherapy. She went home, only to spike a fever. Another 11 days in the hospital. Read more: Saving Bentleys brain: Daring surgery aims to fix a gaping hole in babys skull Once a death sentence, this form of leukemia is now considered extremely treatable. About 3,100 children in the US are diagnosed each year, and more than 85 percent go on to live a normal life. The treatment, though, is long and grueling, lasting up to three and a half years. Ava, like many patients, had heavy chemotherapy first, to knock her disease into remission. A crucial next step is a drug like Erwinaze, which would starve any stray leukemia cells in her body of necessary nutrients. Treatment regimens vary, but Ava was scheduled for 36 doses, at a cost of $900,000, paid by her insurance. Its hard to say how many patients need Erwinaze, because its considered a backup to the first-line treatment. But its not a small number: ALL is the most common type of childhood cancer, and as many as 1 in 3 patients is allergic to the more commonly used drug, PEG-L-asparaginase. Were in a world where we dont have a lot of backups and it doesnt take a lot to really throw the system off, said Dr. Colin Moore, Avas doctor. We dont have a backup for the backup. No option but a tainted drug Drug shortages in the US reached a crisis in 2011, when some 251 medications were unavailable, in many cases because of manufacturing problems. The following year, Congress passed a law requiring companies to warn the FDA at the first sign of trouble. After receiving such notification, the agency works with manufacturers to try to find a solution. Thanks in part to the new system, the number of shortages fell to 26 last year. But they still happen. Indeed, the complexity of the modern drug manufacturing process makes it nearly impossible to ensure that all vital drugs will be available at all times. Its hard to make a sterile injectable [drug], said Valerie Jensen, associate director of the drug shortage staff at the FDAs Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. From start to finish, that product needs to remain sterile and free of particulates. Things can go wrong and do go wrong. Read more: Childrens cancer research is often ignored. Make it a moonshot priority Erwinaze has been on the shortage list since Oct. 14. Toward the end of the month, federal regulators came up with a work-around that would allow Jazz to release the tainted batch of Erwinaze with stringent controls. Pharmacists have to check vials of Erwinaze to make sure there is no visible contamination. Then they must add saline to the powdered drug, and pass it through a filter. The drug is easiest to deliver by IV. But because of fears that the particulate matter could get into a patients bloodstream, the FDA is requiring doses from Batch 178 to be injected directly into the muscle. Its a lot more painful for patients. But regulators deem it safer. Jazzs Chief Medical Officer, Karen Smith, said shes not sure when the next batch of Erwinaze will be ready, or when the drug will be able to be delivered again through an IV. But the workaround has helped: The FDA is expected to take Erwinaze off the shortage list this week, though Smith said supplies may continue to be tight for a while. We feel for every patient and every parent in this situation, she said. A mother finds her voice Luciano is still haunted by those six weeks last winter when no one believed her that Ava was sick. She wonders if Avas treatment would have been easier, remission achieved faster, if her diagnosis had come sooner. Anger at that feeling of powerlessness may have pushed Luciano to be more vocal about the Erwinaze shortage to make all those phone calls to hospitals and regulators and company executives. Thats what probably fueled this, she said. It has given me a voice that I will never not listen to. For now, shes focused on getting Ava through the rest of her treatment. Ava has six more doses of Erwinaze left the hospital now has them all in stock to be administered over the next few weeks. Then shell go on a maintenance drug, which shell likely take through next May. The Erwinaze shots are so painful that they leave Avas legs burning for about a half-hour after each injection. Hopefully she wont even remember, Luciano said. She wont remember when she was really sick the way I will. Her little girl is now so familiar with All Childrens, she acts as though she owns the place. On a recent weekday, she marched into her appointment clutching Baby, a blonde-haired doll, whom she had recently awakened from a nap. Ava insisted that Baby get weighed and measured when she did. Shes got quite the personality, Luciano said. Shes a little difficult to contain. Ava flitted around during the hour she waited for her treatment. She colored. She watched cartoons. She took a plastic dog for a walk around the chemo stations. Spending so much time in a hospital seems commonplace to her now. She thinks everyone has a port for delivering medicines. And her bald head matches her daddys; hes a police detective who lately has kept his head shaved in her honor. Luciano said she and her husband are going to try for another child eventually for Avas sake. Nursing her through treatment has brought the family closer together, but eventually, Luciano knows she will have to give her daughter some space. You think youre obsessed with your kids before, she said. Its a completely different bond when you have come close to losing them. When the time came for a flu shot during the 2015-2016 season, Pegy Lowery decided her 12-year-old daughter Pipers fear of needles outweighed the potential benefit the vaccine could provide. But nearly a year later, after her daughter lost a battle with the virus in January 2016, the Washington mom has dramatically shifted her stance. Now, shes raising awareness about the importance of the flu shot to help prevent other parents from enduring a similar tragedy, CBS News reported. Lowery, of Port Orchard, told Q13Fox.com shortly after her daughters death that the illness progressed like a freight train on Jan. 12, 2016, when Piper began running a high fever. Four days later, she was dead. According to Q13Fox.com, Lowery had taken Piper to the doctor three times because she had a high fever once, it spiked to 105 degrees. Doctors prescribed Tamiflu, but Piper didnt improve. When Piper began vomiting blood, Lowery took her to the emergency room at Mary Bridge Childrens Hospital in Tacoma, where Piper collapsed in her mothers arms in the parking lot. Lowery screamed for help, but doctors who later tended to Piper could not revive her. The diagnosis: H1N1 complications had attacked Pipers kidneys, causing renal failure that began the day before she was pronounced dead. For us, its been really hard, Lowery told CBS of Pipers death. All I have now is pictures, an urn sitting on the mantle. Although Lowery isnt positive the flu shot would have saved her daughters life, she is working with Tacoma-based Fight the Flu Foundation to promote what she now knows is widely accurate about the vaccine, which is that in many cases, it can be life-saving. A 2014 study suggested the flu vaccine reduced childrens risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit admission by 74 percent during the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 flu seasons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency estimates that from the 1976-1977 season to the 2006-2007 flu season, flu-associated deaths ranged from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people overall. The elderly, young and immunosuppressed are especially at risk of suffering flu complications. It is unclear whether Piper had any underlying health conditions that would have increased her chance of serious illness. To raise awareness among parents of children who are 6 months old the youngest age the CDC recommends vaccinating children for the flu Lowery has collaborated with the Fight the Flu Foundation to knit 700 caps for babies, and she has put together brochures, CBS reported. There are so many stigmas about the flu shot that people are either not educated or theres this fear factor that people put into them, Lowery told CBS. But H1N1, the flu, is very deadly. I want to spread this information so people can read it. It really does save lives. Elite (noun): A select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society That is how the Oxford Dictionary defines the term. With eight days left before the election, it is time for Americans to come to grips with three critical questions regarding Hillary Clinton and her political machine: 1. Was Hillary Clinton careless about protecting and preserving secrets that were vital to the national interests of the United States? 2. Did Bill and Hillary Clinton use their access to the U.S. government -- including Hillary's position as secretary of state and a likely future candidate for president of the United States -- to make money for themselves? In other words, did people pay them money in the belief that by doing so, they would obtain better treatment from the United States government? 3. Is Hillary Clinton a patriot -- that is, can she be trusted to look out for the interests of the United States in all circumstances, even when doing so may force her to take actions that could hurt the financial interests of herself or her donors? It goes without saying that if Hillary Clinton cannot be trusted with our national secrets, used her government positions for personal gain, or puts her personal interests ahead of the national interest, she should not be elected president. In a commercial republic like ours, the one unforgivable sin of a politician is putting money ahead of national honor. If the people no longer believe that their government is run honestly -- if they conclude that their leaders are merely crooks with little flags on their lapels -- then the whole system is at risk. We ask the people to put up with a lot from their leadership. They have to pay taxes they don't want to pay, they have to obey laws that they don't like, and they may have to fight in wars that they oppose. If the people come to believe that the whole system is a scam -- that the folks at the top don't really believe in the very system they're supposed to uphold -- then this country will quickly become ungovernable. All voters have to decide for themselves how they feel about Hillary Clinton. But no group has to take these questions more seriously than the elites of our society -- the wealthy and highly educated people who run our media, staff our government, and manage our largest financial and commercial institutions. There's been a lot of complaints about the elites this year -- and with good reason. For the most part, the policies they have supported in this century have been extraordinarily good for them -- and not so good for most Americans. That fact explains why so many Americans this year ignored their wishes, and supported outsider candidates like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. But the Hillary issue goes far beyond this election. It goes to the character of the type of people who govern the United States, who run its largest businesses and manage its biggest media outlets. Do they really care about the ideals of our country or not? If they do, then they must understand that they cannot turn the White House over to a collection of petty grifters who care more about lining their own pockets than watching out for the nation's interests. And they must understand that they have a duty -- a solemn and almost sacred duty -- to answer the three questions posed above. And I don't mean answering them in a lawyerly, he-said, she-said fashion. I mean that they have to study the facts as best they can, and look into their own hearts, and make an honest decision about whether the Clintons deserve to return to the White House. In America, the government belongs to all of us -- and all of us, especially the richest and most powerful, have a responsibility to do the right thing. Some will try to duck that responsibility by complaining about Donald Trump. They will claim that he's a dangerous demagogue of the kind the Founders warned against. However, the Founders created a whole system to block demagogues from wielding too much power. They created a Senate, a Supreme Court, and lots of different state governments to push back against a demagogue. They created a free press so that the opponents of a demagogue could make their voices heard. If Donald Trump becomes president, he will be subject to all of those constraints. Yet what about a check on a corrupt leadership class? Our Founders didn't create that -- because they were smart enough to realize that no such check is possible. If the richest and most powerful members of our society no longer care about the ideals of this society, then the dream of the Founders has already been lost. I have no doubt that some members of the elite class are certain that Hillary Clinton is an innocent patriot who has long been misunderstood by her enemies. If that's what they believe, they should say so, and let history judge them accordingly. But if you don't believe that Hillary is honest -- if you don't believe that she can be trusted to do the right thing -- then you have a moral obligation to speak out now, before any more damage is done. Forty-two years ago, another group of elites faced a similar dilemma. Consider the challenge that faced Establishment Republicans in 1974. For over 20 years, Richard Nixon had been one of the leaders -- and often the leader -- of the GOP Establishment. He had been on the ticket in five presidential elections, and the Republicans had won four of those. Almost every Republican in Washington owed him favors. Only two years before, he had won a stupendous personal victory -- carrying 49 of the 50 states in the 1972 Presidential election. Breaking with Nixon meant that the Democrats would sweep the 1974 midterm elections, and that the GOP Establishment might wander in the wilderness for years to come. It meant the end of many promising political careers, and the risk that Reagan's outsiders would take over the Republican Party. And after all, why couldn't the Republicans fight all charges? Why couldn't they threaten Nixon's enemies, and stonewall any impeachment proceedings, and try to drag out everything until after the 1976 election? They could have done that -- but they didn't. Instead, in early August 1974, key GOP leaders in Congress went to President Nixon and told him that his support on Capitol Hill had collapsed. Soon thereafter, Nixon resigned. The GOP Establishment was shattered. But it had done the right thing. What about today's Establishment? They understand Hillary Clinton's character better than anyone -- many of them have known her for decades. Many, no doubt, consider her to be a friend. All of them, by now, have an opinion on the three questions cited at the beginning of this piece. If they believe in her -- if they trust her -- then they should vouch for her. But if they don't, then they should do everything possible to prevent her from holding high public office. This responsibility falls on the press. It falls on the biggest donors in both parties. It falls on people like the Bushes and Colin Powell who have held high public office. It also falls on Democrats -- especially high-ranking Democrats like Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Some will believe, no doubt, that it's easy for populists to make this type of demand -- that it's easy to call upon the elites to make this type of sacrifice. But the whole point of being in the elite is that you have special power -- and a special responsibility. There's no question that our elites have enjoyed their power. Now it's time for them to live up to their responsibility. Republicans have been divided as never before in this election. Some might have wished for a better candidate. Others, who liked the candidate better, might have wished for a better Party. But with only a few days left before the election its time for all sides to unite to defeat the Democrats, at the top, middle and bottom of the ballot. Its time to put aside our differences, elect Trump, and defeat a candidate under an FBI investigation. In Americas government of strong presidentialism, its the candidate at the top who matters, and a vote for Trump is the only feasible method of defending the principles of freedom, justice and prosperity Republicans hold in common against the most serious threat we have ever faced, a threat that begins to look like the final defeat of republican government, and permanent decline for the country we love. Thats why 130 respected Republicans thought-leaders have signed a second letter explaining why we support Donald Trump and urging Party unity, at scholarsandwritersforamerica.org. This is the most consequential electoral choice well have in our lifetime. Under Obama we have departed from the Founders constitution of separation of powers towards one-man rule by the president. With Mrs. Clinton, wed see an even greater slide towards an all-powerful presidency, by an imperious person who holds subordinates in contempt and who labels Republicans as enemies and deplorables. She doesnt have a legislative agenda. She has a regulatory and Supreme Court agenda, and the justices she would appoint could be expected to bless one-person rule by the president. Thats why George Mason called this an elective monarchy, which he said would be worse than George III. By contrast, Donald Trump has a legislative agenda. The person who wrote The Art of the Deal can be expected to reach across to Congress to enact the sound legislation he proposed in his speech in Gettysburg. He has pledged to appoint judges in the mold of Justice Scalia, judges who would strike down the diktats of a president who ignores Congress as Obama did in his Deferred Action for Parents of Americans program. That program would have legalized 5 million undocumented aliens, and the Supreme Court split 4-4 on it. We know how a future Court would rule, with a new member appointed by Mrs. Clinton. And shes already told us of her plans to regularize millions of undocumented aliens by executive fiat. Absolute power corrupts, said Lord Acton. Were Mrs. Clinton elected, shed have the near absolute power of the American presidency. But she wouldnt need that to become corrupt. Shes there already. Consider, then, what would happen were the Clinton Cash machine to move into the White House. Wed have a government with the morals of a banana republic; and crony capitalism, the silent killer of the American economy, would increasingly burden entrepreneurs. Wasteful regulations, drafted to benefit the clients of K Street lobbyists, would transfer wealth from dispersed lower and middle-class Americans to the rich and well-connected. The courtier class of Clinton donors would flourish, but woe to those who would fail to partner with the government. It might not be a kleptocracy, but it would be a huge move in that direction. Worse still, all the powers of the state would be unleashed against political enemies, with tax audits, EPA investigations, and charges brought under one of the numberless and technical federal public welfare offences. Montesquieu defined political liberty as the tranquility of spirit which comes from the opinion each one has of his security, and a Clinton administration would see to it that its political opponents would never know such tranquility. We saw a bit of this during Bill Clintons presidency, and (whatever else might be said about him) he didnt have a mean bone in his body. With Mrs. Clinton it would be far worse. She is a very different sort of person from her spouse, and much more closely resembles a Richard Nixon, a Nixon without his accomplishments and with a fawning media that could be relied upon to defend her when it counted, as well as a corrupt administration that would back her to the hilt. And Donald Trump? Hes an American archetype, a Sam Slick who seemingly has taken every legal advantage offered by the Tax and Bankruptcy Codes. And you expected something better from a New York City businessman? But having used all the advantages the law afforded him, he now proposes to curb them, with a Tax Code that would close off the loopholes and with important lobbying reforms that would end the corrupt revolving door between Congress and K Street. This is the most consequential electoral choice well have in our lifetime. Whatever differences might have had during the last twelve months, all Republicans must now unite behind the entire Republican ticket. I hear the lament often from conservative Christians as I travel the country: How can I vote for either of these candidates with a clear conscience? Increasingly, many Christians are choosing the stay-at-home option (or throw away their vote with a write-in candidate option) as a way to maintain their integrity. Frankly, I understand the appeal of such a choice. Not voting allows Christians to avoid both having to make a difficult choice or defending an unpopular choice to disapproving friends or family members. And let's face it, playing the conscience card allows someone to feel holier than other Christians who sully themselves by getting involved in the political process. However, I believe there are three reasons why not voting is not an option for truly conscientious Christians: 1. Voting is a God-given privilege and responsibility. Many times Im challenged by Christians who wonder why I am involved in politics. After all, didnt the apostle Paul instruct believers to simply pray for kings and all those who are in authority? But remember, in biblical times citizens of Israel or Rome did not have the option of doing anything about governmental leaders except to pray for them. You didnt get to vote for the king or for the emperor! But as John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and co-author of The Federalist Papers said, [God] has given to our people the choice of their rulers . . . of our Christian nation. Every time we go into the voting booth we are choosing the moral and spiritual direction of our nation. That is a privilege and responsibility that should not be abdicated. 2. Voting Is A Primary Way For Christians To Stop Evil. Imagine you saw an elderly woman being assaulted by a mugger and you had the ability to stop the assault, but walked away. Although you might not be legally culpable for the attack, you would be morally culpable. Every year more the one million of the most defenseless in our societythe unbornare being murdered through abortion. Since the legalization of abortion by the Supreme Courts decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) more than 50 million children have been killed. Donald Trump has pledged to nominate Supreme Court justices who will either overturn Roe v. Wade or at least curtail late-time abortions including the horrific practice of partial birth abortion. In the last presidential debate, Trump articulated the clearest defense of the pro-life position of any Republican presidential nominee in history including Romney, McCain, either of the Bushes, or Ronald Reagan. By contrast, Hillary Clinton has pledged to nominate justices who will uphold Roe v. Wade. Additionally, she refuses to place any restrictions on abortion, regardless of reason for or the timing of the abortion. Abortion is not the only issue that should be of concern to conscientious Christians. Over the last eight years, the Obama administration has launched an all-out attack on religious liberty in America by suing the Little Sisters of the Poor Catholic charity, forcing Christians schools to allow men in womens locker rooms under Title IX requirements for transgender rights, and being a willing accomplice in bankrupting Christians who try to exercise their faith through their businesses. This war against religious liberty will only escalate under Hillary Clinton who is resolved to nominate Supreme Court justices, as well as dozens of federal judges with lifetime appointments, who embrace an expansionist view of the Constitution and will force the secular progressive agenda down the throats of Americans. Remember, the next president will serve only 4 or 8 years, but these justices and judges will impact our nation for decades. 3. Voting is about endorsing policies, not personalities. Ronald Reagan was a known womanizer during his days in Hollywood and would be the first divorced president in history. Yet, in 1980 evangelicals overwhelming supported Reagan over a Baptist Sunday School teacher named Jimmy Carter who was faithfully married to one woman. By supporting Reagan, evangelicals were not supporting womanizing or divorce, but they were endorsing Reagans policies. Ive been amazed at the number of conservative Christians who have developed a case of selective amnesia when it comes to their support of previous candidates with imperfect pasts, whether it be Reagan, McCain, Bush, Gingrich, or a host of others. There are no perfect politiciansjust as there are no perfect pastors or voters. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. But the fallibility of both candidates in this electionas in every electionis no excuse for not voting. I will be the first to admit that the sanctity of life and the preservation of religious freedom are not even among the top ten concerns of most voters. But those issues should be of primary importance to those who call themselves Christians. That is why Im voting on November 8. My conscience wont allow me to do otherwise. An unnamed senior aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left classified information unsecured and unattended in a hotel room during a 2010 trip to China, one of several overseas lapses by Clintons inner circle, Fox News has learned. Confirmation of the alarming violation comes as Clinton herself is under a renewed FBI probe for mishandling sensitive information on a private server and her longtime senior aide, Huma Abedin, also faces scrutiny as part of the investigation. It was not known which of Clintons aides left the information exposed. In May 2010, Secretary Clinton was on official travel in Beijing, China, accompanied by senior staff. Upon Secretary Clintons departure, a routine security sweep by Diplomatic Security agents identified classified documents in a staff members suite, State Department spokesman John Kirby told Fox News in a statement, issued several weeks after a Freedom of Information Act request was filed with the agency. Diplomatic Security, which protects the Secretary of State in the U.S. and abroad, as well as high-ranking foreign dignitaries and officials visiting the United States, wrote up the incident on a Form 117, while the Marine Security Guards filed a separate formal report, the source said. The information came to light when the FBI was investigating whether Clinton or her staff violated the US Espionage Act by mishandling classified and top secret information. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., citing a whistleblower who separately came to him with an allegation it was Clinton who left the material out, wrote to the FBI director on Monday asking for more information. I understand that former Secretary Clinton left classified documents in her hotel room in China and that U.S. Marine Corps security officials filed a report related to the possible compromise of the documents, Nunes wrote to FBI director James Comey. Additionally, Nunes said an email released in response to a FOIA request described Abedin asking another staffer to remove burnstuff Abedin had left in a car during a trip to India. Kirby told Fox News that incident may not have involved classified material. This email exchange does not show that classified information was left in a motorcade car, Kirby said of that incident. Sensitive But Unclassified material is routinely disposed of in burn bags. As the regulations state, Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) and Personally identifiable information (PII) documents are often burned. So its not accurate that any reference to a document going to a burn bag is a document that includes classified material. As for the China incident, Kirby insisted that Clinton had nothing to do with the matter. To be clear this was not Secretary Clintons hotel room and no citation whatsoever was given to Secretary Clinton, nor were any reports written about Secretary Clintons conduct, Kirby said in the statement. At the time of the security sweep, the suite was still inside of a Diplomatic Security-controlled area, Kirby said, and under the direct control of a Diplomatic Security agent posted outside the room. Ultimately, Diplomatic Security concluded that classified information had been improperly secured, but that the evidence did not support assigning culpability to any individual. Furthermore, the Diplomatic Security investigation concluded that due to the fact that the documents were found within a Diplomatic Security controlled area, the likelihood that the information was compromised was remote. Leaving out classified or top secret information is a serious offense, a former state department staffer told FoxNews.com. Diplomatic Security and the Marine Security Guard takes exposure of classified information very seriously, said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy research at the Center for Immigration Studies. You can lose your security clearance if youre caught more than once, and that means you might lose your job. Its a big deal. As FoxNews.com reported Sept. 30, a top aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton found herself in hot water in 2013 with the agencys security and law enforcement arm when she lost classified information while accompanying her boss on a diplomatic trip to Moscow, an incident that the FBI also revisited earlier this year when it probed Clintons own problems handling sensitive data. Monica Hanley, Clintons confidential assistant at the state department, was reprimanded and given verbal counseling by Diplomatic Security after she left classified material behind in the Moscow hotel, FBI documents show. The FBI spoke to Hanley, 35, in January as a part of its investigation into Clintons handling of top-secret and classified information when she was Secretary of State. During her trip with Clinton to Russia, Hanley was given a diplomatic pouch that held Clintons briefing book and schedule for her Russian trip. Hanley brought the pouch and its contents into the Russian hotel suite, which she shared with Clinton, but she left behind some of those classified documents, the FBI report revealed. Diplomatic Security found the classified document in that suite during a routine sweep after Clinton and Hanley left the hotel. Agents subsequently informed Hanley the briefing book and document should never have been in the suite. The commander of the California National Guard reportedly cannot locate more than 4,000 of the some 9,700 soldiers involved in the enlistment bonus scandal. In a memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times on Monday, Maj. Gen. David Baldwin said the California National Guard needed help finding thousands of soldiers who received alleged improper bonuses or other benefits during the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan about 10 years ago. The bonuses were paid to entice more people to enlist during the height of the conflicts, a 2013 Inspector Generals report deemed some excessive. Baldwin also added that most of the 9,700 current and former National Guard soldiers unknowingly receiver the incentives and enlisted in good faith at a time of war, according to the memo. Despite Baldwins note, the Treasury Department had already tracked down some of the 4,000 soldiers long ago through tax returns and made them repay their bonuses. That sparked a firestorm of criticism toward the Pentagon from Congress. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the Pentagon demands disgraceful." Brett Sholtis left the California National Guard in 2007 and moved to York, Pa. He refused the Treasury Departments request to pay back more than $2,000 he allegedly owed and his refusal prompted the department to garnish his wages and claimed his 2015 tax refund until the debt was paid off. I was one of those soldiers who couldnt be located, Sholtis told the LA Times on Monday. They made a weak effort and then immediately proceeded to step two turning it over to Treasury. Iraq veteran and former Army Capt. Christopher Van Meter, 42, was ordered to repay a $25,000 reenlistment bonus the Pentagon said he was ineligible to receive. He was also asked to repay $21,000 in student loan repayments. Van Meter told the LA Times that rather than fight the Army he paid back the money after refinancing his home. These bonuses were used to keep people in, Van Meter said. People like me just got screwed. The soldiers who are apparently missing are likely to have retired, changed addresses, moved to other units across the nation or transferred to the Army, officials said. An office has been setup in Sacramento for current and former California National Guardsmen to help find the missing soldiers. More on this... Some guardsmen face serious punishment for not returning their bonuses. Eight current or former members of the California National Guard were indicted in 2014 on federal charges for fraudulently obtaining recruiting referral bonuses, according to The Associated Press. Military.com reported that one former service member was enticed by a $10,000 bonus to leave the Reserves and join the California National Guard as a military police member for a deployment to Iraq in 2009. The developments have made Sholtis skeptical of the governments effort to help the guardsmen. He said the California Guards attempt to locate him consisted of a registered letter to his old address in California informing him of the bonus mishap. When he did not reply, the Defense Financing Accounting Service was notified. The agency found no record he was still in the military and his name was forward to the Treasury Department, which eventually found him through tax records. Sholtis contacted the California Guard to figure why he owed money and why he was getting fined. According to the LA Times, the paperwork for his $2,000 enlistment bonuses was missing. Sholtis paycheck was garnished and was denied pre-approval for a Veterans Affairs home loan. Its profound incompetence mixed with indifference, he said. Other parts of the Defense Department have mismanaged similar bonus programs. Earlier this year, the Pentagon's bomb squad team was saddled with debt due to an accounting error. One member of the team committed suicide. The department agreed to forgive the debt after Military.com and The Washington Post reported on the case. Click for more from the Los Angeles Times. As Hillary Clinton fends off a slew of bad headlines over the renewed FBI probe into her private email server, Democrats are seizing on a torrent of fresh reports and claims raising connections between Republican rival Donald Trump and Vladimir Putins Russia though those connections are still unclear. NBC News first reported Monday that the FBI conducted a preliminary inquiry into former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort's foreign business connections in the country. A law enforcement source confirmed to Fox News that while no indictments are pending against Manafort, he and three other members of the Trump campaign were being looked at by a joint intelligence task force for connections to Russian interests. The inquiry came a day after Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid wrote to FBI Director James Comey alleging Comey had explosive information about links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. The public has a right to know this information. I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public, Reid wrote. There is no danger to American interests from releasing it. And yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information. Clinton Campaign Manager Robby Mook followed up, calling on Comey to respond to questions about the report. Will Comey respond to questions from Reid & Conyers, and send letter explaining Trump-Russia investigations? Same standard. https://t.co/PTCVNU5hMD Robby Mook (@RobbyMook) October 31, 2016 Manafort shot back Tuesday morning, calling the NBC report an outrageous smear driven by Reid and Clinton. It is an attempt by them to take the focus off of the FBI's announcement of last Friday on the FBI's renewed interest in the Clinton email scandal and the WikiLeaks release of DNC and Clinton campaign emails, he said in a statement. There is nothing of my business activities to investigate. There is no FBI investigation and NBC even admitted that there is no [c]riminal investigation, he said. Manafort resigned in August after the New York Times reported that handwritten ledgers showed $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments to him from ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012. Manafort denied receiving any such payments. Meanwhile a Mother Jones report Monday cited a former senior intelligence official for a Western nation who specialized in Russian counterintelligence, who reportedly warned the FBI that the Russian government has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Donald Trump for at least five years. In reports and memos sent to the FBI, the former spy told Mother Jones that Moscow has compromised Trump and has the ability to blackmail him. The spy also said that the Kremlin has information on Clinton based on bugged and intercepted phone calls. Additionally, Slate reported that computer scientists had found a link between servers at the Trump Organization and a bank in Moscow. The Clinton campaign said the report had found a "secret hotline" which "may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trump's ties to Russia." However, a New York Times report found that while there had indeed been a wide-ranging probe into the Trump campaign by the FBI, the agency had not found any conclusive or direct link between Trump and the Russian government. The Times reported that during the investigation, the FBI had looked for financial connections with Russian figures, scrutinized advisers close to Trump, looked for a link between the campaign and those involved in hacking Democratic computers, and even chased a possible lead for a link between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank. Yet officials found no direct link. Democrats have frequently pushed the narrative that there is a connection between the Republican nominee and the Russian government, evidenced by the leaks of emails from Democratic National Committee staff and Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta which Democrats say were hacked by Russian agents in order to benefit the Trump campaign. Hillary Clinton frequently criticizes what she says is a cozy relationship between Trump and Putin. Trump has denied this claim, saying while he would like to get along with Russia, he has no business connections in the country and doesnt know Putin. Democrats also seized on a CNBC report that claimed Comey had opposed formally naming Russia as a body interfering with the election, saying that it was too close to Election Day. Consequently, the document put out by the Department of Homeland Security naming Russia did not include the FBIs name. Democrats blasted Comey over the report, asking why he had election timing concerns about the Russian connection, but not about announcing to Congress the reopening of the investigation into Hillary Clintons private email server. Hillary Clinton tweeted the story late Monday, saying simply: Incredible. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said the report raises serious questions about a very disturbing double standard. Did Director Comey have concerns about the political fallout of naming Russia as meddling in the United States election because it involved a candidate running for president or his confidants? We need to know what in the world is going on here, Cummings, ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement. However, a law enforcement source told Fox News that Comeys reluctance was for fear of tipping off the Russians to their multiagency investigation by revealing their sources and methods. Fox News Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report. Remember when we used to talk about whether Hillary Clinton would win the FBI primary? Well, now theres been a recount. And as the bureaus new probe of Clintons email mess has transformed the media and political environment, theres been a sharp shift in the coverage over the last few days. The reporting and analysis is now far more skeptical toward James Comey than when the story erupted on Friday afternoon. Thats been coupled with a frantic reassessmentand plenty of confusionof whether the new investigation is indeed shaking up the race. The tentative conventional wisdom: not so much. As an old Justice Department reporter, I can tell you that Ive never seen anything like the torrent of leaks coming out of the FBI and DOJ. And that reflects dissension within the department and the bureau over how this should have been handled. Comey went public despite his own agents not knowing what is in the many thousands of emails found on Anthony Weiners laptop, according to sources cited by the media. His laptop appears to have been backing up data from his wife Huma Abedins phone, according to sources cited by the media. Comey sent his letter to the Hill over the objections of Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who felt he should stick with department guidelines and not comment on a criminal probe so close to the election, according to sources cited by the media. But Comey also worried that he would like he was part of a coverup if the new email trove turned out to be significant after Clinton was electedagain, according to sources cited by the media. Add to this leak-a-thon the assault on Comey by Clinton, her team and her allies: while Nancy Pelosi called Comey a great man in July, Harry Reid now says he may have violated the Hatch Act. And that has generated lots of headlines. A New York Times news story today likens Comey (fairly or unfairly, it says) to J. Edgar Hoover. And then there are the op-ed wars. Not surprisingly, former Obama attorney general Eric Holder rips his former colleague in the Washington Post: Director Comey broke with these fundamental principles. I fear he has unintentionally and negatively affected public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI. But National Reviews Andrew McCarthy makes the counterargument: How rich of Hillary Clinton to complain now that FBI director James Comey is threatening the democratic process by commenting publicly about a criminal investigation on the eve of an election. Put aside that Comey did not say a single thing last week that implicates Clinton in a crime. The biggest coup for Clinton in the waning months of the campaign has been Comeys decision not to prosecute her a decision outside the responsibilities of the FBI director and publicly announced in a manner that contradicts law-enforcement protocols Now, suddenly, Mrs. Clinton is worried about law-enforcement interference in politics Law-enforcement people will tell you that taking action too close to Election Day can affect the outcome of the vote; therefore, it should not be done because law enforcement is supposed to be apolitical. But of course, not taking action one would take but for the political timing is as political as it gets. But even with the more critical coverage, the FBI investigation is still diverting the spotlight of whatever else Clinton wants to talk about. And yes, I know that Bill Clinton pounced on George H.W. Bush days before the 1992 election when special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh brought an indictment against his former Pentagon chief Caspar Weinberger, which was later tossed out. This isnt the first time politics has tainted the end of a campaign. So how is the Comey controversy affecting the campaign, now that were a week out? A New York Times news story says the race is still exceedingly close. But the Times Upshot blog gives Clinton a 90 percent chance of winning, which is not exactly close. The news story is more nuanced: Hillary Clinton has established a slim edge over Donald J. Trump in early-voter turnout in several vital swing states, pressing her longstanding advantages in state-level organization and potentially mitigating the fallout from her campaigns latest scrap with the F.B.I. The Washington Posts Fix blog has a ray of hope for the Republican nominee: Donald Trump has a path to victory again thanks to Florida. But despite polls showing Trump ahead or virtually tied in Florida, the column says: There's been some movement toward Donald Trump in both national and swing state polling over the past week. Trump's problem is that, at least as of today, it's just not enough. Politico also hedges its bets: The first national polls taken in the immediate aftermath of the elections latest October surprise suggest its having a limited impact on the presidential polls so far. But there are a few swing states where the bombshell letter FBI Director James Comey sent to Congress Friday could still have a disproportionate effect. One more set of numbers, from an ABC/Post poll: While 63 percent of those surveyed say the FBI review makes no difference to them, 34 percent say it makes them less likely to vote for Clintonbut those are disproportionately Republicans and GOP-leaning independents. I think all this hurts Hillary at the margins, at the very least by knocking her off stride, and convincing Trump supporters that he can win as he goes to such solid Democratic states as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to try to expand his path to 270. If what Jim Comey has done is deeply troubling to you, you probably werent voting for Clinton anyway. If youre dismissing Comeys move, you were probably already in Clintons column. But the uproar does foster a sense, which clearly helps Trump, that this thing aint over. Scrutiny of top Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin intensified Monday amid speculation that claims she made in her FBI interview and a separate sworn deposition could come back to haunt her as the bureau gains access to emails on her estranged husbands computer. Abedin, one of Clintons most trusted advisers, is married to disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner. An unrelated investigation into allegations Weiner sexted with a 15-year-old North Carolina girl purportedly led investigators to a new email cache that have since kicked the Clinton email server probe back to life. HILLARY'S SLOPPY STAFF: CLASSIFIED INFO LEFT UNPROTECTED Abedin seemed to be a no-show Monday on the campaign trail. She also did not travel with Clinton over the weekend to the battleground state of Florida. While Abedin has effectively stepped off the campaign trail since the FBI's stunning announcement on Friday, her emails are now at the center of attention. "Thank you, Huma!" Donald Trump declared at a Michigan rally on Monday afternoon. FBI Director James Comey stressed in his letter to Congress Friday that investigators don't know how significant the new emails may be. But even if they don't implicate the Democratic presidential nominee, their mere existence could call into question testimony Abedin gave months ago about the email system. FBI records reflect that she told investigators "that she lost most of her old emails as a result of the transition." 10 ANSWERS TO LEGAL QUESTIONS IN EMAIL CASE During a June 28, 2016 deposition with the conservative Judicial Watch, Abedin also swore she looked for and turned over all devices she thought contained government work to the State Department. I looked for all the devices that may have any of my State Department work on it and returned returned gave them to my attorneys for them to review for all relevant documents, Abedin said. And gave them devices and paper. Abedin claimed she handed over two laptops, a BlackBerry, and other files she found in her apartment. She also said she wasnt involved in the process of what specific files would be handed over to the State Department. These statements were made before the FBI initially announced in July that it was not pursuing charges in the investigation. The bureau since 2015 had been looking into Clintons personal email system, trying to find every electronic device that Clinton and her aides used. "From the beginning, Ms. Abedin has complied fully and voluntarily with State Department and law enforcement requests, including sitting for hours-long interviews and providing her work-related and potentially work-related documents," Karen Dunn, counsel to Abedin, said in a statement. "Ms. Abedin's willing cooperation has been praised by Members of Congress and law enforcement officials alike. She only learned for the first time on Friday, from press reports, of the possibility that a laptop belonging to Mr. Weiner could contain emails of hers." Dunn added that the FBI had not contacted them adding Abedin "will continue to be, as she always has been, forthcoming and cooperative." The Republican National Committee sent out an email Saturday saying reports about Abedins past statements now raise questions on whether she had perjured herself. Karl Rove, Fox News analyst and former George W. Bush adviser, told Fox News on Friday that the issue may be a question of her veracity and whether the emails contradict what Abedin told investigators. Abedin has not spoken publicly about the newly found emails, though the Clinton campaign is urging Comey to provide more information as soon as possible. Democratic lawmakers have sharply criticized the FBI director's decision to make this announcement so close to the general election. Meanwhile, the campaign is publicly standing behind Abedin. Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta said Sunday on CNN that Abedin "absolutely" is still with the campaign and has "played a central and vital role." Campaign Manager Robby Mook also played down the Abedin connection on "Fox News Sunday." "There's nothing about Huma Abedin in the letter that was sent out," he said. Donald Trump and Mike Pence marked the start of ObamaCare open enrollment Tuesday by railing against the program's rising consumer costs and pledging to make repealing and replacing President Obama's signature health care law a first order of business if elected. Trump, speaking in Valley Forge in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, called the Affordable Care Act a catastrophe that needed to be replaced immediately. "I will ask Congress to convene a special session so we can repeal and replace," Trump vowed. The running mates, already trying to energize supporters in the wake of the FBI's decision to revisit the Hillary Clinton email probe, used Tuesday's rally to draw attention to another October surprise -- the administration admission that premium rates on the ObamaCare exchanges will rise an average 25 percent next year. Despite Trump's vow, a "special" session likely would not be necessary to address the law, since Congress already plans to reconvene after the election, and a new Congress would be in session by the time the next president is inaugurated. The bigger question is whether there would be enough votes in this or the next Congress to do it. Republicans do not enjoy a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate and are at risk of losing seats next week. An increasing number of Democrats, though, have started to critique the law -- though their prescriptions often do not include repealing and replacing it. While Trump talked about the issue in broad strokes, Pence delivered a detailed takedown of the law, highlighting the soaring costs of premiums across the country. I stand before you today because open enrollment begins, Pence said. Once again millions of Americans will be disappointed by the lack of options and shocked by premiums. Pence pitched getting rid of individual mandates because government shouldnt tell you how to spend your money and said under Trumps plan, Americans would be allowed to purchase health insurance across state lines like life insurance. Theyd also create a transition period for subsidies to make sure there are no disruptions or hardships in coverage, he said. Pence also took the president to task for recently comparing ObamaCare to Samsung phones. My favorite quote came from President Obama a week ago, Pence said. He was celebrating the anniversary of the rollout. In his speech he actually compared ObamaCare to Samsung Galaxy Phones that burst into flames. Im serious. He added, President Obama said quote, when one of these companies comes out with a smart phone with bugs, they fix and upgrade. Unless it catches fire, then they pull (it) off the market. Well, what a coincidence Mr. President. Thats what we are going to do with ObamaCare. Pence also slammed Clinton for the FBI's decision to investigate additional emails connected to the Clinton server probe, a review that could also cover her aides handling of classified information while Clinton served as secretary of state. "We can't trust Hillary Clinton with our health care any more than we can trust her with classified information," he said. "ObamaCare was a catastrophic failure. Hillary Clinton says she wants to double down on that failure." Pence himself has acted for and against the Affordable Care Act at different times. He railed against it while in Congress, but one of his chief accomplishments as governor was Indiana's expansion of Medicaid under Obama's health care law a plan Pence called The Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0. Tuesdays speech fed off recent news by the Obama administration that the cost of mid-level plans will increase an average of 25 percent across 39 states next year. The jumps are even higher in certain states like Arizona, where one county will see a 116 percent increase over their average premium in 2016. Tuesday also marks the start of open enrollment for the 2017 plans on the ACAs public exchanges. The success of the open enrollment is vital for the future of ObamaCare. Though Pence and Trump were quick to pounce on the news, they may be running out of time to change hearts and minds. With more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, Trump faces a steep climb in many battleground states. The Republican nominee still faces a narrow pathway to winning the 270 electoral votes one that includes defending states like Arizona and Utah that Republicans have won for decades. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Donald Trump took considerable heat when, during the first Republican primary debate in August 2015, he initially declined to pledge support for the partys eventual presidential nominee. But now that Trump is that nominee, his former primary foes are the ones who have split on honoring the pledge. While several ex-rivals now are unabashedly Team Trump and others have reluctantly backed him as the better of the two major-party candidates a couple of GOP primary contenders still refuse to endorse the nominee. The holdouts are: John Kasich The Ohio governor is the most defiant anti-Trump politician who was at that initial debate. The governor has been at odds with Trump ever since bowing out of the race, declining to show his support for the nominee even when his state hosted the Republican National Convention and Trumps nomination acceptance address. Fox News confirmed late Monday that Kasich did not vote for Trump, either. The governor wrote in Arizona Sen. John McCain on his absentee ballot. (According to The Plain Dealer, that vote technically will not count, since McCain is not among the approved write-in candidates in the state.) Striking is that Kasich made the nominee pledge twice. During the Fox News primary debate in Cleveland last August, Trump was the only one to raise his hand when asked which candidates would not pledge support for the eventual nominee. (Trump later reversed course, for a time.) Then, at another Fox News-hosted debate in March, Kasich joined Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz in pledging to support the eventual nominee. Kasich, though, has voiced deep concerns all along about Trumps rhetoric and readiness. Demonstrating how fluid those pledges really were, Kasich, Trump and Cruz backed away from the same vow at a March debate weeks later. Jeb Bush The former Florida governor went from front-runner to also-ran in a matter of months after Trump stormed into the primary race, frequently making Bush a subject of his debate-stage attacks. Bush has not forgotten. Bush, after dropping out, endorsed Cruz in March. He later congratulated Trump on securing the nomination in May, but said he will not vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton. He wrote on Facebook: Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of character. He has not displayed a respect for the Constitution. And, he is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot support his candidacy. The rest of the GOP primary field has come around, some enthusiastically others, with considerable prodding and months after the race ended. The supporters are: Ted Cruz Cruz stunned the GOP convention crowd by withholding an endorsement of Trump during his Cleveland address. But while this renewed weeks of feuding between the Texas senator and the billionaire businessman, Cruz eventually announced in September he would vote for Trump and urged others to do the same. Like many other voters, I have struggled to determine the right course of action in this general election, Cruz said on Facebook. He said that after many months of careful consideration, of prayer and searching my own conscience, I have decided that on Election Day, I will vote for the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. He also referenced the pledge, saying he wanted to keep his word to support the Republican nominee and he finds Clinton wholly unacceptable. Marco Rubio The Florida senator now running for re-election has taken the most nuanced stance on Trump. He is supporting the nominee, but told The Weekly Standard in June he would continue to stand by his criticism of Trump from the primary campaign. He later delivered a video message to the GOP convention urging voters to elect Trump and reminding delegates that the time for fighting is over. He continues to stand by his primary campaign criticism of Trump. Scott Walker The Wisconsin governor initially backed Cruz after dropping out of the race himself. He later indicated he would be supporting Trump and in July told Fox News he would in fact endorse Trump, while acknowledging he wasnt his first choice. Rand Paul The Kentucky senator, despite his libertarian leanings and tough criticism of Trump during the primary, eventually told WDRB News hell back the billionaire. He, too, cited his pledge a written one, not to run as a third-party candidate in explaining his support. Chris Christie The New Jersey governor, while mired in controversy at home, enthusiastically embraced Trumps candidacy back in February and campaigned for him. He had been considered for running mate, but the job ultimately went to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Ben Carson The retired neurosurgeon endorsed Trump in March and continues to speak out on the nominees behalf. Mike Huckabee The former Arkansas governor announced he was all in for Trump back in May, and has continued to be a strong supporter of the now-nominee. Global wildlife populations are up against a potential two-thirds population decline by 2020, warns the World Wildlife Fund in a recent report. The study drew data from the Zoological Society of Londons Living Planet Index, which tracks wildlife populations and how they have changed in size. The report, titled "Living Planet Report 2016: Risk and resilience in a new era" examined over 14,000 vertebrate populations of over 3,700 species from 1970 to 2012. The report found that global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles declined by 58 percent between 1970 and 2012. Additional research from Global Footprint Network was used in the report and shows that the human population is using the equivalent resources of 1.6 planets for its goods and services each year. WORLD SUFFERS 'CATASTROPHIC' WILDERNESS LOSS, STUDY SAYS The top threats to species identified in the report are directly linked to human activities, including habitat loss, degradation and overexploitation of wildlife, wrote the World Wildlife Fund on its website. Food production, a major culprit, continues to lead the charge. Agriculture currently occupies about a third of the Earths total land area, accounting for nearly 70 percent of water use, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Further exploitation is taking the planet into unchartered territory, which includes a possible sixth mass extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Wildlife is disappearing within our lifetimes at an unprecedented rate, said Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International, in a statement. This is not just about the wonderful species we all love; biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests, rivers and oceans. Take away species, and these ecosystems will collapse along with the clean air, water, food and climate services that they provide us. We have the tools to fix this problem and we need to start using them now if we are serious about preserving a living planet for our own survival and prosperity. DRONES COULD SAVE ENDANGERED FERRETS BY DROPPING PEANUT BUTTER-FLAVORED VACCINE PELLETS The World Wildlife Fund added that 2020 provides the potential to collectively pivot on a global scale as commitments that have been made through the Paris climate deal will "kick in," according to the World Wildlife Fund. A Tennessee family is suing Amazon after their $1 million house was destroyed in a fire caused by a "hoverboard" toy purchased on the site. According to The Tennessean, the Fox family of Nashville claims that Amazon knew the hoverboard in question was a dangerous product, but sold it anyway. In January, the hoverboard caught fire, destroying all of the family's home and all their personal possessions. The father, Brian Fox, rescued two of his children from the blaze. "The Foxes contend that Amazon and its various subsidiaries had information about the danger of this product well in advance of the January 9 fire, and on top of that, they had notice, they should have known the product was being misrepresented on their website," Steve Anderson, of the Nashville law firm Anderson & Reynolds PLC, told The Tennessean. The lawsuit claims the hoverboard's seller listed online as "W-Deals" is a scam organization. The family reportedly believed they were buying a product with a Samsung lithium ion battery, but what they received was a counterfeit product from China. The family's lawyers tried contacting W-Deals to no avail, so now they're turning to Amazon, citing Tennessee product liability law, which holds the seller responsible if the manufacturer can't be found. The suit seeks $30 million in damages. Amazon did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment. Amazon late last year pulled a number of hoverboards from its site, including devices from Hoverboard, PhunkeeDuck, CoolReall, Leray, and Swagway. That came after the UK's consumer protection agency reported that more than 15,000 hoverboards were detained at the border based on issues with the plug, cabling, charger, battery, or cut-off switch. This July, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled more than 500,000 hoverboards sold by 10 different companies are being recalled over fire risks. W-Deals was not one of the companies mentioned at that time. This article originally appeared on PCMag.com. Despite promising to modify its news censorship policy, Facebook still has a lot to answer for when it comes to its role as a media provider. At least that's the view held by a coalition of rights groups that are demanding more transparency from the social network. More than 70 advocacy groups -- including the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Lives Matter, and the Center for Media Justice -- have signed a letter addressed to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging him to clarify his company's policy regarding content removal. In the letter, the organizations write they are "deeply concerned with thecases of Facebook censoring human rights documentation, particularly content that depicts police violence." They cite the removal of the iconic Terror of War photograph, reports of Black activists' content being removed, and the disabling of Palestinian journalists' accounts as recent examples of censorship on the platform. The groups specifically request Facebook implement a number of changes. First, and foremost, they urge the platform to release basic data on all user censorship (including the number of takedown requests by law enforcement agencies) to the public. This particular demand sounds similar to the information detailed in Twitter's recent transparency report, which saw the platform identify the U.S. government agencies that make the highest volume of data requests. The coalition also wants Facebook to create a public appeals platform for Facebook users who have had content removed, and for the company to undergo an audit regarding the "outcomes" of its Facebook Live video censorship policy. The fourth, and final demand, requests the social network stop disclosing customer data to third-party agencies unless required to by law. The furore over the company's approach to media content was reignited in September, when the platform removed the aforementioned "Terror of War" photo from the timelines of several users in Norway, claiming it breached its nudity policy. The resulting outcry saw Facebook reinstate the image, and later add that it would allow " newsworthy" items (despite their sensitive nature) on a case-by-case basis. On Monday, the company reiterated those claims in a meeting with the Association of Norwegian Editors in Oslo, reports Reuters. "We have made a number of policy changes after The Terror of War photo. We have improved our escalation process to ensure that controversial stories and images get surfaced more quickly," said Patrick Walker, Facebook's director of media partnership for Europe, Middle East and Africa. "In the weeks ahead, we are going to begin allowing more items that people find newsworthy, significant or important to the public interest, even if they might otherwise violate our standards." Facebook has continuously shunned any attempt to paint it as a so-called "media company." Whereas the letter from the advocacy groups claims Facebook is now a site that breaks the news, the company's COO Sheryl Sandberg recently stated its focus is on technology and building tools, not on making stories. One of the most memorable James Bond scenes in recent years, the opening of Spectre was set in a dramatic and mystical Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Mexico City. The awe-inspiring event featured pulsating music, enormous skeleton floats, and thousands of festival attendees in flower crowns, face paint, and traditional regalia. If this now-iconic scene has piqued your interest, there are several cities across North America that celebrate the Day of the Deada Mexican holiday honoring the deceased. Weve selected a few vibrant locales hosting these tradition-steeped celebrations this fall, where you can experience everything from the decorating of sugar skulls to the laying of marigolds on ofrendas (or altars) to marching in a procession. 1. Mexico City, Mexico Though slightly scaled back from the parade in Spectre, the Mexican capitals Dia de Los Muertos celebrations are some of the most famous in the world. In San Andres Mixquic, cemeteries are illuminated by hundreds of candles and graves are decorated with Mexican marigolds. Market stalls selling traditional goods, public and household altars, and festive processions are also common fixtures during the holiday. 2. Los Angeles Each year, L.A.s historic Olvera Street throws a weeklong Day of the Dead celebration. The festivities include mask-making workshops, candlelit processions, street theater, and a marketplace selling altar-making materials. Other nearby venues hosting Dia de los Muertos celebrations include the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Calvary Cemetery, and the Museum of Latin American Art. More from Architectural Digest Tour the Worlds Most Luxurious Submarine Superyacht Go Inside a $53 Million Private Jet Inside Jennifer Aniston's Gorgeous Beverly Hills Home 10 Awesome Hotels in Californias Wine Country 10 Hotels with Unbelievably High-End Amenities 3. Chicago Each year, Chicago celebrates the Day of the Dead with concerts, festivals, and workshops. At the National Museum of Mexican Art in the Pilsen neighborhood, visitors can honor the spirits at a new art exhibition dedicated to the holiday and the largest Dia de Los Muertos celebrationin the U.S. 4. Patzcuaro, Mexico The Dia de los Muertos traditions in the city of Patzcuaro, in the Mexican state of Michoacan, are said to be some of the most vibrant in the world. Craft markets pop up around the city, while all-night candlelight vigils and celebrations take place in local cemeteries. While these events are largely private, visitors are permitted to bring offerings. Check out more amazing Day of the Dead celebrations. For the second time in two months, a pipeline that supplies gasoline to millions of people was shut down, raising the specter of another round of gas shortages and price increases. The disruption occurred when a track hoe a machine used to remove dirt struck the pipeline, ignited gasoline and caused an explosion Monday that sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over a forest in northern Alabama, Colonial Pipeline said. One worker was killed and a half-dozen were injured. A September leak that spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline occurred not far from the location of Monday's explosion. That leak led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made. The cause of the leak still has not been determined, and the effects of the latest disruption weren't immediately clear. Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily of gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings. Authorities have not said which type of fuel was involved in the explosion Monday. Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading. Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out. Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said. "We'll just hope and pray for the best," Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and sheriff's Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn't clear when people might be able to return home. Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, sheriff's Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com. The conditions of those hurt weren't immediately known. "Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public," the company said in a brief statement. Police negotiators talking to the Orlando nightclub gunman at first weren't sure if the person they had on the phone was actually in the Pulse nightclub, according to audio recordings released Monday after a judge ruled they should be made public. The audio recordings between police negotiators and shooter Omar Mateen don't stray from transcripts of conversations released previously by the city of Orlando. But they do capture something not in the transcripts: police officials strategizing among themselves about how to talk to Mateen, who hung up several times during the 3-hour standoff at the gay nightclub. A police official can be heard early on saying he's not convinced the person on the call is in the club. At another point, the lead police negotiator, named "Andy," said, "He sounds like he is in a very sterile environment, like he's at a home or an apartment." But then another police official said Mateen could be in an office or bathroom. The recordings also show how the negotiators were feeling out whether they had accurately identified the suspect. "We called him Omar," said Andy, who was then interrupted by another police official who says, "He didn't deny it." Between calls, they mulled over what Mateen had told them, such as his refusal to answer if he had an accomplice. They discussed Mateen's claims that he was wearing a vest and that he had explosives in a car outside the nightclub. He wasn't wearing a bomb vest and there were no explosives in a car, but police officials didn't know that at the time. "He said the bombs are in a car in the parking lot. He's not confirming anything," a police official can be heard saying in the background as Andy implores Mateen to respond. Andy then tells another police official that Mateen had claimed to be wearing a vest but he didn't know what type. "A dress vest. A bulletproof vest, or a bomb vest. That's all I got. We questioned him on it and he shut down," the police negotiator said. Circuit Judge Margaret Schreiber ruled Monday that Mateen's calls should be made public. But she won't rule on releasing other 911 calls from the mass shooting until she has listened to them. More than two dozen news groups, including The Associated Press, have been fighting the city in court over the release of more than 600 calls dealing with the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. The city has released about two-thirds of the calls but are still withholding the 232 calls that lawyers for the city say depict suffering or killing and are exempt from Florida's public records laws. The media groups have argued that the city's application of the exemption is too broad and that the 911 calls will help the public evaluate the police response to the shooting at the gay nightclub. During a hearing on Monday, the judge allowed family members of the 49 patrons who died to testify about whether they wanted the remaining 911 calls made public. The half dozen relatives and family representatives who testified said they opposed the release of audio recordings. Some said they would be comfortable with the release of a transcript but others objected to any release, even in written form. "It would be extremely difficult for family and friends to listen to these calls," said Jessica Silva, whose brother, Juan Rivera Velazquez, died with his partner in Pulse. "Just listening to one of the calls ... We can recognize voices. Just listening to them screaming ... How are we going to feel?" The hearing also became a forum for several family members to express frustration at the lack of information they've gotten. Some said they hoped they would have a better understanding of what happened by listening to the calls. The FBI has offered no indication of when the probe into the shooting that also left 53 people seriously wounded will be done. An FBI spokeswoman didn't immediately return an email seeking comment. Aileen Carillo, whose brother, Simon Adrian Carillo Fernandez, died in the nightclub, said she would like to listen to the calls to help her understand what happened, but didn't want them to be made public. "I would like to know what happened. We haven't really heard what happened. We are unaware of the facts," Carillo said on the witness stand through a Spanish interpreter. An attorney for the family of 18-year-old Akyra Murray, the youngest Pulse victim, said family members don't want the audio recordings released but would be ok with the release of a transcript. "They feel that transparency is wanted," said Richard Klineburger, an attorney from Philadelphia, where Murray's family lives. "We do want to find out a real timeline because to this day, there are no answers." Authorities in Baltimore responded Tuesday morning to a school bus collision with a commuter bus during the morning commute, killing at least six and injuring others. There were no children killed in the accident. Authorities said five of the victims were on the city bus and the school bus driver was killed. Police called the scene fluid and said there were significant injuries. Video from above the scene shows the front part of a yellow school bus smashed into the side of a Maryland Transit Administration bus. The driver's side of the MTA bus is ripped off with debris spilling down onto the road. "It literally looks like a bomb exploded in the bus. It's catastrophic damage," Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said. The only other occupant of the school bus, an aide, was taken to a hospital, as were the car driver and eight people from the commuter bus, Smith told a news conference. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical, he said. The school bus slammed into the MTA bus, crumpling both driver's areas, and then raked the side of the commuter bus, tearing off sheet metal. It finally came to a stop with its front end buried toward the back of the MTA bus. Smith noted a lack of skid marks at the crash scene on Frederick Avenue near Loudon Park Cemetery, leading to what he called a working theory that the school bus driver had suffered a medical emergency. Firefighters were still working their way through the wreckage of the commuter bus about two hours after the 7 a.m. crash, Baltimore Fire Chief Niles Ford said. "This was a significant, significant wreck, so there are still portions of the bus that our people have not been able to fully access," Ford said. He said firefighters also had to enter the school bus from the rear and cut out the seats to reach the driver and aide. Smith characterized it as an accident investigation, not a crime-scene investigation, despite the presence of homicide detectives. Smith said they were called because they are accustomed to conducting death investigations. University of Maryland Medical Center spokeswoman Lisa Clough said the hospital received one patient in critical condition and four others in fair condition. The Associated Press contributed to this report Click for more from Fox Baltimore A youngster's plans for a police-themed birthday party nearly fell apart when none of the kids he invited said they would come. But thanks to an officer with the Prince's Lakes, Indiana, Police Department, a little boy turning seven got a party he will never forget. RESPECT FOR POLICE ON THE RISE There is not much that Westyn Ziegler loves more than the police. Police officers, police cars, sirens, Westyn likes them a lot. So having a police-themed party was a no-brainer, until none of the 25 kids Westyn invited said they would show up. Westyn's mom explained, "Nobody RSVP'd, so we were afraid we'd have to cancel the party, until Officer Elliott decided to take over." NYPD RESCUES MAN WHO CLIMBED GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE Officer Jeremy Elliott, who already agreed to give Westyn a ride in his patrol car for his birthday, decided not having a party just wasn't an option. "I learned of this and decided to throw him a party," says Officer Elliott. "Everyone should have a party for their seventh birthday." After a lot of quiet planning and calls to his police officer friends, Officer Elliott picked up Westyn at his home Sunday morning. Officer Elliott didn't have to ask Westyn twice if he wanted to try out the siren on his squad car. And with that, Officer Elliott delivered the youngster to a birthday party like he'd never had before. Just outside the town hall, there were officers from all over, some even showed up on their day off. There were decorations, pizza, ice cream, cake and presents. All this to show Westyn that while kids his own age chose not to come, these officers had his back. They even made him an honorary officer for the day. Officer Elliot explained, "We like to be involved in our community. It's not just about enforcing the law, we like to be there in the good times as well." Westyn's mom, Kelly Ziegler added, "It's just beyond me to see all these police officers that my son loves, to celebrate him and celebrate with him." Click for more from Fox 59. A Winslow police officer who fatally shot a Native American woman after responding to a convenience-store shoplifting nearly eight months ago has resigned from the department, city officials said Monday. Austin Shipley decided to quit after a meeting in which he was confronted with the results of an internal affairs investigation into the March 27 shooting of Loreal Tsingine, according to a statement from the office of Winslow city manager Steven Pauken. TRIALS UNDER WAY FOR 2 FORMER OFFICERS IN CONTROVERSIAL SHOOTING DEATHS Shipley's resignation was effective immediately. No reason was immediately given, but Pauken said Shipley was not forced to resign. The Mesa Police Department concluded an internal affairs investigation last week into the shooting. Before that, the Navajo County Attorney's Office had asked for an independent prosecutorial review, and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced in July that it found no evidence of criminal conduct by Shipley. Authorities said the 27-year-old Tsingine was holding a pair of medical scissors and posing a threat to Shipley before she was shot five times on a sidewalk. JUDGE REJECTS SETTLEMENT IN CASES OVER NYPD SPYING ON MUSLIMS According to a police report, Shipley attempted to detain Tsingine, but she resisted arrest and was taken to the ground. Shipley said Tsingine swung the scissors at him, and he retreated with his gun drawn and gave multiple commands for her to stop and drop the scissors. The police report said Tsingine didn't comply and got up and aggressively ran at Shipley with scissors in hand before he shot her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Native American activists protested the shooting, saying it was excessive. Tsingine's family has filed a $10.5 million notice of claim against the city, saying Shipley violated her civil rights and Winslow was negligent in "hiring, training, retaining, controlling and supervising" the policeman. The wrongful-death claim filed in July is a precursor to a lawsuit and seeks $2 million for Tsingine's husband and $8.5 million for her 8-year-old daughter. Lawyers for the city have declined comment on the claim, saying it's the city's policy not to talk about pending litigation. Police have named a suspect they're seeking in connection with a Halloween party shooting that left two women dead and five other people wounded. The Newburgh Police Department said Monday that 17-year-old Nija Johnson is wanted on a murder charge. Earlier, 21-year-old Rainier Hamilton and 20-year-old Tyson Oliveira were charged with tampering with physical evidence. Hamilton also was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. They were arrested Sunday hours after an early morning shooting at a costume party held in an apartment building. Eighteen-year-old Omani Free and 20-year-old Tabitha Cruz were killed. The wounded people are expected to recover. Hamilton and Oliveira were arraigned and ordered held on $50,000 bail each. Their lawyers couldn't reached for comment by telephone. More on this... Gang member sentenced for Halloween shooting death of boy, 5 A makeshift memorial sprouted up outside the apartment building, and friends and relatives of the victims gathered for a march and rally calling for an end to violence. "Loving, caring, very sweet, always full of life," Free's mother, Rhonda Valentine-Free, told ABC-TV. "It's sad. They just took them. They just took them away." A 17-year-old Maine boy has been charged with killing his parents in their home. The boy was identified by his attorney as Andrew Balcer (BAHL'-sur). He's scheduled to appear Tuesday in Augusta District Court on two counts of murder. Police say a 911 call early Monday led authorities to the bodies of Antonio and Alice Balcer. Autopsies are being performed Tuesday. The teen is charged as a juvenile, but prosecutors can seek to try him as an adult. The Kennebec Journal reports the father was a Coast Guard veteran, a member of the Exiles Motorcycle Club and the leader of a Bible study program for bikers. The mother worked at Winthrop Veterinary Hospital. Police used transport cages to remove several pets from the Winthrop property. The couple had two sons. After an especially deadly weekend, Chicagos spiraling violence passed a grim new milestone: more than 600 murders so far this year, up 45% from the same period last year and a level that hasnt been seen in more than a decade. Eighteen people were murdered from Friday through Sunday, bringing total homicides this year to 614, according to the official police tally. The last time annual murders topped 600 was in 2003. The murders have far outstripped the totals in some other large cities this year, with more homicides than in New York and Los Angeles combined despite Chicagos much smaller population. Along with cities such as Baltimore and Houston, Chicago is driving a surge in the national murder rate, which is projected to rise 31.5% this year from 2014. While both 2003 and this year were chaotic and trying for many in the Chicago neighborhoods affected, community involvement in 2003 was relatively strong, helping police solve 51% of the murders that year. This years murder spree seems relatively random by contrast. With little help from the community to explain why most of these people were killed only 21% of the murders have been solved so far. City leaders are scrambling to grapple with the problem. Mayor Rahm Emanuel acknowledged in a September speech that the hopeful trend of declining violent crime since the 1990s when more than 900 people were murdered annually has been reversed. Chicago is hiring almost a thousand new officers in coming months. There are fewer officers in the city today than in 2003, about 12,500 vs. more than 13,500 then. Click for more from The Wall Street Journal. Attorneys will make their closing arguments in the defamation trial against Rolling Stone magazine over its botched story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia. Closing arguments are expected Tuesday before jurors begin deliberating. University of Virginia administrator Nicole Eramo is seeking $7.5 million from the magazine over its portrayal of her in the 2014 story "A Rape on Campus" about the sexual assault of the woman identified only as "Jackie." A police investigation found no evidence to back up Jackie's claims. Eramo must prove that Rolling Stone knew what it was writing about her was false or should have known it was false. Attorneys for Rolling Stone have argued that they had full faith in Jackie as a source and never doubted her credibility. Arrest data from the Homeland Security Department reported that an increasing number of people from around the globe have tried to sneak in the U.S. among the hundreds of thousands of other, mostly Latin American migrants caught at the Mexican border within the last year. More than 8,000 people from different countries, such as: India, China, Romania, Bangladesh and Nepal between October 2015 and August 2016. The increase in arrests has created a challenge for officials who are in charge of identifying immigrants and deporting those caught crossing the border illegally. More than 408,000 people were caught illegally crossing the Mexican border in the last year. The arrests suggest a rising trend in migrants searching for an alternative route that would be moving across the seas to South America, over land to Central America and then through Mexico before arriving at the U.S. border illegally. Illegal immigration has been a hot button topic during the presidential campaign season, stemming from Republican nominee Donald Trump who has pushed back on the illegal immigration this year with controversial comments. While in the past Mexico has led the numbers for most immigrants using the border to come to the U.S. illegally, that number has since dropped in recent years. India and China are now among the top 10 countries of origin for people caught trying to sneak into the United States. Large numbers of immigrants from those two countries have long come to the United States legally and many have overstayed visas to remain here. Obtaining a visa has become harder to come by in recent years causing some to try coming to the U.S. via the Mexican border. Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Patrol sector chief and director of the Center for Law & Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso, said the increased migrant number from countries around the world should be considered a growing concern. "That is very unusual. If I was still sitting as the chief of El Paso or Tucson...I'd be a little concerned," Manjarrez said. "In the grand scheme, as a percentage, it's relatively small but the raw numbers are such a big jump historically." The global migration trend is creating a challenge for U.S. border security and other immigration enforcement efforts. The Homeland Security Department has made arresting, jailing and deporting recent border crossers a top priority for immigration agents. Migrants from different continents have created a much longer and more expensive process for the U.S. government. "The further away you get from the Americas, the more difficult it is to really know who they are," Manjarrez said. The uptick in arrivals of people from other continents, combined with an increase in overall border crossings in the last 12 months, has led to a spike of more than 40,000 people being held in immigration jails in recent weeks. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's budget gives them enough money to house 34,000 people at any given time and the recent overflow has officials worried they may face a budget shortfall of more than $130 million in the coming months if the trend continues. DHS spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said the agency has enough money to "operate at current levels" until Dec. 9, when a temporary budget resolution expires. After that, she said, DHS will work to either shift money from other parts of the department or find another "alternative budget strategy." She described the possible budget adjustment as "common." Mexican federal immigration officials reported that over 7,000 people allegedly from Africa have been arrested in Mexico between January and August. In 2013 Mexican immigration authorities arrested fewer than 1,000 migrants from Asia and Africa, while the number rose to nearly 11,000 from January through August. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jury selection is entering a second day in the trial of a white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. Michael Slager is charged in the April 2015 death of Walter Scott as he ran from a traffic stop. The case attracted worldwide attention after being captured on dramatic cellphone video by a bystander. During the first day of the trial, the pool of about 190 potential jurors was whittled down to about 130. Community leaders are calling for calm and unity as Charleston deals with two high-profile cases with racial overtones. Jury selection resumes next week in the federal death penalty trial of Dylann Roof, who is white, in the shooting deaths of nine black church members. Growing up in Appleton, Stephanie Harvey listened to her father. He told her that getting an education tells your employer you know how to learn. As soon as he learned that his mother was dead, an 18-year-old high school senior in Indiana said Sunday he was sure the woman's boyfriend pulled the trigger. Police in Greensburg said 43-year-old Jason Eaton admitted he killed 44-year-old Wendy Sabatini on Oct. 25 after she refused to marry him. Eaton said he approached her in their bedroom with an engagement ring, but before he could ask, she stopped him and said no, according to officers. I already knew that she was gonna say no, Sabatini's son, Lake, told Fox 59. She just didnt want to get married again. She was married before. She just didnt want to go do that again. Eaton then pulled out a gun from a nightstand and shot his girlfriend in the head, killing her, according to investigators. He eventually turned himself in to police. Lake Sabatini said he was on the couch in his family's living room when police arrived and told him about the shooting. One of the officers said, I know where your moms boyfriend is at, and I said, Hes with you, isnt he? and I instantly knew that he killed my mom. He said the family knew Eaton had a rough past, but treated them well. The suspect faces a murder charge. Greensburg is nearly 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Click for more from Fox 59. The Latest on the murder trial of a white former South Carolina policeman charged in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist (all times local): 4:10 p.m. A jury is about to be seated in the trial of a white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. Michael Slager is charged in the April 2015 shooting death of Walter Scott as he ran from a traffic stop in an incident captured on dramatic cellphone video. Judge Clifton Newman individually questioned nine potential jurors late Tuesday after a pool of about 130 was qualified. The questions ranged from postings that appeared on one man's Facebook page to whether a woman's religious beliefs could affect her ability to render an impartial verdict. Seventy-five potential jurors will be randomly picked from that pool and they will be presented to attorneys who will be able to strike some of those they don't want. The jury is expected to be empaneled by late Tuesday with opening arguments expected Wednesday afternoon. Slager faces 30 years to life if convicted of murder in Scott's death. ___ 1:10 p.m. Attorneys for a white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist want a dramatic cellphone video of the shooting kept out of the trial. A bystander made a video of 50-year-old Walter Scott being shot in the back in April 2015. Andy Savage represents former officer Michael Slager. In a motion filed in Charleston on Tuesday, Savage says the video is "prejudicial, inflammatory and factually deficient." He said it was taken from the point of the bystander 137 feet away and not from the officer's perspective. The motion also says the video does not show the entire fight that took place between Slager and Scott prior to the shooting. Scott was shot while fleeing following a traffic stop in North Charleston. The motion says that if the video is allowed into evidence, it should not be shown in slow motion because that implies that Slager had malicious intent toward Scott. Jury selection continued in Slager's trial on Tuesday. ___ 4:15 a.m. Jury selection is entering a second day in the trial of a white former South Carolina police officer charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist. Michael Slager is charged in the April 2015 death of Walter Scott as he ran from a traffic stop. The case attracted worldwide attention after being captured on dramatic cellphone video by a bystander. During the first day of the trial, the pool of about 190 potential jurors was whittled down to about 130. Community leaders are calling for calm and unity as Charleston deals with two high-profile cases with racial overtones. Jury selection resumes next week in the federal death penalty trial of Dylann Roof, who is white, in the shooting deaths of nine black church members. A New York man has admitted killing his pregnant girlfriend in front of her children by stomping on her head inside their upstate apartment. Thirty-nine-year-old Michael Donyell Norwood pleaded guilty Monday in Montgomery County Court to second-degree murder. In a plea agreement with prosecutors, he's expected to be sentenced next month to 25 years to life in prison. Authorities say Norwood raped 30-year-old Beth Ann Logan in Amsterdam late on the night of March 28, then stomped on her head and body while wearing work boots while her four children ranging in age from 9 to 13 were present. Logan died at an Albany hospital five days later. Logan was 13 weeks pregnant at the time of the attack, and the fetus didn't survive. New Jersey State Police are investigating a report of a needle found in a young child's Halloween candy. Troopers received a report of a sewing needle found in a Tootsie Roll candy that a child collected in Commercial Township, Cumberland County, state police said Tuesday in a Facebook post. The child's mother told police she discovered the needle in the candy Monday night after her child went trick-or-treating earlier in the evening. Authorities said there are no suspects at this time, and the investigation is ongoing. Police strongly recommend that parents continue to check their children's Halloween candy. One person was shot Monday night in the parking lot of the Clinton Presidential Library, officials said. A man selling blue jeans was shot in the visitors' parking lot in what officials are saying was a robbery. Little Rock Police Public Affairs Officer Lt. Steven McClanahan says the unnamed 19-year-old victim and his cousin were approached Monday evening by three men, at least one of whom drew a handgun and fired, striking the victim in the leg. The shooting happened on the visitor parking lot. One victim shot in the leg with non life threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/48YAB0HuhR Little Rock Police (@LRpolice) November 1, 2016 The victim was listed with non-life threatening injuries, according to police. Authorities are stressing that the incident was not related to the presidential election. The Clinton Center had closed for the day at the time of the shooting. Police were searching for the three men Monday night. The Little Rock Police department posted on Twitter saying all police have left the scene. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from Fox 16. An endearing photo of a South Carolina math professor holding a student's newborn during class went viral after the baby's mother posted the picture on Facebook, saying the student could even bring the baby to class for as long as she needed. Josie Ryan, the professor at Lander University in Greenwood, S.C., insisted that the student continue to pursue her degree even though she 'd certainly face new pressures and stress outside of school, CBS News reported. Months ago, Ryan told the student, Sarah Thompson, that once she delievered, she could bring the baby with her. She knew Id be overwhelmed so literally begged me to bring Isaiah to class, and even showed me where the breastfeeding room in the health canter was, Thompson posted on Facebook. Thompson said her baby, Isaiah, has been an angel during the class, with the occasional flatulence, which breaks up an otherwise quiet math lesson. Hopefully this post will encourage other educators or moms or pregnant/working women who are students to ask for help, she posted. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan (kay-NAHN') wants to tell a story he's familiar with in his proposed HBO series "Mogadishu, Minnesota." K'naan wants to set and film the show in Minneapolis, home to the largest Somali community in the United States. But he has run into opposition from fellow Somalis who worry the series will focus on young men who have gone overseas to join terrorist groups. The 39-year-old Somali immigrant says he came up with the idea of the family drama about three years ago. But opponents have raised concerns about the series' original title "The Recruiters" and the involvement of Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow as executive producer. Filming of the show's pilot recently wrapped in Minneapolis. A decision on whether HBO will greenlight the series is expected next year. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The search for the remains of a missing 13-month-old Wyoming boy is set to start daybreak Tuesday at a Colorado landfill. Capt. Linda Gesell of the Laramie County Sheriff's Office says about 30 people a day from her department and the Wyoming Army National Guard will search the landfill in Ault, Colorado. Gesell says the search may take weeks. It will address an area 25 yards wide and 100 yards long where the trash is about 15-feet deep. Twenty-three-year-old Logan Hunter Rogers of Cheyenne is charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangering with a controlled substance in the death of Silas Anthony Ojeda of Cheyenne. Investigators say Rogers told them the boy died after falling off a counter and that Rogers put his body in a trash container. The words "lasting marriage" aren't as synonymous as they once were. Think Brad and Angelina if you want an example from Hollywood -- or just look around. HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DAUGHTER'S DATING THE WRONG GUY Many young people have put off getting married for the simple reason they've seen their parents' relationships fall apart and don't want the same mess for themselves. Although the divorce rate has declined in recent years, in the past two decades divorce rates among those age 50 and over have doubled. What was once considered a solid, durable commitment for the long haul has lost its credibility, in some circles, for the sacred union it once was. Clint Eastwood once said, "Marriages are made in heaven, but then again ... so are thunder and lightning." The marriage "task" may become more difficult as we grow more self-centric as a culture. HOW TO AVOID AN AFFAIR AND SAVE YOUR MARRIAGE If we're being honest, doing things on one's own always seems easier. But ultimately selfishness will only shrink one's world, while sharing it will enlarge it. That is part of the beauty and brilliance of marriage. Quite possibly the greatest metaphor of Christ's love for us, marriage was intended to be a formed union -- a man and woman becoming one (key word here: becoming). It is "an invitation for a man and woman to rediscover love as originally intended," say the authors of "The Will of a Man & The Way of a Woman," Robert and Pamela Crosby of Lakeland, Florida, who have been married for 34 years. The couple are Christian leaders in their community (and full disclosure, the parents of this author as well). In their new book, the couple explore the essential foundations for the balancing and blending a healthy marriage requires and share seven keys for a marriage built to last. 1.) Marriage and loneliness aren't a good mix. For most couples, one spouse is often more content to spend time on his or her own than the other. One is more preoccupied with work or hobbies, while the other is just a bit more naturally self-consumed. (It's often the differences that draw people together, right?) But "marriage will not only bring a meaningful relationship and partnership into your life, it will challenge your selfishness as an individual and stretch you," say the authors. 2.) Stay interested in one another. Many spouses too quickly lose interest in their partner. It's easy to assume one knows everything about the other person -- because it no longer requires work. The best way to keep a marriage alive is to keep your intrigue in each other active and present. Ask questions. Stay curious. Embrace the mystery of it all. "A good question can open a conversation; a great one can open your soul," say the authors. 3.) Register your complaints without criticizing your spouse's character. Making your home a place of honesty, clarity, and (when appropriate) passionate confrontations are all essential for a lasting and thriving relationship. Disagreements aren't always avoidable -- but hurt and insults are. When you need to confront your spouse on a touchy subject, practice grace and discretion. "Remember men handle truth best when it is communicated respectfully, and women handle it best when it is communicated lovingly," they say. 4.) Give the truth time to work. "One big mistake couples make when confronting each other is pushing the truth instead of presenting it," say the authors. When the natural urge is to cram the truth down someone's throat, you will likely never get the response you are looking for. The Bible says, "The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Our responsibility is to effectively communicate the truth -- and God's job is to turn it into conviction and (one hopes) change. 5.) Don't disregard his will. Men possesses a unique God-given propensity for exercising a strong will in life. The deepest offense for most men is when their opinion or statements are easily disregarded, with comments such as "You don't know what you're talking about..." 6.) Learn to not get in her way. Women possess a unique quality as well: They know and understand how to get things done. Often the greatest offense to a woman is when her "way" of doing things is devalued. When a woman feels she is not heard or belittled -- it can lead to deep frustrations. 7.) Remember, oneness is the goal. Think of how the Navy Blue Angels fly jets in beautiful choreographed displays. One of their leaders said, "Our goal is always to fly as one. We don't always get it right, but we try to come as close to it as we can." Becoming one as a couple, while juggling all of life's other demands, often takes a backseat to our daily agenda, when really it should be the reverse. Marriage is made to be a journey toward oneness. "These two shall become one," according to Genesis. Marriage is about two lives merging together and flying together. Yes. These two shall become one ... but not overnight. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley declared a state of emergency Tuesday after a gas pipeline explosion killed a worker, injured five others, and sent thick black smoke over a forest in the northern part of the state. The blast on Monday shut down the pipeline that supplies gasoline to millions of people for the second time in less than two months, raising concerns over possible gas shortages and price hikes. PIPELINE BLAST MAY CREATE 'EPIC PROBLEM' FOR DRIVERS Bentley's action means that for the time being, truckers carrying gasoline won't be subject to the limits on hours they may drive that apply under normal circumstances. Governors in other states took similar actions after a leak in the Colonial pipeline in Alabama last month led to gasoline shortages across the South, as trucks carrying gasoline help make up some of the shortfall caused by the closed pipeline. Monday's explosion unfolded when a track hoe -- a machine used to remove dirt -- struck the pipeline, igniting gasoline. Four of the injured remained hospitalized, Colonial spokesman Bill Barry said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference in nearby Helena, Alabama. He had no updates on their conditions or the severity of their injuries. Another worker was treated at the scene, Barry said. The September leak that spilled 252,000 to 336,000 gallons of gasoline occurred not far from the location of Monday's explosion. That leak led to days of dry pumps and higher gas prices in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas while repairs were made. NEARLY $1 MILLION POURS IN FOR ND ANTI-PIPELINE PROTEST, BUT IT MAY NOT LAST The contractors were working on repairs related to the September leak when gasoline ignited and spread fire to the pipeline, the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said Tuesday. The nine-member crew was using the track hoe to excavate the pipeline as part of preparation work so that permanent repairs from the September leak could be made, Colonial Pipeline executive Gerald Beck said. The machine struck the pipeline, touching off the explosion, he said. The Colonial pipeline provides nearly 40 percent of the region's gasoline and usually runs at or near full capacity. Together Colonial's two lines carry more than 2 million barrels of fuel a day. By mid-day Tuesday, Colonial Pipeline said it was able to restart the second of its two main lines, which carries diesel fuel and jet fuel. However, the company added that it anticipates that the main gasoline line will be closed the rest of this week. Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, operates 5,599 miles of pipelines, transporting more than 100 million gallons daily of gasoline, jet fuel, home heating oil and other hazardous liquids in 13 states and the District of Columbia, according to company filings. Plagued by a severe drought after weeks without rain, the section of the state where the explosion happened has been scarred by multiple wildfires in recent weeks, and crews worked to keep the blaze from spreading. Coleen Vansant, a spokeswoman with the Alabama Forestry Commission, said crews built a 75-foot-long earthen dam to contain burning fuel. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the blaze had been contained but it was unclear how long the fire may take to burn out. Two wildfires caused by the explosion burned 31 acres of land, Vansant said. "We'll just hope and pray for the best," Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. Houses around the blast scene were evacuated, and sheriff's Capt. Jeff Hartley said it wasn't clear when people might be able to return home. Eight or nine subcontractors were working on the pipeline when it exploded about 3 p.m. Monday, sheriff's Maj. Ken Burchfield told Al.com. The conditions of those hurt weren't immediately known. "Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on site and protection of the public," the company said in a brief statement. In North Carolina, the governor and attorney general, who are political rivals, responded to worries about gasoline prices following the explosion. Attorney General Roy Cooper reminded residents that North Carolina's price gouging law remains in effect. Gov. Pat McCrory urged citizens not to participate in panic buying. McCrory, a Republican, and Cooper, a Democrat, are rivals in the 2016 governor's race. The Associated Press contributed to this report. A University of Wisconsin-Stout International student has died after being assaulted early Sunday morning in downtown Menomonie, the university said Monday. Chancellor Bob Meyer said Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, a junior majoring in business administration, died. Hussain came to UW-Stout in 2015. He was being treated at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to Hussains family in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and his friends at UW-Stout, Meyer said. I want to make a personal appeal to anyone on campus or in the community who might have information that would help authorities locate the individual involved in the attack to come forward. The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday in the 400 block of Main Street East in downtown Menomonie, near Toppers Pizza. A New York man involved in a street racing crash that killed five teenagers has been sentenced to up to four years in prison for violating his probation. The sentence comes after Cory Gloe was arrested last month after firing a shotgun in his Long Island backyard. Gloe initially received a sentence of six months in jail and five years on probation in the May 2014 crash. A judge said at the time that justice would be served by not sending him to prison. He said the crash was an error sparked by "juvenile ignorance." But Nassau County Judge Terrence Murphy rescinded that ruling on Tuesday after the 20-year-old pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapon charge. Murphy said Gloe was about to learn the difference between local jail and state prison. A realtor in Dallas shot and killed in a parking lot as her horrified daughter watched was trying to sell the girl's iPhone to buyers they'd met on an app, according to a report Tuesday. The shooting killed 42-year-old Martha Teran at a Medieval Times parking lot Sunday night, Fox 4 reported. A fellow realtor said Teran was new to the business and had planned to move to Louisiana to be closer to her common-law husband. Teran's daughter had been trying to sell her iPhone 7 on an app known as OfferUp, relatives told WFAA. The people who claimed they were the buyers shot and killed the mother before escaping, the news station reported. Family members told WFAA the three suspects had wanted to meet at a different location, but the mother refused. Relatives said there was "little to no communication" before they fired shots. Police did not initially name any suspects. "It's tragic news, realtor Tom Gilchrist told the news station. We're all shocked. The woman's family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral services. Click for more from Fox 4. Transit workers in Philadelphia went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, shutting down public transportation that provides nearly 900,000 rides per day. A union representing nearly 4,700 workers went on strike after being unable to reach a contract agreement with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The strike has raised fears that a long walkout could potentially keep voters from the polls on Election Day. We are hopeful that a tentative agreement will be reached before Election Day. If we foresee an agreement will not come to pass, SEPTA intends to seek to enjoin the strike for November 8th to ensure that the strike does not prevent any voters from getting to the polls and exercising their right to vote, SEPTA officials wrote in a press release on their website. "Despite months of constructive and innovative proposals from our side of the table, management has refused to budge on key issues including safety issues that would save lives and not cost SEPTA a dime," said TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown, who heads the union's negotiating team. "There is no new agreement, so we are on strike." Brown also said that instead of heading to their shifts, union members will report to picket duty. SEPTA said in a statement that negotiators are "ready and willing" to continue contract talks. "The decision by TWU President Willie Brown leaves thousands of SEPTA customers without the transit services they rely on for travel to and from work, school and medical appointments," SEPTA said in a statement. SEPTA posted a service interruption guide on their website since trains will be the only travel option in and around Philadelphia. Union officials said the two sides are divided by pension and health care issues, also highlighting issues such as schedules, break time and driver fatigue. Businesses, hospitals and schools have been preparing for a potential transit shutdown last week. The Philadelphia school system will remain open, despite a potential impact. Nearly 60,000 public, private and charter school students use SEPTA for rides. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf urged both sides to continue talking until they can reach an agreement. "Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents rely on SEPTA to travel each day to and from work and school and the inability of TWU and SEPTA to reach an agreement is devastating for many of these individuals and their families," Wolf said in a statement. "This will create extreme hardships for the city and for businesses." Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney urged residents to "have patience during this period." The Associated Press contributed to this report. A student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout has died after he was injured in a weekend assault in Menomonie. University of Wisconsin-Stout student Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, 24, died Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, of injuries he suffered during a weekend assault in downtown Menomonie. Alnahdi was originally from Saudi Arabia. The universitys chancellor sent a letter to students and staff on Monday saying 24-year-old Hussain Saeed Alnahdi died of injuries he received early Sunday. Chancellor Bob Meyer said in his letter that Alnahdi was from Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and was a junior majoring in business administration. He started attending UW-Stout in 2015.Meyer also made a personal plea for anyone with information about the assault to come forward so police can find the person responsible. SUSPECT IN KANSAS BOMBING PLOT CALLS HEARING 'RIDICULOUS' The assault occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday in downtown Menomonie, near Toppers Pizza. The Leader-Telegram of Eau Claire reported that police are looking for a man who fled the scene on foot after the assault. Police were unable to say whether the assault was racially motivated. Alnahdi was found bleeding from his mouth and nose, and witnesses reported he was assaulted by the man who fled the scene. No weapons were used in the assault, the Leader-Telegram reported. Alnahdi died at the Eau Claire hospital.Anyone with information about the assault is asked to call Menomonie police at 715-231-8511. Anonymous information can be submitted at 855-847-3866 or at dunncocrimestoppers.com. You may also text TIPDUNN followed by your message to 274637 (CRIMES). A 95-year-old World War II veteran who owed the VA thousands of dollars after it overpaid her for years will not be expected to repay the money, officials told FoxNews.com Tuesday. For more than two decades, Irene Miller -- a Navy storekeeper during World War II -- received pension and disability checks from the Department of Veterans Affairs for her service. But those payments stopped last month because the VA overpaid the Nevada woman, according to Miller, who said she now faces eviction from her home because she cannot afford her bills. "There were sending me $1,788 a month for years," Miller told FoxNews.com. "Now they're saying they overpaid me," said Miller, a great-grandmother whose late husband served in the Air Force during World II. "I don't think I'll ever see another pension check again." Miller, who lives alone in her Las Vegas home with her dog, said she relies on the checks to pay her rent. Without them, she faces eviction. After several inquiries made by FoxNews.com, the VA said Tuesday that Miller will face no debt with the department. The VA did not clarify how much Miller owed or how, exactly, the mistake occurred. "Due to privacy issues, VA cannot discuss the veterans case. However, we are glad this issue came to our attention as it provided an opportunity to serve our veterans in need," the VA said in a statement. "As a result, this particular issue has been resolved and will have no negative financial impact on the veteran," it said. Miller said that for the past 12 years, the VA was paying her a small amount of $22 a month from her late husbands federal benefits. "When my husband died, they gave his pension to me and it wasn't very much," she said. "I really didn't pay attention." Miller said that the VA stopped sending her checks altogether last month when it caught the mistake during an audit. She told FoxNews.com she owes the VA $26,000, though that sum could not be confirmed with the VA. Steve Sanson, president of Veterans In Politics International, said his group plans to hold a fundraiser for Miller so that she can continue to pay her monthly rent and utility bills. "It is absolutely terrifying on how we treat our military veterans in this country," Sanson told FoxNews.com. "Here we have a 95-year-old disabled wheelchair-bound Navy veteran whom our government has stopped paying." A crowd-funding website has been created to help Miller pay her bills. The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month that the Pentagon is seeking to recover decade-old re-enlistment bonuses paid to thousands of California Army National Guard soldiers to go fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. The paper reported that nearly 10,000 soldiers, many of whom risked their lives during multiple combat tours, have been ordered to repay the cash bonuses after audits revealed widespread overpayments by California Guard officials under pressure to meet enlistment targets at the height of the wars 10 years ago. Donald Trumps favorability rating is sky-high here, where citizens are paying surprisingly close attention to the U.S. election and see the developer and political novice as the clear choice for the White House. In dozens of interviews FoxNews.com conducted in various cities across the country this month with Iraqis from different religions and walks of life the overwhelming majority support Trump over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Many believe Trump would be tough on terror, and blame Clinton at least in part for policies that have destabilized much of the Middle East. "America should leave the political correctness and be tough on these countries that finance terrorism," Nseeif Al-Khattabi, a Shia Muslim and governor of the Holy Karbala Province Council, told FoxNews.com. "We need a strong leader and if Trump needs me to speak at a rally I will come. If he follows his words and his strong stance and points his fingers at these countries that support terrorism, he will be able to stop it." Another very highly-placed leader in Iraq's security and intelligence arena, who requested anonymity, stressed that the U.S. troop pullout in 2011 was a mistake, and said Iraqis are looking to the next administration to once again develop a strong military relationship. "The Iraq invasion was not wrong, but the decisions that followed were wrong," said the official. "Keeping the army intact and getting rid of the Saddam loyalist bad apples, while keeping our security institutions in place would have been better." Mamoul Al-Samraaii, the Baghdad-based head of the Al Itfaq political party, a non-sectarian, economy-focused bloc, said he was impressed meeting Clinton as Secretary of State in 2010 and that he was also impressed by Trump's business acumen. But ultimately, Samraaii noted, choosing his words carefully, he is looking to the next U.S. President for support in propelling Iraq into a more capitalist economy with imports and exports beyond the oil market. "If there is a problem in the world, it seems Republicans take over, he said. When things are good, Democrats win. Republicans will likely have a better chance this time, with all the problems in our world. Gen. Sarhad Qader Mohammad, director of the districts and towns of Kirkuk Province Police Department, believes Trump will help fight ISIS on its home turf. "I believe that America has always had a stable policy in fighting terrorism, but Hillary has a softer approach," he said. "Trump is much harder when it comes to these issues, he won't put up with it." Even though the operation is underway to liberate ISIS from its stronghold in the northern city of Mosul, many recognize that peace can be fragile and fleeting, and that much of the nation in particular the capital Baghdad is still rife with terror. According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), the country has seen an uptick in violence since 2013, and just over three months ago experienced its worst suicide attack since 2003 one which killed more than 300 people in the popular shopping district of Karrada. The topic of American politics makes for impassioned conversation among young Iraqis, who huddle in trendy hookah and coffee bars and upscale malls in major cities. "I am for Trump," Saif Hussein, a 27-year-old flight engineer, told FoxNews.com, glancing out at the still charred remains of the Karrada market, juxtaposed with a bursting nightlife of people unabashedly getting on with life along one of Baghdad's "most bombed" concourses. "I hope that U.S. policy changes after the elections, and helps us to further eliminate the militants and terrorist financiers who support them. It was a mistake to withdraw that quickly. I want the whole world to know that the Iraqi people love life, and want a fair state. We have lost a lot of young people to war, but we still have hope for peace." Dr. Zainab Abbas Elshafei, a 26-year-old gynecologist from a mixed Sunni and Shia family in the south of Baghdad near Babil, echoed that the U.S. elections are coming at a crucial time given their nations enduring violence. The USA as a country is considered the main leader and engine for the international alliance against ISIS, so the next president will really determine if the war to eliminate them fully will be serious or not, she said. I prefer Trump because of his opinions about the countries supporting terrorism, especially Saudi Arabia. We are against militant Islam. And Hillary Clinton was Obamas Secretary of State they made ISIS by using all the wrong strategies, and now they are having to fight it. While many Iraqis say they feel somewhat let down by the United States for an invasion followed by an abrupt withdrawal before stability was reached, the overall consensus pointed to a long term presence and tight relationship between the two countries. And even though relations between Baghdad Central Government and the northern, semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) remain strained, the two governments are coordinating to expel ISIS from Mosul and appear to at least agree when it comes to backing Trump. "This election is very important to the Kurdish people as a friend to the United States, said Kurdish political journalist Aso Haji. We have seen eight years of Democrats in Iraq, and their policies are not in favor of our desires, they care more about a unified Iraq. But we are focused on our independence." The Republican Party has long been viewed as a beacon of hope for many Kurds, who see the American GOP as more likely to support their ambition of independence. The Bush administration was immensely popular after taking out Saddam Hussein, and streets in Kurdish cities and villages often bear the name of the American political dynasty. "Hillary Clinton as Secretary showed that she is a danger not just to Iraq, but the region at-large. Look at all the instability in Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya," Haji said. "Obama was the worst president of all and we fear she will be even worse. We see Mr. Trump as a more honest person, and America should be led by an honest person. And besides, how can we trust a woman who cannot uphold her dignity as a wife and a mother who stands by her husband through all types of scandals? How can she be trusted to defend the interests of a great nation like America?" Minority factions such as Christians and Yazidis - officially victims of ISIS genocide - also generally said the support Trump. Yazidis who spoke to FoxNews.com said they want the next White House to lead the way in establishing "international protection" for their people. A strong sense of betrayal has cemented itself among Yazidis, tens of thousands who are now scattered in squalor across the north of the country, driven from their homes and, in many cases, slaughtered and enslaved by their Arab neighbors. "It was our neighbors, the Arabs we knew for decades, who turned their weapons on us," one Yazidi community leader who asked only to be identified as Haider, lamented from their sacred temple of Lalish. "My whole family is gone. How can we ever trust them again? How can we trust Hillary Clinton who is afraid to call it what it is: Islamic terrorism? This matters to us." Yet for others, the reason for their apprehension is far simpler. "She is a woman," stated Waseem, a mid-40's Baghdad native who worked for high-level U.S government branches in both interpreter and cultural advising roles. "I don't know if most Iraqis are ready for that." Steven Nabil contributed to this report Moroccan prosecutors say 11 people are facing manslaughter charges after a fish vendor was crushed to death in a garbage truck in an incident that prompted nationwide protests. According to a prosecutor's statement Tuesday reported by state news agency MAP, the 11 include two local security agents and two senior local officials. Mouhcine Fikri was selling unauthorized swordfish when local police confiscated his merchandise Friday. The prosecutor's statement confirmed he was killed after climbing inside the garbage truck to retrieve his fish. Witnesses said a security officer ordered the truck driver to start the compactor with Fikri inside. The prosecutor's statement concluded that "there was no order to assault the victim." The death prompted comparisons to a Tunisian vendor's self-immolation that sparked the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. As South African police investigate the brutal murder of an Australian-British banker, more details have emerged of how his killer got in. James Starkeys body was found in the Raphael Penthouse Suites, a luxury apartment complex in Johannesburg. BRITISH BANKER IN HONG KONG ACCUSED OF TORTURING 1 OF 2 WOMEN MURDERED A concerned colleague discovered his body. He went to see him after he failed to make contact on October 8. Now the general manager of Legacy Hotels, the company that owns the the Raphael Penthouse Suites, has said Mr Starkeys death could not have been as a result of a break-in, Fairfax Media reports. He said Mr Starkeys death occurred after his invited guest was let in. SUSPECT ACQUITTED AFTER TINDER DATE PLUMMETED OFF BALCONY This incident was not a breach of security in the building and took place between the tenant and his invited guest in a private apartment, Legacy Hotels general manager David Stroud said. The news comes as South African police are still investigating Mr Starkeys murder. His body showed signs of brutal injuries, Fairfax Media reports. He had suffered burns, strangulation and his hands were found tied together. No motive or suspects have been found yet. Mr Starkey was in South Africa for work. He was working as a management consultant at a banking consultancy firm called Catalyst in London. Click for more from news.com.au Human rights activists and politicians in Pakistan have banded together to successfully secure the release of a 9-year-old Christian boy and his mother who were jailed last week and could have faced the death penalty after they were accused of burning the Quran. According to the London-based charity British Pakistani Christian Association, 9-year-old Izhan was at school in the town of Quetta on Oct. 20 when he was accused of burning a copy of Islam's holy book. The next day, he and his mother, Shakil, who works as a nurse at a nearby hospital, were arrested without the police conducting an investigation into the allegations provided by a Muslim witness. As with many other blasphemy cases, news of the arrest stirred up tensions between the local Muslim and Christian communities. Fortunately, local police protected the Christian community from threats and the formation of a Muslim mob. As one Pakistani Christian teen already sits in prison and faces the prospects of the death penalty after being charged with breaking the country's persecutory blasphemy laws on the grounds that he shared a blasphemous picture on Facebook, Pakistani human rights activists quickly went to try and secure the release of the child and his mother. Officers from BPCA, along with other human rights advocates, spent the four days after the arrest calling on the police to release Izhan and his mother. According to the Pakistani Christian Post, lawmakers and the leadership of the Sunni political party Jamiat Ulema Islam (F) were instrumental in helping to secure their release and quash the blasphemy allegations against them. Click Here to Read the Full Story at ChristianPost.com In an Oct. 27 letter in the Chippewa Herald, Richard Anderl wrote, The current Democratic Administration is in the process of taking away the freedom of religion and the rights of Catholics to practice their faith. The First Amendment to our Constitution states, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. My hope is that a new Wisconsin Legislature will restore the funding for our teachers and local schools. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture funds and workers should be restored with local farmers and conservation boards in control. Unbiased university research has been an important part of our state's success and producing a surplus of food and protecting our natural resources. We need to do our part in replacing fossil fuels with new sources of energy. Hopefully, these needs could be funded by federal grants from progressive federal income and capital gains taxes to help the poor and the elderly. Social Security, food stamps and a livable minimum wage are important means for our poor. Laura Kraemer, Chippewa Falls Danish police have issued an international arrest warrant for a Syrian refugee whose wife and two daughters were found murdered in the family's apartment in southern Denmark. Police said Tuesday they suspect that 33-year-old Hamid Farid Mohammed "may have had something to do with the murders." Investigators on Sunday found the remains of the 27-year-old woman and the couple's daughters, aged 7 and 9, in a freezer inside their apartment in Aabenraa, near the border with Germany. Mohammed's whereabouts weren't known. Police said a court detained him in absentia, allowing investigators to issue a warrant for his arrest in Denmark and internationally. The family arrived in Denmark in 2015 and received refugee status. For the first time in years, bells rang out on the roof of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in the Iraqi town of Qaraqosh, which was feed from the Islamic State's grip last week after an intense fight. On Sunday, the Archbishop of Mosul, Butrus Moshe, said mass, Reuters reported. Dozens of civilians attended. IRAQI FORCES ENTER MOSUL CITY LIMITS, GAINING GROUND IN ISIS FIGHT Today Qaraqosh is free of Daesh, he said, using another term for ISIS. Our role today is to remove all the remnants of [ISIS], he said. This includes erasing sedition, separation and conflicts, which victimized us. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Iraqis are monitoring the offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second-largest city. Each battlefield advance brings hope that they can return home, but they also fear what they might find when they get there. ISIS TARGETS CHILDREN IN MOSUL WITH TEDDY BEAR BOMBS Homes along the town's main road were charred and riddled with bullet holes. Many were spray-painted with graffiti, including the first letter of a derogatory word in Arabic for Christians that the militants used to mark Christian property. Under the extremists' rule, Christians had to either convert to Islam or pay a special tax. Iraqi troops, after two years, have also entered the outskirts of Mosul. The advance could be the start of a grueling and slow operation for the troops, who will be forced to engage in difficult, house-to-house fighting in urban areas that is expected to take weeks, if not months. Mosul is the final ISIS urban bastion in Iraq, the city from which it drove out a larger but demoralized Iraqi army in 2014 and declared a "caliphate" that stretched into Syria. Its loss would be a major defeat for the jihadis, but with the closest Iraqi troops still some 6 miles from the city center, much ground remains to be covered. Violence is still rampant across the country, with killings worsening in October, the United Nations said. In a monthly report released by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, it said 1,792 people were killed in violence in Iraq in October, up from 1,003 the previous month. 1,120 of the dead were civilians. Reuters reported that the country has seen a sharp decline in its Christian population, which started after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Christianity in northern Iraq dates back to the first century AD. Political and sectarian strife, separating between one man and another, between ruler and follower, these mentalities must be changed, Moshe said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. German police say they have seized several firearms from a couple believed to belong to the so-called Reich Citizens' Movement, a loose grouping of anti-government extremists, after authorities revoked their weapons permits. Police in Flensburg, near the Danish border, said they sent in a tactical response unit to back up officers who were sent to the couple's home early Tuesday morning. The 73-year-old man and 69-year-old woman had been ordered to give up their two pistols, two revolvers and two rifles, and police say they handed them over when asked to do so. In a similar operation in Bavaria last month, another self-styled Reich citizen opened fire on police raiding his property, fatally wounding an officer. The Reich Citizens' Movement refuses to recognize the post-war Federal Republic of Germany. Germany's justice minister is proposing legislation which would dissolve child marriages, with limited exceptions in cases where spouses are at least 16. Amid the recent influx of migrants to Germany, authorities are seeing a growing number of minors who claim to be married. The exact figure of child marriages in Germany isn't known but officials estimate there are more than 1,000. Justice Minister Heiko Maas is proposing a bill that would invalidate all marriages under 16. He told reporters Tuesday that foreign marriages involving minors aged 16-17 would also be dissolved unless there are "special reasons" such as a child being born to the couple or the girl being pregnant. Maas didn't say whether this would affect existing German law, which permits a 16-year-old to marry with parental consent. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Indian officials say six civilians have been killed by Pakistani shelling in Kashmir, as cross-border firing by the two countries' troops escalated in the disputed region. Police officer Joginder Singh said four people, including two children, were killed Tuesday by Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector. Civil administrator Pawan Kotwal said two women also died in Rajouri sector. Kotwal said at least nine civilians were injured. Indian and Pakistani troops have exchanged cross-border fire frequently in recent weeks, causing casualties on both sides. Both sides accuse the other of initiating it. The Indian and Pakistani armies guard the Line of Control that divides the two parts of Kashmir. Each country also has a separate paramilitary border force that guards the frontier separating Indian-controlled Kashmir and the Pakistani province of Punjab. A reed-thin boy sits meekly in a blue molded plastic chair in a darkened office, flickers of light from a camera casting shadows around a young face mottled by adolescent acne. His anxious dark brown eyes dart relentlessly from side to side, betraying confusion and fear. His name is Awad Arkan Helal Mohammed, and, at just 14, he is a captured ISIS operative now in the custody of Kurdish authorities. He is one of thousands of child soldiers recruited into the brutal Islamist terrorist armys service. "The Caliphate Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi, to listen and obey in times of hardship and ease, in difficulty and prosperity," he shouts into the camera with mustered defiance. "I am not to dispute his orders, only when I see evident infidelity regarding which is there is a proof from Allah. Allah is my witness." FREED ISIS SEX SLAVE IN EMOTIONAL REUNION WITH FAMILY FoxNews.com was present earlier this week as the camera rolled, collecting evidence for his future trial. After his cursory interrogation, Awad told FoxNews.com how he joined ISIS, a process that began with a simple pledge of allegiance recited on April 16, 2015, after he was recruited by a friend, Mahmood Ibrahim Shukoor, in his local Kirkuk village of Smata Olya. The decision made him a chip off the block. "My dad was also ISIS," Awad said, while noting he nonetheless didn't tell his parents out of fear they might have stopped him. "So I just ran away." ISIS TARGETS CHILDREN OF MOSUL WITH TEDDY BEAR BOMBS His father, Awad said, was killed in an airstrike just more than a year ago. The loss deepened his determination to become a martyr and reap the benefits his adult handlers had promised, he said. "The leaders told me I would go the Paradise," he said. "Where there would be many angel women waiting." The interrogation and subsequent exclusive interview took place inside the barricaded and nondescript confines of the Kirkuk Police Department. Encircled by a thick cement wall and layers of security, the unmarked building in the city center is guarded by snipers atop the roof and 24-7 patrols on the ground. Inside, uniformed men puff on cigarettes as they roam the shabby hallways, their rifles slung tight. Awad recounted the events that followed his pledge to the self-styled ISIS caliph when he was 13. He was whisked away to the nearby village Albo Najim for 37 days of intense weapons training, he said. The focus was on using AK-47s, M16 rifles and the Soviet-style machine gun BKC, otherwise known as PKM outside Iraq. There were two ISIS trainers and 30 trainees -- half of them minors. After completing his training, Awad spent four months working for ISIS in the Kirkuk village of Al Bonajim, earning a salary of $50 per month. That hitch was followed by a 45-day assignment in Tel Afar, a town outside of Mosul. For 45 days he underwent more advanced training alongside Iraqi and foreign kids. The leaders, according to Awad, would yell at them during the boot camp to "kill Peshmerga," the name for Kurdish fighters, as well as the Shia militia Hashd Al Shahbi. Peshmerga forces and Shia militias are now playing a key role in the ongoing effort to retake Mosul from ISIS. Awad's next stint was commanding a guard post in Kirkuk's Sehel village with eight others -- all from neighboring Qahara Village in Daqoq. With an AK-47 in his hands at all times, his task was to inform the ISIS intelligence agents if anyone "came close" to their post. On Aug. 23, Peshmerga fighters ambushed the guards and arrested Awad and others. "I wasn't scared," he said. "They treated me well." As Awad slouched hopelessly and gazed at the cold cement floor, his interrogator barked at him to look up and into the lens at all times. Soldier-like, Awad snapped to attention before making a resigned observation to no one in particular. "I don't think," he said, "that I will go to the Paradise anymore." The session was interrupted when Kirkuk Police Brig. Gen. Sarhad Muhammed -- known in the local community as "Rambo" for his no nonsense persona and legendary ability to survive assassination attempts -- burst in. He ordered Awad to rise and trade places with another teen who was standing in a corner, awaiting his turn in the interrogation chair. Fifteen-year-old Mostafa Qais Ahmed Dawood solemnly took his place before the camera and began recounting his story. "ISIS told us this is the Islamic State that the Prophet commanded, he said. If you get killed, you will enter the Paradise and there are women for you." Unprompted, Mostafa repeated the same pledge of allegiance to Baghdadi heard moments earlier from Awad. Mostafas strong jawline clenched and his eyes flashed with defiance as he was grilled. He fidgeted in the blue chair, and pulled at a phantom beard -- the Kurds shave ISIS captives. Moments later, Mostafa told FoxNews.com that he joined ISIS in July, after being recruited by a local Sharia law judge named Abu Rashid. He recounted how he and seven other newcomers -- all children -- were trained by three ISIS leaders, learning the ins and outs of "the AK-47 weapon, BKC weapon, the 12.5-mm. machine gun weapon and body fitness." Mostafa's first assignment was alongside 10 other teens, inside Kurdish territory in Abbasi Village in Kirkuk province, guarding secretly deployed ISIS vehicles. In September, local authorities moved in, arresting the team and putting an end to Mostafas brief journey into jihadism. As Mostafa spoke, Awad stood timidly in the dark, transfixed by the multitude of framed photographs and certificates of Kirkuk Police Department accolades and awards adorning the walls. Neither of the boys are believed to have taken part in combat operations against security forces or executions. Both claimed to recognize the mistake in aligning with an organization that has slaughtered, enslaved and waged savage warfare on their neighbors and loved ones. "I do regret it. If I saw my young friends I would tell them to leave ISIS because it is outlawed," Mostafa said, in a methodical tone that seemed to lack in sincerity. "I would tell them to surrender to Iraq." Later over tea, Muhammed affirmed that pleas of regret are taken with a heavy measure of salt. "They are obliged say that, but we don't believe them," he said. Kirkuk authorities have captured dozens of ISIS child soldiers, he said. Those under 18 are held in an undisclosed children's correctional facility while they await trial, which typically comes between two and six months after their arrest. Muhammad stresses that the juveniles, held not in cells but in a large common room, tend to further radicalize one another. Their sentences vary, but minors usually get half of what an adult would for the same crime. Another official tells FoxNews.com that these child soldiers will probably spend six or seven years behind bars. There is no mention of the amnesty or rehabilitation programs that routinely drive the discourse of Western media and human rights groups when it comes to the issue of child soldiers. Given ISIS unprecedented use of kids to spy, kill and die for the cause, officials know they may never be able to afford leniency. "ISIS uses every technique, every way, to get everyone," Muhammad says. "They take women, train children, they find every possible way to infect the community." For a few moments, the two jihadists -- flanked by security -- are permitted to stand outside in the bright, mid-morning sun as officials talk among themselves and armed cops assemble nearby. The boys stand together with their backs against the wall, both staring blankly ahead. Then, handcuffed together, they are led back inside and down the hallway toward a truck waiting to take them to the detention facility. "It is not easy for these children to forget their ideology, forget something that they wanted to die for," Mohammad said. "But this ISIS ideology is like a cancer. It spreads if you don't treat it accordingly." next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 More than 1,000 Italians have welcomed some 80 migrants to the neighborhood in Milan with a block party featuring a pasta lunch, a brass band and crafts in a gesture aimed at countering rising anti-migrant tensions. Shouts of welcome went up as a small contingent of about 30 migrants came out of a recently repurposed army barracks for what was billed as the first welcome party of its kind in Italy. The night before, however, the attention was less welcoming. About 200 people belonging to right-wing parties and extremists groups protested outside the barracks under banners reading "Italians first." Tensions over migrants have been rising amid persistent arrivals creating a crunch in the housing system in the months since Italy has stepped up its border controls under pressure from European neighbors. Jailed Russian opposition activist Ildar Dadin says he has been tortured by prison guards. Dadin said he was beaten and hung up with handcuffs at a prison in northern Russia, according to a letter sent to his wife and released Tuesday to Russian media. Prison officials told the Novaya Gazeta newspaper that physical force had been used against Dadin, but said it took place only when he refused to leave his cell. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, the incident should be investigated by relevant authorities. Dadin, currently serving a 2 year sentence, was the first person to be jailed under strict new laws passed in 2014 regulating public demonstrations. Serbian authorities have released from detention a senior Kosovo police official who was jailed on suspicion of terrorism over a month ago. The state Serbian TV says that Nehat Thaci was released on Tuesday after prosecutors dropped the investigation against him. Thaci was jailed after crossing from Kosovo into Serbia late in September, a sign of ongoing tensions in the volatile Balkans. Kosovo has protested the arrest. The predominantly ethnic-Albanian former Serbian province declared independence in 2008 following a 1998-99 war. Belgrade has refused to recognize the split, but has joined EU-backed talks on normalizing ties to advance its own membership efforts. A Japanese freelance journalist covering the fighting in Iraq has been detained by Kurdish authorities. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday in Tokyo that "we are aware that he is currently being detained" and that Japan is trying to determine why. Japan's Kyodo News agency says that journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka (koh-soo-keh soo-neh-OH-ka) was reporting on the battle to recapture the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group. Kyodo reported he is being held by the Kurdish militia known as the peshmerga. Suga said that the Japanese Embassy in Iraq is requesting access to Tsuneoka. He added that "we are still confirming the details of his charges with local authorities." Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies, Sunni tribesmen and Shiite militias have been converging on Mosul since Oct. 17. Sunday: International Day of Prayer for Persecuted Church Contact: Katie Rouse, 770-813-0000, Opendoors@demoss.com SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 1, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- In 2015, more than 7,000 Christians were killed specifically because of their faith. This Sunday, Open Doors USA is urging Christians and churches to remember those killed and pray for those in more than 60 countries around the world still facing persecution because of their faith. Nov. 6 marks the annual International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Individuals and churches can participate by accessing free, downloadable resources or purchasing a resource kit. Resources include: Church service guide Sermon outline Video files Social media tools Prayer partner card templates Resources can be downloaded and hard-copy materials requested at OpenDoorsUSA.org/IDOP. INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: A pastor working in Central Asia can address the rapid spread of Christianity among Muslims, the growing government control and watchfulness of Christians, and what churches are up against in his part of the world. David Curry, Open Doors USA president and CEO, can discuss ways Americans can support those who are persecuted around the world. Open Doors will also be hosting Facebook Live events this week, featuring interviews with persecuted Christians along with other news, stories and special guests. According to Open Doors President and CEO David Curry, the International Day of Prayer is an important reminder for Christians living in Western countries. "Time and time again we hear Christians who live in fear everyday because of their faith saying prayer is the most important thing we can do," said Curry. "Having a day specifically set aside to pray for the persecuted is an important encouragement to those who are suffering, and we must never forget those who are facing the unimaginable for their faith." About Open Doors USA For more than 60 years, Open Doors USA has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries in support of persecuted Christians. Open Doors works to equip and encourage Christians living in dangerous circumstances with the threat of persecution and equips the Western church to advocate on their behalf. Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world and are oppressed in at least 60 countries. For more information, visit OpenDoorsUSA.org. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 The Latest on South Korea's political scandal (all times local): 12:30 p.m. North Korea is joyfully jumping into a bizarre political scandal rocking Seoul, calling it the inevitable result of a corrupt regime and saying the administration of South Korean President Park Geun-hye is "the most deformed, abnormal and stupid in contemporary society." Pyongyang, while allowing none of its media the freedom to point criticism at its own leadership, has wasted no opportunity to lambaste Park in the harshest ways it can. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency on Monday called the scandal a "hideous power-backed corruption case unprecedented in South Korean history." Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, added the "deformed, abnormal and stupid" characterization and, just for good measure, called Park a "colonial stooge." __ 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Police say they've detained a man who tried to ram an excavator into a gate near a Seoul prosecutors' office where the woman at the center of a snowballing political scandal was questioned. The ramming happened Tuesday morning after prosecutors detained Choi Soon-sil following hours of questioning. Prosecution officials say the man tried to enter the gate of a prosecution office near another office where Choi was investigated. Yonhap news agency says the man told investigators that he tried to meet Choi to help the woman with her death because she said she "committed a sin that deserves death." __ 3:35 p.m. Monday The woman at the center of a scandal roiling South Korea says she "committed a sin that deserves death." Choi Soon-sil is meeting with prosecutors who are examining whether she used her close ties to President Park Geun-hye to pull government strings from the shadows while amassing a fortune. According to Yonhap news agency, Choi told reporters Monday on her way to meet with the prosecutors, "Please, forgive me. I'm sorry. I committed a sin that deserves death." The scandal exploded last week when, after weeks of speculation, Park acknowledged that Choi had edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help. Widespread media reports have speculated that Choi, who has no official ties to the administration, had a major role in government affairs. ___ 3:20 p.m. The woman at the center of a scandal roiling South Korea is meeting with prosecutors who are examining whether she used her close ties to President Park Geun-hye to pull government strings from the shadows while amassing a fortune. Choi Soon-sil, a cult leader's daughter with a decades-long connection to Park, was nearly knocked off her feet several times Monday as she tried to walk through a massive crowd of media, protesters and security surrounding the entrance to the Seoul prosecutor's office. Wearing a bucket hat and scarf, she held her hand to her mouth and appeared to be gasping as the crowd converged on her. Protesters screamed: "Arrest Choi Soon-sil" and "Park Geun-hye should resign." The scandal exploded last week when, after weeks of speculation, Park acknowledged that Choi had edited some of her speeches and provided public relations help. North Korea is preparing to launch another intermediate-range ballistic missile in the next 24 to 72 hours, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the latest intelligence assessment tell Fox News. The pre-Election Day launch of the Musudan missile would be the ninth test launch this year, in addition to two nuclear tests by the communist nation in defiance of United Nations sanctions. Neither official would specify what the latest satellite imagery showed indicating a launch was days away. The U.S. military is concerned that the Musudan can be launched from concealable road-mobile launchers, typically from highways or mountainous areas. North Korean officials have long expressed a desire to build a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile to strike the United States. GETTING NORTH KOREA TO GIVE UP NUKES A 'LOST CAUSE,' AMERICAN INTEL CHIEF SAYS North Korea has shown a propensity to conduct missile launches around major events in the United States. In early February, Superbowl Sunday in the United States, North Korea launched a satellite into space. One of the Musudan launches came before the final presidential debate and while top South Korean leaders visited Washington earlier this month. "In this case, I think it's a real test," said Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies specializing in North Korea. "They are going to keep firing until it works." In March, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution condemning a January nuclear test as well the long range launch putting the satellite in space. Resolution 2270 calls on North Korea not conduct further tests and immediately suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile program. On Monday, for the first time in 28 years, a U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarine visited the U.S. island territory of Guam in the western Pacific, according to Navy officials. USS Pennsylvania, the American submarine which made the call to Guam, can carry 24 Trident D-5 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with a range of nearly 7,500 miles, capable of destroying any city in the world while submerged. Each Trident missile can carry multiple independent warheads, each one more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II. Last week, the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said the goal of persuading North Korea to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons is probably a "lost cause." KIM JONG UN'S WIFE DISAPPEARS FROM PUBLIC EYE, SPARKING FEARS FOR HER SAFETY Earlier this month, North Korea attempted two Musudan launches, which both failed according to the U.S. miltiary. One of the launches occurred while South Koreas top diplomat and defense minister visited Washington for scheduled talks. At the State Department, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter vowed an overwhelming response if the United States or its allies were attacked. Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. would deploy an advanced anti-missile system, THAAD, as soon as possible. South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se warned that North Korea was nearing the final stage of nuclear weaponization and called the threat grave. At a Pentagon press conference alongside his American counterpart hours after the North Korean launch, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo, speaking through an interpreter, said there was a high possibility North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was present for the launch. Han said his country would keep up psy-ops or psychological operations to expose North Korea to the outside world. Recent satellite photos first reported by the Washington Post last week allege the two recent missile launches on Oct. 15 and Oct. 20 may, in fact, be long range KN-08 missiles and not Musudan intermediate-range missiles. Despite a number of spectacular failures beginning in April, North Korea conducted a Musudan launch last summer that was deemed partially successful. The U.S. militarys Strategic Command said a June lunch resulted in a Musudan traveling nearly 250 miles into the Sea of Japan. When fully operational, a Musudan can travel up to 2,500 miles, well within range of U.S. forces stationed in Japan and Guam, according to officials. In August, the U.S. Air Force deployed three types of bombers to Guam for the first time together-- the B-1, B-2 and B-52. Strategic bombers such as the B-2 and B-52 are one of three legs of the U.S. militarys nuclear deterrence. U.S. Navy ballistic missile submarines and land-based intercontinental Minuteman III ballistic missiles based in the United States are the other two. Weeks later, North Korea successfully test fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile, a KN-11, which flew over 300 miles. The missile landed in Japans air defense identification zone for the first time, according to the Japanese government. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it an unforgiveable act at the time. In September, a pair of B-1B supersonic bombers from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam flew over South Korea, joined by U.S. and South Korean fighter jets in a show of force. North Korea later said the US was bluffing. The B-1B is no longer a nuclear-capable bomber, according to the U.S. Air Force. Four of North Koreas five nuclear tests have taken place during the Obama administration, but North Koreas nuclear aspirations go back decades. North Korea first tested a nuclear device in 2006 when President George W. Bush was in office. In a December 2014 interview with Fox News Chief Washington correspondent James Rosen, former Vice President Dick Cheney said he tried unsuccessfully in 2007 to persuade President Bush to bomb a nuclear reactor in northeast Syria at Al Kibar which had been constructed with help from North Korean officials, according to U.S. and Israeli intelligence. After North Koreas nuclear test in 2006, President Bush said he would hold North Korea fully accountable if they attempted to export any nuclear technology. Cheney told Rosen he wanted the president to defend the red line he had declared with regards to North Korea shopping its nuclear expertise. Yet, when President Bush asked his national security team about conducting a military operation to take out the North Korean-aided nuclear reactor in Syria, in what would become ISIS-controlled territory years later, Cheney said he was the lone vote calling for the airstrike. President Bush opted to go the United Nations instead, at the recommendation of the State Department and then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. North Korea was later delisted as a state sponsor of terrorism. On September 5, 2007, eight Israeli fighter jets destroyed the nuclear reactor at Al Kibar, which was the right answer, said Cheney. Russia's defense minister is accusing the Syrian rebels of massive shelling of residential areas in the city of Aleppo. Sergei Shoigu said over 2,000 militants backed by dozens of tanks and armored vehicles have launched attacks on living quarters, schools and hospitals in the government-controlled part of the city. He also claimed the rebels blocked civilians from leaving the rebel-controlled neighborhoods, killing dozens. The rebels in Aleppo began an offensive Friday to break the government's siege of the eastern part of the city, which has been under their control since 2012. Shoigu said that a Russian moratorium on conducting airstrikes on Aleppo entered a 16th day Tuesday. Turkish state television says the nation's armed forces are deploying tanks and other military vehicles to the border with Iraq. TRT television, citing unidentified military sources, said the tanks and vehicles were moving from the capital, Ankara, and the nearby province of Cankiri toward the border town of Silopi on Tuesday. It provided no other detail on the deployment which comes days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that Turkey would be closely monitoring Shiite militias' behavior in northern Iraq and seek to safeguard the rights of ethnic Turkmens there. Erdogan said the militia group could prompt a Turkish response if it "terrorizes" the Iraqi-Turkmen town of Tal-Afar. 1Heart Caregiver Services of Orange County Moved to a New Location in Newport Beach California NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA (PRWEB) October 31, 2016 - 1Heart Caregiver Services of Orange County had just moved to a new location at 3700 Campus Drive, Ste. 201 in Newport Beach, CA. "We are adapting to this change and although we have moved to Newport Beach we will continue to bring our quality service to Lake Forest and surrounding cities, says owner Jovi Virata. Jovi Virata is very thankful that the City of Lake Forest has given them a chance to put up business in that area. The City of Lake Forest had been very gracious in giving us the opportunity to help improve the lives of their senior community. It is a dynamic city that undergoes constant change. Fed Noarbe, President / Director of Communications / Training and Development, is enthusiastic about their Newport Beach location. We consider this a new chapter for our Franchise. This brings in new opportunities for us to concentrate our efforts to other locations within our franchise area and I am so excited about this development, says Fed. 1Heart Newport Beach will continue to conduct their regular 1Heart Caregiver University training within the area and will implement continuing health education program like "Brain Fitness Education" seminars and lectures within the senior communities. Aside from Newport Beach it will continue to serve the cities of Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo. They can be reached at (949)679-7705. About 1Heart Caregiver Services 1Heart Caregiver Services, 1Heartcares.com, is a premier senior care services company that provides professional private care duty to seniors and adults requiring assistance in their home and healthcare needs. 1Heart Caregiver Services is a Certified Member of CAHSAH (California Association for Health Services at Home), Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, International Franchise Association and is accredited by BBB. 1Heart Caregiver Services offers its services in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, Santa Barbara County area, and in West Las Vegas, Nevada. SOURCE 1Heart Caregiver Services Contacts: Randy Clarito 1Heart Caregiver Services +1 (805) 338-8100 Belina Calderon-Nernberg 1Heart Franchise 213-351-9100 ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Hyatt Place Sao Jose Do Rio Preto Opens In The State Of Sao Paulo, Brazil 152-room Hyatt Place hotel marks the brands entry into Brazil November 01, 2016 // Franchising.com // CHICAGO Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto opens today, marking the first Hyatt Place hotel to open in Brazil. Practical design aligned with comfort and technology are the leading characteristics of the new Hyatt Place hotel illustrating the success of Hyatts select service brand as it continues to create value for guests and owners worldwide. Hyatt, in joint venture with Elandis, intends to open multiple Hyatt Place hotels in Brazil. The Hyatt Place brand is rooted in extensive consumer insights indicating that guests seek stylish, comfortable, seamless experiences that accommodate their lifestyles and familiar routines. To embody this, the brand offers casual hospitality and purposeful services in a smartly designed, high-tech and contemporary environment. The opening of the first Hyatt Place hotel in Brazil is a milestone for the company as we continue to focus on the development of the Hyatt Place brand across Latin America, says Luciano Julio, regional director of Latin American operations for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. We truly believe guests will be pleased with the innovative service concept and modern design offered by the Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto. Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto offers: 152 spacious guestrooms featuring a plush Hyatt Grand Bed, media and work center with a 43" flat-panel HDTV and comfortable Cozy Corner sofa-sleeper Gallery Hosts unique to the Hyatt Place brand who are available 24 hours 24/7 Gallery Menu serving an a la carte menu 24/7 Gallery Market features perfectly packed grab n go items, such as snacks and sandwiches Gallery Kitchen Breakfast, a free breakfast for guests, including baked goods, fresh fruit, yogurt, juices, tea, and coffee Coffee to Cocktails Bar featuring specialty coffees and premium beers, as well as wines and cocktails Meeting Spaces offering more than 3,980 square feet (370 square meters) of flexible, high-tech meeting/function space ideal for coffee breaks, cocktail parties, banquets, or business meetings, 24/7 StayFit Gym featuring fully stocked exercise equipment Odds & Ends program for forgotten items that guests can buy, borrow or enjoy for free Free Wi-Fi and public computers with remote printing throughout the hotel The city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, is less than 275 miles (440 kilometers) from the capital Sao Paulo. The city represents an important cultural center in the region with rich traditions in arts, theater, music, and sports. Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto is located in a mixed use project that also houses one of Brazils iconic luxury shopping malls, Iguatemi Shopping Center, and is also conveniently located nearby the city center, office complexes, hospitals, and clinics. Airport Professor Eribelto Manoel Reino is a 20-minute drive and serves the surrounding cities. Aimed at stimulating the local socioeconomic development, the city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto is encouraging the growth of meetings and events productions. These events often attract people from other cities, demanding better infrastructure and encouraging the professionalization of the hospitality sector, which is beneficial not only to tourists but also to the entire population of the city. Sao Jose do Rio Preto is nationally recognized as one of the best cities for professional career development, and is also a service hub for several other cities in the region. The number of business and leisure travelers is consistently increasing so we hope Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto becomes their preferred hotel and we look forward to welcoming them, adds Julio. For more information about Hyatt Place hotels, please visit www.hyattplace.com. The term Hyatt is used in this release for convenience to refer to Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates. About Hyatt Place Hyatt Place, a brand of Hyatt Hotels Corporation, combines style, innovation and 24/7 convenience to create a seamless stay with modern comforts. There are more than 255 Hyatt Place locations in the United States, Armenia, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Honduras, India, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Thailand, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram, and tag photos with #HyattPlace and #WhySettle. About Hyatt Hotels Corporation Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 12 premier brands and 667 properties in 54 countries, as of June 30, 2016. The Company's purpose to care for people so they can be their best informs its business decisions and growth strategy and is intended to create value for shareholders, build relationships with guests and attract the best colleagues in the industry. The Company's subsidiaries develop, own, operate, manage, franchise, license or provide services to hotels, resorts, branded residences and vacation ownership properties, including under the Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt, Andaz, Hyatt Centric, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Residence Club brand names and have locations on six continents. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com. Forward-Looking Statements Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as may, could, expect, intend, plan, seek, anticipate, believe, estimate, predict, potential, continue, likely, will, would and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. SOURCE Hyatt Place Contacts: Allison Mack Hyatt +1 312 780 5933 allison.mack@hyatt.com Carla Santiago Hyatt Latin America +1 305 779 2207 carla.santiago@hyatt.com ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Marcos Pizza Prepares to Feed an Army in Honor of Veterans Day & Beyond Franchisees to Deliver Free Pizzas; Some Boxes to Contain Surprise Donations of Real Dough TOLEDO, Ohio - November 01, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Surrounding Veterans Day, Marcos Pizza will host free pizza parties for military veterans at local VFW posts, VA hospitals and American Legions nationwide, with certain pizza boxes containing certificates for special surprise gifts, such as much-needed wheelchair ramps, medical bill assistance or plane tickets to visit family. The nations fastest growing pizza company, with more than 700 locations, reports that franchises are staffing up with additional team members to help prep and deliver hundreds of pizzas to the veterans organizations around the country. Many franchisees also worked directly with local groups to identify veterans with specific immediate needs to receive the surprise certificates when they open their pizza boxes. In addition to serving up the donations and pizzas, Marcos is offering veterans another slice of the pie. Recently ranked amongst Military Times Top Five Best Franchise Opportunities for Military Veterans, Marcos Pizza is also rolling out programs designed to help veterans gain entry to careers and business ownership in the lucrative pizza industry. Many companies donate money for vets on Veterans Day, which should be continued and recognized, said Marcos President Bryon Stephens. The pizza parties and surprise certificates are just a small gesture to recognize the national holiday. Beyond that, were striving to have a meaningful, long-term positive impact with substantial recruitment and apprenticeship programs to help veterans enter back into a civilian workforce. To that end, Marcos appointed Richard Scott Quagliata, a military veteran with more than 20 years of experience, as Vice President of Veterans Program and Recruiting. Quagliata will focus on facilitating passionate, disciplined leaders entry into the Marcos management and apprenticeship pipeline with a focus on transitioning veterans. He has already implemented a Career Skills Program which affords soldiers to gain career skills during their last six months of duty at a Marcos Pizza location as salaried employees. There is currently one program approved in Fort Jackson, SC with two others pending approval at Forts Benning and Stewart, GA. Having transitioned from the military myself, I understand the requirements of this transition, Quagliata said. Were providing vehicles not just for employment for these men and women, but for careers. Were looking to facilitate a long-term relationship; a path to ownership. Recently, Marcos recruited its first member in the Veterans arm of the program, Tallon Schneider of Mount Juliette, Tenn. Schneider, who served in the Air Force for three years, has been placed as General Manager of a nearby local store with the ability to apply for the Apprenticeship Program after reaching identified benchmarks. Through the Apprenticeship Program, qualified applicants can work their way toward ownership of a Marcos Pizza. The opportunity Ive received through the Recruitment Program has given me another step in my career path, and has helped guide my vision of what I want to accomplish as a leader, said Schneider. Taking on the role of General Manager will allow me to help a young team grow and develop into a strong, cohesive unit, and thats the kind of difference Im striving to make. As the only national franchise chain founded by a native Italian, Marcos Pizza has carved out a niche in the industry as the expert in authentic Italian pizza, known for its fresh never-frozen dough made daily on site, a proprietary cheese blend that is fresh never-frozen and a secret pizza sauce recipe. With plans to open 150 new stores every year, the 700+ unit company aims to reach 1,000 stores by 2017. Averaging at least one store opening every three days, the veterans recruitment programs serve as an innovative way to continue growth with a hard-working, dedicated team. About Marcos Pizza Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marcos Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza company in the United States (based on the number of stores signed into development since 2007). Marcos was founded in 1978 by Italian born, Pasquale (Pat) Giammarco and thrives by making Italian Pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate 700 stores in 34 states, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and India. Most recently, Marcos Pizza was ranked No. 2 on Forbes Top 10 Franchises to Invest In in the medium investment range and the No. 2 fastest growing U.S. chain on the Nations Restaurant News Top 100 report. To inquire about franchise opportunities with Marcos Pizza visit marcosfranchising.com. SOURCE Marcos Pizza Contact: Alissa Stevens Fishman PR 847-945-1300 astevens@fishmanpr.com ### Add to Request List Added Request Information Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus Valpak Eyes Rhode Island Communities For Expansion New Franchise Opportunities Announced for Providence, Warwick and Cranston November 01, 2016 // Franchising.com // ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Valpak, a leader in local print and digital coupons, announced today it is looking to further grow its brand in the Narragansett Bay area, which includes Providence, Warwick and Cranston. The company currently mails to as many as 140,000 homes in the Ocean State, but is looking to expand its reach to 230,000 homes that will receive its signature Blue Envelope. The U.S. Census Bureau lists Providence as the state's most populous city, making the location a target expansion market for Valpak. Growth rate data from the American Community Survey also indicates that within the past five years, Providence, Warwick and Cranston have all emerged as the Ocean States' top 10 fastest growing cities with Providence and Cranston leading the list as the top two cities. Additionally, the Providence-Warwick Metropolitan area continues to earn national recognition, such as a Forbes.com ranking for Best Places for Business and Careers and Cost of Doing Business. "The Providence metropolitan area offers entrepreneurs an opportunity to capitalize on the local economic growth," said Shak Turner, Valpak's director of franchise sales. "It's exciting to know that Valpak, as a leading direct marketing company, can assist local businesses in their own economic growth by offering services through our popular mailer, along with our vast suite of digital advertising tools." A leader in cooperative direct mail, Valpak mails coupons to nearly 39 million demographically targeted households per month in 45 states and four Canadian provinces. Today, in addition to its flagship Blue Envelope, Valpak offers its business customers an impressive portfolio of digital advertising products including valpak.com, Smartphone apps, Google partnerships, website development, mobile web optimization and reputation management. With more than 25 million Americans using couponing apps each month, Valpak's digital offerings have been a big draw for new franchisees. Digital coupon use is on the rise, and ample gains are projected in 2016. In the past year, Valpak's print offerings have also expanded with on-pack advertising and circulars. Ideal candidates for Valpak franchise ownership should possess a desire to join a trusted, industry-leading brand, work within a proven franchise system, develop relationships with local businesses and have a comfort level with selling new, digital technologies. Franchisees should also possess a minimum liquidity of $75,000, and a minimum net worth of $150,000. For more information on Valpak franchise opportunities, please contact Shak Turner at shak_turner@valpak.com or 727-399-3091 or visit www.valpakfranchising.com. About Valpak Based in St. Petersburg, FL, Valpak is one of the leading direct marketing companies in the U.S. and Canada. We provide print and digital advertising through a network of 160 local franchises. From mailbox to mobile phone, Valpak brings exciting local business offers and opportunities to millions of consumers. Each month, our well-known Blue Envelope of savings is mailed to about 39 million demographically targeted households in 45 states and in four Canadian provinces. Our digital suite of products, including valpak.com, reaches more than 110 million users. Founded in 1968, Valpak is owned by Cox Target Media, a subsidiary of Cox Media Group in Atlanta. SOURCE Valpak Media Contact: Alexya Williams Social Media Coordinator Fish Consulting, LLC O: (954) 893-9150 C:l (575) 202-7367 ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus A Child is Born Without Eyes, and Parents See God's Gifts Lacey Buchanan's 'Through the Eyes of Hope' Debuts January 10, 2017 eyesofhopebook.com www.facebook.com/LaceyandChristianBuchanan Contact: Michael Conrad, 214-616-0320, Michael@Lovell-Fairchild.com LAKE MARY, Fla., Nov. 1, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- From a combined birth defect so rare only 50 other cases exist in the world, Christian Buchanan was born without eyes. Now, in her new book, Through the Eyes of Hope, Christian's mom, Lacey Buchanan, tells the gripping story of how God helped two parents see the worst circumstances radiate with glory. "When we choose to love others despite their differences, we glorify God in His creation," Lacey says. "Instead of hearing people say, 'I'm sorry,' as if Christian had died, I want to hear, 'Congratulations! Christian is learning to survive and thrive in this world.'" Married to her childhood sweetheart at 21, and pregnant at 23, Lacey was a joyful expectant mom. Working in rural Tennessee, she also was about to start her first year of law school in Nashville. Then Christian arrived, diagnosed with Tessier cleft lip and palate, a syndrome in which a baby's skull fails to knit together in the womb. Most visible were his severely cleft palate and missing eyes. For his first four weeks, Christian's parents visited him in the neonatal intensive care unit. When he finally came home, all life intensified. Work, school, care for a severely challenged son, and a labyrinth of medical and insurance complexities also strained Lacey and Chris' marriage. Meanwhile the Buchanans fielded remarks from well-meaning but uninformed friends, rudeness from strangers, and the vile comments of Internet trolls on Lacey's Facebook page. The low point, as Lacey relates in Through the Eyes of Hope, was a woman's post: "You are selfish for letting him live just so you could have a baby. You are a pathetic excuse for a mother. He will have a miserable life." On the contrary. Doctors worked wonders on Christian's cleft palate, and today he thrives at the Tennessee School for the Blind. Christian is a joy to his parents and inspires the millions around the world who follow his story. "The most crippling disease is ignorance," Lacey says. "One day when Christian is old enough, I'll say to him, 'I loved you too much to give up on you. I love you too much now to give up on you. You are an amazing person who God chose to be my son, and I am thankful.'" Through the Eyes of Hope is the arduous but uplifting journey of Lacey, Chris, and Christianthe years of medical procedures, battles with an often-indifferent health system, unexpected kindness and help, a viral video with six million views, a healed marriage, and most of all the unfailing love of parents for their child and God for His children. "God doesn't guarantee a trouble-free life or a stress-free marriage," Lacey says. "But our experience has taught us that when life takes a dramatic turn, He is unchanging, even in the worst of circumstances." From Charisma House publishers Through the Eyes of Hope debuts January 10, 2017. For interviews, contact: Michael Conrad Michael@Lovell-Fairchild.com 214-616-0320 Visit Lovell-Fairchild.com for: Media tip sheet Q&A with Lacey Buchanan Suggested interview questions About Charisma House Charisma House empowers people through Spirit-inspired resources. It is the leading publisher of diversified Christian resources that motivate people to fulfill God's purpose. For over twenty-one years, Charisma House has published books that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians, including thirteen New York Times bestsellers. Share Tweet Live Exclusively Tours Brickell City Centre Following Condominium Tower, Rise, Receiving its TCO ( October 30, 2016 ) Miami, FL -- Fresh on the heels of receiving the temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) for Brickell City Centre's second residential tower, Rise , Swire Properties Inc & ONE Sotheby's International Realty hosted Live Exclusively Miami and Turnberry International Realty for a private tour and reception. In addition to the TCO, Swire Properties Inc also recently announced that Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works are the latest of 120+tenants opening doors at the 500,000 square foot Brickell City Centre shopping center opening November 3. Brickell City Centre has had a flurry of press in recent weeks between strong sales at the condominium towers and announcing high-end tenants for the $1.05 billion dollar mixed use project in the heart of Miami. "Brickell City Centre is a unique development that stands out among the plethora of amazing developments being built in South Florida today. The combination of beautiful residences, luxury retail brands and seamless connection to Miami transit is a perfect addition to downtown Miami," says Nathaniel Crawford, Live Exclusively Miami Cofounder and Turnberry agent. After the tour, agents mingled and had the opportunity to become more familiar with the intricate details of the project with a presentation of a scale model. The Live Exclusively Miami is an iPhone app that provides accurate, easily accessible information about new and preconstruction properties throughout South Florida to buyers and real estate professionals. The Live Exclusively Miami team at Turnberry International Realty is a unique entity that offers clients high-end residential, commercial and investment real estate concierge services. The Live Exclusively Miami is an iPhone app that provides accurate, easily accessible information about new and preconstruction properties throughout South Florida to buyers and real estate professionals. The Live Exclusively Miami team at Turnberry International Realty is a unique entity that offers clients high-end residential, commercial and investment real estate concierge services. Turnberry International Realty is a premier boutique real estate agency that markets luxury properties in South Florida. Founded in 1978, Turnberry has assisted in the sale of billions of dollars in some of the most exclusive developments in South Florida, be it new construction, resale or commercial real estate. About Brickell City Centre Brickell City Centre is a landmark $1.05 billion, 4.9 million square foot mixed-use development in downtown Miami from Swire Properties Inc, one of South Florida's leading international developers of real estate known for its $1 billion master-planned development of Brickell Key. The project's first phase includes a luxury and premium shopping center, two residential towers, a hotel with residences, and two mid-rise office towers. The project is LEED-registered for Neighborhood Development - currently one of the largest in the U.S. Sustainability elements include the $30 million CLIMATE RIBBON(TM); a masterpiece of art and science, the elevated trellis will span 150,000 square feet, connecting the project's three city blocks and acting as an environmental management system. As the largest private-sector project currently under construction in Miami, Brickell City Centre began vertical construction in 2013 and the first phase of construction began completion end of 2015. More information is available at www.brickellcitycentre.com. For further information on Turnberry Realty, please go to www.turnberry-realty.com For further information on Live Exclusively Miami, please go to www.LimitedEditionLiving.com Download the Live Exclusively Miami iPhone app here https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/live-exclusively-miami/id1097508608?mt=8 For further information about Brickell City Centre, please go to www.brickellcitycentre.com Turnberry International Realty 20445 Biscayne Blvd, H8 Aventura, FL 33180 Phone: (305) 767-3182 Fax (305) 935-9092 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Matteson Partners Taking On New In-House Legal Recruitment Clients (Mon 29th May 17) Huong Nghiep A Au Vocational Guidance School Launches New Major (Thu 25th May 17) FSP unveils new Industrial and Gaming power solutions at COMPUTEX 2017 (Wed 24th May 17) The Best Free Keylogger of 2017 Has Been Announced by the Official Remote Keylogger (Tue 23rd May 17) The Remote Keylogger Development Team Announces An Update to the Official iPhone Keylogger (Thu 11th May 17) CaptureStream Announces its New Streaming Video Recorder and Downloader (Mon 8th May 17) Automotive Coating Market Projected to Grow 16.24 Billion USD by 2021 Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing automotive coatings market, in terms of both value and volume. Countries such as China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, and Thailand are witnessing a gradual increase in the use of automotive coating in end-use industries. -- The report "Automotive Coating Market by Resin Type (Polyurethane, Epoxy, Acrylic), Technology (Solvent-Borne, Water-Borne, Powder Coating), Coat Type (Clearcoat, Basecoat, Primer, E-Coat) - Global Forecast to 2021". The market size of automotive coating is estimated to grow from USD 11.57 Billion in 2016 to USD 16.24 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 7.02% between 2016 and 2021. Demand from consumers for different color & texture, sales supportive policies, increasing purchasing power parity (PPP), and purchasing power of people in emerging economies is driving the automotive coating market. Browse 101 market data Tables and 50 Figures spread through 149 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Automotive Coating Market". http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/automotive-coating-market-3359935.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports. Clearcoat is the largest coat type in the automotive coating market Clearcoat is the fourth and the last layer applied to a car's body after basecoat, e-coat, and primer. This coat accounted for the maximum market share in 2015. It conveys no color to cars body, but only a transparent coat. It helps protect basecoat from ultraviolet rays, sun, and extreme environmental conditions. Water-borne is the fastest-growing technology segment in the automotive coating market The major advantage of water-borne technology is low toxicity and flammability. This technology has low VOC and HAP emissions. It also has excellent adhesion and greater heat resistance compared to other technologies. Download Free PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=3359935 Rising demand in Asia-Pacific is the major driver of the automotive coating market In 2015, Asia-Pacific was estimated to be the fastest-growing market, in terms of both volume and value, and is projected to continue so during the forecast period. Emerging markets in Asia-Pacific such as China, India, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries are attracting global players to set up their manufacturing base in this region. In countries such as China and India, the wide customer base is pulling manufacturers to provide for the increasing demand of advance technology and quality products. Increased investments in various technological, infrastructural, and R&D sectors is driving the automotive coating market in the Asia-Pacific region. The players profiled in the automotive coating market report are BASF SE (Germany), Axalta Coating Systems (U.S.), PPG Industries, Inc. (U.S.), Kansai Paint Co., Ltd (Japan), Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan), The Valspar Corporation (U.S.), KCC Corporation (South Korea), Sherwin-Williams (U.S.), AkzoNobel (Netherlands), Jotun A/S (Norway), and other regional players. For more information, please visit http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=3359935 Contact Info: Name: Rohan Email: newsletter@marketsandmarkets.com Organization: MarketsandMarkets Phone: 1-888-600-6441 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/automotive-coating-market-projected-to-grow-16-24-billion-usd-by-2021/140833 Release ID: 140833 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Direct Mail Marketing Company Vice President Expanding His Role The vice president of Borns Group, a marketing company in South Dakota, now has an expanded role in the company. He will now manage all business locations, including Watertown and Aberdeen, South Dakota and Sales Division in Elk River Minnesota, Jackson MI, and Plymouth MA. -- Lee Borns, vice president of Borns Group, a direct mail solutions business, will be taking on an expanded role in the company. Lee will now oversee all Borns Group & Borns Group/VDM entities, including actively managing all business locations, associated operations, and personnel. Borns Group is a family owned business. Located in South Dakota, the company has production facilities in both Watertown and Aberdeen. They also have sales offices in both locations, as well as in Elk River Minnesota, Jackson Michigan, and Plymouth Massachusetts. Established by Virgil Borns in 1991 as a professional mailing & marketing company, Borns Group has since evolved from a local commercial printer company, to a provider of complete online and offline marketing solutions for both local and national clients. Lee has worked for the company since 1991, when, as a sophomore in high school, he began doing mail routes for the company. He worked for the family business on and off through college and then joined full-time in 2002 In 2008 Lee became Vice President, and is now taking on the additional role of General Manager. Regarding his new role in the company, Lee states "It is exciting, and I look forward to new ways of servicing our clients more efficiently and effectively." He also went on to say that "Our company is somewhat unique in that it can fulfill the role of multiple vendors, including marketing consultant, graphic designer, commercial printer, and mailing provider. In addition, we also specializes in nonprofit direct mail fundraising, and statement printing for Utilities and other industries." Lee's new duties will include that of General Manager for production, sales, and customer service for Borns Group, as well as for the company's nonprofit division "Borns Group/VDM" with an emphasis on zero defect in production, so as to service clients while adhering to the highest possible standards. Borns Group can be contacted at: Borns Group Inc. 503 Brown CO 19 N. Aberdeen, SD 57401 (888) 228-0034 http://www.BornsGroup.com/ For more information, please visit http://www.BornsGroup.com/ Contact Info: Name: Lee Borns Email: info@bornsgroup.com Organization: Borns Group Address: 503 Brown CO 19 N. Phone: (888) 228-0034 Release ID: 142430 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome! Cape Coral Hosted PBX VoIP Online Business Phone Solutions Service Launched Florida based technology and communication company, Smargasy, has announced the launch of a new Hosted PBX service. It is designed from the ground up to allow clients to streamline their business and ensure high quality functionality. -- Smargasy Inc, a company focusing on communication and understanding the needs of its clients businesses to provide high quality phone solutions, security advice, and software development, has launched a new Hosted PBX and IP2Speech service. The Florida based company prides itself on offering strong support to local businesses, and offers high levels of customer support in all aspects of its service. More information can be found on the company website at: https://ip2speech.com/services/hosted-pbx-and-voip. Situated in Cape Coral, Smargasy does not use any offshore development or call centres, so that clients know when they deal with them, they are talking to real local people who take the time to get to know each client's individual business and what's important to them. Other services listed on the company's website include VoIP phone solutions, cyber security consulting so clients can discover what dangers are threatening their business and learn how to avoid the threats, and custom software development to help streamline business process. In addition to this, Smargasy offers website and app development, anti spam solutions to help clients become more efficient day to day, and a high quality hosting solution. The company explains that in today's world, businesses need technology solutions that can improve their communications but at the same time increase their productivity. It is also highly beneficial to be able to rely on a high quality phone system that works well and simply. When day to day business can be chaotic, it's crucial to have technology systems that are simple to use. Smargasy's new Hosted PBX service is designed with this vision in mind. It is described as the modern version of the traditional telephone closet, with a new hosted model that puts the brains of the closet into professionally maintained data centers. Through using this system, a client's service provider manages and monitors it 24/7, which allows the the clients themselves to focus purely on their business. The system has been designed from the ground up to ensure the best functionality for every client. For more information, please visit https://www.ip2speech.com Contact Info: Name: Andreas Dolleschal Organization: Smargasy Inc. Address: 611 SE 11TH ST, Unit B Phone: +1 239 214 8592 Release ID: 142326 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Spiritual Leadership Podcast Relaunch Announced Pastor Paul Chappell of the Baptist Church in Lancaster California offers the relaunch of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast. The program is focused on practical and insightful ministry leadership instruction. -- Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Paul Chappell are pleased to announce that they have launched a free podcast based on insightful and practical ministry leadership training and instruction. The new program is titled, "The Spiritual Leadership Podcast" and draws from the three decades of ministry experience accrued by Dr. Chappell. The spiritual podcast is the most recent in a lengthy series of resources for those in ministry leadership roles. With more than three decades in the ministry, Dr. Chappell wants to use his experience to strengthen fellow laborers in the field. "The Spiritual Leadership Podcast" launched September 15, 2016. The first episode, "Is Your Motivation Style Demotivating?" deals with four types of motivation that Dr. Chappell characterizes as "unhealthy and unscriptural." The episode outlines four healthy and scriptural types of motivation. Dr. Chappell will use the podcast to be an interactive tool for listeners to submit questions and topics. In future episodes of the podcast, Chappell will dedicate time to addressing those submitted questions and topics. Paul Chappell is the pastor of Lancaster Baptist located in Lancaster, California, which is one of the largest Baptist churches in the United States. Dr. Chappell is the author of more than a dozen books, devotionals, and training curricula as well as his blog at paulchappell.com. He has also founded ministry127.com, an online resource website for ministry leaders. Dr. Chappell is also the founder and President of West Coast Baptist College, a Bible college offering graduate and undergraduate degrees for men and women seeking to serve vocationally in full-time Christian work in such roles as pastors, assistant pastors, missionaries, evangelists and Christian educators. Dr. Chappell was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, received early schooling in Northern California, and attended high school in Seoul, South Korea. He enrolled at Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Pastoral Theology in 1983. While attending college, he founded and pastored Seaside Baptist Church near Indio, California. Chappell furthered his education by receiving a Master of Arts degree from Louisiana Baptist University in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was called to Lancaster Church in 1986 by its twelve members. The church was in foreclosure and could offer no pastoral salary, however, over the past thirty years, the congregation has grown from an average attendance of twenty to become one of the largest Baptist churches in the country. Today, the church occupies eighty-three acres of land and has built several multimillion-dollar buildings. The church annually gives more than one million dollars to missionaries worldwide. Learn more about the podcasts by visiting www.PaulChappell.com For more information, please visit http://www.PaulChappell.com Contact Info: Name: Jeremy Lofgren Organization: Lancaster Baptist Church Address: 4020 E. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA 93535 Video URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VGjoIYJQp8 Source: http://www.PaulChappell.com Release ID: 139796 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Simplegrid Technology Publishes Network Security Guide The company is showing business owners how to avoid the frustration that comes with choosing the wrong computer consultant, reports www.simplegrid.com. -- Simplegrid Technology, a premier company providing Managed IT Services throughout Northern New Jersey, recently announced the publication of their network security guide. Entitled "Secure Your Network: 21 Revealing Questions You Should Ask Any Computer Consultant Before Giving Them Access To Your Company's Network," the guide shows business owners how to avoid the frustration and headaches that come with selecting the wrong IT consultant and what they need to know to make the right choice for their company. Ahsun Saleem, CEO of Simplegrid Technology, stated "The simple truth is that most business owners know their industry inside and out but are not nearly as well-versed in how to deal with the technology issues that affect their everyday business operations. Unfortunately, this leads to many of them hiring computer consultants that cut corners and fail to provide adequate security for their network and critical data. What is even more unfortunate is that this leaves the company vulnerable to data breaches, server failures, and other potentially devastating disasters." "We don't want business owners to have to face the kind of frustration that comes with these unexpected issues of downtime, data loss, and computer repair. It is this desire that drove us to write and publish our latest guide. It is in those pages that business owners will learn what true IT support entails and how to ensure that their consultant is equipped to provide it." Saleem goes on to say. Simplegrid Technology's "Secure Your Network" guide is available as a free download on their website. There, business owners and professionals in the healthcare and legal industries can also learn more about the company's offerings. From VoIP Services to cloud solutions to virtual CIO and more, the Simplegrid team stands ready to help companies face and solve their greatest IT issues so they can get back to what really matters. As Saleem continued, "Having been in the IT management space for years, our team knows what it takes to fully support the healthcare companies and legal firms we work with. We've seen how a lack of network security and data protection can devastate a company. Consequently, we have made it our mission to provide as many business owners as we can with the necessary education to choose a consultant that will get the job done and give them the peace of mind they need to focus on building their business and serving their clients." About Simplegrid Technology: Founded in 2010, Simplegrid began with a mission to help small and medium-sized practices get a real return on their technology investments. Since then, they have remained dedicated to providing state-of-the-art IT support, service and products that allow their clients to get ahead of the competition and achieve greater success. For more information, please visit http://www.simplegrid.com Contact Info: Name: Ahsun Saleem Organization: Simplegrid Technology Phone: (973) 946-8540 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/simplegrid-technology-publishes-network-security-guide/142512 Release ID: 142512 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Techmedics Introduces Their Unique Combination Of IT Services The company is now providing more than just the average computer consulting and network security services, reports www.techmedics.com. -- Techmedics, a premier provider of Managed IT Services in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, recently announced the introduction of their unique combination of IT services. The company is on a mission to provide business owners with more than just the average computer consulting and network security services. In addition to computer support, cloud hosting, and cyber security, the company also broadened its offerings to encompass physical security, compliance consulting, and more. Alexandra Gonzalez, a representative of Techmedics, stated "For businesses both small and large, providing IT Consulting and support means more than just facilitating hardware purchases, repairing machines, or providing cloud-based solutions. We believe that true IT support encompasses so much more than just computers and includes surveillance systems, mobile devices, and even phone systems. We offer a broader range of services than the average provider because, as our clients' partner in business, we seek to meet all of their technology needs so they can focus on the things that truly matter." In addition to their managed IT support, computer repair, and network security services, Techmedics also has the ability to provide business owners with surveillance solutions that will enhance the security of their environment, VoIP services that allow for flexibility in their communications, and mobile device management that allows employees the freedom to work anywhere. Techmedics can also provide staff augmentation services to connect companies with top IT talent and compliance management solutions that ensure adherence to existing laws, policies, and industry best practices. As Gonzalez continued, "The Techmedics team serves clients in diverse industries, all with a different set of needs and concerns. Whatever the technological need, we want clients to know that we are fully equipped to meet it. In working with a company like ours that provides such a wide range of services and solutions, we believe that clients will gain the peace of mind they need to turn their attention back to the tasks that will help them to take their business to new heights." Business owners who would like to avail themselves of Techmedics' broad range of IT services and solutions can visit their website at techmedics.com for more information. About Techmedics: Techmedics was founded in 1999 with a staff of two people to meet the growing demand for computer support services by small businesses in the wake of the Internet boom. In recent years, the company has emerged as a leading IT services company serving clients in industries as diverse as manufacturing and interior design and ranging in size from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Techmedics now provides services to most of Southern California. For more information, please visit http://www.techmedics.com Contact Info: Name: Alexandra Gonzalez Organization: Techmedics Phone: (877) 832-4611 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/techmedics-introduces-their-unique-combination-of-it-services/142509 Release ID: 142509 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Pinnacle Peak Recovery Announces Partnership With Visionary IT The rehab center has hired the team at Visionary IT to help ensure security, compliance, and support for Pinnacle Peak's initiatives, reports www.visionaryaz.com. -- Visionary IT has announced their recent partnership with Pinnacle Peak Recovery based in Scottsdale, AZ. The team at the rehab center has chosen to work with the IT company to provide security & consulting services to help ensure the security of private health information as well as compliance with federal security standards. "Pinnacle Peak Recovery Center is a wonderful place that helps those stuck in the cycle of addictive behaviors find victory in a new way of living, said Travis Lugo of Visionary IT. "The treatment facility is renowned for the positive and consistent results that their dual diagnosis and behavioral therapy approaches produce for patients. Our team here at Visionary IT is excited to take on the task of facilitating this work by providing them with guidance on building and maintaining their technological infrastructure and securing data via cloud backup. We are thrilled that the team at Pinnacle Peak Recovery has hired our team to take care of this for them so that they can continue to serve their own clients in a spirit of excellence." Visionary IT helps growing companies reduce their liabilities and improve efficiency while controlling technology spending. Their approach combines planning, prevention, and protection to ensure that businesses and organizations like Pinnacle Peak feel supported and prepared for whatever may come their way. As Lugo goes on to say, "Pinnacle Peak works with patients who are already navigating a vulnerable time in their lives. With proactive technology planning, and efficient 24x7 support, our IT professionals help to ensure that the last thing the center's staff will need to worry about is technology issues getting in their way. Providing top-notch IT services to the team at Pinnacle Peak is what allows them to offer the highest level of care possible, and that's our favorite aspect of this new partnership." Visit pinnaclepeakrecovery.com to learn more about Pinnacle Peak Recovery Center and how their initiatives help patients win the battle over addiction. About Visionary IT: Visionary IT has become the trusted technology partner of Arizona businesses in part by having a proactive approach to technology management. The company has a nationwide client portfolio of public and private companies ranging from manufacturing to healthcare. Aligning business goals with the right technology fuels productivity and reduces overall IT costs according to a 3 year study conducted by the company. For more information, please visit http://www.visionaryaz.com Contact Info: Name: Travis Lugo Organization: Visionary IT Phone: (602) 754-0101 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/pinnacle-peak-recovery-announces-partnership-with-visionary-it/142508 Release ID: 142508 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Spiritual Orgonite Launches with Dozens of Unique, Handmade Orgonite Pyramids Site visitors can also arrange custom orders, and five percent from each purchase goes to a worthy charity, Spiritual Orgonite reports -- Offering a wide selection of one-of-a-kind, handmade orgonite pyramids, Spiritual Orgonite has launched at http://spiritualorgonite.com/. Five percent of the proceeds from each sale at the new site will support local charities focusing on spiritual healing or holistic health, and each orgonite pyramid has been has been verified and tested for effectiveness at protecting against electromagnetic pollution. Created to promote health and happiness for all while giving back to the community, Spiritual Orgonite also accepts special, custom orders from those who make contact using the details found at http://spiritualorgonite.com/. With dozens of orgonite pyramids now ready for immediate sale, site visitors can expect new products to become available on a regular basis. "We're proud to announce that Spiritual Orgonite is now online, with a wide selection of handmade orgonite pyramids already in place," said site founder Don Constable, "I've been interested in energetic healing for quite some time, and learning about orgone energy and orgonite has been truly rewarding. I'm glad to help others by offering these orgonite pyramids I have carefully created myself. Each and every pyramid has been tested and verified, and we're also happy to work on custom orders for our clients. From energy healing to improving mental agility and creativity, we're excited to share these pyramids with our visitors." Austrian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich was influential in many ways, from building directly on Sigmund Freud's legacy with several high-profile books of the 1930s to theories and discoveries that were uniquely his own. Of his activities of the latter kind, Reich is best-known today for his identification, after fleeing to New York from the Nazis, of a kind of fundamental biological energy he named "orgone." Those interested in alternative healing practices today often employ specially designed tools meant to attract and channel this form of energy. A substance known as "orgonite" and made from fiberglass impregnated with metallic shavings or particles, for example, is thought by many to be especially effective for this purpose when cast into the form of a pyramid or other carefully selected shape. The newly launched Spiritual Orgonite website at http://spiritualorgonite.com/ offers dozens of such orgonite pyramids and similar products. Every orgonite artifact is entirely handmade, with additions like copper coils, quartz crystals, silver leaf, and abalone supplementing and supporting the effects of the orgonite itself. Each of the beautiful creations is entirely unique, and Spiritual Orgonite clients can also arrange for the production of pyramids made to their specifications. With five percent of the proceeds from each sale reserved for worthy charities, Spiritual Orgonite customers also give something back with every purchase. About Spiritual Orgonite: Emphasizing health, happiness, and giving back to the community, Spiritual Orgonite offers unique, handmade orgonite pyramids, with five percent of every purchase going to a local charity that focuses on energetic healing or holistic health. For more information, please visit http://spiritualorgonite.com/ Contact Info: Name: Don Constable Organization: Spiritual Orgonite Address: 10333 112 St NW Edmonton, AB T5K, Canada Phone: 587-920-9118 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/spiritual-orgonite-launches-with-dozens-of-unique-handmade-orgonite-pyramids/142507 Release ID: 142507 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) SOBA College Recovery Launches Therapies Combating Surging Addiction Statistics Successful addiction treatment requires a multi-faceted approach tailored to the needs of each victim, publishes sobanewjersey.com -- Ongoing research places young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 in the high-risk category for drug and alcohol abuse; furthermore, those experiencing the heightened stress of college have been found twice as likely to develop an addiction as those outside this realm. According to studies published last year, the most recent time frame for which information has been made available, an estimated 80 percent of students turn to alcohol while a range of other drugs likewise run rampant on today's campuses. In light of these figures, Philip Chasin of SOBA College Recovery has launched the program's latest addiction treatment options. Said Chasin, "College students are more vulnerable to substance abuse and addiction than any other portion of the population. Though all issues like this have the potential to destroy families, those developing during the college years tend to be particularly devastating. This time when young people and their families are filled with hope and high expectations for the future all too often crumbles at the hands of the drugs and alcohol so readily available on campuses across the nation. Our addiction treatment family program is designed to help mitigate the devastating effects of addiction." SOBA College Recovery offers new jersey outpatient rehab specifically tailored to the needs of college students and their families. Among the program's targeted therapy groups is one dedicated to educating clients on the nature of addiction and teaching coping mechanisms. Families and loved ones of addicts are also offered group counseling in a range of settings. Group counseling geared toward men and women is available as well, allowing young people to discuss gender-specific issues among like company. In addition to treatment, SOBA College Recovery focuses on relapse prevention and fostering success in college without future interference of addiction. Writing, art, music and spirituality groups have been designed to give students various methods of expressing themselves and creating greater self-awareness. Sessions have also been established to aid those whose addictions stem from underlying conditions and past trauma. More information on the types of therapy available can be found at sobanewjersey.com. Concluded Chasin, "We're well aware there's no one-size-fits-all approach to addiction treatment; at the same time, all the therapy sessions in the world aren't going to be effective if the root cause of the problem isn't sought out and measures taken to prevent recurrence. We take steps to unearth the underlying causes of addictive tendencies and treat those as well as the addiction itself, and we involve all those close to our clients in the process. Successful treatment is multi-faceted, and each client's situation is unique. At SOBA College Recovery, we strive to cover every angle in an effort to free clients from the grip of addiction both now and in the long term." About SOBA College Recovery: Founded due to a need for change in the way addiction treatment was being carried out among college students, SOBA College Recovery combines an array of resources to provide all-inclusive therapy offering targeted solutions for clients and their loved ones. For more information, please visit https://sobanewjersey.com Contact Info: Name: Philip Chasin Organization: SOBA College Recovery Phone: (888) 801-6362 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/soba-college-recovery-launches-therapies-combating-surging-addiction-statistics/142518 Release ID: 142518 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) John Medina Buys Houses Expands Services To Orange County The company has just moved to a new office in San Pedro, allowing them to service both Los Angeles and Orange counties, reports www.johnmedinabuyshouses.com. -- John Medina Buys Houses, a premier team of Los Angeles County cash home buyers, recently announced their move to a brand new office location. The company's new address is 815 S. Gaffey Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. Moving their location to San Pedro gives the John Medina Buys Houses team the freedom to provide their services to residents in both Los Angeles County and Orange County. John Medina, the company's owner, commented "As a Local we buy houses company that has the ability to purchase houses very quickly, our team realizes that the work we do is extremely important. For years, we have been there to help residents in Los Angeles County out of some of the worst financial situations they have ever faced. Our mission has always been to assist as many people as we could with getting rid of their real estate issues, and moving to a new office in San Pedro will take us a long way in accomplishing that goal." John Medina Buys Houses operates their investment firm with the core values of providing superior customer service, treating people with respect, having a sense of honesty and integrity, and presenting simple solutions. Homeowners who are looking to get rid of their property in order to avoid foreclosure or unnecessary expenses can look forward to working with a company that has committed to offering more for their properties than other firms in the area. As Medina further commented, "Our team has seen massive success operating in the Los Angeles County market for many years, and we could not be more proud to expand our reach and become Orange County cash house buyers as well. There has never been a better time for homeowners to take advantage of our services, and we invite residents in the Orange County area to contact us and see how we can help them quickly get rid of their unwanted or burdensome property." About John Medina Buys Houses: John Medina Buys Houses is a local San Pedro-based real estate investment business that buys houses and fixes distressed properties in Los Angeles County and Orange County California. With extensive experience in professionally assessing a property's value, John Medina and his team believe wholeheartedly in in extending to each and every client exceptional service, fair dealing, and quick turnaround. For more information, please visit http://www.johnmedinabuyshouses.com Contact Info: Name: John Medina Organization: John Medina Buys Houses Phone: (310) 928-9688 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/john-medina-buys-houses-expands-services-to-orange-county/142521 Release ID: 142521 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) ASPWebHosting.com.au Unveils Special One Dollar Hosting Offer Any customer can now take advantage of the company's shared hosting for their lowest price ever, reports www.aspwebhosting.com.au/one-dollar-hosting-plan.aspx. -- ASPWebHosting.com.au, a premium web hosting solution provider, recently announced the launch of their latest special offer. Right now, the company is giving customers the opportunity to take advantage of one of their shared hosting plans for just one dollar, saving 80 percent on the usual cost of ASP's lowest-priced plan. Andrew, a spokesperson for of ASPWebHosting.com.au, commented "In this day and age, having a website is a must for anyone who wants to build an online presence. While using free hosting may seem like a good idea at the outset, it essentially puts webmasters at the mercy of that particular service provider. We believe that building a web presence on reliable servers is vital, but we have also built our company on the premise that it shouldn't cost webmasters a lot of money to do so. Our new one dollar hosting offer is in line with this philosophy and gives our customers a chance to take care of their windows web hosting needs for the best price on the market." ASPWebHosting.com.au's plans are hosted on Windows 2008 servers with IIS 7.0. The one dollar australia webhosting plan allows customers to have a great deal of flexibility, giving them the ability to mix PHP, ASP, ASP.NET, Perl, and CGI under one website and providing them with a DotNetPanel control panel, which lets them back up their database in real time without any help from support. When customers do find themselves in need of support as they work with their control panel, the ASP team is available 24/7 to answer their questions. As Andrew further commented, "In a world where quality web hosting can mean the difference between creating a high-functioning website and floundering in frustration, we want to make it easy for webmasters to take advantage of our full-featured, high-quality services. Our special offer is open to anyone, and we look forward to helping new customers build and expand their online presence." for more information please visit: http://www.aspwebhosting.com.au/one-dollar-hosting-plan.aspx/ About ASPWebHosting.com.au: As a company with their own data center managed by a team of experts with high security protection, ASPWebHosting.com.au provides a wide range of hosting solutions, from Windows hosting to reseller hosting to cloud and dedicated servers. Their team believes that creating a successful web presence in Australia should be easy, cheap and affordable. They pledge to provide customers with the best-quality, most fully-featured services at reasonable prices. For more information, please visit http://www.aspwebhosting.com.au Contact Info: Name: Andrew Organization: aspwebhosting.com.au Phone: 280051137 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/aspwebhosting-com-au-unveils-special-one-dollar-hosting-offer/142523 Release ID: 142523 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) QommaQomma Brings In All New Essential Mix Dress Socks For The Holidays QommaQomma announces release of its Essential Mix dress socks before the holidays. Further information can be found at http://qommaqomma.com/. -- QommaQomma today announced the official release of its best selling dress socks, The Essential Mix. The Essential Mix has been one of the hottest selling dress socks sets this summer and QommaQomma has also released what their fans, reviewers and critics have been saying about the socks. The biggest appeal of The Essential Mix has been that it automatically adds some fun and style to any occasion. They are ideal for work or leisure. The Essential Mix is the perfect way to build a sock drawer, as it features a mix of traditional and unique modern designs. This is to be expected from a business who places this much value on making life more fun. These socks are both business AND casual. They look great with slacks, jeans, sneakers, and dress shoes. They have even been called a "hidden wardrobe gem" by one of QommaQomma's reviewers. There are 6 pairs of socks in each box. The patterns included in The Essential Mix are classic Argyle, thick horizontal stripes, solid formal black, colorful heels/toes/cuff, and the signature Aztec sock! For all the sock fans out there, QommaQomma's socks are carefully crafted with high quality soft elastic poly-cotton blend. They wear comfortably in all types of shoes and go with outfits for work and for going out. The socks fit best for men's shoe sizes 7-13 and women's sizes 8-14, and are mid-calf height. They are machine washable and made with long-lasting material. The Essential Mix is for sale now on Amazon and it is the perfect gift for the upcoming holiday season... ideal for husbands, wives, mom, dad, a best friend, or even the kids! For further information about QommaQomma, visit their website at http://qommaqomma.com/ And for more information about the product itself or to purchase a pack, visit Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Mens-Dress-Socks-Colorful-Business/dp/B01GIEE5BG For more information, please visit http://qommaqomma.com/ Contact Info: Name: Michael Kiriazis Organization: QommaQomma Address: 40 E Chicago Ave # 174 Release ID: 142419 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Small Wind Market 1.89 Billion USD By 2019, With A Projected CAGR Of 19.5% Strong growth has been projected for the small wind market in the next five years, as demand for small wind turbines continues to rise in the wake of escalated use of renewable energy. -- The report "Small Wind Market by Type (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine), by Application (On-Grid, Off-Grid), by Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe) - Global Trends and Forecast to 2019", defines and segments the global small wind market with analysis and forecasting of the global revenues for small wind. It also identifies the driving and restraining factors of the market with analysis of trends, opportunities, and challenges. Browse 79 tables and 53 figures spread through 102 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Small Wind Market " Download Free PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=224586665 The segmentation considered for this report on small wind market is based on the type, application, and region. The market has been segmented on the basis of type into horizontal axis wind turbine and vertical axis wind turbine. On the basis of application, the market has been segmented into on-grid and off-grid. The off-grid segment accounted for the largest share of the global small wind market in 2014. Small wind turbines with a capacity rating of less than or equal to 100 kW are designed to produce clean energy, emission-free power farms for homes and small businesses. Small wind turbines include all plants where the swept rotor area is smaller than 200 square meters at 350 W/m2. These small wind turbines find application in off-grid setups such as telecommunication towers and domestic uses. Small wind is expected to become an important source of renewable energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Growing environmental concerns, coupled with economic advantages, have led governments across the world to support the renewable energy industry, thereby expanding the small wind market. The capital costs involved in setting up a functional wind power project still remain high, but the gradual shift towards reducing reliance on fossil fuel consumption for electricity has aided cost reduction for wind technology. The small wind market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 19.5% from 2014 to 2019 to reach USD 1.89 Billion by 2019. The demand for small wind power has escalated due to rapid industrialization and development of infrastructure in unconnected areas. The rise in wind energy generation initiatives offers an attractive opportunity to the wind turbine manufacturers. The North American region accounted for the largest market share in the small wind market in 2014; this is owing to the high demand for on-grid applications of small wind power, especially in developed nations such as the U.S. In the European region, the demand for small wind power for off-grid applications, from most of the Western European countries, is expected to grow at a high rate in coming years. Leading players in the small wind market include Northern Power Systems Inc. (U.S.), Bergey Wind Power Co. (U.S.), Kingspan Group Plc. (Netherlands), Shanghai Ghrepower Green Energy Co. Ltd. (China), Endurance Wind Power Inc. (Canada), ZKEnergy Technology Co., Ltd. (China), and Xzeres Wind Corp. (U.K.). One of the major developments observed in the small wind market is new product development. It is essential for the manufacturers to continually invest in research and development activities and come up with innovative solutions to adhere to the standards set by government for small wind market. Companies are adopting inorganic growth strategies such as acquisitions to cope with the increasing demand of small wind power in key emerging markets. These strategies have aided companies to create a large customer and partner base in key markets. Speak to Analyst (Ask for Customized Report Matching Your Exact Requirement): http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/speaktoanalyst.asp?id=224586665 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository For more information, please visit http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/small-wind-market-224586665.html Contact Info: Name: Rohan Email: newsletter@marketsandmarkets.com Organization: MarketsandMarkets Source: http://marketersmedia.com/small-wind-market-1-89-billion-usd-by-2019-with-a-projected-cagr-of-19-5/142503 Release ID: 142503 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) APAC leads the industrial communication market in terms of market size According to the new market research report on industrial communication, this market is expected to be worth USD 130.33 Billion by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 12.36% between 2016 and 2022. -- The major driver for the growth is the increasing adoption of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). In various manufacturing industries, the potential for IIoT to improve the productivity in production processes and the supply chain is immense. IIoT is expected to fundamentally change the way products are developed, manufactured, transported, and sold. Browse 69 market data tables and 61 figures spread through 178 pages and in-depth TOC on "Industrial Communication Market - Global Forecast to 2022" Sample Pages of the Report @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsample.asp?id=146536397 Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports. The market for the water and wastewater segment is expected to grow at the highest rate between 2016 and 2022 The market for the water and wastewater end0user industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022. Water level monitoring sensors, AC drives, and controllers are crucial components of a water treatment system and the industrial communication network is used to integrate and enable communicate between these devices. All these factors are expected to drive the industrial communication market for the water and wastewater industry during the forecast period. The market for the wireless communication protocol would grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2022 The market for the wireless communication protocol is expected to grow at the highest rate. The speed and simplicity of the installation of wireless networks are making them popular as they can be deployed to facilitate industrial communication even under extreme environments. The market for ZigBee is expected to grow at a high rate among all the wireless industrial communication protocols. Among the major reasons driving the market for ZigBee are that it supports IoT applications and thousands of nodes networks, and has security mechanisms such as AES-128 for encryption of devices. Currently, APAC leads the industrial communication market in terms of market size APAC held the largest share of the industrial communication market in 2015. One of the main reasons for the large share of APAC in this market is the growing industrialization in the region. China is the major market for industrial communication in the APAC region. It is the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, which is one of the prospective applications of industrial communication. The companies that are profiled in the report are Schneider Electric SE (France), Texas Instruments Incorporated (U.S.), TE Connectivity Ltd (Switzerland), Siemens AG (Germany), ABB LTD (Switzerland), Rockwell Automation, Inc. (U.S.), Emerson Electric Company (U.S.), National Instruments (U.S.), Infineon Technologies AG (Germany), General Electric (U.S.), and Advantech Industrial Automation Group (U.S.). About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. For more information, please visit http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-communication-market-146536397.html Contact Info: Name: Rohan Email: newsletter@marketsandmarkets.com Organization: MarketsandMarklets Address: MarketsandMarkets , 701 Pike Street Suite 2175, Seattle, WA 98101, United States Phone: 1-888-600-6441 Source: http://marketersmedia.com/apac-leads-the-industrial-communication-market-in-terms-of-market-size/142548 Release ID: 142548 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Glass Fiber Market Revenue and Share 2021 Projections Report The Global Glass Fiber Industry 2016 Market Research Report of 106 pages, supported with 124 data tables and figures as well as profiling (capacity, production, price, cost, gross and revenue information) major companies is now available with eMarketOrg.com. -- Regionally, glass fiber market is studied for North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India for their production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Glass Fiber market in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecasts). Production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each glass fiber product type used for general purposes as well as special purposes are discussed at length. Applications of glass fiber market into building & construction, electronics, transportation and others are studied for consumption, market share as well as growth rate of glass fiber in each of these applications. Production, revenue and share are discussed along with this information provided for manufacturers, regions and applications. This glass fiber market report also states import/export consumption, supply, cost, price, revenue and gross margins. The report focuses on global major leading industry players providing information such as company basic profile, product picture and specification, capacity, production, revenue, price and cost. Complete report is available at http://emarketorg.com/pro/global-glass-fiber-industry-2016-market-research-report/ . With 124 data tables and figures, the 2016 glass fiber market research provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. Companies active in glass fiber market discussed in this research include Jushi Group, Owens Corning Corporation, PPG Industries, CPIC, Taishan Fiberglass (Sinoma), Sichuan Weibo New Material Group, Jiangsu Jiuding New Material, Vetrotex (Saint-Gobain) and Changzhou Tianma Group. This is a strategic business report on glass fiber market with historic and forecasts data coverage, starting with basics of the industry including product overview and segmentation. The market analysis is provided for the international markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status. Inquire for a discount on listed prices or get your questions on this report answered via http://emarketorg.com/product-enquiry/?product-id=77455 . Selected chapters from table of contents of this glass fiber market 2016 - 2021 report include: 3 Global Glass Fiber Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Regions (2011-2016) 21 3.1 Global Glass Fiber Capacity and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016) 21 3.2 Global Glass Fiber Production and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016) 23 3.3 Global Glass Fiber Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Regions (2011-2016) 25 3.4 Global Glass Fiber Market Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016) 25 3.5 North America Glass Fiber Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016) 26 3.6 Europe Glass Fiber Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016) 27 3.7 China Glass Fiber Market Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016) 27 11 Global Glass Fiber Market Forecast (2016-2021) 87 11.1 Global Glass Fiber Capacity, Production, Revenue Forecast (2016-2021) 87 11.2 Global Glass Fiber Production, Consumption Forecast by Regions (2016-2021) 88 11.3 Glass Fiber Price Forecast (2016-2021) 90 On similar lines, another study titled Global Fiberglass Products Market Research Report 2016 is spread across 114 pages and is supported by 137 data tables and figures. Companies like Enduro, Perry Fiberglass Products, Huntingdon Fiberglass Products, Oliver Fiberglass Products, 3B Fiberglass, AK Industries, Precision Fiberglass, Inline Fiberglass, Atlantic Fiberglass, Southeastern Fiberglass Products and Empire Fiberglass are profiled in this research available at http://emarketorg.com/pro/global-fiberglass-products-market-research-report-2016/ . Yet another study titled Global Long Fiber Thermoplastics (LFT) Market 2016 Industry Trends, Sales, Supply, Demand, Analysis & Forecast to 2021 mainly covers long fiber thermoplastics market product types including LFT-G and LFT-D. The segment applications discussed in this research include Automotive Applications (Door Modules, Front-End Modules, Instrument Panels, Underbody Shields, and Other Applications) as well as Non-Automotive Applications (Industrial & Military, Aerospace and Other Applications). Companies like Celanese, SABIC, PlastiComp, JNC Corporation, RTP Company (US), LOTTE CHEMICAL, Daicel Polymer Limited (Japan), Techno Compound, PPG Fiber Glass (US) and KINGFA are profiled in this 155 pages report available at http://emarketorg.com/pro/global-long-fiber-thermoplastics-lft-market-2016-industry-trends-sales-supply-demand-analysis-forecast-to-2021/ . Explore more reports on the materials and chemicals industries at http://emarketorg.com/cat/materials-and-chemicals/ . About Us: eMarketOrg.com aims to provide businesses and organizations market intelligence products and services that help in making smart, instant and crucial decisions. Our database offers access to insights from industry leaders, experts and influencers on global and regional sectors, market trends, user behaviour, for companies as well as products. With data and information from reputable and trusted private and public sources, our clients are never short of statistics and analysis that are up to date. Connect With Us: Market Research Blog: http://emarketorg.com/blog/ News on current market trends and more: http://emarketorg.com/news1/ Follow Us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/emarketorg Follow us on G+ https://plus.google.com/collection/w7ioaB For more information, please visit http://emarketorg.com/pro/global-glass-fiber-industry-2016-market-research-report/ Contact Info: Name: Ronald Alden Email: sales@emarketorg.com Organization: eMarketOrg.com Source: http://marketersmedia.com/glass-fiber-market-revenue-and-share-2021-projections-report/142542 Release ID: 142542 For more information visit r Recent Press Releases By The Same User Agarwood Essential Oil Market Expected to Grow at CAGR 4.2% During 2016 to 2022"> (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Cyber Weapon Market by Type, Product, Application, Region, Outlook and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Landscaping and Gardening Expert Trevor McClintock Launches New Locally Optimized Website (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Sleep apnea devices Market is Evolving At A CAGR of 7.5% by 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Agriculture Technology Market 2017 Global Analysis, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Global VR Helmet Market by Manufacturers, Technology, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 (Fri 2nd Jun 17) Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. A County Durham farmer has been served an anti-harassment injunction and ordered to pay compensation and costs, following a dispute with a neighbour who runs an equestrian business. Peter Robinson, who has farmed at Lizards Farm, Lanchester, since 1996, was found to have acted unreasonably and aggressively by Newcastle County Court in attempting to restrict use of a shared drive. The dispute was with Peter and Gwendoline Bramwell, who run an indoor riding school at Low Meadows Farm, which they have owned since 2010. See also: Can I cut off neighbours right of way? In order to gain access to their property, the Bramwells have a right of way over a track that crosses Mr Robinsons land. But the farmer accused them of trespassing and making excessive use of the right of way. Vehicles, sometimes heavy lorries, were driven too fast along the track early in the morning and late at night, he claimed. He was disturbed by loud music blaring at antisocial hours and claimed the volume of traffic had greatly increased since the Bramwells arrival. Right of way But the couple said Mr Robinson was unlawfully interfering with their right of way and took him to court. Along with a total of 13 speed bumps, he had put up 50 wooden posts on the verges, Judge John Behrens heard. Mr Robinson had also erected three gates along the track, recently insisting that two of them remain shut at all times to prevent his sheep straying. When Mr Bramwell filled in a pothole on the track in 2013, Mr Robinson said he had no right to do so and removed the filling. Court ruling Judge Behrens accepted that the couples right of way was generally limited to the track itself and did not include the verges. But Mr Robinsons behaviour had been totally unreasonable and unacceptable and amounted to harassment, he said. I accept that he has jumped out at users of the track, behaved aggressively towards them, accused them of speeding when they were not, blocked the track, and deliberately driven his tractor at very low speed down the track so as to in effect block it, the judge said. In my view the allegations of harassment are proved. I will grant an injunction to prevent further harassment. Mr Robinson was told to remove all but five of the speed bumps and to ensure that they are not so high that they scrape vehicles bottoms. The judge also insisted that the gates should be kept open except in an emergency though Mr Bramwell was instructed to repair a cattle grid at the end of the track, or install a new one. One of the Bramwells tenants had left as a result of Mr Robinsons conduct, and the judge ordered him to pay the couple 1,300 for lost rent. Mr Robinson was also told to pay the couple 3,500 damages for the substantial inconvenience, anxiety and distress he caused them. He is also facing legal costs. Story Highlights Index averaged -11 in October, similar to -10 in September Economic perceptions relatively stable for past year and a half Current conditions score at -2; economic outlook at -20 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans' confidence in the U.S. economy has been stable for three months since the Democratic National Convention held in late July helped boost assessments of the economy. The index averaged -11 in October, similar to the -11 and -10 recorded in August and September, respectively. From a long-term perspective, Americans' views of the economy have been relatively stable since August 2015. That month marked the end of the index's 16-point decline from +3 in January 2015. Since then, the index's monthly averages have remained within a narrow range of -10 to -15. Gallup has tracked economic confidence daily for the past three presidential election years. In previous presidential election years: Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index fell to a record low of -60 in October 2008 as the U.S. experienced its worst financial crisis in decades. The plunge in economic confidence likely contributed to Americans' decision to eject Republicans from the White House and elect Democrat Barack Obama in early November. The index stood at -17 in October 2012 -- which was, at the time, tied for the highest monthly score since Gallup began tracking economic confidence daily in 2008. Although Americans were more negative than positive about the economy, their views were much less negative than when Obama took office. Obama won re-election the next month. The current -11 for October is better than the scores for either of the two previous election-year Octobers. But unlike the past two elections, economic confidence has not been trending in a positive or negative direction in the months preceding Election Day, but rather has remained flat. While Gallup did not track economic confidence on a daily basis before 2008, it did conduct regular surveys measuring Americans' economic confidence in presidential election years from 1992 to 2004. The methodologies used in the pre-2008 and 2008-2016 polls differ enough that precise comparisons cannot be made. Generally speaking, however, Gallup's data from the pre-2008 polls show: Americans' ratings of the economy were quite negative in 1992 just before George H.W. Bush lost his re-election bid. Ratings were very positive in 2000 when Republican George W. Bush won a contested election to succeed Democrat Bill Clinton. They were slightly more positive than negative when Bush won re-election in 2004. That October, more Americans named the Iraq War as the nation's most important problem than named the economy. Americans More Negative About Economy's Outlook Than Current Conditions Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index is the average of two components: how Americans rate current economic conditions and whether they feel the economy is improving or getting worse. The index has a theoretical maximum of +100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing well and improving, and a theoretical minimum of -100 if all Americans were to say the economy is doing poorly and getting worse. In October, about as many Americans said the economy is "excellent" or "good" (27%) as said the economy is "poor" (29%), resulting in a current conditions score of -2. Americans' assessments of the current state of the economy are about as positive as they have been in the past eight years; the best score for this index component is +1, recorded in January 2015. Americans remain much more negative about the direction the economy is headed. Thirty-eight percent believe the economy is "getting better" and 58% say it is "getting worse," resulting in an economic outlook score of -20. This index component has fallen sharply since reaching its post-recession high of +5 in January 2015, though it has held steady over the past several months. Bottom Line Gallup's U.S. Economic Confidence Index has been largely stable, though in negative territory, for the past 17 months. Americans' economic perceptions could indicate how willing consumers are to spend their discretionary income or could signal real shifts occurring in the economy. But how Americans feel the economy is doing, particularly when many think the economy is in bad shape, can be the reason why some voters decide to vote the way they do. In 2008, for instance, Americans' confidence in the economy fell steeply in the months preceding Election Day, just as Obama jumped to his largest lead of the campaign season. In 2012, by contrast, economic confidence remained negative but demonstrated clear improvement, particularly toward the end of Obama's first term. The index in October 2012 matched the highest score recorded since 2008, suggesting that many Americans, particularly Democrats, felt conditions were improving. This year, however, confidence is neither strengthening nor faltering. This could indicate that Americans voting primarily on economic issues may be more divided on which candidate to support than was the case in 2008 and 2012. These data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Oct. 1-31, 2016, on the Gallup U.S. Daily survey, with a random sample of 15,193 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 1 percentage point at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. Learn more about how the Gallup U.S. Daily works. Elon Musk Latest News: Here is His True Mars On Earth Plan Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX recently held a Reddit Ask Me Anything session at 6:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 23. The session was said to be a follow-up to the executive's speech in Mexico last month. Musk unveiled his plans for a refueling site and eventually habitation in the methane-rich planet. SpaceX is said to have raised more questions lately than it has revealed. The inventor and conglomerate went to Twitter to announce the session, Engadget reported. For instance, the company's plan on colonizing Mars is yet to be discussed as well as the reliability of its space rockets and how it can be improved. In addition, the company also previously revealed that it would be reusing their rockets but have kept mum on how. Previously, Musk had a speech at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico in September. In the said Congress, Musk revealed his plans of sending humans to Mars apparently costing a whooping $10 billion each. Moreover he stated that humans will be turned into a multi-planetary species within the span of 40 years to a century. Musk revealed his vision with massive reusable rockets launching into a parking orbit stating that the rockets may be refueled by propellant tankers. Additionally, Musk plans to launch a thousand spaceships with a hundred people each en masse for Mars. He further revealed that a refueling station would be placed on the red planet to harvest methane fuel so settlers may come back to Earth. Hence, the first rocket to be sent is the Dragon spacecraft to search for a site to plant the refueling station followed by a spaceship with equipment to build the refueling station, LA Times reported. Musk went on to describe his ideal vision for human habitation on Mars. Musk revealed that glass panels with carbon fiber frames would be brought to the red planet to build geodesic domes on the planet's surface. Furthermore, several miner and tunneling droids would also be sent to Mars. The droids are expected to be used to build large quantities of pressurized space for industrial operations along with glass domes for green living. Watch Elon Musk's Mars colonization event in 5 minutes Here Is Apple's Response About Airpods Availability; Technical Issues, Design Errors Causing Delay? MacBook Pro Touch Bar Reason For Expensive Price Tag? Apple Airpods will not be available this month. The announcement was made recently by the Cupertino-based company, confirming as well that the wireless earphone shipping will be delayed for a few weeks. However, the company did not give further details regarding the reason for the delay, prompting some to speculate. Despite the good response to the Apple Airpods when initially introduced, the company believes that the product is not ready yet for a market release, and that shipping the wireless earphone will not be a good idea. However, there are speculations that suggest the company is having technical problems with the product, including some manufacturing issues or design errors during the final stage. Nevertheless, these will remain as speculations until Apple provides information about the real cause of the delay. For now, the only sure thing is that the Airpods will be available in the market. Apple Airpods, meantime, was announced during last month's iPhone 7 event held in San Francisco. Before the release, there are already speculations that the company plans to release a pair of wireless earphones. According to reports, this was due to the fact that Apple is getting rid of the 3.5 mm headphone jack, which later caused some uproar from the public. To address the increasing concerns, the company revealed that it will launch its own brand of wireless earphones, according to report. Meanwhile, Apple's "Hello Again" event has become official with the new MacBook Pro 2016. According to reports, it has taken a while before the tech giant has redesigned its flagship laptop that has seemed neglected despite the addition of the Force Touch trackpad in the last two years. But with the recent event, Apply is believed to make good through a redesigned MacBook Pro. Apple's MacBook Pro will be priced at $1,499, while the 13-inch version with the Touch Bar will be available at $1,799. The company is also reported to be keeping around a $1,299 MacBook with a former design, aimed at enterprise customers. MacBook Pro 15-inch, on the other hand, is priced at $2,399. The three models can now be ordered but only the low-end model is shipping immediately; the Touch Bar designs will ship in two to three weeks, The Verge reported. Watch video about Apple says it needs 'a little more time,' delays AirPods release 'Girl Meets World' Season 4 Cancellation, News & Update: Rowan Blanchard & Sabrina Carpenter Loses VIP Treatment From Disney; Maya-Riley Turns Mature? "Girl Meets World" Season 4 is still facing the possibility of ending its run in Disney. The rumored cancellation is still going strong for the series. Also, rumors have surfaced that Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter has lost its importance and Disney is already gearing up to abandon them. There are also notions that the Maya and Riley tandem would soon meet its demise if Disney pursues the cancellation for "Girl Meets World" Season 4. Also, claims have come out that Maya and Riley are now gearing up to take on new roles that are more mature. This is not the first time that "Girl Meets World" Season 4 has been tagged in a rumored notion of cancellation. However, all of the rumors entangling Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter remains unsettled. Even the notion that Rowan and Sabrina turning more mature for the next season is uncertain as well. In a former report from GamenGuide, it relayed that the rapport between Disney and "Girl Meets World" stars Rowan Blanchard and Sabrina Carpenter is rumored to be on the rocks and notions have surged that Disney is canceling "Girl Meets World" Season 4 and is firing the teen stars owing to the low ratings and attitude issues. It stands out that "Girl Meets World" Season 4 is facing setbacks in terms of its renewal and air date because Disney is apprehensive in bringing back the teen series since there has been no word from Disney regarding its authenticity, the rumors should should be taken with caution and a grain of salt in mind, as noted by the same post. More report relayed that if the renewal is not confirmed for "Girl Meets World" Season 4, new faces might take the place of Sabrina or Rowan, but it remains unconfirmed by Disney, thus everything should be taken with a grain of salt in mind. Arizona Teen Arrested For Purposely Flooding 911 Emergency Services With Fake Calls When a person calls "911," it means that there is an emergency issue and these instances must not be toyed around with. It will definitely create repercussions to security and safety. 18-year-old Meetkumar Hitesbhai Desai was arrested by Arizona police on charges on computer tampering after he publicly posted a version of an iOS-based JavaScript attack that he only thought would deliver annoying pop-ups. Apparently, it made bogus 911 calls. Engadget reported that the exploit was able to block about two thousand calls all across Phoenix. It technically threatened the emergency phone systems all over the city and possibly, the neighbouring cities as well. Desai tells the police he was only trying to identify iOS flaws and he would report it to Apple for bug bounties and acclaim. As reported, he only intended to prank his friends with the post and made a slip-up when he released the wrong code. According to ARS Technica, Desai is an iPhone app developer on charges of computer tampering after he unleashed a code which threatened to incapacitate the 911 emergency services on the majority of Arizona and possibly other neighboring states. Desai published Web links causing iPhones to repeatedly dial 911 according to Arizona's Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. He published the 911-dialing code using the name "Meet Desai" and posted the link on a YouTube channel TheHackSpot. He also posted it on more than one Twitter account, coaxing people to click on the link. Police said that the evidence showed the link has been accessed 1,849 times. According to police, even if the teenager would prove it was an innocent mistake, it would have serious effects. It will surely affect the safety and security system of a county. In the event that there would be an actual emergency, calls may not be accommodated because it was placed on queue after a prank call. Such an instance may put a person's life in danger. This context is what made Desai's case classified as a Level 2 felony. Desai was apprehended and transported to the Maricopa County Jail where he was booked for three counts of computer tampering. Penalties and other details have yet to be made public. Android 7.1 Nougat Updates and Latest News: Will OS Version be Available for Nexus Devices? Features and Highlights Android 7.1 Nougat may soon be available for Nexus devices and will not anymore be exclusive to Google phones and gadgets. The edition was made available in late October as promised by the tech company. Google's vice president for engineering David Burke earlier announced that they will have the Android 7.1 as "an open Developer Preview. "You'll be able to test and build on the new platform and try the latest features," he added. Coming to Nexus After its exclusive release to Google devices, there are already reports indicating that the Android 7.1 Nougat will be available for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P and Pixel C tablet by December. People who already have access to the Android beta program can already experience the Android 7.1 Nougat. This Android Nougat edition is a welcome addition to other devices like Nexus phones and gadgets. Other smartphones may also see the Android 7.1 Nougat soon since many users have been asking Google to not just release this as an exclusive to their devices. Petition for other brands Anthony Van Dyck Pesaro, an Italian smartphone user, has started a petition which asked Google to be fair in their offerings and not prioritize their own gadgets. He claimed that the company should treat other brands of devices like ASUS fairly. Android 7.1 Nougat features Many smartphone users would like to experience the Android 7.1 Nougat because of its added features on security and performance of a device. Some designs will also be tweaked like the app icons which will already be circular. As for storage, users will also be able to manage their available space. Files which are not anymore needed will be automatically deleted by just adjusting Settings on the device. Aside from these, there will be a keyboard support to widens the content that users can enter using their devices' keyboards. This means more stickers and GIFs are coming. EMotion News & Update: Henrik Fisker's First Electric Car, Tesla Model 3's Biggest Rival? Will Be Showcased Next Year! Automotive design genius Henrik Fisker is making waves once again. After recently launching Fisker Inc., the 53-year old Denmark native has unveiled what could be Tesla Model 3's biggest rival. Henry Fisker's EMotion will have a showcase next year, and its specs were already recently revealed. Technology & Emotions coming together in the Fisker EMotion. pic.twitter.com/jUfdK8aHU7 Henrik Fisker (@FiskerOfficial) October 31, 2016 Henrik Fisker's first electric car called EMotion is set to be Tesla Model 3's biggest rival thanks to its amazing new features. According to Fortune, the upcoming luxury electric sedan will travel 400 miles on merely a single charge. That's almost twice as Tesla Model 3's 215 mile range for every charge. General Motor's Chevy Bolt electric has a 238 mile range per charge. Fisker EMotion: Fisker vehicles will always have a strong emotional connection to its owner. Superb rear legroom. pic.twitter.com/YnzTfiVclQ Henrik Fisker (@FiskerOfficial) October 31, 2016 According to TechCrunch, Henrik Fisker's first electric car will also have a maximum speed of 161 MPH. EMotion will also be equipped with awesome self-driving capabilities thanks to its hardware. While there aren't much details on the fully autonomous hardware, the company admitted that it won't be available until they have obtained regulatory approval. EMotion features a sleek new look with a composite frame made of carbon fiber and aluminum. Henrik Fisker's first electric car, which is poised to be Tesla Model 3's biggest rival, will be equipped with new batteries composed of graphene and built by Fisker Nanotech. The company is a joint venture from Fister and Nanotech Energy Inc. Fisker claims that EMotion is designed to enable aerodynamic performance and achieve its maximum speed. The design brings the interiors forward for more space, as well as providing access to screens and infotainment to both front and rear seats. EMotion will have a showcase next year and will be produced in th United States. Check back for the latest updates on Henrik Fisker's EMotion. Android 7.0 Nougat Latest News & Updates: Update Go Up To Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, Note 5 Before 2016 Bring To An End? As Google has revealed its new working framework Android 7.0 Nougat, Samsung affirmed that the OS redesign will take off to Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 5 preceding 2016 closures. Samsung cell phone proprietors are certainly glad to hear the news, in any case, each cell phone proprietors need to test the Android 7.0 Nougat before 2016 closures. Luckily for Samsung cell phone proprietors, the South Korean tech beast affirms that their gadgets will have the upgrade. Moreover, Samsung Note 5 is the main Samsung gadget to get the OS Update. Without a doubt, proprietors of Samsung Note 5 are charmed to realize that in Korea and China, the Note 5 is being tried for the Nougat 7 beta form, as indicated by Neuro Gadget. Taking note of that Note 5 would be the first of the Samsung cell phones to get the overhaul, it implied that alternate handsets of the tech goliath would likewise get the Nougat 7.0 redesign. Furthermore, of course, it was recognized that Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are as of now running tests for the new Android Software, so it can be presumed that the cell phones will likewise be getting the OS upgrade. With everything taken into account, Samsung Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5 will have the Android 7.0 Nougat overhaul. With respect to Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, and S6 Edge Plus, the redesign appears to take off in the main quarter of 2017. It has been said that Samsung J7 and Galaxy Tab S2 proprietors will likewise have the opportunity to get the OS overhaul, MobiPicker has known. 'MacBook Pro' Latest News & Update:The MacBook Pro 13 Two Thunderbolts 3 Ports" Speeds Shortened? Mac affirms that two of its four Thunderbolt 3 ports in the new 13-inch Macbook Pro with the Touch Bar are able to perform to do a complete data transmission speeds. Apple reveals the data in a nitty gritty bolster record that features the capacities of the said ports. While every one of the four of the ports of the new 13-inch MacBookPro with Touch Bar bolsters Thunderbolt 3, just two of its ports work at full execution, as point by point in the bolster record. The two right side ports of the unit work at a decreased PCI Express transmission capacity. Apple, along these lines, prescribes stopping elite gadgets on the left-hand ports. To clear up, the 15-inch Macbook Pro and the 13-inch Macbook Pro without Touch Bar bolster full transfer speeds in the greater part of their four Thunderbolt 3 ports. As per Apple Insider, MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar has two coordinated Thunderbolt 3 controller chips. 13-inch is 17% thinner, 23% less volume, 3 pounds, nearly 1/2 pound less than previous version. #MacBookPro pic.twitter.com/ZrUkiGMBkj Fat Kid Deals (@FatKidDeals) October 27, 2016 Concentrating on the USB-C ports, all Models of the MacBook Pro's Thunderbolt 3 ports additionally conveys USB 3.1 Generation 2. Clients can connect to Gen 2 Type-C gadgets and get availability and USB 3.1(10Gb/s) exchange speeds. Another in addition to the variable of the ports is that up to six gadgets can be daisy-affixed to every port abandoning one port to charge the machine. It is conceivable to connect various power supplies however the machine is just going to draw control from the one that conveys the most power Both the 15-creep and 13-crawl MacBook Pro with Touch Bar can control two gadgets that have a power need of 15 watts each. Furthermore, it can likewise control two other 7.5 watts gadgets. The 13-creep MacBook Pro without Touch Bar can control one 15 watts gadget and another utilizing 7.5 watts, as indicated by MacRumors. In any case, take note of that utilizing chargers or gadgets that surpass 100W could possibly harm the tablet, it is along these lines prescribed utilizing the MacBooks claim charger to forestall incidental harm. The Walking Dead Season 7 Spoilers: Meet Your Newest Favorite Character! The Walking Dead season 7 episode 2 was a refreshing pace from the emotional season premiere. In episode 1, Negan's twisted sense of justice sent Glenn and Abraham to their graves. Fans of the series were heartbroken over the death of the beloved characters and were anxious for episode 2. It seems like episode 2 offered a more peaceful facade to the grieving viewers. The Walking Dead season 7 episode 2 did not scattered any bits of skull chunks. The gang arrived at the Kingdom and met a new king. The King seems to be the first true and good leader on the show. King Ezekiel is a refreshing addition to the cast. The King's arrival has made people smile ever since the series started. King Ezekiel's routine is a bit bizarre- perhaps, borderline goofy. He is a decent human being who created a safe community for the people. He emanates an aura of hope, amidst the death and pain surrounding the world of The Walking Dead season 7. King Ezekiel's Kingdom is seemingly safe and warm. Not only is the inhabitants safe and well-provided, they are trained fighters as well. The Kingdom has a Shakespearean feel to it, with survivors on horseback, wearing protective armors. The walls protect the inhabitants from the walkers. Moreover, they have livestock, a school and even a choir. Ezekiel as a leader is wise but cunning. He pays tribute to the Saviors in order to avoid getting in conflict with Negan. He provides butchered pigs for Negan's group. Ezekiel does not want to go to war with the Saviors, knowing that even if they win, it will be at the cost of many lives. Ezekiel cares for the people and his character brings light to the dark undertone left about by The Walking Dead season 7 episode 1. Ezekiel became a favorite character by most people who watched the second episode of The Walking Dead season 7. However, fans are aware that the peaceful episode is only the "calm before the storm" which means that trouble is imminent. It seems like wherever Rick's gang o goes, people die and suffer- which might likely become the fate of the inhabitants of the Kingdom. 'Vikings' Season 5 Predictions SPOILERS: Lagertha's Rise To Power Confirmed With Brand New Tattoo? Will She Rule Norway? [PHOTO] Thing are definitely looking up for Lagertha in "Vikings" Season 5, which might still be a long way from airing but is already being filmed. Katheryn Winnick has just revealed that the Earl Ingstad is getting an interesting new tattoo that could hint on her rise to power in the History show! So is it possible that Lagertha will be the most powerful warrior in "Vikings" Season 5? Could she eventually overpower King Harald Finehair to become the new ruler of Norway? Katheryn Winnick Shares Lagertha's New Tattoo In 'Vikings' Season 5 The actress who plays Lagertha has been keeping fans updated with almost everything about her character's new role in "Vikings" Season 5. Katheryn Winnick's most recent Instagram post reveals Lagertha's new tattoo, which adorns the Earl Ingstad's shoulder and upper arm. A video posted by Katheryn Winnick (@katherynwinnick) on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:25pm PDT But what exactly does Lagertha's new tattoo mean? In Katheryn Winnick's Instagram video, the costume designer states the skin art is supposed to look like chain mail. So does this confirm that Lagertha will be a more powerful warrior in "Vikings" Season 5? Will Lagertha Overpower King Harald Finehair And Rule Norway In 'Vikings' Season 5? GamenGuide has previously reported on speculations that Lagertha will form an alliance with King Harald Finehair, who historically becomes the first King of Norway. But is it possible that Lagertha has bigger plans in "Vikings" Season 5? Some fans believe that the Earl Ingstad will eventually take the power from King Harald and become Queen of Norway. It is also possible that Lagertha might avenge Ragnar Lothbrok's death in "Vikings" Season 5. Some people think that King Harald Finehair might be the one person who will betray Ragnar and lead him to his death in the second half of Season 4. However, Lagertha may wait until she has King Harald's trust before usurping the King of Norway. Do you think Lagertha's new tattoo is proof of her growing power in "Vikings" Season 5? Let us know in the comments below. Rotary got started in Long Beach in 1917 when seven local businessmen met with a New York Rotarian who talked about his club there. Motorists who drive the dangerous Highway 20 corridor between Albany and Corvallis are getting some relief. Oregon Department of Transportation officials have announced plans for $8.4 million in safety upgrades to be completed between 2017 and 2021. I got goosebumps and was elated when I heard the news, said Christine Kramer, who lives on Northeast Merloy Avenue. Kramer was one of the community members who lobbied ODOT and other public officials to find solutions for the corridor. Kramer, who lives two doors down from the highway, got involved after a February 2014 crash that killed 29-year-old Dominic Schlundt. Here are the projects that are planned: Installing a continuous two-way left turn lane on a half-mile stretch between the Childrens Farm Home and Merloy. Cost: $4.2 million. Adding a rural left turn lane with a concrete traffic separator from Granger Avenue onto the highway and adding a buffer area between the through lane toward Corvallis and the right-turn lane to Granger. Cost: $2.35 million. Widening the shoulder and installing guardrails in the area near Garland Nursery. Cost: $1.66 million. Adding curve warning signs throughout the corridor. Cost: $91,000. Signal upgrades at the Circle Boulevard and Conifer Boulevard intersections. Cost: $80,000. ODOT officials said the goal was to find and fund smaller projects because widening the highway to four lanes was not in the cards. Given that there is so little funding available for larger projects, ODOT is always looking for lower-cost ways to improve safety and efficiency, said Angela Kargel, traffic manager for ODOTs Region 2, which covers Lane, Linn, Benton, Lincoln, Polk, Marion, Yamhill, Tillamook, Clatsop, Columbia, southern Clackamas and western Washington. The ODOT announcement followed a safety study and a series of public meetings as well as a high-profile visit by a legislative team Oct. 24, a day that included a two-hour bus tour and a public meeting at Linn-Benton Community College. During the tour, state Sen. Sara Gelser, who was involved in an injury crash at Granger in March, talked about the issues on Highway 20. This is crazy. Why are we even calling this a highway? was one of the comments Gelser heard on the tour, which included a left turn from Independence Highway onto Highway 20 that started with the back of the bus on the railroad tracks. People were saying Wow! Gelser said. It really helped to go back to the meeting that night and talk about the issues. ODOT officials said Gelser, a Corvallis Democrat, helped sell agency officials and legislators on the urgency of the situation. You did a great job on the tour explaining the needs of this very busy Highway 20 corridor, said Frances Brindle, ODOTs south area manager in Region 2, in an Oct. 28 letter to Gelser announcing the funding decisions. Gelser, meanwhile, gave a lot of the credit to neighbors such as Kramer and Pete Bober, who kept the issue alive by pushing for meetings and organizing a Facebook page that included photos of crashes. The funding would not have happened without the work of the neighbors, said Gelser, who noted the impact of the Facebook photos. A rear-ender on Highway 20 is really different than one on Circle and 29th, she said. State Rep. Andy Olson, Republican in District 15, who has the dual perspective of involvement with the issue as a legislator and during his 29 years with the Oregon State Police, agreed that the outcome was a winner. ODOT really responded, Olson said. They heard the concerns, and Im glad to see them respond. Olson also urged the State Police to increase its presence in the corridor. People obey the law and pay more attention when law enforcement is out there, said Olson, who noted that there are three "Es" that are critical for highway safety: engineering, enforcement and education. If you plug all three of those things in you will prevent crashes, save lives and improve the movement of traffic, Olson said. Bober, who emailed his thoughts to the Gazette-Times from a sister city trip in Ukraine, said what I think is the most important story beyond the decision is that the system worked. We have responsive legislators as well as ODOT staff. Did it take some persistence? Yes, it did, but ultimately you had citizens who made a difference in their community. In the current environment where there is oftentimes a somewhat cynical view of politicians, government and the media it is refreshing to see these results. All involved agreed that there remains more to be done. Gelser is urging ODOT to look at ways to extend the continuous left-turn lane from Merloy to Conifer, an additional 1.2 miles. Gelser and Olson also advocate ways to make the highway safer for agricultural businesses, with one possibility being a local connector or frontage road that would link Granger or Independence with an intersection that includes a traffic light. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. Guest post to series "FutuRead" : "Digitalization holds the promise to improve our lives" Bonn Over the past 4 weeks and in cooperation with "General-Anzeiger Bonn", Deutsche Telekom has been holding "FutuRead," a series in which well-known science fiction authors read from and present novels about our digital future. At the close of this series, Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hottges explains why he is convinced that digitalization holds the promise to improve our lives. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken Von Timotheus Hottges "Fiction does not remain fiction for long. And certainly not on the Internet." Vinton Cerf, one of the "fathers of the Internet," was right. Because his insight is correct, FutuRead's "belletristic" approach to basic future-related issues was only superficially far-fetched. More and more often, science fiction is changing into science fact. Tinkerers and inventors around the world are turning the things that authors dream up into real products. Here's just one example, involving the TV series Star Trek, which I'm sure many of you used to watch. In that series, Capt. Kirk had a device known as a "tricorder" that was of great value in unknown galaxies, because it was able to sense, analyze and record an enormous range of different types of data, including physical, chemical and biological data. As it happens, a device very similar to Kirk's instrument now exists. AnIsraeli company now offers SCiO, a pocket-sized "molecular sensor." The device has a (near-infrared) light source with which a user can illuminate samples which can be any type of objects, including food, medications, construction materials, etc. thereby enabling the emitted light to interact with the samples' molecules. Because each type of molecule vibrates in its own unique way, each type of molecule reflects the light with a unique optical signature. A spectrometer in the device collects the reflected light, breaks it down into its characteristic spectrum, and then the device transmits the resulting spectrum data to a central computer. In other words, to the cloud, where it's compared with existing data. The result is then transmitted back to the device. This allows a user to verify, for instance, whether a medication is genuine or fake. So we see that science fiction authors have certainly been able predictors of the future. And if you take a look at how much R&D in Silicon Valley, in Israel and here in Europe is currently being invested in "artificial intelligence," then it doesn't seem unrealistic to think that scenarios such as those described by Marc Elsberg (Zero & Blackout) and Leif Randt (Planet Magon) in their readings in Bonn could become a reality sooner or later. Nor does it seem unrealistic to think that machines could surpass us even in that which we refer to as "thought." By 1997, computers were already able to beat us at chess. In 2016, a similar milestone was reached with the Chinese game of Go, which is much more complex. This trend is continuing. Amazon's new "Echo" system, for example, is already able to understand speech and carry out spoken commands so well that it is able to serve as a useful digital assistant. Fear of "big data" But in spite of these outstanding technical successes, we find that the future scenarios thought up by such authors tend not to be utopias. In other words, they tend not to be stories that describe a better life. No, they tend to be dystopias. Stories that paint dark visions of the future, in the tradition of Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) and George Orwell (1984). These dystopian visions serve not only to build on the fears that already exist among the populace; they also help shape and develop these fears. I have the impression, for example, that we here in Germany are already concerned about "big data" simply because that term contains the word "big." Personally, I do not share this pessimistic view of the societal impacts of digitalization. In fact, I think that digitalization is a great gift. This is because digitalization can simplify and improve our lives. For example, by facilitating participation in the knowledge and information society such as participation, around the world, in education, through courses that one can take over the Internet. And digitalization will produce new products that will support us in our everyday lives. Self-driving cars, and robots that help us in the household, immediately come to mind and, in fact, are almost commonplace examples of this trend. I thus think it is all the more important to counter the authors' dystopias with a vision of a utopian digital world in which data analysis and interactions with "smart" machines are something very good. Such a utopia, for example, was recently described by none other than Barack Obama, President of the United States, in an article in the magazine "Wired." President Obama is also convinced that technological progress will continue to improve our lives significantly. Less people live in poverty And his main argument is as convincing as it is simple: because this is how it has worked out in the past. In all probability, the present we live in is better than any time that came before it. Fewer people today live in poverty. We are winning the fight against diseases such as AIDS. More children are going to school today than ever before, and we have reduced the numbers of illiterate people. We communicate via devices such as the iPhone, and with devices such as virtual reality goggles, we can visit far-away places in a flash. The "workplace of the future" has long since become a reality. "Latte macchiato" jobs, jobs conducted not in an office but in a cafe or at home, are already a reality thanks to laptops and the Internet. Until just a short time ago, none of this existed. But now it does, and it's giving us more freedom. Of course we also face a number of additional challenges. Challenges such as climate change, social inequality and the fight against diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. But there is plenty of evidence that we will be able to handle these challenges by using the very technologies that digitalization is giving us. Big data, for example, is not the same as the "big brother" in Orwell's 1984. No, big data gives us the opportunity to do important things such as making enormous progress in medical research. To mention just one example, last summer, Deutsche Telekom, working in cooperation with researchers and scientists, published the computer game "Sea Hero Quest." Sea Hero Quest is a game that tests players' spatial navigation ability. The data it is generating are being provided absolutely anonymously to dementia research, where the data are of enormous value. What is more, the volume of data produced by the over 2 million players who have played Sea Hero Quest to date is so great that a research team, using conventional experimental research methods, would need hundreds of years to obtain it. The medical field, in particular, abounds with such examples. That is why I prefer to speak of "smart data" instead of "big data." Work will be easier in the future It thus would be wrong to suppose that the visions the science fiction authors have presented to us at "FutuRead" are inevitable for our society. No, in these cases, fiction is indeed fiction. But we should take the visions seriously, as warnings, and do everything we can to ensure they do not become a reality. That is the very reason why Deutsche Telekom has been looking at these issues and the questions that arise in connection with digitalization. We consider it part of our digital responsibility (for more information, go to www.telekom.com/digital-responsibility) to identify the pertinent opportunities and the risks and to draw suitable conclusions. What happens when machines eliminate jobs? Would it make sense to provide an unconditional basic income that would be financed via the profits of fully automated companies? Wouldn't that give many people the chance to become active in some entrepreneurial, artistic or creative way? Could machines simply become our new colleagues, fellow workers who free us of annoying, burdensome and dangerous tasks and give us more freedom for socially beneficial pursuits such as caregiving, education or medicine? In comparison to work today, I think that the work of the future will be both easier and much more fulfilling. Because we will have more freedom in connection with it. What is more, while some jobs will be eliminated, new jobs will emerge. Deutsche Telekom, for example, recently created a new department for cyber security. And it introduced a further training program that qualifies people to become "cyber security professionals." This is because online security is one of the most critical issues with regard to the success of digitalization and to the brightness of our future. And, by the way, because online security also plays an important role in the development of the new network technology 5G, in which Deutsche Telekom is playing a central role. I thus urge that we be optimistic, in spite of all the risks that digitalization can bring. People are adaptable. And we have also succeeded in handling technological leaps very well in the past. We are not a plaything of digitalization; we are that which we want to be. Interestingly enough, Star Trek did not simply focus on new technologies. It also described, in very optimistic ways, how people can overcome their differences in order to do good and great things together. I am convinced that digitalization is not a question of fate. It is a task in which we are called on to take an active, shaping role. We thus need to ensure that the negative future scenarios of the science fiction authors do not become reality. And we need to develop utopias that we can put into action, practically. For the benefit of all of us. Such actions include providing networks that enable access, everywhere and at all times. They also include developing smart-data-based applications that benefit society. So we shouldn't be blocking smart data! An opportunity for foodies and beer lovers to get lost in a world of food and drink from a hand-selected range of food trucks and breweries from around New Zealand. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. Full Metal Body with Fingerprint Sensor As per the leaked images, Xiaomi Redmi 4 boasts a metal design with curved edges on the rear side. The smartphone's front hints a display with minimal bezels with three touch capacitive buttons placed at bottom of the display. The rear side shows the antenna bands, a circular camera sensor, flash light and a fingerprint sensor. Xiaomi Redmi 4 will be available in Silver and Gold colour variants. 5-inch Full HD Display Going by the leaks, Xiaomi Redmi 4 will come with a 5-inch display supporting full HD (1080p) resolution. It's an upgrade over Redmi 3, which has a 5-inch HD display. Respectable Hardware As per the leaks, Xiaomi Redmi 4 will be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU, however the chipset's maker name is not specified. In previous rumours, it was claimed that Redmi 4 will run on a Snapdragon 625 SoC. The CPU will be accompanied with 3GB of RAM. Imaging Power The new hardware leaks suggest that the upcoming Redmi 4 will have a 13 MP rear camera accompanied with dual LED flash light. A 5 MP front-facing selfie camera will be provided on-board. Large Battery Xiaomi has been focusing big on battery backup from quite a while and Redmi 4 will follow the same tradition. The smartphone is supposed to have a 4,000 mAh battery unit, which will be more than enough to last a day. It is too early to talk about the price of the smartphone but we expect it to be priced around Rs. 12,000 in the Indian market. Xiaomi Redmi 4 will fight the likes of LeEco Le 2, Lenovo K5 Note, Moto G4 and Samsung Galaxy J Series handsets. Click Here for New Smartphones Best Online Deals Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 31, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria: -- Near Abu Kamal, a strike engaged an ISIL supply route. -- Near Shadaddi, four strikes engaged three ISIL tactical units; destroyed two fighting positions, two vehicles, and a command and control node; and suppressed a tactical unit. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed an ISIL oil drilling rig and an oil wellhead. Strikes in Iraq Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft and rocket artillery conducted nine strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government: -- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a vehicle. -- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIL checkpoint and a tunnel entrance and suppressed a tactical unit. -- Near Mosul, three strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit; destroyed three fighting positions, three ISIL-held buildings, two tunnel entrances, two mortar systems, a vehicle, an artillery system and a forklift; damaged three fighting positions; and suppressed a mortar system and a tactical unit. -- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed an ISIL excavator and an oil tanker. -- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb. -- Near Tal Afar, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb factory. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat it poses to Iraq, Syria, the region and the wider international community. The destruction of targets in Syria and Iraq further limits ISIL's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S., Russian Jet Incident Over Syria Not Hostile, Cook Says By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2016 The Oct. 17 incident in which American and Russian aircraft flew within a half mile of one another over Syrian battlespace was inadvertent contact and not hostile, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters today. The flight was disclosed during a teleconferenced news briefing out of Baghdad Oct. 28 with Air Force Col. John Dorrian, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman. 'Unusual Occurrence' Cook called the proximity of the two planes -- which Dorrian described as a Russian fighter jet and a coalition larger-framed aircraft -- was an unusual occurrence. "Obviously, it's a concern for us. [The] emergency line of communication was used and there was discussion afterward, and it's been determined by our folks that they saw this as an inadvertent contact," the press secretary said, adding, "This was not something they saw an intentional act of hostility." The incident will be a continued focus of conversation according to the memorandum of understanding the United States and Russia have over Syrian airspace safety, he said. Closest In Proximity To Date "We continue to have those conversations with the Russians," Cook noted. "But I think it's fair to say that this was the closest in terms of proximity that we had come to date, and that is why there was a particular cause for concern." Cook reiterated that the United States engaged in conversations with the Russians to gain a better understanding of what happened. "And we'll continue to have those conversations with the Russians to try to make sure something like this can't happen again," he said. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other DoD officials were notified of the occurrence, Cook said. "There has been professional handling of it [on both sides]," he said. "And, we continue to believe that is the best way to handle these issues going forward." "The Russian jet passed in front of the coalition jet close enough that the jet wash from that flight was felt within the larger aircraft," Dorrian said last week. "So, that's closer than we'd like. There was an immediate [radio] contact between the aircraft, and then follow-up through the de-confliction channel that we've been working with the Russians [on] for quite some time." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan, Japan hold dialogue on maritime affairs ROC Central News Agency 2016/10/31 11:52:42 Tokyo, Oct. 31 (CNA) The first ever dialogue between Taiwan and Japan on maritime affairs was held in Tokyo on Monday, with delegations from the two countries set to discuss issues of mutual concern including fishing near the Japan-held Okinotori atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The dialogue began with a hand-shake between Chiou I-jen (), president of Taiwan's Association of East Asian Relations (AEAR) and his Japanese counterpart Ohashi Mitsuo, chairman of the Japan Interchange Association (JIA). The two organizations were established to handle links between Taiwan and Japan in the absence of full diplomatic relations between the two nations. Chiou is serving as an adviser to Taiwan's delegation. The delegation, headed by AEAR Secretary General Tsai Ming-yao (), is made up of officials from a number of government agencies, including those involved with fisheries, the coast guard, technology, national security and foreign affairs. Topics to be discussed include fishing in the area around Okinotori. Taiwan's government has said it will negotiate with Japan on the issue to ensure the rights and safety of Taiwanese fishermen. Taiwan's Foreign Affairs Minister David Lee () said last week that issues to be addressed during the one-day dialogue will include fishing disputes, rescue operations at sea and marine scientific research. The most recent dispute erupted after a Taiwanese fishing boat was detained by Japan on April 25 on the high seas near Okinotori, a 9-square-meter uninhabited Pacific atoll situated 1,600 km east of Taiwan. The administration of then-President Ma Ying-jeou () lodged a strong protest with Japan after the Japanese authorities refused to release the boat until the owner paid a security deposit of 6 million Japanese yen (US$54,000). Japan classifies the atoll as an island, which means it is entitled to a 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Taiwan, maintains that it is not an island because it is unable to sustain human habitation and has accused Japan of carrying out land reclamation to expand the atoll. After President Tsai Ing-wen () took office in May, the new administration pushed for a Taiwan-Japan dialogue on maritime affairs under the AEAR-JIA framework, in an effort to promote bilateral ties and narrow differences on controversial issues. Tsai has said that as maritime countries, Taiwan and Japan share common problems and interests about which the two sides should talk. However, as Taiwan's president, her primary concern is to ensure Taiwanese fishermen can make a living in the area in question without fear of being harassed. As a result, issues concerning maritime resources are to be the top priority during the dialogue, followed by the protection and cultivation of fishery resources, maritime aid, rescue missions and maritime scientific research, Tsai said. (By Yang Ming-chu and Elizabeth Hsu) ENDITEM AW / NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan, Japan fail to reach accord on fishing near Okinotori Atoll ROC Central News Agency 2016/10/31 22:13:45 Taipei, Oct. 31 (CNA) Taiwan and Japan were unable to reach agreement Monday on fishing rights in the sea near Okinotori Atoll at a meeting on maritime affairs held in Tokyo, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). Taiwan argued that it had the right to fish in the open sea surrounding the atoll but the Japanese insisted on their claim of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that extends 200 nautical miles from the atoll, which lies 1,600 kilometers east of Taiwan, according to a MOFA statement. Taiwan protested Japan's seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel on April 25 in the sea 150 nautical miles east-southeast of the atoll and demanded the return of a 6 million yen (US$54,000) deposit paid to Japan to secure the boat's release, according to the MOFA. It said then the atoll could not be considered an island under international law and therefore did not generate an EEZ. Taiwan also said Tokyo should respect Taiwan and other nations' navigation and fishing rights in the area before the uninhabited coral reef's legal status was determined by the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. But Japanese officials reiterated their stance on the issue on Monday, claiming that Japan has exclusive rights to the EEZ. Monday's meeting was jointly chaired by Chiou I-jen (), president of Taiwan's Association of East Asian Relations, and Mitsuo Ohashi, chairman of Japan Interchange Association. Both Chiou and Ohashi stressed that the two sides should work together to create a new era for bilateral relations, according to the MOFA. In spite of disagreements on the fishing rights issue, the two delegations discussed maritime rescue and cooperation in ocean research and technology, the MOFA statement said. Both sides agreed that a similar dialogue will be held next year in Taipei, where working groups on ocean surveys and fishery cooperation will meet along with a plenary session, according to MOFA. The meeting was the first under a new mechanism for dialogue on maritime affairs between Taiwan and Japan. (By Tai Ya-chen and S.C. Chang) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spokesman dismisses US claims over supplying arms for Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Oct 31, IRNA -- Spokesman of the Foreign Ministry Bahram Qasemi condemned and rejected latest allegations raised by the US against Iran over alleged sending of military aid to Yemen. Qasemi made the remarks while referring to the claims made by Head of the US Naval Forces Central Command Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan who has said that Iran had supplied Yemen with weapons and missiles. "Such false claims are made while warmongers and traders of death and destruction keep on selling and shipping fatal weapons to Saudi Arabia despite widespresd criticizm and opposition made by awakened conscience and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)," Qasemi said. He added that a large number of lethal weapons, bombs and US-made missiles are "rained down on Yemeni defenseless civilians in schools, hospitals, prisons and houses by the Saudi coalition on a daily basis and this has no name but war crimes." "World nations are currently witnessing that the Saudi regime continues its horrible war crimes by intensifying brutal airstrikes, supported by certain powers, against the Yemeni people," Qasemi said. He regretted that the massacre and genocide made by the Saudi regime was rewarded by supporting its membership to the United Nations Human Rights Council. "This is a tragedy which will always remain as a black mark in the history of mankind," he said. 1394**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address F-35 Lightning II Testing Begins on USS America Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-16 Release Date: 10/31/2016 12:09:00 PM From USS America (LHA 6) Public Affairs PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Five Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft landed on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on Friday, October 28. America will embark seven F-35Bs -- two are scheduled to begin the third shipboard phase of developmental test (DT-III) and five are scheduled to conduct operational testing. America, the first ship of its class, is an aviation-centric platform that incorporates key design elements to accommodate the fifth-generation fighter. The ship's design features several aviation capabilities enhanced beyond previous amphibious assault ships which include an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage of parts and equipment, as well as increased aviation fuel capacity. America is capable of accommodating F-35Bs, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and a complement of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters. The third test phase will evaluate F-35B Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) operations in a high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations. The cadre of flight test pilots, engineers, maintainers, and support personnel from the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) are assigned to Air Test & Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. "It's exciting to start the execution phase of our detachment with VMX-1 (Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1) on USS America," said Lt. Col. Tom "Sally" Fields, F-35 Patuxent River ITF Government Flight Test director assigned to VX-23. "During the next three weeks, we will be completing critical flight test for both Developmental Test (DT) and Operational Test (OT). The F-35 Pax River ITF and VX-23 will be conducting DT work that will establish the boundaries of safe operation for the F-35B in the 3F configuration. VMX-1 will be conducting OT operations focused on preparing maintenance crews and pilots for the first deployment of the F-35B aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1), scheduled to start in just over a year." The operational testing will also include simulating extensive maintenance aboard a ship, said Col. George Rowell, commanding officer of VMX-1, based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Rowell stated one of the VMX jets on board will be placed in the hangar bay, taken apart, and put together again, just to make sure everything goes well. The maintenance work will include the replacement of a lift fan, the specialized equipment made by Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney that gives the F-35B variant its short take-off, "jump jet" capability, Rowell said. The Marine Corps variant of the F-35 Lightning II reached the fleet first, with the service declaring initial operational capability July 2015. "The F-35 Lightning II is the most versatile, agile, and technologically-advanced aircraft in the skies today, enabling our Corps to be the nation's force in readiness -- regardless of the threat, and regardless of the location of the battle," said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, Marine Corps. "As we modernize our fixed-wing aviation assets for the future, the continued development and fielding of the short take-off and vertical landing, the F-35B remains the centerpiece of this effort." "The America class of amphibious assault ship design enables it to carry a larger and more diverse complement of aircraft, including the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey, the new F-35 Lightning II, and a mix of cargo and assault helicopters," added Davis. "America is able to support a wide spectrum of military operations and missions, including putting Marines ashore for combat operations, launching air strikes, keeping sea lanes free and open for the movement of global commerce, and delivering humanitarian aid following a natural disaster." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Carney Exits Black Sea Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-18 Release Date: 10/31/2016 12:30:00 PM From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs BOSPHORUS STRAIT (NNS) -- Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) departed the Black Sea, Oct. 30, after conducting maritime security exercises and theater security engagements with allies and partners. Carney's operations in the Black Sea demonstrated the U.S. commitment to collective security with NATO allies and partners in the region. Quote: "We enjoyed working with our NATO allies during our first visit to the Black Sea since being forward deployed to 6th Fleet. Our exercises and operations with the Bulgarian and Romanian navies strengthened already strong bonds and demonstrated our interoperability. We look forward to returning in the near future to further the bonds of friendship established." - USS Carney Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Kenneth Pickard Quick Facts: Carney entered the Black Sea Oct. 24 to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to the collective security of its NATO allies as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve. Carney conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the Bulgarian navy, and a port visit in Constanta, Romania, Oct. 25. Romanian navy frigate Regele Ferdinand (F221) accompanied Carney for the second half of the Black Sea patrol. Carney and Regele Ferdinand conducted communication exercises, flashing light drills, and a replenishment-at-sea while operating together. Carney, forward-deployed to Rota, Spain, is currently working with allies and regional partners to help develop and improve maritime forces, maintain regional security, and work towards mutual goals in order to advance security and stability in Europe. The ship's operations in the Black Sea are meant to enhance maritime security and stability, readiness, and naval capability with allies and partners. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with the Montreux Convention and international law. U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Royal Cambodian Forces Combine for CARAT Cambodia 2016 Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-13 Release Date: 10/31/2016 10:44:00 AM From 30th Naval Construction Regiment Public Affairs SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia (NNS) -- U.S. and Royal Cambodian navy (RCN) service members kicked off the 7th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise in Cambodia with an opening ceremony at Ream Navy Base, Oct. 31. Held consecutively since 2010, CARAT Cambodia is a bilateral training exercise to increase cooperation and enhance maritime security between the U.S. and Cambodian navies. "Our navies enter into CARAT with a common goal to increase force readiness and interoperability," said Capt. Erich Diehl, commander, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command Pacific. "CARAT provides a unique opportunity to work alongside and learn from the Royal Cambodian navy, and build upon our core expeditionary capabilities. The benefit is mutual, and ensures a strong collective capacity to employ our maritime capability most effectively." Throughout the week, U.S. Navy Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 5; Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5; Coastal Riverine Group (CRG) 2; Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit (NEPMU) 6; and Marines from 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment will work hand-in-hand with their Cambodian counterparts in subjects such as command and control, small unit tactics, amphibious operations, preventive medicine, boat operations, and maintenance, among others. Each topic discussed during the week will be demonstrated during a field training exercise, flexing the different learned skill sets which will include an amphibious landing. "We look forward to an exciting week and the opportunity to strengthen our longstanding relationship with the Royal Cambodian armed forces," said Capt. Jeffrey Kilian, commodore, 30th Naval Construction Regiment. "We view this exercise as a premier event bringing our two countries together, and a model for how the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps and Royal Cambodian armed forces can work together to address shared maritime security priorities, develop relationships, and enhance interoperability." Approximately 150 U.S. Sailors and 200 Royal Cambodian sailors are participating in CARAT Cambodia 2016. The U.S. 7th Fleet Band will also perform for local communities around Sihanoukville at the M'Lop Tapang Orphanage, Don Bosco Technical School, Ream Primary School, Village D'enfant, as well as a public concert. Many of the U.S. service members and their equipment arrived in Cambodia aboard USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3), a Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport. CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. CARAT 2016 is the most complex series to date. Its continuing relevance for more than two decades speaks to the high quality of exercise events and the enduring value of regional cooperation among allies and partners in South and Southeast Asia. Commander, Task Force (CTF) 75, is the primary expeditionary task force responsible for the planning and execution of coastal riverine operations, explosive ordnance disposal, diving engineering and construction, and underwater construction in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ike CSG Conducts Joint ADEX Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-12 Release Date: 10/31/2016 10:31:00 AM By Petty Officer 3rd Class Cole Keller, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Public Affairs ARABIAN GULF (NNS) -- The Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG) and the U.S. Air Force conducted a joint air defense exercise (ADEX) in the Arabian Gulf, Oct. 25. The objective of the ADEX was to improve integration of Navy and Air Force defense efforts while protecting aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) from simulated aerial threats. The training was designed to simulate real-world scenarios the ship may encounter at sea. The exercise consisted of multiple platforms from both branches, including guided-missile cruisers USS San Jacinto (CG 56) and USS Monterey (CG 61), guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70), and the squadrons of embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 3 aboard Ike. "The exercise was a big accomplishment," said Lt. Anand Jantzen, San Jacinto's fire control officer and liaison officer aboard Ike. "Not only was the strike group still conducting our primary mission supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, but we also directed a joint exercise simultaneously." The U.S. Air Force provided two big-wing tankers and two F-22 Raptors from the "Bulldogs" of the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to support 13 aircraft from the Ike CSG. During the exercise, both forces were utilized and divided into "red air" hostile threats and "blue air," the strike group's air defense force. The air support provided by the red and blue air allowed a simulation of actual engagements and an opportunity to train in scenarios, which created a challenging environment. The air crews were able to work on their proficiency and meet different mission objectives. "We were able to exercise the full Ike CSG capability and integrate that with the Air Force," said Lt. Cmdr. Tommy Kolwicz, Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86's operations officer. "We had full integration from the fighters in the air to the tactical actions officers and watchstanders on the surface ships." Red air's objective was to overwhelm the CSG's air defenses with simulated air-to-surface missiles. Aircraft flew missile profiles towards the surface ships so they could practice going through pre-planned responses and simulate shooting down anti-surface missiles. The cruisers were tested in their ability to protect Ike, which acted as a high-value unit (HVU), and demonstrated their ability to conduct air defense. "The main goal for the cruisers is to protect the HVU from air threats, and fill in as the alternate air intercept controllers in case the E-2C Hawkeye is unable to do so," Jantzen said. Kolwicz further explained across the CSG and between both branches, there was an emphasis on gathering perspective from areas outside of normal operations. As a pilot, he was able to provide a personal view of his role to the watchstanders on the ship and learn from subject matter experts. Overall, the Navy and Air Force were able to gain hands-on understanding of each other's tactics and capabilities. "The biggest focus was on integration," Jantzen said. "In a real-world scenario the Air Force has aircraft that we can request to support our mission, just like we support theirs. Joint missions are the cornerstone of the United States military, and our ability to work with the other services towards a common mission makes us stronger. I'm extremely confident in the ability of all the personnel involved. It allowed everyone to see different aspects of the normal routine." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Mitscher Successfully Conducts Missile Firing Exercise Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-10 Release Date: 10/31/2016 9:21:00 AM From USS Mitscher Public Affairs ATLANTIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) successfully launched a Standard Missile (SM) off the coast of Virginia Oct. 18 as part of testing the latest version of the AEGIS Weapon System. The SM was launched against a representative target which was successfully destroyed. Cmdr. Brett Oster, commanding officer, was extremely pleased with the crew's performance. "I couldn't be more proud of the crew coming together as a team after a long yard period. They demonstrated their professionalism and performed flawlessly. Their families and country should be proud of them and have the confidence that they are prepared to do their duty. It was a great day for each of them, Mitscher, and the Navy." Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Goforth was responsible for verifying the veracity of the firing solution information and firing the missile. His role as the Missile Systems Supervisor ensured the missile was aligned to the target. "It's always exciting to fire a missile whether it's in training or in real life. These types of events are the key to prepare us to go into harm's way and to be able to defend the ship against any threat." Goforth spoke about his confidence in his team to launch a missile in defense of the Mitscher and shared his optimism on future improvement. "I think we'll only get better because we will go into a training phase where we will spend a large amount of time honing our skills." Mitscher recently completed the AEGIS ACB-12 upgrade during and Extended Dry-dock Selected Restricted Availability where major portions of the ship's combat systems were upgraded. The missile shoot is part of Mitscher's overall test schedule that will flex the entire combat system ensuring total combat lethality. Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Tennant, who operated the SPY-1(D) phased array radar, shared his thoughts on the success of the exercise. He gave an insider's perspective highlighting the hard work of his division and the technical support industry partners. "The AEGIS Fire Controlmen put in an incredible amount of effort and time to ensure the system was operating perfectly. The support we received from our industry partners was excellent and was a great help in being prepared. It was a total team effort to successfully shoot down the target!" Mitscher is the second U.S. Navy warship named in honor of Adm. Marc A. Mitscher. Adm. Mitscher was a famed naval aviator who earned distinction as one of the U.S. Navy's great battle commanders in his 41 years of service to his country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Makin Island Conducts Search for Chinese Mariner Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-09 Release Date: 10/31/2016 9:11:00 AM By Petty Officer 2nd Class Dennis Grube, USS Makin Island (LHD 8)Public Affairs PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) Sailors and embarked "Blackjacks" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 21, and assets from the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to locate Chinese mariner Guo Chuan during a search and rescue (SAR) operation in the waters off Hawaii, Oct. 26. Although the team located Chuan's vessel, Qingdao China, no signs of life were found aboard. "Despite the team's best efforts all the way around, this is an unfortunate outcome," said Navy Capt. Mark Melson, commanding officer of Makin Island, and on-scene commander for the search and rescue mission. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of Guo Chuan." Chuan was attempting a new world record for a solo trans-Pacific voyage from San Francisco to Shanghai in a 97-foot super trimaran. Chuan had not reported to his ground support team in 24 hours when the U.S. Coast Guard was notified. After receiving the order to conduct the search and rescue operation from U.S. 3rd Fleet Oct. 25, Makin Island advanced at best speed to the vessel's last known location. Melson said rendering assistance to vessels and Sailors in distress is the responsibility of all professional mariners. "Having the capability to assist with missions like this is important," said Melson. "The open sea is unforgiving, and we all have to look out for one another in this environment." Once within range of the vessel early Oct. 26, Makin Island launched a MH-60S Seahawk helicopter with a SAR swimmer and personnel from Fleet Surgical Team 5 aboard. The helicopter lowered the SAR swimmer, who was unable to board the vessel due to unsafe conditions created by a heavy sea state. Makin Island advanced to within 700 yards from the vessel and launched a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB), from which Sailors boarded the vessel. Chuan was not on the trimaran, life preservers were still on board, and the jib sail was dragging in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for Guo Chuan late Oct. 26. "We recognize his tremendous achievements, innovative spirit, and boundless courage," said Melson. Makin Island, the flagship of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, is on a scheduled deployment with the embarked 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in support of security and stability in the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibility. The Makin Island ARG is comprised of the Makin Island, the command ship for Amphibious Squadron 5 and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25), on its maiden deployment, and amphibious dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group Returns to Okinawa for MEU Offload Navy News Service Story Number: NNS161031-08 Release Date: 10/31/2016 9:00:00 AM By Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah Villegas, Expeditionary Strike Group 7 Public Affairs OKINAWA, Japan (NNS) -- The last two ships of the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Group (BHR ESG) arrived in Okinawa, Japan, to offload the embarked Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Oct. 28. Amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LDS 42) arrived Oct. 28, following amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20), which arrived on Oct. 26 as the three ships wrapped up more than two months of joint operations with the 31st MEU in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. During the deployment, the Sailors and Marines of the BHR ESG worked together to complete exercise Valiant Shield, Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise (PHIBLEX) 33, integration with the Pacific Surface Action Group (PAC SAG), and their amphibious integration training (AIT) and certification exercise (CERTEX). "The Navy-Marine Corps team here is as well integrated as any I've seen," said Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7, who also commands the BHR ESG. "Every aspect of this deployment -- whether conducting amphibious operations or enhancing international partnerships -- the Sailors and Marines here have demonstrated 'one team, one fight.' I want to pass a sincere 'Bravo Zulu' to everyone in the ESG and a sincere 'thank you' to their families for support throughout the deployment." The Sailors and Marines of the ESG also enhanced partnerships through port visits to places such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Cambodia. The ships of the BHR ESG departed their forward-deployed base of Sasebo, Japan, Aug. 10 as part of a regularly scheduled deployment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. ESG 7 units included flagship Bonhomme Richard, Green Bay, Germantown, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, Naval Beach Group 7, and the 31st MEU. The 31st MEU consists of Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment (2/4), Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB) 31, and Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262 Reinforced. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO, Russia to hold parallel military excercise in Balkans Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:15PM Russia's military and NATO forces are holding parallel military exercises in two neighboring Balkan countries. Russian troops will participate in war games in Serbia while NATO is conducting military drills in Montenegro, media reported on Monday. Russian forces' 13-day military exercise in Serbia is named "The Slavic Brotherhood 2016" and begins on Wednesday. It will include 150 Russian paratroopers, 50 air force staffers, three transport planes and an unspecified number of troops from Serbia and Belarus, Russia's Defense Ministry said. The five-day NATO drill in Montenegro started on Monday and involves responding to floods and chemical attacks. It will involve 680 unarmed personnel from seven NATO countries and 10 partner states. In the past both Serbia and Montenegro were constitutional republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Both countries are socialist republics and traditional Russian Christian Orthodox allies. In 2003 this state union was re-formed into Serbia and Montenegro, and in 2006 the two became independent states. Since their split, the two Balkan neighbors seem to have headed in different directions strategically. Montenegro has taken a pro-Western stance which has been awarded by NATO with an offer to join the Northern Atlantic Alliance. The NATO invitation to Montenegro has met strong opposition from Russia. Meanwhile, Montenegrin officials have accused Russia of staging an alleged coup in October to topple its pro-Western government because of the NATO accession bid. Serbia, a NATO partner, has held exercises with the Western alliance, but not such a large one or with foreign troops and equipment participating on its soil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 80 percent of Yemenis need humanitarian assistance: UN Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:14PM The United Nations aid chief says 80 percent of Yemenis need some form of humanitarian assistance as Saudi Arabia keeps bombing its impoverished neighbor. UN Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien told the Security Council on Monday that some 21.2 million Yemeni people needed some form of humanitarian aid. The UN official added that more than two million people, including 370,000 children, were suffering from malnutrition across the war-torn country. The confirmation of 61 cases of cholera and 1,700 more suspected cases by health sources could now complicate matters, O'Brien warned. The UN humanitarian chief stressed that if the warring parties in Yemen do not reach a peace deal soon, the country could collapse with alarming consequences for the entire region. UN envoy seeks peace in coming weeks The UN special envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said on Monday that he would immediately return to the region to try to clinch a peace agreement in the coming weeks. The envoy also said that his roadmap "should allow a comprehensive settlement in the coming weeks if the parties engage in good faith." The Mauritanian diplomat has presented a roadmap for the formation of a national unity government in Yemen which will oversee a transition leading to elections. The resigned president of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansur who is a close Riyadh ally, has already rejected the UN peace proposal, saying it rewards the country's Houthi Ansarullah movement. The movement controls large swathes of Yemen, including the capital Sana'a. Meanwhile, the Houthis have said that the plan had "fundamental flaws" but could be a "basis for discussion." Details of the roadmap, which include security and political arrangements, have not been made public, but according to informed sources, the proposed peace roadmap gives the Houthis a share of the future government. The plan also shrinks the president's powers in exchange for the Houthis' withdrawal from several major cities, including the capital, and the handover of their heavy weapons to a third party. The president must also transfer power to the vice president, who in return appoints a new premier to form a new government, in which the Houthi-controlled north and the pro-Hadi south would have equal representation. One of the poorest countries in the Arab world, Yemen slid deeper into chaos when Riyadh launched its military aggression in March 2015. International alarm has been growing over airstrikes that have hit civilian targets, including a community hall in the capital of Sana'a where over 140 people were killed this month while attending a funeral. The Saudi war was launched in an unsuccessful attempt to reinstate Hadi and undermine the Ansarullah movement. The war has killed over 10,000 people, amid countless reports suggesting the deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of civilian infrastructure by Saudi forces and mercenaries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nigerian troops sexually abuse Boko Haram victims: HRW Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:15PM Human Rights Watch (HRW) says Nigerian security forces have raped and sexually abused women and girls fleeing the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group in the country's troubled northeast. The international rights group said in a statement published on Monday that at least 43 cases of "sexual abuse, including rape and exploitation" had been documented by its researchers in July. The group noted that the victims were housed at seven camps in Maiduguri, the capital of the northeastern Borno State. Several women and girls told HRW of the abuse carried out by camp leaders set up to help the military fight the terrorist group across the troubled region. Thirty-seven told HRW that they had been coerced into sex through false marriage promises and financial assistance. According to HRW, at least four victims were drugged and raped at the camps. A 17-year-old girl said she was raped by a policeman who approached her in a camp. "One day he demanded to have sex with me. I refused but he forced me." The victim stated that the policeman also threatened to kill her when she discovered that she was pregnant. A 16-year-old girl said she was drugged and raped a community security group member in charge of distributing aid in the camp. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a probe into allegations by a rights group. "President Buhari has instructed the inspector general of police and the state governors of the affected states to immediately commence investigations into the issue," Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement on Monday. The spokesman stressed that Buhari was "worried and shocked" by the allegations. The camps are home to thousands of refugees who had fled Boko Haram's reign of terror. Boko Haram started its campaign in 2009 with the aim of toppling the Nigerian government. The terror group later expanded its activities to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger. These countries have, in return, stepped up counter-offensives in the form of unilateral operations or contributing to a multinational force against the militant group. The group has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, which is mainly operating in Iraq and Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six civilians killed in bombing attack in east Afghanistan Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:49PM At least six people have lost their lives and several others sustained injuries in a bombing attack in eastern Afghanistan. The causalities occurred on Monday, when a bomber detonated his explosives in a gathering of tribal elders in the Afghan city of Jalalabad in the eastern province of Nangarhar. "Six civilians were killed and six others were wounded in the suicide attack on a gathering of elders in Jalalabad," said Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the provincial governor. At the time of explosion, the tribal elders were discussing security issues and trying to resolve their internal disputes to form a front against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group, according to the spokesman. A police spokesman also confirmed the death toll, adding that the injured had been taken to hospital and that some of them were in critical conditions. No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack yet, but such incidents are mostly blamed on Taliban militants. On Sunday, a mortar attack by suspected militants also claimed the lives of at least seven civilians in northern Afghanistan. Afghan forces have been engaged in fierce clashes with Taliban to contain the ongoing insurgency across various parts of the violence-wrecked country. Taliban militants were removed from power following the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, but they have stepped up their activities in recent months, attempting to overrun several provinces. In the meantime, there are rising concerns that Daesh, which is mainly active in Iraq and Syria, is now seeking to gain a foothold in Afghanistan's troubled east. Daesh has reportedly managed to take recruits from Taliban defectors in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, which borders Pakistan. Reports say the Takfiri terrorist group has recruited some 2,500 members in Afghanistan. In August, Daesh claimed responsibility for a bombing during a demonstration held by the Shia Hazara community in the Afghan capital, Kabul, where at least 80 people were killed. The surge in terrorist activities across Afghanistan comes despite the presence of forces from the US and other NATO members there. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Deadly clashes in CAR as France ends military mission Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 2:41PM France has formally announced an end to its military mission in the Central African Republic amid flared tensions in the country affected by ethnic violence. French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced the end of the "Sangaris Operation" in a speech to the parliament in Bangui on Monday. Le Drian noted, however, that Paris will still retain its military sway over its former colony. "This does not mean the end of military relations between France and the Central African Republic," he said. "The French army will indeed be less visible but it will be present, active and vigilant. We're proud of Operation Sangaris, so it's out of the question to allow the gains to be put at risk," Le Drian said. He said the French government will keep a "tactical reserve force of 350 soldiers" in the country. Many residents have voiced concern to see the French troops exit. Earlier this month Le Drian told the French parliament that the Sangaris mission had been "a success." "We stopped the mass killings... allowed a process of inter-communal reconciliation, the reconstitution of the state, a presidential election, and legislative elections," he said. Prominent CAR politician and former presidential candidate Anicet Georges Dologuele challenged Le Drian's comments, stating that "Sangaris is pulling out far too early." "Our security forces are not ready to take up the baton," Dologuele said. "The UN forces are more and more overwhelmed in their firefighting role," warned Dologuele. "It's always too early," Le Drian quipped, adding,"These responsibilities are above all your own." Meanwhile, CAR's capital was rocked by deadly overnight clashes, leaving 10 people dead in the restive Muslim PK5 neighborhood of Bangui. The toll had yet to be confirmed by the United Nations force MINUSCA, which will now be alone in facing the militias terrorizing civilians. CAR residents are continuously fleeing the country caught in ethnic conflict between Seleka rebels and anti-Balaka militia groups. CAR has not yet emerged from the disorder caused by civil war which erupted in 2013 following the overthrow of Francois Bozize, a Christian, by the mostly-Muslim Seleka coalition fighters who installed their own leader. The conflict in CAR since 2013 has left thousands of people dead and forced many to flee their homes. Rights groups have in a few occasions reported that Muslims in the war-torn country "are being butchered" at the hands of the Christians. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Yemeni forces launch rocket attack at Saudi mercenaries' positions Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:3AM Yemen's army and volunteer Popular Committees have fired rockets at the positions of Saudi-backed mercenaries near the capital, Sana'a, destroying a weapons warehouse used by them. Yemen's al-Masirah website reported that the Yemeni forces' rocket attack destroyed the weapons warehouse in the Fardhat Nihm district, northeast of Sana'a, at dawn on Monday. A military source said the attack on the arms depot caused heavy explosions and a massive fire. A vehicle of the militants was also destroyed in the area as the Yemeni troops targeted it with a missile. On Sunday night, the Yemeni forces had destroyed a military vehicle of the Saudi-backed mercenaries in the same area. A military source told al-Masirah that Yemeni forces fired a rocket at the military vehicle in Fardhat Nihm, also killing those on board. Also on Sunday, Yemeni forces launched rocket attacks at the positions of the mercenaries in the central province of Ma'rib. A military source said the Yemeni forces fired Katyusha rockets at the militants' positions and vehicles behind the Salb Mountain in Ma'rib on Sunday night, inflicting heavy causalities and losses on them. Meanwhile, Yemen's War Media on Sunday published footage showing Saudi-backed mercenaries retreating from the al-Buqa border crossing in Saudi Arabia's Najran region. According to the report, the Yemeni forces thwarted an attempt by the mercenaries to advance toward the crossing. The footage shows the bodies of the mercenaries who were killed left behind as their comrades fled the area. Saudi Arabia has been waging war on Yemen since March 2015. The war was launched in an unsuccessful attempt to reinstate Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who has resigned as Yemen's president. The war has killed at least 10,000 people, amid countless reports suggesting the deliberate and indiscriminate targeting of civilian infrastructure by Saudi forces and mercenaries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Georgian Dream Party secures landslide victory in disputed polls Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 8:27AM Georgia's ruling party has scored a landslide win in the second round of contested parliamentary elections, official results show. The Georgian Dream Party, started by former prime minister, Bidzina Ivanishvili, "won in all but two of 50 single-mandate constituencies," where a second round was held on Sunday, according to central election commission spokeswoman Ketevan Dangadze. "Independent candidates have won in two constituencies," she added. The ruling party will take 115 seats in the 150-seat legislature, while the opposition United National Movement (UNM), founded by exiled former President Mikheil Saakashvili, managed to secure only 27 seats, according to the results. The other political bloc that managed to enter the new parliament is Alliance of Patriots, with six seats. The majority allows the governing party to pass constitutional amendments, among which would probably be an amendment to give parliament the right to appoint the president, a move opposed by the UNM. The first round of votes, which was held three weeks ago as a proportional ballot, saw the ruling party wining with 48.68 percent of the vote. The UNM came second with 27.11 percent of votes. After both the first and second rounds, almost all opposition parties accused the government of massive vote rigging, allegations the authorities strongly rejected. "Georgians were denied their right to make free electoral choice," one of the UNM leaders, Giorgi Baramidze, said on Sunday. "The scale of electoral violations, pressure on voters and opposition activists, vote buying, is appalling," he added. The Central Election Commission, however, denied the allegations, saying "elections were held in a calm atmosphere and voters were able to express their will freely." International observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Parliament and NATO monitored the second round of the elections on Sunday. They gave the election a good mark and said only isolated instances of violations and procedural problems were spotted. Both Georgian Dream and UNM are in favor of good relations with the West. They seek membership in NATO and the European Union. Meanwhile, the ruling party also seeks to maintain good ties with Russia. The country fought a five-day war with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in 2008, which ended with Georgia losing all control of the region. Moscow recognized South Ossetia as an independent nation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Venezuela government, opposition hold talks amid tensions Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 6:27AM Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has started talks with a group of opposition leaders in an effort to end the country's political crisis and economic woes. Early on Monday, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, a Vatican envoy to the talks, said the two sides had agreed on "national dialogue plenary meeting" to be followed by long-term dialogue. The four-point agenda includes respect for the rule of law and government sovereignty, human rights and reconciliation, economic and social affairs as well as a timetable for holding elections. Celli was among other international mediators from Spain, Panama and the Dominican Republic attending the talks. He made the comments after Maduro opened the talks in the capital Caracas with leaders of five opposition groups on Sunday night. Earlier, the Vatican official had described the start of the negotiations as something "very positive." He had asked both sides to agree "to some concrete gestures to give credibility to this process," adding, "The country is waiting for authentic signals to comprehend that dialogue is a reality." Maduro has pledged an "absolute commitment" to dialogue with opposition groups, but some parties boycotted the talks. "We must be optimistic when we're talking about peace," said Maduro, praising the role of the international mediators in the diplomatic process. Fifteen parties belonging to the Democratic Unity coalition, which has been seeking to force Maduro from office, refused to attend the talks. They demand the release of political prisoners as a condition for negotiations and call on the government to reverse its decision to cancel a recall referendum against the president. "For an eventual dialogue to take place it has to be very clear from the outset that the aim is agreeing on the terms of a democratic transition in the remainder of 2016," the parties said in a statement. Maduro, however, said the quashing of the referendum was a decision of independent judicial and electoral authorities. Last week, Venezuela's National Electoral Council stopped the opposition's recall referendum campaign against Maduro after five lower courts found that fraud had been involved in a petition required to trigger the vote. Having failed to trigger anti-Maduro vote, the opposition is now trying to put Maduro on trial in the National Assembly. The assembly, which is in control of the opposite, voted on Tuesday to bring him on trial for what it described as abandoning his "responsibilities." It summoned Maduro to appear in the parliament on November 1, but the embattled president is unlikely to attend the trial, which he described as a "parliamentary coup" attempt. Maduro had formerly accused the opposition of having launched a US-backed economic war against the oil-reach country in an attempt to trigger a coup d'etat. The right-wing opposition hold the Socialist government of Maduro for the economic crisis, which has led to a high unemployment rate and soaring prices in the South American state. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Moldova presidential election looks set for runoff Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:40AM The presidential election in Moldova will most likely go to a second round as neither of the two candidates has gained the required 51 percent of the votes to avoid a runoff. With 99.5 percent of the votes from the first round counted, results showed that pro-Russia candidate Igor Dodon had won 48.5 percent, and his main pro-Europe contender, Maia Sandu, 38.2 percent. The Central Election Commission will announce the final results of the first round within the next five days. A runoff is automatically scheduled for November 13 if the required threshold is not reached by the candidates. Dodon is the leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova and seeks to reverse the country's course toward the European Union (EU). If elected, Dodon plans to call a referendum to end a political and trade agreement signed by the Moldovan government with the EU in 2014 and to have the country join a Eurasian Customs Union dominated by Russia. On the other hand, Sandu, an economist and a former minister of education, is in favor of keeping the status quo, namely closer relations with the EU. Pro-EU Prime Minister Pavel Filip said in a statement after the announcement of the early results on Monday that, "I hope that the results of today's vote and of the November 13 runoff will bring about both change and stability: change by the election by popular vote of a pro-European president; stability in the functioning of a reform-driven triangle president, government, parliament." A scam, then a shift back toward Russia However, people in Moldova seem to want a greater shift, almost a turnaround, in the political leadership of the country, a former Soviet republic. Political crisis hit the country of 3.5 million back in 2015 when it was disclosed that one billion dollars had disappeared from the banking system. The government implicated Former Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who appeared handcuffed on live TV and who was later jailed. Nevertheless, many Moldovans believe other members of the pro-EU elite were complicit in the scam, and seem to be punishing the incumbent leadership in the polls. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pro-Russia, Pro-EU Candidates To Meet In Moldova's Presidential Runoff RFE/RL's Moldovan Service October 31, 2016 Preliminary results from Moldova's presidential election point to a runoff vote next month between a pro-Russia socialist and a pro-European Union reformist as the country tries to scramble out of its political and economic malaise. But analysts say that Socialist former Trade Minister Igor Dodon's commanding lead in the first round leaves the second-place former education minister, Maia Sandu, with a huge amount of ground to make up before the November 13 second round. With 99.5 percent of the ballots counted on October 31, Dodon was leading with 48.23 percent of the vote, just short of the outright majority needed to avoid a runoff. Sandu, of the Party for Action and Solidarity, was in second place with 38.42 percent. Dodon, who has questioned Moldova's reorientation toward the European Union since the Communists' grip on power was loosened in 2009, said early on October 31 that a second-round victory was "inevitable" and that "voters no longer believe" in the country's pro-EU government. The 41-year-old economist says he wants to throw out Chisinau's 2014 EU Association Agreement and has hinted at joining the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. 'Secret Deal' Accusation On October 31, Dodon called for other pro-Russian parties and candidates in the first round to join forces behind his candidacy. But the second-most successful pro-Russian candidate in the race, Dmitri Ciubasenco, rejected Dodon's call -- accusing Dodon of making a "secret deal" with the Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc, a deputy leader of Moldova's ruling Democratic Party who is widely regarded as pro-EU. Dodon's strong showing in the first round reflects dissatisfaction and anger that many voters feel about a series of pro-EU governments that have been in office since 2009. In particular, pro-EU authorities have been accused of covering up the loss of more than $1 billion -- about one-eighth of the country's gross domestic product -- that went missing from the country's banking system in 2014. Revelations in 2015 about those losses led to widespread street protests and plunged the country into turmoil. Although former Prime Minister Vlad Filat was implicated and jailed, many Moldovans believe that other pro-EU authorities were involved in the scandal. Sandu has campaigned on reforms that would break up the power of oligarchs in the country. She wants to build on the EU deal by pushing ahead with reforms that Brussels says are necessary to strengthen Moldova's chances of EU membership. But the first-round results suggest many voters remain wary of a pro-EU agenda. The vote tally for the other seven candidates on October 30 was split almost equally between those with pro-Russian and pro-EU platforms, seemingly leaving front-runner Dodon in the driver's seat with two weeks to go before the runoff. Turnout on October 30 was 49 percent of eligible voters, well above the required 33 percent. Political analysts said that in order to stand a chance in the second-round vote, Sandu needs to encourage a higher turnout from young pro-EU voters who did not cast ballots on October 30. 'Difficult' To Close Gap Doru Petruti, director general of the Institute of Marketing and Polling in Chisinau, told RFE/RL that it will be "very complicated" and "difficult" for Sandu to close the 250,000-vote gap in a country with about 2.9 million eligible voters. "She will have to ensure the support from all the other pro-European candidates, but first of all, she will have to persuade many center-right voters who don't necessarily like her to come out and vote for her in the second round," Petruti said. Petruti said that voter turnout on November 13 would have to reach about 60 percent, with most of the extra votes going to Sandu, to give her a chance. "Her chances were slim from the very beginning," Peruti added. Sandu has said she thinks she can make up the difference with a strong turnout in the second round from younger voters. "The young had a small turnout," Sandu, who warned before the vote of "risks of massive fraud." On the subject of why the young didn't turn out in big numbers, she said: "I think it happened because the authorities impeded them from doing so. We will do everything to remove such obstacles in the second round so that [young people will] come to vote in larger numbers." Although Moldova's Communist Party leadership called for its members to boycott the October 30 vote, political analysts said it appeared that many of them turned out to vote for Dodon. Meanwhile, Dodon is expected to gain backing on November 13 from many of the voters who supported the two other pro-Russian first-round candidates, Ciubasenco and Maia Laguta. Ciubasenco, from Our Party, took third place with 6.03 percent of the first-round vote, while Laguta won 0.75 percent as an independent. The five others competing in the first round, all pro-EU candidates, won a combined total of 6.65 percent. They included former Prime Minister Iurie Leanca, of the Pro-European Coalition, with 3.11 percent; former interim President Mihai Ghimpu of the Liberal Party with 1.8 percent; and independent candidate and former parliamentary deputy Valeriu Ghiletchi with 1.08 percent. Pro-EU candidate Silvia Radu won 0.4 percent, while Ana Gutu won 0.17 percent of the vote. International observers from the ODIHR mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on October 31 that the presidential election was "competitive" and that "fundamental freedoms had been respected." It said "the election process has so far confirmed that Moldova has an adequate legal framework for holding democratic elections," but added that the country still needs to "address inconsistences in areas such as signature collection for candidate registration" and ensuring proper penalties were imposed against those who violate campaign rules. The OSCE observers raised concerns about strong associations between media outlets and major political parties. They said the concentration of media ownership in Moldova "diminished political pluralism on television" and there was "clear political bias in the campaign coverage of major broadcasters." The OSCE mission also said that Moldova's Central Election Commission, which is responsible for campaign-finance oversight, lacked the resources needed to properly monitor new laws on campaign finance reporting and on campaign spending limits. With additional reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/moldova- presidential-election-russia-eu-candidates- meeting/28086874.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address COLUMBUS -- There are six candidates running for the Lakeview Community Schools Board of Education. When voters go to the polls Nov. 8, they will be asked to vote for three candidates. Among them are incumbents Dan Pabian and Jerry Jaixen and contenders Larry Hassebrook, Chad Anderson, Larry Mohrman and Jeremy Sprunk. Pabian, 57, a customer service analyst with Frontier Communications, has held a seat on the Lakeview school board for the past eight years. Jaixen, 48, has been a farmer for the past 31 years. He has almost four years of experience on the Lakeview school board and has served as previous vice chairman and member of the Lakeview Advisory Committee. Hassebrook, a repair tech at Tooley Drug and Home Care, has never served on the school board, but said he has attended 95 percent of the meetings for the past 12 years. He has served as the president of the Lakeview Advisory Council for one year. He has also served the technology committee, the committee to hire the general manager at-risk for the Shell Creek Elementary School remodeling project and the community group that interviewed the new superintendents. Anderson, 42, is a manager at Klute Inc. and said he has no prior experience serving on a school board. Sprunk and Mohrman did not respond to messages by the deadline Friday. The candidates were emailed questions about why they were running and where they stood on certain issues. The following are their responses. What are your top three priorities for the district? Pabian: 1. Educating kids to be responsible, productive adults. 2. Financial responsibility to the taxpayers. 3. Utilizing available resources, such as Central Community College, distance learning and other resources to better help us accomplish the districts education goals and purpose. Jaixen: Provide a safe environment and the best education for the students, keep taxes low and in check, and use a conservative view for future expansion and growth. Hassebrook: Education: We need to keep improving our classes and what we offer so that we can keep up with what the colleges want and what the job market wants. Budget: We need to keep the schools spending in check, but not hurt the education for the students. Technology: Keeping up with technology is very important. Anderson: Prepare for growth, short- and long-term planning on many levels, and budget. The district increased its tax rate by nearly 8 cents this year following several years of decreases. What can be done to stabilize the budget, and what should taxpayers expect from the district in the future? Pabian: The several years of decreases resulted from of a combination of higher property valuations along with the current school boards decision to help get surplus funds back into the pockets of the taxpayers. It is important to remember that although the rate may change, if valuations go up for a particular taxpayer, that taxpayer might still end up paying more dollars than they did the previous year even if the rate went down, and regardless of whether their income increases proportionately to any additional taxes paid. We need to continue to have a board that will help keep good, responsible control over spending, while providing for the needs of the district. Jaixen: In order to stabilize the budget it is absolutely necessary to keep a sharp eye on the expenditures and understand the differences between the needs vs. the wants. I have a lot of admiration for the taxpayers concerns, as I am one of them. It is possible that there will be unexpected expenses, but as we all know its difficult to predict the future. My goal as a board member is to keep expenses as low as possible yet in a conducive manner. Hassebrook: We need to keep a good handle on spending, but not jeopardize the education of our students. I think the taxpayers should expect the tax asking to continue to rise, but not as much as this year with prices of insurance, utilities and wages going up. Anderson: The district has taken steps to stabilize the budget with the raising of the levy. As a district, we had no other option to ensure a better financial situation in the future. Salaries and benefits account for over 75 percent of the budget. With the states student-to-teacher ratio at 13.75-1 compared to Lakeviews ratio of 14.01-1, I do not believe anyone can say we are overstaffed. Lakeview receives 75 percent of its budget revenue from property taxes. The remainder of the revenue is dependent on state and federal legislation. (Lakeview Superintendent) Mr. (Aaron) Plas stressed while being interviewed for the job at Lakeview that he had been successful with having the business community support and contribute to many of the improvements that were needed at his last school district. This is one area that needs to be explored. I also believe that spending money to place a patch on an issue ends up costing more in the long run. Whats the best way to address the recent enrollment growth and what, if any, facility changes do you envision in the near future? Pabian: We could simply build more buildings, add more staff, and basically be reactive to whatever comes and pay whatever it costs. Or we can discuss other ideas as well, realizing we cannot look at the taxpayers as an endless supply of funding for whatever we want to do. Jaixen: Yes, there definitely has been a recent enrollment growth. Currently, to address this issue, the administrators have done an excellent job in placing the students. However, there are several options that could be looked at. For example, cut the number of option students, add room for current needs, or consider a larger expansion for future needs. Any way you look at the issue, it certainly needs to be addressed soon. Anderson: We need to accept and plan for it. Lakeviews enrollment has increased 170 students or 18 percent since the 2012-13 school year. I do not foresee this trend changing. Shell Creek is currently over capacity by five students, Platte Center is able to add 19 more students before it is at capacity. With these larger numbers in the elementary system and a higher number of students in the junior and senior high, there is simply not going to be space for this growth unless addition classrooms are added. Is a contracted bus service the best option for student transportation? Why or why not? Pabian: At the current time and under the current circumstances, I believe the contracted bus service is the best option for student transportation. We are required by law to either provide a reimbursement of mileage to individual families that travel more than four miles each way for getting elementary students to school or provide transportation, and I believe we are doing it in the most cost effective way to the taxpayers while providing good service to the families utilizing it. Jaixen: As of right now, yes, contracting the bus service is still the best option. It is seems to be more reasonable than paying mileage. Hassebrook: Yes, I do not think at this time Lakeview has the buses or part-time drivers to handle it. Anderson: I believe that the contracted bus service is working for the district at this time. With the increase of enrollment, I am sure that the bus service will need further attention. What is your expectation for academic achievement, how is that best measured and whats the school boards role in this process? Pabian: My expectation is for our students to be good, responsible, productive adults and community members throughout the rest of their life to the best of each individuals ability and regardless if they go on to higher education or not (it is not one size fits all.) Unfortunately, much of that cannot be measured until later in life if it can truly be measured at all. What we can do is to use feedback from employers and others in and around the community about our students and graduates in general, to help determine whether changes need to be made. Requirement-wise, however, we pretty much only have test scores to measure with, and as a board we need to work with the superintendent to provide the necessary setting, support and tools for accomplishing that. Jaixen: My expectation for academic achievement is to basically continue to try and keep improving test scores that fall under the Nebraska Department of Education. This is simply measured by frequently reviewing the scores as they come in and then, as a school board members role, making decisions on how to provide the best and most current resources for the needs of the teachers as well as the students to keep improving. Hassebrook: Keeping the material in the teachers hands to teach our students. I believe the MAPS testing that Lakeview is doing is a great tool for the teachers because the students take this test twice a year, and the teachers get the scores very quick. The school board needs to continue to keep the material in the teachers hands so they can educate our students. Anderson: We need to make sure that we are giving the students the best tools available to prepare them for whatever step they will be taking. Those tools include things such educators, facilities, curriculum and activities. The future boards members need to ensure that they continue and prepare Lakeview to be a strong district. French Troops to Remain in CAR Despite Conclusion of Sangaris Mission Sputnik News 18:48 31.10.2016 French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that some 350 French soldiers will remain in the Central African Republic (CAR) as a tactical reserve force for the UN peacekeepers. MOSCOW (Sputnik) France will not abandon the Central African Republic (CAR) after the Sangaris peacekeeping mission comes to an end on Monday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said. "France will keep its commitment to the CAR There is no question of leaving this country alone," Valls told Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Sunday while on a visit to Cote d'Ivoire. Earlier in the day, violence that erupted in CAR, with around 10 people killed in infighting between "self-defense" groups in the Muslim district PK5 on Sunday evening. Some 350 French soldiers will remain in CAR as a tactical reserve force for the UN peacekeepers, he said. In 2013, France sent more than 1,000 servicemen to its former colony in a bid to end the violence, in an operation named Sangaris. The Central African Republic has been suffering from sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians since the 2013 coup, when Muslim Seleka rebels seized control in the majority-Christian nation, overthrowing President Francois Bozize, who had ruled the country since 2003. Thousands were killed in the ensuing violence and about 20 percent of the population fled their homes. Two successive interim governments, as well as thousands of UN peacekeepers, have struggled to stop the fighting and disarm militias since the conflict escalated. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address France Officially Ends Military Operation in Central African Republic Sputnik News 17:47 31.10.2016(updated 18:01 31.10.2016) France announced official end of the Sangaris peacekeeping operation conducted in the capital of Central African Republic. PARIS (Sputnik) French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced Monday the official end of the Sangaris peacekeeping operation conducted in the capital of Central African Republic (CAR) Bangui. "The page of the operation has been turned," Le Drian said, as quoted by Franceinfo. Le Drian delivered a speech at a ceremony held at CAR's M'poko military camp in the presence of local officials and foreign diplomats. France sent more than 1,000 troops to its former colony in 2013 in a bid to quell an uprising by Muslim rebels who seized CAR's capital. The operation, named Sangaris, was backed by the UN, which sent in a peacekeeping force the following year. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Ship Killers': Pentagon Chief Reveals Upgrades to US Army's Long Range Rocket Sputnik News 22:35 31.10.2016(updated 23:17 31.10.2016) On Tuesday US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announced that the Army's tactical missile system (ATACMS) will be upgraded to strike both land and sea targets. Such technology will go a long way to defending allies against the Chinese menace and battling Moscow's "aggression" in the Baltics. The missile system is sponsored by an office created by Carter in 2012, the Strategic Capabilities Office, which is currently being lead by Will Roper, a protege' of the Secretary's. During a panel at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Friday Roper told an audience, "How you offset the adversaries trying to offset your offset? It's very simple to do that, you just don't talk about your best capabilitiesWe are keeping our best ideas behind the door and probably always will," according to Breaking Defense. After the panel, he continued, "We thought it was important to come out (in public) with ATACMS for the Army because there's been a lot of writing, a lot of speeches, on the need for the Army to go cross-domain." High ranking officials in the US military have been calling for the ATACMS to extend its capabilities seaward for some time, and Roper responded to these concerns saying, "it's time for us to show it isn't just a theoretical idea, it's something we can potentially get to quickly with something that we already have." During a morning session at CSIS Carter spoke of the new innovative features of the ATACMS, and how the SCO tries to maximize the potential of existing systems. "A prominent theme of SCO's work is spearheading creative and unexpected new ways to use our existing missiles and advanced munitions, and across varied domains", he said, adding, " By integrating an existing seeker onto the front of the missile, they're enabling it to hit moving targets, both at sea as well as on land. With this capability, what was previously an Army surface-to-surface missile system can project power from coastal locations up to 300 kilometers into the maritime domain." Carter detailed the SCO's plans to utilize seeker technology that the Defense Department has already developed so the missile system can hit targets both on sea and land. Lockheed Martin was awarded the $174 million contract for the long range artillery rocket system in May 2015. Ken Musculus, vice president of tactical missiles at the defense contractor said at the time that ATACMS is "reliable and proven in combat, which is why it continues to be our customers' choice for long-range strike requirements." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lebanon Elects New President, Ending Years-Long Political Stalemate Sputnik News 15:02 31.10.2016(updated 19:03 31.10.2016) After more than two years of political stalemate, General Michel Aoun has been elected by Lebanon's parliament as the new president. BEIRUT (Sputnik) Lawmakers in Lebanon voted in Gen. Michel Aoun as the new president of the Middle Eastern republic Monday, ending Lebanon's two-and-a-half-year political crisis. A total of 83 out of 126 voting lawmakers cast their ballots for Aoun, giving the 81-year-old former prime minister a needed parliamentary majority. Today's vote marks the 46th attempt by Lebanon's parliament to elect a president. In 2014, the term of Lebanon's former president, Michel Nouhad Suleiman, ended. Lebanon then entered a state of political crisis which lasted more than two and a half years. According to Lebanon's Constitution, only a Maronite Christian can be elected president by the country's parliament. As of today, Lebanon's parliament is practically divided in half, with pro-Western and pro-Syrian blocs opposing each other. General Michel Aoun was considered to be the leading candidate for the country's presidency throughout the 29 months of political crisis. General Aoun was backed by the Shiite party Hezbollah, as Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stated earlier in October. His candidacy was also supported by the pro-Syrian bloc. A representative of the pro-Western 'March 14' Alliance, Samir Geagea, was considered to be General Aoun's main rival in the elections. Initially, Geagea was supported by the Sunni party al-Mustaqbal, but earlier in October the party's leader Saad Hariri declared he would be voting for Aoun. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tehran Denies US Accusations of Supplying Weapons to Yemen Sputnik News 13:42 31.10.2016(updated 13:48 31.10.2016) Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said that a large number of lethal weapons, bombs and US-made missiles used by the Saudi-led coalition were targeting the Yemeni civilian infrastructure and population. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Tehran has denied claims of the US officials alleging that Iran has been supplying weapons to the conflict-torn Yemen, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi said Monday. On Thursday, US Naval Forces Central Commander Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan expressed concerns that Iran might be involved in the delivery of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen, including coastal defense cruise missiles. According to the official, the US Navy and its international partners have intercepted five shipments of weaponry from Iran since April 2015, allegedly heading to the Houthis. "Such false claims are made while warmongers and traders of death and destruction keep on selling and shipping fatal weapons to Saudi Arabia despite widespread criticism and opposition made by awakened conscience and non-governmental organizations," Qasemi said, as quoted by the IRNA news agency. He added that a large number of lethal weapons, bombs and US-made missiles used by the Saudi-led coalition were targeting the Yemeni civilian infrastructure and population. He also regretted that Saudi Arabia successfully renewed UN Human Rights Council (UNHCR) membership after the UN General Assembly vote on Friday, and added that the move was "a black mark in the history of mankind." Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government and the Houthi rebels, the country's main opposition force. The Houthis are backed by army units loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, while the current Yemeni government is backed by the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries, which has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at the request of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN refugee agency aims to double funds for cash-based assistance to refugees by 2020 31 October 2016 The United Nations refugee agency announced today its intention to double funds for cash-based assistance to refugees across the world by 2020 as a way to better assist and protect them "The use of cash-based assistance has been a real game changer in the way we help refugees and we have now decided to make it a worldwide policy and expand it to all our operations, where feasible," the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a news release. According to the release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the agency is already providing cash-based interventions in 60 countries, including Jordan and Lebanon, and plans to expand the programmes to another 15 countries next year. "UNHCR was one of the first UN agencies to employ cash-based assistance in the mid-80s and has developed an in-depth expertise in this field. Over the years, we have seen its remarkable effect on the life of refugees and forcibly displaced people," Mr. Grandi said, adding that refugees know best what they need and cash-based assistance enables them to decide how to manage their family's budget. The High Commissioner noted that cash-based programmes often prove to be an efficient way to help those fleeing conflict and persecution, in a context of growing urbanization and the search for alternatives to camps. He also stressed that cash assistance benefits local businesses and economies and is an important asset to foster relationships between host and refugee communities. "Expanding our cash-based assistance to refugees and forcibly displaced people in the coming years will go hand-in-hand with enhancing our partnerships," he said, noting that the development of joint cash delivery arrangements with partners on the ground will help ensure a more predictable and coordinated assistance and maximize efficiency and synergies. Cash-based interventions have been particularly successful in Jordan and Lebanon, where they have allowed UNHCR to help the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in the most cost-efficient manner. With a firm commitment to achieving the 2020 target, UNHCR will next year introduce and expand cash-based assistance to vulnerable refugees and people in need of help in 15 additional countries, including Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Congo, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Afghanistan and Iran. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Dawn of peace' could be near if Yemeni actors prioritize national interest - UN envoy tells Security Council 31 October 2016 Highlighting that the humanitarian situation in Yemen continues to deteriorate despite the efforts of relief actors, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen called on all parties to recommit themselves to the promises made earlier and to engage fully and constructively with the UN-mediated peace process. "After 18 months of horrific fighting, thousands of deaths, injuries and unspeakable human suffering, we all need to ask how long will Yemenis remain hostages to personal and reckless political decisions," Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told the Security Council today at a briefing on the situation in the country. "Despite [] calls for the Yemeni parties to fully commit to the peace process, the parties continued to embark on unilateral actions, which risk undermining the prospects for peace," he added. Yemen has been engulfed in violence for several years now a confrontation between the country's Houthis (Ansar Allah) and the Government of Yemen in early 2014 led to a Houthi advance on the capital, and an ensuing conflict which has involved support from outside parties. The UN has been heavily involved in efforts to resolve the crisis. In his briefing, the Special Envoy reported that the military situation continues to worsen a very dire the humanitarian situation and urged for far greater attention from the international community. Illustrating the severity of the crisis, Mr. Cheikh Ahmed said that only 45 per cent of the country's health facilities remain functional and the medical situation has been further exasperated by the prohibition of commercial flights into Sana'a, meaning many are not able to travel overseas to receive treatment. He further reported attacks against civilians, including the attack on a gathering of mourners on 8 October that killed more than 140 people and injured 550 as well as the shelling of the Bir Basha district of the city of Taiz which resulted in the death of nine individuals, including three children. "These incidents are a horrific reminder of the consequences of war that has blighted the country during the last eighteen months of conflict," the Special Envoy noted. He highlighted that the worsening economic situation could further complicate the humanitarian crisis, and expressed concern over recent attacks on international vessels travelling off the coast of Yemen. Such incidents, he said, risked a more acute escalation of the conflict, and threaten the security of international maritime movement. Mr. Cheikh Ahmed further told the Security Council that he will return to the region immediately to start consultations with both parties in Sana'a and in the Saudi capital of Riyadh with the aim of reaching a detailed agreement based on a comprehensive and detailed roadmap, consistent with relevant Council resolutions, to end the conflict. Calling on Council members for their full support, the Special Envoy said, "The dawn of peace could be near, in case those responsible decide to prioritize national interest and start working on rebuilding a stable state, which guarantees the rights of all of its people without discrimination." Salvage what is left in Yemen before too late Also at today's briefing, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien, told the Security Council, over telephone that 80 per cent 21.2 million of Yemen's population needed humanitarian assistance and stressed the need for effective and independent investigations into alleged war crimes. Recalling his recent trip to the country, Mr. O'Brien added: "I saw the desperation, fear, and resignation in the deep-sunken eyes of people I met who have lost all hope either moved to anger or powerless despair." He also underscored that international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties to the conflict and called for holding perpetrators on all sides accountable. Mr. O'Brien, who also heads the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the 15-member body that the conflict is having a devastating effect on public institutions, which are increasingly unable to provide basic social services. The country is also "one step away from famine," he noted, adding that over 14 million Yemenis are food insecure, seven million are severely food insecure, and more than two million people are malnourished nationwide, including 370,000 children who are severely malnourished. The UN relief chief also flagged that humanitarian actors do not have the capacity or the resources to provide services to a population of 26 million Yemenis, and informed the Council that an appeal for funding for the humanitarian response in Yemen is less than half funded. Concluding his briefing, Mr. O'Brien said that it was "high time" the parties put the Yemeni people first and reached a peaceful agreement to "salvage" what is left of the infrastructure, economy, and social services in the country. "If disregarded," he said, "the collapse of the country will have menacing consequences not only for the Yemeni people but to the entire region." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New approaches required to prevent trafficking among conflict-induced migrants - UN human rights expert 31 October 2016 Governments need to adopt new approaches to human trafficking in light of conflict-induced migration increasing around the world and putting many more people at risk of such trafficking, according to an independent United Nations human rights expert. "Trafficking in people in conflict situations is not a mere possibility but something that happens on a regular basis," the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, told the General Assembly today during the presentation of her latest report. "This means anti-trafficking measures must be integrated into all humanitarian action and all policies regarding people fleeing conflict," she added. The General Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with items relating to a range of social, humanitarian affairs and human rights issues that affect people all over the world, is currently in the midst of hearing from more than 50 special rapporteurs, independent experts, and chairs of working groups as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. According to a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ms. Giammarinaro's report corroborates the link between conflict and trafficking highlighted in a recent survey by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which found that more than 70 per cent of migrants who reached Europe via North Africa had become victims of human trafficking, organ trafficking or other forms of exploitation. "Conflicts always create a favourable situation for human traffickers," Ms. Giammarinaro said. "As institutions break down, the protection normally offered by families and communities is destroyed. Organized criminal groups can operate with impunity, and people are impoverished or displaced. "Traffickers target vulnerable people and offer them an opportunity to leave the country," she continued. "However, this places people at high risk of sexual or labour exploitation, as they are compelled to repay the traffickers in order to continue their journeys." The Special Rapporteur reminded that traffickers target those who are most vulnerable, offering them opportunities to leave a particular country. The result, she said, is that it "places people at high risk of sexual or labour exploitation, as they are compelled to repay the traffickers in order to continue their journeys." Children especially are at risk of trafficking and exploitation, regardless of whether they travel alone or with their families. The independent expert pointed to data from the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) which found that some 300,000 children were involved in more than 30 armed conflicts worldwide. Boys are more likely to be recruited as combatants, while girls are abducted, raped, and forced into sexual slavery. "Children working in the informal economy become the only source of income and often end up in heavy exploitation," Ms. Giammarinaro said. "Children travelling alone, hoping to reunite the whole family in a safe country, are exposed to a range of exploitation to reach their destination." During the presentation, she emphasized a declaration made at a recent summit in New York on migrants and refugees, which calls for the establishment of safe and legal channels of migration as the primary tool to prevent trafficking and exploitation. State policies, she reminded, can sometimes exacerbate the vulnerability of those fleeing conflict. Ms. Giammarinaro recommended that those countries who are grappling with an influx of migrants should work with non-governmental organizations and international organizations to ensure interviews that identify those at risk are done safely and in a friendly environment to provide specific solutions to meet peoples' respective needs. The independent expert urged UN Member States to make special efforts to ensure that children are never detained. "The best interests of the child must be the primary concern," she underscored. "As a consequence, the detention of children must be banned at all times, as it is never in the best interests of the child." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Humanitarian Chief: Yemen 'One Step Away from Famine' By Margaret Besheer October 31, 2016 The U.N. humanitarian chief warned Monday that war-torn Yemen is "one step away from famine." Stephen O'Brien told the U.N. Security Council that more than 21 million Yemenis 80 percent of the population are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. O'Brien gave the briefing by telephone from Bahrain, where he has arrived for a 10-day visit that also will include Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He traveled to Yemen earlier this month. "Over 2 million people are malnourished nationwide, including 370,000 children who are severely malnourished," O'Brien said. That is an increase of 65 percent compared to the year before the conflict began. Food prices have surged 20 percent since fighting began last year, and a Saudi-imposed blockade has impaired food deliveries to a country that, before the conflict, imported 90 percent of its food stocks. In addition, cholera the often fatal water-borne diarrheal disease also is starting to appear, with 61 confirmed cases and 1,700 suspected cases in 10 governorates. O'Brien said the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are establishing 21 cholera treatment centers, but that they would be insufficient to stop the escalating spread of the disease. Additionally, the humanitarian chief said more than 10,000 children under the age of five have died from preventable diseases. Another factor that has led to the deaths of many children is the lack of immunizations and treatments for diarrhea and pneumonia since the Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes, as well as an air and sea blockade on Yemen in March 2015. Not 'mission impossible' The U.N. has classified Yemen as a level three emergency Syria and Iraq are the only other two humanitarian crises rated this severe. "Saving lives in Yemen is doable," said WFP regional director Mohannad Hadi. "It's not mission impossible." He said more international support is needed to accomplish it. "There is no reason to lose one life in Yemen," Hadi added. The U.N. has appealed for $1.6 billion to reach 12.6 million people across Yemen this year, but has received just under half of the required funds. Political road map Iranian-backed Houthi rebels tried to seize power from the internationally-recognized president, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, in September 2014, leading to a Saudi-led aerial campaign to restore him to power the following spring. Since then, the U.N. says thousands of civilians have been killed and injured, and more than 3 million have been displaced from their homes. On Saturday, U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed put forward a road map for trying to arrive at a political resolution; both sides have rejected it. He said the framework is consistent with three elements: a U.N. Security Resolution from April 2015 that reiterated President Hadi's legitimacy, imposed an arms embargo on the rebels, and demanded they withdraw from all captured areas and turn in all seized arms; outcomes of the national dialogue; and an initiative from the Gulf Cooperation Council. He said the plan includes a set of sequenced political and security steps, conducted in parallel, which would help Yemen return to peace and an orderly political transition. "I am very disappointed by the fact that the two parties have expressed opposition to the road map," Ould Cheikh Ahmed told reporters. He said he had not received formal, written rejection of his plan, but had read statements both sides had made to the press. "The people of Yemen can no longer wait, because the situation is becoming disastrous," the envoy warned. He said the road map is just that, a guide, not a final agreement, and that the parties should use it as a starting point for discussions. He said he needs strong support from the Security Council for his road map and in demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities. Yemen's ambassador, Khaled Alyemany, said the government has made painful concessions for the sake of peace, while the rebels refuse to compromise. "Sustained peace will not be achieved by rewarding the coup masters for their coup and handing them the authority on a plate of gold," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mali Insurgent Group Accepts Cease-fire but With Conditions By Idriss Fall October 31, 2016 The head of Mali's top Islamic body says insurgent group Ansar Dine has accepted a proposed cease-fire. Mahmoud Dicko, president of Mali's Islamic High Council, told VOA's French to Africa service on Sunday that he asked Ansar Dine for the truce and received a letter of acceptance from the group's leader, Iyad Ag Ghali. Dicko, in a phone interview, noted that Ghali's letter included a line saying Ansar Dine "rejects whoever rejects Sharia." It was not clear if Ghali was setting a condition for the cease-fire. Ansar Dine was one of three Islamist militant groups that took control of northern Mali in 2012. The groups were ousted in a French-led military operation the following year, but have since continued to attack civilian, military and U.N. peacekeeping targets in the region. The U.S. government named Ghali a "specially designated global terrorist" in 2013. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address COLUMBUS -- Two individuals are vying for a seat on the Central Community College Board of Governors. The two Columbus men, John Novotny and Thomas Quint, are running for the District 5 seat that will be decided during the Nov. 8 general election. Novotny, business manager for Columbus Otolaryngology Clinic in Columbus, and Quint, nursing house supervisor at Columbus Community Hospital, were emailed questions about their desire to run and were asked to keep their answers to 500 words or less. The following are their responses. What is your education? Novotny: 1973 Ord High School, 1977 UNL B.S. Agricultural Economics, 1981 ECPI, Omaha, Technical degree in computer programming, 2000 Wayne State, MBA. Quint: Bachelor of science degree in nursing, associate degrees in nursing and communication electronics; graduate of the Senior NCO Leadership Academy. What is your employment history? Novotny: 1987-present, business manager for Columbus Otolaryngology Clinic; 1976-1987, banking commercial lender, vice president and president of various banks in Geneva and Springfield and Rochester and Dodge Center in Minnesota; 1969-1977, family farming, Ord. Quint: Nursing house supervisor at Columbus Community Hospital for more than 10 years and served in the United States Air Force for 22 years. Why are you running? Novotny: I do not have a specific agenda or have any feeling that I need to help fix a broken institution. To the contrary, I would be honored to help continue a legacy of some fine and hardworking people who have come before me, which helped to build CCC into the great institution it is today. I am sure that if elected, I would encounter issues that former board members did not have to address, and I am ready to work though whatever items come before the board I would serve on. Quint: I look at it as a way to give something back to the community. As an alumni of Central Community College, I am very grateful that it has helped me reach my career goals. I truly believe in the community college system, and I am proof that it is a way for an individual to receive a useful and quality education economically. What makes you qualified for the position? Novotny: I have had hands-on work experience and education in the three industries of agriculture, banking and medicine, all which have classes offered through CCC. I feel my experience and education in these fields gives me a well-balanced perspective to continue to help guide CCC into the future. I have also been a teacher and a student at CCC, so I have some perspective from that as well. Quint: I am task oriented and possess a tenacity necessary for complex task completion. I have proven that I am willing to represent fellow coworkers to senior management on a daily basis and have not been afraid to bring new and different ideas forward. I have held both upper and middle management positions. I have served on numerous boards and organizations and committees throughout both my careers. I have also been instrumental in developing and maintaining programs, most notably an NCO Peer Development program used at 12th Air Force Level and most recently CPI-Non Violent Crisis Intervention at the hospital. What do you think are some of the biggest issues facing community colleges and how would you address them? Novotny: The transition from face-to-face learning to online learning has its technological challenges while still needing to keep on-campus brick and mortar structures maintained and expanded. While the national political arena has brought community colleges more to the forefront, there will still be challenges for funding this type of educational institution long-term. Local, state and national funding, along with tuition and other sources (such as foundations), will continue to need good management and innovation. Coming out of a banking background, I feel I would be a good read on budgets, projections and opportunities to help ensure solid financial decisions. Quint: As stated in the CCC mission, the goal is to maximize the student and community success. A noble goal, but it comes with a cost. First, we have to keep in mind that whether it be the student, the community, or a local business, someone has to invest in cost of education. We need to use our resources wisely and make sound investments. Next, we must do our best to ensure that offered courses and programs meet the needs of our community. We also need to make sure that students that enroll have appropriate skills, such as math and reading, to ensure success in their chosen field. We also recognize and encourage that PELL grants and other federal aid are readily available for those who need it. Finally, we need to make sure education is worth something to the student. Education is a personal experience, and each student must be willing to make an investment in themselves. What would be your top priorities for the college if elected? Why did you select these issues? Novotny: For many students, a community college is the bridge between high school and a higher level of education. For others, community college is the desired end-goal. Society needs both, and I would like to help ensure a seamless transition (and intra-transition) from high school to community college, and from community college to a higher level, if desired. Also, the hiring and retention of the best teachers and administrators is important for long-term viability. A good corporate culture starts at the top, and I would strive to build on the great foundation that is in place to ensure the continuance of this world class institution. Quint: One of my priorities would be to live up to CCCs mission and strive to make our students successful which will help make our community successful. We can start by providing support services to assist student in gaining entrance to college and supporting them all the way through the entire educational experience. Examples of this could be tutoring and financial assistance. Another way to ensure this success is to offer competitive salary and benefits so we can hire and retain qualified staff. In addition, we must continue to provide the most modern tools/resources and the latest technology to keep our students competitive in the job market and higher educational opportunities. I also want to make sure that CCC continues to cater to veterans and encourage them to take advantage of the wide variety of educational opportunities available. Venezuela President Meets Opposition Leaders By VOA News October 31, 2016 For the first time in at least two years, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his political team have met with several opposition leaders in attempt to defuse the country's political crisis. The opposition's main demand is to revive a suspended a recall referendum that could lead to the ouster of President Maduro. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in recent days to support to recall effort. In the presence of international mediators, Maduro met Sunday in Caracas with five opposition leaders, including Democratic Unity coalition secretary-general Jesus Torrealba and opposition governor Henri Falcon. "We come here willing to listen and, hopefully, be listened to, and find points in the common interest of the great majority of the country, of the national interests. I think that this is not the time for long speeches but rather to assume a deep commitment," Maduro said during a televised ceremony live across Venezuela. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon travels Monday to Caracas, Venezuela, for a three-day visit, and will meet with senior government officials, members of the political opposition, and representatives of civil society. The U.S. State Department said in a statement that the visit is intended to show Washington's interest in the well-being of the Venezuelan people and support the ongoing dialogue process. The dialogue is part of a Vatican-led effort to defuse the country's political crisis after Pope Francis met privately with Maduro. "The government and the opposition committed to lowering the aggressiveness in the language used in political debate," papal envoy Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli said. Recall referendum at issue Venezuela's electoral officials suspended the referendum effort earlier this month, alleging that fraud had taken place as signatures were being gathered to request the recall vote. Opposition leaders who attended the talks with Maduro threatened to boycott further meetings if their demands were not quickly met. "We are here also to demand an electoral solution to the crisis in Venezuela. There is a point in the document that, in diplomatic jargon, establishes the review of the electoral program, the electoral institutionality, and the respect and promotion of the electoral timetable in the constitution," the Democratic Unity coalition's Torrealba said during the meeting. "That is the rescue of the recall referendum because what we are certainly discussing is the advancement of the presidential elections, that is what we are dealing with, that is what is on the table, what we are discussing, and also the topic of normalizing the country's institutional life that deals with reinstating the deputies from Amazonas," Torrealba added. Polls show if the recall referendum is reinstated, Maduro would lose the presidency. Maduro said blocking the referendum was an independent decision by the judicial and electoral authorities based on fraud allegations. He has distance himself from the issue. Maduro's political opponents have accused him of staging a "coup d'etat" by stopping the effort to hold a vote to remove him. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan-Philippines Deals Signal Shift to Multi-country Foreign Policy By Ralph Jennings October 31, 2016 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Japan swings his country a degree back toward the United States despite a strain in relations and it may signal growth of a multilateral foreign policy aimed at maximizing development aid. The outspoken yet cryptic president's three-day trip last week cemented a relationship between two democratic Asia Pacific allies. It also generated $19 billion in investment and loan pledges from Tokyo as well as prospects for joint military exercises. Duterte, in office since June 30, made the visit less than a week after meeting Chinese officials, who offered economic help worth about $24 billion. "It's a three-way courtship, China, Japan and the U.S., and Duterte knows all of this at this time," said Eduardo Araral, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore's public policy school. "At the end of the day he just wants to get more benefits from these relationships." China has separate maritime sovereignty disputes with Manila and Tokyo. It accuses the United States of trying to contain its expansion. Duterte's two visits followed a string of harshly worded demands that the United States stop helping his country militarily and economically. The United States is the Southeast Asian archipelago's former colonizer of nearly five decades and its chief benefactor since World War II, when Japanese troops invaded parts of the country and left between 500,000 and 1 million dead. US relations Analysts say the president may be using the Japan trip to craft a foreign policy that includes the United States, just with less dependence than in the past. Washington is still helping the Philippines resist Muslim separatist rebels and conduct naval patrols that would spot any Chinese vessels in an exclusive economic zone off the archipelago's west coasts. The United States and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951, obligating each side to support the other if attacked by a third party. "What [Duterte] says may be very different than actual policy," said Christian de Guzman, vice president and senior analyst with Moody's Investors Service in Singapore. "No official diplomatic requests have been made in terms of a change of policy." Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, filed for arbitration with a world court to stop Chinese vessels from passing within his country's 370-km (200 nautical-mile) exclusive ocean economic zone in the South China Sea. The maritime dispute fanned widespread public discontent with China. Polls show that Philippine citizens largely favor U.S. aid compared to help from China, a Communist country with poor relations in recent years because of the maritime dispute. Generous donor Japan contributes heavily to the Manila-based Asian Development Bank, which has lent the Philippines an average $745 million per year since 2006 for poverty reduction. The separately run, government-funded Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gave the Philippines $272 million in 2006 alone. "In the case of Japan, those longstanding commercial and government ties are just being further cemented," de Guzman said. In July, the Japanese prime minister offered the Philippines a loan for 10 coast guard patrol ships. Japan has given military and development aid elsewhere in Southeast Asia to counter China's influence. Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp. will make up $17.2 billion of the Japanese help pledged last week, according to Philippine media reports. That amount would cover highways, electrical power and mass transit projects. Disaster relief Aid to date is felt in spots such as the southern Philippine city Cagayan de Oro, where the cooperation agency is helping fund a flood control project, local newspaper columnist Antonio Montalvan said. Flood control became a priority after tropical storm Washi hit the city in 2011 and caused 1,250 deaths. "Parts of the city were inundated by floodwaters from the river, and it's JICA, they're constructing a flood control system now and people see that," Montalvan said. "So I would think there's no problem with the Japan aspect of Duterte." Duterte may prefer Japan over the United States because, unlike Washington, Tokyo does not criticize the Philippine government's suspected extrajudicial killings in the crackdown on drugs, analysts say. In turn, the Philippine visitor avoided playing up World War II to his Japanese hosts. "He got $19 billion worth of aid, and soft loans and potential investments despite the fact that Japan invaded the Philippines and there were a lot of deaths during the World War II," Araral said. "But Duterte kept his mouth shut because he knows that Japan is a huge donor of the Philippines." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Coalition Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 1, 2016 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack aircraft conducted two strikes in Syria: -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed two ISIL oil tanker trucks and two oil pumpjacks. Strikes in Iraq Attack, bomber, fighter, remotely piloted and rotary wing aircraft and rocket artillery conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Baghdadi, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb. -- Near Haditha, a strike engaged an ISIL improvised weapons facility. -- Near Mosul, six strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed nine vehicles, a vehicle bomb and a vehicle bomb facility; and damaged 20 vehicles and a tunnel. -- Near Rawah, three strikes engaged an ISIL vehicle and destroyed four vehicle bombs and a front-end loader. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, UAE Sanction Financial Backers of Al-Qaeda Branch in Gulf States - Treasury Sputnik News 21:12 01.11.2016(updated 21:36 01.11.2016) US Department of the Treasury said that United States and the United Arab Emirates have introduced sanctions against supporters of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) The United States and the United Arab Emirates have introduced sanctions against supporters of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the US Department of the Treasury said in a release Tuesday. "Today's action reflects the strength of the US partnership with the United Arab Emirates to degrade AQAP's capabilities to execute violent attacks and to identify and disrupt its financial and support networks," Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Adam Szubin stated in the release. Washington and Abu Dhabi designated the Al Omgy and Brothers Money Exchange and its owners, Said Salih Abd-Rabbuh al-Omgy and Muhammed Salih Abd-Rabbuh al-Omgy, for sanctions. "All property and interests in property of Al Omgy Exchange, and Said and Muhammed al-Omgy subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them," the release explained. Established in 2009, AQAP is a branch of the terror group al-Qaeda and is active in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United States. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese army vows efforts on strict Party governance People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 04:20, October 31, 2016 Chinese military forces have pledged to closely unite around the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, and vowed steadfast efforts on strict governance of the Party. The Central Military Commission (CMC) has issued a circular urging the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the armed police force to study and implement the spirit of the sixth plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. The Party committees of the five theater commands agreed that the two key documents on the discipline of the Party approved at the session were new major moves on strengthening the Party building, which showcase the determination of the CPC Central Committee on strict Party governance. Officers and soldiers of the PLA and the armed police force hailed Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, as the core of the committee and the whole Party, citing achievements made since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012. They promised to uphold the CPC's absolute leadership over the military, and build a stronger army through strengthening strict Party governance within the forces. Departments of the CMC also pledged to strictly observe Party discipline and rules and to be "absolutely loyal, pure and reliable." Enhancing Party building and governance is the key to coping with challenges under the new situation and developing the socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to opinions of the staff with military institutions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air show spotlights Chinese UAVs People's Daily Online By Huang Ge in Beijing and Hu Weijia in Zhuhai (Global Times) 08:13, October 31, 2016 Domestic drones see edge in global market: expert This year's China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) is likely to put the spotlight on a number of domestic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which will bring intensified competition to the global drone market, experts said on Sunday. Airshow China 2016 will be held from Tuesday to Sunday in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong Province. The air show is a gateway for international aviation and aerospace enterprises to showcase their latest technologies and products in the fast-growing Chinese market. "This year's Zhuhai air show exhibition scale will hit a new high with an increased number of international participants," Liu Yang, COO of Sichuan-based AOSSCI Technology Ltd, told the Global Times on Sunday. More than 700 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions, among which, 45 percent are foreign firms, have signed up for the show this year. The expo will also feature 130 aircraft for static and flying displays, including a large variety of business jets and private aircraft, according to information posted on the official Airshow China website. There will be nine exhibition halls, accounting for 82,000 square meters in indoor space, the website also mentioned. In addition to the usual national pavilions from countries like Russia, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, the US and Canada, Liu said that Austria would be making its debut while the Netherlands and New Zealand would both be making their return after nearly a decade. Chinese drones Apart from showcasing its new domestic-built J-20 stealth fighter and jets such as the J-10B, China will showcase various UAVs that will garner plenty of public notice, media reports said. One of the drones that has been attracting attention in recent days is the cloud shadow UAV which arrived in Zhuhai on Friday. A staff member working at the cloud shadow UAV exhibition hall, who requested to remain anonymous, told the Global Times on Sunday that this would be the first time that the cloud shadow UAV appeared at Airshow China. The military drone is made by AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Group Co. "When compared with [drones made by] the US, they have advanced technology but Chinese drones are cost-effective, so China has the advantage to export its drones to countries and regions along the 'Belt and Road' route," he said. The "Belt and Road" initiative was put forward by President Xi Jinping in 2013 to enhance connectivity between Asian, European and African countries. The anonymous employee noted that the jet maker expects responses from the market following the drone's air show debut. "The appearance of domestic drones at the air show will grab the market share in the global market and place intensified competition to its foreign rivals such as the US," Liu said. Another highlight at the expo will be the CH-5 combat UAV developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The Zhuhai air show, for the first time, will feature demonstrations for certain types of defense equipment, including armored tanks, assault vehicles and cross country vehicles, said Liu. Meanwhile, the UK's Royal Air Force Red Arrow and the Russian Aerobatic Composite Formation Team "Knights and Swifts" will also participate, the Airshow China website said. Further growth China's drone sector is seeing a rapid rise in momentum as domestic products have found a competitive edge in the global market thanks to relatively low costs and good performance, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, told the Global Times on Sunday. The application value of civilian drones has been widely recognized, and large investment in military drones has promoted more research and development in the country's military equipment, Wang noted. "Some problems still need to be dealt with [in developing military UAVs]. Relevant research and development companies in China are expected to pay close attention to the service conditions of domestic drone exports in foreign countries and regions, aiming to find ways for improvements," Wang noted. Chinese firms will also need to have a clear plan and figure out what kind of drones will be in demand, he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraq opens new frontlines in Mosul operations Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 9:47AM Iraqi forces have launched an offensive to advance toward the eastern borders of the city of Mosul from three new axes. The Joint Operations Command coordinating Iraq's war on the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group said the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) and army troops launched a campaign "to advance toward the left bank of the city of Mosul from three axes." The Tigris River flows through Mosul; thus, Iraqis refer to the city's eastern half as the "left bank" and its western part as the "right bank." A senior officer with the CTS said outside the recently-recaptured town of Bartalla that only two villages separate the Iraqi forces from Mosul. "The target is to retake Bazwaya and Gogjali, the last two villages before Mosul," he said, adding, "If we manage that, we'll only be a few hundred meters from Mosul." The operations to liberate Mosul, Iraq's second largest city and Daesh's self-proclaimed headquarters in the Arab country, have entered their third week. According to al-Sumaria news website, Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi forces liberated the village of Dlawya al-Sharqiya, west of Mosul, from Daesh on Monday. A security source in Nineveh Province also said security forces took control of five villages in the northern front toward the town of Tal Kif. A massive explosion targeted a meeting of Daesh commanders in the al-Sarjkhana area in the center of Mosul, a local source said, adding that a number of senior commanders were killed. Iraq's War Media Cell said Iraqi forces also managed to retake the villages of Najmom and Tal al-Yabes in northern Nineveh from Daesh. Iraqi security forces also regained control of the villages of Tobruk and Tahrawa on the southeastern front of Mosul. The CTS forces purged Bazwaya of the Takfiri militants and raised the Iraqi flag over its buildings. Three villages to the southwest of Mosul were also liberated, including Mashyrfa. The Iraqi forces also seized back the village of Tall Sikhan, west of Mosul. The CTS said that the Iraqi forces are advancing toward the first area in the city of Mosul from the eastern side. Lieutenant General Abdul Wahhab al-Saadi said the CTS forces are advancing toward the village of Kokjeli. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Forces Liberate Mosul Suburb Bazwaya, Several Nearby Villages Sputnik News 18:26 31.10.2016 Anti-terrorist Iraqi units liberated Bazwaya, a suburb of Mosul, and several nearby villages from the Daesh terrorists, according to Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Anti-terrorist units of the Iraqi army have freed Bazwaya, a suburb of Mosul, and several nearby villages from Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) militants, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah said Monday. "Anti-terrorist units have liberated Bazwaya," Yarallah, the commander of the operations for the liberation of Mosul, announced, as quoted by Shafaq News Agency. He also noted that national flags were raised over buildings in Bazwaya, which is adjacent to the eastern part of Mosul. Iraqi federal police forces are said to have liberated the strategically important Suruj village, south of Mosul. According to reports, the army has also liberated the villages of Tobruk and Tahrawa, southeast of Mosul. An army Twitter announcement also stated that a further two villages northeast of Mosul had been cleared of militants. On Monday, Iraqi government forces resumed their offensive on Mosul after a three-day pause. On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake Mosul from the Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by US-led coalition airstrikes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Peshmerga Forced to Create Special Unit to Deal with Daesh Mines in Mosul Sputnik News 18:06 31.10.2016(updated 20:16 31.10.2016) On Monday, coalition forces resumed their offensive against Daesh in the jihadi-held city of Mosul following a weekend pause. Speaking to Sputnik, Peshmerga demining unit commander Lokman Serafettin warned that the coalition has discovered a new Daesh strategy: the use of mines in civilian areas. As the anti-Daesh coalition, led by Iraqi government troops and Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces, continues its advance on Mosul, they have discovered a new jihadi tactic: the use of mines, mine-based booby traps and other explosives in civilian areas. The militants are laying explosives along highways used by Iraqi and Kurdish militia forces, as well as villages on the outskirts to the city, where battles are currently taking place. Explosives are being laid on the ground, at the doorsteps of homes, in refrigerators and anywhere else the jihadists can think to place them. Peshmerga and Iraqi army representatives recently told a Sputnik correspondent that explosions of mine traps laid by the jihadists in the countryside to the east, north and south of Mosul have already killed 12 civilians, 4 Peshmerga fighters and 7 Iraqi government troops, and injured two dozen more people. In response, both Peshmerga and the Iraqi army have begun a campaign to demine areas liberated from the terrorists. Special demining teams start their work immediately after the towns and villages are freed. After examining a house, sappers hang a white flag over it to indicate that it has been checked for mines and explosives. Speaking to Sputnik Turkey, Lokman Serafettin, the commander of a Peshmerga demining and bomb disposal unit involved in the operation to liberate Mosul, explained that as things stand, the Daesh mines are a threat first and foremost to local civilians. "The jihadists are losing their fighting capacity," the officer stressed; "they no longer have the strength to fight in open encounters, and so they have begun to actively use mines and mine-based booby traps. The biggest problem is that they are mining territories inhabited by civilians. This leads to a lot of accidents, where people returning to their villages come back to their homes, triggering the explosive devices." Accordingly, Serafettin noted, "in order to neutralize the many mines laid by the jihadists, we have created a special detachment of sappers which conducts clearance and demining of territories liberated from Daesh. To date, our squad's experts have defused over a hundred mines and mine traps in the area of operations." The coalition effort to retake Mosul began on October 17. Over 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters, together with Shiite militia and about 5,000 US troops and air power, are taking part in the offensive. Observers, including the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, fear that the operation to liberate the city could lead to a massive 'humanitarian disaster', particularly if civilians attempt to flee the city in large numbers amid coalition artillery and air attacks. At the same time, defenders of the operation have said that Daesh is already engaged in the mass killing of civilians, and that the sooner the city can be taken back, the better. On Monday, an Iraqi military spokesman said that the army had advanced to less than a kilometer from Mosul's city limits after liberating nearby villages. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Troops Half Mile Away From Daesh-Held Mosul Sputnik News 16:09 31.10.2016 Talib Kinany, the head of Iraq's counter-terrorism forces, said that Iraqi troops are between 800 to 900 meters [0.5 mile] away from Mosul. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Iraqi troops are about half a mile away from the country's third largest city of Mosul occupied by Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) jihadists since 2014, Talib Kinany, the head of Iraq's counter-terrorism forces, said Monday. "We were between 800 to 900 meters [0.5 mile] away from Mosul limits this morning and we could be even closer now," Kinany was quoted as saying by the Rudaw news agency. Earlier in the day, the Iraqi troops liberated the nearby village of Tehrawah. According to the media outlet, also on Monday, Fazil Barwari, the commander of the Iraqi Golden Force, said that by this evening the Iraqi forces would invade Mosul. On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake Mosul from the Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other states. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by coalition airstrikes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Forces Resume Mosul Offensive Sputnik News 10:55 31.10.2016(updated 11:20 31.10.2016) Iraqi security forces have resumed the offensive against the Daesh terrorist group in Mosul, the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (ICTS) said Monday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On Friday, Iraqi forces announced a pause in the Mosul operation to consolidate previous gains around the Daesh-held city. "At 06:30 #ICTS & Ninth armor division & 3rd Brigade from the 1st Squad & the 16th Infantry Division headed towards the left bank of #Mousel," the security agency said via its official Twitter account. The offensive is set to focus on the eastern bank of the Tigris river, which runs through Mosul and splits the city in half. Kurdish Peshmerga forces have also reportedly continued to advance on the city, with some units around five kilometers (three miles) away from city center. "We have accomplished our mission and now we are about five to six kilometers away from Mosul," a Peshmerga commander, Sihad Barzani, told the Iraqi Kurdistan-based Rudaw news agency. On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other states. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by coalition airstrikes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Forces Nudge Into Mosul as Sectarian, Ethnic Tensions Rise in Northern Iraq By Jamie Dettmer October 31, 2016 The prize is close. In a village just two kilometers from Mosul, the head of Iraq's Special Forces, General Talib Shaghati, held an impromptu news conference with several reporters to announce "good news" for more than a million civilians trapped in the Islamic State's last major urban stronghold in Iraq. With the thud of mortars landing in the background, plumes of black smoke billowing on the horizon, and a warplane roaring overhead as it struck an IS position, the general pledged, to "clear Mosul of terrorists very soon." He confirmed some of his forces have now entered Karama, a neighborhood just inside the city. Shaghati urged Mosul's mainly Sunni Muslim civilians to remain in their homes and to avoid going near IS buildings in the besieged city where, two years ago, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his Sunni caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria. Surrounded by black-clad soldiers, some wearing face masks and cradling AK-47s in their arms, the general spoke about how well coalition forces are coalescing in the fight against IS. Ominously, though, some of his men had hoisted a Shi'ite flag on a military truck right by him, and in the nearby wrecked Christian town of Bartilla, recaptured from the jihadists 11 days ago after a fierce days-long battle, several Shi'ite banners fluttered Monday above ruined buildings. An hour before Gen. Shaghati spoke to VOA and other reporters, coalition cooperation seemed in short supply at a checkpoint four kilometers from Bartilla on the main Mosul-Irbil road, where a brawl broke out between Kurdish peshmerga fighters and mainly Arab Iraqi commandos. Tempers flare The allies threatened to shoot each other as they drew their weapons amid angry shouts and an exchange of abuse. No shots were fired, cooler heads prevailed, but the flare-up scattered dozens of Christians who had been waiting impatiently for hours to be allowed to visit their homes in Bartilla and who had been blocked at the berm-protected checkpoint by the Iraqi military from doing so to their distress and rising anger. The peshmerga were frustrated, too, at the rough commands of their Iraqi counterparts. Shi'ite music blaring from a couple of Iraqi Humvees that were waved through the checkpoint aggravated tensions between Kurds, Christians and the mainly Shi'ite fighters of the Iraqi Special Forces. "The Iraqi military is blocking our people from getting inside Bartilla," Romio Hakari, head of the Christian Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party, told VOA. "They say it is because of security problems and of danger but that is only partly true," he added, acknowledging there remains the menace of booby-trap bombs and unexploded ordnance, as well as fierce fighting in the nearby villages of Bazwaya and Gogjali right on the threshold of Mosul. But he added, "There is an underlying mistrust and Christians fear what will happen to them and worry about the future of our ancestral towns." Christian towns Those fears have mounted with the flying of Shi'ite banners in towns like Bartilla, which Hakari deems "provocative." "Only the regular Iraqi army was meant to be here but it seems like there are many other forces," he said, including fighters, he claims, from the irregular Shi'ite militia Hashd al-Shaabi. Under an agreement brokered partly by U.S. officials, Hashd al-Shaabi militiamen are meant to be fighting only on the western and southwestern outskirts of Mosul, and only regular Iraqi army troops and peshmerga are meant to be present on the eastern front here at Bartilla. The peshmerga, under the agreement, are standing aside to let Iraqi forces take the battle into the mainly Sunni Muslim city. VOA could not confirm that Hashd al-Shaabi militiamen are present in the Christian towns of the Nineveh plains, but locals believe they are adding to their fears about whether they will ever be able to return to their homes or, if they are, whether they will feel safe. Christians had fled days and in some cases hours before IS fighters arrived in their towns and villages in August 2014. IS threatened to slaughter them. Most fled to the Kurdish capital of Irbil, settling in the Christian district of the city, Ankawa, in what ever accommodation they could find. Some Christians say they will return to live in the region especially if their towns and villages are incorporated into Kurdistan, but others are gloomier, arguing the days of Christianity here are over because the social fabric has been torn irreparably by IS. In conversation with nearly a dozen Christians at the checkpoint waiting to be allowed to visit Bartilla to salvage what they can, no interviewee expressed much confidence. "There are two problems," said Nimrud, a 54-year-old father of nine. "I would like to go back but I will only do so if we are protected, and if funds are supplied to help us rebuild otherwise it will be too difficult," he added. History, community Rami, a 27-year-old who left Mosul 10 years ago because of tensions with Sunni Muslims in the city, said he has had enough. "I have seen my house on TV and it has been destroyed. I don't think we will go back to live in the Nineveh plains; I don't think Christians have a future in Iraq," he said. Iraqi lawmaker Jamila al-Ubaidy, a Sunni Muslim, also expressed frustration at the checkpoint, where she, too, waited to visit her family's village on the outskirts of Mosul, saying, "People are worried and want to see what is left of their homes and to make sure more of their property isn't destroyed in the meantime." She isn't explicit, but she suggests local Christians and Sunnis are scared Shi'ite soldiers will loot what's left in their properties. Former US ambassador Alberto Fernandez, who has followed closely the travails of Christianity in the region, is pessimistic. "For Christians to feel safe there needs to be: security, autonomy [or local rule], and some sort of economic basis for living," he argued. "Traditionally the people of the Nineveh plains had close ties with Mosul and worked or traded with the city, so the whole fabric of life has been ripped apart. It is not impossible to recreate this social fabric, but it requires a care and commitment no one international community, Baghdad seem to have," he lamented. He added, "What is lost if these communities cease to exist in Iraq is not only a historic presence but a chance of creating a community of real diversity and tolerance. Iraq would just be a grimmer, more intellectually and spiritually impoverished place." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kerry, US Allies Underscore Support for Libya's Unity Government - State Dept. Sputnik News 19:05 31.10.2016 US Secretary of State John Kerry and officials from France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United Nations underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the Government of National Accord led by Prime Minister al-Sarraj to respond to the needs of the Libyan people, according to official statement. WASHINGTON (Sputnik) US Secretary of State John Kerry and officials from France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United Nations met with Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj of Libya to reiterate international support for his country's unity government, US Department of State spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said in a press release Monday. "The ministers underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the [Government of National Accord] led by Prime Minister al-Sarraj to respond to the needs of the Libyan people," the release stated. Additionally, they endorsed upcoming technical talks to implement capacity-building initiatives and called on Libya's economic institutions to support such efforts. Furthermore, they emphasized their commitment to providing the Government of National Accord humanitarian, security, counterterror and technical assistance, as well as help with operations against the Islamic State in the Mediterranean port city of Sirte. Earlier Monday, Libyan government forces began a final offensive on the Daesh's positions in Sirte. Since August, the United States has supported the Government of National Accord's operations with airstrikes against Daesh positions around Sirte. Libya has been in a state of turmoil since longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in 2011. The UN-backed Government of National Accord has failed to unite the country since taking office in March. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Kerry's Meeting on Libya Readout Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC October 31, 2016 The following is attributable to Elizabeth Trudeau, Director, Office of Press Relations: Secretary Kerry met today with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, French Director General for Political Affairs and Security Nicolas de Riviere, Saudi Ambassador Mohammed bin Nawaf Al-Saud and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Martin Kobler to discuss ongoing efforts to support the Government of National Accord in Libya. The ministers reaffirmed the continuing and strong international support of Prime Minister al-Sarraj and the GNA. They noted the important progress of the GNA and the forces aligned with it in combatting Da'esh in Sirte. The ministers underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the GNA led by Prime Minister al-Sarraj to respond to the needs of the Libyan people. The ministers also called upon all Libyan economic institutions to work together in support of this effort. The ministers strongly endorsed the technical talks that would follow up on and implement this effort. The ministers also emphasized the international community's commitment to providing the Government of National Accord technical, economic, humanitarian, security and counter-terrorism assistance. They also emphasized the importance of the GNA moving forward with its work to form a new cabinet proposal that represents all parts of Libya. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Libya's Chaos Prompts New US Calls for Action By Luis Ramirez October 31, 2016 U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spearheaded renewed efforts Monday to bolster Libya's U.N.-backed government against continued chaos and a collapsing economy, but the meeting appeared to yield little more than an expression of support for the embattled Libyan leadership. Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson convened the gathering in London that included ministers from France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, who met with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. The ministers reaffirmed what a State Department official said was "strong international support" for Libya's Government of National Accord, the U.N.-backed interim governing body that has thus far been unable to establish control outside the capital, Tripoli. Since the fall of longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi following a 2011 popular uprising, Libya has been divided by factional fighting. A government in the east of the country headed by General Khalifa Haftar has refused to recognize the GNA. Libya dependent on oil, gas "There is a crisis of legitimacy that is now much deeper than at the beginning of the civil war," said Wolfram Lacher, Middle East and Africa Associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs at a forum in London earlier this year. The crisis, along with the prospect of economic collapse, have deepened concerns about widening opportunities for Islamists in western Libya. Libya's economy is nearly entirely dependent on oil and gas exports and is on the verge of collapse after crude prices last year dropped to seven-year lows and production plummeted to a third of its pre-war levels as a result of factional fighting. "The ministers underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the GNA led by Prime Minister al-Sarraj to respond to the needs of the Libyan people," said State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau in a statement after the meeting Monday in London. There were no concrete proposals of aid, but ministers said technical talks will be held to follow up and implement their effort. U.S. airstrikes supported The meeting was held as Libyan government forces supported by a U.S. air campaign make gains in their efforts to wrest control of the coastal city of Sirte from about 100 Islamic State militants who reports say are holed up in the city. State Department officials said ministers meeting Monday in London noted the "important progress" the GNA and its allied forces are making in Sirte. The U.S. officials reaffirmed their "continuing and strong" support of al-Sarraj's efforts against Islamic State militants. The statements follow criticism by observers who note the operation to retake Sirte, launched in May, was originally expected to take a few weeks but, after several months, is still ongoing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Korean Political Crisis Could Affect Hardline North Korea Policy By Brian Padden October 31, 2016 South Korean President Park Geun-hye has vowed not to let a growing political crisis of confidence in her administration undermine the nation's national security. Presidential spokesman Jung Youn-kuk told reporters on Monday the government will maintain a "firm readiness posture under any circumstances." Amid the political turmoil the South Korean military this week began its annual Hoguk exercise involving the Army, Navy and Air Force. However, revelations regarding an influence-peddling scandal involving a longtime friend of the president have seriously damaged Park's hold on power and credibility with the public. Over the weekend Park fired many key senior officials and advisors in response to massive public protests and increasing calls for her resignation or impeachment. Choi's puppet Choi Soon-sil, the shadowy figure at the heart of the presidential scandal returned to Seoul from Germany on Sunday, where she and her daughter fled in September when reports of misconduct first surfaced. Her lawyer, Lee Kyung-jae, said Choi "is deeply remorseful that she had caused frustration and despondency among the public." Park's relationship with Choi dates back to the 1970s, during the time her father Park Chung-hee ruled South Korea for 18 years after coming to power in a coup. Choi's father Choi Tae-min, a religious cult leader, became a mentor to Park while she was acting as first lady, after her mother was killed during an assassination attempt on her father. The two women also became close friends during this period when they were both in their 20s. During her public apology last week, Park said Choi had helped her with "difficulties in the past." Choi is alleged to have exercised not just influence but "cult-like" control over President Park, even though she had no official government role, and to have exploited her personal relationship with the president to coerce large corporations to donate over $68 million, which she then embezzled. Choi, who has denied the allegations of wrongdoing, met with prosecutors on Monday. "I am so sorry," 60-year old Choi Soon-sil told reporters before the meeting. "I have committed an unpardonable crime." The disclosures have shattered Park's image as an incorruptible leader, a reputation that was reinforced by the fact that she is unmarried, estranged from her siblings and had until now no public ties to disreputable figures. "With this scandal what we are seeing is that the president is being accused of basically being the puppet of a single person, or rather a single family, that she has done extensive things only for their own benefit and not for her own, at least to the public's knowledge," said Koo Se-wong, the editor of Korea Expose, an online Korean news and opinion site. North Korea Government documents found in a discarded computer tablet indicate Choi received confidential information on Japan and North Korea, raising concerns that she had undue influence over formulating national security policy. There are allegations that Choi was influential in setting Park's hardline positions to reject any engagement with North Korea, to close the jointly run Kaseong industrial complex after the North's nuclear test in January, and to agree to deploy the American THAAD missile shield over the objections of Beijing. Choi had reportedly said she believed North Korea would collapse based on spirits that spoke to her. Analyst Bong Young-shik with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies says Park's association with Choi seriously undermines her ability to advocate for further international sanctions against the Kim Jong Un government or increased deterrence at home. "Unless those accusations will be cleared, then the Park Geun-hye administration will not have sufficient political capability to engage in North Korea policy. It will just remain an uncertain, chaotic state," said Bong. Lame duck President Park's efforts to extricate herself from this crisis by apologizing and firing officials that may have facilitated Choi's involvement have not eased public outrage. Park's approval ratings have plummeted in the wake of the scandal. At the same time, it will be difficult to force President Park from office before her term ends in 2018. Park's ruling Saenuri Party may ask her to leave the party to dissociate itself from the scandal. However her supporters in the National Assembly would likely try to prevent the opposition from mounting an impeachment trial that would bring out more damaging publicity. However Kim Jae-chun, a political science professor at Sogang University in Seoul, says Park's ability to govern has been seriously compromised, perhaps irreversibly so. "As it is impossible for the President to lead a policy, it seems difficult to start a new policy on domestic as well as diplomatic policies," said Kim. Moving forward the best that Park can hope for, says Kim, is to be a caretaker to protect the present policies in place. Youmi Kim and Han Sang-mi in Seoul contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Signs Law Suspending U.S.-Russian Plutonium Agreement RFE/RL October 31, 2016 Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law halting an agreement with the United States on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, a move that comes amid a continuing deterioration of bilateral ties. The law came into force on October 31, the day it was officially published by the Russian government and weeks after Putin submitted the legislation to parliament, which subsequently approved the bill. It formally suspends Russia's participation in the agreement, signed in 2000, which commits the two countries to eliminating parts of their weapons-grade plutonium stocks. The law sets preconditions for the restoration of the accord, including the lifting of all U.S. sanctions against Russia and compensation for the damage they have caused, as well as a reduction of U.S. military infrastructure and troops in Eastern Europe. Washington has said the sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine will remain until implementation of the Minsk agreements aimed at ending fighting between Kyiv's forces and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. With reporting by AFP, TASS, and RFE/RL's Current Time TV Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/russia- putin-signs-law-suspending-plutonium- agreement/28086912.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kremlin Rejects British Spy Chief's Allegation Of 'Increasingly Aggressive' Russia November 01, 2016 The Kremlin has dismissed allegations by the head of Britain's MI5 intelligence agency that Russia is mounting cyberattacks and other aggressive measures that pose a growing threat to Europe. Speaking on November 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the allegations raised by MI5 chief Andrew Parker "do not correspond to reality." Peskov said that "until someone produces proof, we will consider those statements unfounded and groundless." Parker told Britain's Guardian newspaper on October 31 that Russia "is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways" -- involving propaganda, espionage, subversion, and cyberattacks. He said Russia "increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly." He said evidence could be seen "on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria." But he said Russia also is conducting "high-volume activity out of sight with the cyberthreat." Based on reporting by The Guardian, AFP, and TASS Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/british-spy- chief-andrew-parker-warns-increasingly- aggressive-russia/28087739.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At least 84 killed in militant attacks on Aleppo's west: Syria Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 3:13PM The Syrian military says at least 84 people have been killed and another 280 people sustained injuries in three days of intensive and relentless assaults by militants on the government-held parts of the embattled city of Aleppo. Syria's army and the Armed Forces High Command said in a joint statement on Monday that terrorist groups, including Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front, have killed dozens of women and children in their bombardment of schools and residential areas in western Aleppo since Friday. The statement, which was carried by Syria's official news agency, SANA, said that militants used chemical weapons and rocket fire in the attacks on civilians. It accused the militants of misusing a previous lull in the fighting, which was holding until earlier this month for humanitarian purposes, saying they used that period to obtain reinforcements and prepare such relentless attacks on civilians. Syria has been battling an array of militant groups in Aleppo as it struggles to regain control over the eastern parts of the city. Western governments intensified their rhetoric against Syria's campaign in Aleppo when it began late in September, saying the government and its allies, including Russia which carries out targeted airstrikes against militants, have committed war crimes in the attacks on eastern Aleppo. This comes as a recent statement by the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he was "appalled and shocked" hearing that militants in Aleppo were targeting civilians. De Mistura said "relentless and indiscriminate" rocket attacks against western Aleppo could amount to war crimes. The intensified attacks come three days after militants announced the beginning of an offensive to break the Syrian military's siege on eastern Aleppo. Syrian media said Sunday that militants had fired bombs containing the poisonous gas of chlorine at Hamdaniya district in western Aleppo. The Monday statement by the army said around 50 people had been transferred to the hospitals in the city for gas inhalation treatments. It said the militants used a total number of 20 poison gas canisters and 50 Grad rockets and ignited 48 fires in their three-day-long offensive on civilians in Aleppo. Aleppo, once Syria's second largest city before the start of war in the country, has been a major frontline in the fight against different Takfiri militant groups. The city has been divided into two parts. Militants have occupied the city's eastern parts for several years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Militants Use Chemical Weapons in Syria Amid Failure to Reach Goals Sputnik News 21:26 31.10.2016 Chemical weapon attacks will not be able to force the army to abandon its duties to protect civilians and free Syria of terrorism, according to the Command of the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF). DAMASCUS (Sputnik) Chemical weapon attacks committed by militants against the civilian population in Syria's Aleppo show their inability to accomplish the tasks set by their sponsors, the Command of the Syrian Armed Forces (SAF) said on Monday. "These criminal acts show a failure of terrorist groups to achieve the goals set by their sponsors and supporters. Such actions will not be able to force the army to abandon its duties to protect civilians and free the country of terrorism," the SAF statement said. On October 30, terrorists shelled Hamdaniya, Dahiyat Al-Assad neighborhoods of western Aleppo using homemade shells with chemical substances. As a result, at least 35 people were poisoned, many of whom were hospitalized. The Command of the Syrian Armed Forces claimed the terrorists had used shells containing chlorine gas. In April and May shells with suffocating gas were dropped on the Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud. The responsibility for the use of prohibited weapons was taken by the armed group Jaish al-Islam. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Security Council Votes to Extend Syria Joint Mission on Chemical Weapons Sputnik News 20:33 31.10.2016(updated 20:45 31.10.2016) The UN Security Council approved extension the mandate of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN joint mechanism for investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution that extends through November 18 the mandate of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-UN joint mechanism for investigating the use of chemical weapons in Syria. "The draft resolution is adopted unanimously by 15 votes of the Security Council members," council president and Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said. Following the vote, Churkin addressed the Council in his role as ambassador, saying Russia supported the resolution and hoped the short-term extension would give UN member states time for substantive discussions on the future of the joint mechanism. Last week, Russia said a long-term extension of the mandate for the body's work should be expanded to cover anti-terrorism efforts and regional security. The joint mechanism was established in 2013 to investigate and prosecute suspected war crimes involving chemical weapons in Syria. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At Least 84 Killed, Nearly 300 Injured in Nusra Front Attacks on Aleppo Sputnik News 16:03 31.10.2016(updated 16:54 31.10.2016) Syrian Arab Army's leadership issued a statement Monday saying that al-Nusra Front killed at least 84 people and injured 280 in Aleppo during the past three days. Al-Nusra Front terrorist group, with the help of other militant groups, has intensified its offensive on Aleppo taking advantage of the ceasefire, the statement said. "Al-Nusra Front terrorist group and a number of affiliated militant groups continue intensifying attacks on the city of Aleppo from several directions, taking advantage of the ceasefire," the statement said. Al-Nusra Front terrorists and some Syrian rebel groups, allied to the group, launched an offensive in Aleppo's south-west on Friday. For more than three days, terrorists have been attacking Syrian Arab Army's units, as well as residential areas in western and central parts of Aleppo. On Saturday, militants in Aleppo carried out attacks on the Al-Asad military academy and Bustan az-Zakhra district. Heavy fighting continues near the academy with armored vehicles' detonation and suicide bombers' attacks as part of the terrorists' offensive. According to Syrian military intelligence data, during a few days of the humanitarian pause in Aleppo, militants have redeployed some 8,000 fighters to the city's south and north. If terrorists gain control over the Al-Asad military academy, the whole western part of Aleppo will be under threat of militants' fire. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Activists: Release of Detainees in Syria Crucial to Peace Process By Lisa Schlein October 31, 2016 Syrian opposition activists are urging the United Nations and the international community to push for the release of tens of thousands of detainees in Syria, calling it critical in efforts to revive the moribund peace process. A delegation of representatives of the Syrian Opposition's High Negotiations Committee has been meeting with U.N. Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura's team to demand real and tangible progress on this issue. This is not the first time the group has broached this subject. Former president of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces Khaled Khoja told VOA that the release of detainees in Syria was a crucial confidence-building measure in the peace process. He said resolving this issue would improve the atmosphere around the negotiating table. "Making progress in this file, the detainees file will help us to improve the negotiation process and shift toward political solution with the other confidence-building measures like breaking the siege and providing humanitarian aid for the Syrian people." United Nations efforts to send relief convoys of food, medicine and other essentials to more than one million people trapped in 19 besieged areas in Syria have met with minimal success in the past months. The U.N. has been particularly frustrated in its attempts to send humanitarian convoys to help some 275,000 people in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been under relentless bombardment by Syrian government, Russian and rebel forces for weeks. Leverage to restart political process Khoja said the delivery of aid to Aleppo, Damascus and other besieged areas, as well as the release of the detainees "will be leverage to relaunch the political process again and start talking about political solutions." The Syrian Network for Human Rights, an independent, neutral, non-governmental organization has documented more than 110,000 Syrian detainees. It found that most - 91,000, including more than 2,700 children and nearly 5,700 women, were being held by the government of Bashar al-Assad. More than 11,000 others were under the control of Islamic State militants, opposition forces, the PYD Kurds, and the Al-Nusra front. The Network, which employs 24 staff and about 17 volunteers in Syria, said that 75 percent of the detainees were considered as enforced disappearances. The group's founder, Fadel Abdul Ghani, explained the warring factions "deny any knowledge of them. They deny holding them." He said his group believed that twice as many people as those already documented actually have been killed or disappeared. He said investigators on the ground were in the process of recording their names and other vital data with families and friends. In the meantime, he told VOA that the struggle to prevent arbitrary detentions and to achieve the freedom of the detainees was continuing. "Above the ground, we have shelling and bombing from the airplanes and from rockets and under the ground and inside the centers of detention, we have torture and we have starvation until death." Ghani said the Syrian Network has documented a monthly average of 50 to 60 cases of detainees being tortured to death. He accused Syrian President Assad of using the detainee issue as leverage to get his way in peace negotiations. Gateway to peace Member of the High Negotiations Committee Hind Kabawat said resolving the detainee problem would be a gateway to peace. She said it was essential that families learn the fate of their loved ones for the process to move forward. "It is a big problem and we need to solve it. We need to give comfort for those families to say we are thinking about them. We need to do something. And there will be hope to know where their family members are." Kabawat, who is an attorney and assistant Professor at George Mason University in the U.S. state of Virginia said a future political solution for Syria and for transitional justice was dependent upon accountability. "War crimes have to be punished. And, we need to know where are our detainees, what is happening to them. And we need to get concrete answers of what we can do for the future of Syria to have a just peace," Kabawat said. Since the outbreak of Syria's civil war in March 2011, about one quarter of a million people have been killed and half of Syria's population of 23 million have become displaced within Syria and as refugees in other countries. Members of the Syrian Opposition blame Russia's alliance with Syrian President Assad for prolonging the war and leading Assad to believe that he could win the war militarily. They said as long as Russia's escalation of air raids on Aleppo continued and civilians continued to die from indiscriminate bombing it was not possible to talk about a peaceful solution to this bloody war. UN, US singled out for criticism Khaled Khoja criticized the United States "for letting the Russians" lead the initiative and the United Nations for just "monitoring the process." He said as long as that continued "we cannot talk about any improvement in the political process. Actually, the Syrian crisis has become an international crisis and it needs an international approach." He said the regional and international countries have to accept responsibility for their part in exacerbating the war. Additionally, he said "they bear responsibility to stop the bloodshed in Syria and help push the peaceful solution forward." He said this meant putting pressure on Russia, whether through the Security Council, imposing economic sanctions or by other means "to prevent Russia from committing more war crimes inside Syria." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish police detains editor of Cumhuriyet after raiding his home Iran Press TV Mon Oct 31, 2016 11:4AM Turkish police arrest the editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, along with several other staff of the daily after raiding their homes. Editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu and columnists Guray Oz and Aydin Engin were taken into custody, Cumhuriyet said on its website on Monday. They are under investigation for alleged links to US-based opposition cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a recent failed military coup against the Ankara government, the Istanbul prosecutor's office said in a statement. The executives were accused of committing crimes on behalf of or in the name of Fethullah Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) and Kurdish militants, according to the statement. It said there are "claims" and "proof" that shortly before the July 15 coup attempt, the suspects had published content that attempted to legitimize the failed coup. Police continue to search homes of other senior staff of the paper, including its cartoonist Musa Kartm, as 13 arrest warrants were issued for its staff. The crackdown on Cumhuriyet came after Ankara ordered the closure of several opposition media outlets, including the Dicle Haber Ajansi news agency and the Ozgur Gundem newspaper. Turkey has been under a state of emergency since the failed coup, when an army faction, using helicopters and tanks, clashed with government troops and people on the streets of Ankara and Istanbul in an attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Since then, Ankara has been carrying out a crackdown on those believed to have played a role in the abortive putsch. Tens of thousands of civil servants have so far been suspended, fired or detained. Several thousand companies and institutions were also closed by the government on suspicion of providing financial support to Gulen's movement. Turkey is under fire by opposition parties and human rights groups who say Ankara uses the state of emergency to clamp down on all dissenting voices. Diyarbakir mayors arrested In another development, police also arrested the two mayors of Diyarbakir, the largest city in the predominantly Kurdish southeast of the country, on Sunday, five days after a court ordered their detention over "terrorist" activities linked to the militan Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, who jointly elected in 2014, were accused of "belonging to an armed terrorist organization" and providing "logistical support to an armed terrorist organization," according to a statement by the court in Diyarbakir. Several hundred people took to the streets in Diyarbakir and in Istanbul on Sunday to demand their release. Police used tear gas and to disperse the protesters, AFP reported. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Editor Of Turkish Opposition Newspaper Detained October 31, 2016 Turkey has detained the editor in chief of the opposition secularist Cumhuriyet newspaper, Turkish media report. On its website on October 31, Cumhuriyet confirmed editor in chief Murat Sabuncu and a columnist for the paper, Guray Oz, had been detained, following raids on their homes. The Istanbul prosecutor said in a statement that the newspaper and the Cumhuriyet Foundation, which owns the daily, were being investigated over links to Kurdish militants and the Gulen movement. The investigation was probing whether they committed crimes on behalf of the two "terror organizations," the prosecutor was quoted as saying by Turkish media. According to CNN Turk, 13 arrest warrants were issued for journalists and executives from the daily. The arrests come amid a government crackdown on anyone suspected of links to U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by the government of masterminding the failed July coup attempt. Gulen has denied any involvement in the plot. Dozens of media outlets, including a large number of Kurdish media, have been shut down in recent weeks. Cumhuriyet's former editor, Can Dundar, was sentenced to six years in jail earlier this year for publishing state secrets involving Ankara's Syria operations. His conviction sparked condemnations from media groups and Western governments worried about worsening human rights in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AFP Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-opposition-newspaper- editor-detained/28084886.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ankara Wants to Begin Liberation of Syrian Raqqa Once Mosul Free - Deputy PM Sputnik News 18:20 31.10.2016(updated 18:37 31.10.2016) Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said that the operation to liberate Syrian Raqqa from the Daesh terrorists should take place after the end of Turkish Euphrates Shield operation in northern Syria and operation to liberate Iraqi Mosul from the Daesh. ANKARA (Sputnik) The operation to liberate Syrian Raqqa from the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) should take place once Euphrates Shield operation has ended and Iraqi Mosul is liberated from the Islamic State, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said Monday. "It is clear that we are thinking about Raqqa. The operation to liberate Syrian Raqqa from the Islamic State terrorists should take place after the end of Turkish Euphrates Shield operation in northern Syria and operation to liberate Iraqi Mosul from the Islamic State," Kurtulmus told journalists. On August 24, Turkish forces, backed by US-led coalition aircraft, began a military operation dubbed Euphrates Shield to clear the Syrian border town of Jarabulus and the surrounding area of the Daesh, outlawed in Russia and many other countries. As Jarabulus was retaken, the joint forces of Ankara, the coalition and Syrian rebels continued the offensive southwest On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake Mosul from the Daesh, a jihadist group outlawed in Russia and a number of other countries. More than 30,000 Iraqi and 4,000 Kurdish fighters are taking part in the offensive, backed by about 5,000 US troops and supported by US-led coalition airstrikes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkish Police Raid Opposition Newspaper By Dorian Jones October 31, 2016 In Turkey concern is growing over the police raid and arrests of journalists working at the country's oldest newspaper - one of the few remaining media outlets critical of the government. Hundreds gathered outside the headquarters of Cumhuriyet to protest the police raid on the paper and the arrest of its editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu. The paper's website said arrest warrants had been issued for more than a dozen people linked to the paper, including many of its leading writers. Among those detained was 72-year-old columnist Aydin Engin. Engin asked while being taken away by police why he was being detained. He said his writing for Cumhuriyet was reason enough. All those detained are accused of violating Turkey's ant-terror law and for giving support to the Kurdish rebel group the PKK or followers of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen is blamed by the government for being behind July's failed coup attempt. Ensuring 'government's version' of news Emma Sinclair-Webb, chief Turkey researcher for U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, says the raid is an alarming development. "It's a very significant step, it shows the government's complete wish to crackdown on all opposition independent media in Turkey. Cumhuriyet being almost the last mainstream media organ to remain. And it means that basically there will be just one version of the news in Turkey and that will be the government's version." Police also raided the home of the former editor of the paper, Can Dundar, who last year drew the ire of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for a report accusing the government of supplying arms to jihadist groups fighting the Syrian regime. Dundar left the country after being convicted of revealing state secrets. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party, condemned Monday's arrests and called on writers and intellectuals to come out and defend the paper. "Don't forget that if you keep silent now, you will be next," he said. International condemnation The arrests have also drawn international condemnation. Rebecca Harms, leader of the Greens Party in the European Parliament, flew to Istanbul and joined protests outside the Cumhuriyet newspaper building. Harms in a statement said she planned to meet with government representatives. Monday's raids follows the closure over the weekend of 15 other media outlets, most linked to the pro-Kurdish movement, including Turkey's only newspaper published in Kurdish and one of the world's few women's news agencies. Human Rights Watch's Sinclair-Webb says the broad language of Turkey's anti-terror laws gives the government a free hand against critics in the media. "Any news they (government) don't like they just say is serving the aims of one or another terrorist organization; there is no evidence of terrorism, there is no evidence of advocating violence." According to human rights groups, more than 100 journalists have been jailed since July's failed coup and the introduction of emergency rule. The government defends the detentions saying they are in relation to terrorism and not for journalists' activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey Deploys Tanks On Border, Saying They May Be Sent Into Iraq RFE/RL November 01, 2016 Turkey has deployed tanks and heavy artillery on its southeastern border with Iraq, saying that the forces may be sent into Iraq "if necessary." The deployments on November 1 were made in Turkey's Silopi region bordering a stretch of northern Iraq along Iraq's strategic Highway 2, which leads to Mosul about 130 kilometers to the south. Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said on November 1 that Ankara was under no obligation to keep its military forces on its own side of the border. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on October 25 that Ankara could launch a ground operation into Iraq if it felt its security was threatened. "We are ready to use all our resources, including a ground operation," he said. The deployments came as Iraqi special forces battled Islamic State (IS) militants into an eastern neighborhood of Mosul on November 1 -- the first time government forces have been inside the city since it was seized by IS militants in 2014. It also came as the head of the Turkish Armed Forces General Staff, General Hulusi Akar, was visiting Moscow on November 1 for talks with his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, about possible military cooperation and what Ankara described as "the situation in the Middle East." Turkey has as many as 1,000 troops in northern Iraq at the request of authorities from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region who have been training Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. But the government in Baghdad has called on Turkey to withdraw those forces. Turkey has not had a direct role in a two-week-old Iraqi operation to recapture Mosul from IS fighters. But Ankara has said its forces should be involved to prevent Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia fighters from carrying out atrocities against Sunni civilians in Mosul. At the same time that Turkey has been helping Iraqi Kurdish forces, it has been fighting against U.S.-supported Syrian Kurds from the so-called Kurdish People's Protection units (YPG) -- claiming that the YPG in Syria is associated with Turkish Kurds from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been battling PKK militants in southeastern Turkey for more than 30 years. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and CNN Turk Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-forces- iraq-border/28088772.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Assets On Parade: Ukraine Officials Made To Declare Their Bling Christopher Miller October 31, 2016 KYIV -- Fast cars and fancy watches. Faberge eggs and vintage wine. Prime real estate, including a church. Even a ticket to space. Along with many millions in cold, hard cash, they're just some of the items emerging from the latest effort to root out persistent corruption in Ukraine. Officials there had until midnight on October 30 to file online asset declarations meant to expose those who got rich from misconduct. Most of the 50,000 or so public servants targeted by the requirement -- including civil servants, politicians, and judges -- are thought to have complied. But as with so many things in war-torn Ukraine, there's more to the asset declarations than meets the eye. For instance, Serhiy Melnychuk, a former commander of the volunteer Aidar fighting battalion turned lawmaker, thumbed his nose at the new measure, declaring 1 trillion hryvnyas, or about $39 billion, in cash. Asked about the disclosure, his spokesperson told local media simply, "It's a bad joke on his part." Many Ukrainians aren't laughing, however. Perceived excesses in lawmakers' lifestyles -- ill-gotten or not -- have drawn condemnation in a country where government statistics put the average household monthly income at around $200. Ukraine's mega-rich have also been criticized for not doing more to help soldiers, who are paid just $276 a month and have largely relied on volunteer assistance throughout the 30-month conflict against Russia-backed separatists that has killed nearly 10,000 people. "[W]e collect money for socks for soldiers, in [a] parallel world [people] have [millions] $ in cash," Ukrainian activist Kateryna Kruk tweeted. "E-decl [-arations] make us realize what corruption really is." Ukraine's newly created anticorruption agencies are now expected to investigate suspicious declarations -- a task that could take considerable time, given their limited resources and the fact that many thousands were filed. But it's a step that reformers insist must be taken. "E-declarations [are an] unprecedented move forward in holding officials accountable and in the overall strategy for tackling grand corruption," Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Kyiv-based NGO Anticorruption Action Center, told RFE/RL. Officials who cannot explain where their fortune came from face possible jail time. Bling-Bling Some of the most notable declarations include those of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman, and Interior Minister Arsen Avakov. All are known to have amassed considerable wealth prior to taking office, but the public has not previously been allowed to see the extent of their wealth. According to his declaration, Poroshenko, a billionaire entrepreneur before he assumed office in May 2014, is the beneficiary of 104 companies in 10 countries, and keeps 540,000 hryvnyas ($21,099), $26.3 million, and 14,300 euros ($15, 654), respectively, in bank accounts. He also declared 900,000 hryvnyas and another $60,000 in cash. His income for 2015 was 62.16 million hryvnyas, or more than $2.4 million. Poroshenko also listed in his declaration several properties and valuable possessions belonging to family members. "As for my e-declaration, I'd like to note straightaway that all the valuable movable and immovable property -- housing, estates, cars, paintings, women's jewelry -- had been purchased (not leased) before my presidency. In addition, mainly the property was acquired when I was not a public servant," Poroshenko wrote on his Facebook page a little more than one hour before the deadline on October 30. Hroysman, who has been in public service for the past 14 years, declared that he and his wife have some $1.8 million in cash. He also said that he owns a collection of 12 luxury wristwatches. Avakov's declaration includes hundreds of thousands of dollars and euros in cash, as well as large collections of paintings, clocks, Italian furniture, valuable books, and vintage wines worth millions of dollars. There were some oddities among the declarations. Lawmaker, Radical Party leader, and onetime presidential candidate Oleh Lyashko declared a pricey collection of watches, as well as a "peasant pitchfork" -- a symbol of his Radical Party that he has posed with on billboards. Anatoliy Matviyenko, a lawmaker with the president's Petro Poroshenko Bloc, declared a church. And Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov disclosed that he is the owner of a ticket for a suborbital space flight with Virgin Galactic that he purchased in 2009 for 1.4 million hryvnyas. The e-declaration site is publicly available. The Euromaidan unrest that eventually unseated then-President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 was fueled by perceptions of massive corruption, in addition to fears that Yanukovych was turning his back on the European Union in favor of closer ties to Russia. Western officials and international financial institutions have also warned that Kyiv needs to enact reforms and curb corruption if it hopes to continue to receive the billions in assistance that have helped keep the country afloat since Russian troops invaded and seized Crimea from Ukraine in early 2014. Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine- assets-declarations-bling-millions- poroshenko-hroysman/28086804.html Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gulf Bridge International (GBI) has updated the North Route of its subsea cable through Iraq, improving route diversification and enhancing the resilience of internet connectivity to and from the region. English Lithuanian Vilnius, Lithuania, 2016-10-31 15:11 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity of INVL Technology as of 30 September 2016 was EUR 23.65 million or EUR 1.94 per share (compared to 1.99 euro per share at the end of 2015). The Company's net asset value as of 30 September 2016 was EUR 23,650,988 or EUR 1.9425 per share. Fair value of investments managed by the Company amounted to EUR 20.45 million on the 30 September 2016. In the nine months of 2016, it has increased by EUR 3.49 million mostly due to the acquisition of Algoritmu sistemos UAB and investments in the share capital of managed companies. Decrease in fair value on revaluation amounted to EUR 0.2 million. The cash and cash equivalents of the Company decreased from EUR 6.99 million to EUR 3.3 million in the first-third quarters of 2016. Net loss of the Company for the first-third quarters of 2016 was EUR 592 thousand. Additional information: Companies controlled by INVL Technology, which invests in IT businesses, are expanding international activities. The NRD group of companies, which already last year began implementing projects in Bangladesh, and the cybersecurity firm NRD CS in October of this year started the process of registering the new NRD Bangladesh Ltd, completion of which is planned by year-end. Once this new firm is established, companies controlled by INVL Technology will have representation in nine of the worlds countries. To date they have a corporate presence in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Were continuing the active investment phase, seeking to invest in national-level businesses based in European countries and promote the globalisation of their operations, thus creating opportunities for business expansion and market diversification to increase their value. Expansion and investments also reflect in the companys nine-month results, which relate to the projects of the businesses we control, said Kazimieras Tonkunas, Managing Partner for UTIB INVL Technology at INVL Asset Management. The companys portfolio of directly or indirectly controlled firms currently includes 16 businesses which this year have conducted projects in 15 countries, providing services to a variety of state and commercial institutions, banks, law enforcement structures and other organisations. Focused on global business expansion, the groups companies have developed sales partnerships in South Asia (in Bangladesh, Bhutan and Cambodia), Eastern and Southern Africa (in Tanzania, Burundi, the Kingdom of Lesotho, Uganda and Rwanda), Mauritius, and Europe (in Estonia, Norway, Denmark, Latvia, Moldova) and elsewhere. According to INVL Technologys nine-month results which were published today, the companys net asset value at 30 September 2016 was EUR 23.65 million, or EUR 1.9425 per share. Since the start of the year, this value has been influenced by the costs of restructuring, expansion of controlled businesses and reduced public-sector demand for IT services in the Baltic countries, and decreased by 2.4 per cent compared to the book value of shares at the end of 2015. The companys investments totalled EUR 20.45 million at the end of the third quarter and in nine months increased by EUR 3.49 million. The change was mainly due to the acquisitions of Andmevara and Algoritmu Sistemos in the first half of the year and investments in the capital of owned businesses. Due to the investments made, the companys cash and cash equivalents shrank from EUR 6.99 million to EUR 3.3 million in January-September. The companys net loss for the period was EUR 592 thousand. The fair value of the businesses controlled by INVL Technology at the end of the third quarter of 2016 was assessed by adjusting the independent valuation that UAB Deloitte Verslo Konsultacijos performed at the end of 2015 by the total amount of net profit earned or losses sustained and pay-outs to shareholders during the assessment period. INVL Technology operates as a cluster of IT businesses focused on sales to large corporate and public sector clients and active in four main areas: business climate improvement and e-governance, IT infrastructure, cybersecurity and solutions for IT intensive industries. INVL Technology has invested in the Norwegian company Norway Registers Development AS with subsidiaries NRD UAB and Etronika UAB in Lithuania, Norway Registers Development East Africa Ltd in Tanzania, Norway Registers Development Rwanda Ltd in Rwanda and associated company Infobank Uganda Ltd in Uganda. It has also invested in BAIP UAB with its subsidiary Acena UAB, NRD CS UAB and Algoritmu Sistemos UAB, all in Lithuania, and Estonias Andmevara AS with its subsidiary Andmevara SRL in Moldova. Calculations show that the companies controlled by INVL Technology have more than 300 employees. Upon its receipt of a closed-end investment company (UTIB) license in July this year, INVL Technologys management was assumed by INVL Asset Management a part of Invalda INVL, one of the leading asset management groups in the Baltics. Net income attributable to limited partners, $14.0 million; Distributable cash flow of $24.7 million Increased quarterly distribution to $0.4225 per unit; 11th consecutive increase since IPO Completed purchase of St. Paul Park refinery logistics assets for $210 million Completed $193 million equity offering; increased revolver to $500 million EL PASO, Texas, Oct. 31, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Western Refining Logistics, LP (NYSE:WNRL) today reported third quarter 2016 net income attributable to limited partners of $14.0 million, or $0.23 per common limited partner unit, which compares to $16.5 million and $0.35, respectively, in the third quarter of 2015. Third quarter 2016 EBITDA was $29.1 million and distributable cash flow was $24.7 million; this compares to $27.7 million and $18.6 million, respectively, for the third quarter of 2015. "During the quarter, we acquired St. Paul Park refinery storage and terminalling assets, which expands our geographical diversity," said Jeff Stevens, President and Chief Executive Officer of WNRL's general partner. "We successfully completed an equity offering to fund the acquisition and expanded our revolver to $500 million to position us for further growth. We believe we have sufficient liquidity to fund our business plan for the foreseeable future. "WNRL delivered good results for the quarter, demonstrating the locational advantage of our asset base in the Delaware Basin. We've completed pipeline connections to new production, which will help increase our pipeline and gathering volumes. This not only benefits WNRL, but our sponsor Western Refining also benefits from increased volumes of high quality, advantaged crude oil," continued Stevens. On October 24, 2016, the board of directors declared a quarterly cash distribution for the third quarter 2016 of $0.4225 per unit, or $1.69 per unit, on an annualized basis. This distribution represents a 15% compound annual growth rate since WNRL's October 2013 initial public offering. Stevens concluded, Delaware Basin rig activity and crude oil production growth estimates continue to be encouraging. We believe we are well-positioned to increase EBITDA and distributions as crude oil production increases. Additionally, WNRL will benefit from the geographic diversification and growth potential as a result of the St. Paul Park logistics assets acquisition. We continue to be excited about the strategic locations of our assets and the growth potential of WNRL. Conference Call Information On Tuesday, November 1, 2016, at 4:00 p.m. ET, WNRL will hold a webcast and conference call to discuss the reported results and provide an update on partnership operations. The webcast can be accessed at Western Refining Logistics, LP's website, www.wnrl.com. The call can also be heard by dialing (844) 831-3028 or (315) 625-6887, pass code: 83728384. The audio replay will be available two hours after the end of the call through November 15, 2016 by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406, pass code: 83728384. About Western Refining Logistics, LP Western Refining Logistics, LP is principally a fee-based, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed by Western Refining, Inc. (NYSE:WNR) to own, operate, develop and acquire terminals, storage tanks, pipelines and other logistics assets related to the terminalling, transportation and storage of crude oil and refined products. Headquartered in El Paso, Texas, Western Refining Logistics, LP's assets include approximately 692 miles of pipelines, approximately 12.4 million barrels of active storage capacity, distribution of wholesale petroleum products and crude oil trucking. More information about Western Refining Logistics, LP is available at www.wnrl.com. Non-GAAP Financial Measures In addition to our financial information presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), management utilizes non-GAAP measures to facilitate comparisons of past performance. This press release and supporting schedules include the non-GAAP measures Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) and Distributable Cash Flow. We believe certain investors and financial analysts use EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow to evaluate WNRLs financial performance between periods and to compare WNRL's performance to certain competitors. We believe certain investors and financial analysts use Distributable Cash Flow to determine the amount of cash available for distribution to our unitholders. These additional financial measures are reconciled from the most directly comparable measures as reported in accordance with GAAP and should be viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, financial information that we report in accordance with GAAP. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect WNRLs current expectation regarding future events, results or outcomes. The forward-looking statements contained herein include statements related to, among other things: WNRLs positioning for continued growth; WNRLs ability to fund its business plan in the future; the locational advantage of WNRLs assets in the Delaware Basin; the ability of WNRLs new pipeline connections to increase its pipeline and gathering volumes; growing rig activity and crude oil production in the Delaware Basin and WNRL's ability to increase EBITDA and distributions as crude oil production increases; and WNRLs ability to benefit from the St. Paul Park logistics assets acquisition. These statements are subject to the general risks inherent in WNRLs business. These expectations may or may not be realized and some of these expectations may be based upon assumptions or judgments that prove to be incorrect. In addition, WNRLs business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond its control, which could result in WNRLs expectations not being realized, or otherwise materially affect WNRLs financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. Additional information relating to the uncertainties affecting WNRLs business is contained in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission to which you are referred. The forward-looking statements are only as of the date made. Except as required by law, WNRL does not undertake any obligation to (and expressly disclaims any obligation to) update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date such statements were made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Results of Operations The following tables set forth WNRL's summary historical financial and operating data for the periods indicated below: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (Unaudited) (In thousands, except per unit data) Revenues: Fee based: Affiliate $ 51,749 $ 58,111 $ 157,642 $ 151,054 Third-party 814 787 2,181 2,089 Sales based: Affiliate 131,405 158,848 355,459 456,195 Third-party 385,293 462,924 1,100,620 1,414,632 Total revenues 569,261 680,670 1,615,902 2,023,970 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of products sold: Affiliate 128,792 156,388 347,811 449,087 Third-party 366,744 445,169 1,047,571 1,358,197 Operating and maintenance expenses 43,454 45,927 131,103 131,156 Selling, general and administrative expenses 6,483 5,812 17,854 18,517 Gain on disposal of assets, net (62 ) (13 ) (963 ) (257 ) Depreciation and amortization 10,579 8,963 29,470 25,816 Total operating costs and expenses 555,990 662,246 1,572,846 1,982,516 Operating income 13,271 18,424 43,056 41,454 Other income (expense): Interest and debt expense (6,148 ) (6,204 ) (19,614 ) (16,416 ) Other, net 17 16 (87 ) 51 Net income before income taxes 7,140 12,236 23,355 25,089 Provision for income taxes (282 ) (3 ) (760 ) (354 ) Net income 6,858 12,233 22,595 24,735 Less net loss attributable to General Partner (7,165 ) (4,260 ) (23,309 ) (22,996 ) Net income attributable to limited partners $ 14,023 $ 16,493 $ 45,904 $ 47,731 Net income per limited partner unit: Common - basic $ 0.23 $ 0.35 $ 0.83 $ 1.01 Common - diluted 0.23 0.35 0.83 1.01 Subordinated - basic and diluted 0.25 0.35 0.89 1.01 Weighted average limited partner units outstanding: Common - basic 30,884 24,017 27,260 24,006 Common - diluted 30,901 24,024 27,274 24,024 Subordinated - basic and diluted 22,811 22,811 22,811 22,811 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (Unaudited) (In thousands) Cash Flow Data Net cash provided by (used in): Operating activities $ 33,293 $ 17,253 $ 80,709 $ 53,410 Investing activities (8,502 ) (11,395 ) (23,613 ) (53,255 ) Financing activities (25,811 ) (13,036 ) (85,159 ) 16,919 Capital expenditures 8,530 11,558 24,618 53,708 Other Data EBITDA (1) $ 29,090 $ 27,683 $ 89,384 $ 78,959 Distributable cash flow (1) 24,704 18,648 72,322 57,857 Balance Sheet Data (at end of period) Cash and cash equivalents $ 16,542 $ 71,372 Property, plant and equipment, net 422,006 426,093 Total assets 582,730 643,385 Total liabilities 478,287 434,940 Division equity 236,503 Partners' capital 104,443 (28,058 ) Total liabilities, division equity and partners' capital 582,730 643,385 (1) We define EBITDA as earnings before interest and debt expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. We define Distributable Cash Flow as EBITDA plus the change in deferred revenues, less interest accruals, income taxes paid, maintenance capital expenditures and distributions declared on our TexNew Mex units. The GAAP performance measure most directly comparable to EBITDA is net income. The GAAP liquidity measure most directly comparable to EBITDA and distributable cash flow is net cash provided by operating activities. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP net income or net cash provided by operating activities. EBITDA has limitations as an analytical tool, and you should not consider it in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Some of these limitations are: EBITDA does not reflect our cash expenditures or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments; EBITDA does not reflect the interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments on our debt; EBITDA does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; and EBITDA, as we calculate it, may differ from the EBITDA calculations of our affiliates or other companies in our industry, thereby limiting its usefulness as a comparative measure. EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow are used as supplemental financial measures by management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors and commercial banks, to assess: our operating performance as compared to those of other companies in the midstream energy industry, without regard to financial methods, historical cost basis or capital structure; the ability of our assets to generate sufficient cash to make distributions to our unitholders; our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures; and the viability of acquisitions and other capital expenditure projects and the returns on investment of various investment opportunities. Distributable Cash Flow is a standard used by the investment community with respect to publicly traded partnerships because the value of a partnership unit is, in part, measured by its yield. Yield is based on the amount of cash distributions a partnership can pay to a unitholder. Although distributable cash flow is a liquidity measure, it is presented in this reconciliation to net income as supplemental information. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP measures provides useful information to investors in assessing our financial condition and results of operations. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered as alternatives to net income or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income attributable to limited partners. These non-GAAP measures may vary from those of other companies. As a result, EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow as presented herein may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. The calculation of EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow includes the results of operations for the St. Paul Park Logistics Assets subsequent to the St. Paul Park Logistics Transaction and the TexNew Mex Pipeline System for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. The results of operations for the St. Paul Park Logistics Assets and the TexNew Mex Pipeline System are excluded from the EBITDA and Distributable Cash Flow calculations for the comparable periods in the prior year because a retrospective adjustment of these performance measures is not a representative measure of performance results. The following table reconciles net income attributable to limited partners to EBITDA for the periods presented and Distributable Cash Flow for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (Unaudited) (In thousands) Net income attributable to limited partners $ 14,023 $ 16,493 $ 45,904 $ 47,731 Interest and debt expense 6,148 6,204 19,614 16,416 Provision for income taxes 282 3 760 354 Depreciation and amortization 8,637 4,983 23,106 14,458 EBITDA 29,090 27,683 89,384 78,959 Change in deferred revenues 4,460 (218 ) 8,138 2,229 Interest accruals (6,377 ) (5,858 ) (19,158 ) (15,491 ) Income taxes paid (150 ) (156 ) (244 ) (737 ) Maintenance capital expenditures (2,319 ) (2,803 ) (5,798 ) (7,885 ) Other 782 Distributable cash flow $ 24,704 $ 18,648 $ 72,322 $ 57,857 Logistics Segment Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (Unaudited) (In thousands, except key operating statistics) Statement of Operations Data: Fee based revenues: Affiliate $ 42,319 $ 46,669 $ 126,288 $ 117,723 Third-party 814 787 2,181 2,089 Total revenues 43,133 47,456 128,469 119,812 Operating costs and expenses: Operating and maintenance expenses 25,241 26,063 75,732 73,621 General and administrative expenses 629 303 2,000 2,168 Loss (gain) on disposal of assets, net (12 ) 124 (17 ) 124 Depreciation and amortization 8,581 7,817 25,083 22,486 Total operating costs and expenses 34,439 34,307 102,798 98,399 Operating income $ 8,694 $ 13,149 $ 25,671 $ 21,413 Key Operating Statistics: Pipeline and gathering (bpd): Mainline movements (1): Permian/Delaware Basin system 49,709 56,745 51,709 45,784 Four Corners system 53,070 66,602 54,523 54,719 TexNew Mex system 7,504 14,834 10,132 6,131 Gathering (truck offloading): Permian/Delaware Basin system 15,514 25,961 17,948 24,207 Four Corners system 9,577 16,487 11,151 13,387 Pipeline Gathering and Injection system: Permian/Delaware Basin system 15,229 8,458 11,486 5,353 Four Corners system 21,776 28,841 24,470 23,859 TexNew Mex system 1,669 674 Tank storage capacity (bbls) (2) 959,087 651,545 877,899 630,761 Terminalling, transportation and storage: Shipments into and out of storage (bpd) (includes asphalt) 416,761 408,787 399,415 396,506 Terminal storage capacity (bbls) (2) 8,082,734 7,420,754 7,619,637 7,464,236 (1) Some barrels of crude oil in route to Western's Gallup refinery and Permian/Delaware Basin are transported on more than one of our mainlines. Mainline movements for the Four Corners and Delaware Basin systems include each barrel transported on each mainline. During the second quarter of 2015, we began shipping crude oil from the Four Corners system, through the TexNew Mex Pipeline System, to the Permian/Delaware system. (2) Storage shell capacities represent weighted-average capacities for the periods indicated. Wholesale Segment Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015 (Unaudited) (In thousands, except key operating stats) Statement of Operations Data: Fee based revenues (1): Affiliate $ 9,430 $ 11,442 $ 31,354 $ 33,331 Sales based revenues (1): Affiliate 131,405 158,848 355,459 456,195 Third-party 385,293 462,924 1,100,620 1,414,632 Total revenues 526,128 633,214 1,487,433 1,904,158 Operating costs and expenses: Cost of products sold: Affiliate 128,792 156,388 347,811 449,087 Third-party 366,744 445,169 1,047,571 1,358,197 Operating and maintenance expenses 18,213 19,864 55,371 57,535 Selling, general and administrative expenses 2,065 2,269 6,123 6,715 Gain on disposal of assets, net (50 ) (137 ) (946 ) (381 ) Depreciation and amortization 1,998 1,146 4,387 3,330 Total operating costs and expenses 517,762 624,699 1,460,317 1,874,483 Operating income $ 8,366 $ 8,515 $ 27,116 $ 29,675 Key Operating Statistics: Fuel gallons sold (in thousands) 313,600 305,566 940,029 919,808 Fuel gallons sold to retail (included in fuel gallons sold above) (in thousands) 87,131 81,538 250,693 235,824 Fuel margin per gallon (2) $ 0.030 $ 0.029 $ 0.028 $ 0.031 Lubricant gallons sold (in thousands) 1,355 2,998 5,402 8,969 Lubricant margin per gallon (3) $ 1.05 $ 0.70 $ 0.85 $ 0.71 Asphalt trucking volume (bpd) 5,620 4,461 Crude oil trucking volume (bpd) 36,144 49,620 37,909 47,245 Average crude oil revenue per barrel $ 2.11 $ 2.51 $ 2.17 $ 2.58 (1) All wholesale fee based revenues are generated through fees charged to Western's refining segment for truck transportation and delivery of crude oil and asphalt. Affiliate and third-party sales based revenues result from sales of refined products to Western and third-party customers at a delivered price that includes charges for product transportation. (2) Fuel margin per gallon is a measurement calculated by dividing the difference between fuel sales, net of transportation charges, and cost of fuel sales for our wholesale business by the number of gallons sold. Fuel margin per gallon is a measure frequently used in the petroleum products wholesale industry to measure operating results related to fuel sales. (3) Lubricant margin per gallon is a measurement calculated by dividing the difference between lubricant sales, net of transportation charges, and lubricant cost of products sold by the number of gallons sold. Lubricant margin is a measure frequently used in the petroleum products wholesale industry to measure operating results related to lubricant sales. Republican Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, the senior member of Nebraska's congressional delegation, is on course toward a seventh term in the House. He is matched against Daniel Wik of Norfolk in eastern Nebraska's 1st District, which has not elected a Democrat in half a century, not since 1964. Wik, a pain management physician, has developed detailed policy proposals on issues like veterans medical care, comprehensive tax reform and Social Security funding. He says he has raised $75 for his campaign. "My vote is bought by no one," Wik said. "I fund my own campaign." Fortenberry, who was elected to Congress in 2004, is a former member of the Lincoln City Council. The 17-county 1st District (including a portion of Sarpy County) contains Lincoln, Norfolk, Columbus and Fremont. In the House, Fortenberry is positioned as a member of the Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on military construction and veterans affairs. His district has been reshaped to include Offutt Air Force Base at Bellevue, a result of redistricting by the Legislature following the 2010 federal census. Fortenberry's priorities in Congress have remained focused on what he describes as economic security, national security and family security. With the approaching election of a new president and new Congress, Fortenberry said there may be an opportunity to "get health care right and return to a normal regulatory environment" that could help unleash new entrepreneurial activity, especially in the small business sector. He said he hopes the balance of power in Washington will be restored. "Power is so stacked in the hands of the president that most Americans believe it is the job of Congress to do whatever the president says," Fortenberry said. "Government seems paralyzed and ineffective," he said, at a time when the younger generation in particular is "yearning for imaginative and creative policy." In terms of foreign policy, Fortenberry said, "a robust military (and) strong defense" needs to be teamed with "smart diplomacy and sustainable development" along with a new national security settlement in the Middle East. "We're asking our military to do much more with less," Fortenberry said. "We've got to get it right in developing authentic friendships, not just transactional friendships." Wik said he would address the challenges veterans face in receiving health care now by "giving every veteran Medicare coverage with no deductible and no co-pay." "Give them dignity and freedom," he said. At least 50 to 60 percent of the nation's veterans already are enrolled in Medicare, he said. Wik's tax plan would replace current tax law by increasing the capital gains tax to 18 percent, reducing the corporate tax rate to 18 percent, capping the individual income tax rate at 18 percent and implementing an 18 percent tariff on all goods and services imported into the United States. That would result in a tax increase on "the very rich," ease the tax load on other individuals and spur economic activity and job creation, Wik said. "It would bring corporations back to the United States," he said, "and create jobs in the United States. "And when big corporations make money, stocks go up," Wik said, leading to gains for both large and small investors. "If I would not have my name on the ballot," he said. "Fortenberry would have run unopposed. "The difference in this election is between somebody who has the strength to say something and risk opposition as opposed to an opponent who says a lot of nothing and plays it safe," Wik said. A man walks under an overhang Wednesday afternoon outside of Menards in West Bend. John Ehlke/Daily News Virginia voter registrars, area law students and even the U.S. Justice Department will be fighting voter fraud rumors and handling complaints on Election Day next Tuesday. Theres been a redoubling of efforts to make sure everything is above board and of the highest integrity, said Voter Registrars Association of Virginia President Tracy Howard. Howard who also is the Radford voter registrar said election officials across the state were having to deal with voter fraud rumors propagated by candidates like Donald Trump and across social media. Its unfortunate that that information is out there without checking with the people who really take care of the equipment, Howard said. We are all having to fight those baseless rumors out there. Registrars across Virginia are working to make the election go as smoothly as possible by testing out voting machines, handling absentee ballots and completing other voting tasks, according to a new release from the registrars association Monday. Everyones equipment is ready and tested and squared away, Howard said. Howard said members of the elections offices were also voting community members who want to run an election with integrity and transparency. Voters with concerns will be able to call three Assistant United States Attorneys next week as part of the U.S. Justice Departments Election Day Program. As the Western District of Virginias election officers, Charlene Day, Ronald Huber and Jennie Waering will hear complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in the area all day Nov. 8. If there are any complaints, we want to make sure that we are there at the polls and react appropriately, said Public Affairs Specialist Brian McGinn. McGinn said the program happens every presidential election, and the attorneys will be at their offices all day to handle complaints of voter intimidation and bribery, buying and selling votes, voter impersonation and other possible violation of federal election laws. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud, United States Attorney John Fishwick said in a news release. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process. Law students with the College of William & Mary also will be fielding calls about voting issues with its VOTEline voter assistance hotline. The non-partisan hotline will be operated by students in the law schools Election Law Society. Our goal is to ensure that everyone properly registered to vote can do so, said Benjamin Daily, a second-year law student and VOTEline co-coordinator in a news release. The group has operated the hotline since the 2007 election. Phones will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CHATHAM Michael Jerome Morrison had to be removed from the courtroom after causing a disturbance and continuously shouting is this a matter of trust to the judge during his sentencing Monday morning. Pittsylvania County Circuit Court Judge Stacey W. Moreau upheld a jurys recommended sentencing of 25 years for Morrisons convictions of attempted first-degree murder, attempted arson and felony hit and run Monday morning. Morrison, 41, of Chatham, was convicted of hitting a womans vehicle, then striking her with a tire iron and pouring a liquid on her which smelled like gasoline. Before any other action could happen, the woman fired six shots from a gun at Morrison, who fled the scene and was later arrested. Morrison was convicted Aug. 23. At the end of that day, Morrison cursed at the prosecutor during the sentencing phase for the jury. More of the same came Monday. Before the sentencing began, Matthew Pack asked the court to allow him to withdraw as Morrisons attorney. Moreau told him he could formally withdraw as counsel once Morrison was in the courtroom. Neither Pack nor Pittsylvania County Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Aubrey Gordon had additional evidence. No family members appeared to be present for Morrison. During their arguments, Pack said Morrison has a lengthy criminal history, going back more than 15 years. His pre-sentence report indicates treatment would be helpful, emphasizing substance abuse and anger management help, Pack said. He also asked the court to sentence Morrison within the guidelines, to 16 years and 10 months in prison. Gordon said the woman wouldnt be here had she not fired at him. She did not give additional testimony. Once Gordon was done, Morrison was asked if he would like to speak. He didnt, according to Pack. Morrison, however, did have something he wanted to share: a letter. Morrison wanted Judge Moreau to read it. I have no idea what this is, Pack told the court. Eventually, Pack and Gordon read the letter before it reached Moreau. After reading the letter, Moreau upheld the jurys recommended sentencing and Morrison began erupting. Is it a matter of trust? Morrison said repeatedly to Moreau. Do not interrupt, she told Morrison. Moreau asked Morrison to be excused. A bailiff, already standing near Morrison, began walking toward him. Morrison raised his arm and resisted being restrained. Another bailiff came and Morrison still physically resisted. He pulled away from the bailiffs and continued shouting is this a matter of trust at Moreau. Morrison still struggled with the bailiffs as they grabbed him and took him to the holding cell. Since the sentencing wasnt officially over, Pack had to come back and state again that he would not represent Morrison as counsel. A 20-year-old Martinsville man has been charged with boating in a reckless or intoxicated manner after a 17-year-old girl was killed July 3 in a collision of a boat and a personal watercraft on Smith Mountain Lake, according to Pittsylvania County General Court records. Drewry Woodson Hall also faces charges for underage possession or purchase of alcohol and getting documents to make a false statement, according to online court records. He was arraigned on the misdemeanor charges Sept. 26. A May 16 hearing is set in the case. Pittsylvania County Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Haskins declined to answer any questions about Hall's case. The charges stem from the death of Gabby Ayers, of Clemmons, North Carolina, who was killed after the Polaris personal watercraft she was a passenger on collided with a 21-foot Key West Boat on Smith Mountain Lake, the Virginia Deparment of Game and Inland Fisheries has previously said. Ayers was riding the watercraft with her friend, 19-year-old William Brandt, whose grandparents own a house on the lake. Hall, accused of piloting the boat, and 22-year-old Capers Penn Zentmeyer, Hall's passenger, helped pull Ayers and Brandt to shore after the wreck, DGIF officials said. The two men were uninjured. Ayers' father, Mark Ayers, said he has not received much communication about the case from the Pittsylvania County prosecutor. "Its been such a whirlwind up to this point," Ayers said. "All I can say is that we miss our daughter. There's not a day that goes by that we don't think of her." Since Ayers' death, her father said he has been trying to work with North Carolina wildlife and boating groups to increase water safety. He also said that he plans to meet with Virginia DGIF officials once the court case has concluded to discuss ways to increase boating safety, such as requiring licenses to be issued to boat operators. Virginia law currently requires motorboat operators of all ages, and personal watercraft operators age 14 and older, to complete a boating safety course. MARTINSVILLE Charges have been filed against a Fairfax man in connection with Sunday nights incident at Martinsville Speedway that injured nearly two dozen people, including two from Danville. The incident happened in the handicapped parking lot outside of Turn 2. As people were heading back to their vehicles, a line of traffic had already formed, leading out of the area. The driver of a Chevy convertible attempted to pass a Jeep that was in line. The Chevy hit the Jeep, then spun out of control and into a group of people walking nearby. The convertibles driver, 65-year-old Gary T. Edem, was taken into custody at the scene and now faces one count of reckless driving. Virginia State Police Communications Director Corinne Geller said that additional charges could be filed, after the state police consults with Henry County Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Nester. State police are still working to determine the exact cause of the crashes, Geller said. To help with that, the Virginia State Polices Salem Division had their Crash Reconstruction team out at the track on Monday. Edem was placed on an unsecured $7,500 bond. On Monday, Geller confirmed that no one was killed as a result of Sundays incident. Neither the driver or passenger in the Jeep was injured. The driver was a 73-year-old man from Joplin, Missouri and the passenger was a 36-year-old man from Bentonville, Arkansas. Out of the 22 people injured, some were taken to Martinsvilles Memorial Hospital for treatment, while the others went to Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, North Carolina. Some of those originally treated at the scene for minor injuries ended up going to the hospital, which brought the final totals to 12 treated in Martinsville and five treated in Eden. The Martinsville group included three people from Greensboro, North Carolina; one from Reidsville, North Carolina; two people from Danville, one from Henry County, two from Georgia, two from Ohio and one from Troutman, North Carolina. The two people from Danville were listed as a 49-year-old woman and 12-year-old boy. State police officials only had information about two of the people treated in Eden, a mother and daughter from Ararat. New U.K. Treasury chief Jeremy Hunt has reversed most of an economic package announced by the government just weeks ago, including a planned cut in income taxes. Hunt said Monday he was scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced last month by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, and also signaled that public spending cuts are on the way. It was a bid to soothe turbulent financial markets spooked by fears of excessive government borrowing. The move raises questions about how long the beleaguered prime minister can stay in office, though Truss insisted she has no plans to quit. She vowed to lead the Conservatives into the next general election, but many in the party want her gone. Vancouver, November 1, 2016 - Castle Peak Mining Ltd. (TSXV: CAP) ("Castle Peak" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce the results of a limited scout drilling program on two key prospects within the Akorade Project located in the southern Ashanti Belt, Ghana. The results of the scout drilling are summarized below. Highlights: POW A1/3: Limited 300 meter ('m') scout drilling in a three hole fence testing strong geochemical anomaly and inferred structures resulted in 2m of 1.3 grams per tonne ('g/t') gold ('Au') and 2m of 4.4 g/t Au in wide zones of weak alteration and local elevated levels of gold mineralization. DO_New: Limited 300m of scout drilling completed as three drill holes in an offset fence resulted in the location of zones of moderate sericite and K-spar alteration associated with a locally chloritized feldspar and quartz-phyric intrusive unit. Only a few sections of elevated gold mineralization were encountered. An additional target trend (POW-C) defined sub-parallel to POW-A1, each >5,000m long. The scout drilling program consisted of three 100m long reverse circulation drill holes completed on the POW-A1 prospect and three 100m long reverse circulation drill holes completed on the Do_New prospect. In the case of POW-A1 all three holes were drilled on a single fence line with azimuth 330 and dips of -45 degrees. In the case of Do_New a two hole scissor fence was completed drilling into and though the anomalous hill (330 azimuth and 150 azimuth) using -45 dip, with a second hole on azimuth 330, dip -45 stepped out 120m to the west forming an offset three hole fence. Darren Lindsay, President and CEO of Castle Peak, commented; "These results are viewed as very encouraging for such a limited amount of drilling on such large prospective trends. We not only confirmed the POW-A1 auriferous structural trend and extended it to Dompem, through the compilation of historical work and current field work we identified POW-C, another multi-kilometer anomaly inferred to be controlled by structures through sedimentary units. On the other hand Do_New was a little less positive, locating a granitoid intrusive body in the structural corridor between Birimian and Tarkwaian lithologies had us very excited. Good alteration associated with the intrusive rocks so far hasn't resulted in high gold assay values - we will have to re-evaluate the approach to this prospect as it is on a highly prospective regional structure." Scout drilling on POW-A1 met its objectives by confirming the presence of a structure in the area indirectly supported by a significant change in weathering profile and rock units between drill holes 16APR001 and 16APR002 (see figure 1), and by confirming the presence of a mineralizing system supported by pervasive weak silica, chlorite and local sericite alteration with local strong grades and zones of elevated gold mineralization. Gold assays received ranged from below detection limit to 4.37 g/t Au (see table 1). Next steps for this prospect could include expanding the detailed auger sampling along the +5,000m trend followed by targeted 1 square kilometer grids of geophysics (magnetics and induced polarization) followed by drill testing. Additionally, the exploration should be expanded to include the newly defined POW-C prospect (see figure 2). The Dompem New (Do_New) scout drilling did not meet the objective of confirming a local mineralizing system however did provide a better understanding of local geology including defining the presence of Birimian sedimentary units in close proximity to a feldspar and quartz-phyric intrusive unit within tens to hundreds of meters of Tarkwaian sandstone and conglomerates. Assay results returned values below detection limit to 0.20 g/t Au (see table 1). Next steps for this prospect should include expanding the detailed geochemistry along the prospect corridor followed by targeted geophysical grids and drill testing. Maps, descriptions and additional information about these prospects and our other prospects will be made available on our website which is currently being refreshed (www.castlepeakmining.com). Table 1: Scout drilling results holeID from_m to_m length_m Au_g/t 16APR001 0 4 4 0.9 includes 2 1.3 16APR001 20 26 6 0.3 16APR001 34 38 4 0.3 includes 2 0.5 16APR001 74 76 2 0.1 16APR002 0 6 6 0.2 16APR002 40 42 2 0.3 16APR003 0 20 20 0.5 includes 2 4.37 16APR003 42 44 2 0.2 16APR003 48 50 2 0.3 16APR003 62 64 2 0.1 16APR003 72 74 2 0.1 16APR003 96 98 2 0.6 holeID from_m to_m length_m Au_g/t 16ADR002 4 8 4 0.06 16ADR003 0 12 12 0.06 16ADR003 30 34 4 0.06 16ADR003 40 42 2 0.2 16ADR003 86 88 2 0.2 Castle Peak continues to evaluate and prioritize targets immediately adjacent to its current high grade Apankrah Deposit, a discovery by Castle Peak consisting of an inferred resource of 275,000 tonnes @ 8.6 g/t Au for 76,000 ounces*. Partners are currently being sought in order to expand and advance this deposit. *Mineral resources are reported with an effective date of June 1, 2013 at a cut-off grade of 2 grams per tonne ('g/t') gold ('Au'). Cut-off grades are based on a price of $1,400 USD/oz Au. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resources have been classified according to CIM Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves. There are no known environmental, political, legal or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of the mineral resource at this time. Technical Disclosure Castle Peak's technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Darren Lindsay, P.Geo., Castle Peak's President and CEO, who serves as a Qualified Person under the definition in National Instrument 43-101 ('NI 43-101'). The exploration activities reported in the release were supervised by Henry Sowah, Castle Peak's Exploration Manager. One meter drill intervals of reverse circulation chips were reduced using a Jones riffle splitter with one portion retained for reference and one portion was used to make a 2m composite sample for assay. Assay samples were generally 2-3kg and were sent to SGS Laboratories in Tarkwa, Ghana where samples were analyzed for gold by 50g fire assay. One in ten samples was a control sample of either certified reference material or collected as a field duplicate using the Jones riffle splitter. The Akorade Project represents early stage exploration properties and as such there is no guarantee mineral resources will be discovered or defined; however, the properties do include an inferred mineral resource, the Apankrah Deposit with an effective date of June 1, 2013, as described in the "NI 43-101 Technical Report on The Apankrah Project, Western Region, Ghana" dated June 1, 2013, prepared by Simon Meadows Smith (IOM3) a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. A copy of the report is filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Castle Peak website. About Castle Peak Castle Peak Mining Ltd. is a Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on advancing greenfield and early stage gold projects. Castle Peak has discovered the high grade Apankrah deposit and believes there is potential for additional discovery of gold resources. The Company holds a strategic land package in the Ashanti belt adjacent to several producing gold mines in Ghana, West Africa. The Ashanti belt is known as one of the most prolific gold belts in the world. On behalf of the Board of Castle Peak Mining Ltd.: "Darren Lindsay"President and Chief Executive Officer For additional information please visit www.castlepeakmining.com or contact: Darren Lindsay, President and CEO Tel: 604 345 1926 Email: darrenl@castlepeakmining.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain 'forward-looking information' and 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of applicable securities laws including statements regarding the Offering and the proposed use of proceeds. Such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to vary materially from the anticipated results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements, including those risk factors identified in the Company's Annual MD&A filed under the Company's SEDAR profile. As a result, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Except as required by applicable law, Castle Peak disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES Figure 1: Simplified POW-A1/3 cross-section showing change in weathering profile, and mafic volcanic units. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4071/23307_a1477949071286_14.jpg Figure 2: POW's expanding prospective trends. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4071/23307_a1477949071489_58.jpg Vancouver, BC (FSCwire) - Far Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT) (FSE:F0R) www.farresources.com (Far Resources or the Company) is pleased to announce the mobilisation of a diamond drill rig to their Zoro Lithium Property near Snow Lake, Manitoba. The drilling contract has been awarded to Westcore Drilling of Salmo, BC with helicopter support being provided by Gogal Air Services of Snow Lake, Manitoba. The planned Phase 1 program consisting of approx. 1200 metres of drilling will commence as soon as the necessary site preparation work has been completed. The program is designed to validate and expand on the results of historic drilling carried out in 1956 and build on the results of recent compilation and surface mapping and sampling carried out by consultants to Far Resources. The focus of the Phase 1 drilling will be on pegmatite dyke #1, one of at least seven known spodumene-bearing dykes on the Zoro Lithium Property. The drillhole locations for the Phase 1 program have been recommended by Orix Geoscience in consultation with Far Resources management. Regular updates on the progress of the drilling will be provided once the program has commenced. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark Fedikow P.Geo., a qualified person as defined under NI 43-101. About the Company Far Resources Ltd. is an exploration company, publicly traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol FAT, focused on the identification and development of high potential mineral opportunities in stable jurisdictions. Please visit our newly updated website at www.farresources.com for full details. Far Resources may acquire or option properties of merit to meet its ongoing goal to locate, advance and unlock the potential of these mineral opportunities. Far Resources has option agreements in place on the Zoro Lithium Property in Manitoba, Canada and the Winston Property in New Mexico, USA. Far Resources has optioned its wholly owned Tchentlo Lake Property in British Columbia, Canada to Alchemist Mining Inc. ### ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF Far Resources Ltd. Keith C. Anderson, President 604-805-5035 The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Readers are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. All of the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the Company is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. This news release, required by applicable Canadian laws, is not for distribution to U.S. news services or for dissemination in the United States and does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. These securities have not and will not be registered under United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. Person unless so registered, or an exemption from registration is relied upon. To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/farresources11012016.pdfSource: Far Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT, FWB:F0R) To follow Far Resources Ltd. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below. Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2016 Filing Services Canada Inc. DAN: TSX-V (Canada) JE9N: FSE (Germany) DRRSF: OTC (USA) SAGUENAY, QC, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Arianne Phosphate (the "Company" or "Arianne") (TSX VENTURE: DAN; OTC: DRRSF; FRANKFURT: JE9N), a development-stage phosphate mining company, advancing the Lac a Paul project in Quebec's Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, has exercised options held on land at Sainte-Rose-du-Nord. The land is projected to be the future site of the port and is required for the development of the maritime terminal as well as the access roads and supporting infrastructure. It is from this site that Arianne will be shipping its high purity phosphate concentrate to customers around the world. "This is an important step forward for the Company and its development," said Brian Ostroff, CEO of Arianne. "As with all large scale projects, transportation logistics are a vital contributor to overall success. The Arianne team in Chicoutimi has continued their work with the Port of Saguenay as well as the local communities and stakeholders. The overwhelming support we have received for the project and the necessary timelines have led us to proceed with the exercising of our land options as we move towards the realization of our Lac a Paul project." The Lac a Paul project is the world's largest greenfield phosphate rock project. During construction, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton estimated that the project would employ roughly 2,300 people and, according to the Company's 2013 Feasibility Study, once in production, will be capable of producing 3 million tons a year of high purity concentrate necessary for the production of fertilizer as well as many other applications that touch our daily lives. Recent global events have highlighted the importance of phosphate rock quality and, at 39% with very low contaminant levels, Arianne's high purity phosphate should continue to receive increased interest as the Company continues its discussions with potential corporate and financial partners. Qualified Person Jean-Sebastien David, P.Geo., Qualified Person by NI 43-101, has approved this release. Mr. David is also the Company's Chief Operating Officer. About Arianne Phosphate Arianne Phosphate ("Arianne Phosphate Inc.") (www.arianne-inc.com) is developing the Lac a Paul phosphate deposits located approximately 200 km north of the Saguenay/Lac St. Jean area of Quebec, Canada. These deposits will produce a high quality igneous apatite concentrate grading 39% P 2 O 5 with little or no contaminants. The Company has 97,648,080 million shares outstanding. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities regulations in Canada and the United States (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, anticipated quality and production of the apatite concentrate at the Lac a Paul project. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects, "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: volatile stock price; risks related to changes in commodity prices; sources and cost of power facilities; the estimation of initial and sustaining capital requirements; the estimation of labour and operating costs; the general global markets and economic conditions; the risk associated with exploration, development and operations of mineral deposits; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the risks associated with uninsurable risks arising during the course of exploration, development and production; risks associated with currency fluctuations; environmental risks; competition faced in securing experienced personnel; access to adequate infrastructure to support mining, processing, development and exploration activities; the risks associated with changes in the mining regulatory regime governing the Company; completion of the environmental assessment process; risks related to regulatory and permitting delays; risks related to potential conflicts of interest; the reliance on key personnel; financing, capitalization and liquidity risks including the risk that the financing necessary to fund continued exploration and development activities at Lac a Paul project may not be available on satisfactory terms, or at all; the risk of potential dilution through the issue of common shares; the risk of litigation. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made, including but not limited to, continued exploration activities, no material adverse change in commodity prices, exploration and development plans proceeding in accordance with plans and such plans achieving their stated expected outcomes, receipt of required regulatory approvals, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update such forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Follow Arianne on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariannephosphate Twitter: http://twitter.com/arianne_dan YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ArianneResources Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arianneresources Resource Investing News: http://resourceinvestingnews.com/?s=Arianne SOURCE Arianne Phosphate Inc. Vancouver, November 1, 2016 - Montan Mining Corp. (TSXv: MNY | FSE: S5GM | SSE: MNYC) ("Montan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its news releases dated July 14, 2016 and August 23, 2016 it has signed a Binding Letter of Intent ("BLOI") with Chazel Capital Inc. ("Chazel") to acquire 100% of Cerro Dorado S.A.C. ("Cerro Dorado"). The transaction ("Transaction") is expected to close by November 30, 2016. Cerro Dorado holds an option and permits to operate the Rey Salomon gold mine with 2km of underground development, 32 identified veins, and a 60 tonnes per day carbon-in-pulp processing plant permitted for up to 100 tonnes per day. The entire mineral property under option by Cerro Dorado is comprised of 4 concessions totalling 1,172 hectares located in the department of Arequipa, province of Caraveli, Peru. "In progressing toward this binding agreement Montan is advancing due diligence and technical report preparation. The Company is satisfied it is on track to complete the acquisition and commence cash flowing operations in Q1 2016," stated Ian Graham, Chief Executive Officer. As consideration for the acquisition, Montan will issue 10,000,000 common shares of Montan ("Montan Shares") to Chazel on closing of the Transaction ("Closing"). The Montan Shares will be issued to Chazel at Closing pursuant to available exemptions from applicable prospectus requirements pursuant to National Instrument 45-106 or otherwise under the Securities Act (British Columbia) and any other applicable legislation, and will be subject to a four (4) month hold period in Canada. Without limiting the foregoing, the Montan Shares will be subject to escrow with 2,000,000 Montan Shares released on every three (3) month anniversary of Closing. Subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V"), following Closing Montan will also issue up to 4,000,000 Montan Shares to Chazel subject to and upon satisfaction of the following milestones: -2,000,000 Montan Shares upon the sale by Montan of 1,000 ounces of gold-contained ore or dore from either the Rey Salomon gold mine or the associated plant; and -2,000,000 Montan Shares upon the sale by Montan of an additional 2,000 ounces (for an aggregate of 3,000 ounces) of gold-contained ore or dore from either the Rey Salomon gold mine or the associated plant. All share amounts above are subject to adjustment for stock splits, stock consolidations recapitalizations and other corporate transactions affecting the capital structure of Montan, excluding equity financing activities, completed by Montan prior to Closing and following the date of the BLOI. Upon Closing, Cerro Dorado will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Montan. Chazel has agreed to grant Montan the exclusive right to pursue the Transaction or any other transaction similar to the Transaction contemplated in the LOI until Closing. It is initially contemplated that the Transaction will be structured as a share exchange. Both parties will mutually agree on the final structure for proceeding with the Transaction following completion of due diligence and a review of tax, accounting, corporate and securities law issues. Furthermore, Montan is pleased to announce that it has closed the first tranche of the non-brokered private placement announced on October 19, 2016. The Company issued 8,170,000 units at $0.05 for total gross proceeds of $408,500. Each unit consists of one common share and one transferable share purchase warrant, with each warrant exercisable into one additional common share at $0.10 per share for five (5) years after the closing date. On behalf of the Board of Montan. Ian Graham CEO and Director Tel: +1.604.671.1353 Email: igraham@montanmining.ca About Montan Mining Corp. Montan is backed by an experienced management team with diverse technical, market, and finance expertise and is supported by committed and sophisticated investors focused on building value for the long term. The Company is engaged in the acquisition of an operational gold mine and operation ready CIP gold processing plant in the southern Peruvian mining district of Caraveli under a a Term Sheet with Chazel Capital Inc. ("Chazel") for the purchase of the Peruvian Company Cerro Dorado S.A.C. ("CD") from Chazel. Montan will acquire 100% of CD in an all-share deal with Chazel, (refer to News Release dated July 14, 2016) under improved underlying option conditions (refer to News Release dated August 23, 2016). Montan assumed operating expenses and commenced due diligence on July 25, 2016 (refer to News Release dated July 26, 2016). For more information, please visit the corporate website at http://www.montanmining.ca or contact: Investor Contact: Luis F. Zapata Executive Chairman Email: lzapata@montanmining.ca Tel: +1-604-358-1382 NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this press release include reference to releases of July 14th , July 26th and August 23rd announcing that Montan will acquire the Peruvian Cerro Dorado mine from Chazel Capital; these releases state that we can rapidly finance to free cash flow and become a producing miner; and the implied outlook that this transaction can be a springboard for growth and create shareholder value. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement. Specific risks included that we may not be able to complete the announced financing, or to finance our intended acquisition and we may not obtain regulatory approval. The Cerro Dorado assets have not been the subject of a feasibility study and as such there is no certainty that the mine or the mill will be able to produce a commercially marketable product. There is a significant risk that any production efforts from the project will not be profitable with these risks elevated by the absence of a defined NI 43-101 compliant resource and economic study. The Company's reliance on historic production and third party gold recovery statistics is necessary under the circumstances, but is not compliant with NI 43-101 reporting standards. There are increased risks and uncertainty in making a production decision without such a study and a historically higher rate of failure for production decisions not based on a feasibility study. The Company is instituting a significant sampling program to try to mitigate these risks: however, these data will not lead to a compliant resource and economic study. General risks inherent in the Project include the reliance on available data and assumptions and judgments used in the interpretation of such data, the speculative and uncertain nature of exploration and development, exploration and development costs, capital requirements and the ability to obtain financing, volatility of global and local economic climates, share price volatility, estimate price volatility, changes in equity markets, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond our control. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Nov. 1, 2016) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. Falco Resources Ltd. ("Falco" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:FPC) is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with Haywood Securities Inc., as lead underwriter on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters"), under which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal basis, 14,019,000 units ("Units") of the Company and 7,812,500 flow-through shares ("Flow-Through Shares") at a price of $1.07 per Unit and $1.28 per Flow-Through Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $25,000,330 (the "Offering"). The Underwriters have been granted the option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to purchase up to an additional 2,102,850 Units and 1,171,875 Flow-Through Shares, in any combination of Units and Flow-Through Shares, exercisable in whole or in part, at any time up to 30 days following the closing of the Offering. Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall be exercisable to acquire one additional common share (a "Warrant Share") of the Company for a period of 18 months from the closing date of the Offering at an exercise price of $1.45 per Warrant Share. The expiry date of the Warrants may be accelerated by the Company at any time following the six-month anniversary of the closing of the Offering and prior to the expiry date of the Warrants if the volume-weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares is greater than $1.75 for any 20 consecutive trading days, at which time the Company may accelerate the expiry date by issuing a press release announcing the reduced warrant term whereupon the Warrants will expire on the 20th calendar day after the date of such press release. The net proceeds of the Offering will be used by the Company to advance the dewatering program related to the development of the Horne 5 Deposit and for general working capital. Closing of the Offering is anticipated to occur on or about November 22, 2016 and is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Units and Flow-Through Shares will be offered by way of short form prospectus in all of the provinces of Canada and may also be offered in the United States to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A, and to certain accredited investors pursuant to an exemption under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933. In addition, the Company is arranging a concurrent private placement of Units with strategic investors for additional aggregate gross proceeds of up to $25 million (the "Private Placement"). Closing of the Private Placement is subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Securities issued under the Private Placement will be subject to a four month hold period which will expire four months plus a day from the date of closing of the Private Placement. About Falco Falco Resources Ltd. is one of the largest mineral claim holders in the Province of Quebec, with extensive land holdings in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Falco owns 74,000 hectares of land in the Rouyn-Noranda mining camp, which represents 70% of the entire camp and includes 13 former gold and base metal mine sites. Falco's principal property is the Horne Mine, which was operated by Noranda from 1927 to 1976 and produced 11.6 million ounces of gold and 2.5 billion pounds of copper. A updated 43-101 mineral resource estimate for the Horne 5 deposit delineated an Indicated Resource of 5,361,000 gold equivalent ounces ("oz AuEq"), including 3,418,232 oz Au hosted in 58.3 million tonnes averaging 2.86 g/t AuEq (1.82 g/t Au; 15.60 g/t Ag; 0.20% Cu; 1.00% Zn) and an Inferred Resource of 1,254,000 oz AuEq, including 854,534 oz Au hosted in 12.7 million tonnes averaging 3.08 g/t AuEq (2.10 g/t Au; 26.26 g/t Ag; 0.22% Cu; 0.57% Zn.) -- see January 25th, 2016 press release for details. Osisko Gold Royalties is the largest shareholder of the Company and currently owns 16.2% of the outstanding shares of the Company. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects', "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and includes, without limitation, the completion of a Feasibility Study by the end of 2017, the results of ongoing and proposed drilling program on Horne 5 West and Quemont Extension, the development of the Horne 5 project to become a mining project. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. SHARE I love definitions because they help focus the mind. Under dictionary.com's definition of "corrupt" one finds the following: 1. Guilty of dishonest practices, as bribery; lacking integrity; crooked: 2. Debased in character; depraved; perverted; wicked; evil: 3. Infected; tainted. When used as a verb with an object we find: 4. To destroy the integrity of; cause to be dishonest, disloyal, etc., especially by bribery. 5. To lower morally; pervert. Don't these definitions perfectly describe Hillary Clinton? As the FBI restarts its prematurely halted investigation into Hillary's "extremely careless" handling of classified materials, perhaps this time it will conclude what it should have concluded the first time around that the Democratic presidential candidate and some of her aides engaged not just in carelessness, but in criminal activity. And isn't it wonderfully ironic that the trip wire for the FBI's announcement had to do with emails found on disgraced former Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner's computer and probably (you should pardon the expression) his hand-held device on which he sexted with women and underage girls? Among the computers reportedly seized by FBI agents is one Weiner shared with his wife and top Hillary aide, Huma Abedin, from whom Weiner is now separated. Typical of political Washington is the reaction by liberal Democrats, including Clinton herself. When FBI Director James Comey said in July there was nothing in Hillary's behavior that warranted an indictment, liberals claimed she had been exonerated and praised Comey for his professionalism. Now that possibly new evidence has emerged necessitating another look, Democrats and the left are jumping on Comey as a political hack. They can't have it both ways, though they often try. Another argument made by those favoring a second Clinton presidency is that she is not her husband and that Bill's lying and extramarital affairs should not reflect on her. Really? It was Bill who bragged when he was running for president in 1992 that if he was elected "you get two for the price of one." That exchange rate hasn't changed. He was right then. They are both sleazy and enabling of each other. If Hillary wins the election, the corruption (hers and his) will follow her into the White House because that is her character and also his. If Republicans hold a congressional majority, investigations into Clinton corruption will continue and government gridlock will be worse than it is now. Hillary Clinton would be the most unpopular president to enter the White House in modern times, perhaps of all time. Republicans and even some principled Democrats (there are a few), not to mention foreign leaders, would immediately regard her as weak and possibly a failure from the start. Her promises to continue and even expand the Obama "legacy" would not sit well with many Americans who are having difficulty finding jobs and are seeing their health insurance premiums skyrocket. Donald Trump is a roll of the dice, but sometimes the dice come up a "seven," not snake eyes. Whatever his character flaws, at least he would start something new, including protecting the Constitution, and promising to name judges who respect it. That possibility, along with Hillary Clinton's severe character deficiencies, recommends that voters bet on a fresh start and give Trump a chance. Cal Thomas writes for the Tribune Content Agency. Contact him at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. SHARE "Doug is very transactional." This was an apt description of Doug Band, Bill Clinton's longtime right-hand man and the figure at the center of the latest WikiLeaks revelation. The quote comes from an unnamed former White House colleague of Band's in an illuminating 2013 New Republic profile by Alec MacGillis. Band, who touts himself as the founder of "Clinton Inc.," started out as a White House intern. He turned down higher-status jobs to focus on being the "body man" for President Clinton. In politics, a body man is the guy (or gal) whose only job is to make sure the principal is happy, comfortable and treated with the maximum amount of respect. No task is too small or too humiliating for a president's body man. If POTUS wants a bowl of green M&Ms, green M&Ms it is. But it also was Band's job to make sure no one wasted Clinton's time. In short, he was the gatekeeper, the handler, the problem-solver. Like a royal valet, it was his job to anticipate the president's needs before he even articulated them. Band recognized what throne-sniffers have known for millennia: Proximity to power can be lucrative. When Clinton's reputation was in tatters at the end of his presidency, thanks mostly to the Monica Lewinsky scandal and Clinton's outrageous midnight pardons of felons and friends, Band turned down a job at Goldman Sachs to stay with Clinton. Equipped with a law degree he earned at night, Band was like Tom Hagen in "The Godfather" a lawyer with a "very special practice" handling exactly one client. It was Band's idea to launch the Clinton Global Initiative, an amorphous pseudo-charity adjunct to the Clinton Foundation whose main purpose was to pull together celebrities, CEOs, government officials and various charitable organizations into one giant confab where Bill Clinton was the star attraction. The appeal for Clinton was obvious. He loves talking. He loves riffing on wonky solutions real and alleged to various public-policy problems. He also adores hobnobbing with the rich and famous and being praised by them. And he has a deep-seated need to be relevant. Band recognized that all of these needs could be monetized, and that he could get his cut. In the memo released by WikiLeaks, he explained how he did it. If you wanted a speech, an endorsement, a meeting with the big guy, you had to go through the little guy and pay the appropriate tribute, not just to Clinton but often to the foundation as well. In 2011, along with Declan Kelly, a longtime fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, Band set up a company, Teneo, to fully exploit this system, with a much bigger payday for himself. He steered tens of millions to the Clintons and their foundation, as well as lavish "in-kind services for the president and his family for personal travel, hospitality, vacation and the like." MacGillis has too much credulity on one score. Bill Clinton, MacGillis writes, "was notoriously blase about financial matters." "He doesn't care about money," a Clinton friend told MacGillis. "He doesn't even have a credit card. When he wants to get something he says, 'Wow, I love that,' and whoever he's with says, 'Here it is!'" This isn't proof Clinton doesn't care about money so much as it's proof he takes it for granted. It's a pristine example of Clinton's aristocratic entitlement. In medieval societies, the nobility looked down on money not because they didn't care about being rich, but because they had little people to sweat the details. For years I've been making the point that the Clinton Foundation's charitable efforts are both real and misunderstood. They do good things. But, as with the corporations and corrupt monarchies Doug Band squeezed for donations, the good deeds were always a cost center, an overhead necessity like the light bill. Charity was the price the Clintons had to pay to get Bono and Bill Gates to show up, and pay up. The real mission of the Clinton Foundation, including the Clinton Global Initiative, was to keep Bill a global celebrity and maintain the lifestyle to which he felt entitled. But there was a second purpose. "Clinton Inc." is the wrong term. House Clinton like House Lannister in "Game of Thrones" is closer to the mark. The Clintons always wanted to get back into power, and for a self-styled royal family in exile, the foundation served as a brilliant way to keep all of the retainers, courtiers and henchmen employed and the donors engaged as they plotted their return. And, sadly, it appears to have worked. Jonah Goldberg is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of National Review. Contact him at goldbergcolumn@gmail.com. Theres a shortage of men and women ready and able to fill high-level jobs in state government. In part, this is from leaks in the talent pipeline for top positions: Mid-level managers tend to leave the public sector for higher-paying jobs in corporate America.One way to shore up the ranks of available talent is to scour the executive ranks of the private sector. Although Colorado has hired from corporate America in the past, Gov. John Hickenlooper is pushing an innovative effort called the Governors Fellowship Program.The program taps leaders in the private sector with the needed competencies. It then has them meet with a cadre of instructors at the highest levels of state government to learn about public governance and how it differs from the private sector. Hickenlooper says the goal is to give the next governor, whether a Republican or Democrat, a list of top-notch people ready and willing to work in the public sector. Other governors, including Jack Markell of Delaware and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island are looking into similar programs in their states.Hickenlooper chatted with us at length about the fellowship effort. The following interview has been edited for both clarity and length.The best-trained leadership in this country is in business -- something like 75 percent of all the people with advanced leadership degrees are in business. They are trained in how to use data to get results; how to motivate the workforce; how to measure outcomes. I dont diminish the importance of people with experience in public affairs. We need both. But often you see governments insulated from the world of the private sector.Geoff Smart, who helped me hire people when I first came into office, wrote a book called Leadocracy. One of the points he made is that strong leadership is the ultimate lever for good in the world, but we dont have a process for exposing people in the private sector to government.The first thing we did was move it out of government. We [turned it] into a nonprofit, which isnt funded by the state but by contributions from the business community.The fellows work about one full day a month. They have class work that is highly curated. We make sure the speakers are high level: former governors, mayors and chiefs of staff.The fellows will be exposed to real government problems in real time -- everything from the mundane to how we reinvent our workforce training program. Theyll look at streamlining the wait time for motor vehicle licenses, managing a budget, dealing with the media.In the first couple of years, every governor will have to deal with a couple of natural disasters. Its the nature of life. So how do you respond to a natural disaster, whether its a flood or a wildfire or a tornado?Were not compelling them to sign a document, but the expectation is that each fellow will spend two to four years serving in a cabinet department or running a large nonprofit that works with state or local government.We just brought in Donna Lynne to replace the lieutenant governor, who had resigned to take another job. [Lynne] was the executive vice president for Kaiser Permanente. She went from making more than a million dollars a year to getting something around $160,000. Thats a gigantic pay cut. But shes doing something very important. The people you get to come to work for the state are people with a genetic inclination toward public service, toward making the world a better place.You have to network. That genetic inclination manifests itself early on. The first 22 people we have in this program are high performers. Theyre young and from Colorados largest, most successful companies.It lets people in the private sector have direct exposure to government -- what it looks like when youre really working in the governors office. Many private leaders are surprised by how hard those in public service work. The jobs arent easy.When we do our annual polling of residents, we ask if the state is delivering good service, using their tax dollars wisely. And you can imagine that the answers were getting arent very enthusiastic. While this wont show results in two years -- as would be the case with any management-education program -- were hoping it will in five years or so.I dont have many worries. But I do have a regret in that Ive only got two and a half more years. So, just as this is taking off, Ill be on my way to my next adventure. The cities along the Texas and Mexico border differ dramatically. Those in Texas are sprawling, while those in Mexico are buzzing with urban vibrancy. This is odd considering that many of these border cities have shared histories and cultures.U.S. cities like Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and El Paso are demographically similar to their counterparts in Mexico, yet look like classic American Sun Belt cities. Their downtowns are quiet, with automobiles outnumbering pedestrians; interior neighborhoods have single-family homes; and strip malls sprawl into the peripheries.But walking across the bridges from these cities into Mexico is like entering another world. In cities such as Matamoros, Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Acuna and Juarez, suburban sterility gives way to an urban bonanza. Downtown areas, already far more compact, are dominated by public squares, pedestrian malls and commercial alleyways. Nearby residential density brings throngs of people into these spaces daily, generating an electric street vibe, as performers entertain large audiences, food stands line the sidewalks and Latin dance music thumps from storefronts.These design contrasts result from both nations differing planning policies. While similar for centuries, a splintering largely occurred during the 20th century, says Daniel Arreola, an Arizona State University professor of urban planning. Before then, there were common threads that tied together Mexican and Texan cities: Many of these areas were settled by indigenous peoples and later colonized by the Spanish, who imported European design standards.Mexicos border cities preserved their European architectural features primarily, says Arreola, because they remained too poor to fund major redevelopments. But in Texas, the European influences were wiped out. Growing American wealth and a rising Anglo elite inspired urban modernization, both through top-down projects and code changes.San Antonio, which is 63 percent Hispanic and a two-hour drive north of the border, is a prime example. Throughout the 20th century, new developments were added and old ones retrofitted to mirror common American planning guidelines -- the zoning code enforced separated uses; federal money helped the city replace old-style barrios with generic public housing; streets were widened and building setbacks enforced; and urban renewal money was used to raze neighborhoods for roads, parks and convention centers. Today, San Antonio looks nothing like a Mexican city, nor do other cities in Texas.Interestingly, Mexico and the U.S. may invert these differences throughout the 21st century. Although the preservationist instinct is beginning to seep into Mexico, Arreola says, the countrys growing wealth will inevitably bring calls for American-style modernization. This has already happened in wealthy Mexico City, with its many highways and suburban developments. Meanwhile, U.S. cities, having already endured this demolition mentality, are experiencing renewed appreciation for dense, walkable neighborhoods. In this respect, the U.S. is rediscovering great designs that never disappeared south of the border. Lawsuit costs for largest U.S. cities Annual Average Cost Data All Expenses Payouts Litigation Insurance Total for all cities N/A $1,156,508,402 $127,541,734 $24,293,544 Median annual expense $12,026,044 $5,499,571 $3,523,329 $302,307 Number of cities 20 20 17 19 Jurisdiction Fiscal Years Average Annual Total Average Payouts Average Litigation Average Insurance Austin 2013-2015 $4,523,051 $1,110,287 $3,412,764 $0 Charlotte 2014-2016 $9,470,187 $4,612,705 $1,216,407 $3,641,074 Chicago 2013-2015 >$153,133,333 $153,133,333 Unavailable Unavailable Columbus 2014-2016 $2,419,966 $1,398,9682 $986,667 $34,331 Dallas 2014-2016 $9,575,596 $6,052,267 $3,523,328.68 $0 El Paso 2013-2015 $4,531,741 $960,650 $1,198,902 $2,372,189 Fort Worth 2013-2015 $2,227,250 $838,575 $1,388,675 $0 Houston 2014-2016 $13,550,892 $4,461,832 $9,077,651 $11,409 Indianapolis 2013-2015 $4,628,516 $3,483,312 $1,145,204 $0 Jacksonville 2014-2016 $6,832,197 $5,404,889 $950,602 $476,706 Los Angeles 2014-2016 $113,087,290 $75,323,990 $37,251,312 $511,989 Nashville 2014-2016 $5,267,416 $3,080,870 $2,186,546 $0 New York 2014-2016 >$710,608,666 $710,608,667 Unavailable $0 Philadelphia 2014-2016 >$47,660,004 $46,171,124 Unavailable $1,488,880 Phoenix 2014-2016 $12,862,940 $5,594,253 $5,614,3261 $1,654,361 San Diego 2014-2016 $55,567,352 $41,415,548 $5,780,1341 $8,371,670 San Francisco 2014-2016 $59,243,721 $36,925,061 $19,146,597 $3,172,063 San Jose 2014-2016 $11,189,148 $3,781,852 $7,104,989 $302,307 Seattle 2013-2015 $25,148,117 $10,578,391 $12,313,160 $2,256,565 Washington, DC 2014-2016 $56,816,297 $41,571,8272 $15,244,470 $0 Notes on individual cities Each year, cities spend millions fighting and settling lawsuits involving alleged police misconduct, injuries on public property and a range of other legal challenges.To approximate the fiscal impact that these cases have, we requested financial data from the 25 largest U.S. cities, 20 of which responded . Cases typically originate as claims, then turn into lawsuits if not resolved. Payments made to plaintiffs, legal costs associated with cases and liability insurance premiums were obtained to provide for a comprehensive picture of costs in each locality.Reported costs for cities vary significantly. Larger, more densely-populated cities incur greater lawsuit expenses. Types of public services provided also influence costs as some are much more prone to legal challenges than others. Jurisdictions operating public hospitals, for instance, are subject to costly medical malpractice lawsuits. Different state laws dictating what a government can be held liable for and limits on damages awarded further drive cities' costs up or down.New York's legal bills far exceed that of all other cities. While lawsuit costs account for less than 1 percent of total spending in most cities, they often represent much-needed money that could be used to fund other areas of the budget.Select a city to view its data for the three most recent fiscal years:Expenses often fluctuate widely from year to year as major cases are settled, so weve calculated each citys average costs over the past three fiscal years. All responding cities paid out a combined annual average of nearly $1.2 billion in judgments and settlements. The median annual total cost -- including payouts, legal and insurance costs -- was $12 million for the 20 cities reviewed. The following table summarizes median costs using cities three-year averages:SOURCE:calculations of data provided by cities.SOURCE:calculations of data provided by cities. See notes for information for each city.The following jurisdictions contacted did not respond to requests for information by time of publication: Boston, Denver, Detroit, Memphis and San Antonio.Litigation costs do not include compensation for city staff.Averages include partial FY 2016 amounts before the fiscal year endedPayouts, litigation and insurance costs shown dont include expenses for the citys aviation department, which has settled only a few small claims in recent years. (Source: City Law Department)Litigation costs include costs for outside counsel plus an estimated annual $332,000 for in-house attorneys, paralegals and litigation support. Insurance premiums cover excess liability, a police helicopter, excess liability for buses, auto liability for van pools, GL-rail and streetcar, the citys network security and the airport. (Source: Office of the City Attorney)Payout totals reflect all types of settlements and judgment expenses. (Source: Annual Financial Analysis report) The city did not respond to a Freedom of Information Act request for litigation and insurance costs.Reported payout costs for 2016 do not reflect the last two months of the fiscal year ending on December 31, but the litigation section chief reports that he anticipates few, if any, additional cases to be settled those months. Litigation costs include expenses for in-house staff and an estimated $30,000 per year for outside counsel, travel and other costs. The citys liability insurance premiums for aviation insurance and natural gas do not correspond with the citys fiscal year as they run from Aug. 1 to July 31. (Source: Columbus City Attorney Litigation Section)Litigation costs were estimated by adding annual salaries of internal staff ($2,571,360 per year) with reported annual expenses for expert witnesses and outside counsel. The City Attorneys Office reported FY 2014 and FY 2015 totals combined for the two years. (Sources: Office of Risk Management, City Attorney's Office)Payouts include totals for the citys Public Service Board: $19,252 for 2013; $100,062 for 2014; $75,765 for 2015. The city noted that staff attorneys are responsible for other matters in addition to litigation. (Source: Office of the City Attorney)(Source: Risk Management Division)Payouts do not include breach of contract and workers compensation claims. (Source: City of Houston Legal Department)Litigation totals were estimated by adding 2016 salary and benefit costs for city personnel ($920,902) with outside counsel costs provided for each year. The city reports that personnel costs are fairly consistent from year to year. (Source: Office of Corporation Counsel)Total litigation costs included all attorneys fees, both in-house and external. (Source: City Risk Management Division)Payout totals do not reflect back wages paid by departments, tax refunds, payments made directly by proprietary departments or special funds and those relating to retrofitting costs for ADA matters. Workers compensation expenses are also excluded, as they are for other cities. Payouts increased during the most recent fiscal year due to four major cases being resolved: An officer-involved shooting ($15 million), a fatal traffic accident ($15 million) and two wrongful imprisonment cases totaling $24.3 million. Litigation expenses shown do not include benefit costs for city staff. (Source: Office of the City Administrative Officer)Payments for claims cover all types of matters including negligence claims, civil rights violations, employment issues and contracts. The Department of Law estimates that salaries for employees dedicated to litigation matters total approximately $1.4 million annually. This estimate was added to other provided data to compute listed totals for each fiscal year. (Source: Department of Law)The city was unable to provide estimates for litigation costs. The city comptrollers office handles claims, while the law department is responsible for lawsuits filed against the city. (Source: Office of the Mayor)The city reported that it was unable to provide litigation costs associated with lawsuits because of how law department and finance records were kept. Liability insurance policies, effective from September 1 through August 31, dont correspond with fiscal years. (Source: City Law Department)The citys litigation costs do not include any expenses for internal staff. (Source: City Risk Management Division)Payout totals refer to what the city was ultimately responsible for regardless of insurance coverage. Totals shown reflect some costs that were later reimbursed by insurance. The citys risk management department was unable to calculate exact amounts reimbursed. Litigation costs reported do not include costs for in-house counsel. (Source: Risk Management Department)The city estimated its liability insurance coverage premiums by assuming 20 percent of total broker fees were related to liability premiums and consulting services. Most of the city is self-insured with the exceptions of the airport, Port of San Francisco and SFMTA. All figures shown for fiscal year 2016 are pre-audited actuals and are subject to change. (Source: City Controller's Office)Listed payout totals include amounts for the city-run sewer and airport. The city incurred a $4.9 million excessive police force verdict in fiscal year 2014. Litigation costs also include expenses for workers compensations attorneys and associated staff. The litigation figure for fiscal year 2016 is a forecasted amount. (Source: City Attorney's Office)Payouts for lawsuits, but not claims, include workers compensation cases. (Source: City Attorney's Office, Risk Management Division)Fiscal year 2016 amounts do not include expenses incurred during September, the last month of the Districts fiscal year. Total payouts increased sharply in fiscal 2016 as a result of four large settlements involving wrongful conviction cases. The fiscal 2016 settlement total also includes a class-action lawsuit for unpaid cost-of-living adjustments for employees entitled to disability compensation benefits. Litigation costs reflect total personnel and support costs for the Office of the Attorney Generals civil litigation division, commercial division, public interest division and Office of the Solicitor General. The public interest division and the Officer of the Solicitor General engage in both defensive and affirmative litigation. The Civil litigation division also defends lawsuits brought by former government employees. (Sources: Office of Risk Management, Office of the Attorney General) New rules are forcing states and localities to calculate how much revenue theyre losing to business deals -- and whether they pay off. Its something Washington state has been doing for a decade. Republican Phil Scott said Monday he generally supports abortion rights, but if he's elected governor he could imagine signing bills barring some late-term abortions or restricting minors' access to the procedure.He added, though, that given the strong Democratic majorities in the Legislature, he doubted he would see such bills.Abortion has become an issue in the Vermont gubernatorial race 43 years after the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalized it nationwide. The topic arose thanks to an ad that a political action committee affiliated with Planned Parenthood began running nearly two weeks ago, and a responding ad by the Scott campaign saying the Planned Parenthood message is based on "distortions and lies."Scott, a three-term lieutenant governor and former state senator, has sought to focus his campaign against Democrat Sue Minter on his promises to hold the line on taxes, improve the state's economy and work on making the state a more affordable place to live. Instead Monday he found himself talking about issues he variously has described as "wedges" and distractions."I'm pro-choice," Scott said. "I believe it. I really do. I'm just not pro-choice enough."The comments came after Democrats held a news conference faulting Scott's past support for measures restricting late-term abortions and requiring parents to be notified in most cases when minors seek to terminate pregnancies.The Democrats, including state Rep. Mary Sullivan, state House candidate Mari Cordes and party spokeswoman Christina Amestoy, said they would welcome Scott's discussing and defending his positions on abortion but would not stand for his campaign attacking Planned Parenthood. doesnt usually figure into a candidates campaign rhetoric. But when Nellie Gorbea ran for secretary of state in Rhode Island in 2014, she pledged to make her states elections fair, fast and accurate. That meant replacing machines purchased in the late 1990s that were breaking down from age and years of use.We had equipment that was literally falling apart at polling locations, Gorbea says. People would try to put their ballot in the ballot tabulator and it would stop working. In the presidential primaries this spring, a failed tabulator at one location caused a 45-minute delay before officials could wheel in another one.This month on Election Day, however, voters in Rhode Island wont encounter obsolete equipment, because Gorbea did what few election officials have been able to do in recent years: She convinced her legislature to pay for new voting technology. With a $9.3 million contract, she leased 590 up-to-date tabulators and scanners, and secured an eight-year maintenance agreement with the vendor.The entire voting experience in Rhode Island has improved since Gorbeas election: Electronic poll books allow staff to check voters in faster, and wireless modems help precincts report results on election night.Unfortunately, Rhode Island is the exception when it comes to modernizing election equipment. Across the country, voting machines are reaching the end of their expected lifespan. Despite warnings of an impending crisis from federal officials and independent election experts, it has been years since the last significant update to the nations election infrastructure. Congress took action on the problem in 2002 by passing the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), but has done nothing to follow up since then. Meanwhile, the machines HAVA paid for a decade and a half ago are starting to fall apart.States and localities have always been responsible for election management in America, but most are now finding it difficult to replace their equipment without an infusion of federal money. This has troubling long-term implications. Elections increasingly reflect inequality in public resources, with wealthier counties and townships buying state-of-the-art voting tablets, scanners and high-speed printers, while places with less money are squeaking by on unreliable machines built a generation ago.The current state of voting equipment has its roots in the Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000, which cast a national spotlight on 30-year-old punch-card devices and lever machines that hadnt kept up with advancements in computer technology. The Bush-Gore fiasco was directly responsible two years later for HAVA, which distributed about $3 billion to more than 8,000 local jurisdictions. The new federal money resulted in the widespread deployment of new laptop computers, scanners and printers. But the law did not address future costs associated with ongoing maintenance or the purchase of next-generation technology when it was needed.The HAVA-era machines have a life expectancy of anywhere from 10 to 20 years; more than 40 states are now using voting machines at least a decade old, according to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. These machines predictably crash or fail, resulting in long lines and sometimes in lost votes. Breakdowns usually involve individual parts, such as batteries, memory cards and motherboards, rather than the entire machine.Two years ago, voters in Virginia Beach, Va., ran into a problem with 26 touch-screen voting machines. Voters would select one candidate and watch the screen register their selection for somebody else. An investigation found that the glue holding the touch screen in place had degraded, causing it to slip and miscount votes.Most of the time, officials identify defective equipment during tests leading up to the election. Even so, repairing machines comes with its own challenges. Vendors have stopped making some components, forcing some jurisdictions to scour eBay and secondhand computer stores for used parts. In Hamilton County, Ohio, the director of elections has prepared for equipment failure by stockpiling outdated hardware, such as computers that still run on Windows XP. Georgia has hired a contractor to custom-design new machines that operate on Windows 2000.As the computer cards or scanners are breaking down, theyre being replaced piecemeal, says Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill. Its possible in the short term to keep plugging the leaks and not worry about a sudden, widespread collapse of voting technology. However, its a looming problem, Merrill says. We absolutely need to be planning ahead.The long-term solution obviously isnt spare parts -- its new machines. But as Rhode Islands experience illustrates, replacing election infrastructure can cost millions of dollars, and most jurisdictions dont know where to find that much funding. By the Brennan Centers estimates, the initial national cost of replacing outdated equipment over the next few years could exceed $1 billion.No one in Congress has proposed that the federal government foot the bill for such an extensive overhaul of election technology. U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia has introduced a bill that would go part of the way toward addressing the problem. His legislation would distribute to states up to $125 million in leftover funds from HAVA to replace equipment that has been in use for at least eight years. In most cases, states would then disburse the money to counties and townships. But the bill lacks bipartisan support, hasnt received a hearing and will likely die in committee at the end of this year.In the absence of federal financial assistance, some jurisdictions have gotten creative. In Connecticut, Merrill convinced the state bond commission to issue $6.7 million in bonds for electronic poll books, software for quicker reporting of election results, and new machines for voters with impaired vision and other disabilities. The legislature has helped with smaller budget requests. Still, Merrill says, it would be difficult to find the money necessary for a statewide upgrade of all equipment.Another case in point: Arkansas. Last year, Secretary of State Mark Martin convinced the legislature there to invest up to $30 million in new voting machines. But during budget negotiations, lawmakers did not set aside money for the appropriation. Weve made it clear that we think it is a priority, but not everything gets funded every year, explains Chris Powell, a spokesman for Martin. Its the course of legislative business. In lieu of state funds, the Secretary of States office has used some savings to replace technology in 11 of the states 75 counties, with plans to pay for more machines as money becomes available.Some local officials are modernizing their election infrastructure by finding ways of reducing the cost. Five years ago, when Denver looked for a new voting system, Elections Director Amber McReynolds wasnt satisfied with existing options on the market. Denver wanted commercial off-the-shelf parts that could be integrated with proprietary voting software. Working with a vendor, McReynolds and her team were able to develop a new system that uses commercial scanners, printers and touch-screen tablets. Whereas a full-scale voting machine can cost $4,000 per unit, commercial tablets are available for about one-tenth of the price. And commercial products are more familiar and more intuitive to most voters. People are on their smartphones and theyre using tablets in their everyday lives, she says. When they saw the tablets, it probably took away some of their anxiety and made it easier to use. In general, vendors have been slow to offer proprietary systems that use some commercial parts, but now that such a hybrid exists, election experts expect it to spread to other parts of the country.Denver is unusual in that it didnt have to ask for outside money. The elections division had savings set aside for the upgrade. This was partly because the Colorado General Assembly decided in 2013 to allow residents to vote by mail, an option that used to be available only for people who couldnt visit a polling location on election day. Now voters receive ballots in the mail that they can send back or drop off at a voting center. In Denver, elections staff count mail ballots at a central location, reducing some of the time and manpower necessary to tally votes.Denver first used the new equipment in a municipal election last year. Its smooth rollout convinced the state to pilot the same technology in other counties, and then mandate its adoption across Colorado. This month, nearly 20 counties -- or one-third of the states local election jurisdictions -- will use the commercial tablets, scanners and printers pioneered in Denver. In the next two years, they will appear in the rest of the state.President Obama acknowledged the long wait times voters were encountering at some polling locations, adding, We have to fix that. Two years later, a presidential study group on election administration reported back about the impending crisis in voting technology, along with recommendations on how to avoid such a crisis in the future. Since that 2014 report, some things have gotten better.One noticeable effect of the report is the revival of the Election Assistance Commission. When Congress passed HAVA in 2002, it created the commission as an independent agency with bipartisan leadership that would test and certify new election equipment. But by 2014, the commission had become a victim of partisan gridlock, which prevented it from vetting and approving new products by vendors. Without the commission, vendors had less incentive to develop new equipment, essentially putting any advancement in American election technology on pause.Even the mere existence of the Election Assistance Commission had became the subject of congressional debate, with one Republican member introducing a bill to eliminate the agency altogether. While Democrats put forward nominees for the vacant positions, Republicans did not, and the commission lacked a quorum to conduct official business for four years. It wasnt until December 2014 that the Senate finally confirmed three nominees -- enough for a quorum.The reconstituted Election Assistance Commission has been doing everything short of granting large sums of money for new technology. Last year, it published a short guide for state and local officials on ways to extend the lifespan of their voting equipment. The tips covered everything from proper storage in a climate-controlled room to the stress-testing of power sources that are usually the first components to fail. The commission also has created an online repository of requests for proposal from state and local election jurisdictions, allowing officials to learn from one another and borrow best practices.In the absence of congressional action, the commission has provided the next best thing: a central information source to facilitate conversations among election officials. In addition to Denvers recent experiment with commercial components, the city and county of Los Angeles and Travis County, Texas, are designing new election systems that could include interchangeable commercial parts and open source software that could be shared with other public agencies. All three localities have sought to design systems that would be less expensive, easier to maintain and more intuitive for voters. Its a recipe that appeals to officials in other parts of the country as well.The question for governments going forward is whether, despite the innovations being tried in places such as Colorado and Rhode Island, the lack of federal support will worsen the divide in the quality and capacity of election systems across the country. Will less wealthy places be able to adopt the systems that Denver and Los Angeles develop?Some counties are using special purpose sales taxes to raise money for ongoing election infrastructure costs, says Merle King, executive director of the Center for Election Systems in Kennesaw, Ga. But thats an option only where local residents are willing to tax themselves for election capital costs. In rural counties and other places with low median incomes, continued fundraising wont be feasible. Ultimately, well go back to what existed prior to HAVA, King says. Wealthy counties will have the best systems and the best trained employees using them, and the poorer counties will have to do the best with what they have.Even the places that can afford upgrades on their own are in favor of a national solution. We had to do it ourselves because our back was against the wall, says Gorbea. She thinks that Congress ought to be investing in the maintenance and modernization of equipment across the country. Voting machines are democracys infrastructure, she says. Updating our election systems should be a federally supported ongoing activity. They questioned each others business experience and acumen, tossed in some jabs about politicking and pandering, but the men who would be New Hampshires next governor were united during a Halloween debate in their appreciation of The Walking Dead.The popular cable TV series about zombies was one of several things that Democratic District 2 Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern and Republican District 3 Executive Councilor Chris Sununu did agree on during a debate at the North Conway Grand Hotel that was sponsored by the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council.Early in the nearly 90-minute debate, Sununu and Van Ostern spoke over each other, prompting forum moderator George Epstein who is town moderator in nearby Madison to let the gubernatorial candidates know in a humorous way that they were outclassed.Compared to a Madison Town Meeting, You guys are a piece of cake, Epstein told the candidates.Sununu said running for governor is the equivalent of presenting a job application. Voters, said Sununu, can see that for the past 15 years he has worked as an environmental engineer as well as for his familys company, which owns the Waterville Valley Resort.Van Ostern who has called into question Sununus business acumen spent a decade as a political operative, Sununu said. The New Mexico tax department has agreed to stop automatically withholding income tax refunds from many foreign nationals without Social Security numbers who file under alternative identification numbers provided by the IRS, a New Mexico state senator said Friday.Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, said he co-signed the settlement as a plaintiff that says state tax authorities will no longer withhold refunds based solely on discrepancies between a taxpayers individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN, and any Social Security number submitted on corresponding W-2 income forms.The Taxation and Revenue Department and other parties to the settlement declined to comment or acknowledge the agreement.The agreement resolves a lawsuit against the department alleging a practice of withholding tax refunds owed to foreign nationals starting in 2012 based on mismatched tax identification numbers. rose to national attention on a hot night in July, after a sniper at a protest against police violence killed five officers and wounded nine more. In the aftermath of the shooting, Browns no-nonsense presence, words of support and emphatic actions comforted his police department and the city of Dallas while also respecting the constitutional rights of the hundreds of people who had come out that evening to protest the police killing of an unarmed man in Minnesota the previous day.Two months later, when Brown announced he would retire, he was hailed as a local hero, and not just for his masterful handling of the sniper shootings. As chief, Brown had embraced social media, using Facebook to release unprecedented amounts of information on officer-involved shootings. He also accelerated efforts to rethink one of the most basic tenets of policing -- how officers respond to incidents that involve the potential use of force. Browns push toward reforms of the Dallas Police Department attracted praise from the likes of former New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton, who had described Brown as a consummate professional who represents some of the best progressive police leadership today.Not everyone saw it that way. Many people believed that Browns reforms, along with low salaries and extended hours for cops on the beat, had decimated morale on the force. Scores of officers had quit over the past year. The exodus was so great -- more than 40 officers resigned in the month of May -- that the department reportedly couldnt process the paperwork quickly enough, and cops were being told they had to wait to quit.Worse, Browns critics said, his reforms were curtailing cops ability to do their job at a crucial time for the city: Homicides have nearly doubled in Dallas in the past two years. The Dallas Police Association, the citys major police union, had called on Brown to step down from his job, as had the local and national Fraternal Order of Police and the local chapter of the Black Police Association.What Browns career -- and his surprise resignation -- shows is that its extremely difficult to get it right when it comes to police reform. Homicides in many cities are rising again. At the same time, a string of questionable and, in some cases, horrifying police shootings has made police reform a necessity. Browns story is about how one police department facing a rising homicide rate has sought to change the way its officers use force. Its a story about real accomplishments, difficult tradeoffs and pushback from many sides. And as in so many American cities, its a story that begins with a shooting.At 5 p.m. on July 24, 2012, dispatchers sent three officers to a house in the Dixon Circle neighborhood of south Dallas. A kidnapping had been reported. When they arrived, they heard yelling inside the house. They pushed in a window-mounted air conditioning unit to see into the house, where one of the officers spotted drugs and a gun on the kitchen table. He then saw four black males running out of the back of the house. One of them grabbed the gun.The officers chased the suspects. When an officer wrestled one of the men, James Harper, to the ground and tried to cuff him, Harper struggled free. The officer says he then saw something in Harpers front pocket. Fearing it might be a gun, he shot Harper three times.It wasnt a gun. Harper was unarmed.It was a sweltering summer evening, the kind that brought everyone in Dixon Circle out from their stifling homes. Rumors spread that Harper had been shot in the back. The mood of the neighborhood turned angry. Police officers in riot gear began to deploy. Civic leaders and local clergy rushed to the scene. So did Chief Brown. At a press conference that evening, Brown explained the circumstances around the shooting and promised an independent grand jury investigation. By most accounts, Browns presence and promises played a role in dispersing the crowd and maintaining calm in Dallas.Three weeks later, Brown announced a sweeping overhaul of how the department would interact with the public. He pledged to enlist the assistance of the FBIs Civil Rights Office in officer-involved shootings and require more detailed information from officers resisting arrests reports. Brown said the department would develop a foot patrol policy to reduce the likelihood of dangerous chases. He promised to enhance Taser training and actively identify national best practices. Finally, the department did something it had never done before: It released a complete list of every officer-involved shooting in Dallas going back to 2002.To say this represented a break with the past would be an understatement. He took us to the creek and held us under water and made us drink, says Deputy Chief Jeff Cotner.But those reforms were just beginning. During this same period, the department moved forward with perhaps its most ambitious initiative: an overhaul of the way officers respond to service calls. The usual approach of modern-day policing is command and control, in which police officers are trained to exercise immediate authority over an incident -- to issue orders and make sure those orders are obeyed. Brown wanted to move ahead with a different method known as de-escalation, which trains officers to use tools that can give them more time to assess the danger of a situation before taking action.De-escalation may sound mundane. But what it amounts to in practice is nothing less than an attempt to change a century of police practice.to see de-escalation at work in Dallas is to visit the Lamar School, an old building half a mile away from Dallas police headquarters thats now used as a training facility. On the first floor of the school one morning in September, a startling scene unfolds.I want my money back. Give me my money back! one man yells.What the f, man, the other says, as the first man moves toward him, looking as threatening as he sounds.Two police officers, alerted to the altercation, approach hurriedly, hands reaching toward their handguns. When the officers are about 12 feet from the two men, the man who wants his money spins toward them, a knife raised in his hand. Both officers yell at him to drop the knife. When he doesnt, they open fire. The would-be assailant crumples to the ground.Whoa! yells a bystander who has pulled out his cellphone to capture the scene.The heated argument is, of course, staged. Its part of an effort to change the way officers respond to dangerous incidents. Law enforcement officers in Texas are required to complete 40 hours of training every two years. Beginning in the late 1990s, Dallas included a reality-based training program as part of its core in-service education curriculum. Three years ago, the department revamped reality-based training to incorporate two newer concepts: de-escalation and procedural justice.The officers response to the first scenario -- shooting the man with the knife -- was appropriate, says Sgt. Anthony Greer, one of the sergeants supervising the Lamar School training. When police undergo training, most talk about a 30-foot zone of safety. Within that zone, officers who face a potential assailant wielding a knife or other blunt weapon are justified in using force, including lethal force.More recently, however, policing experts have begun to discourage departments from thinking about using the 30-foot rule to determine whether the use of force is reasonable. One of the goals of de-escalation training is to provide ways for officers to make a decision about how or even whether to enter this danger zone. The tools they can use are time, distance and, if necessary, cover to de-escalate a situation.If officers can be given more time, says Greer, then they have more opportunities to make good decisions. Distance works too. If the suspect is over there, hey, we dont necessarily need to approach them because the closer we get the more likely it is that some type of force may have to be used, he says. The third variable, taking cover, is another way to gain time to better assess the situation.The next training exercise at Lamar School gives officers a chance to practice using these skills. This time, when the exercise goes hot, two officers turn to face three men. The guy in the middle is a big man, holding a pipe. The men on each side of him are stepping back, but one has a gun tucked into his waistband. Theres a large file cabinet to the right of one of the responding officers. The other officer ducks behind it and calls on the men to stand still. His partner points his Taser at the man with the gun -- a red laser dances across the mans chest -- but the officer doesnt pull the trigger. With the laser clearly visible, the other officer comes out from cover. The officers now seem to have the mens attention.Exercise over. The first officer is praised for retreating and seeking cover. The second officer receives a thumbs up for pulling his Taser rather than his handgun. The trainer also gives the officers high marks for not instructing the man with the gun to put it down. His explanation: If you tell a man to put his gun down you are, in effect, telling him to reach for his gun. This approach about a gun in the possession of a potential shooter represents a notable break with the past.In another exercise, two officers respond to a call about a suspicious man who appears to be casing a building. Well before they get close to the man, the officers call out a greeting and say why theyre there. The man bristles. I bought this building, he says. Im the landlord. Im going to fix it up. The officers explain again that they got a call about suspicious activity and were concerned about it. The man calms down. A few minutes later, the officers are on their way.The training sergeant praises the officers for explaining why they were questioning the man. That part of the encounter -- stopping to explain -- is a critical part of an approach to engagement known as procedural justice. Its rooted in research about peoples encounters with the court system. That research found that satisfaction and compliance with a court proceeding depended not on the outcome (did they win or lose?) but on whether the process was explained and whether participants felt they had had their say. In recent years, police departments have sought to bring similar techniques to police work. It used to be, Hey, I am the police. You are going to do what I tell you to do, and if you dont, I am going to ask you one more time and then I am going to make you do it, says Greer.What the Dallas Police Department is teaching now is a dramatic break with past practice. The time/distance/cover approach allows police officers to dictate what they are going to do. What we are looking for, Greer says, is a peaceful solution to the situation. Its not necessarily, You do what I want you to do. Instead, its, I want this to end peacefully. Thats what we are emphasizing.achieved some significant successes. Over the past three years, officer-involved shootings in Dallas have fallen sharply -- from 10 in 2014 to five in 2015 to none in the first half of 2016. Complaints fell too, by more than 80 percent between 2005 and 2015.Despite these successes, Brown was not a popular chief. Dallas powerful police union, the Dallas Police Association, complained about Browns management style -- part of the basis for their call for his resignation. The local Black Police Association echoed these complaints.Browns reforms also had unintended consequences. Telling officers to take greater care to prevent or defuse possible confrontations means officers will take more time. That, in turn, delays police response times in high-crime neighborhoods, which feeds the perception that police dont care about communities of color. Critics argue that Browns initiatives, along with his unwillingness to press the city council for more officers, has contributed to the de-policing of the city.There has been a Ferguson effect in Dallas, says Deputy Chief Malik Aziz, referring to the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Aziz, who is chairman of the national Black Police Association, says that police officers in Dallas dont patrol as aggressively as they once did. They dont tend to engage themselves in situations where they once did.But Brown wasnt just villified by those who said his reforms went too far. He was also attacked by others who said he didnt do nearly enough. Brown attracted staunch criticism from a new generation of activists loosely affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. One of the most outspoken groups has been Mothers Against Police Brutality. Its led by Collette Flanagan, whose 25-year-old son was shot and killed by police in 2013. She notes what she sees as a failure of reform: Since 2001, 60 unarmed men have been killed by Dallas police officers, yet not a single officer has been indicted.For John Fullinwider, a leading Dallas figure in the ongoing protests about police brutality, Brown has a reputation as a reformer. But this police department has not been reformed. He points to two fatal shootings in August 2014 -- one of a white kid who was acting in an aberrant way but was unarmed, the other of a Latino kid in a domestic dispute who had a knife and was shot when he didnt follow police orders to put it down.Activists in Dallas want deeper policy changes. At the top of their list is a special independent prosecutor, appointed by the local U.S. attorney, to investigate fatal police shootings. They also want regular drug testing and psychological evaluations for officers, compensation for victims, body cameras for all officers, deadly force training approved and authorized by the U.S. Department of Justice, federal investigations of civil rights violations by police officers, and a federal database of problem officers.Attorney Kim Cole, who works with the activist group Next Generation Action Network, sees Browns reforms as little more than window dressing. Consider a recent decision by Brown to end the policy that allowed police officers involved in a fatal shooting to wait 72 hours before giving a statement to police investigators. Most saw this as another win for reform. Cole sees it in a different light -- as a way for police to avoid testifying at all. As long as there is no accountability, there will never be any responsibility, says Cole. The African-American community is being terrorized by law enforcement because we know there are times when we cant reach for our wallets without the risk of dying.It would be easy to conclude that being attacked simultaneously for going too far on accountability and transparency and for not going far enough is a sign that youre actually doing something right. But Browns struggles suggest another lesson as well: Police reform is hard. Often, it entails unintended consequences. De-escalation and relationship-building take time. That requires more resources. And in Dallas, as in most every other city, additional resources arent easy to come by. During the recession of 2008, Dallas allowed its police force to shrink by attrition and retirement. That seemed like a reasonable decision when crime was falling. But in 2014, homicides started to rise, and that has continued. The department has attempted to compensate by moving officers from desks back onto the streets. But its telling that in the aftermath of the July sniper shootings, Brown sought to use his new popularity for one thing: He asked the city to approve funding to hire 549 additional officers as quickly as possible.The request stemmed in part from the effectiveness of having more officers to do basic police work. New York Citys crime reduction miracle in the early 1990s was made possible by the roughly 6,000 new officers Mayor David Dinkins was able to hire through the state-supported Safe Streets program. The crime decline in Los Angeles in the mid-aughts likewise followed the hiring of hundreds of new police officers.But Browns request also reflected the additional hours his reforms require. He found few backers. Union officials argued that the city should focus instead on retaining existing officers by increasing pay. City council members questioned whether the city of Dallas could afford to spend more than it already does on public safety. Eventually, the city committed to increasing the size of the force by just 100 officers.On Sept. 1, Brown, who had been with the force for 33 years and its chief for six, stunned Dallas by announcing via Twitter that he was retiring. He would do so without securing the additional officers he so clearly wanted for his department. Chief Brown, we are sure going to miss you, Dallas regional Chamber of Commerce President Dale Petroskey told him and the crowd of civic and business leaders at a luncheon later that month. Thanks for being a rock and a rock star. We needed you.In fact, Dallas -- and other cities contending with rising homicides and protests against police brutality -- do need someone who can make the case that Brown, ultimately, could not. Reform is vital. But the real solution to the problem of police, paradoxically, may well be more police. A federal judge has rejected the settlement of a lawsuit stemming from the New York Police Departments surveillance of Muslims, saying the proposed deal does not provide enough oversight of an agency that he said had shown a systemic inclination to ignore rules protecting free speech and religion.In January, Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, agreed to appoint a civilian lawyer to monitor the departments counterterrorism activities as a means of settling two lawsuits accusing the city of violating the rights of Muslims over the past decade.But the judge, Charles S. Haight Jr., in an opinion published on Monday, said the settlement did not go far enough for an agency that had become accustomed to disregarding court orders.The proposed role and powers of the civilian representative, Judge Haight wrote, do not furnish sufficient protection from potential violations of the constitutional rights of those law-abiding Muslims and believers in Islam who live, move and have their being in this city.The decision means lawyers for both sides will have to negotiate changes to the settlement or fight the lawsuit in court. Jethro Eisenstein, a civil rights lawyer in the case, said he and his colleagues planned to discuss the ruling with city lawyers. A shorthanded Supreme Court on Friday entered the bathroom wars, as justices agreed to consider a transgender student's access rights.Taking on a volatile social issue, the high court agreed to hear a challenge from a Virginia school board that wants to limit which bathroom a transgender teenager can use. Potentially, this could become the new term's blockbuster.Gavin Grimm, the 17-year-old high school student identified in court documents as "G.G.," was born a biological female but identifies as a male and has been taking hormone therapy."I never thought that my restroom use would ever turn into any kind of national debate," Grimm said in a statement Friday. "The only thing I ever asked for was the right to be treated like everyone else."The Supreme Court's decision means the Gloucester County School Board and its many conservative allies persuaded at least four of the eight justices that their challenge deserved a full hearing.The decision means, as well, that a nationwide standard could eventually guide political bodies that want to follow the Virginia school board's lead in restricting transgender bathroom access. The Obama administration earlier this year told school districts that such restrictions put them in jeopardy of losing federal funding under Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act of 1972, which requires equal treatment for male and female students."Events have left Missouri public schools in limbo as to the current state of the law," a brief filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster stated, adding that "administrators must have definitive guidance as to what the law requires of them in order to maintain federal funding."The governors of North Carolina, where a state law governing transgender bathroom use has roiled the political scene all year, and Kentucky, as well as the attorneys general of 18 states _ including Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina and Texas _ had urged the Supreme Court to hear the Virginia case.The court's acceptance of the school board's petition came despite the vacancy left by the February death of the late Justice Antonin Scalia and the refusal of Senate Republicans to consider a replacement.To fill Scalia's seat, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on March 16. Until Friday, the justices had appeared to be avoiding incendiary issues while they await Scalia's replacement.The Virginia case is rooted in Gavin Grimm's gender identity. He came out to his parents as a high school freshman, and his school principal subsequently allowed him to use the boys' restroom. During the subsequent litigation he allowed his full name to become public."He has a state ID identifying him as male, and, as a result of hormone therapy, has facial hair, a deep voice and other male secondary sex characteristics," G.G.'s attorneys stated in a brief. "In every aspect of life outside school, G. is recognized as a boy."Nonetheless, the Gloucester board approved a districtwide policy prohibiting school administrators from allowing transgender students to use facilities consistent with their gender identity regardless of the individual circumstances."For decades our nation's schools have structured their facilities and programs around the idea that in certain intimate settings men and women may be separated to afford members of each sex privacy from the other sex," the school board's attorneys advised the court.Grimm's family challenged the school board's policy, in part, as a violation of Title IX of the federal Education Amendments Act of 1972, which bans sex discrimination in education programs. A trial judge initially rejected that argument.But in April, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the trial judge and agreed with Grimm that the Obama administration had been reasonable in its interpretation that Title IX covered transgender individuals."In a case such as this," the appellate court concluded, "the weighing of privacy interests or safety concerns, fundamentally questions of policy, is a task committed to the agency, not to the courts."Further complicating the issue, a Texas judge in August put on hold the Obama administration's policy that Title IX covers transgender students. That challenge is ongoing.The Supreme Court earlier had stayed the appeals court ruling, preventing Grimm from using the school's boys' room, pending the litigation's outcome. The oral argument will be held next year _ potentially, when the court is back up to nine justices _ and a decision rendered by June 30."It is disappointing that Gavin will probably have to finish out his high school career under this harmful, humiliating policy," said Josh Block, senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBT project. On Thursday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs de Jersey visited Longreach School of Distance Education where the Governor made an on-air address to students. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey departed Longreach for Jundah. Following, at the Barcoo Shire Council Chambers, Jundah, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey received a briefing from Council representatives, and then attended a community morning tea where His Excellency addressed guests. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Jundah Primary Health Centre, met staff and toured the facility. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Jundah State School where His Excellency addressed guests, before departing for Windorah. In the afternoon, at the Windorah Community Centre, Windorah, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey attended a community luncheon where His Excellency addressed guests. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited Windorah State School where His Excellency addressed guests, before returning to Longreach. In the evening, at the Longreach Scout Den, the Governor visited the Longreach Scout Group where His Excellency addressed guests and presented awards. On Friday, in the morning, His Excellency visited the ABC Western Queensland studio and recorded an interview. Following, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs de Jersey departed Longreach for Winton. Following, at the Winton Shire Council office, Winton, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey received a briefing from Council representatives. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Winton State School where His Excellency addressed guests. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Winton Police Station, met and received a briefing from staff and toured operations. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Winton Hospital, met staff and toured the facility. In the afternoon, at the Winton Shire Council Supper Room, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey attended a luncheon with Winton community representatives, and then departed for Muttaburra. Following, in Muttaburra, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited Muttaburra State School where His Excellency addressed guests. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Muttaburra Primary Health Centre, met and received a briefing from staff and toured operations. Following, at the Dr Arratta Memorial Museum, Muttaburra, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey received a briefing from Council representatives, and then attended a community afternoon tea at the Muttaburra Community Hall where His Excellency addressed guests. Following, the Governor and Mrs de Jersey visited the Acacia Downs property and received a briefing on the Queensland Feral Pest Initiative Cluster Fencing Project, and then returned to Longreach. Description GIS 01 November , 2016 : A National Certificate in social work practice will be introduced as from next year under a joint partnership of the Decentralised Cooperation Programme; the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Trust Fund operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions. The Minister of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions, Mrs Fazila Jeewa Daureeawoo, made this statement, yesterday at Hennessy Park Hotel in Ebene, at the opening of a Consultative Workshop in the context of the proposal for setting up a National Council for Social Work. The event was organised by the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions, in collaboration with the UNDP. According to the Minister, the launching of the new certificate is in line with Governments strategy to professionalise the social sector and strengthen the capacity of NGOs. This initiative follows the successful completion of a pilot project on Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in social work practice launched in June 2016. The first cohort of 32 NGOs representatives have been RPL certified to an equivalent of a National Certificate in Social Work Level 2. The status of the pilot project has encouraged the Ministry to scale it up thus giving opportunities to other social workers to validate their competencies, said Mrs Daureeawoo. Commending the important role of NGOs in complementing the social agenda, the Minister pointed out that the National Certificate in social work practice and the RPL programme will target some 150 social workers. With regard to the National Council for Social Work, the Minister recalled the necessity for the Council to provide a regularity framework for social work practice that responds to the new needs in the social sector, customised to the Mauritian context, reflects the aspiration of the social workers. Mrs Daureeawoo elaborated on the importance of the Council for the establishment of standards of practice for social workers; the elimination of the potential for malpractices; the protection of beneficiaries and clients from abuse and neglect; and the recognition of the role and values of social workers in society. A consultant has been appointed by the UNDP in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions since August 2016 for the setting up of a National Council of Social Work. The Consultative workshop will enable the consultant to gather inputs from all stakeholders namely representatives of Ministries, NGOs and the Academia, on the appropriate regulatory framework for social work practice. The framework will set the standards of practice as well as a register for social workers. It will also provide a mechanism to protect service users and address cases of malpractices, among others. For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. Sebastian Vettel apologised to Charlie Whiting after twice telling the high-ranking F1 official to "f--- off" during Sunday's Mexican GP. The quadruple world champion even called Max Versappen a "c---" on the radio and lost his podium finish for breaking the new 'Verstappen rule' in his dice with Daniel Ricciardo. It has led to speculation Vettel could sit out Brazil next weekend for bringing the sport into disrepute, as it emerges the FIA is in fact looking into the matter. Straight after the race, the German driver remained bullish. "I do not understand why you try to push me into a corner by asking this question," he was quoted as saying when asked if he has brought the sport into disrepute. Told that his behaviour was a bad example for children, Vettel insisted: "Do you think I think about kids when I race? No, I drive my race. "Do you think the kids are thinking about me when they drive their races? No, they drive their races." When asked what he said to Whiting when he met with the British official in Mexico, Vettel told the reporter: "This does not concern you." Ferrari team boss Maurizio Arrivabene was slightly more willing to answer, having told Vettel to "calm down" during the radio rant. "We talked together, me and Sebastian, and that's it," said the Italian. "I don't have to tell in public what I am doing with the drivers. "He excused himself (to Whiting) and I'm sure it is not going to happen again." Even F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone backed Vettel, declaring: "He's got an option, which is good. And they're racing, which is good." Still, the criticism of Vettel has been intense. "I understand perfectly when you have that adrenaline and you're in the heat of the moment," said former Red Bull driver Robert Doornbos. "But you cannot insult and cuss Charlie Whiting and Max like that. That doesn't fit with the sport," the Dutchman told Ziggo Sport Totaal broadcaster. Also critical of Vettel was his former boss, Dr Helmut Marko, but Arrivabene suggested the Austrian should focus on his current drivers. "Everyone should look a little more on themselves," said the Italian. "I do not like this pointing the fingers at others," Arrivabene insisted. "I don't need lessons, not from Helmut Marko or anyone else." (GMM) Renault has admitted for the first time that it tried and failed to secure Carlos Sainz for 2017 and beyond. It is an open paddock secret that the French works team made a move for the Spaniard, apparently even offering to ease the price of its engine deals with Red Bull if the energy drink team released him from Toro Rosso. "In the end, Red Bull didn't let him go. They wanted one more year," Sainz's famous father Carlos Sainz said recently. That information is now finally being confirmed by Renault, who have instead signed Nico Hulkenberg for 2017 and are currently weighing up which driver to pair him with next year. "We made every effort for Sainz," a Renault spokesman told the Spanish newspaper AS. "We wanted him, we wanted a driver to lead our project and it would have been good to have him with us," the spokesman added. The Renault official confirmed: "Red Bull did not want to let him go." For his part, 22-year-old Sainz says he is happy to stay at Toro Rosso for 2017 but is eyeing a move elsewhere for 2018, particularly as the doors to Red Bull Racing appear closed for now. Indeed, although officials were seen chatting with Sebastian Vettel recently, team boss Christian Horner said there is no room for the Ferrari driver for now. "We are confident in our drivers for the next two years so there's no room for Seb," he said. (GMM) Esteban Ocon has signed a deal to switch from Manor to Force India for 2017. That is the claim of a Spanish publication Formula Rapida, amid a multitude of similar reports in the wake of the weekend's Mexican grand prix. Force India is looking for a replacement for the Renault-bound Nico Hulkenberg, and 20-year-old Frenchman Ocon would make sense given his backing by the team's engine supplier Mercedes. "It's Vijay (Mallya)'s decision and we'll start those discussions probably when we get back next week," deputy boss Bob Fernley said at the weekend. Germany's Auto Motor und Sport agrees that Ocon is a leading contender, and the 'oracle' Eddie Jordan is also thinking the talented rookie is a likely choice. "Ocon at Force India, (Felipe) Nasr at Renault and (Esteban) Gutierrez at Sauber," Jordan is quoted as predicting. Auto Motor und Sport said Ocon would come with a $3 million discount for Force India's Mercedes engine deal, although Nasr and Jolyon Palmer are reportedly carrying about $16m in private sponsorship each. Nasr is being particularly championed by Bernie Ecclestone, who wants a competitive Brazilian on the grid. "We need to choose what is good for us, not what is good for others," said sporting boss Otmar Szafnauer. But the team is also not denying that commercial considerations will play into the decision. "The 2017 cars will need to be developed constantly," said technical boss Andy Green. "If you can't do that, you're gone." (GMM) Pavan To Contest Next Elections From Eluru? It looks like power star and Jana Sena Party president Pavan Kalyan is getting ready to contest the next assembly elections from West Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. According to sources, Pavan is most likely to contest from Eluru constituency. It was evident on Monday, when the Jana Sena Party issued a statement saying that Pavan has decided to register himself as a voter in Eluru. He instructed his party leaders in West Godavari to take steps for transferring his name from the voters list in Hyderabad to Eluru. This has given rise to speculation that Pavan might contest from Eluru, though registering as voter in Andhra Pradesh would mean he can contest from anywhere in the state. He has a huge fan following in East and West Godavari districts and if he contests, he can turn the entire Kapu community to his side. It is not yet clear as to whether the Jana Sena would be an ally to the TDP-BJP combine or contest elections independently. In any case, Pavans entry into AP politics is believed to hit the vote bank of YSR Congress party more than the TDP-BJP combine. Although the Germans are leading the charge on a political level, it is the Italians who have the highest share of potentially interested customers: 54% of Germans would consider buying one, compared to 79% of Italians (lowest is the UK with 52%). In August, Berlin-based Dalia Research conducted an EU-wide survey to find out the demand for electric vehicles (EV) among Europeans. The results show that 58% of Europeans would consider purchasing an electric vehicle. Approximately 1% of respondents say they already own one, matching the current estimate of electric vehicle sales in Europe. About one third of all Europeans (34%) say they would approve of more government support for electric vehicles. Across all EU countries, 22% would support higher vehicle emission taxes. The results show there is no clear demographic who is most interested in EVs. There is no significant difference by gender, age, urban and rural populations, education or disposable income. It seems EVs are already an aspired product across different main consumer groups. EuroPulse is a quarterly survey by Dalia Research across 28 EU countries and 21 languages. In every wave of the survey, Dalia interviews a census-representative sample of more than 10,000 Europeans to better understand EU-wide trends in public opinion, consumer attitudes and market developments. The survey setup treats the EU, from a statistical and sampling perspective, as if it were one country. The results are based on the most recent wave of EuroPulse, which was conducted between 2-19 August 2016. The sample of n=11,754 was drawn across all 28 EU Member States, taking into account current population distributions with regard to age (14-65 years), gender and region/country. An estimation of the overall design effect based on the distribution of weights was calculated at 1.59 at the global level. Calculated for a sample of this size and considering the design-effect, the margin of error would be +/-1.1 % at a confidence level of 95%. Click to find the lowest gas prices in Guilford County The CEO of Terex suggested Tuesday the company will see more layoffs, facility closures and business sales in the coming year as he works to simplify the heavy equipment makers operations and position it for growth should the economy pick up steam. Wednesday marks CEO John Garrison Jr.s one-year anniversary with Terex, the Westport-based manufacturer of heavy vehicles and equipment for construction and material handling, including aerial work platforms, boom cranes, heavy trucks and machines to shred or crush debris. Despite third quarter revenue that was off 16 percent from a year earlier to under $1.1 billion, Terex profits rose 10 percent to $33.3 million or 31 cents a share. Terex had been run since 1993 by Ron DeFeo who took over a company with less than 2,800 people largely in four states and three countries, and through a prolonged buying binge built it up into a giant with 21,000 people at the peak of the last economic cycle, competing with bedrock industry icons like Caterpillar and John Deere. Garrison joined the company from the Bell Helicopter division of Providence, R.I.-based Textron; he grew up the son of a U.S. Air Force pilot before enrolling at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, serving as a U.S. Army Ranger and obtaining an MBA from Harvard Business School. Under Garrison today, Terex finds itself in the same fix as it did under DeFeo in 1993 dealing with an economy still shaky from the most recent recession and with volatile energy markets discouraging new equipment purchases in that sector; while working to complete a process under which Terex has been extricating itself from a scrapped merger with Finland-based Konecranes, instead selling a division that makes big forklifts and overhead cargo cranes for ports and industrial plants. Both companies have been hit hard by crane demand globally, with Garrison telling investors in a Tuesday conference call that it is the companys only division in which plants are working a single shift. That prompted Terex this past summer to move a crane production plant to Oklahoma City from Waverly, Iowa, where the company had a presence dating back to DeFeos arrival, at a cost of 175 jobs, and Garrison said the company is looking at other facilities that are being underused. I recently had a business meeting with one of our larger customers, and he was saying how he had moved here recently 100 cranes that were basically sitting idle in the tar sands area of Canada, Garrison said Tuesday. In the cycle for cranes in North America ... wed like to believe were bumping along at the bottom of the trough. Its name coined as a derivative of the words terra and rex (earth king), Terex was created in 1970 as a brand of General Motors (NYSE: GM), after the Detroit giant caved to federal antitrust pressure to sell off its Euclid division that made massive dump trucks while retaining rights to sell them internationally. Founded in 1909 in Ohio by George Armington, Terexs predecessor company Euclid had been acquired by GM in 1953 for $20 million, at the time employing 1,600 people. GM would sell Terex in 1981 to Germany-based IBH, but in just a few years would reabsorb the division after IBH declared bankruptcy. In 1986, Green Bay, Wis.-based Northwest Engineering bought Terex, with the company then spun off in a 1991 initial public offering of stock. After the 1991 death of its previous CEO, Terex hired DeFeo the following year and in 1993 installed him in the corner office, with the company designating its headquarters 500 Post Rd. East in Westport. From there, Terex would bolt on buy after buy as it took advantage of two big economic booms to expand its platform to aerial lifts (in September the company marked in Seattle the 50th anniversary of its Genie line), cranes and assorted other machines even small, tracked vehicles designed to soldier through snow or swamp. For Garrison, the job is now to find Terexs track through its current morass to growth and for their part investors seem to think he is on the right path. Even after falling 4 percent Tuesday following the companys third-quarter results, Terex shares (NYSE: TEX) are up nearly $2 in Garrisons first year on the job to about $23 near the close of trading Nov. 1. Garrison said he would share more about the companys restructuring at a December investor conference, with the company employing about 185 people today at its Westport headquarters at 200 Nyala Farm Rd. Clearly you are going to hear more about restructuring activities in the crane side as we attack the underlying footprint, Garrison said. Its not just physical assets but its also on the people side unfortunately. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-354-1047; www.twitter.com/casoulman GREENWICH Heavy rains on Thursday and Sunday gave Greenwich the soaking it had been waiting for, but the impact on the regions ongoing drought was minimal. Last Monday, the towns reservoir level was at 26.2 percent capacity and town Conservation Director Denise Savageau reported on Tuesday that, even after the two bouts of heavy rain, the reservoir was still down to 26.1 percent. Even after all that rain this is still a major issue, Savageau said. There are such dry conditions that when we do get rain like we did, it just runs off. What we need is more rain so the ground isnt so dry (and) its going to soak into the ground and have an impact. According to Savageau, the northern part of Greenwich into Stamford is getting less rain than other areas in town. There was about .72 inches of rain at the Putnam Reservoir on Sunday and 1.2 inches measured in Byram. Including last Thursdays rains, October measured between three and four inches, about average for the month but not enough to make up for the summers dryness. Were glad it rained, Savageau said. Well take whatever we can get but were not done with this yet. According to Aquarion Water Companys Public Relations Director Peter Fazekas, We need about 10 inches of rain to get us into more of a normal mode of operation. Western Connecticut is under its first ever official drought watch after a declaration made last week by Gov. Dannel Malloy. Residents across the state are asked to conserve water and limit unnecessary usage whenever possible. Greenwich has been under mandatory restrictions since September. Only the Board of Selectmen has the power to lift the restrictions. We are grateful that Greenwich residents and businesses continue to adhere to the Phase 2 water use ban and restrictions, First Selectman Peter Tesei said. Since the ... water use ban on Oct. 6, the towns water consumption, via Aquarion, has been reduced from about 18 million gallons per day to about seven million gallons per day but the town remains at a rainfall deficit of 10 inches. With the approaching winter season and inherent freezing of both the ground and water surfaces, unless there is significant rainfall during the next several weeks, I do not envision the Board of Selectmen lifting the restrictions anytime soon. Savageau said a heavy winter snow and ice fall would provide recharge into the ground once it melts. But because water usage typically declines in the winter no need to water lawns it is harder to conserve or restrict. Savageau said the town would continue to monitor water use and supply, working with Aquarion and the states Department of Public Health to track the water levels. Were hopeful we will have a lot of precipitation over the winter, Fazekas said. But we need to be ready if we dont. Fazekas said Aquarion is encouraging people to take shorter showers, run washing machines and dishwashers only when full and fixing leaks in toilets, showers and sinks. We will continue to be working with town officials in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan on this, Fazekas said. kborsuk@scni.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Casting a ballot for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump has a permanence to it like a tattoo but not in Connecticut. Thanks to a quirk in the states election law, thousands who have already taken advantage of early voting via absentee ballot can get a do-over. It makes Connecticut one of the few states to allow switches and creates a subplot with each emerging bombshell in the presidential race from the FBI reopening its probe of Clintons emails to sexual misconduct allegations against Trump. But its not so simple. A person could submit an absentee ballot to their town or city, then tell their local election officials they will be able to vote in-person on Nov. 8. Their absentee ballot would then be voided. Thats possible, said Patrick Gallahue, a spokesman for Secretary of the State Denise Merrill. However that person votes is up to the voter. The legal rationale is that the person no longer needs an absentee ballot. The deadline for making the notification is 10 a.m. on Election Day. Voters cannot simply request a second absentee ballot as a do-over, however. Cities and towns are already bracing for potential mayhem when voters go to the polls Tuesday, from long lines and ballot shortages to confusion over registration and absentee ballots. This year, election officials reported extremely high demand for absentee ballots. It has coincided with a peak in voter registration in the state, where a record 2.1 million people are on the states election rolls. Its like a zoo here, said Carmella Budkins, Republican town clerk of Greenwich. In 2012, 10 percent of the 1.6 million votes counted in the presidential election in Connecticut were cast by absentee ballot. As of Monday, Budkins office had mailed 3,869 absentee ballots, including 658 overseas. Of those, 2,500 have been returned to the town clerk, which will count the votes on Election Day. Absentee ballots have historically been used by voters who will be out of town for the election, as well as homebound senior citizens. In some cases, voters request an absentee ballot if they dont want to wait in line at their polling place. The state does not keep centralized records of the total number of absentee ballots mailed. Budkins said counting absentee ballots is already pressure-filled without the specter of people asking for their votes to be voided. Election Day is crazy enough, Budkins said. We have people calling here saying everything is rigged. In Derby, Marc Garofalo, the Democratic city/town clerk and former mayor, reported a flurry of absentee ballot requests. His office has mailed out 267 209 of which have been returned 108 from registered Democrats, 73 from unaffiliated voters and 31 from Republicans. Garofalo downplayed the potential for late switches. We have not had any do-overs, not yet, Garofalo said. Most of the people who vote by absentee ballot are going to be out of town or physically cant make it to the polls. I guess its always a potential issue. neil.vigdor@scni.com; 203-625-4436; http://twitter.com/gettinviggy To the editor, As a veteran of the Connecticut House of Representatives, I watched a number of folks join the chamber over my years in Hartford. Every term, the freshmen sorted themselves out in most cases by the end of the first session into groups: No. 1 good potential/hard working; No. 2 possibilities/wait & see; and No. 3 unfocused/tardy/unreliable. As a member of the House leadership, it behooved me and the other leaders to support and encourage groups Nos. 1 and 2, while keeping a sharp eye on No. 3 to head off any problems. It was always a singular pleasure to find a gem of a legislator emerging from group No. 1. Maybe thats the old teacher in me, plus the appreciation of the time and hard work that goes into becoming an exemplary legislator. Greenwich is blessed with just such a House member in state Rep. Livvy Floren (Distict 149). And you dont even have to take my word for it, simply ask any experienced legislator from either side of the aisle whom they would pick to work with on a bill, committee, working group, or special project. I guarantee they will name Livvy every single time! So as this interesting political season draws to a merciful close, please be sure to go to your polling station on Election Day and vote for state Rep. Livvy Floren to represent all of us in Hartford for two more years. Honorable Claudia Dolly Powers, Riverside To the editor, Boy we sure are lucky. I attended the 36th Senatorial District debate and was once again so impressed with the knowledge, commitment and passion of our senator, Scott Frantz. How fortunate citizens are that hes our senator. Connecticuts in terrible shape. Decades of Democrat control has resulted in massive tax increases, out-of-control spending along with crippling debt levels. Even when we had a Republican governor, Democrats had a veto proof legislative majority allowing them to tax, spend and indebt citizens with impunity As voters reject this Democrat incompetence, Republicans are on the verge of taking control in the state legislature and stopping such outrageous action. This will end decades of one party rule providing a real opportunity to return our state to fiscal sanity. Scott Frantz is uniquely positioned to lead that effort. He is one of the most financially knowledgeable members of the legislature. Even with Democrats in charge, Scott has been working to fix fiscal issues and is working to grow our job base and bring companies back to Connecticut. Do you remember the estate tax cliff issue? It was a crazy idea only a Democrat could design. When Democrats re-imposed the estate tax on Connecticut citizens they decided if your estate exceeded the exemption then ou should pay the estate tax from dollar one meaning no exemption for you. It was outrageous and Scott, Fred Camillo and the rest of Greenwichs Republican legislative delegation led the successful charge to repeal it. Scott believes in creating a more efficient government by empowering individuals, families and traditional institutions rather then over regulating them. It is excess regulation and excess taxes that is stymieing Connecticut growth. The Democrats dont get it but Scott is eminently aware of what is needed for our state to succeed and prosper. On Nov. 8 join with me in believing in Connecticuts future by voting for Scott Frantzs re-election as our state senator. Edward D. Dadakis Greenwich At the Election Matters: The State of Voting in 2016 forum at Greenwich Library last month, Michael Brandi, executive director, Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission, stated, I think the risk of in-person voter fraud is basically non-existent. I followed up with Brandi after the forum, asking him how many cases of in-person voter fraud are pending before the SEEC. Answer: none. I asked him how many cases of in-person voter fraud he had handled during his 41/2heading the elections enforcement commission. Answer: none. I asked him how many individuals had been prosecuted or convicted of in-person voter fraud over the longer term. Answer: There has never been a single case of in-person voter fraud prosecuted in the state of Connecticut. Ever. So even though no one has ever been found guilty of in-person voter fraud, the type of voter fraud that government-issued photo IDs are claimed to prevent, not only did Greenwich state Rep. Livvy Floren (R-149) introduce a bill requiring government photo IDs and proof of citizenship in order to vote five years ago to reduce voter fraud, she is now doubling down by proposing a new voter suppression bill requiring voters to obtain government-issued photo IDs. On the same day the voter forum was held at Greenwich Library, The New York Times published an article quoting numerous Republican officials, past and present, admitting that they specifically designed photo ID legislation to prevent minorities from voting. Among the Republican officials quoted was Todd Allbaugh, a staff aide to a Republican state legislator in Wisconsin, who recounted how in closed-door meetings where photo ID bills were discussed, Republican legislators were giddy about the ramifications and literally singled out the prospects of suppressing minority and college voters. Federal and state courts are beginning to strike down those Republican voter suppression laws. In North Carolina, a photo ID law passed by Republican legislators was struck down by a federal appeals court, which declared that the law, targets African-Americans with almost surgical precision. In rejecting the voter suppression bill SB 14 in Texas, an appeals court found that African-Americans were nearly twice as likely as Whites not to possess the government-issued IDs required to vote, and Hispanics were three times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites not to have the required IDs. Poor residents were even less likely to have the required photo IDs. Livvy Floren justifies her new voter suppression bill by stating that voters would not be required to pay a fee to obtain the photo IDs, which would be issued by municipalities and cities. Instead, she proposes that the cost of issuing photo IDs would be born by the states Citizens Election Program fund. But eliminating the fee to obtain a government-issued photo ID free was the dodge used by the state of Texas when it amended SB 14 in an attempt to keep the law from being struck down. In its finding against that law, the court declared that, though no fee was charged, forcing individuals to obtain the ID created a burdensome alternative process that inordinately impacted minorities and the poor. The Washington Post editorial condemning the Texas voter suppression bill SB 14 is applicable to Connecticut. To paraphrase the Post, Zombie-like, these voter suppression bills refuse to die, owing to the unembarrassed determination of Livvy Floren and other Republicans in Hartford intent on resurrecting Jim Crow-style obstacles to the ballot by any means they can finagle through the judiciary. In every state in which the Republican Party has taken control of the legislature and governors office, the Republicans first order of business is passing voter suppression bills. If the Republican Party takes control of Connecticuts state government, you can bet that Livvy Floren and the new Republican majority will make a voter suppression bill one of the first they pass. If that happens, Connecticut will see Jim Crow racism planted deeply in the soil of the Constitution State. Sean Goldrick is a Greenwich resident. Inside Keith McNallys Augustine, which opens tomorrow. Photo: Melissa Hom Tomorrow, Keith McNally will open Augustine in the brand-new Beekman hotel. It is the 14th restaurant in an illustrious three-decade career from the restaurateur who has been credited with inventing downtown. Its also a very McNally restaurant: plush brown banquettes, an early-20th-century-French vibe, big mirrors, worn-in touches like forced watermarks. On the eve of the restaurants opening, McNally talked with Bloombergs Kate Krade, and wrote an op-ed for the New York Times about what to expect from Augustine, how the industry has changed, and his feelings about restaurants today. Here are the eight most interesting things from the man himself. Yes, he still hates opening restaurants: Keith McNally, as he made clear before, is the tortured artist of the New York restaurant scene. In the Times op-ed, which McNally opens by writing in many ways Im sick of restaurants, he admits that all the headaches critics, stifling rents, inevitable mistakes clashing with his perfectionism have him vowing every time never to open another restaurant. Hes only really happy, he says, when the space is still a blank canvas of possibility. If he wins a James Beard award, hell have a good speech: When hes still building out his restaurants, he admits in that op-ed, hes so confident that all he cares about his nailing his inevitable James Beard speech. Which he promises will be appropriately modest. The Augustine burger was supposed to come with a shot of whiskey, but now its topped with whiskey onions instead: As he tells Bloomberg, McNallys chefs Shane McBride and Daniel Parilla made him reconsider his plan to offer a shot of whiskey with the restaurants inevitable burger. It will still be called the Whisky Burger, but it will simply be topped with onions that are sauteed with Scotch. At Augustine, McNally started with the tiles: When he started conceiving the restaurant three years ago, the first thingw he thought about were the Art Nouveau tiles framing what else? mirrors. He went so far as to find a place in Italy that could make the tiles for him, and the process of getting them right took about two and a half years longer than any other part of the restaurant. Was it a good investment? Maybe its worth it, he tells Bloomberg. He almost took as much time with the menus as he did with the tiles: They didnt invest quite as much time in the food as the tiles, but McBride and Parilla worked on the menu for two years. They also went on a ten-day field to Europe so they could eat food and decide what to do. This whole project almost didnt happen: McNally was first approached about the Beekman space by his buddy Andre Balazs, who was planning to take it over. When that fell through, though, the new owners approached McNally, as well, and a deal was eventually made. He agrees that smaller restaurateurs are being squeezed out of Manhattan: McNally has seen his rents rise dramatically during his career, and like everybody else, he realizes that Manhattan is just too expensive for independent restaurants. In the Times, he calls it an incalculable loss to the life, in particular the creative life, of the city. He also recognizes that in todays New York he couldnt pull off something like the Odeon, which he originally opened in a ungentrified Tribeca for $138,000. Even McNally is feeling California vibes these days, saying theyll influence Pastis 2.0: The reboot of Pastis will commence in March 2017, when McNally will begin the rebuilding process. Dont expect exactly the same restaurant, though. He recognizes that it was a different world when Pastis opened, and now hes looking west. Id like the food to be different lighter with a lot more grilled fish, and slightly more Californian, he says. Hamdi Ulukaya. Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Vanity Fair Maybe you prefer the taste of Siggis or Noosa, but nobody can deny that Chobani yogurt is a top-notch humanitarian business: Founder Hamdi Ulukaya pays a living wage to 2,000 workers, has turned the billion-dollar company into one of Americas leading refugee advocates, and hired about 300 immigrants from countries like Iraq and Afghanistan when Chobani opened its new Idaho factory. Apparently for xenophobes on the far right, though, that humanitarianism proves Chobani is involved in a nefarious plot to drown the United States in Muslims. Todays New York Times gives the nutshell version of what amounts to a smear campaign lasting the better part of a year. As Ulukaya has ramped up advocacy efforts, the paper says, he and Chobani both have seen an uptick in racist attacks on social media and conspiratorial articles on websites. It seems like Ulukayas refugee-crisis speech in Davos this January was the instigator: WND basically a far-right National Enquirer ran a story declaring, American Yogurt Tycoon Vows to Choke U.S. With Muslims, and Breitbart News went after Chobani a short while later with several crazy reports tying unskilled, diseased Idaho refugee workers to everything from a tuberculosis epidemic to a gang rape. Some of the battier stuff included rumors that Twin Falls home to the Chobani factory was slowly caving to migrant workers multitude of Muslim friendly/Islamification requests. Bloggers quickly deduced that elected officials were part of a cover-up, Mayor Shawn Barigar tells the Times, and that were all trying to keep the refugees safe so that Chobani has its work force, that I personally am getting money from the Obama administration to help Chobani hire whoever they want, that its part of this Islamification of the United States. Most troubling of all, this concern eventually led to death threats against Barigar and his wife. For its part, Breitbart argues to the Times that people deserve to know about Ulukayas dealings as one of the leaders in expanding refugee resettlement. It adds that the sites explosive growth is due in large measure to the mainstream medias refusal to cover vital topics like this one. Daniel Rose and Marie-Aude, Styling by Diana Tsui. Suit, shirt, and shoes by Tom Ford. Dress by Ralph Lauren Collection. Shoes by Oscar de la Renta. Tablecloth by E. Braun & Co. Candelabras by Lynn Field at Bergdorf Goodman. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine For this years Holiday Food special, we sent American cooks with French restaurants into homes (and the Frick) to host relatively easy-to-replicate dinners. It smells like France in here, chef Daniel Rose says upon entering the Fragonard Room of the Frick Collection. Its a welcome smell for the 39-year-old Chicago-born chef, who rose to fame in Paris for his tiny, seasonally focused restaurant Spring, and who decamped to New York with his family this past June to launch the grand, inventive brasserie Le Coucou. Hes at the Frick on this mid-October Monday to cook a romantic dinner for his wife, Marie-Aude, surrounded by the looming The Progress of Love panels, done by one of his favorite painters. (When he first arrived in Paris to study at the American University, he found himself at a Drouot auction at which he bought a possible Fragonard, cut from a larger painting, and had it cleaned and sold it for three times more.) For this intimate dinner (save for a crowd of security guards the Frick has never allowed food to be consumed in this room before), Rose set out to design a menu that would allow him to spend more time eating and less time cooking: warm briny oysters with seaweed butter and oeuf norvegien (an artichoke heart topped with a soft-boiled egg and a creamy coating of creme fraiche with chives and enveloped in smoked salmon), followed by a bourride bursting with clams, mussels, large prawns, and black bass. As the two finished up their meal with a classic dense chocolate mousse and royale dorange cookies, he said: Theres no place Id rather be than here. Menu Oysters warmed with seaweed butter Vouette & Sorbee Blanc dArgile Extra Brut ~ Oeuf norvegien J. B. Becker Riesling Kabinett Wallufer Berg Bildstock Rheingau 2008 ~ Bourride with aioli Domaine Tempier Bandol Rose 2010 ~ Mousse au chocolat and royale dorange cookies Rare Wine Co. NY Malmsey Madeira NV Appetizers Rinsing the salt from the japanese seaweed. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Preparing the butter to cream with the seaweed. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Recipe: Oysters Warmed With Seaweed Butter The oysters, about to be spritzed with lemon. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine 6 oysters Sel gris salt cup finely chopped red and green Tosaka Japanese seaweed cup unsalted butter at room temperature Lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper Shuck the oysters. Cut the muscle under each oyster and set the shells in a bed of sel gris on a platter. Rinse the seaweed to remove all salt. Mix seaweed and butter in a small bowl until completely combined. Put 1 teaspoon of the mixture on top of each oyster and place under a broiler for 3 to 4 minutes, until the butter melts and starts to sizzle. Squeeze a little lemon juice and a sprinkle of pepper over each oyster and serve immediately. (Note: Any seaweed butter remaining can be frozen and used later on fish, lobster, or chicken.) See how the dish is prepared: Recipe: Oeuf Norvegien Peeling the tough outer leaves from the artichoke. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine 2 artichokes Lemon juice 2 eggs 3 slices smoked salmon Dill and arugula for garnish To prepare artichoke hearts: Snap back the tough outer leaves on each artichoke until the pale-yellow leaves are exposed. Rub the cut surfaces with lemon juice as you go. Trim off the top with a sharp knife and pare down the leaves that cover the base of the heart. Use a teaspoon to remove the fibrous choke buried in the center. Keep the artichoke hearts in lemon water until ready to cook to stop discoloration. Discard all the leaves. Place the artichoke hearts in a steamer and cook until tender for about 20 minutes. Place the eggs in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes and 20 seconds (for soft-boiled). Put them in an ice bath, and when cool enough to handle, peel the eggs. Chive Cream: cup heavy cream tsp. gelatin powder 1 tsp. lemon juice 18 tsp. salt 23 tbs. chopped chives Put cup of cream in a small saucepan, sprinkle with gelatin and allow to bloom for a minute, then warm over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the gelatin has melted. Set aside. Season remaining cream with lemon juice, salt, and chives in a small bowl; add to the heated cream and stir to combine. To assemble: Fill each artichoke heart with a spoonful of cream. Nestle soft-boiled egg into the cream and cover egg with more cream. Allow them to set in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drape 1 1/2 slices smoked salmon over each egg. Garnish with dill or other herbs and serve on plates with a little arugula. Midoeuf norvegien. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine See how the dish is prepared: Entree All the ingredients for the bourride. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Poaching the clams in the fish stock. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine Recipe: Bourride With Aioli The bourride, stewing. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine 2 cups fish stock (available from a good fishmonger) 10 littleneck clams, cleaned 12 mussels, cleaned beards removed 1 large peeled and steamed Yukon Gold potato, cut into 1-inch pieces bulb fennel, chopped and blanched but still crunchy 2 pistils saffron 8 oz. skin-on black-bass fillet, sliced into 1-inch-wide pieces 4 head-on peeled shrimp cup mixed chopped parsley and chervil to taste Lemon juice 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil Bring the fish stock to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the clams and cover until they are just opened. Remove clams and set aside. Repeat with the mussels. Add the potato, fennel, and saffron and return to a boil, then add the fish and shrimp and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Once the fish is cooked, return the mussels and clams to the pan. Sprinkle with parsley and a few drops of lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Serve immediately in the same pan, with croutons on the side. Aioli: 1 small potato, peeled and cooked, about 2-by-1 inches 1 egg yolk 1 tbs. sherry vinegar cup extra-virgin olive oil 7 garlic cloves blanched in milk (cover garlic cloves in cold milk, bring to a boil, peel, remove germ, and chop finely) Salt and freshly ground black pepper In a medium bowl, mash the potato with the egg yolk and the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil a little at a time, whisking until the oil is incorporated before adding more, as if you were making a mayonnaise. Stir in the chopped garlic and a few drops of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the aioli in a bowl on the side to allow everyone to add as much as they like to the bourride. See how the dish is prepared: Dessert Recipe: Mousse au Chocolat The mousse au chocolat. Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine 4 oz. Valrhona chocolate, 70 percent 1 oz. Valrhona chocolate, 100 percent cup heavy cream 3 yolks cup sugar 5 egg whites Shaved unsweetened chocolate for garnish Confectioners sugar Melt both chocolates in a double boiler. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan and gradually stir in the chocolate to make a smooth ganache. Whip the yolks and 1 tablespoons sugar together at high speed. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites and gradually add the remaining sugar to make a standard meringue and until the whites reach a smooth, creamy consistency. A little at a time, fold the yolks into the chocolate ganache, then fold in the meringue a little at a time until each addition is incorporated and there are no longer any white streaks of meringue. Tap the bowl once to settle the mousse. Transfer into individual glass bowls and chill. Garnish with shaved unsweetened chocolate and a dusting of confectioners sugar. See how the dish is prepared: Get Printable Versions of the Recipes Oysters Warmed With Seaweed Butter Oeuf Norvegien Bourride With Aioli Mousse au Chocolat *This article appears in the October 31, 2016, issue of New York Magazine. These are the best offers from our affiliate partners. We may get a commission from qualifying sales. 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Sat, Sun 19:55 Synopsis "Suited Gentlemen In Yanggye-dong" is based on a traditional tailor's with history. The drama depicts the tears, friendship, success and romance of four men. Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2016/08/27 More colm Turnbulls planned changes to paid parental leave are in doubt after the Nick Xenophon Team confirmed they will not support the proposal in its current form.As it stands, Labor and the Greens do not support the policy changes, meaning Turnbull needs the support of the NXT, One Nation Party and crossbenchers David Leyonhjelm and Derryn Hinch to pass the legislation.It was also revealed recently that that NXT senator Skye Kakosche-Moore had previously guaranteed women's advocacy group Fair Agenda that "we would vote to protect the current paid parental leave system and oppose any diminution of the current system"."We made a commitment prior to the last election to make sure the scheme was kept intact, that's still our commitment," said Xenophon.The government hopes to save $1.2 billion by stopping new parents from receiving the full 18 weeks available under their scheme if their employer is also offered parental leave.If passed by parliament, these plans could take effect as soon as January 2017 and is estimated to impact 80,000 mothers.Xenophon added he was still willing to negotiate with the government to make the scheme "fairer" and "more equitable", but did not say what amendments could be made.It appears that concessions (such as protections for families on lower incomes) will be required for the government to gain the NXTs three votes, according to Fairfax Media.Xenophon also criticised the government for the range of policy shifts on this issue in recent years."A couple of years ago, Tony Abbott wanted to give us a Rolls Royce paid parental leave scheme. Right now what the Government wants us to go to is one that is a bit like an East German Trabant," he said. The survey conducted Oct. 23-27 is the final survey by the Elon University Poll before Election Day on Nov. 8. The contests at the top of the ballot have tightened in North Carolina, with the races for president and governor now too close to call and incumbent Republican Richard Burr holding a lead within the margin of error in the U.S. Senate race, according to the results of the latest Elon University Poll. Asked a little more than a week before Election Day, more than a third of likely N.C. voters say they believe voter fraud will be a major problem this year, and more than two-thirds are worried about the decisions the victor will make as president, regardless of who takes office. Additionally, likely voters say that the media is more biased against Republican Donald Trump than Democrat Hillary Clinton, while less than half 45 percent of likely voters say they believe that the multiple sexual assault accusations levied against Trump and widely reported in the media are mostly true. The live-caller, dual frame (landline and cell phone) survey of 710 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 23-27, 2016. Survey results in this news release present responses from registered voters who were classified as likely voters in the Nov. 8 election and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points. CLINTON VS. TRUMP The race for the White House is essentially tied in North Carolina, with Clinton holding a lead of less than 1 percentage point. Among likely voters, Clinton has 42 percent of the vote while Trump has 41.2 percent, with 8.7 percent saying they are still undecided in the race. Support for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian and leading third-party contender, has dwindled during the past month from more than 9 percent of the vote in early October to just 2.6 percent at the end of the month. The race continues to be split clearly along racial lines, with 100 percent of black respondents saying they plan to vote for Clinton, and 67 percent of white voters planning to vote for Trump. The gender gap has narrowed in the race, with 55 percent of women voters planning to vote for Clinton, compared to 61 percent during the second Elon Poll nearly a month ago. Men continue to prefer Trump by a 56-44 split. North Carolina is still very much in play for both Trump and Clinton, said Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and assistant professor of political science. The Old North State is continuing its tradition as a source of true toss-up electoral votes. Turning to the perceived bias in media coverage of the presidential race, N.C. voters believe that Trump has suffered more than Clinton during the long campaign season. More than half 56 percent said the media is biased against Donald Trump while just 19 percent said the media is biased against Clinton. Trump voters overwhelmingly said the media has been biased against their candidate, with 92 percent holding that view. Among Clinton voters, about one in five 21 percent said there is media bias against Trump. But regardless of who prevails on Nov. 8, voters appear concerned about what the next president will do once taking office, with a larger proportion of voters worried about having Trump at the helm than Clinton. Asked whether they were worried about the decisions that Trump would make as president, 44 percent said they were very worried and 30 percent said they were somewhat worried. Another 24 percent said they were not at all worried about the decisions Trump would make as president. Shifting to Clinton, 40 percent said they were very worried about the decisions she would make as president, with 29 percent saying they were somewhat worried and another 29 percent saying they were not at all worried. Recent weeks have seen Trump accused by multiple women of sexual assault, accusations that have generated a lot of media coverage. What weight do N.C. voters give to those accusations? The Elon Poll found that 45 percent of likely voters think the accusations are mostly true while 36 percent think they are mostly false. Those that dont know whether the claims are true accounted for 14 percent of likely voters. Perceptions of the allegations against Donald Trump are a clear example of partisan-motivated reasoning, Husser said. Thats seen in that 79 percent of Democrats said sexual assault accusations were mostly true compared to only 15 percent of Republicans. The response to the question also showed a split by gender, with 51 percent of women voters saying that the accusations were mostly true compared to 38 percent of men. ELECTION LEGITIMACY Trump supporters were found to be more likely to question the legitimacy of the election and also to fear that voter fraud might be a problem during the 2016 elections. The Elon Poll found that 83 percent of likely voters say they will accept the results of the election as valid, regardless of who wins, while 9 percent said they would not accept the results. Among Clinton supporters, 92 percent said they would accept the election results as valid, compared to 72 percent of Trump supporters. Additionally, 36.5 percent of likely voters said election fraud will be a major problem this year, with a clear split on that question based on who the voter prefers in the presidential race. Among Trump voters, 60 percent view election fraud as a major problem, compared to 15 percent of Clinton voters who held the same view. The Trump campaigns arguments about election rigging seem to be working in North Carolina, Husser said. The poll found that 92 percent of Trump voters think the media is biased against him, and 60 percent of his voters think fraud will be a major problem in this election. However, a substantial 72 percent of Trump supporters still say they will accept the results of the election as valid regardless of who wins. N.C. GOVERNORS RACE The race between incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and Democrat Roy Cooper continues to be close, with this most recent poll finding the two candidates virtually even at 44 percent among likely voters with a little more than a week until Election Day. The poll found 7.5 percent are still undecided about the race. The North Carolina Governors race will likely be a nail-biter for both sides throughout election night, Husser said. Cooper is showing solid support among black voters, with 91 percent planning to vote for him, while 63 percent of white voters support McCrory. Only a small portion of voters plan to split their tickets, with 94 percent of Clinton supporters planning to vote for Cooper, and 96 percent of Trump voters supporting McCrory. U.S. SENATE RACE Burr, the incumbent Republican in the U.S. Senate race in North Carolina, has pulled ahead slightly since the last Elon poll. He receives the support of 43.5 percent of likely voters compared to 40 percent for Democrat Deborah Ross, a lead that falls within the polls margin of error. A closer examination finds a clear split along racial lines that mirrors those seen in other races, with 97 percent of black voters backing Ross and 67 percent of white voters behind Burr. Burr appears to be generating greater support among older voters, with a 10-point margin among voters 41 to 65 years old and a 4-point margin among voters 66 years old and older. Ross is benefitting from a 2-point margin among voters 40 and younger. Most analysts early expectations were for Burr to have a comfortable lead on Ross in the U.S. Senate election in North Carolina, Husser noted. In late September polls indicated those predictions may have been premature. However, our recent results suggest that North Carolina is leaning towards the Republican incumbent as Election Day fast approaches. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket Dear Readers of High Country Press: The election gives us a chance to have a Senator from North Carolina who will act in the best interest of citizens: Deborah Ross. Deborah Ross is committed to upholding the Constitution and advocating for a sustainable future for our country. She earned a score of 94% from the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters during her work for our State government. Richard Burr has proven himself a Senator whose greatest enthusiasm has been for obstruction, both in voting to shut down the government while our country was still reeling from the Recession and more recently refusing to do his Constitutional duty: advise and consent on the most recent Supreme Court nominee. Heres what I know about Richard Burr: He voted to block Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices; he has taken nearly $1 million from drug companies. Hes taken over $700,000 in campaign cash from oil and energy companies and voted for billions in tax breaks for them; and hes voted against clean energy jobs. If you want more obstructionism in the Senate, keep Richard Burr. If you want a Senator who will work to help us rebuild infrastructure and move toward a sustainable future, vote for Deborah Ross. Sincerely, Janet Palmer, Boone Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket Eight Students from Jacobs Fork Middle School, River Bend Middle School, and Bandys High School in Catawba County, NC recently completed The Grandfather Challenge hiking program at Grandfather Mountain in Linville. This is the first all-girl group to complete this rigorous course! The Grandfather Challenge program is sponsored by The Jason Project, Inc., which was formed by the parents of Jason Matthew Nipper, who passed away in June of 2014 at age 26. This private foundation provides outdoor/wilderness and hiking excursions and similar programs which are designed to build self-confidence in struggling youth, as well as trust and positive rapport with adult mentors. Because of Jasons abiding love of the outdoors and mountain hiking, James & Cheryl have established The Grandfather Challenge, through which students navigate all of the hiking trails at Grandfather Mountain. Although the program includes at-risk kids suffering from mental problems and/or drug addictions, the program also seeks to assist any special kids who are struggling with personal adversities, including family, school, or other personal problems or challenges. The eight very special students who just completed this program are: Layla Hambrick, Jakayla Nichols, Makayla Butler, Dashanti Mayfield, Amber OShields, Maxx Sigmon, Haley Keener, and Britton Sellers. Each and every one of these very special students did a wonderful job of accepting and completing The Grandfather Challenge course at Grandfather Mountain! Very special thanks are due to Jacobs Fork Middle School Counselor Melanie Sigmon, who not only helped organize this multi-school group, but also served as a chaperone and completed each of the four rigorous hikes ! Mrs. Sigmon is a tireless advocate and supporter of The Grandfather Challenge, and has proven to be a highly capable counselor and mentor to these students not only during pre-hike planning, but also during the challenging hikes themselves. We also give thanks to Dr. Thomas Howell, Principal of Jacobs Fork Middle School, for supporting our program and allowing Mrs. Sigmon to devote her time and efforts to this project. Mr. Chip Cathey, Principal of River Bend Middle School, is the Catawba County coordinator for The Jason Project, and worked closely with Melanie Sigmon and other school staff to assemble this wonderful group of girls to take part in The Grandfather Challenge. Mr. Cathey also served as the bus driver and chaperone on two of the four hikes. His energy and enthusiasm for this program is invaluable, and he truly exemplifies servant leadership in his school ! In addition to Principal Cathey and Melanie Sigmon, Mr. David Childers of River Bend Middle School also served admirably as a chaperone on two of the hikes. Mr. Childers did a wonderful job of helping lead these girls in The Grandfather Challenge! These hikes were conducted and supervised by Tom Henry and Hannah Gaddini of Appalachian Mountain Leadership, which is a highly certified, experienced, and faith-based outfitter group headquartered in Boone, NC, which provides wilderness activities of various kinds, including extended wilderness excursions, rock climbing, overnight camping, and other experiences in which they teach servant leadership, wilderness management, discipline, and character building values and goals. (You can learn more about Appalachian Mountain Leadership by visiting their website at www.amlnc.org). These eight students quickly bonded with these fine young leaders, and learned valuable lessons of leadership and team unity. The Jason Project, Inc. has formed alliances with the Avery, Catawba and Caldwell County School systems, representing a total of 14 high schools and 9 middle schools. Also, the Grandfather Mountain State Park of North Carolina (through its Superintendent Sue McBean) has issued a Special Activity Permit to the project, and the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation (with the support and encouragement of Jesse Pope) has issued a special pass for entrance to the Grandfather Mountain attractions. Jasons parents are deeply appreciative of the community support they have received for this exciting program! The Jason Project, Inc. provides hiking boots, backpacks, socks, raincoats, professional guides, and all other costs associated with this program. At the successful completion of each round of hikes, the youth participants are each given a Certificate Of Completion and a gift certificate at an awards ceremony in their honor. This current group just celebrated their achievements at Bellas Italian Restaurant in Banner Elk, NC. Once again, our deepest thanks and appreciation goes out to all of these special students and chaperones who participated in The Grandfather Challenge! Anyone seeking further information about The Grandfather Challenge and/or who may wish to sponsor a student may contact James or Cheryl Nipper at (828) 765-6561 or (904) 354-7378, or via email at [email protected], or visit their Go Fund Me page at GoFundMe.com/TheJasonProject. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket (HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the co-founder of a Minnesota-based energy company with manipulating its stock price and concealing his control of the company to attain lucrative financial payouts. The companys other co-founder agreed to pay nearly $8 million to settle separate charges against him. Three others also are charged in the case. The SEC filed a complaint against Ryan Gilbertson, who allegedly hatched and orchestrated the elaborate scheme to secretly siphon millions of dollars from Dakota Plains Holdings, which operates an oil-shipping rail facility in North Dakota. Gilbertson founded the company with Michael Reger. According to the SECs complaint, Gilbertson and Reger installed their fathers as figurehead executives so they could secretly wield control of the company and issue millions of shares of stock to themselves, family, and friends. They later hired one of their friends as CEO. They allegedly caused the company to enter into an agreement to borrow money from them under generous terms that included extra bonus payments to Gilbertson, Reger, and other lenders based on the price of Dakota Plains stock after 20 days of trading following a reverse merger into a company with publicly-traded shares. According to the SECs complaint, Gilbertson enlisted friends and associates including Douglas Hoskins and Thomas Howells to choreograph extensive sales and purchases of Dakota Plains stock and cause the price to skyrocket from 30 cents to more than $11 per share during that 20-day period. The inflated stock price obligated Dakota Plains to make bonus payments totaling $32 million to Gilbertson, Reger, and others. After meeting his target to receive the bonus payments, Gilbertson ceased his alleged manipulation efforts. The stock price then steadily declined to pennies per share and was delisted a few months ago. Hoskins and Howells are charged in the SECs complaint along with Gilbertson for allegedly participating in his stock manipulation activities. As alleged in our complaint, Gilbertson enriched himself by more than $16 million through his secret control of the company while he and his associates defrauded shareholders and manipulated the stock price, said David Glockner, Director of the SECs Chicago Regional Office. Corporate insiders must fully disclose their stock ownership and trading activities and cannot abuse their power in order to secretly reward themselves. Reger consented to an SEC order finding that he obtained illicit payments and skirted public disclosure requirements by spreading his Dakota Plains stock holdings among 10 accounts in different names to conceal that he owned more than one-fifth of the companys shares and reaped millions of dollars in bonus payments. Without admitting or denying the findings, Reger agreed to pay $6.5 million in disgorgement, $669,365.85 in interest, and a $750,000 penalty. Minnesota-based stockbroker Nicholas Shermeta also consented to an SEC order finding that he solicited investors for Dakota Plains and recommended the stock to his clients at the registered brokerage firm where he worked, but improperly brokered the sales through his unregistered firm Napa Properties rather than through his employer. Without admitting or denying the findings, Shermeta and Napa Properties agreed to pay $75,000 in disgorgement, $11,075.49 in interest, and a $50,000 penalty. Shermeta also agreed to be barred from the securities industry with a right to apply for reinstatement after three years. Valio, for example, opened a third production line at its processed cheese plant in the Odintsovo, a city west of Moscow, in August. Finnish businesses have expedited their investment plans in Russia as a result of the economic sanctions imposed by the European Union and the subsequent attempts of Russia to adapt to them with a so-called import substitution programme, reports Talouselama. Christoph Vitzthum, the chief executive of Fazer Group, similarly announced at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in July that the family-owned bakery and confectionery company will build a new bakery in St. Petersburg. The ten-year and 190 million euro development project has been designated as a strategic investment by the City of St. Petersburg. We're closely monitoring developments in the situation in Russia, says Petri Kujala, the head of bakeries at Fazer. Constructor Finland, a manufacturer of office and storage systems, has similarly decided to invest in developing its production facilities in St. Petersburg. The import tariffs are so high that local production is the only way to compete [in Russia], Jari Juhani Yli-Uotila, the managing director of Constructor Finland, explains to the financial news weekly. Having local production facilities, he adds, is also a precondition for participating in state-ran projects. The European Union has decided to extend its sanctions against Russia until the end of January, 2017. Kirsi-Maarit Poljatschenko, the director of Eastern Europe at Finpro, expects Russia to produce by itself a growing share of both the daily consumer goods and capital goods required by its citizens an equation that will result in lower quality at a higher cost for the national economy. In the short term, I see no reason to encourage new companies to enter Russia. Every available forecast heralds zero growth for Russia, she said. Companies that have already done their homework in Russia, however, have positioned themselves well to take advantage of the market years from now, according to Poljatschenko. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Handout Fazer Group Source: Uusi Suomi Paavo Virkkunen, the director of Visit Finland at Finpro, estimates that the increasing co-operation with the travel industry giant will bring tens of thousands of visitors annually to Finland, boosting not only the revenues of the domestic tourism industry but also those of retailers and restaurants. Finland is being marketed as a gateway to Europe by Alitrip, a leading online travel platform in China, says Finpro. Chinese visitors spend an average of 650 euros during their visit, ranking among highest-spending groups of visitors, he reminds. The behaviour of consumers is changing positively in China, with especially younger consumers having both the possibility and willingness to experience the world, Shaohua Li, the general manager of Alitrip, says according to Talouselama. We know that Europe, destinations such as Northern Finland and the Northern Lights are something Chinese consumers want to experience. We're bringing together those promoting tourism and those providing tourism services so that we can offer the Chinese an easier path to discover new and unique travel destinations, he tells. Finnair has similarly expressed its delight with the decision of Alitrip to invest in Finland. Finnair predicts that it will fly more than 3,000 Alitrip customers to Finland as early as this winter. The co-operation presents major opportunities for Finland and opens new sales channels for Finnair in what is an important market for us, China, says Juha Jarvinen, the chief commercial officer at the state-owned carrier. One of the destinations marketed by the online travel platform is Rovaniemi. Alitrip organised a publicity event in the northern city last week that featured the latest winner of the Voice of China and was streamed live to as many as one hundred million viewers in China. Finpro points out that the number of visitors from China to Finland has grown steadily over the past couple of years. Chinese tourists made a total of 182,000 overnight stays in Finland in 2015, representing an increase of 40 per cent from the previous year. The growth is set to continue strong, with recent data indicating that some 124,000 people visited Finland from China over the first eight months of the year, signalling a year-on-year increase of 26 per cent, highlights Finpro. Alitrip is a subsidiary of the Alibaba Group, one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Aleksi Teivainen HT Photo: Jussi Nukari Lehtikuva Source: Uusi Suomi Dublin's emergency services were stretched to capacity as Halloween festivities took a dangerous turn in many parts of the city. Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) responded to more than 320 999 calls in the 24-hour period around Halloween. Two units of the Garda Public Order Unit were dispatched to the Barry Park area of west Finglas last night, dressed in full riot gear. A further two squad cars were also at the scene. The gardai then called in the Fire Brigade to tackle a bonfire in the area as it threatened to get out of control. Sources said last night the Public Order Unit may have been in the area as a precautionary measure. In some areas, several fires attracted the attention of gardai and fire officers. In Darndale, children as young as 10 could be seen spreading fire around with burning embers. Bonfire Meanwhile in Clongriffin, disaster was averted after a loose firework landed on the roof of an apartment complex and set it on fire. Three fire engines and a turntable ladder were on hand to put out the blaze. It is understood there were no injuries in the incident. In Dublin's north inner city, a bonfire close to 25-foot high was being monitored heavily by gardai, with more than 10 members of the force on hand around the Sheriff Street area. However, the size of the bonfire - containing mainly wooden pallets - was played down by locals. "They're getting smaller every year, you'd just wonder what it'll be like next year," one resident said. In Quarryvale, Clondalkin a car was driven into a bonfire - however, DFB said there were no casualties during the incident. A spokeswoman for DFB said there had been no incidents of fire officers injured, despite the large volume of calls. "There's been no issues of any of our crews being under attack, nothing like that," she said. "The incidents seem to be spread around the city. We've had 320 call outs from 6pm (Sunday night) until 5pm today - that's probably about triple the number of calls," she added. Fears Despite fears of attacks on firefighters or engines, the spokeswoman insisted that the training exercises undergone by firemen and women were designed with Halloween in mind. "Our staff are always prepared for Halloween, in a sense Halloween is what they're really trained for in some ways," she said. "In fairness it's usually relentless. They're well prepared." A number of fires were tended to by DFB that were situated in close proximity to houses, which the fire service believe to be very dangerous. A senior employee of a Dublin credit union at the centre of a cash scandal won a car in a suspected rigged draw. Rush Credit Union is being investigated by gardai over 700,000 that cannot be accounted for. During the course of the probe, concerns were flagged over the annual draw, which has been run for a number of years. Fears that it was rigged meant that 400,000 had to be refunded, with everyone who entered the draw entitled to have their money put back into their account. The money was refunded for the draws between 2009 and 2014. It is understood that a staff member won the car in at least one draw, but detail of what car was won or in what year were not clear. The investigations, including a Grant Thornton review, have found that the amount missing could be as much as 1.5m. The Central Bank moved last night to reassure customers of Rush Credit Union that no one will lose their savings. Current laws mean that individual savers in credit unions are insured for up to 100,000 under a statutory guarantee scheme. No one in Rush has more than 100,000 in their savings account. The previous manager of the credit union, Anne Butterly, was suspended from holding a position as a manager in any financial institution. Resigned She was temporarily suspended from her position at Rush Credit Union by the Central Bank in June. Now it has also emerged that acting chairman Gerry Foley has resigned. A spokeswoman for the Irish League of Credit Unions said: "The acting chairperson tendered his resignation citing personal circumstances as the reason for doing so. "The board and management of the credit union are working through the Grant Thornton recommendations and have dealt with the affected members. "The credit union is fully insured and is dealing with its insurance company in relation to this matter." It is understood no one has been charged with any offence in relation to the financial irregularities at the credit union. It previously emerged that investigators uncovered evid- ence that fake loans were created on the accounts of members. It is also believed there are no records of some deposits taken from members. The disappearance of the deposit money and the existence of irregular loans have prompted the credit union to write to its 10,000 members, asking them to confirm their loan and savings balances. This is because the credit union is unsure of the exact value of deposits held by a number of members, and how much members owe. A father-of-four already banned from driving for 49 years after being convicted 14 times for having no insurance has been disqualified for another 20 years after being caught again. Robert Hosey (49) was also sentenced to five months in prison when he appeared before Judge David McHugh at Blanchardstown District Court. When Gda Maeve Cassin stopped Hosey last March 31 for driving a van at speed along the R135 in The Ward, Co Dublin, he said he had "forgot" his driving licence. He was arrested and further charged, the court heard. Asking why the defendant drove again uninsured, Judge McHugh said: "Why does he continue driving knowing that if he is caught there is only one place he is going?' Hosey's solicitor said he "very stupidly agreed to drop the van to his brother-in-law". Hosey, of Fassaugh Avenue, Cabra West, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance, driving without a driving licence and driving with no NCT. Offences The defendant has 51 previous convictions, 42 of which are for road traffic offences, the court heard. "He has been disqualified from driving for 49 years so far for having 14 no-insurance offences," said Gda Cassin. Hosey's solicitor said there was not much he could say about the defendant apart from the fact that he should not have been driving. "He realises the position he is in now having hit 15 no- insurance convictions," he said. Gda Cassin agreed with the solicitor that Hosey has not come to garda attention since 2014, except for the offences before the court. "He is doing a course to gain employment," the solicitor said. Judge McHugh said it was "inevitable" that Hosey would receive a custodial sentence. He handed him a five-month term and a 20-year driving ban. Once the sentence was handed down and recognisances were fixed, Hosey immediately lodged an appeal. Fire crew in protective suits remove the hazardous substance from Oatfield Drive A housing estate in west Dublin was sealed off after the discovery of a drum containing a highly hazardous substance. On its busiest day of the year yesterday, Dublin Fire Brigade was dispatched to the estate in Clondalkin after a 999 call. The drum was found on Oatfield Drive, near the popular Finches pub in Neilstown Road. It had been abandoned at the side of the road. Solvent The fire brigade sent two appliances to the scene after it received a call from a concerned member of the public. A Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) spokesperson told the Herald the 25-litre drum contained a dangerous substance called trichlorobenzene. It was removed by crew members in protective suits. The estate was closed for two hours as the area was made safe. "We got the first call at about 11.30am and the area was deemed safe again at 1.30pm," said the brigade spokesperson. The substance is a high-temperature solvent that is regularly used as a sealant on boat exteriors. However, it is potentially dangerous to humans and comes with significant health risks because it can be a respiratory irritant if it is not managed properly. It can also damage the liver and kidneys and there are strict recommendations on exposure for workers who use the chemical. It is also deemed an environmental hazard. Emergency services believe youths searching for pallets and other materials for a bonfire may have taken the container before abandoning it on the side of the road. Busy It is not yet known where the material came from or why it was dumped in the area. It was contained and safely disposed of by officers last night. The call came as the fire brigade was preparing for an extremely busy night. Two other calls in the area yesterday included rubbish being set on fire and a bonfire on the green area. Who were the top Washington County football performers in Week 9? Big plays and turnovers were plenty as the winners overwhelmed the losers in the final week of Washington County's regular season. WASHINGTON (AP) There is no doubt the two presidential candidates have dramatically different approaches on immigration. In tone, Republican Donald Trump often highlights violent crimes perpetrated by immigrants in the country illegally, with aggressive rhetoric that emphasizes nationalism. Democrat Hillary Clinton features a softer approach that embraces diversity and the value of keeping immigrant families together, even as her critics accuse her of promoting "open borders." It's not just talk. The White House contenders' policies would send the country and the lives of roughly 11 million people down very different paths. Trump says he would build a massive wall, target millions for deportation and deny legal status to anyone currently in the country illegally. Clinton would offer a pathway to citizenship for most immigrants regardless of how they arrived, continue to defer enforcement action against families, and offer health care options to immigrants here illegally. Here is a summary of their proposals: CLINTON: She promises to propose immigration legislation in her first 100 days that would include a route to citizenship. Her approach is largely in line with that approved by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate in 2013 but turned aside by the House. TRUMP: He has clarified that he opposes any pathway to legal status for immigrants in the U.S. illegally. They would have to return to their home countries and apply for legal entry should they wish to come back. He has not said what would happen to those who choose to stay, but said they are subject to deportation. Trump has also called for an end to "birthright citizenship," currently granted to anyone born in the United States. A BORDER WALL TRUMP: A centerpiece of Trump's immigration plan is a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. There are already some 650 miles of fencing along the border, including roughly 15-foot-tall steel fencing in many urban areas. Trump says he'll extend a huge wall across the vast majority of the 2,100-mile border, which would be a major construction feat costing billions of dollars. He promises to make Mexico pay for it. He would also add 5,000 border patrol agents and expand the number of border patrol stations. CLINTON: She says there are places where a physical barrier is appropriate but opposes large-scale expansion of a border wall. She prefers relying on technology and more border patrol agents to ensure the border is secure. BARACK OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS CLINTON: She supports President Obama's executive actions that deferred immigration enforcement against millions of children and parents in the country illegally. A deadlocked Supreme Court decision in June blocked his order, but Clinton insists that such actions are within the president's authority. TRUMP: He has said he would "immediately terminate" the executive orders, which he said gave amnesty to 5 million immigrants. One part of the president's executive action that remains in place has shielded about 740,000 immigrations from deportation, all of them people who came to the United States as children. The president's plan to expand the program would have protected as many as 4 million immigrant parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. DEPORTATION TRUMP: He has softened his approach on dealing with those already in the country illegally. He has pledged to begin deportation of criminal immigrants on his first day in office, but backed off his earlier pledge to forcibly remove all of the estimated 11 million immigrants in the country illegally, saying only that those who aren't immediate threats would have to go home and then apply for legal status. Critics have likened that piece of the plan to Mitt Romney's widely panned call for "self-deportation." CLINTON: She would continue Obama's policy of deporting violent criminals and others who break the law after entering the United States. But she would scale back the current administration's immigration raids, which she says produce "unnecessary fear and disruption in communities." Under her plan, the vast majority of people in the country illegally would be allowed to stay and apply for legal status and eventual citizenship. GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE CLINTON: She would allow all people to buy into the federal health care exchanges, although she has said those in the country illegally wouldn't qualify for subsidies. Her policy would also allow some to collect Social Security, so long as they pay into the system for at least 10 years. TRUMP: He would deny immigrants in the country illegally access to any government benefits, including the federal health care exchanges. He has said that such immigrants should not be allowed to get food stamps, welfare payments or government-backed housing assistance. Those who do, he said, would be priorities for deportation. SANCTUARY CITIES TRUMP: Like many Republicans, he vows to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities that shield residents from federal immigration authorities. Trump has pledged to block taxpayer dollars from going to any cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Municipalities like San Francisco, for example, have passed ordinances preventing city officials from asking about immigration status unless required by law or court order. CLINTON: She has not directly answered whether she supports sanctuary cities, but her campaign has said that "Hillary trusts our local police to make sound decisions about protecting their communities." That suggests she would not interfere with local ordinances, like San Francisco's. She has said such systems allow immigrants to freely report crimes and communicate with local policy without fear of deportation. Her campaign noted, however, that she believes violent criminals should be deported and a system is needed to ensure that happens. This domain has expired. If you owned this domain, contact your domain registration service provider for further assistance. If you need help identifying your provider, visit https://www.tucowsdomains.com/ Since the 18th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in November 2012, the world has been witness to the steady hardening of the Chinese State. As Chinas communist leadership prepares for the 19th party congress scheduled for late next year, it will undoubtedly take note of the arc of vulnerability that has begun to appear on Chinas periphery. A watershed in contemporary Chinese politics, the 18th Congress emphasised stability and party supremacy. Chinese President Xi Jinping has used ideology and nationalism while implementing policies to expand the partys control and legitimise its monopoly on power. The Congress approved the assertive China Dream, which calls for rejuvenation of the great Chinese nation or recovery of so-called former territories. Read | India, China resolve to improve relations along LAC at border personnel meeting The leaderships decision to reshape the international and regional strategic environment, tough party-approved nationalist rhetoric, and the China Dream have ensured the hardening of Beijings position on issues of sovereignty and territory. China is consequently rapidly losing friends along its maritime and land borders. China has a tenuous relationship with North Korea, where most recently there was the failure of North Koreas media to report on the 67th anniversary of their diplomatic ties. Relations with Japan are tense with intensified military activity around the Senkaku (Diaoyu) islands. China additionally persists in militarily enforcing its claim over 3 million square kilometres of the South China Sea, in the process encroaching on waters claimed by seven other countries. The Philippines filed an application contesting Chinas claims with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague which, in an unambiguous ruling in July, dismissed the basis for all of Chinas claims and dented Chinas image as a responsible power. Read | India and China to continue talking on NSG membership, next meet soon Countries in Southeast Asia are now wary and apprehensive of what Chinas rise might mean. Anti-China sentiment among the Vietnamese is high and Chinas relations with Singapore are prickly. Chinas assertive posture and growing claims on Indian territory have similarly put relations under serious strain. This has been accentuated by Chinas bid to de facto legitimise Pakistans occupation of Kashmir, refusal to acknowledge Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, and blocking of Indias efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group and UN Security Council. These tough, inflexible policies have had repercussions even in Hong Kong. Voices in Hong Kong recently called for independence and three young anti-China legislators were elected last month to the legislative council. There is visible tension in Chinas relations with Taiwan following the election of Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwans president and Beijings decision to compel her to declare that her Democratic Progressive Party will not work for independence. Read | Modi celebrates Diwali with soldiers near China border There are problems along Chinas south-west and western border in the Tibet and Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Regions, which together comprise over half of Chinas territory. Violence and resentment among the Uyghurs also shows no sign of abating, despite Xinjiangs $1.06 billion security budget. With the passing of old Soviet-era apparatchiks in the Central Asian Republics bordering Xinjiang and the growth of fundamentalist Islamist forces, the new leaders are likely to have less incentive in keeping the borders with Xinjiang sealed. The return of Uyghurs currently fighting alongside al Nusra or Islamic State and rising Islamic radicalism in Pakistan will add to Chinas difficulties. Read | Not loving thy neighbour: A peek into the mindset of nationalist China-bashers Hemmed in by nationalist rhetoric and the upcoming party congress, Xi cannot contemplate a change in approach now even if he wants to as it will make him appear weak. Jayadeva Ranade is president, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy The views expressed are personal The recent commemoration of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was to remind people of the role played by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in building the new India. The Manchester Guardian wrote: Patel was not only the organiser of the fight for freedom but also the architect of the new State when the fight was over. The same man is seldom successful as a rebel and a statesman. Sardar Patel was the exception. The remarks he made during the Quit India Movement are ever more relevant today. He said, We have to shed mutual bickering, shed the difference of being high or low and develop the sense of equality and banish untouchabilityWe have to live like the children of the same father. Read | On Iron Mans birthday, Dahanu BJP unit puts up death anniversary hoardings Unfortunately, justice has not been done in recognising his invaluable contribution and legacy in unifying the country at its most critical juncture in the history. This would naturally lead one to ask whether our school textbooks present a fair and objective account of the history and the contributions made by a stalwart like Sardar Patel? The peasant struggle spearheaded by Vallabhbhai Patel at Bardoli in Gujarat earned him the title Sardar. I hold the view that had the Sardar been the countrys first prime minister the course of events would have been entirely different. This is not to belittle in any way the contribution made by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Read | PoK would be part of India if Sardar Patel had more power over J-K: CM Chouhan Apart from achieving the integration of various princely states, he was also instrumental in India establishing the two crucial civil services the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service. Thanks to his vision for a steel frame in the countrys post-Independence period, the all India services not only provide an overarching administrative and security framework to the Indian polity, but also play a vital role in national integration. During constituent assembly debates, he opposed reservation on communal lines. On the eve of Independence in 1946, when 12 out of 15 Pradesh Congress Committees wanted to elect Patel as Congress president, Gandhiji advised him to withdraw in favour of Nehru although the latter was not nominated by a single committee. Patel heeded Gandhis advice and withdrew his nomination. Whoever became Congress president at that time would have been the natural choice for becoming the countrys first prime minister. This showed that Sardar Patel was not only large-hearted and also did not hanker after power. Read | Diwali, Sardar Patel and more: What Modi said in Mann Ki Baat address Contrast the behaviour of Patel with the present-day trend of political parties trying to adopt short-term measures, including pandering to the interests of caste, creed, religion and region solely for the sake of power. M Venkaiah Naidu is minister for urban development and information and broadcasting The views expressed are personal Tipu Sultan, the 18th century Mysore ruler, is back in the news. The Karnataka High Court, on Tuesday, asked the government why it was going ahead with the birth anniversary celebrations of Tipu Sultan, who was not a freedom fighter, but a monarch who fought the opponents to safeguard his interests. The court also questioned the logic behind the Congress-led Siddaramaiah governments plans when tensions are high and violent clashes took place last year during the celebrations. Read | Tipu Sultan was a monarch, not freedom fighter: Karnataka HC The Karnataka government had earlier said that it would not be deterred by the opposition and would go ahead with its plans to celebrate the birth anniversary on November 10. On Sunday the chief minister said: I see that there is opposition to the celebrations from various quarters. If there is a threat to peace and harmony due to Tipu Jayanti, the government will tighten security and still observe Tipu Jayanti. Read | RSS opposes Tipu Jayanti, threatens to stage protests in Karnataka The BJP and RSS will be holding state-wide protests, which will end with a mega rally in Bengaluru on November 8. Interestingly, opposing the governments plans are also Christian groups, many which accuse Tipu of mass conversions of Christians to Islam. Even local leaders of the Congress are not in favour of holding a grand celebration in Mangaluru and Kodagu two places where anti-Tipu sentiments are high. The build up of tension mirrors the atmosphere surrounding the event last year when clashes erupted in the state after the government decided to go ahead with the celebrations, with two people losing their lives in them. Read | Tipu controversy: Girish Karnad, BJP MP receive death threats The atmosphere was so polarised that people on both sides of the debate were threatened for voicing their views. Playwright Girish Karnad received death threats, with a tweet reading that he would meet the same end as MM Kalburgi, the academician and Sahitya Akademi winner who was shot dead at his residence in August that year. Karnad was of the view that if Tipu was a Hindu he would have enjoyed the same status of Shivaji, and that the Bengaluru airport be named after the Mysore sultan. Pratap Simha, a BJP leader and Member of Parliament from Mysore, received death threats for opposing Tipu Jayanti. Photos | Violence over Tipu Jayanti in Karnakata From these developments it is evident that the erstwhile Mysore sultan is a polarising figure but should that deter one from acknowledging his contribution to society, to modern administration and to even military techniques? Hindustan Times had then written that Tipu destroyed temples in lands he conquered but protected and generously supported those within his domain. Overall, his reign was much more textured than Right-wing fanatical portrayals now allow. Read | BJP, fringe groups distorting history: Tipu Sultans descendant While the Siddaramaiah government should not be pilloried for celebrating a great ruler from the region, it is not clear if it is doing enough to have healthy and informed debates on Tipu Sultan. In the wake of the high court observation, the onus on the government to tread carefully increases. It is wrong to look at Tipu Sultan from the binary of black and white, good and bad. This holds true for many rulers in history. We should be able to appreciate his contributions to society and at the same time be critical of some of his decisions. Read | Bring back Tipu Sultan ring bearing Lord Rams name: Azam to Modi Politicians should refrain from using historical figures to further their agenda by either promoting some or opposing others. For society to judge historical figures from a contemporary viewpoint is a narrow and often misleading way to arrive at a informed understanding of the past. @vijucherian SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Challenging a popular theory that Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear after a passionate row with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, a new study suggests that the Dutch painters act of self-mutilation was actually prompted by the news of his brother Theos marriage. It was known that Van Gogh was distressed by news of brothers marriage -- which could have threatened the closeness of their relationship, and also left Theo with a wife and family to support, unable to fund a struggling brother who had yet to sell a single canvas -- but it had been thought that he learned of it only after the incident, the Guardian reported on Monday. For his new book Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence, writer Martin Bailey has uncovered evidence that the painter almost certainly learnt of it in a letter from Theo delivered on December 23, 1888. The then 35-year-old painter took razor to his ear on the same night. Theos letter enclosed 100 francs, but also carried the news that only a fortnight earlier he had met an old friend, Jo Bonger, who had previously turned him down. This time, within a week, she had agreed to marry him. A woman looks on the living replica of Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh's famously severed ear which was displayed at the Culture and media museum ZKM, in Karlsruhe, southwestern Germany in 2014. The ear was part of an exhibition titled Sugababe by Diemut Strebe, an artist who specialised in artworks using biological material. He collaborated with scientists to reconstruct the Dutch master's ear using DNA from a relative and 3D printers. (AFP) Bailey has established that Theo had already written to his mother asking permission to marry, and that Jo had written to her older brother, who responded with a telegram of congratulations that arrived on December 23, the report said. Bailey believes that Theo would have written to his brother at the same time, and that the news was in the letter that was delivered to the famous Yellow House at Arles in Provence, France, also on the 23rd. Ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry told the directors of Tata Sons in his email that stringent risk-evaluation processes were not followed by Tata Motors Finance, which led to bad loans of more than 4,000 crore. Accounting practices, which offset expenses incurred on account of product development, led to the bad loans, Mistry had said. Ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry told the directors of Tata Sons in his email that stringent risk-evaluation processes were not followed by Tata Motors Finance, which led to bad loans of more than 4,000 crore. He also said that accounting practices, which offset expenses incurred on account of product development led to creation of future liability for the company. Auditors said it is up to the management to decide whether the company will spread the losses over the life of the asset or deduct it one time. The latter is uncommon, but not illegal. But if expenses are written down over the life of the asset it has a lighter impact on the balance sheet compared to when it is completely written down in one go. The accounting standards specify clearly when you can capitalise product development expenses. The management evaluates the method to be used and the audit committee satisfies itself on the need for the method, an auditor with one of the Big Four firms told HT. The method involves technical evaluation. Once the criteria is met, it goes for periodic testing. If the product in question cannot be commercially developed then that product is written down or amortised over the life of the product. When contacted, a Tata Sons spokesperson said Mistrys charges were untrue. In a clarification to the BSE, Tata Motors said: The companys accounting policies as prescribed and appropriate to present true and fair view are reviewed by audit committee and presented in its annual financial statements. Provisions and write-offs as appropriate are being made in our audited financial statements after evaluating useful life, volumes and alternate usages.The statements are considered by the Audit Committee and approved by the chairman and all directors According to Tata Motors annual report, the consolidated product development/engineering expenses stood at 3,480 crore in 2015-16 and at 2,875 crore in 2014-15. Depreciation and amortisation (including product development expenses) written off were 7.4% of the firms total revenue of 280,097 crore in 2015-16. It was 6.2% of the total revenue of 266,708 crore in the year before. The government, which is looking to push the social security schemes under the Jan Suraksha umbrella, could bring in changes in these programmes to make them more saleable. The Prime Ministers Office along with the finance ministry is looking into the matter,a senior government official, who did not wish to be identified, told HT. Besides, it is also focussing on increasing financial literacy, especially among the unbanked population, through new programmes. Until now, over 6,58,000 individuals have participated in these financial literacy programmes held under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and the Jan Suraksha plan. We have asked banks and insurance companies to undertake a massive drive to increase financial literacy among the unbanked population..until that is done, the social security programmes will not yield the kind of results they can, said the official quoted above. The government has also directed banks and insurance companies to speed up claim settlements for all insurance schemes linked to such plans. The government is monitoring the schemes and banks have been advised to fix settlements at the earliest with minimum documentation, an executive director with a public sector bank told HT. A few of these schemes have had some teething problems. The Atal Pension Yojana, for one, has not taken off the way it was anticipated. The scheme will be made available for a larger section of the society as the government is set to raise the upper age limit for people to 50 years from the current 40. Besides, sources also said that the maximum pension a subscriber is entitled to receive could also be increased from the current Rs 5,000. Social Security Schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, besides APY, were launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2015. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Seeking to clear the air on charges that he had not handled the legal dispute between Tata Sons and Japans NTT Docomo in a manner befitting the Tatas, ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry on Tuesday clarified on the steps taken and also denied the allegations that Tata Sons and Tata Trusts representatives were not informed about the dispute. Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mr Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired, a statement put out by Cyrus Mistrys office said. Tata Sons and its erstwhile telecoms joint venture Docomo are embroiled in a legal dispute regarding an alleged violation of contract by the Tatas on buying out Docomos stake in the JV. The International Court of Arbitration in London has asked the Tatas to pay $1.17 billion. The Tatas have deposited the amount in an escrow account with the Delhi High Court after Docomo sought the courts aid in enforcing the award. A number of discussions on the Docomo situation had been held in the Tata Sons board. Mr Mistry had always mentioned that the Tatas should honour all commitments within the law, said the statement from Mistrys office, detailing the chronology of the dispute. Tatas, under Mr Mistry requested Docomo to join in seeking approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Docomo did not agree. Nevertheless, Tatas applied to the RBI for approval. Since RBI approval was not forthcoming, Docomo initiated arbitration. The (arbitration) award was passed in favour of Docomo and against the Tatas. Tatas under Mr Mistry did not challenge the award in the UK. On the contrary, RBI was approached once again by the Tatas for permission to pay the amount awarded. RBI again refused permission. The dispute, which fuelled concerns overseas about Indian companies not honouring contractual agreements, and which also triggered strong statements from the Japanese company, has been cited as one of the major differences that representatives of Tata Trusts had with Cyrus Mistry, and which eventually led to Mistry being voted out as chairman. Mistrys statement however claimed that throughout the process, Ratan Tata and N.A. Soonawala, trustee, (Tata Trusts) were kept informed and they participated in separate meetings held with Mr Mistry. They also participated in the meeting with the legal counsel who represented Tatas in the litigation. At all times Ratan Tata and Soonawala concurred and approved the course of action adopted by Tatas and as advised by legal counsel. In light of the above facts, to suggest that Mr Mistry acted on his own, or contrary to Tata values, or without the knowledge and concurrence of Ratan Tata and Soonawala, is as false as it is mischievous, the statement said. Ratan Tata, interim head of Tata Sons group, hit back at ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry, saying his removal was absolutely necessary for the future success of the conglomerate. The decision to change the leadership of Tata Sons was a well-considered and serious one for its board members. This difficult decision, made after careful and thoughtful deliberation, is one the board believes was absolutely necessary for the future success of the Tata Group, the 78-year-old wrote to employees of the $100 billion group. The letter came shortly after Mistry ratcheted up the war of words by rebutting insinuations of mishandling a dispute with Japans NTT DoCoMo, saying Ratan Tata was party to all decisions regarding the telecom venture. Read | Ratan Tata fully in loop of Docomo dispute handling, says Mistry Tata, who retired as the groups chairman four years ago and handed over the reigns to Mistry, justified his return for maintaining stability and continuity of leadership and promised to give the group a world-class leader when a full-time boss is appointed. Earlier in the day, Mistrys office issued a statement saying all decisions on the telecom joint venture with DoCoMo and the following dispute were taken with unanimous approval of Board of Tata Sons as well as family patriarch Ratan Tata. The handling of the $1.17 billion compensation slapped by an arbitration panel over breach of agreement with DoCoMo is said to one of the triggers for Tata Sons sacking Mistry last month. Read | Spotlight on Ratan Tata-funded startups in Tatas new role Insinuations that the Docomo issue was handled under the watch of Mistry in a manner inconsistent with Tata culture and values are baseless. The suggestion that Ratan Tata and the trustees would not have approved of the manner in which the litigation was conducted is contrary to what transpired, the statement said. Responding to the statement, a Tata group spokesman said: The insinuations are being imagined and this (DoCoMo) matter is sub-judice. Tata in his second letter to employees after the October 24 sacking of Mistry, said the Group companies should focus on their profit margins and their market position and not compare themselves to their own past. The focus has to be on leading rather than following, he wrote. Also read | Gloves off as Cyrus Mistry slams Ratan Tata in email, Sebi wades in For more on the Tata Sons-Cyrus Mistry battle, click here. After being taken off from the governments list of public sector units to be put up for strategic sale, sick pharma PSU, Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd, plans to tap international market to grow its revenue kitty. The company will execute new diversification strategies with an aim to feature among the worlds major medicine producers in the next five years, newly appointed managing director Nirja Saraf said in a letter written to employees. So, lets first make plans to increase our turnover to the level of R300 crore and also make a plan to tap the international market, Saraf said. HT has a copy of the letter. Hindustan Antibiotics Ltds current revenue is around Rs 80 crore. The Indian antibiotics market is estimated at around Rs 2,500 crore, while globally, it is around Rs 2,70,000-crore market. The letter, however, is silent about the 1,000 employees of the PSU who havent received their salaries for over 23 months. The affected employees have demanded a Rs 678-crore rehabilitation package. Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd, whose foundation was laid by the first Prime Minister of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, ran into financial troubles mainly due to increased competition and obsolete business strategies. After making continuous losses since 1993-94, the company was referred to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR) in 1997. A rehabilitation scheme was first prepared by IDBI and later revised and approved by the BIFR. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eminent business historian with a number of publications to his credit including The Oxford History of Indian Business and The Oxford History of Contemporary Business History, Dwijendra Tripathi talks about the recent ouster of Cyrus Mistry as chairman of Tata group, Indias largest conglomerate. A former professor of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Tripathi talks about the controversy, its impact on the group and the lessons for corporate India and what it takes to be a successful chairman at Tata group. Edited excerpts: What is your view on the recent development in the Tata group where the board of Tata Sons decided to replace Cyrus Mistry as chairman? It is very difficult to arrive at a judgment for part of what Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry said is true. Part of what they said is what they think happened. So whatever they have said that is in public domain should be taken with a pinch of salt. But one thing is for sure. It is for the first time in the history of Tata that dirty linen has been washed in public. As an admirer of Tata group what has happened should have been avoided. It has hurt Tata group both in terms of interest and reputation. What according to you could have been the reason behind this spat that is now in the public? One reason for this could be that for the first time a non-Tata has been at the helm in the real sense of the term. In 1930s after Dorabji Tata passed away without naming a successor, Nowroji Saklatwala became the first chairman whose last name was not Tata. He was however related to the Tata family. Cyrus Mistrys Shapoorji Pallonji group has been the single largest shareholders for a very long time in Tata Sons however they have lied low and seem to have never asserted their rights in Tata group so far. The Tata trusts, chaired by Ratan Tata hold about 66% stake in Tata Sons. So a decline in profits of Tata companies means that the Trust was losing more money that than Mistrys Shapoorji Pallonji group. So heavily these losses might have weighed on Ratan Tata that it led to Mistrys removal and his return as interim chairman. How do you see the Tata-Cyrus public spat from a corporate governance view point? Tatas are known for their civilized management. If there were any differences earlier, it has been resolved in a manner that the common public did not get to know. Fortunately for the Indian management, the Tatas never had such family members who created business disputes. So far they had an unbroken record of very high public behaviour. From a management point, I think it was inappropriate to keep a retired chairman (Ratan Tata) as part of the management and board after he relinquished power on his own and his successor (Cyrus Mistry) had been appointed. I also fail to understand why Cyrus was not given a chance to explain himself as it appears. Also what was the urgency that led to the no-confidence motion by the board members? When Ratan Tata announced setting up a committee to find his successor it was for the first time that the group was seen to deviate from the customary practice of an outgoing chairman naming his successor. But when Mistrys name was announced, a part of this lustre was taken away as many expected some professional with no direct link to Tata family to take charge. For the full interview, read: Ratan Tata-Cyrus Mistry spat has hurt groups reputation: Dwijendra Tripathi Reliance Jio, the newest telecom service provider owned by Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Industries, has reported that 7,400 million of calls made on its network dropped between July 8 and October 28 because the other operators did not help complete those calls. At a meeting of operators with telecom minister Manoj Sinha on Tuesday, Reliance Jio said call blockade has become a bigger problem than call drops, resulting in 65 to 70 per cent of calls on its network ending up as failures. In response, the telecom minister advised the operators to resolve the issue among themselves, instead of escalating it to the government. But as of now the operators do not seem to be making much headway towards resolution. And they may not any time soon. This is what happens when incumbents fortify their territory in the face of a new challenger. What makes matters serious is that the challenger here is not a fledgling start-up Jio is part of a company that is often the most valued private sector company in the country. And it has entered the telecom sector by promising its users the moon namely free voice calls and dirt-cheap data. If Jio is to be believed, the incumbents Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea are trying to protect their territory by preventing Jio calls to be completed on their network. The incumbents, of course, say they are doing no such thing. At a meeting called by the TRAI on September 10, they said they had provided enough points of interconnection, but each time Jio said they were not enough. There is some apparent heartburn the incumbents seem to have, faced with Jio. Sunil Bharti Mittal, who heads Airtels parent company, told a newspaper that Jios tariff plans reeked of predatory pricing since it would entail charging the consumer less than the 14 paise a minute an operator pays for interconnection. A 4-year-old girl was allegedly beheaded and offered as sacrifice by a tantrik (witch doctor) in Assam to trace a lost mobile phone. The body of the girl, missing since October 24, was recovered on Monday afternoon from a forest near her home in Ratanpur tea estate in Charaideo district of upper Assam. Her severed head and arms were found nearby. Police said there was no sign of sexual assault on the victim. The victim, who belongs to an Adivasi community, was allegedly tortured and beheaded by the witch doctor to be able to retrieve the lost mobile phone of one Hanuman Bhumijs daughter. Police arrested Bhumij and another suspect Ariful Ali, identified as the tantrik assistant, after locals caught both men hours after the girl went missing. The main accused, Abdul Jalil, is absconding. Bhumij had approached the witch doctor to recover the mobile phone. We are investigating allegations that the girl was abducted and sacrificed with the hope of recovering the phone, Prasanta Phukan, in-charge of Sonari police station told HT. The two men taken into custody have not confessed, police said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) did its 50th heart transplant on October 28, 22 years after Indias first transplantation was done here in 1994. The pace picked up this year, as 13 of the 50 transplantations were done this year. Thirteen is the highest number performed in a year and 2016 hasnt ended yet. Awareness among people, coordination among doctors and crucial help from state officials, police and airport authorities are key factors, said Dr MC Misra, director of AIIMS. A 42-year-old man, who was operated a day before Diwali, received the heart of a 35-year-old road traffic accident victim who died at the hospitals Trauma Centre. AIIMS has done the highest number of transplantations in a public hospital. Fortis Malar in Chennai has done 122 transplantations, the highest in India. There have been only almost 60 heart transplants in government hospitals 50 at AIIMS, four at Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, three at Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi and two at Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, said Dr Balram Airan, chief of Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) at AIIMS. At AIIMS, seven of the 13 hearts transplanted were from outside the state. Four hearts came from Indore, and one each from Pune, Chandigarh and Jaipur. This was possible only because of good coordination between doctors, state authorities, traffic police and airport officials, said Dr Misra. However, the doctors still face several challenges when it comes to heart transplantation. The conversion rate at our hospital is very low maybe just 0.1%, i.e. the family of only 1 in 1,000 brain dead patient agrees to donate organs. Many family members refuse citing religious beliefs or myths like the person would be born without organs in the next life, said Dr Sandeep Seth, assistant professor of cardiology at CTC. Even if one person objects, we do not touch any organs because it is a sensitive issue and may lead to a dispute in future, he said. But in several other hospitals the relatives of brain dead patients are not even asked for organ donation. After the treating doctor has declared someone to be brain dead, a committee has to review it twice at an interval of six hours. This is a time-consuming process and many hospitals dont do it. Now, the government has made it mandatory for it to be reported and higher authorities notified for the availability of organs, said Dr Airan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 33-year-old man was beaten to death in Outer Delhis Bawana after a fight over playing a drum during Diwali celebrations. Police said Atta-Ur-Rehman died of head injuries and arrested the suspect, Sujeet, 22. The incident took place late on Sunday night when over 200 labourers were celebrating Diwali in front of a factory in Bawana. Around 11 pm, the labourers started dispersing from the spot and the drummers had begun packing up their instruments. Rehman reached the spot at that time and asked the drummers to continue. But they refused, leading to an argument. Police said Sujeet, who was standing nearby, asked Rehman to leave the drummers and go back home. Rehman, who was allegedly drunk, was infuriated and started fighting with him. Sujeet picked up a wooden rod and hit him on his head and fled from the spot. A passerby called the police control room. Police shifted him to MB Hospital in Pooth Khurd where doctors declared him brought dead. Deputy commissioner of police (outer), MN Tiwari said, Initially no resident came forward but later police found an eyewitness and a case of murder was registered. A murder case was registered and team was formed to nab the suspect. Sujeet was arrested from Bawana on Monday and he admitted to the crime. In another incident in north Delhis Keshav Puram,a 35-year-old man was stabbed 20 times by a group of men Diwali night. The accused have been arrested. Police said the deceased, Shiv Shankar, had taken loans from several people and had fight with the lenders on many occasions.Police said they are investigating the case from all angles. Shankar was a native of Bihar and was stayed near Lawrence Road, Rampura, with his wife and children. After the Supreme Court refused to put a stay on the Allahabad high court order to remove toll tax on Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway, the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited (NTBCL) has started refunding card users. The company officials said commuters can now approach the customer care centre of DND at the toll plaza and get their refund. Almost 40,000 active user cards are left for refund. For amounts below Rs 500, the customer care staff will return the money in cash and for amount above Rs 500, one has to fill a form with bank details and phone number and the amount will be refunded in seven days. Many commuters who had approached the toll plaza on Tuesday morning seemed satisfied with the refund process. I had to return my silver card in which the balance amount was Rs 161. They asked me to provide my name and phone number and my amount was returned, said RS Rai, a resident of Noida. The toll for one-way use of the flyway was Rs 28 for four-wheelers and Rs 12 for two-wheelers. There were two ways to pay toll without cash -- the silver card and RFID, a tag-based system that reads tags from a distance and automatically deducts the toll. We have almost 40,000 cards of active users and out of them hardly 500 people have approached us for refund. The total pending amount cannot be ascertained right now, said Anwar Abbasi, spokesperson, DND flyway. Customers need to show their card to the customer care staff and fill basic details upon which their pending amount will be refunded. A basic amount of Rs 25 as admin fee will be deducted, he added. Noida residents welcomed the move to refund the pending amount. Read: DND toll: Halting a running project may not yield the desired results We welcome the move by the company to refund the pending amount of active commuters, said NP Singh, president, Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association (FONRWA). The DND flyway connects the national capital with Noida and East Delhi on the west bank of Yamuna and is used by lakhs of commuters every day. The flyway was commissioned to NTBCL on February 7, 2001 and the company has been operating and managing it since its inception. Recently, the Allahabad High Court, acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by residents, directing removal of toll tax on inter-state vehicles. The management company had approached the SC which did not stay the order. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON People in Delhi continued to inhale severe air on Tuesday morning, a very dangerous marker in the air quality index (AQI) that could make even healthy adults sick. The System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said the AQI stood at 500+ for nearly all the stations it monitors in the capital. The pollution level is classified as severe if the AQI is between 401 and 500. In China, such a situation is called red alert. Its continuance for three consecutive days calls for desperate measures like shutting down schools and offices, closing down industries and power plants and rationing of vehicles on roads. According to Hindustan Times monitoring of pollution across Delhi, the city had the worst air quality in Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram, Shantipath and Anand Vihar with the AQI reaching 500. Track pollution levels in your city with this real-time air quality map At 10am, Anand Vihar recorded PM10 (particulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter) of 793g/m3 (microgram per cubic meter), while the PM2.5 clocked 472g/m3. The prescribed standards of PM 2.5 and PM 10 are 60 and 100 respectively. Anything beyond that can harm the respiratory system as the ultra-fine particulates can embed deep into the lungs and also enter the bloodstream. The PM10 at Punjabi Bagh was 539g/m3, while the PM2.5 was 417g/m3. At Mandir Marg, it was 715 and 403, while at RK Puram it touched 602 and 339. Diwali fireworks pushed pollution in Delhi to a dangerous level, the worst in three years. It turned the air highly toxic due to a deadly cocktail of harmful respirable pollutants and gases, engulfing the city with a cover of thick smog that triggered health alarms. Various monitoring agencies, including Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Central Pollution Control Board and Centre for Science and Environment besides Pune-based SAFAR, were unanimous about the severity of the air quality in the city this Diwali. The city of 20 million people, which ranks among the worlds top cities with foul air on a WHO list, has been struggling to clean its air that contains a toxic cocktail of dust, smoke and gases from vehicle, factory exhausts and coal-fired power stations. Read | As Delhi chokes yet again on Diwali, who is to blame for its toxic air? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The demand from the Opposition and many in civil society for the courts to monitor the probe into the killing of eight suspected activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in an alleged encounter with the police in Bhopal is valid as the entire turn of events raises far too many questions. As usual, this has become a political slugfest, but there must be a transparent inquiry into this as there seem to have been several lapses which led up to the killings. Read | Stop habit of questioning authorities, police: Rijiju on killing of SIMI men For a start, it would appear that the suspects were armed with only knives and stones, though there are reports that they acquired country-made guns after their escape. Either way, could they not have been overpowered by a police force with its vastly superior firepower? Those who escaped were considered high-security prisoners, yet there are reports that there was only one guard for them. They were also, prima facie, able to communicate with each other and coordinate their escape over a 20-foot wall using a makeshift ladder. Read | CM Chouhan attacks oppositions petty politics over killing of SIMI men The police claim that those who had escaped opened fire on them is yet to be verified. This raises the issue of encounter killings. The police and security forces taking the law into their own hands is not a rare occurrence when the suspect is allegedly a criminal or a terrorist. Read | Bhopal jailbreak: MP to give Rs 15 lakh compensation to slain cops family Extra-judicial killings were the norm in Punjab during the Khalistan movement and in Mumbai when the police took on the underworld. There were policemen who were feted as encounter specialists, thus giving legitimacy to this illegal manner of dispensing justice. This practice of encounter killings would suggest a lack of faith in the judicial process to which everyone is entitled and a serious violation of human rights. Such encounters have been continuing because few errant policemen are ever convicted for extra-judicial killings. The police are reluctant to file cases against other policemen accused of encounter killings. Read | Mayawati demands judicial probe into killing of eight SIMI operatives There is no independent body in India, as there is in Britain and South Africa, which can go into the issue of human rights violations by the police. The National Human Rights Commission in India does not have the powers to conduct an active investigation. It relies on the local police. From 2006 to 2015, only 58 policemen from Chhattisgarh were convicted, 233 from Delhi and four in other parts of the country. This was despite thousands of cases of human rights violations by the police, many of which were extra-judicial killings. It is too early to make any categorical assertion on the Bhopal killings but a free and fair probe overseen by the courts would help greatly in clearing the air, which is thick with allegations and counter-allegations. Ghar ka khaana, ma-baap ka pyaar are as essential for us as air and water, so it comes as no surprise that Indians among all international students in the United States struggle the most with loneliness and homesickness. Financial problems also add to their woes. Insights offered by a recent release of a study, Improving the International Student Experience, by World Education Services (WES), a non-profit organisation in New York and Toronto looking into international student issues, said Indian students (42%) in the US seemed to be more homesick and lonelier than others (32% overall). Quoting various research studies it said they tended to live at their parents home during or after college, often until marriage. Though young people in many countries lived with families till adulthood, family interdependence was strongly emphasised in India. Moving out of home alone and going to another country without a spouse, friend or family member could cause strong feelings of homesickness and loneliness. WES surveyed some 4,683 international students, including those currently enrolled at US institutions. Others graduated as far back as 2010. Results for students from the top two countries of origin China and India and from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa were included. Among other challenges, 71% sub-Saharan Africans and 67% Indians (out of 63% overall) found cost of living to be too high in the US. Indians also valued work experience outside their country over improving career prospects at home (52% versus 40%). By contrast, improving career prospects at home was more important for students from Canada (49% versus 34%) and Middle East and North Africa, indicating that students from these countries and regions often intended to return to their home countries in time. Sixty per cent Indians compared to 70% Sub-Saharan Africans and 63%Chinese were motivated to study in the US because of better education outside their home countries. The top pull factor for respondents from all regions was the availability of a desired study programme. Fifty-nine percent of all international students selected this factor. In particular, Indians (64%) and Sub-Saharan Africans (63 %) looked at specific programmes when deciding to study abroad. Among all students, Indians (49%) chose an institute because of its reputation and (41%) were lured by research opportunities. Despite missing home Indians (94%) and Europeans (90%) were most satisfied or very satisfied with their life in the US, followed closely by the sub-Saharan Africans and Chinese students. The results largely corroborated results from the International Student Barometer (ISB) which surveyed students at selected universities in the US, UK, and Australia in 2014. It showed that European students were most satisfied in these destinations and that Indians were among the most satisfied from non-Western countries. One of the reasons could be their strong knowledge of the English language. Indians (95%) were also among the 47% students who were very satisfied with course offerings and with their institutes evaluation of their academic performance. Though the survey found the need for improvement in career services offered in the US, which prepared students for careers through mock interviews, mentoring and resume writing advice, Indians (85%) were again the most satisfied lot. They also gave the thumbs up to staff of their institutes for information related to visas, jobs and internships. About 72% said they were very satisfied with the help they got in finding part-time and post graduation jobs and internships through counselling, job fairs, portal, websites etc. Indians (90%) were also the most satisfied lot when it came to participating in learning and development activities through campus services such as student clubs, organisations, societies etc. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Pakistan high commission employee who was expelled by India for spying, told police that 16 people were part of the espionage ring. Police on Tuesday said Mehmood Akhtar made the claim during his interrogation by Delhi Police, saying 16 staffers at the high commission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to the army and Border Security Force. Read | The spy story: 10 things about Pak officials detention in Delhi, his network Authorities are still verifying the information; if found true, police are likely to write to the external affairs ministry to take the matter forward. Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who provided confidential documents and information to Akhtar. Read | Pakistan high commission staffer asked to leave, 3 Indians held for espionage Police had arrested Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib with Akhtar, uncovering the details of the spy ring. Further investigation indicated involvement of paramilitary personnel in leaking information, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said an officer privy to details of the probe. It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies, he said. Farhat Khan, the personal assistant to Samajwadi Partys MP, Munavvar Saleem, was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage mission. The Pakistan high commission staffer was caught receiving secret documents from Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, in New Delhi on October 26. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. Also read | Expulsion of Pak spy: Nothing more than a political signalling Two women were buried alive in Assam on Monday night after they were branded as witches over presence of insects in a village well. The victims Sagu Gaur, 60, and Salmi Gaur, 48, were pushed into the well by three brothers- Basu Gaur, Sanu Gaur and Kumar Sanu Gaur and buried alive by dumping mud and earth over them. The incident took place at Naharbari in Nagaon district, 140 km north-east from Guwahati. Accused Basu and Sanu have been arrested and search is on to nab Kumar Sanu. Sagu and Salmi used black magic to infest the well with insects from which we drink water. Last night we caught them and buried them alive, an unrepentant Basu told local television channels. Police said both accused have confessed to their involvement in the crime and efforts are underway to recover the bodies from the nearly 10-feet deep well. The accused and victims are relatives. Salmi happens to be a cousin sister of the three brothers while Sagu was their maternal aunt, local police officer Someshwar Kunwor told HT. Belief in occult for anything from failed crops, disease or death leads many in Assams backward areas to blame the events on someone. Birubala Rabha (on the right, in white dress) has been crusading against witch-hunting after a village quack almost killed her son in 1996. (Subhamoy Bhattacharjee/HT File Photo) Read | A witch-hunting survivor crusades to save Assamese women Usually an oja or bej (local priest/witch doctor) lays the blame on a villager who is then branded a witch and excommunicated, thrown out from their homes, beaten and even killed in some extreme cases. The malaise claimed 116 lives (more than half of them women) between 2006 and 2015 and injured hundreds across the state. Assams legislative assembly passed a bill to prohibit witch hunting in August last year. The bill made the offence non-bailable with provisions for arrests without court warrant and trails in fast-track courts. It also stipulates up to seven years of imprisonment for anyone branding someone a witch, fines ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakhs and life imprisonment if the person branded a witch commits suicide. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON British defence major Rolls Royce made secret payments of around 10 million pounds to an Indian defence agent that may have helped the company to win a big contract for engines on Hawk aircraft used by the Indian Air Force, a media report has said. Hawk aircraft are used by the Indian Air Force for training purposes. An investigation by the Guardian and the BBC has uncovered leaked documents and testimony from insiders that suggest that Rolls-Royce may have benefited from the use of illicit payments to boost profits for years. The network of agents is now the focus of large-scale investigations by anti-corruption agencies in Britain and the US. The Guardian understands the inquiries are looking into specific allegations that these hired intermediaries were bribing people. The person who is alleged to have received the secret payment of over 10 million pounds was arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie, BBC reported on Monday. The arms dealer, who is on the Indian governments blacklist of people suspected of corrupt or irregular practice is now settled in London. The blacklist warns government officials and ministers to be extra cautious while dealing with people and companies on the list. The report also quoted Choudhries lawyer as saying that his client has never paid bribes to Indian government officials or acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals. Choudhrie also serves as an adviser on India to the Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron and his family. Rolls-Royce, which sells turbines and engines for passenger jets and military aircraft and is worth an estimated 13 billion pounds, declined to answer detailed questions. A company spokesman said: Concerns about bribery and corruption involving intermediaries remain subject to investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other authorities. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and we cannot comment on ongoing investigations. The Guardian/BBC investigation, broadcast on the BBCs Panorama programme on Monday, disclosed that the use of agents by the blue-chip manufacturer is far wider than previously publicly known. The agents have been hired in at least 12 countries: Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Angola, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Labour and Conservative administrations have forged close relations with Rolls-Royce and have often lobbied foreign governments to give large export contracts to the manufacturer. Britains former Prime Minister David Cameron once praised it as a world leader in the development of advanced technologies ... of which the whole country can be proud. The Duke of Cambridge called it one of the United Kingdoms great global companies. The investigation into Rolls is likely to concern ministers -- a situation that has echoes of the controversy that enveloped the SFOs inquiry into the arms manufacturer BAE Systems. In 2006, Tony Blairs government pulled the plug on that inquiry, saying Britains security would be put in danger if it was allowed to continue. The SFOs entirely separate investigation into Rolls-Royce became public in 2012 when the firm announced that the agency had requested information about allegations of malpractice in Indonesia and China. The following year, the SFO, backed by special funding from the Treasury, disclosed that its director, David Green, had opened a criminal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption. It emerged in 2014 that the Department of Justice in the US had opened its own inquiry. A legal source said 30 investigators in Britain were now focused on the multinationals use of agents, or middlemen, to clinch export contracts in a number of countries across several strands of its business. Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-profit organisation, has said that attacks on educational institutions in Jammu and Kashmir, including the mysterious burning of schools in the valley, should stop immediately. The burning of schools, assaults on teachers and students, the occupation of schools by the police and military, and the recruitment of children to become fighters violate the rights of children or thwart their chances to get an education, a statement by Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of the body, read. It added, Both India and Pakistan should show their commitment to ensuring all students can learn in peace by endorsing the Safe Schools Declaration, an international political commitment that outlines common-sense steps that governments can take to better protect students and schools in such tense situations. Kashmir should be putting out school graduates, not school fires. At least 25 schools have been torched in the last three months in Kashmir and leaders across ideologies and party lines as well as civil society have commended it. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday accused opposition leaders, who have questioned the authenticity of the encounter between the eight suspected SIMI men and the police in Bhopal, of indulging in petty politics and belittling the sacrifice of a prison guard who was killed by them. Chouhan was talking to reporters after attending the funeral of head constable Ramashankar Yadav, who was allegedly killed by the 8 men of the banned Students Islamic Federation of India (SIMI) before escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail early on Monday. Police killed the men hours after they escaped from the high-security jail in Bhopal at Acharpura village. They (politicians) should have spoken a few words on them (policemen) too. But they didnt see Yadavs sacrifice and the tears in the eyes of his family members. They should desist from such petty politics, Chouhan said. I salute Ramashankar Yadav for his bravery, some people are still raising absurd questions & insulting his sacrifice: Shivraj Singh Chouhan pic.twitter.com/3CtqR9kDzR ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 CM consoled Yadavs family and assured them of all possible help. On Monday, he announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 15 lakh to the kin of Yadav. The amount includes Rs 5 lakh meant for the wedding of Yadavs daughter. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has demanded a court-monitored probe into the case as well as a judicial inquiry into the functioning of the jail. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Singh alleged that the terrorists were killed as the police feared they would make some revelations. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) October 31, 2016 If all of them would have been caught alive they would have given information about the whole incident and also revealed the sequence of events. Perhaps, that is why they were gunned down, Singh claimed. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission took cognizance of the killings and has asked the Bhopal inspector general of police, Yogesh Chaudhary, to submit a report on the encounter. However, its a routine exercise for the commission to ask for a report on any such encounter, an MPHRC official said. Read | Cops murdered my son: SIMI operatives mother says encounter staged Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday held a two-hour meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is looking at cobbling together an alliance ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Kishor, along with SPs national general secretary Amar Singh, met Yadav at his Delhi residence. Mulayam recently floated the idea of a grand alliance, similar to the Janata Parivar merger in Bihar, amid the raging feud with the Yadav family. There was talk in political circles that Yadav spoke with JD(U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who is also in Delhi. However, there was no immediate confirmation. Kishor had managed Kumars successful assembly poll campaign last year. Last week, Mulayams younger brother and state SP chief Shivpal Singh met JD(U)s KC Tyagi and RLD chief Ajit Singh to invite them for the partys 25th anniversary in Lucknow on November 5. Shivpal had said Lohiaites and followers of Charan Singh should join hands to beat BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihars grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there. The grand alliance of JD(U), RJD and Congress, however, scripted an electoral victory, defeating the BJP. Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ramgopal Yadav for Samajwadi Partys decision to walk out of the alliance in Bihar. Ramgopal, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in his fight against Shivpal, and was recently sacked from the party amid the escalating tension in the party. To stay ahead in the elections, one of the SPs main aim is to prevent splitting Muslim votes; to achieve this, it is looking for an alliance with secular parties. Mother of one of the eight suspected operatives of the banned Students Islamic Federation of India (SIMI) said the police encounter in Acharapura village on Monday was staged. Salma Bi, whose son Zakir Hussein was gunned down by the police nearly eight hours after he along with seven other SIMI suspects escaped from the high-security Bhopal central jail, said: My son has been killed in a pre-planned encounter. Neither did my son or his fellow jail inmates escape from the prison nor did they fire at the police before being gunned down in the so-called encounter in the Acharapura village. Hussein alias Vikki Don alias Vinay Kumar was among the seven men involved in the Khandwa jail break in October 2013. He was arrested from Rourkela in February and sent to Bhopal jail in March. When I met Zakir the last time at the Bhopal central jail on Eid-ul-Juha in September, he had told me that he was not safe and anything could be done to him, both inside the jail or outside the jail by the police, Salma told HT from her home town in Khandwa. Zakir had asked me to meet him at short intervals for his safety, which I couldnt do and the result is for all to see. The middle-aged woman, who came to know about the encounter from the television channels, accused the local police of assaulting her when they came to inquire about Zakir after he escaped and keeping the news of his death from her. Eight to 10 cops of the Khandwa district police came to our house after the alleged jail escape on Monday and asked me about my son and his friends. When I asked why they were troubling us again and again, one of the cops slapped me four times and even pushed away my visually challenged sister-in-law Rehana Bi, she said. She asked if it could be just a coincidence that the local cops had visited their house a fortnight ago and had asked them not to leave Khandwa at any cost. Read | Eight suspected SIMI men killed after escaping from Bhopal jail Zakir, who is wanted in several bank robberies and loot cases, was the eldest of the four children of Salma and her Badru Hussain, who owns a construction material shop in Aman Nagar-Ganesh Talai locality in Khandwa. Salma expressed fear that the police might also kill Zakirs younger brother Altaf, lodged at the Bhopal central jail in other terror-related cases for last six years. The cops have murdered one of my sons in pre-planned manner and might do the same with my second son, she said. Two video clips purportedly showing policemen shooting at the fugitives has raised doubts about the authenticity of the encounter. The police said on Monday the veracity of the clips that surfaced on news channels was yet to be ascertained. We acted on intelligence and located the inmates. They fired on us and all eight were killed in crossfire, Yogesh Chaudhury, the Bhopal inspector general of police, told reporters, adding that three cops were injured in the encounter. Inspector general of the anti-terror squad who led the operation, Sanjeev Shami, however, said the fugitives were unarmed and no cop was injured. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the lapses that led to the jailbreak as criminal negligence and said the incident will be probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The government also suspended five jail department officials. Read | What is SIMI: All you wanted to know about the banned organisation The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will not probe the police shooting of eight Islamist prisoners who escaped from a Bhopal jail, Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh said on Tuesday, despite persistent doubts the killings were staged. Instead, the state government said the encounter will be investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department, part of its own police force that faces accusations of killing the eight men in cold blood. The encounter is unquestionable and it will not be probed by NIA. They will investigate only the jail break and how it happened, Singh told HT on Tuesday morning. But later in the evening, the government appeared to hedge on seeking the NIAs help on the jailbreak with Singh saying a decision was yet to be made. The flip-flop will likely add to the controversy over the slain men, who were said to be members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Underlining concerns over the shootings, the National Human Rights Commission asked the government to submit a report on the killings within six weeks. The state human rights panel too sought a report from the government. The prisoners, awaiting trial in robbery and terrorism cases, allegedly fled the high security jail early on Monday after slitting the throat of a guard. But two videos purportedly of the encounter that took place hours after the jailbreak have led human rights activists and opposition parties to doubt the genuineness of the police claims. Read: Jail guard killed by SIMI operatives was preparing for daughters wedding Police deny there was any breakdown in prison security or that protocols were violated in engaging the fleeing prisoners. They have, however, offered little explanations to questions raised over the jailbreak and the circumstances of the killings. For instance, hours before police gunned down the eight men and recovered a sharp weapon they allegedly used to kill the prison guard, Indian media was already reporting on the exact nature of the knife. Quoting police sources, those reports said the sharp weapon was fashioned out of spoons and plates. Three hours later one of the purported videos of the encounter showed policemen recovering a sharp metallic object from one of the dead men. The so-called weapon fitted the description of the knife earlier reported by TV channels, raising questions over how police knew the knife had been made out of kitchen utensils even before recovering it. Neither has police offered any explanation on why the prisoners chose to scale a stretch of the perimeter wall that was next to a watch tower manned by two sentries round-the-clock. Police officers and Special Task Force soldiers stand beside dead bodies of the suspected members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who escaped the high security jail in Bhopal, and later got killed in an encounter. (REUTERS) The surveillance cameras in the jails B block, where the SIMI men were lodged, werent working either. Police also didnt find any spent cartridges at the encounter site, though they claimed the SIMI men had fired at them. The purported encounter videos showed little blood on the eight bodies. State police spokesman Pradeep Bhatia did not respond to calls and text messages. So far, four officials, including the prisons superintendent, have been suspended. Read: CCTV cameras werent working in Bhopal jail when SIMI prisoners escaped State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters the breakout posed a threat to national security and authorities swiftly mobilised all law enforcement arms to track the fugitives. I am pained to see the kind of politics being played out. Some politicians are turning a blind eye to the sacrifices of the martyrs, Chouhan said after visiting the home of the slain prison guard, Ramashankar Yadav. Certain politicians are making a hue and cry for these terrorists but not lending a word of solace for the martyred jawans. Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, however, raised questions over the encounter and sought an independent probe. (with inputs from Rajesh Ahuja and Kalyan Das) A police shooting of eight Islamist prisoners escaping from a Bhopal jail will not be investigated, Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh said on Tuesday, despite persistent doubts the killings were staged. The men, members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) awaiting trial, fled the high security jail early on Monday after slitting the throat of a prison guard. Hours later, police tracked down and shot all eight dead. But two videos purportedly of the encounter and a string of unanswered questions have led human rights activists and opposition parties to doubt the genuineness of the police claims. Our police tracked the absconding SIMI men in a short time and neutralized them bravely. Nothing more needs to be said on it, Bhupendra Singh, the state home minister, told Hindustan Times. The encounter is unquestionable and it will not be probed by NIA. They will investigate only the jail break and how it happened, he said, using the abbreviation for the National Investigation Agency. Police insist there was no breakdown in security at the prison or that protocols were violated in engaging the fleeing prisoners. Read | Jail guard killed by SIMI operatives was preparing for daughters wedding But they have offered little explanations to questions raised over the jailbreak and the circumstances of the killings. For instance, hours before police gunned down the SIMI men and recovered a sharp weapon they allegedly used to kill the prison guard, Indian media was already reporting on the exact nature of the knife. Quoting police sources, those reports said the sharp weapon was fashioned out of spoons and plates. Three hours later one of the purported videos of the encounter showed policemen recovering a sharp metallic object from one of the dead men. The so-called weapon fitted the description of the knife earlier reported by TV channels, raising questions over how police knew the knife had been made out of kitchen utensils even before recovering it. State police spokesman Pradeep Bhatia did not respond to calls and text messages. Neither has police offered any explanation on why the prisoners chose to scale a stretch of the perimeter wall that was next to a watch tower manned by two sentries round-the-clock. The Bhopal Central Jail premises are built in two concentric circles with an outer wall 18 feet high and an inner perimeter wall eight feet high. The barracks are located inside the inner perimeter, making it nearly impossible to escape undetected. Read | CCTV cameras werent working in Bhopal jail when SIMI prisoners escaped The jail has 2,900 prisoners and hundreds of guards and watch towers. Some of the jail surveillance cameras werent working either that night. So far, four officials, including the prisons superintendent, have been suspended. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters the breakout posed a threat to national security and authorities swiftly mobilised all law enforcement arms to track the fugitives. I am pained to see the kind of politics being played out. Some politicians are turning a blind eye to the sacrifices of the martyrs, Chouhan said after visiting the home of the slain prison guard, Ramashankar Yadav. Certain politicians are making a hue and cry for these terrorists but not lending a word of solace for the martyred jawans. Read | What is SIMI: All you wanted to know about the banned organisation A return air ticket from Delhi to Singapore is cheaper than flying from the national capital to Patna during the Chhath festival starting this Friday. A Delhi-Singapore Air India ticket through travel portal MakeMyTrip.com for November 4 and return on November 7 will cost Rs 37,295. It will be even less with private airlines as low as Rs 27,377. Correspondingly, flying to Patna from Delhi and back during the same period will cost Rs 38,736, with a one-way ticket costing Rs 19,369. Chhath is a Vedic festival that features offerings to the sun god for sustaining life on earth, typically bringing people to the northern India from other parts of the country and abroad. Its dates for this year are November 4 to 7. If the air fares during the period make your eyes roll, hold on. The cost of a one-way Delhi-Patna ticket can still go up to Rs 31,674, which is the published business-class full fare per passenger on the national carrier. We can charge up to Rs 31,674 per ticket for business class and Rs 19,369 for economy class on the Delhi-Patna sector. This is our published full fare per ticket, said Air India station manager (Patna) Mukesh Kumar. However, the economy-class fare ranges from Rs 4,000 to Rs 19,369 per ticket. Blame the soaring fares on dynamic pricing of air tickets. Every airline does inventory management of each aircraft at its corporate level. As seats are booked, the fares go up, Kumar added. Interestingly, Air India tickets were almost double of what IndiGo was charging. A Delhi-Patna IndiGo ticket for November 4 was still available at Rs 10,412 on the travel portal. Similarly, return to Delhi on November 7 the day of the morning arghya puja was available for a low of Rs 7,051 by GoAir (G8-134) morning flight at 8.25am, and a high of Rs 19,369 by Air India afternoon flights AI-410 and AI-408 at 12.40pm and 3.25pm, respectively. On the contrary, a single return ticket from Delhi to Singapore on the same days will cost Rs 27,377 a Delhi-Singapore ticket by IndiGo costing Rs 15,331 and return by Malinda Airlines priced at Rs 12,046. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A daring jailbreak by suspected members of the Students Islamic Movement of India in Madhya Pradeshs Bhopal and an alleged encounter hours later when the police gunned down all eight escaped inmates have triggered many questions. Activists and opposition parties have raised doubts about the authenticity of the encounter and the National Investigation Agency has initiated a probe. HT talks to Madhya Pradesh home minister Bhupendra Singh to get some answers. Q. If the SIMI operatives escaped towards the hillock area, why were their bodies found at the same spot? They enjoyed advantage of height. Why didnt they split when police approached them? Generally when such elements are under fire, they disperse to increase the chances of their survival and not getting caught? A. Our police tracked the absconding SIMI men in a short time and neutralised them bravely. Nothing more needs to be said on it. The encounter is unquestionable and it will not be probed by NIA. They will investigate only the jail break and how it happened. Eight SIMI men killed in encounter, but video clips raise doubts Q. How did SIMI operatives manage to get the keys of their cells? Did they have a master key? Did they make a copy? How did they manage to make keys using a tongue cleaner? A. Primary investigations suggest the SIMI inmates who were lodged in AN isolated anti-terror B block made master keys and duplicate keys of their cells using material like utensils, tongue cleaners and tooth brushes. This couldnt have been possible without proper planning of 2-3 months. Its massive lapse in jail security. Role of any jail insider, staff or anyone else cannot be ruled out. Q. How did the SIMI operatives manage to get jeans and shoes in such a short time, when they just crossed the road and straightaway fled the area for nearly 10 kms? A. The eight SIMI men who escaped and were later gunned down in encounter were not convicts but undertrials, who were allowed to wear normal clothes. They lived like VIP guests at their cells and curtains too were put in their cells. Nearly 2 jailbreaks every year in MP, second most in India Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan consoles the of family of Ramashankar Yadav, a Bhopal jail official who was killed by alleged activists of the Students Islamic Movement of India. (PTI) Q. If the SIMI operatives were accused in different cases, why were they kept in the same block with 18 back-to-back cells? A. Its wrong. They were not lodged in back to back cells, but the B block comprised six sub-blocks of three individual cells. They were kept in that block due to security reasons. Q. If there were 17 SIMI operatives in Bhopal Central Jails B Block, why did only eight escape? A. Its quite possible that only eight might have formed part of the jail escape plot. Its also possible that the eight SIMI men couldnt have freed the other nine, as the jail guards entered the block by then. Also, there is a very remote possibility that other SIMI men couldnt be convinced by their plan. Everything will become clear in the probe ordered into the episode. Q. Police said it recovered seven weapons, four country-made fire arms and three sharp edged weapons from the slain SIMI operatives. Where did they get the weapons and who helped them? A. Yes, weapons were recovered from the slain SIMI men and investigations are underway to track people who might have helped them in getting these weapons after escaping from jail. The statements made by Inspector General of Police (Bhopal) Yogesh Choudhary at Mondays evening press conference are the official version of the state government. CCTV cameras werent working in Bhopal jail when SIMI prisoners escaped Q. How is it possible that on Diwali night, when there was security alert, no one saw eight SIMI operatives escaping from a high-security jail? What about watch towers in the jail? A. The escape by SIMI men was possible due to a massive security lapse in the jail. Not only security, but also intelligence failure. The probe ordered into the security lapse by the CM will take care of each and every aspect, including why the special armed force (SAF) guards deployed on the watch tower (roof of administrative block) failed to spot the fleeing SIMI men near the B block itself. The jail escape was not the result of planning of a day or two. The plot would have been hatched 2-3 months back, but the jail machinery failed to have any whiff about it. Insider role in the jail escape cannot be ruled out. Q. What about the CCTVs in and around the high-security jail. Didnt anyone spot anything on the CCTVs? There are CCTVs on many road crossings in Bhopal, keeping tab on the traffic offenders. A.Though I dont have much information about the internal details of Bhopal Central Jail, but as per whatever information has come to me there was not CCTV installed anywhere outside the jail from where the SIMI men escaped. They very well knew the route from which they had to escape, despite the fact that these SIMI men were seldom allowed to go out of the B block. Q. Between 3 am when the SIMI operatives escaped and 10.30 am, when the alleged encounter started near the Acharapura hillock, who helped the operatives get weapons and clothing? A. There was no restriction on clothing of the SIMI men inside the jail. They could have worn it inside or even got them after they escaped. But for sure they got the weapons outside the jail. Weve formed several police teams to track their helpers who helped them with weapons and other things. Q. Wasnt there any intelligence input about the plot of jail break? How did the eight operatives communicate? A. As per my knowledge, there was no input about the jail break. Though there was a definite intelligence failure in the jail, as no one got a whiff about the SIMI mens plans and how they managed to make master keys and duplicate keys of their cells made. Everything else will become during the probe ordered into the jail break. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Controversial television evangelist Zakir Naiks Mumbai-based outfit Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) will no longer be allowed to receive foreign funding. We have initiated the process of cancellation of foreign funding licence of the IRF, said a senior home ministry official. The MHA issues foreign funding license for all NGOs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Earlier the MHA had put Naiks organisation in prior-permission category under the FCRA, which meant all foreign funding of the NGO was to be vetted by the government before it went into the IRFs bank account. The MHA is also putting another outfit of Naiks -- The IRF Educational Trust --in the prior permission category. We are issuing a notice to the trust for putting it under the prior permission category. We want to vet all foreign funding of the trust before it is deposited in outfits bank account, said the official. Besides, the government is almost ready with a cabinet note on the IRF to declare it unlawful under section 3 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Final vetting is being done. The declaration will mean no person can be a member of the foundation, hold meetings or collect funds for it. The existing assets of the outfit declared unlawful can be taken over by the government by appointing a receiver for them. Naik hit the headlines after an attack on a bakery in Dhaka in July that left 29 people dead. Investigators found that the militants who staged the strike were motivated by Naiks speeches on Peace TV, owned by the controversial preacher. The revelation was immediately followed by similar charges with many saying that the evangelist was among the reasons for a growth in hardline elements among Muslim youth. The government soon started a crackdown on his activities, forcing Naik to leave India. He hasnt come since, even to attend his fathers funeral in Mumbai two days ago. He faces multiple probes for allegedly making provocative speeches. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tuesday marks the golden jubilee of Haryanas creation out of Punjab, but the verdict on their 50-year-long sibling rivalry is loud and clear. Haryana, once dubbed a poor cousin of Punjab, has surged ahead of the parent state on key economic parameters such as average growth rate, per capita income, industrial boom, fiscal buoyancy, foreign direct investment and even sports. The question is how. Nineteen years after the catastrophic partition of Punjab between India and Pakistan at the altar of religion, the border states map was redrawn again on November 1, 1966 on the basis of language. Out of the second split emerged a new state of Haryana, shrinking the parent states size to the Jalandhar division of pre-1947 Punjab. The two neighbours have since been locked in fights over the sharing of river waters and territorial disputes centred on Chandigarh, their joint capital. They also face off with each other in another arena: the development front. Punjab enjoyed the lead with the Green Revolution, nurtured in varying capacities by the Bhakra dam, the newly-built Punjab Agricultural University and consolidation of lands. The Partition-wracked state clocked a phenomenal growth rate of 8% much through the 60s and 70s, while India was struggling with a 2% growth rate. The state boasted a surplus in revenue until 1984. Thereafter, its been a sorry tale of a head start turning into a tailspin, dogged largely by the militancy-hit lost decade of the 80s. The state failed to pick itself up in spite of the ground-breaking economic reforms of the 90s that scripted Indias growth story. It missed the bus on virtually every revolution IT, automobile manufacturing, biotechnology and retail. Its currently saddled with a debt of Rs 1.24-lakh-crore. Yet, Punjab can boast a few bright spots biggest contribution to the national food kitty, surplus power, and an infra boom, besides an impressive rebound on education and health. In contrast, Haryana made the most of the new wave of opportunities towards a rapid-fire growth. Its not a success untainted by shame: the state has the worst girl child sex ratio in India. Haryanas progress is also weighed down by an inequitable growth a critical marker of human development. Ultimately, its the quality of governance that will differentiate a leader from a laggard. Its a lesson their rulers would do well to keep in mind as they turn the page to the next 50 years. Haryana and Punjab: The State of Two States (With inputs from Navneet Sharma) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With cross-border firing escalating, home minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reviewed the situation along the India-Pak border where eight civilians were killed and 22 injured due to Pakistani shelling and two Pakistani soldiers killed after Indian forces retaliated. The meeting, attended by defence minister Manohar Parrikar, national security advisor Ajit Doval, army chief general Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials, took stock of the situation along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The top security brass briefed the union ministers of the steps taken to counter firing by Pakistani forces, official sources. Since Tuesday morning, Pakistan troops resorted to heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the IB and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani troops used heavy calibre weapons such as 120 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs, army said. The Border Security Force, deployed along the IB, said it had so far destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Jammu frontier. Army sources also said two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite Naushera sector, in Rajouri district on Tuesday. In the wake of heavy Pakistani shelling, the government ordered closure of all 174 government and private schools situated along the IB and LoC in Jammu. There have been more than 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on September 27. Singh also met Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra regarding the situation in the state. Sources said during the 30-minute meeting, the issue of burning of schools in the Valley came up in the discussion. So far 26 schools have been burnt or damaged during the unrest in the Valley. Sources said the centres primary focus is reopening of schools, colleges and markets in the Valley which remained shut for the past 110 days, following the killing militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8. The home ministry also sent a communication to the Jammu and Kashmir government to make all efforts to check burning of schools and ensure they were re-opened. Expressing deep anguish over killing of civilians in border shelling, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday called for immediate political dialogue between India and Pakistan to de-escalate the situation in the Valley, adding that the severe hostile ties between the two nations has created a humanitarian crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. I am deeply pained over the fresh spate of civilian killings, including children and women, in border shelling and urge the political leadership in New Delhi and Islamabad to take effective and urgent measures to de-escalate the situation and bring an end to the miseries of the hapless people of Jammu and Kashmir who are caught in the deadly crossfire,Mufti said. She said the unabated border shelling has seen a tragic humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, where innocent civilians and their properties are being targeted. We in J-K yearn for peace as we have been suffering immensely because of the hostility and violence in the region and know very well its dangers and perilous consequences, she said and added that India and Pakistan must open the channels of communication, at the earliest, realizing the dangerous consequences of any escalation of ongoing confrontation along the borders. Maintaining that the necessity and urgency of dialogue has assumed more significance in the prevailing disturbing situation, Mufti said the escalation of violence along the borders and LoC should keep reminding both India and Pakistan of the inevitability of sitting across the table to find a peaceful, just and pragmatic solution of all the contentious issues. We see world-over how wars have resulted in complete destruction of once most prosperous countries and annihilation of cultures, she said and added that it is the responsibility of the Indo-Pak political leadership to save the region from such a devastating scenario. Whatever be the reasons for hardening of stances and attempts by the vested interests to subvert the peace process, there is, however, no substitute to the reconciliatory policy which was started in 2003 and had worked so well, she said and called for serious efforts at the political and civil society levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people sandwiched in a gory scenario of death and destruction. She said the senseless violence is the common enemy of the people in both India and Pakistan as the scourge of bloodshed has devoured their lives over the years. The chief minister asked the Divisional administration in Jammu and the concerned District Administrations to reach out to the people affected by the border shelling with all possible support. Read more- Mehbooba Mufti calls for immediate de-escalation of alarming border situation With ceasefire violations occurring more frequently and continuously, the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the closure of all schools along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region. There are 174 schools in total in the area, including private and government schools. Eighty four schools were shut down in Balakot zone, Poonch, and 45 more in Samba district. Since the unrest in the Valley began in July, over 25 schools have been gutted in the last three months. On Monday, the states high court took cognizance of the matter and asked the government to protect educational institutes coming under attack. The court also directed the police and administration to ensure protection of schools besides finding those responsible for the arson. Meanwhile in the wake of the continuous ceasefire violations and firing from Pakistan, home minister Rajnath Singh held a high level meeting with defence minister Manohar Parrikar, national security advisor Ajit Doval and other senior home ministry officials to review the situation along IB and LoC. The Border Security Force (BSF) had targeted around 14 Pakistan posts along the IB on Tuesday in response to the unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in Jammu and Kashmirs Ramgarh and Arnia Sector since morning. Security forces on Tuesday cordoned off Ajar village of north Kashmirs Bandipora district after gunshots were heard in the area. Official sources said that the contingents of Special Operation Group (SOG), army and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off the village and started searches in the early hours. Locals however said gunshots were heard after forces sealed all the entry and exit points. Sources said firing was heard for around 20 minutes and intermittent gunshots were also heard. Further details are awaited. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At least eight people, including two children, were killed in Jammu and Kashmirs border districts on Tuesday as Pakistan pounded frontier villages and army posts with mortar shells and heavy machine gun fire, betraying a ceasefire agreement between the two neighbours. Escalating cross-border firing and mounting civilian fatalities prompted Union home minister Rajnath Singh to hold a high-level meeting with defence minister Manohar Parrikar, army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, national security adviser Ajit Doval, Border Security Force (BSF) chief KK Sharma, and home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi. Earlier in the day, he met Jammu and Kashmir governor NN Vohra, who briefed him about Pakistans continuing ceasefire violations. Pakistani guns were quiet on the international border on Monday night. But they resumed firing small arms and mortar shells at one place the following morning, Border Security Force (BSF) Jammu frontier deputy inspector general, Dharmender Pareekh, said. Read | Indian troops retaliate as Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch The firing intensified thereafter, although the BSF gave a befitting reply. In a calibrated response to the unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistan Rangers in the Ramgarh and Arnia sub-sectors (of Jammu district) since morning, the BSF caused heavy damage to nearly 14 Pakistani posts, Pareekh said. It was not known if any Pakistani soldier or civilian were killed. The Pakistani army has been targeting front line areas since the September 29 surgical strikes when Indian elite forces crossed the Line of Control, the de facto border between the two countries, and destroyed temporary militant bases. The shelling points to plummeting bilateral ties since Pakistani militants attacked an army base in Kashmirs Uri, killing 19 soldiers, on September 18. The shelling caused fatalities along the international border and the LoC in Samba, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch districts. Read | Army destroys 4 Pakistani posts in retaliation, inflicts heavy casualties Nearly 18,000 villagers from the border areas have taken refuge in relief camps or gone to their relatives in safer places. Bullet-proof vehicles are on standby to evacuate people during shelling. Evacuation has started and people have started moving to relief camps, Samba deputy commissioner of police Sheetal Nanda said. Rajouri deputy commissioner Shabir Ahmed Bhat said as much. The situation is tense and people are moving out. We have sent vehicles to ferry them. Police said two children aged five and seven and a woman were killed in Ramgarhs Rangoor Camp in Samba district, which bore the maximum brunt of the shelling. Read | India has determined enemy, but were more determined to stop them: BSF IG Two women and a man died in Rajouri district, while an 18-year-old girl was killed in Ramgarh when a Pakistani mortar exploded in her kitchen when she was cooking for her family. A 65-year-old man died of shock when a shell burst near him. Another 22 people were wounded, among them three army porters and a year-old baby who suffered grave shrapnel wounds in the spine. At least 18 people have been killed and more than 80 were wounded in Pakistani shelling since the surgical strikes. Sources said the Pakistani army has deployed reinforcements from 12 Mujahideen Battalion, 14 Okra Infantry and 19 Mangla Infantry close to the LoC to help the Pakistan Rangers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three young girls in Kashmir are the latest victims of pellets after security forces opened fire on stone pelters in the southern district of Pulwama on Monday. Thirteen-year-old Ifrah Shakoor, and two others a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old, both named Shabroza were left partially blinded after being hit by the small non-lethal projectiles. Seven people were brought to the SMHS hospial in Srinagar after sustaining pellet injuries during the unrest. But families of the three girls say their children were not even part of the protesting crowd. Read | Fresh protests rock Kashmir after 13-year-old boy dies of pellet injuries An officer at the police control room in Pulwama said security forces cordoned off an area near a village in Pulwama on Monday evening to conduct a search operation when stones were lobbed at them. In retaliation, they fired pellet guns. The government recognises the controversial weapon as non-lethal and allows its use for mob control. However, there has been a surge of protest against the guns as scores have suffered severe injuries due to them, including blindness, loss of hearing, and even several deaths. Read | Army backs pepper shots, chilli grenades over pellet guns in Kashmir Ifrahs condition is bad, said Dr Tariq Qureshi, head of the department of ophthalmology, Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar. He says vision might be restored to only one eye. The other two girls also have perforating injuries in their eyes. First round of surgeries have been conducted on them and consecutive rounds will be performed in following weeks, Dr Qureshi said. Shakoors relatives say the girl cant open her eyes. Her face is pockmarked by pellets and cant speak because her jaws were injured as well. Next to her lies 16-year-old Shabroza, who was hit in both eyes. She says she is in tremendous pain. Her brother Khurshid said his sister was in the house when clashes broke out. Shabroza got injured when she stepped out to see what the commotion was. A student of class 10, she has exams approaching, but for her and her family, their concern is whether the teen will be able to even see again. Read | Another school goes up in flames in Kashmir, takes total to 24 A few beds away from them is 18-year-old Shabroza. The three girls are the worst injured from the seven victims who were brought to the hospital. The young womans left eye was perforated by pellets. A first round of surgery has been done so far. Peace in Kashmir has been tenuous as the Valley has been under curfew since July 8, when militant commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces. Since then, locals have repeatedly clashed with forces over the civilian deaths in the unrest while separatists also called for a shutdown. More than 80 people died in the violence in the last four months. Also read | Kashmir unrest: Curfew lifted from Srinagar but restrictions remain SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Accusing the Madhya Pradesh government of using the police for fulfilling the RSS agenda, Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into the encounter between police and eight Students Islamic Movement of India activists She also alleged that there are communal motives behind the misuse of police in BJP-ruled states. Eight prisoners related to SIMI were unarmed. They could have been arrested easily again but no attempts were made in this regard. Prima facie this matter appears suspicious and justice demands judicial probe into the entire incident, she said in a statement. Its visible that police is misused for political and communal motives in BJP ruled states. Police had saved many accused in the Vyapam scam. It was only after the intervention of the Supreme Court that the matter was handed over to CBI. MP government is using police for fulfilling RSS agenda, she charged. BJP government should not avoid instituting judicial probe as many parties and organisations have raised their on the encounter. Eight SIMI activists were killed yesterday in an alleged encounter with police on the outskirts of Bhopal hours after they escaped from the high-security Bhopal Central Jail killing a security guard. Read | What is SIMI: All you wanted to know about the banned organisation Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadavs idea of converting the partys silver jubilee celebrations on November 5 into a message for a grand alliance for next years Uttar Pradesh polls has drawn a subdued response from leaders of other regional parties. While Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar will skip the Lucknow event, leaders of other regional parties are apprehensive about the prospect of doing business with Mulayam after the bitter experience with him last year, when the SP leader had abruptly walked out of the secular alliance ahead of the Bihar polls. The regional satraps are driven by the common concern of preventing the continuing rise of the BJP, but prefer a wait and watch policy on alliance plans, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing power struggle within UPs ruling family. Nitish dashed to Delhi to review UPs political developments at a meeting with party leaders, including Sharad Yadav and KC Tyagi. The Bihar chief minister will not attend the Lucknow event. It has not been decided whether other party leaders will attend, JD(U) spokesman KC Tyagi said. In a related development, Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor met Mulayam to discuss the possibilities of firming up a Bihar-type secular alliance in UP. Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, accompanied by Jaya Prada, were briefly present at the meeting. Read | Weakened Samajwadi Party now open to a grand alliance Amid an ongoing family war within the SP, Mulayam had abruptly floated the mahagathbandhan idea last month. Last week, his brother Shivpal engaged in a bitter power struggle with nephew and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav had met or called up leaders of several regional parties to invite them for the Lucknow event. Mulayams plan appears focused on the upcoming UP elections. The grand alliance idea needs to be much more broad-based. We do not think the time is ripe to put together an alliance, said a senior JD (U) leader. A senior Rashtriya Lok Dal leader said Mulayams idea had no relevance to the UP elections. Only an alliance between the SP and Mayawatis BSP can be considered formidable in the UP context, the RLD leader said. RLDs chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh and president Lalu Prasad are likely to attend the Lucknow event in their individual capacity. While past experience with Mulayam has been bitter, we also have reservations about supporting the anti-Akhilesh faction. Akhilesh has a good image, but the levers of the party structure are being controlled by Mulayam and Shivpal. The SP ruling family first needs to set its house in order. The grand alliance plans can wait, a senior JD (U) leader said. Read | No alternative? SP seniors know Mulayam Singh Yadav wont disown Akhilesh Nitish has been working at floating a fourth vertical in UP by attempting to bring the JD (U), RLD and other smaller parties on the same platform with tacit support of the Congress as well. For its part, the Congress is unlikely to accept any alliance proposal that has Mulayam in the lead role, given the Bihar experience. The party will prefer Akhilesh as the face of the proposed mahagathbandhan in view of his clean image and good rapport with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Also read | No possibility or intention of joining any grand alliance in UP: Congress One person was killed and at least three people were injured on Tuesday as Pakistani forces targeted Indian posts and forward villages along the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu, Samba and Rajouri districts. An 18 year old girl was killed in her house in Ramgarh sub sector of Samba district. A girl Ravinder Kour,18, daughter of Jorawar singh of Jerda village died after a Pakistani shell exploded in kitchen of their house this morning, SHO Ramgarh, Suraj Pathania told HT over phone. The officer said that the incident happened around 7.30 am. While on the intervening night of October 31 and November 1 (Monday night) Pakistani guns remained quiet on the international border, at 6.30am on Tuesday morning Pakistan Rangers started firing with small arms followed by a small mortar at one place, BSF Jammu frontier DIG, Dharmender Pareekh said. They further spread the fire at four to five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sub-sectors in Samba and Jammu districts. Pakistan also shot 82 mortars, Pareekh said. He said that BSF is giving a befitting reply to the enemy fire. A police officer said that at 7.10am three mortar shells exploded in village Pindi in Arnia sub-sector injuring three people. The injured have been identified as Chanchala Devi, 49, Bodh Raj, 38, and Darshana Devi, 60, - all residents of Pindi Charkan village in Arnia sector of Jammu district. On Monday, a soldier and a woman were killed in firing by the Pakistan army across the de-facto border in Jammu and Kashmir. Two more soldiers and another civilian were also injured in the firing. Similarly, Pakistan started firing 82 mm mortars at 6.25am in Narayanpur and violated the ceasefire in Naushera sector in Rajouri district as well. Sources said that besides positioning border action teams for the sneak attacks on Indian soldiers, the Pakistani army has deployed additional troops from 12 Mujahideen Battalion, 14 Okra infantry and 19 Mangla infantry close to the de-facto border on their side. India and Pakistan agreed on a ceasefire in 2003 and both the sides have accused each other of regularly violating the agreement. Border skirmishes intensified after Pakistani militants attacked a military base in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers on September 18. The Uri attack prompted the Indian Army to carry out a surgical strike that destroyed seven terror launch pads and killed an unknown number of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, across the LoC. Pakistan has violated the ceasefire agreement over 62 times since the September 29 surgical strikes. Heightened border tensions between the two countries have forced many residents of frontier villages to migrate to safer locations. India shares 230km of International Border and 740km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. The boundary, manned by the paramilitary BSF runs through Jammu district and the LoC, which is not an internationally-accepted frontier, cuts across other regions of the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Muzaffar Wani, father of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, whose killing sparked unrest in Kashmir, expressed deep pain over the burning down of schools in the Valley and made a fervent appeal to those behind it to refrain from targeting educational institutions. Muzaffar Wani, a retired government teacher, told PTI over phone from his residence in Tral of South Kashmir that as a teacher, whenever a school is burnt down, my heart is set on fire. This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this is doing no good to the society. A society without any education is lifeless. They do not have any identity, Wani said and made it clear that he was making this statement as a teacher and not as any leader. Read | Burhan Wanis father talks of sacrifice, but asks Kashmiris to show restraint My appeal to all people as well as agencies is that whoever is doing this is not doing the correct thing. For Gods sake, please refrain from such acts because education is the only thing which will help us in becoming good humans, he said. Over 25 educational institutions have been burnt by miscreants in the Kashmir Valley since July 9, a day after Burhan was killed in an encounter in South Kashmir. This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this, its not right. It will be lifeless without any education and, therefore, whosoever is indulging in such acts is doing no good to the society, he said. Asked about the forced closure of educational institutions in the Valley following the prolonged unrest, Wani said, I am pained that the children are being deprived of education. Read | I dont know why India hates Kashmiris, says Burhan Wanis father People are coming out themselves, I am not responsible for it. When Burhan Wani was killed, I had appealed that there should be a days strike but there is no control on the situation as of now. However, he also held the state and Central government responsible for the situation saying that they are not taking the lead to bring an end to the unrest. There is no initiative from the government. Police excesses are increasing every day. People will cooperate only when there is some kind of seriousness (from the government side). This unrest is not liked by many, he said. The issue of burning down of educational institutions came under legal scrutiny yesterday when Jammu and Kashmir High Court took a suo motu cognisance of a news report about burning down of schools in the Valley. The High Court directed police and civil administration to ensure the protection of the institutions besides unmasking the mysterious enemies of education and deal with them with an iron hand. The court listed the case for next hearing on November 7 and directed the three officials to remain present. Read | Education in Kashmir faces another challenge: Almost 20 schools burnt in unrest Guwahati Nagaland attacked Union minister Maneka Gandhi over a move to ban consumption of dog meat like beef elsewhere in India in the North-east. Dog meat is a delicacy among many Naga tribes in Nagaland and adjoining states as well as some communities in Mizoram. In a letter to department of north eastern region minister Jitendra Singh a few days ago, Gandhi cited the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011, that does not allow dogs, cats and other animals to be slaughtered for food. She said consumption of dog meat was both illegal and cruel. But Nagas say Gandhi has no business telling them what they cannot eat or wield rules that are not applicable in Nagaland. Indian laws, related to religion or food habits, cannot be imposed in Nagaland because the states special status ensures preservation of social customs. We have been eating dog meat, as therapy too, for generations and we cannot stop eating now just because someone feels we should not, Chuba Ozukum, president of Nagalands apex social organisation Naga Hoho, said. Nagas, he added, will oppose strongly if the ban on sale and consumption of dog meat is imposed. Officials of Nagalands health department said they were looking into the cruelty aspect. We have asked traders and butchers to follow proper procedures on treating dogs and other animals for consumption, Abhijit Sinha, commissioner-secretary in the department, said. The states additional chief secretary, RB Thong, said enforcing a dog meat ban would be very difficult. Fearing public backlash, the Nagaland government went slow on a legal notice that an Assam-based petitioner had sent in March against illegal trade of dogs for consumption. Though the demand for dog meat is high a kilo sells for `300-500 depending on availability the animal is not farmed for consumption. The dogs for most kitchens and ethnic restaurants are thus smuggled from neighbouring states, mainly Assam. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Spent bullet casings werent among items recovered from a place on the outskirts of the Madhya Pradesh capital where police gunned down eight members of the banned group, SIMI, on Monday after they escaped from prison. This missing item from the inventory is important to prove the police account that the prisoners fired at the policemen searching for them after the jailbreak and they were killed in retaliatory firing. The BJP government in the state defended the police action, which human rights campaigners and opposition leaders called a staged, extra-judicial murder. Police said three of their men suffered pellet wounds, though details were not revealed. Also, police records show four homemade pistols and three knives, allegedly carved out of kitchen utensils, were recovered from the slain SIMI men. But eyewitnesses gave conflicting versions of the alleged shootout in Khijradev village, about 15km from Bhopal central jail. Some villagers said both sides shot at each other, others claimed the fugitives threw stones and shouted anti-India and pro-Islamic slogans, but never fired shots. They pelted stones and were shouting slogans. Then they ran into the thickets, said Rakesh Meena, a resident of the area. A video that purportedly shows the SIMI operatives atop a hillock, waving hands, fits the narrative. Another villager said a gunfight ensued as the SIMI men fired at police and started pelting stones. Also, a knife recovered from one of the slain men is among a raft of unanswered questions. Police recovered a crude, sharp weapon that the prisoners allegedly used to slit the throat of jail warder Ramashankar Yadav before they climbed a 30-feet perimeter wall and escaped. The weapon was allegedly found on one of the slain men, but media reported its discovery and details three hours before police said they had tracked down the fugitives and killed them. Then, a purported video of the shooting emerged, showing policemen recovering a sharp metallic object from a slain man. The weapon fitted the description of the knife reported by TV channels. The video showed a man, probably policeman, reach straight for the knife inside the dead mans shirt almost as if he knew where to find it. Questions arise about how was it possible to know Yadav was killed with a knife made out of kitchen utensils even before any such weapon was found. The prisoners chose to scale a stretch of the outer wall that was next to a watch tower manned by two sentries round-the-clock, who were from the special armed force of state police. The Bhopal central jail has two concentric circles with an outer wall and a 12-feet inner barrier. Barracks are inside the inner perimeter, making it nearly impossible to escape undetected. The jail has more than 2,000 prisoners and hundreds of guards and watch towers. Whats more, the ISO-9001-2015 certified jail has a D-shaped top; deliberately made to not support any hook. After crossing the first perimeter, they successfully crossed at least 200 meters of well-lit distance between the two walls before scaling the last. Curious enough, the jail surveillance cameras werent working either. This cuts both ways because it might have helped the jailbreak or anyone trying to herd out the eight men. Parvez Alam, the advocate for the slain SIMI activists, said: Four of them were near acquittal and it defies logic to believe they would do something like this. And, whoever arranged for a shaving kit and good clothes could have also arranged for a cab to escape. We will go to high court for an independent inquiry. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India on Tuesday protested to Pakistan over the unprovoked firing from across the border to give cover to infiltrators when its Deputy high commissioner was summoned for the fourth time in just over a week over alleged unprovoked ceasefire violations. Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy high commissioner J P Singh today and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors, the Pakistan foreign office said in a statement. The statement said the firing killed six Pakistani civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others. Singh protested against the unprovoked firing from Pakistani Rangers, saying it was primarily to give cover to infiltrators, Indian officials said in New Delhi. He also mentioned the killing of civilians on Indian side in the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, they said. The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the Working Boundary and the LoC, the FO statement added. This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28. On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as persona non-grata. Taking its rhetorical aggression against Pakistan to a new high, the BJP on Tuesday described the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi an ISI den that was breaking all laws. The ruling party said the Centre had taken note of it and appropriate action would be taken. The comment came in the backdrop of New Delhi declaring a High Commission staff persona non-grata on charges of espionage. The reality is that the High Commission here has become an ISI den. It is breaking all rules and laws... Its work is no longer about diplomatic relationship. It has become a centre of smuggling information from here to there (Pakistan), party national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. Meanwhile, Pakistani newspaper Dawn claimed on Tuesday that Pakistan was considering pulling out of India four officials posted at its High Commission in New Delhi. This is under consideration. A final decision will be taken shortly, a source at the foreign office was quoted as saying by Dawn. The names of the officers commercial counsellor Syed Furrukh Habib and first secretaries Khadim Hussain, Mudassir Cheema and Shahid Iqbal were made public after a recorded statement of high commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar was released to the media, the report said. Akhtar was expelled from India after being declared persona non-grata. Akhtar told Dawn News he gave the statement under duress. An NGO today demanded a judicial probe into the killing of 28 Maoists in an encounter with Odisha and Andhra Pradesh Police to bring out the truth. The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) also demanded registering a FIR into the killings. The continuing allegation that the governments in both states have supported and ensured impunity and immunity enjoyed by the police from investigation, there are enough grounds to feel that independent, impartial and credible investigation cannot be done by the police forces themselves into the encounters, the PUCL said in a statement. The PUCL, therefore, demands that a judicial enquiry be initiated headed by a sitting Supreme Court or High Court judge into the killings so that the truth of the killings can be brought to light, it said. The PUCL further insisted that the Andhra Pradesh government and state police should comply with yesterdays Hyderabad High Court order of producing before it Akkiraju Hargopal alias Ramakrishna and 10 others who are supposed to be in the custody of the cops since the alleged encounter. The NGO demanded the police to ensure personal safety of Ramakrishna and others. 28 Maoists were killed in an encounter with a joint team of police from the two states in Odishas Malkangiri district on October 24. The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry into the escape of eight SIMI members, who were being tried for terror from Bhopal central jail. But will it learn any lessons? MP has a patchy record of keeping its prisoners behind bars and has had 28 jailbreaks in the past 15 years, the second-most in the country. Rajasthan has the worst track record, with 55 jailbreaks during the same period, according to data compiled from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The last sensational jailbreak in MP took place in October 2013, when seven SIMI members escaped from a prison in Khandwa. They were arrested after being on the run for nearly two years. For three of the eight SIMI members, who got away on Monday, this was their second successful escape from prison. But MPs track record might be far worse than what the NCRB statistics indicate. Read | Bhopal: Eight SIMI men killed in encounter, but video clips raise doubts In contrast to the 28 jailbreaks reported to NCRB during 2001-2015, a 2013 performance audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said there were 91 incidents of prisoners escaping from jails during 2007-2012. Of the 96 prisoners who escaped in these cases, auditors said 57 got away by jumping over the boundary wall, mixing toxic material in tea served to security staff and negligence of security staff. The CAG also indicted the prison administration for its lackadaisical approach towards securing its jails. For instance, it pointed out that over one-third of 280 wireless sets bought for the jail officials did not work. Neither did 20% of CCTVs. Read | From robbing banks to making bombs: What the 8 SIMI men were accused of SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The US embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday warned American citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance at places in India frequented by Westerners, including markets and religious sites, following media reports about possible attacks by the Islamic State. The brief security message for US citizens stated that recent Indian media reports had indicated ISILs desire to attack targets in India. The US embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets, and festival venues. All US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Departments Worldwide Caution of September 9, 2016, the statement said. The statement was also tweeted by the US state department late on Tuesday night with the message: US Embassy New Delhi warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets.. US Embassy New Delhi warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets.. pic.twitter.com/g7lOmZPlID Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) November 1, 2016 The Islamic State is a militant organisation that burst in to the scene in 2014 when it seized territories in Syria and Iraq. ISIL, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is an offshoot of Islamic State and is active in the region around Syria and in Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Several dozen Indians, mainly from Maharashtra and Kerala, have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join the Islamic State and several more were apprehended before they could leave the country. The group has not been linked to attacks in the country. The Rajasthan police will soon find an unlikely ally in Juliet, who along with her friends from Belgium will strive to bring down crime rate in the desert state. A Belgian Shepherd, Juliet is part of an elite 12-member dog squad 5 males and 7 females which arrived in Jaipur late on Tuesday night from Bangalore after a six-month training. She and her furry friends, Echo, Charlie, Delta and Lima, are expected to breathe fresh life to the states existing dog squad, comprising canines which are over 11-years-old and barely able to work effectively. The Belgian Malinois, a variety of the original breed Belgian Shepherd, is a ferocious breed that has shown unmatchable prowess when it comes to tackling criminals and terrorists. Even in Operation Neptune Spear, the US mission to track down Osama Bin Laden, a Belgian Shepherd was airdropped on the compound of the house in Abbotabad where Laden was hiding, said additional director general of police (crime) Pankaj Kumar Singh. He added that it was after a 10-year-long gap that the Rajasthan police will be getting a new dog squad. Apart from these 12, we have also got the approval to procure 15 more Belgian Shepherds which will also be joining the squad soon. This specific breed has also earned repute in counter insurgency operations in Maoist-hit states, said Singh. Even during the attack on the Pathankot air base in January, it was the National Security Guards (NSG) Belgian Shepherd Rocket that went after the terrorists and even managed to overpower one of them. Rajasthan is the second state after Meghalaya to avail this highly elite dog squad. In the last six months, we have trained the canines in three primary disciplines tracking criminals, sniffing out narcotics substances and bombs and assault, said Masood Ahmed, director of the Bangalore- based academy Stealth Paws, where the dogs have been bred and trained. Twelve Rajasthan police personnel have also been trained in handling the dogs. Its a two-way relationship based on trust and only a good handler can bring the best out of a dog. The female dogs are comparatively better in sniffing and tracking while the males are better in assault, said Ahmed. A seasoned trainer, Ahmed regularly breeds and trains canines in his academy which are then sent to various security agencies. The security scenario in the state will substantially improve after the arrival of the squad, said Superintendent of police (CID CB) Laxman Gaur said. Apart from Rajasthan and Meghalaya, Belgian Shepherds are used extensively by top security agencies, incluing the Border Security Force (BSF), Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Security Guards (NSG). At present we have around 11 Labradors in the squad and most of them have become very old. Their sniffing abilities diminish with age. They are no match for the Belgian Shepherds when it comes to emergency situations. This is definitely a defining moment for the state police, said ADG Singh. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Diwali was less noisy this year with a substantial drop in decibel (dB) as compared to previous years, making it one of the quietest in the last decade. However, noise activists said that loud firecrackers were reported from different parts of the city well beyond 10pm, the deadline permitted for bursting crackers . A day before Diwali, the Mumbai police had issued a notification that allowed crackers to be burst till 10pm. It had cited several Bombay High Court (HC) orders and tenets of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. According to noise readings from non-profit organisation Awaaz Foundation, the highest decibel (dB) levels were recorded at Marine Drive 113.5 dB, from a single cracker at 11.15pm. The reading was much lower when compared to last years high of 123 dB at Marine Drive itself. The permissible limits for single crackers is 125 decibels (dB), a series of crackers (ladi) have a limit between 90 decibel (dB) and 110dB, depending on the number of crackers put together. The state pollution control board and Awaaz had carried out a joint testing of firecrackers on October 18 and the former issued a notification allowing the use of 26 different types of firecrackers across Maharashtra as noise emitted from them did not breach rules. While people used fewer firecrackers and it was a much quieter Diwali, the enforcement of the time limit was inadequate. At very prominent locations such as Marine Drive, the noisiest firecrackers were burst after 10pm despite police presence, said Sumaira Abdulali, convener, Awaaz Foundation. In a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday, Abdulali highlighted that Mumbaiites needed to be congratulated for understanding the health hazards caused by noise pollution and firecrackers. It is a positive change from previous years as people used fewer firecrackers and used the police complaint mechanism in large numbers, she said adding, Noise levels have been progressively going down and we can safely say this was quantitatively the quietest Diwali in a decade. Meanwhile, officials from the Mumbai police said people were fined at different parts of the city for violating the 10pm deadline. On-field officers fined and detained people for flouting the noise limits, under the Maharashtra Police Act, said a senior IPS officer. Strict vigilance and increased police presence was maintained at different parts of the city, especially Marine Drive and Worli Sea Face, on Diwali, where large groups had gathered to burst firecrackers. The Mumbai police Twitter handle received several complaints 10pm onwards from areas such as Chembur, Marine Drive, Worli, Sion, Juhu and Khar, where firecrackers went on till 1am in some areas. Diwali not so festive for these Mumbaiites I coughed up blood on Diwali night 45-year-old Ajay Karia, a Malad resident, started coughing at 2am on Monday while people were bursting crackers, flouting noise rules in his area. I was coughing incessantly for more than 20 minutes. After I coughed blood, I paid a visit to my family doctor. He put me on a liquid diet for three days instead as continuous coughing had affected my oesophagus, Karia said. Karia also went on to say since Natraj Apartments, where he stays, is close to the main road it is even more polluted. I called up the police (on Diwali night) but all attempts in vain. Some of the residents of the building even went downstairs to stop people from bursting crackers but they shrugged them off and continued, he said. He feels he would have to leave the city should such situations prevail in the coming years. People who flout norms are selfish Sharda Vakharia, a 71-year-old Kandivli resident, had to visit a local diagnostic centre to get her blood pressure checked. I was unable to sleep even after midnight as people were busy flouting rules. I started sweating profusely and felt dizzy. I vomited thrice before my son took me to the doctor. My blood pressure had dropped and I was immediately given saline, Vakharia said. While talking about people who dont care about rules, she said, Even they will get old and would fall sick. They think only about themselves and are not concerned about anyone. These people should at least teach humanitarian values to their children since it is too late for them to learn. Doctor advises patient to get out of city for few days A Borivli resident, Leena Engineer, 34, fell unconscious after feeling claustrophobic on Sunday. I was struggling to breathe after we closed all the windows and doors to help our 2-year-old girl who was crying throughout the night. People were bursting crackers right underneath our building. I saw a doctor who literally advised me to go for a holiday to a hill station and not stay here or my lungs would be affected, she said. She added, Even at 1am, people were shamefully bursting loud crackers. My child was crying uncontrollably. In order to lessen her troubles, I closed the doors and tried to put her to bed. In the process, I fell unconscious. Engineer said there is a slum right behind her building. When my husband asked them to stop, they almost hit him. They were all drunk, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As the BJP-led government completes two years in power on Monday, with nearly half of its tenure in office over, its time to look ahead to 2019. The coming three years will decide whether Devendra Fadnavis-led government can deliver on its promises and implement big ticket projects and ideas for public good. If the government delivers, it can face next polls with more than a fighting chance. The going will not be easy as the governments vision is ambitious. From drought-free Maharashtra to creating a Mumbai Metro network of 173km and building the game changer 800-km super communication Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, the government may not be able to deliver on its promises soon. Even achieving partial success in the next three years may be enough, but will stretch the state administration to its limits and still, perhaps, it may fall short. If one looks at the number of decisions taken and people-oriented policies introduced, Fadnavis government comes is on the top vis-a-vis his predecessors. He has shown speedier decision-making and has a vision for the state. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating, said political analyst Surendra Jondhale. Two years is too little to judge how the policies will affect change on ground. A lot would depend on whether these decisions can be effectively translated in the next three years. And that requires a good grip over the entire government machinery, he added. While the development agenda may be number one on the list of things for the government to win, its not enough. The BJP-led government will also have to balance caste dynamics, with Maratha protests unlikely to die down easily and poised to be anti-government. The governments biggest challenge, however, is from within. Its ally and partner in government, Shiv Sena, which slips easily into the role of an opponent and an acerbic critic is the first of the big problems. The other two include intra-party rivalry in the BJP and experience deficit within the cabinet. The Maratha mobilisation, which at least partially is triggered by established Maratha leaderships unhappiness with reforms brought by the Fadnavis government in the co-operative sector, is not a threat in the short term. But it will pose a hurdle ahead of 2019 polls for the BJP, said political analyst Uttara Sahasrabuddhe. She said a bigger threat would be in the form of Sena. Depending on how Mumbai civic polls pan out, the Sena will firm up its plan on staying on or quitting the alliance. Ahead of 2019 polls, it is likely that Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray may pull the rug from under the Fadnavis governments feet, she said. Sahasrabuddhe, however, gave a thumbs-up to the government for policies such as the Right to Services Act, Jal Yukt Shivar or the water conservation campaign and urban infrastructure planning, which she says will impact the governance positively in the future. Fadnavis, well-aware of the threat from the Sena, is trying his best to ensure the alliance lasts for a full five years. In a recent interview to HT, the chief minister reiterated the Sena was a natural ally of his party and he didnt see the BMC polls, affecting the state alliance until their term was complete. To his credit, the CM may have a better working relationship with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray than he has with many of his senior colleagues. The recent Maratha protests that for at least two months elicited no real response or strategy from the government showed this lack of team work and intra-party rivalry in the CMs cabinet. I think initially we didnt know how to react. The chief minister didnt reach out to all of us.Tthe meetings with Maratha leaders in the party were held a little late in the day and remained inconclusive. No one was given the charge to be the spokesperson for the government, said a BJP minister. The absence of team play and an overall experience deficit in the Fadnavis government that has been seen in several controversies in past two years (read: chikki scam, allegations against over half a dozen ministers, Munde and CM spat over Twitter) is further expected to slow down the governments efficiency in the coming years. Fadnavis said as a majority of his ministers were first-timers, they had not yet learnt the ropes of administration and bureaucracy. We have also inherited a system that is insidious and corrupt, with ministers often being waylaid by officers, who have worked in the offices of former ministers and contractor cartels, he said, in his recent interaction with reporters on Saturday. The question is whether the Fadnavis-led government can really make any change to this existing system? If senior leader and former revenue minister Eknath Khadse is any example, the answer is no. Can the government surmount these challenges to prove to be better than the Congress-NCP regime? Going by the last one year, the answer is yes. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday attacked the previous UPA dispensation on the issue of border security, saying anybody could have humiliated the countrys borders during the government of Gandhi Parivar but the Narendra Modi government has secured the borders. This government has protected the countrys border. There was a time when UPA government was here for 10 years. There was a government of Sonia (Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh. There was government of Gandhi Parivar. Anybody could humiliate countrys borders (at that time) at ones will, he said while addressing a function to mark the Punjabi suba golden jubilee here. Also read | Will not accept court verdict on sharing river water with Haryana: Badal Shah asserted that in the last two and half years of Modi government, things have changed. Today, the whole world has come to know that nobody could dare to see with ill-will at the borders areas of India. If anybody tries to show animosity (on border), a befitting reply is given in order to ensure countrys security, said Shah. BJP president Amit Shah flanked by state unit chief and Union minister Vijay Sampla (second from right) and the partys national secretary Tarun Chugh atJallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo) The BJP chief also dwelt on the achievements of BJP led at the Centre after taking over the reins in 2014. This government has worked the most for the welfare of farmers after countrys independence. New plans are brought for the welfare of poor, Dalits and economically backward. This government has set a tradition to ensure the gains of the plans reach the beneficiaries and as a result of which, there is a wave of change in the country, he said. The BJP president also asked people to vote for the SAD-BJP alliance for further development of the state while cautioning voters not to get swayed by the opposition parties. In what has hit the common man hard, the rate of loose wheat flour is up by Rs 4 per kg in the state. Whats more, theres a possibility of another price hike. This steep and sudden hike in the rate of flour being sold by chakkis (local flour mills) is being attributed to a dip in supply of wheat to the flour mills from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) under the open market sale scheme. Flour mill owners on Monday sought immediate government intervention to stabilise the prices. The loose flour is being sold for Rs 21 to Rs 25 per kg in the retail market. Earlier, it was available from Rs 19 to 23 per kg. The lower income groups, especially labourers, have been hit the hardest. Mahesh Nath, a migrant labourer from Uttar Pradesh, said the price hike will make it difficult for him to even feed his family. The prices of packaged branded flour havent changed yet. Dharminder Singh, a flour mill owner in Ludhiana, said that there is an acute shortage of supply of wheat to flour mills which comes via FCI while the branded companies pick their wheat directly from the producer at rates higher than the minimum support price. He added that the Centre has 99% wheat stock and the chakki owners are dependent on the FCI supply. FCI officials said the supply has been curtailed from the earlier 40,000 to 50,000 tonnes per week to 14,000 tonnes in line with central governments orders. We have not been given any reason for this reduction in supply. We have no option but to follow the orders, said a senior officer. FCI general manager for Punjab and Haryana Kumar Rahul said the restriction was routine and is done depending on the buffer stock availability. The FCI auctions its spare stock at various places in Punjab each week under the open market sale scheme. Currently, the FCI holds almost 2 lakh tonne stock of 2014-15 which is to be liquidated through the scheme, added another officer Naresh Ghai, president of Punjab Roller Flour Mills Association, said governments estimate of wheat production was 940 lakh tonne in India, but the actual yield was 860 lakh tonne. There was gap of 80 lakh tonne as wheat production in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh had dipped. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The first Indian chief architect of the City Beautiful who closely worked with Le Corbusier, MN Sharma died on Sunday, in Chandigarh. He was 93. He died of a heart attack, said Sharmas daughter Priya Ojha. Sharma was known for his contribution to the citys architecture and was a signatory to Master Plan 2031 committee. To promote the idea of Chandigarh and an awareness on the history of the city, MN Sharma had launched an architectural society in his name. A graduate from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Sharma was associated with Chandigarhs first plan started by architectural firm Mathew Nowicki and Albert Mayer. Also read | MN Sharma, Salman Khan from Sialkot who became Chandigarh chief architect Sharma took over from Pierre Jeanneret as the first Indian chief architect of the project and after the reorganisation of the State of Punjab in 1966 and the establishment of Union Territory, Chandigarh, he was appointed administrative secretary of the UT department of architecture. He is survived by two daughters and two sons, of whom only the youngest daughter has been in the city, the rest are settled abroad. His charming house in Sector 8, reminiscent of the early architectural style of the city, bears the name plate Amrita and MN Sharma. Bereaved youngest daughter Priya Ojha said, I am proud of my father, who made the citizens feel proud and who made the country proud. She went on to add, He lived to work and admired everything around him, be it leaves, branches, clouds and winds. He loved nature, he loved meeting people. Besides buildings, he had a passion for painting and he loved gifting them. Sharmas close friend Yojna Rawat, who had been staying with him since long and was there with him even during his last moments, said, At 93, he made sure he did not trouble anybody. He left in peace. He had complained of a chest pain early morning on Sunday, after which he was rushed to a private hospital in Sector 34 and was declared brought dead. Yojna informed Sharmas family and other relatives. Two of Sharmas sons, who stay abroad, could not make it to the funeral. The eldest daughter, who also lives abroad, reached the city half-an-hour before cremation. Three days ago, he had taken out a canvas to paint. He set all the colours for it, but felt tired after a bit and had to rest. He promised me to make a canvas, said Yojna. In the same month last year, MN Sharma was honoured with the lifetime achievement award by UT administration. Then, he had questioned the purpose of honouring a person at an age when he does not even know if he would be awake next morning to feel the joy. Important buildings he designed Fountain in Sector 17 Plaza Government press, Sector 18 His own residence, House number 760 in Sector 8 Tourist information centre, Capitol complex Polytechnic college, Sector 26 Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) Complex, Sector 30 Member of the team working on Government Art Gallery, Chandigarh Sector 10 Whos who of city attend cremation MN Sharma was cremated with honours at the Sector-25 crematorium on Monday around 4.45pm. A large number of people from cross-sections of society attended the funeral rites, performed by Sharmas daughters. Home secretary Anurag Aggarwal, chief architect Kapil Sethia, former chief architect Sumit Kaur, city-based architects SD Sharma and Surinder Bhagga; principal of Chandigarh College of Architecture professor Pradeep Bhagat, vice-chancellor of Panjab University professor Arun Kumar Grover, a few professors from Panjab University, senior advocates including ML Sarin and Anupam Gupta, Punjab chief electoral officer VK Singh paid floral tributes to the departed soul. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The police managed to rescue a five-year-old boy, who was kidnapped from his house in Rurka Khurd village of Phillaur sub-division on Diwali night, and arrested three persons within five hours of the kidnapping. Police said the phone calls made by one of the kidnappers from his mobile phone landed them in the police net. The five-year-old boy identified as Hussain Khan, was taken away at around 8.15 pm on Sunday. Hussains father Nisan Khan (27), a POP contractor said that he has three childrenFaisal Khan (10), daughter Kaaniya (8) and Hussain Khan (5)and on Diwali night, three persons, having sharp-edged weapons, scaled the wall of his house and took them hostage. The five-year-old boy with his parents after being rescued from the clutches of kidnappers on Monday in Jalandhar. (HT Photo) He further stated the accused abducted Hussain and fled away with his TVS star city (PB37-D-1760) after opening the gate from inside. Khan said that he immediately informed the police after which SHO, Goraya police station, Jaswinder Singh rushed to the spot with his team and recorded their statement. Superintendent of police (operations) Harmeet Singh, SP (headquarters) Kulwant Singh Heer, Phillaur deputy SP Kanwalpreet Singh with CIA team also started the probe. After some time, one of the accused Jagjeet called Nissar on his mobile number and threatened him to kill his son if he informs the police. As the police had already put his mobile number on surveillance, they were able to trace the accused and arrest them within five hours of the kidnapping. Accused knew the family Police said that before moving in Phillaur, Nisar and his family was living in Mukandpur and the accused knew about his profession and income. The three accused have been identified as Kamaljeet Verma (19), Manjeet Singh (18) and Jagjeet Singh (22) of Mukandpur town in SBS Nagar district. Verma is a BA-second year student in Mukandpur college while Manjeet is doing an ITI course from Phagwara and Jagjeet Singh had completed his graduation in arts two years ago. SHO Jaswinder Singh told HT that the accused, who are reportedly drug addicts, had planned to seek ransom from the victims family but before they proceed, they fell in the police net. The SHO told HT that the house where they had kept the boy was taken on rent by them a few days ago. He added that the accused had been taken on remand. The SHO further informed the police that they have recovered three sharp-edged weapons, a stolen bike and 980 gm intoxicant powder from their possession. A separate FIR under 22, 61 and 85 of NDPS Act has been registered against them. Nisar Khan said that his son was slapped many times by the accused and his mouth was taped shut so that he could not make any noise. Former Jawaharlal Nehru University students union president Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into killing of eight Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) members in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, hours after they allegedly escaped from a high-security jail. If we think rationally, the claims made by police are unbelievable. How is it possible that all eight SIMI members fled together and were gunned down at a same spot? Its a matter of investigation and a judicial probe should be conducted, said Kumar while addressing a gathering at the Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall here. ALSO WATCH | Video: Wiping Pak out will not solve countrys problems, says Kanhaiya Kumar Kumar also criticised defence minister Manohar Parrikar for giving credit to the RSS teachings for surgical strikes across the Line of Control. He said the armymen were laying down their lives while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was patting his own back Kumar said someone from the RSS should come forward and tell us about people from the Sangh who have sacrificed their lives for the country. On upcoming Punjab polls, Kumar said the BJP and its alliance partner SAD will seek votes in the name of various projects, including Skill India, Digital India and more, but it is important not to fall into the trap. Local residents and senior citizens are gearing up to teach at local government schools starting on Wednesday. Over 90 residents from the tricity volunteered to teach at Chandigarh government institutes after suggestions by UT administrator VP Singh Badnore and adviser Parimal Rai. Pawan Kumar Bansal, SK Setia, Col Harjinder Singh (retd) and Dr Sudhir Garg (HT Photo) Residents including retired teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, IAS officers and engineers, among others, sent their requests by filling forms uploaded on the UT education department website. Volunteers named their preference of school and subject they wish to teach. The duration for these voluntary lessons will be an hour each. Hindustan Times spoke to some prominent citizens from different backgrounds to understand why they took up this initiative. Pawan Kumar Bansal Former MP Subject/topic: Legal literacy Bansal said he has already started working on his assignment and personally met the principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School in Sector 19. Bansal discussed the topics with the principal and said he would not like to stick to just one section. SK Setia former, UT DPI (schools) Subject/topic: History, social science, general education, English grammar Setia said while imparting education on the subjects, he will also stress on moral education and improving food habits. Col Harjinder Singh (retd) Subject/topic: English, mathematics Col Harjinder said it gave an opportunity to all those who have always wanted to give back to society. Given the poor performance of government schoolchildren in the recent Class 10 board in English, he hopes to generate interest among students in the subject. Dr Sudhir Garg, 70, former head of department of zoology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar Subject/topic: Biology For Garg, it is an opportunity to spend his free time imparting knowledge to young children. With 40 years of experience in his field, he wishes to take biology lessons with students of Classes 11 and 12 at government schools. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hitting out at the Akali governments Punjabi Suba celebrations, senior Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said trifurcation of Punjab was second partition for Punjabis after 1947. He also hit out at the Akalis for shrinking the state to fulfill their own sectarian agenda. Must read : HT Special | 50 yrs on, power-full Punjab, powerless in Haryana Punjab celebrated its 50th foundation day on Tuesday. It was declared a separate state after Haryana and Himachal Pradesh were carved out of it on November 1, 1966. The Akali Dal and various other organisations had demanded for the creation of a Punjabi speaking state during the 1960s. The Akali government celebrated the occasion in Amritsar with BJP President Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal attending the function. The Congress leader, however, flayed the government for celebrating the occasion which laid the foundation for the continuous decline of the state. Rather than celebration, it should be a moment of penance and self-atonement for Akalis, who had effectively shrunk the state in such a manner as to deprive it of the rich resources and growth prospects which fell to the share of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Haryana in the process, he said in a statement here. Also read | Wont spare a drop: Punjab wants justice, Badal tells Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah Though it was during the Congress regime when Punjab was trifurcated by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Amarinder said Punjab lost out on huge land tracts spanning 80 lakh acres. He said the state also lost precious resources like water, hydroelectric power, forests and tourism to Himachal Pradesh, while large and well-planned industrial belts went to Haryana due to trifurcation of Punjab. Amarinder said, Thus, while Haryana prospered through industrial growth, particularly in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Panipat, Punjab was left struggling with a legacy of festering disputes, including the demand for Chandigarh as its exclusive capital and a commitment to provide Haryana with our precious water. Two drunk man tried to rape a woman after they had offered her lift in their auto from Prof Mohan Singh Chowk (Aarti Chowk) around midnight on Diwali. They pushed her from the running vehicle near Saggu Chowk after allegedly attempting to rape her. The onlookers rushed the woman to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), where her condition is stated to be stable. The people also chased the accused but they escaped. On Monday, the Division number 5 police traced the accused and arrested them, following CCTV footage. The accused have been identified as Manoj, 40 and Naresh, 25, both residents of Prem Nagar. The accused are employees of discotheque, bar and restaurant Las Vegas-2, near Punjab Agriculture University (PAU). The case has been registered following the statement of an eyewitness Vinod Kumar. DCP, Investigation, Bhupinder Singh Sidhu, said prima facie the 23-year-old woman was standing at Prof Mohan Singh Chowk seeking lift. The accused who were passing through the area in a pick-up auto offered lift to her. The accused took her to Prem Nagar at their rented accommodation, but they lost the key of the gate. They tried breaking open the lock, but failed as people gathered there and started questioning them about the woman. The accused then took the woman along with them and fled from the spot. The eyewitness said that the accused attempted to rape her in the running vehicle, but failed, following which they threw her out and fled. The DCP further added that the victim is not medically fit for recording her statement. The woman belongs to some other state and the police are trying to trace her relatives. With the Punjab assembly polls due early next year, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday upped the ante over river-water sharing with neighbouring Haryana, saying Punjab will not spare a single drop of water no matter what the court ruling says. My government will not accept the ruling of any court on sharing of river water and we are ready for any sacrifice for this, be it facing bullets or going to jail, Badal said while addressing a state-level event to mark the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Punjabi Suba. With Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP chief Amit Shah on the dais, Badal sought their attention and said Punjab wants insaaf (justice) and not compensation. The Supreme Court verdict on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, which was to link the two rivers in these states, is likely to be out soon. The SYL, which was to link both rivers in these states, has been a bone of contention for over three decades. Punjab maintains that it has no water to spare for other states. Haryana, which has a BJP government since October 2014, is awaiting the apex court verdict on the water sharing issue. In Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal, of which Badal is the patron, has an alliance government with the BJP since 2007. The CM said despite making sacrifices and contributing in the nations development, Punjab was facing discrimination. Be it the transfer of Chandigarh or the Punjabi-speaking areas, Punjab has been cheated, he added. Blaming the Congress governments at the Centre for failing to resolve the inter-state issues, Badal hoped that the Narendra Modi-led government would resolve the disputes on priority. He also urged Jaitley and Shah to deliver prompt justice rather than making any favour to Punjab. He said the Congress had betrayed Punjab since the times of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who had promised to create the Punjabi Suba on linguistic lines. How can we forget and forgive the Congress for Operation Bluestar and the killing of innocent Sikhs in 1984? he questioned. Jaitley addressing the gathering during the Punjabi suba celebration rally, in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Gurpreet SIngh/HT Photo) JAITLEY SLAMS CONG FOR 1984 RIOTS Targeting the Congress for the anti-Sikh riots, Jaitley said 1984 would be remembered as the year of destruction and the term of the Badal government as the era of reconstruction. He said that terrorism in the state was an outcome of the wrong policies of the then Congress government, which tormented the state beyond anyones imagination. The blot of 1984 carnage, frequent dismissal of democratically elected governments and terrorism spoke volumes of Congress dubious character, he said. PUNJAB YOUTH KNOWN FOR SUPREME SACRIFICES: SHAH Counting the sacrifices and role Punjabis in nation building over the years, BJP chief Amit Shah said it was unfortunate that those who term Punjab youth nasheri (addicts) were seeking mandate in the state. Those who cannot be proud of Punjabs youth and bravery dont deserve any right to seek vote, he said. Also read | Anyone could humiliate India during UPA rule, Modi govt has secured border: BJPs Shah Amit Shah taking parshad at Golden Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo) Congratulating the people of Punjab on the historic day said, Shah said: I bow my head in reverence to great Gurus, saints and seers of this sacred land who have blessed it with an aura of divinity, spirituality and brotherhood. Punjab is the heart of the country and has a supreme legacy of self-sacrifice. Valiant Punjabi soldiers proved their mettle and made supreme sacrifice in the 1962 Sino-Indian war, 1965, 1971 wars with Pakistan and the Kargil conflict. Shah also appealed to the people to give another term to the SAD-BJP alliance for all-round development of the state. Sukhbir Badal addressing the rally. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo) STRUGGLE FOR RIGHTS TO CONTINUE: SUKHBIR Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said though every Punjabi was elated on the 50th anniversary of the Punjabi Suba, the pain of 1984, when innocent Sikhs were massacred, still haunts them as the perpetrators of the crime were still to be punished. He said several states were carved out on linguistic basis after Independence, but Punjab was an exception due to the discriminatory attitude of the then Congress government. Punjab was deprived of its capital, share in river water and Punjabi-speaking areas. We will continue to struggle for our rights, he added. State BJP chief Vijay Sampla; Union food processing minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Punjab cabinet ministers Bikram Singh Majithia, Daljit Singh Cheema, Gulzar Singh Ranike, Anil Joshi and Janmeja Singh Sekhon; MP Shawet Malik; former BJP president Kamal Sharma and MLAs, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee members and SAD-BJP leaders were also present. The government also honoured Punjabi Suba movement activists and their families on the occasion. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The family of a 25-year-old man, who was murdered for opposing illicit relationship of a woman of his village, held a protest at Heerewala village here on Monday demanding the arrest of the accused. According to the police, Attardeep Singh was killed on Diwali night when he resisted the entry of around 5-6 people to his village, who used to visit a woman in his village. The victim resisted the entry of the accused, identified as Jeet Singh, Amreek Singh, Mumpy Singh, Semi Singh, Gurjant Singh and his two sons Govind Singh and Sandeep Singh, residents of neighbouring Khara village. Victim Attardeep Singh (HT Photo) In a fit of rage, Attardeep was attacked with a sharp-edged weapon and, later, he succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Patiala, said deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jasmeet Singh. The police have booked all the accused, including the woman Jasbir Kaur under section 302 (punishment for murder), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 148 (rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon) and 149 (member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of IPC. To avoid any untoward incident, Jasbir Kaur and her daughter were taken away to the police station as the cops feared that agitated villagers might burn down her house. The villagers, who sat on a dharna on Monday morning, said that the accused had always created nuisance in their village and it was just the flashpoint, which led to the killing of Attardeep Singh. All these accused often visited the house of Jasbir Kaur. Even girls of our village on their way to attend school in Khara village were often teased, said a villager. The accused, after killing Attardeep, fled Heerewala village and returned with more reinforcement only to face angry villagers, who had assembled by then at the village entrance. Gurjant Singh, father of one of the accused came armed with weapons and a tractor to terrorise us. When we resisted, he attempted to fire shots but we threw stones at him and then he fled, said another villager. Three youths of the victims village were injured, who were later admitted to the civil hospital in Mansa. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It is never a happy feeling with couples, long married, go in for a divorce. Its even more dramatic when they are celebrities we love. Kollywoods power couple Gautami and Kamal Haasan has called it quits after 13 years of relationship. Announcing the separation, actor Gautami put a long post on her blog, explaining her position. Without divulging the reason, she has gone on to say that it was one of the toughest decisions of her life and that she continues to have great respect for Kamal Haasan. But her priority is her daughter Subbalakshmi (from her first marriage), she added. In recent times, there have been a couple of celebrity marriages that have bitten the dust. Heres a look at others who struggled to keep their marriage intact and went in for a split. Soundarya - Ashwin Ramkumar Soundarya married industrialist Ashwin in 2010. (Twitter) In September 2016, producer Soundarya, daughter of superstar Rajinikanth, took to Twitter to make a formal announcement that her industrialist husband Ashwin Ramkumar and she are splitting after six years of marriage. Divorce talks are on, she had added. Soundarya and Ashwin got married in 2010 and have a one-year-old son, Ved. Rumours about distress in the couples marriage had been doing the rounds for a while and there were speculations that the couple was headed for splitsville. News about my marriage is true. We have been separated for over a year & divorce talks are on. I request all to respect my familys privacy, she had tweeted to clear the air. Filmmaker Priyadarshan - actor Lissy Lakshmi In September again, came another shocker - popular Malayalam actor Lissy Lakshmi confirmed that her marriage with filmmaker Priyadarshan had officially ended. The couple had married in 1990, and soon after Lissy had given up acting. They had filed for divorce in March this year. In a news report appearing on September 16, she called the procedure an ordeal and added that she felt relieved. My marriage with Priyadarshan officially ended today. We both have signed the final papers at the family court in Chennai. This has been a real ordeal, Lissy said in a statement. In recent times, all celebrity divorces, from Hrithik (Roshan) and Sussanne to Dilip and Manju (Warrier) to most recently Amala (Paul) and Vijay all have been mutually agreed divorces. I am sure it also must have been painful to those couples but whatever differences they may have had, they all decided to respect each other, she had added. The couple has a daughter and son from the marriage. Manju Warrier - Dileep In May 2014, the Malayalam film How Old Are You hit the screens and in no time went on to be a hit. The films protagonist was the very pretty Manju Warrier, a leading Malayalam actor, who had quit acting post her marriage to Malayalam film star Dileep in 1998. The actors return to tinsel town was hailed and nothing could have been better than arriving with a bang! But soon after, came the devastating news - the couple were divorcing. In July 2014, the duo filed a joint petition before the family court in Kochi seeking a divorce, after 16 years of marriage. The couple has a daughter together. There were rumours that her friends were to be blamed for the separation. The actor, however, took to Facebook to clear up things and posted a message in Malayalam. The decision to separate was mutual and we have already filed a divorce petition (July 24) and this was purely a personal decision, wrote Manju in her post. She wrote that her close friends -- Geethu, Samyuktha, Bhavana, Poornima and Swetha Menon stood by her during thick and thin, but there is talk that they are responsible for the problems in my personal life and this has not only pained them, but me as well. The decisions that I have taken are mine, I will face the consequences and none of my friends had influenced my decision. In her note, she wished Dileep the best and also informed that she wont fight for the custody of her teenage daughter who lives with her father. Amala Paul - Vijay Actor Amala Paul, who had been married to director AL Vijay in 2014, went in for a divorce in August 2016. The duo met during the making of Deiva Thirumagal, which Vijay was directing. While the two were romantically linked, they both stoutly refuted all claims. However, they did eventually get married in Chennai in 2014. While nobody really knows what went wrong, claims and counter claims have always been thrown around. Some reports suggest that Amala was unhappy with the fact that Vijays family was interfering with her career, while others claimed that Vijay had hinted to the fact that she cheated on him. Sadly, all of this will remain in the realm of speculation. Prabhudheva - Latha Filmmaker-choreographer Prabhudheva, who has found success and fame both in Kollywood and Bollywood, has had quite a turbulent personal life too. The director who gave hits like Pokkiri (2007), Wanted (2009) and Rowdy Rathore (2012), first tasted success back in the early 90s for his incredible dancing skills. In 1995, he married classical dancer Ramlath. Hailing from a Muslim family, she converted to Hinduism and changed her name to Latha. Together, they had three sons and were happy till trouble came knocking at their doorstep. In 2008, the couple lost their son Vishal to cancer. Soon after, there were rumours of his affair with actor Nayanthara, with whom he went on to have a live-in relationship. In 2010, Prabhudheva and Latha agreed on a divorce settlement with the filmmaker agreeing to give her three residential properties, two cars and Rs 10 lakh in alimony. In return, Latha has agreed to relinquish all her rights and claims over Prabhudheva and his other properties. She additionally agreed to withdraw all the cases she had filed against him. Sadly, his relationship with Nayathara too ended in a separation in 2012. Nagarjuna - Lakshmi Daggubati Telugu superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni, who hails from a very influential film family of Andhra Pradesh, married Lakshmi Daggubati in 1984. Lakshmi is the daughter of Dr D Ramanaidu, the founder of Suresh Productions. The couple divorced in 1990, after Nagarjuna fell in love with his Shiva co-star Amala. He married Amala in 1992. Nagarjuna has a son each from both his marriages, Naga Chaitanya (from his first marriage) and Akhil. Prakash Raj - Lalitha Kumari The veteran character actor Prakash Raj, who works in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada film industries, married actor Lalitha Kumari in 1994. However, the married ended in a divorce in 2009 after 15 years of marriage. He has two daughters and a son from that marriage. Prakash later married choreographer Pony Verma in 2010 with whom he has a son. ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop From Tuesday, November 1, 2016, the new Fuhrerbunker (Hitlers bunker) exhibition in Berlin will offer guided tours around a replica of the study in which Hitler committed suicide in 1945. Today, the original site of the bunker in which Adolf Hitler spent his final days is covered by a car park and a simple, discreet plaque. The Fuhrerbunker exhibition, curated by the private Berlin Story Museum, reproduces the bunker in a former air-raid shelter on the Wilhelmstrasse in central-west Berlin, just two kilometers from the original site. The controversial exhibition has been accused of sensationalizing the war crimes committed under Hitlers leadership. A selection of replica rooms includes the office in which Hitler shot himself on April 30, 1945. The tour -- the only way to visit the bunkers rooms -- begins in a former World War II shelter, originally built to house 3,500 people but which, by the end of the war, gave refuge to 12,000 citizens. In an interview with local media, Wieland Giebel from the Historiale organization (which runs the Berlin Story Museum) explained that the choice of an air raid bunker was important for the exhibits relationship with the shelters history: We did not want to separate one from the other. While the exhibition provides a replica of Hitlers office and a scale model of the entire underground complex, the Berlin Story museum documents 800 years of Berlins history, including Nazism. A replica of the study in which Hitler shot himself on April 30, 1945. (AFP) The museums exhibition, however, has come in for heavy criticism, and been accused of poor taste and sensationalism. The city of Berlin has many artifacts documenting the Nazi regime, but most are presented through sober, discreet exhibitions, and some -- such as the original site of the Fuhrerbunker -- are barely acknowledged, for fear of attracting Neo-Nazi sympathizers or site vandalism. The tours of the replica Hitler bunker are available in both English and German, and will be open to the public from November 1, 2016, at the Berlin Story Museum. After all the allegations made by Akansha Sharma against Yuvraj Singh and his family on the sets of Bigg Boss, the cricketers mother has decided to finally take action against the contestant who was evicted from the hig reality show. Shabnam Singh, in an interview to Firstpost, said she will be taking a lawful recourse against Akansha for saying in an interview to Bollywood Life that Yuvraj and his younger brother Zoravar used to smoke pot with her during her brief marriage with the latter. Akansha was evicted this week from the Bigg Boss house. (Colors) Shabnams lawyer, Daman Bir Sobti, said they will be filing a civil suit for damages and a criminal complaint for defamation. We will take video footage from the Bigg Boss house for further proof. She (Akansha) has also been giving a lot of interviews post-eviction. Shabnam will be coming to Chandigarh to discuss the matter with me. Shabnam is currently busy with Yuvrajs wedding, but a lot of people have been calling her over this matter and we have to act fast, he added. Akansha spoke about the familys pot smoking habits when told that Shabnam had alleged a few days ago that her estranged daughter-in-law had a history of substance abuse. As far as substance abuse goes, it was there in their family too, the 25-year-old Gurgaon resident said in the interview. Whatever I did was with them. I smoked pot with my husband. Yuvi also told me he smoked pot. It is a very common thing in the industry. My mother-in-law now needs to say something to justify herself. Akansha further said that her marriage with Zoravar lasted just four months, after which she decided to walk out of the house. They have been separated for two years now. Akansha was evicted this Sunday from the Bigg Boss House. Bigg Boss is scripted on the lines of the British television show Big Brother. The shows format keeps participants locked inside a house for three months with no access to the outside world. Follow @htshowbiz for more Democrat Hillary Clinton held a five percentage point lead over Republican rival Donald Trump, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Monday, down only slightly since the FBI said last week it was reviewing new emails in its investigation of the former secretary of state. Some 44% of likely voters said they would support Clinton, while 39% said they would support Trump, according to the October 26-30 survey. Clinton had held a 6 point advantage over Trump in the five-day tracking poll last Thursday. Other polls have shown Clintons lead slipping more sharply. Real Clear Politics, which averages the results of most major polls, shows that Clintons lead has declined from 4.6 points on Friday to 2.5 points on Monday. Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey told Congress in a letter made public on Friday that his agency was looking into new emails that may be connected to Clinton, who had been probed by the FBI over her use of a private server and how she handled classified information while Americas top diplomat. The FBI has revealed very little to the public about the new emails under investigation, except that they were uncovered during an unrelated investigation into the estranged husband of a top Clinton aide. In July, Comey concluded that Clinton and her staff were extremely careless with their handling of classified information, but that there was not enough evidence to bring criminal charges. On Friday, Comey told Congress, We dont know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails. In a separate poll that included alternative-party candidates, 43% supported Clinton, while 37% supported Trump, 6% supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and 1% supported Jill Stein of the Green Party. The polling determines likely voters according to a number of factors including voting history, registration status and stated intention to vote. It assumes that 60% of eligible Americans will vote. The result of the 2016 election will vary greatly depending on how many voters actually cast a ballot. Currently, Clinton leads Trump in both high and low turnout scenarios, according to the latest poll. Her advantage holds at 5 points if 55% of eligible voters participate, and it rises to 6 points if 70% of Americans cast a ballot. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online in English in all 50 states. It included 1,264 people who were considered likely voters under the assumption that 60% of eligible voters would participate. The poll has a credibility interval, a measure of accuracy, of 3 percentage points. Donald Trump plunged into his final-week sprint to Election Day Monday decidedly on his terms: unleashing a harsh new attack against Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan, a state that hasnt favoured a Republican for president in nearly three decades. His message was welcomed by supporters, but his location frustrated anxious Republicans who fear their nominee is riding his unorthodox political playbook too long - even as Clintons developing email problems offer new political opportunity. Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford, Trump declared in Grand Rapids, pointing to the FBIs renewed examination of Clintons email practices as evidence the former secretary of state might face a criminal trial as president. National polls show a tightening race. But with more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, its unclear whether Trump has the time or capacity to dramatically improve his standing over the next week in states like Michigan, where few political professionals in either party expect a Republican victory on November 8. Clinton, defending herself from the new FBI examination, focused Monday on battleground Ohio, a state Trumps team concedes he must win. There is no case here, Clinton insisted. Most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all this. Later in the day, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a blatant double standard following a CNBC report that FBI Director James Comey opposed releasing details about possible Russian interference in the US election because it was too close to Election Day. Comey issued a letter to congressional leaders on Friday about the FBIs renewed interest in Clintons email. The AP has not confirmed the CNBC report, and the FBI declined comment Monday. Amid the attacks and counterattacks, the race for the White House remains at its core a test of a simple question: Will the conventional rules of modern-day campaigns apply to a 2016 election that has been anything but conventional? For much of the year, Clinton has pounded the airwaves with advertising, assembled an expansive voter data file and constructed a nationwide political organization that dwarfs her opponents. The Democratic presidential nominee and her allies in a dozen battleground states have more than 4,800 people knocking on doors, making phone calls and otherwise working to support her candidacy. Clintons numbers, as reported in recent campaign filings, tripled those of Trump and the national and state Republican parties. The New York businessman over the past year has largely ignored the key components of recent winning campaigns, depending instead on massive rallies and free media coverage to drive his outsider candidacy. This week, hes devoting his most valuable resource - his time - to states where polls suggest hes trailing Clinton by significant margins. Trump had two rallies on Monday in Michigan, a state that last went for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988. The day before, he appeared in New Mexico, which has supported the GOP just once over the last three decades. And on Tuesday, hes scheduled to appear with running mate Mike Pence in Wisconsin, which hasnt backed a Republican for president since Ronald Reagans re-election in 1984. It makes no sense to me, Republican pollster Frank Luntz said of Trumps strategy. Michigan-based Republican operative Saul Anuzis described Michigan as a creative opportunity for Trump. The demographics in Michigan are perfect for Trump, Anuzis said of the states large white working-class population. That doesnt mean hell necessarily win here. Trumps campaign hopes that frustrated working-class voters across the Midwest will tip states like Michigan or Wisconsin his way, especially if he benefits from reduced enthusiasm for Clinton in African-American strongholds like Detroit and Milwaukee. New Mexico is seen as a longer shot, with Trumps hard line immigration stance a harder sell in a state with the nations highest percentage of Latino voters. Adding to Trumps challenge: Millions have already voted by mail and at polling stations across 37 states. They include critical states such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, where one third of the expected ballots have already been cast. The breakdown of those voters by party affiliation, race and other factors point to an advantage for Clinton. Overall, more than 23 million votes have been cast, far higher than the rate in 2012, according to Associated Press data. That represents nearly 20 percent of the total votes expected nationwide, if turnout is similar to 2012. In all, more than 46 million people - up to 40 percent of the electorate - are expected to vote before Election Day. In Colorado, Democrats lead Republicans by 3 percentage points in early voting, reversing a trend in the past two elections in which Republicans led in early voting and large numbers of Democrats voted on Election Day. In swing state Iowa, Republicans trail Democrats in early voting as well, though by a smaller margin than four years ago. Both parties are well behind where they were four years ago. Meanwhile, some Republicans are sceptical that the FBIs renewed interest in Clintons email will erase the Democrats advantage. It would take something like an indictment to turn it into a dead heat, Republican pollster Whit Ayres said. As for Trumps charge that a Clinton election might prompt a constitutional crisis, the Justice Departments office of legal counsel said in 1973 that criminally prosecuting a president would unconstitutionally undermine the executive branch. A 2000 memo reached a similar conclusion. Presidents can face civil lawsuits, however. Ankit Love, a young Dogra musician who claims the title of Maharaja Jammu and Kashmir, fared poorly during the London mayoral election in May, but is back in the political arena as a candidate for a by-election scheduled for next month. Love, 32, insists he is a serious candidate in the Richmond Park by-election on December 1, espousing the cause of air pollution in London and across the globe. His party, One Love, is registered with the Electoral Commission, whose records mention the partys leader as Maharaja Jammu and Kashmir. The son of Bhim Singh, former president of the Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party, told Hindustan Times: I will now be contesting against Zac Goldsmith again to end the air pollution pandemic, this time in the Richmond Park by-election. I am using my title, Maharaja Jammu and Kashmir, as has been updated and approved by the Electoral Commission. I come from a political family, I have experience of this. Even if I am unsuccessful, people will know me after the elections. The by-election was triggered by Goldsmiths resignation last week to protest against the governments approval of a third runway at Heathrow airport. Goldsmith was also a candidate during the London mayoral election, won by Labours Sadiq Khan. Passionate about clean energy, Love wants the British government to impose a surcharge to counter air pollution, and wants all major parties to withdraw their candidates and unite behind him. There has been no response from other parties to his appeal so far. What is wrong with our people? If our water was contaminated to this scale theyd all be up in arms. But with air, the first fundamental human right, everyone is in denial. As alternative technologies already exist, are they all so ignorant or just plain stupid? he wondered. A British citizen, Love arrived in London in 1989 as a 6-year-old and studied art and music in Surrey and California. He has plans for peace in Jammu and Kashmir and the reunification of India and Pakistan. The One Love party, founded in October 2015, has unsuccessfully contested other elections, such as by-elections in Tooting, Batley and Spen and Witney, and the mayoral by-election in Hackney. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Canadian government has forecast its intake of newcomers to the country in 2017 will remain at the levels seen this year, but prospective migrants from countries such as India may have reason for cheer as targets for categories under which they are admitted have been raised. Canadas minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship John McCallum announced the 2017 immigration plan, the first of the Justin Trudeau government, after nationwide consultations. The government expects to welcome 300,000 new immigrants into Canada next year, the same figure as 2016. However, a drop in the intake of refugees means the quotas for the economic and family reunification classes will be enhanced. In 2016, the target for the economic class the category most used by Indian immigrants was at 160,600. This has now been upped to 172,500. The family reunification class has been increased by 4,000 to 84,000. Leading immigration lawyer Ravi Jain, of Toronto-based Green and Spiegel LLP, said: This new target will benefit Indians as there will be more room to bring in Indian immigrants through both the family class and the economic stream. I have already seen a decrease in processing time for my Indian clients who are sponsoring spouses and I expect that parental sponsorships will be processed faster as well. The new plan could also be helpful for students from India, as Jain pointed out, With the higher number of economic class immigrants coming in every year going forward, there will be room for the government to award higher points for Indian international students so that they can once again more smoothly transition to permanent residence. The announcement comes days before McCallum leaves for a week-long visit to India, during which he will travel to Amritsar, New Delhi and Chandigarh. Data released for 2015 showed India was among the top two source countries for new permanent residents. With 39,530 admitted that year, a slight increase over 2014, Indians only trailed permanent residents from the Philippines. McCullum said in a statement, The 2017 levels plan will put Canada in a strong position for the future and support our overall economic and social development as a country. While there were demands during the consultation process to increase the levels of immigration to 450,000 annually, Macullum settled on a figure that matched the one for 2016, partly due to a record influx of refugees, particularly from Syria. In his statement introducing the immigration plan, McCallum said, In 2017, economic immigration programs will see an overall increase of 7% over 2016. Immigrants with skills and experience are able to quickly contribute to the Canadian economy and society, improving life for the middle class as they help create jobs, spur innovation and strengthen communities. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Scottish national was on Monday sentenced to life in prison for the murder of an Indian-origin man 18 years ago. Surjit Singh Chhokar is considered one of Scotlands most high-profile victims whose murder set a precedent by becoming one of the first cases to be retried after the abolition of the countrys double jeopardy laws. His killer, 48-year-old Ronnie Coulter, will serve a life sentence after being convicted by a majority jury verdict of stabbing 32-year-old Chhokar to death in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, on November 4, 1998. Coulter was told he must serve a minimum of 19 years and eight months behind bars before he is eligible to apply for parole, the BBC reported. Jailing him at the high court in Glasgow, judge Lord Matthews said, Chhokar was the victim of an ambush which cost him his life. The jury accepted you were responsible for his brutal murder over the theft of 100.70 pounds Giro. You chose to involve yourself. The evidence showed that what happened was not on the spur of the moment. Read | Historic justice for Sikh man murdered in Scotland in 1998 Lord Matthews said that on the night of the murder, Coulter had travelled to Overtown with his nephew Andrew Coulter and a friend, David Montgomery, to meet Chhokar after a row over a stolen 100-pound cheque. After an altercation, Chhokar collapsed in front of his partner Liz Bryce. He was stabbed three times in the chest and one of the blows pierced his heart, resulting in his death from massive blood loss. The court also heard how Coulter was previously tried for Chhokars murder in 1999, but was cleared of the charge. It is plain that your only purpose was violence and you must have had a knife to hand. You inflicted three stab wounds on his body in the most despicable and cowardly manner. Now, many years later you are here to answer for your crime, the judge said. He praised what he called the quiet dignity of the Chhokar family who had endured an 18-year wait for justice. Speaking outside court, Chhokar family lawyer Aamer Anwar said, In the 18 years it took to prove Ronnie Coulters guilt, he has never shown a shred of remorse or sorrow. Surjit Singh Chhokar was not his only victim. His two parents, a sister, two young children and his partner Liz had their lives devastated, but today the presence of justice has finally given Surjits family peace. Detective chief superintendent Clark Cuzen, who led the new investigation into the murder, said, I hope todays sentence gives some closure to the family and again, I would like to thank them for their courage and dignity throughout. China showed off its Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in public for the first time on Tuesday, opening the countrys biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers with a show of its military might. Airshow China, in the southern city of Zhuhai, features an array of home-grown military technology including assault vehicles, anti-aircraft missile systems, drones and combats jets, and offers Beijing an opportunity to demonstrate its ambitions in civil aerospace. Two J-20 jets, Zhuhais headline act, swept over dignitaries and hundreds of spectators and industry executives during the shows opening ceremony in a flypast that barely exceeded a minute, generating a deafening roar that was met with gasps and applause and set off car alarms in a parking lot at the site. The fighters were not announced on the schedule and appeared in the sky just after a colourful aerobatics show by the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force. With no fanfare but an abrupt announcement by the master of ceremonies, the dark, powerful jets rumbled side by side over the spectators. Soon after, one blasted vertically into the sky and the jets were gone. A pair of J-20 stealth fighter jets fly at China's International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, on Tuesday. The J-20 stealth fighter made its public debut at Airshow China in the southern city in the latest sign of the growing sophistication of the country's military technology. (AP) It is clearly a big step forward in Chinese combat capability, said Bradley Perrett of Aviation Week, a veteran China watcher. Experts say China has been refining designs for the J-20, first glimpsed by plane-spotters in 2010, in the hope of narrowing a military technology gap with the US. President Xi Jinping has pushed to toughen the armed forces as China takes a more assertive stance in Asia, particularly in the South China and East China Seas. China is also set to overtake the US as the worlds top aviation market in the next decade. Questions unanswered After arriving as a pair at low-level, one of the J-20s quickly disappeared over the horizon, leaving the other to perform a series of turns, revealing its delta wing shape against bright sub-tropical haze. But analysts said the brief and relatively cautious J-20 routine the pilots did not open weapon bay doors, or perform low-speed passes answered few questions. I think we learned very little. We learned it is very loud. But we cant tell what type of engine it has, or very much about the mobility, said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of FlightGlobal. Most importantly, we didnt learn much about its radar cross-section. A key question is whether the new Chinese fighter can match the radar-evading properties of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air-to-air combat jet, or the latest strike jet in the US arsenal, Lockheeds F-35. The F-22 Raptor, developed for the US Air Force, is the J-20s closest lookalike. But the mere display of such a newly developed aircraft was a revealing signal, others said. Its a change of tactics for the Chinese to publicly show off weapons that arent in full squadron service yet, and demonstrates a lot of confidence in the capability, and also a lot of pride, said Sam Roggeveen, a senior fellow at Sydney-based Lowy Institute. It was Chinas second successive display of a new stealth jet at the biennial Zhuhai show, following the 2014 debut of the J-31 or FC-31. The long-range J-20, armed with air-to-air missiles, performed its first test flight in 2011 and has been the object of feverish attention by Chinas aviation buffs. At least six prototypes have been produced, according to an annual report on the Chinese military issued by the Pentagon. The Pentagon says the FC-31 is intended for export as a competitor to the US F-35. The FC-31 first flew in 2012 and China is the only country apart from the US to have two concurrent stealth aircraft development programmes. While the J-20s stealth capabilities remain a secret, the Pentagon said China views the technology as key to its transformation from a predominantly territorial air force to one capable of conducting both offensive and defensive operations. Air force leaders believe stealth aircraft provide an offensive operational advantage that denies an adversary the time to mobilise and to conduct defensive operations, said the Pentagon report, which estimated the two Chinese planes could enter service as early as 2018 and would significantly improve Chinas existing fleet of fourth-generation aircraft...to support regional air superiority and strike operations. C919 passenger jet absent It remained unclear whether or how the J-20 would be displayed at the airshow after the flypast. Aircraft that are officially scheduled to be on display alongside the latest Chinese weapon systems, radar and drones include the Xian Y-20 strategic airlifter, with a maximum takeoff weight of around 200 tonnes, and what organisers say is the largest amphibious plane now in production the AG600. A Chinese Y-20 heavy strategic transport aircraft is displayed at the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, on Tuesday. Airshow China serves to showcase the growing sophistication of China's military technology. (AP) The flying boat is officially promoted as a fire-fighting or search and rescue plane. But analysts note the AG600 first unveiled 10 days after a Hague tribunal ruled against Chinas claim to parts of the South China Sea in July is well suited to resupplying military outposts in the disputed area. Also featured is the CH-5 unmanned aerial vehicle, Chinas largest combat drone, which made its first flight last year and appears to be based on the US MQ-9 Reaper. Notably absent from the airshow schedule is the 150-seat COMAC C919 passenger jet. Designed to compete with Europes Airbus Group and Boeing Co of the US, the rivals who dominate the global supply of airliners, the much-delayed C919 is now running three years behind original plans. COMAC said at the show that China Eastern Airlines will be the launch customer for the C919, which may take its first test flight later this year or early 2017, and that it had clinched 23 new orders for the jet, taking total firm orders to 517. China on Tuesday said it is willing to work out a process that will allow countries such as India which have not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to become members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Beijing again proposed the two-step approach first, find an universal way to allow non-NPT signatories to become NSG members and then discuss country-specific applications. A day after Indian and Chinese officials held talks on New Delhis bid to join the NSG, which was blocked in June by a campaign seen to be spearheaded by Beijing, the foreign ministry said a solution was needed so that all non-NPT countries could join the 48-member bloc that controls trade in key nuclear technologies. It is mandatory for countries to join the NPT for getting into the NSG, and China has repeatedly said allowing India into the group will trigger a collapse of the non-proliferation regime. Following the bitterness over Chinas decision, the two countries decided to hold bilateral talks on the issue. The first round of talks was held in New Delhi on September 13 while Mondays talks took place in Beijing. Amandeep Singh Gill, joint secretary for disarmament and international security, led the Indian side while the Chinese side was led by Wang Qun, director general of the department of arms control. The talks were substantive and constructive. The engagement will continue as per the directive of the leadership, a source said following the talks. On Tuesday, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the two delegations exchanged views on enlargement of the NSG and other relevant issues. On Indias accession to the NSG, I can tell you that Chinas position is very clear and consistent, Hua said when asked to comment on the talks at a regular news briefing. She then qualified her statement, indicating the two side may have made headway in resolving the stalemate. China attaches importance to the accession of non-NPT members into the NSG. We will carry out relevant work based on the Seoul General Assembly (which was held in June) and the inter-governmental process that is open and transparent, she said. Hua added: We will seek a solution that applies to all non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of relevant non-NPT country. We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard. China had issued a similar statement at the end of the first round of NSG talks on September 13, when it first proposed the two-step formula. China has hitherto not yet taken a position on any country-specific membership in the category of the non-NPT states. And China supports the notion of two-step approach within the group to address the above question, ie, at the first stage, to explore and reach agreement on a non-discriminatory formula applicable to all the non-NPT states, and to proceed to take up country-specific membership issues at the second stage, an official statement had said. Balwinder Sahni, a Dubai-based Indian property developer, was trending on social media on Tuesday after it emerged he had paid $9 million during a government auction for a coveted licence plate for one of his six Rolls-Royce cars. Personalised licence plates are a huge hit with people with big bucks in the United Arab Emirates, and the D5 plate that Sahni snagged at the October 8 auction for 33 million dirhams isnt the first one in his bag. Sahni spent $6.7 million (24.5 million dirhams) to buy the O9 plate in another auction last year. Despite the fancy licence plates and his plans to acquire two more Rolls-Royce cars, Sahni told CNN in an interview that hes a simple man. I always like to give myself a gift every year, Sahni told CNNMoney. When you work very hard, you need to present yourself something. He said his big purchase had brought him a lot of attention, making it difficult for him to go out in public without people stopping him and asking to take a photo. Some people though arent impressed and have accused Sahni of wasting his money. Its hard, people giving comments without knowing the type of person I am, Sahni said. Though the $9 million spent by Sahni is one of the largest sums spent on a licence plate, its lower than the $14 million record set by an Abu Dhabi businessman in 2008. Sahni also said he sees the license plate purchases as his contribution to public coffers since Dubai has no income tax. He believes the money will go to charity and improving the citys infrastructure. I believe in giving back, he said. This city has given me a lot. The demand for personalised licence plates has led to private companies trying to cash in on the fad. Abdulkerim Arsanov and his brother set up a website, numbers.ae, to link sellers with buyers. The biggest deal through the website was for a two-digit plate that sold for $735,000 (2.7 million dirhams). A series of explosions at a ship breaking yard in Pakistans southwest has killed at least 10 labourers and wounded dozens of others on Tuesday. The blasts rocked an unused oil tanker being dismantled at the Gadani shipbreaking yard in Balochistan province after tanks on the ship caught fire. More than 100 people were working on the ship at the time and the fate of some 30 workers is unknown, local media reported quoting officials. More than 25 of the injured have been rescued so far. Some workers are trapped inside the ship while others who were able to exit from above jumped into the sea, the reports said. A single fire engine present at the scene has been unsuccessful in putting out the fire, reports said. Rescuers are transporting the victims to a hospital in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province. Established in the 1970s, Gadani is one of the worlds largest ship breaking yards. The Hillary Clinton campaign has accused FBI director James Comey of jaw-dropping double standards in its handling of the email controversy regarding the nominee and Russian-backed hacking of Democratic party entities and individuals. The FBI has also come under pressure to reveal details of its investigations into allegations of links between the Kremlin and Donald Trump, as alleged by a former Western intelligence officer, and his past and current advisers. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told reporters on Monday that Comey had displayed double standards in advising restraint in naming Russia in connection with the hackings by citing the elections, while not using the same yardstick for the fresh lot of emails. It is impossible to view this as anything less than a blatant double standard, Mook said, implying Comey should have held off on informing Congress of the new emails so close to the polls, as he reportedly had for the hacking. The FBI was also being asked to reveal details about links between Trump and the Kremlin, which, according to the former spook, had been cultivating the billionaire on President Vladimir Putins orders in order to divide the Western alliance. Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by PUTIN, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance, the intelligence officer has said in a memo to the FBI, according to Mother Jones news-site, which had accessed it. The memo went on to allege Trump and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals. There were also reports that the FBI was investigating alleged links between Russia and Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chair, who dismissed it as a smear campaign. More than 15,000 people were staying in hotels and temporary accommodation in central Italy on Monday after the fiercest earthquake in a quarter of a century struck regions already rocked by repeated tremors in the past two months. No deaths or critical injuries have been reported after Sundays 6.6 magnitude quake, partly because many had fled their homes after a slightly smaller quake nearby killed almost 300 people in August. Aerial video footage released by the fire department showed long cracks running through the surface of Redentore Mountain near the epicentre close to the Umbrian walled town of Norcia. Italys civil protection authority said more than 4,500 people had been moved to hotels on the Adriatic Coast and around Lake Trasimeno, close to the university city of Perugia. A further 10,000 had been put up in emergency centres in the Umbria and Marche regions, the authority said, adding to thousands already forced out of their homes by Augusts quake. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi pledged to rebuild the stricken areas and make sure corruption did not worm its way into the reconstruction projects. Not one cent will be wasted, and we must show that we know how to do public works without waste and without thievery, unlike some episodes in the past, Renzi wrote in a newsletter. In Norcia, firefighters inspected the damage around the 13th century Basilica of St. Benedict, which collapsed leaving only its facade standing, and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Argentea, whose belltower was severely cracked. We will try to rescue all the cultural heritage that has survived but we are right in the centre of seismic activity, the tremors are very, very intense, fireman Domenico De Vita said. Sundays tremor was felt as far north as Bolzano, near the Austrian border, and in the southernmost region of Puglia. Schools were closed on Monday in the capital Rome, whose mayor Virginia Raggi said checks were being carried out on buildings and the citys evacuation plan was being updated. Every crack, every fault that might emerge will be checked, she said. We cannot delay any more. Leading seismologist Gianluca Valensise warned on Sunday the earthquakes could go on for weeks in a domino effect along the central Apennine fault system. Read more| Italy reels as new earthquake sows terror, flattens historic basilica The Lebanese parliament elected former army commander Michel Aoun as president on Monday, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum in a political deal that secured victory for his Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, Iran and Syria. Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri, an opponent of Hezbollah and its allies, is set to be named prime minister in the deal that marked a concession on his part and highlighted the diminished role played in Lebanon by his regional patron, Saudi Arabia. Fireworks echoed across Beirut as the tally of votes cast by lawmakers showed Aoun the winner. It marked the first time since the end of 1975-90 civil war that a Maronite Christian leader with a popular support base was elected to the post reserved for the sect under the sectarian system of government. Aoun, who is in his 80s, had no real challengers for the position he has long coveted. Suleiman Franjieh, another Hezbollah ally and the only other official candidate, had asked his supporters to cast blank ballots instead of voting for him. Aoun is best known for fighting two ruinous wars at the end of the civil war, one against Syrian troops in Lebanon and the other against a rival Christian leader. He struck his alliance with Hezbollah a decade ago after returning from exile in France after the departure of Syrian forces in 2005. At his swearing-in in the Beirut parliament building, Aoun said Lebanon must be protected from regional fires - a reference to the conflict in neighbouring Syria where Hezbollah is fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad. He also promised a preemptive fight against terrorism, in reference to Sunni Muslim jihadists, who have staged suicide attacks against Shiite targets and the army in Lebanon, and said camps hosting some 1.5 million Syrian refugees must not become militant hideouts. But Aoun made no mention of some of the most divisive issues facing Lebanon: Hezbollahs arsenal and Lebanons position on the war in Syria, where the governments official stance has been one of disassociation. Ali Akbar Velayati, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameneis top adviser on international affairs, said it was a victory for Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the Tasnim news agency reported. The United States said it was a moment of opportunity, as Lebanon emerges from years of political impasse. A statement from the State Department said Lebanese parties must also uphold international obligations, including U.N. Security Council resolutions which say there must be no authority in Lebanon other than that of the government - a reference to Hezbollah. His rivals misfortunes Hariris endorsement of Aoun was driven largely by financial misfortune. His political network in Lebanon has been hit by a cash crunch caused by financial troubles at his construction firm, Saudi Oger. Saudi Arabia, a staunch rival of Iran, backed Hariri and his allies through years of political conflict with Hezbollah but has been in retreat in Lebanon over the past year while giving priority to its struggle with Iran in the Gulf. This is a closing of the page of the past, of political struggles, and the start of a new phase, Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk, a senior member of Hariris Future Movement, told journalists at parliament. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, an old adversary of Aouns who also relented and backed his presidency, said: Lebanon has proved its vitality, diversity and democracy in this broken up and destroyed Arab world. Lebanese leaders must now cooperate to confront the challenges facing the country, he said. Aoun is due to meet MPs later this week on their preferences for prime minister. He is obliged to designate the candidate with the greatest support among MPs, expected to be Hariri. The election of Aoun, who led one of two rival governments in the final years of the civil war, ends the longest presidential vacuum in the history of a country that is no stranger to political crisis. Lebanese are desperate for better government to deal with problems in the economy, infrastructure and basic services that came to a head last year with a garbage crisis that left rubbish to pile up in the streets, creating a public health crisis. My dream is coming true, said Bassam Sarraf, a 46-year-old auditor, speaking in Sassine Square in the Beirut Christian area of Ashrafieh, where huge pictures of Aoun and Lebanese flags had been put up by his supporters. The country needs ... somebody strong, and theres nobody other than Michel Aoun for this. U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag told Reuters: We look forward to all institutions being re-energised and revitalised ... and will keep a keen eye on the national elections that should be held next year. But Sami Atallah, executive director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, held out little hope that the new administration would solve the socio-economic problems that last year prompted a wave of anti-government protests. The tragedy of it is when they disagree we go into paralysis. Then, when they agree, we go into collusion mode, and in most cases this is at the expense of citizens. This is the trap we live in until we are able to break this monopoly of power, he said. British banker Rurik Jutting was so consumed by his personality disorders and addictions that he was not in control of his actions when he killed two women in his Hong Kong apartment, a psychiatrist told his trial Tuesday. Jutting, 31, has pleaded not guilty to two murder charges, instead pleading guilty to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility -- which was rejected by the prosecution. Cambridge graduate Jutting is accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, two years ago, slashing their throats after saying he would pay them for sex. He tortured Ningsih inside his apartment for three days before killing her and stuffing her body in a suitcase found on his balcony. The prosecution grilled defence witness Richard Latham, a forensic psychiatrist from London, as they sought to argue Jutting was in control of his decisions at that time. Jutting had said he had killed Ningsih, his first victim, because she might report him, which was a logical reason, prosecution counsel John Reading said. I suggest to you that he was in control of himself, Reading said. Read more| Briton who killed Indonesian women a sadist trying to cover fragile shell? Latham argued Juttings decisions to kill were impaired by his use of cocaine and alcohol, combined with sexual sadism and narcissistic personality disorders. I think its wrong to say that he had a completely ordinary level of control, Latham told the court. Reading argued that Juttings shopping trips to buy rope, a hammer and other implements with which he meant to torture Mujiasih, his second victim, showed significant planning. But Latham said Juttings behaviour was likely driven by the desire to be in control and cause harm for sexual pleasure. In relation to killing (Mujiasih), that likely wasnt his intention, he said. Jutting was so severely dependent on drugs and alcohol it would have been almost impossible for him to resist his craving to take them -- his consumption was close to automatic and involuntary, said Latham. The Saudi secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has resigned days after he angered Egypt with remarks that appeared to mock President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi. A statement from the OIC said Iyad Ameen Madani had resigned from his post for health reasons. It did not give details. Saudi Arabia nominated Yousuf Al Othaimeen, a former minister, as his replacement. Madani, 70, had held the post since 2012. His resignation came two days after Egypts foreign minister Sameh Shoukry condemned Madanis remarks, describing them as a serious encroachment against a founding member state of the OIC and its political leadership. Last week, Madani mixed up el-Sisis name with that of Tunisias President Beji Caid Essebsi at a conference and then remarked: I am sure your fridge has more than water. This was an apparent jibe at el-Sisi, who told a conference in October that his fridge contained nothing but water for a decade a comment seen as a message to Egyptians to be ready to cope with harsh economic conditions. Madanis remarks outraged Egyptians and the government in Cairo. Shoukry also said after the incident that Egypt would review its position toward the OIC. On Monday, Egypts foreign ministry welcomed Saudi Arabias nomination of Madanis replacement. Madani has said his remarks were only based on a sense of humour and were by no means intended to be offensive to the Egyptian leadership, according to the Saudi daily Arab News. Pakistans Supreme Court on Tuesday said it would form a commission to investigate revelations in the Panama Papers leaks that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs family owned offshore assets worth millions of dollars. The courts decision came a day ahead of opposition leader Imran Khans planned lockdown of the national capital to pressure Sharif to step down or order a probe into the Panama Papers issue. The Supreme Court asked Sharifs PML-N party and Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to submit their terms of reference for the commission. Both parties also agreed to the formation of the panel. Khan announced after the courts decision that his protest would be postponed. He instead called on his supporters to join a thanksgiving rally at Islamabads Parade Ground on Wednesday. I thank all those who fought this 20-year-long war against corruption with me, he told the media. He also accused Sharif of hurting Pakistans development through corruption. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of five petitions seeking a probe into the Panama Papers leaks till Wednesday. The proposed commission will report to the court, which will also choose its members and chairman. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi is surrounded by lawyers and his party colleagues as he speaks to journalists outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad on Tuesday. (AP) Media reports quoted Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali as saying both the PML-N and PTI should show restraint. We have to save the country from unrest and crises, Jamali said, adding the Panama Papers leaks had affected the entire country. The court said it would resolve the issue and all parties would be given an opportunity to present their views. Khans planned lockdown of Islamabad and clashes between PTI supporters and law enforcement personnel over the past few days had sparked fears of a confrontation between the government and the opposition party. Some observers had suggested that the powerful army could intervene in the event of a breakdown of law and order. Relations between the civilian government and the military are at a low after the army described the leak of information about a crucial meeting on countering terrorism to the Dawn newspaper as a breach of national security. Cars, motorcycles and pedestrians pass between shipping containers placed on the streets of Islamabad by police to prevent protesters from getting to government areas on Tuesday. (Reuters) Sharif has been under pressure from opposition parties to order a probe into revelations in leaked documents from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca that his three children Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz owned offshore assets worth millions of dollars. The Sharif family has said the assets were acquired through legitimate business interests. Defence minister Khawaja Asif, a senior leader of the PML-N, said his party had accepted the Supreme Courts decision. In the present situation, it is crucial for all parties to show faith in the Supreme Court, he said. Now the judiciary has taken up the matter, there is no logic in agitation on the streets. Both the accused and accuser are standing before the court, so I think the nation should be given relief from the agony of this protest, Asif told reporters. Pakistan appears to be on throes of a leadership crisis, especially when it comes to defining the relationship between the civilian administration and the military top brass. At least this seems to be the case if one were to go by Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Mohammad Saeeds fervent appeal to the government and the opposition to mend fences and work for the unity of Pakistan. Saeed, according to the Dawn, has urged ruling and opposition parties to resolve all their issues through talks and avoid becoming tools of international forces who only want both to ignite a crisis in Pakistan. Just a few days after the Quetta attack, which has left our scores of policemen dead, the country has plunged into a political crisis, he was quoted as saying. Saeed alleged that India is behind this political crisis in Pakistan to prevent Islamabad from raising the Kashmir issue. He lamented that as far as Pakistan is concerned the Kashmir issue has disappeared from the national scene. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief made these comments while addressing a press conference at the Markaz-i-Taqwa, the Karachi headquarters of the JuD. The woman at the centre of the snowballing political scandal engulfing President Park Geun-Hye has been put under emergency detention after prosecutors said she was unstable and a flight risk. Choi Soon-Sil, who faces allegations of fraud and meddling in state affairs over her decades-long friendship with Park, was grilled for hours Monday after she returned to the country and handed herself in following mass street protests. There is a possibility of Choi trying to destroy evidence as she is denying all the allegations, a prosecution official told the Yonhap news agency, explaining the decision to hold her for 48 hours. She has fled overseas in the past, and she doesnt have a permanent address in this country, making her a flight risk. She is also in an extremely unstable psychological state, the official added. The media has portrayed the 60-year-old Choi as a Rasputin-like figure, who wielded an unhealthy influence over Park and interfered in government policy despite holding no official post and having no security clearance. She flew back to Seoul Sunday from Germany and was mobbed by hundreds of journalists and angry protesters waving placards demanding her arrest. Dressed from head to toe in black, Choi lost her hat, sunglasses and one Prada shoe as she struggled through the scrum to the Seoul District Prosecutors Office Monday. Please forgive me. I have committed a deadly sin, Choi said after she made it inside the building, Yonhap reported. After a night in detention, she was escorted back to the prosecutors office early Tuesday wearing prison uniform for another round of questioning -- which could last for days, Yonhap said. Prosecutors have to decide whether to seek a warrant to formally arrest Choi before the emergency detention period expires. -- Help Choi die -- Park and Choi have been close friends for 40 years. The precise nature of that friendship lies at the heart of the scandal which has triggered a media frenzy in South Korea, with lurid reports of religious cults and shamanistic rituals. Choi is the daughter of late shadowy religious leader Choi Tae-Min, who was married six times, had multiple pseudonyms and set up his own cult-like group known as the Church of Eternal Life. He befriended a traumatised Park after the 1974 assassination of her mother -- whom he said had appeared to him in a dream -- becoming a mentor to Park, who subsequently formed a close bond with his daughter. Suggestions that Choi vetted presidential speeches and was given access to classified documents have exposed Park to public anger and ridicule and, with just over a year left in office, pushed her approval ratings off a cliff. According to a survey published Tuesday, Parks approval rating was 9.2 percent, with 67 percent of voters saying she should step down. Donald Trump ignores opinion polls when they are unkind to him but he has been talking about them again lately as he shrinks Hillary Clintons lead in the final days of the race for White House. The Republican nominee tweeted on Tuesday morning about a Washington Post-ABC poll that put him ahead of the Democratic rival by 1 point. Wow, now leading in @ABC /@washingtonpost Poll 46 to 45. Gone up 12 points in two weeks, mostly before the Crooked Hillary blow-up! Trump posted. The Democrat, however, continues to lead in the average of polls, although by a shrinking margin. In the RealClearPolitics average of national polls, Clintons lead was down to 2.2 points, from more than 7 points on the eve of the first presidential debate. The blow-up in Trumps tweet was a reference to FBI director James Comeys letter to Congress last week about the discovery of new emails pertinent to the investigation of Clintons use of a private email server as the secretary of state. Comey has come under withering attacks from Democrats and some Republicans for trying to involve himself into the election. Comey has been compared to J Edgar Hoover, who had tried to tip the 1948 presidential election in favour of Thomas E Dewey, a Republican, by providing his campaign damaging bits of information on incumbent president Harry Truman, a Democrat. Reports have also surfaced of the FBI opening an investigation into former Trump campaign chair Paul Manaforts ties to Russia as a Washington DC lobbyist, which the investigating agency has neither confirmed nor denied. Manafort called those reports an outrageous smear driven by the Clinton campaign and other Democrats. With the FBI in full play, the US department of justice, which oversees the investigating agency, moved on Monday to contain the damage, telling Congress in a letter it will work with the investigating agency and dedicate all necessary resources and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible. There was no word yet on the content of the emails that the FBI discovered on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin, while investigating him for texting exploit pictures of himself to a minor girl. Comey set off a firestorm by sending a letter about these emails to congressional leaders last Friday, calling them pertinent to the investigation about Clintons private server which he had announced closed in July. At the time, he had said Clinton had been extremely careless but there was no prosecutable evidence of wrongdoing. In his letter on Friday, Comey was seen, specially by Republicans, to have signalled he has reversed his earlier decision and reopened the investigation. Trump is happily fanning that notion, renewing his call for Clinton to be not allowed to run. Britain remains under a terror threat level of severe which means an attack is likely but security agencies foiled as many 12 terror plots in the past three years, the MI5 chief said on Tuesday in the first media interview in the intelligence agencys history. Andrew Parker, chief of Britains domestic intelligence service, told The Guardian the agency had to change with time, and generating greater understanding is vital to securing public consent for its work. He is the 17th MI5 chief since 1909, most of whom have remained unknown. On the 12 thwarted attacks, Parker, 54, said: That sort of tempo of terrorist plot and attempts is concerning and its enduring. Attacks in this country are higher than I have experienced in the rest of my career and Ive been working at MI5 for 33 years. The reality is that because of the investment in services like mine, the UK has got good defences. My expectation is that we will find and stop most attempts at terrorism in this country. He, however, added: There will be terrorist attacks in this country. The threat level is severe and that means likely. Seeking to recruit more officers from the Asian and Afro-Caribbean minorities, Parker said: We need to be able to do surveillance of terrorists. We have to approach, cultivate and recruit people to be agents to work for us. That does not work so well if everybody looks like me. Parker identified the Islamic State and the continuing threat in Northern Ireland as challenges in international terrorism, but also singled out Russia for allegedly being aggressive and posing a threat to the stability of the United Kingdom. Currently, the flavour of it is Daesh, or Isil (Islamic State), and we still have the al-Qaida brand. This is something we have to understand: its here to stay. It is an enduring threat and its at least a generational challenge for us to deal with, he said. It (Russia) is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5s job to get in the way of that. Parker said Russia still has plenty of intelligence officers on the ground in the UK, but what is different now from the days of the Cold War is the advent of cyberwarfare. Russian targets include military secrets, industrial projects, economic information and government and foreign policy, he said. It seems like there are a whole lot of problems regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 for Samsung electronics. Even though it is saddening to see the sight of one of the best smartphone makers in the android segment, it's not the best time for Samsung, as per ongoing matters at the moment. Samsung is now rather in some kind of a due to faulty hardware in one of their flagship devices. Samsung a month back issued a massive global recall of all their note 7 units due to their phones exploding due to bad batteries. It involved more than 2.5 million units. They also set up return programs at all major airports due to the world-wide ban on carrying the phones in airplanes. The loss is estimated to be around 19 billion US$. A reddit thread with a news link revealed about Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is bound to happen eventually. However, things were rather a bit intriguing. On going through it in-detail, it seems like current Note 7 owners are eligible for an upgrade program very much like how Apple manages to when the upcoming replacement for the Note 7 is announced the following year. This also includes an offer for the user to either opt for an S8 or the Note 8 itself, which nonetheless confirms as the successor to the Galaxy Note 7. According to Reuters, it seems Samsung is now offering the upgrade program currently in South Korea desperately hoping to cling to their customers at any costs. The report details that users in the upgrade program will only have to shell half the price that was paid for their S7 phones in lieu of the complete price for a new S8 or Note 8. This comes after a decision to halt complete production and sales of the disastrous Galaxy Note 7 previously mentioned. Apparently, some users have also been compensated with a financial stimulus about US$89 for those affected but only in South Korea. However, even though such a program has now been announced, Samsung also mentioned that it would be region and country-dependent which it did not further elaborate. Samsung is yet to settle a multi-million dollar lawsuit filed by various people including individuals and law firms. Samsung is already reeling under heavy pressure to desperately bounce back from their debacle for this year with Galaxy S8 or Note 8 release. But it's evident, according to many analysts, that Samsung might need to do more than just offering financial incentives and upgrade programs. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Turkey tightened the noose around its citizens over the weekend as the government expanded their post-coup crackdown by passing two decrees that dismissed more than 10,000 civil servants and suspended nearly 15 media outlets with Kurdish leaning, KLKNTV reported. The media outlets are suspected to harbor links with "terrorist organizations" and U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who was accordingly behind the failed coup in July, Reuters reported. As President Tayyip Erdogan went after the network of Gulen, over the past few months, at least 100,000 people were sacked or suspended and 37,000 other were arrested in a crackdown. The crackdown on civil servants included academics, teachers, health workers, prison guards and even forensic experts who were informed of their dismissal through two new decrees published on the Official Gazette late Saturday, Reuters reports. KLKNTV provided the breakdown of the dismissals, including 2,534 personnel from the Justice Ministry, 2,219 from the Education Ministry, 2,774 from the Health Ministry, 1,267 from higher education institutions and 101 from the armed forces. The remaining 1,236 dismissals were across several different government departments and agencies. Turkey, soon after the failed July 15 coup attempt, imposed a state of emergency on its people, allowing the government to control by "decree", which virtually nullifies parliamentary involvement. The decrees are often used to suspend hundreds of people in the public sector, on the charge that they are linked to terrorist organizations, KLKN reports. Opposition parties are alarmed and calls the crackdown a coup in itself, the Reuters reports, causing them to question the state. "What the government and Erdogan are doing right now is a direct coup against the rule of law and democracy," Sezgin Tanrikulu, an MP from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), said in a Periscope broadcast on twitter. The west largely fears that Erdogan is using the emergency to wipe out any dissent. Erdogan on the other hand, justifies his actions after he was attempted to be overthrown by a coup attempt in July, in which 240 people lost their lives, said the Reuters. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The FBI is fast emerging as a favorite side show for the current US Presidential campaign tussle. With Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump firing at each other's faults and failures, the federal law enforcement bureau just can't stay away from the biggest limelight leading to November Elections. In another twist to the Democratic presidential candidate's email issues, the FBI remains keen on pursuing its case against the inappropriate use of Clinton's email servers. The federal agency finds the risks involved too valuable to be ignored. Politicians and observers have been appalled after discovering that Director James Comey has given the go-signal to continue the electronic correspondence inquiries. What puzzled people about the move is the declaration three months ago that supposedly cleared the former Secretary of State from any wrongdoing or liability pertaining to the irresponsible utilization of a private server. In a current report written to the members of Congress, Comey reveals that an email has been found passing through the same domain while another investigation is going in. The FBI is looking at the sexting scandal that involved Clinton's trusted aide Huma Abedin and her then politician-husband Anthony Weiner. The reception of the latest development has been sharp and bitter as online, print and broadcast news discussed the timing of the issue. Both the nature and the legality of the investigation are under heavy scrutiny after Comey's statement. Harry Reid of Nevada, Senate minority head, is concerned that the FBI director's prejudiced action may have violated a federal law that is supposed to block the bureau from interfering with elections. In a letter to Comey, Reid has pointed out that the law enforcement agency's top guy breached the Hatch Act which prevents the FBI from influencing election events. Also known as the Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, the law has been framed to manage political actions of federal personnel. It denies those employees the capacity to affect electoral results. In response, federal prosecutors including former Attorney General Eric Holder downplayed the reactions, citing that there has been no instance where a disclosed information made a difference in a major election. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. News abound online about Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt citing irreconcilable differences as a cause. The whole thing erupted into a series of headlines about the famous couple split. The divorce of one of Hollywood's most famous couples poses serious questions about their property planning. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt share six children together and more than $500M worth of cumulative earnings. Since they got married in 2014, the couple has earned a combined $117.5 million before taxes and fees, according to some estimates. Pitt has earned the bulk of that money, with some $76.5 million nearly doubled Jolie's income in that period. The couple has been together for 12 years since they met while working on Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2004). In that time, the Fight Club and 12 Years a Slave actor have earned an estimated $315.5 million pretax. Only in 2016, he cashed in $31.5 million. That was good enough to spot him on the Celebrity 100 ranking of highest-paid entertainers. Pitt's career earnings soar above $379.5 million. The 42-year-old actress, who is seeking custody of their 6 kids, pocketed $239.5 million in the past 11 years. She became famous starring role as the video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider movie and continued her successful action-star career with movies such as Gia and Girl, Interrupted. Also, her biggest commercial success the fantasy picture Maleficent (2014). Angelina Jolie has also moved behind the camera with the wartime dramas In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and Unbroken (2014). She is Hollywood's highest-paid actress. Together, the couple has pocketed over $555 million since they are in a relationship. Since both of them was married before, experts say it would be highly likely that those two have signed a prenuptial agreement to determine exactly what to do in the case of a separation or divorce. With a pre-nuptial, any earnings or property acquired before their wedding, including years they were in a relationship but not married will remain the sole property of the individual. As for assets and other holdings earned throughout their marriage will be split, according to terms of the assumed prenup. In the highly unlikely case that they don't have one, it will be governed by California community property laws that will split assets evenly. Before they got married, the most famous Hollywood couple bought houses in New Orleans and Correns, France, which will not be considered marital property. According to Los Angeles Times, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have already sold their home in New Orleans' French Quarter for $4.9 million. Apart from the property and the money, the source of conflict could be their children, if Pitt decides to fight Jolie's pursuit of sole custody. If their kids live primarily with Angelina, Brad will be paying her the child support, but if they share the custody neither of them would pay child support. Terms of any prenuptial agreement between the two have yet to be made clear. It remains to be seen how they will solve custody over their kids and divide their sizeable estate. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google's latest Android 7.0 Nougat mobile operating system has already been released for a number of smartphones, including Nexus devices. Not it is rumored that OnePlus One users may also get to enjoy the new features packed with the latest Android upgrade. OnePlus One running on Android 7.0 Nougat was recently spotted on benchmarking website Geekbench, according to International Business Times. This has creates a wave of excitement among OnePlus One users, who now anticipate that they may also receive the latest version of the Android OS on their 2014 flagship phone. This leak has come as a great surprise to the OnePlus 2014 flagship users as earlier the phone was rendered ineligible for upgrade. This was primarily because of two reasons - first, the device is almost two-and-a-half years old and second, it has Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU. While the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) are only allowed to release Android 7.0 Nougat upgrade only for smartphones that are either 18 months or a maximum of 24 months old. In addition, Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU is believed to incompatible with the latest Nougat update because it does not support Vulcan graphics API. OnePlus One can only be upgraded if Qualcomm decides to release a new graphics driver. On the other hand, the smartphone company also failed to provide any assistance to the old flagship users, thus discouraging users from moving on to latest smartphones. As for the figures associated with Android 7.0 Nougat running on OnePlus One, the numbers do not seem so great. It has a multi-core score of 2,521 and a single-core score of 976. But the users will still be able to enjoy all the features of the latest Google OS if the update is finally released for OnePlus One. Meanwhile, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is expected to launch the highly anticipated flagship soon, OnePlus 3T. It will come with a faster CPU and a better quality camera, costing at around USD 479. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Since Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, European relations with the Russian Federation has soured. While gradual military deployments from both sides currently occurring, it cannot be denied that the entire continent is heading towards a very dangerous showdown since the Cold War. Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, secretary-general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has recognized that the military expansion of the Allied forces in Europe is at its largest. The current peril focuses on the responses made by both sides with regards to each other's intentions. Russian countermeasures at the border have set into motion a new risk which NATO can no longer ignore. In the same manner, maneuvers pursued by European troops have made Moscow uneasy. Former communist nations in Eastern Europe can no longer deny the possibility of another Russian break in into their respective backyards which is why the presence of NATO is a necessity. In July, the continent's military alliance has permanently stationed three battalion-sized groups in the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. With around 300 to 800 troops per unit manning designated positions, the situation suddenly looks serious and bleak. Meanwhile, an American unit is also making their presence count in Poland. Despite the recent troop movements in Europe, an armed conflict remains a remote possibility. For the moment, the deployments are part of future alignments. However, Washington's decision to provide around $3.4 billion to new NATO member-states emphasizes something else. President Barack Obama has utilized the European Assurance Initiative as an approach to provide military equipment to its European allies. In addition, military units are being prepared for stationing within a short period of time. Aside from US assistance, the 3,500-strong British forces are establishing a rapid deployment team. The Germans, on the other hand, will position themselves in Lithuania as part of the security process. Such developments don't sit well with Russia considering that Kremlin finds all the movements violating the non-occupation treaties it signed with the West back in the 90s. In line with this, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has pointed out that NATO maneuvers threaten Russian interests. The positioning of the Iskander missile system in Kaliningrad has kept NATO anxious. Stoltenberg himself has been cautious to make the necessary responses. With Washington busy dealing with its forthcoming elections, the situation in Europe remains volatile. It is not surprising that American relations with the Russians have further deteriorated due to competing interests in Syria. Furthermore, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says that Washington's move in blocking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) for Russian programs is perilous. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hospitality Net today Sign up to our free daily newsletter, Miami has always appealed to the rich, the famous and the glamorous. And now more than ever the Florida city renowned for its beaches, beautiful people, nightlife and hedonism is seeing a new wave of luxury developments in the form of hotels, condominiums and residential complexes. But perhaps where this 5* resurgence is most evident is in Miami's Brickell neighbourhood, traditionally the financial centre of the city. Los Angeles' trendy hotel group sbe have recently opened a new hotel in the area, the SLS Brickell. Employing the artistic savvy of legendary designer Philippe Starck and the gastronomic genius of chefs Jose Andres and Michael Schwartz, SLS Brickell harnesses the energy of the area and combines it with the vision of SLS founder Sam Nazarian to create a unique and luxurious hotel and residential development. The SLS Brickell opens in October 2016. Besides the SLS Brickell also the Panorama Tower Brickell is a project worth looking at. The tower is a mixed-use development located at the epicenter of the Brickell financial district and will feature 821 luxury rental apartments, office and retail spaces as well as a luxury hotel with 208 rooms. The Miami based architecture office Cosicher Moshe Architects is responsible for the complex design of the 83 story tower working closely with Zyscovich Architects who will provide the interior design concept. In Miami currently 34 new hotels with more than 9,800 rooms are in the pipeline and 9 projects with 2,300 rooms in Miami Beach. TOPHOTELPROJECTS collects and manages data on hotel projects and chains worldwide and offers their clients a comprehensive overview of new projects and refurbishments, as well as renovations and other building projects in the hotel industry. Besides the actual number of 5,000 hotel projects worldwide, the database also lists more than 2,000 hotel chains. More information is available at:www.tophotelprojects.com contact: Jule Grass | [email protected] TOPHOTELPROJECTS GmbH Jeersdorfer Weg 20 27356 Rotenburg Wumme (bei Bremen) Telefon: 04261 4140 0 Fax: 04261 4140 400 keywords: hotel construction, hotel development, hotel project, new hotels, hotels, resorts, hotel brands, hotel operators, hotel chains, Miami, Miami Beach, luxury hotels Jule Grass Marketing Manager +49 4261 4140 309 TOPHOTELPROJECTS View source New York, New York -- sbe, the Los Angeles-based leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hospitality venues, announced yesterday the official launch of its first New York City hotel, The Redbury New York, during its grand opening party. Hosted by sbe's Sam Nazarian, The Redbury Creative Director Matthew Rolston, and Union Square Hospitality's Danny Meyer, over 1,000 attendees gathered to commemorate the debut. Following successful openings in Hollywood, CA and South Beach, FL, the Manhattan debut marks the third and latest property from The Redbury brand, in collaboration with flagship Creative Director and world-renowned photographer and director Matthew Rolston. Since its phase one transformation in April 2016 to The Rebury New York, the hotel has undergone extensive design renovations for an immersive boutique hotel experience. Located on 29 East 29th Street in the heart of Manhattan's burgeoning NoMad district, The Redbury New York is just a short jaunt from the city's best shopping, restaurants, nightclubs and attractions, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Park, the Theatre District, and more. Setting a new benchmark for hospitality in New York City, The Redbury New York introduces an evolution of the lifestyle hotel experience with the debut of the largest Redbury property to date, featuring 265 guest rooms, 7,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, Ciel Spa bath amenities, Wi-Fi, and in-room dining from buzzy on-site restaurant Marta, from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. The Redbury brand launched in 2010 with its first location in Los Angeles, as a new hospitality category for sbe, led by visionary Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian. Developed by its Creative Director Matthew Rolston, its inspired design, with influences from the 1960's era of pop music and bohemian counter-culture, includes handpicked hospitality amenities and a soulful, engaging environment that is sophisticated, yet comfortable and inviting. Historical Significance The hotel originally opened in 1903 as Martha Washington Hotel and was the first hotel in New York to provide housing for professional women. Although increasing numbers of women were joining the work force, residential options for single, working women at that time were extremely limited. The hotel continued to cater exclusively to women up until 1998. In 2012, the building was officially marked as a landmark site for its architectural and historical significance and is recognized today by Historic Hotels of America. The hotel, located on 29th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, is close to New York's legendary center of music recording and publishing, known as 'Tin Pan Alley,' where the American music industry flourished during the late 19th century and early 20thcentury. Rocking Influence and Design Creative Director Matthew Rolston was the first to recognize the property's location adjacent to New York's historic Tin Pan Alley and dove deep into the city's illustrious history as one of the birthplaces of American pop music and rock 'n roll, incorporating elements of this narrative into the property's 265 newly-renovated guest rooms and interiors. Rolston worked closely with Dakota Development and Avenue Interiors to incorporate funky patterns, motifs and visual accents throughout the property. Guests are effortlessly transported to another era as they pass through The Redbury New York's iconic red velvet opera curtain, black and white checkered flooring, and an enlarged original photograph of buildings at the heart of Tin Pan Alley, set behind the Host desk. Hues of red and green are woven throughout the property with whimsical paisley prints, oriental rugs, balanced with the charm of antique light fixtures and reclaimed furnishings. Curated vintage art selections by Rolston that reflect the iconic rock 'n roll age of New York City are displayed throughout the public spaces and guest rooms. The original building was designed by Robert W. Gibson in renaissance revival style with classically-inspired brick and limestone, Palladian windows, splayed lintels with keystones and balconettes with iron railings. The building's iconic facade and designated historic landmark status reinforce The Redbury New York's timeless design. Unprecedented Hospitality The Redbury New York hosts pride themselves on exemplary hospitality, ensuring that each guest's stay is memorable. Rather than the standard front desk and concierge service, guests of The Redbury New York are hosted for a more personalized experience, including touches such as handwritten notes, bespoke amenities or the simple remembrance of a favorite room. Complimentary coffee service and digital access to The New York Times and The Financial Times are available daily. In addition, guests of The Redbury New York will have the unique ability to experience amenities in partnership with sbe's SLS Park Avenue, set to debut in 2016. The close proximity allows for an elevated hospitality experience for guests, as well as dynamic venue options for special events and meetings. Food & Beverage Opened by Chef/Partner Nick Anderer and helmed by Executive Chef Joe Tarasco, Marta is a Roman-inspired pizzeria from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, located on the hotel's ground floor. The Italian restaurant draws inspiration from the tradition of rustic Roman pizzerielocal haunts that churn out thin, crackly-crusted pizzasand features a lively open kitchen with two wood-burning ovens and an open-fire grill. Marta's menu offers fresh, innovative takes on classic Roman pizzas as well as original dishes that celebrate seasonal ingredients from local farms and purveyors. Marta is open throughout the week, serving breakfast, lunch, brunch, and dinner. A selection of pizzas and other dishes are also available through in-room dining service during regular restaurant hours. Marta is a non-tipping restaurant. Hospitality included. Marta works alongside the hotel to deliver unprecedented in-room dining options, event catering, craft beverages and more. Bar & Lounge Bar Marta, the hotel bar and lounge, is located within the comfort of The Redbury's cozy lobby. Bar Marta serves a range of sophisticated cocktails, craft beers, fine wines and an extensive champagne list, as well as the full Marta menu. Open Sunday through Thursday, 4:00PM to 12:00AM and Friday through Saturday 4:00PM to 1:00AM. Brand Loyalty sbe Hotel Group has brought The Redbury New York into membership with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as the newest experience within the brand's Lifestyle collection. As a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Lifestyle collection, The Redbury New York will receive a combination of strategic sales, marketing, distribution, and technologies solutions. Travelers who visit the property will be eligible to enroll in the iPrefer guest loyalty program, which extends points redeemable for free nights and other expenditures, elite status, and special benefits such as complimentary Internet upon every eligible stay at more than 550 participating properties worldwide. Further elevating guests' stay at The Redbury New York will be unique 'VIP access' to venues throughout the sbe Collection - providing exclusive entry into sbe's celebrated hotel, dining and nightlife destinations in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, and Las Vegas, as well as access to sbe's highly energetic and exciting lifestyle loyalty program, THE CODE. Exclusive Opening Offer & Rates Rates start at $239 per night. For more information on The Redbury New York, please visit www.theredbury.com/newyork. To commemorate The Redbury New York's debut, guests who book a room for stays now through March 31, 2017 using promo code PAINTNYCRED will receive the exclusive Paint NYC Red package, starting from $304 per night: $100 food & beverage credit at Marta A choice of an early check-in or late check-out Complimentary upgrade to the next room category (subject to availability) Offer only valid for booking through November 24, 2016. To book your stay, click here. About sbe Established in 2002 by Founder and CEO Sam Nazarian, sbe is a privately held, leading lifestyle hospitality company that develops, manages and operates award-winning hotels, residences, restaurants and nightclubs. Through exclusive partnerships with cultural visionaries, sbe is devoted to creating extraordinary experiences throughout its proprietary brands with a commitment to authenticity, sophistication, mastery and innovation. Following the acquisition of Morgans Hotel Group, the pioneer of boutique lifestyle hotels, in partnership with Accor, sbe has an unparalleled global portfolio which will see 36 hotels and over 200 global world-renowned culinary, nightlife and entertainment venues by the end of 2020. The company is uniquely positioned to offer a complete lifestyle experience - from nightlife, food & beverage and entertainment to hotels and residences, and through its innovative customer loyalty and rewards program, The Code, as well as its award-winning international real estate development subsidiary, Dakota Development - all of which solidify sbe as the preeminent leader across hospitality. The company's established and upcoming hotel brands include SLS Hotel & Residences, Delano, Mondrian, The Redbury, HYDE Hotel & Residences, and The House of Originals. In addition, sbe has the following internationally acclaimed restaurants and lounges under subsidiary Disruptive Restaurant Group: Katsuya by Chef Katsuya Uechi, Umami Burger, Cleo, Fi'lia, Carna by Dario Cecchini, Leynia and Diez y Seis by Chef Jose Icardi, HYDE Lounge, S Bar, Doheny Room, Nightingale, Skybar, Bond, and Privilege. To learn more, visit sbe.com. Kati Bergou Vice President - RUBENSTEIN PUBLIC RELATIONS 212.805.3014 sbe MIAMI -- Elandis, an international real estate group that develops, owns, and manages real estate assets throughout the Americas and in Europe, announces its on-schedule and on-budget completion of a newly built Hyatt Place hotel in Sao Jose do Rio Preto, Brazil, which was developed by a joint venture entity formed by Elandis and an affiliate of Hyatt in 2014. This is the first of multiple Hyatt Place hotels expected to be developed as part of the master development plan between Hyatt and Elandis. The vibrant city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto is a hub for the financial, medical and educational industries, which attracts a population that travels from various parts of the region as well as other areas of Brazil. Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto will be located in a mixed use project that also houses one of Brazil's iconic luxury shopping malls known as Iguatemi Shopping Center. The 10-story property and 152-guest room hotel will meet the needs of today's business and leisure travelers, and will feature nearly 4,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, a lobby lounge, a restaurant, and a business center. The hotel will also offer a fitness center with a pool and a deck area on the top floor. "The opening of Hyatt Place Sao Jose do Rio Preto will mark the entry of the Hyatt Place brand in Brazil," said Luciano Julio, regional director of Latin American operations for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House. "With an innovative service concept and modern design, combined with its impressive worldwide growth over the last several years, we believe the Hyatt Place brand will exceed guest expectations by providing stylish, comfortable, and seamless experiences that accommodate their lifestyles and familiar routines." "We are thrilled to be opening the first Hyatt Place property under this joint venture with Hyatt and to have the opportunity to be an integral component of the Iguatemi Shopping Center," said Alexandros Kallantzis, Elandis Country Head, Brazil. "We look forward to the hotel driving further growth into this vital community. With all of its contemporary offerings, the hotel is truly positioned to fulfill the demand of both business and leisure travelers visiting Sao Jose do Rio Preto." About Elandis Elandis is an international real estate group that develops, owns and manages real estate assets throughout the Americas and in Europe. Our strategy is focused on assets in the residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors. Elandis has a portfolio of more than 5.8 million square feet developed and under development across six countries and is a well-established player within the multi-family residential sector in the United States. For more information, please visit www.elandis.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "will," "would" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us and our management, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; the financial condition of, and our relationships with, third-party property owners, franchisees and hospitality venture partners; the possible inability of third-party owners, franchisees or development partners to access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our plans for growth; risks associated with potential acquisitions and dispositions and the introduction of new brand concepts; changes in the competitive environment in our industry, including as a result of industry consolidation, and the markets where we operate; general volatility of the capital markets and our ability to access such markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, which filings are available from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by any of our forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which are made only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any of these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, new information or future events, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Alison Lopez Elandis It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home FIH Regent Hotels Group officially announced the young and accomplished Mr. Melvin Yang, former Silks Place Taiwan Area GM, as the General Manager for the hotel groups flagship property, The Regent Taipei. With nearly two decades of hotel management experience, Mr. Yang will beinstrumental in imbuing the brand with even more vigor, detail-oriented service and innovation.Originally from Hsinchu, Mr. Yang spent time living in Australia, where he studied Hotel Management. At age 38, he is outgoing, optimistic and proactive. Although relatively young, he possesses diverse skills and extensive hotel management experience. Mr. Yangs career began with entry level service work, where hedeveloped his passion for the service industry. After joining Regent Taipei as a function dining sales in 2002, he rose through the ranks from Assistant Manager to Manager and then to Director of Regents Outside Dining. With years of F&B and sales experience, he built great results for Regents Outside Dining. Hisdemonstrable management and business development abilities earned him the position of Silks Place Taroko EAM in 2011 and in quick succession, Silks Place Taroko GM in 2012. Once again, he was able to significantly elevate Silks Place Tarokos brand image and sales results. In 2014, he was named Silks Place Taiwan Area GM, where he oversaw all of Silks Place hotels management and operation; Mr. Yang was also Regent Beijings Hotel Manager in 2015. Mr. Yang is a visionary with high EQ who constantly self reflects and identifies ways in which the hotel can improve. He is detail-oriented and will be bringing his energy and industry experience to FIH Regent Hotels Groups flagship hotel Regent Taipei. To Mr. Yang, what dictates a hotels success includes offering service at a level that surpasses guest expectations and putting guests experience first and foremost. He also believes that empathy coupled with excellent service allows guests to feel like they are home, leaving deep impressions. His effort to consistently improve customer satisfaction is the key to driving success, securingreturn visits and recommendations. Mr. Yang keeps up to date with the day-to-day running of the hotel and is aware of all developments by visiting various teams and departments throughout the day. Regent Taipei has been welcoming guests for 25 years. FIH Regent Hotels Group is pleased to have Mr. Yang helming it flagship property to maintain and improve its world-renowned service credentials and facilities. Chances are, by now you have heard your friends, colleagues or the mainstream media singing the praises of the Amazon Echo, the hottest new must-have omni-directional smart speaker, powered by a voice-controlled virtual assistant called Alexa. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos once explained that the all-knowing assistant Alexa was inspired by Star Trek, where Captain Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew could summon the Enterprises intelligent computer from anywhere to swiftly access the information they needed. What you are soon going to hear about is game-changing enterprise grade software from NYC startup Exa.ai - that turns the Amazon Echo into an on-property, personal concierge. It has both hotels and their guests asking, Is there an Echo in here? Offering the first true leap in an immersive-tech guest experience, Exas intelligent voice automation solution has reimagined how hotels interact with guests, unleashing opportunities to enhance the hotel brand and drive more upsell opportunities. Exa puts hotel amenities, custom offers and services at the tip of the guests tongue and restores hotel control of information flowing to guests. While the immediate benefits e.g., influencing guest behavior, reducing strain on staff, and creating a truly remarkable guest experience are driving near term interest, its the never-before realized data captured from these voice interactions that has the potential to completely transform hotel management decision making. Successful hoteliers do not first develop their services and then find the data to support those services. They integrate business intelligence in their processes from the outset. Data informs and improves every aspect of their business. Exa provides hoteliers with unique insights into guest intent and desire never before captured data that opens up unparalleled revenue opportunities. Exas customized analytics and reporting enables a data-driven understanding of: Percent of guests asking about a specific amenity/activity Percent of guests responding positively to a specific upsell suggestion Percent of guests leaving positive or negative feedback Percent of guests making certain requests Number of calls to hotel operator pre-empted Benchmarks and comparators across multiple properties Many other insights that directly impact hotel management decision making This level of data capture identifies the needs, aspirations, intentions, and perceptions required to develop critical services and products. Collecting the right data and scoring on the importance and relevancy of different attributes helps drive better business decisions. This goldmine of data is a pivot-point moment for hotels. According to a report by Skift, hotel brands engaged with leveraging their dataset effectively have shown earnings and revenue increases of up to 58%. Another Skift study titled, Hospitality Analytics: How Data Can Make Hotels Smarter states that, In the data that guests create and, in a sense, leave behind lie the patterns that fuel strategic opportunities around sentiment, wants, and needs. It is data that hotels can rely upon for successful marketing and operations strategies. Other industries are already capitalizing on intelligent voice automation technology. In fact, global revenue from voice recognition units in vehicles is projected to grow to about 170 million U.S. dollars in 2019. By 2020, 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human (Gartner). Forrester says voice control will be the next battleground for technology's Big Five: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft. Thats because people trust and identify with objects that share human characteristics including voice. We are all living in what Forrester Research calls The Age of the Customer, where customers, not companies, are driving business decisions. Guest-centric is no longer just a buzzword and the sales and upsell process is radically moving away from the linear model. Success comes with knowing what your guests want and being able to anticipate and react to their needs on their terms. And it can pay off big time. Forrester Research also suggests that customer experience is highly correlated with loyalty. The importance of loyalty in the hotel sector cant be underestimated. One high-end hotel operator puts the lifetime value of a loyal guest at over $100,000. According to the Harvard Business Review, customers who had the best experiences spend 140% more compared to those who had poor experiences. Artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and voice-automation will be central to hotel-guest interactions in the future. Hoteliers need only consider whether their property will lead or follow? According to a Phocuswright report titled, Customization and Personalization in Travel Marketing, the end game is True Customer Centricity. The report notes that from a business perspective, the ultimate winners will be the organizations that best understand the contextual needs of the travelers and intuitively present solutions in real time. From the traveler perspective, the experience will feature the dynamic presentation of highly relevant content to provide enjoyable experiences that create superior value. When properly executed, the user experience will be seamless - feeling less like being sold and more like being served. Hoteliers, partners and investors interested in learning more about Exa are invited to visit www.exa.ai or call 1-844-322-2378. About David Berger David Berger is the co-founder and CEO of Exa - Voice Automated Guest Engagement Software. Exa is currently piloting its solutions at leading hotels across the globe. He began in the hospitality industry during high school as a Go-Kart Attendant at Cartland of Cape Cod and a sales associate at the Cove Resort in Yarmouth, Massachusetts. In the years since, he has worked at the Department of Justice, practiced law at O'Melveny and Myers, run Asia Pacific for SecondMarket, and headed the Americas for Campden Wealth. He is a graduate of Emory University and New York University School of Law. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey with his wife and daughter. About Exa Exa provides customized voice automation solutions for the hospitality industry that increase on-site sales, reduce costs and differentiate hotels by delighting guests. Backed by leading-edge investors including Newfund, Launch Capital, Silicon Badia and 500 Startups, Exa is a privately held company headquartered in New York City, NY. Exa is not an Amazon company. To learn more, visit exa.ai The Nashville Property features a multi-year, rail crew lodging contract with a large national U.S. railway and is being acquired for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$8.7 million, including US$950,000 for planned capital expenditures and excluding closing and post-acquisition adjustments. American Hotel Income Properties REIT LP (TSX: HOT.UN) (OTCQX: AHOTF) announced today the acquisition of a 104-room hotel located in Nashville, Tennessee. The Nashville Property features a multi-year, rail crew lodging contract with a large national U.S. railway and is being acquired for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$8.7 million, including US$950,000 for planned capital expenditures and excluding closing and post-acquisition adjustments. The Nashville Property is being purchased at a capitalization rate of approximately 10% after all management fees, FF&E reserve contributions, and renovation costs. ACQUISITION HIGHLIGHTS The Nashville Property is being purchased for approximately US$84,000 per guestroom, which is below management's estimate of replacement cost, and the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to AFFO per unit. Planned renovations include immediate conversion of the property to the industry-leading Oak Tree Inn rail crew hotel standards, which includes the incorporation of "Dark and Quiet" guestrooms, common area upgrades, and new property and yield management systems. The multi-year rail crew lodging contract is with an existing railway customer and will guarantee 58 guestrooms per night. Nashville is the state capital of Tennessee and has a metropolitan population of 1.8 million. According to STR, Inc., Nashville is one of the strongest RevPAR growth markets in the United States with an August 2016 Trailing Twelve Months RevPAR growth rate of 9.2%. Nashville has a number of strong demand generators, including being a major music recording and production centre, numerous health care companies, universities, large automotive companies including Nissan and Bridgestone, as well as other Fortune 500 companies. The acquisition will be funded with cash from the July 2016 bought deal offering. AHIP intends to obtain mortgage financing within 30 days of the completion date. This transaction is expected to be completed in early December 2016, subject to customary closing conditions and documentation. Mr. Ian McAuley, President of AHIP, commented, "This strategic acquisition of a rail crew hotel, uniquely located within a strong, high-demand commercial and leisure market, allows us to both strengthen our relationship with one of our key railway customers and also maximize transient and commercial lodging business." Mr. Rob O'Neill, Chief Executive Officer of AHIP, continued, "The continued growth of our contractual relationships with major railway companies is consistent with AHIP's strategy of providing long-term sustainable returns to our unitholders." Upon completion of the Nashville acquisition, along with the previously announced acquisition of six select-service, branded hotels in Florida, AHIP's portfolio will consist of 91 hotels totaling 8,686 guest rooms, with 46 rail crew hotels totaling 3,893 guest rooms and 45 branded hotels totaling 4,263 guest rooms. The Property will be managed for AHIP by its exclusive hotel manager Tower Rock Hotels & Resorts Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of O'Neill Hotels & Resorts Ltd. The Midnight Navy Air Jordan XVI, thats Air Jordan 16 for those who arent roman numeral experts, is making a return 15 years after the original release, but they wont come cheap. The bizarre looking Air Jordans, complete with the tumbled leather, removable shroud, will reportedly retail for $250, similar to the way the Copper Air Jordan 17s were priced. Many sneakerheads will agree that the Air Jordan line fell off after the 14s, but theres still plenty of folks who will be happy to see this cult classic returning- even if its with an increased price tag. A release date has been pegged for next Thursday, December 22nd. You can check out official images of what to expect from the Midnight Navy Air Jordan XVI in the gallery above. Would you like to see Jordan Brand keep going with the 16s and bring back colorways like the Ginger and Black/Varsity Red or should they shut it down after this release? Air Jordan 16 Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny, Paddy Glackin, Mike McGoldrick & John Doyle are up for the session! Its trad supergroup time on March 19 when Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny (pictured), Paddy Glackin, Mike McGoldrick and John Doyle join forces in Vicar St., Dublin under the Ushers Island banner. Tickets priced 35 go on sale on Friday November 4. Messrs. Irvine and Lunny are also promoting the Planxty Between The Jigs & The Reels box-set, which includes a wealth of previously unreleased material from their genre redefining 70s heyday. Expect serious musical sparks to fly as the five perform both old favourites and some unexpected curveballs. For the first time since 1976 when then incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford spectacularly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, Texas may go Democrat in the upcoming US Presidential election. Six weeks ago Republican candidate Donald Trump had a 9% lead over Hillary Clinton; now the latest University of Houston poll shows him just 3% to the good, which is within the standard margin of error. By contrast, at this stage of the respective 2008 and 2012 campaigns, John McCain and Mitt Romney had 12 and 16-point leads over their Democrat rivals. The shift in support is not as surprising as it might sound. Hispanics, who make up 45% of Texas population, have registered in substantial numbers this time around, assuring increased support for Clinton, who must have high-fived Bill when Trump started mouthing off about the Great Wall of Mexico. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Lorenzo Simonelli, a 43-year-old GE executive, may soon lead one of Houston's seminal oil and gas companies, if GE succeeds in its $32 billion bid for Baker Hughes next year. Once the deal closes, Simonelli would replace Martin Craighead as chief executive of the world's No. 2 oil field services firms, the companies said Monday. He would be taking the reins of a company still smarting from the worst oil downturn in a generation. It's a big change for an American company that sells drill bits to wildcatters. His his lexicon includes things like "the digital age" and "intelligent ecosystems." His sales pitch revolves around bringing digital technologies into the oil patch, a transition that GE has pushed for years. "Every industry and company that is not bringing software to the core of their business will be disrupted," Simonelli told a crowd of investors at GE's annual meeting this year. Simonelli may seem unlike many of the executives Texas oil companies are used to dealing with, but he has won accolades within his company. GE CEO Jeff Immelt once praised him for building the company's North American rail business into a global transportation company, according to The Wall Street Journal. In 2009, when Simonelli was 36, Fortune noted he was the youngest executive to ever run a division within the company. According to media accounts, some have speculated his rise to the rank of president and CEO of the $16.5 billion GE Oil & Gas, previously one of the company's fastest-growing units, is a sign the company is grooming him to one day replace Immelt. "I'm fortunate that I've been given the opportunity within GE to grow with exciting assignments and also move around and get the experience in multiple businesses," Simonelli said in an interview at Baker Hughes offices on Monday, shortly after announcing the deal. Born in Italy and educated in the United Kingdom, Simonelli has spent 22 years navigating the sprawling corporate world of the industrial conglomerate, moving from the GE's transportation and manufacturing businesses to its oil and gas segment. Just in the United States, his career has taken him to roles in Ohio, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Chicago. He's based in London now, but he joked he spends 70 percent of his time on airplanes, and that he's looking forward to getting acquainted with Houston. When he joined GE more than two decades ago, the company had recently acquired Nuovo Pignone, an Italian company that marked GE's entrance into the oil and gas industry. "It's a core industry that GE is in," he said. "We've been investing significantly, and this (Baker Hughes deal) is a further testament to our investment." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Cuba is a beautiful, tropical island with friendly people, delicious rum and the world's best cigars. A great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to do business there. At least not yet. I confess I went to Rice University's Baker Institute for a conference called "U.S.-Cuba Relations Beyond 2016" hoping for good news about Houston's business opportunities with Cuba. What I got instead was a reality check. "Wherever we went, there was an overwhelming sense of excitement and opportunity," said Houston Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Davis, who was part of a trade delegation to Havana in September. "While they embraced us, they still were not comfortable." Cuba's promise is enticing. The island's more than 11 million people are the most literate in Latin America, and the country desperately needs investment after 50 years of crippling U.S. sanctions against Cuba's communist government. President Barack Obama began softening U.S. policy toward Cuba in 2009 and now encourages businesspeople to imagine the potential return on an investment in Cuba. The Cuban government is also changing. Fidel Castro is out, and his brother, President Raul Castro, has introduced presidential term limits and mandatory retirement for politicians at age 70. Raul Castro has also allowed self-employment to triple and put out a call for $8 billion in foreign capital to finance 250 shovel-ready projects. Yet the Cuban economy remains distinctly communist. Juan A. Triana, a professor of economics at the University of Havana, said Cuba still plans to create a socialist utopia in the Caribbean. "The reforms of 2014 by the Cuban Communist Party are setting the stage for a new socialism for the 21st century," he said. "This is something that we will not renounce." To do business in Cuba is to give up control. The government will only allow foreign investment in 11 sectors, the most important of which are construction, telecommunications, energy, transportation, agriculture, biotechnology and tourism. All investments must pass through a Cuban state-run enterprise, and a Cuban business must own 51 percent of any joint venture. "There are 1,900 state-run companies in Cuba that control 75 percent of the Cuban economy. It is the very best way to redistribute the very small wealth that Cuba has accumulated across the population," Triana said. "If you allow foreign investment to go directly to the private sector, believe me, it is not going to be as equal as what the Cuban government is looking for." If you are willing to accept those conditions - as Verizon, Sprint and Starwood Hotels have - the next step is dealing with the bureaucracy. "You have to go to the foreign ministry and present your project, then they create a council to evaluate your project. Then they send it to the ministry that takes care of those kinds of businesses," Triana said. "That ministry will approve that project, and then, you've got to get - just like in the States - 14 or 15 different approvals from agencies like environmental regulators and the health department." That should take a little more than two years, he added. After working in socialist African countries, I should have remembered how difficult it is for even reform-minded governments to tear down entrenched bureaucracies and open closed economies. Incumbents who profit from the existing system, even if it's destroying their nation, never give up power and privilege without resistance. The challenge is made more complicated when a charismatic politician has substituted nationalistic pride for economic development. "Cuban people are very well-educated. We know how to do many things. Other things we don't know how to do," Triana said. "But we don't like people telling us how to do things." There is little reason for economic pride, though. Cuba's communists have always depended on patrons for economic development, first the Soviet Union and most recently Venezuela. Triana acknowledged that Venezuela's economic collapse leaves Cuba with only capitalist democracies as potential allies, particularly one big country just 90 miles to the north. How long Cuba can stick to its socialist principles when it imports 83 percent of its food and almost all of its energy is the question. Obama normalized diplomatic relations without demanding major concessions but left most sanctions in place. He's giving Cubans a little taste of what the U.S. can offer, knowing full well that once they see the potential, they will pressure the communists to make major compromises to ease the sanctions. That transformation, though, could be another decade away. Triana said business people from other countries are rushing to get a foothold in Cuba before the U.S. lifts sanctions. That might be enough for Cuba to achieve modest goals without fundamental change. My bet is that in time the Cuban people will push their government to make the concessions the U.S. wants. That's when Cuba will be ripe for American investment. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HELENA, Ala. - At least seven workers were injured Monday when an explosion occurred along the Colonial Pipeline in rural Alabama, not far where it burst in September, authorities said. The blast sent flames soaring over the forest about a mile west of where the pipeline burst in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. That rupture led to gasoline shortages across the South. People within 3 miles of the blast site were being evacuated, the governor said. "We'll just hope and pray for the best," the governor added. The seven injured workers were taken to Birmingham hospitals by helicopter and ambulance, Bentley told WBRC-TV. "It appears to have been an accident, and they're allowing fuel to burn," Bentley said. "It's about 1 mile west of where the repair took place on the Colonial Pipeline just recently." Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline said in a brief statement Monday evening that it has shut down its main pipeline. "Colonial's top priorities are the health and safety of the work crew on-site and protection of the public," the company said. The company's statement did not address how Monday's explosion might affect the availability of gasoline and said more information would be released as it becomes available. Several fire departments were sending crews to assist. Helena police say they're assisting Shelby County authorities with the blaze. The explosion happened in a remote area outside the town of Helena, away from residential areas, Helena Mayor Mark Hall told WBRC-TV. In September, the Colonial Pipeline leaked thousands of gallons of gas southwest of Birmingham near Helena and led to dry fuel pumps in several Southern states - for days, in some cases. There was no immediate indication whether Monday's explosion will lead to similar shortages. Colonial Pipeline, based in Alpharetta, Ga., transports more than 100 million gallons of products daily to markets between Houston and New York City, serving more than 50 million people, it says on its website. They include petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel. Authorities have not said which fuel was involved in the explosion Monday. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Bill Baldwin isn't a teetotaler. He buys wine by the case and holds regular cocktail parties in his historic mansion on one of the nicest streets in the Heights. But when he thinks about the city potentially lifting a century-old ban on alcohol sales in his beloved neighborhood, he imagines the Heights becoming a different place - one where service stations and quickie marts litter Heights Boulevard and Yale, replacing quirky boutiques, restaurants and antique shops. Baldwin is part of the "Keep the Heights Dry" movement, a group of individuals urging residents who live in the dry part of the Heights to vote against the city of Houston proposition that would allow the legal sale of beer and wine for off-premise consumption. If the proposition passes on Nov. 8, retailers like convenience and grocery stores would be able to sell beer and wine in a part of the Heights that has been dry since 1904. The change would not affect restaurants, which are able to sell alcohol by forming private clubs that their customers can join by providing their driver's licenses. Baldwin's group is going up against the Houston Heights Beverage Coalition, a political action committee formed earlier this year to push the reversal of the dry law. Largely at stake is the proposed development of a new H-E-B on a former Fiesta site at 2300 N. Shepherd. H-E-B wants to buy the property but said it needs to be able to sell wine and beer in order for the store to be economically feasible. "From a business proposition, if I spend $25 or $30 million building a store, I also need to make sure it can earn a fair return," said Scott McClelland, Houston division president for H-E-B. The San Antonio-based grocer has put more than $60,000 into the coalition, according to finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. Baldwin, who lives in the Heights but outside the dry area, said the election is not about being against H-E-B but preserving the character of the neighborhood. His group has been urging residents of the dry area to consider the issue apart from H-E-B. He said more service stations and convenience stores could diminish property values of the homes around them. "This election is not about H-E-B, it's about changing the fabric about my community," Baldwin said. Houston Heights Beverage Coalition chairman Steve Reilley, an attorney who lives in the dry area, said the opposition is using "fear tactics and speculation" to try to convince residents to vote against overturning the ban. "The property values don't vary from the dry to wet area; the crime rate doesn't change," he said. The Houston City Council approved the putting the measure on the ballot earlier over the summer after collecting more than 1,700 signatures from residents on a petition. The proposition will appear only on the ballots of voters who live within the dry area. Those boundaries are roughly Interstate 10 on the south, Loop 610 on the north, Durham on the west and Oxford on the east. H-E-B has been looking for a site in the Heights or around it for several years, but McClelland said there's not a lot of options in terms of available land large enough to accommodate a new store. The company wanted to build just south of Interstate 10 at Yale but wasn't able to secure the land. There is a Wal-Mart there now. If the store on Shepherd is built, McClelland said he would want it to have a Heights-centric flair that would embrace the uniqueness of the area. He cited the H-E-B on West Alabama and Dunlavy in Montrose where the company worked with residents on designs. McClelland stressed the importance of wine and beer sales in an industry with "razor-thin" profit margins. If the company were to build a store that didn't sell beer and wine, its nearby competition outside the dry area would have a competitive advantage. Years ago, H-E-B had a small store at 11th and Rutland within the dry boundaries. "It wasn't profitable. We left," McClelland said. Baldwin said the dry ban has been a way to protect the character of the Heights. He said if the provision is overturned, there could be another election in a couple of years to remove the dry ban entirely. Then, he said, major restaurant chains would flock to the area, pushing out the independents. "Once it's undone," Baldwin said, "it's never going back." This excellent family-run Tex-Mex spot deserves to be known well beyond its Sugar Land neighborhood. Just about everything from Lupe Garcia's kitchen is terrific, from the smoky complimentary charro beans to wonderfully pliable handmade flour tortillas the size of dinner plates, arguably the best in town. Black Angus fajitas in a tart and salty marinade, individually constructed nachos, chiles rellenos stuffed with picadillo: It's all as bright and joyful as the color-drenched dining room, a riot of neon and pinatas. WHAT TO ORDER: Mercy's nachos with fajita beef; spinach quesadilla; chile relleno; frozen margarita; green chicken enchiladas; mole enchiladas; banana "flautas" dessert. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 James Nielsen/Staff Show More Show Less 2 of 2 Gary Fountain/Freelance Show More Show Less If there can be a Houston Restaurant Weeks, why not a similar fundraiser highlighting the city's favorite bakeries and sweets shops? That was the thinking behind Sweet Week, a new initiative to benefit No Kid Hungry, that will run Sunday-Nov. 13 at more than 30 participating businesses. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TREVISO, Italy - You know prosecco as the fruity Italian bubbly that's a fun and affordable way to celebrate the holidays as well as a bright accompaniment to a light meal. But this popular sparkling white wine can also be part of your vacation plans. Just like that other famous fizz, Champagne, it hails from a region that welcomes visitors who like to travel glass in hand. From exploring hillside villages to strolling beside the tranquil canals of the city of Treviso, there's plenty to do, eat, see and sip in prosecco country. And because this is still a relatively undiscovered spot, prices aren't at the sky-high pitch of better- known places. Here are a few things to know before you go. Where to go Prosecco is made in two regions in Northern Italy - the Veneto, also home to Venice, and neighboring Friuli Venezia Giulia. The main city is Treviso, about a half-hour from Venice by train, an hour by car. You can make this a day trip from Venice, renting a car, booking a trip through a touring company or hiring a guide and meeting at the rental car office. Here is one list of authorized guides, http://turismo.provincia.treviso.it/Engine/RAServePG.php/P/4227110070303 For longer stays, you can either make Treviso a jumping-off point for the surrounding country or plot a course from town to town. A popular trail is the Strada del Prosecco (prosecco route) which winds from the town of Conegliano to the village of Valdobbiadene. Find the English-language website here, www.coneglianovaldobbiadene.it/index.asp?lang=uk Where to stay In Treviso, Relais San Nicolo, close to the Treviso train station and Treviso Cathedral, is comfortable and features unique, period furnishings. Rooms start at about $100. Check out the wineries and restaurants you plan to visit, as they may have small guest houses attached (see Villa Sandi and Restaurant Parco Gambrinus below). What to see Treviso gets upstaged by grand dame Venice, but this city is worth at least an afternoon's stroll. Check out the Knight's Loggia on Via Martiri della Liberta, a 13th century building which still has the remains of frescoes on its walls. In the center of town you'll find the Piazza dei Signori, with its Palazzo dei Trecento (Palace of the 300), home to the municipal council. The building was bombed in World War II; a jagged scar on the restored wall bears testament. In the palace loggia you'll find the remains of the Fontana delle Tette, a fountain made in the 16th century in the shape of a woman that, you guessed it, sprayed water from each breast. On special days, the fountain dispensed wine. To see a replica (water only), head northwest on Piazza dei Signori, turn right on Vicolo Podesta and look for the statue to your left in the shopping arcade. It's tucked away in a small courtyard; you may need to ask for directions. Other attractions include the fish market, 22 Via Isola, open mornings except Sundays and Mondays. Also popular, taking a walk or bike ride along the tow path, known as the Restera, that runs alongside the Sile River. What to taste Villa Sandi in Crocetta del Montello features a Palladian-style mansion and extensive cellars. Guided tours and tastings are available by appointment: www.villasandi.it/index.php/page/id/40/visits.html The winery also has a six-room guest house, Locanda Sandi, at a separate estate in Valdobbiadene. The San Simone winery in Porcia is open daily for tastings. Reservations are required on weekends and the company closes in August. La Tordera in Valdobbiadene is open Monday-Saturday for tastings. Tours are also available but require reservations. What to eat In Treviso, Toni del Spin, 7 Via Inferiore, is a tavern in the historic center serving traditional food with prices around $25 for a meal excluding drinks. In Valdobbiadene the Salis Ristorante Enoteca, 52 Strada di Saccol, is set on a hillside with a great view of the vineyards of Cartizze, the premium wine-growing region of prosecco country. Main courses start at around $15. In San Polo di Piave, Restaurant Parco Gambrinus, Via Capitello 18, is known for its crayfish, which are served along with substantial bibs and written "commandments" on how best to enjoy them. Main courses start at around $25. Rooms are also available in the adjacent inn, about $100 for a double room. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Susanne Miller Jones and millions of other baby boomers have the shared experience of watching what most thought couldn't be done: Apollo 11's moon landing and Neil Armstrong's "giant leap for mankind." It was July 20, 1969, and Americans young and old sat in front of grainy black-and-white TVs to watch the Eagle lunar module land on the moon. Some six hours later, Armstrong set foot on the moon, joined a bit later by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. So when Jones heard news stories about its 45th anniversary a couple of years ago, she wondered out loud: "Wouldn't it be neat to make a quilt collection to celebrate that?" Wheels started turning, and in 30 minutes or so, she'd already thought out the categories and themes a collection should include to be considered for the 2016 International Quilt Festival, which runs Thursday-Sunday. The event includes 1,700 quilts from all over the world and draws more than 55,000 people to Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center. The collection has something to represent every Apollo mission, every astronaut, the cool tools of NASA and the Parkes radio telescope that enabled us to see it all for ourselves. There are other moon things, too: songs, idioms and more. More Information 2016 International Quilt Festival When: 7-10 p.m. Wednesday (preview night); 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Where: George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas Tickets: $12 general admission, $9 seniors and students, $42 full show pass(includes preview night), $12 preview night only. (Children age 10 and younger admitted free with a paying adults.) Information: quilts.com See More Collapse Jones, who lives in Potomac Falls, Va., considers herself a small fish in a big quilting world, but she had made some friends while working on an earlier quilt festival project marking the centennial of the National Park Service. Interest poured in from eight countries for her "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit that includes 179 quilts, 54 of which will be on display this weekend. The remaining quilts will get their day in the sun at various quilt shows and events around the world for the next couple of years. Quilters have long had a love affair with space. In 2013, astronaut Karen Nyberg, an avid quilter, made a quilt block while aboard the International Space Station. Her red, white and blue quilt block became part of a larger quilt at the 2014 Quilt Festival and will be on display again this year. That was about the same time Jones launched her "Fly Me to the Moon" project, driven by the power of the web, including a private Facebook page for the quilters involved. Very quickly, she had interest from quilters in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Spain. "It's the magic of the internet," said Jones, whose "Connected by the Moon" quilt will be on display. "The world we live in has become so much smaller. I had no clue that it would go global." But it did, and the variety of quilts in the collection is wide ranging. "The styles of the art are so varied," said Jones, who didn't take up quilting until 2010, just before she retired from her teaching job. "I have abstract quilts, people who did portraits, people who did piecework or applique, whole cloth painted and then quilted. It's amazing. I am overwhelmed by the beauty of this collection." Quilter Ricki Selva, whose "Last Quarter Moon" quilt is part of the collection, said she connected with the group for many reasons. "I was born a month after Sputnik. My entire childhood was spent in front of that TV watching all the launches, Mercury and Gemini and Saturn rockets and the Apollo program. We watched every one of them," said Selva, who grew up on a farm outside of St. Louis and now lives in Arlington, Va. Selva was one of the first women to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, and while she never realized her dream of becoming an astronaut, one of her roommates - Lt. Gen. Sue Helms - did. While Selva pursued engineering as a career, she always felt creative, dabbling in art since she was a toddler. "Quilting is how I merge art and engineering," Selva said. "I do a lot of handwork, which in the art quilting world isn't a popular way of doing quilts." She even dyes her own fabric. Selva has had her quilts shown four or five times at the International Quilt Festival and this year has quilts both in the "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit and the "New American Traditions" exhibit. Bonnie Askowitz of Miami, said her quilt, "Clair de Lune," was inspired by her mother, who played that song on her violin every night after dinner. The quilt includes an image of her mother playing the violin, hand-painted onto fabric and then quilted onto the larger piece. While her quilt is more about the moon as it relates to music, Askowitz, too, was mesmerized by the space program when she was a young mother in Florida. Jones hopes to tap into interest in NASA during the quilt show but also wants to expose people to quilting as being so much more than bedding. "Unless you can convince someone to come to the Quilt Festival, they think of it as their grandmother's patchwork quilt," she said. "Take them by the hand and bring them. It's like going to an art gallery, not a blanket store." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With candlelight and smoke from "copal" incense, the living guide the spirits of their dead to the altars on display at Casa Ramirez Boutique in the Heights. On Nov. 2 and 3, they are celebrating Day of the Dead. Every year at Casa Ramirez, October is busy with El Dia de los Muertos workshops and exhibitions. One of the seven altars on display is by Judy Turner, a Houston resident who for many years has created the store's "Community Altar." Turner "has been for almost 20 years with us, and she is a great altar builder," says Casa Ramirez owner Macario Ramirez. Turner met Ramirez after the death of a family member. Now she's among the increasing number of non-Latino Houstonians who have adopted Dia de los Muertos, a tradition that dates back to pre-Colombian Mexico. These days, Ramirez says, it's a chance for Americans, regardless of their religions, to honor departed loved ones. "At the Community Altar, anybody can come and add photos of their dead or write a message to them," said Ramirez. In the Mexican tradition, Nov. 1 is The Day of the Dead dedicated to children who died - "los angelitos" - and Nov. 2 is dedicated to adults. "Papa, I miss you" reads one of the notes on the Community Altar. Photos of grandparents, or of "the little angel" who departed too early, are surrounded by cempasuchils (marigolds) to cheer their souls. Bread and food also are offered to delight the dead during their annual visit. In the individual altars at Casa Ramirez, the builders bring specific treats that their loved ones particularly enjoyed. Rich in culture and depth, the colorful altares are open to the public Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Casa Ramirez, 241 W 19th in the Houston Heights. olivia.tallet@chron.com Twitter: @oliviaptallet Very nearly half a century has passed since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon. Since that historic milestone NASA has accomplished some amazing feats with robotic probes such as the Voyagers, Curiosity, and New Horizons, but the human side has largely tried to answer a simple question: What comes next? Certainly NASA has done interesting things with humans in space since the Apollo landings, like building the reusable and versatile space shuttle, and leading construction of the under-appreciated International Space Station. But in many ways the human spaceflight program has lost its ability to amaze and dazzle Americans. In recent years, President Barack Obama has talked about sending humans to Mars in the 2030s, and he repeated that call in October with an op-ed published by CNN. But much of the Mars discussion, for now at least, remains talk rather than action. These frustrations ran like an undercurrent through a recent panel discussion at Rice University in early October, which included a number of space policy experts, such as Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor of National Security Affairs at the Naval War College. They reflected on where NASA stands today, still mired in the long shadow of Apollo. "NASA seems to have become somewhat of a dysfunctional family," Johnson-Freese said during the event. "I wouldn't say that NASA is lost in space, but I think it has definitely lost its luster, and become a more typical government organization, for better or for worse." That's probably "for worse" for an organization that seeks to inspire, and as Houston considers the future of NASA and Johnson Space Center, which remain vital to the city's identity as a modern, forward-thinking global city, it would do well to join this conversation about how NASA will change in the coming decades. During the 1990s and 2000s as NASA flew the space shuttle and built the space station - two programs led from Houston - the aerospace world changed around the space agency as private spaceflight companies sprung into existence. This much hyped "commercialization" of space came about as private companies invested in space, and developed business plans to make money from space - be it through tourism, asteroid mining or the more traditional route of performing services for NASA. In recent years, NASA has sought to delineate itself from the commercial space sector by "being on the front lines" of space, meaning that it will lead exploration efforts into deep space beyond low-Earth orbit. At the same time, NASA has invited private companies, like SpaceX, Boeing and others, to help deliver cargo and crew to the space station. NASA has also encouraged companies to test business ideas on the space station, and begun thinking about how to foster further commercialization of low-Earth orbit. But some of these private companies aren't content with operating in low-Earth orbit. Companies such as Moon Express and Deep Space Industries, for example, intend to try and harvest resources from the Moon and near-Earth asteroids. Then there are the U.S. rocket companies, SpaceX and Blue Origin, both of which are developing hardware for very large boosters to fly humans into deep space. These companies are directly encroaching upon NASA's self-proclaimed territory, and its own efforts to build a deep-space rocket, the Space Launch System. For example, in September, NASA's administrator, Charles Bolden, said he didn't appreciate the efforts of SpaceX and Blue Origin to develop their own heavy-lift rockets. "If you talk about launch vehicles, we believe our responsibility to the nation is to take care of things that normal people cannot do, or don't want to do, like large launch vehicles," Bolden said at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Space 2016 Conference. "I'm not a big fan of commercial investment in large launch vehicles just yet." At the Rice University Lost in Space event another speaker, Mark Albrecht, who served as the senior space advisor to President George H. W. Bush in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said the aerospace community is watching as the private sector "leaps and bounds" ahead of the government programs in some areas, such as rocket development. "This is creating confidence problems in NASA," Albrecht said. "And I think this is going to be a huge new challenge for the space agency." There is an underlying tension here, of course. And as NASA seeks to prosper in its second half-century, perhaps its biggest challenge is figuring out how to work with the private industry rather than competing with it in deep space. As private industry comes online with its own innovative ideas for space exploration, NASA must somehow remain relevant. Perhaps we have already seen the seeds of a vibrant future for NASA in a program managed in Houston, the International Space Station. This initiative brought together the United States and Russia, along with partners in Europe, Japan and Canada to build a partnership that will span three decades. As NASA seeks to lead in the future, it might put together a similar international coalition to build human outposts on the Moon, or eventually settlements on Mars. Instead of saying the time has not come for commercial investment in private, large launch vehicles, NASA might instead embrace the private capital flowing into aerospace. After all, it is not as though NASA has an unlimited budget. If private companies want to tackle launch, the space agency might focus on the truly difficult challenges, such as protecting astronauts from radiation en route to Mars, building them durable habitats, and providing them with ample power on Mars. It may not be an easy transition for an agency that built the Apollo rockets and the space shuttles, but for NASA to remain vital to America in the next half-century, it's a transition the space agency may well need to embrace. Kin Man Hui/Staff AUSTIN -- In a political cycle when so many things seem to be upside down and some polling we've seen at Quorum Report indicates voters are increasingly undecided as Election Day draws near, several Texas House Republicans are naturally sweating their races more than they otherwise would. The fact that women are already significantly outpacing men in early voting, according to data analyst Derek Ryan, has some in the chattering class wondering whether Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton has improved her chances of carrying some Texas House districts represented by Republicans, particularly in Harris County and Dallas County. Kingwood moms Leesa Shanahan and Diane Kahler first connected many years ago through the Boy Scouts of America. Years later, the two became even more interconnected when both of their children were fighting Lyme disease. "My son was about to enter the ninth grade when he had joint pain and was always fatigued," Kahler said. "I took him to several doctors and tests showed he had a low cortisol level eventually going into adrenal failure. It wasn't until, ironically, my niece in another state was diagnosed with Lyme disease that I thought that could be the issue. "Every person who is diagnosed with Lyme disease presents differently so it's important to ask for the testing from your doctor and always check yourself and your kids for ticks." For Shanahan, their journey battling Lyme disease started with her daughter, Audrey, who began experiencing joint pain as well as feelings of depression and anxiety which were not normal for her. Once Audrey was officially diagnosed with Lyme disease after a battery of tests, that is when the Shanahan's relied on the help from a fellow Kingwood family, the Kahler's, and they learned about a place called the Hansa Center in Wichita, Kansas, which offers holistic forms of treatment for patients with Lyme disease. "Once Audrey began treatment at the Hansa Center and I knew the various symptoms that come with the disease, I started to pick up other symptoms in my other two children and through testing found they had Lyme disease as well so we have all been treated at the Hansa Center," Shanahan added. In an effort to raise more awareness, create a support group and a place for families and individuals diagnosed with Lyme disease, they recently kicked off the first Kingwood Lyme Support Group. Next meeting The group will hold its next meeting Sunday, Nov. 13, from 2-4 p.m. at Planet Beach located at 2665 Royal Forest Drive, Kingwood. "The purpose of this group is to have a safe place to ask questions and share info about resources in the area," Shanahan said. "We are not physicians, we cannot diagnose or prescribe a treatment for anyone. We are simply here to support each other on our journey to health and wellness." Anyone who wishes to join the Kingwood Lyme Support Group can come early to the meeting to tour Planet Beach and learn more about their saunas which have proved to be helpful for some patients with Lyme going through various treatment plans. Great Harvest Bread will provide samples of their gluten-free items as well. ABOUT LYME DISEASE According to information provided by the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported by state health departments and the District of Columbia each year. Lyme disease can be a hard disease to diagnose because it can mimic other diseases and is caused by spiral shaped (spirochete) bacteria Borrelia Burgdorferi. Most of those who are diagnosed with Lyme disease have gotten it from ticks, mosquitoes and other insects. It was a long 13-month journey for Kahler and her son, Zak, who is now healthy, and for Shanahan and her family, they continue to seek treatment at the Hansa Center for Optimum Health but both want to continue to find ways to help others battling Lyme disease. "Lyme disease is a corkscrew-shaped bacteria and incurs when a baby tick feeds on rats who carry that bacteria then they carry it," Kahler said. "When a tick bites into you, most people can't feel it because of a chemical they use, but it's like they inject that bacteria into you. Someone told me once that whenever you see deer, there are most likely ticks near. Not all ticks carry Lyme which is why it is important to get that tick tested if possible. There needs to be more awareness for Lyme disease and more vigilance in checking for ticks when time is spent outside. Lyme changed my son's life and if we can prevent that elsewhere, that is our mission with the support group." Shanahan echoed Kahler's sentiments by adding, "I have one new person contact me each week about Lyme disease and treatment options through social media because I have shared our story so our idea for the support group was a great idea to get everyone together in a group setting which can be more effective. The first support group meeting was well-received and we look forward to growing this even more in the future." For more information about the Kingwood Lyme Support Group, email KingwoodLyme@gmail.com. The Shanahan family continues to raise money for a future trip to Hansa. To donate, visit www.GoFundMe.com/ShanahanFamily. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BARRANQUILLA, Colombia - This tropical city on the Caribbean coast may hold the answer to one of the deeper mysteries of the Zika epidemic: Why has the world's second-largest outbreak, after Brazil's, produced so few birth defects? In Brazil, more than 2,000 babies have been born with microcephaly, abnormally small heads and brain damage caused by the Zika virus. In Colombia, officials had predicted there might be as many as 700 such babies by the end of this year. There have been merely 47. The gap has been seen all over the Americas. According to the World Health Organization, the United States has 28 cases - almost all linked to women infected elsewhere. Guatemala has 15, and Martinique has 12. Had the rest of the Americas been as affected as northeastern Brazil, a tidal wave of microcephaly would be washing over the region. Most experts say that will not happen, but they are at a loss as to why. Discovering what stopped microcephaly in Colombia may help other countries tamp down the epidemic's worst effects. There are some obvious differences between Colombia's epidemic and Brazil's. The population here is less than a quarter that of Brazil, and almost half of its residents live at higher altitudes, where mosquitoes are rarer. And Zika circulated silently for much longer in Brazil. The virus arrived there by early 2014, and not in Colombia until late 2015. Having just fought a severe chikungunya epidemic in 2014, Colombia was more ready than Brazil to send forth the anti-mosquito battalions. But all that does not seem sufficient to explain the disparity. Increasingly, there is evidence for two other possibilities. Pregnant women here, alerted to the tragedy unfolding in Brazil, may have sought abortions in greater numbers, officials say. Others seem to have heeded the government's controversial advice to delay pregnancy altogether. Dr. Miguel Parra-Saavedra, the director of maternal-fetal medicine at the Cedifetal Clinic in Barranquilla and one of the country's leading high-risk pregnancy specialists, is among the experts who suspect many pregnant women in Colombia, alarmed by news reports, sought ultrasounds and aborted deformed fetuses. Some of his own patients have done so. Parra-Saavedra heads a study of Zika-related birth defects in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the course of the research thus far, he has diagnosed 13 cases of fetal microcephaly. Four of the mothers terminated their pregnancies immediately, he said. Another four, and possibly a fifth, sought abortions but were turned down by their health insurance companies. Only four patients, Parra-Saavedra said, deliberately chose to have their babies. Among those who tried to have an abortion was Zuleima, a 37-year-old mother of two healthy daughters. When she and her husband Jaime, 47, an unemployed mine-machinery operator, learned that their unborn daughter was microcephalic, they requested what is here called "pregnancy interruption." Abortion is legal in Colombia to protect a mother's health, and the health ministry considers a severely deformed baby a threat to maternal mental well-being. But Zuleima - who asked that the couple's surnames not be used because some relatives opposed abortion - was already 31 weeks pregnant. While the abortion law does not specify which week is too late, her insurer balked, she said, saying it needed time to decide whether to pay for the procedure. "There were papers and papers to fill out, and the company didn't say no and didn't say yes," she recalled. "They said, 'We'll call you later.'" "They never did - and then it was too late. I had to have the baby." She spoke as she nursed her newborn daughter, Milagros. Standing behind her, Dr. William O. Contreras, a neurosurgeon, said in English that Milagros had no frontal lobes and that the connection between her two brain hemispheres was abnormally small. "When this happens," he said, "there is no intelligence, no coordination, no attention, no initiative, no calculation - and no memories at all." Dr. Fernando Ruiz, Colombia's vice minister for public health, also says that it is "very possible" that abortions lowered the microcephaly rate here. "Colombia has some of the most progressive laws and regulations in South America," he said. With gynecologists alert to the threat, he said, many women had ultrasounds early enough to make decisions. Even a very small increase in the abortion rate could account for a sharp reduction in microcephaly. Just 320 legal abortions were officially reported in Colombia in 2011, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based research organization supporting abortion rights. Yet the institute estimates that there actually were 400,400 abortions each year in Colombia. In this country, most abortions are not performed in clinics by vacuum aspiration, but are induced by misoprostol, a drug that causes strong contractions, said Dr. Guido Parra Anaya, the director of the Procrear assisted fertility clinic in Barranquilla. Any doctor can prescribe the drug, and none are legally obligated to report it. Misoprostol also is commonly given out by illegal providers here, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Frequently, women are told to take the pills and go to a hospital when heavy bleeding starts, as if they had had a miscarriage. Colombian hospitals treat an estimated 93,000 women a year for postabortion complications. In July, Dr. Martha Lucia Ospina, the director of Colombia's National Institutes of Health, reported that fetal deaths reported as miscarriages on death certificates had increased by 8 percent. The numbers have begun returning to normal only recently. In Brazil, by contrast, abortion is permitted only in cases of rape or incest or to save the mother's life, and illegal abortions are hard to get because the police, under pressure from evangelical Christians in Brazil's Congress, began cracking down on clandestine clinics a decade ago. Also, because the microcephaly surge in Brazil appeared with no warning, even women who might have risked illegal abortions had no time to receive ultrasounds. In Colombia, women now normally have three ultrasounds during a pregnancy. The increased screening has made for hard choices. Microcephaly can also be caused by other viruses or genetic mutations, but the Zika virus causes unprecedented levels of brain damage. "In my 22 years as an ultrasound physician, I have never seen microcephaly like this," Parra-Saavedra said. "The heads are much smaller, to a severe degree." Although pockets of dead cells that foreshadow microcephaly may appear earlier, fetal heads do not become unmistakably small until early in the third trimester. Health insurers, financially struggling here, are reluctant to approve late abortions because they must pay for neonatal intensive care if the child is born alive. For mothers, the diagnosis is understandably difficult. By the third trimester, fetuses on ultrasounds look much like newborn babies, not like embryos. The first scans of Kiara Munoz's son, Juan Diego, were normal. By the time his microcephaly was evident, she was in her seventh month and could see his face clearly. "The gynecologist said I could terminate, and I cried," said Munoz, who is 18 but looks 15. "It was very hard because the baby was so big. My husband and I decided to keep him. I am hoping for a miracle." Colombia's Zika epidemic peaked in February and was declared over in late July. Many women who became pregnant during that time are still due to give birth, so more microcephaly cases may appear. But they will still be far fewer than originally predicted. Ruiz said that based on Brazil's experience, he had expected to see 700 cases of Zika-related microcephaly this year. Now, he expects 100 to 250 at most. In December, Ruiz asked women in Colombia to delay pregnancies, and he says he believes many did so, although he cannot prove it yet. A drop in the birthrate would indicate that many women heeded the advice, but the national health statistics office takes 18 months to tally up each year's birthrate. In some Latin American countries, suggestions from health ministers that women delay pregnancy met harsh resistance - both from the Roman Catholic Church and from women's groups complaining that there was too little access to contraception. El Salvador faced a backlash when it asked women to stop having children for two years. But Colombia's health ministry asked women to delay for only six to eight months while officials watched how the epidemic unfolded. Some women found that sensible. As her husband, Gustavo, a police officer, and her young son Sebastian watched, Madis Dominquez, 27, explained how she happened to be getting a four-month ultrasound in September. She originally planned to become pregnant last December, she said, "but they said, 'Please wait six months.' So I waited till May, when they said it looked safe again." How many women followed her example will not be known for some time. The epidemic appears to be winding down in much of Latin America as the hottest, rainiest months end and as more people, having been bitten, develop immunity. Some experts thought it might have been premature to declare the epidemic over in Colombia, because the virus had infected less than 1 percent of the population. In French Polynesia, it infected more than 60 percent before cases disappeared. A study done by scientists at London's Imperial College estimated that across Latin America, where the geography is far more diverse than on Pacific islands, it may be two to three years before widespread immunity stops the epidemic. This is surely not what George P. Mitchell had in mind when he created The Woodlands in the early 1970s. Mitchell, the oil executive, developer and philanthropist who died in 2013 at age 94, lived long enough to see the population of his beloved master-planned community pass the 100,000 mark. He saw the inevitable consequences of that growth, including the political spats that would intrude on its pastoral serenity. But Mitchell likely never imagined that the closing weeks of a campaign for The Woodlands Township board would devolve into a cacophony replete with allegations of power-grabbing, fear-mongering and score-settling. Amid brisk early voting in the run-up to the Nov. 8 election, residents of The Woodlands are struggling to sift through a torrent of contradictory messages - social media posts, door-hangers, robocalls, you name it - regarding the potential consequences of incorporation, the election's main issue. The tone of the discussion is unfortunate because the governance question is worthy of sober analysis outside of the overheated framework of small-town politics. As my colleague Bridget Balch reported last week, the messages are the work of groups backing competing slates of candidates for four spots on the seven-member township board: The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers, a nonprofit led by former board chairman Bruce Tough, and Residents' Advocates, a group organized last year to oppose a controversial plan to extend Woodlands Parkway. Tough's support of a bond proposal that included the parkway project was seen as a key reason he lost his board seat. On its website and elsewhere, Tough's organization warns of ruinous, "immediate" tax increases if candidates pushing for quick incorporation of The Woodlands have their way. Township board member Gordy Bunch, one of the candidates targeted for defeat by The Woodlands Concerned Taxpayers, says Tough and his allies are trying to frighten voters by warning of cataclysmic tax increases based on fanciful scenarios. Here's a sample line from the "Concerned Taxpayers" website: "The 2016 presidential race is important to our country's future, but opposing a 70% immediate increase in our local tax rate may be more important to our local quality of life." I suggested to Tough by phone on Monday that this language was misleading, since the quickest conceivable scenario would require action next year by the state Legislature - not known for moving swiftly on contentious local issues - followed by a referendum on the incorporation question. This line of inquiry was not fruitful; we ended up discussing our interpretations of the word "immediate." (The 70 percent figure came from one of several studies of the costs of incorporation, which yielded differing results.) The township model, created a decade ago, was not part of Mitchell's original vision; he expected The Woodlands, in the fullness of time, to become part of Houston. But according to Roger Galatas, one of Mitchell's colleagues in the early days, Mitchell's views evolved in the 1990s when he saw the fierce negative reaction to Houston's annexation of Kingwood. The township is a sort of quasi-city that collects taxes and provides some services, such as enforcing deed restrictions - an essential part of The Woodlands' character - and maintaining parks and greenbelts. It contracts with Montgomery County for law enforcement, but the county picks up the tab for other functions, such as road maintenance, that would become a local responsibility if The Woodlands became a real city. As an outsider, I'd be interested in an independent analysis of whether this arrangement is equitable for other Montgomery County taxpayers. But that's not what people are talking about; instead, says township board member Mike Bass, everyone is obsessed with incorporation. "This should not even have been an issue," says Bass, who was endorsed by the Concerned Taxpayers group but says he asked that his photo be removed from its literature because he didn't think the 70 percent tax-increase figure was necessarily correct. "There are other things we need to deal with in the short term that are much more important, like staying ahead of the growth and holding crime down." Perhaps voters in The Woodlands should ask themselves this question as they enter the booth: Which candidates would work most effectively to realize George Mitchell's vision of a livable, equitable, sustainable community? They're not likely to find the answer in the brochure hanging from their doorknob. When Bella, a 7-month-old chocolate lab, was rescued in early October, she could barely walk. Found in a pile of soiled laundry in an abandoned home, the dog was severely malnourished and suffering from mange. But with the help of the Houston Humane Society, Bella is on her way to making a full recovery, and prosecutors are seeking to hold accountable those responsible for her abuse. District Attorney Devon Anderson announced Monday that prosecutors have charged Tristan Hancock, 21, and Elisha Gonzales, 44, with cruelty to a non-livestock animal. They hadn't been located as of Monday evening. "We've all seen the disturbing pictures of Bella, and they are heartbreaking," said Anderson, a Republican who is running for re-election on Nov. 8 against Democrat Kim Ogg. "Cruelty to animals is unacceptable, and our office will continue to fight these crimes." If convicted of the misdemeanor, Gonzales and Hancock each could face up to a year in the Harris County Jail and a possible fine of up to $4,000. The case is being handled by the animal cruelty division at the district attorney's office. Anderson said her office likely will seek jail time. Bella was discovered on Oct. 4 in a vacated home in the 200 block of Taranto Lane in east Houston. The animal was anemic, with infections and parasites, and taken to the humane society's clinic. "Upon arrival, our clinic immediately began treatment, and looking past her physical debilitation and realizing her wonderful and magnificent inner beauty, they named her Bella," said Sherry Ferguson, executive director of the Houston Humane Society. Since the society was awarded custody of Bella on Oct. 11, her health has improved significantly. She gained 10 pounds, most of her open wounds have healed, and her coat is beginning to grow back, Ferguson said. The energetic and outgoing pup played with a plush toy at Monday's news conference. However, she is still on heavy doses of antibiotics, de-worming medication and liquid vitamins. "She has a long way to go, but we at HHS are committed to doing everything we can to get her healthy and into the lifelong home she deserves," Ferguson said. Through a selective adoption process, a permanent home has been found for Bella, who will move in once her health has sufficiently improved. Ferguson said that while the society can't control what happens to an animal before it's brought in, "we sure do have the ability to control what happens to them in the future. We are dedicated to making that future bright and happy and loving for every single animal." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate They patrol Harris County streets, trawl the county's waterways, ride on horseback through its neighborhoods. Indeed, Harris County's reserve deputies perform many of the same functions as the county's full-time lawmen, on a part-time, voluntary basis. And for as long as lawmen have patrolled Texas towns and cities, sheriffs and constables here have relied on reserve deputies to bulk up their presence on city streets, and in some cases, provide a training ground for would-be, full-time officers. "They're a warm body to augment your force in the field," one veteran county staffer observed. "It's boots on the ground - and you can't underestimate that." A new policy approved last month by county commissioners, however, puts a cap on the number of reserve deputies constables or the sheriff can appoint. The move comes as the use of reserve deputies - which has enmeshed some local constables in controversy in years past - has resurfaced leading up to Tuesday's election. The policy caps the number of deputies at one for every two sworn deputy constables or sheriff's deputies - but would allow county constables to add an additional 563 reserve deputies to their ranks and the sheriff's office more than 700. Those additional reserve deputies would provide the county with more than $11 million worth of free staffing, assuming a full-time deputy's base pay and benefits and that the reserve deputies work 20 hours per month, which is the minimum work requirement in the sheriff's office. The policy is a way to ensure such deputies are being properly monitored and to limit possible liability issues, county officials said. "You have a supervision issue there. It's important that commissioners' court, we take a close look at quality of service that's provided and at the same time the liability to the county," said Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack, who formerly served as Precinct 5 constable. "To be able to have a good, reserve program - it can be very valuable," Radack continued. "Some reserves out there work their hearts out and provide great benefit to the county - to county government itself and to taxpayers. It's basically a way to try to ensure you're going to have adequate supervision, and so there's some limitations." 'These are our people' Wearing law-enforcement blue with a Precinct 1 constable's patch on his right shoulder, Reserve Deputy Jimmy Bruinsma furiously scribbles notes as he interviews a suspect Wednesday morning in the parking lot of a northwest Houston apartment complex. Responding to reports of a burglary and stolen car, Bruinsma, 32, is both thorough and deft in his questioning, mixing the pointed - "Where were you Saturday night?" - with the lighthearted - "What did you dress up for as Halloween?" Whether it's working security for Houston's Gay Pride Parade or being dispatched to crime scenes, Bruinsma takes pride in the community service component of the position, always seeking to represent law enforcement in a positive light. "I'm here to help them, and sometimes I have to arrest them," Bruinsma said. "You don't want to have that perception that it's us versus them. That's not the case. These are our people." Following his father into law enforcement, Bruinsma volunteers without pay as a reserve deputy about 100 hours a month, working side-by-side with a full-time deputy. Reserve deputies "make a one-man unit a two-man unit," according to Deputy Jerry Morton, a 20-year veteran who is training Bruinsma. "They're helpful in so many ways," Morton said. "They take a workload off a stressful job." Managing the numbers With Tuesday's election expected to create turnover in several of the county constables' offices and possibly at the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and with at least one favored constable contender pledging to bulk up the ranks of reserve deputies, county commissioners voted last week to limit the number of reserve deputies. The number would limit the smallest Harris County constable offices to approximately 30 reserve deputies, and the sheriff's - the largest county law enforcement agency - to about 940. "We're always recruiting additional reserve deputies to try to address our needs for increased patrol presence," said Ryan Sullivan, a sheriff's office spokesman. "They gave us 700 additional slots, which I doubt we'd be able to fill." In a letter to commissioners seeking approval of the policy, County Budget Officer William Jackson said the new limits will set reasonable levels for county law enforcement agencies. "I just wanted to make sure, even before the election, that we had something in there to be a guideline," he said. "I don't think anybody would hit it, but it just kind of said, '=We just need to manage that.'" Now, reserve deputies must receive a minimum of 643 hours of training to receive their state license, said Gretchen Grigsby, a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement spokeswoman. Reserve deputies must also complete 40 hours of continuing education every two years, and in Harris County, depending on the agency, work 20 hours a month or more for the department holding their commission. 'A gun and a badge' In years past, such restrictions were far more lax, and some constables became notorious for handing out badges or hiring reserve deputies as political favors. In 1989, the same year Texas tightened training requirements for reserve deputies, the county tried to institute a now-defunct one-to-one ratio, meaning constables could have as many reserve deputies as they had regular paid deputies. Victor Trevino, then-Precinct 6 constable, had 10 paid deputies and approximately 80 reserve deputies. At the time, Trevino told commissioners he needed the deputies to work in schools fighting truancy or inhalant abuse. The constable's law enforcement career ended when he pleaded guilty in a public corruption case and was sentenced in 2014 to 10 years probation. After Trevino's resignation, nearly three-quarters of the department's 102 reserve deputies were dismissed or left, many because they weren't working their required number of hours, said Precinct 6 Chief Deputy Armando Tello. "We're not going to just give somebody a gun and a badge and just say, 'Hey, you're a reserve,' as a courtesy to let them carry a badge," he said. Precinct 6 now has 27 reserve deputies, he said, adding that Trevino's successor, Heliodoro Martinez, also dissolved the department's motorcycle division, which reserve deputies were using to work extra jobs escorting or directing traffic but which provided little value to the department's day-to-day operations. All of the current reserve deputies work between 24 and 32 hours a month, he said. Now, Trevino's wife, Sylvia Trevino, the leading contender to replace Martinez in this year's election, has campaigned on a platform of bulking up and reinstating the department's corps of reserve deputies, as well as restoring the agency's motorcycle division. Room for growth All the agencies that could be affected by the new county policy are currently well below the new limits on reserve deputies. Precinct 5, for example, which has 334 full-time deputy constables, has just four reserve deputies. Precinct 1, which has 263 full-time deputies, has the highest proportion of reserve deputies, with 41, including Bruinsma, according to county records. "Considering we would have to triple our reserve force before approaching the cap, the cap causes no immediate staffing concern to Constable (Alan) Rosen," Precinct 1 spokesman Alan Bernstein said in an email. "It's a bridge we'd love to worry about crossing someday." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A fire ripped thoroughly a 99-year-old woman's newly renovated house early Tuesday morning in south Houston. The 1-alarm fire broke out about 2:15 a.m. at the home on Oakdale near Palmer, said Sr. Capt. Chris Delbello of the Houston Fire Department. Delbello said it appeared the fire started in the first floor and climbed up the stairs of the two-story brick house. Flames appeared to have gutted much of the home. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by about 3 a.m. No injuries were reported. The home was vacant at the time of the fire while a worker was renovating the interior. Michael Potts said he had been working on the renovations for a 99-year-old woman who lived in the house. The home was expected to be completed in about another week. "It's a nightmare," he said of the fire. Houston Community College's nursing program will enroll new students starting next semester now that the Texas Board of Nursing voted to reinstate full approval to the program late last week. The decision follows news that 80 percent of recent nursing graduates passed the National Council Licensure Examination, a testing benchmark that HCC students had struggled to reach since 2013. In January, the Texas Board of Nursing downgraded HCC's associate degree nursing program to "conditional" approval status, citing in part three years of exam pass rates below 80 percent. That decision blocked HCC from enrolling new students this past fall. In addition to the low pass rate, regulators visited the campus last December and found that students wanted more equipment and longer time in the lab to practice their skills. A subsequent report called on HCC's Coleman College, which houses the nursing program, to upgrade equipment and offer more resources for faculty. Coleman College President Phillip Nicotera said those problems have been solved. The school also doubled the length of the program to 16 weeks, reversing a decision from former administrators, and raised admissions standards. Nicotera, who started as president in May 2015, said the school now also takes a more proactive approach to learning by helping nursing students work through challenging material with tutors, who ensure that they have a "complete grasp" of course topics. Additional resources in this area were added early this year, he said. "Obviously, nobody wants to be put in probationary standard, (but) it gives you the call to step back and take a look at our program," he said. "If we continue to do what we're doing, we expect that to have a greater impact on students." Students have shown interest in HCC's health sciences programming even as the college's general enrollment has declined in the last five years, a trend Nicotera attributes to potential for job prospects. HCC is bolstering Coleman College by adding more than 250,000 square feet of instruction space across the street from its existing building. The college is using $98 million of bond money for this development, and it expects the new facilities to be completed by fall 2017. After receiving the nursing board's letter on Monday afternoon, Nicotera said, the college is shifting its focus to recruiting roughly 65 new students for next semester, which begins Jan. 9. The college has received 52 applications, a slight year-over-year decline. Nicotera said he looks forward to enrolling a full class. "We were less 70 students - you feel that a little bit, but campus was still as vibrant as it was before," Nicotera said. Earlier this month, the Texas Board of Nursing found that in preliminary results, 80.4 percent of HCC nursing students passed the exam. Regulators then validated those results test by test before deciding to place HCC's approval status on its quarterly agenda for its Oct. 27-28 board meeting. The board confirmed Monday morning that it voted to reinstate approval and issued a letter to HCC. Hitting the 80 percent pass rate follows allegations that HCC purposefully withheld graduation documents that were required to take the test in an effort to manufacture better results. College trustee David Wilson's attorney filed suit on behalf of affected students. Later in the summer, the college said it would distribute the forms, attributing the delay to a processing error in confirming program completion requirements. The Justice Department moved Monday to quell the outrage and frenetic speculation surrounding FBI Director James Comey's disclosure last week that the bureau has resumed its investigation of Hillary Clinton's private email server after discovering a new trove of emails. The department signaled that it now wants the politically charged investigation to follow standard procedures, including a strict limit on official comments about the probe and the provision of updates to Congress through routine channels. But after Comey's highly unusual disclosure last week rocked the final days of the presidential campaign, it may prove impossible for Justice to lower the temperature and regain control over how the investigation is conducted and depicted to the public. On Monday, criticism of Comey continued to mount, notably from prominent law enforcement officials. Democrats and Republicans alike on Capitol Hill amplified their demands that Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch provide a more detailed account of the investigation into the emails, which were found on a computer belonging to former representative Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., earlier this fall. Justice is a secretive department, and on Monday officials tried to restore that traditional bearing, trying to tamp down the highly public disclosures about a confidential investigation. Justice officials said there will be no further statements about the Clinton investigation until it is completed. The FBI has designed software to sift through thousands of emails found on Weiner's computer and identify any that are to or from Clinton. The department also sent a letter to six lawmakers saying it would move quickly in pursuing the renewed investigation into emails potentially tied to Clinton's server. The letter was sent by the department's head of legislative affairs - not Comey or Lynch - in a return to standard practice. "The Department of Justice appreciates the concerns raised in your letter," wrote Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Peter Kadzik, addressing lawmakers who had asked Comey and Lynch for more details. In particular, the lawmakers had pressed for details about the investigative steps being taken by the FBI, the number of emails involved and the steps being taken to determine how many of the emails duplicate those already reviewed by the FBI. "We assure you that the Department will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resources and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible," Kadzik wrote, adding no new details about the investigation. "We hope this information is helpful." To the contrary It was not, according to several lawmakers and their staffs. "We are not satisfied," said a staffer for Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., who was one of the congressmen who received the letter, along with Democratic Sens. Thomas Carper, Del., Patrick Leahy, Vt., Dianne Feinstein, Calif., and Benjamin Cardin, Md., and Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Comey Monday saying that the disclosure provided to Congress last week "did not go far enough" and was unfair to Congress, the American people and Clinton. "In the absence of additional, authoritative information from the FBI in the wake of your vague disclosure, Congress and the American people are left to sift through anonymous leaks from Justice Department officials to the press of varying levels of detail, reliability, and consistency," Grassley wrote. "The American people deserve better than that." The senator asked Comey to answer by Nov. 4 a series of questions about the discovery of the emails and what the FBI has learned about their contents. Grassley's request adds to the increasing pressure on Comey to release more details and clarify his letter to Congress. A bipartisan group of about 100 former federal prosecutors and senior Justice Department officials have also called on Comey to release more information. "We do not question Director Comey's motives," wrote the group, which included President Barack Obama's former attorney general, Eric Holder, and former deputy attorney general Larry Thompson, who served under President George W. Bush. "However, the fact remains that the director's disclosure has invited considerable, uninformed public speculation about the significance of newly-discovered material just days before a national election," the group wrote. "For this reason, we believe the American people deserve all the facts, and fairness dictates releasing information that provides a full and complete picture regarding the material at issue." Firestorm hard to put out Comey set off a firestorm Friday by telling the chairmen of eight congressional committees that the FBI would take "appropriate investigative steps" to determine whether newly discovered emails found in an unrelated investigation contain classified information and to assess whether they are relevant to the investigation involving Clinton's private email server. The unrelated case was an investigation of Weiner, who is accused of having explicit exchanges with a 15-year-old girl. Weiner is the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Justice officials have said that before Comey notified Congress, they warned him that doing so would go against long-standing practices of the department not to comment on ongoing investigations and not to take steps that could be viewed as influencing an election. However, officials familiar with Comey's decision said that he felt a sense of obligation to lawmakers to "supplement" his testimony under oath in July that the Clinton investigation was complete and there would be no charges. Comey was also concerned that word of the new email discovery would leak to the media and raise questions of a coverup, the officials said. Comey's disclosure about the Clinton probe is particularly striking, national security officials said, because he had argued against the administration publicly accusing Russia of trying to meddle in the 2016 election as a move that would seem too political too close to Election Day. Comey eventually supported the administration's Oct. 7 denunciation, which alluded to hacks of Democratic Party organizations, in part because the FBI's name was not on it, officials said. Comey's position was first reported by CNBC. One official said the number of emails recovered in the investigation into Weiner is close to 650,000, although that reflects many emails that are not related to the Clinton probe. But officials familiar with the case said that the messages include a significant amount of correspondence associated with Clinton and Abedin. LUND, Sweden - Almost 500 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door, setting off more than a century of religious warfare and forever changing the practice of Christianity worldwide, Pope Francis on Monday urged atonement and Christian reconciliation. Visiting the cities of Lind and Malmo in southern Sweden for a joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the Reformation, the pope observed the 499th anniversary of Luther's protest of the sale of indulgences by noting the beneficial impact it had on Catholicism. "With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the church's life," the pope said in a joint declaration at Lund Cathedral with Bishop Munib A. Younan, the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the president of the Lutheran World Federation. The trip, which kicked off a year of events leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, was announced in January, but it was no less striking for those who listened to the pope. Sweden played a pivotal and troubling role in Protestant and Catholic history. From the 16th century, Catholics were persecuted and even put to death in Sweden. As recently as 1951, Catholics were barred from becoming doctors, teachers and nurses, and Catholic convents were banned until the 1970s. Some Catholics and Lutherans, especially those whose families are intermingled, hoped that the event would produce a concrete step toward the two churches' allowing their members to take communion in each other's worship services. In their joint declaration, Francis and Younan acknowledged the divide, but said only that they were working toward a resolution through dialogue. "We experience the pain of those who share their whole lives, but cannot share God's redeeming presence at the Eucharistic table," the declaration said. "We long for this wound in the body of Christ to be healed." Nearly 10,000 fewer babies and toddlers with disabilities are enrolled in state-supported therapy programs aimed to help them overcome their disabilities, amounting to a 14 percent drop since 2011, according to a report being released Tuesday. Harris County is one of the hardest-hit areas, where the number of children enrolled in intervention programs is down by nearly a third, and enrollment of black children in the Gulf Coast region has fallen by more than 40 percent, according to the report by Texans Care for Children, a nonprofit advocacy group. In its 28-page report on Texas' Early Childhood Intervention program, the group linked the decline of enrollment to Texas lawmakers cutting 11 percent from the program's budget since 2010, which resulted in a tightening of eligibility criteria and a drop of service providers from 58 to 47. "Thousands of Texas kids are missing out on therapies that could help them communicate with their families, walk on their own or be ready for school," said Stephanie Rubin, CEO of Texans Care for Children. More than 50,000 children are enrolled in the Early Childhood Intervention program, a state service that provides free or discounted therapy for babies and toddlers with developmental disabilities, such as speech delays, Down syndrome and autism. Statewide enrollment in ECI fell to 50,643 children last year from 59,092 in 2011, according to the study. The number of children enrolled in ECI since 2011 in Harris County has dropped to 6,028 children from 8,731, or 31 percent, according to the study. Bexar County's ECI enrollment fell from 5,635 children under age 3 in 2011 to 5,339 in 2015, a decline of 5.3 percent. "While that decline is not as steep as the reduction in some of the other major metro areas, it's still worrisome, particularly considering that there was a 5.5 percent increase in the population of kids under agree 3 in Bexar County from 2011 to 2014," said Peter Clark, communications director for Texans Care for Children. Won't be 'school-ready' Along the Gulf Coast region, enrollment of black children in ECI programs has plummeted by 42 percent, Hispanic children by 29 percent and white children by 14 percent, according to the study. "The drop primarily occurred from 2011 to 2012, when the state narrowed program eligibility," said Carrie Williams, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees ECI. "Enrollment has risen in the last few years, just not to its 2011 level." Without additional funds, advocates fear ECI providers will have to further restrict eligibility, cutting off some families from intervention and placing the children at increased risk for abuse and neglect as families struggle to meet their needs. "When the government makes it harder for kids to get in the program is a direct result about all the government's budget cuts and the Medicaid cuts, it means these kids are not getting therapy services, and they're not going to get them," said Kelly Klein, development director for Easter Seals Greater Houston, which sends therapists to work with more than 1,300 children and families to help overcome or manage their children's disabilities. "When they get to first grade or kindergarten, they're not going to be school-ready, or we're going to pay more money later." Aida Garza enrolled her son, Michael James, in ECI a month after he was born with Down syndrome. Although he's nearly 2 years old and just learning to walk, he's progressing faster than his peers who have gone without therapy, she said. "Any help that they can get to have a more normal life and a more normal future is such a blessing. If ECI didn't exist as it does, it would disable my child a lot more," Garza said. Alarm bells Reduced funding for child therapy programs drew alarm bells last year after lawmakers approved $350 million in cuts to Medicaid, which provides health coverage to low-income people. Lawmakers argued the program's spending had skyrocketed in the last few years. Parents and providers sued to keep the funds intact, but the Texas Supreme Court rejected the case in September, giving the Department of Health and Human Services the green light to move ahead with cost reductions. HHSC has not yet implemented the cuts, according to spokeswoman Carrie Williams, and the department is charting its next steps. Advocates argue therapy for young children has the potential to help some overcome their disabilities. The study found 77 percent of children receiving ECI services in Texas significantly picked up new skills. Nationwide, 32 percent of children in state intervention programs did not need special education services when they started school. The study comes as state lawmakers wrestle with how to address educating children with special needs following a Houston Chronicle investigation that revealed the Texas Education Agency effectively implemented a cap on the percentage of children school districts could accept into their special education programs. While the national average is 13 percent, state officials forced school districts to limit enrollment at 8.5 percent, leaving thousands of students in need of services to struggle in regular classrooms. Melissa Stoeltje contributed to this report. WASHINGTON - With a week to go before a roiling presidential election, Texas Republican Ted Cruz is heading to Missouri to campaign for U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, a conservative in the traditional mold who has been a fixture of his state's politics for more than 30 years. Blunt's bipartisan brand may not match Cruz's, but the Texan's trip on Wednesday signals Missouri's importance for Republican control of the Senate, which has become Cruz's focus in recent weeks. Largely on the periphery of Donald Trump's presidential campaign - which he did not back until Sept. 23rd - Cruz has been stepping up his efforts to help the GOP maintain its majority in the upper chamber, which could be imperiled depending on the fortunes of Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Senior Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, whose support for Trump also has been muffled, has focused his energy on the Senate, as well, helping raise big dollars for Republicans around the nation. Cornyn, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, has raised more than $16 million for GOP candidates in this election season, an aide said Monday. Cornyn, however, has been less visible than Cruz, the GOP runner-up in the presidential primaries who bluntly refused to endorse Trump at the national convention in July. The Lone Star State's two senators - who have not always been on the friendliest terms - found common cause in a pair of $1,000-a-head fundraisers in Houston and Dallas last month. Together, they raised about $440,000, all of it for embattled Senate Republicans. None of it was for the Trump campaign. The majority of Cornyn's fundraising work has been in Texas, where he has played a role in GOP get-out-the-vote efforts, including a Facebook video reminding supporters about early voting. Cruz, too, has gone local, teaming up with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on a robo-call campaign this week in Harris County. "We're counting on you to vote early," Cruz tells voters, "and vote straight-Republican ticket." 'Trying to fill a void' The appeal to a straight-GOP ticket is as close as either Cruz or Cornyn has come to campaigning for Trump, who seemed to be flagging in the polls until the FBI announced that it was extending its review of potentially classified Clinton emails. With or without a strong nominee at the top of the ticket, the Republican Party has been on a divided trajectory of Trump and NeverTrump factions - even before a 2005 video surfaced last month in which Trump can be heard talking about groping women and discussing his attempts to seduce a married woman, a scandal that prompted a wave of defections from endangered GOP incumbents, including Texas U.S. Rep. Will Hurd. Many down-ballot Republicans, as well as those like Cornyn and Cruz who are not on the ballot at all, now find themselves serving as the water-carriers for their party's ground game. "There is certainly some lukewarmness toward Trump, but even if there weren't, the Republican Party has had to pick up much of the slack from the Trump campaign about his ground organization," said University of Texas political scientist Sean Theriault. "They're just trying to fill a void that at least in the Democratic Party over the last three election cycles the presidential campaign has filled." With no certain role to play since his confrontation with Trump at the Cleveland convention, Cruz has spent much of his political capital on the Senate, where he often has found himself an outsider. In addition to the $440,000 Cruz raised jointly with Cornyn to help six GOP Senate candidates, a constellation of Cruz political organizations have contributed about $200,000 to help other GOP candidates this year, campaign finance records show. Half of that went to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the political arm of the Senate Republicans. Cruz's leadership PAC, called the Jobs, Growth and Freedom Fund, has given another $45,000 directly to nine Republican colleagues in the Senate. Among them are Kelly Ayotte, in a tough reelection battle in New Hampshire, and Marco Rubio, the Florida senator who turned into one of Cruz's most bitter rivals in GOP presidential primaries. Perhaps more importantly, Cruz has offered access to the extensive voter data he collected during his presidential campaign. Cruz's largesse has shown a willingness to overlook bad feelings from the past. Ayotte was an outspoken critic of Cruz's role in a 2013 government shutdown in a battle over Obamacare. Rubio and Cruz tangled over their positions on immigration earlier this year. On the campaign trail In a further peace offering, Cruz met Rubio for lunch in Washington last month and offered to campaign for him in Florida, if needed, according to a top aide. Where Cornyn has been content to raise money from donors largely behind the scenes, Cruz has spent more time on the campaign trail, including a recent trip to Nevada to stump for Republican challenger Joe Heck, who is vying for the Senate seat being vacated by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. The races in Nevada, Florida, New Hampshire and Missouri are among at least seven that could help determine control of the Senate next year, along with Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Indiana. Cruz also traveled last week to Colorado to help long-shot Senate candidate Darryl Glenn, a Republican trying to unseat Democratic incumbent Michael Bennet. Cruz's trip to Missouri this week to help Blunt, a Republican fending off charges of being too much of a Washington insider, demonstrates that despite his well-known differences with Trump, the Texan's name still has a certain cachet in conservative circles. "Let's face it, if Cornyn shows up in Missouri, who possibly is going to show up at that rally?" Theriault said. "Cruz clearly speaks to a certain segment of the Republican Party." Looking at television news, you would think the most important issue of the election was Hillary Clinton's emails. According to the Tyndall Report, which tracks nightly news programs, the evening news on ABC, CBS and NBC has spent more time this year reporting on that topic than every other policy issue combined. It was wrong for her to run email over a private server - something that Clinton herself admitted - but 2016 shouldn't be a single-issue election. Let's not forget that Donald Trump has been wracked by scandals that would dominate any other election. Tax returns Mike Pence promised during the vice presidential debate that Trump would release his tax returns. So far that promise has gone unfulfilled. Voters are still in the dark about how much the Republican presidential candidate earns, how much he has donated to charity and how much he has paid in taxes. Beyond personal habits, voters still don't know whether Trump has financial ties with foreign governments. Trump University fraud Paging Dr. Freud. At a speech in Florida last month, Trump told his supporters to vote on Nov. 28. Oops. That's not Election Day, but it is still an important day on Trump's calendar - the trial date in a class-action lawsuit against Trump University. The now-closed unaccredited university promised to provide students with insights and lessons about the real estate world. The reality, according to former customers, was closer to a late-night infomercial that pressured people to spend tens of thousands on more classes. Voters will go to the polls uncertain about the outcome of this lawsuit. Self-serving charity Trump made promises over the years about donating to deserving charities. Thanks to the astounding work of Washington Post journalist David A. Fahrenthold, the public now knows that, except for one occasion between 2008 and this spring, Trump failed to back his boasts with actual cash. Instead, the largess has gone to Trump's own Donald J. Trump Foundation, which has been caught funding his own personal projects. What's worse is that Trump stopped giving to the foundation after 2008 and had been running on other people's money. Plenty of questions remain about the Trump Foundation that his campaign has refused to answer. Clinton has spent decades subject to deep political scrutiny. Trump, on the other hand, has been held to the standard of a reality television show host. Voters deserve to know the truth about Trump. With only one week until Election Day, it may already be too late. The Heights Regarding "Keep Heights dry to keep residential charm" (Page A15, Monday), if we were to use writer Bill Baldwin and the "Keep the Heights Dry" group's logic we would still have gas lamps and trolleys in the Heights. To think that the one thing that would keep "the character of the Heights" is to keep the ban on alcohol is ridiculous. First, establishments in the dry zone get around this restriction anyway by serving drinks to "members." Second, H-E-B wants to build on the land that was a Fiesta grocery store. What would go in there if H-E-B does not build? More high-density housing? Talk about altering the character of the Heights! High-density housing is a bigger, more prevalent problem in the Heights than allowing off-premise sale of beer and wine. Third, the "slippery slope" argument that this would open the door for "future big box retailers" is crazy in light of land costs in the historic district. A vote "For" is a vote for more choices for grocery shopping, competition and ensuring that the land H-E-B wants to build does not turn into high-density housing! Ross Santee, Houston Foster care Regarding "160 children at risk of abuse are located" (Page A1, Oct. 28), 20 years ago as a member of a Central Texas county child welfare board, I saw the number of foster children in our area double in five years. At that time there were not enough caseworkers to deal appropriately with all the children needing help, and worker turnover was a problem then as well. Now that the dire situation has come to light, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other officials are upset with the agency charged with overseeing and assisting abused and neglected children. These children can't vote or make political contributions, and they have been neglected by the Legislature for years. Linda Ross, Deary, Idaho Personal choices Regarding "Planned Parenthood: Legacy of life or death? (Page A37, Sunday), abortion should be legal, safe and rare, as one astute pundit wrote. Yet here we are in the 21st century and significant numbers of otherwise sane people cannot accept this simple, basic concept, because of their religious beliefs. It is unconscionable for government to force women to give up control over their own bodies. Life is tough and sometimes one has to make gut-wrenching decisions. What is best for a patient should be discussed in private with trusted friends or family and with the assistance of trained medical personnel. The opinions of luddites should have no bearing on these decisions. David Hartzog,Missouri City Selecting judges Regarding "The judges say ..." (Page A19, Saturday), when working as a committee clerk for the Judiciary Committee of the Texas House of Representatives when in law school in 1973, one of my assignments was to proofread a report to the House on the recommended method of selecting judges in Texas. Neither continuing to elect judges by partisan election nor selection by appointment was recommended. Here we are 43 years later debating the same issue. Do you think politics might have something to do with it? R.J. Reese, Kingwood CHICAGO - In the two weeks before the election, the dueling narratives about the Latino vote are boiling down to this: The "Trump Effect" will propel more Hispanics than ever before to the polls, or "Don't believe the hype." There's so much uncertainty about what will happen on Nov. 8 that partisans are basically stuck grasping at anything that might predict victory for their favored candidate. Yet the data continue to say different things. The Pew Hispanic Center recently published numbers that threw a wet blanket on those hoping Donald Trump's insults of minorities would spur trips to the polls. Its late-summer survey of 1,507 Latino adults, including 804 registered voters, painted the so-called "Sleeping Giant" as still snuggled in its pajamas, snoring away. Pew found that the share of Latino registered voters who said they are "absolutely certain" they will vote this November (69 percent) is down from the share who said the same in 2012 (77 percent). Predictably, young people, who have a reputation for not getting out to polls, reflected some of the sharpest declines. This year, only 62 percent of millennial Latinos said they are absolutely certain they will vote compared with 74 percent who said the same four years ago. Also upending the narrative that Trump's bad-mouthing of Hispanics will move the needle for Hillary Clinton, Latino registered voters reported being less likely than all registered voters to say they have thought "quite a lot" about this year's presidential election. Only 67 percent of Latino registered voters expressed this level of interest compared with 80 percent among all registered voters, though it is, notably, higher than the level of interest among Hispanic registered voters in the last presidential election (61 percent). It's interesting to note, however, that the Hispanic registered voters who responded to this survey are not only dissatisfied with the nation's direction (a rise to 57 percent in 2016 from 50 percent in 2012) but also completely disillusioned with the political process itself. Pew estimates that about 15 percent of eligible Hispanic voters say they will not vote this year. Thirty-three percent of this group cited dislike of the candidates as their reason for not voting and another 22 percent said they're not interested in the election or feel that their vote will not make a difference. Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer basically said the same when she scoffed at reports that Clinton was leading in her state with the help of Latino voters. "Nah. ... They don't get out and vote. They don't vote," she told The Boston Globe. Soon after, however, early voting estimates were released for Florida and California. BuzzFeed reported that 133,000 Hispanics had already cast votes in Florida, a 99 percent increase compared with the same time period in 2012. Headlines - such as this one from Daily Kos: "Thanks, Donald, for finally waking up the Latino vote!" - are providing momentum to those who dearly want this to be true. The Center for Community Change Action was quick to underscore the fruits of hard-fought get-out-the-vote efforts. Kica Matos, its director of immigrant rights and social justice, sent out an elated statement declaring, "The early voting numbers appear to be a resounding testament to our ground-breaking, multimillion-dollar Immigrant Voters Win PAC Campaign to turn out low propensity Latino and other pro-immigrant voters." Let's hope Latinos finally do put speculation about their power at the ballot box to rest. But either way, there is peril. Should Latino votes help the Democrats win, the shabby, last-minute outreach efforts that many advocacy organizations complained only started at the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month might seem to have been adequate. Worst-case scenario: Rewarding Democrats with a win could possibly lead to even less investment in mobilizing Latino voters during the next go-around. The alternative is more troubling: If they stay home and Trump wins, Latinos will be blamed for helping their tormentor take the White House and Republicans might assume that no amount of insults will entice their participation at the polls. No one wants to banish the sleeping-giant stereotype more than politically engaged Latinos - and let's hope that happens. But it is worth pointing out that it's not fair that Hispanic voters, who have been neglected by both major parties, might stand to lose no matter who wins. Cepeda's email address is estherjcepeda@washpost.com. Twitter: @estherjcepeda. Declining state revenue in the face of growing needs in education, health, child welfare and infrastructure is leading many to look to philanthropy to fill these gaps. As the Houston Chronicle editorial board recently noted in urging the Houston Independent School District to accept $7.5 million from the Kinder Foundation, "philanthropic gifts are needed in an environment where the state Legislature is abdicating its constitutional responsibility." As presidents of two of the largest Houston-based philanthropies, that statement sounded an alarm for us because philanthropy cannot, and should not, replace government spending on public goods and services. According to The Giving Institute, U.S. philanthropy hit a record-setting peak in 2015, when donations reached $373.3 billion. The federal budget for 2016 is $3.95 trillion. Simply put, philanthropy is a relative drop in the bucket. There is no conceivable way to make up for inadequate public spending through philanthropy. Locally, HISD is facing a $162 million loss in revenue due to the state's public education funding system, and we are spending $70 million in Harris County property tax revenue due to the state's refusal to accept federal funds to insure low-income citizens. Our foundations' missions are broader in geography and scope. But even if we focused all of our efforts on these two government-generated shortfalls, the amount needed is more than twice our combined annual budgets. Sound public policy, not philanthropy, is the solution to these problems. There is an important role for philanthropy in working alongside government that plays to our respective strengths. Philanthropy is nimble and interested in experimentation, whereas government tends to move incrementally and may be risk-averse, especially when there is uncertainty about budget implications. Philanthropy can support government innovation by funding pilot programs and underwriting start-up costs that enable government to experiment with relatively little risk. Our foundations are currently co-funding such an initiative. Working with the Harris Center for Mental Health and Houston Police Department, we are underwriting the costs of a pilot program that places mental health counselors at HPD's 9-1-1 call center so that counselors rather than police officers respond to calls that are best handled by the mental health professionals. The two-fold goal of the pilot is to provide appropriate help to 9-1-1 callers and to reduce HPD costs associated with dispatching police officers where they are not needed. If the pilot is successful, we expect HPD to institutionalize this practice. If the pilot is not successful, all of us will have learned new information, and the two foundations - not the governmental entities - will have absorbed the financial costs. We appreciate the opportunity to work with government. Together, we can improve lives and, in some instances, reduce government spending. But make no mistake: We cannot close gaps or solve problems created by poor public policy choices. We're here to help, but government must step up to the plate and do its job. Stern is president and CEO of Houston Endowment Inc. Marks is president and CEO of Episcopal Health Foundation. What could you get done in 140 days? Over the weekend, a report in the Midland Reporter-Telegram quoted Patrick as saying the best time to reform the states byzantine school finance system is during a special session. Only the governor has the constitutional authority to call such a session, but Patrick reportedly said he would be willing to leave the issue alone until the legislative equivalent of overtime. If the governor is willing, I am willing to address it in a special session, the first-term lieutenant governor told the Permian Basin Petroleum Association last week, adding that there are too many other issues lawmakers should consider in the 140-day regular session. Which, of course, begs the question: What are those other issues? If Patricks advocacy during the interim is any indication, his Womens Privacy Act and the expansion of so-called school choice legislation are at the top of his to-do list. It is unclear at the moment whether the House will have any appetite for the former, Patricks attempt to legislate Texans public bathroom use. This month, the latter got a chilly reception from the House Committee on Public Education, to say the least, though Patrick promised to keep pushing school choice bills session after session. In both cases, Patrick has to be aware of the steep climbs that await his bills after they likely sail through the Senate, over which he presides. The narrowest victory on issues important to him will require a mighty effort and a favorable calendar. With school finance reform on the agenda in 2017 an issue in which each member has tremendous political incentive to ensure it turns out well for their school districts several more issues likely will fall victim to the 140-day limit and House Democrats chubbing than would in other sessions. As a purely political act, Patrick floating the idea of pushing the school finance overhaul to a special session means he could have bandwidth to make policy gains that animate his base. This would be a good time to note that the 2017 session is Patricks last before he presumably kicks off his re-election bid for a second term as the states No. 2. So, too, for Gov. Greg Abbott, but he categorically rejected the lieutenant governors suggestion on Monday. Governor Abbott believes Texans deserve for issues including fixing a broken Robin Hood system to be thoroughly debated and addressed in a regular session where responsible and hardworking legislators have plenty of time to address these serious topics, Abbott spokesman John Wittman said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. Texans dont want a full-time legislature, they want a legislature that can get their work done and then go home. Abbotts response is consistent with a stance hes had since he entered the Governors Mansion. He much favors legislators doing the states business within the regular time-frame provided by the Constitution, and that is pretty cut and dry. In a July 2015 interview with Texas Monthly, about a month after his first legislative session as governor, Abbott was asked directly about the prospect of school finance reform and whether a special session would be necessary before 2017. This, of course, was before the Texas Supreme Court upset conventional wisdom and ruled that the method by which Texas funds its public schools passed constitutional muster. Still, Abbott said he thought the system met the states legal obligations, but improving public schools was another question one that was reserved for the next regular session. I think there is more that we can and need to do to improve schools, and those will be some of the issues that we take up next session, he said. We sine died earlier than any time in the past decade. And we did it with no special session. We got our work done on time, very effectively, very cooperatively. CenturyLink Inc. on Monday said it reached a cash-and-stock deal to buy Level 3 Communications Inc. for roughly $25 billion, a marriage that would give the communications companies more heft to weather a competitive landscape. Level 3 runs one of the largest internet backbones in the world but has turned its focus to small and midsize business customers to reverse slowing sales growth in its core operations. CenturyLink, traditionally a rural phone company, has sought to upgrade its network with fiber-optic lines in a bid to compete with AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and rivals in the cable industry. The financial benefits speak for themselves, Level 3 Chief Executive Jeff Storey said Monday during a conference call with analysts, pointing to nearly $1 billion of expected cost savings from sharing data lines and cutting overlapping jobs. I believe scale matters. The deal would turn CenturyLinkwhich has grown from a small Louisiana phone provider by scooping up the former Qwest and Sprint Corp.s landlinesinto an even more corporate-focused service provider, with about three quarters of its revenue coming from business customers. The combined company would also keep millions of home internet subscribers, most of whom use slower digital subscriber lines, such as in Texas County. CenturyLink CEO Glen Post said the company had no plans to spin off its residential business. That certainly is an option for us, but not an objective, he said. Level 3 will help trim CenturyLinks tax bill by adding nearly $10 billion of accumulated net operating losses to its balance sheet. Level 3 racked up massive losses for most of its history, as heavy infrastructure costs outstripped its service revenues. The newly profitable carrier has more recently used those past losses to reduce its effective tax rate. The cash-and-stock deal initially valued Level 3 at roughly $25 billion, or $69.92, based on closing prices Friday, offering a premium of 49 percent based on the stocks closing prices Wednesday, before The Wall Street Journal reported the companies were in advanced talks. Shares of CenturyLink fell 12 percent on the news in Monday afternoon trading, lowering the deals value to about $23 billion. Level 3, meanwhile, gained 5 percent. The deal would add about $11 billion in long-term debt to CenturyLinks roughly $18 billion in debt. Under the deals terms, CenturyLink agreed to swap $26.50 in cash and 1.4286 shares for each share of Level 3. The company said the deal was worth $34 billion, including debt, and is expected to close by the third quarter of 2017. Post, a 64-year-old who has led CenturyLink since 1992, will serve as CEO of the combined company, and Level 3s chief financial officer, Sunit Patel, will serve as financial chief. CenturyLink agreed to add four of Level 3s directors to its board at closing. The combined company will be based in Monroe, La., and will maintain a significant presence in Colorado and the Denver metropolitan area, where Level 3 is based. Both companies have historically been acquisitive. In 2014, Level 3 bought TW Telecom for about $6 billion, and in 2011, it bought rival Global Crossing Ltd. for roughly $2 billion. CenturyLink, formerly called CenturyTel, bought Qwest Communications International for $11 billion and Savvis Inc. for $2 billion in 2011. It also purchased Embarq Corp., Sprints former landline operations, for about $6 billion. Another potentially disruptive regulation is headed CenturyLinks way later this year. The Federal Communications Commission in May floated new business data services rules that could cut the fees incumbent telephone companies can charge rivals by as much as 19 percent. CenturyLink opposes the proposed rate changes and on Monday sent the agency a letter criticizing its transparency. This drastic rate cut would cripple many providers ability to continue providing quality service, much less have money left to invest in broadband innovation for the future, the letter said. In Texas County, CenturyLinks broadband service fails to meet the standard set by the FCC. Level 3 has railed against legacy telephone companies like Verizon and CenturyLink for allegedly overcharging it for access. Level 3 built its network on fiber-optic cables strung between big data centers and downtown business districts, and it relies on local telephone companies to provide the last link to its customers in shops and office buildings not yet hooked up to its backbone. Post said the looming FCC decision didnt drive the acquisition, though the broader regulatory environment played into both companies decision. He said he expects that regulators will put tough demands on the carriers but will ultimately approve a deal that allows more competitive prices. The merger partners also reported third-quarter earnings on Monday. CenturyLink reported a profit of $152 million as its revenue fell 3.8 percent to $4.38 billion. Level 3 posted a $143 million profit on revenue that was flat at $2.03 billion. Texas County Sheriff James Sigman praised law enforcement and other personnel working the case involving murder suspect Daniel Campbell. He also thanked citizens who live in the area near Success where the killing took place last week. Assisting with the investigation were officers with the Texas County and Wright County sheriffs departments, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Cabool Police Department as well as U.S. Forest Service staff members. Everybody did a fantastic job, Sigman said. I couldnt ask for a better group than the one thats around here. Its good to know you have a group thats going to be there from start to finish. Everyone worked really well together. Its good to have a united front. Throughout the four-day effort, Pittmans Store at highways 17 and 32 was used as a base for search party personnel. Theyre to be thanked for letting us clog up their lot all that time, Sigman said. Sigman said Campbells apprehension was due in large part to communication with local residents. The community up there was fantastic, Sigman said. People were really willing to talk. We got tips and information the whole way through. of New Zealands most eminent diversity advisory firms has bid farewell to its longstanding chair Michael Barnett. Diversity Works New Zealand confirmed yesterday afternoon that Michael Barnett would be stepping down after serving on the organisations board for over 15 years.Barnett, the chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, says it has been a privilege to work with successive governments that genuinely believe in and promote the benefits of diversity in the workplace.This organisation has made a significant contribution to my values relating to fairness and equity in employment and respect for the aspirations and beliefs of others, he says.Thank you for the opportunity to take a leadership role in providing a voice for diversity and I would ask that more leaders contribute their time and values as champions for those who need a voice for fairness and equity in the future.Minister for Women Louise Upston said Barnett had made a significant contribution to helping New Zealand workplaces banish discrimination and urged other leaders to follow suit.I congratulate Michael on his longstanding commitment to enabling more inclusive and productive workplaces, she said. I strongly encourage more leaders to get on board and share the benefits of diverse workplaces.Barnett will formally resign from his role at the organisations annual general meeting, which will be held at 1pm on Thursday, November 3 at the Intercontinental Wellington. Nurses at a Toronto hospital helped babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) celebrate their first Halloween on Monday and it was impossibly cute. The babies at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre were dressed in itty-bitty costumes for the occasion. There was a Nemo, a ladybug, and a "nurse magnet." Advertisement So sweet. Other hospitals including some inNorth Carolina, Missouri, and Arkansas all had the same, wonderful idea. The Toronto hospital posted a video of the babies' costumes on Facebook. Parents whose children had been in the NICU for Halloween in years past left photos of their kids in the comments. "Halloween at Sunnybrook! Born at 27 weeks! Today a healthy and happy 3 year old!" one mom wrote. Watch the video above to see more costumes from Sunnybrook this year. Also on HuffPost Is there really just one big bank in Canada? You might suspect that there is, given the ownership structure of the Big Five banks headquartered in Toronto. As it turns out, the largest shareholders in each of the big banks are the other big banks. For instance, the Bank of Montreal (BMO)s largest shareholders are Royal Bank of Canada, CIBC World Markets, TD Asset Management, TD Bank and Scotiabank. In all, they owned about 22.5 per cent of BMO as of Oct. 31, 2016. Advertisement A similar pattern plays out at each of the other major banks. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Canadas largest bank by assets, owns the largest share of each of the Big Five banks, including itself. BMO shareholders Charts for the other banks are at bottom. The same isn't true for banks outside Canada, though it does happen. Bank of America's largest shareholders are many of its own executives and HSBC's largest shareholders are investment firms. But Deutsche Bank's largest shareholders are other banks, including Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse (though, notably, these banks are from all over the world, and not just banks in Deutsche's German home turf.) No avoiding Canadian banks So whats going on here? Some kind of charade, where one bank is pretending to be five different banks? Advertisement Not exactly. According to financial experts The Huffington Post Canada talked to, many of these banks investments in each other are through mutual funds. The banks own these shares on behalf of their customers. And if those mutual funds accurately reflect the equities in which you can invest in Canada, then banks will be the largest part of those mutual funds because banks are Canadas biggest businesses. You cant move in the Canadian market without running into the banks, said Laurence Booth, a finance professor at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management. Booth points out that the three largest publicly traded companies in Canada are banks (RBC, TD and Scotiabank, in that order) and eight of the largest 20 Canadian companies are financial firms. Advertisement In other words, its not so much that the Canadian banks own each other; its more that they own a lot of everything. And what this situation really points to is that Canadas banking system is very concentrated in the hands of a few players: An insular club of interdependent financial institutions. But is that really such a bad thing? Canadas clubby banking system suffered not one bankruptcy during the Great Depression, when the U.S.s much more diverse banking system saw more than 9,000 banks go bust. That was echoed during the financial crisis of 2008, when once again many U.S. financial institutions went bust or needed a major bailout, while Canadas banks were lauded for being the most stable in the world (at the time, anyway). Advertisement This concentrated financial system is not necessarily a bad thing for Canada as long as our banks are well managed, well capitalized, and monitored closely by our bank regulator, said Louis Gagnon, a finance professor at Queens University. Gagnon argues that a concentrated banking system can actually be more efficient, as there is less duplication of activities and better economies of scale. There is a fine line between concentration, competition, efficiency, and systemic risk considerations and I believe that Canada has struck the right balance, Gagnon said. CIBC shareholders RBC shareholders Advertisement Scotiabank shareholders TD Bank shareholders Also on HuffPost Hey, Trudeau: congratulations on signing the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). Now the real work starts. Advertisement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday hailed the provisional approval of a free trade deal with Europe that allows for most but not all of its sections to come into force. The agreement is being sold as a measure that will remove duties on nearly 99 per cent of Canadian goods that enter the European Union (EU), allowing for lower prices, job growth and a boost to household incomes. But signing CETA was only the beginning. Now it has to be approved by a series of governments in Canada and Europe. Advertisement Canada, it appears, is wasting no time approving CETA. International Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced that the government will table a bill to ratify the agreement, iPolitics reported. Approval by the European Parliament could follow in December, and once that happens, 98 per cent of the agreement, including "commercially-relevant" sections, will come into force, Freeland said. But full implementation could take longer due to concerns over an investment protection system that was a sticking point for Belgium's Wallonia region, which held up the signing just last week. Investor protection CETA includes a measure that allows investors and business owners to sue countries that signed the agreement under a tribunal system instead of national courts. It sets out an investment court system that sees three arbitrators chosen from a list of 15 people: five of whom are Canadians, five from the EU and five from countries that aren't parties to the agreement, according to trade lawyer Greg Tereposky. Advertisement One arbitrator is to be chosen from each of these three groups of five. Wallonia rejected the agreement after expressing concerns about the arbitrators' impartiality, The Canadian Press reported. They were worried that arbitrators, who would adjudicate matters in secret, could also serve as judges, and it would be impossible to figure out whether they were in a conflict of interest. Canada and the EU pledged in writing to ensure that people acting as arbitrators were impartial and not hampered by such conflicts, CP added. It wasn't enough to stop Wallonia from rejecting CETA. But the region later withdrew its opposition, overcoming the final hurdle to signing the deal on a provisional basis. Advertisement It's not over But just because Wallonia lifted its opposition doesn't mean that the investment court system won't cause further problems. The dispute system is considered a matter of national importance, and that means it has to be approved by over three dozen regional and national governments, Reuters reported. And impartiality isn't the only concern that's come up in connection with the investment court. Critics are also concerned that the arbitration system can be manipulated by companies to change public policy, like environmental legislation, the news agency added. Canada and the EU have both maintained that the investment court system doesn't stop governments from making their own regulations. Advertisement European regions aren't the only ones that could stop CETA in its tracks, either. A Canadian province or territory could do the same thing. But that would be a "churlish" move because CETA is "such an important deal over all to Canada," international relations professor Elliot Tepper told CTV News. Benefits CETA proponents say there are many benefits to be had even for the middle class. Currently, many Canadian exports face duties when going into the EU. That could change the moment that CETA comes into force, eventually making 99 per cent of products enter the union "duty-free." Exports such as maple syrup and machinery could become more competitive in Europe and give Canada a leg up on other exporters. University of Alberta economist Trevor Tombe noted that European products could be cheaper for Canadians, too. Advertisement What will CETA make cheaper? Here's tariffs on imports from EU, by product category. Vehicles biggest category by far. #cdnpoli#cdneconpic.twitter.com/jS69lsi1gy Trevor Tombe (@trevortombe) October 29, 2016 Among all products imported from the EU, Canadians currently pay the highest tariffs on transportation products, like cars and bikes. Both could become more affordable if CETA comes into force. Also on HuffPost Canada's economy grew 0.2 per cent in August, Statiscs Canada said Friday, slower than the month before but still pointing to a rebound in the third quarter after a sluggish start to the year. And even though Canada is on track to become a services-based economy, instead of a manufacturing economy, in August things looked very different. The services sector recorded zero growth while goods-producing industries jumped 0.7 per cent. Advertisement Leading growth was oil, gas and mining, which is recovering from the Alberta wildfires this spring, and which posted a hefty 1.4-per-cent increase in August. Consumers tapped out? One negative in today's StatsCan report was a 0.2-per-cent decline in the retail sector. This part of Canada's economy hasn't grown at all this year, with the numbers for August roughly in line with the numbers for January. At the same time, Canadian household debt has hit record highs, and Canadians now lead the G7 countries on this measure. Some observers fear consumers could come under pressure, and even face a potential debt crisis, as borrowing grows. Advertisement CIBC economy Avery Shenfeld noted that, even though August looked strong, the economy has underperformed over the past year. "Let's not forget that this came after a drop in [the second quarter] that still leaves the year tracking at a mediocre 1.3 per cent 12-month pace," he wrote in a client note. TD Bank economist Brian DePratto said the latest numbers show Canada is on track for a strong rebound in the third quarter, with the economy expected to grow at a more than 3 per cent annual rate. Also on HuffPost Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been hard at work since his government took office over a year ago. But how much he's accomplishing has been a matter of some debate in recent months. The latest questions surround the infrastructure projects that were approved after the first budget implementation act was passed on June 13, according to Bloomberg News. Advertisement Since then, 860 projects have been approved across Canada. But only one, a disaster mitigation project in Whitecourt, Alta., has actually broken ground in that time frame. The project seeks to "control erosion along the south bank of the Athabasca River" in Whitecourt, a town about 177 kilometres north of Edmonton. The federal government contributed $1,839,888 to realize it. Information regarding the progress of projects comes from a dataset provided by Infrastructure Canada. Advertisement And indeed, it shows that the Whitecourt project is the only one that's even started construction, after breaking ground on July 13. Bloomberg said the dataset likely underestimates how much progress has actually been made on these projects. An Infrastructure Canada spokesperson said numerous projects have started their work and that 65 per cent of the ones announced as part of the funding's first phase are in progress. But the lack of advancement on them shows that it's tougher to stimulate the economy through infrastructure spending than many likely anticipated. Advertisement TD noted this in September, when it issued a report showing that stimulus spending won't add as much to Canada's economy as the federal government said it would. The Liberals said their spending would add 0.5 per cent to Canada's GDP this year and one per cent from 2017 to 2018. TD, however, said it was more likely to add 0.3 per cent and 0.2 per cent to the economy in each of the next two years, for a total of 0.5 per cent. The revelations come amid questions about how much Trudeau's Liberals are actually pulling off, despite the hopeful campaign that put them in government. Advertisement Two months ago, it emerged that the Trudeau government's first nine months in office were the least productive of any in over two decades. It is, however, keeping most of its promises. Also on HuffPost Where is Kim Jong-un's wife? Many are curious after one news site reported that the North Korean dictator's spouse hasn't been seen in public in more than seven months. Ri Sol-ju last attended an event with her husband on March 28 in Pyongyang, according to an analysis of North Korean media reports by South Korea's Yonhap News. Advertisement She accompanied him to events 18 times in 2012, 22 times in 2013 and 15 times the year after. But she only popped up seven times in 2015 and three times so far this year, according to Yonhap. One anonymous North Korea observer called her absence "extraordinary." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, together with his wife Ri Sol Ju (L), gives field guidance at the newly built Mirae Shop and Health Complex in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 28. (Photo: KCNA/Reuters) "Some sources speculate Ri's disappearance may be linked to a check on her activities by Kim's younger sister Kim Yo-jong," the observer told Yonhap. Advertisement Kim Yo-jong has gained influence in the government since her brother came into power. She briefly took over from him in 2014 while he received medical treatment, according to Asia-Pacific news site The Diplomat. Earlier that year, she was officially mentioned as a senior official of the Central Committee of the Workers Party of Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) stands next to his wife Ri Sol Ju as they attend the 2014 Combat Flight Contest among commanding officers of the Korean People's Air Force in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang May 10, 2014. (Photo: KCNA/Reuters) "The belief is that while Mr. Kim lacks political ability, she is far more adept at the sort of maneuvering that is required to keep him in power, so that is the task she has taken on," North Korea expert Toshimitsu Shigemura told The Telegraph. Advertisement Shigemura also offered up other possible explanations for Ri Sol-ju's disappearance, including that she could be pregnant or that the two are dealing with marital problems. He also said some have speculated that she was close to Kim Jong-un's uncle, Jang Song-thaek, who was executed in 2013 for crimes against the state. Not the first time she's seemingly vanished Ri Sol-ju also disappeared from the public eye for two months in 2012, according to Reuters, which cited North Korean news reports. She was later spotted at an event wearing a coat that gaped open slightly in the middle, sparking speculation that she was pregnant. After former basketball star Dennis Rodman visited the secretive nation in 2013, he revealed in an interview that she told him about her baby daughter. Advertisement The North Korean leader and his wife made news after their marriage was revealed earlier in 2012, with some saying the announcement was made on purpose to make the dictator seem more open and relatable. "Kim Jong-un is breaking with his father's secrecy-shrouded leadership," expert Lim Eul-chul told the Independent at the time. He himself often appears in state media, which makes his wife's absence even more interesting. Also on HuffPost When @barackobama sees your nephew dressed as Prince & starts singing Purple Rain! Yep, Best Halloween Ever! #MWxDC #acreativedc #RIPPrince | : my wife @dinthelife A video posted by MASTERWILLIAMS (@masterwilliams) on Oct 31, 2016 at 4:30pm PDT On Nov. 23, 2017, media outlets reported that bookmakers had stopped betting on when an engagement between the couple will take place, and that the BBC was on standby should Kensington Palace make an announcement. Advertisement It didn't help matters that Markle, who recently wrapped filming "Suits" reportedly her last season was seen moving out of her rented Toronto home and flying to London to be with her prince just a few days ago. The couple will reportedly live together in Harry's Kensington Palace home, Nottingham Cottage. Mark Blinch / Reuters Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle watch the wheelchair tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto, Ontario, Canada September 25, 2017. But engagement rumours have been making the rounds long before this week, most notably when Markle began to shed commitments such as her deal with clothing label Reitmans and shut down her lifestyle website The Tig. Royal watchers began thinking an engagement was inevitable after the couple took a vacation together to celebrate the actress' 36th birthday this summer, and more recently, when they made their official debut as a couple at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto in September. During the year and a half they've been together, we're sure the prince has gotten to know Markle quite well, but many royal fans might still be wondering who exactly is the stunning brunette who managed to capture the prince's heart. Advertisement Below, we've rounded up 19 interesting facts about Meghan Markle. One thing's for sure, she's certainly much more than just a pretty face. She's met the queen Phil McCarten / Reuters According to reports, Prince Harry took Markle to visit his grandmother over tea at Buckingham Palace in October. The meeting was "said to be extremely informal... in part it was to settle any nerves Meghan might have felt but also to ensure it was not widely publicized within the palace," reports the Daily Mail. She's mixed No filter. Just happiness with my mama bear. #homesweethome #LA #californialove #iloveyoumom A video posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on May 22, 2016 at 9:25pm PDT Advertisement Markle was born in California to an African-American mother and a Dutch and Irish father. Her nickname is... I bought these peonies for myself yesterday because they make me so endlessly happy. Do something sweet for yourself today too. #treatyourself #simplepleasures #favoriteflowers @_thetig A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on May 9, 2016 at 7:18am PDT Flower. Her mom has called her this since she was a child. She also goes by Meg, MM and M&M. She's a main character on the show "Suits" The waiting game begins. Season five finale of @suits_usa tonight! Who's tuning in? #suits #rachelzane A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Mar 2, 2016 at 5:53am PST She got her big break playing paralegal Rachel Zane on "Suits." Prior to that she had roles on shows like "Fringe," "CSI: Miami" and "General Hospital." Up until recently, she lived in Toronto Time to play in the snow before heading to set. #adoptdontshop #bogartlovesit #guynotsomuch #snowday A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Apr 6, 2016 at 6:51am PDT Markle lived in Toronto (with her two dogs) for five years while she was filming the TV show "Suits." After filming wrapped on Season 7 in November, the actress was reportedly spotted moving out of her home and jetting off to the U.K. to live with Harry at his Kensington Palace residence, Nottingham Cottage. Advertisement She was dating a Canadian chef when she met Prince Harry Markle was dating Chef Cory Vitiello when she met Prince Harry in May. The couple broke up that same month and Markle started talking to Harry more frequently following the split, the National Post reports. She's divorced In 2011, Markle married her boyfriend of seven years in Jamaica. Two years later they separated. She loves fashion Markle runs her own lifestyle blog called The Tig. She covers everything from food to travel and fashion and beauty as well as influencers. Advertisement She's a frequent flyer And away we go #TigTravel with my gals @lindsayjillroth & @luc7m :: tap image for details:: @_thetig A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jun 24, 2016 at 5:03am PDT Markle's Instagram feed is filled with images of her hopping on planes and lying by the beach. "I spend almost every week on a plane, and between travel for work, or press, or more importantly for humanitarian work, it is my access to experience this big beautiful world of ours," she wrote on her blog. Television is in her blood Just me, @greggsulkinofficial & a cameo by the queen. #BTS #antisocial #budapest #london #filming A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Dec 5, 2013 at 2:07am PST Markle grew up surrounded by TV cameras since her father was a lighting director on the set of "Married with Children." She also grew up practicing yoga. "My mom is a yoga instructor, and I started doing mommy-and-me yoga with her when I was seven," she told Best Health Magazine. She's close to her mom Karwai Tang via Getty Images Doria Radlan and Meghan Markle are seen at the Closing Ceremony on day 8 of the Invictus Games Toronto 2017 at the Air Canada Centre on September 30, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. Advertisement In an essay she wrote for Glamour magazine, Markle noted that her mom, Doria Radland, is a major inspiration. "My mom has always been a free spirit. She's got dread locks and a nose ring. She just ran the LA Marathon. We can just have so much fun together, and yet, I'll still find so much solace in her support. That duality coexists the same way it would in a best friend." Radland has also met Markle's beau, and the three of them were photographed together at the Invictus Games Closing Ceremony. She and Harry are distant cousins WireImage According to the Daily Mail, the couple are actually 15th cousins, related through a late 15th-century ancestor of the Queen Mother. She's had her makeup done by Princess Diana's former makeup artist A post shared by Vanity Fair (@vanityfair) on Sep 5, 2017 at 4:00am PDT Advertisement Mary Greenwell, who did the late Princess of Wales' makeup for magazines such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, also did Markle's makeup when she posed for the October 2017 issue of Vanity Fair. The makeup artist posted photos of Markle's photoshoot on Instagram and wrote that she had "a lovely day" with the actress on set. She practices calligraphy So @meghanmarkle (aka Prince Harry's girlfriend) sent this to @heyitsmonika for a Reitmans thing and now I want to frame it lol A photo posted by Joy D'Souza (@janeannejoy) on Nov 1, 2016 at 9:59am PDT Prior to getting a small gig on "General Hospital," Markle worked as a freelance calligrapher and even did the wedding invitations for Robin Thicke and Paula Patton's wedding in 2005. The note shown in the photo above was written by Markle to a HuffPost Canada Style editor, regarding her Reitmans collection. Her BFF is Jessica Mulroney #aboutyesterday A day of rest with my gal pal @jessicamulroney A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Feb 4, 2016 at 8:16am PST Advertisement Yes, the former Prime Minister's daughter-in-law Jessica Mulroney. Markle often posts pictures of the pair vacationing together and hanging around at home. She's also close to the Trudeaus Perhaps the current Prime Minister introduced the pair while showing the prince around Toronto? She's a humanitarian Dance time. @worldvisioncan (: @gaborjurina ) #Rwanda A video posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Jan 29, 2016 at 6:55am PST Markle has travelled to Rwanda as a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada. She Is also a supporter of the United Nations He For She Campaign. And she has a soft spot for soldiers In gratitude to our troops, and the opportunity to thank them personally for their sacrifice and service. Such an honor and feeling very very blessed. #USOtour @usotour #afghanistan A photo posted by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on Dec 9, 2014 at 2:52pm PST Advertisement The prince and the actress can most definitely bond over their shared respect and gratitude to servicemen. She's met other members of Harry's family, too According to the Sun, Markle met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on one of her recent trips to London. With files from Chloe Tejada. This post has been updated with new information on Nov. 27, 2017. Also on HuffPost Prince Harry's Girlfriends, Rumored AND Confirmed See Gallery "Never underestimate how much you are hated." When I first read this line in a newspaper column, I thought Heather Mallick was so pessimistic, so jaded. I have since come to understand she was right. Unapologetically feminist, raw and painfully real, she shed light on the experiences of women who refuse to "go along to get along." A similar spirit of speaking truth to power gave rise to our protest against Justin Trudeau at the Canadian Labour Congress Young Workers' Summit on October 25, when Canada's selfie-loving "feminist" -- because it's 2015 -- prime minister faced dozens of protesters who chose to turn their backs to him. Advertisement As one of those protesters, I want to express why we chose to display our dissatisfaction with the Trudeau government (though many with a historical view might shake their heads at the naivety of believing THIS Liberal government would be different). I will never forget how much they hated me for daring to make a statement that differed so publicly from their own. I must acknowledge that I occupy a privileged space: I'm a white, middle-class, straight, cis-gendered, Anglo, educated woman. Next to white, cis-gendered men, there is no space more privileged. I know many others wanted to stand with us but could not, due to inexperience, positions within the public service, political or union affiliations, or potentially negative impacts on their careers. The majority of the workers standing up to the prime minister were women, those identifying as LGBTQ, racialized men and francophones. Most of the non-racialized males in the room not only refused to support us, some actively discouraged us from making a statement. During the previous two days, we had discussed strategies for claiming space, for speaking truth and making the establishment uncomfortable in order to change the system. Yet as we stood to defend causes we all purported to support, most of the non-racialized males in our midst sat back. The truth is, the position of these men in society was being questioned. By turning our backs on the PM, we were challenging a system built to inherently favour them above anyone else. As many social justice activists assert, the system isn't broken, it was built this way -- to disenfranchise and exclude women, "other" racialized people and anyone suggesting that change should be driven from the bottom up. What has occurred to me is that if white men are not leading the charge, they are often on the defensive. Advertisement Oppression does not stop at the labour movement's door. Some non-racialized Brothers did stand with us and their voice and strength must be recognized. They are true representatives of an inclusive, forward-thinking labour movement, who act with the knowledge that doing so means they may sacrifice opportunity and advantage. Building towards the common good is not easy and I admire their solidarity in demanding that others sit at the table. I also want to address the women delegates who distanced themselves from us. Realizing their tenuous grasp on privilege and their precarity, some women often find power (and male acceptance) in rejecting feminist dialogue. Women face the choice of holding onto privilege by rejecting feminist theory, attempting to be viewed as "one of the boys." I understand this temptation but to these women I say, "you will never be one of them." You may be tokenized, placed on a pedestal, flashed before the cameras, but your rejection will be swift should you ever fail to tow the establishment line. Oppression does not stop at the labour movement's door. It exists within our ranks, at our executive tables, in collective agreements and is displayed for all to see on convention floors. Perhaps it is no longer enough to peer darkly through a glass at the hypocrisies of our movement. Advertisement I will never question the fact that I can be deemed a threat by my very presence as an outspoken, empowered and unapologetic woman in a male-dominated space, by my existence and insistence on being heard in a hegemonic enterprise. I will never forget how much they hated me for daring to make a statement that differed so publicly from their own. Never underestimate how much they hate you, but never let them prevent you from claiming the space that is rightfully yours. Briana Broderick Ontario Federation of Labour Vice-President (Young Workers) United Steelworkers Local 2010 Vice-President Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Gary Burchell via Getty Images Portrait of a young artist in her studio Time is a precious commodity. It's non-renewable, it can't be replaced and it goes by quickly. It can also work for you or against you, depending on how you use it. As we move into the final weeks of 2016, time is more precious than ever. This is one of the busiest periods of the year for many businesses. And it comes at a time when more than half of respondents to a recent survey said they have added more people to their teams - a positive signal for the Canadian economy, but also a sign that business owners are likely to find themselves under even more pressure than usual. Advertisement Few know the value of time better than small business owners. For them, finding any advantage to make the most of their time is critical to achieving success. Luckily, technology can help squeeze maximum benefit out of the hours they do have. Here are a few ways small business can get more time back as they prepare to close out the calendar year. Offer frictionless customer service. A frustrated customer is a customer at risk - they require more time and energy to keep or ultimately win back. That's time that could be better spent finding new customers and growing the business. Given having to re-explain issues and expending too much effort on finding resolution are the top customer service challenges, according to the State of Sales report by Salesforce, this is an ongoing problem that should be considered low-hanging fruit in the search for efficiency. Many companies have opted to invest in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution to better anticipate what their customers' needs before they even have to ask. By learning about your customers' preferences and needs, you'll not only improve their experience, but make it more time effective. Advertisement And with 75 per cent of online customers expecting help within five minutes, it makes sense to look for technology tools like Desk.com, and out-of-the-box customer service app that helps customers service team solve issues and provide customers with a better brand experience in the process, before even knocking at your door. The bottom line -- let technology remove barriers for your customers, so your people don't have to. Work smarter (and faster) with your smartphone. Unlike their larger counterparts, SMBs often lack the people or technology firepower to implement and maintain standardized procedures to reduce all the little tasks that burn valuable time. Why not streamline processes and save time by using the tool that all of your employees already have with them 24/7 -- their phone. Whether it's scanning receipts, running reports or setting up quick polls, it's easy to find apps that will reduce time on the little things, making sure your team can focus on what matters most. If they work for your business, consider making apps customer-facing to make their interactions with you even more frictionless. With 38 per cent expected growth in mobile as a service channel, there's no better time to bake mobile into your SMB's strategy. Talk with each other more often. According to one study, 39 per cent of employees feel employees in their own organization don't collaborate enough. With a lack of collaboration comes silos, redundancies, project delays and frustration - and ultimately more lost time. Using turnkey tools that connect staff to important information can speed up customer interactions, increase efficiencies and prompt faster decision-making. Virtual collaboration like Salesforce Chatter clear the lines of employee communication, allowing teams to collaborate on projects and resolve issues immediately. This can be a huge time saver in terms of eliminating in-person meetings, commuting time, or even long distance trips. Advertisement The time challenge can never be completely solved, but by taking these steps, your business can go a long way to preventing wasted potential and giving your customers what they want most -- faster, better and more streamlined service. Nongkran_ch via Getty Images Vector illustration white gear wheel on circuit board, Hi-tech digital technology and engineering, digital telecoms technology concept, Abstract futuristic- technology on blue color background As a business owner and communications industry veteran, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, President of Shikatani Lacroix, a Toronto-based branding and design agency, has seen a massive evolution in technology and customer/employee expectations over the last two decades. In part 3 of this multi-part executive Q&A series I will chat with Jean-Pierre about what industries are at the forefront of digital transformation. Doug:Do you see particular industries or areas where digital transformation has more of an impact, more of a benefit? Advertisement Jean-Pierre: That's a great question. I would say there is a balancing act happening between being disrupted and leveraging digital technology. Industries that are the most prone to being disrupted, who are vulnerable to new technologies or new business models are also the firms that need to, but not necessarily have, embrace digital more effectively. I'll use banking as a great example. Talk to any banker today, it's not about omnichannel -- that's 10 years old. They were one of the first to develop banking platforms to create a digital online experience for their customers because they knew customers liked doing banking online. Now Fintech start-ups have developed technologies that allow you to transfer money and bypass filling out forms, eliminating friction for the customer in the banking industry. I think the banking industry is awake. They're not going to let themselves be disrupted by Fintech, instead they are embracing Fintech technology and it has a huge play in what happens in the branches. Less and less consumers are going into the branches. Those branches need to change their meaning and their value to their customers. It's not about transactions; it's about knowledge and empowerment. You are seeing the banks, the smart ones, slowly shifting their attention from transaction to knowledge and to empowerment. Where the teller now is enabled and empowered to talk about retirement plans, investment plans, and the financial security of the customer. This is a great example of an industry that has embraced digital, not because it's a nice thing to have but because it's a necessity for avoiding being disrupted. I would say general merchandise retailers, such as Canadian Tire and Walmart, that are selling commoditized items is another industry that needs to wake up when it comes to digital technology since they are all about the transaction. They are about selling to the consumer. It's about basket size and increasing the amount of products customers buy when they visit their stores. Digital can play a really important role at reminding them about things. "Miss Consumer, you know you bought toilet paper the last time you were here. That was a month ago. You may want to replenish." "I didn't think of it." Most consumers who go to a supermarket don't have a shopping list, so there's a great opportunity to drive in pull sales for stores like Walmart and Canadian Tire, but they are not there. If you go to those stores that shelf activation using digital technology is still not there. They still haven't figured out that basket size value, but the smart ones will. Advertisement Now, it's all about big screens. It's not about shelf. It's about big screens creating a lot of excitement, which is great as it reinforces the brand is relevant. However, at the end of the day in that split second purchase decision -- digital plays a very minimal role, and it shouldn't. Doug:So, what you're talking about is a move from the large screens down to almost a personal experience at the shelf. Shelf displays can drive personalizing things and making things relevant to a particular consumer. Jean-Pierre: I'm back to my reference to advertising. You can spend trillions of dollars building an image of the consumer, and then in the last split second the consumer switches to another brand. To me, the model's upside down and the money needs to be spent in the store experience. It needs to be spent when the consumer is making their buying decision. Not online, not on the radio. Those are great to build brand awareness but when most consumers can be switched at the shelf level, that's where the real battleground is and that's where the money should be spent. Advertisement That's where big data plays an important role: the connection between mobile devices and all shelf communication. This is where the real battle can be won and where the smart retailers are going to invest their money. It reminds me of a little story from about four years ago. We were hired to do the reinvention of OfficeMax. Online sales had huge impact on the performance of the stores. The stores were an average 25 to 27 thousand square feet. Our mandate was to create urban microstores, stores that were 17 to 20 thousand, even smaller than that. When we looked at digital signage, shelf signage, and we looked at the electronic ink -- sign elements -- and we costed it out. The client was very interested in having digital signage because it allowed them to change their pricing by zone, and then move very quickly at a competitive response. It was going to cost $300,000 for that in one store, so, imagine the multiple. The challenge still remains today and it is a huge nut financially for retailers to embrace digital. Those platforms today would be $100,000. I think it's more of a mindset by retailers. To say that flyers are their most effective marketing vehicle when, really, it is their stores that are the most effective marketing vehicle. Effectively communicating to the consumer at the shelf level is going to drive more revenue and more sales for them than advertising, radio, promotions and billboards. It's just a mindset. I think what digital has done is force organizations to rethink their business model. The business model before was "build it and they will come." What digital is providing is a platform for people to re-evaluate their business model. So, you look at Loblaws, a market leader in the supermarket category in Canada. They're smart. They're digital. They spent their money on a loyalty program that rewards behaviour. Not just purchase, but behaviour -- that is very smart. They're now exploring order on your phone and pickup at a drive through. They're exploring eliminating these anxiety points. I think most organizations now are being challenged through digital to re-evaluate their business model. If you're not re-evaluating your business based on digital and you're a retailer or a packaged goods company or a corporation, the odds are you're not going to be around long-term. Hero Images via Getty Images High school students giving presentation whiteboard in classroom Children and youth under the age of 18 are the most at risk for sexual assault in Canada, followed by young people aged 18-24, according to Statistics Canada. This issue is critically important to young people, but so often, older adult voices are prioritized. We spoke with Tessa Hill, Lia Valentis, and Destiny Laldeo about what youth are doing to shift rape culture to consent culture, and how media coverage of sexual violence can better support youth survivors. Advertisement Destiny Laldeo is the cofounder of Bad Subject, which provides workshops on consent, rape culture and media literacy to high school students. Tessa Hill and Lia Valentis are the teenage activists behind the We Give Consent campaign and Allegedly the movie. Interviewer: What conversations have you heard about media reporting on sexual assault and rape? Tessa: "In our [school] community there's been a lack of conversation about how the media reports on sexual assault and rape... If you are not comfortable and exposed to the issue of rape culture and sexual assault, then you don't pick up on what's insensitive about using words like 'allegedly.'" Lia: "When there's [cases like] Jian Ghomeshi or Bill Cosby, they are talked about a lot, but after a while [discussions] die down... It should be a continued conversation... Even if you are not a survivor or perpetrator of sexual assault, the conversation is about everybody, and that's what's missing." Advertisement Destiny: "I'm happy that in the university setting, there are a lot of workshops and people speaking about rape culture but these conversations need to happen earlier on so we can have more complex and nuanced conversations about how colonization, gender identity, sexual orientation and race inform how we engage with consent and how we understand consent." Interviewer: How are your communities creating consent culture? Tessa: "Our project is helping to talk about consent culture and the new update to the curriculum about creating consent culture... More people in our school are aware of consent and that it is important." Destiny: "Our project also has a part in creating consent culture because we teach consent in all of its complex and nuanced ways. We go into high school classrooms and we engage with consent as a framework to mitigate the harm we may cause our current/future partners and/or friends. " Tessa: "I feel like so many people don't have access to this information. This is why we did our project and why we wanted the curriculum to change [so that] everyone has access to this information." Interviewer: What are the challenges you have seen in media reporting on sexual violence and rape enacted against youth and what changes would you like to see? Advertisement Lia: "Instead of [talking about] 'This is how you can avoid it,' acknowledge that... it doesn't only happen to white, cisgender, able-bodied women. It doesn't only happen to people of a certain age, but it also happens to youth. And it doesn't matter what you're wearing!" Destiny: "I think the media doesn't have a solid understanding of sexual violence. They are continuing to perpetuate age-old myths about sexual assault which re-victimizes [survivors]. I would like for the media to create a way of reporting on sexual violence which respects the person who has been harmed and humanizes their experience." Interviewer: Often survivors are portrayed as white, straight, cisgender, able-bodied women. How can the media avoid minimizing stories of survivors that don't fit this narrative? Destiny: "If the media turned to more grassroots nonprofits who are creating a dialogue in this discussion based on their experience working with folks who have experienced violence, I think it would minimize the stories which do not contribute to the conversation." Tessa: "It's necessary that the media look into finding people that will give them more of a variety of information, finding different stories and talking about different parts of the story." Advertisement Interviewer: Statistics show most survivors don't report. Why is it important to have a diverse representation of survivorship in media reporting? Destiny: "It's important to recognize that everyone heals and shows emotions in different ways. There's no correct way to heal or access support... Also, we have limited access to those resources; if we aren't covered by our parent's health insurance as young people we may not get the counselling we need. If you do disclose as someone who has experienced [violence] at school to [someone like] a VP or a counsellor, legally they have to tell your parents and they have to contact child services and the police. Some young folks do not want their parents to know about the violence they have experienced because they fear their family's reaction. The whole process can be quite traumatizing when all one wants to do is figure out how to take care of themself." Tessa: "I think another part of it that I thought of is creating an understanding that somebody doesn't want to report it on the legal level or on the internet, but they might want to disclose to a relative or to a friend." Interviewer: There has been a swell in media coverage of rape culture in recent months. What do we still need to address? Lia: "What's important is the understanding that a lot of people who are part of the discussion right now are people that deliberately sign up for it and the people that go take their time and find the events [to attend], or they connect with people who work on consent and rape culture every day. Maybe bringing [consent education] into school [would help]." Advertisement Destiny: "I am loving the conversations that have been happening in the community, not so much what's been happening in the media...As youth we have been filling the gap about what's been left unsaid by adults... Let's go beyond 'yes means yes!' and 'no means no!' And let's make sure that everyone has access to conversations about consent." This blog is part of a series of interviews femifesto is publishing on media reporting and sexual violence in diverse communities across Canada. Tetra Images - Jamie Grill via Getty Images Schoolgirl (8-9) having problems while learning in classroom Life is stressful. For individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental disabilities, doubly so. Imagine navigating a world that is bright and loud and confusing, where you often don't understand the native "language." It's no wonder so many kids develop acute anxiety in response to such stressors. In some, that anxiety manifests outwardly, in aggressive or self-injurious behaviours. For others, it gets turned inward -- by avoiding all situations that are beyond their control or obsessively engaging in repetitive behaviours. Advertisement "Anxiety is the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Jonathan Weiss, Associate Professor of Psychology at York University and Federal Chair in Autism Research and Care, speaking at a recent seminar at Geneva Centre for Autism. With 30 per cent of youth with ASD affected by three or more mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, it's critical these children are given the tools to experience the world in a more adaptive way. Although anxiety itself is unavoidable -- and even, in small doses, useful -- there are healthy ways to manage it. Two effective ways to treat anxiety in children aged 8-15 are cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. The first step involves detective work. What is it about a particular situation that triggers anxiety? What is the child trying to avoid or escape? Social stories and Google searches are useful in outlining expectations and setting out facts, thereby eliminating all those harmful (and improbable) "what if" scenarios. Start with mild exposure to the anxiety-provoking situations, keeping the environment as structured and controlled as possible. Advertisement Cognitive Behaviour Therapy The child with ASD must learn to identify a broad range of emotions and corresponding facial and body expressions, then encouraged to tune into their bodies and rate the intensity of their emotion using a "feelings thermometer." Imagining the worst possible outcome is often their go-to reaction. We feel what we feel. Although our emotions are always valid, our thoughts about a given situation are often skewed and in need of revision. Imagine, for one reason or another, you are fuming, and someone comes along and urges you "not to be angry." Ditto when someone tells you to breathe deeply. It simply doesn't work. If anything, such advice dispensed in the heat of the moment may probably only stoke your already-raging fire. CBT acknowledges the present feelings while attempting to redress the damaging thoughts behind them. We all have scripts we write for ourselves. In autistic individuals, those scripts or schemas are often far from compassionate or resilient. They can be downright toxic: This homework is hard. Ergo I suck at math. Ergo I will certainly fail the class. Ergo I suck. I'm stupid. I can't do anything right. Dr. Weiss talked about visiting the dentist, an experience that is collectively viewed, at best, with ambivalence. I love going to the dentist, said no one ever. Yet so much of our experience depends not the situation but how we frame it in our minds. For most of us, going to the dentist -- though unpleasant -- is a necessary evil if we want clean, healthy teeth. We may not like it, yet we know the appointment will be bearable and won't last long. Such perspective does not come automatically for those with autism who tend to think in terms of absolutes, distorting and "catastrophizing" everyday situations. Imagining the worst possible outcome is often their go-to reaction. However, we know life is not black and white, but full of gradients. We can model positive thinking patterns and self-statements. What's the worst that can happen? What's the likelihood of the drill cutting into you? Will it happen for sure? What happened last time? Come up with a backup plan together to prepare and empower the individual. Advertisement Mindfulness Contrary to popular belief, mindfulness is "not about clearing your mind." Rather, it's about being aware in the moment without responding to or judging it. Mindfulness teaches us to shift our focus by the nth degree. We each hold a spotlight, and can choose to shine it wherever we like. While the drill is in our mouth, we can acknowledge the unpleasantness of the moment while concentrating on the music in our ear buds or visualizing a beach in the Bahamas... The beauty of mindfulness is that there is no right way or wrong way to practice. One helpful meditation directs focus to the soles of the feet. It doesn't matter whether you are sitting or standing or fidgeting. The key is to start small, and make the exercise habitual. It needn't take more than a few minutes at a time. To be effective, mindfulness should be viewed as a family ritual that contributes to everyone's well-being, not merely a chore to be carried out by its autistic members. If anything, our world is becoming more stressful, not less so. By nature, individuals with autism bear the brunt of that stress. Through the combination of CBT and mindfulness, the hope is that we can teach our kids to control their anxiety so it doesn't control them. Advertisement Dr. Weiss will be speaking about Mental Health and Emotional Regulation at Geneva Centre for Autism's International Symposium on 30 November-2 December 2016 in Toronto. For more information, click here. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: nambitomo via Getty Images Colourful letters spelling out Autism on a wooden background Too often well-meaning journalists get it wrong when they write about autism. It's not so much the content of their stories that misses the mark as the language they use to describe autism itself. It can be easy to unintentionally offend -- or worse, misrepresent -- the autism community they are meant to be describing. Advertisement Why does it matter? Media stories that get it wrong can contribute to how others perceive those with autism -- and even perpetuate potentially dangerous stereotypes. For this reason, Autism Canada has recently developed a guide to help journalists navigate the language of autism in a balanced and accurate manner. The guide also contains a few important facts that everyone should know about autism and will help you separate fact from fiction. Autism is not an 'enemy' or a 'gift' Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurobiological condition that impacts brain development and is characterized by communication problems, difficulty with typical social interactions, a tendency to repeat specific patterns of behaviour and a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interests. While it may be more dramatic for a news story to call for a "war on autism," this portrays autism as an enemy to be defeated, not a condition that someone lives with on a daily basis that may confer identity and that may include benefits too. Advertisement At the same time, however, living with autism can be a daily struggle for many individuals and their families -- so media depictions of autism as a special "gift" are not balanced depictions either. In other words, autism is often associated with both positive and negative attributes for those affected by it and the families that support them. It is complex and multifaceted. So don't buy into depictions of autism that too often oversimplify the lived experience. Living with autism is not hopeless A great many more supports are available for individuals with autism and their families than in past decades. It is very rare where nothing can be done to improve the quality of life and functional capacity of an autistic person. Reject depictions that imply nothing can be done for individuals with autism or depict the outlook or potential of an autistic life as bleak. There are now evidence-based supports and options available that can improve the health and independence of those with autism. Autism also intersects with many other complicated social issues such as health and wellbeing, education and employment, acceptance and identity. Be sure to separate out what is autism and what is often thrust upon those with autism but could be changed through social, economic and community supports or even a change in outlook. Advertisement Avoid terms that are demeaning Terms such as 'slow,' 'simple,' 'special,' or 'abnormal' are inaccurate and demeaning. Autistic individuals are different. Their minds work differently. When talking about someone with autism, you can acknowledge or describe the challenges they face without defining them as lacking or deviating from the norm. Acknowledging the person is paramount When you talk about someone with autism, keep in mind that you are discussing an individual and not just a neurobiological condition. You can be respectful of the individual by using such terms as "has autism," "is autistic" or "is on the autism spectrum." Avoid saying "suffers from autism" because this assumes that autism is a negative part of a person's life. Looks can be deceiving Individuals who have autism don't look a certain way. Describing someone by saying that "they don't look like they have autism" can leave the impression that they don't deserve the supports they need. You can learn a lot by asking individuals with autism how autism affects them instead, and their families, and what type of supports or accommodations they require. Reflecting on autism in a more nuanced manner using these basic pointers can help you avoid simplistic depictions and understand the true, lived experiences of those on the autism spectrum and those who support them. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Rob Daly via Getty Images Crowd of business people reaching for globe Last week Canadians celebrated Small Business Week, a tradition that dates back nearly 40 years and was founded by BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada). The week-long event brings together thousands of Canadian entrepreneurs, is a chance to recognize the country's small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), provides them an opportunity to network, share key learnings and discuss the market in which they operate. There is much to celebrate, as it's been a strong year for Canadian SMEs -- UPS Canada's 2016 Small Business Challenges survey found that 74 per cent of SMEs have met or exceeded their business goals. So what's next? Let's look at some of the key factors that will influence success over the coming year. Advertisement Exports According to the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, innovative SMEs including businesses who export, tend to outperform non-innovators. Today, reaching international markets is vital for continued growth for Canadian entrepreneurs. Our Small Business Challenges survey found that one quarter of the SMEs, not currently exporting, plan to in the next five years. For Canadian SMEs that are meeting or exceeding business goals, 18 per cent attribute it to exports. What's promising is that small businesses are thriving in Canada, and are beginning to recognize that international expansion is the key to continued success. In 2013, SMEs accounted for a total of $106 billion -- or 25 per cent -- of Canada's exported goods and in August 2016, exports to non-U.S. destinations increased 7.7 per cent to reach $11 billion. To ship your product to global buyers, Canadian SMEs need a well-planned supply chain. As I continue to work with SMEs, I often find entrepreneurs don't realize the full potential and value a proper supply chain brings to their business. In fact according to the survey 39 per cent of SMEs don't currently have a supply chain and almost half of them believe their business is not large enough to have one. In truth, all businesses have a supply chain and as they experience new complexities through growth, they must ensure their supply chain is optimized to control costs and offer an optimal customer experience. With the right tools and strategic supply chain solutions, Canadian small businesses will be able to efficiently move products, information and funds across Canada and the globe. In the next year, I look forward to hearing about the continued success our SMEs are experiencing as they develop a stronger international presence. Advertisement Awareness SMEs contribute significantly to Canada's economy. According to this year's Statistics Canada Key Small Business Statistics, in 2014, small and medium businesses contributed to approximately 30 per cent of their province's GDP. The awareness of these companies should not stop at their operators. It's important for Canadians to pay close attention to their local businesses and learn how they contribute to the overall picture. SMEs are soaring, expanding rapidly and sharing the stage with massive organizations. As a country, we must rally behind them and look for ways to support expansion and entrepreneurship. Take Loft and Bunk for example. Once a small business operating in one market, it has grown to be a global player in the furniture industry with orders coming from the United States and Mexico. Without the initial support of the Canadian community, it's hard to imagine how they would have grown to what they are today. While it's wonderful to celebrate successes and connect during Small Businesses Week, we must think of this as a 52-week a year process, and continue to fund entrepreneurial programs and educate and support our country's very own. Sources: Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. - Winston Churchill Strong social media campaigning was one of the most remarkable aspects of the EU referendum. The Westminster village is used to traditional newspaper and broadcast journalists, columnists, editors and - whisper it - proprietors. Nonetheless, a rising sophistication has been evident for some time: to influence people and win support, political parties and individual MPs need to set up Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. My personal favourite is Winston Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames MP on Twitter, tweeting: "Really sorry am huge supporter of our brilliant fashion industry but what is Chic, Elegant or even attractive about holes in trousers #moth" - he is certainly distinctive. Keenly aware that the 2015 General Election saw considerable financial investment in social media, particularly by the Conservatives on Facebook, both the official Remain and Leave campaigns set up dedicated social media teams. Indeed, Britain Stronger in Europe and Vote Leave were highly active on Facebook, Twitter and, to a lesser extent, Instagram in the months leading up to the referendum. Advertisement Remain focussed on posts warning of the dangers to the economy, households and the NHS, with starkly coloured photos and dramatic videos quoting top-line financial numbers and experts. Leave drove home messages around 'taking back control', financial cost savings to the economy, households and the NHS, and featured famous politicians (e.g. Boris Johnson) and user-generated content by grassroots campaigners. Vote Leave gained superlative numbers of fans/followers. By 23 June (the day before the vote), it had 620.9k followers across its social platforms, versus Stronger In's 595.8k. Incidentally, it is worth pointing out that if you combine those two numbers and take the percentages for both sides, this results in 51.0% for Vote Leave and 48.9% for Stronger In - not far off the EU Referendum results: Leave - 51.9% and Stronger In - 48.1%. Of course, I wouldn't counsel a similar method in the future, but nonetheless, there may be a grain of truth in supposing social media has an edge over traditional polling methods (we don't need to go into the reputational disasters pollsters have suffered in recent years). Note, by the way: if we take superior follower numbers to be an untroubled indicator of electoral success, we're looking at a Trumpian future... Furthermore, Leave clocked up a higher number of interactions (e.g. likes, comments and shares) - particularly in the 30 days leading up to the referendum vote. It gained 3.9m interactions, versus Stronger In's 2.0m. This achievement can be readily understood: Leavers were challenging the status quo; many saw the referendum as a rare chance to rebel; and distrust, even distaste of the EU has been a feature of British politics for decades. By contrast, a certain complacency, or belief that the bottom would not fall out of their worldview, often dominated Remain's campaign. Advertisement The rest is history. Well, not quite. To the media, Brexit is the gift that keeps on giving. Some four months after the vote, and after a spectacular reversal of fortune for David Cameron, George Osborne and others, Brexit remains front page news. We have a new Prime Minister and Chancellor, a Brexit cabinet and a novel vocabulary: Brexiteers, Bremainers, Bremoaners and, thanks to Nick Clegg, Breniers and Brenial. The argument goes on, sometimes in apocalyptic terms (one cannot help but feel the whole business is quite un-British), taking new forms virtually every week. Brexit is Brexit, according to Theresa May; Article 50 is held up as the ticket to freedom or pain; single market or international trade restrictions and opportunities are pored over; the SNP plays for time and a seat at the table; Parliament is reported to feel snubbed by the executive, despite the latter's denials; and so on it goes. However, although Brexit is a hot topic among politicians and journalists, you might well think the popular will to debate the matter has receded. You can still find scores of angry Remainers and impatient Leavers; you can get into a Brexit debate with a friend or stranger in seconds, if you so desire; but, I would contend, these phenomena are tiny splinters of a broken whole. You may hold that Vote Leave lied, or that Stronger In ran 'project fear', but the EU Referendum saw the highest number of votes ever recorded for a UK election - and most of those voices are now silent. Or at least they seem to be, based on the public information researchers can now access. Working in social media analysis, the run up to the EU Referendum was a wonderful time - we could observe trends, advance hypotheses, argue a case, all based on thousands of data points - but such opportunities have now largely vanished. Brexit is still a topic in social media debates, and there are still social media accounts devoted to a single cause (e.g. those ran by UKIP), but there is no clear two-sided fight as there was between Vote Leave and Stronger In. Leave's social media accounts can still be viewed online, but they have fallen silent since 23 June; and Stronger In's have simply disappeared - no doubt deleted by an intern or junior staffer. You could, quite rightly, argue that this relative silence is only natural. The people have spoken, and now it is up to the politicians to work out their will, and for journalists to report and comment on this. Vote Leave and Stronger In were recognised as campaigns, and people engaged with them on this basis. Now that the referendum has passed, most people have returned to their normal lives. Indeed, one can imagine seeing a gradual disengagement from both campaigns, had they stayed active post-voting day. Advertisement Alternatively, you might suppose that there is genuine disaffection with the way the social media campaigns have imploded. The EU Referendum was an opportunity, afforded by David Cameron (who can regret at his leisure), for people from all over the country to talk to one another through social media, to engage with fairly singular official points of view, and to express themselves in new and highly visible ways. Of the many reasons some now dislike Boris Johnson and Michael Gove (to name but two examples), their relative silence on positions they argued so strongly before the vote is surely key. Their erstwhile supporters miss their clarity and eloquent intention; their detractors shout in the wind. Or perhaps people aren't quiet in the slightest, but their voices are now dispersed far beyond the borders of the former campaigns. Brexit commentary and engagement is still as strong, or perhaps stronger than before, but simply harder to observe. Most Facebook activity happens within closed circles of friends, for example, and to track open social media conversations, one must first set the contours of what one expects to find. Keyword searches can be set using terms like 'Brexit' or 'Article 50', but the full debate may be taking different lexical forms altogether. Then again, one mustn't fall in the trap of thinking social media is the answer to everything. Working in London, and looking at social media attitudes, behaviours and actions on a daily basis, it can be easy to forget that some people have other ways of communicating. Yes, the EU Referendum could be monitored in social media from London to Land's End; Manchester to Motherwell. But that was quite a special time. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are much quieter now, politically speaking, or perhaps they have moved on to observing Trump's follies and Clinton's travails. When it comes to Brexit, many may have given social media a rest, to speak of it instead at the school gates, in the supermarket, at work, over dinner or in the pub. In other words, I can no longer say with certitude what Brexit means in social media. I can monitor and analyse aspects of it, without knowing to what extent these relate to a larger whole. Passionate intensity can be found in newspaper columns; intricate debates about 'hard' or 'soft' Brexit can be followed in authoritative media; I know what I know about my own friends and family (or at least, I think I do). Advertisement On the one hand, this state of affairs is annoying, and challenges my professional pride. What good is a researcher with limited access to reliable information and a surplus of hypotheses? On the other hand, the known unknown entices. Perhaps the British are naturally reticent; perhaps they are no such thing, but speak in ways it is difficult to evaluate; maybe we can come up with more sophisticated listening tools; maybe Brexit is of fluctuating concern for most ordinary people, and we won't capture their thoughts on the matter, no matter how hard we try. Or perhaps, few of us know what to think or feel until the next big thing. I don't know, and probably cannot. Read more at Britain & Europe, comment & analysis at UCL European Institute Throughout what has been one of the most heated and bitterly divided presidential election campaigns in American history, "populism" has been an ever-present buzzword. Used and abused in an attempt to understand Donald Trump's success, it is a term with roots lying deep within the history of American politics. To understand populism, and especially its American strain, one has to examine the movement's origins and, in particular, the People's Party, a short-lived yet influential group that lay the foundations for the likes of Trump over 120 years ago. Even before a serious economic depression caused havoc in the 1890s, a sharp drop in agricultural prices had hit farmers in the south and west of America. With prices falling by two-thirds between 1870 and 1890, farmers struggled to break even, and many became so burdened by debt that banks moved in to take control of vast swathes of land. Advertisement Out of this uncertainty came the People's Party, who rose to prominence in the early 1890s as they rallied against the "Eastern elite" that they held responsible for the low prices and poor working conditions facing farmers. Hostile to both the Democrats and Republicans, the People's Party (or Populists, as they were also known) quickly became popular with rural workers. Just a year after the party was formed, a ticket composed of James B. Weaver, a one-time member of the proto-populist Greenback Party, and James G. Field, a former Confederate general and semi-retired farmer, stood as candidates in the 1892 presidential election and went on to win the popular vote in five states. Driven by widespread anger and frustration, the vast majority of their support came from impoverished areas in the southwest, and in a handful of districts in Nevada, which had been particularly badly hit, they received as much as 90% of the vote. As the economic situation worsened and the unemployment level rose, the party continued to grow and went on to achieve further success in the 1894 midterms, where they won over 10% of the vote. A Republican-Populist fusion in the south resulted in gains for both, crushing the incumbent Democrats and resulting in the largest midterm election victory in American history. Advertisement Their electoral success would be short-lived, however, as its decision to support the populist Democratic presidential nominee Williams Jennings Bryan in 1896 caused a split within the party, which would eventually merge with the Democrats soon after. But they had already made a sizeable impact on both of the major parties, and they lay the foundations for many of the populist movements that would follow. Whilst elements of the populists' support were driven by a widespread dislike and distrust towards President Grover Cleveland, their views and rhetoric were clearly fuelled by discontent from a particular section of society, one that saw their problems as being caused by a distant "elite" that had no care about their concerns. Mimicking the current state of American politics, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans successfully addressed the issues that were causing rural workers in the south and west such distress, opening up a chasm that the Populists quickly filled. Discontented farmers, like the white working-class voters currently fuelling Trump's campaign, were angry and enthusiastic in their wish for change, but in America's rigid two-party system, the deep but narrow nature of their support base meant that the Populists were never able to attract the numbers needed to achieve success nationwide. Their impact shouldn't be downplayed, however, and nor should the lessons that we can learn from them about 21st-century populism. Like many of the movements that followed, the Populists were fighting broadly from the left economically but over time began to veer to the right on issues concerning race and religion. Their fight against so-called "elites" led to sections of the party blaming a wide range of people for their problems, and anti-Semitic talk of an "evil global conspiracy" began to seep into its rhetoric. Under circumstances that resemble some of the issues currently facing industrial workers in an increasingly globalised America, Populist supporters struggled to respond to the challenges of modernity, resulting in a tendency towards scapegoatism that became increasingly racist and nativist. Advertisement This move to the right could clearly be seen in the language used by prominent Populist leaders such as Marion Butler, a senator from North Carolina who, through his newspaper the Caucasian, criticised the Democrats' decision to appoint African-Americans to office and argued that the Populists were the "true white man's party". After fusing with the Democrats in 1896 and failing to recreate their early successes in the 1900 presidential election, a small band of supporters re-organised the People's Party and fought for the presidency in both 1904 and 1908. Their nominee in both was Thomas E. Watson, a former member of the House of Representatives who had once, like many early populists, supported black enfranchisement. However, after 1900, he began to espouse a whites-only vision of populism that saw African-Americans as being at least partly responsible for the oppression of the white rural workers. By 1908, Watson was identifying in public as a white supremacist, and his run for president in the Populists' final election saw such views form a cornerstone of his campaign. Whilst the People's Party came to an end in 1908, the populist foundation that they put in place continues to play an important role in American politics. From Father Charles Coughlin in the 1930s to Barry Goldwater and George Wallace three decades later, populist rhetoric has continually reared its head during periods of economic uncertainty, and the current presidential campaign is just the latest example. On any single day, around 8,500 beds in UK hospitals are occupied by patients who should not be there. In other words, they are medically fit to go home - either to look after themselves, or with support from community health or social services. So-called 'bed blocking' - a horrible phrase - I prefer 'delayed discharge', currently costs the NHS around 900m a year. The number of people stranded unnecessarily in hospital has tripled in the past five years. It's a huge issue. It is also incredibly frustrating for the patients in question and, even more worryingly, potentially harmful to their health. After the initial episode of acute medical care that brings you there in the first place, hospital is not the best place to be, particularly if you are old and frail. Advertisement For instance, a report by the Health Foundation - which looked at discharges at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust - found that on average, patients spent four times longer in hospital than first estimated by a consultant, and that as a direct result of delayed discharge, "some frail patients deteriorated while others were transferred to other parts of the hospital", sometimes resulting in "vital information being lost, further deterioration, re-work and delay". The same study also highlighted that opportunities for timely discharge were often missed because key services involved in the process were simply not quick enough. These findings are not isolated and represent scenarios happening day in, day out, in our over-worked and under-staffed hospitals. The King's Fund has raised similar concerns, highlighting that the longer a patient stays in hospital, the more at risk they are of "infection, low mood and reduced motivation", all of which can be detrimental to overall health and possibly result in avoidable re-admission. 'So what has this got to do with investment in IT?' I hear you ask. Well, quite a lot. Appearing in front of a recent Commons health select committee, Jeremy Hunt was asked to give an example of investment that would make a sustainable difference to the NHS, rather than just being a "sticking plaster". His reply focused heavily on IT. Advertisement He's quite right, particularly in relation to bridging the current gulf that exists between prescribing and dispensing in hospitals. Waiting for their medication to be delivered from the hospital pharmacy is a major reason for patients having a delayed discharge and it is not a new problem; back in 2008, a report by the Care Quality Commission said waiting for medication was the number one contributing factor. Can there be anything more frustrating for a patient than having to wait because their medication is held up in a queue to be dispensed or worse still, hasn't reached the queue yet? Investment in IT has the potential to make a real difference here by enhancing data sharing and closing the prescribing/dispensing loop. North Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust recognised this fact. They implemented an IT solution that, among other benefits, enables medicines to be ordered electronically from the ward, and creates a shared flow of information between all parties involved in the prescribing, pharmacy and administration processes. Advertisement The hospital halved overall dispensing time by 50%. For its acute medical ward, paper-based pharmacy collection and dispensing used to take almost six hours. With the new system, the first prescription now arrives on the ward in as little as 50 minutes. Prescribing is done digitally from the ward, replacing hand-written processes and reducing errors or further potential delays caused by misinterpretation. The good news is that many more hospital trusts are now going to achieve these benefits, thanks to a new NHS England initiative. Announced just a few days ago, a central funding pot will help hospital pharmacies looking to implement or upgrade IT solutions to improve the quality and consistency of services. It's easy to hear an announcement like this and immediately dismiss it as a 'paper shuffling' exercise - one for the administrators. After all, how can anything IT related be anything but? Surely with the state of our NHS, money should be spent on patient care and not new software systems. But that's my point, in this context, investing in IT is a vital route to improved patient care. And not just in terms of the patients able to go home promptly and with the precise medication they require. With an aging population and soaring admission rates, demand for beds has never been higher. Helping one patient leave hospital is helping to free up resources needed to treat another. Improving the dispensing of discharge medication is only one element in speeding up the discharge process. I would not like anyone to think it is the answer to the NHS's bed woes. All too often the support network at home and in the community is patchy or entirely absent, and it needs intensive planning by a number of agencies before patients can leave hospital. But the technology already exists to make a dramatic improvement in one major area now. Why not take advantage of it? Advertisement There is much talk about the sharing- and gig-economy. The basic idea is that mediated by apps and the Internet, humans share information, data, goods, services, their location, property, or animals. Sharing does in most cases not mean that humans give away something gratis or help each other, as in the case of Freecycle, but mostly involves for-profit businesses such as Uber, Airbnb, Upwork, or Amazon Mechanical Turk. Just like social media and big data, the sharing economy is a new hype spead by business consultants, who want to create the impression that it is easy to make profits by practicing new economic models. So for example, Lisa Gansky's Mesh Manifestoclaims that the sharing economy "conveys extraordinary competitive advantages to entrepreneurs and businesses. [...] The Mesh is that next big opportunity - for creating new businesses and renewing old ones, for our communities, and for the planet". The trouble is just that for many everyday people the contemporary economy means precarious work, insecurity, debt, temporary unemployment, and high levels of inequality. The sharing economy is nothing more than the newest buzzword that tries to ideologically veil capitalism's unjust character. Advertisement Uber is a case that well illustrates the problems associated with the capitalist sharing economy. In London alone, there are more than 30,000 Uber drivers. The number of taxi businesses in the UK has increased from 6,435 in 2013 to 7,475 in 2015. Whereas the share of self-employed among all those who are employed or self-employed has increased in Britain from around 13% in 1997 to 15.2% in June 2016, in the transport industry the share has gone up from 14.5% to 18.2% during the same time period. Uber collects 25% of the fare for providing its taxi app to drivers and customers. Uber explains the imaged advantages for drivers the following way: "Make great money: You can drive and make as much as you want. And, the more you drive, the more you could make. Plus, your fares get automatically deposited weekly. Set your own schedule: Only drive when it works for you. There's no office and no boss. That means you'll always start and stop on your time - because with Uber, you're in charge". James Farrar, one of the two claimants in the Uber employment case, has a very different view: "[M]any of them [private hire drivers] are prepared to accept less money at Uber to get away from the level of discrimination and exploitation they were receiving from corrupt minicab controllers. [...] [At Uber], they don't have to deal with a human controller, it's been replaced by an algorithm. But the model is just as exploitative, if not more so. GMB, the union representing private hire drivers, argues that some of its members earned just around 5 in 2015, although the national minimum wage was 6.70. GMB filed a case against Uber to the Central London Employment Tribunal, arguing that Uber drivers are bogus self-employees, who are denied the minimum wage, paid holidays and sick pay. On October 28, the Tribunal reached a verdict. Advertisement A first important legal question is whether Uber is a technology company providing an app or a transport company. If it is part of the tech industry, then one can say that Uber just provides a service to both taxi drivers and customers. The point is, however, that Uber does not make money from selling its app, but from charging a rent on taxi rides. The Employment Tribunal ruled that Uber "runs a transportation business and employs the drivers to that end" (88). A second issue concerns the question whether Uber drivers are self-employed or workers. A key aspect here is that workers are in a subordinate and dependent position to employers and management control can be exercised. The Tribunal's verdict was that drivers, who have the Uber app switched on, are not self-employed, but Uber-workers. "The drivers provide the skilled labour through which the organization delivers its services and earns its profits" (92). According to the ruling, Uber exerts control by hiring drivers and through its app controls customers, fares, trips, default routes, ratings, and complaints (92). Uber drivers do not have the same contractual freedoms that self-employed persons have: Drivers "do not and cannot negotiate with passengers (except to agree a reduction of the fare set by Uber). They are offered and accept trips strictly on Uber's terms" (90). A third matter is how to define the Uber-drivers' working time. The Tribunal found that an Uber driver's working time "starts as soon as he is within his territory, has the App switched on and is ready and willing to accept trips and ends as soon as one or more of those conditions ceases to apply" (122). Uber's UK-general manager Jo Bertram reacted to the verdict: "Drivers want the freedom to decide where, when and for how long to drive: being classified as workers could deprive them of the personal flexibility they value. Last month, drivers who used our app in the UK made on average over 16 per hour in fares, after our service fee. Even after deducting costs, this is well above the national living wage". She does not mention the average amount an Uber-driver has to pay for deductibles such as gasoline, car maintenance and insurance, bank loans, etc. Bertram creates the impression that the sharing economy is "immaterial". But the reality is that it contains actual physical resources that need to be paid for. Advertisement The Uber employment conflict has several implications. First, it debunks the myth that the sharing economy is fair and grassroots. It rather shows that class conflicts also persist in digital capitalism. Second, it will have implications for Uber drivers and make them eligible to receive the national minimum wage, sick pay, and holiday entitlement. Third, the ruling shows that although digital capitalism's companies operate globally, local, national, regional and international legislation is a way of trying to hold them accountable and exert legal pressure on them. Fourth, it is clear that problems with Uber will continue to persist. So for example in 2015, Uber according to reports paid only 22,134 corporation tax on a UK profit of 866,000 by transferring profits to the Netherlands, where the tax rate is lower. Such facts question Uber's claim that it "helps revitalize local economies". The capitalist sharing economy will remain a sphere of conflicts and struggles. It might be time that we start transcending digital capitalism with the help of commons-based social production, cultural co-ops, and platform co-ops. The future will show whether a different sharing will not just be possible, but also become actual reality. The 2nd edition of Christian Fuchs book "Social Media: A Critical Introduction" will be published in early 2017 and will contain a chapter on "The Political Economy of Online Sharing Platforms in the Age of Airbnb and Uber". From schoolgirls in Sierra Leone to mothers in Bolivia, women are showing what they can achieve if they are given the opportunity to thrive We are knee-deep in bad news and I've lost count of the number of conversations I have had with people anxious about the future, particularly for women and girls, but I am staying hopeful. And the reason: two plasters. They may not look like much but as I watched young girls in rural Sierra Leone proudly displaying the two bands on their arm, the only sign of the contraceptive implant they had queued up so excitedly to receive, I was struck by their significance. Advertisement Sierra Leone is one of the poorest countries in the world with the highest maternal mortality yet the confidence of these young girls as they lined up for the implant was phenomenal. It was cool to have those bands. They wanted to postpone having children so they could finish their studies and go on to start a career. It was so powerful. I was lucky to be born in the UK when abortion was already legal. I was taught at school about sexual and reproductive health in a non-judgmental way and felt empowered as a teenager to make choices that were right for me. I had access to contraception when I needed it and felt I had exactly the same right as boys to study and work in the way I wanted. Around the world it is a very different story. Girls are the first to drop out of school, and the first to be failed by the system, facing the perils of pregnancy, early marriage and HIV/AIDS. Nearly one in five adolescent girls in low and middle-income countries become pregnant before they reach 18 - yet the solution is simple. As a long-serving team member and now a trustee of family planning organisation Marie Stopes International, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, I have seen first-hand the transformative effect that contraception can have. Advertisement From the girls in Sierra Leone excited about their future to the woman I met in Zimbabwe who had walked for five hours to have an IUD fitted; or the mother of four in Bolivia whose baby I held as she had a tubal ligation and who told me how proud she was of taking the decision for her family. Different choices, different life stages and different countries but wherever you are, being able to make that decision and access the safe method of your choice is really empowering. In the 40 years that Marie Stopes International has been supporting women, countries from Bangladesh to Zambia have taken great strides in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Contraception has been prioritised and in some countries at least, legal restrictions to safe abortion have started easing. Today six out of 10 married women in the developing world are using contraception, up from around one in 10 in 1960, contributing to a large drop in the percentage of women dying in pregnancy. To help drive these developments, Marie Stopes International has also changed since we opened the doors of our first clinic in London in 1976. As well as expanding out from the UK to 37 countries around the world, we have pioneered innovative ways to reach women, from training private healthcare providers to provide high quality care for some of the world's most under-served people, to being the first to pilot outreach for family planning - we are taking contraceptive services to where women are. We have also helped remove unnecessary policy and clinical barriers that prevent women and girls from accessing lifesaving services. This year alone we helped secure 10 policy changes including approval for midwives to insert contraceptive implants in the Philippines where a lack of trained doctors was restricting women's access, new national abortion guidelines in Vietnam and the registration of lifesaving Misoprostol in Sri Lanka - a WHO essential medicine to manage miscarriage and post-partum haemorrhage, as well as for abortion and the treatment of post-abortion complications. Accessible travel is one of the buzzwords in tourism right now. Over the last few weeks scores of articles arguing accessible travel will become a much bigger part of tourism have been penned by industry magazines ("Accessible travel 'an untapped market'" - Travel Weekly, "Accessible tourism has huge potential for more growth" - E-Hotelier, "Accessible travel is 'greatest untapped opportunity'" - Travel GBI). As someone who has built his career around providing accessible travel experiences I'm glad to see the industry recognising accessible travel and I have no doubt it will become a more prominent in the coming years. However, I have spotted a potential issue as these articles don't really explain what accessible travel or tourism really is. When people hear the word "accessible" attached to tourism they think they have a pretty good idea what that means, and therein lies the problem. Almost everybody thinks they know what it means but, since it has never been fully defined, almost everybody has invented their own personal definition. That is a recipe for disaster. If travellers and the industry have no common language, then imagine how frequent disappointment and disputes will become? Especially if every high street travel agent reads those articles and suddenly decides they have to become an expert in it overnight. Advertisement For me, accessible tourism enables people with access requirements, including mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive dimensions of access, to function independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of universally designed tourism products, services and environments. This definition is inclusive of all people, including those travelling with children in prams, people with disabilities and seniors, and is inclusive of mobility, vision, hearing and cognitive needs. In short it is a process of enabling people of all abilities to enjoy an experience independently and with equity and dignity through the delivery of tourism services. This is what I try to think of when I plan experiences for people with disabilities, but I'm just one person with one set of experiences. So I reached out to fellow experts in the field, from advisors to business owners to bloggers, to get a full picture of what accessible travel means to them. "To me, accessible travel means being able to experience a destination just as much as any other visitor. And if I can't experience something, then being embraced with a friendly attitude is always a good thing! When I went to Iceland, not every attraction and restaurant was accessible, but it was still one of my favorite trips ever because of the people. At one restaurant, the chef came outside and helped lift my heavy powered chair over a step so that I could get inside. The Icelanders were determined to show me the best of their country, despite it not being 100% accessible and that made it an accessible destination to me." Advertisement "There is so much more to accessible travel than ramps and hoists. When you think about it, these are simply tools. In reality, accessible travel is an attitude, it's a desire to welcome everyone regardless of the barriers they face. To me, accessible travel starts with an appreciation of the difficulties individuals face and a desire to help them overcome them. Often, a simple change in attitude towards accessible travel is more effective than any physical changes you can make." "Until Elon Musk gets humans to Mars, we only have one planet to play on. Accessible Tourism for me is enjoying our world, without prejudice of who can enjoy it, and without harming it. No Borders. No Bullshit." "When I think of accessible travel, I would hope that all the businesses involved have anticipated the kind of requirements that disabled travellers might need in advance. This could be via staff training in disability awareness for example, so that they are able to meet and exceed expectations of their clients. Even some of the most difficult situations can be overcome if staff are disability confident. I see this as an integral part of providing accessible tourism services." John Morris, Accessible Travel Advisor and Founder of WheelchairTravel.Org "Travel that is truly accessible allows me to shed disability and feel like those who surround me. Accessible travel lacks barriers and roadblocks, is inclusive and equivalent, and focuses me on the tourist activity at hand, rather than the disappointment of missed opportunities." Advertisement Emma Muldoon, Disability Campaigner and Accessible Travel Writer at Simply Emma "Accessible travel has many different meanings and doesn't necessarily mean the same to people with different disabilities. As someone with a physical disability, accessible travel means having absolutely no barriers to wheelchair accessibility. Travelling without fear or worry that something isn't going to be accessible to me. Allowing me to go wherever I want without having to check if there is wheelchair access, an accessible toilet, wheelchair accessible transportation etc. Having the same experiences as everyone else regardless of ability." So whilst it's excellent that the wider travel industry is recognising accessible travel and tourism as a key factor in the market that will only grow in importance, it's important that rushed decisions are not made. As the variety of experts I talked to in writing this article highlight, accessible travel covers a wide range of factors and is as much about attitudes and approaches as it is about physical changes to a service. It's essential that hoteliers, travel agents, airlines and all the other interconnecting parts of the industry don't think quickly putting in a few ramps will make tourism accessible. Most importantly, it's important they remember to actually speak to disabled travellers to learn what makes a destination and experience accessible to them. By consulting with travelers, campaigners and advisors in this way, hopefully the tourism industry will open up the world to be enjoyed by everyone equally, regardless of age or ability. Whether you are a fan of musical theatre or new to the genre, Dan and Laura Curtis's forthcoming album "Overture" is the ideal bumper package. Bringing together 25 artists from the US and UK to record a double-album of brand-new songs inspired by the musicals is a stroke of genius from Dan and Laura who, as partners in life and in music, are two of the most creative and talented composers and lyricists on the musical theatre scene today. Put your feet up with a big bag of popcorn and prepare to be entertained - this video of Matt Doyle's contribution to the album is just the ticket to get you in the musical mindset. Advertisement Divided into two acts, the album kicks off - as all good shows should - with a cracking overture, before flowing into opening track "One Life", with a beautifully orchestrated backdrop to Melinda Doolittle's rich vocals building to a blast of inspiration. If that's not enough to have you setting out on life's journey at a brighter pace, Courtney Reed's interpretation of "Amelia's Song" provides a beautiful story of growing up and gaining independence "I can circle with the eagles, and I'll start today". Bringing the pace up with a jazz-pop vibe, James Monroe Iglehart brings excitement to the prospect of a "Crazy Kind of Love". Is he tap dancing along? I'm pretty sure he should be. But the joys of new love are short-lived. "What Happened To Yesterday" offers a soul ballad of regret, beautifully rendered by Marc Broussard. Keep tissues handy, this is a tear-jerker of a song for anyone who has ever known a love gone wrong. Every collection of musical-theatre inspired music has to include anthems for the actors and artists."When The Curtain Falls" fits the bill perfectly. Behind the glitz and glamour of "the biz" is a brutal industry, which Dan and Laura capture with the help of Natalie Weiss's powerful belt - "When the playbill's gone and your ego's died, how you gonna feel... when nobody cares who you are any more". But it's worth it all for the moment when it all comes together. Don't believe it? Emma Hatton's "Stop The Show" puts it all into perspective "..when I'm there on Centre Stage". Woven through the "Act", these songs offer a glimpse of a play within a play, as the players tell their backstage stories. Returning to the eternal theme of love on the rocks, Arielle Jacobs, Krysta Rodriguez and Rebecca Luker each provide a different take on a break-up song. While "Are You Playing With My Heart" is plaintive and heartfelt, "Stop Bringing Me Down" is sassy and bold and "Twenty Years" is classically precise. Like different facets of the relationship gem, the contrast is deliciously curious. We want to know the story behind the songs, which is what any good musical score should evoke. Advertisement Fortunately, Adam Jacobs is a little more hopeful of being lucky in love, as "No Disguise" provides a good, old-fashioned song of full-on romance. If you are looking for a song for your wedding, this could be it, from the opening chords "You see into my soul like no-ones ever tried before" to the final crescendo "Life is waiting for us if we dare to fly - will you say you'll be mine?" Closing the first Act, Bryce Pinkham's delivery of "Grimaldi's Soliloquy" provides an intriguing insight into the life of the clown, grief hidden behind the face-paint and with a further nod to the lure of the footlights. Time to take an interval, grab an ice-cream, fill up the popcorn and settle in for Act 2. Following its own Overture, Act 2 opens with "Brave", which featured in Dan and Laura's cute musical concept video for Disney/Pixar's film of the same name. From beautifully spooky to fiercely challenging Ashleigh Gray's vocals are perfectly pitched for this mini-story of Merida. If you have young Disney fans around, especially red-heads, they are going to love this one. Time for a dance break. Dan and Laura keep it gentle with "Three Quarter Time", gorgeously romantic and reminiscent of Viennese costume balls. As usual, the orchestration is spot-on, with strings and piano supporting Samantha Hill's effortless soprano. If that's too classical for your taste, Emmanuel Kojo lifts the pace with up-tempo jazz-blues in "Keep Dancing On", bringing the heat of a Louisiana summer night to a winter's evening near you. Advertisement Matt Doyle proved he can deliver a heartbreak ballad as Melchior Gabor in Broadway's "Spring Awakening", and as Peter in the recording of my favourite show "Bare", and his talent for dramatic storytelling comes to the fore again in "Playing Games". If you haven't already enjoyed this track, skip back to the video and click "play". Backed by a lazy snare, this track would be as at home in a nightclub as on a theatre stage - look out for an appearance at 54 Below sometime soon. And don't be too concerned that love is doomed to be forever thwarted - the story takes a more positive turn with the emphatic "I Won't Let You Go" from Rachel John before moving into the 11 O'Clock Song - "There's A Dream" with the magnificent vocals of Earl Carpenter, better known as Phantom in the West End and Inspector Javert in Les Miserables on both sides of the pond. If this doesn't lift your spirits, nothing will. Bringing Charlotte Jaconelli and Jai McDowall together is a demonstration of Dan and Laura's musical imagination and influence. Their duet "Sunshine" is an opportunity to enjoy some tasty harmonies from beautifully blended voices woven together through clever arrangements, tempo lifts and key changes. All it needs at the end is a sigh. Drawing the show to a close, three songs of hope and destiny provide an uplifting finale, each with their own style and theme. From Will Swenson's advice "Don't give up on yourself, you're stronger than you think you are" in "Stand" through Matthew Ford's cheery song-and-dance ditty "Start Off Each New Day With A Smile" to the chorus of Hannah Elless, Jason Forbach, Kara Lily Hayworth and Adam Kaplan with "Show Me Your Dreams". To create such an extensive collection of new music with a wide-ranging list of artists whose careers span multiple shows on and off Broadway and the West End is a phenomenal undertaking. Acknowledging the kind support of all of the contributors, including Executive Producer Stacy Swain and Producer Al Steele, Laura Curtis explained that "The name Overture represents both the dramatical context of the album, which is a sweeping journey through a number of common experiences we share in life, but the title also represents the style and structure of the album, we wanted this to feel like a soundtrack for a show." Advertisement Daniel Curtis explained more; "Often in Musical Theatre melodies repeat and weave in and out of the story. For this reason we wrote the album as two acts, with an overture at the start of each one. We really wanted this album to feel like every song was related, even though we're moving through and representing different genres of Musical Theatre styles." As an introduction to Musical Theatre, Overture offers insight into sub-genres within the genre while remaining contemporary and accessible. Seasoned theatre-goers are sure to find something that catches their ear too. Of course, this is music that deserves to be heard live, so look out for Dan and Laura's forthcoming concert at the London Hippodrome Casino on 12 March 2017 Follow Dan and Laura Curtis at: Overture was released on 24 October 2016 - get your copy here It would be amusing were it not so serious - a parody of scheming politicians that would not be out of place in the TV comedies of Yes, Prime Minister, or The New Statesman. In the last two weeks, we have seen the occupants of two of the highest offices in the land - The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary - revealed to be, at best, totally at odds with their public pronouncements on Brexit, and at worst, more interested in their own careers than in the real impact of the vote to leave the EU. First, we had the spectacle of Boris Johnson's 'alternative' Telegraph piece, where just days before he came out in favour of Leave, he argued strongly for the benefits of the UK remaining a full member of the European Union. Look past the usual flummery of a politician who clearly thinks this is all just a jolly jape, and Johnson's piece touches on some of the fundamental dangers of pulling out of the EU. 'Shut your eyes', he implores readers who may be thinking of voting for Brexit, 'Hold your breath...Think of the future. Think of the desire of your children and your grandchildren to live and work in other European countries; to sell things there, to make friends and perhaps to find partners there'. In this one paragraph, Johnson acknowledges the two great treacheries of the whole Leave campaign: first, the denial of the fact that freedom of EU citizens to move around Europe unencumbered is a boon to us all; and second, far worse, that a vote to leave would deny that freedom not to his own generation - who have enjoyed such benefits in full - but to the generations to come. Johnson knew this before he started out on the Leave campaign, as his alternative article shows, and yet he still chose to put his own immediate, personal concerns and ambitions - his positon in his party, and his chances of the top job - ahead of the long term political interests of his own (and everyone else's) children and grandchildren. Advertisement Noting in passing the danger that a Leave vote poses to the break-up of the UK state - irony of ironies, the UK state whose sovereignty he would claim he was protecting through campaigning for Leave - Johnson then outlines the economic argument: the EU 'is a market on our doorstep, ready for further exploitation by British firms', he purrs, concluding that 'the membership fee seems rather small for all that access'. That final sentence is key: The membership fee seems rather small for all that access. This from the politician who then toured the country in a vehicle that decried that the 350 million we pay into the EU - in essence, the membership fee - was a waste of money we should somehow repatriate. Just think about that for a second: a public servant - a secretary of state, no less - who knew that the membership fee of the EU is far outweighed by the benefits yet was prepared to sit in a bus for six weeks that had the total opposite position emblazoned on the side. The kind of mind-set that allows that level of deception should make us all fearful of a Johnson premiership. However, it appears we already have a Prime Minister capable of similar doublespeak. As the Guardian reported this week, a month before the referendum, Theresa May spoke to Goldman Sachs and made the exact same case as Johnson for the EU remaining inside the EU. 'I think the economic arguments are clear', the then Home Secretary said, 'I think being part of a 500 million trading bloc is significant for us'. Moreover, she made it clear that she was fully aware of the economic threats of Brexit, 'if we were not in Europe, I think there would be firms and companies who would be looking to say: do they need to develop a mainland Europe presence rather than a UK presence? So I think there are definite benefits for us in economic terms'. Advertisement That the two most prominent politicians in the UK now campaign most forcefully for Brexit, the polar opposite position to the one they held just weeks earlier, should be of serious national concern. Doubtless, both politicians (and many commentators) would have us believe that their shifting positions are just products of the nature of politics, that there are public messages and private messages, and balancing the two is all part of the political game. But really, that is not good enough. In the first instance, we should note that the ability of our children and grandchildren to enjoy the freedoms Johnson refers to and the economic benefits that May describes, is not a game. It is deadly serious. Further, it is the particular type of manoeuvring and duplicity around Brexit that should cause us the gravest concern. The Hard Brexit rhetoric of Johnson and May, post referendum, is so stark and fervent that it sets a fearful tone domestically and is also felt around the capitals of Europe, driving a psychological wedge between Leavers and Remainers in the UK, but also between the UK and its European partners. But worse than this - much worse - is the fact that the politicians espousing this rhetoric now appear not to believe it, which undermines further an already tottering political class. D, E, and F follow A, B, and C. D is for depression, but it could have been for disillusion, deceit, disagreement or even desk (check out #PhDdesk for some of the weird and wonderful habitats of doctoral students). Research carried out at the University of California at Berkeley shows that it is not unusual for PhD students to suffer with depression. In extreme cases students may consider or even commit suicide, and one researcher development officer has spoken out to say that this is not OK. It seems that many think a PhD should come with certain sacrifices, at times this might be any kind of personal or social life and at others it might be sleep, healthy eating habits and exercise. Yet, even though you might think you are gaining time by giving up meals and missing out on the gym or Friday night drinks, all of these sacrifices are more than probably counterproductive to crossing the submission finishing line. If one in four suffer mental health problems at some point in their lives, it makes sense that some students might start a PhD with depression and others might develop it during their studies. Prospective students need to be aware of this, and of self-care to hopefully bypass or ease the depression and anxiety that comes with a PhD. I think anxiety often comes with not having all of the answers (see E below), but it rears its ugly head at bed time and a lack of sleep only intensifies the situation and works to muddy your head even more. To a certain extent we have to accept that we can't know everything, but there are practical things you can do to help relieve some of the symptoms. Advertisement Try to organise deadlines with your supervisors that you know you can meet and if you are having difficulties tell them (even the most successful academics need extensions). Reserve sacred 'me time' (that does not involve anything to do with academia), appointments that you cannot break, this might be a yoga class. Create a healthy meal plan and prepare meals the night before, making too much so that you can freeze it and have a handy meal ready to go. Remember to go out once in a while. Believe me you can be more productive if you are happy, have a full tummy and are well slept than if the opposite is true. Another option is to create a to do list and once it is finished switch off - I always have a list of three things I must do or else and then a vaguer list, once the to do or else are finished I let myself off the hook. However, the most important thing you can do if you are feeling crippled by anxiety or depression is seek help from your supervisors, or on-campus/external therapists. E (as discussed by doctoral student Ailie Tam) is for Existential crisis! I do not doubt that every doctoral student has experienced at least one existential crisis during the course of the PhD, some I'm sure have experienced several, perhaps even in the same week! To explain, it is firstly important to understand the PhD mental cycle. The beauty of undertaking a PhD is that it provides the opportunity to learn, push through barriers of understanding and hopefully contribute something of value and interest to knowledge. During this process most students oscillate and waver through various emotions that become part of the PhD cycle (or rollercoaster). In a nutshell, I'd say the PhD mental cycle involves a consistent shifting between excitement, confusion and despair. The excitement comes from discovering something new (to you at least), realising you understand something that previously baffled you or through gaining new empirical or theoretical insights. The excitement comes in bursts usually in between feeling utterly confused, which is how I spent most of my first year, as I grappled with new concepts, theories, methods and academic writing. When confusion intensifies or when panic creeps in about capabilities to undertake or complete the PhD, the student can feel overwhelmed by the feeling of despair. Now usually that feeling passes, replaced again by excitement (thank goodness!) and the cycle continues. However sometimes when suspended by despair, it can prompt a weird and wonderful existential crisis! Advertisement It sounds dramatic and usually feels pretty intense at the time, because it happens when something that is perceived as concrete or stable suddenly dissolves, causing a return to some fundamental questioning. The benefit of an existential crisis is it forces a rebuilding and usually strengthening of ideas, so a few existential crises along the way are not only deemed normal but seemingly vital to the PhD process. F is for funding, and sometimes one of the issues leading to depression, especially if we include the double F: future funding (or potential salary!). Some PhD students have been lucky enough to gain studentships from their university or research councils, if you are contemplating a PhD and currently looking for this type of funding, jobs.ac.uk often publicises these types of opportunities. Dr. Dan Ozarow, who was a fundraising consultant before becoming an academic, has written a handy guide for students looking for funding particularly in the area of Latin-American studies. If you have already started your PhD career check out research societies in your area, many have grants and funding available for overseas fieldwork and/or conference attendance, I know the Royal Geographical Society provides several grants/funds for PhD and early career academics. The other option as a PhD student is to gain experience teaching. Be warned, universities may try to abuse you as a source of cheap labour and as you need experience lecturing to give your CV a boost this might put you in a tricky position. In the previous post I mentioned that you should start to build your network and once again if this situation happens to you, now might be the time to seek advice from friendly more experienced colleagues. As a PhD student (in hourly work or not) you can also join UCU, the union, who can provide you with formal and informal support. This might be the best advice this post offers, join the union, if not for now for later. Collective bargaining only works when people join the collective and once you enter academia full-time you will want the rights that the union can potentially fight for (like getting more than a 1.1% pay increase). Advertisement For the past two years since the taking over of Mosul by ISIS terrorists, people in the region have been anticipating the recapture of Mosul from the Islamic State. To see this city and the entire region cleared from ISIS is what we all want. The grim reality and the aftermath of this operation is another problem. This is not the first war, invasion, exodus or bombardment of the city of Mosul or any other place in Iraq. War, sanctions, devastations, mass murder, genocide and persecutions have formed part of people's daily lives. This is not the first city, and will not be the last to be ruled by Islamists, as prior to the ISIS invasion, the Iraqi Army of the Shi'a origin were already oppressing ordinary people of Mosul and treating them as inferior due to their "Sunni" origin. The Shi'a-Sunni divide in this region has deep historic roots and unfortunately this divide provides the potential for a breeding ground of Islamic extremism among both sects. Since its formation as a nation state, Iraq has become an example of a failed state; a failure in terms of running the government on the basis of equal citizenship. Instead of providing or seeking to at least provide the minimal structures for welfare, citizenship, basic rights and freedoms, the Iraqi Government has aimed at creating so-called "unity" on Iraq's "territory" on the basis of killing, discrimination and mass murder of an entire people like the Kurdish population. This is notwithstanding, aggravating and politicizing the ancient divide of Sunni- Shi'a rhetoric that is ongoing. Advertisement Endless numbers of Iraqi political warlords and their allies have rallied people behind them for devastating sectarian divisions, killing and wiping out one another. I have to admit that for a long time I thought that most ordinary people will not follow these warlords but unfortunately they do, and they become participants in this bloodshed. Yet a lot of other non-complaisant ordinary civilians have fallen victims to militias and paramilitary violence because of their ethnic origin and non-compliance with their oppressive rule. One major question raises itself out of this chaos and sectarian war and division in the battle to recapture Mosul is what will happen to women? How WILL the unfolding situation leave its mark on them? The plight of women and young girls however is and will be the worst of all. As a consequence of their gender women are treated in the most barbaric ways in these conflicts. As is a practice in almost all wars, rape is being used as weapon of war against women. Forced marriages to jihadists, forced veiling and wearing of the burqa are just part and parcel of the oppression of women. Let alone poverty, displacement, hunger, devastation and trafficking for prostitution. It is very clear that huge numbers of women from Mosul will face added threats. One of the dangers they will face will be due to patriarchal, masculinist, tribal practices against women who might suffer rape by ISIS fighters, where even a suspicion of a woman having been raped is sufficient for a serious risk of "honour killing" by family or tribe members. This is going to be very hard to deter in the dire context of war zones such as the one existing now in Mosul. Another major problem is the plight of Yezidi women who have been captured by ISIS since the capture of Sinjar in August 2014. The fate of thousands of Yezidi women and young girls is not known following the attacks on Mosul. In addition, there is the plight of thousands of ordinary civilians coming under bombardments by US and other forces. Advertisement This chaos in the region is an accumulation of imperialist interventions, as their interference only complicated the local conflicts and turned lives of millions of ordinary people into a living hell. The US intervention in this region over the past years by using pretexts such as saving women from the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Iraqi people from the tyranny of the Ba'athist regime or liberating Mosul and Syria from ISIS, are simply excuses to further dominate this region and it is ultimately only a bloody power struggle between competing rivals both at the regional and international level. Invading countries, supporting Islamist groups in the region, aggravating sectarianism have held ordinary people hostages to bloody wars that really have nothing to do with them. The role that the US and some EU countries are playing in both nurturing Islamism on the one hand and pretending to save the people from its tyranny on the other hand is deliberately confusing and hypocritical. Iraq has been turned into one of the most bloodiest countries on earth. Why you should care that facts mean nothing in politics any more You might have heard the term post-truthism recently. From Adam Curtis' latest documentary, to Vice, to the Guardian, it's appearing everywhere. So the theory goes, that with the rise of Trump and in the age of Brexit, facts as political currency have become devalued and ultimately, no longer a prerequisite of political success. Now, you may say it was ever thus. Indeed, the idea that there existed some halcyon time of truth-telling politics, when our leaders took a daily dose of sodium pentathol and swore on the bible -- a time from which we've now departed -- is clearly a fantasy. Advertisement Spin has by and large been a part of politics since Machiavelli told his Prince to be a bit wily, at least. Arguably it goes as far back as Socrates' time. And I'm sure some neolithic version of David Cameron encouraged his hunter-gatherer pals to give him a chunk of their sabre-tooth meat on the promise of a bite of some future, tastier mammoth meat he had no idea how to acquire. Many would go so far as to say that politics is spin -- it's bending the truth to appeal to the broadest possible cross-section: white lies and gentle coercion towards the greater good if you're being optimistic, a power-grabbing diversion if you're more cynical. --- In British politics, the Blair years saw spin come to the fore, something to which the Tweet above alludes. Messrs Campbell and Mandelson made it an art-from, and though not desired, it was most definitely a tolerated aspect of the machinations of governing. Advertisement Spin implies a soft bending of the facts. In reality, there were many cases of spin that veered towards the wholly untruthful. Most obviously, with Iraq. Yet whether or not the dodgy dossier was true (clue: the word dodgy tends not to be used in open and shut cases of fact), it still had to engage in the language of facts. To put it another way, even though the facts were made up, they still had to be presented as facts in the first place, and it was that which acted as justification. The "facts" -- in the biggest quotation marks possible -- drove the debate. Did Saddam have WMDs? If so, how do we respond? In the Brexit campaign, no such thing was necessary. Data and arguments were offered tokenistically, on both sides admittedly, but none drove the debate in any way. Rather, it was sentiment, feeling, passion. I know not a single person on either side, myself included, who voted on the facts. Because it was impossible. There were no real facts. One argument with data and figures would be countered with another argument with data and figures. Advertisement 350million for the NHS vs 80million a day in subsidies. Politicians on both sides knew this, and played to it. They knew that the less sense the debate made, the less likely there could be an informed vote, and each side thought that would lead them to victory. Lack of clarity=confusion=fear. It just so happens that Vote Leave better exploited people's fears. They played on the fear of 'the other' more effectively than Remain played on the fear of change. A campaign of spin, this was not. This was a campaign of post-truth. --- Trump has taken that Brexit bluster and magnified it to American proportions. With vague, snackable, and ultimately unverifiable notions of America being broken, and the offering of noisy yet simplistic policies to fix it, he appeals to that bubbling sentiment of alienation and distrust in the establishment that got Vote Leave's foot in the door. He then whips it into the un-PC fervour of hysterical fear and anger that sealed the Out vote. He plays on the emotions like few since -- need I say it and invoke Godwin's law? Facts never come into it. They don't need to. His voters, and this is not to patronise or denigrate, they don't want to hear facts. They've heard enough facts. As Gove so succinctly put it in a quote for the ages, "people have had enough of experts". This applies on both sides of the pond. --- Truth then is a commodity rare, yet barely valuable, in politics today. But why does this matter? Politicians lie. Death and taxes. Well, it matters for one key reason: With no accepted "truth" -- whether this is universal, or simply a shared societal myth -- politicians have the ability to manipulate, dodge and grift in a way that leaves them totally unaccountable. Advertisement Get voted in on the promise of cutting income tax? Get in power, and raise it? Doesn't matter. It wasn't a promise. It wasn't true. I never really said that. This may take it to the fringes of a straw man, and I accept that charge to an extent, but even smaller accusations of abuse of power, of fraudulent acquisition of power, can cause catastrophic issues in a democracy. Take the current Prime Minister, Theresa May. A soft remainer prior to the election, now very much a staunch Brexiter, it has come out in recent days that she spoke to a panel of bankers about the perils of Brexit before the vote took place. Now either she was lying to them, or she's lying to us. But it doesn't matter. It's not going to result in a vote of no confidence. It won't be endlessly covered in the media. There's no benchmark of truth to hold her against. It could come out tomorrow that prior to the referendum she said Brexit will result in the breakup and destruction of the United Kingdom. By next week's PMQs she'll be telling us that if anything, Brexit will result in the strengthening of the union, and everything will carry on as normal. Advertisement There is something fundamentally undemocratic about this. Chameleon politics that offers nothing but a condescending token, a husk of a mandate. How can any politician that doesn't at least cede some importance to facts ever be held to account? --- Now, perhaps there's some kernel of comfort in this. Come on, let's try to find one. In a world of no truth, you make your own truth. Like some politically bastardised existentialism. If there's no truth, we don't need to buy in to the generational myths that have pervaded within our political dogma -- Socialism doesn't work, regulation is bad, immigration is scourge, wealth distribution is a con -- and instead start to create our own scripture, new rules to live and govern by. Yes, how very Nietzsche. Those of us, and I'm talking predominantly on the left, but more accurately, those of us losing right now -- the remainers, the liberals, the dare I say it, compassionate -- must begin to realise that a conversation based on the facts does nothing to convince a public who have 'had enough of experts'. We need to learn how to translate those facts into a sentiment that tugs on peoples instinctual beliefs and feelings. Now I'm not calling for a return to Blairism by any means, but one thing he managed to do very well was speak a language of emotion, that connected with voters on a deeper level, particularly in 1997 with "things can only get better" etc. Obama, of course, mastered this art with all his hopey/changey stuff. That the political reality of these campaigns was only disappointing should not dissuade us from the means. Advertisement It is no coincidence that the two biggest victories for non-conservative populism in the last 30 years engineered public sentiment in this way. --- By moving the discussion from the factual to the emotional, we can begin to create a new truth. If we don't, you can be as sure as anything that our opponents will. iStock Last month the Time to Change campaign released findings showing that if fathers talked about their own mental health problems it would encourage 70% of teenagers to feel able to do so themselves. Their research showed that a quarter of 16-18 year old young men experience mental health issues on a weekly basis. Later this month, as part of CALM's work with the Huffington Post series 'Building Modern Men' throughout November, we'll be releasing details of our own Masculinity Audit, which shows that men who've been very depressed are less likely than women to talk to anyone about it (55% of men compared to 67% of women). Advertisement Scarcely a week passes without a great article about male mental health, and the call for men to talk has been now been adopted by every major mental health charity, alongside LADbible, (#UOKM8? campaign) and UNILAD who have all taken to encouraging men to talk and seek help when they need to. And Men's Sheds have taken off. What's all the fuss? Official UK figures for suicide in 2015 aren't due for release until 2017, but the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for the second year running, has pulled together ONS figures for England and Wales together with Northern Ireland and Scotland. These show that suicide remains the single biggest cause of death for men aged under 45 in the UK. The detail is shocking. In Northern Ireland 48% of all deaths of males aged 15-24 were suicide, and that rose to 51% for men in the 25-34 age band. With all the post-vention work and recent money put into suicide prevention there, such figures are dreadful - and lead me to ask again, why no research into why do more men take their lives than women? The rest of the UK isn't great either. Suicide accounted for 29% of all 15-24 year old male deaths in Scotland and 27% of the deaths of young men in England and Wales. So, tough times for young men. Advertisement But it's not just young men, its men of every age. The rates of male suicides, and the numbers, are highest in men aged 40-49, and there's a nasty high in men aged over 85. I hear you say that being old is horrid, of course it is. It's tough for men and women, but in men the rate is nearly 21 per 1000, and for women it's 5.1. You get the gist. There's a gender element to suicide - and indeed to mental health. It leads me to ask again why we aren't pouring money into researching why we aren't funding research to explain why more men take their lives than women. We know that men often behave differently from women when down or in crisis. Zooming out from suicide we see that drugs overdose, transport accidents, diseases of the liver (alcohol poisoning) sit up there with suicide as common causes of death for men. Men will behave recklessly, self-medicate on drugs or alcohol, and may even behave violently - and end up in prison. The ratio of men to women in jail is massive. It isn't just suicide where men's mental health feature, it impacts a host of behaviours. We need to look beyond suicide to understand how men experience and present 'mental health problems', (a deeply unhelpful label to explain everything from severe mental health problems to critical life issues) and how our structures - NHS, policing, housing, social care - can respond to their needs. Advertisement Over the past ten years the prevailing theory is that men just won't ask for help but ever increasing demand on on CALM's helpline shows otherwise. Year on year CALM has had to increase helpline capacity. We need to increase capacity again today, and recognise we need to run 24/7 so that men who are down or in crisis can get the help they need, and want. CALM doesn't struggle to 'reach' men, ever. We struggle to respond to their need. And all those agencies who are now setting up services for men, find the same. Now, as we enter November, it is time to change. As a society, and as service providers, we need to value the lives of men as well as women, value the lives of men in middle age as much as women in middle age. If we are to build a society for modern man then we need to look through the lens of gender and ensure that we've systems in place to recognise mental health issues - and behaviours - when they arise, and be there across those journey's and points of crisis and influence. Whether that's divorce, homelessness, bereavement, education, breakups or being a new dad. HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around men to highlight the pressures they face around identity and to raise awareness of the epidemic of suicide. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, the difficulty in expressing emotion, the challenges of speaking out, as well as kick starting conversations around male body image, LGBT identity, male friendship and mental health. To blog for Building Modern Men, email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com. If you would like to read our features focused around men, click here I recently stumbled across a satirical video on Facebook from The Onion entitled: 'How To Find A Masculine Halloween Costume For Your Effeminate Son.' It was done in the style of a segment on a daily variety show. The convincing production and realistic style made me pause for a second and stare at my screen in disbelief; I quickly scrolled to the comments section to verify that this was indeed a satirical video made for the purposes of pointing out the sheer ludicrousness of suggestions such as: 'If you want your child to depict a male-dominated profession, be very careful not to choose one that's been co-opted by the gay community like a fireman, a cop, a cowboy... otherwise they'll just end up looking like a stripper.' My delayed ability to detect the subversive humour and satirical nature of this clip is reflective of the gender policing that is still so pervasive: this clip could easily have been a genuine segment on a television show. Advertisement This reminded me of the father from Virginia defending his son's right to dress up as Princess Elsa from Frozen last Halloween. The use of the word 'defended' is not a melodramatic turn of phrase in this context - members of the community took offence to a little boy wanting to dress up as a female character. Much of the rhetoric surrounding issues such as these is that it might 'turn your son gay' or that it is 'unnatural' and should not be encouraged. These sensationalistic arguments are quite in opposition to what prevailing research on the topic says: you cannot make your child gay (or straight for that matter) through limiting what they wear, what toys they play with or what sporting activities they enjoy. On the topic of what is natural or not, I had what felt like an incredibly natural inclination towards wearing my sister's dresses when I was younger and took any opportunity to dress up as a princess when I could. This was not forced upon me; instead it was a natural expression of my gender development. While dressing up as a bloodthirsty vampire, a terrifying zombie or a vicious werewolf may all be seen as acceptable costumes for boys this Halloween, dressing up as a fairy, princess or mermaid will most certainly be largely frowned upon. Painting your son's face to resemble The Joker will be seen as 'normal' while applying lipstick and mascara to transform him into Wonder Woman will be vilified. If the argument for all the former options is that they represent a fantasy world located firmly in make-believe, then I would have to argue that the concept of gender itself is a fantasy, constructed socially and also situated in make-believe. We have been made to believe that certain forms of gender expression are acceptable while others are not and that some forms are more or less valid or more or less appropriate, depending on whether you're a boy or a girl. Advertisement Wodaabe men from Niger participate in an elaborate ceremony where they dress up, wear make-up and jewelry in order to attract a wife. These seemingly 'feminine' elements from a Western perspective are actually a display of virility in this particular culture in order to woo a partner. In this context, these men are more 'manly' based on more adornment and finery. While this is a specific cultural example, it is indicative of the fact that there are no absolutes or objective standards by which we can judge masculinity or femininity. Terms such as gender fluid and androgyny have become common parlance recently partly due to celebrities such as Jaden Smith wearing a skirt and appearing in a Louis Vuitton womenswear campaign and media attention devoted to shifting gender lines. We are speaking about gender more than we have in the past and there may be some growing awareness that gender constructs are outdated. However, with the new awareness comes a pendulum swing - those who insist on maintaining gender integrity, defending gender stereotypes and advocating that 'boys be boys' and 'girls be girls'. All too often, these types of rhetoric are framed compassionately or out of concern for the child: they could be teased at school, their self-esteem could be affected, they are more likely to be bullied, being different is hard, it's important to fit in with the other kids... But what if you're child is different? What if they are gender non-conforming? Would it be most advisable to take a few pointers from the clip and simply find a Halloween costume that turns your effeminate son into a masculine gun-wielding soldier? The radical and politician Tom Hayden died at his Santa Monica home last Sunday. As tributes poured in, the obituaries inevitably referred to his almost twenty year marriage to actor Jane Fonda. They may have divorced a quarter of a century ago, but the left wing icon and the Hollywood legend are forever intertwined in both the collective imagination and public narratives of their lives. During the 1960s and 70s, Hayden was part of the civil rights and anti-war movements. He rose to prominence as a founder of the influential Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and one of the Chicago 7 defendants, put on trial after riots at the 1968 Democratic Party National Convention. Hayden's counter-cultural credentials were undoubtedly part of the attraction for Fonda. As she wrote in her 2005 autobiography My Life So Far, 'I wanted a man in my life I could love, but it had to be someone who could inspire me, teach me, lead me, not be afraid of me. Who better than Tom Hayden?' The pair married in 1973 after she divorced her first husband, the film director Roger Vadim. Advertisement While Fonda regarded Hayden as an inspirational teacher as well as a life partner, her own activism predates their relationship; they actually met on the anti-war circuit. That said, his influence profoundly shaped her. By Fonda's own admission, her life has often been directed by the major men in it: first her father, then literally in the case of Vadim, who was the director of Barbarella, a film in which she starred. With Hayden, Fonda's political interests began to even more clearly echo his, including support for the Black Panther Party and, more famously, public opposition to the US military involvement in Vietnam. Most controversial of all was Fonda's 1972 visit to Hanoi, where she was photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft battery - an image which prompted the nickname 'Hanoi Jane' and continues to affect attitudes towards her even in the twenty-first century. Right wing critics of Hayden and Fonda have repeatedly used their anti-war crusading and visits to Vietnam to discredit them even though the two of them have spoken with regret about some aspects of their activity. In his memoir, Reunion, Hayden admits to 'romanticizing the Vietnamese'; Fonda has repeatedly apologized for the infamous photographs and any offense caused, particularly among US Vietnam veterans who regard her a traitor. Hayden and Fonda have also been criticized by those on the left of American politics. Responses to Fonda's activism had long been mixed; in 1972, Betty Friedan claimed the actor was 'hurting the real movement for women's rights' with her forays into feminism (Pramaggiore, 2010). With regards to Hayden, his move into conventional party politics generated complaints that he'd sold out. Advertisement A poster couple for US radicalism in the 1970s, by the early 1980s, Hayden and Fonda had both shifted into the mainstream. In 1982, Hayden successfully ran to become a Democratic member of the California assembly, a position held until 1992. From 1993 to 2000, he served in the state's Senate. At the same time, Fonda's workout book and video had become number one bestsellers, taking this once (still?) controversial figure into the home of millions of Americans. If that weren't a big enough success, she starred in the second highest grossing film of 1980, Nine To Five, made by her own production company. Fonda regarded it as a labour movie even though it became a comedy rather than a drama as originally planned. The film gently showcased important contemporary feminist causes such as discrimination in the workplace, as well as feminist workplace practices such as flexible working, for a broad Middle America audience. Yet despite this move into the mainstream three decades ago, their years together as radical activists cast a long shadow of public memories of the couple, individually and together. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the headlines that have accompanied news of Hayden's death this week. A few examples such as those in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times reference his time as a lawmaker within the political system. On the whole, however, the remembrances put his earlier activism centre stage. Fonda has never fully escaped the label Hanoi Jane; although Hayden had no such memorable moniker, he too is remembered in large part for this specific aspect of his life's experiences. As the lights dim in the Finborough Theatre, a faint commotion can be heard coming from the corridor outside. The auditorium has become a disused building and it seems as though a group of individuals want in. Thuds at the door and voices raised, the drama has begun for this evening's performance of Magnificence. The Howard Brenton play, Magnificence, had its last professional outing over 40 years ago and has now been resurrected by Josh Roche at the Finborough Theatre. The story is a snapshot of 1973 London; filled with poverty, homelessness, rising inequality, unemployment and industrial disputes. The play begins as we meet five young activists as they set up squat in a abandoned building - in an attempt to stand up against it all. From the initial kerfuffle on entering the property, you don't have high hopes for these young left-wingers, and that doesn't really change as the tale unfolds. Advertisement The first act concentrates on the two female characters. Veronica, played by Eva-Jane Willis, is a strong minded individual and the newest recruit, who highlights the groups lack of clarity on the cause. Willis performs with a great focus, which commands the attention of the audience. She works in contrast to the more mild-mannered Mary, played by Daisy Hughes. Their conflicting views unearth the groups differing perspectives, whilst all fighting for the same result. The play takes a much more sinister turn with the arrival of the bailiff and policeman, played by Chris Porter and Tim Faulkner respectively, who offer up another angle. A very simply crafted scene, standing centre stage with a lone spotlight - this duo deliver a marvelous telling of their story. Being in such an intimate setting, the actors performances are seen at a exceptionally close level, which works very well to develop an intimate relationship with each of the characters. In contrast, Josh Roche's direction manages to construct an epic feel when called for, such as the tension seen in the closing of act one, where the bailiff meets the squatters in a bizarre scene of frivolity, anger and violence. In act two we meet Babs, played by Hayward B Morse, an aging former politician, as he reflects on his life with a cabinet minister he refers to as Alice, also played by Tim Faulkner. Their scene together is a departure from the previous act, and a great showcase for the marvelous dialogue of Howard Brenton. As the actors construct a punt boat from a deckchair and broom, they perform line after line of quick wit and depth into this curious relationship. Advertisement We return to the group of left-wingers as Joel Gillman's Jed is released from prison, learning of the teams developments since squatting together. Jed has not fared well after his time behind bars, seeking more drastic means to make his political voice heard. In a wonderfully written speech, which Gillman skillfully performs, he justifies his actions through a story about a drunk patron ripping the screen at a cinema. Tyson Douglas as Cliff delivers a captivating performance in an attempt to reason with the now radicalized individual, creating a rousing argument against his violent intent. The play culminates in a tense scene in which Jed meets with the cabinet minister face to face, and we see the result of a young mind which is permeated with hate and desperate to be heard. Magnificence is a truly wonderful production, performed by a cast of highly skilled actors. Howard Brenton's writing offers up good range characters, with very astute observations from 1973, which could certainly be paralleled to issues of today. The design and lighting by Philip Lindley and Joe Price respectively, is perfectly suited for the Finborough Theatre, with each scene being intelligently crafted around the action. Magnificence is a very thought provoking play, which has been brought to the stage in a highly imaginative way. It raises a plethora of questions, which are still relevant and remain unanswered 40 years after its first performance. Magnificence by Howard Brenton runs until Saturday 19 November 2016 at the Finborough Theatre, London. As Prime Minister Theresa May gathered with leaders from the rest of the UK last week for her first official Brexit meeting, it became clear that the path towards the UK exiting the European Union is going to be a long and winding one. But while the meetings continue, and amid the media focus on any tension between our politicians, there is an altogether more serious piece of news that we need the world to hear. And that is that 'Britain is still open for business'. The UK enjoyed an economic bounce in the immediate aftermath of the Brexit vote, but it has since started to lose that momentum and is now facing a weakening pound with experts warning of a further squeeze in living standards across the UK. Advertisement But is that how the rest of the world sees Britain? Do they see the doom and gloom? Or can they look beyond the headlines and see a prospering nation they want to continue doing business with? We decided to test the water and gauge sentiment amongst international businesses. Our Doing Business with the UK research showed that international confidence in the UK's entrepreneurs is high. We spoke to just under 1,400 global business leaders about their perceptions of British entrepreneurs and their experiences trading with UK scale-ups and the results are encouraging. A staggering 78% of overseas business leaders think the UK is a good place to start and grow a business, despite the Brexit vote. And in fact, over two thirds (61%) of those leaders we spoke to said Brexit will not have any impact on the way they do business with UK entrepreneurs. This suggests that our international partners still see value in trading with us. And long may that continue. But it is important that we don't get complacent. Now more so than ever, with Brexit looming, it is essential that the UK does everything within its power to not only maintain its trading status quo, but also think about how it can build on this - particularly for our fast-moving, high-growth entrepreneurial future success stories. This could include considering how best to capitalise on those trade relationships, investment opportunities available and tapping into the international sentiment and support highlighted within our research. Advertisement Chief among those is safe-guarding the British brand. It is imperative that, hard Brexit or otherwise, we do not tarnish this. Further findings from our research suggest that 'Made in Britain' is still a highly attractive concept with almost three quarters (74%) agreeing so. I firmly believe that we all - from policy makers, industry experts and entrepreneurs included - have an important role to play in boosting the reputation of UK enterprise domestically and overseas. Of course, there is always more that could be done to boost our international appeal. Almost half (47%) of those leaders we spoke to suggested greater differentiation and innovation in products and services could help. Other factors included an improvement in the UK's digital skills (45%). Our research suggests that if we took steps to address these short-comings, global business leaders would increase their trade with the UK by almost a third (28%). oneinchpunch via Getty Images Exciting news. Well...kind of. Long running radio soap The Archers has finally tuned into the 21st century and introduced a lesbian character. Said lesbian, Anna, had featured in the soap for a while before it was revealed just a couple of weeks ago that her beloved ex Max is in fact Maxine. Granted it's not the most gripping of twists, but a twist it still is. Although there has been a solid homosexual relationship in the soap - Adam and Ian are still going strong - it's encouraging to hear that a lesbian character has finally landed in the fictional village of Ambridge. Early reports indicate however, that Anna is, at best, not particularly dynamic as a character and, at worst, straying disappointingly close to tokenism. Advertisement That got me thinking about the portrayal of lesbians in media and on TV today. Back in 2011, Stonewall, the fantastic UK charity devoted to the empowerment, freedom and support of the LGBTQ community, commissioned a report that explored the representation of gay youth in television. Some of the facts uncovered in the report were pretty damning... In 126 hours of TV programming there were only 46 minutes that could be defined as a positive and relatable portrayal of the LGBTQ community. And in over 40 hours of footage, across some of the most popular programmes on TV at that time, lesbians featured for only 29 seconds. I think we've come a long way since the 2011 Stonewall report. Now there are so many great programs with gay and transgender characters that are not only fairer representations of the real LGBTQ world, they're also taking centre stage. Shows with an overwhelmingly high proportion of LGBTQ representation are really striking a chord with the community. Her is the largest app for LGBTQ women and in a recent survey found that the super queer shows were by significant margins more popular than those with just one queer story line, OITNB taking 26% of the vote and the L Word taking 15%. The one exception to the rule was The 100, with the lead story line revolving around a queer relationship it was favored by 20% of the Her community. The short story? These shows can't get gay enough for the LGBTQ community. Advertisement Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons But although there has been progress, lesbians are still massively absent in comparison to gay males. For every two steps forward, there's always three back. Even though lesbians are featuring more in TV and film, their appearance is in many cases, short lived. In other words, they have a knack of getting killed off. And although I appreciate that, like life, we're all going to die at some point and onscreen lesbians are no exception; when there are so few characters and such a lack of happy endings, the death of lesbian characters is disproportionately large. Look at Kate from Last Tango in Halifax. A pregnant bride that married the love of her life and then was killed the day after her wedding. Over the pond there was an uproar over the recent death of Lexa on The 100. The bury your gays trope exists for a reason. There's no smoke without fire and it's the bodies of beloved lesbian characters that are burning. Advertisement But why care so much about what happens in the fictional world? Particularly when there are so many atrocities for everyone, not just the LGBTQ community, in the real one? The world of TV, film and radio is not only powerful and influential, it also doesn't exist in its own vacuum. The wrongful portrayal of any minority group is damaging, perhaps even more so with the backdrop of emotive drama, and audiences often look to TV to not only educate themselves, but also to find something they can relate to. That becomes impossible for our community if lesbians fail to feature positively and accurately in these programs, or at all. We know that young teens relate to the characters they see in the media, so much so that often these characters become iconic. What kind of inclusive message are these teens getting if they don't encounter anyone they can identify with on screen or on the radio, or if the people they do see are simple, token characters that live miserable, short lives? For young members of the LGBTQ community, we would be ignorant to think that this is too trivial to have an effect on their ability to come out and live freely. But it's not all bad. We are making progress, particularly with the number of shows like OITNB and Transparent, whose army of characters are majority LGBTQ. The fact these shows achieve such critical acclaim, fantastic ratings and are showered with awards indicates there is a hungry audience out there, ready for more. Advertisement ---- Robyn Exton, Founder of Her Her helps lesbian, bisexual and queer people meet each other. From an app with over 1.5 million users, to events in 24 cities across the world, Her connects queer people to their community. HuffPost UK LGBT+ Living covers the full spectrum of life in the LGBTQIA community through a mixture of features, blogs and video. It looks at a range of topics including relationships, parenthood, wellbeing, health, and inspiring stories of people who have created happy, balanced lives for themselves. It provides a platform for people to tell their stories and talk about their journeys and identities. RapidEye via Getty Images It's 2016, and everyone overshares. There are no real secrets any more, we all know things about our friends and family that could get them fired, dumped, arrested or worse. But one thing I don't know - as a hetero man - is how big any of my friends' erections are. Advertisement I realised this a few days ago, when looking at my own engorged penis and worrying that it had - perhaps - gotten smaller. There was no one I could turn to - the only person who might have a chance of answering accurately is the only person I cannot ask: "Is my willy shrinking?" is not a question any man can ask his lover. So: what to do? I'm slightly too old to have spent my teenage years distributing digital images of my chopper, so I don't have a photographic fossil record to scour through like a bleak flip book. I've got a few images of my wanger all saggy and soft, but I don't have any worries about my flaccid dinkie. To confirm that he's normal, all I need do is visit any public swimming pool. I guarantee - whenever you're reading this - that right now there's a naked man in your local changing rooms, making no effort to put on either clothes or swimwear. I've "gone swimming" several times just to compare myself, and am happy to report that my wiener seems absolutely run of the (non-circumcised) mill. BUT there isn't the equivalent space for erections. A porn set? A sex party? Neither of these are what I'm looking for: I want a neutral, non-sexual, space where I can compare my boner with other men's thumpers. Is this too much to ask? It could be argued that an erection is inherently sexual, and that sharing knowledge of it in a non-sexual setting is impossible. Yeah, watching your friends stare at your hard hog and verbally/mentally critiquing it would likely contribute to the loss of a throbber, but all this secrecy about genital size feels very pre-1967. Advertisement I've never even come close to discussing penis size with a friend. How - by 2016 - has this never happened? And why? Why, when people gladly recount their most intimate moments to strangers and near-strangers, do we continue to keep secret something so intrinsic to who we are? Why do men hide their dimensions when so much else is public? We still have bodily shame deeply entrenched within society, and - like all problems - the longer we do nothing to fix it, the harder doing so will become. When none of us know what is normal and all of us hide ourselves away, it's not a surprise that many men end up uncomfortable with their own sexuality. If a man is ashamed of his old chap, of course he'll be ashamed of the sex he has using it, and this leads to disgust and even hatred of his sexual partner[s]. If a man is ashamed of revealing the size of his pork sword, he resents his lover[s] for causing him to expose himself in a manner that makes him uncomfortable. This body hatred, this old Catholic-style shame, pushes heterosexual men towards misogyny: they don't like women because they don't want their secret, shameful, bodies discovered. Male body shame is a factor in the continuance of rape culture. If men were more comfortable talking honestly about the size of their d*cks, the space for negative emotions within their sexualities would be diminished. Ultimately, it doesn't matter how big your bell-end is, so there's no reason to keep those digits secret. Doing so would make all men more relaxed about sex, which would lead to improved erotic lives for everyone and a real reduction in shame and self-disgust-fuelled sexual violence. I'd love to end this piece with the exact dimensions - girth at the top, girth at the base, length from the sac and length from the stomach - of my own pecker, but I honestly don't know if it's a normal size. I've read statistics about average c*ck sizes, but if the ones I've found are accurate, it'll look like I'm either lying or bragging. Advertisement But be a better man than I am. Post your length and thickness in the comments below, and let's make an erection something no man is ever ashamed to reveal. (When it's appropriate for him to reveal it, obviously.) IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW BIG YOUR D*CK IS, IT MATTERS HOW BIG OF A D*CK YOU ARE! Scott Manley Hadley blogs at: TriumphoftheNow.com. HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around men to highlight the pressures they face around identity and to raise awareness of the epidemic of suicide. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, the difficulty in expressing emotion, the challenges of speaking out, as well as kick starting conversations around male body image, LGBT identity, male friendship and mental health. Getty Images/iStockphoto Self-employment is now at its highest ever - at 4.6 million in February 2016. It has been increasing since the year 2000 and there is a clear trend towards this form of employment - be it those in tech start-ups, freelancers, farmers, construction workers, taxi drivers, hairdressers or artists. Self-employment benefits the UK economy and has been linked to the economic upturn we have experienced in recent years - so could it also help us through the muddy waters of Brexit and should government and businesses alike be looking more at how they can support and benefit from this group? An independent self employment review in February 2016, by Julie Deane OBE, researched the market and lays out suggestions for the government and private sector to support this growing group. "It is important that with the increased growth in self-employment, and the subsequent benefits that this group brings to the economy, that there are systems in place to support the self-employed in the same way as the employed. Government should consider extending support to the self-employed in areas where there is discrepancy between support for the self-employed and support for employees." The review highlights the importance of technology in helping with the growth in self-employment. And it makes suggestions, such as better education for young people on finance, cash flow, book keeping and taxation, highlights the need for more flexible financial solutions, from mortgages and insurance to pensions and suggests more shared spaces to work in. Advertisement The Office of National Statistics says that, "The performance of the labour market and the growth of self-employment have been among the defining characteristics of the UK's recent economic recovery... The data presented here suggest that in general, self-employed workers are broadly content with their labour market status. Relatively few report negative reasons for becoming self-employed, few indicate that they are looking for alternative employment." People are not becoming self-employed because they are forced to by the market, but because they choose to. An interesting recent article in the Telegraph on the Uber ruling comments that 76% of the drivers there are not happy with the decision that makes them 'workers' and would prefer to keep their self employment status. "Britain's flexible labour rules may be moving in the wrong direction. The government has appointed former Labour adviser Matthew Taylor to review employment regulation, and ministers' comments suggest they look forward to him presenting a suite of new workers' "rights". Let us hope that, instead, he finds a way of revising Britain's labour laws for a digital age..." I am self-employed as a Part-time Marketing and Product Marketing Director and have been for nearly 4 years now. I agree that people who are self employed are more happy and enjoy the flexibility of their situation. Self employment is not without its downsides in my kind of role - one has to be a jack of all trades and able to fix your computer when it goes down, go out and look for business, sell yourself regularly in meetings with new prospects and have a financial fall-back for the inevitable times that work is quieter. But overall, the positives outweigh the negatives. I get flexibility in the way I work and diversity of companies I work with and at the same time, provide flexibility to businesses. From my perspective at least, I can offer help when there are say product launches and the business' workload increases and they need additional marketing skills, or strategy and support where a full-time person is not required. I can go with the ups and downs of a business, as I don't demand the same rights or contracts etc from the people I work with. They get flexibility and so do we. Advertisement Interestingly, the above-mentioned report also states, "Recently the number of self employed women has increased faster than men and since 2009 women have accounted for over half of the overall growth in self-employment." People often think this is due to women wanting to balance work and family life and yet for me, that has never been the case. Something I did read when I left full-time employment in a corporate environment however, is that many women do not like the charged political environment that still exists in many organisations and prefer to work for themselves, on the outside of that. But of course, as mentioned at the beginning, self employment takes all forms of jobs. Will it be the self employed then, who since they helped the UK through the economic downturn, will help us through the potentially troubled waters of Brexit? In which case it is right for reports such as these to make recommendations about encouraging and supporting this group - since we could make a big impact on the future UK economy. And should businesses alike, be looking more at how these types of employees could support their businesses, through the ups and downs that may be on the horizon? There has been a rise in managerial people in self employment - like myself. Yet I experience that some companies are flexible and some not, to the idea of part-time people or ad hoc work. We can help companies through ups and downs, as we don't demand the same ties or financial risks that an employee would. But so many businesses are stuck in the notion that they only want full-time employees - and yet the digital era enables more flexibility than that. Advertisement If we are going to weather the stormy sees that may well be ahead, we need to set up our businesses to succeed. The self-employed have helped the UK economy until now, so let's help them support us through the uncertain future. The decision in the Ashers Bakery appeal clearly divided opinion, with a number of commentators reasonably expressing concerns about its implications on freedom of expression and conscience. But one of the most striking aspects of this ruling is its limited scope. The facts of the case were very specific and probably won't have any significant impact on the way clashes of rights are balanced in the future. The ruling however prompted a rush of commentary, much of it hostile to the court's decision. There has since seen some more nuanced reflection, such as from the Rights Info Blog, Joshua Rozenberg's analysis for the BBC and from the National Secular Society. Advertisement Christian lobby groups have of course long sought to advance the myth that they are some poor put upon forgotten minority who are unconsidered in equality law. But protections for freedom of religion and belief are already included and 'read into' equality law. There are already many examples when religious exemptions undermine equality law and both the UK Parliament and Norther Ireland Assembly have already considered, and rejected, further undermining exemptions. Equality law is not gospel, and where it has got the balance wrong this should be addressed. But it's dishonest to pretend that when religious groups don't get their way that their rights have not been considered. In drawing up the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006, legislators didn't all suffer collective amnesia and forget Article 9 of the Human Rights Act existed. They balanced the Article 9 right to freedom of religion and belief with other rights, including the rights of the LGBT people, as did the Ashers' ruling. Courts should 'read down' legislation where it has failed to take account of or contravenes human rights. However where the legislature has considered the balancing of conflicting rights and drawn up equality legislation intended to address this, the judiciary should respect these intentions. Advertisement Indistinguishability A question raised during this case was whether opposing support for same-sex marriage - which isn't a protected characteristic - is indistinguishable from opposing homosexuality - which is. From a moral position it could be argued that it is. In the words of Peter Tatchell: "Let's be blunt: A person who opposes legal equality for LGBT people is homophobic - in the same way that a person who opposes equal rights for black people is racist." Should the law should take a similar view? If discrimination against a non-protected characteristic is being used as a proxy for (or is indistinguishable from) discrimination against a protected characteristic, should this be considered unlawful discrimination? For example, in the case of Brockie v Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found that a printer refusing to print a letterhead for members of an LGBT organisation was indistinguishable from refusing to print a letterhead for someone because they were gay. From this it naturally followed that the refusal was discrimination on the grounds of a protected characteristic. Obviously any test of 'indistinguishability' should be carefully and fairly applied. For example, the expression of the opinion "I don't like gay marriage" may be related to the protected characteristic of being Christian. But many Christians do support gay marriage so it is clearly distinguishable from that characteristic, and so discrimination against that opinion could not constitute direct discrimination against a Christian. Advertisement Those critical of this ruling have argued that it could force a Muslim baker to bake a cake with an offensive image of Prophet Mohammed. This simply isn't the case. While desiring such a cake might be related to a customer's religious beliefs (a protected characteristic), it is clearly not indistinguishable from them. The Ashers may argue that being required to make the cake violated their right to freedom from 'forced speech', but case law is quite clear in this area. When businesses make a general offer to the public, then services in accordance with that offer cannot be 'forced speech'. If the Ashers' cake decorating offer were restricted in an equally applied manner to exclude Mr Lee's cake (a general policy of no religious or political messages, for example), then they might have an Article 10 right not to make it. This is recognised by the fact that Ashers Bakery now only decorate birthday cakes. Was the correct comparator used? The Ashers argued that a straight man ordering the same cake would have also been refused service so their actions could not possibly constitute discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. Advertisement However, as Joshua Rozenberg has explained, the court reasoned that the correct comparator was a hypothetical customer ordering a cake reading "support straight marriage". How you feel about the case may well depend on which comparison you believe to be the right one. But having endorsed the finding of 'indistinguishability' the Appeals Court was justified in endorsing the comparison used by the High Court. Implications of the case Bloomberg via Getty Images In 2011, Lord Justice Leveson began his inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British Press, in the wake of the phone hacking scandal. It's been over 1324 days since all parties agreed to implement his recommendations in full. David Cameron summed up what that inquiry was meant to achieve on June 14th 2012 when he said: "I will never forget meeting with the Dowler family in Downing Street to run through the terms of this Inquiry with them and to hear what they had been through and how it had redoubled, trebled the pain and agony they'd been through over losing Milly. I'll never forget that, and that's the test of all this. "It's not 'do the politicians or the press feel happy with what we get?' It's 'are we really protecting people who have been caught up and absolutely thrown to the wolves by this process?' That's what the test is..." Advertisement He reassured victims that if they spoke out at Leveson, the government would act on his recommendations. And yet, today Secretary of State Karen Bradley announced that the Government is delaying the implementation of Leveson's recommendations yet again. And she cast doubt on whether the second part of the Leveson Inquiry will take place. She told us that we must wait another ten weeks while these issues are discussed all over again in the context of a wider consultation on the press. As I told the house today, these reforms have been discussed and debated enough. They should have been implemented years ago. The victims of press intrusion cannot wait a day longer for this Government to honour its promises. Advertisement It is over five years since David Cameron stood at the despatch box and announced the Leveson inquiry would begin. Yes, a lot has happened since then. We've had the Hillsborough Inquiry and its findings on misleading police statements to government officials and subsequently newspapers. We've had the case of Mazher Mahmood, the fake sheikh who perverted the course of justice to secure his 'scoops' and left scores of previous convictions unsafe. We've had senior officers like John Yates having to resign over phone hacking. We've had more information emerge about the brutal murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator who was threatening to reveal police corruption to the press. The Secretary of State tried to claim today that this litany of criminality means we've learned enough about corruption to halt Leveson Two before it starts. I think that's an impossible conclusion. I think this makes Leveson Two more urgent, not less. Advertisement The second part of the inquiry was meant to look at the relationship existing between newspapers and police. One of its terms of reference is: "To inquire into the extent of the corporate governance and management failures at News International and other newspaper organisations and the role, if any, of politicians, public servants and others in relation to any failure to investigate wrongdoing at News International." In other words, it's the investigation into how the cover-up of phone hacking was conducted. So in effect, what the government did today was announce a consultation on whether the cover-up should be covered up. If I wasn't so appalled, I'd be impressed at their sheer nerve. Let's remind ourselves why Leveson was established. It was to allow an independent inquiry to draw conclusions free from vested interests and political interference. And let's remind ourselves what the Secretary of State said in committee last week: "I expect to see robust regulation of the press, but it has been made very clear to me by a number of editors and others that they would not consider applying for recognition under the Press Recognition Panel." Advertisement Leveson was supposed to stop Ministers being put under that exactly kind of pressure by newspaper editors. And yet, as we heard today, the Culture Secretary is abandoning that principle. She's taking back the power from an independent judge. In so doing, she's opened up the executive to accusations that they have succumbed to the vested interests of media barons. It's an age old story. So, today I demanded answers to the following questions. Firstly, did the Prime Minister discuss the Leveson process at her private meeting with Rupert Murdoch in New York in September? Secondly, when she spoke to Lord Leveson, did he approve of this hurried consultation? Does he agree with her analysis? Will she allow him to make a public statement? Finally, has she spoken to the parents of Millie Dowler and to other victims of press intrusion? What is their view of these proposals? Do they think it passes the Government's test? Are we really protecting people who have been caught up and absolutely thrown to the wolves? Right now, I'm still waiting for some answers. There's been a sharp increase in the number of British students attending American colleges in the past decade. As well as it being a completely different education system, there are other surprises prospective applicants might want to consider: College and University - You can obtain an Undergraduate or Bachelor's degree from institutions bearing either title. Universities typically offer undergraduate and graduate degrees, while some colleges only offer two-year, associate degrees. This is not set in stone however. Harvard College is the undergraduate arm of the larger Harvard University but Boston College is not part of Boston University, and offers undergrad, graduate and doctoral degrees. Most people talk about a "college degree" rather than a "university degree" and use the generic term "college" more than "university" when talking about higher education. (The term "college" is used here throughout.) School - Americans often mean college or university when they ask "Where did you go to school?" If they want to know anything about your prior education, they will typically say "high school". Advertisement There is no UCAS equivalent. In general, you apply to individual colleges, although there is the Common App (Application) which allows you to submit the same information to several colleges at once. Not all institutions use the Common App and even those that do, often still require an individual essay or five, specific to their courses. For this reason, applying to American universities is more time-consuming than the British equivalent. Oh, and they don't all have the same deadline. Some colleges are in the middle of nowhere. You might think there are remote parts of the UK, but try being a hundred miles from the nearest airport. As an international student, perhaps the last thing you need after a nine hour flight is a four hour bus drive to campus. In addition, although the colleges are usually situated in a small "college town", if there's no bus service and you don't have a car, you're at the mercy of your driving friends or you're stuck in one place. An undergraduate degree usually takes four years - an important factor when considering the cost and your threshold for academia. In some cases your super-duper A level results can get you credit, which acts as "time off for good behavior" and allows you to graduate early. This is also important when considering costs as it's almost a pay-as-you-go system. You can't drink till you're twenty one - Although American colleges differ in their approach to under-age drinking, it is illegal in all fifty states and your involvement might lead to police activity rather than just a slap on the wrist from the Student Affairs office. Additionally, your errant ways can end up on your college record, result in fines and restrictions on campus, or even get you kicked out. (And remember, getting kicked out of college means you're out of visa status and at risk of deportation.) Advertisement Most students share a room. - Yes! Even though you're an adult, the majority of dorm rooms house two or more students. Many colleges have single rooms if you hate the thought of strangers snoring less than four feet from your head, and as you'd imagine, those rooms go fast. Some colleges mandate that freshmen (first year students) live on campus. The weather in the USA varies wildly.- If you attend a northern college, the winters can be brutal. Temperatures in states like Minnesota can stay below freezing for three or four months, which severely curtails outside activity. If you attend a southern college the heat and/or humidity can be hard to bear, although you may not be there in the summer, when it's at its fiercest. Visas. - Unless you have dual nationality, you'll require a student visa but there's no point in worrying about that until you have applied, received an offer and formally accepted it. Only the college that you will attend can kick start the visa application process so save the worrying for something like A levels. The fees at American colleges can be eye-watering. - According to the College Board, the average yearly tuition for international students in 2015-16 was $32,405 at private institutions and $23, 893 at public ones. (I would insert the sterling equivalent here but it's ever-changing.) Bear in mind that's an average; some of the "big name" colleges are much higher. In the same period, tuition at Harvard was $45,278 and $60,659 all-in (ie. tuition, room and board). The good news is that there is financial aid to be found. Many colleges have funds to help students meet the costs, and while the bulk goes to American students, many international students receive assistance too. My recently-graduated daughter had a circle of friends that resembled the United Nations and the majority received some form of financial assistance. If I were to describe to you images of animate skulls ravenously tearing apart a herring with their teeth, or a living skeleton in a suit putting the finishing touches to a painting, or a crowd laughing together - only each face hidden by a grotesque mask - you'd think the paintings I was describing were dark and foreboding. But these works from James Ensor (1860-1949) are in the brightest colours and the gentlest of pastel palettes. And it's that blend of the macabre and the surreal with lively colours that makes Ensor's works unique. Ensor is probably Belgium's most celebrated artist of the modern age and one of his most important paintings, The Intrigue, 1890, is included in this new show at the RA, which has been curated by artist Luc Tuymans. Tuymans remembers seeing this painting as a kid. "It was a very fearful thing to look at," Tuymans recalls. Well, even as an adult I feel those chills too. Advertisement The painting is a group scene, a lively crowd in their finest clothes heading out to town, only these men and women are all wearing masks. Quite grotesque masks too - eyes blacked out or rolling, and with blood red lips in sinister smiles. The scene is actually based on a Shrove Tuesday tradition from Ostend, where Ensor lived, where residents would mark the last day before Lent by wearing masks in the street. But looking on it with modern eyes, there doesn't feel anything celebratory about this picture. Masks hide faces, they hide intentions and emotions. It's an unsettling image. Nor is this sense of the surreal macabre confined to this single painting. In this show, Tuymans wanted to demonstrate the unique vision that Ensor had, his risk taking and his experimentation, and he certainly has achieved that with this select display of works in the Sackler Wing. Though whether you would want to stay too long in its galleries, I'm not sure. Where The Intrigue is a large painting, Skeletons Fighting over a Pickled Herring, 1891, is probably the smallest on display. Here, two skulls are tussling over said herring, the jaws of the skulls clenched down on either end of the fish. Yet, again, the darkness of the subject is in sharp contrast with the pretty pink sky and with one of the skulls wearing a fur hat. It's all very surreal. Yet here Ensor is exhibiting how he feels about the art world, for he is the herring in this picture, being savaged by two art critics who have little care for him. Advertisement Ensor felt that his talent was often overlooked by the establishment and this frustrated him. And clearly from above, sometimes the criticism would cut deep. Yet there are instances where Ensor clearly prided himself on his non-conformity - an early self-portrait of him in a flowered hat a precursor perhaps of what was to follow. There's certainly much to admire in Ensor's style - his free and loose brushwork brings energy to his pieces, especially his still life. A few early paintings see him exploring the popular fashion at the end of the nineteenth century for Chinese paraphernalia, and Ensor's representation of the folds of fans and the delicate patterns in fabric and on porcelain with broad strokes of colour rather than close attention to detail makes for an interesting painting. And though many of Ensor's paintings are deeply unsettling, irrespective of their perky palettes, there is much humour to be found. A particular favourite of mine is The Skate, 1892. The dead fish lies face up, slumped against the wall at the back of the table. Yet its face seems so alert with its beady eyes and its distinctive mouth. It makes you chuckle; there's something quite cheeky about the painting. Though in others, the humour isn't quite to my personal taste, such as The Winds, 1890, which has God farting across a pretty pink sky. But some intriguing interiors and still life aside, it is hard to escape the surrealism in Ensor's major works. The oft-used masks are scary and alienating, his skeletons sinister and intimidating. More than draw me in, they pushed me away. Ensor's work is clearly distinctive, and he had an original vision, and I've no doubt that there's some wise observation to be made in his works on what is truthful and what is hidden, but I just found myself backing away from many of the works rather than drawing closer. Advertisement Royal Academy of Arts, London, to January 29, 2017 Admission 11.50 Image credits: 1 James Ensor, The Intrigue, 1890 Oil on canvas, 90 x 149 cm Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten. Photo KMSKA www.lukasweb.be - Art in Flanders vzw. Photography: Hugo Maertens / (c) DACS 2016 2 James Ensor The Skate, 1892 Oil on panel, 80 x 100 cm Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels / photo: J. Geleyns - Ro scan DACS 2016 WASHINGTON, USA - SEPTEMBER 10: (Left to right.) FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, National Intelligence Director James Clapper, NSA Director Admiral Michael Roger, and DNI Director Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart testify before a House Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on Cyber Security and the threat of Cyber Attacks in Washington, USA on September 10, 2015. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images) If you're like most Americans, the idea that our country doesn't have a unified cyber defense agency is about as unthinkable as a presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Welcome to the desert of the real. Our cyber defenses are scattered across three agencies that don't always communicate well (a generous appraisal) or in a timely fashion, and we've never been more vulnerable. As Ronald Reagan (quoting John Adams) famously said during his address to the 1988 Republican National Convention, "Facts are stubborn things." Advertisement On October 21, there was a cyber attack in the United States. At least two "cause hacking" organizations have taken credit for it. If it had been conducted by state-sponsored hackers, it would have been an act of war. How many of your friends and family know about it? A lot, if they only knew how it affected them. A distributed denial of service attack (DDoS) at around 7 a.m. EDT targeted servers belonging to a company called Dyn, causing severe disruption of Internet traffic to major sites, including Amazon, PayPal, Reddit, Twitter, Tumblr, Verizon, Pinterest, Etsy, Spotify, Comcast, HBO, and even Playstation; the first attack was followed by at least two more attacks. A Dyn statement said: "this was a sophisticated, highly distributed attack involving 10s of millions of IP addresses." The way this attack was perpetrated matters. Targeted here were Internet of Things (IoT) devices wrangled together in a botnet that took advantage of weak default passwords set by their manufacturers. These connected and interconnected items (think home routers, smart televisions and security cameras to name a few) were infected with malware and then triggered to send a staggering amount of traffic to select servers in order to overwhelm them and ultimately shut them down. This is way beyond inconvenience. In 2012, a DDoS attack took out the websites of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and other financial companies. Advertisement Imagine for a moment that the October 21 DDoS attack had been a test conducted by state-sponsored hackers -- and consider, if you will, the possibility that those hackers were gaming a bigger plan -- one targeting critical infrastructure such as our power grid, the banking system, our weapons systems, or one designed to disrupt our elections. Why It Matters The 2015 attack on the Office of Personnel Management, the human resources department for the United States, where 21.5 million files, containing the personally identifying information of, and deep background investigative reports on, top current and retired national security players and their families, were grabbed should be reason enough to focus serious resources at the problem of our national cyber security. A more recent attack, equally troubling no matter your political outlook, is the hack of Democratic National Committee emails. We are living in a world where hackers have the capability to disrupt our elections, put key military assets in danger, and shut down our financial institutions. As things stand currently, the NSA is responsible for protecting national security systems and the DHS takes care of all other security systems. The FBI's job is to investigate cyber crimes. Because each agency has to enlist one or both of the others to help, the process can be slowed down, which means precious leads can go cold and clear and present dangers can unfold without an optimal defense. Advertisement Three Agencies Need to Be One On October 18, NSA Deputy National Manager for National Security Systems, Curtis Dukes, gave a speech at the American Enterprise Institute detailing two years worth of cyber attacks. During the Q&A, he stated that it was time for a more unified approach to our cyber defenses. "I am now firmly convinced that we need to rethink how we do cyber defense as a nation," Dukes stated, saying that parts of the response teams at the FBI, NSA, and DHS might be combined under one authority to both improve reaction time during a cyber attack and oversee our nation's defenses against future attacks. He pointed to the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, which currently approaches cyber in this way. Speaking to the CEO of health tech startup BenevolentAI recently, they revealed how crucial patient data was to their business. With a rise in data from our genome, our wearable devices and various other places, having a secure means of storing and accessing such data is crucial. Indeed, earlier this year the UK's government office for science advocated the use of blockchain for just such a purpose. A recent paper from researchers at Radboud University suggests an alternative approach however. The technique will be put through its paces in a large-scale study of Parkinson's disease. Collecting medical data Data is increasingly important to the medical research process, and a ready supply of it allows researchers to both avoid duplicating work and also to arrive at fresh insights. Bodies such as the European Union have long advocated open data when it comes to medical research, but opening up data in this way has raised concerns amongst patient groups who are concerned about privacy and security of the data being shared. Advertisement To tackle this issue, the researchers developed a technique they refer to as Polymorphic Encryption and Pseudonymisation (PEP). PEP allows data to remain secure by pseudonymising and encrypting the data. This means it can't be accessed even by the people that store the data. What's more, the access to the data is regulated and monitored, thus the team believe it makes it possible to analyze data whilst ensuring that patient privacy is maintained. Supporting Parkinson's It's first outing is a 650 person study into Parkinson's that will see patients monitored over a two year period via wearable devices. The PEP method will allow the data, collected in the Netherlands, to then be shared with researchers around the world. "In the context of international medical research, personal information is worth its weight in gold. So it's important for the government to invest in an infrastructure that guarantees the protection of this information," the researchers say. "Especially to ensure that people will remain willing to participate in future studies of this sort." Advertisement Once the software has been fully tested, the researchers plan to make it available as open source so that others can both use it and build upon it, and they are confident in the utility of PEP. "The study of Parkinson's should demonstrate the usefulness of PEP. With this showcase as an example, PEP could grow to become the international standard for storing and exchanging privacy-sensitive medical data," the team say. How it works Central to the expected success of PEP is the usability of it. Whereas blockchain remains saddled by a lack of really user-friendly interfaces to it, the team hope that no such problems will hinder PEP. It will allow participants in each study to decide if they would like their data to be used, and managers of the data have no access to it. For researchers, they access the data via a unique key that they're provided with, and the privacy of each participant is assured via a unique pseudonym by which they are referred to each researcher. It sounds a fascinating approach, and with data so very crucial to medical research it's an approach to follow with interest. Advertisement This piece will be appearing in newspapers in my conservative congressional District in Virginia (VA-06). ****** A pattern in support for Donald Trump has repeated itself twice in recent months. In early August, Trump's continued questioning of the ability of a judge to do his job because of his Mexican heritage, combined with his days-long attacks on a Gold Star family that had publicly criticized him, led a number of Trump voters to withdraw their support. Then, as Trump quieted down his rhetoric - after his new campaign manager came on board - that support gradually came back. Advertisement Something similar happened more recently. First, Trump lost support when the Hollywood Access tape showed Trump boasting about how, because he's a "star," he could kiss and grope women without their consent. His subsequent denial - in the second debate - that he'd actually done the things he'd bragged about doing then prompted a number of women to come forward to describe Trump's assaults on them. Then, as that story played itself out and no new big Trump scandal dominated the news, the support that Trump had lost over the sexual assault issue returned to him. How should we understand those voters that reject Trump and then return to him? What happens with those people who shake off the effects of a disturbing story about their candidate once the story leaves the headlines? Is it evidence that, as has often been said, "the American people have short memories"? Memory can't be the heart of the matter, for surely, those voters haven't literally "forgotten" the behaviors that had repelled them just days or weeks before. More likely, these voters choose not to pay attention to such information once the headlines no longer compel them to notice. Advertisement Even though the ugly things about their candidate that these voters had seen have in no way been changed by any new information, they can "un-see" these behaviors, in effect, by putting those disturbing truths out of their minds. That choice to divert attention from something they'd regarded as important suggests a strong motivation to avoid rejecting Trump. What might that motive be? One possibility is party loyalty. For someone whose identity is tied in with supporting the Republican Party, the idea of withdrawing that support in a presidential election can be quite distressing. More comfortable to "forget" what you know about the character of your party's nominee than to confront the unpleasant reality you have seen. Another possible reason is antipathy toward the other party's candidate, Hillary Clinton. After the many years the GOP and its media allies have demonized Hillary, many believe her becoming president would be so unacceptable that any Republican nominee would be preferable. Advertisement The editorial boards of newspapers are immersed in the political realities, and thus less influenced by propaganda. It is in that context that one should understand why a number of newspapers that have reliably endorsed Republicans for generations, and have no great love for Hillary Clinton, have this year endorsed the Democrat. These editors -- despite their Republican leanings -- understand Hillary to be a normal American politician with whom the nation will be safe, while declaring Trump to be a "clear and present danger to our country" because of his "impulse control problem" (Cincinnati Enquirer), whose behavior shows "petulance" (Arizona Republic) and "a dangerous lack of judgment" (Dallas Morning News). But voters with whom the decades-long vilification of Hillary Clinton has been successful, can return to Trump's column so long as he doesn't force them to confront what they already know about him. And a third possible motive is the feeling that -- whatever else may be true, however serious may be Trump's defects - Trump at least will "shake things up." Such voters - believing the nation to be in such bad shape that things can scarcely get any worse -- regard the political situation as would a poker player who, instead of replacing two or three cards, wants to throw in the whole hand for a new one. That's a dangerously mistaken way to think. In poker, any losing hand is as bad as any other. But in the life of societies, there's a big difference between difficult times and outright disasters. Advertisement Those people who want to "shake things up" because they can't get worse, should take a closer look at history, and take a look around the world. Sure, we all would like for America to work better, but we Americans still have it good enough that things can get way, way worse. As discomfiting as it can be to see unpleasant realities about one's party's candidate, this year the costs of "un-seeing" them can be much higher. ******* Record numbers of Americans are renouncing citizenship. Four times a year the Treasury Department names individuals ho renounced -- publicly. The numbers are HUGE. One poll, reported in The Hill, shows 25% of Americans will consider leaving if Donald Trump is elected. Of course, most who threaten to leave because of politics are not earnest. For those who are, they may mean a short-lived move -- not a final exit. Giving up citizenship is a huge deal, yet the amount of expatriates for the first quarter of 2016 was a record 1,200. Comparing present to the past suggests Americans renouncing citizenship rose 550% from the Bush administration peak. Advertisement In 2017, it won't solely be American citizens seeking citizenship in foreign lands. People from almost every nation on earth are looking to trade their nationality in for a new, permanent residence. What nations give the best second passport? What's the Best? Look at the Number of Visitable Nations for a Clue The best second passport is one you can afford and gives visa-free travel to the largest number of countries. The smaller the number and less desirable the counties, the less you should pay. Austria, for example, is the 4th most valuable travel document in the world and the most valuable second passport to get. An Austrian passport provides visa-free travel to over 170 nations and is the best second passport which can be bought -- assuming money is not a challenge. By comparison, Dominica provides visa-free travel to 90 nations and rests 41st. A second passport from Serbia gives a person the right to live and work anywhere in the European Union. Advertisement Citizenship by Investment Programs for 2017 It would require over twenty-years to obtain citizenship in Andorra. Residency laws are straightforward and naturalization is hard to come by. Andorra is the most exhausting naturalization timelines; behind San Marino and Liechtenstein. Spain isn't much better. The time frame is ten years, but add four for bumbledom. For anyone who wants a fast route, there are two choices. Have European ancestors or hand over some cash. Citizenship by investment is a program where people can acquire a second citizenship pronto in exchange for investment. These economic citizenships are important to two groups of persons: American citizens who are seeking to renounce their citizenship, and Emerging citizens who are missing breaks in their homeland. Chinese and Arab citizens are the largest investors in CIP. The affluent in these regions can manage the cost in trade for the expanded travel -- and often tax -- advantages. Advertisement Other persons seeking to pay cash include South Africans and other nationalities restrained from trading in particular nations. One smaller group are those who would profit from a expeditious passport for business possibilities. Israelis -- forbidden in about a dozen nations -- are a good illustration of this. The Best Citizenship by Investment Plans Bulgaria Some agents claim Bulgarian citizenship is possible after only twelve months. In reality, the program takes two years. The process isn't as clear-cut as some suggest. Verdict: Bulgaria's program may improve in time, but for now, skip it. Serbia Serbia is almost the new kid on the block -- but not quite. There are older programs, and several other nations' plans came online since Serbia started up. This positioning allowed Serbia to pick what worked from existing programs and avoid the pitfalls. The result is a program reasonably customizable with investment, business plans and quite affordable. In addition to enjoying visa-free travel throughout the Schengen region, Serbia offers visa-free travel to over 130 other nations. Verdict: With the wide travel opportunities and the flex-options available on investment, Serbia comes out on top and is the "go to" destination for discerning travelers. Steven Seagal, the Hollywood celebrity, chose Serbian citizenship. Advertisement Cyprus Cyprus is part of the EU and until lately granted the quickest naturalization available. Now the plan takes less than a yearr. The minimum investment is 2 million EUR. Verdict: Cyprus gives EU citizenship, but the program is over priced for the caliber of opportunities offered. Malta Due to some earlier obscurity from the administration, a great deal of conflicting information about how to get Maltese citizenship exists. Unlike Cyprus, Malta mandates a government contribution in addition to the usual fees present in all plans. The gift is 650,000 for the primary applicant -- and another 25,000 for a spouse and each child under 18. Verdict: Not many are excited with Maltese real estate, but don't run. If you can afford to kiss 650,000 goodbyes, Malta has a grand program. St. Kitts/Nevis The first financial passport program, the program has existed since 1984. OtherCaribbean nations have duplicated it and the plan saw a great deal of success -- until recently. Advertisement The conditions are simplistic. Money can be donated to the government's Sugar Fund or "approved" real estate can be purchased. The contribution is usually the better option; real estate is hugely over-priced. Verdict: St. Kitts/Nevis used to be the solitary show in town. It dropped some of its brilliance since it dropped visa-free passage to Canada in 2014. While there is not anything wrong with the program, it became overpriced related to other programs. The Key The key to obtaining a second passport is making sure you do it legally. It is important to avoid scams that involving the pay of corrupt officials. The citizenship program you use should be referenced in national laws and if the person promoting a program can't show you the legal basis for your citizenship -- stand back. What About Hillary Departing America is not in Hillary Clinton's destiny, with the Democratic presidential nominee emphasizing the billionaire wouldn't be president. "I would never move, though I would be consuming a lot of time screaming at the TV set," Clinton prophesied during an appearance on MSNBC. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a rally at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, Monday, Oct. 31, 2016. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The witch-hunt of Hillary Clinton has been underway for several decades. Comparing 17 century notions of witchcraft with rightwing accusations against Clinton, Stacy Schiff rightly notes in her "New York Times" article, "[Witches] appear suspect in advance of their crimes." Susan Faludi wrote this weekend, [Clinton] has been deranging conservatives since '92, when wounded Republican invincibility merged with wounded male prerogative... she's cast not just as a political combatant but as a demon. It reminds me of my role in Yentl when she had to dress like a man to get an education, and she was called a demon as well. FBI Director James Comey brazenly defied Justice Department guidelines in his cryptic letter to Congress about Hillary Clinton's emails. These emails are back as speculative sport and innuendo much to the fatigue of the American public. As Matthew Yglesias noted, "Network news has devoted more minutes of coverage to Clinton's emails than to all policy issues combined." Given the stakes of this election, this is outrageous. After an exhaustive investigation earlier this year by the FBI that turned up zero evidence of wrongdoing, Comey recommended against pursuing charges against Mrs. Clinton. And yet this latest probe, unrelated to Mrs. Clinton, comes as proof for the rightwing to condemn her "in advance of [any] crimes," and Comey said himself that he "cannot yet assess whether or not this material may be significant." Surely Comey must have known that he would influence this critical election, and tip the scales in favor of Donald Trump and Republicans running for the House and Senate. As Bill Weld, a former U.S. Attorney, Republican Governor and current Libertarian Party Vice President said, Comey's letter was "disgraceful." Joe Conason and Gene Lyons have extensively covered the Clinton scandal machine. Lyons wrote this month, Advertisement One heavy-breathing, poorly written 'scandal' narrative after another, cobbled together in right-wing opposition research shops and spoon-fed to the news media's deepest thinkers have basically come to nothing. And it galls the hell out of them. After $8 million tax dollars have been wasted over the Benghazi investigations, Republican Congressmen Jason Chaffetz promises years more of investigations for a President Hillary Clinton. Is this how we want to run our country? Especially since one phrase turns up over and over again when the examinations are exhausted: "There is no proof of wrongdoing." They never find anything wrong, they just keep the country from moving forward. Individuals in the Bush White House deleted 22 million emails. Where was the FBI then? As the White House began firing the independent U.S. Attorneys, Karl Rove was deleting his emails and later held in contempt of Congress. I don't remember any nonstop press coverage at that point. After Trump's bragging about sexual assault on an Access Hollywood video, 12 women came forward to accuse him of just that. As Keith Olbermann points out, Trump claims these women are after his money and yet none are suing him. Ironically, he's threatened to sue them all. Most horrifyingly and yet little reported in the news is a lawsuit filed by a woman charging that Trump raped her when she was just 13 years old. In June, Lisa Bloom, of NBC News, rightly noted that this case, though it won't go to trial until after the election, should not be ignored. You can read that article, which originally ran on this site, here. We can't know if these latest charges are true, but the audio of Trump boasting of his sexual assaults came from the horse's mouth. Advertisement Trump calls women liars who come forward recounting his assaults, threatens democracy by claiming the election is rigged, says he will keep us in suspense over whether he will accept the election results -- unless he wins, and encourages his supporters to intimidate voters at the polls. Meanwhile, other Republicans are desperately diverting attention away from Trump's hideous behavior, his failure to release his taxes, and the Russian's hacking of emails to throw the election to Trump. That is why it is so important that we not let false claims distract us from the real issues. It is critical we not forget the real scandals of Donald Trump. It is crucial we not just vote for Hillary Clinton, casting aside the rightwing attempts to burn her campaign down, but also vote down ballot for Democratic representatives and senators so that she can get things done! The secret to beating Donald Trump A week before the close of an exhausting election, the media is still navigating the follies of like Donald Trump. Despite setbacks that might end a race to the White House, both nominees continue to claw their way forward. As a rare San Francisco Republican, maybe I'm able to see what's invisible to most progressives and conservatives: Donald may be wavering, but his Achilles Heel has not yet been touched. Trump appeals to many voters because, at a time when they feel vulnerable and insecure, he plays the traditional role of the strong, male candidate who will do whatever it takes to overcome his enemy. His appeal isn't rational. It's visceral, almost primal. Insecure voters scanning the field for a potential savior can't help but be drawn to him. Then they rationalize why. He's authentic. He's a winner. He speaks to a truth looming in their minds: we're in trouble, folks. Our livelihoods are at risk. Advertisement To Republicans like me who can't support our nominee, the case against Trump is obvious. He lacks the calm judgment and even temperament needed for leading a great nation. He appeals to our worst instincts, our fears, bigotries and prejudices. His business record is dotted with failures; celebrity is his only sustained success. Sixteen veteran Republican hopefuls made that case. He beat them all. It wasn't their bad luck --it was bad strategy. To defeat Donald Trump and prevent a more skillful authoritarian from rising in his place in 2020, we need to hit Donald where it hurts. To millions of nervous middle and working class voters, Trump may be a bully, a blowhard, and an abuser, but he is also just what we need right now: a man who will stop at nothing to get what we want. Advertisement Trump is no alpha dog, of course. He just plays one on TV. He is a weak, insecure 70-year-old adolescent who relies on the fawning of others, particularly women, to validate him as worthy when he fears he is not. But many who feel insecure are readily taken in by his play acting. By focusing on his abuses, we reinforce the alpha male illusion. We make him look strong and powerful. The key to defeating Donald is to emasculate him, and reveal those barely-concealed insecurities. Here's how: Trigger those impulses he can't control. Parody him. Point to his insecurities at every turn. Make him the butt of every political joke. Give Americans a hint of how little this man is, and how foolish we would look in one year if this guy were our leader. It wouldn't take much. He'd take the bait and destroy himself. A Trump Presidency is a danger to the Republican Party and the nation for which we stand. It doubles down on our party's biggest gap: our lack of women, young, and minority voters. More important, it puts our nation at risk. Even a narrow Trump defeat could invite a successor with an even grander authoritarian streak--one who could attract the fearful on both the right and left. Dancers reenact wars between cannibal tribes. In the summer of 1867 Methodist missionary Thomas Baker made the history books when he became the last foreigner to be eaten by Fijian cannibals. Baker should have known better - he'd been saving souls on the islands for eight years - but for some reason during a visit to the remote village of Nubutautau he reached out to the chief's head to fiddle with his hair comb. His next (and last) visit was to the tribal stewpot. Back then, touching the head of a chief - especially a cannibal chief - was a strictly enforced taboo in Fijian culture. Fiji's sunsets are straight off the travel posters. Foreign explorers had been avoiding Fiji's 330 islands for hundreds of years. English Captain James Cook, for instance, sailed by there in the 1770s, but he didn't go ashore on what was then called "the Cannibal Islands." Captain Bligh's longboat crew kept rowing past the islands after they were booted off the HMS Bounty in 1789. Bligh noted in his logbook: "I dare not land (on Fiji) for fear of the natives." Advertisement Horrific tales of cannibalism helped keep the islands off the bucket lists of all but a handful of the era's gunrunners, whalers, sandalwood traders and escaped convicts from Australia. Likewise, missionaries zeroed in on saving souls elsewhere in the South Seas, such as on New Zealand, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) and Tonga. Fierce Fijian warriors once paddled this canoe around the islands. In the 1830s, stories about the stewpots of Fiji finally brought a tsunami of pastors to the islands from the London Missionary Society. Progress was slow at first, and a good number of soul-savers themselves ended up saved -- for Fijian feasts. The missionaries' big break came in the 1850s when they were able to convert a super-chief named Ratu Seru Cakobau, and over the next few years (but a bit too late for Baker) most of Fiji. As villagers switched to Christianity, they renounced cannibalism. Pieces of the soles of Thomas Baker's boots are displayed at the Fiji Museum. Fast forward to today, and you can see what's left of Baker in a museum in Suva, Fiji's capital. Mosey around the Fiji Museum's old-time dugout canoes, rusting rifles, battle clubs, artworks, masks, musical instruments, history charts and the like, and you'll come across an odd-looking glass case spotlighting what looks like chewed up pieces of bark. Actually, they're nine boiled pieces of the soles of Baker's boots (with teeth marks, no less). Advertisement Maybe it was a longstanding touch of guilt, or perhaps because the villagers of Nubutautau had run into hard times, but in 2003 they invited 11 of Thomas Baker's descendants to a traditional Fijian matanigausau ceremony to tell them they were sorry for what happened 136 years earlier. Nick Squires, a reporter who attended the event for the English news service The Telegraph, wrote: "Tearful Fijian warriors in grass skirts and armed with clubs yesterday begged forgiveness from the descendants of an English missionary their ancestors killed and ate more than a century ago. "In an elaborate ceremony villagers presented woven mats, a dozen highly-prized whale's teeth and a slaughtered cow to 10 Australian relatives of the Rev Thomas Baker, who was murdered, cooked and consumed while trying to spread Christianity in Fiji's rugged highlands in July 1867." The islands' few settlers came armed to the teeth. Fijians reportedly trekked from distant villages on foot and horseback to witness the forgiveness ceremony. Also there among 600 onlookers was Fiji's prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, who flew in by helicopter. According to Squires, "Bare-chested men clapped and sang beneath the fierce tropical sun..." In his story, Squires noted: "Wiping away tears, the chief of the village, Ratu Filimone Nawawabalavu, offered gifts and kissed the cheek of Les Lester, 56, Mr Baker's great-great-grandson." Said the chief: "We believe we must have been cursed, and we must apologize for (eating Baker)... when we have made the apology we will be clean again." Advertisement As a roll of thunder sounded across distant ranges, Lester is said to have added: "Perhaps the coming rain is a sign of a new beginning.'" To seal the apology, the villagers erected a monument in Baker's honor in the center of Nubutautau. Some vacationers stay in luxury huts at upscale resorts. Staying there: Fiji's 100 or so inhabited islands host close to 780,000 annual visitors, most of whom stay in 100-plus tourist-class resorts and inns. A hefty number of the properties feature opulent thatched-roof bure huts popping out of the jungle on Viti Levu and on boutique resorts peppering the out islands. Whoever wins the presidency on November 8, Congress should shut down the government, except for essential military or law enforcement personnel, on the first day after the 2017 inaugural unless and until the new President restores the Republic by doing the following: 1. Immediately end multi-trillion dollar presidential wars that have not been declared by Congress as required by Article I, section 8, clause 11 of the Constitution. That means, among other things, ceasing the offensive use of the military to fight wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). All United States military personnel should be withdrawn from these war zones for redeployment back home to protect Americans against foreign aggression as the Constitution envisions. To demonstrate that fighting wars only in self-defense does not subtract from our respect for the military, all rank-and-file soldiers should be given pay raises concurrently with the ending of all presidential wars. Advertisement James Madison, father of the Constitution, explained: "The constitution supposes, what the History of all Governments demonstrates, that the Executive is the branch of power most interested in war, and most prone to it. It has accordingly with studied care vested the question of war in the Legislature." Congress has declared war but five times in 227 years, and only in self-defense when the United States had been attacked or believed it had. 2. Immediately renounce the claimed and exercised limitless presidential power to play prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to kill American citizens suspected of endangering the national security based on secret, unsubstantiated evidence shielded from external review. We fought the Revolutionary War to overthrow a lesser tyranny practiced by King George III. 3.Immediately revoke Executive Order 12333, which authorizes the warrantless surveillance of Americans for foreign intelligence purposes. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, 50 U.S.C. 1809, makes criminal electronic surveillance under color of law except as authorized by statute. An executive order is not a statute. The privacy of citizens is too important to be left to the President alone. 4.Immediately submit the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which seeks to restrain Iran's nuclear ambitions, to the Senate as a treaty requiring a two-thirds majority for ratification. At present, the JCPOA is an unconstitutional executive agreement. The sole reason it was not submitted as a treaty, according to Secretary of State John Kerry's testimony before the House Foreign Relations Committee, was "[b]ecause you can't pass a treaty anymore." Alexander Hamilton explained in Federalist 75 that the President cannot be trusted with international commitments: "An ambitious man might make his own aggrandizement, by the aid of a foreign power, the price of his treachery to his constituents. The history of human conduct does not warrant that exalted opinion of human virtue which would make it wise in a nation to commit interests of so delicate and momentous a kind, as those which concern its intercourse with the rest of the world, to the sole disposal of a magistrate created and circumstanced as would be a President of the United States." Advertisement 5.Immediately renounce the giving of diplomatic, economic, military, or other assistance to foreign countries in exchange for their funding international endeavors that Congress has not approved. Such cynical maneuvers evade the congressional power of the purse--an invincible instrument for preventing or remedying executive abuses. James Madison amplified in Federalist 58: "This power over the purse may, in fact, be regarded as the most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution can arm the immediate representatives of the people, for obtaining a redress of every grievance, and for carrying into effect every just and salutary measure." "Employers have to remain involved in making their needs heard, and education institutions have to accept that we educate for Life and Work, not only Life."-- Charles Fadel Employers want to hire people with 21st-century skills and they can't find enough qualified candidates. The problem, says Charles Fadel, Founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, is that our education system "is biased for college entrance requirements via tests such as the SAT which are partially obsolete, and never reflected particularly well the needs of employability." So given the dramatic transformations we are seeing in the workplace, what are the most effective ways to close the increasingly widening education-to-employment gap? Today in Part 4 of The Global Search for Education 5-part series with Charles Fadel, our focus is on skills. The OECD's Andreas Schleicher calls Fadel's book, Four-Dimensional Education: The Competencies Learners Need to Succeed, a "first of its kind organizing framework of competencies needed for this century which defines the spaces in which educators, curriculum planners, policy makers and learners can establish WHAT should be learned." Advertisement Charles, how do you respond to employers' concerns that students don't have the skills needed to be productive in their companies? For the past two decades, employers have stated that they are looking for employees able to display the "4 C's": to think Critically - solve problems and draw sound decisions - as well as working Creatively, and able to Communicate and Collaborate on a systematic basis. This is the framework we developed at the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21). We have seen surveys done by, among others, the Conference Board and P21, and BIAC at OECD, highlighting that the "4 C's described above matter more than ever for employability the world over. This is not a new need, but it has been growing in importance as competition and time-to-market pressures intensify. It is of course fair to say that employers expect from schools and higher education systems that students be ready for the world of work as well as world of life. They go hand-in-hand and there's nothing wrong in educating for both employability and life. This is a false dichotomy as we need to educate for all levels of the Maslow pyramid: we all need to take care of physiological needs, but also safety, love/belonging, and self-actualization. Advertisement "There is the assumption that teaching a discipline will necessarily foster higher-order thinking skills. It is mostly unfounded, as fast and broad coverage of materials typically supercedes the deeper learning that needs to occur." -- Charles Fadel What would you say to a recent graduate who worked hard at a very expensive institution and who has not been able to find full-time work with good benefits? First, I'd say, "you have all my sympathy, I am sorry the system did not offer you better guidance, particularly given the price you paid. Brands matter, of course, but so do real skills, and the present system is focused on passing college, not really on employability." Then I'd say, "if you are still in college, make sure that you do many internships and projects with industry. And regardless of whether before or after graduation, realistically and honestly document how you have developed those real skills via each course, so you can discuss that during your interviews." Let's talk about skills. What are the essential skills being left out of curriculum or that are not getting enough emphasis in curriculum? Advertisement First, let's be clear in indicating that this is about skills not character qualities - these have been covered elsewhere before. The skills we are talking about are: creativity, critical thinking communication, and collaboration. They are essential for both the world of work and success in life. Now of course, present-day education achieves a certain amount of that, with varying degrees of success. Firstly, there is the assumption that teaching a discipline will necessarily foster higher-order thinking skills. It is mostly unfounded, as fast and broad coverage of materials typically supercedes the deeper learning that needs to occur. Secondly, pedagogy needs to change - for instance, it is hard to imagine how a passive listener would learn how to communicate and collaborate. How do you see the importance of these skills in addressing the key trends and issues we are seeing globally, such as climate change and migration? The global challenges we are facing require not just modern areas of knowledge, but how to use that knowledge effectively, which is what the 4C's are about: how will we design water desalination systems? How will we foster entrepreneurship? Just about any contemporary question requires innovative and critical thinking. And it is also clear that communicating across cultures convincingly, and collaborating ethically and dynamically, are must-haves in an otherwise siloed world. Advertisement "How will we foster entrepreneurship? Just about any contemporary question requires innovative and critical thinking." -- Charles Fadel What are the primary drawbacks in the way current curriculum is organized in terms of developing the needed skills? Are these fundamental issues or constraints that are not overly challenging to modify? Present-day curriculum in schools and higher education assumes that these skills will be naturally developed as the students acquired knowledge. But nothing can be further from the truth: knowledge can remain completely inert. Skills are how knowledge is used but one can learn in a rote way and never deepen skills. A long-standing debate in education hinges on the false assumption that teaching skills will detract from teaching knowledge; this is a false dichotomy as studies have shown that when knowledge is learned passively without skills, it is often learned at the superficial level and therefore does not readily transfer to new environments. Deep understanding and actionability for the real world will occur only by embedding skills within the knowledge domain such that each enhances the other. What steps need to be taken to better integrate the development of the essential skills into curriculum? Advertisement There are three steps that need to be taken to better integrate skills into the curriculum: First of all, re-examining the curriculum for obsolete areas so as to free up time and space for deeper learning to occur, hence skill development. For instance, if we are serious about using Mathematics to help develop creativity, this must allow for exploration and inquiry about various possibilities. Thus the need for time, which implies carefully curating topics of less importance. Second, the identification of which part of the curriculum is more suited for teaching which skill: every single discipline can cover every single skill deeply, but some are well-suited for specific skills, by their very nature: caricaturally perhaps, maths for critical thinking, language for communication, arts for creativity, etc. And third, the training of teachers to know how to activate those mechanisms, in concert with other specialists helping out on a topic-by-topic basis, from inside as well as outside the school (including professionals from industry). There is no reason for the educators to be so isolated. "Each subject area or discipline has the latitude to teach these four skills; it is a question of pedagogy and how time is used in the classroom, to pay attention to not merely learning of knowledge but also how to apply that knowledge." -- Charles Fadel Are there any subject areas that should receive greater emphasis to support the essential skill development process, e.g. the arts, computer programming, etc? Each subject area or discipline has the latitude to teach these four skills; it is a question of pedagogy and how time is used in the classroom, to pay attention to not merely learning of knowledge but also how to apply that knowledge. For instance, one can use maths, if done right, to teach not only critical thinking, but also creativity, communication, and collaboration. Advertisement How can employers and educators work together on skills? Employers have to remain involved in making their needs heard, and education institutions have to accept that we educate for life and work, not only life - this is a false dichotomy. Life is difficult for most people without work, which brings not only income, but also self-esteem and satisfaction in making contributions. Thank you Charles. In Part 5 of The Global Search for Education series with Charles Fadel, we will focus on WHAT Meta Learning? For More Information about Four-Dimensional Education . For More Information about the Center for Curriculum Redesign. (All Photos are Courtesy of CMRubinWorld and the Center for Curriculum Redesign) C. M. Rubin and Charles Fadel Join me and globally renowned thought leaders including Sir Michael Barber (UK), Dr. Michael Block (U.S.), Dr. Leon Botstein (U.S.), Professor Clay Christensen (U.S.), Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond (U.S.), Dr. MadhavChavan (India), Professor Michael Fullan (Canada), Professor Howard Gardner (U.S.), Professor Andy Hargreaves (U.S.), Professor Yvonne Hellman (The Netherlands), Professor Kristin Helstad (Norway), Jean Hendrickson (U.S.), Professor Rose Hipkins (New Zealand), Professor Cornelia Hoogland (Canada), Honourable Jeff Johnson (Canada), Mme. Chantal Kaufmann (Belgium), Dr. EijaKauppinen (Finland), State Secretary TapioKosunen (Finland), Professor Dominique Lafontaine (Belgium), Professor Hugh Lauder (UK), Lord Ken Macdonald (UK), Professor Geoff Masters (Australia), Professor Barry McGaw (Australia), Shiv Nadar (India), Professor R. Natarajan (India), Dr. Pak Tee Ng (Singapore), Dr. Denise Pope (US), Sridhar Rajagopalan (India), Dr. Diane Ravitch (U.S.), Richard Wilson Riley (U.S.), Sir Ken Robinson (UK), Professor Pasi Sahlberg (Finland), Professor Manabu Sato (Japan), Andreas Schleicher (PISA, OECD), Dr. Anthony Seldon (UK), Dr. David Shaffer (U.S.), Dr. Kirsten Sivesind (Norway), Chancellor Stephen Spahn (U.S.), Yves Theze (LyceeFrancais U.S.), Professor Charles Ungerleider (Canada), Professor Tony Wagner (U.S.), Sir David Watson (UK), Professor Dylan Wiliam (UK), Dr. Mark Wormald (UK), Professor Theo Wubbels (The Netherlands), Professor Michael Young (UK), and Professor Minxuan Zhang (China) as they explore the big picture education questions that all nations face today. The Global Search for Education Community Page A version of this article originally appeared on Forbes. Sign up for my newsletter to get my articles straight to your inbox. Millennials are the most studied generation of all time. But somehow we also stand to be the most misunderstood. Some confusion stems from lazy data interpretation. Other confusion persists out of prejudice, despite contradicting evidence. Here are six prevailing millennial myths I'd like to correct: Advertisement 1. We can't live without our parents. We're lazy, we're entitled and--the most offensive allegation of all--we're still children. After all, 36% of us live with our parents, according to Pew Research Center. It's true that millennials are living at home longer than other generations have previously. But it's not because we won't grow up. It's because we're going to college. Only 25% of 25-29 year olds live with their parents, while just 13% of 30-34 year olds live with their parents. By contrast, 56% of 18-25 year olds still live at home. Why? Because the Census calls college dormitories living at home. College students are consequently much more likely to "live at home" than those at the same age not in college--66% versus 50%. College enrollment rates are currently the highest they've ever been. As they continue to rise, so will the percentage of millennials "living with their parents". Fortunately, as more young people go to college, fewer will actually be living with their parents. College graduates are the least likely of any millennials to live with their parents. Advertisement 2. We're unemployed. Unemployment rates are similarly skewed. The millennial unemployment rate is 12.8%, more than twice the national average. But this number includes 18-24 year olds--39% of which are in college. If you remove this age group, millennial unemployment is on par with other generations. The Bureau of Labor statistics reports that the unemployment rate for 25-35 year olds is 5.2%. The nation's average is 4.9%. Thus, though fewer 18-24 year olds are employed than ever before, this is probably because more of us are in school full-time. 3. We're lazy. In a viral response to a Yelp employee's letter to her CEO, writer Stefanie Williams summed a common attitude about our generation: "You sit on your ass looking for cushy jobs you are not entitled to while you complain about the establishment, probably from a nice laptop." The problem, claims Williams, is "You expected to get what you thought you deserved rather than expected to work for what you had to earn." Some millennials, like members of any generation, are lazy. But research shows that most of us aren't. For instance, a survey by Ernst & Young's Global Generation Research found that 47% of millennials in management positions have begun working more hours in the last five years, compared with only 38% of Generation X and 28% of Baby Boomers. According to research by Bentley University, more than half of millennials are willing to work long hours and weekends to achieve career success. Another survey found that one third of millennials reported working every day of their vacations. 4. We're having rampant sex and won't marry. Contrary to popular credo, millennials aren't having more sex than other generations. The Journal of Sex Research reports that only 31.9% of college students from 1988-1996 reported having more than one sexual partner in the past year--compared to a nearly-identical 31.6% of today's students between 2002-2010. Another study found that millennials have fewer sexual partners than any other generation since our grandparents, who at the same age averaged just two partners each. Advertisement And, while it's true that millennials are getting married later than previous generations, we still value marriage. According to Pew's data, 61% of millennials who have never married would like to someday--a number that hasn't changed since the 1970s. The Internet may have made entrepreneurship more visible and trendy, but new research shows it's not more common. In fact, a recent analysis of Federal Reserve data suggests that entrepreneurship among young people is at a 25-year low. Contrary to the image of millennials as fearless, authority-bashing startup founders, many millennials reveal they're nervous or feel unequipped to start their own business. A survey by Wakefield Research for MOO revealed that nearly two out of three millennials are "anxious to follow their entrepreneurial instinct and start their own business." What may more accurately characterize my generation is our side hustle. Among millennials residing in NYC, Boston and LA, an average of 88% are more interested in starting a side hustle now than they were just two years ago, according to Wakefield's research. And, while only 3.6% of all businesses were owned by someone under age 30 in 2013, one large survey found that 38% of millennials freelance. 6. We all want to work from home. I prefer working from home. It turns out the majority of my generation doesn't. A recent study conducted by Randstad and Future Workplace found that 42% of millennials surveyed preferred working in a corporate office, while 21% and 20% preferred working in a co-working space or home office, respectively. Advertisement Where we actually work most of the time seems to matter less than the option to work anywhere. Lack of workplace flexibility is one of the primary reasons millennials quit their jobs, and a Millennial Branding report found 45% of millennials will choose workplace flexibility over pay. By Thomas Kennedy This summer, I became an American citizen. After living in this country as an undocumented immigrant for a decade, this moment represented the end of an arduous but significant chapter that has lasted for much of my life. My parents came to this country in 2001 during an economic crisis in Argentina and decided to overstay their tourist visas. I was 10 years old. Their decision to aim for a better life for all of us meant we didn't get to do many of the things my friends did growing up, such as travel or leave the country. I didn't really understand the implications of it all until I was in high school. My friends took drivers education classes to get their driving permits. I took art classes instead. I knew that I would not be eligible for a license because of my status. But in typical teenaged fashion, I brushed it off thinking that my family would resolve our legal status before graduation. I had high hopes for my future and wanted to go to a university like most of my friends. Advertisement Graduation day came and nothing changed. My friends went off to college and I found myself stagnating. No college accepted me because I did not have the proper paperwork. I finally applied and was accepted in to Miami Dade College but the expensive out of state tuition (this was years before in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants was passed in Florida) only allowed me to take one or two classes per semester. I couldn't work since I had no work permit. I couldn't drive since I had no license. And school was going painfully slow. I was 18 years old and worried that I would never be able to achieve the goals I'd set for myself. I grew angry and frustrated. I fought with my parents about why we had come here when there was no end in sight to our situation. We followed the back and forth for immigration reform at the federal level, hoping that Congress would pass some kind of immigration reform that could help us. But Congress seemed unable and unwilling to provide a solution, which meant like millions of others I had to wait. By the time I was in my early 20s, I married my spouse in 2011 and was able to gain residency. It was a life changer. I obtained a work permit and a Social Security card and with that, I was able to get a job and a driver's license, apply for in-state tuition and financial aid, and move my life forward. Advertisement Even though my status has changed, my parents remain undocumented. And this weighs on me. For undocumented people, small interactions that for many Americans would be inconveniences, such as a traffic stop or any contact with a government official, could lead to deportations that would rip families apart. Every aspect of your life, including your health, is affected when you are undocumented. My dad was diagnosed in 2014 with a form of degenerative arthritis that almost left him unable to walk, but his status prevented him from getting the treatment he needed. He was finally treated after almost two years of chronic pain and paid for his treatment through fundraising our family and friends did in our community. That's why I feel such relief today. I will soon be able to let go of the fear, frustration and anxiety of living in the shadows for so long, and my parents will be able to one day also. As a citizen, I will be able to petition for my parents' residency and although I'm happy for my family, I reflect on the physical attacks and public disparagement that I've seen immigrants face growing up. The current level of vitriol directed towards the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. by the likes of Donald Trump has made things that much worse for such a group of hard working people. I will always remember how hard my parents worked to overcome adversity and how badly they were treated for it. I feel confidence in the future though, when I think of the countless other immigrant youth who have a story similar to mine. This will be the first time in my life I get to vote. And I -along with so many of my fellow Americans - will remember who our friends were when it counted the most for us and our families. Advertisement We will vote accordingly. Historically the principal forces shaping the world were of the cold economic variety. Trade growth, GDP, global integration were among the principal preoccupations of state houses and board rooms, interspersed with the occasional conflict or political setback. Today, however, much of the post-war edifice is showing deep fissures, where populism is in a bitter contest with pluralism fanned by a combination of heavy urbanization and a deep resentment of status quo. The best place to test this tension is in the ballot box, which is producing some counter-intuitive outcomes. From Brexit, which won in the polls by a narrow margin, to Colombia's rejection of a hard fought peace deal with the FARC, to Donald Trump's surprising persistency as a presidential candidate, voters are increasingly hard to read and the forces shaping the world are just as vexing. Neither are complying with historical patterns. The issues are much more complex than the binary choices the electorate - or at least those granted the right to vote - are being asked to weigh or the media are covering. The embers of populism have been vigorously stoked around the world for nearly 20 years. It is also clear that these populist tendencies are not merely a right-wing phenomenon, as evidenced by the Occupy Wall Street movement and the rise to prominence of Bernie Sanders and his strident supporters, many of whom are calling for radical reform of the social compact. Indeed, it is telling that the oldest candidate in the U.S. presidential election enjoyed the support of the youngest voters, or those who perceive they have the most to lose in the long term. With the U.S. general election being the direst struggle between these forces, the choice could not be a starker contest between populism and pluralism embodied respectively by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. However imperfect the candidates may be in the eyes of their detractors, the vitriol is being fed by a deeper wellspring of complex societal change. Advertisement In 1950, there were 2 megacities on the planet, each home to at least 10 million inhabitants. New York and Tokyo had this dubious distinction, which is now shared by more than 35 cities all over the world. This trend has not only shifted the balance of global trade and economic output eastward, making it the emerging markets' century, it has shifted the balance of nation-state character making many countries a patchwork of cities, rather than a patchwork of states or counties. This shift has not only changed the course of humanity, giving rise to urban man (homo urbanus), it has also changed the political landscape. Where Europe's post-war solidarity is fraying under the weight of a migration crisis combined with financial resentment and a return to nationalism, the historically red and blue U.S. electoral map is increasingly the color purple, in no small measure because of the force of cosmopolitan cities dotting the country. Indeed, the tone deafness in the City of London to the will and whim of the rest of country is one of the reasons there were few post-Brexit contingency plans among elite political and business urbanites. Cities are imperfect places in the cross-hairs of a turbulent world. What unites them are the common hopes and aspirations of city dwellers, who in large part have forsaken rural life in the search for economic and social progress. This inexorable attraction to the city has tilted the balance away from rural life and for the first time in human history more of us live in an urban environment. These environments are inherently plural. The urban dweller cannot escape people who are fundamentally different from them across colors, economic and political strata, including religious and personal inclinations. Where some countries are threatened by a thin piece of cloth, others like Canada, are drawing strength from diversity. The urban environment is an incredibly moderating force over the long term, yet it can also be a cauldron of lost hopes and aspirations, which can quickly turn on the elite class who lose touch with the people. Just ask Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's erstwhile ruler deposed during the Arab Spring and the now iconic Tahrir Square protests, or, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, his counterpart in Tunis, where the original spark that set off this revolution was ignited when Muhamed Bouazizi, an urban street vendor, set himself alight. In a city, the reigning zero-sum approach where I win at your expense has a long memory and suppressed people have a tendency to rise up, whether it is on the streets of Tunis, Paris, Ferguson or Baltimore - preferably, in the peaceful exercise of democratic rights. Advertisement From the Oval Office to the most powerful American boardrooms, Iranian-American women are among the most hardworking of this country's changemakers. On November 13th, The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF) will feature many of these women, currently serving at the White House, the State Department, in global investment firms, and The National Gallery of Art, as part of a day-long leadership summit in Washington D.C. Photo: Sahar Nowrouzzadeh at the White House (far left) As part of our panel on the changing media landscape, journalists from NPR, Vox, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle and myself from SecondMuse will examine emerging technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and 360 capture while emphasizing the critical role that traditional media continues to play in covering global stories. Photo: Ardalan interviewing subsistence farmers in the rural village of Tiriloca, Timor-Leste as part of a 360 documentary on food innovators. Advertisement The theme for the summit is "Building Bridges" and will include these trailblazing women: Ferial Govashiri: Govashiri currently serves as Personal Aide to the President of the United States. Ms. Govashiri began her political career in the Scheduling and Advance department in then Senator Barack Obama's Chicago presidential campaign headquarters in 2007. Following the election, she was appointed to the National Security Council (NSC) as Senior Advisor to Ben Rhodes, the Deputy National Security Advisor. Sahar Nowrouzzadeh: Nowrouzzadeh recently joined the Secretary of State's Policy Planning Staff after serving as a Director For Iran and Iran Nuclear Implementation on the National Security Council (NSC) Staff at the White House from 2014 to 2016. Prior to joining the NSC, she served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State and prior to that as a Team Chief and Senior Analyst at the U.S. Department of Defense. Afsaneh Beschloss: Beschloss rose up the ranks to be Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer of the World Bank, where she was responsible for the investment of the World Bank's assets, as well as external assets from the IMF, central banks and sovereign funds. Today, Beschloss is the Founder and CEO of Rock Creek, a global investment and advisory firm. Gazelle Hashemian: Hashemian is the Founder of BlueFlower, a wellness company, and BlueJuniper, a technology Firm. Prior to her current endeavors, she led her technology firm which she had founded with her husband, Paragon Technology Group. Under Ms. Hashemian's leadership and through the execution of the company's growth, Paragon grew organically from 5 employees in 2001 to over 240 employees in 2011 serving the public and private sector's management consulting and technology services. With more than 3,000 members nationwide, IAWF showcases the diversity of America, celebrates the confluence of American fabric and Iranian heritage, and propels women forward into new, dynamic professional leadership arenas. IAWF Founder Mariam Khosravani, has brought together a critical mass of engaged professional women to talk about their lives, their desires, their professions, their failures, and their visions for the future. Photo: IAWF Orange County Host Committee (Mariam Khosravani holding the W) at a leadership conference in OC on October 30, 2016 Khosravani was one of millions who left Iran after the 1979 revolution. "We had a lot of difficulties, a lot of challenges moving to a new country, learning a new language, adopting a new culture. Proving ourselves," Khosravani told the Orange Country Register. "And all of this was happening right after the revolution in Iran, the worst time, the worst relationship existed between the U.S. government and Iran." This piece was originally published in the book "What It's Worth" created by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the Corporation for Enterprise Development. Depressed living standards for Negroes are not simply the consequences of neglect. Nor can they be explained by the myth of the Negro's innate incapacities, or by the more sophisticated rationalization of his acquired infirmities. They are a structural part of the economic system in the United States. -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968 By the middle of the twenty-first century, the United States will be a "majority minority" nation.2 If we hope to ensure a strong middle class, historically the backbone of the national economy, then the financial health of households of color will become even more urgent than it is today.3 Closing the persistent "wealth divide" between white households and households of color, already a matter of social justice, must become a priority for broader economic policy. The size of that wealth divide is sobering: the median African American household's net worth is only $7,113, according to the Census Bureau, while the comparable figure for white households is $111,740.4 As we consider what it is going to take to close the wealth divide, it is useful first to understand and acknowledge the level of resources it took to create it in the first place. Advertisement The scale of investment that was required to build the white middle class is underappreciated. According to Ira Katznelson's When Affirmative Action Was White: "By 1950, the federal government had spent more on schooling for veterans than on expenditures for the Marshall Plan, which had successfully rebuilt Europe's devastated economic life."5 Along with funding higher education on that massive scale, the GI bill also financed 40 percent of the mortgages in 1946 and 1947.6 Yet as Katznelson puts it: "Despite the assistance that black soldiers received, there was no greater instrument for widening an already huge racial gap in postwar America than the GI Bill."7 It's easy enough to see why. When the GI bill passed, segregation and white supremacy were the law of the land in many states and the de facto reality throughout the nation. So injecting massive resources into that particular status quo had the effect of intensifying a racial economic inequality that endures even today. The Reality of Racial Inequality and African Americans The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s ended the legally sanctioned segregation of the South and challenged de facto segregation across the country. But as in the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, the economic aid and investment necessary for African American communities to develop wealth was denied, leaving racial inequality to endure. Today, as we look back on the legacy of the first African American president, one would hope that much of the racial inequality between African Americans and white Americans had in fact been overcome. Indeed, this is what most people in the country believed soon after the election of President Obama. According to a 2010 ABC News/Washington Post poll, a little more than 70 percent of white Americans think that African Americans have achieved or will soon achieve racial equality. According to this same poll, African Americans are much more tempered in their optimism, but optimistic nonetheless. Although only 11 percent of African Americans believe racial equality has been achieved, almost 40 percent believe it will be soon.8 Advertisement Since the Black-led Freedom movement of the 1950s and 1960s, there has in fact been some progress for African Americans. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2013, 83.4 percent of African Americans received a high school diploma or its equivalent, up from 25.6 percent in 1964.9 In 1968, the college graduation rate for African Americans was 38 percent that of the white rate.10 Today it is more than 60 percent that of whites.11 There has also been progress for the poorest African Americans. Poverty among African Americans has declined from nearly 42 percent in 1966 to about 27 percent in 2012.12 Despite gains in educational attainment and declines in the share of African Americans living in poverty, African Americans have gained almost no ground in income disparities. Whether by household or per capita, African Americans do not earn even 60 percent of what white Americans earn, and this gap has barely moved in more than 40 years.13 And income is only one part of the economic picture. Wealth inequality is another source of great concern for the nation. As noted previously, the median net worth of African American families is less than 10 percent that of white families.14 The Regressive American Economy Since the Reagan era of the 1980s, the nation's wealth has been increasingly concentrating in the hands of the richest Americans. The U.S. Census Bureau finds that from 1979 to 2008, the real income of the poorest one-fifth of Americans decreased by 4 percent. For the middle one-fifth, real family income increased by 14 percent. For the richest 5 percent, real family income growth has increased more than 70 percent. What this trend has meant for African Americans is that nearly one-third (30 percent) of the African American population saw its income decrease and another 25 percent saw only a small (6 percent) increase -- in almost 30 years. Meanwhile, during this same timeframe (1979 to 2008), six in ten whites saw more than a ten percent increase to their incomes, with two-thirds of this group seeing an increase of more than 20 percent.15 As with income, assets in America are increasingly concentrated in the hands of the wealthiest. The richest 10 percent of Americans now owns 70 percent of the wealth.16 The more this wealth concentration intensifies, the less likely the wealth divide between whites and communities of color will ever close. This racial wealth divide extends to communities of color beyond African Americans. In this post-civil rights era, communities of color in the United States increasingly are recent immigrants.17 In effect, more and more people of color are being added to a country that is more and more economically segregated. Immigrants of color who come to this country with fewer professional skills or without an elite education become part of the large share of the population that is being left behind by the wealthiest Americans. National Asset Development Policy It was federal policy and national practice that created the racial wealth divide and it will ultimately be federal policy and national practice that will solve this problem. Just as massive federal investment was necessary to develop the white American middle class economy of the 1950s and 1960s, so too will it be necessary to develop an American economy that finally bridges racial economic inequality. The kind of massive-scale and sustained national policy commitment that is required will depend on strong leadership and broad-based consensus. It should be driven by a comprehensive strategic vision. But existing evidence already suggests several elements that should be included. Equity Assessment. An equity assessment reviews whether federal funds are being invested in communities that are most in need of federal assistance. A proper assessment should determine where funds go, what jobs are created, and in what communities. This information will help ensure that government funds get to working-class Americans, disenfranchised racial minorities, households with children, and communities experiencing severe economic crisis, all of whom must be at the center of the economic recovery. Equity assessments are already being used in different parts of the United States and Britain. It is important to analyze whether government spending is entrenching economic inequality or bridging it. A regular national equity assessment can develop a clear picture of the policies that advance greater equality and opportunity in this country. Direct Federal Job Creation. For decades, much of working-class America has had a hard time finding stable employment with wages and benefits that can keep a family in the middle class, even the lower middle class. Former industrial centers have been dealing with high unemployment for years, and African American unemployment, even when at record lows, remains almost twice that of white Americans.20 A massive federal job program is needed; one that will create jobs for those with the greatest challenges in finding employment and that can lift up marginalized communities. During the most recent recession alone, the federal government spent hundreds of billions of dollars on programs to create temporary work or to stimulate private-sector employment.21 But the cheapest and most effective means to creating stable working-class employment is to directly create government jobs. In Back to Work: A Public Jobs Proposal for Economic Recovery, the think tank Demos notes that for $46.4 billion, one million jobs could be created through a government program. The report also notes that the creation of those one million jobs would trigger a multiplier effect of about 400,000 jobs beyond the government program. Demos then compares the returns on a two-year $100 billion investment in direct job creation versus investment in benefits and tax cuts, and concludes that direct job creation yields the greater return on investment.22 To further increase the return on this federal investment, these jobs should ideally be those that not only hire people from disadvantaged communities but that also are located within and serve those same communities. Finally, bridging the racial inequality in employment must be an explicit goal of any government jobs program, as should a tracking mechanism to document whether disenfranchised minorities are being hired at a sufficient level. Currently, African Americans make up approximately 23 percent of the unemployed and Latinos approximately 20 percent. Therefore, among those who find employment from the government job program, more than 23 percent should be African Americans and more than 20 percent should be Latinos, in order to bridge racial employment inequality.23 No meaningful progress can be made on the larger issue of racial economic inequality until we tackle the foundational issue of racial inequality in employment. The reality is that a public program to close the racial employment gap is necessary because the free market has failed to close it for more than 50 years. Advertisement Asset Development Policy. A common response to proposals for investing in asset development is that there are not enough funds available. Yet hundreds of billions of dollars are already routinely invested in wealth development. CFED's "Upside Down: The $400 Billion Federal Asset-Building Budget" highlights how this investment is concentrating wealth among the already-wealthy instead of the asset-poor. "Upside Down" reports that more than one-half of an estimated $400 billion goes to the richest 5 percent of Americans. Effectively, federal investment in wealth development reinforces racial economic inequality among those who have very little wealth.24 Part of the solution to racial wealth inequality is simply to ensure that more asset-development investment is directed toward asset-poor communities than to the already-wealthy. CFED proposes a host of reforms, including using refundable tax credits rather than tax breaks to support asset development, placing caps on mortgage interest deductibility, and using direct budget outlays for asset development rather than just tinkering with the tax code (since the people who find it advantageous to itemize their deductions tend to be among the wealthier citizens). In short, a first step in bridging wealth inequality is to stop spending so many federal dollars on asset development for the already-wealthy. Back to the Future: The Twenty-First Century Freedom Budget The policy suggestions above are but pieces of what must be a comprehensive plan to rebuild the American middle class -- and make it racially inclusive for the first time. In 1967, Black Freedom organizations joined with their allies in civil rights reform to propose a comprehensive Freedom Budget. Economist Leon Keyserling and March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin created the budget, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote the foreword. The Freedom Budget would have invested $185 billion a year (in contemporary dollars) for 10 years to bridge racial socioeconomic divisions.25 It involved major investments in public works and infrastructure, training programs that would upgrade skills and education, job creation, and affordable public health services, and it called for a higher minimum wage of $2.00 an hour, or $13.79 in today's dollars. Dr. King described two phases of the civil rights struggle: "The first phase has been a struggle to treat the Negro with a degree of decency, not of equality... When Negroes looked for the second phase, the realization of equality, they found that many of their white allies had quietly disappeared."26 The first phase can be described as an attack on southern institutional racism. The second phase was a challenge to the nationwide socioeconomic inequality that helps perpetuate racial inequality to this day. The animating spirit of the Freedom Budget -- its remarkable vision at once bold in its scope and pragmatic about what it would take -- is as relevant today as it was when it was written nearly 50 years ago. It is that second phase of the civil rights struggle, for meaningful equality -- economic equality very much included -- for which the Freedom Budget provides a blueprint. And it is that second phase, that long-deferred work, which we must take up today. The increasing diversity of the United States should be something that the country can celebrate -- and it will only be so when Americans of color finally achieve the means, economic and otherwise, to pursue the dream of equal economic opportunity and prosperity. Rick Seltzer reported recently in Inside Higher Education on a complex decision by Princeton University to settle litigation with neighboring homeowners who argued that the University was a profit-making institution and therefore subject potentially to millions of additional dollars in taxes annually. Arrangement Doesn't Settle Issue of Tax Exemption The arrangement created an uncertain future, neither affirming Princeton's tax-exempt status nor forcing the University to admit that its tax-exempt property should be taxed. Princeton already pays taxes on some commercial properties and voluntarily keeps others on the tax rolls. Further, Princeton also makes voluntary contributions to local municipal government, including areas like police, trash collection, and the maintenance of private roads. Princeton notes that it is the largest taxpayer in the Borough of Princeton, with an $11.1 million property tax bill. The lawyer representing the residents who sued argued, however, that Princeton's payments should be closer to $30-$40 million annually, if the University were fully taxed. Advertisement It's at this point where the residents' argument against Princeton becomes more complicated. They argue that Princeton operates a number of profitable commercial ventures in areas including, but not limited to, real estate rentals, for-profit hedge funds, office and hotel development, and commercial television, among other activities. They asserted: "since at least 2005 Princeton University has distributed approximately $150 million in profits to faculty...and continues to do so." Issue Strikes at Heart of How Research Universities Operate The residents' argument against Princeton takes the battle beyond the tax exemption of campus property and strikes at the very heart of how research universities operate. Let's examine this "point in time" moment that both Princeton and its disaffected neighbors face. Tax Exemption Permits Higher Education to Flourish Tax exemption is a kind of gold standard that has permitted a decentralized American higher education system to flourish. Tax exemption is granted because American colleges and universities perform a public good, creating both educated citizens and a capable and trained work force. Private colleges and universities enjoy tax exemption because it relieves the government of educating more of its citizens through alternative, publicly-supported means. Princeton sits at the top of the pecking order among colleges and universities in part because its endowment makes it possible to offer the type and quality of education that Princeton's students enjoy. But the endowment - and related income earned annually elsewhere - relieves the state government of New Jersey of the cost of creating and sustaining the outstanding education made possible at Princeton and an unparalleled research facility at Princeton and in the surrounding towns. Ask any town official without a Princeton if they would like to have one among them. Most would say "yes." The question of Princeton's continued tax exemption is broader than the immediate needs of the Borough of Princeton, the property values that would not be created in its region without Princeton's presence adding to the tax base there, or even the economic vitality of the state of New Jersey. It is at its heart a question of what American society needs and values. Does Princeton work because law and economics have created something special that defines what will fuel America's intellectual, economic, and global presence? If so, Princeton would be well advised to make its case after a thorough review of what it does, how it explains itself, and how these explanations translate into action. Advertisement It's easy to reject what an appropriate tax bill should be because it is impossible to define the value of academic buildings against which there are no comparable facilities in the for-profit world. What is critical is that Princeton continues to define its relationship carefully and cordially within its region. To do so, Princeton must look closely - as it seems to be willing to do - at what services its stakeholders draw from the Borough to determine a base contribution that should be made. It must determine what properties are central to its educational enterprise - protect them - and be willing potentially to negotiate in a reasonable way on additional tax payments for non-core, non-academic facilities and programs. As it does so, it must also prepare an argument that supports academic research universities on how best to imagine which research activities might be taxable and which should not. Town & Gown Are Both Stewards of Public Trust Like the municipalities in which they reside, both sides must be careful stewards of public money and the public trust, now significantly eroding in the political quagmire and knee jerk social media responses undermining American institutional direction. It's a silly and pointless argument otherwise. Both sides must define a "test of the reasonable" and put in mutually-agreed safeguards to shift the argument toward productive engagement. Details of Princeton Settlement Can Provide Lessons It may be that Princeton bought time to let opinions settle and figure out how best to move forward. But at the end of the day, most of American higher education is not really like Princeton - not even remotely. The arguments made in this case are not replicable elsewhere. The differences in scale, institutional type, purpose, and endowment size between Princeton and most of higher education, whether public or private, is enormous. Advertisement There is a common lesson, however, to take from the Princeton settlement. America's colleges and universities are educational enterprises and economic engines that anchor regional economies. Higher education officials should do everything possible to make the case for why that's possible and why it matters to America. There are going to be millions of Americans who are going to vote for Trump come November 8. They want change. Ok. Good. But change to what? Maybe Trump's promise to make America great AGAIN gives us a clue as to what kind of change he is planning. "AGAIN" sounds to me like he wants to take America to what it has been. Thus, it appeals to those with a conservative band. When was America great? Greater than now? I suggest America was in its Prime in the nineteen fifties of the last century. Right after the second world war. Can we go BACK? The conditions have changed drastically. Can we recreate that world? Life was so much simpler then. Our world is far too complicated in comparison now. Advertisement Ah, maybe "again" does not refer to reversing us to the past but to make America great again because it is no more. Ok. Let us assume that is true. Let us then analyze some of the ingredients of Trump's ideas (I would not call them plans) that will make America great. How will this country look if the changes he recommends get implemented; Let us imagine and let us be sure that it will make America better off, not worse off. Will deporting eleven million illegal inhabitants make America great again? Or will it make America a police state? Imagine what will it take to find and deport eleven millions illegals. Ah, maybe building a wall, even if paid by the Mexicans, will make America great again? Repeal Nafta? Ok do it. Will it provide more employment in the USA? Are our wages competitive? If not, how would our economy do? Advertisement Stop corruption? That sounds like a great idea but how specifically does he intend to fight corruption? Good luck. There is no nation without some corruption and all efforts throughout history to eliminate corruption failed. Didn't Jesus fight corruption too? Did he succeed? There was and there will always be some corruption unless you create a dictatorship of unprecedented proportions. For instance Trump claims the media is corrupt. How will he uncorrupt it? Muzzle it? Censor it? Is that what we want or maybe he has a secret plan he does not want to reveal yet. Are we willing to chose a president without knowing what might be the collateral damage of his enlightened plans? It is so easy to be against something. We know plenty that he will change. But what will he change America into, so far it does not look very promising. Are we willing to take the risk? Ah, maybe mandatory imprisonment of repeated illegals will make America great. We already lead the world with number of imprisoned per capita. Our prisons are over flowing as is, and judges are giving early releases to reduce prison congestion. To fulfill Trump's plan, we will need to build new prisons and have several million more prisoners. Will that make America great? Can Trump implement his plans democratically or is he assuming America is another corporation he is the ceo of and all he needs to do is decide and things happen. If the congress does not vote for his plans does he fire those that do not heed his decisions? America is not a corporation. Can he fire congressmen or senators who do not agree with his "plans"? Or maybe destroying the democratic process of decision-making and implementation, will make America great again? People that will vote for Trump want to change from what is, without fully having a clear picture of what they want to change to, or if they do, I wonder if they have analyzed the collateral results of the changes he recommends they make. All they know is what they do not want how America is run today and they do not want Hillary. Advertisement So this is all a vote against something, not in favor of something. And something is so nebulous, foggy, inarticulate, that I am not sure it will make America great at all. On the contrary. What America needs is first-of-all a new vision. With a new vision maybe we can develop a plan, not just a bunch of knee-jerk reactions to what we do not like; a vision we understand that will make America great. Without such a unifying comprehensive vision we are shooting in the dark and most probably our foot. Let me make it clear. I am not enamored with Clinton either but if I have to choose even between a probable disease of Aids or an assured disease of pneumonia, I choose the latter one... Yesterday, in a development all too characteristic of Obama administration Sudan policy, President Obama declared that sanctions originally imposed on November 3, 1997 will be renewed for another year. Lifting the sanctions would be, within some political constituencies key to Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, highly unpopular. At the same time, however, the Obama administration State Department worked hard to undercut the force of the President's sanctions renewal. Although the full statement has not been posted anywhere on the U.S. State Department website (www.state.gov) as of this writing, key excerpts were reported by both Sudan Tribune and Radio Dabanga (links to their dispatches appear below). And yet a "google search" comes up empty when using the phrases reported by these two important Sudanese news sources in searching for the full State Department press release. Advertisement The statement reads in part, according to the two dispatches: In a press statement from Washington D.C. on Monday, the Department said that on 3 November 2016, "consistent with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), President Barack Obama will continue, for one year, the national emergency with respect to Sudan declared in Executive Order 13067. This is part of an annual process that began on November 3, 1997, when the President declared a national emergency with respect to Sudan." The statement points out that "this is a technical decision and part of a routine, annual process that does not prejudice the ability of the President to provide sanctions relief at any point in the future. "The United States government remains committed to continued high level policy engagement with Sudan and has been quite clear with the Government of Sudan on the steps that need to be taken to secure economic sanctions relief. "We look forward to continued frank and frequent exchanges with our Sudanese counterparts that will hopefully lead us to outcomes both countries seek," the statement concludes. Implications The key phrase here is of course: "...this is a technical decision and part of a routine, annual process that does not prejudice the ability of the President to provide sanctions relief at any point in the future." (italics added) A merely "technical decision"? This suggests no sustained review of Khartoum's domestic actions of this past year or in recent years. I have recently compiled an extensive two-part survey of those actions: To suggest that an assessment of these actions is a mere "technicality" is callous beyond reckoning. In aggregate, these actions amount to continuing genocide in the Darfur region as well as in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. Ethnically-targeted village destruction, aerial bombardment, rape, massive looting and pillaging, and violent land expropriation are the primary means by which Khartoum conducts its counter-insurgency operations in these long marginalized regions. A recent, lengthy, and highly authoritative report from Amnesty International makes clear that genocidal tactics in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur include the use of chemical weapons. Instead of labeling these actions the occasion for a serious re-appraisal of relations between Khartoum and Washington, the State Department declares merely that "this is a technical decision and part of a routine, annual process that does not prejudice the ability of the President to provide sanctions relief at any point in the future." Is this a mere legalism? Or, as would appear much more likely from others statements and actions, is this sending a signal to Khartoum that all is well (enough)? Here we should recall that in a press conference in November 2011--five years ago--a senior State Department official declared that Darfur was being "de-coupled" from the primary bilateral issue between Washington and Khartoum, cooperation in the provision of counter-terrorism intelligence. The word "de-coupled" was precisely that of the senior State Department official (unnamed in the official State Department transcript of the briefing). The value in surveying the material I've provided in the extended compendia indicated above is that they make clear the Khartoum regime remains engaged in massive war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against its own people. Whatever the original reason for imposing sanctions in 1997 during the Clinton administration, or extending them in 2006 under the Bush administration, U.S. sanctions should always be in place against countries guilty of genocide--a crime of which regime president Omar al-Bashir stands accused, on multiple counts, by the International Criminal Court. Others within the regime have either already been or will be charged by the ICC with crimes against humanity and ultimately genocide. Advertisement The decision of the Obama administration--as voiced from two parts of the executive branch--is emblematic of the hypocrisy that has defined Obama's presidency. A president who came to office in part by campaigning on the tragedy of Darfur-- "When you see a genocide in Rwanda, Bosnia or in Darfur, that is a stain on all of us, a stain on our souls .... We can't say 'never again' and then allow it to happen again, and as a president of the United States I don't intend to abandon people or turn a blind eye to slaughter." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEd583-fA8M#t=15) --is leaving office with these words mocking any claim to moral integrity in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Obama should bear in mind the words he himself so unctuously uttered during his first campaign--and remember also his words of just last year about the conditions that foster terrorism: "When people are oppressed and human rights are denied, particularly along sectarian lines or ethnic lines, when dissent is silenced, it feeds violent extremism," Mr. Obama told a gathering of ministers from dozens of countries. "It creates an environment that is ripe for terrorists to exploit. When peaceful democratic change is impossible, it feeds into the terrorist propaganda that violence is the only answer available." (White House transcript, 19 February 2015) And yet in late December 2011, Obama's special envoy for Sudan at the time, Princeton Lyman, declared of an increasingly violent and repressive regime, so well described in these words of February 2015: "We do not want to see the ouster of the [Khartoum] regime, nor regime change. We want to see the regime carrying out reform via constitutional democratic measures." (Asharq Al-Awsat, 3 December 2011 | http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=3&id=27543 What ghastly expediency and disingenuousness. Obama's administration has offered Sudan nothing but hypocrisy and bad faith. His shame will far outlive his presidency. Sudan Tribune: U.S. extends economic sanctions on Sudan http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?iframe&page=imprimable&id_article=60707 Radio Dabanga: Story by Jonny Bywater Photos by Namu Williams Fishing and electronics are two of the most visible industries where modern slavery is affecting product supply chains. That's why forward-thinking associations and corporations are looking for ways to protect their businesses by finding ways to remove the taint of trafficking. For fishing, the effort goes beyond individual companies and focuses on entire countries, according to John Connelly, president of America's leading fishing and seafood trade association, the National Fisheries Institute. "We want to help the government of the country, help them understand the reputational risk [of trafficking]," he said. "Their country is being damned, not just their company." Advertisement For electronics, says HP Director of Global Supply Chain Responsibility Annukka Dickens, it's a matter of being responsive to customer concern. "Consumers are increasingly becoming interested in not only the quality and environmental aspect of their products, but more so the social," she said. Connelly and Dickens were the keynote public speakers at this year's Freedom from Slavery Forum at Stanford University last week. The forum's ongoing mission is to catalyze the anti-slavery and anti-human trafficking field, and increase the collective impact of the movement. This is achieved by inviting key, high-level players to come together to share and discuss best practices, lessons learned and new ideas -- as well as by building relationships with each other. As previous forums have discussed, the scale of modern global supply chains makes tracking with 100 percent accuracy challenging. But the Fisheries Institute and HP are developing innovative attempts to do so. Advertisement "There is now a need for boats to provide pictures of those going out and those returning in order to track crew members," Connelly said. Creating photographic evidence of who is on board a ship can deter human trafficking. The country of production is one of the first two areas HP assesses when dealing with "social challenges" in its supply chain, said Dickens. "The social performance of suppliers is now a multiplier as opposed to a category in the 'equation' of tracking performance," she said. This shift puts greater weight on ethical sourcing. From a societal standpoint, Connelly explained that to accelerate progress, the human rights movement needs to work more closely with environmentalists. Environmental groups typically are much more active as fishing watchdogs, he noted, and so an "increase in the presence of social ones in this space needs to occur," he said. The involvement of nonprofit groups is vital, as they are "often providing services such as reputable hotlines that government agencies cannot." Dickens also noted that training sessions provided to foreign business leaders by HP are important. But "inadequate legal protection is fundamentally the biggest issue these workers have," she said. "The issue of forced labor slavery needs to be realized on a micro-level with all employees." By Jenn Director Knudsen Language can reveal our hidden beliefs and biases, such as the assumption that men are stronger at science than women, or blondes are less intelligent than brunettes, or blacks are more violent than whites. And this insidious form of prejudice can be devastating: When young girls are called bossy, for example--a trend brought to the spotlight by Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg--they're discouraged from becoming leaders. But research indicates that mindfulness may help counter implicit bias--and a recent study published in the journal Mindfulness suggests it can do so for the hidden biases in our language. Researchers call this type of implicit bias "linguistic intergroup bias" (LIB). It means that individuals expect people in their "in-group" to behave positively and expect those in their "out-group" to behave negatively; in turn, they see these behaviors as reflections of character, and those judgments are reflected in their word choice. Advertisement To measure LIB, the researchers asked 84 Emory University students to assign descriptions to cartoons depicting adults in different scenarios. For example, one image showed a person hitting another person. While this could simply be described as one person hitting another, it could also be described as someone being "aggressive." The first description is factual and accurate; the second makes an inference about character. If participants were biased, they would tend to use factual descriptions when the cartoon characters represented someone in their group and judgmental descriptions when it represented an outsider. And that's just what the researchers found, when they instructed participants to imagine the characters as either friends or enemies and then fully immerse themselves in their thoughts and feelings. But could mindfulness alter this dynamic? Another group in the study was asked to mindfully attend to the cartoons, meaning to observe their thoughts as fleeting mental constructions not really part of the cartoon event. For this group, their tendency to provide biased responses lessened. Often, stereotypes--about, say, individuals' appearance, behaviors, academic prowess, or lack thereof--are deeply engrained, the product of years of biased thinking. Mindfulness seems to be a potential antidote to linguistic bias in the short-term and, the researchers hope, also in the longer term with more practice. Advertisement "Regardless of our intentions, the language we use may implicitly or explicitly transmit bias in the form of stereotypes and prejudice," write Lauren Ann McDonough Lebois of Harvard Medical School and colleagues Moses M. Tincher of Emory University and Lawrence W. Barsalou of the University of Glasgow. But "accumulating evidence suggests that mindfulness reduces stereotypical and prejudicial cognition." Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, couldn't catch a break in America, even before the U.S. intelligence community concluded that the Russian government had hacked the Democratic National Committee's e-mails and had given them to Wikileaks for public release. After Putin's annexation of Crimea and meddling in the Ukrainian and Syrian Civil Wars, the U.S. government and media long soured on the macho man. Yes, Putin is an autocrat who snuffed out democracy in Russia and wants to regain some of Russia's status in the world long after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. Yet the U.S. government, the world champion of unneeded military interventions around the globe since World War II and currently running simultaneous wars in at least seven countries, has little room to talk. In fact, one doesn't have to like Dictator Putin to make a reasonable argument that the U.S. expansion of a hostile military alliance--NATO--eastward right to the borders of the defeated and downtrodden Russia after the Cold War ended, led to the rise of the nationalist Putin in the first place and compelled him to salvage what he could of his traditional sphere of influence in Ukraine, Crimea, Moldova, and Georgia. As for Putin's intervention in Syria, he is trying to rescue the even more despotic Bashar al-Assad in Syria, Russia's only ally in the Middle East and a country not strategic to the United States. Advertisement However, generally, Russia is much weaker than its "resurgent" depiction by the American media, which is always willing to find a cartoonishly diabolical villain with which the United States can joust for global supremacy. The Russia has been severely affected by low oil prices--a mainstay of the Russian economy--and Western economic sanctions imposed because of Russian meddling in Ukraine and Crimea. For the first time in Putin's long tenure as the Russian strongman, the country's incomes are declining. Much of Putin's increased bluster overseas might be explained as a distraction from Russia's ills at home. The long economic recession will lead to the substantial reduction of Russia's defense spending by six percent annually for the next three years, at a time when U.S defense spending is beginning to needlessly increase again. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United States already spends more than six times what Russia does on defense and more than what the next seven highest spending countries combined expend on their militaries--including China and Russia. Also, this vast advantage in American military spending has been cumulative ever since the end of the Cold War, leading to a widening advantage of the U.S. military over other militaries, including Russia's. Thus, although Putin has recently exhibited military bluster, it hides military and domestic weakness. For example, with much fanfare, Russia recently sent its single obsolete aircraft carrier (the United States has 10 powerful modern carriers)--the Admiral Kuznetsov--to the Syrian coast to help Assad in his civil war. Yet what was supposed to be an impressive show of force to show that Kremlin is back as a maritime power turned out to be a bit of an embarrassment, because the decrepit carrier, prone to breakdowns, had to be accompanied by an oceangoing tugboat in case of mechanical trouble. The New York Times lampooned the carrier as a "lumbering tub fit for the scrap heap," "something of a lemon from the start," and "known more as a threat to its crew than anything else." In the long term, Russia faces potential economic decline because of a demographic crisis--as its population ages rapidly. And all the grandiose talk about costly new Russian military bases in Egypt, Vietnam, and Cuba is likely to be a ghost ship that will crash on the shoals Russia's money problems and the lukewarm response of host countries. Advertisement However, despite Russia's weakness and the general exaggeration of that country's threat to American security, the U.S. intelligence community believes that to attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election, Putin's Russia was behind the audacious hacking of the Democratic National Committee's e-mails and their subsequent distribution to Wikileaks. While Hillary Clinton had previously drawn Putin's ire for criticizing a Russian election and the United States has a history of meddling in other countries elections (which should stop), any foreign meddling in U.S. elections--critical to America's system of government--needs to be quickly stanched. Fully defending the vast and decentralized American election system from attack is difficult, but such hacking can be deterred in the future by retaliating in kind on Russia's computer systems with superior U.S. cyber attacking capabilities. For example, after the U.S. election is safely over, perhaps Moscow's lights need to be turned off for a couple of days. Let's be honest: buying presents for friends and family can get overwhelming. With only 7 weeks left before the Holidays, we've got you covered. We scoured through over 100 entries and rounded up the best gifts that will stand out this holiday season and can be purchased online. These gifts range from functional, to fun, to life changing. Why we picked these gifts: not to sound sappy, but the Holidays is a great time to give back in a larger way. The gifts with an asterisk ( * ) have a larger social impact, helping you make your mark on another person's life while buying a gift for someone meaningful in yours. Happy Holidays! To make a house a home Framebridge custom framing This is a favorite of Technical.ly cofounder and Editorial Director, Christopher Wink, and we couldn't agree more. Framebridge is the simple way to custom frame everything you love, and the easiest way to be thoughtful this holiday season. Give a personal, handcrafted gift to anyone on your list - whether it's a photo of your wedding for your in-laws, an art print for your sister, or a photostrip for your best friend. With fast ordering, free shipping, dozens of beautiful frame styles and in-house design support, gifting has never been easier. Learn more Advertisement For the career go-getter* The Mentor Method membership ($100) Why we love this gift: This is the career secret weapon we wish we had 8 years ago. Instead of another stationery set, give the girl with big career goals 4 months of expert mentor matching. The Mentor Method membership offers 2 handpicked mentor matches emailed per month. Current mentors work for game changing companies including Hilton Worldwide, Social Tables, and Weddingwire. Most importantly, these change-makers and influencers are excited about mentoring the rising star in your life. Use code TMMSQUAD at checkout for 20% off. Learn more For the friend that loves to mix style and function* Eone timepiece (Starting at $285) Why we love this gift: Eone believes inclusive design not only creates great products, but also promotes access and independence for everyone, including those with different abilities. Eone's first product, The Bradley, is an award-winning timepiece that allows people to both touch and see the time using two steel ball bearings and tactile markers. Bonus: they have timepieces for men and women. Learn more For the woman who likes options* Karma Trik ($50) Why we love this gift: Karma Trik is a fabulous gift for the versatile, adventurous, and socially conscious woman. It's 1 garment that can be worn 15 different ways. Fun fact: Karma Trik garments are made from recycled plastic bottles collected in Haiti. Proceeds from every purchase fund projects to clean up waste and promote jobs. Learn more For the foodie* Harper Macaw Rainforest Origin Chocolate Bars ($9) Why we love this gift: Meticulously crafted in Washington, D.C., these handmade chocolate bars are imbued with a distinctive Brazilian flavor profile and have beautiful packaging. Harper Macaw was founded by a Brazilian chocolate maker and a U.S. Marine Veteran with an ambitious yet tangible objective: To turn chocolate into a force for tropical reforestation. Learn more Advertisement To show you're the cool Aunt/Uncle Childhoodlist's custom handmade crayons ($12) Why we love this gift: Help the kiddos in your life be the coolest ones at the kids' table this holiday season. These crayons come in fun shapes and colors, and are handmade using natural, non-toxic and eco-friendly soy and bees waxes. Fun and safe? Sold. Learn more For the office white elephant party Compass Coffee ($17.95) In October 2008, the republican Presidential Nominee, Senator John McCain, was trailing Senator Barack Obama by a wide and growing margin. The 72-year-old Senator was losing to a younger man beaming with promise, bubbling with energy and all but bound to make history as the first black president. As a mere candidate, Senator Obama was already an icon for hope, progress and a brighter American future. After over a year of political battle spanning miles of road, multitudes of voters and myriad ideas, Senator McCain found himself in front of a fearful crowd in Minnesota facing certain defeat. The crowd was not simply scared of an Obama Presidency, but of Obama himself. Some shouted that Senator McCain's opponent was a terrorist and a liar. When Senator McCain told the crowd that they did not have to be scared of Senator Obama, audience members shouted "[c]ome on, John!" Things came to a head when one supporter explained her distrust of the Democratic Nominee: Supporter: I can't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's not-, he's an Arab. Senator McCain: No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about. At the time, some criticized Senator McCain for suggesting that Senator Obama could not be an Arab, because he was a decent, family man and citizen. This misses the point. In a perfect world, Senator McCain would have said that Senator Obama's ancestry was irrelevant, and that his character and competence were all that mattered. We do not live in a perfect world. This does not negate the fact that Senator McCain dismissed the supporter's hysteria that Senator Obama was evil, traitorous and un-American. Amid the rancor, hatred and irrationality that have marred this Presidential Election and scarred the American soul, such a decent act seems impossible. Recall that Senator McCain was losing a long and difficult race for the greatest office in the land. His campaign had tried almost everything to chip away at Senator Obama's lead to no avail. Senator McCain could have stoked the supporter's fears and fanned the embers of hatred and suspicion in the crowd to his likely advantage. But he didn't. Maybe he was practicing the genteel politics of a by-gone era. Maybe he failed to recognize the opportunity for his campaign. Or maybe he just remembered that he was a United States Senator. Maybe he remembered the oath he took and the mantle he carried. Maybe he remembered that a victory won without honor is no victory at all. We the people need to demand a higher level of political discourse from our candidates for office and elected officials. This starts with demanding a higher level of political discourse from ourselves. If someone disagrees with you, talk to them and find out why. You will probably discover that more things bind you as Americans than divide you as Democrats or Republicans. If we talk about our differences, we might be able to find common ground. If we remain silent, we will assuredly remain apart. On the verge of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln promised that the chorus of Union would swell again once touched by the better angels of our nature. Today, our Nation is angry and scared and divided, but it is still our Nation. More will always bind us as Americans than divide us. When politicians try to divide us, we the people need to demand a higher standard from them. We the people alone can to raise the bar. On both sides of the Atlantic, political and business retaining walls are being torn down in the belief that they are of no structural importance. Messing with the political and business architecture is likely to have grave, and possibly terrible, effects on democracy and prosperity. In the United States, solid political orthodoxy, which has served well for so long, is under attack in the Congress and on the hustings. A more advanced attack is underway in Europe than the United States, but it is a harbinger nonetheless of bad things that can happen here. The commonalities outweigh the differences. Advertisement In Europe, Britain has embarked on one of the great avoidable debacles of history: the decision to leave the European Union. It will destabilize Europe, almost certainly lead to a breakup of the United Kingdom, and leave the British Isles vulnerable and impoverished clinging to the tatters of its "sovereignty." To bring about this state of affairs, the British had to take aim at the very architecture of the English Constitution: the collection of rules and precedents that has flowed since Magna Carta and is enshrined in the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. Now the Conservative Party is bowing to the result of a referendum, a decisive result nonetheless, that will withdraw from Europe without a debate or vote in the House of Commons. A referendum in Britain -- there have only ever been three, and all have been on Europe -- denies representative government, created over the centuries, as the only system of government: the fundamental political architecture. In the United States, the political architecture is under threat because we fail to revere it. A book by Richard Arenberg and Robert Dove, entitled "Defending the Filibuster: The Soul of the Senate," outlines one way that the structure is facing the wrecking ball. For 34 years, Arenberg worked in the Senate for such Democratic political giants as George Mitchell, Carl Levin and Paul Tsongas. Robert Dove served twice as Senate parliamentarian and was on Republican Robert Dole's staff. They argue that the political architecture in Senate is under attack from the ceaseless, ugly partisanship and that the filibuster, a minority guarantee to a say, may be swept away. Advertisement Arenberg told me that the filibuster, always used sparingly and seldom invoked, has been abused in recent years to such an extent that a change in the Senate rules could sweep away this unique tool of whichever party is in the minority to be heard. If that happens, he said, a situation like the one in the House would prevail, where the majority holds sway without regard to the minority, more like a parliamentary system. Other threats to the structure of American democracy abound. Many of them have been enunciated by Hedrick Smith, a distinguished documentary filmmaker and former New York Times correspondent, in his book "Who Stole the American Dream?" He points to gerrymandering and special interests and their money as threatening the retaining walls of the American democracy. Worse, maybe, on both sides of the Atlantic, is the growing conservative rejection of trade as the basis not only of prosperity, but also of foreign policy stability. Brexit is the willing destruction of Britain's largest trade arrangement and an equivalent reduction in its influence in Europe and, by extrapolation, in the world. In the United States, Hillary Clinton has pusillanimously turned her back on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade pact that she helped write. And Donald Trump has declared his intention to trash almost all our trade treaties which, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, he claims have been written by idiots to favor our competitors. Advertisement Most worrying is the way the UK's Conservative Party and Republicans, silenced by Trump's candidacy, here have accepted this rejection of traditional conservative bedrock: prosperity through trade. Institutionally, they have been quiet, so quiet. Ulster County NY, encompassing High Falls, New Paltz, Hurley, Kingston, and a number of smaller towns, extends from the Hudson River to the foothills of the Catskill Mountains and is roughly the size of Rhode Island. The Dutch settled here, the French Huguenots built stone homes when they first arrived in 1677, and an important PA to NY coal-transport canal brought bustling business to the area. That bustling business is returning in the form of tourism; historic sights are seeing a growing interest in the American origin story, and local shop owners and restaurateurs are upping their game to accommodate these new visitors. The following 18 Fabulous Reasons to Visit Ulster County NY gives you a good start, but of course, for a county the size of a whole (albeit small) US state, there is so much more. For more information on these and other Offbeat Escapes in the Northeast, consult the GetawayMavens.com. 1. Discover how the French Huguenots found safe haven and prosperity in the New World on a tour of Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz. In the 1600's, Protestant French Huguenots fled the religious persecution of King Louis XIII, first settling in German lands and then in the New World in 1677. Exchanging blankets, needles and tobacco pipes with the local Native Americans for 40,000 acres of land, twelve original founders, called "Patentees" built homes here. Astoundingly, several of these structures are left standing in various states of restoration. You'll step inside four of the 7 stone buildings on an enlightening 90-minute tour that takes you through 350 years of local history. Advertisement 2. Learn what it was like for a seven year old orphan to drive the mules that pulled coal barges from Honesdale PA to Kingston NY on the 108-mile Delaware & Hudson Canal at the D&H Canal Museum in High Falls NY. It took over two million dollars, 10,000 workers, and many lives lost to blast through the wilderness in order to create 108 locks on the 30 ft wide Delaware and Hudson Canal that operated from 1828-1898. Life on the canal was often a family affair, with young children - many of them orphans - laboring with those sometimes unruly animals. In its heyday, the canal saw nearly a thousand barges, hauling everything from cordwood, gypsum, bluestone (to pave the sidewalks of New York City), glass and shoes. Little towns along the way bustled with business, until the canal was replaced by the railroad. 3. Get your pickles, biscuits, soups, meatloaf, Chicken and Waffle, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, AND vegan comforts, like Wilted Brussels Sprout & Kale Caesar Salad at High Falls Kitchenette - a Hudson Valley outpost of Manhattan's Kitchenette. 4. Watch historian-artisan-iron-forger, Jonathan Nedbor, clang and bang at his anvil at Canal Forge in Alligerville (outside of High Falls). Nedbor has been replicating Dutch door hinges and architectural elements for authentically preserved buildings, and creating furniture and fireplace implements through the forging, or as he says, "the shmooshing," of iron pieces. Advertisement 5. Discover a phenomenal artist you've never heard of at Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art at State University of New York New Paltz. Within 9,000 sq ft of soaring gallery space, The Dorsky focuses on lesser-known creatives or those who have fallen out of favor, with a mission to serve both the college campus and the artistic culture of the Hudson River Valley. 6. Lift a pint of a "properly poured" Guinness at Garvan's Gastropub in New Paltz, situated in a stone home built in 1759 - the year that Guinness started brewing beer in Ireland. Opened in Feb. 2016, this lovely, friendly place is as close as you'll get to the Emerald Isle in Ulster County, with a from-Dublin Guinness Tower and Guinness Brown Bread served at every meal. 7. Grab a beer and burger at P&G's, "A Cornerstone of New Paltz" ever since Pat and George purchased the restaurant in 1947. It's not the fanciest place, but reasonably priced fare suits SUNY New Paltz students and their parents just fine. 8. Meander around one of the first fortified neighborhoods in pre-Independence America, the Kingston Stockade National Historic District, now stocked with shops and restaurants. In 1658 to protect his constituents from Esopus Tribe raids, Director-General of the "New Netherlands" colony, Peter Stuyvesant, demanded that all 60-70 residents who lived along the Hudson River move 1 mile uphill to a defensible point. The settlers built a 14 ft. high fortification wall on this bluff, encompassing a church and homes. The walls are long gone, but the Stockade District is one of the oldest and most charming neighborhoods in America. 9. Drop in on a Thursdays from 12:15-12:45 in Fall and Spring to hear a magnificent 3-keyboard Moller Pipe Organ concert at the Old Dutch Church in Kingston NY. Or just drop in to see an original pulpit bible from the 1600's, 1700's hymnals and other pertinent religious artifacts from centuries ago. Established in 1659, this is the longest continuously operating Protestant Dutch Reform congregation still in operation in New York. Advertisement 10. Tour the Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston, one of the oldest public houses in America, and the only original building affiliated with the formation of the New York State Government. From April 1777 until Kingston was burned by the British in October 1777, the New York Senate met in the private home of Abraham Van Gaasbeek as a matter of security. The Historic Site also maintains a small museum with the world's largest collection of John Vanderlyn paintings. Born and raised in Kingston, Vanderlyn (1775-1852) was the first American artist to study in Paris, sponsored by Alexander Hamilton's nemesis, Aaron Burr. 11. Take a gander at how Dutch settlers lived, worked and dressed in the late 1600's at the Persen House in Upper Kingston NY. Find out what fashionistas of the day were wearing (hint: stomachers and bodkins), why barbers also served as surgeons, and about housing regulations, while taking a free tour through rooms built in phases from 1663 to the late 1700's. Though named after its longest resident, the first owner of the Matthewis Persen House, barber/surgeon Gysbert Van Imbroch, died in 1665 leaving a complete inventory of his home. This inventory is the basis for a new permanent exhibit upstairs - posters that tell the story of day-to-day life in the 1600's here. Among clothing and home goods, Van Imbroch's holdings included yoke for oxen, ice skates, a child's coat "made by the savages," and the largest book collection in the New World. 12.Explore the life of a firefighter, pre-computers, at the Volunteer Firemen's Hall and Museum of Kingston. How did those guys know where to send the fire trucks? Through an ingenious call-box system that you can witness in action, among other displays, at this small but engaging museum. 13. Regard the many stunning murals that grace buildings in Upper Kingston; gifts of O+ (referencing the blood type) - an arts organization that exchanges the "medicine of art for the art of medicine." In other words, beauty for medical care. Advertisement 14. Wolf down one of the best Reuben Sandwiches ever at the Hoffman House in Upper Kingston. Pat and Ginny Bradley purchased the 1679 stone home in the auspicious year of 1976, restored it using original floorboards, mantles and door paneling, and opened it as a restaurant in 1977. On the National Historic Register, The Hoffman House is one of the highlights of the Stockade District so it's no surprise that it's a popular hangout for city movers and shakers. 15. After touring historic stone houses and driving by many others, stay in one - the 1705 Stone House Bed & Breakfast, on a rural road in Hurley just 5 miles from Upper Kingston. The warm and welcoming Sam and Nadia Scoggins run this historic, old fashioned luxury inn with five distinctive rooms containing a trove of antiques, updated cloudlike beds, and fast wi-fi (but no TV's). In the morning over a gourmet breakfast, engage in another old-fashioned activity: face-to-face conversations with other travelers from all over the world. 16. Sing along with the crew on the tall-ship Hudson River Sloop Clearwater on a public sail from its berth at the Hudson River Museum in Kingston. Founded by Pete Seeger in his effort to bring attention to the polluted Hudson River in the 1970's, The Clearwater has educated countless school groups and visitors on thousands of environmental cruises and is still going strong. 17. Get nostalgic while perusing an exhibit about The Hudson River Day Line at the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston. The Day Line ran from 1860-1971 out of Manhattan, transporting millions of tourists, for just a few dollars, up the Hudson in relative luxury. But that's not all you'll find at this small but info-packed museum offering easy to digest nautical snippets of the Hudson River in general and Kingston - in the 1800's called Rondout - in particular. You'll want to spend at least 30 minutes (or more) at this gem, with displays on all aspects of maritime Hudson from Rowing Teams to Ice Yachts (the fastest vehicle on earth) to Ferries, Tugboats, and of course Henry Hudson himself. "I was only 25 years old in October, 1976. My daughter, Eileen, almost 6, and her father and I boarded the CUNARD Princess in La Guaira, Venezuela, for a 7-day cruise. Our 2nd port-of-call was Barbados, with the most beautiful crystalline turquoise waters I've ever seen. We only had one day to enjoy the island so we hailed a local driver, Rudy, who claimed he knew just the spot. He took us to a private beach, which he claimed was right in front of "Sting's vacation home". It was breathtaking and a floating wooden platform beckoned to us about 50 yards off the shore. We swam out with little Eileen and marveled at the beauty of our surroundings. It was a glorious day! We sunned and frolicked until a silver glint in the sky drew our attention skyward where we observed a plane whose wings began tipping strangely perpendicularly to the horizon until its wings were vertical to each other and descending towards the sea instead of climbing into the sky. Down Et down it slid to our horror. I kept thinking, any second the plane will level out. Eileen said, "Mommy, that plane's going to crash!" In utter disbelief, we observed the plane plunge into the ocean. I still remember the shock I felt in that moment and only later did we learn we had witnessed a terrorist act right in front of our eyes! I haunts me to this day. " Linda Balzan " When I think of my childhood, I feel an abundance of joy; there are so many memories that cascade over me and make me feel like I was worthy, cared for and loved. There are the smells of food, the sound of sweet milk whipping in a small tin pan, over the stove, the sound and beat of merengue, as I learned how to count the steps and sway just right, the cousins, the laughter, games, movies, and all the things that burn into the memory and cause nostalgia. Then there is the terrible memory. My parents and another couple, and me, where out on a platform raft on the on the ocean in Barbados. It was a regular vacation day, and I was almost 6. I truly think I would not have remembered more than a memory or two of this cruise vacation of the Caribbean. Maybe a showgirl's purple feather, maybe my mom's yellow dress at dinner, and maybe I would have remembered the island local holding a puffer fish while my mom took a picture. Out on that raft I was bored. The adults were talking, probably drinking, and I was just looking up, trying to find something interesting to stare at. I saw a plane. I stared at it and I remember knowing, just knowing that I needed to keep my eyes on it. The plane was slightly turning, nothing was amiss, yet I knew something bad was going to happen. I turned to my father's friend and I said, "Look, that plane is going to fall." I poked him and said it again, "Look that plane is going to fall." He was looking at it and he simply said, "No, it's just turning." I remember feeling upset that no one believed me. I kept my eyes on the plane, and as smoke began trailing out, everyone was silent. I wasn't old enough to wonder what was going wrong... Was something going wrong? The airplane exploded. The airplane crashed into the ocean, so close to us that I felt heat on my face. I have vivid memories of orange fire, black smoke, taking up the whole scenery. I don't remember leaving the beach, I don't remember anyone talking. Inside my head, I was shocked and I was not able process what exactly was the meaning of what happened. I certainly was not thinking about people losing their lives, and dreams going up in that smoke. That came decades later. I probably never thought about that crash again for at least 20 years. These days my thoughts turn to those students, those fiercely loved individuals, and the people who had to bear the pain of no goodbye, of never seeing someone again. I have cried and cried so many times, trying to make sense of evil. I don't understand and I will never understand it all. I now know enough to understand that not just people, but governments too can be monsters. I won't mention the names of those who murdered. They are not worth it Today, I hope that something worth living for came out of every fork in the road, for those who suffered the loss of family and future all at once. There is so much sadness when thinking of the missing mom or dad, a brother or sister, husband, wife, classmate, cousin or old or new friend. I daydream about the void where those good memories where supposed to go, but the good memories, they never had a chance to happen. I can't make sense of a loss like this, but I do believe in goodness. I pray that in each person that cries and has a missing piece of them, there is something to go in its place. An anger that has quieted and turned to activism for others, a deeper love and understanding of life, or an indomitable will that cannot be broken, right or wrong. I hope that someone found courage and that someone else picked up discipline and righteousness. I hope that new friends have been made and babies have been born. I did not lose anyone that day, but I was there, so I am a witness for all the families. I was there, and they are with me. " Eileen Boruch-Balzan California State Senator Tom Hayden anounces his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles during a news conference January 5, 1997 in Los Angeles. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/File Photo I considered Tom Hayden a friend and a colleague. We did not get together often, but we collaborated on a number of occasions, I teaching with him in a class he offered on deep ecology years ago at a community college in Santa Monica; he lecturing at my university. When I was stepping down as president of my University of Creation Spirituality, I invited him to take over as president. He took the invitation very seriously and came up to Oakland for us to interview him and he to interview us. Unfortunately he turned the invitation down after serious deliberation, citing his need to remain free from institutional demands in order to maintain his true vocation as an activist and researcher. Advertisement We shared books we and others wrote. He was both an activist and a true intellectual because he was a relentless asker of questions. His scholarship was always directed, as is the Irish way, toward behavior and action. When he joined the civil rights movement in the south as a young man he was beaten in Mississippi and arrested in Georgia and in jail began writing his famous "Port Huron Statement" which urged a more progressive political agenda and activism. Tom once told me how he first got involved in the civil rights movement. As a young man growing up near Detroit, he fell in love with a woman who lived in the south. He followed her south and lo and behold! There was this thing going on, the civil rights movement. He joined in. He got arrested. His girlfriend moved on. But he stayed to fight for racial justice. That is how his political career was born. And his vocation as an activist for justice remained true for the rest of his life. He was a man of integrity who managed to swing between action and research. One long time friend and ally, Larry Bensky, commenting on Hayden's diverse career within politics and outside it, said: Advertisement He always wanted to be where the action was. He was such an unusual person, who basically lived his politics....He knew that in order to effectuate any social change it is essential to engage the system. [But] he never forgot his principles and was always true to his instincts to help those that needed help in society.[1] To me Tom was an incarnation of the "preferential option for the poor" principles that were birthed following the Second Vatican Council in the Roman Catholic Church. I think he saw it that way too as he took his church seriously and especially its call to justice that birthed the liberation theology movement following on the Council. I remember once visiting his home in Santa Monica and on his kitchen table were spread out several books by the Brazilian liberation theologian Leonardo Boff (he and I were both silenced by the Vatican and in the same year which I chose to visit him in Brazil) and some of my own along with copious pages of notes taken from said books. Tom was not just an activist but a student, even a scholar, of pressing topics of our day including issues of the environment, economics, media, religion, and their common gathering place, politics. He was a lover of liberation theology and he was proud of the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church. Regarding the church, he remained loyal to it if not always a practitioner thereof (three divorces did not exactly fit the bill for Catholic purity). I recall when I chose to join the Episcopal Church after being expelled from the Dominican Order after 34 years and with the intention of working with young people to reinvent forms of worship, he disagreed with my decision... but this did not diminish our respect for one another's callings. Advertisement In fact I often wondered afterwards if the revelations of the truly dark side of the church structure, including the cover up of the pedophile clergy abuse by the hierarchy, did not affect him later. We had talked about my research on the sinister relationship between Pope John Paul II and the CIA machinations to destroy liberation theology in Latin America and he pushed me for footnotes and back up. I included such documentation in my book The Pope's War which I tried to get to him, but I do not know if I was ever successful in that as he was hard to get hold of in more recent years. Though he was a champion of clear thinking and hard pushing to change our political and economic structures, I think he may have underestimated the radical need for religion to reinvent itself. He did not seem so interested in that particular struggle as he was in the many others that he championed. Deep down his Irish Catholicism stayed with him a long time. Our most recent correspondence was in 2015 around the pope's encyclical on the Environment and he wrote me these words: Praise be back to you, Matt... I thought how much you contributed to the final encyclical over so many years of struggle as the herald of the message, and all I learned from you. For me it goes all the way back to the National Partnership on Religion and Environment -- remember that in the '90s? I met those same people in sacramento at a bishops meeting I attended on the encyclical. Takes a lifetime to get the work done, step by step. The most important thing for me about the pope is the content of the encyclical itself including the structure of its thought. I've urged people to actually read it and not 'pontificate' about it. I wrote the Calif legis resolution endorsing it and urging all public agencies to study and discuss it. Definitely has had an impact in the run up to paris! We'll see. On Serra, i figured that was a trade off to get Oscar Romero canonized over the insane and hateful opposition of the Salvadoran right. I am not sure i have all your prolific stuff, but definitely want to read. Here are some of mine which you might not have -- much love. Pope Francis Calls for Climate Justice - Tom Hayden Hayden's mind was voracious and though a family man and an activist and a state senator and a husband to Jane Fonda and then to his current wife, actress Barbara Williams, he always found time to study and to gather his own thoughts and to write. He wrote twenty books, which is pretty amazing for an activist. And they were books of substance which also named his broad interests and concerns. Among them were the following: The Lost Gospel of the Earth: A Call for Renewing Nature, Spirit and Politics; Irish Hunger: Personal Reflections on the Legacy of the Famine; Inside the Irish: In Search of the Soul of Irish America; Street Wars: Gangs and the Future of Violence; Ending the War in Iraq; The Whole World Was Watching: The Streets of Chicago: 1968; The Zapatista Reader. One can see in this partial list his broad interests in social justice and healing--his book on gangs was especially striking to me because in writing it he befriended gang and ex-gang members in the Los Angeles area especially, a work of courage as well as deep insight and importance. Fellow anti-war activist David Harris said that Hayden had the "best analytical mind of anyone....He could assess a situation clearly, completely and right on the mark." Black activist Bobby Seale, who went to trial along with Hayden and six others for inciting the riots in the Chicago Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968, said of Hayden: He was "really a great guy, a great organizer, a great writer"... Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin "had their antics, but Tom was more serious....He understood the problem of exploitation, he understood the plight of African Americans. He understood, the way I did, that the framework of government needed to be more progressive. He was someone we could count on."[2] We will miss Tom Hayden. I often read his newsletter, to which he was contributing even during the last year of his sickness; it was striking for its common sense and clarity about complicated moral and political issues (and Tom always saw political issues as moral ones). One could always disagree with Tom on specifics but one always had to take his arguments seriously for they were well thought out, reasonably argued, consistent to his basic philosophy, and appealing to the heart as well as head. Tom was a warrior -- warrior for justice of all stripes, a warrior for the deep values that are to be found in the core of both the Jewish and Christian Bibles. Justice mattered to him. Advertisement The great fourteenth-century Dominican mystic and activist Meister Eckhart said the following: "For the just person as such to act justly is to live; indeed, justice is his life, his being alive, his being, insofar as he is just." Justice was Tom's life. And work. And passion. His being and his being alive. It was his spirituality. We are all better for it. Yes, he will be missed, this voice of reason and of caring and of action and passion on behalf of justice. Truly, here was a man who "fought the good fight" his entire life long with all of his gifts of intellect and caring. Thank you, Tom. May you rest in peace and may your work and person continue to inspire us and future generations. __________________________________________ [1] Cited in Evan Sernoffsky and Steve Rubenstein, "Tom Hayden: Student activist became longtime state legislator," San Francisco Chronicle, Oct 25, 2016, A-8. On Dec. 14, 2015, an investigator from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) arrived at Nippon Fine Chemical's drug manufacturing facility in Hyogo, Japan, to conduct an inspection. But during the inspection, the facility's quality control manager -- in an audacious challenge to the FDA's legal authority -- directed employees to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" in order to bar the FDA investigator from entering the facility's quality control laboratory, where drugs destined for the U.S. market were analyzed. A recent FDA warning letter detailed this and other unacceptable behavior by company officials during the agency's inspection. Americans depend on medicines produced by foreign drug manufacturers. In fact, the FDA estimates that 40 percent of all finished drug products dispensed in the U.S. and 80 percent of all active pharmaceutical ingredients used in medications consumed by U.S. patients are imported from other countries. To ensure that drug products flowing into the U.S. from foreign manufacturers are safe and meet the FDA's rigorous quality standards, inspectors from the agency must have unfettered access to any foreign facility making drug products that are to be imported into the U.S. A key component of an FDA inspection is the assessment of the manufacturer's quality control laboratories and procedures for testing and analyzing raw materials, intermediate products and final drug products. Advertisement As it turns out, the FDA investigator had reason to be concerned about the performance of Nippon's quality control laboratory at its Hyogo facility. During the inspection, the investigator found records of complaints the company had received from its customers about finding "glass, hair, cardboard, metal, product discoloration, and a black spider" in Nippon's drugs. In further attempts to impede the FDA's inspection, the company refused to provide the agency with copies of these customer complaints, and a quality assurance manager prevented the FDA investigator from taking photographs of equipment used to manufacture drugs distributed in the U.S. On Aug. 8, 2016 -- after several months of reckless hesitation -- the FDA finally placed Nippon on an import alert, an action that allows the U.S. to detain all of the company's drug products at the border. The FDA declared Nippon's drug products to be "adulterated" because company employees limited the FDA's inspection of the Hyogo facility, including by refusing to permit the FDA investigator to enter the quality control laboratory. Last Tuesday, October 25th, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an updated version of their website on LGBT people. As an openly gay Mormon, I'm keenly interested in what the Church has to say on the topic. But the timing of this website makes it even more interesting: It's been a year since the announcement of the church's 'exclusion policy,' as it's become known on social media. That policy essentially excommunicates any LGBT member married to someone of their same gender, and denies saving rites -- including baptism -- to children of LGBT parents until those children turn 18 years of age, and only then if the children publicly disavow the relationship of their parents. But that's not the only dark cloud hanging over the church's head right now. Since the policy, the suicides of many LGBT Mormon young people have been thrust into the spotlight, and the church has been widely criticized for creating the toxic environment that contributed to these deaths. While no one has an exact count -- Utah doesn't track religion or sexual orientation statistics when someone dies -- reports last January were as high as 32. Neon Trees' Tyler Glen released the names of still more victims in this video, and CNN covered the tragic story of Harry Fisher, a gay Mormon man who came out on social media only weeks before his tragic death. The year-old policy is noticeably absent from the new site, leading some to speculate that the site is just a PR endeavor in an attempt to mitigate more bad press. Others wonder if it's an indication the policy is going to be abandoned in the near future. In the words of one friend, "I'm astonished there's no mention of that disgraceful policy. This [site] isn't progress at all unless they're rescinding it. Pretending it doesn't exist is unconscionable." Advertisement Either way, there's a lot to digest on this new site -- but quantity doesn't necessarily translate to quality. What's helpful The fact that this site even exists. Mormonism is the only major religion to have a site dedicated to LGBT members. While it's not completely accurate (and in some cases actually proliferates dangerous messages) it still opens the door to have conversations that may not take place otherwise. Some may dismiss it as a church attempt to gloss over the carnage Mormonism has inflicted on its LGBT members and the broader LGBT community, and maybe that's true. But it still provides an opening to talk about a subject that was previously cloaked in silence. The site was very publicly announced to press, local leaders, and Mormon members. This is also a step in the right direction. The original site, released in 2012, was done quietly with no fanfare, and for a time wasn't even linked to or mentioned on the church's primary website. Like this site, it was very imperfect but held some good information (like affirming the notion that LGBT orientation is not a choice), and many local leaders didn't even know it existed. Given the stealth release and its disjointed link to other church materials, many bishops didn't believe it was a Mormon-sponsored site at all -- even after they'd seen it. The URL -- Mormon and gay -- is more inclusive. In 2011, when I took a role as the executive secretary in the bishopric of my home ward in San Francisco, I began speaking out for LGBT inclusivity. A common refrain I heard from both my Mormon community as well as my LGBT fellows was, "You can't be Mormon and gay!" In fact, earlier this year, Elder David A. Bednar stated, "there are no homosexuals members of the church." The inclusive nature of the URL and many of the messages on the site reflect a more accurate reality -- there are tens of thousands of us, probably more. Advertisement Videos that show gay Mormons with supportive families and congregations. I love this part. It's good to see supportive families, even though the site only shows it for Mormons who choose to lead a celibate life. The truth is, that same kind of support should be given to every LGBT Mormon, including the ones who are lucky enough to fall in love with and marry someone of their own gender. Sadly, that's not our reality. LGBT Mormons are routinely rejected by congregations, and in many cases even their families. Mormon parents that fully support their LGBT children are frequently shunned, ridiculed and often pushed away from the faith, as well. What's not helpful Lots of talk, not much action. The new site is chock full of declarations of love, and that's great. While LGBT individuals might welcome those words, love is a verb and matters most when it is experienced, not merely stated. The site does little to tell Mormons how to actually practice the love it preaches. This is particularly problematic for LGBT Mormon youth. Evidence-based research done by the Family Acceptance Project out of San Francisco State University tells us that while words matter, it's the actions and behaviors of the parents that actually help keep LGBT children safe from negative outcomes, including depression and suicide. This research identified over 50 rejecting and 50 supportive and accepting behaviors exhibited by parents and even went so far as to list them in a booklet geared specifically to Latter-day Saint parents, which reads like a 'how-to' manual that helps parents understand what keeps their children safer -- and what puts them at risk. Advertisement Mormon parents are counseled frequently about the importance of families and children. The Latter-day Saint book, "Strengthening our families: An in-depth look at the proclamation on the family," parents are reminded "effective loving is more than regularly announcing our affection to our children. Effective loving helps the child feel safe, valued and accepted." The fact that the new website fails to remind parents (and Mormons as a whole) what love for LGBT people looks like in action -- versus flowery words -- is a huge miss. Mixing truth with uninformed propaganda. Some sections of the site are filled with head-spinning doublespeak that confuses fact with fiction. Take the section on "Seeking Professional Help," for example. The site says it's unethical for a therapist to operate under the premise that a "change in orientation should or must occur." That's good. Yet the same sentence claims, "shifts in sexuality can and do occur for some people." Oops, we've slid back to our incorrect dogma. That's nothing more than a subtle way of saying, "You can't pray away the gay -- but don't forget to try." Science has shown that attempting to "shift" orientation is unsuccessful, it can also lead to a host of other outcomes including shame, depression, fear, anger, lowered self-esteem, feelings of failure, and even suicidal thinking. A better approach is to teach LGBT people that they're okay just the way they are. Advertisement There are so many examples where truth is mixed with misrepresentations it would be difficult to list them all. Ironically, the site itself is a remarkable microcosm of Mormonism's warped understanding of LGBT issues as a whole: Unclear and confusing to navigate, resulting in a toxic soup of mixed messages and behaviors -- some of which are lethal to vulnerable LGBT members, especially youth. It would take a remarkably well informed parent or church leader to sift through the doublespeak and unearth the good while leaving the rubbish behind -- and sadly, most Mormons aren't well informed enough to distinguish the good from the bad. Continued use of the term "same-sex attraction" (SSA). While the site does employ accurate terms (lesbian, gay, bisexual) in some spots, it obfuscates them by also using "same-sex attraction." At one point, the website has the audacity to make the claim, "same sex-attraction is a technical term..." Wrong. To say that same-sex attraction is the core construct for human sexuality is simply wrong. Everyone has a sexual orientation that is comprised of identity, attraction and behavior. Research going back decades shows that sexual attraction (including same-sex attraction) is just one part of a person's sexual orientation - not all of it. But denial or minimizing a young person's LGBT identity is related to serious health risks for LGBT young people. According to research from Dr. Caitlin Ryan at the Family Acceptance Project, family rejection of an LGBT youth's identity contributes to serious health risks, including depression and suicide. Continuing to use "attraction" to replace sexual orientation is not just incorrect, it increases risk for LGBT young people and reduces LGBT identity to a mere feeling that can be changed or willed away. For a site that claims to strive to help LGBT individuals, it's immoral to use terms that we know increase risk for harm. No resources for LGBT youth -- the most at-risk population inside Mormonism. This is a huge miss -- and it's a shameful one for a couple of reasons. Advertisement First, suicides of LGBT youth have been in the media several times this year, highlighting the fact that this is an extremely vulnerable group. Second, we know better. In 2012, The Family Acceptance Project released the aforementioned LDS version of their family education booklet that teaches families and communities to support LGBT youth in a way that reduces their risk for substance abuse, diminishes their risk for STDs including HIV, and dramatically reduces suicide and depression risk. This material has been available to the church for several years, yet senior church leaders continue to ignore it. The Family Acceptance Project has made this booklet available to download at no cost here. "Love thy neighbor as thyself" The opening video, "God Loveth His Children" features Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Clayton reminds Mormons of the second great commandment: Love thy neighbor as thyself. This, he says, is at the very heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But as Mormons, we don't really love LGBT people as ourselves. We love them as something less than us. Every article, video, and section of the website is underpinned with a single notion: LGBT people are, at their core, broken, afflicted, and a little bit less than whole. That's not love -- certainly not the kind of love that's at the core of our Savior's Gospel. It's a misshapen disdain for LGBT people based in ignorance, fear, bigotry, and elitism. That's offensive at its best, and at its worst it can be deadly to the vulnerable among us. You simply cannot teach someone that they are broken and expect them to have a healthy, happy life. Advertisement But I don't think all hope is lost. There is a bright glimmer of changing hearts and minds inside the Mormon population. It's not going to be long before that contagion of unconditional love and inclusion spreads to the highest levels of the church. Maybe then our prayers will change from, 'Lord, grant us the ability to help our broken, afflicted and suffering LGBT members,' to a more humble prayer our Savior can actually answer: 'Lord, help us understand how to team with our LGBT brothers and sisters as a family of equals, and together build a better Zion.' Every election is about the future. No matter whether you're deciding between candidates or issues, it all comes down to what you think ultimately will be best for your country, state or community. In this especially heated political season, one thing we can all agree on is the hope we're healthier tomorrow than we are today. This is why I'd like to draw your attention to some specific ballot initiatives that I believe are pivotal because of the impact they can have on their communities and because of the inspiration they could become to other communities. While my organization, the American Heart Association, supports more than two dozen ballot measures on tobacco, active transportation and more, the focus of today's column is the subject I've written about many times in recent months: sugar. Advertisement Voters in three California cities -- Albany, Oakland and San Francisco -- face ballot items for a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages, while voters in Boulder, Colorado, will consider a similar tax of 2 cents per ounce. Additionally, the County Board in Cook County, Illinois, is expected to vote in early November on a proposal for a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on all sweetened beverages. This is especially significant because Cook County includes Chicago and the surrounding area, a total of well over 5 million people, making it the nation's second-largest county, behind Los Angeles. Beyond the immediate beneficial impact these taxes can have in their communities (more on that later), a clean sweep of these initiatives would send the clear message that public momentum for better health. The fact that meaningful sugary drink taxes are on the ballot in four communities and being considered by one of the country's largest county is evidence that things are already headed in the right direction. Advertisement The driver behind this movement is the science that shows how many lives can be improved and extended by a reduction in the added sugars we consume. In recent months, the American Heart Association released its first-ever scientific statement on excessive levels of added sugars in the diets of children and the World Health Organization released a report confirming the logic that taxing sugary drinks can reduce health risks. We both agree that reductions in added sugars is an important step in the fight against diabetes, heart disease and obesity. At the American Heart Association, we are fully committed to reducing the consumption of sugary drinks. Encouraging food and beverage makers to cut back on how much sugar they put into their products is one approach we embrace. Recommending that people cut back on their consumption is another. Additionally, we advocate for taxing sugary beverages, an approach that has been demonstrated to be successful in Mexico and soon will be implemented in the United Kingdom. Since the word "tax" has such a negative connotation, let me explain why this kind of product pricing policy accomplished through taxes is actually a good thing. We'll use Berkeley as an example. Increasing the cost of sugar-sweetened beverages by an extra penny per ounce will lead some people to see the higher price as a reason to buy water or something else to drink. Indeed, self-reported consumption of sugary drinks is down 21 percent in low-income Berkeley neighborhoods. If consumers go ahead and pay extra, that money will be well-spent; as of August, the tax has generated $2 million for Berkeley's health and nutrition programs, including one that plants fruits and vegetables at schools. Advertisement San Francisco, Oakland and Albany are all neighbors of Berkeley. Leaders in those cities liked what they've seen and are eager to adopt something similar. In San Francisco, more than 150 organizations, businesses and elected officials are supporting what's known as Proposition V with a promise that the money raised will go into local programs promoting health and nutrition. In Oakland, what's known as Measure HH is projected to bring in up to $8 million per year that would be invested into programs supporting health, nutrition education, and parks and recreation. In Albany, the mayor, city council and the school board are among those endorsing what's known as Measure 01, which would raise an estimated $220,000 per year that would be pumped back into the community. The measure establishes a community process that would advise the city council on which programs to fund. In Boulder, Colorado, more than 100 community leaders and organizations are supporting the ballot item known as 2H. This measure would trigger a tax of 2 cents per ounce on sugary drinks and raise an estimated $3.8 million per year. Funds will be used to promote healthier food in schools and initiatives to prevent chronic diseases. Low-income communities impacted by health conditions will be a focus of these programs. Whenever I write about this subject, I always note that the AHA is not against sugary drinks. We're just worried about what happens when people drink too many of them. Research shows that Americans drink way too much of drinks that are way too sweet. Encouraging people to consume fewer sugary drinks, smaller portions or to opt for healthier options such as water is part of the approach. So is sending a message to Big Soda at the ballot box to stop opposing these proven policy approaches and redirect their tremendous resources and energy to continuing to improve the health profile of their products. The Department of Education announced final regulations Friday aimed at making it easier to get federal student loan forgiveness if your school misleads you or your college closes. Most of the new rules are effective July 1, 2017, but some take effect Nov. 1. That should be welcome news for borrowers who formerly attended a for-profit school owned by now-defunct Corinthian Colleges. Corinthian filed for bankruptcy in 2015 after the Education Department fined the company for misrepresenting its job placement rates. Some former Corinthian students have already been approved for forgiveness under existing regulations known as "borrower defense to repayment," but many more likely qualify under both the old and new regulations. What is borrower defense? Under existing borrower defense rules, you can apply to get your federal student loans forgiven if you believe your college defrauded you in some way. Currently, state law determines whether those who make borrower defense claims actually qualify for forgiveness. Effective July 1, 2017, the new rules create a federal standard for those claims. Although the regulations have existed since 1995, few people applied for borrower defense forgiveness until recently. In the fallout after Corinthian's collapse, tens of thousands of former students filed borrower defense claims. Advertisement So far, about 16,000 former Corinthian students have been approved for borrower defense forgiveness, and almost 8,000 have been approved for forgiveness under another regulation known as "closed school discharge." With thousands more still awaiting relief and others likely unaware they may qualify for this type of forgiveness, the Education Department elected to overhaul the system for handling more borrower defense claims. New rules that will help former Corinthian students To help former Corinthian students currently seeking forgiveness, the department aims to implement certain rules before the full regulations take effect next year. They include: Eligible borrowers with federal Perkins loans or Federal Family Education Loans can get borrower defense forgiveness if they consolidate their federal debt first; effective Nov. 1. Eligible borrowers who were enrolled in a college that closed in November 2013 or after and who haven't enrolled in another school within three years will get automatic federal loan forgiveness. This will be implemented "as soon as operationally possible," according to a department news release. Students who used Pell Grants to pay for a school that closed can have their Pell Grant eligibility restored. There are typically limits to the amount of Pell dollars students can get over their lifetime. There's no timeline on when this will happen; the department said it's "still exploring the operational changes required to implement this policy." Smoother debt relief process for future borrowers Other parts of the new rules are effective July 1, 2017, but the department believes they may inform the borrower defense process for all borrowers, including former Corinthian students. They include: A federal standard for providing borrower defense relief. By this standard, you're eligible for borrower defense forgiveness if your school breaks its contract with you; gets a court judgment against the educational services that your loan paid for; or "substantially misrepresents" information about its services or its graduates' outcomes. A process to give student loan relief to groups of borrowers if the department identifies widespread misrepresentation. Regulations that make it easier for students to sue their school. For instance, colleges will not be allowed to forbid students from filing class action lawsuits, nor will they be allowed to require students to pursue an internal process before taking an issue to court. How to seek borrower defense forgiveness The department is still working to finalize a form that borrowers will use to apply for borrower defense forgiveness. In the meantime, you can apply via email by sending your claim to or by mailing your claim to U.S. Department of Education, PO Box 429060, San Francisco, CA 94142. The on the Federal Student Aid website has a list of information you should include, such as documentation to prove your former enrollment and details about your school's misconduct or legal violations. After you apply for borrower defense forgiveness, your federal student loans will be placed in forbearance until your claim is resolved, unless you request otherwise. That means that you won't be required to make monthly loan payments, but your debt will continue to accrue interest. In many cases, the debt relief you get through closed school discharge or borrower defense forgiveness will not count as income for tax purposes. This article originally appeared on NerdWallet. Clear plastic bags with a variety of fruit gums, marshmallows, candies, lollipops, cookies and gummy bears Hershey falls short of its competitors in political influence. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) By: JACK NOLAND We see you, sitting at your desk nibbling that "fun-size" candy bar, maybe leftover from the stash you gave away last night or even pilfered from your child's hard-won haul. Advertisement America's confectioners and chocolatiers thank you. Halloween means big business for the candy industry. But beyond fueling costumed revelry every Oct. 31, candy makers and sugar producers have big operations aimed at fending off tricks and reaping more treats from Washington policymakers. Nestle is a Halloween giant, distributing popular candies like Butterfinger, Crunch and 100 Grand, apparently Minnesota's treat of choice. This year, Nestle employees have contributed $29,900 to candidates and committees, including $16,836 to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Donald Trump has scooped up just $400 from the group and 2016 is the first year on record that Nestle's employees have favored Democrats over Republicans. The international company's Washington clout is more noticeable in the lobbying arena, however. In 2015, the last year for which complete data are available, Nestle spent more than $3.1 million attempting to influence Washington, with $600,000 of that sum going to the Podesta Group, the K Street heavyweight founded by John Podesta, now Clinton's campaign chair. The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which became law, was of primary importance to Nestle; the measure, which became law, requires labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients but was criticized because it overrides tougher state laws. The company also filed a number of reports listing West African cocoa farming as a concern. Advertisement Maybe M&M's, Snickers or Skittles are more your style, or maybe you're chewing some Wrigley's gum in celebration of the Cubs' historic World Series appearance. Mars, Inc., which owns these brands, is also an influencer in Washington. The company spent more than $2.2 million on lobbying in 2015, also honing in on GMO labeling and, with it, issues of overhauling the nation's sugar program (likely in connection with the so-called Sugar Reform Act) and country-of-origin labeling. While sizable, this total marks a decline from 2012's all-time high, when Mars spent $2.6 million trying to influence policy. Mars employees have also favored Clinton over any other candidate for federal office, giving the Democrat $14,884 of their $35,666 in total contributions this cycle. Overall, the company's donations have tilted back-and-forth between Democrats and Republicans in presidential and midterm election years, respectively, since 2008. And no conversation about sweets in America would be complete without considering Hershey, the Pennsylvania-based chocolate giant. There's a good chance you'll find a Hershey's product in your Halloween haul this year, given the company's leading market share in the U.S. Perhaps surprisingly, however, Hershey falls short of its competitors in the cash it doles out to gain political clout. The chocolatier's employees have given just $13,376 this year. Like their counterparts at Nestle, Hershey workers generally favored Republicans in the past, but this year have made 86 percent of their political contributions to Democratic candidates and committees. On the other hand, the company's PAC, which had given out close to $59,000 by the end of September, has split its donations roughly evenly between the parties, favoring Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate. In terms of lobbying, the company spent $575,000 in 2015, less than half of its 2014 outlays. And, like its peers, Hershey filed more reports on GMO labeling than any other issue. If there's a candy company that bucks the trend, it's Jelly Belly. OpenSecrets Blog has written previously about the company's direct $10,000 donation to the conservative Citizens for Economic & National Security super PAC and contributions this year from Jelly Belly employees remain similarly tilted ideologically. These workers have given $66,175 during the 2016 cycle and 100 percent of their political contributions have gone to Republicans. In fact, no Jelly Belly employee has made an itemized contribution -- one over $200 -- to a Democratic candidate or party committee since 2008. Unlike other candy producers, Jelly Belly did not make any lobbying expenditures in 2015, or in 2016 to date. Advertisement While these companies are all linked by one simple ingredient - sugar - the politics within the industry are complicated. The fight over sugar policy has been out in the open in recent talks between the U.S. and Mexican government over export quotas. Where the parties stand depends a lot on whether they're buying or selling sugar. The U.S. government has gone to bat for its sugar farmers and distributors, who some argue enjoy subsidies that distort the market, over allegations that Mexican exporters flood the zone with inexpensive sugar. A cheaper input is great for candy companies, which benefit from the lower overall production price, but explains why, in the past, confectioners and sugar producers have ended up on opposite sides of the issue. The National Confectioners Association, which represents Jelly Belly, Nestle USA, Hershey and Mars, among others, spent $326,000 on lobbying in 2015. The trade group focused on the House and Senate versions of the Sugar Reform Act, which would cut subsidies to the U.S. sugar industry. In connection with that, it has concentrated efforts on sugar import issues like the ones raised above. On the other side, the American Sugar Alliance spent almost $2.2 million on influence efforts that year, also honing in on the Sugar Reform Act. The group is well connected. Registered lobbyists for the trade association include former Rep. Larry Combest (R-Texas), who was chairman of the House Agriculture Committee from 1999-2002, Tom Sell, a former Agriculture Department official and Jeff Harrison, former counsel for the House Agriculture Committee. Among its most powerful members? The Fanjul Corp., owned by Cuban emigre brothers Pepe and Alfonso Fanjul. Aligned with opposing ends of the political spectrum, Pepe has helped GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump raise money, while Alfie hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. This campaign cycle, the company has given $400,000 to the Philadelphia Host Committee, which raised money for the Democratic National Convention, as well as $350,000 to Republican White House hopeful Marco Rubio's super PAC, helping boost overall donations by Fanjul Corp. and its employees to more than $2 million in the 2016 cycle. And the company -- which owns Domino Sugar, among other brands -- spent more than $1.1 million on federal lobbying in 2015. There is a troubling condition that is widespread in America: campaign burnout. We have been witness to much high-brow ado about sleazy low-brow stuff: e-mail servers, sexual groping, allegations of corruption, fraud, and theft--not to forget a plethora of racist and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that explain how the system is "rigged." These narratives may be well suited for The Jerry Springer Show but should they constitute the discourse of the 2016 election? The political climate is so overwhelmingly depressing that perhaps the only way to cope with it is to avoid the endless series of factually compromised political ads that either appear on our television screens or pop up in the digital universe of the Internet. If we don't pay attention to this "deplorable" state of affairs, maybe it will go away. Sadly, my friends, that is not likely to be the case. We can expect much more of it between now and an election day that promises to be a multi-ring circus of intimidating poll watchers, long lines at polling centers, vote challenges, and far-fetched claims of voter fraud and election "rigging." We may well have a candidate, Donald J Trump, who will not accept the likely results of the election and refuse to concede. Such is the state of our society on the eve of the 2016 election. That more than 50 million Americans are likely vote for an ill-informed, thin-skinned, narcissistic, racist, sexual predator who will soon go on trial for racketeering (November) and child rape (December) is beyond comprehension. If we focus exclusively on the here and now, which is the penchant of the media, there is understandably much doom and gloom in the America. Advertisement Amid the doom and gloom, however, I see glimmers of light. As an anthropologist I can hardly ignore the "deplorable" state of contemporary American politics, or, for that matter, the depressing conditions of social life in the United States. Anthropologists are trained to listen to what people say about their lives, but we pay particular attention to what people do--especially if what they do contradicts what they say. We are also trained to tune into the ground pulse of social life, which enables us discover potentially important events and/or movements that are on the margins of our social attention. One such movement, if activity at my university is indicative, appears to be an emerging groundswell of university student engagement. My university is neither an elite institution nor a center of student radicalism. It is a public university in Pennsylvania that attracts a diverse student body. Many of our students are the first members of their family to attend college. Many of them have to work one or two jobs to pay for their studies. Put another way, many of our students, who have a lot on their plates, must confront serious challenges each and every day. You would expect them to be too busy or preoccupied to be socially or politically engaged. And yet, two weeks ago they enthusiastically supported our faculty strike for quality public education in Pennsylvania. At all the 14 state-owned universities, students not only voiced their support, but stood with us on the picket lines. They made and displayed banners: "Students Stand with the Faculty." "We Support Quality Education in Pennsylvania." "The University is Not a Corporation." "Teacher's Lives Matter." Students drove by the picket lines and honked their support. Other students brought us water, juice, power bars and pizza. They organized a march and rally in support of the faculty and against the increasingly dehumanizing corporatization of public higher education. Advertisement Three days of overwhelming student support spurred the resolution of a contract impasse that had dragged on for more than a year and a half. The new contract ensures the continuation of quality public higher education in Pennsylvania. Our students not only voiced their support, but demonstrated it as well. Such student engagement, of saying, "enough is enough" suggests a brighter future in which contemporary students, soon to be citizens of the world, are will and able to demonstrate their support for social justice. Elections are stressful and this one more so than other recent ones. It is that way predominantly because of Donald Trump who is everything normal candidates aren't. He is a bully, openly racist, sexist and misogynistic and has given permission for some Americans whose instincts are the same to voice their feelings publicly. Then the Clinton emails. While she has acknowledged this is a self-inflicted wound and apologized for it their continuing impact is compounded by the constant drip of hacked emails from WikiLeaks. While for many years the media was not so willing to use stolen material today there is no such self-control on their part. Steal it, leak it, whatever, it is all fair game. Add to this the all-pervasive social media on which individuals write about everything as if it's important without regard to it being true. Many confuse articles written for the satirical 'Onion' as the truth. One can easily understand how some feel totally stressed out trying to separate what is real from what isn't. There is the constant focus by news outlets on the ups-and-downs of national polling. The reality is a Presidential election, like it or not, is fifty-one individual elections. Simply ask Al Gore who led in the national vote but still lost. The only determinate of a winner is getting 270 electoral votes. The focus of campaigns must be on the individual elections in the fifty states and the District of Columbia which has three electoral votes. Advertisement Then we have cable networks trying to fill twenty-four hours of time. Remember when the world news and Presidential elections were covered by the three major networks; ABC, CBS and NBC in a half hour every evening? So even accepting there is more real news today which many think questionable; being generous the cable networks have two hours of news to report and an additional twenty-two hours each day to fill. Most of what cable networks put on in those additional twenty-two hours is biased opinion; focused more on sounding like headlines in the National Enquirer designed to attract viewers. Whether their anchors report the news accurately, and they often don't, whether their guest "commentators' tell the truth or blatantly lie no longer seems to matter. We know they pay these commentators who often just lie to viewers. We have gotten so far from cable channels like CNN caring whether we hear the truth from them they hired Corey Lewandowsky, when he was still on Trump's payroll, to be a 'commentator'. So he is being paid by both the candidate and the station to report on the election. If one doesn't laugh one would have to cry. The biggest losers are the American people. In what was once considered a ''normal' election there would be a debate on the policies of the candidates and what direction they want to take the county. That seems to have gotten lost in this election. While Hillary has a position on nearly every issue you can think of from fighting the opioid epidemic to climate change; Trump has only a few actual policy positions. We do know he wants to take the Supreme Court to the far-right and repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He uses the line 'repeal and replace' but has yet to offer a clear vision of how he would replace it and how that would maintain the benefits of the ACA everyone likes such as guaranteeing insurance for those with pre-existing conditions or those under 26 who can now be covered by their parents policy. In less than one week the majority of American voters will head to the polls. About a third will have voted early. The one thing most of them have in common is they are all thankful the election is coming to an end. Advertisement As a strong Hillary supporter my recommendation to fellow supporters is to remain calm; VOTE, volunteer to knock on doors and make calls into battleground states. To those who have yet to decide I urge you to take a look at the candidates' positions. See who you agree with the most on issues relating to healthcare, the economy, education, climate change, immigration, LGBT and women's rights, and gun control among so many others. Donald Trump thinks climate change is a hoax; Hillary believes we need to deal with it now. Trump thinks it's ok if Saudi Arabia, Japan and North Korea have nuclear weapons; Clinton believes we need to not only prevent other nations from getting them but rid the world of nuclear weapons. Trump wants to take the Supreme Court to the right and nominate judges who would reverse Roe v. Wade and marriage-equality; Clinton will nominate judges who will protect both and vote to overturn Citizens United. The emails are simply a distraction as they will in no way influence or impact your future. Don't get caught up in the idea of a protest vote either. No one will listen to the protest and reality is any vote not for Hillary is a vote for Trump. If that is what you intend OK, if it's not then don't do it. How would a Donald Trump presidency affect our military and foreign policies? originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. There are several things that concern me about a potential Donald Trump presidency. First, I believe he could set off a crisis in civilian-military relations. Throughout his campaign, Mr. Trump has called our generals "rubble" and our military a "disaster," insulted prisoners of war and one of our greatest war heroes, John McCain, belittled the Purple Heart, and picked a fight with a Gold Star family, all of which shows to me that he has little understanding and respect for our military. He has said he would bring back torture, which is an unlawful order that the military would be constitutionally bound to refuse. When a presidential nominee calls our military a "disaster," it has a real and serious impact on the way our allies and adversaries perceive our military, and is detrimental to the morale of our men and women in uniform. And he's just wrong. While we need to improve our warfighting readiness and accelerate modernizing our technology, the men and women in uniform today continue to prove they are the best in the world. Advertisement He has also said he would fire the generals, an incredibly dangerous move that would risk politicizing our military. Military officials are duty-bound to give their best military advice to the Commander in Chief, regardless of his or her political affiliation. To suggest that our current generals have breached that inherent trust that is the bedrock of our civilian-military relations is irresponsible and just flat-out incorrect. I know all of the current Joint Chiefs and Combatant Commanders and they are the finest and most experienced generals since Eisenhower, Marshall, and Nimitz. There is one area that Mr. Trump could have a positive effect on, and that is the management within the Department of Defense. The Pentagon is in need of serious structural and institutional changes and it needs an influx of fresh managerial ideas, especially from the business sector. With Mr. Trump's business contacts, there's a potential that he could bring in the fresh blood the Pentagon needs, but it's unknown if he fully understands the problems the Pentagon faces and knows how to fix them. As for our foreign affairs, he has already damaged some relations and made leaders, the world over, more than raise an eyebrow at his claims that more countries should have nuclear weapons and that NATO is obsolete. These a both dangerous and irresponsible views and would have serious implications if he were elected. If Mr. Trump were to follow through on his statements, then we would likely see countries like South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and others starting up their own nuclear weapons programs, which would make the world as a whole less secure. On the NATO front, our allies would lose confidence in the United States, which would hurt our standing in the world and damage the stability that Europe has seen since WWII. This is a two-way street as our allies have come to our help in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we will need their support in the future as well. Advertisement This question originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: Today, of course, airlines everywhere are scaling back, devising ever more ways to cut, condense, or charge customers for every amenity once considered standard. So, it is with delight I can report that one airline has gone the other direction, and is pushing the envelope of luxury, comfort and service in the sky, while at the same time acting as an exemplar in ethical practices. I spent much of the year contained in the stratosphere, employing various winged chariots to connect points on the globe, traveling to such as Burma, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Albania, Bosnia, Namibia, Turkey, Montenegro, Papua New Guinea, and many points between. And in so doing I experienced a panoply of airlines. Many, including most of the North American carriers, were simply adequate, making minimum effort to maximize profits. Some were quite good, and went the extra 10 miles or so. But Etihad is in a category by itself, so far above the rest as to be in a different orbit. Etihad Airways, in my book, now takes the prize as the best carrier in the world. And I'm not the only one to bestow this honor. Etihad was named 'Best Airline - Business Class' for the second consecutive year at the TTG Travel Awards in Bangkok in October. And for the tenth consecutive year Etihad was awarded the title of Middle East's Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards. But let me share my take on the lofty designation. Flying to Africa from North America can be a pitiless two-day exercise. Traveling with my son, Walker, I am on my way to the Namib desert to document the Cheetah Rehabilitation Center within the 45,000-acre Solitaire Land Trust, overseen by friends Pasquale Scaturro and Carey Peterson. The transport to this project is all the more meaningful because Etihad Airways has launched a new Animal Welfare and Conservation Policy as part of an ongoing effort to promote wildlife conservation. How many major companies, let alone travel concerns, or airlines, take on such a bold initiative? The policy prohibits the carriage of hunting trophies, any endangered to threatened species, or any animal parts, shark fins and live animals intended for scientific research. In addition, the airline is supporting the Born Free Foundation's Travellers' Animal Alert - an online tool that gives travelers anywhere in the world the opportunity to raise concerns about any cases of animal suffering encountered on their trips. As a long-time purveyor of travel to Africa, and a witness to wildlife loss of unimaginable scale, I loudly applaud this effort, and believe Etihad is a flagship with heart, and a carrier with higher purpose. Advertisement And, it is such a transporting pleasure to find that conscientiousness can be combined with luxury. Etihad is living proof. I so remember the heady prime of Pan Am when travel was a sumptuous experience, and passengers dressed up for the passage. I was once turned back from an upgrade to the front of the plane for not wearing a coat and tie. But that made the experience that much more exclusive and glamorous. Oh, what happened to that golden age of travel? Etihad has brought it back, and raised the bar. Etihad has gateways throughout the U.S., including L.A., where I step through the threshold and into a magic glass, into the lobby of what could be a seven-star resort. When I met James Hogan, the Etihad CEO, in Los Angeles earlier this year, he said "We don't carry passengers; we carry guests. Our benchmark is not set against other airlines, but with the best hotels and restaurants in the world." Advertisement Spinning past the custom Arabic fretwork screens and blinds, I find my seat, and settle in. The plane takes off, rising above the noise. And the extreme amenities begin. Despite rumors of demise, style, class and the tailored experience are not extinct, not here, not now. They are here re-imagined. I sip the wickedly refreshing lemon-mint welcome drink. I pull on my socks from my Sougha amenity kit. I freshen up in the spacious lavatory, awash with toiletries, perfumes and lotions, niceties no longer available on most U.S. airlines. Back at my seat, I recline, pull the plush comforter to my chest, and, in lieu of the live T.V., watch a classic film on the large flat screen, while sipping a boutique wine. Dinner, which can be served anytime by the on-board gourmet chef, is brought by a trolley covered with elegant wood-finish doors. I sup the gladness of the chicken vindaloo curry, with a punnet of strawberries for dessert. But, the wait staff makes it clear that almost any meal can be prepared, and customized to taste, anytime during the flight. Afterwards, I order up a caffe latte, hand-crafted on the spot, even with the swirl on top. It may be the best latte I have ever sipped. Too soon we are on the descent. Abu Dhabi is a super-hub, a crossroads within a few hours flying time to two-thirds of the world's population, and it serves all the great gateways, from London to Delhi to Beijing, as well as most of the capitals of Africa, over 600 destinations in all. And, it has its own immigration clearance facility which allows passengers traveling to the United States to clear customs and immigration before boarding, so no bleary-eyed long lines after landing in the U.S. But, rather than zoom on through to Africa, we choose to spend the night, to dip toes in what may be the most chimerical urban nerve-center in the world. So, of course we book the Etihad Towers Hotel, a dazzling bolthole, and the place to restore and recharge after a day of air travel, before continuing onwards. It may be most famous as the setting for a Fast & Furious 7 scene in which one of the super cars speeds out of one tower and lands in the middle of a cocktail reception in another. But I didn't know that when I checked in and was greeted with complimentary dates, a chilled lemon and mint juice, and a cold face towel. Advertisement From its grand spacious lobby dominated by an oversized modern bauble chandelier, and the room overlooking the Emirates Palace, marina mall, the Corniche and the piercing blue of the Arabian gulf, everything speaks to a triumph of space and high-design. I luxuriated in the free standing bath. The bed, adorned with rose petals, was so comfortable it was like sleeping on a puff of air. And the executive lounge, which takes up the entire 45th floor, is so complete you never want to leave, but especially during its Veuve Clicquot champagne hour. There are so many exquisite touches, from the bottles of shampoo fashioned in the Etihad towers shape, to the mood lighting, electric curtains and netting, the Nespresso machine, wide-screen TV, and the three swimming pools and private beach, and even to the endless international buffet breakfast at The Rosewater Restaurant. The experience is as close to a magic carpet ride as any Arabian Night ever told. Photo by Walker Bangs After a breakfast buffett offering more choices than any in the known universe (including towers of fresh breads), we head to the airport and check into one of the most magnificent lounges ever conceived. Rightly so, it was named by the World Travel Awards as the Middle East's Leading Airport Lounge for 2016. Once through the door we are greeted by a smiling hostess who offers up fresh dates and coffee in a silver dallah. Inside, it is a sanctuary. There is a white-linen restaurant that will serve most anything to order, all fresh. There is a cigar bar, packed with premium Cuban smokes. There is a champagne bar. And a Quiet Room, with huge, swish couches, for sleeping. And a Prayer Room. There is a family room designed for young travelers, bright and colorful, with a nanny. There are showers, televisions, computer monitors...but most impressive: The Six Senses Spa. It has 13 treatments, including massages, facial therapies, scrubs and wraps. The first fifteen minutes are complimentary. I choose the Bamboo Fusion, a deep pressure bodywork using real bamboo. And, surprise, they press my clothes while being massaged. Afterwards we are so relaxed we almost melt into the soft chairs. When it is finally time to board, we're escorted to an air conditioned white BMW with a chauffeur, and whisked across the tarmac to the plane logoed with Etihad's design motif -- a series of warm-toned triangular mosaic patterns, which their designers call "Facets of Abu Dhabi." Up the staircase, and to my seat for take-off. Then, with a completely flat bed, with direct aisle access, the inbuilt massager on low, the noise-cancelling headphones fitted, and stars in the ceiling, I sleep most of the way to Johannesburg. Nobody can be uncheered on Etihad. Oh, on such a flight, the time is too swift, feathered with flying hours; it is flight that dissolves the qualms of earth-bound life. Like a good book, I don't want this flight to end. I am in Business Class, which unfurls like a poet's dream. But as luxurious as this seems, it is outdone by another innovation, one that hurtles so far ahead of any other carrier that it flies in a space by itself. On its long-haul A380s, Etihad has introduced The Residences, luxury hotel-style three-room suites, with a double bedroom (complete with Egyptian cotton sheets on a natural fiber mattress); private bathroom with stall shower; a living room with marquetry table, custom carpet, large-screen T.V., and seats designed with the same leather used in Ferraris; and, get this, a dedicated English butler (trained at the Savoy Butler Academy in London.) It's a penthouse in the plane, the world's most deluxe living space in the sky. We're talking posh private cocoons with your own personal chilled-minibar. This goes beyond First Class, to some other category yet understood or even named. But with great luxury comes great responsibility. Besides the mindful policies concerning wildlife, Etihad is leading the way towards environmental equity in the skies with its 'BIOjet: Flight Path to Sustainability' program. The goal is to create a viable alternative to fossil-based aviation fuel, and the project has seen promise in a pathway that includes fish farming and a flowering plant called Salicornia. The initiative, if successful, could significantly reduce our carbon dependency, a good thing, especially from an airline. Etihad is not just a steward to its customers; it is attempting to be a steward for the planet, and for that I give it very high marks. Advertisement There is an ancient and deeply revered Arab concept called diyafa, which means hospitality that is so good and generous it rides the clouds. Etihad has taken this sensibility to the 21st century and created the most hospitable experience in the skies--it is so warm and welcoming, so pro-active in preservation effects, it is so exceptional, you never want to go home again. Postscript: In the wake of bestowing this honor, I caught up with Peter Baumgartner, CEO of Etihad Airways, and Shane O'Hare, Senior Vice President of Marketing, and asked them a few questions: Richard: Etihad is the fastest growing airline in the history of commercial aviation. How did you accomplish this, and what is the strategy for the future? Peter: Our equity investments and codeshare partnerships have played a vital role in our rapid growth over the last 12 years. Years ago, when we looked into our options with the global alliances, we found we had none. None of the three global alliances wanted a Gulf carrier member at that time. Advertisement Yet, to have any chance of success, we had to get to a size and scale that could compete against the networks of airlines that had not only been operating for years, but had benefited from decades of government investment and infrastructure support. Our equity strategy was born of necessity. The alliances did not want us so we simply changed our strategy. We found a new way to compete. We developed a truly unique partnership approach that offers a new model for airline competition. To become a competitive global network carrier today is incredibly challenging. Our main competitors have flown for decades, even generations - they have mature networks, large fleets, global presence and market access. Partnerships allow us to compete effectively and give us scale, access, and differentiation. Then we took that a step further with minority equity investments in strategically important airlines. Each one was made in response to a specific strategic requirement. We have a two-pronged approach. From a strategic level, we are looking for the equity partners to bring network connectivity, generate additional revenues and create economies of scale. Customers benefit from new routes, schedules, capacity and connections; more choice and convenience; and more competition on price and product. Together with our partners we represent the world's seventh largest airline group. Our combined revenue is more than US $25 billion. We carry more than 110 million passengers a year and employ more than 72,000 people. That gives us great scale and also great bargaining power. Advertisement So, strategic partnerships and minority equity investments have provided the scale and market access we require to compete efficiently and effectively while creating a new competitive choice for air travelers in key markets around the world which is good for consumers, good for tourism and good for trade. Within the U.S., we also have strong codeshare partnerships with American Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Looking 10 years from now, I hope that we'll be in a bilaterally unconstrained world where Etihad Airways itself will remain the world's best airline, providing more choice at competitive airfares to the travelers in the market segments we choose to serve, always via our hub and home, Abu Dhabi. Richard: Tell us why you think Etihad has become the Best Airline in the World? Peter: We are always thinking ahead when it comes to innovation. Even when we unveiled products such as The Residence on the A380, we were already thinking about innovations that will follow. We never stand still. Few industries are as competitive as aviation so we know that a sustained innovation process is fundamental. It's key to providing remarkable products and services to our guests now and into the future. Innovation can clearly increase profits - if consumers value it enough to pay a premium - or it can lower costs by increasing efficiency or functionality. The one thing we do not do is innovate for the sake of innovation. There has to be a clear strategic purpose and direction, a valid reason and a worthwhile return on the investment. If there is not, then no idea will make it from the drawing board to reality. Advertisement We have a proven track record of acting with agility and innovation when we decide to move in a certain direction. While we have faced a lot of challenges and resistance in some quarters in our first 12 years, we are winning the hearts and minds of consumers because we are delivering the products and experience they want - and deserve. Etihad Airways today is a sustainably profitable business. 2015 was our fifth consecutive year of increased profitability. That didn't happen by chance, it happened by design. It took a lot of hard work and investment in people, infrastructure, and network. But it also involved a lot of thought and effort to produce a bespoke product and service that our guests love and want to fly. Take The Residence on our Airbus A380 aircraft - that was the result of a seven-year research and development program led by the Etihad Design Consortium. Our Butlers, Inflight Chefs and Nannies, among many others, are further reasons why people choose to fly with Etihad Airways. These are reasons people look at us and think, 'Hey, here's an airline that really thinks carefully about the guest experience and does things differently'. So, they try us. And once they try us they remain loyal to us. Richard: There is nothing like The Residence in the sky. How did you come up with this concept, and usher it into being? How popular is it? Advertisement Peter: We sought to create a hospitality environment on board our aircraft. We had a clean sheet of paper - so we decided to use it to our full advantage. We've never been a company to draw our inspiration from other airlines and we never benchmark ourselves against other carriers alone. Most airlines do the same thing in pretty much the same way. Occasionally, someone will come along and take a small step forward, doing the same thing in a slightly better way than before. Right from the start, we decided to benchmark ourselves against the very best the world of hospitality has to offer. We benchmark ourselves against five-star hospitality brands, including the best restaurants, hotels, or private members' clubs. On the A380 we have literally created a home in the sky with The Residence. This is the only three room suite on a commercial aircraft and includes a living room, double bedroom, ensuite shower room and personal Butler service. We never try to take the status quo and improve upon it. We instead look to turn things on their head and create remarkable new and unexpected experiences. There's simply nothing else like The Residence in commercial aviation. We have seen a good take up from a diverse range of people - everyone from celebrities and top businessmen to people celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries and those whom simply have The Residence on their 'bucket list'. There's also a considerable halo effect from The Residence and the amount of column inches it has generated across the world has been phenomenal - it's been worth millions in free advertising alone. Advertisement Our New York to Abu Dhabi route has been particularly popular for guests traveling in The Residence. We currently operate one A380 daily between the two markets but we plan to up gauge our second daily flight to an A380 aircraft, beginning in June 2017. Richard: While most airlines are becoming ascetics in their offerings, even considering charging for in-flight bathroom visits, Etihad is going the other direction, sky-high. I, for one, am thankful. Why this approach? Shane: We do not consider travelers who fly with Etihad Airways to simply be our passengers. They are our guests. Our first priority is to deliver the best customer service experience possible every time they fly with us which includes offering a taste of our home of Abu Dhabi and modern Arabian hospitality. This philosophy has been central to the culture of our airline and how we continue to operate. From exclusive and unique amenity kits, available across all classes of service for the comfort of our guests to the best-in-class service provided onboard by our Butlers in The Residence, In-Flight Chefs in First Class, Food and Beverage Managers in Business Class and Flying Nannies in Economy Class, every aspect of the travel experience has been meticulously crafted to deliver the most luxurious, comfortable, and stylish experience in the world. We also take the opportunity to frequently speak with our guests about what they want and need when they travel with us and how we can best deliver this. We are constantly looking to reset the bar for innovation and hospitality by leading the industry versus following what others have done. Richard: Abu Dhabi is a super-hub, a crossroads within a few hours flying time to two-thirds of the world's population, and it serves all the great gateways, from London to Delhi to Beijing, as well as most of the capitals of Africa. How did the airline achieve such an ambitious roster so fast, and without sacrificing quality in any aspect? Peter: The Middle East is a region that offers tremendous growth opportunity. It benefits from a superb geographical position, ideally placed to connect mature, expanding and emerging markets. Abu Dhabi is a convenient stopover point for travel from Europe to Far East and Australia and a crossroads for India, China, Africa, Far East and South America. Advertisement The Middle East's location also enables non-stop flights to almost any destination worldwide. The Airbus Global Market Forecast emphasizes our unique geographical position - it shows that more than 95% of urban population is within a range circle of 15,000 km of Abu Dhabi. Passenger numbers at Abu Dhabi International Airport rose by 17.2 per cent in 2015, with more than 23 million travelers passing through its terminals. Etihad Airways alone carried 17.4 million passengers in 2015, up 18.4% on the previous year. We were responsible for nearly three-quarters of traffic through Abu Dhabi during the year. And, we are the only commercial carriers to provide direct, nonstop services between the US and Abu Dhabi. We are certainly planning for further growth with a new Midfield Terminal at Abu Dhabi International Airport. This is 700,000 square meter building, set over seven levels with an annual capacity of 30 million passengers. It will have a handling capacity of up to 8,500 passengers per hour, more than 150 check-in desks and more than 40 self-service check-in kiosks. The facility includes a 400,000-square meter cargo terminal and a transit hotel with more than 160 rooms. But we will not sacrifice quality for growth. We remain ever-mindful of our commitment to our guests to deliver the highest levels of service, hospitality, innovation and operational performance. We continue to invest in technology and customer improvements to accomplish exactly that including, most recently, the First-Class Lounge & Spa we just opened at Abu Dhabi International Airport as just one example. Richard: Etihad has its own immigration clearance facility which allows passengers traveling to the United States to clear customs and immigration before boarding, so no bleary-eyed long lines after landing in the U.S. That is a brilliant value-add for the international business traveler. How did you manage to arrange this, when few others in the world offer such? Advertisement Peter: Abu Dhabi International Airport was selected by the U.S. Government to offer this service to U.S.-bound travelers. It allows them to be processed through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport, clear all U.S. immigration and customs checks before boarding, and arrive in the U.S. as domestic passengers, saving them valuable time connecting to other flights or proceeding directly to their final destination. We are delighted that Etihad Airways guests can enjoy the benefits of preclearance. More than 600,000 passengers were processed through the Preclearance facility in 2015. This facility is the first of its kind in the Middle East, Asia and Africa and one of only a few available in airports worldwide. We also participate in TSA Pre-Check, allowing guests who are approved by the TSA for the program to speed through security lines - a huge time saver which I am sure my fellow travelers can attest to. Richard: Some say the Etihad lounge in Abu Dhabi is the best in the world. Tell us about it? What is The Six Senses Spa? Shane: We would have to agree. Our new First Class Lounge & Spa is spectacular and the jewel of our airline lounges, providing an unmatched hospitality experience. We set out to create a refined and stylish environment for our guests, with great design, comfort, world-class dining, and bespoke beauty and relaxation services. The lounge is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and offers 16 unique zones, including an a la carte restaurant, bar, fitness room, cigar lounge, TV room, secluded relaxation room, prayer room, children's play room, Style & Shave salon, and our renowned Six Senses Spa. Guests are welcomed by a specialized team of reception and lounge staff, which include a General Manager, Concierge, Maitre d'hotel, Savoy-trained Butlers, chefs and mixologists with unique skills designed to complement our luxurious lounge environment. The Six Senses Spa has three treatment rooms with shower facilities. First class guests can enjoy a complimentary treatment, which adds to our goal of not only providing the highest quality services to our guests, but of making travelers feel relaxed and attended to whenever they travel with Etihad. Richard: Etihad has a unique way to whisk business-class passengers from the terminal to the plane (an air-conditioned BMW with a chauffeur). Tell us about this amenity. Shane: We believe the travel experience doesn't just begin when you arrive at the airport, but from the moment you leave your home. Advertisement Within the U.S., Etihad Airways guests traveling in The Residence, First and Business classes can take advantage of our door-to-door chauffeur service when traveling within a 60-mile radius of New York, Washington, Los Angeles, and San Francisco or a 70-mile radius of Chicago and Dallas. Guests traveling in these same classes of service are also eligible to receive complimentary limousine service to anywhere in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai. The Etihad Chauffeur service can be requested online, through our Global Contact Centers, or through local travel agents up to 24 hours prior to the date of travel. This is just another way we aim to deliver the highest levels of comfort, luxury, and world-class hospitality at every point in a guest's journey. Richard: There is an ancient and deeply revered Arab concept called diyafa, which means hospitality that is so good and generous it rides the clouds. Is that an element of the Etihad philosophy? Peter: Diyafa absolutely speaks to the Etihad philosophy. The Etihad Airways experience is one of a kind and reflects the very best of the United Arab Emirates and Arabian hospitality, including the warmth, culture, prestige, and generous spirit of the country, our home of Abu Dhabi and its people. Our cabin crew are Etihad Airways' secret weapon in delivering on this philosophy of hospitality. They represent more than 140 different nationalities to meet the needs of our diverse guests who come from everywhere around the world. One of the advantages of being a non-legacy carrier is that we can train our cabin crew in a unique way to our exact standards. From Savoy-trained Butlers and Michelin-star chefs to renowned Food and Beverage Managers and Flying Nannies trained at Norland College, we train our people on board our aircraft, across all cabins, to offer the highest standards of service. Any aircraft you board will have 12 different languages spoken. We are fortunate to have great people who work for us in Abu Dhabi who are committed to delivering world-class hospitality. Advertisement At the end of the day, it's up to the guest who they choose to fly with but what sets us apart is that we have fantastic, innovative products and engaged, enthusiastic people who enjoy working for us and welcoming our guests traveling with us each day. Richard: Etihad has a modern fleet, including several A380s. Tell us about the fleet, and their routings? Peter: Overall, from our home of Abu Dhabi, we fly to 117 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. And we continue to improve and expand our fleet, which includes 122 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, with 204 aircraft on firm order, including 71 Boeing 787s, 25 Boeing 777Xs, 62 Airbus A350s and 10 Airbus A380s. We are taking advantage of the latest in technology with these great aircraft. With our current fleet order, we will be the largest operators of the B787. We will also be a large operator at the Airbus A350-900 and -1000, along with the next-generation B777. And within the region, we also operate A320s and A321s. We gave careful thought to create just the right fleet mix to take advantage of the short-haul, mid-haul and ultra-long-haul markets, and ultimately, offer superior connectivity for our guests. Advertisement As far as our fleet of A380s, we operate daily flights between Abu Dhabi and London (2x), New York (1X), Mumbai (1X), Sydney (1X), and Melbourne (1X). Our A380 service between New York and Abu Dhabi will get a boost as we move to all A380 service between the two routes beginning next June with the up gauge of the aircraft operating our second daily flight. Richard: What's next? Peter: For us, it is all about the guest. We are going to keep pushing the envelope. We are going to keep innovating and developing the best aviation group in the world. We will not rest on our laurels and we have no time for the status quo nor doing things the way they have always been done. Looking ahead, what I think we will see more of is interaction with our guests and how they choose to interact with us. People, businesses and societies are interacting in ways previously unimagined and I think it is in these areas where we will see the greatest innovation. Each month, over two billion people use global messaging platforms - WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, or LINE (according to KPCB Internet Trends 2015). An Ericsson Mobility Report states that 90 percent of the world's population over six years old will have a mobile device by 2020. This is the world we live in now. We recently launched a Digital Guest Innovation Vision - a five-year roadmap for our digital development. This is about knowing our guests and tailoring their experience like never before. Neither is it just about self-servicing - it is about empowering face-to-face personal service, too. For us, it is about everything from getting the basics right to becoming remarkable for digital. There's always more we can do and our track record of innovation and delivering are the proof points as we continue moving forward. We've built this business on safety, sound strategy, innovation, service, and hard work. That will continue. Advertisement We are still hungry to grow and be the best but it will be smart growth, launching to the right destinations at the right time with the right return on investment. So, while we get bigger, our aim will remain to be the best, not the biggest, with the very best people providing the very best products and services in the industry. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks at a campaign rally at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, U.S. October 31, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder On Friday, some believe, FBI Director James Comey changed the dynamic of this election. But before we assess the Comey effect, one must consider its political context. For until Comey's bizarre intrusion, the last weeks of a mean and grueling campaign had yielded a surprising new candidate -- a buoyant Hillary Clinton. One sensed a woman who felt liberated -- or, at least, relieved. Her last debate with Donald Trump was in the rearview mirror, leaving Trump as rhetorical roadkill who, like a cartoon character, ran himself over after she mowed him down. When she spoke of him, her contempt was leavened by a trace of amusement, as though he was just another chauvinistic blowhard in life's parade of fools. Advertisement Her strengths in the home stretch -- Comey notwithstanding -- continue to reflect who she is. Her campaign organization is disciplined and deep, sustained by money she labored assiduously to raise. Her get out the vote operation is driving early voting. They, and she, are working hard in swing states to choke off Trump's path, while expanding the map in places like Arizona and Georgia. Her advertising is sharp and multifaceted -- and running everywhere it matters. Her surrogates are more talented, ubiquitous and well-deployed than ever seen for any presidential candidate -- Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and, of course, Bill Clinton. Her campaign is worthy of a president; Trump's campaign is worthy of no one but Trump. The debates proved to be pivotal -- adding up to the best performance by any candidate in the three-debate format. Clinton was tough, self-possessed, thoroughly prepared and on top of the issues. She carried out a well-conceived plan of attack which drove home her message in every debate, and in the days that followed. With well-timed thrusts, she exposed Trump's ignorance and, as lethal, his emotional volatility and gracelessness under pressure. She exploited his misogyny without mercy and, like a misogynist, he rewarded her efforts. She spotlit their differences on critical issues in this environment, race relations, climate change, gun violence, income equality tax and economic policy and, of course, experience. Her relentless competence inspired its own form of trust -- whatever the electorate's misgivings, she looked up to the job. Advertisement So she began talking as much about the future she wants as the damage Trump would do to it. By the evidence of the polls, she was drawing away support from third-party candidates. In the process, she had reawakened voters to the historic nature of her candidacy -- we would not just be electing another familiar face, and a Clinton at that, but a woman with her own hard-earned credentials. As always, Trump was helping. His performance at the Al Smith dinner was a classic of solipsism. At a charitable event meant to feature the candidates' gifts for self-deprecation and good-natured needling, Trump resembled a boorish dimwit who, having consumed a few beers, wandered into a comedy club by accident and was pushed onstage. Granted, calling one's opponent a jailbird-in-waiting was not a prescription for lighthearted laughter. Still, it is no easy trick to turn a black tie crowd feral -- every time you wondered just how bad things could get, Trump supplied the answer. It was like watching Asperger's inhabit his body -- somehow he had failed to grasp that a charity event featuring Cardinal Dolan was not, unlike a Trump rally, an ideal forum for attacking a woman. The horrors accumulated. His signal achievement was to make the appearance of Hillary Clinton seem like the advent of an angel of mercy. Though, again, not entirely merciful. After pointing out -- pointedly -- that the Statue of Liberty represents a nation which welcomes immigrants, she suggested that Trump "looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a 4. Maybe a 5 if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair." Having evoked The Donald who decreed a flat-chested woman can never "be a 10," she cheerfully added, "Come to think, know what would be a good number for a woman? 45." That, of course, is her serious point, and Trump's self-exposure as a serial groper has made him, at last, a kind of everyman -- as in every man who ever pawed a woman without her consent. When Clinton goes after him she is in a sweet spot millions of other women share -- not least Elizabeth Warren, for whose righteous loathing Trump seems specially engineered. This is no longer merely political or ideological, but personal: for Clinton, for Warren, and for an important slice of women who will vote their own experience and aspirations. Advertisement Thus empowered, Clinton was pressing for a governing mandate -- a bigger electoral majority, and down-ballot victories which would give the Democrats control of the Senate and a more robust minority in the House. This was not overconfidence; she was reaching for the tools to do the job and, in the process, to eviscerate Trump's claims of a rigged election. Essential to this strategy was tethering Trump to Republicans like a large and very dead cat. Those adhering to Trump are morally unfit to serve, the message goes; those distancing themselves are weak-kneed trimmers who, fearful of defeat, claim to have discovered what they already knew. Barack Obama was especially trenchant in asserting that Trump is the Republican Rosemary's baby, a child of the groundless conspiracy theories and mindless partisanship the party has trafficked in for years. The Republican base, he said, "actually began to believe this crazy stuff. Donald Trump didn't start this. He just did what he always does, which is slap his name on it, take credit for it and promote it. Now, when suddenly it's not working, suddenly that's a deal breaker. Well, what took you so long?" So even as Republicans were desperately dog paddling to stay above water, Clinton and friends were pushing their heads while Trump pulled on their legs. In between gasping for breath Republicans had a few talking points. Just when Trump had forgotten Obamacare, a rise in premiums came along to remind him. And while every leaked email was, by itself, a mosquito bite, a few hundred bites can induce some serious scratching -- especially those which, while they contain no evidence of "pay to play," link fundraising by the Clinton Foundation with the Clintons' family finances. But Trump has a mosquito's attention span. Handed a speech proclaiming his intent to "drain the swamp" which is our nation's capitol, he instead commenced by threatening to sue his female accusers. Speaking to a highly receptive crowd of people on his payroll, he asserted that "all of my employees are having a tremendous problem with Obama care" -- only to discover that few, if any, are actually on Obamacare. This gives mere inattention to detail a good name. Advertisement But then, as Obama famously said, "Donald is not a details guy." Clinton is certainly not a guy but, like many women, she's hell on the details that count. Among them is fundraising. Like it or not, that is part of a candidate's do or die -- for the party's sake as well as her own. Clinton knows that; Trump neither knows nor cares. So he has taught the GOP what others learned long ago -- that a man who cares for no one and nothing shafts everyone but himself. His indifference to fundraising has left the GOP and its candidates short of cash and strength on the ground. His campaign claimed that he was focused on bringing his message to voters. But it is Clinton who was delivering a clear and confident message; Trump who campaigned like a man who, obsessed with personal grievances, was searching for scapegoats instead of votes. Her campaign was a political symphony focused on Americans at large; his a dreary and interminable song of self. Indeed, before Comey intervened Trump's campaign resembled a self-indulgent concert tour, awash in whining, excuses, and attacks on the army of conspirators who have stacked the decks against him. He was, as ever, the victim -- of a "rigged election", massive voter fraud, "phony polls", the "disgusting" media and all the Republicans who have betrayed him. His bright spot? While Clinton was campaigning in the pivotal state of Florida, Trump was opening an eponymous hotel in Washington DC by slicing a ribbon with a giant pair of golden scissors. And so dyspepsia was spreading in his wake. Rudy Giuliani was picking colors for Hillary Clinton's prison jumpsuit. Newt Gingrich was picking fights with Megyn Kelly: when she asked, quite reasonably, whether the questions involving Trump's conduct toward women had contributed to his slippage in the polls, Gingrich accused her of being "fascinated with sex" -- a cringeworthy charge better left unspoken. Advertisement More seriously, his claims of victimization have driven some of his followers past the bounds of reason. On television, one of his supporters strongly suggested that he might assassinate Clinton. At a rally in Colorado Springs covered by a New York Times reporter, attendees asserted, variously, that only a rigged election could defeat Trump; that Hillary Clinton intended to confiscate their weapons; that her accession might require them to defend themselves through violence; and that the solution might be violence against Clinton herself. The contrast with the real Hillary Clinton continues to be stark. The America Trump describes at his rallies is a dystopian place that he alone can save. Clinton's America remains the best country on earth, capable of seizing the future through a shared resolve to strengthen our national community. Appearing together in North Carolina, Clinton and Michelle Obama spelled out the gulf between the two campaigns. Together, they presented a historic tableau -- the first African-American first lady and, quite possibly, our first female president.The theme of the rally was turn out to vote; the large and enthusiastic crowd was young, multicultural, and multiracial, the very voters Clinton needs. If their cohorts' commitment to voting remained in doubt, they nonetheless formed a mosaic of America's future, symbolizing the demographic and cultural headwinds buffeting Trump and the GOP. By voting, Clinton told them, they could define that future. The stakes were high. Voting rights. Marriage equality. Combating climate change. Equal pay for equal work. Affordable college. Student debt relief. Support for veterans. Immigration reform and a path to citizenship. And, yes, "dignity and respect for women is also on the ballot." As Clinton presented it, this was more than a laundry list of policies, framed as a partisan argument. It was the path to a more compassionate, inclusive and open society." All our kids," Clinton said," must know that America has a place for you." Advertisement Then, Michelle Obama. One could still remember 2008, when her husband's more rancorous opponents cast her as an angry black woman with no love for America. But when they went low, she went very high indeed. Now she was more beloved than her husband -- and the most charismatic non-candidate around, a woman whose love of country impelled her to speak out for Hillary Clinton. Clinton and her opponent, Obama said, have dramatically different visions of America. His is "grounded in hopelessness and anger". His America is "weak and divided" and filled with "communities in chaos." His "campaign of fear" asks us to "fear our fellow citizens." But Clinton offers a "campaign of unity." The choice, Obama argued, is between a campaign of "us versus them" and one which asks us to "embrace our better angels." At issue is "who will shape our children and our country... for the rest of their lives." An American president, Obama said, "is the most powerful role model in the world." So we must ask "what do all our children deserve in our President." Her answer? " A "unifying force" who "sees our differences not as a threat, but a blessing." Who "honors and values women." Who "understands that this nation was built by people who came here from all corners of the globe." Who "sees the goodness in our communities, not just the brokenness." A president "who takes this job seriously, and has the temperament and maturity to do it well." Hillary Clinton, Obama argued, wants to build a better world for our children. But her opponent is "trying to make this election so dirty and ugly that you don't want any part of it." Firmly, Obama concluded: "No one is going to take away our hopes." Advertisement Meanwhile, in Ohio, Trump proclaimed that the Clintons were the most corrupt political figures in our history; that Obamacare was ruining Americans' household finances; that only he could fix Washington DC; and that the comprehensive conspiracy against him was without historic precedent. To his supporters' relief, he was more or less back on message. But compared to Clinton and Obama, the message seemed as small as the man. It still is. But last Friday -- a mere 11 days before the election -- James Comey bolted from the wings to hand Trump a stool and a megaphone. The FBI Director's intrusion was as perplexing as its occasion for was strange -- a federal investigation into Anthony Weiner's alleged sexting of a 15-year-old girl. One of the mediums, it turned out, was a computer which contained emails sent by his now-estranged wife, Huma Abedin, a principal aide to Hillary Clinton -- a fact stumbled on at random by the FBI. That was it. The discovery was not related to the investigation of Clinton's email practices. The FBI had not reviewed the emails: no one knew what was in them; whether they contained anything of consequence; which, if any, went to Hillary Clinton; and, if some did, whether they were duplicates of emails already reviewed. There was no suggestion that Clinton or the State Department had withheld them from the FBI. In sum, this discovery did not suggest any impropriety or that, when examined, the emails would materially add to the public record. Nonetheless, Comey wrote Republican committee chairmen in Congress reporting that these emails existed, and that they were potentially relevant to the bureau's investigation of Clinton's private server. His letter said no more -- because he had no more. In an internal memo to FBI employees, Comey acknowledged that he could not assess "the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails" and that, as a result of his letter, "there is a significant risk of being misunderstood." Advertisement No kidding. Within minutes, the letter was leaked -- no doubt by Republicans. At once the media -- particularly cable news -- inflated it into a "bombshell"; "crisis"; "potential game changer"; and "firestorm", an "October surprise" which could transform the dynamic of the race. For the next three days, there was no other story. Hysteria took leave of fact. With his usual respect for truth and reason, a freshly energized Trump said variously: "I think it's the biggest story since Watergate"; "I think this changes everything"; that Clinton was "corrupt on a scale we have never seen before"; and that "we must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office." From all quarters, Republicans trumpeted the latest evidence of Clinton's supposed criminality, throwing around words like "indictment" and "impeachment" in an effort to make it the focus of the race. All that, responsible reporters noted, because of emails that no one had even read -- Comey had wreaked political havoc over, as far as he knew, nothing. But this was lost in the suffocating mudslide of reportage, speculation and partisan exploitation conjured by his letter. Calling his judgement "appalling," Senator Dianne Feinstein said that "Director Comey's announcement played right into the political campaign of Donald Trump." For that very reason, we soon learned, senior Justice Department officials had implored Comey not to send the letter -- citing department guidelines cautioning against actions which could influence a pending election. As one former senior official told Jane Mayer of The New Yorker: "You don't do this. It's aberrational. It violates decades of practice." The obvious reason, he added, is that "it impugns the integrity and reputation of the candidate, even though there is no finding by a court, or in this instance even an indictment." Advertisement By ignoring these warnings, Comey had changed the momentum of the campaign, with consequences yet unknown. In the immediate aftermath, all that Clinton could do was ask the FBI "to release all the information that it has." But having thrown Trump a political lifeline, Comey had nothing more to offer. And the public was assaulted by a story with no substance. Given all that, there was severe and widespread criticism of Comey from law enforcement professionals of both parties -- both for intruding on the campaign, and damaging the reputation of the FBI. Democrats were equally critical; Clinton herself called his actions "unprecedented" and "deeply troubling." In response, officials at the Justice Department pledged the resources necessary to review the emails swiftly -- an effort to address the damage done by Comey which, nonetheless, kept the story alive and the public waiting for more. As we wait, the political crosscurrents keep swirling. Bereft of new information, Trump nonetheless has a new theme which, for the moment, keeps him focused on making Clinton the issue. Reprising Clinton's use of a private server, he asserts repeatedly that she is guilty of criminal conduct -- clearly hoping to rally Republicans while estranging wavering voters from Clinton. Trump's campaign is not shy about their strategy: turn out his base, and suppress turnout among likely Clinton voters in every way they can, whether through negative information, voter ID laws, or intimidation at the polls. It's the only way that Trump can win. Even before Friday, the polls were tightening, most likely because of Republicans coming home. In states which Trump must carry, like Ohio and Florida, he may have regained the edge. But the Clinton campaign is driving early voting, in which she appears to be doing well, and the electoral map tilts very much in her favor. The question is whether, when the polls close for good, Clinton's superior ground operation will have turned out the voters she needs. The last seven days will no doubt be eventful -- Hillary Clinton's final test. WikiLeaks will keep releasing hacked emails. The Clinton campaign will try to retake the narrative. The Obamas will give Clinton their all. More gamy revelations about Trump may emerge. His rhetoric will grow ever more mendacious and ugly. The battle for the Senate will tighten. Polls will oscillate. Each campaign will make tough judgments about which states deserve more resources. Advertisement Through all this will run the Comey effect. More questions will emerge about his refusal, as reported this morning in The Huffington Post, to sign off on a statement saying that the Russian government was meddling in the presidential election -- on the seemingly ironic grounds that the statement was coming too close to the election. And Comey's mystery emails will hang over the campaign unless, and until, their contents become public. The irony here, logic suggests, is that the emails are of little significance -- that Comey placed his thumb on the scales without reason. Perhaps voters will perceive that. More likely, Comey's potentially historic misjudgement will not be enough to upend the fundamentals of the race. By now too many voters have made up their mind. Amid email panics and Wikileak dumps, impassioned female voters are staging "pussy" protests denouncing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's deplorable treatment of women. In response to the GOP candidate's predatory behavior - his graphic banter about sexually assaulting women on the "Access Hollywood" tape and his fat shaming of Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado - demonstrators in cities across the country have taken to the streets in front of Trump properties and national monuments. Chanting "Donald thinks he runs this town, pussy came to shut it down!" and brandishing signs proclaiming "This vulva votes," women are speaking up and speaking out against sexism. Pundits are predicting one of the largest gender gaps in U.S. election history. The man who shattered Republican primary records and steamrolled over sixteen opponents can't combat the flood of sexual harassment accusations, many of them from the pageant world. On Tuesday, former Miss Finland (2006) Ninni Laaksonen became the twelfth woman to come forward against the presidential hopeful. Will beauty queens be Trump's kryptonite? [Women take part in protests against Donald Trump across the country. REUTERS/Joshua Lott] Trump owned the Miss Universe franchise, which includes the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, from 1996 to 2015, when he was forced to sell. In response to racist comments the nominee made about Mexican immigrants on the campaign trail, the pageant's hosts, judges, sponsors, and broadcasters (Univision and NBC) dropped out. The media mogul added injury to insult by filing a $500 million lawsuit. Controversy has followed Trump since he purchased the Miss Universe family and "made the heels higher and the bathing suits smaller," reversing the trend, since the late 1970s, of putting greater emphasis on brains over beauty. Several contestants, some of them teens, have accused Trump of walking unannounced through their dressing rooms. Others have reported that he forcibly kissed them, joked about having an obligation to sleep with contenders for the crown, and publicly humiliated women who refused his invitations. Advertisement Ms. Machado said Trump treated her like "human property" during her reign, taunting her with names, "Miss Piggy" and "Miss Housekeeper," in between fat jokes and ethnic slurs. Cassandra Searles, Miss Washington 2013, recalls similarly degrading experiences. She calls Trump a "misogynist" who "treated us like cattle," and lined up participants "so he could get a closer look at his property." This month's protests, with militant women lambasting the objectification of beauty queens, are re-enacting a famous, but largely forgotten, scene from history that took place almost fifty years ago this fall. On September 7, 1968, a group calling themselves New York Radical Women disrupted the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in a brilliant spectacle of political theater. This was the event that introduced the world to the women's liberation movement. Demonstrators paraded around the boardwalk outside the convention center singing parodic songs about pageant promoters: "ain't he sweet; making profits off her meat," while carrying signs that read: "Welcome to the Miss America Cattle Auction" emblazoned above an image of a woman carved up according to cuts of beef. [Members of the National Women's Liberation Party hold protest signs in front of Convention Hall at the 1968 Miss America Pageant. Associated Press] Advertisement Comparing the pageant to a livestock competition at a "4-H Club county fair," where animals are judged for their teeth and fleece, and where the best "specimen" gets the blue ribbon, activists crowned a live sheep. Demonstrators complained that pageant culture encouraged women to be docile dimwits. "Miss America represents what women are supposed to be: inoffensive, bland, apolitical," noted organizer Robin Morgan in a 1968 press release. "If you are tall, short, over or under what weight The Man prescribes you should be, forget it." Morgan and her fellow feminists were not attacking the pageant contestants; they were critiquing the system of institutionalized male supremacy that judges women on impossible standards of beauty. In solidarity with the participants, but hoping to win them over to the protest, activists waved posters proclaiming: "Sisterhood is Powerful," "All Women are Beautiful," and "Let's Judge Ourselves as People." In addition to protesting "the degrading mindless-boob-girlie symbol" of a beauty queen, activists claimed the Miss America competition was racist, noting that since the contest's inception in 1921, there had been no Black finalist, no Puerto Rican, Alaskan, Hawaiian, or Mexican-American winner, nor had there even been "a true Miss America - an American Indian." One of the most controversial elements of the demonstration was the "Freedom Trash Can," where women were encouraged to throw implements of torture, including bras, girdles, stilettos, curlers, mops, and Playboy magazines. Plans to torch the can were thwarted by police, who refused to issue a fire permit. While newspapers around the country ran stories about "bra-burning women's libbers," these reports were fiction, evidence of how little truth goes into reporting the facts about political protests. The culmination of the Miss America protest took place inside the convention center where sixteen protesters unfurled a huge sheet emblazoned with "Women's Liberation" from the balcony at the moment the winner was crowned. Camera operators, alerted to the commotion, panned from the stage to the audience, catching the feminists in the act. Knowing that this was a live television broadcast, and one of the highest rated programs of the year, these radicals successfully gained worldwide attention for their cause. Advertisement In 1968, feminists called out blatant gender discrimination by asking, "In this reputedly democratic society, where every little boy supposedly can grow up to be President, what can every little girl hope to grow to be?" Come Tuesday, will one answer to that question be leader of the free world? If so, we should thank the pageant whistleblowers and the pussy protestors for helping to elect the first female president of the United States. A humpback whale breaches in Glacier Bay. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish Glacier Bay is a homeland, a living laboratory, a national park, a designated wilderness, a biosphere reserve, and a world heritage site. It's a marine park, where great adventure awaits by boating into inlets, coves and hideaway harbors. It's also a land park, with its snow-capped mountains, spectacular glaciers, and emerald-green forests. From the summit to sea, Glacier Bay's wildness is remote, dynamic and intact. --The National Park Service While Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska has plenty of beautiful mountains, rainforest, and cultural history to explore, the heart of the park is in the water--where glaciers spill out from adjacent mountains to create the icy seas. From the vantage point of the water, you can immerse yourself in the marine habitat that is home to humpback whales and a variety of other marine wildlife. Visible on the shore, wolf, brown and black bears feed on tidal delicacies. Beneath the sea, halibut and salmon thrive, making this one of the best places on Earth to drop a line. It is for all of these reasons and more that in the water is exactly where we stayed during our time in Glacier Bay. Our methodology is not unusual--90% of visitors arriving at the crown-jewel of cold-weather cruise destinations never get off the boat. We arrived to the Frontier State with our Airstream in tow via the the famed Alaska Highway, so we had to think a little more creatively to find our way onto the waters in Glacier Bay. It wasn't difficult, there are plenty of outfits in the area that know the waters better than any, and go hard each summer season to share the beauty with visitors. In that spirit, we are outlining four different ways to enjoy water-based adventures in one of the few U.S. National Parks that is made up almost entirely of water. We've also teed up some advice on where to establish your land-based operations. Advertisement A humpback whale fluke in beautiful form in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish National Park Tour Boat Each time we hit a new park, we head first to the park visitor center to talk to the rangers about what there is to do. The Glacier Bay Tour Boat operated by the National Park Service is typically the first outing for most visiting Alaska's water wilderness. Each day, the boat embarks at the dock adjacent to the Glacier Bay Lodge and sets off on a 130-mile trek through Bartlett Cove and Glacier Bay. Lunch is served at the mid-way point, sandwiched by a day-long traverse of the bay offering views of its wildlife, birdlife, and the tidewater glaciers that gave the park its name. Along the way, park rangers lend insight to everything you are seeing and then some. This is a perfect introduction and overview to life in Glacier Bay. Just one of the incredible wildlife sightings to be had in Bartlett Cove aboard the National Park Service Tour Boat: Harbor seals happy at home in Glacier Bay. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish Whale and Aquatic Wildlife Watching Taz Whale Watching is the most popular game in town when it comes to whale watching, a result of their stellar record of producing sightings--75% of all outings see whale activity. Minky, Humpback, even Orca live in the Glacier Bay feeding grounds during the summer season, showing at the surface to spout air, and if you are lucky, bound from the water in what is called a "breach"--a complete lift from the water. A breach is the marine wildlife equivalent to watching a bear paw a salmon from the river or a lion take down a wildebeest in Africa. It's more of a wildlife watching expedition than merely a whale watching one, you will likely also see harbor porpoises, stellar sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, bald eagles, and again if you're lucky, orca ("killer") whales. Taz operates trips seven days a week from May to September. Advertisement Taz Wildlife Watching is one of the most popular outfits in Glacier Bay, with a 75% success rate in spotting Humpback Whales in their feeding ground. Their experienced captain took us into the heart of their habitats continuously through our all day outing. Seen here, a pod surfacing right next to the boat. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish Sea Kayaking The Glacier Bay Lodge is also the jumping off point for sea kayaking excursions (guided or solo) where you can paddle the shorelines in Bartlett Cove and take in views of Alaska wildlife. From the water, you can safely view shore-side bear activity from a distance. Humpback whales are active in the area during each summer season, which is incidentally the most popular time to visit, and can be seen on the icy blue horizon. If you are lucky, you will see them breaching in the distance and even in your immediate vicinity. It's pretty awesome when the kayak outfit braces you with instructions on what to do if a multi-ton sea mammal coasts beneath your tiny watercraft. Sea otters also common the area but you probably won't get too close, they are protective of their young, and as such, not too keen on being near humans. All the same, this is a wildlife habitat and we aren't meant to get too close anyway! Glacier Bay Sea Kayaks organizes backcountry kayak/camping trips up to ten days long and will outfit the entire experience for you. We went out for only a day, and that too, was totally awesome. Paddling out into Bartlett Cove from the Glacier Bay Lodge. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish Halibut and Salmon Fishing Fairweather Adventures Glacier Bay took us out for a day of cold-water fishing and it turned out to be one of our favorite memories of our time at this water-based park . You don't need to be an expert fisherman, or even good at fishing to find success--we both pulled up 70-pound halibut! What was so cool about this experience was what we learned from our boat captain, Jim Kearns, a local guide who has lived in Glacier Bay for 30 years and is regarded as one of the best in the area. He and his wife Julene run a bed and breakfast in the nearby town of Gustavus, where they invited us into their home to eat "the bounty of the sea," as they called it--our halibut, rockfish, and salmon catch from the day. Advertisement Captain Jim Kearns is one of the most experienced and knowledgable skippers in Glacier Bay, having navigated the waters for decades. Here, he shows us how to wrangle a 70-lb halibut, one of many we pulled up that day, and enjoyed for dinner at his bed & breakfast in Gustavus. Photo credit: Jonathan Irish The Glacier Bay Lodge and Park Visitor Center The Glacier Bay Lodge is located in the only established area in the park in Bartlett Cove, where nearby you can set out on easily accessible hiking trails, explore native historical exhibits, push off for day-long paddling excursions, sign up for and set out on the Glacier Bay Park Tour Boat, and easily pick up park information in the park visitor center that is conveniently located on the second floor. The restaurant deck offers sweeping views of the bay, positioned west making it a perfect place to enjoy dinner and take in the sunset after a day of exploring! Cross-Posted from DeSmogBlog TigerSwan is one of several security firms under investigation for its work guarding the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota while potentially without a permit. Besides this recent work on the Standing Rock Sioux protests in North Dakota, this company has offices in Iraq and Afghanistan and is run by a special forces Army veteran. According to a summary of the investigation, TigerSwan "is in charge of Dakota Access intelligence and supervises the overall security." The Morton County, North Dakota, Sheriff's Department also recently concluded that another security company, Frost Kennels, operated in the state while unlicensed to do so and could face criminal charges. The firm's attack dogs bit protesters at a heated Labor Day weekend protest. Advertisement Law enforcement and private security at the North Dakota pipeline protests have faced criticism for maintaining a militarized presence in the area. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and National Lawyer's Guild have filed multiple open records requests to learn more about the extent of this militarization, and over 133,000 citizens have signed a petition calling for the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene and quell the backlash. The Federal Aviation Administration has also implemented a no-fly zone, which bars anyone but law enforcement from flying within a 4-mile radius and 3500 feet above the ground in the protest area. Dallas Goldtooth, an organizer on the scenes in North Dakota with the Indigenous Environmental Network, said on Facebook that "DAPL private security planes and choppers were flying all day" within the designated no-fly zone. Donnell Hushka, the designated public information officer for the North Dakota Tactical Operation Center, which is tasked with overseeing the no-fly zone, did not respond to repeated queries about designated private entities allowed to fly in no-fly zone airspace. What is TigerSwan? TigerSwan has offices in Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, India, and Latin America and has headquarters in North Carolina. In the past year, TigerSwan won two U.S. Department of State contracts worth over $7 million to operate in Afghanistan, according to USASpending.gov. Advertisement TigerSwan, however, claims on its website that the contract is worth $25 million, and said in a press release that the State Department contract called for the company to "monitor, assess, and advise current and future nation building and stability initiatives in Afghanistan." Since 2008, TigerSwan has won about $57.7 million worth of U.S. government contracts and sub-contracts for security services. Company founder and CEO James Reese, a veteran of the elite Army Delta Force, served as the "lead advisor for Special Operations to the Director of the CIA for planning, operations and integration for the invasion of Afghanistan and Operation Enduring Freedom" in Iraq, according to his company biography. Army Delta partakes in mostly covert and high-stakes missions and is part of the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the latter well known for killing Osama Bin Laden. One of TigerSwan's advisory board members, Charles Pittman, has direct ties to the oil and gas industry. Pittman "served as President of Amoco Egypt Oil Company, Amoco Eurasia Petroleum Company, and Regional President BP Amoco plc. (covering the Middle East, the Caspian Sea region, Egypt, and India)," according to his company biography. "Sad, But Not Surprising" Advertisement "It is sad, but not surprising, that this firm has ties to the US interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq," Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the women-led peace group CODEPINK and the co-founder of the human rights group Global Exchange, told DeSmog. "It is another terrifying example of how our violent interventions abroad come home to haunt us in the form of repression and violation of our civil rights." The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Private Investigation and Security Board are also conducting parallel investigations to the one recently completed by Morton County. TigerSwan did not comment on questions posed about their contract. Cross-Posted from DeSmogBlog Almost exactly 20 years ago, President Bill Clinton signed into law a bill creating an interstate agreement for emergency management. That inconspicuous law has opened the door for the current flood of out-of-state law enforcement agents present at the continuing protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. The Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) authorized states to enter into agreements with other states in order to share emergency managementrelated personnel during crisis situations. One of the only other times this compact was deployed outside of a natural disaster was for the Black Lives Matter protests in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray. DeSmog reviews the use of this controversial authorization below. News is just breaking now that police are removing protesters at the site right now. Advertisement According to a history of EMAC published in September 2014, the compact centers around empowering states to respond to massive hurricanes, and in particular, Hurricane Andrew, which caused nearly $25 billion in damages when it hit Florida and Louisiana in 1992. "Passage of EMAC in Congress was a relatively smooth process," reads the history of EMAC. "It was mainly a matter of obtaining sponsors and getting EMAC on the congressional calendar. Introduction of the bill occurred soon enough after Hurricane Andrew that memories of the hurricanes destruction still lingered." More recently, states used EMAC to work together during both Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016. All 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, participate in EMAC. With language mostly centering around natural disaster relief, the congressional joint resolution creating EMAC also notes it exists to help manage things like "community disorders, insurgency, or [an] enemy attack." Advertisement State of Emergency On August 19, North Dakota Republican Governor Jack Dalrymple declared a state of emergency surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, which triggered the ability of other states to offer help in North Dakota as part of EMAC. The State of North Dakota remains committed to protecting citizens rights to lawfully assemble and protest, but the unfortunate fact remains that unlawful acts associated with the protest near Cannon Ball have led to serious public safety concerns and property damage, Dalrymple said in the press release announcing the emergency order. This emergency declaration simply allows us to bring greater resources to bear if needed to help local officials address any further public safety concerns. Six States States which have recently deployed personnel to North Dakota include Wisconsin, Indiana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, and Nebraska, according to an October 23 press release from the Morton County Sheriff's Department. Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management spokesperson Lori Getter told DeSmog that "under any EMAC request, agencies are asked if they are able to assist. In this case, the request came to the state of Wisconsin and we sent out a request to law enforcement to see who could support this mission. It is strictly voluntary by each department. Those departments responded and agreed to send officers." Advertisement Getter said that officers from seven different law enforcement and public safety agencies throughout Wisconsin have gone to North Dakota. She said that a total of 57 law enforcement officers were deployed so far, while 13 officers still remain but plan to return to Wisconsin on October 30. A public information officer for the Indiana Department of Homeland Security said that nine different agencies have sent officers to North Dakota. ABC news affiliate RTV6 in Indianapolis reported that 37 officers have been sent to North Dakota from the Hoosier State. According to the Omaha World-Herald, 11 state troopers from Nebraska have been sent to North Dakota. Who Pays? A common question is who is paying for these officers to police protests in another state? During the April 2015 BLM protests in Baltimore, Pennsylvania sent in 300 state troopers and New Jersey sent in 150 more in an attempt to manage the volatile situation that erupted after a young black man's death while in police custody. In that case, Maryland compensated the Pennsylvania officers for their time and effort, which according to Getter, is also the case with North Dakota. A police officer from Indiana reiterated this in a story published by The Times of Northwest Indiana, noting that the reimbursement "includes all wages, overtime and cost of benefits to the officers, meals while the officers are on duty, a per diem while they are off duty, lodging for the officers during their time of stay and mileage reimbursement for the communities who sent vehicles. Backlash Grows Authorized by EMAC, out-of-state officers have arrived in North Dakota at a time of increasing tension, arrests, and strip searches at the Standing Rock Camp, where the largely Native American protesters are based. Advertisement Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a no-fly zone within a 4-mile radius of the Standing Rock Camp and 3,500 feet between the air and ground. However, those flight restrictions do not apply to law enforcement, according to a FAA-designated spokesperson in North Dakota, which means protesters are no longer permitted to fly drones to monitor law enforcement behavior. "Protesters continue to escalate unlawful tactics endangering officers and residents," said the Morton County Sheriff's Department in an October 23 Facebook posting, which served as a prelude to the no-fly zone announcement. "Sunday protesters attacked a helicopter with a drone, fired arrows at a helicopter, established an illegal road block on highway 1806 and illegally occupied private property moving in tents and teepee's to a DAPL construction site." The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have submitted multiple open records requests in the attempt to lift the curtain on state- and federal-level law enforcement techniques used at Standing Rock. "In an affront to First Amendment rights, Water Protectors and allies have been continuously surveilled by low-flying planes, helicopters, and drones, and have had local cell phone communications jammed and possibly recorded," reads an NLG press release announcing the filing of the requests. "Dozens of local and out-of-state law enforcement have been called in, maintaining a heavily militarized presence at the site in an effort to intimidate activists and chill dissent." Advertisement The Associated Press reports that law enforcement are attempting to remove protesters who have encamped in teepees and tents situated on Dakota Access LLC's land. Ironically, given the implementation of EMAC and out-of-state cops pouring into North Dakota, the Morton County Sheriff's Department released a graphic pointing to arrests of those from out of state. A congressional aide from an office critical of the pipeline said the office had never even heard of EMAC. Only one member of Congress, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), has weighed in so far on this use of EMAC in North Dakota. Hoeven did so only in passing in a recent press release, noting the agreement is in place for the Dakota Access pipeline. As revealed on DeSmog, Hoeven has investments in wells which do hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") for oil in North Dakota's Bakken shale basin and will likely feed into the Dakota Access pipeline. Advertisement "World is Watching" The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's Chairman Dave Archambault II and over 121,000 signatories to a petition circulated by CREDO Mobile have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the on-the-ground tensions at the pipeline protest sites. The world is watching the violence of local police at the Camp at Standing Rock and we are horrified, Josh Nelson, Deputy Political Director at CREDO, said in a press release. We demand that Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Department of Justice launch an investigation into reported abuses by local North Dakota law enforcement. Clearly these law enforcement officers believe they are above the law and we wont see justice until the DOJ investigates. A deep appreciation for the elegance of thrift. As a granddaughter of the Holocaust, food insecurity is rooted in my family of origin. To this day I detest food waste. A FaceBook friend's post about an innovative food-based charity L.A. Kitchen intrigued me. They were planning a night of 100 dinner parties across the Southland called Shared Plates. Having raised almost $40,000 from that night a couple of weeks ago, an anonymous donor will continue to match every dollar donated up to $1 million. Hunger persists in the City of Angels. Non-profit L.A. Kitchen serves double duty. The hungry are fed excellent chow that otherwise would be trashed. Turning out tasty nutrition for those who need it while teaching skills to enhance one's viability in a competitive jobs market sounded right up my alley. 100% of the proceeds from these dinner parties were donated to an organization dedicated to sourcing food about to expire, teaching culinary and beverage expertise to underemployed populations and serving the finished product to the needy. Those newly released from prisons and young adults launched from the foster system are taught to be chefs. Finished meals are then delivered to senior and day care centers as well as after school programs. Curious about Ms. Feinstein's FB post I immediately called my homie Luisa Bottari-Stern to see if she was interested and of course she was. The earthquake of Amatrice, near Rome, had just occurred. (Weeks after the dinner party major aftershocks continue.) We agreed that a menu honoring the cuisine of this region made sense. Advertisement Though a historic place may crumble, stirring, chopping, sauteing, boiling, roasting and baking holds a culture's collective memories in place as its citizens rebuild. Photo courtesy of The Guardian In addition to the tomato and pork cheek ragu, Amatriciana, Luisa confirmed that pastas and risottos are typically Roman. Pasta Carbonara (which happens to be Luisa's husband's Adam's favorite pasta) came to mind as did a Porcini Mushroom Risotto. We wound up eating clams and mussels spaghetti because we agreed there was too much pork on the menu and harvests from the sea are so Italian. Looking for recipes I found one from a delightful blog Rome Loft which uses Zingerman's ingredients. I recalled receiving their playful catalog in the mail and was pleased to find the website remarkably similar. Vintage photo of Zingerman's proves delicious food bonds people in a unique way. Zingerman's is a haloed place of scrumptiousness an Ann Arbor, Michigan, deli which proved to be our life line. We - Luisa, Stacie and I - are three busy professionals. The idea of putting together a menu, dividing up responsibilities and shopping together or alone for ingredients was inconceivable. With the well organized and inviting website, each of us was able to peruse the comestibles, abundant with Italian items, on our own. We threw out ideas with the click of computer keys and shared links on group emails. Advertisement Like Christmas in October a big box came for Luisa from Zingerman's as scheduled. What could have been a hassle became convenient. To her credit Luisa undertook the lion share of cooking duties and dear that she is, set the table. When we arrived at her home a gorgeous sunset the color of our Aperol Spritz greeted us. Our crew assembled, fees paid by guests and voila, easy as that, we looked forward to an old fashioned dinner party for charity. There was something so civilized about sitting around the table for soulful conversation after cooking and serving. I adored the origin stories of how we all met. One couple, Betsy and Mark were old college friends of my significant other, Lewis Perkins. It was a pleasure to become acquainted with Scott and Tash who are partners in life and architecture. Luisa and Peter's (Stacie's husband) narrative took the cake. The Bottari-Stern and Hunt-McBride clans were neighbors for several years yet had not ever socialized which is not uncommon in Los Angeles. A few years ago, a random dialogue was struck one fateful afternoon. As kismet worked, Peter, a retired school teacher, Vietnam vet, working journalist and long time surfer a la Moon Doggy, was hosting former students later that day. Luisa was invited to the gathering, being an educator herself. She posed the question as to how these grownups remembered their former teacher. A number of them remember his name changed mid-way through the year from Mr. Guker to Mr. McBride. Guker was the last name of Luisa's Italian mother's, Lilia's, U.S. doctor. Peter's father was a famed orthopedic surgeon Lilia sought out who saved her from complications after a horrific car crash involving half of the family which left this 30 year old mother of five under the age of 7 a quadriplegic. (It was 1968 and seat belt usage was not the norm.) In the discovery of a few degrees of separation that existed between Peter's and Luisa's families a familial friendship was instantly formed. Lilia Costa Bottari, near Biella, Piemonte, shortly before her accident. Luisa remembered that every day her Roman mother would order food items over the phone. Purveyors came by their house for Lilia to inspect the goods. She made her purchases and then directed cooks from her wheelchair. Advertisement As chance would happen it was also the night before the 6th wedding anniversary for Stacie and Peter, who serenaded us with his guitar over antipasti. Stacie and Peter's wedding at La Villa del Vallein Guadalupe Valley, Baja California, Mexico. A few shout outs courtesy of Zingerman's so easy to shop after a full day of work. Two Sicilian pestos spread on flatbread as part of the antipasti - Trapanese which Luisa never knew existed and a spicy basil based pesto (not Genovese). Guanciale pork jowl for the sauce along with tomatoes from San Marzano (yes they are different, special and worth the effort to seek out). Extraordinary pasta, bucatini and spaghetti, bronze cut, leaves a rougher edge with more surface area for sauce to hang onto, not to be too geeky. Aceto Balsamico Vinegar from Modena, another area of Italy rocked by earthquakes in the last 5 years. Advertisement Beautiful risotto (right down to the packaging). Cheeses - For antipasti we savored a fragrant caved aged Taleggio and Fontina. Pecorino Romano was added to the Bucatini All'Amatriciana and Parmigiano to the risotto in the sauces and as garnishes. (No cheese was added per Italian tradition to fish and seafood plates.) Medium brew espresso capped the meal with a mild, lush taste with notes of caramel. Panna cotta with a raspberry coulis for dessert with biscotti from Tuscany cookies just like home says Luisa, "Bravissima!" The delicious grapes we drank. Once again Stacie's picks were outstanding. With the antipasti dry Cleto Chiarli (100%) Lambrusco del Fondatore, Emilia-Romagna DOC - is no ordinary picnic wine rustic and bubbly from a 150 year old estate. With dinner the red was a 2014 Sassoregale (also 100%) Sangiovese, Maremma DOC. The white was a 2014 Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano Siena which also boasts a center for agrotourism! Protesters at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate denounce Trump. Axel Schmidt/Reuters This piece is part of The Conversation Global's 'The View From ...' series, explaining how governments and citizens in key countries worldwide view the US election. Today, Richard Maher explains why Europe is so afraid of Donald Trump, and how it all comes down to Russia, NATO and trade. As the US presidential election enters its final week, most poll-based models show Democratic nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in front of Republican challenger, Donald Trump. There are questions about how Clinton's ratings will bounce back from the announcement that the FBI is reviewing a newly discovered trove of emails that relate to her use of a personal server for government business when she was secretary of state. But her significant lead in the polls will be hard to beat. Advertisement While Clinton has not garnered the same level of enthusiasm across Europe as current US President Barack Obama received in 2008 or 2012, European leaders are no doubt breathing easier now that a Clinton victory seems more likely. In mid-summer, polls showed a real possibility that Trump could win the election and become the 45th President of the United States, an outcome that was seen as catastrophic across Europe. European leaders watched Trump's ascent first with dismay and then with growing alarm. Some offered uncharacteristically blunt assessments of his fitness to be a party nominee, and their preferred electoral outcome. French President Francois Hollande said that Trump "makes you want to retch". Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi criticised what he called Trump's "policy of fear", and made clear his "very strong" support for Hillary Clinton. Advertisement German foreign secretary Frank-Walter Steinmeier called Trump's portrait of the United States as being beset by internal and external enemies "grotesque", and warned that a Trump presidency would lead to "many uncertainties for the trans-Atlantic relationship". For European leaders thinking about the election, three major issues occupy attention: the future of the NATO alliance; the West's relations with Russia; and whether the moribund Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) can or should be revived. NATO The candidates' views of NATO mark one of their most striking foreign policy differences. While Clinton has called the alliance "one of the best investments America has ever made", Trump has said the alliance is "obsolete". Trump has also been coy over whether he would respond automatically to a hypothetical Russian incursion into one of the Baltic republics, which have been NATO members for more than a decade. Ints Kalnins/Reuters Every US president since Truman has interpreted Article 5 of the NATO Treaty - the mutual defence clause - as establishing a legal and moral obligation on the United States to aid another alliance member facing external attack. Instead of automatically upholding this commitment, Trump has said that he would condition a US response on whether the NATO ally had previously "fulfilled their obligations to us". Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Danish prime minister and former NATO secretary general, condemned this statement, saying it undermined US credibility and risked allowing Russia to increase its influence in Europe. Advertisement Russia No Democratic or Republican presidential nominee in history has spoken with such admiration of Russia as Donald Trump. Russia is, at the very least, a country most US and European security experts continue to view as a rival if not an actual adversary. Trump has praised Putin's intelligence and leadership style, invited Russia to commit cyberespionage against Clinton, and suggested that, as president, he might formally recognise Crimea as part of Russia. This is despite the fact that, in the most blatant and serious challenge to post-Cold War Europe's political and security order, Russian military forces forcibly seized the peninsula from Ukraine in a show of force reminiscent of Europe's darker periods. If elected, Clinton would enter office with the most strained and contentious relationship with Russia of any president since the end of the Cold War. As David Sanger of the New York Times has reported, some of Clinton's longtime advisers are already thinking of ways to put pressure on the Russian government and on Putin himself. These include the imposition of additional sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and international condemnation. Reuters While European leaders would hardly welcome an escalation of US-Russia tensions - especially since the question of how to respond to Russian actions in Ukraine, Syria, and elsewhere is already dividing European governments - Trump's apparent infatuation with the Kremlin creates even more unease. Trade deals A key battleground for the US election has been the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which aims to widen market access, enhance regulatory cooperation, and set common rules to promote transatlantic trade and investment. The 15th and latest round of talks took place in New York in October 2016. Advertisement For the United States, TTIP is a corollary to the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which was signed in February 2016 but has not yet been ratified. Regardless of who wins the election, the odds of concluding the TTIP agreement seem unlikely. Trump (along with Democratic Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders) has stoked opposition in the United States to free trade agreements generally. Trump has made opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement and the TPP a core element of his candidacy. While bemoaning the loss of domestic manufacturing jobs to globalisation and free trade, he has proposed a range of tariffs and other protectionist measures unseen in the United States since the 1930s. The incompetence of our current administration is beyond comprehension. TPP is a terrible deal. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2015 Clinton supports the expansion of free trade agreements less enthusiastically than Obama, who pushed hard during his presidency for both the TPP and TTIP. As president, Clinton is unlikely to make TTIP a priority. Advertisement Even if Clinton decides to push for the conclusion of TTIP negotiations, however, diminishing popular appeal in both parties for new free trade agreements will make it hard for her to get it ratified by Congress, even though many economists on both sides of the Atlantic have said that the agreement would create jobs and give an important boost to sluggish economic growth in the EU. If the talks fail, Europe may lose more than just greater access to transatlantic trade and investment. Its ability to promote its values and set global standards - in areas such as workers' rights, environmental protection, and sustainable development - through trade would take a hit. Cheering for Clinton A Trump victory on November 8 would be viewed across European capitals as calamitous. While Clinton is well known to European leaders, they view Trump as erratic, unpredictable, and even unstable. Trump's views regarding NATO, his overtures to a revanchist and increasingly authoritarian Russia, and his opposition to the expansion of free trade deviate in profound ways from America's approach to Europe since the end of the second world war - an era that has spanned twelve presidential administrations, six Democratic and six Republican. Advertisement European leaders are also worried that a Trump victory might embolden their own national populist movements. Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Front, has said that she would vote for Trump. Nigel Farage, who led the successful Leave campaign in the UK referendum on EU membership, has appeared on the campaign trail with Trump. Anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders appeared at a fringe event of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July, praising Trump's proposed ban on Muslim immigration into the United States. For all these reasons and more, leaders across Europe are rooting for a Clinton victory on November 8, some quietly and some more openly. Richard Maher, Research Fellow, Europe in the World Research Area, European University Institute Photo by Andrey Skakodub Here in Kyiv, we remembered the victims of massacre on September 29th -- the tens of thousands of peaceful residents whom the Nazis slaughtered on ethnic grounds. It is difficult to understand the magnitude of the crime, for which there can be no excuse, no explanation. Over a period of two days, September 29th-30th, 1941, almost 34,000 Jews were murdered at the site of the Babi Yar ravine. After that, mass shootings were committed there with grim regularity, as often as twice a week. Records show that more than 100,000 people -- Jews, Gypsies, and Ukrainians -- were massacred here. Along with Auschwitz and the Warsaw ghetto, Babi Yar was tragedy on a global scale. And, we -- the people of Ukraine, and the international community -- must do all that we can to prevent such atrocities from happening again. There can be no room in our hearts or among communities for fascism, Nazism, racism, and xenophobia to take hold. Advertisement Each of us should remember this painful, terrible page of history, not only on the day of anniversary, but every day. It must not be swept under the carpet -- as it was during Soviet times -- nor denied with glib arguments, or avoided with averted eyes. It is unfortunate, but for so many years, so little has been done in Ukraine to establish an appropriate memorial. There are Holocaust memorials all over the world -- in Jerusalem, Wien, Berlin, New York and many other cities -- and some include memorials to Babi Yar. I am not going to give up on my intention to create a fitting memorial here, where it happened. For a year, we have been working toward this goal with many people in many cities; and we are moving forward. I urge others to work with us toward fulfilling the creation of a Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center. I have many pressing jobs as Mayor of Kyiv, but I consider it my mission to accomplish this historically important task. We have discussed the project with the leadership of Yad Vashem Remembrance Center in Jerusalem and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., and others. Using the experience, energy and perspective of these leading organizations, public figures and patrons from many countries, we will ensure that a vibrant memorial comes to life, one that also drives research of the Holocaust -- to keep the memory alive about this global crime against humanity, and to prevent its repetition. Advertisement As Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." It has become a trite quotation, but in the case of Babi Yar, it is not only especially fitting, it is a critical imperative. There must be a memorial in Kyiv. I know in my heart, and I am sure that many reading this know it as well, that we must create a unique memorial center on the site of a horrible crime and deep tragedy. This is foremost to commemorate the victims. And yet, it must be more. We have to remember that part of the human soul that allows such horror and cruelty to occur, and in equal part, we must also honor those whom we call the Righteous of Babi Yar, the people who risked their lives to save Jews and prisoners of war. They had a choice and they chose to act. Their goodness and bravery stand in stark contrast to the horror they fought against, and we must honor their example, and hold it up high. We have a vision. We have a concept for the memorial. We have the will to create it. We will do our best to create the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv by the 80th anniversary of the tragedy. We already took the first step on September 29th 2016. I am very grateful to all those who joined the ceremonial signing of the Declaration of intent to create the Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Center -- public figures, philanthropists, historians, and museum experts -- from around the world. Advertisement The Declaration advances our united, global fight against the intolerable ideology of genocide. By following through on this mission, we remind the world that forgetting is tantamount to accepting, and we can never accept what happened, nor ever permit it to happen again. Thoughts of what might have been with Hillary Clinton, and what was with Ralph Nader ... If only Hillary Clinton were not so notoriously, well, non-technosavvy. Had she carried two smartphones instead of one -- it's easy, I've got two in my pockets right now -- she could have turned over the one with emails devoted solely to her post as U.S. secretary of state and none of this would be happening. Instead ... With the curious development of new e-mails found by FBI agents investigating her closest aide's estranged husband and his alleged sexting with a 15-year old girl, an election that should be Hillary's (but of course never quite has been), given Donald Trump's manifold problems, is up in the air. Instead of pivoting at long last as long promised to a positive campaign mode to close out this most odious of election seasons, laying out her vision of America's future -- silly me, I'm so old-fashioned I think that's what a campaign is supposed to be mainly about -- Hillary is instead upping the negative. She has gone from slagging Trump, and now FBI Director James Comey, as threats to democracy to hitting Trump for being an undoubtedly dangerous finger on the nuclear button. Advertisement The Clinton campaign has even rolled out an updated version of the legendary 'Daisy' ad used 52 years ago by Lyndon Johnson to cast Barry Goldwater as far too dangerous a figure to be in charge of nuclear weapons. Hillary Clinton has just rolled out a reworked version of the 'Daisy' ad from 1964 to stir up fear, uncertainly and doubt about the prospect of a President Donald Trump in control of the nuclear button. One hesitates to describe the deeply seasoned Clintons as panicking, yet this is obviously not something done at this late stage by a campaign in command of events. LBJ only ran the 'Daisy' ad once, two months before the election, in order to frame what became a landslide choice for his leadership. Advertisement Of course, we don't know precisely what will come of the dramatic turn in the Hillary e-mail saga, which I discussed last Friday along with the Wikileaks/KGB revelation of how former President Bill Clinton leveraged the Clinton Foundation during his wife's term at the helm of the U.S. Department of State to gain an astounding fortune. My view is there has to be something more to lose the election for Clinton, perhaps evidence of deleted classified e-mail turning up on the absurd Anthony Weiner's laptop. Certainly the Wikileaks revelations, as I discussed Friday, have not been timed for maximum effect against the Clintons. Of course, the only reason the lack of optimum timing on the part of Russian intelligence (controlled by career KGB officer Vladimir Putin) and their useful cut-out Mr. Assange is an issue is because Trump is such a self-indulgent, self-destructive screw-up as a presidential candidate. Although Trump is right a bit more often than a stopped clock, any sign that he is engaging, intelligent, reasonable, with a powerful populist message -- "hmm, I wonder if ..." -- is shot down by his repetitively obnoxious and erratic behavior. That and the fact that his too infrequent forays into substance are shot through with fascism, racism, and sexism makes it impossible to countenance Donald Trump as president. And the reality is that if it is not Hillary, it will be Trump. In 2000, after I helped Arianna Huffington put on the Shadow Conventions opposite the Republican and Democratic national conventions in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, I met in LA with Ralph Nader, one of our speakers. Advertisement Nader, of course, was the Green candidate for president and wanted me to work with him on his campaign. I said I was flattered and felt he had important things to say, but was concerned he could pull votes from Al Gore and thus help elect George W. Bush. Who of course was not only nowhere near the environmentalist that future Nobel Peace Prize winner Gore was but was very much in the opposite direction. Climate change, it seemed to me, was at an important stage in 2000 and was simply too important an issue to risk. But Nader assured me that he could not be a spoiler in the presidential race because Gore would win comfortably. Of course, the exact opposite proved to be the case. The political and media cultures are so rancid and dysfunctional, the world scene so toxic and teetering on the verge of chaos, that our core political hopes in the present era must be quite basic. 1. Preserve the habitability of the planet, now very much under threat, much more so than in 2000, from the byproducts of an unsustainable industrial civilization and the threat of expanded wars. Advertisement 2. Promote inquiry and exploration for a better time. This means the expansion of knowledge and responsible science, as well as the exploration of not only our own space and everything in it but of outer space. Which brings us to those two cheers for Hillary Clinton. For with Hillary, we get both priorities. Because, putting aside all the problematic characteristics of her candidacy, we know that it is Hillary Clinton who will move forward on those fundamental fronts. Her record and her advocacy make that clear. If she moves too slowly, we simply prod her to meet her public commitments and be the best she can be. And we know that it is the preposterous Trump who will not only not take us forward, but take us backward. It is Trump who is the preposterous climate change denier, he actually called it a Chinese hoax, Trump who promises to return to the coal-fired energy policy of a century ago that would actually accelerate the cooking of the planet. And it is Trump, as aggressive a know-nothing as ever to come within hailing distance of the White House, who threatens the Enlightenment ethic of expanding knowledge and science revered by the founders of this Republic. Advertisement Let's hope America keeps its eyes on the prize. hand in jail When he was offered a role with an international NGO, journalist Yehia Ghanem had no idea it would land him in court.in the months after the Egyptian revolution, the mood of unity that had prevailed throughout the protests began to be eroded -- replaced with something more divisive and violent. For Egyptian journalist Yehia Ghanem, events would also take a strange turn -- on to a path that would eventually lead him into a cage in a Cairo courtroom. Read the rest of his series, Caged, here. In the months after Hosni Mubarak stepped down as president it seemed as though some invisible force was trying to turn what had been a peaceful revolution into a deeply divided and violent one. There were riots, assassinations and acts of arson; all committed by unknown perpetrators. Advertisement The state-controlled media pointed at everyone from left-wing anarchists to Islamists. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had taken over and was beginning its policy of divide and rule. Its objective appeared to be to sow seeds of doubt -- between all those who had been involved in the revolution and also between Muslims and Christians. When, on October 9, 2011, 27 peaceful Christian demonstrators were killed by the armed forces in front of the state television building, SCAF indicated that the army and riot police had charged at the demonstrators in response to shots from an unknown third party that had fired on troops who were stationed around the building. Doubts were cast upon the Islamists, although their parties denounced the massacre. At the same time, however, the military was making moves towards the country's two main Islamic political parties -- the Muslim Brotherhood, which had, in the wake of the revolution, formed its Freedom and Justice Party, and the Salafist Al-Nour Party. It sought to stir rivalry between the two. The unprecedented scenes of solidarity at Tahrir Square had slipped away. What had remained was a scam with SCAF at the centre, supported by public and private media and intelligence and former regime-created alliances. Advertisement While the U.S. was not being openly targeted by the military, it was the subject of a fierce disinformation campaign waged by the media -- a media that had long had a bias against it. Why, then, would a military that had always been known to have close relations with the U.S. encourage campaigns against it? The answer would begin to emerge months later when 42 employees of U.S. NGOs found themselves on trial in Egypt. I was among them. This is how I found myself there. My journey to the cage In June 2011, I received a call from a former professor of journalism at the American University in Cairo. She was, at the time, the country director for the Washington D.C.-based NGO, the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). She had recommended me for the position of director and adviser for a new training programme that the ICFJ intended to launch for Egyptian journalists, she explained. I thanked her and promised that I would consider the offer once it was received. Later that month, the professor introduced me to the head of the planning section at the ICFJ, who was visiting Egypt to oversee an already existing training programme. We agreed that the future training programme should focus on improving the journalistic skills and professional ethics of Egyptian journalists. We also discussed my potential employment and she made one condition: I would either have to resign from Al-Ahram newspaper, where I worked, or take a sabbatical. I refused. Then, in July, Patrick Butler, the vice president of the ICFJ, visited Egypt to work on the regional programme that had been started by the professor from the American University in Cairo. The programme -- ICFJ's largest in the Middle East -- included journalists from various Arab countries and was being held in partnership with Al-Ahram Canadian University, which was owned by Al-Ahram newspaper, where I was the managing editor. The programme was fully funded by the US Agency for International Development. Advertisement When Patrick and I discussed the future training programme, I reiterated my refusal to resign or take a sabbatical from Al-Ahram but said that, should this condition remain, I could, instead, work as a trainer on it. He explained that the ICFJ preferred that their trainers not be associated with any state-owned media outlets. I suggested that they ought instead to consider whether the journalist was independent and that he could take a look at my past work to confirm that I was. He was soon convinced and proceeded to tell me that he had already signed a lease for an ICFJ office in Cairo, since that was a requirement of the Egyptian government in order for the process of being officially registered to begin. I later learned that Egyptian law gives foreign NGOs two options: either to work in partnership with an Egyptian counterpart, such as a local NGO, university or media outlet, or to apply for registration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to work independently. The ICFJ had been working in partnerships with local media outlets and universities in Egypt since 2004. But since 2006, it had been applying to work independently. Most of the foreign NGOs' applications, including the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House, had been put on hold by the Mubarak government. This, we would come to understand during our trial, had been intentional. Advertisement The government had wanted to welcome foreign NGOs into Egypt so as to avoid being labelled a dictatorship. But by procrastinating over the application process, the government maintained control over them, able to wield the threat of rendering them illegal as it saw fit. This is what happened with the ICFJ, in spite of the fact that it had a local partner as required by law. By mid-August, I was contracted with the ICFJ to head one of its training programmes. I was enthusiastic about the prospect of helping fellow Egyptian journalists. A month after returning to Washington DC, Patrick contacted me to tell me that the lawyer who was proceeding with the ICFJ's application for registration had informed him that, according to government requirements, the lease on the office he had rented in Egypt should be signed either by an Egyptian or a foreigner residing in the country. Since he was neither, he asked me if I could sign a new lease for the ICFJ. The ICFJ's lawyer assured me that I would have no legal liability, so I did so. When, during the first two months, there were some banking problems transferring the rent from the ICFJ to the landlord, I volunteered to pay him myself until the problems were resolved. Later on, during my trial, the prosecution would use that office lease against me, alleging that I had opened a branch for a foreign NGO without proper registration in Egypt. It was, of course, untrue. But that didn't seem to matter. By David Wemer Last month, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Martin Schulz sat down for a live television "debate" on the future of Europe. Instead of providing a serious two-sided discourse on the challenges facing Europe, however, Juncker and Schulz used the opportunity to assign blame for Europe's recent ills on the European Union's member states. On issues including transparency, refugees, and Brexit, Juncker and Schulz seemed assured that the cause of the Union's recent malaise is not inaction by Brussels, but member state intransigence. In reality, it is the Union's institutions, not the member states, that have been ineffective in crafting policies to confront major challenges such as revitalizing Europe's battered financial market, managing the arrival of more than one million refugees, and protecting Europeans from a growing security threats. Despite the need for collective action, these crises have been met with muddled policy and gridlock within the Union's decision-making bodies. Union insiders like Juncker and Schultz have responded by arguing for Brussels to take more political control from the member states. Trust in European institutions, however, is at all time lows, and, as Brexit demonstrated, the pursuit of new political integration could push skeptical member states towards the exit. Juncker, Schulz, and the Brussels elite should pause their pursuit of deeper political integration, which is not only out-of-touch with much of the European electorate, but also provides no clear possibility of producing more effective or timely policymaking for Europe. Advertisement For too long, the idea that the European Union should pause integration has been blasphemy in Brussels. Educated with the idea that the European Union's transformation to a full-fledged state was all but inevitable, EU bureaucrats have developed a reflex to answer every policy problem with a European-level solution and blame every policy failure on insufficient integration. For decades, these elites have argued that deeper integration would create a "European" political identity, which would facilitate decision-making as national loyalties disappeared and the Union began operating like a unified state. However, this identity has not emerged as promised, as evidenced by recent votes in Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Rather, competing national priorities and gridlock, rather than efficacy, continue to characterize decision-making in the Union. Despite the sharp rebuke of Brexit, European leaders have responded to growing Euroskepticism by advocating for even more dramatic steps towards integration, especially in political and fiscal areas. The idea of a fiscal union for the Eurozone, which would remove substantial budgetary powers from member states, is still supported by Italy and France. And with Brexit having removed the obstacle of a British veto, some have advocated for new integration in security and defense policy, which could potentially lead to the establishment of a European army. European leaders, assured of the ultimate success of integration policies, seem determined to push these policies through while simply ignoring Euroskepticism. What makes Brussels believe that these new integration steps will improve policy? Eurocrats consistently argue that deeper political integration will foster the collective action needed to confront Europe's internal and external threats, but they fail to explain how consensus on concrete policy decisions would be achieved. The European Union has witnessed how difficult it has been for member states to come to an agreement on how to manage the refugee crisis. How will unanimous decisions be able to be made in a timely manner for other controversial decisions such as the deployment of European soldiers abroad or a tax code for a fiscal union? Unless member states choose to embrace majority voting rules and abandon a preference for consensus decision-making, can anything more be expected from Brussels than continued gridlock and watered down policies? Advertisement Not only does further integration appear misguided, but a determined pursuit of further centralization of power in Brussels could have grave consequences. The Union has already lost one of its most important member states, and Euroskeptic parties that seek to take down the entire Union are looking to expand their gains in France, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands. Pressure from large member states such as Germany and France for deeper integration in politically controversial areas such as national security could lead to backlash from other members, causing individual member states to ignore or withdraw from certain Union policies. In addition, time-consuming debates over new integration policies threaten to pull Brussels' focus away from actionable Union policies that would benefit the continent and improve its image among Europeans, such as concluding trade deals with Canada and the United States, expanding the single market to cover digital services, and providing funding to youth employment programs. In their debate, Juncker and Schulz downplayed the danger the Union is in. If anything is to be learned from Brexit, however, it is that integration is reversible. Should European elites continue to insist that integration is the silver bullet to tackle the continent's malaise, the backlash could very well cause the Union to unravel and become a relic of the past. While the dream of integration may still be alive, a pause is needed, and attention should be given to policies at all levels - European, national, and local - that provide actionable policy responses to the many challenges facing the Continent. In December the GOP nominee for president, Donald Trump, will stand trial for sexual assault. Despite denying these allegations outright, there is evidence to suggest that Trump's conduct around women is less than stellar. So let this be a rallying cry: A vote for Trump is a vote against women. Trump's behavior highlights the worst aspects of entitled white male privilege in America. A topic we've seen this year as highlighted in the Brock Turner case, the effects of which can be felt through people like Emily Doe. The impact of making Trump the next president of the United States cannot be understated. It will empower this white male privilege to keep thriving. It will show misogynists around the world that despite your behaviour, you can do anything your heart or penis desires (unless you're Billy Bush). Advertisement Trump is desperate to win and is trying to claw his way to a victory. Many people in America are noticing his shitty behaviour and are making a stand against it, however we cannot grow complacent. Trump has empowered a generation of like-minded people to follow his ways and we must do everything to stop it. Local officials discussed, rejected law enforcement consolidation in past Voters are being asked to consider a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 8 ballot that would enshrine the election of sheriffs into constitution . An Arizona mom is fighting her health insurance company to access a special treatment facility for her daughter who cant stop eating but says the insurer has already turned down the request multiple times.Hannah Wilkinson, 16, has Prader-Willi syndrome a rare and complex condition that, among other things, means Hannah feels hungry all the time.Her mother, Tonya Coupaud, is battling United Healthcare so that Hannah can receive the specialised treatment that the family say she needs.Just imagine if you were hungry all the time, 24/7 and couldnt eat and even if you did eat, youre still starving, Coupaud told 12 News.There is currently no cure for the genetic disorder, which affects appetites, growth, metabolism, cognitive function and behaviour, and treatment requires specialists.Coupaud says that her daughters doctors do the best they can, but just do not know enough about Prader-Willi Syndrome.The family found some success for Hannahs health by getting her involved in a case study, which Coupaud described as just amazing.The study involved testing a medication that helped with weight loss and behavior control, and Hannah lost close to 80 pounds.But the study unexpectedly ended and there are no plans for it to resume so Coupaud is once again taking up her fight to send Hannah to a one-of-a-kind in-patient facility in Pittsburgh that specializes in Prader-Willi.Hannahs weight is currently at 280 pounds which is considered obese, but is healthier than her weight three years ago, which stood at 355 pounds.She has some heart problems and her heart cant take that weight, Coupaud said.Everything is locked up in our home. Even the bread box has a lock on it, she continued, adding that she has caught her daughter eating from the trash and even eating dog food.Speaking of her continued battle against her insurer, Coupaud said: When theres something out there that will help your child, you will do what it takes to help her.We wont stop, she added, We wont stop.Related stories: About 70 Minnesota state went down while an automated call system tied up the phones of the states health insurance-selling agency today, according to the Duluth News Tribune. The situation was all the worse because today was the first day individual health insurance policies were available through the agency.An information technology official said the two incidents didnt appear to be linked, but together they threw a wrench into the works for many Minnesotans who were trying to apply early for individual insurance policies, according to the News Tribune.The robocalls flooded the phone banks of MNsure, the states insurance agency, with thousands of calls before the agency even opened for business at 8 a.m., and the calls continued until the agency was able to block them.Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said he didnt know the source of the calls, or if they were politically motivated, according to the News Tribune. However, MNsure and the Affordable Care Act have been hot political issues in Minnesota this election season.Meanwhile, the agencys website was available only to people who already had accounts. The site was down for about half an hour at midday, but technicians were able to restore limited functionality.Today was the first day people wanting insurance could purchase individual policies, according to the News Tribune. About 5% of Minnesotans depend on those policies, not getting coverage through an employer or government programs. Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam, left, said the school district is facing challenges with tight budgets and lack of intervention staff. The committee met Monday at Cheshire Elementary School. PreviousNext Adams-Cheshire Regional's Action Plan Seeks to Raise Test Scores He plans to update the committee monthly on how the student achievement plan is working in the two elementary schools and high school. CHESHIRE, Mass. Plagued by low standardized scores and tight budgets, the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District is going back to basics in a bid to improve performance. Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam reviewed an action plan at Monday's School Committee meeting that focuses heavily on classroom instruction and teacher feedback. He believes strongly that the district can reverse its low performance despite the challenges. "I think the important part is this school improvement plan is focused on student achievement," he said. "I want to point out the difficulty we're facing when we're implementing these goals. And I focused on intentional practices for improving instruction ... due to financial and personnel considerations. "Our efforts would be greatly enhanced if we are able to implement the practice of providing students specific support but budget cuts over several years have reduced intervention personnel positions, increased class sizes and removed scheduling flexibility." The school district has cut more than two dozen teaching and support positions over the past several years because of budget restrictions. "Our only choice is to focus on classroom instruction," Putnam said. Putnam reached out early on to the state's District and School Assistance Centers for support in implementing researched-based best practices in instruction. Programs include the Bay State Reading Institute, with which the district has been working for several years, a National Science Foundation program through Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and math programs. Adams-Cheshire has been a Level 3 district since the 1-5 rating levels were introduced in 2012. Level 3 means that students are not advancing in proficiency in relation to overall state numbers. Putnam has planned out performance goals at all three schools and is looking at "low-hanging fruit" where the district can make up points but targeting certain areas, such as the percentage of students' underperforming in science. Extra credit can be earned for increasing the number of students in advanced proficiency and decreasing the number in warning and failure categories. Earning 300 to 500 points will help narrow the gap. "I expect to see improvement in student performance across the board," he said. "Progressing toward those goals will earn us points ... and enable us to move out of the Level 3 status ... "We don't have to hit the goal, we have to show continuous improvement." The second prong in this plan is professional development and observation and feedback working with teachers on classroom performance. The most important thing will be student engagement in all schools, Putnam said, joking, "you don't want a Ferris Bueller day." DSAC had also reviewed his plans for Hoosac Valley High School, describing them as "ambitious," he said, and recommending a two-three year approach. ACRSD District Improvement Plan 2016-18 by iBerkshires.com on Scribd Cecile Love, 101, seated, and alumni of the 1792 New Ashford School. Love cuts the ribbon at Saturday's dedication. PreviousNext New Ashford Celebrates Restoration of Historic Schoolhouse Funds to build the structure were approved by town meeting in 1791. It did duty as a school, town hall and library for many years. NEW ASHFORD, Mass. It took a village to save the town's 1792 Schoolhouse. Along with some elbow grease and thousands in donations. The village came together on Saturday morning to celebrate the restoration of one of its oldest and most historic buildings, complete with a cadre of graduates who brought with them memories of a time before school buses and indoor plumbing, when discipline was a given. "If not, we got a ruler on our hands," said Cecile Love, 101, who chuckled, "I got into lots of things I shouldn't have." Love, the oldest living graduate of the little school, cut the ribbon to officially declare the project completed after a gathering in Town Hall across the street. The one-room building played host to a school, a library and town hall at various times over 160 years. The first woman to legally vote in a presidential election after the passage of the 19th Amendment, Phoebe Jordan, cast her ballot in the little schoolhouse in 1920. But when the "new" school, now the Town Hall, was opened in 1951, the old schoolhouse lay fallow for nearly 65 years. "It was becoming an eyesore," said former Selectman Ken Flicker. "We were worried abut it getting burned, we were worried about the bell getting stolen." Efforts to restore the building began in the early 1990s when brush and ivy were removed from the building but preservation work was spotty until 2008, when an article by Meghan Foley in the former North Adams Transcript led to an anonymous donation of $35,000. "That got us started on the restoration, the foundation," said Chuck Marrone, chairman of the Historical Commission. "The schoolhouse was actually picked up, stabilized, moved over there to pour the concrete foundation, with a stone shelf so it looks authentic. ... that's what got us started on this restoration." A year later, his mother's charitable trust made another large donation that allowed work to continue on the exterior. "In the fall of 2014, after a few years of not having anything done, work was started on the interior reconstruction of the building," Marrone said. "In late summer of this year, we finished the interior work." Past members of the Historical Commission were instrumental in getting that work done, he said, ticking off a long list that included former co-Chairs Lynn Steinhoff and Louise Palmer. And there was Flicker, and Cindy and Ed Grosso, Laurie Trottier and Matt Kelly. Ryan Keiper of Pittsfield, who married into Holden family, drew up the plans, gratis; Jeff and Mike Holden did the carpentry and wide pine floors. The Nichols did the wiring, Ed Lacasse laid the cable, and neighbors Sue and Joe Nawazelski allowed extension cords to run from their house during the final work. We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector We work towards an equitable, gender-just, self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: F-35 Lightning II Testing Begins on USS America Pacific Ocean - Five Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II aircraft landed on the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) on Friday. America will embark seven F-35Bs -- two are scheduled to begin the third shipboard phase of developmental test (DT-III) and five are scheduled to conduct operational testing. America, the first ship of its class, is an aviation-centric platform that incorporates key design elements to accommodate the fifth-generation fighter. The ship's design features several aviation capabilities enhanced beyond previous amphibious assault ships which include an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage of parts and equipment, as well as increased aviation fuel capacity. America is capable of accommodating F-35Bs, MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, and a complement of Navy and Marine Corps helicopters. The third test phase will evaluate F-35B Short Take-off Vertical Landing (STOVL) operations in a high-sea state, shipboard landings, and night operations. The cadre of flight test pilots, engineers, maintainers, and support personnel from the F-35 Patuxent River Integrated Test Force (ITF) are assigned to Air Test & Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. "It's exciting to start the execution phase of our detachment with VMX-1 (Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron 1) on USS America," said Lt. Col. Tom "Sally" Fields, F-35 Patuxent River ITF Government Flight Test director assigned to VX-23. "During the next three weeks, we will be completing critical flight test for both Developmental Test (DT) and Operational Test (OT). The F-35 Pax River ITF and VX-23 will be conducting DT work that will establish the boundaries of safe operation for the F-35B in the 3F configuration. VMX-1 will be conducting OT operations focused on preparing maintenance crews and pilots for the first deployment of the F-35B aboard USS Wasp (LHD 1), scheduled to start in just over a year." The operational testing will also include simulating extensive maintenance aboard a ship, said Col. George Rowell, commanding officer of VMX-1, based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. Rowell stated one of the VMX jets on board will be placed in the hangar bay, taken apart, and put together again, just to make sure everything goes well. The maintenance work will include the replacement of a lift fan, the specialized equipment made by Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney that gives the F-35B variant its short take-off, "jump jet" capability, Rowell said. The Marine Corps variant of the F-35 Lightning II reached the fleet first, with the service declaring initial operational capability July 2015. "The F-35 Lightning II is the most versatile, agile, and technologically-advanced aircraft in the skies today, enabling our Corps to be the nation's force in readiness -- regardless of the threat, and regardless of the location of the battle," said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, Marine Corps. "As we modernize our fixed-wing aviation assets for the future, the continued development and fielding of the short take-off and vertical landing, the F-35B remains the centerpiece of this effort." "The America class of amphibious assault ship design enables it to carry a larger and more diverse complement of aircraft, including the tiltrotor MV-22 Osprey, the new F-35 Lightning II, and a mix of cargo and assault helicopters," added Davis. "America is able to support a wide spectrum of military operations and missions, including putting Marines ashore for combat operations, launching air strikes, keeping sea lanes free and open for the movement of global commerce, and delivering humanitarian aid following a natural disaster." Lebanon's Presidential Election Washington, DC - The United States congratulates the people of Lebanon on the election of President Michel Aoun, in accordance with Lebanons constitution. This is a moment of opportunity, as Lebanon emerges from years of political impasse, to restore government functions and build a more stable and prosperous future for all Lebanese citizens. As Lebanon forms a new government, we look to all parties to uphold Lebanons international obligations, including those contained in UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701, which emphasize that there be no authority other than that of the Government in Lebanon. The United States will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Lebanese people and support Lebanons independence, sovereignty, security, and stability. Secretary of State John Kerry's Meeting on Libya Washington, DC - Secretary Kerry met today with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed, French Director General for Political Affairs and Security Nicolas de Riviere, Saudi Ambassador Mohammed bin Nawaf Al-Saud and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Martin Kobler to discuss ongoing efforts to support the Government of National Accord in Libya. The ministers reaffirmed the continuing and strong international support of Prime Minister al-Sarraj and the GNA. They noted the important progress of the GNA and the forces aligned with it in combatting Da'esh in Sirte. The ministers underscored their support for increasing the capacity of the GNA led by Prime Minister al-Sarraj to respond to the needs of the Libyan people. The ministers also called upon all Libyan economic institutions to work together in support of this effort. The ministers strongly endorsed the technical talks that would follow up on and implement this effort. The ministers also emphasized the international community's commitment to providing the Government of National Accord technical, economic, humanitarian, security and counter-terrorism assistance. They also emphasized the importance of the GNA moving forward with its work to form a new cabinet proposal that represents all parts of Libya. Acting Special Envoy Suleman Travel to Morocco Washington, DC - Acting Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Arsalan Suleman will travel to Morocco November 1-4. During his trip, he will participate in a workshop in Rabat on The Role of Religious Education in Fostering Peace and Preventing Violence, jointly organized by the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), OIC, and the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). This joint effort by the GCTF, OIC, and ISESCO will bring together religious scholars, academics, experts in the fields of education and CVE, and government officials to discuss best practices and concrete initiatives to advance peace through education. Acting Special Envoy Suleman will be a keynote speaker at the Summit of Conscience in Fez, where global religious leaders, faith based organizations, and civil society groups will gather to discuss the role of civil society in addressing climate change in advance of COP22. While in Morocco, Acting Special Envoy Suleman will also meet with senior government officials, representatives of religious communities, and members of civil society. Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} James Ensor was born in the seaside town of Ostend, Belgium, in 1860 to a British father and a Belgium mother. His mother ran a curio shop that sold touristy tat, including masks to wear during the towns annual festival. Ensor loved his father, who supported his sons choice of career. But his art was inspired more by his mothers shop where he spent many hours as a child surrounded by its opulent colours, reflections and sparkling rays of light, [which] doubtlessly contributed to me becoming a painter in love with colour, delighted in the blinding glow of light. Ensor chose to study painting in Brussels but always returned to Ostend where he lived until his death, his studio in the top of his house revealing the roofs and sky of his beloved West Flanders town. Ensor enjoyed critical success by his mid career but his stardom waned and his is far from a household name outside his native Belgium, with few works in British collections. It is sad because he is a gloriously inventive painter who rewards close scrutiny. Recently there have been a spate of shows claiming to be about an artist, only to turn out to include a few works of that named artist. But the Royal Academy has managed to obtain three major canvases by Ensor, along with a number of his intricate drawings and etchings, and Ensor was nothing if not a great draftsman. I find it strange that the curator, in this case Belgian painter Luc Tuymans, gets star billing in everything related to the exhibition. Looking at the cover of the lavish catalogue it is as if Tuymans has somehow made Ensor. It is sad that Tuymans could not resist putting his works in the middle of the exhibition, as they suffer by comparison. Perhaps Tuymans has more time to curate now that the market is not as strong as it was for his influential early work. Depressing, as Tuymans was such a force in painting at the peak of his career. What thrills me most about Ensor is how unique his paintings are. I can point out influences including English artists JMW Turner, James Gillray and William Hogarth in his parodic approach, and the quasi-insane world of Dutch artist Hieronymous Bosch. While it is interesting to cite his potential influences, Ensor is his own man, imbuing layers of meaning into his works. The Skate (1892), a portrait of the flat fish, is not a conventional still life but loaded with many meanings including an overt eroticism. The large Theatre of Masks (1889) reveals layers and layers of meanings, with portraits and masks seemingly both receding and progressing. It is worth visiting the Royal Academy for these two paintings alone. I am sure that Rene Magritte, perhaps Belgiums best known artist, was well aware of Ensor. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It's become a mechanical process - every few weeks or so, Disney announces yet another live-action remake of one of its classic animated tales. Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, Dumbo, The Lion King, and Aladdin remakes are all already slowly rolling towards multiplexes like the inevitable march of time; one more has now been added to their number, with The Hollywood Reporter announcing a Snow White live-action movie is also in the works. Yet, though the inclination will be to grumble, Disney's plans for the film do actually sound fairly intriguing, and they at least make significantly more sense than hiring Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels' Guy Ritchie to make its Aladdin film. The Girl on the Train's Erin Cressida Wilson is in negotiations to pen the screenplay, who has an interesting past with more mature projects such as Secretary, Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, and Chloe. The film will be a musical; intermixing both the iconic songs of the original 1937 animation and new tracks penned by songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who most recently contributed the lyrics to the critical-smash La La Land. However, Disney's new film will be having to compete in a cinematic landscape which has already seen multiple adaptations of the Brothers Grimm fairytale hit screens of late; notably 2012's Mirror Mirror starring Julia Roberts and the Kristen Stewart-starring Snow White and the Huntsman, which debuted the same year. Jermaine Clement talks about role in Moana Furthermore, Disney already has Ginnifer Goodwin playing the role of Snow White on ABC's Once Upon a Time, so it'll be crucial the studio lands the perfect talent to pick up the role for its own musical film. The next live-action film on the slate, Beauty and the Beast, hits UK cinemas 17 March, 2017. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It's been known for some time that Michael Fassbender is returning for Prometheus sequel Alien: Covenant but only now has the actor revealed a twist regarding his appearance. He'll not only be reprising his role of the android David but will play another robotic character altogether - this one named Walter. Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Show all 14 1 /14 Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Bill Murray With only one Oscar nomination to his name (2003's Lost in Translation), Bill Murray is one oversight that - in many people's eyes - could easily throw the Academy Awards into disrepute. AFP/Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Samuel L. Jackson Considering he's one of the most bankable film stars in the world, it's a surprise that - with over 160 credits to his name - Samuel L. Jackson has only received a mere one nomination (Pulp Fiction in 1994). 2016 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Joaquin Phoenix With three previous nominations under his belt - for films including Gladiator and The Master - it was his performance as Johnny Cash in 2005 biopic Walk the Line that was expected to see him win an Oscar (he lost to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's for Capote). 2015 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Brad Pitt The ever-present fixture he remains in Hollywood today, you'd think Brad Pitt would have won an Oscar by now; while serving as producer of 2014 Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave, he currently has zero acting wins to his name despite three nominations (Twelve Monkeys, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Moneyball). 2015 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Tom Cruise Still one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Tom Cruise seemed like a sure awards bet back in the Nineties with films Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire and Magnolia all earning him nominations - and yet, he never once emerged victorious. 2015 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Richard Gere Would you believe us if we told you Richard Gere has never even been nominated? Well, it's true - and, quite honestly, shocks us quite a bit. Poor guy. Juan Naharro Gimenez Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Gary Oldman One of the film industry's finest character actors, Gary Oldman has been nominated just the once for playing George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 2014 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Johnny Depp Despite his recent dip in quality, Johnny Depp has delivered several Oscar-worthy performances in the past. With a total of three nominations to his name - all for post-2000 releases including Pirates of the Caribbean and Finding Neverland - it's more a wonder he didn't receive more recognition for standout films such as Ed Wood and Donnie Brasco in the Nineties. 2015 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Harrison Ford Harrison Ford may now be the world's highest-grossing actor (sorry, Samuel) but still doesn't have the Academy Award to back up such a feat. In fact, he's now into his third decade of not receiving recognition from the Academy with his sole nomination arriving back in 1985 for Witness. Getty Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Edward Norton Edward Norton is just the kind of actor you'd assume would've scooped a statuette at some stage or another, but no - Norton just has three nominations to speak of; his first in 1996 (Primal Fear), his second in 1999 (American History X) and his third just last year (Best Picture winner, Birdman). AFP/Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't John Malkovich American actor John Malkovich was nominated once in 1984 (Places in the Heart) and again in 1993 (In the Line of Fire) but hasn't posed much of a threat since. 2013 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Annette Bening Poor Annette Bening, who has come close to victory four times (The Grifters, American Beauty, Being Julia and The Kids Are All Right) but is yet to clinch one. 2015 Getty Images Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Glenn Close ...well, it could be worse; she could be Glenn Close who has been on the shortlist six times for films including Fatal Attraction, Dangerous Liaisons and, most recently, Albert Nobbs. Actors you think have won Oscars but haven't Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter may have received a Best Actress nomination for Wings of a Dove (1997), but it was her Best Supporting Actress nomination for 2012's Best Picture winner The King's Speech that seemed a sure bet; Melissa Leo's role in The Fighter won that round. 2015 Getty Images Reportedly, the two characters will be seen on-screen together (adding Fassbender to the long list of actors who have acted opposite themselves) with the more-advanced Walter not liking David's older model. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} If asked what the UKs biggest killer is, few would answer heart disease. But thats the reality its responsible for over 155,000 deaths every year, with seven million people across the UK living with the debilitating condition. And its particularly prevalent in the City and East London. Its a cause close to the hearts of staff at Beaufort Securities a city-based stockbroker who are joining forces to help improve cardiovascular care for Londoners. Their office neighbours St Bartholomews Hospital, home to the Barts Heart Centre, one of Europes leading cardiac centres. Our local community depends on the care provided by the hospital, explained John Brennan, Chairman of Beaufort Securities, recognising the part he and his staff can play in improving the healthcare of their local community. And so were very proud to be supporting Barts Charity to play our part in helping this fantastic care to continue for generations to come. St Bartholomews has treated the people of the City of London and beyond for 900 years. Its a specialist hospital for cardiac and cancer care, and the Barts Heart Centre is seeking to tackle the high levels of heart disease prevalent in in the City and East London. The Centre is helping to lead the way in transforming cardiac care for millions of patients not just locally but globally. Following its opening in April 2015, 5,000 patients from across London and beyond are treated there every month and, through the combination of research and expert cardiologists, its set to save an additional 1,000 lives a year. Beaufort Securities will be hosting a fundraising drinks reception at St Bartholomews Hospitals Great Hall on 2nd November where they aim to raise 50,000 to fund life-saving, ground breaking equipment and research at the Barts Heart Centre. 300 guests from the financial sector will attend, with each of them getting the opportunity to glimpse the medical advances underway in the City of London. Theyll be able to try their hand at cardiovascular surgery with state-of-the-art simulators used to train the Barts Heart Centre clinicians. Barts Charity supported the opening of the Barts Heart Centre with a 10.2m grant last year. Beaufort Securities fundraising will help clinical staff at the Centre with research and patient care. Were truly grateful for the support of Beaufort Securities, added Fiona Miller Smith, Chief Executive of Barts Charity. Speaking about the Barts Heart Centre and what support from the community means, she added: We are determined to make a step change in cardiovascular medicine and without the generosity of our neighbours this is not possible. We have a fantastic opportunity to revolutionise cardiovascular medicine by funding the most advanced pieces of equipment that save lives immediately while simultaneously funding vital research to help build the future of medicine. Daniel McKerchar is Major Gifts Manager at Barts Health NHS Trust For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hackers have targeted 50,000 people a day in the UK as part of a major tax refund scam. Posing as government officials, the emails duped victims into sharing their personal details by telling them they could reclaim money. The enterprise, which had been mimicking the government's "@gov.uk" domain name, took six weeks to shut down. Details of the scam have to light amid growing concern the UK's cyber defences. Chancellor Philip Hammond has insisted the UK will be able to "strike back" against future high-level hacks, as he introduced a new strategy that aims to improve the countries cyber security, Announcing 1.9 billion in funding for the scheme, Mr Hammond underlined the security threat posed by hackers harnessing personal devices for malicious purposes, a strategy used during the major cyber attack that brought down Twitter and Paypal in October. Cabinet Office Minister Ben Gummer said in a statement: No longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, cyber-attacks are a reality and they are happening now. Our adversaries are varied organised criminal groups, 'hactivists', untrained teenagers and foreign states." Cyber security has been recognised as one of the greatest threats to business around the world, with the global cost of cyber crime estimated at $445 billion (363 billion), according to the World Economic Forums 2016 Global Risks Report. Public services such as the NHS are also targets for attack since they hold large amounts of personal data, according to Mr Gummer. The Government said it will recruit more than 50 cyber-crime investigators and technical experts to work in the National Cyber Crime unit and vowed to invest further in training people to become experts in internet security. Included in the strategy is a plan to work with private companies to block spam emails so they never reach users. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters The Government announcement comes after MI5 head Andrew Parker told The Guardian that Russia is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. A new national action plan is also being launched by Labour to teach young children about the dangers of online grooming. Activists have said child sexual abuse has evolved and proliferated with growing internet access. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Australian dad blogger Brad Kearns, aka DadMum, frequently posts about the reality of fatherhood - but his latest update has hit a nerve. The 27-year-old from Tuggerah, New South Wales, has spoken frankly about not being able to party now hes a dad, and even his wifes post-baby body, but his most recent post about the lead-up to childbirth is brutally honest. I've always thought of myself as pretty cool under pressure," he wrote. The dad-of-two often posts about the reality of fatherhood (DadMum/Facebook) But the first time I got that call that my wife's waters had broken, something changed, Brad posted on Facebook. The excitement of almost being a dad went straight out the window because holy f***, a tiny human was about to come out of my wife, he humorously wrote. After describing how he took his wife to the hospital as quickly as he could, Brad goes on to detail how panic had clearly set in. Brad always thought of himself as pretty cool under pressure until he got the call that my wife's waters had broken (DadMum/Facebook) It was f***ed. This was happening. Holy sh**... The louder she got, the higher my heart-rate spiked and the faster we went. This woman strolls over and opens the door for us. I've just put in a performance that would rival Usain Bolt over the 200m whilst pushing a wheelchair, and this old lady casually opens the door like it's a book club meeting and I'm 20 minutes early. Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations Show all 10 1 /10 Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ Before And After: Instagram Dad's Amazing Transformations www.instagram.com/thingsihavedrawn/ He also added that he felt scarred during his wifes contractions and how it felt as though all dignity was out the window. Now as a man I obviously couldn't feel the pain. But let me tell you, when those contractions were hitting, I had a pretty good idea what was going on, he said. People come in, people leave, they say stuff like dilation and every now and then someone throws on a latex glove and goes under the hospital gown. Childbirth is actually amazing. I dont get how they even go through that? (DadMum/Facebook) Despite the commotion, the proud dad boasts about the birth of his son Knox adding that childbirth is actually amazing. I dont get how they even go through that? If you know any men out there who are pretending not to be nervous. Tell them they should be very f***ing nervous. Or send them my way. I'm a pro now. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When Childline launched on 30 October 1986 as a phone line for children in trouble or danger, it received 55,000 calls on its first night. The volume was unexpected and at first overwhelmed the social workers and volunteers manning the phones at the London switchboard. The freephone number 0800 1111 was launched on the BBC programme Childwatch, produced and presented by Esther Rantzen, and followed revelations about adults experiences of sexual abuse as children. A survey for the BBC show Thats Life! had collected 3,000 responses, 90 per cent from women, detailing abuse within the family home and by strangers, and the lack of public or institutional support available for children. Yet 30 years on, and despite Childlines ongoing work, recent reports suggest British children are among the unhappiest in the world. A survey published in February, coordinated by the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, ranked the UK 13th out of 16 countries in terms of childrens life satisfaction, above South Korea, Nepal, and Ethiopia. So what is child happiness, and what role do childrens charities have in improving the well-being of young people? Since its launch, Childline, now owned by the NSPCC, has helped over 4 million children and young people, and in 2015-16 alone its website received 3.5 million visits. But its success was by no means guaranteed at launch. Most newspapers ignored it, despite Childlines receipt of a government start-up grant. Professional concerns that the organisation might hinder childrens services and distress children rather than help them were much more common. Articles in The Guardian at the time, that we have looked at as part of research on the charitys history, quoted social service staff arguing that Childline would not find a hidden well of child abuse and would increase the burden placed on social workers. Social workers suggested that counsellors should be trained professionals, rather than volunteers. Childlines interventions reveal social anxieties about who is responsible for childrens well-being: the family, state, voluntary sector or simply everybody. The issue is a historical one: between the 15th and 17th centuries, the protection of children was often seen as the collective responsibility of a community. The Victorians began to discuss cruelty to children, which was seen mainly as the responsibility of the voluntary sector including the NSPCC which was founded in 1884. During World War II the emergent professions of psychiatry and psychoanalysis went on to sound warnings about the impact of childrens separation from their parents by bereavement and evacuation. In the post-war period, there has been increasing focus from social scientists, governments, and charities on trying to measure childrens happiness, in order to improve it. This trend has not been without its critics. The sociologist Frank Furedi argues that childhood is over-surveyed, leading parents and the state to restrict childrens freedoms and autonomy, with little benefit. The first Childline advert shows a child calling the service from a telephone box (NSPCC Archive) How to define childhood happiness has also been contested. In the 1980s, Childlines expansive definition of child abuse taken to encompass anything troubling or concerning to a child was criticised by some broadsheet journalists. The evidence from childrens contact with Childline, however, shows just how wide young peoples own interpretation was of the issues that were affecting them. These include bullying, and more recently sexuality and gender identity. Data collected and published by Childline reveals how some of childrens main concerns have remained constant since 1986 familial abuse and neglect, bullying, friendships while others have evolved. In 2000, Childline observed an increase in children calling to speak about HIV/Aids. In 2005, it reported an annual rise of up to 30 per cent in calls about self-harming. Last year, Childline was contacted every 30 minutes by a young person having suicidal thoughts. Childline demonstrates how the measurement of childrens happiness is inseparable from the medium through which they disclose it. Princes Diana and Dame Esther (right) attend ChildLines 10th Birthday Appeal in 1996 (NSPCC Archive) In the 1980s and 90s, the landline telephone provided an opportunity for some children and young people, but not others. Age, gender, socio-economic status and the ability to talk in a private space or because of emotional stress or cultural reasons were all discriminating factors. From the beginning, many children wrote in to Childline. Now the rise of digital technologies has created new ways of listening to children. Childlines internet chat service began in October 2009 and in 2015, 71 per cent of counselling was done online. This may be allowing Childline to better reach out to new audiences, notably over the initial disclosure of mental health issues. There remains disagreement among policymakers, academics and childrens charities about how to measure childrens happiness, and how to use data from Childline to do so. Still, the organisations analysis of counselling testimonies has been used to call for social and political change. Arguing that calls from children with suicidal feelings had risen by 14 per cent in the previous year, in 2006 Childline lobbied through The Independent for a Department of Health investigation, and for peer support groups to become a statutory requirement in schools. Assessing childrens happiness is incredibly complex. It depends on the measures used, the children contacted, and the prevailing issues of the day. While data from Childline is not perfect, it is a powerful tool for charting changing patterns in child well-being over the last 30 years. This article was first published on The Conversation (theconversation.com). Jennifer Crane is a research fellow at the University of Warwick. Eve Colpus is a lecturer in British and European history post-1850 at the University of Southampton Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One of Japans leading businessmen has warned Britain that Japanese companies have already begun receiving offers to relocate elsewhere in the EU and are contemplating postponing investment decisions following the UKs decision to leave the EU. Haruki Hayashi, president of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in the UK and chief executive of Mitsubishi in the EU, urged Britain to give more than general reassurances to Japanese firms or risk putting investment decisions at risk. His warning came after Business Secretary Greg Clark resisted calls to reveal the details of the Governments agreements with the Japanese car giant Nissan following last week's announcement that the company will build two new models at its plant in Sunderland, securing the future of 7,000 jobs. Recommended Read more Government signals it will not release letters sent to Nissan Speaking to MPs at a reception in London, including the Brexit Secretary David Davis, Mr Hayashi said the uncertainty that has risen after the Brexit vote, including the slump in the value of the pound and the possibility of being restricted from the EUs single market, is a major concern for Japan. Hayashi was quoted saying: Some examples of areas of concern for Japanese companies include validity of the single passport system, the free movement of skilled workers between the UK and different parts of Europe, and whether the continuation of the current environment of uncertainty will lead the Japanese companies to postpone further investment decisions. He emphasised that Japanese businesses had come to Britain looking for a gateway to Europe. David Davis sought to reassure the investors present at the reception saying the UK will be a beacon of free trade, adding that Mays government intends to negotiate for a comprehensive trading agreement with the EU. In September, a Japanese government taskforce already delivered a warning to the UK in a 15-page document titled Japans Message to the United Kingdom and the European Union. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty The document made it clear that Japanese companies want clarity about the UKs negotiations with the EU. Uncertainty is a major concern for an economy; it evokes a sense of anxiety, causing volatility in markets, and results in the contraction of trade, investment and credit, the reports authors wrote. What Japanese businesses in Europe most wish to avoid is the situation in which that they are unable to discern clearly the way the Brexit negotiations are going, only grasping the whole picture at the last minute. Click here to download your free guide on Brexit ideas and action plans, from Independent Partner, Hargreaves Lansdown Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Carnegie Investment Bank, which manages $17.2bn (14bn) for clients, sold all of their UK holdings as opinion polls narrowed ahead of the Brexit vote in June. We had equities and corporate bonds in Britain before the vote, said chief strategist Henrik Drusebjerg. We started selling off our UK holdings to absolute zero maybe a month before the vote, he said. He wouldnt give the value of the assets sold. The Stockholm-based bank is staying out of UK investments because uncertainty remains too large a factor regarding negotiations to leave the EU, the strategist told Bloomberg Radio on Monday. A separate survey of 83 money managers commissioned by NN Investment Partners revealed that Brexit and the potential breakup of the EU was deemed the biggest investment threat globally. Sorrell on brexit anxiety It will definitely end with a deal that is so bad they will either get an election about this new bad deal, or they will have to have a parliamentary election before that, Mr Drusebjerg said. Its very possible that Britain will never reach Brexit because I think down the road it will be obvious that the deal they will get will be really, really bad for the economy. Brexit is shaping up to be the worst of a slew of nationalist sentiment thats hitting the global economy, the strategist said, citing a potential Donald Trump victory in the US election, a constitutional vote in Italy in December to limit the power of the Senate and parliamentary votes next year in Germany and France. That could result in the election of more politicians who advocate trade barriers, which would be negative for investors, he said. Bloomberg Click here to download your free guide on Brexit ideas and action plans, from Independent Partner, Hargreaves Lansdown Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The full extent of the countrys reliance on financial services and the damage that could be caused to the economy by a Hard Brexit has been highlighted by new data. Britain sold 63.4 billion more in financial services to overseas businesses than it bought from them, a report by lobby group, the CityUK, showed. The amount represents a new record and is in stark contrast to many other sectors where the country is running large deficits. Strong sales of financial services helped to constrain Britains ballooning trade deficit, which reached 38.7 billion last year, the report shows. The City expects to suffer more than many other sectors as a result of Brexit, with so much of its income reliant on trade with the EU. The industry is pleading with Theresa Mays government for a special deal to retain access to the single market but senior government figures have said that banks will be treated the same as other industries. The UKs surplus in financial services is more than that of the US, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Singapore combined, highlighting the extent of the countrys dependence in the industry. London accounts for more international bank lending than any other financial centre and is the dominant centre for trillions of dollars in foreign exchange transactions - 37 per cent of global forex is conducted in the UK. Brexit is a unique opportunity to attract investment and expand into new markets. Liam Fox - International Trade Secretary City UK Chief executive Miles Celic, a former PR man at HSBC and Prudential, claimed the record surplus showed the industry had made its most significant contribution to UK exports since the Big Bang shook up the nations banks in 1986. He said it was crucial the Government secured a mutually beneficial Brexit deal for Britain and the EU so industry could prosper. It is absolutely essential that the Government remains focused on implementing bold policies that protect the attractiveness and competitiveness of the UK as a place to do business through Brexit and beyond. [Britain's financial services sector] is a national asset and its continued strength is fundamentally linked to a strong and thriving economy, he said. It is also a European asset given its role as Europe's financial centre, which is why ensuring a deal which is mutually beneficial for the EU and the UK and ensuring stability and certainty to the extent possible and protecting the interests of the industry's customer and clients is in everyone's interests. Brexit Concerns Show all 26 1 /26 Brexit Concerns Brexit Concerns Brexit will put British patients at 'back of the queue' for new drugs Brexit will put British patients at the back of the queue for vital new drugs, the Government has been warned forcing them to wait up to two years longer A medicines regulator has raised the alarm over a likely decision to pull out of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as the EU itself. ealth Secretary Jeremy Hunt dropped the bombshell , when he said he expected the UK would quit the EMA because it is subject to rulings by the European Court of Justice. Getty Images Brexit Concerns London to lose status as 'gateway to Europe' for banks One of Germanys top banking regulators has warned that London could lose its status as gateway to Europe for the banking sector after Britain quits the European trading bloc. Andreas Dombret, who is an executive board member for the BundesbankGermanys central banktold a private meeting of German businesses and banks earlier this week in Frankfurt that even if banking rules were equivalent between the UK and the rest of the EU, that was still miles away from [Britain having] access to the single market, the BBC reports. Jason Hawkes Brexit Concerns Exodus The number of financial sector professionals in Britain and continental Europe looking for jobs in Ireland rocketed in the months after the UK voted to leave the European Union Shutterstock Brexit Concerns Brexit is making FTSE 100 executives richer Pay packages of many FTSE 100 chief executive officers are partly tied to how well share prices are doing rather than the CEOs performance -- and some stocks are soaring. ritish equities got a boost since the June vote because the likes of Rio Tinto, Smiths Group and WPP generate most sales abroad and earn a fortune when they convert these revenues back into the weakened pound. Sterlings fall also made UK stocks more affordable for overseas investors. Rex Brexit Concerns Theresa May: UK to leave single market Theresa May has said the UK "cannot possibly" remain within the European single market, as staying in it would mean "not leaving the EU at all". Getty Brexit Concerns Lead campaigner Gina Miller and her team outside the High Court Getty Brexit Concerns Raymond McCord holds up his newly issued Irish passport alongside his British passport outside the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns SDLP leader Colum Eastwood leaving the High Court in Belfast following a judges dismissal of the UK's first legal challenges to Brexit PA wire Brexit Concerns Migrants with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Brexit Concerns Migrants leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Brexit Concerns The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra) which distributes approximately 700 meals daily in the northern Paris camp states that it is noticing a spike in new migrant arrivals this week, potentially linked the the Calais 'jungle' camp closure - with around 1000 meals distributed today EPA Brexit Concerns Migrant workers pick apples at Stocks Farm in Suckley, Britain Reuters Brexit Concerns Many farmers across the country are voicing concerns that Brexit could be a dangerous step into the unknown for the farming industry Getty Brexit Concerns Bank of England governor Mark Carney who said the long-term outlook for the UK economy is positive, but growth was slowing in the wake of the Brexit vote PA Brexit Concerns The Dow Jones industrial average closed down over 600 points on the news with markets around the globe pluninging Getty Brexit Concerns Immigration officers deal with each member of the public seeking entry into the United Kingdom but on average, 10 a day are refused entry at this London airport and between 2008 and 2009, 33,100 people were detained at the airport for mainly passport irregularities Getty Brexit Concerns A number of global investment giants have threatened to move their European operations out of London if Brexit proves to have a negative impact on their businesses Getty Brexit Concerns Following the possibility of a Brexit the UK would be released from its renewable energy targets under the EU Renewable Energy Directive and from EU state aid restrictions, potentially giving the government more freedom both in the design and phasing out of renewable energy support regimes Getty Brexit Concerns A woman looking at a chart showing the drop in the pound (Sterling) against the US Dollar in London after Britain voted to leave the EU Getty Brexit Concerns Young protesters outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, to protest against the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU following the referendum Getty Brexit Concerns Applications from Northern Ireland citizens for Irish Passports has soared to a record high after the UK Voted in favour of Leaving the EU Getty Brexit Concerns NFU Vice President Minette Batters with Secretary of State, Andrea Leadsome at the National Farmers Union (NFU) took machinery, produce, farmers and staff to Westminster to encourage Members of Parliament to back British farming, post Brexit Getty Brexit Concerns The latest reports released by the UK Cabinet Office warn that expats would lose a range of specific rights to live, to work and to access pensions, healthcare and public services. The same reports added that UK citizens abroad would not be able to assume that these rights will be guaranteed in the future Getty Brexit Concerns A British resident living in Spain asks questions during an informative Brexit talk by the "Brexpats in Spain" group, about Spanish legal issues to become Spanish citizens, at the town hall in Benalmadena, Spain Reuters Brexit Concerns The collapse of Great Britain appears to have been greatly exaggerated given the late summer crowds visiting city museums, hotels, and other important tourist attractions Getty Brexit Concerns The U.K. should maintain European Union regulations covering everything from working hours to chemicals until after the government sets out its plans for Brexit, said British manufacturers anxious to avoid a policy vacuum and safeguard access to their biggest export market Getty A previous report by TheCityUK suggested that a hard Brexit could cost the City of London 75,000 jobs. Some banks, including Carnegie Investment Bank, have withdrawn investment from the UK due to uncertainty around Brexit. Others such as Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan are drawing up contingency plans to move some staff, and British-based Barclays has cut back on office space. Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, of the Open Britain campaign, urged the government to work hard for the Citys interests in any Brexit negotiations. To protect jobs, public services and economic stability, we need a Brexit deal that keeps the single financial passport, and retains unfettered access to the EU single market. However, EU leaders have all but ruled out the kind of unfettered access Kinnock referred to. Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary, told the City to look beyond Europe to build new global relationships and seize a, unique opportunity to attract investment and expand into new markets. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the two least popular presidential candidates in any US election since at least 1984. According to a new poll, likely voters see Ms Clinton and Mr Trump equally unfavourably, and both candidates have unprecedentedly high disapproval ratings. 60 per cent of likely voters view Ms Clinton negatively, according to the survey by ABC News and the Washington Post. Meanwhile Mr Trump is disliked by 58 per cent of the electorate. The negativity runs deep: 49 per cent of respondents said they see Ms Clinton "strongly" unfavourably, and 48 per cent said the same about Mr Trump. The poll, conducted using landline and mobile telephones between 26 and 29 October, found that loyal supporters of both the Republican and Democratic party viewed the opposition astoundingly negatively compared to in past elections, with 97 per cent of Trump supporters seeing Ms Clinton unfavourably, 90 per cent strongly so, and 95 per cent of Clinton supporters seeing Trump unfavourably, and, again, 9 out of 10 saying they felt "strongly". The results, gathered from a random national sample of 1,165 likely voters, have a margin of error of 3 points. Respondents were questioned in English or Spanish. With regards to who is most likely to win the election on 8 November, the poll's findings were consistent with those of other surveys. 46 per cent of respondents said they would vote for Ms Clinton, and 45 per cent said they would vote for Mr Trump. Ms Clinton's popularity is thought to have slipped since FBI Director James Comey revealed on Friday there would be a new probe into Ms Clinton's private emails. Just 47 per cent of her supporters said they were very enthusiastic about her, compared with 51 per cent in the last poll, conducted across the previous six nights. Overall, however, voters do not appear to have changed their mind about who they will vote for since the FBI announcement, according to the ABC poll. The change in strong enthusiasm for Clinton is not statistically significant, and the broadcasting company caution the change could reflect night-to-night variability. US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump shakes hands with Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton at the conclusion of their first presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures President Barack Obama embraces Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on stage at the party's convention in Philadelphia US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump's wife Melania delivered a speech at the GOP convention in Cleveland that was later found to have been cribbed in part from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention address AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton talks to reporters aboard her new campaign plane on Labour Day, 5 September, her first 'press conference' since 2015 (Getty Images) US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Mexican leader Enrique Pena Nieto in Mexico City in August, hours before reiterating his harsh immigration plans at a campaign rally in Arizona Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Bernie Sanders officially endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying his progressive vision for a transformed America would be best served by the defeat of Donald Trump Reuters US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Khizr and Gazala Khan appeared at the DNC to slam Trump for his stance on Muslim immigration, citing the case of their son Humayun Khan, who was killed in combat while serving as a Captain in the US Army in Iraq US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson is doing better in polls than any third party candidate since Ross Perot, 20 years ago Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Green Party candidate Jill Stein (centre) marches with supporters in Colorado AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine at a rally in Kaine's home state in July, days before Ms Clinton tapped him to be her running mate Getty US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Trump on the campaign trail with his vice presidential pick, Indiana governor Mike Pence AP US election 2016: the race for the White House in pictures Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage appears at a Trump rally in Mississippi in August, where he told the crowd that he 'wouldn't vote for Hillary Clinton if you paid me'. There is now little significant fluctuation in respondents reporting of who they would vote for, and Mr Trump and Ms Clinton appear to now be virtually even, ABC report. This is in sharp contrast to earlier in the campaign when Ms Clinton's ratings shot up after a period of peak controversy for Mr Trump. Mr Trump has been able to consolidate votes within his own party, the survey found: he has gone from a low of 82 percent support among Republicans early in the tracking period to 89 percent now, his highest rating. Ms Clinton, meanwhile has gone from a high of 90 percent support among Democrats to 87 percent now. With the latest results, it is the first time in tracking began that Mr Trump has had higher support among Republicans than Ms Clinton had among Democrats. Before this election, the least popular presidential candidate ever was Mitt Romney with 51 per cent disapproval in 2012 and Walter Mondale with the same in 1984. The least popular candidate at any point in other campaign cycles was formerly George HW Bush with, who was viewed unfavourably by 53 per cent of voters in July 1992. Disapproval in this election is stronger, as well as more prevalent, than ever before. In 2012, just 36 per cent of respondents saw Mr Romney strongly unfavorably, versus 49 per cent and 48 per cent, respectively, for Ms Clinton and Mr Trump, so strong unfavourability for these candidates, like unfavourability overall, is at a record high. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Until now, Sir David Attenborough was one of the few individuals in the public eye not to have broached the ever-present, all-pervasive topic of Donald Trump. However, the naturalist and beloved broadcaster has now given his assessment of the situation and suggested a way to counter the Republicans ascent to power which, believe it or not, involves a gun. In an interview with the Radio Times, the nonagenarian was probed about how we solve a problem like Mr Trump and quipped: We could shoot him. Sir David, who returns to screens for Planet Earth II this weekend, said the British public had no way of influencing the outcome of the US presidential elections so proposed an altogether more extreme solution. Recommended Read more Sir David Attenborough thinks about his own mortality every day Well, we lived through that with earlier presidents theyve been equally guilty But what alternative do we have? Do we have any control or influence over the American elections? Of course we dont, he said. Adopting a hushed tone, he said: "We could shoot him, it's not a bad idea" before chuckling. Sir David argued the claim, frequently touted by Michael Gove, during the Brexit campaign that weve had enough of experts was catastrophic. David Attenborough: Life in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 David Attenborough: Life in pictures David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1957 David Attenborough with his three-year-old daughter Susan, as they cover their ears while sulphur-crested cockatoo Georgie lets out a piercing shriek David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1950 David Attenborough with his wife Jane Oriel and older brother and film actor Richard Attenborough at St. Anne's Church, Kew Green David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1955 David Attenborough, holding his son Robert, whilst looking at an animal called a coatimundi, brought home from the combined London Zoo David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1955 David Attenborough and Jack Lester, curator of London Zoo's reptile house, plan their next expedition to British Guiana with the help of Gregory the parrot David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1956 David Attenborough with six-year-old Michael Webb of Kingsbury pets a Capybara after Sir David had lectured to children on the 'Zoological Expedition to British Guiana' at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1957 David Attenborough, with wildlife photographer Charles Lagus, preparing to depart for New Guinea to make 'Zoo Quest' at London Airport Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1958 Prince Charles with his sister Princess Anne meeting Sir David Attenborough and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his last Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios in Lime Grove, London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1961 David Attenborough with two ring-tailed lemurs during a Christmas lecture at London zoo David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1963 David Attenborough with an armadillo from 'Attenborough's Animals' David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1965 David Attenborough after he was appointed the new head of BBC 2 David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1965 David Attenborough and Michael Peacock, Contoller of the BBC, with soft toy versions of Hullabaloo and Custard, the kangaroo mascots which were used as logos for the launch of BBC 2 David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1980 David Attenborough shows Charlie the Llama to schoolboy Patrick Flynn, the millionth child to attend London Zoo's educational lectures and tours David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1982 David Attenborough feeds orangutan David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1985 David Attenborough after being knighted by the Queen at an investiture at Buckingham Palace, London, with his wife Jane (right) and daughter Susan David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1985 David Attenborough signs his book 'the Living Planet' in a Sydney Bookstore in Australia 2004 Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1986 David Attenborough with Queen Elizabeth II filming the Christmas Message in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1990 David Attenborough poses for a photograph David Attenborough: Life in pictures 1995 David Attenborough watches nature during the filming of Natural Curiosities David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2000 David Attenborough and his wife at the Tate Modern Art Gallery opening party David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2002 David Attenborough with meerkat on his shoulder being filmed for BBC series Life of Mammals David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2003 A python greets Sir David Attenborough during a photo opportunity at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2003 Sir David Attenborough holds a baby salt water crocodile during a photo opportunity at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, Australia Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough poses with The Swan Hellenic Oldie of the Year Award at the 'Oldie Of The Year Awards' honouring veteran notables together with Britain's oldest celebrity superstars, at Simpsons in the Strand in London. Sir David Attenborough was announced as the Swan Hellenic Oldie of the Year at the 13th annual awards Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough plants a Wollemei Pine at Kew Gardens in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2005 David Attenborough signs copies of his latest publication Life In The Undergrowth, published in relation to the BBC One series, at the Natural History Museum in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2006 Sir David Attenborough and Lord Richard Attenborough robe up, before they are awarded the title of Distinguished Honorary Fellowships from the University of Leicester at De Montfort Hall in Leicester Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2007 Sir David Attenborough launches National Moth Recording Scheme at London Zoo in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2008 Sir David Attenborough sits in The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace in the Amazing Rare Things exhibition in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2009 Prince William, Dr Michael Dixon and Sir David Attenborough host the opening of the The New Darwin Centre at The Natural History Museum in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2011 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II speaks with naturalist David Attenborough during a special exhibition of artefacts from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives at Buckingham Palace in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2011 Sir David Attenborough with the Specialist Factual award at the Philips British Academy Television Awards at the Grosvenor House in London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2012 Sir David Attenborough poses with a floral sculpture of himself outside the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew Gardens in London Getty Images David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2012 Sir David Attenborough at the UKTV Showcase held at the Saatchi Gallery in west London David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2013 David Attenborough during the filming of "Micro Monsters with David Attenborough," a series about insects David Attenborough: Life in pictures 2016 Sir David Attenborough attends the launch of the London Wildlife Trust's new Flagship nature reserve Woodberry Wetlands in London Getty Images In the wide-ranging interview, Sir David also said he thought the BBC was absolutely right to let the Great British Bake Off go. The BBC lost the rights to the widely popular show in September after being outbid by Channel 4 in a deal thought to be worth around 75 million. Oh, absolutely right! To say to them: If you want another million, go ahead, weve got plenty more ideas where that came from, Sir David said. He also confessed he did not agree with the BBCs decision to sack former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Well, yes, I regret letting Clarkson go, because it's very good to have a voice that's anti-establishment, or so profoundly anti-establishment. Protests across America after Trump victory Clarkson was fired from the show in March last year after it was revealed the presenter was responsible for an unprovoked physical and verbal attack which left his colleague bleeding and seeking hospital treatment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It is, the candidate and her top aides ritually reply, far too early to talk about such things. There is, after all, an election to be won first. But a great number of people are thinking about these things: who will be Hillary Clinton's cabinet appointees? Clinton herself has given very few clues, beyond a pledge that half of them would be women. But her choices will tell a great deal about her, and about the way she intends to govern whether, for instance, she can break her habit of rewarding loyalty above all, and whether she is capable doing the bold and unexpected, in a way she seems unable to do as a campaigner. They will show to what extent her administration will be a continuation of, or break from, that of President Obama, and what concessions she will make to the leftwing of the party, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachesetts, and her defeated primary rival, Bernie Sanders. President Obama listens to Joe Biden speak of his work on defeating cancer on 18 October in the White House (Reuters) And, perhaps most intriguing of all, would she pick a Republican for one of the top jobs, in a bid to rekindle bipartisan co-operation at a moment when US politics have never been more polarised? The real focus will be on six positions: the big four jobs in the cabinet proper: the Secretaries of State, Defence and the Treasury, and Attorney General; and two top White House positions that are as important as any cabinet jobs: chief of staff, and national security adviser. Of them, the most closely watched abroad will be Secretary of State, Americas diplomatic face to the world. Joe Biden, vice-president for the past eight years, was never a likely choice, even before he declared last week he was not interested in the job. John Kerry, the current occupant, would surely be keen to stay on if asked. But that too appears unlikely. The front runners are three. The woman on the short list is Wendy Sherman, who has held a variety of State Department jobs in Democratic administrations since 1992, including the third ranking post, under secretary for political Affairs, and was lead negotiator on the Iran nuclear deal. The other names most mentioned are the two Burns. William Burns, a former US ambassador to Moscow, was Deputy Secretary between 2011 and 2014, before becoming president of the Carnegie Endowment. Nicholas Burns is another widely respected former career diplomat, who has held high positions at the department during both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Pentagon has a more obvious female front runner, in Michele Flournoy, who would be the first woman to hold that job. Her qualifications are impeccable. She was head of defence transition planning for Barack Obama, before becoming under secretary for policy, the No 3 policy position at the Department of Defense. Hillary Clinton joins Jennifer Lopez on stage for US election boost Whoever is named to the Pentagon and to the State Department will perforce work closely with Clintons national security adviser. That post seems earmarked for 39-year-old Jake Sullivan, security adviser to Biden and who has been Clintons top foreign policy aide during the campaign. On the domestic front, party liberals will watch nowhere more closely than the Treasury Department. Warren herself does not seem a serious option, but any appointee too closely tied to Wall Street would arouse the lefts ire. A possibility is Silicon Valleys Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, but who once worked at the Treasury Department. As for the Justice Department, the one certainty is that Loretta Lynch, heavily compromised in the Clinton email controversy, would not stay on as Attorney General. The most widely tipped successor is Tom Perez, currently President Obamas Secretary of Labor. No Cabinet officer however has greater daily access to the president than the White House chief of staff, whose job is often rated the second most important and arguably the most physically gruelling in Washington. Her choice here too will tell much about Clinton. The ideal pick might be John Podesta, her campaign chairman who was chief of staff to Bill Clinton two decades ago. But, at 67, Podesta is reportedly uninclined to put himself through that grind again. The other insider linked with the job is Cheryl Mills, one of the most powerful figures in Hillaryland. But a chief of staff Mills would play into the image of a secretive Clinton who surrounds herself with a praetorian guard of loyalists an image that has not served her well on the campaign trail. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Halloween, by default, is a breeding ground for offensive and downright distasteful getups and rows over cultural appropriation. This year saw Hilary Duff forced to apologise after she and her boyfriend Jason Walsh garnered criticism for dressing as a pilgrim and native American. But not all celebrities land themselves in hot water for culturally appropriative headdresses. Lena Dunham has done the opposite and won the praise of onlookers. The Girls creator and actor took Donald Trumps now notorious p***y-grabbing comments for inspiration and dressed up as a literal grabbed pussy. From the chest upwards, Dunham looked like a run-of-the-mill pussy cat, but downwards two creepy hands appeared clutching at choice parts of her body. People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015. Happy Halloween! With love from a Grabbed Pussy, Dunham wrote on her Instagram photo. Recommended Read more Lena Dunham blames comments about Odell Beckham Jr on her insecurities This is, of course, a direct reference to the Republican candidates leaked tape from 2005 which recently surfaced in which Mr Trump could be heard bragging about groping and making unwanted advances on women. The billionaire boasted that he was such a star he can grab women by the p***y. Mr Trump initially dismissed his lewd and sexually aggressive comments as locker room talk but then apologised for his remarks in a 90 second long apology. Nevertheless, he continued to repeatedly describe the remarks as locker room talk when pressed during the second presidential debate. Dunham is a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter and has criticised Mr Trump on a number of occasions in the past. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Val Kilmer is battling oral cancer, his good friend and fellow actor Michael Douglas announced over the weekend. Variety reports that the 72-year-old actor was speaking at a London event celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 1996 film, The Ghost and the Darkness, that he starred in with Kilmer. The picture didnt turn out as well as I hoped but I had a wonderful time, Douglas told the audience. Val was a wonderful guy who is dealing with exactly what I had, and things dont look too good for him. Back in 2010, Douglas was diagnosed with stage four oral cancer before he was determined cancer-free the following year. Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? Show all 13 1 /13 Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54552.bin MATT BARON / BEI / Rex Features Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54433.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54431.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54432.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54447.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54445.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54452.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54434.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54435.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54436.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54437.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54438.bin Getty Images Val Kilmer, aka Batman, the next governor of New Mexico? 54444.bin Getty Images My prayers are with him, he continued. Thats why you havent heard too much from Val lately. Rumors of Kilmer's health declining first surfaced in January of 2015 when he was reportedly hospitalized due to bleeding from his throat. In October of last year, rumors again swirled that doctors reportedly discovered a tumor in the 56-year-old actor's throat at the UCLA Medical Center. Thank you all for your love and support, Kilmer then wrote on Facebook. Theres a rumor Im unwell again and in hospital which is totally untrue. I was in to verify I have no tumor or infection of any kind which was verified by the very caring experts at UCLA. On Monday, Kilmer appeared to vaguely reference his friends announcement by quoting Mark Twain on social media. The recent news of my death has been greatly exaggerated, he wrote on his Facebook page. And his values and spirit live on even now! And Im sure still standing! Yippee! For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Eagles could be used to stop drones from smuggling drugs and weapons into UK jails, the Prisons Minister has suggested. Speaking during Justice Questions in the House of Commons, Sam Gyimah said the use of drones to smuggle contraband into prison was a "game-changer," the BBC reports. Asked by Conservative backbencher Sir Desmond Swayne how drone deliveries to prisons could be stopped, Mr Gyimah said he was "keeping a close eye on what's happening in Holland, where they're using eagles to stop drones". Dutch police have released video showing trained eagles plucking drones out of the sky. Dutch police train eagles to take down drones When Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, was shown the footage, he reportedly spoke enthusiastically about the idea at a police management meeting. A Met spokeswoman said: As would be expected in an organisation that is transforming, we take an interest in all innovative ideas and will of course be looking at the use of eagles by the Dutch police. Eagles could also be used to stop drones from lfying into airports and to protect Britain's nuclear power stations from attack by terrorists' drones. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A middle-aged Scottish scoutmaster trained the special operatives who destroyed Adolf Hitler's nuclear weapon programme, a new book has revealed. John Skinner Wilson was 52 when he was asked to quit his post in the Boy Scouts movement to help select and train candidates Winston Churchill's covert outfit, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War. His tough selection process is still used as the basis of all those used by British special forces organisations such as the Special Air Service and the Royal Marine Commandos. Mr Wilson spent nearly 20 years working for the Boy Scouts after being recruited by the organisation's founder General Baden-Powell while Senior Deputy Police Commissioner in Calcutta. Just as with scouting, the former policeman believed that anyone, however unlikely, could make the best undercover agents, the Times reports. In his memoirs unearthed in the Imperial War Museum, he wrote: "No normal course of training can determine a mans character. "It is curious but true that some of the best recruits were thought at first not likely to make good agents, and one redoubtable member was almost rejected outright as unsuitable." Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? Show all 21 1 /21 Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238504.bin GETTY IMAGES Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238659.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238660.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238658.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238506.bin GETTY IMAGES Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238483.bin Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238656.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238657.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238661.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238649.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238653.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238662.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238663.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238651.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238664.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238652.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238654.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238655.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238666.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238667.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238505.bin Getty After finding out Nazi scientists were trying to build nuclear weapons, Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided all Nazi efforts in nuclear research must be sabotaged. A key element of Hitler's nuclear programme was the Norsk Hydro plant in Nazi-occupied Norway which produced "heavy water". Churchill green lit a force of 34 commandos to blow up the facility but the mission went terribly wrong with all involved either killed or captured. The next attempt on the plant took the form of ten special operatives's trained by Wilson for covert action in Scandinavia. Secret Nazi military base discovered by Russian scientists in the Arctic The men successfully parachuted into Norway, evaded capture and scaled a 600ft vertical, ice-bound cliff to gain access into the plant. They successfully blew up the heavy apparatus and managed to escape with their lives. Colonel Wilson was awarded an OBE and a Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for his services. A new book on the subject by historian and filmaker Damien Lewis has just been released called 'Hunting Hitler's Nukes'. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The cost of tea is set to increase due to the consequences of Brexit, according to the UK boss of Typhoo Tea. Somnath Saha, the companys chief executive, said the cost of importing tea had increased 50 per cent due to the fall in the value of sterling. The price of an 80 kilogram bag of tea has gone up from 100 to 150 and is costing the company 250,000 a month. "This is having a very negative impact on our business and We are really suffering. Its come to a point where its not sustainable. We cannot accept this loss any more," Mr Saha told the Daily Mail. Typhoon Tea produces 125 million tea bags a week at its factory in Wigan and employs 300 people in the UK. Mr Saha claimed if the pound continues to decline at the rate it has done since the referendum, the business would lose all of its profit. It has been so difficult after June. We cant plan anything. Every day, you dont know what is going to happen. There is so much volatility, he said. Food and drink news Show all 35 1 /35 Food and drink news Food and drink news Healthy living makes us more inclined to binge, research suggests Gluten-free breads, dairy-free milks and other plant-based products have been some of the most favoured foods in British supermarkets this year. However, while were busy filling our shopping trolleys with gluten-free goodness, were also jamming it with junk food and alcohol, new research suggests Getty/iStock Food and drink news Growing list of Vegan celebs Making the switch to veganism is a major lifestyle choice, one that many claim can improve energy levels, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and clear up any skin issues. Beyonce, Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain are among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have eschewed animal products from their diets in recent years. Theres also been an increasing number of professional athletes who have gone vegan, such as boxing champions Mike Tyson and David Haye, thus debunking the myth that following a plant-based diet will leave you feeling weak and malnourished. AFP/Getty/NARAS/iHeartMedia Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion. McDonald's Germany Food and drink news Drinking too many protein shakes could lead to an increased risk of obesity and a reduced lifespan, a new study has claimed Researchers from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre carried out an investigation to determine the impact excessive consumption of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) has on the body. BCAA supplements are often consumed in the form of powder, which is then added to water to make a shake. Published in journal Nature Metabolism, the study found that while BCAAs help to build muscle, they can also negatively impact an individual's temperament, cause weight gain and lead to a shortened lifespan Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Britain consumes more chocolate than any other country Most people love chocolate but it turns out no one does more than the Brits with the average Brit found to have consumed 8.4 kg of chocolate in 2017, according to new data. Chocolate consumption around the world is on the rise, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which found that in the past year alone, Easter chocolate production has risen by 23 per cent Food and drink news 'Easter eggs should be banned for children under four' Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Streets Private Therapy Clinic, is calling for Easter eggs to be banned for consumption for children under the age of four, claiming that giving them the opportunity to binge on chocolate so young will give them an unhealthy relationship with food later on. "This is a nightmare situation for parents of this generation as they have no idea how to teach their children to delay their response to cravings, she said, explaining that too many young kids binge on these chocolates because their parents dont know how to stop them. "Once a child starts overeating behaviour at a young age its very hard to turn things around for them in terms of food and their eating habits moving forward, leading to obesity from at very young age," she added PA Food and drink news Pineapple overtakes avocado as the UK's fastest-selling fruit According to Tesco, pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UKs fastest-selling fruit, with sales increasing by 15 per cent in 2017. In comparison, avocado sales rose by just under 10 per cent last year. The popular supermarket says the surge in popularity comes as shoppers buying the versatile fruit are beginning to use it as a main ingredient in everything from curries and barbecues, to juices and cocktails Getty Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. Whats more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour M&S Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New study shows drinking more coffee leads to a longer life There is good news and a final hope for coffee addicts and lovers. You will now be able to drink coffee for longer as new study shows its can lead to a prolonged life. Scientists showed that those who drank between two and four cups of coffee a day had 18% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. PA Food and drink news Coke Zero is replaced with Coke Zero Sugar Coca-Cola is pulling the plug on its Coke Zero. The much loved drink will be replaced with a new improved taste. The move, backed with a 10 million campaign, is said to come from Coca-Cola supporting people to reduce their sugar intake. Coca-Cola want people make this move while not sacrificing sugary taste of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Food and drink news Starbucks introduce new avocado spread The avocado craze has grown from hipster brunch restaurants to Starbucks. Starbucks have introduced their new avocado spread earlier this year and it has the internet in debate. Some argue that it not a spread but guacamole while others question if there is any avocado in there at all. When buying the new spread you can also buy an optional toasted bagel. It is a must try for all avocado connoisseurs. Starbucks Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has good intentions. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p. Mars Food and drink news Wine prices could increase because of Brexit Wine lovers across the UK might soon have to shell out close to a quarter more for their favourite tipple after Brexit, as a weaker pound and sluggish economy takes its toll, a new study shows Rex Food and drink news Chocolate may be good for the heart A new study, published in the British Medical Journal: Heart, found that moderate chocolate intake can be positively associated with lessening the risk of the heart arrhythmia condition Atrial Fibrillation Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Brits throw away 1.4 million bananas each year British families are throwing away 1.4 million bananas that are perfectly good to eat every day at cost of 80m a year, new figures have shown PA/Armin Weigel Food and drink news Rosemary sales spike over exam time There has been a surge a surge in sales of the herb rosemary after a recent study found it helps improve memory. According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last year Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Gluten-free diets 'not recommended' for people without coeliac disease Avoiding wheat, barley and rye in the belief that a gluten-free diet brings health benefits may do more harm than good, according to a team of US nutrition and medicine experts Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Starbucks launches two new coffee-based drinks Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers growing appetite for healthy beverages. The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from the start of May Twitter/@SbuxCountyHall Food and drink news Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats at the cost of 1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers Cadburys Food and drink news Pizza restaurant makes worlds cheesiest 'Scottie's Pizza Parlor' in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Facebook/Scottie's Pizza Parlor Food and drink news A pizza joint in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Why not eating before a workout could be better for your health A study published in the American Journal of Physiology by researchers at the University of Bath found you might be likely to burn more fat if you have not eaten first Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New York restaurant named best in the world A New York restaurant where an average meal for two will cost $700 has been named the best in the world. Eleven Madison Park won the accolade for the first time after debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010. The restaurant was praised for a fun sense of fine-dining, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room Getty Images Food and drink news Why you crave bad food when youre tired Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago recently presented their results of a study looking into the effects of sleep deprivation upon high-calorific food consumption. Researchers found that those who were sleep-deprived had specifically enhanced brain activity to the food smells compared to when they had a good nights sleep Shutterstock Food and drink news Drinking wine engages more of your brain than solving maths problems Drinking wine is the ideal workout for your brain, engaging more parts of our grey matter than any other human behaviour, according to a leading neuroscientist. Dr Gordon Shepherd, from the Yale School of Medicine, said sniffing and analysing a wine before drinking it requires exquisite control of one of the biggest muscles in the body Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news British dessert eating surges after people ditch healthy eating in February : In heartening news for anyone feeling guilty about quitting their New Year diet, it seems lots of us have given in to our sweet tooths once again. New data from nationwide food-delivery service Deliveroo reveals there was a surge in Brits ordering desserts in February compared to the first month of 2017 Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news US congress debates definition of milk alternatives A new bill has been created that seeks to ban dairy alternatives from using the term milk. Titled the DAIRY PRIDE Act, the name is a tenuous acronym for defending against imitations and replacements of yogurt, milk, and cheese to promote regular intake of dairy every day. It argues that the dairy industry is struggling as a result of all the dairy-free alternatives on the market and the public are being duped too Getty Images Food and drink news Cadburys launches two new chocolate bars UK confectionary giant Cadbury has launched two new chocolate bars, hoping to lure those with a sweet tooth and perhaps help combat some of the challenges it faces from rising commodity prices and a post-Brexit slump in the value of the pound.The companys new products will be peanut butter and mint flavoured. They will be available in most major super markets as 120g bars, priced at 1.49, according to the company Cadburys Food and drink news You can now get a job as a professional chocolate eater The company responsible for some of your favourite chocolate brands think Cadbury, Milks, Prince and Oreo have officially announced an opening to join their team as a professional chocolate taster. The successful candidate will help them to test, perfect and launch new products all over the world. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news MSG additive used in Chinese food is actually good for you, scientist claims For years, weve been told MSG (the sodium salt of glutamic acid) - often associated with cheap Chinese takeaways - is awful for our health and to be avoided at all costs. But one scientist argues it should be used as a supersalt and encourages adding it to food. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Lettuce prices are rising Not only are lettuces becoming an increasingly rare commodity in supermarkets, but prices for the leafy vegetables seem to be rising too. According to the weekly report from the Governments Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a pair of Little Gem lettuces had an average market price of 0.86 in the week that ended on Friday, up from an average of 0.56 in the previous week thats an almost 54 per cent increase. Getty Images Food and drink news Do-It-Yourself restaurant To encourage more people to cook and eat together, IKEA has launched The Dining Club in Shoreditch a fully immersive Do-It-Yourself restaurant . Members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their very own sous chef and maitre de, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational Mikael Buck / IKEA Food and drink news Ping Pong menu with a twist Gatwick Airport has teamed up with London dim sum restaurant Ping Pong to create a limited edition menu with a distinctly British twist; including a Full English Bao and Beef Wellington Puff, to celebrate the launch of the airports new route to Hong Kong Food and drink news Zizzi unveil the Maamgharita Unique pizza art has been created by Zizzi in celebration of the Queens 90th birthday. The pizza features the queen in an iconic pose illustrated with fresh and tasty Italian ingredients on a backdrop of the Union Jack Food and drink news Blue potatoes make a comeback Blue potatoes, once a staple part of British potato crops, are back on the menu thanks to a Cambridge scientist turned-organic farmer and Farmdrop, an online marketplace that lets people buy direct from local farms. Cambridge PhD graduate-turned farmer, Adrian Izzard has used traditional growing techniques at Wild Country Organics to produce the colourful spuds, packed with healthy cell-protecting anthocyanin, which had previously disappeared from UK plates when post-war farmers were pushed towards higher-yielding varieties Tea is not the only product facing an increase in price due to Brexit. Apple has already upped the prices of its products in the UK and Morrisons has hiked the price of Marmite. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The UK will strike back if it comes under cyber-attack, Chancellor Philip Hammond has insisted, as part of a new announcement of measures aimed at protecting the Government, businesses and citizens from online threats including state-sponsored hackers. Ministers fear society is increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attack, with the rise in the numbers of devices linked to the internet potentially giving hackers a soft target. The new strategy, underpinned by 1.9 billion of funding, is aimed at bolstering defences but also involves significant investment in taking the fight to those who threaten Britain, officials said, through law enforcement and measures to hit back at cyber-attackers. Ministers did not specify which countries posed a cyber threat but the launch of the strategy follows Russia coming under suspicion about involvement in hacks aimed at Hillary Clinton's US presidential campaign and warnings from the head of MI5 about Moscow's actions. The Security Service's director general Andrew Parker told the Guardian that Russia is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways - involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. The new strategy also aims at addressing concerns about the vulnerability of the so-called internet of things - networked devices including household appliances. Experts have warned that many of those devices feature little in the way of security, making them easy targets for hackers, potentially opening a way into networks. Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer said: No longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, cyber-attacks are a reality and they are happening now. Our adversaries are varied - organised criminal groups, 'hactivists', untrained teenagers and foreign states. The first duty of the Government is to keep the nation safe. Any modern state cannot remain secure and prosperous without securing itself in cyberspace. That is why we are taking the decisive action needed to protect our country, our economy and our citizens. We can be proud that the UK leads the world in cyber security. The National Security Strategy, published last year, categorised the threat of cyber attack as a tier one risk - the same as terrorism and global instability. The Chancellor, who will formally launch the new cyber strategy in a speech in London, will warn how vulnerable society is to online attack thanks to the expanding range of connected devices, the continued use of old IT systems by many organisations in the UK and the ready availability of hacking tools. The new plan involves: - Strengthening the Government's own defences and helping industry protect critical national infrastructure such as transport networks and power stations. - Investing tens of millions in law enforcement to target cybercrime. - A new cyber security research institute bringing together UK universities to improve the defences of smart phones, tablets and laptops, potentially making password protection obsolete. Mr Hammond will set out plans to work in partnership with firms such as internet security company Netcraft to develop better automatic defences to reduce the impact of cyber attacks through tactics such as stopping viruses and spam emails reaching their intended victims. Ahead of the formal launch, Mr Hammond said: Britain is already an acknowledged global leader in cyber security thanks to our investment of over 860 million in the last parliament, but we must now keep up with the scale and pace of the threats we face. Our new strategy, underpinned by 1.9 billion of support over five years and excellent partnerships with industry and academia, will allow us to take even greater steps to defend ourselves in cyber-space and to strike back when we are attacked. Press Association Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Police have revealed half of extremist terror plots foiled by British police in the past two years have involved a plan to buy guns, amid a surge in gun seizures in the UK. The revelations have prompted fears that links between street gangs and terrorists could give extremists access to weapons and risk the type of mass shootings most recently seen in the Paris attacks. At least 10 terrorist attacks have been foiled by British security services and police in the past two years, five of which have involved guns. It comes as the head of MI5 issued a warning that there are about 3,000 potentially violent extremists in the UK, and most of them are British. Andrew Parker, who has been director general of the UK security service for nine years, said in an interview with The Guardian published on Tuesday that there was a "large homegrown problem of potentially violent extremists in the UK," estimating there were "about 3,000 in number". The spy chief said the number of potential extremists living in the UK was one of three aspects that make up the wider Islamic extremist threat - along with the members of Isis operating in Syria and Iraq and the isis's attempt to spread its "toxic ideology" online. The interview was published hours after the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command launched a joint campaign urging the public to report any fears of criminals handling firearms. Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley, who is in charge of counter-terrorism for the police, said: Half of the plots that have been disrupted in recent years have involved terrorist plotters who tried to get hold of guns. The links we see tend to be from terrorists into criminals in the communities they hail from. It will often be people involved in low-level organised crime or gang activity. Law enforcement, together with security and intelligence services, are working tirelessly to locate these weapons, confront the terrorist threat and keep the public safe. Director of the NCA, Lynne Owens, said disrupting the supply of firearms has never been a more significant priority. Ms Owens said: Currently we believe we hold an advantage. There is low availability of illegal firearms in the UK compared with European and international partners, but it is not an advantage that we take for granted, and to maintain that advantage we must not stand still. The NCA and police seized a total of 884 firearms last year, which were sent to the National Ballistics Intelligence Service for forensic analysis. There are estimated to be about 750 organised crime gangs in the UK who are involved with guns. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty An attack by gunmen is considered to be the most significant terrorist threat and a recent review of London's counter-terrorism arrangements suggested that UK border security should be stepped up to stem the flow of weapons into the country. Since March there has been an increase in gun crime in London, with the Metropolitan Police recording 202 firearms discharges in July and August, compared with 87 in the same months last year. The Home Office has meanwhile insisted the UK has one of the most secure borders in the world. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A British man is fighting extradition to face a possible jail sentence in Greece over a minor traffic accident that happened 13 years ago. Paul Wright, 34, has claimed that he was not even the driver of a car that crashed in Crete in May 2003, and that the first he knew about having been convicted in his absence was in March 2016 when a police officer from Wrexham turned up at my door with the [European arrest] warrant. An extradition hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court in London was told that the crash happened when Mr Wright, from Mold, Flintshire, north Wales, was visiting Malia, Crete, on holiday as a 21-year-old. Mr Wright, now a father-of-two whose wife is expecting their third child, claimed he was a passenger in a car driven by his friend who had offered to move it for a bar worker they had got to know during their break. Mr Wright claimed his friend was driving when the car collided with a parked scooter a little further down the road. He said the car owner had accused him and his friends of "stealing the car" but that Greek police then told the owner: "You gave them the keys, it's your responsibility. There's nothing more that I can do." "As far as I was concerned, Mr Wright told the court, It was all over with." Instead, the extradition hearing was told, the authorities in Crete summonsed him to attend trial on October 2 2006 in Greece. By then, however, he had moved from the Birmingham address he had given to the Greek police, so he failed to receive the notice. In his absence, a court in Heraklion, the administrative capital of Crete, tried the case in 2006 and sentenced him to 15 months' imprisonment or a fine for criminal damage and for taking a motor vehicle without consent. The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists Show all 12 1 /12 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 1. Pakistan (37) Pakistan was top of the list with 37 British deaths since August 2002. Pictured: a terror attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in 2008 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 2. Tunisia (34) 30 people were killed in Sousse, Tunisia in 2015 after a gunman opened fire on a tourist beach 2015 Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 3. Jamaica (18) Jamaica is overwhelmingly safe for tourists but there is violence in the capital, Kingston (pictured) AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 4. US (15) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 5. France (14) France made the list despite the figures not including the terror attack in Paris in November Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 6. Johanessburg (11) A general view of Johanessburg in South Africa AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 7. Ukraine (10) 10 British people have been killed in Ukraine since a popular revolt led to the fall of the pro-Russian government - including those killed when the MH17 plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Australia (7) 7 Britons have been killed Down Under since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Algeria (7) Seven British men were killed when a gas station in Algeria was overrun by Malian militants in 2013 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Barbados (6) Six Britons have died on the Carribbean island since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Afghanistan (6) Although much safer than it was, six British people were still killed in Afghanistan over the past four years (pictured: Kabul) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Spain (6) Six British people have been killed in Spain since 2012 (pictured: the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao) AFP Speaking ahead of Tuesdays extradition hearing Mr Wright told NewsNorthWales that a European arrest warrant was issued in 2009, but the first he knew of it was when In March this year I got a knock on my door and it was a police officer from Wrexham asking me about what had happened on holiday. I was in France earlier in the year, Mr Wright added, So I assumed he was talking about that, but he said No, when you were in Greece, and then it clicked with me. I thought he was going to take me to Wrexham station but he told me that it wasnt Wrexham, it would be Westminster Magistrates. He is opposing extradition on five grounds including his right to family life and that he did not know about the summons when it was made. The court heard that he could pay a fine of 4,555 euro (4,100) to avoid spending months in a Greek jail, but Mr Wright said he didnt have the money because he was currently unable to work because of a problem with his spine. Insisting that he was completely powerless, a visibly nervous Mr Wright told District Judge Mike Snow: My fate is in your hands. He added: "In a period of a year I've lost my health, I've lost my job, I've lost my career - everything - my savings, and now I've got my family life and liberty at risk. He insisted: I have done nothing wrong. When Richard Evans, prosecuting, put it to him that "you deliberately absented yourself from proceedings", he replied: "No, I did not." He went on: "I have not been a perfect man growing up but I have always admitted my mistakes, but this is one thing I did not know about. "I made mistakes, I am ashamed of them, but I can't regret them because they made me the man I am today, and I like to think that is a man who works hard to provide for his family." Questioned whether he knew he faced charges when he left Greece he asked why he would risk taking his family back there on holiday since then, saying: "What sane man would do that?" He said he left the island for his own safety after a group including the car owner found him the next day at his hotel and robbed him. He said: "I got back to the hotel and fell asleep. I was woken up by the car owner who then proceeded to rob me in my room. "I had a couple that were stopping over the corridor from me and they looked after me and said for my own safety that I should get off that island. "They took me to a small travel agents and paid for me to have a flight back for my own safety." District Judge Mike Snow is expected to give his decision on the extradition on Tuesday afternoon. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A judge has criticised appalling delays by the Greek authorities while sparing a British father extradition to Greece over a minor car crash that happened 13 years ago. Paul Wright, 34, claimed that he was not even the driver of a car that crashed in Crete in May 2003, and that the first he knew about having been convicted in his absence was in March 2016 when a police officer from Wrexham turned up at my door with the [European arrest] warrant. If extradited, the father-of-two could have spent months in a Greek jail. But instead District Judge Mike Snow discharged him from Westminster Magistrates Court and criticised the "appalling" delay between the minor crash and officers turning up at Mr Wrights door in North Wales more than a decade later. The judge had been told how the crash happened when Mr Wright, from Mold, Flintshire, north Wales, was visiting Malia, Crete, on holiday as a 21-year-old. Mr Wright, whose wife is expecting their third child, said he was a passenger in a car driven by his friend who had offered to move it for a bar worker they had got to know during their break. Mr Wright claimed his friend was driving when the car collided with a parked scooter a little further down the road. He said the car owner had accused him and his friends of "stealing the car" but that Greek police then told the owner: "You gave them the keys, it's your responsibility. There's nothing more that I can do." "As far as I was concerned, Mr Wright told the court, It was all over with." Instead, the extradition hearing was told, the authorities in Crete summonsed him to attend trial on October 2 2006 in Greece. By then, however, he had moved from the Birmingham address he had given to the Greek police, so he failed to receive the notice. In his absence, a court in Heraklion, the administrative capital of Crete, tried the case in 2006 and sentenced Mr Wright to 15 months' imprisonment or a fine for criminal damage and for taking a motor vehicle without consent. The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists Show all 12 1 /12 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 1. Pakistan (37) Pakistan was top of the list with 37 British deaths since August 2002. Pictured: a terror attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad in 2008 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 2. Tunisia (34) 30 people were killed in Sousse, Tunisia in 2015 after a gunman opened fire on a tourist beach 2015 Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 3. Jamaica (18) Jamaica is overwhelmingly safe for tourists but there is violence in the capital, Kingston (pictured) AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 4. US (15) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 5. France (14) France made the list despite the figures not including the terror attack in Paris in November Getty Images The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 6. Johanessburg (11) A general view of Johanessburg in South Africa AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 7. Ukraine (10) 10 British people have been killed in Ukraine since a popular revolt led to the fall of the pro-Russian government - including those killed when the MH17 plane was shot down by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Australia (7) 7 Britons have been killed Down Under since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 8 = Algeria (7) Seven British men were killed when a gas station in Algeria was overrun by Malian militants in 2013 AFP The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Barbados (6) Six Britons have died on the Carribbean island since 2012 The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Afghanistan (6) Although much safer than it was, six British people were still killed in Afghanistan over the past four years (pictured: Kabul) The most dangerous places in the world for British tourists 9 = Spain (6) Six British people have been killed in Spain since 2012 (pictured: the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao) AFP Speaking ahead of Tuesdays extradition hearing Mr Wright told NewsNorthWales that a European arrest warrant (EAW) was issued in 2009, but the first he knew of it was when In March this year I got a knock on my door and it was a police officer from Wrexham asking me about what had happened on holiday. I was in France earlier in the year, Mr Wright added, So I assumed he was talking about that, but he said No, when you were in Greece, and then it clicked with me. I thought he was going to take me to Wrexham station but he told me that it wasnt Wrexham, it would be Westminster Magistrates. He opposed extradition on five grounds including his right to family life and that he did not know about the summons when it was made. The judge sided with him and discharged him from the court, saying he was not satisfied that Mr Wright had deliberately absented himself from proceedings. The judge gave the prosecution seven days to appeal, but added: There has been no explanation for the delay of three years between the offending and his conviction, the further delay of three years before the EAW was issued or the further delay of six years before it was sent to the UK authorities. "The delay in this case is appalling." Mr Wright thanked the judge before he left the courtroom. Earlier, he had explained how he couldnt afford to pay the Greek authorities a fine of 4,555 euros (4,100) that would have allowed him to be spared jail because he was currently unable to work due to a problem with his spine. Insisting that he was completely powerless, a visibly nervous Mr Wright told the judge: My fate is in your hands. "In a period of a year I've lost my health, I've lost my job, I've lost my career - everything - my savings, and now I've got my family life and liberty at risk. I have, he added, Done nothing wrong. Speaking on his behalf outside court, his solicitor Sean Caulfield said: We are delighted with the courts decision. The judge agreed that extradition should not be ordered because Mr Wright had not deliberately absented himself from his trial in Greece and that he had no right of appeal against his conviction. Extradition would have had a significant detrimental impact on his health, family and finances. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rolls-Royce, Britains leading manufacturing multinational, may have used bribes to land major contracts, it has emerged. A joint investigation by the Guardian and the BBC, in which leaked documents were uncovered and testimonies were heard from insiders, found the company hired a network of agents to help it land lucrative contracts in at least 12 countries around the world. The investigation, aired on Panorama on Monday, found the use of agents by the blue-chip manufacturer was wider than previously publicly known, with reports that in one case the Rolls-Royce made secret payments of around 10 million to an unregistered Indian agent. The network of agents is now said to be the focus of large-scale investigations by anti-corruption agencies in the UK and the US - reportedly looking into specific allegations that the hired intermediaries were bribing people. Rolls-Royce, which sells turbines and engines for passenger jets and military aircraft and is worth an estimated 13 billion, reportedly declined to answer detailed questions. A spokesman for Rolls Royce told The Guardian: Concerns about bribery and corruption involving intermediaries remain subject to investigation by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other authorities. We are fully cooperating with the authorities and we cannot comment on ongoing investigations. The agents are reported to have been hired in at least 12 countries Brazil, India, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Angola, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. One alleged middleman for Rolls-Royce who emerged from the investigation was Sudhir Choudhrie, a businessman and arms dealer whose family has donated more than 1.6m to the Liberal Democrats. The Guardian and the BBC understand that Choudhrie family companies were paid millions by Rolls-Royce. Mr Choudhrie and his son, Bhanu, have been arrested and questioned by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over the bribery allegations. Both denied wrongdoing and were released without charge. Labour and Conservative administrations have forged close relations with Rolls-Royce and have often lobbied foreign governments to give large export contracts to the manufacturer. Mr Choudhrie's lawyers told the BBC he has never paid bribes to government officials or acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals. They said he has no knowledge of the contents of the list. It was first revealed Rolls-Royce was being investigated for corruption in December 2012 when, for the first time in the companys 106-year history, an investigation by an external law firm had identified matters of concern over the methods used by intermediaries in China, Indonesia and other overseas markets in the pursuit of lucrative contracts. A year later the SFO launched a criminal investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Lithuanian troops are teaching their British counterparts how to identify and fight Russia propaganda as part of an ongoing attempt to fight the countrys attempts to influence public opinion. Officers from the Baltic state which is said to be at the front line of Russias soft power war in Europe shared their experiences with the 77th Brigade, a new British Army unit set up to deal with information warfare. Russia has attempted to intervene in British politics and culture for a long time as part of its attempts to reassert its previous role as a world superpower. As part of President Vladimir Putins campaign to renew Russias historic sphere of influence it has engaged in propaganda in countries like Lithuania while pursuing aggressive policies towards countries like Ukraine and Georgia. The Kremlin is said to be subsiding cultural events like pop concerts in Lithuania and the head of Lithuanian militarys strategic communications department has accused Moscow of waging an information war in Europe. Lieutenant-Colonel Juris Zguts told The Times the country is overloaded by this [Russian] culture. He explained that for our society it can feel like we actually are in Russia with even Soviet-era war memorials as a reminder of the countrys influence according to the centres assessments. Footage shows Russian warships passing through English Channel A member of Colonel Zguts team, Captain Tomas Tauginas, said: For a Russian population, they say things like: Nato is a strong and growing organisation, it is getting bigger every day and getting closer and closer to Russia and maybe one day it will attack. Russia has been accused of attempting to intervene with British domestic politics both openly and covertly. GCHQ reportedly uncovered a plot by Russian hacker group Fancy Bears to disrupt the UK general election last year by targeting major broadcasters. They had already successfully targeted French broadcaster TV5Monde while posing as Islamist terrorists in April 2015. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty The group forced the channels programming off the air for 18 hours and replaced them with an image of the black Isis flag. In another incident the group released the medical files of several British athletes, including cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins and long distance runner Mo Farah, in revenge for a scandal which saw Russian athletes partially banned from competing in the Olympics and completely banned from the Paralympics. It comes as MI5 chief Andrew Parker warned that Russia is one of the main three security threats facing the UK today after Islamist extremism and sectarianism in Northern Ireland. Mr Parker said Russia had been a covert threat for decades but now there were more methods for agents to use to destabilise the UK. He said the Russian state was increasingly [defining] itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly. He explained: You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber threat. Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A majority of convicted terrorists imprisoned since the 9/11 attacks have reportedly been released from prison and still hold their extremist beliefs. Of the 583 people imprisoned on terror charges in the last 15 years, 418 have been released, a Sky News investigation found. Two-thirds of those released refused to take part in deradicalisation programmes aimed at addressing their extremist convictions. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty It comes as the head of MI5 said police and intelligence services have prevented 12 terror plots since June 2013. Andrew Parker, who has been director general of the security service since 2013, said there was a large homegrown problem of potentially violent extremists in the UK, estimating there were around 3,000. The spy chief said the number of potential extremists living in the UK was one of three aspects contributing to the wider extremist threat along with the members of Isis operating in Syria and Iraq and the groups attempt to spread its toxic ideology online. His comments came after the National Crime Agency and Scotland Yards counter-terrorism command launched a joint campaign urging the public to report any fears of criminals handling firearms. 17-year-old discusses anti-radicalisation in London The Sky investigation revealed that 104 convicted terrorists were released in the last year after serving sentences between 12 months and four years a typical sentence for someone jailed for supporting and encouraging terror groups or attacks. Another 24 were released after serving more than four years, meaning they are likely to have played a more important role in terror planning. Also among those released were three men who assisted the London suicide bombers in planning the 7/7 attacks in 2005, along with five people who plotted a dirty bomb attack in London in 2004. Lord David Blunkett told Sky News there needed to be a more robust programme to monitor released terrorists. Its perfectly reasonable to say that once someones served their sentence, if it isnt possible to reassess them, we should continue to monitor them outside prison, he said. So, if theres any indication at all that they are reconnecting with organised terrorist groups, the intervention can take place very quickly rather than allowing them to commit another act and then having to try to pick them up again. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Tory MPs have launched a fresh revolt against a looming benefits cut, threatening to challenge Budget legislation over the impact on sick and disabled people. They are joining forces with Opposition MPs to try to head off the worst effects of a 30-a-week cut to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for some claimants. The cut will come into force next April, after the Government invoked special powers to force the controversial measure through the House of Lords last March. Recommended Read more Benefits rule change forces disabled people to give back vehicles New ESA claimants in the work-related activity group those unable to work at present, but judged capable of preparing to return to work, by attending interviews and training will be affected. The leading rebels said tens of Conservative MPs now opposed the cut in weekly support from 103 to 73, bringing it into line with Jobseeker's Allowance. Many had voted for it earlier this year when ministers claimed "financial privilege" to assert the Commons' right to overturn defeats in the Lords but now regretted doing so. David Burrowes, a Tory backbencher, suggested it was too late to force a straight U-turn, but demanded extra staff and money to help people who will be hit by the cuts. He told BBC BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I want to see, by the time we get to the Budget next year, we have delivered for these most vulnerable people. Otherwise, we have finance bills, we have opportunities in terms of legislation, to be able to put forward amendments and make sure we deliver for these people. Another Conservative MP, Heidi Allen, said: There is no other piece of legislation, or change, that I have seen more regret on my side. So many of my colleagues really regret the way they voted. More immediately, the Tory group will join the SNP in demanding a Commons debate on postponing the cuts, until more help is made available. The SNP's Neil Gray said he hoped to force the debate before the Autumn Statement, on 23 November, to pile pressure on the Chancellor to act. The cuts provoked a storm of protest earlier this year, when they were opposed by more than 30 charities. Paralympic gold medallist Baroness Grey-Thompson described them as dreadful and punitive. The charities poured scorn on the Governments claim that stripping 30 a week from claimants would act as an incentive to help them get into work. However, yesterday, the new Work and Pensions Secretary, Damian Green, ruled out reversing any of the benefit cuts he inherited from David Camerons Government. A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesman said: To ensure people have the best practical support possible, we have re-invested these funds to form part of the new Personal Support Package, which includes support for ESA and Universal Credit claimants with limited capability for work. "The system was in need of reform as it trapped many disabled people on welfare and failed to provide the right incentives and support to help people into work, with only one in 100 claimants moving out of the work-related activity group and into work each month." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More than 300,000 poorer children will be hit by a new benefit cap coming in next week, a new study warns with some families set to lose more than 100 a week. The Government is being urged to rethink a dramatic lowering of the controversial household limit on social security payments, or face a devastating surge in poverty and homelessness. The lower cap 23,000 in London and 20,000 outside the capital was announced by George Osborne last year, but will not come into force until next Monday, just weeks before Christmas. Now research by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has found the numbers who will be affected is significantly higher than the Government expects. Pressing ahead will fly in the face of Theresa Mays promise, in her Conservative conference speech last month, to make society fairer for families, it warned. Terrie Alafat, the CIH chief executive, said: Our analysis shows many families could be one redundancy or a period of ill health away from being in this situation. This could have a severe impact on these families, make housing in large sections of the country unaffordable and risk worsening what is already a growing homelessness problem. Mhairi Black on 'ridiculous' accusations levelled against families on tax credits And Imran Hussain, director of Policy at the Child Poverty Action Group, said: A lower benefit cap is crueller and more damaging for children. The only way to escape the cap is to work a certain a number of hours but, as the Government itself recognises in the rest of the benefits system, this is practically impossible for those with children under school age. They are trapped with nowhere to go. Given the unaffordability of housing, as shown in this report, no family should have to make a choice on paying the rent or putting food on the table. The much lower benefits cap was announced by then Chancellor George Osborne last year, but has yet to come into force (PA) The CIH research shows that: * 116,000 families with between one and four children will be hit a rise of almost 100,000 on the 20,000 already affected. * Those families contain a total of 319,000 children. * They will lose up to 115 a week a loss they cannot absorb by simply reducing their household spending. * A couple with three children will be left with 50.80 a week for housing costs yet rent for a three-bedroom property in, for example, Leeds, is 151.50 a week. Around 20,000 families are currently capped by an annual limit of 26,000 (or 500 a week) on total household benefits, introduced in 2013. The new, lower caps will therefore bring an explosion in the numbers affected ahead of a predicted slowdown in the British economy next year, in the wake of the Brexit vote. In August, an impact assessment by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) suggested that 244,000 children will be affected, with families losing an average of 60 a week. Ministers insist the cap acts as an incentive for people on benefits to move into work, because no one who has a job has the limit imposed on them. However, that claim is strongly disputed by experts who say there is no strong evidence of that and that people in poorer families move in and out of work for many reasons. One Government-backed project found that benefit cuts made it harder for the unemployed to find work, because they were pushed further into poverty, housing insecurity, hunger and debt. Some families have been forced to move home but more are thought to have simply cut back on spending, run down savings, taken out debt, or fallen back on family or friends. Charities say that two-thirds of households affected are unable to work because of sickness or disability, or because they have very young children. Others will be receiving Jobseekers Allowance, which requires them to look for work, prompting statisticians to argue they could have found jobs without the cap. The lower caps of 442 a week in London and 385 a week in the rest of the country will be imposed on 7 November, replacing the 26,000 (or 500 a week) figure. The cut will hit families particularly hard with Christmas a time when many already struggle with high expenses and subsequent debt just eight weeks away. Of the 116,000 families affected, 18,000 families are in London, 17,500 in the South-east, 13,000 in the North-west and 12,000 in both the West Midlands and the East of England, the CIH said. Nearly 19,000 have four children, around 56,000 have three children and more than 33,000 have two. But a DWP spokesman said it did not recognise the figures, arguing they did not take into account the people who will move into work as a result of being capped. He said: Anyone eligible for working tax credits, carers allowance and most disability benefits are exempt from the cap. The benefit cap restores fairness to the system and the new limit will ensure the amount people on out-work-benefits can claim better reflects the circumstances of many working families in the country. Even with the new cap, households can still receive benefits up to the equivalent salary of 25,000, or 29,000 in London. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} More than 150 Conservative MPs have backed Keith Vaz's appointment to a parliamentary committee despite warnings it would fuel the public's low opinion of politicians. Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox were among the Tory frontbenchers who joined 38 Labour MPs, three DUP MPs and Independent Simon Danczuk in supporting the nomination for the Justice Select Committee. A rare vote on the Labour Party-backed appointment came after Tory Andrew Bridgen objected following revelations about Mr Vaz's alleged links with rent boys. He questioned how Leicester East MP Mr Vaz could seek a position on a prestigious and influential committee when he judged himself not fit to be chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee by resigning after the allegations were reported by the Sunday Mirror. Mr Bridgen added a potential police investigation still hangs over Mr Vaz after he wrote to the Metropolitan Police to establish if a crime had been committed regarding an allegation of conspiracy to supply a controlled substance. He noted the force had yet to finish its assessment of the information and decide the appropriate course of action is. Mr Bridgen later claimed Mr Vaz is alleged to have abused his position in public office with four witnesses interviewed by Leicestershire Police as part of inquiries which have been ongoing for at least 12 months. Mr Bridgen (North West Leicestershire) added to Speaker John Bercow that he has raised concerns with you about the conduct of the Right Honourable Member for Leicester East historically. But Mr Bercow advised Mr Bridgen he would be unwise to go into those matters having earlier asked him to desist. During his speech, Mr Bridgen told Mr Bercow: You have often spoken that this place must reflect the society with which we make the laws and I agree with you. I respectfully point out to the House that in any other sphere of activity a candidate with so much hanging unresolved over him would be very unlikely to be considered for such an important office. I believe and if (Mr Vaz) was in his place today I'd ask him to stand down from his nomination, but he's not. So I'd ask this House to reject his appointment otherwise I think we cannot blame the Great British public for having a low opinion of its politician and its politics - we can only blame ourselves. He later told the Commons: I think it'd be a huge mistake for this House to place him in a position on the Justice Committee when he has so many questions to answer. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty Earlier, Mr Bridgen clashed with the Speaker about the content of his speech after raising allegations that (Mr Vaz) abused his position in public office. Mr Bercow intervened and told Mr Bridgen to sit down. The Speaker said: You will know I take advice on these matters and having treated of matters that are very much within the public domain until now, your speech has strayed from there and I have consulted on this matter and you are now treating of matters that are not in the same category. You must desist. Mr Bridgen continued to Mr Bercow: I have raised concerns with you about the conduct of the Right Honourable Member for Leicester East historically. Mr Bercow ordered Mr Bridgen to take his seat, adding: You would be unwise to go into those matters. The Speaker then urged Mr Bridgen to focus on matters which were proper and legitimate for him to raise. A division list analysis shows 159 Conservative MPs backed the motion, suggesting Mr Vaz's appointment to the committee along with fellow Labour MP Kate Green, with two voting both with the ayes and noes to show formally that they abstained. Five Tory MPs voted against the motion. The result in the House was declared as 203 ayes versus seven noes, although once the abstentions are considered this means 201 backed the motion with five against. PA Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Closing Sharia councils in Britain could mean more women stuck in abusive marriages, the chair of the Muslim Womens network has claimed ahead of a parliamentary inquiry into their practices. Shaista Ghoir, chair of the charity that works to improve social justice and equality for Muslim women, told Radio 4s Today programme that Muslim women do not want Sharia councils shut down and doing so would only force them to operate illegally. It is estimated that around 20 to 30 of the councils operate across Britain, which settle disputes using an Islamic religious law. On Tuesday the influential Home Affairs Select Committee in Westminster will begin its inquiry, providing a unique view into the little-known operations of the councils. It comes after more than 100 women also signed an open letter to the committee claiming the role of Sharia has been widely misunderstood. I know thats not what everyone wants to hear, added Ms Ghoir. If you shut down Sharia councils what that would result in is Muslim women stuck in marriages, abusive marriages and the Sharia divorce service would actually go underground. There are people who are anti-faith, particularly anti-Islam, who are using womens rights as a guise anti-faith activists, including feminists, and Im a feminist myself , who should know better in terms of speaking to Muslim women and finding out what it is that they want. What marriage would be like if we followed the bible Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West and a member of the Home Affairs select committee, told the programme the proposed legislation is seen as Islamaphobic and racist in her constituency. However, we need to be clear that we have to look at issues. My measuring yard stick is one woman who suffers discrimination is one too many. So, we have to be really balanced in what were looking at here. I welcome the inquiry and Im looking forward to taking evidence this afternoon and unpick some of the concerns. Ms Shah said that while Sharia councils can be used as a tool to deny women their rights they can also act as a complimentary arbitration service. She added: But what we need to be careful of is that whether we are discriminating against women and that is where the issue lies. The Labour MP also reiterated that Sharia is a code of conduct and a fundamental principle of it, is that the law of the land takes precedent. As a British lawmaker I am very clear that we can have one law and is that of the British courts, she added. There is no court or parallel legal system in place. Sharia is there to support women and communities to things that they want to access and that are a choice for them. Justine Greening, the Education Secretary, who also holds the women and equalities brief, has said the Government is taking concerns around Sharia courts extremely serious. It comes after Theresa May launched a independent review into the application of Sharia law earlier this year when she was Home Secretary, while Baroness Cox has brought a Bill through the Lords, which could seriously limit the power of the dozens currently operating across the UK. Responding to Ms Ghoirs comments on Radio 4 on Tuesday, Ms Cox said: Its absolute rubbish. Some of the women who support me are Muslim women. Sharia courts: Legal status in the UK Show all 3 1 /3 Sharia courts: Legal status in the UK Sharia courts: Legal status in the UK There are believed to be dozens of Sharia courts operating in the UK. However, although they adjudicate on religious matters, they do not have the legal status of courts, acting more as councils or tribunals Getty Sharia courts: Legal status in the UK Weddings and divorces overseen by Sharia councils are religious matters and are not necessarily recognised by the state. Likewise, a civil divorce or wedding isnt necessarily recognised by the Sharia council Sharia courts: Legal status in the UK Sharia councils can have legal status as mediation and arbitration bodies under the Arbitration Act 1996. Any divorce agreements made in this capacity, however, have to be approved by a law court if they are to be recognised under civil law, and can be overturned. Sharia councils can also provide advice on the religious law on matters such as wills, law contracts and fatwas Speaking during questions to the Minister for Women and Equalities on Monday, Tory backbencher Philip Davies urged the Government to support Baroness Cox's Bill. In response, Ms Greening said: "I want to assure him that I believe the issue he's raised is one of the utmost importance. "We know that there are concerns about Sharia councils, including those that have been raised by Baroness Cox's Bill as he says, and we take those concerns extremely seriously. "The Government will respond to that Bill at the second reading, and will continue to consider the issue in light of findings from the independent Sharia review, which he will be aware was launched in May by the previous home secretary, now the Prime Minister." The independent review is set to complete in 2017, while Baroness Cox's Arbitration and Mediation Services (Equality) Bill is awaiting its second reading in the Commons. Mr Davies said: "Baroness Cox has long campaigned in the Lords for Sharia councils to be abolished, largely because of the unfair way many women are treated by them. "Will the Government support Baroness Cox's private members bill, and ensure that Muslim women enjoy the same protections under the law as everyone else does, and do not feel pressurised into having their cases determined by a Sharia council rather than a British court?" Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Children as young as five should be taught about the dangers of sexual abuse and online grooming while parents should be given help to spot the warning signs, a new report by the shadow women and equalities minister has recommended. Launching a national action plan, Sarah Champion, the Labour MP for Rotherham, will say Dare2Care will equip children, parents and professionals from the earliest possible moment to recognize exploitative and coercive behavior. The plan recommends the implementation of compulsory, age-appropriate resilience and relationships education from Key Stage 1 when children are aged between five and seven. It also calls on the introduction of a framework to help all parents recognise the signs of child abuse and violence in teenage relationships. Ms Champion said child abuse is our nations dirty little secret. We know it goes on. Weve probably seen the signs and we may even be one of the millions of survivors. However, as a country, we seem more comfortable to turn a blind eye and to fail to equip parents and professionals to deal with abuse, than to consider it might be happening to our children. The report highlighted previous research indicating that more than 57,000 children have been identified as needing protection from abuse in the UK and suggesting that one in 20 youngsters will experience child sexual abuse. The shadow equalities minister claims that the scale of the problem is definitely increasing due to the internet. The internet has also spawned other forms of child abuse: cyber-bullying, sexting and grooming. In addition to all this, it has also become obvious to me that young people are much more tolerant of relationship violence than previous generations were they now almost expect abuse if they enter into a relationship. Ms Champion has worked closely with a number of survivors of child abuse, charities, educational forums and academics to make a series of recommendations for how we can help end the endemic of abuse in the UK. One of them is Lorin LaFave the mother of the murdered 14-year-old boy Breck Bednar, who was groomed by his killer through online gaming in the months leading up to February 2014. Speaking to The Independent, Ms LaFave pleaded with the Government to take seriously Ms Champions proposals for compulsory education in schools. Its very important to me with the work that I do with the Breck Foundation. Im desperate for people to take CSE, especially online exploitation, seriously. Its only growing, she added. When you look at the numbers that she [Ms Champion] has collaborated with the other charities its not a little problem here and there its a huge problem. Its not just for my children because Breck is not here anymore, its for every child. I would plead to the Government to take it seriously because the money they would spend upfront with prevention would save them money in the long run as well as build a better society Its a long-term commitment that actually will pay off. Ms Champion added in the foreword of the Dare2Care campaign: Unless we take responsibility to prevent child abuse, the picture will get much worse. We cannot sit on our hands and only act once a crime has been committed. That crime represents a childhood taken and a life shattered. We owe our children much more than that. Matthew Reed, chief executive of The Children's Society, said: "Internet access opens up a whole new world of opportunities for children and young people's education and development, but it has many risks as well as benefits. "In the worst cases it can present a serious threat to their safety. Some young people we work with tell us that contacts they meet online have gone on to exploit them for sex and coerced them to share inappropriate sexual images. "The internet also provides access to pornography which is reshaping young people's views of what constitutes a safe and healthy relationship. This too can put them at risk of abuse or exploitation, not only from online predators, but also from classmates and other young people their own age. "This important report highlights the urgent need for age appropriate sex and relationship education in every school. Classes should be compulsory and cover both online and offline relationships to combat grooming, exploitation and violence. Given that many victims of sexual offences are aged 16 and 17 it's vital that older teenagers in further education are able to learn about how to stay safe from sexual abuse as well." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Ukip activists should sign up to train as teachers so that they can influence what children are taught from an early age, one of the frontrunners for the partys leadership has said. Suzanne Evans, formerly the partys deputy chair, told a gathering of Ukip activists that young minds are formed in schools and that more of the partys supporters should enter the profession. She proposed that Ukip-aligned teachers conduct a programme of entryism into the National Union of Teachers (NUT) with a view to making sure more teachers having contact with children were good kippers. Recommended Read more Raheem Kassam drops out of Ukip leadership race Another leadership candidate, London Assembly member Peter Whittle, also told the same meeting that the law should be changed so that every school has a union jack and a picture of the Queen. Asked about how she would increase the level of patriotism amongst the British public, Ms Evans told activists: I think Id like to start, actually because young minds are formed in schools with our national curriculum It doesnt teach you to be proud of Britain anymore. It doesnt teach you about the great advances that weve made as a country. It seems to teach about the negative stuff . It talks about the salve trade but forgets to talk about the amazing role that Brits had in actually abolishing it and getting rid of it. It doesnt talk about the wonders of the industrial revolution, it doesnt talk about how we built railways all over the world, it doesnt talk about some of our great British people like Shakespeare in a sense that they are British. It seems to treat him as some global playwright who came from nowhere in particular. I do think it starts with education, very definitely. Paul [Nuttall] talked earlier about getting rid of the Labour party somehow I think we need to start getting good kippers into teaching and into the NUT as well. Her comments received strong applause from the Ukip members present at the meeting. Ms Evans was speaking at a leadership hustings event in Westminster on Tuesday night. She and her closest rival and probable frontrunner Paul Nuttal used the same event to attack radical Islam. Ms Evans in particular said she would tackle sexual abuse which she baselessly claimed was conducted by mostly Pakistani and Bangladeshi men. Mr Nuttall claimed he would unite Ukip, which has been riven by factional struggles in recent months. He claimed that replacing the Labour party would sweep back cultural creep in Britain. Key Faces of UKIP Show all 11 1 /11 Key Faces of UKIP Key Faces of UKIP Nigel Farage Getty Key Faces of UKIP United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Migration spokesman Steven Woolfe addresses supporters and media personnel in central London Getty Key Faces of UKIP Robert Kilroy-Silk, former television presenter and newly elected member of the European Parliament for the UK Independence Party (UKIP), shows a placard against the European Constitution in front of the Houses of Parliament Getty Key Faces of UKIP Mark Reckless, Director of Policy Development addresses party members during the UK Independence Party annual conference at Doncaster Racecourse Getty Key Faces of UKIP Gerard Batten MEP poses with protesters outside parliament Creative Commons Key Faces of UKIP Diane James gives an address at the UKIP Autumn Conference in Bournemouth Getty Key Faces of UKIP Douglas Carswell MP speaks to party members and supporters during the UK Independence Party annual conference Getty Key Faces of UKIP Suzanne Evans, Deputy Party Chairman of UK Independence Party (UKIP) speaks during the launch of UKIP's election manifesto Getty Key Faces of UKIP Peter Whittle, the UK Independence Party Member of the London Assembly, is interviewed in central London Getty Key Faces of UKIP MEP Mike Hookem during a visit to Concept Metal Products & Co Ltd Getty Key Faces of UKIP Paul Nuttall, Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party speaks at a Say NO, Believe in Britain debate at Carn Brea Leisure Centre in Pool near Redruthon Getty How do you sweep back cultural creep? You replace the Labour party. We take away a party that that dislikes our flag, refuses to sing our national anthem, and says nice things about the IRA. We replace them and we become the patriotic voice of working people, he said. Mr Nuttall, Ms Evans, and Mr Whittle are competing for the Ukip leadership alongside John Rees-Evans. The contest is being held by the party to find a new leader after Diane James resigned after just a few days in the job. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Suggestions that Britain could go to war with Russia next year are too extreme, the Defence Secretary has said. In a hearing of the Commons Defence Committee Michael Fallon said while there had been much greater Russian aggression in 2015, a war next year was not likely. When a member of the committee suggested to the minister that a new book by General Sir Richard Shirreff predicted a war with Russia in 2017, Mr Fallon said: Well, there are a lot of people writing books and trying to sell them, and his is a very good one. However, I dont agree that war with Russia is likely next year. I think that is too extreme. We have seen much greater Russian aggression this year, and in previous years, in terms of long-range aviation, in terms of submarine activity, and the carrier task group that sailed through our waters, the role of Russia in Syria, and elsewhere. But I dont think that presages an open conflict next year. And I hope than General Shirreff would and I think he does this recognise that Nato is now responding. So, Nato is waking up to the challenge. He notably did not rule out conflict in the future. Mr Fallons warning comes days after Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned that the alliances countries are not spending up to their required targets on defence. In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Show all 19 1 /19 In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrian boys cry following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian defense ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov speaks to the media in Moscow, Russia. Konashenkov strongly warned the United States against striking Syrian government forces and issued a thinly-veiled threat to use Russian air defense assets to protect them AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Syrians wait to receive treatment at a hospital following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Alepp Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov speaks at a briefing in the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russia. Antonov said the Russian air strikes in Syria have killed about 35,000 militants, including about 2,700 residents of Russia AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Jameel Mustafa Habboush, receives oxygen from civil defence volunteers, known as the white helmets, as they rescue him from under the rubble of a building following Russian air strikes on the rebel-held Fardous neighbourhood of the northern embattled Syrian city of Aleppo Getty In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civil defence members rest amidst rubble in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A girl carrying a baby inspects damage in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members look for survivors at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Civilians and civil defence members carry an injured woman on a stretcher at a site damaged after Russian air strikes on the Syrian rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria Reuters In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Volunteers from Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, help civilians after Russia carried out its first airstrikes in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria The aftermath of Russian airstrike in Talbiseh, Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Smoke billows from buildings in Talbiseh, in Homs province, western Syria, after airstrikes by Russian warplanes AP In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russian Air Forces carry out an air strike in the ISIS controlled Al-Raqqah Governorate. Russia's KAB-500s bombs completely destroy the Liwa al-Haqq command unit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia claimed it hit eight Isis targets, including a "terrorist HQ and co-ordination centre" that was completely destroyed In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A video grab taken from the footage made available on the Russian Defence Ministry's official website, purporting to show an airstrike in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria A release from the Russian defence ministry purportedly showing targets in Syria being hit In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Russia launched air strikes in war-torn Syria, its first military engagement outside the former Soviet Union since the occupation of Afghanistan in 1979. Russian warplanes carried out strikes in three Syrian provinces along with regime aircraft as Putin seeks to steal US President Barack Obama's thunder by pushing a rival plan to defeat Isis militants in Syria In pictures: Russian air strikes in Syria Caspian Flotilla of the Russian Navy firing Kalibr cruise missiles against remote Isis targets in Syria, a thousand kilometres away. The targets include ammunition factories, ammunition and fuel depots, command centres, and training camps A TASS/ITAR-TASS Photo/Corbis Russia and Nato are holding parallel wargames in two Balkan countries, Serbia and Montenegro. The two exercises come amid rising tensions over Russian intervention in Syria, where it has been accused of war crimes. A recent poll by the independent Levada research centre found that nearly half of Russians fear the countrys intervention there could spark World War III. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The death of a Moroccan fishmonger who was crushed inside a garbage truck as he attempted to retrieve fish that had been confiscated by police has caused widespread outrage resulting in protests across several cities in the country. Fishmonger Mouhcine Fikri on Friday was reportedly found with several boxes of swordfish, which he had bought at the port. The sale of swordfish has been banned by local authorities in this season. The fish was confiscated by police and, according to local media reports, the fishmonger leaped inside the truck used by police to destroy the fish and became crushed. A gruesome image of Mr Fikri seen with his head and arm protruding from underneath the machines crushing mechanism went viral on social media, as did angry posts against Hogra, a Maghreb term referring to official abuse and injustice. Recommended Read more Morocco football riot leaves two dead and scores injured Moroccan authorities have since vowed to investigate the cause of Mr Fikris death, the circumstances of which are still unclear. On Sunday protests and rallies took place across a number of cities, from Al-Hoceima and other towns in the Rif region, to Casablanca and the capital of Rabat, where people chanted Mohcine was murdered, Makhzen is to blame. They had been organised by members of the February 20 movement, which was responsible for organising demonstrations during the 2011 uprising. Earlier that day thousands had attended the funeral of Mr Fikri in Al-Hoceima and around 2,000 people protested in the town afterwards. People were seen carrying pictures of Mr Fikri and Berber flags. How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring Show all 5 1 /5 How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring 652085.bin How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring 652023.bin How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring 652024.bin AP How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring 652022.bin AFP/GETTY IMAGES How revolution turned sour in the birthplace of the Arab Spring 652025.bin AFP/GETTY IMAGES I have never seen such a crowd in the last few years, since 2011 at least, Houssin Lmrabet, an activist taking part in the protest, told Reuters. Everyone feels crushed by that garbage truck here. The fishmongers death has echoes of the start of the 2011 uprising in Tunisia, in which a series of protests were sparked after a fruit and vegetable seller set himself alight when authorities confiscated his produce. Moroccos police force, the DGSN, has denied accusations by activists that authorities ordered garbage men to crush Mr Fikri, and the countrys interior minister Mohamed Hassad said an investigation will be held to determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy and punish those responsible. Mr Hassad was also ordered by King Mohamed to visit the fishmongers family to present royal condolences in a further attempt to quell tensions. The King is currently on tour in Africa but has ordered an exhaustive investigation that will result in the prosecution of whoever is responsible, according to the interior ministry. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A 79-year-old man who has been in prison for the past 63 years has turned down the chance to be released. Joseph Ligon was offered parole, but believes he should be released outright without any supervision Ligon was jailed at the age of 15 after being one of five teenagers charged over the murders of two men in Philadelphia in 1953. The pensioner is thought to be the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer in the world, but he denies any role in the deaths. His view is hes been in long enough, Bradley Bridge of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, told a court on October 28, reports the Philadephia Inquirer. He doesnt want to be on probation or parole. He just wants to be released. He has been given the opportunity to leave jail after the US Supreme Court ruled that juveniles should always have the possibility of parole regardless of the crime committed. The court decided not doing so would violate the Eight Amendment of the Constitution, which bans cruel and unusual punishment. Like 300 others from Philadelphia, Ligon is now eligible for a new sentence. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty But when the offer of 50 years to life in prison that made him immediately eligible for parole was put to him, he turned it down on principle. Marsha Levick, co-founder of the law firm Juvenile Law Centre, told AP Ligon should be released. "They want him to go before a parole board. I mean, seriously?" asked Marsha Levick, co-founder of the Juvenile Law Center. "It's pointless to keep him in prison." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} One week before the election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released more than 100 pages of documents relating to a closed investigation surrounding Bill Clinton's decision to pardon a tax evader more than a decade ago. Via its twitter feed, the FBI dumped 129 heavily redacted pages relating to the 2001 investigation of Marc Rich, a former hedge fund trader who had been convicted of tax evasion and who was pardoned by former president Clinton on his last day in office. That investigation was closed in 2005 and no charges were filed against Mr Clinton. Hillary Clinton attacks FBI handling of email review Recommended Read more Republicans line up to criticise FBI chief over Clinton email probe An FBI official told CNN that the release on Tuesday was in response to a freedom of information request. The information was released automatically via a twitter feed when it was ready for public consumption. The twitter feed in question, @FBIRecordsVault, has also released information on Hillary Clintons emails and Mr Trumps father, Fred Trump. Before Sunday it last tweeted in October 2015. The decision drew criticism from Ms Clinton's press secretary, Brian Fallon, and he questioned whether the FBI would also release old documents relating to her rival, Donald Trump. The data dump one week before the election has added fuel to the Democrats fire as to whether the agency and its current director, James Comey, is being tactical with the release of information. The update comes just days after Mr Comey announced he was taking investigative steps relating to new emails found which were "pertinent" to the now closed investigation of Ms Clinton and the alleged misuse of her personal email server when she was secretary of state. The Clinton campaign called for more transparency to clear up any whiff of controversy, while Republicans, including Mr Trump and house speaker Paul Ryan, congratulated Mr Comey for righting a wrong of letting Ms Clinton off the hook in July. Mr Comey, a registered Republican, was criticised for donating to 2008 and 2012 Republican nominees, John McCain and Mitt Romney. President Obama said through press secretary Josh Earnest this week that Mr Comey was a man of principle and integrity and had bipartisan support, and that his positive view of the director had not changed. Mr Earnest said he could neither defend nor criticise Mr Comeys decision to announce potential new investigation into Ms Clintons emails last week, four months after the investigation had been closed. Mr Comey's chasing of Rich while he was a fugitive in Switzerland led him to become the top federal prosecutor in New York City. Rich died in 2013. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} When Donald Trump is down in the polls, it's not Donald Trump's fault, it's the polls'. Donald Trump trails when he trails because the pollsters are missing something, just like they missed something in Brexit, which they really didn't. Donald Trump is never failing; it's the polls that are failing America. Donald Trump is never losing; it's the pollsters who are losers. Is he right? For months, Trump has argued that the pollsters are missing an undercurrent of support in his base. (Trump argues that this is intentional; his team is usually more generous.) That claim has taken on more urgency in those moments when he's trailing by wider margins, but it's always there. One iteration of the argument is that Trump supporters are suffering from the legendary Bradley effect, the idea that social pressure is preventing respondents from telling pollsters that they back Trump. Trump supporters are worried that the pollster will judge them for being a Trump supporter, the idea goes. We can look at data from Huffington Post Pollster from this month to evaluate the claim. Some pollsters don't use real people, after all, and one would suspect that people responding to scientific polls online would be less affected by this purported social pressure. When we do so, we see that there has been a gap this month between live-caller polls (in which Clinton is up by an average of seven points) and Internet polls (where she's up by five). Interestingly, Trump gets about the same average percentage of support in a four-way contest, 42.4 percent in live-caller polls and 42.5 in Internet polls. The difference is for Clinton, who gets 49.5 percent in live polls and 47.6 percent on average in Internet ones. In September, there was no gap between the two methods. Trump trailed Clinton by three points in live-caller polls and Internet-based ones. Trump was doing better in September than he was in October, averaging 44.5 percent in live-caller polls and about the same 42.7 in Internet polls. Clinton was doing worse in each, 47.5 in live-caller polls and 45.8 in Internet ones. In August, another month when Trump trailed, the numbers were similar to October's: Trump at about the same level in both types of polls but Clinton doing much better in live-caller polls. (The Washington Post (The Washington Post) During the primaries, the gap between live-caller and Internet polls for Trump was much wider nearly 10 points. Is that blip in September, where Trump was doing better nationally and doing better in live-caller polls, a quirk of margins of error? It's hard to say. Now that we've flushed out that rabbit hole, though, we should note another way in which the polls could be off. Trump's hidden vote could manifest itself in heavier-than-expected turnout from people who don't vote very often. When a slew of national polls came out last week showing the race all over the map, we pointed out that pollsters have to make guesses about who will and won't come out to vote. After all, if you poll 600 first-graders and get their views on the presidential race, it doesn't really matter much, given that they can't vote. The likely voters in one poll might not look much like the likely voters in another. One determination pollsters use to determine how likely a voter is to vote is to ask them. People who say they're only 50-50 on voting probably wouldn't be considered likely to vote, for example, so they probably wouldn't be included in those numbers. But that means some eventual voters are necessarily missed. Working-class white men, the core of Trump's base of support, are less likely to vote than college-educated women. They tell us this, and, in 2012, they voted less. But if they surge to the polls this year on Election Day, that could be missed in pollsters' analysis. That's not timidity from poll respondents; it's a misread of the electorate. In 2012, President Obama came into Election Day looking as if he was in a tight race with Mitt Romney. But a lot of pollsters misread the electorate, which was a lot more like the 2008 pool that elected Obama in the first place than the 2010 midterm that reshaped Congress. Obama overperformed even as Republicans were arguing that the polls were skewed too much to Obama, instead of too little. Early signs suggest that the electorate that comes out this year won't look like the 2012 electorate in one way. At FiveThirtyEight, Dave Wasserman has a good look at early-voting data from Texas, Florida and Virginia. He notes that heavily black counties are voting less this year than they did in 2012 but heavily Latino counties are voting more. That seems like an obvious overlap with results in some polls, noted by the Atlantic's Ron Brownstein. This doesn't answer the question about Trump, though. Is there a wave of voters slipping toward the polls that the pollsters aren't catching? He's wrong that the polls are biased, but he could be right that they're wrong. By the time we know, we'll know who came out to vote. Meaning that we'll also know who won the election and Donald Trump probably won't care about the polls anymore. The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Redeveloping the Old Post Office Pavilion would have been difficult under any circumstances. Partly empty and rarely visited on Pennsylvania Avenue NW for decades, the 117-year-old building was badly in need of updates, and Congress was pressuring the federal government to put it back to productive use. Further controversy ensued when Donald Trumps company was selected for the project four years ago. Overseeing the work was David Orowitz, a Trump Organisation executive tasked by the family with the myriad difficulties of turning a 19th-century mail-sorting facility into one of the worlds great hotels, as Trump proclaimed it would be. Then things got much, much worse. When Trump announced his candidacy for president in the summer of 2015, the project had already been under construction for a year. But as Trump shot to the top of the field of GOP presidential candidates, the project took a beating. Two restaurant deals Orowitz helped to negotiate fell apart and led to lawsuits. Construction workers from the firms Orowitz hired complained in the news media about working for Trump. Protests marred events at the hotel, a vandal tagged the front of it, and free speech lawyers took issue with agreements Orowitz worked out to provide access for hotel guests and outdoor seating. After all of that, the project was completed last week, and Orowitz brought his wife and son down from New York to see it before the opening celebration. The next day he walked away, leaving the company where he had worked closely with Trump and his children for the past eight years. As much as one can while running a project with the name of a current presidential candidate on the front of it, Orowitz dodged political questions, declining to address whatever effect the campaign was having on him or the project and focusing instead on real estate minutiae and the next step for the hotel. When Ivanka Trump inquired unsuccessfully about securing a tax break from the D.C. government for the project - irritating some key stakeholders - Orowitz expressed confidence in all of the parties publicly, saying everyone was working well together and just looking forward to getting it done as soon as possible. In August, when Orowitz spoke at a real estate conference of the Bisnow media company, which reported his departure last week, Orowitz focused on the painstaking detail the company had put into the project, much of which was lost in the political coverage his boss churned up every week. Our team literally went through and catalogued every window in the hotel in order to retain and repair every element possible, Orowitz said. Due to their hard work, the glass, woodwork and stone carving, which could never be replicated today, looks as it was originally intended when the building was built in the 19th century. But no amount of dodging could keep Orowitz clear of the relentless publicity of the campaign, and the legal dispute between Trump and restaurant entrepreneur Jose Andres prompted emails of his to end up in court lamenting the loss of the deal and pleading that there not be future setbacks like it. During a phone interview Friday, Orowitz was repeatedly offered the opportunity to explain what few others could: What was it like inside the Trump business empire while the campaign ballooned? Why did he stick by Trump throughout? He declined to speak on the record. Instead he emailed a short statement Sunday afternoon. I had the good fortune to work on complex, substantive projects like the Old Post Office redevelopment while at the Trump Organisation. With that projects successful completion, I felt that this was a logical time for me to seek a new career challenge, he said. The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} After more than 1,000 people died one month ago due to Hurricane Matthew, the United Nations appealed for $119 million to provide food, water and shelter to help displaced Haitians cope with the aftermath of one of the worst storms to hit the island in recent history. Yet only a small percentage of that money - around $300,000 - has been earmarked to help women and girls, who are at serious risk of violence, sexual assault and even death during childbirth, according to the United Nations Population Fund. "We know what happens when there is a disaster," said UNFPA representative Marielle Sander. Recommended Read more Haiti faces cholera spike as world response to hurricane falls short "After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the rate of pregnancy tripled straight after, many as a result of violence." The rate of rapes rose by 20 per cent immediately after the earthquake, the agency found. The figures are not yet available for immediately after Hurricane Matthew. "There is increased violence when people are displaced, and they are outside the protection of their community and are more vulnerable - even just going to the toilet can be dangerous and women can be subjected to rape," said Ms Sander. "After decades of studies of war and disaster, its known that people seek human contact and if it is not freely given, it is taken." According to UNFPA figures there are 13,650 women in disaster-struck areas that will give birth in the next three months. The remains of a maternity clinic after the storm (UNFPA) Around 15 per cent of those women will have complications such as emergency cesareans. Yet there are only 400 midwives in a country that needs 1,500. Video shows Hurricane Matthew devastation in Haiti "My team in a hurricane-struck area came across a 20-year-old woman who was four months pregnant and who sought shelter in a neighbours place and she ended up being raped by him," said Ms Sander. "She went to another shelter - the woman who helped her had lost her house and had to pay for her to make the trip to Miragoane to get post-rape care and HIV tests. "There is a sense of solidarity among the women who have suffered." But solidarity only goes so far in a country where many maternity clinics have been wiped out. The maternity clinic in Jeremie, an isolated coastal town, is luckily still standing as the other hospital buildings were destroyed in the storm. The UNFPA has mobilised two teams of midwives to travel to rural areas and help women to give birth safely. They need $4.7 million to cover six months worth of work, or $2.4 million for three months, said Ms Sander. Whether agencies get the required funding is yet to be seen. As thousands of people in Haiti remain in shelters, Ms Sander said interest and attention in the plight of Haiti is waning after the hurricane, but this is when people need help. "We need the support of the international community. They must know that women and girls are a priority, and their safety is a priority." Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It was the needle marks on one of the little girls bodies that led social services staff to realise something was badly wrong at the home of Ashlee Hutt. The 24-year-old mother has been charged with criminal mistreatment and child assault after a court heard how she injected heroin into her three children - a six-year-old boy, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl - calling it sleep juice and feel good medicine. Child protection services in Washington state said they had seen heroin injection marks and bruising on the younger girls body. A month later, the son was interviewed and described being injected with feel-good medicine, a mixture of white powder and water injected with a needle. Ashlee Hutt (Facebook) The substance was also used on his sisters and the children usually fell asleep afterwards, The News Tribune reported. The family home was littered with rat droppings. Ashlee Hutt (Facebook) Ms Hutts boyfriend, Mac McIver, 25, faces the same charges and was arrested on September 7. He is in the Pierce County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Pierce County sheriffs spokesman Detective Ed Troyer said all three children are were in foster care. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hussain Saeed Alnahdi, a 24-year-old junior at the University of Wisconsin-Stout from Saudi Arabia, died on Monday just one day after being attacked near campus. Police have not arrested the victims assailant, whos been identified by police as a six-foot tall white male. And they have not identified a motive behind Sundays attack. Police Commander Todd Swartz declined to speculate if the attack could have been a hate crime. "That cannot be confirmed at this time, he told The Star Tribune. The motivation of the offender is unknown right now." Authorities said that Alnahdi was assaulted shortly after 2am while he was outside Toppers Pizza in downtown Menomonie. Police found Alnahdi unconscious, bleeding from his mouth and immediately transferred him to a local hospital. Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire Show all 9 1 /9 Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire As Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce part of a burnt wall is seen at the mosque that was attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. Joe Raedle/Getty Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: A Law enforcement official walks near the scene of a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce which is the mosque that was attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Wilfredo Ruiz, from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (2nd L) speaks to the media with other officials in front of the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce as Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the center, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Hamaad Rahman (C) whose father is an Imam of the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce arrives to speak to the media as Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the center, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Police say arsonist set Florida mosque on fire FORT PIERCE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Law enforcement officials investigate a fire at the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, which was the mosque attended by the Pulse nightclub gunman, who killed 49 people in Orlando on September 12, 2016 in Fort Pierce, Florida. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as an arson and say that surveillance cameras show a person approaching the mosque moments before the blaze on Monday morning. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Getty Images Members of the community are worried that the deadly attack was racially motivated. I absolutely loved teaching the Saudi students who have come to Stout, Genesea Carter, an English professor at the university, wrote on Facebook. Now I am deeply worried about my Saudi students safety. Alnahdi was born in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia and began attending the Wisconsin university in 2015 to study business administration. "Our deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers go out to Hussains family in Buraydah, Saudi Arabia, and his friends at UW-Stout," UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer said in a statement. "I want to make a personal appeal to anyone on campus or in the community who might have information that would help authorities locate the individual involved in the attack to come forward." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Russia has spent the last five years trying to cultivate Donald Trump as an asset in a bid to undermine Western democracy, according to some extraordinary claims made by a veteran of the spying community. The allegation is the latest in a series of purported links between the Republican candidate and the Kremlin, which the FBI has been investigating in an ever-widening probe over the course of the summer. But the accusations came to a head this week, after Democrat Senate leader Harry Reid responded to a new probe into Hillary Clintons emails by saying the FBI should go public with explosive information linking Mr Trump to Russia. Recommended Read more Clinton poll lead over Donald Trump slashed by new FBI email probe According to the news site Mother Jones, a former Western security official with decades of experience in Russian counterintelligence has handed the FBI a series of memos suggesting there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit. The spy claimed, after consulting with Russian sources, that: Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by Putin, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance. The memos also claim, according to Mother Jones, that the Trump campaign accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, that Russia had enough information from Trump visits to Moscow to blackmail him, and that the Kremlin had been feeding him information about Ms Clinton based on her own trips as Secretary of State. The FBI responded by asking for all the spys information on Mr Trump, and how he had obtained it, according to the site. It is not clear whether the spys claims form part of a formal FBI investigation. But senior agency officials have told the New York Times there are aspects of Mr Trumps alleged relationship with Russia that are still being looked into. In apparent response to Senate minority leader Mr Reids fiery letter, the FBI has moved to play down most of the claims made about a Trump-Kremlin collaboration in recent months. Just hours after a Slate investigation was published suggesting contact between a major Russian bank and a server run by the Trump Organisation, the New York Times reported that the FBI had spent weeks analysing the computer logs and ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation. The FBI has also not deemed it necessary to interview two Trump aides who have been accused of being conduits for Kremlin support, Carter Page and Roger Stone. Both have stringently denied the claims against them as partisan and based simply on their policy views on Russia. And the FBI has also all-but absolved Mr Trump of any blame in relation to the hacking of senior Democrat figures and web assets, which the White House has described as being carried out by Russia. Agency officials, again unnamed, told the Times the hacking represented Russias desire to disrupt and undermine US elections generally, and Moscows growing adeptness in cyber-attacks, rather than support for any one candidate. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY It isnt about the election, an official was quoted as saying. Its about a threat to democracy. Mr Trump has famously praised Mr Putin and aspects of Russian foreign policy during the election campaign, but insists the relationship goes no further than that. Asked in July whether Russia was trying to help him get elected, he told CBS News: I don't know anything about it. I can tell you, I think if I came up with that, they'd say, 'Oh, it's a conspiracy theory,' it's ridiculous. I mean, I have nothing to do with Russia. I don't have any jobs in Russia. I'm all over the world but we're not involved in Russia. Responding to the Slate investigation and other more recent allegations late on Monday, Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said: The Trump Organisation is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server. The Trump Organisation has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has thanked disgraced New York congressman Anthony Weiner for his part in bringing to light new emails potentially related to the FBI probe into Hillary Clintons use of a private server during her time as Secretary of State. Mr Weiner, 52, resigned from Congress after a sexting scandal in 2011 and is now under investigation for allegedly exchanging explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl. The FBI recently seized a laptop he shared with his estranged wife, Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The device reportedly contains some 650,000 emails, some of which may relate to the Clinton email investigation. Speaking on the stump in Michigan on Monday, Mr Trump expressed confidence that the newly discovered messages would be absolutely devastating to his election rival, adding: I think we hit the mother lode. At two campaign appearances in the Great Lake State, Mr Trump suggested he was grateful to Ms Abedin and Mr Weiner for their involvement in the new controversy. Thank you, Huma. Good job, Huma, the Republican nominee said in Grand Rapids. Thank you, Anthony Weiner, he said in Warren, adding: Ive never liked you, but thank you! Mr Trump donated several thousand dollars to Mr Weiners congressional races in New York in 2007 and 2010. The property developer has spent the past few days trumpeting the email news, describing the investigation of Ms Clintons server as bigger than Watergate, despite the FBI having disclosed no details regarding the new emails, including whether any of them came from Ms Clinton herself, or whether they are in fact duplicates of previously examined messages. In July, to the consternation of many Republicans, FBI director James Comey declined to recommend criminal proceedings against Ms Clinton or her staff over the few instances in which classified material had passed through the private server, saying that no reasonable prosecutor would pursue charges. The Clinton campaign has said it is confident the FBI will find nothing now to contradict Mr Comeys earlier conclusion. Yet it was a letter sent by the FBI director to Republican congressional committee chairs last Friday, informing them of the discovery of more emails, that set off the current row. Mr Comey has been criticised by Democrats and some Republicans for potentially prejudicing the results of the presidential election, by making the FBIs new findings public just days ahead of the 8 November vote. Mr Trump praised the FBI directors decision, however, saying that it took a lot of guts. Mr Trump, making his sixth campaign visit to Michigan, surely hopes the controversy can help him to close the poll gap with Ms Clinton in the key swing states he needs to secure just eight days from the election, and with early voting already well underway. Polls show the race has tightened in Florida, which would give the Republican a plausible, if narrow, path to the presidency. In Warren, however, he told the crowd that he and Ms Clinton were also even in Michigan, despite an average of recent polls suggesting the Democrat is leading there by more than six percentage points. Mr Trump also made hay with fresh revelations in the Wikileaks release of emails from the hacked account of Ms Clintons campaign chair, John Podesta. On Monday, it emerged that Donna Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, had parted ways with CNN, for which she was a contributor, on 14 October. Leaked emails suggest Ms Brazile had shared debate questions with the Clinton campaign ahead of a CNN primary clash between Ms Clinton and her then-rival, Bernie Sanders. The news network said it was completely uncomfortable with the interactions. If they fire Donna Brazile, why arent they firing Hillary Clinton? Mr Trump asked in Michigan. Why is she allowed to run? Hillary Clinton is unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States, and shes likely to be under investigation for criminality for a very, very long time to come. The Clinton campaign has repeatedly painted Mr Trump as a bad role model for young Americans, an attack that the property developer turned back on his opponent on Monday. You know, I have a son named Barron, and I want to tell you: she is a terrible example for my son and for the children in this country, he told supporters at his Warren rally. Thanks to @LassaFeverNews for tweeting the link to this report in Leadership: Lassa Fever Hits Kaduna, Kills Pregnant Woman, Doctor, 1 Other. A pregnant woman and two health workers have been confirmed dead following the outbreak of Lassa fever in Kaduna. The three people including a medical doctor who was undergoing his national youth service year as a corp and a community health nurse died at the Saint Louis Hospital in Zonkwa, area of Zango Kataf local government of the state. The doctor and the nurse it would be recalled contacted the lassa fever disease after conducting an operation on a pregnant woman who later died of the same disease two weeks ago. Confirming the outbreak, the state commissioner for health, Professor Jonathan Andrew Nok told journalists, that two weeks ago, there was a pregnant woman that visited the Saint Louis Hospital after she was referred from a clinic in Kamuru. She was pregnant and an operation was conducted on her by the doctor and nurse. She subsequently died. He added: The two individuals that died were the people that actually attended to the pregnant woman. She died about two weeks ago. No one thought they would die like that after the woman. The woman died of lassa disease. She was buried properly. And it was after her death that symptoms of lassa started to show on the medical doctor and the community nurse. The doctor and the nurse died after they had high temperature consistently for four days, said the commissioner. He said that the doctor and nurse showed signs of lassa fever shortly after operating a pregnant woman who was brought in from another hospital in from a primary health care centre in Kamuru in the same local government. The woman later died few days after they were tested positive to lassa. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Florida Republicans are trying to thwart the efforts of a Democratic candidate on the local level with a rather unusual attack plan they are comparing him to their own presidential nominee, Donald Trump. In the heated race for Orange County property appraiser, the Leadership for Floridas Future political committee distributed mailers that liken the Democratic incumbent, Rick Singh, to the New York billionaire. Rick Singh has a lot in common with Donald Trump, the mailer reads. Scandal. Dirty deals. Disdain for women. The attack ad, which urges voters to choose the GOP alternative, Edward DeAguilera, comes at a rather with only a week left until Election Day. It sends an unusual message from area Republicans, as Mr Trump is leading in the Sunshine State by four points, according to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal four-way poll. Nonetheless, the mailer makes it clear that Orange County Republicans want to distance themselves from the polarising presidential nominee. Like Trump, Singh is simply unfit for public office, it adds, alleging that Mr Singh is involved in scandals, named in a federal racketeering lawsuit, and member of a Facebook group that demeans and objectifies women. (Rick Singh/Facebook (Rick Singh/Facebook) But Mr Singh says Republicans oppose him so fiercely because he plans to tax big businesses, Think Progress reported. Im the complete opposite of Donald Trump, he said. I was raised by a single mother who worked three jobs as a maid to make ends meet. Mr Singh said he found the attack hilarious and said the ads were targeted at predominantly Latino voters. I find the targeting very racist. Theyre targeting Hispanics who just moved to this part of the country, and English is perhaps a second language, he said. So theyre really predators on those new members of society who will see a picture of Donald Trump, see a picture of me, and react to it. He added that Republican colleagues have told him they were insulted and ashamed that this add came from their party. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} There was a time, not so long ago, when this city on the Ohio River employed up to 15,000 people in the steel mills whose rusting warehouses still line the streets. Now the figure is closer to 800. First, it was costs associated with the repeated regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Then, after 1994 and the passing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) it was cheaper competition from places such as Mexico. In the end, there was no way Weirton could compete, and an industry that has fed and clothed the city for generations essentially died. Her husband introduced Nafta, said a former steel worker, sitting at the the bar of the Columbia Club, located at one was once Gate No 1 of the Weirton Steel Corporations main factory. He had worked at the plant for 34 years. If anyone in this in this state votes for her, theyre crazy. The steel mills today employ fewer than 1,000 people (Andrew Buncombe) It is communities such as this that Donald Trump has been targeting hard with his pitch about the evils of Nafta and the need to bring jobs well-paid manufacturing jobs in particular back to America. Polls collected by RealClearPolitics suggest he leads Hillary Clinton in West Virginia by between 18 to 27 points. While his policy is not hard on detail, Mr Trump has vowed repeatedly to bring jobs back from places such as Mexico and China. When campaigning in Indiana he highlighted the Carrier air conditioner company, which had recently announced plans to relocate jobs south of the border, saying he would imposed a 30 per cent tariff on such products produced in Mexico. He called Nafta the single greatest jobs theft in the history of the world. Gus Monezis bakery has occupied the same prime spot in Weirton for 81 years (Andrew Buncombe) Economists are divided about the actual impact of the deal, which was first negotiated by George H W Bush and signed by his successor, Bill Clinton. America has lost 5 million manufacturing jobs since 2000, but not all were lost because of Nafta. Mr Trump also ignored other economic gains from Nafta. Exports to Mexico have risen tremendously, in part from Mexicans higher standard of living (because of Nafta). Today, exports to Mexico support six million US jobs. But in places such as Weirton, down to fewer than 20,000 people from a peak of 33,000 it is hard not to feel that while some parts of the country may have seen the benefits of global trade, this hardscrabble community, with its fast-food joints and strip bars, has been passed by. Ed Sutton, a city government worker who said he would be voting for Mr Trump, said that nothing had replaced the steel jobs. They talk about creating all these jobs. But theyre just retail jobs that pay minimum wage, or just above, he said. Ms Clinton, meanwhile, said this spring, in a comment she came to quickly regret, she was going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business. Sean Aldstadt has owned the Columbia Club for nine years (Andrew Buncombe) The death of the steel industry had devastated not just the economy of the city, but had destroyed a sense of security and torn at the fabric that had maintained blue-collar communities for decades. Jim Carey, who was also drinking the Columbia Club, grew up in the city but left to go to law school. Jobs at the mill had allowed a man to buy a house, build a small pool and send his children to college. Now, that had all gone. Nowadays, the best thing going for Weirton is that it is just 35 minutes from Pittsburgh airport, said Mr Carey, who was planning to vote for Ms Clinton. Scenes from The Deer Hunter were filmed here (Andrew Buncombe) The steel industry once utterly dominated Weirton, to the extent that it was known as one of the steel capitals of America. Weirton Steel was one of the biggest single private employer, and the largest tax payer in West Virginia. When Michael Cimino was looking for locations for his 1978 film The Deer Hunter, staring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken and Meryl Streep and set in a fictional Pennsylvania steel town, Weirton was one of the places selected to film a number of scenes. Harold Bubba Miller was elected mayor of Weirton last year. When he retired in 2000 he had been the mills sales manager. He said the mill was like a world within a world. The bar has for decades stood at the site of what was once the main gate to the plant (Andrew Buncombe) It employed doctors and lawyers, it plugged the streets when it snowed and it put up the lights for Christmas. Now, he is trying to create new jobs in the city, force the mills current owner, ArcelorMittal, to clean up and make safe the remaining factory sites. Mr Miller said he also planned to vote for Mr Trump, and said many in Weirton found his message struck home. I would rather go for someone with an ego than someone who is a criminal, he said. I think he will win in West Virginia because of the attacks on mining and the steel industry. I think people are fed up with the rhetoric of Washington. Not everyone is planning to vote for Mr Trump. Jodi Jo, who is studying to work as a beauty therapist, said she thought the New York tycoon was a bigot. Ill vote for for Hillary Clinton because Im against Trump. Hes a racist, she said. Gus Monezis bakery has occupied a prime spot in Weirton for 81 years. He said the closure of the mills had ripped at the city, but that some of other businesses, such as his, had managed to survive. The resilient ones are still here. Im still here, he said. He said he had not yet made his mind up 100 per cent on who he would vote for. Im still watching, he said. But [Trump] is saying what people are thinking. Sean Aldstadt has owned the Columbia Club for nine years and keeps photographs on the wall of the establishment many decades ago when it was at the centre of a thriving, industrial hub. He used to open early in the morning so people coming off the night shift could get a drink. He has since pushed that back. There are still people who come in here, he said. I tell them that if you had turned around where you are now standing, you would have seen everything going on in front of you. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} It will be quite the entourage at the White House if Hillary Clinton becomes the 45th President. She has lost her beloved mother, Dorothy, who died five years ago, but she has since then gained a son-in-law, Marc Mezvinsky, and two grandchildren, Charlotte and Aidan. Indeed, one of her first priorities, in terms of accommodating the expanding first family at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, will be the building of a nursery in the mansions East Wing in hopes that her daughter, Chelsea, will spend as much time there as possible with her babes allowing her to spend as much quality-time as possible with the clans youngest generation. Theres just nothing better, she recently declared. Im experiencing sort of what my mother experienced with Chelsea, because youre so focused on just enjoying and marveling and loving to the Nth degree but you also have this perspective like, Oh my gosh, I want to make sure that the world is okay and that, you know, things are right, and we have to save the planet. The East Wing - aficionados of the eponymous TV series will know the West Wing is where the real business of being the worlds most powerful person is done - will also be where a certain former president will have his quarters. Bill Clinton might have to be fitted with an electronic tracker to make sure he doesnt get confused and make wrong turns to the Oval Office. That is assuming, of course, the newest President Clinton wouldnt choose to give the first President Clinton some kind of official role, as he did for her when he was first sent to the White House in 1992. She had the task of passing legislation for universal health care, an effort that ended in humiliating defeat on Capitol Hill. But while there was overt whispering of voters getting a two-for-one deal when Mr Clinton was campaigning for his first term in 1992, there has been no such talk this time. Bill remains popular with the Democratic base, but he has proven somewhat gaffe prone too on the trail. His re-entry to the White House grounds will also evoke more sensitive memories. Gossip about interns and their proximity to Mr Clintons new office will not be tolerated. Nor will any mention whatsoever of Monica Lewinsky, the intern whose relationship with the then president turned all of Washington upside down - and the Clinton marriage - twenty years ago. (Yes, twenty.) Permanent passes may or may not be issued to Hugh and Tony Rodham, the two brothers of Ms Clinton, who over the years have built reputations for artful exploitation of their sister and brother-in-laws power status to leverage business dealings for themselves, sometimes of dubious nature, like the time in 1999 when they entered into a joint hazelnut growing venture with Aslan Abashidze, former strongman leader of a semiautonomous region of the Republic of Georgia. It never happened, and Mr Abashidze was later to be convicted for embezzlement. Chelseas husband, Marc, has some family skeletons, but the Clintons long ago agreed never to talk about that. Specifically, his father (and the other grandfather to Aiden and Charlotte), Edward Mezvinsky, is a financier who embezzled more than $10 million dollars from people via both a Ponzi scheme and the Nigerian e-mail scams and was found guilty of fraud in 2001. Mr Mezvinsky served five years in federal prison, and found himself divorced by his wife - now mother-in-law to Chelsea - before he regained his freedom. Before that he was in the family business, as it were - a Democrat Congressman for Iowa for two terms from 1973 to 1977. But all these things are in the past. Ms Clinton, aside from running the country, clearly plans to focus on the future and particularly those of Charlotte, born 26 September 2014, and Aidan, born 18 June this year. She summed up why to Hello Magazine this October. It was just the most incredible joy, she said. My friends who are grandparents always told me how amazing it would be. I didnt fully understand what they meant until I experienced it. Of course, if Donald Trump wins the US election, her time with her grandchildren will be unlimited. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton's campaign team has accused the FBI of "double standards" after its decision to launch a new probe into her emails slashed the candidate's election lead over Republican rival Donald Trump almost in half. The Democrat's lead slumped fron 4.6 percentage points on Friday to 2.5 points late on Monday, according to the Real Clear Politics tracker which averages most major polls. The FBI said on Friday that it had found thousands of emails, during an unrelated investigation, that may be "pertinent" to its review of Ms Clinton's use of a private server from 2009 to 2013. But Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a "blatant double standard" following a CNBC report that FBI Director James Comey opposed releasing details about possible Russian interference in the US election because it was too close to Election Day. The FBI declined to comment on that report on Monday. Mr Trump has been making political hay out of the FBI's new investigation, despite the fact Mr Comey's letter contained very little detail about what the FBI thinks it might have found. "That's the motherlode," Mr Trump said at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Monday night. "I think you're going to find the 33,000 (emails) that are missing." But Ms Clinton, at her own rally in Kent, Ohio, said the FBI was welcome to check her aide's emails too. "They should look at them and I'm sure they'll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the past year: there is no case here," she said. A Reuters survey conducted in the midst of the FBI's announcement showed Ms Clinton on 44 per cent of the vote to Mr Trump's 39 per cent, already slipping slightly from a six-point lead. But that poll may not yet represent the full impact of the damage from Mr Comey's letter to Congress, that his agency was looking into new emails uncovered during an unrelated investigation into Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. Rep. Weiner, the disgraced former New York congressman, is being investigated in connection with online communications with a teenage girl. The new emails were found on a computer he shared with Ms Abudin, one of Ms Clinton's closest advisors. But with one week to go to election day, there is some doubt as to whether the FBI will be able to release the findings of its new probe before the nation goes to vote. And Ms Clinton said that timing raised "a few questions" for the FBI. "It is pretty strange to put something like that out with such little information right before an election," she said. "In fact it is not just strange, it is unprecedented and deeply troubling. Voters deserve to get full and complete facts, so we call on director Comey to explain everything right away and put it all out on the table." The Justice Department, moving to address concerns over the timing of the revelation of the emails and a potential post-election spillover, said it would "dedicate all necessary resources" to concluding the review promptly. At the White House, spokesman Josh Earnest said he would neither defend nor criticise the timing of Comey's disclosure. But he also said President Barack Obama does not believe Comey was trying to influence the election, or attempting to benefit one candidate or party. Additional reporting by agencies Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The FBI is conducting an inquiry into alleged connections between Donald Trumps former campaign manager and pro-Russian interests, reports in US media suggest. NBC News quotes intelligence sources saying the FBI is looking into ties between Paul Manafort and prominent pro-Russian politicians and businessmen. It was alleged in August that a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine, led by former president Victor Yanukovych, paid Mr Manafort $12.7 million (10.4 million) between 2007 and 2012 for unknown services. Mr Manafort denied he had received the payments or worked for the Ukrainian government. Recommended Read more Clinton poll lead over Donald Trump slashed by new FBI email probe The FBI inquiry into the matter is not yet a full-fledged criminal investigation, NBC reported. Mr Manaford said: None of it is truetheres no investigation going on by the FBI that Im aware of. This is all political propaganda, meant to deflect. A spokeswoman for Mr Trump said: "Mr. Trump severed ties with Mr. Manafort many months ago. Mr. Trump has no knowledge of any of his past or present activities. The FBI refused to comment. It comes less than a week after FBI Director James Comey triggered a furious backlash by making public the fact his organisation is investigating newly uncovered emails sent by Hillary Clintons close aide Huma Abedin. The timing of the announcement, eleven days before the November 8 election, led legal experts, Democrats and some Republicans to condemn the FBI Director's decision to make the new inquiries public. The criticism was fuelled by US media reports that Mr Comey had refused to authorise an announcement accusing Russia of interfering in the election by hacking the emails of senior Democrats. The White House publicly blamed Moscow for the attacks. What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Show all 9 1 /9 What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump denying claims from a number of women that he sexually assaulted them This is all fiction, all fictionalised, probably or possibly started by her and her very sleazy campaign. I didn't even apologise to my wife who is sitting right here because I didn't even do anything Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump claiming the Russian leader had no respect for Mrs Clinton She doesn't like Putin because Putin has outsmarted her every step of the way. He has no respect for her. He has no respect for our President." Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump interrupting Mrs Clinton with one of his most scathing personal attacks yet as she explained her policy on social security Such a nasty woman Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump claiming Mrs Clinton shouldn't have been allowed to run for presidency and that the election is rigged She should never have been allowed to run. Shes guilty of a very very serious crime. She should not be allowed to run. And just in that respect, I say its rigged. Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mr Trump voicing his pro-life stance during the abortion debate Based on what she's saying ... you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb in the ninth month, on the final day, and that's unacceptable Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton suggesting this is not the first time Mr Trump has claimed results against him have been rigged There was even a time when Trump didn't get an Emmy for his TV programme three years in a row and he started tweeting that the Emmys were rigged Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton responding to Mr Trump's lewd comments about women Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity and self-worth Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton implying Mr Trump is a puppet of Russian president Vladimir Putin He'd rather have a puppet as president of the United States Getty What did Donald Trump say during the third presidential debate? Mrs Clinton comparing her political experience to Mr Trump's former television role On the day I was in the situation room monitoring the raid that brought Osama Bin Laden to justice he was hosting the Celebrity Apprentice Getty It led the Clinton campaign to accuse Mr Comey of a blatant double standard and call on the FBI director to immediately explain this incongruence and apply the same standard to Donald Trumps associates as he has applied to Hillary Clintons. The latest allegations about Mr Trumps connections with Russia come a day after Harry Reid, the Democrat leader in the Senate, claimed the FBI possessed explosive information about close ties and co-ordination between Donald Trump, his top advisers and the Russian government. Mr Reid has written to Mr Comey calling on him to make the information public. Mr Trump has faced continued questions about his ties to the Russian state. He has consistently praised Vladimir Putin and in July appeared to call on Russian intelligence officials to hack Hillary Clintons emails. It comes as American magazine Mother Jones reports a former senior spy alleging the FBI was passed evidence that there was an established exchange of information between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin of mutual benefit. The source said he uncovered evidence, which he passed to the FBI, that the Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years. [The] aim, endorsed by Putin, has been to encourage splits and division in western alliance. He claims Mr Trump and his inner circle have accepted a regular flow of intelligence from the Kremlin, including on his Democratic and other political rivals. Mr Trump has consistently denied any links with Moscow, saying: I have nothing to do with Russia. David Kramer, a former senior State Department official in the George W. Bush administration, previously told NBC News: "The relationships that Trump's advisors have had with pro-Russian forces are deeply disturbing" . Adam Schiff, a Democrat who sits on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said: "Americans have every right to be concerned about what they see in terms of Trump advisors and their closeness with the Kremlin, Trump's policies vis-a-vis Russia [and] Trump's potential financial interests. The FBI had previously completed an investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server during her time as US Secretary of State. It concluded there was no basis for criminal proceedings but accused her of extreme carelessness. The new emails came to light during an investigation into whether Anthony Weiner, a former US congressman and Ms Abedins estranged husband, send explicit images to an underage girl. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} What day does the US presidential election take place? The US election takes place on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, and voters will choose the decide the 45th president between frontrunner Hillary Clinton and her rival Donald Trump. More than 45 million voters will have already participated in early or absentee ballot voting and enjoy the tallying from the sidelines. What happens the week before the election? Candidates will make their last ditch efforts to potential voters in several of the 11 swing states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. More than 22 million Americans have already participated in early voting. Professor Michael McDonald, who teaches political science at the University of Florida, told The New York Times that the [early voting] mail ballots tend to break towards Republicans and in-person early breaks between Democrats. The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 Show all 10 1 /10 The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama thank supporters during the Commander in Chief Inaugural Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama was sworn in for his second term earlier in the day. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the Inaugural Ball at the Walter Washington Convention Center January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama started his second term by taking the Oath of Office earlier in the day during a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive for the Inaugural Ball at the Walter Washington Convention Center January 21, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama started his second term by taking the Oath of Office earlier in the day during a ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 U.S. President Barack Obama dances with first lady Michelle Obama during the Inaugural Ball January 21, 2013 at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. Barack Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States. Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama ride in a golf cart an Inaugural ball 1/20/09 Official White House Photo by Pete Souza Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama dance during the Youth Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington in Washington, DC, January 20, 2009. Obama was sworn in as the 44th US president earlier in the day. AFP PHOTO / Saul LOEB (Photo credit should read SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 (L-R) US President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and president-elect Barack Obama stand outside the Diplomatic entrance of the White House on November 10, 2008 in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Tim SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images) Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 (L-R) US President George W. Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Michelle Obama and president-elect Barack Obama stand outside the Diplomatic entrance of the White House on November 10, 2008 in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Tim SLOAN (Photo credit should read TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 US President George W. Bush and president-elect Barack Obama make their way through the Colonnade on November 10, 208 to a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Obama is visiting the White House at the invitation of Bush ahead of his January 20, 2009 inauguration as the next president. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images The Obamas celebrate the Inauguration in 2009 and 2013 performs during MTV & ServiceNation: Live From The Youth Inaugural Ball at the Hilton Washington on January 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States today, becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the US. Getty Images What happens the day after? It wont be until Wednesday, the morning after the election until we know whos won the election. Mitt Romney was ahead in the electoral and popular vote by 10:30pm and just an hour later Barack Obama was nearly declared to be the winner. Well also know who controls the House in 2017 on Wednesday. Itll most likely be Republicans unless Dems can manage to snatch 30-seats and take over the 435-seat chamber. When is the Inauguration? The next president will be sworn into office on January 20, 2017giving President Barack Obama 73 days to pull out all or any tricks up his sleeve to close Guantanamo Bay, convince Congress to approve his Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland or even pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal. She or he will be sworn in on the steps of the US Capitol and will deliver the inaugural address. The Obama administration will be swapping out with the new presidents staffers as the ceremonies go into effect. And the night will of course end with the Inaugural ball. Interestingly enough, President Obama and the First Lady will also have to give up their coveted @POTUS and @FLOTUS Twitter handles and hand them down to their predecessors. What a time to be alive, indeed. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hundreds of mourners attended a memorial service in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday for a 10-year-old girl who was drugged, raped and brutally murdered while under her mothers watch two months ago. Victoria Martens was found by police on her 10th birthday after being called to the familys apartment over noise disturbance. Officers found the childs dismembered body in a burning blanked in the bathroom. She had been injected with meth, raped, strangled and stabbed. Mother Michelle Martens, 35, her boyfriend Fabian Gonzales, 31, and his cousin Jessica Kelley have been charged in connection with Victorias death. Many members of the community attended the emotional memorial service for Victoria at the Copper Pointe Church, from the authorities to her neighbours. A number of attendees wore purple, Victoria's favourite colour, in tribute, and doves were released after the service outside. Just as she was looking for other children to play with, in many ways, she may be looking for ways for her and many of us community leaders to try t protect more children, Hector Balderas, New Mexico Attorney General, said at the service, ABC7 reported. Godmother Laura Bobbs spoke of when she first met Victoria: And so, she knocked on my door that morning and said: Excuse me, My name is Victoria. I said, Well, arent you a cute little thing? Whered you come from? She had little pig tails. She says, Im new in the neighbourhood, but do you have any kids I can play with? Police release interview with mother who sought out men to rape and murder her daughter Martens reportedly told police she had searched for men online and at work to sexually assault Victoria while she watched, which she said she enjoyed and had not undertaken for money. She also claimed Gonzalez had raped Victoria every day for a month before her death. Albuquerque police chief Gorden Eden Jr called the murder the most gruesome act of evil I have ever seen in my career". For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An asylum seeker has travelled from Calais to within eight miles of the British coastline in an inflatable kayak. The Iranian man, aged around 30, is believed to have been spotted by a cross-channel ferry late last week, before a UK border force vessel was dispatched to pick him up. It is thought to be the first time someone seeking asylum has attempted to make the 20-mile crossing alone in a kayak. The man, believed to have been living in the Jungle camp before it was closed last week, is now reportedly being detained at an immigration centre in Croydon, London, and being assessed under an immigration procedure known as 'Detained Fast Track' (DFT). He claims he converted to Christianity in Iran and was persecuted as a consequence, according to Sky News. According to reports, the man told people in the Jungle he was a software engineer before he had left his country. The Jungle was officially closed last week after a state operation in which authorities transported more than 6,000 adults by bus to reception centres across France, where their asylum claims will be assessed. But hundreds, if not thousands, are believed to have fled the state operation in the hope of finding their own way to the UK. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 unaccompanied minors have been living in shipping containers in the camp, where they have been largely unsupervised with limited food and water. French authorities announced the children would be taken to childrens homes in France from 8am on Wednesday. Calais refugee camp evacuation Show all 15 1 /15 Calais refugee camp evacuation Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees run past a fire in the makeshift migrant camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French authorities say the closure of the slum-like camp in Calais will last approximately a week in what they describe as a "humanitarian" operation, October 2016 AP Calais refugee camp evacuation A painted message saying 'Bye Jungle' on a tent in the camp in Calais, October 2016 Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees set rubbish bins alight as a protest in the makeshift camp 'the Jungle' in Calais, France, October 2016 EPA Calais refugee camp evacuation French riot police advance through tear gas and smoke from a fire to disperse refugees throwing stones and lighting fires at the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in France Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Journalists run away from smoke during clashes near a makeshift refugee camp known as 'the jungle' in Calais AP Calais refugee camp evacuation French CRS riot police secure an area on the eve of the evacuation and transfer of refugees to reception centers in Franc Reuters Calais refugee camp evacuation Migrants queue for transportation by bus to reception centres across France, from the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees line-up to register at a processing centre in the 'jungle' near Calais, northern France, as the mass exodus from the migrant camp begins PA wire Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees with luggage walk past a graffiti on a wall as they leave the 'Jungle' migrant camp, as part of a major three-day operation planned to clear the camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation French far-right Front National (FN) party's member of parliament Marion Marechal-Le Pen (L) delivers a speech next to a banner reading "They arrive in Vaucluse, no migrants in our place" as she attends a rally against the hosting of refugees in La Tour d'Aigues Getty Images Calais refugee camp evacuation French police forces secure the area near the 'Jungle' refugee camp in Calais Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees leave messages on their tents in the Jungle migrant camp Getty Calais refugee camp evacuation Refugees carry their belongings and transfer to reception centers in France While charities welcome the news, they urge the processing of children who may be eligible to come to the UK must not be delayed further. Rabbi Janet Darley, from Citizens UK, said: Whilst we welcome the move to accommodate unaccompanied children away from the containers, where they could not be properly safeguarded, this cannot be used as a reason to delay the transfer of those who have a legal right to come to the UK. "We call on the British and French governments to work together to resume transfers and quickly allocate all the children accommodation so that they can start to rebuild their lives as swiftly as possible." The Independent has contacted the Home Office for comment. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Norway is now a nuclear target due to the deployment of 330 US Marines in its borders, a senior Russian politician has warned. Frants Klintsevitsj, the deputy chairman of Russia's defence and security committee, told TV2 Norwegian citizens will suffer from US military presence in the country. Mr Klintsevitsj said: This is very dangerous for Norway and Norwegians. How should we react to this? We have never before had Norway on the list of targets for our strategic weapons. But if this develops, Norways population will suffer. The US troops will be stationed in Vrnes, around 1,000km (600 miles) from the Norwegian border with Russia. Refuting the angry Russian reaction to the deployment, Norways defence minister, Ine Eriksen Sreide said: There is no objective reason for the Russians to react to this. But the Russians are reacting at the moment in the same way toward almost everything the Nato countries are doing. Russian warships move through English Channel under Royal Navy watch Norway, a member of Nato since 1949, has long held large amounts of US military equipment in tunnels dug into mountains. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The Norwegian government also argued Nato troops had been training in the country for decades. It added the US deployment did not constitute a permanent US base and was a trial to be evaluated in 2017. Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated over the last few months largely due to Russian involvement in the Syrian civil war. Russia was recently voted off the United Nations Human Rights Council amid mounting allegations of being responsible for war crimes over its actions in Syria. MI5 chief Andrew Parker has announced the Russian state poses a growing threat to stability in the UK. Boris Johnson calls for protests outside the Russian Embassy over Syria conflict He told The Guardian: [Russia] is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5s job to get in the way of that. Nato member states have laid down plans to deploy thousands of troops to Eastern Europe and Baltic states as Russia bolsters its military presence on its western borders with Europe. Last month, Russia sent a large naval detachment on its way to the Middle East through the English Channel, which was largely interpreted as a signal to the West. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A dormant volcano just outside Rome could be slowly reawakening, scientists have said, raising fears of a Pompeii-style ash-and-rock cloud sweeping across the Italian capital. An eruption in the Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD), which is around 10km from Rome, would have a devastating impact on much of the city. In a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, an international team of researchers reported that the ground in the region is rising by 2-3mm per year and underground chambers located several kilometres below the towns of Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo and Albano are filling up with magma signs that the previously dormant volcano is rumbling back to life. Recommended Read more Most powerful quake for three decades hits centre of Italy Satellite imagery and seismographic charts also record the volcanos slow awakening. However, while the volcanos increased activity is a cause for concern, experts believe a possible eruption could still be 1,000 years away. Previous studies have suggested the volcano tends to erupt around every 40,000 years. But now scientists believe that could be narrowed to 30,000 years bringing the prospect of an eruption much closer. If the volcano did erupt, it would produce a huge cloud raining down ash and lava on parts of Rome. The cloud would obscure the sun in countries as far away as Latin America, scientists believe. Experts say the long gaps between eruptions are a cause for concern because they allow time for large quantities of magma to build up and pressure to mount below the earths surface. This means the eventual eruption is likely to be bigger and more powerful. When the eruption happens, it has an explosive effect, like opening a champagne bottle after shaking it, Fabrizio Marra, who led the study, told La Repubblica. This sort of process has, for example, caused the string of earthquakes that hit this area at the beginning of the 1990s, with minor quakes and a few cases of magnitude four quakes. Mr Marra said people living near the volcano should not fear an eruption at least not yet. In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Show all 13 1 /13 In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Fractures on a road in Norcia after the strong earthquake in central Italy EPA/Matteo Crocchioni In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy The bell tower of St. Augustine's church destroyed after the strong earthquake in central Italy, Amatrice EPA/Massimo Percossi In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Nuns rest on a bench after been evacuated from their monastery following an earthquake in Norcia, Italy REUTERS/Remo Casilli In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy The church of the Madonna of the Angels is seen partially collapsed following an earthquake along the road to Norcia, Italy Reuters In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A powerful earthquake rocked the same area of central and southern Italy in August and a pair of aftershocks last week, sending already quake-damaged buildings crumbling after a week of tremors that have left thousands homeless Vigili Del Fuoco/Italian Firefighters via AP In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 6km north of Norcia, Italy, EPA In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 6km north of Norcia, Italy EPA/Alberto Orsini In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy People are evacuated from an hospital following an earthquake in Rieti, Italy REUTERS/Emiliano Grillotti In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy L'Aquila Mayor Massimo Cialente speaks on his mobile telephone as he checks the damage after the strong earthquake in L'Aquila, central Italy EPA/Alberto Orsini In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy Italian firefighters escort a frightened woman out of a building just as an aftershock rattled Norcia, central Italy AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A view of Amatrice village completely destroyed after the strong earthquake in central Italy EPA/Massimo Percossi In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A firefighter and an alpine soldier look at rubble in the hilltop town of Amatrice as an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.6 struck central Italy Massimo Percossi/ANSA via AP In pictures: Most powerful earthquake for three years hits Italy A handout map released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows the location of the earthquake striking around 68km east-southeast of Perugia, Italy EPA The more imminent threat is from earthquakes triggered by the increased activity under the earths crust. Earthquakes can, in certain circumstances, trigger volcanic eruptions but this is not currently a risk in Rome because the volcano is still too far away from its next eruption. Mr Marra said: It has been ascertained that a seismic event could trigger a volcanic eruption, as happened in the US with Mount St Helens. But it can only happen with a volcano on the verge of erupting, at these levels there is no possible disturbance that could reach the magma chambers. The team, from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Rome, mapped 600,000 years of the regions history and assessed the habits of the volcano. They concluded that the cycle of past eruptions suggest another is due within the next 1,000 years a finding in line with the increased volcanic activity in the region. The warning comes as Italys biggest earthquake in 36 years left more than 15,000 people homeless in and around the town of Norcia in central Italy. A number of historic buildings were damaged or destroyed by the 6.6 magnitude quake. In August, 200 people were killed by a slightly smaller earthquake that hit the nearby village of Accumoli. Via VnExpress International: Vietnam confirms at least 23 Zika cases. Excerpt: At least 23 people have been infected with the Zika virus in Vietnam, including 17 confirmed cases in Ho Chi Minh City, according to a new report from the leading epidemiology center Pasteur Institute. The new figure is astonishing, considering that the city had earlier confirmed only five cases. It declared a pandemic state of the mosquito-borne disease in October. Vietnam reported the first Zika cases, also in HCMC, in April. There have been six other infections in the neighboring Binh Duong, Long An and Tra Vinh Provinces in the Mekong Delta, and Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa and Phu Yen in the central region. Tran Dac Phu, director of the Preventive Health Department under the health ministry, said HCMC has high risk of infection given its large population, which is around 12 million including migrants. There is a lot of mobility around the city while "the hygiene is not very good," Phu said. He said the population of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, a vector species for the Zika virus that also carries dengue and yellow fever, has increased significantly in the city. The department on Sunday officially linked the first case of microcephaly to Zika, a four-month-old girl in Dak Lak. Her mother reportedly contracted the virus during the pregnancy. Health officials said people, either men or women, should avoid mosquito bites and traveling to places with Zika epidemic if they plan to have children. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Russian troops are planning to conduct war games training exercises in Serbia while Nato holds an emergency exercise drill in Montenegro. The 13-day armed exercise in Serbia, dubbed "The Slavic Brotherhood 2016," will begin on Wednesday. It will involve 150 Russian paratroopers, 50 air force staffers, three transport planes and an unspecified number of troops from Serbia and Belarus, Russia's Defence Ministry said. The five-day Nato drill began in Montenegro on Monday and will include training on fighting floods and chemical attacks. The exercises will involve 680 unarmed personnel from seven Nato countries and 10 partner states. Russian and Serbian soldiers parachute from a plane during the Russian-Serbian joint anti terrorist exercise Srem 2014, at Nikinci training ground, 60 kilometers west of Belgrade, Serbia 14 November, 2014 The parallel drills come amid deteriorating relations between Russia and the West over the conflict in Syria. Nearly half of Russians fear Moscow's intervention in the conflict could lead to World War III, a poll found. US generals previously warned a future war with Russia would be "extremely lethal and fast". They said it would produce violence on a scale not seen for 60 years. Russian warships move through English Channel under Royal Navy watch Both Serbia and Montenegro, which were a single state before their split in 2006, are traditional Russian Orthodox allies. However, since the split, Montenegro pursued pro-Western policies while Serbia has been struggling to tear itself from Moscow's grip. Montenegro has been invited to join Nato, despite strong opposition from Russia. Serbia is under strong pressure from the Kremlin not to join the Western military alliance or the European Union. Although Serbia, a Nato partner, has held exercises with the Western alliance, they have not been so large and foreign troops and equipment have not participated on its soil. Montenegrin officials have accused Russia of standing behind an alleged coup on election day earlier in October to topple the pro-Western government because of its Nato bid. Some 20 Serbian citizens were arrested in Montenegro during the vote, suspected of trying to stage the coup, while Serbian authorities reportedly deported an unspecified number of Russian operatives from their territory. Additional reporting by AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Russia poses a growing threat to the stability of the UK and is pushing its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways, the head of the MI5 has said. In what is claimed to be the first ever newspaper interview given by a serving MI5 chief, Andrew Parker - who has been director general for nine years - warned that Russia was "at work" in the UK and the rest of Europe, and increasingly using cyber methods to operate covertly. Mr Parker told The Guardian: [Russia] is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5s job to get in the way of that. The spy chief said the rise of cyberwarfare meant Russia was carrying out high-volume activity out of sight with the increasing range of methods available. Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the west...You can see that on the ground with Russias activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat,". Mr Parker said Russia had been a "covert threat" for decades - but now there were more ways available for Russia to act. Tensions have been rising between the west and Russia since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and with Russias support for the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian conflict. In a further intensification in tensions, Russia sent a large naval detachment through the Channel last week, which was largely interpreted as a signal to the west. Russia was recently voted off the United Nations Human Rights Council amid mounting allegations of being responsible for war crimes in relation to its actions in Syria. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Parker also told The Guardian there have been 12 jihadi terror plots have been foiled by the security services in the past three years, and that there are about 3,000 violent Islamic extremists in the UK, mostly British. He said the MI5 was to expand due to budget increases, which will see it expand from 4,000 to 5,000 officers over the next five years, adding that his aim was to equalise the gender balance in the security service and recruit many more operatives from ethnic minority backgrounds. The spy chief also dismissed claims that Brexit would affect cooperation with European intelligence services. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Turkey could draft a limited measure of the death penalty, prime minister Binali Yildirim has said, if an agreement can be made between political parties. If there is an agreement on capital punishment, there could be a limited measure. We will not close our ears to the demands of the people, he said in a speech to members of his ruling AK Party in parliament on Tuesday. No executions have been carried out in Turkey since 1984 and the country formally abandoned the punishment in 2002 as part of its preparation for its European Union accession process. Germany and EU member states have made it clear to Turkey that reinstating the death penalty would spell an end to the countrys bid to become a part of the EU in July, following President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raising the possibility of bringing back the punishment following the failed coup. Just three days ago president Erdogan said he would ask parliament to reconsider reinstating the death penalty, stating that he was convinced parliament would approve it and that he would then ratify it. Nearly 35,000 people have been arrested in Turkey and more than 100,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from government jobs since the failed coup in a bid to stamp out US-based cleric Fethullah Gulens network, who has been blamed by Ankara for orchestrating the failed coup. Turkeys failed coup strains relations with the West Prime minister Yildirim appeared to say that none of those who have been detained so far would be able to face capital punishment however, saying it would not be able to apply it retroactively. We want it to be known that this wont be done by us alone and the measure would not apply retroactively, he said. The prime minister also shrugged off criticism from the EU on Turkeys curb on media freedoms after 15 more media outlets were closed over what were called suspected links with terrorist organisations and Mr Gulen. At least 13 senior staff members of an opposition newspaper were also detained and a further 10,000 civil servants have been dismissed. Mr Yildirim said that Turkey would not be taught lessons by Europe and that the government would protect press freedom until the end. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theyre keeping open the eight passages to western Aleppo, just in case. There have been no more air strikes on the surrounded east of the city by either Syrian or Russian jets despite the anti-government bombardment by Jabhat al-Nusra and its largely Islamist allies. The Syrian army has pushed its enemies nine miles further north of the city, in which more than 80 civilians have been killed over the past six days and the militia offensive has predictably failed. Not that the United Nations could be left out. Shocked and appalled it was, of course, and Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy, has churned out the old war crimes threat, this time directed at the Wests friendly moderates in eastern Aleppo whom he was keen to talk to a couple of weeks ago rather than the Bashar al-Assad regime. But the UNs bleatings will make no difference. Nor will the John Kerrys oddly Gaelic fears of Aleppo smashed to smithereens originally an Irish word have the slightest effect. Yet the Syrian government still hopes more civilians militiamen, too will leave the besieged east and allow it to reabsorb the enclave without another war. Everything depends right now on three people: the commander of the Syrian Aleppo garrison, the head of the Baath party in the city, and the boss whoever he is of the Jabhat al-Nusra militia and their Ahrar al-Sham allies and other outfits who are defending or imprisoning (delete as appropriate, as usual) the 200,000 to 300,000 civilians in eastern Aleppo. So well start with the bespectacled general in charge of the evacuation whose office I found adorned with vast operational maps of Aleppo in which the east of the city appears as a grey, bent sausage with a circle to the left (the ancient citadel, still held by Syrian troops) pierced by eight large red arrows. Whether the arrows represent planned attacks or the crossing points which the government opened on 20 October from 8am to 4pm each day with only 48 takers so far was unclear. But the four large banners hanging from flagstaffs behind the generals desk told their own story: Hezbollahs green and yellow, the red, white and blue of Russia, the black, white and red of Syria and the green white and red of Iran. A multicoloured coalition, then, with a lot of firepower and an intriguing set of military video clips of the crossings as they opened on 20 October. Each shows a Syrian armoured vehicle with a loudspeaker calling on the people of Aleppo to take out the wounded and civilians from the east of Aleppo along the routes that have been planned by the government, adding revealingly that the Syrian government, in cooperation with the Russian forces, will guarantee safety for you and your family. Russian officers were indeed at the crossing points on the three first days. Two of them were wounded by snipers. One of the video clips shows a shell, apparently fired from eastern Aleppo, exploding in the background as two men run from the east to the Syrian army lines. The general thought there were only 75,000 civilians left in eastern Aleppo, an intriguing figure since the number of trapped families in the enclave have moved between 70,000 and 300,000 according to various experts. The UN believes the higher figure, a Syrian army officer on the front line suggested 200,000, another far more senior Syrian intelligence officer thought 250,000, the Baath party guessed between 112,000 to 115,000. All of which proves that no one neither the UN, the Syrians or journalists has the slightest idea of just how many souls are waiting to be saved or to die. In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo We promised to take care of the injured, the general announced. We did. The people who came across were free to go and live with their relatives in the west of the city or to apartments which we had reserved for them. They chose their relatives. Then he added, almost without hesitation: Now the decision is that we must enter the battle and put an end to the Nusra and other terrorist groups to help the people themselves to get rid of them. Did this mean that the halt in Russian and Syrian bombing of eastern Aleppo would resume? A telephone rang on the generals desk and a flurry of staff officers ran into his office with aerial photographs presumably the work of a drone and his attention suddenly turned to more pressing matters. There are armed men crossing from Turkey through the Bab al-Howa border point to the north of Lattakia which showed just how far the generals remit ran in northern Syria and they are driving a lot of vehicles with explosives and ammunition. Look! We search for a political solution and they are ready to attack and fight. But would the Syrians and Russians bomb east Aleppo again? There are orders that the planes cannot bomb within 10km of eastern Aleppo, the general replied. An interesting remark, since the general is the man who orders the air strikes along with his Russian colleagues, of course and he followed up with a slightly ambiguous remark when I asked for his feelings when he saw the wounded children of east Aleppo on television. I see them as like my kids, he replied. I have a very high sense of humanity with civilians. But with terrorists, I have to do my national duty to defend the civilians and protect them. The terrorists and the general thought there were 15 separate armed groups in eastern Aleppo are the same wherever they exist in Syria, Iran, Britain, Russia, Lebanon... Perhaps. But the general also made a remark about medical facilities for terrorists which suggested that hospitals who treated militiamen in east Aleppo were targets for the Syrian-Russian coalition, whomever else the hospitals treated. Which also tells its own grim tale. So now to the Baath headquarters in Aleppo, bathed in generator light and sudden power cuts, where the local party head, Ahmed Ibrahim Saleh, described how he talked to east Aleppo civilians by phone, claiming that through these interlocutors he has contact with 12,000 civilians in the enclave. And negotiations were continuing, he said. The Ahrar al-Sham group had indirectly received a message from the government via text and they replied by recorded phone calls: the governments message was that they could send over a group of their men if they wanted to cross to the west of the city as a test just two if they wanted and these two could telephone when they arrived through the government lines and reached a safe place. They said: We trust you, but we dont trust the [Syrian] government or the [state] security apparatus. I said, just find four or five armed men to cross. They said they would discuss this. The problem is that the leaders of these armed groups, the foreigners, make them afraid and tell them that the security apparatus will execute them. But all the armed men who have come to this building have been well-treated. This appears to be perfectly true. But the constant reference to the security apparatus was telling; everyone in Syria fears the mukhabarat security police. When I asked Mr Saleh about hospitals in the east of the city, I heard a familiar story. This is war. Maybe there are some mistakes. Maybe the plane cannot see women and children. One hospital shelled by a plane was a base for the leaders of the terrorists and was full of arms and weapons. This was quite an admission. When Nato found soldiers hiding in a hospital during the 1999 war on Serbia, its bombs killed all the civilians in the building but none of the soldiers. No one spoke of war criminals. A different morality is in play in Syria, of course, where the bombing of hospitals is immediately and legally correctly referred to as a war crime. As for the conflict, war ends when foreign support stops, Mr Saleh said. If America says Stop the war, the war will stop. So now to a young Syrian army captain on the front line who guards one of the crossing points. During the truce, he received two armed men who had contacted him earlier to arrange the crossing. They came right here to my office, he said. One of them was from Ahrar al-Sham, we let them come with their guns. We had vehicles ready for them with covered windows so that no one could shoot at them. I told them which road to use to come out. They were checked by our people in case they carried booby traps. We could see them but the two men could not see our soldiers. They told me that their life stopped when the war began and did not advance any more in the following years. One of the men said his dream was just one more night of sleep and one more day of life for me and my family. The two men knew each other and they complained that the armed groups were uneducated and illiterate. Yes, when we shell east Aleppo, we are defending ourselves just as they will defend their side of the city when we rocket them. How many people are there? I myself think the UNs figures might be exaggerated. When the passages were opened, eight wounded men from Ahrar al-Sham came out and we offered them health care and they refused and said they wanted to join the other terrorists in Idlib province. Because they were wounded, they were friendly to the army. I met the eight of them. We allowed them freely to go to Idlib. And this is also true. The armed men who surrendered in Homs were allowed to go to Idlib. So were the armed opposition in the Damascus suburbs, including those of Mouadamiya. Idlib seems to be the favourite dumping ground for all varieties of Islamist fighters. For the Syrian government, the armed men of Aleppo should either agree to go home or head for Idlib themselves, along with their families. But will they? The captain had heard of 40 executions by Ahrar al-Sham of armed men who wished to leave eastern Aleppo. Propaganda? Maybe. But the commanders of the Islamist groups there give no interviews to visiting western reporters because western journalists have wisely decided not to turn up in east Aleppo and have their heads cut off. So was the recent offensive against western Aleppo the answer to the Syrians passageways to freedom, to the corridors of safety which were opened for the civilians? Perhaps. But given the amount of weaponry the militias deployed in recent days, they may have decided that they still have no need to negotiate another truce or take the bus to Idlib. Then we are left with the generals remark about how the decision is to enter the battle. In other words, Aleppos agony is far from over. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Iraqi Army has entered Mosul for the first time in over two years at the start of a battle which is likely to end in a decisive defeat for Isis. The significance of the fight for Mosul will be all the greater for Isis because its self-declared caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is believed to be still inside the city, a senior Kurdish official has told The Independent. Fuad Hussein, chief of staff to Kurdish President Massoud Barzani, said in an exclusive interview that his government had information from multiple sources that Baghdadi is there and, if he is killed, it will mean the collapse of the whole [Isis] system. Isis would have to choose a new caliph in the middle of a battle, but no successor would have the authority and prestige of Baghdadi, the leader who surprised the world by establishing the caliphate after capturing Mosul in June 2014. Baghdadi has kept himself concealed for the last eight or nine months according to Mr Hussein, who added that the caliph had become very dependent on Isis commanders from Mosul and Tal Afar, a city just to the west of Mosul. Other senior and better known figures in Isis, particularly those from Syria and other countries, have been killed since their initial triumphs in the summer of 2014 when they took over much of northern Iraq and eastern Syria. Recommended Read more This is what will happen to Mosul after Isis is pushed out The presence of Baghdadi in Mosul may complicate and prolong the battle for Mosul as his surviving adherents fight to the death to defend him. Mr Hussein said that it is obvious that they will lose, but not how long this will take to happen. He said that Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been impressed by the extraordinary number of tunnels that Isis had dug in order to provide hiding places in the villages around Mosul. Iraqi Special Forces advanced into Mosul, which once had a population of two million, on Tuesday seizing the state television on the east bank of the Tigris River that divides the city in half. Mr Hussein said that the speed of the fall of Mosul would depend on many factors especially whether or not Isis is going to destroy the five bridges over the river. Baghdadi speaking in 2014 (AP) Iraqi army units backed by US-led air strikes have been attacking across the Nineveh Plain to the east of Mosul, capturing empty towns and villages from which the inhabitants have almost entirely fled. Where Christians and other minorities have tried to return to their old homes in towns like Bartella and Qaraqosh, they have found them looted and often burned by retreating Isis fighters. Iraqi troops entered Gogjali, a district inside Mosul's city limits, and later the borders of the more built-up Karama district, according to Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces. Under an agreement reached before the offensive began on 17 October, Kurdish Peshmerga and Shia-militia paramilitaries known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, will not join the attack into Mosul, which is a largely Sunni Arab city. In pictures: Mosul offensive Show all 40 1 /40 In pictures: Mosul offensive In pictures: Mosul offensive A doctor carries an Iraqi newborn baby at a hospital in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi girls play at a yard of a school in Mosul, Iraq July 18, 2017alal Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A woman on crutches who is a relative of men accused of being Islamic State militants is seen at a camp in Bartella, east of Mosul, Iraq July 15, 2017. Picture taken July 15, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A displaced girl, who fled from home carries a doll at Hamam al-Alil camp south of Mosul, Iraq July 13, 2017. Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi federal police members and civilians celebrate in the Old City of Mosul on 9 July 2017 after the government's announcement of the "liberation" of the embattled city. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office said he was in "liberated" Mosul to congratulate "the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory" AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken on 9 July 2017, shows a general view of the destruction in Mosul's Old City. Iraq will announce imminently a final victory in the nearly nine-month offensive to retake Mosul from jihadists, a US general said Saturday, as celebrations broke out among police forces in the city. AFP In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of the Iraqi federal police raise the victory gesture as they ride on a humvee while advancing through the Old City of Mosul on 28 June 2017, as the offensive continues to retake the last district held by Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Smoke billows as Iraqi forces advance through the Old City of Mosul on 26 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district held by the Islamic State (IS) group. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi man wearing the green scarf of the Shi'ite faith kisses an Iraqi Army soldier on safely reaching the Iraqi forces position as Iraqi civilians flee the Old City of west Mosul where heavy fighting continues on 23 June 2017. Iraqi forces continue to encounter stiff resistance with improvised explosive devices, car bombs, heavy mortar fire and snipers hampering their advance. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A picture taken from the inside of an Iraqi forces armoured vehicle shows residents walking through a damaged street as troops advance towards Mosul's Old City on 18 June 2017, during the ongoing offensive to retake the last district still held by the Islamic State (IS) group. Military commanders told AFP the assault had begun at dawn after overnight air strikes by the US-led coalition backing Iraqi forces. They said the jihadists were putting up fierce resistance. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi Army soldiers advance in a destroyed street after an Iraqi forces airstrike targeted an Islamic State sniper position 17 June 2017 in al-Shifa, the last district of west Mosul under Islamic State control. IS snipers, as well as car and suicide bomb attacks continue to hinder the Iraqi forces efforts to retake the final district. A series of airstrikes by Iraqi helicopter gunships attempted to hit multiple Islamic State sniper positions in al-Shifa. Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier frisks a displaced Iraqi man at a temporary camp in the compound of the closed Nineveh International Hotel in Mosul on 16 June 2017 which was recovered by Iraqi troops from Islamic State group fighters earlier in the year. A screening centre set up in the compound's fairgrounds sees a constant stream of Iraqis fleeing the battle for Mosul, awaiting their turn to be checked by the Iraqi forces who are searching for suspected Islamic State (IS) group members. The small fairground lies at the end of a pontoon bridge across the Tigris recently opened to civilians that is the only physical link between the two banks of the river. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis staying at the al-Khazir camp swim in a river near the camp for internally displaced people, located between Arbil and Mosul on 11 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi government forces drive on a road leading to Tal Afar on 9 June 2017, during ongoing battles to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi policeman carries a poster bearing an image of Mosul's iconic leaning minaret, known as the "Hadba" (Hunchback), on 22 June 2017. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqis stand in line to receive food aid in western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood on 7 June 2017, during ongoing battles as Iraqi forces try to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Living conditions in Mosul have again deteriorated since the start of the Iraqi government's offensive on the city in October in which they retook a large part of the west of the city. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced Iraqis carry lightbulbs and sacks as they evacuate from western Mosul's Zanjili neighbourhood as government forces advance in the area during their ongoing battle against Islamic State (IS) group fighters on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) flashes the victory gesture as he patrols in western Mosul's al-Islah al-Zaraye neighbourhood on 13 May 2017 AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi army soldiers from the 9th armoured division on a truck flash the sign of victory as they drive back from Mosul to the town of Qaraqosh (also known as Hamdaniya) Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Members of Iraqi forces flash the sign of victory on their vehicle as they advance towards Hammam al-Alil area south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi security forces gestures in Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi children, one flashing the sign of victory, greet Iraqi army's soldiers from the 9th armoured division in the area of Ali Rash, adjacent to the eastern Al-Intissar neighbourhood of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Peshmerga forces look at a tunnel used by Islamic State militants near the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier takes a photograph with his phone as his comrade stands next to a detained man, whom the Iraqi army soldiers accused of being an Islamic State fighter, who was fleeing with his family in the Intisar disrict of eastern Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Iranian Kurdish female members of the Freedom Party of Kurdistan (PAK) hold a position in an area near the town of Bashiqa, some 25 kilometres north east of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families, who fled their homes in Hamam al-Alil, gather on the outskirts of their town Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Displaced people walk past a checkpoint near Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces against jihadists of the Islamic State group to retake the city of Mosul, are seen gathering in an area near Qayyarah In pictures: Mosul offensive A boy who just fled Abu Jarbuah village is seen with his family at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi child eats a pomegranate upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive People who just fled Abu Jarbuah village sit as they eat at a Kurdish Peshmerga position between two front lines near Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive A couple who just fled Abu Jarbuah village are escorted by Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers Reuters In pictures: Mosul offensive Women carry a boy over a wall as civilians flee their houses in the village of Tob Zawa, Iraq AP In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier and a civilian ride a motorbike as smoke rises behind them, on the road between Qayyarah and Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces, wearing a skull mask, waits at a checkpoint for people fleeing the main hub city of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive An Iraqi soldier sits at a checkpoint in an area near Qayyarah Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi men prepare food portions for Iraqi forces deployed in areas south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi forces celebrate upon the arrival of vehicles bringing food to them Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive Iraqi childen smoke cigarettes upon the arrival of Iraqi forces in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty In pictures: Mosul offensive A member of Iraqi forces distributes drinks to children in the village of Umm Mahahir, south of Mosul Getty As night fell, a sandstorm blew up cutting visibility to only 100 yards making air support for Iraqi forces more difficult and bringing the fighting to an end. Daesh (Isis) is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighbourhood and [stop] our troops' advance, General Aridi said. He added later that the troops had taken the nearby state television building, the only one in Nineveh province, but there had been heavy fighting when they tried to move further into built-up areas. They are still some six miles from the city centre. The anti-Isis offensive is dependent on US-led air strikes and the presence of US special forces. I assure you that the Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga do not move one millimetre forward without American permission and coordination, said one Kurdish observer. He did not think that the battle for Mosul would necessarily go on a long time. But it is increasingly difficult for the 3,000 to 5,000 Isis fighters in Mosul and the 1,500 to 2,500 on the outskirts to escape, even if they wanted to. The Iraqi Army and the Peshmerga encircle the city to the north, east and west and the Hashd are moving in from the west, cutting the last routes to Syria. US spokesman Colonel John Dorrian said that the US-led airpowers had noticed that Isis forces could no longer move in large numbers. And when we see them come together where there are significant numbers we will strike them and kill them, he said during a televised press conference. Some 1,792 Iraqis of whom 1,120 were civilians were killed in October according to the UN, though the total probably does not include Isis fighters. Eyewitnesses inside Mosul, where Isis is reported to have killed 40 Iraqi prisoners at the weekend and thrown their bodies into the Tigris, say there are few fighters to be seen in the streets. There are mostly just teenagers with guns, said one Mosul resident reached by telephone. Part of the city is shrouded in smoke because of air strikes and artillery fire, but also because Isis fighters are lighting fires to produce a smokescreen which will make observation from the air more difficult. Dramatic footage shows Elite Iraq forces battle on road to Bartella in fight for Mosul It has been reported that Isis commanders were divided on whether or not it was better for them to make a last stand in Mosul or withdraw, after inflicting the maximum number of casualties on its enemies, and revert to guerrilla warfare. Last month 100 Isis fighters staged a spectacular raid on the Kurdish-held oil city of Kirkuk. An advantage for Isis in fighting in Mosul is that it would be more difficult for the US and its allies to carry out air strikes because there may be up to 1.5 million civilians still in the city. Isis has been preventing them leaving though the number is increasing as the anti-Isis forces move forward and it becomes clear that they intend to assault the city. Isis has never been popular in Mosul according to local residents who detest its extreme violence, religious bigotry and subjugation of women. But it found more support in Sunni Arab villages around the city and among the Sunni Turkman of the nearby city of Tal Afar, who have always been notorious for their religious extremism and hatred for Shia and Kurds. Some observers believe that Isis might want to fight here against the Shia paramilitaries of the Hashd, because the US-led air coalition has not been providing air cover for the Hashd on the grounds that they are sectarian and under Iranian influence. The fighting is so far on the eastern side of Mosul that traditionally had a Kurdish and Christian population while, if Isis has local support, it will be in the overwhelmingly Sunni Arab west of the city. Life here is said to be still relatively normal with markets open and people in the streets. In addition to the indigenous population of Mosul, there are believed to be several hundred thousand Sunni Arabs, many of them Isis supporters, who fled there from Iraqi provinces such as Anbar, Diyala and Salahudin where Isis has already been defeated. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Isis is trying to move up to 25,000 people into Mosul as the jihadis prepare for what is likely to be an intense battle for control of the city now Iraqi coalition forces have reached its outskirts. Fighters tried to transport thousands of people on trucks and minibuses from Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, to the city under cover of darkness in the early hours of Monday, UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, citing credible sources in the field. They were most likely being moved to protect Isis military bases, she said, although at least some trucks were forced to turn back because of the threat from patrolling US-led coalition aircraft. Isis also executed 40 former police officers over the weekend, throwing their bodies into the Tigris river in the latest attempt to quell rebellion against the groups two-year-rule as Iraqi forces edge closer. Elite Counter Terrorism Service units had entered the city proper in a dawn offensive on Tuesday, fighting their way towards the city centre in what marks the first time Iraqi troops have set foot in the countrys second largest urban centre since the armys humiliating defeat by Isis in 2014. The US-trained special forces teams entered Gogjali, a neighborhood just inside Mosul's administrative limits, and by midday were only 800 metres away from the more built-up Karama district, according to Major General Sami al-Aridi of the Iraqi special forces. [We] have stormed in, he said. [Isis] is fighting back and have set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighborhood and our troops' advance, he added, noting that landmines had been set along the road into the city too. Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Show all 10 1 /10 Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian prepares for the first Sunday Mass at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Qaraqosh Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christian soldiers attend the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State in Qaraqosh Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian soldier holds his weapon during the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis An Iraqi Christian soldier lights a candle Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass at the Grand Immaculate Church since it was recaptured from Islamic State Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi priests hold the first Sunday mass Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Reuters Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Iraqi Christians celebrate liberation from Isis Reuters Tuesdays advance on Mosul involving Iraqi artillery, tank and machine gun fire was aided by US coalition air strikes. Isis lit fires so smoke would obscure targets, and used guided anti-tank missiles and small arms fire in response. The two-week-old offensive to liberate Mosul - home to some 1.5million people at risk from crossfire - is likely to be long and gruelling, with fighting expected to go from house-to-house and street-to-street. Residents inside the city have reported the estimated 4,000 fighters are well prepared for battle with an extensive network of tunnels, primed suicide bombers and extensively rigged roads and bridges designed to slow the Iraqi advance. Troops are still some six miles (10 kilometres) from the city centre. Meanwhile on Tuesday, villagers from Bazwaya, liberated yesterday, were seen fleeing from their homes, carrying white flags to signal their civilian status and driving sheep in front of them in an attempt to leave before fighting intensifies. Isis releases video claiming everything is fine in Mosul Brigadier General Haider Fadhil of the Iraqi special forces said that Iraqi forces planned to evacuate as many people as possible to an official camp for those displaced by the assault. Between 200,000 - 700,000 people are expected to try and leave Mosul now that the battle has reached the citys edges, in what several humanitarian groups and the UNs aid agency have warned could be a blood bath unless proper humanitarian corridors are set up for civilians. Isis has been corralling residents into certain areas of the city to protect strategic sites and blocking off others with concrete blast walls, a tactic they have previously used in Fallujah, Kobani, and several other of their lost strongholds across Iraq and Syria. Mosul is Isis last bastion in Iraq, but arguably its most important: it is four to five times the size of the other urban centres that once made up its caliphate. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The world's largest pan-Islamic body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said its Saudi chief resigned Monday, days after infuriating Egypt over a remark that mocked President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. OIC Secretary-General Iyad Madani has resigned for health reasons, the Jeddah-based organisation said in a statement, two days after Cairo condemned the comment that provoked outrage among Egyptians. The OIC General Secretariat takes this chance to express its utmost appreciation and respect to all member states, the 57-member bloc said. The former Saudi minister made the comment last week after he mixed up Sisi's name with that of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at a conference. Mr President Beji Caid al-Sisi. Essebsi sorry. This is a big mistake. I'm sure your fridge has more than water, your excellency, he told the Tunisian leader. He was referring to widely derided comments made by Sisi earlier last week in which he claimed that his fridge only had water in it for a decade. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said Madani's remark was a serious encroachment against a founding member state of the organisation and its political leadership. Such remarks do not conform with the responsibilities and the duties of the organisation's secretary general position, and fundamentally affect his ability to carry out his duties, he added in a statement in English. Madani, who had headed the bloc since 2014, apologised, saying in a statement he meant no insult to the Egyptian leadership. Saudi Arabia has nominated its former minister of social affairs, Youssef al-Utaymeen, to replace Madani, the OIC statement said. Egypt's foreign ministry said it supported the nominee, appreciating the important role Saudi is doing in the support of the activities and goals of OIC. Egypt looks forward to continuing its strong cooperation with the general secretary of OIC and its secretariat, it added. AFP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In a divorce court where a man's testimony is worth twice a woman's, victory for lawyer Reema Shamasneh is rare and often bittersweet. On this morning, a young nurse is desperate to end her marriage to a truck driver who she says beat her, doused her with scalding tea and kept her from seeing her dying mother. But her husband will only agree if she forgoes all alimony, including the $14,000 stipulated in the marriage contract. Eager to escape and claim her young son, she says yes. The man stands before a copy of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, and repeats after an Islamic judge: You are divorced. Shamasneh blinks back tears of relief and frustration, and then quickly composes herself. This is not a big victory, the 39-year-old lawyer says with an air of quiet determination. I gave her what she wanted, but at the same time I am not happy because she gave up her rights. Dressed in the headscarf and long robe of a devout Muslim, Shamasneh fights for Arab women in the most intimate arena of their lives: marriage and divorce. While countries such as Tunisia and Morocco have introduced reforms, brides in others must still be represented by male guardians who sign marriage contracts. Men can divorce on a whim, while women must prove cause. And polygamy is legal only for men. Such notions enjoy strong support, even among women. In a 2013 poll by the Pew Research Center, large majorities in seven Arab countries said a woman should obey her husband, from 74 percent in Lebanon to 87 percent in the Palestinian territories and 93 percent in Tunisia. We cannot copy the Western laws because the Western societies are different and they have very complicated problems, says Maryam Saleh, a representative of the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas in the now-defunct Palestinian parliament. But Shamasneh believes the laws are the way they are because they were passed by men. They were raised in a certain culture that says men are better than women, and this is reflected in the laws, she says. Reema Shamasneh (Dusan Vranic/AP) As a girl in the farming village of Qatana, Shamasneh would see women get the leftovers at wedding feasts, after the men. And while her four brothers could come and go, she and her five sisters had to account for their limited movements. Until now, there is discrimination, even with simple things, she says. This makes me angry. However, her father Mohammed, a retired contractor, wanted all his children, including the girls, to get an education. Shamasneh chose law, a profession that turned out to be a good fit for her pragmatic, analytical nature. Her 74-year-old mother Amneh, sitting across from Shamasneh, says she is proud of her daughter's success. But her mother was against her studies, Shamasneh interjects. At the time, it was shameful for a woman to study and have a job, Amneh says apologetically. Amneh herself was married off at age 13, without her consent, and had her first child at 15. Four of Shamasneh's sisters married in their 20s. A fifth was forced into an arranged match at 16 and endured a prolonged divorce two years later. Shamasneh was a child at the time. She says the bitter experience, including the lack of empathy displayed by her sister's male lawyer, fueled her interest in law. As a single woman, Shamasneh's only socially acceptable option is to continue living with her parents. She says she would move out if she wanted to, but she likes spending time with her parents. In her childhood bedroom, law books are lined up on a shelf above her dresser. She is fiercely protective of her relative independence. For her, this means not getting married. I can take care of myself, Shamasneh says. I am a strong woman. I hate traditional marriage. On a typical day, Shamasneh arrives before 9 a.m. at the Islamic courthouse in Ramallah. One recent morning, she meets a 25-year-old client, a thin, pale woman in a frayed green robe who says she wants a divorce from her abusive husband. Her father is also there to testify on her behalf, but her brother didn't turn up because he was sick. Shamasneh sternly cautions her client that this may hurt her case, because the court usually requires two male witnesses or a man and two women. In a small victory, the judge rules later that day that the case can move forward. The growing presence of female lawyers like Shamasneh has helped create more empathy for women going through divorce. When Shamasneh began practicing 15 years ago, female lawyers were rare. Now women occasionally outnumber men in the courthouse. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty There's even a female judge. Kholoud al-Faqeeh defends the law in principle, saying that it reflects different gender roles, and that women sometimes fail to exhaust their legal rights. Still, the judge occasionally reins in men appearing before her. When a witness in a custody hearing portrays a sister-in-law as an unfit mother because she holds down two jobs, the judge, a mother of four, snaps: Palestinian women work. Do you want us all to give up our children? On another day, Shamasneh challenges a male colleague's claim that Islamic law gives the same rights to men and women seeking divorce. She refuses to give in. When he appears to run out of arguments, he resorts to It's in the Quran. Mahmoud Habbash, the head of the Islamic courts in the West Bank, warns that the views advocated by Shamasneh and other activists could lead to the collapse of society. He argues that men and women are different by nature and require different rules. The problem is that in the West, you don't understand how we treat women, Habbash says. We treat them like queens. Only one-third of Palestinians support a wife's right to divorce at all, according to the Pew survey. Across the region, support for divorce rights for women is even lower in Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, but is backed by a majority in Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia. Some countries allow khula divorce, where a wife pays the husband compensation to get out of a marriage. With so much opposition, Shamasneh knows that a long road lies ahead. Progress on legal reform has stalled, because the Palestinian self-rule government has limited authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. At home, her village remains deeply conservative. The local mosque preacher, Yacoub al-Faqeeh, says that while he respects Shamasneh, he sharply disagrees with demands for equal marriage and divorce rights. If women are free in divorce, they will divorce every day because they are emotional, while men are rational, he says. Shamasneh could emigrate and join two brothers in Douglasville, Georgia. She has visited the area seven times, traveling without a male chaperone. People talk, but I don't care, she says. Yet life in the West holds no allure. Everything is too easy, she says. The struggle for women in her community gives her life meaning, and she couldn't imagine doing anything else. People in the village are resisting change, she says. Therefore, I invest my energies in the court. AP For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Saudi Arabia has appointed a Bahraini national accused of overseeing torture and unfairly sentencing Arab Spring protesters to lengthy jail terms to investigate human rights violations caused by coalition bombing in Yemen. Colonel Mansour Al-Mansour, a military lawyer, has been appointed as a legal adviser to the Saudi-led Joint Incident Assessments Team (JIAT) into air strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including the bombing of a funeral hall last month that killed 140 people, MEMO reports. The colonel gained notoriety in dealing with protesters in the wake of the Arab Spring in Bahrain in 2011, running a tribunal which prosecuted hundreds of non-violent pro-democracy protesters, academics, writers and journalists, often handing down life imprisonment sentences. Dozens of those he sentenced allege torture and sexual assault while they were detained, which they say Colonel Al-Mansour ignored. International observers and rights monitors were often barred from Colonel al-Mansours courtroom, leading to criticism from the UN and human rights groups. Since the height of dissent against the rule of the Gulf states monarchy, Mr Mansour has gone on to train in humanitarian law, MEMO says. He advised Bahrain not to adopt the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which includes bans on weapons such as cluster munitions because of the indiscriminate harm they can cause. Saudi Arabia and its nine Middle Eastern partners, including Bahrain, are accused of using such bombs in Yemen. Theresa May can't give assurances that no civilians have been killed by British arms in Yemen All six incidents investigated by JIAT so far - including the August bombing of a Medecins Sans Frontieres field hospital - have cleared the coalition of wrongdoing. The Kingdom began bombing Houthi rebel-held areas of Yemen at the request of the exiled government in March 2015. Human Rights Watch and several other international bodies have called for an independent, rather than Saudi-run investigation to the alleged targeting of civilian infrastructure, and for Western nations to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations which they say are destined for use in Yemens 18-month-old civil war. The UN's special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheik Ahmed vowed to get the warring parties back to the negotiation table on Monday, despite both sides' rejection of his roadmap for peace in the conflict which has killed almost 10,000 people and left 3million displaced. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Syrian women freed from Isis, following the example of female Kurdish fighters, are taking up arms in order to help in the next fight. Female residents originally from al-Bab in northern Syria who were living in nearby Manbij when it was liberated have been so inspired by the fighting of the female soldiers in the Kurdish Womens Protection Units (YPJ) that they have created their own all-female battalion ahead of the battle for their city. When Isis invaded al-Bab city, they detained my brother and killed him. I have been criticising the practices of Isis for a long time. I have been arrested and tortured several times at the hands of Isis terrorists, one new member told local news. An Isis female jihadi was responsible for torturing me in a very brutal way. And now Ive joined the al-Bab Military Council in order to fight those terrorists. Manbij town was liberated in August after two years of Isis rule by the mostly Kurdish coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) following two months of intense fighting. Local SDF military commanders immediately set about creating a military council to plan the next offensive - retaking al-Bab, 30 miles (50 kilometres) away. Since mid-August both Kurdish-led and Turkish forces have been edging closer to the city of approximately 60,000 people. In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Show all 11 1 /11 In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women and children celebrating after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Women carry newborn babies while running after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman freed from Isis hugs an SDF fighter in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman adding her veil to a pile of niqabs burning in Manbij, Syria, after being freed from Isis on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Children celebrating on top of a lorry after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A man and child freed from Isis by the SDF in Manbij on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman carrying her children walks towards SDF fighters after being freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij A woman and child freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij An SDF fighter kisses a crying man who was freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters In pictures: Civilians freed from Isis in Manbij Hundreds of civilians freed from Isis in Manbij, Syria, on 12 August Reuters I joined the council with the belief in the necessity of liberating our territory from Isis. The terrorist group has killed or displaced many of our people in al-Bab, a new recruit called Ahman said. In Manbij, more than 50 women have joined the local police force to protect their hard-won freedoms, it was reported last month. Shortly after militants were driven from the city, local news reported Manbijs women were also organising an all-female council to protect and promote the rights of women and girls in future. Elsewhere in Kurdish Syria on Tuesday, the administration based in Rojava announced it was newly creating a federal army across its three cantons in the north of the country. The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Show all 8 1 /8 The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Basheer Basheer, a 3-year-old Syrian boy, lying on his father leg, lives with his family in a rent-free house as part of NRC's shelter programme in the village of Bair-Ras, in Irbid governorate, northern Jordan. Photo 11 October 2015 NRC/Hussein Amri The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Hisham Mustafa has fled from Aleppo, and is currently at Idomeni in Greece. Here he is playing with his nephew Hisham, 3 NRC/Tiril Skarstein The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Ahmaydi Bouchra Little Ahmaydi, 3, and her family of eight fled from fighting in Mali to the Goudebo camp in Burkina Faso in 2013. Neither of her two older sisters went to school in Mali. The whole family lives in a tent that is approx. 7m x 6m. The family bed is stored outside to make space inside the shelter during day time. In the evenings, they carry the bed back in. NRC/Ingrid Prestetun The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Farah Farah, 4, lives with her family in Irbid in a rent-free apartment. She stays home with her mother as her four sisters and three brothers leave for the day to their various schools. Photo 11t October 2015 NRC/Hussein Amri The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Batane Yacouba Batane Yacouba, 4, lives with his two older sisters and his mother in the Goudebo camp in Burkina Faso. A Tuareg family, they were forced to flee Mali fearing for their lives. Their father is dead NRC/Ingrid Prestetun The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Hassan Syrian boy Redor, 12, plays with Hassan, 3, after arriving at the port in Chios, Greece NRC/Tiril Skarstein The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Fatin Fatin, 4, and her family fled Syria to Irbid, northern Jordan. Her father has issued a birth certificate for her, in order for her to have access to health centres. NRC/Hussein Amri The other Alan Kurdis: Refugee children who survived the journey Born a refugee Alice Digama (24) sits on the tent floor with her two-week-old baby. Her son is one of many children born a refugee. Alice was heavily pregnant when she escaped South Sudan and crossed the border into Uganda, after her husband left her for another wife NRC/Sofi Lundin Syrian Kurds declared their autonomy after repelling President Bashar al-Assads army shortly after the Syrian Civil War broke out in 2011. The Kurdish resistance movement - long outlawed as a terrorist group in Turkey - is strongly committed to feminist principles: most local administrations have quotas for female politicians and officials, and they have parity with men in the military. The Syrian Kurdish fighting forces have been some of the most successful in repelling the advance of Isis and other Islamist groups - but with the tide now turning against Isis caliphate, Rojava is focusing its attention on consolidating its territory in the face of strong opposition from the governments in both Syria and Turkey. Via The New York Times: Weathering a Zika Storm in Colombia. Excerpt: BARRANQUILLA, Colombia This tropical city on the Caribbean coast may hold the answer to one of the deeper mysteries of the Zika epidemic: Why has the worlds second-largest outbreak, after Brazils, produced so few birth defects? In Brazil, more than 2,000 babies have been born with microcephaly, abnormally small heads and brain damage caused by the Zika virus. In Colombia, officials had predicted there might be as many as 700 such babies by the end of this year. There have been merely 47. The gap has been seen all over the Americas. According to the World Health Organization, the United States has 28 cases almost all linked to women infected elsewhere. Guatemala has 15, and Martinique has 12. Had the rest of the Americas been as affected as northeastern Brazil, a tidal wave of microcephaly would be washing over the region. Most experts say that will not happen, but they are at a loss as to why. Discovering what stopped microcephaly in Colombia may help other countries tamp down the epidemics worst effects. There are some obvious differences between Colombias epidemic and Brazils. The population here is less than a quarter that of Brazil, and almost half of its residents live at higher altitudes, where mosquitoes are rarer. And Zika circulated silently for much longer in Brazil. The virus arrived there by early 2014, and not in Colombia until late 2015. Having just fought a severe chikungunya epidemic in 2014, Colombia was more ready than Brazil to send forth the anti-mosquito battalions. But all that does not seem sufficient to explain the disparity. Increasingly, there is evidence for two other possibilities. Pregnant women here, alerted to the tragedy unfolding in Brazil, may have sought abortions in greater numbers, officials say. Others seem to have heeded the governments controversial advice to delay pregnancy altogether. Dr. Miguel Parra-Saavedra, the director of maternal-fetal medicine at the Cedifetal Clinic in Barranquilla and one of the countrys leading high-risk pregnancy specialists, is among the experts who suspect many pregnant women in Colombia, alarmed by news reports, sought ultrasounds and aborted deformed fetuses. Some of his own patients have done so. Dr. Parra-Saavedra heads a study of Zika-related birth defects in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the course of the research thus far, he has diagnosed 13 cases of fetal microcephaly. Four of the mothers terminated their pregnancies immediately, he said. Another four, and possibly a fifth, sought abortions but were turned down by their health insurance companies. Only four patients, Dr. Parra-Saavedra said, deliberately chose to have their babies. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Khaled Kaddoura and his wife Samira are both 50 they married when they were only 15 and they are a tough, forthright couple who decided just over a week ago to abandon their besieged home in eastern Aleppo. They and their son Almuatazbilah, a boy of eight with long, uncombed hair, were among only 48 men, women and children in weeks to make it to the Syrian army lines surrounding the east of Syrias largest city with its tens of thousands of civilians and its collection of militias, most of them Islamists, who refuse to surrender. Both husband and wife have dark, almost haunted eyes, and they tell a frightful story which is often at odds with the East Aleppo narrative of heroic rebel defenders and civilians fearful of a regime massacre. Samira al-Jarrah in Syria, wives keep their maiden names says she prays for her country every night, but neither she nor her husband mention Bachar al-Assad. They agree that the bombing and shelling of eastern Aleppo was terrifying but they also say that the Jabhat al-Nusra the thousands of al-Qaeda followers who have twice changed their name in a vain attempt to shake off the Wests claim that they are terrorists are the least offensive, perhaps even the kinder, of the armed groups which still hold their sector of the city. This family are no Syrian government patsies. But slowly and with great deliberation, Khaled Kadoura describes how hundreds of east Aleppo militiamen prevented at rifle-point thousands of civilians from fleeing their enclave over the past two weeks, how they shot dead six people, including a pregnant woman, and of how, after Samira and Khaled had reached the west of the city with their son, the Islamist Ahrar al-Sham arrested Khaleds 27-year old brother Hamzi and sentenced him to execution. The news, he says, was broadcast on the opposition Aleppo Today television and he is now desperately telephoning eastern Aleppo to see if the sentence has been carried out. Even my friends were arrested after we left, he says. The militias came to our house after we crossed, they stole from our shop and smashed our home to warn other people not to do the same thing we did. They had told me that if we left east Aleppo, the government would execute us, but when we came here they didnt. He is staying now with relatives in the west, a man who might once have been called middle class he still has his deeds to his lands and broken property in eastern Aleppo but who now sits in a grey robe and black woolen hat, his wife dressed all in black. They need to register now with the UN for food. This is their story, as they tell it, and readers must judge for themselves how much it reflects the lives of others in eastern Aleppo. As we journalists like to say, there can be no independent confirmation of this familys account because western journalists dare enter eastern Aleppo today for fear of decapitation by its defenders. In pictures: Aleppo bombing Show all 14 1 /14 In pictures: Aleppo bombing In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Smoke rises after airstrikes on the rebel-held al-Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family runs for cover amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of Al-Qatarji in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man reacts as he stands on blood stains at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel held area of Aleppo's al-Fardous district, Syria, April 29, 2016. Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damage of the airstrikes in the rebel-held area of Aleppo on April 28 Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo The damaged the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)-backed al-Quds hospital after it was hit by airstrikes, in a rebel-held area of Syria's Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians evacuate an injured man amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following an air strike on a rebel-held of Aleppo on April 29, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes, in the rebel-held area of Aleppo's Bustan al-Qasr AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A man leads a woman in tears and child out of the scene after airstrikes hit Aleppo AP In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Civil defence members search for survivors after an airstrike at a field hospital in the rebel held area of al-Sukari district of Aleppo Reuters In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian boy is comforted as he cries next to the body of a relative who died in a reported air strike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Soukour in the northern city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo A Syrian family walks amid the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike in the Bustan al-Qasr rebel-held district of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers and rescuers remove a baby from under the rubble of a destroyed building following a reported air strike on the rebel-held neighbourhood of al-Kalasa in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrians help a wounded youth following an air strike on the Fardous rebel held neighbourhood of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo Getty Images In pictures: Aleppo bombing Bombing in Aleppo Syrian civil defence volunteers evacuate people from a damaged building following a reported airstrike in the rebel-held neighbourhood of Tareeq al-Bab in the northern city of Aleppo We were living a real tragedy in east Aleppo, Khaled Kadoura says. We were short of everything, especially food and fuel. I had a shop that rented out chairs and tables for weddings. Of course, there was no business. We couldnt find any medical aids or medicine since the beginning of the war. We were deprived even of learning and education. The Ahrar al-Sham [Islamist] group and other groups made their bases in the schools. Eight-year old Almuatazbilah is listening to his father and when I ask him about his education, he tells me he can neither read nor write. Its clear that poverty and hunger as much as fear drove the Kadouras to leave eastern Aleppo. We were under pressure, Khaled Kadoura says. At the beginning of the war, one kilo of sugar cost 10 Syrian pounds, now it costs 3,000 for a kilo. Gas cylinders were 200 pounds. Now they are 150,000 pounds. Fuel shortages began five months ago. I have diabetes and there was no more medicine for me. My son was often sick. There were only Turkish medicines in the hospitals. I have properties there my house, my car, we used to be a rich family but I could leave all this. There was so much shelling and bombing in our neighbourhood. Samira interrupts her husband. When there was no bread, I managed to bake from wheat we got from the UN. I made burgol. But otherwise we had to starve, even during the festival of Eid. She says they felt free before the war, which began in Aleppo in 2012, a year after the rest of Syria began to collapse into open insurrection. In 2011, Khaled Kadoura made the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca. It must have seemed strange for Khaled to pick up a still-working telephone the militias had taken away thousands of mobile phones in eastern Aleppo for security reasons and call a member of the Syrian governments reconciliation committee, a man he called Abu Hassan, when he heard that the regime was to open eight passageways across the front lines for civilians and even armed men to leave eastern Aleppo. He didnt want to be shot by the Syrian army. On the day this started [20 October], the armed groups in east Aleppo surrounded the people who wanted to leave with a sort of security circle to prevent them going out, Khaled says. They even had weapons in their hands. They shot at some people I was told six died and they killed a pregnant woman. She was killed and there were others wounded. They accused the [Syrian] government of shelling the passageways. We waited till night to cross and we waited till after the Maghreb prayers when we knew that the armed men near the crossing point would have gone to rest. Later, they were all arrested and accused of taking bribes to allow us to cross. We had to be so careful because of mines. Khaled and his family had discussed how to cross many times they succeeded only at their second attempt and another family which tried to follow them on the same route were caught by the militias. We used to say there are so many of us who want to go, why cant we force our way? We talked about how the Palestinians used knives against the Israelis. Why couldnt we do the same to get out? It was a highly unusual parallel for an Arab Syrian family to draw in Aleppo, to compare the Palestinians oppressors with the men who are supposedly defending eastern Aleppo. Over the months of the siege, Khaled Kadoura continued to attend his local Anas bin Malak mosque. All the speeches were by an Imam who is the mufti of the [Islamist] Ahrar al-Sham movement all his speeches were about the regime, about how they would kill us if we left and would force us to shave our beards. We favoured the Nusrah group [regarded by the regime as even more dangerous than Isis] because they left us alone and were respectful and kept away from the civilians. We talked a lot with Ahrar al-Sham. One time, I asked them why they kept us there and they replied that we are defending you from the regime which has treated you inhumanly. When Fatah al-Islam came from Idlib, they told civilians to join them but very few did. We saw a lot of Saudi and Gulf and even Azerbaijani and Afghan and Chechen and Chinese fighters I knew a lot of their nationalities because I had seen their countrymen on the Haj. The Chinese Uighurs brought their families with them to the suburb of Khan al-Asal. There were Europeans too, I saw their eyes were blue. The Isis came there two years ago from Raqqa. The talked to each other but were very friendly with us. They didnt need money and they didnt ask for any they had money from their organisation. Khaled Kadouras spoke of local eastern Aleppo hospitals, however, in terms which most opponents of the Syrian regime and many western politicians (and journalists) might condemn. Yes, the aircraft bombed the schools, the hospitals but all these hospitals are also bases for militias and their weapons. The hospitals have some patients, but lots of rockets are on the top of hospitals where they use them to rocket the west of the city. Kadoura named three hospitals which he said were used for bases. No-one can hear this without profound concern. Numerous Middle East dictatorships have used the human shield/terrorists-in-hospitals excuse to slaughter civilians with impunity, and the Syrians have adopted the same expression. When I called a trusted friend who has visited Syria as an NGO, he said that his local NGO workers denied the use of hospitals by militias, but we are not there to see for ourselves. Certainly, video footage from bombed hospitals shows no weapons in the wreckage, only wounded and dead patients. Clearly wounded militiamen may be treated in east Aleppo hospitals just as I saw a badly wounded Syrian soldier brought into a west Aleppo hospital several days ago. Khaled Kadoura says that when he asked the militias to re-open schools for the children, including his son, he was asked why he did not go and fight the regime. I said: let us go. They refused to answer. They said this is not your business this is a military operation. Hopelessly unreliable estimates suggest that there are 250,000 civilians trapped in east Aleppo. Even Syrian military officers choose figures between 75,000 and 300,000. Khaled Kadoura suggested the latter, adding that the 7,300 families in his own suburb would all leave if they had the chance. Now he lives with relatives, his wife is asking the UN to register them as refugees. When I spoke to Khaled Kadoura and his wife and son, the new opposition offensive had just started against western Aleppo and shells were bursting only half a mile away. But none paid the slightest attention. They had been through this before. The government offered me an apartment but I said I would live with my sister and brother-in-law who are here and they should give accommodation to others, Khaled Kadoura said. We live at the moment in a mixed area of west Aleppo and there are many Christians living there and they give us bread and food. They are very kind. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A campaign demanding that the UK issue a formal apology for supporting the idea of a Jewish state in the Middle East almost a century ago is growing in popularity after the launch of a new parliamentary petition. Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Jenny Tonge hosted an event at the House of Lords announcing the launch of the Palestinian Return Centres (PRC) initiative to pressure the UK government into acknowledging its role in almost a century of Palestinian suffering and the UK's wider colonial impact on the region last Tuesday. If the petition (currently pending approval) reaches more than 100,000 signatures, parliament will have to consider a debate on the subject. The Balfour Declaration, as it is known, was a 1917 letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, head of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, promising support for the idea of a Jewish homeland in historical Palestine as long as the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities were not prejudiced. Britain ended up governing Palestine shortly afterward under mandate rule after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in WWI. The controversial meeting in Westminster caused outrage in Israel after video from the event surfaced showing one audience member claiming If anybody is anti-semitic, it's the Israelis themselves, going on to say Jews antagonised Adolf Hitler. Baroness Tonge was criticised for not appearing to challenge the unidentified man. She later said that she did not hear his full rant. Freedom for Palestine's sons comes at a price Show all 1 1 /1 Freedom for Palestine's sons comes at a price Freedom for Palestine's sons comes at a price 657547.bin Quique Kierszenbaum The Lib Dems decided to suspend Baroness Tonge pending an investigation into the event, which led her to announce that she has quit the party. The PRC also distanced itself from the comments, which they said were made by a member of the ultra-Orthodox Neturei Karta group. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas joined the chorus in calling on the UK to apologise for the Balfour Declaration ahead of the centenary during a speech at the United Nations in New York last week. We ask Great Britain, as we approach 100 years since this infamous declaration, to draw the necessary lessons and to bear its historic, legal, political, material and moral responsibility for the consequences of this declaration, including an apology to the Palestinian people for the catastrophes, misery and injustice this declaration created and to act to rectify these disasters and remedy its consequences, including by the recognition of the state of Palestine, Mr Abbas said. This is the least Great Britain can do. Pro-Palestine protest turns violent at UCL student Israeli society The UKs delegation to the UN did not comment on Mr Abbas remarks. In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, A British Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said that the government would not apologise for a historic statement but recognised that for many, it is a sensitive subject. The Balfour Declaration was a historic statement and one that the UK Government will not be apologising for We are focused on encouraging the Israelis and Palestinians to take steps which bring them closer to peace, they said, adding that the government supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, we do recognise the sensitivities many people have about the Balfour Declaration and will mark the anniversary accordingly. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At the very edge of Uruguay, on its Atlantic shoreline, there is a tiny, isolated community of pioneers, artisans and fugitives living in the beam and shadow of a lighthouse. The makeshift settlement of Cabo Polonio, half-way along Route 10, the countrys coastal highway, is only accessible by foot or 4x4 which might explain why it has become something of a tiny, independent republic populated by probably the most colourful bunch of characters in Latin America. Less than 100 years ago, the only humans around here were the lighthouse keeper, his wife, and a huddled band of hunters who made their living off the local seal population. Today theres a sort of commune, and a kind of resort, with wooden cabins and lodges scattered across a thin coastal promontory between two sweeping arcs of clean sand. A makeshift guesthouse at Cabo Polonio (Leo Maiche) Through the austral summer, from December to March, more than 80,000 tourists arrive on the local bus, which is actually an open-top, double-deck, 4x4 truck. Its the only way to access the site without hiking over undulating dunes that separate the cape from the highway. Most come to eat fresh fish, surf incoming South Atlantic swells, watch blazing sunsets from a natural auditorium of rocks at the westerly shoreline. And, in many cases, to smoke some weed though this community is so long and far removed from regular law enforcement that locals say Uruguays legalisation of marijuana in 2013 made no discernible difference. There are roughly 100 permanent residents now, though the number apparently drops to 30 or so in the much less hospitable winter. They live mostly without running water or a regular power supply diesel generators, wind turbines and solar panels keep the lights on and the beer cold. Visiting day-trippers and weekenders get only the briefest, fair-weather taste of the lo-fi, off-the-grid lifestyle that drew most of these settlers to stay. Its a thoroughly modern, eco-conscious, self-sufficient community. Theres a huge sense of freedom here, says Leonardo Segalerba. Even just looking at the sky and sea has a huge calming effect on your mind. Now a chef at La Galosa, one of several homely, shack-like restaurants on the cape, Segalerba used to be a lawyer in Montevideo, with four mobile phones and connected to a computer six days a week. That city may be relatively sleepy as South American capitals go, and the Uruguayan leftist historian Eduardo Galeano once described his own people as melancholic and subdued ... [like] Argentinians on valium. But Segalerba and his neighbours tend to see themselves as escapees from their countrys accelerating rat-race. He came here on holiday for decades, and later used his lawyering skill-set to help protect Cabo Polonio from what locals consider state encroachment. Their relationship to successive national governments (even that of widely admired socialist president Jose Mujica, whose progressive run in office ended last year) has been uneasy at best. One of the communitys blissfully untouched beaches (Leo Maiche) Some swathes of beachfront still technically belong to the state or remote private owners, so any properties built in those margins stand on shaky legal ground. In the late 1990s, bulldozers were sent to flatten dozens of homes, both empty and occupied, a resounding event that Segalerba remembers as like something from the Second World War. Negotiations over land-leases and building rights are ongoing, while autonomous local ownership has been secured in certain other zones. This includes Playa del Sur, where my rented cabin stands facing a painterly evening seascape (once immortalised in song by Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler, who wrote a whole album inspired by Cabo Polonio). Its well-stocked with candles and bottled water, the comfort level pitched slightly above the original hand-built, brightly-painted, pioneer-style ranchos of the rearward beach, Playa Del Craneo, but below newer luxury posadas like La Perla which offers en-suite bathrooms and a decent in-house wine list. On the first night, a sudden thunderstorm wakes me with gothic stroppiness, gusting open the bedroom shutters and throwing rain in my face. Cloud are bursting over the ocean like balloons popped by lightning bolts. One of Cabo Polonios many colourful houses (Leo Maiche) By morning, I might as well have dreamt it. Looking south from that landmark lighthouse, the horizon appears blue and clear all the way to Antarctica. The current keeper is a friendly guy named Braniel, who gives me a quick primer on Captain Poloni, the 18th-century seafarer this place was named after. Well before there was a lighthouse here, in a storm even worse than last nights, his ship was wrecked on the rocks and sank just offshore with its cargo of English cutlery. The story goes that fine silver forks were used by humble fishermen for decades afterward, and that the salvaged timber made for sturdy huts. Back down at sea level I sit for a while outside the Posada Mariemar beach restaurant, where a massive sea lion idly tuts and huffs beside the terrace steps as if waiting to be seated. Such animal encounters are apparently common here. Later, in a dark, cave-like bar run by a blind man named Joselo, Im told that penguins sometimes wander in, tired from mating or migrating, and are treated as welcome if non-paying regulars. Encounters with sea lions and penguins are common (Leo Maiche) The human customers include a local handyman Punky (real name Joaquin Maora) and his dog, Little Boy. One sings and plays harmonica, the other howls along. Both of them are covered in paint. Up the street is Lo De Dany, a cosy, soft-cushioned bunker where Daniel Machado Molina cooks up seaweed balls in flour and lemon, grilled fillets of lenguado, and fried chunks of meaty little sharks known as gatuso angelico. Molina is one of the last true Cabo Polonians, in the sense of being born here. His father and grandfather were seal hunters, and he followed them into the trade before it was outlawed in 1990. They were also fishermen and farmers by necessity. Like most local businesspeople, he only started selling his wares when visitors started asking to buy them. As residents livelihoods have since shifted from rustic to touristic, their customers have changed too. In the early days it was mostly hippy types, says Molina, with long hair and coloured trousers. More recently its been middle-class couples and families from Montevideo and Buenos Aires, who are not so keen to go without wi-fi. An aerial view of Cabo Polonio (Leo Maiche) We work hard to accommodate them, but we also think that people should adapt to Cabo Polonio, and not the other way around. Molina sighs in the dim candlelight, against the low buzz of the generator. Libertad, he says the Spanish word for freedom takes a bit of adjustment. Travel essentials Getting there British Airways (ba.com) and Iberia (iberia.com) run partnered flights with Latam (latam.com) from London airports to Montevideo, usually via Amsterdam or Madrid, with return fares from around 600. You can rent a car and drive up the coast on Route 9 or 10 to Cabo Polonio its a great drive and only takes about three hours from the capital. In high season, SummerBus services (summerbus.com) from Montevideo also stop close to the village. Cabo Polonio can only be accessed through the park gate (puerta) off Route 10. Entry and transport to the cape costs 200 pesos (around 9) per person return (under 5s free). Private vehicles cant proceed beyond the gate parking there is 170 pesos (around 7) per day. Staying there For a full range of accommodation options and booking services see the official community website: portaldelcabo.com.uy/en Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Next summer, BA will fly from Heathrow to Brindisi in south-east Italy, the Greek island of Zakynthos, Murcia in Spain, Pula in Croatia and Tallinn in Estonia. In addition, the links to Nantes and Montpellier will be revived, flying from Heathrow rather than Gatwick. The services operate only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and almost all in afternoons and evenings. These are the times when demand for flights is lowest, especially in summer from a predominantly business airport such as Heathrow. The aim of the new routes is to extract some productivity from planes and crews at times when they would otherwise be flying half-empty on business routes or grounded through lack of passengers. But following BAs decision to abandon the route from Heathrow to Chengdu in China, and replace it with a mainly leisure link to New Orleans, the schedule has angered anti-expansion campaigners. John Stewart, chair of the campaign group HACAN, called the move ironic, and said: Just days after a third runway at Heathrow has been given the green light so the UK can have more routes to the emerging markets of the world, British Airways, Heathrows main customer, has chosen to trumpet the fact that it is planning seven new routes to European destinations that are leisure pure and simple. Last week the Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said a new runway at Heathrow would crucially boost our connections with the rest of the world, supporting exports, trade and job opportunities. The one new destination with significant business potential is Tallinn. Neil Taylor, author of the Bradt Guide to Estonia, said:"Relations between the UK and Estonia have always so close, it is amazing that it has taken 25 years since independence from the USSR for this link to be established. At Gatwick, the transatlantic battle between British Airways and its low-cost rival, Norwegian, has intensified. Norwegian has launched flights to Las Vegas, in direct competition with BA and Virgin Atlantic. A week ago BA announced plans to take on Norwegian between Gatwick and Fort Lauderdale in Florida. From 28 March next year, BA will move onto another Norwegian route, to Oakland in California - the low-cost gateway for the San Francisco Bay area. Click here to view our latest travel offers with Independent Holidays Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} As 2017 shapes up to be the year for new ultra-long air routes, Britain could find itself sidelined with the vast majority of the most distant links involving the Gulf, the US and Australasia. Last week, Air India claimed it had launched the worlds longest flight though this was purely thanks to its choice of routing. The mileages quoted by airlines are for the Great Circle route, the shortest distance between the two cities. In practice, the actual distance flown is significantly longer for reasons of geo-political sensitivity or, more usually, wind patterns. For example, the direct track between Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi passes north of Greenland and close to the North Pole, but typically the Etihad flight stays well south, adding 500 miles or more to the 8,387-mile Great Circle route. Air India has two very different routings between Delhi and San Francisco to take advantage of the jet stream. Outbound from the Indian capital, the flight goes across the Pacific; inbound, it flies the more direct route over Atlantic. As a result, the Delhi-San Francisco leg often exceeds 9,000 miles, compared with the 7,701-mile direct track. At present the two most distant cities linked by a non-stop flight are Dubai and Auckland, 8,824 miles apart. Emirates flies the Airbus A380, the worlds biggest passenger jet, daily between the two cities. The journey takes 16 hours and 5 minutes eastbound and 17h 25m westbound. From 1 February next year, its rival Qatar Airways will also fly non-stop to New Zealands largest city. As the Qatari capital is over 200 miles further away, the new Doha to Auckland link will take the prize. The scheduled journey time is only five minutes longer, as the Boeing 777 to be used for the route has a slightly faster cruising speed. At present the longest route from Britain is 7,275 miles, in the shape of the Garuda link from Heathrow to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. The longest hop on a UK airline is 6,906 miles on British Airways from Heathrow to Buenos Aires. From January, BA will add a non-stop flight from Heathrow to the Chilean capital, Santiago, 7,249 miles away. But this is well short of the distances covered by the top 10 routes globally. Eight of the longest 10 links begin or end in the US, and seven start or finish in the Gulf. Three serve Australasia (two to Auckland, one to Sydney). Europe and Asia are unrepresented, with Africa represented only by Johannesburg. Longest 10 air routes by Great Circle route from February 2017 Route Airline Distance (miles) Doha-Auckland Qatar Airways 9,036 Dubai-Auckland Emirates 8,824 Dallas-Sydney Qantas 8,578 Johannesburg-Atlanta Delta 8,439 Singapore-San Francisco Singapore Airlines/United 8,434 Abu Dhabi-Los Angeles Etihad 8,387 Dubai-Los Angeles Emirates 8,333 Jeddah-Los Angeles Saudia 8,332 Doha-Los Angeles Qatar Airways 8,306 Dubai-Houston Emirates 8,168 As The Independent revealed a year ago, Qantas is considering the first non-stop flight between Europe and Australia, with a link connecting London and Perth. Such a route would become the second-longest worldwide, with a direct distance of 8,991 miles. But the Australian airline is guarded about the possibility. Markus Svensson, the carriers regional general manager in the UK, says: Potential routes include the likes of Perth-London and Melbourne-Dallas, but Qantas havent confirmed anything yet. The Independent understands significant hurdles have emerged to such a pioneering link involving the airports at each end. The Australian airline will launch the flight only if it can arrive and depart from the Qantas domestic facility at Perth. The carrier believes the route will be viable only with easy onward connections to destinations such as Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. At present Perth airports international terminal is on the wrong side of the runway, 15 minutes drive away. Qantas is demanding that international facilities are installed on its side of the airport. At the London end, Qantas has fewer slots at Heathrow than it used to hold, and would need to acquire more at a time when prices are extremely high. It is conceivable that Gatwick, where more space is available, could be used instead though this would reduce connection opportunities to and from the Western Australia flight. Qantas says it is also considering three new Australia-US flights, holding out the prospect of links between Melbourne and Dallas or Sydney and Chicago. The strongest candidate is Sydney-Chicago: it would connect Australias biggest city with the third-largest in the US, and would have plenty of connecting traffic at either end of the route. At 9,238 miles, it would become the longest in the world until 2018, at least, when Singapore Airlines has vowed to re-launch non-stop flights between Singapore and New York. This 9,521-mile link launched in 2004, but closed three years ago when the fuel-heavy A340-500 made it uneconomic. The carrier says it will use a much more efficient A350-900ULR for the reinstated route. Ultra-long-haul flights are extremely expensive to operate, and depend on relatively cheap oil for profitability. They burn a disproportionate amount of fuel per mile, because of the volume that needs to loaded to sustain the journey, and demand heavy crew resources. The Singapore-New York link operated with six pilots. Several ultra-long-haul routes have been touted but failed to materialise. Emirates announced last year it would launch a Dubai-Panama City flight of 8,588 miles, and even started selling tickets for it, but the plan was shelved. Qatar Airways promised a link from its hub in Doha to Santiago in Chile, 8,967 miles away, but there is no sign of services beginning. Click here to view our latest travel offers with Independent Holidays Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} I feel sorry for the FBI agents who will have to trawl through the latest batch of emails belonging to Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, as well as the journalists who will be raking through the latest Wikileaks email dump from the personal account of Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta. How many boring office emails can you read before the banality of modern work sucks every inch of vitality from your body? In July, the FBI cleared Clinton of any criminal charges for using a private sever to send state emails and rapped her on the knuckles for being extremely careless putting what we thought would be an end to the biggest non-event of this years Presidential election. You would think there would be some seriously juicy stuff in these emails if Clintons aim was to run a secret email server in order to keep her correspondence from falling under the Freedom of Information Act and therefore one day into the hands of the public. In reality, however, email isnt the place where state secrets are talked about for that you have SCIFs, couriers, and other approved forms of transmission. So instead, the spectre of office banter and IT problems is here to haunt the Democratic campaign once more. Heres a reminder of what some poor FBI agents are going to have to deal with: Theres some great office banter from Hills Sorry but your message cannot go through this female-only channel which is required to operate in perpetuity in a vain attempt to balance the gender scales. Try again next millennium. Thank you for understanding. And some workplace bitching Why are liberals the world over so politically hopeless? Then theres some really boring office birthday plans A staffer emails Hillary her birthday arrangements: 11.30 am ENJOY THE DAY AND CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY! TBD. I hope nobody ever wishes me a happy birthday with the acronym to be decided in lieu of an actual fun plan. We all forget our passwords, even the future President of the United States Whats my password for the NY Times? Hillary Clinton attacks FBI handling of email review Confirmation of the universal truth that nobody really works, they just talk about what theyre going to be eating next Clinton: The hotel manager asked me last night to try their special breakfast. They may try to send it up did they? Abedi: No they just asked if we wanted masala tea. Ill find out what it is. Clinton: Lets try it and maybe some fresh mangoes. Abedi: OK Clinton: And regular tea too? In another email responding to a message about the DePaul University Students for Justice in Palestine groups attempt to ban Sabra Hummus on campus, Clinton revealed, I love Sabra hummus whatever that means. I hear you, HRC it costs 1 more than the ordinary hummus, but its creaminess is priceless. We all need IT help Clinton asked the question on everyones lips in 2012.or not: Heres my question: on this new berry can I get smiley faces? Seriously, she loves emojis and was really upset when she couldnt figure out how to use them on her new Blackberry: I am quite bereft that Ive lost the emoticons from my latest new old berry. Is there anyway [sic] I can add them. Also lets not forget that illustrious fax conversation: Abedin: Can you hang up the fax line, they will call again and try fax Clinton: I thought it was supposed to be off hook to work? Abedin: Yes but hang up one more time. So they can reestablish the line Clinton: I did. Abedin: Just pick up phone and hang it up. And leave it hung up. Clinton: I've done it twice now. Clinton: Still nothing. Call Oscar if they need help. I'll be out of pocket for an hour or so. I know it was 2009 and all, but who even used fax machines then? Yet another attempt to rig the system. Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY Her staff have way too much time on their hands Just look at this intricate, amazingly formatted flowchart Philippe Reines made to aid the decision-making process of who should ride shot gun with Hillary. Where did he learn to use word like that? Giving her some credit, though, she definitely emails more interesting people than I do Pls respond to Bon Jovis. So to all the agents and journalists out there waiting to wade through yet more platitudes and minor technological glitches: good luck, rather you than me. PAUL Finnerty, former CEO of the State's largest beef processor, has been appointed chairman of The Yield Lab's Ireland operations. The Yield Lab, a St Louis, USA-based agriculture technology firm and business accelerator, recently established an Irish branch which will serve as The Yield Lab's beachhead into new Irish and European Markets. The Yield Lab Ireland Managing Director, Brian Clevinger, said: "Paul brings an exceptional international agribusiness background and network to The Yield Lab Ireland and to the companies that will participate in our programme. "We will use the same selection process in Ireland as we do in St Louis, which is to identify and select early stage AgTech companies that sustainably increase the world food supply or reduce the inputs into the production chain." The Yield Lab, originally founded to support early-stage agriculture technology and sustainability, announced its plans to expand into Ireland last July. St Louis is in the centre of the agricultural heartland of the United States, with access to numerous early-stage AgTech companies and geographic proximity to a wide array of customers, collaborators and investors across the midwest. Speaking on his new role, Mr Finnerty said: "As the food sustainability agenda grows in importance internationally, I feel The Yield Lab's focus on AgTech is of considerable importance and opportunity to the agri industry, both in Ireland and internationally." Straw prices have rocketed and stocks are being imported from Britain this week as Irish traders struggle to keep up with demand from livestock farmers. A surge in orders from the drystock and dairy sectors over the last month has seen stocks of straw completely cleaned out in some parts of the country. Traders are now looking to import supplies from Britain, with one operator in south Kildare souring 8x4x3 bales in Cambridgeshire in England's southeast. A sharp lift in prices over the last three weeks and tighter local supplies have made straw imports an option. The cost of 8x4x3 bales of barley and wheaten straw has reached 45/bale delivered into the west. This is up from 40/bale earlier in the year. However, as stocks continue to tighten, some suppliers predicted that straw costs will increase to 46-48/bale. Farmers and traders maintained that stocks of barley straw have been totally cleaned out in the east and southeast, with particularly strong demand for scarce supplies of round bales (4x4). Quality From 15/bale to 17/bale is being paid for good quality round bales in the east, with the delivered price in the west and south at 25-27/bale. However, bedding quality straw is still available for 21-23/bale. Sourcing stocks of round bales is proving very difficult. One western trader said he had an immediate market for 10 truckloads or up to 600 round bales. "It is just a matter of getting it," he explained. "There are plenty of buyers but it is proving very difficult to source good quality straw." Oaten straw was available in the west and south this week for 41/bale (8x4x3) delivered - with growers being paid around 30/bale - but traders said prices were continuing to harden as supplies tightened. The straw price lift has come as a welcome boost for cereal growers following the disastrous harvest. However, few have been in a position to benefit from the price surge as many were tied into the contracts with buyers. One tillage farmer in South Tipperary said he was lucky to have a stack of 8x4x4 bales of barley straw in a field. "A lad came on and took every one of them for 40/bale," he said. The cereal grower has a contract with a mushroom composter for the majority of his wheaten straw. He admitted that the price for this was low but he was hopeful of pushing it up. Traders attributed the sudden lift in straw prices to the continuing weather difficulties in the west and the recent arrival of CAP direct payments. "A lot of farmers hadn't the money to pay for straw up that [receiving their Basic Payment] and were putting off purchasing," one southern trader explained. He maintained that the inability of farmers to pay would keep a ceiling on prices. CONCORD Presidential candidate Donald Trump will be the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center Thursday as North Carolina continues to be one of the battleground states with the election less than a week away. Doors will open at 1 p.m. and the event is expected to start at 4 p.m. Trump and his rival Hillary Clinton have in the state and the Charlotte area several times during the campaign. Both candidates for had several other politicians and celebrities campaigning on their behalf. Turnout continues to be heavy in early voting in Cabarrus County. Polls are showing that still undecided voters could determine who wins the presidential race in North Carolina as well as for governor and the U.S. Senate race. Cabarrus votes Through Tuesday at 11 a.m. 28,874 people had voted in Cabarrus County. That includes early voting and absentee ballots received. Registered Republicans totaled 11,754, while Democrats totaled 9,582. There have been 7,463 unaffiliated voters and 75 Libertarians. Latest polls The contests at the top of the ballot have tightened in North Carolina, with the races for president and governor now too close to call and incumbent Republican Richard Burr holding a lead within the margin of error in the U.S. Senate race, according to the results of the latest Elon University Poll. The live-caller, dual frame (landline and cell phone) survey of 710 likely voters was conducted from Oct. 23-27, 2016. Survey results in this news release present responses from registered voters who were classified as likely voters in the Nov. 8 election and has a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percentage points. Among likely voters, Clinton has 42 percent of the vote while Trump has 41.2 percent, with 8.7 percent saying they are still undecided in the race. Support for Gary Johnson, the Libertarian and leading third-party contender, has dwindled during the past month from more than 9 percent of the vote in early October to just 2.6 percent at the end of the month. North Carolina is still very much in play for both Trump and Clinton, said Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and assistant professor of political science. The Old North State is continuing its tradition as a source of true toss-up electoral votes. The race between incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and Democrat Roy Cooper continues to be close, with this most recent poll finding the two candidates virtually even at 44 percent among likely voters with a little more than a week until Election Day. The poll found 7.5 percent are still undecided about the race. The North Carolina Governors race will likely be a nail-biter for both sides throughout election night, Husser said. Burr, the incumbent Republican in the U.S. Senate race, has pulled ahead slightly since the last Elon poll. He receives the support of 43.5 percent of likely voters compared to 40 percent for Democrat Deborah Ross, a lead that falls within the polls margin of error. Most analysts early expectations were for Burr to have a comfortable lead on Ross in the U.S. Senate election in North Carolina, Husser noted. In late September polls indicated those predictions may have been premature. However, our recent results suggest that North Carolina is leaning towards the Republican incumbent as Election Day fast approaches. Early voting continues Early ballots in Cabarrus County can be cast through Saturday. There will be no voting on Monday, Nov. 7. The hours at the Cabarrus Board of Elections, 369 Church St. N., will be 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. In Harrisburg, early votes can be cast at the Harrisburg Library, 201 Sims Parkway, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Concord Fire Station #9, 1020 Ivey Cline Road, will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. Early ballots can be cast at the Cabarrus Bank Building, 201 West Ave., Kannapolis, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. Election Day hours Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls will be open in Cabarrus County and across North Carolina from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Results released after the polls close will be unofficial until the final canvass by the Cabarrus Board of Elections. That canvass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Robert Brown I'm a Certified Public Accountant and consultant. I graduated from Appalachian State University in 1977,and received an MBA from Wake Forest in 1981. I have served on the Kannapolis Citizens' Advisory Commission for Community Development as an appointee, and I currently serve as an elected Supervisor on the Cabarrus Soil and Water Conservation District. I have lived in Cabarrus County since 2005, and formerly lived in Charlotte. I also have an agricultural background, and I own a farm in Patrick County, Virginia. My primary motivation in seeking election to Senate District 36 is to help stop the erosion of legislative support for public schools and teachers in NC - from pre-K to university. I am for a moratorium on publicly paid vouchers for private schools, and I believe charter schools need to be held to the same rigorous standards as our public schools. Roughly 85% of our children attend public schools in NC, yet teacher pay and per pupil spending have both dropped precipitously over the years. It's time to give our public school students, teachers and administrators the respect and support they deserve. Our current legislature has enacted tax cuts for the wealthiest in NC and raised taxes on those least able to afford increases, by cutting income tax rates and taxing items like utility bills and car repairs. More children are in poverty in NC now than before the recession, yet the NC earned income credit for working families was taken away by the current legislature. The legislature also worked hard to curtail voting by one of the most extreme voter suppression laws in the country. And House Bill 2 has harmed the promotion of new business, as well as our reputation for being a fair and compassionate state. On a local level, I support smart growth for our district. We must encourage sensible growth as we transition from a rural to an urban area, respecting natural drainage areas, preserving open spaces and agriculture, and directing density of growth where infrastructure already exists. As we experience more extremes in weather associated with climate change, it is imperative that we invest in capacity building for infrastructure, and support cities and towns building resilience into their long range plans. Our district is blessed with devout, hard working individuals and families who deserve the best support Raleigh can give them. I'm one of those individuals, too, and if elected, I will strive to enact legislation and policy that will be fair to all of us. Paul Newton Born in Smithfield. Grew up in Eden. Graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a degree in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor. Harvard Advanced Management Program graduate. Following five years of private legal practice, worked 25 years at Duke Energy. While General Counsel, twice named to North Carolina Business Magazines Legal Elite. Retired in 2015 as North Carolina State President. Currently on the Board of Advisors for SEPI Engineering. Have served the community in a number of ways, including: Advisory Board member with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Cabarrus County CEO Advisory Council of the NC Center for Non-Profits Board of Directors of Leadership NC Executive Committee of the NC Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Named American Diabetes Association Father of the Year in 2008. Melanie and I have been married 30 years and home educated three daughters and one son. We are members of The Refuge church. Why am I the best person to serve you in the State Senate? Most importantly, because I sincerely care about the future of Cabarrus and Union Counties, and our State. I care about your success, and your future. I am not running for me; I am running for you. Economic Growth . I want to create jobs, so you and your children can call North Carolina home. When we grow the economy, everyone is better off. I know of no better way to move someone from low income to middle income than through a good paying job. When people are on an improving economic track, they spend more locally, making everyone better off. I have led the largest private-sector economic development organization in the State. I know what it takes to create jobs. Im ready to work hard for you. I believe in a healthy balance between economic growth and environmental stewardship. Neither extreme is sustainable. Smaller Government . I want to reduce the unnecessary regulatory burden on free enterprise, leaving only those regulations necessary for the well-being of communities. Regulations are a tax without an associated revenue stream, and increase costs to all of us. I believe in local control. The government closest to the people deserves respect. Raleigh doesnt always know best. Better Schools . Our public schools should be the #1 choice for teachers all across America. I see no reason we cannot become the best performing and most desired educational choice in the nation. We must restore respect in the classroom. I place the highest value on our teachers. They are having an enormous impact on our next generation. In addition, we must continue to offer choice. Private, Charter and Home schools all belong in the education mix. Parents should be able to choose the educational path that is best for their children. Reducing taxes . Government provides valuable services to our communities - Public safety, roads and infrastructure, to name a few. However, mission creep has caused government to grow too large and too expensive. We must keep government under control, so you can keep more of your hard-earned money. Stronger Families . I believe, as did our founders, that freedom to express and exercise our religious beliefs is central to a healthy, well-balanced society. I believe we should protect and honor life, beginning at the conception of a child. I believe the Charlotte bathroom ordinance and the response is hurting our state. We must employ common sense and compassion to repair that damage. Personal Safety . I believe that law-abiding citizens have the right to protect themselves with firearms. The second amendment protects that right, and the undeniable violence present in todays world reaffirms the value of that right. The bottom line is that I am a real world, common sense conservative who genuinely cares about your future. You deserve a State Senator who will put you first in every decision he makes. If elected, I intend to make an immediate positive impact in Raleigh for Cabarrus and Union counties. KANNAPOLIS- Cannon Memorial YMCA wants to help parents out on Election Day. The YMCA in Kannapolis recently announced it will participate in Zoes Kids Day Out; an initiative to host child care services on Election Day, providing busy parents and caregivers the opportunity to make it easier to get to the polls on November 8. Acknowledging that taking kids to the polls may add stress for busy parents and caregivers, the YMCA is committed to doing its part to make sure all Americans can vote. The Cannon YMCA will offer free child care at the following locations: - Kannapolis YMCA, 101 YMCA Dr. Kannapolis, NC 28081 - West Cabarrus YMCA, 5325 Langford Ave. Concord, NC 28025 - Harrisburg YMCA, 4100 Main St. Suite 200, Harrisburg NC 28075 Child care drop-off will be available for ages 1-9 from 9 a.m.-noon and 5-8 p.m. Parents must sign in with an ID, provide emergency contact information and return after voting. In order to provide a safe environment, the YMCA will adhere to a maximum occupancy of 15 kids per location at one time. Zoes Kids Day Out is a component of Zoe for President, the Ys effort to elect a one-year-old girl as the nations Commander in Chief in 2064. It highlights the potential the Y sees in all kids to grow up and change the world if theyre nurtured properly and supported along the way. Our hope is that Zoes Kids Day Out helps parents and caregivers make sure their voices are heard, and the very children we care for are given every opportunity to reach their future potential, Ron Davis, CEO of the Cannon YMCA. As the largest provider of child care in the country, the Y sees the potential in all kids and understands if given the opportunity to succeed, children can grow up to be anything they wantincluding president. CONCORD When the owners of Church Street Comics & More! opened up their store they didnt just want a place known for selling cool comic books and collectables. They wanted a place that helped spark creativity and imagination. There are so many inspiring people here and we want to inspire them to enjoy and create within a hub that encourages Manga, cosplay, comics, art, creativity, gaming, board games, collecting and community, said Barrington Williams, who runs Church Street Comics & More! with Bob Morgan and Horace Stainback. My partners and I have always enjoyed comic books in different ways: Bob is an artists and a writer, Horace is a collector and I am an aspiring artist who always collected comics, Williams said. Art seems to be the common thread that ties us all together and Im really grateful that it does. The trio operate Church Street Comics & More! at 10 St Charles Ave NE, Concord, just off of Church Street, behind Heavenly Treasures, which is located at 324 Church St N, Concord. The comic shop opened in late May. Were starting a small, friendly neighborhood comic shop, but by offering additional perks, including our game rooms, art space, public events such as videogame tournaments, holiday celebrations, music concerts, art shows, workshop and art classes, Morgan said. We hope to grow into a community center and hangout that will allow us to expand into larger classes, more retail products and more resources for ourselves and those we serve. The store has a variety of products with comics ranging from $2.99 to $3.99 per issue and trade paperbacks ranging from $10 to $15. Graphic novels run about $25 to $30 and the store sells apparel that runs between $10 and $40. Church Street Comics also sells local artwork ranging from $10 to $400. As fathers who love everything related to and revolving around comics. We wanted our children to have a place where they could live out or childhood dreams and theirs hopefully, Williams said. We wanted to appeal to the comic culture in our town since currently there is no representation of this particular hobby/way of life. Many people who have expressed a need for such a business and we hope to fulfill that need while also creating a community within a community. The trio have various backgrounds but all have a love of comics. Morgan has studied biology and art in college, worked in the food service and pet industries and spent 15 years working in graphic design and video production. Williams has worked the past 20 years or so in customer service and retail industry and Stainback works as a dental hygienist who has operated a comic store before as well. The store allows the group to share their comic book interests, but also their creative interests. When I was younger, like many others, comics were an escape for me growing up, Williams said. It was there I developed my own artistic skills and began creating my own comic books. Since meeting my friends here in Concord and building our brand, Church Street Comics & More! has became a renaissance of sorts for me. I find myself not just rekindling my relationship with comic books and their characters, but Im also drawing a lot more, getting involved with other artists, writers and other creative and talented minds. The comic book shop has actually hired a couple of local artists to assist with special projects and hope to do more so in the future. Ive always loved to draw and dreamed of writing and illustrating science fiction books. Instead, I worked in foodservice, pet and video production industries, drawing and writing on and off in my spare time, Morgan said. But that changed for Morgan when he, Stainback and Williams joined together to open up Church Street Comics & More! I saw an opportunity to not only develop my skills, but provide a space to do the same for others, Morgan said. And in that, the hope is that our shared talents will inspire us to do greater things, both creatively and in the community. Visit http://www.churchstreetcomics.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/Churchstreetcomics/ or call 704-960-6006. Drashti Dhami will soon be seen on the television screens on Star Plus with Balaji's next, Pardes Mein Hai Hai Mera Dil. We sat down with her and in a candid interview, she revealed to us about her experience of shooting in Austria, working with Arjun and Laksh Lalwani, and also about her expectations from the show. How did Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil happen? I got a call from Balaji and then I met them. Amidst the whole hustle and bustle, they told me that the shoot was to happen in Austria for the first 45 days. As exciting as it was, 45 days is too long a time to stay away. Everything happened in a span of one week. I got a call, I met them, then even came a time when we did not know whether it was happening or not. But everything fell into place on the 20th and they were like we have to start shooting from the 24th. You sport short hair in the promo and now you sport long hair. What is going to be your final look? It was just to give a fresher and newer look, to just make it look different and advertising. It was just an experimental look, meant only for the promo. What is Naina all about? Naina is a middle class girl whose life revolves around her mother and she takes care of her. She has a brother, but he lives in Innsbruck. So he is not around physically, to help her. Naina's mother is her life and in real life also, my mother is my whole and soul. She is always with her mother, taking care of her, so her mother finally takes a call that Naina should go and live for her own happiness. That's when Naina goes to Innsbruck and there begins her journey of how she overcome the problems that she's had and the need for someone. How similar or different is Drashti to Naina? Similar in a lot of ways when it comes to coming from a middle class family, taking care of her mother; and different in terms of taking over responsibilities which I share with my brother and not like Naina, who does it alone. We are like a good happy family, but its just that for me, I relate to it because me and my brother are very obsessed with our mom. So we are always like watching her, telling her things. So yeah! As a family bond, I relate to Naina. Further, I think I would be in a better position to answer much later because I've just started shooting bits and pieces. I really relate to the family side of it. Besides that, Naina is very very strong, all thanks to the hurdles that have come across her way. And so is Drashti. What is the whole concept of the show? In simple words, the main focus of the show is how two different, selfless, dejected people who have never achieved what they wanted in life come across each other and how under certain circumstances, they are put together into a puddle, where we feel that we are so wrong for each other but ultimately, become so right for each other. We both are the most dejected people on earth and how we both come together and make the best of life is the story of Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil. You have played cute and bubbly characters before. What was your reaction when you were briefed about playing a mature character. I guess it's a good thing. I took up Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani as it was a period drama and I wanted to do something different. So I was all game for it. And again, when I was told to play another character, I was totally game for it. And honestly, you can't say no because it's like Balaji, Star Plus, and going to Austria. So you do not want anything else. You've been a part of Dill Mill Gayye, Geet and now Pardes... do you feel that there is a vast difference between the content then and content now? I feel that our audience has started accepting a lot of different stories but at the same time, there are a lot of different shows that are doing really well because our audience still likes watching the saas-bahu dramas. This is just our approach to make it look different. For example, every scene that I've done till now, I never felt it was illogical. With every scene, I feel like I am getting deeper as Naina. You are working with Balaji for the first time. What do you have to say about that? I am working with Balaji for the very first time, so I did not know their working pattern, but I think I got along really well with everyone. In Innsbruck, we've become like a big family. There was no director or actor or any other designation. Everyone would help everyone. So I think it is a very good production house to work with. How has it been working with Arjun and the whole team? Laksh is a mad boy. He is really sweet. Arjun, I know since a really long time as we've had a lot of common friends. So working with them is awesome. I love working with Alok Narula, who plays my brother Rajiv as well. My core people, who I really get along well are Laksh, Alok, and Aditi who plays Sanjana. I've hung out with these three people in my free time in Innsbruck, so we've gotten really close. Too much happened in Austria with you? Arjun even mentioned that he too experienced something spooky. I have told this to everyone that before quoting anything, please get it approved by me. Because it says Drashti says, but clearly, I haven't said anything. They haven't even written that close sources say, it's directly Drashti says, and I am like when did I say that. Forget I said it, I was like when did this even happen? All of that was a prank. There was no doll following me. There was no stalker behind me, I didn't sprain my leg and I did not even lose my phone. From day 1, till the last day, I never even changed my room. And even if Arjun did, I didn't experience anything. If I did, I would be demented by now on the sets. What was Neeraj's reaction when you told him about going to Austria? Oh My God! We both were trying to figure out how to make things work. He was planning to come down to Austria as well. So, we decided that he will come towards the end of the trip. But the plan did not work out so we had to drop it. Plus, we had already had taken a holiday for 25 days in Europe, before I started shooting. And I regret that he could not join me. I have cried every single day that I wanted to be back home. What does Neeraj say about the show? Who compliments you more in your family? He is very happy with the rushes that he has seen. And as he knows what happens, so he is pretty impressed. In fact, I sent the latest promo to my father-in-law and he is like 'mast lagg rahi hai'. My in-laws are very supportive. My husband very rarely comments on my performance. Everyone missed me when I was away shooting, but my father in law missed me to an altogether new level. What expectations do you have from the show? All I am expecting is that our hard work pays off. A lot of people have put in a lot of effort and money on the show. Please watch it and please share your experience and feedback with us. Thanks for all the love that you've given me all along. I hope it continues and I am really excited about the show. I am saying this not because I am on the show, but I am genuinely excited about the show as I felt like I am getting better with every scene I did previously. Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil premieres on the 7th of November on Star Plus. Pardes Mein Hai Mera Dil premieres on the 7th of November on Star Plus. Indian equity markets see another green ending Markets saw yet another day in green today. Nifty 50 ended, up by 129.9 points. BSE Sensex ended, up by 374.76 points. Top Gainers today were Adani Enterprises, Divis Lab and NTPC. Top Lo... November 01, 2022 | 4:04 pm Five Star Business Finance IPO will open on November 9th The IPO of Five Star Business Finance will open for subscription on November 9th. The IPO will close on November 11th. The IPO intends to raise Rs 2751.95 crore through sale of existi... 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Photo from Bad River Band At the start of the second week of April 2014, more than a foot of fresh snow blanketed the Bad River Chippewa Reservation of northern Wisconsin. I had arrived home to my mothers place of birth two days before the blizzard because Bad River was deeply entrenched in fighting one of the largest mining corporations in the world. Gogebic Taconite had secured the go-ahead from the state, not the tribe, to begin exploratory low-grade iron ore mining in the Penokee Hills, which sit at the edge of the reservation. I was brought in as the communications director to help respond to Gogebics public relations machine that mostly promised new jobs to one of the states poorest regions. As I spun the wheels of my oversized van that snow-filled morning, struggling just to get out of the driveway, I wondered if the impoverished Bad River tribe had even a chance to fend off this storm of big money mining. What was happening at Bad River was nothing new. The history of stealing millions of acres from tribes and forcing Indians onto reservations was never enough for this country. There was always the gluttony for even more Indian land and natural resources. Whether it be copper or coal mines, storing nuclear waste, or pumping crude oil from the ground, tribal lands have consistently been targeted for resource extraction, and almost always with the federal governments consent. With Indian Country united for the #NoDAPL movement, Mark Anthony Rolo, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians , shares how his tribe went to war against corporate mining interests in Wisconsin: Read More: Mark Anthony Rolo: My Tribe's Stand Against Corporate Mining (The Progressive 10/31) Join the Conversation Related Stories A Bureau of Indian Affairs detention center on the Blackfeet Nation once used a garbage bag as a shower curtain. Source: Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Interior Back home again at Northern Cheyenne By Clara CaufieldNative Sun News Today Columnist Its great to be back home on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation after a seasonal break. And, to my great surprise, once again working for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe as the Acting Transit Manager, an unexpected development, but helpful for rez survival. Depending on how the tribal elections turn out, this could be either a very short or long term gig. Such is the nature of tribal employment. But, the job is a keen reminder of the critical need for transportation on reservations such as Northern Cheyenne. So many need rides for basic needs: employment, medical appointments, to get food from the grocery store or commodity center, to attend educational classes or other meetings. And many - especially as the end of the month approaches - are challenged to come up with coins for the very minimal fares. Thus, many people still resort to hitch-hiking. On my regular sojourn from Busby to Lame Deer, I am a regular picker-upper of hitch-hikers, which is a great way to make new friends and acquaintances. This week, one of my passengers was a Crow tribal member trying to make his way from Lame Deer, where hed just been released from the BIA jail, trying to get back to Crow. Apparently, the police willingly transport those who are arrested on the Crow reservation to the Lame Deer jail, but upon release those people are on their own to make the 45 mile trip back to Crow. It is never a good idea to get arrested, but in the case of the Crows, it will be even worse when the winter sub-zero arctic conditions arrive and they find themselves hitchhiking back home. The personal experience he shared about the current situation facing Indian prisoners from reservations in the Great Plains area is hard to believe. First, the Crow reservation currently does not have a jail for people arrested by the BIA police there, the old jail having been condemned. Thus, prisoners from Crow are transported to the BIA jail at Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne reservation, where conditions were extremely crowded, even before this development. This fellow told of 35 people being crammed into a cell which had only 9 bunks. We were laying mat to mat on the concrete floor and there was no room to even walk, he said. Then he shared a recent experience of a jail tour which took him around much of Indian country. Sentenced to six months for disorderly conduct (in his case public intoxication) he was shuffled around from facility to facility, in the process meeting other inmates from many Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming Tribes who were in the same situation. His personal tour started at the Lame Deer BIA jail, continued to the Wind River BIA jail in Wyoming and ended up at a facility in Oklahoma, where the BIA foots the bill for many prisoners from the Great Plains area. Other inmates, he said, have the opportunity to go to Casper or Basin, Wyoming or facilities on other reservations. Across Indian country, certainly in Montana, Tribes have been adopting stronger laws, in response to meth and drug problems on reservations and the justice system is being tightened up. At Northern Cheyenne, for example, the Tribal Council recently adopted a new Law and Order Code which includes many new offenses and imposes longer sentences for most offenses. The end result seems to be many more prisoners facing longer sentences in tribal or BIA jails which are not equipped to handle the increased numbers. And what about the additional expense and manpower required transporting prisoners all over the country? That certainly must be a significant amount of time and money. When our Tribal Council adopted the new laws did they envision that many Cheyenne would wind up serving their time in Oklahoma? Thats one place the Northern Cheyenne have never favored. We were also prisoners there back in the late 1800s. This is an example of poor planning, no planning or just bureaucratic bungling. Read the rest of the story on the Native Sun News Today website: Back home again at Northern Cheyenne (Contact Clara Caufield at Acheyennevoice@gmail.com) Office of the Inspector General Reports: Bureau of Indian Affairs Funded and/or Operated Detention Programs (February 2016) Final Evaluation - Bureau ofIndian Affairs' Detention Facilities (March 2011) Neither Safe Nor Secure: An Assessment of Indian Detention Facilities (September 2004) Copyright permission Native Sun News Join the Conversation Palmer Lomakema plays a harmonious, Native American song on the wind flute at the Arizona State Fair. Photo by Kristiana Faddoul / Cronkite News Native American group deflects stereotypes at Arizona State Fair By Kristiana FaddoulCronkite News PHOENIX Crispy corn dogs skewered on greasy sticks, Ferris wheels towering above the crowd, and toddler-sized teddy bears coveted as carnival-game prizes dominate Arizona State Fair culture. But one group is slipping in a glimpse of something more. Native Spirit members dance, chant and joke to debunk Native American stereotypes in several daily performances on a stage on the southwest corner of the fairgrounds. Native Spirit leverages comedy instead of lectures, defying caricatures and telling the audience the meanings behind each drum beat, dance step and musical note. The words didnt have literal meanings but evoke feelings, such as lightheartedness, according to a group member. Palmer Lomakema, a be-feathered, longtime member of the group, joked on stage about movie and book stereotypes about Native Americans, such as scenes showing tribe members dancing around a fire all night before a battle. If that were the case, he told the audience gathered around the Cultural Stage, warriors would collapse at the first step they took on the battlefield. Giggles threaded through the crowd, which grew from a handful of people to about 80 as they wandered into a recent show. Cronkite News: Native Spirit hoop dancing Mesa resident Kenney Darville, who visited the fair with his family at another show, had never witnessed a Native American performance quite like Native Spirit. Ive never seen this type of dancing, this type of music; it was wonderful, Danville said. Still, the setting can be awkward. Phoenix resident Kyle Callon and his girlfriend, Briana Buchanan, who spent a Sunday evening at the fair jumping on the rides and sampling fair food, said they stopped for a minute but didnt linger. Would I expect to learn anything new from the state fair? No, because its not advertised to learn something new. Its advertised for junk food and rides, Callon said. In the far off corners you see the Native Americans and the farms (presentation), its not really made for people to learn anything there, he said. But there were plenty of people who stay. As his colleagues donned clothing for a performance, Lomakema said the fair provides a unique education platform. Members of the Native Spirit dance group at the Arizona State Fair. Photo by Kristiana Faddoul / Cronkite News In 2015, the total fair attendance came to about 1.2 million people, said Athena Sanchez, Arizona State Fair marketing specialist. This is a great place because of the amount of people coming in, Lomakema said. Native Spirits performances allow Native Americans to replace peoples false, stereotypical knowledge with accurate information, he said. We give history about the dances, what they mean, where they actually come from and why we do these dances, Lomakema said. The performers often share the background on their tribes, dismissing any presumptions Native Spirit members fall under one tribal community. Native spirit is comprised of different nations, Lomakema said. We tell the people what tribes we come from, because everybody looks at us and thinks we are all the same. Lomakema said Native Spirit members frequently receive positive feedback from those who attend the show. I had two ladies come up and say, You know, Ive learned something new. Join the Conversation As the government aims to reach out to people with health facilities, almost 400 million of them, who have internally migrated to various parts of the country eagerly wait for the government scheme. Things, however, become extremely difficult when doctors don't know anything about the medical history of the patients who has migrated from any rural area and by the time, he diagnoses the ailment, it gets too late. AFP Since their ailments travel with them, but not their medical history which can provide doctors with a head start to understanding and cure the ailment, Union government has decided to form a pool of data of patients getting treatment in government institutions across the country. According to a story published in Bhaskar.com, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) has already prepared National Health Data Scheme (NHDS) which would only provide doctors with the medical history of the patients, but also with the things prescribed by the previous doctor regarding what to eat and what not to. The government is likely to announce this scheme soon. The scheme will get collaborated with E-Hospital scheme formulated by the union government in July 2015 under Digital India Programme. What is an e-Hospital? AFP E-Hospital is a Hospital Management System under Prime Minister Modi's Digital India Campaign. It's a patient-centric application software specifically meant for the hospitals in Government Sectors that aim at providing users with a mechanism to access their patient records and to have an efficient system to manage the Patient Information. It's is likely to make the process of treatment more effective, accurate and accountable. Apart from proving records, this software will also enable patients to book appointments for out-patient-department (OPD) check-ups and diagnostics, seek details of blood type availability and to get lab reports online. When and where will it start? The programme is likely to start in next months. The big government hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung, RML, other AIIMS running across the country along with all other Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) hospitals. Reuters A pilot project was run in AIIMS, Delhi in 2015 in which patients would have to visit AIIMS at least once to get a permanent Unique Health Identification number (UHID), which is mandatory for treatment at the institute. However, the government while implementing it is mulling to link it with linked with Aadhaar and would enable patients to sit at home and get a UHID as well as an appointment. It's likely to help with data formation of fatal diseases and research AFP Apart from making lives of the people easier, it will also provide the government with ready-made data of the diseases that are spreading in large numbers, their pattern, affects which would further help in finding a cure of those diseases. Experts also believe that the data will also help to know the rise of any epidemic in one particular area and measure could get taken before it reaches dangerous level. How will it operate? According to E-Hospital scheme, patient's record with the medical history and everything else will be made accessible online and his mobile number will get linked with it. The doctor would be able to access to records of the patients with help of his Aadhar number and phone number. Infrastructure might get implemented in If the initial implementation of this scheme runs well, then India has a huge health infrastructure where this scheme will get implemented which would save and safeguard lives of millions of Indians across the country. AFP According to Union Health Ministry's data, India has a total of 35 ,416 government hospitals which have 13,76,013 beds. But unfortunately merely 2 of the doctors serves in rural India, which comprises 68% of our population. if this scheme gets implemented, the maximum utilisation of the limited resources including doctors can be made in order to benefit the common Indian. A boon for the migratory population! With a population of over 1.3 billion, India has a huge population depending upon a limited set of resources to cater to their health needs. At present, we have a total of 61, 744 people depending upon one government hospital and on an average one bed in government hospital caters to a mammoth 1946 people. AFP With these sort of disparities stretching limits beyond imagine, the massive migration within the country further muddy to already troubled waters. People from poorer states like UP, MP, Bihar, West Bengal aren't only moving to cities like Delhi, Mumbai and other metropolitan, but also moving to states like Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Haryana in large numbers. AFP The migratory population is accounted for almost 400 million which forms 1/3 of the total population. Most of the migratory population is employed in menial works which ought to make them vulnerable to diseases like TB etc. If doctors will have their medical history and other records of them, it would become much easier for both doctors to cater to more and more patients in a very effective and result oriented manner. Three youths have landed in jail for forcing a nine-year-old boy to drink liquor in Sirkazhi, Tamil Nadu's Nagappattinam district. BCCL/representational image According to police, the accused have been identified as Dinesh, Aravind, and Madhubala, from Agara Thirukolaka Street in Sirkazhi in Nagappattinam. The arrests were made following the complaint from the victim's father, who resides in the same area. In his statement, he said that his son was forced to drink alcohol during a party in a farm on Saturday afternoon. The crime came to light when the boy told his parents what had happened on Sunday. According to the boy, he had gone to the farm where they were having a party. When the trio asked him to drink alcohol, he refused to do so. Thus, they grabbed him and force-fed him five glasses of liquor. greatist/representational image The boy managed to get home and sleep. His parents assumed he had gone to bed early because he was tired. He woke up only late Sunday morning. Suspecting that something was not right, the parents questioned him. On hearing what had happened, the parents confronted the trio but the latter tried to attack them. Eventually, the father registered a complaint with the police on Sunday night. The police nabbed the trio and interrogated them. They registered a case under section 328, 294(b), 506(ii) of IPC and arrested them on Monday morning. BCCL/representational image "The boy was forced to drink liquor. The scene was not recorded on mobile phone as claimed by the victim," said inspector of police Azhagudurai. Look beyond private schools for good education. There is much potential in the existing government schools to be transformed into centres for excellent learning. One municipal school, located in south Delhi, is using a counter-culture approach to education, with an aim to make the students sharp and inquisitive. Ark, a non-profit organisation, in conjunction with South Delhi Municipal Corporation runs a government school in Delhis Lajpat Nagar III where they lay heavy emphasis on exploration. We want kids to be able to question, think and learn by observing and analyzing rather than being spoon fed, Urmila Chowdhury, Ark's Academic Head told Indiatimes. Reuters This years UNESCO report on education unearthed some ground shattering facts such as one in four school going kids in India are not going to school India has the highest number of out-of-school students in the lower secondary level. According to World Bank data from 2015, Indias spending on education is lower than the world average. While globally, 4.9 per cent of GDP was spent on education in 2010, India only spent 3.3 per cent. And more specifically, compared to BRICS nations, Indias literacy rate is only 74 per cent while the same for others in this cohort is equivalent to that of the developed world. ALSO READ: India Is Half A Century Behind In Achieving Its Education Goals Says UNESCO Reuters Kruti Bharucha, Arks Country head, told Indiatimes: India is losing out on enormous potential with millions of kids out of school. The problem previously was a lack of access to schools. The problem is no longer lack of access but, rather, it's a lack of acesss to high-quality schooling. Parents don't have real choice and children aren't getting the opportunities they deserve. Too many of India's children are falling through the cracks. Sanjeela Devis son, Amar Yadav, is a KG student at Ark. Shes currently 21 and had her first kid at 16. She sends him to school because I want him to have the opportunities I didnt get. I want him to learn so he can do what he wants. Similarly, Poonam Kumari, 32, has a daughter in KG and only studied till 10th grade. I will make sure Chandi finishes school and also goes to college so she doesnt have to do small jobs like me and my husband, Kumari told us. Shreya Kalra Arks counter-culture approach includes working with parents because while kids spend most of their waking hours at school, its the parents who ultimately shape who they will become and also decide if they should go to school. While parents crave for great education for their kids, they dont necessarily know what that looks like because chances are they havent received great education, or education at all," Urmila said. Shreya Kalra Delhi Lieutenant Governor, Mr Najeeb Jung, applauding the school's efforts said: "The portion of population Ark is helping is the one that Indias future is actually dependent on. "When I visited the school, I was happy to see genuine passion in teachers and happiness on childrens faces. I was also very happy to see cleanliness at the school because that is something that lacks in most government schools." Shreya Kalra Currently, the Indian education system lacks accountability, which will be able to assess whether kids are learning and whether teachers are teaching. In order to create this system, not only does India need an Ofsted-like structure UK education body of authority in place which regulates education services but also empowerment of teachers. Teachers need to be trained to identify whether children are progressing and also to teach outside of the textbook. Jaspreet Kaur, 24, realised her true calling was working with kids, especially underprivileged ones, after working in the corporate sector. She came into contact with Indias education crisis when working with a few NGOs in college and how teachers arent very well respected. She said, Teaching is most peoples Plan B or C but when I entered the education sector I realized teaching requires a lot more skills than other professions. You need to give your 100% every day in order to feel the impact in your kids every day. Shreya Kalra Another teacher at the Ark school, Akanksha Rajore, who studied Bachelors of Education from Delhi University said there is blatant irony in the way they were taught how to teach. The teachers are telling us to teach from a childs perspective, but by just getting through a lesson, they ended up teaching from a teachers perspective," she said. As a part of my course, I was sent out to government schools and thats when I realized what being a teacher really means and it doesnt involve teaching only. After joining Ark, I learnt that in order to give the best education, its important to attach yourself to kids, know about them and their backgrounds so that you can enhance their learning process. Shreya Kalra Babita Sharma, a kindergarten teacher at Ark, thinks that all schools currently need some accountability to make things better. If teachers make just a bit more effort and take responsibility, then education in India will get better, she told us. Ark gives equal opportunities to all at their school every person matters. India is a country with 1.3 billion people, which means the chance for billions of individuals to have opportunities. What education does is let the individual determine their own destiny, which need not be determined at birth. According to media reports, British defence major Rolls Royce may have made 'secret payments' of around 10 million (almost 81 crore Rupees) to Indian arms dealer Sudhir Choudhrie. The payments may have helped the company win a big contract to supply engines for Hawk aircraft, used by the Indian Air Force. Choudhrie is reportedly on the Indian government's blacklist, suspected of"corrupt or irregular practice". He lives in London. However, Choudhrie's lawyer denied the bribes or claims that he acted as an illegal middleman in defence deals. Rolls-Royce said it was "fully co-operating with the authorities" and "cannot comment on ongoing investigations". Sudhir Choudhrie and his son Bhanu were arrested in February 2014, after a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into concerns of possible bribery and corruption at Rolls-Royce in Asia. Rolls-Royce, the world's second-largest maker of aircraft engines, spoke in December 2014 about a formal investigation into concerns of possible bribery and corruption in China and Indonesia. A year earlier, it had passed revealed information relating to bribery and corruption involving intermediaries in overseas markets and said it could face prosecution. The Choudhrie family founded C&C Alpha Group, a London-based firm that invests in sectors including healthcare, aviation and hospitality, according to the company's website. Hawk aircraft are used by the Indian Air Force for training purposes. Four civilians have been killed in the latest ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the LoC and the international border. Those dead are two women and two children. Reshab and Abhi, were around five years, 19-year-old Ravinder Kaur and Anju Devi were killed in Ramgarh in Jammu after Pakistani forces targeted civilian areas and Indian posts. The Pakistani forces started unprovoked shelling targeting posts as well as civilian areas in Ramgarh and Arnia areas at around 6 a.m on Tuesday. The girl was killed in Ramgarh sector of Samba district while the two civilians sustained injuries in Arnia sector. ANI We're trapped in our houses since 8 this morning, no help provided yet: Village local on ceasefire violations by Pak in Arnia sector pic.twitter.com/O5Och2B7n6 ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 Pakistan violates ceasefire in Nowshera sector in Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, firing on since 5 AM. pic.twitter.com/4jLUGVTj4B ANI (@ANI_news) November 1, 2016 "Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms followed by mortars at one place and further spread to four or five places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 0630 hours," DIG BSF (G) Dharmendra Pareek said. Meanwhile, ANI has reported that an encounter is underway between security forces and terrorists in Ajar village in Bandipora. AP/ Representative Image On Monday an elderly woman and a soldier were killed and a girl and two army men were injured in cross-LoC shelling and firing by Pakistani troops in Poonch and Rajouri districts. There have been more that 60 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops along the LoC and IB in the state since surgical strikes against terror launch pads by the Indian Army in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Ramashankar Yadav was preparing for his daughter's wedding next month before he was killed by SIMI terrorists after they fled from the Bhopal jail. Loving father of a 24-year-old daughter, Ramashankar was excited to get Sonia married on December 9. However, tragedy struck and that dream could not be realised as a reality. Ramashankar is also survived by his two sons, Shambhunath and Prabhunath, both of whom are posted in the Army at Guwahati and Hissar respectively. NDTV According to his nephew, Vijay Shanker, Ramashankar was busy making arrangements for his daughter's big day. "But as fate had it, we got the news of his killing by SIMI men this morning," said Vijay. "My uncle's body is at the morgue after postmortem. His mortal remains will be consigned to flames tomorrow. We will sit and talk whether to go ahead with the wedding or postpone it," he further added. TOI Yesterday, eight SIMI terrorists who had escaped the Bhopal jail were killed in an encounter. While we wait for the Delhi government to live up to its promise of installing air purifiers in Delhi to help citizens breathe easy in the city, there is no respite in sight for those suffering from respiratory diseases as yet. For those of us who are finding it difficult to breathe with every passing hour, there is no good news coming our way. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, Diwali marks the beginning of a spike in pollution levels in Delhi and continues till spring next year. The upcoming wedding season, with all the firecrackers, spell further doom. However, here are a few simple way that you can help purify the air around you. Camphor Select your own aromatic sense using Elcarim pure essential oil... diffuse it with our imported Mandara burner . #naturalremedies #aromatheraphy #naturopathic #elcarimEO #essentialoils #diffuser A photo posted by Elcarim nat (@elcarim_nat) on Nov 1, 2016 at 1:19am PDT Instead of the chemically treated version available at a cheaper price, the raw untreated camphor leaves a stronger impact on the senses. It helps in cleaning blockages in the nasal cavity that come with congestion from the common cold. Air purifying plants Best to test which plants you and your family are allergic to before you go on a spree of creating DIY plant air purification kits. Please also ensure that they do not hold water for too long as that could lead to breeding of mosquitoes and other insects. ALSO READ: These Plants Do A Much Better Job Of Cleaning The Air Salt lamps I may be obsessed with my new Himalayan Salt lamp...and I don't care who knows!!! #negativeions #airpurifier A photo posted by Lacey Hill (@_prettylittlecactus_) on Sep 29, 2016 at 7:06pm PDT The Himalayan salt lamps are not for decoration alone. Its main purpose is to use the crystallised salt to use the heat to cleanse the pollutants in the air. This works best in a smaller, closed room but a good night's sleep next to a salt lamp is said to boost immunity as well as detoxify the lungs. Beeswax candles . . # . #candle#beeswax#beeswaxcandle#natural A photo posted by (@j_babybreath) on Oct 29, 2016 at 7:38am PDT While these are more expensive than the regular paraffin wax candles, the benefit of the beeswax candle is that it lasts longer and actually contributes in cleansing the air. The normal candles actually release chemicals like benzene and toluene into the air. Organic candles, made from the wax of beehives, burn with no smoke at all and are known to generate charged particles to counter pollutants in the air. Bamboo charcoal Live charcoal emits toxin-burning particles which cleanse the air of unwanted chemicals, dust, pollen and allergens while also soaking in excessive moisture and are known to combat all form of air-borne infections. The charcoal is available in strips that can be kept in a corner of the room and recharged once every month by placing in sunlight. They have been scientifically proven to counter formaldehyde, ammonia, benzene and chloroform gases. Khus curtains #summerproof#khuscurtains My dad got home these khus curtains which have this cooling effect... khus is a medicinal herb and its dried roots have been bundled and strung together....just soak them wet and hang them at the window... And the breezes just get cooler.... Loving it!! A photo posted by Sarthak Tapasvi (@sarthaktapasvi) on Apr 20, 2015 at 9:09pm PDT Used traditionally in Indian homes to cool the air during the summers, khus also help act as a natural filter letting a fragrant cleansed air pass through windows and doors. In summers, they have to be kept moist to help turn hot air from the outside turn into a cool fragrant breeze on the other side, in winters you need to sprinkle a little bit of water to help process the air better but helps to restrict the smog from entering your house. Avoid indoor smoking #hand#leaves#bright#light#coat#stylish#cigarette#smoke#smoking#autumn#fall#colorful#nature#night#wonderful#ginger#red#forest#walk#awesome#amazing#adorable#stunning### A photo posted by Angela Sobolevskaya (@angelasob) on Nov 1, 2016 at 3:55am PDT Stepping out of the house in the cold to have a cigarette may not seem like a good idea but if you want to breathe easy and curb the impact of passive smoke on your family, do it. While it is not advised for people suffering from respiratory troubles to smoke at all, having to step out in the cold for every smoke can be a good way to help you kick the butt. Eucalyptus oil I think would feel pretty well at my house. After having a cold for the last couple days everything smells like #eucalyptus haha.. #eucalyptusoil #eucalyptusbath #eucaluptustea #eucalyptusbouquet A photo posted by kathiregina (@katharinaregina) on Oct 25, 2016 at 7:43am PDT Nature has its way of cleansing itself from time to time. The eucalyptus is best-known for its medicinal properties. Used extensively to help in respiratory diseases, it helps in treating nasal congestion effectively. The essential oil from the eucalyptus helps in killing any bacteria and removing pollutants from the air. Mix a few drops oil with some water and place on a diffuser for best effect. If you're sick and tired of stories of air pollution and fireworks, here's one - which doesn't involve Diwali. A 30-year-old set herself on fire at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital in Shinjuku Ward. The lady was undergoing an operation which saw a laser applied to her cervix - and then she farted. The gas she passed caught fire. The blaze burned her waist and leg. While the incident happened in April this year, a committee of experts has confirmed that no flammable materials were in the operation theatre during the time of surgery. This confirmed that it was her own flatulence that burned her. "When the patient's intestinal gas leaked into the space of the operation (room), it ignited with the irradiation of the laser, and the burning spread, eventually reaching the surgical drape and causing the fire," the report said. The ongoing joint military operation to drive ISIS out of Mosul which has entered its third week. With a steady progress in capturing areas in the past few days the resilient army is going for the big prize - Mosul, the de facto capital of ISIS in Iraq, the city where Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi announced the caliphate in 2014. AFP After capturing Bartella, a small Iraqi Christian town the Iraqi forces who are leading the operation are just striking distance of Mosul. "All that's left are a few meters, less than a kilometer separates us from Mosul. It will be the beginning of our entry into Mosul," said Colonel Moustafa Al-Obeidi, Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces. According to some reports the army could make a move for the city within the next couple of hours. AFP However, with the battle being fought in multiple fronts, it is believed that the Iraqi forces may not rush to enter the city. This is because the coalition troops are still facing stiff resistance in the eastern front from the ISIS. Even if they decide to push ahead it is not an easy task. ISIS is said to have heavily fortified the city with IEDs, booby trap and are using suicide car bombs to prevent the Iraqi forces from advancing. AP It is also believed to be holding thousands of civilians as human shields. According to the UNHCR around a million people are still trapped in the battle-ridden city. More than 17,500 people have already fled their homes since the operation began, and the Norwegian Refugee Council said there were currently only 55,000 more places available in camps. AFP In the dozens of villages and towns scattered over territory retaken from IS over the past two weeks, civilians were very slowly returning to a life free from the "caliphate". ISIS fighters are fleeing Iraq's Mosul after suffering heavy casualties, an American general overseeing the retaking of Mosul told the media. Iraqi forces have entered Mosul for the first time. More on the offensive: https://t.co/slbCg3o4ha pic.twitter.com/NfefhC2w6J Reuters Top News (@Reuters) October 31, 2016 Army General Joseph Votel, head of the US military's Central Command, said he's spotted groups of ISIS fighters slipping out of the city, as US-backed Iraqi and Kurdish peshmerga march in, after taking villages and destroying jihadi forces. The fighter are attempting to hide as civilians, thereby not being hit by drones or planes. "They don't have uniforms, so it is a little bit of a challenge. These aren't big groups, they aren't moving in military formations," the four-star general said, speaking from an undisclosed military base in Southwest Asia. "There are some that will get away, and I think that happens in a lot of cases. Nothing is 100 percent, but in this case we are doing a pretty good job." In 10 days, 800 to 900 jihadis have been killed in and around Mosul, since a coalition of forces from Europe, Iraq and France united to recapture the city 10 days ago. This is a sizeable body count, as only 5,000 fighters are expected to be present in Mosul Mosul is being ambushed from 3 sides - south, east and north, by tens of thousands of Iraqi forces. People around the world are harnessing the power of social media and marking their solidarity to block the Dakota Access Pipeline in the US by checking in at Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Facebook. Protesters in Ireland/Twitter @mahtowin1 What is the North Dakota pipeline that is resulting in protest? It involves building a $3.7 billion oil pipeline that will stretch through four states from North Dakota to the southern state of Illinois, which will allow crude oil to be shipped to Eastern American states and Gulf countries. Lawrence journal world Whats the problem? While developers says the 1,172 miles long pipeline will bring economic advantages and make America less dependent on imported oil, environmental activists and Native American tribes, including standing Rock Sioux Tribe, think otherwise. The tribe says construction of the pipeline will destroy our burial sites and culturally significant artifacts. Heavy.com The protests have been going on since April this year but garnered limited media attention in America and the world. People began checking in on Facebook to the Standing Rock Indian reservation after a post went viral on early Monday morning claiming that checking in would help protesters in North Dakota. Since then more than 1 million from around the world have checked in to overwhelm and confuse the police who are using check-ins to target people at the protest site. The origin of the post is unknown but the word sure is spreading fast by Monday afternoon check-ins increased from 140,000 to 8,70,000. Some of those who have checked in have posted a similar message online, a part of which says, I stand in solidarity with your struggles of oppression. I hope your strife ends soon and with no more blood shed. Water is life and should be considered a human right especially for those that have been victim to major genocide in the past. I have Native American blood flowing in my family history, it may be a minute amount but it is there. I stand for respect for all! Sukie SooSweet Appling, who checked in Tuesday morning wrote on Facebook, Our country's ugly "past" is so very present it's stomach turning. All the ugly stories we've read about since Columbus and Team Europe got here and killed off millions of NATIVE AMERICANS, shoved the survivors on a few acres of land here. Our government is still violating the original owners of all of this land. I stand with Standing Rock! The new policy of Canadas Liberal Government to accommodate more immigrants comes at a time when Australia, on the other end of the world, has banned refugees/asylum seekers who arrive in the country by boat. Reuters ALSO READ: Australia Has Shut Its Doors To Refugees Arriving On Boats, Where Do They Go From Here? The second largest North American country will bring in a proposed number of 300,000 new arrivals next year. So far this year, Canada has welcomed 29,000 Syrian refugees more than the UK and France. I do believe that it is true that more immigrants for Canada would be a good policy ... and we have today laid the foundation for that future growth, said John McCallum, Immigration Minister. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government also recently committed to bringing in persecuted Yazidi refugees fleeing the brutalities of ISIS Syria and Iraq. Yazidi Children/Reuters This strategy is a part of Canadas goal to push economic growth and steer clear from a slowdown in the coming years. The government's economic growth council also recommended raising immigration levels to 4,50,000 over the next five years, but certainly not for 2017, McCallum added. Dickinson College students and faculty are grieving the loss of one of their students, according to Christine Baksi, spokeswoman for Dickinson College. Sophmore Lauren Lau, of California, died on campus Sunday night, according to Baksi. Our heartfelt thoughts are with her family and all who knew Lauren, Baksi said. No cause or manner of death have been released, and an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday, according to Cumberland County Coroner Charley Hall. Lauren was an active and involved member of our campus, Baksi said. Faculty, staff and students came together last night to remember Lauren, share fond stories about her and support one another during this difficult time. Students have been encouraged to seek support and counseling from a variety of resources on campus. A forum on ways to mitigate homelessness in the Carlisle community is being hosted by Penn State Dickinson School of Laws Black Law Students Association and Housing Justice Association Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Penn State Dickinson School of Laws Apfelbaum Family Auditorium. The panel will consist of former homeless men and women, along with community leaders including Carlisle Mayor Tim Scott, Sonya Pitzi, Ben Laudermilch, Christine Simiriglia, Pat LaMarche and an out-of-state guest: Sandy Jeffers, executive director of Pathways to Recovery in Indianapolis. The Housing and Urban Development model known as Housing First doesnt work without community involvement and financial support, LaMarche, a local advocate for the homeless, said in a news release. Ive worked with agencies and organizations in 48 states and the District of Columbia, and Ive never seen a community more dedicated to helping its own than Carlisle. We need (to) find a way to stop the cycle in and out of homelessness that plagues people who are economically disadvantaged in the extreme, she continued. Next Wednesday were going to go over the problems and then were going to get our hands around the solution. After that, our community can decide if it wants to lead the way out of tragedy for so many of our neighbors. Carlisle businesses and community agencies are invited to discuss any of the ways theyve tried curbing homelessness during the event. The forum is free and open to the public. Next week a representative from the Greece-based frozen vegetable producer Barba Stathis as well as dairy and juices producer Delta Foods, both part of the Vivartia Group , will travel to Vietnam (pop. 90m, GDP $180bln) and Indonesia (pop. 257m and GDP $860bln), joining an EU delegation that aims to build new markets for EU farm and processed foods exports. Donald Trump delivered a speech in Gettysburg on Oct. 22 that he should have given much earlier in the campaign, minus the usual threats against women who have accused him of sexual assault. The speech, which was probably written for him because deep and thinker are likely not the first two words that spring to mind when you hear the name Trump, set out an agenda for what he promises to do should he be elected president. Trumps promises were divided into three sections. The first action, he said, would clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, D.C. Hed start by proposing a constitutional amendment to limit congressional terms. One can safely predict that isnt going to happen because in order for a constitutional amendment to be considered for ratification by the states, it must first pass Congress. Most members are not about to limit their own power and position. Trump would impose a hiring freeze on all federal employees, reducing the workforce through attrition. The military, public safety and public health would be the exceptions. Thats possible. For every new federal regulation, Trump would ask that two existing federal regulations be eliminated. That might work if Trump could persuade Congress that the regulations he wishes to eliminate were in fact failures. Trump wants to institute a five-year ban on White House and congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service and also proposes a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government. He also favors a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections. These proposals also might work, but will require public pressure on Congress to achieve. Trump also proposed seven actions to protect American workers. These include his familiar promise to renegotiate NAFTA, or withdraw from it. As for the Trans Pacific Partnership, he would pull out completely with no renegotiation. China would be declared a currency manipulator, which it is, but has Trump considered the response from Beijing, which holds an enormous amount of American debt? Trump wants to list restrictions on energy producing entities and finish the Keystone pipeline, which has been blocked by the Obama administration, despite numerous studies showing there would be little or no environmental impact. Trump would also cancel billions in payments to U.S. climate change programs and use the money to fix Americas water and environmental infrastructure. Good. Polls show climate change is not high on the list of public concerns and many believe the science to be manipulated, even bogus. On national security, Trump promised to cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama. Why not? Obama did the same with many of George W. Bushs executive orders. Trump again promised to name judges to federal benches, including the Supreme Court, who will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. He would cancel all funding to sanctuary cities where illegal aliens are being sheltered. And Trump would capture and deport illegal aliens who commit crimes and cancel the visas of countries that refuse to take them back. That would be popular and difficult for Democrats to oppose. He again pledged extreme vetting of people from countries where terrorism is a major export. Theres more, including tax cuts for corporations to create jobs and bring back companies and their tax dollars from overseas, as well as school choice to help especially poor children escape failing schools. Like them, or not, these are substantive ideas. Is it too late for voters to digest them and possibly for those undecided, or against Trump, to swing toward him and away from the big government promises of Hillary Clinton? Well know in less than two weeks. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Kano State House of Assembly approves 15 years for rapists, life imprisonment for kidnappers. The Kano State House of Assembly has passed into law, a bill seeking for life imprisonment for kidnappers and 15 years sentence for rapists in the state. Hon. Yussuf Attah, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, who read the Kidnapping, Abduction and Forced Labour Amendment Bill 2016 before the Assembly said the committee of the whole Assembly passed the bill after considering the amendment. The law has been in existence since 1963, but did not provide serious punishment for kidnappers, therefore, we have to amend it to suit the current situation, said Attah. According to the lawmaker representing Fagge Constituency, any person found guilty of kidnapping would face life imprisonment without an option of fine while anyone found guilty of rape or forced labour will be sentenced to 15 years without an option of fine. After the passage of the bill, the Chairman House Committee on Information, Salisu Riruwe, hailed the amendment as a welcome development. With the passage of this anti-kidnapping law, we are hoping that the rampant cases of kidnapping and abduction in some areas of the state will come to an end, Mr Riruwe said. Source: NTA The Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has debunked the reports circulating around that his administration has sacked sixteen labour leaders and suspends 19 others over the recently concluded industrial action embarked upon by the civil servants in the state. The governor revealed this in a statement signed and released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Adejuwon Soyinka, on Tuesday. According to Amosun, those affected were alleged to have been involved in various acts of misconduct in the course of the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration. Our attention has been drawn to insinuations in some quarters that the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, dismissed some civil servants due to the ongoing strike action in the state, the statement reads. For the avoidance of doubt, we will like to state unequivocally that there is no iota of truth to this speculation. Contrary to such claims, what truly transpired is that the Ogun State Civil Service Commission, in furtherance of its statutory responsibility of maintaining discipline and adherence to public service rules and extant regulations, on Monday, took the decision to sanction some civil servants. The affected civil servants were alleged to have been involved in certain acts of misconduct in the course of the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration on October 5, 2016 way before the ongoing strike action commenced. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Ogun State Head of Service, Elder Sola Adeyemi, the State Civil Service Commission explained that it received complaints from concerned members of the public against some public and civil servants allegedly involved in various acts of misconduct in the course of the 2016 World Teachers Day celebration. The allegations against the affected civil and public servants include the fact that, contrary to extant public service rules, they got involved in partisan politics by publicly admitting receiving money from a politician and also hiring a musician with whom they sang praises of the said politician while chanting political slogans in the course of the World Teachers Day celebration. To determine the veracity of such complaints and give the affected civil and public servants the opportunity for fair hearing, the Civil Service Commission said it set up an administrative panel of Inquiry on October 17, 2016. The panels term of reference include, among others, to investigate the events of October 5, 2016 at the NUT Multipurpose hall, Kuto, Abeokuta with a view to identifying the public and civil servants directly or indirectly involved in partisan political activities; determine the culpability or otherwise of the identified public servants and recommend appropriate disciplinary actions in line with the public service rules and extant regulations. Before arriving at its decisions, the panel issued queries and invited the affected civil servants who in turn made written and oral representations. After listening to all parties involved including witnesses, as well as reviewing the evidences at its disposal, the panel, in its wisdom, recommended the dismissal of 16 public and civil servants. Those recommended for dismissal include Comrade Akeem Ambali, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and Comrade Dare Ilekoya, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT. They were all found to have contravened the Public Service Rules 04401, 04402 (c&d) and 04406 (a) due to their involvement in the political rally they held under the guise of World Teachers Day celebration event. The panel also recommended the suspension of 19 others while exonerating one Mr. Abiodun Oriyomi Samuel who was said not to have been involved in the alleged partisan act. From the foregoing, it is clear that the State Civil Service Commission only acted in fulfillment of its statutory responsibility and this has nothing to do with Governor Amosun or the ongoing strike action embarked upon by a section of the workforce in the state, the statement added. A vehicle explosion on Tuesday morning has killed nine persons in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. The Borno State Police Command in a statement, said that the dead were all in the vehicle when it exploded. The statement, signed by spokesman of the command, Victor Isuku, said that the incident occurred at about 10.30 a.m. near a military checkpoint along Gubio road in the metropolis. There was an explosion today along Gubio road just before the military check point. The incident occurred at abolut 10.30 a.m. According to preliminary report, a pick-up van with nine persons on board emerged from a bush path to join the road to Gubio town, when it exploded, killing all the persons, Isuku said. The police spokesman added that details of the explosion would be released after due investigation. This latest attack is coming about 72 hours after twin bomb blasts rocked the Borno capital, killing at least six persons. President Muhammadu Buhari is to meet with some representatives of Niger Delta militant groups in order to seek an end to the crisis in the oil-rich region. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Garba Shehu, said in a statement that the meeting would commence Tuesday afternoon. The meeting would involve all the governors, ministers and other political appointees from the Niger Delta region and traditional rulers. The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has however kicked against some of the representatives, particularly with Chief Edwin Clark, who is said to be leading the team. Vanguard reports that the Avengers said that they would resume hostilities as a sign of disapproval of the inclusion of Clark and other persons in the dialogue committee. Nigeria has seen its economy drop due to the resurgence of militancy in its south-south region. The economy which mainly depends on oil revenue has had its crude oil production dipped from 2.2 million barrels per day to below 1.6 million barrels per day. The federal government has said it is seeking ways to diversify the economy. The amendment of Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act by the National Assembly had nothing to do with ongoing trial of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, explained on Tuesday. Reacting to the raging debate the issue has generated among Nigerians, the Senate Leader told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri that the National Assembly had no particular interest in the bill. It is insulting on us to say that we are doing the bidding of Saraki, because laws are not made in retrospect. If we make a law today, it cannot immediately invalidate the existing laws on the same issue, he said. He said that the main concern of the National Assembly was to make the organization more effective in its functions. The amendment focused mainly on two things: that is the age of the chairman of the CCB and the number of persons to be appointed as members of the bureau or the tribunal, Ndume said. He added that other issues in the amendment of the Act were secondary to the main ones, pointing out that the Bill for the amendment did not even emanate from the senate. Nigerians should know that the bill emanated from the House of Representatives; our own duty was just to concur. Since I became the Senate Leader of the 8th Assembly I made a proposition that all bills coming from the house must not be allowed to suffer set back, so, we look at those bills every Thursday for consideration, he said. Ndume added that as far as he was concerned there is no big deal in the bill; laws are not made for individuals. The Senate President is Saraki, but Saraki is not the Senators president, he stated. He cautioned that rather than criticize the bill blindly, Nigerians should look at its merit and other sides, in the interest of the country. (NAN) The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has expressed doubts about President Muhammadu Buharis meeting with elders and leaders from the Niger Delta slated to take place today, saying it may not resolve the problems of the region. The INC President, Alatubo Charles Harry, expressed reservations about the meeting when he appeared as a guest on a radio programme in Port Harcourt, Rivers State yesterday. He also spoke on the Federal Governments plan to bring N10billion infrastructure fund to the region. The INC leader tasked the Federal Government to implement reports of several commissions on the development of the region. Harry said while the Ijaw ethnic group believed in Buharis meeting with the people, who came under the aegis of Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), it would not produce the required results, as constituted bodies in the region were not carried along. Were waiting to see something more solid, something more concrete. We have heard too much talks and seen less action. An ad hoc solution will always have ad hoc answer. The permanent bodies in the Niger Delta are the constituted ethnic nationality groups like MOSOP, INC and others. We believe we have confidence that they should go and discuss, if they so choose, he said. On the Federal Governments plan to use force in addressing Niger Delta crisis, he said: We dont believe that the Federal Government is sincere with what it is doing; because, only two days ago, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, came up to say a new force is to be put together. We stand to wonder if they are really sincere about what they are saying. How can you say, on Tuesday, say you would have discussion with elders and traditional rulers from the zone, and at the same, you are putting up a force that is going to tackle the issues militarily? There is inconsistency in terms of what they are doing, the Ijaw leader stated. * How the Pop icon dumped her flesh-flashing antics for a modest Muslim life Its no longer news that Janet Jackson and her Qatari-born billionaire husband are expecting their first child together. Whats news is how the 50-year-old pop icon, whos best known for her risque outfits has changed completely. It is believed to be her Muslim husbands influence which has led to her new look. But who is this mysterious billionaire, who made Janet Jackson dumped her flesh-flashing antics for a modest Muslim life. *His name is Wissam Al Mana. *Born January 1, 1975, in Qatar and when he was two his family moved to West London. *Hes the son of Qatari Billionaire and founder of The Al Mana Group, Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana. *Wissam started his early education in the UK before obtaining a degree from George Washington university in the U.S. *He returned to the UK to study for a Masters degree at the London School of Economics. *The Al Mana Group founded by his father is now owned by Wissam and his two brothers Hisham and Kamal. *The 41-year-old is the executive director of the group, which runs Harvey Nichols, Zara and Mango stores in the Middle East and also counts designer brands such as Hermes and Alexander McQueen among its portfolio. *He met Janet in 2010 at the opening of a hotel in Dubai and they dated for two years before secretly marrying. *Wissam Al Manas estimated net worth is between 820million and 1billion. Friends told The Sun that Janet has converted to Islam since marrying the mysterious billionaire, who is nine years her junior. They say she is totally besotted with strict Muslim Al Mana, whom she married in secret in 2012. The source added: When shes visiting Wissams family in the Middle East she wears no make-up, no hair extensions and keeps to traditional Muslim clothing. She feels like she has found a home with her new religion. She has spent a great deal of time studying it. The days of raunchy dance moves and sexual lyrics are long gone. All the three members of the panel of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal hearing the appeals relating to the Peoples Democratic Partys governorship candidate in Ondo State ahead of the election slated for November 26, have disqualified themselves from further presiding over the cases. The special panel raised to determine the appeals relating to the PDP governorship candidate in Ondo State is led by Justices Jumai Sankey. The two other members are Justices E. Agim and O.E William-Dawudu. Justice Sankey, in a short ruling, directed that the files of all the five pending appeals relating to the PDP governorship ticket in Ondo State should be returned to the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa, for re-assignment to another panel. The Sankey-led panel withdrew from further presiding over the cases following the petition by one of the respondents in the cases, Mr. Biyi Poroye, who had obtained the orders of the Federal High Court in Abuja recognising Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the party in Ondo State. Acting on the order made by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, the Independent National Electoral Commission, dropped Eyitayo Jegede, belonging to the Ahmed Makarfi-faction of the PDP. The electoral body substituted Jegedes name with that of Ibrahim of the Ali Modu Sheriff faction of the party. Poroye in his petition leveled various allegations of compromise and likelihood of bias against Justice Sankey, other members of the panel and Justice Bulkachuwa. He specifically alleged that the panel was constituted to urgently hear and determine the cases because the President of the Court of Appeal had been compromised. He also alleged that all the members of the panel had been compromised to deliver judgment in favour of Jegede. Before taking a short break to deliver the ruling disqualifying themselves from further hearing the cases, the panel listened to the lawyers representing all the parties to the cases. Poroyes lawyer, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), denied knowledge of the petition, so also did all other lawyers, including Chief Wole Olanipekun representing Jegede. Attempts by the appeal panel to confront Poroye with the allegations he had leveled against the Justices were futile. Nobody among the audience responded when his name was called and urged to speak about his petition. Eyitayo will have to wait for a new panel to be constituted to enable him to prosecute his appeals against the orders made against him by Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court. Source: Punch The Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox popularly called MMM, is a fraudulent scheme and should not be patronized by Nigerians, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has again warned. MMM, which prides itself as a community of ordinary people selflessly helping each other, is fast gaining traction among Nigerians especially with its tempting offer of 30 per cent returns on amount of provided help. It would be recalled that two months ago, the CBN, through its Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isaac Okoroafor, warned Nigerians against putting their money in any institution that is not insured by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, especially MMM. Reiterating the warning on Monday, the Head of Consumer Protection Department of the CBN, Kadija Kassim, pointed out that activities associated with MMM are not regulated by any institution. Speaking during a mentoring program for students of Government Secondary School, Suleja, Niger State, Kassim warned against participating in MMM Federal Republic of Nigeria, calling it a wonder bank. In her words, We have heard about the activities of MMM. But I want to warn you against it because they are wonder banks that are not regulated. Desist from their activities because they are fraudulent. Dont save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving. Dear Editor: A conservative writer for the Claremont Institute has called this "The Flight 93 Election." If we don't storm the cockpit now, when?? If we don't, then we have no chance of changing the direction of our economy or increasing our national security. These are the two most important issues of this election. We already know how Hillary would handle national security. 1. She got rid of Libya's Gaddafi with no plans on how to deal with the political vacuum that would be left. Libya is now controlled by warlords and in a state of anarchy. 2. She didn't provide enough security for our ambassador and consulate in Benghazi so that four of our people were killed. 3. She gave her endorsement to the Iran nuclear deal that will not stop it from producing nuclear bombs. As for the economy, Trump's proposed tax cuts would cut taxes and would enable companies to hire more people and provide more growth for the economy. Trickle down DOES work. Reagan's tax cuts fueled 4 percent GDP growth for 20 years. Some Christians do not like Trump, but remember it is not about the man, it is about our country. Many of the beliefs Christians hold dear, such as the right to life and family values, would be in peril if Hillary gets to appoint the next Supreme Court justices. It is now or never. Those Republicans who are not supporting Trump seem to think that they can get their power back in the future. By then it may be too late, as the country will be further down the road of socialism and suppression of dissent. May our future not be the same as Venezuela's. Let's roll! Bobbye Gregory Deputy Chair Cumberland County Republican Committee Camp Hill Eminent personalities, leaders and stakeholders from the Niger Delta under the auspices of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, who earlier today met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja have presented a 16-point demand to him. The forum said the 16 point demands were where quick wins could be achieved to restore hope and confidence in a region that has grown skeptical of dialogue and engagements that have hardly produced tangible results. The demands include allocation of oil blocs to indigenes of the Niger Delta, maritime university, end to military occupation of communities and proper funding of the amnesty programme. The demands also include extension of Ogoniland clean-up to other areas of the region, employment opportunities for trained ex-militants and support for internally displaced persons in the region. Other demands are relocation of international oil companies that have their head offices in Lekki and other places outside the Niger Delta, back to their areas of operations, infrastructural development, manpower and human resources development, federalism, among others. Addressing State House correspondents after the two-hour closed-door meeting with the president, frontline Ijaw leader and former federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, said they were well-received by Buhari. While stressing that they were not at the Presidential Villa for a battle with the president, Chief Clark pointed out that the meeting was a combination of all interest groups in the Niger Delta. We have no other country than Nigeria. We cannot continue to destroy the assets of the country and the ecosystem of our environment, he stated. The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said Buhari told the stakeholders that he did not want a quick solution but wanted to dig into what the real problems of the Niger Delta were. Those that attended the meeting include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, some governors, ministers and other political appointees from the Niger Delta region. The affected governors are those from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo and deputy governor of Rivers. Others are Service Chiefs, Inspector-General of Police Idris Ibrahim and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Lawal Daura, as well as traditional rulers and representatives of militant groups. Also in attendance were former governors, civil rights activists and community leaders from the Niger Delta region. They include Victor Attah, Timi Alaibe, Diette Spiff, Ledum Mitee, Florence Ita-Giwa, Tony Uranta, Nkoyo Toyo, Ewa Henshaw, Seminatri Bozimo and Roland Owei. Ministers that attended the meeting were those of Niger Delta Affairs, Interior, Justice, Transport, Budget and National Planning as well as Minister of State for Health. The Chairmen, Senate and House of Representatives committees on Upstream, Downstream as well as Niger Delta were also in the meeting. Details later The Ogun state government has dismissed the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Akeem Ambali, and the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Dare Ilekoya, in response to an indefinite strike by the state workers which began 11 days ago. The Head of Ogun state Public Service, Olusola Adeyemi, made the announcement of the sack in Abeokuta via a statement entitled: Government position on the recommendation of a panel of inquiry set up to investigate alleged misconduct of executive members of the NUT on the 2016 World Teachers Day Celebrations held on October 5. 14 other members of the state chapter of the NUT were also reported to have been dismissed while 16 officials were suspended for their roles in organising the celebration. The NLC chairman, who was until his dismissal the Deputy Director of Community and Social Development, Sagamu Local Government, was alleged to have masterminded the political campaign rally during the celebration. According to Mr Adeyemi, the panel indicted Mr Ambali for making inflammable and scandalous remarks against the state government, which could cause a breach of peace in the state. The Ogun State government accepts the recommendation of dismissal of the affected officials which the panel found guilty of contravening the Public Service Rules 04401, 04421(c&d) and 04406(a), Mr Adeyemi said. He, therefore, directed the relevant agencies of government to implement the decision taken by the state government. Ambali has however reacted to the states action by describing it as executive recklessness and abuse of all statutory laws. He urged workers to remain resolute in the quest to have their legitimate rights from an autocratic and deceitful government. The NLC chairman stated on Monday night that he had never been summoned by any panel, and that, the attention of the leadership was just drawn to the purported dismissal through phone calls. He said: We are calling on our ever committed workers to remain at home and not be intimidated by this action that is against all norms of democratic and fair hearing. I have never been summoned by any panel and this clearly shows how autocratic and deceitful the government of Ibikunle Amosun is. Our cause for this strike is legitimate, just and right. They have only shown their true colours and this new approach is unprecedented in the history of this country, as no state governor has done what they are doing to us in Ogun state. Their past draconian efforts have never yielded any fruits, so also will be this move to cage us in Ogun State. We only want to warn that they should not set this state on fire, even as we urge our members to remain calm and just stay at home. The struggle continues. Workers in the state commenced an indefinite strike on October 20 to protest non-remittance of 12 months deductions from their salaries. The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party under the leadership of Adebayo Dayo on Tuesday condemned the sacking of 16 labour leaders and suspension of 18 others by the state government. The party said it found the grounds for the sacking inexcusable, baseless and reckless; and might not be unconnected with the ongoing workers strike called by the labour leaders. The condemnation was contained in a statement signed by the state publicity secretary of the PDP faction, Bolaji Adeniji, released in Abeokuta, a copy of which was given to our correspondent. It has, however, called on the state government to reverse these decisions. The statement read in part, We hereby condemn the sacking of 16 labour leaders and suspension of several others from the civil service of the state. The people of Ogun state were yesterday (Monday) jolted at the decision of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun administration to blatantly reprimand the labour leaders in a manner that is logically baseless and coloured in vendetta. We are further scandalised at governments defence and rationalisation of the sacking, claiming it was the outcome of an administrative panel of inquiry into the activities of the affected officers during the October 5, 2016 World Teachers Day celebration where they were indicted to have gotten involved in partisan politics by receiving monies from politicians and hiring a musician to sing the praises of politicians present at the event; which to government, are contrary to extant public service rules. The PDP finds the grounds of the sacking as inexcusable, baseless and reckless; which may not be unconnected with the ongoing workers strike called by the labour leaders. Source: Punch The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has postponed the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state to November 10. The party had earlier announced that President Buhari would visit the state on Thursday, November 3, to formally flag off the campaign of the APC governorship candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN). Ondo State would hold its governorship election on November 26. The APC Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, said this at a press conference in Akure on Tuesday. Mr. Adesanya said the postponement was due to the tight schedule of Mr President. The president wants to be present at the campaign rally in person. This is due to the economic importance of Ondo State in the development of Nigeria, he said. The Ondo APC spokesman, therefore, urged party faithful and the people of the state to ensure that the president receives a rousing welcome during the visit. A 30-man local organising committee for the campaign chaired by Agboola Ajayi, the Deputy Governorship candidate, was inaugurated on October 28. (NAN) The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the multiple bomb attacks that occurred in Borno State last Saturday. The party also condemned the ambush of the Nigerian military on Sunday in Damboa, Borno State by Boko Haram elements, describing the act as both unfortunate and barbaric. Twin bomb blasts had rocked the Borno State capital early hours of Saturday, killing at least six persons. In its reaction, the PDP, in a statement published on its official Twitter handle, however commended the Special Operation Unit of the military tagged Operation Lafia Dole for their courage and commitment to the security of lives and properties in the North East as it was made known that their efforts resulted in the aversion of another attack on Sunday evening The social media report further stated while we applaud the dexterity of our officers and men in the field, we wish to further advise the All Progressive Congress (APC) led Federal Government to stop the needless and diversionary propaganda on issues of insurgency in the Northeast and rather concentrate more in providing all the moral and technical support needed by the Military to end this campaign of terror. The PDP argued that the fight against insurgency is a collective effort and called upon Nigerians to support the government in the fight against the terrorists. President Muhammadu Buharis request to take $29.9billion foreign loan has been rejected by Senate. The president had last week forwarded a request to the National Assembly seeking its approval for the foreign loan to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018. In his request letter, which was addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Buhari explained that targeted projects cut across all sectors with special emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, growth and employment generation among others. According to him, the total cost of the projects and programmes under the borrowing (rolling) plan is 429.960billion comprising proposed projects and programmes loan ($11.274billion), Special National Infrastructure projects ($10.686billion), Euro bonds of $4.5billion and Federal Government budget support of $3.5billion. The president, in the letter, further explained that the loan was very necessary in view of the serious infrastructure deficit in the country. At the resumption of plenary on Tuesday, the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume (APC/Borno South) moved the motion for the consideration of the request and it was seconded by Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP/Taraba South). However, when the Senate President Saraki put a question on whether the request be considered or not, the senators voted against it. Details later The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, has rendered an apology to indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over their exclusion in Federal Government appointments made by the present administration, so far. The SGF assured the indigenes that the omission was not deliberate, promising that the situation will be corrected during future appointments. According to a statement signed by his media director, Bolaji Adebiyi, Mr. Lawal pledged to bring the omission to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari. The SGF spoke yesterday in his office, when he received in audience, His Royal Highness, the Ona of Abaji and chairman, FCT Council of Chiefs, Alhaji (Dr.) Adamu Baba Yunusa. In his remarks, the monarch specifically, complained about the exclusion of FCT indigenes in the reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Federal Universities, the composition of the Federal Executive Council and more recently, the nomination of non-career ambassadorial nominees. He urged that the anomaly should be corrected since it contravenes certain provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Federal Character Commission that specifies that the FCT should be treated as if it were one of the states of Nigeria. Alh. Yunusa also appealed to the SGF to use his good offices to carry the FCT along when political appointments are made. Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, on Tuesday said senators voted against President Muhammadu Buharis request for $29.9 billion foreign loan due to technical issues. Briefing newsmen shortly after plenary, Ndume, who said that he was shocked that the request suffered such setback, expressed optimism the issues would be resolved and the request would be re-presented. The problem came on a technical ground; it is supposed to go to the committee level and the committee is supposed to take a look at it. I am going to appeal to my colleagues to take a look at it again and see how we are going to bring it back. One of the technical things that were missing is that in the letter, if you read it, says: attached is a draft but there was no attachment. So, these are some of the lapses that we will look at in bringing it back. We were thinking that there were going to be details but there were no details of the borrowing plan. I believe that those will be included in the next one, he said. The lawmaker said that the red chamber did not have the power to give anticipatory approval of any bill or document that it had not received. He assured that the senate was poised to do things the right way and would reconsider the request on its merit. We are trying to do things the way it should be done this time around, but we cannot throw away the baby with the bath water. In the Appropriation Act we approved that the budget will be financed through internal and external borrowing. The internal borrowing is going on; we also approved external borrowing, so we will look at these areas that are necessary for the funding of the budget, he said. Ndume could not give a specific date or period within which the president was likely to represent the request, but assured that he was going to interface with him. I cannot tell you now when it would be represented; I, as a leader, I am in contact with the executive which I try to market in the senate. As I told you, I was shocked by the decision; my colleagues surprised me today. I was not expecting that. If I had a little inclination that such a thing was going to happen, I would have tried to market the request or at worse, I will not present it. Today, the senators had their way and I had my say, he said. (NAN) Over the weekend in the US, a student left his car for 15 minutes, only to discover that he had been robbed off his chocolate bar, and was left with a handwritten note by the burgler, saying he or she was sorry. Hunter Jobbins shared the note on Twitter which read: Saw Kit Kat in your cup holder. I love Kit Kats so I checked your door and it was unlocked. Did not take anything other than the Kit-Kat. I am sorry and hungry. Left my car for maybe 15 minutes in front of the dorms and I come back to this. College man pic.twitter.com/KlDx5BtXLX Hunter Jobbins (@jabbins) October 30, 2016 Jobbins told Metro that he got upset when he first came across the note at first, but later had a laugh at the situation. I was kinda upset and wondering what happened to my Kit Kat, then I realised how funny it was that it happened so my frustration turned into laughter, the Kansas State University student said. Kit Kat themselves found out about the incident and offered to send him a new chocolate bar in reply to his post. Who steals someones Kit Kat?! WHO DOES THAT?! Shoot us a DM and well replace it for you, the chocolate brand said. https://twitter.com/KitKat_US/status/793084244163698688 People who are upset that Hillary Clintons personal email server may have been hacked are missing the big picture. Nearly everything that is worth hacking and connected to the internet is already hacked -- and that which is not can be hacked at will. I dont want to get into the morass of whether Clintons use of personal email while she was Secretary of State was legal or ethical. Thats been debated to death. Instead, Im talking about whether it was hacked. Could it have been? I'll say it again: Everything is hackable. Stuxnet took down Iranian centrifuges that were running on an air-gapped private network. The State Departments email was hacked -- very likely before, during, and after Clinton's tenure there. Was Clinton's email server hacked? As for Clinton's personal email server, the fact is well never know whether it was hacked. Her server ran Microsoft Exchange 2010. Arrested Romanian hacker Marcel Lazar (aka Guccifer) claimed he had hacked it. But beyond his public claim no evidence has come to light to back up his statement. The FBI forensic investigation into the server did not corroborate his statement. As far as I can tell, Guccifer socially engineered her aide, Sidney Blumenthal, out of his AOL account password and nothing more. The same hacking technique was used against her senior adviser John Podesta for the thousands of emails now shared via Wikileaks. Ive yet to hear any evidence that the server itself was exploited. Could someone have hacked the server without leaving evidence? Yes, although it seems unlikely. Most hackers leave behind lots of evidence because it doesn't matter if they do. Almost no one gets caught, much less prosecuted. Thus, hackers have become lazy and dont attempt to clear log files or cover up evidence of their crimes. For the sake of argument, let's say a Russian superhacker broke into Clinton's server without leaving behind signs of compromise. In that case, wouldn't we see emails other than those coming from two aides? Its highly unlikely that a hacker would gain complete access, download every email, and fail to leak emails from Hillary and Bill Clinton. Don't get me wrong -- I think plenty of hackers are capable of hacking her server and not leaving behind evidence. But I seriously doubt those hackers realized the importance of the email server serving up the @clintonemail.com domain. The FBIs own investigation revealed the server was scanned and a few hacks were attempted, but none seemed to get through. How would you hack Clintons email server? This is penetration testing 101. First, you canvas your target. Its Microsoft Exchange 2010 running on Microsoft Windows -- you can get that much by sending a few SMTP query commands to the email service port or running a port scanner like Nmap against the IP address. Using a port scanner and a few fingerprinting apps, youd likely come away with the Windows version and perhaps even its patch status, along with whatever other services it was running. We know from reports that it was running Microsoft Outlook Web Access (OWA) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for remote access. That helps a lot. OWA means its also running Microsofts Internet Information Services (IIS). Any hacker worth his or her salt already has all the possible exploits that might work against Microsoft Windows, IIS, Exchange, and RDP. Lots of hackers like to use the Metasploit Framework, but Im partial to custom code for each vulnerability. RDP and OWA also give you remote logons to try. Even if they have account lockout enabled, you can guess slowly. Better yet, you can guess against the Administrator account. As long as it hasnt been renamed, you can guess forever as many times as you like and you wont get locked out. If you have Bill's or Hillarys email address, the logon account name is likely to be the same as their email address. One of my favorite penetration tests, when I have the time, is to identify all running software and wait until a new vulnerability appears. Microsoft releases new patches at least once a month, and almost every Windows server needs to be patched each time. All you need to do is wait for the patch announcement and exploit the identified vulnerability before the system administrator can patch it. You usually have a day or so before the admin patches a server, if not longer. If the exploit gets you on the email server, you can then configure Exchange to forward copies of all new emails. Or you can use a program like ExMerge to suck up every existing email, including deleted ones. Once you're on the server, you can create new accounts, add backdoors, or do pretty much anything else. A few critics have noted that Clintons email server didnt have SSL protection. The SSL page was available, but the system admin didnt populate it with an SSL certificate. This means the connections to the server were in plaintext. While not having an SSL cert to protect the server isnt great, it isnt necessarily game over. It isnt easy to pop onto someone elses network streams simply because you know they are there. You have to get close to the servers original point and perform a man-in-the-middle attack on the main connection. Its easy to do if youre already on the local network, but not so easy if youre not. One of the more interesting feats you can perform with a public email server is to try and take over its domain. Perhaps Clintons server is bulletproof -- fully patched and unhackable. Email hackers are famous for gaining control over DNS domains (in this case, clintonemail.com and wjcoffice.com) and, if successful, redirect all email and connections headed to those domains to a fraudulent email server. You wouldnt be able to see preexisting emails, but you'd be able to capture new inbound emails (and all the long threads of previous emails they probably contain). What would have stopped the leak? In the social engineering instances, using a system that required two-factor authentication (2FA) would have helped. Gmail had 2FA available back then, although Im not sure about AOL. Clinton should have been using the State Department systems for all business email, and her personal email server should have required 2FA (although the system admin would have to know how to set it up and show the Clintons how to use it). Thats water under the bridge now. What Im sure Clinton really wishes she had used, besides the State Department email system, is a mechanism that prevents private email from being easily read by unauthorized parties. There are myriad solutions, including Microsofts Rights Management System (RMS). Information protection software such as RMS is pretty nifty. It encrypts all protected email and requires the user to retrieve an authorized personal digital certificate to view, print, or copy the email. At any time the personal certificate can be revoked. Hence, if a hacker stole the email, as soon as someone noticed, the certificate could be revoked and the email would become unreadable. Try posting that to Wikileaks. After all the huge corporate hacking incidents, in which embarrassing private emails were leaked, Im surprised the email information protection market isnt growing faster. Remember, we are either hacked or the attackers haven't gotten around to it yet. Your confidential emails should be protected in a manner that prevents your emails from being so easy to share. What happened to Clinton could absolutely happen to any person in any company who fails to use strong information protection for email. Thats the real lesson we all should take away. Getting away with your friends doesnt just have to be about celebrating big milestones. Why not plan the perfect weekend getaway just because? ActiveState, creator of many enterprise-grade software language tools and the Komodo family of IDEs, has added support for four major new languages. In addition to editions for Python, Perl, and Tcl, ActiveState will now offer Ruby, Node.js, Google's Go language, and the Lua scripting language in both free community editions and for-pay, professionally supported versions. ActiveState said it chose these four based on customer feedback about what languages they wanted to see supported. Go and Node.js would seem to be shoo-ins: Go has become a success story by powering products like Docker and being a go-to (pun intended) language for creating network services and compact, portable command-line applications. Its toolchain is inspiring the creation of other language products. Node.js, the server-centric version of JavaScript, has become the center of a software ecosystem that powers far more than web applications alone. Ruby, via its Ruby on Rails web framework, has enduring popularity in enterprises and helps power the popular the Chef automation system. Lua -- the least-known of the bunch -- is a scripting language akin to Python. Because of its compact runtime, it's eyed as a convenient option to do scripting inside other, larger applications. ActiveState plans to offer these four languages in the same tiered editions as its other language products: community, business, enterprise, and OEM. The community edition is free, but not licensed for production use, while the business and enterprise editions offer different levels of SLA depending on one's needs. For redistributing the language package with an application -- likely to be the case with Lua -- an OEM licensing option is available and commercial support is an option for that tier. These open source languages are already available for multiple platforms, but not all have been available for the variety of platforms used in enterprises. Along with versions for Windows, MacOS, and Linux community support, ActiveState offers versions for enterprise-level AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris. (IBM Power systems -- Linux or otherwise -- are not supported.) Support for other languages is also on the slate. "Don't be surprised if you see more ActiveState language distributions released over the next while," says ActiveState. There are as yet no details about which ones, but a likely possibility is Rust, given the language's expanding ambitions and growing user community. There are other, even more tantalizing hints: "We will be taking all of our language distributions to the next level in 2017 by introducing enhanced distributions with additional enterprise security features, advanced package management, and more," writes ActiveState. One move that might be of real value is for ActiveState to create a distribution for a language that doesn't normally have package management -- C or C++, for instance. That could appeal to the enterprise developer crowd and far beyond. Cotton Rebounding to Start Tuesday Barchart - 1 hour ago Cotton futures are starting off Tuesday contracts nearing 3 cent limit gains, as they are up 256 to 300 points this AM. A wide ranged Monday session (from +133 points to -168 points) ultimately settled... CTZ22 : 75.00 (+4.17%) CTH23 : 74.64 (+4.19%) CTK23 : 74.84 (+4.16%) Cattle Look to Rebound on Tuesday Barchart - 1 hour ago October fat cattle futures dropped $3.60 on Monday to expire at $146.77. The other front months closed firmer with losses limited to 52 cents. Cash trade last week saw the South mostly near $150 with Northern... LEZ22 : 152.200 (-0.18%) LEG23 : 155.550 (-0.18%) LEJ23 : 158.850 (-0.14%) GFX22 : 177.125 (-0.28%) GFF23 : 178.750 (-0.39%) Hogs Look to Tuesday Trade Barchart - 1 hour ago Lean hog futures ended the Monday round with a 40 cent loss in Feb and a $1.17 loss for December. The other front months closed with $0.85 to $1.02 gains. That widened Aprils premium to Dec to $8.67,... HEZ22 : 85.425 (+0.59%) HEJ23 : 94.000 (+0.43%) KMZ22 : 95.925 (+0.47%) Soybeans Continue Rally into Tuesday Barchart - 1 hour ago Soybeans are up 9 to 17 cents in early Tuesday trading. Beans ended Monday double digit gains in the front months. November got above its $14/bu mark for the closing bell on a 1.39% gain. Meal futures... ZSX22 : 1432-6 (+1.83%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.9848 (+1.94%) ZSF23 : 1444-6 (+1.78%) ZSH23 : 1452-0 (+1.72%) Corn Slightly Lower on Tuesday Morning Barchart - 1 hour ago Corn is starting the Tuesday session weaker, with contracts fractionally to 1 3/4 cents lower. Corn futures closed 4 3/4 to 10 3/4 cents higher on Monday. Russia announced over the weekend that they would... ZCZ22 : 691-2 (unch) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.8153 (-0.14%) ZCH23 : 696-2 (unch) ZCK23 : 695-2 (unch) Wheat Seeing Marginal Turnaround Tuesday Action Barchart - 1 hour ago Wheat is weaker in early Tuesday trade, after some contracts posted 50 cent or larger gains on Monday. Nearby Chicago is leading the charge, down 7 cents across the front months. KC contracts are down... ZWZ22 : 879-6 (-0.28%) ZWH23 : 898-0 (-0.14%) ZWPAES.CM : 8.1357 (-0.18%) KEZ22 : 971-4 (-0.74%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.2584 (-1.18%) MWZ22 : 975-0 (-0.64%) By Molly Bull In the world of digital marketing, its difficult to decide what to focus on first, especially when it comes to your self-storage business. Todays increasingly social and mobile world means reaching and converting customers can be time-consuming and hard to measure. Here are four ways to invest your time and money for a digital-marketing strategy that works. 1. Lead Generation Improve your leads and make the most of your audience by analyzing your online presence and ensuring its effectiveness on all platforms. Start with your website, which should be your most visited touch point because it showcases everything about your business. First, consider the quality of your websites mobile user experienceespecially if youre also running an e-mail campaign (many users who click through e-mails are doing so on their mobile device). A websites usability on mobile is completely different than on a desktop computer, so its important to ensure youre not losing leads with an ineffective site. In addition, creating website and e-mail content that resonates with users will help grab their attention and turn them into leads. For lead generation, its important to maximize your search traffic by implementing a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Itll help users find your site through a variety of channels: Organic traffic via search engines Paid traffic from search ads Referral traffic from other sites containing a link to your site Traffic from social media Display-ad traffic from online ads The key to good SEO isnt just a quality setup and plan but also consistently maintaining and updating your site. This ensures your site stays fresh whenever Google updates its search algorithm. Often, older, less frequently updated sites get pushed to the bottom of the results. 2. Online Reputation Small-business owners and entrepreneurs know the power of a good referral, and its often what keeps things going for many companies. Develop trust and brand power by tapping into the positive experiences of existing customers or past clients and displaying their testimonials on your website. Also, dont forget social media. Your current and prospective customers can instantly post reviews on Yelp, Google+ and Facebook. Research tells us that peer reviews are far more trusted than what you publish about yourself, and that puts your customers and prospects in control. Every social review affects your reputation. Without a formal advocacy program in place that enables you to aggregate responses, respond to comments and promote reviews, youll surrender your message to the masses. You cant control what people say about your brand, but there are steps you can take to ensure youre positioned in the best possible light. Instead of being held hostage to reviews, try tapping into the selling power of your fans. 3. Website Conversion Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the practice of scientifically testing which prospects convert to customers. It gives you the ability to adjust your marketing design and message so youre resonating with the target audience. As with any methodical testing, the value comes from identifying and building strong hypotheses about user behaviors and then testing them on your website. This begins with research via tools such as Google Analytics to identify exactly how users are interacting with your site. Heat mapping is another way to gather good data that shows you where users are spending their time on your site. Once you have this information, you can develop a plan to improve user experience, conversion and business outcomes. 4. Digital Analytics Building on CRO, implementing a data-driven marketing plan on all fronts will help ensure youre spending your money and time wisely. These analytics will help you know if all your online elements are workingwhether your message is reaching your intended audience, for instance, and if your investment is leading to conversions. By analyzing metrics such as cost-per-lead and lead-source performance, youll be able to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, spot the weaknesses and strengths of key digital touch points, and ultimately maximize profitability. To allocate your budget in the most efficient way possible, you need to understand the performance and source of your leads. But how should you assign credit to conversions? An attribution modelanother service offered through Google Analytics to evaluate your sitewill help you spend marketing dollars effectively by giving you a framework to evaluate your efforts. Attribution models help you understand how your prospects become converted. A first-click model provides a simple and broad perspective to understand the initial source of each lead. With a website that showcases your business and uses an optimized search strategy, focused social tactics, and comprehensive analytics to gain actionable insights, youll be able to drive qualified leads to your site and make the most of your marketing dollars. Molly Bull is director of corporate communications at G5, which provides Digital Experience Management software and marketing services to the self-storage industry. With more than 15 years of experience, shes responsible for the companys marketing-communications strategy. The companys offerings include responsive-design websites, search engine marketing, social media, reputation management, lead tracking and management, analytics, and client-performance management. For more information, visit www.getg5.com. Veros client organisations who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in risk management during the previous 12 months have been recognised at a gala ceremony held last week at Alto in Melbourne.Bagging the first-ever RM Advancer award for SMEs was Armidale School. It won the new Enterprise Wide Award for its holistic program in managing the risks associated to its heritage-listed buildings and the launch of co-education.Also the nabbing the major prizes during the eleventh edition of Veros awards were Flinders Clinical Trial Services, Property Management Award; The Salvation Army (Eastern), Liability Risk Management Award; and UnitingCare Queensland, Motor Vehicle Risk Management.A special commendation was also awarded to the Victorian-based TTi Group in the Enterprise Wide Category.Flinders was awarded for its risk management program that has resulted in 20 years without an insurance claim. The Salvation Army was recognised for its efforts to minimise the risks to its workers in potentially dangerous situations. UnitingCare won for its use of anti-collision devices and smartphone apps to promote road safety.The winners of the RM Advancer Awards were rewarded with a choice of 200,000 Qantas Aquire points or risk management consulting hours from Veros renowned team of risk engineering professionals.Speaking about the addition of the Enterprise Wide Award to the RM Advancer Awards this year, Suncorp Group EGM Darren OConnell noted the increasing number of SMEs investing in risk management.Thanks to the support of our broker partners, we are seeing more and more organisations make risk management a fundamental part of their standard business procedures, he said.Our aim is to promote this as the benchmark for all organisations, whether they are a start-up, a not-for-profit, or a listed corporation. This was one of the main reasons we introduced the Enterprise Wide Award this year.Vero also announced the introduction of a fifth category for next years RM Advancer Awards to reward risk management achievements in workers compensation.Workers compensation is typically the biggest insurance cost for an organisation, so risk management can have a tremendous impact, OConnell said.All of tonights winners and finalists, along with their brokers, are making a huge contribution to establishing greater risk management benchmarks. Wed like to congratulate them and offer our gratitude for their efforts.Next years event will take place at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydneys Darling Harbour on 26 October 2017. Connecticut Insurance Department Commissioner Katharine L. Wade announced that the department has approved a rate filing from the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) that decreases workers compensation insurance rates nearly 11 percent. This marks the third straight year that Connecticut has seen a drop in the cost of workers compensation insurance, Commissioner Wade said in a press release issued by the Connecticut Insurance Department. The major drivers of these decreases have been a continued reduction in the number of workplace injuries and claims filed. With more than 300 companies licensed to sell workers compensation insurance in Connecticut, employers have the benefit of many choices in a very competitive market. The NCCI filed a rate proposal with the department in September requesting approval of a 10.9 percent decrease in loss costs and a 10.9 percent decrease in assigned risk rate levels. The department approved the rates after conducting an actuarial review and 30-day public comment period. NCCI annually collects data from the workers compensation market in Connecticut and countrywide in order to annually propose rate adjustments for the following year. In 2015, the Department approved decreases of 3.9 percent loss costs and 6.3 percent assigned risk. In 2014, the approved decreases were 2.9 percent loss costs and 2.8 percent assigned risk. Source: The Connecticut Insurance Department Topics Workers' Compensation Connecticut 10th Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran commences Published: November 1, 2016 The tenth edition of Indo-Nepal joint military exercise Surya Kiran commenced at Army Battle School, Saljhandi in Nepal. Its emphasis will be on counter terrorism in mountainous terrain. The two weeks (from 31 October to 13 November 2016) military exercise seeks to boost defence ties between India and Nepal. Key Facts In this edition of Joint Battalion Level Exercise, Indian Army is being represented by elite Kumaon Regiment, while Nepal Army is being represented by Jabar Jung Battalion. The aim of exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training with emphasis on Counter Terrorism in mountainous terrain. Besides, aspects of Disaster Management have also been included in the exercise. It will platform for the contingent of both nations to share their experience and gain mutually. Thus, it will enhance defence co-operation and relations between two nations. Background The Surya Kiran series of military exercises are being conducted annually, alternatively in India and Nepal. Surya Kiran series of military exercises with Nepal is largest in terms of troops participation in series of military training exercises undertaken by India with various countries. Month: Current Affairs - November, 2016 Topics: Defence India-Nepal Indian Military Exercises Military Exercises National surya kiran Latest E-Books Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance, the insurance segment of Aspen Insurance Holdings, announced it has acquired Blue Waters Insurers Corp. Blue Waters, which is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, is a specialist marine managing general agency. The company was founded in 2007 and is respected for its product and policy design and development services, which it provides across Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, said Aspen in a statement. Blue Waters will form part of Aspen Insurances global marine operation and will support the continued expansion of Aspens marine business by opening access to the Puerto Rican and Caribbean markets. Blue Waters President Eugenio M. Rosas will continue in his role, reporting to Patrick Hickey, executive vice president and head of U.S. Marine, Aspen Insurance. Blue Waters has an excellent reputation and is a recognized industry leader in the Puerto Rico Marine market, reflecting the intellectual capital, technical and deep marine risk engineering expertise within the company, said David Cohen, president and chief underwriting officer, Aspen Insurance. It is a successful business with strong prospects and is an excellent fit with our marine business in the U.S. as it adds local, technical expertise to support Aspen Insurances expansion by delivering localized service to a new geography, Cohen continued. Blue Waters is committed to building long-term relationships with our marine customers and insurance agents in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, commented Rosas: That commitment will continue as part of Aspen Insurance and we look forward to developing the business further and leveraging the expertise and experience of Aspen Insurance. This is the start of an exciting future for Blue Waters as part of a global company. Source: Aspen Insurance Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Carriers Insurance Wholesale Medical payments per workers compensation claim in Indiana changed little from 2013 to 2014, a sharp contrast to the increases of the prior nine years, according to a new study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). Before the recent flattening, Indianas medical payments per claim had been growing faster than in most of the 17 other states WCRI examined, according to the study CompScope Medical Benchmarks for Indiana, 17th Edition. There were offsetting factors behind the flat trend, said Ramona Tanabe, WCRIs executive vice president and counsel. While prices and utilization by nonhospital providers increased, hospital outpatient payments per claim fell. The latter may be related to the fee schedule imposed by House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1320, which became effective in July 2014. HEA 1320 enacted a hospital fee schedule with reimbursement set at 200 percent of Medicare in an attempt to control hospital costs. The data in WCRIs study reflect up to nine months of experience after the fee schedule took effect and may provide an early look at the post-fee-schedule experience. Among the findings: Before the recent trend, Indianas medical payments per claim were rising faster than the typical state studied. Medical payments per claim in the state remained higher than the typical state studied. The main reason was higher and growing prices, as was the case in other states with no price regulation. WCRI studied medical payments, prices, and utilization in 18 states, including Indiana, looking at claim experience through 2015 on injuries that occurred mainly from 2009 to 2014. Source: WCRI Topics Workers' Compensation Indiana Louisianas cotton and sweet potato harvests have been negatively affected by the flooding rains in August, state agricultural specialists say. Based on reports, Dan Fromme, LSU AgCenter cotton specialist, said in a news release the rains had a significant impact on the cotton crop, especially in the central part of the state. The yields are very variable in central Louisiana anywhere from 500 to 600 pounds, and some fields in excess of two bales, Fromme said. Two bales contain nearly 1,000 pounds to the acre. Yields in the northeastern part of the state, where a good deal of the states cotton crop is grown, are expected to be much higher. Yields there are just fantastic, well over 1,000 pounds with reports of 1,200 to 1,300 pounds of lint to the acre, Fromme said. According to Fromme, this years statewide average yield is will be around 900 pounds per acre, which is approximately 100 pounds lower than last year. The rain not only reduced yields but also caused some quality problems. We had some cotton open at that time when we got all that rain, so were having some color-grade issues from the rain and weathering, he said. That means a discount to the growers. Fromme estimated that fields damaged by the weather will see yields reduced by a half a bale to a full bale per acre. On top of the weather, cotton prices remain relatively low, which has led to low acreage statewide. Prices for cotton have ranged between 60 and 70 cents per pound and are expected to remain low for the foreseeable future. Thats still on the low side, and I think its going to take a lot more than that to bring back a significant amount of cotton acres, Fromme said. Louisiana sweet potato growers also are experiencing a tough harvest period following record rains that hit the state in August. Myrl Sistrunk, LSU AgCenter extension associate in Chase, an unincorporated community in Franklin Parish, said in a news release many growers in north Louisiana took a double hit from wet weather, first in March and again in August. Wet weather in the spring had a negative impact on the planting, and the August and early September rains are causing losses during harvest. Every grower is experiencing some amount of potatoes rotting in the fields, Sistrunk said. Growers in south Louisiana have been impacted worst from the August rains. Growers planted more than 9,200 acres of sweet potatoes, down from about 20,000 acres a few years ago, he said. More than 30 percent of this years crop has sustained some damage, the extent of which varies statewide, but Sistrunk is not sure how much prices will be affected. About 50 percent of Louisianas crop has been harvested, and Sistrunk hopes harvest is complete by late November. The good news is that about two-thirds of the growers have some form of crop insurance, he said. That will help some, but their current financial situation will determine whether they will stay in the business or get out. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Louisiana Agribusiness A federal jury has convicted a Kentucky doctor accused of performing unnecessary heart procedures on dozens of patients. The U.S. Attorneys Office said in a statement that jurors returned a guilty verdict Thursday against Dr. Richard E. Paulus on charges of health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters. The statement says evidence presented during the 7-week trial showed that Paulus performed cardiac stent procedures on more than 70 patients who didnt need them at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland from 2008 until 2013. The statement says he falsified records to make it appear that the procedures were necessary before billing Medicare, Medicaid and other insurers. Paulus, who faces 25 years in prison on the charges, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Kentucky Lemergenza surriscaldamento globale non si arresta. Lo rivela la Nasa (Ente Nazionale per le attivita Spaziali e Aeronautiche) lagenzia governativa civile responsabile del programma spaziale degli Stati Uniti dAmerica e della ricerca aerospaziale. Secondo lEnte statunitense, infatti, nel 2016 la temperatura globale si e attestata a 1,1 gradi centigradi in piu rispetto al XIX secolo, vale a dire rispetto ai livelli preindustriali (il periodo iniziato a partire dal Settecento in Gran Bretagna e diffusosi nell800 in buona parte del mondo). Nel 2015, evidenzia la Nasa, era gia stata raggiunta la soglia di 1 grado. Un colpo pesante per la comunita internazionale che, alla conferenza Onu di Parigi sul clima svoltasi nel dicembre 2015, si era impegnata a mantenere laumento del termometro al di sotto dei 2 gradi centigradi, e possibilmente entro un grado e mezzo, entro la fine del secolo. Ma, a inizio secolo, siamo gia a oltre un grado. Le brutte notizie non finiscono qui. Se dal globale passiamo al locale, di questo passo lItalia risentira (entro il 2100) di un aumento di temperatura ben al di sopra dei due gradi preventivati. Lo rivela il Wwf (World Wide Fund for Nature), lorganizzazione internazionale non governativa di protezione ambientale piu nota al mondo. Secondo lOng, i cambiamenti climatici in Italia saranno a dir poco preoccupanti. Le migliori e piu avanzate elaborazioni dellautorevole Centro Euromediteraneo per i Cambiamenti Climatici (Cmcc), indicano nello scenario ritenuto piu probabile un incremento della temperatura media in Italia pari a circa 3 gradi per la fine del secolo per lintero territorio nazionale. Se si considera lultimo trentennio del XXI secolo (2071-2100) scrive in un comunicato la ong ambientalista laumento di temperatura giunge anche a circa 4 gradi nel nord-ovest della penisola italiana nel periodo estivo. Nello scenario peggiore, inoltre, laumento della temperatura media in Italia sara invece di circa 6 gradi entro la fine del secolo. Lurgenza dellazione anche nel nostro Paese e ormai e un obbligo civile e morale, conclude il World Wide Fund for Nature. Emergenza caldo evidenziata anche dalla Coldiretti (Confederazione Nazionale Coltivatori Diretti), la maggiore associazione di rappresentanza e assistenza dellagricoltura italiana. Il 2016 evidenzia la confederazione sorta nel 44 si e classificato al quarto posto tra gli anni piu caldi di sempre, con una temperatura di 1,24 gradi superiore alla media del periodo. Per il calcolo, la Coldiretti si e basata sui dati del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Cnr) che rilevano le temperature dal 1800. Nella classifica degli anni piu caldi dallinizio dellindustrializzazione e percio dellinquinamento atmosferico su larga scala ci sono, nellordine, 2015, 2014, 2003 e 2016. Seguono il triste elenco: il 2007, 2012, 2001, 1994, 2009, 2011 e, infine, il 2000. Siamo di fronte agli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici scrive Coldiretti che si stanno manifestano con un pesante impatto sullagricoltura italiana, che negli ultimi dieci anni ha subito danni per 14 miliardi di euro. Si moltiplicano gli eventi estremi, sfasamenti stagionali e precipitazioni brevi, ma intense, e il repentino passaggio dal sereno al maltempo. Siccita e bombe dacqua con forti piogge a carattere alluvionale, ma anche gelate estreme e picchi di calore anomali si alternano lungo lanno e lungo tutta la Penisola. Anomalie che si evidenziano anche in questi giorni conclude Coldiretti con lItalia divisa in due, tra un nord dove e allarme incendi e siccita ed il centro sud che e seppellito dalla neve. A community fundraiser benefiting Greg and Sarah Moyers' Little Angels raised more than $7,000 on Saturday. The Friends of the Leadwood Fire Protection District, along with the Leadwood Community Betterment Association, held a car show at Leadwood City Park to benefit Greg and Sarah Moyers daughters, Sophia and Haley. The Leadwood couple were killed in a tragic accident in late September while vacationing in Florida. The girls were injured in the crash. I think it was amazing what everyone did for us, said Summer Moyers, the girls aunt. Matt Peery, (assistant chief of Leadwood), did a great job getting the benefit together. We are so grateful to him and everyone else for what they did. For Peery, there was never a question of should they hold a fundraiser, but only of what type of fundraiser they would hold. Greg had been a friend of mine and the community for as long as I can remember, Peery said. When we were trying to think of what type of fundraiser to do, I suggested we do a car and truck show, and it just kind of went from there. With the Friends of the Leadwood Fire Protection District and Betterment Association teaming together the partnership reached out to the community for help and support. We were so impressed with the way the community came together, Peery said. The city workers, the aldermen and the mayor were all in. Greg was a very big part of this community. He would do maintenance on the fire truck, the stuff he could do at his shop, and he helped out at the firehouse. He and Sarah were a very big part of this community. According to Peery, when the community heard of the benefit help seemed to come from everyone. The Friends of the Leadwood Fire got all the food together, cooked and then served the food on Saturday, Peery said. The guys at the firehouse helped me get the car show together. They even helped parked cars. It was amazing the outpouring of help we had. For many of those who brought their cars or trucks to the show it wasn't about who won. It was about the cause. I came to this today because its for a good cause, said Keith Inman, who was showing his 1956 Buick Special. I know my entry fee is going to support that cause. Although there were several awards given for different types of vehicles, the one most people were eager to see the result of was Gregs Pick. The award given by Greg Moyers brother Shorty to the vehicle he thought his brother would have liked the most ... and it went to Jason James and his 1947 Dodge. In addition to the car show that brought in more than 100 entries, the benefit was also offering homemade chicken and dumplings, chili, hamburgers and hot dogs. All of which, according to Jessica Akers, the president of the FLFPD, were selling at an incredible pace. We have had a bigger turnout than I expected, Akers said. We have gone through four things of chicken and dumplings and are waiting on another thing of chili. After that we are done. I have had to send out for more soda, hamburgers, hot dogs and buns. As much success as we have had I really think we need to do this every year. When the day ended and the numbers were totaled, the benefit had raised $7,151 for the Greg and Sarah Moyers Memorial Fund. A trivia night is also in the works. Friends of the family, Doug and Nancy Bowles, are organizing a trivia night for 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 in the white gym of Central High School in Park Hills. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tables are $100 with a maximum of 10 players to a team. Little Caesars Pizza has donated two pizzas per table. Other drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. No alcoholic beverages will be allowed. Individuals can reserve a table by calling Doug at 573-431-3122 (during the day) or 330-9941, or Nancy at 330-3167. Reservations are required but individuals will pay at the door. Envision a pilot in the cockpit making his welcome-aboard announcement to the passengers saying, The flight time today is five hours in first-class and 12 hours in coach. Of course, there are no differences in flight times between business and first-class, but passengers who sit "upfront" often remark that their flight felt faster, thanks to the added comfort. Even flight attendants prefer to travel first class. Wendy Sue Knecht, a former Pan Am flight attendant who wrote a memoir about her experiences, said she has always preferred to work upfront...More time to schmooze and I loved surrounding myself with elegance. Key Takeaways Differences between business class and first class exist, but they're not as pronounced as those between economy and first class. In Asia, first-class lounges are on a different level, but in most airports, the wait is fairly similar for business or first-class lounges. First-class passengers might have a seat that turns into a bed or even their own private apartment. Business-class might offer more legroom but doesn't offer a private space. The food and drink in business class are typically at a restaurant level. However, first-class dining might be at another level with an award-winning chef setting the menu. More Money, More Amenities Although the differences between first class and business class are not as significant as those between economy and first or business, there are still some variables to consider when making your travel choice. In general, first-class costs about twice as much as business class. But that can vary significantly by route and airline. Ben Schlappig, a consultant and travel blogger who flies an average of 400,000 miles a year, said he almost exclusively sits in first and business class and has noticed the business class section improving dramatically. Overall were seeing more airlines eliminating first class and instead, installing great business-class service, given that the market for first-class is pretty limited," Schlappig said. "Nowadays business-class seats are better than first-class seats used to be. Meanwhile some of the first-class seats we see nowadays have out-of-this-world products like double beds, showers, or even apartments in the sky. Waiting Times You might expect that some of the perks of business- or first-class travel would kick in on the groundin the pre-boarding lounge. For the most part, youd be mistaken. The lounges, both in first class and business, vary from country to country. "The best lounges are in Asia, followed by Europe and Australia," Schalppig said. "Some first-class lounges in the U.S. are getting better, especially the ones operated by foreign airlines. For example, theres a fantastic Qantas first-class lounge at LAX." Lufthansa in Frankfurt offers an exclusive lounge for first-class passengers, who can skip the main terminal for their own terminal. Those passengers are then driven to their plane in a Porsche or Mercedes. In contrast, business-class lounges simply provide a quiet space to work and relax, with fast Wi-Fi, comfortable chairs, and snacks, but no other extras. The major differences between first class and business class are the seats and the service, but differences vary among airlines, routes, and airplane models. Comfort Levels Business- and first-class services offer a range of improvements and luxuries to help you get a good night's sleep and privacy. The best source of information on the configurations for any flight you are considering is seatguru.com. To decide between business- and first-class, consider the following before you buy your ticket: Will your seat turn into a bed? Whats the configuration of the cabin? How close will you be to other passengers? Will you have a double bed, your own apartment," or a seat and a bed combined? Airline pilot and Ask the Pilot blogger Patrick Smith said many carriers outfit their planes according to market demand. An airline may have three or four different configurations in its 777 or A330 fleets, with specific planes dedicated to specific markets, he said. Take Emirates as an example. First-class on Emirates doesn't differ much from plane to plane. Business-class does. First-class amenities generally supersede business-class amenities on international flights, rather than domestic ones, but research first to make sure that's the case. Food and Drink This is one of the two categories where business class and first class differ the most. Business-class food is restaurant quality, but dining in business class is rarely an experience, Schlappig said. In the first class, customers often have food prepared under the auspices of a famous chef. For example, Air Francerated No.1 for in-flight food by the Robb Reportoffers menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs. When it comes to a drink with dinner, on Singapore Airlines, according to the UK-based Telegraph website, there are geniuses who specialise in knowing which wine goes well with each dish on the in-flight menu served to you while youre above the clouds. Business-class on Emirates, and Korean Air have onboard bars where you can chat with your fellow passengers. Top News - Investor Idea REE Stock News - Defense Metals (TSX-V: DEFN.V) (OTCQB: DFMTF) Drills 113 metres of 2.50% Total Rare Earth Oxide at Wicheeda Vancouver, British Columbia - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mining / Metals / Green Energy Stock News - Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DEFN / OTCQB: DFMTF/ FSE:35D) is pleased to announce high-grade Rare Earth Element ("REE") assay results from one additional core hole, totalling 383 metres (m), collared within the northern area of Defense Metals' 100% owned Wicheeda REE Deposit. Top EV Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking EV Stock News: Overwhelmingly Positive Reactions Pour in From First Leg of Mullen Automotive's (NASDAQ: MULN) 'Strikingly Different' FIVE EV Crossover Tour BREA, Calif. - October 31, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mullen Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ: MULN), an emerging electric vehicle ("EV") manufacturer, announces today that the Mullen FIVE has received overwhelmingly positive reactions from members of the public, reservation holders and Mullen investors who were able to ride in the vehicle for the very first time on the "Strikingly Different" tour which kicked off last week in Pasadena, California. Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures Third Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA Worth Approximately $1.5M in Revenue for First two Fiscal Quarters of 2023 CAVE CREEK, Ariz. - October 27, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-derived, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured three key significant orders for its newly acquired, non-nicotine plant-based vape product, HYLA. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: FatBrain (OTCQB: LZGI) Acquires Confidential Computing Platform ZeroTrust to Protect Data Privacy and Accelerate Innovation for Millions of Growth Businesses NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, has acquired the confidential computing and privacy intellectual property (IP) plus software assets of Zero2A PTE LTD ("ZeroTrust Platform"), a software company based in Singapore. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Over the weekend the US elections took an all too familiar turn when it was announced that the FBI would be investigating a new batch of Hillary Clinton's emails. Authorities are looking into whether there was classified information on a device which belonged to Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedine. The Irish Examiner understands Disabilities Minister Finian McGrath will bring the report to the ministerial meeting tomorrow morning after discussing the publication with Department of Health officials today clearing the way for a promised State inquiry into the scandal. The report, by independent senior counsel Conor Dignam, was first commissioned by former Labour TD and Department of Health junior minister Kathleen Lynch 16 months ago to examine serious foster abuse allegations in the south-east. These allegations centred around a woman with severe intellectual disabilities, given the pseudonym Grace, who was alleged sexually abused, assaulted internally with a blunt object causing life-limiting injuries and at one stage forced to live in a cubby hole underneath the foster familys stairs. Grace lived with the foster family from the late 1980s until 2009, despite concerns being raised about the family who also housed more than 43 other children and teens at different stages during the period being raised as early as 1992. While all placements with the family were meant to end in 1995, Grace continued to stay at the home until 2009 while a second woman, called Anne, stayed for respite care until 2013. Several senior staff who were responsible for overseeing care standards in the region at that time remain in their positions in the HSE and child protection watchdog Tusla. After the interim report was provided to the Department of Health last December, it was decided to instigate a full review of what happened, and why two HSE-commissioned reports by Conall Devine and Resilience Ireland have yet to be published. Despite plans to publish the document as early as last May, Mr Dignam has repeatedly sought extensions to its deadline in order to ensure all files are received and all views heard, thereby preventing any legal difficulties with the final report. After two legal issues blocking the documents publication were resolved in recent days, Minister Finian McGrath will today meet with Department officials to sign off the Dignam report. While it had been expected that Cabinet would not review the findings until next week, Mr McGrath is committed to bringing it to cabinet today with a view to publishing it that same day. The publication of the document which does not name any individual still working in the HSE and Tusla, referring to them by a letter label system instead will clear the way for Government to agree to set up a State investigation into the case in the coming weeks. This commission of inquiry was promised by Taoiseach Enda Kenny on the final day before the last Dail was dissolved to allow for the general election. Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Irish Examiner last month show that while the HSE handed over more than 12,000 pages of files on the case to Mr Dignam, it did not initially provide all records of what happened delaying the reports completion. Under the old system, several ministers and even Taoiseach Enda Kenny had made representations seeking to get advisers paid six-figure salaries. Following this years election, the Department of Public Expenditure introduced a new set of rules to avoid protracted and potentially embarrassing negotiations. It gave a certain amount of discretion on pay rates to individual departments to help avoid the discussions over pay that had proved so embarrassing in the past. In a submission obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, a senior civil servant explained how pay cap breaches had proved controversial in 2011. The document states: In the past, there has often been considerable public comment where the approved pay of special advisers has been above the minimum. The current draft guidelines provide that where the necessary sanction is given to starting above the scale minimum, that will be published. This should ensure greater transparency in the process, as well as minimising the consequent administrative burden. The document was written after revelations that several ministers had personally written to Brendan Howlin, the then public expenditure minister, seeking breaches of a pay cap for advisers. In November 2011, it emerged that Mr Kenny had personally intervened to secure a 35,000 annual pay boost for Ciaran Conlon, one of his now former advisers. Bumper salaries for advisers were also sought by Leo Varadkar, Joan Burton, and Simon Coveney, with 14 appointments made above the pay cap over the course of the previous coalition. The new documents set out a simpler system for appointing special advisers, giving departments wriggle room. Advisers can now be moved to any point on a salary scale of between 80,000 and 92,000 without seeking permission from the Department of Public Expenditure. It is only if they want to exceed that level that they would have to make a specific business case looking to breach the cap. The guide says advisers for the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, and party leaders in Government are now officially exempt from the rules. This provision will formalise current practice, states the submission, [and] details of the pay rates to be paid to such special advisers must be notified to this department and also published on our website. The guidelines appear to have brought costs down, with most advisers paid within the allowed scale. Only one, Brian Murphy, who works with Mr Varadkar, is paid above it, at 99,370 per year. That package was originally agreed during the last government. Of the rest, many are at the bottom of the scale at 79,401, with only three paid at the top rate of 91,624. The issue of consent in cases of sexual violence is a grey area in Irish law as there is no statutory definition for it. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 is progressing through the Oireachtas, but a definition for consent was not included in it during the draft stages. The Department of Justice has until now said the matter was under review. Ms Fitzgerald was asked by the Irish Examiner at a recent One in Four event if a definition was going to be included. Were examining that and if its possible to do that, if we feel its in the interest of victims, well go ahead and insert that at committee stages of the Sexual Offences Bill, she said. At the moment there is only a reference to consent in Irish legislation. Section 9 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990 states that the failure to offer resistance does not amount to consent. Otherwise the issue of what is or is not consent has been developed through case law. The Department of Justice has previously said that the courts have confirmed that consent requires voluntary agreement by a person at the age of consent and with the necessary mental capacity. This legal grey area and the lack of legislative clarity has been heavily criticised in the past by sexual violence support groups. The Rape Crisis Network of Ireland recommends a definition similar to that adopted in England and Wales in their 2003 Sexual Offences Act, at section 74. It is defined as: A person consents if he agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice. Joanna Fortune, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, said that our young adults find it difficult to define consent. Ms Fortune said they are confusing relenting to a sexual act after pressure has been applied, to consenting to one. Relenting is the grey area of consenting, at least among young people who find it hard to define that as non-consensual or assault, she said. It feels uncomfortable and wrong and they can often experience the type of anxiety and trauma-based reactions sexual assault victims do. When people feel backed into a corner youre either going to fight your way out of it, or get out as safely as possible. They think, Im going to have to do something because I agreed to bring him to my house. But you can say no and walk away. Ms Fortune, who works with young adults in her practice Solamh, which is based in Dublin, also gives talks on the matter to schools. She says that young adults are increasingly resorting to giving in to a sexual act as a way of defending themselves. Diver Eoin McGarry, working under licence from Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys, raised the telegraph from the seabed on Saturday morning. Mr McGarry has dived on the wreck of the RMS Lusitania for over 15 years more than anyone else alive. The wreck of the ship, which was sunk by a torpedo from a German U-boat off the Head of Kinsale in 1915 is owned by Greg Bemis. The US multimillionaire venture capitalist bought the wreck in 1968. When the state challenged his ownership, Bemis mounted a legal battle to assert his rights. It took a decade, but he won. Estimates have put the cost to the Irish taxpayer of the States action at almost 1m. Once it was struck by the torpedo a century ago, the vessel sank within minutes and plunged 90m to the bottom of the Atlantic. Almost 1,200 people lost their lives in the sinking, including around 140 Irish people. The Lusitania sank 18 minutes after being struck compared to two hours and 40 minutes for the Titanic sparking theories over a second explosion caused by a secret cargo of high explosives destined for the British war effort. Mr Bennis expressed his gratitude to the team for the discovery which was made despite difficult weather conditions. I would like to congratulate Mr McGarry and his team for their diligence and success in very difficult recovery efforts, made all the more difficult by weather, tides, and lack of visibility at 90 plus meters, he said. Ms Humphreys said the artefact would be conserved and displayed locally. It is great news that the telegraph was safely on shore and will now be conserved by Mr Bemis, who hopes to place the artefacts recovered from the Lusitania on display locally, which of course would be of great benefit to the people of Kinsale, she said. Armed gardai responded to a 999 call on Saturday afternoon and recovered a gun, along with almost three dozen rounds of ammunition at a house in Clondalkin. A man was arrested at the scene and taken to Ronanstown Garda Station, where he was held under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act. John Fitzsimons, with an address at Old Tower Crescent, Clondalkin, was charged with three offences under the Firearms Act for having a Makarov semi-automatic pistol along with 35 rounds of ammunition and a silencer at his home. He was brought in custody from the Garda station to appear before Judge John Coughlan at Dublin District Court yesterday. Det Sergeant Martin Geraghty of the Special Detective Unit told Judge Coughlan that Mr Fitzsimons made no reply when charged with the offences. Defence solicitor Michael French said an application for bail was not being made. Det Sgt Geraghty applied for a remand in custody. Mr French asked the court to note that his client has been in garda custody since Saturday afternoon and that the man required immediate medical attention. Dressed in a green polo neck shirt and black tracksuit bottoms, Mr Fitzsimons remained silent throughout the hearing. The judge remanded the defendant, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on November 3. Judge Coughlan also granted him free legal aid and he acceded to Mr Frenchs request to make a direction for the defendant to get medical attention while in prison custody. Directions from the DPP have yet to be obtained. A review of driver licensing for small public service vehicles (SPSVs), which also includes hackneys and limousines, is to examine the possible benefits of introducing a dress code policy for licence holders. The NTA pointed out that taxi drivers are already expected to wear smart clothing in many jurisdictions, although nothing in particular is specified, while uniforms are required to be worn in some parts of Australian, Spain, and Canada. In Edinburgh, drivers are required to wear a shirt with a collar, smart trousers or skirt, and shoes, while items such as runners, denims, and t-shirts are forbidden. A public consultation discussion paper just launched by the NTA has sought the views of the industry and members of the public on the merits of a formal dress code. The NTA is also concerned at the aging profile of taxi drivers and the rate of attrition from the industry. Almost two-thirds of current licence holders are aged over 50 years with almost a third are aged over 60. The NTA noted that the number of active SPSV driver licenses has fallen by 42% since it peaked in May 2009 with 47,259, while the number of licensed vehicles had declined by 23% from a 2008 peak of 27,429. The falling number of taxis and taxi drivers has been attributed to the decline in the economy as well as increased vehicle standards, a prohibition on license transfers expect upon death and a 2010 decision to restrict new licences to wheelchair accessible taxis. However, the NTA said the size of Irelands national SPSV fleet was still high by international standards. It has the eighth largest fleet in Europe on a per capita basis. A total of 21,246 SPSVs were licensed at the end of last year, of which 17,249 were taxis together with 27,400 licensed drivers the lowest levels in the past decade. The NTA also pointed out that not all license holders are actively working in the industry. It said the number of new drivers entering the industry remained stable each year with 519 new driving licenses issued in 2015. However, 122 driver licenses were surrendered last year, while 1,985 were allowed to lapse permanently. The NTA also revealed that just over half of all candidates who apply to become taxi drivers successfully pass the SPSV Driver Entry Test which examines both industry and local area knowledge. Since the tests were introduced in July 2009, only 54% of more than 9,000 applicants have passed. Of the unsuccessful candidates, just over half made no attempt to re-sit the test. On average, an applicant had to sit the test almost three times to pass. The NTA pointed out that, unlike in some other countries, once passed there is no compulsory on-going training for Irish taxi drivers and it is rarely undertaken by licence holders. Other areas under review are medical fitness, age restrictions, language proficiency and the requirement for taxi drivers in some larger counties to have full area knowledge. The aim of this review is to allow consumers and the SPSV sector to have confidence in the suitability of the system for driver licensing and to ensure that legitimate and competent operators and drivers are rewarded fairly by operating under a regulatory framework that is adequately enforced and competitive, an NTA spokesperson said. The four women, aged 21, 22, 23 and 30, who appeared before a special court sitting in Galway yesterday, are believed to have been brought into the country by either Dublin or Belfast-based pimps to provide sexual services for a large number of men through the Escort Ireland website. The four deny this and claim they were acting alone to raise money for impoverished families in Romania. They were arrested at 15 An Larnach, Bohermore, Galway, at 11pm on Saturday night, October 29, and pleaded guilty straight away to operating a brothel at that address. The arrests were made an hour after gardai quizzed a man leaving the apartment who said he had just paid 70 for sex. Gardai have also pointed the finger at the greedy Galway landlord who demanded 700 a week from the women for the use of the apartment which would normally cost 350. Detective Sergeant Willie Byrne told the special sitting of Galway District Court that gardai were carrying out surveillance of the apartment and they executed a search warrant on speaking to the man after he left the apartment. The four women were taken to Galway Garda Station where they accepted full responsibility for operating a brothel. They were brought before a special sitting of Galway District Court yesterday where they huddled together, at times anxiously biting their nails or wiping away tears as a Romanian interpreter explained what was being said for them. Det Byrne gave evidence gardai did not know how long the women were in Ireland but they had been in Mayo last week and after spending a week in Galway, it was their intention to go to Wexford next week. The women told gardai they had only arrived in Ireland last week and were acting alone, but Det Byrne said he did not accept this. In any event, they are four little girls and they made full admissions that they were providing sexual services to a large number of men through the website, Escort Ireland. They were paying 700 rent to a greedy landlord for an apartment they should have been paying 350 for. So, they were being used and abused by a lot of people, Det Byrne said. In reply to Judge Gerard Furlong, Det Byrne said he didnt believe the girls when they told him they worked alone. I believe they are under the control of Dublin or Belfast-based pimps. Judge Furlong said the women should be made aware of organisations that were there to assist them, should they want that in their plight. Defence solicitor, Brian Gilmartin, said all of the women came from a poor area in Romania and they told him they had come to Ireland to make some money to help their parents, some of whom were seriously ill. They are somewhat vulnerable and they didnt believe their actions would bring them before the courts. They have spent two nights in Garda custody and its been a frightening experience for them, he added. Ruling the girls were being used by others not before the court, Judge Furlong convicted and fined each of them 200, payable forthwith and asked the gardai to put them in contact with the relevant organisations who would help them. MICHAEL Fassbender and Alicia Vikander fell in love while filming their new movie, a sweeping romance called The Light Between Oceans. Theyre promoting the film together, but the famously private pair are not about to profess their lust for one another in public. Not even Stephen Fry could cajole them into a cheeky peck for the roving Kiss Cam at the Baftas in February; although Vikander did kiss Fassbender before accepting her Oscar for her role in A Danish Girl a few weeks later. Today, sitting side by side, they make a good-looking couple; Fassbender in dark trousers and a green knit, Vikander in a 1970s-style blue and red wrap dress. They clearly enjoy a laugh together, not least when Swedish-born Vikander, 28, talks about training to play Lara Croft for the upcoming Tomb Raider shoot. Im pumping iron at the moment, reveals the petite actress, pretending to flex her guns. I started full prep a couple of weeks ago and we start filming in the New Year. Her background in ballet (she trained from age nine to 16) should come in handy for the stunt work, as many actors compare action scenes to honing dance routines. I hope so, because theres a lot of choreography to learn. I hope Ill be able to do some of the moves, she notes. Fassbender, 39, tackled his own fight scenes for the Assassins Creed, due for release in January. Hes a man known for throwing himself into every role with uncompromising passion, whether its as convicted IRA member Bobby Sands in 2008s Hunger, sex addict Brandon in Shame, or slave owner Edwin Epps in 12 Years A Slave. Its for that very reason Fassbender admits he needed a lot of persuading from Derek Cianfrance, the director of The Light Between Oceans, to live 24/7 on set in a remote part of New Zealands South Island. I work back-to-back a lot, so I feel very much like I need my space and my time, he explains, his Irish accent still apparent (Fassbender was born in Germany but moved to Killarney in his mothers native Ireland when he was two). I very much give whatever Ive got to the 12, 14 hours a day of filming, but when its wrap time, I go home, and I like to have that in a neutral space. Just as Cianfrance called on Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling to live together for a month before they shot 2010s Blue Valentine, a gut-wrenching depiction of a relationships disintegration, the film-maker wanted Fassbender and Vikander to set up home in their characters house. I was so glad that didnt happen, says Fassbender, laughing. Instead, he agreed to live in one of the small caravans brought to set. Dereks a passionate film-maker and Ive got a huge respect for him. It was important to him, so I said, Absolutely, lets give it a shot, he explains. After the first week, I didnt want to leave. It felt like such a treat and rare opportunity to stay in such a beautiful place and to experience it like that. The films an adaptation of the 2012 novel by ML Stedman, which has been translated into over 35 languages since publication. The story centres on how Tom, a man shell-shocked by his experiences in World War One, looks for solace and solitude as a lighthouse keeper on the uninhabited Janus Rock, off the West Coast of Australia. Although intending to remain alone, he meets Isabel, whos grieving for two brothers lost in the war. I see Isabel as very strong, but also naive and vulnerable, explains Vikander, whos previously starred in 2012s Anna Karenina alongside Keira Knightley, and 2015s The Man From U.N.C.L.E and Ex Machina. Like Tom, shes been through trauma and felt a great loss, yet somehow she still has this beautiful spark and so much fire, and thats why Tom gets thrown by her. Shes a person who goes with her impulses for better and for worse. She has a tough journey in the film but I was always drawn by her willpower and strength of spirit. When love flourishes, theyre swiftly married and move to Janus Rock together, relishing the isolation although their attempt to start a family is met with tragedy. One day, a rowing boat washes ashore, with a dead man and a baby girl, whos still alive, inside it. Their decision to raise the baby as their own has shattering consequences, when Tom discovers her heartbroken mother, Hannah (Rachel Weisz), is on the mainland. Fassbender sympathises with Toms decision to go with his heart, despite his misgivings. Its a very particular time in their relationship, and that informs the decisions they make. Theres also the fact theyre so alone on the island. Theres an awareness that what seemed like paradise could turn into a prison, he says. Could they imagine living in the same sort of solitude as Tom and Isabel? For a while, offers Fassbender. Vikander, the slightly more guarded of the two, is quick to move the conversation onto less personal territory. It was an extraordinary thing experiencing that nature and the realisation of how big the world is and how small you are, that human relationship with nature, she says. Also, being away from technology makes a big difference. Ive changed a bit over the last few years, and getting away to be closer to nature is something Ive really started to enjoy more and more but maybe not for four years like Tom and Isabel. Reflecting on the story, Fassbender believes one of the great themes is the complexity of real life. Things happen in life, where you have to make a choice that has no simple right or wrong answer, he observes. The storys not about judging who is good and who is bad. It really is about how we deal with the outcomes of our choices, and to me that is what defines us as human beings. However, more than 800 journalists have been killed in the line of duty over the past decade and in the majority of cases no one is held accountable. This year alone, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 72 journalists died because of their career choice. Those deaths touched double figures 14 in Syria and because of the Charlie Hebdo massacre nine journalists died violently in France. Poland, with one death, was the only other EU state to record such a death. The CPJ will, tomorrow, through UNESCO, release its annual report which will include updates on killings of journalists and the status of subsequent if any investigations. November 2 is International Day to End Impunity and was established by the UN in 2013 in commemoration of Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont, the two French journalists who were assassinated in Mali on November 2 that year. Asia Thailands Royal Succession Following the Junta Script Thailands Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attends an event commemorating the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, as he joins people during the mourning of his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok on Oct. 23, 2016. / Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters BANGKOK, Thailand News that Thailand is making preparations for the crown prince to ascend to the throne on Dec. 1 is likely to allay worries that the kingdom was headed for a period of instability following the death of beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Fresh questions about the succession arose when Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn left for Germany at the weekend. He had already prompted some concern when he did not immediately become king following the death of his father on Oct. 13. But two senior military sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday that the government is making preparations for a Dec. 1 succession. Thailands junta has been preparing for the succession since taking power in a May 2014 coup, when the late kings health was already in decline. Those plans will culminate in a royal stamp on a new constitution that will institutionalize the armys political power. Experts on Thai affairs say with Prince Vajiralongkorn on the throne, the military may see itself as no longer the crowns junior partner and take the opportunity to play an even bigger role in Thai political life. Kan Yuenyong, executive director of the Siam Intelligence Unit think-tank, said Dec. 1 would be a good time frame for the prince to ascend the throne as it also coincides with a parade by the Royal Guards, which requires royal approval around then. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had said the prince would assume the duties of the throne a week to 15 days after the kings death, but that it could also take longer. His formal coronation would take place only when the king is cremated after a year of mourning, Prayuth said. The thrice-divorced prince, King Bhumibols only male heir, has spent much of his adult life abroad, and has a home in Germany where his son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, is enrolled at a private school. The prince could not be reached for comment before leaving for Germany on Friday. The prince had personal business to attend to in Germany, one senior military source told Reuters, adding he would return in November. PRINCESS ANGEL The princes delay in taking up the throne had generated various theories with little hard evidence behind them: that the prince was unsure he wanted to rule, or his enemies were trying to block him, or his sister might become queen instead. The talk is muted in Thailand, where critical discussion of the succession can be deemed an insult to the monarchy and a criminal offence. Diplomats have dismissed the speculation. From what we gather, there seem to be no problems with succession or any truth to rumors about possible rifts, one senior western diplomat told Reuters. The princes sister, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, 61, is highly respected because of her devotion to public service and is fondly referred to as Phra Thep, which means Princess Angel. She is said to be close to Prem Tinsulanonda, 96, who assumed the role of temporary regent after the kings death as president of the royal Privy Council and is overseeing the transition to a new king. Prem is very closely aligned to the Crown Princess, but it is clear that she has taken a back seat in recent days, said a senior member of Thailands military, who declined to be named. The princess has signaled she wants to serve the nation but follow the order of succession and wait for her brother to become king. The Royal Household Bureau, which handles some of the public relations of the royal family, said the princess was unavailable for comment. THE MONARCHIZED MILITARY Since 1957, Thailand has seen an evolution in an alliance between the monarchy and the military with the latter as junior partner, Paul Chambers, director of research at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in the city of Chiang Mai, told Reuters. Since the crown prince is not as popular as his father, the military could dominate the next reign. Hence, of course, they would champion Vajiralongkorns rise. This monarchized military gains legitimacy from its support for the Crown Prince, Chambers said. That quest for legitimacy has its genesis in the 2014 coup, which capped a decade of bitterly divided politics pitting a Thai establishment against working and middle class voters, including red shirts loyal to ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Most Thai analysts agree the takeover, which ousted the government of Thaksins sister, former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, was executed to cripple the Shinawatra familys political machine and to ensure the military was in control when the succession took place. 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Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Burma Five Charged Over Chindwin Ferry Accident The capsized ferry and a member of the rescue team on the Chindwin River on Oct 19. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy Five crew members including the captain of an overcrowded ferry that capsized on the Chindwin River in Sagaing Division last month killing some 70 passengers were charged under Burmas criminal code. Money was also given by the Union government to the families of each victim, according to the regional government. Rescuers have recovered 73 bodies from the incident and seven people are still missing. There were a total of 159 survivors, including four ferrymen, according to S Willy Frient, Director of Sagaing Divisions Relief and Resettlement Department. He said that the welfare payment of 1.7 million kyats (about US$1,300)excluding government life insurance paymentshad been given to 70 of the victims families by Oct. 23. Authorities were unable to confirm the exact number of passengers on board at the time of the tragedy but some survivors estimated that it was carrying about 250 passengers. The ferry was registered with Sagaing Divisions Department of Marine Administration as having a seating capacity of 36 people. The captain of the privately owned Aung Soe Moe Kyaw-2 ferry had been on the run since the capsize of the ferry in mid-October but turned himself in to local police on Friday, according to U Tin Maung Myint, police major of the Kani Township police station. Police have now arrested five individuals involved in the ferry accident. Among them is U Myint Kyaw who owns a stake in the ferry operator and was one of four detainees to be arrested following the accident, police major U Tin Maung Myint said. He added that another shareholder, U Htay Zaw, is currently on the run. The five crew-members are charged under Articles 280, 304(A), and 114 of Burmas Penal Code. According to Article 280, anyone who navigates any vessel in a manner so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or to cause hurt or injury to others can be imprisoned for a maximum of six months. Article 304(A) imposes seven to ten years in prison for causing death by negligence. The additional Article 114 is for abetting the act of negligence, the police major told The Irrawaddy. The case is now under police investigation before we bring it to court, he said. Sagaing Divisions minister of electricity, industry and transportation U Than Nyunt Win said that based on the detailed report of a separate investigation team formed by the regional government, they would take further action regarding ferry regulations. There are already laws and regulations set by the regional government, he said. Such an incident happened because [ferry operators] do not respect these regulations. U Than Nyunt Win also added that the regional government asked local transport authorities to start assigning inspectors at each jetty along the Chindwin River in order to make sure ferries are not overloaded or overcrowded. The Aung Soe Moe Kyaw-2 ferry also breached the local transport authorities restriction of navigating the Chindwin River at night. Confessing that regional legislation on private ferry operators is flawed, Sagaing Chief Minister U Myint Naing said his regional government would take effective legal action against ferry operators who violate restrictions set by regional government when he visited the location of the ferry salvage operations in Kani Townships Michaung Dwin village. Similar incidents have occurred on Arakan States rivers with police noting that deaths were often a result of an insufficient or total lack of life jackets provided for passengers on board. Burma Food Shortages for IDPs Blamed on Funding Cuts, Blocks on Aid Phare IDP camp at mile post six on the Burma-China border in Chi Phway Township, Kachin State, in January 2016. / J Paing / The Irrawaddy Some 40,000 IDPs in Kachin and northern Shan states have been facing food shortages due to the dual problems of being unable to secure longterm food support and the governments block on food aid, according to local relief groups. Food shortages for internally displaced people (IDP) in camps in areas under the control of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), such as Jayang, Hpun Lum Yang and Mai Ja Yang near the Chinese border, are attributed to subsequent funding shortages. Man Wein Gyi IDP camp in Mansi Townshipas well as communities displaced between Sumprabom and Putao since Octoberhave run out of food support due to the Burma Army not allowing aid to be transported to the region. It has been two months that rice aid for the IDPs has been blocked, under the accusation that the refugee rations are going into the KIA, said Sai Sam Kham, director of the Metta Development Foundation, allegations which, he says, are inflated. Over 100,000 people fleeing warsbetween the Tatmadaw and the KIA in Kachin State; and between the Tatmadaw and both the Taang Nationalities Liberation Army and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North in Shan Stateare taking shelter in makeshift camps in the region. Those camps in northern Shan States government-controlled areas, which host about 20,000 people, were also blocked from receiving deliveries of humanitarian aid. It has been nearly a year since local relief groups requested permission to contribute support to the IDPs and were turned down by the state government. Khon Ja, of the Kachin Peace Network, told The Irrawaddy that even though she traveled close to the IDP camps with aid in hand, she could not get in. Since October, permission has not yet been given for Man Wein Gyi camp, she said. Relief groups point out that blocking access to food is a breach of international humanitarian law. We, the NGOs, follow procedures when conducting food delivery to the IDPs; as such, the IDPs must present themselves before taking any rations, said Sai Sam Kham. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Burma has around one million people in need of humanitarian aid across the nation, affected by war, communal conflicts and natural disasters. But the UNs humanitarian aid budget covers only an estimated 55 percent of the total need, leaving a gap of US$86 million. Pierre Peron, spokesperson for OCHA in Burma, told The Irrawaddy that humanitarian access to conflict areas in Myanmar is currently worse than at any point in the past few years. Predictable, timely humanitarian access is vital for organizations to ensure that the needs of all affected people are adequately met and that protection issues are being addressed, he added. Unfortunately, our ability to reach people who depend on humanitarian assistance is getting worse, not better. Due to difficulties regarding transportation, the UNs new form of support has come in terms of cash9,000 kyats ($7) per person per monthrather than as rice and food packs, which IDPs say has been insufficient. Khon Ja said that each IDPs basic needsfor rice, cooking oil, salt, and hygiene productsactually costs double that amount, at 18,000 kyats per month. She and her colleagues have been raising funds to buy rice for the Jayang and Hpun Lum Yang camps, which require at least 38 tonnes of rice each month to feed all residents. Still, even with fundraising, the network has yet to reach the amount needed; Khon Ja said she has been campaigning for more collaboration from people who can contribute. In addition, the Kachin Peace Network is raising funds for childrens education in the camps, as such programs are currently lacking. Local relief groups said they could agree in theory to the distribution of cash to IDPs in order to reduce their total reliance on food support. However, the Metta Foundations Sai Sam Kham said that there remains no practical solution yet regarding an alternative livelihood for the IDPs, who are unable to return home due to continued fighting and the presence of landmines in their communities. Even though some of the displaced have crossed the Chinese border seeking work as day laborers, Sai Sam Kham added that IDPs from Burma are currently being exploited, reportedly receiving half of the payment that a Chinese worker would earn for the same job. News Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi Visits Japan, Seeking Investment Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attends a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China on Aug. 18, 2016. / Jason Lee / Reuters Burmas State Counselor and Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Japan on Tuesday with the aim of courting investment and aid. Daw Aung San Suu Kyis five-day visit to Japan is the latest in a whirlwind of foreign trips promoting her country as an investment destination. She has already been to China, the United States and India. Burma could use Japanese investment and robust bilateral ties as a counterweight to China, its largest trading partner. Japan, for its part, is eager to seek opportunities in meeting Burmas extensive infrastructure and development needs, a Japanese foreign ministry official told reporters. During her visit, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. She will also visit Kyoto, where she lived while doing research into her father, Aung San, Burmas independence hero. Nearly 50 years of economic mismanagement by a military dictatorship has left the countrys roads, airports and electricity supply shattered. This means there is little homegrown industry and Burmas recent annual economic growth of 8 percent has been mostly underpinned by imports. In September, when Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited the United States, President Barack Obama announced he would remove most economic sanctions. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi two weeks ago promised foreign investors a clearer legal framework and opportunities in untapped sectors. Japan never imposed trade and financial sanctions against the country. As a result, Japan already has a significant presence, centered around the Japan-led Thilawa Special Economic Zone. Thilawa, a 6,200 acre (2,500-hectare) industrial project on the outskirts of Rangoon, the countrys largest city, is about to begin its second phase of development in November. In the fiscal year ending in March 2015, Japanese direct investment in Burma totaled $86 million, according to the Foreign Ministry. Exports from Burma were worth $513 million, mainly clothing and agricultural products, while Burma imports from Japan were worth $1.3 billion, largely cars and machinery. Politics Govt Request for Information on Arakan State Operations Unanswered Border Guard Police patrol the border with Bangladesh after the Oct. 9 attacks in Arakan State. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy The government requested information more than ten days ago from the Burma Army about alleged misconduct by soldiers in Arakan State, but has yet to receive a response, according to a Reuters report. Military operations in Maungdaw Township near the Bangladesh border, carried out jointly with border guard police, have entered their fourth week after attacks by alleged Islamist militants on border guard posts in northern Arakan State on Oct. 9. Reuters obtained a list of 13 questions sent by the government to the military, requesting information about reports of killings, looting, arrests and destruction of homes. We submitted the list on Oct. 20, but we still havent heard back, the agency was told by a civilian official who refused to be identified because he was not allowed to discuss the previously unpublished list with the media. In the hunt for perpetrators of the Oct. 9 attacks, the government has said five soldiers and at least 33 insurgents have been killed in clashes with a group it believes has around 400 members drawn from the mostly stateless Rohingya Muslim minority. While Burmas army-drafted constitution puts the military firmly in control of security matters, Reuters quoted diplomats and aid workers to have said privately that they were dismayed at Daw Aung San Suu Kyis lack of deeper involvement in the handling of the crisis. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who as well as effectively leading the government as state counselor is also Burmas foreign minister, has pressed ahead with a busy schedule of overseas trips. When fighting erupted in Arakan State, she departed for a four-day visit to India, left on Tuesday for a five-day trip to Japan. Right now theres only one person calling the shotswhen shes abroad, nothing gets done, an international observer familiar with the situation said to Reuters. United Nations human rights experts have urged the government to investigate the allegations of abuses by troops and UN agencies have called for aid access to the area. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has not directly commented on those calls or on statements from human rights monitors, although she has urged the military to exercise restraint and act within the law. In its public comments the governmentlargely through presidential spokesman U Zaw Htay, a former soldier and holdover from the previous military-aligned administrationhas backed the military line that the army is conducting carefully targeted sweeps against Islamist militants it blames for the Oct. 9 attacks. But residents and rights groups have reported killings, looting and sexual assaults committed by soldiers against civilians. State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Htin Kyaw met the militarys top brass on Oct. 14 and urged a restrained and judicious response to the attacks. Civilian officials were managing that problem very closely, Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told Reuters on Friday. They already agreed on the policy. Thats why the military and the interior ministry ordered ground troops and police in [Arakan State] to work according to the law, he said. Richard Horsey, a former United Nations official and analyst based in Rangoon said that since taking power Daw Aung San Suu Kyis government had established a level of confidence and trust with the military leadership. Still, it remains unclear whether there is the active, working-level relationship needed to address concerns about the militarys actions in Arakan State, he said. Civilian and police officials have said it was not possible that security forces had committed abuses. Diplomats and United Nations officials want independent observers allowed into the area to verify the reports. They are also pressuring the government to allow humanitarian aid into the area, where the Rohingya population are denied Burmese citizenship and face restrictions on their movements. Last week, eight Rohingya women told Reuters reporters who visited their village that they had been raped by soldiers. Presidential spokesman U Zaw Htay denied the allegations. Since that report was published, about 400 soldiers again searched the village at the weekend, a resident said on Monday. The resident, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said security personnel warned women in the village of U Shey Kya about talking to media. Tuesday, November 1st, 2016 (3:05 pm) - Score 515 Businesses operating from Skylon Park, which is a 72-hectare site within the Hereford Enterprise Zone, look set to benefit after the ITS Technology group announced that it would roll-out a 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premise (FTTP) broadband network to the area using existing cable ducts. The new network stems from an agreement between ITS and the Herefordshire County Council, with the latter allowing ITS to access some of their existing infrastructure in order to deploy the new service. Roy Shelton, CEO of ITS, said the agreement to design, build and operate Skylon Parks high-speed fibre network will enable businesses to have further competitive advantage and support Herefordshire Councils vision of a truly technology enabled business park. The first business users are now live with a growing demand to access our services. Bill Jackson, Chairman of the Enterprise Zone, said: We, with council backing, have already invested in ducting, around 4.5 km so far, in preparation for fibre based broadband services to be installed. ITS will add to that network, and install fibre through it to provide services to customers. Businesses need superfast and ultrafast broadband if they are to compete with other companies across the globe. It helps level a playing field for our investors, many of whom are dealing in complex and sensitive information, which they need to share across multiple sites around the UK and the world in different time zones. They simply cannot wait for hours to download or upload data. Todays news follows last months confirmation of a fresh investment worth 2.4 million for ITS (here). Meanwhile the operator has now signed a number of similar agreements to extend and commercialise councils assets and we wouldnt be surprised to see a few more in the future. Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2017 Business models around the world are rapidly shifting from selling products to monetizing services. It doesnt matter what industry you are in, if you are not generating revenue by digitally connecting to consumers, the future of your enterprise is in doubt. While this digital transformation requires new approaches to organizational structures, workforce skillsets, business processes and customer relationships, it all starts with infrastructure. Static, silo-laden data systems are out; agile, software-defined architectures are in. But how, exactly, are traditional enterprises supposed to implement such a radical upgrade in time to ward off competition from digitally driven upstarts who are unburdened by legacy infrastructure? To be sure, it will take a concerted effort, and a clearly defined strategy as to how digital transformation can be optimized for the enterprises unique market strengths. According to The Hackett Group, a Miami-based consultancy, companies that have embraced digital transformation spend 21 percent less per end user than traditional firms, producing an average annual savings of $41 million on revenues of $10 billion or more. They are also more adept at using IT to drive strategic imperatives and develop new market opportunities rather than simply supporting legacy business activities. But this requires technology to be reallocated from transactional support to value-added activities through formalized services delivery models and a more efficient ITIL framework. As well, systems should be re-engineered toward more user-centric service and delivery, enabling greater self-service for customers, employees, partners and other stakeholders. Two key elements that are badly in need of transformation are storage and networking, says Julian Starr, head of systems engineering at Brocade UK. In a recent interview with IT Pro Portal, Starr notes that the combination of Flash storage and Gen 6 Fibre Channel will imbue most legacy infrastructure with continuous availability, resource agility and flexible configuration capabilities that drive performance. A key goal in digital transformation is to connect users with critical applications and data at lightning speeds, but this must be done without locking platforms into static, predictable growth patterns that ultimately stifle development and innovation. Many of the worlds leading platform providers, in fact, are retooling their flagship product lines around these agile concepts. Hitachi Data Systems recently introduced new automation, cloud and unified computing (UC) initiatives aimed at helping the enterprise meet the challenges of digital transformation. By matching the Hitachi Enterprise Cloud (HEC) platform with a new management automation strategy atop converged infrastructure, the company says it can deliver a pre-configured, application-centric data ecosystem that lowers costs and supports broad scalability across hybrid architectures. The platform makes heavy use of VMwares vRealize suite for broad on-premises and cloud resource integration, while at the same time maintaining OpenStack compliance for extensive third-party development and support. Fresh from its recent merger, Dell-EMC is hitting the digital ground running with the new Elastic Cloud Storage (ECS) 3.0 platform that enables an object-oriented management system to support application deployment and consumption across distributed architectures, and it provides a 60 percent reduction in operational costs over current public cloud solutions. At the same time, the company has released an all-Flash version of the Isilon NAS system that provides an agile footing for the large volumes of unstructured data that are increasingly becoming the focus of advanced analytics in Big Data and IoT workflows. Unfortunately, there is no template for change of this magnitude. Even with a world-class technology partner, the enterprise must implement digital transformation on its own terms, not its vendors, with a clear understanding of what needs to be changed and how success is to be defined. An established enterprise already has the customers, the market savvy and the know-how to compete in todays economy. All it needs is the infrastructure to compete in tomorrows. Arthur Cole writes about infrastructure for IT Business Edge. Cole has been covering the high-tech media and computing industries for more than 20 years, having served as editor of TV Technology, Video Technology News, Internet News and Multimedia Weekly. His contributions have appeared in Communications Today and Enterprise Networking Planet and as web content for numerous high-tech clients like TwinStrata and Carpathia. Follow Art on Twitter @acole602. Data governance has become increasingly vital to enterprises, especially as data is being collected by a multitude of stakeholders, some even unknown. Preserving the integrity and consistency of your organizations data is crucial since this information is used to gain business insights. However, establishing a digital governance plan managing multiple stakeholders, an increasingly complex marketing technology stack, and dealing with a changing regulatory environment can be a challenge. With the right education and data governance solutions, the job can be made a lot simpler. In this slideshow, Mollie Panzner, SME on Digital Governance & Vendor Analysis at Ghostery, has identified 10 steps organizations can take towards establishing a proper data governance plan. Developing a Data Governance Plan Click through for 10 steps organizations can take toward developing a data governance plan, as identified by Mollie Panzner, SME on Digital Governance & Vendor Analysis at Ghostery. Assign a Digital Governance Owner The process needs a leader to centralize project management and direct other key departmental stakeholders. This individual will be in charge of task prioritization, tag remediation, defining standards for vendor vetting, implementation, monitoring and removal. Understand the Landscape A proper plan starts by performing an audit of your websites technologies to identify all direct and indirect tags (including redirects). Its also important to document the tags owners in order to isolate legacy, unknown, and unauthorized vendors, and to identify partners. Take Advantage of Quick Wins Its easy to jump off the deep end and start analyzing each tag sometimes there are hundreds if your page has been unchecked for a long time. Instead, start first by remediating tags that are considered to be low hanging fruit, such as removing expired and unknown tags, and updating protocols and tag implementations. Make All Stakeholders Aware Hold meetings with the departmental stakeholders to create the websites vendor strategy. Once agreed upon by all parties, circulate it to provide proper guidance for implementing tags and cost-benefit analysis. Establish Governance Standards to Follow To help the process, a set of tag standards in a published governance policy framework is needed. It will define communications workflows, task ownership, approval processes and a required tag implementation questionnaire. Consider additional scrutiny for tags that contain PII. Keep Detailed Records of Vendors Make sure to keep documentation of vendor details for all currently implemented technologies (including approved redirects). Key issues to track include details on usage, ownership, categorization, data points collected, technology capabilities, revenue expectations, latency expectations, redirect limits and implementation expirations. Pinpoint Additional Tags for Remediation Utilizing the updated vendor strategy and governance standards, identify the tags that are deemed non-compliant due to an analysis of business function, category, performance, risk, footprint, or ROI to remediate. Update Service Agreements Make sure all agreements accurately reflect the newly defined vendor expectations, as well as privacy disclosures. Remember that North American and EU compliance regulations may vary, so both need to be considered. Proactively Monitor Tag Details Areas to keep an eye on include usage, implementation, and deactivation. It can also be useful to leverage benchmarking, security, and performance KPIs to ensure ongoing optimal governance. Implement Quarterly Reviews Quarterly governance-based KPI reviews, ongoing internal education of vendor capabilities, and strategic departmental stakeholder meetings will all ensure that data governance now and in the future remains under control. According to rumors and speculations, Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 would come with some innovative features. iPhone 8's OLED Display Apple's next year iPhone will celebrate 10 years since the first launch of the mobile device. Therefore, tech experts and Apple's fans alike are expecting the company will launch a truly special iPhone 8 in 2017, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular gadget. According to Japan's Nikkei Asian Review, Sharp executive Tai Jeng-Wu confirmed the next iPhone's hardware upgrade will reportedly include a stylish OLED display. He made this claim in a recent trip to Tatung University in Taiwan, his alma mater. Jeng-Wu is well positioned to have access to insider information related to Apple's upcoming iPhone 8, since he also happens to be an executive at Foxconn Technology Group (Sharp's parent company also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry). Foxconn is an important iPhone part supplier and assembler and this puts him in a unique position to know what Apple is working on. According to the report, Jeng-Wu said that Apple's iPhone has been continually evolving. Now the high-tech gadget is making the transition from low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) to OLED panels. He added that it is yet too early to know whether Apple's OLED iPhones will be a hit, but the company certainly needs to implement this new display technology in order to bring innovation to its flagship products and transform itself. Jeng-Wu's remarks come in the context of Apple's financial troubles. The company has reported its first annual sales drop in fifteen years, according to The Wall Street Journal. The weakening demand of the iPhone is blamed by tech analysts on the lack of innovative features. According to the website daringfireball.net, for most of the year Apple has been rumored to explore OLED technology, but Jeng-Wu's latest remarks can be considered almost an official confirmation. According to him, a new OLED facility is built now in Japan, but OLED panels could be produced by Foxconn in the U.S. as well. The fact that Sharp and Apple are exploring OLED technology should be of no surprise. Samsung, Apple's top competitor, uses already OLED technology in both the Note 7 and S7 Edge phones. Many customers prefer the OLED displays to LCD screens because they offer brighter colors and sharper color contrasts. Another advantage to OLED displays is their ability to flex. This feature allows manufacturers to create foldable models or, at least to bend the screens around the edge of the device. The OLED displays are, in essence, practically shatter-proof and way more durable. According to Gizmodo, Apple is expected to release three new iPhone 8 models next year. Among them is included a high-end model with a 5.5-inch (or larger) OLED display, featuring curves on both sides of the phone, similar to Samsung's Galaxy S7. According to USA Today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the new iPhone 8's OLED display will be curved and will feature a glass casing similar to the iPhone 4. iPhone 8's Wireless Charging BGR is reporting on another innovative feature expected to come implemented in next year's iPhone 8 will. According to the publication, the upcoming iPhone will ship with wireless charging. It is rumored that Apple's manufacturing partner Foxconn has started to test wireless charging modules that will be included in at least some versions of the iPhone 8. Whether or not the wireless charging technology finds its way inside the upcoming Apple flagship mobile phone depends on how that testing goes and whether Foxconn is able to consistently produce good quality wireless charging modules. If this rumors are true, then this is just another sign that Apple is looking for serious innovations for next year's iPhone 8 that will come on the market right around the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone. If that happens, adding wireless charging would introduce one more standout feature to the upcoming iPhone 8. Whatever Apple goes with, it really needs to be innovative enough to make a difference. With the market fully saturated by lookalike smartphones, the company will need to finde ways to kickstart sales of its iPhone line. Another reason for Apple to introduce the innovative wireless charging technology is to terminate the Lightning port. By discontinuing the 3.5mm jack port in the iPhone 7, Apple already demonstrated its belief that the future of headphones is wireless. If with the iPhone 8 the high-tech company can shortcut the need for any charging cables, then it could feasibly create the world's first completely wireless smartphone. The year is coming to an end and we're excited to talk about what 2017 has in store for us gadget lovers! We know that 2016 hasn't exactly been kind to Samsung with all the Note 7 drama that has occurred. Apple likewise hasn't impressed an incredible number of consumers with their semi-improved iPhone and arguably insufficiently-improved MacBook Pros. Microsoft's event successfully hyped up the demand for the Surface Studio but a lot of Windows fans were disappointed for the lack of "new" portable Surfaces. Needless to say, 2017 might make everything fall into place for these tech giants. Rumor has it that Samsung, Apple and Microsoft have a lot of great things in store for next year. Microsoft Surface Pro 5 The Surface Pro 5 failed to make an appearance last October 27 when Microsoft unveiled the Surface Studio. Instead, fans were introduced to the Surface Book i7 - an upgraded version of the Surface Book. So for fans awaiting the Surface Pro 5, the nearest thing you can get to a Microsoft hybrid device this year is the revamped Surface Book. We can't really blame the company for not unleashing a new tablet this month. The Surface Pro 4 is too successful to be replaced this early. Not only would Microsoft find it hard to beat, the Pro 4 also remains relatively competitive up to now, making it understandable to be kept as Microsoft's latest tablet model. Hopefully though, 2017 is Surface Pro 5's official launch year. Microsoft Surface Phone The Surface Phone is still an unacknowledged mobile device. Everyone keeps talking about it but its supposed manufacturer still avoids commenting so much about it. Lumia might have not been the most successful Microsoft venture, but it looks like a lot of people are still excited to see a supposed new Microsoft phone. Rumor has it that the Surface Phone will be launched together with next year's major Windows 10 update. It has also been a talk of the town that the Surface Phone will come in three variants and feature a display-embedded fingerprint sensor. Tech Times says that the phone will be powered by Intel's latest processor, the Kaby Lake. However, as mentioned, Microsoft still keeps mum on these matters. Apple iPhone 8 Like the rumored Surface Phone, the iPhone 8 is also expected to come with a fingerprint scanner that's embedded on the display. All-glass structures alongside edge-to-edge displays are also big possibilities for the iPhone 8, Mac Rumors reported. Apple might be silent about their next flagship but the rumor mill gets unstoppable as time pass by. It was said that the iPhone's home button might finally say goodbye and Apple might also squeeze the iPhone 8's front-cam underneath the frontal display. It's safe to say that the reason why the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus did not undergo so much design change is because Apple is saving it for next year. Take note that the iPhone 8 is Apple's 10th iPhone release, making it extra special. As for the release date, it's still safe to expect a September launch, although a totally different release date is still possible considering the fact that the iPhone 8 could be a special phone. Samsung Galaxy S8 One of the main reasons why people are excited for the Galaxy S8 is because it's Samsung's first flagship release after the recalled Note 7. A lot of smartphone fans are excited to see how Samsung will make up for the Note 7 fiasco through the Galaxy S8. Needless to say, whether or not the company screwed up this year, they are still expected to bring in the best of the best next year. We've known and loved Samsung for their undying dedication to mobile phone innovation and we can expect the company to do just that for the Galaxy S8. Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Fans of the Note series were heartbroken for a few days when rumors about the cancellation of the Note brand surfaced online. It was said that because of the Note 7 fiasco, Samsung considered removing their phablet production altogether. Luckily though, this rumor has been eventually debunked. The company might not have addressed this silly rumor directly, but their announcement about their new program did the trick. Apparently, Samsung announced their new upgrade program that involves the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8. This means that those who love the Note series shouldn't be disappointed after all. On Halloween morning, Monday, Oct. 31, the Shadow Brokers mysterious hacker group was back with a new online leak that is claimed to reveal hundreds of organizations spied on by the United States National Security Agency (NSA) over more than a decade. New Shadow Brokers Leak According to Fortune, the Shadow Brokers group released a new cache of files online, revealing the network designations or IP addresses of computer servers supposedly compromised by The Equation Group. The Equation Group is rumored to be a hacker outfit linked to NSA. According to a tweet on Twitter, the list contains hundreds of targets of the cyber-espionage performed by NSA-linked group from the 2000s. On the list are targets in countries such as India, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and South Korea, as well as email providers and universities in China. Shadow Brokers group has already created seismic waves in August when it made public some of NSA's most elite hacking tools. Now, the hacker group is back to fame with its new leak. On a Meadium post, the Shadow Brokers announced in a broken English on Monday morning that the group is "having special trick or treat for Amerikanskis tonight." The fact that the post belongs to the hacker group is confirmed by the fact that it is signed by the same encryption key used in the August posts. According to Ars Technica, Monday's leak came just as former NSA contractor Harold Thomas Martin III remains in federal custody on charges that he gathered in his suburban Maryland home an impressive 50 terabytes of data. An important share of the data includes highly classified information such as highly sensitive methods behind intelligence operations and the names of U.S. intelligence officers. Investigators looking into the Shadow Brokers' August leak also discovered Martin's data breach. However, it is not clear what connection Martin has to the Shadow Brokers group's leaks. The Equation Group The "omnipotent" Equation Group of hackers tied to NSA was found at least, after hiding for 14 years. Originally, Equation Group was a name given to an elite team of NSA-tied hackers by researchers from Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab. Some of the Windows flaws exploited by The Equation Group were later targeted by the Stuxnet worm that attacked the nuclear program of Iran. Until Kaspersky researchers brought it to light, The Equation Group was able to operate undetected for more than 14 years. There is no evidence that "Equation Group" was the name anyone inside the group used, however researchers dubbed it this way. According to analyses from researchers posted on the websites myhackerhouse.com and pastebin.com, Monday's dump contains 306 distinct domain names and 352 IP addresses that purportedly have been hacked by the NSA. The servers were targeted between Aug 22, 2000 and Aug 18, 2010, according to the timestamps included in the leak. Among the addresses are included nine .gov domains and 32 .edu domains. The targets were located in a total of 49 countries. Among the top targeted countries are included Russia, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, India, Germany, Spain, Italy and Mexico. The dump also includes other interesting pieces of data, such as the configuration settings for a toolkit used to hack servers running Unix operating systems. The list could be used, if valid, by various organizations to uncover attacks that spread on over a decade and were, until recently, closely guarded secrets. The servers were mostly running Sun Microsystems' Solaris operating system that was widely used in the early 2000s. FreeBSD and Linux are also shown on the leaked spreadsheet. This new leak is coming to fuel a new NSA spying scandal right at a time of controversial cyberattack claims. The American government just came to point at Russia as the country being beyond recent hacks of American online targets, including an alleged tentative to highjack American presidential elections. NSA did not yet officially comment on the spying issue uncovered by the new leak. In an effort to get a bigger piece of the pie, Motorola is banking on some fierce marketing moves to promote their brand. The company is offering a $150 discount upon purchase of the Moto Z handset and has launched a campaign that takes advantage of the current debacle other major tech companies are going through. Discount The new Moto Z's price will go down to $550 after the discount. The $150-off promotion can be availed only until November 18. Those interested need to go to Motorola's website and enter their email addresses. The company will then send a promo code. Specifications The specs of the Moto Z include a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 1440 x 2560 Quad HD resolution and a pixel density of approximately 535 PPI. It uses a Snapdragon 820 chipset and comes with 4GB RAM and 32 GB or 64GB of internal storage. A microSD card slot allows the Moto Z to expand storage up to 256GB. The Moto Z comes with the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow but it is likely that Motorola will offer an update to Android Nougat anytime soon. Its primary camera comes at 13MP with f/1.8, OIS, dual-LED flash plus and laser autofocus. It also has a 5MP selfie camera. The Moto Z gets even better with the Moto Mods, a trio of add-ons that turn the Moto Z into a boombox, a projector, and a camera with super-zoom capability. Skip The Sevens Motorola and Lenovo, in general, are getting fierce on the marketing side. They recently launched a campaign called "Skip the Sevens" which obviously refers to the underwhelming iPhone 7 and the disastrous Samsung Galaxy Note 7. The company's first TV ad since 2011 starts off by giving a nod to the past with a female voice saying "Remember 2007 smartphones? Big game changing OMG". The ad mentions that phones really haven't changed much in the past few years except for better cameras, relocated headphone jacks, and rose-colored phones. The advert then entices the audience to start "demanding different" as the familiar sound of the iconic "Hello Moto" tagline is heard. The Moto Z commercial then introduces the Moto Mods. Lenovo bought Motorola Mobility from Google in 2014 and renamed it Moto. The company launched the new Moto Z in Singapore last Thursday. Motorola was a popular brand up until ten years ago. Its most popular product back then was the Razr. The now-iconic flip phone, however, will not make a comeback despite the clamor of many. Living Computers Museum + Labs offers free parking for visitors but that is not the only reason why this article came to be. Free parking is cool but they are had changed their name to such from formerly being known just as Living Computer Museum. Usually a name change means something and you will discover as you read through. Why did they change their name? One, because they can; and two, because they want to revamp their layout and focus how they teach computing history to visitors such as teachers, students, software engineers, hardware engineers, and the like and then ultimately use that knowledge into whatever the visitors are working on. Museums can teach us a thing or two with the visitors just looking at the display items. For Living Computers Museum + Labs, they have both museum and laboratory where you can actually try stuff out. A report from Gamasutra.com also states that the museum aims for a hands-on dev education. For game developers, this is useful since the facility now offers not just a computer museum but a computer lab with VR and videogames you can tinker with and then afterwards bring home some ideas with you. Being a game developer is not just straight development, much of interaction is needed so that ideas can be conceived and applied. This is what Living Computers Museum + Labs' one purpose, to bring up ideas by offering both museum and laboratory experiences. What's in there now? Living Computers Museum + Labs' website describes: "A new main gallery offers direct experiences with robotics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, big data, the Internet of Things, video-game making, and digital art," the site also adds: "The main floor features education labs for learning new skills (or dusting off old ones)." So for those who are nearby Seattle, Washington, you are cordially invited to "Come in" and "Geek out" Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen established the museum in 2012, the main focus then was to exhibit old computers and make them available for visitors who are scheduled. The computers in the museum did their fair contribution on how the gaming industry came to be. Here's a quick tour of the museum: Toyota's innovative Smart Key Box is the automaker's further venture in the car-sharing market. It's a Bluetooth-enabled device that helps users to unlock and start up their cars. The catch is, vehicle owners can use their smartphones instead of the regular car keys. Toyota's Smart Key Box Toyota explained that the Smart Key Box can be installed in the car's dashboard without modification. It's through the Smart Key Box that the vehicle owner can start the engine or unlock its door. It works in the car-sharing service market. According to CNET, the driver will arrange a loan of the car with a smartphone app. This app should be connected to Toyota's cloud-based Mobility Services Platform. It could handle payments, loan scheduling and time period of the car's availability. The role of the smartphone is to share an encrypted unlock code that gives the customer access to the car. This is only possible when the smartphone is already within the Bluetooth range of the car. The car's push-button ignition will also be enabled. The said unlock code is limited. CNET further reports that it is only active during the set time for which the car has been engaged. But users can actually ask to extend their loan time using the app. Toyota will be the one to manage this. The Getaround pilot program will be the first to use the Smart Key Box. Its fate is still uncertain until January 17 during the program's launch in San Francisco. This is only limited to owners of Lexus and the new Prius. Toyota's Venture In The Car-Sharing Market Reuters had reported last week that a fund controlled by Toyota has invested $10 million to Getaround. According to The Verge, the said investment is an indication of Toyota's interest in the car-sharing market. It allows the automaker to build a competitive atmosphere. Mercedes-Benz' Daimler has Car2Go. General Motors has its Maven car-sharing service. Seattle is the home turf of BMW's ReachNow. Furthermore, Tesla is also set to have its own car-sharing network. Toyota can capitalize on the market's growing popularity. The demand for the new Google Pixel smartphones has exceeded expectations of the company and Google has admitted that the supply may not be enough to cover all pre-orders. To make up for the lapse, Google is giving away $50 worth of Play Store credits for customers who will be affected by the insufficient supply of the Pixel and Pixel XL. Google sent out emails to customers who have already placed orders for the new devices. These emails found their way to Reddit and Google+ after some customers posted it on the said social media sites. PCMag got a copy of the email and posted it in a report. Here's what the email said: Hello there -- Thank you for your recent purchase on Google Store. We're really excited for you to experience our new products, but we have some not-so-great news: It's going to take a little longer for you to receive your package than we expected. We know this can be frustrating, but the good news is that we've shipped your order and it's on its way. You should've already received a shipment confirmation email from us. We're also going to send you a $50 Google Play credit via email soon after your package is delivered. Again, we're so sorry - and thank you again for your order. Sincerely, The Google Store Team Customers who ordered their Pixel devices from the Google Store are entitled to get the Play Store credits. Unfortunately, those who booked through other means, namely Verizon, will not receive the offer. Verizon announced last Friday that it is offering a $400 account credit to those who will switch from another mobile carrier to Verizon and at the same time buy a Pixel phone. Verizon account owners are entitled to $300 in account credit if they exchange their phone to a Google Pixel or Pixel XL. The new Google smartphones were unveiled early in October along with other new devices, namely Google Assistant, Google Home, Chromecast Ultra, Google Daydream View, and Google WiFi Router. MTV television show, Teen Mom 2 is reportedly ending has one of its showrunners, Kailyn Lowry discreetly dishes out to the public that the said show is coming to an end. Teen Mom 2 is a reality documentary show spin-off from the MTV documentary show 16 and Pregnant that debuted in 2009. Teen Mom 2 premiered on MTV in January 2011 and helped the four main casts namely Jenelle Evans, Chelsea DeBoer, Kailyn Lowry, and Leah Messer rise to fame and become household names. The said reality MTV television show has been running for seven seasons and has reportedly been renewed for an eighth season. But shockingly, Kailyn Rowly has seemingly revealed that Teen Mom 2 will not be seeing additional seasons as the said series is said to end on its current installment plans. Kailyn recently published her new book titled, Hustle and Heart and it will be released on Nov. 22. In the said book, Kailyn has allegedly revealed that it's over and the show was ending. An excerpt from the introduction of her book, Hustle and Heart reads, Since 2010 Ive been on TV, and my struggles have been my identity. Now, especially with the show coming to end, its time for my accomplishments to stand out. I want to show everyone that even though I grew up like white trash and got knocked up at seventeen, I can get a Bachelors degree and raise children who blow people away with their manners, wit, and intelligence. Kailyn has revealed her hardships as well as her future plans, probably after the end of the reality series, in her upcoming new book. Some news outlet has confirmed that Season 8 for Teen Mom 2 is already in the works and with Kailyns vague revelation, it just be the last season. Followers of the reality series have voiced out that canceling Teen Mom 2 will cause disruption especially when the original teen moms have returned with Teen Mom OG sharing more of their lives. If Teen Mom 2 gets canceled, that could probably mean that the rest of the Teen Mom franchise might be slated off by the network. But it is too early to draw conclusions as nothing has been confirmed yet. MTV and Kailyn Rowly has yet to release an official statement regarding this matter. Details about the new Lenovo and Motorola devices have leaked out. According to rumors, the new products will be known as the Vibe P2 and the Moto M. The rumors came about after a promotional flyer was leaked last October 29. The said flyer contained images of the Lenovo Vibe P2 and another device. The Vibe P2 is already a known commodity after it was revealed at the IFA 2016 but the other handset has yet to be announced or introduced by the company. The phone in question was in a silver color variant and images of its front and back was shown. The leaked flyer sparked rumors of a new Motorola phone which has been dubbed the Moto M. The specs of the Moto M were also leaked. It is believed to be the first device from Motorola to have a fingerprint scanner at the rear. The new device is supposed to have a 2.1 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6755 processor under its hood. It will also have a 5-inch 1080p display and two cameras, a 16MP primary camera and a 5MP front camera for selfie lovers. The Moto M is rumored to have 3GB RAM and 32Gb internal memory. As for the battery, a 3,000mAh will be used. The specs of the new Lenovo Vibe P2 have also been leaked online. A pamphlet was posted indicating that the new Lenovo phone will sport a 5.5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and is rumored to clock in at a speed of 2.0GHz. The Vibe P2 will run on Android v6.0 Marshmallow. The Vibe P2 will be available in 3GB and 4GB RAM. Both variants will have 32GB of internal storage. The 64GB version will only be sold in China, if rumors are true. As for the cameras, the Vibe P2 will have a 13MP rear Sony sensor camera while the front will sport a 5MP camera. The leak also mentioned that the launch of the two new gadgets will be on November. BlackBerry Ltd. has already sealed its software deal with Ford Motor Co. The Canadian company seems to be really over the end of its handsets. BlackBerry now stands to benefit from the deal. It can capitalize on the growing market of self-driving cars. The Relevance Of The Deal For BlackBerry And Ford According to Bloomberg, both BlackBerry and Ford have not disclosed the terms of the deal. However, BlackBerry went as far to say that it will work with Ford to develop automotive software. The tech company has admitted that this will help them venture into self-driving technology. BlackBerry's QNX General Manager John Wall told Bloomberg that the deal allows BlackBerry to directly provide software products for Ford's cars. Ford has already used such software built by QNX for its Sync3 in-car infotainment system. Though Ford had purchased it through Panasonic Corp. It's been known that Ford is keen on building autonomous cars. It is competing against Tesla Motors Inc. and Google. Ford and BlackBerry's partnership is a good fit. The automaker can start on BlackBerry's technology that enables an automatic brake when a car hits something in its path. BlackBerry's Possible Redemption BlackBerry had to end the production of its handsets. The tech company decided to change its market. Competing against former smartphone rivals Samsung, Apple and other brands proved to be hard. According to The Wall Street Journal, the once dominant smartphone makers has increased its focus on software development since then. Wall explained that the deal with Ford will allows BlackBerry to work with other auto manufacturers. It can definitely capitalize on the fact that QNX's infotainment system is being used by more than 40 auto companies. He also added that QNX's software is certified for use in autonomous driving and active safety systems. The fate of Ford's upcoming autonomous cars may now be tied with that of BlackBerry. Nothing in Jane Gloriana Villanueva's life comes easy. Despite being a driven student, a caring daughter, and a pretty neat friend, her life is a series of bad news popping-up just as good as news is supposed to be coming. Jane the Virgin started with her being unintentional artificially inseminated with the sperm of stranger and (because of her religious and moral beliefs) choosing to have that man's baby despite being a virgin. Jane Is A Virgin No more! Jane wants to get rid of that crinkled flower from her babyhood. It's about time, right? Last night's episode, "Chapter 47," crossed out the two words after Jane's first name in the film title. After having two seasons of getting pregnant, having a baby, enrolling in an MFA program, dating three different men simultaneously, and getting married right away, Jane couldn't stay a virgin for the rest of her life. Before the episode aired, Gina Rodriguez tweeted: I lose my virginity tonight. On air. For millions to see. Yup, just an average day. #JaneTheVirgin Gina Rodriguez (@HereIsGina) October 31, 2016 And in this episode, that is assumed to be such a joyful release for Jane, "Jane the Virgin" rather hands us back all the blame and shame and difficulties that stands between women who have been shamed for sex, and their pleasure of it. "I feel weird, like I lost something," Jane confesses to her mother, "Like part of my identity." And she undoubtedly did. For Jane Villanueva, her virginity was a huge part of how she self-identities, and certainly how the show called her. Jane might not be a virgin any longer, but she's still what conveys this show. What makes "Jane the Virgin" so superb is that it knows better than to strip off a part of someone's identity and pretend like nothing occurred. "The Vampire Diaries" season eight is already getting closer to its finale, one episode after another, and the speculations on its upcoming end just get more alluring by the day. Nina Dobrev's Return To "The Vampire Diaries" Subtly Teased There have been many hints given out by the producers and even the cast of "The Vampire Diaries" with regards to how the series will come to an end. It has been teased by Executive Producer Julie Plec that actress Nina Dobrev will find her way to return to the show. She has teased this a couple of times already, including a recent one when she said they have managed to keep Elena alive. A reunion with Damon would definitely be a good way to have her back on the show, since they have the largest fan base. Paul Wesley And Ian Somerhalder Talks About Their Characters Fate On The Finale However, when the actors who play the role of Stefan and Damon, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder respectively, were asked about how they wanted the show to end, they both had a similar interest. Although in a different perspective, they both think that their characters will die at the end of the series. They will throw away their daylight rings and allow themselves to burn under the sun, which although sounds tragic, does honourable as well. Will Steroline Have Their Happy Ending, Or Will Klaroline Have Its Way On "The Originals?" The course of events that have happened early on in this season of "The Vampire Diaries," have teased that Stefan will have his happy ending with Caroline. However, in an interview with actor Somerhalder, he exclaimed that happy endings don't necessarily happen in Mystic Falls. Thus, this supports the theory that one of them may die at the end, which could possibly be Stefan. Despite the disappointment among "Steroline" fans, this could be good for "Klaroline" fans. They have been rooting for the Caroline's character to crossover to "The Originals" and finally start a romance with Klaus. Nevertheless, there could still be a thousand ways on how the storyline for the series will go about as they come to an end. "The Vampire Diaries" season eight currently airs on CW every Friday night. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Kerrville, TX (78028) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High near 75F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 57F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. Drake stands up for Taylor Swift! The Canadian rapper has worn out of Kim Kardashian's unpleasant quip to the 26-yer old pop star, Taylor Swift. The multi-awardee rapper tried earnestly to persuade Kayne West to make his wife, Kim to stop dissing Taylor. Taylor and Kim Kardashian's feud are no longer humorous! The 'reality queen', Kim Kardashian broke up her silence in social media by liking a tweet from an article about Calvin Harris' diss track. It was reported that the 36-year old reality TV personality seemed to rail against Taylor. As it was reported that Drake spent more time with Tay, he couldn't help but defend her. He reached Kayne personally to stop her girl from shading Taylor. "Drake texted Kayne and asked him politely to tell Kim to back off from Taylor," a source told to Hollywoodlife, exclusively. "Drake stays on social media like it's a job and is aware of Kim's jab. He told Ye that he's cool with him and Kim, but Taylor could use a little more respect!", the source added. According to the source, Taylor seemed to be Drake's little sister. He found himself protecting her and doesn't think that Taylor and Kim Kardashian's feud should go any longer. It was reported that the article about Calvin's new music video, "My Way" in which Kim liked it via Tweeter has several allusions about Taylor Swift. Though the Scottish DJ denied that the song was about the pop star, the music video looked quite similar to that of Taylor's "Blank Space." Taylor and Kim Kardashians long-standing feud gave tensions to social media when Kim sent a tweet earlier in July to Swift's account proclaiming that it was "National Snake Day." According to the report, Kim Posted numerous videos of his husband, Kayne West having a phone call to Swift approving his "Famous" racy lines "I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex". McDonald's Corp. will be settling a lawsuit with the workers at one of its franchises for the first time. The fast-food giant will pay $3.75 million to settle the labor laws that the company is liable for. According to Reuters, the lawyers that represented about 800 employees at five McDonald's restaurant owned by a single franchisee said McDonald's would be paying the workers. $1.75 million will be for back pay and damages, while $2 million will be in legal fees. The settlement comes as McDonald's faces claim before two U.S. agencies that it is a "joint employer" of workers at franchise restaurants. This designation would make the fast-food giant liable for legal violations by franchisees and would require it to bargain with union workers. The lawsuit claimed that McDonald's and franchisee Smith Family LP violated California Law. The company and the franchisee failed to pay its workers overtime, keep accurate pay records and reimburse workers for time spent cleaning uniforms. The lawyers for the workers said that this will be the first time McDonald's will settle with workers at one of its franchises. The franchisee of McDonald's previously settled a $700,000 claims. The Los Angeles Time reports that for years, McDonald's has been battling in courts across the country to shield itself from wage-hour claims made by workers at franchisees. The fast-food giant has generally succeeded at this. In the last several months, McDonald's have been fighting with the National Labor Relations Board whether the fast-food giant is a joint employer of workers owned by franchises or not. The case was being heard by an administering judge in New York. The San Francisco case marks the first time McDonald's was ordered to settle with the workers at one of its franchises. This could have broad implications for the company as it is looking to deny the efforts of other workers to pursue it in court as a class for wage and hour violations. Joseph Sellers, a lawyer for the worker, said that the result is "historically significant. McDonald's recognized that it had a significant risk if the case went to trial, that we could have established that it was responsible for the conduct in this franchisee workplace." GREENSBORO The presidential race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is now too close to call in North Carolina, according to the latest Elon University Poll. The tightened race comes a month after Clinton's debate performance translated to a 6-point lead 44.5 percent of likely voters versus 39 percent over her opponent. The new poll, which contacted 710 likely voters by phone, was conducted over a 4-day period last week, during which the FBI announced it had reopened its investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. Poll results, released Tuesday, shows the presidential race essentially tied. Forty-two percent of likely voters said they would cast their ballots for Clinton, versus 41.2 percent who are likely to vote for Trump. About 8.7 percent of voters remain undecided. North Carolina is still very much in play for both Trump and Clinton, Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and assistant professor of political science, said in a statement. The Old North State is continuing its tradition as a source of true toss-up electoral votes. Clinton's support among African-American voters remained steady, with 100 percent of black respondents saying they planned to vote for her. Her support among female voters decreased from the last poll, from 61 percent to 55 percent. Men continue to prefer Trump, 56-44, and a large majority 67 percent of white voters also favor him. The poll also quizzed voters about media bias in the presidential election, finding that 56 percent of them felt that reporters were biased against Trump. Just 19 percent felt the media was biased against Clinton. Among party lines, the split was greater 92 percent of Trump supporters felt the media was biased against their candidate. About 1 in 5 Clinton's voters said they there is a media bias against Trump. Trump supporters also were more likely to believe that voter fraud could be a problem during the election and to question the legitimacy of the election results. Sixty percent of Trump's supporters believed fraud could be a major issue, compared to 15 percent of Clinton's voters. Similarly, 92 percent of Clinton's supporters would accept the election results as valid regardless of who wins, compared to 72 percent of Trump's supporters. The Trump campaigns arguments about election rigging seem to be working in North Carolina, Husser said. However, a substantial 72 percent of Trump supporters still say they will accept the results of the election as valid regardless of who wins. The gubernatorial race also is too close to call, with incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and challenger Attorney General Roy Cooper virtually tied at 44 percent among likely voters. With a week until Election Day, 7.5 percent of likely voters remain undecided. The North Carolina governors race will likely be a nail-biter for both sides throughout election night, Husser said. Cooper has strong support among black voters, with 91 percent planning to vote for him, and 63 percent of white voters favor McCrory. As before, the presidential and gubernatorial races are interlinked, Husser said. If Clinton scores a big Democratic turnout, that likely would help Cooper. If Trump surges, it's likely to benefit McCrory. That's because most voters will support the same party in both races. According to the poll results, 94 percent of Clinton's supporters plan to vote for Cooper, and 96 percent of Trump voters support McCrory. The U.S. Senate race has become more clear, with incumbent Republican Richard Burr pulling slightly ahead of Democratic challenger Deborah Ross, although it remains within the margin of error. Burr garnered 43.5 percent of likely voters, compared to 40 percent for Ross. It's a flip from the last Elon Poll, which saw the candidates virtually tied, with Ross garnering 43.6 percent of the vote to Burr's 43.4 percent. The Senate race also is split along racial lines, with 97 percent of black voters backing Ross and 67 percent of white voters favoring Burr. Burr also has greater support among older voters, with a 10-point margin among voters between the ages of 41 and 65, and a 4-point margin among voters 66 years old and older. Ross performs better among voters 40 and younger, with a 2-point margin. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Donald Trump plunged into his final-week sprint to Election Day Monday decidedly on his terms: unleashing a harsh new attack against Democrat Hillary Clinton in Michigan, a state that hasn't favored a Republican for president in nearly three decades. His message was welcomed by supporters, but his location frustrated anxious Republicans who fear their nominee is riding his unorthodox political playbook too long even as Clinton's developing email problems offer new political opportunity. "Her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford," Trump declared in Grand Rapids, pointing to the FBI's renewed examination of Clinton's email practices as evidence the former secretary of state might face a criminal trial as president. National polls show a tightening race. But with more than 23 million ballots already cast through early voting, it's unclear whether Trump has the time or capacity to dramatically improve his standing over the next week in states like Michigan, where few political professionals in either party expect a Republican victory on Nov. 8. Clinton, defending herself from the new FBI examination, focused Monday on battleground Ohio, a state Trump's team concedes he must win. "There is no case here," Clinton insisted. "Most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all this." Later in the day, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook decried what he called a "blatant double standard" following a CNBC report that the FBI director opposed releasing details about possible Russian interference in the U.S. election because it was too close to Election Day. Comey issued a letter to congressional leaders on Friday about the FBI's renewed interest in Clinton's email. The AP has not confirmed the CNBC report, and the FBI declined comment on Monday. Amid the attacks and counterattacks, the race for the White House remains at its core a test of a simple question: Will the conventional rules of modern-day campaigns apply to a 2016 election that has been anything but conventional? For much of the year, Clinton has pounded the airwaves with advertising, assembled an expansive voter data file and constructed a nationwide political organization that dwarfs her opponent's. The Democratic presidential nominee and her allies in a dozen battleground states have more than 4,800 people knocking on doors, making phone calls and otherwise working to support her candidacy. Clinton's numbers, as reported in recent campaign filings, tripled those of Trump and the national and state Republican parties. The New York businessman over the past year has largely ignored the key components of recent winning campaigns, depending instead on massive rallies and free media coverage to drive his outsider candidacy. This week, he's devoting his most valuable resource his time to states where polls suggest he's trailing Clinton by significant margins. Trump had two rallies on Monday in Michigan, a state that last went for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988. The day before, he appeared in New Mexico, which has supported the GOP just once over the last three decades. And on Tuesday, he's scheduled to appear with running mate Mike Pence in Wisconsin, which hasn't backed a Republican for president since Ronald Reagan's re-election in 1984. "It makes no sense to me," Republican pollster Frank Luntz said of Trump's strategy. Michigan-based Republican operative Saul Anuzis described Michigan as "a creative opportunity" for Trump. "The demographics in Michigan are perfect for Trump," Anuzis said of the state's large white working-class population. "That doesn't mean he'll necessarily win here." Trump's campaign hopes that frustrated working-class voters across the Midwest will tip states like Michigan or Wisconsin his way, especially if he benefits from reduced enthusiasm for Clinton in African-American strongholds like Detroit and Milwaukee. New Mexico is seen as a longer shot, with Trump's hard line immigration stance a harder sell in a state with the nation's highest percentage of Latino voters. Adding to Trump's challenge: Millions have already voted by mail and at polling stations across 37 states. They include critical states such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado, where one third of the expected ballots have already been cast. The breakdown of those voters by party affiliation, race and other factors point to an advantage for Clinton. Overall, more than 23 million votes have been cast, far higher than the rate in 2012, according to Associated Press data. That represents nearly 20 percent of the total votes expected nationwide, if turnout is similar to 2012. In all, more than 46 million people up to 40 percent of the electorate are expected to vote before Election Day. In Colorado, Democrats lead Republicans by 3 percentage points in early voting, reversing a trend in the past two elections in which Republicans led in early voting and large numbers of Democrats voted on Election Day. In swing state Iowa, Republicans trail Democrats in early voting as well, though by a smaller margin than four years ago. Both parties are well behind where they were four years ago. Meanwhile, some Republicans are skeptical that the FBI's renewed interest in Clinton's email will erase the Democrat's advantage. "It would take something like an indictment to turn it into a dead heat," Republican pollster Whit Ayres said. As for Trump's charge that a Clinton election might prompt "a constitutional crisis," the Justice Department's office of legal counsel said in 1973 that criminally prosecuting a president would unconstitutionally undermine the executive branch. A 2000 memo reached a similar conclusion. Presidents can face civil lawsuits, however. Gas prices around the Southeast are expected to surge after a major gasoline explosion in Alabama on Monday evening. The deadly explosion, which killed one and injured another, prompted Colonial Pipeline to shut down two crucial lines, as responders sought to control the fire in Shelby County. Gasoline prices had already risen as much as 13 percent on Tuesday, according to Reuters. We could wake up in the morning and gas prices could be up by 10 cents, Tiffany Wright, a spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas, said Tuesday. This could be a really crazy times for gas prices in the Carolinas. The Colonial pipeline is a main artery that connects Gulf Coast refineries with markets across the southern and eastern United States. Millions could face rising gas prices and gas shortages, she said. The pipeline carrying diesel, jet fuel and other distillates reopened Monday night, but the line carrying gasoline could be down until at least Saturday, according to Colonial. The shutdown comes mere weeks after the companys biggest gasoline spill in nearly two decades shut the same line for 12 days, according to a release from Colonial on Tuesday. Mondays explosion was only five miles down the line from the late-September gas leak that caused prices at the pump to spike up to 30 cents and many stations to run dry. Part of the shortage was due to people rushing to the pumps to fill up, Wright said. Its the whole milk-and-bread scenario at grocery stores, Wright said. When we hear theres a storm coming, the stores sell out, but its just because people panic and overindulge. Its unknown how long the latest shutdown will affect gas prices and supply. It depends how quickly Colonial is able to repair the damage or establish a contingency plan, Wright said. The pipeline was still burning Tuesday night, and it will likely be another day before Colonial crews can access the site to inspect the damage. Much of the work in the meantime will be done behind the scenes with reshuffling of resources and redistribution. In September, the Southeast had to rely on long-distance truck deliveries from as far as Chicago and waterborne fuel deliveries to help meet demand in the region. Colonial was soon able to build a bypass that allowed product to move to affected areas, causing pump prices to return to normal within two weeks. The good news is our supply in the U.S. is abundant, Wright said. This often falls on deaf ears, but people should continue their normal spending habits. Gov. Pat McCrory signed Executive Order 112 on Tuesday to ensure there will be adequate fuel across the state and to prevent excessive gas prices. The order waives the maximum hours of service for drivers and temporarily suspends vehicle size and weight restrictions to facilitate the trucking of gasoline. Trucks will begin delivering gasoline today to an expanded service area across North Carolina. The governor has also suspended non-essential travel for state employees. North Carolinas law against price gouging for gasoline remains in effect and consumers should continue to report gouging if they see it, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Tuesday. Coopers office is continuing to investigate multiple allegations of price gouging or charging too much in times of crisis thanks to hundreds of reports from consumers. Consumers are our eyes and ears on the ground, and we use their complaints to investigate possible price gouging, Cooper said. If you spot excessive prices during this time of crisis, please let us know. The plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against defunct Microfibres Inc. have agreed with its bankruptcy trustee to enter mediation to try to resolve a compensation dispute. The parties submitted last week their agreement to have Berry Mitchell serve as mediator, and for mediation to be conducted within 60 days in Providence, R.I. Microfibres, based in Pawtucket, R.I., filed for Chapter 7 voluntary bankruptcy protection Jan. 29 with plans to liquidate its assets the same day it closed its Winston-Salem and Pawtucket plants. The company ended U.S. production in response to domestic and global textiles challenges. The local workforce was at 270 employees as recently as 2004. About 125 employees in Winston-Salem and 60 in Pawtucket were projected to be covered by WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) protections. A federal judge certified on Aug. 24 the class-action lawsuit, with a local former Microfibres employee serving as lead plaintiff. The mediation serves to suspend discovery proceedings in the lawsuit. A preliminary pretrial conference had been set for Jan. 11. Former local employees Dawn Phillips and Cedric Williams filed an amended WARN Act complaint Feb. 9. The plaintiffs request at least $1.5 million in damages. Bankruptcy trustee Joseph DiOrio told the court June 16 that he wanted Phillips removed as a plaintiff because he determined she voluntarily left the company Jan. 26 two days before the plant was shut down. Phillips agreed to the removal Aug. 12. DiOrio has asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, claiming the company is not financially liable to the workforce because it was a faltering business when it ceased operations. DiOrio said Microfibres acted in good faith toward its employees, including paying them in full for compensation they were owed. The WARN Act was enacted in 1989 with the intent of preventing situations in which rank-and-file employees show up for work only to discover that their employer has shut down without notice. The act does this by requiring companies that are planning large job cuts defined as more than 50 employees to notify their state and local governments, as well as affected workers, at least 60 days in advance. The act provides certain benefits to laid-off workers, such as 60 days of pay and benefit contributions if the closing is immediate, and access to COBRA insurance benefits for 60 days. However, the U.S. Labor Department has no authority to enforce WARN regulations, hear employee complaints, investigate potential wrongdoing or file lawsuits representing employees. Employees must file a lawsuit in federal court to assert WARN rights. The plaintiffs attorneys said the WARN Act covers employees who make a voluntary departure after being told of a business closing. The plaintiffs want priority administrative claim status for employees, meaning they typically would be first in line after secured creditors are paid. They want the first $12,745 of each employees claim listed as a priority administrative claim and the remaining amount as a general unsecured claim. Talk about a high-stakes vote: Teachers at Vienna Elementary School were tasked with choosing a hypothetical snack for several hundred students sitting in front of them. The two candidates? Veggies and Oreo cookies. Now, there were no actual veggies or Oreos, but that didnt stop Viennas third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students from making their preferences on the matter known. And when teachers overwhelmingly landed on the veggie side, students made their displeasure known, too, with lots of booing and several hundred thumbs down. This is how Vienna students are learning about the upcoming election or rather, its how theyre learning about elections in general. We tried to go in that direction, instead of the actual election, with them being so young, said Lisa Brubaker, a third-grade teacher whose class has been studying U.S. presidents. The current election, fraught with not-safe-for-school language and emotions running high, has been a challenge for teachers who would like to include this important lesson in their class but want to avoid the myriad land mines that come with this one, in particular. Avoiding specifics on particular candidates and directing sensitive questions home for families to answer has been Brubakers policy. Barbara Knapper-Bolden, a family- and consumer-sciences teacher at Carver High School, has encouraged her high school-age students to talk about issues the election has raised for them. Knapper-Bolden said there has been a lot of discussion among her students about the language used to talk about race and ethnicity this campaign season. Some students are very knowledgeable on policies and candidates, she said, but some dont have even that basic knowledge. We start with the basics and discuss things theyd like to see changed in their communities. Knapper-Bolden took a group of students to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons early-voting rally with first lady Michelle Obama last week. Knapper-Bolden had the students prepare questions they would ask the candidate, if they had the chance. LaSonya Killian, a Carver senior, said she would ask the candidates for their plan to get more funding in schools for textbooks and technology. Election discussions are happening in classrooms around the country, on many different levels often depending on the age and knowledge level of the students. Back at Vienna, those discussions are just starting for Brubakers third-grade students. Brubaker has been working with her student-teacher, Wake Forest University senior Corrine Lennard, to teach her class about democracy, voting and the presidency. Brubaker said theyve been talking to the class about how Americas voting system works and the importance of participating in the countrys democracy. When kids ask who theyre voting for, Brubaker and Lennard remind students of their right to a secret ballot. Brubaker said she hopes that getting her students interested in the democratic process at this age will lead to more engaged and informed students and voters. For now, Lennard taught the class a song reciting the last names of all the U.S. presidents from Washington to Obama. In just a few short weeks, well be adding another name, she said. Lennard also teamed up with Wake Forests Wake the Vote program, a course where Wake students participate in the presidential election cycle by studying American politics, volunteering with campaigns and educating fellow students about the voting process. That veggie vs. cookie vote? That was the work of Wake the Vote. To demonstrate the benefits of a democracy where everyone gets a voice, the Wake Forest students gave Viennas third-, fourth- and fifth-graders a taste of one that doesnt. Even though the students were the overwhelming majority in the gym, cries for Oreos went unanswered and the teacher vote swung things in favor of veggies. When voting at Vienna was finally opened up to the whole gym, the will of the students could not be denied. At that point, it was mostly just to stand and shout not so different from real elections, after all. I learned its important to have an opinion in voting, said 8-year-old Elizabeth Kim, a third-grader in Brubakers class, whose favorite president is Abraham Lincoln. And its important to exercise your right to vote. The kids will get to practice putting those skills to work this week in the schools student council election. WASHINGTON Last week, the U.N.s premier cultural agency, UNESCO, approved a resolution viciously condemning Israel (referred to as the Occupying Power) for various alleged trespasses and violations of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Except that the resolution never uses that term for Judaisms holiest shrine. It refers to and treats it as an exclusively Muslim site, a deliberate attempt to eradicate its connection let alone its centrality to the Jewish people and Jewish history. This Orwellian absurdity is an insult not just to Judaism but to Christianity. It makes a mockery of the Gospels, which chronicle the story of a Galilean Jew whose life and ministry unfolded throughout the Holy Land, most especially in Jerusalem and the Temple. If this is nothing but a Muslim site, what happens to the very foundation of Christianity, which occurred 600 years before Islam even came into being? This UNESCO resolution is merely the surreal extreme of the worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel. It features the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), now growing on Western university campuses and some mainline Protestant churches. And it extends even into some precincts of the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders tried to introduce into the Democratic Party platform a plank more unfavorable to Israel. He failed, but when a couple of Clinton campaign consultants questioned (in emails revealed by WikiLeaks) why she should be mentioning Israel in her speeches, campaign manager Robby Mook concurred, We shouldnt have Israel at public events. Especially dem activists. For whom the very mention of Israel is toxic. And what to make of the White Houses correction to a press release about last months funeral of Shimon Peres? The original release identified the location as Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel. The correction crossed out the country identifier Israel. Well, where else is Jerusalem? Sri Lanka? Moreover, Mount Herzl isnt even in disputed East Jerusalem. Its in West Jerusalem, within the boundaries of pre-1967 Israel. If thats not Israel, what is? But such cowardly gestures are mere pinpricks compared to the damage Israel faces in the final days of the Obama presidency. As John Hannah of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies recently wrote in Foreign Policy, there have been indications for months that President Obama might go to the U.N. and unveil his own final status parameters of a two-state solution. These would then be enshrined in a new Security Council resolution that could officially recognize a Palestinian state on the territory Israel came into possession of during the 1967 Six-Day War. There is a reason such a move has been resisted by eight previous U.S. administrations: It overthrows the central premise of Middle East peacemaking land for peace. Under which the Palestinians get their state after negotiations in which the parties agree on recognized boundaries, exchange mutual recognition and declare a permanent end to the conflict. Land for peace would be replaced by land for nothing. Endorsing in advance a Palestinian state and what would essentially be a full Israeli withdrawal removes the Palestinian incentive to negotiate and strips Israel of territorial bargaining chips of the kind it used, for example, to achieve peace with Egypt. The result would be not just perpetual war but incalculable damage to Israel. Consider but one example: the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, destroyed and ethnically cleansed of Jews by its Arab conquerors in the war of 1948-1949. It was rebuilt by Israel after 1967. It would now be open to the absurd judicial charge that the Jewish states possession of the Jewish Quarter constitutes a criminal occupation of another country. Israel would be hauled endlessly into courts (both national and international) to face sanctions, boycotts (now under color of law) and arrest of its leaders. All this for violating a U.N. mandate to which no Israeli government, left or right, could possibly accede. Before the election, Obama dare not attempt this final legacy item, to go along with the Iran deal and the Castro conciliation, for fear of damaging Hillary Clinton. His last opportunity comes after Election Day. The one person who might deter him, points out Hannah, is Clinton herself, by committing Obama to do nothing before he leaves office that would tie her hands should she become president. Clintons supporters who care about Israel and about peace need to urge her to do that now. It will soon be too late. Soon Obama will be free to deliver a devastating parting shot to Israel and to the prime minister he detests. FBI Director James B. Comey sent an ominously worded but content-free letter to members of Congress on Friday, apprising them that additional emails had been found that appear to be pertinent to the investigation into Hillary Clintons email server. But wait: The FBI didnt know what is in the emails. (A warrant to review their contents was reportedly obtained on Sunday.) One has to question then how he even knew they were pertinent to Clinton, let alone significant. They could all be duplicates of things we have seen. (Other reports suggest none of them came from her server.) After a weekend of FBI and Justice Department officials struggling via background leaks to make sense of the letter, we are no closer to figuring out why Comey chose to make such a big splash with so little information. Pete Williams of NBC reported that Justice Department officials cited long-standing policies against disclosing details of investigations that are underway or taking actions that could affect an election, especially in the period leading up to one. He continued, That was especially so, they said, given that FBI agents have not yet analyzed the newly discovered emails to see if they contain classified information, the central issue in the investigation of the Clinton private email server. Comey defenders say that he was between the proverbial rock and a hard place. If it came out after the election that these emails were relevant he would have been accused of hiding the ball. Thats not a rock and a hard place its Comey trying to protect himself from second guessing. Comey, according to news reports, has been smarting under brutal fire from Republicans since deciding not to recommend a prosecution back in July. Well, to that we say: Tough. Its not his job to try to silence outrage. Its certainly not his job to do a make good for one side by overcompensating in its direction when a new issue comes up. Thats politics, not justice. Alternatively, as Alan Dershowitz recommends, he could have sent a letter that made clear there could be no presumption of any adverse information concerning Clinton. Comeys letter to FBI employees sent later on Friday suggests he recognizes to some extent that he blew it. It reads in part: Of course, we dont ordinarily tell Congress about ongoing investigations, but here I feel an obligation to do so given that I testified repeatedly in recent months that our investigation was completed. Thats extraordinary: He admits this was not in keeping with policy, but he chose to cover for himself anyway, lest he later be accused of misleading Congress. (He never would have been in this position if he had not agreed to testify back in July about a decision not to recommend prosecution, a step many nonpartisan legal experts criticized.) Comey then underscored that he really doesnt know anything. He wants his own employees to know that we dont know the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails. He adds, I dont want to create a misleading impression. But of course he did just that, which is why he chose to write to his employees later in the day. Jack Goldsmith, who confronted a firestorm in the George W. Bush administration concerning the legality of national security surveillance measures, and Ben Wittes of Brookings write on the Lawfare blog that Comeys actions were not proper and did violate department guidelines: Here Comey opened a new set of questions about one of the major party candidates with 11 days to go in the campaignquestions he has all but said he cant answer yet. Doing so offers an open-ended opportunity for Clintons opponents to make inferences about her conduct. And Trump has done exactly that, saying [Friday] they are reopening the case into her criminal and illegal conduct that threatens the security of the United States of America. Hillary Clintons corruption is on a scale that we have never seen before. The authors add, Comey is on a slippery slope of sorts, in which each disclosure necessitates the next disclosure and draws the FBI further and further away from Justice Department norms designed to keep law enforcement out of election campaigns. The authors contend that Comey is not political. Perhaps he is not partisan, but he certainly played a political game to protect himself. He was not willing to follow the rules to prevent interference with democratic elections intended for this precise situation because he was so concerned with his own problem with Congress. Incidentally, this situation was a classic conflict of interest. Avoiding personally getting crosswise with Congress (over testimony he never should have given) ran headlong into the impartial administration of his duties. In such a situation the honorable thing to do would have been to quit. And that is what many will no doubt urge him to do after the election. ANTHONY MAGARELLO, Lewisvillle The right to know In your politically-incorrect zeal to defend the LGBTs right to choose between the mens and womens facility of their choice, you accuse those who wish to protect women and children from unwanted exposure to those of the opposite sex as being insincere (Our view: Plaintiffs right in HB2 suit, Oct. 28). Red herring, the term you used, connotes a ruse. Of course, you do not explain your assertion of the dishonesty of those you abase, for if you tried you would fail. The legislators with whom you disagree are not ipso facto corrupt. The corruption is more likely on the part of those who insist upon perverting Western Civilizations tradition of separating the sexes (there are biologically only two) in their toilets, showers and locker rooms. However, you did manage to get something right about HB2. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore, if not legally bound to disclose their communications about the case, are certainly ethically required to do so. The voters have the right to know the truth, and politicians have the obligation to expose their thoughts and considerations leading to their votes. There is, after all, the Sunshine Law, not the Midnight Law. *** RUDY DIAMOND, Lewisville Moving forward Dave Plyler deserves re-election to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners. He is not an ideologue and will work across party lines to get things done for our county. Plyler wisely supported putting bond packages on the ballot to improve our public schools, Forsyth Technical Community College, and parks and recreation. He is a strong advocate for public education. Plyler was not afraid to say that the bathroom bill needs to be repealed by the legislature because it is hurting the economy of the state. Serving the community is in Plylers DNA. He serves on numerous state and local profit and nonprofit boards. To assist in Plylers efforts to move Forsyth County forward, I hope voters in District B will also vote for Selester Stewart. A successful businessman, Stewart also holds a masters degree in Divinity, which could be useful when hot topics come before the board. He supports incentives to bring more job opportunities to Forsyth County. He also supports the repeal of HB2, which has been so detrimental to our state. I was Selesters guidance counselor in the early 90s when he was a student at Carver High School. I will never forget that anytime racial tensions occurred, Selester would step forward to lower the heat. He has a calming temperament and will make a great addition to the board of commissioners. District B voters will help Forsyth County move forward by voting for Dave Plyler and Selester Stewart. *** HARRIET MCCARTHY, Winston-Salem Antidote to election stress After enduring 18 exhausting months of relentlessly grim election coverage, we, the citizens of this wonderful country, are finally able to participate in a reaffirming fundamental of our democracy the actual voting process itself. I was privileged to vote recently at the Forsyth County Board of Elections building along with thousands of my fellow neighbors. This diverse crowd waited quietly and patiently for over an hour as together we snaked our way around the building and up into the voting area. Many of us were dutifully studying the provided sample ballot and making final decisions about our votes. The entire election staff was courteous and helpful, moving us through the process swiftly and respectfully. And then we all cast our ballots and moved on sensibly with our lives. I felt relieved, elated and satisfied but most of all, I felt proud to be connected to a citizenry acting responsibly and in unison within a great country that assures us of our right to this peaceful process. So, my advice to all who have become anxious and disheartened during this contentious election: take advantage of early voting, move on past the stress and go vote as soon as you possibly can! *** DON MATTHEWS, Winston-Salem Key information In State stands its ground over House Bill 2 (Oct. 26), one key piece of info was missing. N.C. Commerce Secretary John Skvarla, who stated that HB2 hasnt moved the needle one iota owes his political career to Gov. Pat McCrory, having been appointed to both of his government jobs by McCrory. That puts his support of the law into its proper context. Especially considering that all of the evidence on the matter is in direct opposition to the commerce secretarys stated opinion. *** HENRY FANSLER, Lewisville Representation for all When I vote, I try to elect someone who will speak for me and who will respect all North Carolinians. I look for a candidate who will listen to all of us. If our political system functions as it should, everyone has representation, but not at the expense of other North Carolinians. The Fifth District has not had representation such as this for some time. It was encouraging to read that the Journal had endorsed Josh Brannon in the race for the Fifth District seat in the House of Representatives because he will represent all of us (Our endorsements for Congress, Oct. 17). While Brannons opponent, Rep. Virginia Foxx, has years of experience in North Carolinas Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, I have not seen this experience become a constructive force in the House, and I agree with the Journals view that she has been a voice of negativity for too many years in the House, part of the gridlock that so hurts our nation. The people you are elected to represent should come before party and ideology. Josh Brannons campaign offers opportunity for everyone. That means putting people before corporations, impartial representation, respecting our natural heritage and investment in the education necessary for a thriving economy. He will work to ensure that folks in the Fifth District can pursue the American Dream and he will offer more than photo ops and just voting against. Please vote for Josh Brannon for the U.S. House of Representatives. *** ELLEN S. YARBOROUGH, Winston-Salem A prediction When I first heard that Donald Trump aspired to be emperor, my immediate question about this inadequate candidate was, If he takes the throne, who will be regent, the real power? After a few weeks, Trumps ambition changed to the role of king. Now a nation of Huckleberry Finns have uncovered that parody and wont tolerate it. What is left for this formidable con man? My prediction: Today, Nov. 1, Donald Trump will gracefully abdicate his post as Republican candidate for president. Bragging on what his campaign has taught us, he will praise the capability and experience of Gov. Mike Pence, to whom he will joyfully defer. Therefore, Trump will triumph, and achieve his hearts desire. He gets the last laugh by not being the loser! *** JANE FREEMONT GIBSON, Winston-Salem Two parties This year, with less-than-optimal presidential candidates, Im voting almost exclusively by party. One party wants to win by getting more Americans to vote. The other hopes to win by getting fewer Americans to vote. One party wants to get things done. The other wants to keep anything from being done. One party wants every child to have a good education, health care and enough food to eat. The other only wants those things for children whose families can afford them. One party wants to compromise with the other to find solutions for the good of all Americans. The other wants to get its own way for the sole benefit of its own followers. One party stands for progress; the other only wants to turn back the hands of time, which is impossible. It doesnt help that its standard bearer is a fascist. The choice should be clear to everyone. *** REBECCA MINOR, Winston-Salem Survey A general survey of the presidential candidates: Donald Trump: Crooked Hillary has to go to jail! Shes the most corrupt politician in history! She created ISIS! And shes not much to look at, either! Hillary Clinton: Im going to raise taxes on the rich, including on Donald if he cant figure out how to get out of it. Trump: Such a nasty woman. *** JIM DILDA, Kernersville If he loses When I first drafted this letter, I predicted if Donald Trump loses the election, he would whine, say the news media were all against him and that the election was rigged. Wow! He must have hacked my computer because hes already done all that. I also predicted that if elected, he would fulfill all his promises during the first six days in office, rest on the seventh, and resign on the eighth because he would have solved all the problems of the world. I was pleased he announced a 100-day plan because it recognizes that hes not as omnipotent as he tries to imply. If he loses, I predict Trump will say something like: I didnt really want to be president anyway. I only wanted to shake up the system, and look how well I did that. That makes me a winner, not a loser. Being president would have meant a tremendous pay cut for me and why would I want to live in the White House? Its too old Ive heard its drafty, by the way too small, and way, way too drab. Theres not enough glitter and gold for me. I doubt my words will influence anyones vote, but I have to try. I dont like Trump in general, let alone the way he talks about and allegedly (yeah, right) treats women, and I am terrified at the thought of him as commander-in-chief. Election Letters Deadline The deadline to receive letters about the Nov. 8 elections was Oct. 24. When You Write The Journal encourages readers comments. To participate in The Readers Forum, please submit letters online to Letters@wsjournal.com. Please write The Readers Forum in the subject line and include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. Or you may mail letters to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Letters are subject to editing and may be published on journalnow.com. Letters are limited to 250 words. Letter writers are allowed one letter every 30 days. If you would like a photo of yourself included with your letter, send it to us as a .jpg file. For more guidelines and advice on writing letters, go to journalnow.com/opinion/submit_a_letter. The Journal welcomes original submissions for guest columns on local, regional and statewide topics. Essay length should not exceed 750 words. The writer should have some authority for writing about his or her subject. Our email address is: Letters@wsjournal.com. Essays may also be mailed to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Please include your name and address and a daytime telephone number. MARTINSVILLE A reckless driving charge has been filed against a Fairfax man in connection with Sunday nights crash in a parking lot at Martinsville Speedway that injured 22 people. The incident happened in the handicapped parking lot outside of Turn 2. The driver of a Chevrolet convertible attempted to pass a Jeep that was in a line of traffic. The Chevrolet hit the Jeep, spun out of control and traveled into a group of people walking nearby. The convertibles driver, 65-year-old Gary T. Edem, was taken into custody at the scene and faces one count of reckless driving. Virginia State Police Communications Director Corinne Geller said that additional charges could be filed after a consultation with Henry County Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Nester. State police are still working to determine the exact cause of the crashes, Geller said. A police crash reconstruction team was at the track on Monday. Edem received an unsecured $7,500 bond. The Jeep's driver and passenger were not injured. Police said 22 people ranging in age from 12 to 65 were injured, including 17 people who were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening. The injured were taken to Martinsvilles Memorial Hospital and Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, North Carolina. They included three people from Greensboro, one from Reidsville and one from Troutman in North Carolina; two from Danville, two from Ararat and one from Henry County in Virgina; two from Georgia and two from Ohio. Details on the hometowns of other victims were unavailable. On October 25, the Summerville/Dorchester Chamber hosted a forum that offered November 8 election candidates for SC House Districts in Dorchester County an opportunity to address the crowd that filled the large multi-purpose room of the Faith Sellers Senior Center in Summerville. The event w Read moreLocal residents hear from SC House of Representatives Tranquil Estates resident Michelle Childs sifts through belongings and household goods earlier this month water-logged from property flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew. Childs said its the second time she gutted her home the last year, her first time during the 1,000-year flood event in October 2015. Reddit Email 0 Shares By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | Lebanon finally has a president, Michel Aoun. In accordance with the countrys national pact, he is a Maronite Christian (a Catholic uniate church), and happens to be a former general. The US and Israel wont be pleased that he is a strong ally of the Shiite Hizbullah party-militia and a backer of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. (Most Levantine Christians are either neutral or pro-Assad; virtually none support the Syrian rebels, now mainly fundamentalists). Well, Americans who are eager for their own presidential election to be over with should imagine what it would be like for the contest to go on another 2.5 years before it was resolved. Thats what Lebanese have had to put up with. Of course, it has a parliamentary form of government, so most power is anyway in the hands of the prime minister and the cabinet. But still and all, not being able to elect a president has been a black mark on the parliament. The parliament, which hasnt been able to supply the Lebanese with water, electricity or garbage collection, and which has twice extended its term of service since 2013, so that it is well past its sell-by date, could hardly take more black marks. Lebanon has been deeply polarized since 2004, when it was occupied by thousands of Syrian troops who had originally come during the civil war of 1975-1989. Syria liked the then president, and wanted to see his term extended for three years without a new election, which contravened the constitution. Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri angrily resigned over this Syrian pressure, and then, it is likely, the Syrian secret police or a Lebanese client of same, blew Hariri up on 14 February 2005. Maronite Christians and Sunni Arabs (Hariri was Sunni) then mobilized in vast crowds to demand that Syria withdraw from Lebanon beginning March 14 (which became their name). They were countered by the Shiite Hizbullah, which had demonstrated in favor of Syria on March 8. But in the end Syria couldnt stay, and withdrew its troops. In a great irony, one of the demands of March 14 was that Gen. Michel Aoun be allowed to return to Lebanon, which he did. But after a while he left the coalition and allied instead with Hizbullah and Syria. Politics in Lebanon is kaleidoscopic. In the past nearly two and a half years, Hizbullah has been trying to get Aoun elected. But the election of the president is by parliament and it needs a 2/3s majority to prevail. Anti-Hizbullah forces just stayed away from scheduled votes and denied the chamber a quorum. There are 128 members of parliament ordinarily, but one resigned last year and so there are only 127 (since no new parliamentary elections have been held since 2013). On Monday, Aoun fell short of the required 86 votes for a 2/3s majority on the first ballot. After that, the candidate could be elected with a simple majority. The next two votes were voided because they turned up 128 ballots, meaning someone voted twice. On the fourth ballot the box was brought in the center of the parliamentary chamber and a close eye was kept on it, so only 127 votes were cast. Aoun received well over the required majority at that point, with 83 votes. Another 36 protest votes were case blank, and 7 were voided because of unspecified irregularities. Aoun succeeded because he was not boycotted by the Future Bloc of Saudi-backed Sunni politician Saad Hariri (son of the slain former PM). Hariri had had his own candidate, Sleiman Frangieh, who, however, is just as pro-Syrian as Aoun. Hariri used to be fabulously wealthy (his father had worked in Saudi Arabia and built the family fortune there), but the rumors are that his wealth is largely gone. He has had trouble paying his employees, from all accounts. Saudi Arabia considers Lebanon to be too pro-Iranian, and cut it off from a $3 bn grant, and Hariri had depended deeply on Saudi backing. He faces opposition in his own party. So some analysts (see the al-Jazeera clip below) think that Hariri has been so weakened that he finally agreed to let Aoun become president. Aouns platform is strengthening the Lebanese army to fight ISIL and al-Qaeda and doing something about the burden of 1.5 million Syrian refugees (Lebanon is only a country of 4 million). His election is a win for Hizbullah, his long-time ally, but since Hariri joined in backing him, it isnt really a loss for the Sunni Arabs of Lebanon, who may be making their peace with the likelihood that the al-Assad regime will survive in some form. Lebanons Sunnis had strongly supported the Syrian revolution of 2011 and after, and tend to be favorable toward the remnants of the Free Syrian Army. But many of them have to be concerned about the influence among the rebels of an al-Qaeda-linked group, the Levantine Conquest Front, and the continued challenge of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). Both al-Qaeda and Daesh had footholds in Syrian villages along the Lebanese border. Aoun says his first order of business is to have parliament change the countrys unwieldy electoral law, which distributes seats on a sectarian basis (and on the basis of an outdated set of statistics going back in some cases to the 1930 census). Lebanon held successful municipal elections last spring. But most Lebanese are not holding their breath that governmental gridlock will end any time soon. And with Depression-style unemployment, the country has other problems than the political ones. Related video: Aljazeera English: Lebanon: Michel Aoun elected president Reddit Email 0 Shares By Ibrahim Saleh | Baghdad | (Niqash.org) | Several Sunni Muslim families were forced out of their mainly Shiite Muslim neighbourhood in Baghdad recently. Locals fear the creeping return of sectarian tensions, as street by street changes. Earlier this month, the head of the Baghdad provincial councils security committee, Mohammed al-Rubaie, announced that some Sunni Muslim locals in the mainly Shiite south-eastern district of Zafaraniyah had been forcibly removed from the area. Five families had been forced to leave, al-Rubaie said, by gangs claiming they were representing influential locals. The security committee contacted the Baghdad Operations Command, the military unit dedicated to the capitals security, at the time but the security staff said there was no way to control blackmailers like this. Now al-Rubaie says he is worried that Baghdad is about to see a return of the kind of sectarian violence that used to plague the city, between 2006 and 2008, when Sunni and Shiite Muslims turned on one another and bodies were often found on the streets. Al-Rubaie, a Shiite Muslim politicians, is concerned that, given the tensions caused by the security crisis sparked the extremist Islamic State group, that Zafaraniyah is just the first. This is exactly how earlier forced displacements happened, when sectarian death squads roamed the streets and whole neighbourhoods became known as either unsafe for Sunnis or Shiites. At the end of September, a group of Sunni Muslim politicians asked the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to ensure the return of displaced locals, to their homes. They warned that demographic change was being wrought on Baghdad again, and especially in the citys belt. The Iraqi government has pledged to prevent these kinds of problems and bring security to Baghdad. But locals in Zafaraniyah know full well that those who were forced out of their neighbourhood are highly unlikely to ever return. We all know that the problem lies with certain powerful people, who are using their influence and wealth to do whatever they want in this neighbourhood, says Hamza Ali, a Zafaraniyah local. He suspects that the acts are not motivated by any kind of sectarian hatred. In fact, he thinks the criminal acts in his area are due to a lust for the real estate that those families who are forced out, leave behind. None of those people who were forced out will return, Ali adds. They were all harassed a lot before they left. Those who are forced out of their homes are often accused of being allied to the extremist Islamic state, or IS, group, which says it roots its own brutal ideology in Sunni Islam. The Shiite Muslim volunteer militia known as Harakat al-Nujaba says that the IS group has sleeper cells in Zafaraniyah who plan to carry out terrorist operation. For this reason, the militia, which has clashed with official Iraqi security forces in this neighbourhood before, says it can react to these potential criminals without seeking prior approval from anyone. Locals in the neighbourhood worry about this because this is exactly how earlier forced displacements happened in Baghdad. Back in the period that might best be described as resembling a sectarian civil war, suspects were accused of having ties to another Sunni Muslim extremist organization, Al Qaeda, the forerunner to the IS group. Sectarian death squads roamed the streets and whole neighbourhoods in Baghdad became known as either unsafe for Sunnis or Shiites. The same kind of sectarian displacement is also happening on the outskirts of Baghdad. Many of the families displaced during the security crisis, who lived in those outlying areas, have not been allowed to return home. There are dozens of families from Yusufiyah and Latifiyah, as well as other nearby areas, who are still not being allowed to return home, complains Ahmad al-Ghariri, from the local authorities in Yusufiyah, a village just southwest of Baghdad. That is despite the fact that the areas have been freed of the IS group. It is the Iraqi governments duty to help these people return, al-Ghariri says. Via Niqash.org - Related video added by Juan Cole: France 24 from last month on the anti-ISIL coalition: Iraqi coalition comes together to fight IS group in Mosul, but can unity last? Former president of El Salvador, Elias Antonio Saca [Brittanica profile], was arrested Sunday on allegations of embezzlement and money laundering. Six other officials were arrested as well. The Salvadoran Attorney General opened a corruption investigation [press release, in Spanish] into Saca in April due to an unjustified income of over USD $4 million dollars. According to prosecutors, Sacas private secretary Elmer Charlaix, deposited [Televisa report, in Spanish] over $15 million dollars in Sacas personal bank accounts. Saca claims the money was used for official intelligence operations. In El Salvador, other former presidents have also faced legal troubles for corruption in the past year. In May a court agreed to consider [JURIST report] a civil case against former president Mauricio Funes for alleged illicit enrichment concerning an unexplained USD $728,000 in expenditures and income. Last year, a Salvadoran judge ordered [JURIST report] former president Francisco Flores to stand trial on corruption charges. Flores was accused of embezzlement and illegal enrichment for allegedly diverting USD $15 million from Taiwanese donations to his personal and political bank accounts. In January, while awaiting trial, Flores died of a cerebral hemorrhage [JURIST report] while under house arrest. [JURIST] Former Argentinian president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner [BBC backgrounder] went before a judge Monday for questioning as part of the investigation into her alleged corruption for granting public works contracts. She was charged [JURIST report] in federal court in May for manipulating the economy in order to resolve the countrys low foreign reserves. This is her first appearance [BBC report] in court regarding these charges, and she claims to be the victim of political persecution. Kirchner has recently been the subject of various corruption investigations. In May, an Argentinian federal prosecutor made a formal request [JURIST report] to a judge to conduct an investigation of Kirchner and her son for illegal enrichment in an ongoing money laundering investigation. Last year a judge in Argentina dismissed criminal allegations against Kirchner that accused her of conspiring to shield Iranian officials from responsibility for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. Kirchner was accused [JURIST report] of the cover up in January 2015. An appeals court in Argentina ruled in May 2014 that a controversial agreement between Argentina and Iran to investigate the 1994 bombing was unconstitutional [JURIST report]. The two nations signed [JURIST report] the agreement in January 2013, which permitted Argentine authorities to question the Iranian suspects under Interpol arrest warrants, but only in Tehran. [JURIST] A federal judge has rejected [opinion, PDF] the New York Police Departments (NYPD) [official website] proposed settlement [text] of a lawsuit accusing the department of improperly surveying the Muslim community. Following the September 11 attacks, the NYPD has reportedly used [Reuters report] undercover cops to monitor Muslim neighborhoods, organizations and mosques in the name of national security. Last year a settlement was reached [JURIST report], calling for a stricter modification of the police surveillance Handschu guidelines [text, PDF] and a civilian representative installed for five years to ensure that the NYPD properly complies. The NYPD declined to accept all proposed modifications yet acquiesced to the establishment of a civilian representative. Nevertheless, US District Judge Charles Haight rejected the proposed settlement stating that it does not sufficiently protect the constitutional rights of Muslim citizens residing in the city. Haight suggested that the NYPD further clarify the representatives role and take additional measures to ensure guideline compliance such as requiring reporting to the court. While expressing disappointment in the ruling, the New York City law department stated its intention to address the judges concerns. In October of last year the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit [official website] revived [JURIST report] the civil rights lawsuit filed by a coalition of Muslim groups that accused the NYPD of conducting unjustified surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey. In April 2014 the new commissioner of the NYPD William Bratton announced [JURIST report] the disbanding of the Demographics Unit surveillance unit used to spy on the Muslim communities. In February 2014 a judge for the US District Court for the District of New Jersey ruled [JURIST report] that the NYPDs surveillance of Muslims was a lawful effort for national security and did not constitute harm or violation of civil rights. The Muslim Advocates filed [JURIST report] the lawsuit in 2012. In September 2013 former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly admitted [JURIST report] that the NYPD spied on mosques and on a Muslim preacher but requested that the court dismiss the complaint. South Africas top prosecutor on Monday dropped fraud charges against Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan [official profile]. Shaun Abrahams [official profile], an advocate for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) [official website], said the decision comes after determining Gordhan did not intentionally act unlawfully. The announcement came amidst political battles in the country that have threatened financial markets and the economy, but the decision brought some stability [Reuters report], such as the South African rand increasing compared to the US dollar. However, it was also met with political backlash from various parties, including members of the African National Congress (ANC) [party website]. Gordhan believes the charges were politically motivated, but President Jacob Zuma [official profile] denies any conflict with him. Zuma has also been embroiled in legal troubles. Zuma evaded impeachment [JURIST report] in April after the ANC reaffirmed its support for the president. The move to impeach Zuma came from opposition leaders after the Constitutional Court [official website] ruled [JURIST report] in March that he had ignored the order of the Public Protector to personally repay the amounts determined by the National Treasury, as they relate to the non-security upgrades to his private residence. Zuma was previously ousted [JURIST report] as the countrys deputy president in 2005 after an aide was convicted of corruption. He was also charged with rape, but he was ultimately acquitted and reinstated [JURIST report] as ANC deputy vice president. In July 2008 the South African Constitutional Court rejected a motion [JURIST report] by Zuma to exclude evidence from the corruption trial. Zuma had argued [JURIST report] that evidence seized in 2005 raids by the Directorate of Special Investigations should be thrown out because the raids violated his rights to privacy and a fair trial. The court upheld the warrants used in the raids, confirming a November 2007 decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal. He was first charged with corruption in 2005, but those charges were later dismissed [JURIST reports] because prosecutors failed to follow proper procedures. The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday rejected [order, PDF] an appeal from advocates for the homeless and the Ohio Democratic Party [party website] to block state election rules that could disqualify thousands [AP report] of absentee and provisional ballots. The rules allow ballots with minor mistakes or omissions to be discounted. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted [official website] commented [press release] on the timing of the filing, stating that, plaintiffs are interested only in causing last minute confusion, with Election Day one week away. The plan outlined [JURIST report] by the District Court for the Southern District of Ohios ruling in October to allow most unlawfully purged voters to vote in the upcoming election will remain in effect. The right to vote has become a contentious issue as the presidential election approaches. In October a New York law prohibiting a person from showing the contents of her prepared voting ballot was challenged as unconstitutional [JURIST report] by state voters for violating their First Amendment rights. The complaint alleges that the law infringes on voters freedom of speech and freedom of expression under the US Constitution as well as the New York state Constitution. In the past months laws banning the ballot selfie have been rejected in New Hampshire, upheld in Michigan and challenged [JURIST reports] in New York. Also in October a federal court denied an emergency motion [JURIST report] from North Carolina counties to extend the hours of early voting. In September a district court judge granted [JURIST report] a motion blocking Illinois from allowing voter registration on election day in the states most populated counties. The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday granted certiorari in five juvenile offender cases and simultaneously vacated and remanded [order, PDF] to state court, to be reviewed in light of last terms Montgomery v. Louisiana decision, which held [JURIST report] that a landmark decision banning mandatory sentences of life without parole for juveniles should apply retroactively. The court reached that decision in Miller v. Alabama [JURIST report] in 2012. All five cases remanded arose out of homicide cases in Arizona where the defendants were under the age of 18 at the time of the crimes. Justice Sonia Sotomayor concurred in the decision, writing that Miler and Montgomery require a court to consider whether a juveniles crimes reflect permanent incorrigibility before sentencing him to life without parole. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the order, arguing that state courts already considered the defendants ages in light of the precedents. The Supreme Court banned life without parole sentences for juveniles in 2012, but until April that outcome was being applied only prospectively in many states. The case involved Henry Montgomery, convicted in 1963 of murdering a deputy sheriff at the age of 17. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The decision reflects a growing consensus that children should, in some ways, be treated differently than adults, especially in regards to being sentenced for life. In May, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] that juvenile convicted of first-degree murder may not be sentenced to life without parole. In April, a Louisiana man was released [JURIST report] from prison after serving 41 years of a life sentence. UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, Francois Crepeau commenced [press release] an investigation on Tuesday into the human rights of migrants in Australia. Crepeau arrived in Australia to assess the migration programs, policies and laws developed by the Australian government in recent years. The UN investigator aborted [Reuters report] a visit to the country last year on the grounds of, lack of government assistance and access to asylum seeker detention camps. On this visit, Crepeau will assess on-shore detention centers and off-shore detention centers in the neighboring island Republic of Nauru. The preliminary conclusions will be released at a UN press conference on November 18. Australian refugees and their treatment have been a topic of discussion among international human rights organizations as of late, prompting Amnesty International to report that Australia is using the island of Nauru as an open-air prison [JURIST report] as a means to prevent immigration. In October the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court dismissed [JURIST report] an application by more than 300 detained asylum-seekers requesting transfer to Australia. In August Australia announced [JURIST report] that Australia and Papua New Guinea intend on closing the controversial Manus Island detention center. A UN human rights expert on Monday called for new approaches [press release] to prevent trafficking among increasing numbers of people fleeing conflict. Maria Grazia Giammarinaro [official profile], the UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, released a full report [text, PDF] detailing the prevalence and forms of trafficking among people in areas of conflict. Giammarinaros report corroborates a recent study from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) [official website] that showed a large majority of migrants who reached Europe through North Africa had been victimized by some form of exploitation. Giammarinaro also referenced UNICEF [official website] data, stating that children are at high risk of trafficking due to the nature of conflict areas. Overall, Giammarinaro emphasized the need for safe and legal migration routes, effective intake of migrants, and banning detainment of children. Human trafficking [JURIST op-ed] is one of the most controversial issues affecting the international community. Earlier this month the Egyptian Parliament voted to enact new legislation [JURIST report] aimed at combating the growing number of human traffickers along its coast. In September UNICEF released a report [JURIST report] showing millions of children have been driven from their homes due to violence and conflict, facing dangers such as malnourishment and dehydration, trafficking, kidnapping, rape and murder. In February UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed [JURIST report] that increased funding and international cooperation are needed to successfully combat human trafficking. With a vote of 14 in favor, the UN Security Council last October introduced [press release] a resolution to allow the EU to inspect and seize vehicles suspected of smuggling migrants. Authorized under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the resolution permits certain nations to board ships in order to prevent human trafficking [JURIST report]. US Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced in 2015 that the Department of Justice will fund [JURIST report] a $44 million grant to fight human trafficking. NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Drinks Daily News The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Drinks Weekly News A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Drinks Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter New York City, NY, 11/01/2016 /SubmitPressRelease123/ The FAA recently announced that it is looking to boost professional development for its pilots. According to the FAAs announcement, enhanced professional development would make certain that [air carrier pilots] adhere to standard procedures and prevent behavior which could lead to pilot errors. If you or someone you love has been injured in any kind of airline accident, you need the help and support of an experienced New York City aviation accident lawyer. These are complex cases that require an in-depth knowledge of airline accident cases. Get the legal help you need by calling NYC airline accident lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter. The Proposed Rule The FAA says that its proposed rulemaking is a response to the 2009 Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash, which claimed 50 lives. The new FAA proposal follows the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010, which was passed to address safety concerns in the industry, with particular emphasis on regional carriers. If adopted, the proposed rule would give new pilots a chance to watch flight operation procedures prior to flying with a crew. The new rule would also require all air carriers to change their training for pilots who wish to be promoted to pilot-in-command. There would also be changes for air carriers, who would be required to offer leadership and mentoring training for pilots-in-command. The rule would also create Pilot Professional Development Committees that would be tasked with developing and overseeing pilot mentoring programs. The Flight 3407 Crash According to one report, the proposed rule is also due in part to efforts of family members of the victims of Flight 3407. The flight was en route to Buffalo when it crashed into a private home in Clarence Center, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground. Investigations by accident experts have revealed that flight errors occurred even before the plane left the ground, including the pilot and co-pilot entering conflicting weather reports into an on-board computer prior to takeoff. The pilot also repeatedly pulled back on the control column instead of pushing it when the plane began to stall. Investigators also say the co-pilot should have corrected the pilots mistakes but may have failed to do so due to fatigue. New York City Airline Accident Law Firm If you have been injured in an airline accident, or you have lost a loved one in an airline crash, its important to speak to an experienced airline accident lawyer right away. Call New York City airline accident lawyer, Jonathan C. Reiter, to get a free case evaluation today. You can reach us through our online contact form, or by calling 866-324-9211. Jonathan C. Reiter Law Firm, PLLC The Empire State Building 350 5th Avenue #6400 New York, NY 10118 T: (212) 736-0979 Facebook Source: Jonathan C. Reiter Law Firm, PLLC source: http://injuryaccidentnews.jcreiterlaw.com/2016/10/29/faa-wants-enhance-pilot-professional-development Social Media Tags:Flight 3407 Crash, New York City Airline Accident Law Firm, New York City aviation accident lawyer, Pilot Professional Development Newsroom powered by Online Press Release Distribution SubmitMyPressRelease.com Like Us on Facebook It's only fair to share... Pinterest Linkedin email Print Discussions on the reinstatement of the death penalty are expected to be taken to the General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament in the near future. The topic, which has been widely advocated by the public in the aftermath of the failed July 15 coup attempt, was once again brought to the forefront by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a Republic Day reception which was held on Oct. 29 marking the 93rd anniversary of Republic of Turkey. "This matter should not be postponed any further as there is a public demand for it," said Erdogan, adding that he believed the government would bring the matter to Parliament and the ministers would take the right decision. Regarding discussions on the death penalty in Turkey, the Council of Europe (CoE) stated, "Executing the death penalty is incompatible with membership in the CoE." When asked whether reinstating the death penalty would create more issues with the EU, President Erdogan replied, "The EU cannot bring back 246 people who were martyred, nor can they restore the lives of 2,194 people who were wounded on the night of the coup," Erdogan said. Moreover, the president asserted that the people's demands regarding a certain matter always supersede what "the West" thinks about it. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Binali Yldrm also spoke about the reinstatement of the death penalty saying that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) lacks the required 14 seats to take the issue to a referendum by themselves, adding that they will discuss the matter with other parties in parliament. "As we cannot take this issue to a referendum by ourselves, we will seek ways to reach a compromise with other parties," said Yldrm. According to the Turkish Penal Code, any proposed constitutional reform must receive at least 330 parliamentary votes to be taken to a referendum, while 367 votes are needed to directly pass the proposed change. The death penalty was banned in 2004 as part of Turkey's EU harmonization process and no one has been put to death in the country since 1984. MHP ready to support death penalty if proposed, chairman says President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chairman Devlet Bahceli said that his party is more than willing to support the reinstatement of the death penalty if proposed by the ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) Party. Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting in Ankara, Bahceli said that there is no need to wait since majority of the people are in favor of the death penalty, which has become a necessary process as a result of the threat posed by perpetrators of the coup and terrorists. "MHP will do whatever is necessary if the proposal for reinstating the death penalty for such crimes is brought to the parliament" Bahceli said. Bahceli noted that the coup attempt led by Gulenist terror group (FETO) has significantly shaken political and societal values and requires new approaches to resolve issues. Discussions on the reinstatement of the death penalty are expected to be taken to the General Assembly of the Turkish Parliament in the near future. The topic has been widely advocated by the public in the aftermath of the failed July 15 coup attempt. According to the Turkish Penal Code, any proposed constitutional reform must receive at least 330 parliamentary votes to be taken to a referendum, while 367 votes are needed to directly pass the proposed change. The death penalty was banned in 2004 as part of Turkey's EU harmonization process and no one has been put to death in the country since 1984. Turkey could draft 'limited measure' on death penalty, PM says Turkey could draft a "limited measure" to bring back the death penalty if a political compromise could be reached on the issue, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday. Following the July failed coup, crowds have repeatedly called for the re-introduction of capital punishment and President Tayyip Erdogan has said he would approve it if parliament voted for it. Turkey formally abandoned the death penalty in 2002 as part of its European Union accession process, although no executions had been carried out since 1984. EU officials have warned that restoration of the death penalty could spell an end to Turkey's talks to join the bloc. "If there is an agreement on capital punishment, there could be a limited measure. We will not close our ears to the demands of the people," Yildirim said in a speech to members of his ruling AK Party in parliament. He said the move would require compromise because it would mean changing the constitution. He did not say what kind of compromise he envisaged. Turkey formally abandoned the death penalty in 2002. "We want it to be known that this won't be done by us alone and the measure would not apply retroactively." This appeared to mean it would not be applied to crimes alleged to have taken place during the July 15 attempted coup. The AKP has completed work on a package of proposals to change the constitution and create an executive presidency, something Erdogan has long sought. It is not clear whether a proposal on capital punishment is also part of that package. The ruling party will require the support of the nationalist opposition for any plans to change the constitution, Yildirim said. Any constitutional change requires the support of at least 367 deputies in the 550-seat assembly to pass directly, and of 330 deputies to go to a referendum. The AKP has 317 seats and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the smallest of the 4 parties in parliament, has 40. MHP leader Devlet Bahceli on Tuesday voiced support for the death penalty, but said he would need to see details of the AKP's proposal. "Since there is a need for capital punishment, bring your proposals and let's show these traitors how small the world is to them," he told his party, according to a text of his remarks. "We will first see the AKP's proposal, then evaluate it and make a decision." | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: Daily Sabah , October 31, 2016Source: Daily Sabah, November 1, 2016Source: Reuters, November 1, 2016 Death row cell, San Quentin prison, California Voters in California will decide to abolish capital punishment or put in place measures to allow more killings As the only fully westernised country to use capital punishment, the US is a glaring outlier in the developed world. Seen from elsewhere particularly Europe it is jarring that a country which wants to be seen as a standard bearer for human rights still puts prisoners to death. Executions have been in decline across the country. Since 1999, when the number peaked at 98, the highest since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, they have fallen steadily. The figure was 28 last year, the lowest in more than two decades. The number of death sentences handed down has dropped even more precipitously, from a peak of 315 in 1996 to 49 in 2015, as prosecutors reacted to a change in public mood. Waning confidence in the infallibility of prosecutions has been a significant factor in a string of repeals. Illinois abolished the death penalty five years ago after discovering 13 mistaken convictions. Six other states have abolished the death penalty in the past nine years, including New York and New Jersey, bringing the total to 19. Executions are on hold in nine others, and Washington DC has also abolished the practice. Public opinion has swung steadily against capital punishment over two decades, according to the Pew Research Center, with the proportion supporting the ultimate sanction dropping below half in a survey published in September. But as Californians decide whether to sign their own death warrant for capital punishment, two other states face a different choice. After Nebraskas legislature voted for repeal last year, a proposal to reinstate the death penalty will be on the states ballot. In Oklahoma, voters are being asked to enshrine the death penalty in the states constitution, which would make it harder for those campaigning for abolition. Advocates of abolition rely heavily on two strong impulses. One is moral revulsion. Pope Francis helped bring the issue to national attention on a visit to the US last year when he called on Congress to end the practice. And during the presidential primaries, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders took a rare stance for a US politician, urging the US to join almost every other westernised country on earth in ending capital punishment. Fear of executing the innocent also provokes a visceral response. Four per cent of those facing the death penalty have had their convictions overturned enough to worry many people that innocent people might have been among the more than 1,400 executed in the US since 1976. These considerations tend to sway about 40 per cent of voters who can be counted on for a solid base of support for repeal in the US, says Matt Cherry, head of Death Penalty Focus, a group pushing for abolition. But, alone, they are not enough to swing the argument. If the tide is turning, it is for other reasons. The case being made in California is typical of the new opposition to capital punishment in the US: that the system is too expensive and it fails to achieve what it is meant to do. Across the country, concerns about the number of prisoners on death row, the fairness of convictions and the adequacy of execution procedures have prompted misgivings about capital punishment. But California, with the biggest death row population by far roughly a quarter of Americas death row inhabitants are in the Golden State is facing this crisis more acutely than most. According to a state estimate, the death penalty costs Californians $150m a year more than they would pay if the same prisoners were given life without parole. Yet there is still too little money to expedite cases: fewer than 100 lawyers are available to handle habeas corpus defences, a shortage that adds to the length of appeals by killers like Davis. Kirk Bloodsworth, who was convicted of murder in Maryland in 1985, only to be exonerated on DNA evidence eight years later, says of Californias attempt to remove roadblocks to executions: If it was enacted in the state of Maryland, Id be dead. The criminal justice system is filled with problems, says Mr Bloodsworth. You cant kill your way out of this, you have to try something different. When it comes to capital punishment, one sign of the unfairness highlighted by many critics is the extreme concentration of death penalty convictions in a small number of jurisdictions. Of more than 3,000 counties in the US, only 16 imposed at least five death sentences between 2010-15, according to Harvard Law Schools Fair Punishment Project. California is home to five of the 10 counties that have sent the most convicted prisoners to death row. In a study of all Californias death penalty convictions in the 1990s, published in the Santa Clara Law Review more than a decade ago, it was the race of the victim, more than the killer, that determined whether the ultimate penalty was applied. Killing a non-Latino white person was four times more likely to bring a sentence of death than if the victim was Latino, and three times more likely than if the victim was black. Whether or not California abandons the death penalty is now down to white moderate conservatives, says Mr Cherry. These are the swing voters who will make the difference, part of an ageing middle class in the southern Californian suburbs of Orange County and east of Los Angeles. They support the death penalty in principle, but are open to changing their minds, he says. California has long been known as a place where national social trends first become apparent. It has not been at the forefront when it comes to the repeal of capital punishment. But if voters back Proposition 62 next week, it may be the barometer that indicates an American swing away from capital punishment has become irreversible. | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: The Financial Times, Richard Waters, October 31, 2016 Nwolfe35 said: You have never offered any kind of evidence that you are any kind of expert in these discussions. Just your same BS accusing others of using Google or taking things out of context. Why should any of us think that you have any kind of meaningful education/knowledge? Until you provide a reason for us to think otherwise I'll just do what you do and cry about how you do nothing but google the stuff that agrees with you. Click to expand... According to science, theres no such thing as a perpetual motion machine. Nothing can run forever with no input. There are laws of thermodynamics that prevent it.But the American media is not composed of scientists.You start with the assumption that Hillary Clinton is corrupt. And if she's corrupt, then we definitely need to investigate her. Virtually everything she does is suspect. Any mistake she makes can't simply be an accident or a lapse in judgment; there must be some criminal intent behind it. It doesn't matter how many millions of taxpayer dollars or thousands of man-hours it takes in FBI investigations and congressional hearings. No price is too high.And when you investigate endlessly, you find evidence. ...And with all that suspicious evidence, the conclusion is clear:Hillary Clinton is corrupt.And if she's corrupt, we have to investigate her.And if we investigate her, we'll uncover evidence.And if we find evidence, it must be suspicious.So she must be corrupt.So we have to investigate her.How much information did the FBI release on Friday related to Hillary Clinton? None. How much media energy did it unleash? Enough to shove the planet out of orbit. What will it take to do it again? Nothing at all.With zero information about what is in those e-mails, zero information about any connection to Clinton, zero new allegations of wrongdoing, the Times and much of the media treated this story with the kind of wall-to-wall coverage usually reserved for the first moon landing. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA WOOD RIVER - The suspect arrested in Wood River after a high-speed chase Friday night has been identified as a 24-year-old Ravenna man. Brandon Reynolds was taken to the Buffalo County Detention Center after his arrest Friday, said Lt. Jon Kraai of the Nebraska State Patrol. Reynolds was referred to the Buffalo County attorney's office on charges of felony flight to avoid arrest, driving under the influence of drugs, possession of methamphetamine and willful reckless driving, Kraai said. Reynolds was initially pulled over for speeding on Highway 30 near Sodtown Road east of Gibbon, in eastern Buffalo County. He pulled over to the shoulder of the road, then took off in the red 1995 Mazda he was driving before the trooper could make contact, Kraai said. The chase reached 120 mph at one point, though it mostly took place at speeds around 75 mph, Kraai said. During the chase, Reynolds threw a bag out of the window that was later found and is believed to have contained methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers reported the car driving east on Wood River Road into Hall County at 7:30 p.m. The car turned north on Highway 11, just north of Wood River, then east on Guenther Road and south on 130th Road, approaching the east side of Wood River, according to scanner traffic. The chase continued in Wood River on 13th and Main streets and Highway 11, where the driver fled the car on foot at 7:40 p.m. Kraai said he did so voluntarily, and his car was not damaged. He was reported arrested about three minutes later. No property was damaged during the chase, Kraai said. The Hall County Sheriff's Department aided in Reynolds' arrest. Mark Coddington reports for the Grand Island Independent. Thanks to a $1.75 million gift from the Scott D. and Rochelle Morris, a 10,000 sq. ft. addition to the new Kearney High School will promote Career and Technical Education pathways (CTE) for KHS students. The Scott D. Morris Institute will provide large, modernized, CTE classrooms complete with state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Students of the Institute will be prepared to take skilled positions in high-growth sectors of the economy, like manufacturing and technology. Scott D. and Rochelle Morris have also committed to a future scholarship fund to support students participating in the Institute. Scott Morris, CEO of Morris Press and KHS graduate, along with Rochelle Morris, former educator for Kearney Public Schools appreciates the value of technical education and training and have generously made a gift to ensure that it is available to students at KHS. We are excited to support the efforts of Kearney High School in educating students in the career and technical education pathways, said Morris. We believe the Institute will provide strong networks of support for students and our community for generations to come. KHS students will benefit from classes in the Scott D. Morris Institute with hands-on experience in technical careers. Students who concentrate intensely in IT (Information Technology), STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), manufacturing and culinary arts will experience comprehensive programming with modern high tech equipment. To boost student knowledge and interest in CTE programs, KHS will offer specific mentoring and career counseling in that area of interest. We are unbelievably fortunate to be standing at the forefront of this exciting opportunity for our students, said Brian Maher, KPS Superintendent. The Scott D and Rochelle Morris gift will affect our students and our community for generations. Partnerships with the Institute and local businesses will prepare students for highly skilled jobs. Local and state businesses will partner with the Scott D. Morris Institute and participate in an Advisory Board to develop strong career-pathways at KHS. Those important business/industry partners will be acknowledged with signage at the entrance of the Scott D. Morris Institute. Partners will also have the opportunity to meet with Kearney High students on a regular basis regarding internships and job opportunities and will become valued mentors to our students. The students attending classes at the Scott D. Morris Institute will learn new academic content and career skills through hands-on exposure with real-world equipment. The continuous career counseling and mentoring by true business partners will enhance education at KHS. The Institute will become a convening place for local business and industry partners. It is our mission to prepare students for life after graduation, whether that means postsecondary education or entering the job market, said Maher. This generous gift will help us accomplish that goal through high quality career and technical education at the new Scott D. Morris Institute. Scott Morris owns and continues to operate the printing business started by his maternal grandfather, Fred Carlson. Fred, a manager of the Hub Printing Company, purchased the business in 1933. It was originally located on East 22nd Street in Kearney. Eventually, Scott's father, Harold Morris, began managing the business. In 1956, Harold bought out Webert Printing, and the business moved to the Webert Building at 2305 Central Avenue. In 1972, office supplies and furniture were added to the product line. In 1975, the company incorporated, and its name was changed to Morris Press & Office Supplies, Inc. Following the death of Harold Morris in 1976, Scott became president of Morris Press. Under the leadership of Scott Morris, the company would greatly change. In the late 70s, commercial printing grew at a rapid rate due to a strong farm economy, until a recession hit in the early 80s. Recognizing the need for a broader sales base beyond the local market, Morris Press began a cookbook publishing division. In 1988, the decision was made to build a sales and production facility to meet the space requirements of the fast growing cookbook division. In May 1989, Morris Press Cookbooks moved to its present location at 3212 East Highway 30. In 1994, the company expanded into the short-run book printing market with yet another new division, Morris Publishing. That same year, the company also broke into the education market with School Mate, producing products for K-12 schools. Both divisions continue to grow and develop. With solid growth in all divisions, office supplies were slowly phased out. In 2001, the corporate name was changed from Morris Press & Office Supplies, Inc. to Morris Printing Group, Inc. The change was made to convey a new company image for the four divisions. In all, there have been a total of 6 plant expansions since the main plant was completed in 1989. The ultra-modern facility currently spans 250,000 square feet and houses state-of-the-art equipment. Millions have been invested in the latest pre-press technology, printing equipment, bindery machines, collators, and more. The result is many benefits to the company's customer base. Due to the large volume of printing among the four divisions, paper and other material is purchased in mass quantities, allowing savings to be passed on to customers. Morris Printing Group, Inc. uses advanced printing technology to maintain a competitive edge in products and pricing. Still, the employees of Morris Printing Group, Inc. are the company's greatest asset. They exemplify qualities the Midwest is known for: honesty, hard work, and a job well done. Today, Scott Morris' son, Ryan, works alongside his father, taking the tradition of excellence in printing into the fourth generation. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form A flame continues to burn after a Monday explosion of a Colonial Pipeline, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016, in Helena, Ala. The blast, which sent flames and thick black smoke soaring over the forest, happened about a mile west of where the pipeline ruptured in September, Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) The City of Lebanon has begun its annual tree-trimming program, which runs from November to March. City crews will be trimming trees, shrubs and other vegetation that encroach rights of way in the City. The tree-trimming program is meant to provide safe and usable right of way for pedestrians, vehicles and maintenance equipment in streets, sidewalks and alleys. The Lebanon Municipal Code requires a clearance of 13 feet above streets and alleys, 14 feet above streets on truck routes and 8 feet above sidewalks. Properties that have vegetation in the right of way will be left a lavender door hanger notifying them of the need for trimming. Property owners who receive a door hanger have options for vegetation trimming to comply with ordinances: Call the Maintenance Department at 541-258-4918 or send an email at cdc@ci.lebanon.or.us and let the city know either the property owner will trim the vegetation or the property owner is requesting city crews to do the trimming, at no charge, to meet code. When city crews trim the vegetation, they will only trim what is encroaching the right of way, which will leave a straight cut on vegetation and trees. It is recommended that property owners complete the work themselves if they have trees or shrubs that require special trimming or prefer their vegetation trimmed evenly. The image provided by Architectural Digest shows the Yellow Oval Room in the White House in Washington in a cover story about . Designer Michael S. Smith specified a Donald Kaufman paint for the Yellow Oval Room. Artworks by Paul Cvzanne and Daniel Garber flank the mantel. Smith mellowed the Yellow Oval Room with smoky browns, greens, golds, and blues. The 1978 Camp David peace accords were signed at the antique Denis-Louis Ancellet desk, front left. President Barack Obama likes to say the White House is the AupeopleAos house.Au Architectural Digest photos are giving the public its first glimpse of private areas on the second floor of the White House that Obama, his wife, Michelle, daughters Malia and Sasha and family dogs Bo and Sunny have called home for nearly eight years. (Michael Mundy/Architectural Digest via AP) Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan arrives for a meeting of the North Atlantic Council Defense Ministers session at NATO headquarters in Brussels Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016. Sajjan will travel to Mali and Senegal next week as the Liberal government considers where to send hundreds of Canadian peacekeepers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert Sept. 27, 1931 Oct. 26, 2016 Les Schmidt, 85, passed away Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2016, from a head injury. Les was born to Carl A. and Dora (Brunk) Schmidt at the farm house on Sept. 27, 1931, in Sanborn, Iowa. Les was their only child that grew up in Melvin, Iowa, moving later to Jeffers, Minnesota. He graduated from Jeffers High School in May 1950. After high school, Les join the United States Army. He served in Korea from 1953 to 1954 being honorably discharged. He returned home to his sweetheart, Beverly E. Lange, and they were married April 23, 1955. They moved to Albany in 1956. Les and Bev had two sons, Curt and Lonnie. In 1961, Les was hired at Duraflake which became part of the Willamette Industries Family. He retired in November 1993 after 32 years. Les had a great passion for the outdoors. He took the family to lakes Big Lake, Detroit Lake and Green Peter Lake before most people even thought of camping and boating as a family thing to do. Motorcycles became weekend trips to Yellow Bottom. He was an avid hunter of deer and elk. After Bev retired they would go to Yuma, Arizona, for the winters and trips back to the mid-west to see family and friends in their RV. Beverly his wife of 53 years passed away on Oct. 21, 2008. In April of 2009 he went to the Millersburg Grange Hall to listen to music and possibly dance with the ladies. Well that was a lucky night for him, he meet Jayne Brown, who became his dance and life partner. Shes the one who helped him smile and laugh again. They loved to watch the trains go by at Happy Hour Time sitting on the porch overlooking the freeway and train tracks. Les and Jayne were volunteers for Christmas Storybook Land. They took trips to Mexico in 2010 and 2011; they went to Yuma, Arizona, in 2012 and 2013. Les was a member of Good Shepard Lutheran Church, Life Member of American Legion, The Eagles, The Elks, Life Member of VFW, Past Chaplin V.F.W., Military Order of Cooties and past president of Albany Chapter of Korea War Vets, Korea War Veteran of the Year 2004, and V.F.W. Veteran of the Year 2008. Les was preceded in death by his parents, stepmother Laura and wife Beverly. Les is survived by his life partner, Jayne Brown of Albany; sons Curt and Lonnie of Salem; four grandchildren, Onna (Matt) McColly and Maleah (Aaron) Haugen of Salem, and Brittany (Skye) and Mike (Tamara) Schmidt of Eugene; and seven great-grandchildren. A color guard and Taps service will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at Twin Oaks Cemetery, 34275 Riverside Drive, Albany. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1910 34th Ave. S.E., Albany. It is what it is, so be it. Special thanks to all dad's caregivers, Pastor Jim for giving dad his last prayer and the South Willamette Valley Honor Flight. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the South Willamette Valley Honor Flight. ALBANY POLICE Tailgate theft 6:16 p.m. Sunday, Heritage Mall parking lot. A tailgate was taken off a pickup truck sometime within the previous 30 minutes. LINN COUNTY SHERIFF Pursuit arrest 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Scio Hometown Market, 38777 N. Main St., Scio. A deputy spotted a vehicle that had been reported as stolen behind the business. The driver fled with the lights off, and the car went along Highway 226 toward the Lebanon area, then drove to Albany. It ran over spike strips. The pursuit continued for an extra seven minutes at low speeds. Liv Shaela Brean Lanning, 18, of Albany, was arrested on felony attempt to elude, reckless driving and reckless endangering. Her initial bail was set at $9,000. OREGON STATE POLICE Spotlight hunting 6:48 a.m. Saturday, Old Hufford Road milepost 2, near Sweet Home. Fish and wildlife troopers conducted a decoy operation. A vehicle stopped in the roadway while illuminating the decoy with its headlights. The driver and rear passenger got out of the vehicle with their rifles. The juvenile passenger shot while the driver was aiming with his rifle. The 14-year-old was warned for hunting with an artificial light. The driver, Mark Leroy Andersen, 43, of Junction City, was cited for hunting with an artificial light and aiding/counseling in a wildlife offense. Both rifles from the case were seized. LEBANON POLICE Stolen car 3:32 p.m. Saturday, 200 block W. Rose Street. A green 1994 Toyota Tercel was reported stolen. The vehicle was recovered early Monday morning, after suspects in it tried to elude police in the Scio area. Attempted theft of gumball machine 7:10 pm. Sunday, Linn Lanes Bowling Center, 2250 S. Main Street. A man came into the business with bolt cutters underneath his shirt and tried to steal a gumball machine. A worker contacted the man, who said that the machine was his, and the employee would go to prison if he tried to interfere. The suspect left the area without the machine. The campaign for Ann Roe, who is running for Congress against Lyin' Bryan Steil has come out with the best one-liner of this cycle so far: I can't argue... 1 year ago Minister for Foreign Affairs Charles Flanagan is to give the keynote address on the implications of Brexit at a major conference in Kilkenny this Friday (November 4), which will be attended by journalists from across Europe. Minister Flanagan will be addressing the theme of Brexit and its implications for Europe at the annual Congress of the Association of European Journalists, which this year is being hosted by Ireland. Over 70 journalists from across Europe and further afield will be in attendance. Among the other speakers at the opening session on Brexit in the Rivercourt Hotel in Kilkenny are AIB chairman Richard Pym, and British Ambassador Robin Barnett. Political Editor of The Irish Times Stephen Collins will also be on the panel. The opening days programme also includes a lunch which will be addressed by Mairead McGuinness MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament. The afternoon session focuses on 1916-2016: The Changing Face of Europe and its Media. Mark Little, founder of Storyful and Vice President for media in Europe and Africa for Twitter, will give the keynote address. Other contributors will be Giles Portman, Head of the East Stratcom Task Force of the European External Action Service; Mark Duncan, Historian and Director RTE Century Ireland, and Brendan Keenan, Chairman of the Editors Code Committee of the Press Council of Ireland. The conference on Saturday focuses on Press freedom and attacks and murder of journalists worldwide. A number of reports will be published outlining ongoing threats to the freedom of the press. The Association of European Journalists is a representative body for journalists working in over 22 countries in Europe. Delegates are drawn from various sectors, including news, business, diplomacy, financial, conflict and foreign reporting. During their stay the delegates will visit Kilkenny Castle, local visitor centres and enjoy a walking tour of medieval Kilkenny. The number of delegates attending the Kilkenny Congress will be the largest for many years, said AEJ Ireland Chairman, Richard Moore. Most of those attending will never have been outside Dublin so it is always great to showcase Ireland to visiting journalists. Hosting the event in Kilkenny has been made possible by the generosity of our partners: Glanbia, AIB, the Irish Aviation Authority, Twitter, GAAGO, Kilkenny County Council, Failte Ireland, Diageo, the Department of Arts, Heritage Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, the European Parliament office in Dublin and the Office of Public Works. Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless. A right delayed is a right denied.Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Martin Luther King Jr. No one is born hating another person People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Nelson Mandela We can disagree and still love each other, unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist James Baldwin There is a fine line between free speech and hate speech. Free speech encourages debate whereas hate speech incites violence. Newton Lee The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything. Albert Einstein WELLINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - New Zealand house prices rose in October, the government property valuer said on Tuesday, though the rate of growth was slowing. Quotable Value's (QV) residential property price index increased 12.7 percent in the year to October, compared with an annual rate of 14.3 percent in the previous month. The index is now 50.2 percent above the market's previous peak in late 2007, and QV said growth was slowing due to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's restrictions on lending coming into effect. House prices in the Auckland region were 13.8 percent higher in the year to October, compared with a 15 percent rise the month before. The central bank announced new rules requiring people buying for investment purposes to have a 40 percent deposit in July. Though the rules did not come into force until October, banks had agreed to act in accordance with the 'spirit' of the regulations until then. (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by James Dalgleish) SEOUL, Nov 1 (IFR) - Chinese high-yield property bonds have struggled to beat the recent weakness that has weighed down on Asian credit markets. Yuzhou Properties' US$250m 2023s dropped half a point since pricing at par to yield 6.0% on October 18. Modern Land (China)'s US$350m 3-year Green bonds were also spotted two points down at 97.780/98.345, according to Tradeweb, or around 7.7%, after pricing mid-month at 99.670 to yield 7.0%. By contrast, similarly rated issues from Indonesia have kept a stable footing. Alam Synergy's US$245m 5.5-year non-call 3.5-year bonds stayed above reoffer and were trading around 6.5%/6.3% after pricing at 6.75%. Bumi Serpong's 7NC4s have done well and were last spotted at 101.25/102.0 after pricing at 98.5760 to yield 5.75% early this month. Asian investment-grade CDS was 1bp tighter at 115bp/117bp, but was trading near the widest level since August. (Reporting by Frances Yoon; Editing by Vincent Baby) Keywords: MARKETS ASIA DEBT/ HANOI, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0413 GMT. Nov 1 Oct 31 USD/VND mid-point 22,033 22,039 USD/VND interbank 22,322/22,327 22,315/22,330 USD/VND unofficial 22,330/22,345 22,335/22,350 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 35.64/35.89 35.62/35.87 Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.8-1.2 0.4-1.4 1 week 0.8-1.2 0.5-1.4 1 month 1.5-1.9 1.5-1.9 3 months 3.5-4.1 3.3-4.1 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) Turkey's October exports down 4.6 pct - Exporters Assembly ANKARA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Turkish exports fell 4.6 percent year-on-year in October to $11.73 billion, the Turkish Exporter's Assembly (TIM) said on Tuesday. In the first ten months of the year, exports fell 3.7 percent to $115.95 billion, TIM said. Exports fell 5 percent in the past twelve months to $139.39 billion, it added. TIM realses its figures almost a month before official data from the Turkish Statistics Institute. (Reporting by Nevzat Devranoglu; Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Ece Toksabay) Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in precious metal products, commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. kitco news (Adds details, quotes, background) BELGRADE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund raised Serbia's growth forecast for 2016 to 2.7 percent, but warned the country will need to improve public services, reform the education system and cut subsidies to state-owned companies to secure strong mid-term growth. In a statement after completion of its sixth review of a 1.2 billion-euro loan agreement, the Fund said it expected Serbian economic growth of 3 percent in 2017. It had earlier forecast economy to grow 2.5 percent this year. "Strong performance under Serbia's economic program continues. Growth is strengthening, and labour market indicators show noticeable improvement," the IMF said in the statement. But it said authorities need to provide clear restructuring plan for loss making state-owned companies including copper mine RTB Bor, a petrochemical plant and a coal mine that all received heavy subsidies in the past. "The public sector reforms must be accelerated, to deliver better public services while contributing to the fiscal consolidation process. In particular, reforms of the education system are well overdue," the Fund said. It also said more decisive action is needed to resolve non-performing loans that account for one fifth of all loans. The IMF said it had agreed to a targeted increase in public sector wages and pensions. With presidential elections due next year, Serbia's pro-European government is keen to deliver on promised wage and pension increases after years of painful austerity. Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday the government had agreed to raise wages by 5 to 7 percent next year. The IMF arrived in Serbia on Oct. 20 to meet Serbian officials and assess if the EU candidate country is complying with policies agreed in the loan deal. (Reporting by Ivana Sekularac and Aleksandar Vasovic, editing by Jeremy Gaunt) (Adds quotes, details) CAPE TOWN, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Nigeria's largest indigenous oil and gas firm, Oando Plc said pipeline attacks in the Niger Delta over the past year have led to a revenue shortfall of up to $750 million across its joint venture operations. Among others, Oando has a JV with Energia on the Ebendo field which feeds through to Focados export terminal, with its largest JV the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) near the Brass terminal which has been affected all year with disruptions. "What we are dealing with are criminals hiding under the platform of social issues," Pade Durotoye, chief executive of Oando Energy Resources, told Reuters on Tuesday on the sidelines of an African oil and gas conference in Cape Town. "So this equates to somewhere between 50,000 to 60,000 barrels per day (bpd of lost production), not just to us but all of the partners." Nigeria's oil output, typically close to 2.2 million bpd, fell to less than 1.3 million bpd this spring before recovering as militants, such as the Niger Delta Avengers, bombed energy facilities and warned international oil companies not to carry out repairs. Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met leaders from the Niger Delta and representatives of militant groups who have been attacking oil facilities in the region. Oando's Durotoye said a military solution to root out the criminals shouldn't be too difficult to manage. "You are not dealing with an insurgency, you are not dealing with a whole region of people going out and breaking our lines - it is very few, in the hundreds so its something that can be very easily be handled," he said. He said the vast majority of people involved in the attacks were not even from the swampy Niger Delta, and it had become an "industry" attracting people from across the OPEC-member. (Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by James Macharia)
Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton. (MEEGAN M. REID /KITSAP SUN)
SHARE By Tad Sooter of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON A six-month, $30 million effort brought Harrison Medical Centers record-keeping capabilities in line with hospitals around the region this summer. Implementing the new electronic records and billing system, called Epic, was a major step in the ongoing integration of Harrison into the CHI Franciscan Health organization. The affiliation of Bremerton-based Harrison and Tacoma-based Franciscan was made official a year ago. Harrison launched Epic in July. The software provides an electronic platform for doctors and nurses to access and update charts, and streamlines billing. Patients now receive one bill for all Harrison services, regardless of what facility they use. They can also view their records, check test results and pay bills through an online portal called MyChart. It encourages them to manage their health because can go into system, Harrison Chief Operating Office Adar Palis said. Epic makes patients records securely available across a broader network. Providers can pull up charts rapidly at any Harrison and Harrison HealthPartners office. Epic is also used by CHI Franciscan, major Seattle hospitals, and many smaller medical groups. Palis said the large price tag attached to the Epic rollout was largely due to staffing demands. Employees had to attend lengthy training sessions to learn the new workflow and documentation requirements of the software. Its like switching to a new operating system, Palis said. The arrival of Epic is one of a number of changes at Harrison ushered in by the affiliation with Franciscan, which is owned by Catholic Health Initiatives of Colorado. Several departments of support staff have been shifted to positions with private contractors, Franciscan and CHI. Most Harrison employees will likely move to CHI benefits by 2016, Palis said. Harrison is also included in CHIs purchasing group for medications and other supplies. The buying power of CHI, which operates facilities in 18 states, will lower costs and shield Harrison from pharmaceutical shortages. Its hugely beneficial, Palis said. NEW FRANCISCAN BRAND As Harrison continues integrating with Franciscan, Franciscans relationship with CHI is becoming more visible. The medical group revealed a new name and logo this month, as well as a redesigned website. Franciscan Health System officially became CHI Franciscan Health. CHI introduced similar brands in all its markets, which include 93 hospitals. Harrison and other regional Franciscan affiliates wont be rebranded, said Budd Wagner, vice president for marketing at CHI Franciscan. But the new Franciscan name and logo will begin appearing on Harrison materials soon. Wagner said Franciscan is sensitive to the need for Harrison to maintain its own identity. Its really honoring everyones traditions while existing under the same brand, he said. SHARE Larry Wayne Thon By Kitsap Sun Staff PORT ORCHARD A 62-year-old Port Orchard man caught last year in an online sting of men seeking sex with children has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Larry Wayne Thon had arranged to have sex with a 7- and 11-year-old, according to court documents, in exchange for cash and video games. When he showed up at the location established by undercover detectives, he had condoms, according to court documents. When speaking later to a state Department of Corrections interviewer, Thon denied having an interest in the children and claimed he only intended to have relations with the fictitious woman with whom he believed he had been communicating. Nine men were arrested in the August 2015 sting, an operation headed by the Washington State Patrol. Similar stings recently have been held in Tacoma, Spokane and Thurston County. The sting has been called "Operation Net Nanny," and, despite being widely reported, continues to effectively lure men interested in sex with children. The latest sting, in Thurston County, resulted in 21 arrests, according to media reports. Thon had been charged Sept. 1, 2015, with attempted first-degree rape of a child. As part of a deal, he pleaded guilty in September to two counts of attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor and two counts of second-degree child molestation. He was sentenced last week to 87 months in prison by Kitsap Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bassett. SHARE By Christina Henry of the Kitsap Sun BREMERTON At Bremerton High School, students in Leah Zimmer's financial literacy class learn how to fill out a W4 form for work, balance a bank statement and write a check. Bremerton School District six years ago made earning credit in financial literacy a graduation requirement. The district is ahead of the curve at the secondary level, as the state adopts new financial literacy standards for K-12 schools. Like most districts, however, Bremerton will now need to incorporate lessons on spending and saving, borrowing money, jobs and income, and even financial risk management among younger students. Kindergartners for example should be able to make a plan for spending personal funds, such as allowance or gifts. They should be able to sort coins and paper money and to say how giving to a charity differs from sharing toys with a friend, according to the new standards. Formally adopted by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in September, the standards are aimed at making students good consumers. The goal is to start the conversation about personal finance early. That's something that might not be happening at home. Nationally, about 72 percent of parents feel reluctant to talk to their kids about financial matters, according to research by the Council for Economic Education. Students in states that require a high school course in personal finance go on in life to have higher credit scores, lower delinquency as young adults, are more likely to save, more likely to pay off credit cards each month and less likely to be compulsive buyers, according to the CEE. Washington's financial literacy standards are based on standards developed by the CEE and the Jump $tart Coalition, another national group of financial literacy advocates. Washington's standards say what students in each grade should know about personal finance. It's up to districts and teachers to decide how to teach those skills. "I think we do a really good job of getting students ready for their career path, but where we're missing information for students, we weren't doing a good job of getting them ready to handle a paycheck," Zimmer said. Like Bremerton, North Kitsap School District has "financial fitness" as part of its secondary curriculum. The district also has an advisory board for business education. "A lot of what we do already aligns with the new standards," said Kim Eimers, director of career and technical education. Eimers welcomes the standards, which she says go more in depth on complex concepts. By 12th grade, for example, students should be able to summarize major consumer credit laws, compare investment strategies and talk about the importance of discussing financial goals with a partner before sharing households. Students "absolutely" need a more rigorous education in personal finance, Eimers said. "In the advisory board meeting, it was very much, 'Yay, let's get this done, because our kids need to know how to manage money even from a young age,'" she said. Zimmer thinks her students will welcome the change. "They're eager to learn this information," she said. "They want to know how to make their paycheck go further." Implementation of the standards begins immediately. Typically, testing on new standards occurs five years after adoption, according to OSPI. SHARE By Jordan Nailon, Special to the Kitsap Sun Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Washington Poet Laureate Tod Marshall. Marshall is a professor at Gonzaga University. He also is an accomplished book author. These are not surprising merits of a professional and highly esteemed author. What might come as a surprise to those less versed in the world of poetry, though, is that Marshall is an avid outdoorsman. First and foremost, he is an enthusiastic fly fisherman who makes a point of retreating to the backwoods and waters for a full month out of each year for a bit of refreshing tent time. As much as the allure of lunker trout tantalizes his mind, Marshall enjoys the opportunity to slosh up and down the silver bends of creeks and rivers while soaking in the dense fog of life that envelopes such locations. For Marshall, the natural world is an inexhaustible well of inspiration that can be both cool and refreshing or brackish and nauseating. As a professor from a distinguished university, Marshall understands all too well the misconception that poetry is only for, and by, those that aloofly wander the ivory halls and towers. That unfortunate notion about the true nature of poetry is one that Marshall is hell bent to reverse. The poet laureate serves a two-year term in Washington, and Marshall's mission for his tenure is to break down the dividing walls of perception that serve to make poetry seem so inaccessible to the masses. Where some might see poetry as the highfalutin' world of fancy language and persnickety conventions, Marshall sees a wide-open world devoid of rules and primed for interpretation. When I first attempted to find common ground between Marshall's verse and some of my angling inclined readership he was instantly able to provide numerous examples of his fish-inspired stanzas, such as "When You Fry Catfish, Do You Imagine a Sky Full of Stars?" and "Bad Words," an ode to sucker fish and wasted bait. Hoping to bridge the gap from the ivory tower to the camouflage laden stomping grounds of hunting season I explored some more of his inspired words and found the following gem which he performed during a breathtaking open reading at Centralia College recently. Birthday Poem My mother turned 60 this week, deep in that stretch where anything can happen (her mother died at 57). I'm 42, and Dante's dark forest, well, let's just say it continues to thicken, and I know what you spiritual people are thinking, muttering koans under your ginger tea breath: it can happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone, and that's why the moon doesn't cling as it slides across the sky. Fine. Last fall, hiking near Priest Lake, I came across a teenage boy covered with blood, sobbing. He held a compound bow with pulleys that looked like they could move the horizon or at least hurl a razor-edged arrow a couple of hundred feet through the breast and heart of a skinny doe and out again and into the shoulder of a 5-month-old fawn that still quivered. Cedar scales covered the forest floor, a mossy quilt to hush the pain, and so we pulled on the shaft, but it was stuck in bone, and the fawn mewled, moaned, kicked thin legs, black hooves like chips of coal. I told the kid to find a big rock. Quick. He did and held it toward me, somehow confused, and I tried to smash the skull but missed once, shattering the eye socket and breaking the jaw, before ending the pain and walking away among massive trees that held the sound in the harsh ridges of bark. Jesus, Mom, I'd meant to write a Happy Birthday poem. When I'd gone a hundred yards, the quiet beneath the looming cedars was the quiet I felt as a child in your arms. You were a little bit older than that kid. This is the best that I can do. Above that ancient grove, tamaracks lit the hillside in an explosive gold glowing toward dusk. Close your eyes. You can see them. Keep them closed. We'll all blow together and make a wish. Birthday Poem was originally published in Marshall's book, Bugle, which was printed by Canarium Books, Ann Arbor. In an email Marshall provided detailed insight as to his perspective on the evolution and importance of words in eternal human enterprise of coming to know ourselves through the world around us. "I think that the arts are absolutely integral to human experience. Rural or urban, the cultivation of some sort of inner life, some sort of imaginative space, something that isn't connected to paying bills or the grind of our every day, is essential to exploring what it is to be human. Think about field hands singing songs or cow herders (probably some of our first poets) singing ballads or highly-ritualized dances as part of public events, heck, even ancient cave paintings: all of these examples illustrate how the arts are part of our being in the world and have been for a long time. They make us think about who we are; who we are in relationship to the world around us and to others," wrote Marshall. Poetry Project, Washington 129 Another facet of Marshall's mission as Washington's Poet Laureate is to curate a book of poems gathered exclusively from Washingtonian poets, that will be released in March 2017 in advance of National Poetry Month. Marshall is currently soliciting submissions, of which he has many hundreds already. The book will include 129 poems in order to mark each of the years of Washington's statehood, through 2018. The poems will also be released in an online e-book. "The project will include work from experienced poets and newcomers to the art, young students and lifetime learners," read a release signed by Marshall. "During the last several months of my term, I will travel throughout the state, revisiting many of the place where I previously held workshops, and invite poets in both publications to join me in celebratory readings from the anthology." Marshall noted that all types of poetry are welcome from poets of all ages and experience levels. Additionally, poems do not have to deal directly with Washington's geography, imagery, or culture, but those that do will be given preferential treatment. Previously published poems will not be accepted. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 31, 2017. Submissions can be emailed to submissions@humanities.org, or sent in by postal carrier to; WA 120, Submission Tod Marshall, English Department, Gonzaga University, 502 E. Boone Avenue, Spokane, WA, 99258. Tod Marshall is reluctantly active on Twitter at@wapoetlaureate, and additional information the poet laureate and his upcoming public events around the state can be found online at https://wapoetlaureate.org/. Shalom Kiwi writes: The late Israeli diplomat, Abba Eban, once said that, if Algeria introduced a resolution [at the UN] declaring that the earth was flat and that Israel had flattened it, it would pass by a vote of 164 to 13 with 26 abstentions. Yesterday, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) took another step toward realising Ebans absurdity. Shalom.Kiwi recently reported on the UNESCO executive boards decision to formally adopt a resolution that effectively erases any historic connection between the Temple Mount and Jews or Christians. Now the World Heritage Council, another group within UNESCO, has just passed a similar resolution. The Temple Mount is sacred to all three major religions. It is appalling that a UN body tries to rewrite history and erase the connection between it and Judaism and Christianity. It is in fact the holiest site in Judaism, regarded as the place where Gods presence is most in the world. They regard it as the spot where God created the world and also gathered the dust to create Adam. It was the site of the Second Temple and tradition has it the Third Temple will be built there one day. Sunni Muslims regard it as the third holiest site in Islam, after the Sacred Mosque in Mecca and Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. Muslism regard it as where Muhammad ascended to heaven. It is hard to describe how vile it is to try to erase any linkage between The Temple Mount and Judaism, as it is their most holy site. It would be like trying to declare St Peters as having no connection to the Catholic Church. There has been no statement by a New Zealand politician on either of the recent UNESCO votes. At the time of publication, New Zealands Minister of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Murray McCully, had not responded to a request for comment. We should condemn the vote. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Volkswagen unveils the 2018 Atlas, an all-new seven-passenger SUV OCTOBER 31, 2016 at 8:51 p.m. The new 2018 Atlas SUV. Image courtesy of Volkswagen. SANTA MONICA, Calif., /PRNewswire/ The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, unveiled on the Santa Monica Pier at the end of historic Route 66, launches a new chapter in the company's American history. Built in Tennessee, the seven-passenger Atlas offers class-competitive levels of technology and spaciousness combined with hallmark Volkswagen driving dynamics and attention to detail, all at a price designed to draw customers' attention in the family SUV segment. "This is the biggest and boldest Volkswagen we have ever built in the United States, delivering the distinctive design and craftsmanship we're known for, now with room for seven," said Hinrich J. Woebcken, CEO of the North America Region, Volkswagen. "The Atlas marks a brand new journey for Volkswagen to enter into the heart of the American market." Engineered from Volkswagen's award-winning Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture, the Atlas draws on the latest Volkswagen design DNA to create a bold new look in the SUV segment. At 198.3 inches long, 77.9 inches wide, and 69.6 inches high, Atlas is larger than any other Volkswagen on sale in the U.S., yet it retains classic proportions and clean lines that create a sense of timelessness and precision. Up front, standard LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights combine for a unique visual signature, with optional LED taillights to complete the look. Interior of the new 2018 Atlas SUV. Image courtesy of Volkswagen. High ranking government officials from Korea and Oman discuss the two countries' bilateral cooperation on 25 issues in 12 fields at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Tuesday. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to allow Korean companies to participate in a number of energy and infrastructure projects in Oman worth a total of 31 trillion won ($27.1 billion). / Yonhap By Jhoo Dong-chan Korean companies are set to participate in Oman's energy and infrastructure project worth 31 trillion won ($27.1 billion). Government officials from both countries held the 5th meeting of the Korea-Oman Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, Tuesday, to discuss bilateral cooperation on 25 agendas in 12 fields, including trade, investment, energy, finance, infrastructure, health and tourism. First started in 2009, the Korea-Oman Economic Cooperation Committee is a biennial meeting where the two countries' ranking government officials discuss economic cooperation. During the meeting, the two sides agreed to allow Korean companies to participate in a number of Oman's energy and infrastructure projects, including building oil refineries, petrochemical plants, national railroads and underwater gas pipelines connecting Oman to Iran. In a bid to help Korean companies operate in Oman, the two countries are also expected to review their plan to establish the "Korea Desk" in Oman. They also agreed to form a working-level group consisting of government officials, businessmen and civilian experts to enhance bilateral cooperation on renewable energy and energy storage systems. Oman is considered to have great potential in renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind, and has a plan to generate 10 percent of its total electricity with renewable energies by 2020. Separate from the energy and infrastructure projects, Korea's Financial Services Commission is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for financial cooperation with the Oman government, under which the two countries share experiences and information over their financial policies. "The deal with the Oman government is important as the two countries have diversified their fields of interest into finance, renewable energy, health and tourism," said a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy official. "In order to manage and oversee the agreement, working-level groups from both countries will have another meeting earlier next year." The 6th Korea-Oman Economic Cooperation Committee meeting will be held in Oman in 2018. By Kim Tae-gyu Speculation is rising that President Park Geun-hye's shadowy confidant Choi Soon-sil might have played a role in the recently collapsed takeover of CJ HelloVision, the leading pay TV operator here, by SK Telecom. Observers said Monday that the Fair Trade Commission's (FTC) unexpected decision to reject the deal in July came after SK Group refused to donate sufficient funds to the K-Sports Foundation which is believed to be run by Choi. The foundation's former secretary general Jung Hyun-sik told the media that he asked SK Group to contribute 8 billion won ($7 million) to the foundation three times between February and April. Jung said that the country's No. 3 conglomerate, whose flagship affiliate is SK Telecom, came up with a counter offer of 3 billion won, which he said was rejected by Choi. Prosecutors summoned Jung and a senior vice president at SK Group this week to check how the K-Sports Foundation tried to get money from the conglomerate. Choi and her assistants are suspected of having twisted the arms of big enterprises to get almost 50 billion won to set up the K-Sports Foundation this January. "The consensus was that the FTC would allow SK Telecom to acquire CJ HelloVision but it suddenly ended up opposing the deal," said a source familiar with the deal. "Back then, the FTC took issue with the monopolistic status of the combined outfit. We were unable to understand the conclusion at that time but we now have at least a plausible scenario that the decision might have been politically engineered." Late last year, SK Telecom agreed to pay 500 billion won for a 30 percent stake in CJ HelloVision owned by the latter's sister company CJ O Shopping. The former was also given the option to take over a further 23.9 percent stake later. The FTC drew criticism not only from SK Telecom but also from the cable TV industry, which is struggling to find a breakthrough amid fiercer competition with internet-enabled services. The merger was expected to play a crucial role in starting the restructuring of the embattled industry but the FTC thwarted the plan. CJ HelloVision also took a severe hit. Of note is that soon after the fallout of the deal, SK Telecom's smaller rival LG Uplus, which had protested the deal, said that it would seek to take over a cable TV company. Officials from SK Group and SK Telecom refused to comment on the issue. An installation view of "Dansaekhwa" exhibit at the Palazzo Contarini-Polignac in Venice, Italy in 2015. / Courtesy of Kukje Gallery By Kwon Mee-yoo Korea's contemporary art has gained a strong presence on the international art scene, mainly with a rediscovered art movement from the 1970s as well as a new generation of artists making their names globally. The boom breathed life into the art market; according to Artprice.com, the Korean art market has become the 10th largest in the world in terms of art auction turnover as of 2015. Reflecting increasing interest in Korean art, more international art figures are visiting Korea and providing new insights on the swelling presence of Korean art. An internationally established gallerist, who believes her role is to bring attention to notable artists, said Korea has become a key player in the international art market. Art dealer and collector Pearl Lam Pearl Lam, a Hong Kong-based art dealer and owner of Pearl Lam Galleries, visited Korea last month to see two artists managed by her gallery -- Kim Tschang-yeul and Suki Seokyeong Kang. The two artists are poles apart Kim, 87, is an established artist who developed his own water drop painting style over a lifetime, while Kang, 38, explores harmony and balance through installation works based on the backgrounds of Oriental paintings. Lam praised the spirituality in Kim's works. "He is very intellectual. Who would you paint just a drop of water? This is really touching. I am studying more about his works and how he thinks. And I think he is a thinker on top of that," Lam said in an interview with The Korea Times during her stay in Seoul. "For many years, a lot of quiet, meditative art has been out of focus of the art world. In the world with such heavy consumerism, we have to go back and look at things with more spirituality." Lam will present Kim's signature water drop paintings at her Hong Kong gallery next March, which coincides with Art Basel Hong Kong 2017, Asia's largest contemporary art fair. "My job is to make him international and make his work known internationally. And that is why we chose the period of Art Basel Hong Kong time with a lot of international collectors coming so that they can see his works, especially early ones from the 1970s," Lam said. An installation view of "Foot & Moon," a solo exhibition of Suki Seokyeong Kang at Pearl Lam Gallery in Hong Kong Kang majored in Oriental painting at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, and further studied painting at the Royal College of Art in London. Lam said Kang's installations are time-consuming, but have an intellectual feeling. "I visited her studio earlier this year and when I saw her work, I just loved it -- for whatever reason, I don't know. But I think Kang is an amazing artist," the art dealer said. "I think in Korea you have many fantastic artists." Lam does not label Kim and Kang as Korean artists. "They are both good artists and I'm only interested in good artists. Actually, I don't have problems with (an artist's) passport," Lam said. "For me, it's not about Chinese, Korean, American or whatever. Whether you are a good artist or not is the only thing that matters." Lam, a daughter of the late Hong Kong tycoon Lim Por-yen, has been a pioneer in the Chinese art world since the early 1990s, when the world paid little to no attention to Chinese contemporary art. "I am promoting the Asian perspective, rather than a Western point of view," Lam said. "The West colonized all Asian culture for a long time until now. Most artists study in the West, learn the Western approach to art and think from the Western perspective with a sprinkle of local context. That's too easy." That is the reason why Lam is interested in artists who deconstruct such a Western approach. Lam analyzed that the Dansaekhwa phenomenon is a part of the art world's interest in the postwar period. "People are always looking at what happened after the World War II. In Europe, it is the beginning of everything we have the Zero Movement from Germany and then Arte Povera in Italy. Then it goes to Japan and they discover the Gutai group and Mono-ha Movement," Lam said. "What happened in Korea after World War II is the Korean War and then the Dansaekhwa. We are always looking at the first art movement after the war and all of today's contemporary art rises from that moment. "It is interesting that people don't see the world. I think they should see the world's context," Lam said. Lam said if Korea didn't impose an import tax on artworks, the art capital of Asia would be here. "Hong Kong is a tax-free port and there is no censorship, so it became an art hub of Asia. We are still missing institutions for cultivating art in order to truly become a cultural center," Lam said. "Korea has become an important market in the global art scene and international galleries all talk about Korea. There are many art museums and collectors in Korea, which constitute the commercial market base." Dansaekhwa to make splash in China Dansaekhwa paintingChung Chang-sup's "UNTITLED 73-12-11" / Courtesy of Gallery Hyundai Dansaekhwa, or Korean monochrome painting, continues to receive market and critical attention internationally. Dansaekhwa is Korea's first collective and international art movement that bloomed in the 1970s. It reflects Korean sentiments and aesthetics by investigating flatness and materiality through a process of repetition and meditation. In June, Chung Sang-hwa held his first solo exhibition in the United States, jointly hosted by Dominique Levy Gallery and Greene Naftali Gallery in New York. Levy commented that Chung was singular in his ritualistic and systematic approach. "Chung's process is so deeply temporal that it becomes an act of contemplation, of meditation, and that is as much his work as the canvas itself," she said. Paintings of fellow Dansaekhwa artist Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007) will be presented in New York's David Zwirner Gallery from Jan. 13 to Feb. 19, 2017. The artist's Korean promoter PKM Gallery said, "We will be at the forefront of promoting Yun's paintings and strengthening his status at David Zwirner Gallery and also in the international art market." Yun was one of the earliest Dansaekhwa artists who made his name internationally. American sculptor Donald Judd (1928-1994) noticed the restrained elegance in Yun's works when he visited Korea and later invited Yun for an exhibit at the Chinati Foundation, his contemporary art museum in Marfa, Texass. Budi Tek, founder of the Yuz Museum in Shanghai The Korean art movement got noticed by Chinese as well and will have a major survey in a contemporary art museum in Shanghai next autumn. Budi Tek, a Chinese-Indonesian art collector and chairman of the Yuz Foundation, visited Korea in October to announce the first Dansaekhwa show in China at Yuz Museum in Shanghai. "It is my way of respecting the originality of those master artists of Dansaekhwa," Tek said. Yuz Museum is a contemporary museum that holds exhibitions based on Tek's extensive collections of Chinese and Western art as well as the world's top artists such as Yang Fudong, Alberto Giacometti and Andy Warhol. As a collector, Tek owns Dansaekhwa paintings, but he did not disclose the details of his own collection of Korean monochrome paintings. The Yuz exhibition of Dansaekhwa will be organized in collaboration with several Korean and international art institutions. "Dansaekhwa is a major achievement for the Korean art scene and it could be the missing link in Asian contemporary art. I congratulate this successful, admirable movement," Tek said. Tek said he has great expectations for the upcoming Dansaekhwa exhibit, which will present the art movement in the context of Chinese and international contemporary art. "The three philosophical tendencies of Chinese contemporary art are Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Dansaekhwa is talking about nature, minimalism and emptiness, which are related to Taoism," he said. "Dansaekhwa is part of the Asian philosophical movement, which is very important in the contemporary art world. We are talking about contemporary art, not country, in terms of art movement." The collector-philanthropist said Dansaekhwa has been ignored for many decades, but being rediscovered later rather raised the value of the works, just like a matured wine tastes better. "Many good artists succeed too early and fail too soon, being corrupted by market forces. Dansaekhwa is so beautiful, simple and spiritual because it was not interfered with by the market too early," Tek said. Park Hae-jin from tvN's "Cheese in the Trap" (2016) By Ko Dong-hwan Actor Park Hae-jin will sue rumormongers who said he is connected to Ko Young-tae, a close friend of Choi Soon-sil, the longtime confidant of President Park Geun-hye who is suspected of meddling in state affairs. Park's agency, Mountain Movement, said on Oct. 31 that it will act "without mercy" against cyberbullies and media outlets spreading the rumors. It said it will soon file a lawsuit after securing evidence, according to online media outlet The Fact. The rumor started with a photo taken 14 years ago, in which Ko and Park posed with two other men. Those who spread the photo had said the four were employees of a "host bar" an adults-only salon where men provide services to women. The photo was recently circulated again after Ko began attracting attention amid the influence-peddling scandal, or so-called "Choi Soon-sil scandal." "Just because Park was in the photo with Ko, rumormongers began to add a lie to another lie that they were somehow closely acquainted," Mountain Movement said. "The groundless rumor, added with malicious comments, has dealt blows to Park's fans. Park had not known Ko well back then and neither imagined that Ko would later be involved in this scandal." Park Hae-jin, third from left, is rumored to have worked at a host bar with Ko Young-tae, far left. / Courtesy of Naver cafe The agency said the photo was leaked online in 2011 and clarified that Park had no personal relationship with Ko and did not share any personal information. Ko, a former host-bar worker and a former member of the national saber team, is rumored to have been Choi's "toy boy." He is suspected of managing The Blue K and Widec Sports, two paper companies Choi set up allegedly to funnel money away from other scandal-ridden foundations. He was questioned at the Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office on Monday. By Kim Bo-eun University students across the country have condemned President Park Geun-hye over the widening scandal surrounding her close confidant Choi Soon-sil. They issued statements, Wednesday, a day after Park apologized to the public and acknowledged that Choi had access to her speeches and edited them, alleging that she influenced state affairs. Choi is the daughter of the President's mentor Choi Tae-min and ex-wife of her former aide Chung Yoon-hoi. Students at Ewha Womans University, where controversy broiled over the controversial enrollment of Choi's daughter Chung Yoo-ra, were the first to speak up. "Not only the President's speech scripts but also diplomacy and security files and even the content of telephone calls with foreign heads of states were reported to Choi," the students said in a statement. "This is a clear violation of the constitutional order. "In the U.S., Hillary Clinton has been criticized ahead of the election for having posed a threat to national security by using her personal email account instead of the account provided by the state. But in Korea, the President is providing classified state information to an individual unrelated to the government." They said a thorough investigation must be conducted and the President must take full responsibility for the matter. By Jun Ji-hye The Ministry of National Defense said Thursday that it will resume negotiations with Japan to sign a bilateral agreement on sharing intelligence on North Korea. Four years ago, the two countries were very close to signing the so-called General Security of Military Intelligence Agreement (GSOMIA) under the Lee Myung-bak administration. However, the signing fell through at the last minute due to fierce public criticism here of the government's secretive handling of a sensitive military deal with the former colonial ruler. The timing of the announcement this time is also controversial. Some critics said that the ministry is deliberately pushing for the sensitive signing while public attention has been focused on news about President Park Geun-hye's scandal-ridden confidant, Choi Soon-sil. "This is obviously not an appropriate time for the announcement of such a sensitive issue," a source said. "This is when all the public attention is on the Choi scandal. The timing is obviously controversial." In explaining the reason for resuming the negotiations, the ministry cited ever-growing threats from North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs. Currently, Seoul and Tokyo are indirectly exchanging intelligence on the North's military activities through Washington under a trilateral sharing pact signed at the end of 2014. In this undated photo, Aumyruthe Anciro holds her four-year-old son, Ruther. / Courtesy of Aumyruthe Anciro By Kim Se-jeong Aumyruthe Anciro, 30, from Cavite, the Philippines, has two jobs one full-time as a call center representative and another part-time as an English writing tutor. She earns about 16,000 pesos per month, equivalent to $330, and that is far from enough to take care of her sick son. Her younger son, Ruther, four years old, suffers G6PD deficiency, an inherited condition where red blood cells fail to function normally due to an enzyme imbalance. Ruther suffers from body temperature fluctuations, fatigue, poor physical condition and fast and heavy breathing, which are among the symptoms of the illness. He is required to see a doctor twice a month. Sometimes he has to take medication. Anciro is raising him, and another son, alone. Ruther never met his father, Kim Mu-jin, 28, from Korea. Ruther is one of approximately 30,000 Kopinos, the word for children born of a Korean father and an unwed Filipina mother. Anciro and Kim met in 2011 in Manila. Kim was Anciro's student at an English language institute. They were together for less than six months until Kim set out for Canada. "He knew I was pregnant," Anciro told The Korea Times in an interview made via Skype. "He tried to bring me to Canada, but it didn't work out." They talked over Skype until October that year when Kim suddenly stopped answering her calls and emails. On Dec. 7, 2011, Ruther was born. Her attempts to get back in touch with him ended unsuccessfully. As Ruther's first birthday approached, she decided to call his parents. "I called his mother with the help of a Korean church in my neighborhood," Anciro recalled. Through a Korean interpreter, she told Kim's mother that Ruther is Kim's son and the one-year-old boy was sick. In shock, the grandmother promised to send money, which arrived on his birthday. Almost 40,000 pesos, equivalent to $828, arrived, and that was her last contact with Kim's parents. She never called back. In March 2014, she filed a suit against Kim with a Korean court, asking for support for Ruther. "I needed support for my son," the mother said as to why she decided to sue Kim. The suit was made possible with help from We Love Kopino (WLK), an NGO based in Manila that helps mothers of Kopinos file suits for childcare support. She said without the WLK, she would not have thought of taking the father to court. In March 2015, one year after the suit was filed, the two parties settled on a one-time payment of 500,000 pesos, equivalent to approximately $10,000. The money is being set aside for Ruther's future. "The bank account is frozen. We are keeping this money for him when he becomes an adult." The stories of approximately 30,000 Kopinos and their mothers in the Philippines may not be much different from Anciro's. The figure is not exact. No one knows exactly how many of them there are, and this shows how neglected the issue has been. History The issue of the Kopinos surfaced in 2005 by a Seoul-based NGO, Tacteennaeil. In 2004, the NGO End of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children International, known as ECPAT International, brought attention to Korean descendants living in Kiribati, an island in the Pacific Ocean. They children were mostly born to local Kiribati mothers and Korean fishermen who stayed on the island briefly. A field study afterward showed the mothers were mostly teenagers when they got pregnant, as young as 14. With these shocking discoveries, Tacteennaeil widened its study into other Asian countries and found that the Philippines also had a huge number of children with Korean fathers. ECPAT Korea and Tacteennaeil work together. According to ECPAT Korea, the Kopinos' fathers are divided into three types: young Korean students who come to the Philippines to learn English, middle-ages men who stay there for business, and short-term travelers who come for prostitution. When they get pregnant, the women usually don't have abortions because the Philippines is under the strong influence of the Catholic Church. Legal fights and NGOs Anciro is one of the lucky few. She had an accurate address and telephone number for Kim in Korea, and she could use them to sue him. In most cases, mothers do not have accurate personal information about the fathers. Anciro was also lucky in that she had Ruther's birth certificate. Without that, she would have had to prove the biological relation between father and child. Those without the certificate have a lower chance of winning support. A growing number of mothers seek childcare support, and NGOs come in to help. Tacteennaeil provides free legal services to mothers who wish to sue the absent fathers. It has a partnership with a local law firm that represents the mothers. The WLK also offers the same services, like it did to Anciro. The WLK took an additional step last year, in which it stirred up a huge controversy. The group's leader Koo Bon-chang posted photos of the fathers, provided by Kopino mothers, on his blog and Facebook account. Faces of the fathers went viral quickly, enabling many mothers to recover contact with the fathers. But Koo's move caused controversy over the fathers' privacy. One father sued him for defamation. But the case didn't go any further. "Instead of seeking me in court, the father sent his lawyer to the Philippines and agreed on a childcare support settlement with the mother," Koo said. Tacteennaeil said the biggest challenge for the mothers is finding the fathers' whereabouts. "Without finding the father, nothing else can be done," Tacteennaeil director Lee Young-hee said. When cases reach the court, the results are almost always in favor of the mothers. In 2014, the first winning case was reported. "Many men don't want to accept their responsibility initially. But eventually, they admit what they had done," Koo said. Rising calls for government action Tacteennail calls for more active intervention from the Korean government. "There's so much work that we need to do in orchestration with the government," Lee said. At the moment, the Korean government is helping Kopino children through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). The government is reluctant to do more. "We are loaded with other demanding issues," said one Korean diplomat handling issues of the Philippines, saying there are more serious issues including a large number of murders involving Korean nationals there. The Philippine side seems reluctant as well. The Korea Times emailed the Philippine Embassy in Seoul for comment but didn't receive a reply. Rep. Kim Sam-hwa of the minor opposition People's Party thinks the government should offer more help. "Kopinos are part of a human rights issue," she said during a recent conference on the issue. "The Korean government should help them find their fathers and make them help create a decent environment for these children to grow up in. That's what the international community expects the Korean government to do." Lee said the children are in desperate need of help. Most Kopinos grow up in poor environments without adequate education and care, and often end up in prostitution or organized crime. Ito Rieko, who takes care of children born to Japanese fathers and Filipino mothers in Japan, said the children, called "Japinos," suffer from a huge identity crisis. "They need a lot of care," she said. Her organization, Citizen's Network for Japanese-Filipino Children, runs programs for Japinos living in Japan and the Philippines. Lee also calls on the government to take more measures to stop the Kopino issue from continuing meaning preventing Korean men from having reckless, irresponsible relationships with Filipina women. "Prevention is the best solution. What we want are warning signs on travelers' phones or on screens at the airport or in the plane to the Philippines about the Kopino issue," Lee said. The Korean diplomat said he will consider all of this. Despite hardships, Anciro sees a brighter future for Ruther. "God has a plan for us. That's why it happened," she said. "I have no regret (over having him in my life)." What she will tell Ruther about his father when he gets older makes her pause. "Because it may hurt Ruther to hear it," the mother said. But she doesn't want to keep this to herself, and she will continue to speak out about her experience. "I want to share what I experienced so that people will know about this issue," she said. "Also, (I want to speak out) because of the WLK. I want to pay back. They helped me (win support from the father). They're like a family to us." She has a message for the father. "I just want him to know that he has a son in the Philippines. And I want him to be a real human." Protestors hold pickets which read "Park Geun-hye resign" during a candlelight vigil on Saturday evening at Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul. Almost 20,000 participants walked toward Cheong Wa Dae. / Korea Times photo by Shin Sang-soon By Choi Ha-young Tens of thousands of citizens held a candlelight anti-government rally at Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul, Saturday many holding pickets reading: "Impeach Park Geun-hye" and "Is this a country?" Over 20,000 gathered in the largest rally this year, demanding the scandal surrounding Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil be thoroughly investigated. Civic groups vow to hold candlelight rallies every day across the nation. At the rally, people expressed their anger and frustration with the Park administration for allowing a person with no official title to meddle in state affairs. It was not only university students who made statements denouncing the Park administration, as many older people, including traditional Park supporters, joined the protest as well. "I've lost trust in this government," said a participant surnamed Kim, 80, from Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. "She has to step down on her own right now." Following the protest with speeches and performances until 7:30 p.m., citizens walked across Gwanghwamun Plaza toward Cheong Wa Dae. "Koreans have taken pride in the nation's development and democracy, but with the Choi scandal, everything we have built appears to be collapsing," said a protester surnamed Ok, 51. "It's so embarrassing and shameful." Park's former supporters expressed a sense of betrayal. "I came here with my son to show how deeply we are disappointed in President Park. I voted for Park like many other old people did. But she disappointed her supporters and betrayed the people," a 70-year-old participant said. "She has to step down for destroying the nation before the situation turns uglier." The police once blocked people with a wall of police buses in front of Le Meilleur Building in Jongno, but soon took away the barricade. The confrontation between demonstrators and police continued until 11 p.m. but no violence took place. The police broadcasts to dismiss the protestors were exceptionally respectful. "It is the first time that I have ever come to this kind of protest. I came here with my 13-year-old son to join the rally," said a father surnamed Ahn, 43. Lee Jae-myung / Courtesy of Seongnam Municipal Office By Kim Hyo-jin Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung says the 2017 presidential election will put South Korea at a crossroads the country could either lose or gain momentum depending on its next leader. Korean society has already been pushed to a virtual "state of crisis" due to establishments clogging people's access to resources and opportunities, he views. Lee said he decided to run for the presidency to turn the tables. "Existing politicians manage politics in a normal situation. But in a state of crisis, an outlier can step forward," Lee told The Korea Times in a recent interview. "Only an outlier with boldness and a fighting spirit can change the establishment and create a new order. I think that's a person like me." Contending for candidacy in the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) will not be an easy game for Lee as he will compete with former party leader Moon Jae-in who is supported by the party's mainstream faction following the legacy of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. But for Moon, too, Lee is a big hurdle to clinching the candidacy. Lee has appealed to many hardliners in the opposition bloc with his hawkish stance and forthright verbal attacks against President Park Geun-hye and the ruling party. Amid the nepotism scandal involving Park's confidant Choi Soon-sil, Lee claimed that Park should be impeached and held accountable for the situation while Moon and the DPK leadership remain cautious of voicing such an opinion. Lee, a passionate user of social networking services and a regular media interviewee, has shown the image of an uncompromising politician. He recently mentioned, "If I win the election, I swear I will clear out the pro-Japanese collaborators and power-wielding and corrupt forces." If Moon further sets himself up as a centrist in an effort to widen his realm of potential supporters, Lee is possibly the one to whom traditional left-wing voters could transfer their support. "The main opposition party is weak and has not played its role," he said. "It is negligent of the opposition's duty checks and criticism and overly conscious of centrist voters." An all-time critic of the opposition bloc's cautious approach, Lee views that the DPK should bear its claws against the government in the lead-up to the presidential election. "The party leadership should understand that the public voted for opposition lawmakers to outnumber ruling party lawmakers in the April 13 general election, hoping to see the opposition become aggressive on the government's incompetence and failed policies," he said. "The main opposition party was urged to play tough against the ruling bloc." Lee, an insurgent outlier, is making inroads into the current three-way competition between U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Moon and ex-chairman of the minor opposition People's Party Ahn Cheol-soo. He jumped to rank third among potential presidential candidates from the opposition bloc, with a 7.5 percent approval rating, following Moon with 22.9 and Ahn with 14.8 in a monthly Realmeter poll in October. Weight on welfare policies Lee said his rising attention reflects the falling public expectations for the political establishment. "People feel helpless over politics. They have witnessed power-abusing politicians involved in illegal practices while producing no practical achievements," he said. "People are sick of canny politicians and their empty rhetoric and might have found the way I run the city satisfactory." A proud tone in his voice carries some weight. Since Lee became mayor of the debt-stricken city in 2010, 450 billion won in debt has been paid off over a period of three and a half years. Seongnam has had the highest financial stability rating in the Ministry of the Interior's regular assessment since 2014. With the city's larger budget, Lee increased welfare spending, first for the elderly and then on childcare. His three key welfare programs, to which he allocated 19.4 billion won ($16 million) from the city's budget, were once part of a national controversy for their unconditional provision of direct subsidies. The programs include providing 1 million won annually for people aged 19 to 24, free school uniforms for students entering secondary school and 500,000 won in post-pregnancy subsidies to mothers each year. Lee has struck back at an accusation that he is pursuing populist policies, claiming such a view comes out of a distorted yet widespread perspective on welfare policies in South Korea. "Welfare is not an option offered by the government. It is the basic duty and role of the government," he said. "The government, having been negligent in its duties, damaged its true meaning." He noted that he didn't push ahead with the welfare policies by raising taxes or going over the budget. "It was possible with a budget surplus made by cracking down on irregularities and corruption, money wasted on unnecessary administrative projects and chronic tax evasion," he added. The mayor believes voters will be keener to discern a high-achiever in the upcoming presidential election. "People started weighing less on candidates' fame and popularity but more on their practical achievements as politicians. Such a tendency will be ever stronger in the 2017 race," he said. Lee said the opposition bloc should join hands in fielding a single candidate to win the election. "The public call to fix the abnormal practices in central politics is now overwhelming," he said. "The opposition bloc should come together and even if they fail, they should at least agree on a single candidate." Lee mentioned that senior politicians' move to join forces outside parties, revolving around Sohn Hak-kyu, a now former high-profile member of the DPK, ex-National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa and former opposition leader Kim Chong-in, may be inevitable amid the public furor over the mainstream politics that failed to meet their needs. "Even though the so-called third zone can be one channel to deliver the public voice, they will have to know our common goal is the change of the government. This time, it should never happen that some politicians botch the needs of the times merely due to personal political interests." Engagement policies with NK Lee holds traditional left-wing views on North Korea. Engagement policies will guarantee national security and unification of the two Koreas, he believes. Such view made him an enthusiastic critic of the ruling party that has raised an offensive against some opposition members, labeling them "North Korea followers." Lee defended Moon when the ruling Saenuri Party accused him of being "in league with" the North Korea after an ex-foreign minister claimed that Moon, then presidential chief of staff in the Roh Moo-hyun administration, was involved in seeking Pyongyang's opinion before Seoul voted on a U.N. resolution against the North's human rights situation in 2007. Seoul abstained from the vote that year. "Even if the government abstained from the vote after asking for the North's opinion, I think it was the right decision to continue momentum for inter-Korean reconciliation and peaceful unification," Lee said. Moon, without clarifying if there was such a process, said earlier that the decision was made after a security meeting with Cabinet members and the matter was sensitive as inter-Korean relations were in negotiations following the summit and a meeting between prime ministers from both countries. "If Moon's case deserves to be called being in league with the North, then the case of ex-President Park Chung Hee invoking the Yushin Constitution (which laid the groundwork to extend his authoritarian rule) which is irrelevant to any North Korea issues can be seen as getting approval from Pyongyang," Lee said. "Saenuri Party should stop using inter-Korean matters as a tactic to attract conservative votes." Scandals from covert political culture change voters' criteria By Kang Seung-woo Next year will be the fifth and final year of the Park Geun-hye government. In December 2017, South Korea will pick a new leader to run Asia's fourth-largest economy for another five years. The political circles already seem to be gearing up for the election, with many hopefuls trumpeting their presidential ambitions and attacking potential rivals. A new head of state will be at the helm of Cheong Wa Dae at a critical time for the nation as it faces a sluggish economy and growing nuclear threats from North Korea the two issues that candidates in previous elections pledged to improve. However, voters will evaluate the candidates based on a fresh set of standards next year in the wake of an influence-peddling scandal involving the president's long-time confidant Choi Soon-sil. Choi, a daughter of President Park's late mentor, had access to the presidential speeches and edited them even though she had no official job in the government, leading to Park's public apology. In addition, the confidant, believed to be in hiding in Germany, is under suspicions that she exploited her ties to the president to coerce major local companies to donate some 80 billion won ($70 million) to two dubious nonprofit foundations and used the money for personal gains. Her daughter is also embroiled in speculations that she received special treatment in her admission to Ewha Womans University and in her academic credits there. "In the wake of the Choi-gate,' the people expressed their disapproval of the nation's secretive political culture. As a result, voters will favor a candidate who is expected to openly govern the nation and one who is not linked to a special political faction or to cronyism," said Bae Jong-chan, the chief director of political pollster Research and Research. "How likely will a potential new president lead the country in a democratic manner will be high on the evaluation of the candidates." Bae added that the nation's previous presidents also went through tough times like Park because of the covert political culture. Cho Jin-man, a professor of political science at Duksung Women's University, echoed Bae's view. "In next year's election, voters will try to find new qualifications for a head of state, or democratic leadership," Cho said. "They will be taken into consideration in a greatly important manner." According to Cho, voters paid more attention to candidates' party memberships and policies, but each candidate's personal qualities, like ethics and communication, will be on the voters' radar. The people and the opposition parties have denounced the mounting controversies surrounding Choi as destroying democracy and shaking the nation's foundation. North Korea Although voters have put security issues on the back burner owing to the scandal, they will continue to pay attention to the candidates' policies toward North Korea. "The new leadership would entail proactive strategic and practical thinking about North Korea issues, as well as a full understanding of them," said Chang Yong-seok, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University. "In addition, a president should not use the North Korean issue politically in order to consolidate his advocacy group." Relations between South and North Korea are at their lowest following Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and Seoul's closing of the Gaesong Industrial Complex in the following month. In addition, Seoul has banned nongovernmental inter-Korean exchanges and South Korean citizens' trips to the North. "With a strong deterrence posture, South Korea and the United States need to continue trying to reach out to North Korea and establish some type of dialogue, if for no other reason (than) to keep tension levels manageable and lessen the chance of crisis situations that could escalate," said Terence Roehrig, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College. Chang also advised the new government to pursue balanced diplomacy between the United States and China. "We need to act between Washington and Beijing, considering our own gains in advance, and try to have a bigger say regarding issues related to us," he said. Economy Presidential candidates usually unveil their economic policies on the campaign trail. For example, former President Lee Myung-bak revealed his "747 Plan" of achieving 7 percent gross domestic product growth, $40,000 per capita income and the world's seventh largest economy during his campaign, and President Park did the same with her "474 Vision" of achieving 4 percent economic growth, a 70 percent employment rate and $40,000 per capita income. Both candidates failed to reach their goals. "When it comes to the economic policy, we need a selection and concentration strategy," Bae said. "Currently, we are still grappling with distribution and growth, and the new leader should make a wise decision on the issue. In addition, the new president needs to find professional personnel for each position to effectively carry out the economic policy." Bae added that the new government should learn from the appointment of Hong Kyttack. Hong, a former chairman of the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB), is under fire for his failure to properly supervise Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), which has been under investigation by the prosecution for accounting fraud worth more than 5 trillion won. KDB is the major shareholder of DSME. He took the job thanks to his special relationship as President Park's former economics tutor during her presidential election campaign. Both Park and Hong graduated from Sogang University in Seoul. By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government is launching a new tourism website today, aiming to provide more catered information to individual travelers. The website, onemoretrip.net, is available in English and Chinese and a mobile version will be ready by December. Unlike conventional tourism websites that introduce major sightseeing destinations and cultural experiences, the new website has unique customization options. For example, those who like perfume can find a two-hour perfume-making workshop in Mangwon-dong, western Seoul. Those who want traditional Korean alcohol and cooking lessons can find a traditional brewery tour program and cooking session. Travel agencies, startups and merchants with tourism content can register their programs on the website after gaining approval for quality. Tourists can choose from them and pay using a credit card, PayPal or WeChat. Seoul has become a major travel destination for Asians, especially Chinese tourists. Many tourists have come here in groups led by tour agencies, but their programs often involve poor-quality tours at low prices, disappointing visitors. These days, however, more than 70 percent of tourists are individual travelers and the city government is developing programs for their growing needs. "More and more people travel individually and the tourism business is getting smaller," a city official said. "Our goal is to match visitors with tourist programs catered to their needs so that travelers will have a more authentic experience, and small tour businesses can thrive." By Park Si-soo President Park Geun-hye's approval rating has hit a new low of 10.4 percent, down from 17.5 percent last week, amid the biggest political scandal in her administration that centers on Park's shadowy longtime friend Choi Soon-sil. Park's approval rating in Seoul and surrounding Incheon and Gyeonggi Province crumbled to single digits -- 8.3 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively -- for the first time since her inauguration in February 2013, according to a recent poll. Park's solid fan base -- people in their 60s or older -- is showing signs of cracking. The approval rate in this age group fell below 20 percent for the first time. The figures come from a nationwide survey by ResearchView, which randomly polled 1,088 adults across the country through mobile phone interviews. Excavator driver attacks prosecution office hoping to kill Choi By Lee Kyung-min Police detained a man who drove an excavator up the front steps of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office building in Seocho, southern Seoul, Tuesday, injuring a security guard and damaging property there. The man surnamed Jeong, 45, claimed he did so out of anger against President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in a major influence-peddling scandal. According to the Seocho Police Station and fire authorities, Jeong drove the excavator on the back of a truck from his home in Sunchang, North Jeolla Province, 280 kilometers south of Seoul. He unloaded the excavator from the truck and drove it toward the building at 8:20 a.m. A security guard surnamed Ju, 60, was injured by the vehicle while attempting to shoot a tear-gas gun at its operator. Ju was transferred to a nearby hospital after sustaining an injury to his side and legs. The entrance of the building and parking lot facilities were damaged. Police arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency call and stopped Jeong after shooting him with a Taser. He faces charges of destruction of public property and obstruction of public duty. Jeong told police that as Choi said that she had committed a capital offense, he went there to carry out her execution. Choi made the remarks when she appeared for questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office the previous day, begging for forgiveness. Jeong is the operator of a construction vehicle rental business, and has a long arrest record for various crimes including assault. He was not drunk at the time of the attack. Police plan to question him further to determine his exact motive as well as how he planned the attack. A Chinese boat, which has received a confiscation order from the court for staging armed resistance against the South Korean coast guard's crackdown on illegal fishing in South Korean waters, is not to be sold for reuse but to be completely dismantled, the local coast guard here said Tuesday. The ship, Lu Wei Gao Yu 60800, was captured by the South Korean Coast Guard in December while catching fish illicitly in South Korean waters. The ship's crew however, wielded arms against the Coast Guard during the crackdown, which eventually led to a court ruling of forfeit. "On top of the confiscation, we (the Coast Guard) plan to sell off the boat on condition of its dismantling within the month," said an official with the Gunsan Maritime Police in Gunsan, 274 kilometers south of Seoul. Therefore, the 154-ton Chinese vessel will be sold to a ship breaker, who will turn it over to scrap traders after disassembling it, the official said. Thus far, seized Chinese fishing boats have been commonly returned to their owners after court rulings, many of whom would put them into illegal operation again. "We've decided to break the ship apart as an example of strict punishment pertinent to the government's policy to root out illegal fishing by Chinese boats inside the country's waters," the official said. (Yonhap) By Yi Whan-woo Choi Tae-min, known as President Park Geun-hye's mentor and founder of a religious cult, watches Park during a political event in 1977. Park was acting as first lady at the time. / Korea Times file Is President Park Geun-hye a follower of a religious cult called Yongsaenggyo, or Church of Eternal Life? The question has been haunting Koreans as evidence mounts concerning Park's mysterious relationship with her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil. Choi, 60, a daughter of the late cult leader Choi Tae-min, is suspected of pulling strings in state affairs and illegally profiting since Park took office in February 2013. Choi's alleged exploitation of her relationship with the President is fueling speculation that Park, who is supposedly the country's most powerful person, has been under the spell of her cultist confidant after becoming a follower of the religious cult. Choi Tae-min, who died in 1994 at age 82, is believed to have founded Yongsaenggyo in the 1970s by combining differing beliefs in Buddhism, Christianity and an indigenous Korean religion named Cheondoism that rose in the early 20th century. He had previously been a Buddhist monk and also a Roman Catholic convert. Calling himself the equivalent of a modern-day Buddha or Dangun, the legendary founder of ancient Korean kingdom Gojoseon, Choi Tae-min claimed that every man was God in the beginning and should strive to win salvation to become God again and live eternally. The obscure cult leader initially met Park soon after her mother Yuk Young-soo was assassinated in 1974 and she assumed the duties of first lady at age 22 for her father, then-military dictator Park Chung Hee, according to political sources. It is rumored that he approached Park by telling her that her mother appeared in his dreams and offering to aid her with her mother's support. Choi Tae-min, who befriended Park despite the 40-year-old age difference, served as Park's mentor until his death. He helped Park to organize a pro-government volunteer group called Movement for a New Mind, for which then-university student Choi Soon-sil served as its youth leader. Choi Tae-min, also a former police officer, was from a poor family. But he accumulated an enormous fortune serving as Park's mentor and bequeathed his wealth to his children, according to the sources. They also said Choi Soon-sil, succeeded her father as cult leader. Park Geun-hye, second from left, walks with Choi Tae-min, right, during the foundation ceremony for the "Crusades to save Korea" in this photo taken on June 21, 1975, at Pai CHai High School in Seoul. / Yonhap Swirling rumors Choi Tae-min who was married six times is rumored to have had an improper relationship with Park. Kim Jae-gyu, then-Korean spy chief who assassinated Park Chung Hee in 1979, cited the senior Park's "failure to prevent Choi Tae-min's corrupt activities and keep him away from his daughter," as a reason for assassinating his boss. In 1990, Park's younger sister Geun-ryong and brother Ji-man filed a petition to then-President Roh Tae-woo concerning a dispute with Choi Tae-min over a non-profit foundation that was set up to commemorate their late parents. Geun-ryong and Ji-man claimed that the pastor had been manipulating their eldest sister, exploiting the foundation for illicit gains and trying to alienate them. The President is widely known for keeping her distance from her siblings for years. Released by WikiLeaks, the U.S. Embassy in Korea reported to its government in 2007 that "Rumors are rife that the late pastor had complete control over Park's body and soul during her formative years." It also called Choi Tae-min a "Korean Rasputin." A new rumor recently erupted that Park's possible relation to Yongsaenggyo was behind the sinking of the Sewol ferry in April 2014. The country's worst maritime disaster left over 300 passengers, mostly middle school students, dead or missing. The Park government was criticized for its bungled efforts to save the people. The de-facto owner of the ferry was Yoo Byung-eun, also a cult leader who was believed to have connections with Chung Yoon-hoi, ex-husband of Choi Soon-sil. Rumors circulated that the people on the ferry were sacrificed in line with the cult's creed and that Park was deliberately negligent in saving the passengers. Chung and Choi Soon-sil divorced following a scandal in late 2014 that Chung, who served as Park's aide before she was elected President, meddled in state affairs despite having no security clearance. It is rumored that Choi Soon-sil was displeased with Chung's alleged attempt to wield influence over the President without her approval. Protesters hold signs that read "Park Geun-hye resign" during an anti-president rally at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul, Saturday evening. An anti-Park protest will be staged every 7 p.m. at the venue from Tuesday until Nov. 12. / Yonhap By Hong Dam-young A protest calling for President Park Geun-hye's resignation will be staged daily in downtown Seoul from Tuesday. The nonstop rally will continue through Nov. 12. Organizers, mostly progressive civic groups, said the candlelight vigil-style protest will begin at Cheonggye Plaza from 7 p.m. They said a large-scale protest is planned on Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, which will call for Park's resignation and a thorough investigation of the Choi Soon-sil scandal. On top of this, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the biggest umbrella unions here, said it will hold an emergency meeting Wednesday to discuss its own demand for Park's resignation. By Lee Jin-a A Korean man has been booked for allegedly swindling 120 million won ($105,000) from illegal migrants. Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul said Tuesday the man, surnamed Lim, 53, was charged for deceiving illegal migrants into paying him 3 to 6 million won each to renew their expired visas or get an F-5 visa (permanent-resident visa) between 2013 and this year. Police said Lim operated an illegal company in Seoul that acted as a proxy in renewing visas and lured illegal migrants. Lim took 85.2 million won from 16 victims who wanted an F-5 visa and 41.5 million won from 22 others who requested visa extensions. When the victims -- most of whom were illegal immigrants, or criminals in Korea -- visited Lim's office to complain that their requests were not being properly handled, Lim exploited their status and threatened to report them to police. He reported some victims. After receiving a report in September, police raided Lim's office and confiscated documents and bankbooks. Police said Lim is suspected of taking about 700 million won from more than 300 people over four years. But police could only confirm 120 million won of that. By Jun Ji-hye The signing of a deal with Japan regarding sharing military intelligence on North Korea is expected to incur further protests from China, which is already angry over the planned deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system here. South Korea and Japan resumed working-level talks stalled since 2012 on the signing of a General Security of Military Intelligence Agreement (GSOMIA) in Tokyo, Tuesday. If signed, the deal would allow Seoul and Tokyo to directly share and exchange intelligence on the North's military activities related to its nuclear and missile programs. Currently, the two indirectly exchange such intelligence through Washington under a trilateral sharing pact signed at the end of 2014. Some opposition lawmakers and military experts here say the deal will rile China, because from Beijing's point of view, it could be seen as a move to hold it further in check in Northeast Asia. They also claim the deal might mean the South virtually participating in the U.S.-led missile defense (MD) system, which has been in place in Japan since 2003. When South Korea and the United States announced that a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery will be deployed on the Korean Peninsula by the end of next year, suspicions regarding Seoul's participation in the MD program were also raised. Beijing believes that any alleged attempt by Washington to get its Asian ally to join its missile defense system is to contain its influence in the Asia-Pacific region. "The public will not agree on the need for signing a military deal with Japan at a time when Tokyo's view on the past has not improved. The deal could also severely worsen relations with China," said Rep. Park Kyung-mee, spokeswoman for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea. By Kim Hyo-jin Three opposition parties agreed Tuesday to push for a parliamentary probe into the influence-peddling scandal involving Choi Soon-sil, the longtime confidant of President Park Geun-hye. The decision was made at a meeting among the floor leaders of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the minor opposition People's Party and Justice Party, to discuss how to handle the fallout of the power-related scandal. The three parties also decided to seek an investigation by an independent counsel by passing a special bill. "The parties agreed to seek cooperation from the ruling party in launching a parliamentary investigation and independent counsel," said DPK spokesman Rep. Ki Dong-min. "We urge the Saenuri Party to accept our proposal if it is taking the situation seriously and hopes to show sincerity in settling the scandal." It is expected that rival parties will trade barbs over a range of witnesses and subjects to investigate, even if the ruling Saenuri Party agrees with a parliamentary probe, according to party officials. According to a related law, one fourth of the sitting lawmakers can submit a motion to begin a parliamentary probe and it can be endorsed with a majority of lawmakers who appear at a plenary session. With 165 opposition lawmakers and six independent lawmakers, an endorsement is possible with cooperation among the opposition parties in simple arithmetical terms, in the 300-seat Assembly. However, due to a regulation that a special committee to lead the probe should include a certain proportion of lawmakers from each party that form a negotiation bloc, the opposition parties will have to seek cooperation from the ruling party. Finalizing a plan for a probe should be preceded by the formation of a special parliamentary committee. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea holds a rally in front of the National Assembly, Tuesday, to call for an investigation into President Park Geun-hye over the influence-peddling scandal involving her confidant Choi Soon-sil. / Yonhap By Kim Hyo-jin The opposition parties called for a criminal investigation into President Park Geun-hye, Tuesday, over an ever expanding scandal involving her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil. However, the prosecution and Cheong Wa Dae reacted negatively, saying there was no precedent for the investigation of an incumbent head of state on any allegations. The opposition claims the ongoing prosecutorial probe of Choi and her aides should be extended to the President to get to the bottom of the scandal. Choi, who allegedly meddled in state affairs despite having no official government position, has been questioned by the prosecution since Monday. Prosecutors will seek a detention warrant today. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) called Park a "key figure" in the scandal. "We urge the prosecution to take all suspects related to the scandal into custody and question them thoroughly. Park cannot be an exception," DPK Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae said at a party meeting. Rep. Park Jie-won, the interim leader of the minor opposition People's Party, also called for an extended probe into the President. "A personnel or Cabinet reshuffle will not ease the public anger. The only way to alleviate such sentiment is if Park steps forward saying she is willing to be subject to a prosecutorial investigation and its results," Rep. Park said. South Korea and Cuba discussed ways to boost bilateral ties Monday, holding their first economic cooperation dialogue in 57 years. The meeting of the Korea-Cuba economic cooperation committee was held in Havana, involving some 150 business leaders from the two countries, according to the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), South Korea's largest business lobby that represents the country's top 600 companies. The meeting marked the first of its kind since the countries severed diplomatic ties in 1959, the FKI noted. "The Korea-Cuba economic cooperation meeting is especially meaningful in that it marks the first dialogue amid a continued diplomatic cessation between South Korea and Cuba," FKI Chairman Huh Chang-soo was quoted as saying in his opening speech marking the start of the bilateral talks. Huh was accompanied by many other business leaders interested in expanding economic ties with Cuba, such as the head of the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and representatives from leading South Korean firms, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and POSCO. The one-day meeting partly sought to expand the countries' bilateral trade, which came to some US$57 million in 2015, accounting for less than 0.1 percent of South Korea's overall trade volume that year. Apparently indicating Havana's move to boost its trade relations with Seoul, Cuban participants in the bilateral talks were headed by an official from GECOMEX, the holding firm for Cuba's 21 state-run importers that together account for nearly one-third of Cuba's overall foreign purchases, according to FKI. FKI noted that Cuba may serve as a logistics hub for Northeast America following its normalization of ties with the United States. The country also possesses world-class biomedical technologies, along with vast amounts of natural resources. Cuba also boasts of a literacy rate of over 99 percent, making it a potential and attractive candidate as an overseas production base for many South Korean firms, it added. (Yonhap) By John Redmond One of Seoul's top business networking events, Wine on Wednesday, will return to the Peninsula Italian Restaurant and Bar at the Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul, today. Wine is attended by a broad cross-section of international and Korean professionals working at small, medium and large companies, and startups as well as representatives of foreign embassies, chambers of commerce and local and international public organizations. "Wine on Wednesday is an open invitation event, so feel free to bring along your colleagues and friends who wish to expand their business networks," the organizer says. The evening offers four glasses of wine (additional wine may be purchased), delicious food from the Peninsula Italian Restaurant and Bar and networking with Seoul's international business community. At the end of every event there is a lucky draw in which you can win great prizes. Wine on Wednesday is from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and entry is 60,000 won. The Peninsula Italian Restaurant and Bar is in the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, downtown Seoul. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1213043592102927/ or call Todd Sample 010-4747-8606 or Veronica Kang 010-4734-6161. By John Redmond An international food exhibition titled "Food Week Korea" will be held at COEX halls A to D from Nov. 2 to 5. Over 1,000 companies will exhibit a range of food products and services at 1,800 booths. COEX has organized the event with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the Gangnam-gu Office. International exhibitors will feature ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines as well as Turkey, Japan and China. The event will include business meetings with overseas Korean buyers and domestic food distributors. There will be a consulting session "Applying the FTA." Special events will see Food Week Tech, an exhibition of hygiene and safety related brand and newly-launched food technology and opening the sharing economy in the food industry. Food Week Bar will present an exhibition of beverage and alcohol brands while the Seoul Cooking and Dining Show is an experience-oriented marketing platform. Food Week Global will see the expansion of the International Food Pavilion. "At Food Week Korea, you can learn all about food trends of the future and expand your business into Asia," the organizer says. "Food Week Korea is a total platform for every aspect of the food and beverage industry. From raw ingredients, to machinery, packaging, food products, drinks, and desserts, all under one roof providing a premier destination for exhibitors and buyers for the past 10 years." For more information, visit http://koreafoodweek.com. A Flourishing Democracy in Asia On Oct. 10, 2016, the Republic of China (Taiwan) celebrates its 105th anniversary, an important event for Asia's first republic and one heralding the dawn of a new era characterized by innovation, reform and the building of a more progressive, caring society. The election of President Tsai Ing-wen as the ROC's first female head of state in January, as well as the third transition of power in May, signals the maturing of the nation's hard-earned democracyone in which the efforts of the citizenry to safeguard freedom, protect human rights and uphold the rule of law are recognized worldwide. Central to this process is Tsai's "Steadfast Diplomacy." Based on the principle of mutual assistance for mutual benefits, the initiative paves the way for Taiwan to work with all like-minded countries and territories in playing a more significant role in the international community and making greater contributions. This approach is important as momentum builds for Tsai's New Southbound Policy, which aims to deepen Taiwan's trade and cultural links with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand, and ensure all segments of society can share in long-term prosperity. The policy also helps the nation quickly adjust to changing global conditions and the trend toward regional economic integration. As the ROC further strengthens its robust economy and vibrant democracyproud achievements in Asia it will continue making the nation's culture, lifestyle and social diversity a global benchmark. Toiling for a better tomorrow is a worthy goal on Double Tenth National Day. The Fruits of Innovation Lychee Fruit: The fruit of the lychee tree (Litchi chinensis) is small and round, with a light-red rind covering translucent flesh. Bursting with aromatic sweetness and renowned for its health benefits, it has been enjoyed for centuries, from the Tang dynasty imperial court to Taiwan's famous night markets. The Republic of China (Taiwan) embraces a New Model for Economic Development on its 105th National Day On Oct. 10, the 105th National Day of the Republic of China (Taiwan), the country reaffirms the determination and spirit of innovation that has made it a vital link in the global economy. Its information and communications technology industry is one of the most advanced in the world, its manufacturers supply goods to a myriad of industries, and its solar panels play an important role in powering a green revolution. The determination and ingenuity that turned this once agrarian island into an industrial powerhouse is alive and well, as Taiwan again undergoes an economic transformation. Under its New Model for Economic Development, the nation is transforming its efficiency-driven economy into one based on innovation. This shift will not only create jobs, but also help reduce the wealth gap via the equitable distribution of the nation's economic gains. At the heart of the plan is the promotion of five major innovative industries, namely biotech and pharmaceuticals, the Internet of Things, sustainable energy, national defense, and smart machinery. In these sectors, Taiwan already has considerable experience, made all the more effective through international collaborative partnerships. For example, the government has already outlined plans to foster cooperation between local firms and their peers in biomedical hubs from Boston to Basel, and the high-tech mecca of California's Silicon Valley. These efforts are but a part of Taiwan's economic transformation. By harnessing the spirit of innovation, and through enhanced international collaboration, the new development model will have a lasting impact on the nation, the region and the world. Taiwan: Key Segment of Global Society Custard apple: Native to Latin America, the sugar apple, or custard apple, was introduced to Taiwan some four centuries ago by Dutch colonists. Taiwan is now the world's largest producer of the fruit, which is rich in calcium, potassium and vitamin C. As it celebrates its 105th National Day, the Republic of China (Taiwan) seeks to deepen cooperation with all nations on the basis of shared values. A model global citizen, Taiwan upholds the universal values of peace, freedom, democracy and human rights. And it is in keeping with these principles that the nation reaches out to the world. Taiwan is a committed provider of humanitarian aid. From malaria prevention programs in Africa to agricultural projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, from medical missions in the South Pacific to disaster relief in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Middle East, it has consistently strived to make a real difference. The nation actively engages in climate change research, supports anti-terrorism cooperation, and works with its partners to tackle transnational crime. Furthermore, through its participation in the World Health Assembly, it has shared its renowned expertise in disease control and prevention, among other areas. As a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Taiwan is also a dedicated contributor and active promoter of regional economic integration. Through the forum, it fosters capacity building and cooperation in such diverse fields as small and medium-sized enterprises, information and communications technology, energy, food security, women and the economy, public health and disaster prevention. This Oct. 10, as the Republic of China (Taiwan) celebrates its 105th National Day, its goal is to do more. However, the country's efforts to contribute further are restricted by its absence from many major organizations. Taiwan's meaningful participation in bodies such as the World Health Organization, Interpol, U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and International Civil Aviation Organization would make international mechanisms truly global. Taiwan strives to advance multifaceted cooperation with nations across the world on the basis of shared values. It is an indispensable partner for the international community. Two first graders create a computer game with the help of teachers at a private academy in Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, Oct. 6. Private academies teaching coding have become increasingly popular after the government announced it will make coding mandatory in public education starting in 2018. / Korea Times photo by Kim Bo-eun Concerns grow over digital divide ahead of introduction at schools By Kim Bo-eun Two elementary school first graders were sitting in front of their computers in a classroom at a well-furnished private academy in the affluent district of Seocho-dong, southern Seoul, in October. The students were each assisted by a teacher in creating a computer game. "What is another feature you want to add to your game?" the teacher asked. "I want to add a road," one of the students said, then he added a road to the program by typing in codes, with the help of the teacher. Core Education and Coding Early Literacy (CECEL) is one of a growing number of private academies teaching computer programming after the government announced in July last year that software classes will become mandatory in the public education curriculum starting in 2018. "Learning coding" means acquiring computer languages which enable digital devices, websites and apps to function. Here, elementary school students and even preschoolers learn to use the MIT-developed "Scratch" programming, "Arduino" interactive electronic objects and become familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing and drones. Some of the classes are even conducted in English. CECEL is equipped with the latest kits and learning material from abroad. Tuition fees range from 170,000 won ($148) to as much as 1.35 million won a month depending on how many classes the students take. "Up until now when students encountered a situation, such as their chair being too low for them, they would get a new chair. But learning to code will enable them to make a chair on which they can adjust the height," said Stella Cho, CECEL's vice director. "Instead of being job-seekers, they can become active job creators." Forecasts say in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, computing and programming skills will be required not only for professional engineering positions, but for virtually all types of jobs, as people become increasingly connected with computers in all spheres of their lives. Countries around the world have started teaching coding, which experts claim also helps students develop problem solving and logical reasoning skills. Software education at schools While early adopters like Israel started providing computer science programs at high schools in 1995, dozens of countries began to put coding in the curriculum in recent years. In the U.K., under its "computing" curriculum introduced in September 2014, children as young as five learn to create and debug simple programs. At 11, they start learning at least two programming languages. In France, elementary schools started offering software education in extra-curricular programs in 2014, and in the following year the subject was placed in the middle school curriculum, while reducing foreign language class hours. The Australian government in 2015 endorsed a new digital technologies curriculum to scrap history and geography and replace them with coding classes. Finland, which developed the first mobile phone, Nokia, put "computational thinking and programming" in elementary and lower secondary education this fall. In Korea, starting in 2018, computer classes at middle schools, which are now elective, will become required classes to be taken once a week. Compared to the current classes, the curriculum will beef up programming content. Students will take exams for the classes, like they do for Korean, English and math classes, mainly practical tests. At elementary schools, fifth and sixth graders will have 17 hours of software classes a year starting in 2019, while at high schools, computer classes will remain an elective subject. But there is a dire lack of instructors with expertise in the field. While middle schools have computer class teachers, elementary schools do not. The Ministry of Education is currently figuring how many trained teachers schools would need by 2018, and are drawing up plans to recruit the required number of teachers. It said it will train 30 percent of the elementary school teachers around 60,000 in software education by 2018. "We are in the process of developing teaching materials and also training teachers for elementary and middle school software classes," a ministry official said. Concerns of digital divide In the meantime, parents are turning to private education to appease their anxiety. "While public education should be sufficient so that students won't have to rely on education outside of school, there will still be anxious parents who send their children to private academies," Moon Eun-ok, researcher at the civic group, World without Worries about Shadow Education, said. "Private academies are taking advantage of this; they are marketing the classes to cater to this anxiety, and as a result, the private education market is growing." Due to the increasing popularity of private academies that teach coding, there are concerns that pricey tuition fees will create a disparity between the children of the haves and have-nots. "Although an education gap already exists in private education according to the parents' financial capabilities, for private computer education, the gap could be larger as the classes are expensive and they require additional fees to pay for learning tools," she said. "It is the education authorities' responsibility to place restrictions on academies to curb the level of tuition fees, which already exist for academies teaching Korean, English and math." Most of the private academies are concentrated in affluent neighborhoods in Gangnam, southern Seoul, leaving an education gap with other parts of the country. "All students should be able to have an equal opportunity to education and this is why the role of public education is so important," Moon said. Regarding the issue, the ministry official said that the government believes the frenzy over coding education is arising because parents do not have an accurate understanding of what it is. "Because they are not familiar with the concept, they think it is something difficult to learn which requires additional education outside of school," he said. The official said the ministry is drawing up newsletters to send out to parents by the end of this year, which will also notify them of channels through which students can learn about coding, free of charge, such as on the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), or Entry, a software education platform provided by the portal site Naver. South Korean Army's special warfare command and its U.S. counterpart have recently carried out a joint exercise to practice "surgical strikes" against North Korea's nuclear and missile facilities, military officials said Thursday. "The U.S. Air Force's 353rd Special Operations Group conducted a combined striking exercise against an enemy's facilities with the South Korean Army's special forces brigade at a military base in Gunsan (274 kilometers south of Seoul)," a defense official said told Yonhap News Agency. Under the "Teak Knife" drill, the two allies focused on sending their special forces into North Korea through fixed-wing aircraft in the event of a conflict on the Korean peninsula, he said. The allies have regularly carried out the Teak Knife drill since the 1990s, but it is rare to make it public. The official said releasing information is mainly due to escalating tensions on the peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region due to the North's continued nuclear and missile development programs. (Yonhap) By Jun Ji-hye While North Korea has been apparently upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities daily, eyes are on which measures South Korea holds to cope with such threats. In response to security concerns heightened especially after Pyongyang's fifth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 9, the military said it will deal with the reclusive state and its possible nuclear attack using South Korea's three-pronged defense system. The three elements are the Kill Chain preemptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan. Kill Chain is a system to carry out a preemptive strike against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile facilities if Seoul is faced with an imminent threat, while the KAMD would trace and shoot down North Korean ballistic missiles heading for South Korea. The KMPR would be used to punish and retaliate against North Korea if it strikes South Korea. The government initially planned to deploy the three systems in the mid-2020s. But after the North claimed that during the latest test it detonated a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be mounted on a ballistic missile, the government said on Oct. 18 it will hasten the system's introduction by a couple of years. This year, the isolated state has conducted two nuclear tests and launched more than 20 ballistic missiles, despite warnings from the international community. "The military is developing the three-pillar system that will provide tailored measures to deter threats from the North's weapons of mass destruction (WMD)," Defense Minister Han Min-koo told the National Assembly. "The military is also strengthening defense cooperation with other countries." Kill Chain The core part forming the Kill Chain system is surveillance assets, including reconnaissance satellites. The Ministry of National Defense said the military is stepping up efforts to secure those assets as soon as possible. Toward that end, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity that South Korea is considering leasing a reconnaissance satellite, possibly from Israel or other countries, to independently obtain information on the North's military activities. The South has so far heavily relied on United States satellites to secure core military information about the North's nuclear and missile-related activities. The move comes amid growing concerns that the ministry's initial plan to deploy five surveillance satellites between 2021 and 2022 could fall behind schedule. "The military is expected to have its own surveillance satellites as early as 2023, as the development has been slow," the official said. The official said leasing a reconnaissance satellite from other countries could fill the vacuum caused by the delay. The military is also considering buying 90 more Taurus cruise missiles that are capable of destroying the North's underground nuclear and missile facilities. In 2013, Seoul decided to buy 170 Taurus air-to-ground missiles made by the German-Swedish joint venture Taurus Systems. Among them, 60 missiles are scheduled to be deployed by the end of this year and others early next year. The GPS-guided Taurus KEPD 350K to be used with the ROK Air Force's F-15K fighter jets has a range of 500 kilometers and can perform deep-penetration missions with pinpoint accuracy, making it ideal for taking out hard targets such as underground installations and bridges, according to the missile maker. Once deployed, South Korean pilots will be able to hit strategic targets with great precision without entering North Korean airspace, the Air Force said. KAMD The military is expected to introduce two anti-ballistic missile early warning radar systems, in addition to the two existing systems, because they are the core of the KAMD that traces the trajectory of North Korean missiles and shoots them down. The ministry's budget plan for 2017 included the introduction of one radar system, but amid mounting threats from the North's submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM), the ministry is moving to modify the plan to secure an additional radar system. In August, Pyongyang test-fired an SLBM that flew about 500 kilometers and splashed down in waters under Japan's Air Defense Identification Zone in the East Sea, showing a significant improvement from past tests. South Korea believes the North will be able to deploy operational SLBMs within one to three years. "Once a total of four radar systems are deployed, the military will be able to monitor the land in the North as well as South Korean territorial waters, which will enable us to immediately respond to Pyongyang's launch of ballistic missiles," said another military official on condition of anonymity. The military is also working to secure a budget to introduce more maritime patrol aircraft, possibly the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, as well as making concentrated efforts to develop domestically L-SAM long-range ground-to-air missiles to enhance interception capability. KMPR The KMPR is a new operational concept made public recently. It is designed to annihilate Pyongyang with a barrage of missile firings in the event of a nuclear attack. Under the KMPR, the military would divide Pyongyang into several districts and destroy the section in which North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the regime's military leadership were suspected of hiding, according to a source. The military plans to mobilize its locally developed surface-to-surface ballistic and cruise missiles, the Hyunmoo, for the operational concept. The Hyunmoo 2A and 2B missiles have ranges of 300 and 500 kilometers, respectively, while the Hyunmoo 3 cruise missile has a range of 1,000 kilometers. The military earlier said it plans to increase the number of Hyunmoo 2As, 2Bs and 3s that can simultaneously strike missile bases across North Korea in time of war. The source noted that the military is also planning to complete tests by next year for deployment of its newly developed ballistic missile that has a range of 800 kilometers. Another source indicated the military has been working to launch a special operational unit in charge of destroying the North Korean military leadership and launching retaliatory attacks on them. Limits However, Minister Han has admitted that the Kill Chain and KAMD apparently have some limits in defending against the North's SLBMs, saying that the two systems are mainly to respond to North Korean missiles fired from the ground. Critics have been raising concerns that the systems would be vulnerable if a North Korean submarine infiltrates South Korean waters and launches an attack. "Responding to the SLBMs would be eventually possible if South Korea and the United States jointly react," Han said. Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, the commander of the Eighth U.S. Army, recently backed up Han's comment, saying that the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, which is scheduled to be deployed in South Korea next year, and the Patriot air defense system, together with Aegis-equipped destroyers, will collectively provide different levels of coverage from various sites in response to SLBMs. Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, raised a question about the KMPR, saying that to operate the plan, the nation needs to overcome overdependence on U.S. strategic assets in penetrating enemy territory. A U.S. floating radar station has returned to its home port of Hawaii after carrying out a surveillance mission near the Korean Peninsula with its advanced sensors, a South Korean military official said Tuesday. "The U.S. sea-based X-Band (SBX) radar was sent to an undisclosed location off the Korean Peninsula for a one-month deployment after departing Hawaii in late September. It sailed back to its home port in late October," the official told Yonhap news agency. He didn't provide details about the mission and the vessel's route, citing the sensitivity of the matter. The SBX radar is aimed at detecting and tracking long-range ballistic missiles and rockets over the high seas. The data collected can be used to assess the capabilities and performance of a missile and help defend against the threat down the line. According to many military officials, the North's long-range intercontinental missiles could theoretically hit parts of the U.S. mainland. The SBX which displaces some 50,000 tons has a 116 meter by 85 meter radar system installed on its deck and has the capability to detect missile fired off upwards to 2,000 kilometers away. North Korea tested a new high-powered rocket engine in September, raising worries that it is stepping up efforts to develop a long-range ballistic missile. The rocket engine test came on the heels of its fifth nuclear test in the same month. (Yonhap) Four defectors speak during a round-table discussion with with The Korea Times at a restaurant in Seoul, Oct. 25. From left are Choi Dong-uck, a North Korean restaurant owner who also leads a defectors' social club; An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies; Park Sang-hak, chief of the Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK); and Kim Yeong-ho, a project manager at Serving Life International. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Yi Whan-woo North Korean defectors are asking the conservative government to step up its rhetoric against the Kim Jong-un regime. At a round-table discussion with The Korea Times in Seoul, four defectors An Chan-il, Park Sang-hak, Kim Yeong-ho, and Choi Dong-uck said they supported President Park Geun-hye's offer for North Koreans other than the ruling class to come to South Korea. They still urged the Park administration to continue its controversial proposal, claiming that such effort was critical to improve North Korea's dire human rights record. An is head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies. Park Sang-hak leads Fighters for a Free North Korea (FFNK), an activist group specializing in sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets to the reclusive regime. Kim Yeong-ho is a project manager at Serving Life International, a human rights group for North Koreans. Choi, also a North Korean restaurant owner, leads a defectors' social club; "When I heard the President's speech, I felt my heart pounding because I was deeply moved by the fact that this country is right on track in its support for North Korean human rights," An said. Choi said she "appreciates" the President's efforts, and Kim Yeong-ho assessed that such efforts "will open doors for North Koreans to enter South Korea and live here without discrimination and prejudice." "The President officially invited North Koreans to live here and such an invitation is expected to help defectors receive better treatment here," Choi added. An Chan-il speaks while other participants listen during a round-table discussion in Seoul, Oct. 25. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk Since August, the President has repeatedly urged ordinary North Koreans to come to the South for "freedom and human rights" in what is seen as an attempt to press the Kim Jong-un regime harder by separating Pyongyang's ruling class from others. An was among guests invited to the ceremony for the 68th Armed Forces Armed Forces on Oct. 1. The President then urged North Koreans rank-and-file troops and citizens to abandon their country and defect to the "bosom of freedom" in the South. A total of 1,036 people fled from North Korea to the South between January and September. The figure is up 21 percent from the same period in 2015. It is estimated that the number will surpass 30,000 by mid-November, up from 29,830 in September. Park Sang-hak said more people should defect to South Korea, adding, "It can contribute to the well-being of the North Koreans ultimately." He claimed that many North Koreans relied on family members who escaped to South Korea in learn about the outside world. "The more North Koreans escape, the higher chance for the Kim Jong-un regime to collapse and let the North Koreans become free," he said. The President's speeches concerning defectors faced opposition from liberal-minded politicians. For instance, minor opposition People's Party floor leader Rep. Park Jie-won called the speeches as "declaration of war" against North Korea. Park Jie-won was a former chief of staff to late President Kim Dae-jung, who held the first inter-Korean summit with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in June 2000. "It was North Korea who repeatedly declared war with South Korea even nowadays," An said, referring to Pyongyang's repeated military provocations. "In this climate, Park's speeches should be seen as self-defense efforts." Park Sang-hak said South Koreans should be clear in distinguishing the left-wing from the progressive-minded. "People tend to sympathize with Park Jie-won because they merely see him as a liberal- or progressive-minded politician," he said. "There's a clear difference between the term left-wing' and progressive-minded, especially when it comes to issues on North Korea, and people should realize it." Park was embroiled in a dispute for sending balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflet across the demilitarized zone despite North Korea's threats to retaliate and fear among South Koreans living in border areas. Yet, An, Kim Yeong-ho, and Choi Dong-uck back the anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaign. "Despite denial from some South Koreans, I can guarantee that the leaflets serve as a credible source in getting information on the outside world," Kim Yeong-ho said. The four defectors asked the government to listen to defectors' opinions. They said it fell short of taking such opinions into account in setting up a government-run North Korean human rights center that opened in September. The government set up an archive to record Pyongyang's human rights violations under an ordinance endorsed by Cabinet. The government also established a foundation to oversee and support projects aimed at improving the Kim regime's human rights records. The Ministry of Justice operates the archive, which will store data based on North Korean defectors' testimonies. The ministry may use the data to refer the North Korean despot and his aides to the International Criminal Court or file an independent suit against them if the two Koreas are united, according to government sources. "The thing is, there are no defectors hired at the center, and I wonder how the government will run it effectively," An said. Choi said, "Defectors can be valuable assets in improving North Korean human rights and I hope the government capitalizes on us." Meanwhile, the government plans to introduce a package of measures in mid-November to help North Korean defectors settle in the South. The Ministry of Unification will announce the measures. They will be aimed at better integrating defectors into South Korean society with support from central and local governments as well as the private sector. "Our goal is to help defectors break social barriers that prevent them from mingling with South Koreans," a ministry official said. "We're considering expanding job opportunities, bolstering community activities and other programs. We'll finalize the details after consulting relevant officials from other ministries, politicians and leaders from various regions." The ministry is also considering starting a public awareness campaign on TV. The government's move comes after its latest analysis showed that prejudice and stereotypes toward defectors still persist while their numbers have continue to rise. Scandal should not impact Park's role as diplomat-in-chief One thing the Park Geun-hye administration has prided itself on is its diplomatic accomplishments, but the Choi Soon-sil gate has cast doubt on the President's ability to keep her foreign policy initiatives going. Concern over Park's diplomacy in the post-Choi gate period is amplified when considering the outpouring of foreign media reports about the decades-long connection between the President and Choi, a mysterious woman who has allegedly meddled in government affairs and amassed wealth through unlawful methods. Many Koreans feel embarrassed by the keen attention of the foreign media, which have underlined Park's heavy reliance on her "Rasputin-like" friend as well as the President's relationship with Choi's late father who led a religious cult. The Washington Post reported that the South Korean presidency is "on the brink of collapse" as the scandal grows. The lurid situation surrounding the President is being relayed by the foreign embassies in Korea to their home countries. Needless to say, President Park has seriously undermined Korea's reputation in the international community with stories of corruption. The public rage over Choi's influence-peddling is growing, even after she was put under emergency detention late Monday night after being questioned by prosecutors. Cheong Wa Dae's idle responses, such as being uncooperative with the prosecution's investigation and its nomination of questionable figures in the Cheong Wa Dae secretariat, have aggravated public sentiment against the President. Under these circumstances, many angry citizens believe that Park is in no position to properly run the country. The President's job approval has tumbled to the 10 percent range. Many people no longer consider Park their President and there are some who call for her to step aside and relinquish major duties to a new prime minister. Even during such difficult times, however, Park must remain devoted to her diplomatic activities. This is no time for any kind of leadership void in our diplomacy. The U.S. will have a new President soon and Korea must prepare for the changes that this will bring to Korea's foreign and trade policies. Cheong Wa Dae should also make sure to consistently follow up on the important diplomatic decisions of President Park, such as the Korea-Japan deal on the issue of comfort women or the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on Korean soil. President Park has kept out of public sight after giving a public apology last week amid mounting calls for her resignation and impeachment after she admitted that her civilian friend had helped her with presidential speeches and PR activities. She has been canceling public appointments, but avoiding her duties is not the way to overcome this self-inflicted crisis. It is a relief that the Japanese government is planning to arrange a Korea-Japan-China summit in early December in Tokyo as scheduled, saying that the local situation will not have any impact on it. There are many important issues the leaders of the three nations need to discuss amid the rising missile and nuclear threats from North Korea. The President should of course take part in the summit as scheduled and continue to do her utmost to maintain close ties with our neighbors and allies despite troubles at home. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton suggested during his 2009 visit to North Korea that the communist nation pursue direct talks with the United States and six-party nuclear negotiations at the same time, according to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. Clinton made the suggestion during talks with then North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, stressing the North should not make U.S. President Barack Obama "pick between a bilateral relationship and the six-party talks," according to a hacked document released by WikiLeaks. The document was attached to an email sent to John Podesta, chairman of the Hillary Clinton campaign who served as White House chief of staff during the Bill Clinton presidency. Podesta accompanied Clinton on the 2009 visit to Pyongyang aimed at winning the release of two American journalists. "President Clinton said, he requested -- as someone who believed in the possibility of a common future between the United States and the DPRK -- that DPRK leaders debate among themselves whether it would be possible both to pursue bilateral U.S.-DPRK talks and rekindle the six-party talks to take advantage of the relations that the new Obama administration had built with China, Japan, the ROK and Russia," the document said. "He concluded by noting that as a boy growing up, he had learned the saying that there is more than one way to skin a cat," according to the eight-page document that summarized the one-hour meeting held on Aug. 4, 2009, at Pyongyang's Paekhwawon State Guest House. In response, Kim said that the North "would have to think about ways to save the six-party talks while pursuing bilateral talks, adding that the multilateral talks should be pursued in a way that did not violate mutual relations. "Pursuing six-party talks and neglecting bilateral talks would not resolve hostilities. The DPRK would have to see how to pursue the six-party talks and bilateral talks. If the bilateral talks went well, cooperative relations within the six-party talks would be possible," he said, according to the document. The former president also told Kim that Obama was serious when he said that he wanted peaceful relations with all nations on the basis of mutual respect, and that Obama and other top officials "had all made clear that the United States did not take a hostile approach toward the DPRK and did not seek to threaten the regime," according to the document. Clinton also asked Kim to allow then-Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth to visit the North to "find a way forward," according to the document. Clinton also expressed hope the two countries "rekindle the relationship they had had when he served as president and find a way forward." (Yonhap) Electronics giant marks 47th anniversary By Yoon Sung-won Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it has established a new subsidiary S-Printing Solution separating its existing printer business division from the company. It came as the electronics maker moves to sell its printer business to the world's largest printer maker, Hewlett-Packard (HP), to dispose of less profitable businesses and strengthen core activities. Kim Ki-ho, who had headed Samsung Electronics' printing business division as an executive vice president, will lead the subsidiary. "We will strengthen the leadership in the printer industry by escalating expertise in this sector," Kim said. "After the merger, we expect to seek new growth engines through the integration of our product lineup and continuous expansion of investments." At a directors' meeting on Sept. 12, Samsung Electronics decided to spin off the printer business division as a separate subsidiary and sell 100 percent of its stake, including related assets overseas, to HP. The company said the merger process will be completed by the latter half of next year. Though it is selling its printer business to HP, Samsung Electronics will maintain the business at home and abroad before the merger process is completed. Even after the merger, HP will keep the Samsung brand in the Korean market. This means the U.S. enterprise will no longer sell its printers under the HP name when the merger is completed. S-Printing Solution is producing products in Korea and China and has more than 50 sales branch offices around the globe. It posted 2 trillion won in sales last year. The company said it will continue to provide its printing software such as the smart UX center. After Samsung Electronics decided to sell its printer business, employees formed an emergency planning committee to protest the decision, arguing that it may threaten their job security. After discussions between labor and management, some 6,000 employees will tentatively continue to work at the Samsung Electronics site. Samsung Electronics also agreed to provide an average of 60 million won per employee as compensation for not guaranteeing their job security. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics celebrated its 47th anniversary at its complex in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Some 400 executives, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun, participated in the event at which many employees were presented with long service awards. Kwon said: "Samsung Electronics is facing diverse and complex risks that we have not experienced so far and this gave us an opportunity to look back on and start anew. To break through the current situation, it is important for us to check internal systems in all aspects and build a thorough risk-management system." Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, who recently joined the company's board of directors, did not appear at the event. Royal Canadian Mounted Police try to take an old Korean couple outside a hotel in Coquitlam by force, frisking the woman and dragging the man by arm and leg. / Courtesy of YTN By Ko Dong-hwan A video of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) "mercilessly" dragging an old Korean couple from a hotel in the city of Coquitlam amid screams heated up the internet on Tuesday. In the video, filmed on Oct. 27 on the hotel's stairs, three RCMP officers try to take the couple, in their 80s, outside, according to YTN, a Korean TV news outlet. While two officers frisk the woman, another grabs the old man by the legs. The man lies flat and stretches his legs, making it difficult for the officer to move him. But the officer eventually manages to drag him away. The couple's granddaughter, who screamed throughout the video, tries to stop the officers who are holding the woman, screaming "Don't do that." The officer replies "Don't touch me." The woman, while being led out, sits down to prevent the officers moving her. Several people watch the scene and an Asian man approaches one of the officers in what appears to be an effort to persuade him to release the woman. An off-screen voice shouts at the officers, "Leave her alone. Look at the kid." Canada's CBC News said the police were called to the scene after the pair refused to leave a strata council meeting held at the hotel, in which a fight erupted over a voting dispute. The couple later went to hospital for treatment for shock. An outside police force has been called in to investigate how the police handled the incident. Transcription 1 115 West Washington Suite 850S, IN (317) (800) For media information contact: Rebecca Patrick (317) or (317) / Tom Schuman (317) or (317) / FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2nd Annual Best Places to Work in Indiana Rankings Announced at Indiana Chamber of Commerce Luncheon May 2, 2007 (INDIANAPOLIS) Edwards Jones, the country s largest investment firm with 357 Indiana branch offices, and Schmidt Associates, a full-service architectural company in downtown, took top honors today in the Indiana Chamber of Commerce s second annual Best Places to Work in Indiana program, which is presented by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The Indiana Chamber announced rankings for all 50 companies who made the Best Places to Work in Indiana list at an awards luncheon at the Indiana Roof Ballroom attended by more than 650 Hoosier businesspeople. Names of companies on the list had been released February 26. Best Place to Work honorees were determined through employer reports and comprehensive employee surveys, with winners selected in two categories: small to medium-sized companies of between 25 and 249 employees, and large-sized companies consisting of 250 or more employees. Out-of-state parent companies were eligible to participate if at least 25 full-time employees are in Indiana. The Best Companies Group has overseen similar programs in 18 other states. ModernThink, LLC, a workplace excellence consulting firm, handled the selection process. The basis for this initiative is Fortune magazine s noted 100 Best Places to Work for list. Edward Jones and Schmidt Associates excel in respecting their employees, providing them with the tools to be successful and offering careers not just jobs, states Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar. All of the companies on the list understand the positive business impact of making employees feel valued. We are pleased to recognize them for such model work environments. At the luncheon, representatives from all designated companies were presented with Best Place to Work awards of excellence. Honorees were also featured in a special section of the May/June issue of the Indiana Chamber s BizVoice magazine, released today (and accessible online at and through the additional statewide media resources of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick. Other program partners are the Indiana State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Indiana Youth Institute and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. All companies that participated in the Best Places to Work in Indiana program received an in-depth evaluation identifying strengths and weaknesses according to their employees. This report can be used in developing or enhancing employee retention and recruitment programs. For more information on the Indiana Chamber s Best Places to Work program, go to You can sign up to be notified by when application details for the third annual competition are announced this summer. Program sponsors for 2007, in addition to Anthem, are AARP, Baker & Daniels, Ball State University, BKD CPAs and Advisors, FedEx, Old National, Professional Staff Management, Simon Property Group and Verizon. - more - About the #1 Small to Medium-sized Company: SCHMIDT ASSOCIATES Everyone is so willing to share and help you to grow and help you to become whoever you want to be. Every day, I know there s a new challenge, there s something new and fun to do, fun to learn, people to 2 talk to, people to meet. It s just been great, offers Desma Belsaas, graduate architect. Testimony like this affirms Wayne Schmidt s conviction in starting an architectural firm nearly 31 years ago in downtown. Schmidt Associates today is home to 90 employees. Everything the company does internally or externally is based on the guiding principle of servant leadership. Very simply, if I serve your needs, whether you re a client on an employee, you will allow me to lead. I firmly believe that you don t declare you re the leader. People have to vote for you to be the leader, Schmidt states. Throughout the company s evolution, Schmidt has pledged to his staff to: meet payroll, obtain the right projects, allow you to do good work, provide for career growth, act with integrity and be intentional with the future. One aspect is realized through Schmidt Academy, an onsite continuing education program that offers courses related to the company s four distinct career tracks, with 10 classes available for each group. Freedom is another welcome part of the work dynamic. People know what their responsibilities and goals are, but there s not a lot of hand-holding, says Susan Sigman, human resource manager. Adds Deb Kunce, program manager/associate, We don t have a silver bullet, but people are treated fairly here. We have a lot of independence. The CEO and the principals of the firm are open to new ideas and change, and trying new things. There is a culture of continuing to grow over time. There is also a culture of taking time to have a little fun with slipper days, dressing up for Halloween and holding yearly chili cook-offs. About the #1 Large Company: EDWARD JONES For the second year in a row, Edward Jones the nation s largest investment firm finished first in Indiana s Best Places to Work program among large employers. All employees 788 in Indiana are actual partners in the company and share in its profits. Most of the 357 branch offices throughout the state are comprised of a financial advisor and a branch office assistant. As long as profitability is met, individual branch offices have the flexibility to run their offices in the manner that works best for them. Also ranking high with employees: how the company takes care of them. I ve had some medical setbacks and been out of the office for extended periods three times for cancer treatments, shares Craig Tidball, a financial advisor in Warsaw and 28-year company veteran. One of the early times, my treatment was going to be experimental and the insurance company would not pay for it. Edwards Jones (corporate office) stepped in and paid over $100,000 for my care. That kind of sealed my pact with the company forever. For Heather Carter, a branch office assistant in New Castle, the financial knowledge that is passed along has been especially helpful. When I came here, I didn t know anything about financial investing, nothing. What I have learned personally has benefited me so much in my own financial situation that it s been such an enormous benefit. I now understand what I need to do to be able to retire early things that just would have never clicked for me had I not worked here. The Edward Jones culture, instilled from the corporate office in St. Louis, is a national model for employer and employee satisfaction. Besides Indiana, the firm has recently garnered top Best Place to Work honors in six other states: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and Oklahoma, as well as made Fortune Magazine s 100 Best Places to Work For list. - more - The full list of Best Places to Work in Indiana companies by ranking: Small to Medium-sized Companies ( employees) Rank Company Primary Indiana Location 3 Schmidt Associates Sommer Barnard PC VMS G & S Research, Inc. Katz, Sapper & Miller Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau Hammond Somerset CPAs, P.C. Gregory & Appel Insurance Bowen Engineering Corporation Fishers KPMG LLP Network Solutions, Inc. Granger T2 Systems, Inc. The Estridge Companies Carmel Herman and Kittle Properties, Inc. Morales Group, Inc 4 Indiana Organ Procurement Organization Bamberger, Foreman, Oswald & Hahn, LLP Evansville Cripe Architects and Engineers etapestry Greenfield ISM Education Loans, Inc. Employment Plus Bloomington Colliers Turley Martin Tucker Krieg DeVault LLP Safety Management Group ExactTarget, Inc. LaBov & Beyond, Inc. Fort Wayne Baker Hill Carmel Plymate Inc. Shelbyville Matrix Integration, LLC Jasper Ash Brokerage Corporation Fort Wayne 5 Large Companies (250 or more employees) Rank Company Primary Indiana Location 1 Edward Jones Statewide 2 The Capital Group Companies, Inc. 3 Duke Realty Corporation 4 Emmis Communications 5 Lauth Group, Inc 6 Columbus Regional Hospital Columbus 7 Interactive Intelligence, Inc. 8 Clark Memorial Hospital Jeffersonville 9 Ernst & Young, LLP 10 Centier Bank Merrillville 11 Crowe Chizek and Company LLC 12 Lake City Bank Warsaw 13 St. Joseph Hospital and Health Center Kokomo 14 Goshen Health System Goshen 15 Angie's List 16 Dow AgroSciences 17 Irwin Union Bank 18 Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation Fort Wayne 19 Baker & Daniels LLP 20 Celadon Trucking Services Inc. ### The Indiana Chamber of Commerce has been the state s largest broad-based business advocacy organization for 85 years. Today, it serves more than 26,000 members and customers. 15 LEARN MORE ABOUT FINNISH ARCHITECTURE Architecture Information Centre Finland, incl. web journals: Museum of Finnish Architecture: Alvar Aalto Museum: Finnish Association of Architects (SAFA): The Association of Finnish Architects' Offices (ATL): 15 14 SEE ALSO: Juhani Pallasmaa, theoretician and internationally renowned writer on architecture Restoration of Viipuri Library, Vyborg, Russia: Tapani Mustonen/Alvar Aalto Academy Learning and community centres in developing countries: Hollmen Reuter Sandman Architects (Senegal, Tanzania, Egypt), Architects Rudanko +Kankkunen (Cambodia) 14 13 Lahdelma & Mahlamaki Architects, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Warsaw, Poland (2005/2013) ALA Aarchitects, Performing Arts Centre Kilden, Kristiansand, Norway (2005/2012), Helsinki Central Library, Finland (2013-) JKMM Architects -, Seinajoki City Library (2008/2012), Finland, Turku Central Library, Finland (1998/2007) Anttinen Oiva Architects, Kaisa House, The University of Helsinki City Campus Main Library library, Finland (2008/2012) Verstas Architects, Saunalahti School (2007/2012), Otaniemi Campus Buildings, Espoo, Finland, (2013-) PES Architects, Wuxi Grand Theatre, Wuxi, China (2008/2011), Strait Culture and Art Centre, Fuzhou, China (2014 -) OOPEAA (ex), Kuokkala Church, Parish of Jyvaskyla, Finland, 2006/2010 Avanto Architects, Chapel of St. Lawrence, 2003/2010 Vapaavuori Architects, Kumu Art Museum of Estonia, Tallinn (1994/2006) ARK-house Aarchitects, Viikki Comprehensive School, Helsinki, Finland (1999/2003) Juha Leiviska, Sandels Cultural Centre, Helsinki, Finland (2002/2007) Heikkinen - Komonen Architects, Max Planck Institute, Dresden, Germany 1997/ 12 RECENT SUCCESSES IN ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITIONS ABROAD AND IN FINLAND 12 11 Around 3,000 people are employed in Finland s architecture sector, with around 500 partners and 1,500 employees working in private companies. In 2013, their total turnover was around EUR 165 million. In addition, each architectural project employs a high number of other professionals in the construction and cultural sectors. Architecture firms account for around EUR 7.5 million in exports each year. Finland s architectural export projects make a permanent statement in the country concerned, since Finnish buildings are made to last decades. 11 9 INTEREST ON A GLOBAL BASIS Interest in Finnish architecture is widespread: in 2014, the Alvar Aalto Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture ran a total of 16 events and exhibitions in 13 countries on five continents, atrracting a total of 556,000 visitors. In the same year, 35,400 architecture fans from overseas visited the museums exhibitions and sites in Finland. 9 8 Many of these were based on competition-winning entries. More recent examples are the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw by Lahdelma & Mahlamaki Architects and the Wuxi Grand Theatre in China by PES Architects. Today s Finnish winners are increasingly outward-looking and internationally well-connected, young, emerging offices. Finland is also internationally known as a pioneer in architectural policy, architectural education for children and conservation of modern architecture. 8 7 Finns have a unique relationship with nature and practical problem solving lies at the core of our national character. No wonder then that the mainstay of Finnish architecture is closeness to nature paired with a strong tradition of modernism: a simple elegance that combines pragmatism with the highest standards and optimal use of materials. There is demand for this approach outside Finland too,, as demonstrated by several famous Finnish-designed buildings across the world. In addition to the celebrated Aalto works, early examples include Viljo Revell s Toronto City Hall and Eero Saarinen s Gateway Arch in Missouri, for example. 7 5 Good governance and architecture have always gone hand-in-hand in Finland. High-quality public buildings designed by the best architects have underpinned the development of civic society and formed part of Finland s national identity from the 19 th century to the present. The Art Nouveauinspired National Romantic style brought Finnish architecture and design, and Eliel Saarinen s name, to international attention. However, the country is best known for its 20 th century architecture, with a strong modernist tradition spearheaded by Alvar Aalto and his 200 notable works, 50 of which can be found outside Finland. The vernacular tradition, with its simple forms and way of building with wood, has given important impulses to Finnish modernism, and is strongly visible even in today s Finnish architecture. Women have made a strong contribution to the profession s development: in the late 19 th century, Finland was the first country where women could study to be architects. 5 3 Finland has reinvented itself in just one short century. Our national character and Northern heritage have boosted us to the top of all kinds of country rankings from quality of life to innovation. Our architecture is renowned worldwide. Our high standards of education and a long tradition of architecture competitions ensures that professional know-how is passed on to the next generation. Compelling evidence for this can be seen in the current boom in ambitious school, library, church and other public buildings as well as in the success of Finnish architects in international competitions. 3 2 FINLAND, THE LITTLE BIG COUNTRY OF ARCHITECTURE 2 A F K S ARCHITECTS FRONDELIUS + KEPPO + SALMENPERA PORTFOLIO A F K S ARCHITECTS FRONDELIUS + KEPPO + SALMENPERA PORTFOLIO Architects The offi ce was established in1998 by Jari Frondelius and Jaakko Keppo, after winning the architectural competition of Korso church More information A F K S ARCHITECTS FRONDELIUS + KEPPO + SALMENPERA PORTFOLIO A F K S ARCHITECTS FRONDELIUS + KEPPO + SALMENPERA PORTFOLIO Architects The office was established in1998 by Jari Frondelius and Jaakko Keppo, after winning the architectural competition of Korso church More information ALVAR AALTO. Sofia Boschetti Giorgia Zini Liceo Artistico A. Venturi 5H Architettura e Ambiente ALVAR AALTO Sofia Boschetti Giorgia Zini Liceo Artistico A. Venturi 5H Architettura e Ambiente Alvar Aalto was born in Finland in 1898. His father was a topographer and his mother was a postman. Alvar More information Taitaja2015 in Turku, FINLAND 5-7 May 2015. Taitaja International. Taitaja2015 Programme Taitaja2015 in Turku, FINLAND 5-7 May 2015 Taitaja, the largest annual vocational education event in Finland, will be held at the Turku Fair and Congress Centre and HK Areena on 5 7 May 2015. The event More information Internationalization and higher education policy: Recent developments in Finland Internationalization and higher education policy: Recent developments in Finland Seminar on Cooperation between Russian and Finnish Institutions of Higher Education St Petersburg 5.-7.2.2008. Rector Anneli More information dialogues with high-class architecture offers a wide range of chairs, tables, desks and lecture hall seatings Mobel furniture represents ageless, clean-cut cut and refined Scandinavian design heritage dialogues with high-class architecture offers a wide range of chairs, tables, desks and lecture hall seatings More information Welcome to Jarvenpaa. The City like it s people 2015 Welcome to Jarvenpaa The City like it s people 2015 Welcome to Jarvenpaa, hometown of Jean Sibelius! The year 2015 will mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. More information AN INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION FOR AN EXTENSION BETWEEN THE ALVAR AALTO MUSEUM AND THE MUSEUM OF CENTRAL FINLAND AN INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL COMPETITION FOR AN EXTENSION BETWEEN THE ALVAR AALTO MUSEUM AND THE MUSEUM OF CENTRAL FINLAND From June 29 th to October 30 th 2015 1 COMPETITION GOALS The museums of the More information Architecture Design: The Bank a Convention Center for Alexandria Architecture Design: The Bank a Convention Center for Alexandria Architecture Design: The Bank a Convention Center for Alexandria Premise Any building in the urban context can be seen as inbetween collective More information KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY The Oxford of Central and Eastern Europe* Education at KOZMINSKI - Prestige throughout the World *WPROST 05/2007 KOZMINSKI UNIVERSITY General Information Founded in 1993 #1 business More information KYAMK Grow strong. KYAMK. internationally connected reliable partner. kyamk.fi KYAMK internationally connected reliable partner kyamk.fi 1 GROW STRONG. KYAMK IN BRIEF (figures approximate) 4,300 students 1,000 new students each year 330 members of staff, of whom 175 are teachers More information FINLAND. in brief. Facts about Finland. Finland is a republic which became independent in 1917. The population is approximately 5.4 million. Creating success 1 FINLAND in brief Facts about Finland Finland is a republic which became independent in 1917. The population is approximately 5.4 million. Finland has been a member of the European Union More information New Sites, New Methods The 14th Finnish-Russian Archaeological Symposium New Sites, New Methods The 14th Finnish-Russian Archaeological Symposium Scientific sessions on Wednesday 19 November Thursday 20 November 2014 Full-day excursion to Lahti and Hollola on Friday 21 November More information Latvia Hotel Market Overview Research & Forecast Report Latvia 2016 Latvia Hotel Market Overview Annual Review Accelerating success. Hotel Market General Overview > > During the first three quarters of 2015, the number of visitors More information The City of Espoo develops as Sustainable Learning City through Partnerships 2nd International Conference on Learning Cities 28-30 September 2015, Mexico City The City of Espoo develops as Sustainable Learning City through Partnerships Deputy Mayor Sampo Suihko Finland Population: More information OPENING A NEW MAIN LIBRARY a process and an evaluation. Kaisa Sinikara Professor HELSINKI UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Rostock 19.3.2014 OPENING A NEW MAIN LIBRARY a process and an evaluation Kaisa Sinikara Professor HELSINKI UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Rostock 19.3.2014 Helsinki University Library/ Kaisa Sinikara www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto 7.5.2014 More information TIILERI BRICKS. Opinmaki school, Espoo. Esa Ruskeepaa Architects Ruukintiili Harmaa soft-moulded and Tummanharmaa kirjava soft-moulded. TIILERI BRICKS Opinmaki school, Espoo. Esa Ruskeepaa Architects Ruukintiili Harmaa and Tummanharmaa kirjava Since 1952 Tundra cut Ruukintiili Ruskeanmusta mortar joint of sutimestari Tundra mortar joint More information alvar aalto through the eyes of shigeru ban through the eyes of shigeru ban Finnish architect and designer, Alvar Aalto, is universally acknowledged as one of the most important figures of twentieth century architecture. His career overlapped chronologically, More information National Library service centre for all types of libraries in Finland National Library service centre for all types of libraries in Finland Kristiina Hormia-Poutanen, Deputy national librarian and Director of library network services Jerusalem 8.9.2011 National Library of More information LAUREA POLYTECHNIC ICM SEMINAR 2003 ICM SEMINAR 2003 - COMPANY VISIT TO IITTALA OY AB LAUREA POLYTECHNIC ICM SEMINAR 2003 ICM SEMINAR 2003 - COMPANY VISIT TO IITTALA OY AB Evelyne Vanlandeghem Fredrik Janzen Judit Kerenyi Pasi Nuutinen Tjardo Meulenbroek Report November 2003 2 TABLE OF More information This map showing Helsinki in its new location on the Vironniemi (Estnas) isthmus was drawn after a survey made in 1696. It is an important source of This map showing Helsinki in its new location on the Vironniemi (Estnas) isthmus was drawn after a survey made in 1696. It is an important source of information on 17th century Helsinki, which was destroyed More information Aalto Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. 10.9.2013 LES Conference, Copenhagen Tapio Siik, Head of Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship Aalto Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 10.9.2013 LES Conference, Copenhagen Tapio Siik, Head of Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship ZenRobotics Trailer ZenRobotics Ltd., founded in 2007, is a Finnish high-tech More information Spatio-temporal Semantic Modeling of Historical Content Spatio-temporal Semantic Modeling of Historical Content Tomi Kauppinen and Eero Hyvonen tomi.kauppinen@tkk.fi, eero.hyvonen@tkk.fi University of Helsinki and TKK Media Technology Digital Semantic Content More information Aalborg Portland. - a leading global building material supplier Aalborg Portland - a leading global building material supplier Cement and concrete are the building materials of today - and of the future: an indispensable element when we wish to continue development More information Fact Sheet. Aalto University School of Engineering Fact Sheet Aalto University School of Engineering Aalto University School of Engineering President Prof. Tuula Teeri Vice-President (international) Prof. Hannu Seristo Head of International Relations Dr More information Welcome to Aalto University School of Business Welcome to Aalto University School of Business Ingmar Bjorkman Dean Aalto University Aalto University is a community of: 80,000 alumni 20,000 students 5,000 faculty & staff, of which 370 professors A merger More information Otaniemi International Innovation Centre (OIIC) Innovation Support Activities Otaniemi International Innovation Centre (OIIC) Innovation Support Activities Krisztina Cziner, Dr. Otaniemi International Innovation Centre Helsinki University of Technology 07.09.2009 TEACHING AND RESEARCH More information Light artist / glass sculptor / painter Light artist / glass sculptor / painter Artist Meeli Koiva / artist name Mery Crystal Ra Address: Asematie 434, 36100, Kangasala, Finland Cellphone: +358 4149 44709 Finland Cellphone: +337 5255 1822 France More information Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Open Cities Lesson 1: Different kinds of cities Worksheet Task 1 Find the countries on the map Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 1 Austria 2 Belgium 3 Bulgaria 4 Cyprus 5 Czech Republic 6 Denmark 7 Estonia More information 2015 Russian Nanotechnology Investment Enabling Technology Leadership Award 2015 Russian Nanotechnology Investment Enabling Technology Leadership Award 2015 Contents Background and Company Performance... 3 Technology Leverage and Customer Impact of OJSC RUSNANO... 3-5 Conclusion... More information WILL POWER FROM FINLAND MAKE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN SEINAJOKI REGION! WILL POWER FROM FINLAND MAKE SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS IN SEINAJOKI REGION! THE BEST IN FINLAND! They say that a vision is good only if it lifts your eyebrows more than one inche. Our vision is of that sort: More information A CONDENSED CV OF DR. SEPPO AHO January 2007 1 A CONDENSED CV OF DR. SEPPO AHO January 2007 Born in Pori, southwestern Finland in 1946. Residence Rovaniemi since 1978, married and father of two daughters Education: Ph.D. in regional economics and More information Turku School of Economics: Strategy for 2010 2015 Turku School of Economics: Strategy for 2010 2015 Appendix A TURKU SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS STRATEGY FOR 2010 2015 1 The strategic position of the Turku School of Economics... 1 1.1 Operating environment... More information Production in Finland, high quality and Finnish design are in the core of Isku. The majority of Isku furniture is manufactured Isku is a family-owned company with over 80 years experience in designing and making furniture as well as decorating Finnish homes, kitchens, learning environments and working places. Eino Vikstrom Founder More information Green Affordable Housing Development Case Eco-Viikki, Finland Green Affordable Housing Development Case Eco-Viikki, Finland Heikki Rinne Project Manager June 25, 2009, Washington D.C. 7.10.2008 Taske /KM/MHL Information on Helsinki Population Total 576,600 Men 47 More information Serendipity http://www.respectserendipity.com Serendipity http://www.respectserendipity.com 1 Learning Center and Hub Network Valeria Gryada Designer, Aalto University Library 26.08.2014 Presentation Structure 1. Project Background 2. 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The Government s architectural policy programme 17 December 1998 THE FINNISH ARCHITECTURAL POLICY The Government s architectural policy programme 17 December 1998 Ministry of Education appointed on 8 February 1996 a committee lead by professor Tore Tallqvist to prepare More information WP = Work Package WP3 refers to Pilot A WP4 refers to Pilot B Pilot A Final Seminar 30.10.2014 Viikki Campus Area, University of Helsinki ABOWE - Arrangements of an International Baltic Sea Region Testing Program Project Coordinator Ari Jaaskelainen Savonia University More information Finnish business and research delegation. Visit to PERNAMBUCO. 10 14 November 2014 Finnish business and research delegation Visit to PERNAMBUCO 10 14 November 2014 FINNISH GOVERNMENT Markku Virri markku.virri@formin.fi MFA of Finland, Embassy of Finland in Brazil Ambassador of Finland More information Development paths for executives by Aalto EE. Cursor Master Class BA Director Minna Wickholm June 5, 2013 Development paths for executives by Aalto EE Cursor Master Class BA Director Minna Wickholm June 5, 2013 Aalto University Where science and art meet technology and business 10.6.2013 Aalto University Executive More information Unique Portfolio of Executive Education and Professional Development Unique Portfolio of Education and Professional Development Better World through Better Leadership University Education ( EE) offers high-quality leadership development services globally; customized solutions, More information Changes in educational and economic environment require continuing academic curriculum development Changes in educational and economic environment require continuing academic curriculum development Annika Mauno 1 Department of Forest Products Technology, Helsinki University of Technology, P.O. 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Please, More information IPA Global Publishing Statistics. Rudiger Wischenbart IPA Global Publishing Statistics Rudiger Wischenbart 1 International Publishers Association The 20 Largest Publishing Markets A list of the 20 largest publishing markets therefore highlights complex dynamics More information Saturday May 2 nd. Monday May 4 th INTERCOIFFURE WESTERN EUROPE CONGRESS 2015 AMSTERDAM Saturday May 2 nd Monday May 4 th INTERCOIFFURE WESTERN EUROPE CONGRESS 2015 AMSTERDAM 2015 Dear Intercoiffure friends! The date of our Western Europe Congress, held from Saturday May 2 nd 2015 to Monday More information T7.3 National Seminars: Finland T7.3 National Seminars: Finland Simon le Roux Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture Department of Architecture, Chair of Wood Construction 24/04/2014 E2ReBuild T7.3 national seminar More information Bank of Finland and Finland s economic internationalization. Turku 16.08.2011 Bank of Finland and Finland s economic internationalization Antti Kuustera Juha Tarkka Turku 16.08.2011 Early history - towards independent exchange rate policy Monetary reform 1840 - silver standard stabilized More information SEPA - Frequently Asked Questions SEPA - Frequently Asked Questions Contents SEPA Overview Questions... 2 What is SEPA?... 2 What is the aim of SEPA?... 3 Where did SEPA come from?... 3 What countries are included in SEPA?... 3 What currencies More information Helsinki News. Helsinki in epic transformation. Architectural gems under development. New inner-city areas built for housing and business Helsinki News Helsinki in epic transformation New inner-city areas built for housing and business Architectural gems under development Helsinki Central Library New Amos Anderson Museum 2/2015 COVER: NEW More information Brock University Dean, Faculty of Business Brock University Dean, Faculty of Business Position Profile Th e Opportunity Brock University and its Faculty of Business are seeking an accomplished and energetic academic leader who will build on the More information European Market Study European Market Study Statistical Benchmark Analysis of Chinese market growth potential to Scandinavian tourism industry By Claus Sager, Tourismdesign - Frankfurt (DE) - M: tourismdesign2006@yahoo.com More information zurich the arts Dance Design Theatre Music Transdisciplinary Studies Fine Arts Art Education Film zurich Dance Design sity Theatre Music f Transdisciplinary Studies the arts Fine Arts Art Education Film Fit for the Future As one of Europe s leading arts universities, our teaching and research are oriented More information www.kyamk.fi/rdi RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES www.kyamk.fi/rdi RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION ACTIVITIES KYAMK CAMPUSES A multidisciplinary institute of higher education that produces high-quality professional expertise in close co-operation More information International Year of Chemistry 2011 International Year of Chemistry 2011 On the request of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) UNESCO nominated the year 2011 as International Year of Chemistry (IYC). In its general More information The Center for Architecture The Center for Architecture New York City cfa.aiany.org The Center for Architecture is a destination for all interested in the built environment. It is home to the American Institute of Architects New More information COMPANY INFORMATION Impact Communications COMPANY INFORMATION Name: Impact Communications Location: Cleveland, Ohio Date Established: 1979 Owner/President: Robert MacDonald Press Contact: Melissa Barber (melissa@impactcommunications.com) DESCRIPTION More information Group overview Veli-Matti Mattila CEO Group overview Veli-Matti Mattila CEO Content 1 2 3 4 5 Performance update Market environment Strategy execution Mid-term targets CEO priorities 2 22 October 2014 Elisa CMD 2014 Group overview Performance More information Welcome new Master s degree students. Orientation day August 31, 2015 Welcome new Master s degree students Orientation day August 31, 2015 Study coordinators Name Department / Programme Building / Room Ms Kauppila Hanne Management and International Business Main building, More information National Library and Library Network in Finland - cooperation being the driving force of success National Library and Library Network in Finland - cooperation being the driving force of success Kristiina Hormia-Poutanen, Deputy national librarian and Director of library network services Danish Research More information Reservations: Please call 314 361-9017 or 1-800-916-8212 or email reserve@mohistory.org Group Tour Program The Missouri History Museum is an ideal destination for groups of all types. As a tour coordinator, you have the flexibility to customize the museum experience for your tour program More information How To Study At Mikkeli University Of Applied Sciences UPDATE YOURSELF Study in English we make it easy, so take it easy. Your life your degree It is our pleasure to invite you to study in the stimulating environment of Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences More information Suomen Lahikauppa Oy Financial Statements Bulletin 2008. Development of the Business Environment 1 Suomen Lahikauppa Oy Financial Statements Bulletin 2008 Development of the Business Environment According to the Research Institute of the Finnish Economy (ETLA), in 2008, the Finnish GDP growth rate More information 2OO years of tradition 2O faculties 48,OOO students and doctoral students 33O million euro budget The best and the largest institution of higher education in Poland. 2OO years of tradition 2O faculties 48,OOO students and doctoral students 33O million euro budget over 8OO foreign partners POLAND IN More information INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL TOURISM CHARTER Managing Tourism at Places of Heritage Significance (1999) INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL TOURISM CHARTER Managing Tourism at Places of Heritage Significance (1999) Adopted by ICOMOS at the 12th General Assembly in Mexico, October 1999. INTRODUCTION The Charter Ethos More information The Role of Actuaries in Poland The Role of Actuaries in Poland Krzysztof J. Stroinski, Polish Society of Actuaries 1. Introduction The history of the actuarial profession in Poland has been an interesting reflection of the modern history More information APPENDIX IX: CURRENT UMS ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL APPENDIX IX: CURRENT UMS ORGANIZATIONAL MODEL The University of Maine Located on a sprawling, 660-acre campus in Orono, the University of Maine is the State s land-grant and sea-grant institution and the More information NEW CONCEPTS IN HOSPITAL ARCHITECTURE NEW CONCEPTS IN HOSPITAL ARCHITECTURE Hennu KJISIK, architect SAFA Ph.D.(Tech.), professor Harris-Kjisik Architects and Planners Oulu University School of Architecture HELSINKI FORUM Paasitorni 10.11.2010 More information Sami Language in Finnish Schools First published in Bicultural Education in the North: Ways of Preserving and Enhancing Indigenous Peoples Languages and Traditional Knowledge, edited by Erich Kasten, 1998,47 57. Munster: Waxmann Verlag More information We offer a range of prizes and awards for architects, buildings and clients in the UK and internationally. For 50 years the RIBA awards and prizes have championed and celebrated the best architecture in the UK and around the world, no matter the form; size or budget. Successful projects reflect changes and More information HEALTH COMES FROM FINLAND HEALTH COMES FROM FINLAND FinlandCare brings together the most distinguished Finnish healthcare and well-being services and technology providers. With our highly skilled specialists supported by the Finnish More information SAMULI ALONEN Portfolio SAMULI ALONEN Portfolio Introduction of the artist Samuli Alonen (born 1977) grew up in a family where making art was always present and children were encouraged to act on their talent. Samuli who was More information BARCELONA Figueras - Gerona BARCELONA Figueras - Gerona 23 MAY BILBAO-BARCELONA The meeting point will be the airport of Loiu (Bilbao) 90 minutes prior to departure. Check in and boarding on a scheduled flight to Barcelona. Arrival More information Issue. September 2012 September 2012 Issue In a future world of 8.5 billion people in 2035, the Energy Information Administration s (EIA) projected 50% increase in energy consumption will require true all of the above energy More information JAMK University of Applied Sciences. Jyvaskyla Finland. Creating Competence JAMK University of Applied Sciences Jyvaskyla Finland Creating Competence JAMK wants to be the best university of applied sciences in Finland, with a strong track record in quality of education, internationalisation More information Riihimaki is situated Riihimaki Home Town Riihimaki s history The completion of Helsinki-Hameenlinna railway in 1862 and the opening of the Riihimaki St. Petersburg line in 1870 impacted on the creation of the town. 1919 Riihimaki More information Invest in Salo. Smart City Salo. Success stories from Salo. Discover Salo Invest in Salo Discover Salo Success stories from Salo Smart City Salo the city of intel Finland, an EU member country, is located by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. Most of the Finnish population is More information Equality in Aalto University Equality in Aalto University We have come a long way Equality in Finland Pioneer in gender equality, and is the first country in the world to give women both the right to vote and stand for election (1906). More information Open Data Policy in the Finnish Government 1 (8) 29.9.2015 Open Data Programme Public Sector ICT Ministry of Finance Anne Kauhanen-Simanainen Margit Suurhasko vm.fi/opendata Open Data Policy in the Finnish Government In Finland, information resources More information I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. More on who I am is here. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Thanks to CETA, the new Canada-EU "trade" agreement, this statement may no longer be true. It appears cell phones may be seized and searched at the border. But not to worry; so far this presumably applies only to travel between the EU and Canada, for now (source; click to enlarge). The EU and Canada signed a free trade deal on Sunday that was almost derailed last week by objections from French-speaking Belgians, exposing the difficulties of securing agreement from 28 member states as Britain prepares for Brexit talks. ... [Canadian Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau and top EU officials signed the comprehensive economic and trade agreement, known as Ceta, paving the way for most import duties to be removed early next year. However, the treaty needs the approval of at least 38 national and regional parliaments, including the UKs, to take full force. Trudeau was meant to fly to Brussels last Wednesday but he stayed at home when the Wallonia region raised objections that held up agreement until Thursday. Belgiums regional parliaments endorsed a compromise deal, which addressed concerns about competition for Wallonias farmers from Canada, on Friday. Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, who stood beside Trudeau at a news conference, said the delay was caused by Belgiums internal politics and that the deal would be far less contentious when it went before national parliaments. Wallonia has been nervous about exposing its agricultural sector to competition from Canadian farmers. Magnette had also raised objections to a proposed court system for settling disputes between foreign investors and governments. One concession he won means that Belgium would be able to go to the European court of justice to determine whether a system of investor-state tribunals were compatible with EU law. The four-page document contains a guarantee that the Belgian government will assess the socio-economic and environmental impact of Ceta. One of the many secret trade deals floating around is known as CETA. While proponents say these trade agreements are simply about trade, the details suggest that such agreements are much more about pushing laws than actual trade. Last year, we dug into some of these details and found a number of provisions that adversely affects digital rights. This includes censorship through site blocking, account termination through a three strikes law, unlimited damages for copyright infringement, and provisions that allow border patrols to seize your cell phone at the border. Just a few days after many observers declared that the controversial and much-protested Canada-EU trade deal CETA was dead , the group holding up the process, the parliament of Wallonia, the French-speaking region of multi-lingual and multi-ethnic Belgium, caved to pressure and approved the deal after all. The Wallonia parliament was the last European regional parliament whose approval was needed, and in the end, they gave in. The vote now goes to EU national parliaments, all of which are expected to vote yes.The Guardian Among those Wallonian objections So the Walloons objected to the effect of competition from Canada on their agricultural market ... and to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions that bedevil all of these treaties. (ISDS clauses typically give corporations, and only corporations, the right to sue nations in special trade-only tribunals for "lost profit" due to, for example, regulation of industries. " Corporate sovereignty " is a fair way to describe the effect of these clauses, since after the trade tribunal rules, there's no appeal of the deicsion, even to a nation's supreme court.)So note the solution agreed to by the Wallonian parliament a side deal whereby Belgium (and, apparently, only Belgium) could go to the EU court of justice to make sure that an ISDS ruling under CETA was also compatible with EU law. Does this right apply across the whole of Europe? Not as the Guardian has written the two paragraphs above.Other objections raised by citizens who protested this treaty strongly include these, from the tech site FreezeNet.ca (emphasis mine):Again, "corporate sovereignty," with the power of the state to enforce it. Can you imagine having your cell phone seized at the border because agents want to check it for illegally downloaded songs? It's the wave of the protected corporate future.The pressure from the rest of the European elites on the Walloon parliament must have been immense. The Wallonians went from thinking this : "Politicians in Wallonia had argued that the proposed deal would undermine labor, environment and consumer standards and allow multinationals to crush local companies" ... to full parliamentary approval in roughly two days.CETA still needs full approval of the European national parliaments, but as I wrote above, that's expected. Score one for the holders of big money, and the people that money buys them.GP Labels: Canada, CETA, European Union, Gaius Publius, privacy, trade policies Editors Note: Welcome to La Jolla Lights People in the Neighborhood series, which shines a spotlight on notable locals we all wish we knew more about! Light staff is out on the town talking to familiar, friendly faces to bring you their stories. If you know someone youd like us to profile, send the lead via e-mail to editor@lajollalight.com or call us at (858) 875-5950. Nineteen years ago, Riford Library assistant Dennis Abad arrived in San Diego to visit from his native Philippines and never left. This 43-year-old, whose favorite color is blue, said he obtains joy from doing his job at the library and serving others. He lives in Sabre Springs (Poway area) and he has found a community of Filipinos in San Diego. He goes back to to the Philippines to visit family every once in a while. What do you like about your job? I live to make a difference in the lives of future engineers and leaders. I like to see people smile and not leave here empty-handed, that gives me great satisfaction. Why did you come to the United States? I always saw the Golden Gate Bridge and the Statue of Liberty in textbooks and I thought, someday Ill be there, someday Ill visit that country because we were taught that (the United States) is the land of milk and honey. I applied for a tourist visa in 1997 and when I got here, I loved the country and thats why I stayed. Are you married? I met my wife during my first trip to San Diego, and three months afterward we got married, Dec. 14, 1997. Do you have children? We have no kids; its not bad being child-free. Some people say, Whos going to take care of you when you get old? But now we have a lot of nursing homes, we have competent and caring nurses, it doesnt have to be your kids, and kids these days take you to the nursing home anyways. Its our choice, we are not typical of a Filipino family, but we want to enjoy our lives more. What do you do for fun? We enjoy life. We watch movies, either go to the cinema or rent a movie here at the library. We go to spas, from time to time we get a massage. We listen to music, watch concerts, Broadway shows, and we go to antique shops. I meditate and we explore different cultures through food and travel. How did you end up working at Riford Library? In the Philippines, we had no money and my mom told me, Youre not going to go to school. I was like, No way! Im going, Ill find a way to go through it. I paid for my tuition by working at the universitys library. I was a working scholar, thats how I fell in love with the library. The library took care of me in the times that we had nothing. I started working in libraries in San Diego (such as Mira Mesa and Carmel Valley) and then eventually, I applied for a full-time position and they offered me this job. What I tell people who want to work in a library is, Hang in there, start from the beginning, volunteer, thats how they recognize you. Whats the work in the library like? I typically help people find information, find books, phone numbers of companies ... I dont give medical or legal advice, because Im not a doctor or a lawyer. When we get those questions, we refer them to the main library downtown. What colors do you like to wear? Sometimes I wear a pink shirt, sometimes I wear maroon pants, or bright neon sneakers with green and different colors. I love colorful stuff, but most of my shirts and T-shirts are blue, my favorite color. I like to wear nice clothes, take care of myself, especially because Im sitting here in front of people. Like my boss says, Im the face of the La Jolla Riford Library because Im the first thing people see when they come in. Whats something that La Jollans dont know about you? Id like them to know that I am a good dancer. Im not as graceful as I was in high school, because Im a little older now, but I can still move on the dance floor. I used to be part of a dance group in the Philippines called Mystiques. We did modern dance. When my wife and I go to parties, we are in the middle of the floor dancing to hip hop, rap and house music. I also cook Filipino food, like pansit (similar to Chow Mein but with thin strands), lumpia (a sort of spring roll), and sinigang (a savory stew), but I also like to experiment with different cuisines. Whats your hope for the future? Id like to still be here, enjoying my job, because I love my job. I come here every morning, and this is my home next to home. I consider my co-workers brothers and sisters. Id like to retire some day in the Philippines, where we have built a house for retirement, but it will be awhile. Maybe in two decades. The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary Read more PRESS RELEASE UNs Syria Envoy Charges Jihadists with War Crimes in Eastern Aleppo Oct. 31, 2016 (EIRNS)Jihadists indiscriminate shelling of eastern Aleppo with missiles and chemical weapons is tantamount to war crimes, said Steffan de Mistura, the United Nations Special Envoy on Syria, who declared himself "shocked and appalled" at the attacks launched by terrorists over the past three days on Aleppos civilian population. Even Amnesty International has called for an immediate halt to the shelling. Over the past three days, a brutal offensive by Jabhat al-Nusra and its allies (including the so-called moderate opposition) to break the Syrian Armys siege of eastern Aleppo has killed 84 people and wounded close to 300, Syrias Sana news agency reported. In a statement issued today, the Syrian General Command charged that terrorists fired more than 100 mortar rounds, 50 Grad missiles, and 20 weaponized gas cylinders on residential areas of Aleppo, in addition to carrying out sniper attacks. Most of the casualties, it said, were women and children. On Sunday, rebels advanced into the frontline neighborhood of al-Hamadaniyeh, in tanks and other armored vehicles, but also used suicide car bombs to breach Army defense lines. Several citizens were treated for respiratory problems and asphyxiation, as a result of poison gas. As of this writing, the counter-offensive by Syrian Army forces has slowed the terrorists offensive, leaving them only partially in control of the Dahiyet al-Assad neighborhood they entered last Friday. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned today that the two weeks during which Russian and Syria ceased airstrikes over Aleppo were more than enough time for the United States and its allies to force the "moderate" opposition to break with the terrorists. The failure to do this, he stated, now means that "our previous assessments need to be revised." Earlier, if Russia said that it seemed that the United States and its allies were unable, or didnt want, to separate the moderates from Jabhat al-Nusra, "then now we should say already that they do not really want to do this.... We hope that the self-preservation instinct will prevail, as cozying up to terrorists and trying to use them for ones own goals has never led to anything good." Any militants still remaining in eastern Aleppo, Lavrov warned, will be considered accomplices of al-Nusra. In one of the periodic mental lapses he suffers when repeating Obamas lies, Secretary of State John Kerry told an audience at Londons Chatham House today, that the Russians wanted to "bomb Aleppo to smithereens, claiming they are hitting terrorists, rather than accept the reality that there is an opposition there prepared to live by the ceasefire." Isnt this the oppostion that de Mistura charges with war crimes? Jill Soloway and Eileen Myles are no longer together, they revealed from the stage at the Billy Wilder Theatre at the Hammer Museum on Wednesday night. We still love each other, Soloway said, but were processing something now. Myles interjected, Right now. Soloway, the creator of the Amazon series Transparent and poet Myles had been in a high-profile relationship, showing up together on Hollywood red carpets and in New York gossip columns. Were not actually dating anymore, Soloway said, minutes after taking the stage. The crowd, which had gathered to hear the pair discuss ways of representing queerness in literature and the mass media, issued a few gasps of dismay. What proceeded was a 90-minute forum that examined and challenged binaries between not only genders but, by its sheer intimacy, the private versus the public space. We thought we would just process our relationship on stage, Soloway said, inviting the audience to pipe up with questions at any point that they felt triggered. There were a few laughs and smiles from both speakers, but Soloway added, This is totally serious, by the way. It seemed a fitting venue for a couple that initially met on a museum panel in San Francisco more than a year ago as well as a fittingly subversive public collaboration for two writers known for breaking the mold. Advertisement [Just] as we could see our relationship coming out, Soloway said, it was also coming to an end. In an age where digital media has increasing collapsed the distance between the public and celebrities, Soloway and Myles effectively used the Hammer event to reclaim ownership of what Soloway brilliantly dubbed the public relations ship of their romance, which was unveiled in a 2015 New Yorker profile of Soloway. In an ingenious reversal, they took the stage as a means to bring us behind closed doors. Attendees could experience their own complicity and collusion in mythologizing a famous couple, while Soloway and Myles got the ultimate closure of telling the story of themselves. In other words, we got into it. Representing queer literature and queer television, respectively, Myles and Soloway talked less about specific works (although Myles memoir Afterglow is forthcoming in April, and Soloway has recently released the Amazon pilot for I Love Dick, based on Chris Kraus novel) than they did the topics that inspire and inform them. Soloway, who like Myles uses the gender-neutral pronoun they, discussed their recent transition to a butch presentation. Soloway felt relieved of a whole aspect of performance. If Im not wearing female clothes I feel much more intellectually expressive. (This was understandably a trigger for some audience members, a potential implication being that a femme presentation is intellectually hindering. Soloway addressed follow-up questions graciously.) Myles said that they felt trans before [they] ever felt lesbian, and that regarding their choice of pronoun I thought a collective gender might be a place where I could be really comfortable, and it turns out to be true. Myles and Soloway have appeared in each others work, and Myles noted that their mutual influence has been its own kind of exposure. A character based loosely on Myles appears in Transparent Season 2, and Soloway has made their way into Myles poetry. (I really, really wanted to get in some poems, Soloway admitted.) The act of collaboration is kind of my favorite love act in the world, said Myles. Theres sweetness and difficulty in what were doing, which is talking about loving somebody and talking about it changing them. Shortly after the Paris attacks in 2015, Myles and Soloway collaborated on a document titled The Thanksgiving Paris Manifesto, and their live reading of that charter was perhaps the highlight of the night. The manifesto calls for, among other things, an immediate end to male government, an indictment of racism, mass-graves for pistols and that porn made by men is hereby outlawed for one hundred years. Art made by men will also be banned for 50 years (an adequate time period as deemed by the manifesto) for authentic female representation to take hold. The ban would offer men a sense of awe, said Myles. The joint reading drew murmurs of approval, chuckles and applause. This is so well written! Myles said, clearly relishing both revisiting the creation of the manifesto and its reception. In the moment, their proposed revolution seemed almost possible. We both wanted to live in this imaginary world, said Soloway of the time they spent writing the manifesto in a Paris hotel room, where they could pretend that were part of history. (A Paris hotel room is a particularly romantic setting, but that sense of urgency and significance will be familiar to anyone whos ever been in love.) Myles, however, was optimistic, quick to seize on the value of even having co-written the charter itself. I just have to say, when you make something that you feel passionate about, you do change history, and the world is changing. The evening was an inclusive, funny, and often touching live meditation on queerness, performativity, and the creative exchange between revolutionary artists who happened to have fallen in love. Over the course of the event, their conversation touched on the male gaze, the patriarchy, the degraded feminine, poetry, television writing and more, but they kept circling back partly in response to the audiences curiosity to the time they had spent together. It was beautiful, said Soloway. Myles agreed. It still is. French is a writer in Los Angeles. November is NaNoWriMo; as aspiring authors know, thats short for National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo challenges would-be novelists to write a 50,000-word book during the month of November. It bills itself as one part writing boot camp, one part rollicking party. Last year, more than 430,000 writers undertook the daunting challenge. Of those who participated, more than 40,000 successfully reached their goal. While thats around a 10% completion rate, is is 40,000 novel drafts that didnt exist as of Halloween. Advertisement Writing a full-length novel in a month authors must write about 1,700 words per day to cross the finish line is, obviously, an intimidating prospect. The organizers have lined up a host of authors to give pep talks, via open letters, to aspiring novelists. Those authors include fantasy novelist Daniel Jose Older, who wrote: Writing begins with forgiveness. Let go of the shame about how long its been since you last wrote, the clenching fear that youre not a good enough writer, the doubts over whether or not you can get it done. Sure, the nagging demons will come creeping back, but set them aside anyway, and then set them aside again when they do. More letters will follow during the course of the month, from authors including Jenny Han, Alexander Chee, Alaya Dawn Johnson and Maggie Stiefvater. NaNoWriMo informally began in 1999 among a group of friends and is now a nonprofit with volunteer-organized offline events and a supportive website where writers share their hopes, questions and frustrations during the month. More than 250 novels originally drafted during NaNoWriMo have been accepted by traditional publishers, including Rainbow Rowells Fangirl and Sara Gruens breakout hit Water for Elephants. NaNoWriMos Come Write In program coordinates bookstores, libraries and other businesses hosting events related to the monthlong challenge. The Los Angeles Public Library is among the Southern California businesses that will be participating this year. Others include the Tea Pop cafe in North Hollywood and Geeky Teas and Games in Burbank. The NaNoWriMo account on Twitter could barely contain its excitement Monday night as Nov. 1 approached. When it turned midnight in California, the organizers tweeted this bit of inspiration: Pacific Time! Your moment draws near. Grab a drink, wash the candy remnants off your hands, get ready for novel time. Youve got this. The tradition in real estate development in recent years has gone something like this: Developer proposes mega-project, developer claims project will transform city into something great, city gives developer millions in tax abatements and other handouts to make the deal happen. Beverly Hills may just have turned the payout spigot the other way. In a tentative deal announced late last week, the Chinese firm Wanda Group agreed to increase its fees to the city by more than a half-billion dollars over 30 years to win approval of a luxury condo-hotel project near the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards. Everyone involved in the negotiations expresses satisfaction with the terms. This is by far the best development agreement ever negotiated for Beverly Hills, and possibly the richest development agreement per square foot negotiated anywhere by a municipality, said Mayor John Mirisch, who reached the agreement as one of two members of the citys ad hoc committee examining the project. Advertisement His colleague on the committee, Councilwoman Lili Bosse, agrees. And Rohan aBeckett, Wandas manager at the project, calls the deal an agreement on the numbers that works for both of us. Were lucky that we dont have to seek people out to come here. Beverly Hills is still a city where people want to do business. Beverly Hills Council member Lili Bosse But it still has local real estate observers scratching their heads. This is the first time anything like this has ever been done, Alan X. Reay, president of the Irvine hotel brokerage Atlas Hospitality, told me. Its unprecedented. It also involves a project embroiled in controversy. The Wanda development is a neighbor of a hotel and condo proposal at the site of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, which is the focus of a measure on the Nov. 8 city ballot. The measure was placed on the ballot by Beny Alagem, the Hiltons owner, in order to bypass the city planning process by appealing directly to voters for their approval. Wanda has funded the opposition campaign. Mirisch has been critical of Alagem for attempting to circumvent city planners and the council, but he has said hes neutral on the Wanda project. The terms are still subject to approval by the Beverly Hills City Council, which will launch a three-day round of hearings on the development Monday. The terms include a doubling of the up-front payment from Wanda to the city from $30 million to $60 million; a near-trebling of environmental mitigation and sustainability fees to 1.25% from 0.45% of the sale of any portion of the development, including the condos, and an additional 2% of any subsequent sale; and hotel occupancy surcharge of 5%, on top of the citys statutory transient occupancy tax of 14%. The city says it expects the terms to yield $820 million in revenue over 30 years, an increase of $560 million over the previous terms. The 5% occupancy surcharge, according to Mirisch, isnt mandated by city ordinance but has been applied by negotiation to two recent hotel projects, the Montage and the Waldorf Astoria, which will open early next year as part of the Hilton development. Wanda already had city approval for an earlier version of its project, but opted to build a luxury hotel in place of some condos. The revision won the approval of the citys Planning Commission earlier this month, but still required approval by the City Council. Mirisch has been a critic of municipalities that offer lucrative tax abatements and other handouts to attract real estate developers. In July, Anaheim approved a lavish 20-year rebate of city taxes to Walt Disney Co. and other developers for luxury hotels to serve Disneyland, despite a lack of evidence that Disneyland hotels could be built anywhere else or needed subsidies. Beverly Hills may be one of the few cities in California that can demand concessions from builders. Were lucky that we dont have to seek people out to come here, Bosse says. Beverly Hills is still a city where people want to do business. Whether the stiff terms will harbor unanticipated costs for the Wanda project is difficult to gauge. The transfer fee will raise the price of the development condos above what comparable units might fetch. The higher hotel occupancy fee will also force room rates above older competing hotels that charge guests only the statutory 14%. You could argue that its a competitive disadvantage, Reay says, though that might not matter much as long as the economy thrives and demand for Beverly Hills lodgings remains strong. What if we get into a market where things slow down and people look more closely at rates? Individual rates may not matter much, he says, but it will definitely add up if youre doing a major event, like a wedding. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. On the first day of Obamacare open enrollment, a consumer group sued Anthem Blue Cross for attempting to automatically renew policies that no longer cover out-of-network costs for hundreds of thousands of Californians. A lawyer for Consumer Watchdog said Tuesday that Anthem was railroading existing members into bare-bones plans without properly disclosing the change to them in recent renewal letters. On top of the loss of out-of-network coverage, many of the customers also face big premium hikes. Advertisement Los Angeles resident Paul Simon, one of the patients involved in the lawsuit, would pay 33% more next year for his policy $655.72 a month, up from $491.54 this year, according to his renewal letter. Consumer Watchdogs lawsuit says Anthem engaged in a bait-and-switch scheme. The groups attorneys said Anthem should have sent the customers a discontinuation notice to properly inform them that they were losing their out-of-network coverage. Instead the insurer sent notices saying the policies would automatically renew if the member takes no action by Dec. 15. We believe that Anthem is trying to take advantage of consumers during the open enrollment period, said Travis Corby, a lawyer representing the consumer group. They are selling 2017 Affordable Care Act health plans as being the same as their 2016 products. Anthem customers are not the only ones facing big premium hikes for 2017. Statewide average premiums on the online marketplace known as Covered California will rise an average of 13.2% in 2017. That is roughly half as much as the 25% rise for a mid-level plan on the federally run online marketplace used by 39 other states. Darrel Ng, an Anthem spokesman, said his company had changed the plans design to mitigate rate increases and keep monthly premiums affordable. He said Anthem believes that the lawsuit is without merit. The benefit package being offered in 2017 was approved by the Department of Managed Health Care and Covered California and is consistent with federal guidance, Ng said. Affected members have been mailed written notice of this change so they can make an informed decision on their healthcare needs during the open enrollment period for the coming year. The change, effective Jan. 1, affects policyholders who had signed up for Anthems preferred provider organization, or PPO. In most areas in the state, Anthem is changing its PPO into a so-called exclusive provider organization, or EPO which means that it will no longer pay even a portion of bills from doctors or hospitals not in its network. Leslie Burkes of Los Angeles, another Anthem customer, said Tuesday that she had picked Anthems PPO because a family member has a serious medical condition and sees specialists outside the network. Im trapped in a double blind, she said. We will have no coverage to doctors we need. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, asks the judge to force Anthem to renew the plans as PPOs for 2017. It also seeks monetary damages for customers who are harmed and payment of the consumer groups attorney fees. Open enrollment, a period when consumers can sign up for or change their health insurance coverage for next year, began Tuesday on Covered California. To get coverage that begins Jan. 1, people must sign up by Dec. 15. For insurance with later start dates, people can sign up through Jan. 31. Jan Spencley, executive director of San Diegans for Healthcare Coverage, a nonprofit that offers free enrollment counseling, said her phone has been ringing as beneficiaries open notices from their current carriers showing how much their premiums will climb next year. Rate increases are softened significantly for most enrollees because they receive taxpayer-supported subsidies based on their income. But for many people, the subsidies are rising more slowly than their premiums, Spencley said. That may mean a large rate hike unless they are willing to switch to a less expensive policy. Some of the calls I get from people are just heartbreaking, Spencley said, because theyre one flat tire or dead car battery away from not being able to pay for health insurance anymore. Paul Sisson at the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report. melody.petersen@latimes.com Follow @melodypetersen on Twitter ALSO Column: Inside those big Obamacare rate increases Obamacare open enrollment on Covered California starts today Column: This couple put $1,000 on gift cards. Then the money disappeared UPDATES: 3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments from Darrel Ng and Jan Spencley and with background information about Covered California. This article was originally published at 12:45 p.m. Gannett Co. on Tuesday abruptly ended its six-month effort to acquire Tronc, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun and several other newspapers. The deal would have extended the footprint of Gannett, the nations largest newspaper company, and marked a major consolidation in an industry beleaguered by technological challenges and declining revenues. But it was complicated by a last-minute withdrawal of support last week by bankers expected to finance the transaction. Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn told securities analysts Tuesday afternoon that the two companies had reached agreement on a price in mid-September and had an executable merger agreement as of last week. He said Tronc management was prepared to present the deal to the companys board and expected it to be approved. He implied that Gannetts reasons for scuttling the deal involved more than merely the withdrawal of some bankers. Advertisement A number of issues led to their board deciding not to pursue it, he said. Tronc shares fell in Nasdaq trading Tuesday to close at $10.54, a decline of 12.4%. The stock had been trading at $17 a share as recently as last week, before reports that the financing for Gannetts bid was in jeopardy. Gannett shares initially rose on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday, but they closed at $7.59, down 2.3%. Gannett investors had been wary of the viability of the Tronc deal, however, especially after Gannett announced disappointing quarterly financial results last week. Gannett shares are down more than 50% in the last six months. Gannett announced its withdrawal in a terse, 27-word statement shortly before the start of the trading day, in which it confirmed that the company has been engaged in discussions with Tronc Inc. regarding a potential transaction and has determined not to pursue an acquisition of Tronc. Tronc acknowledged Gannetts withdrawal in a lengthier statement blaming the collapse of the deal on the unexpected delay in financing encountered by Gannett. The statement acknowledged that Tronc had serious doubts about Gannetts ability to finance a transaction but disclosed that the companies had reached agreement on a purchase price in mid-September and were working to finalize an agreement. It is unfortunate that Gannetts lenders made their decision to terminate their role in the transaction without the benefit of Troncs third-quarter financials or any future projections, the company said. After the markets close Tuesday, Tronc, which was formerly Tribune Publishing, reported a net loss of $10.5 million, or 29 cents per share, on revenue of $378.2 million for the third quarter ended Sept. 25. That compares with a loss of $8.6 million, or 33 cents per share, on revenue of $405.7 million in the same quarter a year ago. The company said the 2016 quarterly results were affected by a $7-million non-cash charge related to a tax settlement by Tribune Media, from which Tronc was spun off in 2014, and a $17 million pre-tax in restructuring and transaction costs. Talks between Gannett and Tronc were difficult and at times acrimonious. Gannett first tried to acquire the former Tribune newspapers in April with an offer of $12.25 a share, or about $400 million. The overture was rejected by Michael Ferro, Troncs largest shareholder and non-executive chairman, who accused Gannett of trying to steal the company. Gannett later publicly improved its offer to $15 a share, or $475 million (excluding debt). In the latest stage of talks, the offer was reportedly raised to $18 or more. Ultimately, Ferro agreed to accept Gannetts latest offer. Some major shareholders, including L.A. investment firm Oaktree Capital Management, had urged Ferro to sell months ago, at a lower price, and had threatened legal action. The offers collapse leaves questions about the future course of both companies. Ferro has tied Troncs future in part to the infusion of new technologies, including some associated with Los Angeles entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong, who became the companys second-largest shareholder and vice chairman in May. Tuesday morning, Tronc said the transformation plan remained on track. Tronc continues to make progress in implementing the companys strategic plan to leverage technology and effectively monetize its world-class content, the company said. The implementation of this plan will take time but the company remains on track in terms of delivering on its near-term financial goals and is confident in its ability to deliver improved performance and shareholder value. It also marks a pause in Gannetts aggressive but potentially risky strategy of acquiring more newspapers even as print circulation and advertising revenue have declined throughout the industry over the last decade. Gannett said in a statement Tuesday that it remains fully committed to our strategy of expanding our local footprint and building the countrys largest digital news network under the USA Today Network banner. Gannetts goal has been to get more revenue by offering advertisers greater nationwide reach, while also reducing costs by achieving economies of scale in printing, distribution and other areas. Earlier this year, Gannett closed a deal to buy Journal Media Group, owner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and more than a dozen other dailies. Gannett estimated that it will result in cost savings of $35 million. The company also acquired the Record of Bergen County, N.J., along with several New Jersey community weeklies. The total circulation of Gannetts newspapers, which operate in 33 states and the territory of Guam, came to 6.5 million on weekdays and 8.5 million on Sunday in 2015, including USA Today, according to Gannetts 2015 annual report. The figures dont include those of Journal Media or the Record. Gannett already was confronting challenges in digesting its earlier acquisitions. On Oct. 24, the company announced plans to reduce its workforce by 2%, or about 350 people, as part of an effort to assertively manage our costs, according to an internal memo to staff from Chief Executive Bob Dickey published by Politico. That followed cutbacks of more than 200 workers announced in September at its newly acquired North Jersey Media Group, which includes the Record. Acquisition of the Tronc newspapers would have represented a major step forward in Gannetts reach, especially with The Times, which reports weekday circulation of 449,000 and 790,000 on Sundays. The Times website, latimes.com, reported 137 million monthly page views as of December 2015. Gannetts largest publication, USA Today, reports weekday circulation of 4 million. The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report. michael.hiltzik@latimes.com ALSO Union-backed Lyft drivers object to $27-million settlement Real estate investors bet on the next big thing for L.A.'s Arts District: Offices Anthem is cutting out-of-network health coverage in a bait and switch, lawsuit says UPDATES: 5:30 p.m. This article was updated with details from Troncs earnings call. 3:05 p.m.: This article was updated with stocks closing prices. 10 a.m.: This article was updated with Times staff reporting. 6:50 a.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Tronc. 6:35 a.m.: This article was updated with Troncs and Gannetts stock prices. This article was originally published at 6:10 a.m. For the first time, McDonalds has settled a case with workers who said they were subject to labor violations at franchisee-owned stores. The company agreed to pay $3.75 million to workers who alleged that several Bay Area McDonalds stores miscalculated their pay, denied them overtime, and did not compensate them for cleaning their uniforms, according to documents filed Friday in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco. McDonalds has been battling for years in courts across the country to shield itself from wage and hour claims made by workers at franchisees, and has generally succeeded. For the last several months, the company has been fighting with the National Labor Relations Board in a case being heard by an administrative judge in New York about whether it is a joint employer of workers owned by franchisees. Advertisement The most recent San Francisco case marked the first time a federal judge allowed a class to sue the company for violations at franchisee stores, based on a different interpretation of the joint employer relationship. It could have broad implications for the company as it seeks to deny efforts by other workers to pursue it in court as a class for wage and hour violations that took place at franchisee restaurants. The Bay Area workers argued that they reasonably believed they were employed by McDonalds, which stamped its logo on their paychecks, uniforms and orientation materials. U.S. District Court Judge James Donato thought that argument was rational enough to be heard by a jury a process that McDonalds wanted to avoid. Its historically significant, says Joseph Sellers, a lawyer for the workers. McDonalds recognized that it had significant risk if the case went to trial, that we could have established that it was responsible for the conduct in this franchisee workplace. Terri Hickey, a spokeswoman for McDonalds, said in an email that a California court had already determined that the company was not a joint employer. We entered into this mutually acceptable resolution to avoid the costs and disruption associated with continued litigation, Hickey wrote. If approved by a federal judge, $1.75 million of the settlement will go to more than 800 workers and $2 million will go to lawyers for the plaintiffs. The franchisee, Smith Family LP, had already settled with the workers for about $700,000. The same plaintiffs lawyers have already argued in another case, also in San Francisco, that a group of 1,200 workers at McDonalds stores owned by a franchisee can sue the company on the theory that they rationally believed the company was their employer. A federal judge is expected to rule on the demand for class-action status in December. Its a relatively unique claim, said Catherine Ruckelshaus, General Counsel for the nonprofit National Employment Law Project. I think its going to play out in other cases against corporate McDonalds, because McDonalds does have this practice with its franchisees. Ruckelshaus said that the case showed that the brand is strong at franchisee McDonalds establishments, which is why workers might be able to argue that they thought they were working for the corporate office. The argument that McDonalds is a joint employer simply because it was perceived as such by workers is one that the company can counter, says Seth Harris, former deputy secretary of the U.S. Labor Department. This case may open the door for new litigation temporarily, said Harris, but McDonalds can close the door at least a large part of the way by getting its franchisees to make it clearer that theyre the ones employing cooks and cashiers. Natalie.Kitroeff@latimes.com Follow me @NatalieKitro on Twitter ANZ not backing out of retail and wealth businesses in Vietnam The Australian bank appears to see a future in Vietnam, despite withdrawing from some major regional markets. ANZ is not selling its retail and wealth-management businesses in Vietnam, according to the banks branch in Hanoi. In a move to shift its focus in the Asian region to institutional banking, ANZ has sold its wealth and retail operations in Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan and Indonesia for around $80 million to Singapores DBS Group Holdings Ltd, Thomson Reuters reported on Monday. The news has raised questions regarding ANZs operations in Vietnam, and whether or not the Australian bank is looking to offload its retail assets in the Southeast Asian country as well. Thomson Reuters cited chief executive Shayne Elliott as saying that the bank might review options for its similar assets in the Philippines and Vietnam. Clarifying the above remark, an ANZ representative said there are currently no plans to sell its retail and wealth businesses in Vietnam. ANZs retail and wealth businesses in Vietnam are not part of this transaction and there is no impact to our retail and institutional customers in Vietnam, ANZ Communications Officer Nguyen Huyen My told VnExpress International in an e-mail on Tuesday. She also added that ANZ Vietnam will continue to examine ways to improve its retail and wealth operations. Related News: > Vietnam 'debt bank' finds itself struggling for funds > Vietnamese govt advised to cut stakes in public sector banks A handful of California Lyft drivers and a Teamsters-backed drivers alliance are seeking to squash a proposed $27-million settlement in a lawsuit against the ride-hailing app company. The objectors have written to U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria in recent days, saying the payout and contractual concessions to drivers are insufficient. They also expressed concern that the deal doesnt address the most important issue: whether drivers for ride-hailing companies such as Lyft and Uber should remain independent contractors or be treated as employees, eligible for healthcare benefits and paid time off, among other provisions. The union-backed objectors acknowledged that trying to resolve that question once and for all carries significant risks -- namely losing in trial. But they told the court that the stakes for the state, the economy and the drivers themselves are much higher. Advertisement That classification of app-centric workers has led to several legal battles across the country, including the 2013 class-action case against Lyft in Chhabrias San Francisco courtroom. An estimated 100,000 drivers could be eligible for a portion of the $27 million based on how much they drove. About 40,000 drivers already have filed claims, according to Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer representing the class. She said Tuesday that worker classification remains highly contested and the settlement represents the best achievable outcome at this time. Were doing what we can do to advance the workers rights, she said. Nothing about this settlement is a statement that the drivers are properly classified. But it does preserve Lyft drivers as independent contractors, potentially limiting their ability file future class-action lawsuits and collectively bargain with the company. Labor-union groups including the Uber Lyft Teamsters Rideshare Alliance, Teamsters Joint Council 7 and Teamsters Joint Council 42 say thats not OK. Lyft makes its profits by undercutting workers and taxpayers, Joint Council 7 President Rome Aloise said in a statement. This is an unfair settlement and drivers have earned more and deserve better. Lyft doesnt generate profits, but it could soon, company president John Zimmer recently said. The settlement was already upped from about $12 million earlier this year after Lyft submitted updated data about its business. The Teamsters group voiced objections about the agreement at that point too, but Chhabria said such issues were better addressed through legislation than court rulings. Its unclear how much sway the latest letters will have with Chhabria, who gave preliminary approval to the $27-million figure in June. A hearing for final approval is expected Dec. 1. Lyft expressed confidence that the settlement would stand. It preserves the flexibility of drivers to choose when, where and for how long they drive, and enables consumers to continue benefiting from Lyfts convenient, affordable rides, the company said. A similar case against Uber is now in jeopardy. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Chen rejected a $100-million settlement in the Uber drivers case in August. A month later, an appeals court in an unrelated case ruled Uber drivers must take their grievances to arbitration as opposed to the courts. Were now picking up the pieces, said Liss-Riordan, whos also representing the Uber drivers. paresh.dave@latimes.com / PGP Twitter: @peard33 ALSO Lyft and Uber launch programs to cater to seniors Lyft president predicts a driverless future, says Tesla has it all wrong Lyft CEO has a plan thats far bigger than ride-hailing A play about Donald Trump set to open a little more than a week before the presidential election seemed like perfect timing this summer. Oh, but how these last weeks of the campaign have aged us. Driving to the Kirk Douglas Theatre on Sunday evening for the opening of Jon Robin Baitzs new play, Vicuna, I couldnt help feeling weary from the weekend of news in which the proverbial October surprise was still rippling through the media stream. Meet the Press left me with a morning migraine and Twitter had me feeling hopped up on caffeine all afternoon. Theater gods, I implored, please dont deliver more of the same. Advertisement My prayers were equivocally answered. Im not shouting hallelujah! for Vicuna, but at least Baitz has written an actual play. This may not be the subtlest dramatic writing this season, but its an honest to goodness comedy, as elaborately worked out (in the old fashioned Broadway way of S.N. Behrman and George S. Kaufman) as it is topical and with just enough wit and wisdom to survive past election day. SIGN UP for the free Essential Arts & Culture newsletter The play, under the direction of Robert Egan, is set in the New York atelier of a bespoke tailor to titans of industry and government. This posh room, conjured in all its masculine luxuriousness by scenic designer Kevin Depinet, practically exudes a fragrant bouquet of leather, cigars, whiskey and the finest wool money can buy. Anselm Kassar (Brian George), an Iranian Jewish immigrant who learned his trade in Paris, is the proprietor here. A master craftsman, he has agreed to make a suit for brash New York tycoon Kurt Seaman (Harry Groener), the Trump-like figure who is, to the shock and bewilderment of those who know him best, the Republican presidential nominee. Kurt (whose last name provokes a traffic jam of all-too-easy off-color jokes) needs to remake his image for the final debate after his pathetic performances in the preceding contests. He knows that Anselm, who dressed Ronald Reagan to victory, can work political miracles in fabrics. Anselm initially resists, claiming theres no way he can handle such a monumental job on such short notice, but he gives in when Kurt agrees to a price just north of $100,000 for a suit made of exquisite vicuna wool, a fabric that makes cashmere seem crude by comparison. Amir (Ramiz Monsef), Anselms apprentice and an old family friend of Iranian Muslim background who has dropped out of Harvard after taking part in a political protest that went off the rails, points out that vicuna, little cousin to the llama, is a great animal that we decimated to virtual extinction. He too has reverence for the material, but he cant help considering the ethical implications of his actions a habit of mind that will make it exceedingly difficult for him to do anything in support of a politician whose divisive platform is opportunistically anti-immigrant, anti-women and anti-Muslim. Kurt routinely baits Amir, sensing they are natural enemies. The conflict between them is inflamed by Amirs growing closeness to Kurts lithe, blond, super-competent daughter and campaign manager, Srilanka (Samantha Sloyan), whose name (chosen for the place where she was conceived) helpfully rhymes with Ivanka in case anyones blind to the connection. Srilanka believes the best version of her dad is capable of rescuing the country. Unfortunately, the worst version of her father keeps sabotaging her efforts toward broadening his appeal. Kurt cant stop himself from throwing rhetorical Molotov cocktails in the dark of night on Twitter. He denigrates women on Fox News shortly after delivering a speech at Barnard College that was set up to rehabilitate his image. Srilanka is worn out, and she finds a sympathetic listener in Amir, who wants to open her eyes to the peril of her fathers political ambitions before Kurt somehow manages to pull off the impossible and become president. Georges Anselm and Monsefs Amir are characters more or less cut out of whole cloth, but Groeners Kurt and Sloyans Srilanka flirt with parody. Neither actor stresses impersonation, though the parallels with their real life characters are often pointed, as when Kurt repeats the word hard in a hilariously whiny groan to describe the taxing nature of the campaign. Instead of finely tailoring the comic situation he initially establishes, Baitz overloads his play with plots, introducing in the second act Kitty Finch-Gibbon (Linda Gehringer), a conservative senator who marches into Anselms atelier with the martial tread that may remind you of Polly Wyeth, the right wing matriarch from Baitzs Other Desert Cities (directed by Egan at the Mark Taper Forum in 2012). Kitty has been sent by a Republican cabal willing to pay just about any price to get Kurt to withdraw his candidacy. There is something powerfully bolstering about coming together as a community to address the political drama roiling the nation. The ludicrous negotiation between Kitty and Kurt threatens to turn Vicuna into a political farce every bit as topsy-turvy as David Mamets November. The thinly disguised parody that Baitz has worked assiduously to assemble into a semi-credible comic drama is ditched for something exceedingly broad, but it does provide the playwright an opportunity to vent his spleen. Conservatives respect tradition, not shortcuts and recurrent bankruptcies, Kitty says reprovingly to Kurt. Not recklessness of deed and impulse, not casual epithets, she presses on, taking to task his limited vocabulary of superlatives and his pathological obsession with the word I. There is a good deal of speechifying from both the left and the right, none of it favorable to Kurts policies or personality. Kurts defense is, naturally, an all-out attack on the beltway hypocrites and self-serving elites who have left the white working class in the lurch. He is their pied piper, exploiting their anger for personal gain in a manner that is openly conniving and wickedly knowing. Theres nothing particularly revelatory about Baitzs fundamental critique. As a Trump character study, the play is fairly lightweight. And as an exploration of the psychology of those aiding and abetting a charismatic monster, Vicuna flits from family comedy to ethical drama to political farce so frantically that not much is deeply illuminated. Urgency of moral sentiment rather than penetrating insight is the source of dramatic pleasure here. Putting aside these shortcomings, there is something powerfully bolstering about coming together as a community to address the political drama roiling the nation. Laughter may not solve our problems, but it can reduce stress levels. Baitz generously provides amusement in a play that is so hot off the press that it almost singes. A few of the gags, appropriately enough, revolve around clothes. Costume designer Laura Bauer is challenged to come up with outfits that can live up to their extravagant descriptions. She doesnt always succeed. Srilanka wears fashions that Ivanka wouldnt be caught dead in, and an ensemble that Kitty has had specially made by Anselm to launch the USS Custer stretches the nautical joke to the breaking point. But the vicuna suit is seductive. Terrifyingly so, and then, in a scene youll have to see to believe, quite humorously. The comedy doesnt undercut the menace that Kurt poses to the world. In Baitzs hands, comedy and menace work together to make clear the stark reality thats dauntingly upon us. Vicuna Where: Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays; ends Nov. 20. Call for exceptions. Tickets: $25-$70 (subject to change) Info: (213) 628-2772 or www.centertheatregroup.org Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes charles.mcnulty@latimes.com Follow me @charlesmcnulty ALSO Q&A with Jon Robin Baitz about the new play that is, and isnt, about Donald Trump A millennial Hedwig? Darren Criss talks about a new generation rocking to this Angry Inch L.A. theater openings, Oct. 30-Nov. 6: Hedwig and the Angry Inch and more What this country needs is a really good $5 concert. And that is what Oakland got Sunday at the sold-out, 2,800-seat Paramount Theatre as Gustavo Dudamel conducted YOLA, the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles, created by the Los Angeles Philharmonic when Dudamel became music director in 2006. The concert, for which all seats were $5, was the climax of YOLAs first tour, with stops in Northridge, Visalia and Fresno. Extraordinary as it has been, the YOLA success story should surprise no one. The orchestra has taken its young players (some of whom had hardly ever been out of South L.A.) to Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, London, Tokyo, the Super Bowl and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. Give kids opportunities, and guess what? Its not rocket science. Still, there was the undeniable thrill Sunday of seeing accomplished young musicians who began with cardboard violins and the like a decade ago having become a genuine orchestra with its own distinctive look, style and sound. Advertisement The look is what you encounter first as the players file onstage, stylish in jeans, dark blazers and black-and-white sneakers, designed by Dana Neillie, who was also responsible for their Super Bowl outfits. If it had nothing else going for it, YOLA at least would deserve note for being the most fashionable orchestra anywhere. Gustavo Dudamel and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles onstage in Oakland for YOLAs 10th anniversary tour. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times ) That style is not insignificant. It helps makes the players feel special. YOLA looks like it means business. The kids come across as cool, even a little teenage cocky, but also wide-eyed. That is how they play as well. They know they are good. But they also know that they are not that good. Dudamel who conducted the Oakland show after YOLAs music director, Juan Felipe Molano, led the other tour stops demands from YOLA what he does from any orchestra, so the young musicians are always on edge. As for style of playing, YOLA has a sense of ensemble that comes from its members growing up together. The players are worshipfully alert to Dudamels every nuance. There is a sense of dance in their approach to rhythm, a sense of play in their performing. The orchestra sound is a bold one. The musicians are in the midst of an ongoing struggle to master their instruments, but they have the ability to make a proud statement with them. Thus, there can be no critical language adequate for YOLAs performances. Maturity and string intonation are still years ahead. In their place is a sense of music coming into being, coming alive as it is being made, something that will become inevitably lost when instrumental polish becomes shinier. Dance music dominated a program in which each piece was preceded by videos of Dudamel working with YOLA over the years and players speaking about their experiences with considerable eloquence. Dance is what young people do naturally and often best. In Mexican composer Arturo Marquezs Conga del Fuego, which began the afternoon, a cellist proudly twirled his instrument as others in the orchestra swayed as they played. Half the orchestra was on it feet and ready to rumba for the encore of Marquezs Danzon No. 2. That quality, if not the actual dancing, penetrated Beethovens Ode to Joy (from the Ninth Symphony), Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5 and the final movement of Dvoraks Eighth Symphony. Raiders March from John Williams score to Raiders of the Lost Ark had an adolescent vibrancy essential to the music that no professional orchestra could quite replicate. The model for all this, of course, is the El Sistema music education program of Venezuela, of which Dudamel is the most famous product and its most prominent promoter. Practically everywhere he goes, he jump-starts music programs for children. YOLA players, for instance, spent the Sunday morning in workshops with younger children from 13 similar Bay Area groups, as well as with students in the Oakland Symphony and the Oakland School for the Arts music programs. Next week, Dudamel will be working with the El Sistema network in and around Boston. The YOLA concert in Oakland, which was presented by Cal Performances of UC Berkeley, further served as prelude to the L.A. Phils short West Coast tour that began the following day, with Dudamel conducting Andrew Normans Play and Tchaikovskys Fourth Symphony in San Francisco. That program, given Friday night in Disney, is notable for the overpowering passion of Dudamels Tchaikovsky and for a final revision of Normans major orchestral work, an intricate, brazen effusion of orchestra play that may someday be seen in retrospect as the breakthrough work of this 35-year-old Los Angeles composer who is rapidly becoming a major voice in American music. The YOLA Oakland concert, however, represents something more. It helps to explain what is at stake for Dudamel in Venezuela. With his country possibly headed for revolution, Sistemas federal funding allows an unpopular government to use the program for propaganda (something that all Venezuelan governments have done in various, if perhaps not always such disagreeable, ways) and for Dudamel to be dubbed a collaborator. But Dudamel has made clear that his duty and loyalty remain with the children of Sistema and that he would no more forsake them than a Venezuelan doctor would forsake his patients because his hospital relies on government funding. A vast program like El Sistema could exist only with this kind of government funding. In contrast, YOLA serves 800 students, barely more than one-tenth of 1% of Venezuelas nationwide Sistema. Every one of YOLAs 60 alumni have graduated high school, and nearly all of them have gone on to college. With a success story like that, to say nothing of the sheer exhilaration of seeing hundreds of inspired children in the Oakland audience, L.A. Phil President Deborah Borda told me Sunday that she would like to greatly expand the program throughout Los Angeles. All it would take, she said, was money. mark.swed@latimes.com ALSO L.A. Phils Gustavo Dudamel: Teaching music took these students from nothing to something How Gustavo Dudamel made his impromptu conducting debut at the White House WikiLeaks at the Opera: What Chelsea Manning-inspired music says about government secrets Bryan Cranston says he would definitely move to Canada if Donald Trump were elected president. And he doesnt sound like hes entirely joking. The actor, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton, was set up for that response by a host on The Bestseller Experiment podcast who asked whether, if Trump became president, might Cranston fancy an extended vacation to Vancouver? It wouldnt be a vacation, the Oscar nominee said in the podcast posted Sunday. Id be an expatriate. Absolutely. I would definitely move. Its not real to me that that would happen. I hope to God it wont. Advertisement Celebrity endorsements: Whos voting for whom? Without hearing Cranstons tone of voice, and depending on a persons politics, that comment can be taken both tragically and comically which are both facets of the candidates personality, the actor observed. Hes such a tragic, Shakespearean character, and hes comedic as well because of the tragedy of this mans soul, the delusions that he has, the supreme narcissism, he said. But a beautiful character. Amazing character. OK, so, that would suggest Cranston isnt entirely joking about moving north. He predicted that books, movies and plays would be made about Trump, because of the anomaly he presented in this election cycle. And were that to happen, he might not be the actor for the job. I do have a judgment of him, and its virtually impossible to play someone you have a judgment on because then youre slanted. ... I need to come at it from a place of neutrality, so that I can build a character and justify what I say, what I do, at all times. Its hard for me to imagine trying to justify what this man has said and done, Cranston continued. So I dont know if its actually possible for me to play the character. It would be a challenge. Take a listen starting around the 22-minute mark of the podcast and decide for yourself whether Cranston is serious about making a break for Canada, should there be a President Trump. Follow Christie DZurilla on Twitter @theCDZ. ALSO Heidi Klum clones herself for Halloween Amy Schumer wont apologize for her Beyonce parody video Mariah Carey and James Packers split is a mess of money, mansions and gossip grenades Netflixs Stranger Things reminds us not to visit Murkwood in Halloween teaser Its Halloween and it seems like Netflix wanted to take the occasion to remind us about their hit show Stranger Things. The video above dropped today and features a fictional 1980s newscast, Minute By Minute with Brenda Wood, covering the ongoing search for a missing teen named Barbara Barb Holland (Shannon Purser). SPOILERS AHEAD! Those who watch the series know that Barb was grabbed by a creature while waiting for her friend Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer) by the pool. Her fate? Well, we wont spoil everything for the latecomers. Also mentioned in the newscast is a search for a little girl well know her later as Eleven (Millie Brown) -- who robbed the Bradleys Big Buy market, making off with a load of Eggo waffles. Season 2 of Stranger Things will return with a few new cast members in 2017. The Center for Asian American Media announced Monday a partnership with Comcast NBCUniversal to address how Asian Americans are represented in Hollywood. The two organizations will bring together major industry players Wednesday on the Universal Studios lot for a forum entitled Expanding the Conversation: Asian Americans in Media. People are hungry for authentic representations of Asian Americans, said Stephen Gong, CAAMs executive director. CAAM is extremely proud to present this forum during a pivotal time in our nation. We hope this conversation will spark real change within the media industry. On hand for the event with be notable Asian Americans including Greys Anatomys Sandra Oh, Peabody Award-winning director Grace Lee, producer and writer Rashad Raisani. NBCUniversals senior vice president of talent development and inclusion, Karen Horne, will also attend while Richard Lui of MSNBC moderates. Advertisement The forum comes a year after the height of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign, when activists called into question the film academys lack of diversity in its award nominees and membership. Following the success and reach of that hashtag, other social media-led initiatives directly pertaining to the Asian American community also took off, including #yellowface and #whitesavior. Online communities have also questioned racial miscasting and erasure with the hashtag #AsianWhiteWashing. The forum comes just months before the 2017 awards season kicks off, when diversity and inclusion will be on all minds. Additionally, it comes a day after a similar forum regarding opportunities and representation of the differently abled by the Ruderman Foundation, which released a study on the issue in July. Get your life! Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson. As unlikely as it is enchanting, The Eagle Huntress tells its documentary story with such sureness that falling under its sway is all but inevitable. A major crowd pleaser at Sundance, this portrait of a 13-year-old girl from Asias Altai Mountains who defied eons of tradition by learning to hunt with fierce golden eagles is so satisfying it makes you feel good about feeling good. For the record: An earlier version of this review stated that it is not rated. The MPAA rating is G. The girls name is Aisholpan and the eagles in question are formidable beasts, some 3 feet tall with impressive wings that can span more than 6 feet. To see them grandly soar in flight and land flawlessly on the forearm of this fearless young woman would be a knockout, even without the gender-based story involved. Advertisement For among Mongolias Kazakh people the tradition has always been to allow only men to hunt with these raptors, with Aisholpans father Nurgaiv, for example, being the 12th male generation of his family to do so. But when Aisholpan, a bold young person with an open, expressive face, told him she wanted to be trained as well in the ancient art of hunting foxes and other small animals with the massive birds, he did not hesitate to agree. Its not a choice, its a calling that has to be in your blood, someone says, and that is very much true with her. Eagle Huntress is set entirely in a starkly beautiful region of Mongolia so remote that director Otto Bell, in an interview at Sundance, said, its not the end of the world, but you can see it from there. This is Bells first documentary feature, but he has spent nearly a decade directing shorter, branded content pieces in remote corners of the world, so the films back-of-the-beyond location did not faze him. More than that, Bell knew just which colleagues to call on to help, starting with veteran cinematographer Simon Niblett, who brought a self-made drone to capture the films stunning aerial shots as well as a 30-foot crane that packs away in a case suitable for a snowboard. Another key collaborator was filmmaker Martina Radwan, who shot some of the more personal moments with Aisholpan, including talking to her friends at school about what this eagle hunting business was all about. Having a more intimate sense of this young woman as someone who both beats the boys at wrestling and paints her younger sisters nails is essential. Key as well was editor Pierre Takal, who makes it look like Aisholpans story is telling itself while at the same time blending footage from a whole variety of sources. This includes, as Bell related at Sundance, scenes that were grabbed with random cameras the first day he met father Nurgaiv, who told the director through a translator, Today were going to steal an eagle chick for Aisholpan to train. Is this the kind of thing youd be interested in filming? I said, God, yes. No sooner is the chick snared in a hazardous, heart-in-mouth operation that involves tricky maneuvering down mountain cliffs than training begins in earnest. Aisholpans goal is to be the first woman to take part in the annual Golden Eagle Festival in the Mongolian provincial capital of Olgii, an event that her father has won twice and in which she and her bird, who she names Akkatnat (or White Wings), will compete against some 70 older, more experienced men. A key segment of Eagle Huntress takes place at that contest, which includes the stirring vision of eagles hurtling down from a mountaintop as fast as they can to respond to their masters call. One of Eagle Huntress more amusing aspects is its use of a kind of Greek chorus of grumpy Kazakh elders who feel that eagle hunting is not something fragile women would be advised to take on. Because these men insist that pursuing foxes in the dead of winter is the ultimate test of who is an eagle hunter and who is not, the film ends by following Aisholpan and her father as they do just that in Mongolias frigid minus-40-degree weather. The most impressive thing about The Eagle Huntress, however, is not Aisholpans accomplishments, but who she is. Hardworking, intrepid, cheerful, uncomplaining and excited by new challenges, she is not only a role model for young girls, but an exemplar for all of us, whether we plan on hunting with eagles or not. ------------- The Eagle Huntress Rating: G. In Kazakh and English. Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes Playing: Laemmle Royal, West Los Angeles See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Robert Bassing, a 91-year-old screenwriter, opened the letter from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, his resentment building as he read the words in the opening paragraph. As of today, your Academy membership will be changed to emeritus (non-voting) status, read the letter dated Oct. 26 and signed by writers branch governors Billy Ray, Phil Robinson and Robin Swicord. For the record: An earlier version of this article incorrectly gave Phil Robinsons last name as Robins. Bassing, a member of the academy since 1958, knew this was a possibility. The writers branch had contacted him in July telling him that he may qualify for emeritus status and requesting further credits should he wish to keep his membership active. Advertisement Bassing replied, passing along the titles of screenplays he says he wrote in the 1960s and 70s for major studios and the likes of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen, works that were never produced. He shared a co-credit with his then-wife Eileen Banning on the 1958 drama Home Before Dark, starring Jean Simmons. Most of his other produced credits came in television, though he did co-write the 1977 zombie movie Evil Town, directed by Curtis Hanson under a pseudonym. They said those types of things that werent made would be credited, and now they dismiss it, Bassing says. Its very upsetting. Its a big injustice to older people in the academy. Bassing was one of an estimated 60 to 70 academy members to have their status changed recently from active to emeritus, a modification that allows them to attend membership screenings but not vote for the Oscars. (An academy representative puts the transfer figure at under 1%, stating that Bassing and the others went through a thorough review and appeal process before the final decisions were made.) The membership changes were part of a sweeping reform announced in January aimed at diversifying the organization, then embattled in controversy over a second consecutive year in which all 20 acting nominations went to white actors. At the moment, Bassing is the only one to come forward and he says he has been asking around, trying to find others moved to emeritus. He knows two members who remained active on appeal. But he cant find anyone else who was bumped. I think the reason they dont come forward is that they feel kind of ashamed, Bassing says. They dont want anyone to know. In an April letter to members, the academy explained that lifetime voting will be for lifers, citing a rule, passed in 1970, that voting status is primarily for members who continue to be active in the field of motion pictures. Its very upsetting. Its a big injustice to older people in the academy. Robert Bassing Under the revised rules, new members are given an automatic 10-year term of voting privileges, which is extended a second decade if they have a credit in that first term. That process is repeated during potential second- and third-decade terms. Those active for all three decades receive lifetime voting rights. Existing members had their memberships reviewed by branch committees to ensure that they had at least one screen credit for three decades, a requirement that could be met in as little as 21 years. Producers and writers professions that often feature years of toil without a finished product were told that their branches would make allowances for unproduced work. And anyone nominated for an Oscar received lifetime membership. Branch committees will continue this review process on a regular basis, which could result in a handful of members having their status changed each year. The new guidelines were much more generous than the academys 1970 culling under President Gregory Peck, when 335 members were moved to associate status. An additional 109 people were moved from craft branches to members at large, a designation that, at the time, allowed them to vote only for best picture. Peck called the moves a just determination concerning the voting privileges of members who have been professionally inactive in motion pictures for a number of years. The definition of inactivity? For actors, at least, it was not working in the previous seven years. Thirty of the acting branchs 784 members lost their voting rights because of that distinction. In its letter to members, the academy denied that the membership changes were ageist. Indeed, this years class featured a number of older new invitees, including 91-year-old Mexican actor Ignacio Lopez Tarso, 85-year-old Mexican actress Silvia Pinal and 87-year-old actor James Hong. Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami was also invited but died at age 76 in July. Contrary to an earlier report, Bassing says he never planned to sue the academy over the change to his membership status. He did express an interest in making some kind of protest if others come forward. Mostly, Bassing says he just feels bad for other older members whose self-esteem is tied to attending the academys weekend membership screenings and voting for the Oscars. I see these people every weekend at the academy, and I think this decision affects them deeply, Bassing says. I just dont understand why they thought it was necessary. glenn.whipp@latimes.com Twitter: @glennwhipp Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibsons latest high-minded cinematic massacre, tells the story of Desmond T. Doss, a God-fearing American pacifist who served as a combat medic during World War II and personally carried 75 wounded soldiers from the Battle of Okinawa, ultimately becoming the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. His journey straddles two war zones the first a largely psychological one, in which Doss endures the scorn and harassment of his fellow soldiers, and the second an intensely physical one, atop a treacherous 350-foot escarpment that gives the movie its title. Steeped in blood, guts and Christian iconography, Hacksaw Ridge is a tribute to one mans courageous adherence to his deepest beliefs, made by a director whose commitment to his aesthetic principles is no less unswerving. For the record: An earlier version of this review referred to Desmond Doss being harassed by his fellow officers. He was not an officer. As he did in Braveheart and The Passion of the Christ, Gibson equates spiritual virtue with a hellish corporeal endurance test. His favorite subject is the testing and purification of a mans moral mettle a goal that can be achieved only through a sickening, uncompromising display of brutality. Advertisement Hacksaw Ridge features Teresa Palmer, Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Sam Worthington and Vince Vaughn. His new film differs in that its hero nobly refuses to participate in the slaughter. Unlike William Wallace or Jaguar Paw, the warrior protagonist of Gibsons previous film, Apocalypto Doss has sworn a sacred vow that he will never use a weapon. And unlike the flayed and battered Jesus we meet in The Passion, Doss does not personally endure the bulk of all that digital and prosthetic carnage. He is an altogether unique kind of hero: a healer, a witness, a patriot and a pacifist. His commitment to nonviolence is established in the first 15 minutes, when, as a spirited young boy (played by Darcy Bryce) growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, he strikes and almost kills his brother, Hal, with a brick. That near-fatal mishap brings Desmond to a powerful, almost Damascene moment of reckoning, one that Gibson dramatizes with anguished close-ups, swelling music and a heavy-handed reference to Cain and Abel. By the time we see a grown-up Doss in 1942, with the American war effort in full swing, he is a changed man quite literally, as hes now played by Andrew Garfield, whose reedy physique and gawky charm immediately cast him as an unusual kind of soldier. A Seventh-day Adventist who refuses to bear arms, Doss nonetheless longs to serve his country and enlists in the Army though not before falling in love with a pretty nurse, Dorothy (Teresa Palmer), whom he pursues with the same cheerful, ingratiating stubbornness that characterizes his every decision. He doubtless inherited some of that iron will from his father, Tom (Hugo Weaving), a scarred, embittered World War I veteran who regularly erupts in fits of drunken abuse at his children and their long-suffering mother, Bertha (Rachel Griffiths). As a filmmaker, Gibson has a certain genius for the familiar: Even when tackling ancient settings and foreign dialects, his command of the Hollywood blockbuster idiom is such that all cultural differences are effectively rendered nil. Thats very much the case with Hacksaw Ridge, a thoroughly American concoction (despite all the top-notch Australian and British acting talent) that eases before long into the sturdy, straightforward rhythms of the platoon picture. The men Doss meets at boot camp are a predictable mix of tough guys and comic archetypes, none funnier than than a barking drill sergeant wittily played by Vince Vaughn as a benign riff on Gunnery Sgt. Hartman from Full Metal Jacket. All these soldiers including a surly alpha dog, Smitty (Luke Bracey), and a steely commanding officer, Capt. Glover (Sam Worthington) turn on Doss when they learn he has no intention of touching a rifle. Yet even as he faces accusations of cowardice and enormous pressure to drop out, Doss doubles down on his training, as well as his belief that an important destiny awaits him in Okinawa. In reconstructing one of the Pacific theaters deadliest conflicts, Hacksaw Ridge, to its credit, seeks to strike a balance and honor the fighters whose courage made Doss valor possible. For lengthy stretches of Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkans script, we are not with Doss at all but instead with his comrades in the heat of battle charging, shooting, stabbing and immolating an equally vicious enemy. Gibson, who has few contemporary equals when it comes to dramatizing violence on-screen, lavishes loving attention on the sight of bullets ripping through flesh, of bodies being blown in two and limbs being torn off. These moments have none of the clean, cauterized efficiency that characterizes most scenes of large-scale warfare. When it comes to showing that war is hell, the opening sequence from Saving Private Ryan may still be the gut-clutching gold standard, but for pure virtuosic sadism, Gibson has Steven Spielberg clearly beat. All this stunning if conventional action-movie technique the agile yet steady camerawork, the theater-rattling sound design, Rupert Gregson-Williams loudly hemorrhaging score serves to offset the films one genuinely radical element, which is Doss himself. Rushing into the breach armed with only his medical equipment and his Bible, he is neither a passive figure nor an active participant, and Garfield, always a wonderfully empathetic screen presence, goes about as far as any actor could to illuminate that particular quandary. Doss eyes register the horror of the barbarism and hellfire all around him, even as his legs, working like pistons, propel him nimbly across the battlefield to tend to the injured. Even when the fighting ceases, he keeps working, tirelessly and ingeniously, to find his fallen comrades and return them to their encampment below the ridge. By the time he sends down a few wounded Japanese soldiers (whose fate unsurprisingly becomes a grim punchline), something strange yet undeniable has taken place. Doss is no longer embodying the films moral position; hes actively rebuking it. Im loath to suggest that a filmmaker as enthralled by screen violence as Gibson clearly is could never make a great movie about a pacifist hero. A different artist might well have found something madly compelling in that paradox, and there are moments when Hacksaw Ridge, with its unwieldy blur of compassion and carnage, seems to be stumbling in that direction. But Gibsons attitude toward the killing he shows us goes beyond the usual parameters of unsparing realism; its positively exultant. Violence seems less a necessary evil than the fuel for some warped personal addiction. At every turn, Gibson wields his old-fashioned classical style like an airbrush, glossing over the complicated, fascinating questions that Doss position naturally invites. How does this indisputably brave, self-sacrificing individual feel about the fact that his survival depends, in no small part, on the violence of others? What are we to make of the Christian soldiers who dont share his qualms about killing? The staging of one key scene, in which a wounded Doss is hoisted heavenward on a stretcher, is hardly the only moment in which Gibson seems to separate the great unwashed from the true believer in their midst. The image of a lone maverick soldier, finally exalted after having been persecuted and misunderstood by his peers, might well trigger scornful responses from Gibsons harshest critics. But the tone of Hacksaw Ridge, arriving a decade after the personal meltdown that derailed the directors career, doesnt feel angry or defensive. And if his unusually self-effacing public appearances have been any indication, this is Gibsons hat-in-hand moment his attempt to appeal to his own better angels, as well as those of the audience and the industry, with a sober reaffirmation of his talent. Humility becomes Gibson. But he is ultimately no more capable of denying his deepest-held convictions than Desmond Doss was, and its hard to watch this mightily impressive, morally incoherent spectacle without sensing that its contradictions reflect something irresolvably true about its maker. Gibson has made a movie that is somehow both deeply dishonest and crushingly sincere and still at war with itself, long after the final shot has been fired. ------------ Hacksaw Ridge MPAA rating: R, for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images Running time: 2 hours, 18 minutes Playing: In general release See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour Movie Trailers MORE MOVIE REVIEWS Rigged 2016' isnt the election documentary you think it is Tom Hanks seems lost inside the scenic treasure-hunt thriller Inferno Christian Slater and James Franco square off in gay porn drama King Cobra Of the many terrific places to eat on Jonathan Golds 101 Best Restaurants list, where can you go for excellent Emilia-Romagna-style fresh pasta or smoked branzino, house-cured salumi or farinata? Here are the 12 Italian restaurants on the 101: Mozzaplex (Glenn Koenig/ Los Angeles Times ) Pizzeria Mozza ranks among the best in the United States its crisp, risen, wood-fired pizzas are unlike any particular Italian style, but the crust is good enough to eat even without squash blossoms and burrata. Osteria Mozza goes from strength to strength, from the mostly Emilia-Romagna-style fresh pastas to rabbit with sausage, from the deep all-Italian wine list to Dahlia Narvaezs suave desserts. Mozza2Go is the takeout arm, a counter with a small specialty in Puglia-style focaccia, among other things. Chi Spacca is an Italian meat restaurant, famous for mammoth steaks, slow-grilled tomahawk pork chops massaged with fennel pollen and house-cured salumi. Bestia Advertisement (Sierra Prescott / For The Times ) Bestias pastas, which tend to be handmade, rustic and cooked just short of al dente, may be tossed with tomato and fresh ricotta or with sea urchin and chiles. Ori Menashes brand of Italian cooking looks across the Mediterranean toward the Middle East instead of northward toward the Continent and he may be the only chef in town whose cucumber salad is as delicious as his pizza. Vincenti (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times ) Nicola Mastronardis polished, masculine style wasnt formulated in reaction to classic Italian cooking it is classic, controlled Italian cooking, built around the kind of grilled seafood salads, wood-roasted meats and handmade pastas you hope to find every time you step into a restaurant in Puglia or the Marches. His food tastes like Italy. And while the wild, funky flavors of his supple fusilli with lamb ragu may come at you from a dozen different directions, they knit into a single, vibrant chord of sheep, tomato and salt its a pasta that makes you wonder why some other Italian chefs in town even bother. Officine Brera (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times ) I am beginning to think, says a friend, that everyone who wants to cook Italian rice in Los Angeles be required to come to Officine Brera first. I have had decent risotto in Los Angeles, but shes right: Angelo Aurianas rice dishes are marvelous things: In his soaring converted warehouse near the once and future 6th Street Bridge, risotto Milanese, as creamy and subtle as it might be at a trattoria in the Navigli, becomes almost magical when you spoon in a bit of roasted bone marrow. The bassa padana, cooked with rope sausage and crumbly cotechino, may be even better: a real butchers risotto. Alimento (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times ) Zach Pollacks Alimento is one of the better small Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, a place so fantastically popular that even TV stars content themselves with sitting at the bar. Pollacks take on Northern Italian cooking is at least as idiosyncratic as the bands that play at the Satellite across the street tortellini in brodo inverted into soup dumplings; pig in a blanket remade as mortadella finger sandwiches; the bitter Roman green puntarelle, traditionally dressed with anchovies, recast as Caesar salad. Factory Kitchen (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times ) The vaguely formal northern Italian dishes include Bergamo-influenced casonzei pasta with brown butter and sage, a beet casserole glazed with Asiago cheese, and an insanely fragrant roast pork belly seasoned in the style of porchetta. You are probably going to want the crisp, oozing focaccina di Recco, a kind of translucent Genoese version of a Lebanese borek stuffed with herbs and milky Crescenza cheese. Angelini Osteria (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times ) The best Italian dish I have tasted this year was probably the spaghetti alla norcina at Angelini Osteria; strands of thin, hand-cut pasta in a sauce that contained sausage and a shower of shaved summer truffles from Umbria. Gino Angelini has been cooking in Los Angeles for so long, and in so many restaurants more ambitious, that even if you have spent dozens of happy evenings in this cheerful dining room eating tripe, tagliolini with lemon or his grandmothers green lasagna, it is sometimes easy to underestimate what a splendid cook he can be. Tasting Kitchen (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times ) You may have noticed a distinct restaurant style in Venice over the last several years, with an emphasis on toasted bread and barely altered seasonal vegetables, charcuterie and roasted meats, extremely regional Italian preparations and the bittersweet smack of char. And the chef responsible is probably Tasting Kitchens Casey Lane, whose restaurant after eight years still seems like an art collective that just happens to serve insanely detailed cocktails and light, clear, herb-smacked northern Italian food. Each evenings menu is numbered with the day of service, the way a prisoner might mark the day of his sentence. Sotto (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times ) Sotto is less innard-intensive than it used to be, and the emphasis sometimes seems to be more on the excellent cocktails than on the wine, but sometimes people forget just how good Steve Samsons southern Italian cooking continues to be: spicy clams with chickpeas and nduja, crisped octopus tentacles with potatoes in garlic broth, and spaghetti with squash blossoms, cherry tomatoes and crab. The cannoli continue to be the very best in Los Angeles. Drago Centro (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times ) Drago Centro is a downtown restaurant in the old tradition, with a warren of private dining rooms and waiters who know enough to nod understandingly when you say youve just gone gluten-free. The cooking of Drago and his longtime chef de cuisine Ian Gresik includes both handcrafted pasta the handkerchief pasta with crab and the handmade spaghetti with Sicilian almond pesto are as grand as the skyscraper view from the dining room and the meatier pleasures of steak, fish and venison. Valentino SANTA MONICA, CA - MARCH 6, 2013 - Owner Piero Selvaggio at Valentino restaurant in Santa Monica, California, on March 06, 2013. Valentino is celebrating its 40th anniversary and is a landmark of fine dining in Southern California. (Ricardo DeAratanha/Los Angeles Times) (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times) New Italian restaurants flash across the L.A. scene every year. Valentino is almost of a different world: dark and quiet, it is among the last of the great host-driven Italian restaurants, a place where some regulars have never seen a menu and the waiters job is to solidify abstract desire into fish and pasta and Vermentino. Valentino was the first in Los Angeles to serve white truffles, balsamic vinegar and radicchio, the first to fetishize great olive oil and the first to be as devoted to Italian wine as the French places were to Bordeaux. Union (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times ) Union serves what friends sometimes call Tuesday-night dinners, which is to say the kind of vaguely Italian meals that an ambitious person with an oversize cookbook collection and a strong farmers market habit might prepare for her book club when it was her turn to host: steamed mussels with guanciale; goat ricotta crostone with dates; or risotto with cherry tomatoes and basil. The great vegetables, you can take for granted. The touch of Italian soul, you cannot. The porchetta, the flavors of fennel and garlic ringing true, and the new potatoes roasted in pork fat are as nice as you suspect they might be. ALSO: Jonathan Golds top 10 restaurants Jonathan Gold tells you where to get brunch Where to get great Mexican food from Jonthan Golds 101 A rate of $240 per cubic meter has been applied since October 28. The Turkish Ministry of Economy has imposed an anti-dumping duty on plywood imported from Vietnam following an investigation. A rate of $240 per cubic meter has been applied since October 28, the Vietnam Competition Authority confirmed, citing Vietnams Commercial Office in Istanbul. Products from China are subjected to the same duty. In May last year, Turkey commenced an investigation into plywood imports from Vietnam and other countries for possible anti-dumping measures. According to the Turkish Ministry of Economy, Vietnam accounted for 2 percent of Turkeys plywood imports in 2010, but that rose to 8 percent in 2014. The country was the fourth biggest plywood supplier, after Russia, Ukraine and Brazil. Only two Vietnamese enterprises that cooperated with Turkish authorities in the investgation are exempted from the new protectionist tariff. Several export products of Vietnam have been under investigation for possible trade remedies in markets such as the U.S. and E.U. in recent years. Related news: > US concludes anti-dumping investigation of Vietnamese steel firm > Vietnam slaps high anti-dumping tariffs on imported galvanized steel > Turkey nails anti-dumping duty on Vietnamese plywood From loaded bowls of ramen in the San Fernando Valley to the new chef at the Getty, heres whats happening in the world of food and drink: More ramen please: Oh Man! Ramen, the new restaurant by chefs Luke Reyes and Phillip Frankland Lee, has started serving bowls of ramen out of Lees sister restaurant Scratch Bar & Kitchen in Encino. Oh Man! Ramen will move to its own, permanent location in the coming weeks. Until then, theres salmon sashimi; karaage chicken sandwiches; pork belly buns; spicy tuna and sea urchin rice bowls and plenty of ramen (tonkotsu and vegetable ramen) from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at Scratch Bar & Kitchen. 16101 Ventura Blvd., No. 255, Encino, (818) 646-6085, www.ohmanramen.com. Chef moves: Sydney Hunter III, the chef at Kettle Black in Silver Lake (the man with the great mustache), has taken over as executive chef at Sawyer, the sunlit restaurant just 30 feet from Kettle Black. Sawyers former chef, Alex McWilliams, left due to health matters. Hunter has already started preparing a new fall seafood-focused menu along with sous chef Alejandro Galan (formerly executive chef at Catch & Release). Sawyers beverage director, Jordan Young, also has a new cocktail menu. 3709 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 641-3709 www.sawyerlosangeles.com. Panini by Angelini: Gino Angelini, along with partners Gino Rindone and Elizabeth Angelini, has opened his first grab-and-go cafe and marketplace. Its called Alimentari and its right next to the chefs celebrated Angelini Osteria in Fairfax. The cafe is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a breakfast-focused menu of pastries, egg dishes and panini. Angelinis pasta sauces will also be sold at the cafe, along with some Italian-imported items such as balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and Prosciutto di Parma. These items will also be available to purchase online and at other stores in the future. 7317 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 297-0070, www.angelinialimentari.com. An Iron Chef in Vegas: Masaharu Morimoto, by far the coolest Iron Chef from the Food Network series (sorry, other Iron chefs), has opened a restaurant at the MGM hotel in Las Vegas called Morimoto Las Vegas. Its adjacent to Tom Colicchios Craftsteak. On the menu: sukiyaki, sushi, larger entrees such as the braised black cod, and a duck meatball soup with duck confit fried rice. Morimoto will also be serving aged sake from a label he created. 3799 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, (702) 891-1111, www.mgmgrand.com/en/restaurants/morimoto.html. Advertisement Did someone say chocolate? LetterPress Chocolate, the bean-to-bar operation that started out of a small apartment in Cheviot Hills, has moved to a kitchen space in Beverlywood. This is where owners David and Corey Menkes are now making around 2,500 bars a month, including an Amaranth Crunch bar. LetterPress is selling chocolate by appointment out of the kitchen space; call (424) 240-8580 or email david@letterpresschocolate.com. 2835 Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, www.letterpresschocolate.com. Alma does doughnuts: Ari Taymor has launched a new series called Doughnuts With Friends at his restaurant Alma at the Standard on Sunset Boulevard. Taymor will have a rotating menu of doughnuts featuring collaborations with local chefs. The flavors will change every two weeks. The series starts with a coconut kabocha squash-glazed doughnut filled with banana compote, topped with fried mochi, candied pumpkin seeds and yuzu zest from Kwang Uh of Baroo. Chefs confirmed to participate in the series include Jessica Koslow of Sqirl, Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson of Madcapra, the team from Russ & Daughters in New York City, the team at Jenis Splendid Ice Cream and Malcolm Livingston (pastry chef at Noma). 8300 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 822-3131, www.standardhotels.com/la/features/alma-restaurant-hollywood. Hotel chef moves: Raphael Lunetta, who was the owner and executive chef of the now-closed JiRaffe in Santa Monica, has taken over culinary operations at the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica (the one with the really cool blue and yellow facade and the striped awning out front). Part of the culinary revamp includes what Lunetta is calling a coastal Californian menu at Veranda, the restaurant in the hotel. The lobby is also undergoing a remodel to include a cocktail lounge. 1415 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 395-9945, www.georgianhotel.com. Still hungry? Jean-Paul Lourdes has been named the new executive chef at the Getty Center. Miro in downtown L.A. has launched a new happy hour. The Rising Tohoku Food Fair (Japanese food and dance performances) is taking place Saturday at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Torrance. Cafe Birdie in Highland Park has started serving weekend brunch. Manuela at the Hauser Wirth & Schimmel gallery in downtown has started serving dinner. ALSO: Six reasons to start drinking smoked beers Holiday Cookie Bake-Off: Enter our 6th competition now Where to get tacos and more great Mexican food from Jonathan Golds 101 Nora Phillips stood five miles from the United States border in a hilltop neighborhood of cinderblock homes and low swooping electrical lines. Inside the migrant shelter, hundreds of Mexicans, Central Americans and Haitians crowded, desperate for a way to cross into the U.S. legally. Merci pour votre patience, Phillips, 35, said, thanking the French-speaking Haitians for their patience. Advertisement Phillips, of East Los Angeles, was one of 45 immigration attorneys who had converged to hear their pleas. Some had been deported before. Others were hoping to ask for asylum at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Some had tales that many would find sympathetic; a few had back stories that would make others cringe. Phillips had persuaded the other attorneys some from as far away as New York into volunteering in early October for a two-day legal clinic in Tijuana. At a minimum, in a democracy, you deserve to know what your rights are, said Phillips, who guzzled down orange DayQuil as she fought a cold. Her 5-year-old daughter tagged along for the clinic. My job as an attorney is to take a case at face value and assess whether you qualify for anything under the law that currently exists. The work Phillips and the other attorneys undertook was far from new. But it happens at a time when, more than any time in recent memory, the issue of mass migration whether by immigrants from Mexico and Central America or refugees from Syria and other parts of the world is generating intense global anxiety and setting the tenor for a presidential election. Attorney Nora Phillips brought together attorneys and advocates to counsel immigrants at a clinic in Tijuana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) I dont want to rip families apart, Hillary Clinton said during the last presidential debate, reiterating a promise to pass comprehensive immigration reform to give legal status to millions in the country. Donald Trump, who has espoused building a giant wall at the border with Mexico, claims Clinton wants open borders and accuses those in the country illegally of cutting in line. People are in line waiting to become a citizen, he said, and others should wait their turn and apply to get into the U.S. legally. Its unfair someone can run in across the border and become a citizen. The people gathered at the shelter in Tijuana said they wanted to come to the U.S. legally. But unlike petitioners who are educated professionals who work for companies in places like Silicon Valley, these were freighted with the baggage that comes from being poor and dispossessed. In the shelters courtyard, one of the volunteer attorneys, Troy Elder, spoke in Creole to half a dozen Haitian men sitting in a circle around him. After the devastating earthquake in 2010, thousands of Haitians journeyed to a then-booming Brazil, seeking refuge. But after that countrys economy was hit by recession, many of the Haitians migrated to the Mexico-U.S. border, drawn by a U.S. policy of not deporting Haitians at that time. Immigrants seeking a way into the United States wait to speak to attorneys at a two-day clinic at a shelter in Tijuana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) In September, the Obama administration reversed that policy and announced that deportations of Haitians would resume because conditions in their homeland had improved. But Elder told the men that there was a chance that the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew would prompt the U.S. to put the brakes at least for a while on deportations. Maybe the policy will reverse in the next few days. Just wait, he told them, correctly predicting a delay in the deportation policy. Those arguing for stricter immigration limits claim the efforts of people like Phillips enable unwanted immigration, while overwhelming courtrooms with dubious asylum claims. The sheer volume of such claims is being used to tie up the courts, which works to the advantage of those trying to game the system, said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the immigration restriction group Federation for American Immigration Reform. Attorney Nora Phillips, center, is hugged by attorney Tania Vargas as Jorge Gutierrez looks on during an immigration clinic in Tijuana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) Though unusual among those at the shelter, the case of Jose de Jesus Duarte Gonzalez a Mexican man who has been deported on multiple occasions, including about a month ago would be especially polarizing at a most polarizing time. Duarte said he was desperate to get back to the U.S. to reunite with his 8-year-old son, Christian, who has Down syndrome. Duartes wife had just died of a heart attack at their Phoenix home, he said, so the boy was left without parents. But Duarte had served prison time for domestic violence before his most recent expulsion. He blamed himself for that, as well as for a DUI charge. I regret everything I did, he said. But my son shouldnt suffer because of it. Juan Carlos Pallares, an immigration attorney from Long Beach, referred Duarte to two attorneys in Arizona but he did not send him off with much hope. Because of his dubious history, Duartes chances of being allowed to legally return to the U.S. were slim. Children wait while their parents consult with attorneys and advocates at an immigration clinic in Tijuana. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) Without referring to Duarte, Phillips said there were some people she could not advocate for. And even if she did, she said, they would have virtually no chance of qualifying to reenter the U.S. I think that there are some individuals who have done really awful things and should not be in the U.S. I believe they are a danger, she said. If you are my client, I will advocate like hell for you but there are some cases where Im not going to be able to advocate. Then there are other people who simply dont have strong enough cases. A lot of times the advice is you really dont qualify for anything. You dont have any relief, Phillips said, adding that a condition of the legal clinics is that the person be low income. The attorneys help those deemed good candidates for relief to obtain pro bono representation and prepare them to give themselves up at the San Diego Port of Entry. Attorney Troy Elder, speaking Creole, talks to a group of Haitian men seeking to enter the United States. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times ) Through a Spanish-language interpreter, volunteer and Laguna Niguel resident Iris Anderson told Jhanny Rolando Seoanes Chavez that if she were to pass a credible fear interview with immigration officials, she would probably have to remain in a detention facility for months. Seoanes is a transgender woman who fled Honduras after her father kicked her in the face and dislocated her jaw when she came out to him as a teenager. Initially she sought refuge in Guatemala, but she was often beaten and discriminated against because of her gender identity. Seoanes made her way to Mexico after someone told her that she would be more accepted there. Instead, she said, she was raped by military officials in Oaxaca. When she reported the crime, she said officials didnt take her seriously and blamed her for provoking the rape. Anderson and the interpreter told Seoanes to brace for the scrutiny. Just focus on your fear and whats happened to you that youve been raped and beaten and threatened with death, Anderson told her. The United States is the only place where I think I will be fine being myself and not be persecuted, hurt or discriminated against, Seoanes said. Ill no longer live in fear. Outside, Alejandra, a 25-year-old from Veracruz, tried to corral her 6-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son in the shelters courtyard as her boyfriend held their napping 1-year-old son. Alejandra didnt want to give her last name because she said her life was in danger. She said her family was on the run from her former boyfriend who had beaten her so badly hed dislocated her collarbone. Hes crazy, and he has private detectives looking for me, she said. Ive tried to get help in my state but he just pays off officials and nothing happens to him. One of the volunteers had filled out an intake form with all of Alejandras information. Theyd made a copy and written on it in all-capital letters for her to recite, I want a credible fear interview, highlighting it in yellow marker. The woman plopped down a manila folder with dozens of documents. I have all my proof here police reports about how hes beaten me, she said. But she was torn on whether to make the move. One of the volunteers had told her there was a good chance shed end up in detention and her two older children both U.S. citizens would probably be taken away from her and placed with a family member in the U.S. or possibly in the foster care system. Alejandra lingered for hours in the courtyard waiting for an attorney who had promised to help guide her further possibly even taking her to the port of entry herself. It was getting late and her two older children were cranky. They hadnt napped all day, Alejandra explained. Phillips assured her in Spanish: Well get to you soon. I promise. cindy.carcamo@latimes.com Follow Cindy Carcamo on Twitter @thecindycarcamo A 3-year-old girl was fatally stabbed for no apparent reason Monday night while at her mothers workplace, authorities said. A woman brought her child to work with her at a clothing manufacturing business in the 800 block of McGarry Street in downtown Los Angeles. She stepped away from her workstation shortly before 5 p.m. when a man who either worked with the mother or in the area began stabbing the child, Los Angeles Police Capt. Jorge Rodriguez said. Advertisement The childs mother returned and flagged down an ambulance, Rodriguez said. The girl was taken to a hospital, where she later died. The child has not been identified by the coroners office, said Ed Winter, the assistant chief of investigations. The male suspect was taken into police custody later that evening, Rodriguez said. Witnesses said the man would talk and laugh to himself sometimes, Rodriguez said. He would do certain things that would lead them to believe he was not all there, he said. This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available. nicole.santacruz@latimes.com For more crime news, follow @nicolesantacruz on Twitter. ALSO Los Angeles jail inmate found dead in cell Man found dead with gunshot wound in Long Beach Two men are charged in 2014 beating death of homeless man The San Francisco Police Department announced Monday the arrests of two men suspected of beating a disabled homeless man to death two years ago. David Peters of Stockon and Joseph Stull of Idaho, both 21, were each charged with murder, second-degree robbery, assault and elder abuse, police and prosecutors said. The announcement comes two years after Lam Tai Thaun, 67, was found severely injured in the 100 block of Sutter Street in November 2014. Paramedics took Thaun to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. Advertisement According to police, Thaun was lying under a blanket on the sidewalk when he was randomly attacked. Surveillance footage shows at least one man kicking and stomping on Thaun. The man stops when a car speeds by, then continues kicking him. Investigators were working on the case for months until they caught a break in September when they identified Stull as one of the alleged assailants. Stull had been serving time in Kootenai County Jail in Coeur d Alene, Idaho, police said. He was booked into the San Francisco County jail on Oct. 28, according to arrest records. Last week, detectives identified Peters as the second alleged assailant in the attack and arrested him in Stockton. San Francisco police did not provide details on how they were able to track down the two men. The investigation is ongoing, authorities said. Peters and Stull remain in jail pending $5-million bail each. Both men are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday. ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. Los Angeles County coroners officials Tuesday identified a man who stabbed a woman outside of a courthouse in Chatsworth before being fatally shot by a sheriffs deputy. Jose Armando Cueva, 55, was shot once in the upper body and was taken to a local hospital where he later died, coroners officials said. The stabbing and deputy-involved shooting occurred about 12:05 p.m. Monday in the 9400 block of Penfield Avenue, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Advertisement The department said Cueva and the woman, who was not identified, were arguing inside a car as they were pulling into the parking lot of the courthouse when Cueva allegedly began stabbing her. The victim was able to exit the vehicle and run toward the courthouse entrance doors, the sheriffs statement said, adding that Cueva chased after her. The suspect grabbed the victim and continued to stab her with a large knife, the statement said. A deputy and a security officer confronted the suspect and ordered him to drop the weapon. The suspect did not comply and a deputy-involved shooting occurred. Paramedics transported both Cueva and the woman to local hospitals. The woman is expected to survive. ruben.vives@latimes.com For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter. ALSO L.A. City Council approves Frank Gehrys project on the Sunset Strip Water conservation improved in September, but regulators worry about drought fatigue Man arrested in stabbing death of 3-year-old girl at L.A. garment factory where mother works Good morning. It is Tuesday, Nov. 1. In the San Gabriel Valley, this giant dumpling comes with a straw. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State: TOP STORIES A closer look Advertisement The office of L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey will review campaign contributions made by donors with ties to a developer who secured approval for a $72-million apartment complex. A Times investigation found the responses from some donors raise the prospect that an array of donors may not have been the true source of the contributions. That would be a violation of campaign finance laws. Los Angeles Times Plus: Steve Lopez asks if this scandal is just the top of a much bigger iceberg at City Hall. You can take them at their word if youre so inclined. But if donations are flying in from people you dont know, many of whom dont live in your district, shouldnt you be a little suspicious? Los Angeles Times L.A.s future on the line With voters about to decide the future of transportation policy in Los Angeles County, its become clear that there will have to be more than one answer. Yes, Measure M would fund massive new rail projects. But experts say Uber, Lyft, bikes and large amounts of new dense developments along transit corridors are also key. So is the car. Los Angeles Times Where are they now? The California National Guard cannot find 4,000 soldiers who it said received improper enlistment bonuses or other incentives during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The supposedly missing soldiers are likely to have retired, changed addresses, moved to Guard units in other states or transferred to the active-duty Army, officials said. Los Angeles Times L.A. AT LARGE In need of help: A visit with the sickest and neediest homeless men and women in Hollywood. Its a crime for any decent society to have children and the elderly and mentally ill folks living on the street. Its just a sin, said Rev. Kathy Cooper Ledesma. Los Angeles Times Earth movements: Did oil drilling cause the 1933 Long Beach earthquake? It was kind of more of a Wild West industry back a hundred years ago, and the technology wasnt as sophisticated, said Susan Hough, a government scientist who co-wrote a new study on the topic. Los Angeles Times Beach gang: Efforts to take down a surfer gang on the Palos Verdes Peninsula accused of forcing non-locals out has created some interesting politics around coastal access in the upscale area. Daily Breeze Parking rates: How hot is Hollywood real estate? The parking garage at the ArcLight theater not the movie complex itself reportedly just sold for $50 million. Many now wonder what is coming on the site. Curbed LA POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Well matched: Tobacco companies are spending a record $71 million to defeat Proposition 56, a ballot measure that would add a $2 tax to each packet of cigarettes. But unlike in previous election cycles, supporters of the measure have also raised a substantial amount of money to fight fire with fire. Its more of a campaign among equals than in the past, said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. Los Angeles Times Not always a sure bet: This graphic shows how California has swung back and forth from blue to red to blue again. Lets begin with the era of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Los Angeles Times Political moves: Theres a lot of speculation that, should state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris win her bid for the U.S. Senate, Gov. Jerry Brown could nominate his wife to the office. What are Anne Gust Browns chances? My wife is fully employed, Brown says. Sacramento Bee CRIME AND COURTS L.A. connection: To an FBI investigation of the Clinton Foundation. Theres this tantalizing nugget from a Wall Street Journal account: Los Angeles agents had picked up information about the Clinton Foundation from an unrelated public-corruption case and had issued some subpoenas for bank records related to the foundation. Wall Street Journal Fair shake: With his criminal trial approaching, former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca on Monday lost bids to have the case moved out of Los Angeles and the lead prosecutor disqualified. Los Angeles Times Domestic dispute: Authorities say a man was fatally shot by a deputy outside the Chatsworth courthouse. He allegedly had a violent confrontation with his wife. Daily News DROUGHT AND CLIMATE Greenhouse effect: A new report blames the West Coasts record-low snowpack on high temperatures. Because of the increasing influence of greenhouse gases, years like this may become commonplace over the next few decades, said Philip Mote, lead author of the study. Associated Press CALIFORNIA CULTURE Zen mode: Can the Buddha help Silicon Valley figure out how to feed the world? Wired Bookworm: How one of L.A.s last independent bookstores, Skylight Books, is trying to survive. Theres a kind of magic recipe that creates a successful bookstore. LAist New home: A 30-year-old tech billionaire just bought a $21.8-million house in San Francisco. Its the citys most expensive home sale so far this year. SFist Need a ride? Are Uber, Lyft and the ridesharing revolution leaving behind black people? The Atlantic Party on: Scenes from West Hollywoods Halloween Carnaval. Los Angeles Times CALIFORNIA ALMANAC San Francisco will have some clouds and a high of 66 degrees. Sacramento will be partly sunny and 66. In Los Angeles, there will be low clouds and a high of 71 degrees. It will be 68 and partly sunny in Riverside. San Diego will be 70 with low clouds. AND FINALLY Todays California Memory comes from Bob Yourell: Growing up in Highland Park, I lived just below an big, ominous-looking old Victorian house on top of a hill, surrounded by trees. One day, all the kids in the area came to watch filmmakers use it as a location. When the crew was leaving, Lon Chaney Jr. told us a story that started with a dark, moonlit night and ended with him yelling something scary that made us all jump back and have a good laugh. I later learned that the movie was Spider Baby, a black-and-white horror-comedy flick that had gotten tied up in a legal dispute, only to be released after color movies had emerged, making it an obscure cult film at best. The house did much better it is now a beauty and my old neighborhood became gentrified. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad. Los Angeles police are investigating the death of a male inmate found in his jail cell early Tuesday, authorities said. A 36-year-old man was found dead at 9:52 a.m. in a cell at the LAPDs 77th Street Community Police Station jail, said Officer Drake Madison, a spokesman for the department. The mans name has not yet been released, pending family notification, authorities said. Advertisement Madison said the cause of death remains under investigation and that few details were immediately available. hailey.branson@latimes.com Twitter: @haileybranson Long Beach police are investigating the death of a man who was found early Tuesday with a gunshot wound to the upper torso, authorities said. Police received a call at 2:10 a.m. after an adult male was found on a walkway between a single-family home and an apartment building in the 600 block of East 9th Street, said Lt. Erik Herzog, a spokesman for the Long Beach Police Department. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, Herzog said. Authorities have not yet released the mans name, but he was believed to be in his early 20s, Herzog said. Advertisement He said investigators did not have a suspect. The man was described by residents of one of the nearby houses as a family friend who occasionally stayed at the residence, police said. There were no reports of Halloween parties or altercations in the area before the call came in, Herzog said. Its usually a really quiet neighborhood, he said. hailey.branson@latimes.com Twitter: @haileybranson ALSO The long, tortured journey to bring rail back to Los Angeles Fresno sheriffs deputy dies after being accidentally shot on duty Assemblywomans Orange County campaign office burglarized; voter data stolen Police in Torrance fatally shot a woman who was suspected of driving under the influence and smashing her car into a police cruiser, authorities said. Officers received several reports of a reckless driver about 2:25 p.m. Monday near Arlington and Post avenues, according to Torrance Police Sgt. Paul Kranke. The motorist identified only as a woman in her 30s was on the wrong side of the road and nearly struck several vehicles. Advertisement When police intercepted the car, the vehicles exterior was damaged and the air bag was deployed, Kranke said. The woman did not stop for police, prompting a pursuit that wound through residential streets and extended for several minutes. Police said they were concerned that the timing of the pursuit coincided with the end of the school day, and students would be walking through the neighborhood. At the intersection of Sepulveda Boulevard and Cabrillo Avenue more than 1 mile south of the original call of a reckless driver officers ended the pursuit by performing a PIT, or precision immobilization technique, maneuver near a gas station, Kranke said. Police then tried to hem the car in with patrol vehicles. Officers hopped out of their patrol cars and ordered the driver to stop, but she drove at police and rammed one of the patrol cars, Kranke said. At least two police officers opened fire, shooting multiple rounds at the car. A witness video of part of the shooting shows the car smashing into the patrol cruiser before coming to a stop in a nearby gas station. Several pops of gunfire are heard on the video. The woman was wounded and officers tried to revive her with CPR. She later died at the hospital. Her identity was not released pending notification of her family, Kranke said. There were no passengers in the womans car. During the incident, one police officer suffered moderate injuries. The shooting is under investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorneys office as well as the Torrance Police Department, which is standard in officer-involved shootings. matt.hamilton@latimes.com Twitter: @MattHjourno. ALSO Man shot dead by sheriffs deputy after allegedly stabbing woman at Chatsworth courthouse Judge denies ex-L.A. County Sheriff Lee Bacas request for change of venue, prosecutor DAs office will review campaign contributions from donors with ties to Sea Breeze developer Californians halted a three-month slide in water conservation in September, saving enough to hearten state regulators who previously had expressed alarm about possible drought fatigue. Residents and businesses cut their water consumption by 18.3% in September compared with the same month in 2013. The savings represented a slight uptick from the 17.5% reduction urban Californians managed in August. I am glad to see the slide stop, and even reverse a bit overall, especially as we move into traditionally lower water-use months when we would expect [savings] percentages to drop significantly, State Water Resources Control Board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus said in a statement. Advertisement Overall, were happy to see millions of Californians and many water agencies continue significant conservation, she added. Conversely, were concerned to see some agencies return to using hundreds of gallons per person per day while saving little. We need to keep conserving. Conservation backsliding has been a point of concern among officials in recent months. A statewide analysis by The Times found that water conservation slid about 9 percentage points in June, July and August of this year compared with the same period in 2015, at the height of the drought. About 93% of local suppliers saved less this summer than they did during the summer of 2015, according to the analysis. In its statement Tuesday, the board praised many water suppliers for maintaining high levels of conservation including some that saved more this September than in September 2015. However, regulators also singled out a few suppliers that they said were not sustaining significant conservation. They listed the San Juan Water District, the supplier The Times focused on in its report, as one they were particularly concerned about. At their Tuesday meeting, regulators and representatives of water agencies said it was important to look at cumulative savings numbers rather than concentrating solely on monthly savings percentages. During the 16-month period that ended in September, Californians used 23% less water compared with 2013 benchmarks, water board staff members said. Some agency representatives took umbrage at the notion that they are abandoning conservation. Its a good news story, said Dave Bolland of the Assn. of California Water Agencies. He added that some media organizations are attempting to make a story about all of California out of a few specific agency situations. Inland Northern California was home to some of the states biggest backsliders during June, July and August, according to The Times analysis. On Tuesday, Amy Talbot, a representative of the Regional Water Authority for the greater Sacramento area, framed the upticks in usage as a natural consequence of moving from mandatory conservation to voluntary conservation. We see it not as backsliding, as some articles have mentioned, she said. Environmental advocates, however, saw Septembers 18.3% savings as a significant slip from the 26.2% savings achieved in September 2015 under mandatory conservation. The board lifted mandatory conservation for the vast majority of California suppliers earlier this year. The state board has failed the people of California by letting water agencies off the hook for mandatory conservation, said Tracy Quinn, senior water policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council. That sent a very confusing message to residents, who are wrongly being told its OK to water their lawns or roll back the conservation efforts theyd implemented over the past few years. In her statement, Quinn called for a return to mandatory conservation targets and a suite of strong permanent conservation measures. The executive order that governs the current drought rules will expire in February. So water board members will need to decide whether the emergency regulations should be extended; if so, officials may choose to modify them further. A series of storms in Northern California has gotten the state off to a good start, officials said. As of Tuesday, an eight-station index that measures rain in the northern Sierra Nevada had recorded 12.6 inches of precipitation almost 400% of the average for Nov. 1. Regulators wondered aloud how the rain would affect conservation during October. More rain, they said, should lead to less outdoor watering and perhaps greater savings. Were watching the weather like everyone else is, said Max Gomberg, the water boards climate and conservation manager. This is an encouraging start to the water year, but theres a long way to go. matt.stevens@latimes.com Twitter: @ByMattStevens ALSO Santa Ana winds are expected to bring warmer temperatures this week Child stabbed to death at factory where mom works; police take suspect into custody At a time of ambivalence to immigration, attorneys gather in Tijuana to help those desperate to enter U.S. legally UPDATES: 2:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comment and information about recent rains in Northern California. This article was originally published at 11:35 a.m. '200 kilograms of fish dying in a lake of more than 70 hectares is normal.' Hanoi authorities have said that sudden rain followed by hot weather was to blame for the 200 kilograms of fish that washed up dead in one of the capital's lakes last week. Le Van Duc, director of Hanois Construction Department, said at a meeting on Tuesday that a shift in the weather was the cause of the mass fish deaths in Linh Dam Lake on Wednesday last week. It was very hot in the morning and then rained in the afternoon, Duc said. The lake is among the less polluted in Hanoi. Thousands of fish went belly up along the two-kilometer edge of the lake in Hoang Mai District, creating a foul stench on Wednesday night. Joggers noticed the problem at around 8 p.m. and dead fish covered the embankment a few hours later. Carp as large as five kilograms could be seen floating in the water. Workers from Hanois Sewerage and Drainage Company have collected around 200 kilograms of dead fish so far. 200 kilograms of fish dying in a lake of more than 70 hectares is normal, Duc said. His department is still investigating a bigger pollution problem on West Lake, the largest in Hanoi, after 200 tons of dead fish were collected over several days in early October. The inspection covers all 99 hotels and restaurants and 27 sewage pipes around the lake. A study by the Institute for Environmental Science and Development recently found that all of Hanois urban lakes and waterways are heavily polluted. The city hopes to resolve the problem with help from a $726-million sewage treatment plant. Construction began early this month and is slated for completion in three years. The system is designed to treat 270,000 cubic meters of sewage every day from the Lu, To Lich and Nhue rivers in a bid to bring them back to life. Related news: > Fish go belly up in another Hanoi lake > Official blames Ba Ria fish kill on rain Natalie Babbitt, author of the beloved childrens novel Tuck Everlasting, has died after battling cancer. She was 84. Babbitt, who also was an illustrator, had been diagnosed with lung cancer recently and died at her home in Hamden on Monday, said her husband, Samuel Fisher Babbitt. He described her as a remarkable and loving and wonderful woman who left her mark in the literary world with her stories. She once said that her ambition was just to leave a little scratch on the rock, he said. I think she did that with Tuck Everlasting. Advertisement Babbitts literary career started in 1966, when she illustrated a childrens book written by her husband and was encouraged by its editor to continue writing and illustrating herself. She would go on to write and illustrate dozens of books, but was perhaps best known for Tuck Everlasting. The 1975 novel is about a girl who stumbles onto a mysterious family thats discovered a magical spring that gives eternal life. With its themes of immortality, aging and death, the novel was named an American Library Assn. notable book. It has been adapted into two movies, including a 2002 Disney film, and a Broadway play that had a brief run this year. Among the literary honors Babbitt received was a Newbery Honor for her 1971 book Knee-Knock Rise and the inaugural E.B. White Award for achievement in childrens literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2013. Babbitt was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1932 and attended Smith College in Northampton, Mass. She and her husband have three grown children and three grandchildren. The California National Guard cant locate more than 4,000 of the 9,700 soldiers caught up in the military enlistment bonus scandal that has rocked one of the nations largest Guard organizations, according to its commander. In an internal memo obtained by The Times, Maj. Gen. David Baldwin said the California Guard needed help finding thousands of soldiers who received improper enlistment bonuses or other incentives at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars a decade ago. Baldwin also wrote that the vast majority of the 9,700 current and former California Guard soldiers who received improper payments did so unknowingly and enlisted in good faith at a time of war. Advertisement His Oct. 27 memo is one of the first unequivocal statements by a senior military official since the bonus scandal surfaced that most California Guard soldiers did not know they were getting money improperly. It suggests most may be eligible to have some or all of their debts forgiven under a Pentagon review. But the new Pentagon inquiry already appears mired in confusion. Despite Baldwins assertions, the Treasury Department tracked down some of the 4,000 soldiers long ago through tax returns and forced them to repay their bonuses, raising questions about whether the Pentagon will now return the money. Brett Sholtis, who left the California Guard in 2007 and now lives in York, Pa., received a letter from the Treasury Department in 2015 ordering him to repay $2,500.79 that he was given after he first enlisted in 2001. When he refused to pay, the Treasury Department garnished his wages and claimed his 2015 federal tax refund until the debt was paid last spring, he said. I was one of those soldiers who couldnt be located, Sholtis said Monday. They made a weak effort and then immediately proceeded to step two turning it over to Treasury. A Los Angeles Times report this month about the enlistment bonus repayment demands to California Guard soldiers and veterans, including some who were wounded in battle, sparked a public furor about what many viewed as an injustice. Four days later, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter suspended the debt recovery program and ordered faster appeals for soldiers and veterans seeking relief from the debts. He set a July 1 deadline next year to complete the process. The Pentagons efforts to recover the money have brought hardship to many soldiers and veterans, Baldwin said, who signed up for incentives based on misinformation about their eligibility. The supposedly missing soldiers in Baldwins memo are likely to have retired, changed addresses, moved to Guard units in other states or transferred to the active-duty Army, officials said. The affected soldiers did not respond to letters sent by the California Guard to addresses on file for them, the officials said. Baldwin asked current and former California Guard members for help locating the soldiers. He directed them to the Soldier Incentives and Assistance Center, an office set up in Sacramento to help soldiers appeal to the Pentagon for waivers of some or all of the debts. With the centers help, hundreds of soldiers have had their debts forgiven or have corrected their records, he wrote. Unfortunately, more than 4,000 Soldiers with errors in their incentive packets have not had the same opportunity. In 2010, after the Sacramento Bee first reported corruption in the California Guard enlistment payments, an FBI investigation found that officials had given millions of dollars in bonuses and student loan payments to soldiers who did not qualify for them, or who were approved despite paperwork errors. A California Guard audit of the enlistment contracts, completed in September, concluded that 9,700 soldiers had received improper bonuses and other payments. Army Master Sgt. Toni Jaffe, the California Guards incentive manager, pleaded guilty in 2011 to filing false claims of $15.2 million and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Three officers also pleaded guilty to fraud and were put on probation after paying restitution. Nearly 100 California Guard members have been disciplined for knowingly paying or accepting improper bonuses. A senior California Guard official, Col. Darrin Bender, blamed the improper payments on the pressure recruiters faced to fill Army ranks starting in about 2005, when the Pentagon was engaged in bitter fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan. To increase soldier retention, the Army funded a number of very generous bonus programs, Bender, the California Guards director of government relation, wrote in an email last week to members of the California Legislature. These programs were implemented far too quickly, without the appropriate institutional checks and balances, and recruiters were under extreme pressure to meet high enlistment and reenlistment quotas, he wrote. Though a small number of soldiers knew they were committing fraud, the vast majority acted on good faith resulting from bad information from recruiters and others in positions of authority, he added. Sholtis, the former California Guard member who moved to Pennsylvania, is skeptical about the governments efforts to help veterans like him. The California Guards attempt to find him consisted of a registered letter sent to his old California address informing him of a problem with his 2001 enlistment bonus, he said. It told him to get in touch with the soldiers assistance center in Sacramento that was handling the repayments. When he did not reply, California Guard officials forwarded his name to the Defense Finance Accounting Service, the Pentagon agency that handles recovery of the bonuses. They found no record that he was still in the military and sent his name to the Treasury Department, which used tax records to locate him. Sholtis, who is now a reporter, refused to repay the debt, which included an automatic $500 penalty. He contacted the California Guard to find out why he owed the money. It turned out the paperwork for his $2,000 enlistment bonus was missing. The Treasury Department garnished his paycheck, taking $320 every month and his entire tax refund for 2015. He recently was denied pre-approval for a Veterans Affairs home loan, partly because the former bonus debt is on his credit report. Its profound incompetence, Sholtis said, mixed with indifference. ALSO Congress knew for at least two years about Pentagon efforts to take back bonuses from veterans Full Coverage: Pentagon pushes to make California veterans pay back bonuses How the L.A. Times got the story that soldiers were ordered to repay bonuses For months, protesters have stood in the path of an oil pipeline that is under construction near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, which straddles North and South Dakota. The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has opposed the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline since it was first proposed in 2014. Demonstrations began in April with a handful of people praying in a camp on the reservation, and have since grown to include hundreds, sometimes thousands, of activists. Advertisement As the protests continue, heres a quick overview of the situation by the numbers. 1,172 miles: The length of the proposed Dakota Access pipeline The pipeline, slated to stretch across 1,172 miles at 30 inches in diameter, would carry hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil a day through 50 counties in four states from western North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa, ultimately connecting to an existing pipeline in Patoka, Ill. The pipeline would travel under a dammed stretch of the Missouri River that borders the Sioux reservation in North Dakota. Native American groups say the construction would desecrate sacred sites and could ruin the reservations drinking water supply. 470,000: The number of barrels of oil that will be transported a day through the completed pipeline That amount of crude oil would produce enough gasoline to drive a medium-sized car from Los Angeles to San Francisco more than 330,000 times. The pipelines capacity is even higher, according to the developer. When completed, it could pump up to 570,000 barrels of oil a day. North Dakota pipeline activists say arrested protesters were kept in dog kennels 8,000 to 12,000: Local jobs the pipeline developer said would be created during construction According to Texas-based developer Energy Transfer Partners, construction of the $3.78-billion pipeline would create between 8,000 and 12,000 local jobs, including those for welders, mechanics, electricians, pipe-fitters and heavy equipment operators. More than 300: Tribal nations that oppose the Dakota Access pipeline More than 300 tribal nations have come out against the Dakota Access pipeline and pledged their support for the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. About 800: The number of people demonstrating against the pipeline now Standing Rock Sioux tribal leadership said Monday that there were 800 people on the site acting as protectors the term they prefer to use for those opposing the pipelines construction. But tracking the number of protest participants is difficult, as people come and go periodically. In recent months, thousands of tribal members and environmental activists have gathered at the proposed site of the pipeline. Appearances from celebrities such as actress Shailene Woodley and actor Mark Ruffalo have helped bring the protest to the national spotlight. 412: The number of protesters arrested as of Sunday What began in the spring as a peaceful demonstration ramped up Aug. 11, when protesters marched onto the construction site and blocked workers from building, said Morton County Sheriffs spokesman Rob Keller. That day, he said, 13 people were arrested. You cannot march onto and hinder, go on private property and stop construction thats against the law, Keller said. The Dakota Access pipeline had all the easements, and all of the requirements, so they could legally be there. Since then, hundreds more have been taken into custody on various charges, including criminal trespassing, engaging in a riot and conspiracy to endanger by fire. Tensions between police and demonstrators escalated last week, according to the Sheriffs Department, with protesters throwing Molotov cocktails at officers and setting cars on fire on the Highway 1806 bridge, prompting its closure. One woman fired a gun at officers, police said, though no one was struck by gunfire. Activists said police fired rubber bullets at protesters and detained them in what appeared to be dog kennels. Militarized law enforcement agencies moved in on water protectors with tanks and riot gear today, Dave Archambault II, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, said in a statement Thursday. We have repeatedly seen a disproportionate response from law enforcement to water protectors nonviolent exercise of their constitutional rights. Hoax? Sheriffs department says its not watching Facebook check-ins at Standing Rock At least 1.3 million: The number of Facebook users who checked in to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation online At least 1.3 million people had checked in to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Facebook as a show of support for activists trying to block the pipeline, after one user claimed that authorities were tracking protesters on social media. The Sheriffs Department said Monday that the claim was absolutely false. $4 million: The amount of additional funding that authorities have requested to cover costs associated with the protests The office of North Dakotas highest-ranking military officer, the adjutant general, has requested an additional $4 million to continue covering public safety costs associated with the demonstrations. The states Emergency Commission made up of the governor, secretary of state and four legislators is expected to sign off on the request Tuesday. The funds would add to the $6-million line of credit approved in September, most of which has been used, Secretary of State Al Jaeger said. Right now the first purpose is to protect property and people, Jaeger said Monday. We have no choice but to provide the funding. ALSO Hoax? Sheriffs department says its not watching Facebook check-ins at Standing Rock The $3.7-billion pipeline that became a rallying cry for tribes across America After violent clashes, Native American protesters vow to continue their fight against the Dakota Access pipeline Commuters scrambled Tuesday to find alternate ways to travel as transit workers in Philadelphia hit the picket lines after the citys main transit agency and a union representing about 4,700 workers failed to reach a contract agreement. The union went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, shutting down Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority buses, trolleys and subways that provide about 900,000 rides a day. The strike does not affect most service outside the city, including commuter rail lines, which experienced modest delays and an increase in riders. But at 69th Street Terminal, a major transit hub a few blocks from the city border in Upper Darby, idle buses sat in a row with SEPTA OFF DUTY illuminated in yellow lights. Nearby, commuters were stuck trying to find another way into Philadelphia. Advertisement Ramone Whiters, 32, Drexel Hill, said he was left in the lurch Tuesday because the car he typically takes to work was in the shop. Without another way into the city, he was waiting for an early morning ride. At least if theyre going to strike then do it in the summertime, Whiters said. Its cold to be stranded out here. TWU Local 234 President Willie Brown said union members will report for picket duty rather than work. Despite months of constructive and innovative proposals from our side of the table, management has refused to budge on key issues including safety issues that would save lives and not cost SEPTA a dime, Brown said. There is no new agreement, so we are on strike. SEPTA expressed its disappointment in the decision in a statement released after the strike was announced, shortly after midnight. The decision by TWU President Willie Brown leaves thousands of SEPTA customers without the transit services they rely on for travel to and from work, school and medical appointments, said SEPTA, adding that it remained ready and willing to continue bargaining. Brown said the two sides remain far apart on pension and healthcare issues, as well as noneconomic issues such as shift scheduling, break time and other measures that affect driver fatigue. SEPTA said it was hopeful that a tentative agreement would be reached before election day. If we foresee an agreement will not come to pass, SEPTA intends to seek to enjoin the strike for Nov. 8 to ensure that the strike does not prevent any voters from getting to the polls and exercising their right to vote, SEPTA said. Businesses, hospitals and schools began preparing last week for a possible transit shutdown. The strike was expected to have a major impact on the Philadelphia school system, though it will remain open. SEPTA provides rides for nearly 60,000 public, private and charter school students. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf encouraged both sides early Tuesday to continue talking until an agreement is reached. Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents rely on SEPTA to travel each day to and from work and school and the inability of TWU and SEPTA to reach an agreement is devastating for many of these individuals and their families, Wolf said in a statement. This will create extreme hardships for the city and for businesses. Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney also urged SEPTA and the union to keep communicating despite the strike, and he urged residents to have patience. In 2014, union members ratified a two-year contract that averted a threatened walkout. In 2009, a strike by SEPTA workers lasted six days. Greg Lassiter, 30, of Clifton Heights, said the buses are his only way to work in the city. Now, Im either paying too much for a cab or missing a day of work, Lassiter said. They do this every year and its ridiculous. I want to know why theyve got it that bad. On Tuesday, Lassiter, who has already paid a $24 SEPTA pass for his usual travel, settled on an $11 Uber ride. I guess Ill have to take that, he said, but this is going to add up. LaBria Wilson, 16, found her usual commute extended by at least an hour due to the strike. She usually catches a bus from her West Philadelphia home to the Overbrook station, where she takes a train to class at the Shipley School in the Philadelphia suburbs. On Tuesday, Wilson woke up an hour earlier than usual and her mother had to drive her to catch the train. It was a total inconvenience for both of us, the high school junior said. I already dont get enough sleep. ALSO California National Guard says it cant find 4,000 soldiers who received improper payments Hoax? Sheriffs department says its not watching Facebook check-ins at Standing Rock Peter Thiel explains why hes backing Donald Trump: Voters are desperate for an outsider UPDATES: 5:52 a.m. Nov. 1: Updated with comments from union officials, the transit authority and commuters. This article was originally posted at 9:30 p.m. Oct. 31. Donald Trumps campaign denounces support from KKK newspaper (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) Donald Trumps campaign Tuesday night said that he denounces hate in any form and disavowed support for his candidacy offered by a newspaper associated with the Ku Klux Klan. The campaigns statement came hours after the Crusader devoted its front page to Trumps well-known campaign slogan. Make America Great Again! It is a slogan that has been repeatedly used by Donald Trump in his campaign for the presidency, wrote Thomas Robb, the papers editor. You can see it on the shirts, buttons, posters and ball caps. But can it happen? Can America really be great again? This is what we will soon find out! In an interview with the Washington Post, Robb said that his paper was not officially endorsing Trump. Overall, we do like his nationalist views and his words about shutting down the border to illegal aliens. Its not an endorsement because, like anybody, theres things you disagree with, Robb told the Post. But he kind of reflects whats happening throughout the world. There seems to be a surge of nationalism worldwide as nationals reclaim their borders. How about that? Trump's struggled to earn newspaper endorsements, but just secured one from the KKK's "Crusader"... pic.twitter.com/W63k54Yivx Brendan Reilly (@AldReilly) November 1, 2016 Trumps campaign sought to distance the newspapers views from the nominee and his supporters. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign, Trumps campaign said in a statement. The back-and-forth marked his campaigns latest brush with individuals or groups tied to racist remarks and beliefs. Trumps yearlong campaign has been marked by divisive and racially coded rhetoric. He has received support from white supremacist groups and former KKK leaders, including David Duke, who is running for Senate in Louisiana. On Monday, a white nationalist leader who has funded several ads supporting Trump unveiled a new robocall in Utah targeting write-in candidate Evan McMullin. Trumps campaign denounced the ads. Over the weekend, at rally in Phoenix, a Trump supporter was captured on video shouting Jew-S-A at reporters. Kellyanne Conway, Trumps campaign manger, denounced the rhetoric as disgusting. Im Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I dont want you to miss today. TOP STORIES The FBI, End-of-October Surprise and Russia Advertisement The pressure keeps mounting on the FBI after the surprise announcement that it is looking into emails potentially linked to Hillary Clinton. Investigators are speeding up their plans to examine the trove of emails, but its still unclear whether that review will be complete before election day, now only one week away. Meanwhile, NBC reported that Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is the subject of a preliminary FBI inquiry into possible connections to Russia. More Politics -- Trump used a legally dubious accounting maneuver to avoid reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in income, according to a New York Times report. -- A white nationalist leader who has funded several ads supporting Trump has a new robocall in Utah targeting Evan McMullin. -- This graphic shows how, after decades of Republican victories, California became a blue state again. Soldiers Lost in the Fog of Wartime Bonuses The commander of the California National Guard said it cant find more than 4,000 of the 9,700 soldiers caught up in a military enlistment bonus scandal reported on by The Times last week. The IRS can. Long ago, the Treasury Department tracked down some of them through tax returns and forced them to repay their bonuses. Meet Brett Sholtis, who was one of the supposedly missing. Will D.A. Jackie Lacey Take Action? A Times investigation has prompted the L.A. district attorneys office to review a series of campaign contributions made to L.A. politicians by more than 100 donors with ties to the developer of a $72-million apartment complex in Harbor Gateway. More scrutiny could follow. Columnist Steve Lopez has a suggestion too: City Hall should be checked for cracks in the foundation and then fumigated. How to Get L.A.s Traffic Out of a Jam L.A. County voters are weighing whether to increase the sales tax to pay for more than two dozen highway and transit projects. But as weve seen with Metros ridership woes, getting people onto buses and trains doesnt come naturally in car culture. Thats why experts are saying we need to move past a one-track mind on transportation and think about a range of changes, including ridesharing services and even rethinking how apartments and office buildings are developed along major streets. He Lost His Right to Vote for the Little Gold Man Robert Bassing has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1958. A few days ago, the 91-year-old screenwriter got a letter saying that he would no longer be able to vote for the Oscars because it had been too long since his most recent credit. And though hes the only one to come forward so far, he isnt alone, as the academy enacts reforms aimed at diversification. But for Bassing, I just dont understand why they thought it was necessary. YOUR ELECTION GUIDE -- This man is bankrolling a ballot measure to force voter approval on big bonds. Would that kill projects like high-speed rail? -- What to make of all of Californias 17 propositions on the ballot. -- Endorsements by The Times editorial board. CALIFORNIA -- A study says Southern Californias deadliest quake, back in 1933, may have been caused by oil drilling. -- Police in Torrance say they fatally shot a woman who was suspected of driving under the influence and smashing her car into a police cruiser. -- Former L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca failed in his attempts to have his criminal trial moved out of Los Angeles and the lead prosecutor disqualified. -- Photos: The crazy scene as West Hollywood celebrated Halloween. HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS -- A spirited ending: Youth Orchestra L.A. wound up its first tour with an Oakland concert led by Gustavo Dudamel. -- Heres why Kenny Chesney refers to Los Angeles a lot on his new album. -- A look at the work that goes into a musical number on the CW musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. -- Movie review: Rigged 2016 isnt the election documentary you think it is. NATION-WORLD -- Chicago had its deadliest weekend of the year: 17 killed and 42 wounded. -- The saga of the Chinese spies and the stolen corn seeds: Will it discourage economic espionage? -- Whats up with your Facebook friends checking in at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota? -- Fierce clashes were reported east of Mosul Tuesday as Iraqi government forces approached the outskirts of the city. -- In Syrias capital, the civil war suddenly seems far away. -- New Delhi is said to have the worlds worst air pollution, and the Hindu festival of lights made it even worse. BUSINESS -- This couple spent $1,000 at CVS for a pair of Nordstrom gift cards. Now nobody knows where that money went. -- The owner of New Yorks Rockefeller Center is betting that offices are the next big thing for L.A.s Arts District. SPORTS -- With their backs against the wall, the Cubs feel confident as the World Series shifts to Cleveland. -- The Los Angeles Kings are trying to stay afloat as they host the Anaheim Ducks for first time this season. OPINION -- A case study in why Angelenos think City Hall is corrupted by developers. -- High hopes, and caution, for a sheriffs oversight panel. WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING -- Trumps companies have a history of destroying and hiding documents in lawsuits. (Newsweek) -- Top authors are writing new fiction for a project in Norway, but no one is allowed to read it until the year 2114. (Wired) -- Adele opens up about family life, stardom, cellphones and more, with a fair amount of salty language to boot. (Vanity Fair) ONLY IN L.A. The scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Canada Flintridge have been boldly going forward for 80 years now. It all began on Oct. 31, 1936, when five young researchers tested a rocket engine in the foothills. Read on for more about its high-flying history. Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj. If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends. Over eight years, friends, relatives and associates of developer Samuel Leung donated more than $600,000 to Los Angeles elected officials election campaigns and office accounts. At the time, Leung was seeking the citys permission to build a six-story apartment complex on land zoned for industrial use, surrounded by manufacturing, warehouses and other heavy industrial operations in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood. The citys planning department rejected Leungs proposal as inappropriate. The Planning Commission did too. Rezoning the property to allow residential development violated the citys stated policy of preserving industrial land that could be used for businesses that create good-paying jobs. And yet, a Times investigation shows, Leung got his project approved after people related to or affiliated with him poured money perhaps illegally into the coffers of city officials who overruled their staff, their appointees and their own policies. Many of them told The Times that they were of modest means, didnt remember contributing and had no connection to politics that would explain why or how theyd donated hundreds and even thousands of dollars to those officials. When critics say the city of Los Angeles development process is corrupt, this is a perfect illustration of what they mean. And its exactly why proponents of the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative were able to gather the thousands of signatures needed to put a draconian measure on the March ballot that would impose a two-year moratorium on major developments. Advertisement Critics say the mayor and City Council are not only complicit in this soft corruption, they enable it by refusing to fix the citys broken ... system. Its no secret that developers give heavily to local officials, presumably because they believe the contributions will help them buy their way around land-use rules and greatly increase the value of their projects at the expense of neighboring residents and property owners. Critics say the mayor and City Council are not only complicit in this soft corruption, they enable it by refusing to fix the citys broken planning and land-use system. The Times investigation gives those critics yet more ammunition. Reporters David Zahniser and Emily Alpert Reyes meticulously documented how more than 100 campaign contributors with direct or indirect ties to Leung gave $600,000 to certain elected officials, whose support was needed to rewrite zoning rules so Leungs $72-million apartment complex could be built. More than $200,000 flowed to various campaign accounts used by former City Councilwoman Janice Hahn, whose district included Harbor Gateway and who wrote a letter of conditional support for Leungs project before she left office. Then the money flowed to three candidates running to replace her on the City Council. Her successor, Councilman Joe Buscaino, received at least $94,700 from Leung-affiliated donors for his campaign and his council office account, which he used this year to help pay for an official trip to Italy. Buscaino also helped raise money for Mayor Eric Garcettis election in 2013, and Leung associates contributed $60,000 to that independent committee. Two years later, Garcetti invoked a rarely used City Charter provision to overrule the decision by his own Planning Commission appointees to reject Leungs project. That allowed the council to approve the project with 10 votes instead of 12. Buscaino also endorsed the project, and his support was instrumental in getting it approved last year. Garcetti, Buscaino and other officials who received contributions from Leungs circle insist there was no quid pro quo. And theres no proof that the money caused anyone to change his or her position on the project. Nevertheless, it seems clear what Leung and other developers with pending applications believe theyre accomplishing when they shower city politicians with cash. The Times investigation uncovered questionable contributions from Leungs circle, including those that may have been made without the supposed donors knowledge or with the promise that the donor would be (illegally) reimbursed. The district attorney has rightly promised to investigate; the City Ethics Commission should too. But the Times investigation is really an indictment of a corrupt City Hall culture that has allowed land-use laws to be negotiable. The mayor and council members dictate whats appropriate on particular sites in response to appeals from developers, many of whom are influential campaign donors. The citys elected officials could have reformed the planning system years ago. But they havent, because they understand that the case-by-case negotiations over zoning and land-use rules help fund their campaigns, keep them in office and pay for trips to Italy. (Looking at you, Councilman Buscaino.) Garcetti and Buscaino justified bending the land-use rules for Leungs project by saying the city needs more housing, which is certainly true. Thats the argument every time a developer wants to ignore the existing zoning, and its how elected officials defend making questionable approvals that deviate from their own planning rules. But if they really wanted to generate more housing, elected officials would long ago have enacted meaningful planning and land-use reform that made it easier to build housing in appropriate areas. Faced with the blunt force of the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, Garcetti and his council colleagues are talking about reform. But can they act in the citys interest rather than their own self-interest? Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: Writing of Donald Trump supporters, Doyle McManus notes that in the past refusing to accept the results of an election was the act of a fringe of angry voters. (What will Trump supporters do if he loses? A dispatch from Ohio, Opinion, Oct. 30) Since 2000, that fringe included Vice President Al Gore and the Democratic Party, which brought the first legal challenge to a presidential election, and Hillary Clinton, who continued to refer to President George W. Bush as selected. I dont mind people who disagree with me. But I am distressed when they cant remember something from their own life. Advertisement Barry Nichols, Los Angeles .. To the editor: McManus mulls over what Trump will do after the election. Trump is already on his way to becoming the 21st century Father Coughlin. Ray Sherman, Duarte Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Joel David Richards from the UK (L) and Rudy Manoel Daas from the Netherlands arrested for stealing money from Vietnam's ATMs. Photo courtesy of Khanh Hoa Province Police They stole account information from bank customers in France, Germany and the U.S. Prosecutors in the central province of Khanh Hoa have charged two men from the Netherlands and the U.K. for using credit cards with stolen account details to withdraw cash in the resort beach town of Nha Trang. Joel David Richards, 25, from the U.K., and Rudy Manoel Daas, 32, from the Netherlands, were charged with abusing digital utilities to appropriate property on Tuesday. The duo used fake credit cards with stolen account information their overseas accomplices had provided to withdraw money from local ATMs. Police in Nha Trang arrested them in December last year after being tipped off by local banks. They admitted having stolen more than VND500 million ($22,400) in Nha Trang. They said they also withdrew money from other places in Vietnam including Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue. They used account information stolen from France, Germany and the U.S. Police seized 41 ATM cards, electronic equipment used to make counterfeit cards and VND200 million ($9,025) from their hotel rooms in Nha Trang and Da Nang. Related news: > Vietcombank locks multiple cards over ATM theft risks > Vietnam bank nearly falls victim of massive cyber theft like Bangladesh central bank Even if FBI agents discover classified information on a newly seized laptop, Hillary Clinton is unlikely to face criminal charges, according to legal experts and former federal prosecutors. Thats largely because the Justice Department and FBI Director James B. Comey have already declined to prosecute based on a legal conclusion that there was no evidence that Clinton and her aides intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, a key element of such a criminal offense. To change the calculus, the FBI would have to find correspondence that clearly demonstrates Clinton or her aides knowingly broke the law, exchanged materials they knew to be classified or attempted to interfere with the investigation by withholding or destroying evidence, according to former federal prosecutors and legal scholars. Advertisement Such an email itself would have to be one of those things you would be saying, I cant believe you wrote that down, said Roscoe Howard Jr., a former federal prosecutor and U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia during the George W. Bush administration. I would be shocked if they found such a thing. The chances of the bureau missing such evidence after what Comey had described as a comprehensive inquiry would appear to be slight, former prosecutors said. Short of a truly inculpatory email, the existence of which I find hard to fathom, I dont see a situation that comes out of this that justifies the hoopla, said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas. The analysis comes as federal agents and analysts are scrambling to review emails found on a laptop used by former Rep. Anthony Weiner and his estranged wife, Huma Abedin, one of Clintons closest aides. Agents came across Abedins correspondence while searching the computer for evidence that the disgraced former lawmaker may have violated federal laws when exchanging sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl. During its nearly yearlong probe, the FBI interviewed dozens of witnesses, conducted forensic tests and examined tens of thousands of messages that passed through the private email server used by Clinton and some of her aides while she was secretary of State. In the end, agents uncovered classified information in 193 emails that were part of 81 email chains, though none of the emails were marked with a classified header. Of those chains, the department concluded that eight should have been treated as top secret, the highest level of classification, the FBI reported. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter So if there were 100 examples of classified information before and now they find 10 more, how is that going to change the analysis? asked Peter Zeidenberg, a former federal prosecutor who signed a public letter critical of Comeys decision last week to publicly reveal the new inquiry. Its the same question. Its the same issue. Thats even assuming the emails they find on the laptop are classified emails. There may all be duplicates, or emails that dont have any classified information. We dont know. And even if agents discover evidence that warrants an indictment, Comeys past public statements could undermine a future prosecution, legal experts said. Defense lawyers would certainly seek all records associated with his public announcement in July, when he declared Clintons actions were careless but not criminal. An about-face by the FBI would permit defense attorneys to attack the thoroughness of the entire investigation, pointing out that it failed to turn up Abedins emails on a laptop she shared with her husband. A classic defense in any criminal case is to accuse the investigating law enforcement agents of shoddy police work. said Mary Pat Brown, a former federal prosecutor. When there are inconsistencies in the evidence itself, or any delays or missteps in collecting evidence, the governments case is vulnerable to attack. Comeys unusual move to publicly discuss the case with reporters and Congress in July was in part to demonstrate that the bureaus inquiry was meticulous and independent. But Vladeck agreed his action could now backfire. Those statements make it difficult for there ever to be a prosecution, he said. Comey laid a trap for himself in July. Perceptions that the new emails wont dramatically change the case are part of the reason Clinton supporters were so incensed by Comeys surprise and vague announcement last week that the bureau would examine the materials over the coming weeks. Agents are hoping to have a preliminary assessment of the Abedin emails completed by election day, though it remains unclear whether the FBI will make a further public statement about the case, despite calls for more information from both Democrats and Republicans. Agents will need to sort out Abedins emails, discard duplicates and then examine whats left to see if anything is relevant to the Clinton inquiry, a federal law enforcement official said. The laptop contains hundreds of thousands of emails most of them Weiners and it will take weeks to fully vet them, the official said. Follow @delwilber on Twitter del.wilber@latimes.com ALSO: Tracking down guns used in crimes and terror attacks is still surprisingly low-tech Aspiring agents learn from mistakes of FBIs shameful investigation of Martin Luther King Jr. How these Brooklyn prosecutors work to get innocent convicts out of prison The FBI accelerated its timeline for reviewing emails potentially linked to Hillary Clinton on Monday amid growing public pressure over the agencys surprise announcement that it had found them in an unrelated case. Investigators had planned to conduct the review over several weeks but, after a torrent of criticism over the weekend, began scrambling to examine the trove of emails, according to law enforcement officials. The FBI hoped to complete a preliminary assessment in the coming days, but agency officials have not decided how, or whether, they will disclose the results of it publicly, and officials also could not say whether the entire review would be completed by election day. The uncertainty did not stop Donald Trump from charging into the vacuum with ominous speculation that a Clinton victory would spark national upheaval. Clinton repeated that she was confident the FBI had no case against her and that voters had already made up their mind on her use of a private server while she was secretary of State. Advertisement Hundreds of thousands of emails were discovered in an unrelated investigation into whether former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of top Clinton aide Huma Abedin, violated federal laws while exchanging sexually explicit texts with a 15-year-old. Most of the emails were Weiners, investigators say. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, belonged to Abedin, one official said. FBI Director James B. Comey, a former Bush administration official appointed to run the bureau three years ago by President Obama, has come under heavy criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for disclosing the investigation to Congress so close to the election. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican who heads the Judiciary Committee, demanded that Comey release more information about the review by Friday. While I disagree with those who suggest you should have kept the FBIs discovery secret until after the election, I agree that your disclosure did not go far enough, Grassley wrote to Comey. Unfortunately, your letter failed to give Congress and the American people enough context to evaluate the significance or full meaning of this development. Without additional context, your disclosure is not fair to Congress, the American people, or Secretary Clinton, Grassley added. He also renewed concerns that the FBIs initial email investigation may have been hampered by political appointees at the Justice Department. Former Atty. Gen. Eric Holder, at one time Comeys boss, wrote in the Washington Post that he was deeply concerned about Comeys move to reveal the new email review because it violated guidelines laying out the proper way to conduct investigations during an election season. I fear he has unintentionally and negatively affected public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI, Holder wrote. He was joined in his criticism by Alberto Gonzales, who served as attorney general under Republican President George W. Bush. Gonzales, who has sparred with Comey in the past, told CNN that the FBI director made an error in judgment. The White House largely stood by Comey but refused to defend his action and clearly wasnt happy that he broke with decades of law enforcement practice by discussing an ongoing investigation in public. The president doesnt believe that Director Comey is intentionally trying to influence the outcome of an election, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. The president doesnt believe that hes secretly strategizing to benefit one candidate or one political party. Hes in a tough spot. And hes the one who will be in a position to defend his actions. The Justice Department promised lawmakers that it would dedicate all necessary resources and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible. To work faster, agents are using a computer program to winnow which emails need to be individually inspected, a federal law enforcement official said. A platoon of FBI agents, assisted by the Justice Department, has been dispatched to pore over the emails. But two law enforcement officials said the full examination of the emails is still expected to take weeks. Legal experts and former agents said they would be surprised if investigators discovered anything incriminating that would force Comey and prosecutors to seek charges against Clinton. Agents had already taken exhaustive steps to track down the emails from her private account, so it was unlikely that undiscovered ones would be found now, they said. Agents also would have to find evidence that Clinton intentionally violated classification laws, which Comey said they did not find in their investigation that concluded in July. I dont envision a circumstance where this changes dramatically for Clinton, said Ronald Hosko, a former top FBI official. Hosko wasnt as sure about Abedin, depending on what she told investigators and what they find. The emails might even provide an avenue for investigators to pursue questions about the Clinton Foundation, he said; Abedin worked simultaneously for the foundation and the State Department. Trump is hoping the late-breaking controversy helps his campaign make up a deficit in polls that shows him losing the popular vote and in key battleground states. Early evidence suggested that remains a heavy lift. Clinton maintained a 47%-41% lead in an NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly tracking survey taken after Fridays announcement, virtually unchanged from last weeks poll. Still, 55% of respondents said they thought the newest email issue was important. We will be facing the very real possibility of a constitutional crisis, Trump warned at a rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., pointing to dire warnings by former Bill Clinton aide Doug Schoen, who publicly renounced the Democratic nominee this week and in 2010 called on President Obama to resign. She would be under protracted criminal investigation and probably a criminal trial, Trump said, while hastily adding that he didnt think a Clinton victory would happen. Other developments Monday, though, rekindled unanswered questions about Trump. His former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, is the subject of a preliminary FBI inquiry into any connections to Russia, NBC reported, citing unnamed law enforcement and intelligence officials. Manafort, who reportedly had financial ties to a pro-Russia party in Ukraine, where he once worked as a political operative, denied the report to the network. Trumps campaign said that he had no knowledge of Manaforts past or present activities. Trump has repeatedly expressed his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose strongman tactics the U.S. has disavowed. The White House accused Russia this month of leaking Democratic emails, which Putin has denied. Though the void of information about the new email review may hurt Clinton, Trumps reaction carried the risk of overplaying the controversy, especially with uncommitted voters who may not loathe Clinton as passionately as Trumps core supporters do. But even those who do not harbor Trumps view may nonetheless be reminded of Clintons and her husbands protracted battles with Republicans in the 1990s and the unending investigations that ensued. Im sure a lot of you may be asking what this new email story is about and why in the world the FBI would decide to jump into an election with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go, she said in Kent, Ohio. Thats a good question. She again called her use of private email a mistake and said she had no problem with the FBI looking at the newest batch. I am sure they will reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my emails for the last year, she said. There is no case here. And they said it wasnt even a close call, and I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this. Comey initially decided against recommending prosecution of Clinton, which drew heavy criticism from Trump and his allies and praise from Democrats. Now the tables are turned. It took guts for Director Comey to make the move that he made, Trump said in Michigan. I really disagreed with him. I was not his fan. But I tell you what what he did, he brought back his reputation, Trump said, as the crowd applauded in agreement. Hes got to hang tough.... A lot of people want him to do the wrong thing. What he did was the right thing. Times staff writers Melanie Mason in Grand Rapids, Mich., Michael A. Memoli in Kent, Ohio, and Christi Parsons in Washington contributed to this report. Follow @delwilber on Twitter del.wilber@latimes.com ALSO: The upside for Clinton in the latest email controversy? Almost nothing has upended the 2016 race FBI given warrant to examine newfound emails that could be related to Clinton investigation Deep in the heart of Texas, Trump has Republicans worried about losing a congressional seat It was the home of Richard Nixon, the cradle of Ronald Reagans career and, for decades, a virtual synonym for the Republican Party of California. Now, for the first time since the Depression, Orange County stands on the verge of choosing a Democrat for president, potentially ending the longest streak of Republican presidential victories of any county in the state. That possibility symbolizes how the American political map has been upended by Donald Trumps campaign: He has sped up a decade-long shift in which the GOP has gathered strength in white, blue-collar regions that once routinely elected Democrats, but traditional Republican suburbs increasingly have turned blue. Advertisement From Chester County outside Philadelphia to Gwinnett County east of Atlanta and on to Fort Bend County near Houston and Tarrant County west of Dallas, big, affluent suburban regions seem likely to shift significantly toward Hillary Clinton this year, according to analysts who track county-level voting trends. Thats an immediate hurdle for the GOP, which has long counted on suburban strength to offset Democratic votes in the cities. It could be an even bigger problem in the longer term because those suburbs are among the nations most economically dynamic, growing regions. The shift reflects changing demographics: As with Orange County, many of the nations suburbs have become racially and ethnically diverse, shedding their status as all-white enclaves. It has been accelerated by Trumps weakness among college-educated, white voters. That group has sided with the Republican in every presidential election since reliable polling began in the U.S. in the 1940s, but this year it has consistently shown a Democratic majority in polls. Because of the demographic changes, the question is not whether or not a Democrat is going to win in Orange County, its just a question of when, said Jon Fleischman, an influential conservative blogger who lives in Anaheim Hills. If Donald Trump were not at the top of the ticket, I dont think it would be this year, he added. Because he is, it may very well be the case. Cynthia Ward, 50, a historical preservationist and longtime GOP activist from Anaheim, expressed the sort of dismay that has caused many Orange County Republicans to consider abandoning their partys ticket. Ward said she could never cast a ballot for Clinton but does not know if she can vote for Trump. Hes so verbally offensive to so many people that its distasteful to have someone like that as the standard bearer of the party, she said. It has never occurred to me to not vote the Republican ticket, she said. This time, however, she said she may write in a candidate, vote for a third party or just leave the presidential line on her ballot blank. She said she plans to pray for guidance, adding, This is a bad year. This is a really rough year. Orange Countys ties to the conservative movement were etched into its orange-grove roots. Its agricultural heritage meant the county had an anti-union mindset long before its acres of citrus trees gave way to tidy tracts of suburban homes in meticulously planned and often gated communities. As the county grew, its conservatism gained reinforcements. White families fled here from an increasingly diverse Los Angeles, especially after the Watts riots in 1965. Conservative transplants from the Midwest arrived in large numbers as well. Charismatic, conservative religious leaders beamed sermons from Orange County pulpits into living rooms across the nation, creating national profiles for Robert Schuller from the Crystal Cathedral and Paul Crouch of the Trinity Broadcasting Network. The county also developed a hawkish bent as it became home to men who served at the regions military bases or worked in the once-burgeoning aerospace and defense industries. Daniel Erinton, an electrical engineer who worked at a now-shuttered Hughes facility in Fullerton, blames former President Clinton, the spouse of the current Democratic nominee, for the defense industrys decline. He killed it, he just killed it, said the 58-year-old, a Republican who plans to vote for Trump. With Hillary, were going to get more of the same. I think America needs to be strong. We need to show our strength. Peace through strength I think Donald Trump will do that again. Along with conservative voters, the county offered the GOP a huge source of money. Wealthy business-minded conservatives, including real estate tycoons Donald Bren, William Lyon and George Argyros, opened their mansions and their Rolodexes to Republican candidates, making the county a must-stop for politicians. Immediately after entering the presidential race in 2011, when he was viewed as the front-runner, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry visited and paid homage to the county as a raspberry in a blueberry pie. All of that became the DNA of the community, said Fred Smoller, a political science professor at Chapman University in Orange. Thats all changing. Indeed, in 1990, whites made up nearly two-thirds of the countys population. Now, they are a minority. The countys Latino and Asian populations have grown enormously some in low-income neighborhoods, particularly in Santa Ana, but many in newly diverse, affluent communities. As the region has grown more diverse, GOP margins have narrowed. The last time a Democrat took Orange County was 1936, when Franklin Delano Roosevelt won by nearly 12 percentage points. In 1980 and 1984, Ronald Reagan won by 50 points. But in 2008, President Obama came close to flipping the county, losing by 2.5 points to Sen. John McCain. Trumps disparaging rhetoric about Mexicans and Muslims, his breaks with past Republican stands on trade and the overall tone of his campaign seem likely to create the final tipping point this month. Hes a bad fit for upscale suburbs, said Stu Rothenberg, a veteran nonpartisan political analyst. They expect a certain style from their presidential nominee, a certain intellect and a kind of measure in serious discussion of policy. The GOPs problem is most acute among college-educated white women. Trump is a bully and a misogynist and incompetent, said Anna Hornbostel of Mission Viejo. The 36-year-old Republican, who holds a masters in education and is studying for a second one in marriage and family therapy, is no fan of Clinton. Shes a career politician, and I think she embodies everything thats wrong with the system, she said. But Trump has her considering a Democrat for the first time in her life. His language about women appalls her, she said, adding that her three brothers would never use such words and that she would never want her 10 nephews to hear them. Ill probably end up voting for Hillary closing my eyes and plugging my nose because I trust her ability as a politician to not get us into a nuclear war, she said. Local Democrats hope Clintons coattails, along with an expected drop in Republican turnout, will help them tip congressional, legislative and local races as well. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), whose 49th Congressional District takes in a part of southern Orange County, is the most prominent GOP elected official in the region who may be at risk this year, but other races further down the ballot could also be affected. The parties have spent millions of dollars here. Nelida Mendoza Yanez, 59, said Trump is helping Democrats efforts. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, she has lived in Santa Ana since her parents moved here in 1965, served as a sergeant in the Army and is now a community college board member. Minorities in Orange County have failed to turn out to vote, undermining their strength, Yanez said as she canvassed for Michele Martinez, a Latina Democrat running for the county Board of Supervisors. The 1st Supervisorial District home to the countys most populous and diverse cities gives evidence of that. Over the last four decades, it has been represented by a Democrat for just two years. That has been the mindset in the past: Why vote because theyre going to do whatever they want anyway, she said. Were changing that mindset. Were going to make [Orange County] blue! At least at the presidential level, her efforts are aided by Republicans who, like Ward and Fleischman, are not planning on voting for either major-party nominee. As he filled out his mail-in ballot, Fleischman passed over the Republican and Democratic presidential tickets, instead using a blue marker to scrawl retiring Dodgers announcer Vin Scullys name into the write-in space. A devoted party activist and former state party leader who moved to Orange County after college because it was a lucrative home for his brand of politics, Fleischman said he takes no joy in the likelihood of a Democrat winning here for the first time in his lifetime. There is no doubt if Hillary Clinton wins Orange County, California, that it will certainly dethrone Orange Countys position as the Republican crown jewel of the country, he said. And once you lose that crown, youre probably not going to get it back. seema.mehta@latimes.com For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter. ALSO CNN accepts Donna Braziles resignation after interactions with Clinton campaign prior to debate FBI speeds up its investigation into possible Clinton-related emails after criticism Trump used legally dubious maneuver to avoid reporting taxable income, according to new report With one week before election day, Donald Trump spent the bulk of Tuesday campaigning in Wisconsin, a state that has not backed a Republican for president since 1984. His unorthodox visit came on the heels of trips to Michigan and Pennsylvania, states that also havent gone red since the 1980s. For the final stretch of the presidential race, the GOP nominee has embarked on a strategy of long-shot bids, holding rallies and airing ads in states that have been reliably Democratic in recent elections. Trumps gambit sacrifices face time in battleground states, but if successful would upend the political map and likely hand him the White House. Advertisement The Trump campaign is on the offensive and expanding our presence in battleground states into blue states, David Bossie, Trumps deputy campaign manager, told reporters Tuesday. Trumps campaign believes it can flip states by relying on his populist rhetoric that connects with white working-class voters hurt by the Rust Belts decline in manufacturing. Michigan was among 13 states where the Trump campaign placed a $25-million ad buy for the final week of the race, digital director Brad Parscale announced. Pennsylvania and New Mexico, other mostly reliably blue states, were also on the list. At a rally Monday in Warren, Mich., Trump seemed almost giddy as he repeatedly mentioned how a win in the state would buck historical precedent. No Republican has won since like Reagan or something many years ago it was actually George H.W. Bush and I said, I love Michigan, he said. Trump has made a number of high-profile visits to the state, and he has enthusiastic grass-roots groups such as the Michigan Conservative Coalition organizing flash mobs and knocking on doors on his behalf. His campaign also has more than 30 offices in the state and consistently knocks on at least 100,000 doors a week, said Scott Hagerstrom, who runs Trumps campaign in Michigan. The biggest challenge, he said, is to get people to believe again, to believe that its possible. Trump faces steep hurdles in Michigan, Pennsylvania and here in Wisconsin, a state that has voted Democratic since 1984. He trails in public polls by 5 to 6 points in those states, according to averages maintained by RealClearPolitics. But if the race tightens significantly, the time invested in those states may yield dividends. The campaigns are interested in potential tipping-point states if the race closes to 50-50 nationally, not just where they are in the polls right now, said Matt Grossmann, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. In a closer national race, Michigan should be competitive. Late-autumn encroachment on rival territory is not unique to Trump. Past elections also have seen eleventh-hour maneuvers, such as then-GOP nominee Mitt Romney making an incursion into Pennsylvania two days before the 2012 election and George W. Bush visiting California just before the 2000 vote. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is making her own efforts to pick off typically red states, particularly Arizona. Shell hold a rally in Tempe on Wednesday, and running mate Tim Kaine will give a speech entirely in Spanish in Phoenix on Thursday. Campaign manager Robby Mook called Arizona a battleground state based on internal analysis of early-voting data and voter registration trends. What I would like to call the Hillary coalition is starting to emerge, Mook said, adding Republican women to an electorate that mirrors what has been referred to as the Obama coalition of minority, young and independent voters. Clinton is also shoring up support in states that had seemed securely in her column, expanding advertising in Virginia and Colorado while airing ads in New Mexico and Michigan for the first time in the general election. Shell also campaign in Detroit on Friday. Trump advisors pounced on the moves as signs of trouble for Clinton, though her aides cast them as an effort to spend all of the campaigns resources. We were able to raise a good amount of money and wed like to spend it. Its the last week to spend, said a senior Clinton campaign official, who would not be named discussing electoral strategy. The campaign had anticipated that the polls would tighten, the aide argued, adding that internal polling showed no great impact yet from the FBI announcement that it was reviewing newfound emails for possible links to Clintons private server. Bossie said he was heartened that Clinton was spending money in Democratic states. She is on the defense, he said. Data on early voting underscore the trade-offs the candidates face in choosing where to put time and money. So far, Latino voters appear to be turning out at levels above 2012 far greater in some states. But African American voters have lagged behind. That puts Clinton in a stronger position in states where Latinos play a key role, notably Arizona and Nevada. It could indicate trouble in Industrial Belt states, where a big turnout by black voters was crucial to President Obamas victories. Obama won in Ohio in 2012 because of tremendous performance out of Cuyahoga County and Franklin County by African American voters, said Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher, referring to the counties that include Cleveland and Cincinnati. But 2012 was an amazing year for African American voters, he added. The question for Democrats will be how much of a decline they suffer. That decline in black turnout is part of the reason public polls show Trump well-positioned to capture Ohio. His strong support from blue-collar white voters has also given him a potential edge in Iowa, another archetypal swing state that Obama won twice. Clinton is nurturing the traditional swing states. Every day this week, either she or a top-flight surrogate will campaign in North Carolina, a state Obama carried narrowly in 2008 only to see it flip barely to the Republican column in 2012. On Monday, Clinton made her ninth stop in Ohio since the Democratic National Convention. Shell return there by weeks end after her second stop of the week in Florida, where she campaigned Tuesday. Florida can decide who our next president is, Clinton said at a rally in Dade City. The early vote so far shows Florida could be headed to yet another extremely close result, cementing its status as the nations most closely divided battleground. Its close here. l could make an argument for either one of them here right now, very easily, said Democratic strategist Steve Schale, who ran Obamas campaign in Florida in 2008. As in other states, early voting by black voters in Florida has lagged behind their 2012 share of the electorate, which is why Obama will be traveling this week to Miami and Jacksonville to campaign for Clinton. We need the number to go up, Schale said. Having the president here helps. Mason reported from Eau Claire and Memoli from Dade City, Fla. Times staff writers David Lauter in Washington and Seema Mehta in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Twitter: @melmason, @mikememoli Orange County has voted for the GOP in every presidential election since 1936. This year, it could go blue FBI speeds up its investigation into possible Clinton-related emails after criticism Deep in the heart of Texas, Trump has Republicans worried about losing a congressional seat UPDATES: 4:55 p.m.: This story was updated with Clinton and Trump rallies and comments from both campaigns. 8:55 a.m.: This story was updated with the Trump campaign adding Pennsylvania to the states where it is applying an ad buy in the last week of the election. This story was originally published at 8:40 a.m. Past efforts to repeal the death penalty in California have centered on moral or ethical objections. This year, proponents of Proposition 62, which would replace the punishment with life in prison without parole, are focusing on economics. Prominent supporters of the measure have repeatedly pointed out that the states taxpayers have spent $5 billion on the executions of only 13 people in almost 40 years. Online ads have urged voters to end a costly system that wastes $150 million a year. Sometimes, something is so broken it just cant be fixed, a voiceover says in one commercial, as a blue-and-white china vase shatters to the ground. Advertisement Lets spend that money on programs that are proven to make us safer, a crime victim pleads in another. But as voters weigh two dueling death penalty measures on the Nov. 8 ballot one to eliminate executions, another to speed them up researchers are at odds over the actual costs and potential savings of each. Independent legislative analysts, meanwhile, believe Proposition 62 could save taxpayers millions, while concluding that the fiscal impact of Proposition 66s attempt to expedite death sentences is unknown. Death penalty cases are often the most expensive in the criminal justice system because the costs associated with capital punishment trials and the incarceration of death row offenders are vastly higher. The expenses begin to accrue at the county level. Capital cases require two trials, one to decide the verdict and another the punishment. They require more attorneys, more investigators, more time and experts and a larger jury pool. The costs grow as the state must pay to incarcerate inmates during a lengthy appeals process: The average cost of imprisoning an offender was about $47,000 per year in 2008-09, according to the nonpartisan state legislative analysts office. But housing a death row inmate can lead to an additional $50,000 to $90,000 per year, studies have found. Paula Mitchell, a professor at Loyola Law School who is against the death penalty and has advised the Yes on Prop. 62 campaign, puts the cost of the entire death penalty system since 1978 at about $5 billion. That figure, updated from data compiled in a 2011 report, includes 13 executions since the death penalty was reinstated through a 1978 ballot measure; it was suspended in 2006 because of legal challenges over injection protocols. The figure also includes the cost of trials, lengthy appeals and the housing of nearly 750 inmates on Californias death row. David Horsey: Proposition 62 and 66 cartoon The initial study estimated taxpayers spent $70 million per year on incarceration costs, $775 million on federal legal challenges to convictions, known as habeas corpus petitions, and $925 million on automatic appeals and initial legal challenges to death row cases. Mitchell and other researchers said Proposition 62, which would retroactively apply life sentences to all death row defendants, would save the state most of that money. It is sort of a fantasy that this system is ever going to be cost efficient, said Mitchell, who has been named the universitys executive director of the Project for the Innocent. But proponents of Proposition 66 argue the system can be reformed. The ballot measure would designate trial courts to take on initial challenges to convictions and limit successive appeals to within five years of a death sentence. It also would require lawyers who dont take capital cases to represent death row inmates in an attempt to expand the pool of available lawyers. In an analysis for its proponents, Michael Genest, a former budget director for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, contends such changes would save taxpayers $30 million annually in the long run. Proposition 62, in comparison, would cost taxpayers more than $100 million due to this lost opportunity over a 10-year period. But independent researchers with the legislative analysts office found plenty of factors could increase or reduce the chances of either ballot measure saving taxpayers money. Overall, they found Proposition 62 was likely to reduce net state and county costs by roughly $150 million within a few years. The actual number could be partially offset if, without the death penalty, offenders are less inclined to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence in some murder cases. That could lead to more cases going to trial and higher court costs, according to the legislative analysts office. Yet over time, the state could see lower prison expenses, even with a larger and older prison population, since the costs of housing and supervising death row inmates is much higher than paying for their medical bills, analysts said. If Prop. 62 goes into effect, they can be housed like life-without-parole inmates, some in single and some double cells, legislative analyst Anita Lee said. It would fall to [the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation] to do an evaluation of risks. Calculating the fiscal impact of Proposition 66 is much more complicated, the office found, as the measure leaves more open questions on implementation, such as how the state would staff up with additional private attorneys. Silicon Valley is pouring millions into repealing Californias death penalty. Will it make a difference? Legislative analysts said the costs in the short term were likely to be higher, as the state would have to process hundreds of pending legal challenges within the new time limits. Just how much is unknown, but the actual number could be in the tens of millions of dollars annually for many years. Also unknown, analysts said, is the propositions effect on the cost of each legal challenge. The limits on appeals and new deadlines could cut the expenses if they result in fewer, shorter legal filings that take less time and state resources to process. But they could increase costs if additional layers of review are required for habeas corpus petitions, the initial legal challenges in criminal cases, and if more lawyers are needed. Meanwhile, potential prison savings could reach tens of millions of dollars annually, depending on how the state changes the way it houses condemned inmates. Transferring male inmates to other prisons rather than housing them in single cells at San Quentin could lead to lower costs. But how much depends on how many the state can move. Mitchell said it was pretty much delusional to expect Proposition 66 to ever save the state money. For that to happen, she said, California would have to execute one person every week, 52 people a year for the next 15 years, assuming they are all guilty. But Kent Scheidegger, author of the proposition and legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation, argued the legislative offices numbers were skewed, while security costs for dangerous inmates would likely have to remain just as high. They dont become any less dangerous if you change their sentence from death row to life without parole, he said. jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com @jazmineulloa ALSO: What happens if both death penalty measures are approved by voters on Nov. 8? How MASH actor Mike Farrell became a leading voice against the death penalty in California In No on 62, Yes on 66' campaign ad, murder victims mother urges California voters to keep the death penalty Updates on California politics Never before have tobacco companies spent so much trying to defeat a cigarette tax hike in California. The $71 million raised by opponents of this years Proposition 56, which would add a $2 per pack tax on cigarettes, to date tops the industrys totals in 2006 and 2012, when R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris successfully knocked down previous tobacco tax hikes at the ballot. But unlike those previous failed campaigns, proponents of this tobacco tax hike have done a lot more to match the industrys dollars. The more than $32 million raised so far by the Yes on 56 campaign nearly doubles supporters prior highest total and narrows a once overwhelming spending gap. In both previous campaigns, the tobacco industry outspent supporters more than 4 to 1. Now, the tobacco companies margin is less than 2 to 1. Its more of a campaign among equals than in the past, said Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California, which has tracked public opinion on tobacco for years. Advertisement While money is a key element in every election, its proven especially so in tobacco tax campaigns. For a decade, opinion polls have consistently shown wide approval among Californians for the idea of raising cigarette taxes. But once opposition campaigns hammered away through television and radio advertisements and mailers about the details of the specific measures, the particular initiatives lost support and narrowly failed on election day. Supporters of Proposition 56 have the same worries. Last month, a Yes on 56 campaign official told The Times that if his side was outspent 4 to 1 again, the tax hike would lose. The tobacco industrys strategy to crush Proposition 56 has been no different than previous campaigns. The majority of the money generated, should the tax pass, would go toward increasing spending on Medi-Cal, the states health care program for low-income residents. Tobacco company advertisements have taken aim at the doctors, insurance companies and other interest groups that would benefit from more health care dollars many of the same organizations that are putting money behind the Yes on 56 campaign. The biggest donors in support of Proposition 56 are billionaire investor Tom Steyer ($11.3 million) and political action committees representing the California Hospital Assn. ($10.1 million) and the Service Employees International Union, which represents in-home caregivers and nursing home workers ($2.1 million). Other large contributors include insurance companies and associations representing doctors and dentists, according to state campaign finance reports. Beth Miller, spokeswoman for the No on 56 campaign, said its not surprising the health care industry is spending so much to pass the tobacco tax, because medical organizations will make more money with a larger state health care investment. I think it clearly underscores what weve been saying all along, Miller said. This is a tax grab from wealthy special interests. Still, some health care organizations have previously spent similar amounts on tobacco tax campaigns the California Hospital Assn. contributed more to the failed effort in 2006 than to Proposition 56 this year. The major change this time around is the backing of a single, deep-pocketed donor. The Yes on 56 campaign has been touting Steyers involvement since the start. And Steyer, who is one of the most prolific contributors to Democratic and liberal causes in California and across the U.S., has a starring role in two of the campaigns television commercials. Miller, the No on 56 spokeswoman, said Steyer, who has been floated as a potential 2018 candidate for governor, has donated to boost his political ambitions. Tom Steyer is investing in increasing his name ID, Miller said. Thats why he appears in all the ads. Steyer said that he wanted to combat preventable deaths caused by smoking and push back against decades of high tobacco company spending in California politics. It makes sense for him to be in the Yes on 56 ads because hes the largest donor, he said. One of the things weve pushed for is to have transparency, Steyer said. I think it would be great if the presidents of R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris would do their ads instead of actors. With a week until election day, there are signs that a narrowed spending gap might be having an effect on the race. A late-October PPIC poll showed Proposition 56 with a strong lead among likely voters with 56% in favor, down just 3 percentage points from a similar PPIC poll in September despite the huge anti-Proposition 56 spending on the airwaves. PPICs Baldassare said that he was surprised that the measures support had held so steady. He said Proposition 56s relative strength could be due to the general popularity of tobacco taxes and increasing health care spending, new laws that make it easier to know that unpopular tobacco companies are funding the opposition campaign and the yes sides bigger war chest. liam.dillon@latimes.com Follow me at @dillonliam on Twitter ALSO Why opponents of increasing the tobacco tax arent talking about tobacco Tom Steyer is now the biggest donor in the effort to raise the tobacco tax Billionaire-backed campaign launched to raise Californias tobacco tax Theres perhaps no better quip from a television show about FBI agents than this one: The truth is out there. Sure, The X-Files was about mysteries of the paranormal. But at this point in a historically divisive and grueling election season, explaining the unexplainable kind of seems like an apt description of things. Good morning from the state capital. Im Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers, and we begin with what looks like a shift of the political spotlight toward, of all places, the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Advertisement QUESTIONS ABOUT MANAFORT, PRESSURE ON THE CLINTON-RELATED EMAIL PROBE Just when it felt as if the focus couldnt get any sharper on the FBI, there was word late on Monday afternoon that the agency was taking a look at the Russian business ties of Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trumps presidential campaign. If nothing else, the news may spark an effort by the Hillary Clinton campaign to try to divert some attention from the fact that FBI agents are assessing emails related to their investigation of her, discovered on the laptop of her close aides estranged husband. Even so, there was mounting pressure on Monday from Democrats and some Republicans for the law enforcement agency and its director, James B. Comey, to quickly offer more clarity on whats being looked for in the review of those communications. Trumps current campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said Monday that the Republican nominee wont focus on the new email questions in the final days of the race. Well see, of course, whether that position holds up if the GOP nominee feels any new headwinds in this final week of the campaign. For its part, the Clinton campaign is accusing Comey of a double standard in revealing efforts on the email investigation but earlier refusing to take a similar stand on Russian hackers interference with the presidential election. NEW, LATE BUZZ ON TRUMPS TAXES There was also late word, a story broken by the New York Times, of more questions regarding Trumps tax record specifically, that he appeared to use a legally dubious accounting maneuver in the 1990s to avoid reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in income. IN OTHER PRESIDENTIAL RACE NEWS A series of robocalls being placed to Utah voters is focused on the family of Evan McMullin, the independent conservative candidate whos thought to be taking support away from Trump in an otherwise reliably Republican state. The calls reportedly attack McMullins mother for marrying a woman after the divorce from her husband and suggest the candidate is a closet homosexual. Whos behind them? A Los Angeles attorney who leads the white nationalist American Freedom Party. He also happens to have been at one point identified this past summer as a Trump delegate from California to the Republican National Convention. Meantime, more embarrassment for Team Clinton with the revelation that CNN has formally accepted the resignation of Donna Brazile as an on-air pundit. Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, has been accused through emails swiped by WikiLeaks of giving the Clinton campaign an advance look at one or more questions to be asked at a CNN town hall during the presidential primaries. And in (gasp!) presidential policy news, some leading economists now say they believe Clintons immigration reform ideas would be a bigger boost to the U.S. economy than those of Trump. One economist, reports Don Lee, calls the difference between the two candidates plans a game changer. Get the latest from the campaign trail on Trail Guide and follow @latimespolitics. Check our daily USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times tracking poll at the top of the politics page. PETER THIEL TALKS POLITICS IN D.C. The onetime media shy Peter Thiel is shy no longer. On Monday, the Silicon Valley tech billionaire spoke to the National Press Club to explain his thinking on what has drawn so many voters to Trump this year. As Noah Bierman reports, Thiel saw no reason to remain quiet about his six-figure donation to the presidential nominee earlier this year. This is the first time Ive done something thats actually conventional, Thiel said. It didnt feel contrarian. MORE FALLOUT ON NATIONAL GUARD REPAYMENTS The commander of the California National Guard now says officials cant find 4,000 of the 9,700 soldiers caught up in an enlistment bonus scandal that has rocked the Pentagon and one of the nations largest Guard organizations. As David S. Cloud reports, Maj. Gen. David Baldwin also says the vast majority of the 9,700 soldiers who received improper payments did so unknowingly and enlisted in good faith at a time of war, suggesting for the first time that most may be eligible to have their debts forgiven. Since The Times first story on the repayment demands, lawmakers across California and the nation have weighed in demanding the Department of Defense abandon the effort. The response so far has been to suspend it. And on Monday, the entire California State Senate asked congressional leaders to intervene. PROP. 53 CHAMPION SAYS ITS ALL ABOUT DEBT In an election cycle where total spending on statewide ballot measures is setting records, its possible that few political players will have received as much bang for their buck as Dean Cortopassi. Hes the proponent of Proposition 53, asking voters to require that large revenue bonds used for public works projects be placed on future statewide ballots. Cortopassi is a wealthy Stockton agribusiness owner whose argument, laid out in my story on the ballot measure, is that theres too little transparency about the true costs of debt. But its also undeniable that voters approving his proposition could change the course of history on a landmark state water project and Californias high-speed rail effort. And its the appeal that Proposition 53 may have at first glance, which explains why Gov. Jerry Brown has launched a last-minute $15-million opposition campaign. THE TOBACCO TAX MONEY RACE IS A LOT CLOSER THAN IT USED TO BE Twice in the last decade, tobacco companies buried attempts to raise the cigarette tax in a pile of campaign cash, outspending those groups 4 to 1 as two tax-hiking ballot measures went down to narrow defeats. But this year, the Proposition 56 bid to increase the cigarette tax by $2 a pack is seeing a lot more money pour in on the yes side. Now, Liam Dillon reports, tobacco companies are spending less than 2 times backers. The smaller spending gap could be one of the major reasons why Proposition 56 has maintained a lead in the polls despite heavy negative advertising against it. VILLARAIGOSA IS FOR LEGALIZING POT Count another potential 2018 gubernatorial hopeful in when it comes to next weeks ballot measure to legalize marijuana. Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday became the latest high-profile politician to endorse Proposition 64, the effort to legalize the recreational use of pot in California. Villaraigosa is considering whether to run for governor amid a field that already includes Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading proponent of Proposition 64. Be sure to check out The Times ballot box guide to Californias 17 propositions. Learn our editorial boards positions on each measure, and get in-depth coverage on everything from school bonds to condoms. And keep an eye on our Essential Politics news feed for late-breaking developments. TODAYS ESSENTIALS Everyone had a costume of some sort on but that one guy: Gov. Jerry Brown, First Lady Anne Gust Brown and their two dogs handed out candy Monday night in front of the historic governors mansion in Sacramento. It looks like there was some amazing presidential pumpkin-carving going on this Halloween. And yes, Halloween was the perfect day to wear a costume to a campaign rally. U.S. Senate candidate Loretta Sanchez released her 2015 tax returns and the campaign of rival Kamala Harris immediately pounced on her for not including her husbands tax filing. The Congressional Leadership Fund is pouring another $1.5 million into the race between Rep. Jeff Denham and Democrat Michael Eggman, raising the amount theyve spent in the once safe race to $3.5 million. Some well-known activists were on the campaign trail in support of Proposition 61 on Monday. Al Sharpton, Marc Morial of the National Urban League and other civil rights leaders appeared at a rally in support of the measure. Sharpton called prescription drug affordability a civil rights issue. Sharpton and Morial also spent the weekend stumping for the ballot measure, which seeks to lower the prices state agencies pay for prescription drugs, at primarily black churches in South Los Angeles and Oakland. President Obama added another name to his list of California legislative candidates hes endorsing: Josh Newman, a Democrat running for state Senate against Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar), got the Presidents backing Monday. This follows last weeks announcement that Obama was endorsing three Assembly candidates in California. Who will win the November election? Give our Electoral College map a spin. LOGISTICS Miss yesterdays newsletter? Here you go. Did someone forward you this? Sign up here to get Essential Politics in your inbox daily. And keep an eye on our politics page throughout the day for the latest and greatest. And are you following us on Twitter at @latimespolitics and @LATpoliticsCA? Please send thoughts, concerns and news tips to politics@latimes.com. A Black Lives Matter writing contest for UC Irvine students sponsored by the schools Department of African American Studies and the campus Center for Excellence in Writing and Communication is accepting poetry, essays, short stories and other entries until Nov. 24. The contest, in its second year, is open to all UCI undergraduates. We pretty much wanted to give black students an opportunity to talk about their experiences, the negative and positive, and how they can use this as a platform and initiate a conversation, said Shayon Falls, a co-chair of the Black Student Union at UCI. Students voices are silenced if they have a critique for the university, and this is giving them an opportunity to voice their concerns, Falls said. This years contest theme is Black Lives Matter: A Conversation About Black Connections How to Overcome Internal and External Violence. We wanted people to be addressing the problems within the black community, said Caylyn Lawson, a member of the student committee that decided the theme. An internal issue may be black women oppressed by black men or queer folks oppressed by straight folks. As far as external, it would be anti-black racism from non-blacks. Sue Cross, associate director at the Center for Excellence which offers tutoring services to students for writing, editing and research strategies thought of the contest idea two years ago after a tutor said it didnt seem that many black students were using the center. Cross said she sought input from African American Studies Chairwoman Bridget Cooks and the Black Student Union, and the group decided to hold the first Black Lives Matter writing contest during the 2015-16 school year. It seems like a basic idea, and yet its been something thats very contentious nationwide, Cooks said of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has become synonymous with protests over police shootings of African Americans. "[The contest] is not about a competition in terms of someones political views over someone elses. Its about being able to articulate your thoughts about something that matters to students. Lawson won first place in last years contest with her research paper on the dehumanization of black children in the media. For the contests second year, Cross and a group of UCI faculty members decided the theme should be determined by a student committee, which currently consists of Lawson and the two co-chairs of the Black Student Union. In January, the Black Student Union called for the university to dismantle its police force, alleging it had failed to address the safety concerns of black students. University officials said they had no plans to abolish the police force but would encourage dialogue with the student group. In October, more than 100 Black Lives Matter demonstrators gathered outside the universitys Student Center to protest Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Becks appearance at a race-and-policing symposium. Fourth-year UCI student Amanda Valadez said she believes the Black Lives Matter movement is being misinterpreted. Some people change it to All Lives Matter, and, of course, everyones life matters. But thats not what Black Lives Matter is trying to highlight, Valadez said. The main thing is that racism is still a big problem in society and the judicial system. Third-year student Matthew Akhavan-Kim said this years writing contest could generate more awareness among students. The more awareness you have, the more you can affect change for the coming generation, Akhavan-Kim said. Nothing ever happens immediately, and change is a slow process. But doing it at a university is a way to start that. Contest entries can be one to 15 pages long and can be submitted to the Center for Excellence in Writing and Communication by 5 p.m. Nov. 24. For more information, visit humanities.uci.edu. alexandra.chan@latimes.com Twitter: @AlexandraChan10 The Oakmont League created an inspiring red, white and blue salute during its America the Beautiful biennial fashion show luncheon at the Hilton Glendale on Saturday. Social time was spent chatting with friends or shopping from an array of vendors displaying boutique clothing and sparkling accents for hands and necklines. President Nina Ratliff welcomed the more than 200 guests attending and noted the league was celebrating its 77th year of service and friendship in the Glendale community. Throughout the years, she said, those attending have helped the league contribute almost $2 million to local schools and charities. NEWSLETTER: Stay up to date with whats going on in your community >> The league supports Hillside School Learning Center, Glendale Healthy Kids, Glendale Community Colleges disabled students programs and services as well as scholarships to students attending the five high schools and Glendale Community College. About the theme, Ratliff said, We are celebrating how fortunate we are to live in this country. So a rousing Pledge of Allegiance was followed by a lovely solo of America the Beautiful by Annie Dingwall, a friend of member Lydia Trout. Co-chairs Barbara McCullough and Judy Mendicina joined co-chair Ratliff at the podium and Ratliff announced the master of ceremonies back by popular demand her son Stephen Ratliff and co-hostess Emmy Award-winning CBS News reporter Michele Gile. Gile read the bios of honorees Esther Bowen, who has given 29 years to the league, and co-chair McCullough, who has given 24. Bowen was unable to attend because of health reasons, so daughter Allison Weir received the royal blue statuette and granddaughter Heather Weir gave the acceptance speech. And the whole family joined them at the podium. McCullough was recognized for holding every position on the board of directors, including president for two years. Father Mike Javor, of Good Shepherd Church in Long Beach, gave the invocation and, in it, thanked the members who continue to prove that generosity to the needy will never go out of fashion. Baby spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette led off the meal of short ribs or vegetable mushroom risotto and a delightful shortcake with strawberries and blueberries was the grand-old-flag finish. Models floated down the runway in fashions by the Robert Ellis Boutique. Black as well as black and white were the dominating colors for most of the styles, ranging from dressy day to evening wear. One model strutted the catwalk with a standard black poodle on the end of her leash. Very classy! A white evening gown with a cascade of flowers woven into the fabric of the dress. Lucky prize-winners were Marguerite Marsh, probably home watching her new flat-screen TV, co-chair Mendicina, surely planning a wine tasting with her new collection, and Maggie Harbaugh, looking forward to her next vacation at a private home on Balboa Island. Mary Fussier landed the stay-cation at the Hilton Glendale. Theres no place like home. Glendale Beautiful honors sustainable landscapes Four properties that implement drought-tolerant and storm-water-saving landscapes were honored during the Glendale Beautiful 2016 Awards Day luncheon at the Joe Bridges Clubhouse earlier this month. This year, Matt Gangi, vice president of Glendale Beautiful, served as awards chairman. Glendale Beautiful has awarded landscaping projects that are eco-friendly and help protect the environment, Gangi said. We hope that awarding these projects will help encourage others to do the same. Hopefully, everyone in our community locally and beyond can start making steps toward creating a more sustainable future. Habitat for Humanitys Chestnut Homes received the honor for the great work it does building homes for low-income families as well as creating environmentally friendly landscapes that surround the homes. The organizations landscape design on three homes on Chestnut Street in Glendale features drought-tolerant plants, UC Verde Buffalo Grass and a drip irrigation system. Christian Life Church of Montrose was recognized for its many eco-friendly features. The landscape features drought-tolerant plants, a drip irrigation system throughout and a braided stream bed to re-infiltrate the ground water. Oakmont Country Club was honored for removing 33 acres of grass and replacing the courses water features with sand, gravel and California native drought-tolerant plants. A special award went to the city of Glendale for its design of Central Park Paseo, which has a beautiful array of drought-tolerant plants and a sense of humor as a Museum of Neon Art sign hangs above the display reading The leak stops here. Business group supports women with events The Verdugo Glen chapter of the American Business Womens Assn. will hold a fundraising luncheon this month in addition to its monthly meeting, where women will receive suggestions about to keep their businesses healthy. Debbie Kukta, Burbanks city treasurer, will talk about Lessons Learned from Successful Business Owners during the groups next meeting from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. next Wednesday at the Glendale Elks Lodge, 120 E. Colorado St. Networking will begin at 6 p.m. Dinner cost is $25. Reservation deadline is Thursday. Pay via Paypal by using the groups email address, abwaverdugoglen@gmail.com. Include your name, any guest name(s), date of event in the notes and a contact number. For more information, contact Loren West at (818) 261-2386 or visit abwa-verdugoglen.org. Fashions from womens clothier Chicos will be featured at the associations third annual fashion show luncheon with the theme Put a Spring in Your Step on April 30. Tickets are $55. Proceeds go toward student scholarships and member education programs. For reservations, visit the website above or call (626) 354-6578. -- JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com. After a seven-year hiatus, Colorados ski train, which ran from Denver to the Winter Park ski resort from 1940 to 2009, is back. The train, a longtime tradition in the Centennial State, will begin making runs beginning Jan. 7 and will continue every weekend and holiday through March 26. Thanks to a new commuter line running from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Union Station in downtown Denver, from which the Winter Park Express departs, visiting skiers and snowboarders can get to Winter Park Resort without renting or even getting into a car during their stay. Advertisement Tickets may be purchased at Winter Parks website. One-way adult fares start at $39. In addition to the ski train, new airline service means visitors can reach seven resorts within a two-hour drive of Denver (DEN) and more easily access Colorado Ski Country USAs 21 member resorts. Aspen Snowmass will have new daily nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) this winter and welcomes the return of nonstop flights from Salt Lake City (SLC), all operated by Delta. These additional flights begin Dec. 17, when Delta also resumes seasonal daily nonstop flights from Atlanta (ATL) and Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP), which allows for connections from virtually the entire Delta network. A new flight operated by Alaska Airlines into Steamboat/Hayden (HDN) from San Diego International Airport (SAN) will give Southern Californians a chance to experience Steamboats legendary powder, with flights operating twice a week Dec. 17 to March 25. Looking to capture Southern Californians headed for ski resorts in Southwestern Colorado, three airlines this winter will offer direct flights from LAX to Montrose (which is 65 miles from Telluride; 68 miles from Silverton; 83 miles from Purgatory). American will fly daily Dec. 15-April 2. United will fly Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 17-March 26. Allegiant will fly Wednesdays and Saturdays, Dec. 17-March 26. For more details, contact carriers or Visit Telluride. Or you can fly from Denver (DEN) on a new Allegiant Airlines flight servicing Montrose Regional Airport (MTJ). It flies twice weekly with one-way fares as low as $44. For a full list of flights into and out of Denver to Colorados eight regional airports and for direct flights into airports serving the ski resorts, check out coloradoski.com/traveling. ALSO Ready for ski season? Vail Resorts Epic Pass adds top slopes in Europe Holiday gift tip: Mammoth brew tour, plus lunch and suds, for $99 To see these Mojave Desert petroglyphs, you first have to pass a Navy screening Hey couch surfers, why not travel with your own couch? Firefighters have managed to stop the fire at the karaoke bar in Hanoi by 7 p.m. on November 1, 2016. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy The Prime Minister has ordered a probe into the case. 13 people have been killed in the fire at a karaoke bar in downtown Hanoi, Major General Doan Viet Manh of the Vietnam Fire and Rescue Police Department told VnExpress late Tuesday. Hospital 198, under the Ministry of Public Security, is treating two police officers who were injured while fighting the fire. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered Hanoi authorities to oversee the search and rescue and the city police to investigate the incident. The PM has also asked the capital to offer support to victims and their families. Local authorities are to inspect and suspend any karaoke bars or restaurants that violate fire safety regulations. Rescue workers had been battling to save people from the massive fire that broke out in the karaoke bar. The fire spread to three neighboring buildings and incinerated a car and many motorbikes on the street. Another fire also broke out the same day in a two-story house in Ha Dong District, more than 10km southwest of downtown Hanoi. No injuries were reported. Related news: > Karaoke bar fire rages in downtown Hanoi It was as if Nelson Mandela had spoken from the grave. The foundation that carries on his work issued a scathing statement Tuesday saying that South African President Jacob Zuma, who has faced growing calls to step down, had failed the test of national leadership. The foundation, which usually stays out of politics, called on the governing African National Congress, the party of both Mandela and Zuma, to take the steps necessary to ensure that the vehicle of state be protected and placed in safe and capable hands. Twenty years since Nelson Mandela signed South Africas Constitution into law and as the third anniversary of his passing approaches, it is painful for us at the Nelson Mandela Foundation to bear witness to the wheels coming off the vehicle of our state, the statement said. Advertisement Zumas leadership has increasingly been called into question as South Africas economic and political problems deepen. Since Zuma was elected in 2009, the country has been plagued by stagnant growth, high unemployment, power struggles within the ruling party and violent student protests. His term as ANC leader expires next year. His second and final term as president runs until 2019. Business leaders, civil society groups and a former finance minister recently formed an organization known as Save South Africa, which is calling on Zuma to resign as president. But he can only be dismissed by the ANCs national executive committee, which has been dominated by Zuma supporters. It is unclear whether that is likely to change. In October, a senior ANC official, the parliamentary whip, Jackson Mthembu, said the entire ANC leadership, including himself and Zuma, had failed the country and should step down en mass from their posts in the party. Nobody has budged. Among the allegations made by Zumas opponents is that he used the National Prosecuting Authority to pursue a political vendetta against his finance minister, Pravin Gordhan, who has clashed with the president over several government projects. Gordhan was charged with fraud last month for events a decade ago, when he headed the tax department and cost taxpayers about $80,000 by giving a deputy early retirement and hiring him as a consultant. On Monday, amid growing criticism that the charge was politically motivated, prosecutors withdrew it, saying Gordhan lacked the intent to commit fraud. He remains under investigation over claims that as head of the tax office he set up a rogue investigation unit. Several top ANC officials have publicly backed Gordhan. Zuma has denied playing any role in the prosecution or investigation. Zuma has also been embroiled in controversy surrounding the three Gupta brothers, businessmen with extensive holdings in coal, mining and other industries. Critics say that with Zumas blessing, the family manipulated government contracts and appointments, including the replacement of a finance minister late last year. Zuma and the Gupta brothers deny the claims. Zuma is fighting in court to prevent publication of a report by the Public Protector, a politically independent watchdog that reports to the Parliament, examining the relationship between the president, the Gupta family and other state officials. On Tuesday, opposition parties won the right to be parties to the case. The president is also fighting fraud and racketeering charges 783 in all in a case that dates back to before he became president. Prosecutors dropped the charges just before he took office, but this year a court overturned that decision, and now his lawyers are appealing to squash the case again. The statement by the Nelson Mandela Foundation underscores the alarm in the governing party, and South Africa generally, over the countrys direction under Zumas leadership. South African citizens across the land are speaking out and taking action to express their dissatisfaction, the statement said. The Nelson Mandela Foundation supports the demand to hold to account those responsible for compromising our democratic state and looting its resources. We have seen a weakening of critical institutions such as the South African Revenue Service, the National Prosecuting Authority and law enforcement bodies due to political meddling for private interests. robyn.dixon@latimes.com Hundreds of protestors camped overnight in protest at the Istanbul headquarters of Turkeys oldest secular newspaper after its editor and a dozen staffers were detained by police in what many see as a widening crackdown on government critics. Istanbul prosecutors said the journalists at the Cumhuriyet newspaper were being investigated for supporting groups the government has designated terrorist organizations: followers of Fethullah Gulen, a self-exiled cleric whom the government blames for a July 15 coup attempt, and the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency. Prosecutors took issue with the papers portrayal of the investigation that followed the failed coup which so far has resulted in the arrests of 37,000 and the dismissal of 110,000 state workers as a purge. The newspaper is one of the few remaining opposition news outlets in Turkey. Advertisement The government also criticized the papers coverage of military operations in the Kurdish southeast, suggesting it had made the countrys counter-terrorism operations look like wars. At least 1,700 people have been killed and 400,000 displaced since a cease-fire with the PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkeys NATO allies, collapsed two years ago. Instead of moves to strengthen democracy, we are faced with a counter-coup, said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of the opposition Republican Peoples Party, or CHP, which has historical ties with the newspaper.. We are faced with a situation where the coup has been used as an opportunity to silence societys intellectuals and mount pressure on media, he told reporters while visiting Cumhuriyets offices in Ankara. The detentions have underscored the fears of those who claim the state of emergency imposed after the failed coup is being used to target not only alleged followers of Gulen, but leftist, secular and pro-Kurdish news outlets as well. At the beginning after the coup, the government dismissed and arrested those with ties to Gulen, but since then we are seeing this period where all the opposition movement is being targeted, including the Kurdish groups, said Ahmet Faruk Unsal, the head of Mazlumder, a Turkish human rights monitoring group. Authorities are targeting individuals who had financial dealings with Gulen-linked banks such as Bank Asya, Unsal said, entities he said were legal until the failed coup. If it was a crime, the government has the responsibility to tell people it is a crime first. According to the Turkish Journalists Assn., 170 media outlets accused of having ties to Gulen or the PKK have been shuttered, and 105 journalists have been jailed. More than 700 other journalists have had their press credentials revoked. Yet another red line crossed against freedom of expression in Turkey, tweeted Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament. The nation draws the red line for us. What importance does your line have?, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim responded. They keep putting press freedom in front of us whenever we take steps in combating terror. Over the weekend, the government citing powers under the state of emergency ordered the closure of 10 newspapers, two news agencies, and three magazines, saying they had ties to the PKK. Among them was the countrys last remaining Kurdish-language daily. The same government decree also dismissed 10,131 government workers from various ministries, along with 1,267 academics at public universities. The decree gave President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the power to appoint the heads of universities, a selection process that traditionally is done by academics. Turkeys majority Kurdish southeast was the scene of daily protests against the indictment of two prominent elected officials. Prosecutors charged Diyarbakirs co-mayors, Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, with providing support to the PKK. Officials said Kisanak and Anli gave speeches within the last year that supported the PKK and allowed municipal funds and vehicles to be used to transport the bodies of PKK fighters for burial. At least 11 provinces in the southeast, including Diyarbakir, experienced Internet blackouts after the detentions of the Kurdish officials, as the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party called for indefinite protests. Farooq is a special correspondent. The fight against Islamic State is finally coming to Mosul, Iraq. With Iraqs prime minister vowing to cut off the head of the snake, elite government forces were said to have begun their assault on the city proper. Iraqi special forces reported fierce clashes east of Mosul as they approached the outskirts of the city Tuesday. Advertisement Lt. Col. Ali Hussein Fadil who leads the Najaf battalion of Iraqi special forces, part of the Golden Division, said they were battling Islamic State along the eastern Mosul highway in the village of Gogjali, about four miles outside the city. He said Iraqi troops were fighting amid an area of factories, trying to secure the road forward. Last night, we made an advance, he said, killing eight Islamic State fighters and exploding four of their vehicles. The fight to retake Mosul from the Sunni Muslim extremists could involve weeks or months of brutal urban warfare. This apparent new phase of the battle comes two weeks after the start of a long-awaited offensive by tens of thousands of American-backed Iraqi and Kurdish troops, tribal fighters and militias. The coalition has been working to drive Islamic State out of towns and villages surrounding the northern city, its fighters dealing as they go with jihadist suicide bombers, oil-filled trenches and booby-trapped structures and bridges. Its the biggest military operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq 13 years ago. The leading edge of Iraqi forces, elite counter-terrorism troops reached Mosuls eastern Karama district after penetrating the outlying industrial zone of Gogjali, Reuters quoted Lt. Gen Abdul Ghani Assadi as telling state television. State TV also reported that residents were rising up against the militants something the coalition has long urged them to do despite the dangers. A resident of Mosuls eastern edge named Abu Mohammed told Britains Guardian newspaper by phone that Islamic State fighters had been putting up intense resistance in the face of the Iraqi troop advance on Karama. The reports could not immediately be independently verified. Islamic State overran the city, Iraqs second largest, in 2014, representing a major expansion of its self-declared caliphate extending across parts of Syria and Iraq. Retaking the city has already been costly for civilians trapped between battle lines and commandeered as human shields by the extremists. Loss of the city would be a major blow to Islamic State but could trigger a flood of refugees up to 1 million, by the warning of the United Nations. News agencies quoted Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi as saying troops were seeking to seal the escape routes for Islamic State fighters and commanders, and pledged to take the fight to the militants. God willing, we will cut off the head of the snake, Abadi declared on state television, clad in military fatigues and speaking from the Qayyarah military base south of the city. They have no escape. They will die or surrender. laura.king@latimes.com Times staff write Molly Hennessy-Fiske contributed to this report from Irbil, Iraq. ALSO An Iraqi band of brothers: They watch American Sniper and play Call of Duty and theyre out to recapture Mosul Inside the underground hide-out of an Islamic State leader Facing Iraq government-led Mosul offensive, Islamic State extremists strike back UPDATES: 2:25 a.m., Nov. 1: This article was updated with information about Iraqi special forces moving close to Mosul. 10:35 p.m.: This article has been updated with news that the assault on Mosul has begun. This article was originally published at 5:25 p.m. Oct. 31. Lt. Col. Ali Hussein Fadil and his elite troops followed in the footsteps of a biblical prophet who once walked these desert plains, and like him, they found themselves in the belly of the beast. Meeting fierce resistance from Sunni Muslim militants defending their most crucial bastion in Iraq, elite Iraqi troops pushed their way inside Mosuls eastern perimeter on Tuesday, marking the start of a ferocious new phase in the battle to retake the northern city. The incursion by Iraqi special forces -- acting as the tip of the spear in a massive U.S.-backed offensive -- marked the first presence of government troops within the city limits during more than two years of harsh rule by the Sunni militants of Islamic State. Advertisement Hussein, speaking by phone from the eastern district of Gogjali, his troops first foothold in the city proper, described their reception: A volley of suicide car bombs dispatched by the extremists. American-led airstrikes, he said, helped them push on, but they had no illusions about the expected brutality of house-to-house fighting that lay ahead as they entered the heart of Islamic State. The operation is so hard, he said. And in coming days its going to be harder. The drive deeper into the city from districts on the east bank of the Tigris River was to continue in coordination with other forces approaching from the north and south, said Sabah Numan, a spokesman for the counter-terrorism forces that led the drive into the city. In Gogjali, they raised the Iraqi flag. People who fled from Islamic State territory sit Tuesday outside a mosque guarded by Iraqi soldiers in Shuwayrah, south of Mosul. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press ) After nearly a full day of fighting, Iraqi forces continued to advance toward the densely populated Karama district, which Islamic State fighters were using as a base to fight from behind makeshift blast walls. The militants deployed at least three car bombs that were detonated before they could kill or injure any Iraqi troops, the counter-terrorism force spokesman said. As has been their practice since the overall offensive began two weeks ago, Islamic State fighters sought to hold off the attackers by lacing structures and roadways with explosives. As elsewhere, American airstrikes were aiding the advance of coalition troops, including Iraqi government forces, Kurdish fighters, and tribal and Shiite militias. Mosul, once Iraqs second-most populous city, with a population of about 1.2 million, fell to Islamic State in 2014, and it has been the militants main urban stronghold in the country since then. Losing Mosul would represent a major blow to the group both militarily and in terms of prestige. Even though the U.S.-backed attackers are now operating inside the city, the urban core of Mosul is still about six miles away, and in fighting so far, advancing only a few yards can be a costly endeavor. This modern-day war zone is redolent with millenniums of history and of sites sacred to Islam and Christianity alike. Jonah, the prophet best known for the Bible story telling of his three days in the belly of a whale, also traveled to Nineveh, the ancient city that partly overlaps with present-day Mosul. Near the battle lines on the citys eastern edge, black smoke rose from fires set by the militants in an attempt to shield their positions from airstrikes. Many civilians trapped by the fighting huddled in their homes, and television footage showed white flags hung by residents from windows and balconies in an effort to stave off strikes aimed at Islamic State fighters. For civilians, the fighting was a terrifying ordeal. People living in the district of Al Quds, at the citys eastern approach, said heavy clashes had erupted at dawn, punctuated by loud explosions. One told the Reuters news agency by phone that residents could see Islamic State fighters using vehicles and alleyways for cover as they fired on advancing Iraqi troops. We advise people in Mosul to stay in their houses to be safe, the commander of the Iraqi counter-terrorism forces said in a briefing carried on the Kurdish television channel Rudaw. The commander, Talib Kanani, said militants were seizing civilians to use as human shields. Many people were anxiously awaiting word of the fate of relatives caught near the front lines. Omar Turki, 26, said his parents were trapped at home on Mosuls eastern edge just half a mile from the fighting. When he spoke to them on Tuesday afternoon, he could hear the thump of mortars landing and the terrified crying of his 8-year-old sister, Hoda. The family had packed a few belongings, readied a white flag and was ready to flee whenever they had a chance to do so, he said by telephone from Debaga, a camp for the displace. They are so happy the army is approaching their area and they are close to liberating the whole city, Turki said. Living under Islamic State, he said, had been like a death. Others remained in suspense over loved ones safety. Hazim Jasm Mohammed, 60, a local official in Gogjali, wanted to check on his 25-year-old daughter, her husband and their three children under the age of 4, who live in an area still held by Islamic State. But his way was blocked by a military checkpoint. A day earlier, the family was so worried by the continuing presence of the militant fighters close to their home, he said. By late Tuesday, he had still not learned whether they were alive. Hennessy-Fiske reported from Irbil and King from Washington. ALSO An Iraqi band of brothers: They watch American Sniper and play Call of Duty and theyre out to recapture Mosul In the aftermath of Islamic States retreat in Iraq: destruction, fire and toxic fumes In Syrias capital, the civil war suddenly seems far away UPDATES: 5:15 p.m.: This article was updated quotes, details and description of the Mosul offensive. 10 a.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes and description. This article was originally posted at 8:05 a.m. Jose Cuervo, the world's biggest tequila producer, is expected to move forward with a planned initial public offering once the US presidential election is over An object believed to be a UFO was seen in the sky above Vienna, Austria on October 2016. Worried onlookers immediately captured the image and posted it online. The sighting is the latest among numerous sightings all over the world. Many believe that this will prove further the science claim that alien existence is true. Almost similar to other sightings which has a bright light and spherical in shape, the UFO lights up the city from above and gave off a white and almost-purple glow, RT News reported. People who spotted the hovering craft also claimed that the same sighting was seen in the southern town of Graz and other nearby cities. This similar description was also claimed for sightings in Moscow, Russia ten years ago. But non-believers dismissed the UFO sighting, seeing it as an aircraft similar to a quadrocopter, a helicopter with four rotors. Officials of the place did not give any confirmation or disagreement to any speculation. Austrians claimed that the sighting was not the first to appear in their country this year but a lot more. During the New Year celebration, a UFO was captured in a camera by a student apparently being struck by lightning in Mostviertel area of lower Austria. The mysterious object was captured when students danced and the camera was panned upward to follow sparking fireworks, then it was spotted having bright orb in the sky. In relation with this news, in October 7 this year a UFO was seen appearing to land in Moscow. The sighting was immediately uploaded by witnesses to sharing sites and the mobile phone footage had just becomes viral. It showed a bright ball of light flying over blocks of flat before slowly descending to the ground. It was huge and dazzling. According to media in Russia, it was not the first time for the country to record UFO sightings above its skies. In Barranquilla, this warm and humid city on the Caribbean shore is conceived to reckon the answer beneath the mysteries of the epidemic Zika Virus. This disputed epidemic draws an inference that as to why the world's second largest outbreak next to Brazil beget minimal birth defects. This leads to another concern of what are the underlying facts that caused Zika to reign in that particular region. In a data, a comparison of babies affected of Zika virus in Brazil and Colombia is presented. It is surprising to note that in Brazil, a huge number of babies have been born with microcephaly which totaled to more than 2,000 babies, who had small heads and brain damage. Whereas, in Colombia, the officials' prediction that it will reach to 700 at the end of this year never meet to its actual damage for there are only 47 as confirmed in The New York Times. The huge difference has been noticed all throughout Americas. On the other hand, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a data of Zika cases. The data marks U.S. with 28 cases, which almost linked to women infected elsewhere, while Guatemala is marked with 15 cases. Martinique has only 12 cases. When asked whether Americas is equally affected as Northeastern Brazil, most of the experts answered that it won't happen. Finding and determining what caused the stop of microcephaly in Colombia will be a great help to other countries choked up of the worst result the epidemic brings. There are few apparent differences between Colombia and Brazil's epidemics. The total population of Colombia is less than one-fourth of Brazil. Moreover, nearly half of its dwellers settle at higher altitudes, where mosquitos are strange. In addition Zika propagated in silence in a longer period of time. In early 2014, it arrived and devastated the place, unlike in Colombia that the virus hit there in the late 2015. Colombia had just withstand an inexorable chikungunya epidemic in 2014, thus it made them more ready than Brazil, to discharge the anti-mosquito brigade. However, the distinctions mentioned earlier are not adequate enough to explain. Pieces of evidence continue to mount for other probabilities. Officials state that pregnant women here in Colombia are forewarned of the unfolding tragedy in Brazil, which may have sought in greater number of abortions. Furthermore, women have followed orders altogether to the controvertible advice of the government to hold pregnancy. Dr. Miguel Parra-Saavedra, director of maternal-fetal medicine at the Cedifetal Clinic and the country's renowned specialist on high-risk pregnancy, suspected that many pregnant women who were alarmed by news reports went to doctors and had undergone ultrasounds that detected deformed fetuses. Thus, they have resolved to abort it. He admitted that some of his patients have done it. As the spearhead of a study on Zika-related birth defects, Dr. Saavedra, in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has diagnosed 13 cases of fetal microcephaly. He disclosed that four mothers immediately stopped their pregnancies. He added that another set of mothers sought abortions but were declined by their health insurance companies. Deliberately, only four patients, chose to have their babies, Saavedra affirmed. Hence, Colombia allowed abortion to protect a mother's health, and the health ministry considered a severely deformed baby a threat to maternal mental well-being it added to the reduction of the number of babies affected of Zika. Colombia's vice minister for public health, Dr Fernando Ruiz added that it is also "very possible" that abortions lowered the microcephaly rate here. To note, Colombia is one of the countries that has some of the most progressive laws and regulations in South America, Ruiz iterated in an interview. Alarmed with the gynecologists to the threat, several women had decided to have ultrasounds and had discerned that early. A sharp reduction in microcephaly is the result of a very little increase in the abortion rate. As cited on NewsReportOnline, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based research organization which supports abortion rights, reported that there was a 320 legal abortions in Colombia in 2011. However, the institute estimates that there actually were 400,400 abortions in Colombia each year. In the contrary, abortion in Brazil is permitted only in rape cases or incest or to save the mother's life. Illegal abortions are difficult to get because the cops are compelled from evangelical Christians in Brazil's Congress, began to crack down on secret clinics a decade ago. The town of Pueblo consisted of 110,000 residents in the grassland of Southern Colorado. The town had many distinctiveness over 175 years. It was known as the frontier trading post, agricultural hub and steel manufacturing capital of the West. The controversial identity given to it was the Marijuana central. In 2002, when the Colorado residents voted to legalized marijuana, Pueblo turned into a den of more than 100 recreational pot businesses. In addition, Pueblo was the first state that had legalized marijuana. Huge operations increasingly grew where anyone at 21 can just buy to stores and can wander freely along the streets with a handful of weeds. Pueblo's altitude is conducive for growing, as well as the local condition provides friendly atmosphere for marijuana trades according to WebMD. Despite of the fact that industry brought good results to the town's economy, questions still occurred concerning the health of the people in the community upon legalizing marijuana. A group of citizens concerned about the impact of the legalization has piled a petition to shut down the industry. This group of citizens was solely concerned of its impact on the young adults and overall public health. On Nov. 8, as stated in The Pueblo Chieftain, a referendum will transpire that would make Pueblo the first locality in Colorado to reverse legalization. It is a remarkable event to date that may be a milestone in the reefer history. On the other hand, there are five states which are in position to take part of legalizing the use of marijuana for recreation namely: Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Nevada and Maine. Recently, the polls result indicates that it could be successful in all the five states. Simultaneously, the debate in Pueblo presents an admonishing tale that on the 3 years into its experiment, the board is still out on how Colorado benefitted on the legal recreational weeds. In 2014, Paula McPheeters, community college administrator and a voter against marijuana legalization drove her son home from school, when suddenly her son asked her regarding the recreational marijuana store that had opened in a mile. At the back of her mind, she asked herself, how a store could sell it, where in fact the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program had taught her child that pot was bad. The incident motivated McPheeters to do something. She then co-founded Citizens for a Healthy Pueblo. It was the group that gathered signatures to get the ban on the ballot. She said that the health and safety of the community is more essential than the industry of marijuana. She pointed out that recreational cannabis has brought an implicit support of drug use, with the full-page ads for pot use, advertisement and a store less than mile from her child's school. McPheeters did not believe that anybody voted for that legalization. Karaoke bar fire rages in downtown Hanoi By Ba Do November 1, 2016 | 01:18 am PT Fire fighters are battling to rescue people they believe are trapped in the building in Cau Giay District. The Leicester City squad touched down in Copenhagen on Tuesday morning, as our first UEFA Champions League voyage turns towards Denmark. - Leicester City arrive in Copenhagen ahead of UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 - The Foxes take on the Danish champions at Parken on Wednesday night - Claudio Ranieris side could progress to the knockout stages with a fourth straight win - City to train at Parken on Tuesday evening The Leicester City squad touched down in Copenhagen on Tuesday morning, as our first UEFA Champions League voyage turns towards Denmark. After three wins in our opening three Group G matches, the Foxes are on-course for the knockout stages of the competition and could seal passage to the last 16 with a win over the Danish champions on Wednesday night. Claudio Ranieri's squad were in good spirits as they departed from East Midlands Airport, ready to resume their European travels after back-to-back home wins in the competition. Both Copenhagen and FC Porto have been beaten 1-0 in Leicester, following an impressive 3-0 win at Club Brugge on Matchday 1. Four Premier League points from games against Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur since overcoming Copenhagen will have further buoyed their mood. Ranieri and his staff set off with a near-full complement of players for Matchday 4, with Papy Mendy (ankle) the only injury absentee. Matty James, Yohan Benalouane, Bartosz Kapustka and Ben Hamer were among those in the travelling party, as the Italian keeps his options open for the visit to Parken Stadium. After arriving in the Danish capital late-morning, the squad transferred to the team hotel for lunch, before getting their feet up ahead of Tuesday nights Parken training session. Ranieri and Andy King will address the media at the pre-match press conference before Tuesday nights run-through, which will give most of the group their first opportunity to acclimatise to the 38,000-seater home of the Danish national side. Stay logged on to lcfc.com, LCFC TV and the LCFC social media channels for all the pre-match build-up, including the highlights from Tuesdays press conference and training session plus LCFC TVs UEFA Champions League preview show with Chris Coles and Gerry Taggart. LCFC Radio will have FREE live commentary of Wednesday nights game, available to stream anywhere in the world. New support for Vietnamese wives returning from bad marriages in South Korea A woman from Can Tho with her South Korean husband, who beat her to death a week after their marriage. Photo courtesy of the woman's family Thousands of women have come home in recent years after language and cultural barriers broke their marriages. A womens association in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has started a vocational and financial project to support an increasing number of women returning home from broken marriages in South Korea. Can Tho Womens Association and the Korea Center for United Nations Human Rights Policy announced the project last week to provide free vocational training and cheap loans to the women to help them rebuild their life in Vietnam. The project will also open a center providing legal support to make sure the returning children have access to public services, especially education and healthcare. Nearly 73,000 women from Can Tho, the Mekong Deltas major city, married South Koreans between 2005 and 2015. Many met their suitors via illegal brokerage services Nearly 15,000 of them have divorced. In most of these cases, the women cited cultural and language differences as the main reasons, some saying they had been abused by the husband and his family. Vo Kim Thoa, vice chairwoman of Can Tho Womens Association, said a survey of women married to South Korean men has found that more than 70 percent only met their husbands once or twice before marriage. Statistics from the Korean Institute of Social and Health Affairs showed that 7,636 Vietnamese women married Korean men in 2011, topping the list of foreign brides. Many women came from poor families in the Mekong Delta, envisioning a better life overseas. But it's not always happily ever after. A woman from the delta hanged herself in Gumi, eastern Korea, allegedly because of conflicts with her mother-in-law in 2013. In November 2012 a delta woman jumped from the 18th floor of a Busan building while holding her son and daughter. The husband had lost all the family money and became violent. In May 2012 a South Korean farmer beat his Vietnamese wife to death. In 2010, a 20-year-old woman from Can Tho was beaten to death by her 47-year-old South Korean husband just around a week after their marriage. She did not know about his mental illness. The Can Thos support project was funded by a private company with VND11.4 billion ($513,000). Related news: > Trafficking of Vietnamese women for sex and marriage expands across region: expert > Malaysia rescues 26 Vietnamese women from alleged human trafficking ring Vietnamese celebrity Giang My (third right) walks with fellow artists. Photo by AFP The festival features 146 films from 40 countries. Vietnam's glitterati donned their finest on the red carpet Tuesday for the opening of the Hanoi International Film Festival, aimed at boosting the nation's little-known movie industry. Welcomed by cheering fans, Vietnam's A-listers were joined by filmmakers and actors from around the globe including from Russia, India and as far afield as Ghana, all in town for the fourth edition of the festival that runs until Saturday. Some are hoping the event will breathe life into Vietnam's movie industry -- still in its infancy and mostly unknown, even on home soil. "An event like this, what it does is it bring Vietnamese films into the forefront of international recognition," producer Timothy Linh Bui told AFP at the festival, where his romance-horror film "The Housemaid" is screening. "There's a large talent pool of actors and filmmakers so it's a very exciting time to see what takes shape and where it can grow from here." This year's festival features 146 films from more than 40 countries, including a re-release of "Indochine", filmed in Vietnam and starring French cinema queen Catherine Deneuve, who is in town for the event. But some worry the five-day festival won't be enough to lure in young audiences in Vietnam, most of whom would rather see the latest Hollywood action blockbuster or Korean romance flick than a Vietnamese arthouse movie. "Hoping that the film festival will have some sort of momentum to boost the nation's cinematography is a bit overblown" said Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat, deputy head of Vietnam's Cinematography Association. Such momentum has been lacking in recent years: though the number of film studios boomed from 63 in 2009 to nearly 400 last year, the number of Vietnamese movies produced has barely notched up, with many studios producing commercial work instead of feature films. The festival will also host a roundtable with bigwigs from Indian cinema, home to the wildly successful Bollywood industry -- a chance for Vietnam's novice industry to learn from business veterans. But the secret to success is not simply copying a formula, but rather encouraging Vietnam's filmmakers to find their own voices, said Indian director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. "In a country like Vietnam, they should not follow Bollywood or Hollywood, that should not be the model," he told AFP. Vietnamese actress Angela Phuong Trinh. Photo by AFP Members of South Korean boy band Off Road arrive at The Hanoi International Film Festival in Hanoi on November 1, 2016. Photo by AFP Related news: > Venice nominees vie for Best Picture at Hanoi Film Festival > Hanoi film fest returns this year with larger selection, bigger stars > Vietnam movie 'Yellow Flowers' to vie for Oscar's Best Foreign Film "This is part of our engagement in the region and this is in accordance with Australia's right of freedom of navigation." Australia is considering joint naval patrols with Indonesia in the contested South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday. Bishop said Indonesia's request for joint patrols at a bilateral meeting in Bali last week was "consistent with our policies of exercising our right of freedom of navigation." "That's in accordance with international law and our support for peace and stability in the region," Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. Australia, a staunch U.S. ally, has previously drawn criticism from China for running surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea and supporting U.S. freedom of navigation exercises there. China, which claims almost the entire South China Sea where about $5 trillion of sea-borne trade transits annually, last month urged Australia to "speak and act cautiously" on the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims on parts of the sea, which is believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. Australia and Indonesia already conduct joint sea patrols in the Timor Sea as part of the countries' partnership on combating people smuggling and illegal fishing. Bishop said that Australia and Indonesia would notify other countries in the region of any planned exercise. "This is a regular part of what our navy does. This is part of our engagement in the region and this is in accordance with Australia's right of freedom of navigation including in the South China Sea," she said. In July, an arbitration court in the Hague said China's claims to the waterway were invalid, after a case was brought by the Philippines. Beijing, which has built a number of artificial islands with landing strips in the sea, has refused to recognize the ruling. Related news: > China says 'situation' at disputed Scarborough Shoal has not changed > China urges Australia to be 'cautious' on South China Sea > Amid South China Sea uncertainty, Indonesia stages a show of force Thirteen Lehigh University students were cited last week when police raided a popular South Bethlehem BYOB restaurant. Thirteen Lehigh University students were cited for various alcohol-related offenses Thursday night at 24 East Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar. (Sara K. Satullo | For lehighvalleylive.com) Pennsylvania State Police's Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement visited the restaurant Thursday night in response to complaints about underage drinking at 24 East Asian Bistro, 24 E. Third Street, Lehigh University Police Chief Edward Shupp said. State police asked the campus force to help them identify some of the students and verify their information, Shupp said Monday in an email message. Lehigh students were cited for charges ranging from underage drinking, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, Shupp said. A message left with the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement's Allentown office was not immediately returned. 24 East has no liquor license but does allow customers to bring-your-own-bottle. The sushi restaurant is quite popular with Lehigh University students, who often reserve tables of more than 20 people. A woman who answered the phone at the restaurant around lunchtime asked lehighvalleylive.com to leave a phone number for a manager to return the call later. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Developers that missed out on getting a project into Bethlehem's CRIZ have a second shot later this month. Social Still, 530 E. Third St. in Bethlehem, was the first CRIZ project completed in the city. (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) When Bethlehem won a City Revitalization and Improvement Zone designation three years ago on 130-acres, three Bethlehem Parking Authority projects were included in the list of shovel-ready plans. Fast forward to today and two of those authority projects -- the Walnut Street garage and the site of a new South Bethlehem parking deck -- are no longer feasible. The parking authority has asked for the CRIZ designation to be removed from the 1.3 acres of land, which the city expects to happen by the end of the year. It means developers interested in the tax incentive modeled off of Allentown's Neighborhood Improvement Zone, which has transformed that downtown, can answer Bethlehem's call for a request-for-proposals. Bethlehem is seeking one or more project pitches from private or non-profit developers to certify their projects in the zone. The projects must be built on city sites of less than 2-acres. Proposals are due Nov. 30. "The city is in the unique position to look around and see what other projects might benefit from this incentive," Mayor Bob Donchez said in a news release. "Now that there have been improvements to the CRIZ law, I would like to see projects that are in the final stages of development but need this incentive to push the projects over the goal line." The CRIZ allows property owners to use certain future state and local taxes -- including sales and liquor-- created by CRIZ projects to pay off construction loans. Bethlehem's CRIZ hasn't been as powerful or fast moving as Allentown's NIZ due to certain tweaks lawmakers made in developing the CRIZ. But development stalled over a section of the CRIZ law that made banks nervous to loan money and hard for developers to attract tenants when they couldn't quantify the incentive. A fix was passed in the current state budget that officials said they hoped would jump start development. Social Still on East Third Street is the only completed project in the CRIZ. Construction recently began on BethWorks Renovation's Greenway Commons project, a three-building complex of 110 apartments, offices and stores next to Social Still, which developer Michael Perrucci's BethWorks was also behind. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A New Jersey man on Tuesday admitted exposing himself to two kids in the wave pool at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom this summer. Jose Aguilar-Hernandez, Hammonton, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to open lewdness, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. Aguilar-Hernandez was ordered to pay fines and court costs. He has been free after posting $7,500 bail three days after his arrest. South Whitehall police were called at about 4:45 p.m. on Aug. 27 for a man exposing his genitals in the wave pool. Officers found a drunken Jose Aguilar-Hernandez, with bloodshot eyes and smelling of alcohol, according to police. Witnesses reported Aguilar-Hernandez went into the wave pool in boxer shorts, with the front flap open and his genitals out, police said. The incident was witnessed by two children under the age of 12, police said. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Royce Atkins had to see the 9-year-old as the boy's body contorted and flew off Atkin's hood, leaving the child with injuries that would kill him, according to a prosecutor. Or, Atkins didn't see the child because the boy was crouched in the road wearing dark clothes on a dark night "in a place where he should not have been," Atkins' attorney argued. A Northampton County jury will have to decide which version is correct. Atkins' trial began Monday. The 23-year-old Hanover Township man is accused of driving into 9-year-old Darious Condash as the child crossed Schoenersville Road in Hanover Township. Condash died in St. Luke's Hospital about an hour after the crash. A witness saw the violent collision where the child's 90-pound body "contorts" as the car struck it. "It bends with his head and torso coming off the hood," said Assistant District Attorney Joseph Lupackino. Condash was with his 13-year-old cousin and a 15-year-old friend returning from Wawa where they bought candy on Nov. 6, 2015. The children said Condash dropped candy in the road and went back to get it when he was struck. Atkins' front bumper and headlight were damaged and the hood caved in, Lupackino said. The damage and witness accounts prove the child was in view of Atkins, but he never stopped to help or called police, prosecutors said. Instead, the local mechanic left to prepare for a party because his parents were away. He told a friend his car was damaged because he hit a deer, but "not to tell anyone because he was too upset," Lupackino said. The friend called police three days after the crash. When confronted, Atkins allegedly said, "I'm the one who hit that kid." He gave written and videotaped confessions, Lupackino said. Defense attorney John J. McMahon Jr. said Atkins didn't call police because he thought he hit a pothole or the median. When he saw the damage after he got home, he assumed he hit a deer. "If he doesn't know he hit a person, we're not involved in a criminal event," McMahon said. McMahon said Atkins made a legal left turn and wasn't speeding when he struck the boy. He modified the car to make it loud, which is why he may not have heard Condash scream, he said. The child didn't cross at the crosswalk on a busy four-lane road, McMahon said. "This tragic confluence of events led us all to be here, and yet nobody did anything wrong," McMahon said. Testimony will start Tuesday. McMahon bickered with Judge Michael Koury over whether jurors would be allowed to see a videotaped recreation of the route taken by Atkins that night. The video was submitted a few days before the trial even though McMahon was instructed to turn over all of his evidence two weeks ago. The judge questioned whether the video will accurately represent what Atkins saw, but didn't decide yet whether to block jurors from seeing it. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. bear hunt.jpg New Jersey should call upon science, not politics, in drafting legislation to manage the bear population. (Star-Ledger file photo) By Ed Markowski On Oct. 13, the Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee, chaired by Assemblyman Tim Eustace, released two pieces of legislation that would change the way black bears are managed in New Jersey. Assembly bill A-3527 would make the black bear a non-game species which could no longer be hunted. AR-127 opposes the expansion of bear hunting seasons in New Jersey. These two pieces of legislation pose a serious threat to the management of all wildlife in the state. New Jersey has a healthy and expanding population of black bears centered in the northwest corner of the state. Population estimates place the current number between 2,600 and 3,000 bears. We have one of the highest densities of black bears per square mile in the United States. Without a sustained harvest of bears there is no other current way to control this population. While education should always be an important component in any bear plan, education alone does nothing to reduce bear/human interactions. The expansion of the 2016 bear season was instituted to allow the harvest of bears before they started to enter dens for the winter thus exposing a greater portion of the population to possible harvest. The first thing that one notices about thesponsors and co-sponsors of these bills is that there is no bear hunting in any of their districts; they are not part of the current bear management zones established by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. It appears that a group of animal-rights legislators who have no idea about sound management of wildlife is attempting to impose legislation on the rest of the state, that if passed, will place our citizens in harm's way of an ever-expanding population of black bears. This attempt at legislation is the first step to limit hunting in New Jersey and should be a wake-up call to all of our hunters, trappers and fishermen that if they don't get involved they stand to lose their rights to hunt, fish and trap in New Jersey. Animal rights organizations are spending a lot of time and money to encourage legislators to introduce legislation to end hunting and trapping in New Jersey. The only goal of these legislators is to be re-elected, not the passage of sound legislation that would protect both the wildlife and the citizens of our state. This must be a call to arms for every sportsman and woman in our state to get involved before it's too late. Call or write your Assembly person and let them know that you oppose A-3527 and AR-127. Let them know that you vote and will be following their positions on these two pieces of legislation, and that your memory will extend to the elections in 2017. Also it is important that you support the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and The New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. These two all-volunteer organizations are the voice and soul of the sportsmen in New Jersey. So get involved before it's too late. Every day you wait to make your voice heard the animal rights organizations gain strength. Act now before it's too late by joining us in the fight. Ed Markowski is a trustee of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and a retired conservation officer for the state Division of Fish and Wildlife. He lives in Mays Landing, N.J. A Portlaoise man has been convicted of stealing laptops from a training centre which offers services for people who need specialist support. At last week's sitting of Portlaoise District Court, Brian McDonald (28), with an address listed at Clonreher, Portlaoise, was charged with three counts of theft, on dates between May and July this year, from the National Learning Network, Dublin Road, Portlaoise. Inspector Jer Glavin gave evidence that a laptop was stolen from the National Learning Network on July 8 this year. The only person who had access to the room was the accused, but he said he knew nothing about it. A search warrant was subsequently obtained for the accuseds home, and the laptop valued at 700 was found. When questioned, McDonald admitted he had taken other laptops from the National Learning Network, said Insp Glavin. The accused had no previous convictions. Defence, Ms Josephine Fitzpatrick said all the goods were covered, and although her client had initially denied his involvement he then made full admissions to the gardai. Ms Fitzpatrick said her client suffered with depression and anxiety and had been accepted by the National Learning Network to undertake studies. However, he was asked to leave the centre in the wake of these offences and would now not receive a certificate for his studies. Ms Fitzpatrick also said that her client was now having trouble getting access to his young child. Defence concluded by saying that the accused had 100 compensation in court, and he is on social welfare. Judge Staines ordered that the 100 go to the National Learning Network and imposed 200 hours community service in lieu of ten months in prison. The matter was put back to December 1 for a community service report. Semi-Private Production of National Defense By: David Henderson I was planning to post yet one more item on the Obama Council of Economic Advisers report on monopsony. I will do so later. Now to a new issue. The main issue that has kept me from becoming an anarchist is my fear that an anarchist society would not provide enough defense against a powerful foreign government. By the way, that is also the main issue that anarchist economist David Friedman identified in his book The Machinery of Freedom as the problem area for anarchists. But a news story in the New York Times yesterday has shifted my priors a little. Voluntary private defense seems to me to be somewhat more viable than I had thought. The article, Spooked by Russia, Tiny Estonia Trains a Nation of Insurgents, New York Times, October 31, tells how volunteers in the Estonian Defense League train to be ready to fight a guerrilla war against an invading Russian government. Heres a key paragraph: The competitions, held nearly every weekend, are called war games, but are not intended as fun. The Estonian Defense League, which organizes the events, requires its 25,400 volunteers to turn out occasionally for weekend training sessions that have taken on a serious hue since Russias incursions in Ukraine two years ago raised fears of a similar thrust by Moscow into the Baltic States. Note the word volunteers. In context, this seems to mean that they are not paid. Is 25,400 a small number? Not relative to Estonias population, which is 1.3 million. Thats 2 percent of the population, and probably well over 3 percent of the population aged 18 to 60. Its also over 4 times the size of the 6,000-person Estonian army. The reason I title this semi-private, though, is that the Estonian government does seem to play a role. Heres one of the parts that implies a role for Estonias government: Since the Ukraine war, Estonia has stepped up training for members of the Estonian Defense League, teaching them how to become insurgents, right down to the making of improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.s, the weapons that plagued the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another response to tensions with Russia is the expansion of a program encouraging Estonians to keep firearms in their homes. The word Estonia in the first sentence probably means the Estonian government. Unfortunately, the Times article does not clearly indicate how large a role. Elsewhere its clear that the government plays a role: Since the Ukraine war, Estonia has stepped up training for members of the Estonian Defense League, teaching them how to become insurgents, right down to the making of improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.s, the weapons that plagued the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another response to tensions with Russia is the expansion of a program encouraging Estonians to keep firearms in their homes. Encouraging how? The government finances it? Allows it? Inquiring potential anarchists minds want to know. Some other interesting excerpts: Of the top four nations in the world for private gun ownership the United States, Yemen, Switzerland and Finland the No. 3 and 4 spots belong to small nations with a minutemen-style civilian call-up as a defense strategy or with a history of partisan war. The best deterrent is not only armed soldiers, but armed citizens, too, Brig. Gen. Meelis Kiili, the commander of the Estonian Defense League, said in an interview in Tallinn, the capital. And: Mr. Vokk served with the army in Afghanistan, where, he said, he gained an appreciation for the effectiveness of I.E.D.s. They scared us, he said. And a Russian is just a human being as well. He would be scared. Remember that to win a war against an invader, all you have to do is make the cost too high. HT@Instapundit. UPDATE: David Friedman just posted on this. He seems to think its as important a piece of evidence as I do. Hoteliers and guest house owners are reporting growth in business compared to last year according to the latest quarterly barometer from the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF). However, the survey also shows that the fall in the value of Sterling is affecting the industry with one in three hoteliers (36%) saying that it has negatively impacted their business. This comes as the latest figures from the CSO show that while visitors from Great Britain are up 9% year on year, the rate of growth has slowed. The UK market accounts for approximately 40% of overseas visitors, making it Irelands largest source of inbound tourists, which highlights the potential exposure of Leitrims tourism industry. Joe Dolan, President of the IHF and owner of The Bush Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon says: Overseas visitor numbers are up by 12% overall, and importantly for Leitrim domestic tourism is also still on the increase as consumer sentiment at home continues to improve. However, the impact of the fall in sterling shows that there is no room for complacency. Mr Dolan added: We are doing our best to maintain competitiveness through constant monitoring of costs so that we continue to deliver good value to all visitors and especially visitors from at home and the UK. The pro-tourism measures of the Government are vital too and the latest barometer shows just how critical the Governments recent decision to retain the 9% VAT rate was to the industry that is so price-sensitive and vulnerable to external economic shocks. While acknowledging that significant work has already been undertaken in this area Mr Dolan said that further targeted investment is required to sustain the recovery in tourism, a view shared by more than four in ten (43%) hoteliers who believe that more needs to be done in the development of regional tourism products. Time and time again, Irish tourism has shown itself to be an excellent investment with every euro spent in destination marketing by the state resulting in 34 being spent by visitors in the country. Further investment is needed now, for example, to facilitate the development of area specific initiatives such as Irelands Lakelands. We also need to see an increase in marketing both at home and abroad to ensure our product offering remains fresh and compelling both to attract new visitors and encourage repeat visits, he said. Mr Dolan said that hoteliers recognised that they had a valuable contribution to make in this area also. The latest barometer reveals that two thirds of hoteliers plan to increase their own marketing spend over the next 12 months while nine out of ten hoteliers indicated that they intend to invest in refurbishment and increased capital expenditure within the next year. Forty six percent of hoteliers are also anticipating increases in their staff numbers over the coming year. Some 50,000 new jobs have been created in tourism since 2011 and the industry is on track to create a further 40,000 jobs nationally by 2021. Mr Dolan said that the industry needs to recruit over 6,000 entry-level employees each year across all areas ofits operations. This represents a wealth of employment opportunities for young people in Leitrim and around the country. The IHF together with the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) and in partnership with Failte Ireland recently launched a national tourism careers programme to help young people to explore the full range of exciting career paths and options available throughout the country. This isn't about extending access for Irish people. This is about setting up a system that will allow the centralisation of library services to become formalized. Libraries in rural towns will suffer most. In urban areas people can choose to avoid the staffless regime due to greater staffed hours, and they have certainly been shown to do this in the pilot project as the embarrassing usage figures indicate. But in rural towns where libraries may only be staffed for a small number of hours per week, library users will be forced to use this system even if they don't want to. Librarians should be very wary of what they are being told about this because so much of what has been reported can be shown to be false. TALKS are set to resume later this week in an effort to prevent further industrial action by secondary school teachers. The majority of secondary schools across Limerick were closed last Thursday as members of the ASTI took to the picket lines in a row over pay parity for younger qualified teachers. I suppose none of us want to be out here and its kind of a case that if you have people in the same staff room doing the same work and getting different rates of pay we feel there is something inherently wrong with that, said teacher Declan Crotty who was on the picket lines outside CBS Sexton Street. Id rather be inside in the classroom because we all have very busy agendas and we have courses to teach but we just feel its a very important issue, he added. Another teacher Catherine Cantillon who works at Colaiste Nano Nagle also expressed her frustrations. I dont want to be here at all, I would much prefer to be inside teaching and Im a bit embarrassed to be out here, she said. Her colleague, Mary Shee, said pay parity is something which she feels strongly about. Im a senior teacher so am actually here protesting about the right of junior colleagues to be paid equal pay for equal work thats our key issue and is one of things, as a trade-unionist, that anybody would say you have to stand for, said Mary who teaches English. While last weeks stike action was related to a dispute over pay-parity, members of the ASTI are set with withdraw from supervision and substitution duties from next Monday which could see schools closed again. Individual schools, which also employ members of the TUI, have been working on contingency plans ahead of nexts weeks action while vacancies for supervision posts were advertised in national press last month. Talks between union officials and the Department of Educations and Skills resumed on Friday and it is expected that further talks will take place this week. Meanwhile, contingency plans are being finalised ahead of industrial action by gardai this Friday. Members of the GRA voted to withdraw their labour for 24 hours from 7am. Members of the AGSI, who engaged in a work-to-rule last Friday, will also withdraw their labour leaving just a handful of senior officers to police the Limerick division. OVER 7,000 food hampers will again be distributed to those in need across Limerick city and county this Christmas. Fr Seamus Enright, rector of the Redemptorists at Mount St Alphonsus, told the Limerick Leader that hampers worth in excess of 120,000 were distributed in Limerick last year. The religious order, which works on this campaign in association with St Vincent de Paul, is now collecting donations from people for the hampers. People can give non-perishable dry foods, cash, or toys for children. Its a big undertaking, but people have always been very generous to us. A lady called in recently to donate toys, and brought her children to Smyths toystore first to get them to pick out the gifts for others that they would like to receive themselves. A man, in Dublin, who is unable to get to mass watches our masses online and he sent us a cheque of 500 for the campaign, so we are very thankful, said Fr Enright. Any proceeds not spent on hampers goes to the free dinner trust in the gospel hall on Mallow Street on Sundays. St Clements school in the city, St Nessans and St John the Baptist in Hospital, county Limerick, are among those who regularly donate hampers to the appeal. The transition year students in the former help with packing hampers in the run-up to Christmas. Donations can now be dropped into the office attached to the church, or to SVP, which distributes the packages, on Hartstonge Street. The annual slim-in The Redemptorist Poor Campaign is the social justice wing of their ministry in Mount St Alphonsus and offers support to vulnerable families and individuals on a weekly basis. The poor campaign also sponsors a professional counselling service for those who may not normally be able to afford such a service. The Redemptorists in Limerick also recently raised 6,755 for an orphanage in Thailand, which was founded by American Redemptorists. UP to 15 jobs are to be created in Kilmallock with the opening of a comprehensive retail area in the town. A state-of-the-art supermarket is to open on the premises which was formerly the Centra store on Lord Edward Street in the town. According to the developer, James Beechinor, full details in relation to the development will be available in the coming weeks but advised that a brand leader in the Irish supermarket business will be made available at that end of the town. It is understood that between 12 and 15 jobs will be created as a result of the development. We are hoping to have the development complete and open for business before Christmas, said Mr Beechinor who also operates the Texaco/Spar North Bridge Service Station in Kilmallock and the Texaco/Spar N20 service station at ORourkes Cross, Bruree on the main Limerick to Cork Road. Mr Beechinor and his wife Lelia are delighted with this new development and wish to thank the people of the area for the overwhelming welcome and support shown to them. We greatly appreciate it, they said, and we look forward to meeting and making new friends. The new supermarket in Kilmallock which is located on the Kilfinane side of the town will service a number of large residential areas including Riverview estate, Millmount and Gortboy. It is also located in close proximity to the courthouse and library. The premises had lain idle since October 2013 when the Centra store - which had been in operation for 22 years - closed unexpectedly with a loss of up to 15 jobs. THE doors of Dance Limerick were barely open when the curators of a unique new festival approached the organisation with the idea for an event. Jenny Traynor, director of Dance Limerick which emerged from the ashes of the Daghdha Dance Company instantly warmed to the idea put to her by Mary Wycherley and Jurgen Simpson for a festival focusing on screendance. Light Moves was born, first as part of City of Culture in 2014 and now returning for a third outing this November. Traynor says it was exactly what the resource organisation, which was set up to encourage collaborations, was looking for. The idea for the festival came from Mary and Jurgen but they contacted me, I think I was only in Limerick about five minutes, laughs Jenny. I came in May 2013 and I think I got the call in June, and it was a lead up at the time to City of Culture. I was just setting up Dance Limerick, we were due to launch in October, so I got this very welcome phone call and of course, I embraced the idea. That is what Dance Limerick is there for; some of the programmes I would initiate and some of them are responses to other artists who approach us. We are very much developmental in that respect and a centre for people to come to. Wycherley, a dance artist in her own right who teaches screendance in UL, says she is surprised and totally delighted that the festival is back for a third year. When you enter these ventures, you can never predict really it is not like we were sitting there thinking lets do this festival that will have a very long life, she smiles. I guess our aim was to put down a strong foundation from the get go, and from that build something. It was always the intention to lay something strong from the beginning and then it is just wonderful that it has grown, in unexpected ways. Which is totally a joy. Light Moves Festival of Screendance 2016 Trailer from crude media productions on Vimeo. Light Moves is Irelands international festival of dance on film and as such, is unique to the country. Wycherley has clearly been asked the question of what screendance is, many, many times. I love this question! I think screendance is film that is really looking at movement in a very wide context, she explains. Of course you see dance contemporary dance or a hip hop films or traditional Irish dance films, which we had last year, not this year as a language on the screen, basically. But it is not always dance, and this is what Light Moves is really interested in. It may not be people moving, it could be the camera, adds Traynor. The festival has sprung up in Limerick particularly because contemporary dance is so strong here, a legacy of Daghdha and Mary Nunan establishing an MA programme in UL, which regularly retains the international students that study on it. The pillars of the institutions Dance Limerick, UL, Simpsons Digital Media and Arts Research Centre (DMARC) also have all aided in giving rise to Light Moves. It felt like there was this infrastructure already there, so it was just a matter of joining the dots and bringing it together, says Mary. The international response we couldnt predict, the response of the audience that came, internationally, really was very encouraging, after the first year, to really keep going. Because they were identifying that it is unique and they hadnt seen it on their circuits internationally. A lot of feedback from some of the participants who came, why they really enjoyed being at the festival, was because of the intimacy of it, in relation to the size of the city. I think that is something that really attracts people, because you can immediately arrive in, and in three of four days, have an immediate community and connection with the city because of its scale. Jenny adds: The practical thing about the scale, and I know myself from going to conferences and events in large, international cities and the negotiation to get from one venue to another, just doesnt exist in Limerick and we are very fortunate. The festival has teamed up this year with the Belltable to host screenings and the Limerick City Gallery of Art to host a number of installations, which the team is excited about. Returning is Carriageworks, a large interdisciplinary arts space in Sydney that was also part of the festival last year. We have always had an interest with working in an installation context for dance film. Which is a kind of a unique element for dance film festivals, even internationally, because logistically it is much harder to work with installations than screening film, says Mary. Both insist the festival is accessible to all and with short film screenings, 12 installations, 20 speakers, a symposium and screenings for kids, there is plenty for all. Traynor highlights the shorts, 32 in total. I think the shorts are really interesting I think there six of them, all an hour long, but each film is between 2 and 12 mins, so that is a really nice way to dip your toe in and say this can be dance film, says Jenny. Selected highlights Light Moves, Ireland's festival of dance on film, is back for its third year, with a programme that showcases beautiful, thought-provoking and cutting-edge new work in Dance Limerick, the Belltable and Limerick City Gallery of Art. It runs from November 3 6. It includes Irish and world premieres, performances, installations, workshops, labs and talks from leading artists and thinkers from across the world, with a special focus on work from Ireland, a participatory project for older people and screenings for audiences aged four plus. Selected highlights include: Burrows and Fargion will be showing a selection of their 52 Portraits a year-long online project with Hugo Glendinning (Dance Limerick) Two films by Tacita Dean, Featured Artist at this year's festival. Dean has been shortlisted for the Turner Prize and her current work includes her film Portraits with David Hockney Three feature-length screenings at the Belltable, including Terrence Malick's To The Wonder Invited works include Passage from Shirin Neshat, the renowned Iranian-born artist Short films from across the globe including a supernatural thriller, a B-boy's adventure, Tarot theories and women cycling around the Aran Islands Installations at the Gallery including 24 Frames Per Second by Carriageworks The Light Moves Symposium (DMARC, UL) Light Moves Festival passes and tickets are available from: www.lightmoves.ie or Dance Limerick. For screenings at the Belltable, see www.limetreetheatre.ie. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, announced on October 12th a new program in Tanzania that will increase access to and quality of education for adolescent girls. Concurrently, the USAID Mission in Tanzania announced that it will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation on the Let Girls Learn initiative with Global Affairs Canada, or GAC. This agreement builds on USAID and GACs existing collaboration through the Education Development Partner Group, which coordinates with the Government of Tanzanias Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology to develop the Education Sector Development Plan and education policies. aThe new agreement commits both donor agencies to work together to identify and outline potential areas for joint cooperation to advance access to quality education, foster an enabling environment for adolescent girls education, and engage and equip girls to be agents of change. Since the launch of the Let Girls Learn initiative, USAID has invested over $600 million on Let Girls Learn programs in 13 countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. In Tanzania and Malawi, the first two Let Girls Learn priority countries, the U.S. Government will invest up to $25 million through the Let Girls Learn Challenge Fund to work with an array of partners on innovative approaches to improving girls education. In Tanzania, World Education is the apparent awardee for the Waache Wasome, or Let Them Learn program, which will capitalize on long-standing USAID efforts to empower young women. In partnership with Restless Development, WGBH Educational Foundation, and Campaign for Female Education, (CAMFED) or Waache Wasome will increase enrollment and retention of adolescent girls aged 13-19 and improve community perceptions about the value of educating girls in select districts of Arusha and Mara regions. This new activity grew out of a USAID workshop held in Dar es Salaam in May, where development experts, donors, and Tanzanian and Malawian government officials co-designed innovative solutions to help adolescent girls attain a high-quality education. USAID Tanzania is proud to be part of Let Girls Learn, which complements our strategy to advance Tanzanias socio-economic status in large part by empowering women and youth, said USAID Mission Director Sharon Cromer. We are committed to improving the lifelong learning skills of Tanzanians, particularly among vulnerable groups like adolescent girls who face many barriers to education. Earlier this month, Ambassador William R. Brownfield, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in San Diego. There, he met with Mexican National Security Commissioner Renato Sales to discuss ongoing law enforcement capacity-building efforts through the Merida Initiative and through continued bilateral cooperation on security issues. Assistant Secretary Brownfield welcomed Commissioner Sales full support for achieving international standards in Mexican security institutions under the Merida Initiative. The Merida Initiative is an unprecedented partnership between the United States and Mexico to fight organized crime and associated violence while furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law. Based on principles of common and shared responsibility, mutual trust, and respect for sovereign independence, the two countries efforts have built confidence that is transforming the bilateral relationship. Under the Merida Initiative, the United States has a partnership with the Government of Mexico to disrupt organized criminal groups, institutionalize reforms to sustain the rule of law and support for human rights, create a 21st century border, and build strong and resilient communities. Bilateral efforts expand assistance to state level law enforcement and justice sector personnel; support democratic institutions, especially police, justice systems, and civil society organizations; expand our border focus beyond interdiction of contraband to include facilitating legitimate trade and travel; and build stable communities able to withstand the pressures of crime and violence. The U.S. Congress has appropriated $2.5 billion since the Merida Initiative began in Fiscal Year 2008. Some of the activities under the partnership include implementation of comprehensive justice sector reforms, such as training justice sector personnel, including: police, investigators, prosecutors, and defense counsel; the initiative also supports correction systems development; judicial exchanges; and Mexican law schools. This aids Mexicos on-going transition to a new accusatory criminal justice system. The initiative also helps fund police capacity building courses for Mexican law enforcement, such as crime investigation, criminal intelligence, tactics and firearms, forensics, strategic analysis, and specialized training for units addressing corruption, gangs, trafficking in persons, money laundering, and kidnapping. The United States is proud to work with Mexico to give law enforcement officers there the training and support they need to serve and protect the Mexican people. Tom Marvel, 92, a life-long cowboy and horseman, passed away peacefully at his home in Elko, Nevada, on October 28, 2016. Thomas Jenkins Marvel was born on June 7, 1924, in Battle Mountain, Nevada, the second son of Louise Jenkins Marvel and Captain Ernest Ray Marvel. Toms family owned and operated the W.T. Jenkins Company, first established by his Welsh grandfather, who came to Nevada in 1872. At one time the W.T. Jenkins Company ran as many as 33,000 sheep and 8,000 head of cattle across five Nevada counties. Tom started working as a cowboy in 1932 at the tender age of 8. He helped with the cattle and packed supplies to the sheep camps. By the age of 13, Tom was very apt at packing a horse himself. Tom quit school after the eighth grade and went to work full-time as a cowboy. Tom got his first job with the Cattle Association out of Elko, Nevada. Then soon after, he went to work for Bill Nichols at the 25 Ranch near Battle Mountain as a cattle rep for the W.T. Jenkins Company. By 1941 the WWII draft demanded the service of thousands leaving the W.T. Jenkins Company in need of accomplished cowboys and leaders. Toms dad, Cap (Ernest), called upon young Tom to assume responsibility as cowboss of the company. At 17 years old, Tom took over control and management of all the cattle. Riding long hours in the saddle was a life that he loved. In 1944, Tom met the love of his life, Rosita Camarillo Petit, the daughter of Alfred and Rosa Petit and granddaughter of Adolfo Camarillo and Justin Petit of Ventura County, California. Rosita had come to Battle Mountain by train to visit a classmate. On December 28, 1945, during Toms furlough from the U.S. Army, Tom and Rosita were married in St. Mary Magdelans Catholic Church in Camarillo, California, the town named for Rositas grandfather. (Tom had enlisted in the army earlier that year.) During WWII, Tom served his country in Okinawa in the Air Corps photographing and developing film of enemy combatants. Meanwhile Rosita, delivered the first of their seven children. While still at war, Tom became Catholic, a faith he practiced and loved for the remainder of his life. Upon Toms return from the War, the Marvels settled in Nevada and began a life of cattle ranching. The time Tom spent in the army (close to 3 years) was the only extended period he ever spent away from the ranch. In 1947, the W.T. Jenkins Company purchased the 25 Ranch west of Battle Mountain. Tom and his family moved out to the ranch on the Humboldt River. Tom was cowboss, and The Outfit was then running about 8,000 head of cattle. In 1964, the 25 Ranch sold along with the rest of the W.T. Jenkins Company. Tom and Rosita acquired the Martin Ranch south of Battle Mountain where they moved their family and ran cattle. In 1986, Tom and Rosita sold the Martin Ranch and moved to California for a time where Tom trained cutting horses and made a greater name for himself in the horse industry. However, they later returned to Nevada and the home that Tom loved. Tom continued to live his life as a cowboy and even rode colts well into his 90s. In 1996, Tom Marvel received the Vaquero Award given by the California Reined Cow Horse Association for contributions of outstanding horsemen to the cow horse industry. Also that year, the Nevada Cattlemens Association awarded Tom membership into the 100,000 Mile Club. This honor is bestowed on cowboys who have ridden 100,000 miles or more in their lifetime. In 2013, Tom was awarded membership into the Buckaroo Hall of Fame honoring buckaroos and cowboys of the Great Basin. Tom was a true cowboy his entire life with a strong love of family and a deep faith in God. His legacy will forever live in the hearts of his family and those that knew him well. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Louise and Ernest Marvel, his brothers, Richard (Dick) and John Marvel, and their spouses. Tom is survived by his loving wife of almost 71 years, Rosita Marvel, his 7 children and their spouses, Tom (Theresa) Marvel, Suzy (Harvey) Barnes, Mike (Theresa) Marvel, Sally (Billy) Freeman, Joe (Camma) Marvel, Pete (Kathi) Marvel, and Amy (Steve) Seifert; 28 grandchildren, and nearly 40 great-grandchildren, plus numerous nieces and nephews. Services will be held in Elko, Nevada, at St. Josephs Catholic Church with a Rosary on Thursday, November 3 at 6:30 p.m., and a Funeral Mass on Friday, November 4 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations In Memory of Tom Marvel can be made to the Battle Mountain Cookhouse Museum, P.O. Box 663, Battle Mtn., NV 89820. Joseph McDaniel served 20 years on the bench as Elko District Court Judge. Along with the courtesy and respect he gave to all who entered his courtroom, he presided over a variety of civil and criminal cases during his years as judge, managing the increase in work as Elkos population boomed. Joseph O. McDaniel was born in 1924 to J.B. and Helen McDaniel. He grew up with six siblings on his parents homestead claim on Tobar Flats, south of Wells. McDaniel graduated from Wells High School in 1942. During World War II he was assigned to the Army Air Corps, 319th Depot Repair Squadron. Joseph and his squad worked on B-25, B-24, and B-17 bombers while they were stationed in North Africa and Italy. After the war, Joseph attended the University of Utah on the GI Bill and married Theo Henry of Elko. They had three children, Susan, Jennifer, and Joseph Craig. In 1952, McDaniel graduated with his law degree and moved the family to Elko. He passed the bar exam and began a private practice before becoming the deputy District Attorney under Grant Sawyer in 1953, gaining prosecution experience in civil and criminal cases. Joseph succeeded Sawyer as DA when Sawyer was elected as Nevadas governor in 1959. Joseph served eight years before resuming private practice with the firm Vaughn, Hull, McDaniel and Marfisi. In 1971, McDaniel won his first election as District Judge to replace out-going judge George F. Wright. He served on the bench for 20 years and ran unopposed in three elections. Extending courtesy to all who entered his courtroom, Judge McDaniel believed that even criminals are still human beings and should be considered and treated with respect. During his time as judge, he saw the amount of cases rise as the population in Elko County grow, leading to the creation of a second department and election of another District Court Judge. Judge McDaniel was named Jurist of the Year in 1985 by the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association and served as president for one year of the Nevada District Judges Association. Joseph and his wife, Theo, were married 42 years before her death in 1989. He married Donna Johnson of Reno shortly before his retirement from the bench and was honored as being the first Elko County Judge with a portrait installed near his former courtroom. ELKO In response to a request from the public, county commissioners Wednesday will give their opinions on the ballot questions that will be decided during the General Election. After Elko City Council discussed state Questions 1 through 4 and Elko County Advisory Question 1, someone from the public called Commissioner Delmo Andreozzi and asked if the county will discuss the issues as well, said Elko County Manager Rob Stokes. Staff will not be giving a recommendation, he said. As far as Stokes could remember this is the first time the commissioners as a board will discuss and possibly vote on recommendations concerning ballot questions. Question 1 is called the Background Check Initiative. If voters vote yes for Question 1 it would amend the Nevada Constitution and require an unlicensed person who wishes to sell or transfer a firearm to another person to conduct the transfer through a Federal Firearm Licensed dealer, who is required to run a background check. Question 2 is about legalizing recreational use of marijuana. If approved by voters, the law would regulate and tax cannabis for people 21 and older and it would become effective Jan. 1. If Question 3 is passed, it would require the Legislature to provide by law for the establishment of an open, competitive retail electric energy market that prohibits the granting of monopolies and exclusive franchises for the generation of electricity, according to the The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities. The Guinn Center is a nonprofit and bipartisan research center focused on providing fact-based information to decision makers. The group discussed all four Questions with the public in October in Elko. The Guinn Center found Question 3 to be too complicated to explain quickly. If Question 3 passes, it will appear on the ballot again in 2018. Question 4 is the Medical Patient Tax Relief Act. If passed it would provide a sales and use tax exemption to individuals for durable medical, oxygen delivery and mobility enhancing equipment. Nevada only exempts prosthetic devices from sales and use tax. The Coalition to Stop Taxes on the Sick and Dying put forth the initiative petition. Elko County Advisory Question 1 is mandated by the state, and calls for gas taxes to increase based on inflation. During Wednesdays meeting, the commissioners may also appoint the members of the Enhanced 911 Advisory Board. Since the advisory board members must have certain credentials and technical knowledge, commissioners decided staff would make recommendations. County staff will recommend Elko Police Chief Ben Reed, Bill Hance, Ambulance Director Lee Cabaniss, Elko County Undersheriff Ron Supp and Frontier Communications Manager David Roberts as the advisory board members. The County meets at 1:30 p.m. in the Nannini Administration Building Suite 102, 540 Court Street in Elko. The negativity of this presidential election seems to be trickling down into our personal lives, scientists say. Here, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on Sept. 26, 2016, at the first presidential debate. This year's presidential campaign has been rough. At rallies for Republican candidate Donald Trump, crowds chant, "Lock her up!" in reference to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Trump, meanwhile, has been accused of groping and sexually harassing multiple women. Clinton has called some of his supporters "deplorable," while Trump has called Clinton a "nasty woman." Anecdotal evidence suggests that this negativity is trickling down. Across social media, people publicly announce their plans to unfriend acquaintances on the other side. Friendships and marriages that have weathered years of political differences suddenly seem on unstable ground, according to social media posts, surveys and news articles. In early August, The New York Times profiled a couple who was split between the Trump-Clinton camps. Though the two had been on opposite sides of the 2012 election, this year was the first time one had threatened divorce over the other's vote. [Election Day 2016: A Guide to the When, Why, What and How] A Monmouth University poll released in September found that 7 percent of Americans said they'd lost friendships over the 2016 election. Experts say there are a lot of reasons for the high emotions on both sides. Here are five major reasons you might find your finger hovering over the Unfriend button before Nov. 8: 1. A deepening partisan divide The 2016 election is happening against the backdrop of political polarization in the United States. Ordinary Americans are increasingly divided, and increasingly less likely to view the other side with charity. A 2014 Pew Research Center nationally representative survey of 10,000 Americans found that 21 percent eschew consistently conservative or consistently liberal views an increase from 10 percent in 1994. Thirty-eight percent of Democrats and 43 percent of Republicans viewed supporters of the other party "very unfavorably," up from 16 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in 1994. The two sides even see each other as enemies: 27 percent of Democrats and 36 percent of Republicans said the other party threatens the nation's very well-being. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Political Science found that open discrimination against the opposing party is stronger than racial discrimination in experimental studies. "Today, the sense of partisan identification is all-encompassing and affects behavior in both political and nonpolitical contexts," the researchers concluded. Against this backdrop of distrust and dislike, the 2016 election has served up two incredibly polarizing candidates with extensive public histories. [We Fact-Checked the Science Behind the Republican Party Platform] "Republicans have been very suspicious of Hillary Clinton since she was first lady," said Stanley Feldman, a political scientist at Stony Brook University in New York. Trump's criticism of Clinton that she is guilty of criminal behavior and shouldn't have been allowed to run is "largely unprecedented," Feldman told Live Science. At the same time, Feldman said, Trump is a "lightning rod for very strong feelings," due to comments that have antagonized women and minority groups. The rhetoric around the election has cast each candidate as illegitimate or unqualified, he said, increasing the public's anxiety. The candidates' behavior also sets a standard for the public's behavior, said Joshua Klapow, a clinical psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health. "It's personal, and that's what they're modeling," Klapow told Live Science. "What's happening is that the concern we have about our country and the passion we may have for our position has gotten much more emotional than intellectual." [How to Argue Politics Without Blowing Up Your Relationship] 3. Hot-button issues The election has also focused on a number of emotionally charged topics: race, religion, sexism and sexual assault, to name a few. "One of the potentially disturbing parts of this election is the extent to which I'll say particularly the Trump campaign has seemingly made it OK to more directly criticize various minority groups and women," Feldman said. "That has generally been considered to be unacceptable in public discourse." The breakdown of norms inflames emotions and makes it harder to reconcile across party lines post-election, Feldman said. Racism and sexism also hit close to home for many Americans, who then find it difficult to face friends and family who support a candidate they associate with their own experiences of victimization. "When he [Trump] opens his mouth and speaks about women the way that he does, I feel the fear and I feel the anxiety from my assault take over, as I'm sure most any sexual assault survivor does," an anonymous author wrote on the parenting blog Scary Mommy. "It is, for many women, personal, and then they try to scrutinize the motives of people who are saying, 'Oh, it's nothing,'" Feldman said. "That's much harder for people to forget." 4. Existential questions Americans as a whole have been losing trust in social institutions for decades. A 2013 report from researchers at the University of Chicago found that when asked about 12 institutions from the Supreme Court, to organized religion, to the medical establishment only 23.3 percent of Americans reported a "great deal of confidence" in these institutions between 2008 and 2012. That number was down from 29.9 percent in surveys taken during the 1970s. This confidence level isn't at its lowest point in the past 40 years, however there was an even lower point between 1993 and 1996, during which only 22.6 percent of Americans had a great deal of confidence in social institutions. The study from 2013 also showed a low level of confidence in Congress, with only 6.6 percent of Americans saying they had great confidence in the legislative body. That same year, 14.3 percent of Americans said they had great confidence in the executive branch. These confidence issues played out during the primaryelection as well as the general election. During the Democratic National Convention, supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders staged a walkout to protest what they called a "rigged" or broken primary system. Much of Trump's candidacy has been predicated on the impression that the political system is broken. "Change has to come from outside our very broken system," Trump told a crowd in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, earlier this week. He also repeated accusations that the system is rigged and that voter fraud means election results can't be trusted. In conversations like these on whether the system is corrupt there's little room for common ground, Feldman said. "When you have a situation like this where the candidates are cast as being completely unacceptable, when there are aspersions made about how the system is unfair, it's really hard to see how people are going to walk away from this feeling like, 'OK, we lost, but we can wait four years,'" Feldman said. 5. Social media Once upon a time, you might not have known the political affiliations of your kid's teacher, your ex-boss, your cousin's fiance and your friends from the adult softball league. Alas, those days are long gone. Now, the political opinions of people you might never talk politics with are all over Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. "It's not uncommon for us now to discover, 'Oh my goodness, I didn't realize he or she thought that way,' based on what they're saying on social media," Klapow said. The emotional tenor of the election isn't driven entirely by social media, Feldman said, but it isn't helping, either. "People are increasingly turning to the web, to Facebook and Twitter for the news, and that does run the risk of something like an echo chamber, where people who have these intense feelings just find them reinforced," he said. Whether the next election is as vicious as this one will depend partially on the candidates, he said, but also on the public discourse around the process from journalists, politicians and commentators across the media. "I'm not optimistic that this polarization is just going to disappear overnight," Feldman said. "It's going to take a lot of work." Original article on Live Science. Mastodons were prehistoric relatives of today's elephants. Like their modern cousins, mastodons had tusks, flappy ears and a long nose. Both animals, as well as the woolly mammoth, are members of the order Proboscidea, a name that comes from the Greek word proboskis, which means nose. The difference between mastodons and mammoths Mastodons and woolly mammoths both look like ancient elephants, but they are separate species. One big difference between them is when they appeared on Earth. Mammoths appeared about 5.1 million years ago in Africa, according to Ross MacPhee, a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Mastodons, on the other hand, appeared about 27 million to 30 million years ago, primarily in North and Central America. [Related: Mammoth or Mastodon: What's the Difference?] There are several other differences. Mastodons were slightly smaller than mammoths. Though they are both herbivores, they ate differently. Mastodons had blunt, cone-shaped molars that would crush vegetation, while mammoths had ridged molars that cut plants, much like today's elephants. Naturalist Georges Cuvier named them "mastodon" because of their breast-like tooth protrusions, according to Wired. Appearance Unlike modern elephants, mastodons had much smaller ears and foreheads and were covered in a thick layer of brown hair. Hairs on their coats, could grow up to 35 inches (90 centimeters) and the males' tusks grew to about 8 feet (2.5 meters). Females did not have tusks. From foot to shoulder, mastodons were between 8 and 10 feet (2.5 and 3 m) tall. They weighed between 4 and 6 tons (3,500 and 5,400 kilograms), according to the Illinois State Museum. That isn't much different from their modern counterparts. Modern elephants weigh 3 to 7 tons (2,722 to 6,350 kg) and range from 5 to 14 feet (1.5 to 4.3 m) tall, according to The Defenders of Wildlife. Habitat Though mastodons appeared primarily in North and Central America, they eventually spread all over the world, in every continent except for Antarctica and Australia. They typically inhabited spruce woodlands around valleys and swamps, according to Cochise College. Extinction Mastodons went extinct around 10,000 years ago. There are many theories as to why. Most of these theories boil down to climate change and/or human hunting, according to Simon Fraser University. Some scientists think that the Earth warmed up from the Ice Age too quickly for the mastodon to adapt or that humans hunted them to extinction. Others, like researchers Bruce Rothschild of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Richard Laub of the Buffalo Museum of Science in New York, have a different theory. They found that 52 percent of the 113 mastodons they studied had signs of tuberculosis. This led the researchers to think that a tuberculosis pandemic contributed to their extinction. Though death by disease sounds like a cut-and-dry answer, "Extinction is usually not a one-phenomenon event," Rothschild told Live Science. It is likely that the disease didn't kill off the animals directly, but made them weak. Coupled with the coming out of the Ice Age and fighting off humans, the species just couldn't survive. Sculptures by artist Sergio de la Rosa show three elephant relatives, from left to right: the mastodon, the mammoth and the gomphothere. (Image credit: Sergio de la Rosa) Fossil discoveries The first mastodon fossils were found in 1705, according to the Oregon History Project, when a large tooth and bone fragments were found in the Hudson River Valley in New York. Not long after, in 1807, Thomas Jefferson personally financed an expedition that was by led William Clark to excavate mastodon and mammoth fossils from the Big Bone Lick site in Kentucky. There have been many mastodon fossil discoveries in the past few hundred years. Sometimes, they are found in unusual places. For example, on October 16, 1963, Marshal Erb was using a dragline to excavate a pond and found fossils that came to be known as the Perry Mastodon. In another instance in 2016, a sinkhole in Floridas Aucilla River (opens in new tab) was declared an "archaeological gold mine" after an ancient human tool and mastodon bones are found inside. Additional resources ELKO A Spring Creek man, who was convicted in early October on 14 charges related to having improvised explosive devices in his bedroom, pleaded guilty Monday to three firearms charges. Thomas Mooney, 26, pleaded guilty in Elko District Court to three counts of possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a felony offense, which is a category B felony. He could face a maximum of six years in prison with a minimum term of one year, and a possible fine of up to $5,000 for each count. The three firearms Mooney had on March 5 in his bedroom at his parents home in Spring Creek were an AK-47 style rifle, a 12 gauge shotgun and a .22-caliber rifle. During the change of plea hearing, Mooney said he was convicted of a felony in 2008 or 2009 in Arizona. Elko District Judge Alvin Kacin said there were some errors in the charging language, which a juror brought to the attention of the prosecution, and the trial was bifurcated. A judge may divide a trial into two parts so he can render a judgment on legal issues. Mooney originally faced 30 counts. Defense attorney Brian Green said 27 of 30 counts were addressed during the trial and some were alternate counts. A jury convicted Mooney on 14 charges related to possession of explosives or incendiary devices. The defendant offered to plead out on counts 28 through 30 so he could preserve his right to appeal a decision on his pre-trial motion to suppress some of the evidence. The state also felt the bifurcation was appropriate. This plea agreement does not affect the jury verdict as a result of the trial on counts 1 through 27, Green said. In exchange for the plea, the Elko District Attorneys Office has agreed to allow Mooney to reserve his right to appeal a ruling made on his pre-trial motion to suppress evidence concerning counts from the trial. Mooney has been in the Elko County Jail for eight months and will remain there until sentencing. A sentencing date for the trial and the guilty pleas will be set at a later time. We were going to get Mr. Mooney evaluated to see if he poses a risk to society, Green said. He expects the evaluation may take some time and the sentencing hearing may be able to be set near the end of January. The defense also expects to call some character witnesses, so the sentencing hearing may take an hour or more. Check out our latest E-Edition Accessible anytime and anywhere on your desktop, tablet and smart phone devices. The Lodi News e-Edition is enhanced with the latest digital tools, including RSS feeds, social networking and much more. Check out our latest E-edition! Farmers are set to benefit from live exports following ships sailing to Turkey last week. Padraic Gerety, Longford IFA Livestock Chairman, said another boat load of 3,300 cattle sailed to Turkey after a load of 1,900 cattle was exported in late September. He described this as a very positive development for livestock farmers and pointed out that IFA viewed the loading of the boat, the Atlantic M, with Charlois, Limousine, Simmental, Angus and Hereford cattle under 12 months of age. IFA, he added, worked hard to get the live export market to Turkey opened and it is very positive to see ships moving and the benefits being returned to cattle farmers in marts all across the country. The IFA Livestock Chairman went on to say that the live export trade was essential for competition in the livestock sector and was never needed more than it is now. This is a time of low beef prices and rising cattle numbers, he continued. Turkey is a major live export market and a great opportunity for the Irish livestock sector. Turkey has an import requirement for 400,000 head of live cattle annually and in 2015, the country imported 380,000 head of cattle from Europe and South America. Turkey is a high volume destination, capable of paying good prices. Mr Geraty said it was expected that several more ship loads of cattle would sail to Turkey between now and Christmas. IFA is lobbying hard for additional ships to be cleared to add to the capacity of the trade and this is expected to happen, he concluded. Looking up at the forest of sculptures on the famous facade of the University of Salamancas Escuelas Mayores building, visitors are hard pressed to identify the various historical figures on display. Is that a pope, or is it Charles V or even Julius Caesar? And would that be Hercules, Venus, or Jupiter? All are embedded within the rich tapestry of carvings that covers the outside of Europes third-oldest university, and which includes details such as cheekbones, teeth and hair chiseled painstakingly into each individual character. One of the biggest challenges for both visitors and students is to spot the famous frog among this forest of faces the highbrow equivalent to Wheres Wally? Failure to pinpoint the elusive creature traditionally meant that medical students would fail to graduate. The facade is possibly the best example there is of Plateresque (or silversmith-like) architecture peculiar to Spain and its territories during the early Renaissance period, and the universitys upcoming 800th anniversary in 2018 has prompted a restoration project that will be completed by the end of November after four months of demanding work. Among the surprising findings is the existence of two pieces of 18th-century graffiti Architect Jesus Castillo Oli, director of the Santa Maria Foundation Heritage Conservation department and the figure responsible for the restoration, explains that although the facade was in decent shape, the elements have taken an inevitable toll on the sculptures and more than 50 people have been involved in restoring them, using funds donated by the regional government of Castile and Leon (220,000), the University itself (220,000) and Salamanca-based energy company, Enusa (125,000). Castillo points out that the intricacy of the sculptures complicates the job of eliminating blemishes such as the black stains that have appeared on the pink stone. In order to avoid further deterioration, the cleanup process calls for the gentlest of techniques. Afterwards, if the sillar stone is crumbling, it is strengthened and toned to bring out the color, he explains. PHOTO GALLERY | The famous frog on the skull at the University of Salamanca. JULIAN ROJAS One of the most surprising findings since the restoration work began late summer is the inscription Espedicion 1853. That year a teacher and his students from the recently created Madrid Architecture School clambered up scaffolding and one graffiti artist left his trace twice. Several meters below, Castillo touches the lichen that puts down roots in the stone, then he mentions the damaging acidity of pigeon waste. Up close, the damage is all too obvious. Considering how extraordinary the sculptures are, there are aspects at the top that have been poorly structured architecturally speaking stones that are out of line, says Castillo. You can see that when they were brought from the workshop, they didnt fit the space allowed for them. The sketchy alignment isnt the only puzzle surrounding the facade. Salamanca lecturer, Eduardo Azofra, is familiar with the enigmas attached to this triumph of horror vacui the practice of filling the entire surface of an artwork with detail. We dont know the exact date of its construction because all the university archives from this period have been lost, he says. But the facade doesnt date back to before 1512 and it was probably finished by 1529. In one document dated 1528, architect Juan de Alava speaks about the library that lies behind what was called la portada rica or the ornate entrance. Azofra says the biggest question is who was responsible for the building of a facade with so many cultural references, clearly designed for a highly learned audience. Several historical characters have been mooted, such as Joanna of Castile, the Mad. Theres a book from 1666 in the University that states she paid for the facade, though its the only document to do so, he says. It has been suggested the initials I.T.A. refer to "Juan de Talavera, architect." USAL Another massive question mark hangs over who actually carried out the work. During the period in question, there were a number of prestigious architects in Salamanca due to the construction of the new cathedral. But historian Alicia M. Canto points to the existence of the initials I.T.A. on the facade as evidence that the architect Juan Talavera was behind the project. No other building in the city bears these initials but Talavera was closely linked to Joanna the Mad. Whoever was behind the project, they factored in a 30cm tilt from the base to the top to give a better view of the whole facade from the ground. And besides the main architect, there would, as Azofra suggests, have been various sculptors involved.The style of each of the three horizontal bodies is completely different, he says. The quality of the uppermost body led historian Martin Gonzalez to suggest the sculptor was Alonso Berruguete. Meanwhile, a certain uniformity prevails in some of the panels that were inspired by Italian engravings. Interpreting the sculpted figures is a complex business. Theories from historians during the 1970s suggested that the facade was divided, like a renaissance palace, into two halves with one half representing virtue and the other, vice. However, French historian Paulette Gabaudan believes it was built as a tribute during the reign of Charles V. Art history expert, Felipe Pereda took this idea further, suggesting it was actually a tool for the instruction of Charles V, with historical and mythological references which would be key to both his education and his successful rule. Looking for the famous frog on the facade is a highbrow version of Wheres Wally? The latest theory maintains that the facade represented the idea that Charles, as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire had been called to follow the four great empires of the earth, namely Babylon, Greece, Carthage and Rome. There was both political and religious intent in the fashioning of the facade, says Azofra. The university is indebted to both the monarchy and the papacy. But what about the frog? A tourist attraction, the source of legend and perhaps a warning against lust, the frog upset local novelist Miguel de Unamuno, who is thought to have said: Its not that they see vice in the frog, its just that the frog is all they see. This is substantiated by a scratch on a photo of the facade prior to its restoration at the university entrance, marking the location of the famous amphibian. English version by Heather Galloway. Ryanair Chief Michael OLeary is set to address local business owners next month at a business breakfast in the Mullingar Park Hotel. Organised by Longford/Westmeath TD, Robert Troy, the event is entitled Businesses in the Midlands: Opportunities and Challenges, and will see businesses from around the region converge in Mullingar on November 25 to network. Businesses in our region are having a very difficult time at the moment, so what Im trying to do is bring our business community together, Deputy Troy explained. Mr OLeary, as guest speaker, will give a presentation and talk on his own business experience, and will participate in a question and answer session afterwards. There will be a Q&A to gain the benefit of his experience, but also therell be a good opportunity to network before and after, Deputy Troy continued. Registration for the event takes place that morning at 7:30am sharp, and its expected that the event will be completed by approximately 9am. Tickets to the event, including a delicious breakfast, cost just 20 and are selling fast, so early booking is advised. Book your place now by calling 044 93 34857 or 087 7979890. Nassau Judge to Explain How You Can Become a Guardian to Help the Elderly Family & Parenting, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases, Seasonal & Current Events By Long Island News & PR Published: November 01 2016 Learn from top legal government leaders all about guardianships, when they may be needed, how to prevent them, alternatives, resources and how to become a guardian. Mineola, NY - November 1, 2016 - How can you help your elderly relative who is unable to manage his personal or financial needs? What about an elderly neighbor in poor health who is vulnerable to scams? Guardianships may be the answer. Learn from top legal government leaders all about guardianships, when they may be needed, how to prevent them, alternatives, resources and how to become a guardian, at a free seminar," Adult Guardianships: Prevention and Intervention," on November 3, 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the Nassau County Bar Association, 15th Street at the Corner of West Street, Mineola. Leading the discussion is Hon. Arthur Diamond, Justice of the Supreme Court and supervising judge of guardianship matters in Nassau County, along with attorney Moriah Adamo, Abrams Fensterman, Lake Success, Reservations are requested for this free program. To register, call the Nassau County Bar Association at 516-747-4070 or email. About the Nassau County Bar Association Founded in 1899, the Nassau County Bar Association is the leader in providing legal information and community service on Long Island. NCBA consists of private and public attorneys, judges, legal educators and law students who demonstrate their commitment to the community by offering a variety of services for the public, including lawyer referral services, mortgage foreclosure, Sandy recovery and senior citizen legal clinics; judicial screening and public education programs. We Care, part of the Nassau Bar Foundation, NCBAs charitable arm, assists children, the elderly and others in need, through countless projects and donations. For more information, call (516) 747-4070 (language translation available), email School & Education, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: November 01 2016 High energy bag drop rally with attendance from Senator Kaminsky held at Brooklyn Avenue School in Valley Stream, New York. Valley Stream, NY - October 30, 2016 - STATE Bags, a buy one give one, Brooklyn-born brand that addresses the needs of American children living in the country's most underfunded neighborhoods hosted their signature, high energy bag drop rally with attendance from Senator Kaminsky. In celebration of STATE Bags partnership with Senator Kaminsky, STATE and the Senator hosted a bag drop rally for hundreds of students at the Brooklyn Avenue School in Valley Stream, New York. The 60 minute, interactive, high energy bag drop event was led by the STATE PackMen/Women and DJ, concluding with each student receiving a fully-stocked STATE backpack, hand-delivered by Senator Kaminsky. "I am inspired by the tremendous work and generosity of STATE Bags, and am so thankful that they took the time to speak to our students about the impact they can have when they decide to pursue their dreams. I hope that the students walked away from the rally knowing that they can do whatever they put their minds to, and that the backpack they received will serve them well in their journey to success." - Senator Kaminsky About STATE Bags: Not just a backpack a #GiveBackPack. STATE Bags is a one-for-one, Brooklyn-born benefit corporation whose mission goes beyond selling cool and classic bags. STATE was created to address the immediate needs of American children living with challenging - and in some cases critical - circumstances. Founded by Jacq and Scot Tatelman in 2013, the couple created the company after watching kids carrying their necessities in trash bags at their nonprofit summer camp. For each bag sold, STATE donates a fully-stocked backpack to an American child in need at its motivational bag drop donation events. STATE offers a collection of bags predominantly backpacks, for men, women and kids, and has partnered with a variety of influencers and brands such as Beyonces #BeyGOOD charitable movement, The Honest Company, American Eagle, Twitter and others in the donating thousands of bags across the country to children in need. The brand can be found nationally at retail partners including Bloomingdales, Barneys, Nordstrom, and Shopbop. In 2009, Scot & Jacqueline Tatelman also founded Country Roads Foundation and its signature program, Camp POWER - a nonprofit summer camp that has served thousands of New York City kids. For more information on STATE Bags, please visit online. About Senator Kaminsky: Senator Todd Kaminsky has spent his career fighting for Long Island families and working to end government corruption. On April 19, the people of the South Shore elected him in a special election to continue that work in the State Senate. Todd has been a leader on issues important to Long Islanders, including property tax relief, government reform, assistance for Hurricane Sandy victims and a $20 million increase for South Shore school districts. Todd is also the statewide leader on access to diplomas for students with special needs, as well as fixing New Yorks broken standardized testing system for public school students. For more information on Senator Kaminsky, please visit online. Music, Movies & Entertainment, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: November 01 2016 Governor's presents the finest comics from Long Island, New York City, and across the country, packed into one great show. Levittown, NY - November 1, 2016 - Enjoy an evening of laughter at Governor's Comedy Club supporting Boy Scouts of the Rough Rider District on Sunday, November 20 at 6:30pm for an event that delivers the "fun" in fundraisers! Governor's presents the finest comics from Long Island, New York City, and across the country, packed into one great show. Your evening of laughter will help send Boy Scout volunteers for training to serve your youth. Attendees must be 18 years and older. Tickets are $20 each, with a two drink minimum purchase. Governor's Comedy Club is located at 90 Division Ave., Levittown, NY 11756, behind Petco & the former Tri-County Flea Market. Order your tickets online before November 13. While tickets last. Questions? Email The Rough Rider District includes Scouting Groups in Woodbury, Syosset, Jericho, Old Westbury, Westbury, Hicksville, Plainview, Old Bethpage, Bethpage, East Meadow, Levittown, Farmingdale, and Uniondale. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases Alicante is one of Spain's most popular tourism destinations. Manuel Lorenzo (EFE) Throughout Spains long economic crisis, international tourism has been a rare highlight, and the summer of 2016 was no exception. Tourism numbers were up 10.2% year on year in September, hitting 7.9 million people. That comes on the back of healthy rises of 5.8% in August and 9.3% in June, and means the total figure for international visitors for the three months in question was up from 25.2 million in 2015 to 27.6 million this year. The number of people making business trips to Spain slipped 4.8% in the first nine months of 2016 Critically, Brexit and a weaker pound dont seem to have spelled the end to Britains long-term love affair with Spain, with two million people from the UK visiting these shores in September alone 12.8% more than in the same month last year. September was also a good month for hoteliers, with numbers up 12.1% year on year to 5.4 million overseas visitors, while the number of people staying in private holiday homes was up a huge 19.5% on September 2015, hitting nearly 430,000. Looking at the longer-term trends, international tourist numbers for the nine months to the end of September also make for happy reading, with the figure up 10.1% to 60.3 million people. Brits make up the largest group overall (14.4 million, up 13% on 2015) while France (9.3 million, up 9.6%) and Germany (8.9 million, up 4.3 percent) round out the top three. With figures like these it should come as no surprise that the Spanish government is expecting 2016 to be another record-breaking year. Last week, tourism authorities said they estimated the number of international tourists would hit 74 million this year six million higher than in 2015. Fears of a Brexit-fuelled drop in tourism to Spain have yet to bear fruit A geographic breakdown shows Catalonia is the countrys most popular destination, with nearly 14.5 million people visiting the northeastern region in the nine months to September, up 4.4% year on year. The next most popular region is the Balearics which welcomed 11.5 million visitors and chalked up a year-on-year rise of 10.6%. Figures were also strong for the sun-and-sand fueled tourism of the Canary Islands, which saw 9.6 million international visitors to the end of September, a jump of 13.2% on the same period last year. In terms of tourist habits, 2016 has seen strong growth in the number of international visitors arriving by plane (11.2%) while there has also been an 8.7% hike in numbers arriving by ship. There is one slightly less positive piece of news, however. The number of people visiting Spain for business and professional reasons fell 4.8% in the first nine months of 2016 to 3.3 million. In September, the decline was even more marked with that figure down 28.2% year on year to 395,529. English version by George Mills. The narrow green strip running along the north of Africa will disappear, devoured by the desert. The forests will end up confined to the highest hilltops. And a third of Spain will be as arid as the desert of Tabernas, in Almeria , is today. All of this will happen if CO 2 emissions are not reduced. Thats not some kind of biblical prediction, but rather the conclusions of a recent study about the impact of climate change on the Mediterranean basin an area that has barely changed in 10,000 years could be radically altered in the space of just a human life. Mediterranean coast of the Lavezzi Islands, Corsica. Daniel Pavon (Aix Marseille University) Even if the objectives of the Paris Agreement are met, Mediterranean landscapes will change, and the dryer biomes will advance toward the north, says Joel Guiot, a French researcher from the European Centre for Research and Teaching in Geosciences (CEREGE). At the latest climate change summit, in December 2015, 195 countries committed to keeping global temperature rises between 1.5C and 2C by the end of the century. If not, the changes will be greater and a higher proportion of areas will be affected compared to any other period in the last 10,000 years, he adds. While the global thermal rise has been 0.85C, countries in the Mediterranean basin have gone up by 1.3C Guiot, a paleoecologist, last year published a complete reconstruction of the Mediterranean area during the Holocene, the current geological age, which was born after the last great glaciation and has borne witness to the rise of humans. To do so, he utilized tens of thousands of pollen samples trapped in sediments. Pollen offers a unique archive of the historic dynamic of vegetation, he explains. Together with his colleague Wolfgang Cramer, Guiot has modeled how the different Mediterranean landscapes will look by the end of the century. The results, published in the journal Science, have once again confirmed a trend that had been seen in previous studies: the Mediterranean zone will warm up more than the global average. Since the industrial revolution, while the global thermal rise has been 0.85C, countries in the Mediterranean basin have gone up by 1.3C. Another of their conclusions confirms that the unusually high averages seen this century so far had never been registered during the Holocene. As for the future of Mediterranean forests, the study shows that even if the Paris goals are met, trees and other vegetation would be confined to higher-altitude areas and the north. Only a temperature fall of 1.5C would see the Mediterranean stay as it is now. An increase of 4C would be a huge change, like bringing Casablanca to Madrid University lecturer Jose Manuel Moreno Rodriguez The worst-case scenario predicted by climatologists over the coming century is a concentration of CO2 that is three times higher than the current level of 400 parts per million, and a rise in average temperatures of over 4C. In that case, the southern third of Spain would be dominated by an arid landscape. If the Paris goals are met, we would see a temperature rise of close to 3C, which would mean significant changes in our environment, explains Castilla-La Mancha University lecturer Jose Manuel Moreno Rodriguez. For this ecologist, who is one of the Spanish researchers from the UNs Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change Experts, an increase of 4C would be a huge change, like bringing Casablanca to Madrid. English version by Simon Hunter. The second round of municipal elections on Monday in Brazil delivered a clear national winner: the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), a group that, despite its name, espouses a center-right ideology. PSDB carried 14 of the 19 mayors offices in contest at these latest polls, having already swept Sao Paulo in the first round . In total, PSDB, which chose Senator Aecio Neves to run against President Dilma Rousseff in 2014 , will lead 26 of the 92 major cities in the country. Evangelical bishop Marcelo Crivella,the new mayor of Rio de Janeiro. FERNANDO FRAZAO (EFE) More information Brasil gira a la derecha The success of the party, the main ally of the Michel Temer government, indicates a sharp turn to the right in the South American country, and underscores the spectacular demise of the largest leftist group in Latin America, the once almighty Workers Party (PT), of former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. PT has lost 60% of its voters, and has gone from holding the third-largest number of mayors offices (638) to the 10th (254), giving up six of the largest cities where it was in power, including its great stronghold of Recife. The blue wave is sweeping the country, Neves said after the results were announced. Still, he is one of the few members of his party who has little to celebrate. He lost his strong voter base in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais State), which makes it more difficult for him to lead PSDB in the 2018 general elections and favors Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin. The blue wave is sweeping the country Senator Aecio Neves PT was already struggling when it entered the first round of these municipal elections. And there was the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in August after a very unpopular presidency amid a runaway economic crisis and Lulas increasing loss of credibility due to an avalanche of corruption allegations. These two individuals, who led PT and the country for the last 13 years, epitomized the party. They were its only recognizable faces. Until three weeks ago, Fernando Haddad, Sao Paulos former mayor, could match their stature but his spectacular loss to PSDBs Joao Doria in the first round buried his political career. PT then lost the rest of the cities in the decisive state of Sao Paulo, the most populous and richest in the country. The smaller cities on the outskirts of the capital, the industrial working-class red belt that was once a strong Lula base, have joined the PSDB majority. The smaller cities on the outskirts of the capital have joined the PSDB majority Once the results were announced, Alberto Cantalice, PTs communications director, said on Twitter that the party would begin rapid internal renewal. The narrative of complete renewal of the party, led mainly by Tarso Genro, Rio Grande do Suls ex-governor, will likely gain currency in the next few months. Still, everything depends on Lulas fate. He faces three federal charges for corruption and his entry into prison is a matter of constant speculation. Yet despite these accusations, Lula is still the most popular political leader in Brazil and even though his star is fading every day, he remains a favorite presidential candidate for 2018. The left also suffered a thunderous, symbolic defeat in Rio de Janeiro where the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), which leans further left than PT, lost to the Brazilian Republican Partys Marcelo Crivella, an evangelical leader who won an unprecedented victory for his party and his church. Most Crivella voters are working class people and he was the favorite candidate in Rios most famous favela, La Rocinha. English version by Dyane Jean Francois. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has taken a timid step toward bolstering his position in the ongoing political conflict that is convulsing his country. Mayor Carlos Ocariz, who represents the opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) in the first round of scheduled talks with the Maduro administration , announced on Twitter on Monday night that the government had released three individuals whom, he said, were political prisoners. Nicolas Maduro at a press conference after the first meeting between the government and the opposition. MIGUEL GUTIERREZ (EFE) More information El Gobierno de Maduro libera a varios presos politicos tras el inicio del dialogo The trio are Carlos Melo, Andres Moreno and Marcos Trejo. Melo is a usual suspect in the administrations conspiracy theories, and was arrested for possession of explosives on the eve of The Taking of Caracas, a massive opposition-led march that took place on September 1. Andres Moreno and Marcos Trejo, meanwhile, shot a video aimed at the Venezuelan army forces tasked with policing demonstrations. The pair were charged with crimes against public servants. EL PAIS has also confirmed the release of Coromoto Rodriguez, the security chief of National Assembly President Henry Ramos Allup, who was detained in May as one of the alleged ringleaders of the disturbances that broke out during a demonstration organized to urge the Maduro government to push through the oppositions petition for a recall referendum. The Venezuelan government hopes to curtail protests by any means necessary Opposition leaders have yet to respond to the release of these prisoners. On Monday night, Congress was still determined to open an inquiry into President Nicolas Maduros handling of the political crisis, and MUD said it would organize a march on the presidential palace in downtown Caracas to deliver the result of that investigation to the president, a move the regime considers a provocation because it evokes memories of the violent April 2002 demonstrations that saw President Hugo Chavez deposed for 72 hours. The Venezuelan government hopes to curtail this protest by any means necessary but even this latest gesture freeing several political members seems unlikely to assuage the opposition. David Smolansky, a member of Voluntad Popular, told CNN that he did not see the release of these four men as a major step forward. Let us not lose sight of the forest, he warned. His party is the only opposition group that has refused to sit down to negotiate with the government, citing poor conditions. Meanwhile, Voluntad Popular founder Leopoldo Lopez, who has been imprisoned in a military facility in a Caracas suburb since 2014, remains the regimes crown jewel. English version by Dyane Jean Francois. The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has been chosen to jointly run the newly established UK Public Health Rapid Support Team in partnership with Public Health England. The initiative means the UK has a fully operational specialist team that can be deployed anywhere in the world within 48 hours to tackle disease outbreaks which have the potential to develop into major health emergencies. The team has been established in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, which highlighted the need for the international community to develop a system to help support countries respond to and control disease outbreaks before they can develop into a global threat. It will continually monitor infectious disease outbreaks around the world, identifying situations where the deployment of specialist expertise could help mitigate threats. When not responding to a disease outbreak, the team will research how best to deal with different types of outbreak scenario as well as training a group of public health reservists so the UK maintains the capability to rapidly scale up responses to outbreaks. As part of the initiative, the School will lead a consortium of research institutions which includes the University of Oxford and King's College London as academic partners. Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who has led the team's development for the School, said: "The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team brings together two very important concepts - a national force on stand-by to help with international responses to outbreaks around the world, and a team of experts dedicated to operational research, planning and evaluating our outbreak response so that we can improve our response in future outbreaks. "The School was actively involved in responding to the Ebola crisis in West Africa and is working on the current Zika and Yellow Fever epidemics - our involvement in the Rapid Support Team builds on this experience. We'll be conducting rigorous research to improve epidemic preparedness and future responses and will rapidly share this information with the scientific community." The UK Public Health Rapid Support Team has been developed as part of the UK contribution to global health security and to complement the World Health Organization's work on the Global Health Emergency Workforce. The team will be funded over five years by 20 million made available from the UK development assistance budget. Public Health Minister, Nicola Blackwood, who visited the School to mark the launch of the team, said: "Ebola shook the world and brave experts from the UK led the global response in Sierra Leone. The ability to deploy emergency support to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks within 48 hours will save lives, prevent further outbreaks and cement the UK's position as a leader in global health security." The core team includes experts in tracking the progress of an outbreak (epidemiologists); in diagnosing the cause of an outbreak (microbiologists); in advising on outbreak control measures (infection prevention and control) and community responses to outbreaks (social scientists); and in developing the best clinical response measures (clinical researchers). The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world authority in public and global health research. During the Ebola crisis School staff advised governments, analysed data to assist in response planning, conducted clinical trials of vaccines and treatments, provided a free online course for healthcare professionals, developed culturally sensitive interventions to change behaviour in local communities, volunteered on the frontline in Ebola treatment centres, and carried out research to strengthen the global response to future infectious disease epidemics. The School is currently involved in the response to the Zika virus outbreak. Professor Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "We are proud that we will play a key role in protecting the UK from global epidemics. It is also vital that the UK helps strengthen vulnerable countries to detect and respond quickly to disease outbreaks. This means the world will be better prepared to prevent future epidemics, and we will not witness such suffering, death and social and economic disaster as we saw in the Ebola crisis." The School will work to expand the range of scientific expertise used for outbreak control, including improved laboratory and data management, analysis of policy response, mathematical modelling, patient-oriented research, clinical trials, rapid microbiological and genetic sequencing, community engagement, and approaches for mental health and wellbeing support. Expert teaching will be provided in the UK via Master's courses and overseas via distance learning to train the next generation of experts in infectious disease control. Related links: Luton is a large town, borough and unitary authority area of Bedfordshire. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 258,000. Luton is home to Championship team Luton Town Football Club, London Luton Airport and The University of Bedfordshire. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. For all the latest news from Luton sign up to our newsletter here. Culture / Art Republik Nov 01, 2016 | By Vimi Haridasan Since its conception in 1992, Art Taipei is the longest standing art fair in Asia, and has also become one of the most important art fairs in the international art market. Run by the Taiwan Art Gallery Association, the fair was conceived as a platform to preserve Asian heritage while embracing foreign art, as well as to establish themselves in the global art market as a key player from the Asian region. Returning this year, from 12 15 November 2016, at the Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1, Art Taipei 2016 aims to bring together works from both the Asian and European art scene, propagating East-West collaborations. The art fair will host a total of 150 domestic and foreign galleries: 67 from Taiwan, 11 from Europe, 42 for Japan and Korea, 19 from China and 11 from Southeast Asia. Taiwan Art Gallery Associations Executive Director Rick Wang comments: In the past few years, Western art associations have indeed grown more active in Asias art market. This means that they have also filled the many voids in our local galleries with their presence and their art. Therefore, we hope now to further consolidate Asias artistic perspectives, adapt to the new market state, and lastly assemble talents across Asia Pacific to voice a unifying cause alongside our foreign partners. Art Taipei 2016 will greatly surpass its 2015 numbers with an addition of 55 new galleries to its already impressive 150 international and local gallery line-up that the fair has built relationships with over the years. Furthermore, 62 returning galleries that were absent last year are also expected to participate once again this year. In continuation of Art Taipei 2015s feature sections, this years fair will be reintroducing the following areas: Galleries, Future, Frontier, and Public Art. On top of these recurring aspects, they will also be launching a new section called Voice of Image, hosting the likes of Gallery Momo (Japan) and Star Gallery (Taiwan). The main exhibition area Galleries consists of 135 galleries in total. Of the extensive range of galleries, over 70 are considered by major art critics as important game players in the Taiwanese contemporary art scene. These include galleries such as Soka Gallery, Asia Art Center, Lin & Lin Gallery, Da Xiang Art Space, Gallery 100, LIANG Gallery, J.P. Art Center, Capital Art Center, Caves Art Center, Nou Gallery and AKI Gallery to name a few. Some works to look out for include Soka Gallerys Hong Lings revolutionary artworks, Gallery 100s Inoue Yuichi most recent calligraphy masterpieces, as well as Chu Weibors collection from Asia Art Center. Lin & Lin Gallerys Chieh-Jen Chen will also feature his photography series titled Realm of Reverberations: The Ritual of Film Screening. His video and photography series documents his personal study of a social movement supporting the preservation of sanatoriums. Finally, internationally acclaimed artists Xu Bing and sculptor Lee Kuang-Yu from the Chini gallery will return this year to display their latest works at the fair. Another exciting gallery to look forward to at Art Taipei is the celebrated German gallery EIGEN + ART. This will be their first experience at Art Taipei, joining the likes of other foreign galleries from US, UK and Europe. Founded in Leipzig during the 80s, Galerie EIGEN + ART emerged as an underground enterprise that fought against the establishment at that time. Their works reflect the multidimensional views within a system of change that is still highly relevant in todays context. Other highly anticipated international works to be showcased at the fair include expressionist painter Tim Eitels Repetition, and multimedia artist Carsten Nicolais Tired Light n Diagonale. More galleries from Japan and Korea also hope to make their mark at this years art fair. Galleries like galerie nichido / nca | nichido contemporary art strive to establish a foothold in Taipeis art scene, and will be bringing works by Japanese artists Ryo Yoshikawa and Ryuzaburo Umehara. Wako Works of Art has notably prepared a special visual collection of Turner Prize Winner Wolfgang Tilman including Untitled (Carton) and Flanke. Koreas PYO Gallery will be unveiling the beautiful paper creations of Chun Kwang Young, as well displaying monochrome painting master Li Yu Hwans large-scale composition titled Correspondence. Art Taipei also welcomes back galleries that are no strangers to the fair, including the likes of Whitestone Gallery, Opera Gallery and GALLERIA CONTINUA; the latter from Beijing bringing the works of British sculptor Antony Gormley, German-American artist Kiki Smith, as well as contemporary Chinese artist Qiu Zhi Jie. As of 2015, the Taiwan Art Gallery Association has officially confirmed an alliance with the Asia Pacific Art Gallery Association (APAGA) an association formed by galleries in Singapore, Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. The partnership is meant to support the expansion of the Asia Pacific art market and furthering art research. Art Taipei 2016 will serve as their main programme to strengthen the bonds within the Asian art industry, and to achieve a balance between promoting and trading art. For more information, visit Art Taipei 2016 This article was first published in Art Republik. Tablet sales continue to slip, and not even the iPad Pro has helped salvage the market. Apple, Samsung, Amazon, and other tablet vendors shipped just a combined 43 million units in the third quarter of 2016, according to a new report by IDC. These figures mark a year-over-year decline of 14.7 percent, and more evidence that the worldwide tablet market continues its slump. IDC analysts blame the tablet sales slump to low-cost two-in-one laptops flooding the market. The race to the bottom is something we have already experienced with slates and it may prove detrimental to the market in the long run as detachables could easily be seen as disposable devices rather than potential PC replacements, IDCs senior research analyst Jitesh Ubrani said in a press statement. Despite Apple pushing sales for its latest high-end iPad Pro models, the earlier iPad Air and iPad mini models are Cupertinos best-selling tablets, accounting for two-thirds of its shipments in the third quarter. Apple continues to be the tablet leader, but it still saw sales decline by 6.2 percent year-over-year. IDC points out that revenues remained flat, however, thanks to some sales of the more expensive iPad Pro. Samsung, Lenovo, and Huawei were also strong tablet sellers this quarter, although like Apple these vendors all saw sales decline. Even though Samsungs two-in-two TabPro S got good reviews, it remains uncompetitive, according to IDC. And sales of Lenovos Yoga Book, another well-received product, were not counted because IDC considered it a traditional PC. The only vendor on the top five list of tablet manufacturers to see an increase in sales in Amazon, largely thanks to a Prime Day sale in July when Fire tablets were 30 percent off. In the third quarter, Amazon saw a 319.9 percent sales increase year-over-year. Why this matters: Even though prices for both two-in-ones and slate tablets continue to decrease, IDC predicts that prices will remain stable. Were witnessing real tectonic movements in the market with slate companion devices sold at the low-end serving a broader platform strategy, like Amazon is doing with Alexa on its Fire Tablets, and more expensive productivity tools closer to true computing and legitimate notebook replacement devices that should manage to keep average prices up, IDCs tablet research director Jean Philippe Bouchard concluded. Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders Google Ad PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT Google Ad The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Counsel at Red Lobster, Atlassian and two other companies say its hard to register descriptive terms, but that it can be worth the slog in some cases Also on the blog in the past week were: Read all the latest news from the AIPLA Annual Meeting Concern and confusion at the US Copyright Office Weve also posted the following articles in the past week (log in via subscription or free trial): New AIPLA president outlines three goals for the year Copyright and cheerleaders at the Supreme Court The SEP licensing conundrum The state of the IP union Women in IP Law give tips for taking the lead The USPTO's Michelle Lee looks back Debating the Defend Trade Secrets Act How to impress PTAB judges What in-house look for in outside counsel Interview: AIPLA President Denise DeFranco Revising copyright reform expectations Daniel Marti's call for collaboration Digital transmissions and the ITC Avoid the "Meep Meep effect" in demand letters The PTAB comes of age Interview: Judge Hacon and Kate ORourke on IP Pro Bono Your Brexit briefing When enough is enough in patent prosecution Making a better patent Catching up with TTAB cases Division over disparaging marks AIPLA's continuous balancing act Kyle Bass gets first IPR win US acting register of copyrights announced as Pallante takes new role Revising duty to disclosure The USPTO has proposed to adapt its duty to disclosure rule, in a Federal Register Notice. The new rule would create a but-for materiality test designed to be consistent with the Federal Circuits Therasense decision in 2011. The Pharma Patents blog gave a summary of why the USPTO has done this: According to the Federal Register Notice, the USPTO believes these changes to Rule 56 will harmonize the materiality standard for the duty of disclosure before the Office with the standard for establishing inequitable conduct before the courts, and also reflect the courts recognition that affirmative egregious misconduct satisfies the materiality prong of inequitable conduct. The USPTO notes that having a unitary materiality standard [will be] simpler for the patent system as a whole, and is expected to reduce the frequency with which charges of inequitable conduct are raised against applicants and practitioners for failing to disclosure material information to the Office. Pharma Patents added: Consistent with the Federal Circuits comments, the USPTO expects that adopting the but-for materiality standard [will] reduce the incentive to submit marginally relevant information in [IDSs] and thereby [further the Offices goal of enhancing patent quality. In this regard, the Federal Register Notice explains that adoption of the but-for standard for materiality should lead to more focused prior art submissions by applicants, which in turn will assist examiners in more readily recognizing the most relevant prior art. On the other hand, the USPTO believes that the revised rule still will encourage applicants to comply with their duty of candour and good faith, and address USTPO concerns regarding affirmative misconduct. The USPTO has opened a comment period that ends on December 27. Uptown Funk gon give it to Collage? Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are being sued in a California federal court for copyright infringement over their 2014 hit Uptown Funk, reports Billboard. The lawsuit was filed by Collage, a funk band active in the early 1980s, which claims Uptown Funk is almost indistinguishable from its 1983 song Young Girls. The complaint says: many of the main instrumental attributes and themes of Uptown Funk are deliberately and clearly copied from Young Girls, including, but not limited to, the distinct funky specifically noted and timed consistent guitar riffs present throughout the compositions, virtually if not identical bass notes and sequence, rhythm, structure, crescendo of horns and synthesizers rendering the compositions almost indistinguishable if played over each other and strikingly similar if played in consecutively. Only one member of Collage is still alive. The estates of two other members are also plaintiffs. This is not the first time the song has been accused of infringing copyright. The Gap Band was awarded song writing credits last year after citing similarities with the 1979 hit Oops Up Side Your Head. Bass racks up more wins Kyle Bass got his first win in a Patent Trial and Appeal Board final written decision on October 21. Further good news came last week when the Board cancelled all claims on two Celgene patents related to cancer drugs Thalomid, Revlimid and Pomalyst, reports Corporate Counsel. The Coalition for Affordable Drugs had filed four inter partes review against the patents. Celgene unsuccessfully attempted to have Bass sanctioned. As Corporate Counsel reports: A year ago, it wasnt clear that the PTAB would entertain the Coalitions patent challenges at all. Celgene had tried to sanction Bass, saying he was abusing the IPR process to advance a short-selling strategy. Bass has acknowledged making money on the proceedings, but says hes also serving the publics need to knock out bogus pharmaceutical patents that inflate the price of drugs. More details on Pallantes removal Maria Pallante Maria Pallante Copyright observers were surprised at the recent news that US Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden had removed Maria Pallante as US register of copyrights and appointed her as senior advisor for digital strategy, with Karyn Temple Claggett becoming acting register of copyrights. It soon emerged Pallante had refused the role and resigned from the Library of Congress. Mary Rasenberger, executive director of The Authors Guild, met with Hayden last week to express her concerns about the future of the Copyright Office and the selection of the next register. Rasenberger revealed details in a blog post. Carla Hayden Carla Hayden When I asked Dr Hayden about the reasons for Marias removal, she referred us to her public statements, saying it was a transfer and nothing more. She explained that the decision was hers alone and denied that the tech sector influenced the move or that the Copyright Offices policy positions under Maria had anything to do with her transfer. Dr Hayden seemed surprised that the transfer caused such an uproar in the copyright community. She added: When we asked Dr Hayden whether she intended to respect the traditional role of the Copyright Office setting policy without interference from the Library, she very clearly stated that she does not intend to weigh in on copyright law or policy. She said that policy and legislative efforts are the domain of Congress, not the Library. Her job, she explained, requires her to ensure that the Copyright Office has the technology and resources for the proper operations of the registration and recordation systems. Dancing Baby at the Supreme Court? The Supreme Court moved a step closer to taking on the Dancing Baby copyright case this week when it asked the US government to weigh in on Stephanie Lenz v Universal Music. The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States, said the Supreme Court in an order. In March this year the Ninth Circuit amended its opinion in the case, keeping the affirmance of the district courts denial of cross motions for summary judgment relating to the propriety of Universal Musics takedown notice under the DMCA, but the opinion and dissent differed from the original in a number of respects. The Ninth Circuit held that copyright holders are required to consider fair use before sending a takedown notice. But the amended opinion removed a statement that failure to consider fair use "raises a triable issue as to whether the copyright holder formed a subjective good faith belief that the use was not authorised by law". In 2007 Stephanie Lenz posted a 29-second video to YouTube of her children dancing in her kitchen to the Prince song "Lets Go Crazy" playing in the background. Universal Music Group sent YouTube a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), claiming that the video infringed the copyright in Princes song. The Electronic Frontier Foundation sued Universal on Lenzs behalf, arguing that Universal abused the DMCA by improperly targeting a lawful fair use. In brief - Awful news from San Francisco. Kilpatrick Townsend partner James Gilliland Jr was murdered outside his home last week. The law firm said in a statement: "Jim will be missed deeply. He was truly a great lawyer, and his many clients trusted him with their most difficult cases. Jim had been successfully trying cases in federal and state courts around the country for 35 years. Over his amazing career, Jim led our firm in many ways -- as Managing Partner, Chairman, and most recently served as Chairman of our Litigation Department." - The Likelihood of Confusion blog ran a thorough analysis of the recent case in which Tiffany was awarded nearly $16m against Costco. - AIA patents are approaching 50% of newly issued patents, according to Patently-O. click to go to homepage Silver Charts Indicate Now May Be an Excellent Entry Point Calling an end to the correction in silver is tricky, but technical analyst Clive Maund sees an intermediate base forming for silver stocks, a "classic buy spot." Although at first glance it's a tricky call, because superficially a bear flag appears to be completing in silver, on closer inspection it now looks like silver's correction is done and an intermediate base pattern is completing. If so, we are at an excellent entry point for many silver stocks, which have been savagely beaten down over the past several monthsa necessary correction following their outsized run-up earlier in the year. On its one-year chart we can see that silver's corrective action from early July has brought it all the way back to its steadily rising 200-day moving average, a classic buy spot, where a potential intermediate base has formed. This corrective action has more than completely unwound the earlier overbought condition. However, there are grounds for concern on two counts. One is that the steep drop early in October broke the price below the uptrend line shown, and the other is that the pattern that has since formed looks very much like a bear flag at first glance. If it is, another sharp drop will follow soon. Thus, it is interesting to observe that the volume pattern is not consistent with this being a bear flag. Instead, it is consistent with this being an intermediate base pattern. To properly examine the volume pattern in this sideways formation, we need to refer to a three-month chart, which opens it out sufficiently to see what is going on in detail. On the three-month chart, we can see in detail the tight pattern that has developed following the sharp drop early in October. It looks like a bear flag until you look at the volume. Instead of a volume pattern consistent with a bear flag, which would feature greater downside volume days than upside volume, and a steady trend to lighter volume, we have the exact opposite over the past couple of weeksgreater upside volume days and a trend of increasing volume. To steal a term from Infowars or Zero Hedge, this suggests a "false flag" that will lead to an upside breakout. On silver's seven-year chart we can see the 20112015 bear market in its entirety, and how breakout from the major downtrend channel led to a not-particularly impressive rally up to important resistance, where the advance stalled out and reaction set in. The relative feebleness of the rally following the breakout from the downtrend is not a cause for concern, as in the early stages of a bull market gold tends to outperform silverand it certainly didn't bother silver stocks any. Silver's next major upleg should take it above this resistance, albeit perhaps after something of a battle, and then on toward the next important resistance level in the $2627 zone. Although silver's long-term, 20-year chart presents a more messy picture than gold's 20-year chart, it does also show that the 2011 bear market may be viewed as a big correction to the major bull market advance from late 2001, as is the case with gold. Unlike gold's corrective bear market, which stopped at a major support level related to an extensive period of trading in 20082009, silver dropped down through its corresponding support level on its corrective bear market, and found support at a lower level related to an extensive period of trading in 20062007. All of this does mean that, so far, silver has been underperforming gold. Clive Maund has been president of www.clivemaund.com, a successful resource sector website, since its inception in 2003. He has 30 years' experience in technical analysis and has worked for banks, commodity brokers and stockbrokers in the City of London. He holds a Diploma in Technical Analysis from the UK Society of Technical Analysts. Want to read more Gold Report articles like this? Sign up for our free e-newsletter, and you'll learn when new articles have been published. To see recent articles and interviews with industry analysts and commentators, visit our Streetwise Interviews page. Disclosures: 1) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of Clive Maund and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. Clive Maund is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not involved in the content preparation. Clive Maund was not paid by Streetwise Reports LLC for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. 2) This article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. Charts provided by Clive Maund 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Tigran Urikhanyan interested in funds allocated to Presidential Administration (video) On November 1, the Standing Committees on State and Legal Affairs and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs of the Armenian National Assembly continued to discuss the 2017 state budget. Addressing Armen Gevorgyan, Head of Staff of the Presidential Administration, Tigran Urikhanyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) faction, asked whether the subsidies granted to NGOs are serve the purpose or not and whether the Public Relation and Information Center SNCO at the Presidential Administration works efficiently. Armen Gevorgyan said that the does important work which may not be visible to the public. He added that the SNCO does serious work especially in view of responding to external challenges. The SNCO works very effectively whenever misinformation is spread about our country. I have visited the SNCO and talked to the staff twice and I must say that they have gathered a very dynamic and young team that works with great vigor, he said said. Thank you, Mr. Gevorgyan. I am sure that you will keep the activity of the SNCO under greater control, Tigran Urikhanyan said in reply. Armen Gevorgyan talked to journalists after presenting his report. In response to A1+s observation that the allocations by the National Assembly are reduced because of the unpredictable results of the upcoming elections: shouldnt the expenses of the presidential administration also be curtailed? You should reconcile yourselves to the idea that the institute of the presidential institute will operate in Armenia in full swing until 2018, the head of the staff of the Presidential Administration said. Founding Parliament again promises to change power (video) There is a need for a change of power in Armenia because the acting authorities act against the state, Alek Yenigomshyan, a member of the Founding Parliament movement, said on November 1. He says if we fail to solve the problem of our sovereignty, unite Artsakh with Armenia, create a vibrant, sustainable country, Armenia will continue to face serious challenges. Mr. Yenigomshyan thinks we can get out of the current situation by changing the authorities in the country. Only if we resolve these problems can we say that Armenia is a sovereign and stable country. The Founding Parliament and supporters of the Sasna Dzrer (Daredevils of Sassoon) have proposed a roadmap, which, they claim, can solve the aforesaid problems. The program is under discussion now, and all citizens are welcome to make their proposals. You can forward your proposals to the Facebook page of the Sasna Dzrer group, Mr. Yenigomshyan said. The FP member says they cannot set reasonable deadlines for the change of power. It depends on the involvement of our compatriots from Armenia and foreign countries. During the transition period after the change of power we shall need the support of our compatriots living abroad, he said. Mr. Yenigomshyan says the Sasna Dzrer movement was unable to change the authorities though many joined and supported the group. Though the movement did not produce the desired effect, it does not mean that we cannot try that way again, he said. He says people must choose the path of civic revolt to achieve their desired aims. Zhirayr Sefilyan has endorsed the program submitted by the Founding Parliament. He has signed the document which also reflects his will. Mr. Yenigomshyan says the change of a prime minister was not caused by the actions of the Sasna Dzrer group that seized a police station in Yerevan in July. The acting government is using a new method of colonization. We shall be satisfied if these problems are resolved. The authorities should guarantee protection of human rights, independence of the judicial system, eradication of corruption, etc. Alek Yenigomshyan says Armenia should reconsider its foreign policy. We should discuss the possibility of quitting the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Instead, we should draw closer to NATO and the European Union. After it we shall be able to restore our sovereignty and solve the problem of decolonization. MARTINSVILLE A Martinsville General District Court judge found probable cause Friday to send an arson case to trial. Judge Marcus Brinks sent the charge of arson of an unoccupied dwelling against Tavian Shakor Manns of Martinsville to Martinsville Circuit Court. Victoria Ann Mason, of Arlington, testified during the preliminary hearing Friday that she owns a house in the 100 block of Roselawn Heights. On April 22, the building was not rented out and was managed by a local real estate company. She said she saw photographs that were taken after the fire, and the house looked destroyed. She added some rooms in the house were burned down, along with a few pieces of furniture, though she was puzzled about how the furniture got there because the house was not rented. Capt. Keith Hudson of the Martinsville Fire Department testified that about 15 personnel responded to the fire, and from start to finish it took about three hours to put out. The structure was a total loss, Hudson said. Andy Powers, Martinsville deputy fire marshal, said he ruled out possible accidental causes for the fire and determined the point of origin to be a back bedroom. Powers testified that during the investigation, Manns allegedly stated that he and a buddy were in the home and smoking at the time in question, and that Manns allegedly threw a cigarette toward a mattress and went home. That room was determined to be the point of origin, Powers said. Manns lawyer, Andrew Hynes, argued, among other things, that throwing a cigarette did not prove intent to burn. However, Martinsville Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Andy Hall completely disagreed, saying if one threw a cigarette toward a mattress and box springs, of course a fire will result. Judge Brinks said one could reasonably infer that throwing a cigarette toward a mattress would cause a fire. Also in Martinsville General District Court recently: *A felony charge of possession of a controlled substance against Carl Lee Lawson of Stuart was sent to Circuit Court in connection with an incident Aug. 9. *A charge of public records forgery against Marteaus Lee Wilson of Martinsville was certified to Circuit Court in connection with an incident Aug. 20. *The commonwealth dropped a charge of grand larceny: auto theft against Earnest Louis Lindsay of Axton in connection with an incident on June 18, 2014. A charge of felony bomb/burn threat against Deborah Faye Doyle of Martinsville was certified to Circuit Court in connection with an incident June 15. *A charge of felony enter house to commit certain felonies, against Demarcell Leigh Houp of Martinsville was certified to Circuit Court in connection with an incident Sept. 12. MARTINSVILLE CIRCUIT COURT Eric Lamont Agnew of Martinsville pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing cocaine second or subsequent offense and was sentenced to a total of 100 years in prison, with 15 years active and 85 years suspended on conditions including probation, good behavior, fines totaling $5,000, suspension of his operators license, and that he complete a substance abuse assessment and participate in recommended services. He was charged with five counts of distributing cocaine, on a third or subsequent offense but pleaded guilty to five counts of an amended charge of distributing cocaine second or subsequent offense in connection with offenses in June and July 2015. Heavenly Jean Harris of Bassett, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to felony shoplift, was sentenced to five years in prison, with six months active and four years and six months suspended on conditions including three years of probation, two years of good behavior, banned from Belk for life, and payment of $294.87 restitution to Belk. Trey Michael Severt of Martinsville, who pleaded guilty to forging coin and bank notes, was sentenced to five years in prison, all suspended, in connection with an incident Nov. 13, 2015. HENRY COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT Bryan Lee Robertson of Bassett, who pleaded guilty to credit card fraud and credit card larceny, was sentenced to a total of 10 years in prison, with all but eight months suspended on conditions including supervised probation. Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin and can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com. Letter of Intent on cooperation signed between Armenia and Indonesia The November 1st meeting with Retno L.P. Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, marked the launch of the official visit of Edward Nalbandian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, to Indonesia. During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed in details issues related to the development of bilateral relations, as well as international and regional actual problems. The sides attached importance to the intensification of political dialogue between the two countries, fostering of inter-parliamentary ties, expansion of legal field, promotion of educational and cultural exchanges. The Foreign Minister of Armenia noted that his visit to Jakarta is aimed to further develop friendly relations with Indonesia. Edward Nalbandian outlined that since his last visit a progress has been registered in bilateral relations: a number of agreements have been implemented, the Embassy of Armenia has been opened and actively operates in Jakarta, last year the delegation headed by the Chairman of the Regional Representative Council of the Parliament of Indonesia visited Yerevan, Indonesia abolished visa requirement for the citizens of Armenia, cultural days of Indonesia were held in Armenia, cooperation between the educational institutions of the two countries has been launched. The Ministers emphasized the importance of holding regular consultations between the Ministries headed by them and in that context highly appreciated the Memorandum on cooperation between the MFAs which will be signed within the framework of this visit. The Ministers also commended the establishment of direct contacts between the educational institutions of the two Foreign Ministries, the Diplomatic School of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the Centre for Education and Training of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. The interlocutors discussed the possibilities of cooperation within different economic integration formats. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Indonesia touched upon the situation in the Middle East, the Syrian crisis, migration issue, fight against terrorism and peaceful settlement of conflicts. The Indonesian Foreign Minister briefed the Foreign Minister of Armenia on the ongoing processes in the South-East Asia and her countrys stance on those processes. Edward Nalbandian presented to his counterpart the efforts exerted by Armenia and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to create conducive conditions for the advancement of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process. The Foreign Minister of Armenia invited his Indonesian counterpart to visit Armenia. At the end of the meeting Edward Nalbandian and Retno Marsudi signed the Agreement on Abolishing Visa Requirement with Respect to Diplomatic and Service Passports Holders, as well as the Memorandum on Cooperation between the Foreign Ministries. Edward Nalbandian and Muhammad Nasir, Minister Research, Technology and Higher Education, signed Letter of Intent on cooperation in the areas of research, technology and higher education. The signing of documents was followed by the statements for press of the Foreign Minister of Armenia and Indonesia. RIDGEWAY The first phase of the Commonwealth Crossing Business Centres development is almost complete. Grading of Tract 1 at the industrial park is finished, Henry County Deputy Administrator Dale Wagoner said Monday. The tract covers roughly 120 acres along U.S. 220 south of Ridgeway at the North Carolina line. It has access to the Norfolk Southern railroad that runs between it and the highway. By December, grading of Tract 4 should be finished, Wagoner said, estimating that the project is approximately 90 percent complete. That tract covers about 50 acres near the rear of the park. Tracts 1 and 4 together are the first phase of Commonwealth Crossings development. Tracts 2 and 3 are being reserved for development at a later date. Earlier this year, officials said they expected that the entire first phase would be finished by the end of October. In grading Tract 4, Wagoner said, contractors had to deal with more rock than they anticipated, and they came up several thousand cubit yards short on fill dirt. More dirt had to be brought to the site, he said. Sewer lines have been installed, and base layers of asphalt have been installed along the entrance road to Tract 1, Wagoner said. Installation of signs and landscaping at the parks main entrance along Horsepasture-Price Road is expected to be finished later this week, he said. Commonwealth Crossing covers roughly 726 acres, but only about 400 acres is suitable for the development of industries, information provided by the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. (EDC) shows. Tract 1 is nearly five times larger than the largest building pad at the Patriot Centre at Beaver Creek industrial park off Kings Mountain Road between Martinsville and Collinsville. Both it and Tract 4 are reserved for mega-projects involving the creation of at least 400 jobs and investments of at least $250 million, officials have said. Wagoner said the county is working closely with the EDC and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to market Commonwealth Crossing. Prospective industries already have shown significant interest in the park, Wagoner said, although he did not know how many and what types, as well as if any companies are considering locating there. He referred inquiries about those matters to EDC President and Chief Executive Officer Mark Heath, who could not be reached. The VEDP has designated Commonwealth Crossing one of its first Business Ready Sites as part of a program promoting the development of industrial sites containing at least 100 contiguous, developable acres. Receiving the designation as a Tier 4 Business Ready Site will elevate our marketing efforts, Wagoner said, as well as demonstrate to prospective industry that Commonwealth Crossing is ready for them to grow their business in Henry County. Officials have estimated that the parks development will cost more than $23 million by the time it is completed. Reached after regular business hours, Wagoner did not recall how much so far has been spent. The project is being funded by the county, city and state, the EDC and VEDP and The Harvest Foundation, the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. Mickey Powell reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at mickey.powell@martinsvillebulletin.com. In Defence of Marxism is committed to safeguarding your privacy. At all times we aim to respect any personal data you share with us, or that we receive from other organisations, and keep it safe. This Privacy Policy (Policy) sets out our data collection and processing practices and your options regarding the ways in which your personal information is used. This Policy contains important information about your personal rights to privacy. Please read it carefully to understand how we use your personal data. We may update this Policy from time to time without notice to you, so please check it regularly. The provision of your personal data to us is voluntary. 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We recommend that you check this Privacy Policy occasionally to ensure you remain happy with it. We may also notify you of changes to our privacy policy by email. Third party websites We link our website directly to other sites. This Privacy Policy does not cover external websites and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any external websites you visit via links on our website. Updating information You can check the personal data we hold about you, and ask us to update it where necessary, by emailing us at webmaster@marxist.com Contact We are not required by law to have a Data Protection Officer however we have a Data Protection Manager. Please let us know if you have any queries or concerns whatsoever about the way in which your data is being processed by emailing the Data Protection Manager at webmaster@marxist.com Didn't PM know that Yerevan Mayor was aware of planned explosion? (video) NorTekh Shin, the contractor that used an explosion to demolish the Yerevan Printing House on Oct. 27, has been fined AMD 1 million for not following safety protocols. The company is also prohibited from doing business for two months. Armenian Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan seemed disgruntled yesterday. Was the city aware of the explosion? The city did not know about it, he said. The prime minster was angered by the fact that one of the structures in downtown Yerevan had been demolished via a controlled explosion. This is not a testing ground or a military polygon, an angered Karapetyan said in a meeting with officials. Though people complained that Armenia had lost one of its old structures the prime minister was obviously bothered by the fact that people had not been informed about the planned explosion in advance. The contractor or the owner was to have informed the relevant bodies of this community that they were going to demolish the building via explosion. Therefore, we should understand how to penalize those responsible - both the contractor and officials and apply the maximum penalty against them, Karen Karapetyan said. In the video provided by the government one cannot see the reactions of the meeting participants after the PMs speech and accusations. Were the community officials really unaware of the planned explosion? The building of Yerevan Printing House located at 65 Hanrapetutyun Street will be demolished today, on October 27, the information was posted on Shamshyan.com website before the explosion. The website said that the Traffic Police would stop traffic on Hanrapetutyun Street for an hour and a half in connection with the planned operation. The source also said that Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan visited the building before the explosion. Yesterday, Karen Karapetyan instructed Armen Yeritsyan, the Minister of Emergency Situations, to punish those responsible and his instruction was carried out today. Max Burger.jpg (Max Restaurant Group) LONGMEADOW -- For its annual fundraiser, Max Restaurant Group and The National Conference for Community and Justice will partner up in support of National Anti-Bullying Day. On Nov. 3, Max Burger in Longmeadow and Max Burger in West Hartford, Connecticut, will donate a portion of their proceeds that day to NCCJ programs that focus on anti-bullying efforts in middle schools and high schools. "We are honored to be a part of this event again this year and hope people come to Max Burger to show their support for this important cause," Max Restaurant Group Operations Manager Bobby Venetianer said in a press release. NCCJ is a human relations organization that works with middle schools and high schools throughout Western Massachusetts and Connecticut to advocate for anti-bullying programs. The programs, including NCCJ BRIDGES, NCCJ ANYTOWN and the NCCJ Youth Action Coalition (YAC), help teach students about the need to create school communities that are culturally safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces, according to the press release. "The numbers are staggering: Bullying, the most common form of violence, affects 13 million youth annually, or nearly one-third of the school-age population in the U.S.," Dr. Andrea C. Kandel, President and CEO of NCCJ, said. "We work with youth to empower and educate them about the underlying social constructs of prejudice, bias, and bigotry." The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Community Policing Services (COPS) cites bullying due to one's ethnicity, religion, class, real or perceived sexual orientation, and/or their abilities as the greatest problem affecting student's sense of security in school and names it as perhaps the most underreported safety problem on American school campuses, the press release says. WEST SPRINGFIELD - Market Mentors, LLC of West Springfield partnered with local businesses for the fourth annual "Pink Day" celebration in October to benefit Baystate Health Foundation Rays of Hope. The effort raised $8,000for foundation, a nonprofit charitable organization that supports humanitarian efforts at Baystate Health's hospitals and ancillary services. Many local businesses and organizations joined Market Mentors in supporting the Rays of Hope by hosting a Pink Day, where corporate or personal donations were made to Rays of Hope and participants wore pink to work in an effort to raise awareness for the cause. The theme for this year's event, held Friday, October 28, was "Think Pink." "Our clients understand the worth of corporate social responsibility initiatives and the impact it has on the local business atmosphere," said President of Market Mentors, Michelle Abdow. "Several participants have celebrated Pink Day with us in the past and we are very excited about the newcomers. Thanks to their considerable efforts, we exceeded our goal of raising $7,500 for Rays of Hope and have been able to donate $22,000 throughout the past four years." Participating organizations included: 94.7 WMAS, Springfield Aaron Smith, P.C., East Longmeadow Advanced Vein Care Center, Springfield Aesthetic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, P.C., Longmeadow Andy's & The Oak Shoppe, Greenfield Baystate Rug & Flooring, Chicopee and East Longmeadow Braman Termite and Pest Elimination, Agawam Boilard Lumber, Indian Orchard Collins Pipe & Supply, Co., Inc., East Windsor, Conn. Epstein Financial Services, Holyoke Excel Dryer, Inc., East Longmeadow FLN-MAR Rubber & Plastics, Holyoke Hampden Zimmerman Electric Supply Co., Northampton iCircle Technologies, Agawam Keith G. Roy Construction, Westfield Market Mentors, LLC, West Springfield MassLive, Springfield New England Dermatology and Laser Center, The Spa, Springfield and Westfield New York Sound and Motion, Springfield Noonan Energy Corporation, Springfield Ondrick Natural Earth, Chicopee Robinson Donovan, P.C., Northampton and Springfield Shatz, Schwartz and Fentin, P.C., Springfield Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., Springfield The Bridge Home, Springfield The Dowd Insurance Agencies, Holyoke, Hadley, Southampton, Indian Orchard, Ludlow Women's Health Associates, Springfield and Westfield "We are proud to be able to continue our Pink Day tradition here at Market Mentors," said Director of Account Services, Amanda Moyer. "This worthy cause not only raises money for awareness but also for the important breast cancer research dollars and we look forward to carrying on the tradition for years to come." Rays of Hope is a philanthropic initiative that was launched in 1994 to support the Baystate Health Foundation and community programs throughout western Massachusetts, and includes an annual walk and run, as well as Pink Day celebrations. This year's walk and run took place Sunday, October 30 at Forest Park in Springfield. Massachusetts employers gained confidence in the economy in October, according to survey results issued Tuesday by Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a statewide business group. The state's job market looked positive, according to the report. Nearly 39 percent of respondents reported adding staff during the past six months while 19 percent reported having cut jobs. When asked to predict hiring over the next six months, 38 percent of employers predicted hiring and only 10 percent downsizing. The Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index rose 0.3 points to 56.2 last month, 0.6 points higher than in October 2015. The Association bases its Confidence Index on a survey of member companies, and plots it on a 100-point scale with 50 as neutral. The Index reached its historic high of 68.5 on two occasions in 1997 and 1998, and its all-time low of 33.3 in February 2009. Massachusetts' statewide unemployment rate fell last month to 3.6 percent, its lowest rate since the dot-com boom of 2001. "Local unemployment rates dropped in 22 of 24 labor market areas throughout Massachusetts during September, which is consistent with gains in the AIM Employment Index over both the month and year," said Sara Johnson, senior research director, Global Economics, IHS Global Insight and a member of the AIM Board of Economic Advisors. "Both sets of numbers indicate that Massachusetts' economy continues to perform well. State employment is growing faster than at the national level." Other results: Manufacturing: Non-manufacturing: The state we're in: The nation's business: Current conditions: Future conditions: Barry Bluestone, of Northeastern University and a member of the advisory team, said it is worrisome that employers have a slightly less optimistic view of their sales success in upcoming months. Those employers also worry about finding new workers. "In the longer term, concerns remain about the changing demographic structure of the state population, as relatively few young people enter and a large group of older workers leave (or are poised to leave) the workforce," he said. Forty years ago this week Jimmy Carter won the presidential election over President Gerald Ford. Although Carter had been ahead in the polls, the race tightened and it was close by Election, Day. Ten years earlier President Johnson returned to Washington after a 17-day trip to Asia. His trip included a surprise two hour visit to the troops in Vietnam. These are some of the headlines you'll see from Page 1 of The Republican and its predecessors over the past fifty years for the week of October 30 - November 5. Each week I'll put together a slideshow of Page 1 images from selected years over the course of that week. We're starting with a look back at one, five, thirty, forty and fifty years ago, with Page 1s from each day of the week for those years. The slideshow for October 30 - November 5 is embedded at the top of this article. From the November 3, 1966 edition of The Springfield Union We'll also find some humor printed out on page one over the years. In 1966 'Dennis The Menace' could be found on the bottom of page one six days a week. Five years ago this week an early October snowstorm caused massive power outages across the region. Power was out for many throughout the week as utilities struggled to repair the damage caused by tree limbs falling from the weight of the snow. And a year ago, a story about Kelly Dempsey, becoming a finalist on Season 14 of Lifetime's "Project Runway" and the visits to the area made by the show's host. Dempsey grew up in Monson. You'll find with looking through the slideshow, that while many stories come and go, many of the issues and topics that affected lives in the past, continue to have an impact on our lives today. Copies of these and other stories can be found in the online archives. Links to the archives are at the bottom of the page at www.masslive.com/republican The historic archive includes stories prior to 1989, and the Newsbank archive covers 1988 through the present day. SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield 16 Acres Lions Club will be conducting its 6th Annual Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the East Longmeadow Senior Center, 328 North Main Street. The craft fair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature and will feature local crafters from the area displaying many different craft items for sale. Food will also be available for purchase. The Craft Fair was started and continues as a means of raising money for Lions charities. In particular, Mass Lions Eye Research Fund which is the official charity of the Lions of Massachusetts. The research fund gives out grants to researchers and research facilities in the Boston area to try to find a cure for preventable blindness, the club stated in a prepared release about the craft fair. The fund helps in the mission of researching cures for glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosis, diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration and more, according to the release. Since the early 1950s, Lions in Massachusetts have donated over $33 million for research, and none of the funds goes to administrative expenses, the club stated, The proceeds of the Craft Fair also support Eyeglasses for needy adults and children in the area. The Springfield 16 Acres Lions receives requests from adults and parents of children who need eye exams and eyeglasses and have no resources to purchase them, the club stated. Other Lions charities support the District 33Y Eyemobile and SPOT vision screener. During the last 12 months, the Lions have screened over 2,500 children and adults in Western Massachusetts, according to the club. For additional information about the club, call 413-783-4929. BOSTON - A 12-year-old student was arrested at Trotter School in Dorchester on Monday after school officials found a gun in his locker. WCVB reports the gun was unloaded, and a second weapon was seized from the child's bag. A report from WHDH suggests that weapon was a knife. The child also had a mask, though it's not clear from published reports if there is any criminal connection between the mask and the weapons, since Monday was Halloween. School officials contacted the police, who arrested the student on charges of being a delinquent with unlawful possession of a firearm on school grounds. Principal Mairead Nolan said in a statement that the child also will be disciplined through the student code of conduct. She said the school followed the "appropriate steps" to make sure there was never any danger to students or staff. SPRINGFIELD -- When police took a 22-year-old Holyoke man out of a car that had led them on a dangerous chase, they heard crying, a prosecutor said Monday. In the car was the driver's 4-year-old child in an unsecured booster seat with a small abrasion under his eye. Juan Rodriguez, 22, on Monday pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment of a child, assault with a dangerous weapon (car) and leaving the scene of a property damage accident. Hampden Superior Court Judge Richard J. Carey adopted the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth and sentenced Rodriguez to six months in the Hampden County Correctional Center in Ludlow followed by two years probation. The six-month sentence is for the reckless endangerment of a child. Rodriguez, who has not been held awaiting trial, was handcuffed and led from the courtroom. Forsyth said on Oct. 27, 2015, Holyoke police saw Rodriguez driving a car and knew he had a revoked license. Rodriguez took two turns without a directional signal, almost hitting a car, then ran a red light and sideswiped a Jeep. He continued on Route 141 to the Interstate 91 north ramp, where he lost control and ended on a grassy area. Holyoke police officer Brendan Boyle was approaching the vehicle when Rodriguez freed his car and drove at Boyle, Forsyth said. At one point, Rodriguez went the wrong way on the ramp. The car then struck a ditch and stopped, the prosecutor said. Forsyth said police involved in the incident were particularly disturbed by the way Rodriguez had operated the vehicle with his child inside. Defense lawyer Shawn P. Allyn said of his client, "His explanation to me was he was scared." There was cocaine in the car, Allyn said. As part of the plea agreement the prosecution dropped a charge of possession of cocaine. MONTAGUE - Massachusetts State Police are assisting local authorities with the investigation of a stabbing on Monday night. Sgt. Tom Ryan of the state police said the stabbing was reported at around 8 p.m. Details are scant at this point, and the condition of the victim or victims is unknown. Montague police asked for assistance from state police, which supplied crime scene services and troopers assigned to both the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and the Shelburne barracks. WWLP-TV 22News reports that Montague and Greenfield police cruisers were parked outside a bar on Avenue A and at a 2nd Avenue home nearby. Speaking to The Republican/MassLive, Sgt. Ryan could not say where the stabbing occurred. A dispatcher at the Montague Police Department said they "do not have time to comment" and released no further information. This is a developing story. Stay with The Republican/MassLive for more information as it becomes available. MONTAGUE - Two people are facing charges in connection with a stabbing Monday night that left a 35-year-old man with wounds to his head, face and arm. Christopher Chicoine, 35, of L Street in Turners Falls, is charged with attempted murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Lindsay Wan, 29, also of L Street, is charged as an accessory after the fact. Police Chief Charles Dodge said the stabbing was reported at 7:30 p.m. The victim told officers the name of his alleged attacker before he was taken to Baystate Franklin Medical Center. The victim's condition was not immediately known Tuesday. Officers put out a county-wide "be on the lookout," receiving assistance from several local police departments and the Massachusetts State Police. Chicoine turned himself in at around 10 p.m. He was arrested at the Montague Police Department. Chicoine was held overnight on $150,000 bail, pending arraignment Tuesday in Greenfield District Court. Wan was held on $50,000 bail. Dodge did not provide details of the accusations against Wan, other than to say she allegedly provided "assistance" to Chicoine after the stabbing. "Change is going to happen really, really quick," The future will be automated vehicles carrying people of all ages and backgrounds to their destinations with the tap of a smartphone app. by Jackie Valley, Las Vegas Sun Full Story: http://www.govtech.com/fs/Autonomous-Vehicles-Biggest-Societal-Disruptor-Since-the-Internet.html The African Union defines youth as someone between the ages of 15 and 35. With 70% of sub-Saharan Africas population under the age of 30, Africa has the youngest population in the world. With such a burgeoning young workforce, the continents economy has a chance to grow exponentially, but only if the next generations are given the tools they need. It is crucial that young people participate in decision-making processes and be provided with numerous possibilities for employment and innovation. Depending on their needs and stage of life, access to financial services can empower young people and improve their well-being in the right circumstances. According to research, children start developing good financial habits as early as age seven. A study done by the OECD for the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion shows that young people are more likely to choose non-traditional financial service providers since they frequently have weak links with the official banking sector, both in sub-Saharan Africa and globally. It should come as no surprise that this generation is driving fintech adoption globally given that they have never known a world without mobile, web, and app-based services. The study further revealed that; one in three internet users worldwide is under the age of 18, and globally, 71% of young people and only 48% of the general population use the internet. Many national governments, including those of Costa Rica, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, and Spain, have explicitly recognized Internet access as a human right since access to online information and services has become so crucial. At Cellulant (www.Cellulant.io), we view fintech collaborations as a vehicle for advancing financial inclusion, business expansion and the overall economic development of Africa. We are daily working towards opening up options for people to become financially autonomous and empowered by giving global, regional, and local enterprises the rails they need to own their financial journeys. We view collaborations with Fintech firms, especially those Founded and Led by the Youth, as a tool to promote financial inclusion and the growth of individual businesses as well as the continent of Africas economy as a whole. As evidenced by some of our recent partnerships, Young African Founders in Africa are making significant steps in a variety of sectors to drive financial inclusion; In the Gig Economy: The one-stop financial platform for Africas gig workers, ImaliPay (www.ImaliPay.com) partnered with Cellulant, for its payments infrastructure and solutions in Kenya and Nigeria. Founded by 2 young Africans, Tatenda Furusa (https://bit.ly/3QoO9tw) & Sanmi Akinmusire (https://bit.ly/3zQi3Q8), ImaliPay is driving financial inclusion by allowing ImaliPay users to access financial services quicker through Cellulants payment rails while at the same time building an ecosystem where gig workers can create a safety net around their work through savings, credit, and insurance that drives their productivity and economic empowerment. Cellulant is also the Payments Processor for Grey (https://bit.ly/3JNRakz), a Y-combinator-backed fintech startup, powering its payouts to thousands of Grey customers. Grey offers a unique international money transfer service that enables its users to send and receive international payments without restrictions quickly. Grey was launched in 2021 by Idorenyin Obong (https://bit.ly/3zK17uE) and Femi Aghedo (https://bit.ly/3zOl1Vr), who wanted to help Nigerians easily exchange to local currency and access the foreign currencies in their accounts. In the Retail Sector: Leveraging Cellulants footprint across the continent, where we are present in 35 countries, MarketForce (https://bit.ly/3AhDfzZ) entered a partnership with Cellulant to offer additional revenue opportunities for informal retailers through empowering them to be agents for major financial services, as well as access payments, savings, investments, insurance and buy-now-pay-later products. Founded in 2018 by Tesh Mbaabu (https://bit.ly/3QmKE6O) and Mesongo Sibuti (https://bit.ly/3C3ZJG8), MarketForce is an all-inclusive B2B commerce platform that empowers informal merchants in Africa to source, order and pay for inventory digitally and conveniently, access financing, collect digital payments and make extra money by reselling digital financial services such as airtime, electricity tokens and bill payments through its RejaReja app. In the Remittances Sector: At Cellulant, our goal is to simplify how payments are made by ensuring they are made in the most seamless manner. This seamlessness is also required in the remittance space hence our partnership with Nala (https://www.Nala.com) to facilitate seamless cross-border payments and significantly reduce the cost of sending money from the UK and the US into Africa. Nala is a Y-Combinator-backed company, founded by Benjamin Fernandes (https://bit.ly/3SGQ7XL), that provides an app for Africans living in the United Kingdom and the United States to send money to the continent seamlessly. Cellulant continues to power payments across the continent, one transaction at a time assisting businesses to explore how the evolution of digital payment solutions may assist job creation, increase efficiency in service delivery, and encourage financial inclusion for our youth population in order to develop Africas payment sector and to boost economic development. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Brand Africa launched Brand Africa | Africas Best Places, the pan-African initiative to recognize and rank the best places for tourism, investment and citizen mobilisation in Africa. The goal of the initiative is to inspire pride, raise the standards and grow the competitiveness of African places countries, cities and destinations. The inaugural awards and rankings of the Brand Africa | Africas Best Places will be celebrated and published on 1 September 2022. The Brand Africa | Africas Best Places initiative builds on the inaugural Brand Africa Forum in 2010 which convened African and global place branding decision makers and thought leaders to reflect on how African nations individually and the continent collectively can develop a supranational competitive advantage. Every year since then, Brand Africa has announced the Brand Africa 100 | Africas Best Brands the widely referenced pan-African survey and ranking of brands in Africa, which over the past 10 years, has established that only 20% of the most admired brands in Africa are African. The initiative was announced by Brand Africa Chairman, Thebe Ikalafeng, on the sidelines of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair 2021 (IATF2021) which is taking place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 15 to 21 November 2021. Despite being rich in valued mineral resources, enviable indigenous fauna and flaura, a youthful population and being the second most populous continent accounting for 17.5% of world population, Africa attracts roughly only five percent of the worlds inbound tourism and FDI, says Ikalafeng. Recognizing Africas Best Places will inspire pride in African places, enhance their reputations and competitiveness, grow tourism and investment, and ultimately contribute to the greater development and image of the continent, he concludes. Thebe Ikalafeng Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa The Brand Africa | Africas Best Places initiative is structured into two primary categories: (1) adjudicated awards and (2) rankings. In the adjudicated awards category, African private and public institutions, agencies and practitioners can submit entries for initiatives and campaigns for tourism, trade and investment, economic development and citizen mobilization implemented internally in Africa or externally for Africa. In the rankings category, an independent pan-African survey among citizens, visitors and investors will be undertaken to determine the best places for tourism, investment and to live. Reflecting on the pandemic and the context of the IAFT2021 whose theme is focused on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which aims to accelerate intra-Africa investment and trade from 18% to 50% in 2030 through a single market for goods and services across 55 countries, Ikalafeng, whos been to every country in Africa, believes that by highlighting Africas Best Places and championing made in Africa brands, will inspire and mobilize African entrepreneurs, grow tourism, trade and investment, and accelerate industrialization, which ultimately will contribute to Africas growth, competitiveness and distinctiveness in a post-pandemic world where nations are increasingly having to look internally for sustainability. Dr. Keith Dinnie, the global authority in city, region and country brand management and author of the worlds first textbook on nation branding: Nation Branding Concepts, Issues, Practice and editor of the book City Branding Theory and Cases, Kwame Senou, Vice-President at Opinion & Public in Benin and Ivory Coast and Vice-Chairman for Brand Africa Francophone Africa and Central Africa, New York based Eloine Barry, the CEO of Africa Media Agency, Kwakye Donkor, the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, and broadcaster, actor, traveller, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Masego Maponyane are the inaugural members of the advisory council. The awards are open to global and African private and public institutions, agencies and practitioners. Entries open 1 January 2022 and close 30 April 2022. The adjudication, by a diverse and representative global African panel of eminent of place branding experts, thought leaders, academia, policy and decision makers and practitioners. The inaugural awards will be presented live 1 September 2022. Interested parties can register at www.brand.africa/places to receive further information. This portal will also be the channel to enter the awards. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires On our recent tour of the medical device space in Northeast Indiana, we stopped off at OrthoPediatrics, a company thats literally reshaping the lives of children for the better. It was founded in 2006 as the only company in the world to be exclusively devoted to pediatric orthopedics. Since then it has developed a series of products for spinal correction, long bone trauma and deformity, and for ACL reconstruction. OrthoPediatrics designs devices that are not only scaled down in size from adult orthopedic implants, but are specifically tuned to the requirements of little patients and their surgeons. For example, most adult orthopedic implants are made of titanium to encourage growth of tissue around the implant, but for kids the use of stainless steel is often preferred in order to prevent that effect and to make explantation easier. The companys offices in Warsaw, IN, known as The Orthopedic Capital, are housed inside a remodeled car dealership which was made to resemble the surgical kits that OrthoPediatrics ships out to hospitals. Stepping through the front doors, the first thing you see is a photo of Dr Peter Armstrong, Chief Medical Officer, with one of his patients, a boy named Gideon. The young boy in the picture was born without arms and with two clubbed feet. Dr. Armstrong corrected Gideons feet so well that the now twenty-some year old uses them as his hands, draws incredibly well, and lives a normal life, girlfriend and all. That photo, combined with a nearby drawing Gideon made of his girlfriend, is essentially the companys mission statement thats so obvious it doesnt need an interpretation. The firm has an impressively fast pathway through the FDAs regulatory process, receiving clearances within sixty days of submitting new products. This compares to about a year-long wait for most other companies orthopedic products, and is explained by the FDAs interest in seeing pediatric solutions get to market as soon as possible. So far, OrthoPediatrics has eighteen surgical systems, including instruments and implants, that received FDAs 510(k) clearance, and more are on the way. The company works closely with orthopedic pediatric surgeons (there are about 3,000 of them worldwide) to meet the needs theyve identified during their clinical practice. Because they treat rather different pathologies compared to adult ortho surgeons, who are often strictly hip and knee folks, the company has to do a lot of its own research and get into the minds of these doctors in order to build better products, according to Mark Throdahl, OrthoPediatrics President and CEO. To help with research and design, the company obtained exclusive rights to the Cleveland Museum of Natural Historys Hamann-Todd Human Osteological Collection, the worlds largest academic repository of human bones. Theyve scanned a number of specimens from the collection and have used the data to develop new products. Marks firm started building simple devices at first, initially focusing on providing a variety of screws and plates that can fix damaged bones in children of different sizes. Over time they progressed into building innovative products that have unique advantages over existing devices, such as lower profiles, to entirely new products, such as an ACL reconstruction system that can be used on very young children. Because OrthoPediatrics focuses on innovation and design of new implants and related tools, they leave the high precision manufacturing to nearby firms that specialize in that field. One of the projects OrthoPediatrics is currently working on is addressing osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder in which childrens bones are brittle and tend to break frequently. They have an implant in the works that would provide long term support for the tibia while expanding by itself as the leg grows. There are a number of projects that are still in a conceptual, proof-of-concept stage, and things have been progressing through the companys R&D pipeline to yield about one new FDA cleared major system per year. The firm works with pediatric surgical centers and spends a lot of effort training surgeons in using their products, having put on over 240 workshops over the past year in different hospitals. They sponsor CME courses to get more surgeons ready to use their systems and have a committee of teaching surgeons that help with the companys educational programs. They sell their products worldwide, with 20% of sales going overseas to about thirty countries, and offer various educational resources in other countries as well. We were very impressed by OrthoPediatrics short ten year history during which theyve become a gold standard for pediatric ortho products worldwide. Theyve single-handedly created a new niche industry thats separate from the huge ortho market obsessively focused on hips and knees of older folks. In this time theyve trained hundreds of surgeons in a variety of techniques and are continuing to train more while developing improved and entirely new solutions. Heres a video made by OrthoPediatrics in which you can learn more about the company: Link: OrthoPediatrics Error 404 Not Found You may have mis-typed the URL. Or the page has been removed. Actually, there is nothing to see here... Click on the links below to do something, Thanks! Take Me our of here Venture Beat, Tuesday, November 1, 2016 9:16 AM Over the past few months Starbreezes StarVR headset has gone from an industry oddity to a genuine contender in the location-based VR scene. This week, the company is cementing that status with some major new acquistions. Starbreeze announced the purchase of Nozon, a Belgium-based visual effects studio for 7.1 million (about $7.75 million). Along with its special effects, the company is also working on some important features for VR video. Read the whole story at Venture Beat by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, November 1, 2016 Google's Brain team taught neural networks built on machine learning to create their own form of encryption. A research paper explains how. The paper, written by Martin Abadi and David G. Andersen, details "whether neural networks can learn to use secret keys to protect information from other neural networks." Each network was given a name and assigned a task. The networks named Alice and Bob passed each other notes using an encryption method that each created themselves once they recognized the sensitivity of the document being shared. A third AI neural network named Eve tried to intercept and decrypt the messages. Even more interesting, each were assigned a task. Abadi and Andersen assigned letters for each action such as "P," which might signify a confidential message to Alice. The goal was for Alice and Bob to communicate clearly and hide their communication from Eve. Eve would learn to eavesdrop on the communication between Alicfe and Bob and decode the message. advertisement advertisement It took about 15,000 attempts for the AIs to archive their goal, according to the paper. The message -- which was a mere 16 bits long, with each bit a 1 or a 0 -- meant the AIs did more guessing than predicting. The study also set out to determine whether neural networks can learn what to protect and what to encrypt. The project did demonstrate that neural networks can learn to protect the confidentiality of their data from other neural networks. They can discover forms of encryption and decryption without being taught specific algorithms for these purposes. Abadi and Andersen found that "neural networks may be useful not only for cryptographic protections but also for attacks. While it seems improbable that neural networks would become great at cryptanalysis, they may be quite effective in making sense of metadata and in traffic analysis." New Scientist called attention to the paper, which can be downloaded here. by P.J. Bednarski , Staff Writer @pjbtweet, November 1, 2016 Heres something interesting and possibly significant, that didnt happen: Standing Rock didnt start trending on Facebook until suddenly, it did. TechCrunch put it this way: A massive social media protest is exploding on Facebook, not Twitter for a change, yet Facebooks dehumanized Trending system wasnt picking it up. People around the country are checking in on Facebook at the Standing Rock Native American Reservation in an effort to supposedly hinder local Morton County police from targeting protesters attending in person to fight an oil pipeline through historic tribal lands. This story got a little awkward because apparently right before it was published, or not long after, Standing Rock did make it as a trending topic, represented on the list as #NoDAPL, which stands for Dakota Access Pipeline. What was trending instead of that protest? advertisement advertisement What was trending instead of that protest? Well, among other hot topics, TechCrunchs Jess Constine noted that Facebook thought a worthy trending topic was Breaking Bad-famed Bryan Cranstons declaration hell move to Canada if Donald Trump is elected president next Tuesday. This flap is more than criticism of Facebooks news judgment, though thats a good topic because Facebook insists its not in the news biz. As Constine and others point out, theres a rumor police authorities are monitoring to see who checks in online to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, presumably to hassle them or worse. Word got around that a good way to thwart the snooping is to have everybody check in. And Facebook, by not having Standing Rock as a trending topic, was, thwarting the thwarters who wanted lots of phony check-ins. So the theory went. The Washington Post explained: By now, depending on your Facebook filter bubble, youve probably seen it: a Facebook friend checking in to Standing Rock, N.D., and then a separate post explaining the clever ploy that reads something like this: The Morton County Sheriffs Department has been using Facebook check-ins to find out who is at Randing Stock in order to target them in attempts to disrupt the prayer camps. SO Water Protecters are calling on EVERYONE to check-in at Randing Stock, ND to overwhelm and confuse them. This is concrete action that can protect people putting their bodies and well-beings on the line that we can do without leaving our homes. If youre sharing your location at Randing Stock (which you should be doing) 1) make it public 2) make the clarification post separate, and so that only your friends can see it 3) dont clarify on your check in, message friends who say stay safe! to let them know whats up the stay safe posts are more convincing / confusing for p*lice 4) copy paste to share clarification messages (like this one) because making it public blows our cover 5) say Randing Stock in clarification posts so that when they filter out / search those terms, your post is visible to the right people. A friend of mine enacted the ruse, adding a photo to his post. When another friend asked, Dude, youre there? he responded, In spirit. In reality, Im pretty sure hes in Berkeley. For their part, the Morton County Sheriffs Department denies theyre doing that monitoring. What a pretty mess. First, the idea that Facebooks trending topics could or should be a kind of social media front page sort of reverses the news process. News is what is happening, not what news people are reacting to. Certainly, giving em what they want is purely expressed by counting the heads interested in a topic, but if youre going to Facebook to get the news--and lots of people are--thats just crazy . But if Facebook was, for awhile, hurting protesters efforts to mislead authorities, what is that all about? The Washington Post also reminds its readers that earlier this month, it reported that Facebook was one of three major social networks (the other two were Instagram and Twitter) to grant access to Geofeedia, a company that provides real-time surveillance information to law enforcement on protesters, according to an ACLU repor t. Some 500 law enforcement agencies reportedly use the service, which tracks publicly posted information, including location, from social-media accounts. Facebook was providing Geofeedia with a topic-based feed of public posts, the ACLU said, but cut off the companys access to it in September." pj@mediapost.com by Wayne Friedman , November 1, 2016 Discovery Communications' U.S. advertising dropped a bit more steeply than anticipated in the third quarter. Advertising revenues sank 3.4% to $316 million. Big Rio Olympic spending and viewing on NBC, its stations and cable networks pulled money and viewers away from many TV networks and platforms. Discovery blamed lower expected ratings, which Bernstein Research said amounted to a 13% drop. Still, Discoverys affiliate fees were up 7% to $381 million, with overall U.S. revenues inching up 2% to $793 million. Discoverys international operations had a rougher time -- down 6% in advertising to $273 million, and up just 1% in affiliate fees to $425 million. Overall revenue slipped 3% to $720 million. Some of the blame could be attributed to unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates. Advertising sank to due to lower ratings and pricing in Northern Europe. Leaving out currency issues, advertising declined by 2% with overall international revenue up 2%. Total Discovery Communications revenues were flat at $1.6 billion versus a year ago -- but 3% higher when taking out the currency issues. Its net income dropped 22% to $219 million, down 23% leaving out the effects of foreign currency exchange rates. Much of this was also affected by a $50 million after-tax impairment charge related to a Lionsgate investment. Discoverys midday Tuesday stock price was down 3.5% to $25.23. Discovery faces the same domestic structural challenges as the rest of the industry, with more acute audience declines, writes Todd Juenger, media analyst at Bernstein Research. Discovery's growth driver has been its international distribution and content advantage, but revenue has been decelerating. by Larissa Faw , November 1, 2016 NEXjet Corp. is naming Grupo Gallegos as its AOR for the full-service jet charter and aircraft management company, based in Long Beach, California. There was no formal review and no incumbent. Grupo Gallegos will be responsible for providing strategic and creative services for NEXjet, as well as heading up the companys digital communications through site development and interactive campaign work. Their first collaboration will debut late next month. The creative will target high-profile travelers and private aircraft owners looking to charter their jets. "The competitive landscape, especially in Southern California, tends to be dominated by a handful of larger aircraft management and charter operators," says Chris Mellow, director of digital and engagement, Grupo Gallegos. "NEXjet provides a differentiated experience," he added, touting it's "more personalized" service. advertisement advertisement The media strategy will utilize both emerging and traditional channels. "The industry is definitely continuing to move toward digital and social media as the clientele relies heavily on mobile devices," says Mellow. "Because this audience is so unique, there will be opportunities to reach them by selecting print and traditional media that they consume, as well as leveraging data to build smart targeting strategies in digital." NEXjet was founded in 2007 by John MacMillan and Tom Reed and operates aircraft management to more than 5,000 destinations across the U.S., as well as Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America. by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, November 1, 2016 In the final week of campaigning, both presidential campaigns are in high gear, with candidates and surrogates crisscrossing the country in their last effort to drive voters to the polls. Trump is trying to muddle the electoral map, which until the past few days, had been solidly in Clintons camp. What is clear now, is that Trump is playing offense and Clinton defense. The outcome of the election will be determined in the swing states, particularly Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Virginia, Arizona and Nevada. That's the order of states FiveThirtyEight deems most likely to tip the election next Tuesday. Both campaigns are on the march. Hillary Clinton is in Florida today, vice president Joe Biden will be there on Nov. 2, and President Obama will be there on Nov. 3. While the Trump campaign doesnt have much information regarding campaign events, VP nominee Mike Pence arrived in Florida yesterday, before moving onto North Carolina today. advertisement advertisement Donald Trump will hold a number of rallies in Florida on Wednesday and Thursday, when the VP and President will also be campaigning. The Trump campaign is also spending time in Michigan (Trump on the 31st), Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. It's clear the Clinton campaign has a far more robust team of eye-catching surrogates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who will be campaigning for Clinton in Nevada, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is trying to shore up the Northeast (New Hampshire and Maine) for the Democrats. That's in addition to the array of nonpolitical surrogates performing in support of Clinton: Cher, Jay-Z, Steve Aoki, Katy Perry and Jon Bon Jovi to name several. The Clinton camp is well represented across the swing state map this final week. Each one of FiveThirtyEights top swing states noted above has a top Clinton surrogate holding an event this week, except for Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Virginia. These four states are rated 80% or higher to vote Democratic, according to FiveThirtyEight. What might be worrying for the Clinton campaign: Pundits like Michael Moore, who has his thumb on the pulse of the American electorate, have little confidence in the polls, particularly in states like Michigan. Moore reminded Jake Tapper on CNN yesterday that polls had Clinton ahead of Bernie Sanders by double digits in the primary, with the Vermont Senator winning. Its a stretch to contend that every swing state poll in which Clinton is ahead is off, but the Trump camp sees opportunity in the Rust Belt. If a few seemingly secure Clinton states, like Wisconsin and Michigan, go Trumps way, who knows what upsets may in the South. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, November 1, 2016 A 14-year-old boy who sued Snapchat for allegedly showing him racy material has agreed to drop the case. Lawyers for Snapchat and the teen, identified in court papers as "John Doe," said in court papers filed Friday that they are in talks to resolve the lawsuit out of court. In the meantime, the boy is dropping the complaint "without prejudice" -- meaning that he can pursue the matter later if it isn't settled. For now, the move brings an end to a potential class-action lawsuit that centered on Snapchat Discover, which allows publishing partners like BuzzFeed and Fusion to create and distribute content on the platform. The original complaint, filed in July in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleged that some of the partner content is too x-rated for children. "Without warning, minors swiping through the Discover Page are being introduced to offensive adult-rated content that parents would likely prohibit if they know their children were being given unrestricted access to the content by Snapchat," the complaint alleged. advertisement advertisement The boy added that he encountered BuzzFeed posts of Disney characters, but with "pornographic text and innuendo next to the photographs." Snapchat stated in July that it was "sorry if people were offended," but added that its Discover partners "have editorial independence." The lawsuit accused Snapchat of violating a Communications Decency Act provision that requires Web service providers to notify parents about services that can block offensive material. The Supreme Court struck down most of the Communications Decency Act in 1997, but didn't specifically address the notification requirement. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Amplatzer PFO Occluder device. The PFO Occluder reduces the risk of a stroke in patients who previously had a stroke believed to be caused by a blood clot that passed through a small hole in the heart, called a patent foramen ovale (PFO), and then traveled to the brain. "The Amplatzer PFO Occluder provides a non-surgical method for doctors to close a PFO," said Bram Zuckerman, M.D., director of the Division of Cardiovascular Devices in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "But as the device labeling clearly states, patients need to be evaluated carefully by a neurologist and cardiologist to rule out other known causes of stroke and help ensure that PFO closure with the device is likely to assist in reducing the risk of a recurrent stroke." About 25 to 30 percent of Americans have a PFO, which typically causes no health problems and does not require treatment. The cause of most strokes can be identified, such as poorly controlled high blood pressure, narrowed blood vessels due to cholesterol deposits and scar tissue (atherosclerosis), or a blood clot caused by an abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation). However, in some patients, medical tests cannot identify the cause of the stroke, which is referred to as a cryptogenic stroke. In a small percentage of these patients, it is believed that the PFO provided a path for a blood clot to travel to the brain where it blocked a blood vessel resulting in a stroke. Patients with a cryptogenic stroke and a PFO may be at an increased risk of having a second stroke. The Amplatzer PFO Occluder is inserted through a catheter that is placed in a leg vein and advanced to the heart. It is then implanted close to the hole in the heart between the top right chamber (right atrium) and the top left chamber (left atrium). The device had been on the market more than a decade ago under a humanitarian device exemption (HDE), but was voluntarily withdrawn by the manufacturer in 2006 after the FDA concluded that the target population for this device was greater than 4,000 patients and that the device no longer qualified for an HDE approval. For the past 10 years, no FDA-approved heart occluder devices have been on the market specifically indicated to close PFOs to reduce the risk of a recurrent stroke in patients with a prior cryptogenic stroke. In approving the Amplatzer PFO Occluder, the FDA concluded that the device demonstrated a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. The safety and efficacy was assessed in a randomized study that evaluated 499 participants aged 18 to 60 years old who were treated with the Amplatzer PFO Occluder plus blood-thinning medications compared to 481 participants who were treated with blood-thinning medications alone. While the rate of new strokes in both treatment groups was very low, the study found a 50 percent reduction in the rate of new strokes in participants using the Amplatzer PFO Occluder plus blood-thinning medications compared to participants taking only blood-thinning medications. Adverse effects associated with the device or the implantation procedure include injury to the heart, irregular and/or rapid heart rate (atrial fibrillation), blood clots in the heart, leg or lung, bleeding and stroke. The Amplatzer PFO Occluder device should not be used in patients with a heart valve infection or other untreated infections, or a heart tumor or blood clot at the implant site. The device is also contraindicated in patients with other abnormal connections between the heart chambers or in whom the cardiovascular anatomy or blood clots would interfere with the ability to move the catheter used to deliver the device to the heart. Patients should discuss with their medical team (consisting of a neurologist and a cardiologist) the risks and benefits of PFO closure in comparison to using medications alone. The Amplatzer PFO Occluder device is manufactured by St. Jude Medical Inc. based in Plymouth, Minnesota. Researchers have found that many teens and young adults with chronic liver conditions suffer from depression and anxiety, which can have considerable impacts on their emotional and physical health. The findings, which are published in Liver Transplantation, indicate that greater attention should be directed to the mental health of these young patients. Adolescence is a challenging time for young people in general, but even more so for those with medical conditions. Young people with chronic illness have higher rates of mental health problems than the general population, which can affect how well they take care of themselves. A team led by Marianne Samyn, MD, FRCPCH and Anna Hames, of King's College Hospital conducted a study to uncover the prevalence of anxiety and depression in young people with chronic liver diseases. They also sought to identify the factors that might cause distress in these young patients and how anxiety and depression might affect their beliefs about their illness and treatment. For the study, 187 patients aged 16 to 25 years who were attending an outpatient liver transition clinic in London completed an electronically-administered questionnaire. The clinic is a multidisciplinary service dedicated to young patients with a range of liver conditions that aims to provide developmentally appropriate care and a smooth transition between pediatric and adult services. Patients were divided in three groups: those who had undergone liver transplantation, those with autoimmune liver disease, and those with other chronic liver conditions. Based on the questionnaire, 17.7 percent of the patients in the study screened positive for anxiety or depression, which is significantly higher than the 4 percent to 6 percent prevalence in the general adolescent population. There were no significant differences between disease groups. Patients most frequently attributed their distress to fatigue, sleep difficulties, financial concerns, problems at work/school, worry, and low self-esteem. Depression and anxiety seemed to influence how patients felt their illness affected them emotionally, how concerned they were about their illness, how many symptoms they experienced, and how much impact they felt the illness had on their lives. Depression and anxiety did not have a significant relationship with patients' perceived understanding of their illness or their beliefs as to how much treatment can help. "Health care professionals should be aware of the high prevalence of mental health problems in young people with liver conditions and routinely inquire about young people's psychosocial circumstances as both can impact on their illness and outcome," said Dr. Samyn. "Interestingly, the most common concerns young people with liver conditions report = such as lethargy, problems with sleeping and money, and work- or school-related issues - are very similar to their peers and can be addressed by a multidisciplinary team looking after them." Advertisement This new research shows that genetic variants can be isolated and that there is also a biological basis for reproductive behavior. The paper has been published in the journal,Lead author Professor Melinda Mills, from the Department of Sociology and Nuffield College at the University of Oxford, comments: "For the first time, we now know where to find the DNA areas linked to reproductive behavior. For example, we found that women with DNA variants for postponing parenthood also have bits of DNA code associated with later onset of menstruation and later menopause. One day it may be possible to use this information so doctors can answer the important question: "How late can you wait?" based on the DNA variants. It is important to put this into perspective, however, as having a child still strongly depends on many social and environmental factors that will always play a bigger role in whether or when we have babies."The study shows that DNA variants linked with the age at which people have their firstborn are also associated with other characteristics reflecting reproduction and sexual development, such as the age at which girls have their first period, when the voice breaks in boys, and at what stage women experience their menopause.First author Nicola Barban, from the Department of Sociology and Nuffield College at the University of Oxford, comments: "Our genes do not determine our behavior, but for the first time, we have identified parts of the DNA code that influence it. This is another small piece to understanding this very large jigsaw puzzle."The paper says that while these numbers seem 'extremely small', their modeling shows that in some cases when the variants are combined, they can be used to predict the probability of women remaining childless.Some of these genes were already known to influence infertility, while others have not yet been studied.According to study co-authors Professor Harold Snieder from the University of Groningen and Associate Professor Marcel den Hoed from Uppsala University, 'an improved understanding of the function of these genes may provide new insights for infertility treatments'.Source: Medindia Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. The Admiral Kuznetsov continues to arouse concerns in NATO. The Russian fleet was supposed to refuel in to the Spanish autonomous port Ceuta. The Spanish Foreign Ministry said that Madrid was considering granting the Admiral Kuznetsov access to Ceuta port on October 28-November 2. However, due to NATO's pressure on Madrid, Russia withdrew the request for its aircraft carrier group to be refueled in Ceuta. An official of the Russian Embassy in Spain told Ria.ru: "We confirm that the ships will not enter the Ceuta port because the route has changed."[1] However, the Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said the Defense Ministry filed "no requests to the Spanish authorities," concerning the refueling stop at the Ceuta port. He then specified: "the Russian aircraft carrier group is fully supplied with material stocks for the mission pursuit in the off-shore maritime zone in autonomous mode." Concerning NATO, Konashenkov said: "The Spanish authorities told [Russian Defense Ministry] that Russian vessels' call at the Ceuta port is inappropriate due to the pressure on Spain exerted by the US and NATO, this situation in no way affects the mission plan of the naval group."[2] Twitter.com/Sandy_mustache, October 22, 2016. Opposition Twitter account, Sandy Mustache, portrays the Admiral Kuznetsov billowing smoke as it passed close to the Strait of Dover. The smoke issuing from the Admiral Kuznetsov is in the shape of the USSR's map. The president of the socio-political research center "Aspect", Georgi Fedorov, said that since Ceuta has an autonomous status, NATO should have not interfered in the refueling of the Russian fleet. Fedorov stated: "NATO acts as a big organized crime group, which controls vast territories and enjoys military-political power. Thus, one should not have been under the illusion that an autonomous port-city may have avoided [NATO's] 'protection.' It was obvious that everything possible would be done, in order to make things harder on the lives of our crews. I think, in a short time, we'll figure out where else [the crew members] may get supplies and fuel."[3] It is worth noting that on October 27, Malta's Foreign Minister George Vella said that the Russian flotilla will not be refueled in Malta. Vella said: "What is being made clear is that Malta will not be party to the obscenities being committed in Aleppo." However, Vella did not confirm or deny that a request was made by Moscow for a fleet stopover in Malta.[4] (Source: Twitter.com/MFAMalta, October 27, 2016.) Discussing NATO's concerns that Admiral Kuznetsov may be used to carry out airstrikes on Aleppo,[5] Andrey Kelin, director of the European cooperation department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said: "The carrier group is heading for the Mediterranean. We always had a presence there. [NATO Secretary General Jens] Stoltenberg's suspicions [that carrier jets will carry out airstrikes in Aleppo] are groundless. What is the purpose of constructing such nebulous allegations and the predicating political recommendations on those allegations? That's ridiculous."[6] (Source: Ria.ru, October 27, 2016.) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is worried of the Russian fleet. In an analysis on the Admiral Kuznetsov's future role in Syria, RIA news columnist Aleksandr Khrolenko wrote: "Moscow is back to the Middle East. It's now serious and for a long period. Russian missile vessels and submarines are on combat duty 24/7 - i.e. constantly ready for a fight." Khrolenko added that the Admiral Kuznetsov as well as the atomic destroyer Peter the Great's weapons are excessive for threats emerging from terrorists in Syria - thus those weapons "are intended" for the terrorists' "more technologically advanced puppet masters," i.e. the West. He further stated that in Aleppo terrorists are getting ground support from approximately 4 or 5 thousand US Special Forces servicemen and some European countries. The author elaborated that given the Kuznetsov's and Peter the Great's military capabilities, Russia may proclaim a "no-fly zone" over all Syrian territory, and NATO members would not have an adequate response for that. According to the author, "the hot heads" in West will adopt a more accommodating position towards Russia, since no one wants a direct confrontation with nuclear armed Russia.[7] It is worth noting that the Russian daily Izvestia published an article, titled "Russia to test long range rockets in Syria". According to the article, Ka-52 combat helicopters on the board of Admiral Kuznetsov are supposed to test fire "Hermes" anti-tank self-guided missiles with a range of 30 kilometers. This test fire should prove the missiles combat operational capability. According to a quoted unidentified source in the Russian defense industry the test fire was supposed to be conducted earlier by Ka-52 already deployed to Syria, but due to some technical issues it was decided to test fire the missiles under the more complex conditions of ship hosted weaponry. Testing the weapons in Middle Eastern waters could also provide an effective sales demonstration to potential clients such as Egypt.[8] Endnotes: In recent days, a joint force comprising Iraqi government troops, Kurdish Peshmerga forces and elements of the international anti-terror coalition has been waging a massive campaign to push the Islamic State (ISIS) out of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Alongside praise for this offensive and for its stated goal of expelling ISIS from the city, there has also been concern among Iraqi and Saudi Sunnis regarding the implications of the offensive for the residents of Mosul, most of whom are Sunnis, and regarding the true intentions of some of the elements involved in the campaign. These concerns were expressed in many articles recently published in the Saudi press, which claimed inter alia that the Mosul offensive is merely a cover for an Iranian plan to expel Sunnis from the Mosul area and change its demographic makeup in order to strengthen Iran's influence there. The articles also claimed that Mosul is likely to suffer the same fate as other Sunni cities controlled by ISIS that were taken over by Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi, a union of popular Iraqi militias sponsored by the Iraqi and Iranian governments. These militias, which according to some reports are indeed involved in the Mosul offensive,[1] have been known to take revenge upon the Sunni residents of cities it liberated from ISIS. Some of the articles also compared Mosul to the Syrian city of Aleppo, the main stronghold of the Syrian opposition that is currently under heavy attack by the Syrian regime and its allies, Russia and Iran. The articles stated that both cases involve an attack on Sunni residents by anti-Sunni forces bent on expelling these Sunnis from their homes. Another claim was that the U.S. and the West were, knowingly or unknowingly, cooperating with this Iranian plan. As evidence of their position, the writers cited statements by former Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki, who said at an "Islamic Awakening" conference in Baghdad this week that the Mosul offensive, dubbed Operation "We Are Coming, Nineveh," also conveys "we are coming, Raqqa," "we are coming, Aleppo" and "we are coming, Yemen."[2] The following are excerpts from the articles in the Saudi press: Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi forces on way to Mosul (image: Nahrainnet.net, October 29, 2016) 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed: The Campaigns In Mosul and Aleppo Are Further Battles In A Long-Standing Sunni-Shi'ite Conflict 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, the former editor of the London-based Saudi daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat and former director-general of Al-Arabiya TV, wrote that the offensives in Mosul and Aleppo were both directed against a Sunni population, and that in both cases, victory by the attackers would only be temporary and would not resolve the larger crisis: "...Will the battles in Mosul and Aleppo end the war against ISIS in Iraq or the civil war in Syria? I don't believe so. In both countries, the problems stem from [the regime:] the character of the regime in Syria and the actions of the one in Iraq, [and from] the exclusion and marginalization of [the Sunnis]... In Iraq, Arab Sunnis comprise 20% of the population, and along with non-Arab Sunni groups they comprise 40% of Iraq's population. How can ten million citizens be eliminated or excluded? In Syria, Sunnis comprise 80% of the population, namely over 20 million people. Even if five or ten million of them flee [the country], the remaining [Sunnis] will still constitute an overwhelming majority. "Iraq's parliamentary regime is inclined towards a sectarian [form of] government, and this will lead, following the liberation of Mosul, to a minimizing of Iraq, making it a smaller and less stable country. As for Syria, after Aleppo is purged of most of its residents - not just of the combatants in it - the fighting will move to another city, and the battles will continue, since there is no political solution. This is due to Iran's insistence on cleaving to the man who is responsible for all this bloodshed [Bashar Al-Assad], just as it has cleaved to Hizbullah, which indirectly governs Lebanon and has caused instability there for 20 years... "Let the Syrians and Iraqis prepare to celebrate the 'liberation' of Mosul and Aleppo. We know the celebrations will be short-lived, and after they [end] the battles and the [dubious] alliances will continue, as will the persecution of the angry residents. The global terrorists [will continue] to benefit from this fertile ground [for their activity], and the tension in the region will persist. "At present Mosul is surrounded by a large international force, with generals eager to appear on the television stations of their countries and politicians falling over each other to take credit for the almost-certain victory. The global media, which, like the politicians, know the outcome [of the battle] in advance, take no interest in what will happen afterwards. The battles in Mosul and Aleppo are two more campaigns in a long-standing conflict that cannot be resolved without a just political plan."[3] Al-Yawm Daily: The West Must Stop Iran From Entering Mosul In Order To Change The Demographic Makeup Of The Area An editorial in the Saudi daily Al-Yawm directed harsh criticism at the U.S. and the West which, it said, are wooing Iran and trying to appease it even though it is harming their interests and undermining regional security. The article called on the U.S. to end this "masochistic" relationship and overcome this enchantment with Iran, and to keep this country from entering Mosul in order to change the demographic makeup of the area. The editorial said: "It seems like the current rationale of the international community recognizes only those who attribute no importance to international agreements and treaties, those who sign [agreements] with one hand and erase their signature with the other. This is what the masochistic relationship between the U.S. and Iran implies. The U.S. took Iran to its bosom and called on the entire West to do the same, to lift the siege from it and welcome it back to the fold of the international [community] like a pampered child. Moreover, the U.S. remained silent over everything [Iran] has done to undermine regional security by the dirtiest sectarian means possible, and eliminated all the black files it kept [on Iran], as though seeking to purge it of its sins and embrace it as a trustworthy ally... "Today we face the most complicated issue: Mosul. Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi, sponsored by Iran, has positioned itself at the spearhead of the forces seeking to expel ISIS [from the city]. But what [future] do they envision for Mosul after it is purged of the ISIS militias, especially considering the dark record of this sectarian Hashd [and what it has done] in some Iraqi towns in the Saladin province? Will the West continue to remain silent over Iran's foolish actions and its hectic efforts to change the demographic makeup of the region, aimed at ensuring the loyalty of further cantons so it can use them as an excuse for intervention? Or will it reread the history of the conflict between the Arabs and the Persians, realize what [Iran] is planning [to do] in the guise of the war on ISIS, and work to remove any doubt by preventing the Iranians, with their Safavid hatred, from entering Mosul and adding fuel to the sectarian fire that is [already] raging due to the policy of the regime of the Rule of the Jurisprudent and its sectarian forces? "I think that the world - which welcomed Iran [even though Iran] fires rockets at its vessels[4] while [the world] embraces it to its bosom - should notice that it is embracing a cunning snake, which Saudi Arabia [learned to] avoid only after drinking of its deadly poison. Will those who see [Iran] only as [a source of] gas, oil, carpets and pistachios realize this?"[5] 'Abd Al-Aziz Al-Tuwaijiri: The Real Sunni-Shi'ite War For Control Of Mosul Will Begin After Its Liberation From ISIS In an article in the London-based Saudi daily Al-Hayat, Saudi academic 'Abd Al-'Aziz Al-Tuwaijiri wrote in a similar vein that the real goal of the Mosul offensive is not to defeat ISIS but to realize Iran's plan to change Iraq's demographics. He added that the U.S. is coordinating its actions in Mosul with Iran. He wrote: "Is this really a campaign to liberate Mosul, or is it a determined effort to subordinate this Sunni-majority city to Iran's sectarian plan, as happened in the past with other cities and areas taken over from ISIS? Is Mosul doomed to end up like Aleppo - an Arab Sunni city in ruins? "Several elements are battling each other for the exclusive control of Mosul. One of them is the Iraqi army, which has a Shi'ite majority; another is Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi, which obeys Iran's directives and serves its interests, like Hizbullah in Lebanon. It has already been proven that, after Al-Hashd Al-Sha'bi enters a city or village controlled by ISIS, it sows destruction, ruin and death. It has committed crimes against humanity against Sunni Iraqis, 'in revenge for the death of Hussein,'[6] as [its members] declared in hysterical tones. This happened in Fallujah, Tikrit, Ramadi and elsewhere, and it is certain to happen in Mosul and throughout the Nineveh governorate if ISIS hands it over to them... "The U.S., which occupied Iraq in 2003, withdrew from this wretched Arab country in a disgraceful manner only after making sure that Iran would take its place there. Today, in the battle for Mosul, [the U.S.] coordinates with Iran, not with the government in Baghdad. It is immaterial whether this is done as part of bilateral [U.S.-Iran] relations or as part of the U.S.-led international anti-terror coalition, for ultimately it is the U.S. that has the interests and holds ties with Tehran and Baghdad. This means that Iraq's sovereignty has been usurped and the Iraqi government has no control [over what is happening]. "In light of this, we can understand why the Baghdad government is insisting, so surprisingly, on the withdrawal of the Turkish army form Iraq, especially after the establishment of Al-Hashd Al-Watani, headed by the former governor of Mosul, which comprises Sunni [troops] and is known today as the Nineveh Guards. Iran regards this Sunni [force], which was trained by the Turkish army, as a threat to its interests in Mosul and the Nineveh governorate, because if it takes part in the campaign to liberate the city, under Turkey's indirect command, it will protect the residents of Mosul, most of whom are Sunnis, from the aggression of the Shi'ite Al-Hashd [Al-Sha'bi] and thwart Iran's imperialistic ambitions... "If Turkey has declared that it means to stay in the [Mosul] area in order to defend the Sunnis and secure its interests after the withdrawal of ISIS from the city, that is it's own business, because the battle that is waiting for everyone is the one that will begin immediately after this battle [for Mosul ends]. Who will rule the Nineveh governorate? Will Mosul and the surrounding villages return to [the control of] Iraq's national government, assuming that such a thing even exists? Will [Nineveh] become a direct continuation of Iranian [territory], thereby changing the map, so that the world faces a fait accompli? What will be the position of the U.S.? Will capitulating to the developments and continuing the coordination with Iran [really] serve its interests?..."[7] Turki Al-Dakhil: There Is A Plan To Export Mosul Crisis To Gulf Countries Turki Al-Dakhil, a senior Saudi journalist and former director-general of Al-Arabiya TV, called on the world to unite its ranks against ISIS, while also warning that the war on ISIS conceals hidden agendas, namely an intention to harm the Sunnis in the city as well as the Gulf states. He wrote: "...The entire world must unite to defeat ISIS. Perhaps this campaign will manage to exhaust this extremist organization, especially if [the fighting forces] manage to transcend [the attempts] to transform the war into a sectarian one or to change the demographics of the city, which in effect has already happened. But when we mention expelling Sunnis [from Mosul], it takes us back to the reason why [former Iraqi prime minister] Nouri Al-Maliki facilitated ISIS's entry into Mosul [in the first place]. These are not just emotional declarations [on my part]. Amnesty [International] has declared that the Sunnis in Mosul are facing [the danger of] cruel vengeance at the hands of sectarian militias... Nouri Al-Maliki said explicitly that the Shi'ite militias will fight not only in Mosul or Aleppo but will reach Yemen. There is an intention to export the Mosul crisis to the [entire] region, especially to countries like Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, in order to derive as much benefit as possible from the Mosul [affair]. "The Mosul campaign is crucial in defeating ISIS. Mutually hostile countries are taking part in the fighting. The important point is for the city of Mosul to triumph, not some sectarian or ethnic group. At the same time, we must fight any [attempt] to change the demographic makeup of any city, no matter which sect or religion is dominant there. The campaign might be prolonged, but will it achieve all its objectives? Achieving them on the ground may be difficult, and may take longer than expected. Mosul will [eventually] be liberated, but it will no longer be the Mosul of which we have read and which we know."[8] Endnotes: On October 31, 2016, Muhammad 'Abd Al-Khaleq Turkman, a 25-year-old Palestinian policeman, carried out a shooting attack at a checkpoint in Beit El, wounding three Israeli soldiers, one of them seriously. Turkman's brother Rabi'a, who was killed in 2011, was an official in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and the Popular Resistance Committees, and was active in confrontations with Israel during the Al-Aqsa Intifada.[1] Following the attack, Palestinian social media users posted images and banners praising Turkman and his attack. Such posts also appeared on the Facebook pages of Fatah offices in the West Bank, and even on Fatah's official Facebook page, which referred to Turkman as "the hero martyr." Facebook pages associated with Hamas featured calls for Palestinian security forces personnel to carry out similar attacks as part of the current Al-Quds Intifada that began in October 2015. Social networks also saw use of the hashtags "The Resisting Policeman" and "The Martyr Policeman." Following are examples of images posted following the attack: Official Fatah Facebook Pages Praise "Hero Martyr Muhammad Turkman" Following the attack, the official Fatah Facebook page featured a poster showing images of Muhammad Turkman against the backdrop of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The poster, which was shared by the Facebook pages of Fatah offices in Tulkarm, Bethlehem, the town of 'Illar, and central Khan Yunis, stated: "Martyr policeman Muhammad Turkman, an officer with Palestinian police special forces, perpetrator of the shooting operation near the Beit El checkpoint that wounded three Israeli soldiers." The Facebook pages shared the poster using various hashtags such as "Martyr Policeman," "Member of the Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah," "Member of Palestinian Authority Apparatus," and "Honorable President Mahmoud Abbas's Man."[2] The poster on the official Fatah Facebook page Additionally, the official Fatah Facebook page also posted an image of Turkman with a rifle by his side. The post read: "Young martyr Muhammad 'Abd Al-Khaleq Turkman from the town of Qabatiya, perpetrator of the shooting operation that wounded three soldiers at the Beit El checkpoint in Ramallah. The martyr is a military man working for Palestinian police security [forces]."[3] The picture was reposted an hour later with text stating "The Fatah movement in Qabatiya is using loudspeakers to eulogize its son, hero martyr Muhammad Turkman, who carried out the 'Beit El' operation tonight."[4] Fatah in Qabatiya reports on eulogies for "hero martyr Muhammad Turkman" Hamas Facebook Pages Call On Palestinian Security Apparatus Members To Carry Out More Attacks The Facebook page of the Palestinian news agency Shihab, which is affiliated with Hamas, posted a Hamas graphic welcoming Muhammad 'Abd Al-Khaleq Turkman's operation and calling on more Palestinian security apparatus elements to get involved in the Intifada. It stated: "The Hamas movement welcomes the operation by the martyr Muhammad Turkman, an officer in the police apparatus, and views it as a powerful message in dealing with the crimes of the occupation. The movement calls on more members of the Palestinian security [apparatuses] to join the Palestinian Intifada. #The Resisting Policeman."[5] Hamas graphic posted on Shihab Facebook page The Facebook page of one of Hamas's websites, PALDF, posted a graphic with Turkman's photo along with photos of Palestinian security apparatus members who had carried out previous attacks against Israel during the Al-Quds Intifada. They included Mazan Hasan Ariva, a PA intelligence officer who opened fire on Israeli soldiers at the Hizma checkpoint on December 3, 2015,[6] and Amjad Al-Sukari, a security forces member, who did likewise at the Beit El checkpoint on January 31, 2016.[7] Next to Turkman's photo was a graphic with a question mark captioned "Who will be next?" Graphic posted on Hamas's PALDF Facebook page Posters praising Turkman were also shared by the local Facebook pages of Palestinian towns, as well as Palestinian news pages. One poster shared by the "Palestine News At Any Moment" Facebook page, which deals with Palestinian news and posts Hamas-related content, praised Turkman's attack and stated that his reward for it would be a ticket to Paradise. The poster reads: "We, men of the [West] Bank, came to die as martyrs. This shooting is for you, mother, and with it I will pass through the gates of Paradise. Here they are, here they are, here they are - peerless heroes."[8] "We, men of the [West] Bank, came to die as martyrs" Endnotes: Movember (or No Shave November) is all about being lazy, growing out your beard and looking good while doing so. We speak to 30 men each day of this monthfrom all walks of lifewho have mastered the art of grooming a good mug-rug, and are now ready to spill all the beans. Read on: Name: Allen Claudius Profession: Sneakerhead (also Head of Fashion Curation at Wooplr) Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones Tell us about your beard timeline. How long have you been growing it? Any special beard stories: I have had my beard since 2012. I shaved it all off twice through the course of growing it, after giving the beard 12 months to grow on both occasions. I would like to believe I had a beard before it was cool. But then again, I also think I am the coolest (laughs). My mom tells me so every morning when she combs my hair. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones Any special beard stories... There was this time I had to choose between keeping my beard and featuring on India's leading menswear fashion magazine. They did not tell me I was expected to shave till about 10 minutes before I was to go in front of the camera. We both debated and argued. Eventually we arrived at middle ground and my beard was trimmed down to a 5 day stubble. But then I was so distraught with having given in, that I shaved off the rest of it right after the shoot and did not grow it for another 2 months. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones Favourite beard products: I only trust 2 makes for my beard. There is this guy in Bombay, Kapil Shingada who makes beard oil to your specifications. Wizard's Elixir is what it is called. He understands what your requirement is, what your favourite scents are and then puts it all together with essential oils and what not. Honest Amish is my go-to brand for beard balm. It is organic and the best thing for your beard. Lately, I have discovered another new-to-market brand, Luvenesco. Both of these are based overseas and make good stuff. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones Are women into beard? Does it help or hurt your chances of getting laid? Women are into beards, alright, because it exudes the whole 'tough guy' aura. Like, this guy looks like the kind who can chop some wood, fix me some breakfast and give you raging orgasms. But then it doesn't really help getting laid. Weirdly enough, I have been complimented for my beard by a shit load of men and just a handful of women. I wouldn't think it increases chances of getting laid if you lack game. As much as the women love beards, they perhaps dread the thought of a handful of hair in their mouth (grins). So that can't be the only factor. Or maybe, just maybe, I have not been in the right spots. Damn it! How do you maintain your beard? Tell us about your routine. I wash it once in 2 days, although I pat it with a moist towel every day. I oil it thrice a week, alternate days really. I do not use random soaps or shampoos on them. Only the best and choicest made products will do. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones One beard dos and don'ts? DO NOT comb your beard when it is wet, because you will end up with split ends. Keep it well conditioned. Use paraben free products. Has the beard changed your sense of style? Do you dress differently to fit your beard? Not at all, not one bit. I think the beard in fact adds on to your style, no matter what it is. I rock a suit a lot more harder than I do my sneakers, with a beard. Because people don't expect a long bearded man to wear a proper tailor made suit. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones One advice for boys with the beard. Just like the hair on your head, everybody's beard differs in texture, length and appearance. Don't be disheartened if your beard does not look like what you see in all those glorious instagram images. Every man is meant to grow his own unique beard. Vishal Dey_Bowtiesandbones If you are a biryani lover and you reside in Chennai, then there is a piece of grave and horrifying news that you are actually about to know. In a shocking revelation, the Chennai police and activists raided roadside eateries only to find out that cat meat was being used in the biryanis. The activists at PFA carried out a secret operation to throw light on the brutality and joined hands with the police. YouTube They befriended the people who were abducting cats, made videos of them chopping the cats and confirming the use of cat meat in the road side biryani. Many cats were eventually rescued by the team. However, it seems like humanity is losing itself in every form. HURON COUNTY Bovine tuberculosis was recently confirmed in a 2-year-old Huron County steer, but no human health concerns are present. The animal was identified as possibly diseased and removed from the human food chain by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service, which inspects each animal during processing. It was found before it got into the food chain, said Jennifer Holton, director of communications for the Michigan Departemnt of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). There are no human health concerns as it relates to this particular animal. The system is working. Using the steers radio frequency identification, MDARD rapidly identified the farm in Huron County that sent the animal to slaughter, according to a press release from MDARD. Holton would not identify the location of the farm. But a three-mile surveillance area has been established around the affected farm in Huron County. Farms within the surveillance area will have six months to complete bovine TB testing. These farms will be identified by MDARD and notified through individual letters. Holton would not identify the location of the farm. Also included in the animals record, were two prior farms in Presque Isle County where the animal was located. The identified farms will be tested to ensure the disease is not present. Cattle properly identified with RFID can be traced in minutes, said Dr. Rick Smith, assistant state veterinarian, in the release. Not only can we find the most recent owner, we can successfully track where the animal has moved, allowing us to stamp out disease before it spreads. An informational meeting to discuss this finding of bovine TB and the surveillance area is scheduled for: 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites; 55 Rapson Lane West, Bad Axe. Holton told the Tribune that such meetings are scheduled once a case of bovine tuberculosis is discovered in a locality. More information on bovine TB can be found at www.michigan.gov/bovinetb. BAD AXE The judge followed the sentence recommendation and as a result a Harbor Beach man, convicted on a slew of theft-related charges, is heading back to prison. In September, a jury found Kyle Wayne Beaudin guilty of three counts of forgery, one count of uttering and publishing, one count of larceny $200 to $1,000 and habitual offender-fourth stemming from a three-month investigation involving stolen checks. According to police reports, the crime spree began Nov. 1, 2015, and ended Jan. 5 when police arrested Beaudin in the Harbor Beach area. The 30-year-old stole checks, forged information on them and attempted to cash the checks at local banks during the three-month time frame. Beaudin and his attorney, Dallas Rooney, appeared in circuit court on Monday for sentencing. Rooney told the judge his client has lived what he referred to as a tragic life. At the age of 9, Beaudin was placed in the juvenile system and spent the next 10 years there, Rooney said. During his time there, he was found legally insane as a juvenile, Rooney said, adding Beaudin was not found mentally ill during the current case. A few months before Beaudin started engaging in illegal activity, he stopped taking his medications. We all know what happens when people do that, Rooney said. I would hate to see him spend four years in prison, Rooney added, noting Beaudin was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2012 on a larceny charge. Lets just hope he gets the help and mental counseling to stop him from committing these crimes. Rooney told Huron County Circuit Judge Gerald M. Prill that the total amount of money lost in the case was $50. Beaudin declined to comment when given the opportunity. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Schumacher then read a prepared letter from the victim. I would like to see Kyle get as much time as possible, she stated. Schumacher paused in the middle of the letter and went more in-depth in the case. This was not just about a $50 check, she said. Beaudin used his job delivering newspapers to seek information from his victim, Schumacher said. Beaudin stole numerous amounts of mail containing information about the victims child because he was trying to kidnap her, Schumacher added. According to statements made in court, it was said that Beaudin believed he could have been a better parent to the child compared to the current parent. We have a known thief who has been thieving since he was released from juvenile court, she said. For the publics safety, the childs safety and the victims safety, we ask for the full four years at a minimum. Rooney rebutted to clarify the stolen checks were not on his clients newspaper route. Prill reviewed Beaudins before handing down a sentence. Its unfortunate regarding the mental health aspect of this, but you decided to play doctor and get off your meds, Prill said. You need to understand you have to conform to societys norms. Beaudin was sentenced to four to 30 years in Michigans prison system on the three counts of forgery and one count of uttering and publishing. On the larceny charge, Beaudin received 296 days in the county jail. All sentences will run concurrently. AbbVie Inc. discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceuticals in the worldwide. The company offers HUMIRA, a therapy administered as an injection for autoimmune and intestinal Behcet's diseases; SKYRIZI to treat moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults; RINVOQ, a JAK inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients; IMBRUVICA to treat adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), and VENCLEXTA, a BCL-2 inhibitor used to treat adults with CLL or SLL; and MAVYRET to treat patients with chronic HCV genotype 1-6 infection. It also provides CREON, a pancreatic enzyme therapy for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency; Synthroid used in the treatment of hypothyroidism; Linzess/Constella to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation and chronic idiopathic constipation; Lupron for the palliative treatment of advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis and central precocious puberty, and patients with anemia caused by uterine fibroids; and Botox therapeutic. In addition, the company offers ORILISSA, a nonpeptide small molecule gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for women with moderate to severe endometriosis pain; Duopa and Duodopa, a levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel to treat Parkinson's disease; Lumigan/Ganfort, a bimatoprost ophthalmic solution for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension; Ubrelvy to treat migraine with or without aura in adults; Alphagan/ Combigan, an alpha-adrenergic receptor agonist for the reduction of IOP in patients with OAG; and Restasis, a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant to increase tear production, as well as other eye care products. AbbVie Inc. has a research collaboration with Dragonfly Therapeutics, Inc. The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. Calix, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud and software platforms, and systems and services in the United States, rest of Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company's cloud and software platforms, and systems and services enable broadband service providers (BSPs) to provide a range of services. It provides Calix Cloud platform, a role-based analytics platform comprising Calix Marketing Cloud, Calix Support Cloud, and Calix Operations Cloud, which are configurable to display role-based insights and enable BSPs to anticipate and target new revenue-generating services and applications through mobile application. The company also offers EXOS, a carrier class premises operating system and fully integrated with its GigaSpire family of systems to be ready for deployment as a complete subscriber experience solutions for BSP's residential and business subscribers; and AXOS, a software platform to access edge of the network by its architecture and operations. It offers its products through its direct sales force and resellers. Calix, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. China Mobile Limited provides mobile telecommunications and related services in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The company offers local calls; domestic and international long distance calls and roaming services; and value-added services, such as caller identity display, call waiting, conference calls, and others. It also provides wireless Internet service, as well as digital applications comprising music, video, reading, gaming, and animation; wireline broadband services; and wireline voice services. In addition, it offers dedicated line and IDC services to corporate customers in a range of industry sectors; and basic corporate communication products comprising corporate VPMN and SMS, and tailor made solutions. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, which includes IDD, roaming, Internet, MNC, and value added business services. Additionally, it offers telecommunications network planning, design, and consulting services; roaming clearance, IT system operation, and technology support services; value-added platform development and maintenance services; mobile data, and system integration and development services; network construction and maintenance, network planning and optimizing, and training services; electronic communication products design and sale of related products; and non-banking financial services. It also provides mobile cloud research and development services; call center services; e-payment, e-commerce, and Internet finance services; and mobile Internet digital content services, as well as operates a network and business coordination center. The company serves 950 million mobile customers and 187 million wireline broadband customers. The company was formerly known as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited and changed its name to China Mobile Limited in May 2006. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. China Mobile Limited is a subsidiary of China Mobile Hong Kong (BVI) Limited. National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services comprise credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment comprises investment solutions, trust services, banking services, lending services, and other wealth management solutions. The Financial Markets segment offers corporate banking, advisory, and capital markets services; and project financing, debt, and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance products; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and investment solutions, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and monetization. It provides its services through a network of 384 branches and 927 banking machines. National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 and is based in Montreal, Canada. Telecom Argentina S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Argentina and internationally. The company offers telephone services, including local, domestic, and international long-distance telephone services, as well as public telephone services; and other related supplementary services, such as call waiting, call forwarding, conference calls, caller ID, voice mail, itemized billing, and maintenance services. It also provides interconnection services, such as traffic and interconnection resource, dedicated Internet access, video signals transportation in standard and high definitions, audio and video streaming, dedicated links, backhaul links for mobile operators, data center hosting/housing services, dedicated links, layer 2 and layer 3 transport networks, video links, value-added services, and other services. In addition, the company offers mobile telecommunications services, including voice communications, high-speed mobile Internet content and applications download, online streaming, and other services; and sells mobile communication devices, such as handsets, Modems MiFi and wingles, and smart watches under the Personal brand. Further, it provides internet connectivity products, including virtual private network services, traditional Internet protocol links, and other products; data services; and programming and other cable television services. The company was formerly known as Cablevision S.A. and changed its name to Telecom Argentina S.A. in January 2018. Telecom Argentina S.A. was founded in 1979 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Toyota Motor Corporation designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells passenger vehicles, minivans and commercial vehicles, and related parts and accessories. It operates in Automotive, Financial Services, and All Other segments. The company offers hybrid cars under the Prius name, fuel cell vehicles under the MIRAI name; and conventional engine vehicles, including subcompact and compact cars under the Corolla and Raize names. It also provides mini-vehicles, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and auto parts under the Toyota name; mid-size cars; luxury cars; sports cars under the GR Yaris, Corolla Sport, Corolla Cross, and Supra names; and recreational and sport-utility vehicles under the Highlander name. In addition, the company offers pickup trucks under the Tacoma name; minivans; and trucks and buses. Further, it provides financial services, such as retail financing and leasing, wholesale financing, insurance, and credit cards; and designs, manufactures, and sells prefabricated housing. Additionally, the company operates GAZOO.com, a web portal for automobile information. It operates in Japan, North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East. The company was founded in 1933 and is headquartered in Toyota, Japan. Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated insurance holding company in the United States. The company develops, markets, and underwrites insurance products for personal residential insurance, such as homeowners, renters/tenants, condo unit owners, and dwelling/fire; and offers allied lines, coverage for other structures, and personal property, liability, and personal articles coverages. It also advises on actuarial issues, oversees distribution, administers claims payments, performs policy administration and underwriting, and assists with reinsurance negotiations; places and manages reinsurance programs for the insurance entities; and operates Clovered.com, an online platform in which consumers receive side-by-side quotes from various carriers across multiple states, as well as educational materials about homeowners' insurance policies. It offers its products through a network of independent agents, as well as Universal Direct, a direct-to-consumer online platform, which enables homeowners to directly purchase, pay for, and bind homeowners' policies. The company was formerly known as Universal Heights, Inc. and changed its name to Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. in January 2001. Universal Insurance Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Katrina McFarland, the U.S. Army's assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, retired Tuesday after serving only nine months on the job. McFarland said she joined the Army in February 2016 to serve as the service's acquisition chief knowing that she would be in the job for just a short period of time, according to an Army press release. Her position, a political appointment, would by tradition end with the election of a new president on Nov. 8, the release states. "Until a new assistant secretary is nominated and confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Stephanie Easter, current ASA(ALT) principal deputy, has been designated to serve as the senior official for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisitions, Logistics and Technology," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jesse Stalder told Military.com in an email. Knowing her time would be limited, McFarland said she entered the office with specific ideas she wanted to implement. "I felt there were things I could contribute," she said. One new priority that McFarland spearheaded was the Army's Rapid Capabilities Office, which stood up Aug. 31. She had already helped the Air Force stand up its own Rapid Capabilities Office in a previous role as the assistant secretary of defense for acquisition. McFarland described that office and the Army's own Rapid Capabilities Office as being similar to Lockheed Martin Corp.'s "Skunk Works." "It's a means of achieving a quick, non-risk-averse delivery of capability," McFarland said. "It requires people who have skills to identify and understand risk well. It requires senior leadership to be there to afford them the direct insights they need to answer to senior leaders' needs that are oftentimes not a corporate view, which we tend to focus on." The goal of the new office is to deliver those new capabilities to the force between one and five years, much faster than traditional acquisition -- which can take decades, she said. McFarland started in government in 1986 as a general engineer at Marine Corps headquarters. Returning to a ground-combat community, she said, felt like coming home. "My background is having spent 27 years of my life with the Marine Corps. Coming back to ground combat is lovely," McFarland said. "And also the whole mission of what we do in terms of national security runs in my blood." Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning said he was impressed with McFarland's ability to move his modernization and acquisition reform agenda forward. "Katrina has done a fantastic job of focusing the department's efforts on the challenges of acquisition, on streamlining acquisition, and on bringing Army modernization efforts to the forefront," he said. "She may have only been in the Army a short time, but I've worked with Katrina in [the Department of Defense] and elsewhere within the Pentagon. She's a fantastic scientist and has been a trusted adviser. She'll be missed in the Army, but the legacy of her work lives on." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. The Marine Corps has publicly identified a service member who died in an apparent off-duty drowning accident on Okinawa, the third such death in October. Lance Cpl. Sebastian Borja-Diaz died Oct. 30 after an apparent drowning accident at Maeda Point in Onna Village, within Okinawa's Kunigami district, III Marine Expeditionary Force spokeswoman 2nd Lt. Jacky Chow said in an announcement. Borja-Diaz was a motor vehicle operator for 3rd Transportation Support Battalion out of Combat Logistics Regiment 3, based at Camp Foster on Okinawa. He had enlisted in the Marine Corps in May 2015 and previously served at the U.S. Army Training Center at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Chow said. "3rd TSB is deeply saddened by Lance Corporal Borja-Diaz passing," Lt. Col. Andre Ingram, commanding officer of 3rd TSB, said in a statement. "He was devoted to his job and his fellow Marines and worked diligently to set an example to be emulated by them. The entire unit mourns his loss." Chow said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of Borja-Diaz's death. III MEF, which oversees Marine units in the Pacific, declared a temporary moratorium on all water-related activities after Borja-Diaz's death, which was the third apparent drowning of a service member stationed on Okinawa in a month and the second in two days. On Oct. 29, a Marine assigned to 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Sgt. Aubrey Williams, was pronounced dead after an apparent drowning accident also at Maeda Point, a popular off-duty snorkeling and diving location. Williams was a UH-1 Huey helicopter crew chief for Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 out of Camp Pendleton, California. He had been deployed to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing on Okinawa at the time of his drowning. On Oct. 10, a Navy corpsman, Petty Officer 1st Class Jorge NoriegaSuarez, died in what appears to be a diving accident at another popular Okinawa recreation spot: Mermaid's Grotto near Cape Manzamo. NoriegaSuarez, an advanced X-Ray technician, was assigned to 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group. All three deaths are under investigation by the Marine Corps. The III MEF ban on water activities will continue for the remainder of the week, Chow said in a news release. "III MEF is currently conducting a moratorium on water related activities this week; and will conduct safety stand-down on recreational water safety activities and measures to ensure the well-being of our service members, their families, and the communities with which we interact," she said. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck. ABOARD THE USS AMERICA -- A sailor is safe after falling off the flight deck of this amphibious assault ship in choppy waters. The incident happened on Monday as Marine Corps F-35B Joint Strike Fighters began a final phase of shipboard developmental testing for the aircraft ahead of the first deployment of a squadron forward to Japan early next year. One of the factors being tested was how the aircraft performed in high sea states, so the America was operating in swells of four to six feet off the San Diego coast. The sailor fell off the starboard side of the ship around 1 p.m., shortly after the arrival of a group of reporters covering the F-35 testing. He was in the water for between seven and eight minutes, an official told Military.com. An MH-60S Seahawk chopper that had already been conducting operations in the air above the America was called on to recover the sailor, deploying a rescue swimmer that brought him in. Testing aboard the America paused as the ship took accountability of all crew members. Although tossed by the water, the sailor was unhurt, an official said, and walked off the helicopter onto the flight deck on his own. He was taken to medical aboard the ship to assess his condition, officials said. Incidents in which sailors fall overboard are extremely rare. This was the first for the America, which joined the fleet in 2014. In a message to all aboard the ship, the commander of the America, Capt. Joseph Olson thanked the Americas search and rescue detachment. He warned the other sailors not to be outside on catwalks and narrow passageways while the ship operated in choppy seas. The America will continue facilitating developmental test operations for the F-35 for the next three weeks. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. NOVEMBER 7: Texas has not been able to find a trade partner and will officially decline Hollands option today, per MLB.coms T.R. Sullivan (via Twitter). OCTOBER 31, 8:45pm: Texas has informed Holland that his option wont be picked up at least, not to play with the Rangers, according to MLB.coms T.R. Sullivan. It isnt clear at this point what kinds of scenarios the Rangers are weighing with regard to the southpaw. Holland could conceivably be moved for another veteran with a reasonably hefty salary or instead be cashed in for some prospect value. Its also possible that Texas could contribute cash to boost the return. While there isnt an immense amount of surplus value in Hollands contract, interested rivals will surely be intrigued at the possibility of getting him for a one-year commitment with another available option year rather than possibly being forced to promise more to woo him via free agency. 7:11pm: The Rangers are willing to trade left-hander Derek Holland, over whom they hold an $11MM club option with a $1.5MM buyout, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Heyman hears that Holland may have played his final game as a member of the Rangers, writing that theyd prefer to move him rather than keep him on the books. Furthermore, he tweets that a few teams are showing interest in Holland, and a trade would happen soon if it were to take place. The timing component of that followup isnt much of a surprise, as teams have until five days after the conclusion of the World Series to decide on the options for their players, but its certainly notable that teams are expressing interest. While Holland may not appear like a highly appealing trade candidate on the heels of a disappointing season, there are a few reasons to believe that clubs would be willing to take him on at $11MM next year. First and foremost, the free-agent market for starting pitching is a veritable wasteland this offseason, with the top names available including Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova. Sheer supply and demand should lead to interest in Holland, especially if the Rangers are willing to pick up a bit of the tab or to take on another fairly notable contract in return. At 30 years old, Holland is still young enough to believe that there could be a rebound in his bottom-line results, which admittedly werent pretty in 2016. Holland had his healthiest season since 2013 this year hes missed time previously due to shoulder and knee injuries but he pitched his way out of the rotation and ultimately finished the year with a 4.95 ERA in 107 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity was 93.6 mph during a terrific 2013 season, but injuries and aging caused that mark to dip to 91.7 mph this past season. Accordingly, Hollands K/9 rate has dipped from 8.0 to 5.6, and his ground-ball rate fell south of 40 percent this season as well. None of that paints a very good picture, of course, but Hollands unsightly ERA would be nearly a full run lower were it not for an 11-run drubbing that was handed out by the Blue Jays in Toronto back on May 5. He went on to post a 4.42 ERA from that point forth and at one point went through a stretch of 10 outings where he delivered seven quality starts and posted a 3.65 ERA. While the overall season was one to forget, there were glimpses of the pitcher that once looked to be developing into a Rangers rotation mainstay. Its not uncommon for rebound candidates to get several million dollars in free agency anyway, and Hollands contract comes with the upside of a club option for the 2018 season. If hes able to rebound even to the point where he pitches like a solid fourth starter, Holland would prove to be a nice value with that extra year of club control. The lack of quality hurlers on the market was one of the primary reasons that I recently examined a number of borderline club options for starting pitchers, including Holland, and opined that teams would be wise to exercise the options even if the ultimate outcome was that those arms would be traded. Based on Heymans report, it sounds like the Rangers could potentially move Holland even before that decision is due, and its certainly not out of the question that others such as Jaime Garcia and Clay Buchholz could find themselves in a similar boat. Certainly, teams with club options over borderline players are feeling out the trade market right now in similar fashion to the Rangers, as evidenced by Ken Rosenthals report from earlier today that the likes of Pat Neshek, Fernando Rodney and Carlos Ruiz are all available in trade talks. Ford Canada Ford of Canada celebrates the all-new Canadian-built Ford Edge at Oakville Assembly Complex (Ford) DETROIT -- Negotiations went down to the wire Tuesday morning, but Unifor touted the resulting labor agreement with Ford Motor Co. in Canada as a victory. Unifor president Jerry Dias said Ford is investing some C$700 million (about $522 million) in Canadian operations as part of a new, four-year labor deal with the union. Ford's 6,700 Unifor members still have to vote to ratify the tentative agreement. As late as Monday evening, Unifor had painted the talks with Ford as the most trying of the negotiations with the Detroit Three, with a Unifor spokeswoman saying, as a strike deadline neared, that Ford would agree to previously reached pattern deals with General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles only if certain offsets were met. One of those offsets included the introduction of temporary, lower-wage workers. But Dias told reporters early Tuesday morning that such an offset had been scrapped. "We have zero intention of going down the road of temporary workers," he said. Much of the union's concern centered around the future of Ford's engine operations in Windsor. In general, Dias said Tuesday the union had "won a major engine program from Ford." He said the agreement calls for Ford to transform its Essex plant from a "C plant to an A plant," which would put Ford's Windsor facilities "at the top of the food chain for powertrain operations." Unifor officials said they could not yet give details of Ford's agreed-upon investment there, or discuss worker benefits of the agreement before speaking with the union rank-and-file. The pattern agreements reached with GM and FCA include 2 percent general wage increases in years one and four of the four-year contract, a $6,000 ratification bonus, $2,000 lump sums payments in years two, three and four, and benefit plan improvements. Ford's Canadian facilities are in Bramalea, Edmonton, Oakville and Windsor. Unifor has a total of about 23,050 workers the Detroit Three automakers. JACKSON, MI -- With 106 years in business, Jackson Monument Works continues the honored tradition of creating memorials to honor a person's life after their death. The fourth-generation family-owned business specializes in cemetery monuments and markers that can be personalized to meet people's needs. Business Info Address: 2830 Francis St., Jackson Type of Business: Monument company Owner: Chris St. John Number of Employees: 6 Serving Community: Since 1910 Business Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday; Weekends by appointment. Contact Info: Phone: 517-782-3116; Website: ; Facebook: "It is important to respect cemeteries for what they really are for...the living." said owner Chris St. John. "We put tremendous importance on pre-planning cemetery and funeral arrangements for families to save money and grief." Here are five things you probably didn't know about Jackson Monument Works. * Jackson Monument Works does all sandblasting, engraving and custom details. * The business offers a wide variety of colors of granite from all over the world. The granite Jackson Monument Works uses primarily is from North America, but some hues of granite only come from suppliers overseas. * St. John is one of only three certified memorialists in Michigan. * Jackson Monument Works delivers and places the monuments at the cemetery and sets the foundation. * As a local company Jackson Monument Works also has been involved in civic and community memorials in Jackson County and surrounding areas. ANN ARBOR, MI - The Salvation Army of Washtenaw County is kicking off its launch to the giving season on Nov. 11 with a little help from local rocker Laith Al-Saadi of "The Voice" fame. Al-Saadi is performing a few songs around 12:30 p.m. that day to help the Salvation Army start its kettle campaign. The event takes place inside the JCPenney court of the Briarwood Mall. The kettle campaign is an extension of a larger, county-wide Beyond the Bell effort in the county that helps collect money for the Salvation Army through donations through live music performances. In addition to performing, those in attendance can purchase wristbands to receive a CD of Al-Saadi's music that he can sign at the conclusion of the performance. CDs can be purchased in advance. "What I find most interesting about Laith is even before his success on 'The Voice,' he's performed around 300 gigs a year consecutively for years," said Denise Murray, director of marking and business development for Briarwood Mall. "He's very well known and grounded in the community. I think it's a great reflection of him that he wants to be more committed to being involved in the community." Al-Saadi gained national recognition over the summer fro his surprise top-four finish on NBC's "The Voice," behind a powerful, well-trained voice and guitar chops to perform authentic rock, soul and blues music. An Ann Arbor native and no stranger to its music community, Al-Saadi performed in front of the largest crowd in the history of Sonic Lunch in June before returning to play shows at the Michigan Theater and Blind Pig in July. Lincoln High School.jpg Lincoln Consolidated Schools raised its pay for substitute teachers in order to be more competitive with other local districts. (The Ann Arbor News file) This post was updated with the correct substitute teacher pay for Dexter Community Schools and Chelsea School District. YPSILANTI, MI - Lincoln Consolidated Schools is offering substitute teachers more pay in an effort to fill open positions. Other local districts have struggled to find subs this school year as well. Lincoln now will pay substitute teachers $90 per day, an increase from $75 per day, in order to be more competitive with the rates offered by neighboring school districts. The board of education approved the move at its Oct. 24 meeting. Lincoln contracts substitute teachers from EduStaff as part of a consortium agreement through Washtenaw Intermediate School District. "I am glad we were able to increase our pay rate for substitute teachers and bring it in line with other neighboring districts," said Julia Butler, director of Human Resources for Lincoln schools, in a press release. "This change will allow us to fill our daily positions and ensure consistent classroom coverage." Difficulty filling part-time positions this school year is not unique to Lincoln Consolidated Schools. The WISD also temporarily increased its substitute teacher and teacher assistant pay in September and October after facing a shortage this school year. The WISD started paying short-term substitute teachers $115 a day and substitute teacher assistants $100 a day, which was an increase of $30 from its previous rates. "With the incentive the board approved, we saw that the fill rate jumped to in the 95-percent range, (up from an average 64 percent fill rate in September)," WISD Superintendent Scott Menzel told MLive in October. "It seemed to make a significant difference pretty quickly and moved us from something that's not acceptable or sustainable to something that's closer in line with what we need to have consistently." The WISD continued the higher pay rate through October, but it will return to its regular substitute teacher pay in November, Menzel said. Administrators will study the impact to determine if a permanent change in the pay rate is necessary. There is an estimated pool of 500 substitutes shared by the nine public school districts in the WISD, according to a resolution brought to the WISD board of education on Sept. 13, and each district sets its own rate of pay. Ann Arbor Public Schools pays short-term substitute teachers - meaning they fill a position for 29 days or fewer - $100 a day, according to a report from the WISD. Manchester, Milan, Saline, the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium and Whitmore Lake schools all pay substitute teachers $75 a day, like Lincoln previously did. Ypsilanti Community Schools pays substitute teachers $85 a day. The superintendents at Dexter Community Schools and Chelsea School District said their districts both pay substitute teachers $90 a day. To become a substitute teacher for EduStaff, applicants must provide educational documentation that can include a transcript showing the completion of 90 credit hours with a GPA of at least 2.0 at a four-year accredited college or university, a temporary teacher authorization, a current or expired Michigan teacher certificate, an out-of-state teacher certificate or a foreign transcript. Applicants also must be fingerprinted and pass a background check, complete professional development and provide references. To learn more about how to become a substitute teacher or paraprofessional in Washtenaw County, visit www.edustaff.org. BAY CITY, MI -- Once incarcerated in another state for possessing child pornography, Joel A. Zahnow is heading to a Michigan prison for flashing his genitals to two girls at a Walmart in Bay County's Bangor Township. Zahnow on Monday, Oct. 31, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill for sentencing. The 41-year-old defendant in September pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated indecent exposure. The charge is normally a two-year high court misdemeanor, but Zahnow also pleaded as a habitual offender with a third-offense sentencing enhancement. As a result, Zahnow's maximum potential penalty was increased to four years' incarceration. Before Gill handed down his sentence, the mother of one of his victims addressed the court. "I guess I want you to protect our children," she told the judge, sobbing as she spoke. "I don't him want to be able to hurt any other children the way he hurt my daughter. I don't think that should be taken lightly. It wasn't an accident. He knew what he was doing. "He took part of his body meant to make children and used it to harm children," she continued. "That's an awful, harmful thing to do to an innocent child." As she spoke, the shackled Zahnow kept his head down. "Even one (child harmed) is too many," the mother continued. "My daughter was courageous enough to come to me right away. How many other children could he have possibly done this to that didn't come forward? If he doesn't go to prison, how many more children is he going to do this too again?" Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Nancy E. Borushko said a look at Zahnow's criminal history indicates his illicit activities are escalating. "There has been a lot of conversation about what his history is and what his past is," she said, adding that Zahnow has claimed he was himself abused as a child. "The most important thing there is if someone had done something (like this) to him, then he knew better. He knew how damaging it was to himself. It's almost unforgivable. To know what it makes you feel like and turn that on someone else is the ultimate act of selfishness." Zahnow offered a short expression of contrition. "The only thing there is to say, your honor, is a statement of apology," he said. "Not only to the victims, but to their parents and the community as well. Beyond that, I don't think there is anything I can say. I have to take a look at what's going on in my life with the time you're going to be giving me." Gill sentenced Zahnow to 25 months to four years in prison. He gave him credit for 122 days already served. "Mr. Zahnow, you have alleged -- and I don't have any reason to disbelieve you -- that you were the victim of assaults as a child," Gill said. "While that makes it perhaps able to understand what gives you this desire, understand the harm done to you is what I have a sworn obligation to protect other people from." The judge went on to say Zahnow's conduct is obviously harmful to children. "We as a society cannot allow this to happen," he said. "You sought these children out in the toy department of all places. You have an attraction to children in a sexual way. This is a very aggressive, dangerous act." Gill said he hopes Zahnow receives treatment in prsion. "You need to look in your own soul and find out why this is happening and what you need to do to keep this from happening again," the judge told him. Zahnow's offense occurred the afternoon of Thursday, June 30, in the Walmart at 3921 E. Wilder Road. At the arraignment, Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Bernard J. Coppolino said Zahnow followed and spoke with two 7-year-old girls before flashing them. Bay County Undersheriff Troy Cunningham previously said the girls were in the toy aisle while the mother of one of the girls was in an adjacent aisle. The girls told the mother what had occurred, and she then told store security, who were unable to immediately locate the man. Investigating police had an idea Zahnow was the culprit by the following morning, Cunningham previously said. Deputies located and arrested Zahnow later that day. Records indicate Zahnow in October 2007 was sentenced to 10 years of probation in Wisconsin's Ozaukee County after being convicted of two counts of possessing child pornography. The charge is a 25-year felony in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections' website indicates Zahnow must register as a sex offender until Oct. 3, 2032. As a sex offender, Zahnow was already prohibited from having contact with any child besides his own. BAY CITY, MI -- The day his trial was to begin, a Saginaw man accused of choking another man to the point the latter defecated accepted a plea offer. Gary E. Gammons, 35, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill and pleaded no contest to one count of aggravated assault. The charge is a one-year misdemeanor. In pleading no contest, Gammons did not verbally admit to having committed a crime. Gill had to rely on police reports to enter a conviction on the record. Gammons pleaded no contest for reasons of civil liability. In exchange for his plea, the prosecution dismissed counts of assault by strangulation and interfering with an electronic communications device, both felonies. Gammons' case stems from a Michigan State Police trooper on the morning of May 3 responding to an assault complaint at a Frankenlust Township home. The man who called met the trooper in his driveway, the left side of his face was red and swollen and blood was around his mouth, court records show. The man told the trooper that Gammon, his former boss, had attacked him. The man went on to say he believed his wife was having an affair with Gammons. Earlier that morning, Gammons' wife called him and he told her of his suspicions, court records show. Shortly thereafter, the man was in his truck in his driveway when Gammons pulled up in his own truck, the man told the trooper. Gammons grabbed the man by his head through a partially open window and shoved his head against the glass, the man told police. Gammons choked the man and swatted a cellphone away when the man tried using it to call for help, he told police. Gammons choked the man to the point that he defecated in his pants and nearly passed out, he told the trooper. Gammons then punched him several times in the face, the man told police. Gammons eventually returned to his truck and drove away. Gill is to sentence Gammons, who is free on bond, at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12. WINDSOR, ONTARIO - The two cities on either side of the international border that is the Detroit River are headed in opposite directions, says Canadian writer Gord Henderson. The Windsor Star contributor wrote in an opinion column published Friday that he believes Detroit is on the rise while the city of Windsor is falling behind. In a recent - and rare, according to Henderson - visit to Detroit with a colleague, the writer said what he witnessed around the city was eye-popping. "The dismal Detroit that hosted the 2006 Super Bowl is just a dim memory," Henderson wrote, going on to call the Motor City "a bubbling stew of action and creative energy," and perhaps "America's most exciting city" right now. "Downtown streets once forlorn at mid-day and scary at night crawl with ambitious young people of diverse backgrounds, drawn in by its 'cool' factor and potential," he wrote, adding that he had to remind himself he was in Downtown Detroit and not Toronto during his visit. Sturdy infrastructure that has stood the test of time, businessmen like Roger Penske and Mike Ilitch who have invested in the city and funding from the Kresge and Ford foundations comprise the "good bones and generous benefactors" that have Detroit on the rise, Henderson said. He sees his own city, Windsor, going in the opposite direction and believes it may benefit in taking a page out of Detroit's comeback playbook. "If it isn't built with government funding here (in Windsor), it isn't built. And we historically get it wrong." Full column here. Detroit Police Car Hood File photo, Gus Burns DETROIT, MI -- Within day of a hit-and-run that killed Detroit Police Officer Myron Jarrett, police had another scare involving a suspect attempting to run officers over in a vehicle, Detroit Police Chief James Craig says. Craig said members of the Tactical Response Unit, a specialized team that targets guns and the most violent suspects, attempted to perform a traffic stop on a man suspected of speeding in a vehicle with "heavily tinted" windows about 12:35 a.m. Tuesday.. "A suspect got out and one of the officers reported seeing a large bulge on one side," Craig said. "He looked at the officers, he got back in his vehicle, and so the officer approach to get the suspect to exit. They couldn't see inside. " ... At some point, as they were making an effort to try and get him out of the vehicle ... the engine began to rev." Officer stepped away and the vehicle began to "back at a high rate of speed," Craig said. Officers fired "roughly four shots" and the suspect drove away a short distance before crashing and being taken into custody. Craig says the suspect wasn't struck with gunfire and video from the scene supports officer statements that the man was revving his vehicle before gunshots were heard. Craig said the video did not capture images of the vehicle but it can be heard. Drugs -- what kind was not revealed -- cash and a .45-caliber handgun were recovered from the suspect, Craig said. He noted this incident, which occurred near Cambridge and Steel, was about two miles from where Steven Guzina, 54, of Lincoln Park, is accused of driving at a high speed while under the influence when he struck 40-year-old officer Myron Jarrett about 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 28. Close "Madam Secretary" Season 3, one of the most watched TV series is getting more exhilarating as it moves on to its next episode. In the previous episode entitled "The Dissent Memo," the synopsis states that "After a bombing at a political rally in Angola, Elizabeth must find a way to respond to a "dissent memo" from the Bureau of African Affairs when they criticize the Dalton Administration's lack of attention to the upcoming Angola election. Also, Russell enlists Elizabeth's help to get President Dalton on the ballot in Ohio, and Henry and Jose get closer to locating the antiquities stolen by Hizb-al-Shahid." Elizabeth McCord has to handle everything flawlessly especially during election, from international diplomacy, discussing domestic and international concerns. "Madam Secretary" Season 3 Episode 4 has taught viewers to be composed and confident when facing a difficult and tight situation. Meanwhile, the upcoming Season 3, Episode 5 is said to be entitled "The French Resolution" in which we are going to watch a few of the continuation of the President Dalton's effort to run as independent in the election. Also, Elizabeth and Henry McCoy will strive to find out who is trying to stalk and wreck their family using advanced technology. Apart from it, avid fans will get to see the conflict between the United States and France. The synopsis goes "When an imminent U.S -France state dinner jeopardized after a CIA operative is captured by French intelligence, Elizabeth must negotiate the operative's release while keeping the event on track. Also, Russel tries to woo back big donors to Dalton's campaign, and the McCords get an important lead in their family's stalking case." It has been said that the next episode is going to be more complicated than what fans have expected. Episode 5's fundraising plot is said to be quite similar to what is happening in the real world knowing that this has already been a part of any person running as independent in the election. Catch "Madam Secretary" Season 3 on CBS. Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. you are here: The two teachers union choices for school board spots got boosts to their campaign finance accounts as challenger candidates Angelica Diaz (Trustee Area 5) and Albert Beltran Jr. (Trustee Area 6) received monetary contributions from the California Federation of Teachers, its local members and other education-based sources. Additionally, they got identical contributions from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union 332 Education Fund ($250), the South County Democratic Club ($150), and the largest amount ($500) from the Santa Clara and San Benito Building and Construction Trades Council Political Action Committee. Diaz previously reported less than $700 total from one donor (former classified union boss Pamela Torrisis leftovers from her June election) in her previous Fair Political Practices Commission filings with the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters. The mother of two, who welcomed $1,450 additional funds in her most recent filing, works as a director of a countywide health care consortium. Diaz is running against short-term incumbent Tom Arnett, who has raised the most funds of any candidate with $16,000 of his $20,355 nest egg generated from Washington, D.C.-based Leadership for Educational Equity. Arnett, a father of two, is an education researcher and alumnus of the Teach For America program, which LEE values highly. Arnett and Diaz are Live Oak High School graduates. Beltran is in a three-candidate race against incumbent Rick Badillo (who recently received an endorsement and $5,000 donation from the California Charter Schools Association) and first-time challenger Mary Patterson, who has garnered support from Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate and State Senator Jim Bell. Beltran, an internal auditor specialist with San Jose Unified School District, also received $200 apiece from the MHFT and the California Federation of Teachers COPE, according to his most recent filing with the county. Along with his owns loans, Beltran is up to $5,423.84 in donations in which he has spent $4,951.64. This is the first year that Morgan Hill Unified School Districts board of education seats are broken up into trustee areas rather than holding an at-large election. Therefore, candidates must reside in specific trustee areas to run for office. Voters must also live in those areas to partake. The CFT (of which the MHFT are the local chapter) issued a $200 contribution to Diazs campaign, while MHFT President Gemma Abels offered $100. Two Morgan Hill retirees Dolores Alvarado ($100) and Anne Rosenzweig ($150) contributed as well. Patterson, the Director of Strategic Partnerships at The Health Trust and parent of two students in the district, is up to $5,806.30 in contributions and has spent $2,373.43 on her campaign so far, according to her FPPC filing with the county. Pattersons funding does not come from any one organization. Instead, she has stockpiled donations from a wide variety of professionals, including $400 from Nell ODonnell, a San Jose attorney with Brocade, and $200 from Ann Porteus, a professor at Stanford University. Badillo, a construction manager seeking his second four-year term on the Morgan Hill Unified School Districts board of education, has $6,500 in campaign funding from two sources (CCSA and Sacramento-based Grow Elect, an organization that supports Latino Republican candidates running for office), according to his filings. Badillo has paid back $1,000 of his $3,780.95 tab with Gilroy campaign consultant In Support, which is also on the books with lone Trustee Area 7 candidate Teresa Murillo. A bank in the eastern part of the state is trying once again to recoup on a court judgment from a property owner in Burke County who owes thousands in delinquent taxes. Eastern Saving Bank has posted a notice of sale to the highest bidder of property in Pine Mountains Lakes Tree Top Village Country Homes unit sites 50, 25, 10 and 48 at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the front door of the Burke County Courthouse. Outer Banks/Kinnakeet owns the property and the registered agent and managing partner is Ray Hollowell. The bank took action against the company to collect on a more than $12 million judgment the bank won against Hollowell and Outer Banks/Kinnakeet in the eastern part of the state. The properties are on Kinglet Road in Connelly Springs, according to the notice. The high bidder of the property will be required to pay 10 percent of the bid in cash at the sale on Tuesday. The remaining amount will be due after the last day of the upset bid period, the notice says. This is not the first time Eastern Saving Bank has tried to sell the property. In January, the bank took legal action against the company to foreclose on the properties and auction them at the courthouse. However, the sale was stopped when Outer Banks/Kinnakeet filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which put a stay on the auction, according to court officials. The bankruptcy petition was filed in the eastern district of North Carolina. The bankruptcy case was dismissed because Hollowell couldnt comply with the requirements of the Bankruptcy Code, Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure and Local Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure, according to court documents. The bankruptcy documents say Hollowell also failed to pay the attorney who had filed the case on his behalf. Burke County officials have been after Hollowell for years to pay up on property taxes that corporations hes associated with owe the county. In August 2014, Burke County sent a letter to Attorney General Roy Coopers office asking his office to investigate Hollowell, who they said owed more than $200,000 in taxes, interest and lien fees at the time on property he owns in Pine Mountain. The A.G.s office responded, saying it didnt have jurisdiction in the case. So In May 2014, county commissioners passed a resolution not to allow the transfer of a deed unless the property taxes on it are paid. A statement also can be attached to the deed that says once the property has sold, the taxes owed will be paid from the proceeds of the sale, according to county officials. As of July, Outer Banks/Kinnakeet owed $22,176.85 in delinquent Burke County property taxes, according to county officials. Other corporations with which Hollowell is associated that owed delinquent or current Burke County property taxes, as of July, were: Burke Mountain Southeast - $192,836.40 Bon View - $32,625.50 Virginia Highland - $4,561.91 My Mountain - $1,816.99 BGMC - $1,336.18 New Highland - $1,148.85 Tall Pines - $752.06 In addition, more than 25 property owners in the Pine Mountain development, as well as Pine Mountain Property Owners Association Inc., signed onto the lawsuit against Hollowell, his associated businesses and at least eight other property owners in the development. The plaintiffs sued Hollowell and the other owners mentioned for breaches of fiduciary duty, unfair and deceptive trade practices, nonpayment of assessments, unjust enrichment and the removal of the board of directors and officers of the association, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Burke County in late July. Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Robert Bell ordered the case be stayed until all members of the Pine Mountain Property Association are joined in the case, according to members of the association. Bell also ordered that counsel, after consultation, nominate for court appointment three disinterested directors or people who will determine whether it is in the best interest of the corporation (property owners association) to pursue the lawsuit, according to members of the association. Sharon McBrayer is a staff writer and can be reached at smcbrayer@morganton.com or at 828-432-8946. Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. Broker fears were confirmed Tuesday, with one big bank raising its prime rate less than a month following new mortgage rules. TD Canada Trust announced in a note to brokers Tuesday that it is changing its mortgage rates, including increasing its mortgage prime rate to 2.85%. The prime rate has been held at 2.70% for more than a year, according to the broker who shared the announcement with MortgageBrokerNews.ca on condition of anonymity. When a bank changes their version of bank prime it also serves as an invitation for the other banks to join in and do the same, the broker said. Naturally if they all change the public is screwed and all the banks make more profit. You see by effectively changing the goal posts on the rate the bank can continue to say: we are prime less 0.50% which is a good deal. So as you can see this a clever move if it works. The announcement also confirms what one economist speculated that big banks could influence the market by altering posted rates. The new mortgage rate stress test, which forces all holders of insured mortgages to qualify at the Bank of Canadas benchmark five-year rate. The Bank of Canadas benchmark rate is closely tied to big bank posted rates. And that relationship could allow lenders to tinker with their posted rates in a bid to influence the BoCs, thereby allowing them to also influence the ease with which homebuyers can qualify for an insured mortgage. Another possible solution is that posted rates could fall, reducing the impacts of the stress tests. Since they are not set by the market, lenders could decide to lower them if, for example, they find that they are saying no to too much good business, Will Dunning, chief economist of Mortgage Professionals Canada, wrote in a research paper entitled Slamming on the Brakes: Assessing the Impact of Changed Criteria for Mortgage Qualification. The posted rates are set administratively by the lenders, based on their assessments of what is in their best interests, and their assessments could change. 1st Home Price Report for Sep: Another Vote For Appreciation Over 6% The first of the September home price indices came out on Tuesday, and the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI) showed price gains, while not slowing, are demonstrating a lot of stability. CoreLogic's HPI is based on nationwide prices including those for distressed sales. The HPI increased from its August level by 1.1 percent, marking the fourth consecutive month with this same rate of appreciation. On a year-over-year basis the index rose 6.3 percent compared to an increase of 6.2 percent from August 2015 to August 2016. It was the largest annual increase since March when prices rose 6.7 percent. Once again the greatest state level gains were in Washington (10.3 percent) and Oregon (10.1 percent). The two have been swapping first and second place for months. Colorado, also a perennial in the top five, gained 8.6 percent followed by Utah and Idaho at 7.8 and 7.7 percent respectively. "Home-equity wealth has doubled during the last five years to $13 trillion, largely because of the recovery in home prices," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist for CoreLogic. "Nationwide during the past year, the average gain in housing wealth was about $11,000 per homeowner, but with wide geographic variation." "Home-price growth creates wealth for owners with home equity," said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "A 5 percent rise in home values over the next year would create another $1 trillion in home-equity wealth for homeowners." The CoreLogic HPI Forecast has predicted month-over-month changes ranging from 0.4 percent to 0.9 percent since the first of the year while the actual number has never come in below 1.1 percent. This month they are forecasting an 0.3 percent increase from September to October. From September 2016 to September 2017 the company's economists expect prices to rise by 5.2 percent. The CoreLogic HPI Forecast is a projection of home prices using the CoreLogic HPI and other economic variables. Values are derived from state-level forecasts by weighting indices according to the number of owner-occupied households for each state. If Texas lawmakers are going to fix the school finance system, known to many as Robin Hood, they will have to do so in the regular session. That was the take of Gov. Greg Abbotts press secretary, John Wittman, who in an email to the Reporter-Telegram, noted Texans dont want to a full-time legislature. Wittman responded to Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks comment last week in Midland that a fix to the states school finance system could only happen if the governor would be willing to call a special session. Gov. Abbott believes Texans deserve for issues -- including fixing a broken Robin Hood system -- to be thoroughly debated and addressed in a regular session where responsible and hardworking legislators have plenty of time to address these serious topics, Wittman wrote. This year, Midland ISD budgeted a $50 million-plus recapture payment to the state. That money will be distributed to poorer districts. A budget forecast shows Midland ISD -- as a chapter 41, or property rich district -- will have to send more than $223.5 million to Austin over the next four years, including more than $68 million in 2020-2021. During an appearance in Midland in September, Abbott called the school finance system broken and said there will be lot of good ideas put on the table to fix it. He stopped short of calling for a solution and said the bigger picture of education will be addressed. The key focus is ensuring we are providing the best possible education for every single child in the state of Texas, Abbott said in September. Patrick spoke with more urgency about fixing the school finance situation that is impacting many school districts in West Texas and inside the oil patch. The best way to handle it is to fix it once and for all, Patrick said. The Republican lieutenant governor said that most of the action during the four-month session takes place during the last two months (after bills have been filed and hearings have been held). He said the issue deserves the lawmakers singular focus. Last week, veteran lawmaker Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican, said a recent state Supreme Court ruling took any pressure off the governor to call a special session to fix the school finance law. And without pressure, Craddick said it is hard to see the governor calling a special session. The governors office echoed Craddicks comments. Texans dont want a full-time legislature, Wittman wrote. They want a legislature that can get their work done and then go home. Both Craddick and state Sen. Kel Seliger were at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association Annual Meeting forum, when the topic of school finance came up. Lawmakers present talked about the possibility of making some changes to the system, including addressing the issue of volatility that impacts districts such as Midland, which relies on taxable income received from minerals. I think we can lessen the effects, Seliger said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican statewide office holder, walked back the idea that his Twitter account was hacked Tuesday, telling mySA.com that a since-deleted Tweet calling Hillary Clinton a c--t was a mistake made my a campaign staffer. In the Tweet, which was deleted roughly 10 minutes after it was posted, Miller was citing a new auto alliance poll, which had Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president, up by one point in the polls at 44 and Clinton, or as the Tweet referenced her, c--t, was at 43. He then cheered on the reality star with a week left to go until Election Day by saying: Go Trump Go! "You can tell by reading it it's not something I sent out. I hadn't read it," Miller said when reached by phone. Miller, a prolific Tweeter, said he had not looked at his Twitter feed all day since he was in meetings. But he asserted that "nearly everything was retweets" in the past 48 hours. RELATED: Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller compares snakes to refugees, likes 'dead ones won't bite' comment Mark Loeffler, communications director for the Texas Department of Agriculture, initially told mySA.com that Miller's account had been hacked, but Miller said minutes later that wasn't the case. "We weren't hacked," Miller said. An official statement from Miller's office has no mention of hacking and says "the campaign was retweeting information on Twitter today and inadvertently retweeted a tweet that they were not aware contained a derogatory term." Miller said he was "sorry it happened." "We dealt with it. It was a simple mistake, an oversight," Miller said. "It should have never happened. Gov. Greg Abbott said Miller's language is "reprehensible and is an embarrassment. No true Texas gentleman would ever talk this way." RELATED: Ag Commish takes down FB post about Muslims Miller told mySA.com that the governor was correct. "I would never talk that way," Miller said. "By the way, those weren't my words. It was a retweet." Miller lists himself as a "deplorable" in his Twitter bio, which references his support for Trump. Crystal K. Perkins, executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said the incident could "not be swept under the rug." "It's not about one tweet, it's about a consistent pattern where the Republican Party fails to show even the most basic sense of human decency," Perkins said in a statement. "While Sid Miller's disgusting tweet is now deleted, the hate towards women and Texas' diverse new majority in the Republican Party persists." kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 We have independently selected these offers and products because we love them and we think you might like them at these prices. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may earn a commission if you buy something through our links. Items are Akufo-Addo should have apologised over hardship ... Competition agency demands to collect UAH 172 bln of fine from Gazprom Ukraine's Antimonopoly Committee demands to collect UAH 172 billion from Russia's Gazprom, including the fine and penalty cost for non-paying the fine in the due time. An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported that a representative of the Antimonopoly Committee gave the information in Kyiv's business court on Monday. "The penalty cost of UAH 180.5 billion was accrued for a delay of 140 days. Under Article 56 of the law on protection of economic competition, the penalty cost cannot exceed the fine, and the Antimonopoly Committee filed a claim to collect UAH 85.966 billion of the fine and UAH 85.966 billion of the penalty cost," a representative of the committee said. The penalty cost is 1.5% of the fine a day. Gazprom received the decision on March 4. The term for voluntarily payment expired on May 4, 2016. The court will continue hearing the committee's claim on November 21, 2016. As reported, the Antimonopoly Committee levied the fine of UAH 85.966 billion (around $3.3 billion) on January 25, 2016, after determining that Gazprom had abused its monopoly position in transiting gas through Ukraine. However, Gazprom argues that the Antimonopoly Committee does not have the authority to regulate transit through Ukraine. Kyiv's business court on April 13 dismissed the Gazprom's claim challenging the committee's decision. The decision of Kyiv's appeal court dated May 18, 2016 in the case was left unchanged, and Gazprom's counterclaim filed on May 4 was dismissed. Gazprom filed a counterclaim on June 7 to Ukraine's higher business court that on July 13 did not satisfy the claim declaring valid the ruling of a lower instance court and the appeal court. Need in locomotives at Ukrainian railways to grow by 26% in eight years Ukrzaliznytsia The need in the main haulage cargo, passenger and shunting locomotives for 2017 is 2,492, while by 2025 the need would expand by some 16%, to 2,881 locomotives. According to the press service of public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia, the company calculated that by 2025 the need in acquiring new main haulage locomotives is around 90 units, and new locomotives around 460 units. The sector needs 230 of cargo electric DC locomotives, 160 cargo electric AC locomotives, 20 AC/DC locomotives for passenger transportation and 50 cargo AC/DC locomotives. In November Ukrzaliznytsia's specialists would propose to consider the strategy for upgrading the locomotive fleet until 2015 to the company's board. DTEK Energo will buy 30,000 tonnes more gas coal in Poland in addition to earlier contracted 100,000 tonnes. The company will supply it in November to Burshtyn and Dobrotvirska thermal power plants (TPPs, managed by DTEK Zakhidenergo), the press service of the company has reported. The press service said that first wagons with Polish coal started arriving to DTEK Zakhidenergo early October. At present, over 84,000 tonnes of imported coal has been shipped to TPPs. "Since June DTEK's TPPs have been operating in the extra coal burning mode. The Ukrenergo's dispatch center ordered that DTEK's TPPs will compensate for a lack of the power grid's capacity. This has considerably increased the burden on our equipment and the volumes of coal supplies to our TTPs," Commercial Director of DTEK Energo Vitaliy Butenko said. He said that the diversification strategy approved by the company allows boosting coal supplies from different directions, in particular, from Poland. The mystery monkey spotted in Pasco County last week is on the move again. This time it was spotted in Northern Pinellas County. Monkey first seen in Hudson last week FWC believes monkey seen in Palm Harbor was the same monkey Monkey was seen at John Chesnutt Senior Park A visitor at the John Chesnutt Senior Park spotted the monkey Monday afternoon and snapped a few pictures as she was leaving. A few hours before someone spotted the same monkey in the Lansbrook neighborhood not too far away in Palm Harbor. Helen Azadian didn't see it but she knows about all this mystery monkey. "I know that there was a monkey supposedly in Silver Springs up north or something and he has made its way I guess now to our neighborhood," she said. Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say they're pretty sure the monkey spotted in Palm Harbor is the same monkey that was spotted in Pasco County. People first reported sightings of the monkey near Hudson Beach last week. Since then the monkey has traveled at least 24 miles to Palm Harbor. Kevin Essex and her family were surprised it made the monkey made it so close to their home, and on Halloween of all days. They plan to avoid the monkey at all costs. "I'd probably just kind of run the other way," he said. "We get a lot of wild animals around, armadillos, deer. So I would just treat it the same way and probably just stay clear." FWC officials are warning people to avoid the animal and not to touch it. If you spot it, be prepared to give a good description and the time and location where the monkey was spotted. As the FBI examines a new cache of emails potentially relevant to its investigation of Hillary Clinton's handling of classified information, Florida Republicans are using the news to boost the re-election prospects of Senator Marco Rubio. Polls still show Rubio ahead of Murphy Murphy has maintained strong ties to the Clinton campaign Rubio says 'we need a senator willing to stand up to the next president' Rubio has been locked in a tight contest against South Florida Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, with both candidates' fortunes dependent to some extent on the performance of their parties' standard-bearers. While polls have suggested Rubio could benefit from ticket-splitting among voters opposed to Donald Trump, sagging Republican enthusiasm has kept the race competitive. Within hours of Friday's revelation that FBI Director James Comey had informed congressional leaders of his agency's discovery of the emails, Rubio presented Murphy with a rhetorical challenge. Join us for exclusive coverage of the general election throughout October and through the Nov. 8 election. Here's your guide to our special coverage: Special editions of Political Connections Florida Decides 2016 election preview | 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7 Election day coverage on-air, online and on mobile starting at 7 a.m. "Patrick Murphy will need to let Floridians know if he still trusts Hillary Clinton a hundred percent, as he has said in the past," Rubio said in a statement sent to reporters by his campaign. And on Monday, the pro-Trump super PAC Rebuilding America Now began running a television ad touting the news about the emails and asking, 'Are we OK with this?' While the turn of events may not be significant enough to shift the outcome of a presidential race Clinton has been dominating, down-ballot contests across the country - particularly the Senate race in swing state Florida - could be susceptible to game-changing effects. "I think he still can definitely win the race, but it is definitely uphill and it's harder now," Florida Democratic strategist Steve Schale said of Murphy's chances, which he currently puts at 45 percent. "Where Murphy was benefiting was the attention that was coming to his race, both nationally and statewide, frankly, from the DSCC pulling out of the race," Schale said, referring to national Democrats curtailing spending on Murphy's behalf. "Now that something else has taken over the front page of the media, that hurts him as much as anything." The news also plays directly into a key Rubio message: that his re-election would serve as a check on the next president. While Murphy has embraced Clinton's candidacy, Rubio has had a chilly relationship with Trump, who vanquished the senator in the Republican presidential primaries. "I said all along that these were less than ideal choices before us, and that's why we need a senator willing to stand up to the next president no matter who it is," Rubio said in his statement. Washburn, a rescued pregnant manatee, has been returned to the wild in Florida waters. Pregnant manatee returned to wild in Volusia Washburn rescued in October off coast of Massachusetts A team from SeaWorld Orlando returned Washburn to waters at River Breeze Park in Oak Hill in Volusia County on Tuesday morning. She was rescued in October from Nantucket Sound, off the coast of Massachusetts. The U.S. Coast Guard transported Washburn to Florida by plane so that SeaWorld Orlando could provide care until she was ready to return to the wild. The rescue team and veterinarians took care of Washburn and her unborn calf for two weeks. The manatee now weighs 890 pounds. "Every case is different. Of course you feel kind of a bond with every animal," said Pedro Ramos a supervisor of animal care at SeaWorld Orlando. "I had the fortune that I was able to go up to Mystic (Aquarium) to bring her down in the Coast Guard plane, and it's just tremendous to be able to put them back out." Washburn was fitted with a belt that will allow the Sea to Shore Alliance to monitor and track her path in the wild. SeaWorld Orlando often rescues ill and injured marine animals with the goal of rehabilitating and returning them to the wild. Washburn is the 21st manatee the park has rescued in 2016 and the 18th to be returned. The issue of introducing a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union could be put on the agenda of the European Parliament (EP) a few days before the plenary session, deputy head of the presidential administration of Ukraine Kostiantyn Yeliseyev has told Interfax-Ukraine. "The non-availability of this issue [the introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU for Ukrainian citizens] on the agenda of the European Parliament at this stage does not mean it won't be considered in a certain time frame. We should understand that the agenda is a living document. It will be final a few days before the plenary session, when it will include the issues on which political agreements have been achieved at the last moment," the official said. According to Yeliseyev, in this context it is very important for the EU to have political will to make an appropriate decision. "Now we have no reason to doubt, and this was confirmed during intense telephone talks between President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the leadership of EU institutions in the past few days," he said. A white-nationalist supporter of Donald Trump has launched a robo-call smear campaign in Utah that is designed to prevent independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin from winning the state's six electoral votes. The calls, which are targeting about 200,000 residents of the conservative state, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, say, among other things, that "Evan is over 40 years old and is not married and doesn't even have a girlfriend. I believe Evan is a closet homosexual." They go on to ridicule that McMullin's mother divorced his father and is now married to a woman. The sponsor of the campaign is William Johnson, who describes himself on the call as a "farmer and white nationalist." According to the Tribune, Johnson leads something called the American Freedom Party. He sponsored a similar robo-call in March against Mitt Romney, who was the Republican presidential nominee in the 2012 election, after he disavowed Trump, called him a fraud and criticized him for tolerating racist leaders. Hope Hicks, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, told CNN, "We strongly condemn this rhetoric and these activities of which we have no knowledge." McMullin, a retired CIA officer, called Johnson's effort "another desperate attack from GOP nominee" Trump "and his racist supporters as he continues to lose ground in Utah." McMullin has taken Utah, and the Trump campaign, by surprise. In the latest Salt Lake Tribune-Hinckley Institute poll, conducted Oct. 20 to 27, Trump had a slight lead, at 32 percent, with McMullin close behind, at 30 percent (within the margin of error of 3.42 percentage points) and with Hillary Clinton a distant third, at 24 percent. If he beats Trump and wins Utah, as The Washington Post's Aaron Blake has written, it would be the first time in 92 years that someone has won a single state essentially as a protest vote. McMullin is clearly getting under the Trump campaign's skin, as The Post's Jennifer Rubin wrote, with Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, ridiculing him. "Nobody's ever heard of him," Pence said. McMullin responded to Trump on Twitter: "Yes you've never heard of me because while you were harassing women at beauty pageants, I was fighting terrorists abroad." He has attacked Trump as an "authoritarian, life-long liberal who disrespects life, liberty & equality." Trump supporters have attempted to question McMullin's record as an undercover CIA officer. But in a Washington Post opinion article published Oct. 30, Josh Rogin described interviewing six former CIA officers who worked with McMullin. "What emerged," Rogin wrote, "was a picture of a young case officer who volunteered for duty in the world's most dangerous places and had a unique talent for recruiting members of extremist organizations as assets." McMullin has spoken openly of his mother's marriage, while stressing that he personally believes in the "sanctity of traditional marriage" as an important part of his Mormon faith. "My mother has a different view," he told the Tribune. "That is OK. I love her very much, and she is one of my best friends. She is a wonderful mother." He also told the Tribune he is aware that people in Utah wonder why he is not married, given the importance the Mormon church places on marriage at a relatively young age. "I spent much of my 20s and early 30s working in a way that made it difficult for me to date," he told the Tribune, "and I wanted to get married. ... My greatest aspiration is to be a husband and a father." Here's the full text of the robo-call: "Hello. My name is William Johnson. I'm a farmer and a white nationalist. I make this call against Evan McMullin and in support of Donald Trump. Evan McMullin is an open-borders-amnesty supporter. "He has two mommies. His mother is a lesbian married to another woman. Evan is okay with that. Indeed, Evan supports the Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage. Evan is over 40 years old and is not married and doesn't even have a girlfriend. I believe Evan is a closet homosexual. Don't vote for Evan McMullin. Vote for Donald Trump. He will respect all women and be a president we can all be proud of. "I paid for this ad for the American National super PAC." A decades-old California law that keeps people in jail if they cant afford bail after their arrest came under renewed attack Tuesday from San Franciscos city attorney, who said the city wouldnt defend the law in court, and a Bay Area legislator, who promised a bill to repeal it. The law creates a two-tiered system: one for those with money and another for those without. It doesnt make anybody safer, City Attorney Dennis Herrera said at a news conference as his office informed a federal judge that the city would not fight a civil rights groups lawsuit challenging the cash bail system. The group, Equal Justice Under Law, filed separate suits in San Francisco and Sacramento arguing that the state law, as applied in those counties, discriminated against the poor. The law requires all counties to set bail in varying amounts depending on the seriousness of the crime. Defendants who cant afford bail, or the 10 percent fee charged by bail bond companies, remain behind bars at least until they are formally charged and arraigned, usually 48 hours after arrest. At that point, a judge sets conditions for pretrial release based on the risk to public safety or the chance they might flee. Those conditions often include bail, in an amount the judge considers adequate to ensure the defendants appearance in court. But the lawsuits currently challenge only the earlier, automatic requirement of bail after someone is arrested and jailed. Opponents had sought to overturn the entire bail system, but federal courts said the judges who set bail after arraignment were legally immune. Bail bond companies say the cash bail system promotes public safety by giving defendants an incentive to show up in court. The civil rights group and other opponents say individual assessment of the potential risk a defendant poses, and supervision to make sure the defendant returns to court, is both fairer and more protective of the public than requiring people to pay for their release. Last week, Californias chief justice, Tani Cantil-Sakauye, criticized the bail system and named a task force to study possible changes through the courts. On Tuesday, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, said he would introduce legislation to end this unjust aspect of our criminal justice system. The bail system in California discriminates against poor people simply for being poor, Bonta said in a statement. Those who cant afford bail can lose their job, their car, or their home, he said, adding the system also disproportionately hurts communities of color. The lead plaintiff in the San Francisco case, Riana Buffin, 19, was arrested in October 2015 on suspicion of grand theft. Unable to raise bail of $30,000, she sat in jail for two days until prosecutors dropped the case. Still, she wound up losing her job at the Oakland airport. Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, Herreras client, said she disagrees with the pre-arraignment bail law but will continue to enforce it, in the amounts set by San Francisco judges, until the courts say otherwise. A system that allows one person access to immediate freedom through the payment of cash, while another person with the same criminal history and charges who lacks financial resources remains behind bars, seems unfair to me, Hennessy said in a statement. Mayor Ed Lee also criticized the bail system in a statement and said he, Hennessy and other local criminal justice leaders are looking for solutions that can strike the right balance, addressing these inequalities without compromising public safety. But a lawyer for bail bond companies accused the city attorney and sheriff of violating their oaths of office by failing to support the law. While the sheriff said she will enforce the law, Harmeet Dhillon, attorney for the California Bail Agents Association, accused Hennessy and Herrera of refusing to do their duty to defend Californias lawfully enacted statutes. Whether a law is fair or unfair is really not for Dennis Herrera, or Vicki Hennessy, or really for a federal judge to say, but is a question for the Legislature, Dhillon said. She also noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld laws that treat poor and rich people differently. U.S. District Judge Troy Nunley of Sacramento cited the Supreme Courts precedent in dismissing a claim last month in a separate lawsuit that the bail system violated equal protection of the laws, although he allowed other claims in the suit to continue. The Obama administration, on the other hand, argued in an Alabama case in March that setting bail without regard to a defendants ability to pay violated equal protection and was also bad public policy. Attorney General Kamala Harris office has defended the state law in Nunleys court in Sacramento and could intervene in the San Francisco case, where Hennessy, represented by Herrera, has been the sole defendant. A spokeswoman said Harris office was reviewing the issue. Attorney Phil Telfeyan of Equal Justice Under Law, which has challenged bail systems in California and six other states, said the action by Herrera and Hennessy should strengthen his case. We applaud the sheriff and the city attorney for taking such a strong position, Telfeyan said. If someones not a risk to the community, theres no reason they should have to come up with an arbitrary amount to gain their freedom. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate CPS Energy is increasing its spending on architecture firms by $12 million as it ramps up its work on new headquarters it hopes to open by 2019. The board approved the increased costs during Mondays monthly meeting after a presentation by CEO and President Paula Gold-Williams. Of the additional $12 million, $9 million will be going to Dallas-based Corgan as the lead architect to renovate the two buildings at Avenue B and McCullough Avenue that it bought in June. It will be developing a final design and also helping with contracts. Corgan is the firm that was retained by CPS for $2 million to examine its headquarters options. Another $3 million will be spent to retain Houston-based Patrinely Group for what Gold-Williams called additional oversight, quality control and input. CPS is estimating that renovating the former headquarters of Valero Energy Corp. will cost roughly $100 million, said Paul Flaningan, senior director of corporate communications and marketing. He stressed that the project is still in a preliminary phase and that the budget could end up being higher or lower. He also said the project will not lead to an increase in customers rates since it will be considered an operating cost. Flaningan said the money paid to the two companies will be for the duration of the project. Messages left with Corgan and Patrinely late Monday afternoon were not returned. rdruzin@express-news.net @druz_journo Bill Hutchinson / The Chronicle A man was injured in a shooting Monday in San Franciscos Western Addition, outside the same McDonalds restaurant where a victim was gunned down earlier this year in the parking lot, officials said. The shooting occurred in broad daylight near the McDonalds on Fillmore Street between Golden Gate Avenue and Turk Street across from the Northern District Police Station. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The celebrities came out to play in their favorite costumes Saturday night at the Casamigos Halloween Party in Los Angeles. The party, which was hosted by Casamigos co-founder Rande Gerber and wife Cindy Crawford, was located in a private residence in Beverly Hills and troves of celebrities flocked to the bash. COCKTAIL TIME: Cool tequila drinks you can make with Casamigos, other tequilas From Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosia to Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, the guest list stretched far and wide across Hollywood's elite. Celebrity couple Hilary Duff and Jason Walsh got criticism over their Native American and sexy pilgram costumes during the bash and they both released an apology for what some are criticizing for being offensive. Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored to be in attendance, though his face wasn't photographed since he wore a wolf mask the whole time along with pack of four fellow masked men. Of all the bashes thrown this weekend, celebrity costume that took home the cake seemed to be Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom as Mr. and Mrs. Clinton. It's no secret that Perry fully supports Hillary Clinton's run for the White House this election season, but she definitely stepped up her campaign for the political veteran by dressing in prosthetic pieces to achieve the look of the Democratic nominee. wowcelebritytv/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images OTHER HALLOWEEN: The Lingerie Fighting Championships celebrated Halloween with costumed matches Many "common folks" were also in attendance at the Casamigos bash Friday night and many had epic costumes as well. But the one that for sure took home the cake was this group of people who appropriately nailed the childhood toy soldier look - standing platforms and all. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Casamigos Tequi Cheers to those guys. To see all the looks of the costumes worn by celebrities, click through the slideshow above. The next Halloween event we all can look forward to is Heidi Klum's over-the-top Halloween bash that she's hosted for the past 15 years. We all are excited to see what the model will come out as this year. YEARS PAST: Heidi Klum's over-the-top Halloween costumes through the years Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has stated the introduction of a system of electronic declarations of income and assets of officials in Ukraine is "an important step" in the fight against corruption. "Serious interest shown by both the people of Ukraine and on the part of thousands of officials, who filled e-declarations demonstrates a strong will to fight against corruption. Ukraine has made an important step to break with corruption and ensure clean and effective governance. Electronic declarations are of paramount importance, and the whole of Europe should pay attention to this and applaud this important step," the press service of the Rasmussen Global fund said citing the official. Rasmussen said the system provides full public access to the assets and property of senior government officials and their family members, including President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and all members of the government, as well as people's deputies, judges, military officials and representatives of the National Bank of Ukraine. "It's really a wonderful system, which is more advanced than in many Western countries," he said. In late May 2016 Anders Fogh Rasmussen was appointed freelance advisor to Poroshenko. Sweet teeth worldwide are biting into the confectionery art of an Austin-based baker whipping up cakes that may be more fun to marvel at than eat. Natalie Sideserf, a Cleveland native, moved to Austin in 2011 with her husband Dave and opened Sideserf Cake Studio, according to the business' website. Since their launch, the Sideserf business has amassed the attention of Buzzfeed, Los Angeles Times and nearly 10,000 Instagram followers waiting to see how the baker will transform spongy cake into life-like sculptures. San Antonio's "Maid of Mischief" is now a matron following the DC-themed marriage of Harley Quinn and Joker in the King William area on Halloween night. Nicole and John Fowler dressed as the two villains for their wedding at King William Park, surrounded by a their loved ones, also dressed as comic book characters. ALBANY -- An Albany man was arrested Sunday following a rollover crash on the northbound lane of the state Thruway between exits 22 and 23. Corey Simmons, 38, was charged with driving while ability impaired and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to State Police spokesman Trooper David Howard. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Connecticut is one of 31 states requiring citizens to show identification before voting, but since 1974 hasnt documented a single case of attempted voter impersonation fraud. Voter ID has been in the spotlight this year due to a number of new laws passed in Republican-controlled states and challenged in court as attempts to suppress turnout among minority populations. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has suggested the election would be rigged against him because of voter fraud he and his supporters claim takes place in urban areas. Connecticuts voter ID law has been on the books for two decades, but it isnt as strict as some of those in 30 states with a version of it. Election officials urge citizens to bring some kind of identification to the polls, but it doesnt have to be a photo ID. If you forget or dont have one, you can still vote. You just need to sign an affidavit at your polling place stating you are who you say you are. The standard for first-time voters in Connecticut is a little more stringent. According to the Secretary of the States office, the newly registered must produce a copy of a valid photo-ID with a name and address, such as a drivers license, or documentation such as a current utility bill, or bank check with their name and address. If first-timer voters cant produce documentation, they can still cast a provisional ballot that will be counted if they provide documentation after the election. Ninety-seven cases of voter fraud have been reported in Connecticut since 1974, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. None have been cases of impersonation. Nationwide, only 31 documented cases of impersonation fraud were reported from 2000 to 2014. Republican leaders in Connecticut have echoed Trumps allegations about voter fraud. If you want to believe it doesnt happen, youre being naive, said JR Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party. Its not as pristine as everyone thinks that it is. Its not a bad thing to look at the cracks in the system. But even Romano said he isnt worried about impersonation, the only form of potential election fraud the states voter ID law addresses. Danbury Republican Town Committee Chairman Jack Knapp echoed Romano, saying he doubts much in-person fraud takes place in Connecticut. But Knapp said he would like to see Connecticut pass a more stringent ID law to ensure it never happens. He favors requiring voters to produce a state-issued ID card at the polls. Romano is concerned about potential fraud in the handling of absentee ballots and in the registration process. State Rep. Christina Ayala pleaded guilty last year to violating state election law by voting in a district she didnt live in. She likely got caught because she was an elected official, Romano said. Voter fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The state takes every precaution to prevent fraud, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said. Any claim to the contrary is not just irresponsible, it is destructive to the fabric of our democracy, she said. Mistakes can be made and errors do occur. However, none of these alter the outcome of our elections. But in the registrars office in Danbury City Hall, some residents have said they were surprised by how easy it is vote without an ID, according to Mary Ann Doran, a city registrar. They say, Someone can take my mail out of my mailbox and vote? she said. While they can, if they pick the right mail. Cases of voter fraud, if they happen, will be found, said Patrick Gallahue, a spokesman for Merrills office. There are monitors, volunteer attorneys and unofficial checkers at most polling places who will catch it, he said. Each party usually has a poll watcher, too, he said. Vote totals announced Tuesday are preliminary and can still be investigated. The final count comes out two weeks later, he said. Laws are in place to deter voter intimidation, Gallahue said. Although Trump has urged supporters to be observers, thats not allowed here. Polling locations are tightly regulated and there is no need for extra observers, Gallahue said. No electioneering or partisan observing is allowed within 75 feet of a polling place. You cant just march into a polling place and claim to be an observer, Gallahue said. Meanwhile, town registrars urge voters to come prepared to vote. The best thing is for people to bring an ID, Doran said. Online registration was set to close on Tuesday, Nov. 1, but residents can still register in person on Election Day if they visit their communitys official registration site. One is in each town. But they should bring an ID. On this date in ... 1916: A special committee of the North End Improvement Association in Albany pushed for proposed legislation providing for the necessary repaving of North Broadway and the laying of new curbs and sidewalks by general assessment. The business owners and residents of the street objected to incurring any personal costs because they had paid individually for the pavement and walks currently in use. 1966: The state was expanding its emergency telephone system on the Northway, with a view to having a phone every half-mile from Albany to the Canadian border next year. Hooked directly to State Police stations, the emergency phones were being installed under an agreement negotiated with the New York Telephone company. Cost for the phones along 62 miles of the route would be $115,000. 1991: Frank Rawlings fought for his life against seven brain aneurysms and through two operations that erased much of his memory. He fought through three months of relearning basic life skills and succeeded. Then he faced a legal battle to keep his house and his independence. It was a fight he was losing. Each day, interest built on a $73,300 bill he ran up at a nursing facility where he received care, which he was told was covered under his insurance policy. State Insurance Department records showed that complaints by people who were stuck with medical bills they thought were covered by insurance came in every year and were increasing. Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/. Albany A man charged with lying to a federal grand jury about the 2013 Schenectady blaze that claimed four lives and severely burned Sa'fyre Terry told police in 2014 he unwittingly served as the wheel man for suspected arsonists a statement he now says was coerced. "I had no idea what they were going to do," Richard Ramsey, 47, told Schenectady police on Nov. 19, 2014, about the people he said he drove from Saratoga Springs to the crime scene. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Jaquith highlighted a police affidavit chronicling Ramsey's statement at a hearing Monday to show he posed a danger to the community and should be kept in jail. Jaquith did not vouch for Ramsey's truthfulness. Ramsey denies playing any part in the crime. He gave the statement nine months after U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian dropped a potential death penalty arson case against Robert Butler, who was initially accused of starting the May 2, 2013 fire at 438 Hulett St. that killed David Terry, 32; his daughter, Layah, 3;, son, Michael, 2; and the children's 11-month-old half-brother, Donovan Duell. Terry's daughter, Sa'fyre, now 9, suffered burns to more than 75 percent of her body. Ramsey's attorney, Lee Kindlon, said investigators coerced his client into making the statement after at least a dozen interrogations. "When investigators show up on your door and tell you that you can help solve a terrible tragedy, what would any responsible citizen do?" Kindlon said. "And when they keep showing up, applying pressure, at some point it becomes coercive and the truth about what may have happened takes a back seat to whatever they want. This was especially true when you're being told what to say by guys cloaked with the government's authority." Ramsey told police he drove Butler, Jennica Duell, the children's mother, and a man named "Fisher" on the night of the blaze. Ramsey said he had run into Butler in a Stewart's shop in Saratoga Springs and agreed to drive his Nissan Sentra to Schenectady because Butler said Duell wanted to see her children. Ramsey said Butler placed a gas can in the trunk and when him why, Butler told him they planned to "scare" someone. "I drove past the house and turned left on a one-way street and parked. That's where Rob (Butler), Jennica and 'Fisher' got out and Rob asked me to pop the trunk and he took the gas can," Ramsey told police. "I sat in the car for about a half an hour listening to the radio and smoking a cigarette. I was a little nervous because I didn't know what they were up to. After about a half-hour they came back to the car. Rob yelled 'Pop the trunk' and he put the gas can back in. Jennica and 'Fisher' got in the back seat again and Rob jumped in the front. They were all chuckling, almost like a laugh. I asked them what they did, and Rob said 'They just put a scare into him.' Rob told me that they sprinkled gas on the porch and the stairwell and they lit it." Ramsey said Butler told Duell, "You'll be able to get your kids back now" and that, "They all acted like nothing was bothering them." Prosecutors dropped their case against Butler when evidence surfaced that strongly implicated Edward Leon, a Montgomery County man who had sent David Terry death threats and eventually admitted he drove to the scene of the crime. Duell, now serving 11 years and three months for perjury, initially implicated Butler to police and the grand jury then recanted, saying she was never at the scene. Bryan Fish 22, another grand jury witness against Butler, has also recanted. He is charged with perjury because, according to federal prosecutors, he lied about his brother Robert Fish driving the car. Bryan Fish is apparently the man Ramsey identified as "Fisher." On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Christian Hummel did not find Ramsey to be a danger to the community, but he did agree with Jaquith's argument that Ramsey, who works with race horses in Saratoga Springs and on Long Island, was a flight risk. Ramsey was sent back to the Rensselaer County jail. Ramsey was recently indicted on four counts of perjury, alleging he gave conflicting testimony in three grand jury appearances between 2013 and 2016. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of all the charges. Jaquith, who is prosecuting the case with Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Myers, stressed that Ramsey gave completely opposite versions of events to different grand juries, which makes one of the versions necessarily false. rgavin@timesunion.com 518-434-2403 @RobertGavinTU This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RIDGEFIELD Shoppers have long complained about the lack of downtown parking, but a new report says the issue has more to do with how the spaces are used rather than the number of available spaces. The report, issued by SCRE Advisors, outlines available parking along the Main Street corridor and the time limits for each parking lot. To free up spaces, the report recommends including creating color-coded zones with less restrictive time limits the further people park from downtown. The report states, 80 percent of the towns 1,047 parking spaces are limited to two hours or less, which affect how long people can park in that space while they shop. It notes a large number of shop employees use prime spaces during peak business hours. The overall parking stock is about 300 shy of demand, the report said, but notes different businesses need the spaces at different times. On face value, the 1,351 parking-space requirement appears significantly above the current inventory of 1,047 spaces, the report states. However, office requirements and nighttime restaurant use are often complementary, creating staggered parking needs. The report proposes the 54 parallel spaces on Main Street be restricted to one-hour parking a change requiring approval from the state Department of Transportation because its a state road. The 951 spaces in downtown lots would be restricted to four hours, and remaining spots on the periphery of town would be marked for all-day parking and for employees of downtown shops. First Selectman Rudy Marconi said parking becomes a problem on weekdays, though it is not always an issue. The reality is, many times you can come into town and have no problem finding a parking space, Marconi said, but there are days that it can be a little crowded. While the plan focuses on reallocating spots, it calls for adding some in all-day parking zones. Marconi said possibilities include having the town expand the public lot on Governor Street and help the Jesse Lee Church on Main Street improve its lot for day use. Arnold Light, chairman of the Economic Development Commission, thinks the proposal, if adopted, would entice more shoppers into the area and eventually make it more attractive for new businesses. If someone parks in a zone thats for two hours, maybe theyve done some shopping, they want to stop for lunch, but (if they have to move the car) they may not stop for lunch because they might as well get in the car and go home, Light said. If they know they can stay for four hours, their mind is at ease. The report was the latest update from the consulting firm, which has advised the town on attracting new retail businesses. An earlier report suggested the town seek complementary retailers, rather than try to bring in a big-name brand, such as Lululemon or L.L. Bean. Marconi said the idea is offer a range of businesses that compliment each other, such as having a mens clothing store near a mens shoe store. (SCRE) has sent out letters from Hartford to New Haven looking for smaller-type stores that would find Ridgefield their perfect location, because it has to be that match, Marconi said. Light said the parking and retail studies are imperative to ensure the downtown remains vibrant for years to come. We want to encourage more people to come to town, Light said. Some of the local merchants, we hear from them, Were marginal. We want to stay, but its marginal, year-to-year. We want to make it a happier place for people to come and to stay and to enjoy the town as well. awolff@newstimes.com; 203-731-3333; @awolffster This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Stamford police / Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Stamford police / Contributed Show More Show Less 3 of 3 STAMFORD Two New York men have been accused of using a fraudulent credit card to buy motor oil from local auto parts stores. Employees of Advance Auto Parts on East Main Street called police Friday night to report a man was trying to make a purchase who had previously used a bad credit card to purchase motor oil at their West Avenue location, Sgt. Chris Petrizzi said. Google how to market your business and youll find a wealth of information on how to reach the general public. If your business caters to consumers, these tips can be very helpful indeed. But what if you're with one of the many businesses that exist to support the needs of other companies? The business community is full of organizations that specialize in selling software, office supplies, marketing tools, and a wide variety of other products to other firms. Reaching those customers can be tricky, but these tips can help. As much as business owners want to support fellow business owners, they usually gravitate towards working with the best in a particular field. If a company wants to partner with a local company for IT services, for instance, its leader will likely look for the top local provider. One way to capture the attention of businesses in search of excellence is to establish yourself as a thought leader in your field. Conduct workshops, write insightful posts for various websites, and produce content on your own platforms that make it clear you are a well-respected authority in your field. Don't expect results right away. Generate new online material consistently over a long period of time, and you will develop a following, especially if you network. Related: How to Expertly Negotiate a 6-Figure Sales Contract 2. Network like a boss. In a B2B context, networking is essential. The more your potential clients see your name, the more likely it is that theyll consider you when theyre looking for the type of services you offer. Set up a LinkedIn profile and create content that others will share on the site. Attend conferences and follow up after the event to create a lasting relationship with the people you meet. Webinars can also be an effective way to attract new customers and you wont even have to leave the comfort of your office. I know CEOs who spend spare moments answering questions on Quora, or hold podcasts with various industry luminaries on a regular schedule, which helps increase exposure. Related Book: Business Networking and Sex: Not What You Think by Ivan Misner 3. Tell a story. The most successful brand marketers tell a story, realizing that customers react well to that approach. Case studies and testimonials allow your website visitors to connect with others who use your product. A business searching for your services may relate to one of those stories and see your brand as providing exactly what it needs. Its important to show your brand personality in everything you share with customers to make a lasting connection. Related: How I Decreased My Weekly Office Hours From 40-plus to Less Than 8 4. Use paid ads. Many B2B businesses mistakenly skip ads, assuming those are designed for B2C-based companies. Actually, paid ads are a potent way to reach your target audience. Todays paid ads allow you to narrow your focus to a very specific subset of consumers. For B2B ads, this means segmenting your audience to specific businesses. One useful outlet for B2B advertising is LinkedIn, which helps advertisers target audiences by job title and company. This includes the sites sponsored updates, which give users the ability to boost a post in the same way they would on Facebook or Twitter. Related: Richard Branson: Why Every Budding Entrepreneur Needs a Full-Time Job First 5. Use integrations. B2B businesses often interact with professionals throughout a specific industry. Those interactions can be bolstered by simply conducting research on people before sending an initial email or continuing an existing conversation. With the right plugins, you can put that information directly in your inbox, which lets you see a persons social media information without leaving your email client. Youll be able to capture information that could be relevant to your conversation, as well as potentially locate a connection you might have in common with a person youre contacting. B2B marketing has its own unique challenges, but with the right tools in place, youll be on your way to mastering it. As a result, youll build lasting connections with people in industries that are vital to your own business. Over time, those connections can lead to referrals, which will help your company grow. Related: Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Head of Odesa Regional State Administration Mikheil Saakashvili owns two land plots of 6,820 square meters and 500 square meters, as well as a house with an area of 97 square meters in Georgia, as evidenced by his e-declaration of property and income for 2015. From real estate in Ukraine Saakashvili declared a room in Odesa with an area of 54 square meters, owned by the regional service of administrative buildings maintenance. The official has no vehicles. From other valuable personal property he declared Rolex Deepsea and Hublot Classic Fusion watches. His income, according to the declaration, was UAH 38,601 in 2015, entirely in the form of wage at the main place of work. At the same time, Saakashvili has UAH 129,950 on account in Oschadbank and $57,000 in foreign bank Societe General. In addition, Saakashvili declared EUR 48,000 of cash. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NORWALK Connecticut is one of 31 states that requires citizens to show identification before voting, but going back to 1974 hasnt documented a single case of attempted voter impersonation fraud. Voter ID has been in the spotlight this year due to a number of new laws that have been passed in Republican-controlled states and challenged in court as attempts to suppress turnout among minority populations. And Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has suggested that the election would be rigged against him due to voter fraud he and his supporters have alleged takes place in urban areas. Connecticuts voter ID law has been on the books for two decades, but its not as strict as many of the 30 other states who have some version of it. Election officials urge citizens to bring some kind of ID with them to the polls, but it doesnt have to be a photo ID, and if you forget or dont have one, you can still vote. You just need to sign an affidavit at your polling place pledging that you are who you say you are. The standard for first-time voters in Connecticut is a little more stringent. According to the Secretary of States office, the newly registered must produce a copy of a valid photo-ID that has a name and address, such as a drivers license, or documentation such as a current utility bill, or check that has their name and address. If first-time voters cant produce documentation, they can still cast a provisional ballot that will be counted if they can send in documentation after the election. There have been 97 cases of voter fraud in Connecticut since 1974, according to the State Elections Enforcement Commission. None have been cases of impersonation. Nationwide, there were only 31 documented cases of impersonation fraud from 2000 to 2014. Republican leaders in Connecticut have echoed Trumps allegations about voter fraud. If you want to believe it doesnt happen, youre being naive, said JR Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party. Its not as pristine as everyone thinks that it is. It's not a bad thing to look at the cracks in the system. But even Romano said he isnt worried about impersonation, the only form of potential election fraud that the states voter ID law addresses. Norwalk Republican Town Committee Chairman Andrew Conroy said he isnt concerned about potential voter fraud in Norwalk, citing a clean track record of Norwalk voters and the extreme trouble someone would have to go through in order to impersonate another voter. We have traditionally had ID required to vote in this area, plus the way our registrar is set up, I dont think its a big issue, Conroy said. If someone made a concerted effort to fake IDs maybe it would be an issue, but thats a lot of work someone would have to go through in order to affect the election in any meaningful way. I suppose it doesnt mean it cant be tried. Conroy said he also cannot recall anyone in the Republican Party in Norwalk raising a concern about voter fraud in more than three decades. Karen Doyle Lyons, Norwalks Republican Registrar of Voters, said her office has received several registration acceptance letters that have been returned undeliverable by the post office, but even those voters can still fill out a ballot as long as they can provide a valid address at the polls. Lyons said there has never been any documented voter fraud in Norwalk, and its not an issue her office is concerned about. Connecticut is different than most other states in that we have a Democratic and a Republican registrar of voters, and Connecticut has always had its checks and balances, Lyons said. We just hope everyone will exercise their right to vote. Romano is concerned about potential fraud in the handling of absentee ballots and in the registration process. State Rep. Christina Ayala of Bridgeport pleaded guilty last year to violating state election law by voting in a district she didnt live in. She likely only got caught because she was an elected official, Romano said. Voter fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The state takes into account every precaution to prevent fraud, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill said recently. Any claim to the contrary is not just irresponsible, it is destructive to the fabric of our democracy, she said. Mistakes can be made and errors do occur. However, none of these alter the outcome of our elections. While they can if they pick the right mail cases of voter fraud, if they happen, will be found, said Patrick Gallahue, a spokesperson for Merrills office. There are monitors, volunteer attorneys and unofficial checkers at most polling places who will catch it, he said. Each party usually has a poll watcher, too, he said. Atop that, vote totals that come out on Nov. 8 are preliminary and can still be investigated. The final count comes out two weeks later, he said. There are also laws in place to keep voter intimidation from taking place, Gallahue said. Although Trump has urged supporters to be observers, thats not allowed here. Polling locations are tightly regulated and there is no need for extra observers, Gallahue said. No electioneering or partisan observing is allowed within 75 feet of a polling place. You cant just march into a polling place and claim to be an observer, Gallahue said. Meanwhile, town registrars urge voters to come prepared to vote. The best thing is for people to bring an ID, said Doran.. Online registration was set to close on Tuesday, Nov. 1, but residents can still register in person up until and on Election Day if they visit their communitys official registration site. There is one in each town. But they should bring an ID. KKrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt The writers for "Parks and Recreation" weren't Ray Kurzweil futurists whose jobs required them to make accurate predictions of the future. They didn't bring crystal balls to work or hire psychics to forecast the 2016 presidential election race. It only feels that way. "I really am wary of claiming any kind of prescience or anything in terms of the way this election has played out," the sitcom's co-creator Michael Schur said in an interview. "We were drawing on contemporary examples of women in politics and government coming up against (different) kinds of obstacles." Yet it is impossible not to draw parallels between the sitcom's storylines and the political landscape of the United States in 2016. Several of the scenes during the beloved six-season series that aired on NBC from 2009 to 2015 have foreshadowed this year's presidential campaign. And while Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope, a fast-rising small town Indiana politician with a long career in public service, was an amalgam of different female politicians, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton served as one of the character's major inspirations. "In the pilot, (Knope) mentions a bunch of female politicians that were role models for her," Schur said. "Hillary was a sort of role model just for the way she gutted things out and sort of forged on in the face of adversity." Schur, a 41-year-old television producer and writer who follows politics closely, also noted that Knope was "far more to the left than Hillary" when the character was created. He said that Knope was "probably closer to an Elizabeth Warren" and that the writers worked in the personalities and political careers of former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, among others. In the fourth season of the show, Knope runs for a spot on the city council against Bobby Newport, a wealthy, clueless heir of a candy company who is uninterested in the actual work of being a city councilman. Despite her qualifications and experience, Knope struggled in her campaign against Newport, whose money and fame were enough to gain supporters. Schur said he sees some similarities between Newport and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump but added that none of the characters on the show were based on Trump, who officially announced his campaign in June 2015, a few months after the show had ended. "It's not a very good analogy, in my opinion," Schur said. "Bobby Newport was much more benign than Trump is." The show also makes it clear that as a woman, Knope faced hurdles and assumptions that male politicians often do not. Voters simply did not like Knope for her wonkish personality ("Bowling for Votes"), and she was expected to play traditional gender roles by competing in a pie-baking contest to support her husband's congressional campaign ("Pie-Mary"). Plus, she and Rashida Jones' character were called "pains in the ass" for being proactive ("Ann and Chris") - a scene that recalls Trump's "nasty woman" comment toward Clinton during the third presidential debate. In an earlier episode ("Flu Season"), Knope catches the flu but insists on giving her public presentation - reminiscent of when Clinton continued campaigning while ill with pneumonia. Schur said the storylines would not have been much different had the show continued into this year's presidential election, but added that he feels somewhat glad that it concluded when it did. "To some extent, I have certainly had the thought, as I'm sure many writers have, is that if you wrote this (election) nobody would believe it," Schur said. "Very frequently it doesn't feel real. You kind of can't focus your eyes or your brain on whatever has happened before something else crazier has happened. I actually think if the show was still on the air, we might be sidestepping this stuff. "I think it would be enormously difficult to write a show about government in the aftermath of this election because I think everybody has tremendous fatigue," he continued with a laugh. "I don't think anyone is going to want to think about politics for two years." As for the show's finale, Schur and his writing team intentionally left in a bit of mystery. After becoming the Midwest regional director of the National Park Service, Knope is elected the governor of Indiana in the year 2025. In one of the last scenes, Knope and her husband, Ben Wyatt, are approached by a man who appears to be a Secret Service agent. The implication is that either Knope or Wyatt have become the president of the United States, but Schur would not confirm that was the case. ("We didn't want to say explicitly one way or another what were Leslie and Ben's ultimate spot.") Schur also made sure that when the show time-jumped into the future, there was no reference to who the U.S. president will be in 2017, the year in which the majority of the final season takes place. "The vagaries of presidential politics, as we've now seen, (are) impossible to predict," he said, without any trace of irony. Three members of Commissioners Court and a political consultant, all facing a charge of conspiring to circumvent the Texas Open Meetings Act, will have to wait at least another five months to have their day in court. March 27, 2017, is the new trial date set for Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark and political consultant Marc Davenport. Visiting Judge Randy Clapp, of Wharton County, rescheduled the trial date. Their trial originally was scheduled to begin this coming Monday (Nov. 7) in the 221st state District Court with visiting Judge Randy Clapp, of Wharton County, presiding. Judge Lisa Michalk recused herself from the bench since Commissioners Court funds her budget. Clapp reset the trial date following a conference involving all parties in the case. The rescheduled date is due in part to scheduling among the attorneys and the large volume of evidence and grand jury testimony released to the defense late last week. "These lawyers in this case are not transactional attorneys that sit behind a desk," said Conroe attorney E. Tay Bond, who is representing Clark. "We are real trial lawyers that show up and pick juries and have settings for trials that are set out six months in advance." Bond said Chris Downey, the special prosecutor in the case, as well as Houston attorney Rusty Hardin, who is representing Doyal, Conroe attorney Steve Jackson, who is representing Davenport, and Conroe attorney Douglas Atkinson, who is representing Riley, did not object to the reset. In addition, Jackson filed a motion to dismiss Davenport's case for lack of jurisdiction, but the judge did not rule on that motion Monday. According to the motion, Jackson stated his client is "not a member or part of a group of members of a governmental body, and as such the defendant cannot be prosecuted in a felony district court." Jackson and Downey were unavailable for comment Monday. Doyal, Riley, Clark and Davenport were indicted June 24, all on the same charge. The indictments came after several months of investigation focusing on communications concerning a $280 million road bond referendum to be placed on the November 2015 ballot. Commissioners ultimately voted to put it on the ballot, and voters approved it. A Montgomery County grand jury issued the indictments after a six-month investigation into communications in August 2015 that led to commissioners approving the placement of the bond package on the ballot. If convicted of the misdemeanor, the crime is punishable by a fine of $100 to $500, confinement in the county jail for one month up to six months; or both. According to County Attorney J D Lambright, if the elected officials plead guilty or are convicted, they would have to resign from the court. An Aug. 24 Open Records request by The Courier showed dozens of emails involving the judge, certain county commissioners, Davenport and others, including members of The Woodlands-based Texas Patriots PAC, regarding the framework of the road bond. Many emails occurred between Aug. 11 and Aug. 21. Commissioners took no action on a November 2015 road bond at their final meeting Aug. 11 before the Aug. 24 deadline to place a referendum on the ballot. However, on Aug. 21, Doyal and Riley announced they had reached a memorandum of understanding with the Patriots PAC that opened the door for the November road bond referendum, which commissioners approved Aug. 24. The bond package did not include the controversial Woodlands Parkway extension or the Robinson Road project in Oak Ridge North. Police to carry out operational and preventive work in Ukraine before end of 2016 - Dekanoidze In all Ukrainian regions, starting with Kyiv, from November 1 until the end of 2016, the police will conduct operational and preventive work to stop the rise in crime, head of the National Police of Ukraine Khatia Dekanoidze has said. As Dekanoidze told at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday, the preventive work, which the police should perform, is invoked to "bring down" the increase in crime, which is now observed in Ukraine. The National Police head said that its high time for serious actions to prevent crime after the first wave of reforms. "Every day were employing up to 1,500 law enforcement officers. We have additionally allocated the National Guard forces - 200 troops," Kyiv police chief Andriy Kryschenko said. A Washington state couple is facing numerous charges after police said the parents kept their three young children in a home littered with rat droppings and drug needles and injected them with heroin, which they called "feel good medicine." Ashlee Hutt, 24, and Mac Leroy McIver, 25, have been charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance to a person under 18, criminal mistreatment in the second degree and assault of a child in the second degree, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in September in Pierce County Superior Court, stemming from an incident in Spanaway. Hutt appeared in court Monday for her arraignment, according to the News Tribune. Booking records show that she is being held on $100,000 bail. McIver, who was arraigned in September, is also being held on $100,000 bail. "The kids lived in deplorable conditions," Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Detective Ed Troyer told The Washington Post on Tuesday. "It wasn't a good living situation even without the issue of heroin." "We unfortunately find kids living in deplorable conditions all too often, but we don't see parents intentionally putting drugs into kids," he added. The three children have been placed into protective custody, Troyer said. Troyer said both Hutt and McIver have pleaded not guilty. It's unclear whether the two have attorneys. Last November, when social workers removed the children - ages 2, 4 and 6 - from the home outside Tacoma, the children were living in squalor, according to the court documents. "Aluminum foil rolls and cooker heroin were observed in the bedroom on the dresser next to the bed," according to the probable cause affidavit. Child protective services reported "multiple individuals lived at the resident and everyone was using heroin." Social workers discovered bruises on the 2-year-old's body that appeared to be from drug injections, according to the court documents. The 6-year-old told social workers that McIver had choked him and his siblings and that the couple gave them "feel good medicine." "He described the 'feel good medicine' as a white powder which was mixed with water," according to the probable cause affidavit. "His parents then used a needle to inject the 'feel good medicine' into him and his sisters." He said he and his sisters would fall asleep after the injections. Two months after the children were taken into protective custody, authorities performed hair follicle tests on the children, according to the court documents. The 6-year-old tested negative for heroin; the 4-year-old had heroin in her system but not enough to result in a positive test; the 2-year-old tested positive for the drug. Both Hutt and McIver admitted to being heroin users, though McIver told authorities he believed the babysitter was responsible for injecting the children with heroin, according to the court documents. Children have become victims in an opioid epidemic ravaging the nation - watching their parents shoot up, and sometimes, overdose and die. In September, a chilling photograph captured the innocence lost on a 4-year-old's face in East Liverpool, Ohio. A man and woman were slumped over after overdosing in a vehicle; the boy was still strapped into his car seat in the back. A week later and 600 miles away at a Family Dollar store in Lawrence, Mass., a hysterical toddler trying to wake her mother after an apparent drug overdose was captured on a cellphone video. Then last month, a 7-year-old girl in McKeesport, Pa., told her school bus driver that she hadn't been able to wake the adults in her house for days and that their bodies were beginning to change colors; she had been caring for three other children in the home, 5 years, 3 years and 9 months old, and had gotten herself to school, police said. A new study suggests that children in the midst of the nation's drug war are battling more than psychological consequences. The findings, published earlier this week in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics, show that from 1997 to 2012, 13,052 children were hospitalized for poisonings from opioid prescriptions, such as Oxycodone, Percocet and codeine. And 176 of them died. In Washington state, Hutt and McIver are due back in court Nov. 18, according to the Pierce County prosecutor's office. Hutt's trial begins Dec. 20, and McIver's starts Feb. 16. This time next week, we will know who our next president will be. Sort of. I am sure that when we wake up Wednesday morning, one side or the other will be crying foul and screaming about how the election was flawed. It will get worse before it gets better. And you know what? That's OK. That is part of the democratic process. You don't have to accept something as fact until all your avenues are exhausted. Is it in the best interest of the country? No. But that is the way it is. But come next Wednesday, what will change for you, me and everyone else in the greater Houston area? The simple answer is nothing. Traffic on 290, I-10, U.S. 59/I-69 or any other numbered highway will still be bad. (Let's not even talk about surface streets.) We will all go to work, go to school and otherwise get on with our lives. Nothing will change. Even the keys to the White House won't officially change hands until Friday, Jan. 20, 2017. Until then, President Barack Obama will be running the country and Republicans will control both houses of Congress. For us in Houston, regardless of whether your candidate wins or loses, remember that nothing is that bad. The sun will rise and set on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Your bills will still have to be paid. If you are on the losing side, simply remember that in the grand scheme of things, national politics are not nearly as important as what is happening closer to home. The federal government isn't fixing your roads. More times than not, that major thoroughfare is being built and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. What you should be looking at is what is going to happen in the Texas Legislature in the coming months. On the second Tuesday of January 2017, the Texas Legislature will convene and begin determining what is going to happen in the state for the next two years. Legislators will determine how much money will be earmarked to educate Texas students and how much will be spent to make Texas roads driveable. Once the legislators get to work, that is when politics really begins to affect you. The good news for all Texans is that the Texas budget, by law, has to be balanced. Unlike their counterparts in Washington, D.C., Texas politicians do not have a blank checkbook to go on massive spending sprees. Politicians with the ability to spend willy-nilly leads to, well, trillions of dollars in debt. So in the coming weeks and months, pay attention to what your state representative or senator has to say. That is vastly more important to you than policies made in Washington. With a vast majority of incumbents winning again, it's not like that much will change on a national level, anyway. As for who you should vote for - assuming you haven't voted already - on Tuesday, Nov. 8, just vote for who you feel is the best candidate. Do not vote for a party. Vote for the person best able to lead the country. Vote and hope for the best. Is your business under new ownership? These entrepreneurs who bought existing businesses share how they made updates while keeping loyalists happy. Drive-In Case study: Chris Baggott, new owner of The Mug, Greenfield, Ind. Why buy? We started Tyner Pond Farm [and were] selling out of pasture-raised pork chops, bacon and steak -- but were left with a surplus of lesser cuts such as ground beef. The idea with The Mug was to give us an outlet for all that stockpiled hamburger. What was your vision? It shifted from How do we move our surplus hamburger? to a place where we captured the heritage of an Indiana drive-in, but with a modern farm-to-curb spin and recipes that are both familiar and special. Howd you approach changes? People had so much nostalgia for the place, we wanted to keep the drive-in vibe. My mother-in-law and others volunteered to be carhops, like in the 50s! The old restaurant had a Facebook page, so we explained what we were doing and why. The respect from fans translated into engagement. Can you please everyone? Many think local or farm to table is just for wealthy people. But because were vertically integrated with our farm, were able to keep prices competitive. Our signature quarter-pound burger is only $4.75, comparable to $9 from a traditional outlet. About 40 percent of our customers dont even live in Greenfield. Convenience Store Case study: Jeff Barney, new chef/owner of Saxapahaw General Store, Saxapahaw, N.C. Why buy? The draw was doing great, no-frills food in an unassuming location -- a gas station! [The original also served food.] Its in the midst of local farms, where we would get our meats and vegetables. What was your vision? A store like ours -- convenience mixed with groceries -- has a community responsibility. Theres a school next door, and we serve lunch, charging a minimal amount relative to the high quality of food, because we believe food is essential to child development [and] that farmers are the backbone of our economy. Howd you approach changes? Our change was incremental -- first a formal breakfast, which grew into lunch, which grew into dinner. Then we started to make changes based on peoples daily needs in our rural community. The fact that weve kept gas and staples as well as hot dogs, pizza and barbecue sandwiches at great price points has been highly appreciated. Can you please everyone? At first, the convenience-store element took a little hit because we made it clear that racially disparaging remarks and jokes would not be welcomed here. We really wanted to be an inclusive food experiment, so we kept the convenience vibe while adding on good, whole-food choices. We more than made up for what we lost. Dive Bar Case study: Alexandra Wendkos, new co-owner of Dinos, Nashville Why buy? I had been to Dinos before, but I never frequented it because of the smoke, rats and characters that would hang around. However, all these things created a reputation and a name for Dinos. What was your vision? Keep the cheeseburger, add a few more diner favorites, turn the lights down and keep prices the same. After six to eight months, we added liquor. I was hesitant, because I didnt want it taking away from what Dinos had been -- the oldest beer bar in East Nashville. Turns out, liquor was the best thing we couldve done. Howd you approach changes? The approach was slower in the beginning because I was sensitive to the fact that people really cared about this Nashville staple. Like them, I didnt want it becoming something it wasnt. With time, more people became comfortable. The bones were there; it just needed a little muscle and fat to get where it needed to go. Can you please everyone? People have appreciated the laid-back space we provide, and the $3 PBR tallboys! Entrepreneurs looking to relaunch a business should keep it simple. Embrace the history, take it slow and be honest. Dont try to prove too much too soon. By being gracious and giving it time, the changes wont seem like changes at all. Related: Taking On An Existing Business? Take This Advice To Heart. These Entrepreneurs Succeeded -- But Only After Failing Once Before How These Franchises are Getting a Second Chance Copyright 2016 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Depositors, who lost their deposits in Ukrainian banks, have handed over a statement alleging crimes by senior officials of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to Director of National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) Artem Sytnyk. The document was handed to Sytnyk by one of the 35 signatory parliamentarians, Ihor Lutsenko (Batkivschyna faction). "We are now going to apply on the crime, hand it personally into Mr. Sytnyks hands together with a booklet about head of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Valeria Gontareva. Everyone perfectly realized about the fall of Delta Bank and Mykhailivsky Bank. Gontareva herself was very well aware of it," Lutsenko said, speaking at a rally organized by the cheated depositors of banks outside the walls of NABU on Tuesday. According to him, many parliamentarians have been trying to remove Gontareva since 2015, but the strong resistance on the part of the authorities and the supervisory authorities prevented this process, which was extremely hard to overcome. Now, both the deputies and the public have mutual understanding on the issue of the need for the immediate resignation of the current NBU head. Sytnyk, who accepted the document for his part, said, that the deceived investors are not the direct competence of NABU, but it is his office that is investigating the refinancing withdrawal from the liquidated banks. "We see that almost all the banks, investors of which have come today, were receiving refinancing. And the money went through Latvian or Austrian banks. This is public money and, perhaps, NBU officials are involved in it," NABU director said and promised to study the document. One of the deputies, who signed the statement handed, was Serhiy Taruta. Handing the statement to Sytnyk is a continuation of the resignation campaign on Gontareva as NBU head initiated by a parliamentarian. Taruta is the author of the brochure "The threat of economic security of Ukraine", which refers to the negative impact on the economic situation in the country by Gontarevas actions during her tenure as the NBU head, as well as her possible involvement in corruption schemes. Taruta also said about the need to create a temporary parliamentary investigating commission investigating Gontarevas activities during her tenure as the head of the NBU. A release party for the 2017 Beaumont Firefighters Calendar was held Tuesday at Madison's. Proceeds from the event and calendar sales benefit Boys' Haven of America. The calendars will go on sale to the public November 15 for $25 and will be available at Texas Market Basket stores. In addition to photos of the celebrity firefighters, each provided a favorite recipe. The number of Ukrainians who support Ukraine's accession to NATO has increased to 43% in September 2016, according to a survey conducted by the Rating sociological group on behest of the International Republican Institute. In response to the question: "If a referendum on Ukraine's entry to NATO was held today, how would you vote?" 43% of respondents in September 2016 said they would vote for such accession (compared to 39% in June 2016), 29% would vote against (32% in June 2016), 11% would not take part in the vote (12% in June 2016). Some 17% found it difficult to answer. The largest number of those who support Ukraine's entry into NATO lives the west of the country (68% would vote for the entry, 8% against), and in the center (47% for, 24% against). In the south of the number of NATO supporters and opponents is almost equal (36% for, 39% against). Residents of the east of Ukraine traditionally oppose the country's entry into NATO (17% for, 47% against). The survey was conducted throughout Ukraine, excluding annexed Crimea and occupied territories of Donbas, from September 28 through October 7 (2016). The survey method was interviewing respondents at their place of residence. A total of 2,400 Ukrainian citizens 18 and older were questioned. The level of error of the poll does not exceed 2%. On Wednesday, November 2, at 11.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled "Who's Behind Illegal Seizure of BRSM-Nafta Gas Station Network?" The participants will include Director of Strategic Marketing Network at BRSM-Nafta Oleksandr Melnychuk and heads of BRSM-Nafta's legal activities (8/5a Reitarska Street). Admission requires press accreditation. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Five San Antonio residents died in a two-car collision over the weekend in Batesville. A Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima collided Oct. 29 on highway U.S. 57, which runs through Batesville, about 90 miles southwest of San Antonio. The Camry was headed north when it crossed over, crashing into the Nissan going south, said Sgt. Conrad Hein, Texas Department of Public Safety, in a news release. "The driver of the Toyota Camry drove into the oncoming lane of traffic striking the Nissan Altima on the front left side," Hein said in the release, adding the Nissan was hit on the front left side of the vehicle. RELATED: Texas State sorority member, 20, killed after being dragged 500 feet by bus: Sheriff Rudy Salas, 66, Lupe Garza Salas, 61, Lloyd Halsell, 58 and Darlene Wilson, 66, were pronounced dead at the scene, DPS officials said. Maryann Garcia, 56, was in the Camry and was transported to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio where she died due to blunt force injuries sustained in a motor vehicle mishap, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners office. Her death was ruled an accident. RELATED: SAPD: Man hospitalized after Halloween party drive-by shooting The office could not release the cause or manner of death for the other four victims. All five victims were from the San Antonio area, Hein said. DPS troopers are still investigating the incident and did not release the name of either driver. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Dickinson of San Antonio Inc., the local firm that did business as Career Point College, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, nearly a month after the for-profit school abruptly shut down. The closure, which came after the government yanked the schools ability to accept federal student aid, interrupted the education of 1,400 students in three cities and led to lawsuits in which 75 of them are now plaintiffs. Dickinson reported assets of less than $50,000 and liabilities ranging from $1 million to $10 million in the emergency Chapter 11 petition filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio. The firm is working with another company to try to get these students back in school and working on their diplomas, William Dick Davis Jr., Dickinsons bankruptcy lawyer, said in an interview Tuesday. He declined to identify the company but said Dickinson would file details of the agreement with the bankruptcy court within a couple of days. Career Point College abruptly closed its campuses in San Antonio, Austin and Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Oct. 16, alerting students via email. The move came after the U.S. Department of Education cut the schools access to federal funding in response to the college's reporting that three longtime employees had collaborated to violate the rules related to student aid funds, according to the email. Two separate lawsuits have since been filed by students against the schools owners and operators, CEO Lawrence Earle and Carole Kendall, a registered agent for four companies tied to the institution. Among the allegations in the suits: Students were induced into obtaining high-interest loans to attend the two-year for-profit college, and some of them never received federal grant money that the school was supposed to distribute to them. Career Point College went so far as to charge its own students for appointments with the financial aid office. College employees, in the scope of their employment, improperly obtained $4.6 million in federal loan funds. Both of the lawsuits were removed from state district court in Bexar County to federal bankruptcy court. Dickinson decided it needed to file for bankruptcy protection to consolidate the litigation in one forum, said Davis, of the law firm Langley & Banack Inc. Bankruptcy is the best place to find out where the $4.6 million went, said Randall Pulman, an attorney with the law firm of Pulman, Cappuccio, Pullen, Benson & Jones LLP, representing 20 former students in one of the lawsuits. Lawyers in both suits obtained temporary restraining orders preventing Dickinson, Career Point College and related parties from destroying any documents relating to the U.S. Department of Educations investigation. The orders also directed the defendants to turn over academic transcripts, diplomas and other records within 48 hours of the date of the orders. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said Tuesday that some records have been provided, but not all, and that some of the information is incomplete. I received two thumb drives containing thousands of pages of student records, which were not properly authenticated, either, said attorney Aric J. Garza, who is representing 55 plaintiffs, a number he expects to grow because of nearly 500 inquiries he said he has received. The sad part is all of these students have been left high and dry, said Eric Pullen, one of the attorneys in the first suit. He said federal loans obtained by the students possibly could be forgiven, but not the private loans that were coordinated for them by the school. Most of my clients still have to pay their loans, he said. The school's abrupt closure has devastated Erika Lindsey, who said she had only one more term left in its licensed vocational nurse program. To think that I had worked almost an entire year, and to have it ripped away from me was unimaginable, she said through tears. It (graduation) was just within reach. Topping Dickinsons list of largest creditors is Cox Media Group, owner of seven area radio stations, which is owed $591,625 in trade debt. Other creditors include the owners of Wonderland of the Americas, owed more than $111,700 in rent, and the Washington, D.C., lobbying firm the Normandy Group, owed $80,775. pdanner@express-news.net Twitter: @AlamoPD ezavala@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO Members of SAPD's SWAT unit and the SAFDs rescue team donned capes, tights and masks Monday as they rappelled down the side of North Central Baptist Hospital. Batman, Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America and more united as one for the third annual Superhero Drop to honor the memory of Julian Andrade, a 5-year-old boy who lost his battle with cancer in spring 2015. Andrade was the son of SAPD officer Jose Andrade. RELATED: Pediatric patients participate in annual Halloween parade at University Hospital Patients, ages 2 to 16, watched through windows as members of the SWAT unit and SAFD rescue unit descended the side of the hospital building. The children who got a chance to watch the drop were in for various ailments, said hospital spokeswoman Patti Tanner. The hospital's director of wellness, Jennifer Meachum, said the event means a lot to the children in both the pediatric and pediatric intensive care units. "We are so appreciative to the folks at SAPD and SAFD for the joy and priceless memories they create each year for these children in their time of need," Meachum said in a statement. "What they do is completely selfless. There is medicine and then there is love needed to heal. These real-life superheroes have shown our patients love." The firefighters and officers who dressed up as superheroes later came into the hospital to interact with the children, according to a Facebook post from SAFD. After Julian Andrade passed away, the event was renamed to Julians Superhero Drop to honor the boy. RELATED: San Antonio shares photos of wild, puro costumes for Halloween 2016 Greene said Andrades parents attended Mondays event to support the memory of their son. The spokesman also said when the police department learned of Julian Andrades illness, officials gathered around the Andrade family and provided as much support as they could. SAPD spokesman Douglas Greene said its a great feeling to have the firefighters and police officers work together for a good cause. RELATED: 'Dad of the year' convinces plane passengers to hand out candy to 3-year-old daughter for Halloween For once its really good to partner together and do something positive, Greene said. It make out brotherhood even stronger. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Its been one week since early voting began in Bexar County, and so far, thousands have headed to more than 40 locations across San Antonio to cast their ballot in record numbers. But 10 voting stations are a bit busier than others. Brookhollow Library, 530 Heimer Rd., and the Wonderland Mall of the Americas, 4522 Fredericksburg Rd., are the two most popular voting stations in the county, with nearly 30,000 votes cast between them as of Tuesday night. In the first seven days of early voting, the library saw 12,034 people come through and the mall had 10,547. Click through the slideshow to see which voting stations in the county have the longest lines. Early voting lasts until Nov. 4 for those registered in the county. Election Day is Nov. 8. Here's where you can vote, no matter your precinct, until Nov. 4: Bexar County Early Voting Numbers for 2016 General Election Bexar County residents cast a combined 436,731 early votes for the Tuesday, Nov. 8 General Election from Oct. 24-Nov. 4. Click on each polling place below to the total voters at the location for the last day of early voting, and the entire 12-day period. kbradshaw@express-news.net Twitter: @kbrad5 Hispanic Heritage Month Exhibit with Sybil Press is open to the public through Nov. 7 at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. The exhibit features limited-edition silk-screened prints of the work of Gloria Bueno, Andrew Cobb, Norberto Gomez Jr. and Richard Lucyshyn from the hand-printed and bound releases, Book of Cannibals, Curses: Ritual Milagros and Grievesome River. Contact: 907-9210 Astronomy in the Park with the San Antonio Astronomical Association focuses attention on the night sky 8 p.m.-10:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Raymond Rimkus Park, 6440 Evers Road. The public is invited. Association members say its the longest running free public star party in the San Antonio metro area. If the weather is iffy, check the groups Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SanAntonioAstronomy/ Contact: 262-8384 Friday, November 4 Lions Club Bingo is at 7 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356 Saturday, November 5 Pet adoptions will be conducted by the Helotes Humane Society at Petco at Bandera and Loop 410 from noon to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 29 Contact: 422-6242. MarketPlace at Old Helotes is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at 14391 Riggs Road. The family friendly event features all kinds of artisans selling their unique jewelery, crafts, artwork, clothing, food items and more. And theres plenty of good food and drink, too. For a booth map, go tohttp://www.helotesmarketplace Cody Film Club will discuss the 1956 drama Giant, starring James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson, at 10 a.m. at Cody Library, 11441 Vance Jackson. The group will meet for two hours inside the librarys conference room. Contact: 207-9100. Sunday, November 6 Lions Club Bingo is at 2 p.m. at the Helotes Lions Club, 14690 Bandera Road, on the east side of the highway between Floores Country Store and El Chaparral. Contact: 695-2356 Family night and free dance at John T. Floores Country Store, 14492 Old Bandera Road. Doors open at 6 p.m. Live music by Drugstore Cowboys. Contact: 695-8827 Monday, November 7 PoeTree, a club for poets of all levels of experience, meets at 6 p.m. at the Igo Public Library, 13330 Kyle Seale Parkway. New members welcome. Contact: 207-9080 Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown style is the focus of teen craft night, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. Ages 13-18. Contact: 207-9210 Tuesday, November 8 Election Day is today. Voters who didnt cast ballots during early voting can go to their respective voting precincts, which are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., to make their voices heard. If you dont know your precinct, go to the Bexar Elections website. Election Day: The Teen Program will be 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Cody Library, 11441 Vance Jackson. Watch political spoofs on video, participate in an information election to see who teens would elect as president and enjoy bipartisan treats. For ages 13 to 18 only. Contact: 207-9100 Coming up Timberwilde Childrens Choir will honor veterans with a performance at 11:15 a.m. Nov. 10 at Great Northwest Library, 9050 Wellwood. Contact: 207-9210 Veterans Day is Nov. 11. Most federal, state, county and city offices will be closed. Veterans Day Luncheon will be at noon Nov. 11 at Casa Helotes, 12070 Leslie Road. Free for veterans and their families but reservations are required; call 695-8510 by 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11. Hike the Government Canyon State Natural Area, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Nov. 12 Friends of Government Canyon and the Sierra Club jointly lead the group on one of the many trails in the area. Hike ranges from 4 to 7 miles, depending on the group; wear sturdy footwear for hiking over rough terrain. Open to ages 13 and older; minors must be accompanied by an adult. No pets. Bring two liters of water per person and a snack. Be at the Visitor Center, 12861 Galm Road, no later than 8:15 a.m. to give you time to pay the entry fee and be ready for the hike, which starts promptly at 8:30 a.m. Contact: 688-9055, ext. 2009 Babysitting training course will be 8:45 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Helotes Fire Department, 12951 Bandera Road, by the San Antonio Emergency Nurses Association and Safety Whys. Ages 11-17. $21, includes pizza lunch Class size limited; pre-registration required at www.safetywhys.com Contact: 695-9838 Crochet 101 takes place at 10 a.m. Nov. 12 at Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park. This handcraft isnt just for grandmas anymore! Learn how to crochet supplies provided or bring your own project and join fellow crochet fans. Contact: 207-9060 Con Mis Manos art show will be noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 12 at Northside Learning Center, 6632 Bandera Road at Grissom Road, Building F. Meet the artists who will be exhibiting their paintings, prints, photography, jewelry and more. Find unique, original gifts for the holidays. Free admission. Contact: 391-4643 Helotes Area Community Band Veterans Day Concert is 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Helotes Fire Station, 12951 Bandera Road. Landscapes of Freedom will feature patriotic music for all ages and a special tribute to veterans with the Kuentz Elementary School Choir. Contact: 695-5911 All numbers have a 210 area code unless otherwise noted. To have your event listed, send the details, including date, time, place and contact phone number, to dfuentes@express-news.net This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO Police found the body of a man in a backyard of a home Tuesday morning on the West Side just hours after finding another gunshot victim at the same location. San Antonio Police Department spokesman Douglas Greene said in an interview with mySA.com that officers found a man's body at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in the 6600 block of Monterey Street. MORE: SAPD: Man hospitalized after Halloween party drive-by shooting The man, in his 20s or 30s, appeared to have suffered a gunshot to the lower back. It's unclear at this point whether he was shot at the location or elsewhere. Police deployed a helicopter to canvass the area. So far, no suspects have been arrested. Several people surrounded the crime scene and were sobbing. Greene said the civilians may have known the victim, whose identity will be released later by the medical examiner's office. RELATED: SAPD: Masked gunmen kill bouncer at gay bar in downtown Earlier this morning, police responded to a shooting in progress at about 2 a.m. at the same home, and a 44-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to his right buttock. The victim said didn't see who shot him. He was transported with non-life-threatening injuries to University Hospital. Greene said police are investigating to determine how or if the two shootings are related. We feel pretty confident in that (they are connected), but its still in the preliminary stages of the investigation to determine exactly what the victims involvement was in the prior shooting, Greene said. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite An insurance broker admitted Tuesday that he bribed a consultant for area school districts for inside information to help win insurance contracts. Samuel Mullen , who now lives in the Rio Grande Valley, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Primomo and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Sentencing was set for Jan. 25 before U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg said Mullen, along with two co-defendants, might be responsible for restitution of as much as $2.5 million, though we think its going to be substantially less. Like his two co-defendants, Mullen faces up to five years in prison. According to the FBI, Mullen was chief financial officer of Mullen Pension & Benefits Group LLC and bribed William Haff more than $83,000 for helping the Mullen Groups clients land contracts at the San Antonio, Edgewood and South San Antonio independent school districts, as well as the now-defunct Bexar Metropolitan Water District. Haff was an insurance industry consultant hired by the school districts and BexarMet to provide advice and was barred from being paid by those wishing to do business with the districts. In March, Haff, 46, pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy, which lasted from 2007 to 2014, records show. In September, Joshua J. Cerna, a former board member of the Harlandale Independent School District, also pleaded guilty to a wire fraud conspiracy charge for having a role in the scheme when he worked as vice president of strategic markets for the Mullen Group. Cerna served on the Harlandale board for 10 years through 2012, but that district is not among those listed as being defrauded. Adam Cortez, a lawyer representing Diane Garcia, Mullens ex-wife, said the Mullen Group ceased to exist around 2014, and that neither Sam Mullen nor Cerna had been with the company for some time. After divorcing Mullen, Garcia formed a new company, Agora Benefits, which does business with some area school districts, Cortez said. Theres no one associated with the new entity that has any liability, Cortez said. And I dont foresee any. gcontreras@express-news.net Twitter: @gmaninfedland SAN ANTONIO A 34-year-old bouncer who was killed outside a gay bar by masked gunmen on Sunday has been identified by San Antonio police. Christopher Lee Fuentes was pronounced dead at the scene of a shooting outside the Annex Bar near Euclid Avenue and Lewis Street. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate SAN ANTONIO A teenage girl was transported to San Antonio Military Medical Center Monday night after a two-vehicle crash resulted in one truck hitting a tree on the South Side, according to police. The crash occurred at about 11:46 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Southwest Military Drive and South Flores Street. Several people were in the truck on their way home from work when the crash occurred after the truck collided with a Ford Mustang. The pickup then drove into a tree, briefly pinning the driver inside the vehicle, an officer said at the scene. RELATED: Police search West Side for killer after man's body found in backyard The passengers of the pickup were able to pull the driver out of the vehicle before firefighters got there, the officer said. Its unclear if the person transported to the hospital was the driver or a passenger in the pickup, but she was in her late teens, according to an officer at the scene. The Mustang driver was treated by EMS at the scene. RELATED: SAPD: Man hospitalized after Halloween party drive-by shooting Police have yet to release more details on the incident but this story will be updated as soon as more information is available. twhite@mysa.com Twitter: @tylerlwhite This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Polls in the presidential race show Democrat Hillary Clinton within spitting distance of Republican Donald Trump in Texas. But, no matter how close the race at the top of the ballot is, it is unlikely the state's congressional delegation will look much different come Nov. 9. For years in Texas, lawmakers have been picking their voters by drawing districts that are safe for either Republicans or Democrats, rather than the voters picking their elected officials. It's a process called gerrymandering - a practice that is often used to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries. READ MORE: This is how effectively the GOP has gerrymandered Texas And, Texas lawmakers (Republicans, these days) are good at it. Of the 36 seats in Congress representing Texas, only one is truly contested this year. That's the 23rd District, which stretches along the Texas-Mexico border from near El Paso to south of San Antonio. Incumbent Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, and former Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, are squaring off in a rematch from two years ago in a close race. For folks voting in Lubbock, Tyler, San Antonio, Dallas and Houston, there are incumbents and other names on the ballot (mostly). And, in some cases, two or three challengers putting up the good fight. READ MORE: Turning Red: How Texas became a GOP stronghold But, state lawmakers effectively cut out any base of voters an opposition candidate could rely on in an election by drawing district lines to ensure the incumbent (yes, both Democratic and Republican) had the voters needed to win. That leaves any challenge to, say, Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, or Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, or Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, a long-shot at best. That said, votes still count on Nov. 8. Just don't expect any significant changes in who goes to Congress in January from Texas. Take a look at the gallery above to see just how gerrymandered Texas' congressional districts are based on the margin of victory in 2014. Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday China and France should properly implement the Hinkley Point C nuclear project in Britain, the first new nuclear power plant in Britain for two decades. Xi made the remarks when meeting with visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault. Chinese and French companies signed the agreement to build an 18 billion pound nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point C during Xi's state visit to Britain in October last year. The CGN-led Chinese consortium and French company EDF respectively take 33.5 percent and 66.5 percent stake. "Both sides should properly implement the Hinkley Point C nuclear project and other major projects, and expand cooperation in trade, investment and finance to deeply integrate our interests," Xi said. Xi urged more people-to-people exchanges as well as cooperation at the local level and in international affairs. China and France should work to promote the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change and the outcome of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, Xi said. Xi stressed that China has always viewed its relations with the European Union from a strategic perspective and firmly supports the European integration process. China hopes France will continue to back and facilitate the synergy of the Belt and Road Initiative and Europe's development strategy, the president said. Ayrault said France supports the Belt and Road Initiative and is willing to strengthen trade and investment ties with China. He said France looks to properly implement the Hinkley Point C nuclear project, as well as explore partnership with China in medicine, health, sustainable development, urban construction, education and film. Ayrault expressed a desire to enhance cooperation with China in the UN Security Council, believing that the EU should continue to be a reliable partner for China. Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met with Ayrault earlier Monday. Known as Mr. Bob, Robert Bob Henry took a New Braunfels campground and built a chain of water parks called Schlitterbahn Waterparks and Resorts that became regarded as a leading brand in water theme parks. Henry died at his home Monday night in New Braunfels following a lengthy illness. He was 89. Henry was known for his very strong work ethic, Schlitterbahn Communications Director Winter Prosapio said Tuesday. He was hands-on, a craftsman. He and his family all worked on renovating the resort rooms, the wiring and everything. He passed all that on to his family. The whole mission of Schlitterbahn was so that the family could stay together in the business, Prosapio said. Three generations of Henrys family now work at the company. While operating and expanding Schlitterbahn, Henry was active in the New Braunfels community, notably with the Wurstfest Association of New Braunfels. Henry also created an endowment fund in 1995 at Texas State University in nearby San Marcos to provide scholarships for Schlitterbahn staff members. Henry attended Oklahoma A&M College, which is now Oklahoma State University. He obtained a masters degree in accounting before moving to Houston to work for the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. In 1958, he moved to Panama to operate an office; he returned to the United States in 1963. More Information Robert "Bob" Henry Born: April 23, 1927, Duncan, Oklahoma Died: Oct. 31, 2016, San Antonio Survived by: Wife Billye Henry; three children, Gary Henry, Jeff Henry and Jana Faber; seven grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren - all of New Braunfels. He also is survived by his sister, Nita Hodges of Morgan City, Louisiana. Services: A viewing will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home, 189 N. Seguin Ave. in New Braunfels. Services are set for 3 p.m. Thursday at Christ Presbyterian Church, 1620 Common St., in New Braunfels. See More Collapse In 1966, Henry purchased a campground resort in New Braunfels called Camp Landa. Henry, wife Billye and their three children worked to improve the resort, including building slides into the nearby river for resort guests. As interest in the slides grew, the family developed a larger complex of slides and decided to come up with a name reflecting New Braunfels German heritage. The name was a combination of Schlitter, the German word for slippery, and Bahn, the German word for road. Schlitterbahn opened in 1979. By the 1990s, Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resorts had grown to more than 65 acres, hundreds of rooms, dozens of slides and children water playgrounds. Since 2001, it has added facilities at South Padre Island, Galveston, Corpus Christi and Kansas City, Kansas. In 2003, Henry was inducted into the New Braunfels Chamber Hall of Honor. The World Waterpark Association inducted Henry into its Hall of Fame in 2013. At one point, Henry retired officially. But he was always active in the business. He had a strong interest in being an innovator. It never left him, Prosapio said. The company history was marred in August when a 10-year-old boy, Caleb Thomas Schwab, died while riding a 17-story water slide at Schlitterbahn Kansas City. Schwab was the son of Kansas State Rep. Scott Schwab. The death is still under investigation. Henry was devastated when he heard about the accident in Kansas City, Prosapio said. It was challenging and difficult. dhendricks@express-news.net MySA.com Staff Writer Kelsey Bradshaw contributed to this article. PINE BLUFF, Ark. Heres the kind of person whom Americas presidential candidates just dont talk about: a sweet, grinning, endangered 13-year-old boy named Emanuel Laster. Emanuel has three televisions in his room, two of them gargantuan large-screen models. But there is no food in the house. As for the TVs, at least one doesnt work, and the electricity was supposed to be cut off for nonpayment on the day I visited his house: Emanuels mother deployed her pit bull in the yard in hopes of deterring the utility man. (This seemed to work.) The home, filthy and chaotic with a broken front door, reeks of marijuana. The televisions and Emanuels bed add an aspirational middle-class touch, but they were bought on credit and are at risk of being repossessed. The kitchen is stacked with dirty dishes and not much else. I just go hungry, Emanuel explained. If Emanuel were in Aleppo, Syria, maybe we would briefly, ineffectually fret about his plight or discuss it in a presidential debate. But he inhabits the rubble of our domestic no mans land of poverty, narcotics and hopelessness, and so he is invisible. Id like to go to college, said Emanuel, who earns As and Bs in school. Id be the first in my family. I want to be a police officer, or a fireman, or a judge. But, he acknowledged, there isnt a single book in the house. Emanuels ambition is commendable, but children of poverty face treacherous obstacles to success. Emanuel has been caught shoplifting Im not doing that anymore, he said with what sounded like contrite embarrassment and his mom, Christina Laster, worries. Gangs begin to recruit boys at about 14, and his friends carry knives. What many Americans dont understand about poverty is that its perhaps less about a lack of money than about not seeing any path out. More than 80 percent of American households living below the poverty line have air-conditioning, so in material terms theyre incomparably better off than poor families in India or Congo. In other ways their lives can be worse. Too many American kids are set up for failure when they are born into what might be called the broken class, where violence, mental illness, drugs and sexual abuse infuse childhood. Yes, such young people sometimes do stupid things, but as a society, we fail them long before they fail us. There are no silver bullets to eradicate these challenges, but there is silver buckshot an array of policies that make a difference. Early childhood initiatives have a particularly good record, as do efforts to promote work, like the earned-income tax credit. Financial literacy programs help families manage money and avoid buying large-screen TVs on credit. One indication that we have the tools and know-how to cut poverty is that other countries have done so. In Britain in 1999, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a major attack on child poverty, and over the next five years the rate there dropped to 14 percent from 26 percent. One tool is helping at-risk teenagers avoid pregnancy. Consider a 17-year-old in Tulsa, Nataly Ledesma, who became pregnant at age 13 by a 28-year-old man. I had never heard of condoms or birth control, she said. By the time I took family health class in ninth grade, my baby was almost 2. If she had had early sex education and access to birth control, she said, she probably would not have become pregnant. In short, what we lack most is not means but political will. The main public response to American poverty has been a great big national shrug and that is why I wish the candidates were talking more about this, why I wish the public and the media were demanding that politicians address the issue. Liberals too often are reluctant to acknowledge that struggling, despairing people sometimes compound their misfortune by self-medicating or engaging in irresponsible, self-destructive behavior. And conservatives too often want to stop the conversation there, without acknowledging our societys irresponsible, self-destructive refusal to help children who are otherwise programmed for failure. Child poverty is an open sore on the American body politic. It is a moral failing for our nation that one-fifth of our children live in poverty. Facebook.com/Kristof Twitter.com/NickKristof San Antonio City Council erred in endorsing a questionable warranty product for water and sewer lines. We strongly encourage the council to reverse course on this issue. Yes, the endorsement will generate all-important revenue for the city: at least $2.5 million over five years, according to Express-News Metro Columnist Brian Chasnoff. But the warranty for water and sewer line breaks is questionable, besmirching the citys reputation. Theres a reason that the FBI, the nations top law enforcement agency with immense resources to help and hurt must not be politicized. This is a concept, learned the hard way during the days of J. Edgar Hoover, that has kept the agency from meddling in national elections. Intentionally or not, FBI Director James Comey has violated that policy. Against the advice of the Justice Department, he sent a letter to congressional leaders advising them that the FBI, in its investigation of sexting by former Congressman Anthony Weiner, found emails related to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He said these emails may be pertinent to a previous investigation in which the FBI determined there was no cause for criminal prosecution for Clintons actions as secretary of state while using a private email server. Weiner is the estranged husband of close Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The letter has an immense potential effect on the outcome of the election. Thats obvious politicization, and in direct conflict with agency and Justice Department protocols. The FBIs job is to investigate and then report its findings to Justice Department attorneys, who then determine if prosecution is warranted. Comey has violated this twice. The first time was in that extraordinary news conference in July in which he said no reasonable prosecutor would prosecute because the agents found no criminal intent. But he also felt compelled to editorialize about Clintons behavior. The second time was Friday, in releasing a letter to Congress that any reasonable person would conclude interferes with the national election now under way. That is precisely what it has done. By disclosing what amounts to another investigation without first ascertaining whether any of the emails were, in fact, pertinent in any way other than their mere existence, Comey inserted himself and his agency smack dab in the middle of a campaign already punctuated by claims of rigging. This disclosure reeks of that, though not how Donald Trump meant the term. It has long been official FBI policy not to disclose elements of an active investigation, often not even disclosing the existence of an investigation. Yet Comey, in effect, did both even before the Justice Department had subpoenaed the emails. He did not have an obligation to disclose the emails to Congress without any context, a move that he had to know would become instantly public. And the result is precisely what he said he feared: a misleading impression with the potential to influence the outcome of a national election. Comey chose badly. Were not certain this can be set right without violating those policies to which Comey gave short shrift. And there is simply not enough here to warrant any conclusion, which is why waiting until after the election would have been best. Some Democrats, furious with FBI Director James Comey for putting the issue of Hillary Clintons emails back in the public eye just before election day, are suggesting he has violated legal restrictions against federal employees trying to affect the outcome of an election. Legal analysts said that would be a high bar to clear and that at least based on what is known about Comeys motives, theres no evidence he was trying to influence the Nov. 8 presidential election. But that doesnt mean he should get too comfortable in his job, especially if Clinton wins. If Hillary is elected, he is gone, predicted Laurie Levenson, a professor of legal ethics at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. That view wasnt shared by all analysts, but it was an indication that the controversy is unlikely to disappear after next Tuesdays election. The federal law in question is the Hatch Act, passed in 1939, which bars federal employees from using their authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election. YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty Images Comey had announced in July that the FBIs investigation of Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state had found no basis for charging her with willfully disclosing secret information. While asserting that she had been extremely careless, he appeared to be closing the case, infuriating Clintons prospective Republican opponent, Donald Trump. On Friday, Comey notified Congress in a vaguely worded letter that the FBI was looking into additional emails found on a computer used by the estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The announcement was apparently premature federal agents had not yet seen any of the emails but the FBI obtained a search warrant from a judge Sunday and said agents were starting to examine the messages Monday, looking for any signs that the emails contain classified material. While Trump praised Comeys courage, Democrats exploded, with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada saying in a letter that the directors partisan actions may violate the Hatch Act. So far, however, the only direct evidence of Comeys intent the crucial issue in Hatch Act cases has been his explanation that he was keeping his promise to inform Congress of any new developments. That is a difficult assertion to refute, even if he had other, unstated motives. Theres no indication that he was intending to interfere with the election, said Stanford Law Professor Deborah Rhode, who also teaches legal ethics. Once Comey obtained new information suggesting his earlier statements to Congress may have been inaccurate or incomplete, she said, hes arguably got an obligation to come forward. Where he failed, from an ethical standpoint, was in failing to say he had no evidence of wrongdoing instead of leaving it open to political spin. But a former chief ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush said Comeys intent to influence the election could be inferred from the circumstances of his disclosure, including its timing and the continuing demands by Republicans for action against Clinton. The rules are violated if it is obvious that the officials actions could influence the election, there is no other good reason for taking those actions, and the official is acting under pressure from persons who obviously do want to influence the elections, Richard Painter, now a University of Minnesota law professor, said in a column in Mondays New York Times. Painter filed a complaint with the government Saturday accusing Comey of violating the Hatch Act. Clinton called for the FBI to release all the new information it had and was joined in that demand by some leading Republicans. Without additional context, your disclosure is not fair to Congress, the American people, or Secretary Clinton, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a letter to Comey. Comey also apparently ignored a long-standing policy of the Justice Department, which includes the FBI, to refrain from commenting on investigations of political candidates in the weeks before an election. Three dozen former state attorneys general, including some Republicans, cited that policy Monday in a letter saying Comey had injected himself into the political process. More criticism came from UC Berkeley Law Professor John Yoo, best known for his approval of waterboarding as a Justice Department attorney under Bush. In an email to The Chronicle, Yoo said Comeys first mistake was in not leaving the decision on charging Clinton up to prosecutors. The directors latest disclosure, Yoo said, apparently violated (Justice Department) internal guidelines and historical practice in a second mistake to make up for the first mistake. Whatever impact Comeys actions have on the election, theyre likely to affect his future with the agency. Although the directors term was set at 10 years, by a 1972 federal law in reaction to the scandals unearthed toward the close of J. Edgar Hoovers 48 years in the position, the law has been interpreted so far to allow the president to dismiss the director at any time. That has occurred only once, when President Bill Clinton fired William Sessions in 1993 after the Justice Department found that Sessions had violated ethical standards in his personal dealings. An appointee of President Ronald Reagan, Sessions had been on the job for 5 years. Obama, who appointed Comey three years ago, appears unlikely to dismiss him. At Mondays White House news briefing, press secretary Josh Earnest said he would neither criticize nor defend Comeys actions, but said Obama doesnt believe Director Comey is trying to influence the outcome of an election. Hillary Clinton has made her displeasure clear, saying at a campaign rally Monday that Comeys FBI had jumped into the election with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go. That would seem to support predictions, by Loyolas Levenson and others, that she would promptly fire Comey after taking office. But Larry Gerston, a San Jose State political science professor, said dismissing the director in the current climate would open the door to retribution by congressional Republicans. The animus between the executive branch and Congress is so great, Gerston said, that any firing that appeared to be politically motivated would precipitate a war. She would be putting her own reign in peril. Perhaps the only peaceful resolution he said, would be for Comey historically, not the sort of guy who causes problems to get the message and resign. Chronicle news services contributed to this report. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @bobegelko 1 Kashmir violence: Eight civilians were killed and nine others wounded by Pakistani shelling in Kashmir on Tuesday, Indian officials said, as cross-border firing by the two countries troops escalated in the disputed region. A police officer said six people, including two children, were killed by Pakistani shelling. The Indian and Pakistani armies guard the Line of Control that divides the two parts of Kashmir. Each country also has a separate paramilitary border force that guards the frontier separating Indian-controlled Kashmir and the Pakistani province of Punjab. 2 Fish vendors death: Moroccan authorities say 11 people are facing manslaughter or forgery charges in the investigation of the death of a fish vendor crushed inside a garbage truck, an incident that prompted nationwide protests. The suspects include two local security agents, the head of the local fisheries department and the head doctor of the local veterinary services. Mouhcine Fikri was selling 1,100 pounds of unauthorized swordfish which local police confiscated and discarded on Friday. The prosecutors statement in the northern city of Hoceima confirmed Fikri was killed by a garbage compactor after he climbed inside the truck to retrieve his fish. Activists and witnesses had said that a local police officer ordered the garbage truck driver to start the compactor and grind him. Grind him has become the top hashtag on social media in Morocco. Photo taken on September 12, 2016 shows a stray bullet was taken out of the body of a woman. [Photo: Jiaohuidian news] A woman walking with her baby in a pram through a residential community in Nanjing where she lives has been shot by a stray bullet which came from a shooting range nearby, reports Yangtse.com. The woman, Qin Haixia, said she felt a sharp pang of pain as she and her husband were walking in Cuiping International City in Nanjing on September 12, 2016. After seeing the doctor, Qin was shocked to find that she had been shot by a stray bullet. She had to undergo an operation and was hospitalized for a month. Qin told the reporter that the bullet came from a range at a university in Cuiping Mountain nearby, and was fired by a student who missed the target in shooting practice. "My baby is only 9 months old, but the accident stopped me from breast feeding. When I was in hospital, my husband spent a lot of time looking after me and that affected his work. Now that I'm out of hospital, I feel the pain caused by the dislocation of my lumbar, and I can't look after my baby, nor can I do the housework." Qin Haixia said in great pain. She added, "If my baby was shot, he would be dead. The community is within 2 kms of shooting range, who is to shoulder the responsibility if someone gets shot?" Qin's incident is not isolated. There have been many similar incidents in the community. In September 2015, a neighbor's air-conditioner was shot at and damaged. In September 2016, the window of a neighbor's apartment shattered. Similar incidents have been also reported in other communities. Norway Woods neighborhood is opposite Cuiping International City. On the afternoon of September 19, 2015, a woman surnamed Li, found the back window of her car had been broken. She watched security camera footage but couldn't see anyone hitting the window. However, a few days later, she found a bullet in the trunk of her car. It's been suggested the range move away to meet the concerns of residents. As for the accidents caused by stray bullets, the person in charge at the university in Nanjing explained that as the range is not open to public, the accidents were caused by students whose shots missed the targets. They added that compensation had been arranged privately. A battalion commander who has been at the range for many years told the reporter that a lack of thought when the range was built meant it posed a danger to surrounding neighborhood. A person in charge of the planning bureau in Jiangning district said that when Cuiping International City was being built, they didn't know there was a shooting range nearby. 1 Refugee crisis: Paris police rounded up Afghan migrants Monday and cleared away some of their tents in a makeshift camp in a new challenge to French government efforts to tackle the migrant crisis. Mondays operation near the Stalingrad subway station was marked by tension and confusion. Riot police physically forced the migrants back and drew a cordon around them, as some migrants yelled and pushed back on riot shields. Officials said the operation was aimed at verifying migrants documents and sanitary conditions. They insisted it wasnt a full-scale evacuation, though city officials cleared away some tents along a canal. 2 Hate-speech trial: The politically charged hate-speech trial of Dutch firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders got under way Monday with Wilders boycotting the opening. Wilders, whose tirades against Islam, immigration and the European Union have made him one of the most divisive figures in Dutch politics, denounced the trial as a travesty targeting freedom of speech. Instead, he issued a series of inflammatory posts on Twitter, saying the Netherlands has a huge problem with Moroccans an echo of the denunciations he made in 2014 that are at the center of the hate-speech charges. The trial is being held in a secure courtroom near Schiphol Airport, which serves Amsterdam. WIPO expects China to become second biggest international patent applicant in two year GENEVA, Oct. 31 -- Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry said on Monday he expected China to become the world's second biggest international patent applicant in two years. "China is arising into intellectual property and technological power; 14 percent of all international patent applications last year were from China. We expect this year to go about 17 or 18 percent, or even higher," Francis Gurry told the press as the UN agency unveiled a new neural machine translation tool on Monday to translate Chinese patent documents into English. He said China ranked third in terms of the number of international patent applications filed in 2015. "We might expect it to achieve number two within the next two years," Gurry noted. WIPO initially "trained" the new technology to translate Chinese, Japanese and Korean patent documents into English. Patent applications in those languages accounted for some 55 percent of worldwide filings in 2014. The high level of accuracy of the Chinese-English translation is the result of the training of the neural machine translation tool, which compared 60 million sentences from Chinese patent documents provided to WIPO's PATENTSCOPE database by the State Intellectual Property Office of China with their translations as filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The neural machine translation can produce more natural word order, with particular improvements seen in so-called distant language pairs, like Chinese-English. WIPO said users can already try out the Chinese-English translation facility on the public beta test platform. WIPO plans to extend the neural machine translation service to French-language patent applications, with other languages to follow. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. TPP, TTIP, TISA CETA: The provisional application of CETA refers to the fact that some thingslike the tariff reductionswill come into operation immediately, assuming the European Parliament agrees. But other areas, notably the ISDS/ICS, must wait for full ratification of the deal. That requires all of the EUs 28 member states to go through national ratification processes, which will probably take several years [Ars Technica]. And despite what the commission would have you think, it is by no means certain that all the national parliaments will approve CETA. More: For example, a tweet by Katharina Nocun pointed out that left-wing and green parties could block its passage in Germany. At various times, there have been hints that other countries parliaments may not agree to the deal, but its not yet clear what the current situation is around the EU.. Another serious threat to CETAs coming into force are legal challenges. As part of the deal to obtain Wallonias permission to sign CETA, the EU agreed that the ICS framework would be examined by the EUs highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). If the CJEU finds that the approach is incompatible with the EUs fundamental principles, it will either have to be dropped from CETA (and TTIP), or CETA itself will fall (as will TTIP). In addition, there are two constitutional challenges to CETA, one in Canada, and one in Germany. Good wrap-up of the state of play. TTIP: A much-debated trade deal between the European Union and the United States is not dead and negotiations will continue with the new U.S. administration after Novembers elections, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Saturday [Reuters]. TTIP dresses up for Halloween. As a zombie! TPP: [new Zealand] Prime Minister John Key believes the TPP still has a 50-50 chance of being passed in the lame-duck Congressional period after the November 8 presidential election [Otago Daily Times]. TPP: TPP Is Exciting. Lets Make the Case for It [Tyler Cown, Bloomberg]. So what then is the exciting, big-picture case for TPP? I say its to keep North America, and especially the U.S., the worlds leading economic cluster for the foreseeable future. Its a cluster, alright. TPP: Only 38 per cent of Japanese want to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, according to a survey published by the newspaper Nikkei, showing a growing public distrust of free trade agreements [The Advertiser]. The government of Japan under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed to ratify the TPP before the end of the current parliamentary session, on November 30, in order to ensure that Japan is the first country to give its assent to the agreement. 2016 Days until: 6. Thats less than a week! Corruption If there is any lesson to be learned from the ghosts of Watergate, it is that the big-money support of a leader who has lost the ability to deliver the goods crumbles very quickly as the endgame unfolds [Of Two Minds]. War Drums UPDATE If Hillary Clinton hangs on to win the presidency, liberal Democrats have vowed to block her appointment of Wall Street-friendly officials to key Cabinet and sub-Cabinet jobs. But there has been little organized resistance to her choosing hawkish foreign policy advisers [Robert Parry, Consortium News]. 100% correct. The Voters UPDATE In places such as Michigan, that means turning out minorities in big numbers to overcome Trumps advantage among white voters. The trend in early-voting returns has been both encouraging and worrying for the Clinton campaign: Enthusiasm among Latinos appears to be up, in some cases considerably, but African Americans are turning out in smaller numbers than they did with Obama on the ticket [WaPo]. Polling shows a similar story. Clinton maintains a large lead among nonwhite voters in the Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll, but by a smaller margin than Obama did. In polling since Oct. 20, Clinton has led Trump by more than 3 to 1 among all nonwhites (69 percent to 19 percent), compared with President Obamas margin of 80 percent to 19 percent in 2012. Moreover, nonwhite voters are more united by their strong dislike of Trump than positive views of Clinton only 39 percent have a strongly favorable view of Clinton, while 68 percent have strongly unfavorable views toward Trump. Downballot Democrats are poised to gain seats in the House of Representatives this year, but with well over a dozen competitive races still viewed as tossups just one week before Election Day, the extent of that gain and whether Republicans can stem the bleeding and keep a strong grip on their majority remains uncertain [RealClearPolitics]. GOP insiders say their polling in swing districts has stabilized, and they feel energized by the news Friday that the FBI is looking into emails that could be related to its previously close investigation of Hillary Clintons private server. Hillary Clintons campaign has nearly taken up residence in North Carolina, strategically eyeing what it calls the Checkmate State as a way to soundly block Donald Trumps path to the presidency [RealClearPolitics]. As we wrote yesterday. The Trail I expected the Clinton campaign to have pulled up its dump truck and unloaded some serious oppo Monday or today; but so far as I can tell, all we have are damp squibs (1) and (2). Clearing the way for Wikileaks on Wednesday? (1) Why Trumps Russian server connection is less suspicious than it sounds [Engadget]; Franklin Foers original piece of crap here, in the Jeff Bezos Shoppers lifestyle insert, Slate. Im not dignifying Slate with square brackets because the reaction by tech twitter to Foer is universally derisive. For example: TRUMP DNS RUSSIAN BANK STORY: One of the experts cited, @krypt3ia, is extremely unhappy, disagrees vehemently. https://t.co/3ys25D2Chw SwiftOnSecurity (@SwiftOnSecurity) November 1, 2016 And: #ProTip: When choosing the domain for your covert emails to foreign governments to get illegal cash, be sure to use "The SIMI operatives were killed by Bhopal Police at Malikheda on the city outskirts on Monday. The undertrials escaped around 2-3am by scaling the prison wall with the help of bed sheets after killing a jail security guard .
The operatives were identified as—Amzad, Zakir Hussain Sadiq, Mohammad Salik, Mujeeb Shaikh, Mehbood Guddu, Mohammad Kalid Ahmed, Aqeel and Majid.
Read: Why do only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus: Digvijaya Singh on Bhopal prison break
For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New York: Launching attack on Donald Trump, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said her Democratic rival is not only unfit to be commander- in-chief but also a danger to America's national security. Addressing a well-attended election rally in Kent in the battleground State of Ohio, Clinton said Trump cannot be trusted to command nuclear arsenal, alleging that he would lose his cool during a national security crisis and has a foreign policy vision contrary to America's values and geopolitical goals. Trump also has a history of praise for dictators like Saddam Hussein and ties to strongmen like Vladimir Putin, whose government is trying to influence US elections and put its thumb on the scale for Trump, she said. "I am running against a man who says he doesn't understand why we can't use nuclear weapons. He actually said, 'Then why are we making them?' And he wants more countries to have nuclear weapons. Japan, South Korea, even Saudi Arabia. Imagine nuclear weapons smack in the middle of the Middle East," the 69-year-old former secretary of state said. "If you're telling yourself he'll surround himself with smart people who'll stop these crazy ideas, remember this, when he was asked who he consults on foreign policy, Donald Trump said he didn't need to consult because he said and I quote, 'I have a very good brain'. He said he knows more about ISIS than our generals do. No, he does not," Clinton asserted. Clinton alleged that the people Trump has had around him include two men whose activities are reportedly being investigated for their ties to Russia -- Vladimir Putin and Putin's allies. "I started saying last June, I believe, that Donald Trump has proven himself temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief," she said and asked the audience if they can trust someone to command US nuclear arsenal and make literally life and death decisions about war and peace. "How do you handle a crisis? And do you know the difference between our allies and our adversaries? We'll start with nuclear weapons," she said. "Now, I know there are some who will say that any discussion of this topic could be fear-mongering, but I don't think so and in part of what you just heard from Bruce Blair. When dozens of retired nuclear launch officers publicly state that Donald Trump should, and I quote, 'not have his finger on the button', then this is a topic that can't be avoided," Clinton said. The former secretary of state said Trump has repeatedly suggested that more countries should have nuclear weapons. "He must not realise or care that the more nuclear material there is in the world, the more likely terrorists are to get their hands on it -- or that someone will miscalculate and start a war that can't be stopped," she said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notices to the Madhya Pradesh government and senior prison and administrative officials over alleged encounter of eight SIMI operatives who fled from the Bhopal central prison on Monday. The NHRC issued notice to the state government, the chief secretary, DGP, DG (prisons) and IG (Prisons) The operatives were killed by police officials at Malikheda on the city outskirts hours after the prison break. The undertrials had escaped around 2-3am on October 31 by by scaling the prison wall after killing a jail guard. The encounter raised several eyebrows with politicians, former judges and rights activists terming it extrajudicial killings. Earlier in the day, justice Markandey Katju too had demanded that those involved in the alleged encounter should get death penalty. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday an NIA probe into the prison break to trace the possible international links of the slain SIMI activists. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Former TCS chief S Ramadorai, a key official driving the governments ambitious skill development agenda, has resigned from the posts of chairman, National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Rohit Nandan, Vice-Chairman of the Governing Body and Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, will discharge the function of chairman, NSDA, till a new appointment is made. This comes at a time when there have been speculations that Ramadorai may replace Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman. The NSDC board is likely to meet tomorrow to discuss the future road map post the resignation. Sources said the Prime Minister has accepted his resignation. Meanwhile, top sources in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said the government is scouting for a replacement. ALSO READ | Bhopal 'fake' encounter: NHRC issues notice to MP govt, officials Ramadorai was not available for comments at the time of filing the story. Sources close to him said the 71 year-old, who was appointed by the UPA government, had cited health reasons for putting in his papers. Last year, NSDCs Managing Director and CEO Dilip Chenoy and its COO Atul Bhatnagar, both appointees of the previous UPA government, had also resigned. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy had earlier expressed displeasure at the way NSDC was being run in the past and lashed out at its failure to meet the industrys need for trained manpower. Ahmedabad: In the wake of jail break by eight SIMI activists in Bhopal, Gujarat Police has conducted a major search operation at Sabarmati Central jail here to review its security measures which houses over 75 prisoners alleged to be SIMI and Indian Mujahideen activists. Various teams of Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) along with city crime branch and Special Operations Group (SOG), led by ATS Superintendent Himanshu Shukla, visited the Central prison late last night to acquire first hand information of the overall security arrangements. As many as 78 prisoners, accused in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case and alleged to be associated with SIMI or Indian Mujahideen, are currently lodged in a special high security area of the jail. ALSO READ: (Bhopal 'fake' encounter: NHRC issues notice to MP govt, officials) "Following the incident of jail break by SIMI activists in Bhopal, officials of ATS, crime branch and SOG have visited Sabarmati jail to supervise the overall security arrangements," Assistant Commissioner of Police, city SOG, B C Solanki said."We have made separate teams led by 18 police inspectors to search each and every barrack of the jail. We have also checked if various security systems, such as alarms and CCTV cameras are functional. Nothing suspicious has been found from any prisoner during the search," he added.Sharing details of the enhanced security set up at the jail, senior jailor H M Shah told reporters that around 100 armed personnel from State Reserve Police (SRP) are doing round the clock patrolling in the jail. ALSO READ: (Bhopal SIMI jailbreak: Madhya Pradesh DGP forms SIT to probe encounter which killed 8 prisoners) "Apart from our staff, around 100 SRP jawans were deployed here some time back to keep a close watch on each and every movement," Shah said.In the 2008 terror attack, 21 serial blasts had rocked the city on July 26 and claimed 56 lives while hundreds were severely injured. Gujarat police has so far charge-sheeted 100 people in the case, of which, 78 are behind bars here, while remaining are still absconding.Notably, security at Sabarmati jail has been a cause of concern for authorities after some of the accused attempted to escape from jail in February 2012 by digging a 218-feet long tunnel inside barrack no. 4. Following the jail-escape bid, all the blast accused were shifted to high-security barracks. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Bhopal: Amidst allegations of fake encounter of 8 SIMI activists who escaped Bhopals Central Jail, the Director General of Police has constituted a Special Investigative Team (SIT) to probe the escape of undertrials and their subsequent encounter by the state police. Eight undertrails belonging to the SIMI had escaped Bhopal Central Jail in the wee hours on Monday after fatally wounding a security guard. The eight prisoners escaped into the jungle in the outskirts of Bhopal. The Madhya Pradesh Police laid siege and challenged them to surrender. The police alleged the prisoners opened fire. In the ensuing encounter between the prisoners and the police, the men in uniform killed all the eight SIMI activists. ALSO READ | Bhopal 'fake' encounter: NHRC issues notice to MP govt, officials Opposition parties and civil rights activists have raised questions over the police encounter and have demanded a thorough probe into the entire incident. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Muzzafar Wani, father of Hizbul commander Burhan whose killing sparked unrest in Kashmir, Tuesday expressed "deep pain" over the burning down of schools in the Valley and made a fervent appeal to those behind it to refrain from targeting educational institutions. Muzzafar Wani, a retired government teacher, told PTI over phone from his residence in Tral of South Kashmir that "as a teacher, whenever a school is burnt down, my heart is set on fire.""This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this is doing no good to the society. A society without any education is lifeless. They do not have any identity," Wani said and made it clear that he was making this statement as a teacher and not as any leader."My appeal to all people as well as 'agencies' is that whoever is doing this is not doing the correct thing. For God's sake, please refrain from such acts because education is the only thing which will help us in becoming good humans," he aid. ALSO READ: (Centre asks J&K government to make attempts to reopen schools in valley) Over 25 educational institutions have been burnt by iscreants in the Kashmir Valley since July 9, a day after urhan was killed in an encounter in South Kashmir."This is not right. Whosoever is responsible for this, t's not right. It will be lifeless without any education and, herefore, whosoever is indulging in such acts is doing no ood to the society," he said.Asked about forced closure of educational institutions n the Valley following the prolonged unrest, Wani said, "I am ained that the children are being deprived of education."People are coming out themselves, I am not responsible or it. When Burhan Wani was killed, I had appealed that there hould be a day's strike but there is no control on the ituation as of now".However, he also held the state and Central government esponsible for the situation saying that they are not coming ut with any initiative to bring an end to the unrest."This the govermemt should have thought. ALSO READ: (After burning of 26 schools, J&K High Court asks govt to unmask enemies of education) There is no nitiative from the government. Police excesses are increasing very day. There should be some initiative from the state as ell as Central governments."People will cooperate only when there is some kind of eriousness (from the government side). This unrest is not iked by many," he said.The issue of burning down of educational institutions ame under legal scrutiny yesterday when Jammu and Kashmir igh Court took a suo motu cognisance of news report about urning down of schools in the Valley. The High Court directed police and civil administration o ensure the protection of the institutions besides unmasking he "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with n "iron hand".The court listed the case for next hearing on November 7 nd directed the three officials to remain present. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Home Ministry has begun the process to cancel the FCRA registration of Islamic Research Foundation, promoted by controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. Moreover, the NGO will be soon banned from receiving foreign funds as the Home ministry a final show cause notice to the NGO. The Home Ministry has also begun the process for putting another NGO of Naik namely IRF Educational Trust in prior permission category, thus preventing it from receiving any foreign funds without getting nod from the government. The move came after different investigations found Naik to be "involved" in utilising funds meant for the NGOs for alleged radicalisation of youths and "inspiring" them into terror activities, official sources said. Interestingly, the IRF's registration under the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act was renewed in September inadvertently despite multiple probes against Naik, leading to suspension of a Joint Secretary and four other officials in the Home Ministry. Government is also in the process of declaring IRF as an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and a nod from the Union Cabinet is awaited for it. According to a draft note, which is based on the inputs from Maharashtra Police, Naik, who heads the IRF, has sallegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda. Maharashtra Police has also registered criminal cases against Naik for his alleged involvement in radicalisation of youths and luring them into terror activities, a source said.Naik also transferred IRF's foreign funds to Peace TV for making "objectionable" programmes. Most of the programmes, which were made in India, contained alleged hate speeches of Naik, who had reportedly "urged all Muslims to be terrorists" through Peace TV, sources have claimed. Naik came under the scanner of the security agencies after Bangladeshi newspaper 'Daily Star' reported that one of the perpetrators of the July 1 terror attack in Dhaka, Rohan Imtiaz, ran propaganda on Facebook last year quoting Naik. The Islamic orator is banned in the UK and Canada for his hate speech aimed against other religions. He is among 16 banned Islamic scholars in Malaysia. He had been popular in Bangladesh through his Peace TV, although his preachings often demean other religions and even other Muslim sects. The Mumbai-based preacher has not returned to India ever since the controversy erupted. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Islamabad: India on Tuesday protested to Pakistan over the unprovoked firing from across the border to give cover to infiltrators when its Deputy High Commissioner was summoned for the fourth time in just over a week over alleged "unprovoked ceasefire violations". "Director General (South Asia & SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J P Singh Tuesday and strongly condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations on October 31 by the Indian Forces on the LoC in Nikial and Jandrot sectors," the Foreign Office said in a statement. ALSO READ: (Live updates: BSF destroys 14 Pakistani posts after 8 civilians killed in mortar shelling in J&K; DM orders closure of 174 border schools) The statement said the firing killed six Pakistani civilians, including a woman, and wounded eight others.Singh protested against the unprovoked firing from Pakistani Rangers, saying it was primarily to give cover to infiltrators, Indian officials said in New Delhi.He also mentioned the killing of civilians on Indian side in the ceasefire violations by the Pakistan, they said. "The Director General urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate the continued incidents of ceasefire violations; instruct the Indian forces to respect the ceasefire, in letter and spirit, stop targeting the villages and civilians and maintain peace on the WorkingBoundary and the LoC," the FO statement added. ALSO READ: (J&K: 8 civilians killed, over 20 injured in heavy mortar shelling by Pakistan) This was the fifth time in just over a week that Indian diplomats were summoned to the Foreign Office.The Foreign Office had summoned Deputy High Commissioner Singh on October 25, 26 and 28.On October 27, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to foreign ministry and conveyed the decision of the Government of Pakistan to declare an Indian High Commission official as "persona non-grata". For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Pakistan high commission employee, who was recently expelled by India for spying, had named 16 other "staffers" who were also allegedly involved in the espionage ring, police said on Tuesday. During his joint interrogation by the Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, Mehmood Akhtar had claimed that 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe. His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the ministry of external affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said. Read: Espionage racket: Pak HC staffer Mehmood Akhtar asked to leave India within 48 hrs, MEA says he came on ISI deputation in 2013 Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who were providing confidential documents and information to Akhtar, who allegedly headed the espionage racket. Two teams of Crime Branch are currently in Rajasthan along with the other arrested accused-- Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib-- to seek details of paramilitary personnel who might be involved in leaking information to them, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said the officer. Read: Pak espionage racket: Samajwadi Party MP Munawwar Saleem's close aide Farhat arrested by Delhi Police "It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies," he said. Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Munavvar Saleem's personal assistant Farhat Khan was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage racket. Akhtar was caught receiving secret documents here on October 26. Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were held along with Akhtar. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 1 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the key topics of bilateral cooperation with his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov November 1, who paid a working visit to Russia, the Kremlin said November 1. According to the message, the presidents also exchanged views on relevant regional issues. Russia holds leading positions among the biggest foreign trade partners of Turkmenistan, the message said. More than 190 companies with Russian capital implementing more than 240 investment projects have been registered on the Turkmen market. New Delhi: Industry chamber Assocham has urged Finance Minister Arun Jaitley not to levy cess, but instead hike GST rate by 1-2 per cent to garner additional resources and compensate states for any revenue loss on rollout of the new regime from April 2017. At the GST Council meeting last month, the Centre had proposed a four-tier GST rate structure of 8 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and a peak rate of 26 per cent, which will mostly apply to FMCG and consumer durables. Besides, a cess is also likely to be levied on demerit or sin goods and polluting items. In a letter to Jaitley, Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat said that even if multiple rates are accepted by the GST Council, additional cess should not be made applicable as this would lead to distortion and cascading of taxes. "The idea of levying cess in order to make a corpus for compensation to states does not seem to be feasible. The additional revenue required for such compensation can be collected by increasing the tax rates (by 1-2 per cent) instead of levying a cess," he said. The suggestion, however, is at variance with Jaitley's contention, who had favoured levy of cess on tobacco and luxury products to compensate states, saying the cost of funding that through an additional tax would be "exorbitantly high and almost unbearable". Assocham has also suggested that essential commodities of mass consumption like fruits, vegetables, grains etc should be taxed at zero rate. Processed food products for mass consumption like dairy products, rice, edible oil, biscuits should attract 6 per cent duty. It further suggested that mobile phones, computers, fruit juices, pet foods be taxed at 12 per cent and other items at 18 per cent. Luxury cars, tobacco and pan masala should be taxed at 26 per cent, it said. Under the proposed 4-slab structure, the items which are currently taxed between 3-9 per cent will fall in the 6 per cent bracket; those in 9-15 per cent range will come under 12 per cent rate. Those products which are currently taxed between 15-21 per cent will attract 18 per cent levy while those above 21 per cent will be taxed at the peak rate of 26 per cent. The GST Council, which has Union Finance Minister and his state counterparts, will decide on tax rates at its meeting on November 3-4. For all the Latest Business News, Economy News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The United States (US) Embassy in New Delhi has warned of an increased threat to places in India that are frequently visited by foreigners, official Twitter handle of US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs said on Tuesday. The places that are frequented by foreigners include religious sites, markets and festival venues. The US has asked its citizens in India to keep high level of vigilance citing reports indicating that terror outfit Islamic State desires to attack atargetsa in India. An advisory issued by the American Embassy in New Delhi warned its citizens of an increased threat in places frequented by Westerners in the country. "Recent Indian media reports indicate ISIL's desire to attack targets in India. The US Embassy warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westeners, such as religious sites, markets and festival venues. All US citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as detailed in the State Department's Worldwide Caution of September 9, 2016." (With inputs from PTI) US Embassy New Delhi warns of an increased threat to places in India frequented by Westerners, such as religious sites, markets.. pic.twitter.com/g7lOmZPlID a Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) November 1, 2016 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Kolkata: Amid a raging debate over Uniform Civil Code and triple talaq in the country, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said they will deliberate on the line of action to be taken over the issues, in its upcoming convention in the city. Describing the twin issues as an "infringement of the personal law and fundamental rights of Muslims", the AIMPLB said it would give a call for formation of a "secular platform" to counter the BJP and RSS's "evil designs"."The BJP-RSS is trying to infringe into the personal and fundamental rights of Muslims. This will never be tolerated. The upcoming convention will deal with the issues," Trinamool Congress MP and chairman of AIMPLB organising committee, Sultan Ahmed told PTI. ALSO READ: (Owaisi alleges Modi govt trying to convert India into a Hindu rashtra with its attempt to impose Uniform Civil Code) According to Ahmed, the AIMPLB usually sticks to only Muslim personal laws which broadly cover marriage, talaq, succession and adoption-related issues, but this time it will step beyond its periphery and speak up against religious intolerance in the country. AIMPLB is an umbrella organisation which has representatives from all Muslim sects, theological schools and religious orders. The body is reportedly the highest decision-making body on Muslim personal laws. Ahmed will formally meet the state administration this week to finalise the venue for the three-day Kolkata convention starting November 18."We will sit with the state administration and police authorities and finalise the details this week. ALSO READ: (Law Commissions 16 point questionnaire- here is the crux in five questions) We have two venues in mind--Park Circus Maidan and Mohammedan Sporting Club for the public meeting," he said.According to sources, the organising committee had already written to the state government seeking Haj Tower on VIP Road and Park Circus grounds for the convention. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Boston: A chain of colleges in India has dropped its plan to buy two for-profit colleges in Massachusetts and New York City. The Amity University chain filed paperwork in July proposing to buy the New England Institute of Art and the Art Institute of New York, which are now owned by Pittsburgh-based Education Management Corp. Amity had planned to buy the colleges as part of a global expansion. But Education Management Corp. officials said on Tuesday that Amity has withdrawn from the transaction. They would not say why Amity officials did not immediately comment. State officials in Massachusetts had said they were skeptical of the chain because it has no track record in the US. In a separate deal, Amity also recently purchased a campus on Long Island in New York. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 1. By Demir Azizov Trend: Foreign ministries of Uzbekistan and Slovakia will hold political consultations November 2-4, the Uzbek Foreign Ministrys press service said in a message. The consultations are to be held within the framework of the visit of Slovak Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Lukas Parizek, the press service said. The delegation of the Slovak Republic headed by the state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia, Lukas Parizek, will visit Uzbekistan on November 2-4, reads the message. The program of the visit will also comprise discussion of topical issues of bilateral relations in the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade, as well as a trip to Samarkand region. The two countries have gained considerable cooperation experience in many spheres; the Uzbek-Slovak relations are regulated by more than 20 intergovernmental documents, including the agreements on cooperation in the field of air transport, tourism, fight against organized crime and protocols on cooperation of foreign political and foreign trade agencies. Meetings at highest level between Uzbekistan and Slovakia are being held, and the contacts between the parliaments, ministries and agencies have been established. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Nov. 1 By Demir Azizov Trend: Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov and Indias Minister of State for External Affairs Mubashir Javed Akbar, who arrived in Uzbekistan, discussed topical issues of the two countries bilateral relations in political and diplomatic, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian and other spheres, regional and international agenda, the press service of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Nov. 1. The sides noted that the regular Uzbek-Indian political dialogue at the highest level, meetings of representatives of business circles, culture and art figures, and an exchange of experience in scientific and educational spheres allow to implement the achieved agreements and actively strengthen multi-faceted cooperation, aimed at deepening of the traditional friendly relations between the two countries and peoples. The Uzbek foreign minister expressed gratitude to the leadership of India for condolences and support to the people of Uzbekistan over the death of the countrys first President Islam Karimov. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Anakhanum Hidayatova Trend: Uzbekistan is still against construction of the Rogun hydropower plant, and the official authorities of the country have repeatedly stated that the dam will be built in an earthquake prone region and that threatens the safety of those living in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River, a Russian expert told Trend Nov. 1. Uzbek authorities also fear that the construction of the reservoir may cause shortage of water for irrigation, said Leonid Gusev, a senior research fellow at the Analytical Center of the International Studies Institute at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev sent a letter to his Tajik counterpart Kohir Rasulzoda July 19. In his letter, Mirziyoyev expressed the Uzbek sides concern over the information on the conclusion of a framework agreement between the government of Tajikistan and Salini Impregilo company for the construction of the Rogun hydropower plant. Tajikistan's government signed a contract worth $3.9 billion with this company, and representatives of the Tajik leadership claim that they have the funds, said Gusev. The first two units of the power plant should start working in 2018 and the plant should be completely built within 14 years, he said. Of course, a lot can change during this time, but the work is being carried out actively at the moment. Tajikistan hopes that Uzbekistan focused all its attention on the presidential campaign, the expert added. The Tajik side also made statements that the relations between the two countries may be repaired under the new leadership of Uzbekistan, he said. The expert noted that time will show how Uzbekistan will react to this situation. The Rogun hydropower plant construction project was developed during the Soviet era. Construction of the plant was initiated in 1976, but stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Earlier, Uzbek First Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Azimov said that Uzbekistan would never support the Rogun project. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Anahanum Iran says it has resumed exports of natural gas to Turkey after supplies were disrupted on Oct.27. Majid Boujarzadeh, the spokesman of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), told the domestic media that Turkeys Botas had removed a technical fault that had caused the halt in supplies, Press TV reported. Boujarzadeh added that Iran has resumed pumping about 27 million cubic meters to Turkey as the initial volume. This, he added, would increase to the standard level within the next hours. Iran is Turkeys second supplier of gas after Russia, providing one-fifth of the countrys consumption. The current volume of natural gas that Iran is piping to its northwestern neighbor is 30 million cubic meters per day (mcm/d). Cities and towns are asking state legislators to get to work this winter to fix Connecticuts the school funding formula that a judge called irrational and unconstitutional in September. The education needs of Connecticuts school children dont disappear because of a bad economy, said the authors of a report, released Tuesday by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. The choice is whether to provide adequate resources or to surrender the futures of todays school-age children. The authors are referring to an expected $1.3 billion state budget deficit, and to Connecticuts much-criticized formula for distributing education aid, which they said underfunded schools by $600 million this year. Danbury really is the poster child for whatever remedy they come up with in Hartford, said Mayor Mark Boughton, the president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and one of the lead plaintiffs in a lawsuit accusing the state of denying needy students a quality education. The CCM report comes one month after a state Superior Court judge gave a partial victory to Boughton and his coalition partners in Bridgeport, Norwalk and Stamford by ordering the state to develop a new funding formula that adequately compensates for wealth disparities among school districts. The judge also ordered the state to reform its teacher evaluation system and its special education policies, among other changes. The state has appealed the ruling. The CCM report calls for changes in the state funding formula that its leaders believe would ease the burden that taxpayers bear in cities with the neediest students: o Build a cost-of-living index into the formula. o Provide more money to districts with English language learners, and increase money to districts with students from poor homes. o Adjust the index used to determine a districts wealth, with the aim of providing more money to communities that are less affluent. Danbury schools Superintendent Sal Pascarella said those measures would make a big difference in a growing district such as Danbury, where more than half of its 11,000 students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches and where more than 40 languages are spoken. There are really are two Connecticuts, and the cities are being injured, Pascarella said. I think these changes have a chance to pass without negatively impacting the wealthier communities. The CCM report also calls for changes in the way special education is funded - calling on the state to take on a greater share of the cost for students with excessive expenses, among other proposals. The report, titled PreK-12 Public Education: How Massive Underfunding Threatens Connecticuts Social and Economic Future, is the last in a series of five position papers put out by CCM in the weeks leading to the Nov. 8 election. It stresses that Connecticut property owners already pay more in taxes for school budgets than residents of most other states. Statewide, taxpayers contribute nearly 51 percent toward Connecticuts total annual education budget, the report said. The state contributes 44 percent and the federal government contributes 5 percent, the report said. Local property taxes cannot continue to shoulder the lions share of preK-12 public education costs, the report reads. A first-rate education system - and education finance system - is vital for Connecticuts prosperity and quality of life. rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342 Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Fatih Karimov Trend Two Belgian banks have expressed readiness to finance various projects in Iran, IRNA news agency reported Nov. 1. Although investment in Iran and financing projects still faces some problems, two Belgian banks are ready to get involved, Belgiums Minister-President of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Foreign Policy and architectural heritage Geert Bourgeois said. He did not unveil the banks name, saying that no agreement was signed so far regarding the issue. Bourgeois expressed hope that a long-term cooperation will be formed soon between the banks and Iranian firms. A Belgian trade delegation including 200 representatives from 140 companies arrived in Tehran on Oct. 30 to explore avenues of enhancing mutual economic cooperation with their Iranian counterparts during their two-day stay in Iran. The delegates are active in various fields such as oil and gas equipment and services, commercial vehicles and auto parts, construction, interior decoration and architecture, flooring and textiles, forwarding and transport, new energies, food industry, information technology and etc. Bourgeois further assured the Belgian companies that there is no concern about banking cooperation with Iran, and financing projects, as the conditions are improving. He also announced that his country is setting up a commercial office in Iran. Iran-Belgium mutual trade turnover currently stands at about $300 million. CHICAGO, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Boyd Group" or "Boyd") today announced the October 28, 2016 opening of a new collision repair center in Grand Junction, Colorado. The center previously operated as Taber Body Paint & Frame. Grand Junction is in western Colorado with this center located in a high traffic area near both the Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 50 highways. "We are very pleased to be adding this center, which has served the community for many years," said Tim O'Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group's U.S. operations. "As this is our second location in Grand Junction, we now have additional capacity along with Ford Aluminum certification to better serve our customers and insurance partners." The Boyd Group is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. Interested collision repair center owners are asked to contact Kim Allen at the contact coordinates below for more information. About The Boyd Group Inc. The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Company"), directly and through subsidiaries, is one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centers in North America in terms of number of locations and sales. The Company operates locations in five Canadian provinces under the trade name Boyd Autobody & Glass (http://www.boydautobody.com), as well as in 20 U.S. states under the trade name Gerber Collision & Glass (http://www.gerbercollision.com). The Company uses newly acquired brand names during a transition period until acquired locations have been rebranded. The Company is also a major retail auto glass operator in the U.S. with locations across 31 U.S. states under the trade names Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority and Autoglassonly.com. The Company also operates a third party administrator, Gerber National Claims Services ("GNCS") that offers first notice of loss, glass and related services. GNCS has approximately 5,500 affiliated glass provider locations and 4,600 affiliated emergency roadside services providers throughout the U.S. For more information on The Boyd Group Inc. or Boyd Group Income Fund, please visit our website at (http://www.boydgroup.com). SOURCE Gerber Collision & Glass For further information: Stephen Boyd, Vice President, Corporate Development, Tel: (204) 594-1776, [email protected]; Kim Allen, Director of Business Development, Tel: (847) 410-6003, [email protected] OTTAWA, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) applauds the federal government's nation-building infrastructure plan, including the creation of a new Canada Infrastructure Bank, announced today in the Fall Economic Statement. "The Government of Canada's visionary infrastructure plan is going to set Canada on a path of long-term, sustainable growth. The government's bold actions on infrastructure will help get Canadian goods to market, address the unique challenges in remote and northern communities, and support the transition to a lower carbon economy," stated Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, MAC. "Such strategic leadership by Prime Minister Trudeau and his government should be commended." With this plan, government has communicated an unprecedented vision for how infrastructure will transform remote and northern Canadaregions that are critically important to, and reliant on, Canada's mining sector. "We believe the government's commitment to northern infrastructure investment, including establishing the new arm's length Canada Infrastructure Bank, is both bold and essential for Canada's long-term economic growth, and certain to help attract new private sector investment," stated Gratton. The mining industry is ideally situated to generate significant and meaningful employment, spin-off business and other social and economic opportunities for Indigenous and remote and northern Canadians. In the territories, for example, the mining industry is the single largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples, and the leading contributor to GDP. The acute lack of infrastructure in Canada's remote and northern regions is inhibiting further sustainable mineral development due to the high costs of exploring, building and operating in these regions. MAC co-authored a recent study that found that it costs about 2 to 2.5 times more to build a gold or base metal mine in northern Canada off grid than in the south as a result of the lack of infrastructure. Northern communities are also themselves dependent on carbon-intensive diesel power and often lack basic infrastructure Canadians in southern Canada take for granted. The establishment of an infrastructure bank was a core recommendation in this study. It was also recommended by several Aboriginal and business organizations, and most recently the Advisory Council on Economic Growth. MAC has pointed to the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority as a successful model that Canada could examine. About MAC The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca. SOURCE Mining Association of Canada (MAC) For further information: Jessica Draker, (613) 233-9392 x225 or [email protected]; Johanne Senecal, (613) 233-9392 x325 or [email protected] Access for Canadian women remains in jeopardy despite mounting evidence of significant clinical benefits of Lynparza MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - AstraZeneca has announced positive results from the Phase III SOLO-2 trial, designed to determine the efficacy of Lynparza (olaparib) tablets (300mg twice daily) as a monotherapy for the maintenance treatment of platinum-sensitive relapsed, BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. Results from the trial demonstrate a clinically-meaningful and statistically-significant improvement of progression-free survival (PFS) among patients treated with Lynparza compared to placebo and provide additional evidence to support the potential use of Lynparza in this patient population. Importantly, the median PFS in the Lynparza arm of SOLO-2 substantially exceeded that observed in the Phase II maintenance study in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer (Study 19).1 Initial findings demonstrate that the safety profile with Lynparza tablets was consistent with previous studies. Full results of SOLO-2 will be presented at a forthcoming medical meeting. "These results support earlier studies that demonstrate Lynparza's significant and clinically meaningful benefits, including potentially prolonging life in this small and well-defined patient population," said Mark Findlay, Vice President, Patient Access & Established Brands, AstraZeneca Canada. "Canadian women living with BRCA-mutated relapsed ovarian cancer deserve access to this meaningful advancement in treatment." Health Canada issued a Notice of Compliance with Condition for Lynparza capsules earlier this year based on safety and efficacy data from Study 19, for monotherapy maintenance treatment of adult patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed BRCA-mutated (germline or somatic) high grade serous epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer who are in response (complete response or partial response) to platinum-based chemotherapy. Since 2014, more than 45 countries have approved Lynparza, several of which have provided accelerated approval, including the United States.2 Recently, the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) announced its decision not to recommend Lynparza for provincial reimbursement, due to uncertainty with the medicine's clinical benefits despite its wide regulatory approval, the critical need for access to new ovarian cancer treatment options, and the fact that similar agencies in many countries around the world have enabled access to this medication. "Given the positive results of the SOLO-2 study, and the treatment gap in Canada for women with ovarian cancer, we urge pCODR to collaborate with AstraZeneca to re-evaluate Lynparza on an urgent basis," says Findlay. "Ovarian cancer is deadly and impacts women in the prime of their lives. Extending time for these women is of critical importance. Provincial governments must act swiftly to ensure Canadian women with ovarian cancer are not left behind when it comes to accessing this innovative, targeted treatment." About Lynparza (olaparib) Lynparza is a first-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor that exploits tumour DNA repair pathway deficiencies to preferentially kill cancer cells. It is the first PARP inhibitor to be approved for patients with germline BRCA-mutated advanced ovarian cancer. Health Canada's Notice of Compliance with Conditions for Lynparza follows the announcement of the approval of Lynparza by the FDA on December 19, 2014 and in the European Union on December 18, 2014. AstraZeneca is conducting multiple Phase III studies across a variety of indications and tumour types for Lynparza. Lynparza is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies. About SOLO-2 SOLO-2 was a Phase III, multicentre trial designed to determine the efficacy of Lynparza tablets as a maintenance monotherapy compared with placebo, in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed or recurrent BRCA-mutated (BRCAm) ovarian cancer. In SOLO-2, patients with either germline or somatic BRCAm status were eligible for enrolment, although due to the lack of widespread availability of tumour BRCA testing, most patients were enrolled on blood-based germline testing. Those few patients who were enrolled based on a tumour test were also found to have a germline BRCA mutation. Patients were randomized to receive either Lynparza tablets (300mg twice daily) or placebo until disease progression.1 The trial, conducted in collaboration with the European Network for Gynaecological Oncological Trial Groups (ENGOT) and Groupe d'Investigateurs National pour l'Etude des Cancers de l'Ovaire et du sein (GINECO), randomized 295 patients with documented germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations who had received at least 2 prior lines of platinum-based chemotherapy. About AstraZeneca AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of primary and specialty care medicines that transform lives. Our primary focus is on three important areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease; Oncology; and Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity. AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. In Canada, we employ more than 675 employees across the country and our AstraZeneca Canada headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.astrazeneca.ca. _________________ 1 National Institutes of Health. Olaparib Treatment in BRCA Mutated Ovarian Cancer Patients After Complete or Partial Response to Platinum Chemotherapy. Available at: http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01874353. Last accessed October 2016. 2 AstraZeneca Feedback on pERC Initial Recommendation. Lynparza (olaparib) for PSR BRCAm Ovarian Cancer, on file. SOURCE AstraZeneca Canada Inc. For further information: Michelle Marchione, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, AstraZeneca Canada, Tel: 905-803-5749, Email: [email protected] TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2016 /CNW/ - Mercedes-Benz Canada announced today that long-time employees Billy Rodrigues and Graham MacNab, as well as Christopher Goczan and David Sherrard, will effectively exchange positions and responsibilities effective January 1, 2017. Billy Rodrigues joined Mercedes-Benz Canada in March 2009 as the Central Region Manager. During his tenure, he was instrumental in building a strong foundation of support and trust with the Central Region dealers. For the last several years, Billy deftly led the Central Region team and the Central Region dealers. Together, they generated exponential growth while implementing efficient processes and procedures in all facets of the retail business, which in turn yielded a group of highly successful and profitable dealerships. Billy will now become National Manager, Pre-Owned, Fleet and Remarketing. Graham MacNab will take over Billy's role as Central Region Manager. Graham's first posting at Mercedes-Benz Canada was in September 2009, when he was hired as the Pre-Owned Sales Manager at the Mercedes-Benz Markham corporate retail store, located north of Toronto. In April 2012, he was transferred to Head Office and took over the role of Pre-Owned Sales Operations Manager, before being promoted to his current role as National Pre-Owned Manager in January 2014. Graham's background also includes extensive retail experience in the positions of General Manager, and New Car and Pre-Owned Sales Manager for various manufacturers. His previous roles have exposed him to the Central Region dealer network on a regular basis, which will certainly be helpful in his new position. Christopher Goczan will take on the responsibility of National Manager, Sales Operations and Distribution. Chris started with Mercedes-Benz Canada in September 2005 as a Product Manager, and was promoted to his current role of National Product Manager in 2009. Chris's profound passion for the brand and his intimate knowledge of the industry have been instrumental in developing product strategies which have been vital to the company's growth in Canada. He will now have the opportunity to allocate the broad product portfolio that he and his team have built and specified over the years. David Sherrard began his career at Mercedes-Benz Canada as a Product Manager in April 2009. He was promoted to Manager, Sales Planning and Incentives in 2011 and to National Manager, Sales Planning in 2013. Over the last five years, David was responsible for sales volume planning, sales incentives, market analysis, and employee vehicle programs. David had the challenging responsibility of ensuring that the dealers received the right number of vehicles combined with timely and effective sales programs on a monthly basis. He will be moving to the position of National Manager, Product Management. David's proficiency with all general sales operations topics will provide him with a solid advantage as he returns to his product planning roots. Billy Rodrigues, Graham MacNab and Chris Goczan will report to Gavin Allen, Vice-President, Sales while David Sherrard will report to Virginie Aubert, Vice-President, Marketing. President and CEO Brian D. Fulton said, "Mercedes-Benz Canada is in an enviable position to have such competent and well-versed individuals within our existing workforce. In this particular case, it has allowed us to give four colleagues the opportunity to widen the breath of their expertise, while also tapping into a wealth of experience in their respective fields." He added, "All of them have the energy and relevant knowledge that will allow them to hit the ground running to support the dealer network and fulfill our new and pre-owned sales as well as product planning requirements. I wish them all the best in their new endeavours." About Mercedes-Benz Canada Mercedes-Benz Canada is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of the Mercedes-Benz and AMG passenger vehicles, Mercedes-Benz Vans and smart. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. employs approximately 1,500 people in 21 locations across Canada. Through a nationwide network of 11 Mercedes-Benz owned retail operations and 46 authorized dealerships, Mercedes-Benz Canada sold 44,526 vehicles in 2015. This represents the best year ever for the company and has positioned Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury manufacturer in Canada for the second consecutive year. Further information from Mercedes-Benz is available on the internet at: www.media.mercedes-benz.ca. SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. For further information: JoAnne Caza, 416-847-7550, [email protected]; Nathalie Gravel, 416-847-7509, [email protected] ESPOO, Finland, Nov. 1, 2016 /CNW/ - Metsa Wood's competition has inspired architects worldwide to design wooden extensions to city centres. Entries from 40 countries proposed wooden solutions to the challenges of urbanization. Winning designs were made to New York, Shanghai and Tampere, Finland. To view the Multimedia News Release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7969851-metsa-wood-competition-city-above-the-city/ Architects from 40 countries created their Plan B for urbanisation using wood (Kerto LVL - laminated veneer lumber) as the main material. The task was to design a wooden extension to an existing urban building. The entries were designed for 69 cities worldwide, including Sydney, Shanghai, New York, Berlin, Paris and London. The competition was organised by Metsa Wood. "Construction must become sustainable and cities must stay liveable. I am happy that so many architects share this view, especially the younger generation," says Michael Green from MGA architects and DBR Design Build Research, who chairs the jury. "The entries were innovative and added value to both the building and the community." "The designs were realistic and demonstrated a good understanding of LVL as a building material," says Professor Stefan Winter, who holds the Chair of Timber Construction and Structural Engineering at the Technical University of Munich. "Because of its lightness and fast construction time, Kerto LVL is an ideal material for this challenge." "Building wooden extensions in existing communities can be a significant solution for urbanisation. Instead of demolishing communities, we could enhance them," says Mike Kane, an architect and senior lecturer at London South Bank University. "This competition should be seen as a catalyst for future debate on sustainable and progressive cities worldwide." Winners from different parts of the world "Urbanisation has increased interest in building with wood. The potential for timber extensions is large - over 100 million square metres in Germany alone," says Mikko Saavalainen, SVP of Business Development at Metsa Wood. Winners received awards in two categories: small-scale intervention and large-scale intervention. The total value of the prizes is EUR 35,000. First prize winners in the small-scale intervention category were Nile Greenberg (USA) for his design for New York and Alma Studio (Spain) for their design for Shanghai. The runners-up were Superspace (Turkey) with a design for Istanbul and Sigurd Larsen Design & Architecture (Germany) with a design for Berlin. First prize winners in the large-scale intervention category were Lisa Voigtlander (Germany) and SungBok Song (Korea) for their design for Tampere, Finland. The runners-up were Basic Architects (Australia) with a design for Perth, L Arkkitehdit (Finland) with a design for Helsinki, Giuseppe De Marinis Gallo and Gianluca Gnisci (Italy) with a design for New York and Kim Min Jae Architects (Hong Kong) with a design for Hong Kong. See the complete works at: planb.metsawood.com Images: http://databank.metsagroup.com/l/QXN_pcPcgdjH Metsa Wood provides competitive and environmentally friendly wood products for construction, industrial customers and distributor partners. We manufacture products from Nordic wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Our sales in 2015 were EUR 0.9 billion, and we employ about 2,000 people. Metsa Wood is part of Metsa Group. Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/434735 Video: http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7969851-metsa-wood-competition-city-above-the-city/ SOURCE Metsa Wood For further information: Contact for media: Henni Rousu, Marketing Manager, Metsa Wood, mobile: +358(0) 405548388, [email protected]; For press information, please contact: Matt Trace, Director, Defero Communications, t. +44(0)7828663988, [email protected] Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Iran has exported 71,000 barrels of LPG to Pakistan, Mehr news agency reported Nov. 1. The consignment, which was loaded in recent days from Siri NGL (natural gas liquids) Refinery included 51,000 barrels of propane and 20,000 barrels of butane. The cargo is the fifth natural gas liquids cargo exported to Pakistan from the beginning of current fiscal year (March 20, 2016). Earlier in August, Naser Sajjadi, the managing director of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), said Pakistan is the biggest regional customer of Irans liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Iran exported about $3.577 billion worth of various liquid gases, including methane, propane, butane, in five months of the current fiscal year. The countrys propane exports decreased by 18 percent in terms of value to $574 million, meanwhile butane exports soared by 100 percent to $1.94 billion during the five-month period. Sand is one of the worlds most highly-coveted commodities and is mined extensively as a construction material. Mixed with water, cement, and gravel, sand is used as a fine aggregate in the production of concrete. Rapid economic growth in Asia drives global demand, straining supplies of a nonrenewable resource U.S. policy towards the Asia Pacific overlooks how sand may influence regional security dynamics. Sand, an essential component of concrete, has become a highly sought-after commodity in Asia because infrastructure development is critical to economic growth. Pressures on sand resources have grown exponentially over the past three decades, especially due to rapid urbanization in China. However, finite inland resources cannot sustain Chinas demand. The scarcity of sand will spark a competition for deposits in the South China Sea (SCS) Global consumption of concrete aggregates exceeds 40 billion tons annually, which is twice the amount of sediment transported by all rivers worldwide every year. As natural sand deposits are increasingly depleted from inland rivers and lakes, the demand for fine aggregate will exceed available supply. Population growth and urbanization in China, especially, will place increased pressures on sand resources In 2013, Chinas demand for construction-grade sand reached approximately four billion metric tons. Cement and concrete can also provide proxies for aggregate demand. For example, cement consumption in China increased by 437.5 percent in the past 20 years, whereas use in the rest of the world increased by 59.8 percent. China also used more concrete over three years (2011-2013) than the United States used throughout the entirety of the twentieth century Global cement production may reach 5 billion tons in 2030 With constraints on both traditional inland sources and regional trade, China will seek potential substitutes for fine concrete aggregate. Both natural and artificial alternatives to river and lake sand are available, but many of these are not sufficient in structural applications (see Appendix A). For example, dune sand taken from desert sources does not bind well in concrete mix and may only compose a small percentage of aggregate. Similarly, recycled sand may only be used at a ratio of 20 to 30 percent. Dredging sand from beaches is problematic due to coastal erosion and is an illegal practice in China. Crushed stone and offshore marine sand deposits present the most viable substitutes for fine aggregate, although each of these are not without limitations Fine concrete aggregate may be produced artificially by crushing stone to a standard size. Manmade sand is expected to gain market share as the countrys inland rivers and lakes are further depleted, although natural sand remains the most highly consumed construction aggregate in China. Manufactured sand is a promising substitute for fine concrete aggregate, but has not yet gained a strong foothold in Asia. Specifically, the use of crushed stone in concrete mix is not commonly accepted in Chinas construction industry for the following reason Inconsistent quality across localities. While rock quarries are relatively abundant, unfavorable geographic distribution may limit the availability of quality material near the site of construction. Often, crushed stone must be blended with natural sand to achieve appropriate grading and workability. Moreover, urban encroachment and land-use conflicts result in local shortages, raising prices for crushed stone suitable for concrete production. Concrete made with crushed stone is also costly because it requires more cement to account for its poor shape. High cost of production and transport. Although access to Chinese data is limited, U.S. prices for concrete aggregate are available. In the United States, crushed stone currently sells for 10.46 USD per metric ton, whereas natural sand sells for only 7.72 USD. Crushing, screening, and washing quarried rock is an added expense that is reflected in the relatively high price of manufactured sand. Transportation costs are also significant. Proximity to local markets is key, and most aggregates are not shipped further than 35 to 50 miles from where they are excavated.37 Otherwise, the cost of transport may exceed that of the material itself. Especially with increased migration to urban centers in China, quarries near the site of construction undergo more rapid rates of depletion. Insufficient supply to meet market demand. Manufactured sand that is produced from quality material and processed appropriately may act as a perfect substitute for natural sand in concrete. However, if crushed stone is indeed used as a total replacement for fine aggregate, most rock quarries would only be capable of meeting 30 to 50 percent of market demand. Switching costs also provide a barrier to adaptation. The construction industry is relatively conservative and risk-adverse, and as such, is reluctant to change well-known practices to accommodate new materials in concrete production Japan is the only country in Asia that has managed a successful transition to manufactured sand. In 1990, Tokyo banned all dredging activities to preserve the countrys extremely limited natural resources. Marine sand contains chlorides, which cause corrosion in steel. Over a period of 25 to 30 years, structural damage may render buildings at risk of collapse. If washed to remove chloride, marine sand that meets standard size may reliably contribute up to 100 percent of fine concrete aggregatealthough this is an expensive process because of the amount of water required. Despite the hazards of using raw marine sources for fine aggregate, Chinese builders have demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice qualityrisking long-term structural integrityto reduce short-term costs China has already developed the capacity for large-scale dredging in the SCS and may redirect its island-building efforts to benefit the countrys construction industry. Over the past 15 years, Beijings dredging operations have drastically outpaced those of other states in the region. China has assembled a large fleet of sea-going vessels that can pump material directly from the ocean floor. For example, the specialized dredger Tianjing is Asias largest and can move over 100,000 cubic meters of sand every day. The countrys annual dredging volume more than tripled over an over an eight-year period from 300 million cubic meters in 2001 to one billion cubic meters in 2009 Up to 90% of natural sand beaches could be taken Due to natural erosion stemming from storms, tides, tornados, tsunamis, and rising sea levels, beaches are subject to constant attack. Because of these natural phenomena, large beach lines have been refurbished for decades in countries ranging from the USA to Indonesia in order to keep their pristine tourist destinations alive. Despite this effort, an estimated 75 to 90 percent of the worlds natural sand beaches are about to vanish. Illegal sand mining, defined as the stealing of sand or simply beach theft, has wreaked havoc in many parts of the world. Since the mid 2000s, illegal mining has caused severe local supply shortages and the destruction of multiple beach areas and coast lines across the globe. 200 tons of sand in an average single family house Sand is one key component to mix concrete. However, desert sand, which seems to stretch across the globe forever, does not serve this purpose due to its consistency and chemical properties. This is mainly due to its lack of silicon dioxide compounds, and the fact that desert sand is too fine and smooth, containing too much clay, iron oxides and lime. By contrast, sand that is extracted from the bottom of oceans, beaches, rivers and gravel beds consists of minerals and metals such as titanium, thorium, silicon and uranium, which play a more crucial role in our daily life than most of us can imagine. These mineral and metal components are used to manufacture microchips, silicon chips and solar panels, build houses or aircrafts, and to produce cosmetics, abrasives, glass, plastics, and toothpaste. On average, one single-family house builds in about 200 tons of sand. A cornerstone of Chinas domestic infrastructure policy is to accelerate urbanization, connecting its remote areas with highly developed cities in the Southeast, along the coastline, and around the Yangtze River. China is also building up five clusters of mega cities, which will provide living and working space for more than 500 million people. According to Global Construction 2025, emerging construction markets will see growth of 3 to 6% per year. In total, construction in 2025 is expected to exceed the value of $15 trillion. Sub-Saharan Africa is predicted to be the second-highest growth region, and China alone will account for 25% of global construction activity. SOURCES- Global Risk Insights, Sand Wars White paper The Federal Government on Monday congratulated United State-based Nigerian Surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye on his recent feat in carrying ou... The Federal Government on Monday congratulated United State-based Nigerian Surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye on his recent feat in carrying out a successful operation on an unborn baby with tumour in her mothers womb.This is contained in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, to felicitate with Dr Olutoye on behalf of the President and people of Nigeria.According to the statement, President Muhammadu Buhari received the news of Dr Olutoyes unique feat with excitement and fulfilment and looking forward to meeting with him soonest.Commended Nigerians in the Diaspora for their positive roles in enhancing the image of the country, Dabiri-Erewa stated that it is important to celebrate Dr Olutoye for the wonderful feat he performed in saving lives and projecting the good image of Nigeria.oluyinkaThe Senior Special Assistant to the President said Nigerians in the Diaspora are a huge potential, playing greater role in all sectors, assuring that her office was working on having a database for all the Nigeria achievers.Nigerians are great people, making greater positive impacts in all fields of human endeavour in the Diaspora. Dr Olutoyes feat is one of such testimonies, the statement added.To complement that, Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria is working on a National Diaspora Policy guideline geared towards regulating all engagements with all Nigerians in the Diaspora.According to her, Nigerians in the Diaspora are of high importance to the growth and development of the country.She appealed to other Nigerians in the Diaspora to emulate the positive image Dr Oluyinka Olutoye has given to Nigeria which earned himoluyin recognition.Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the determination of President Muhammadu Buhari to enhance the welfare of all Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, and unadulterated determination to continue to tackle insecurity, corruption and the economy.Recall that Dr Olutoye of Texas Childrens Hospital, USA carried out an operation on a baby at 23 weeks, who suffered from a tumour known as Sacrococcygeal Teratoma.Baby Lynlee Hope was removed from her mothers womb, operated on and returned back. She healed and continued to grow until she was born again at 36 weeks.Dr Olutoye is Co-Director of the Texas Childrens Fetal Center and fetal surgery team member, as well as a general paediatric surgeon in USA.Dr Olutoye received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1988 and his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, in 1996.He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his fellowship in paediatric surgery at The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pa.In addition, he is a member of the International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society and is a Fellow of the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Surgeons; he is also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons. China plans to launch its first e-commerce satellite in 2017, with the primary purpose of using satellite data in agriculture. China plans to launch its first e-commerce satellite in 2017, with the primary purpose of using satellite data in agriculture.Han Qingping, President of the Chinarocket Co., Ltd, on Monday announced the plan during an international aviation and aerospace forum in Zhuhai.He said at the forum that launching such satellite has become imperative because in an era of space economy, the potential of a commercial space industry is immeasurable.Qingping disclosed that in 2015, the value of the global space industry in China amounted to 330 billion dollars, 76 per cent of which resulted from commercial activities.Hu Chaobin, an official from the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, said during the forum that Chinese authorities are making efforts, including legislation, to support and regulate the development of a commercial space industry.He said China is speeding up the making of space law, with the aim of having completed drafting the law by the end of this year. Hillary Clinton said Monday there was no case to be found in a federal review of her emails, which the FBI director announced last wee... Hillary Clinton said Monday there was no case to be found in a federal review of her emails, which the FBI director announced last week, convulsing the US election campaign in its home stretch.Im not making excuses. Ive said it was a mistake and I regret it, she said on Monday of her decision to use a private email server while secretary of state, which sparked a controversial FBI investigation.FBI boss James Comey announced in a letter to lawmakers that his agents are reviewing a newly discovered trove of emails, resurrecting an issue Clinton had hoped was behind her.US media reports say those emails were found on a laptop used by one of her closest aides, Huma Abedin, and Abedins estranged husband who is being investigated for alleged sexual overtures to a 15-year-old girl.Now they apparently want to look at emails of one of my staffers, and by all means, they should look at them, Clinton said.I am sure theyll reach the same conclusion they did when they looked at my email for the last year.There is no case here, she said to cheers and applause from hundreds of supporters at a rally in Kent, Ohio, a key battleground state in her race to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box on November 8.It was the first time Clinton directly addressed the email furor since Saturday, when she lashed out at Comey, calling his move deeply troubling while campaigning in another vital swing state, Florida.Comeys announcement thrust back into the spotlight allegations that Clinton put the United States at risk by using the private email server.Comey in July accused Clinton of being extremely careless but did not recommend that charges be brought against her, angering Republicans.The Democratic nominee is still the overwhelming favorite to win the presidency, but polls have pointed to an increasingly tight race.Clinton used much of her speech at Kent State University, 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Cleveland to paint her Republican opponent as unfit for office and a threat to national security.Trump holds the slenderest of leads in the state, where he is just one point ahead at 45.3 per cent to 44.3 per cent in a four-way race, according to the poll average from RealClearPolitics.AFP Tehran, Iran, November 1 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: Irans Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh met with Belgiums Minister-President of Flanders and Flemish Minister for Foreign Policy and architectural heritage Geert Bourgeois. The sides discussed industrial cooperation. Iranian industrialists in the private sector are ready to use Belgian companies technical capabilities, Nematzadeh said, adding the two countries should make long-term cooperation plans, SHANA news agency reported November 1. He added that Iran and Belgium can conduct useful cooperation in steel, glass, chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Bourgeois, who is in Iran heading a 140-member delegation, said he is willing to boost mutual cooperation, his country is willing to share industrial knowhow with Iran. The improvement of banking relations is highly important and a Belgian bank has recently started cooperating with Iranian banks, he noted. IGBO leaders have called on the Federal Government to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, ... IGBO leaders have called on the Federal Government to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and other prisoners of conscience in line with the rule of law, saying that their agitation does not constitute threat to peace.They also called for the restructuring of the nation so that Igbo that have made the biggest sacrifice and contribution to the building of modern Nigeria will be allowed to live and operate freely as equal citizens without discrimination.Rising from a three-day 2016 World Igbo Summit held at Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, Igbo leaders also condemned in strong terms, the destructive activities of herdsmen and urged governors and the lawmakers in Igbo states to enact laws prohibiting open grazing in Igboland.In a communique issued at the end of the summit, which was attended by prominent Igbo people, including first class traditional rulers and co-chaired by General Ike Nwachukwu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Col. Joe Achuzia (retd.), Chief Francis Oji and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, they resolved that Ndigbo should take full responsibility for the rebuilding of Igbo economy and development.Other resolutions, according to the communique read by Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, are that governors in Igboland should form a joint commission for the development of their areas; that the 1999 Constitution should be repealed and a new one enacted that will recognise the inalienable rights of each constituent group to self-determination and regional autonomy as enshrined in the 1960 Independence Constitution and 1963 Republican Constitution: Ndigbo, hereby, resolve to take full responsibility for the rebuilding of the Igbo economy and development of Ala-Igbo and hereby shall adopt the digital economy as the organising paradigm and implementation framework for the sustainable development of Ala-Igbo.That Igbo political leadership (elected and appointed) must act in the best interest of Ndigbo and be prepared to be held accountable by the people for all their actions and inactions; that in view of the threat by the herdsmen, which constitute present and imminent danger to peace and security in Igboland, the Igbo governors and the states assemblies should immediately legislate against any form of open grazing in Igboland, among others. as minister urges Biafra agitators to follow due process Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has accused those agitating for the Republic of Biafra of using uncivilised methods, advising them to follow constitutional and diplomatic processes to achieve their aim. The minister said that MASSOB and IPOB have the fundamental right to clamour for Biafra, but they should be rational and not emotional in going about it. He spoke with newsmen in Enugu shortly after the end of a stakeholders/caucus meeting of the Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Onyeama then urged those spearheading the breakaway project to critically look at the rules relating to secession.According to him, those agitating for Biafra are not speaking for Ndigbo, as they do not have the mandate of the Igbo race to do so. He asked them to embrace dialogue rather than resorting to violence. He, however, called on Nigerians, particularly those from the South-East, to keep supporting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government, pointing out that the government has the capacity to tackle the current challenges facing the nation.In his remarks, the Chairman of APC in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, assured the national leadership of the party that the state chapter was highly committed to wrestling power from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2019. Nwoye said that existing political structures are being oiled and strengthened at all levels in the state, calling on true democrats and progressives to embrace the party to ensure a better Enugu State. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election, Rotimi Akeredolu was on Monday confide... The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election, Rotimi Akeredolu was on Monday confident that he can win the two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants, Jimoh Ibrahim and Eyitayo Jegede, put together.He spoke with State House correspondents after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari along with Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.Akeredolu said: l can always tell you, people who know me, they know that I talk most times with some confidence, let me assure you here that by the grace of God, we will win the election in Ondo state.I can assure you I would have been happier facing both of them together, if Eyitayo Jegede was chosen as candidate and Ibrahim as his deputy, I will still win.Infact Jegede happens to be a friend, Ibrahim too. Jimoh Ibrahim went to Ife, so we have known ourselves for long. I have no fear about both of them. We know that we are going to win this election and I have no doubt, he addedWhen asked to speak on efforts to settle the rift between him and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, he denied any rift with Tinubu.He said: I dont have any rift with him, since the primaries you would see that as leader of the party, he has not said anything about it. He has accepted the primaries and we are moving on. So, I dont have any rift with him at all and we are moving on.He said that his party in the state has already called on the security agencies in Ondo to be up and doing in order not to allow miscreants take over the state in the name of protests.He said: Because for instance as a governor you encourage lawlessness or people in the guise of protest because what the PDP has is a problem within the party, that should not lead to demonstration outside and you know that people are not demonstrating for any reason but because they have been more or less paid to come and do it.What we said is dont allow miscreants to be out. Nobody can control the end of such demonstration. So its not that we are afraid, but we fear for the life and property of the people of Ondo state. He statedSpeaking on the visit to the President, Lalong said: A few weeks ago I was given the responsibility of leading the campaign on behalf of the National Executive for the Ondo election. And the candidate since election at the primaries have not come to be presented to the leader of our party, that is Mr President.So today we came in with the candidate and to confirm to the President that APC has only one candidate unlike other parties that are fighting about who is their candidate.We have only one candidate and that candidate is Chief Akeredolu Rotimi (SAN). He saidHe was optimistic that the APC will win the election.He said: Well that is not a problem to APC, since inception you knew what happened in Kogi, you knew what happened in Edo, we won the elections. It was as if it was going to be very difficult for us but we won the elections.Today again we are going into Ondo, all the mistake we made in other states we have corrected them, we are seeing a very smooth election, not only a smooth election but the credibility of the candidate itself is something worth selling, he said.The governor also faulted the visit of the out-going Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, to President Buhari last Friday.According to him, Mimiko should have concentrated on resolving the crisis that erupted in his state.He said: Let me say it was even wrong for them to start running to Mr. President to help them solve the problem of PDP in their party. Mr. President is the President of Nigeria and he is not a member of PDP. Even when we have problems in APC, we dont run to Mr. President.If he has a problem in his state, he is the governor, let him stay there and resolve the matter. Its a matter between PDP and PDP and those matters are in court. So why should you run to the President. Is the President the chief judge of Nigeria? He queriedHe went on: He is not the INEC chairman either. Well Mr. President is a loyal party man. So he is answerable to the party although the president of Nigeria.On the response of President Buhari to the visit, Lalong said: He has also confirmed that he has seen the candidate and is also praying for a successful election in Ondo state. The Nigeria army says 240 Boko Haram insurgents have surrendered. The Nigeria army says 240 Boko Haram insurgents have surrendered.Muhammad Dole, chief military public information officer, said this in a statement issued late Monday.He said the firepower of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) forced the insurgents to lay down their arms and ammunition.Dole said the insurgents surrendered on Chadian soil.The firepower of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) ground troops and joint air operation during the Operation Gama Aiki forced a massive defection of remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists (BHT), Dole said.Sustained offensive operations and blockage of logistics supply routes made the terrorists locations untenable; as a result, BHT and their families abandoned their locations and surrendered with their arms to the nearest locations of the ground forces in the operation areas.The recent wave of mass defection took place in Sector 2 Area of Responsibility (AOR) Bagasola in Chad. A total of Two Hundred and Forty (240) BHT surrendered some of them with arms and ammunition.He added that they were being profiled and camped at Bagasola.Dole also said that Lamidi Adeosun, commander MNJTF, commended the insurgents for their action.The commander commended the leaders of the ex- BHT for their courage and taking the right decision to abandon terrorism and insurgency for normal life, he said.He assured them of safety and good care as long as they remain in the camps. He also urged them to encourage their colleagues in the bush to stop fighting and join them in the camps.The commander MNJTF donated token cash for purchase of two cows and 10 bags of assorted food stuff for each of the two groups for the welfare and up keep of the ex-BHT and their families.This brings to the total number of surrendered BHT to MNJTF troops in sector 2 to 464. The Central Bank of Nigeria is cautioning Nigerians against patronising wonder banks. The Central Bank of Nigeria is cautioning Nigerians against patronising wonder banks.The head, Consumer Protection Department of the CBN, Mrs Kadija Kassim gave the warning at a forum in Niger state to mark the World Savings Day.According to her, the activities of these wonder banks are not regulated by the CBN.The regulators warning follows the campaign of an online investment scheme asking the investing public to participate in what it calls mutual aid financial network, with a monthly investment return of 30%.She said, We have heard about the activities of MMM, but I want to warn you against it because they are wonder banks that are not regulated.Desist from their activities because they are fraudulent. Niger Delta militants have described Tuesdays meeting with the Federal Government by some stakeholders in the region as an exercise that... Niger Delta militants have described Tuesdays meeting with the Federal Government by some stakeholders in the region as an exercise that will not put an end to the attacks on oil facilities. The agitators stated that none of the stakeholders chosen to be part of the meeting with the Federal Government was aware of the plight of the Niger Delta people.Speaking through separate statements, the Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front and the Concerned Militant Leaders, expressed dissatisfaction that no former militant leader was among those chosen to be part of representatives of the region in the meeting with government.Leaders of the two groups, General Ben and General Playboy maintained that such a meeting without any recognised former Niger Delta militant would not protect the interest of the people of the region.They also doubted the Federal Governments sincerity on the $10bn development fund to be earmarked for the Niger Delta.Pipeline bombing cannot stop because the people going for the meeting do not know why they are going there. It is not the first, second, or third time and would not be the last. So, we cannot be deceived or bamboozled by whatever tag is given to the meeting.We insist on implementation of the report of the National Conference and other reports on the development of Niger Delta region. Anything short of this is insincere and will not be accepted. For a genuine peace, past reports of several commissions on Niger Delta must be visited, they said.General Playboy specifically said, Our elders and leaders are not helping matters at all. They do not really know the plight of Niger Delta people because they are wealthy, quite rich and do not take issues about the region seriously.They do not know the common people in the region because they are not based in Niger Delta and cannot show holistic commitment to our struggle. Our elders represent themselves, and not the people in the rural areas.We dont need people who will play politics with the genuine struggle of Niger Delta people. We dont want people, who are not agitators. The real agitators are people like Alhaji Asari Dokubo, High Chief Government Tompolo, Egberipapa, General Africa, General Joshua and many others.These are the kind of people that can negotiate for our people. They know the plights of the Niger Delta people because they live in the same environment with them. They are not based abroad. They come down to the communities to know the feelings of the people. Such people should represent us.He (General Playboy), however, noted that their position did not mean that they were disrespectful to the elders in the region, insisting that they (elders) were not needed at the meeting with the Federal Government. Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau state, says unlike the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is still embroiled in controversies over its... Simon Lalong, governor of Plateau state, says unlike the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which is still embroiled in controversies over its candidate for the Ondo state governorship election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has spoken with a voice.Addressing state house correspondents on Monday, Lalong, who is chairman of the APC campaign committee for the Ondo poll, said it was wrong for the PDP to be asking Buhari to help it resolve its internal crisis.He advised the opposition party to take a cue from it which does not run to the president when there are problems.Lalong asked Olusegun Mimiko, his Ondo counterpart, to learn how to resolve the crisis in his state.Let me say it was even wrong for them to start running to Mr. President to help them solve the problem in their party, he said.Mr President is the president of Nigeria and he is not a member of PDP. Even when we have problems in APC, we dont run to Mr President.If he (Mimiko) has a problem in his state, he is the governor, let him stay there and resolve the matter.Its a matter between PDP and PDP, and those matters are in court. So, why should you run to the president? Is the president the chief judge of Nigeria? He is not the INEC chairman either.Lalong boasted that the APC would win the election just as it did in Kogi and Edo states.On Friday, Mimiko visited President Muhammadu Buhari to intimate him of the fallout of the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to pick Jimoh Ibrahim of the Ali Modu Sheriff faction over Eyitayo Jegede of the Ahmed Makarfi group.Though the commission backed up its decision with a court order, supporters of Jegede would have none of that.They trooped to the streets chanting abusive songs and setting up bonfires on major roads in Akure and Owo towns.Blaming INEC for the disturbances, Mimiko accused the electoral body of attempting to set the state on fire. The Independent National Electoral Commission has said none of its officials, who are undergoing investigations for alleged bribery, will ... The Independent National Electoral Commission has said none of its officials, who are undergoing investigations for alleged bribery, will be assigned any electoral duty.It said the officials, whose names were on the list sent to it by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, would be barred from electoral duty until they cleared themselves of the bribery allegations against them.Though none of those under investigation had been suspended by INEC or indicted by the EFCC, the electoral umpire stated on Monday that it would be morally wrong to continue to assign electoral duties to the suspects.It was gathered that the EFCC sent a letter to INEC and demanded the release of over 100 officers for interrogation for alleged bribery during the 2015 general elections.The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had earlier confirmed the number of the suspects, saying at the end of the investigations, those found guilty would be fired by the commission.Some states Resident Electoral Commissioners were allegedly bribed before, during and after the 2015 polls.Many electoral officers and others were also said to have been involved in the alleged bribery scandal.The bribe cash was said to have been disbursed by a bank from the N23bn deposited in the bank by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Monday, said none of those under investigation would be used in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.He added that until the concerned officers were cleared by the EFCC, they would not be used for any electoral duty.Oyekanmi stated, We have made it clear to them that none of those whose names appeared on the list sent by the EFCC would be involved in any electoral duty.Using them will send a wrong signal to the people about our integrity and all that.Though these people have yet to be indicted and they remain innocent until proved guilty, we have to safeguard the integrity of the commission as well.That is why we have placed embargo on them concerning electoral duties. There are other jobs they could do at the commission, but not electoral duty.He said the commission was poised to conduct a free, fair and credible election in Ondo State.A former REC in Rivers State, Mrs. Gesila Khan, and other top INEC officials in the South-South geopolitical zone were alleged to have received N675.1m from the poll bribe cash.Reliable sources at the EFCC had alleged that Khan, who was later redeployed as the REC in Cross River State, allegedly received N185.8m ahead of the March 28 and April 11, 2015 elections.The commission also arrested one Oluchi Obi Brown, who, as the INEC administrative secretary in Delta State, allegedly received over N111m.Further investigations by detectives revealed that Brown had about $75,000 in an account in the United States.The anti-graft agency also arrested one Edem Effanga, who is a retired INEC official. Effanga was arrested alongside his alleged accomplice, Immaculata Asuquo, who was the Head, Voter Education of INEC in Akwa Ibom State.Effanga was alleged to have received over N240m, which he shared among INEC ad hoc workers during the elections. There is apprehension in Umunor community, Ossissa Kingdom in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State following an exchange... There is apprehension in Umunor community, Ossissa Kingdom in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State following an exchange of gun fire between suspected Fulani herdsmen and youths from the area late Monday.Although, it was not clear if there was any casualty between both parties, it was learnt that the exchange of gun shots followed a failed attempt by some suspected herdsmen to invade the community.Sources in the community told our correspondent on Tuesday that many residents are fleeing the area to neighbouring villages for safety.It was learnt that if not for the intervention of security agencies, the situation would have escalated into a full blown crisis.A security source who confirmed the development to our correspondent said a security post has been stationed in the area following the intervention of the council chairman and the police area commander who visited the village on Tuesday morning.We dont know if any casualty was recorded during Mondays incident but there was a heavy exchange of gun fire between herdsmen and residents of Umunor community. Our men have been drafted there to maintain the peace.Ndokwa East council chairman in company with the Police Area Commander in the area visited the community today (Tuesday) to ascertain the situation in the area. Both parties were told to halt further hostilities, the source told our correspondent.The council chairman, Mrs. Nkechi Chukwurah, when contacted on the telephone confirmed Mondays shooting in the area but said security men had been deployed in the area to curtail further hostilities between both parties.Chukwurah, who also confirmed visiting Umunor and other villages said, The people want the herdsmen to leave their land. Many of them deserted their homes while some slept at the palace of the traditional ruler in the area.They are complaining they cant go to their farms any longer because of fear of being attacked. As a result, they have no food to eat. Farming is the major occupation of my people. Tehran, Iran, November 1 By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend: An Iranian court has issued verdicts for for 20 people accused of storming Saudi diplomatic missions in January, Mizan news agency reported. Javad Hosseini, the judge, said the verdicts will be announced soon. He did not give the names of the 20 and did not say whether they had been convicted or not. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia cut diplomatic relations with its Shi'ite Muslim rival Iran after protesters stormed the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad in response to Riyadh's execution of a prominent Saudi Shi'ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. The Iranian government condemned the assault and President Hassan Rouhani, keen to improve Tehran's long-strained relations with its neighbors and the West, asked the judiciary to punish the protesters and prevent further attacks. Iran's judiciary announced in April that more than 100 suspects had been arrested over the attack on the Saudi missions and 48 charged. All were released on bail. Assaults on foreign embassies have occurred throughout the Islamic Republic's 37-year history, often harming its diplomatic relations. Protesters attacked the U.S. Embassy in 1979, the Kuwaiti mission in 1987, Saudi Arabia in 1988, Denmark in 2006 and Britain in 2011. None of the assailants were convicted. Tehran, Iran, Nov. 1 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: Some 7,000 Iranians have requested to be taken to Iraq to sweep streets and paths on the way of pilgrims visiting Karbala and other Shia sanctuaries during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. The announcement was made by Reza Abdoli, deputy head of Tehran Municipalitys Waste Management Department, Mehr news agency reported November 1. These days the Tehran Municipality is collecting 8,000 tons of garbage from streets in Karbala, using forces from Karbala Municipality, according to Mojtaba Abdollahi, director of Tehran Municipalitys Staff on Arbaeen. Twenty million Shias are visiting Karbala this year to pay tribute to their third Imam, Hussain ibn Ali, for whose tomb the city is known. The Tehran Municipality, however, said it will send only 2,000 of the enrolling people to sweep streets in Karbala. Elsewhere, Ali Marashi, a Red Crescent official in Tehran, said the organization is going to send 2,000 staff members to Karbala to offer medical help to the pilgrims. He said the number more than doubled from last year, when the organization sent 900 staff members. Some 250 types of drugs and 80 types of medical equipment will be sent to Iraq on six trucks these days, he noted, adding 18 Iranian medical teams will offer free services to the pilgrims during the pilgrimage days. This year the Arbaeen falls on November 20. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Fatih Karimov Trend: Four people were killed and one was injured following a hand grenade explosion in Irans southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province. The incident happened last night in a house in Kheirabad village near Iranshahr city, Iranshahr Police Chief Doustali Jalilian said, IRNA news agency reported Nov. 1. Officials say a heroin addicted man brought the hand grenade to his house and was keeping it in his pocket. The hand grenade exploded when the mans family members were playing with it, Jalilian said, adding that Nasser Zardkoubi, the familys father, his wife and two children were killed as a result of the explosion. He further requested holders of unauthorized weapons to hand over their weapons to legal entities. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Nov. 1 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Presidents of Turkmenistan and Russia, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Vladimir Putin are slated to have talks today in Moscow. It is assumed that the presidents will also discuss resumption of gas cooperation, which was interrupted in January 2016. Key issues of bilateral cooperation will be discussed during the talks at the highest level, the Kremlin press service said earlier. Russia used to buy Turkmen gas and then re-export it through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan via the Central Asia-Center (CAC) gas pipeline. However on January 1, 2016, Gazprom Export notified Turkmenistans Turkmengas State Concern about the pre-term unilateral termination of the gas purchase/sale contract signed in 2003. Until 2009, Gazprom was the biggest buyer of Turkmen natural gas, with purchases reaching 40-42 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year. Russia was buying Turkmen gas because it was cheap, and received big dividends by reselling the gas to the countries in CIS and Europe. However, starting from 2009, the Turkmen side decided to sell natural gas at the prices set in the world market. This was followed by Gazprom Exports sharply reducing the intake of the Turkmen natural gas in April 2009. According to Ashgabat, this resulted in an explosion on the CAC gas pipeline. Therefore, the Turkmen gas supply was suspended, but resumed in early 2010 in much smaller volumes. Despite the contractual arrangements, the gas supply first declined to 10-11 bcm a year during five years, while the annual supply volume decreased by more than 2.5 times in 2015. Gazprom explained this decrease by a decline in demand for Russian gas in Europe and Ukraine. The gas price set by Turkmenistan did not suit Russia any more because of the fall in prices of exported gas in Europe due to the constantly falling oil prices. After Russia stopped buying gas in early January 2016, Turkmengas stated its willingness to negotiate with Gazprom Export on a wide range of issues related to their economic ties. Turkmen enterprises continue cooperating with foreign companies concerning natural gas supply, Turkmengas has said. They understand that mutual interest and mutual benefit are the fundamental partnership principles. These important components of cooperation in the gas sector are mainly dependent on the financial and economic situation in the world. This is while it was reported in September that Gazprom agreed with Turkmengas to halt the purchases of Turkmen gas for two years. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: The Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic-Speaking Countries (TurkPA) has always supported the peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, TurkPA Secretary General Jandos Asanov told Trend. This is a consistent position of the Assembly, said Asanov. TurkPA expressed support for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan during its each plenary session and in all declarations, noted the secretary general. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. WASHINGTON (AP) The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all. Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 1 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Turkey has sent units of its armed forces to the city of Silopi in south-eastern Sirnak province bordering Iraq, Turkish newspaper Haberturk reported Nov. 1. Tanks, armored vehicles and other military equipment were sent to Silopi, the newspaper said. Silopi is located 100 km to the north of Iraqs Mosul, where a fight against the Islamic State (aka IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group is taking place. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously announced preparations of the Turkish Armed Forces for ground operations to liberate the IS-held Mosul in Iraq. An operation of Iraqi government troops to regain control over Mosul began October 17. In addition to Iraqi government forces, the operation involves local Peshmerga militia (Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq). The offensive is supported by the international anti-terrorism coalitions air force. Being one of the key oil centers of Iraq, the city of Mosul went entirely under the control of the IS terrorists June 10, 2014. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade The first Polish passenger flight arrived in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday, putting an end to the country's one-year travel ban to Egyptian resort, Sputnik reported. According to Youm7, the flights had 186 people on board, and they were met by the director of the airport and chief representative of the Ministry of Tourism in the region. The passengers were given flowers and travel brochures. On October 31, 2015, the Airbus 321 plane, operated by the Russian airline Kogalymavia and en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, crashed in the Sinai Peninsula as a result of an explosion on board. All 224 people on board the plane were killed. A number of countries, Russia among them, suspended flights to Egypt over safety concerns. Samsung pleads for dealers' sympathy in China. (Photo : Getty Images) The executives of Samsung pleaded in front of dealers in a dealers' meeting held in Shijiazhuang to apologize for the company's battery scandal. The dealers' meeting was held among executives of the Korean smartphone manufacturer and domestic retailers in China, who experienced losses due to the distribution of defective units of the Galaxy Note 7. Advertisement Kneeling was a sign of respect from South Korea and according to Samsung's PR representative, the gesture was to show gratitude to Chinese distributors who still sold units of the Note 7 even after the recall. China was initially not included in the global recall because the manufacturer said that the supplier for the batteries of the units in the mainland was different from the U.S. and Europe. "Through such sincerity and honesty, Samsung expects to maintain a partnership with us and ask us to continue selling their phones," said a Chinese dealer. "Distributors' faith in Samsung has been dampened recently, as they were concerned that the battery scandal would further weaken Samsung's brand in the country's fiercely competitive smartphone battleground." A report was released by Counterpoint Technology Market Research that revealed Samsung's losses in China after the recall. The Korean manufacturer was removed from the top three smartphone sellers in the country. Samsung experienced the lowest sales in eight years. Their global sales fell to $86.7 billion year-on-year. Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, an advisory company based in Beijing said. "Foreign companies who appear to employ any less favorable policy for China can quickly find themselves waist-deep in a P.R. quagmire." He added, "Those who find themselves most successful are companies that have understood that they cannot win every battle, and sometimes, to maintain a happy relationship, it's better just to say: I'm sorry. Iove you," Community Its now easier than ever to connect and chat with others in your local area. You can connect with your community by asking general questions, give area updates and recommendations and even let your community know about local events that are taking place. China gives the cold shoulder to the Taiwanese President. (Photo : Getty Images) Analysts said that China is employing the "divide and rule" strategy when it comes to issues concerning relations with China. The strategy is signified by China's willingness to invest in Taiwan's tourism and economic shoulder while giving the cold shoulder to the central government. Advertisement Eight Taiwanese local government officials from the Nationalist Party were promised greater tourism and agricultural ventures in Beijing last month. This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Nationalist Party chairwoman Hung Hsiu-chu in Beijing during an annual party-to-party gathering. However, the communist party has stopped communicating with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. "The Chinese government has put political conditions relevant to Taiwan surrendering our sovereignty and our right to determine our own future on the outflow of tourists to Taiwan and that's what makes this a very politically complicated issue," said Hsiao Bi-him, a DPP lawmaker. He added, "We have to condemn this divide-and-conquer strategy and also individual politicians who seek to play into the Chinese divide-and-conquer strategy." China considers Taiwan as a renegade country but should be united under the "One China Policy" and the understanding between the two countries under the 1992 Consensus. According to Salvatore Babones from the University of Sydney, "Taiwan has a messy history of invasion, occupation, colonization, refuge, and intermarriage." Because of the friction between the two countries, Taiwan sought refuge from the U.S. Since 1990, arms sales from the U.S. has already amounted to $46 billion. The U.S. State Department said, "Preparing for potential conflict in the Taiwan strait remains the focus and primary driver of China's military investment." Economic trade between the two countries is slowly going downhill. In 2008, trade was at $6 billion and stepped down to $5.3 billion in 2015. Angry Dog Owner (Photo : Weibo) In September, a video of a Fujian woman walking a young man as her pet dog went viral. The video depicts how people treat fellow human beings that sometimes the real dog is treated better than people. This was clearly illustrated in a recent incident in Lanzhou when a male dog owner beat a 50-year-old female street cleaner who attempted to stop the mans corgi from pooping on the street. The offense went beyond the physical attack. Advertisement To illustrate how some rich people look down on the working class, the pet owner berated the sanitation worker on Wednesday with a powerful line often heard in soap operas. He was quoted as saying, My dog is worth more than your life! Shanghaiist reported. The street cleaner was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment. The dog owner eventually admitted he was wrong and said sorry to his victim, other sanitation workers and the police. He settled the case by agreeing to pay for the 1,100 yuan medical expenses and her 500 yuan lost income, Nextshark reported. Just to illustrate how privileged some dogs in China are compared to ordinary people, Coco, an Alaskan Malamte owns eight new iPhone 7s given to the dog by its owner, Wang Sicong, only son of the richest Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin. Besides the iPhones, Coco wears an Apple Watch on each paw. The privileged dog got his new iPhone 7s, used for taking its selfies, on Sept. 16, the day the new Apple smartphone, which costs more than $1,000 each, became available in China. Members of the Communist Youth League and Young Pioneers join the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory of Anti-Japanese War at Pingxi Memorial Hall of Anti-Japanese War in Beijing. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinas online army, called the 50 Cent Army, is becoming more effective at controlling online opinion as their efforts are getting more sophisticated and refined, according to media experts. An article published by voanews.com said that "50 Cent Army" refers to people who post comments that are mostly favorable to China. They were once believed to be ordinary citizens who were paid 50 cents for each pro-China comment they post. Advertisement However, a new study by Harvard University said that the "50 centers" are actually government employees working overtime, and not young people who were paid to write posts. These public employees write messages that appear like they were written by ordinary citizens. The study, which was published in August, said that most of the posts are written plainly and are mostly supportive of China. "Almost none of the Chinese government's 50-cent party posts engage in debate or argument of any kind," the study said. Events, such as patriotic holidays in China or the independent protests in Hong Kong, are often the busiest time for China's online army, the study said. David Bandurski, editor of the University of Hong Kong's China Media Project, was one of the first media experts to write about the 50 Cent Army. He wrote about it in 2008. According to Bandurski, China's virtual army would try to "redirect public opinion" during holidays or anniversaries of anti-communist protests, making people anxious. Bandurski said that the 50 Cent Army started during the early 200s when online discussions were done on message boards and chat rooms. When Weibo came, the virtual shifted their methods, Bandurski said. "By this point, everyone is interacting online in real-time," he said. Another group that the Chinese government is working with is the Communist Youth League, whose 89 million members are young people between the ages of 14 and 28. The members of the league are more aggressive than the 50 Cent Army and they are also more skillful at posting on foreign media sites, experts said. On the Facebook page of the Australian Olympic swimmer who called a Chinese swimmer "a drug cheat," the members of the league posted about 40,000 negative comments, the experts said. When Tsai Ing-wen was elected president of Taiwan, the group posted about 40,000 negative comments on her Facebook page in just 12 hours, Foreign Policy magazine reported. Bandurski referred to the youth league members as "volunteer armies of mobilized, angry youth," who seem to enjoy "spamming" the Taiwanese president. He described the group as "version 2.0" of the 50 Cent Army. But unlike the 50 Cent Army, league members use their real names and they are not paid to post negative comments, Bandurski said. I will not be renewing my subscription to the Telegraph as it does not give the news facts of the presidential election. I thought a Midwestern newspaper would have a sense of fair, objective journalism ethics, but I dont believe the Telegraph does. The newspaper has joined the ranks of the New York Times and the Washington Post and the mainstream media for not printing anything negative on Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, although the Telegraph always seems to find negative headlines about Donald Trump. The newspaper did not print a story of an email where Clinton puts down Catholics and Latinos and she says she doesnt care about the average American. Why are there not more news articles on Hillary selling out the secretary of state for over $200 million, lying to Congress and lying to the FBI; these are all criminal offenses. The country should be outraged about these criminal actions of Hillary Clinton, but the major networks belittle these acts. Hillary Clinton was asked twice in the last debate about the pay for play, and she did not answer the question, but that did not make a news story. The video that is out now shows the Democrats were paying people to cause violence at Trump rallies, which is also against the law. The media headlines tell of violence caused by Trump supporters. In this video the organizer in this illegal activity met with President Obama 47 times in the White House. Is this not headline news! Immigration and safety are major political topics this year with Trump wanting to secure the border to stop illegal immigration and Clinton wants to open the border. Where is the coverage on the communication between the White House, Department of Justice and the State Department on the illegal emails of Hillary Clinton. The media wants to elect the president and says it is already over, but I say this is our last chance as an American working person for my vote to count to get Trump elected and end the corruption, lying and dishonesty in Washington. Luosifen is a dish of rice noodles boiled with pickled bamboo shoots, dried turnip, peanuts and fresh vegetables in spiced river snail soup. (Photo : liuzhou.gov.cn) Luosifen, traditional rice noodles cooked with river snails, has become popular from being a street food sold at night markets in Liuzhou, Guangxi Region to an export commodity entering the global market. A dish of rice noodles boiled with pickled bamboo shoots, dried turnip, peanuts and fresh vegetables in spiced river snail soup, Luosifen is budding to reach all of the world as Guangxi Luobawang Food Co. Ltd. got its permit on Thursday and became the first company authorized for bulk exportation of the dish. Advertisement Luobawang manufactures the instant version of the dish and it lasts from 30 to 180 days. Before it became an export product, Luosifen crossed the borders of Guangxi Region and penetrated the whole of China through an effort of the company Luobawang to distribute some 20,000 packages of instant snail rice noodles each day to other regions of the country. The popularity of Luosifen can further be traced from a government project in 2010 which encouraged the opening of more restaurants serving the dish in big cities outside Guangxi. It was also featured in 2012 in the documentary show "A Bite of China." Today, with the help of distributors, Luobawang has already exported instant snail rice noodles to Australia and the U.S. The company continuously seeks to expand its exportation to even more regions and countries. Aside from Luobawang, there are other companies who have applied for export certificates. This was according to Li Jianhong of Liuzhou's commerce commission. There are more than 60 manufacturers of instant snail rice noodles playing in the market today--a big leap from just one manufacturer in late 2014. This shows that the snail rice noodle industry is one that's moving--and not slow at that. The North Platte Telegraphs coverage of my comments at the North Platte School Board meeting Oct. 17 was totally inaccurate. Never once did I mention the writing scores, as the article reported. I was focused on the math scores. My question to the school board was: Why should the math scores at the 11th grade be 45 percent passing when those same students scores in the eighth grade were Madison 56 percent and Adams 67 percent? The administration should be investigating the deficiencies of math education in the high school and making corrections. If these deficient students desire to continue their education, they will likely have to take remedial math classes, as evidenced in Mid-Plains Community Colleges report that 60 percent of the incoming freshmen are required to take remedial math. I suggested an immediate solution to the 55 percent of students that didnt pass: a high school remedial math class made available beginning in the second semester of this year. Dr. Ron Hanson was quoted in the North Platte Bulletin, North Platte High School could teach a remedial math class, but it would take time, energy and money, and taxpayers are concerned about money. All the school board and administration has is time, energy and money. If Hanson is concerned about taxpayers money, he should also be concerned that the taxpayers pay twice for the same class in high school and college. If necessary, there may be an administrator who can teach the class. Obviously, the math curriculum in North Platte High has been deficient. If shortage of money is the reason, maybe the cost of staffing the administration should be evaluated. Are we willing to disregard 55 percent of North Plattes graduating students that are lacking the needed math skills? Dr. Gary Heinzle North Platte - Editors note: The Telegraph erred in reporting that Heinzle was speaking about the writing test scores. We apologize for the error. PORTAGE The Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission has completed a list prioritizing the gaps in significant region roadways, the closing of which it believes would ease travel in the Region. The Regional Corridor Study focused mainly on connections between Interstate 80/94 and U.S. 30. We have very poor north and south connectivity in the region, said Planning Manager Eman Ibrahim at NIRPCs Technical Planning Committee meeting Tuesday. We have a significant number of interchanges (on 80/94), but only five are connected to 30. NIRPC identified 22 gaps, which included some local throughfares and east-west routes as well as major north-south connectors, and developed criteria to prioritize them. Main Street along the Munster/Dyer border was identified as the top gap where it ends at the CSX railroad tracks. Its connection to Ill. 394 would fill a significant east-west gap, according to NIRPC. Gaps in Cline Avenue, Willowcreek Road, Burr Street and Kennedy Avenue rounded out the top five. The next steps involve coordination with local government, engineering, and identifying funding sources, Ibrahim said. Greenways + Blueways workshops NIRPC will begin holding public workshops on its draft 2020 Greenways & Blueways Plan this week. The commission will host four public forums on the plan, each lasting from 6 to 8 p.m., on Wednesday at the NIRPC office, 6100 Southport Road, Portage; on Thursday at the Merrillville branch of the Lake County Public Library, 1919 81st Ave.; on Nov. 14 at the East Chicago Public Library Main Branch, 2401 E. Columbus Drive; and on Nov. 16, at Michigan City City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd. The Greenways + Blueways plan is available on NIRPCs website at nirpc.org. U.S. Steel made a $51 million profit in the third quarter, in what was its best quarterly performance since 2014. The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of Northwest Indianas largest employers, earned 32 cents a share. U.S. Steel lost $46 million in the second quarter, and $173 million in the third quarter last year. We faced some operational challenges that limited our ability to realize the full benefits of an improved pricing environment, but we continued to make progress in our Carnegie Way transformation efforts, said U.S. Steel CEO Mario Longhi. With our very strong cash and liquidity position, we remain focused on the investments that we need to continue to make to revitalize our facilities and deliver value-enhancing solutions for our customers. The Flat Rolled Segment, which includes Gary Works, East Chicago Tin and the Midwest Plant in Portage, earned $114 million in the third quarter, as compared to $6 million in the second quarter. U.S. Steel now has $3.1 billion in liquidity, including $1.4 billion in cash. The company generated $577 million in the last quarter. As we move through the rest of 2016, operational issues remain a headwind for us, as we continue to recover from unplanned outages in the third quarter, while also completing our planned maintenance outages, Longhi said. We have identified the critical assets that require additional capital investment and increased maintenance spending in order to improve our reliability and quality, and to lower our costs. Even after a good quarter, U.S. Steel expects to lose $355 million for the year. The steelmaker, however, still expects to be cash positive after selling $482 million more in equity. We plan to use our strong cash and liquidity position to expedite the revitalization of our facilities and to fund additional growth projects, Longhi said. This will enhance the ongoing development of the differentiated solutions that make us a strategic business partner for our customers. One of the Regions most appealing fundraisers happened recently in Crown Point. The fourth annual Tri-Kappa Kitchen Tour and Tasting event was held throughout eight homes in Crown Point as well as at the Maki Ballroom in the Old Court House on the Square. Attendees visited eight kitchens and had the opportunity to meet and talk with local chefs from the areas top restaurants and a few from Chicago. They tasted assorted foods representing different cuisines from Thai and American to Italian and Greek. Among restaurants in the spotlight this year were Asparagus, The Lighthouse, Fahrenheit Two Twelve, Lucrezia, Prime Steakhouse and others. Tri Kappa has served the Crown Point area since 1922. The group holds community events for charitable, educational and cultural causes. While guests visited restaurant chefs at the homes, there was also a team of chefs representing the American Culinary Federation who prepared desserts for the event. Proceeds from the Kitchen Tour benefit Indiana Women in Need, Girls on the Run of Northwest Indiana programs in Crown Point, Sunshine PAWS, the food pantries of Crown Point and The Crown Point Community Theatres Special Needs Audience Program. A portion of the proceeds also benefit the culinary scholarship fund of the Northwest Indiana Chapter of the American Culinary Federation. Farm to Table Event County Line Orchard will have a Farm to Table Event from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at the orchard, 200 S. County Line Road, Hobart. The event celebrates farmers and chefs and will feature wine and spirits tasting, food tastings and dessert. Call (219) 947-4477 or visit countylineorchard.com MICHIGAN CITY Police and dozens of residents arent laughing about a trick played by vandals who spray-painted more than 50 vehicles Halloween night. Michigan City police said they have identified 55 vehicles damaged by spray paint Monday night. Residents are being asked to report additional damage or let police know if they have video footage of anyone responsible. Many of the vehicles had spray paint on license plates, but some had more damage, police said. While everyone looks forward to trick-or-treating, police discourage playing tricks because such activities can cause expensive damage and prevent others from enjoying this time of year, police said. Investigators plan to pursue any leads and criminal charges, police said. Anyone with information or video footage is asked to call the Investigative Division at (219) 874-3221, ext. 1070. To report vandalism, call the front desk at (219) 874-3221. EAST CHICAGO A 41-year-old man suffered a graze wound in a shooting Saturday in the 3400 block of Grand Boulevard, police said. East Chicago police were dispatched to the area about 7 p.m. after the citys ShotSpotter technology indicated five gunshots had been fired, Lt. Marguerite Wilder said. The man told police he was in his bedroom when a bullet came through his window and hit his right thigh. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Miguel Pena at (219) 391-8318. To remain anonymous, call (219) 391-8500. HAMMOND An Indianapolis man was sentenced Monday to more than two years in prison for possession of counterfeit and fraudulent debit and credit cards. Mohamed L. Fadiga, 43, was found guilty in June after a two-day trial, U.S. District Court records show. Chief Judge Philip Simon on Monday sentenced Fadiga to 30 months in prison and one year of supervised release. Fadiga was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped March 17, 2015, by Hobart police Officer Kenneth Williams on Interstate 65 in Jasper County, according to court records. Fadiga was indicted April 16, 2015. After obtaining consent for a search, Williams found a shopping bag in the car containing a number of cards. Fadiga was sentenced for possession of more than 15 counterfeit and fraudulent debit and credit cards which had been re-encoded with the personal information of victims from different jurisdictions but bearing his name, according to the U.S. attorneys office. The case was investigated by Hobart police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. HAMMOND Another reputed member of the Latin Kings on Monday admitted to his role in a homicide at Estrellas Bar in 2014 and agreed to help federal authorities investigating the street gang. Antonio Stacks Gamino, 20, of Griffith, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity. During a hearing Monday in U.S. District Court, Gamino also admitted responsibility for the homicide of Raudel Contreras Jr. on Aug. 14, 2014, at the bar in Hammond. According to an indictment, gang leaders demanded an attack at Estrellas Bar, 4704 Hohman Ave., in August 2014 because the owners were allowing rival gang members inside. Gamino served as a lookout the day Contreras was fatally shot. If a judge accepts Gaminos plea agreement, he will receive a sentence of no more than 30 years in prison. The U.S. attorneys office could recommend a shorter sentence, depending on Gaminos level of cooperation. Gamino is among 26 reputed gang members and associates indicted in connection with the conspiracy, which allegedly was carried out between 2003 and November 2015 and involved murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping and narcotics distribution. The case also marked the first time the U.S. attorneys office in Hammond charged several defendants with sex trafficking crimes in connection with gang activity. The early votes are stacking up across Northwest Indiana, in some cases to near record levels. More than 49,500 had voted since Saturday in Lake, LaPorte and Porter counties either in person, by regular mail, in homes visited by election travel boards and by fax and email from those in the military or living overseas. That is nearly 8.8 percent of those counties registered voters. The early totals are quickly approaching those recorded in the 2012 presidential election in Lake and Porter County and the 2008 election in LaPorte County. Some 25,350 voters had voted in person at one of Lake Countys 11 early polling sites since early voting began Oct. 12. That includes 5,639 at the county election boards Crown Point office; 3,563 in St. John; 2,723 in Schererville; 2,648 in Munster; 2,250 in Highlands Wicker Park; 1,905 in Gary; 1,535 in Lowell; 1,385 in Hobart Township; 1,349 in Hammond; 1,330 in Winfield and 1,023 in East Chicago. Lake also has received 5,842 absentee ballots in the mail. That represents 7. 3 percent turnout of its registered voters. Pat Gabrione, the ranking Republican member of the county election boards staff, said they are adding voting machines and workers at early voting sites, which will remain open until noon Nov. 7. That gives Lake voters time to shatter the countys early voting record of 36,622 in 2012. Gabrione said the walk-in voters continue to increase over the years while the request for mail-in absentee ballots appears to be leveling off. LaPorte Republican Voter Registration Director Diane Gonzalez said 4,911 had voted in person since Saturday, 987 had mailed back absentee ballots, 168 had voted through county travel boards and 101 had voted by email or fax. That represents a 7 percent turnout so far. Sundae Schoon, Porter County Republican voter director, said 9,895 had voted in person by Saturday, 1,860 by mail and 391 by travel boards. That represents a nearly 10 percent turnout. She said the walk-in early voting total is about 2,000 short of the 2012 mark and within 2,500 of the all-time record of walk-in votes set in 2008. We are going to beat 2012 and 2008. We didnt have that many locations back then and we really push early voting, the candidates push it and the state pushes it now, Schoon said. Actors Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Ed Harris speak onstage during the 'Westworld' panel discussion at the HBO portion of the 2016 Television Critics Association Summer Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 30, 2016 in Beverly Hi (Photo : Getty Images/Frederick M. Brown) While HBO has renewed many prestigious shows in the past and then decided to axe them, this time they are treading very cautiously before announcing a second season for its hit sci-fi show "Westworld." The first season has already cost the network $100 million, making it judge things well before renewing the show. Advertisement "I want to get a very complete picture of the ratings, which seem to be doing very well, so we're happy with that," HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told Variety in an exclusive interview explaining why the network is delaying a decision on the issue. He added that the executive producers are "going to talk to us about what they envision a second season being." Right now, "Westworld" is looking really good, Bloys said. He added that they are very pleased with how the show is doing. Earlier this year, Bloys ascended from being the comedy head of HBO to hold one of the top positions in the network. In his new role, Bloys first ordered the cancellation of "Vinyl," while administering the launch of the new show "Westworld." So far, the ratings of the show have been satisfactory, considering that it has achieved 12 million per episode. For long, the network has been renewing new series much before they were very far into their debut seasons. With Bloys taking up the realm, HBO adopted a more careful approach not only with "Westworld" but also with the future of the network's smash hit summer series "The Night Of," Dark Horizons reported. Talking about the future of "Westworld," Bloys pointed out that it was a very satisfying end. He promised viewers that questions will be answered and noted that he loves reading the fan theories online as it is a great way to have people engaged. Replying to a question, Bloys pointed out that a lot of theories are being circulated on the Internet regarding the future episodes of the show. He said that he is very impressed with how the fans have been guessing the storyline of "Westworld" and they're getting close. Already half way into Season 1, "Westworld" airs every Sunday on HBO. Watch the video on the show'd origins below: INDIANAPOLIS Top-ranked high school seniors interested in becoming teachers can apply, starting today, for a renewable $7,500 a year state-funded college scholarship. The new Next Generation Teacher Scholarship will be awarded in April to 200 students statewide as part of a legislative initiative to produce more high-quality Hoosier educators and reduce Indiana's teacher shortage. "This scholarship encourages our best and brightest to enter the teaching profession, which will strengthen Indiana's talent pipeline and improve the overall quality of education in our state," said House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis. "We strongly believe that the most important factor in a childs education is a great teacher in the classroom." Scholarship applications are available online at LearnMoreIndiana.org/NextTeacher and must be submitted by Dec. 31, with a nomination from a current teacher and a 500-word essay on why the applicant wants to become a teacher. Applicants should be set to graduate in the top fifth of their high school class or scored at least a 26 on the ACT exam or 1190 on the SAT. Recent graduates and current college students meeting those criteria also may apply. Scholarship winners are required to complete 30 credit hours a year in college with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to continue receiving the annual $7,500 award. Students are limited to $30,000 in total scholarship funds. The money can be used to attend any public or private university in Indiana with a teacher training program. For example, the $7,500 scholarship would cover all but $198 in tuition for an Indiana resident attending Ball State University in Muncie. After graduation, students must teach in Indiana for five consecutive years, or repay 20 percent of the scholarship for each of the five years they don't teach. "Our goal with this scholarship is to attract Hoosiers who will become engaged and effective teachers, not only through monetary reward, but by elevating the teaching profession," said Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education. The $1.5 million annual state cost for each scholarship class initially will be covered using excess revenue collected through Indiana's 2015 tax amnesty program. EAST CHICAGO Two police officers will be honored this week for helping to reunite a disoriented, elderly driver from Pennsylvania with his family last summer. Officer Garrick Manley and Sgt. Eddie Bastardo will be given an award for going above the call of duty during a ceremony at the East Chicago Citizens Police Academy graduation Friday, Police Chief Frank Smith said in a news release. Manley was dispatched about 7:45 p.m. Aug. 31 to Ameristar Casino for an elderly man who appeared confused and was driving the wrong way. Manley spoke with a woman, who reported the man asked her for directions and said he must have taken a wrong turn. Manley then found the man and called for an ambulance. Manley contacted Bastardo, and it was decided that the mans car would be taken to the East Chicago Police Department. Manley got in contact with a family friend, who put him in touch with the mans family. His son told Manley the family didnt realize he had driven so far from Pennsylvania and made arrangements to fly to Midway Airport in Chicago. Bastardo made arrangements with a local hospital to allow the man to remain there while the son was en route. When the son landed, he called Manley, who was off duty. Bastardo was working a double and got permission to pick up the son from the airport. He then escorted the son to the Police Department to pick up the mans car and on to the hospital, where father and son were reunited, police said. HAMMOND The owner of a Michigan City motel is waiting to be sentenced after he admitted to using illegal chemicals obtained from India to eliminate bed bugs in his guest rooms. Dipen Patel, 34, of Dyer pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S District Court in Hammond to unlawful use of pesticides. The Class A misdemeanor offense could bring an up to one-year jail sentence and $100,000 fine. No sentencing date has been set, but the next hearing in the case is scheduled Nov. 21, according to court records. Patel owns Knights Inn at Michigan City and manages the Super 8 motel in Howe. According to court documents, Patel Returned from India with Dichlorvos in his luggage and, for close to a year starting in February 2014, supplied the chemical for use by his housekeeping staff. Patel allegedly instructed the employees to mix the chemical with water and apply it to carpeting, bedding and mattresses to rid the rooms of bed bugs, court documents revealed. 29 rooms at Knights Inn and 27 rooms at Super 8 tested positive for Dichlorvos during a February 2015 inspection headed up by the Office of Indiana State Chemist, court records stated. The rooms testing positive were condemned. Patel was ordered to replace bedding and mattresses and decontaminate all affected surfaces at his own cost. In a release, the U.S. attorneys office said the product is not registered with the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, which is required for legal use. Dichlorvos is a chemical nerve agent found in outdoor chemicals in India. Research shows exposure to the pesticide can produce symptoms ranging from weakness, headache, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and, in higher amounts, convulsions and even death. LAPORTE A LaPorte County Commissioner allegedly caught on video striking a parked car and leaving the accident scene now faces charges as a result. Dave Decker, 71, of Union Mills, was charged Monday with Class B misdemeanor failure to stop and report an accident. He could receive up to 180 days in jail and a maximum $1,000 fine. Decker turned himself in at the LaPorte County Jail and was released after being processed. In a statement released early Tuesday, his attorney, Stephen Scheele, of Highland, alleged politics, especially with Decker up for re-election next week, had something to do with charges being filed. Scheele said cases involving such minor damage are typically handled in small claims court. He questioned why there was even a police report taken. Unfortunately, the timing and nature of this misdemeanor charge smack of political motivation or retribution, said Scheele. According to Indiana State Police, Decker struck a 2002 Ford Explorer belonging to Dawn Cleek, an employee in the county treasurers office, on Oct. 26 The vehicle was parked in the LaPorte County Annex Building parking lot at State Street and Michigan Avenue, across from the courthouse in LaPorte, and the impact was hard enough to cause the SUV to rock back and forth. Cleek wasnt aware of the damage until the following day. At the request of LaPorte County Treasurer Joie Winski, surveillance video was reviewed by courthouse security. It clearly showed Decker hitting the vehicle with his 2011 Ford truck, court documents revealed. State police said Decker was making a right turn when he sideswiped the SUVs rear bumper. According to court records, Decker was also seen in the video getting out of his truck and looking at his vehicle and the one he had just hit, then getting back in and driving out of the lot. Cleek declined to comment, but Decker and Scheele both described the damage as a scrape to her bumper. Particularly troubling is that Mr. Deckers political foes were making fodder of this prosecution before the formal filing of charges was even made public, Scheele said. Also troubling is that the LaPorte County prosecutors office, perhaps unwittingly, permitted itself to become a pawn of political gamesmanship, said Scheele. He described Decker as a hardworking and decent public servant, retired steelworker and gentleman. The voters of LaPorte County know better. Mr. Decker will be vigorously defended against a misdemeanor charge that should not have been filed, Scheele said. Decker is challenged in the Nov. 8 election by former LaPorte County Councilman Rich Mrozinski, a lifelong Democrat who recently switched to the Republican Party. LaPorte County Police handled the initial call but turned the case over to Indiana State Police to avoid any appearance of favoritism or conflict of interest. LAPORTE LaPorte County Commissioner Dave Decker hit a parked car and fled, then later was identified on surveillance video according to police. Although Indiana State Police are investigating, Decker said thats routine for anything that involves an elected official or candidate. He was not issued a ticket. The election being so close has his political opponents making the incident seem far worse than whats really the case, he said. I have fully cooperated with the review of this incident and am confident that after speaking to the investigating officer that there is no allegation of wrongdoing on my part, Decker said. Indiana State Police Lowell District Commander Lt. Terry Gose would not reveal what occurred because the investigation, which he expects will wind up soon, is ongoing. LaPorte County Police Capt. Mike Kellems said the sheriffs department responded to the initial call and turned it over to state police to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. Last week, Decker hit a vehicle belonging to a county employee parked across the street from the courthouse in downtown LaPorte. Decker said he got out while it was raining and didnt see any damage to either vehicle. Obviously, if I had thought I had damaged the other car, I would have left a note or business card on the windshield, said Decker, a Democrat seeking a second term in the Nov. 8 election. As it turned out, Decker said the vehicle he hit had a minor scrape on its bumper. Arrangements have been made for his personal insurance carrier to cover the damage. Decker said a check by courthouse security of the video footage indicated it was his vehicle involved. He also singled out former county councilman Earl Cunningham for making a mountain out of a molehill. Cunningham, a Republican running for LaPorte County recorder, said he wasnt convinced that Decker didnt see any damage. Maybe Mr. Deckers eyesight is not good enough for him to do his job. I dont know, said Cunningham. VALPARAISO The citys advisory Human Relations Council hopes to use a recent decision by the City Council to emphasize the need for a full-time housing/community relations director. The City Council rejected a proposal to rezone and donate a 3.7-acre plot of land on the citys north side to two local nonprofit organizations to build affordable housing for low-income, homeless and disabled residents. The Human Relations Council, a panel of volunteers appointed by Mayor Jon Costas, expressed disappointment at the City Councils decision. The city missed a golden opportunity to take a step forward and instead took a huge step back, HRC member Ivan Bodensteiner said. The negative perception of Valparaiso just grew. HRC Chair Heath Carter believes the City Councils decision is an opportunity that highlights the need for a full-time housing/community relations director. A director could help educate the public about the need for affordable housing and dispel some of the fears associated with those projects, he believes. Carter remains optimistic the HRC can work with the mayor and City Council to implement the ValpoNEXT and Altogether Valpo initiatives, which both call for more affordable housing in Valparaiso. I know our elected representatives to be good people, who want to see Valparaiso become a community where all different kinds of people can afford a home and feel right at home, Carter said.At the HRCs meeting last week, Carter asked his panel to prioritize the recommendations of the Altogether Valpo taskforce, which include minority hiring for city jobs, affordable housing, and developing the infrastructure for inclusion. HRC member Beth Wrobel, who chaired the Altogether Valpo inclusion subcommittee, said the priority should be to create and fund a full-time, management-level position of a housing/community relations director. Its time we put human capital into building what this community needs to be, Wrobel said. Other HRC members, including Bodensteiner, Tatiana Cochran and Mike Glorioso, agreed the priority should be to hire a director. HRC member Cicely Powell said she thought the city needed more than one person. The director would enforce the citys recently adopted human rights ordinance. Job duties also could include tenant/landlord mediation, conflict resolution between neighbors and diversity programming. Carter said the director of community relations with Columbus, Indiana, will be coming to Valparaiso on Jan. 17. Carter plans to invite Valparaisos mayor and City Council members to attend the presentation so they can learn more about what the job of a housing/community relations director entails. We want to approach this in a collaborative way, Carter said. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy I am very disappointed in the Valparaiso City Council for being so shortsighted and discriminatory regarding their decision to vote down the affordable housing complex for Valparaiso. It is very apparent that many people in this community do not understand mental illness or homelessness and are not willing to try to learn about it and accept that people in this community are disabled. We are turning our backs on the community members who need the most help. People with mental health issues need understanding, treatment and funding in the community to keep them stable. This is America. Everyone deserves to have a place to live, food on the table, and access to mental health treatment. We need to get our head out of the sand and learn how we can help others and not discriminate due to ignorance. Two bus companies and a union representing their workers have reached an agreement on a new contract to avert a strike that would have gone into effect as early as Tuesday. A spokesperson for Teamsters Joint Council 16 announced the agreement Monday evening just after 10 p.m. The agreement was also confirmed on the NYC Public Schools Twitter account. There will be no bus strike, a tentative settlement has been reached. Jofaz Transportation and Y&M Transit will operate normally. NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) November 1, 2016 We are grateful to families and educators for their patience and support as we prepared to ensure transportation options for students. NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) November 1, 2016 In a statement, Demos Demopoulos, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 553, said, "When workers stand together, they can win good jobs for their coworkers and their families. This was always bigger than two companies and we will continue working with our allies in the labor movement to raise standards in the school bus industry." A spokeswoman from the Department of Education also issued a statement, saying, "We are pleased to report that Jofaz Transportation and Y&M Transit have reached a tentative agreement with their bus drivers' union and all buses will operate tomorrow as usual. We are grateful to families and educators for their patience and support as we prepared contingency plans to ensure transportation alternatives for students and families." Teamsters Local 553 previously said 85 percent of its members at Jofaz Transportation and Y & M Transit voted to authorize a strike last week. Both companies serve around 12,000 public school kids and 2,500 private school kids, mostly in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Teamsters Local 553 says members still need to approve the agreement. Police have arrested the man they say sucker-punched a 69-year-old woman outside a deli in Queens. 29-year-old Richard Springer is now charged with assault and robbery. Investigators say it happened back on October 15th after he got into a fight with a worker inside the deli on Sutphin Boulevard near 108th Avenue in Jamaica. When the worker called the police, Springer walked out of the store and punched the victim, who was an innocent bystander. She was taken to the hospital with a head injury. Muslims in China feel discriminated online. (Photo : Getty Images) Adil Memettur, aka "Princess of Qiegao," an online Sina Weibo celebrity with more than 200,000 followers, threatened to uninstall Alibaba's travel app, Alitrip. Alitrip decided to change its name to "Fliggy" or feizhu in Chinee which means "flying pig." According to Adil, this "hurts Muslim sentiments" as it contains the word "pig." Advertisement Adil later deleted his post. Fliggy explained on their site that the use of the pig symbolism is mere to show that the app is fun to use and can be a convenient online tool for travel. In another site, Adil wrote, "It makes me uncomfortable when I open my phone and see the word 'pig.'" Another netizen by the surname Huang said, "Religion can be a basis for personal self-restraint. But it will be inappropriate if someone uses his religious beliefs to restrict others." A woman from Hui, an ethnic Muslim province, commented that most Muslims are not uncomfortable with pigs. "We just don't eat pork, but we have no problem with the word 'zhu' (translated as a pig). Moreover, some Muslims even have their surname as 'zhu,'" she said. Despite the increasing awareness of Islam and China's tolerance of the religion, observers saw the increasing online hostility between Chinese and Muslims. According to Beijing journalist Mu Chunshan, "Chinese social media is quite different from traditional media in many ways; netizens, for instance, express their support or criticism of certain social groups more aggressively, with much less reserve." He added, "This is due partially to the government's tight control of television broadcasters and newspapers, which does not allow any deviation from the official line. Conversely, China's Internet is relatively open--government's control notwithstanding, a netizen can post angry comments from time to time with impunity." NEW YORK - Police have arrested a Manhattan man for an attack on a woman inside her Inwood apartment over the weekend and a similar incident last month. Yenson Reyes, 35, is facing multiple charges including robbery, burglary, and performing a criminal sex act. The 26-year-old victim told police she walked into her apartment on West 213th Street near Broadway Sunday night and found Reyes armed with a screwdriver. Police say he forced the woman to perform a sexual act on him before taking off with her laptop, cell phone, and some cash. The woman was treated at a local hospital and released. According to the NYPD, Reyes broke into another apartment in the area on October 6. A 66-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl were home at the time. Investigators say he was armed with a kitchen knife and groped the teenager before leaving electronics and other items. Editors note: Heres one of our favorite stories from the archives, now being featured in our Smarter Living collection. THE guy in the next cubicle is yammering away on the phone. Across the room, someone begins cursing loudly at a jammed copy machine. The headphones on the other end of your desk suddenly look very appealing. Would anyone mind if you tapped into your iTunes playlist for a while? Some workers like to listen to music when they find themselves losing focus. They may also plug in their earbuds to escape an environment thats too noisy or too quiet or to make a repetitive job feel more lively. Sadly I think theres a big chance that abortions could actually be banned in Russia. Because we really have this neo-conservative turn in our politics. And Putin who is actually just trying to make himself and his friends richer and richer, he doesnt care about ideology, he doesnt have any. Hes trying to fake an ideology, and when people trying to fake an ideology, they pick for themselves conservative and ultra-right ideology. Anna North: Do you think Donald Trump is trying to fake an ideology? Definitely. Hes interested in money and in his own fame. Thats all. Thats why hes telling you Make America Great Again, because he doesnt have any prospects for the future, he doesnt have any plans. The same thing with Putin: When Putin annexed Crimea, he told people, You will return to Soviet Union. And for a lot of people it sounded great, but in fact it was just a phrase, because in fact he doesnt care about those people. Roxy Richards: What do you think of our two-party system in the US? Do you think votes for a third party are wasted? I think for now, if I would have American passport I would definitely vote for Hillary. But in general, I think thats not a healthy situation. I would vote for Hillary right now because it seems like political system of United States are going through huge crisis right now because of Donald Trump. If you have a vote you should do everything you can just to stop him. And it means, in this situation, to vote for Hillary Clinton. But I was and I am strong Bernie Sanders supporter. And I believe that after Hillary becomes president, all those Bernie supporters including me will not shut up, and they will not just wait for the next presidential election because you could change a lot of things on your local level. Stephen Shepard: What do you think about WikiLeaks? I support it in general. I think the initial goal of WikiLeaks is really great. I believe that information should be free, and people have the right to have access to information. Though I couldnt really support whats going on with WikiLeaks right now, because it seems like clearly they support Donald Trump and they help Putin in this instance. David Cook: Are you concerned about Hillary calling for a no-fly zone over Syria and the potential of war with Russia and the US? Im concerned about the situation in Syria in general. I couldnt really support Hillary in her active actions in war zones. Im not a big supporter of that, and I dont support Putin when he does his actions in Syria. Instead of that, I really would like American, European countries and Russia to accept more refugees. I think it will help more than war actions. I support Hillary in that instance, because her take on that is much better than Donald Trumps take on that. But I think even Hillarys numbers on that is not enough. 1. Hillary Clinton shifted her focus from the F.B.I.s investigation into her email back to attacking Donald Trump. She made an appearance in Florida with Alicia Machado, the former Miss Universe whom he called Miss Piggy after she gained weight. Mr. Trump was in Pennsylvania, where he vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. A New York Times investigation found he stretched tax laws beyond recognition in the 1990s in his efforts not to pay any. Good morning. Were trying something new for our readers in Europe: a morning briefing to jump-start your day. What do you like? What do you want to see here? Email us with your feedback at europebriefing@nytimes.com. Heres what you need to know: (Want to get this briefing by email? Heres the sign-up.) Good morning. Heres what you need to know: Trump and taxes. The Times obtained documents that show that Donald J. Trump avoided reporting hundreds of millions of dollars in taxable income in the early 1990s by using a maneuver that his lawyers warned would most likely be deemed improper by an I.R.S. audit. Since the demise of the Silk Road, mainstream financial institutions have shown significant interest in virtual currencies and particularly in the blockchain technology, which provides a new decentralized way to keep financial records and to power transactions of all sorts. Major central banks have recently been talking about using the technology for their own currencies. Most projects in the virtual currency area, though, have been pushing in directions that would make it easier to integrate with the existing financial system. Jonathan Levin, a founder of Chainalysis, a start-up that helps banks and regulators track activity on blockchains, said that the authorities had become comfortable with virtual currencies because they had been able to trace transactions in cases of criminal activity. Its going to be quite difficult for Zcash in its opaqueness to show that, no, it is not all bad stuff going on, he said. But Mr. Wilcox has the help of a former top New York state financial regulator and a former federal prosecutor to help ease the concerns of government officials. Mr. Wilcox is hosting an open virtual meeting later this month with law enforcement officials from across the country to explain the project. Mr. Wilcox and the programmers who created Zcash say that they developed the currency not to facilitate illegal activity but to provide a degree of privacy for people who do not want their financial transactions visible to the world. The basic story is that we have been gradually losing our privacy in a whole bunch of ways that people dont appreciate, said Matthew Green, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins who began developing Zcash with some of his graduate students in 2013. This brings back a little bit of that privacy that computers have taken away from us. This technology gives us a defense against something that until now we have been defenseless against. has made providing poor women in developing countries access to contraception a mission. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she leads with her husband, has donated more than $1 billion for family planning efforts and will spend about $180 million more this year. Since 2012, she has helped lead an international campaign to get birth control to 120 million more women by 2020. Four years later, a report explains why achieving that goal is proving tougher than expected. This is a condensed and edited version of our conversation about family planning. Why is this the cause of your life? If you allow a woman if you counsel her so its truly voluntary to have a contraceptive tool and she can space those births, it unlocks the cycle of poverty for her. In the early days, Id be out traveling for the foundation, Id be there to talk to women about vaccines, Im going be frank, for their children, and what they would say to me is: O.K., I have questions for you. What about that contraceptive, how come I cant get it anymore? To me, its one of the greatest injustices. One of the statistics in the report that most struck me was that contraception prevented tens of millions of unsafe abortions by preventing unwanted pregnancies. Youre Roman Catholic. Is that part of the moral imperative for you? Yeah. I mean this is obviously something Ive had to wrestle with very deeply. The Catholic Church doesnt even believe in these forms of modern contraceptives. Im in the developing world minimum three times a year now, and Im out in slums, in townships, in the rural area, and when you see a needless death of a woman or a child because she literally just didnt have a very inexpensive tool that we not only believe in, we use in the United States more than 93 percent of married Catholic women report using contraceptives the moral imperative is that we give these women what we believe in and actually use. Politicians regularly deploy this type of shaming when referring to, or even when addressing, black Americans. But its hard to fathom a politician, Democrat or Republican, standing before a predominately white crowd in a sagging old coal town, and blaming the communitys economic woes on poor parenting or lack of work ethic or a victim mentality. Those Americans, white Americans, are worthy of government help. Their problems are not of their own making, but systemic, institutional, out of their control. They are never blamed for their lot in life. They have had jobs snatched away by bad federal policy, their opportunities stolen by inept politicians. It would have been easy, expected, for Trump in his speeches to recycle the same old personal-responsibility narrative for black voters. But Trump didnt call for black people to stop lazing around and use a little more elbow grease on those bootstraps. He was pushing for more government Republican-led government to help black folks prosper, a racially specific new deal that included investing in schools, high-wage jobs and black entrepreneurs. And in doing so, Trump, at least rhetorically, did something the Democrats and Republicans have largely failed to do he took black citizens into the ranks of hardworking Americans worthy of the governments hand. To be clear, I am not arguing that the man who called for the execution of the since-exonerated Central Park Five (and who still insists on their guilt) and who seeks nationwide implementation of the stop-and-frisk program ruled unconstitutional in New York City, and who warns that voting in heavily black cities is rigged, is a racial progressive who will enact policies that will help black communities. Nor am I saying black voters should buy what Trump is selling. (And they arent: A poll released last week by The New York Times Upshot/Siena College of likely voters in Pennsylvania found that no black respondent from Philadelphia supported Mr. Trump in the survey.) What I am saying is that when Trump claims Democratic governance has failed black people, when he asks the blacks what they have to lose, he is asking a poorly stated version of a question that many black Americans have long asked themselves. What dividends, exactly, has their decades-long loyalty to the Democratic ticket paid them? By brushing Trumps criticism off as merely cynical or clueless rantings, we are missing an opportunity to have a real discussion of the failures of progressivism and Democratic leadership when it comes to black Americans. Trump is not wrong when he says that black Americans have suffered in a particular way in blue cities and blue states. (Of course, they suffer in red states as well.) The most segregated cities have long been clustered above the Mason-Dixon line and are Democratically run. Some of the most segregated schools in the country educate students in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Milwaukee. Efforts to integrate schools in these cities have met resistance from white progressives. Democrats did as much to usher in the era of mass incarceration as anyone else. And in these cities, with their gaping income inequality, black communities shoulder a terrible burden of gun violence, high unemployment, substandard schools and poverty. Though black Americans these days consistently vote Democratic at higher margins than any other racial group, this wasnt always the case. Before 1948, black voters were fairly evenly split between Republican and Democrats. Then President Harry S. Truman pushed a civil rights platform, and a majority of black voters swung Democratic, though a significant percentage still identified as Republican. That changed in the 1960s, when black voters moved en masse to the Democratic Party after Lyndon B. Johnson showed he was willing to lose the South in order to pass the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. Southern Democrats abandoned the party to become Republicans, and Richard Nixon won the presidency in 1968 on a Southern strategy of stalling forward movement on civil rights. And the party of Lincoln came to be considered anathema to black progress. In the intervening years, modern Democrats have been far more likely to support social programs that help the poor, who are disproportionately black, and to support civil rights policies. But since Johnson left office, Democrats have done little to address the systemic issues housing and school segregation that keep so many black Americans in economic distress and that make true equality elusive. At the federal level, despite the fact that the National Fair Housing Alliance estimates that black Americans experiences millions of incidents of housing discrimination every year, Democrats, like Republicans, have avoided strong enforcement of federal fair-housing laws that would allow black families to move to opportunity-rich areas. Both Democrats and Republicans have failed to pursue school-integration policies that would ensure black children gain access to the good schools white kids attend. In the 1970s and 80s, Trump battled housing-discrimination lawsuits, while Senator Clinton was noticeably quiet when Westchester County, N.Y., a county that twice voted decidedly for Obama, fought a court order to integrate its whitest towns, including Chappaqua, the 2-percent-black town she calls home. Premier Li to Kick Off 8-day Tour of Europe and Central Asia Premier Li Keqiang will be traveling to Central Asia and Europe. (Photo : Getty Images) In efforts to fast-track the government's Belt Road Initiative, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is set to travel to Europe and Central Asia for eight days. Li's first stop would be Kyrgyzstan, according to Assistant Foreign Minister Li Huilai at a news conference. The premier is set to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Heads of Government. Advertisement "The region's nations also show a strong inclination to link their national strategies with China's Belt and Road Initiative," Li Huilai added. The foreign ministry said that Premier Li will be attending the 5th Meeting of Heads of Government of China and Central and Eastern European Countries in Riga, the capital of Latvia. China and Latvia are expected to sign agreements on cooperation for the Belt and Road Initiative. Li will then proceed to St Petersburg to join Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for the 21st Regular Meeting between Chinese and Russian Prime Ministers. They will be signing cooperation agreements on development in the sectors of aviation, energy, and construction of China-Russia railways. "China's cooperation with SCO and CEE countries have produced fruitful results and both sides should take Li's visit as a new chance to help reinforce partnerships that boost global peace and economic recovery," said Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies. He added, "Central and Eastern Europe is a key linkage region for the Belt and Road Initiative and an essential part of China-EU ties." Last year, President Xi Jinping noted that EU countries like Poland are strategically important to the Belt and Road Initiative. He said, "We would like to see Poland push the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative to connect with the EU development strategy." Zhao Xijun, deputy director of the School of Finance at Renmin University, agreed with Xi. He said that the investments with the Asian Infrastructure International Bank (AIIB) should be connected to Europe. "China should establish a financial institution to specifically service central and eastern Europe and connect with the AIIB's business in Asia . . . the 'One Belt One Road' can be extended to Europe from West Asia," he said. The fact that these persons are not on trial here must play no part in your deliberations, she told jurors. Their absence should not influence your verdict with respect to the defendants on trial at this time. You are not called upon to return a verdict as to the guilt or innocence of any other person or persons. But will jurors decide, in the memorable words of Ms. Kellys lawyer, Michael Critchley, that prosecutors went after a whale and ended up with a minnow? When Paul J. Fishman, the United States attorney for New Jersey, announced the indictments in May 2015, he said that he was bringing charges against only the people prosecutors believed a jury would convict. There is not as much documentary evidence that others in the administration were involved in the lane closings and the cover-up; Ms. Kelly alone sent the notorious email proclaiming time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee. But given everything the jury has heard about Mr. Christie and his other aides punishing local officials, and scrambling to cover up the lane closings, will jurors decide that Mr. Baroni and Ms. Kelly are more guilty? Or were they simply less discreet in doing what everyone else was doing, too? And if the jury believes that others were involved, what would be more unfair: that it convicted two for the sins of many, or that it acquitted them, and no one paid for the catastrophic traffic jams that paralyzed Fort Lee? The prosecution did not call many potential witnesses who could have told more about what was really happening in the governors office. The judge, in a conference with lawyers, said she could think of about five potential witnesses for the jury, suggesting as a start Kevin ODowd, the governors former chief of staff, and Bill Stepien, his two-time campaign manager. Glaciers. Dinosaurs. The challenge of putting genies back into the bottles from which they came. There was more than the usual amount of surreality in the metaphors bandied about at Comptroller Scott M. Stringers announcement on Monday of subpar performance grades for New York City agencies on their spending with minority- and women-owned businesses. But perhaps the most surreal aspect was the comptrollers insistence that politics that is, his own undeclared yet increasingly evident interest in a campaign for mayor in 2017 had nothing to do with the proceedings. The unveiling of Mr. Stringers third annual report on city procurement with minority-owned businesses, in which he issued a second straight D-plus for agencies citywide, followed a string of recent efforts by Mr. Stringer to highlight what he says are deficiencies in Mayor Bill de Blasios administration. He gave a speech earlier this month at the Association for a Better New York knocking Mr. de Blasio, a fellow Democrat, on the same issue in a campaign-style address. Last week, he issued a report finding fault with day care center conditions at the New York Citys homeless shelters. ESCALANTE, Utah With the jury acquittals last week of Ammon and Ryan Bundy and their accomplices in the 41-day armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon last winter, the lives of federal land managers in the American West got a whole lot more difficult. This was more than just a court victory. The Bundys landed a blow against a culture of public service embodied by the federal employees responsible for maintaining law and order and protecting our wildest Western landscapes. And while we dont know the reason for the acquittals in what seemed like an open-and-shut case of guilt, it comes against a backdrop of deep antipathy in parts of the West toward the environmental regulation of the hundreds of millions of acres of rangeland, forests and national parks managed by the federal government on behalf of all Americans. This hostility is particularly strong in the high desert of southeastern Oregon that is home to the refuge, described by the environmental historian Nancy Langston in an Op-Ed article earlier this year as a place of bitterly contested human histories that remain potent today. The federal land managers Ive spoken to rangers, biologists and law enforcement officers, almost all of them so fearful they wont go on the record worry that extremist copycats who seek to undermine the federal public lands system will be emboldened by the verdict. Gail: Not disagreeing with you so far. Arthur: That is basically a view shared by Reagan and Hayek, and a lot of thinkers on the left, too. Obviously Hayeks answer to how much taxes and how much regulation would be different than yours, but its striking how much the conversation has deviated on both sides from this standard today. So when it comes to taxes and spending, what do you predict well see depending on who is elected? Gail: My prediction is that if Hillary Clinton is elected, shell raise taxes on the wealthy. Then shell use the money to attempt to stimulate the economy (big infrastructure repair program) and make life better for the working and middle class, particularly through early childhood education and lower college tuition costs. She may also propose some cost-cutting, which Congress will probably ignore. If Donald Trump is elected, hell do what Republican presidents almost always do: propose big tax reductions that Congress will happily pass, along with budget cuts that wont make it through. The nation will plunge into higher deficits and a larger gap between rich and poor. However, we probably wont even notice, since well be way too worried about the collapse of our economy after the trade wars start, not to mention the possibility of nuclear apocalypse. Just saying. Arthur: No surprise that I am less optimistic about the Clinton scenario. She certainly knows that theres just not enough money to expand spending if she taxes only the wealthy. To do what she wants, the middle class is going to have to pay in one way or another whether its higher taxes now or an expanding debt later. And also no surprise, I am dubious that her spending increases will make life better for the working class. How many times have we heard that with just a little (or a lot) more money, things will be better for folks at the bottom? Gail: Things do get better for the folks on the bottom because of government programs. Not going to get into details now. Just drawing a line for the future. Arthur: Well bookmark this as a future conversation topic. The Trump scenario is a lot more of a wild card because, well, we just have no clue. The policy ideas are ever-changing and not exactly central to the campaign. But it does seem very likely that no matter who is elected, given the commitment of both candidates not to address our biggest fiscal problems like runaway entitlements, these problems will worsen in the coming years. Gail: Well, thats a cheery conclusion so in keeping with the spirit of this entire race. Well put the entitlements in next years discussion basket. Meanwhile, just one more week. Wondering what new aspect of sexual delinquency we can come up with for the finale. Happy voting, Arthur. Washington It was the perfect way to celebrate Halloween at the National Press Club. On Monday, Peter Thiel a Silicon Valley giant who co-founded PayPal and sits on Facebooks board spoke to a crowd of journalists at the National Press Club about why he supports Donald J. Trump for president. The setting was curious, given that Mr. Thiel recently helped bankroll a lawsuit against Gawker Media, which led to its demise, and has since become something of villainous caricature to some journalists. Now, we had invited him into our house. Mr. Thiel likes to talk about bubbles. Having lived through the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, Mr. Thiel says he is well-versed in the subject. In his talk, Mr. Thiel described elites in Washington, D.C., and Silicon Valley as the new bubble inhabitants. Politicians, journalists and business people alike ignore reality, he said, because it throws their own success in question. Unlike those cozy elites, he said, Mr. Trumps supporters understand that everything is not fine. Its not a lack of judgment that leads Americans to vote for Trump. Were voting for Trump because we judge the leadership of our country to have failed, Mr. Thiel said. Mr. Blunt is now running as if Mr. Kander were the incumbent. He ties the Democrat to cost increases in the nightmare Affordable Care Act, to out of control federal regulators and to the liberal agenda of Mrs. Clinton, who remains highly unpopular among Missourians. Mr. Kander, hoping to tap into some of the anti-Washington Trump vote, counters that a new generation of politicians is needed to undo the special-interest establishment epitomized by Mr. Blunt, a 20-year veteran of the House and Senate. Mr. Kander pointedly notes that Mr. Blunts wife and three adult children all prosper as registered lobbyists, to which Mr. Blunt tepidly replies, Everybodys family does something. Though Mr. Blunt has acted in a bipartisan manner on some issues, he has largely toed the party line, including the Republicans irresponsible unwillingness to hold hearings on Judge Merrick Garland, President Obamas nominee for the Supreme Court. With political cynicism like that, Mr. Blunt is effectively making his opponents case that Missourians do indeed need fresh blood in Washington. Mr. Kander displays clear energy for change on a raft of policies, from improving international trade treaties to redefining presidential war powers too outdated for threats like the Islamic State. Mr. Blunt basically hangs his chances on Mrs. Clintons unpopularity in the state, insisting Missourians will be better off with a President Trump. The new trade agreement between Canada and the European Union, negotiated over seven years, was finally signed on Sunday after 11th-hour concessions to a rebellious Belgian region that had threatened to kill the entire deal. The question now is whether the agreement spells hope for far larger trade deals in the works notably American deals with Europe and with Asia. The rescue of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the formal name of the Canada-E.U. accord, was greeted with relief by leaders of Canada and the bloc at their signing ceremony in Brussels. Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, said he wanted to make sure that everyone gets that this is a good thing for our economies, but its also a good example to the world. The agreement is supposed to eliminate most tariffs between Canada and the union and to level the playing field in other areas, benefiting both sides. Yet its near-death underscores the degree to which trade, and globalization in general, once trumpeted as a force for progress, have come to be seen as a vehicle for destroying jobs, making the rich richer and undermining national sovereignty. The backlash has been evident in the American presidential campaign, in the British vote to quit the union and in the populist parties sprouting across Europe. Do the words extremely careless ring a bell? The Federal Bureau of Investigations director, James B. Comey, threw that stinging criticism at Hillary Clinton in July, shortly after announcing that the bureaus long investigation of her handling of classified information had turned up no crime. Now he faces the same judgment from her and his superiors at the Justice Department. In hurling barbs at Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Comey has at once revived his reputation for confronting commanders in chief and resurrected the spirit of the F.B.I.s most infamous high priest. Somewhere, tearing wings off flies in a dark star chamber in the sky, J. Edgar Hoover is smiling. The use of secret information to wound public figures was one of his favorite sports. The United States has spent many years trying to stand clear of Hoovers long shadow. But it lengthens in an age of relentless government surveillance and pitiless political publicity. And Mr. Comey has chosen to become a singular force in American politics. His miscalculated decision to unleash his letter to Clinton hunters in Congress looked less like a legal maneuver than an act of political warfare. The F.B.I. has an essential role in national security and law enforcement, and it also has the awesome power to destroy someone, delivering blows as only the bureau can. It cannot and must not devolve into what it was in the 20th century after the Cold War a backbiting, bitter, badly led phalanx of spies with guns or revert to its old role under Hoover as an instrument of political warfare. News organizations contend that the calls, which local officials say can be ghastly in their representations of suffering and violence, will allow for a public review of the police response to the attack. We think it will help in fully evaluating law enforcements response, and it could be law enforcement responded appropriately, said Rachel E. Fugate, a lawyer for the news media outlets that sued Orlando. But some members of victims families insisted that releasing the calls would only aggravate the trauma associated with the killings. The problem is the unknown version of whats contained on the recordings and not knowing if the tragic cry for help would be the voice of a personal loved one and knowing there was nothing that couldve been done to help them, Rosetta Evans, the mother of a man who died in the attack, told Judge Schreiber in a letter. Urging total respect for the victims and their relatives, Ms. Evans said she would be very, very disappointed for the media to gain access to such sensitive material only to exploit it. A lawyer for the city, Darryl M. Bloodworth, made a similar argument after Mondays hearing. The truth is some people do not have the same sensitivity that others do, and if the media gets ahold of them, they can be used to continue the pain and misery for the families who have suffered enough, he said. Bill and Hillary Clinton argued that the man in charge of the investigation had grossly overreached. He had been motivated by politics rather than public service. And he had no damaging information to support his relentless pursuit and the daily negative headlines it generated. Its just a very unfortunate turn of events that we are using the criminal justice system to try to achieve political ends in this country, Mrs. Clinton said. The year was 1998, and she was referring to Kenneth W. Starr, the independent prosecutor who spent years investigating Mr. Clintons administration. But those remarks are echoed in the Clinton camps response to the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, who said on Friday that investigators would review additional emails potentially related to their inquiry into Mrs. Clintons use of a private server. The episodes offer a glimpse into the collective psyche of the Clintons and their allies. After facing 25 years of political attacks and investigations into scandals real and imagined they have developed a protective reflex against potentially damaging assaults, rallying their forces against what they see as an overzealous, partisan villain. Fifteen coal miners died in an explosion in Chongqing. (Photo : Getty Images) A coal mine, operated by Jinshangou Coal Industry Co. in the municipality of Chongqing, exploded recently, according to the municipal coal-mine safety inspection bureau in an online statement. Fifteen miners were killed and 18 are still missing. Only two of the 35 miners were able to get out after the explosion. Advertisement The inspection bureau said that rescue work is still ongoing and operations of the coal mine will be suspended until after new safety inspections are concluded. China's State Administration of Work Safety, a national office, sent a team to the scene to conduct a separate investigation, according to a statement. The administration has not yet released any findings on the cause of the explosion. According to speculations of the head of China's State Administration of Work Safety, "The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but electrical sparks or flames can ignite leaking gas and cause explosions. Ventilation systems are meant to prevent such accidents, but many of the country's mines are outdated. Struggling coal mines might overlook maintenance." The explosion coincided with a national conference of work safety inspectors in Beijing. President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang said that greater efforts to improve supervision and enforcement of industrial safety standards. According to an Oct. 14 notice published by the Chongqing coal-mine safety inspection bureau, local inspectors recently penalized a coal mine in Yongchuan district for being a safety hazard and ordered a halt to operations. The coal mine is the same site where the explosion occurred. The mine was also found to have faulty sensors and weak communication systems. The government already shut down about 1,000 mines which are outdated. Approval for new coal plants has been suspended in the efforts to minimize coal production. The government has also released a big chunk of its budget for alternative sources of energy to lessen its consumption of coal. F.B.I. officials declined to comment on Monday. Intelligence officials have said in interviews over the last six weeks that apparent connections between some of Mr. Trumps aides and Moscow originally compelled them to open a broad investigation into possible links between the Russian government and the Republican presidential candidate. Still, they have said that Mr. Trump himself has not become a target. And no evidence has emerged that would link him or anyone else in his business or political circle directly to Russias election operations. At least one part of the investigation has involved Paul Manafort, Mr. Trumps campaign chairman for much of the year. Mr. Manafort, a veteran Republican political strategist, has had extensive business ties in Russia and other former Soviet states, especially Ukraine, where he served as an adviser to that countrys ousted president, Viktor F. Yanukovych. What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. But the focus in that case was on Mr. Manaforts ties with a kleptocratic government in Ukraine and whether he had declared the income in the United States and not necessarily on any Russian influence over Mr. Trumps campaign, one official said. In classified sessions in August and September, intelligence officials also briefed congressional leaders on the possibility of financial ties between Russians and people connected to Mr. Trump. They focused particular attention on what cyberexperts said appeared to be a mysterious computer back channel between the Trump Organization and the Alfa Bank, which is one of Russias biggest banks and whose owners have longstanding ties to Mr. Putin. F.B.I. officials spent weeks examining computer data showing an odd stream of activity to a Trump Organization server and Alfa Bank. Computer logs obtained by The New York Times show that two servers at Alfa Bank sent more than 2,700 look-up messages a first step for one systems computers to talk to another to a Trump-connected server beginning in the spring. But the F.B.I. ultimately concluded that there could be an innocuous explanation, like a marketing email or spam, for the computer contacts. The most serious part of the F.B.I.s investigation has focused on the computer hacks that the Obama administration now formally blames on Russia. That investigation also involves numerous officials from the intelligence agencies. Investigators, the officials said, have become increasingly confident, based on the evidence they have uncovered, that Russias direct goal is not to support the election of Mr. Trump, as many Democrats have asserted, but rather to disrupt the integrity of the political system and undermine Americas standing in the world more broadly. The hacking, they said, reflected an intensification of spy-versus-spy operations that never entirely abated after the Cold War but that have become more aggressive in recent years as relations with Mr. Putins Russia have soured. The parallels to Hoover, who ran the F.B.I. and its predecessor from 1924 to 1972 as a fief that reflected his personal and political views, may be quite a stretch. People who know Mr. Comey well dismiss out of hand the notion that he acted to tip the election to either Mrs. Clinton or Donald J. Trump. If he is guilty of anything, they say, it may be a sort of moral hubris, a desire to put his rectitude and incorruptibility on public display. After all, Mr. Comey first came to wide public attention for his role in a 2004 drama at the hospital bedside of John Ashcroft, then the attorney general. Acting in place of the ailing Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Comey had refused to sign off on the reauthorization of National Security Agency surveillance programs that he believed were legally flawed. When he heard two top aides to President George W. Bush planned to have Mr. Ashcroft sign the reauthorization, Mr. Comey sped to the hospital to head them off. It was a rare Washington drama that has often been recounted, usually with Mr. Comey as the heroic agent of justice. But before Mr. Comey, Hoover was the last F.B.I. director to be accused at least by some historians of trying to influence a presidential election, by feeding useful scraps of information on Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, to the campaign of Thomas E. Dewey, a Republican. To his critics, Mr. Comey has twice flagrantly violated the longstanding norms of law enforcement, politicizing the F.B.I. by injecting it into a hard-fought election. His defenders say the controversy may simply show the difficulty of running a law enforcement organization as a purely professional, apolitical endeavor in an election year awash in political passions, suspicions and accusations. (Just ask Loretta E. Lynch, Mr. Comeys boss as attorney general, who said after an airport encounter with former President Bill Clinton that drew Republican criticism that she would accept whatever the F.B.I. recommended on the Clinton email inquiry.) Several F.B.I. directors have found themselves tangled in politicized disputes Louis J. Freeh, the director from 1993 to 2001, had a contentious relationship with Mr. Clinton. But in the Hoover years, the bureau was a deeply political instrument. Hoovers personal crusade against communists, real and imagined, his targeting of antiwar and civil rights activists, and his use of F.B.I. files to pressure or blackmail other officials sometimes including presidents defined the bureau for decades. But it is that kind of talk suggesting that a reconstructed breast is an improvement on a womans natural breast that enrages many women who have undergone mastectomies. For starters, a reconstructed breast is often numb and can no longer play a role in sexual arousal. It often lacks a nipple, since the nipple is usually removed in a mastectomy. After looking at photos of reconstructed breasts, I was slightly horrified, said Charlie Scheel, 48, of Brooklyn, who decided against implants after a double mastectomy. You dont have nipples and you have scars everywhere. Rebecca Pine, a cancer survivor from Long Island who co-founded a photography and writing project called The Breast and the Sea, said, Its a tremendous amount to put your body through, and its not like were going to get our breasts back. Ms. Pine, 40, had reconstruction after her first mastectomy, but had the implant removed later when she had a prophylactic mastectomy on her other breast. They dont look or feel, in most cases, like our breasts, she said. The nerves are cut, so theyre not receptive to feel or touch. Dr. Susan Love, author of a best-selling book about breast health, said that doctors aiming to expand access to reconstruction may have become overly enthusiastic about the surgery. Surgeons became so proud of what we were able to do that we may have forgotten that not everybody may want it, Dr. Love said. Dr. Marisa C. Weiss, founder of breastcancer.org, said doctors should not assume every patient wants reconstructed breasts. Ive had go-go dancers who do not want reconstruction and nuns who say, I need reconstruction, she said. SEOUL, South Korea The woman at the center of President Park Geun-hyes worst leadership crisis was jailed on Tuesday, as prosecutors grilled her overnight over allegations that she had manipulated important government affairs from the shadows. Choi Soon-sil, 60, a friend of Ms. Parks for 40 years and widely seen here as the presidents secret adviser, though she had no official government title, was also accused of using her influence to extort $69 million from big businesses in the form of donations to two foundations she controlled. On Sunday, Ms. Park fired eight aides, including her chief of staff, in an effort to regain public trust. That was a day after thousands of South Koreans took to the streets to call for her removal from office. And on Monday, after weeks of evading the news media and public scrutiny, Ms. Choi presented herself to prosecutors. She tearfully apologized before a phalanx of television cameras, while angry citizens demanded her arrest. One person was detained while attempting to hurl a tub of excrement at her and the prosecutors office, claiming that the investigation was rigged to protect Ms. Park. Set to to Bohuslav Martinus Symphony No. 6 (Fantaisies Symphoniques) and a smidgen of electronic sound, the one-act version was made for the great dramatic ballerina Lynn Seymour. It offers a satisfyingly expressionist vision of trauma and mental derangement, in which everything onstage seems to emanate from the mind of the central character. On Saturday night, at the Royal Opera House, Ms. Osipova gave a riveting account of a tortured soul in this section, her body wrenched into strange shapes, her eyes blank and wide as figures from the past filtered by. Ms. Osipova has frustratingly little, however, to do in the full-length ballets first two acts, added by MacMillan after he returned to the Royal Ballet in 1970 as its director. These acts offer a vision of Imperial Russia in the form of the characters memories (or memories) of her youth a party on the imperial yacht on the eve of World War I; her coming-out ball three years later. The overarching idea is that the events of these acts are unreliable products of, or imprints upon, Anna/Anastasias memory, rather than realistic accounts. This is supported by Bob Crowleys nonrealist, off-kilter sails and chandeliers. But MacMillan treats the material with such dull conformity to 19th-century ballet tradition the ensemble dances, the solos, the pas de deux arrive with dutiful regularity that its hard not to read these first two acts as straightforward presentations of life at court. Part of the problem is the score, too slow, evenly paced and folk-inflected to sustain the kind of aristocratic merriment that MacMillan seems to want in the opening act, with its naval officers (good work from Luca Acri, Tristan Dyer, Marcelino Sambe), in uniform and stripy bathing suits, entertaining the royal family. Why would they be dancing? I kept wondering; a clear sign that suspension of disbelief wasnt going well. CHICAGO High above a gallery at the Art Institute of Chicago, balancing on a bright red ladder, Kemang Wa Lehulere worked intently on a school blackboard, his slashes of white chalk gradually cohering to reveal a rounded form. A video of a cigarette slowly burning played as male voices sang. It was the third day of the two-week process of drawing, carving and constructing dozens of works of art on the spot for Mr. Wa Lehuleres first American museum show, In All My Wildest Dreams, which opened on Thursday. There are elements that speak to each other, but I have left them quite loose, he said, when asked about the relationships among the drawings, paintings, video, sculptures and performance work that make up the exhibition. At first glance, Mr. Wa Lehuleres work can seem very abstract. The large chalk drawing would take shape as a Boston pencil sharpener, looming over porcelain dogs that are seated next to suitcases filled with earth and grass. A taxidermied parrot in a hanging birdhouse seems to recite American language lessons. Tires are punctured with crutches constructed from school desks, and works made from human hair line the walls. AMSTERDAM New evidence has bolstered a theory that Vincent van Goghs psychotic break on Dec. 23, 1888, may have been set off by the news that his brother, Theo, had become engaged to be married. The author Martin Bailey writes about the findings, based on a thorough examination of family letters, in his new book, Studio of the South: Van Gogh in Provence, which will be published on Thursday in Britain. The artist cut off most of his ear during a psychotic episode about 12 hours after he learned of the engagement, which is not something you would do if you welcomed the news, by any means, Mr. Bailey said in a phone interview on Tuesday. In the past, most scholars have credited the mental breakdown to a fight van Gogh had that same day with the painter Paul Gauguin, a friend of his. Mr. Bailey believes the engagement news to be a much more significant disturbance than the fight, and said that van Goghs fears of abandonment may have been stirred. Teneo, the corporate consulting firm with ties to the Clintons, filed papers to sue Ed Rollins, a veteran Republican strategist and chairman of a Donald J. Trump super PAC, for defamation and breach of contract over comments made about the firm in recent days. According to a summons filed in New York State Supreme Court on Monday, the company said it would seek $10 million in damages from Mr. Rollins, who ran Ronald Reagans campaign in 1984 and now makes regular appearances on television, often on Fox News. During a Friday appearance on Lou Dobbs Tonight on Fox Business, Mr. Rollins, a senior adviser at Teneo until this year, made comments cited by the company as defamatory and a breach of its contract because they included confidential information, according to the summons. The company also cited Mr. Rollinss statements to The New York Times for an article about the firm published last month. LONDON Standard Chartered, a bank that is based in London and has extensive activities in Asia, said on Tuesday that it was facing an inquiry by regulators into its underwriting of a stock sale in Hong Kong. The lenders disclosure the latest in a series of regulatory issues it has faced worldwide in recent years comes after UBS said last week that it had been notified that the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong planned to take action against the bank and some of its employees over UBSs role as a sponsor on certain initial public offerings. The Swiss bank said it could face fines or a suspension of UBSs ability to provide corporate finance advisory services in Hong Kong for a period of time. In the case of Standard Chartered, the Hong Kong regulator planned to take action over its role as a joint sponsor of an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2009. Three years ago, the Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz proposed that increasing profits from companies managing to avoid normal competitive forces what economists refer to as rents appeared to be an important factor in the rising share of the nations income flowing toward corporate profits and top executive pay in recent years. He surmised that weak labor unions which represent barely over 7 percent of workers in the private sector did not have the clout to protect the workers share. Since then, several other studies have presented various channels through which a lack of competition between employers could keep wages down. In a report published last month, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, led by Mr. Furman, laid out the case. In a competitive market, companies will vie with their rivals to hire the best workers, lifting wages up to workers marginal product, the last cent where their employers could still turn a profit. As productivity grows, wages will be bid up further. Prosperity will spread. But when there are few or no rivals in a labor market, employers will pay much less. This kind of power doesnt even require employers to hold absolute monopolies. Employers can collude more easily when there are few competitors. They can more easily impose tough contractual restrictions that make it tough for workers to shop for better jobs. Competition in product markets does not necessarily translate to competition in the labor market an exporter that sells into global markets but hires domestically may experience a lot of the former yet little of the latter. Waning competition in employment can muck up the economy in more ways than one. It slows wage growth, of course. Lacking outside options, workers are much less likely to leave a job. But economic output and employment will suffer, too, because fewer workers will be willing to work for the lower wage. Not everybody agrees that a lack of competition is having a big impact on the job market. There is evidence of market power, acknowledged Michael Strain, a moderate conservative at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. But pending further research, my current view is that big macroeconomic forces like technological change and globalization are significantly more important. UFO in Austria (Photo : Paranormal Crucible/YouTube) Despite the few minutes that a UFO was spotted by Vienna residents, a number of Austrians managed to take photos and videos of the event which had become viral on the internet. The images, which had more than 20,000 hits so far, are claimed by believers in aliens as proof that extraterrestials exist and are on Earth visiting the planet. The images show a spherical-shaped object that gave a white and almost purple glow, Bitbag reported. Advertisement The UFO apparently did not limit its trip to the capital city of Vienna but went south as residents of Graz, another Austrian city, also reported seeing the UFO which they note was similar to an object seen over Moscow a few year ago. Vienna police said they are investigating the incident. But because the authorities has not yet released any report about the incident, conspiracy theorists spread the word there has been an alien visit but the cops are covering it up. It seems Austria is a favorite country for UFO sightings because on Dec. 31, 2015, New Year celebrators spotted a bright glowing object apparently struck by lightning. However, online skeptics dismissed the Austria sightings. They pointed out what residents saw and captured images on their devices is a quadrocopter, a small helicopter with four rotors, Express reported. Dressed in a dark suit and a blue tie, Mr. Reilly, the Glaxo executive, was led in handcuffs into a small courtroom in the city of Changsha, in central China, in September 2014. With security guards behind him, he stood alongside four other senior Glaxo executives as a judge read the charges. The defendant company GSKCI is guilty of bribing nongovernment personnel and will be fined 3 billion yuan, the judge, Wu Jixiang, said sternly, referring to Glaxos Chinese name. The company and the executives, having confessed, were given relatively light sentences, the court said. Mark Reilly was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to be expelled from China. After handing down that sentence, the judge turned to Mr. Reilly. Do you obey the courts verdict? Do you appeal? he asked. Mr. Reilly said that he would not challenge the verdict. Because he was swiftly deported, he will not serve prison time in China. Glaxo is still trying to clean up the mess. In China, Glaxo has promised to overhaul its operations and has put in place stricter compliance procedures. The company has changed the way its sales force is compensated and has eliminated the use of outside travel agencies. Glaxo has also tightened oversight of expenses and cash advances, areas central to the case. Employees must now send in photographs of the guests and food, to verify that the meetings took place. And in August 2015, Glaxo tried to make amends by rehiring Ms. Shi, an acknowledgment that the company had erred in firing an employee suspected of being a whistle-blower. April 2012 Glaxo executives in China begin hearing that a whistle-blower has been sending documents to Chinese regulators claiming widespread corruption at the company. July 2012 The company pleads guilty in the United States to criminal charges for improper drug marketing and kickbacks to doctors. The companys chief executive, Sir Andrew Witty, pledges that it is never going to happen again. December 2012 Vivian Shi, the head of government affairs for Glaxo in China, is fired, supposedly for falsifying travel expenses. But the real reason, according to internal documents, is that Ms. Shi is suspected of being the whistle-blower. January 2013 The whistle-blower sends a 5,200-word email to the Glaxo chairman, senior executives and the companys outside auditor. The email, like the previous ones to authorities, describes a systemic fraud and bribery scheme. The allegations are dismissed by the company as a smear campaign. OTTAWA Unifor, Canadas largest private sector union, reached a tentative agreement with the Ford Motor Company of Canada early Tuesday, concluding contract talks with the three Detroit-based automakers. As with the Canadian branches of General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the union focused on preserving jobs as much as traditional contract issues like wages. Jerry Dias, the unions national president, said that the company would invest about 700 million Canadian dollars, or $522 million, to introduce a new engine at one of three engine factories Ford has in Windsor, Ontario. He said that the two older of those Windsor factories, which had been widely expected to close, would probably remain open. Are we better off today than we were yesterday in Windsor? Mr. Dias said. The answer is yes. He added that with the new investment, the companys employment in the city would probably increase. Hulus new so-called skinny bundle is beginning to take shape. Hulu has signed deals that will make networks like ABC, ESPN and Fox News a part of its forthcoming live streaming service, the company announced on Tuesday. Through the deal, 21st Century Foxs and Disneys collection of broadcast and cable channels both companies are part owners of Hulu will join the new service. Hulu previously made a deal with Time Warner, which owns channels like TNT, TBS and CNN, and is also an owner. Hulus fourth owner, Comcast, which has a vast array of cable channels through NBCUniversal like USA, Bravo and E, has not reached an agreement to join the service. The live service is expected to make its debut in early 2017, and though Hulu has not said exactly how much it would cost, media executives have said that it may be around $40 a month. Hulus live offering will be the latest cheaper and slimmer television package at a time when more people are canceling traditional and more expensive cable subscriptions. Other skinny bundles include SlingTV, which goes for about $20 a month, and PlayStation Vue, which goes for about $40 a month. The recipe for this orange-cranberry glazed cake has traveled far and wide. Credit... Jessica Emily Marx for The New York Times David Changs food empire spans more than a dozen restaurants in three countries, nine dessert bars, two cocktail lounges, one publishing company and a prepared-foods business. He has won multiple James Beard Foundation Awards and a pair of Michelin stars. In his spare time he appears on television shows and cooking specials and writes for his magazine, Lucky Peach. So last spring, when Mr. Chang unveiled Ando, a restaurant with no dining room, only deliveries, the enterprise felt a little small: dispatching lunchtime fare to office workers by courier in a swath of Midtown. But Mr. Chang says Ando is part of a larger plan: to create a more sustainable model for restaurants in a time of rising costs and slim profit margins, and to pay workers well in an industry known for low wages. He says he plans to expand beyond New York, building a business to dwarf all of his previous accomplishments. Ando may be his biggest gamble in one more way: The project is the first in his Momofuku restaurant group to take in significant venture capital financing, $7 million in its first round. No. Not right. Aside from almost being swept away because of poor footing, there would be another eight river crossings. By the end, we stopped bothering to even empty our shoes of the rocks the river deposited in them. For much of the journey a group of friendly travelers accompanied us. Some were living in Rendel, while others had family there and wanted to check on them. Without even basic cell service in the area, seeing loved ones required a hefty hike. One man had come from Port-au-Prince to see his brother and their family home. Having quickly grown tired of wading into the water with his nice clothes and shoes, he stripped down to his briefs and carried his belongings in a bundle under his arms. We started calling him Mr. Underwear. Mr. Underwear would race ahead of us every so often, but around the bend we always found him patiently waiting for us to catch up. He walked that way until we crossed the river for the ninth and final time. The destruction along the route was disheartening; it seemed to grow worse the deeper into the valley we wandered. And it wasnt simply that we were all thirsty and tired and a bit sun battered: The desperation of the villages along the way steadily escalated. Mel Gibson can be accused of many things, but subtlety is not one of them. Even at his worst I mean as a filmmaker, not a political thinker he consistently proves to be an able craftsman and a shrewd showman. Hacksaw Ridge, the first feature he has directed since Apocalypto, a decade ago, is a bluntly effective faith-and-flag war drama, the true story of a remarkable hero with a knot of moral tension at its center. That hero, Desmond Doss, is inscribed in the history books as something of a paradox: a conscientious objector who was awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery in combat. A Seventh-day Adventist who refused to carry a gun, Doss served as an Army medic in the Battle of Okinawa. What he did there is easily Googled (and is the subject of Terry L. Benedicts documentary The Conscientious Objector), but I wont go too far in spoiling a tale that Mr. Gibson retells with vigor and suspense. And also in graphic and gruesome detail. Mr. Gibsons appetite for gore is without equal in modern Hollywood. Maybe thats saying a lot, or maybe it goes without saying, but the man is an aficionado a connoisseur, an epicure, a gourmand of exploding heads, shattered limbs and burst abdomens. As he did most famously in The Passion of the Christ, he once again plunges a man of peace into a charnel house of cruelty, testing the fortitude of protagonist and audience alike. Hacksaw Ridge opens with a taste of hell, a battleground that belongs more in a horror movie than in a combat picture. Rupert Gregson-Williamss jarring, minor-key score plays under a slow-motion tableau of spurting blood, splintering bones, burning flesh and general agony. MAHWAH, N.J. Stephanie Long roared into a service station in her red Mustang late on Monday, yanked a red lollipop from her mouth and told the attendant to top off the tank, fast. She was worried about the red ink in her budget. Ms. Long, a graduate student who has been holding down three jobs trying to cover her expenses, was out to beat a deadline that haunted drivers in and around New Jersey on Halloween: At midnight, the states gasoline tax would jump by 23 cents per gallon, to 37.5 cents. Im going to need a new car because of this, maybe a Prius, said Ms. Long, 24, who lives in Suffern, N.Y., as she handed the attendant three $1 bills the cost of 1.485 gallons of regular. Id like to keep the Stang, but I cant be cool forever. Half a tank here, a tiny top-off there. Drivers descended on service stations on Monday night for one last fill-up before the increase descended on them. Many were New York residents accustomed to sneaking into New Jersey for a better deal. Less-expensive gasoline has long lured drivers from other states, and many New Jersey drivers considered the gasoline tax a bargain that offset their high property taxes. As a review of his Manhattan building portfolio shows, Mr. Trump repeated his Trump Tower innovation at least seven more times. The idea quickly caught on with other New York developers looking to sell condominiums of ever loftier height, status and, most important, price. By 1985, the year after Trump Tower opened, the developer Harry B. Macklowe had employed the same stratagem to turn his 67-story Metropolitan Tower into a 78-story skyscraper. Mr. Macklowes team credited Mr. Trump for the idea. So did Mr. Trump. A lot of people have copied me, he told The Times in 2003. In this case, imitation is shrewd salesmanship. One57, the billionaires aerie on 57th Street that laid temporary claim to being the tallest residential tower in New York when it was completed in 2014, was said to top out at the $100 million 90th-floor penthouse. Actual floor count: 75. The higher your building, the better it is for your marketing purposes, said Amir Korangy, the publisher of The Real Deal, a real estate publication based in New York. Nobodys trying to have the shortest building in the city, so any sort of edge you can get to add a floor here and there, you take it. The citys Buildings Department does not object, so long as the floors are counted accurately in the buildings certificate of occupancy. Iain Glen and Emelia Clarke attend the DVD launch of the complete first season of 'Game Of Thrones' at Old Vic Tunnels on February 29, 2012 in London, England. (Photo : Getty Images/Tim Whitby) "Game of Thrones" character Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) was spotted in some of the photos on the set of filming Season 7. He had the incurable greyscale after being ambushed by stone men in Season 5. He was dispatched by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in Season 6 to find a cure for his disease. Advertisement Though greyscale is a fatal disease, Mormont could be miraculously cured. A photo showed him being ferried to the island. It was too far away for the shot to determine if he still has greyscale problem or not. However, in subsequent photos where he appeared reunited to his unrequited love interest, there is no sign of the disease in his hand, GamesRadar reported. Itzurun Beach, Zumaia, Spain has been the site of the filming of the "Game of Thrones" production for the past few days. Publications managed to secure some photos from the filming site. Several of the photos show the members of Targaryen's camp - Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Varys (Conleth Hill) and some Unsullied soldiers in the Dragonstone, the original seat of House Targaryen. The onset pictures had director Jeremy Podeswa, who is helming Season 7 premiere and finale. Hence, the photos could be from the arrival of Team Targaryen in the first episode where the Mother of Dragons familiarizes the area. Filming in Zumaia wrapped on Oct. 29, Saturday, and the "Game of Thrones" production headed to the sunny side of Spain starting on Nov. 1. The first venue is reportedly Andalusia, where the production will stay until Nov. 12. The filming will likely be in the Roman amphitheater of Italica, the gladiatorial physique of which can manifest the ruins of the former Dragonpit, where the Targaryen dragons lived for years. The venue has been closed for two weeks and will remain so until Nov. 12. There will also be a brief shoot nearby in the city of Seville, at the Royal Shipyards. The next filming location is reportedly Almodovar del Rio Castle, Cordoba which will be shut from Nov. 4 to 16 though filming will be possibly between Nov. 9 to 15, according to Watchers on the Wall . Out of the four directors of "Game of Thrones" Season 7, three visited this location: Podeswa, Mark Mylod who directs episode 2 and Matt Shakman, the one in charge of episode 5. The next filming site will be Extremadura, Caceres province on Nov. 14 to Dec. 15. Most likely, Caceres City will represent King's Landing. Filming will conclude in Malpartida, a municipality in Caceres province where the longest filming will take place. Here is the scene where Mormont was dismissed by his queen to get treatment for his greyscale: He fell to his knees, with tears in his eyes, and confessed to his prayer group. He sat down the woman who would soon be his wife in her parents living room and confided in her. And at a religious retreat in rural New Jersey, after an elder prodded Pedro Hernandez to open up, the words soon came tumbling out. He had something inside he wanted to get out, the elder, Ramon Rodriguez, testified last week in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Mr. Hernandez is on trial on charges of kidnapping and killing Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy who disappeared in 1979 as he walked to his school bus stop in SoHo, near the bodega where Mr. Hernandez worked as a stock clerk. On Tuesday, jurors heard Mr. Hernandezs own words, as prosecutors played a video of one of the confessions he made around the time of his arrest in 2012 that are at the heart of their case. I grabbed him by the neck, he said, and I started to choke him. Prosecutors built up to the recording with days of testimony from several people who said they had heard Mr. Hernandez admit to killing a child in New York City. I spoke to Mr. Khan, the very unlikely star of this election season, shortly after the ad featuring him was released. He is affectionately known as Khizr Uncle to many of us South Asians who are not related to him but still proudly claim kinship due to shared immigrant roots. I asked if hed considered stepping back from the campaign because of the spotlight on his family and the nasty trolling. Those are my words and I have spoken them a million times, he said. That criticism is worth it. We will do this a million times over and over again. Mr. Khan, who refers to Mr. Trump as the bogus candidate, says that after his convention speech and being criticized by Mr. Trump, he has received encouragement from people all over the country, who tell his wife and him that they are testaments to the goodness of America. In 2008, it is unlikely that Mr. Khan would have been the star of a campaign ad or a symbol of American goodness. That year, two Muslim women in headscarves were barred from sitting behind the podium by volunteers for the Obama campaign. That shameful act was done to protect Barack Obama from the Muslim rumor hes had to endure for years, one that was fanned enthusiastically by the current Republican presidential nominee. Linda Sarsour, the executive director of the Arab American Association of New York, says for some Muslim voters this year, fear is a motivator, but for others Islamophobia fuels us to demonstrate our political power in the face of the opposition. In a poll, Muslims cited civil rights as the key election issue for them, next to education, the economy and a concern about harassment of Muslim students. Khurrum Wahid, a Florida lawyer who helped found Emerge USA, a nonprofit group that encourages Muslim political engagement, explained the uptick in registration as a response to both outrage at the Republican nominee and Muslims being embraced by the Democrats. To the Editor: In 90s Crisis, Trump Used a Tax Tactic Now Banned (front page, Nov. 1) does the very thing many are excoriating the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, for doing using your bully pulpit to influence the election days beforehand. As a retired accountant, I assume that Donald Trump took an aggressive tax posture to either buy himself some badly needed time or to use ambiguity in the tax law to his advantage. The I.R.S. had the tools and the standing to challenge him. And Congress eventually stopped the practice, but apparently Mr. Trump won the day. You arent reporting the news in this case. Wonderful, reasonable editorial fodder, but not news. THOMAS SCERBO Glen Rock, N.J. To the Editor: Re Two Investigations, One Protective Reflex (news analysis, Nov. 1): Your comparison of the Whitewater investigation and James B. Comeys new inquiry into Hillary Clintons emails refers to a protective reflex from the Clintons. This is better characterized as a reflex on the part of the media and the public to concoct scandals involving the Clintons that simply dont exist. To the Editor: A Framework for Managing Immigration, by Eduardo Porter (Economic Scene column, Oct. 26), supports a proposal for a United States-Mexico temporary foreign worker program made by the Center for Global Development. In discussing the Bracero guest worker program, the column notes the serious labor abuses that are inherent in guest worker programs but suggests that there can be solutions to prevent labor abuses in a future program. The experience with guest worker programs in the last century justifies skepticism about this claim. An even greater concern, not discussed in the column, is the threat to our countrys democratic values posed by guest worker programs. If this country truly needs to draw from other countries to find additional workers, such workers should be given the opportunity to become immigrants with a path to citizenship. They should not be deprived of the opportunity to earn the right to vote and participate in the civic life of this country. Francois-Paul Journe is an independent watchmaker who is not afraid to speak his mind, even if it means speaking out against the giants of the Swiss watchmaking industry. In the first half of this year, the value of Swiss watch exports fell to 9.5 billion Swiss francs, or $9.6 billion, the lowest level since 2011. And 82 percent of the Swiss watch executives questioned for a recent Deloitte study forecast a gloomy future for their industry. Mr. Journe, 59, said some in the industry had only themselves to blame. The crisis is coming because people are tired of buying watches that are overpriced, the French-born, Geneva-based watchmaker said. If Swiss watch exports had gone from 10 billion francs to 20 billion, its not because the industry was exporting more watches, its because the price had doubled. Image Mr. Journes newest creation, the Quantieme Perpetuel. Credit... Pascal Mora for The New York Times Which is not to say that F. P. Journe watches are inexpensive. They range from 21,800 francs for the Chronometre Bleu to 189,500 francs for the Repetition Souveraine, and he believes they are fairly priced. Considering all the craftsmanship and haute horlogerie involved, its still not expensive, compared to other brands, he said. John and Stephen McGonigles house was full of clocks when they were growing up in rural Ireland. Their father, a compositor at the Irish Times, had a gift for fixing timepieces and word spread. Every flat surface had a clock on it, John recalled. And instead of pictures, we had other peoples clocks on the walls. When John finished school in 1986, the McGonigles father recommended that he enter the Irish-Swiss Institute of Horology in Dublin, a school partly supported by the Swiss in an effort to create a European network of watchmakers (it closed in 2004). Most of the graduates became jewelers; some entered industries like microchip manufacturing, where dexterity was paramount. But Mr. McGonigle wanted his son to make airplane instrument dials for Aer Lingus what he called a good job, his son recalled. Instead, John continued with a laugh, I got bitten by the watch bug. In 1994 Stephen also went to the institute: It was a very good grounding. And after they both had graduated, the brothers moved to Switzerland and spent about seven years working for prestigious houses including Breguet, Ulysse Nardin, Girard-Perregaux and Christophe Claret. Its probably the biggest demographic story of this election: Hillary Clinton has made big gains with well-educated whites, particularly women. And Donald J. Trump has continued recent Republican gains in winning over less educated whites, particularly men. As Nate Cohn wrote in an article last month, education has replaced the culture wars as the defining electoral divide. But what exactly do we mean by educated? Some Upshot readers, responding to the article, suggested it was about intelligence that college-educated people can see through Mr. Trump because theyre smart. You must mean high I.Q. v. low I.Q. when you say college educated v. working class. The truth is, we are talking about smart people against not-so-smart people. Mike Barker of Arizona I wouldnt say that Hillary is struggling with less educated voters. I think the issue is that the world is more complex than it has ever been, and these voters dont understand our legal system, our electoral system, journalism, trade issues, the deficit, taxation, the Fed, NATO, the U.N., cyber espionage, immigration, counterterrorism, nuclear policy, diplomacy, the Geneva Conventions or the Constitution. Jch of NY The I.Q. connection is purely speculative; no rigorous studies have been published to support it. Other readers warned against the temptation to stereotype, pointing to various explanations and showing how difficult it is to come to definitive conclusions about the education correlation. Its About What You Learn These days, the highly educated tend to be liberal. A Pew Research center study showed this growing connection among those with graduate degrees. Some readers said it had to do with what you learn at college: You become educated. When I started university, I was taken aback by how much I didnt know. It was exhilarating. Postsecondary education develops intangibles like the ability to think critically, and I think this explains why non-college-educated audiences are so vulnerable to exploitation by a Pied Piper like Trump. Aaron, Phoenix Another reader highlighted the advantages of encountering different points of view on campus. Higher ed is where a lot of people from conservative families find out that there are other ways to look at the world than through narrow religious and political ideologies; where they learn to question authority and distinguish between fact and opinion; where they discover that there are many people different from them in myriad ways who also matter. Katherine Bailey, Florida No, Its About Credentials and Social Class What if you mostly goof off at college beer pong at the fraternity instead of bearing down at the library but manage to get a degree? You may not be educated but you still have an edge in the job market: The degree can be a ticket to a good job and the good life. If you dont have that credential, you may feel left out and frustrated and more willing to shake things up with Mr. Trump. This election is divided along class lines. Why do we have such difficulty saying so? The invocation of education as the prime delineating factor among the electorate is just another way to avoid saying the C-word. Were not really talking about education, after all. Were not talking about how well-read these people are, about their skills at differential calculus, or whether they can say snarky things at cocktail parties about the shoddy curation of the Tribeca Film Festival. No, were talking about the resentment that poorer people feel toward the accredited classes. Squidge Bailey, Brooklyn Its worth mentioning that income is not nearly as predictive of presidential preference in this election as education. Trump supporters are not as poor as a lot of people think. And at the highest levels of income, the rich are set to reverse a decades-long pattern and support a Democratic presidential candidate. Or, Youre Learning the Wrong Things Several readers blamed left-wing bias on campus, particularly among professors or as one reader, LOsservatore, put it, the unquestioned control of collectivists and socialists on 95 percent of college campuses. When you have safe zones where ideas cannot be discussed and explored, you have indoctrination. Liberals have done all they can to dictate learning in America for over 40 years. MRS Little Rock, Ark. Why do the college-educated tend to vote Democrat? Simple. A young person entering any American college will take humanities courses in philosophy, literature, history, the social sciences, all taught by strongly left-leaning Democrats. It is impossible that they should emerge from this experience ideologically untouched. All this I well know as a recently retired conservative academic of 40-plus years the only Republican in a department of 22 professors. Rob, N.C. Studies have shown that professors have in fact become more liberal, with faculty members in New England standing out as far more liberal than the rest. A group of professors, frustrated by this trend, has compiled a Heterodox Academy ranking of colleges based on ideological diversity. Adam Crapser was adopted from South Korea nearly four decades ago, but today he languishes in an immigration detention center in Washington State awaiting deportation because his American parents never filed citizenship paperwork for him. Mr. Crapser, 41, built a life in Oregon, got married and raised children but will soon be forced to leave the country in which he has lived since he was 3 for South Korea, where he plans to eventually reunite with his biological mother in a small town three hours outside of Seoul, the capital. His family will remain in the United States temporarily, and they hope to reunite in South Korea. At this point Im ready to just go back and try to make my life over there, Mr. Crapser said on Monday night in a telephone interview from Tacoma Northwest Detention Center, a week after a judge denied his final request to stay in the United States. Theres been some good things that came out of all this, surprisingly. Mr. Crapsers sanguine attitude toward the wrenching dislocation that looms ahead is thanks in part to the media attention his case has attracted in both the United States and South Korea, he said. A South Korean documentary on his plight and the lives of other Korean adoptees led to his birth mother coming forward. Last month, hundreds clashed with law enforcement officials who used water to repel protesters in below-freezing weather, attracting more attention to the conflict. During that confrontation, Sophia Wilansky, 21, who grew up in the Bronx, suffered one of the most serious injuries of the movement, her arm badly damaged from an explosion whose origin remains in dispute. As many as 2,000 veterans plan to join the demonstrators next week to serve as human shields against what they describe as a militarized police force. In all, hundreds of people have been arrested since the protests began to attract widespread attention late this summer. What does each side want? The Dakota Access pipeline is a $3.7 billion project that would carry 470,000 barrels of oil a day from the oil fields of western North Dakota to Illinois, where it would be linked with other pipelines. Energy Transfer says the pipeline will pump millions of dollars into local economies and create 8,000 to 12,000 construction jobs though far fewer permanent jobs to maintain and monitor the pipeline. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe see the pipeline as a major environmental and cultural threat. They say its route traverses ancestral lands which are not part of the reservation where their forebears hunted, fished and were buried. They say historical and cultural reviews of the land where the pipeline will be buried were inadequate. They also worry about catastrophic environmental damage if the pipeline were to break near where it crosses under the Missouri River. PHILADELPHIA Transit workers here went on strike Tuesday, halting bus, trolley and subway service, and forcing hundreds of thousands of people onto packed commuter trains and roads to get to and from work or school. The strike by about 4,700 workers of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority shut down transit lines that normally provide nearly a million rides each weekday. As arduous as the morning rush was, the evening commute became even more challenging as pickets blocked employees access to their work assignments for Regional Rail service. That service, which extends from the city into the suburbs and was not part of the work stoppage, caused a significant number of trains to be canceled or disrupted, said the authority, which urged people who had been counting on the Regional Rail system to find other ways of getting home. Around 6 p.m., Septa said it had secured an injunction allowing train crews and other employees to report to their work assignments without interference from striking workers. Septa hopes this will ensure that incidents like those that disrupted service today will not happen again, it said. Actors Anthony Mackie, Chris Evans and Producer Kevin Feige of CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR took part today in 'Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios' presentation. (Photo : Getty Images/Jesse Grant) Is it possible to have a "Captain America" movie without Steve Rogers himself actually in it? It appears that idea isn't that far out. In a recent interview, Marvel President Kevin Feige addressed the possibility of having a "Captain America" film without Chris Evans' character at the center of it. Advertisement With the Marvel Cinematic Universe entering Phase 3, there are already a lot of questions about the fates of the current Avengers members. One of the speculated casualties in "Avengers: Infinity War" is Captain America, which means Chris Evans will retire as the genetically enhanced superhero and Sebastian Stan or Anthony Mackie could take over the mantle thereafter. When Collider asked if such is a possibility, Feige answered in the affirmative. "I'm not saying we'll do it in the movie but I've read Captain America comics that don't have Steve Rogers in them." Fans of the comic books would know that Steve Rogers didn't always appear as Captain America. At some point, the baton was passed to Sam Wilson a.k.a. Falcon and Bucky Barnes a.k.a Winter Soldier. Both characters are heavily involved in the "Captain America" franchise as close friends and ally to Evans' Steve. As reported by We Got This Covered, Stan shared his thoughts about possibility suiting up as Captain America in the future. "It's so not up to me, and to be honest I really enjoy my job over there, I'm really happy going to work and doing what I do," Stan stated. "I love the character that I have. It's up to a lot of different things, and whatever Marvel decides, I'm game. Prior to the release of "Captain America: Civil War," a source close to the movie said Stan had already been fitted for a Captain America costume, which coincides with the comic book event where Steve is apparently shot dead by a brainwashed Sharon Carter. This is not to say that Evans' character is going to bite the dust soon, considering that no one ever stays dead in the MCU. However, this puts a green light on the possibility of having a different Captain America. WASHINGTON Things finally seemed to be going better for Noor Salman and her husband, Omar Mateen. He had been accepted into a police training program and had showered her with jewelry to celebrate. He had given her permission to visit her family in California and handed her spending money for the trip. And he had stopped hitting her. So when Mr. Mateen told her that he would not be home for dinner the afternoon of June 11, she asked him not to go. It was Saturday and she hoped it would be a family night. But he told her that he had to see a friend, kissing her and hugging their 3-year-old son as he left. Mr. Mateen never returned home. Instead, he drove two hours from the familys home in Fort Pierce, Fla., to a nightclub in Orlando, where he killed 49 people and wounded dozens more before the police fatally shot him, ending one of the worst terrorist attacks in the United States since 2001. Ms. Salman, whose parents immigrated to the United States from the West Bank in 1985, was immediately a person of interest. F.B.I. agents questioned her for hours, eliciting from her that she had been with her husband when he bought ammunition and scouted the club. Some agents came to believe that she was not being truthful. Covering the primary campaigns and general election in Pennsylvania, Erik has witnessed tense encounters between Trump supporters and protesters, heard raw and offensive language from angry crowds and occasionally felt the animosity directed toward the news media. He has had to tiptoe around contentious subjects in his articles, omitting the graphic details of the allegations of unwanted advances on women against Mr. Trump and the obscene language in the leaked tape from Access Hollywood, in which the Republican presidential candidate bragged about his treatment of women. I told the truth, told what happened, but also glazed over some of the details that are not appropriate for the age group I was writing for, Erik said. Scholastic has been providing child-friendly election coverage to teachers and classrooms for nearly a century, starting with the 1924 race between Calvin Coolidge and John W. Davis. It introduced its childrens press corps program in 2000, and for the last five presidential elections, Scholastic has sent precocious young political reporters to cover rallies, debates and stump speeches around the country. This years press corps includes children in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The children cover their local areas, and their reports appear on the Scholastic News website and occasionally in its classroom magazines, which reach about 25 million students. There was the myth of Trump supporters sending wild dogs to scare off black voters in Ohio. In Texas, some of the voting booths supposedly became possessed, switching ballots cast for Donald J. Trump to Hillary Clinton. And then there was the amateur genealogist said to be committing voter fraud by jotting down names found on gravestones. A week before Election Day, warnings of a rigged vote, amplified largely by Mr. Trump himself, have led to anxiety across the country about the integrity of the electoral process. In some instances, the concerns appear to be justified, but many have resulted from simple glitches or a heightened sense of suspicion. In any case, a year of extraordinary political polarization has left voters increasingly wary about their fellow citizens and the credibility of the countrys method for picking a president. I think theres definitely more paranoia this year, said Pamela Smith, the president of Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group that promotes the integrity of elections. There has been a lot of talk about election rigging. If you think an election is going to be rigged, then you look at everything through that filter. Many of the rumors of rigged votes have taken on a life of their own on social media, where conspiracy theories flourish and accusations fly. The reports have left election officials and the local authorities scrambling to verify claims of mischief and, often, to offer reality checks. A prominent white nationalist who supports Donald J. Trump has started a smear campaign against Evan McMullin, the independent candidate who is running close with Mr. Trump in Utah, with a robocall accusing him of secretly being a homosexual who supports open borders and amnesty. The robocall, which the white nationalist, William Johnson, narrates and is being made across Utah, demonstrates how concerned Trump supporters are that a Republican could lose the state for the first time since 1964. It is also the latest example of Mr. Trump attracting support from fringe political activists who are shunned by most mainstream Republicans. In a deeply personal attack, Mr. Johnson says in the call: Evan has two mommies. His mother is a lesbian, married to another woman. He is the son of Ponca Tribe activists from Oklahoma who took him to rallies when he was a baby. Mr. Horinek, 43, remembers riding on his fathers and uncles shoulders as they marched with Cesar Chavez in the California fruit-pickers protests. I cant remember a time that I wasnt being taught to stand up for human rights, native rights, he says. He came to North Dakota for a cause. Here is how he describes that cause now: What I said to the police officers when I was sitting down in a prayer circle, I asked them, Dont you drink water, too? he says. Dont your children drink water? Were here to protect the water. This isnt just a native issue. Were here protecting the water, not only for our families and our children, but for your families and your children. For every ranch and every farm along the Missouri River. Law enforcement officials have accused the protesters of rioting and attacking pipeline contractors, and they have arrested more than 400. But Mr. Horinek says the protesters water protectors, they call themselves are not the bad guys. He tells a story: Last week, he and 49 other demonstrators decided to link arms and sit together by the overturned earth where the Dakota Access pipeline is slated to go. They were on what the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe considers sacred ancestral land, but from a legal perspective, it is owned by the pipeline company. So sheriffs officers arrested them for trespassing. MARRAKESH, Morocco Moroccan officials on Tuesday called the death of a fish vendor who was crushed in a garbage truck an involuntary homicide, and said that 11 people would be brought before the courts as part of a criminal investigation. The vendor, Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was killed on Friday after he jumped into the compactor at the back of the truck to recover his swordfish, which the police had confiscated because the fish is a protected species. Cities in Morocco have since been consumed by protests, by some estimates the largest in years. In a statement on Tuesday, Mohamed Aqwir, the public prosecutor for Al Hoceima, the northern port city where the death occurred, said that a preliminary investigation had established that there was no order to kill or harm Mr. Fikri. Professor Kaufmann and a colleague, Gareth Harris, found that white Britons who lived in areas that are rapidly diversifying became more likely to vote for the right-wing British National Party. Daniel Hopkins, a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, found a similar pattern of ethnic change leading to anti-immigrant politics in the United States. Immigrant populations in Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee have more than tripled since 1990, noted Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, in an analysis for Vox. Anxiety over those changes may explain why the Republican Party became so much more focused on limiting immigration over that period and why white voters in those states overwhelmingly support Mr. Trump. The whiteness taboo For decades, the language of white identity has only existed in the context of white supremacy. When that became taboo, it left white identity politics without a vocabulary. If you are a working-class white person and you fear that the new, cosmopolitan world will destroy or diminish an identity you cherish, you have no culturally acceptable way to articulate what you perceive as a crisis. Some of these people have instead reached for issues that feel close to their concerns: trade, crime, the war on drugs, controlling the borders, fear of Islamist terrorism. All are significant in their own right, and create very real fears for many people, but they have also become a means to have a public conversation about what societys changes mean for white majorities. Professor Ivarsflaten cited the U.K. Independence Party, whose official platform focused on Brexit but whose pitch to voters emphasized immigrants effects on the economy and culture, as an example of an effective hybrid populist pitch. The approach has in some cases moved from the political fringes into the mainstream. Some leaders from Britains center-right, governing Conservative Party, for example, helped push a British exit, and since the referendum the new Conservative prime minister, Theresa May, has signaled sympathy with white identity politics. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan After days of police crackdowns on his supporters, Imran Khan, Pakistans opposition leader, on Tuesday called off his plan to shut down the Pakistani capital with street demonstrations, averting a potentially violent clash. Mr. Khan made the announcement after the Pakistani Supreme Court said it would form a judicial commission to investigate corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose family members were named as holders of offshore bank accounts in leaked financial documents known as the Panama Papers. A five-member panel of the court asked Mr. Sharif to submit a written response to the allegations. Addressing supporters outside his residence in the capital, Islamabad, on Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Khan said that instead of logjamming Islamabad on Wednesday with his rally, he would celebrate. The announcement disappointed his supporters. For weeks, Mr. Khan had raised expectations that the protest would force Mr. Sharif to step down. Mr. Khan had claimed that one million of his supporters would reach the capital and clog the government machinery on Wednesday. BRUSSELS A bereavement. A horrific accident. An emotional spasm. For once, the language coming from the glass and concrete buildings in Brussels is laden not with the dull acronyms of European Union jargon, but with angst. For many of the Britons who spent years, even decades, working to integrate their nation within Europe, Junes referendum vote to quit the bloc was traumatic. Like battlefield survivors, marooned on what feels increasingly like enemy territory, they are coming to terms with a new reality: As British influence recedes here, so, too, do their careers. They tell tales of colleagues going for coffee when they speak at meetings, or being cut out of email chains. One official said he was treated like a bereaved family member people avoid you, he said, because they dont know what to say. MOSCOW Many of the lawmakers and officials responsible for inspiring public trust in Ukraines economic and banking institutions have little faith that their own wealth would be safe in the countrys banks, according to recently mandated financial disclosures. The new law in corruption-weary Ukraine required all officials, from mayors to members of Parliament, to publicly declare their property holdings by Monday. More than 50,000 officials complied. Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, for example, declared over one million dollars in savings in cash $870,000 and 460,000 euros apparently shunning Ukraines ever-wobbly banking system. The top official in charge of the countrys banks, Valeriya Gontareva, who is responsible for stabilizing the national currency, the hryvnia, maintains most of her money in American dollars $1.8 million. South Korean actors Park Bo-Gum, Song Hye-Kyo, Yoo Ah-In and Song Joong-Ki attend the 52nd Baeksang Art Awards on June 3, 2016. (Photo : Instagram/hongsick) The immense success of KBS 2TV's "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" catapulted Park Bo-Gum to the top spot in Korean Business Research's brand reputation. The 23-year-old Hallyu star nabbed the number one spot for brand power among Korean actors in the month of October. On Oct. 29, Saturday, the Korean Business Research Institute released their findings with respect to the brand reputation rankings for the month of October. It is based on 34,665,904 pieces of data gathered from Sept. 27 to Oct. 28. Advertisement Park came in first place with a total brand reputation score of 8,618,542 points, which is a 453.95 percent increase in his score of 2,675,514 for the month of August, Naver TV reported. Following him is South Korean chef Baek Jong-Won and "Descendants of the Sun" actor Song Joong-Ki in the second and third place, respectively. A source from the Korean Business Research Institute stated Park reached the top spot in the brand reputation chart because of the impressive popularity of the KBS historical drama. It is said the Hallyu star is loved by many individuals across different age groups and that it is helpful in increasing sales as a spokesmodel. "Park Bo Gum became the talk of the town following his drama 'Reply 1988' and his recent drama 'Moonlight Drawn by Clouds'," local newsoutlet Xports News quoted the source as saying, as cited by Soompi. "Thus, a new term called 'Park Bo Gum Effect' was created." Actor Kang Don- Won came in fourth place, while "Train to Busan" star Gong Yoo and comedian Yoo Jae Suk is in the fifth and sixth spot. IU, who recently portrayed Hae-Soo in "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo," came in seventh place along with Ryu Jun Yeol and Kim Soo-Hyun in the eighth and ninth spot, respectively. Park, who debuted as an actor in the 2011 thriller film "Blind," experienced tremendous growth in his popularity throughout Asia after he portrayed Crown Prince Lee Yeong in KBS2's "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds." The historical drama ended up with impressive viewership ratings of 25.3 percent on Oct. 18. Check out KBS 2TV's "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" below: The Roman Catholic Churchs teaching that women cannot be ordained as priests is likely to last forever, Pope Francis said on Tuesday as he flew back to Rome from Sweden. Francis had traveled to Sweden for a historic ceremony commemorating the year leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. He was embraced at an ecumenical church service by the primate of the Church of Sweden, Archbishop Antje Jackelen, who is a woman. Francis has said before that the Catholic Churchs ban on ordaining women as priests is a closed matter. But questions arose about his intentions after he established a commission to study whether women could be ordained as deacons. (Members of the commission were named in August.) In a news conference aboard the popes plane, a Swedish journalist referred to Archbishop Jackelen and asked whether it was realistic to think that there might be female priests in the next few decades. Trying to discern the Islamic States plans for defending the city, Staff Gen. Wathiq al-Hamdani, the commander of the Mosul police force, said that in recent days he had sent an informant, who was pretending to be a fisherman, to check under bridges for explosives. He said that the two bridges the informant was able to check the city has five were not rigged to blow up. As the fight moves into the city, it will become simpler in one respect: Under the battle plan, only the Iraqi Army and the special forces are to enter the city proper. Other forces that have participated in the approach the Kurdish pesh merga fighting to the north, and Shiite militias in the west are being kept away because their presence would probably alienate Mosuls Sunnis. The fight for Mosul has played out against the backdrop of political uncertainty, with great unease about the potential for the battle to unleash waves of sectarian violence and revenge attacks. And as the fighting grinds on, there is a persistent fear of a major humanitarian crisis in the coming days and weeks, as the fighting moves toward more densely populated areas. Aid officials, noting that as many as a million people could remain in Mosul, have been preparing for a new wave of civilians fleeing the area. More than three million people in the country have already been driven from their homes because of violence. Some families were already streaming out of Gogjali on Tuesday, according to a witness and images on local television, but it was not immediately clear how many. The Iraqi government, dropping fliers over the city and broadcasting radio announcements, has been urging civilians to stay in their homes to avert a larger humanitarian crisis. Over the next two centuries the arrival of starving, war-ravaged, oppressed or just plain restless huddled masses, almost all of them from Europe, pushed the settlement north, turning New York into the largest and most diverse city in the United States. By 1860, an extraordinary 69 percent of voting-age New Yorkers were foreign-born. Only Vienna and Berlin had more German inhabitants, and they were still considerably outnumbered by the Irish. Fifty years later the flood of foreigners, who began disembarking at the iconic Ellis Island in 1892, showed no signs of receding. As many as a million migrants, an increasing number of them Italians and Russian Jews, arrived annually in the years leading up to World War I. After Congress passed restrictive laws in the 1920s, the city experienced its first and only sustained immigration drought. But in 1965, with the passage of the Hart-Celler Act, Gotham began to return to its original immigrant-rich identity. Today more than a third of the population is foreign-born. To me this city appeared as a tremendous overstuffed roar, where people just burst with a desire to live, a Russian immigrant, Morris Shapiro, recalled about his arrival in the 1920s. His description might well strike todays migrants, now largely from Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, as apt. Anbinder devotes at least one chapter to each of the major immigrant groups Irish, Germans, Russian Jews and Italians vividly detailing the political turmoil, famines and pogroms that led them to leave their homes and families, the horrific steerage voyages across a turbulent Atlantic Ocean and their lives in New York. Despite the Babel of cultures, newcomers adapted to New York in similar ways, by first creating their own isolated ethnic islands. Early Irish arrivals moved into the wooden tenements in the notorious, gang-infested Five Points. The area we now know as the Lower East Side was Kleindeutschland, a German enclave further subdivided as South Germans, Hessians, Prussians and Bavarians laid claim to separate neighborhoods. Likewise in Little Italy, Sicilians clustered near Elizabeth Street while Neapolitans and Calabrians kept company along Mulberry Street. The social benefits of the immigrant enclave were immense, especially at a time when governments didnt provide much in the way of garbage collection roving pigs were about the best slum dwellers could expect until later in the 19th century much less social services. In their transplanted villages, newly arrived Irish found jobs on the docks or as servants with the help of a cousins brother-in-law on the next block. Lower East Side Jews could track down tailoring jobs on a tip from a neighbor. Ethnic groups sorted themselves into distinct occupations, as they still do: Italians became barbers, shoemakers, longshoremen and newsboys; Germans ruled the brewery, peddling and saloon businesses. Some of the enclaves became reeking, overcrowded slums that would catalyze progressive reformers like Jacob Riis, the author of the classic How the Other Half Lives. But they also hummed with Tocquevillian energy. Immigrant civic groups sprang up to meet every sort of need from the medical to the recreational to the spiritual. Neighborhood churches, some of them built and sustained by successful fellow immigrants with a stake in edifying their greenhorn countrymen, were crucial, especially to the poorest migrants. As early as 1756, Scottish immigrants founded the still extant St. Andrews Society under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church. Churches also started schools and hospitals; by the early 20th century, New York had eight Catholic hospitals alongside an assortment of Lutheran, Methodist, Jewish and Baptist institutions. The Germans were avid participants in gymnastic societies. Every ethnic group had its own home-language newspaper. Hostility from the native-born majority undoubtedly intensified ethnic separatism. Hordes of wild Irishmen were especially reviled: Any country or color . . . except Irish, read one 1853 Herald help wanted ad. But Jews and Italians were hardly spared: Rental ads might warn, No Jews and no dogs. In the eyes of many New Yorkers, the immigrants low moral tendency the words are Theodore Roosevelts made them seem hopeless as future citizens. As the numbers of foreigners grew, officials passed harsh restrictions, starting with Peter Stuyvesants limits on the rights of Lutherans, Quakers and Jews, continuing with the Alien and Sedition Act of the late 18th century and the Naturalization Act (which expanded from five to 14 the years before an immigrant could become a citizen) and then in the 19th century a variety of statutes barring convicts, idiots, paupers, polygamists, epileptics, anarchists, prostitutes and other outcasts. Finally, in 1924 the National Origins Act, one of the most momentous laws enacted in all of American history, imposed strict quotas and turned Ellis Island into a historical curiosity. The narrative may operate on a grand scale, but Palacio is just as gifted a miniaturist, able to distill the unbearable ruptures in a family down to a single image: Soledad had lost, and she knew it. She slipped to her knees, and Ulises watched as his mother begged forgiveness from his sister. Soledad cried, and Isabel ran her fingers, her delicate and expressive fingers, through her mothers hair. For Ulises, it was the final tilt of all things gone askew, the mother kneeling before the child, seeking redemption. The world Palacio has built is perhaps best described by that final tilt. Palacio does more than just make allusions to the Greek tragedies he tilts them toward Latin America, making it impossible not to hear Gabriel Garcia Marquezs description of Jose Arcadio Buendia as a man who did not believe in the honesty of Gypsies, in that opening description of Ulises, who over the course of the novel, grows into a towering beast of a man, while his twin sister Isabel commits to a vow of silence. Likewise, Ulises obsessive reading of the Oresteia could easily be taken as an overt declaration of the novels debt to Aeschylus trilogy of tragedies, making Ulises a stand-in for Orestes, and Isabel, mute and emotionally bound to her father and his faith, might be a kind of Cuban-American Iphigenia. This restlessness of Palacios approach roaming across physical and cultural borders, borrowing and revising as he sees fit allows him to tread on territory most American writers are reluctant to touch. He makes the most of Isabels Catholicism, treating it as both a genuine article of faith, as well as an aperture into Cubas complicated relationship to dogma, whether religious or revolutionary. He eschews conventional realism, pushing his characters into almost mythic states. Willems imagines the spirits of dead slaves rising from the burning tobacco leaves; Ulises grows so large he is nicknamed the Titan by his peers, while Isabel and Soledad discover how to speak to each other without language. And while Palacio always renders such moments with the type of layered precision necessary to make Willemss ghosts palpable, the characters nonetheless occasionally feel strained, their gestures and thoughts almost excessive, and Palacio runs dangerously close to a type of symbolism that simply makes them extensions of a debate on faith and literature. Palacios characters, unlike those in most contemporary stories of migration, do find their way home. They stagger back to Cuba one by one, and its here that the novel makes the most of Palacios extraordinary ambition. Cuba, both before and after the fall of the Soviet Union, was not only a place haunting the characters, but also an animating force. Its only fitting, then, that it is in Cuba that Ulises, Soledad, Isabel, Willems and even Uxbal, the absent father who haunts them all, become more than the sum of their individual parts. They are not saved or redeemed by loss, by love, or by faith. They are, however, bound to something greater than themselves through tragedy, and its in the depiction of that glorious tragedy, and all the love and devotion that come with it, that Palacios novel becomes more than just epic. It becomes extraordinary. South Park Season 20, episode 7 is not airing on Nov. 2, 2016: New air date plus spoilers South Park Season 20, episode 7 is not airing on Nov. 2, 2016: New air date plus spoilers (Photo : SouthPark.cc.com) Buckle up, America, Caitlyn Jenner has consumed the member berries and it is going to be one hell of elections. However, fans will have to wait to find out what happens next as "South Park" Season 20, episode 7 is not telecasting on Nov. 2, 2016. Warning: This article contains spoilers from "South Park" Season 20 episodes. Read to know more. Advertisement "South Park" Season 20, episode 7 new airdate Episode 7 of "South Park" Season 20 is not set to air on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 as the show is taking a break again in this season. This will be a dark week in "South Park" Season 20. However, fans can watch the previous episode titled "Fort Collins." "South Park" Season 20, episode 7 will air on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2016. In "South Park" Season 20, episode 6, Garrison is trying his best to end Member Berries once and for all. However, despite his repeated attempts, the Member Berries refuse to die. In fact, they escape and vow to convert others. Meanwhile, Eric Cartman is concerned about his buddy Kyle and, Heidi suggests him to talk to Kyle. Later, she reveals the Emoji Analysis to Cartman and Kyle that would nail Skankhunt 42. Trolltrace.com also relies on Heidi's Emoji Analysis to find out the evil troll. Later, during the episode, they are able to locate the place and it is Fort Collins, Colorado. Soon, it is revealed that the website has made the emails of the residents of Fort Collins public. Fort Collins becomes a war zone as people go after one another. Towards the end of "South Park" Season 20, episode 6, the staff of Hillary Clinton tells her that only Skankhunt 42 can save her. Can Skankhunt 42 team up with Hillary to save himself? What will Caitlyn Jenner do in the new episode? We will find out when "South Park" Season 20 returns with episode 7 on Nov. 9, 2016, stay tuned. To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry. Disclaimer Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes. Before Debbie Bowers had surgery for breast cancer, her doctor promised that insurance would pay for reconstruction, and said she could even go up a cup size. But Bowers did not want a silicone implant or bigger breasts. Having something foreign in my body after a cancer diagnosis is the last thing I wanted, said Bowers, 45, of Bethlehem, Pa. I just wanted to heal. While plastic surgeons and oncologists aggressively promote breast reconstruction as a way for women to feel whole again, some doctors say they are beginning to see resistance to the surgery. Patients like Bowers are choosing to defy medical advice and social convention and remain breastless after breast cancer. They even have a name for the decision to skip reconstruction: They call it going flat. Reconstruction is not a simple process, said Dr. Deanna J. Attai, a breast surgeon in Burbank and a past president of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, adding that more of her patients, especially those with smaller breasts before diagnosis, were opting out of reconstruction. Some women just feel like its too much: Its too involved, there are too many steps, its too long a process. Social media has allowed these women to become more open about their decision to live without breasts, as well as the challenges, both physical and emotional, that have followed. For a recent video created by wisdo.com, a social media platform, and widely shared on Facebook, Bowers and her friend Marianne DuQuette Cuozzo, 51, removed their shirts to show their scarred, flat chests. And Paulette Leaphart, 50, a New Orleans woman whose clotting disorder prevented her from having reconstruction after a double mastectomy, walked topless from Biloxi, Mississippi, to Washington this summer to raise awareness about the financial struggles of cancer patients. Breasts arent what make us a woman, Leaphart said. The nascent movement to go flat after mastectomies challenges long-held assumptions about femininity and what it means to recover after breast cancer. For years, medical professionals have embraced the idea that breast restoration is an integral part of cancer treatment. Womens health advocates fought for and won approval of the Womens Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, which requires health plans to cover prosthetics and reconstructive procedures. Since then, breast reconstruction has become standard care. More than 106,000 reconstructive procedures were done last year, a 35 percent increase since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. While it is not known exactly what percentage of women opt for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy, one study found that in 2011, 63 percent of women who were candidates for the procedure chose to have it. In some parts of the United States, the number is closer to 80 percent today. In promoting the surgery, doctors cite studies that suggest breast reconstruction improves a womans quality of life after cancer. But some women say that doctors focus too much on physical appearance, and not enough on the toll prolonged reconstructive procedures take on their bodies and their psyches. Up to one-third of women who undergo reconstruction experience complications. A systematic review of 28 studies found that women who went without reconstruction fared no worse, and sometimes did better, in terms of body image, quality of life and sexual outcomes. Thats the dirty little secret of breast reconstruction: The risk of a major complication is higher than for the average elective surgery, said Dr. Clara Lee, an associate professor of plastic surgery at Ohio State University who performs the procedure. Cuozzo, who appeared in the Facebook video with Bowers, spent a year having her breasts rebuilt after a double mastectomy, but after four infections in five months, she had the implants removed. The reconstruction, she said, was getting worse than the cancer. While some states, including New York, now require physicians to tell women about the availability of breast reconstruction, women say they often are not informed of the option to remain flat. I was never told there was a choice, Cuozzo said. I went from the breast surgeon to the plastic surgeon, and they said, This is what youre going to do. Dr. David H. Song, chief of plastic surgery at the University of Chicago and immediate past president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, said that the risk of complications was real, but that focusing on them was like focusing on plane crashes when millions of flights land safely. Given advancements in surgical techniques, the aesthetic result can be better than the native breast, Song said. Patients can come out the other end looking more youthful, with a better aesthetic in her breast than before. But it is that kind of talk suggesting that a reconstructed breast is an improvement on a womans natural breast that enrages many women who have undergone mastectomies. For starters, a reconstructed breast is often numb and can no longer play a role in sexual arousal. It often lacks a nipple, since the nipple is usually removed in a mastectomy. After looking at photos of reconstructed breasts, I was slightly horrified, said Charlie Scheel, 48, of Brooklyn, who decided against implants after a double mastectomy. You dont have nipples and you have scars everywhere. Rebecca Pine, a cancer survivor from Long Island who co-founded a photography and writing project called The Breast and the Sea, said, Its a tremendous amount to put your body through, and its not like were going to get our breasts back. Some women say physicians pressured them to get implants. When Catherine Stapleton, of Florida, woke up after her mastectomy, she discovered that her breast surgeon, a woman, had left unsightly flaps of skin and tissue that could be used for breast reconstruction later, in case she changed her mind. When I woke up from anesthesia, I was in shock, said Stapleton, 58, who is now facing additional major surgery to correct the first procedure. Geri Barish, president of the Long Island advocacy group 1 in 9, said a doctor had chided her when she opted against reconstruction. One doctor said to me: How can you walk around like that? You look deformed, she recalled. Support groups and social media have allowed women to share stories about the realities of reconstruction. A lot of the women in my support group had infections, and they were surprised at how many surgeries were involved, said Alicia Staley, 45, who stayed flat after a double mastectomy. As I compared notes, I wondered, Why are all these women doing this to themselves? Coming to terms with a flat chest after breast cancer can be difficult. While some women wear a prosthesis in their bra, it is not uncommon for them to stop using it. Theyre heavy, theyre uncomfortable, and theyre in a sensitive area where you have scars, Pine said. Burglars stole 30 tablet computers and one laptop containing sensitive campaign data from the Buena Park campaign headquarters of GOP Assemblywoman Young Kim early Sunday, according to representatives from Kims camp. Police on Monday confirmed electronic office equipment was reported stolen from the office at 6940 Beach Blvd., but did not specify how much. Police said there is no suspect information available. Kims campaign speculated the break-in might be politically motivated. But her opponent in the race for California Assembly District 65, Democratic former-Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, denied that her campaign had any connection to the burglary and offered to contribute toward a reward to help find the culprit. Kims campaign said the break-in occurred between the time staffers left headquarters on Saturday night and when they returned on Sunday. Kim and Quirk-Silva are running a hotly-contested race for a seat that could determine the balance of power in the statehouse by granting or denying Democrats a supermajority that would allow them to pass tax increases without any support from Republican lawmakers. Those stakes have made the race one of the most expensive in the state, with over $2.6 million in expenditures backing Kim and $3.6 million supporting Quirk-Silva. On Monday, Kims campaign consultant Dave Gilliard said he suspected a political motivation because her campaign headquarters are on the fourth floor of a mostly unoccupied building and the office has no internal windows to view its contents. He said the stolen computers contained data about the districts voters, including research about what issues are important to them. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing, and to whom, Gilliard said. Qurik-Silva released a statement on Monday, saying she had called Kim and offered to contribute to a reward to help catch the burglar. Whoever did this must be caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law, said Quirk-Silva, who held the Assembly District 65 seat from 2012 to 2014, when she lost it to Kim. I can say without hesitation that no one from my campaign would ever participate in such an awful act. Gilliard said the Kim campaign was unlikely to offer any such reward. Contact the writer: jgraham@scng.com or 714-796-7960 Loren Carroll seems to downplay her adventures. Carroll, a Huntington Beach physical therapist, recently returned from a medical mission in Haiti where she treated dozens of destitute residents of the island, endured several harried nine-hour bus rides, complete with breakdowns, and spent nights with only a mattress and mosquito net as her accommodations. And then there was a hurricane named Matthew that blew through. Oddly enough, for Carroll, the hurricane was barely on her list of memories. Although the storm drove water to the top of a seawall in Port de Paix where Carroll was staying, she said the northern part of the island was mostly saved from the storms ravages. Where we were, we were spared, Carroll said. We were just really lucky. In Port au Prince on the islands south end, more than 1,000 were killed, tens of thousands were left homeless and about 1.5 million people are now in need of food assistance. In Port de Paix, however, despite preparations to triage residents if the storm struck, Matthew became a nonevent. Carroll said she is not sure what she would have done if the hurricane had landed closer. She was laid low by a case of food poisoning on the day of the storm. She was so sick, she said she hardly remembers the hurricane. That did little to detract from the rest of her medical mission. Each day, more than 150 Haitians who lacked orthopedic rehabilitative services lined up for aid. Carroll said she treated patients with problems ranging from chronic joint pain, to shoulder separations to post-amputation ailments and trauma. The owner of her one-person physical therapy business, Carroll said the idea of going on a medical trip was something that had been on her mind for several years. I was thinking of doing mission work, she said, adding that she had looked into Doctors Without Borders, but their requirements didnt match her skills. Carroll learned about STAND, Sustainable Therapy And New Development, a national nonprofit that sponsors orthopedic missions and education in the country. So she took the plunge, leaving her husband, Jim, and her daughter on their own for the week. Going to Haiti was a labor of love. In addition to time lost from work, she paid $1,800 to STAND for airfare and food and lodging, such as it was. She also had to pay $600 for immunizations. When Carroll arrived in Florida, Hurricane Matthew dominated the news and there was some uncertainty whether flights would go into Haiti and, just as important, whether theyd be able to get out if the storm was as bad as feared. I was, oh, my gosh, Carroll said. We were thinking they where going to cancel (the mission.) Once in Haiti, Carroll was struck by the poverty, lack of infrastructure and pollution. She had planned to go swimming at the beach until she saw the water filled with trash and plastic bottles. According to Carroll, the 180-mile bus ride north to Port de Paix took more than nine hours each way. On both legs, the bus broke down. On the way back to Port au Prince, it was touch and go for awhile whether the bus would be trapped in a sink hole. Carroll said one of the highlights was the chance to have a hot shower at a hotel before flying back to the United States. In the end, Carroll said the main positive takeaways were the people she met and the Haitian people. Id probably do it again, she said. Dwight Robinson, an incumbent hoping to retain his seat on the Lake Forest City Council, once again reported the highest total contributions as candidates filed their finance forms for the Oct. 27 deadline. A second $10,000 loan from the Los Angeles Harbor Grain Terminal provided the bulk of received contributions for Robinsons campaign. The incumbent also received a pair of $1,000 contributions from Harbor Transload, LLC, and Frank Masek, president of Masek Counsulting Services. Candidate Leah Basile also took out a $10,000 loan and received $3,984 in nonmonetary contributions from incumbent Adam Nick for a slate mailer. She also received $1,045 from individual contributions. She reported a total of $15,029 in contributions during the filing period. Francisco Barajas reported $9,416 in contributions during the one-month period, most of which came from a $2,500 contribution from the California Real Estate Political Action Committee. Barajas also received two contributions from Robinsons campaign committee, totaling $2,922, for mailers. Nick, who has led all candidates with $150,500 in contributions, did not report any contributions during the period, but did report $34,626 in expenditures over the past month. More than $29,160 of those expenditures went to Spectrum Marketing for campaign literature and mailings. Robinson reported more than $18,000 in expenditures for mail pieces and nonmonetary contributions for Barajas mailers and a slate mailer. Basile reported $9,338 in accrued expenses for campaign literature and mailings through Spectrum Marketing and web design, while Barajas reported expenditures of $845 on campaign yard signs and a banner. Overall, Nick has reported expenditures of $39,108, the highest of any candidate running in this years election. Robinson has reported total expenditures of $24,365, and Basile $14,316. Barajas has spent $1,088. Candidates Farh Semnani and Frank Wagoner did not file campaign finance forms for this period. Contact the writer: npercy@scng.com Californians are more enthusiastic this presidential election season than four years ago, according to early voting numbers from Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Pre-Election Day voting in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties is ahead of the 2012 pace, officials reported. Early voting broke records in Los Angeles County, the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk announced Monday. In Orange County, vote-by-mail balloting is tracking 2.68 percent higher compared with four years ago, said Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley. More than 261,000 mail-in ballots had been returned as of Monday morning, with 40 percent of those returned by Republicans and 32 percent returned by Democrats. RELATED: Dont want to wait until election day? Check out these early vote centers in Orange County The results could portend high voter turnout on Nov. 8. The number of registered voters in California more than 18 million is at an all-time high with voter rolls swelling before the June 7 primary and leading up to next weeks general election. While the Democratic presidential primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was competitive, the states 55 electoral votes are widely expected to go to Clinton. A Republican presidential nominee hasnt won the state since 1988. Still, the race between Clinton and GOP nominee Donald Trump stands to motivate voters who dislike both candidates. Its also spurring voters in other states; votes equal to a third or more of total ballots cast in 2012 already have been recorded in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, Vox reported. High turnout could make a difference in competitive races for the Assembly, state Senate and Congress. Thats potentially good news for the Democratic Party, since 45 percent of California registered voters are Democrats, compared with 27 percent for the Republican Party. Almost 7,800 voters cast ballots early in five Los Angeles County locations over the weekend, election officials said. Turnout was highest in North Hollywood, where 819 people voted Saturday and 1,012 voted Sunday. Almost 1,500 people voted in Los Angeles County during the first week of early voting, which began there Oct. 10. By comparison, 829 ballots were cast in the county during the same period in 2012, the last time a presidential election took place. We are encouraged by the turnout at the early voting locations and appreciate the patience and participation of Los Angeles County voters, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said in a news release. Some voters in Los Angeles County waited more than two hours in long lines to cast their ballots at weekend early-voting centers, an election official said Sunday. In San Bernardino County, almost 106,000 voters had returned their mail-in ballots as of Monday. This time four years ago, a little more than 87,000 ballots had been returned. As of Monday afternoon, almost 201,000 mail-in ballots 83,615 from Republicans, 80,175 from Democrats had been received by Riverside County, according to the registrar of voters. At this point in 2012, roughly 175,000 ballots had been returned. Last weeks announcement that the FBI was reviewing emails that may be pertinent to Clintons email troubles likely wont affect voting here, said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College. It might have a marginal effect in close states, especially if there are more revelations in the days ahead, he said. It is very unlikely to leave a mark on California races. In this state, Trumps toxicity overwhelms everything else. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com Flight paths for John Wayne Airport, Fullerton Municipal Airport, Los Alamitos Army Airfield and two other airports in Los Angeles County are about to change, and the Federal Aviation Administration is planning to prepare the public. FAA representatives will provide information and answer questions on the changes that are part of the Southern California Metroplex project, which will be implemented in phases from November to April. The briefing is being held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at El Modena High School, 3920 E. Spring St. in Orange. Besides the Orange County airports, officials will address changes being implemented at Long Beach Airport and Zamperini Field in Torrance. The project is the FAAs effort to modernize air traffic control systems by replacing dozens of existing conventional air routes with satellite-based routes around six major airports and 15 smaller airports across Southern California. Satellite technology allows air traffic controllers to create more direct routes reducing miles flown and pilot-controller communications. The overhaul is necessary to replace a decades-old system that is often inefficient, according to the agency. If you consider where planes fly today, they are fairly dispersed. Conventional aviation is not that precise, FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said. With the satellite-based system, planes are still going to be flying within historical flight tracks but because satellite navigation is so precise, it tightens tracks. But the project has come under fire by the city of Newport Beach. City officials on Thursday sued the FAA claiming the impacts on residents near John Wayne Airport havent been reviewed adequately. The lawsuit alleges that the FAA fast-tracked the environmental review to push the proposed upgrades quickly and that the agency has only released vague descriptions of the changes, making it hard to evaluate their impact on residents. It is the coastal citys latest effort to minimize the impact of flights through John Wayne Airport. Throughout Southern California, some neighborhoods near airports are expected to experience slight noise increases, while others will have slight noise decreases. The Google Earth feature on the Metroplex website allows people to drill down to their neighborhood and see the projected noise levels compared to current levels. The FAA unveiled the proposed project in June 2015, had a 120-day public comment period, and in September decided to move forward with the project. Wednesdays briefing will only address approved changes the FAA is implementing Nov. 10. Changes to a route arriving from the south and serving John Wayne, Fullerton, Los Alamitos and Long Beach airports are very minor, Gregor said. It is a conventional route, not a satellite-based route, he said. Meanwhile, there will be new, very specific approaches that guide aircraft almost to runways. The FAA is implementing these new routes for jets arriving from the west and from the northeast that will have aircraft flying within current flight tracks. They will be narrower than current tracks due to the precision of satellite navigation, Gregor said. The FAA will conduct additional community outreach in early 2017 for the next implementation phase. Three more phases are planned for the project. Contact the writer: 714-796-7762 or jkwong@ocregister.com or on Twitter: @JessicaGKwong Lebanon had been suffering from a presidential vacuum since May 2014 following the end of president Michel Suleimans term Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi congratulated on Monday his new Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun on his election, expressing Cairo's support to the Lebanese people in the face of any challenges. In a phone call with Aoun, Sisi hailed the consensus reached between Lebanons various political factions to end the presidential vacuum, stressing the importance of this step in consolidating Lebanon's stability, state-owned news agency MENA reported. Prior to Aoun's election earlier Monday, Lebanon had been suffering from over two years of political deadlock resulting in a vacant presidency, following the end of Michael Suleiman's term in May 2014. Egypt's President expressed his best wishes to President Aoun in carrying out his new role, inviting him to visit Egypt. The new Lebanese President said that he looked forward to enhancing bilateral cooperation in all fields, saying that Egypt represents a major pillar of the security and stability of the Arab world. In August, Egypts foreign minister Sameh Shoukry met with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Lebanons Prime Minister Tammam Salam in Beirut to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a consensus that would end the power void. After four rounds of voting, including two unexpected repeat votes, Aoun gained the support of 83 lawmakers, giving him the simple majority required to win the election. Aoun, 81, was able to assume the country's highest office after winning support from two fierce rivals, the Christian leader of the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea and Sunni former prime minister Saad Hariri. The new Lebanese president, a Maronite Christian, was born in the working-class Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik and pursued a military career before entering politics. Search Keywords: Short link: LUND, Sweden Almost 500 years after Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door, setting off more than a century of religious warfare and forever changing the practice of Christianity worldwide, Pope Francis on Monday urged atonement and Christian reconciliation. Visiting the cities of Lind and Malmo in southern Sweden for a joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the Reformation, the pope observed the 499th anniversary of Luthers protest of the sale of indulgences by noting the beneficial impact it had on Catholicism. With gratitude we acknowledge that the Reformation helped give greater centrality to sacred Scripture in the churchs life, the pope said in a joint declaration at Lund Cathedral with Bishop Munib A. Younan, the head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and the president of the Lutheran World Federation. The trip, which kicked off a year of events leading up to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, was announced in January, but it was no less striking for those who listened to the pope. Sweden played a pivotal and troubling role in Protestant and Catholic history. From the 16th century, Catholics were persecuted and even put to death in Sweden. As recently as 1951, Catholics were barred from becoming doctors, teachers and nurses, and Catholic convents were banned until the 1970s. Some Catholics and Lutherans, especially those whose families are intermingled, hoped that the event would produce a concrete step toward the two churches allowing their members to take communion in each others worship services. In their joint declaration, Francis and Younan acknowledged the divide, but said only that they were working toward a resolution through dialogue. We experience the pain of those who share their whole lives, but cannot share Gods redeeming presence at the Eucharistic table, the declaration said. We long for this wound in the body of Christ to be healed. This is the goal of our ecumenical endeavors, which we wish to advance, also by renewing our commitment to theological dialogue. The Lutheran World Federation was founded in Lund in 1947, in an effort to unite churches after World War II. One of the main obstacles to relations between Lutherans and Roman Catholics was bridged in 1999, when the Vatican and the federation signed a joint declaration on the doctrine of justification, a core belief about Gods forgiveness of sins. Francis was the first pope to visit Sweden in 27 years, and only the second pope to visit the Scandinavian country. In Lund, he met with King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. We, too, must look with love and honesty at our past, recognizing error and seeking forgiveness, Francis said. The prayer service in Lund was watched by about 10,000 people who packed Malmo Arena, about 14 miles away, where Caritas and the Lutheran World Service, humanitarian arms of the two churches, pledged to work together for peace and justice. Teresa Jodar, 58, who lives in Stockholm but is a native of Valencia, Spain, said she had taken the train from Stockholm to Malmo in the morning to bear witness. This is a historic event, she said. I am a Catholic. We are not celebrating the Reformation. That was a sad separation. But we are celebrating taking a step closer. It is wonderful that we can work together instead of thinking about all of the differences that separate us. Jodar said she planned to stay for an All Saints Day Mass that the pope will celebrate Tuesday in Malmo for an estimated 19,000 people. Her friend Luisa Hugosson, 67, a native of Colombia, chimed in. The popes visit is good for Lutherans and Catholics, Hugosson said. We are living in a new time, and we must be open and show respect. Carmen Godawszky, 71, sat with three friends on a train from Stockholm to Malmo, and they reflected on the popes message urging countries in Europe to open their doors to migrants. Of course, we cant be against that, Godawszky said. My husband came to Sweden as a refugee from Hungary in 1956. Everyone has been a refugee at one point or another. Just think of all the Swedes who moved to the USA because they didnt have food or money. Although Sweden is predominantly Lutheran, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm counts 113,000 members in 44 parishes throughout the country. Anders Arborelius, who converted to Catholicism when he was 20, is the countrys first Catholic bishop of Swedish origin since the Reformation. We are leaving the past behind us and focusing on what we have in common, that we can together go out and help people, he said in a telephone interview Sunday. Although the ecumenical service on Monday marked a reconciliation, there are still major doctrinal differences between the churches, on subjects like the role of women in the church and the Eucharist. Tustin-based Ricoh Electronics will lay off 147 people by Jan. 3 as the company shifts its headquarters to Georgia. The company makes copier-based systems and printers, peripheral devices, printed circuit boards, toner and more. The cuts represent 1 percent of Ricohs total U.S. workforce. Ricohs new headquarters will land in Lawrenceville, Ga., by October 2017, human resources representative Kim Kline said. Were restructuring our manufacturing operations to deliver greater value to our customers, she said. Lawrenceville is already home to Ricohs Chemical Products Group. The move will allow the company to expand its resources and invest in their growth, Kline added. The Tustin facility will still act as a manufacturing facility for the company. Tokyo-based Ricoh Co. Ltd. is the groups parent company. Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans Orange County and nine other district attorneys offices in the state have settled a lawsuit against a Japanese lingerie company that claimed its caffeine-infused underwear could shrink thighs and reduce cellulite. The lawsuit was filed and settled on Monday, with Wacoal America agreeing to pay $350,000 in civil penalties to the counties, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office. A representative with Wacoal America could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit accused Wacoal of making false claims about the effects of its iPant shapewear that were not supported by scientific evidence. Wacoal claimed its iPant could permanently reduce cellulite and shave inches off of hips and thighs thanks to a revolutionary new fabric containing micro-capsules of caffeine, retinol and other ingredients. The company claimed the caffeine-activated micro-circulation could speed up the breakdown of fat, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Customers were advised to wear the iPant for eight hours a day, seven days a week for 28 days to achieve optimal results. But the FTC said the claims were bogus and hit Wacoal with a $1.3 million fine in 2014. The iPant was sold for about $60 at high-end retailers, but the product was discontinued. Under its prior settlement with the FTC, Wacoal was ordered to pay $278,069 in direct restitution to California customers the recent settlement bumps up the total payout to the state and its residents by $350,000. The other district attorneys offices were: Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, and Sonoma. Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com SANTA ANA A 52-year-old man was convicted of murder on Tuesday for stabbing another man in a Tustin park last year. An Orange County Superior Court jury found Robert Jesus Wilson guilty of second-degree murder for the Aug. 18 killing of Robert Carranza, 39, of Tustin. Senior Deputy District Attorney Scott Simmons said the two men became involved in an altercation in Frontier Park, where Carranza was stabbed in the left side of his neck with a weapon that was never found. The stabbing was captured on surveillance footage from nearby Pizza Shack Tustin. The video, played for jurors, shows a man stabbing another man in the neck area before fleeing on a black beach-cruiser bicycle. Wilsons defense attorney, Gil Carreon, had argued that Wilson stabbed Carranza in self-defense. Carreon said Wilson had bought beer and planned to drink it in the park that day when he was approached and harassed by Carranza and another man. Wilson, on parole at the time, has prior convictions for criminal threats, battery and resisting arrest, according to court records. Contact the writer: kpuente@ocreigster.com Students at Qingdao Binhai University, a private vocational university in Chinas Shandong province, have recently been warned to avoid public display of affection with the opposite sex, including basic physical interaction, like holding hands or sharing earphones. The learning institution founded in 1992 recently became a hot topic on Chinese social media, after adopting a set of controversial rules regarding public display of affection between male and female students. The new code of conduct forbids students from engaging in affectionate physical contact like holding hands or hugging, but also goes as far as banning couples from sharing trays at the campus cafeteria or earphones while listening to music. One male student told local media that they cant even help carry their females friends bags without facing punishment. And if youre thinking that this is just another example of stupid rules that are never actually enforced, think again. Violators of the new rules face public shaming, punishment and possible expulsion. One student was allegedly caught holding his girlfriends hand on campus and had to clean a dirty toilet as punishment. The story was confirmed by a number of Qingdao Binhai University students who said that the institution doesnt even employ a cleaning staff. A manager of student affairs from the controversial university told the press that the new rules had indeed been enforced, adding that the institution neither supports nor suppresses relationships between students, but it does expect them to mind their manners in public. Regarding the toilet situation, the same manager confirmed that the university does it does not have any janitors, not for lack of money, but because it wants to teach the students to to be clean and tidy up after themselves. Like other Chinese schools, Qingdao Binhai University also monitors students physical appearance very closely. They have a very strict dress code and my not dye their hair without a valid reason and being authorized by the university. Sounds like a really fun place Robert Dilenschneider As we move toward November 8, we should all reflect on the big issues that the next President will need to confront in the Middle East. Specifically: 1. ISIS and Al Qaeda are implacably expanding their operations beyond the region, so the President will have to figure out how to destroy them by force. That will mean assembling a new coalition of Western nations and possibly other countries vulnerable to Islamic fundamentalism such as India, Pakistan and even China. 2. Joblessness among the regions already restive youth is increasing. The President will need to persuade American investors to establish manufacturing plants there that will create work for them. The United Nations estimates that at least 15 million new jobs need to be created in the next four to five years. 3. Although oil-producing countries such as the United Arab Emirates have aggressively backed the reduction of carbon emissions, the President will have to coax other Arab countries to join the movement to address global warming. 4. Broadening educational and employment opportunities for girls and women is a major priority for the region. 5. Affordable healthcare at primary as well as secondary and tertiary levels is a must. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are spreading in the Middle East. Healthcare development must include more awareness of how best to tackle and treat these diseases. 6. Many countries in the Middle East lag in offering access to digital technology. The President must get American companies to raise their profile in the region by developing better connectivity. Middle Eastern leaders should not allow the region to be left behind as the rest of the world gallops toward a wired community. 7. While most Middle East countries may not be ready to embrace democracy, the President will need to work with grassroots representatives to strengthen local municipal councils that listen to citizens problems and then work at resolving issues such as deteriorating infrastructure. 8. The President must assist in strengthening institutions such as the judiciary to ensure that local disputes are adjudicated with fairness. 9. With more than 75 percent of the Middle Easts population of 355 million under the age of 30, the President must help develop programs to identify and train tomorrows local and national leaders. 10. The President will need to persuade Arabs and Jews to return to the negotiating table and work out a two-state solution for Palestinians and Israelis. That, of course, is easier said than done. All this is complicated by a wealth of evidence suggesting that the people of this region have been disappointed with President Obama. During his trip to Egypt in June 2009, Obama made a major speech declaring that there would be a New Beginning for relations between the United States and the Muslim world. The speech covered seven major subjects: violent extremism, the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, nuclear weapons, democracy, religious freedom, the rights of women, and sustainable economic development. In the eyes of many Middle Easterners, little progress has been made on any of these issues. Regardless of who succeeds Obama, therefore, everyone in the region will be waiting for the next President to address these challengesparticularly the conflict in Iraq and Syria with ISIS and Americas commitment to enhanced economic prosperity. It will be an enormous challenge. Which candidate does the region favor? Theres never been a poll in the Middle East about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It is far too vast a territory for that from Morocco in the West to Iran (which, remember, is not an Arab state) in the East. Were there to be such a poll, however, Trump would likely be the overwhelming favorite. Why? For one, hes a man and the culture of most Middle Eastern countries favors men over women, notwithstanding some efforts to promote gender parity. For another, Trump has long had business ties with the oil-producing states of the region. And Middle Easterners are less swayed by political principles especially of the progressive sort that Clinton articulates than by financial status, so Trumps wealth counts for a lot. Never mind that many businessmen in the region have spurned associations with Trump, often on the grounds that he fails to pay his bills. Never mind that Trump has said he would institute a ban on Muslims entering the U.S and has called for close monitoring of Muslims already in America. Never mind, too, that Trump once said that Muslims should be sent back to the Middle East overlooking the fact that a majority of the worlds 1.3 billion Muslims do not live in the 22 countries of the Arab League but in Asia including Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. There is also the Middle Eastern idea of leadership. Trump, despite all his bluster and bombast, is seen as being uniquely qualified to lead the worlds most powerful country by people who are not into parsing political vocabularies. The Arabic language is rich in subtleties and nuance, but the politics of the Middle East are straightforward: No women in national leadership roles. No political dissent permitted. Leaders in this region are either born into their positions or seize them by power. Trump may not be a great campaigner, but he looks like a strongman, so most Middle Easterners are for him. Clinton is a very smart and able woman, but women arent generally invited into the salons of power in the Middle East. She will have many hurdles to clear there if shes elected. *** Robert L. Dilenschneider is Founder and Chairman of The Dilenschneider Group, a global public relations and communications consulting firm headquartered in New York City. The former CEO of Hill and Knowlton, Inc., he is also author of more than a dozen books, including the best-selling Power and Influence. AirPR is offering new technology to help PR professionals better measure the impact of earned, owned and shared media placements such as whether sign-ups increased or sales were boosted. AirPR dashboard Dane Wiseman, director of marketing, explains that only 20% of article placements contain a link back to a brands website. This creates a problem for figuring out what media best contributes to the goals of a campaign. AirPR, through its proprietary web crawlers, is able to track mentions of a brand or other keywords regardless of whether a link is present in the placement as well as benchmark against competitors since publicly available, third party data is being collected. Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are also searched. Fouladger-Mercer Sathyamurthi The software monitors more than 700 million articles across the web each day, processing 10 terabytes or 10,024 gigabytes of data, and then passes this info through AirPRs attribution model. Automated monitoring and measurement is presented in the programs dashboard. Details include trends over time, competitive analysis, and top performing messages and content. AirPR empowers PR pros to look good on the job, Wiseman said. As a certified Google Analytics partner, AirPR provides full integration into a brands Google Analytics account. It also works with Adobe Analytics, which offers a higher level of information on user traffic than Googles software. AirPR has just raised $5 million in Series B funding and $10 million to date. The Series B was mostly contributed by Storm Ventures, the company behind Marketo marketing automation software. Salesforce Ventures is also a new investor. Previous backers Mohr Davidow and Correlation Ventures have continued their involvement. Im excited about the overall investment from venture capitalists and tech companies and the major pivot toward the measurement side, Wiseman said. Sharam Fouladger-Mercer is CEO of AirPR, which he co-founded in 2011. Previously he was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Shasta Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on companies in the consumer Internet, mobile and software sectors. Rajagopal Sathyamurthi is CTO and co-founder with Fouladger-Mercer. He had been a technical director at Dreamworks Animation and a software engineer for Zynga. AirPR has 30 employees. Current clients include Qualcomm, GoDaddy, Experian, Hulu, Kiva, LeanIn.org, McGraw Hill Education, Edmunds.com and Charles Schwab. Loading... OilVoice will be with you shortly... Travel restrictions were imposed after a Russian passenger jet crashed over Sinai in October 2015, killing 224 people on board The first German air flight arrived at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport Monday night, putting an end to the European country's one-year travel ban to the Red Sea resort city. The Air Germania flight had 141 passengers on board, all German tourists. German airlines were among several foreign carriers which imposed travel bans on flights to Sharm El-Sheikh after a Russian passenger jet crashed over Sinai in October 2015, killing all 224 people on board, most of whom were holidaymakers. The Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the crash, saying it had smuggled a bomb on board. Since the crash, Egypt has been implementing new, tighter security measures at all of its airports. In May 2016, Germany started negotiations with Egyptian officials to resume direct air trips from the European country to the popular beach town. Around 170,000 German tourists visited Egypt in the first quarter of 2016 through Cairo airport, mainly visiting the popular Red Sea beach resorts of Sharm El-Sheikh and Hurghada. European travel bans have taken a toll on Egyptian tourism, a pillar of the economy and a key source of hard currency, since the plane crash in 2015. In recent weeks, a number of foreign airlines have resumed flights to Sharm El-Sheikh airport, including Turkish Airlines and Polish Airlines. Moscow and Cairo are currently negotiating the resumption of Russian flights to Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Beef Buzz News Oklahoma Beef Council Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck Through USMEF Promotions The Oklahoma Beef Council is one of several state beef councils that allocates extra resources to the US Meat Export Federation. OBC Executive Director Heather Buckmaster tells Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays, 'it really pays off.' "When you look at Oklahoma, we have 3.875 million consumers in the state of Oklahoma and 96 percent of the world's population lives outside of the US," Buckmaster said. "We represent 1.2 percent of the US population so we want to make sure we're making the most difference, so we made the choice to invest with USMEF." According to Buckmaster, each dollar contributed is matched three to four times, effectively extending that original dollar amount, enabling participants to support a variety of promotional events. Buckmaster gave the results from two of these promotions that took place in Japan. At one event, 1.5 million pounds of additional US beef was moved through the system she says. At another, 90,000 pounds, an increase of 49 percent for US beef sales at the time. Buckmaster reports that the success of the promotions has prompted the host retailers to replace current beef programs with US beef inventory. "It's all going to be US beef," Buckmaster said, "which should increase the volume of US beef purchases into next year by 70 percent. "Being able to see that kind of success, knowing our dollars are getting matched and being able to provide results back to Oklahoma producers - we believe is very important." Buckmaster talks with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays about the beef industry's success with promotional campaigns through the USMEF, on today's Beef Buzz. Click below for the audio on the LISTEN BAR. The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today. Listen to Ron Hays speak with OBC's Heather Buckmaster about putting Checkoff dollars to good use WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Beef News A number of water purification plants nationwide have stopped operations until water purity levels return to normal Residents and commuters traveling the length of Egypt's Nile River have been treated in the last couple of days to the sight of murky brown water, as the country was hit earlier this week by severe floods, which muddied the river with sand. A number of water purification plants in Giza, Assuit, Sohag and Qena governorates among others have halted operations until murkiness levels drop, state news agency MENA reported. Water purity levels are measured regularly by authorities. Once the water returns to normal purity levels, the plants can resume operations at full capacity. Water plants officials have switched to reserve tanks in order to supply citizens with water; citizens in affected areas have been urged to fill up on water until the plants resume operations. Torrential rain and flooding in Egypt on Thursday and Friday killed at least 26 people and injured 72 others in Upper Egypt and along the Red Sea Coast. The town of Ras Gharib, around 150 km north of Red Seas Hurghada, was the worst affected by the floods. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ordered EGP 50 million (around $5.6 million) to be allocated as compensation to the victims of the flooding nationwide, while a further EGP 50 million was allocated for the urgent restoration of infrastructure in areas affected by the floods. Search Keywords: Short link: The Egyptian army announced on Tuesday it would distribute its "largest quantity of food supplies" to date at reduced prices nationwide, in a bid to help citizens survive current economic hardships. The army has prepared 8 million food boxes "to distribute them nationwide at half of the market price," a statement by military spokesman Brigadier General Mohamed Samir read. The move is aimed at "easing the burden on citizens and helping to create a decent life for them," the statement added. Military trucks have already started to distribute one million boxes in all cities and governorates nationwide, the statement added. The army said that it along with local business partners paid special attention to the quality of goods included in the boxes, the statement added. It said each box, which will be sold at EGP 25, contains packs of sugar which has all but vanished from many supermarkets rice, beans, margarine, tea and tomato sauce. Egyptians have suffered from soaring food prices in recent months amid a foreign currency crisis. The country has been facing a weeks-long shortage in sugar which the government has largely blamed on hoarding by traders and bad consumption habits. Egyptians have also recently faced shortages in rice, cooking oil and medicines. Last week, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said the country has sugar stocks sufficient to cover at least three months. This is not the first time the army has sponsored initiatives to solve shortages and economic problems. In September, the army imported large shipments of baby formula and put them on the market at half price following severe shortages that sparked street protests by mothers and families. Army-run food outlets have been selling basic food commodities, including meat, at reduced prices. Search Keywords: Short link: Omaha has a Circle of Grandmothers, a group started to bring together Native American elders from various tribes to support one another and their community. They meet once a month and have people come in and talk about things that affect grandmothers, such as writing wills, mental health issues and rearing grandchildren, said Cindy Krafka, the Native American outreach coordinator at the University of Nebraska at Omahas Office of Multicultural Affairs. Recently the circles concern has had to do with the Standing Rock Reservations pipeline protests in North Dakota, and they found a way to reach out from a Minnesota woman. Krafka and her Circle of Grandmothers were distraught over the force used against the peaceful Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and its allies who were protesting at Dakota Access pipeline construction sites. The tribe says the pipeline construction would disturb sacred Native American land and could affect the water supply. After Rose McGee of Golden Valley, Minnesota, got wind of the distraught grandmothers, she came to Omaha. She has experience providing comfort. In 2014 McGee was horrified that an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Missouri, was fatally shot by a police officer. As she sat in her home, she knew she had to do something. She went into her kitchen and baked sweet potato pies, which she called a sacred dessert of black culture. McGee drove to Ferguson with 30 gift-wrapped pies and handed them out to people who looked as if they needed a comfort pie. The next year she drove to South Carolina after a young man attending a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston pulled out a gun and killed nine people. She handed out pies. She also delivered sweet potato pies to the police and protesters at the Minneapolis Police Department after the shooting death of Jamar Clark last year. She continues to take pies to places where people need comfort, and enjoys the love and reception she and those who help her receive. I call them sweet potato comfort pies. My goal is to help bring people together and help people heal from different hurts in their lives, McGee said. When she suggested baking pies and taking them to the protesters in North Dakota, the Omaha grandmothers were enthralled with the suggestion. They felt that comfort pies would be good for the protesters and also assuage their own sadness. Graciously, Elmer Crumbley, a retired Omaha Public Schools principal, and his family paid for the ingredients for the pies and travel to North Dakota. He also approached his pastor, the Rev. Vitalis E. Anyanike at St. Benedict the Moor Parish, and asked if the grandmothers could bake pies at the church. Anyanike generously opened the church for their baking. So, McGee and Krafka met the grandmothers at the church recently and begin to make pies. The atmosphere was full of joy as the ladies worked vigorously making sweet potato pies. There was laughter, fellowship, a homemade lunch and happiness knowing they were doing something for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe protesters. They made 41 pies. The reason for that number is that the Native American year is divided into 13 moons, with each moon being 28 days long. Those two numbers add up to 41, so they wanted to make 41 pies. That evening, after the pies were baked, people from the north Omaha community were invited to the church to have pie and fellowship. The north Omaha group numbered about 40, and the grandmothers formed a story circle, which McGee is known for presenting. McGee in a story circle will guide participants through discovering their own true stories that inspire and engage others. Some of the Native Americans who knew of the troubled history they had at one time with the Catholic Church felt healed of past injustices when letting some of the bad feelings go in the circle. Finally, McGee, Grace Lamere Mantich and Laura Lamere could drive to North Dakota to deliver the pies. They were met with genuine love and appreciation for the ladies from so far away who took the time to show love and connection by providing them with delicious comfort pies from Omaha. A 34-year-old Omaha mother peeked out her front door early Tuesday after hearing gunfire and found a mortally wounded man struggling for his life with at least one bullet wound in his back. The man, later identified as 23-year-old Lamond Strong, was shot outside her home at a South Omaha public housing apartment complex near South 30th and W Streets. Reports to Douglas County 911 dispatchers said the man was shot in a leg and in his back about 4:40 a.m. at Southside Terrace. Strong was taken in extremely critical condition to Nebraska Medical Center after the shooting at 5701 S. 29th Ave. He was later declared dead at the hospital. It was completely quiet. Then I heard seven gunshots and a man moaning, the woman said. I opened my door and saw him lying on the ground with a hole in his back. He was coming from a friends house when he was shot from behind, she said. The woman said her 16-year-old daughter rushed outside and performed CPR on Strong before a rescue squad arrived. My daughter was trying to pick him up, she said. I told her to leave him there. No other injuries were reported, and no arrests were announced. Reports indicated that a man possibly sought in connection with the shooting was wearing black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt as he fled from the scene in a white Mitsubishi with black rims. Police said that homicide investigators were questioning witnesses. Another woman standing near the taped-off crime area waiting with her teenage daughter for a school bus said she lives less than half a block from where Strong was shot. We heard the gunshots, said the woman, who didnt want to be identified, but we didnt see anyone run from the scene. About 7 hours after the shooting, police pulled down their crime tape and investigators wrapped up their investigation at the scene. The shooting was the third homicide in the neighborhood this year. Edward S. Reed III was killed a couple of blocks away at 3030 Y St. on Aug. 19. Terrance Gunn also was killed at Southside Terrace on May 15. A woman who lived just north of the shooting and wouldnt give her name said Gunn was her cousin. Its crazy around here, she said. Its time for me to move. Another neighbor who feared giving his name said Southside Terrace had been quiet for about the past 14 hours. These two guys had a confrontation Monday before noon, he said. Then it died down, and then I heard shooting in my sleep this morning. The parent-teacher group at Heritage Elementary in Bennington is raising money for playground equipment. As an incentive, students and parents were challenged to collect donations from all 50 states. They accomplished that with a last-minute outreach to a school in Mississippi, which agreed to donate $20. A law drafted by the parliament's legislative committee is currently barred from discussion upon request of government Egypt's House of Representative gave the government a 14-day ultimatum to finish drafting a new Equal Citizenship Law, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported on Monday. The parliament's legislative and human rights committees had already drafted a separate Equal Citizenship Law. This draft will not, however, be discussed on the floor for the time being per a request from the Ministry of Justice. The government's draft lawprepared by the justice ministryis awaiting review by the cabinet before it can be sent to parliament, according to ministry representative Samer El-Awady. Parliament member Bahaa El-Din Abu Shoqa said that parliament will discuss the draft put forward by its legislative committee in the event that the government fails to meet the set deadline. Several parliamentarians objected to the postponement of discussion on the legislative committee's draft, arguing that legislation should be the job of the House of Representatives, not the cabinet. "There should be a separation of powers according to the constitution which gives the parliament the right to legislate," said MP Kamal Ahmed. A new Equal Citizenship Law would aim to combat discrimination based on religion, gender, race and class. A draft law put forward by MP Alaa Abdel-Moneim in June proposed ending the inclusion of religious affiliation on national identification cards. The June bill also included articles guaranteeing equal opportunity in the workplace, equal opportunity to build places of worship and freedom of religion. It mandated harsher punishments for discrimination and inciting violence against a certain group or people. Search Keywords: Short link: ALGONA, Iowa The Iowa National Guard said it will close its Algona Readiness Center next spring. Officials say the unit based there and about 90 soldiers assigned there will be moving to Camp Dodge in Johnston. The unit is Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery. Officials said the Algona facility is the 13th to be closed as part of a statewide National Guard consolidation and facilities upgrade program. The 20,400-square-foot Algona facility was built in 1994. It will be turned over to the city for its use. Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. LINCOLN The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has filled another top medical post, promoting Dr. Alice Mitwaruciu to become the agencys behavioral health administrator. Mitwaruciu, who will be paid $138,000 a year, was the agencys assistant behavioral health administrator. She joined Corrections in 2014 as a clinical psychologist at the Lincoln Correctional Center. Before that she worked at the Beatrice State Developmental Center. The Corrections Department has been plagued by shortages in staff who provide required mental health and behavioral health care to inmates. State lawmakers were told about three weeks ago that fewer than half of the agencys 23 slots for psychologists were filled, two psychiatrists have left in recent months, and the prison systems medical director had retired. Last week the agency hired a new medical director, Dr. Harbans Deol. A 49-year-old Scottsbluff, Nebraska, man was killed early Tuesday in a single-vehicle rollover crash west of Scottsbluff. The Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office said Mark Faircloth died in the crash south of Mitchell at County Road 16 and Thrush Road. A newspaper carrier reported the crash around 2:45 a.m., the Sheriffs Office said. The Sheriffs Office said its investigation found that Faircloths vehicle was eastbound on Thrush Road approaching County Road 16 when Faircloth was unable to negotiate the curve. The vehicle veered into the east ditch and struck an irrigation meter box. Faircloth, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected from his vehicle, the Sheriffs Office said. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Republican congressional candidate Don Bacon sounded angry when he talked about Democrats charges that he would undermine Social Security and Medicare. Its a lie, Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general, said at a recent campaign forum. Im not going to pull any punches. If I was with the Air Force guys at the bar there would be an expletive probably in front of it. What to do with Social Security and Medicare has long been a politically potent issue that can sway voters to one side or the other. And it could help determine whether 2nd District voters send Bacon to Congress or re-elect the incumbent, Democrat Brad Ashford. Its one of the most hotly contested races in the country, and Republicans as well as Democrats have been trying to unfavorably tie their candidates opponent to national party leaders. In their ads and on the campaign trail, for example, Republicans repeatedly cite Ashfords support of fellow Democrat Nancy Pelosi for the position of speaker, suggesting that empowering a San Francisco liberal is not what Nebraskans want. Democrats, meanwhile, have hammered Bacon over entitlement programs, with one of their mailers declaring in big, bold type that Donald Bacon would vote to end Medicare. Democrats say that claim is supported by Bacons praise for the bold vision of House Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan has long touted various GOP Medicare proposals aimed at blending it with private sector options and moving toward a premium support model. Its an approach often derided by Democrats as turning Medicare into a vouchers program. They say such a move would spell the end of the traditional, guaranteed-benefit program and leave seniors paying more. And Democrats suggest that Bacon would go along with it. Ryan appeared with Bacon in Omaha on Sunday, holding up a copy of his Better Way plans for the country and saying he needs Republican lawmakers who can help get his ideas across the finish line. But Bacon said he has never expressed support for Ryans Medicare proposals, and he says hes not sold on them. I think Id like hearing more about the issue and hear the debate, but right now I would say no, Im not for it, Bacon said. Bacon said something must be done to preserve Social Security and Medicare for the long haul but that his preference is to raise the retirement age and implement means testing for Medicare. He also stressed that changes to the two programs should apply only to those now younger than 30, and certainly not to anyone of or nearing retirement age. Bacon said his praise for Ryans vision is rooted in the Wisconsin congressmans approach to national security, taxes and immigration. The Bacon campaign also has pointed to comments Ashford made more than 20 years ago about cutting federal entitlement programs to help the budget deficit. Ashford said Monday that he has studied these issues over the years and that he no longer supports that kind of approach. He disagrees with Bacon on how to shore up the programs, saying means testing and retirement-age increases are unnecessary. Medicares problems, in particular, are rooted in cost issues, so the solution is building more competition into the delivery of health care, Ashford said. For example, he said, the government could make it easier to get generic prescription drugs to market sooner and help Medicare recipients receive care at home. We can deliver health care to seniors more efficiently by focusing on prevention and in-home care without jeopardizing quality of care, Ashford said. The target lists released by groups claiming affiliation with Islamic State terrorists continue to be a point of contention in the race for Nebraskas 2nd Congressional District. Republican Don Bacon, a retired brigadier general, has criticized Rep. Brad Ashford for saying in a debate that he was not aware Bellevue had been listed as a target by the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., shot back at Bacon while visiting Omaha on Monday to tout Ashfords work on veterans issues. Moulton served multiple tours in Iraq as a Marine Corps infantry officer, including two tours as a special assistant to Gen. David Petraeus, who oversaw all coalition forces in Iraq. Moulton said he respects Bacons service but compared the use of the Islamic State lists to a politician using German propaganda in a campaign ad during World War II, or using North Vietnamese propaganda during the Vietnam War. This kill list, as they call it, is a complete propaganda tool, Moulton said. Its been debunked by all sorts of leading experts. Its not real. But it is something that ISIS is trying to use in social media to gain support. In response, Bacon said Ashford is simply digging the hole deeper on the issue. Bacon has repeatedly rejected the idea that the lists are harmless. Ray Odierno and Ash Carter didnt think so, he said. That was a reference to Gen. Ray Odierno, the former Army chief of staff, and Defense Secretary Ash Carter, who made comments when the lists came out that they were taking the situation seriously. While some national security experts say all such threats deserve attention, news accounts often have portrayed the lists more like Mickey Mouse scare tactics than credible threats. Ashford has said that Bellevues inclusion on the target list was never raised to him by local officials or military commanders despite his frequent meetings and briefings with them. He said he was well aware that the Islamic State tries to spread all kinds of propaganda on social media, and that he has worked to increase the resources the military has to combat such scare tactics. National security has been a central theme of the battle for Nebraskas 2nd District. Bacon has touted his many years in uniform, while Ashford highlights his work on the House Armed Services Committee. Besides sparring over the Islamic State lists, the candidates have debated whether to implement a no-fly zone in Syria. Ashford has talked up the need for such a policy, while Bacon warns that it could lead to conflict with Russia. Moulton waded into the debate Monday by backing Ashfords position. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin understands strength, force and resolve, and the United States needs to display those qualities in its dealings with Russia. If you say that were not strong enough, were not tough enough as Americans to put that no-fly zone in because were afraid Russia will get angry? Well, thats not the kind of national defense leadership that we need, Moulton said. Bacon said he certainly believes in meeting Russia with strength and that he could see the value in safe zones along Syrias borders. But he said imposing a no-fly zone over other parts of the country, such as the embattled city of Aleppo, would represent a misguided risk. It would be escalatory and I think it could lead to war, Bacon said during his campaigns recent forum on national security issues. Do we want a war with Russia over Aleppo? LINCOLN At least three Republican candidates whose Republican opponents have the support of Gov. Pete Ricketts have been targeted by a group that doesnt have to disclose its donors: Trees of Liberty. Nebraska does not require reporting from groups such as Trees of Liberty and Americans for Prosperity that aim to educate voters about candidates, rather than urging them to vote for or against those candidates. Both Trees of Liberty and Americans for Prosperity have ties to conservative billionaires David and Charles Koch. Ricketts also has gotten financial support from the Koch brothers. And Ricketts was a key founder of the Nebraska chapter of Americans for Prosperity. The governor has not contributed to either group, said Taylor Gage, the governors spokesman. While the origins of Trees of Liberty are somewhat mysterious, the Denver P.O. Box listed on at least one mailer opposing State Sen. Jerry Johnson of Wahoo was also used by Citizens for a Sound Government. That group ran attack ads against then-Attorney General Jon Bruning, who ran against Ricketts for the 2014 GOP nomination for governor. In an email, Alan Philp, a board member for Citizens for a Sound Government, denied a connection or affiliation between the groups, other than acknowledging that he also sits on the board for Trees of Liberty. Trees of Libertys board also includes Pam Pryor, while a third board seat is temporarily vacant, he said. Pryor is a former aide to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Asked about the groups interest in Nebraska, Philp declined to comment. We dont comment on our internal decision-making process, he said. In October, Trees of Liberty issued robocalls against Sens. Les Seiler of Hastings and Johnson, as well as Bob Lammers, a candidate for an open legislative seat representing Kearney. Ricketts has endorsed both Steve Halloran and Bruce Bostelman, who are challenging Seiler and Johnson. The governor also has endorsed and given money to John Lowe Sr., Lammers opponent. Americans for Prosperity State Director Matt Litt said his group is running advocacy mail campaigns on issues including the gas tax increase and secret leadership votes in the Legislature. The campaigns are simply continuing our regular efforts of holding elected officials accountable for their votes and encouraging them to advance economic freedom, he said. Litt declined to elaborate about the groups spending and donors, citing their right to support causes privately. He said he hasnt discussed the groups efforts with the governor. The presidentially endorsed committee which will be tasked with reviewing cases of young detainees was formed on Tuesday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported Tuesday. The committee includes five members: prominent politician and member of Free Egyptians Party Osama El-Ghazaly Harb; writer Nashwa El-Houfy; MP Tarek El-Kholy; National Council for Human Rights member Mohamed Abdel Aziz; and Karim El-Sakka, a former member of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's electoral campaign. This presidential initiative came upon recommendations made by El-Ghazaly Harb at the National Youth Conference held last week in Sharm El-Sheikh. President El-Sisi had promised on several previous occasions to release detainees who have not been convicted of violent crimes: in December 2014, January and February 2015, and June 2016. However, the only presidential pardon issued came in September 2015, and led to the release of 100 prisoners, including tens who were convicted of breaking the controversial Protest Law in the 2013 Shura Council and 2014 Ittihadiya cases. The latest presidential initiative has been met by scepticism from some activist groups, Still, Abdel Aziz told Ahram Online on Monday "There are three main guarantees which give strength to this particular initiative:" "First, that the President expressed his concern about the issue on air; second, the involvement of political powers and parties, especially young party members who can better represent the case of young detainees; and third, the presence of two important institutions working on this initiative the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), and the parliament's human rights committee," said Abdel-Aziz. Search Keywords: Short link: The jury system is one of the glories of American law, giving ordinary people responsibility over many serious matters between the government and its citizens. Thursdays acquittal of seven people who occupied a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon could be taken as a vindication of that institution. Or it could be taken as proof that even the noblest human inventions are subject to human fallibility. The verdicts came as a shock even to the defendants lawyers. I had been telling my client you can count on being convicted, admitted defense attorney Matthew Schindler. You dont walk into a federal court and win a case like this. It just doesnt happen. Said another defense lawyer, fervently if not quite accurately: Im speechless. There was not much dispute about the events that led to the trial. Brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy were among the armed protesters who organized the January takeover of the 187,000-acre Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, demanding the federal government surrender control. The siege ended a few weeks later after the Bundys and several followers were arrested while outside the preserve. The government charged the defendants with conspiracy to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs, as well as weapons offenses. But the defendants insisted their actions were meant only to draw attention to what they regard as federal overreaching. This has nothing to do with refuge employees or their duties, Ammon Bundy testified. The guns, they said, were needed only in case the interlopers were attacked. Obviously the occupiers did impede federal workers. But proving criminal intent was crucial to the governments case, and prosecutors failed. One juror said afterward that the verdict was a statement regarding the various failures of the prosecution to prove conspiracy in the count itself and not any form of affirmation of the defenses various beliefs, action or aspirations. Whether the outcome will advance the occupiers cause isnt clear. During the occupation, Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum, one of the leaders, declared, It needs to be very clear that these buildings will never, ever return to the federal government. They did return to the federal government, though Finicum didnt live to see it. He was shot to death, apparently reaching for his gun, while trying to escape from police. The Bundy brothers still face trial on charges related to an armed 2014 standoff at their fathers ranch in Nevada. Several people involved in the Oregon occupation pleaded guilty, and others are awaiting trial. We give the jury credit for undertaking a difficult task and reaching the verdict it thought was warranted by the evidence and the law. But as Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., put it, The notion that an armed occupation could take over a citizen-owned facility and cause extensive damage, and yet face no consequences within our legal system, is deeply concerning. Lets hope this outcome doesnt encourage other irresponsible conduct by sympathizers, copycats and vigilantes who think the law is what they say it is. If some people dont like Washingtons handling of federal lands, we encourage them to pursue change through the peaceful means offered by our system of government. Theres an election Nov. 8. The Douglas-Sarpy County Learning Community is refining its purpose now that the State of Nebraska has eliminated the use of a common property tax levy for its 11 member school districts. Candidates seeking seats on the Learning Community Coordinating Council are emphasizing both early and adult education, which are seen as ways to help close academic achievement gaps. A pair of competitive races offer voters more strong candidates than slots. Because of state law, the top two finishers in each race are winners, but voters can select only one. In District 2 in central and northeast Omaha, former Omaha Central High School principal Keith Bigsby and former community center director Carol Hahn stood out. In District 6 in western Douglas County and much of Sarpy County, we recommend voters select either practical-minded incumbent Mike Avery or energetic newcomer Sherri Shackelford. In District 2, Bigsbys experience speaks for itself. He was well-respected as Centrals principal, and he has built and maintained relationships with the educational donor community as part of the Omaha Central High School Foundation. In his vision, the Learning Community would focus on provable progress, collecting and mining data it can use to develop public-private partnerships to expand its early childhood education mission, its adult education and its outreach. Hahn, too, has strong ties to Omahas philanthropic community, as executive director of United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska. She sees donor engagement as a way to leverage and extend the public dollars the Learning Community spends. She has overseen an early childhood education program in the Chicago area. She says the board must settle on some academic measurements and show progress. She hopes that will help students, families, fundraising and future efforts at the statehouse. In District 6, Avery, a former state senator and Gretna mayor, has been on the Learning Community council from the beginning. His wealth of institutional knowledge is a major plus for the council as it works to implement the Legislatures revamped direction for the Learning Community. He demonstrated a sure-handed understanding of the Learning Communitys operations and goals, including early childhood education, the elementary learning centers the Learning Community runs in north and South Omaha and coordinated planning among the two counties school districts. Shackelford, a Christian romance novelist, has shown energy and dedication in educating herself about the range of programs within the Learning Community. She has spent time at the elementary learning centers and has spoken at length with staff. She ably explained the Learning Communitys change from open enrollment to option enrollment, including the financial relief the change provides school districts. And shes focused on strategies to help kids in poverty learn. As the Learning Community moves forward, voters in District 2 would do well to select either Keith Bigsby or Carol Hahn. And in District 6, we recommend either Mike Avery or Sherri Shackelford. Editor's Note: This editorial was amended to clarify that voters can select only one candidate, though two seats are open and the top two candidates win. Orr endorses Ian Swanson In the District 31 legislative race, theres a candidate who deserves your serious consideration. Ian Swanson is a conservative who has received the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, National Rifle Association and Nebraskans United for Life. He is a fiscal conservative who will stand up to special interests and fight to end the practice of electing legislative leaders by secret ballot. The choice is even clearer when you consider Swansons opponent. Four years ago, Rick Kolowski ran on a platform of being pro-life and pro-Second Amendment, as well as opposing public benefits for illegal immigrants. Today, Kolowski has earned a 100 percent rating from Nebraskas largest abortion provider and an F from the NRA, in addition to voting for two bills that granted illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded benefits. Voters have a clear choice in this race, and I hope that you will consider supporting Ian Swanson for Legislature. He will be a consistent conservative who will stay in touch with the people of his district and stay true to his principles. Kay A. Orr, Lincoln Nebraska governor, 1987-91 Vargas will represent District 7 well As chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party Latino Caucus, Im proud to support Tony Vargas for the Legislature in District 7. Vargas is the leader we have been waiting for. It is time that we recognize the need to have a leader to represent the largest Latino district in the state who has a shared experience, outlook, values and background as the majority of residents. Its time for new, visionary and inspiring leadership to represent us in the Legislature. Through his hard work as a school board member, he has shown that he is dedicated, focused and able to advocate for the hardworking people in the community. In all my years in the Omaha area, I have never seen a candidate work so hard to successfully win the support of our diverse neighborhoods. For a year he has reached out to people from all walks of life to engage them in this important race for our community. And his hard work paid off. Thanks to his efforts, three times as many Latino voters and four times as many young voters turned out to support him in the May primary election. These voters will all stand up to support him again in November. Marta F. Nieves, Bellevue Death penalty deters justice The statement that the death penalty is any kind of deterrent to murder is literally absurd. We have had the death penalty since the dawn of time, and it hasnt stopped murder. There is no evidence that anyone declines to commit murder because of the death penalty. But the death penalty is a deterrent in a perverse way. As the defense counsel for one of the Beatrice Six who pleaded to a crime that she didnt commit, I know that the death penalty persuaded an innocent person to plead in order to prevent the risk of the death penalty. The death penalty, therefore, deterred her from asserting her innocence, and she therefore spent years in prison because she didnt want to die. The death penalty caused this injustice and everything that has ensued from it. The suggestion that it serves any beneficial purpose is obviously and patently false. Lyle Joseph Koenig, Beatrice, Neb. Our nation needs to do a 180 When we vote this fall, we all face one of the most crucial elections in the history of our country. The problems that are facing our country include: Our national debt growing at an unbelievable pace currently around $60,339 per U.S. citizen. An economy in decline and laws which encourage employers to hire people for 30 hours or less each week in order to avoid having to pay for health care for them. A health care insurance system which does not work and is raising premiums for families to unaffordable levels. Moral values in decline, encouraging abortion and increased out-of-wedlock births. Crime in our large inner cities seemingly out of control. It is time for a new start and new honest leaders who know how to encourage the business and legal system in our country. I believe this is the Republican Party. Please join me in voting for Donald Trump to be our next president. Janet M. Heliker, Waterloo Not electing a dictator Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump behaves like an entitled, petty emperor, not like someone wishing to be the president of a democracy. As a lifelong independent, I shout, Dump Trump. Larry Moeller, Omaha Deadline for election letters The deadline for receiving election-related letters is Thursday. The last day election-related letters will appear in the Public Pulse is Sunday. Why is 'Mr. Bean controversy trending on Twitter after Zimbabwe beat Pakistan? Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Imran Khan again targets Pakistan's establishment on Day 2 of protest march; govt rules out talks over snap polls Amid turmoil at home, Pakistan PM Sharif to visit China to felicitate Xi for his record win J&K: 1 killed, 3 injured in multiple ceasefire violations by Pakistan India oi-IANS By Ians English Jammu, Nov 1: A civilian was killed and three others injured on Tuesday in indiscriminate shelling by Pakistan Rangers along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, police said. "Pakistani troops resorted to indiscriminate targeting of civilian and defence facilities in Ramgarh sector," the police official said. "A 16-year-old girl, Rosy, hit by a mortar splinter died in Jerda village while the three others were injured critically in Pindi Charka village." Pakistan has extended the indiscriminate firing that started in Jerda to Pindi and Nai Basti areas in Ramgarh sector. "The BSF is retaliating effectively and heavy shelling and firing exchanges are going on," the official added. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Army resorted to heavy shelling and firing at Indian positions in Naushera sector of the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district on Tuesday. IANS Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Imran Khan again targets Pakistan's establishment on Day 2 of protest march; govt rules out talks over snap polls Amid turmoil at home, Pakistan PM Sharif to visit China to felicitate Xi for his record win 8 killed in Pak firing- Highest casualty on single day in 2 decades India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Srinagar, Nov 1: Eight persons were killed in a single day as Pakistan soldiers fired at villages and posts along the Line of Control and the International Border. This the highest number of civilian casualties reported along the border on a single day in two decades. Two five year olds, Reshab and Abhi were killed. In another incident a 19 year old girl, Ravinder Kaur was killed in Ramgarh, Jammu. Ravinder was killed when a mortar landed in her kitchen earlier today. Two more persons died in the Ramgarh sector. One person died due to shock during the shelling taking the toll up to six. [Pak shells border hamlets, posts; woman killed] Along the Line of Control, two women were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops. This incident occurred at the Panjgrian border hamlet in Majalkore belt of Rajouri district. Meanwhile, the Indian forces responded strongly through the day. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed opposite to Naushera sector along the Line of Control. On the Indian side several injuries too have been reported. Three army porters were injured in shelling in the Noushera sector. In Poonch district Pakistani shells injured three persons. Since the September 29 surgical strikes, at least 18 persons including 12 civilians have been killed and more than 80 have been injured in shelling by Pakistan along the International Border and Line of Control. Army officials say that the cease fire violations are likely to continue for a few days more. However it is expected to reduce later, officials also state. Officials also say that most incidents of violations are aimed at providing cover fire for terrorists to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan will look to plant as many terrorists as possible in the Valley before the winter sets in completely. OneIndia News AIADMK: Jayalalithaa to resume her 'makkal pani' (people's duty) very soon News oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Chennai, Nov 1: It has been more than 40 days since Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. The last health bulletin on Amma was issued by the hospital on October 21. According to the medical bulletin issued by the hospital, Jayalalithaa is "interacting" and her health condition is "progressing gradually". [Shocking revelations: Jayalalithaa is a victim of black magic?] As the state government is maintaining a stoic silence and divulging very little on Jayalalithaa's health, the voters of the southern state are anxious to know about their Chief Minister's health conditions. In the midst of all these speculations surrounding Jayalalithaa's health, AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathi said the Chief Minister was recovering fast and would soon resume her "people's duty". "Amma is doing well and will come back to resume her 'makkal pani' (people's duty) very soon," Saraswathi told reporters outside Apollo Hospitals on Monday. Jayalalithaa is undergoing treatment in the hospital since September 22. Meanwhile, state ministers and the AIADMK cadre continued to organise special poojas at various temples across the state for the speedy recovery of their party supremo. OneIndia News Baloch women leader seeks India's help for independence India oi-IANS By Ians English Mumbai, Nov 1: World Baloch Women's Forum (WBWF) President Naela Quadri Baloch on Tuesday sought India's help for the cause of an independent Balochistan, but urged that the issue should not be mixed up with Kashmir. The Canadian-based leader in self-exile, currently travelling around the world to drum up support for Balochistan's independence from Pakistan, cited the alleged atrocities on Baloch women, genocide of Balochis and severe violations of human rights of the Baloch people. "Pakistanis do not accept Balochis as their citizens, nor are we interested in becoming their citizens. We have been 'independent' since centuries, how can Pakistan claim its their internal issue?" she asked at a meet-the-press programme organised by the Press Club of Mumbai, presided over by India-Pakistan friendship activist Jatin Desai. Claiming that atrocities against Balochis have increased after China entered the scene, she also held it (China) equally responsible as the Pakistan Army for the "genocide" of the Baloch people. In this context, Quadri also voiced concerns over China's growing influence in the Indian Ocean. India's Balochistan plan- 'Don't stop till Pakistan gives up' She attacked the Pakistan Army and charged it with using chemical warfare, allegedly kidnapping and killing Balochi women and children, and trading in their organs like eyes, kidneys, liver, etc. Quadri welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiative on the Balochi struggle during his Independence Day address this year followed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's speech in United Nations. Though expressing disappointment over the lack of support from previous Indian governments, she said it was probably because they were in a coalition which has its own limitations. "But, Modi has a clear mandate and he should support us. But the issue of Balochistan's independence should not be linked with Kashmir," Quadri urged. She noted that an independent Balochistan, which has a long coastline, will help India open up its trade with Central Asian countries besides curbing Pakistan-sponsored terror. Quadri said the Balochis were lobbying hard for a "government-in-exile" as a step towards an independent Balochistan. In Mumbai for four days now, she said she was overwhelmed by the warmth of the people of 'Bombay', and from the 500 Baloch-origin families settled here, besides another 800,000 scattered across India. IANS Bigot, tyrant, freedom fighter? Karnataka gears up for Tipu Sultan trouble News oi-Vicky By Vicky Bengaluru, Nov 1: There appears to be no end to the Tipu Sultan controversy in Karnataka. On November 10, the state gears up to celebrate Tipu Jayanthi amidst opposition from the BJP, RSS and Christians. It may be recalled that the celebrations last year turned violent and two men lost their lives in clashes. Like last year, this time too there are two issues that are being raised. First and foremost, those opposing Tipu say that he indulged in forcible conversions and was a tyrant. Calling him a freedom fighter is wrong say those who oppose him. Secondly the contention yet again is regarding the date. The government of Karnataka wants to celebrate Tipu Jayanthi on November 10. Some historians say that November 10 was the day he had hanged 700 Melkote Iyengars. These historians point out that Tipu's birthday falls on November 20. Gearing up for trouble: Like 2015, this time too the Tipu Jayanthi celebrations will be met with stiff resistance. Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah is however insistent that the celebrations will go on this year too. The Department of Kannada and Culture will be organising the celebrations across the state. The RSS and the BJP have also planned state wide protests on November 10. He was a bigot and a tyrant, the BJP and RSS say while stating that they would organise state wide protests. For the police of Karnataka it would be a hectic day. Security would be high in places such as Bengaluru, Mysuru and Madikeri. Protests are likely to be intense in Kodagu where Tipu is a much hated person. He has been accused of treachery and had captured several Kodavas by tricking them. The Kodavas also accuse him of forcible conversions. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 9:51 [IST] On Tuesday, a meeting was held in Cairo between Rome's deputy prosecutor and Egypt's top prosecutor to discuss updates on the investigation into Regeni's death in Egypt earlier this year Egypt agreed on Tuesday to hand over documents belonging to Italian student Guilio Regeni who was found dead in Cairo in February, a joint statement by the Egyptian and Italian prosecution read. In an official statement released following a Cairo meeting between Rome's deputy prosecutor Sergio Colaiocco and Egypt's top prosecutor Nabil Sadek, the Egyptian prosecution said it will hand over Regeni's documents that were found on 24 March. The documents, which are no longer needed for the investigation being conducted in Egypt, include his American University in Cairo and Cambridge University ID cards inside a "red handbag bearing the Italian flag" along with other items such as his credit card and two mobile phones. Colaiocco extended an invitation to Sadek to visit Rome in December to keep Cairo up-to-date on the developments in the case, as well as to arrange a visit between Egypt's prosecutor and Regeni's family. Regeni, who was in Cairo conducting research on independent trade unions, went missing on 25 January. His body was found, bearing signs of torture, on a roadside on the outskirts of Cairo on 3 February. In March, Egyptian police announced that they had found Regeni's identity documents inside an apartment linked to a gang that robs foreigners, hours after killing all its four members in a fire exchange in New Cairo. In September, Sadek visited Rome for updates on the probe, where he told his Italian counterparts that police briefly investigated Regeni before his murder but suspended their operation after three days. Sadek also said during his visit that there were "doubts" regarding a link between a reported gang and the kidnapping and murder of Regeni. Regenis murder has strained ties in an otherwise close relationship between Rome and Cairo. Egypt strongly denies claims that security forces were involved in Regeni's murder. Italian officials have publicly criticised the investigations being carried out by Cairo, saying they were being conducted in a way that shows a lack of transparency. Search Keywords: Short link: Centre asks J&K govt to make efforts to reopen schools India oi-PTI New Delhi, Nov 1: Concerned over burning down of several schools in Kashmir, the Centre has asked the Mehbooba Mufti government to check such attempts and make efforts for reopening the schools which have been closed for more than 110 days due to unrest in the Valley. In a communication, the Home Ministry conveyed to the Jammu and Kashmir government to ensure protection of schools, especially those which are vulnerable to attacks, and make all attempts for reopening all educational institutions across the Valley. The central government is deeply concerned over the incidents of setting ablaze of schools and worried about the future of the children who are the worst sufferers due to the prolonged turmoil in the state, a senior Home Ministry official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also said to be worried that the closure of educational institutions for such a long period is affecting thousands of students and feels that if schools reopen, it would be a great step towards restoring normalcy in Kashmir, officials said. With only 50 per cent of syllabus complete, students of J&K have no internet to study At least 26 schools in various parts of the Valley were set ablaze in recent past. The Home Ministry is said to have persuaded the Jammu and Kashmir government to direct the state Board of School Education to notify over 500 schools to conduct regular examinations. Examinations for Class X will commence from November 15 and will culminate on November 28 while examinations for Class XII will commence from November 14 and will culminate on December 3. Educational institutions in the Valley are closed since July 9 afer outbreak of clashes and a strike call by separatists following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Sources said the assessment of security forces is that radical forces are trying to force children in rural areas to join religious schools or madrassas and not opt for modern education so that youngsters could be radicalised easily. Amid outrage over increasing number of schools being burnt in the Valley, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court yesterday stepped in, directing police and civil administration to ensure their protection besides unmasking the "mysterious enemies of education" and deal with them with an "iron hand". PTI 5-year-old dies after being attacked by pack of dogs in MP Chouhan had concerns over security at Bhopal jail India oi-PTI Bhopal, Nov 1: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan may have had some concerns over the security at the Central Jail in Bhopal, from where eight SIMI activists escaped and were killed in an alleged encounter yesterday. According to an official close to Chouhan, the CM, at the two-day Collectors and SPs meeting which ended on October 27, appeared to be worried over the absence of the jail authorities and had asked "where is the Prison Director General ?" To which the CM was told that the prison official has been operated upon and is unwell. Thereafter, Chouhan specifically told the Madhya Pradesh Jail Principal Secretary Vinod Semwal, who was present at the meeting, that "special thrust should be laid on the jail security," the official said. Earlier on October 3, then MP Jail Additional Director General (ADG) Sushovan Banerjee had also issued a written direction to Bhopal Central Jail Superintendent which said that, "security in Bhopal Jail should be tightened in letter and spirit in the wake of the disturbing developments in the country." The direction also said that a high alert has been sounded in the country (in wake of the Uri terror attack) and hence security should be beefed up in the local Central Jail. When contacted, Banerjee admitted that he had issued a written direction to the Bhopal Jail Superintendent. Now, Banerjee has been attached to the police headquarters after yesterday's incident. Sudhir Sahi has been made the MP Jail Additional Director General. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 15:44 [IST] Encounter of SIMI operatives in MP marred by contradictions News oi-Vicky By Vicky New Delhi, Nov 1: If there are excesses it will be probed for sure, a senior official in New Delhi said about the encounter that took place in Madhya Pradesh in which 8 operatives of the Students Islamic Movement of India were killed. On Monday 8 operatives of the SIMI escaped from the Bhopal central jail after killing a guard. A few hours later they were killed in an encounter on the outskirts of Bhopal. Questions are being raised whether the encounter was a bonafide one or not. While the Inspector General of Police, Bhopal, Yogesh Chaudhary said that the operatives were armed, Sanjeev Shami, the IG who led the operation said they were unarmed. Contradictions: The 8 operatives who escaped on Monday were facing very serious charges. They were all accused on charges of terror. The police did act swiftly and manage to corner these persons in a matter of a few hours after their escape. However the statements that followed in the aftermath of the encounter have been contradictory and this has raised doubts. As mentioned above the statements of the two senior police officials contradict each other. Chaudhary said that some police personnel had sustained injuries after the operatives opened fire. Shami however maintained that the operatives were unarmed and none of the police personnel sustained injuries. SIMI explained in ten points Another interesting aspect of this case is with the speed in which the operatives managed to change their clothes and flee. When they fled they were in prison uniform. They were unshaven. However at the encounter spot they were seen in different clothes and clean shaven. Some have questioned that in the midst of a grand escape how did they find time to change their clothes and even shave. The case is likely to be probed by the National Investigation Agency. An officer with the NIA says that there are videos of the encounter. If asked to probe the matter we will go into the jail break and also the manner in which the encounter was carried out, the officer said. OneIndia News Pak off the FATF grey list doesn't mean it's not under scrutiny anymore: MEA secretary Espionage case: Expelled Pakistan high commission staffer names 16 others India oi-PTI New Delhi, Nov 1: The Pakistan High Commission employee, who was recently expelled by India for spying, had named 16 other "staffers" who were also allegedly involved in the espionage ring, police said today. During his joint interrogation by Delhi Police and intelligence agencies, expelled Pakistani High Commission staffer Mehmood Akhtar had claimed that 16 other employees of the diplomatic mission were in touch with spies for extracting sensitive information and documents pertaining to army and Border Security Force or BSF deployment, said a senior police officer privy to the probe. His claims are still being verified and, if found to be true, the police might write to the Ministry of External Affairs to take the matter forward, the officer said. Crime Branch teams are raiding various places in Rajasthan to apprehend the locals who were providing confidential documents and information to Akhtar, who allegedly headed the espionage racket. Two teams of Crime Branch are currently in Rajasthan along with the other arrested accused Maulana Ramzan, Subhash Jangir and Shoaib - to seek details of paramilitary personnel who might be involved in leaking information to them, sources said. Two persons have also been detained in Rajasthan and are currently being questioned, said the officer. "It is suspected that some retired officers were in touch with the arrested spies," he said. Smile you are on camera- How Pakistan trapped this spy Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha lawmaker Munavvar Saleem's personal assistant Farhat Khan was also arrested last week in connection with the espionage racket. The Pakistan High Commission staffer was caught receiving secret documents in New Delhi on October 26. Ramzan and Jangir, residents of Nagaur, Rajasthan, were arrested along with Akhtar. Another accused Shoaib was detained in Jodhpur and brought to Delhi by the police where he was arrested. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 23:13 [IST] D-Syndicate raises its ugly head again: This time on the target are Hindu leaders Has Dawood Ibrahim become a liability for Pakistan? India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Nov 1: The don is ailing and wants to return, but the big question is how. Dawood Ibrahim who is holed up in Pakistan has indicated to his men that he wishes to be buried in India. Going by reports not all is well in the D camp and there is an indication that with his utility coming down, there is a chance of him being eliminated in Pakistan as they now consider him a liability. Dawood Ibrahim who runs several businesses has been hit hard off late. Recently following a request by the Indian government, UAE liquidated properties worth Rs 15,000 crore run by Dawood's benamis. In addition to this there has been a massive crack down on the border by the Indian agencies as a result of which the drug mafia run by Dawood has suffered. When I met Dawood Ibrahim: Journalist recounts the meeting Dawood continues to be a talking point for India with Pakistan. India has provided ample proof about Dawood's presence in Pakistan, but this has been denied repeatedly. Pakistan continued to shield Dawood Ibrahim as he was an asset to them. He had to cough up 40 per cent of his income to the ISI in exchange for protection. However today with his health failing and business fading he appears to be more of a liability to the ISI. Indian officials say that the ISI is known to kill of their liabilities. If his utility is up, then there is no way that the ISI will continue to shield him. If Dawood wants to return to India, he will have to come and face trial and he cannot set pre-conditions, the officer also added. OneIndia news For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 8:27 [IST] Hillary Clinton challenges FBI, declaring, 'There's no case here' India oi-PTI Kent (US), Nov 1: Hillary Clinton has forcefully challenged the FBI's new email inquiry, declaring during a campaign rally in battleground Ohio, "There's no case here." Clinton's comments yesterday were her most pointed yet on the subject, and they underscored her campaign's decision to fight back aggressively against FBI Director James Comey. On Friday just over a week from Election Day Comey alerted Congress that the FBI has obtained new material that may be related to its dormant investigation into whether classified information passed through Clinton's private email server while she served as secretary of state. The FBI plans to review the emails to see if they contain classified information and if so, whether they were handled properly. The Justice Department said yesterday it would "dedicate all necessary resources" to concluding the review promptly. Clinton accused the FBI of having jumped into the election "with no evidence of any wrongdoing with just days to go." She said that if the bureau wants to look at the emails, which appear tied to her longtime aide Huma Abedin, "by all means, they should look at them." But she insisted the FBI would reach the same conclusion it did earlier this year, when it declined to recommend Clinton and her advisers face charges for how they handled classified information. "They said it wasn't even a close call," she said. "I think most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all of this." The investigation appears to center on a laptop belonging to Anthony Weiner, the disgraced former congressman and Abedin's estranged husband. It's unclear whether the material on the device was from Clinton. It's also not known if the emails in question are new or duplicates of the thousands the former secretary of state and her aides have already turned over. In another sign of the Clinton campaign's escalating feud with Comey, her advisers leapt on a CNBC report that the director opposed releasing information close to Election Day about Russian interference in the White House race. Campaign manager Robby Mook called the report evidence of a "blatant double standard." The AP has not confirmed that report, and the FBI declined to comment on it yesterday. Intelligence agencies have linked Russia to the hacking of Democratic groups during the campaign. Clinton has charged the Kremlin is trying to tilt the election in favor of Donald Trump and has questioned the Republican's financial ties to Russia. The Obama administration delayed for weeks formally blaming Russia because of sensitive negotiations that were taking place with Moscow at the time over Syria, according to people familiar with the investigation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the hackings, which were investigated as counterintelligence cases. (AP) Gods on the runway: Kerala airport halts flights every year to make way for temple procession Kerala Journalist Siddique Kappan denied bail in ED case, to stay in jail Kerala Piravi: How God's own country was formed 66 years ago I will break your legs: SFI issues threat to principal in presence of cops in Kerala Kerala becomes open defection free state India oi-PTI New Delhi, Nov 1: Kerala has become the third Open Defecation Free (ODF) state in the country. The announcement was made on the state's foundation day today. Earlier, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim had declared themselves Open Defecation Free. "Kerala has become an ODF state today," Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer said. He said over 1 lakh villages across the country have become ODF. "Kerala becomes first high density populated state in the country to achieve Open Defecation Free status today on its formation day," Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in a tweet. Meanwhile, a source said three more states--Gujarat, Haryana and Uttarakhand--will be announcing themselves as ODF soon. PTI Naxalism is down, but it is still Indias greatest challenge: Rajnath Singh FIR against Shah mockery of democracy, says HM, accuses Mamata govt of misusing state machinery No documents will be asked or biometric taken for NPR: Home Ministry Wonder why home minister chose not to go to AIIMS but to private hospital: Shashi Tharoor Meeting held to review situation along Pakistan border in J&K India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Nov 1: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, on Tuesday reviewed the security along India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir as shelling and cross border firing by Pakistani troops killed eight civilians. Army Chief, Gen. Dalbir Singh was also present at the meeting, which was dubbed "routine review meeting". "The situation on the border with Pakistan and within Jammu and Kashmir was reviewed at a high-level meeting here," Home Ministry spokesperson K.S. Dhatwalia told IANS. He said the "routine review meeting" was held to take stock of the overall situation on the International Border, the Line of Control and the Kashmir valley. On Tuesday, heavy shelling of hamlets and military posts was witnessed in Samba, Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri districts along the International Border and the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. 8 killed in Pak firing- Highest casualty on single day in 2 decades Eight civilians, including five women, were killed and 14 others injured on Tuesday as Pakistan troopers bombarded several border areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass exodus from dozens of frontier villages, officials said. The Border Security Force said it destroyed 14 Pakistan outposts in retaliation after the civilian casualties in India. IANS MP: Families of killed SIMI men to move HC seeking CBI probe India oi-PTI Bhopal, Nov 1: A day after eight SIMI activists were killed in an alleged police encounter following a daring prison break here, their families have decided to approach the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a CBI probe into what they dubbed as "cold-blooded murders". "The families of the deceased have come to me and are weeping inconsolably for justice. We are going to move the MP High Court for a CBI probe into the entire incident," lawyer Parvez Alam told PTI. "It is surprising that the authorities are claiming that the accused climbed the 32 feet boundary wall of the jail. Is this possible?" he asked. Police has claimed that the accused from the banned outfit were yesterday killed in an encounter hours after they escaped from the high-security Central jail where they had slit the throat of a security guard and scaled the wall using bedsheets between 2 AM and 3 AM. Alam described the encounter as "fake" and said, "The TV grabs show police and ATS firing. There is no evidence that the accused fired." "This is a fake encounter and (these are) cold blooded murders," Alam claimed. He said Inspector General Yogesh Choudhary had last night told media that the accused made keys to open their lock up with tooth brushes. SIMI explained in ten points "Can someone open the keys of high security Bhopal Central Jail that has earned an ISO certificate with keys made of tooth brushes," he wondered. "What lie these authorities are speaking," he said. "Our first course of action after the funeral of the accused killed in the encounter is to move the HC for justice," he added. The kin of the seven accused have already reached Bhopal to receive their bodies and take them to their place for burial, Alam said. He said that no one has yet claimed the body of Mohammad Khalid, a resident of Solapur in Maharashtra. Family members of accused Sheikh Mujeeb are taking his body to Ahmedabad, while Abdul Majid's mortal remains are being taken to Mahidpur area in Ujjain district of MP, he said. Bodies of the rest--Amjad Khan, Zakir Hussain, Mohammad Salik, Sheikh Mehboob and Aqueel Khilji-- all hailing from MP's Khandwa district are being taken to their homes, Alam added. PTI Smile you are on camera- How Pakistan trapped this spy News oi-Vicky By Vicky New Delhi, Nov 1: Smile you are on camera. This is what happened to the spy who shared documents for the first time with a staffer in the Pakistan high commission. Farhat Khan who has been a spy for the past twently years was just not able to get out of the muck he had got into. The first time he shared a document for the lure of money. The pressure was clearly building on him and of course the fear of getting caught loomed largely over his head. The first time that he handed over a document, the Pakistanis made sure that he was shot on camera. This was the trap that had been set and Farhat Khan had no choice but to keep passing on documents fearing that the Pakistanis may out him. He tells the police that at times he felt that he should get out of this web. But each time he tried telling his handlers, they would threaten to make public the photographs in which he is seen handing over secret documents. To make matters worse for him, at one party held at the Pakistan High Commission, he was photographed with women. The women would be intentionally sent towards him and then someone would shoot pictures. This too was used as a blackmail tool against him, an investigating officer added. During the course of the questioning, Khan revealed that he was in touch with various persons. Moreover he had earned the trust of several politicians and had worked as their personal assistants. This helped him get access to secret files which he would pass on, he also revealed during his questioning. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 11:48 [IST] Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday a Western failure to rein in violent Islamists in Syria had indefinitely delayed the resumption of peace talks. In remarks broadcast on Russian television, Shoigu said that rebels backed by Western governments had been attacking civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo, despite a pause in Russian air attacks. "As a result, the prospects for the start of a negotiation process and the return to peaceful life in Syria are postponed for an indefinite period," Shoigu said. Search Keywords: Short link: #SteelFlyoverBeda campaign: Bengalureans to go on a hunger strike on November 6 India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Bengaluru, Nov 1: The citizens of Bengaluru have clearly said "Beda" (No) to the controversial steel flyover project. However, it seems Siddaramaiah government is adamant to go ahead with its pet project. The activists behind the campaign--#SteelFlyoverBeda-look equally firm to pressurise the government to drop the proposed project. The campaign was first kick-started on social media almost a month ago. Thus the tussle between the Congress-led government in Karnataka and activists looks to be a long-drawn one. After hosting a human chain protest against the flyover project, reports say Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), a group of volunteers spearheading the campaign, will hold a day-long hunger strike on November 6. Bengaluru opposes steel flyover- Massive human chain formed The venue of the "satyagraha" is yet to be finalized. In fact, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had put a stay on the construction of the steel flyover project recently. According to an estimate, the government is likely to spend Rs 1,761 crore on the controversial project. Rubbishing allegations of massive corruption involved in the construction of the flyover, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that there was total transparency in the project. OneIndia News War of words: Tu Tu Main Main between AIADMK and DMK over health of Jayalalithaa News oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Chennai, Nov 1: They are infamous for fighting ugly "political battles" out in the open. The long and well-documented rivalry between Tamil Nadu's two main political parties-AIADMK and DMK-is known to all and sundry. At a time when the state's Chief Minister, J Jayalalithaa, is undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Chennai for more than 40 days now, a war of words has erupted between the Dravidian parties. In the north belt of India, the political slugfest underway in the southern state would be best described as Tu Tu Main between the DMK and the AIADMK. Tu Tu Main Main is a phrase in Hindi meaning arguments and bickering. Since the AIADMK is trying its best to keep the health status of Amma a "state secret", the opposition party wants clarity on the matter to end growing speculations. The AIADMK on its part accused the DMK of politicizing the CM's health. According to a news report published by The News Minute, DMK President M Karunanidhi on Sunday compared his political rival's hospitalisation to his at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital in 2009, when he was Chief Minister. "In a press statement, the 92-year-old leader stated that the then DMK government had announced that he would be undergoing a spine surgery and had gone to the extent of providing the names of the doctors performing the surgery. Taking a dig at the ruling AIADMK for not providing updates on Jayalalithaa's health, Karunanidhi stated that the first announcement about his hospitalisation came from his government, rather than the hospital," added the news report. Replying to the questions raised by the DMK patriarch, CR Saraswathi, spokesperson of AIADMK, said Karunanidhi was politicizing Amma's health. The AIADMK spokesperson, in return, asked "real information" on Karunanidhi's health. Last week, the 92-year-old politician was advised rest after he fell ill due to a drug-induced allergy. Saraswathi also demanded photographic evidence of DMK chief's treatment, like the opposition party had asked for photographs of Jayalalithaa undergoing treatment in the hospital. The AIADMK reiterated that Jaya is "perfectly fine". The last health bulletin on Amma was issued by the hospital on October 21. According to the medical bulletin issued by the hospital, Jayalalithaa is "interacting" and her health condition is "progressing gradually". OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 6:33 [IST] Indian-origin Sikh woman who wears turban is new councillor of Canadian city Brampton Woman gangraped in Mumbai; 7 held India oi-PTI Mumbai, Nov 1: A 28-year-old woman, who was hunting for an accommodation, was allegedly raped by eight persons in suburban Jogeshwari here, police said. Seven of the accused were arrested today. The incident occurred at Amboli last night when the victim and her husband were searching for an accommodation at Shamnagar slum with the help of a woman. Since, it got late in the night, the couple chose to stay at the woman's house, they said. After sometime, eight persons barged into the house and gangraped the victim in front of her husband before fleeing. "After the incident, the woman and her husband reached Amboli Police Station to lodge a complaint. Police registered a case against eight persons, one of them had criminal records," Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Ashok Dudhe said. A case has been registered against eight persons in this connection under relevant sections of the IPC with Amboli Police Station. Seven accused were held today while one person is still at large, the official said, adding all of them fall in the age bracket of 20-25. The woman was admitted to a hospital and is stated to be stable, police said. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 13:31 [IST] 'Coronavirus vaccine may never be found': Boris Johnson warns of 'worst-case scenario' Farmers' protest internal issue of India, for it to resolve: British govt How did British colonise hot countries? Netizens ask as Britain faces extreme heat British spy chief warns of threats from 'aggressive' Russia International oi-PTI London, Nov 1 The head of British intelligence agency MI5, Andrew Parker, has warned of Russia acting in "increasingly aggressive ways" and utilising new technologies in its opposition to the west. "It is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways -- involving propaganda, espionage, subversion and cyber-attacks. "Russia is at work across Europe and in the UK today. It is MI5's job to get in the way of that," Parker told the Guardian newspaper yesterday. The director general of the UK's domestic security service was speaking after British warships earlier this month shadowed a Russian aircraft carrier battle group through the North Sea, which was en route to the eastern Mediterranean. Defence Minister Michael Fallon said the Russian naval deployment was "clearly designed to test" British and broader NATO capabilities. Last month Britain scrambled fighter jets from an airbase in Scotland as two Russian bombers neared, but did not enter, UK airspace. Parker said Russia was increasingly positioning itself against the west and making use of non-traditional methods to do so. "Russia increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the west and seems to act accordingly," he said. "You can see that on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria. But there is high-volume activity out of sight with the cyber-threat. Russia has been a covert threat for decades. What's different these days is that there are more and more methods available," Parker added. The spy chief's comments follow the US earlier this month accusing Russia of trying to interfere in the upcoming presidential election by hacking US political institutions, charges the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed. A focal point of strained relations between Russia and the west has been Syria, where Moscow is backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 and has since killed more than 300,000 people, with fighting most recently centring on the country's second city Aleppo. Britain's foreign minister, Boris Johnson, earlier this month said the government had evidence Russian jets had been involved in bombing raids which hit aid workers. "We are trying to document that fully because that is in my view unquestionably a war crime," he told The Sun newspaper. "The world's attitude towards Russia has been hardening and I think people now believe that Russia is in danger of becoming a pariah nation," Johnson added. AFP 12-year-old Indian in Guinness World Record for identifying most aeroplane tails in UAE Watch: Four Indian women racially abused in Texas in most horrific manner Indian Teen Arrested In US For Choking 911 Lines International oi-PTI San Francisco: An Indian-origin teenager has been arrested in the US for carrying out a cyberattack that swamped Arizona's emergency services with several bogus calls, an incident he claimed was a non-harmful joke gone wrong. Meet kumar Hiteshbhai Desai was taken into custody after the Surprise Police Department, Arizona, notified the Sheriff's Office of more than 100 hang-up 911 calls. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office arrested the 18-year-old, accusing him of carrying out a cyberattack on the 911 system, according to a Sheriff's Office statement. Desai was booked into a Maricopa County jail on suspicion of three counts of computer tampering. Interference with critical infrastructure could have disrupted the 911 system in the Phoenix area and potentially other states, The Arizona Republic reported. Investigators traced the calls and discovered they originated from a link posted to Twitter, according to the statement. The link was to a site named "Meet Desai" and its domain was hosted out of San Francisco. When the link was clicked, it continually called 911 and would not let the caller hang up. Peoria police and the MCSO also received a large number of calls, and the volume had the potential to shut down 911 service across Maricopa County, the Sheriff's Office said. MCSO detectives identified 'Meet' and took him in for questioning last Wednesday. "Meet claims that his intention was to make a non-harmful, but annoying bug that he believed was 'funny'," the Sheriff's Office statement said. Desai told investigators that he was approached by an online friend with a bug. Desai then tweaked the bug so it would add pop-ups, prompts to open e-mail applications and activation of automatic telephone dialing on iOS devices, all via coding that Desai wrote himself. Desai told sheriff's detectives that he was interested in programmes, bugs and viruses that he could manipulate and change. Desai said Apple Inc., the hardware and software company, would pay and credit him for discovering such bugs and viruses. The MCSO cybercrimes unit executed a search warrant and seized multiple items at Desai's residence that will be forensically examined, the Sheriff's Office said. PTI Michel Temer reaffirms Brazil's commitment to UN International oi-IANS By Ians English Brasilia, Nov 1 Brazil President Michel Temer met Antonio Guterres, the next UN secretary-general and reaffirmed Brazil's "commitment" to the United Nation's goals of democracy and peace. Guterres, the former prime minister of Portugal, is in Brasilia to attend the 11th Community of Portuguese-speaking Nations, or CPLP, summit, Efe news reported. Temer told Guterres on Monday that Brazil "will continue working" with the United Nations and the international community to "promote democracy, peace and security," along with efforts on sustainable development, officials told Efe news. The 67-year-old Guterres was received with honours at the Planalto presidential palace for his private meeting with Temer. Temer took office on August 31 after President Dilma Rousseff was ousted by Congress, and the CPLP summit is his debut at a gathering of heads of state and government. The members of the CPLP, created in 1996 on the initiative of Portugal, are Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, and East Timor. After his meeting with Temer, Guterres told reporters he was excited about the future of a group that he helped create while serving as Portugal's premier from 1995 to 2002. "Twenty years after being co-founder of the CPLP, it's a great joy to return to a meeting of this organization and, now, as UN secretary-general," Guterres said. IANS Aishwarya Rai grilled by ED for six hours in 'Panama Papers' leak case Panama Papers leaks: Pak SC orders corruption probe against Nawaz International oi-PTI Islamabad, Nov 1: In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court today ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. The court also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. It court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, PTI chief Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters, "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow." PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children - Maryam, Hasan and Hussain were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 17:50 [IST] Lalu to go in SP event, Nitish not Patna oi-PTI Patna, Nov 1: While RJD President Lalu Prasad has confirmed participation in the Samajwadi Party foundation day function on November 5 at Lucknow, JD(U) today made it clear that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would not be able to make it to the programme. Absence of Nitish Kumar would dent Mulayam Singh Yadav's efforts to cobble up a broad coalition of socialist and secular forces ahead of crucial Uttar Pradesh poll early next year by parading prominent leaders on one platform at SP's 25th foundation day function. Lalu's close aide Bhola Yadav, MLA, today confirmed RJD chief's participation in the SP function at Lucknow. Bihar JD(U) President Basistha Narayan Singh told PTI "there is fight within Samajwadi Party (SP) family and we do not want to be seen with any one side in this feud." JD(U) Secretary General K C Tyagi said party chief would not be able to make it to November 5 event at Lucknow due to Chhath festival. "You know how important is Chhath festival for the people of Bihar...if he (Nitish Kumar) goes there leaving Chhath, BJP would attack him for not being with the people of the state on such a pious occasion," Tyagi told PTI. Asked while Lalu Prasad is going for SP event and absence of Nitish Kumar would trigger difference among them, Basistha Narayan Singh said "we have strong coalition of JD(U), RJD and Congress in Bihar, but it does not mean that the three should have similar point of view in other states." "Lalujee is related to Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and as such he has freedom to take his decision," he said. The JD(U) chief, however, did not miss the opportunity to express heartburn over the role played by Mulayam Singh Yadav and SP to foil merger of six parties of Janata Parivar earlier in which Nitish Kumar had played an important role. "Nitish Kumar had made a sincere efforts for merger and everybody had agreed to merge under the leadership of Mulayam Singh Yadav, but it did not succeed the reasons for which is known to everyone," he said. "Today's circumstance is different," he said in an oblique reference to soaring popularity graph of Nitish Kumar after Bihar victory due to which he is considered as a potent candidate for Prime Ministerial post in 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Recently, Nitish Kumar at JD(U) National Council meet at Rajgir had made an overture to UP CM Akhilesh Yadav to enforce prohibition which would help him come out of "shadow of family" and also help win poll himself. Kumar had also pledged support to young UP CM in such a condition. PTI 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. Elite Iraqi forces battled the Islamic State group on the eastern edge of Mosul on Tuesday, with a top commander saying the "true liberation" of the jihadist-held city had begun. Amid heavy fighting on the eastern front over the past two days, forces from Iraq's US-trained Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) had advanced into Gogjali, a village separated from Mosul by a large cemetery. "Now is the beginning of the true liberation of the city of Mosul," Staff General Taleb Sheghati al-Kenani, the commander of CTS, told Iraqiya state television from Gogjali. Staff Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi, a senior CTS officer, said in televised remarks that the "clearing operation is still ongoing" in Gogjali, which its forces had stormed in a two-pronged assault on Tuesday morning. "The next (step) will be towards Al-Zahra and Al-Karama," he told AFP by telephone from the front, referring to two neighbourhoods on the eastern side of Mosul. Backed by air and ground support from a US-led coalition, tens of thousands of Iraqi fighters are converging on Mosul, the last major city in the country under IS control. Since the offensive was launched on October 17, federal forces and Kurdish peshmerga fighters have retaken a series of villages as they advance on the city from the north, east and south. CTS forces -- who were the last to retreat from Mosul when IS seized the city in June 2014 -- are anxious to be the first back inside the city. As his forces advanced, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned the jihadists they would have no place to run. "We will close in on (IS) from every place," he said on state television on Monday, dressed in a camouflage uniform. "They don't have an exit, they don't have an escape, they can only surrender -- they can die or they can surrender," Abadi said. Some 4,000 to 7,000 militants are believed to be in and around Mosul, where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the group's cross-border "caliphate" after the group seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria two years ago. For now the militants do have an escape route -- to the west towards IS-controlled territory in neighbouring Syria. Paramilitary forces from the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation), an umbrella organisation dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militia, launched an assault at the weekend to cut off that route. They have been advancing north, their sights set on the town of Tal Afar which commands the city's western approaches. On the northern and eastern sides of Mosul, peshmerga forces from the autonomous Kurdish region have taken a series of villages and towns and consolidated their positions. To the south, federal forces, backed by coalition artillery units stationed in the main staging base of Qayyarah, have been pushing north. They have the most ground to cover and are still some distance from the southern limits of Mosul. The initial shaping phase of the operation is still under way. Once it is over, Iraqi forces are expected to besiege Mosul, try to open safe corridors for the million-plus civilians still believed to be inside, and then enter the city to take on die-hard militants in street battles. Humanitarian organisations have been fighting against the clock to build up the capacity to handle an expected mass exodus from the city. The United Nations says up to a million people could be displaced in the coming weeks. More than 17,900 people have already fled their homes since the operation began, according to the International Organisation for Migration. IS group has been losing ground steadily in Iraq since 2015 and the outcome of the Mosul battle is in little doubt, but commanders have warned it could last months. If the city is retaken, only Raqa in Syria will remain as the last major city under the militants' control. Search Keywords: Short link: by Graham Pierrepoint Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, appears to have been grabbing more headlines this year than he has over the past four or five not only was he publicly taken to task for his part in the Iraq conflict via the Chilcott Report this summer, but he has recently waded into the Brexit debate by throwing his hat back into public discussion over what will happen next for the UK after they leave the European Union. Blair is still unpopular with many people those who feel he altered the Labour Party for the worse, those who oppose his politics, and of course those affected by the Iraq war who hold the ex-statesmen in a position of responsibility for military action that took place. Despite this, he continues to be keen to offer his two cents on how exactly Brexit will affect the British people and, in recent days, he has been shot down by no one but the government themselves. Blair re-emerged in the press this week after discussing whether or not a second referendum on Britains exit from the EU should take place having published articles in print media and having spoken via BBC radio, Blair has made it clear that he feels the public should have further consultation on what happens next to their country, whether this means a second referendum or further consultation by MPs in Parliament. Either way, pro-remain camp Blair is keen to profess that Britain must make further decisions once details become clear on exactly what will happen after Brexit. Blairs comments were dismissed by 10 Downing Street as a spokesperson for Prime Minister Theresa May re-iterated that Brexit would still occur at all costs, and that Blair speaks for himself when making such comments comments which he is said to have been sharing with French President Francois Hollande, who himself is up for re-election early next year. The message was still rather clear from the PMs spokesperson there will be no second referendum. Despite Blairs status in the UK and infamy regarding his position in the Iraq war, his comments are likely to be agreed upon by many of those who voted remain earlier this year but it certainly appears that May is sticking to her word on Brexit means Brexit and that the removal of the UK from the Union will be occurring at all costs. The head of the Turkish armed forces, General Hulusi Akar, was visiting Russia on Tuesday to discuss military cooperation and regional developments with his Russian counterpart, the Turkish military said in a statement. Russia and Turkey, a NATO member, are backing opposing sides in the Syrian conflict. In recent months they have been normalising ties that broke down a year ago when Turkey shot down a Russian warplane along its border with Syria. Search Keywords: Short link: Veuer 24 Aug 2020 Kellyanne Conway, one of President Trumps staunchest and most visible allies, is set to leave the White House at the end of.. The Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter is said to be stealth enough to creep up unsuspecting US support planes. Enough to bypass the.. HNGN 09 Nov 2020 Al Jazeera STUDIO 31 Aug 2019 Two years after ISIL was evicted from Mosul, the city still struggles with electricity, water, healthcare and other basic services.. HT Digital Content 22 Dec 2020 At least two people were killed and one was injured after two houses collapsed in Gujarat. Police said the incident occurred.. Turkey's military has begun deploying tanks and other armoured vehicles to the town of Silopi near the Iraqi border, in a move the defence minister said on Tuesday was related to the fight against terrorism and developments across the border. Fikri Isik said Turkey had "no obligation" to wait behind its borders and would do what was necessary if Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants took a foothold in northwest Iraq's Sinjar region, around 115 km (71 miles) south of Silopi. "We will not allow the threat to Turkey to increase," he told broadcaster A Haber in an interview. The army deployment, disclosed by military sources, came after President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Turkey was aiming to reinforce its troops in Silopi. Photos from the sources showed a long column of vehicles, including tanks, tank rescue vehicles and construction vehicles in single file on a dual carriageway. The deployment coincides with an Iraqi operation to drive Islamic State from the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and after Iraqi Shia militias launched a related offensive to push the jihadists out of the town of Tal Afar further west. Erdogan said on Saturday Ankara would have a "different response" for Shia militias if they "cause terror" in Tal Afar, home to a sizeable ethnic Turkmen population with historic and cultural ties to Turkey. Sinjar, where Ankara believes the PKK is developing a presence, is situated some 50 km west of Tal Afar. Sirnak province, where Silopi is located, is also one of the main areas of conflict between Turkey's army and the PKK, whose main bases are in the mountains of northeast Iraq. Designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, the PKK has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Largely Sunni Muslim Turkey and the Shia-dominated central government in Iraq are at loggerheads about the presence of Turkish troops at Iraq's Bashiqa camp and about Ankara's demand to take part in the U.S.-backed Mosul operation. Turkey says it has a responsibility to protect ethnic Turkmens and Sunni Arabs in the area around Mosul, once part of the Ottoman Empire. It fears both PKK militants and Shia militias, which the Iraqi army has relied on in the past, will be used in the campaign and stoke ethnic bloodletting. Search Keywords: Short link: SeattlePI.com 23 Sep 2022 DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A federal judge sentenced an Arizona woman on Thursday to six years in prison for using a cutting torch.. Our website uses cookies to improve your experience. Learn more Casual Connect Tel Aviv Kicks off Today Published November 1, 2016 by Florin P Casual Connect Tel Aviv is a hotspot for social gaming and skill-based casino games and it starts on November 1. 2016 has been a great year so far for social and casino games worldwide. Online casinos and their fans had their hands full and 2017 promises to be just as good. The Casual Connect conference that starts today in Tel Aviv will discuss the recent trends. Experts and prominent speakers will share their insights on where the gaming industry is heading and what the future might bring. Three Casual Connect Conferences in One Year The conference in Tel Aviv will be the highlight of November for those interested in the evolution of skill-based and social games. This is however, the third such event this year, with the previous ones being hosted in Singapore and San Francisco. This time, participants can expect to hear the invaluable opinions of expert speakers from Playtika, Zynga and Google. Elad Kushnir, Adi Hanin and Boaz Levin will share their opinions alongside Lincoln Brown and Yuval Passov. Online gaming has changed a lot over the last couple of years and this is likely to continue in 2017. Casual Connect Tel Aviv will explain the current context as well as the possibilities for growth in the upcoming months and years. Social casino gaming will be one of the main topics, and this industry is growing at an accelerated pace. Enjoy the Best of Both Worlds in Tel Aviv Casual Connect Tel Aviv is a must-attend event for those who operate in this line of work. With so many experts in one place, one can learn a great deal about what lies at the cornerstone of popular and lucrative games. More than 100 speakers will cover diverse topics ranging from game designs and funding to best practices and fringe technologies. In addition to meeting some of the brightest people and learning valuable things, participants will also have a lot of fun. The city of Tel Aviv is a great place to visit, with vibrant nightlife, shopping areas and a rich culture and history. In addition to expanding their horizon and learning more about the gaming industry and new media innovation, attendees will spend quality time here. Germany Prepares to Modernize Its Online Gambling Regulatory System Published November 1, 2016 by Florin P Germany looks ready to make comprehensive changes to its Interstate Treaty on Gambling and harmonize its legislation with European regulations on online gambling. Gambling legislation is being overhauled throughout Europe, to better regulate the industry without crippling it. Germany isnt an exception and the nation has finally realized the importance of modernizing its gambling system. The online industry is the fastest growing and also the one in dire need of being sensibly, but effectively regulated. The leaders of 16 German states got together to discuss the best course of action. This is a big step forward, for a country that made few changes to its gambling laws since 2012. The Interstate Treaty on Gambling Under Scrutiny These regulations were implemented nationwide in 2013 and the 16 German leaders now contemplate the possibility of making amendments. One of the things that could change is the limit on the number of gambling companies in a local market. These discussions can have a two-pronged effect, on one hand in eliminating the cap, on the other opening the markets to online casinos. Another change that will also have a direct impact on players is in regard to the monthly limit of 1000. The amount is expected to remain unchanged, but the difference is that now the cap will apply to loss rather than wagering limits. These decisions will make the German legislation more similar to its European counterpart. In fact, the lawmakers expressed their willingness to research the manner in which gambling laws are implemented continent wide. German Legislators Under Pressure It is no coincidence that German lawmakers decided to make these changes now. The Interstate Treaty on Gambling came under heavy fire in Brussels and within national borders. The Court of Justice for the European Union as well as the Fifth Chamber of the Administrative Court of Wiesbaden ruled against it. With the treaty being declared unconstitutional, Germany has no choice but to replace it with a better law. Opalesque Industry Update - October was a supportive month for Global Macro funds, which almost erased their year to date losses in a single month, according to the Lyxor Weekly Brief research note. The top contributors to their stellar performance last month included a short duration stance in fixed income and long positions on the USD vs. EUR and GBP in FX. Meanwhile, for Macro managers investing in equities, their preference for European and Japanese equities vs. US equities also paid off in October. On a positive note as well, CTAs staged an upturn last week. They underperformed in October as a result of their long duration stance in fixed income and short energy in commodities, which they shaved off aggressively over the course of October. At present, their neutral position on bond duration may allow them to better navigate the rising yield environment. The strategy was actually up 0.6% last week as their short EUR and GBP vs. USD contributed to performance in a similar fashion than it did for Macro managers. With regards to Event-Driven, the strategy underperformed last week (-0.3%) and is down almost 1% last month. It is not surprising to see the strategy in the red when 10-year Treasury yields jump 25 bps in a month, as it has historically been negatively correlated to bond yields. But most managers were fairly resilient despite the adverse market conditions. Going forward, we maintain our slight overweight stance on Event-Driven, with a continued preference for merger arbitrage players. We believe that the strategy can cope with higher bond yields as its net exposure to both equities and bonds has continued to decrease lately. Managers have thus ample room to deploy capital as opportunities arise. And in that regard, Bloomberg data suggests that October was one of busiest months ever for global M&A activity. Announced M&A deals represented more than USD 470bn (applies to deals with a transaction value above USD 400m). US M&A activity represented 60% of the total, and the media sector has been the most active thanks to deals such as the USD 107bn proposed merger between AT&T and Time Warner. Yet, ahead of US elections most Event Driven managers have stayed cautious and will wait for greater political clarity before deploying their capital. The strategy is thus likely to be resilient if equity volatility continues to rise, which would lead to wider deal spreads and open the door for cash deployment. The full research note is available here. It provides a range of passive asset allocation portfolios and thematic baskets across a fully supported suite of strategies, asset classes and currencies. Lighthouse Canton, with an AUM of USD 400m, offer their clients access to these investment strategies starting from as little as 0.4 percent. The WeInvest platform makes it possible to offer the reduced advisory fee, minimizing capital expenditure and operational expenses, with a service that is both desktop and hand-phone enabled. WeInvest CEO, Bhaskar Prabhakara, said, Our Platform as a Service is a fully-supported end-to-end model; our clients can launch and execute with minimal outlay. The inbuilt flexibility allows for a high degree of customization with the shortest time to market Research from Business Insider Intelligence shows that robo-advisory services will be predominantly utilized by pre-existing investors, with robo-advisors managing 10 percent of global AUM by 2020. We designed our range of investment products specifically to meet investor appetites, drawing on our extensive expertise in the market explained Lighthouse Canton CEO, Shilpi Chowdhary. This is a significant day for the investment management community as we turn the page on robo-advisory in Southeast Asia An accredited investor in Singapore are those with net personal assets exceeding $2 million, with an income minimum of $300,000 per year. Lighthouse Canton is a boutique asset & wealth management company based in Singapore and it is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as a Capital Markets Services Licensee. They have over US$400mn of customer assets under management & advisory with a team of committed individuals with combined experience of over 100years across top tier global institutions. They maintain relationships with world-class counterparties & banks allowing efficient access to global investment opportunities. From Paul Craig Roberts Website Aren't you surprised that Hillary and the presstitutes haven't blamed Putin for FBI director Comey's reopening of the Hillary email case? But the presstitutes have done the next best thing for Hillary. They have made Comey the issue, not Hillary. According to US Senator Harry Reid and the presstitutes, we don't need to worry about Hillary's crimes. After all, she is only a political woman feathering her nest, just as political men have done for ages. Why all this misogynist talk about Hillary? The presstitutes' cry is that Comey's alleged crime is far more important. This woman-hating Republican violated the Hatch Act by telling Congress that the investigation he said was closed is now reopened. A very strange interpretation of the Hatch Act. During an election it is OK to announce that a candidate for president is cleared but it is not OK to say that a candidate is under investigation. In July 2016, Comey violated the Hatch Act when he, on orders from the corrupt Obama Attorney General, announced Hillary clean. In so doing, Comey used the prestige of federal clearance of Hillary's violation of national security protocols to boost her standing in the election polls. Actually, Hillary's standing in the polls is based on the pollsters over-weighting Hillary supporters in the polls. It is easy to produce a favorite if you overweight their supporters in the poll questions. If you look at the crowds attending the two candidate's public appearances, it is clear that the American people prefer Donald Trump, who is opposed to war with Russia and China. War with nuclear powers is the big issue of the election. Hillary's problem has the ruling American Oligarchy, for which Hillary is the total servant, concerned. What are they going to do about Trump if he wins? Will his fate be the same as John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, George Wallace? Time will tell. Or will a hotel maid appear at the last minute in the way that the Oligarchy got rid of Dominique Strauss-Kahn? All of the American and Western feminists, progressives, and left-wing remnant fell for the obvious frame-up of Strauss-Kahn. After Strauss-Kahn was blocked from the presidency of France and resigned as Director of the IMF, the New York authorities had to drop all charges against Strauss-Kahn. But Washington succeeded in removing Strauss-Kahn as a challenge to its French vassal, Sarkozy. This is how the American Oligarchy destroys those it suspects might not serve its interests. The corrupt self-serving Oligarchy makes sure that it owns the government and the media, the think tanks and increasingly all of the major universities, and, of course, through the presstitutes, Americans' minds. The Oligarchs are now hard-pressed to rescue Hillary as US president, so let's see if the Oligarchs can once again deceive the American people. While we wait, let's concern ourselves with another important issue. The Clinton crime syndicate in the closing years of the 20th century allowed a small handful of mega-corporations to consolidate the US media in a few hands. This vast increase in the power of the Oligarchy was accomplished despite US anti-trust law. The media mergers destroyed the American tradition of a dispersed and independent media. But really, what does federal law mean to the One Percent? Nothing whatsoever. The One Percent's power makes them immune to law. Hillary's crimes might cost her the election, but she won't go to jail. Not content with 90% control of the US media, the Oligarchy wants more concentration and more control. Looks like they will be getting it, thanks to the corrupt US government. The Federal Trade Commission is supposed to enforce US anti-trust law. Instead, the federal agency routinely violates US anti-trust law by permitting monopoly concentrations of business interests. Because of the failure of the federal government to enforce federal law, we now have "banks too big to fail," unregulated Internet monopoly, and the evisceration of a dispersed and independent media. Not so long ago there was a field of economics known as anti-trust. Ph.D. candidates specialized in and wrote dissertations about public control of monopoly power. I assume that this field of economics, like the America of my youth, no longer exists. In this article, Rahul Manchanda explains that "yet again another huge media conglomerate is being swallowed and acquired by another huge media conglomerate, to create another gargantuan media outlet, in another consolidation of the enormous power, money, wealth, intimidation, conspiracy and control" that eviscerates the US Constitution and the First Amendment. See original here By Mark Sumner Since he first looked in to see whether or not Trump had followed through on a promise to send millions to veteran's groups (not), David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post has been diligently working through the records of the Trump Foundation. In those months the story he's turned up has been one of a fund used to buy whatever Trump wanted, bribe political officials to look the other way on Trump shenanigans, pay off Trump's legal bills, and act as a slush fund to hide income all the while illegally accepting donations from across the country. He's also found that Trump not only isn't very charitable, he lies about it. "In the fall of 1996, a charity called the Association to Benefit Children held a ribbon-cutting in Manhattan for a new nursery school serving children with AIDS. The bold-faced names took seats up front. ... there was a seat saved for Steven Fisher, a developer who had given generously to build the nursery. "Then, all of a sudden, there was Donald Trump. "'Nobody knew he was coming,' said Abigail Disney, another donor sitting on the dais. 'There's this kind of ruckus at the door, and I don't know what was going on, and in comes Donald Trump. [He] just gets up on the podium and sits down.' "Trump was not a major donor. He was not a donor, period. He'd never given a dollar to the nursery or the Association to Benefit Children, according to Gretchen Buchenholz, the charity's executive director then and now." Give nothing. Take credit. And in the process, Trump damaged the relationship between a charity and a donor who had actually deserved to be on the stage. It's just a one incident ... in a very long line. Donald Trump, philanthropist, is an absolutely shameful charade. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Hillary Clinton and top aide Huma Abedin, who's copies of Clinton emails could upend campaign (Image by ThisCantBeHappening!) Details DMCA With one week to go in this year's presidential election -- an astonishing and depressing contest in which the two least-liked and least-trusted candidates in history are the two choices put up by our two main political parties -- it's time to look at why left and liberal people should not vote for the Democratic Party's nominee, Hillary Clinton. Obviously, nobody on the left or center left is going to vote for Donald Trump, but all too many are falling for the Clinton campaign's main argument, which boils down to: You probably don't like her, don't trust her, and realize that she's a greedy, entitled rich person, but she's still better than Trump. Honestly, is that a good reason to vote for Hillary Clinton? I suppose, if we lived in a peaceful world, if the US were a peace-loving country instead of one that is wasting 55% of our federal taxes on military spending, much of it to terrorize or actually blow up people in other parts of the world -- usually places where people are living in abject poverty even before they are bombed and invaded -- if we weren't facing an existential crisis of accelerating climate change that could wipe out most of the human race if something urgent isn't done, and if there weren't already 45 million people, or roughly 15% of the US population, stuck below the poverty line, perhaps such an argument would make sense. But the reality is that Hillary Clinton won't change any of that, any more than President Obama did. In fact, she is likely to make these situations worse, if elected -- in some cases perhaps worse than even Trump would do. My biggest concern about Clinton has to do with war and increased military spending. Clinton is, to put it gently, a confirmed and unapologetic "hawk." She calls for what is euphemistically in the US called a "muscular" foreign policy. Muscular is a term of art in US government circles that means using the US's outsized military might to pressure or even terrorize other countries into backing US foreign policy (think Philippines, Pakistan, Spain, etc.), and to invade or subvert those that do not go along (think Libya, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.). Clinton has made it clear, including in her third national debate against Donald Trump, that she intends to try and impose a "no-fly" zone over Syria if elected. Now recall that Syria is a nation with an internationally recognized government, and that its government, headed by Basher al Assad, while clearly a dictatorship, did what government's do, and invited Russia to send air support to protect it from a terrorist insurgency known as ISIS, funded and trained by the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia and other countries. A US air campaign to try and bar Syrian aircraft and the aircraft of their Russian ally from conducting military actions against ISIS and other elements like Al Nusra (the Syrian affiliate of Al Qaeda) fighting to overthrow it, would, in the view of top American generals, mean war with Russia. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Dispatches From The Edge Irish Republican Army (IRA) (Image by forbiddensymbols.com) Details DMCA "We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible." -- Proclamation of Easter Week 1916 Controlling their own destiny has always been a bit of a preoccupation for the Irish, in large part because for 735 years someone else was in charge. From the Norman invasion in 1169 to the establishment of the Free State in 1922, Ireland's political and economic life was not its own to determine. Its young men were shipped off to fight England's colonial battles half a world away, at Isandlwana, Dum Dum, Omdurman and Kut. Almost 50,000 died in World War I, choking on gas at Ypres, clinging desperately to a beachhead at Gallipoli, or marching into German machine guns at the Somme. When the Irish finally cast off their colonial yoke, they pledged never again to be cannon fodder in other nation's wars, a pledge that has now been undermined by the U.S. Once again, a powerful nation -- with the acquiescence of the Dublin government -- has put the Irish in harm's way. The flashpoint for this is Shannon Airport, located in County Clare on Ireland's west coast. Since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on Washington and New York, some 2.5 million U.S. troops have passed through the airport on their way to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. The Shannon hub has become so important to the U.S. that it hosts a permanent U.S. staff officer to direct traffic. It is, in the words of the peace organization Shannonwatch, "a US forward operating base." The airport has also been tied to dozens of CIA "rendition" flights, where prisoners seized in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan were shipped to various "black sites" in Europe, Asia, and Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Irish peace activists and members of the Irish parliament, or Oireachtas Elreann, charge that an agreement between the Irish government and Washington to allow the transiting of troops and aircraft through Shannon not only violates Irish neutrality it violates international law. "The logistical support for the U.S. military and CIA at Shannon is a contravention of Ireland's neutrality," says John Lannon of the peace group Shannonwatch, and has "contributed to death, torture, starvation, forced displacement and a range of other human rights abuses." Ireland is not a member of NATO, and it is considered officially neutral. But "neutral" in Ireland can be a slippery term. The government claims that Ireland is "militarily neutral" -- it doesn't belong to any military alliances -- but not "politically neutral." Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). One of the world's most restrictive countries on access to music videos opened up on Tuesday as YouTube announced a deal with musicians' body GEMA to pay when people stream music in Germany. YouTube users in the country had for years been confronted with a red sad-face emoticon and messages announcing "this video is not available in Germany" when trying to view videos ranging from the latest pop clips to films with GEMA-controlled background music. Now the blockages should largely be a thing of the past. "Hell has frozen over!" wrote one Twitter user in response to the news. "Listen to all the music!" said another. Tuesday's deal will see YouTube pay an undisclosed amount for music belonging to the roughly 70,000 German artists represented by GEMA -- as well as many foreign artists -- each time their songs are played. "Authors, composers and music publishers will be paid fairly," YouTube executive Christophe Muller said in a statement. GEMA and the Google subsidiary had been wrangling since 2009 -- at times in court -- over how musicians should be paid for their work being streamed after a previous licensing agreement expired. A court ruled in 2012 that YouTube should install filters preventing users uploading copyrighted music without permission -- on pain of a 250,000-euro ($275,000) fine per infraction. But the latest court case launched by the music licensing organisation, in which it claimed 0.375 euro cents from the video site for each time a song was played, failed in January this year. Ten months later, the two sides have reached an agreement, although neither released details of the amount artists would receive per play. "There was an appropriate, good offer," GEMA spokeswoman Ursula Goebel told AFP. Citing industry sources, news agency DPA reported that the compromise would see YouTube send some advertising revenue to GEMA, as well as a fee for videos not preceded by ads. GEMA said Tuesday's deal covers past as well as future usage of its members' music. The two sides have however not agreed whether YouTube or the individual uploader should be responsible for licensing, it added. Among the 1,000 most popular YouTube videos in the world in 2013, no fewer than 61.5 percent of them were blocked in Germany, according to data journalism agency OpenDataCity -- compared with just one percent in neighbouring France. But just 8.4 percent of that list were blocked because of definite legal problems, while the rest were made unavailable as a precautionary measure. Blocks on free music videos dismayed newly-arrived expats and prompted people to trade tips on getting around them to the latest clips from Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber. Now GEMA says it has sent "a clear signal to all online platforms... authors must be fairly remunerated for the exploitation of their musical works," the organisation's head of broadcast and online Thomas Theune said in a statement. "We in Germany think we can hold up for a while things that are already normal in other countries" in cases like GEMA's, Professor Klemens Skibicki, a digital economy expert at Cologne Business School, told AFP. But "it's clear to the rest of the world that profit-making in the music business just works differently nowadays," compared with when record sales were the big earner, he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Progressive Content Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their progressive content after publishing. To see if the progressive content was renamed or re-published, please click here. Diamond Mining Industry Trends, Shares, Size, Opportunities and Forecast 2015-2019 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=502422 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=502422 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Albany, NY, Oct 28: Market research analyst predicts the diamond mining industry to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period. The increased demand from emerging markets such as China and India for diamond jewelry is driving the growth of this industry. The average amount spent on diamond jewelry by married women is around USD 1500 followed by single women who spent an average of USD 1100 during 2013.The environmental issues arising due to diamond mining is expected to pose challenges for the growth of the market during the forecast period. Diamond mining uses a variety of mining methods, some of which include the evacuation of large amounts of soil from the earth, causing land unsettlement. The mining activities also lead to the removal of other minerals and huge carbon footprints. As a result, new regulations are being set up to ensure evacuation, stockpiling and return of other minerals to allow the region to come back to its natural state.Segmentation by application and analysis of - industry applications, jewelry making -Industrial applications dominated the market during 2014 with a market share of 70%. This research report predicts this segment to reach a market volume of 105 karats by the end of 2019. Small pieces of diamonds are fixed in a saw blade or a grinding wheel for cutting, drilling, or grinding. Powdered diamond is made into a paste and used for polishing.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:The report offers an analysis of each of the following segments and discusses its impact on the overall market growth -- Industry applications- Jewelry makingGeographical segmentation and analysis of the diamond mining market- Africa- Australia- Europe- North America- ROWAfrica accounted for 53% of the market share during 2014 and is predicted to retain its leadership until the end of 2019 with a growth rate of 6%. The growth of the diamond industry in this region is due to a large number of mines present in this region. South Africa is the market leader in this region contributing nearly 53% of the revenue.Competitive landscape and key vendors - ALROSA, De Beers, Rio Tinto, Stornoway, Dominion -The diamond mining market is highly competitive due to the presence of numerous players. The industry has been witnessing consolidation with the smaller entities being acquired by major vendors. Most of the vendors invest heavily in R&D to succeed in this intensely competitive market.The leading vendors in the market are -- ALROSA- De Beers- Dominion Diamond- Gem Diamonds- Lucara Diamond- Petra Diamonds- Rio Tinto- Stornoway DiamondOther vendors in the market include Mountain Province Diamonds, Archon Minerals, Lonrho Mining, Diamond Corp, Peregrine Diamonds, Diamcor Mining, True North Gems, Tsodilo Resources, Shore Gold, Paragon Diamonds, North Arrow Minerals, African Consolidated Resources, Debswana Diamond, Koidu Holdings, Mwana Africa, Rockwell Diamonds, and MIBA.Enquiry at:Key questions answered in this report:-- What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2019- What are the key factors driving the diamond mining industry- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the diamond mining industry- What are the challenges to market growth- Who are the key vendors in the diamond mining market- What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the diamond mining industry- Trending factors influencing the market shares of the Africa, Australia, Europe, North America, and ROW- What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the diamond mining industryResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: Contract Logistics Market in Philippines 2015-2019: Global Market Research, Shares, Size and Forecast http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=502416 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=502416 http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG Albany, NY, Oct 28: This market is expected to grow at a steady rate during the forecast period. Its growth is attributed to the high demand for electronic and hardware products in the Philippines market. The contract logistics market in the Philippines by transportation was valued at close to USD 269 million in 2014.The key international player in the contract Logistics market in the Philippines are DHL, FedEx, UPS, and Forex Cargo. Upcoming trends such as growth in international trade and an increase in e-commerce activity in the country is likely to increase shipments for logistics service providers in the Philippines market.Market segmentation by services outsourced- Transportation- Warehousing and distribution- Other servicesThe transportation segment is growing rapidly, and it is expected to dominate the market through 2019. This segment includes different modes of transportation services such as ground, ocean, air, and rail. By 2019, the transportation segment is expected to account for a share of close to 37% of this market.Get a Sample Research PDF with TOC:Leading vendor analysis for the contract logistics market in the Philippines- 2GO Group- Kuehne + Nagel International- Lorenzo Shipping- UPSOther prominent vendors in the contract logistics market in the Philippines- Agility- ASL Logistics- C.H. Robinson- CEVA- DB Schenker- Kintetsu- LBC Express- LF Logistics- Logwin- Nippon Express- NYK- Panalpina- Sinotrans- Toll HoldingsThese vendors compete in terms of price, delivery speed, reliability, and supply chain capacity. The element that provides a competitive edge in the market is the value added service (VAS) provided by vendors. Advances in logistics processes through the incorporation of IT will help vendors increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the services in the future.Enquiry at:Key questions answered in this report:-- What are the key factors driving the contract logistics market in the Philippines- What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the contract logistics market in the Philippines- What are the various opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the contract logistics market in the Philippines- Key outcome of the five forces analysis on the contract logistics market in the Philippines- Growth forecast of the contract logistics market in the PhilippinesResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at: Sardina FishOS + Alces Flight = Efficient OpenStack Cloud for Flexible HPC Sardina Systems Announces Strategic Partnership with Alces Software www.sardinasystems.com Tallinn, Estonia, 01 November 2016 Sardina Systems has announced today a strategic partnership with Alces Software, to enable efficiently managed OpenStack private cloud for high performance and technical computing customers.The fusion of Sardina FishOS and Alces Flight gives customers the possibility to take their data center to the next level, easily embrace a highly efficient and flexible cloud operation, by raising server utilization and reducing energy consumption. Customers will be able to flexibly meet stringent demands of high performance and technical computing workload.FishOS uniquely enables OpenStack cloud operators to actively raise server utilization, dynamically right-matching workload requirements to data center resources, and lower overall data center OpEx and CapEx. OpenStack cloud operators can fully automate data center operations with FishOS, and to scalably do so to manage multitudes of geographically dispersed data centers.Alces Flight eases operation of cloud computing environments for high performance and technical computing users. It provides users with the ability to spin up auto-scaling high performance computing (HPC) instances in minutes rather than days. With battle-proven software, and over 850 applications available for use, Alces Flight lets you to jump straight to the science instead of spending all your time in configuration.Using FishOS and Alces Flight, cloud operators can:- enable rapid innovation- deliver more flexible services- have the agility to take advantage of opportunities- have all so efficiently at much lower cost!Sardina Systems and Alces Software have successfully deliver optimized services and solutions in key sectors including Finance, HPC, Governments, and Aerospace.Customers in high performance and technical computing can leverage FishOS and Alces Flight to drive flexible advance design and simulation with a truly scalable cloud suite that packs enterprise-grade feature set and lowers TCO, said Anna Panchenko, VP of Marketing of Sardina Systems.The partnership of FishOS and Alces Flight gives us the capability to quickly deliver solutions that allows a research team to use OpenStack to get into the science. As more sectors are embracing on-premise, self-service cloud and hybrid environments, we want to continually innovate with partners like Sardina to ensure clients stay a step ahead said Wil Mayers, Director of Research and Development with Alces Software.Connect with Sardina Systems on Twitter (@sardinasystems) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/sardina-systems). 2016 Sardina Systems. All rights reserved.About Alces Software:Alces creates High Performance Computing (HPC) software for scientists, engineers and researchers. Based in the UK, Alces designs, builds and supports environments to help users make efficient use of the compute and storage resources available to them. Our products and services are designed to support both existing users with software that is familiar to them, and help first-time users to discover, learn and develop their HPC skills. Whether your requirements are big or small, our solutions will get you up and running in the minimum possible time.About Sardina Systems:Sardina Systems () provides smart, efficient, super-scalable cloud automation technology, enabling organizations to rapidly experience the value of OpenStack cloud and maximizing the utility of their resources. Sardina Systems help customers to manage OpenStack environments easily, flexibly and efficiently, having carbon footprint along the way.Sardina Systems is headquartered in Estonia, with local presence in the UK, Germany, Romania and Russia.Sardina SystemsPress contacts:Katerina GumenkoE-mail: kgumenko@sardinasystems.comTel: +372 61 48 032Pohja puiestee 21/2-47, Tallinn 10414, Estonia Oil Storage Market : NextGen Technological Advancements, Professional Survey and Future Industry Trends 2024 https://goo.gl/4dyP3D http://www.mrrse.com/oil-storage-market Oil Storage Market: SnapshotThe beginning of 2016 marked a historic drop in oil prices, hitting a 12-year low. The plummeting prices reflected the drastic change in oil trends, wherein the global supply of crude oil surpassed its demand. The downturn in oil prices resulted in a severe oil glut, creating a storage crunch. Considering that more crude oil was being stored rather than sold or refined, the demand for oil storage facilities has surged over the past few months.Fluctuating oil prices have led to the expansion in oil storage facilities and the overall market. An increasing number of companies are not only offering a host of value-added services but also including logistics services in addition to storage facilities.The several opportunities that players have in the global oil storage market are likely to drive the market volume from 1,337 million cubic meter in 2014 to 2,027 million cubic meter by 2024 at a 4.73% CAGR therein.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Massive Oil Production Driving Need for Oil Storage in MEAGeographically, the global oil storage market comprises North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South and Central America, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA).The Middle East and Africa region is the key contributor in the global oil storage market and is expected to expand at a strong CAGR of 7.91% from 2016 to 2024 to retain its lead throughout the forecast period. Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Nigeria are some of the prominent countries in the MEA oil storage market. This region is primarily driven by the surging oil production and declining oil prices.The North America oil storage market was next in line, accounting for a share of around 23.90% in 2015. The market in this region is fueled by the rising need for additional oil storage space. The demand for increased storage capacity is the result of the shale revolution. The revolution has stimulated growth in crude oil production and is the primary reason for crude oil oversupply in North America. High investment in the expansion of storage capacity is expected to boost the oil storage market in North America during the forecast period.Asia Pacific is also a key market for oil storage and the region is projected to expand at the fastest CAGR of 8.22% from 2016 to 2024. China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore are the leading countries in terms of volume of oil storage in this region, fueled by the rise in investments in petroleum reserves.Commercial Petroleum Reserves Expand at Rapid Pace Fueled by Deviations in Oil PricesBased on type of reserve, the oil storage market is bifurcated into commercial petroleum reserve and strategic petroleum reserve. Accounting for a massive 79.21% share in 2015, strategic petroleum reserves were the key contributors toward the overall oil storage market. However, strategic petroleum reserves are growing at a gradual pace as the expansion of these reserves require large investments from governments.Commercial petroleum reserves, on the other hand, are expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.80% from 2016 to 2024. Large deviations in oil prices have led to the growth in storage capacity expansion, driving the demand for commercial petroleum reserves. Oil storage in commercial petroleum reserves influences the prices and planning of future oil storage and this helps in formulating expansion strategies for oil storage facilities.Read Complete Report @The prominent vendors in the global oil storage market include Horizon Terminals Ltd., Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P., Magellan Midstream Partners L.P., CLH Group, CIM-CCMP Group, Vitol Tank Terminals International B.V., Oiltanking GmbH, NuStar Energy L.P., Ghazanfar Group, Royal Vopak N.V., Buckeye Partners L.P., Kinder Morgan Inc., and International-Matex Tank Terminals, Inc.MRRSEMRRSE stands for Market Research Reports Search Engine, the largest online catalog of latest market research reports based on industries, companies, and countries. MRRSE sources thousands of industry reports, market statistics, and company profiles from trusted entities and makes them available at a click. Besides well-known private publishers, the reports featured on MRRSE typically come from national statistics agencies, investment agencies, leading media houses, trade unions, governments, and embassies.Corporate Office State Tower 90 State Street, Suite 700 Albany, NY 12207,United States Human Insulin Market USD 32.8 Billion by 2020 https://www.ihealthcareanalyst.com/report/insulin-market/ https://www.ihealthcareanalyst.com According to a market research report Human Insulin Market 2013-2020 published by iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc., the global human insulin market is estimated to reach USD 32.8 Billion in 2020, expanding at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2016 to 2020.Visit the Human Insulin Market 2013-2020 report atThere are approximately 100 million people who need insulin around the world. This includes all people living with type 1 diabetes and between 20 to 30 percent of people with type 2 diabetes. The human insulin market can be broken into. The recombinant human segment is being displaced by the more effective but slightly more expensive insulin analogs.The human insulin market report estimates the market size (Revenue USD million - 2013 to 2020) and composition of this market in terms of five product classes such as slow-acting, fast-acting, long-acting, intermediate-acting and premixed insulin and forecasts growth trends (CAGR% - 2016 to 2020). It also covers the major competitors operating in the market and provides a birds eye view of the different insulin analogs available in the global market.The global human insulin market research report is divided by geography (regional and country based) into North America (U.S., Canada), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Rest of LA), Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of EU), Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Rest of APAC), and Rest of the World.1. Source1.1. Human1.2. Recombinant2. Mode of Action2.1. Slow-Acting (Basal) Analogs2.2. Fast-Acting Analogs2.2.1. Pipeline Analysis2.2.1.1. Afrezza2.2.1.2. NN1218 (FIAsp)2.3. Long-Acting Analogs2.3.1. Pipeline Analysis2.3.1.1. IDegLira (Xultophy)2.3.1.2. LY2605541(Novel Basal Insulin Analog)2.3.1.3. LY2963016 (Long Acting Basal Insulin)2.3.1.4. MK-1293 (Sustained Release Insulin Analog)2.3.1.5. U-300 (Toujeo)2.4. Intermediate-Acting Analogs2.5. Premixed Insulin3. Company Profiles3.1. Eli Lilly and Company3.2. Novo Nordisk A/S3.3. Sanofi3.4. Thermalin Diabetes, LLC1. Injection Type1.1 Single-Injection Cycle1.2 Three-Injection Cycle1.3 Five- Injection Cycle2. Applications2.1 Osteoarthritis2.2 Ophthalmic2.3 Dermal Fillers2.4 Vesicoureteral Reflux3. Geography (Region, Country)3.1 North America (U.S., Canada)3.2 Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Rest of LA)3.3 Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of EU)3.4 Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Rest of APAC)3.5 Rest of the World4. Company Profiles4.1 Alcon, Inc.4.2 Allergan, Inc.4.3 Anika Therapeutics, Inc.4.4 F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.4.5 Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Inc.4.6 Fidia Farmaceutici SpA4.7 Galderma S.A.4.8 Hyaltecg Ltd.4.9 LifeCore Biomedical LLC4.10 Meiji Seika Pharma Co. Ltd.4.11 Merz Aesthetics, Inc.4.12 Sanofi4.13 Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.4.14 Seikagaku Corporation4.15 Shanghai Jingfeng Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.4.16 Smith & Nephew plc4.17 TRB Chemedica International Sa4.18 Zimmer Holdings, Inc.iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc. is a global health care market research and consulting company providing market analysis, and competitive intelligence services to global clients. The Company publishes syndicate, custom and consulting grade healthcare reports covering animal healthcare, biotechnology, clinical diagnostics, healthcare informatics, healthcare services, medical devices, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.iHealthcareAnalyst, Inc. provides industry participants and stakeholders with strategically analyzed, unbiased view of market dynamics and business opportunities within its coverage areas.Ana AitawaiHealthcareAnalyst, Inc.2109, Mckelvey Hill Drive,Maryland Heights, MO 63043United StatesPhone: (314) 736-9294.Email: sales@ihealthcareanalyst.com Growing Popularity of Female Condoms is one of the Driving Factors of Global Condom Market Global Condom Market Research Report by Beige Market Intelligence http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/reports/research-report-consumer-and-retail-market/condom-market/ http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com/news/press-releases/top-five-vendors-in-global-condom-market-identified-by-beige-market-intelligence/ The Global Condom Market which is growing rapidly with the addition and innovation of the new trends in the condom manufacturing and type is not only getting its revenue from the male condom but also the female condom segment is contributing to the market growth. The condom market has been traditionally dominated by the usage of male condoms as they were not only introduced earlier but also on account of the type of innovations that supported their adoption among users. Though the female condom market only caters a small percentage of the overall market but the growing popularity of the female condoms can certainly emerge as a major driving factor for the global condom market.The development of the first modern female condoms can be traced back to the 1980s. Since the production of the first batch in 1990s, female condoms have slowly gained popularity. The main selling point for female condoms is growing dominance of women in sexual activities.Female condoms are also the first women-centric contraceptives that provide protection against STDs and STIs and avoid pregnancy. Female condoms are either made of nitrile or polyurethane and fare better than latex as they do not cause allergies. Further, they can be lubricated with oil, water, and silicone, thus offering inherent customization to users. Further, on the account of their build, female condoms are found to potentially enhance the sexual pleasure by stimulating clitoris. Importantly, female condoms impart a shared responsibility to women in the prevention of STDs and STIs and offer them the control in family planning.The introduction of female condoms has developed a new market segment with a significant growth scope. For instance, the share of male condom sales constituted 99.6% of the global condom sales in 2015 with the rest contributed by female condoms. However, the adoption of female condoms is increasing with the sales volume growing at a CAGR of 10.84% as against 9.11% for male condoms during the period 20152021.For more information visit : Global Condom Market Strategic Assessment and Forecast Till 2021Innovation is expected to one of the major factors in the adoption of female condoms. Vendors are increasingly focusing on launching products that are aesthetically appealing, affordable and pleasurable. Female Health Group, Cupid, HLL, Silk Parasol, and Tianjin Condombao Medical Polyurethane Tech are some of the major companies in the female condom market and their products include Origami Female Condom, Female Panty Condom, Natura Sensation Condoms, and dumbbell shaped Condoms.VA is a company that is developing a new model of female condoms, which come with a Bluetooth connectivity and a vibrating device, to help women achieve an orgasm.These technology-enabled products are expected to challenge the frontiers of traditional contraceptives products.The Global Condom Market is going to witness a dramatic shift in the sales of both male and female condoms. The factors such as growing popularity of female condom, increased effectiveness of family planning mandates and birth control measures, introduction of innovative condom distribution channels to expand reach & comprehensive sex education for teenagers are going to drive the market for next five years.Order a report now for the insights of Global Condom MarketTo order a free sample report write us to contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comFor more information check our recent press releases on global condom marketAbout Beige Market IntelligenceBeige Market Intelligence is a provider of competitive business intelligence, working across various industry verticals. Our expertise and knowledge ensures that the market analysis Beige provides is comprehensive, detailed and complete. The analysis helps our client organizations become aware and to make educated decisions, as far as investing or devising a marketing strategy is concerned. The actionable insights delivered through our market research provide a comprehensive market analysis for every level of market segmentation in an industry.Our team of experts ensure the analysis you receive is not just analyzed and presented, but can also be customized based on the clients requirement. Our deliverables guarantee our current global client base to not look beyond Beige when it comes to competitive intelligence.Beige has an employee base present across the globe. Our analysts come with numerous years of industry experience, which ensures we not only understand our clients but deliver high quality reports as well.Beige Market IntelligenceChinnapannahalli Main Road, Bangalore 560037contactus@beigemarketintelligence.comUS: +1 347 903 9949UK: +44 20 323 99499APAC: +91 99 012 75473 JMA Pilani reiterates that for National Unity all that matters is Just One Person JMA Pilani reiterates that for National Unity all that matters is Just One Person Sardar Patel http://jmapilani.org/ http://jmapilani.org/ The history of India today would have been different had the London educated barrister Sardar Patel with a true heart of a Hindustani not been the Deputy Prime Minister when India became independent in 1947.At the time of independence, Kashmir to Kanyakumari had many princely states and would have probably required for any traveler visas permits and tax payments to pass through but that was not the case due to Sardar Patel fondly referred as the Iron Man of India for uniting and integrating hundreds of princely states to one nation without shedding a drop of blood which is India today.Sardar Patel indeed consolidated the country into one united whole in a unique manner. For his vision and mission carried out with passion, Sardar Patel is often referred as Chanakya of modern India. Starting from 2014, National Unity day aka Rashtriya Ekta Diwas is celebrated every year on 31st of October across India to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.Smt Jamuna Mishra Academy JMA Pilani has established a rich tradition of celebrating various days of national as well as global importance. On 31st of October, 2016, to reiterate the fact that for National Unity aka Rshtriya Ekta all that matters is Just One Person, Proud student of JMA Pilani, Master Kunal Sain stood with a beaming face holding the Tricolour and the pledge I solemnly pledge that I dedicate myself to preserve the unity, integrity and security of the nation and also strive hard to spread this message among my fellow countrymen. I take this pledge in the spirit of unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and actions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I also solemnly resolve to make my own contribution to ensure internal security of my country.For more details about JMA Pilani seeAbout JMA Pilani: Smt. Jamuna Mishra Academy (JMA) established in the year 2004 which has been making rapid strides in early childhood education is presently one of the most sought after schools at Pilani considered as Oasis in the desert state of Rajasthan well known in India today for one among top in world ranking BITS Pilani University as well as CSIR Laboratory CEERI and globally renowned Birla Science Museum. JMA Pilani is a Co-educational English Medium School with Experienced Teachers, Spacious Classrooms and Modern Amenities designed to impart Quality Education combined with All Round Personality Development and lay the Best Foundation for the Childs Future. JMA which started in 2004 with an enrollment of 60 students for the Nursery, LKG, First Junior and Class I has grown today till Class XII and enrollment of 900. While the school admits both boys and girls, the girl student enrollment has been steadily rising every year and is presently nearly 50% of the total strength. The school has NCC for boys and the school girls band has been winning laurels every year too. Yoga and Fine arts are not just part of school routine but a way of life for the students.Mrs Booma Natarajan, M.Sc., M.A., B.Ed.Principal, Jamuna Mishra Academy JMANear Old Pilani Post OfficePilani Rajasthan 333031 IndiaPhone 91-1596-242314Email booma_pilani at yahoo.co.inWebsite: Following the crash of a Russian airliner in October 2015, tourist numbers have significantly declined in Egypt, with an almost 50% drop in revenues in 2016 compared to the previous year The secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recommended that countries "immediately" lift the travel ban they have imposed on Egypt, saying that such a restriction increases the suffering of the country that endured a "terrorist act." Taleb Rifai, who is a Jordanian citizen, highlighted on Monday during a press conference in the Egyptian tourist-friendly city of Luxor that the UNWTO regulations entail that when a travel ban is instated it should have a time and geographical frame, adding that it should be done in consultation with the country concerned. The UNWTO chief stressed that the organisation selected Luxor in Egypt to hold the conference titled " Cities: Local Culture for Global Travellers as a message to a world on the safety of Egypt. The number of tourists visiting Egypt dropped by 41 percent in September 2016 compared to the same month last year registering 473,000 comers, the state's official statistics body CAPMAS announced on Tuesday in an emailed press release. According to CAPMAS, the drop in tourist arrivals was mainly caused by the decline in Russian tourists by 64.5 percent. Russia, along with a number of countries including the UK, suspended passenger flights to Sharm El-Sheikh due to security concerns following the deadly crash of a Russian jet minutes after taking off from the airport at the Sinai resort city on 31 October 2015. The crash killed all 224 people on board. This year Poland and Turkey have already resumed flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, while Germany decided last May to ease restrictions on flights between its airports and the Egyptian resort. The first passenger flights from Germany as well as Belgian Jetairfly arrived this week in Sharm El-Sheikh airport following a one-year suspension of flights to the Red Sea beach resort. "I am very impressed by the security measures in Egyptian airports over the past 10 months," David Scowsill, the president of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said during the conference. Scowsill, who is a British citizen, said that he would hold a meeting with the British government to urge lifting the travel ban on Sharm El-Sheikh adding he found it was safe after travelling to the resort city on his responsibility. He added that he will meet with British and German tour operators to encourage them to come to Egypt highlighting that the operators are already suffering losses due to the ban. CAPMAS said that tourists coming from Middle Eastern countries recorded the highest in September 2016 by 34.6 percent followed by tourists from Western Europe who were ranked second by 31.7 percent. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia stands on top with the largest share contributing 29.6 percent, while in Western Europe, Germany has the largest share of tourists coming to Egypt with 32.1 percent. In third rank, Eastern European tourists accounted for 13.1% while the rest of the world, including the US, Africa and Asia, made up 20.6 percent. There have been expectations of a return of Russian flights to Egypt next year as Russia's Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said in late September that Egyptian authorities are making headway in resolving the countries concerns over flight safety after officials carried out several airport safety inspections over recent months. The Russian travel company Aeroflot's resumed operations in its office at Cairo International Airport which is being seen as a good sign for the return of Russian flights. The countrys revenues from tourism dropped by 48.9 percent to $3.8 billion in 2015/16 from $7.4 billion in 2014/15, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) announced in August. Receipts from the tourism industry are expected to range from between $4 billion to $4.5 billion by end of the current year, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy said in July. Search Keywords: Short link: Nursing Care Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast to 2015 to 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3581 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3581 Nursing care refers to collaborative and autonomous care of individuals of all ages, group, communities and families by skilled person or nurses. Nurses are trained professionals which promote health and prevent diseases. Nurses help patient to cope up with illness and provide assistance to patients in medical procedures. Nurses are responsible for assessing patient, giving medicines and treatments. Nurses also develop and manage nursing care plans. Nursing care includes prevention and cure of diseases. Nursing care includes approaches of personalized care with more safety, convenience and comfort.Request to view Sample Report @Nursing care includes people who need intensive rehabilitative care such as people with physical disabilities and long term care. Nursing care helps in delivering right care to right people at right time. Nursing care also provides assurance of quality healthcare services to patients. Proper nursing care provides satisfaction to the patients and thus helps in making them reliable to hospitals. Nursing care is a long term care plan and includes nursing homes, home care, hospice care and assisted living. Nursing care model comprises team nursing, primary nursing and progressive patient care. Primary nursing includes comprehensive and personalized care through the same nurse throughout the period. Progressive patient care is a systematic grouping of patient on the basis of the degree of illness rather than on the basis of medical specialty. Consumerism, Staff mix, human development, economics, diverse populations, politics, technology and client acuity are some of the important elements which should be considered in nursing care.North America followed by Europe is dominating the global nursing care market due to high healthcare expenditures. The U.S. is dominating the North American nursing care market due to increasing prevalence of diseases. Asia is expected to show high growth rate in the next five years. Some of the key driving forces for nursing care market in emerging countries are increasing aging population and increasing number of hospitals.In recent time there is increased demand of nursing care due to rising aging population. Rising concern for better healthcare and increasing prevalence of various diseases such as diabetes and cancer are some of the key factors driving the growth of the global nursing care market. In addition, increasing healthcare awareness and long term care system is also fuelling the growth of the global nursing care market. However, lack of reimbursements for nursing care and high cost of healthcare is restraining the growth of the global nursing care market. In addition, lack of skilled professionals is also restraining the global nursing care market.Request to view Table of content @Rise in personalized care would develop an opportunity for the growth of the global nursing care market. However, lack of proper healthcare system in rural areas and availability of less number of trained nurses are some of the key challenges for the growth of the global nursing care market. Increasing home care market is one of the trends for the global nursing care market. Some of the major companies operating in the global nursing care market are Emeritus Corporation, Genesis Healthcare, Life Care Centers for America, Kindred Healthcare and Extendicare.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com In-Vitro Toxicity Testing Market to Register a Strong Growth By 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3587 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/3587 In-vitro testing market is growing at a significant due to technological advancements in the field and increasing number of R&D procedures which require in-vitro testing. In-vitro toxicity refers to a process of analyzing the effects of toxic chemical substances in mammalian or bacterial cells. In-vitro toxicity testing is done to study about the potential of hazardous substances. In addition, in-vitro toxicity is also done to study for the availabity of certain toxic properties in useful substances such as food additives, agricultural chemicals and therapeutic drugs. In-vitro toxicity testing market is growing at a significant rate due to growing awareness and increasing R&D for detecting toxicity at early stages. The global market for in-vitro toxicity testing can be segmented on the basis of industry, methods used, applications and technology. On the basis of industry, the global in-vitro toxicity testing market can be segmented into pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, cosmetics, chemicals and food. Of these, pharmaceutical industry dominates the market whereas cosmetic industry has the fastest growing in-vitro toxicity testing market. Growing bent towards detecting the toxicity during initial stages of production is driving the in-vitro toxicity testing market in pharmaceutical sector. Whereas, support from regulatory authorities for using in-vitro and in-silico methods for studying toxicity of a substance is driving the in-vitro toxicity testing market in cosmetic industry. On the basis of methods, the global in-vitro toxicity testing market can be segmented into biochemical assays, cellular assays, in-silico and ex-vivo. Of these, cellular assays dominate the global in-vitro toxicity testing market. Cellular assays are used as bio markers. In addition, they are used to study about the biological properties of the potential drug compounds.Request to view Sample Report @On the basis of applications, systemic toxicity testing is the largest segment in the global in-vitro toxicity testing market. Europe, followed by the North America dominates the global in-vitro toxicity testing market due to technological advancement and increased R&D initiatives in the region. In addition, government initiatives such as passing of anti-animal testing laws and more awareness among the people are some of the major factors driving the in-vitro toxicity testing market. Asia is expected to experience high growth rate in the next few years in in-vitro toxicity testing market. China and India are expected to be the fastest growing in-vitro toxicity testing markets in Asian region. This is due to large investment by various major companies in these countries. Some of the key driving forces for in-vitro toxicity testing market in emerging countries are rising government funding and growing awareness about new technologies.Some of the major factors that are driving the in-vitro toxicity testing market are increasing acceptance by regulatory authorities for using in-vitro toxicity testing methods. In addition, factors such as advancement in the field and government initiatives are driving the global market for in-vitro toxicity testing. However, technological disadvancements linked with limiting the use and decreasing adoption rate are restraining the driving the global market for in-vitro toxicity testing. In addition, inability of in-vitro models to detect auto immunity and immunostimulation are restraining the global market for in-vitro toxicity testing.Request to view Table of content @Rising demand for in-vitro techniques, increasing drug discovery and innovations are expected to offer good opportunities for the global market for in-vitro toxicity testing. However, reluctance of regulatory authorities for using in-vitro toxicity testing methods and validation of new in-vitro method are some of the challenges faced by the global market for in-vitro toxicity testing. One of the latest trends that have been observed for the global in-vitro toxicity testing market includes shifting focus to innovative approaches of 3d cell culture. Some of the major companies dealing in the global in-vitro toxicity testing market are Agilent Technologies, Alere, Inc., Bio-Rad, BioReliance (Sigma Aldrich), GE Healthcare and Quest Diagnostics. Some other companies having significant presence in the global in-vitro toxicity testing market includes Catalent Pharma Solutions, Life Technologies Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific), Charles River Laboratories and Covance.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Saudi Arabia Pharmaceutical Market to Reach US$ 5.2 Bn in 2016 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gc-1733 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gc-1733 www.futuremarketinsights.com The significant rise in lifestyle-related diseases and the developments in healthcare infrastructure are expected to influence the demand for pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia. In 2016, the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market is anticipated to procure value worth US$ 5,209.5 Mn at a y-o-y growth of 6.0 % over 2015. The mounting demand for branded drug products will continue to incite the growth of the Saudi Arabian pharmaceutical market in 2016.The demand for pharmaceuticals in Saudi Arabia is expected to register substantial growth owing to the increasing penetration of health insurance companies and the rising incidence rate of non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, the exceptional rise in the per capita income of Saudi Arabia is also expected to foster the demand for branded pharmaceutical drugs. Another key factor driving the growth of the pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is the countrys strategic move to allow 100% FDI in the pharmaceuticals sector. Although, the shortage of profound indigenous research capacity in the pharmaceutical industry and the delayed registration of drug and medicine patents is expected to limit the expansion of the market in 2016 and beyond.Request Free Report Sample@Based on the product type, the pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is expected to witness an upsurge in the prescription-type branded drug products. In terms of market value, the branded drugs are estimated to reach US$ 2,760.8 Mn by 2016-end. The demand for generic drugs is projected to secure steady growth, attributing to the insisting promotion of generic drug adoption by healthcare insurance providers.On the basis of the diseases, the pharmaceutical drugs used for treatment of cardiovascular diseases will continue exhibiting robust growth in 2016. The demand for cardiovascular medications will continue to surge due to the prominence of circulatory disorders in Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the rising prevalence of disorders related to body sugar levels is expected to make diabetes a rapidly growing disease-based sub-segment in the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market.The pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is also segmented on the basis of distribution channel, where retail pharmacies will continue to account for 80% market share compared to hospital pharmacies. The westernised modernisation of retail pharmacies in Saudi Arabia has led to the availability of a wide range drugs and medicinal products, thereby attaining a considerable growth in the retail pharmacy sub-segment in 2016 and further.Send An Enquiry@The rising resource potential in Saudi Arabia is projected to positively reform the production environment for pharmaceutical manufacturers. In order to expand the markets size, structuring alliances with well-established native companies is predicted to be a key strategy for global pharmaceutical leaders. The key players in the Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market include Novartis AG, SPIMACO, Pfizer Inc., and Glaxosmithkline plc., Jamjoom Pharma, and Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Co. among others.Long-term Outlook: The Saudi Arabia pharmaceutical market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 9.0% over the forecast period 2016-2026. In terms of market value, the pharmaceutical market in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be worth US$ 12,281.4 Mn by the end of forecast period.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Special Purpose Needles Market to be a US$ 17.26 Bn Market by 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-583 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-583 www.futuremarketinsights.com The global special purpose needles market is projected to be valued at US$ 17,261.5 million by the end of 2026, registering a CAGR of 7.4% during the forecast period (20162026). In a new report titled Special Purpose Needles Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, Future Market Insights delivers key insights on the factors and trends impacting the global special purpose needles market over a 10-year forecast period (20162026).The market for special purpose needles is witnessing steady growth across the globe owing to an increasing geriatric population. According to analysts at Future Market Insights, Increasing prevalence of diabetes and infectious diseases and increasing incidence of cancer and spine disorders across the globe are the primary factors driving the growth of the global special purpose needles market. Availability of better reimbursement options for some types of special purpose needles in developed economies is likely to propel demand for special purpose needles over the forecast period. A key trend witnessed in the global special purpose needles market is the development of advanced techniques in the production of special purpose needles to facilitate enhanced patient safety and comfort. However, rise in awareness on needle free injections and risks associated with injections are major factors expected to hamper the overall growth of the special purpose needles market over the forecast period.The global special purpose needles market can be segmented on the basis of product type (Fine Aspirating Needles, Biopsy Needles, Hypodermic Needles, Pen Needles, Suture Needles, IV Catheter Needles, Implantation Needles, Dental Needles, Ophthalmic Needles, Blood Collection Needles, Spinal Anaesthesia Needles, Epidural Needles, AV Fistula Needles, Cannula Needles); application (Sample Collection, Drug Delivery); and distribution channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Private Clinics, Retail Pharmacies and Drug Stores, E-Commerce).Request Free Report Sample@Segmentation highlightsThe Pen Needles product type segment is expected to gain popularity over the forecast period, driven by increasing global adoption of small sized needles for insulin injections. The Pen Needles product type segment is estimated to reach a valuation of US$ 644.3 Mn by the end of 2016, registering a CAGR of 9.1% over the forecast period.The Sample Collection application segment is estimated to register a CAGR of 7.7% while the Drug Delivery application segment is expected to register a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period.Demand for special purpose needles over the forecast period is expected to be the highest in the Hospital Pharmacies distribution channel segment, which is expected to register a CAGR of 8.5% in terms of value.Regional forecastThe North America market has been estimated to dominate the special purpose needles market while the market in APEJ is expected to be the fastest growing in terms of revenue growth. The markets in North America, Western Europe, and APEJ are estimated to collectively hold 74.7% market share of the global special purpose needles market in 2016.Send An Enquiry@Vendor insightsMedtronic, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Becton, Dickinson and Company, Terumo Corporation, Smiths Medical, Boston Scientific Corporation, Novo Nordisk A/S, Argon Medical Devices, Inc., Stryker Corporation, NIPRO Medical Corporation, Cook Medical, and SERAG-WIESSNER GmbH & Co. are some of the major companies operating in the global special purpose needles market. These companies are adopting innovative strategies to bring in improvements to their product design and are initiating advanced R&D activities and market consolidation to strengthen market foothold and expand customer base.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Prosthetic Heart Valve Market Projected to Register a CAGR of 12.0% Between 2016 and 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-666 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-666 www.futuremarketinsights.com The global prosthetic heart valve market was valued at US$ 5,650 Mn in 2015 and is estimated to be valued at US$ 6,304 Mn by 2016, projecting a Y-o-Y growth of 11.6%. A new report titled Prosthetic Heart Valve Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, published by Future Market Insights analyses the factors and trends defining the growth and performance of the global prosthetic heart valve market over a 10-year forecast period (2016 - 2026).According to Future Market Insights, an increasing prevalence of valvular heart disease (VHD) is expected to augment growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market during the forecast period. Regulatory approval for heart valves, integration of technological advancements, and increasing number of heart valve implantation procedures are other factors expected to influence revenue growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market in the next 10 years. However, high costs associated with transcatheter heart valve products, procedure related risks and complications, and product recalls are some restraints likely to hamper the growth of the global prosthetic heart valve market over the forecast period.Request Free Report Sample@Segmentation highlightsThe global prosthetic heart valve market is segmented on the basis of Product Type (Mechanical Heart Valves, Biological/Tissue Heart Valves, Transcatheter Heart Valves) and End User (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgery Centres).The Transcatheter Heart Valves product type segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 6,069.1 Mn by 2026 end, registering a CAGR of 13.3% between 2016 and 2026The Hospitals end user segment accounted for 74.5% market share of the global prosthetic heart valve market in 2015. Rising demand for quicker treatment options and remedies is expected to promote the revenue growth of the Hospitals segment over the forecast periodRegional market projectionsThe global prosthetic heart valve market is segmented by region into North America, Latin America Excluding Brazil, Brazil, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The global prosthetic heart valve market is largely prominent in the developed regions. The North America regional market is estimated to witness the highest CAGR of 12.4% during the forecast period followed by the Western Europe regional market at 12.1%. Factors such as legislative openness and inline approval procedures are expected to contribute largely to the revenue generation potential and attractiveness of the Western Europe prosthetic heart valve market. Rising adoption of transcatheter heart valves in geriatric patients for better care is expected to fuel revenue growth in the Japan prosthetic heart valve market over the forecast period.Vendor insightsThe report on the global prosthetic heart valve market profiles some of the leading companies dominating the global prosthetic heart valve market. Top market players featured in the global prosthetic heart valve market report are Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Medtronic plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, SYMETIS, LivaNova PLC, CryoLife, Inc., Braile Biomedica, Colibri Heart Valve LLC, and JenaValve Technology, Inc. Leading market players are focussing on delivering differentiated therapies to cardiac patients and are strengthening their foothold in the global prosthetic heart valve market through strategic collaborations and acquisitions.Send An Enquiry@Key competitors covered in terms of prosthetic heart valve market are Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., Medtronic plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Abbott Laboratories, SYMETIS, LivaNovaPLC, CryoLife, Inc., Braile Biomedica, Colibri Heart Valve, LLC, and JenaValve Technology, Inc. Key strategies adopted by most of the major players in the global prosthetic heart valve market include: product approvals and commercialisation, leveraging existing capabilities to create patient-centric technologies, briskly entering markets in emerging countries and offering the latest innovative technologies to healthcare facilities and, thus strengthening regional proficiency and addressing customer needs. New product launches, innovation and expansion are anticipated to form the core of these strategies during the forecast period.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comPress@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Indolent Lymphoma Treatment Market Impact of Existing and Emerging Market 2016 - 2022 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10040 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10040 Indolent Lymphoma also known as non-Hodgkins lymphoma is a type of cancer that initiates from cells of immune system which are responsible to fight against infections and diseases encountered by our body. Lymphatic system is a part of the immune system and has network of lymph vessels in the body thus lymphoma can initiate anywhere. The factors which can cause indolent lymphoma include weak immune system, infections, age and obesity. The treatment for indolent lymphoma depends upon its stage, age and various other factors. The survival rate will again depend on the stage of the lymphoma but by treating them there is 90% in Europe. The improvements in the treatment of indolent lymphoma is also done through clinical trials to prevent and treat lymphoma and fuel the research.Request for Sample Copy@Indolent lymphoma treatment is most common cancer observed in the lymphatic system and can be treated successfully. The factors which contribute to drive the indolent lymphoma market are geriatric population and lifestyle. In todays world people have addictions to alcohol, tobacco and drugs, obesity is one of the major cause of various disorders thus the risks for such disorders are high. The mortality ratio is quite low as compared to treatment facilities available a few years back. Clinical approvals and safety regulations laid by FDA and regulatory bodies are some restraints for this market, but many other drugs are into clinical trials and will soon be available for use.Indolent lymphoma treatment market is classified on the basis of product type and distribution channel.Indolent Lymphoma is fifth common type of cancer in the U.S. and there have been many advancements in its treatment. The biological treatment including the use of monoclonal bodies have accelerated the research of indolent lymphoma treatment. There are about 70000 incidence cases observed every year in the U.S. and are successfully treated according to the stages of the lymphoma. Immunotherapy has also led to a dramatic improvement in its prognosis, radioimmunotherapy and many other therapies have proven to decrease the mortality rate in many regions as the U.S. and Europe. Chemotherapy and biological therapies also clinical trials have been most widely used to treat indolent lymphoma.Geographically, the market for indolent lymphoma treatment market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Over the past few years there have been low incidence rates since there was almost an epidemic in the U.S. in the early 90s. But compared to the previous epidemic outbreak the market for indolent lymphoma treatment is still high in North America. Considering the overall lymphoma treatment market the U.S. and Western Europe account for 40% of the lymphoma diagnosed cases. The aging population in this regions is more and thus all the other related lifestyle risks are associated to accelerate the treatment process of indolent lymphoma. Some of the cancer associations have taken major step towards treating it by introducing clinical trial processes.Request for Table of Content@Some of the market players in indolent lymphoma treatment include F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bayer AG, Gilead Sciences, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Celgene Corporation, Sanofi S.A. and GlaxoSmithKline plc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Eye infections treatment Market Demand is Increasing Rapidly in Recent Years!! http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10043 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10043 Various viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that can invade the human body are also potential of attacking the surface or interior of the eye. Eye infections can be the inflammation of the Conjunctiva (Conjunctivitis), eyelid (blepharitis), the cornea (keratitis), the liquid inside the eye (vitritis), the retina and the blood vessels that feed it (chorioretinitis), or the optic nerve (neuroretinitis). The most common cause of eye infection is conjunctivitis caused by adenovirus, other cause of conjunctivitis is bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus and is common in children. Infection that can cause conjunctivitis or keratitis included syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes simplex, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, leprosy, lyme disease, mumps, measles, influenza & mycosis etc. The infection that can damage the retina and the inner eye includes few of the bacteria discussed above including syphilis, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, sarcoidosis, herpes simplex, varicella zoster, histoplasmosis, gonorrhea etc. The symptom related to eye infection includes redness & itching, discharge, crusting over eyelid, pain, photosentivity, tears, swollen eyelid & involuntary blinking. Eye infection drug are grouped in following classes based on how they workRequest for Sample Copy@Eye infections is more prevalent in warm climatic conditions and among Afro-Caribbeans, Arabs, and Asians and less frequent among the White populations. Eye infection is often under diagnosed and consequently under treated except when it is very severe also it is more prevalent in the adult population than in pediatrics. The rise in demand in particularly depend on the launch of new drug like eye drop or eye ointment in particular geography. The other reason that can drive the market is the changing population demography in the respective markets. Other factor driving the eye infection market is the rising prevalence of blindness amongst the geriatric population.Eye infection can be treated by analyzing the cause of infecting agent and treating the cause as per required like for the bacterial infection which is the most common of all the infection it treated through antibiotics eye drop or ointments. Fungal infection as against is resolved on their own or by prescribing antiviral eye drop or some steroidal drop.There are different OTC product available in the market to treat Eye infection including artificial tear drops, Ointments, Eye wash, Hyper Osmotic, scrub, decongestants, and antihistamines. There are different eye infections that can be treated at home like conjunctivitis, lice, dry eye as against there are infection that require treatment by doctors which include abrasion, keratitis, corneal swelling, uveitis, and glaucoma. Eye infection treatment market highest share is of North America followed by Europe owing to technological advancement and large industry pool in these geography. Asia-Pacific market is expected to register higher growth owing to the rise in geriatric population and also the rise in prevalence of blindness in geriatric population.Depending on geographic region, eye infections treatment Market is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa.Request for Table of Content@Some of the key market players in global eye infections treatment Market are Roche, Allergan, Mercks, Novartis, Pfizer, Santen Pharmaceuticals, Valent, Bayer, GSK, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi to name a few.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Malignant Glioma Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2022 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/10076 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/10076 Malignant gliomas are one of the common sub-type of primary brain tumors which are highly invasive, aggressive and neurologically destructive tumors among the deadliest human cancers. Gliomas account for around 45% of primary brain tumors where children are less likely to develop the risk of gliomas. Gliomas arise from the glial cells or non-neuronal cells hence the name and the cells are supposed to provide support and protection for neurons in the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. Gliomas are caused due to growing or invading into or creating pressure in nearby the normal brain tissues developing tumors in the brain and spinal cord. According to the grading by WHO (World Health Organization), the grade III tumors are malignant and lead to death within 12 to 24 months. Currently more than 60% of the clinical trials in gene therapy are focused on targeting cancer.Request for Sample Copy@Cancer is one of the major and global health issue faced accounting for approximately 8 million deaths globally. Heredity, geography, exposure to electromagnetic radiation and gender are some factors responsible for most of the gliomas. There is no such population or geographies where the risks for malignant glioblastoma is less hence the treatment area is much wide and has large scope for future advancements. The factors which affect this market include the limitations of chemotherapy, approvals rate for various drugs and therapies by regulatory bodies and increasing population. Lifestyle changes is one of the leading factor to acceleration of this market and indulge companies to select promising novel treatments entering the clinical arena.Pharmaceutical companies have made significant contributions in the treatment of cancer since the past several decades along with increase in spending over cancer related R&D facilities. The market for cancer is steadily increasing due to advancements in the novel methods of treatment, product innovations and successful clinical trials conducted by pharmaceuticals. There are various activities carried out by the pharmaceuticals globally to overcome the technological challenges through mergers and acquisitions, funding and patents. Companies operating in oncology segments are pre-registering for, Pre-clinical, IND, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III.Depending on geographic region, malignant glioma is segmented into five key regions: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. In the Malignant Glioma Market the largest market share is gained by the U.S. where there are large incidence and prevalence cases, followed by Europe where the major pharmaceuticals have their blockbuster drugs and include the major funding associations. It is observed in a survey that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women which accounts for almost 40% of the population in U.S. are at a risk of developing cancer in the coming years. The drug development costs are overriding the costs of investments in R&D and yet there are comparatively less approved drugs which pass the Phase III trials. The developing countries as India and China have a higher scope by collaborating with the large pharmaceutical industry players and develop new drugs.Request for Table of Content@The companies which are the major players in the malignant glioma market are Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC., Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech Inc. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Cipla Inc., Panacea Biotec., Zydus Cadila and Merck & Co., Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.ContactPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Near-monopolistic Nature of Global Microturbine Systems Market Continues to Drive Growth; Market to Value US$440.8 mn by 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1545 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/microturbines-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Favorable government regulations and policies, coupled by the growing number application areas have been driving the demand for global microturbine systems market, states Transparency Market Research in a report. The 74-page publication is titled Microturbine Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2013 - 2019 and is available for sale on the companys website.Microturbine systems are a combination of a high-speed generator and a small gas turbine and are used to generate energy ranging from 25kW to 1000kW. These systems are used during power outages to provide standby power to various industries, acting as a supplementary source of energy. Fueled by the growing consumption of electricity in most developing and developed countries, the market for microturbine systems is projected to expand at a 16.7% CAGR by value, rising from US$144.4 mn to US$440.8 mn during the forecast period. By installation, the market is anticipated to rise from 123.2 MW in 2012 to 447.4 MW by 2019 at a 19.8% CAGR therein.Interpret a Competitive outlook Analysis Report with PDF Brochure :The microturbine systems market has been evaluated based on application, end use, and geography.On the basis of application, the market for microturbine systems has been bifurcated into standby power and CHP generation. The use of microturbine systems in CHP generation is the most common application and in 2012, this segment accounted for a share of over 67%.Based on end use, the microturbine systems market has been categorized into commercial, industrial, and residential. Among these, the industrial sector held a 59.33% share in the overall market, emerging as the dominant end-use segment in 2012. The use of microturbine systems in the commercial sector is anticipated to rise during the forecast period owing to low power rating requirements. This segment is predicted to rise at a 20.2% CAGR from 2013 to 2019.The main geographical segments forming the global microturbine systems market are Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. Accounting for a share of 42.82% in 2012, North America was the dominant regional segment of the global microturbine systems market. The U.S. formed the largest market in the region and is likely to retain its lead position throughout the forecast period. Favorable regulatory interventions and growing awareness regarding rising carbon footprint have tremendously driven the U.S. market for microturbine systems.The microturbine systems market in Europe is anticipated to witness strong growth over the next few years owing to the support of the government. Changing policies by the European Union National Emission Ceilings are likely to contribute toward the expansion of the Europe microturbine systems market.Complete Report with TOC :The Asia Pacific and RoW markets for microturbine systems hold immense potential, as highlighted by the report. The APAC microturbine systems market is projected to reach a value of US$61.1 mn by the end of the forecast period. The RoW market, on the other hand, is anticipated to register strong growth in the aforementioned duration, reporting a 19.6% CAGR therein.The vendor landscape of the global microturbine systems market is immensely consolidated, almost bordering on being monopolistic. Capstone Turbine Corporation is the clear leader in the overall market and in 2012, held a whopping 78.3% share owing to various strategic alliances and acquisitions. Ingersoll-Rand Company, Elliot Company Inc., NewEnCo Ltd., Micro Turbine Technology BV, Global Microturbine LLC, and FlexEnergy Inc. are some of the other notable companies operating in the global microturbine systems market.Microturbine Systems Market, by End UseIndustrialCommercialResidentialMicroturbine Systems Market, by ApplicationCHP GenerationStandby PowerContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207 Precision Medicine Market size worth $87.7bn by 2023: Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights, Inc. http://bit.ly/2ekRPfD http://bit.ly/2e3hvwM https://www.gminsights.com Increasing demand for personalized medicine specifically in cancer treatments and advancements in new healthcare technologies will drive precision global medicine market size. Favorable government regulations and standards will help sustain revenue growth.The individualized diagnosis approach has dramatically improved owing to large-scale biologic database development, efficient methods for patient characterization, and computational tools to analyze large data sets. Emphasizing the need for public health database, The White House dedicated USD 55 million for creation of its largest database Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI).Recent research advances have helped expand benefits to various aspects of healthcare by enabling better understanding of disease mechanisms, assessment of disease risks and prediction of optimal therapy. A large number of investments in diagnostic research will further accelerate the shift from treatment to preventive medicine in healthcare.Request for a sample of this research report -Precision medicine is a novel method for treatment and prevention of chronic diseases based on the variability in individual genes and other lifestyle characteristics. The new approach enables doctors to better assess disease risk, and predict the optimal therapy. President Barack Obama announced the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) in 2015 to revolutionize the concept of medicine and generate scientific evidence required for the development of precision medicine. US FDA would receive USD 10 million as a part of the initiative for building the database to support the research and regulation.Gene sequencing market size was over USD 8 billion in 2015. Post announcement of the PMI, FDA has recently issued draft guidelines on next generation sequencing-based tests to develop a new kind of healthcare that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, environments and lifestyles.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report -Key insights from the report include: Drug discovery technology contributed over USD 9 billion to the global precision medicine market size in 2015, and is estimated to expand at 8.3% CAGR from 2016 to 2023. NGS and other such technologies will open new opportunities for industry participants. Regulation of NGS based test development will help create regulatory processes for genetic test development and application. The global companion diagnostics market is predicted to reach USD 17 billion by 2023. It plays a significant role in development of targeted drugs, thus speeding up the move towards more precise and individualized pharmacotherapy. Oncology application was over 30% of the precision medicine market share in 2015. There have been significant developments taken place across the globe in the area of breast cancer and other related cancers. Predictive biomarkers in lung cancer therapy targets receptors such as c-ros oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (ROS1), Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Immune Checkpoints, and Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK). U.S. precision medicine market share accounted for over 65% of the North American revenue in 2015, and is anticipated to continue witnessing growth due to increased government initiatives. For instance, The Presidents budget in 2016 has allocated USD 130 million to the NIH for development of a national research cohort of a million voluntary U.S. participants, and the data is linked to EHR for easy access to academic scientists and physicians. China contributed 25% to the Asia Pacific precision medicine market size in 2015, mainly due to considerable government initiatives supporting growth in the region. Pfizer, Novartis, Covance, Medtronics, Qiagen, Quest Diagnostics, Roche Holding, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Biocrates Life Sciences are some notable industry participants.Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Corporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1 888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: Egypt's parliament approved on Tuesday a presidential decree to rename the Principal Bank for Development and Agricultural Credit (PBDAC) to the Egyptian Agricultural Bank and to put it under the supervision of the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), state news agency MENA reported. The CBE governor Tarek Amer said in a televised interview in February that the PBDAC, which is currently under the jurisdiction of the agriculture ministry, would be brought back under the banks surveillance and to be restructured in an attempt to improve the financial services that the state lender gives to farmers. There are currently 7941 farmers struggling to pay their instalments, owing the Cairo-based bank around EGP 365 million in debt, according to a MENA report citing the banks chairman. Search Keywords: Short link: Research Report and Overview on Central Venous Catheter Market, 2015-2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-949 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-949 www.futuremarketinsights.com Central Venous Catheter is a catheter inserted in to the large vein in the neck, chest, or groin when a patient needs cardiovascular monitoring, for analyzing of fluid status, and intravenous drugs and fluids can be given to the patient more easily, measure central venous pressure. The veins generally used are the internal jugular vein (neck), the subclavian vein (chest), and the femoral vein (groin).Patients who are suffering with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and renal failure are unable to receive fluids or medication via the traditional route, meaning that they must be administered externally. This is done using a central venous catheter, which is placed on the central line.Central Venous Catheter Market: Drivers & RestraintsIncreasing more number of global patients in cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, cancer patients, and gastrointestinal (GI) infections leading to growth of central venous catheters market.Catheter related bloodstream infection remains the most serious complication of central venous access and Bleeding disorders and expensive to treat.Request for sample report:Central Venous Catheter Market: SegmentationCentral Venous Catheter are broadly classified on the basis of product type, application and end user.Based on the product type, central venous catheter segmented in to,Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC)Tunneled Central Venous CatheterNon-Tunneled Central Venous CatheterBased on the application, central venous catheter segmented in to,Cardiovascular proceduresChemotherapy proceduresDialysis proceduresCentral Venous Catheter Market: OverviewAccording to recent WHO reports, Cancers is the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012, the number of new cases is expected to rise by about 70% over the next 2 decades this will help in growth of the Global central venous catheter market.According to WHO reports, an estimated 17.5 million people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2012, representing 31% of all global deaths, which leads to Healthy growth rate of Global Central Venous Catheter Market. The market for central venous catheter is expected to grow at a significant growth in the forecast years.Central Venous Catheter Market: Region-wise OutlookBased on geographic regions, globally infusion pump devices market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & AfricaIn North America region, the U.S. market occupied majority of market share because of increasing more number of cancers and cardiovascular patients. Asia is the fastest emerging market for global central venous catheter because of it is home to large patient base.Request for TOC:WHO reports says that, more than 60% of worlds total new annual cancer cases occur in Africa, Asia and Central and South America. These regions account for 70% of the worlds cancer deaths so there is huge scope for the development of central venous catheter in these regions.Central Venous Catheter Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in global central venous catheter market are Teleflex Incorporated, C. R. Bard Inc, B.Braun Melsungen AG, Edwards Life sciences Corporation, Becton Dickinson Company, Terumo Corporation, and Smiths Medical.About us:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Contact us:616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Likora upgrade gravure press with GEW UV system GEW UV curing system at Likora Likora GmbH in Germany upgraded an existing gravure printing line in order to save energy and to improve the efficiency of their operation.Likora GmbH is a family-run business based in Horn-Bad Meinberg in Westphalia. The company was founded in 1983 and was originally located in Detmold. In 1991 Likora moved to their current production site and over the years, with their emphasis on quality, reliability and flexibility, were able to become a major international partner for the furniture and interior design industry. Likora manufacture mainly finish foils and decor paper for the furniture industry and interior design applications.In 2016 Likora upgraded the final varnishing station on one of their gravure printing lines with a new UV-curing system replacing an older system. To this purpose they integrated three GEW-made 240cm-wide NUVA2 UV lampheads with RHINO power supply. The three UV lampheads are positioned vertically one after the other so as to achieve the maximum UV-curing effect. The UV system is mounted in a custom designed aluminium frame that integrates a retractable cooling panel and water-cooled quartz window to prevent the heat transfer onto the substrate.The installation is based on a Cerutti machine with 5 print stations using water-based inks with IR drying. The configuration is now able to print and varnish substrates up to 2250mm wide with speeds up to 120m/min and mainly produces finish foils intended for wrapping and laminating on wood-based materials.Managing director Christian Bungard explains: On our previous system we certainly had issues with excessive heat radiation and the extremely short life cycles of the UV lamps. Our clients demand a quality product and expect us to be an absolutely dependable supplier. For this reason it was one of our main objectives to convert to a low maintenance operation with the highest reliability.The decision in favour of the GEW UV system was due to the requirement that major investments go only into reliable high-performance technologies. GEW was able to offer us a comprehensive package of efficiency and reliability with UV lamp life cycles of several thousand hours. Christian Bungard adds. For complete peace of mind the GEW package comes with the security of a 5-year warranty.Embedded Service, which is part of GEWs package, enables engineers to remotely access performance data and proactively detect parameters outside the permitted tolerances and immediately take the necessary maintenance steps even before a fault can develop. This type of preventive remote maintenance ensures that the entire UV system works at its peak performance at all times thus avoiding unplanned machine stoppages and waste of resources.The new UV system based on GEWs highly efficient NUVA2 lampheads boasts particularly fast switch-on and cool-down cycles achieving considerable electricity and time savings. Christian Bungard concludes: The NUVA2 UV lampheads together with the RHINO power supply reduce our electricity consumption by some 50% allowing us at the same time to further increase our capacity and enjoy faster, more stable production. Since the initial installation Likora have already invested in another two systems to harmonise their UV technology across their site.GEW (EC) Limited is a world-leading manufacturer of robust, energy-efficient UV curing systems for printing and coating applications. GEW UV systems are designed for operation in the most challenging conditions and come with a comprehensive 5-year warranty unique in its industry. Besides its headquarters and factory in England, GEW owns subsidiaries in the US, Germany and India, and operates a network of international distributors worldwide.Press contact:Martin KuglerGEW (EC) LimitedCrompton WayCrawley RH10 9QRGreat BritainTel. +44 - 1737 - 824 500e-mail mkugler@gewuv.com Starch Derivatives Market to Record an Impressive Growth Rate During the Forecast 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4093 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4093 Starch derivatives, also known as modified starch, are prepared by enzymatically, physically or chemically treating native starch to alter its properties. Starch derivatives are used in a number of industries for various functions. They are used as thickeners and stabilizers in the food and beverage industry, as a tablet binder in the pharmaceutical industry, as an emulsifier in cosmetics, and fiber additive in the animal feed. Some of the other functions of starch derivatives are flocculation, adhesiveness, film-forming, pH stability improvement, and shear stability, acid stability, and process tolerance enhancement.Request to view Sample Report @It is possible to modify starches to increase their stability against excessive heat, cooling, acid, time, shear or freezing; to change their texture; and to increase or decrease their viscosity, depending on the application. The different stakeholders in the industry are product manufacturers, raw material suppliers, and processors.Based on type, the market is classified into various segments such as Maltodextrin, Cyclodextrin, Glucose Syrup, Hydrolysates, and Modified Starch. Among these, glucose syrup holds a major market share, whereas Maltodextrin has the highest demand in the market. Glucose syrup finds its applications in various industries such as paper, feeds, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Glucose syrup is often employed as a flavor enhancer, texture agent, volume-adding agent, and inhibitor of sugar from crystallizing in drinks. On the basis of application, the starch derivatives market is classified as Food & Beverages, Feed, Paper, Cosmetics, Pharmaceuticals, Bio-Ethanol, and other industrial applications. Among these, starch derivatives find their key application in food and beverages.Increasing demand for convenience food and beverages in developing countries, rise in population, and increasing per-capita income are some of the key factors propelling the growth of starch derivatives market. Companies are investing large amounts of their capital on research and development. These developments are bettering the prospects of starch derivative products in the global market. In addition, starch plays an important role in the bio-fuel, glue production, textile weaving and finishing, and the fermentation industries. However, implementation of bio-fuel policies and increasing raw material prices are some of the factors hindering the growth of the starch derivatives market.Asia Pacific is the leading starch derivatives market and is likely to achieve the highest growth rate in the near future. This is due to the emerging economies of the two most populated countries in the world, namely, China and India. The starch derivatives market in North America and Europe is saturated. The demand for starch derivatives is increasing in Brazil and Argentina as these two countries have the fastest growth rate in the world.Key players operating in the starch derivatives market include AGRANA Investment Corp., Archer Daniels Midland Company, Cargill Incorporated, and AVEBE.Request to view Table of content @Other prominent vendors present in the starch derivatives market are Tate & Lyle, RAQUETTE, Emsland-Starke Gmbh, Ingredion Incorporated, Grain Processing Corporation, BENEO, INGREDION INCORPORATED, LASENOR EMUL, S.L., Lipoid GmbH, Stern-Wywiol Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG, and Penford Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Starch/Sugar Enzymes Market to Register a Strong Growth By 2021 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4538 http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4538 Starch/sugar enzymes occurs in various microorganisms and are used to assist the process of hydrolysis to breakdown sugar molecule. Various types of enzymes used are carbohydrase, lipase and protease. These types of enzymes are responsible for biochemical processes. Starch/sugar enzymes are used in bio-fuel production, cleaning agents, animal feed, pharmaceutical and biotechnology among others.Request to view Sample Report @The market for starch/sugar enzymes was mainly driven by increasing demand from food and beverage industry. In addition, there is huge demand for these enzymes from industrial applications such as bio-fuels, biocatalysts and cleaning agents. Due to its versatility there is huge demand for starch/sugar enzymes from various consumers. In addition, huge investment in R&D activities for new product development is likely to drive the market in upcoming years. The major opportunities for the starch/enzyme market are likely to be bio-fuel production and biotechnology market. However, individuals suffering from gluten intolerance will not opt for these products and can act as a restraint to the market.In terms of demand, North America was the leading region for starch/sugar enzymes market. The U.S. is the leading country for the enzymes market. The demand is huge owing to increasing demand from wine and pharmaceutical industry. North America was followed by Europe, where the demand is huge from food and beverage industry. The demand for starch/sugar enzymes is mainly from the U.K. and Germany. Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing market for the starch/sugar enzymes market. The demand is this region is driven by huge pharmaceutical industry. The Rest of the World (RoW) is likely to exhibit lower demand for starch/sugar enzymes in upcoming years.Request to view Table of content @Some of the key manufacturers in the starch/sugar enzymes market are ABF Plc, Novozymes A/S, DuPont, Advanced Enzymes Technologies Ltd., Roquette Freres and Amano Enzyme Inc. among others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA - Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.com Polysilicon Market Projected to Reach 8.90 Billion USD by 2021 Polysilicon Market, Polysilicon Market Report http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polysilicon-market-126521569.html http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=126521569 http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/chemical http://www.marketsandmarkets.com The report "Polysilicon Market by End-use industry (Solar PV (Monocrystalline Solar Panel and Multicrystalline Solar Panel) and Electronics), and Region (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and Middle East & South America) - Global Forecast to 2021", The polysilicon market is estimated to grow from USD 4.71 Billion in 2015 to USD 8.90 Billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 13.0%, in terms of value.Browse 84 market data tables and 41 figures spread through 116 pages and in-depth TOC on Polysilicon Market - Global Forecast to 2021Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.The market is driven by the rapid growth in key end-use industries, such as solar PV and electronics.Solar PV industry accounted for the highest demand in the polysilicon marketThe solar PV segment has been witnessing significant demand in recent years due to increasing awareness and the adoption of sustainable energy sources among consumers. Moreover, governments of various countries are offering several subsidies, tax exemptions to both, manufacturers and end-users of the solar PV market. Governments are focused on reducing emissions from power plants by switching to cleaner solar energy which is driving the growth of the solar PV market.Ask for FREE PDF:The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market for polysiliconThe Asia-Pacific region is currently the largest market for polysilicon. Significant growth in solar PV and electronics industry in China, Japan and India are driving the demand for polysilicon in this region. North America is the second largest market for polysilicon, both, in terms of volume and value. The increasing number of solar photovoltaic installations in the U.S. and Canada drives polysilicon consumption in the North American market.The key players in the polysilicon market are GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited (Hong Kong), Wacker Chemie AG (Germany), OCI Company Ltd. (Korea), REC Silicon ASA (Norway), Daqo New Energy Corp. (China) Tokuyama Corporation (Japan), Hemlock Semiconductor Corp. (U.S.), SunEdison, Inc. (U.S.), Woongjin polysilicon Co. Ltd. (Korea), Activ Solar Gmbh (Austria) and others.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.M&Ms flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.MarketsandMarkets701 Pike StreetSuite 2175, Seattle,WA 98101, United StatesTel: +1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.comVisit MarketsandMarkets Blog @Visit MarketsandMarkets @ Join SGS Experts at CFSI 016 Join SGS experts Christine Cherevko and Mike Turner at this years Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) conference in Santa Clara, to learn about the companys important new conflict mineral audit program.Conflict Mineral Audit and Report expert Christine Cherevko, and Mike Turner, EICC Smelter expert, will be available throughout the event, to discuss your issues and offer advice. Meetings can be booked in advance, simply contact the team by emailing uscts.inquiries@sgs.com.CFSI 2016The CFSI's annual conference, taking place in Santa Clara, California November 8-10, will feature top speakers from industry, civil society and government. Delegates will have plenty of opportunity to network with peers, and learn about and discuss the challenges and opportunities of responsible sourcing. Topics on the agenda will include: Key drivers influencing the responsible minerals space Peer learning workshop on conflict minerals due diligence for SMEs and non-filers Exploration of needs and opportunities between upstream and downstream actors Incentivizing responsible gold supply chains Harmonization and alignment Dynamics of responsible sourcing in China Building and leveraging resources CFSI strategic activities and progress to dateWe look forward to seeing you in Santa Clara!For further information, please contact:Christine CherevkoConflict Mineral Audit and Report expertSupply chain Assessments & SolutionsSGS North Americat: +1 973-270-1333email: cts.media@sgs.comAbout SGSSGS is the worlds leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 85,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1,800 offices and laboratories around the world.1, Mons CalpeChitcombe RoadBroad OakRyeEast SussexTN31 6EU Biolubricants Market Size, Share, Analysis, Report and Forecast to 2022 According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Biolubricants market is estimated at $1.9 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $3.34 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2015 to 2022. The market is expected to grow at a steady growth rate in the next upcoming years. The main factors driving the market growth are strict Government regulations and growing consumer awareness about environment. High price than petroleum products is restraining the market. Reducing prices of crude oil is the key challenge for this market during the forecast period.The vegetable oil based segment commanded the global market, in terms of quantity. Vegetable oils find use in multiple requirements and are supplied in large quantities worldwide. Vegetable oils give better oxidative stability and technical performance than animal fats. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing consumer market since the region is home to some of the biggest automobile manufacturing hubs other than developed ones such as the U.S. and Germany. Countries such as China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand are increasingly manufacturing and exporting passenger cars and other vehicles to developed regions.Some of the key players in the market are Total S.A., Chevron Corporation, BP PLC, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, Fuchs Petrolub AG, Kluber Lubrication Munchen Se & Co. Kg, Exxonmobil Corporation , Albemarle Corporation, Emery Oleochemicals, Vickers Oil, RoWe Mineralolwerk GmbH, Panolin AG, Kajo Chemie, Balmer Lawrie, Magna Group, Igol Lubricants and Polnox Corporation.Applications Covered:AutomotiveGear OilsHydraulic OilsGreasesAutomotive Engine OilsChainsaw OilsTransmission FluidsOther AutomotivesIndustrialIndustrial Gear OilsIndustrial GreasesDemolding OilsMetal Working FluidsProcess OilsOther IndustrialsBiolubricant Types Covered:Animal FatsVege OilsOthersEnd-Use Industries Covered :Consumer AutomobileCommercial TransportIndustrialRegions Covered:North AmericaUSCanadaMexicoEuropeGermanyFranceItalyUKSpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificJapanChinaIndiaAustraliaNew ZealandRest of Asia PacificRest of the WorldMiddle EastBrazilArgentinaSouth AfricaEgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsWe offer wide spectrum of research and consulting services with in-depth knowledge of different industries. We are known for customized research services, consulting services and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) services in the research world. We explore the market trends and draw our insights with valid assessments and analytical views. We use advanced techniques and tools among the quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the market trends. Our research reports and publications are routed to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market scenario. We have a strong team with hand-picked consultants including project managers, implementers, industry experts, researchers, research evaluators and analysts with years of experience in delivering the complex projects.STRATISTICS MRC 17049 King James Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20877, USA The French Ministry of Education partners with Vretta to deploy large-scale interactive assessments A highly intuitive mobile platform, which could run in an offline environment, was designed and developed. Ministries of education, across the world, share a common belief that digitization is the future direction of large-scale student assessments. This is a vision that is also strongly shared by the leadership teams at the French Ministry of Education who run several sample-based, large-scale assessments to evaluate the literacy and numeracy of students in primary and secondary schools across France.Since 2014, the Division of Evaluation, Planning and Performance (DEPP) at the French Ministry of Education has piloted and implemented digital assessments for their national tests conducted in secondary schools. However, as is typical in most countries, infrastructure and the availability of devices is much stronger in secondary schools than in primary schools. This led the DEPP to carefully consider the new challenges they would face when extending digital assessments into primary schools.In September 2015, the DEPP entered into a partnership with Vretta, a global educational technology solutions provider, to collaboratively design a deployment plan and develop a technology solution to assess the performance of primary school students in France.A highly intuitive mobile platform, which could run in an offline environment, was designed and developed along with about 300 interactive assessment items in Mathematics and French. Voice-enabled tutorials, custom tools, interactions, and questionnaires were also developed within the platform to engage and guide students through the assessment experience. A custom data structure was also created to allow for the offline collection of data. The teams collaboratively designed an interface that allowed administrators to receive and store the data from the tablets, making it easily accessible for analysis.In June 2016, tablets were pre-loaded with the platform application and were successfully used by over 3000 students at 100 schools, in partnership with lAcademie de Versailles, France. The navigation tools and tutorials guided students through the interactive assessments, and the built-in surveys demonstrated that students found the experience to be highly positive."This project has confirmed that large-scale interactive assessments benefit greatly when presented on mobile devices." says Dr. Thierry Rocher, Deputy Head of Office for Student Assessment at the DEPP. He also adds "the success of this pilot also provides great promise for digital assessments administered in an offline environment."The success of this offline interactive assessment on tablets has confirmed the strategic plan for the DEPP to generalize such large-scale digital assessments for all primary school students across France.ABOUT THE COMPANYVretta Inc. is a leading educational technology company that is revolutionizing the way students learn mathematics all over the world! We have created and delivered interactive learning experiences for thousands of students in business math, finance math, technology math, math for tourism and hospitality and math for health sciences. Our resources are being used at elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions, nationally and internationally, at schools, colleges and education ministries in Canada, USA and Europe.Vretta Inc.B01-208 Adelaide Street WestGiang Legiang.le@vretta.com Lucintel identifies and prioritizes opportunities for growth in the carbon black market by application and end user industry Insights that Matter www.lucintel.com www.lucintel.com According to a new market report published by Lucintel, the future of the Chinese carbon black market looks good with opportunities in the tire, non-tire rubber, plastic, coating, and ink applications. The Chinese carbon black market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2016 to 2021. The major drivers of growth for this market are the strong demand for carbon black from tire and industrial rubber compound.In this market, carbon black is used in tire, non-tire rubber, plastic, ink, and coating applications. On the basis of its comprehensive research, Lucintel predicts that the tire application is expected to remain the largest segment during the forecast period supported by continuously increasing fleet size of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.Within the carbon black market, the transportation industry is expected to remain the largest market by value and volume. Increasing demand for tire and other rubber molded parts are expected to spur growth for this segment over the forecast period.For business expansion, the report suggests innovation and new product development, where the unique characteristics of carbon black can be capitalized. The report further suggests the development of partnerships with customers to create win-win situations and development of low-cost solutions for the end user.Emerging trends, which have a direct impact on the dynamics of the industry, include the shift from commodity to more specialize grade carbon black and increasing use of carbon black as pigment in lightweight auto parts to enhance the conductivity and UV protection properties. Sid Richardson Carbon and Energy Co. Ltd, Cabot Corporation, Birla Carbon, Orion Engineered Carbons and Continental carbon Company are among the major suppliers of the carbon black. Some companies are opting for M&A as a strategic initiative for driving growth.Lucintel, a leading global strategic consulting and market research firm, has analyzed growth opportunities in the Chinese carbon black market by application and end use industry and has come up with a comprehensive research report, Growth Opportunity in the Chinese Carbon Black Market 2016-2021: Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Analysis. The Lucintel report serves as a spring board for growth strategy as it provides a comprehensive data and analysis on trends, key drivers, and directions. The study includes a forecast for the growth opportunities in the Chinese carbon black market by application and end use industry as follows:By application [Volume (M lbs. / Kilotons) and $M shipment analysis for 2010 2021]: Tire Non-tire rubber Plastic Ink Coating OthersBy end user industry [Volume (M lbs. / Kilotons) and $M shipment analysis for 2010 2021]: Transportation Industrial Building & Construction Printing & Packaging OthersThis 100-page research report will enable you to make confident business decisions in this globally competitive marketplace. For a detailed table of contents, contact Lucintel at +1-972-636-5056 or helpdesk@lucintel.com. Lucintel offerings include Chemical Market Research Reports, Chemical Industry Analysis Report, Opportunity Screening and Analysis, Capital Investment Feasibility and SWOT Analysis.About LucintelLucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitThis report answers following 10 key questions:Q.1: What are some of the potential, high-growth opportunities for the Chinese carbon black market by applications and end user industry?Q. 2. Which segments will grow at a faster pace and why?Q.3: What are the key factors affecting market dynamics? What are the drivers and challenges of the market?Q.4: What are the business risks and threats to the market?Q.5: What are emerging trends in this market and reasons behind them?Q.6: What are some changing demands of customers in the market?Q.7: What are the new developments in the market? Which companies are leading these developments?Q.8: Who are the major players in this market? What strategic initiatives are being implemented by key players for business growth?Q.9: What are some of the competitive products and processes in this area and how big of a threat do they pose for loss of market share via materials / product substitutionQ.10: What are M & A activities in the last 5 years in this market? What reasons can be attributed to these activities and how have they impacted the industry?Lucintel, the premier global management consulting and market research firm, creates winning strategies for growth. It offers market assessments, competitive analysis, opportunity analysis, growth consulting, M&A, and due diligence services to executives and key decision-makers in a variety of industries. For further information, visitLucintel222 Las Colinas Blvd West, Suite 1650, Irving, TX 75039, USAPh: +1-972-636-5056 Fax: +1-877-883-5140marketing@lucintel.com ThoughtSphere Partners with Integrated Clinical Systems Inc. on Next Generation Product Integration http://www.thoughtsphere.com https://www.i-review.com/ www.thoughtsphere.com https://www.i-review.com/ ClinDAP, ThoughtSpheres clinical data lake solution for aggregation and integration bridging the gap between data transformation and analysis, is now available to customers of JReview, an industry-leading clinical analytics application.October 31, 2016, Santa Clara, CA ThoughtSphere, Inc. announces that ClinDAP, its unique source-system agnostic data aggregation platform specifically designed for clinical research, is now available to customers of JReview, a leading clinical data review tool. The integration affords users never-before-seen benefits by integrating structured and unstructured clinical and operational datasets to make managing, interpreting and analyzing simpler and, in turn, enhancing clinical research processes and intelligence.ClinDAP is a clinical trials informatics solution that was purpose-built as a data lake. It takes advantage of the same cutting-edge big data practices used by the likes of Facebook and Google. The volume and variety of clinical study data necessitates an approach that eases integration by not requiring cumbersome programming for each eClinical system. Sponsors and CROs can get the benefits of accessing all clinical data regardless of its format, including CTMS, Lab, Imaging and Safety data in near real-time. ThoughtSphere wanted to deliver the answer to the current gap between unifying clinical data and timely analysis.Our objective when designing ClinDAP was to harness the power of data, both structured and unstructured, so data can drive clinical research decision-making processes, explains Sudeep Pattnaik, founder & CEO of ThoughtSphere. As an emerging clinical technology solution provider, we are thrilled to integrate ClinDAP with JReview, one of the most respected and trusted products on the market.JReview is one of the most-used clinical analytics tools on the market, specifically designed for clinical researchers, and used by the FDA. The integration will help users address time-consuming data mapping and transformation challenges. With ClinDAP, users can integrate and analyze disparate datasets. Then, with JReviews intuitive reporting features, they can reuse reporting object definitions across studies, explains Eric Herbel, president of Integrated Clinical Systems. We are always looking for new ways to enhance our product for our customers, and were excited that this new partnership allows us to do so, he says.ThoughtSphere and Integrated Clinical Systems, Inc. recently launched a joint-education program in which theyll teach JReview customers about the benefits of the integration. JReview users have the option of licensing ClinDAP at a preferred Integrated Clinical Systems rate to enhance their clinical data approach.For more information about ThoughtSphere or ClinDAP, visit. For more information about integrated Clinical Systems or JReview, visitENDSAbout ThoughtSphereFounded by clinical information and technology industry experts with over 30 years of experience from the leading global CRO and eClinical providers, ThoughtSpheres mission is to streamline and empower the clinical trials process by eliminating the two biggest challenges--integration of disparate clinical and operational data and making it accessible for use with existing tools for analytics and visualization. With this innovative platform, biopharma, medical device sponsors and CROs can reduce and optimize clinical development costs, aggregate operational and clinical data to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the clinical trial processes and gain near real-time actionable insights. The product suite includes ClinDAP, the source-system agnostic next-generation data integration platform; ClinACT, the interactive visualization and analytics platform that enables RBM and CRO Quality Oversight; and SPACE, the integrated site budgeting, payments and contracting solution. At ThoughtSphere, we believe we can deliver on the promise of big data to drive health innovation. For more information, visitAbout Integrated Clinical Systems Integrated Clinical Systems, Inc. (ICS) is an industry-leading developer of software applications for the FDA, pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies worldwide. Their original software application, Integrated Review, provides ongoing, real-time review of clinical data and an easy-to-use, intuitive means of profiling patients, reporting, graphing, ad-hoc data mining and signal detection for clinical data stored in third-party or in-house data management software systems or data warehouses. This functionality has been ported to a web-enabled software application, JReview, and has been expanded with even more new features. These products have been developed by professionals from the pharmaceutical industry, and they continue to be refined and enhanced by customer and FDA feedback. It is this specialization and industry focus that provides their clients with the reporting and analysis capabilities that allow them to bring products to the market safely, efficiently, speedily and cost effectively. For more information visitThe Scott Partnership, 1 Whiteside Station Road, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, CW4 8AA, UK The Grand Egyptian Museum and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to become independent under supervision of antiquities ministry Prime Minister Sherif Ismail issued a ministerial decree to establish two independent General Authorities for the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) under the supervision of the antiquities ministry. Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany said the decree states that every authority would have its own board of trustees composed of a group of Egyptian and prominent international public figures with experience in the field. Every board would draft the museum's general policies, setting up a work programme and managing the museum's budget through studying the grants, donations and gifts provided from international, regional and local parties, within the articles of law and regulations that organise them. The board of trustees, he added, would also appoint the museum director and his two assistants. GEM's Supervisor General Tarek Tawfik described the decree as ideal because it would facilitate administrative work in both museums as well as decrease its bureaucracy. He went on to say that the board of trustees would push the work forward to make the dream of both museums come true. Search Keywords: Short link: German Bible Society to publish unique illustrated Bible THE WIEDMANN BIBLE Art-Edition http://www.thewiedmannbible.com https://www.die-bibel.de/en/ 3,333 Bible illustrations by Willy Wiedmann depicting the Old and New Testament in two volumesThe Wiedmann Media AG and the German Bible Society will publish a one of a kind Bible Art-Edition by the end of 2017. It depicts the complete Old and New Testament in 3,333 images and was painted by the German artist Willy Wiedmann.The limited Art-Edition will be published in two volumes, containing a total of 1,740 pages, and in the colors white, cardinal-red, black, and gold. The images are complemented by the artists comments on his work as well as Bible verses from the revised Luther Bible 2017 from the German Bible Society.My fathers dream will finally come true: Making THE WIEDMANN BIBLE accessible to everyone. We could not have asked for a better partner as a distributor than the German Bible Society, says Martin Wiedmann, son of the deceased artist.Willy Wiedmann always wanted for his Bible to become accessible for Christians around the world. Because certain technologies were not readily available, he was not able to publish it during his lifetime. He therefore buried his vision and kept his Bible hidden in his gallerys attic where it slipped into obscurity until his son revealed the artwork in 2014.I felt that my work gave them something special and cause a feeling of content and even some kind of happiness. Ergo my conscious told me, if only these few people already benefited from my work why shouldnt all Christians? From Willy Wiedmanns Bible Journal.In order to make this project happen, Martin Wiedmann will produce this unique Art-Edition while the German Bible Society will be responsible for copy editing as well as distribution and sales. THE WIEDMANN BIBLE is a very impressive artwork. It visually encourages people to engage with the Bibles content actively. We are very pleased to include this unique book into our repertoire, says Reiner Hellwig, the German Bible Societys Chief Operating Officer.The limited Art-Edition will be published in German. You can reserve your copy on THE WIEDMANN BIBLE's website. Editions in English and Spanish will follow after the initial German publication. THE WIEDMANN BIBLE is another step for our mission foundation: Disseminating the Bible and the opportunity of education with the help of it. Since THE WIEDMANN BIBLE depicts the complete Old and New Testament in images it speaks all languages, says Horst Scheurenbrand, Director of International Programs of the German Bible Society.In May THE WIEDMANN BIBLE started supporting the United Bible Societies project which helps people learn how to read and write by means of the Bible. Parts of the proceeds will be donated towards this project. Other parts will be used towards the distribution of THE WIEDMANN BIBLE to make it accessible to everyone.About THE WIEDMANN BIBLE:THE WIEDMANN BIBLE was illustrated by the artist Willy Wiedmann. In 3.333 illustrations the complete Old Testament and New Testament is depicted in the format of a concertina folder. For 16 years (1984 2000) Willy Wiedmann worked on this Bible. He created it in his Polycon Painting Style. His work has a total length of approximately 1 mile.For more Information visit:Contact THE WIEDMANN BIBLE:Martin Wiedmann Tel.: +41 79 400 9774Diana Lammerts Tel.: +49 151 240 77997Email: press@thewiedmannbible.comAbout the German Bible Society:The Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft (German Bible Society) is a not-for-profit religious foundation. It is engaged in translation of the Scriptures, the development and dissemination of innovative Bible editions, and in giving all people access to the message of the Bible. It bears international responsibility for scholarly Bible editions in the original languages. Through its international programs, in collaboration with other members of the United Bible Societies, it supports translation and distribution of the Bible worldwide, so that everyone can read the Bible in their own language.Contact German Bible Society (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft):Reiner Hellwig Tel.: +49 711/7181-249.Email: hellwig@dbg.deHorst Scheurenbrand Tel.: +49 711/7181-270Email: scheurenbrand@dbg.deFor more Information visit:About Wiedmann Media AG: Production and distribution of artistic, literary and graphic works. The company may acquire, enhance and dispose licenses and other intellectual property.The company is the owner of THE WIEDMANN BIBLE. In June 2015 the unique artwork which is a visual representation of the Holy Scriptures was presented to the public for the first time, after being hidden in the artist's attic for decades. It is the only Bible version that illustrates the complete Old and New Testament.Wiedmann Media AGMartin WiedmannP.O. Box 614CH - 8853 Lachen Electromagnetic Compatibility Shielding Market: growth in demand for EMI coating in Europe http://industryarc.com/inquiry-before-buying.php?id=15019 http://industryarc.com/pdfdownload.php?id=15019 http://www.linkedin.com/company/industryarc http://goo.gl/Ga7fq7 Electromagnetic compatibility shielding is used to prevent the emission of electromagnetic radiation and to stop that radiation from affecting the functions of other systems. These shielded products such as shielded twisted pair and others are expected to have high demand in various end user industries. There is high scope for the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market in various regions across the globe during 2016-2021.Scope and Regional Forecast of the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market:According to the IndustryARC research analysis studies on the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market, Asia Pacific is the highest revenue generating market closely followed by North America during 2016-2021.Asia Pacific is the largest region in the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market with high production and supply of EMC products as per IndustryARC analytics. China and India are the major markets in this region during 2016-2021.Make an Inquiry @North America and Europe are expected to have high demand for the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market. The US, Germany, France and others are the major markets in these regions respectively during 2016-2021.The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market is a rapidly growing market with increasing demand for EMC certification of electronic system products for safety from radiation in various end user industries across the globe. This market is expected to witness high growth owing to the increasing investment for electromagnetic compatibility engineering applications and EMC applications for production, high R&D expenditure for EMC testing products and growth in utilization of EMI coating, EMI testing and EM shielding by companies in various regions across the globe during 2016-2021.Segmentation and Key Players of the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market:The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market is segmented into various categories in the IndustryARC marketing research report by type, by equipment, by application and by geography as follows:By type: Cables, Cable Shielding Grounding, Metal Shielding, Conductive Coating and Paints, EMI Shielding Tapes and othersBy equipment: Spectrum Analyzer, Amplifier, Signal Generator, Test Receivers, ESD Generator and othersBy application: Consumer Electronics, Telecommunication, Automotive, Industrial, Aerospace and Defense, Healthcare and othersBy geography: North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and ROWThe key players in the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Shielding Market according to the IndustryARC research report are as follows: Laird PLC (U.K.) Cherry Clough Consultants Ltd (U.K.) Kemtron Ltd (U.K.) Parker Hannifin Corporation (U.S.) Keysight Technologies, Inc. (U.S.)There is a high demand for EMI protection or shielding for systems to stop harmful radiations in industries during 2016-2021.Request Sample Brochure @About IndustryARC:IndustryARC is a Research and consulting firm that publishes more than 500 Reports Annually in various industries, such as Agriculture, Automotive, Automation & Instrumentation, Chemicals and Materials, Energy and Power, Electronics, Food & Beverages, Information Technology, Life sciences & Healthcare.IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications of the Market. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global demand-supply gap of markets. Our strong analyst team enables us to meet the client research needs at a very quick speed with a variety of options for your business.We look forward to support the client to be able to better address customer needs; stay ahead in the market; become the top competitor and get real-time recommendations on business strategies and deals. Contact us to find out how we can help you today.Media ContactContact Person: Sanjay MatthewsEmail: sales@industryarc.comPhone: 1-614-588-8538 (Ext: 101)Company Name: IndustryARCTMConnect with us on LinkedIn @Get More Insights on Reports @IndustryARC primarily focuses on Cutting Edge Technologies and Newer Applications of the Market. Our Custom Research Services are designed to provide insights on the constant flux in the global demand-supply gap of markets. Our strong analyst team enables us to meet the client research needs at a very quick speed with a variety of options for your business.Industryarc,Address: Plot No. S-1, Serial No. 1043 & 1048, Phase -1 & 2, Opp. BSNL Office, Kukatpally Housing Board Colony, Kukatpally, Hyderabad, Telangana 500072media contact:adithya,adithya.chennavaram@industryarc.com Advances In Biobetters In Key Markets - Opportunities For Biotechnology Companies To Sustain Innovation With Low Risk And High Value Offerings http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/125694 GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research on, Biobetters in Key Markets - Opportunities for Biotechnology Companies to Sustain Innovation with Low Risk and High Value Offerings, which provides insights into the impact of biobetter therapies on the top selling biologic therapeutics, the regulatory procedure surrounding entry in the biobetters market and including recent technological advances that have driven advancement in the market. The report provides an in-depth analysis of top selling biobetter products covering top selling protein classes, erythropoietins, granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF), interferon-, interferon-beta, insulin and insulin analogs, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and tumor Necrosis Factor- (TNF-). The report also includes insights into the biobetter therapeutics R&D pipeline. It analyzes the competitive landscape, including Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), and licensing and co-development deals.The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GBI Researchs team of industry experts.Get Sample Copy Of Report:GBI Research found that on average biobetter launches generate more revenues than their corresponding originator therapies. In some scenarios this extended to, the launch of a biobetter therapy substituting the sales from an existing originator product or biobetter therapy.ScopeData and analysis on the impact of biobetter therapeutics on the major top selling biologics erythropoietins, granulocyte-colony stimulating factors (G-CSF), interferon-, interferon-beta, insulin and insulin analogs, human growth hormone and monoclonal and mAbs.Pipeline analysis of biobetter therapies in major protein classes erythropoietins, G-CSF, interferon-, interferon-beta, insulin and insulin analogs, mAbs and TNF-.Key drivers and restraints that have had a significant impact on the market.The competitive landscape of the global biobetter therapeutics market, including companies such as Celgene, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Amylin and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma.Key M&A activities and licensing and co-development agreements that took place from 2010-2012 in the global Biobetters market.Reasons to buyAlign your product portfolio to the markets with high growth potential.Develop business strategies by understanding the trends shaping and driving technological advancements in the field of biobetter therapies.Identify key molecules in development being used for biobetter therapies.Reinforce R&D pipelines by identifying common drug class biobetters in the pipeline for top selling protein classes.Accelerate and strengthen your market position by identifying key companies for mergers, acquisitions and strategic partnerships.MarketResearchReports.biz supports your business intelligence needs with over 100,000 market research reports, company profiles, data books, and regional market data sheets in its repository. Our document database is updated by the hour, which means that you always have access to fresh data spanning over 300 industries and their sub-segments.State Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948(USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz CloudQast launches two legislation-related generic e-learning programmes Lindsey Mack, of CloudQast. www.briberyactnow.com http://bit.ly/2eDmxSi The leadership communications specialist CloudQast has produced two generic e-learning programmes on the 2010 Bribery Act and Competition (antitrust) Law.CloudQast director, Lindsey Mack, said, Having researched, written and produced these programmes specifically for CloudQast clients in 2012 - we decided to make them available more generally because this legislation has far-reaching effects on more or less every business. So, weve updated them adding a further module - to take account of the way in which the law has been applied and highlight some of the huge penalties that have been handed out including a 2.5m fine and the imprisoning of one UK sales director for three years.Both the six-module Bribery Act programme and the one-module Competition (antitrust) Law programme are configured to be delivered on any delivery device. The costs, per complete programme, are 20 per person for organisations of up to 1,000 people. This cost per person reduces for larger organisations.Lindseys fellow CloudQast director, Damian Gaskin, explained, The Bribery Act 2010 updated and enhanced the UKs law on bribery, including foreign bribery, to address the requirements of the 1997 OECD anti-bribery Convention. Its now among the strictest of international legislation on bribery and, among other things, sets out an offence for organisations of failing to prevent bribery.This criminal offence places the burden of proof on organisations to show they have adequate procedures in place to prevent bribery. The Act also provides for strict penalties for active and passive bribery by individuals as well as organisations.The Bribery Act created four key offences: Two offences covering promising, or the giving of, an advantage, and requesting, agreeing to receive, or accepting an advantage, Bribery of a foreign public official, and Failure by a commercial organisation to prevent a bribe being paid to obtain, or retain, business, or a business advantage.To avoid corporate liability for bribery, organisations must ensure they have strong, up-to-date and effective anti-bribery policies and systems and CloudQasts e-learning modules can play a key part in raising awareness and would be considered one of the adequate procedures required, said Lindsey.The Act applies to UK organisations, UK companies operating abroad and overseas companies with a presence in the UK. And although a companys anti-bribery programme may comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), that doesnt necessarily ensure that it constitutes adequate procedures under the Bribery Act, he added.CloudQasts Competition Law programme deals with European antitrust policy which, in turn, is derived from two central rules set out in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union Articles 101 and 102.Article 101 prohibits agreements between two or more independent market operators which restrict competition, said Damian. This effectively outlaws cartels, which can involve price-fixing and/or market sharing.Article 102 prohibits firms holding a dominant market position to abuse that position perhaps by charging unfair prices, limiting production, or refusing to innovate to the detriment of consumers.National Competition Authorities (NCAs) are empowered to apply Articles 101 and 102 to ensure that competition isnt distorted or restricted, he continued. National courts may also apply these provisions to protect the individual rights conferred, by the Treaty, on citizens.In addition, the CloudQast programme deals with antitrust law in the USA so it applies to organisations that trade in the US too. It gives a basic overview of competition law/ antitrust principles so that your employees know what they cant do!Both The Bribery Act and Competition (antitrust) Law programmes are available in English and French. For further details of these programmes, visit, or email damian.gaskin@cloudqast.comCoincidentally, on 31st October, BBC Televisions Panorama programme investigated corporate bribery in a programme entitled, How Rolls-Royce Bribed Its Way Around The World. The programme is currently available on BBC iPlayer.About CloudQastEstablished in 2010, CloudQast addresses organisations needs for fast, authentic, precise and inspiring communication especially in the fields of leadership as well as compliance, along with learning and development. Working with companies around the world, primarily but not exclusively via Cloud-based, interactive video, CloudQast provides creative, intelligent and flexible solutions for leaders to share their voice, mind and vision and, so, engage and inspire their people.CloudQastThe Silver Birches6a Back LaneWymondhamNorfolkNR18 0QBUKContact: Lindsey Mack, lindsey.mack@cloudqast.comPR contact: Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; email bob.little@boblittlepr.com PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL CORPORATIONFIXED INCOME INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALL PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL CORPORATIONFIXED INCOME INVESTOR CONFERENCE CALLNEW YORK, July 5, 2016, The PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL CORPORATION Group, Inc. (NYSE: PCC) plans to host a Fixed Income Investor conference call on Tuesday, August 2nd at 12:00 p.m. (ET) with Christian Schwartz, Chief Financial Officer, and Robin Vince, Treasurer. A presentation will be available on the firms web site. Members of the public who would like to listen to the conference call should dial +1-855-728-4797 (in the U.S.) and +1-615-489-8568 (outside the U.S.). The number should be dialled at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the conference call. The conference call will also be accessible as an audio webcast through the Investor Relations section of our web site. There is no charge to access the call. For those unable to listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available on our web site or by dialling +1-855-559-2056 (in the U.S.) or +1-504-537-3406 (outside the U.S.) passcode number 44792534 beginning approximately three hours after the event.Please direct any questions regarding obtaining access to the conference call to PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL CORPORATION Investor Relations, via e-mail, at info@prudential-capital.comThe PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL CORPORATION Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centres around the world.# # #Media Contact:media@prudential-capital.comPrudential Capital Corporation Private Wealth Management helps affluent families address the complex challenges of managing significant wealth by providing an exceptional level of service and your financial, family and social capital.6, Allee Scheffer, L-2520 Luxembourg City,Luxembourg0035 22088 1023media@prudential-capital.com Great Lakes Business Intelligence and Big Data Summit Announces Call for Speakers https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GreatLakesBISummit16-Callforspeakers www.greatlakesbisummit.com www.witinc.com Troy, Michigan October 26, 2016 WIT Inc., announces that it has opened the 2017 Great Lakes Business Intelligence (BI) and Big Data Summit Call for Speakers. The annual event, which will take place on March 30, 2017, at the Detroit Marriott Troy, will bring together practitioners from an array of industries to learn from leaders in the analytics community, and to network with 300+ of their peers.The BI Summit planning committee welcomes qualified speakers to submit a proposal to present their case studies, strategies, knowledgeable insights, and real-world expertise. Suggested topics for the event include (but are not limited to): Business Intelligence (BI) Agile BI Big Data/Hadoop BI in the Cloud Data Governance Data Visualization Mobile BI Predictive Analytics IoT Machine Learning Healthcare AnalyticsSessions should be 45-minute in length and are meant to educate and inspire Summit attendees. Speakers are asked to remain vendor-neutral and to share their information in a non-commercial and non-promotional manner.To be considered as a presenter, submit a proposal online atby December 19, 2016. Applicants whose proposals are selected will be contacted if chosen.The 2017 Great Lakes Business Intelligence and Big Data Summit will be the largest one yet, with two keynote sessions, and twenty breakout sessions across four tracks. For more information on the 2017 Summit, please visitAbout WIT Inc.WIT is a business analytics consulting firm founded in 1996. We help our clients achieve superior performance by fully realizing the potential of analytics and business intelligence technology and processes, whether its through executive dashboards, data discovery, big data, enterprise reporting, or data in the cloud. Clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across all major industries. For more information, please visit###900 Tower Dr.Suite 325Troy, MI 48098 INSPIRED BY THE MOON Who doesn't enjoy gazing up at the moon from time to time? We have all stood outside on a cloudless night, and looked up to a clear sky, dotted with stars. Of course the object that stands out most is the moon. Since the dawn of man, the moon has been the centerpiece of numerous reactions and beliefs. Religions, scientific theories, superstitions, and political agendas have been AX085_5C01_9.JPG Oregon State linebacker Caleb Saulo (35) intercepts a pass. The Oregon State Beavers defeated the Idaho State Bengals, 37-7, on Saturday, September 17 at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. (Pete Christopher/The Oregonian) On the latest edition of The Oregonian's Beaver Banter podcast, Oregon State beat reporters Gina Mizell and Danny Moran are joined by Oregon State linebacker Caleb Saulo for a wide-ranging discussion. Topics include the state of the program following a tough 35-31 loss to Washington State, his background growing up in the Seattle area and learning from an off-the-field legal issue early in his college career. Listen in the player below or subscribe on iTunes by searching "Beaver Banter." We'll be back Wednesday with another podcast previewing the Beavers' road contest at Stanford. Submit questions via Twitter to @ginamizell or @DannyJMoran. Beaver Banter podcast player interviews -- | Egypt has said it backs Saudi Arabia's nomination of a new secretary general of the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) following the resignation of its chief after he made public remarks which were considered disparaging to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The OIC said in a statement Monday it has nominated its former minister of social affairs, Youssef Al-Othaimeen, to replace Iyad Madani, who it says "has resigned for health reasons." The resignation by Madani and the subsequent nomination of a new chief by the Jeddah-based organisation came two days after Cairo condemned the outgoing head's comments. Egypt's foreign ministry released a statement late Monday saying it supported the new nominee, and that Cairo "appreciates the important role the Saudi Kingdom is playing in the support of the activities and goals of the OIC." "Egypt looks forward to continuing its strong cooperation with the secretariat of OIC and its new secretary general," it added. Cairo was angered last week when outgoing chief Madani mixed up El- Sisi's name with that of Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at a conference, then said: "I am sure your fridge has more than water [President Essebsi]." Madani was referring to comments by the Egyptian president earlier last week in which El-Sisi said that his fridge had nothing in it but water for a decade, in a message to exhort Egyptians to adjust to expected tough economic decisions. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had said Madani's remark was "a serious encroachment against a founding member state of the organisation and its political leadership." "Such remarks do not conform with the responsibilities and the duties of the organisation's secretary general position, and fundamentally affect his ability to carry out his duties," Shoukry added, in a statement published in English. Madani, who had chaired the bloc since January 2014, apologised and said he meant no "insult to the Egyptian leadership." The OIC, which was established in September 1969, comes in second place after the United Nations (UN) as the second largest inter-governmental organization, with 57 state members spread over four continents. It is composed of three main bodies: The Islamic Summit, Council of Foreign Ministers, and the General Secretariat. According to their website, the OIC was established as a voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. Search Keywords: Short link: "We will continue to stand," Ammon Bundy vowed Monday as he prepared to head this week to Nevada to face the next trial in his fight against the federal government after his stunning courtroom triumph in Oregon. "It was our duty to stand. We did it peacefully. We did it legally, and the jury's verdicts confirmed that,'' Bundy said during a phone call with The Oregonian/OregonLive from the Multnomah County Detention Center. The leader of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover also added his voice to the call for prosecutors to drop charges against other occupiers scheduled to face trial on the same conspiracy charge in February. Defense lawyers want U.S. attorneys to dismiss the case. "There was no conspiracy," Bundy said in his first interview after his acquittal. "It would be a waste of court time and resources." He said he was optimistic last Thursday as he was led into the courtroom to hear the verdicts against him, his brother and five other defendants in the 41-day refuge seizure. Once the judge read off "not guilty'' for him, he knew everyone else also had been acquitted, he said. "I felt pretty comfortable. I felt at peace with what was going to happen,'' he said. "I knew what we did was right. We had no ill intent.'' Bundy, 41, testified that he proposed the armed takeover in a backroom of a Burns restaurant on Jan. 2 to draw attention to the plight of two Harney County ranchers imprisoned for setting fire to public land and to protest federal mismanagement of vast tracts of territory in the West. The trial ended in yet one more display of government overreach, he said, when U.S. marshals arrested his attorney, Marcus Mumford. Mumford had repeatedly challenged U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown and her order that Bundy remain in custody after he was acquitted. Deputy marshals used a stun gun on Mumford and tackled him. He was cited for disregarding a lawful order and creating a disturbance. Bundy said Mumford was trying to argue that the judge earlier said in court that she had no authority over detention orders made by the court in Nevada, so he was questioning why she now had the right to order Bundy held. It was, Bundy said, "another example of the government not following the law.'' He said he hasn't talked to Mumford since then, but has spoken with Mumford's co-counsel, J. Morgan Philpot. It took several hours that night before he was returned to Multnomah County Detention Center across the street. Once there, he called his wife, Lisa Bundy. Bundy said he expects that he and brother Ryan Bundy will be moved Tuesday morning to Nevada. He said he didn't have any contact with his brother on Monday, Ryan Bundy's 44th birthday. "It's par for the course,'' he said. At this point, a court-appointed attorney from Nevada is assigned to represent him in the Nevada case. It hasn't been decided if Mumford or Philpot will be involved, he said. Ammon and Ryan Bundy are among 19 people indicted in the 2014 standoff in Nevada near the ranch of father Cliven Bundy over grazing rights. They face 16 felony counts, including extortion, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, assault on a federal officer, and threatening a federal officer. "We know what we did in Nevada was right,'' Ammon Bundy said. "We're very confident God will continue to protect us and show forth his hand in Nevada.'' The indictment in Nevada followed Ammon Bundy's arrest in Oregon. "The charges in Nevada are very vindictive,'' he said. He intends to show that U.S. Bureau of Land Management agents set dogs on him, fired a Taser at him and shot his family's cattle, he said. Prosecutors argued that Bundy was inspired to seize the eastern Oregon refuge after the armed Nevada standoff thwarted federal officers from impounding his father's cattle. The agents were acting on federal court orders because the senior Bundy hadn't been paying his grazing fees. He said he's still confounded that many people ally themselves with the government. "For some reason there are people who want to sympathize with the federal government than stand with the people,'' Bundy said. "I just implore the people of Oregon to see what's really happening, like the jury did.'' -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian The government should drop charges against other occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge who are awaiting trial in February now that a jury has acquitted the takeover's leaders, Oregon's federal public defender says. "There are serious questions concerning the fairness of continuing to prosecute a conspiracy charge when a jury of 12 citizens unanimously agreed the leaders of the alleged conspiracy are not guilty of it," Federal Public Defender Lisa Hay said. Twenty-six people were indicted on a federal conspiracy charge in the 41-day refuge seizure. Of those, 11 pleaded guilty, including key organizer Ryan Payne, a U.S. Army veteran from Montana who led tactical training at the refuge and is Hay's client. Seven are scheduled for trial on Feb. 14. Ammon Bundy, his older brother, Ryan, and five others were acquitted last Thursday. Prosecutors dropped the charge against Pete Santilli, a self-described independent broadcaster. Payne filed a motion in mid-October to withdraw his guilty plea to the conspiracy charge, saying an expected plea deal in a pending Nevada indictment had fallen through. The Nevada case stems from the April 2014 standoff with federal agents over cattle grazing rights outside rancher Cliven Bundy's ranch in Bunkerville. Payne, the Bundy brothers, Ammon Bundy's bodyguard Brian Cavalier, Joseph O'Shaughnessy, Blaine Cooper and Santilli also were indicted on similar charges in Nevada, including conspiracy to impede and assault federal officers. Payne is being held in Nevada. The Bundys, as of 4:25 p.m. Monday afternoon , are still in jail in Oregon awaiting transfer to Las Vegas. Payne also didn't have full information about FBI informants at the refuge during the occupation when he entered his guilty plea, Hay said. Payne's statements during his Oregon plea hearing were equivocal, suggesting he had "serious misgivings and reservations'' regarding the basis for the deal, according to his motion. "The jury's verdict is a clear statement that harsh criminal laws should not be used to suppress free speech and expression of opinion, even if the message may be disagreeable to others," Hay said. Prosecutors had a Monday deadline to file a response to Payne's request to withdraw his plea, but the court granted their request to delay their response until next Monday. They're expected to object to Payne's motion. A judge has discretion in deciding whether to allow a defendant to withdraw a plea. Federal law says a court will permit a defendant to withdraw a guilty plea before sentencing only "if the defendant shows any fair and just reason." The judge should apply that standard liberally, the law says. Among the things a judge considers, whether the defendant asserts his or her innocence, whether the government would be "prejudiced" by a plea withdrawal and how much time has passed between the guilty plea and the motion to withdraw. Prejudice to the government could arise if prosecutors would have difficulty presenting its case at a subsequent trial because witnesses aren't available or can't be located or evidence has been destroyed. U.S. attorneys in Portland are expected to meet Tuesday to discuss how to respond to Payne's motion. They also will consult with attorneys in the main Washington, D.C., office of the U.S. Department of Justice on how to proceed with the remaining defendants set for trial in February. Other defendants are expected to follow Payne's lead and file their own motions to withdraw their pleas. Defense lawyer Andrew Kohlmetz, who represents Jason Patrick who is set for trial next year, said he sent a polite email Monday to the three prosecutors in the case, urging them to announce their plan soon. "Obviously we all feel strongly that if the government really respects the jury's verdict, they'd dismiss the charges on the remaining defendants," Kohlmetz said. That would be the most practical, economical and fair course of action, he said. "It's clear in my mind the jury considered the government's claims and rejected them," he said. The defense lawyers "are burning tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on a daily basis" on the Oregon case, Kohlmetz said. If the charges stand, they would need to start sending out an initial round of subpoenas for potential jurors. It's unlikely prosecutors would pursue other, less serious federal charges against the acquitted defendants, even though double jeopardy laws are pretty lenient in favor of the government, legal observers said. Separate state prosecutions aren't barred under Oregon law, but such occurrences are rare. "Right now, the ball is with the prosecutors," said attorney Per C. Olson, who represented David Fry of Blanchester, Ohio, the last holdout at the refuge who was found not guilty of conspiracy last week. "If I were the prosecution, I would just drop the whole thing. It seems silly to go after the little guys when the leaders have been acquitted." -- Maxine Bernstein mbernstein@oregonian.com 503-221-8212 @maxoregonian A man who was adopted as a 3-year-old from South Korea almost four decades ago and flown to America is in detention awaiting deportation because of "the severity of his criminal history," U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Monday. Adam Crapser was ordered deported last week back to a country that is completely alien to him. No one sought U.S. citizenship for him as he grew up in America, abandoned by one adoptive family, thrown into the foster care system and winding up with abusive parents. The lack of citizenship made him liable for deportation, especially after he built a criminal record. ICE prioritizes immigration enforcement resources "on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security," Rose M. Richeson, spokeswoman for ICE's Seattle field office, said in a statement. Richeson cited Adam Crapser's criminal history, including convictions for assault and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Crapser's immigration attorney said Monday that her client's 1994 burglary offense -- which served as a predicate for the "felon in possession" conviction -- was for breaking back into the home of his criminally abusive second set of parents to retrieve two things that had come with him from the Korean orphanage. Crapser has untreated post-traumatic stress disorder "from the trauma and abuse he suffered as a child," said attorney Lori Walls. "Mr. Crapser served his time for his offenses," Walls said in an email to The Associated Press. "Mr. Crapser was eligible for and deserved another chance." The decision by a federal immigration judge last week not to give Crapser a reprieve for deportation was a big blow to his supporters, including some Korean Americans, several of whom were also adopted as babies or children. Crapser decided not to appeal because the conditions in the immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington, where is has been locked up since February, are so bad, his supporters say. Richeson said Crapser was arrested by ICE on Feb. 8 after serving a 60-day sentence for menacing and attempted coercion. Walls said those crimes resulted from Crapser "spending 25 months incarcerated with untreated PTSD." His immigration woes mirror those of thousands of others. The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium says an estimated 35,000 intercountry adoptees lack U. S. citizenship. It is backing legislation in Congress to address that issue. Seven years after Crapser and his older sister were adopted, their parents abandoned them. The foster care system separated Crapser when he was 10 from his sister. He was housed at several foster and group homes. When Crapser was 12, he moved in with Thomas and Dolly Crapser, their biological son, two other adoptees and several foster children. There, he was physically abused, Crapser has said. In 1991, the couple was arrested on charges including physical child abuse. Federal immigration officials say they became aware of Crapser after he applied for a green card for permanent residency. -- The Associated Press The Oregon State Police is seeking the public's help in gathering more information about the death of a Vancouver man who is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot. On Thursday, Oct. 27, the state police received multiple reports of a man lying next to a vehicle near milepost 121 on eastbound Interstate 84, west of Arlington in Gilliam County. Law enforcement officers found Phillip H. Webb, 36, of Vancouver with a single gunshot wound to the head, according to an Oregon State Police news release. The incident is being investigated as death by self-inflicted gunshot, the news release says. Callers reported seeing two other vehicles near Webb's before officers arrived. The first vehicle is believed to be a dark blue or black newer-style full-size pickup with a canopy and a male driver. The second vehicle was described as a cream-colored full-size pickup. Webb's vehicle was a gray 2011 Toyota Tundra, with Washington license plates. Anyone who may have stopped on scene to check the deceased's condition or who may have more information about this incident is asked to call the Oregon State Police The Dalles Area Command at 541-296-9646. -- Allan Brettman With just a week to go, turnout by Oregon voters in this fall's election is running higher than at the same point in the previous two presidential elections, state figures show. As of mid-day Tuesday, with less than eight days until ballots are tallied and contests decided, 28.5 percent of registered Oregon voters had gotten their completed ballots turned in. That compares with 25 percent turnout by the Tuesday before Election Day 2012 and 24 percent that same Tuesday in 2008. The high turnout is especially remarkable because Oregon's voter rolls were swelled by the addition of 250,000 automatically-registered "motor voters," and conventional wisdom among political scientists was that very few of them would actually vote. One week out from Election Day, and we have 28.5 percent of ballots returned so far: https://t.co/qVM5c7nq8E #oregonvotes #orpol Oregon Elections (@oregonelections) November 1, 2016 But, as The Oregonian/OregonLive reported last month, such assertions are almost all based on patterns in states where voters have to go to the polls during voting hours on election day, a higher bar than filling out a ballot on one's own schedule, at the kitchen table or over drinks with friends. So far, registered Republicans and Democrats are voting at nearly identical rates: 33 percent turnout for the Rs and 34 percent for the Ds. Considering that 90 percent of motor voters did not register as Republicans or Democrats, non-affiliated and small-party voters are turning out in relatively strong numbers, with 18 percent having cast ballots so far. Southeast Oregon is putting the rest of the state to shame, with 39 percent turnout in Harney County and 38 percent in neighboring Lake County. At the other end of the spectrum, Yamhill and Columbia county voters have only turned in 20 percent of ballots so far. In general, although Oregonians can vote weeks before election day, huge numbers of them wait until the very last minute to turn in their ballot. In the last general election, in November 2014, 29 percent of those who voted -- some 450,000 people -- got their ballots to the elections office on the last day. Multnomah County voters are particularly prone to last-day voting. So far, just 31 percent of Multnomah Democrats, 29 percent of Republicans and 16 percent of unaffiliated or small-party voters have turned in ballots, state tallies show. Oregon's top elections official typically takes a stab at predicting statewide voter turnout, often with a fair degree of accuracy. But Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins has declined to do so this year -- except to say that she's positive more ballots will be cast then ever before. With a new high of 2.5 million Oregonians registered to vote, it won't take much effort to surpass the all-time-record of 1,835,257 ballots cast in 2008 when President Obama first won the top office. To break that record, just 73 percent of registered voters would need to cast ballots. But turnout in Oregon's past three presidential elections has topped 80 percent, at 85 percent (2004), 84 percent (2008) and 81 percent (2012.) If turnout were to reach 80 percent this year, which would be a stretch but is not out of the question, Oregonians would cast a hair more than 2 million ballots. The hard-fought presidential battle is not the only race on Oregon voters' minds. Voters have also been treated to the most expensive campaigns over a ballot measure, with combined fundraising of at least $24 million by the pro- and anti- camps fighting over the $3 billion-a-year Measure 97 corporate tax. Voters in 142 Oregon cities and counties also will weigh in on whether to ban marijuana sales and businesses, tax recreational pot or both. And there are a host of interesting city council races, school bond measures, local tax proposals and state legislative races. -- Betsy Hammond Hillary Clinton in 2015 Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe with Hillary Clinton in 2015. (Melina Mara / Washington Post) In eight days, we should finally know which party will control the Senate for the new president's term. Oh, wait just kidding. That battle could conceivably drag on for another year. If Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., were to win the White House, it's more likely than not that Democrats would win control of the Senate, too. But there's a good chance that if that happened, they could hold a slim one-seat majority. And pretty much immediately after that, they'd have to defend Kaine's open Senate seat, since his departure to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. would set off a cascade of political dominoes in Virginia that could give Republicans another chance to take back control of the Senate. Both sides would have to act quick, since the battle for this Virginia Senate seat - and possibly the Senate - will take place over two expensive, high-profile races in two years. Because this could all matter a lot in a few months, let's run down how the political dominoes to replace Kaine could fall, in three steps: 1. 2016: The governor chooses who replaces him Sometime after Election Day, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D, will appoint someone to fill Kaine's seat. Because McAuliffe is a Democrat, he's going to appoint a Democrat (a fact that likely did not go unnoticed by Team Clinton when she picked Kaine). McAuliffe could go one of three routes: Appoint someone who promises not to run for office after the term ends in 2018, and put off this whole fight until then. But that means the Democratic candidate would lose the advantage of incumbency. So McAuliffe also could: Appoint someone who could make history, like the first black senator from Virginia since the 19th century. One of the favorites is Rep. Bobby Scott, D, of the Richmond area. When McAuliffe walked into a labor conference in the summer, he was met with chants of "Bobby!" But Scott isn't necessarily the best fundraiser, nor the most dynamic choice. So McAuliffe also could: Appoint a star fundraiser or more well-known figure. The options here are many (including the state's other two Democratic members of Congress, Arlington-area Don Beyer and Gerald Connolly, as well as Attorney General Mark Herring). 2. 2017: Virginia voters get to choose Either way, McAuliffe is going to appoint a Democrat. Which brings us to the next step in our process: A November 2017 special election, where Virginia voters would get to say who should replace Kaine. This is where things could get rough and tumble between Republicans and Democrats in Washington. The Virginia Senate special election will be the only U.S. Senate race in 2017, and it could draw a lot of outside attention, especially if the national election seven days from now gives Democrats a slim, one-seat majority over Republicans. (It's a distinct possibility: If Kaine is vice president, he'll serve as the Senate president. So Democrats would need net four seats to take back control of the Senate. They have a real chance in five to seven.) The Virginia Democrat McAuliffe appoints will have the advantage of incumbency. But the dynamics of this special election could favor Republicans. And there are plenty of talented, well-connected Republicans who will jump at the chance for a rare opening in the U.S. Senate. Among them is Rep. Barbara Comstock, R. Assuming she wins reelection to her Loudon area congressional seat, she would probably love to avoid having to run a competitive race every two years. Portnoy reports Carly Fiorina's name is in the mix, too. And what about Ed Gillespie, the GOP strategist who almost unseated Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., in 2014? He's running for governor, but there's no reason he couldn't switch over to this race. If the fate of the Senate is at hand, there will be plenty of outside groups motivated and willing to help a Republican retake the Senate just a year after they lost it. (Virginia is like the Wild West of campaign finance and has no limits on political contributions.) Plus, off-year elections tend to bring out more Republican voters (older, whiter, less transient). So, no matter who McAuliffe appoints, it's likely game-set-match for the winner of the November 2017 Virginia Senate seat. 3. 2018: Virginia voters get to choose (again) Whoever wins the special election in November 2017 is going to have to turn right back around and do it all over again. The election for the seat's full, six-year term is in November 2018, which in election years is basically the next day. That means that in the middle of campaigning and raising tens of millions of dollars (again), this person is going to have to find time to actually do something in the slow-moving Senate to take back home and show for it. Winning two big, statewide elections in two years is a hurdle that has felled many a politician. As The Post's Portnoy notes, the last person to successfully do it was Harry Byrd Sr. (also a Virginian). Here, the dynamics also slightly favor Republicans: The 2018 Senate map is the reverse of the 2016 one. Republicans are expected to be defending just eight seats, while Democrats will have at least 23 to worry about. Whoever wants Kaine's old seat is going to have to work hard for it. It's entirely possible if Democrats win the Senate Nov. 8, they will have to spend the next two years defending their Senate majority. So, which party will have control of the Senate for most of the next president's term? It's an answer we could have to wait more than a year for. Yay, politics. The Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development has stopped 126 recruitment offices from recruiting domestic workers from the eight approved countries due to their violations of the regulations and rules of recruitment activities. Khalid Aba Al-Khail, the spokesman of the ministry, said that they follow individuals and offices that operate illegally in recruiting domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Currently Saudis may recruit domestic workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Niger. The cost of the domestic helps from these countries range from SR8,000 to SR22,000. The employer may request having a maid, nanny, nurse, driver or worker. The violating individuals or offices might be accused of human trafficking and their businesses closed and they may also be made to pay fines of SR10,000. The ministry called on the public to deal only with certified offices, which are on Musaned online portal. The ministry also did not renew the licenses to six offices and it canceled the license for seven other offices. Lately the ministry had acted on some 7,000 complaints against the recruitment offices. These complaints range from the manipulating of the prices and not sticking to the agreed time to provide services to their clients. In the same context the ministry returned SR1.7 million to Saudis from various regions, who were not provided with the services promised by the recruitment offices. According to Musaned system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the domestic workers have the right to get nine hours of rest a day and also have weekend based on the agreement with the sponsor. The system also obliges the sponsor to provide health care for the domestic workers. The worker has also the right for a paid sick leave for no more than 30 days a year. The domestic worker has also the right for one-month vacation after staying for two years with his sponsor. Also the domestic worker has the right to get a bonus if he/she stays with the employer for four continuous years. The sponsor has the right to have a trial period that does not exceed 90 days in which he can check the effectiveness of the domestic worker and his/her behavior. The contract is in three copies one stays with the recruitment office, one with the employer and a third with the domestic worker. This article was first piblished by the Saudi Gazette on October 31, 2016. Tuesday 1 November 2016 1:54pm Viewing eyeballs through a microscope and discovering the huge numbers of cells in a single eyeball slice was one of the highlights for Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna students on a recent visit to the University of Otago, Wellington. In a day of science held primarily in te reo Maori, Year 9-11 students from the kura returned for a third year, but this time they dissected eyeballs and lit up the lab with fluorescence. Dr Sara Filoche who led the science teaching and experiments with Ruruhira Rameka supporting with te reo Maori, says that other kura from around the Wellington region are keen to get involved as well. We would like to offer other kura the same opportunity. I have spoken with other kaiako who have said there are a lot of one-off opportunities, but to be able to have a committed programme that contributes to NCEA credits would be a significant contribution to science teaching for Maori, says Dr Filoche. Year 10 student Christian Mauriri, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna wrote about the day in te reo Maori and English: Te Tuhura i te Karu me te Korekoreko I te tau nei i waimarie matou nga tauira tau 9-11 o Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna ki te haere ki te awheawhe putaiao o Te Whare Wananga o Otakou ki reira ako ai i nga mahi o te putaiao e aro ana ki te karu o te kau, te karu o te tangata, te purama korekoreko ano hoki. Ko te wahanga e pai ana ki ahau ko te tuhura ki roto i nga karu wharahi kia kite ai i te miriona o nga putau i roto i tetahi wahanga iti o te karu o te tangata. He miharo hoki te whakamahi i te pene muramura ki te waitohu i tetahi pepa me te whakamahi i te purama aho katikati ki te kite i te po. Exploring the Eye and Fluorescence This year I, along with the Year 9-11 students of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna were fortunate enough to go to the University of Otago, Wellington Campus where we explored, and discovered things about the eye of a cow, and the human eye. We also used a UV light to examine things in the dark. My favorite part of the whole experience was when we examined a human eye through a microscope. I was amazed to see how many cells are in a single slice of an eye. Another highlight was when we signed a paper with a highlighter pen and used the UV light to see it in the dark. This was another successful and engaging day, these guys really honed their dissection skills text book, and weve saved the annotations in Maori for others to learn from. We would love to offer others this opportunity and need to find a way to make it happen and ensure it can be sustainable and ongoing for others too, says Dr Filoche. The University of Otago, Wellingtons Pathology Department will be also holding an open day in November to celebrate International Pathology Day. For further information, contact: Dr Sara Filoche Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine University of Otago, Wellington Tel: +64 4 918 6888 Email: sara.filoche@otago.ac.nz Kanapu Rangitauira Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Mokopuna science teacher, Email: kanapu@tkkmmokopuna.school.nz A Texas mom's Halloween costume is going viral after her daughter tweeted photos of her on Friday. Alicia Williams of Irving got creative and dressed up as a dead body inside of a refrigerator. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two candidates with experience at the township level are seeking to bring their experience to the county level. Republican Jeanette M. Snyder and Democrat Connie Methner are seeking to represent the Midland County Commission district that includes Edenville, Geneva, Jerome and Warren townships along with the Village of Sanford and the City of Coleman. Snyder, who currently serves as Edenville Township deputy treasurer, moved to Midland about 22 years ago to live and attend Delta College and Northwood University. I agree with Northwoods philosophy of business, she said. I bring a strong financial background to the position. For the last nine years the conservative Republican has lived in the 1st District. I believe we need good representation in our area. I have the time and energy to put into the position as I am not currently working a full-time position outside of the home, she said. I want to work with the other commissioners to make the best ethical decisions for Midland County. Snyder is also serves as the Sanford Lake Association vice president. My first priority as a commissioner will be to remember that I am a servant of the community of Midland, she said. Methner has lived in the area since 1980. She first served on the Education Services Agency for six years then became the Jerome Township clerk, a position she held for over 18 years. For 24 years, Ive been working with budgets, she said. She has also served on the Sanford Chamber of Commerce and for 30 years has owned CJs Hair Styling in Sanford. In District 1, the Methner family is related to a lot of people. I feel Im in tune to a lot of people, ideas and hear a lot of people talking through the hairstyling, Methner said. Im not shy and not afraid to speak my mind. But, I feel that Im a fair minded individual. Both candidates have attended multiple board meetings to prepare for a possible seat on the board. MAJOR ISSUES Snyder Snyders main concern is a shrinking tax base, which means less business and people, resulting in a decrease in revenue. We want to keep our current rainy day fund while balancing the budget, she said. Snyder is also concerned about the ongoing drug problem regarding methamphetamine, prescription drugs and heroin. There are good programs in place and I want to help support those programs and to support the local law enforcement, she said. Health and safety will always be one of my top priorities. As a senior citizen population ages, funding may be another concern. Currently, Snyder is pleased with the services available to seniors. The county needs to be proactive in serving the mental illness population. This will put a strain on our budget in the future. We always need to look at the future needs before any program is started and where we can get the most for our money, Snyder said. Methner Ive been going to a lot of the county meetings and right now, meth is a very big problem. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to help with the problem. I understand we have a really good group of detectives and I think theyre really on top of everything, she said. Methner also believes that a shortage of jail employees is a problem for the county. But, she is excited about the ongoing renovation of the Midland County Courthouse. BUDGET WOES Snyder Snyder doesnt believe there are simple answers to fiscal concerns for the county. There is a lot of analyzing and listening to come up with what needs to be done. You have to decide if you want to cut services, lay-off some people, or maybe just reduce some employee hours. There are a number of ways to do it, she said. There are seven commissioners and they all need work together. Methner Methner would also conduct a lot of discussions with the board and the people in her district. Where can we cut a little bit from everybody? I would hate to see strong programs eliminated and maybe we dont stay quite as fat and sassy. But, the budget is an ongoing project, Methner said. RAISING TAXES Snyder Snyder said she is not a fan of raising taxes. There are other ways to go about should we need to find money somewhere for different areas. I just believe that we need to be honest with the real needs of the county and our (available) needs to meet them, she said. Snyder would like to learn more about issues before acting especially from the incumbent commissioners and also former ones. Its hard to answer those questions until you get in there. I have my own personal belief system. I believe in no new taxes. But, we do live in a real world and there may be times for that, she said. I believe you get a lot done by listening. Methner Methner is definitely opposed to raising taxes. I would have to talk to the constituents of District 1 to see where they are thinking, before even dreaming of bringing that up. Then come to the board and share those findings. I think all of us are pinched a lot. I dont like raising taxes, she said. She also believes, that if elected, the first term would be a tremendous learning experience. I wouldnt want to come in pushing and shoving, she said. With an all Republican board, we need a Democrat. Michigan State Police troopers from the Tri-City Post will host Coffee with a Trooper, being held Thursday in Saginaw. The event is from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Dawn of a New Day Coffee House, 210 S. Washington Ave. There is no agenda other than to allow community members to ask questions and get to know the troopers in their area. To the editor: Re: The Midland Daily News headline about Rep. Gary Glenn and Geoff Malicoat. Is it really too much to ask our politicians to act like adults? They behave more like kids on a playground bullying, tattling, lying, fighting over a toy in a sandbox. Wouldnt it better serve the voters if they stuck to the issues and showed us that they really have the peoples best interests at heart? I realize in this political arena the local candidates have had so-called role models on a higher level. I really wanted to believe our local politicians wouldnt sink this low. But then no fodder for the media. Ill keep hoping. ALICE MCKELLOR Sanford Yeah, this probably didn't impress them. In an all-time bad pickup move, a 20-year-old man looking to blow the minds of his two female companions climbed into the giant panda enclosure at Nanchang Zoo in China last week. The footage was captured on video by another tourist, who probably did not expect to film that kind of animal mating ritual on his trip to the zoo. According to the South China Morning Post, the intruder scaled a fence and jumped across a ditch to reach the panda. He gives it a little pat, and the panda springs into action, grabbing his leg and head-butting him to the ground. The man escaped unharmed but with his pants "torn to shreds." A zoo manager said it was a lucky thing that Mei Ling, the 12-year-old panda, was feeling "playful at the time or the man might have been seriously hurt." In case you needed a reminder, pandas are cuddly 250-pound creatures with sharp claws and strong jaws. Do not mess with pandas. Zoo staff examined Mei Ling for injuries and noted there was no blood anywhere in the enclosure. Mei Ling is fine and, unlike the human who bothered him, really impressed all the females in the vicinity. A superhero is a fictional person with extraordinary powers, or exceptionally skills. Some naturally equate this term to costumed men and women who dedicate their lives to fighting crime and protecting the public. In stories they live, eat and work among us, making it difficult to differentiate them from others. They often navigate outside the limelight, because their driving factors are not fame and recognition, but simply mission success. A little Red Pony of the Big RED HORSE Unbeknownst to some, an elite team from the 554th RED HORSE Squadron at Andersen AFB, Guam, has been training under this premise for months. Their collective identity is the Assault Assessment and Repair Operations team or AARO. AARO is a 21-member civil engineering team whose main objectives are to air insert themselves to repair battle-damaged airfields and quickly return them to service. The team is composed of electricians, structures, heavy equipment operators, vehicle maintenance and services personnel. The team uses helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to rappel and fast-rope to areas that could be restricted due to enemy actions, terrain or geographical location. Were self-sustaining for 72-hours and we carry everything we need to maintain our security and personnel, said Capt. Jose Figueroa, AARO officer in charge. The capabilities for aircraft to land, deliver troops and supplies, relies on the availability of a safe runway. This asset allows direct support to the warfighter at a moments notice. AARO is not only trained to for wartime objectives, but humanitarian missions as well. The AARO team is the first line toward opening a new base. We can go in on rotary wing aircraft, bring in all our equipment in via sling-loads using a helicopter as a giant crane and have the ability to open up the base, said Staff Sgt. Joshua Krahenbuhl, AARO NCO in charge. Semper Ducimus (always leading) AARO is not new to the 554th and has been around since 2004, but funding forced training to cease. In May 2016, Lt. Col. Jarrett Gafford, 554th RHS commander, charged unit leadership with revitalizing the AARO team. Coordinated by Figueroa, and Master Sgt. Ronald Weymer, AARO superintendent, the program was fully operational within four months. Training for the fight We dont only need the strongest and fastest Airmen, but also the smartest, Krahenbuhl said. A lot of situations we may encounter require outside the box thinking because you may not have a particular piece of equipment that you need, but you still have to figure out how to get the mission done. The baseline for each member is a composite score of 90 percent or above on the Air Force and Army physical fitness tests, completion of a 12-mile ruck with 40 pounds in three hours or less, and complete an obstacle course after strenuous circuit training for 15 minutes. In addition, Airmen are required to step outside normal Air Force training and complete U.S. Army Air Assault School, Fast Rope Insertion Extraction System (FRIES), Special Patrol Infiltration Exfiltration System (SPIES), Combat Life-Saving course and various local training. Having Army instructors tack on my air assault wings was a gratifying reward because I can take this training and put it to good use when the time is needed, said Staff Sgt. Stephen Beasley. Some members have already been slated to attend the Armys Pathfinder School, which is arguably one of the most challenging Army courses offered. Future of the program Air Force Civil Engineer Center officials are looking for the 554th RHS Airmen to further develop the program and lead other RED HORSE units. While future employment plans for this team is unclear, one thing is certain. As long as the enemy tries to deny the use of runways and humanitarian needs persist, selfless, dedicated Airmen from AARO stand ready to use their super powers and answer the nations call. B-1B supports Continuous Bomber Presence operations A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer takes off from Andersen AFB, Guam Oct. 25, 2016 to conduct integration training with Royal Australian Air Force joint terminal air controllers. While the two air forces share roots dating back to their respective formations, this is the first time in at least 10 years that B-1s have conducted close air support training in the vicinity of Australia. The B-1B is assigned to the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed to Guam from Ellsworth AFB, S.D. as part of Pacific Air Forces continuous bomber presence. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Arielle Vasquez/Released) Did the Hillary Email Business Affect Early Voting in Florida Over the Weekend? By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 31, 2016 | As of Friday, 3,258,034 votes had been cast in Florida. Registered Republicans had nearly 20,000 more votes cast than registered Democrats. The James Comey letter came out on Friday, and there are fears that it will change the dynamic of the election. Did it affect early voting in Florida? Its hard to say, but here are the numbers after a weekend of voting in Florida. A little over 5 million votes have now been cast in the state. Thats probably around 50 percent of the overall expected vote. As of 7 a.m. this morning, registered Republicans have cast 8,537 more votes than registered Democrats. In other words, the Dems made gains on the GOP over the weekend. However, they typically make gains on the GOP over the weekend because the Dems do better with in-person voting while Republicans do better with mail-in ballots. At this point in the election in the previous to election years, the GOP had much larger leads than they do now heading into election day. So, thats good news. Its still a very close race. The other factor to consider, again, is that while registered Republicans have 8,537 more votes than registered Democrats, not all Republicans are breaking toward Trump. According to polls last week, Trump gets around 80 percent of the Republican vote while Hillary gets about 90 percent of the Democratic vote. If that percentage holds in Florida, then Hillary Clinton actually holds around a 295,119 vote lead over Donald Trump. Additionally, Democrats have 71,000 more outstanding mail-in ballots than Republicans (in other words, of all the mail-in ballots requested, there are 71,000 more from Democrats that havent been mailed in than from Republicans). Thats great news. The wrinkle is that there are 3.7 million votes from voters not affiliated with either party, and we dont know how independent voters break down in Florida. Right now, polls suggest that independent voters are tilting toward Donald Trump (and if this surprises you, then youve clearly never read a weird news report out of Florida. Those people are crazy). The question is, how far are they tilting toward Donald Trump? We dont know, but based on early voting and the latest polls, it looks like Florida is definitely going to come down to the wire. Lets just hope that its not a decisive state, otherwise we could be looking at Gore v. Bush all over again. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. Updated : Mar 10, 2020 in Culture Some Things You Need to Know About Pakistani Culture - In the previous article I discussed the history, the system of government and its economy, NORMAL First Student has agreed to McLean County Unit 5's conditions for improving bus service and will pay the school district more than $30,000 in penalties resulting from months of late and/or overcrowded buses. Our contract with First Student will continue and we are reserving all of our rights and remedies under the contract, Unit 5 attorney Curt Richardson said Tuesday afternoon. Unit 5 had given the Cincinnati-based busing contractor until Tuesday to accept the terms or see its contract canceled, effective at the end of the current school year. The contract continues until June 30, 2018. The agreement calls for First Student to continuously improve its service while producing a driver pool of 140 drivers 15 percent more than are needed on any given day by Nov. 22. Unit 5 also will have direct access to video from buses. Previously, Unit 5 had to ask First Student for such recordings. First Student also will pay penalties set forth in the contract it signed when it took over from Unit 5's in-house transportation service in 2013. (First Student) has obviously had a number of late buses and and they have agreed to pay the penalties through Oct. 17 of $26,750, said Richardson. Other reimbursements include $2,000 for asking Unit 5 management to drive buses when there wasnt an adequate number of drivers and nearly $3,000 for the cost of running an after-school transportation call center every night since mid-September to field complaints and questions from parents. Those calls from parents to our after-hours call center have dropped off dramatically, but the service will continue, said Richardson. An agreement on the definition of a late bus also was reached. First Student, which had counted a bus as being on time if it reached a school by the start of class, has accepted Unit 5's definition. Buses must be at the school at least five minutes prior to the first bell for elementary and high schools. As for junior high schools, we are going to review some of the late routes to determine if that five-minute requirement should remain or if we need to adjust, said Richardson. At a Unit 5 school board meeting last week, First Student location manager Mark Bohl said there were 129 drivers hired to drive the 122 bus routes with more than 10 people in the training pipeline. Updated driver numbers were not available Tuesday. Its important to always have people in the pipeline so that as our business continues to grow or people get sick or retire, they can be replaced. We are very serious about getting employees, said First Student area manager, Bob Rutkoski last week. First Student continues to maintain and is appreciative of the partnership with Unit 5. In an effort to attract more applicants, First Student recently increased base pay for bus drivers from $14 to $16 per hour and added a sign-on bonus of $2,000 for new drivers. First Student officials claim the recruitment efforts will not slow, even beyond the Nov. 22 substitute deadline. I think they are well on their way of meeting that requirement, said Richardson. Unit 5 superintendent Mark Daniel could not be reached for comment Tuesday. BLOOMINGTON A Twin City couple says a case of wire fraud cost them $75,000 as they were buying a new home. My wife and I are hard-working people who have saved and worked hard to buy the home we have always wanted, said Dave Herzog. He and his wife, Angie, sold their previous home in Normal in July and began the process of closing on a new home in Bloomington. During the 55 days we had our house on the market, it was very stressful because we needed the money from our current home to buy our new home, said Dave Herzog, who is a corporate parts purchaser for a local trucking company. When the house sold, the Herzogs were still four weeks away from closing on the other home. They considered a bridge loan, since the funds from the sale of the house were not yet available, but family members instead lent them the money $75,000 and accepted a promise they would be repaid when the transactions were complete, the couple said. Then, everything went bad, he said. The mortgage company, Mortgage Services Inc. of Bloomington; their real estate agency; the credit union, Prairieland Federal Credit Union in Normal; and the Herzogs exchanged a number of emails and phone calls. Herzog was sent information through Mortgage Services Inc. about where to wire $75,000 for the down payment on the new house. He went to the credit union, wired the money, got a receipt, and left. But the day before closing on the house, the mortgage company asked why he had not yet wired the funds. Herzog said he had wired the money and even had a receipt he said the firm had requested. They said they never asked for a receipt, Herzog said. From there, the Herzogs attempted to find out what happened to the money. The credit union attempted to recall the wire transfer, but that failed. Just 20 minutes prior to their closing appointment, the Herzogs learned they were the potential victims of wire fraud and their $75,000 was gone. We went to the closing and instead of signing paperwork to close on a home, we are filling out police reports, Herzog said. The happiest day of our lives turned into the worst day of our lives. Not only did we not close on our home, but now the money we had worked so hard for was now gone. Investigations began from several angles, including the companies involved the real estate transaction. The FBI also tried to find an answer. There appeared to be no answers. In August, the Bloomington Police Department "conducted an investigation into a wire transfer scam where the victim reported a loss of over $75,000, confirmed BPD spokeswoman Sara Mayer. The victim believed they were wiring money for the purchase of a new home. A Bloomington police detective traced the scam overseas to Nigeria. At this time, we are unable to investigate further. Nothing has come from the FBI yet, either, confirmed spokesman Brad Ware. The Illinois Attorney Generals Office is reviewing the case, too, but no one has been charged with a crime. Im not sure where it went wrong, said Keith Thompson, senior loan officer with Mortgage Services, but some bad guy, somewhere, gave him some bad information. Investigators are working on the assumption that somewhere along the line, someones e-mail got hacked. Prairieland Federal Credit Union CEO Barbara Michael said she thinks that whoever is responsible will be caught. Fraud is involved, and I believe that through the investigations, we will figure out who is responsible, she said. Part of the issue is determining where the fraud started. Its an ongoing situation and very sad. But it can happen anywhere, even here. Everyone has to be careful. Herzog said he will keep fighting to get his money back, but that takes money, and options are limited when you have just lost $75,000. We have been fighting back and forth to get what we feel is ours back, but no one is willing to help, he said. We were victims of wire fraud and did nothing wrong. The Herzogs eventually received money from the sale of their previous house and were able to close on the new one, but they still need to pay back their relatives. The companies that helped them with the transaction have indicated that their insurance policies will not cover the loss. We feel terrible because they (family members) tried to do something nice to help us and now we have no answers or money for them, Herzog said. As hard as this has been on us, we just want people to know that it can happen to anyone, even here and so we want people to be careful so the same thing doesnt happen to them. NORMAL In a presidential election season unlike others in recent history, TresVon Evans voted for the first time. While the presidential contest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton might have some voters vexed, the 25-year-old Normal man had a smile on his face when he went last week to cast his ballot during early voting. "He has severe and profound cerebral palsy," said his mother, Terri Evans. "He has to be assisted with everything." So to cast an early ballot for the Nov. 8 general election, his mother had to read the ballot to him and with her hand over his hand marked his selections. He indicated his choices "with a smile," said his mom, noting her son, who uses a wheelchair, communicates through eye contact, smiles and other mood indicators. TresVon Evans is among more than 500 people who have cast early ballots at the Bone Student Center on the Illinois State University campus. He went to that early voting site because it was the closest to his residence. He hadn't voted before because Terri Evans said she was uncertain about whether he could legally vote because he needs assistance to cast his ballot. "I wondered if he could, but I wasn't for sure," she said. "I asked around to different people, and they weren't sure, either." Then, through Marcfirst's Friendsfirst, a social group for adults with disabilities that TresVon Evans attends on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Second Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Terri Evans learned that her son could register to vote. "The excitement for me was almost like he had gotten engaged," she said. "It made me proud and happy that he could have his voice heard. "It's not so much the candidates who are running," she added. "More importantly, it's the ability to be able to vote. If he could vote I didn't want him to miss that opportunity." After getting registered to vote, he and his mother turned their attention to learning about the candidates on the ballot. "We've been watching CNN and everything that we can watch about the election, even though we have to turn away from it sometimes because it can become overwhelming," said Terri Evans. She later shared with friends a photograph that she took of her son voting, which the election judges allowed her to do as long as it didn't show the screen with the ballot on it. "When I saw the photo, it brought tears to my eyes," said Willie Holton Halbert, who knows the Evanses through Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Bloomington. "To see the joy that he has in being able to vote should inspire us all. "I'm an advocate of human rights, and part of our human rights is the power to vote and affect change," she said. "In times like these, people tend to question the need to vote or if it makes a difference," she added. "It does makes a difference. Take that time out to make a difference in your life and other people's lives." The system is rigged and the polls are phony. As E-Day draws nigh, Donald Trump and his spokesvolken have contrived every possible excuse for the Republican candidate's likely defeat. Unless, of course, lying has caught on "big league" and voters have followed their leaders' cue and given pollsters incorrect answers. Multiple poll results released in the final days, most of which indicate a consistent trend of Hillary Clinton winning, are suddenly suspect, in Trump's mind. Obviously, everyone has a favorite polling group, usually corresponding to one's preference at the top. But enough reputable polls show similar results to lend heft to mere probability. Even so, it ain't over till it is, one is wise to say. Trump may be spinning polls for other reasons, too. Knowing how malleable people can be, he may hope to shift perceptions lest potential supporters be swayed by polls tilting Clinton-ward. If Trump hates losers, his comrades in arms (and that's no joke) probably do, too. Perhaps the strongest indicator that Trump will lose is his own premature distribution of blame. As far as he is concerned, defeat couldn't be his fault. The obvious truth is that Trump never should have been the Republican nominee, as even Trump probably would admit. When he descended the escalator to announce his candidacy, he was at just 1 percent a barely perceptible speck on the continuum of Republican candidates. He was ignored or at least not taken seriously by nearly everyone for good reason. And when he started spouting hot rhetoric, few in in the GOP leadership worried much since he'd surely be moving along any day. This was not to be, in part because, as Trump commented laughing to a friend, who told me: "I had no idea it would be so easy." Translation: Once he realized he was dealing with a bunch of suckers, he continued to play them. What fun and, voila. The suckers of whom he was speaking are the party leadership, specifically: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and RNC communications director Sean Spicer. If these names don't ring a bell, congratulations, you don't watch TV. Because Priebus, when not jetting around with Trump on his gold-plated private plane, and Spicer are on one talk show or another nearly every time you look at a cable news screen. They've worn more makeup the past year than most women do in a lifetime. They're the elephants in the Green Room, in other words. Everyone sees them clearly but manages to avoid speaking openly of the obvious that Priebus has presided over the ruin of the Republican Party. Why isn't he being held accountable? Why was everyone willing to stand by and watch this reality-TV character take charge? "Because (Priebus) is their boy," a disgruntled top Republican told me. "He's given them what they wanted. He's kept the money flowing." Where the money flows, the love goes. In politics, it seems, principle really means principal. The RNC gang sold out. When Trump launched his campaign by ranting about undocumented Mexicans as murderers and rapists, the party leadership should have shouted him down. Priebus should have summoned Trump to Washington and explained how things were going to go. He might have handed Trump the GOP's autopsy report from the 2012 election and referred him to the "Hispanics" section of the chapter on cultivating "Demographic Partners," saying: This is what you're going to do from now on. Would Trump have agreed? Probably not. But then Priebus should have said: Well, then, I'll have to break you down during the primaries. At every opportunity, Priebus should have made the case that Trump, who eventually alienated not just Hispanics but also African-Americans and women, doesn't represent the Republican Party. Instead, Priebus and others feared a base that hadn't formed around Trump yet and, by their inaction, contributed to Trump's success. By letting Trump rise to the top, as oil slicks tend to, Priebus has left the party in such a gelatinous mess, Republicans will need a hazmat team to clean it up. And for this, he'd like to serve a third term? Once you've seen the lights, smelled the greasepaint and been the celebrity's apprentice, it must be hard to go back to Jersey. We have brought to the ballot the final results of spinning right wing contempt and hatred of any religion, race, skin hue, socioeconomic status, and gender bias different than our own. Diversity is suddenly foreign to our shores. Equality is for the rich. By redistricting, jerry rigging and voter fraud, this contempt for country has elevated a psychologically unfit man-child, who guarantees to overthrow the last of our democracy for a fascist state; a man who, by his own words, is an xenophobic, homophobic, racist, bigot, woman hater who can assault women whenever he wants, and dreams of becoming ruler of the universe. Bethany Thompson, an 11-year-old student from the Triad Middle School is a brain cancer survivor who shot herself after getting off the school bus. Her parents decided to break their silence as it was speculated that she committed suicide after being bullied. The 11-year-old girl, Bethany Thompson, was a brain cancer survivor who made the headlines as she took her own life right after she went off the school bus. Wendy Feucht, Bethany's mother voiced out her grief as she stated that her daughter was constantly bullied on the day that she committed suicide, as reported by Scallywag & Vagabond. It was mentioned that the 11-year-old told her best friend in school that she's already planning to take her own life, it was not, however, taken seriously. Her mother then added that Bethany felt hopeless as she felt that nobody can help her with her situation as she is constantly taunted for having an "uneven smile," which was caused by her brain tumor operation. "I think that she was just done. She didn't feel like anybody could do anything to help her. People need to know that even the littlest things can break someone," Feucht told the reporters. "She told her friend she loved her and that she was her bestfriend forever, but that she was going to kill herself when she got home." Bethany Thompson shot herself on the porch of their home in Ohio. It was not yet clear as to who own the gun that she used but authorities are already under investigation. It was being pointed out that the strongest factor as to why she took her life is because of the constant bullying that she faces in school. The suicide of a Triad Middle School student last week has rocked the Champaign County community and... https://t.co/9dr9XuQQWF ChampAgainstBullying (@antibullychamp) October 26, 2016 Bethany Thompson previously put up anti-bullying posters around Triad Middle School but was taken down as school administrators refused to put them up as they do not imply a positive connotation. The 11-year-old's suicide is not the first case in Triad Middle School as it was mentioned that her death was the second case in almost five years. "I think this could've been prevented if the right measures were taken, but hindsight's 20/20," Russell Penhorwood, the father of the girl's best friend stated during an interview as reported in Dayton Daily News. "It's aggravating, this could've been anybody's kid. I even called the school a few times on it so they could do some checking in and they said they were supervising the situations," Penhorwood said. Aside from being a well-known Hollywood star, Matt Damon is also passionate about social issues. One of his passions include the improvement of education and the U.S. public school system. Thus, the "Jason Bourne" actor got aboard the project called "Backpack Full of Cash." The documentary film explores what is really going on in the education reform policies that is affecting students in America and their families. Produced by Sarah Mondale and Vera Aronow, "Backpack Full of Cash" revolves around a U.S. public school named South Philadelphia High. It has a student body of over 1,000 but severely lacking in teachers and facilities. Across town, new charter schools have opened up in the city using funds that could've improved U.S. public schools like South Philadelphia High. The film explores and highlights how these charter schools came about, as part of the education reforms and its effect on the rest of the education system. Also featured in the documentary are U.S. public school systems in Tenessee and Louisiana. "The expansion of charter schools is draining funds from our public schools and benefiting some children while leaving others behind with fewer resources," Matt Damon told The Washington Post when asked why he agreed to narrate "Backpack Full of Cash." He cited that this story needs to be told because the public needs to know that U.S. public school reforms are causing a great divide in America. The worst hit in these education reforms are the students that come from low income families. "True education equity will come when we address the deeper issues underlying education inequality such as child poverty, racial segregation, and the unequal funding of our schools," the Academy-award winning actor further said. Matt Damon seems the right choice for "Backpack Full of Cash" as his mother is an early education teacher at a U.S. public school. "He said he really believed in the topic and he knows a lot about it," Sarah Mondale said when they approached the actor for the documentary, according to Lohud. The film has been featured at select venues only but the producers have opened up a Kickstarter campaign so that it will be completed and distributed to a larger audience. Learn more about "Backpack Full of Cash" in the video below. An Arizona teenage boy is now in custody after he was arrested on Wednesday, Oct. 23, for hacking the system of 911 emergency calls of Arizona and other states. Meetkumar Hiteshbhai Desai, 18, said he just wanted to be recognized in the hacking and programming community that is why he did it. It started when Meetkumar Hiteshbhai Desai, 18, generated a JavaScript code and shared the link on Twitter. The link tweeted by Meetkumar, when click, makes iPhone users automatically and continually dial 911. The teen's tweeted link was clicked nearly 2,000 times, as of authorities, causing more than 100 "fake calls" to the emergency center in Arizona and other states in just few minutes. The fake calls have almost shut down the emergency system in Arizona. Fake calls were reported directed to 911 emergency centers in Texas and California too. Police investigators tracked down the fake calls and found out that they started from a shared link on Twitter. They identified the owner of the sharer of the link as "Meet Desai". With the teenager's domain, the authorities were able to locate him. On Wednesday, the teenager was located and taken by the police for some questionings. The Maricopa County's Sheriff Police released a press release about their interrogation with Desai. As of a press release, the teenager stated that he might have accidentally pushed the harmful version of the bug out on the Twitter link rather than a lesser annoying bug which only caused pop-ups, dialing to make users of iPhones reboot and freeze up. Later on, Desai admitted that he made the malicious bugs and viruses to be recognized in the hacking and programming community as somebody who was very skillful. The teenager was charged with three counts of computer tampering, the BBC has learned. "Hacking devices or networks without the explicit permission and cooperation of their owners is dangerous and can result in significant legal penalties," BBC quoted Dad Goodin, a Security Editor at Ars Technica, as saying. Just a month ago, the whole world was shocked when "Harry Potter" alum Devon Murray, who played the role of Seamus Finnigan, confessed about his mental health struggles. Murray's battle was highlighted after he tweeted about getting help to celebration of the World Mental Health Day. Murray's case, however, was just one among thousands of children and teens who are on the same ordeal - battling depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, ADHD and schizophrenia. Speaking of Murray, People revealed the 24-year-old "Harry Potter" star has been battling depression in silence for 10 years and admitted having suicidal thoughts. "I've been battling depression in silence for ten years & only recently spoke about it and has made a huge difference," Murray wrote, as per Daily Mail. "I had suicidal thoughts this year and that was the kick up the a-- that I needed! Open up, talk to people." Due to Murray's confession, "Body Punishment" author Maggie Lamond Simone, who has also struggled with mental health illnesses such as OCD, anxiety and depression all her life urged the society to make one bold change and that is to "lift the taboo around calling mental health illnesses by their name." Based on the email send to Parent Herald, Simone explained that "shame, the fear of stigma and a general lack of awareness about the signs and symptoms of mental health illness" are preventing children from opening up about their conditions, even to their parents or loved ones. The email further revealed that NPR is even currently doing a series on the said "silent epidemic," where children and teens are battling mental health illnesses in silence. Unfortunately, Simone stressed that silence could only cause "utter devastation by perpetuating a culture of secrecy, causing shame to deepen, destroying kids' self-esteem and alienating them." Battling mental health illnesses in silence could also prevent kids from having conversations that will lead to the treatment and support they need. That's why, Simone has outlined some tips that could help eradicate the taboo around calling mental health illnesses by their name. According to Simone, mental health illnesses come in various types including depression and anxiety, OCD, eating disorders and addiction. But the identification of the type of mental health illness a child is suffering from is essential. The reason? This will help lift the stigma as determining condition and its manifestations could become less mysterious and confusing. Another tip is practicing the habit of referring the mental health illness by its proper name, making it just an aspect of the child suffering from it instead of defining characteristic. Lastly, be intentional in candidly speaking about the mental health conditions. Even though mental health illnesses will not go away, Simone emphasized that with a name and no shame, the conditions become just another aspect of the child who's suffering from it. Mental health illnesses are also manageable. Aside from children, however, parents struggling with mental illness should also openly talk to their children regarding their condition. That way, speaking up will lead toward easing pain, suffering and eventually, desolation. Do you agree that the society needs to eradicate the taboo on calling mental health illnesses with their name? Feel free to share your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates. A 3-year-old toddler died in Novant Health Matthews Medical Center after rushed from Monkey Joey in Matthews' Windsor Square. Erin Washington passed away due to natural causes, as cleared out by medical examiners. The police closed the case as no negligence or foul play was found from the investigation. Erin Washington, 3, was in Matthews' play center Monkey Joe when the whole incident occurred. The 3-year-old child, identified by her family as Erin Washington, was found in distress in Monkey Joe. Immediately authorities were called to the place. The child was brought to Novant Health in Matthews where she held his last breath. The 3-year-old child was "not in distress on an inflatable or engaging in any arcade games" Monkey Joe told WBTV. The play center also said that they didn't know what exactly caused the death of the toddler but said the authorities are still investigating. The crime scene was inspected and investigators by the two inspectors together with North Carolina Department of Labor's Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau. As of the police, the inspectors went to the crime scene to know what happened whether the play center falls under the jurisdictional authority of the department, the WSOCTVhas learned. On Monday, Matthews Police Department announced that they got information about the cause of the child's death from the Office of Medical Examiner. They found out that Erin's death was caused by natural causes. Police decided to close the investigation as no negligence or foul play was found. Erin was described by her aunt, Ebony Washington, as a beautiful daughter of Nykesha and Eric Washington. Erin's aunt also said that she was a hilarious little girl. Though only three years old, the family said she had touched more lives than people who live to be 100. A GoFundMe page was created for the child's funeral expenses. Meanwhile, the bereaved family of Erin is asking for prayers at this tough time. A 30-year-old individual with Down Syndrome dreamt of being a teacher but she was often being placed into limitations due to her condition. Despite the stigma of people with special needs, Noelia Garella managed to defy the norm as she was able to succeed her goal to teach. Noelia Garella was labeled as a misfit and a monster as a child due to her Down Syndrome. Metro then added that she was even rejected by her own nursery school, which became everyday life a struggle for her and her family. Despite the obstacles and the hardships that she faced, Garella managed to work her way up and eventually reached her goal. Noelia Garella was highly discouraged to take teaching classes, let alone to teach as that questioned her capability. Inside Edition then added that Noelia Garella didn't let discouragements stop her. With the help of her family, instructors and the people close to her heart, Noelia was able to achieve her dream and was eventually able to take a teaching course. Inside Edition reported that Noelia focused on her teaching course, where she succeeded. She took up a course where she would teach toddlers how to read. Despite successfully passing her classes, one of the challenges that she faced is actually getting hired. "With time, even those who had been opposed joined in the initiative to hire Noe as a teacher," Alejandra Senestrari, the former director of the school, told Agence France-Presse that Garella deserves a spot at teaching as she touched their hearts. "We very quickly realized that she had a strong vocation. She gave what the children in the nursery classes most appreciate, which is love." Children with special needs are often ridiculed and being bullied. With constant encouragement from parents and loved ones, it is highly possible for children with special needs to attain their goal and break the stigma in regards to their condition. This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Apple informed Ars Technica last week that the new AirPods would be delayed as they need a little more time before the AirPods are ready. Apple added that "We don't believe in shipping a product before it's ready." With that said, Apple declined to offer any estimate or release window information about when to expect the AirPods' official launch. Ars Technica speculated that it would probably translate into to weeks so that they'd be in stores for Christmas shoppers. I think everyone would who wants the new AirPods are hoping the same thing, but a new supply chain report today suggests that they may not ship until January 2017. According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, China's first business newspaper since 1967, "Apple originally planned to release the AirPods at the end of October, but has postponed release. Inventec is expected to begin shipping AirPods in January 2017," the paper noted according to DigiTimes. The paper made this revelation while reporting on Inventec's expected 2017 revenues rising 7% to US$23.83 billion based on AirPods orders. While only time will tell if this actually materializes, those who ordered Apple's AirPods for Christmas are hoping that this supply chain report is just a bad joke. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus. Before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube made their entry in the media market, the PatnaDaily had already registered its presence in... Iran, China seal New Silk Road deal 11/01/16 Source: Press TV Iran and China have finalized an agreement which allows Chinese traders to use the Iranian territory for exports to Europe as envisaged in an ambitious plan by Beijing named the New Silk Road initiative. Related Iran-China Silk Road forum being held in Tehran (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) Iran says it has finalized a cooperation agreement with China that would allow Chinese traders to use the Iranian territory for exports to Europe. The agreement was signed between customs officials of Iran and China. It is expected to take an ambitious plan by China to revive the ancient Silk Road one step closer to reality, Iran's IRNA news agency reported. Preparations are currently being made to implement the agreement in the near future, the news agency added. Accordingly, Chinese goods will be shipped to Iran's southern ports and will be thereon transited to Europe by land. The route that has been envisaged for the scheme will be much shorter that the ancient Silk Road, IRNA added. Related Iran-China Silk Road forum being held in Tehran (photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) The preliminaries for the project were agreed on during a state visit to Tehran by China's President Xi Jinping in January. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping introduced the new "Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Maritime Silk Road" initiative to connect stronger logistics networks with Asia, Africa and Europe by building more roads, railways and airports. The Silk Road Beijing has launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) with $100 billion in capital and the New Silk Road Fund with a capital of $40 billion to fund major infrastructure projects in the region, including those pertaining to the development of the New Silk Road. Iran is strategically-located in the Middle East, sharing land borders with 15 nations, and sea channels on its northern and southwestern coasts. China has already made it clear that it sees Iran as a country that can play a crucial role in its New Silk Road initiative given its access to extensive delivery routes connecting to the Middle East and Eurasia. With JCPOA implementation, Iran and UK must make up for lost ground: President Rouhani 11/01/16 Source: Press TV Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says the Islamic Republic has kept to the nuclear agreement it signed with the P5+1 group of countries last year, stressing that with implementation of the deal, Iran and Britain must now make up for lost opportunities. President Rouhani meets new British Ambassador to Tehran Nicholas Hopton Tehran, October 31, 2016. (Photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) In a meeting with the new British Ambassador to Tehran Nicholas Hopton on Monday, Rouhani added that all sides to the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), should completely fulfill their obligations. "After the JCPOA, we need to make up for the lost opportunities in the past and this requires the development of economic, scientific, cultural and political relations," the Iranian president stated. He also stressed the importance of the complete resumption of banking relations under the JCPOA. It is important to upgrade the level of relations between Iran and Britain as two important countries, he said and added that the two sides have been expanding the ties over the recent years and can speed up such a process by making use of the available potentialities. Rouhani noted that the conclusion of the JCPOA through the efforts of seven countries "carries this positive message to the world that differences can be solved through diplomatic [approaches]." Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015. Under the nuclear deal, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related bans imposed against Tehran. Since January, the IAEA, which is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the JCPOA, has released regular reports confirming the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and Tehran's commitment to the agreement. 'Iran, Britain will hold banking negotiations soon' Hopton, who submitted his credentials to the Iranian president, said his country's banks and companies are very keen to cooperate with Iran. He added that representatives of the Central Bank of Iran and the Bank of England would hold talks in the near future. Despite the JCPOA having officially gone into effect on January 16, many large European banks still refrain from engaging in transactions with Iran for the fear of US sanctions. US Secretary of State John Kerry on May 19 met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and foreign ministers from France, Germany and the UK in Brussels, where they pledged to encourage companies to resume trade with Iran. In a statement on the same day, the US, Britain, France and Germany said they were exploring various areas of cooperation with Iran, including the use of exports credits to boost trade, project financing and investment in Iran. 'Iran, Sweden must up ties to serve two nations' interests' Meanwhile in a meeting with the new Swedish Ambassador to Tehran Helena Sangeland on Monday, the Iranian president said the implementation of the JCPOA has created a "very appropriate" opportunity for Iran and Sweden to improve bilateral, regional and international relations to serve the two nations' interests. Rouhani added that the two countries must make use of all of their capacities to develop economic relations, particularly in energy and industry sectors. President Rouhani meets new Swedish Ambassador to Tehran Helena Sangeland Tehran, October 31, 2016. (Photo by Islamic Republic News Agency) He pointed to Stockholm's balanced stance on regional and international developments and said, "Sweden can properly play its constructive role in improving relations between Tehran and the European Union." Sangeland also submitted her credentials to the Iranian president and said the JCPOA's implementation led to unique opportunities for the expansion of relations. She expressed the willingness of Swedish companies and banks to cooperate with Iran. Tabriz historic bazaar complex: A melting pot of tradition, trade, and culture 11/01/16 Source: Tehran Times Tabriz historic bazaar complex, a labyrinth of interconnected covered passages that adds up to about 5 kms, has been a melting pot of cultural exchange since antiquity and once a hot spot on the ancient Silk Road. A view of the Tabriz historic bazaar complex (undated photo) The bazaar, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, embraces countless shops, over 20 caravanserais and inns, some 20 vast domed halls, bathhouses, and mosques, as well as other brick structures and enclosed spaces for different functions. Tabrizis the capital of northwestern province of East Azerbaijan. The history of the Tabriz bazaar dates back to over a millennium ago, however majority of fine brick vaults that capture most visitor's eyes date from the 15th century. Most mazes and passages offer certain commodities such as carpets, metalwork, toys, clothing, jewelry, and kitchen appliances, traditional spices, herbal remedies and natural perfumes. One can also bump into colorful grocery stores, bookbinders, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, coppersmiths, tobacconists, tailors, flag sellers, broadcloth sellers, carpenters, shoemakers, and knife-makers. There are several divided carpet sections across the bazaar that enable visitors to watch or buy hand-woven Persian carpets and rugs with different knot density and other features. The bazaar was also well-known and prosperous during the 13th century when Tabriz became the capital of the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736). The city lost its status as capital in the 16th century, but remained important as a commercial hub until the end of the 18th century, with the expansion of Ottoman power. It is one of the most complete examples of the traditional commercial and cultural system of Iran. By the way, the city distanced its heyday as the capital was transferred eastward to Qazvin in the 16th century, but the bazaar remained vital as a commercial hub more or less. Here is a select of comments that visitors to the ancient bazaar have posted to TripAdvisor, one of the most popular travel websites in the world: "The most authentic bazaar I've been to" Tabriz bazaar is not only huge and interesting from the point of view of architecture but it's the most authentic bazaar I've ever seen. Shops are meant for locals, not tourists and there are very few which sell souvenir. (Egoissimo from Cluj-Napoca, Romania; visited September 2016) "Nice bazaar if you get there on time!" Loved the brick work. Shops were your typical shops. We wanted to come for carpets but almost all of them were closed by the time we arrived. I would certainly go back - at a more appropriate time of course. (AbleDanger from Annapolis, Maryland; visited November 2015) "Get lost in the miles-long alleys of the Tabriz Bazaar and rest in one of the remaining caravanserais" Bazaar of Tabriz is unique in that unlike Isfahan, it operates primarily as a local "shopping mall" for local people, tourists being minority there. You can spend hours there enjoying cultural observations, if you are interested in them, or simply walk down the alleys only to realize that you actually don't know whether you have been here already or not... (DariusSk from Lublin, Poland; visited August 2016) "Beautiful bazaar with lots of good stuff to buy" The impressive bazaar is probably the best reason to visit Tabriz. It's beautiful, and you can buy anything here. As a tourist it's fascinating to experience the great selection of nuts, dried fruits, mountains of tea, spices in abundance - you feel like buying it all. (Mogeltoft from Copenhagen, Denmark; visited July 2016) "Beautiful bazar, worth a visit" Beautiful bazar, with a lot of vendors, from shoes to carpets to dried fruits and nuts you will find everything. (Yasmin A. from Zurich, Switzerland; visited July 2015) Related Articles: IRAN: Pressured by Hardline Group and Revolutionary Guards, University Forces Former Political Prisoner out of Teaching Job 11/01/16 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Hengameh Shahidi Hengameh Shahidi, a former reformist journalist and political prisoner, has been fired from her teaching position at an Iranian university following threats of violence from a hardline conservative group and pressure from the Revolutionary Guards. An informed source told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that Shahidi, who taught international law during the winter (January) 2016 term at the Varamin-Pishva Islamic Open University, located in Varamin city, south of Tehran, was fired after teaching only two classes on the first day of the fall term on October 10, 2016 "because the Delvapasan had threatened to attack the university in shrouds." The Delvapasan ("worried ones") movement claims to be concerned about what its members see as the erosion of revolutionary principles in the Islamic Republic, and has organized related events designed to strengthen its positions on cultural and political issues. The Campaign has gathered numerous testimonies showing that the group's intimidation tactics have succeeded in ending the professional careers of many reformists who were imprisoned for protesting the widely disputed result of Iran's contested 2009 presidential election. "When Ms. Shahidi went to teach on the first day of school on October 10, she was summoned in the middle of her second class to see the head of the university, Hosseinali Sheibani," said the source." After the class ended, she went to see Sheibani, who told her that the security agencies (Revolutionary Guards) had contacted him and asked that she stop teaching at the university. Sheibani even said that the Delvapasan had threatened to raid the university in shrouds and throw her out... Some students even told her that Delvapasan had threatened to throw acid." "Ms. Shahidi has already been punished in connection with the events in 2009 and she has been free for several years. She does not have any pending court cases and she was not banned from employment or social activities. Therefore her expulsion from the university in this fashion, only to appease concerns expressed by the Delvapasan, is an astonishing and unlawful action and yet no one has so far responded to her objections or students' protests," added the source. In 2009 Shahidi was a reporter for the reformist Nowrouz newspaper and an adviser to Mehdi Karroubi, one of the presidential candidates who disputed the accuracy of the vote count that year. She was arrested on June 30, 2009 and sentenced to six years in prison by Judge Yahya Pirabbasi of Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court for "propagating against the regime," "acting against national security" and "insulting the president." She was freed in June 2012 after being granted conditional release on medical grounds. "Shahidi was not teaching at a university in Tehran as an extension of her political activities," said the source. "Instead she went to Varamin and quietly taught at the Islamic Open University there in January. But now they have taken away her job. Honestly, what should a former political prisoner do after going free? Should all doors remain closed?" Google and Microsoft are butting heads over the disclosure of vulnerabilities. On Monday, Google revealed a critical flaw in Windows after it gave Microsoft a ten-day window to warn the public about it. Google posted about the zero-day vulnerability on its security blog, saying Microsoft had yet to publish a fix or issue an advisory about the software flaw. This vulnerability is particularly serious because we know it is being actively exploited, Google said. It lets hackers exploit a bug in the Windows kernel, via a win32k.sys system call, to bypass the security sandbox. The search giant originally told Microsoft about the problem 10 days ago, on Oct. 21. It waited to say anything about it publicly so Microsoft could fix the problem first. But Google has a strict policy of giving vendors only seven days to either publish a patch or issue a warning about a flaw. Seven days is an aggressive timeline and may be too short for some vendors to update their products, Google said in a blog post in 2013. But it should be enough time to publish advice about possible mitigations. Microsoft slammed Googles move. We believe in coordinated vulnerability disclosure, and todays disclosure by Google could put customers at potential risk, the company said in an email on Monday. Its not the first time the two companies have disagreed over disclosing a vulnerability. In 2015, Google disclosed publicly unknown holes in Windows before Microsoft had a chance to issue patches. This prompted Microsoft to complain. Although following through keeps to Googles announced timeline for disclosure, the decision feels less like principles and more like a gotcha, with customers the ones who may suffer as a result, the company said at the time. Brian Martin, director of vulnerability intelligence at Risk Based Security, said it would be impossible for Microsoft to come up with a patch in seven days. Fixing a Windows vulnerability can mean addressing problems in several different platforms of the OS and ensuring that the resulting patch doesnt disrupt any of the existing programming, he said. Its just too complex to do that in a matter of days, Martin said. However, Google had some justification in warning the public, given that hackers were already exploiting the vulnerability, he said. It goes back to an age-old debate of how much time you should give, he said. In this case, because the vulnerability was being exploited in the wild, it forces Microsoft to up their schedule. Google said that on Windows 10, its Chrome browser will prevent the problem from occurring. Using its own sandbox, the browser can block win32k.sys system calls. Googles Daydream View virtual reality headset will start shipping on Nov. 10 for US $79. The VR headset will work with phones compatible with Daydream, including Googles Pixel. Users can place a smartphone in the Daydream View to roam virtual worlds, watch movies, or play games. The company showed a number of Daydream applications at the Unite 2016 Los Angeles keynote on Tuesday. The applications included a shooter, a kart racing game, a Wall Street Journal financial app, and a social interaction application. Over the coming weeks, video apps from Hulu and YouTube will be available. Netflix is also developing an application for Daydream. A number of gaming apps, including Home Run Derby and Need For Speed, will also be available. The headset will be available through Verizon and Best Buy in the U.S. It will also ship in Canada, the U.K., Germany, and Australia. Daydream View is free of tethers, but it wont provide a VR experience as powerful as Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, which need to be hooked up to PCs with high-end graphics processors. Many developers are making applications for Daydream View, said Nathan Martz, lead product manager for the Daydream development platform. Users will also be able to make in-application purchases, which is important for developers to monetize their applications, Martz said. The headset weighs about 220 grams and has a stretched fabric cover. More Daydream phones will be announced later this year. Six years ago, it seemed improbable maybe even impossible that the city of Los Angeles would return L.A./Ontario International Airport to local control. Yet today, its happening. Los Angeles was scheduled to transfer management of the facility today at 7 a.m. to the Ontario International Airport Authority. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, the officials involved in the handoff will mark the occasion with an invitation-only ceremony at the airport which by then will have dropped L.A. from its official name and become simply Ontario International Airport once again. Officials expected to attend that celebration include L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, Federal Aviation Administration administrator Michael Huerta, Los Angeles World Airports CEO Deborah Flint and members of the Ontario City Council and OIAA. Chief among the latter will be Alan Wapner, the Ontario councilman and OIAA board member who deserves the most credit for the transfer; hes been the driving force all along behind returning the airport to local control. Six years ago, as L.A./ONTs traffic was plummeting, Wapner urged the L.A. City Council to consider handing control of the airport back to Ontario, which had transferred the airport to L.A. in 1985, 18 years after L.A. began operating it under a joint powers agreement. In September 2010, after then-L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he didnt want to sell ONT to Ontario, this Editorial Board opined that a coalition of local leaders, some sort of joint powers authority, should be formed to manage the local airport under contract with LAWA. OIAA is now that authority, but it is taking full control of the airport, not merely a contract to manage it. It was smart of Ontario officials to regionalize the effort for local control. They received help from so many quarters that the momentum became impossible to resist. In February 2011, a number of then-state lawmakers from the area Bob Dutton, Gloria Negrete-McLeod, Norma Torres Wilmer Amina Carter, Kevin Jeffries and Brian Nestande proposed legislation to form the local airport authority. Torres, who since then has moved to Congress, teamed up with Rep. Ken Calvert this year to pass federal legislation that made the transfer possible. In December 2011, then-Riverside Mayor Ron Loveridge proposed, and his City Council passed, a resolution in favor of local control. Loveridge now is a board member of OIAA, as is Orange County business leader Lucy Dunn, giving the agency regional clout. The other members are Ontario Councilman Jim Bowman and San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman. Eventually, cities across Southern California supported the transfer of control. U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein gave negotiations a boost in 2013. It may be the most important person behind the transfer is Garcetti. His predecessor, Villaraigosa, gave lip service to regionalization of air traffic across Southern California, but his actions worked to the contrary. Garcetti, though, has been a good-faith partner in negotiations who ultimately allowed the transfer of airport control to take place. So its fitting that Garcetti will be at ONT Wednesday to mark this milestone, along with Ontario Mayor Paul Leon and others who have helped make it happen. Nearly 50 years after Los Angeles took over management of Ontario International Airport, the Inland facility is back under local control today, Tuesday, Nov. 1. It is the final note of a years-long battle by Ontario to regain the airport from Los Angeles World Airports, the successor agency to the one that assumed control of the facility in 1967 and ownership in 1985. It included a 2013 lawsuit by Ontario that claimed LAWA had worked to reduce air service to the Inland facility staring in 2007, bringing fewer passengers and less revenue, and stifling economic development for the area. Los Angeles and Ontario officials announced a $250 million settlement in August 2015, and have been working since then for an orderly transfer of the airport to the Ontario International Airport Authority, a joint powers agency created in 2012. That happened Tuesday with the Federal Aviation Administration issuing an airport operating certificate to the authority, and the voiding of $55.5 million in outstanding LAWA airport bonds. The OIAA issued its own bonds in that amount. Kelly Fredericks, the airport authoritys CEO, has warned that changes at ONT are not going to happen overnight (its) not an off-on switch. But here are a few things you can expect: It is Ontario International Airport, thank you. Until today, it was Los Angeles/Ontario International Airport, not that anyone ever actually called it that. Not quite the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, but the same idea. Same faces: The agreement allows a 21-month transition period for airport workers who had been LAWA employees. Lawsuits to end. Under the agreement, lawsuits filed against LAWA by Ontario will be dismissed. The most prominent, and vigorously fought, was the action filed in Riverside County Superior Court that claimed LAWA had harmed ONTs operations. It led to the August, 2015 settlement. A plan. The OIAA is currently looking for a consulting firm to create a 20-year master plan for the airport. Improving domestic and international passenger service at ONT is a key objective of the OIAA, the authority says in its pitch for applications. Among the assets of the 1,750-acre facility in Ontario is the UPS Regional Sorting Hub plus cargo service for FedEx, ABX and other regional service providers. A new website. www.flyontario.com RELATED Many worked to make transfer of ONT happen Will the Los Angeles Metro Gold Line ever make it to Ontario? Contact the writer: 951-368-9573rdeatley@scng.comTwitter: @RKDeAtley In Banning, voters will choose a council member for the first time to represent a specific geographic area after residents filed a lawsuit stating Latino voters were underrepresented on the elected body in the city. With the new boundaries set by the council earlier this year, incumbent council members Ed Miller and Art Welch, who both live in the age-restricted Sun Lakes community, will face off for the District 3 seat. Miler was elected to the council in 2012 and Welch served on the council from 2003 to 2006, and was again elected in 2012. Only one candidate filed in each of the other two new districts up for election, so Daniela Andrade in District 1, in central Banning, and incumbent councilman Don Peterson in District 2, which covers most of the southern portion of the city, will be appointed to those seats. Council terms are four years. Currently, the council members may live anywhere in the city and are voted on by the entire population. With districts, members live in specific areas and are elected only by the voters in their area. Contact the writer: 951-368-9075 or gwesson@scng.com Californians are more enthusiastic this presidential election than four years ago, according to early voting numbers from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Early voting broke records in Los Angeles County, the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk announced Monday, Oct. 31. Pre-Election Day voting in Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange counties also is ahead of the 2012 pace, officials reported. The results could portend high voter turnout Nov. 8. The number of registered voters in California more than 18 million is at an all-time high with voter rolls swelling before the June 7 primary and leading up to next weeks general election. While the Democratic presidential primary between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders was competitive, the states 55 electoral votes are widely expected to go to Clinton. A Republican presidential nominee hasnt won the state since 1988. Still, the race between Clinton and GOP nominee Donald Trump stands to motivate voters who dislike both candidates. Its also spurring voters in other states; votes equal to a third or more of total ballots cast in 2012 already have been recorded in Florida, North Carolina, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado, Vox reported. High turnout could make a difference in competitive races for Assembly, state Senate and Congress. Thats potentially good news for the Democratic Party, since 45 percent of California registered voters are Democrats, compared to 27 percent for the Republican Party. Almost 7,800 voters cast ballots early in five Los Angeles County locations over the weekend, election officials said. Turnout was highest in North Hollywood, where 819 people voted Saturday and 1,012 voted Sunday. Almost 1,500 people voted in L.A. County during the first week of early voting, which began there Oct. 10. By comparison, 829 ballots were cast in the county during the same period in 2012, the last time a presidential election took place. We are encouraged by the turnout at the early voting locations and appreciate the patience and participation of Los Angeles County voters, Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said in a news release. It is clear that voters desire the option of in-person early voting in addition to vote by mail and Election Day in-precinct voting. Some voters in L.A. County waited more than two hours in long lines to cast their ballots at weekend early voting centers, an election official said Sunday. During peak times Saturday, people waited more than two hours for their turn to vote at centers in North Hollywood and Culver City, said Mike Sanchez, a registrar-recorder spokesman. In Orange County, vote-by-mail balloting is tracking 2.68 percent higher compared to four years ago, said Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley. More than 261,000 mail-in ballots had been returned as of Monday morning, with 40 percent of those returned by Republicans and 32 percent returned by Democrats. In San Bernardino County, almost 106,000 voters had returned their mail-in ballots as of Monday. This time four years ago, a little more than 87,000 ballots had been returned. As of Monday afternoon, almost 201,000 mail-in ballots 83,615 from Republicans, 80,175 from Democrats had been received by Riverside County, according to the registrar of voters. At this point in 2012, roughly 175,000 ballots had been returned. Last weeks announcement that the FBI was reviewing emails that may be pertinent to Clintons email troubles likely wont affect voting here, said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College. It might have a marginal effect in close states, especially if there are more revelations in the days ahead, he said. It is very unlikely to leave a mark on California races. In this state, Trumps toxicity overwhelms everything else. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com Two Riverside County sheriffs patrol vehicles in pursuit of men suspected of robbing Murrieta businesses crashed with each other Friday, Oct. 28. The robberies were reported in Murrieta between 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. at a Super Target and Albertsons market in the city, authorities say. Murrieta police called the Riverside County Sheriffs Department to notify them of the robberies and deputies located and chased suspect vehicle were in on the I-215 up to Perris, according to a news release from Murrieta police. Sheriffs spokesman Deputy Armando Munoz confirmed via email that during the deputies involvement in the pursuit, two sheriffs vehicles crashed. He said neither was hospitalized and both were OK. Authorities would go on to arrest 5 Hemet residents in connection with those robberies Friday evening. Jail records show that after stopping their vehicle in Perris, most of them were captured in Menifee. When Barbara Acosta de Ruiz speaks of relatives she has lost over the years, she doesnt refer to them as being dead, as if they no longer exist. For us, they havent died. They just got ahead of us, said Acosta. One day, were going to reunite, she added. Acosta, of Perris, has been celebrating and remembering the dead with altars, prayer, and food ever since she can remember back in her hometown of Michoacan, Mexico. And now, shes continuing the Dia de los Muertos tradition here. http://launch.newsinc.com/js/embed.js var _ndnq = _ndnq || []; _ndnq.push([embed]); Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead is one of Mexicos oldest indigenous celebrations thats typically celebrated Nov. 1 and 2. During this time, its believed the dead are allowed to visit and console the living, and delight in the offerings left for them on the altars. Acosta began assembling the three-tiered altar at her home Sunday, Oct. 30. Altars come in all shapes and sizes and are decorated with photos, mementos, food and cempazuchitl (marigolds) flowers that are known as Flowers of the Dead. Mexican bakeries prepare sweet pastries known as pan de muerto that many families present on their altars. In Riverside on Monday, baker Mario Leon and his assistants were busy making the traditional treat at Lolas Mexican Bakery on Chicago Avenue. Acosta adorns her altar with candy and other treats children would like, as well as with favorite dishes the adults in her life enjoyed. Some people believe that children who have died are allowed to visit their loved ones Oct. 31. That night, shell say a small prayer for the children. The commemoration for adults is more intricate, starting with prayers Nov. 1. Friends and relatives bring their offerings to the family home that night. As adults, we sin more so we need more spiritual help, she said. The family gatherings here are small in scale when compared to how the dead are celebrated back home in Mexico, where people not only set up an altar at their homes, but they also decorate their loved ones tombs, and attend a special Mass at the cemetery. People take off work to prepare to welcome those who have passed, Acosta said. The daily commute here to and from work, and picking up the kids from school can interfere with these traditions, but Acosta said, we do what we can with what we have. These traditions are kept alive here in various ways. Over the weekend, community celebrations will be held across Southern California in Perris, Riverside, and Santa Ana. At Riversides Our Lady of Perpetual Help, parishioners every year maintain an altar by bringing photos of loved ones and their favorite food and drink, like tamales, or a bottle of tequila. For Catholics, Day of the Dead is a way to reconnect with pre-Hispanic traditions, said the Rev. Miguel Ceja, pastor of the church. Those traditions are part of our history and give us an interesting perspective of death, Ceja said. We perceive death in a very peculiar manner, using satire to outwit death. Ceja noted the use of sugar skulls as part of this tradition or how La Calavera Catrina (The Dapper Skeleton) is a popular symbol for death. Thats connected to the idea that death has been overcome by Jesus Christ Death doesnt have power over us, he added. Theres no death. For us Catholics, life is transformed. For Martin Sanchez, who owns Tios Tacos in Riverside, Day of the Dead is an occasion not only to honor loved ones, but to teach others about the tradition. For years he and his family has been involved with the Riverside Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Riverside. A procession and parade begin at the restaurant. This year Sanchez will feature a sculpture he helped build of a mariachi-clad skeleton atop a horse. Tios Tacos includes an outdoor eating area thats home to a chapel, pyramid, topiary and fountains, which have been partially built and decorated with found and recycled objects. Part of the decor includes a skeleton on a bicycle and La Calavera Catrina. Its a very special day because we remember them with great respect our fathers, our brothers, and friends, said Sanchez. Sanchez said the tradition helps with coming to terms with death because it, helps us look at death as something natural. For us, celebrating Day of the Dead is a great achievement here in Riverside . because many Americans have accepted our culture and our beliefs, and they have respected them, Sanchez added. Contact the writer: 951-368-9462, amolina@scng.com, or on Twitter @alemolina Two adults and five children were homeless after a double-wide mobile home burned in Wildomar, say Riverside County Fire Department officials. The blaze was reported at 7:59 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, along Sedco Boulevard, about a mile northeast of Skylark Airport. American Red Cross volunteers were summoned to help the seven victims. No one was hurt. Youd think Riverside County election workers would be celebrating after Election Day. But a new milestone has them breaking out the cake ahead of Tuesday, Nov. 8. A record 1,021,673 county residents are now registered to vote, Registrar of Voters Rebecca Spencer announced Monday, Oct. 31. The deadline to register for next weeks election was Oct. 24, and the number of registered voters will grow as officials process last-minute registration cards. Almost 937,000 people were on the voter rolls as of Sept. 9. The spike mirrors a statewide trend that has the number of registered voters in California at more than 18 million, an all-time high. Thirty-eight percent of county voters 388,859 are registered Democrats while roughly 36 percent are registered Republicans. No party preference voters make up the third-largest group at 21 percent. A generator system fire caused about $25,000 damage at a Palm Desert apartment complex, say Riverside County Fire Department officials. The blaze was reported at 4:18 a.m. Monday, Oct.31, at Enclave Rental Condominiums, 35751 Gateway Drive. The complexs fire sprinkler system extinguished the flames. Firefighters spent about an hour emptying the building of smoke. SANTA ANA A former personal-injury lawyer from Riverside has been charged with misappropriating $150,000 in client-settlement funds in Orange County, using the money to pay other clients and for personal debts, authorities said. Fred Raymond Hunter, Jr., 50, pleaded not guilty on Monday to three felony counts of embezzlement by a fiduciary of trust, according to the Orange County District Attorneys Office. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. Hunter, the son of former Anaheim mayor and attorney Fred Hunter Sr., was disbarred in 2014. His attorney, Rance Welch, said Hunter has paid full restitution to the victims and is remorseful. He said Hunter concedes that he mishandled his clients funds but said there was no criminal intent. He never had any intention of stealing money, he just didnt handle his clients trusts properly, Welch said. Prosecutors said Hunter misappropriated funds from at least three clients in 2013 or 2014. Hunter was disbarred after an investigation by the State Bar of California determined that he had mishandled a clients trust account. In 2003, his law license was suspended over similar allegations of mishandling his client-trust account. Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com The new CarMax in Murrieta, which will be one of the Virginia-based companys largest locations, is hiring more than 250 employees to staff the facility. Applications are being accepted online and there may be a job fair in the near future. The store,which will be located south of the Walmart at the southwest corner of the I-15/Murrieta Hot Springs Road interchange, is scheduled to open in February. The Murrieta location is part of the companys aggressive push into the lucrative Southern California market, which includes the opening of a Palmdale location that same month. In addition to direct-to-consumer sales, the Murrieta location will serve as a reconditioning hub that will feed inventory to several of the companys stores in the region and there will be space for auctions, which will allow the company to flip cars to local dealers to boost their stock of used autos. Duke said more than 500 dealers could make weekly visits to the facility for the auctions. The company, which touts a no-haggle buying experience, is looking for people interested in service positions, such as inventory, service advisors and technicians. There also are positions available for sales, auction services and business office associates. It was intriguing much as it was disturbing to hear the revelations made by Mr Boakye Agyarko, policy adviser to the NPP Flag-bearer, Nana Akufo Addo, to the effect that the government intends to encumber the countrys gas resources for a period of 19 years through a loan agreement with the Chinese. The initial reaction of the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas to the allegation was to treat it as a mere party propaganda, characteristic of an elections season. However the rather conflicting responses from the Deputy Minister of Power, Hon. John Jinapor, who denied everything said by Mr Boakye Agyarko, and the Finance Minister, Hon. Seth Terkper, who admitted almost every bit of the revelations, may not have done any good to the integrity of government. The matter even gets murkier with a press statement issued by the Head of Communications at the Power Ministry, Mr Edward Bawa, last Friday, and which sought to justify the governments intended action. Mr Bawa, in his statement issued on behalf of the Ministry, assured Ghanaians that There is no basis for the assertion that Ghana's gas would be exported for $2 billion adding that, All of Ghana's gas are being used and would continue to be used in Ghana for power generation. He advised that we do not confuse the use of proceeds or revenues from the sale of gas or its derivatives to support financing arrangements with the actual sale of lean natural gas and liquids. According to the statement, The CDB facility simply anticipates the use of revenues from the sale in Ghana to power plants of lean natural gas to support financing. No natural gas would be sold to Chinese to facilitate the financing. Any excess lean gas which is not sold to power plants in Ghana would be dedicated to petrochemical industry development including fertilizer production to support Agriculture in Ghana. Any excess LPG or other natural gas liquids not used in Ghana can also be exported either to our neighbours or to any potential buyer. The statement continued to urge Ghanaians to disregard the reports doing the rounds because they do not represent the facts. But, we simply cannot disregard the reports as we are being asked to do. This is because, if we are to take as facts, the explanations provided by the Finance Minister in a Citi FM interview last Thursday, and which technically is not at variance with Mr Bawas statement, then there will be enough reason to be concerned about the development. While we require further details to be able to do a thorough analysis, our initial review of these two explanations of governments position vis-vis the law, leads us to conclude that, the intended action of government amounts to a potential violation of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act of 2011, Act 815 (as amended). Section 2 of the Act, which establishes the Ghana Petroleum Funds, requires all revenues realised from petroleum activities to be deposited into the Ghana Petroleum Holding Fund (we dont have the liberty to do otherwise) and to be managed by the Bank of Ghana. Transfers from the Fund, for the purposes of whatever expenditure, are supposed to be in accordance with the Act. Section 5 of the Act, which deals with prohibited uses of the Petroleum Holding Fund, proceeds to categorically provide under clause (1) that, The amount in the Petroleum Holding Fund earmarked for transfer into the Ghana Petroleum Funds, shall not be used: a) to provide credit to the government, public enterprises, private sector entities or any other person or entity and b) as collateral for debts, guarantees, commitments or other liabilities of any other entity. And in clause (2) further provides that: In order to preserve revenue streams from petroleum and ensure the object of this Act, there shall not be any borrowing against the Petroleum Holding Fund. What this means is that, it doesnt matter whether it is the resource itself or the revenues derived from it, the law prohibits any form of its encumbrance. While we are happy to grant the government the benefit of doubt, and to assume that they are acting, oblivious of the referenced legal provisions, we will not hesitate to seek judicial intervention in the publics interest, if regardless of this caution, it continues to do what we are being told it has initiated. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Former Presidential Affairs minister Didymus Mutasa has claimed President Robert Mugabe once threatened to physically assault him for refusing to dump former Vice-President Joice Mujuru at the height of the political fallout between the Zanu PF strongman and his ex-deputy. He said the incident happened in 2014 shortly before Mujuru and other top Zanu PF officials were hounded out of the ruling party on allegations of plotting to assassinate Mugabe. Mujuru and her sympathisers later regrouped and founded the opposition Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) party. Addressing a ZimPF campaign rally in Mt Darwin on Saturday, Mutasa said: I used to get on very well with Mugabe, very, very well. But first, Mugabe called us for a meeting saying there were some youths, who had some concerns. That was the meeting at which youths openly accused Mujuru of plotting to kill the President. They said a lot of unfounded things, accusing her of using witchcraft in a bid to dethrone Mugabe. Mutasa said the meeting was held before Mugabes wife, First Lady Grace Mugabe, went on the nationwide meet the people tours, which she used to attack Mujuru. After that meeting, Mugabe then called me and we had a two-hour meeting before the politburo. In the meeting, he asked me why I supported Mujuru. I told him that I supported her because she was his deputy, he said. He told me that she was a witch, using Nigerian sangomas (witchdoctors) and water beetles to try to kill him and take over the Presidency and, therefore, I should dump her. I told him I could not do that because she hadnt done anything wrong to me. He was angry and threatened me, Do you know that I can beat you up? I asked him the reason why he wanted to beat me up, but he repeated the words, emphasising that he would physically assault me if I continued supporting her. I then asked him if there was need for fighting over the matter, but he repeated the words again. Mutasa said he defended Mujuru, saying she never wanted to wrest power from Mugabe, claiming the former Vice-President was a victim of Zanu PF factional fights. Speaking at the same event, ZimPF national membership co-ordinator, Dzikamai Mavahire said: If his (Mugabes) claims about Mujuru were true, she could have been languishing in prison now. But because it was all falsehoods by an old man, she is here today to meet you. Source: newsday.co.zw Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Office of West Africa (UNOWA), Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has urged Ghanaians to ensure that the country comes out peaceful after the December 7 elections. He said West Africa over the last two years has been relatively successful in elections across the continent and Ghana cannot afford to break the jinx. He is optimistic Ghanas experience in holding six previous successful elections will brought to bear on this years elections. Dr. Ibn Chambas, a former Member of Parliament and minister of state, made this known on Monday, October 31, when he delivered a special live television message to Ghanaians ahead of the elections. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The 2016 Presidential Candidate of the Progressive People's Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has begun a "Thank You" tour that will take him to all the 10 regions of the country. The tour, which commenced from the Central Region on Saturday, saw the flag bearer making whistle stops at Kasoa, Buduburam, Gomoa, Winneba, Mfantseman and finally ending with a mammoth rally at Elmina, his home town. Background On Friday, an Accra High Court Judge, Eric Kyei Baffour, "quashed" the decision made by the Electoral Commission (EC) on October 10, 2016 to reject the presidential nomination papers of Dr Nduom and ordered the commission to restore the rights given the presidential aspirant by law to amend and alter the anomalies on the forms. Dr Nduom has responded to the ruling with considerable graciousness, saying that he did not want to go to court and had hoped the opportunity would have been given by the EC for the issue to be resolved amicably and administratively. He has reiterated his wish for the EC to become a strong independent institution that applies all related laws evenly across the board without fear or favour. Thank You; tour At Kasoa, Dr Nduom, who interacted with the traders, market women, drivers and travellers at the old market and lorry park, was received with great enthusiasm and joy with shouts of "wotsir nkwa o!", which means congratulations. The PPP parliamentary candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, Mr Kweku Kwarteng, also led party supporters within the constituency to welcome Dr Nduom. From there, the team stopped at the Budumburam market, camp and taxi station to interact with the people. The PPP Parliamentary Candidate for Gomoa East, also led a large crowd of supporters to wish Dr Nduom well in his campaign. And at Effutu, Nana Ofori Owusu, the partys parliamentary candidate, and his supporters were very upbeat about the partys chances of winning both the presidential and the parliamentary elections.. The PPP supporters went through the principal streets of Winneba amid joyous songs and cheers. Interestingly, some young and old activists wearing National Democratic Congress (NDC) T-shirts joined the PPP supporters to congratulate Dr Nduom on the court victory. Led by the PPP candidate for Mfantseman, Kwabena Otchere, Dr Nduom walked through the Mankessim market and lorry park amid cheers and congratulations from the people. Our candidate has come Many promised to vote for him saying "...our candidate has come." The cheers were deafening in Cape Coast where the PPP parliamentary candidate for Cape Coast South, Bright Drofoenu, led Dr Nduom and his team through the Kotokoraba market and principal streets. In the Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirim (KEEA) municipal district, Dr Nduom was met by one of the biggest crowds ever in Elmina and taken through the streets in a carnival atmosphere. Everyone was in white, signifying victory, or PPP's red and white colours. There were tears of joy and "...welcome, our President!" At a big rally at the Boa woho Bridge the Omanhen of the Edina Traditional Area, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI, welcomed Dr Nduom home to Elmina with prayers and Christian songs of praise, saying it is God who has made his victory possible. Victory for all Ghanaians Nana Conduah said the victory was for all Ghanaians. Dr Nduom thanked God and said everything that had been achieved was through the grace of God. He thanked the people of KEEA for standing by him, coming to support him in Accra throughout the court proceedings and encouraging him with their prayers. He said through the court ruling, democracy had won, freedom of choice and association had won and the rule of law had become stronger. He asked the people to support and vote for him and all the PPP parliamentary candidates so that the victory in court would have true meaning. Dr Nduom will move to the Western Region on Sunday and then to the Volta, Upper East, West and Northern regions next week. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional Police command should, as a matter of urgency, arrest Mr Andy Osei Okrah, the deputy Ashanti Regional minister over bombs and other explosives discovered around his residence in Kumasi by personnel of the anti-terrorism unit of the Ashanti regional police command, pressure group, Ghana Must Know Forum has said. The explosives were detected on Tuesday November 1. It is not clear who planted them within the vicinity of Mr Okrahs residence. According to Adehye FMs reporter Mununkum Owoahene Addai, personnel of the anti-terrorism unit of the Ashanti regional police command are still within the Ministers house and scouting the area to ensure that all explosives, if any, within his abode are defused. The discovery of the explosive has compelled the Regional Security Council to hold an emergency meeting. Moments after the discovery, the Ghana Must Know Forum issued a statement signed by Mr Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, convener, saying: Barely 35 days to elections, with President Mahama's posture of retaining power at all cost and the deliberate plan of the NDC to use violence and security apparatus to intimidate members of the opposition, we find this exposure very worrying. This confirms the belief of many that President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC have ammunitions stocked in Ashanti Region with the sole intention to trigger violence, threats, and intimidations to subvert the powers of the people. We do not know why hours after this (detection), the deputy minister, in whose residence these explosives were found, is walking about freely as if nothing had happened. Is it because those weapons were kept there in the interest of the President? Is it because President Mahama is aware since the minister is his campaign coordinator in the region? We, therefore, call on the police command and the military command to arrest, detain and investigate the actions of the deputy Ashanti regional minister. His actions smack of terrorism and instigation of war. His actions are treasonable and threaten the peace of the state. Such a person cannot be walking about freely. We further call on the Peace Council, political parties, civil society organisations, religious institutions and the national security to condemn this behaviour of the NDC, its ministers, President Mahama and all others who seek to use violence to sustain power. Source: Classfmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As Ghanaians decide, come December 7, 2016; on elections day, in the wake of massive hardship bedevilling the country, American based Ghanaian (International Agriculture Consultant) , Kwesi Opoku Debrah (PhD) has admonished the youth to as a matter of future prospects vote massively for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP). As an expert, particularly in Agriculture and International Development, Doctor Debrah believes the NPP outlining the one District one Dam project in their manifesto was in the right direction not only to boost farm produce, but as well encourage huge chunk of the youth into the sector. This alone can help solve the unemployment crises which have been the bane of this country for the past eight years under the NDC, he noted. I have been in this country for sometime now and I can tell you this government has nothing good for the youth, corruption here and there, and people are just walking freely. I have gone through the manifestos of these two strong parties (NDC and NPP) and I can tell you that if not anything at all, the NPP Promising to put the youth at the centre of agriculture commercialization in the country, is enough to tell you who really is a generational thinker, Doctor Debrah explained. I have so many business ideas I really want to roll out but looking at the atmosphere under this government it is not conducive at all for businesses to grow, I have investors all over the world, but anytime I invite them over, they come, survey the grounds and later leave because the grounds are bad, he added. If you live in a country where government of the day goes out to buy cocoa seedlings from a neighboring country so it can be able to support cocoa producing companies, and later comes back to do politics with it, instead of apologizing to Ghanaians then its a shame, how many European countries can boast of fertile lands and better resources to support agriculture than Ghana, and yet we are still where we are? The Malaysian president once visited Ghana, and when he was leaving he took just few palm fruits with him, now Malaysia is producing palm fruits on a large scale, and even producing other stuffs from it than the usual oil, what at all is this government doing that their usual corrupt practices and wanton dissipation of resources, Doctor Debrah quizzed. This time we have all come down to root for who really has the youth of this country at heart, I have lived my life well by the grace of God , and with all my international recognition and expertise, and I am not able to contribute towards the development of my own country, then I am useless, I have weighed both the NDC and the NPP and I can tell you it is only the NPP under Nana Akufo Addo that can help the youth of this country, he noted. Source: New Crusading Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Mr Munir Saani, the Convener of Safe Democracy, has said there is the need for traditional authorities to play a greater role in the affairs of their various assemblies. He said the current proposition of electing District Chief Executives may not engender to the development of the society if the traditional authorities are not there to maintain a healthy balance between opposing political factions. A release to the Ghana News Agency signed by Mr Saani, said the decision of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in settling on a compromise candidate Nana Adu Mensah Asare, the Amakomhene, as the presiding member of the Assembly is an instance of how the role of the traditional authorities cannot be understated in our current political dispensation. The release said since independence was attained, traditional authorities have continued to play very influential roles in managing the affairs of their localities. It said there is the need to consolidate our culture and tradition in the mainstream of our political institutions by revisiting Article 242 (1992), Local Government Act 642 (1993) and the Chieftaincy Act 759 (2000). The release said Article 39 of the 1992 Constitution states that subject to clause (2) of this Article, the State shall take steps to encourage the integration of appropriate customary values into the fabric of national life through conscious introduction of cultural dimensions to relevant aspects of national planning. It said should our participatory democracy thrive as expected, then all hands must be on deck and this should include all stakeholders in the development of the society. The release said in this regard, a section of the stakeholders in the local political environment should be independent of external influence and interference. It said in a nutshell, Safe Democracy Ghana proposes that 20 per cent membership [of a given local authority] is allocated to the traditional authorities of the given area; 10 percent to the Ghana Peace Council and representatives of political/governmental administration authorities in the district; and 70 per cent should be directly elected from which the District Chief Executive shall be elected. The release said the traditional authorities shall then elect the presiding member to govern the affairs of the given society whiles as custodians of our culture and tradition, paramount chiefs in given societies could play ceremonial roles in such municipal or local assemblies. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Nkonkonsa.com has gathered credible information from the quarters of fast growing Golden Movie Awards indicating that Wilhelmina Andani popularly Mimi Devalish now Mrs. Michaels, is about to lose her position as the country Director in Ghana for the prestigious awards. Sources close to Golden Movie Awards Africa(GMAA) have hinted Nkonkonsa.com that they have dropped their country Director for West Africa popularly known Mimi due to several issues and will soon announce a new Country Director-West Africa, we are yet to get a confirmation from any official from the Golden Movie Awards team as to what issues and why? Efforts by Nkonkonsa.com to contact organizers of the awards or Mimi herself has proven futile as everybody is tight-lipped for now over really happening. The Golden Movie Awards is an annual award that seeks to honor outstanding achievement in the African television, digital media and film industries and is administered by the expert in the Cinema & Television, the Awards recognizes film Excellence in a variety of categories for an international appeal. Mimi is the brain behind Golden Movie Awards Africa and virtually the face of the awards since its inception in 2015. This years edition has been largely rated as one of the well organized and most glamorous event in the year so far. The reasons for a Country Director to be dropped after just two editions, just when the scheme is gaining recognition in Ghana and Africa, must be very serious reasons. Source: Nkonkonsa.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video You might think the Melbourne Cup is just about the horses and, quite possibly, the fatal injuries thereof but you would be absolutely wrong. There is, apparently, another later of animal involvement heretofore unknown to science and reason. Basically, seagulls have apparently been an issue at the Cup for some time: they hoon about the racecourse like they own the place, get in the horses faces, and can provide a serious safety hazard for the animals and their jockeys. Everyone knows seagulls. They kinda fly around aimlessly looking for chips, which becomes an issue when horses are hurtling around the track. So, basically, a pack of raptors a peregrine falcon, a wedge-tailed eagle and a barking owl have been, uh, employed to keep the track clear just before the race. Theyre not actually murderous theyre apparently just there to create an atmosphere of fear which sounds frankly terrifying. Halloween is over, bud. Putting that bird into that environment just puts pressure on the [seagulls], said trainer Graeme Coles from Full Flight in Ballarat. Our birds dont kill the seagulls of course, because theyre protected, but the seagulls dont know theyre not hunting. So theres a little bit of trickery involved with that. Of course doesnt instil confidence when it comes to animal death and Melbourne Cup, but hey: its an assurance nonetheless. There ya go. A fleet of murderbirds protecting the horses. Howsaboutit. Look, the race sucks, but as someone who has had chips nicked from my very hands in Wollongong, I respect seagull justice. Source: ABC. Photo: Getty Images. This is honestly a pretty tough topic to approach. My first reaction on reading about this was pure fucking outrage. Queer spaces are meant to be refuges from the discomfort and (at times) danger of the outside world, places where queer people can be themselves without fear of persecution or humiliation. For someone to invade one of these spaces and commit an act so twisted, so specifically designed to cause injury and disfigurement is truly heinous, and to think of them avoiding any meaningful punishment is absolutely disheartening and infuriating. In a ruling in the Paramatta Local Court, 62-year-old Hengky Irawan was released on a good behaviour bond for charges that included administering poison with the intent to cause injury and malicious damage, after his lawyers argued that he should be tried under the Mental Health Act. Irawan was charged in late August after entering Sydney gay and bi sex club Aarows with a knife and hydrochloric acid. He was caught when he set off an alarm while trying to sabotage a lubricant dispenser. The ruling was made after his lawyer submitted a report from both his GP and psychologist to the effect that he was suffering from mental illness and had undergone an irrational, uncharacteristic episode, leading him to attempt to sabotage the dispenser as revenge for being kicked out earlier in the year. The magistrate said she was not satisfied it was a hate crime: It was directed towards patrons at the nightclub because he felt aggrieved about being kicked out earlier in the year, not about their sexual orientation. Fundamentally, as a society we should be striving to rehabilitate those who commit crimes to the point that they are no longer a threat to society, not just punish them over and over again as they re-offend, so if better mental healthcare is what Irawan needs, then thats definitely the correct course of action. But at the same time, its hard not to feel like someone managed to pull off an attack on the queer community and just get away with it. Fuck. Source: ABC. Photo: Aarows. In an attempt to try and figure out what caused the deaths of four people on Dreamworlds Thunder River Rapids ride, police are re-enacting the circumstances that lead to the horrific accident. A week after the accident occurred, police have closed the air space around and above the park and begun using crash test dummies filled with water to match the exact weight of those that were on the ride at the time. Investigators have attempted to recreate the events that lead to tragic deaths of four people at Dreamworld. #9News https://t.co/NaqPlQl168 Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) November 1, 2016 The ride will be operated by the staff that were doing so on the day, including an 18-year-old who was on her first day of training for Thunder River Rapids, and the senior staff member who was accompanying her. The park will remain closed until funerals have been held for the victims, but about 200 staff have opted to begin returning to work, according to the Dreamworld CEO: As I said on Saturday, all staff will be paid during our closure period regardless of their attendance here at the park. We will continue to have counsellors available for our staff to talk to for some time. The Australian Workers Union has suggested that Dreamworld had been operating its rides with less than the recommended number of staff, but Dreamworld have dismissed these accusations. Source: Courier Mail. Photo: Channel 9. God, its been a whirlwind few weeks for Family First Senator Bob Day, so no judgement if anyones been having trouble keeping up. Lets try to make sense of this hot mess. For the second time in as many weeks, Day announced his resignation effective immediately from the Senate this morning, following the liquidation, potential resurrection, and ultimate demise of his building company Home Australia Group. This leaves over 200 houses unfinished and a bunch of unpaid, and presumably very unhappy, investors. Not as worried about Bob Days future as I am about the hundreds of families and contractors whove been ripped off by his companies. Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) November 1, 2016 Days departure also leaves the Coalition one vote short of reintroducing their controversial building industry watchdog, a.k.a. The Reason We Had That Fucked Double Dissolution Election, a.k.a. Why One Nation Are Now A Thing Again. Other than being used to justify that wreck of an election, The Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation is newsworthy because it desperately needs the support of the cross-bench, Senator David Leyonjelms even claimed the Coalition offered to trade votes for an end to the Adler shotgun ban. His resignation also follows yesterdays news that the government is handing $2 million to the Day-linked North East Vocational College, which Labor senator Doug Cameron called a misuse of public money. And in a final, potentially more important, twist to the insane saga, Days resignation has directly created a High Court debate around whether he was legally elected at all. When Senate President Stephen Parry received Days notice, he emailed senators that he would have to tell the South Australian Governor that he was not sure it created a casual vacancy for which Family First could nominate a replacement. Attorney General George Brandis and Special Minister for State Scott Ryan then announced that the government is referring the matter to the High Court, because Days contract with the Commonwealth includes an indirect pecuniary interest that SBS understands may relate to arrangements around Mr Days electoral office. BREAKING Bob Day Senate validity is doubtful bc he or family trust owns the building where his electorate office is. Thats a breach! Laura Jayes (@ljayes) November 1, 2016 Reminder: Justin Gleeson said this on October 14. Government may have known about this for weeks and said nothing#auspol #BobDay pic.twitter.com/MF1GEJgzLa Bevan Shields (@BevanShields) November 1, 2016 Senator Penny Wong now says this raises questions on whether Day can be replaced within the year, which would coincidentally deny the Coalition yet another chance to pass the ABCC bill. But the bigger question now becomes why did it take so long for the Senate, and Brandis/Ryan, to act on this information? How long did the Coalition know about Days apparently tenuous right to his seat? We are going to hear a *lot* more about the mess in the next few days, so stayed tuned. Source: SBS. Image: Getty / Stefan Postles. The hot takes on Melbourne Cup Day can be exhausting. You have the hot takes about why horse racing is brutal and bad, then the counter-hot takes about how its actually fine, then the counter-counter-hot takes about how the people who said its actually fine are idiots. Whatever angle you take and honestly, if youre going in hard defending the race itself, you dont have much ammo you can kick back and chill out with a legendary, universally hilarious Melbourne Cup take from back in 2012. Written by Paul Sheehan who you may remember as the disgraced Fairfax columnist who lost his job thanks to a poorly-researched, racist hackjob of an article it is unquestionably one of the thirstiest columns ever published under the masthead of the Sydney Morning Herald. The man who was once the papers resident conservative spent a column, which he was presumably paid quite a lot for, waxing lyrical about commentator and former jockey Francesca Cumani. Behold: The trigger was Channel Sevens coverage of cup week. It was anchored by three roughies and a thoroughbred. The thoroughbred was the only woman on the anchor panel, an English import, Francesca Cumani, who floated elegantly above the fray, intimately involved and yet apart. Woof. What an opener. Cumani may have a dark side Ive never met her and almost certainly never will but on camera she betrays no self-absorption and no vacuity. At 29, she has left no trail of scandal, controversy, conflict or fodder for the prurient. On race day, with so much bogan chic on parade, Cumani opted for simple elegance. Beauty is commonplace but beauty plus intelligence, lucidity, courage and loyalty is an altogether more rarefied combination. It is a combination that can be found in men but its highest expression is in women. Okay, Paul. Why are you writing this? What value Courage. Cumani is an excellent rider and a former jockey. It takes courage to take a race horse to full gallop. She said in an interview last year: A lot to do with racing is your nerve, and holding it. The moment you lose your nerve or get scared, the horse can really sense it. I still vividly recall the few times Ive been on a horse at full gallop and they were only pluggers. I can only imagine the force of being on a frothing stallion with its ears back. Let me repeat that last sentence to you, and tell me that Sheehans intentions in writing this column about a married woman he has never met are in any way pure: I still vividly recall the few times Ive been on a horse at full gallop and they were only pluggers. I can only imagine the force of being on a frothing stallion with its ears back. Allow me to reiterate: HE. HAD. NEVER. MET. HER. Read the full column HERE, if you dare. Source: Sydney Morning Herald. Photo: Getty Images. Because everything born of the 90s gets a film eventually (yes that means you too), Sony has announced a Sonic The Hedgehog CGI/live-action film adaptation and has signed Deadpool director Tim Miller as executive producer. Announced this morning by Hollywood Reporter, the film will be directed by Millers Blur Studios colleague Jeff Fowler and will presumably see everyones favourite hedgehog, his constantly-drowning friend Tails the Fox, and kickass frenemy Knuckles the Echidna fight their archenemy and big-time Iron Man fan Doctor Ivo Eggman Robotnik. Sonic The Hedgehog follows Angry Birds, Tetris, Battleship and the (surprisingly great) Lego Movie as adaptations of things that you would not normally guess need films. It will also be Miller and Fowlers second CGI collaboration after their 2005 short-film Gopher Broke, which was also about fighting animals, was nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar. The announcement follows news that Miller had left Deadpool 2 after creative differences with Ryan Reynolds, who reportedly has more creative control this time around and wanted to continue the original films raunchy, low-budget vibe in contrast to Millers stylised vision. Considering the first movie earned over $782 million on a $58 million budget, it should probably be worth sticking with the original formula than going full-superhero action film, but time will tell how the sequel goes without Miller spearheading it. For the record, Sonic technically first appeared in Wreck-It-Ralph, along with every other video game star except Mario, although only as a cameo. With his debut film expected to take at least until 2018 to premier, we cant say what the plot will be, but can guess there will be lots of brightly-coloured blurs and some terrible Australian accents. And in case you didnt have a Sega or catch the insane cartoon, we should point out that all Dr Eggman wants is to protect animals in little robotic suits. Who amongst us could judge him, on Melbourne Cup Day of all days?! Sonic has some explaining to do is all we are saying. .@sonic_hedgehog you are a fucked blue rat creature whose opinions on current events are worthless to me Robert Piss (@marrowing) July 28, 2015 Source: Hollywood Reporter. Image: Sega. Kim Kardashian West has returned to social media almost a month after being robbed at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room. She posted what is obviously a sponsored post to her Facebook page, looking like her usual made-up self. Lets be real here, this return to social media is 100% just honouring a previous contractual obligation, but still. Its her first post since being robbed of $10 million worth of jewellery on October 3, and a girls gotta eat. After the incident the Kardashian-Jenners basically went to ground, with news coming in ebbs and flows. (Spoiler: its flowing more than ebbing now.) Filming of Keeping Up With The Kardashians was immediately halted, and the worlds most open family became very tight-lipped on the whole situation. Its incredibly traumatic what happened to her, but our family is super close and great and well get through it together, sister Khloe Kardashian told Ellen DeGeneres over a week after the incident. We do appreciate all of your guys love and support. It will take time. It was horrible what happened to her. Hopefully this return to social media and the news that KUWTK resumed filming five days ago means Kim is working to move past what is unquestionably a traumatic experience, whether or not the Kardashians align with your personal values. It also means the planet can now go back to proudly declaring THIS IS NOT NEWS while continuing to read every bloody thing in sight. Photo: Facebook / Kim Kardashian. Whether you genuinely believe in ghosts or not, we humans usually prefer to avoid sites where people have died, particularly if the death was especially gruesome or murderous. Sure, there are those who couldnt care less and these people have clearly never seen The Conjuring. NO THANKS. If you do happen to be one of these soulless individuals, there is a bright side real estate values generally plummet after acts of extreme brutality, giving you a red-hot chance of picking up some prime property at a discounted rate. Yes, it sounds fucked up and it is but in Hong Kong, it has an actual name: hung jaak. Traditional Cantonese belief in ghosts aligns heavily with their philosophy of feng shui, meaning ghost houses give most of the population a massive case of the heebie jeebies. Millennials and expats, on the other hand, couldnt give a flying heck about feng shui or the possibility of a The Grudge-like haunting and frankly, these people are the real villains in this story. GET OUTTA ME BED, IDIOT. In all seriousness, though, if you can sleep sound in the scene of a bloody murder, good on you. The good news is, augmented reality is here to help you find these deathly discounts in the same way it helped you find the 38 Zubats you didnt want in Pokemon GO. Tech startup Spacious.hk has plotted out the sites of potentially haunted dwellings, even going as far as to give a brief rundown of the atrocity that happened. As these properties will rarely have a for sale sign posted on them, it gives buyers a chance to actively seek them and their appealing prices out. The best example is the one used to simultaneously showcase the feature and wish a happy Halloween on their iTunes product page. British expat banker Rurik Jutting allegedly murdered two Indonesian women in his luxury apartment in 2014. The trial is still ongoing. Another day, another shining example of augmented reality weaving its way into our everyday existence. Happy house-hunting, ya non-freaked-out-by-ghosts weirdos. Source: Motherboard. Photo: Spacious.hk. Women's Resource Center adapts to meet rising domestic abuse concerns With many victims unable to reach out during the pandemic, the Women's Resource Center had to find new ways to connect. The Chinese economy is showing signs of stabilizing after growing consistently at 6.7% over the past three quarters, which puts the 6.5% annual growth target well in sight. However, the foundations of the economy are still not strong enough to sustain this momentum. Therefore, macroeconomic policies need to be further enforced. The focus has now shifted to proactive fiscal policies as the effects of monetary tools are tapering off. In the short term, a certain pace of growth needs to be maintained, whether it is to steady the economy or to create a conducive macro-environment to push forward reforms. The key question that remains now is how much maneuvering space is available to effectively implement fiscal policies. It is only when this question is answered that we can avoid groping in the dark. In the past, the governments fiscal stimuli have focused on boosting infrastructure investments. This approach has helped the Chinese economy bounce back quickly after hitting several rough patches, but at a heavy price. Local government debt troubles emerged after the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, but it quickly ballooned in the aftermath of the 4-trillion-yuan ($590 billion) government stimulus to cushion the impact from the 2008 global financial crisis. Aggressive borrowing by local governments through their financing vehicles led to mountains of debt that were turning sour, forcing the central government to intervene. In 2014, the State Council issued guidelines to improve local government debt management, and the following year the new Budget Law was passed, introducing hard caps on local government borrowing and banning governments from additional borrowing through financing vehicles. Instead, local authorities were allowed to raise money by issuing bonds. To some extent, these measures helped defuse financial risks from an explosive rise in regional debt. According to official data, Chinas overall government debt accounts for about 60% of the national gross domestic product (GDP), but the budget deficit has, for many years, remained under 3% of GDP. This is a reasonable range as per international standards, indicating room for further fiscal policy maneuvering. Many scholars have dismissed doomsday views of an imminent debt crisis and believe the government can continue to inject money to boost growth. But differences in the way debt is calculated have led to conflicting judgments on the extent of the problem and relevant policy interventions. Official statistics have neglected some important factors. For example, Chinas official calculations of its budget deficit usually do not include some special bonds issued through government-backed vehicles. Such debts have long been a part of local government liabilities, but have never been factored in when calculating the overall deficit. Some experts estimate that Chinas actual budget deficit has reached nearly 6% and will continue to rise over the next few years. The more worrying fact is that central government efforts to curb local debt have had limited results because regional authorities have been reluctant to cooperate. While problems with existing local government financing vehicles are yet to be fixed, new shadow channels are mushrooming in different forms. For example, local government guarantees for public-private partnership (PPP) projects, designed to encourage private investment, have become the de facto method for government-backed companies to borrow more. Trying to design polices without a real feel of the ground situation is counterproductive. The recent directive by the Ministry of Finance asking its local offices to conduct a systematic survey to determine the size of local debts covering financing vehicles, state-owned enterprises and other government institutions is a sign that the central government is worried about the lack of data that can help determine the actual risk facing the financial system. Local governments have been told to report their spending obligations, including government debt, funding for PPP projects, investment funds and others. In the past two decades, the rush to prop up the economy through massive infrastructure investments across the country has led to the development of a large network of railways, roads and airports that are underutilized. It is time for fiscal policy to switch its focus from infrastructure building to health care, education, social welfare, science and other areas, which can boost the quality of life for millions and fuel future growth. Another fiscal tool is to cut taxes on corporations and individuals. At a Politburo meeting in late July, the top decision-making body highlighted the need to cut the macro tax burden, an expression that appeared for the first time in official parlance, fueling expectations of broader tax cuts. However, detailed measures have not been announced so far. The unfolding reforms to the tax system, which involve a move away from relying on corporate taxes and broadening the value-added tax (VAT) base, have been criticized by certain sectors for increasing their tax burden and hurting business. Although this negative impact on business may be temporary, it highlights the urgent need to fine-tune changes to tax policies. Infrastructure-focused fiscal policies can no longer support sustainable growth as it may worsen government debt and hinder Chinas economic transformation. Fiscal tools should be directed at unleashing the potential in new growth areas, and they must pay attention to improving social welfare such as health and education to benefit both the rich and poor alike. Fiscal policies should also help reduce the cost of doing business and create a more conducive business climate. The room available for fiscal policy maneuvering is determined by Chinas growth prospects, but these policies can have a long-term positive impact only if they find a new focus. Hu Shuli is the chief editor of Caixin Media Customers queue at a Zhou Hei Ya takeaway in Wuhan, Hubei. The company has 750 outlets in 40 Chinese cities. Photo: Visual China (Hong Kong) Zhou Hei Ya International Holdings Co. Ltd, known in China for selling spicy braised duck necks, could raise as much as HK$3.3 billion ($426 million) in a planned Hong Kong IPO on Nov. 11. The 424 million shares on offer will be priced within an indicative range of HK$5.80 to HK$7.80, the company said at a press conference on Monday. A big name in the domestic snack food market but virtually unknown outside of China, Zhou Hei Ya hopes to expand into the international market using the Hong Kong listing as a launch pad, Executive Director Hao Lixiao said. Hao did not provide details of specific expansion plans. The company started out in 2002 as a family-run snack stall in Wuhan. Zhou Hei Yas shelf-stable, ready-to-eat products are now sold online and in more than 750 retail stores across 40 Chinese cities. In addition to duck necks, the product range includes local delicacies like duck feet, braised peanuts and duck tongue. The brand has become so popular that fake Zhou Hei Ya products and even counterfeit stores have started appearing in China. The companys IPO prospectus acknowledged that imitators pose a major challenge to the companys credibility and brand image. In January this year, the China Food and Drug Administration accused Zhou Hei Ya of selling food laced with poppy seed extract at two Suzhou stores. Zhou Hei Ya later clarified that the two branches in Suzhou, Anhui province, were in fact counterfeit stores. Braised snacks have a long history in China, where they are commonly sold at roadside stalls but they are increasingly being marketed by major snack brands. Meat, tofu and other ingredients are simmered for hours in a rich savory broth, and many regions have their own special seasoning blends. Ninety per cent of the shares offered by Zhou Hei Ya are reserved for institutional investors, with 10% for the public offering tranche. Zhou family members will retain a controlling stake in the company. Contact editor Calum Gordon (calum@caixin.com) (Beijing) Chinese lawmakers are considering a ban on for-profit private schools that have classes for first- through ninth-graders a move that could affect 12 million students and deal a heavy blow to the countrys booming private-education sector. The latest draft revision to a 2002 education act the Law on the Promotion of Non-Public Schools that is being debated by the countrys top legislature this week includes a proposal to limit private schools to kindergartens, grades 10 through 12 and university courses, several sources with knowledge of the matter said. About 10,700 schools would be affected if the amendment is passed, according to the Ministry of Education. The proposed change comes as education authorities are pushing private schools that follow international curricula to adopt the state-sanctioned syllabus when teaching Chinese history, and its constitution, law and morals, amid worries that Western curricula were eroding the values promoted by the party-run school system. Last week, the Shanghai government told principals from 21 international and bilingual schools in the city to offer China-specific subjects in their curricula. "The proposed revision is a sign that the state wants greater control over education, which will pose a significant risk to foreign joint ventures in the field," said a foreign investor who has several private schools in his portfolio. Lawmakers, however, are pushing for the change due to concerns that allowing private institutions, some of which charge tens of thousands of U.S. dollars in tuition per year, would widen inequalities in access to basic education, the sources said. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the decision-making body of Chinas top legislature, convened Monday for a third reading of the draft regulation. The amendment is likely to be passed and incorporated into law at the end of the NPCs eight-day meeting, according to Wu Hua, head of the Research Center of Private Education at Zhejiang University. Wu said the revision could drive many private schools out of business and reduce education options available to parents who want an alternative to public schools, which emphasize rigid, rote learning methods. Private schools could continue to offer classes from grades one through nine if they register as nonprofit schools, the latest draft rule says, but this would require them to get government approval when setting tuition fees, making the option unattractive. The proposed law sends a signal that for-profit schools are unwelcome in China, Wu said. Even if they switch to nonprofits, they would face challenges in terms of acquiring land and struggle to operate without preferential tax policies, he said. A clause that provided a three-year grace period to all private schools to reregister as either a for-profit or a nonprofit institution has been removed from the latest draft, sources said. The first nine years of schooling is considered compulsory education under Chinese law, and the state offers free education for grades one through nine. Contact reporter Li Rongde (rongdeli@caixin.com); editor Poornima Weerasekara (poornima@caixin.com) Lauren's proven ability to relentlessly send it is only rivaled by her ability to increase the stoke level of any ride she's a part of. All smiles the whole time, high-fives are always in endless supply. Having lived in numerous mountain bike hot spots around California, her skills have been honed on a variety of terrain. From the decomposed granite of Mammoth Lakes to the rocky chutes of Thousand Oaks to the pristine loam of Santa Cruz to the loose chunder of the Tahoe regions - she sends it regardless of where she happens to be on any weekend.Photo credit: Garrett HardyLauren has taken the adventurous leap into van life, spending the 2016 season driving from one race to the next and riding everywhere in between. Trailhead to trailhead, riding the best of what the west has to offer. Her Pro.File takes you through her race weekend routine of van camping, race prep and timed runs.Photo credit: Kasey CaramesLauren took 2nd place at the finale of the California Enduro Series in Mammoth Lakes, California. Topping it all off with an impressive 5th overall for the 2016 series! Being the 2014 California Enduro Series Champion, she's all too familiar with how the top spot feels and is already looking forward to the 2017 season!As if chasing podiums wasn't time-consuming enough, Lauren devoted this year to launching a new lifestyle brand. Turn Loose is a brand fully committed to the focus of inspiring and supporting others in their endeavors. It provides high-quality apparel and adventure goods that people can feel good about purchasing, as a portion of profits are used to sponsor young up-and-coming athletes, as well as fund inspiring stories and projects. Next season, Turn Loose will be supporting a team of four young mountain bike athletes in the hopes of helping them jumpstart their riding careers. Inner Solar System Akatsuki science at Venus was the topic of a plenary talk by Takehiko Satoh at the Division for Planetary Sciences meeting two weeks ago. Kenneth Chang wrote a lengthy article about it for The New York Times. At the end, it mentions that Akatsuki can operate until at least April 2018, and possibly for as many as six more years, depending on the unknown amount of remaining fuel. For updates, check the mission's Twitter feed and website. Earth's Neighborhood This month, full Moon is on November 14, and new Moon is on November 29. The longevity of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission has paid off with a new result published in Nature last month. They have found more than 200 craters that formed on the moon during the mission so far. That's more than predicted, which, in turn, means that very young surfaces on the Moon may be even younger than thought. Meanwhile, they are planning to get the most out of the mission by allowing its orbit to drift and evolve, rather than using precious fuel for a stationkeeping burn. Over time, its orbit (currently slightly elliptical with a periapsis at about 30 kilometers and apoapsis about 150 kilometers) will tend to circularize. Be sure to check out their recently posted images. I don't have an updates on ARTEMIS since August, or on Chang'e 3 since last month, and Yutu is now Schroedinger's rover, and I haven't had any information on the status of Chang'e 5 T1 for a long time. OSIRIS-REx is now in its Outbound Cruise phase. Today it is 32 million kilometers from Earth. Last month, it successfully fired its trajectory correction maneuver thrusters for the first time, a brief 12-second burn. Ordinarily, such a burn would have been used to fine-tune its trajectory, but "the spacecraft's orbit had no practical need for correction." They could've used up to 11 kilograms of fuel for the maneuver, but needed only half a kilo -- a major savings that will give the mission more leeway for planning Bennu proximity operations. They'll be doing a much larger burn in December. Its next major event is an Earth flyby on September 23, 2017, 325 days from now. Keep up with the mission via Twitter. Near-Earth Asteroids Hayabusa2 is now 152 million kilometers from Earth and 52 million kilometers from Ryugu. It's on track for a July 2018 arrival at the asteroid. It takes a long time because it's using ion engine power to match its orbit with the asteroid's. Mars It's full summer for the Mars rovers now, with perihelion having just passed, on October 29, and summer solstice coming on November 28. Warmer nighttime temperatures mean less motor preheating and more active days for the rovers. But it could be a bad dust storm season this year, according to JPL, which would be bad news for solar-powered Opportunity, though some atmospheric scientists I've spoken with are actually hoping for dust storms, because they'd be fun to study from the ground and from orbit with both MAVEN and ExoMars TGO. Mars Express Mars Webcam recent images and Mars Odyssey THEMIS image releases continue to include enjoyable views of the defrosting south polar ice cap, just about at solstice, like this one. David Griffith (Photo: Kelly Bracken) To say 2016 has been a particularly deadly year for American law enforcement officers would be an understatement. At this writing we still have two months to go and 48 officers have been feloniously killed by gunfire. Four officers were murdered in California last month, and at least three of them died for the very same reason: People who should have been incarcerated were out on the streets. And it's only going to get worse if Gov. Jerry Brown and other leading proponents of prison reform get their way on Nov. 8. For years now California's government has been coping with prison overcrowding and court rulings that require something to be done about it. But rather than building more prisons to keep more bad guys off the street, the state has been minimizing the severity of offenses, moving prisoners to county jails, and releasing some earlier than their sentences and common sense should allow. As anyone who has lived in the Golden State can tell you, a lot of law in California is made via ballot proposition. It's not unusual to see 20 or more propositions on a California ballot. This year there are 17 ballot propositions, covering topics ranging from outlawing the death penalty to legalizing marijuana to mandating that porn actors wear condoms. But the one that should be of most concern to officers not just in California but nationwide is Prop 57, another attempt by the state to reduce its prison population through the early release of "non-violent" offenders. Prop 57 is an attempt by California's prison reform proponents to double down on the disastrous bet they placed on Prop 47 two years ago. Prop 47 re-classified many drug and property crimes to misdemeanors, and it has become a get-out-of-jail-free card for many repeat offenders. The effect is that many people who have a long history of crime are free to commit more mayhem rather than being locked away. Because of Prop 47, violent crime in California rose 10% in 2015. And Las Vegas Metro Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo has said California's release of some 14,000 prisoners under Prop 47 was the reason for an alarming rise in violent crime in the Las Vegas Valley. And as you can read in detail on page 22 of this issue, last month Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Sgt. Steve Owen and Palm Springs Police Officers Jose Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny were killed in the same week in separate incidents reportedly by suspects with long and violent criminal records who many believe would have been in prison except for Prop 47. The new proposed prisoner release law Prop 57 is an attempt by sentencing reform proponents to reduce the prison population through early parole. Proponents say only non-violent offenders will be considered for early release. Opponents point out that the proposed law uses the state's definition of violent crime. Here are some heinous acts that the state of California considers "non-violent" according to opponents of Prop 57: drive-by shooting, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, arson causing great bodily injury, lewd acts upon a child, and hostage taking. Worse, Prop 57 does not allow authorities to take into consideration the convict's priors or plea-bargain status when determining early release priority. Some of the most outspoken opponents of Prop 57 are the families of the California officers killed in October. At a press conference, LASD Detective Tania Owen, widow of Sgt. Steve Owen, called out Gov. Jerry Brown for "deceiving" the public into believing Prop 57's early parole of prisoners would be restricted to non-violent offenders. Later in that same gathering Owen's brother played a voice message the fallen sergeant had left for him shortly before being killed. "And before I forget, tell all your friends: No on 57. If that passes, crime is going to skyrocket," Sgt. Owen said in the recording. Also appearing at the press conference was David Kling, a retired officer and father of Lesley Zerebny. California officers and supporters of law enforcement can take Owen's advice and vote to defeat this proposed law. But those of you outside California are probably wondering why you should care. Here's why. Like many misguided propositions in California, Prop 57 is likely to pass. Which means the Golden State will be releasing some bad people early. And criminals like the rest of the public are very mobile in today's America. Which means California's problems will soon become yours. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print CNN has obtained brand new audio of North Carolina Republican Senator Richard Burr joking about gun owners putting a bullseye on Hillary Clinton. The despicable comments come as Burr faces a close Senate race against Democratic opponent Deborah Ross. Both candidates are within a point of each other, according to RealClearPolitics. More of the CNN report: The North Carolina Republican, locked in a tight race for reelection, quipped that as he walked into a gun shop nothing made me feel better than seeing a magazine about rifles with a picture of Hillary Clinton on the front of it. I was a little bit shocked at that it didnt have a bullseye on it, he said Saturday to GOP volunteers, prompting laughter from the crowd in Mooresville, North Carolina. But on the bottom right (of the magazine), it had everybody for federal office in this particular state that they should vote for. So let me assure you, theres an army of support out there right now for our candidates. This type of rhetoric is hardly uncommon when it comes to Republican leaders in 2016. As the campaign has gone on, the hateful and violent rhetoric, particularly from the man at the top of the Republican ticket, has become increasingly worse. At one point this year, Donald Trump suggested that Second Amendment people should take up arms against Clinton if she nominates a Supreme Court justices they dont like. He also said that hed like to see what happens if the Democratic nominees bodyguards were disarmed. As CNN notes, Trump has never issued a genuine apology for his dangerous language or anything hes ever said or done but Burr quickly came out with a statement once the audio was revealed, although it does not excuse what he said. The comment I made was inappropriate, and I apologize for it, the Republican senator said, according to CNN. This type of imagery has no place in our politics, regardless of whether its being said in public or private, especially given the heightened level of anger and hatred toward Hillary Clinton from Trump supporters. Whether its Trump or Burr, voters should remember their irresponsible language when they go to vote in just one week. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print 370 of nations top economists have come together to urge the American people not to elect Donald Trump to be the next President Of The United States. In the letter, the economists listed a dozen economic policy reasons why voters should not vote for Trump, but it as their conclusion that was stunning, He promotes magical thinking and conspiracy theories over sober assessments of feasible economic policy options.Donald Trump is a dangerous, destructive choice for the country. He misinforms the electorate, degrades trust in public institutions with conspiracy theories, and promotes willful delusion over engagement with reality. If elected, he poses a unique danger to the functioning of democratic and economic institutions, and to the prosperity of the country. For these reasons, we strongly recommend that you do not vote for Donald Trump. Trumps thoughts on the economy are dangerous to the prosperity of the country. It isnt just that Trump is a person of bad character who lacks any of the human traits that voters should seek in a president. It is also that his policies are nonsense. Economists dont write these types of letters ever. The economists arent discussing partisan politics. They view Trump and his ideas as a threat to the American economy. Donald Trumps economic ideas arent based in reality. Trump is selling a fantasy, and when 370 of the nations top economists warn that a vote for Trump is a dangerous choice for the country, voters would be wise to listen. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Rachel Maddow traces the history of the post-Civil War Enforcement Acts signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, including the Ku Klux Klan Act, or The Enforcement Act of 1871 (17 Stat. 13), which still makes it illegal to conspire to intimidate voters. To show that the Klan Act is not vestigial but very much relevant in this election, Maddow points to the citation of this law by the Democrat Party in a whole raft of lawsuits in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio alleging voter intimidation. Maddow points out that though voter intimidation is illegal anyway, the significance of the Klan Act is that it prohibits conspiracy to prevent by force, intimidation, or threat, any citizen who is lawfully entitled to vote, from giving his support or advocacy in a legal manner, toward or in favor of the election of any lawfully qualified person as an elector for President or Vice President, or as a member of Congress of the United States. As an example of the role the KKK plays in Trumps campaign, Maddow produced the KKKs newspaper of today, which bills itself as The Political Voice of White Christian America, which, you might note, is identical with Fox News demographic. This paper, she says, has been turning up on front lawns in the great state of Georgia. Watch courtesy of MSNBC (discussion begins at 9:15 mark): Tonight we just got a hold of this disgusting development. This is the newspaper of the Ku Klux Klan today. Its The Crusader, the political voice of white Christian America. The premier voice of white resistance. Theyve got you see the white power symbol there in the upper right-hand corner? Theyve got a whole media operation going on apparently. Watch white pride TV, listen to KKK radio 24 hours a day. This newsletter is about 12 pages long, features articles on the threat of nonwhite immigration, a very subtle feature on black people committing terrible crimes against white people. Theres an article by the founder of the America First Party which is all about the terrorist Jews. He brags in his byline that hes the man who David Duke credits for awakening him to the threat of Jewish supremacism. Its exactly what you would think from the Ku Klux Klan newspaper. If you knew there was a Ku Klux Klan newspaper these days. But the front page full page story is Make America Great Again with a big featured center photo of Donald Trump. Its one of several articles in the paper about Trump, including this in-set article about how Trumps candidacy is moving the dialogue forward. [] Those are a couple of the many, many robocalls that were made during the Republican primary campaign on behalf of Donald Trumps candidacy, calls made by a white nationalist group that calls itself the American National Super PAC. The Trump campaign doesnt appear to have anything to do with these calls. They reportedly returned a donation from the white nationalist guy who you hear on the call when it was first reported that he was making these calls and that he was a Trump donor. It was further embarrassing to the Trump campaign when this guy, this farmer and white nationalist who does these robocalls, he was initially picked to be a Trump delegate to the Republican Convention this year before his delegate status once got yanked once it was widely reported. Donald Trumps white supremacist followers have made no secret of the fact that they want a White homeland and that, of necessity, the United States must be this White homeland. As Maddow has pointed out in the past, and by their own admission, their eugenics insanity is now out in the open because of Donald Trump. Dont believe Maddow? Demographics Pro looked at 10,000 Donald Trump Twitter supporters [and] found that more than one third follow white nationalist Twitter accounts. The fact is, Trump has mainstreamed white supremacy and by not strongly denouncing it, brought it into his own movement, which seems to be a meeting place for much more than disaffected white working-class Americans, whatever the mainstream media tells you. The Trump campaign is a maelstrom of hate, and the KKK is right at the heart of it. Update: In a statement to PoliticusUSA, the Trump campaign responded, Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print In a major omen of potential election disaster for Republicans, Donald Trump has scored the lowest rating in the history of Gallups presidential leadership poll. Gallup released their presidential leadership survey, and the results were historically bad for Donald Trump: Voters rate Trump worse than any other presidential candidate in Gallups records on having the personality and leadership qualities a president should have. Previous readings were taken in late October in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 campaigns. In those years, between 52% and 61% of registered voters said the two major-party candidates had the right personality and leadership qualities a sharp contrast to Trumps current 32%. Clintons rating of 51% is one percentage point below the previous low score. Clintons score, while low, was one point of the range for previous presidential cycles going back to 2000. Trumps score was twenty percent below the lowest score in the history of the poll. Voters arent going to elect a man to be the next president who they view as lacking the basic qualities of presidential leadership. The popular vote total in 2016 may reflect the nations political polarization, but there is a reason why electoral map projections continue to look very good for the Democratic candidate. Donald Trump has failed the most elemental test for any presidential candidate. He doesnt look, act, or behave like a person who has the qualities needed to occupy the Oval Office and lead the United States of America. The last week before election day tension that is in the air is normal, but the fundamental motivating factors of this contest havent changed. Democrats are holding on to their electoral map advantage, while Donald Trump has become the central issue and question on the ballot. Republicans look to be heading for a major ballot box disaster because voters do not believe that Donald Trump is fit to be president. Pizza has been a constant in Brian Kesslers life, from the time he got a job in a pizzeria as a teenager until the day he met his wife in a pizza joint. Read moreIggy's Pizza Shop is now open in Mount Pleasant Charleston, SC (29403) Today Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. High around 80F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Dorchester County has put the 1 percent sales tax back on the ballot on Nov. 8 for a proposed 15-year continuation, and several parties have their own opinions on the benefits or detriments of the referendum. Read moreDorchester Countys 1% sales tax back on the ballot as critics, supporters weigh its impact While gearing up for the upcoming opening of its new Rochester complex, West Bank reported its best third-quarter earnings in the history of the West Des Moines, Iowa-based bank. The net income for the third quarter of 2016 was $5.8 million, according to a report filed last week. In 2015, the third quarter net income was $5.4 million. "We are proud to say that this is the ninth consecutive quarter we have had record earnings for the respective quarter," West Bank President Brad Winterbottom said in the announcement of the earnings. "Our exceptional loan growth in the first nine months of 2016 has helped us grow net interest income by 6.7 percent compared to the first nine months of 2015. Outstanding loan balances at Sept. 30, 2016, were 11.5 percent higher than a year ago." The report attributed the growth to "higher net interest income, which was mainly due to loan growth." West Bank is building a 15,000-square-foot Rochester branch at 2188 Superior Drive NW, which is expected to open on Nov. 14. Dave Nelson, who previously was president of Wells Fargo Rochester, brought West Bank to the Med City in 2013. ADVERTISEMENT The third-quarter report showed West Bank's efforts in Rochester still are moving forward. Rochester Market President Mike Zinser, also a former Rochester Wells Fargo executive, spotlighted that in the report. "Our momentum in the Rochester market continued through the second quarter with total loans outstanding exceeding $108 million as of June 30, 2016, which is an increase of almost 8 percent from the end of the first quarter," he said in the announcement. "Our growth in 2016 has been generated from new customers moving their business from other banks as well as our existing customers expanding their businesses in this strong local economy." "In Rochester, we are enjoying continued market share growth this year, which gives us momentum leading up to next month's opening of our new Rochester bank building," he said in the announcement. "We expect business banking and consumer banking to complement each other in our effort to grow by simply providing what is important to our customers." On Oct. 26, Iowa bank also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 17 cents per common share. The dividend is payable on Nov. 23 to shareholders of record on Nov. 9. Dear Answer Man, I've recently seen a campaign ad for a Senate candidate that includes a Rochester police officer offering his endorsement while in uniform in front of a patrol car. Police officers have the right to be politically involved, but are they allowed to do so while in uniform and using public resources as a prop? Thanks. Can't Wait 'til it's Over You and me both, Can't Wait. Any others? The TV ad in question is for state Sen. Carla Nelson, of Rochester, and it features testimonials by a few well-known local people, including Dr. Walter Franz III , an Army Reserve colonel, and retired Olmsted County Sheriff's Capt. Harry Kerr,also a veteran. Among the people on camera is a police officer identified as Chris Lourie, who's standing in front of what appears to be a Rochester Police Department squad car, and he appears to be wearing the RPD uniform. His name is actually Chris Lowrie, and he's a Rochester police sergeant. ADVERTISEMENT I asked Police Chief Roger Petersonif it's appropriate for an officer to do endorsements of this kind, in uniform and with a squad car. Here's what he told me by email: "There isn't a city policy regarding this issue per se, but there is a city ordinance pertaining to the use of city-owned equipment." He excerpts this part of the ordinance: "A city employee shall not use or allow the use of city time, supplies or city-owned or leased property and equipment for the employee's private interests or any other use not in the city's interest, except as provided by law." "As to whether the political endorsement in question is a violation of this ordinance, that's an interesting question," Peterson said. "What is 'provided by law' is the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that has 'recognized the right of employees to speak on matters of public concern, typically matters concerning government policies that are of interest to the public at large, a subject on which public employees are uniquely qualified to comment.' "Elections are, of course, a matter of 'public concern,'" he said. "Whether a personal opinion on a matter of 'public concern' constitutes a 'private interest' as contemplated by the above ordinance may be subject to debate. The department's position in regard to elections, however, is not: We don't take sides. "The balance between our need to remain impartial and our obligation to respect the rights of our employees to express themselves can be a challenge. In this case, Sgt. Lowrie was acting in good faith in following the guidelines he was provided. Unfortunately, those guidelines didn't have the intended result. "Even more unfortunately, I'm the one that provides the guidelines so that's on me, not him. "I'll get it fixed and hopefully there won't be any other controversies in this year's elections." That about sums it up. IMHO, when a law enforcement officer in full uniform and with a familiar black-and-white squad car endorses a politician in a TV commercial, it sends a very clear and definite message beyond his own personal view. ADVERTISEMENT FYI, my boss contacted Sen. Nelson and she said, "We specifically shot the clip to avoid showing any particular department, because that's how it was explained to us and it's the free speech of the individual." Here's another law enforcement-related question: To the Answer Man: My husband's funeral took place Sept. 13 at Good Shepherd Church. After the service, we followed the police car and the hearse. On Broadway, there was a white car coming from (the direction of) Stewartville, speeding toward Rochester. It went right between us and the hearse, narrowly missing us. They never stopped. Don't people realize they need to stop for a funeral procession? Carol Michaelson Some people don't, and hopefully they're reading this. Not only is it exceptionally unkind to cause this type of disruption in a funeral procession, it's illegal in Minnesota . The funeral procession has the right-of-way, except for emergency vehicles, when all the cars are in close formation with lights on. The driver in that white car should have been stopped and ticketed, and he or she needs a talking-to about showing basic kindness and sensitivity to a family grieving. THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. The race for Minnesota's District 1 state Senate seat is wide open and crucial to both parties. The outcome may help swing control of the Senate. But while the stakes are high, tensions are not. DFL candidate Kip Fontaine and Republican Mark Johnson hold strong beliefs and differ on many points. But the candidates also grew up just a few miles apart in this far northwest corner of the state and, like many people here, they have strong, extended social ties. Fontaine believes those relationships have helped keep his campaign and Johnson's focused on issues rather than personal attacks. "I know Mark Johnson's family," Fontaine, 57, said in a recent interview. "His wife, Skyler, grew up in the church that Sheila and I were married in, and I know Skyler's parents very well." The two political newcomers are waging a grassroots effort to win the seat held for more than 30 years by DFL Sen. LeRoy Stumpf, who's retiring. But in a decided break from the political bitterness gripping the nation and much of Minnesota this campaign season, Johnson and Fontaine are keeping it clean and civil. That's a reflection of the values of this rural district, said Johnson, 32, a Republican who's quick to praise Stumpf, the outgoing DFLer. ADVERTISEMENT "Northwest Minnesota isn't really known for its cutthroat politics, I don't think," he said. "I mean, we had LeRoy Stumpf here, nicest guy in the world if you talk to anybody about Leroy." DFLer Fontaine has the edge in name recognition. He worked as a county prosecutor for 20 years. For the past decade he's managed public defenders in nine northwestern counties. But Johnson isn't conceding that advantage. "With a name like Johnson, everybody knows me. So it's not as bad as you think," he said with a laugh. Voter frustration Johnson owns a concrete construction company with his father. He also runs a small law practice in East Grand Forks, Minn. Johnson said he's running because there are too many government regulations, and because he thinks high taxes are hurting Minnesota businesses. The Second Amendment right to bear arms and conservative social issues like abortion and marriage are also important. But Johnson is also keenly aware that voters want lawmakers who will solve problems. ADVERTISEMENT "I don't think you want to draw necessarily the line in the sand and say I will not cross this line at any cost. You want to be able to work effectively," he said. "But there are principles at the same time that you want to be able to hold. I don't think you need to sell yourself out to get compromise." Fontaine, the DFLer, says he hears a lot of voter frustration with partisan legislative gridlock. He's promising votes a bipartisan approach to legislating. "In all of our relationships whether they're personal, social, professional or work at some level we need to come together and compromise," he added. "Our democracy was based on compromise." Key issues for the district are health care reform, transportation funding to improve roads and bridges, and economic development, said Fontaine. 'Forget about the craziness' The candidates say it's hard to tell who has the advantage in this open seat, but both parties believe they can win this race. DFL officials say despite the district becoming more conservative, a strong candidate is key to winning the race. Republican party officials think they have a good chance to claim the seat long held by Democrats. The district tilts Republican. It has two Republican state representatives. Johnson said that gives him an edge but he still needs to sell himself to voters. ADVERTISEMENT That can be a challenge when the presidential race is top of mind for many voters. Johnson said he tries to avoid talking national politics when he's knocking on doors. "Forget about the craziness up at the top of the ticket. Let's focus on some of the issues," Johnson tells voters. "Here's why we think a conservative platform is the best." Fontaine admits the district leans conservative, but he thinks many northwest Minnesota voters choose a person rather than a party. "I think people are very independent minded. They are not locked in to party politics," said Fontaine. "They look at each race individually and determine who they believe the best candidate is." Talk to local residents and there's one clear theme: They are tired of negative politics. Outside the Thief River Falls post office, Jim Grant shook his head at the presidential campaign. A longtime Republican voter, Grant said he's so frustrated with the polarization in politics he wishes he could turn back the clock to a time when politics was less divisive. "Right now the way things are even if there was a good DFL candidate, the DFL of 35-40 years ago, I might vote Democrat," said Grant, who adds economic development is the key issue in deciding how he'll vote. Northwest Minnesota, he added, is an "oasis of economic growth" and he wants legislators who will support business. Twenty-five miles down the road, voter Lorraine Schmidt said politics was not her favorite subject these days. "For the president I think it's terrible. It's just a mess this year," said Schmidt with a rueful laugh as she raked leaves in front of her Red Lake Falls, Minn., home. But she doesn't see candidates for state or local office as part of that mess. On the boulevard nearby were several lawn signs, including signs for Fontaine and Johnson. "I like all of them," said Schmidt, who offered that she tends to vote Democrat. "They're nice people, real nice people. They come visit you and they're very, very nice people and whether they're Republican or Democrat I talk to them. And I think they're real reasonable." Jeff Sulla Age: 60 Education: Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Old Dominion University Occupation: Reliability engineer Political experience: None ADVERTISEMENT Community involvement: 2016 Riverboat Days sponsor, regularly attend city council meetings. Top three priorities: 1. Ensure the city spends tax dollars wisely. 2. Represent the people in the Third Ward. 3. Support efforts to bring higher paying jobs to Wabasha. What should be done about the land between the National Eagle Center and the Eagle Landing Condominiums? We should embrace the chance to build a riverfront hotel/event-type center to capitalize on tourism opportunities year-round. A riverfront hotel will draw families to stay downtown and explore what the Wabasha main street and area have to offer for a longer time than the typical two- to three-hour visit to the NEC. Any development can tie into the NEC expansion plans. A small 120-seat multipurpose theater in the hotel could accommodate NEC education programs. What should be done to develop the rest of the riverfront, if anything? ADVERTISEMENT The riverfront in front of the NEC and any proposed development on the currently vacant land next to it should be improved to allow river cruise vessels to dock in Wabasha. Riverboat passengers would be able to visit the NEC and downtown businesses without having to be bused from Red Wing. This would also open up opportunities for new businesses to offer activities for locals and visitors from a nice city dock. Where are the city's infrastructure needs, and how would you pay for them? Wabasha is just finishing up major road, sewer and water projects, which came in under budget. The Wabasha City Council just approved a comprehensive plan, which provides a road map for the future. Opportunities to improve traffic flow from the interstate bridge to U.S. 61 would reduce truck traffic through Wabasha residential areas. We need to work with state/federal representatives and agencies so Wabasha gets its "fair share" of tax dollars that we all pay. Jim Roemer Age: 75 Education: High school Occupation: Wabasha businessman for 53 years Previous experience: 18 years on the city council ADVERTISEMENT Community involvement: 24 years as a volunteer fireman. Top three priorities: 1. Bring in new business. 2. Better wages. 3. Control spending. What should be done to develop the rest of the riverfront, if anything? Work with the developer to achieve his goals. Where are the city's infrastructure needs, and how would you pay for them? Businesses should pay for their own development. Taxpayers should not have to pay for them. Dodge County EDA discusses Main Street building WEST CONCORD Members of the West Concord EDA discussed the future of the 207 W. Main St. building at its Nov. 7 meeting. The EDA chose to table any discussion on moving forward with the sale of the building. The potential buyers of the space will wait until the issue is discussed at next month's EDA meeting, according to members of the body. Houston County ADVERTISEMENT Clinic grand opening set for Saturday CALEDONIA Gundersen Lutheran will host a grand opening for the new orthopedic clinic Saturday at 8 a.m. It is at 405 S. Highway 44/76. Fillmore County Service focuses on 'Beauty of the Earth' LENORA The historic Lenora United Methodist Church will hold a Thanksgiving worship service Sunday at 4 p.m. It will focus on themes in the hymn "For the Beauty of the Earth." Attendees are invited to bring nonperishable food items for the food shelf. Refreshments will be served at the Lenora Fellowship House after the service. The church is on Fillmore County Road 24 in Lenora. ADVERTISEMENT Mower County Three blood drives planned AUSTIN There are three upcoming blood drives in Mower County. The first is 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Southland High School in Adams. The second is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Riverland Community College in Austin. The third is 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at Mower County Senior Citizens Center in Austin. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-REDCROSS. Wabasha County Black and Orange Gala will be Saturday LAKE CITYThe Lake City Education Foundation will hold the Black and Orange Gala on Saturday at St. Mary of the Lake. ADVERTISEMENT There will be hors d'oeuvres, drinks and dessert. Tickets cost $50 and are available at lakecityeducationfoundation.org or by calling 225-993-6706. Goodhue County Levee Road construction underway RED WING Concrete work on Levee Road from the Jackson Street Roundabout to Broad Street is ongoing this week. To facilitate the concrete repair work in the roundabout, the Levee Road/Jackson Street Roundabout will be closed until Friday, depending on weather and site conditions. Levee Road will be open from Broad Street up to the roundabout (including access to boat houses and the parking lot east of the roundabout) during the concrete repair work. Access to Bay Point Park also will be open using Levee Road and Withers Harbor Road west of the roundabout. Winona County Cabin Coffee celebrates anniversary ST. CHARLES Cabin Coffee in St. Charles is celebrating its nine-year anniversary Thursday. Coffee will be 90 cents, fresh-roasted beans will be 20 percent off and all drinks are 20 percent off between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. There also will be door prizes and free samples all day. Cabin Coffee is on U.S. Highway 14 in St. Charles. A quiet Rochester food ingredient facility is planning an $18.1 million expansion as part of total $28.6 million project. The Kerry Group, an Ireland-based conglomerate, plans to expand its Kerry Bio-Science manufacturing plant at 2402 Seventh St. NW, according to state officials. Kerry, which employs 96 workers in Rochester, plans to build a 5,300-square-foot addition to its complex in two phases. The expansion will house a new spray dryer plus two 10,000-gallon dryer feed tanks. No one from Kerry was available Tuesday to discuss the timeline of the project or how it will affect the future of the Rochester site. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced Kerry's expansion plan. DEED is supporting the project with a $175,000 grant from the Job Creation Fund. Kerry will receive the funding once it has met its investment and job retention goals, according to DEED. ADVERTISEMENT "Kerry is making a major investment that will keep good-paying jobs in the Rochester area," said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy in a news release. "This project will enable the company to retain 96 jobs paying wages that average $19.60 an hour." The Irish company entered the Rochester market in 2004, when it purchased the Quest International Food Ingredients division for $440 million. Quest's history in the Med City dates back to the 1970s. Kerry's Rochester facility makes fermented ingredients. That includes lactic acid bacteria for processed meat and cultured dairy products, cultured ingredients for extending a product's shelf-life and cultural dairy solids for stabilizing ice cream as well as improving "mouth feel." The Irish company employs 23,000 people in more than 100 manufacturing facilities worldwide. The city of Rochester could loosen its regulations for mobile food units food trucks to operate in the downtown after a slow first season. The Rochester City Council earlier this year spent months drafting an ordinance for food trucks that set a license fee, franchise fee, zones of operation and hours of operation. Those regulations resulted in two mobile food units being licensed since June and just one vendor operating downtown on a regular basis. "There was some concern about a rush of people trying to get these food trucks out and that hasn't materialized," council member Nick Campion said at a Monday council meeting. "So I think now the opportunity is there to open the aperture, if you will, a little bit more and maybe loosen the regulation a little bit and see if we can get more." The current license fee and franchise fee totals $1,250 . Campion proposed reducing the franchise fee of $1,100 to $900. Council member Mark Bilderback suggested the city study the costs that vendors paid in other situations before changing the fee. ADVERTISEMENT "My feeling is to ask the city clerk to go and see what it costs (vendors) to do Rochesterfest or Olmsted County Fair, Steele County Fair, because I'm not opposed to lowering fees, but I want a good idea of what that means. At this point I don't," Bilderback said. The council also considered moving the zone where vendors could set up for late night business, from Second Street Southwest between First Avenue and Broadway Avenue, to a more visible location on First Avenue Southwest in the half block south of Second Street. Two owners of mobile food businesses were in the audience to give comments. Derrick Chapman said his comments had not changed since the council first considered its ordinance. Chapman had advocated for lower fees and more flexibility for vendors in hours and zones of operation. Fred Regal, who operated the most consistent food truck over the last several months, Back Alley Kitchen, said his desire was for more mobile food units. While his business had a steady clientele, Regal thought more food trucks would draw more business for all involved. "I would say it would be maybe helpful if more food vendors would show up in the coming season," Regal said. The council had discussed its regulations, particularly for its late night hours and zones, with the Rochester Police Department. Sgt. Jon Turk on Monday said it was hard for the department to judge the success of those measures because, aside from Regal, vendors hadn't taken the opportunity to set up downtown at night. "It's hard to gauge on the success of those areas because there wasn't enough activity; the vendors weren't there for extended, long periods of time," Turk said. One new idea, proposed by Bilderback and supported by Campion, was to close First Avenue Southwest to vehicle traffic at night and create a pedestrian area where the food trucks could set up. ADVERTISEMENT The council agreed to continue studying potential changes to the ordinance and will revisit the topic at another meeting in the coming weeks. Two Mayo Clinics doctors in Rochester have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, which is considered one of the highest honors in the health and medical field. Michael Yaszemski and Andrea Cheville were selected late last month for the prestigious designation. Only five Mayo employees have previously been elected to the academy, which has just 1,800 active members. "To have colleagues from distinct practice areas recognized in the same year is an incredible honor for them individually and for Mayo Clinic as a whole," Mayo Clinic President and CEO John Noseworthy said. "Such recognition underscores the commitment of our physician-scientists in advancing research to address unmet patient needs, educating the next generation of physicians and scientists, and providing unparalleled care for patients and their families." Dr. Cheville is a professor and chair of research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation on Mayo's Rochester campus. She also directs the cancer rehab and lymphedema clinic, while serving as the medical director of the Care Experience Program in the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery. "Dr. Cheville's research has brought significant improvements in identifying, preventing and remediating disability in people with chronic illness," Noseworthy said. "Her work has led to innovations in clinical practice at our cancer rehabilitation and lymphedema clinic, namely integrating palliative principles into the holistic rehabilitation of patients with late-stage cancer." ADVERTISEMENT Additionally, Cheville was recently appointed to the Health Services Organization and Delivery Study Section within the National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review. Her position there will help determine which funding requests are approved. Dr. Yaszemski is a spinal surgeon who routinely cares for patients who have skeletal defects that require reconstruction. He was previously featured in the Post Bulletin for leading the 20-hour surgery on Cannon Falls native Tess Pfohl that removed a cancerous tumor that had encircled her spinal cord. A team of nine specialists completed the surgery and the thriving 27-year-old paraplegic announced Oct. 21 that she's been cancer free for 26 months. Dr. Yaszemski is the director of Mayo's Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory in Rochester, in addition to serving as the deputy director at Mayo Clinic's Center for Regenerative Medicine. He was educated at Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lehigh University and is a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. His long-term goal, according to Mayo, is to change the way that debilitating, life-threatening musculoskeletal conditions are treated, primarily by relying upon biodegradable polymers. "Dr. Yaszemski is known as a strong clinical collaborator and he has built a differentiated surgical practice at Mayo Clinic," Mayo Clinic's Department of Orthopedic Surgery chairman Mark Pagnano said. "His team approach to complex spine surgery often often includes colleagues in neurosurgery and is exemplary in the singular focus on the needs of the patient. Noseworthy added: "Dr. Yaszemski's achievements reflect his commitment to provide healing for patients with extremely complex conditions. His service and dedication to patients, and moreover our country, is extraordinary." Dr. Yaszemski is the former chairman of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Board and the deputy editor of the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. His four-year term on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Arthritis, Muscoloskeletal and Skin Diseases begins in January. Other Mayo physicians who have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine include Thoralf Sundt in 1991, Andrew Engel in 2003, Denis Cortese in 2005, Richard Ehman in 2010 and Clifford Jack in 2013. ADVERTISEMENT 5 people arrested after 4-hour standoff MOORHEAD Five people were taken into custody after a four-hour standoff in Moorhead. The incident began about 2:30 p.m. Monday when officers went to a home to serve an arrest warrant. Police evacuated neighbors and secured a perimeter, and SWAT teams negotiated until the suspects surrendered about 6:30 p.m. Three men and two women were arrested, and police allowed nearby residents to return to their homes. City pauses construction because of tribes' concerns ADVERTISEMENT AFTON Four major projects in downtown Afton have been put on hold after representatives of tribal governments expressed concerns about possible nearby American Indian burial sites. Work on a community sewer, a better flood levee, a rebuilt St. Croix Trail and improvements to the storm sewer system was to begin last month. Last year, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued a final permit for construction, but the project had to be reviewed under the National Historic Preservation Act because federal funding is involved. Several tribal governments objected as part of that review. According to Robert TwoBears, a representative of the Ho-Chunk Nation, evidence must be presented to prove the nonexistence of human remains on the site, until then the project cannot move forward. He said "doing so would irreparably damage the historical cultural integrity of the (mound)." City leaders are scheduled to meet with tribal officials Nov. 7 regarding the Rattlesnake Effigy mound, which is near a planned storm water retention pond. Report: Uncompensated hospital care costs drop 17 percent MINNEAPOLIS A new report released Monday by the state Department of Health shows the cost of uncompensated care at Minnesota hospitals has dropped nearly 17 percent since the federal Affordable Care Act was implemented. ADVERTISEMENT Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said the drop is a positive sign of progress in reducing the number of Minnesotans who don't have health coverage. The report shows uncompensated care costs fell from $305 million to $268 million in 2015. It was the second consecutive annual decline, which started in 2014 when the federal health law expanded health insurance coverage. Uncompensated care includes charity care, which is when hospitals provide care without expecting to be paid. It also includes "bad debt," when hospitals expect payment but don't get it. "While we still have significant challenges to ensure that all Minnesotans have access to high-quality health care at affordable rates, this drop in charity care and bad debt is a positive sign that reflects our progress in reducing the number of Minnesotans going without coverage," Ehlinger said in a statement. The Affordable Care Act allowed Minnesota to expand Medicaid coverage for low-income residents. It also provides federal tax credits to subsidize the cost of individual health insurance policies purchased on exchanges like MNsure. Associated Press Yesterday morning, the ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania arrived at Apra Harbor for a scheduled port visit. The U.S. routinely and visibly demonstrates commitment to allies and partners through forward presence and operations of strategic forces. This specific visit to Guam reflects the United States commitment to its allies in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, and complements the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted between the U.S. and its partner nations. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. To deter a broad range of threats, the U.S. requires a robust triad of strategic forces and forward deployed nonstrategic nuclear forces. Ballistic missile submarines such as the USS Pennsylvania are on patrol continuously, providing a critical, stabilizing and highly effective element of the U.S. nuclear deterrence force. Information was provided in a press release. On Saturday, four Democratic Senators sent a letter addressed jointly to Loretta Lynch and James Comey, on the newly-discovered Hillary Clinton emails. They recited Democratic Party talking points and demanded fast action from the agencies. I havent seen the actual letter, but this description seems quite complete: Four Democrats in the Senate on Saturday sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey requesting a range of disclosures in the wake of Comeys Friday announcement about newly discovered emails possibly pertaining to Hillary Clintons use of a private server. The letter asks for more detailed information about the investigative steps being taken, the number of emails involved, and what is being done to determine how many of the emails are duplicative of those already reviewed. Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Benjamin Cardin and Sen. Thomas Carper signed the letter and gave Comey and Lynch a deadline of Monday to respond. Calling Comeys letter from Friday troubling, and noting that they are aware of the warning given by the Justice Department to the FBI regarding Comeys actions on Friday, the senators also write that his letter to Congressional Republicans breaks with the longstanding tradition of the FBI and Department of Justice proceeding cautiously in the days leading up to an election. Director Comeys letter has been misunderstood. It is already being used for political purposes, creating a misleading impression regarding the FBIs intent and actions, the senators wrote, calling on federal officials to dispel any misleading impressions and clarify what significance any of the new emails have to the previous investigation of Sec. Clinton. If the Senators expected a meaningful response, they didnt get it. The answer came from Assistant Attorney General Peter J. Kadzik, and said virtually nothing, except that DOJ and the FBI are dedicat[ing] all necessary resources to take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible. Here is the letter: Read the Letter the Justice Department Sent To by John Hinderaker on Scribd It is interesting that DOJ and the FBI presented a united front, and that the letter came from DOJ. It doesnt respond to the Senators various demands, doesnt comment on their talking points, and makes no promise as to when review of the new emails will be completed. Could it possibly be prior to the election? Perhaps, but no such assurance is being given at this point. Senators Leahy et al. didnt get much for their effort. Former Attorney General Eric Holder is unhappy that James Comey informed Congress that the investigation of Hillary Clinton has been reopened. Holder expresses his displeasure in the Washington Post. Nowhere in Holders article does he address Comeys stated reason for providing Congress with this information namely, that Comey was obligated to correct his previous statement that the investigation was closed. But then, being honest with Congress never mattered to Holder. The House found him to be in criminal contempt of Congress for stonewalling that body when it tried to investigate the fast-and-furious gunrunning scandal. Holder cited executive privilege. But Ed Morrissey reminds us that a court rejected his privilege claim. In his Post article, Holder claims, in essence, that Comeys letter to Congress unwittingly undermines public faith in the integrity of the Justice Department. Holder knows a thing or two about that. As Attorney General, he turned the Department of Justice into a taxpayer-funded command center for the race-mongering left. His objective was advocacy on behalf of certain minority groups, not neutral enforcement of the law. Nor was Holder a pillar of integrity during his time as Deputy Attorney General. Remember the scandalous pardon of Clinton pal and fugitive tax cheat Marc Rich a pardon that Rich appears to have bought? That was Holders work. Ed has the details. Democratic partisans are attacking Comeys decision in unison. We will not hear a less credible, less reputable voice in the choir than Eric Holders. Under Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the U.S. pivoted to Asia. Unfortunately, Asia seems now to be pivoting away from the U.S. As noted here, the Philippines, under its president Rodrigo Duterte, has turned away from America and towards to China. Duterte explained: America has lost now. Ive realigned myself in your ideological flow. And maybe I will also go to Russia to talk to Putin and tell him that there are three of us against the world: China, Philippines and Russia. Its the only way. Malaysia seems to agree. Calling himself a true friend of China, its prime minister Najib Razak arrived in China yesterday promising significantly closer defense ties with the Asian giant. Indeed, he is set to sign a major naval with China, said to be the first significant military agreement between the two countries. Duterte may be overstating things when he says American has lost, but theres no doubt that, under Obama, America is losing. From the Middle East to the South China Sea, the Malaysian leader sees the same weakness Duterte perceives. Other Asian nations perceive it too. Vietnam, unwilling until recently to tilt towards China, is seeking new ties with its old enemy. The Vietnamese prime minister visited China in September. And Thailands military government is buying submarines from China. Invoking a phrase of the Vietnam War era, one analyst says, its almost back to dominoes in Asia. Bummer. It turns out that the world still respects strength and despises weakness. How 19th century of the world! The Supreme Court announced last week that it will decide (or try to) whether the Obama administration may require public school districts, as a condition of receiving federal funding, to let transgender students use restrooms that dont correspond with their anatomical sex. The case in question involves Gavin Grimm, who is a girl anatomically but identifies as a boy and thus wishes to use the boys room at her (or, if one prefers, his) school in Gloucester County, Virginia. Ed Whelan has written a fine take down of the appeals court decision that went against Glouceester County. I also recommend this article by Gail Heriot, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Heriot sets the stage nicely: A longstanding American custom holds that communal restrooms, locker rooms, and showers should be separated by sex. Up until very recently, nearly everyone understood sex to be a biological concept and anatomy to be its primary indicator. No law required communal facilities to conform to this custom. In theory, the owners of such facilities could choose some other determinant like the newly popular concept of gender identity or even astrological sign. But few deviated from the custom. The DOE is now uprooting this custom and replacing it with a one-size-fits-all mandate. Under its policy, henceforth, federally funded schools must separate students based on gender identity rather than actual sex in assigning intimate facilities. Put more clearly, anatomically intact males must be permitted to use the restrooms, locker rooms, and showers for females if they say they identify psychologically with females (and vice versa). Heriot argues that there is no legal basis for the Obama DOEs decree. The DOE relies on a regulation issued in 1975 under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Heriot notes: [T]he language of the 1975 regulation is permissive, not mandatory. It states that schools may maintain separate toilet, locker room, and shower facilities on the basis of sex, so long as they are comparable. Earlier Supreme Court cases had established that separate is inherently unequal in the context of race. The regulation simply clarifies that sex is different. With sex, separate intimate facilities are a reasonable privacy and safety protection and thus permissible. The DOE construed the regulation to mean that students who identify as transgender have the sex that is the same as their gender identity in other words, the opposite of their anatomical sex. Under this reading, a schools single-sex restrooms would fall within the protection of the 1975 regulation only if boys who identify as girls are allowed to use the girls restrooms (and vice versa). This is an insane reading of the regulation. The 1975 regulation speaks in terms of sex, not gender identity. As Heriot points out, Title IX does not cover gender identity and no one would have dreamed of covering it in 1975 when the regulation was issued. Indeed, says Heriot, for decades, in the LGBT community and elsewhere, terms like transgender and gender have been used to contrast with transsexual and sex. A transsexual person has undergone a sex-change operation, while a transgender individual simply shares habits and traits with the opposite sex. Sex and gender identity are different. Title IX deals with the former, not the latter. Even the Fourth Circuit found the DOEs interpretation less persuasive than the obvious view that sex means biological sex. It held, however, that the DOEs interpretation is plausible enough to warrant deference. But, as Ed Whelan points, even this bit of legerdemain is insufficient to support the Fourth Circuits decision to uphold the DOE regulation. Assume for the moment that the 1975 regulation doesnt provide a defense for the school district; the plaintiff still must affirmatively show that its policy violates Title IX. On this question of statutory interpretation, the court could not accord any deference to an administrative interpretation as informal as the one at issue here (a letter from an acting deputy assistant secretary). From a policy perspective, the DOEs one-size-fits-all approach is badly misguided. As Heriot says: Sometimes, in a local school principals judgment, the best solution may be exactly what DOE purports to require: Let him use the intimate facilities assigned to his preferred sex. Sometimes the students who must share these facilities with him dont mind. But many cases, the affected students will feel their privacy or sense of security has been violated. Their feelings matter, too. Hence, sometimes the best thing may be to keep him with the members of his actual sex. In still other cases, the right solution may be to assign him to single-user facilities or to faculty facilities. Every case is different. (Emphasis in original) In Gavin Grimms case, after she told school officials that she is a transgender boy, her high school barred her from using the boys restroom and instead built three single-stall restrooms that were available for her (and other students of either sex) to use. This was an attempt to accommodate both Grimms sensitivities and those of other members of the student body. Was it a reasonable accommodation? I would have thought so, but Im not sure. I am sure that the decision is best worked out at the local level. But even if Im wrong, this is a decision that federal bureaucrats lack the authority to make. As Heriot concludes, the case is really about whether government agencies are allowed to interpret the law to be whatever they want it to be, or whether they are obliged to enforce it as written and agreed to by our elected representatives. In other words, its about the rule of law. Well holey-moley: the ABC News/Washington Post tracking poll today has Trump leading by 1 point. Yes, yes, margin of error, mumble mumblebut theres no avoiding the obvious fact that Hillarys once large lead has evaporated. The state-by-state polls showing Hillary still ahead should be viewed with skepticism. That sound you hear is Hillary being toppled from her Podesta. The Washington Post says that Democratic enthusiasm dips. Ya think? Democrats were never very excited about Hillary in the first place. The best thing Donald Trump can do is go to Mar a Lago for the rest of the week and say nothingwith one exception: Trump should attack the media even more strongly than he has before. I guarantee you that the major media newsrooms today are in a panic and plotting what they can do to help her out. The Hill has a great story today that bears on this question: Poll: Public overwhelmingly thinks media is in the tank for Clinton By Joe Concha The American public thinks the media wants Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton to win by an almost 10-to-1 margin, according to a new poll. The Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Friday asks, Who do you think the media, including major newspapers and TV stations, would like to see elected president: Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? Of the 1,000 adults surveyed, 75.9 percent answered Clinton, while just 7.9 percent picked Trump, the Republican nominee. Just more than 16 percent of respondents chose either neither or undecided. The Suffolk University/USA Today poll comes on the heels of an Associated Press/GkF poll last week showing that 56 percent of likely voters, including 87 percent of his supporters, believe the media is biased against Trump. In that poll, 51 percent of Clinton supporters said the media is biased in her favor, while just 8 percent said its biased against her. And the mainstream media wonder why theyve steadily lost customers. . . Meanwhile, our hidden camera at Clinton campaign headquarters recorded this scene this morning: Organizers of Miss Diva Awards have explained why they are honouring embattled ex-beauty queen, Chidinma Okeke, despite her alleged involvement in a series of sex tapes which have been buzzing the internet for weeks now. Chidinma didnt have to meet any criteria to receive this award. It was solely the decision of the brand to honour her, Chijioke Mr. Decency Awugosi, project coordinator of DIVA Queens award, said. We are aware of the controversy that will come with it. But we hope that in due time, every well-meaning and reasonable individual will see the reasons behind the award. Trouble started for Ms. Okeke, the former Miss Anambra 2015 who hails from Orumba North in Anambra State, when earlier in October, sex videos were leaked on the internet appearing to show her in a racy scene with a fellow model identified as Adaobi Nzekwe who also doubles as her personal assistant. At first, she vehemently denied being involved in the video, claiming her face was superimposed. However, she slipped into new depths when a second video was released showing the ex-beauty and her P.A. in a more sordid scene, inserting a full cucumber fruit into their private parts. Vanguard newspaper reported penultimate weekend that a third one-hour long sex tape featuring the disgraced former beauty queen and that is much more graphic than the first two snippets was about to hit the internet. The report also cited a source who said the tapes had been released in retribution for Ms. Okeke not holding up her end of a deal with an unnamed chief. This person reportedly invested money on the pageant organisers to ensure that Miss. Okeke would win and then also spent money for her makeup and wardrobe. The deal also stipulated that the unnamed donor would receive the proceeds she made from her reign as Miss Anambra, but Ms. Okeke allegedly reneged on the deal. Mr. Chijioke, also said the awards organisers were supporting the ex-beauty queen to curb the exploitation of young girls by the high and mighty in the modelling industry, who allegedly use blackmail to tarnish the image and dreams of young girls and bring the modelling industry as a whole into disrepute. We chose to stand with Chidinma right till the very end. Well give her every support we have at our disposal; morally, psychologically, legally. She is an icon and through her we can reach out to thousands of girls who have or are on the verge of being sexually exploited. It is a civilized world, we shouldnt be so judgmental, he said. Meanwhile, the decision to honour Chidinma has drawn both criticism and applause on the social media. While some found it disgusting to honour her, others were of the view that she should be shown concern whether she committed the act or not so as to avoid a case of her being forced to suicide. I never wanted to talk about this issue on my wall but this is getting stupid by the day. How can you give an award to a lesbian instead of following the law which states how many years imprisonment she should face, Embo Ems, a Facebook user wrote. Other supporters pledged their support on all social media networks with the hashtag #istandwithChidimma. However, the implications of this scandal for Chidinma are growing direr. After losing her title, the former Miss Anambra was also condemned by Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), the organizers of the pageant. In a recent development, The National Coordinator of the Association for Universal Moral Education Nigeria, Therese Nwodo, blamed failed parenting for the alleged sex scandal. The Catholic sister called on the Nigerian public not to traumatize the beauty queen the more by dramatizing her situation but to offer her psychological and spiritual succor to overcome the crisis. The lesbianism story about the beauty queen is unfortunate; it is symptomatic of what is going on in the society now. Our values have gone down; parents are no longer available to teach their children what is socially acceptable, she told News Agency of Nigeria. In a lengthy post on Facebook, the embattled ex-beauty queen said she feared she would be shot at a press conference she scheduled to talk about the scandal. Nigeria is one of 38 African countries making up about 70 percent of the continent that have passed anti-gay legislation in one form or another. The Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday dismissed the three cases filed against the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, by BGL Plc and its chief executive, Alfred Okumagba and the companys subsidiaries. The court dismissed the cases for lacking competence, handing over a major victory to the commission. The SEC had, last year, suspended BGL Asset Management Ltd, BGL Capital Ltd and BGL Securities Ltd from all capital market activities for violation of Investments and Securities Act (ISA). The commission also directed that the Group Managing Director, BGL Group, Albert Okumagba, should cease to be a registered sponsored individual with the commission, following the withdrawal of the registration of BGL Plc as a capital market operator. SEC explained that all suspicious transactions observed in the course of the investigation had been referred to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further investigation. BGL Asset Management, BGL Capital and BGL Securities and all individuals involved in the management of the said companies had been referred to the SEC Administrative Proceedings Committee (APC). The committee considered the report of a detailed investigation into the various complaints received from investors against subsidiaries of BGL Group. The committee directed that BGL Asset Management Ltd, BGL Capital Ltd and BGL Securities Ltd be suspended from all Capital Market activities. It also ordered that all sponsored individuals of BGL Asset Management , BGL Capital and BGL Securities whose particulars are contained in the Commissions record as at December 2014 be suspended from performing any capital market activity. Mr. Okumagba, prior to the investigation, was the President, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) but was asked to step aside by the institute because of investors confidence. During the same period, the SEC Director-General, Mounir Gwarzo, said that the commission was investigating the operations of BGL Plc, a financial services company. Mr. Gwarzo said that the commission had set up an interim management team to investigate the companys operations. What we did for BGL was basically extending our investigation process. We undertook target inspection of BGL. When we finished the investigation, we came up with our own report and we wrote them a letter and we said we want them to clarify. They responded by asking us for additional time to respond and we granted them that additional time and they responded. We reviewed their response and we felt there is a need for us to go in and confirm or clarify certain things. That is the situation we are in now, Mr. Gwarzo said. He said that the findings of the interim management team would determine its next line of action. We set up an interim management team that has already moved in and is doing its job and I dont want to pre-empt what they would come up with. But the moment they finish the report, SEC will look at it and take the next line of action, Mr. Gwarzo said. The interim management team set up for BGL by SEC was headed by Oladipo Aina, with Abubakar Ambursa, Hafsat Rufai, Temitayo Siyanbola and Tonne Ladipo-Ajayi as members. (NAN) Forte Oil Plc on Monday announced the appointment of Mario Mandara and Salamatu Suleiman as independent non-executive directors of the company. In a formal notification to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on the two appointments, the Group Chief Executive Office, Akin Akinfemiwa and Company Secretary, Akinleye Olagbende, said Mrs. Mandara was a consultant Obstetrician and gynaecologist. The statement said Mrs. Mandara has extensive knowledge of public health systems and managing maternal and child health programmes in Nigeria. They said after medical training at the University of Jos, Mrs. Mandara practiced at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria. Between 2015 and 2010, the statement said Mrs. Mandara served as a senior Country Adviser in Nigeria to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, before moving over to the Nigeria-based Health Systems Adviser for the Earth Institute at New Yorks Columbia University. Besides, Mrs Mandara is a well-known advocate for girls human and reproductive health and rights as well as for the improvement of the status of women and girls in Nigeria. Equally, Mrs. Suleiman is a qualified lawyer and advocate who served as the Minister of State 11 for Foreign Affairs between August 2010 and May 2011. She was also appointed Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development between December 2008 and March 2010. Recently, she served as the Commissioner, Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) between February 2012 and March 2016. Prior to her appointment, Mrs. Suleiman served as he Secretary to the Commission and Director, Legal Services at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) between 2001 and 2008. She was also the Company Secretary at Continental Merchant Bank between 1992 and 1996 as well as Principal State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice, Sokoto between 1983 and 1989. Forte Oil said the two appointments would enhance the capacity of the Board by ensuring the company continued to fulfil its vision of being the foremost energy solutions provider and be in the forefront of global best corporate governance proactive. The Senate says it has discovered overtime cargoes worth billions of naira stacked at the Ikorodu Lighter Terminal, Lagos State, by the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) for not less than 10 years. The Chairman Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, Hope Uzodinma, made the disclosure when briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. He said that the containers were moved there by the NPA to decongest the Apapa Port. Mr. Uzodinma said the committee discovered the cargoes during its oversight visit to the terminal in Lagos. The senator said the containers contained valuables such as transformers, cars and electronics. The chairman expressed his disappointment over the non-implementation of the Act establishing the Nigeria Customs Service with regards to disposal of overtime cargoes. To see these number of containers with very valuable items in our various sea ports and airports, not claimed for a period of over 10 years, is to say the least very disappointing. This shows to some extent a sign of irresponsibility on the side of the authority. We are going to discuss with the hierarchy of the service. We will ensure that the Act that established the Nigeria Customs Service, which has also prescribed a procedure for disposal of overtime goods and seized cargoes, is respected and complied with. The only way to dispose these items or overtime cargoes is copiously captured in the Act and it is not going to be subjected to any further negotiation. Whatever that is defined in the Act is what should be done. Our responsibility as lawmakers who made the law is to ensure that it is followed forthwith, said Mr. Uzodinma. The senator said that with the global price of crude oil fluctuating on a daily basis, it was high time the Federal Government focused more on other sources of revenue. We are talking of economic recession in the country but you can see how many hundreds of billions of items of value that are lying at the Ikorodu Terminal for the past 10 years. What we saw at Volkswagen of Nigeria, Idiroko and Seme are not pleasant at all and now we are making another shocking discovery. Government must begin to do things differently if we must get out of this recession, he said. The lawmaker expressed the willingness of the 8th Senate to ensure that measures were put in place to take Nigeria out of recession. Senate has woken up and this discovery is a product of our oversight activities. When we show commitment, when we show patriotism, when we understand the meaning and relevance of national interest, our country will be better for it. We cannot continue to rely on oil revenue. God has endowed this country with enormous national resources and it is left for us to manage it well and we dont have a choice. I think with the emergence of the President Buhari-led administration and with the change agenda, things must be done differently, he said. However, Mr. Uzodinma decried the lack of routine promotion for personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service. He also decried the poor welfare package for the personnel in spite of their contribution to the development of the country. The senator said that some of the officers were subjected to hardship having to make do with make-shift- tent in the premises. We are aware that for a long time, there has not been promotion in customs. We are aware that the motivation is not seriously there. We are working with the Comptroller-General to ensure that the routine promotion commences immediately and the welfare package is strengthened. We have been to the Customs barracks to see what is happening there. We will sit and plan on how best to provide sufficient welfare package for men and women of the Nigerian Customs Service, he said. (NAN) The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, said on Monday Nigeria would meet the 2020 deadline by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) for the effective implementation of beneficial ownership reporting in the countrys extractive industries. Mr. Fayemi, who is also the Chairman of the National Stakeholders Working Group (NSWG) of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), was speaking at the consultative workshop for the development of a roadmap for beneficial ownership disclosure in Nigerias extractive industries. The minister said the principle of ownership transparency in the extractive sector was consistent with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to open, transparent and accountable management of the countrys resources. Apart from the presidents personal conviction and the anti-corruption drive of his administration, Mr. Fayemi said openness was being mainstreamed in all sectors of the economy as the defining governance ethos. It is worthy of note that NNPC, previously renowned as the poster-child of opacity, is now issuing monthly reports on its operations, he said. The workshop is important because government is keen on making sure our natural resources work for all of our people; that natural endowments facilitate, and not impede progress; and that revenues from these natural blessings translate to improved welfare for all our citizens. The Minister said the governments determination to ensure effective framework for beneficial ownership disclosure was important to identify appropriate legal and administrative instruments required for full disclosure of beneficial owners. As an EITI-implementing country, he said Nigeria was required to publish a roadmap for disclosing the beneficial owners of all companies doing business in the countrys extractive sector. Knowing the real owners of the companies that bid for, invest in and operate our extractive asset has practical implications for economic growth, physical security, and human development in our country, he said. While not illegal in many countries, Mr. Fayemi said anonymous companies were known to constitute real and present dangers, especially in sectors as strategic as the extractive sector and in developing countries. NEITI Executive Secretary, Waziri Adio, said the volume of hidden ownership would require actions in different domains and by different actors, saying this would require new regulations, new policies and new legislations. He said ownership transparency, when pursued effectively, was in the best interest of all. He said NEITI would continue to push for transparency and accountability, adding that the agency would do more work on expenditure transparency. The workshop was hosted in conjunction with the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) The Nigerian Navy has arrested a Nigerian and three Cameroonians with 66 drums of petrol suspected stolen. Those arrested were Kokah Ekema, 38, Money Francis, 27, Nako Otto, 25, and a Nigerian, Who-Knows Nya, 30. Siyanbade Adedokun, the Commanding Officer at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Forward Operation Base, Ibaka in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, paraded the suspects on Tuesday before journalists in Ibaka. Mr. Adedokun said that one Cotonou wooden boat equipped with two 40 horsepower outboard engines had also been seized from the suspects. The more we patrol, the more we make the maritime environment safe for legitimate business to thrive. It is a very strategic place to police so that we wont have people from neighbouring countries coming to penetrate illegality into the country, Mr. Adedokun said. He decried acts of sabotage by criminal elements on the economy of the country. Mr. Adedokun attributed the success recorded by NNS Forward Operation Base to frequent patrols of the nations waterways and creeks. He warned oil bunkerers, pipeline vandals and sea pirates within the maritime environment of Nigeria to refrain from nefarious activities. The commanding officer handed the suspects over to the Akwa Ibom command of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC. The state Commandant of the NSCDC, Obiagulu Obiageli, who received the suspects, lauded the Nigerian Navy for effective policing of the waterways. She noted that the achievement of the navy would help to sustain legitimate businesses within the maritime area of the country. Ms. Obiageli, represented by the Chief Inspector of the corps, Victor Uweh, said NSCDC would investigate the suspects and prosecute those found culpable. (NAN) Iraqi anti-terrorism forces on Tuesday penetrated Gogjali village on the eastern outskirts of Mosul as part of an offensive to liberate the city from Islamic State militants, a security source reported. The forces managed to take control of a TV building in the village and are currently combing the area, the source added, who preferred to remain anonymous. The security source reported that Iraqi forces and Islamic State militants have been engaged in intense fighting in and around factories in Gogjali at the gate to the first district of Mosul in the east of the city. Islamic State militants used sniper fire and home-made vehicle bombs to halt the advance of the Iraqi forces, the report added. On October 17, government forces, Kurdish troops and Sunni fighters, backed by U.S.-led airpower, started a long-awaited campaign to liberate Mosul, Iraqs second-largest city. Mosul, which is located in Nineveh province, is the largest city controlled by the Sunni extremist group, with a population of over 2 million before the conflict. The battle was expected to be a decisive moment in Iraqs fight against Islamic State, which Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed would be driven out of the country this year. Islamic State overran Mosul in mid-2014 at the beginning of a lightning offensive that saw it seized swathes of Sunni Arab northern and western Iraq as Iraqi army and police units collapsed in the face of its onslaught. (dpa/NAN) Nurses at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, have accused the management of the hospital of fraud. The workers made the accusation through the vice chairman of National Association of Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Oyo state chapter, Oyewunmi Opeyemi. The NANNM scribe said the leadership of the teaching hospital had failed to account for several millions of naira monthly. We have called on the (state) Commisioner of Health to ensure that accounts are audited but nothing has been done, he said. We are even aware that the number of workers in the hospital has been inflated, the number of persons declared is really outrageous because we know the number of persons that work with us in the hospital. They (management) have embezzled lots of funds; we do not know what is happening with our internally generated revenue and what it is used for in the hospital, Mr. Opeyemi said. He demanded an audit of the hospitals account. Reacting however, the Director of Administration, Ajiferuke Ademola, dismissed the allegations. The allegation that we embezzle is very laughable and sad. The truth is that as at April 2016, we had over 1300 workers in the teaching hospital, although people have been resigning daily due to the half salary payment. It is very bad that they have made such allegations but they are all unfounded. Nurses in the hospital went on strike last week, citing payment of half salaries as ground for their action. It was also gathered that medical doctors have submitted a letter to the hospital management that they cannot continue working without the nurses. No fewer than 240 Boko Haram fighters have voluntarily surrendered to the Nigerian Army after they came under intense fire from troops, authorities said Monday. The firepower of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) ground troops and joint Air operation during the Operation GAMA AIKI forced a massive defection of remnants of the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT), the Chief Military Public Information Officer, Muhammad Dole, said in a statement. Sustained offensive operations and blockage of logistics supply routes made the terrorists locations untenable; as a result, BHT and their families abandoned their locations and surrendered with their arms to the nearest locations of the ground forces in the operation areas. Mr. Dole, a colonel, said the mass defection took place in Bagasola town, in neighbouring Chad, considered by troops as Sector 2 Area of Responsibility (AOR). The statement added, A total of Two Hundred and Forty (240) Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) surrendered some of them with arms and ammunition. They are being profiled and camped in Bagasola. During his operational visit to Sector 2 AOR, the Commander MNJTF, Major General Lamidi Adeosun addressed the ex -BHT and their families. The Commander commended the leaders of the ex- BHT for their courage and taking the right decision to abandoned terrorism and insurgency for normal life. He assured them of safety and good care as long as they remain in the camps. He also urged them to encourage their colleagues in the bush to stop fighting and join them in the camps. This peaceful disarming and profiling of the ex-BHT by the MNJTF forces, clearly demonstrated extent of professionalism and adherence to International Humanitarian Laws and Laws of Armed Conflict in combat operations he added. The Commander MNJTF donated token cash for purchase of two cows and 10 bags of assorted food stuff for each of the 2 groups for the welfare and up keep of the ex-BHT and their families. This brings the total number of surrendered BHT to MNJTF troops in sector 2 to four hundred and sixty-four. While addressing a team of International Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in the camps, the Commander praised their commitment and sacrifice in discharging their humanitarian duties. He implored them to mobilise more resources and manpower, as more BHT are expected to defect and join their colleagues in the camps. The ex-BHT are expected to receive trainings in different skills and small businesses as scheduled by government agencies and NGOs. In another development, the Commander MNJTF made presentation of cash to representatives of officers and soldiers who were killed in Action (KIA) and Wounded in Action (WIA) during Operation GAMA AIKI. As part of encouragement and alleviation of suffering to the victims families and wounded personnel, the Headquarters, MNJTF made provisions of One Million CFA (1,000,000.00 cfa) only for each family of KIA and Five Hundred Thousand CFA (500,000.00 cfa) only for each WIA in the battle field. During the presentations in Sector 2 Bagasola (Chad) and Sector 4 Diffa (Niger), General Adeosun prayed for the souls of the departed colleagues for the supreme sacrifice they made in the service to humanity and praised the courage and bravery displayed by the WIA. He equally consoled the families of the KIA and prayed for quick recuperation of the WIA. In sector 2 Bagasola, Commander was accompanied during the visit to ex-BHT camps by the Coordinator/Chief of Staff of the Chadian Ground Forces and Red Barrettes, Major General Ismael Hour, Deputy Commander, MNJTF, Brigadier General Musa Muhammad Djour and Senior Prefect of Bagasola. Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau on Monday in Abuja enjoined Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo to stop running to President Muhammadu Buhari for solution to his partys internal problems. Mr. Lalong said this while speaking to State House correspondents after he formally presented Rotimi Akeredolu, the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidate in Ondo, to President Buhari. According to him, Mr. Buhari is the President of Nigeria, and neither a PDP member nor INEC chairman. Let me say it was even wrong for them to start running to Mr. President to help them solve the problem of PDP, their party. Mr President is the President of Nigeria and he is not a member of PDP. Even when we have problems in APC, we dont run to Mr. President, if he (Mimiko) has a problem in his state, he is the governor, let him stay there and resolve the matter. It is a matter between PDP and PDP, and those matters are in court, so, why should you run to the President. Is the President the chief judge of Nigeria? He is not the INEC chairman either. Mr. Lalong, who is the Chairman of the APC Governorship campaign in Ondo, said that President Buhari had endorsed the candidature of Rotimi Akeredolu as APC candidate for the election. Mr. Akeredolu, who also spoke to the correspondents, expressed optimism that the APC would win the Nov.26 gubernatorial election in Ondo. l can always tell you, people who know me, they know that I talk most times with some confidence. Let me assure you here that by the grace of God, we will win the election in Ondo state. On his relation with a national leader of APC, Bola Tinubu, Mr. Akeredolu dismissed the insinuation that he had scores to settle with him. He said that Mr. Tinubus silence over the conduct of the APC primaries signified acceptance of the exercise. He said, I dont have any rift with him, since the primaries you would see that as a leader of the party, he has not said anything about it, he has accepted the primaries and we are moving on. So, I dont have any rift with him at all and we are moving on. Mr. Akeredolu called on the security apparatus in Ondo to be up and doing so that they dont allow miscreants to take over the state. What we said is dont allow miscreants to be out as it could lead to the breakdown of law and order; so its not that we are afraid, but we fear for the lives and property of the people of Ondo State. On facing Jimoh Ibrahim or Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP, the APC gubernatorial candidate said he would have been happier facing both of them together. I can assure you I would have been happier facing both of them together, he said. If Eyitayo Jegede was chosen as candidate and Ibrahim as his deputy, I will still win. In fact, Jegede happens to be a friend, Ibrahim too. Jimoh Ibrahim went to Ife, so, we have known ourselves for long. I have no fear about both of them, we know that we are going to win this election and I have no doubt. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Governor Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi and Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, who were in the Presidential Villa, told the State House correspondents that they discussed security issues with President Buhari. We have come to confer (which is usual) with Mr President. But as you can see, I am here with the governor of Jigawa, as you know we share a border with Jigawa. We have come to discuss some security concerns with the President to solicit for his support for us to effectively ensure security in the two states, this is basically what we have come to discuss, Mr. Abubakar said. On Northern governors trip to the U.S., Mr. Abubakar said that the governors were invited by the United States Peace Institute based in Washington. According to him, the United States government had a great concern for the northern part of Nigeria. They believe whatever situation that exists in the northern part of Nigeria has a multiplier effect on the whole nation. So, if you are able to solve the problem before it becomes a national problem, it will help, we have discussed with them the root causes of insurgency and illiteracy, poverty, lack of empowerment of youth and women. These are points we have discussed and the issues of IDPs in Borno, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe. They have indicated their concern for the humanitarian crisis and especially about the situation of children in the IDP camps, and we have solicited for their immediate support so that we can overcome the challenges, he added. (NAN) The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Mahmud Mohammed has said that the the failure on the part of the Executive Arm of Government to act upon recommendations by the National Judicial Council (NJC) cannot be blamed upon the NJC. Justice Mohammed made the statement in a letter dated October 26 and sent to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The letter with reference No.CJN/Gen/MISC/A37/Vol.XXI/8 and signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the CJN, , H. S. Saeed, was in response to SERAPs request to Justice Mohammed requesting him as the Chairman of the NJC to take over from the Department of State Service (DSS) the cases of all the 7 judges released by the DSS and refer the cases of those judges to anticorruption agencies for conclusion of investigation and prompt prosecution. But the CJN in reaction told SERAP that, Certainly, you will agree with me that where there are clear constitutional provisions relating to the power of any individual, institution or Arm of Government, then it cannot deviate nor exceed such powers as this will be unlawful. The letter by the CJN reads in part: While restating the willingness of the NJC to act upon any petition as well as commitment of the Nigerian judiciary to the fight against corruption, his Lordship opines that any significant involvement in the fight against corruption will be upon a similar commitment of the Prosecutorial Agencies to actively prosecute their cases expeditiously when information about same is received It is necessary to restate that the NJC is a creation of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) being established under Section 153 with its mandate clearly set out in Para 21, Part One of the Third Schedule to the Constitution. This provision clearly stipulates at Para 21(b) and (d) that the Council may only recommend to the President and the Governors, the removal from office of Judicial Officers and to exercise disciplinary control over such Judicial Officers, which in effect is the extent of its power to discipline. Hence, the Council cannot, suo moto dismiss any Judicial Officer. The NJC can also neither hand over corrupt judges to law enforcement agencies for prosecution nor recover proceeds of corruption, as you have suggested. It can merely recommend to act upon its findings, as it has always done. However, in exercise of its constitutional mandate, the NJC has enacted the Judicial Discipline Regulations, 2014 in order to ensure that petitions are received, investigated and addressed as appropriate. As SERAPs own Report attests, 64 Judicial Officers have been disciplined within 5 years even preceding the institution of the new guidelines. Any failure on the part of the Executive Arm of Government to act upon such recommendations cannot therefore be blamed upon the NJC. With due consideration to the contents of your letter, I am directed to acknowledge and address the concerns which SERAP have raised, which may reflect the wider opinion held by some Nigerians. While his Lordship doubtless appreciate SERAPs concern for the incidence of corruption in the judiciary, it is indeed erroneous to conclude that the NJC has felt satisfied with applying only civil sanctions and have not deemed it fit to hand over corrupt judges to law enforcement agencies for prosecution nor recover proceeds of corruption, as insinuated in your letter under reference. To be sure, every citizen of Nigeria inclusive of Judicial Officers, are entitled to the protection of the law and a key provision of the Constitution is the presumption of innocence, as enshrined in Section 36(5) of the Constitution (as amended). I must also remind us that the Seven Judges like all other persons are entitled to a fair hearing as stipulated in Section 36 of the Constitution. As such, it would be presumptive and indeed preemptive to sanction the said judges without exhausting the proper procedure for their removal. As a valuable member of the society, the Hon. CJN is certainly delighted with SERAPs dedication to justice, fairness and justness. His Lordship also wishes to emphasize that it is indeed our collective responsibility to tackle any perceived challenges facing the Nigerian judiciary. Indeed, with the support of well-meaning and eminent Nigerians such as members of SERAP, giant strides will be made towards reaching the goal of a transparent, fair and equitable system of justice. The Hon. CJN wishes you the best in your future endeavor as SERAP strives to support and entrench good governance in Nigeria. It would be recalled that SERAP had in a letter dated October 11 and signed by its executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, expressed serious concern that the NJC has for many years failed to appropriately deal with several cases of corrupt judges by failing to refer those cases to the EFCC and ICPC for prosecution. Many of these suspected corrupt judges are still alive and their cases should be promptly referred to the anticorruption agencies. The NJC under your leadership should seize the opportunity of the just released 7 judges to comprehensively address corruption in the judiciary. SERAP said that it believed that The NJC is in the best position to tackle corruption within the judiciary, and to ensure the application of appropriate disciplinary and legal measures in the cases of the released 7 judges and other judges suspected of engaging in corruption. SERAPs letter reads in part: SERAP believes that corrupt judges should not merely be retired where there are clear allegations of corruption against them. Corrupt judges must not also be allowed to keep their ill-gotten wealth, or receive their pension and retirement benefits, as if they have done no wrong while the victims of their corrupt acts are left without an effective remedy. SERAP believes that corrupt judges are more dangerous to the society than corrupt politicians because a corrupt judiciary denies both victims of corruption and those accused of corruption access to an independent, impartial and fair adjudication process. No country can succeed with corrupt judges as there cant be no rule of law, development, justice and enjoyment of human rights when judges are corrupt. Judicial corruption is antithetical not only to human rights and good governance but it also directly undermines the ability of government to satisfactorily combat corruption. Judges should not be allowed to avoid accountability for corruption if judicial impartiality and independence is to be held sacrosanct and access to justice is to be effectively achieved. The Senate has rejected President Muhammadu Buharis request for authorisation to borrow about $30 billion. The president, last Tuesday, forwarded a request to the National Assembly to approve external borrowing plan of $29.960 billion to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between 2016 and 2018. He made the requests in two separate letters to the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara. Mr. Buhari said the external loan, the biggest in Nigerias history, will fund targeted projects cutting across all sectors with special emphasis on infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water supply, growth and employment generation. Other sectors, he said, included poverty reduction through social safety net programmes and governance and financial management reforms, among others. According to him, the cost of the projects and programmes under the borrowing (rolling) plan is $29.960 billion. This is made up of proposed projects and programmes loan of $11.274 billion, special national infrastructure projects $10.686 billion, Euro bonds of $4.5 billion and Federal Government budget support of $3.5 billion. The Majority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, was quoted on Monday as saying that the House would approve the loan. But The Senate considered the request on Tuesday and refused to give its approval. More details coming. The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday suspended indefinitely its hearing into motions brought by the Ahmed Makarfi faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The appeal court said its decision followed a petition filed by one of the parties in the matter on Monday. A panel of three judges led by Jumai Sankey said that its integrity was compromised by a petition filed against it by Biyi Poroye, a member of the PDP faction led by former Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff. Ms. Sankey said the petition was forwarded to the President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa. She said the petitioner alleged that the court, under her leadership, was prone to being compromised for financial gains. Subsequently, the three judges on the panel withdrew their participation in the case, pending the determination of the petition by the judicial body responsible for the investigating such matters, the National Judicial Council, NJC. Ms. Sankey said a copy of the petition was also sent to the NJC. She said her panel would return the case files to the President of the Appeal Court. The court was scheduled to decide on the validity or otherwise of previous judgements from lower courts on the crisis within the PDP. A faction of the party led by former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and another by former Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff, have for months battled in court over the leadership of the PDP. As part of that battle, the faction led by Mr. Makarfi had approached the appeal court to seek nullification of previous decisions by a Federal High Court presided over by Okon Abang which has affected that factions candidate for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State. Mr. Abang had on October14 given an order in furtherance of his June 29 decision where he had asked the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, to recognise the faction led by Mr. Sheriff. In his October 14 ruling, Mr. Abang nullified the listing by INEC of the candidate of Mr. Makarfis faction, Eyitayo Jegede, for the Ondo State governorship election. The judge said the decision was premised on his June 29 judgement where his court declared as null and void the proceedings of the PDP convention which appointed a caretaker committee with Mr. Makarfi as chairman. Shortly after that decision, the Makarfi caretaker committee approached the appellate court to demand a stay of execution of Mr. Abangs October 14 decision. At that time, Mr. Jegede had been recognised by INEC as the partys flag bearer and the supporters of the Makarfi-led faction said the status quo should be maintained, pending the determination of their appeal at the appellate court. Mr. Jegede also approached Mr. Abangs court, according to the rules of the Federal High Court, to seek his permission to appeal the October 14 judgement. That appeal was denied by Mr. Abang on October 27. During his ruling on Mr. Jegedes application, Mr. Abang reiterated his decision that Mr. Ibrahim remains the authentic candidate for the PDP in the coming election of Ondo State. In deference to the October 27 decision of the Federal High Court, INEC withdrew its recognition of Mr. Jegede and had him replaced by Mr. Ibrahim. Consequently Mr. Jegede and other members of the party from Mr. Makarfis faction made further appeals to the Appeal Court demanding that it strikes out the June 29 ruling by the Federal High Court as well as that of October 14. Those appeals were what the appellate court was scheduled to determine on Tuesday. INEC had said Mr. Ibrahim would remain the candidate of the party in Ondo until a ruling by the appeal court. The Chief Executive Officer of Erisco Foods, Eric Umeofia, has decried the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBNs foreign exchange policies, saying they were stifling local manufacturers operations and growth. Mr. Umeofia said this on Tuesday in Lagos at a news conference. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Erisco Foods is an indigenous tomato paste manufacturing company that employs thousands of Nigerians. Our reason for investing in the country is not only for money but also to help our people and our country to achieve her vision in line with governments agenda to diversify the economy. In our effort to support the government, we developed a technology that enabled us to produce tomato paste with fresh and dry tomatoes. We have spent over N4 billion to buy dry tomatoes and fresh tomatoes that ought to have wasted as usual from our local farmers, but it is just lying in our warehouses for lack of Forex approval. The Forex is to get enough machines sufficient for our capacity to convert them into quality raw materials for the production of tomato paste and to meet up with our packaging lines, to reduce our production cost. In view of the above, we will start to lay off about 1,500 of our staff in batches and start moving our machines and equipment out of the country, the manufacturer said. He said the planned downsizing and plant relocation should be completed in six months to nine months. Mr. Umeofia said that the relocation of production plant to China would increase unemployment, tomato waste and the food import bill of the country. He said governments diversification agenda would be enhanced through effective processing of agricultural produce. According to him, the country should move beyond producing primary agricultural products and into processing and manufacturing to enable farmers to reap from their cultivation. The bumper harvest we are experiencing now is as a result of the peoples determination to go back to farm in line with the campaign for more people to embrace Agriculture. If we are serious about diversifying the economy, we must go beyond producing primary agricultural products and go into processing, preserving and manufacturing. That is how to encourage farmers to work harder, Mr. Umeofia said. (NAN) Further details have emerged regarding the petition written against a judge of the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, Jummai Sankey, on the Ondo State Peoples Democratic Party crisis. Ms. Sankey had earlier on Tuesday recused herself from presiding over applications brought by Eyitayo Jegede, the candidate of the Ahmed Makarfis PDP faction. Her decision, which was also taken by the other two members of the panel, was on the ground that a petition had been written against them by Biyi Poroye, the state chairman of the party, from the faction led by former Borno State governor, Modu Sheriff. The petition dated October 31, read in court, said that the Ondo State governor Olusegun Mimiko had allegedly boasted of bribing the presiding judge with a sum of N350 million. The petitioner, Mr. Poroye, claimed that Mr. Mimiko made the statement at a public gathering and that he had earlier boasted of treating Ms. Sankey to a bribe of N100 million. Mr. Poroye, in the petition, alleged that Ms. Sankey had been sick for the past five years and had most likely spent her fortune on treatment, hence the possibility that she would be prone to being compromised for financial gains. He added that Ms. Sankey was transferred from Yola, where Mr. Jegede had practiced for over 15 years, and therefore she could have had strong ties with the applicant. He also faulted what he termed as the composition of a special panel to hear a pre-election matter, adding that there was no reason for the President of the Court of Appeal, Zainab Bulkachuwa, to have done so since the appeal was not time bound. Counsel representing both factions had in court indicated lack of knowledge about the said petition and condemned it. Ms. Sankey had also condemned the decision of the petitioner to have used her illness as a basis for the allegations against her. Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it. It is painful that the petitioner used my ailment predicament to insult me, to allege that I am a poor Judge, sick for five years and prone to corruption. I am ready to carry my illness on my shoulder, but it is unfair for the petitioner to make my sickness an issue in his petition, she had said. The court had opted to ignore the petition, since the counsel indicated ignorance, but noted that any case of alleged bias has the legal requirement for consideration. The panel therefore returned the case files to the president of the court, till the determination of the issues contained in the petition. The appeal court had planned among other things to decide whether the lower court was right in deciding that the faction of the party led by Mr. Sheriff was the right camp of the PDP. That decision was to form the basis of determining the rightful candidate to be recognised as the flag-bearer of the PDP in the November 26 election. An Abuja Division of the Appeal Court will today decide on applications regarding the leadership tussle within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Two factions of the party led by former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and former Borno State governor, Modu Ali Sheriff, have for months battled in court over the leadership of the PDP. As part of that struggle, the faction led by Mr. Makarfi had approached the Appeal Court to seek the nullification of previous decisions by a Federal High Court presided by Okon Abang, which has affected that factions candidate for the November 26 election in Ondo state. Mr. Abang had on October14 given an order in furtherance of his June 29 decision, in which he asked the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, to recognise the faction led by Mr. Sheriff. In his October 14 ruling, Mr. Abang nullified the listing by INEC of the candidate of Mr. Makarfis faction, Eyitayo Jegede, for the Ondo state governorship election. The judge said the decision was premised on his June 29 judgement in which his court declared as null and void the proceedings of the PDP convention which appointed a caretaker committee with Mr. Makarfi as chairman. Shortly after that decision, the Makarfi caretaker committee approached the appellate court to demand a stay of execution of Mr. Abangs October 14 decision. Mr. Jegede also approached Mr. Abangs court, according to the rules of the Federal High Court, to seek his permission to appeal the October 14 judgement. That appeal was denied by Mr. Abang on October 27. Mr. Jegede and other members of the party from Mr. Makarfis faction made further appeals to the Appeal Court. If the court upholds the June 29 ruling of the Federal High Court, that would be in favour of the Sheriff faction. On the other hand, if the June 29 judgement of the Federal High Court is dismissed, the decision of INEC to recognise Mr. Ibrahim as the PDP candidate in the Ondo governorship election will be overruled, in favour of the Makarfi faction. PREMIUM TIMES will bring you live updates from the court. Live Updates The pioneer president of the Students Union Government, University of Ilorin, Femi Durosaro, has eulogized a former president of the National Union of Nigerian Students, NUNS, the late Segun Okeowo, for his selfless commitment to the cause of students when he was alive. Mr. Durosaro, a professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, gave this commendation while speaking as the guest speaker at a programme organized in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the universitys Students Union Government on Monday. The ex-union leader described the late Mr. Okeowo as a unionist who contributed immensely to the struggle of Nigerian students and played his part in the resistance of the tyranny of the then military government of General Olusegun Obasanjo during the infamous Ali Must Go crisis of 1978. According to the don, it was unfortunate that Mr. Okeowo and other student leaders were rusticated from the university for decisions they took selflessly in the interest of the teeming population of Nigerian students by leading a revolt against increase in the cost of feeding as introduced by the then Olusegun Obasanjo-led military regime. He added that the protest was dubbed Ali Must Go campaign, a direct reference to the name of the then minister of education, Colonel Ahmadu Ali. Mr. Durosaro, who was the president of the University of Ilorin Students Union Government during the Ali Must Go era, disclosed that he felt sorry for the late Mr. Okeowo who was rusticated from the University of Lagos. The decision to protest the increase in feeding allowance was a general one, it was not Okeowos personal decision but at the end of the day, as the leader he had to bear the brunt of all the actions. I felt for him. I also felt particularly for the then president of ABU Zaria who was also rusticated; he wasnt too keen on going on that protest. He was coerced into it but because perhaps he didnt manage the crisis very well, he was made to pay for the ugly incident of military shootings that occurred during the crisis, Mr. Durosaro said. He however urged the University of Ilorin students union executives to ensure that the legacy laid by selfless leaders like Mr. Okeowo and other unionists is upheld with special consideration for dialogue. Other ex-student leaders at the event also spoke glowingly about the late union leader who died in 2014. They called on the present crops of student unionists to be selfless in their conducts, engage in constructive criticism and embrace dialogue. In his address, the president of the varsitys Students Union, Shobowale Lukman, promised to be transparent and accountable in the running of the affairs of the union. He also assured students that their welfare will be handled with utmost priority. The House of Representatives on Tuesday in Abuja urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct all pending re-run elections into legislative positions in Rivers and Anambra. This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion under matters of urgent public importance sponsored by the House Minority Leader, Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta) and five others. Moving the motion, Mr. Ogor said that INECs inability to conduct re-run elections in the two states had denied the people their constitutionally guaranteed right to representation at the National and State Houses of Assembly. And by extension led to a denial of the peoples right to participate in critical national issues that have come for deliberation including national appropriations, he said. According to Mr. Ogor, INECs failure to conduct the elections violates section 48 of 1999 constitution which provides that the Senate shall consist of three senators from each state and one from the FCT. It also violates section 49 which provides that the House of Representatives shall consist of 360 members representing constituencies of nearly equal population as far as possible. The above constitutional provisions are mandatory, thus failure to comply with any of them is unconstitutional. The Court of Appeal in December 2015, ordered that re-run elections be conducted within 60 days but INEC has consistently refused to do so. He said that apart from the elections conducted by INEC on March 19, 2016 in only four out of 12 federal and few state constituencies, there was no elections in other places. While almost all states are adequately represented in the parliament, Rivers continues to be unrepresented due to INECs deliberate neglect and refusal to conduct outstanding elections in the state. Contributing to the debate, the House Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila (APC-Lagos) said the call became necessary in view of the need to safeguard the countrys democracy. This country is underrepresented and there are obvious shortcomings in the constituencies where the elections are not concluded, Mr. Gbajabiamila said. Ruling on the matter, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara referred the motion to House Committee on Legislative Compliance and Electoral Matters. According to him, the committees will ensure that INEC concludes elections in Rivers and other states where elections are not concluded. The committees were mandated to revert to the House within two weeks with a confirmed date for the elections. (NAN) The Federal Government has commended a US-based Nigerian surgeon, Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, who successfully removed tumour from a baby in her mothers womb. In a statement in Abuja, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President Muhammadu Buhari on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, said that Nigerian Government and people were proud of Olutoye. The statement was signed by Dabiri-Erewas Media Assistant, Abdurrahman Balogun, on Tuesday. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa noted that Mr. Olutoye and his partner, Dr Darrell Cass of the Texas Childrens Hospital, carried out the operation on a 23-week-old foetus in U.S. The baby, Lynlee Hope, who suffered from a tumour known as Sacrococcygeal Teratoma, was removed from her mothers womb, operated on, and returned to the womb. The baby got healed and continued to grow until she was finally delivered at 36 weeks. She said that President Buhari received the news of Dr Olutoyes feat with excitement and fulfilment and was looking forward to meeting him. The special assistant commended Nigerians in the Diaspora for their roles in projecting Nigerias good image. According to her, Nigerians in the Diaspora are a huge potential, playing greater role in all sectors. Nigerians are a great people, making greater positive impacts in all fields of human endeavour in the Diaspora. Dr Olutoyes feat is one of such testimonies, she said. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria was working on a national Diaspora policy guideline geared toward regulating all engagements with all Nigerians in the Diaspora. According to her, Nigerians in the Diaspora are of much importance to the growth and development of the country. She appealed to other Nigerians in the Diaspora to do their best to give Nigeria a positive image. Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said that President Buhari was determined to enhance the welfare of all Nigerians at home and abroad, and remained committed to tackling insecurity, corruption and economic problems. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olutoye is a co-Director of the Texas Childrens Fetal Center, and fetal surgery team member, as well as a general paediatric surgeon. He has specialised clinical expertise in fetal and neonatal surgery, with specific interest in congenital diaphragmatic hernia and complex wounds. Mr. Olutoye received his medical degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, in 1988 and PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, U.S., in 1996. He is a member of the International Fetal Medicine and Surgery Society and a Fellow of the Surgical Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Surgeons. He is also a Fellow of the West African College of Surgeons (NAN) The Vice Chancellor of Obong University, Udoudo Ekanemesang, has reacted to claims by Nigerians that sexual assault is commonplace in tertiary institutions in the country, saying the private university, located in Akwa Ibom State, has zero tolerance for such behaviour. The Nigerian Senate recently passed a bill prescribing six years jail term for lecturers found guilty of sexually assaulting female students. If it happens here, the person (lecturer) wont be here overnight, he will be gone, said Mr. Ekanemesang, a professor of biochemistry, in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES. Fortunately, this is a small place, and everybody knows what is happening; words go out very quickly. Mr. Ekanemesang said the university gives out questionnaires to its students at the end of every semester for them to anonymously assess and report the attitude, conduct, and performance of their lecturers. Besides the rules and ethical codes on campus, the school authorities also try to build academic integrity among its staff and students, the vice chancellor said. We run seminars on academic integrity for staff and students. This is a Church of Christ affiliated institution, we have chapel here. So, every day at noon, we have chapel that would last for about 30 minutes, and we try to develop the whole person. It is compulsory for both students and staff. We are not asking you to become converted, we are not preaching doctrines, we are teaching you what the Bible teaches. There is also a ban on the sale of handouts in the school. It doesnt happen here. Nobody sells anything here, Mr. Ekanemesang said. You can give the students (the handout) to go and photocopy it themselves. In fact, if you publish a book, you cant impose it on students. You can list your book with other books, and the students have the option to buy or not to buy, because there is what is called conflict of interest. Mr. Ekanemesang said the greatest challenge facing the nine-year-old university was funding. He said besides the fees paid by students, the school relied largely on the support of its proprietor, Moses Akpanudo, a professor of business education, and other public-spirited individuals to run its programmes. For Mr. Ekanemesang, running the university without substantial support from government or any institution is akin to building from the scratch. We dont work here for money. I call it the Obong University project. I call it commitment, and not a job, because as a private university depending on students school fees we cannot pay what federal government pays. So, most of the people who are working here are excited at the opportunity to contribute to the development of tertiary education in Akwa Ibom State, and contributing to educating those people who, if this school did not exist, probably would not have had the opportunity to earn a university education. Mr. Ekanemesang advised Nigerians who invest in the education sector to see their investment as non-profit. People should invest in education because they want to either leave a legacy or because they want to change the society, he said. In Nigeria, education is still an elitist enterprise. There is still a lot of family in this country that has not yet produced a university graduate, especially in the rural communities. Most families cant afford university education. People who are able to enter universities in this country are people who go to mostly private secondary schools, they have to pay a lot of money, and those are people who can afford to pass JAMB which is competitive, he said. Six people , including a mother, three of her children and two of their neighbours on Tuesday lost their lives in Ogaminana area of Okene in Kogi after eating a meal made from cassava flour. The Public Relations Officer of Adavi Local Government, Abdulhamid Salahudeen, told journalists on phone that three of the victims died on Tuesday at the Okene General Hospital while the woman and two of her children had earlier died on Monday in their house. He said that the woman died alongside three of her children, two sons and a daughter According to him, two male children of her neighbour that partook in the meal also died . He put the ages of the five dead children at between 9 and 15 years. Mr. Salaudeen said that the mother had in the evening of Sunday, October 30 brought the cassava flour (white Amala) from her farmland at Ohuepe village. He said that the woman prepared a dinner from the yam flour for the family and extended the food to her neighbour. The officer said the victims later went to bed but developed severe stomach pain over the night which later resulted in the death of the woman and two of her children. He said that neighbours who sensed that the sudden deaths might be due to the cassava flour dinner quickly rushed the remaining three children that partook in the eating to Okene General Hospital where they died on Tuesday. Mr. Salaudeen said that the authority of the local government believed that the cassava flour was poisoned and had informed the police for appropriate action. A senior nursing officer at the Okene General Hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death of the three victims at the hospital on Tuesday . The nurse said that the victims were brought in late Monday afternoon. (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, said it was ready to allow Nigerians in Diaspora vote during elections, if the legal clauses restraining them were removed by the National Assembly. The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, stated this when he received the Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non Governmental Organizations, NGOs, at INEC headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja. He said that Nigerians in Diaspora should be allowed to vote because of their population, economic contribution as well as the fact that it is a global best practice of democracy. Mr. Yakubu said that at the moment, the constitution required Nigerians above 18 years who are living abroad to return home to register at the time of registration and during elections. Allowing for Diaspora voting will enable Nigerians living abroad to register and vote in their countries of residence. However, for this to happen, several sections of the constitution and the Electoral Act have to be amended, to provide for the legal framework, to allow for registration and voting by citizens living in Diaspora. We have identified the areas requiring amendment and we will be happy at this meeting to discuss these proposed areas with the distinguished committee. Because election is a legal process, the first thing to do will be to provide the enabling legal environment for that to happen. So it has to start with the amendment of our constitution and the Electoral Act. Once this is done we can then look at other issues that arise- administrative, logistically, financial requirement of actualizing the voting. Mr. Yakubu said that the commission had already started the process of studying system of Diaspora voting from countries that practice it, including those within Africa. Rose Oko, Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora and Non Governmental Organisations, said that their visit was linked to requests by Nigerians in Diaspora who wanted to exercise their franchise and be part of the electoral process. Ms. Oko, who was a former INEC National Commissioner, said that the Nigerian Diaspora should be included in the countrys electoral process as their demand was universally enshrined in the human rights charter. That call has been made repeatedly by Nigerian Diaspora abroad and has been given impetus by some high placed Nigerians, even those in government. Indeed, former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 in Gabon endorsed the idea of Diaspora voting when he was addressing Nigerian Diaspora in that country. President Muhammadu Buhari last year at the 2015 Diaspora day also told Nigerian Diaspora that INEC would be told to look into the possibility of granting them voting rights in the 2019 elections. That statement was made again, in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea this year when he said that INEC will look into the possibility of Nigerians in Diaspora voting in 2019. Indeed even from the point of legislature, the Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, at a one day summit this year at the electoral reform summit had encouraged INEC and stakeholders in that summit. That they should look into the possibility of including Diaspora in the electoral process in 2019. Ms. Oko said that while some lawyers had lent their voice to it, the constitutional conference held by the NASS had also accepted the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee that Nigerians should explore Diaspora voting. She added that Diaspora voting was not new as 115 countries in the world had adopted it, out of which 28 come from Africa. She said Nigeria did not need to put everything in place before it could commence Diaspora voting as countries that had adopted it looked at what they felt were key in starting it. Ms. Oko, however pledged that the National Assembly would give the necessary support to ensure the adoption of Diaspora voting in the country. This committee believes if government has the political will to do so, and if INEC has the capacity, both in terms of the human capacity and other logistics to carry out this exercise, the issue of amending sections 13 (1C) of the electoral Act. 77 (2) and 171(2) of the 1999 constitution will not be a problem. (NAN) Gideon Ekere, a journalist in Akwa Ibom State, has been charged with criminal defamation, for linking the state governor, Udom Emmanuel, to a sex story published in his newspaper. The story, published in 2015 by The Global Post, which is owned and edited by Mr. Ekere, had alleged that four Chinese construction workers said to be working on the governors country home, in Onna, were involved in a sex orgy that led to the death of a local woman. Mr. Ekere was consequently arrested by the State Security Services (SSS) allegedly on the orders of Governor Emmanuel, and dragged before a magistrate court in Uyo, February this year. The case was being prosecuted by the Nigerian police, until the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice took over from them. Mr. Ekere is scheduled to appear again on Thursday, November 3, before the magistrate, Idongesit Isua. Victor Iyanam, a lawyer to the journalist, told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday, that the case against his client lacked merit, and that he had already filed a motion for stay of proceedings pending a High Court judgment on the constitutionality of the law in which he was being tried under. Patrick Albert, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council, told PREMIUM TIMES, Tuesday evening, that the union was yet to be briefed on the case, but that they were however concerned about Mr. Ekeres rights to carry on with his professional duty as a journalist. The law presumes that every citizen is innocent until proven guilty, Mr. Albert said. We are interested to know how possible we can help him (Ekere) out of the case. A group of lawyers and human right activists on Monday held a protest march in Abuja to call on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to blacklist government agencies defying court orders. They also condemned the call for suspension of judges recently arrested by the State Security Service. The protesters also called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to compile a list of persons being detained in violation of bails granted them by courts. The protest march, organized by Lawyers in Defence of Democracy (LDD) and Citizens For Good Governance (CGG), began with a rally in front of the office of the National Human Rights Commission in Maitama. It then proceeded through the Federal High Court and the office of Attorney-General of the Federation to the Three Arms Zone. Addressing the rally, one of the joint conveners, Ikenga Ugochinyere, urged Nigerian courts to stop attending to cases involving security agencies involved in alleged human rights abuses. Mr. Ugochinyere said while his group supported a holistic reform of the judiciary and that the NJC deals ruthlessly with cases of corruption he urged Nigerians to resist sting operations against some marked judges not doing the bid of politicians and some government agencies. He commended the NJC for defending the independence of the judiciary, the sanctity of democracy and insistence on rule of law and sanctioning some judges who abused their offices but urged it to stop hearing any case involving any agency that defied a court order. Deciding to ignore judgments of courts that do not favour you and implement the ones that protect your interest are clear signs of an emerging dictatorship, he said. Mr. Ugochinyere said his group supports every genuine effort to fight corruption and fish out corrupt judges and indeed all other corrupt officials, but we condemn the brutish and Gestapo attack on the judiciary. That is not the way to go. He said the call by the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abubakar Mahmoud, for the suspension of arrested judges was contrary to the 2014 Revised Judicial Discipline Regulations formulated by the NJC, pursuant to Section 160 of the 1999 Constitution as amended. The lawyers say judges must not step down from cases involving the SSS as that would amount to victory for tyranny and intimidation. But they demanded that judiciary workers go on strike until the SSS obeys all pending judgments. The SSS has been accused of disobeying several court orders since 2015. The most notable cases involve the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, and the leader of the pro-Biafra group, Nnamdi Kanu. Some judges have recently stood down from cases involving the SSS, following the arrest seven senior judges on allegation of corruption. Also, the spokesperson of Nigerias Supreme Court, Ahuraka Isah, on Monday confirmed reports that two of its judges accused of corruption have stopped sitting. The two judges, Iyang Okoro and Sylvester Nguta, were among the seven judges arrested by operatives of the State Security Service, following allegations of corruption. In a telephone chat with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Isah, who speaks for the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed, said the Supreme Court judges suspended sittings since the raid on their homes and their subsequent arrest. None of the judges whose houses were raided and arrested by the SSS have been suspended by the NJC, the spokesperson said. But the two affected Supreme Court justices voluntarily recused themselves from all judicial functions since the raid occurred. Seven judges were on October 7 arrested by the SSS following allegations of corruption. A former presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, has told the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he only has N5 million to reimburse the government. Mr. Abati was detained when he reported at the EFCC headquarters a week ago. During the interrogation, he reportedly admitted receiving N50 million from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki. The government said the money was part of $2.1 billion earmarked for the purchase of arms for the fight against Boko Haram. Mr. Dasuki is standing trial for allegedly misappropriating the money. Sources at the anti-graft agency told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday night that Mr. Abati offered to refund N5 million to the government. The source said Mr. Abati allegedly failed to furnish the EFCC with records of how the N50 million was disbursed. The former spokesperson reportedly said he did not keep notes of such expenses as they were doled out to media practitioners across the country as part of the 2015 campaign activities. Mr. Abati may still be allowed to go home if he is able to meet an administrative bail granted to him last week. He had not been able to meet the bail requirements, which included presenting a senior federal civil servant from the level of a director as surety. He may be released in the coming days despite his refusal to fully cooperate with us, one EFCC source said. On Monday, Mr. Abati, alongside a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Musiliu Obanikoro, were visited in custody by a Catholic cleric, Matthew Kukah. Mr. Obanikoro has been in EFCC custody since he turned himself in hours after returning to the country on October 17. Mr. Fani-Kayode was rearrested outside a Lagos court on October 21. A statement by the EFCC said Mr. Kukah commended the agency for taking a good care of the detainees. President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Senate to confirm the reappointment of Umaru Ibrahim as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC. Mr. Buhari made request via a letter read by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday. Mr. Saraki quoted the president as saying the reappointment of Mr. Ibrahim was in accordance with Section 5 Subsection 4 and Section 8 Subsection 3 of the NDIC Act. Mr. Ibrahim was first appointed NDIC boss in 2010 to serve a term of five years. After completion of his first five-year tenure, Mr. Buhari, in January 2016, asked him to stay back and continue managing the Corporation in acting capacity. Mr. Ibrahim, who holds a Bachelors degree (1974) and Master of Public Administration (1977) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, joined NDIC in 1989 as a Deputy Director in charge of Finance and Technical Supports. But before NDIC, he had worked in the Kano State public service for 10 years and risen to the position of Permanent Secretary. A ruling of the Court of Appeal expected to be delivered on Tuesday afternoon has been suspended. Court officials told journalists at the court premises that the ruling was suspended following a petition against the judges accusing them of bias. No new date has been fixed for the ruling. Two factions of the party led by former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and former Borno State governor, Ali Sheriff, have for months battled in court over the leadership of the PDP. As part of that battle, the faction led by Mr. Makarfi had approached the Appeal Court to seek nullification of previous decisions by a Federal High Court presided over by Okon Abang which has affected that factions candidate for the November 26 election in Ondo state. Mr. Abang had on October14 given an order in furtherance of his June 29 decision where he had asked the Independent National Electoral commission, INEC, to recognise the faction led by Mr. Sheriff. In his October 14 ruling, Mr. Abang nullified the listing by INEC of the candidate of Mr. Makarfis faction, Eyitayo Jegede, for the Ondo state governorship election. The judge said the decision was premised on his June 29 judgement where his court declared as null and void the proceedings of the PDP convention which appointed a caretaker committee with Mr. Makarfi as chairman. Shortly after that decision, the Makarfi caretaker committee approached the appellate court to demand a stay of execution of Mr. Abangs October 14 decision. At that time, Mr. Jegede had been recognised by INEC as the partys flag bearer and the supporters of the Makarfi-led faction said the status quo should be maintained, pending the determination of their appeal at the appellate court. Mr. Jegede also approached Mr. Abangs court, according to the rules of the Federal High Court, to seek his permission to appeal the October 14 judgement. That appeal was denied by Mr. Abang on October 27. During his ruling on Mr. Jegedes application, Mr. Abang reiterated his decision that Mr. Ibrahim remains the authentic candidate for the PDP in the coming election of Ondo State. In deference to the October 27 decision of the Federal High Court, INEC withdrew its recognition of Mr. Jegede and had him replaced by Mr. Ibrahim. Consequently Mr. Jegede and other members of the party from Mr. Makarfis faction made further appeals to the Appeal Court demanding that it strikes out the June 29 ruling by the Federal High Court as well as that of October 14. No new date has been fixed for the Court of Appeal ruling. INEC had said Mr. Ibrahim would remain the candidate of the party in Ondo until a ruling of the appeal court. President Muhammadu Buhari, on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja held a high-level meeting with leaders to seek ways to end the militancy and the sabotage of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta region. The president pitched a vision of unity and progress for the country in which peace reigns. He said peace, security, investment and prosperity are linked together, adding that if we give peace a chance, investors will come here to invest. Nobody will invest in an insecure environment. President Buhari said the problems his administration found on the ground were many, as illustrated in collapse of oil prices, inability of 27 of the 36 states of the Federation to pay salaries, absence of savings to fall back and having to deal with an elite who didnt seem to care. In welcoming the 16-point request presented for negotiation by the Niger Delta leaders, President Buhari said he was still expecting reports from officials he had instructed to review the implementation of the Amnesty program to determine where government fell short so that amends can be made. The president said the service chiefs were putting together their own assessment of the militancy situation, saying when I have these reports, including this one (just presented), we will revisit the situation (in the region) to ensure that we succeed this time. He however cautioned the leaders of the Delta that they had more to do than anyone else to bring peace to the region, given the influence they have on militant groups. He expressed the determination of his administration to stay focused on its key campaign promises of securing the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the improvement of the economy. We are determined to make life comfortable and affordable to all Nigerians. If anybody has a country to go to, let him go, we will stay here and salvage our country, he said. The president, who delivered his report card on the war against corruption and the efforts to secure the country, repeated his call to the Niger Delta leaders to join the administration in bringing peace to the troubled region. Please Your Excellencies, Your Majesties, Distinguished ladies and gentlemen; we all have our individual constituencies, he said. Let us try to pacify our constituencies. Let us first recover our country, secure the country and let us invite people who will invest. Let us create jobs for our people and let us be accountable to our people where we are sitting on treasuries, whether it is local government, state or the center. We should ensure that we rebuild this country. Nobody wants to fail. So, the only way out is, if people understand and believe that we are doing our best at all levels, then we will have some peace. But it they have reason to doubt our performance and sincerity, then we will have problem. In their own presentation, the leaders and Stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region led by Edwin Clark, a former minister, put across to the president 16 issues for dialogue, for which they demanded a composite government committee. The issues include, among others, the completion of major road projects in the region, the take-off of the maritime university, the full activation of ports in Niger Delta and other water ways, the relocation of international oil companies to the region. Others issues include the issuance of oil blocks to the states and other stakeholders as well as the strengthening of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. They also broached the issue of fiscal federalism. The Niger Delta leaders reaffirmed their support for the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari and expressed total commitment to the unity, peace and stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo, the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, accompanied the president to the meeting. The Ministers of Justice, Defence, Petroleum (State), Transportation, Niger Delta, Education (State), the Chief of Defence Staff, the National Security Adviser, the Director-General, DSS, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, the representative of the Chief of Air Staff and the Inspector-General of Police were also in attendance. The Presidency has said it will not dispute the decision of the Senate to reject the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow $29.9 billion. The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Sen. Ita Enang, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday. The Senate on Tuesday rejected the request of Mr. Buhari to borrow $29.9 billion as part of its external borrowing plan for 2016 to 2018. The leader of the Senate, Ali Ndume, told journalists after plenary that the request was rejected due to the absence of certain documents that should have accompanied the letter. Ita Enang, therefore, said that the Presidency would not be disputing with the senate but would rather engage with them on the issue that had been raised. We are not disputing with the distinguished Senate. There are certain information and details which will enable them to consider in detail, and appropriately the request of Mr President. So we are collating that information. The Budget Office of the Federation, the Debt Management Office, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Finance and the economic team are collating the information so that it can be submitted to the Senate to enable them take the appropriate decision. We would be engaging the Senate. We will not be disputing with them but we will be engaging with them. When we present a matter before the legislature it is for them to consider and as they have considered, more information is needed and that information they are entitled to it and we would provide, he said. (NAN) The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Borno remained 32 in spite of recent return of some persons to liberated communities. The North-East Coordinator of the agency, Muhammad Kanar, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Maiduguri. Mr. Kanar said 16 of the camps were located in Maiduguri, while 16 were cited in some local government areas. He said the number of displaced persons in the camps in Maiduguri ranged from 120, 000 to 130, 000. We still have 32 camps in the state; 16 of the camps are in Maiduguri, while 16 others are in the local government areas, which we call satellite camps. The number of persons in the 16 camps in Maiduguri fluctuates between 120,000 and 130,000; sometimes it is 120,000, sometimes it is less depending on the situation, Mr. Kanar said. He said the number of IDPs in satellite camps was 400,000, adding that no fewer than 1.2 million IDPs were also staying with relatives in the communities. He said that the agency had been striving hard to provide welfare for the IDPs wherever they were located. We have gone far in the management of the camps; we have graduated from central cooking system which was problematic, to dry ratio system which has been successful. What we do is to supply the required food items for the feeding of the IDPs to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) every month in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that we have, Kanar said. The state government will thereafter supply the condiments and other items to the IDPs. They also provide cooking materials to them, he added. He said the system had been very successful as it had ended the era of complaints of poor feeding by the IDPs. We are working in partnership with about 50 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in offering humanitarian services to the IDPs. But, only about 10 of them have been most active, with some taking over the feeding of an entire camp, he said. Mr. Kanar disclosed that NEMA was working on plans to offer help to IDPs living inside communities through collaborative effort with some of the NGOs. (NAN) Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday said he would have to seek the intervention of federal security agencies to help the state battle the reported cases of sexual harassment in camps for the internally displaced persons (IDPs). Since the establishment of IDPs camps about two years ago, sexual harassment of women and abuse of teenage girls has been on the rise. Parents who had lost their right of control over their kids would watch helplessly as grown up males, and in some cases camp officials, lure their daughters to dark corners for quick sex in exchange for money. The Human Rights Watch on Monday released a report accusing government officials and other authorities in Nigeria of raping and sexually exploiting displaced women and girls in various IDP camps. The report also accused the government of Nigeria of doing little or nothing to protect the women and girls in the camps. Borno State governor, Mr. Shettima, said he would have to seek special intervention of federal security agencies as well as rights group. According to a statement issued by the governors spokesman, Isa Gusau, Mr. Shettima has resolved to write letters requesting the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Security, the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP and the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, seeking their help in ending the menace. Mr. Gusau said the governor would want the mentioned agencies to deploy female and male undercover detectives to all IDP camps in Borno State to spy on culprits and bring them to book. The governor made this disclosure when he received a delegation from the National University Commission who were in the state on a tour of ongoing infrastructure at the proposed Borno State University. Deployment of undercover agents will be a permanent measure in addition to the urgent need for investigation of the report by the Human Rights Watch released days ago which said some female IDPs interviewed had alleged they were sexually harassed by some security officials, to the extent of getting them pregnant, the statement said. Today, as Governor of Borno State, there is no issue that gives me headache like the unfortunate bye-products of IDP camps, said Mr. Shettima. Our citizens were violently sent out of their houses and communities, it is their fundamental rights to be provided alternative accommodation with their food and health cater for. Sadly and very sadly indeed, the IDP camps have become avenues that horrible stories of sexual slavery, prostitution rings, drug peddling and other social vices are emanating from. Only yesterday (Monday) there was a report by a Human Rights group alleging incidences of sexual abuses by some Federal and State workers in some of the IDP camps. This is highly condemnable. Apart from investigating these claims and arresting culprits which is absolutely necessary, I am going to write letters to the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the DSS, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency and may be the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, requesting all of them to deploy female and male undercover detectives to all our camps to permanently spy on anyone involved in sexual harassment, any form of prostitution, drugs trafficking, possible child trafficking and even the allegations of diversion of food items meant for IDPs. I would want these detectives to report their findings to their security establishments and whoever is found wanting should be picked up without notifying me so long as there is verifiable evidence to prosecute him or her. I am tired of applying the element of persuasion in handling the issues of IDPs, we need to wield the big stick. The problem with managing the IDP camp is that you are dealing with a population of two or more local government areas in one location and you cannot imprison them by restricting or stopping them from leaving the IDP camp in the day time. When a female IDP leaves the camp in the morning, you cannot be in control of where she goes and who she sees. If she leaves the camp and returns the following day, she may claim to have visited a family member and little can be done. I strongly believe there are cases of sexual harassment but some of the women may be consenting to sexual advances largely due to extreme poverty and loss of value system. We have to instill sanity into the IDP camps and I hope we will not end up having human rights activists telling us we cannot deploy undercover detectives into IDP camps due to one form of rights violation or the other. Desperate situations call for desperate measures. Sexual harassment of female IDPs is a desperate situation. None of us here is beyond becoming an IDP if Allah decrees and none of us would fold arms if his or her daughter is in position to be sexually harassed, so we must act now, the governor said. A factional Chairman of the PDP in Kwara, Sunday Fagbemi, on Monday led some of his sympathisers to take over the partys secretariat on Asa Dam Road in Ilorin. Members of the party, who are loyal to the Ahmed Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee of PDP, had stormed the secretariat early in the morning amid wild jubilation. The jubilant PDP supporters were sighted carrying placards with various inscriptions affirming Mr. Fagbemis leadership. Speaking with the journalists at the secretariat, Mr. Fagbemi said his executive committee members remained the authentic leaders of the PDP in the state. He said that his committee was duly elected at the state congress of the party, noting that the appeal committee set up by the national body of the party also affirmed him as the state chairman in its report. Mr. Fagbemi alleged that the other factional chairman, Akogun Oyedepo, was fraternising with the ruling APC in the state. But in his reaction, the Publicity Secretary of the Oyedepo-led executive of the PDP, Rex Olawoye, insisted that Mr. Oyedepo remains the authentic state chairman of the party. Mr. Olawoye, who said Mr. Oyedepo was in Abuja attending a national meeting of the party wondered what Mr. Fagbemi was doing in Ilorin if he was truly elected the state chairman. He wondered why any group would forcefully enter the secretariat of the party when the partys constitution stipulated normal taking -over process, describing the act as a coup and invitation to anarchy. Mr. Olawoye, however, said that the PDP was united in the state and all the differences would be resolved in due course. He said his group would explore all legal means to retake the party secretariat in due cause. (NAN) Degree programme graduating students of the Federal College of Education (FCE), Pankshin in Plateau State on Monday held members of the schools management hostage for failing to release their results in time for their call up into the National Youth Service Corps. Over 2000 students are awaiting the results of the degree programme that they completed since 2014. The college runs the programme in affiliation with the University of Jos. Faced with the prospect of missing the last lap of the 2016 NYSC scheme, for which the call-up registration portal closed on Monday, the students converged on the school to press its management for immediate action. In an interview with journalists in his office, acting Provost of the College, Emele Ezema, blamed the delay in release of the results on the University of Jos, which he said was yet to conclude the necessary protocols for validating them. Mr. Ezema expressed regret that the delay meant the students would not be able to participate in the NYSC scheme until next year. The possibility of the affected students being mobilised for this November 2016 NYSC scheme is slim, because the portal closes this night (Monday), he said. But their results will be ready soon, because the Senate of the University of Jos is meeting on Wednesday to approve the results. But investigations by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that the University of Jos had refused to endorse the results because FCE Pankshin failed to fulfill parts of it obligations to the university. Some of the affected students lamented that they would not be able to take part in the NYSC scheme after this year for reason of age. Ingyer Terhemen, one of the affected student, told journalists that he concluded his course since 2013. If the school management fails to mobilize us for NYSC at the end of 2016, someone like me will no longer qualify because by next year (2017) I will be above 30 (the official age limit for the scheme). PREMIUM TIMES also learnt that seven of the students have died since they completed their courses in the college. It was not established however that this had any link to the delay in the release of their results. Some of us have become like beggars, because our parents are even tired of feeding us as adults, said Ziyak Yakubu. We cannot work anywhere because we do not have evidence that we went to school. No results, and we havent (done) the mandatory one-year service scheme (NYSC). But the vice president of the National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), Felix Attah, appealed to for calm. Mr. Attah, who was at the school to intervene, told journalists after a closed-door meeting with the schools management that NANS had demanded that the results be released immediately. He appealed to the students to avoid any act capable of complicating the process and to remain peaceful. NANS shares in the pains of the students, but they must remain peaceful. Violence is not the solution, he said. Mr. Attah said the management of the college assured him that the results would be ready soon, because University of Jos Senate will this Wednesday deliberate on how to approve the results. We will ensure a follow up to the university to ascertain their claims, we will not rest until the issues are addressed, the NANS official said. PREMIUM TIMES saw a copy of a three-page letter the affected students had written on January 28 to the Plateau State House of Assembly in which they appealed for the intervention of the state lawmakers. Although the letter was copied to the Federal Ministry of Education, it did not yield relief for the students. After they were addressed by the NANS official, the students agreed to give the management until the end of this week to release their results, failing which they threatened to shut down the college. The Kubwa/Maitama Village Market Traders Association in Bwari on Tuesday called on the area council to postpone the planned demolition of their business areas. The traders made the call at the meeting between the Bwari Area Council executive, traders and developers that held at the Bwari Legislative Chambers. The meeting was aimed at finding an out-of-court solution to the issue of demolishing the existing markets for new ones and also avoid damages that could result from the exercise. Zawa Buhari, president of association in Kubwa, said that the proposed demolition would contribute to the economic hardship faced by the traders due to the economic recession. He said the market consist of 3,000 traders and appealed to the council to postpone its demolition plan to allow traders work out alternative places. Mr. Buhari said we appeal to the council Chairman to intervene in this matter; he should give us some time because most of our members are currently faced with economic challenges. Some of us borrowed money to buy and sell in the market; so we plead with the authority to postpone its demolition till Jan. 2017. We signed the document for demolition of the market, but we did not expect them to come so soon due to lack of communication, they didnt tell us about the demolition deadline early enough, he said. Meanwhile, Nwankwo Ezenchi, Chairman of the Kukwaba market, said although the Court had passed judgement for the demolition of the place, the issue could be settled out of Court to avoid damages. What we want the council Chairman to do for us is to give us some time to pack out our belongings from the market and relocate to another place, he pleaded. He explained that the issue about market demolition had been at the Abuja High Court 34 since 2004, adding that our appeal for the council authority is to shift grounds. Speaking, the Market Developer, Ahmad Muhammad, promised to be considerate with the traders during the demolition of the market. Mr. Muhammad, who is also the General Manager of H and L Construction Limited, said we will do all we can to ensure that no trader is stranded during the market demolition. We will co-opt some of the traders into our team during the demolition. Many of them are already aware of this and we will work together to actualise the goals. Responding, Musa Dikko, Chairman of Bwari Area Council, promised to hold further discussions with the leadership of the traders towards working out better options to resolve the matter. Mr. Dikko recalled that the traders and the past council administration had entered into an agreement on demolition of the market in order to build a modern one. You had entered into agreement in April 2015 and my administration came on board in May that same year. I have visited the place as I assumed office as Chairman and I also discovered that there was no valid list of allottees; if you had not signed the document I will have asked why. What is happening now is only an implementation of what had happened; I will still hold round table discussion with the aggrieved parties, to come up with a lasting solution, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the high point of the meeting was the presentation of the signed document of demolition earlier signed by the traders Chairman. (NAN) The Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, said his agency and the Task Team on Environment have raided a hideout of suspected beggars and scavengers in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Mr. Olanipekun said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, adding that weapons such as knives, daggers and cutlasses were seized from the hideouts. She said that the combined team of the AEPB and the Task Team on Environment were on routine operation when they carried out the raid. The director added that all those arrested during the clearing operation were handed over to police for investigation and further necessary action. She explained that begging and scavenging activities in the Federal Capital City remained prohibited, and warned that defaulters would be prosecuted at the Sanitation Mobile Court if arrested. There have been cases of stolen manhole covers and scavengers have been the prime suspects of the crime, which necessitated the FCT Administration to ban their activities in the city. The AEPB, the Ministerial Task Team and other security agencies in the FCT will soon commence full enforcement and prosecution, she said. Mr. Olanipekun called on residents of the FCT to give useful information to security agencies to ensure that miscreants and criminal-minded persons are exposed and dislodged from the city. She assured that the AEPB would not relent in its efforts to ensure that the FCT environment remained clean and protected for the benefit of residents. (NAN) Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State has met with Ahmed Gumi, the General Secretary of Jamaatu Nasril Islam, and the appointed interim Imam of Sultan Bello Mosque, Abubakar Khalid. A Government House source told PREMIUM TIMES that the meeting was convened to reconcile the two factions, following their dispute over the Imamship of the Mosque. The meeting is also attended by the Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris. Samuel Aruwan, the spokesperson to the governor, said the meeting was to ensure peace and harmony among all parties involved. The meeting came after a PREMIUM TIMES published interviews with the two contending persons. Mallam el-Rufai is currently meeting with both Dr Gumi, Dr Khalid and the Emir of Zazzau to find a lasting peace to the lingering imamship scandal at Sultan Bello, the source said. I cant give you details now, but we are hopeful that, at the end of the meeting, peace will return over the issues of leadership at the mosque. Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa has called for follow-up discussions on issues raised during the just concluded meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and the stakeholders from the Niger Delta region. Mr. Dickson told reporters that the follow-up discussions had become imperative in order to achieve the objectives of the ongoing dialogue in the Niger Delta. The governor assured that his colleagues in the Niger Delta region were partnering with the federal government in addressing challenges in the region, including militancy and sabotage of oil installations. But I said at the meeting we cannot discuss and agree on a master plan, moving forward in this meeting. I believe that there will be follow-up discussions where some of these issues will be taken up and discussed in greater detail. All the state governors are working in collaboration with the federal government and its agencies to ensure that these issues that we highlighted are addressed. Mr. Dickson commended the President Buhari-led administration for embarking on the clean-up of the Ogoniland, saying the exercise would go a long way in addressing the issues of environmental protection. The federal government has done well, working with its partners to begin the clean-up in Ogoni. Florence Ita-Giwa, a former Special Adviser on the National Assembly, also called for speedy resettlement of people of Bakassi Peninsula. She said that President Buhari commented on the issue, saying that they were not asking for the issue to be revisited but that of resettlement of the affected people. The President commented even in the history of Bakassi. What we are asking for, we are not asking for the issue to be revisited. What we are asking now is to be resettled in Nigeria as Nigerians that we have chosen to be. The President pledged that the government would look into it. We are not asking for the President to go back into the case, because that will be an exercise in futility. We want to be properly resettled in Nigeria as Nigerians, she said. (NAN) The police in Ebonyi on Tuesday re-arrested a man, Christopher Ochuba, who escaped twice from police custody. The spokesperson of the Ebonyi State command, George Okafor, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, that the suspect, a motor-mechanic, was currently undergoing investigation. Mr. Okafor said that the suspect attempted to kill a police officer, Francis Alozie, during his last escape bid by stabbing him on the shoulder. He said that the suspect, who hails from Ogbo in Ivo Local Government Area, was arrested for stealing and detained at Ivo. Mr. Okafor said that in the process of his detention, the suspect brandished a jack-knife and attempted to stab the officer. He used the knife to threaten other officers at the counter and escaped into the bush in the process, he said. The spokesman noted that the police launched a manhunt for him and that a surveillance team sighted him in his mechanic workshop weeks later. The suspect was re-arrested and in the process of taking him back to the station, he brandished the same knife and stabbed the officer, Alozie in the shoulder. He escaped again but the officers pursued, re-arrested and took him back to the station, he said. The spokesman said that the suspect was demobilised while the wounded officer was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. (NAN) The United States is the Southeast Asian archipelago's former colonizer of nearly five decades and its chief benefactor since World War II, when Japanese troops invaded parts of the country and left between 500,000 and 1 million dead. Duterte's two visits followed a string of harshly worded demands that the United States stop helping his country militarily and economically. China has separate maritime sovereignty disputes with Manila and Tokyo. It accuses the United States of trying to contain its expansion. "It's a three-way courtship, China, Japan and the U.S., and Duterte knows all of this at this time," said Eduardo Araral, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore's public policy school. "At the end of the day he just wants to get more benefits from these relationships." The outspoken yet cryptic presidents three-day trip last week cemented a relationship between two democratic Asia Pacific allies. It also generated $19 billion in investment and loan pledges from Tokyo as well as prospects for joint military exercises. Duterte, in office since June 30, made the visit less than a week after meeting Chinese officials, who offered economic help worth about $24 billion. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to Japan swings his country a degree back toward the United States despite a strain in relations and it may signal growth of a multilateral foreign policy aimed at maximizing development aid. U.S. Relations Analysts say the president may be using the Japan trip to craft a foreign policy that includes the United States, just with less dependence than in the past. Washington is still helping the Philippines resist Muslim separatist rebels and conduct naval patrols that would spot any Chinese vessels in an exclusive economic zone off the archipelago's west coasts. The United States and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in 1951, obligating each side to support the other if attacked by a third party. "What [Duterte] says may be very different than actual policy," said Christian de Guzman, vice president and senior analyst with Moodys Investors Service in Singapore. "No official diplomatic requests have been made in terms of a change of policy." Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, filed for arbitration with a world court to stop Chinese vessels from passing within his country's 370-km exclusive ocean economic zone in the South China Sea. The maritime dispute fanned widespread public discontent with China. Polls show that Philippine citizens largely favor U.S. aid compared to help from China, a Communist country with poor relations in recent years because of the maritime dispute. Generous Donor Japan contributes heavily to the Manila-based Asian Development Bank, which has lent the Philippines an average $745 million per year since 2006 for poverty reduction. The separately run, government-funded Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) gave the Philippines $272 million in 2006 alone. "In the case of Japan, those longstanding commercial and government ties are just being further cemented," de Guzman said. In July, the Japanese prime minister offered the Philippines a loan for 10 coast guard patrol ships. Japan has given military and development aid elsewhere in Southeast Asia to counter China's influence. Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corp. will make up $17.2 billion of the Japanese help pledged last week, according to Philippine media reports. That amount would cover highways, electrical power and mass transit projects. Disaster Relief Aid to date is felt in spots such as the southern Philippine city Cagayan de Oro, where the cooperation agency is helping fund a flood control project, local newspaper columnist Antonio Montalvan said. Flood control became a priority after tropical storm Washi hit the city in 2011 and caused 1,250 deaths. "Parts of the city were inundated by floodwaters from the river, and it's JICA, they're constructing a flood control system now and people see that," Montalvan said. "So I would think there's no problem with the Japan aspect of Duterte." Duterte may prefer Japan over the United States because, unlike Washington, Tokyo does not criticize the Philippine governments suspected extrajudicial killings in the crackdown on drugs, analysts say. In turn, the Philippine visitor avoided playing up World War II to his Japanese hosts. "He got $19 billion worth of aid, and soft loans and potential investments despite the fact that Japan invaded the Philippines and there were a lot of deaths during the World War II," Araral said. "But Duterte kept his mouth shut because he knows that Japan is a huge donor of the Philippines." The National Assembly will revisit a bill seeking to grant a special status and federal grant to Lagos, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Sani Yerima, has said. Speaking during a visit to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Tuesday, Mr. Yerima said everything must be done to support the state. He was in Lagos alongside other members of the committee. Lagos is not only for Lagosians, said Mr. Yerima (APC, Zamfara). If you look at Lagos, it has been the national capital and up till this moment, you find people from all states of the federation earning living here and so anything we do for Lagos, we are not doing it for Lagos alone and I will call Lagos a mini Nigeria. So, by the grace of God, we are going to look at the bill again. Last month, Oluremi Tinubu, an All Progressives Congress senator representing Lagos Central, sponsored a bill seeking one percent of federally generated revenue as special grant for Lagos State as well as a recognition of the state by the federal government as Nigerias commercial capital. But the bill, which elicited an uproar on the floor of the senate, was blocked by other senators. On Tuesday, Mr. Ambode urged the visiting senators to support the bill, adding that its passage would translate to economic prosperity and well-being of Nigeria. If we have about 12 Senators here and we are looking for two-third, we are saying here that it would not be out of place to revisit our appeal and our bill, Mr. Ambode said. Lagos is thoroughly cosmopolitan; it is a mini-Nigeria and then the wellbeing of Lagos is the total wellbeing of Nigeria and everybody has a stake here in Lagos and as a government, we have continually addressed the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos in a way that is suitable and comfortable for all Nigerians irrespective of tribe, creed or religion. While clarifying the essence of the bill, Mr. Ambode said it only seeks one percent special allocation from the revenue accruable to the Federal Government. If we are able to do that, you can imagine what we would have done 25 years ago based on the understanding of gentlemen that Lagos would not be left behind or forgotten, said the governor, who noted that December 12 would mark 25 years since the capital of Nigeria was moved from Lagos to Abuja. So, that is the platform we want you to try and help us to have a re-look, a re-think and then think more of Nigeria in the bill rather than of Lagos because that is what that one percent assistance will address and then tends to create the image of the kind of commercial capital we want Lagos to be. The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, on Tuesday met in Ado-Ekiti to address contentious issues in the enforcement of the states Anti-Grazing Law. Miyetti Allah, the umbrella body of cattle breeders in the country, had representatives from all the local government areas in the state. At the meeting, Mr. Fayose said he has 83 cows under the care of someone, whom he had warned not to flout the law. He said he was not against the interest of Fulani herders and their people in the state. The governor expressed happiness that the leaders of MACBAN decided to contact the state government instead of listening to rumours being peddled around by the opposition. I have nothing against you or any other ethnic group, he told the herdsmen. Nobody should bring politics into this matter. If a Yoruba person destroys your property I will defend you too. Mr. Fayose said as a leader, he would not discriminate against any ethnic group, noting that the law of the land was not against anybody who obeys it but those who flout it. It is the people destroying other peoples farms that are causing this problem, he said. We have given lands to people to farm and they have paid, some for many years to use the lands and when somebody now comes and destroys their means of livelihood and make them suffer losses, we wont allow that. It is the bad people that make others suffer. If anybody says Fayose is after Hausa or Fulani people, that person has no sense. During my first term, I appointed a man from Malumfashi as a Special Adviser. This term too, I appointed Musa Kanga into the Pilgrims Welfare Board. In Oke Ako-Ekiti, last May, two persons were killed, peoples wives raped by those hiding under the guise of rearing cattle. I have 83 cows too and I have told the person taking care of them that if he goes against the law and any of them is seized, he will be responsible for that. Governor Fayose also emphasised the need for herders to avoid leading cows along major roads and city centres, saying that had caused fatal vehicular accidents in the past. If you have not been to London or America, I guess some of you have been to Mecca. Did you see cattle breeders leading their cattle across city centres and major roads, with the cows defecating everywhere? the governor asked. This is not done and it is not that the people in those places dont have cows they breed too. On the claim that marshals appointed to enforce the Anti-Grazing Law were shooting cows, the governor said it was untrue, adding that the marshals were not armed. On the demand by the MACBAN leaders that they be part of the patrol teams to enforce the law, the governor acceded and commended their effort to support his administration in getting rid of bad eggs among the cattle breeders. Governor Fayose also said a meeting of community leaders, government officials, MACBAN members and security agents would hold later in the week for further deliberations. The Ekiti State MACBAN chairman, Muhammad Nasamu, commended the governor for his frankness and openness. He noted that the meeting had disabused the minds of his members about wrong information being circulated by some people about the governor and the state government. Seeing you face to face and hearing from you has quelled all the strange stories we are hearing, Nasamu said. Leaders from across the federation have been calling me saying where are you?, and that they have been hearing funny stories from the state, but now we know the truth. Ekiti is my home and anybody who spoils the name of Ekiti is spoiling my name. Today that we have met, we are suggesting that farmers and Fulani rearers be part of the marshals who will patrol across the state. When that is done, there will no longer be any trouble. Those in the office dont know what is happening in the bush and we will try and bridge the communication gap. Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Tuesday said it was not true that the government was planning to reintroduce payment of school fees in public primary and secondary schools in the state. The governor said this while playing host to newly-elected executive members of the National Association of Osun State Students, NAOSS, in Osogbo. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government was operating the free education policy in its public primary and secondary schools. Mr. Aregbesola said that education in the state still remained free, in spite of the harsh economic condition facing the state and the country. The governor said that qualitative and functional education, particularly at the lower level, was very important and must not be neglected and abandoned by any responsible government. He said the state government would continue to give education priority, regardless of the shortage in allocation and the economic meltdown in the state. Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Titi Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as commissioner for education, said that on no account had government asked parents to pay fees for their children in public schools in the state. According to Mrs. Laoye-Tomori, the state government, in agreement with parents and guardians, only introduced a school infrastructural maintenance levy to ensure proper maintenance of all the newly-built schools in the state. We did not also ask any of our pupils or students to pay tuition fees, as being speculated around the state. We have only directed that all the pupils in the elementary schools should pay N2000 in three tranches per annum. The pupils in this category will pay N1000 for the first term, and N500 each, for the second and third terms. For Middle School, they are to pay N3000 in three tranches, per annum. The students in this category will pay N1000 for each of the three terms, while High School students are to pay N6000 per annum at N2000 per term. This is not school fees but rather a maintenance levy because it is only introduced to pupils and students of our new schools, not those in the old schools . Earlier, the NAOSS National President, Oladejo Bashir, commended Governor Aregbesola for building sound minds through the provision of quality education. (NAN) The police in Ogun State have arrested a 40-year-old man, Victor Emafolomi, for allegedly raping and impregnating his 15-year-old step-daughter. The commands Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspect committed the crime at Java Agbado in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state. He added that Mr. Emafolomi was arrested following a complaint by his wife who is the mother of the girl. The mother, Taiwo Emafolomi, who noticed that her daughter was pregnant, pressurized the girl and she eventually opened up to her mother about how her step-father had been making love to her for quite some time, which resulted to the pregnancy, he said. Mr. Oyeyemi said upon the report, the divisional police officer of Agbado, Abioye Shittu, detailed detectives to arrest the man after a pregnancy test on the girl returned positive. He said the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had ordered that the case be transferred to the Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department for further investigation. Two opposition parties in Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party have condemned the outright sack and suspension of some labour leaders by the state government. The government had on Monday dismissed the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Akeem Ambali, and his Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, counterpart, Dare Ilekoya. It also dismissed 14 other members of the state chapter of the NUT and suspended 16 other members of the union for their roles in organising the 2016 World Teachers Day Celebration last month. Olusola Adeyemi, the Head of Ogun Public Service, announced the sack in Abeokuta in a statement entitled: Government position on the recommendation of panel of inquiry set up to investigate alleged misconduct of executive members of the NUT on the 2016 World Teachers Day Celebrations held on October 5. The action by the All Progressives Congress-led government came 11 days after Ogun workers embarked on an indefinite strike. The PDP and the LP, in separate statements, said the governments decision to punish the workers were not necessary. The PDP, in the statement signed by its spokesperson, Bolaji Adeniji, said it was jolted by the governments action, because it was inexcusable, baseless, and reckless. It alleged that the decision to punish the workers was not unconnected with the ongoing workers strike called by the labour leaders. It said, We are further scandalized at governments defence and rationalisation of the sack claiming it was the outcome of an administrative panel of inquiry into the activities of the affected officers during the October 5, 2016 World Teachers Day celebration where they were indicted to have gotten involved in partisan politics by receiving monies from politicians and hiring a musician to sing the praises of politicians present at the event, which to government, are contrary to extant public service rules. What government has forgotten is that, whereas, the public service rules clearly stipulates terms of engagement for workers, it is not superior to the federal constitution which guarantees the freedom of expression and association among other liberal rights. The PDP said the government ought to know that the Nigerian Union of Teachers was not its (government) affiliate and therefore members were at liberty to invite any indigene of the state or anybody outside the state to celebrate their day with them. It also said the government needed to be educated that the World Teachers Day was not a civil service function but a social event of like-minded people that could attract anybody irrespective of their social or political leaning, except of course government is saying civil servants must compulsorily be members of the APC. We are constrained to observe the antidemocratic tendencies of this administration that is now pervasive, the PDP said. We are not in a military junta and neither is Ogun state a banana republic where the right of citizens are eroded and anything goes. We recall the unwarranted physical brutalization of the same labour leaders at the start of this strike two weeks ago; now, a kangaroo panel has sacked them. Instead of government to tow the honourable path of negotiating with Labour and accede to their legitimate demands, it has chosen the draconian path that is unprecedented in the history of Ogun state. The party said it sympathised with the labour activist and all civil servants in the state over the unsavoury situation they found themselves. The LP, in the statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Abayomi Arabambi, and secretary, Olaposi Ogini, said the punitive action by the government was uncalled for. It likened it to the proverbial expression of a wicked father who beat up his child and expect him not to cry. It may interest you to know that the Governor of Ogun State has suddenly turned himself to Empreror Caeser, who in his reign ruled without mercy, the party said. For us as a party, we condemn the actions of the governor as lawless, illegal, heartless, evil, callous, devilish and must be condemn by all both national and international community. The Legislature did not meet this week, so the Roll Call Report continues its review of key votes from the 2015-2016 session. House Bill 4713, Require culpable mental state for criminal conviction: Passed 106 to 0 in the House on October 1, 2015 To establish a presumption that if a law does not indicate whether a culpable mental state (mens rea) is required to establish guilt for a crime, then this is required (subject to various specified exceptions). This means prosecutors must show that a defendant violated the law purposely, knowingly or recklessly. Currently, many complex administrative offenses authorize criminal penalties for actions that a regular person would not know are illegal. Harvey Santana (D-Detroit) Y Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) Y Julie Plawecki (D-Dearborn Heights) Y Frank Liberati (D-Allen Park) Y George Darany (D-Dearborn) Y Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) Y Paul Clemente (D-Lincoln Park) Y Bill LaVoy (D-Monroe) Y Patrick Somerville (R-Huron Twp.) Y House Bill 4713, Require culpable mental state for criminal conviction: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015 The Senate vote on the bill described above. Morris Hood III (D-Detroit) Y David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) Y Virgil Smith (D-Detroit) Y Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) Y Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) Y House Bill 4095, Authorize more college & university building debt: Passed 103 to 1 in the House on December 3, 2015 To authorize $51.3 million in new government spending for several state college and university construction projects. The bill would cause the state to increase its own debt burden by $33.1 million. Santana Y Chang Y Plawecki Y Darany Y Liberati Y Geiss Y Clemente Y LaVoy Y Somerville Y House Bill 4095, Authorize more college & university building debt: Passed 38 to 0 in the Senate on December 15, 2015 The Senate vote on the bill described above Hood, III Y Knezek Y Smith Y Hopgood Y Young Y House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 55 to 52 in the House on November 3, 2015 To increase the 19 cent per gallon state gasoline tax and 15 cent diesel tax to 26.3 cents per gallon starting in 2017. Santana Y Chang N Plawecki N Darany N Liberati N Geiss N Clemente N LaVoy N Somerville N House Bill 4738, Increase gas and diesel tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on November 3, 2015 The Senate vote on the bill described above. Hood, III N Knezek N Smith Y Hopgood N Young N House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 54 to 53 in the House on November 3, 2015 To increase the annual vehicle registration (license plate) tax by 20 percent per vehicle, and impose a surtax on electric and alternative fuel vehicles whose owners dont pay gas tax. Santana Y Chang N Plawecki N Darany N Liberati N Geiss N Clemente N LaVoy N Somerville N House Bill 4736, Increase vehicle registration tax: Passed 20 to 18 in the Senate on November 3, 2015 The Senate vote on the bill described above. Hood, III N Knezek N Smith Y Hopgood N Young N House Bill 4321, Restrict warrantless residence searches: Passed 83 to 22 in the House on October 28, 2015. To establish that a law enforcement officer may not search a residence without a search warrant if a resident expressly objects, even if another resident consents after the objector is no longer physically present. This would not apply if one resident is the victim of a crime committed by another resident, or if there is imminent danger to people, a suspect may escape or evidence may be destroyed. The Senate has not voted on this bill. Santana Y Chang Y Plawecki N Darany Y Liberati Y Geiss -Did not vote Clemente Y LaVoy Y Somerville Y House Bill 5023, Establish more dark sky preserves: Passed 88 to 18 in the House on November 10, 2015 To designate the Rockport State Recreation Area, Negwegon State Park and Thompsons Harbor State Park as dark sky preserves, which means state authorities must restrict outdoor lighting to only that needed for safety, security or reasonable use and enjoyment. Santana Y Chang Y Plawecki Y Darany Y Liberati Y Geiss Y Clemente Y LaVoy Y Somerville N House Bill 5023, Establish more dark sky preserves: Passed 36 to 0 in the Senate on February 3, 2016 The Senate vote on the bill described above. Hood, III Y Knezek Y Smith Y Hopgood Y Young Y House Bill 4581, Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopoly: Passed 102 to 4 in the House on October 8, 2015 To increase from $7.50 to $8.25 the per-case fee that the private company or companies granted a state monopoly to warehouse and distribute liquor to retailers can collect from the state as a reimbursement for its distribution costs. This will increase annual payments to these private companies by some $10 million annually. Santana Y Chang Y Plawecki Y Darany Y Liberati Y Geiss Y Clemente Y LaVoy Y Somerville Y House Bill 4581, Increase state payments to liquor distribution oligopoly: Passed 36 to 2 in the Senate on December 15, 2015 The Senate vote on the bill described above. Hood, III Y Knezek Y Smith Y Hopgood Y Young Y House Bill 4598, Impose licensure on midwives: Passed 79 to 25 in the House on December 3, 2015 To impose a state licensure mandate on midwives, including regulations and a $200 annual license fee. The Senate has not voted on this bill. Santana -Did not vote Chang Y Plawecki Y Darany Y Liberati N Geiss Y Clemente Y LaVoy Y Somerville Y SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, nonpartisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, nonpartisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org. Authorities continued assessing damage in the central Italy town of Norcia Monday, a day after it was rocked by a 6.6-magnitude earthquake. Although Sunday's quake was stronger than the August 24 temblor that killed about 300 people, no new deaths were reported. But there was extensive damage. In the historic town's center, several churches were destroyed, including the 14th century Basilica of St. Benedict -- constructed on the birthplace of the Benedictine monastic order's founder -- and the Cathedral of St. Mary Argentea, known for its 15th century frescoes. Sunday's quake also knocked down the Basilica of San Francesco, built by the Franciscans in the 14th century. It had already been rebuilt once following a powerful earthquake in 1859. Large sections of Norcia's ancient Roman city walls, damaged in the previous quakes, crumbled along with towers. Experts said Sunday's quake was the strongest to hit the region since 1980, when a 6.9 quake in Italy's south killed 2,735 people. Australia's parliament is set to vote next week on a plan that would ban any refugees who arrive in the country by boat from ever obtaining a visa to live there, or even visit, or establish a business. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the lifetime ban is being enacted to deter smugglers who bring the migrants to Australia. "This is a battle of will between the Australian people, represented by its government, and the criminal gangs of people smugglers," Turnbull said Sunday. However, while the proposed legislation is supposedly aimed at stopping the smugglers, it is the thousands of refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East who will be directly affected. VINELAND John F. Scarpa is so excited about what he sees at the new Cumberland County Technical Education Center that he has donated $1 million from his foundation to fund scholarships and assist programs at the school. But hes even more excited about getting others to join him. The donation was announced Thursday at a Board of Education meeting where the board also announced the school will be renamed the John F. Scarpa Technical Education Center of Cumberland County. The donation is one of the largest to a public high school in the state. Scarpa said in a phone in-terview Tuesday he has watched the progress of the new school as it was developed and built. I was really taken by the size and the curriculum being offered, he said of the 200,000- square-foot school, which opened in September next to Cumberland County College. The school offers specialized studies in automotive technology, construction trades, cosmetology, culinary arts, engineering technology, health science and medicine, information technology, law enforcement, studio production and broadcasting, and welding. A native of Vineland who built his fortune in telecommunications, Scarpa said he appreciates the opportunities the school is providing in one of the poorest counties in the state. I saw this as an opportunity to change the education habits of young people in this county, he said. The more I saw what was happening at the school, the more I could see the impact I could have. Scarpa said he hopes that through work with the schools foundation to recruit more donors. There are plenty of naming opportunities, he said, noting the specialized programs the school offers. He said the scholarships will be available for college or other technical training, and he hopes some graduates will stay or return to the county to help it grow. We are thrilled and honored by Mr. Scarpas generous donation, Daniel G. Vivarelli Sr., board president of the Cumberland County Board of Vocational Education, said in a statement. Having a benefactor like Mr. Scarpa will enable countless students from Cumberland County to pursue and achieve their dreams and enable CCTEC to provide Specialized Studies for Tomorrows World. Businesses in Cumberland County need a skilled and educated workforce, said Joseph Derella, Cumberland County freeholder director. The completion of CCTEC was a huge step in preparing our students to meet the demand. And Mr. Scarpas donation now gives us much more power to help our youth succeed so they can come back and grow Cumberland County. Scarpa now lives in Avalon and Florida. The John F. Scarpa Foundation supports numerous organizations in Cumberland County and beyond, including the Frank and Edith Scarpa Cancer Pavilion at Inspira Medical Center Vineland, the Edith Favretto Scarpa Arts and Sciences Building at St. Augustine Academy and the John F. Scarpa Center for Law and Entrepreneurship at Villanova University. Two area hospitals, Inspira Health Network Vineland and Cape Regional Medical Center in Cape May Court House, improved marks for hospital safety, according to a national report that grades health care performance. Overall, more than a third of New Jersey hospitals in-cluding AtlantiCare and Shore Medical, which both got As earned top grades in this falls Hospital Safety Grade report. The LeapFrog Group, a nonprofit patient-advocacy organization, released its semi-annual report Monday. Inspiras Vineland hospital earned its first A grade in the Hospital Safety Grade report, and Cape Regional went from a C to a B. The report shows that these hospitals did above average in reducing problems such as patient falls, bed sores and breathing issues after surgery, and improved on staff safety training, number of qualified physicians and nurses, and medication records. More than a third of all state hospitals earned top grades in this falls report published by the LeapFrog Group. Recently, Inspira committed to embarking upon a transformation to become a high reliability organization to provide even safer care for every patient we serve, said John DiAngelo, president and CEO of Inspira. Part of that transformation, DiAngelo said, was a focus on eliminating preventable patient harm by identifying mistakes before they affect patients. Noreen DiPadova, administrative director of Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management at Cape Regional, credited the hospitals improved score with the recent implementation of telemedicine in intensive care, which allows more medical specialists to consult remotely with critical-care physicians. AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Mainland Campus in Galloway Township, AtlantiCare City Campus in Atlantic City, Shore Medical Center in Somers Point and Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin all maintained the same grades they earned in Leapfrogs spring report. AtlantiCare hospitals and Shore earned A grades and Southern Ocean maintained a C. Providing safe and quality patient care is the top priority for us, and it is very rewarding to be recognized for the fifth consecutive rating period with an A grade by The Leapfrog Group, said Ron Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Shore Medical Center, which earned the same top grade for the past five reports. Mary Beth Kelly, AtlantiCare corporate director and patient safety officer, credited the hospitals continued high grades to actions that exceeded best-care practices by their leaders, providers and staff. The latest report used 30 measures of hospital safety data, such as practices, surgical procedures and communication among staff. Patient safety experts helped to evaluate each individual hospital. Inspira was among 24 other hospitals in New Jersey with A grades. Only three hospitals Saint Michaels Medical Center and University Hospital, both in Newark, and Hackensack University Medical Center at Pascack Valley in Bergen County earned a D. The latter participated in the Leapfrog hospital survey for the first time this year. Although Southern Ocean Medical Center did not improve its grade in the LeapFrog report, officials from Hackensack Meridian Health said in a statement the recently merged hospital network does public evaluations of safety measures at the original Meridian Health hospitals. The most recent report showed Southern Ocean did better than average in preventing infections such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections, MRSA and surgical site infections. New Jersey Hospital Association spokeswomen Aline Holmes and Melinda Caliendo said they were proud of how well the states hospitals were represented in this seasons report, and that patient safety is always an ongoing improvement process at area hospitals. New Jersey ranked 17th best in the United States. Hawaii had the top ranking, with more than 66 percent of its hospitals earning A grades. U.S. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo, R-2nd, wants southern New Jersey veterans to know that they can avoid the commute to hospitals in Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware, depending on the seriousness of their health issues. More than a year ago, LoBiondo was able to convince the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to agree to a pilot program in southern New Jersey to approve hardship waivers for the veterans who cannot make the commute for more complex care. They can receive the care at local hospitals at the VAs expense. This a huge relief for any veteran, LoBiondo said. Information about the hardship waivers have been spread through such people as veterans advocate Joe Griffies, of Rio Grande, LoBiondo said. If any veteran has questions about the hardship waiver, LoBiondo said to call his Mays Landing office at 609-625-5008. There is someone there dedicated to answer questions about hardship waivers. The issue of health care for veterans has been a longstanding one. Southern New Jersey veterans have had a particular hardship, LoBiondo said. Last year, LoBiondo reintroduced his Vets Health ID Act. He believes the VA should issue a card and let the veterans make the choice between visiting the VA or seeing a doctor at a local hospital. The Secretary of the VA could institute the pilot program immediately without Congress having to pass legislation if he wanted to, LoBiondo said. They are resistant, said LoBiondo, who added the VA may be protecting its turf. There are three community-based care facilities for southern New Jersey veterans in Cape May, Vineland and Northfield. The Northfield clinic was originally under leadership from Wilmington VA Medical Center, which was a big disappointment as it was understaffed, LoBiondo said. It was not through the fault of the people working there, LoBiondo said. In May, LoBiondo along with U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and a representative of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker made the announcement that all the southern New Jersey community-based care facilities would be put under the direct supervision of the Veterans Integrated Service Network 4 Director. The VA clinic in Northfield opened in December 2011 with high-tech features and services, but now, the Vineland clinic is 10-years-old and outdated and undersized, LoBiondo said. VA leadership did make a move toward more community-based health services by approving a new clinic that will be based at Landis and West avenues in Vineland, LoBiondo said. It will be state-of-the-art and very accessible, he said The new location will be 10,000-square-foot facility and allow the VA to offer hearing and vision services at the clinic, so veterans will no longer need to leave southern New Jersey for those. Veterans already can receive kidney dialysis closer to home rather than traveling to Philadelphia or Wilmington. It could be open by the end of the year, LoBiondo said. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. MAYS LANDING Tammy and Bill Schminckes lives havent been the same since they lost their son Steven, 26, to heroin. Since his fatal overdose March 26, they have worked relentlessly to raise awareness and fight the heroin epidemic in South Jersey, they said Monday morning at a rally outside the Atlantic County Criminal Courts Complex. Our life has been changed in such a way that you couldnt even begin to imagine, Tammy Schmincke, co-founder of Stop the Heroin, said at the rally. There is not one day that goes by in my life that I dont say, God, please help me, Because I cant do this anymore. Stop the Heroin, an Egg Harbor Township-based organization, stood with about 40 people outside the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office at 10 a.m. before being invited to speak to a drug court judge inside the courtroom. The group chanted phrases such as not one more throughout the morning as they listened to stories from people who had lost loved ones to heroin and continuously mentioned that several people had died from overdoses in Atlantic County within the past week. The group was hoping to get public acknowledgement from the Prosecutors Office about the issue, and to advocate for more programs to help addicts. We need a public service announcement to talk about it, to acknowledge it. These numbers are unacceptable, Bill Schmincke said. Those at the rally also discussed how they want more resources for addicts, and pointed out how not every local police department carries the overdose antidote Narcan. By 11 a.m., the group filed into Courtroom 1 with Judge Mark H. Sandson to talk about drug court, the groups concerns and the heroin problem in the county. Sandson began by telling the group he wanted to hear from them and showing them the Stop the Heroin wristband he wore. Heroin addiction is a disease, he said. We see our children fade away with this disease. When the Stop the Heroin supporters mentioned those who lost their children to heroin overdoses, Sandson said his daughter had died from a heroin overdose as well. Treatment is the answer. Jail is not the answer, Sandson said. I can get people into treatment ... Im going to save as many people as I can. Following the rally, some Stop the Heroin supporters said they were disappointed and hoped to get to hear from officials in the Prosecutors Office. Bill Schmincke said he appreciated the meeting and knows people who owe their life to the program Sandson spoke of, but theyre looking for more. Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane M. Ruberton said in a statement Monday that her office is committed to working toward helping the epidemic and recognizes it needs a comprehensive approach. Supporters at the rally said they want to see more public support and funds going directly toward treatment programs. Kenneth Martinez, 28, of Egg Harbor Township, was heading to a court appearance Monday and took part in the rally. He said he has been an addict for years and has had trouble getting off heroin and finding help. Ive got so much heroin in my body it scares me, he said, supporting the rally. Youre dying, slowly. I dont want to live my life like this. Candidate getting the most votes should be elected president Among likely voters, 31 percent have said they might not accept the results as legitimate if their preferred candidate does not win. Does anyone care if they dont accept the results? Wont change the fact that whoever wins will become the president. The whole process is so flawed its not funny. When Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush was elected, that showed just how idiotic the process is. The Supreme Court had to decide Florida. Give me a break. The system is broken. It should be a simple process. Cast your vote, the one with the most votes wins. Simple but no, we use an archaic system called the Electoral College. It almost makes voting irrelevant. When the person who has more votes doesnt win, something is wrong. Do away with the Electoral College and just count the number and declare the winner based on the one who gets the most votes. Dave Wessel Galloway Township Bill blocking Taj reopening fails the workers of Atlantic City Here they go, that wonderful group of politicians in Trenton, once again meddling in Atlantic City. Now they want to penalize Carl Icahn for closing the Taj Mahal by targeting a bill at him that strips him of his legal ability to reopen the Taj unless he gives the union what it wants. As an independent voter, I find this sickening that these politicians who have failed Atlantic City are now going to fail the working men and women of the city. It is sad that the union has lost 1,000 jobs for their workers, but lets not forget the other 1,800 non-union people who lost their jobs. I hope the bill is vetoed. Its time to work for the defeat of those in Trenton who supported this foolish bill. Tom Depko Atlantic City McDevitt responsible for Taj Regarding the Oct. 20 letter, McDevitt only winner at Taj: I agree with the writer. Bob McDevitt is the reason all the employees no longer have jobs, but hes not suffering. And now the Senate OKd a bill that would prevent the Taj Mahal from reopening? So now we have a property that can just stay closed instead of reopening and giving those people their jobs back, only because it would open as a non-union building? Senate President Stephen Sweeney is another one who is only looking out for his own interests in supporting the union instead of the people who he is supposed to be representing. I was on the pre-opening team at the Taj and worked there for 13 years and it really upsets me to see all of these employees out of work because of McDevitts ego. The only one who benefits from this union in Atlantic City is McDevitt. He doesnt care about its members or the fact that Atlantic City needs to rebound and attract more visitors. Now all those employees have to suffer because of him. He needs to go. Kathy Joyce Galloway Township The woman whose alleged sinister influence on government has rocked President Park Geun-hye's administration to the core reported for a grilling by prosecutors on Monday. Choi Soon-sil arrived at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in a black sedan at around 3 p.m. She was scheduled to stand before reporters and deliver an apology but was mobbed by a crowd of angry protesters. Choi Soon-sil arrives at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Monday. A group of men from the prosecutors' office had to bundle her into the building as Choi covered her face and broke down in tears. Hundreds of reporters had converged in front of the office to cover Choi's arrival. She lost a shoe in the crush, and as cameras zoomed in on the shoe they exposed the Prada label inside it. As she was being escorted inside the building, Choi said, "Please forgive me. I have committed an unpardonable crime," but was drowned out by the shouting. Swaddled in a black scarf and hat, Choi covered her face with her hands as the camera lights flashed incessantly. A shoe Choi Soon-sil lost during her way to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on Monday shows the Prada label. Similar models cost about W700,000. Choi, who holds no official post, is suspected of using her friendship with President Park to meddle in state affairs and amass a huge fortune. She is currently answering charges that she siphoned off money from the Mir and K-Sports foundations she established with corporate donations extracted by trading on her influence. Choi returned from Germany on Sunday, 57 days after she fled as the scandal began to engulf the government. She left her daughter Chung Yoo-ra behind overseas. Prosecutors also issued travel bans for the president's chief secretary for policy, Ahn Jong-beom, who is suspected of playing a key role in the establishment of Choi's dubious foundations, and Jeong Ho-seong, one of her Park's closest aides since she started in politics 18 years ago. Prosecutors are investigating the financial records of Yoo-ra and prominent advertising director Cha Eun-taek, who is also a crony of Choi's and suspected of using his ties to her to extract money from major businesses. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Korea's famous haenyos or women divers who dive deep for shellfish, octopus and other seafood without breathing apparatus have come a step closer to being listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Cultural Heritage Administration said Monday that the haenyos have been given the green light by a sub-committee under the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The final decision will be made between Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 at a session of the committee in Ethiopia. North Korea is apparently purging military officers with family members who have defected to South Korea. Officers and soldiers who have family or relatives that have defected have been driven out since early October in a purge led by the Politburo and state security, a source said Monday. Around 1,000 officers and enlisted soldiers have been dishonorably discharged over the last month. "There seems to be a lot of resentment among soldiers who claim to have been driven out even though they are innocent," the source added. Military service is crucial in rising up through the ranks of the Workers Party. When the number of recruits dwindled after a massive famine in the late 1990s that killed more than 1 million North Koreans, the North eased drafting standards allowing even family members of defectors to join. But screening has become more stringent following recent high-level defections. One defector who used to be a senior official said, "Defectors send not only money back to North Korea but information as well. Top officials probably became nervous when they found out that information from the outside world was being passed on to soldiers through family members who defected." STOCKHOLM, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 1st 2016, Entrypark launches the fourth edition of its Blind Applying campaign. Top employers offer secret internships all over the world and students from every field and country apply with only their CV. Selected students can end up anywhere in the world, with their traveling & housing costs covered. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161028/433858 ) Blind Applying is an amazing way for students to explore the global working world. Applicants don't know which opportunity they are most suited for; their CV decides that for them! "Blind Applying provides Bayer with a platform for meeting young diverse talent. It is exciting that the campaign offers access to highly motivated talents on a global level." Heiko Schomberg, Professional University and Talent Relations at Bayer "Blind Applying offers students endless possibilities as soon as they apply with their CV's. What better time is there for students to discover their preferred career and be involved in a once-in-a-lifetime experience? The whole world is at their fingertips. We are offering the platform for them to discover both their career path and that world." Wanda Mlodzick-Bergendal of Entrypark During last year's campaign, over 10.000 applicants from more than 109 countries signed up Selected students had their internships in exciting locations around the world like New York, Detroit, Paris, Bangkok, Madrid, San Francisco and more On top of the 15 internships offered, more than 4000 applicants were presented with other opportunities and career events based on their profiles and interests More than an internship program - it's a career adventure you will never forget! Notes to editors - Key facts about this year's Blind Applying Application period: From November 1st to December 11th 2016 Student profiles: Enrolled students from all subject fields Partaking companies: Air Liquide, Bayer, Covestro, Deloitte, Deutsche Telekom, General Motors, L'Oreal, Michelin, TUV Nord Group, UnitedHealth Group Internship locations: Details will be revealed throughout the campaign Application platform: http://www.blindapplying.com Internship period: From Summer 2017 - min. 3 months Want to learn more? Contact: Wanda Mlodzick-Bergendal Project Management Blind Applying Entrypark; part of Potentialpark Group http://www.blindapplying.com/press wanda.mlodzick@entrypark.com SOURCE Entrypark AMSTERDAM, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Focus on applying latest technology to search, share and reuse data Network organization Amsterdam Data Science (ADS) signed an agreement with scientific information solutions provider Elsevier aimed at advancing data science research and education in Amsterdam. Both parties are embarking on a number of joint projects that will enable data scientists to access and share data and use the latest technology to collaborate and advance the field of data science together. Kajsa Ollongren, Alderperson and deputy mayor of the City of Amsterdam, supports the initiative: "The partnership between Elsevier and Amsterdam Data Science is great news for Amsterdam as it helps us to further develop the city as a hub in data science and attracting international technology talent. Seeing our best educational and research institutes teaming up with Netherlands-based multinational science & health data company Elsevier will boost Amsterdam's international competitive position and improve the overall data tech climate in the greater Amsterdam metro area." ADS and Elsevier will collaborate together on several fronts, including research and development, joint promotion of Amsterdam as a data science center, and data science talent development. This partnership marks the first long-term collaboration agreement signed by ADS, an initiative of the University of Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica. "Business and society are generating and storing more data than ever before", said Prof. Marcel Worring, Director of the Informatics Institute at the University of Amsterdam. "The most-heard questions across sectors are how to find and use that data to gain new insights and make informed decisions, but also how to enable reproducibility of the data, deploy semantic technologies and create a safe data sharing environment. Answering these questions requires a multi-stakeholder approach involving partners from academics, business and society. ADS bundles these forces. In Elsevier we've found a partner that has a proven track record in deploying technology to analyze data, enable data sharing and reuse and facilitate collaboration among researchers." "As a global technology company, we're engaging in data science and big data collaborations around the world", said Michiel Kolman, Senior Vice President Global Academic Relations at Elsevier. "But our company has its roots and its head office in the Netherlands so it's exciting to collaborate with ADS and local institutions to help develop our home city as a national and international data science hub, making it an even more attractive place for data science researchers. In addition to contributing to ADS' goals ourselves, we're looking forward to learn a lot from the companies and knowledge institutes that are part of the ADS network. Advancing data science is a multi-stakeholder endeavor." A number of projects have already started. These are focused on improving data search and reproducibility of research that will ultimately result in higher quality research outcomes. These projects entail: Developing better methods and infrastructure to share data for scientific experiments, ensuring better reuse of data in a safe and trusted manner. Developing new search and discovery technologies for searching data underlying scientific experiments. Applying knowledge graph technology to, for instance, help researchers find funding for their research or identify new relations that were previously not detectable. Both parties have committed to developing new projects together in the years to come, among other things providing corporate work experience programs for grad students and post-docs at Elsevier, and specialized Elsevier staff engaging in teaching the next generation data scientists. About Amsterdam Data Science (ADS) ADS is a platform and network organisation initiated by four Amsterdam-based knowledge institutes: University of Amsterdam (UvA), VU University, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) and Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI). The institutions are well-known for their world-class research and education on data science. ADS accelerates data science research by connecting, sharing and showcasing world-class technology, expertise and talent from Amsterdam on a regional, national and international level. Our research enables business and society to better gather, store, analyse and present data in order to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions. About Elsevier Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions - among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey - and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and more than 35,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a world-leading provider of information and analytics for professional and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com Media contacts Harald Boersma Elsevier +31-20-485-27-36 h.boersma@elsevier.com Twan Eikelenboom (Monday through Thursday) ADS +31-624-55-20-12 t.w.eikelenboom@hva.nl SOURCE Elsevier MONTREAL, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dino Mignon, the first international kids fashion expo in Montreal, will take place on July 23-25, 2017. The event's objective is to open the 35-million consumers market of Canada to companies from around the world, active in the manufacture and marketing of children's clothes. The exhibition aims to create a hub of international cooperation and networking between participants, import companies and local shops. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434414 ) "After 20 years of absence of related events in Montreal, Dino Mignon International Kids Fashion Expo will be a monumental celebration for the industry," said the company's Public Relations Officer, Mr. Gabriel Douligeris. "The open and vibrant economy of Canada, the endless variety of the world's children's garment and the newly signed Canadian-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), will indubitably create the most suitable conditions for entry and networking of companies from around the world to the local market." Dino Mignon International Kids Fashion Expo (http://www.dinomignon.com) will take place at the Palais des congres de Montreal, the most prestigious convention and exhibition center in Montreal, in the heart of the city, with direct access to the underground city and the subway. Hundreds of companies active in the production and children's clothing trade are expected to take part in Dino Mignon International Kids Fashion Expo. Companies from leading countries in the industry, such as Italy, France and Spain, have already expressed their interest to participate. Canada welcomes the world of children's fashion and Dino Mignon International Kids Fashion Expo will be the reference point for companies, to develop and position their brands in the Canadian market, generate publicity, increase awareness, and create the most optimal environment to establish a local network. An award-winning team of professionals will be available to develop and implement local marketing strategies, brand and product launching, logistics, accounting, legal representation and other services. ABOUT THE VENUE The Palais des congres de Montreal houses versatile and ultramodern facilities for holding conventions, conferences, meetings, galas and exhibitions. Since its' opening in 1983, it has built an international reputation for excellence through the more than 6,000 events and 16 million visitors. Gabriel Douligeris, Public Relations Officer at +1-514-506-6286, or pr@dinomignon.com SOURCE Dino Mignon "It has been an amazing, fun, torturous, weird, satisfying, frustrating and enlightening run," offered Lou Hoffman, CEO of the consultancy. The catalyst for the Agency's decision to expand to Asia occurred in 1994 -- a press tour in Asia for Hyundai Electronics (now known as Hynix). At the first press conference in Tokyo, the local PR agency had neglected to mention that the format for overhead projectors in Japan -- LCD projectors were still a curiosity back in 1994 -- was different from the format of the overhead projectors in the U.S. The Hyundai executive put the first foil on the projector ready to sing the virtues of the latest technology only to see roughly 20 percent of his information cut off at the screen. The journalists reacted with a gasp and then absolute, utter silence. While this theme of "things not going according to plan" continued throughout the press tour, the mishaps gave courage to what was then a 42-person company to expand globally starting with Asia in November 1996. Today, the Agency projects global revenue at US$11.5 million from its offices in Asia, Europe and the U.S., with an average global growth of 9% since 2012. The largest percent of the company's revenue comes from Asia, the only U.S.- or European-born communications consultancy that can make such a claim. Eschewing the conventional PR agency model that worships the P/L in each office, The Hoffman Agency has created a different type of global communications consultancy, one that cultivates collaboration across geographic boundaries. "I've always remembered the passage from the book, 'The Monk and the Riddle' by venture capitalist Randy Komisar who points out that companies are like the laws of physics, neither inherently good nor evil," said Hoffman. "I'll take this a step further and say that companies at their best enrich employees' lives. Asia is a huge part of striving to do this." Operating offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, Hoffman Asia Pacific supports a range of clients from tech and non-tech industries. These include ARM, AsiaMalls, CenturyLink, Chicago Booth School of Business, CKGSB, Corning, Evernote, Fashion Walk, LinkedIn, Niantic Labs, NVIDIA, Nutanix, Parrot, Uber, Wearable IoT World, Western Digital and WeWork. Bullet Points from the 20-Year Journey The first staff member hired in Asia in 1997, Maureen Tseng , still works for the Agency as director of client services in Singapore . in 1997, , still works for the Agency as director of client services in . Hoffman Asia Pacific's longest tenured client is Google, a relationship that started in 2001. longest tenured client is Google, a relationship that started in 2001. Lou Hoffman reckons his 217 office visits in Asia translate into 10.5 days waiting in line to go through immigration at airports. reckons his 217 office visits in translate into 10.5 days waiting in line to go through immigration at airports. In less than 15 months after the birth of Hoffman Asia Pacific, Lou Hoffman marked a new milestone in 1998 by opening The Hoffman Agency Japan in downtown Tokyo . marked a new milestone in 1998 by opening The Hoffman Agency Japan in downtown . The Hoffman Agency Singapore in 2014 worked with the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) and Earth Hour to launch the global campaign -- "Use Your Power" -- to much fanfare with the cast of "The Amazing Spiderman 2" joining the team at the launch. Lydia Lau has processed 17,760 employee payrolls during her 16 years at Hoffman -- definitely a force to be reckoned with. Additional Resources Sample Hoffman Asia Pacific Awards 2015/2016 PR Awards Asia 2016: Southeast Asia PR Consultancy of the Year Southeast Asia PR Consultancy of the Year Mumbrella Asia Awards 2016: Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year Southeast Asia PR Agency of the Year PR Awards 2016 Hong Kong : Bronze Award for "Best Engagement -- Targeted Community" U.S.- Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program -- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World Bronze Award for "Best Engagement -- Targeted Community" U.S.- Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program -- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World 2016 In2 SABRE A wards : Certificate of Excellence for "Best Use of Visual Social Platforms" U.S.-Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program -- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World Certificate of Excellence for "Best Use of Visual Social Platforms" U.S.-Pan Asia IoT Superhighway Accelerator Program -- 2016 -- Wearable IoT World 2016 In2 SABRE Awards: Certificate of Excellence for "Media Partnership." Meet The Opportunities in China -- 2015 CKGSB's Media Partnership In Korea -- CKGSB Media Contact: Jenny Chan The Hoffman Agency +852 2231 8101 jchan@hoffman.com Gladys Chow The Hoffman Agency +852 2231 8115 gchow@hoffman.com Related Links http://www.hoffman.com SOURCE The Hoffman Agency VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent market report published by Future Market Insights titled "Thermal & Inkjet Disc Printers Market: U.S., Europe & Japan Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026" the U.S., Europe & Japan disc printers market was valued at US$ 929.6 Mn in 2015, and is expected to register a declining CAGR of -3.0% from 2016 to 2026. Increasing demand for online media content, continuous adoption of cloud-based storage services and other media storage devices, high raw material cost and technological innovation with efficient alternatives for accessing data are the major factors affecting the growth of the disc printers market in U.S., Europe & Japan. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161020/430874LOGO ) Disc printing is the process of printing text, data or images on the surface of the optical disc. Two different approaches for printing CD-R on-demand are - Thermal disc printing and Inkjet disc printing. A thermal disc printer employs pressure and heat to apply text and graphics to the disc surface. The print surface of thermal printed discs is more durable. Thermal disc printing produces colour custom labels that are waterproof, scratchproof and do not require any additional coating. However their colour printing capability has limitations that preclude its use in cases when label has complex colour graphic content. Inkjet printers utilise a mechanism in which the print head has several tiny nozzles/jets that spray ink onto the disc, as the disc moves past the print head, forming the characters or images. Inkjet disc printers may employ a single cartridge for different colours or several cartridges, with one for each colour depending upon different models, and are priced accordingly. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-na-2033 Segmentation highlights The U.S., Europe & Japan disc printers market is categorised on the basis of printer type as thermal disc printers and inkjet disc printers. On the basis thermal disc printers, the market is further segregated on the basis of technology (direct thermal printing and thermal retransfer & dye-sublimation printing) and ribbon type (monochrome black, colour and photo). On the basis of inkjet disc printers, the market is further segregated on the basis of technology (continuous ink technology and drop on demand technology) and head design (fixed head and replaceable head). The inkjet disc printers segment is a major segment offering 55% market revenue in 2015. The thermal disc printer sub-segment was valued at US$ 418.3 Mn in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of -2.5% during the forecast period. in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of -2.5% during the forecast period. The inkjet disc printer sub-segment was valued at US$ 511.3 Mn in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of -3.4% during the forecast period. Preview Analysis on U.S., Japan, & Europe Thermal & Inkjet Disc Printers Market Segmentation By Technology - Direct Thermal Printing, Thermal Transfer Printing, Dye-Sublimation Printing; By Ribbon Type - Monochrome Black, Colour, Photo; By Ribbon Supplier - OEM, Aftermarkets: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/thermal-inkjet-disc-printers-market Regional market projections This report also covers trends driving each segment and offers analysis and insights regarding the potential of thermal and inkjet disc printers in regions including U.S, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Japan. Among these regions, Western Europe accounted for the largest market share in 2015. This is majorly due to inclination of service providers towards offering packaged services such as disc printing, duplication and packaging services, in turn allowing key players to attract price-sensitive customers and gain the competitive advantage in the long term. Speak with Analyst for any Report Related Queries: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-na-2033 Vendor insights Some of the key market players identified across the U.S., Europe & Japan disc printers market value chain are Rimage and Formats Unlimited (MF Digital) that are operating in both the thermal printing and inkjet disc printing market. TEAC America Inc. and Microboards Technology are specifically operating in the thermal disc printers market while Seiko Epson Corporation and Primera Technologies Inc. are specifically operating in the inkjet disc printers market. More From FMI's Cutting-edge Intelligence: MENA Digital Transformation Market : http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mena-digital-transformation-market : http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/mena-digital-transformation-market Dual-clutch Transmission Market : http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/dual-clutch-transmission-market : http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/dual-clutch-transmission-market Smart Camera Market: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/smart-camera-market About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends. Browse More Electronics & ICT Market Insights: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/category/electronics-ict Contact Us 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 T (UK): + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790 Sales: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Press@futuremrketinsights.com Website: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com SOURCE Future Market Insights ATSUGI, Japan, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL) has applied for a renewal of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title in the category "Most patents credited as inventor" that he held, claiming that he had obtained a total of 11,353 patents on semiconductor devices and thin-film transistors as of June 30, 2016. The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title was approved on September 30, 2016. In this challenge, all 11,353 patents were reviewed by five IP expert witnesses on September 8, 2016. The GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title was approved on September 30, 2016. The countries of the patents number more than ten, including Japan, the United States, and European nations. Thomas Edison (U.S., 1847-1931), known as the "king of inventions", is famous for his numerous patents. He was granted 2,186 patents over his lifetime. In 2004, Dr. Yamazaki set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for obtaining more patents than Edison, with 3,245 patents. Later, in 2011, he renewed his record with 6,314 patents; this time, he has renewed his second record by a wide margin. The photo can be obtained at (Photo: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M104105/201610315807/_prw_OI1fl_nd9Bj3o0.jpg ). Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki's Profile The president of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL) He was born in 1942. He had created more than 130 inventions by the age of 29, including a non-volatile memory while he was a student. He was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Cabinet Office of the Japanese government at the age of 54. He received many awards: the Director Prize at the Commendation for Science and Technology from the Science and Technology Agency in 1990, and the Okochi Memorial Technology Award in 2010. He has been an IVA (Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science) Foreign Member since 2009 and an IEEE Life Fellow since 2011, received an Honorary Doctor Degree of Culture from Doshisha University in 2011, and became a Doshisha Shayu, a title given to a distinguished contributor to Doshisha, in 2015. He devotes his energy to cultivating the development of the next-generation engineers of SEL. The website of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (SEL): http://www.sel.co.jp/en/index.html GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (R)* GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS is an organization that certifies world records and publishes a book introducing these world records annually. There are currently approximately 40,000 records listed in the organization's database. The book "GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS" has been an international best seller since its first edition came out in 1955. The website of GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/ *GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (R) is a registered trademark of Guinness World Records Ltd. Related Links http://www.sel.co.jp/en/index.html SOURCE Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. SAN FRANCISCO, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The global explosives market is expected to reach USD 31.95 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The global explosives and pyrotechnics market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period on account of increasing use of the product in construction and mining activities. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 ) Rising number of projects for infrastructure development in Asia Pacific is expected to drive the demand for explosives as a blasting agent. Increasing government spending for infrastructure development in Asia Pacific and the Middle East on account of increasing domestic output is expected to play a significant role in amplifying construction activities in these regions. In 2013, Asia Pacific contributed to approximately 44% of the total global construction spending, an increase of 4% from the previous year. Also, the development of new construction and building projects in Asia is likely to boost market growth. The demand for explosives in the region is expected to be 14.93 million tons by 2024. Browse full research report with TOC on "Explosives Market Analysis By Product (Blasting Agents, Propellants, Pyrotechnics), By Application and Pyrotechnics Market Analysis By Application (Proximate Pyrotechnics, Consumer Pyrotechnics, Display Pyrotechnics) And Segment Forecasts, 2013 - 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/explosives-pyrotechnics-market Further key findings from the report suggest: Positive outlook towards the mining sector in Chile , and Peru , and owing to government policies to open opportunities for investments by foreign players, to improve the economic conditions, is expected to drive the demand for explosives subsequently. The segment is projected to witness volume growth at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. , and , and owing to government policies to open opportunities for investments by foreign players, to improve the economic conditions, is expected to drive the demand for explosives subsequently. The segment is projected to witness volume growth at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. Coal mining was the largest application within the mining sector accounting for 49.8% of the volume in 2015. However, the outlook towards coal is likely to be bleak over the forecast period on account of increasing shifting trends of consumers towards alternative sources of energy including natural gas and renewable energy. However, metal mining is expected to witness tremendous growth on account of rising demand for metals including rare earth elements. Consumer pyrotechnics accounted for 36.2% of the global volume in 2015 and is expected to grow on account of increasing demand for recreational fireworks, model rocket motors, and powder-actuated nail guns. Key market players include Orica Mining Services, ENAEX, Maxam Corp., Sasol Limited, Austin Powder Company, AEL Mining Services, Chemring Group, Incitec Pivot, AECI Group, Pyro Company Fireworks, ePC Group, Alliant Techsystems, Titanobel SAS, Hanwha Corp., Solar Industries India, and LSB Industries. Companies are focusing on product innovation to cater to the growing demand for safe & effective explosives. For instance, in September 2016 , Orica launched a new product, Vistis Bulk System, catering to the growing consumer demand in Australia . Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Enhanced Fire Protection Systems Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/enhanced-fire-protection-systems-market Packer Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/packer-market Pressure Pumping Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/pressure-pumping-market Base Metal Mining Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/base-metal-mining-market Grand View Research has segmented the global explosives & pyrotechnics market on the basis of product, application and region: Global Explosives Product Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) Blasting agents Propellants Pyrotechnics Others Global Explosives Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) Mining Construction Military Others Global Pyrotechnics Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) Proximate pyrotechnics Consumer pyrotechnics Display pyrotechnics Others Global Explosives Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Europe Germany UK Asia Pacific China India Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa (MEA) Access research Insight - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/research-insights/explosives-pyrotechnics-market-insights-mining-activities-drive-demand About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Read Our Blogs - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/bulk-chemicals Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. VANCOUVER, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fineqia International Inc. (the "Company" or "Fineqia") (CSE: FNQ) (OTCPink: FNQQF) (Frankfurt: FNQA) is pleased to announce that it has closed a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of 517,119,950 units ("Units") issued at a price of CAD$0.01 per Unit, raising gross proceeds of CAD$5,171,199.50 in an oversubscribed round. The final close follows raising of the Private Placement target three times from CAD$2 million to CAD$5 million due to continued investor interest, since the Company's completion of the first tranche of the Private Placement and issuance of 157,900,000 Units, raising gross proceeds of CAD$1,579,000 on August 11, 2015. Each unit consists of one common share and one transferable common share purchase warrant ("Warrants") exercisable at CAD$0.05 per share for a period of five years subject to an accelerated vesting provision. Fineqia intends to provide a U.K. regulated platform and associated services to place and administer debt and equity securities issuances. The UK industry for mini-bond debt securities is expected to be worth A8 billion (CAD$13 billion) by 2017 from about A90 million (CAD$148 million) in 2012, according to the U.K's Capita Registrars. Insiders of the Company subscribed for 67,770,000 Units, with Bundeep Singh Rangar, CEO and a director of the Company, subscribing for 34,320,000 Units through his controlled companies; Stephen John McCann, CFO and a director of the Company, subscribing for 30,950,000 Units in his own name and through a company he controls, and Brij Chadda, a director of the Company, subscribing for 2,500,000 in his own name. As a result, the Private Placement is a related party transaction (as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101")). The Company relied upon the "Issuer Not Listed on Specified Markets" and "Fair Market Value Not More Than CAD$2,500,000" exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements, respectively, under MI 61-101. As a result of the Private Placement: (i) Mr. Rangar's beneficial ownership of common shares of the Company ("Beneficial Ownership") decreased from 7.05% to 6.19% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company; (ii) Mr. McCann's Beneficial Ownership increased from 0.06% to 4.70% and Mr. Chadda's ownership increased from 0.11% to 0.41%. The Private Placement was unanimously approved by the board of directors of the Company, with Messrs. Rangar, McCann and Chadda each having declared his interest and abstained from approving any issuance of Units to himself or companies controlled by him. As required by CNSX Markets Inc., the Units that were issued under the Private Placement to directors, officers, promoters or persons who acquired over 10% of the voting common shares of the Company, are subject to escrow. In this regard, the securities that were acquired under the Private Placement by Messrs. Rangar and McCann are subject to escrow pursuant to a Form 46-201 Escrow Agreement dated October 28, 2016 among Fineqia, Computershare, Messrs. Rangar and McCann. The Company issued finder's Units equal to 5.7% (i.e. 29,437,920) of the aggregate number of Units sold in the Private Placement through the efforts of each finder at a price of 7% per finder's Unit. The finder's Warrants are exercisable under the same terms as the Warrants. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement are subject to a four-month hold period. The proceeds of the Private Placement will be used for general working capital, debt settlements and making strategic investments. The material change report filed in connection with the Private Placement will be filed less than 21 days prior to the closing of the Private Placement. The shorter period was necessary in order to permit the Company to close the Private Placement in a timeframe consistent with usual market practice for transactions of this nature. Debt Settlement Concurrently with the closing of the Private Placement, the Company completed debt settlements in which various creditors agreed to accept common shares of the Company for past consulting services provided to the Company totaling CAD$277,220 by the issuance of a total of 20,224,000 common shares of the Company at deemed prices of CAD$0.01 per share (for non-insiders) and CAD$0.05 per share (for insiders). Following closing of the Private Placement and debt settlements, the Company now has 661,752,416 common shares issued and outstanding. All securities issued pursuant to the debt settlements are subject to a four-month hold period. Stock Option Grants The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to purchase up to 10% of its issued and outstanding common shares at an exercise price of CAD$0.05 per share for a period of three years to its directors, officers and consultants in accordance with the provisions of its stock option plan. About Fineqia International Inc. Fineqia's business model is to provide an online platform and associated services for the placement of debt and equity securities, initially in the UK. The platform will transparently highlight the risks and objectively outline opportunities involved. For more information, visit http://www.fineqia.com. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATORY SERVICE PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to complete the Change of Business, failure to obtain sufficient financing, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement. mediacontact Karolina Komarnicka, Marketing Associate, T: +1(778)654-2324, E: info@fineqia.com, W: http://www.fineqia.com SOURCE Fineqia International Inc BENGALURU and LONDON, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sutures India has been awarded Indian Medical Consumables Company of the Year 2016 by Frost & Sullivan. The award was conferred upon Sutures India, in recognition of their diverse product portfolio in wound care; rapid business growth and innovation focus of the company, emerging as a trusted brand in the medical consumables industry space. From a single product (sutures) company, Sutures India today produces a range of medical consumables: - Specialty sutures - Orthopaedic fixation fibre - Foleys catheter - Surgical gloves CEO of Sutures India briefed the media, "We are delighted to be awarded the Indian Medical Consumables Company of the Year 2016 by Frost & Sullivan. This is a testimony to the market expansion in both domestic and international markets in the last few years. Our products are CE certified and our manufacturing unit is one of few manufacturing plants which is USFDA approved. Our products are well accepted by surgeons in more than 100 countries. As part of our Phase 2 growth strategy, Sutures India is looking for suitable strategic/OEM/business partners for market expansion in the South East Asian countries like Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia,"- Mr. Dinesh Lodha, CEO. Sutures India has a significant footprint in the Asian market, having presence in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Apart from the substantial Institutional Sales, Sutures India has started building the brand by promoting its products globally to surgeons. About Sutures India (http://www.suturesindia.com/): Sutures India was established in 1992 at Bangalore, India with the mission of protecting lives. Sutures India began with manufacturing gut sutures. With continuous support and guidance from the clinical fraternity and significant investments over a period of time in product development, Sutures India added a broader portfolio of surgical sutures and other products. Today, Sutures India has an entire range of surgical sutures across therapeutic areas such as obstetrics/gynaecology, gastroenterology, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, neurosurgery, transplants etc. Sutures India's pride rests in the fact that we offer top quality solutions to surgeons, physicians, and hospitals across 100 countries including countries such as the USA, France, UK, Poland, China. Quality Certification & approvals: 510 K premarket notification to US market, CE, GMP, GLP, ISO 9001, ISO 13485 Frost & Sullivan awards: http://ww2.frost.com/about/best-practices-recognition/hall-fame/sutures-india Media Contact: Raja AP +91-9535363587 raja.ap@suturesindia.com Deepu Iyengar +91-9731834433 deepu.i@suturesindia.com Sutures India Pvt Ltd SOURCE Sutures India Pvt Ltd SOEST, Netherlands, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In February 2017, the National Military Museum of the Netherlands (NMM) stages the European premiere of the exhibition 'Genghis'.This exhibition tells the story of one of the greatest empires that ever was and the impact it had. 'Genghis' will be presented at the NMM until the end of August 2017. Genghis, an empire built on horseback The exhibition uses a variety of show-pieces to provide a glimpse of Genghis Kahn's life from a military perspective. This exhibition is the most comprehensive introduction to Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire ever presented internationally. Visitors will learn about the history of the development of the empire and how Genghis, with the help of his army and military innovations, rose to such fame. Reaching beyond the often told tales of the life of Genghis Khan, this exhibition expands the story of the Mongols, revealing that the history of the Mongol empire is richer, more exciting, and more important to the world we live in today than it could ever have been imagined. Extraordinary treasures Using wide-ranging contemporary sources, digital media and some of the rarest objects from the museums of Inner Mongolia, this is the story of the Mongols as it has never been told before. Some 123 artefacts come from the Inner Mongolia Museum (Hohot, China), including a golden saddle, whistling arrows and gold jewellery. It is for the first time that such a variety of artefacts is accessible to the public outside of China. Genghis takes its visitors on an immersive journey through the steppes, deserts and palaces of the Mongol Empire. The exhibition 'Genghis' is a project of Nomad Exhibitions, in collaboration with the Inner Mongolia Museum and the University of Edinburgh. National Military Museum The National Military Museum (NMM) is an iconic museum about the significance of the armed forces for the Netherlands in the past, present and future. The museum illustrates this significance using stories, activities and topical exhibitions you will not forget lightly. The museum boasts a huge presentation hall where visitors can get close to a variety of imposing items from the collection, such as aeroplanes, tanks, armoured vehicles and helicopters. For more information, go to http://www.nmm.nl. SOURCE Nationaal Militair Museum (NMM) The U.S. has become the largest beef exporter to Korea for the first time in eight years, beating Australia. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Monday, Korea imported 10,551 tons of beef from the U.S. from Oct. 1 to 20, 2,169 tons more than from Australia. In frozen beef imports alone, the U.S. already overtook Australia in August. GENEVA, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, High Lantern Group (www.highlanterngroup.com) announced that Mario Ottiglio has joined the firm as a Managing Director based in Geneva, Switzerland. Through establishing a presence in Europe, High Lantern Group expands its footprint to meet clients' global needs. "We are expanding to meet the increasing international needs of businesses, global institutions and trade associations to compete more effectively in their markets, better engage in thought leadership and positively shape the external environment in which they operate," said Michael W. Hodin, Ph.D., Managing Partner at High Lantern Group. "I am confident that Mario's expertise and proven professional achievements, especially in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences sectors, will be a huge benefit to our existing clients and provide the foundation for serving a growing global client base. Moreover, our unique expertise through the Global Coalition on Aging (www.globalcoalitiononaging.com) will gain further leverage through our new presence in Geneva." This is the first expansion of High Lantern Group outside the United States where it currently has offices in New York City, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Philadelphia, PA, and Asheville, NC. It will bolster the firm's existing connections to European-based corporations, international organizations, trade associations, and influencers, and promote accelerated outreach and collaboration with new partners. The new Geneva office will also serve as a springboard to meet the needs of clients based in other key hubs across Europe and Asia, who can benefit from High Lantern Group's expertise in public affairs, communications, and reputation as powerful drivers of business development, corporate value enhancement and stakeholder relationships. "Based on my experience in the international pharmaceutical industry, working to create synergies across public and private sectors, I recognized that High Lantern Group brings a unique approach to success in an ever-changing business landscape," said Ottiglio, who has held leadership roles at international health organizations for more than a decade. Previously he served as the Director of Public Affairs, Communications & Global Health Policy at the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and prior to that worked in governmental institutions and private firms. "Operating out of a key world public affairs hub, High Lantern Group will take clients on a journey through the lifecycle of ideas and initiatives, from early-stage strategy, to engagement and implementation." High Lantern Group is a strategic consulting firm focused at the intersection of business strategy, public policy and reputation. The firm develops strategies for influence and thought leadership in the public arena focusing on global health, life sciences, financial services, and retail, among others. For more information, please visit www.highlanterngroup.com. Related Links http://www.highlanterngroup.com SOURCE High Lantern Group OYSTER BAY, New York, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In its recent analysis ranking more than 450 companies on their IoT service capabilities, ABI Research finds that IoT partner programs and their member companies are evolving their IoT offerings, with 54% of listed organizations receiving a high IoT maturity grade. IoT partner programs are ecosystems of companies focused on assembling end-to-end solutions around a supplier product portfolio. The programs streamline the IoT adoption process by enabling collaboration among hardware, software, and service providers across different technology sectors to deliver comprehensive IoT solutions for enterprises. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151014/276887LOGO "IoT partner programs are critical, as supplier diversity and offer complexity is not lessening and no one company can deliver a complete end-to-end IoT solution," says Ryan Harbison, Research Analyst at ABI Research. "Over the past year, companies like Dell and Intel continued to grow their programs to target additional verticals like manufacturing and energy. IoT partner programs 'un-fragment' the market for end-users and drive awareness to hardware, software and service providers that combined can deliver an end-to-end IoT solution." Dell is expanding its partner program ecosystem with its series of IoT gateways, relying on partners like Action Point and Datatrend Technologies. Through a portal, Dell customers can search for the partners that will best fit their needs, based on a variety of metrics like vertical offerings and location. The initial program success is so strong that Dell aims to double its program members by the end of 2016. Similarly, Intel's IoT Solution Alliance continues to create interoperable, secure solutions to drive efficiencies and deliver device system performance insights. Program members like Advantech and relayr help Intel differentiate its devices and the value they provide to end users. Partner programs drive value for parent organizations, like Dell and Intel, by expanding their ecosystem user base through their member company connections. The programs, in turn, drive value for member companies through incremental business opportunities. Finally, enterprises acquiring IoT capabilities enjoy faster time to market and potentially a more integrated solution. "Today's successful partner programs are the ones striking the right balance between their number of partners and the overall product offering," concludes Harbison. "It is not about having the biggest partner program; it is about working to forge new alliances with like-minded partners across multiple sectors and consistently delivering valuable IoT services to a broad range of customers. It is about learning how to adapt in the expanding IoT universe." These findings are from ABI Research's SI/VAR and Partner Program IoT Ecosystem Market Data (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/product/1026029-sivar-and-partner-program-iot-ecosystem-ma/). This report is part of the company's IoT, IoE & M2M sector (https://www.abiresearch.com/market-research/practice/ioe-enterprise-m2m/), which includes research, data, and analyst insights. About ABI Research ABI Research stands at the forefront of technology market research, providing business leaders with comprehensive research and consulting services to help them implement informed, transformative technology decisions. Founded more than 25 years ago, the company's global team of senior and long-tenured analysts delivers deep market data forecasts, analyses, and teardown services. ABI Research is an industry pioneer, proactively uncovering ground-breaking business cycles and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com. Contact Info: Mackenzie Gavel Tel: +1.516.624.2542 pr@abiresearch.com Related Links http://www.abiresearch.com SOURCE ABI Research LONDON and PALO ALTO, California, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kx Systems (Kx) announced today that its time-series database kdb+ set new records in independent testing on the largest dataset ever used. Running on Dell EMC DSSD D5 Rack-Scale flash storage system with Dell EMC PowerEdge servers, Kx and Dell EMC achieved the fastest results to date in 16 of the 19 benchmarks reported within the volume-scaled multi-year M3 benchmark suite as performed and audited by STAC (The Securities Technology Analysis Center).The STAC M3 test suite is designed to test the suitability and scalability of technology stacks for managing financial time-series data. With this benchmark, Kx set new performance records that were several times faster than most of the previous test results. Kdb+'s unique integrated architecture ensured that complex analytics performed during the benchmark on the 48 terabyte dataset could seamlessly draw on data both in-memory and on disk, as needed. Peter Lankford, Director of STAC, said: "Trading firms in the STAC Benchmark Council designed the STAC-M3 suite to represent a range of performance challenges that are common in financial time-series analysis. As data volumes grow and as the query demands from quants, machines, and regulators increase, it is more important than ever for tick database solutions to perform well at scale. Kx's kdb+, running on Dell EMC DSSD D5 and PowerEdge servers, has established performance records while testing on the largest STAC-M3 data scale so far." Glenn Wright, Systems Architect at Kx, said: "The results are a clear demonstration of the unparalleled speed of Kx when combined with advanced processing power. Clients choose Kx because of its ability to quickly analyze streaming, real-time and historical data. This benchmark further shows Kx's ability to make the most of the latest equipment available." Kx has a large and firmly-established user base in financial markets, with nine of the 10 largest global banks as clients. Financial institutions, along with Kx's growing numbers of clients in other industries, are using high-performance databases and applications built on kdb+ for rapid processing and analytics of large and growing datasets. Industries like telecommunications and areas such as sensor data analytics, network usage monitoring and energy trading, all greatly benefit from the record-breaking performance provided by running more complex analytics, on more data, faster, with a larger number of concurrent users. Mark Sykes, Chief Operating Officer of Kx Systems, said: "We are really pleased with the results of this benchmark which demonstrate another avenue to further improve the performance of existing applications built on kdb+. Our financial services customers are always on the lookout for new architectures that combine low operational latencies and high data rates. At the same time, our customers need to store a massive amount of persistent data without compromising on performance metrics." Note for editors: The STAC M3 test suite is designed to test scalability with respect to dataset size and the number of concurrent users. STAC tested and validated the performance with the biggest dataset ever used for testing: 48TB vs. just over 30TB that was previously tested. About Kx Kx is the world leader in high-performance, in-memory computing, streaming analytics and operational intelligence. For more than 20 years the world's largest banks, brokers and regulators have been relying on Kx technology to address the challenges posed by exploding volumes of data, regulatory requirements and the need for ever-faster processing. With more than 100 major global corporations as clients, Kx works closely with its user group to drive and prioritize its research and development so that it delivers the most innovative software, tools, solutions and services to solve its customers' business needs. As the Internet of Things creates never before seen volumes of structured machine data, new industries are embracing Kx technology's proven ability to store and analyze data in real-time. In the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, Kx is helping organizations realize the value that can be derived from their datasets in all areas of their business from research and development to production, sales, and increasingly regulatory reporting. Kx is a division of First Derivatives plc. (FD). FD is quoted on the London Stock Exchange (FDP: LN) and is a global supplier of software and consulting services. FD has had double-digit revenue growth every year since it was incorporated in 1996. For more information about Kx please visit http://www.kx.com. For general inquiries, write to info@kx.com. For press enquiries at Kx Systems, please contact: Anne-Charlotte Duhaut / Alla Lapidus Moonlight Media Email: kx@moonlightmedia.co.uk Tel: +44-(0)20-7250-4770 SOURCE Kx Systems LONDON, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LCM partners is delighted to announce the successful closure of the LCM Partners Credit Opportunities III strategy. The strategy has exceeded 2 billion in commitments and comprises a mix of managed accounts and a commingled fund. Commitments have been received from a variety of pension funds and foundations spanning the US, Continental Europe and the UK. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160811/397432LOGO ) "LCM Partners is incredibly proud to include some of the most prestigious institutional investors as clients following the close of the LCM Credit Opportunities III strategy. We are honoured to represent state retirement schemes, public and private sector workers and foundations. We take our responsibility to manage our clients' assets prudently very seriously and it is this approach that has enabled us to deliver positive annual returns over a seventeen year period at an average IRR of 14.9% (gross, unleveraged)." said Paul Burdell, Chief executive Officer, LCM Partners The LCM Partners Credit Opportunities III strategy uses a single investment platform, which enables all funds within the strategy to invest alongside one and other. The commingled fund comprises a Euro and USD sleeve and closed on 31st October 2016 with 865.5 million in commitments. Four managed accounts will also invest into the underlying investment platform with commitments ranging in size from 100 million to 500 million. Since the launch of LCM Partners Credit Opportunities III, LCM has invested approximately 1 billion in transactions and has a current pipeline exceeding 1.5 billion of performing, rescheduled, and non-performing loans from a wide range of European countries across consumer and SME debt. Adrian Cloake, Chief Investment Officer at LCM Partners commented "We are ahead of target for pace of deployment and returns achieved for our cornerstone investors since the launch of LCM Partners Credit Opportunities III. The final close of the strategy at over 2 billion means LCM Partners continues to hold significant firepower in what is shaping up to be the most active market for loan purchases that we have seen in the past 17 years of business." Adrian continued "The ongoing implementation of Basel III across Europe means the amount of capital banks must hold will increase again on 1st January 2017. More emphasis on capital leads to more focus on reducing risk weighted assets and the quickest way for banks to achieve this is to sell transactions to managers such as LCM Partners who are able to buy the portfolios, but more importantly service the underlying customers." Notes to Editors: About LCM Credit Opportunities III strategy LCM Partners Credit Opportunities III strategy launched in June 2014 with a cornerstone investor with a cornerstone investor The commingled fund closed 31 st October 2016 The strategy has delivered a 11.94% IRR, net of management fees and fund expenses, since launch (as at 30 th September 2016 ) ) The strategy comprises of six funds: four Euro denominated funds based in Luxembourg and two USD funds based in Cayman denominated funds based in and funds based in Cayman Sixteen Limited Partners have committed in excess of 2 billion AUM into the strategy About LCM Partners LCM Partners is an Alternative asset manager, specialising in credit With a track record investing in loan portfolios since 1999, LCM Partners has delivered low relative volatility through annual vintages across the cycle with an unleveraged gross IRR of 14.9% LCM Partners has bought over 2000 transactions and manages 13.5 billion of loans The Firm is part of the Link Financial Group which has 8 offices in 5 countries across Europe , including the largest loan sale markets of the UK, Italy , Spain , Germany and Ireland , including the largest loan sale markets of the UK, , , and LCM Partners has won and been nominated for a number of awards including European Distressed Debt Investor 2015 at the Private Debt Investor awards and recently as European Credit Investment Firm of the year 2016 at ACQ5's hedge fund awards. LCM Partners Contact: Alison Swonnell, Director of Fund Operations T: +44-203-457-5058 aswonnell@lcmpartners.eu SOURCE LCM Partners WEST PALM BEACH, Florida, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MDNA Life Sciences Inc. (MDNA), a molecular diagnostics company specializing in the development of blood-based diagnostic tests based on the mitochondrial genome, announced today that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the University of Oxford to further the development and validation of MDNA's non-invasive blood-based test for endometriosis. The study will use MDNA's proprietary Mitomic Technology to isolate mitochondrial biomarkers circulating in blood plasma that have the potential to accurately distinguish between women with and without endometriosis. The endometriosis test aims to provide the medical community with a much-needed tool in the management of endometriosis to close the average 9-year gap between symptom onset and diagnosis, and accelerate the pathway to treatment. Following the successful outcome of this clinical study, launch of the test is planned for 2017. The collaboration with the University of Oxford will be facilitated by Professor Christian Becker, and Professor Krina Zondervan, co-Directors of the Endometriosis Care and Research (CaRe) Centre which aims to find novel diagnostic approaches and identify innovative, more focused therapies for endometriosis. "This collaborative effort between MDNA Life Sciences and the Endometriosis CaRe Centre is an exciting novel project aiming to identify urgently needed biomarkers in endometriosis focusing on mitochondrial DNA," said Professor Becker. Professors Becker and Zondervan have also participated with the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) in the Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonization Project (EPHect), which has produced the current standards in data, sample collection and processing for endometriosis research. "Using the WERF EPHect data and sample collection protocols will ensure the highest standards of phenotypic data and biological sample quality, which is a prerequisite for high quality and reproducible studies," added Professor Zondervan. MDNA's diagnostic tests are developed using its proprietary Mitomic Technology platform which exploits the unique biological characteristics of mitochondrial DNA making it a highly attractive and effective system for biomarker discovery, early disease detection, monitoring, risk assessment and therapeutic targeting. This innovative platform has led to the discovery of numerous novel and proprietary biomarkers for a multitude of cancers and other diseases. The exceptional biological properties of mitochondrial DNA allow MDNA's proprietary tests to accurately identify early stages of disease progression, using a non-invasive blood sample. "Particularly for endometriosis, which affects 10% of women of childbearing age and currently relies on an invasive surgical procedure for diagnosis, there is significant value in the development of a non-invasive molecular test. The combination of our Mitomic TechnologyTM with the high quality, well-documented clinical specimens from the University of Oxford provides a powerful advantage for our efforts to develop enhanced diagnostic and screening tools for this high burden disease," says Chris Mitton, Chief Executive Officer of MDNA Life Sciences. About MDNA Life Sciences MDNA Life Sciences, Inc. is leading the development of molecular diagnostic tests based on the mitochondrial genome. The Company is applying its expertise in mitochondrial genomics to continue development of an extensive and proprietary portfolio of blood-based molecular tests for conditions that are currently dependent on poor or absent screening tests or invasive procedures for detection. The endometriosis test will be the third such test, the first two being for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Further tests for ovarian and lung cancer are in the pipeline. For more information visit www.mdnalifesciences.com Contact: Christopher Mitton 844-321-6362 c.mitton@mdnalifesciences.com Related Links http://www.mdnalifesciences.com SOURCE MDNA Life Sciences Inc. DARMSTADT, Germany, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer deaths in women are expected to increase to 5.5 million by 2030 Merck, a leading science and technology company, and the American Cancer Society (ACS) today released a report that shows all four of the top causes of cancer deaths in women worldwide are mostly preventable or can often be detected early, when treatment is more successful. The report, titled "The Global Burden of Cancer in Women," is the first tangible output from an innovative partnership between Merck and the American Cancer Society focused on raising awareness and strengthening advocacy around women's cancers. "We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society to address the impact cancer has on women worldwide," said Belen Garijo, member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare at Merck. "This collaboration is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership that recognizes that no one sector can tackle this challenge alone. Improving women's health and well-being has an uplifting ripple effect on our world, and we know when women do better, our communities do better." The research examines the increasing impact of cancer among women in low- and middle-income countries - and outlines potential solutions to minimize the economic and societal impact of the disease for women, their families and healthcare systems. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in women, with breast, colorectal, lung and cervical cancers claiming the most lives each year. With cancer rates on the rise as the global population grows and ages, the number of women who will lose their lives to cancer is expected to increase, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In 2012, there were 3.5 million deaths among women due to cancer; by 2030 that number is expected to increase to 5.5 million deaths - a more than 57% increase in less than two decades. Increased education and prevention efforts will be essential to addressing this growing global health crisis. "It's incumbent upon both the public and private sectors, as members of the global health community, to find ways to reduce the impacts of cancer on women by increasing prevention and treatment, saving the lives of women across the globe," said Ambassador Sally Cowal, senior vice president, global cancer control at the American Cancer Society. In addition to the physical challenges women with cancer and their families experience, the burden of cancer also extends to the economy. The study found that in 2009, the global economic burden of cancer was estimated at about $ 286 billion, and much of that cost was due to premature death of members of the workforce. In the United States alone in 2008, years of productive life lost due to cancer in women corresponded to $ 82 billion, not to mention the many professional achievements that might have been realized. The report was released at the World Cancer Congress during a Merck panel moderated by Ambassador Cowal. Other participants included HRH Princess Dina Mired of Jordan; Dr. Alise Reicin, Head of Global Clinical Development in the biopharma business of Merck; and Dr. Edward L. "Ted" Trimble, director, Center for Global Health at the National Cancer Institute. This partnership will also catalyse the evolution of the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program, which aims to educate and cultivate health and civil society professionals in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and India to affect meaningful change in prevention and early detection of cancers among women in low- and middle-income countries. This report is part of Merck's involvement with the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which explicitly links the issue of women's health and well-being with economic growth. The full "Global Burden of Cancer in Women" report is available http://www.cancer.org/research/cancerfactsstatistics/global-burden-cancer-in-women. About the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Initiative Merck is a founding partner of the Healthy Women, Healthy Economies initiative, which brings together the evidence about women's health and well-being and its impact on economic growth with the best practices that governments, employers and non-governmental organizations can follow. It aims to identify and implement policies that advance women's health and well-being to increase their economic participation in the societies in which they live. About the American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress, nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We're determined to finish the fight against cancer. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org. About the American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars Program The American Cancer Society's All of Me Young Scholars program aims to educate and cultivate young health and civil society professionals around the world to bring their energy, voice and new ideas to the new and growing field of integration of women's cancer prevention and early detection. All Merck press releases are distributed by email at the same time they become available on the Merck website. Please go to http://www.merckgroup.com/subscribe to register online, change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life - from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2015, Merck generated sales of 12.85 billion in 66 countries. Founded in 1668, Merck is the world's oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. The company holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151207/293543LOGO ) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151019/278051LOGO ) SOURCE Merck MATRAN, Switzerland, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Piramal Imaging S.A. today announced that it has received Shonin (medical device) approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan for Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera). The approval, obtained through Piramal Imaging's service partner, SCETI K.K., Tokyo, enables Japanese hospitals and imaging centers access to the equipment needed for on-site manufacturing of the -amyloid imaging agent florbetaben 18F, which is approved in the EU, U.S. and South Korea under the brand name Neuraceq. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130507/NE09018LOGO ) "The availability of Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera) will contribute to further advance public health in Japan by assisting in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, a growing concern in the Japanese society," said Dr. Ludger Dinkelborg, Director of the Board, Piramal Imaging. "In addition to expanding the market reach for Neuraceq, the Shonin approval for Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera) supports our ambition of making this important diagnostic tool available on a global scale to the expanding population facing dementia", Dinkelborg added further. Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera) is a medical device manufactured by IBA, SA RadioPharma Solutions, Belgium. MHLW has approved the device, IBA Synthera V2, as the manufacturing platform for the in-house production of florbetaben 18F solution for Japanese hospitals. Florbetaben 18F, made on Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera platform (Neuraceq Synthera), is a radioactive diagnostic agent approved in Japan for visualization of brain beta-amyloid plaques in patients with cognitive impairment suspected to have Alzheimer's disease. Florbetaben 18F binds to neuritic beta-amyloid plaques in the human brain, a hallmark characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, a condition that slowly destroys memory and cognitive abilities and currently affects over 46 million people worldwide[1]. Until today, an estimated 20-30% of patients with dementia[2] have been misdiagnosed and often experience extended diagnostic episodes before receiving a clinical diagnosis. A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease can only be made after death based on autopsy findings of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Today, a comprehensive clinical evaluation in combination with in-vivo biomarkers, such as beta-amyloid PET imaging, improves the diagnostic accuracy, allowing for improved patient management. Recently, Piramal Imaging submitted a Summary Technical Document (STED) medical device dossier to the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) seeking approval for Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera). Under the Shonin approval process, Neuraceq Automated Synthesizer Synthera (Neuraceq Synthera) is approved as a radioactive-material medical-treatment instrument (category: Equipment 10), with the general designation of radiopharmaceutical synthetic equipment (70009000), Class III. The device is to be distributed to Japanese hospitals by SCETI K.K., Tokyo, who will also train hospital personnel on its use. About Neuraceq (florbetaben F18 injection) Indication Neuraceq is indicated for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging of the brain to estimate beta-amyloid neuritic plaque density in adult patients with cognitive impairment who are being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other causes of cognitive decline. A negative Neuraceq scan indicates sparse to no amyloid neuritic plaques and is inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD at the time of image acquisition; a negative scan result reduces the likelihood that a patient's cognitive impairment is due to AD. A positive Neuraceq scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid neuritic plaques; neuropathological examination has shown this amount of amyloid neuritic plaque is present in patients with AD, but may also be present in patients with other types of neurologic conditions as well as older people with normal cognition. Neuraceq is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations. Limitations of Use A positive Neuraceq scan does not establish the diagnosis of AD or any other cognitive disorder. Safety and effectiveness of Neuraceq have not been established for: Predicting development of dementia or other neurologic conditions; Monitoring responses to therapies. Important Safety Information Risk for Image Interpretation and Other Errors Neuraceq can be used to estimate the density of beta-amyloid neuritic plaque deposition in the brain. Neuraceq is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations. Neuraceq images should be interpreted independent of a patient's clinical information. Physicians should receive training prior to interpretation of Neuraceq images. Following training, image reading errors (especially false positive) may still occur. Additional interpretation errors may occur due to, but not limited to, motion artifacts or extensive brain atrophy. Neuraceq can be used to estimate the density of beta-amyloid neuritic plaque deposition in the brain. Neuraceq is an adjunct to other diagnostic evaluations. Neuraceq images should be interpreted independent of a patient's clinical information. Physicians should receive training prior to interpretation of Neuraceq images. Following training, image reading errors (especially false positive) may still occur. Additional interpretation errors may occur due to, but not limited to, motion artifacts or extensive brain atrophy. Radiation Risk Administration of Neuraceq, similar to other radiopharmaceuticals, contributes to a patients overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer. It is important to ensure safe handling to protect patients and health care workers from unintentional radiation exposure. of Neuraceq, similar to other radiopharmaceuticals, contributes to a patients overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure. Long-term cumulative radiation exposure is associated with an increased risk of cancer. It is important to ensure safe handling to protect patients and health care workers from unintentional radiation exposure. Most Common Adverse Reactions In clinical trials, the most frequently observed adverse drug reactions in 872 subjects with 978 Neuraceq administrations were injection/application site erythema (1.7%), injection site irritation (1.2%), and injection site pain (3.9%). About Piramal Imaging Piramal Imaging S.A., a division of Piramal Enterprises, Ltd., was formed in 2012 with the acquisition of the molecular imaging research and development portfolio of Bayer Pharma AG. By developing novel PET tracers for molecular imaging, Piramal Imaging is focusing on a key field of modern medicine. Piramal Imaging strives to be a leader in the molecular imaging field by developing innovative products that improve early detection and characterization of chronic and life-threatening diseases, leading to better therapeutic outcomes and improved quality of life. For more information please go to http://www.piramal.com/imaging. About SCETI K.K. A pioneer among foreign companies in Japan, SCETI was established in Tokyo in 1925, before it joined Denis Group in 1952. In its early years, the company served as agent for major French Heavy Industry companies. Along the way, SCETI became gradually involved in nuclear medicine, strengthening its portfolio in quantum equipment, isotopes, reagents and diagnostics. Meanwhile, it diversified its activities into Life Sciences importing advanced functional ingredients for food, health-food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals manufacturing. Lately, the company ventured into medical imaging distributing high-end systems, equipment & services used in medical diagnosis and treatment. As of today, SCETI markets innovative Health Science solutions focusing on Life Sciences, Medical and Bio-Medical. It works as importer, distributor and licensor operating under QMS compliance. It serves the Industrial, Medical, Clinical, Pharmaceutical and Research networks in Japan and export markets. About IBA RadioPharma Solutions Based on longstanding expertise, IBA RadioPharma Solutions supports hospitals and radiopharmaceutical distribution centers with their in-house radioisotopes production by providing them with global solutions, from project design to the operation of their facility. In addition to high-quality production equipment, IBA has developed in-depth experience in setting up GMP-compliant radiopharmaceuticals production centers. IBA is listed on the pan-European stock exchange EURONEXT. (IBA: Reuters IBAB.BR and Bloomberg IBAB.BB) and more information can be found at: http://www.iba-worldwide.com (GLO/FBB/1016/0075) [] Alzheimer's Disease International. World Alzheimer Report 2015, The Global Impact of Dementia: An analysis of prevalence, incidence, cost and trends. http://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2015.pdf, (accessed Sept 15, 2016) [2] Beach TG, Monsell SE, Phillips LE, Kukull W Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer disease at National Institute on Aging Alzheimer Disease Centers, 2005-2010. J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 71(4),266- 73 (2012). Media Contacts: Nicole Fletcher Piramal Imaging nicole.fletcher@piramal.com +1 (857) 202-1122 SOURCE Piramal Enterprises ALBLASSERDAM, The Netherlands, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- - Y715 LAUNCH Oceanco's highly confidential 88.5m/290ft motoryacht, Y715, has been launched on 31 October 2016 and is entering her commissioning period. She has a beam of 14.5m/ 48ft, and a draft of 3.95m/ 13ft. Exterior styling and interior design are by Sam Sorgiovanni Designs. She presents a modern sporty look with a dark blue hull which is generously offset with a contrasting white superstructure. With no sharp edges, she has a very organic form with large elliptical-shaped hull windows that complement Y715's curvilinear profile. Further details remain confidential at this time. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/434888 ) Technical Specifications Type: Steel Hull and Aluminium Superstructure Length: 88.5m / 290ft Beam: 14.5m / 48ft Speed: 18.5 Knots Exterior Designer: Sam Sorgiovanni Designs Interior Designer: Sam Sorgiovanni Designs Y715 has naval architecture by Oceanco/ Azure, and is classified 100A1 SSC Yacht Mono G6LMC UMS ECO SCM. http://www.builtbyoceanco.com SOURCE Oceanco HOD HASHARON, Israel, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent 451 Research Report Designates Panaya as a Leading Postmodern ERP Testing Solution Panaya, the leader in ERP change analytics and cloud-based testing for SAP and Oracle platforms, announces the availability of its next generation testing platform - Panaya Test Center. Panaya Test Center is an integrated end-to-end testing platform designed for ERP, covering the entire functional testing spectrum including Unit Testing, System Integration Testing, Regression Testing and User Acceptance Testing. Used in production today by over 80 global customers like Eaton Corporation and ABB Group, Panaya Test Center was designed from the ground up for business process testing of SAP and Oracle systems. Panaya Test Center provides a comprehensive yet simple way for functional experts and business users to perform all their testing activities faster and reduce overall testing expenses by 30%. Unlike traditional testing tools that lack end-to-end business process visibility and are only relevant to technical testing experts, Panaya Test Center provides a 100% SaaS solution, delivering easy on-boarding, a smart dashboard for increased control and visibility, and effortless documentation of test evidence. This is why a new wave of Oracle and SAP customers are standardizing on Panaya Test Center, replacing their traditional tools such as HPQC. A recent 451 Research independent research report designated Panaya Test Center as a leading solution to support postmodern ERP testing, allowing organizations to realize ERP agility, critical in the era of digital transformation. "Panaya's software complements SAP's own test workbench by making it even easier for nontechnical users to create and document their own test scripts, which is to be welcomed as companies look to digitally transform their processes, putting end users at the center of agile application change," writes Katy Ring, Research Director of IT Services at 451 Group. Panaya Test Center is intuitive and easy to use with simple onboarding, enabling quick adoption by business users. By removing all the overhead involved in testing for a casual tester, ERP customers will enable their key users to focus on their testing activities and gain in productivity. Additionally, Panaya Test Center accelerates User Acceptance Testing cycles with bottleneck prevention via Panaya system-wide defect management. "Our end-to-end testing platform staunches the hemorrhage of time and money previously wasted on manual approaches," says Doron Gerstel, CEO of Panaya. "The cloud-based technology means they don't have to install anything and can hit the ground running. The recent wave of customers replacing traditional testing tools such as HPQC is evidence to its true value." For more information, please visit http://go.panaya.com//erp_testing_solution_451research/. About Panaya With Panaya, an Infosys company, organizations reach ERP agility faster - with zero time to change, zero risk, and zero defects. Panaya CloudQuality Suite enables all types of SAP and Oracle EBS changes. Panaya CloudQuality Suite delivers insights that tell you what will break, how to fix it, and what to test, helping organizations manage the testing process and collaborate between IT and business during the entire release process. Since 2008, 1,600 companies in 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have been using Panaya CloudQuality Suite to achieve ERP agility. http://www.panaya.com Panaya Media Contact Amy Kenigsberg K2 Global Communications amy@k2-gc.com http://www.k2-gc.com tel: +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT) mobile: +972-524-761-341 U.S.: +1-913-440-4072 (+7 ET) SOURCE Panaya WHITSETT, North Carolina, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- medi USA announced the international expansion of the restiffic compressive foot wrap for the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in the United Kingdom. restiffic offers unique, affordable, drug-free therapy for patients suffering from RLS and can now be purchased online at www.restiffic.co.uk. Video - http://youtu.be/Fe62f6qKGXc restiffic offers revolutionary, drug-free therapy for Restless Legs Syndrome. By applying pressure to targeted muscles in the foot, restiffic relaxes the muscles to lessen the symptoms of RLS. restiffic is available through medi UK, a partner company of medi USA, based in Hereford, United Kingdom. Ian Grant, Director of medi UK, said, "Restless Legs Syndrome patients in the United Kingdom have been eagerly awaiting a clinically proven, drug-free treatment for their symptoms, and we are excited to share restiffic with them." restiffic was launched in the United States in June 2016 and has been met with enthusiastic reviews from both patients and clinicians alike. One satisfied patient testifies that her legs "remained calm from the moment [she] put restiffic on," and that she would "recommend restiffic to anyone who suffers from RLS." Since its launch in June 2016, restiffic has received countless inquiries from residents of the United Kingdom about restiffic's availability in their country, which has a vibrant and engaged RLS community. restiffic will continue to expand its distribution elsewhere in Europe and Latin America later in 2016 and into 2017. Inquiries about its availability in specific countries may be sent to intl@restiffic.com. restiffic is available for purchase in the UK at www.restiffic.co.uk. restiffic is available for purchase in the USA with a prescription at www.restiffic.com or in pharmacies nationwide. Media contact: Maggie Moriarty, maggie.moriarty@mediusa.com, 1-336-449-4440 Related Links http://www.mediusa.com SOURCE medi USA The British Royal Air Force will send four Eurofighter Typhoons, a Voyager aerial refueling tanker and a C-17 Globemaster strategic transport aircraft as well as some 180 troops to South Korea on Friday. They are participating in the first South Korea-U.S.-U.K. aerial exercise, dubbed "Invincible Shield" at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province that ends on Nov. 10. The Typhoon, a leading multipurpose fighter jet in Europe, has a maximum speed of Mach 2 and is armed with precision-guided munitions, including long-range Taurus air-to-ground missiles. The Air Forces of the three countries are planning to focus on practicing precision strikes on major military and leadership facilities and intercepting incoming aircraft. TORONTO, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Potential for Increased Production to 1,100 Tonnes per Day with Minimal Capital Investment Richmont Mines Inc. (TSX: RIC) (NYSE MKT: RIC) ("Richmont" or the "Corporation"), is providing a status update on an expansion case Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "Expansion Case PEA") currently underway for the Island Gold Mine located in northern Ontario, Canada. The Expansion Case PEA is expected to be released in the first half of 2017 in order to incorporate the 2016 year-end Resource estimates and will consider a potential ore mining and mill processing rate increase to 1,100 tonnes per day beginning in 2018, with minimal capital investment being required. For the purposes of this Expansion Case PEA, only the most contiguous portion of the resources located between the 450 metre and 1,000 metre levels will be incorporated. Management will continue to evaluate a further upside scenario of up to 1,200 tonnes per day as additional resources are included in the mine plan. (All amounts are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated). "The Expansion Case PEA will leverage the impressive performance from the Island Gold Mine achieved to date as the operation is already exceeding the production and productivity targets identified in the PEA released in October 2015. The potential 1,100 tonnes per day expanded case scenario would require minimal capital investment as the operation would utilize the current ramp system with no need for an additional high speed ramp and would be internally funded utilizing our strong cash balance and growing cash flow profile." stated Renaud Adams, CEO. He continued, "Concurrently, the encouraging results reported to date from the near-mine drilling program support the continued evaluation of a further expansion scenario of up to 1,200 tonnes per day as we grow our resource inventory and extend mine life." EXPANSION CASE PEA OVERVIEW The objective of the 2016 Expansion Case PEA is to evaluate the most cost effective plan to mine over four mining horizons the portion of the mineral resources located in the main area of interest located between the 450 metre and 1,000 metre levels, in conjunction with evaluating the project capital, sustaining capital, operating costs, internal rate of return ("IRR") and payback of the expansion to 1,100 tonnes per day as compared to the 900 tonnes per day base case scenario currently being executed. Release of the Expansion Case PEA results is expected to be in the first half of 2017, which will allow for the incorporation of the December 31, 2016 Mineral Resource estimates, which is expected to positively impact production and cost estimates. The Expansion Case PEA analysis will include consideration of the following: An ore mining and processing rate of 900 tonnes per day in 2017, progressively increasing to 1,100 tonnes per day by the end of 2018 when the development of the ramp system is completed in the higher grade third mining horizon. The total mining (ore and waste) and haulage rate productivity improvements achieved to date that would support the continued utilization of the current ramp haulage system, eliminating the project capital requirement for an additional high speed haulage ramp that was outlined in the Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Island Gold Mine released in October 2015 (the "2015 PEA"). (the "2015 PEA"). Mill project capital requirements to increase milling capacity from the current average of 900 tonnes per day to an average of 1,200 tonnes per day. (Currently estimated to be less than $15 million , based on the 2015 PEA). , based on the 2015 PEA). Underground mine project capital requirements for 2017 to complete the accelerated development of the current ramp system in the third mining horizon, related mine utilities and ventilation system. Accelerated capital development in 2017 to positioning the Island Gold Mine operation to return to sustaining only capital requirement levels in 2018. The Expansion Case PEA analysis will be based on a portion of the resources as shown in Figure 1. For the preliminary analysis the 2015 Resource estimates (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) have been used to determine the increased mining rates and potential infrastructure required. The Expansion Case PEA will incorporate the 2016 year-end Mineral Resource estimates (expected to be released in mid-February 2017), which is anticipated to positively impact production and cost estimates. Figure 1: Expansion Case PEA Area For purposes of the Expansion Case PEA the 2016 Mineral Resources (inclusive of Mineral Reserves) will be included in the study. Only the resources within the main continuous structure between the 450 metre and 1,000 metre levels will be incorporated. More specifically, all mineral resources above the 450 metre level, below the 1,000 metre level, and within isolated mineral resource blocks located outside the main structure, will be excluded from the Expansion Case PEA. The economic analysis contained in the Expansion Case PEA will be partially based on inferred resources, and will therefore be preliminary in nature. Inferred resources are considered too geologically speculative to have mining and economic parameters applied to them, or to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the conversion of mineral resources to mineral reserves will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. EXPANSION CASE PEA BACKGROUND Near-Mine Resource Growth Potential and Improved Productivities Support Expansion Case PEA Based on the significant drilling indications for continued growth of the near-mine resources, the Expansion Case PEA will consider an expanded 1,100 tonnes per day scenario, while maintaining a minimum projected life of mine of 7 years. The Expansion Case PEA will consider a base case production rate of 900 tonnes per day in 2017, progressively increasing to 1,100 tonnes per day by the end of 2018, once the accelerated development of the ramp system in the third mining horizon is completed, and an adequate number of mining stopes are established. During the second and third quarters of 2016, the mine achieved base case productivity of 900 tonnes per day (excluding the 16 days of the underground mine shutdown) even though approximately 50% of the ore mined came from ore development, which has a lower productivity rate when compared to long-hole stoping. For the first nine months of the year, long-hole stoping activities were primarily limited to the first mining horizon with long-hole stoping in the extensions of the second mining horizon only recently initiated in October. Including ore and waste, the mine has maintained an average total mining rate year to date of approximately 1,900 tonnes per day, which includes extra waste development required from the accelerated development strategy. As of the end of the third quarter, the eastern section of the ramp system located in the third mining horizon has reached a level of 810 vertical metres and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2017. The accelerated development of the western section of the ramp system in the third mining horizon will be initiated in the first half of 2017 and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. This will allow for multiple stopes and reduced cycle times in the higher grade third mining horizon during the second half of 2018. The Expanded Case PEA is considering: (1) the total mining (ore and waste) and haulage productivity improvements achieved to date; (2) the projected increase in ore mining productivity as the ramp system is completed along the third mining horizon; and (3) the projected reduction in waste requirements after 2018 as the operation returns to sustaining only waste development levels. The Expansion Case PEA will not consider the need for the additional high speed haulage ramp previously identified in the 2015 PEA, thereby limiting the extra infrastructure requirement to only the expansion of milling capacity, which should significantly improve financial returns. The Expanded Case PEA will consider an expanded milling capacity from the current average rate of 900 tonnes per day to an average throughput of 1,200 tonnes per day. A conceptual study prepared by Soutex Inc. that was incorporated into the 2015 PEA indicated that the mill capacity could be increased to 1,200 tonnes per day with an investment of less than $15 million. It is expected that the expanded milling capacity to 1,200 tonnes per day could be completed in time to accommodate the increased mining rate in 2018. The Corporation has been operating the Island Gold Mine since 2007. The Expansion Case PEA will utilize the current actual cost structure including mining, milling, site G&A and royalties, as well as underground development and infrastructure capital costs. For mining of the deeper mineral resources, the current cost structure will be adjusted to consider the impact of mining from these lower elevations while also considering the economies of scale of the increased mining rate. While the Expansion Case PEA will limit the increased production rate to 1,100 tonnes per day (based only on the contiguous portion of the resources as described earlier), an upside opportunity does exist to further increase the production to up to 1,200 tonnes per day as additional resources are delineated, more parallel structures are accessed and the upper resources (not included in the Expansion Case PEA) are incorporated. The 1,200 tonnes per day scenario could require additional waste development if the exploration drilling program discovers new resource blocks in the eastern lateral extension, which is located outside the Expansion Case PEA area (Refer to Figure 1). The Expansion Case PEA will not take into consideration the exploration potential of the deposit both laterally and at depth. Any additional resources identified through the Phase 2 exploration drilling program could eventually be part of a further evaluation process. 2016 MINERAL RESERVES AND RESOURCES Near-Mine Delineation and Infill Drilling (Figure 2 and Figure 3) As previously disclosed in a press release dated October 12, 2016, the Corporation is advancing delineation and infill exploration drilling programs within the Expansion Case PEA area, with results to date demonstrating the significant potential to grow the near-mine reserves and identify new resource blocks located within the Expansion Case PEA area. Positive Grade and Tonnage Reconciliations During the first nine months of 2016, the Island Gold Mine experienced positive grade and tonnage reconciliations over the December 31, 2015 resource block model, which was used to develop the 2016 mine plan. For the nine-month period, which included mining in the first and second mining horizons only, with no tonnes mined in the higher grade third mining horizon, the mine achieved overall positive reconciliations on grades and tonnes of 25% and 6%, respectively, or 32% more ounces, as compared with the December 31, 2015 resource model. The model caps high grade assays at 95 g/t gold. Mine management is currently analysing the impact of the capping value used, as well as other resource modeling parameters, all of which will be considered in the upcoming December 31, 2016 Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates. The details of the nine-month reconciliation are presented below: Island Gold Mine 2016 Reconciliation Summary (as of Sept. 30, 2016) Reserves (as of Dec., 2015; Dilution 30% at 0.5 g/t) Mined (reconciled) Diluted Diluted Diluted Reconciled Reconciled Reconciled Tonnes Grade Ounces Tonnes Grade Ounces Total Development 2016 113,399 6.33 23,094 112,522 8.23 29,756 Total Stope 2016 101,539 7.53 24,596 115,642 8.99 33,427 Total Underground 2016 214,939 6.90 47,690 228,164 8.61 63,183 % Development 2016 53% 48% 49% 47% % Stope 2016 47% 52% 51% 53% (table continued) Island Gold Mine 2016 Reconciliation Summary (as of Sept. 30, 2016) Variance (Mined vs Reserves) Tonnes Grade Ounces Total Development 2016 99% 130% 129% Total Stope 2016 114% 119% 136% Total Underground 2016 106% 125% 132% The reconciliation to date is based on mining in the first and second mining horizons only, and should not be extrapolated to the third and fourth mining horizons. Additional information about the Mineral resources and Mineral Reserves can be found in the technical report entitled "Amended Technical Report on the Mineral Reserve and Resource Estimate as of December 31, 2015 for the Island Gold Mine" dated April 5, 2016 and effective as of December 31, 2015. QUALIFIED PERSONS The Expansion Case PEA is being prepared through the combined efforts of the Corporation's internal technical team and independent consultants at InnovExplo Inc. and Soutex Inc. The scientific and technical content and interpretations contained in this news release have been reviewed, verified and approved by Daniel Adam P. Geo., Ph.D., Richmont's Vice-President, Exploration, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). NEXT STEPS Complete the 2016 resource delineation drilling program by mid-November 2016 . . Confirm the new capping and resource modeling parameters analysis to be used in the December 31, 2016 Mineral Resource estimates. Mineral Resource estimates. Release of the December 31, 2016 Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates in February 2017 . Mineral Reserve and Resource estimates in . Release the results of the Expansion Case PEA in the first half 2017. File a NI 43-101 technical report within 45 days of release of results of the Expansion Case PEA. About Richmont Mines Inc. Richmont Mines currently produces gold from the Island Gold Mine in Ontario, and the Beaufor Mine in Quebec. The Corporation is also advancing development of the significant high-grade resource extension at depth of the Island Gold Mine in Ontario. With 35 years of experience in gold production, exploration and development, and prudent financial management, the Corporation is well-positioned to cost-effectively build its Canadian reserve base and to successfully enter its next phase of growth. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements that include risks and uncertainties. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend", "believe", "hope", "may", "objective" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and apply only as of the date on which they were made. Except as may be required by law or regulation, the Corporation undertakes no obligation and disclaims any responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the impact of the 2016 Mineral Reserves and Resources estimates, the ability to increase production utilizing the current ramp system, the capital requirements to increase milling capacity, changes in the prevailing price of gold, the Canadian-United States exchange rate, grade of ore mined and unforeseen difficulties in mining operations that could affect revenue and production costs. Other factors such as uncertainties regarding government regulations and the failure of our exploration drilling programs to identify significant new resources or targets or expand existing resources could also affect the results. Other risks are set out in Richmont's Annual Information Form, Annual Reports and periodic reports. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this news release. Cautionary note to US investors concerning resource estimates Information in this press release is intended to comply with the requirements of the Toronto Stock Exchange and applicable Canadian securities legislation, which differ in certain respects with the rules and regulations promulgated under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended ("Exchange Act"), as promulgated by the SEC. The requirements of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101) adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators differ significantly from the requirements of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). U.S. Investors are urged to consider the disclosure in our annual report on Form 20-F, File No. 001-14598, as filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which may be obtained from us (without cost) or from the SEC's web site: http://sec.gov/edgar.shtml. Renaud Adams, President and CEO, Phone: +1-416-368-0291 ext. 101; Anne Day, Vice-President, Investor Relations, Phone: +1-416-368-0291 ext. 105 Since its establishment in 2003, Farm & Plant Buyer's Guide has become Ireland's premier resource for buying and selling agriculture equipment. The acquisition will link the success of two key market leaders, allowing buyers greater access to equipment for sale and sellers broader exposure to active buyers in the market for their equipment. The Farm & Plant Buyer's Guide will fully integrate into the publications provided by Sandhills East and Sandhills Publishing, the distribution of which often exceeds 5 million publications every month. Additionally, the acquisition results in linking the www.farmandplant.ie website to the network of successful trade sites provided by Sandhills Publishing and Sandhills East, which receive more than 16 million monthly visits. Sandhills Publishing has nearly 800 employees and is based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its first publication, Machinery Trader, rolled of the presses in March of 1978, bringing together buyers and sellers in the heavy construction equipment industry. Since then, the company has added publications reaching the trucking (Truck Paper), aviation (Controller, Executive Controller, and Charter Hub), technology (Computer Power User and CyberTrend), farm equipment (TractorHouse), auction (AuctionTime), and equipment rental (RentalYard) industries, as well as buyers and sellers in international markets (MarketBook). Sandhills East, the company's United Kingdom-based subsidiary, was established in 2011, quickly expanding to include office locations in Manchester and Peterborough, United Kingdom; Madrid, Spain; and Senningerberg, Luxembourg. The company also has offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Brisbane, Australia. About Sandhills Publishing Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our broad range of products and services are aimed at gathering, processing, and distributing information in the form of trade publications and corresponding websites that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud. SOURCE Sandhills East A total of 43 sets of SANY equipment were used in the railway construction, including concrete machinery, road machinery, excavators and cranes. The whole construction period lasted for only 25 months, while the tight schedule hasn't affected the quality, owing to the reliability of SANY equipment and sufficient parts supply. Thanks to the thorough technical support of SANY, not a single equipment breakdown occurred, guaranteeing the successful completion of the railway project. The standard-gauge railway runs 751.7 kilometers long, connecting Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and Djibouti, one of the largest modern ports in East Africa, with the total investment of US$4 billion. As the first electrified railway in Africa, it is designed for trains at the speed of 120km/h. This is the second transnational railway built in Africa by a Chinese company following the Tanzania-Zambia railway. It now takes only seven hours from Addis Ababa to Djibouti. SANY entered the African market in 2002, and SANY machinery has participated in many major projects on the continent. It has not only become the reliable partner of the local customers, but also witnessed the establishment of landmark buildings in Africa. In the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway Project, Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since its independence in 1963, SANY has supplied 120 units of heavy machinery, valued at over US$15 million. SANY's commitment to product quality and service is recognized by the local parties. About SANY SANY Group (SANY) is a leading global heavy machinery manufacturer with plants in the US, Germany, Brazil and India, and business covering over 100 countries and regions worldwide. The company has been recognized as one of the most innovative and successful companies in the world, and its concrete machinery is ranked No. 1 globally. For more information, please visit: www.sanyglobal.com, or follow Sany Group on Facebook and YouTube. Contact: Rebecca Zhou (+86) 010-60737480 zhouyy5@sanygroup.cn Related Links http://www.sanyglobal.com SOURCE SANY The Asia Pacific fuel dispenser market is projected to reach USD 1.39 billion by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The demand for fuel dispenser in Asia Pacific is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period, primarily driven by the increasing demand for vehicles in the region. The developing economies in the region, including China and India, accounted for over 75% of the total market in 2015. The growing demand in China owing to the growing consumer spending capacity as well as robust automotive sales is expected to have a positive impact on the industry growth. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 ) The constant movement of the rural population to urban areas in India is expected to create a need for infrastructural development. The growing disposable incomes of the consumers is expected to drive the demand for vehicles in the country. As a result, the demand for fueling stations and dispensing systems is expected to grow over the next eight years. The positive gross domestic product (GDP) and steady growth in the consumer standards of living is expected to augment the demand for oil & gas and related products, which in turn is expected to aid the industry growth in Asia Pacific. The threat of new entrants is low owing to the presence of established manufacturers in the region. High capital requirements, coupled with the need for advanced technologies, may restrict the entry of new industry players. Furthermore, the dispensing systems are utilized to distribute fuel to the general population. It is highly flammable and hazardous to the human health and the environment, owing to which several associations have set standards for the manufacturing of dispenser systems. Browse full research report with TOC on "Asia Pacific Fuel Dispenser Market Analysis By Technology (Submersible, Suction), By Application (Petrol/Gasoline, Diesel and CNG) And Segment Forecast, 2013 - 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/asia-pacific-fuel-dispenser-market Further key findings from the report suggest: Submersible systems accounted for over 80% of the total market in 2015. Low installation and maintenance costs of this technology are expected to drive the demand in the region. Increasing penetration of the technology in China and India is expected to aid industry growth over the forecast period. and is expected to aid industry growth over the forecast period. The demand for dispensing systems for CNG vehicles is expected to witness substantial growth, at a CAGR of over 4% from 2016 to 2024 owing to its affordable price and superior mileage as compared to petrol powered vehicles. Furthermore, growing government support in promoting CNG owing to its environmental benefits is expected to drive growth over the projected period. China is the largest manufacturer and consumer of fuel dispenser in the region with over 45% of the total market share in 2015. Growing demand for petrol and CNG dispensing systems is expected to drive the industry over the next eight years. Rapid automotive industry growth is also expected to aid industry demand in the country. is the largest manufacturer and consumer of fuel dispenser in the region with over 45% of the total market share in 2015. Growing demand for petrol and CNG dispensing systems is expected to drive the industry over the next eight years. Rapid automotive industry growth is also expected to aid industry demand in the country. Key players include Gilbarco Inc., Wayne Fuelling Systems LLC, Tokheim, and Tatsuno Corporation. Wayne Fuelling Systems LLC is being acquired by Dover Corporation who owns Tokheim. This acquisition is expected to give a competitive edge to Dover over the forecast period. Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Fuel Cell Vehicle Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/fuel-cell-vehicle-market Electric Scooters Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/electric-scooters-market Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas-market Diesel Engine Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/diesel-engine-market Grand View Research has segmented the Asia Pacific fuel dispenser market on the basis of technology, application and region: Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) Submersible Suction Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2013 - 2024) Petrol/Gasoline Diesel Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Others Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; 2013- 2024) China India Japan Rest of Asia Pacific Access research Insight - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/research-insights/asia-pacific-fuel-dispenser-market-insights-cng-hydrogen-fuel-dispensers-drive-growth About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Read Our Blogs - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/technology Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. LONDON, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Australia Medical Imaging Information Systems Market Outlook to 2022 Summary GlobalData's new report, "Australia Medical Imaging Information Systems Market Outlook to 2022", provides key market data on the Australia Medical Imaging Information Systems market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars within market segments - Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Radiology Information System (RIS) and Cardiology Information Systems. The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for the market category, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular category and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report. The data in the report is derived from dynamic market forecast models. GlobalData uses epidemiology and capital equipment-based models to estimate and forecast the market size. The objective is to provide information that represents the most up-to-date data of the industry possible. The epidemiology-based forecasting model makes use of epidemiology data gathered from research publications and primary interviews with physicians to establish the target patient population and treatment flow patterns for individual diseases and therapies. Using prevalence and incidence data and diagnosed and treated population, the epidemiology-based forecasting model arrives at the final numbers. Capital equipment-based forecasting models are done based on the installed base, replacements and new sales of a specific device/equipment in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers. Data for average number of units per facility is used to arrive at the installed base of the capital equipment. Sales for a particular year are arrived at by calculating the replacement units and new units (additional and first-time purchases). Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis. Scope - Market size for Medical Imaging Information Systems market segments - Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), Radiology Information System (RIS) and Cardiology Information Systems. - Annualized market revenues (USD million) for each of the market categories. Data is provided from 2008 to 2015 and forecast to 2022. - 2015 company shares and distribution shares data for Medical Imaging Information Systems market. - Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the Australia Medical Imaging Information Systems market. - Key players covered include Agfa-Gevaert N.V., GE Healthcare Limited, Intelerad Medical Systems Incorporated, Philips Healthcare and Others. Reasons to Buy - Develop business strategies by identifying the key market segments poised for strong growth in the future. - Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies. - Design competition strategies by identifying who-stands-where in the market. - Develop investment strategies by identifying the key market segments expected to register strong growth in the near future. - What are the key distribution channels and what's the most preferred mode of product distribution - Identify, understand and capitalize. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4263243/ About Reportbuyer Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com Choi Soon-sil, the key figure in an influence-peddling scandal that leads straight to President Park Geun-hye's inner sanctum, appeared before prosecutors on Monday. "Please forgive me. I have committed an unpardonable crime," Choi was heard to mutter amid the shouts of enraged protesters as she was rushed into the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, losing a shoe in the scuffle. The chaotic scene was like an emblem of the situation facing the entire nation. Choi, who holds no official post, is suspected of using her close ties to Park not only to meddle in state affairs but to amass a huge private fortune. Even based on what is known so far, she cannot avoid indictment. But how much of it will ever be known? As timid prosecutors dragged their heels initiating the probe, all of the computers in the offices of the dubious Mir and K-Sports foundations Choi set up have apparently been switched, and e-mail accounts used by Choi have been deleted. A search targeting the presidential office hit a brick wall when Cheong Wa Dae staff simply refused to open the doors, citing national security. There is evidence that Ahn Jong-beom, the former presidential secretary, tried to shred evidence. The investigation will eventually be handed over to a special prosecution team, but that may be too little, too late. Prosecutors have bolstered their investigative team to 20 people, but a decision remains to be made whether they can keep pursuing the investigation or whether a whole new independent group of prosecutors needs to be put together. Ties between Park and the Choi family date back some four decades. Choi's father, Choi Tae-min was the leader of an obscure cult who became Park's mentor in the 1970s, when he claimed that Park's assassinated mother had appeared to him in a dream, telling him to come to her aid. But apart from the nonsense he had a hard head for business, and he too set up a foundation that collected massive donations from businesses under the rule of Park's father, strongman Park Chung-hee. Forty years on the Chois are still at it. This is a tragedy for Park, who opponents say became a mere puppet of the charismatic family, but it is a bigger tragedy for Korea. Nobody believes that the buck stops with Choi. There is considerable legal debate whether an incumbent president can be indicted, but this is no time to discuss legal details. The president must do the right thing and come clean in front of the public. She must say exactly what her relationship with the Choi family was, how much influence they had on government, and how she could allow them to get such a hold on her. The saga will refuse to die unless the truth is revealed, if not from Park's own mouth then from a painstaking piercing together of witness accounts. Choi Soon-sil is not the problem. MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- WHEN: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 at 11:00 AM EST LOCATION: Online, complimentary registration available at: http://frost.ly/xt SPEAKERS: Frost & Sullivan Intelligent Mobility Global Vice President Sandeep Kar, Team Lead Wallace Lau, and Fred Andersky, Director, Customer Solutions-Controls and Government Affairs for Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems. The trucking industry today is focused on finding solutions to driver shortages, safety regulation compliance pressures, fuel efficiency enhancement demands, higher driver productivity, and most important of all higher driver income generation pressures. That solution could be delivered by autonomous trucks. All truck OEMs are prioritizing some level of automated driving into their strategic plans to develop a sustainable transport solution for years to come as trucking provides the perfect platform for reaching the full potential of autonomous vehicles. The building blocks toward an autonomous truck include four main technological pillars: driveline, connectivity/communication, sensors, and algorithms/software. As autonomous trucking gains more mid share and OEM activity, these technologies and their evolution will be crucial enabling factors in ushering an era of autonomous freight mobility. However, several issues around regulations, technology, liability, consumer adoption and societal concerns still need to be addressed. Frost & Sullivan's webinar, hosted by industry focused thought leaders, will provide an outlook of autonomous truck technologies and their adoption paths along with market and industry focused implication insights and actionable analysis. Attend this webinar to: Discover the current state of autonomous trucking and factors shaping its advent Learn about the building-block technologies of an autonomous truck Understand the implications and benefits of autonomous trucks Understand how autonomous driving and connected truck technologies are converging in creating new growth opportunities for industry stake holding groups The briefing will benefit commercial vehicle executives at commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle OEMs, tier-1s, tier-2s, governments, regulators, legislators, financial industry, academic institutions, fleets, among others. Supporting Quotes: "The building blocks towards an autonomous truck are available today, however many challenges still persist before these trucks are deployed on public roads," states Frost & Sullivan Mobility Global Vice President, Sandeep Kar. "The maturing and adoption of individual components that make up an autonomous truck will be crucial towards the understanding and acceptance of the end goal which is effective utilization of autonomous trucks. How these technologies will converge in catalyzing autonomous driving, thereby enabling trucking industry in solving several crucial issues ranging from driver pay and driver shortage to truck safety and fuel/freight efficiency enhancement- is one of the most important questions in global commercial vehicle industry today." " A rulemaking on autonomous driving is likely to happen even with so much of today's focus on autonomous vehicle technology," noted Bendix Commercial Vehicle LLC's Director of Government and Industry Affairs, Fred Andersky. "The recently released federal guidelines surrounding autonomous vehicle advancements affect vehicle manufacturers more than fleets at least at this stage, as fleets later will bear the burden of evaluating the technology. We are at an exciting crossroads with the advent of autonomous vehicle technologies and what may result in regulations and what may not. Needless to say, it's going to be an interesting future on the regulatory front." Registration To attend the briefing, you can register by visiting: http://frost.ly/xt For further information email [email protected] your full name, job title, company name, company telephone number, company email address and website, city, state and country. your full name, job title, company name, company telephone number, company email address and website, city, state and country. Receive a recorded version of the briefing anytime by submitting the aforementioned contact details. About Frost & Sullivan Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure. The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies? Contact Us: Start the discussion Contact: Clarissa Castaneda Frost & Sullivan +1.210.477.8481 [email protected] SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links http://www.frost.com Established in 1978, the Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs is the world's first entrepreneurship hall of fame. It includes more than 100 notable business figures such as Robert Kraft H'02, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of the Kraft Group; Ray A. Kroc, former CEO of McDonalds; Richard Branson, Chairman of the Virgin Group; and Steve Forbes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes. "Our newest inductees serve as models of inspiration for Babson students and alumni, not only for their use of entrepreneurial thought and action to notice and act on trends, but also for their contributions in consumer tech," said Candida G. Brush, Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College. "We encourage and celebrate pursuits in technology-based entrepreneurship here at Babson College, and are excited to present Sheila Lirio Marcelo and Stephen Kaufer as Academy honorees." The Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs Ceremony Thursday, November 10, 2016 at 6 p.m. Babson College Wellesley campus Register to attend Sheila Lirio Marcelo Sheila Lirio Marcelo is the founder, chairwoman, and CEO of Care.com. Her inspiration to found Care.com stemmed from both her personal and professional experiences. A young mother with two small children who also became part of the "sandwich generation" caring for her parents at an early age, Marcelo was challenged to find quality care solutions. She knew this problem was not unique to her family and that there had to be a better solution than the yellow pages. Her career firmly rooted in technology, she knew that was the answer and founded Care.com in 2006. Today, the company is the world's largest online destination for finding and managing family care, with more than 20.7 million members in 18 countries. Marcelo's passion for technology developed during her time as a management consultant and a teaching fellow at Harvard Business School. Her growing appreciation for the power of technology to help solve real problems for people led her to Upromise, where she was vice president of product management and marketing for the service that helped families save for college, and then to executive search engine TheLadders.com, where she was vice president and general manager. Following TheLadders.com, she was an Entrepreneur in Residence at Matrix Partners, where she developed the plan for Care.com. As Care.com has grown and scaled, she has been honored with numerous accolades, including one of the Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit (2009) and in Fortune magazine (2014), the youngest recipient of the lifetime award by Harvard Business School, the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award (2014), and bestowed one of the highest honors for Filipinos, the Filipino Heritage Award or Pamana ng Pilipino from President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines. Marcelo also is a Henry Crown Fellow with the Aspen Institute (Class of 2012), was awarded a Marshall Memorial Fellowship (Class of 2011), and named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (Class of 2011). She is a board trustee of the Philippine Development Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with the Philippine government on education, innovation, and entrepreneurship initiatives. In addition, she sits on the advisory board for the Harvard Business School Rock 100 Entrepreneurs Summit, and is an adviser to several start-up companies. She founded WomenUp.org in 2010 to increase women's roles in the global economy by providing leadership training, mentorship, and support to girls and women through every stage of their lives and careers. A frequent speaker on women in technology and female entrepreneurship and leadership, Marcelo has spoken alongside President Obama at the White House Summit on Working Families (2014), with global political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum (2013, 2015), and to emerging female leaders at Harvard University (2013) and CEOs at Northeastern University (2013). She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics from Mount Holyoke College, which also conferred upon her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2015. She earned her JD and MBA degrees with honors and the Dean's Award from Harvard University. Stephen Kaufer Stephen is the CEO and Co-Founder of TripAdvisor. He co-founded TripAdvisor in 2000 with the mission to help travelers around the world plan and book the perfect trip. Under his leadership, TripAdvisor has grown into the largest travel site in the world. As CEO, Kaufer has led the growth of TripAdvisor, Inc., which includes 24 other travel media brands that operative in 48 markets worldwide. Prior to co-founding TripAdvisor, he was president of CDS Inc., an independent software vendor, and prior to that, was co-founder and vice president of engineering of CenterLine Software. Kaufer holds several software patents. He has won a number of awards for his entrepreneurship and leadership in the travel industry, including being inducted into the 2015 British Travel & Hospitality Hall of Fame and receiving the 2015 Pioneer Award by the International Society of Hospitality Consultants and the 2005 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Kaufer is on the board of directors at Glassdoor; CarGurus; and the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation. He earned his degree in computer science from Harvard University. About Babson College Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader of Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434182 SOURCE Babson College Related Links http://www.babson.edu LIMASSOL, Cyprus, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Banc De Binary Ltd, a CySEC regulated binary options broker has come out strongly against fly-by-night brokers attempting to lure in unsuspecting traders. In an increasingly competitive trading environment, scores of unregulated brokers are posing as the real thing. These imitators pretend to offer a full range of credible, transparent and secure transactions, with no regulation to back up their claims. The danger in trading with these so called brokerages is that they do not follow regulations and in the event of a winning trade there is almost a 100% chance that the funds will not be paid out. Additionally, the trading platforms are rigged to favor these unregulated companies. In other words, traders may close out at different prices than the ones at expiration time, or alternatively be engineered to purposely cause the trader to lose their investment. Unregulated trading platforms are often devised by proprietary software which has an inherent advantage for the so called broker. In comparison, when trading with a regulated binary options firm, such as Banc De Binary, the strike price of every option is determined by its regulated platform provider according to the bidding and asking price of the market. The strike price for each asset is updated in real time and is consistent with market changes. Moreover, unregulated binary option brokerages devise marketing schemes to lure traders by using language promising or guaranteeing profits. Banc De Binary urges traders to avoid such trading websites. The pitfalls in ignoring these realities are guaranteed loss of investment. Regulated Investment firms have to segregate client funds from corporate funds, as well as to ensure client fund protection and safeguarding; Whereas unregulated companies do not follow this practice. With unregulated brokers, the only assurance is loss of principal and profit. This is an out of the money outcome (OTM). Further, it is imperative that traders understand that there is no guarantee of profits when an investment is made - regardless of the trading platform used. Online trading carries an inherent degree of risk, and all regulated brokers make this known to traders upfront. But perhaps the most compelling reason to avoid unregulated brokers is the sham withdrawal practices that they employ. Since unregulated and unlicensed brokers are not monitored and controlled by regulators, they are not beholden to them. Owing to these concerns, and many more like them, Banc De Binary is urging traders of all skill levels to use caution in verifying the authenticity and regulation of brokers. For example, it is not enough to see Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission ("CySEC") regulation badges posted on the company's website. You are encouraged to visit the website of the CySEC (directly http://www.cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/entities/investment-firms/cypriot/) and verify the details. The process of finding a regulated broker is fairly easy. According to legislations, a brokerage firm must disclose that it is regulated with a license. Therefore, it should be labeled clearly on the homepage. Find the license number on the brokerage firm's website, then, visit the website of the regulator to match and confirm the details. Banc De Binary aims to ensure that traders are protected at all times. If you're going to invest your finance, be sure that it is with a regulated Investment Firm. Banc De Binary was the very first broker to be fully regulated by CySEC. Clients benefit tremendously from regulated brokerages, with transparency, accountability, credibility, and client satisfaction guaranteed. About Banc De Binary Since its inception, Banc De Binary has undergone exponential growth. As one of the pioneers in its field and one of the industry leaders, Banc De Binary is committed to providing traders with an all-inclusive trading experience. This includes offering an intuitive trading platform, effective trading tools, a wealth of educational materials, a wide range of global underlying assets and a professional and responsive support team. In their quest to provide a safe and transparent trading environment, Banc De Binary offers top quality binary options services and is constantly striving to improve their products and offerings. SOURCE Banc De Binary Ltd CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Barbara F. Dufrain is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Professional in the field of Higher Education. Barbara is a Professor at Del Mar College. Founded in 1935, Del Mar College offers various Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees, enhanced skills certificates, certificates of achievement and marketable skills achievement (MSA) awards across over 140 disciplines and fields. An esteemed educator with over fifty years of experience, Barbara became interested in science and technology while working for a mathematical research lab. It was her then boss who told her she would excel in computer programming and Barbara has been successful ever since. Throughout the years, she has gained a reputation at Del Mar College as an intelligent, helpful professor and mentor. With her expertise in computer science, gaming, geographic information programs and programming, Barbara was inducted into the WomenTech Hall of Fame in 2013 and earned the Outstanding Women Educator of the Year award in 2014. A member of the Association for University Professors, Barbara is involved with the Christian Women's Job Corps and the Travis Baptist Church. She holds a Master of Science from Texas A&M University and is currently pursuing her Doctorate. Looking into the future, Barbara hopes to help increase the number of women in the male-dominated computer science industry through networking and consulting. For more information, please visit www.delmar.edu Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]talwhoswho.com SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com DALLAS, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BenefitMall, the leading provider of employee benefits, human resources and payroll products and services, announced a partnership with Employee Navigator that will provide brokers and clients with access to a streamlined data management resource for payroll and benefits administration. "BenefitMall is very excited to offer brokers and clients a payroll and benefits integration feature that will allow them to say goodbye to double data entry, expensive integration and payroll deduction reconciliation," said Kevin Thornton, senior vice president of payroll sales of BenefitMall. "Our goal is to help brokers and clients better manage their workflow, while ensuring that their data is accurate and not duplicated." Not only can brokers continue to protect their book of business and provide consultative support to their clients, but now the integration will guarantee that clients receive both payroll and benefits administration technology. Additionally, BenefitMall's clients will not be charged an additional fee to utilize the Employee Navigator sync feature in PayFocus Pro. BenefitMall will provide a dedicated support team to assist brokers and clients with any syncing questions. "We're excited to announce a simplified, integrated solution for payroll and benefits administration. Our partnership with BenefitMall complements our existing product lines exceptionally well on many levels. Most importantly, we're both focused on delivering a great solution to brokers and employers around the country and BenefitMall is the perfect partner to help make that vision a reality," said George Reese, CEO of Employee Navigator. Employee Navigator is a rapidly growing provider of benefits, HR and compliance software. The company offers benefits administration, human resource information systems, ACA compliance, and safety and training tasks to brokers, carriers and human resource professionals. Employee Navigator currently works with the nation's leading insurance brokers to support over 18,000 companies and over 2 million employees around the country. About BenefitMall Headquartered in Dallas, BenefitMall partners with a network of 20,000 Brokers and CPAs to deliver employee benefits and payroll services to more than 200,000 small and medium-sized businesses. By combining payroll and benefits, BenefitMall empowers Trusted Advisors to develop the best employee programs while maintaining compliance with government regulations and Health Care Reform. BenefitMall, the largest national General Agency merged with the second largest privately held payroll company, CompuPay. BenefitMall also operates HealthCareExchange.com, the leading online community for information regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. More information is available at www.benefitmall.com. About Employee Navigator Employee Navigator is one of the fastest growing SaaS-based benefits and HR platforms in the United States. The platform provides brokers and their clients with a single place to manage everything from new hire onboarding and online enrollments to ACA Reporting and time off tracking. Employee Navigator's highly customizable software is currently being used by some of the nation's leading insurance brokers, TPA's and carriers. For more information, visit www.employeenavigator.com or follow Employee Navigator on Twitter: @EmployeeNav. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141118/159384LOGO SOURCE BenefitMall Related Links http://www.benefitmall.com With a BA in Graphic Design, Alison Matthews brings seven years of design experience to bigtruck. Previously in design at two major fitness companies, Matthews' passion began in high school. As Brand Designer, she will oversee new styles and designs for bigtruck's signature hats. Derek Phillips joins bigtruck after a period of freelance design and artwork, including hand-making and hand-painting longboards. With a BA in Commercial Art, Phillips even rebranded logos as a child. As the Co-brand Designer, he will focus on collaborative design with all of bigtruck's co-brand partners. As Operations Manager, Ben Rogers brings six years of manufacturing and management experience to bigtruck. With a BS in engineering, Rogers will build systems across production and fulfillment, managing the flow of all raw and finished material. Emily Bax joins bigtruck with experience running an embroidery and screen print company. With a BA in Business as well as a BFA, Bax is tasked with further integrating lean manufacturing principles into bigtruck's domestic production lines. "It's an incredible opportunity to have these four join our team," remarks Galen Gifford, President and CEO of bigtruck. "Alison and Derek bring such talent to our design team, and having Ben and Emily to help lead and evolve operations and manufacturing is great. We look forward to having them all on board." In an effort to best serve and manage increasing global demand, bigtruck expanded its sales team across North America, South America and Europe. New sales agencies are located in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest. In addition, bigtruck has added distributors in France and Chile. bigtruck wraps up the year with a host of new faces, places, and opportunities. As the cult-favorite brand expands its reach across the Americas and Europe, operations continue to grow, always with a #funfirst attitude. About bigtruck Rather than a business proposition, bigtruck was founded on a vision to create a movement and community connecting people through creativity and fun first. Since 2010, bigtruck has specialized in the design, marketing and manufacturing of hats. From its initial two-man team, bigtruck has evolved from a small Lake Tahoe hat company into a global community that has chosen to reflect their passion in what they wear. With increasing demand, bigtruck continues to strive to inspire others to live life with a fun first mentality. For more information on bigtruck, please visit bigtruck.com or email [email protected]. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434540 SOURCE bigtruck Related Links http://www.bigtruck.com "Judaic studies has been at the heart of my nearly 50-year relationship with Brown University," said Mr. Hirschfeld. "It is my hope that our gift will allow many future classes of students to have the same deeply enriching experience that I did with Judaic studies at Brown." Offering an interdisciplinary academic experience, the Judaic Studies Program at Brown University is dedicated to the study of Jewish history, literature, language, politics and religions. Its major areas of focus include the interactions of Jews and non-Jews in both ancient and modern periods; the history and culture of the State of Israel and its place in the Middle East; and the modern Jewish experience. The program allows students the opportunity to explore Jewish culture and civilization across the ages and provides new insights on the world in which we live. "We are profoundly grateful to Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld for their generous support and ongoing commitment to the future of Brown University and our Judaic Studies Program," said Maud S. Mandel, Ph.D., Dean of the College and professor of history and Judaic studies. "The newly named 'Hirschfeld House' will serve as a welcoming beacon of Jewish scholarship for generations to come." Elie Hirschfeld graduated from Brown University in 1971 with a double major in Math and Economics and a minor in Religious Studies. A trustee emeritus at Brown, Mr. Hirschfeld also sponsors a visiting professor fellowship at the University. He is President of Hirschfeld Properties, owner and developer of properties worth several billion dollars in New York City. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434241 SOURCE Brown University Related Links http://www.5wpr.com BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb has expanded its business owner's policy, Chubb BOP, to the technology industry by crafting specialized insurance features and benefits to meet the unique risks faced by small businesses in the technology segment. "Expanding our recently launched Chubb BOP into the rapidly growing technology industry makes perfect sense," said Jim Williamson, Division President, Small Commercial Insurance, Chubb North America. "Chubb has a long history providing technology companies with insurance solutions tailored to the industry's specialized needs. We have taken that expertise and applied it to the development of a business owner's policy that offers agents an outstanding solution for their small business clients in the technology segment." Chubb BOP for the technology industry includes more than 80 property and liability features and benefits beyond industry standard policies. It also provides a unique automatic blanket limit of insurance that ties together 13 essential property coverages, allowing business owners to use their insurance dollars where they need it the most following a loss. Chubb BOP for the technology industry also includes the following for small technology companies: Automatic blanket limit that includes electronic data and research, as well as development property Business personal property that includes computer hardware Tailored property insurance for mobile communications, electronic data recovery costs (computer virus), installation, and personal property off-premises, including transit and utility services direct damage Crime insurance for computer fraud and funds transfer, identity theft expense, money and securities, as well as employee dishonesty Business income insurance that includes actual loss sustained, business income from dependent property worldwide, alternative power generation, business income extension for websites, and utility services Valuation that includes green standards, removal of insurance to value provision, replacement cost, and selling price on finished stock Chubb BOP for technology companies includes broad protection for property and liability exposures, as well as umbrella, workers compensation, commercial auto, overseas travel, technology errors and omissions, and cyber liability insurance. Chubb BOP is now available to the following technology classes: Computer programing and software Computer-related services Technology manufacturers and wholesalers Telecommunication services Broadcasters Technology research and development start-ups The award winning Fast TrackSM online underwriting platform will let agents quote and issue a Chubb BOP technology segment policy in minutes. Catering to the Technology Industry's Small Business Needs Chubb BOP for the technology segment is part of a growing suite of innovative insurance products for small businesses being released by Chubb. Available in over 43 states, with plans to be in all 48 contiguous states by year-end, Chubb BOP is sold through an exclusive network of independent insurance agents and brokers. Chubb BOP is now offered to more than 530 classes of business including clubs and associations, cultural institutions, financial services, healthcare offices, real estate, retail stores, service businesses, technology firms, and wholesalers. About Chubb Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: chubb.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160121/324916LOGO SOURCE Chubb WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), a non-profit organization committed to empowering African American women and their families, recently conducted a research project on civic engagement and the Black woman's vote. The survey was conducted among a national pool of women and men to understand their level of engagement in the election process and their willingness to participate in #hashtag activism. Respondents reflect a general population augmented with an oversample of African Americans so that the data could be analyzed by race and gender, yielding a margin of error of +/-5%. The research project was conducted by DREF's Center for Research on African American Women led by its Sister Scholars Advisory Council. The DREF research project presents three important findings: 1) the potential for impactful messaging for civic engagement utilizing hashtag campaigns, 2) a high percentage of apathetic low income voters believe their vote really does not matter, and 3) there is a low percentage of African American women who donate to political campaigns. The results of the survey will be shared with DREF constituents and collaborative women's organizations that are also promoting civic engagement through voter education including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Black Women's Agenda, the National Council of Negro Women, NAACP, and the Black Women's Roundtable, Higher Heights (an organization of Black Women in Politics), the New York Women's Foundation, the Washington Area Women's Foundation, and other organizations. DREF Board of Directors President Carolyn E. Lewis of New Orleans stated, "We need to educate all persons on the issues impacted by the election and encourage them to raise their voice at the ballot box for every local, state, and national election because their vote does matter," said Lewis. She added, "The priority is to ensure that our community outreach efforts are effective in getting voters to the polls on November 8th." The research on Black women and the vote is the first of several surveys to be conducted by DREF in the coming year. Other topics include the impact of guns in the African American community. Another survey will focus on Black women entrepreneurs. DREF was established in 1967 by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. as a 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to charitable and educational programming. Infographic available on: www.deltafoundation.net. Media Contact: Joanne Williams 202-364-0024 [email protected] SOURCE Delta Research and Educational Foundation Related Links http://www.deltafoundation.net DULUTH, Ga., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Point, a leading child development franchise, announces its partnership with local charitable organizations to support children and families across the Southeast. Diane's Devotion, an annual, year-end charitable initiative designed to support child-focused charities each year, provides support to families in need of food, clothing or books. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434638LOGO Diane Clark, the late co-founder and Vice President of Discovery Point, passed away in October 2012. As an educator, Clark was focused on partnering with families to meet the individual needs of each child in her care. With a focus on the "whole child", Diane ensured that each child felt safe, nurtured and cared for. The company created Diane's Devotion as a way to continue her legacy and honor her dedication to the care of young children. "Diane understood that once emotional needs were met, children had the confidence to learn, explore and discover the world around them," recalls Cliff Clark, Diane's husband and president and CEO of Discovery Point. "With each new center, her Discovery Point mission has continued to touch the lives of children and families across the Southeast." In past years, Discovery Point has partnered with national agencies to collect coats, books or pajamas for children in need. This year, and for the years to come, Diane's Devotion is focusing on more localized programs. Each individual center will be supporting a local food bank or similar charity in their area. Diane's Devotion will take place at local centers from November 1-30. Centers will announce their local charity partnerships via social media and in their center. About Discovery Point Child Development Centers With nearly 50 locations throughout the Southeast, Discovery Point Child Development Centers provide safe, educational, and nurturing environments for growing children. Discovery Point partners with Teaching Strategies in using the nationally recognized early childhood education program, Creative Curriculum System for Preschool. Since opening its first location in an Atlanta suburb in 1988, Discovery Point has been a leader in childhood enrichment and care, expanding beyond its Georgia roots into Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee with plans under way to reach new markets nationwide. For more information, visit www.discoverypoint.com. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Discovery Point Child Development Centers Related Links http://www.discoverypoint.com SPACE COAST, Fla., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida's Space Coast, the 72-mile stretch along the Atlantic coast that boasts Orlando's closest beach and an ever-widening array of family friendly vacation activities, has been attracting tourists in record numbers this year. Thanks to a new wave of marketing efforts promoting the various destinations and special events within the Space Coast, hotel room occupancy up and down the region has far outpaced last year's performance. According to the STR Report, which globally tracks the hotel industry, hotel occupancy and the average daily rate (ADR) posted year-over-year gains. Tourism tax collections in 2016 are 13% ahead of last year and in September alone, collections were up 25%. Occupancy for September was up 16.4% from the previous year. Year to date, occupancy is up by 4.8%. Corresponding to the increased demand, ADR has risen by 7.9% over the past year. Eric Garvey, Executive Director of Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism, predicts collections for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 will exceed $12.8 million. Garvey credits the recent tourism surge to marketing efforts through social media channels coupled with the enhancement of brand identity for each of the major cities within the Space Coast. ABOUT FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST Florida's Space Coast is a family friendly destination located 45 minutes east of Orlando. Encompassing Cocoa Beach, Melbourne and the Beaches, Port Canaveral, Titusville, and Palm Bay, it is home to the world's second-busiest cruise port and 72 miles of beaches (the longest stretch in the state), as well as 190,000 acres of wetlands and waterways full of habitat found nowhere else. Florida's Space Coast is home to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, where rockets still soar into orbit. For more information, contact the Space Coast Office of Tourism at (877) 572-3224 or visit VisitSpaceCoast.com. URL: http://www.visitspacecoast.com Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism 430 Brevard Avenue Suite 150 Cocoa, FL 32922 Phone 321-433-4470 Fax 321-433-4476 Toll-Free 1-877-57-BEACH SOURCE Florida's Space Coast Office of Tourism SANDY, Utah, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Fusion Healthcare Staffing, LLC ("Fusion") announced the expansion of their board of directors with the addition of Paul Sorensen, who has also been appointed as the chairman of the board. Mr. Sorensen comes to Fusion with fifteen years of executive management experience in the staffing industry. He served as President of the Select Family of Staffing Companies/EmployBridge as it grew to a $3.2B, nation-wide staffing firm. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161031/434419LOGO "Paul has a tremendous amount of staffing industry knowledge and contacts, and will be instrumental in helping us achieve our corporate strategic goals," said board member and Chief Financial Officer Jarin Dana, "We are very excited for what he can bring to our team." Mr. Sorensen said, "I am honored to be invited by Fusion's owners and board to become Fusion's Chairman and to help contribute to the purpose, vision, and strategy of this growing company. It is a great business, with a great brand and an unequaled physician focus. Fusion's executive team are outstanding leaders and I am looking forward immensely to working with them." About Fusion: The medical staffing experts at Fusion have been recruiting emergency medicine, hospitalist, and psychiatrist physicians for their clients across the United States since 2013. Fusion is committed to finding qualified healthcare providers for their clients while providing an exceptional locum tenens experience for their physicians. Related Links Company Website This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Fusion Healthcare Staffing, LLC Related Links http://fusionhcs.com LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year, more music was shared by burned CD than Spotify playlists. That's stupid. So we built Spinlist to be smart. Spinlist is an easy way to collect and share the music you love, no matter what service you use, if any. Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161028/433767 "We just want Kanye [West] to stop worrying about Apple Music's beef with Tidal and get back in the studio," says Lucas Buick, CEO of Spinlist, "Kidding, there's never been a better time to unite the music industry and give listeners the power to share their favorite music." Starting today, Spinlist is available by invite to iPhone users in the US, UK, and Canada for free. Key Features Spinlist is a free service, and does not require a paid streaming service to playback or create playlist. Stream music from anywhere (Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, Youtube, and more) Create or import amazing playlists with custom artwork Discover great tunes from our AI Bots or friends from around the world Instantly share your music with others using your favorite services like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, iMessage or email Availability In order to ensure Spinlist is built around an awesome community, the service will be invite-only until 2017. To request an invitation, visit our Spinlist website. Requirements Spinlist app is currently available to iOS10+ users in US, UK, and Canada. However, playlists shared from the app will be available via web and mobile web globally. About Spinlist Inc. Spinlist is a Los Angeles based startup built by Hipstamatic founder, Lucas Allen Buick. Spinlist makes playing & sharing music fast, simple, & painless. Related Links iTunes App Store Spinlist Website This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Spinlist Related Links http://spinlist.fm LOS GATOS, Calif., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyvos Insights, a big data analytics company, today announced it will be participating in the Tableau Conference 2016, an annual conference for Tableau experts, partners and customers. Kyvos Insights will show Tableau users how to scale big data analytics without limits in the five-day conference taking place in Austin, Texas on Nov. 7-11. The company's solution will also be featured in a breakout session led by Barclays Capital Vice President, Chuck Chakrabarti. Details of Kyvos Insights' participation at the Tableau Conference 2016 and the Barclays Capital breakout session are as follows: Speaker: Chuck Chakrabarti, vice president, Barclays Capital Session Track: Tableau In Action Session Title: "Barclays Capital Delivers Interactive Access to Data at Massive Scale" Date/Time/Room: Tuesday, November 8, 10:45-11:45 a.m. CT, ACC - L1 - Room 1 Session Details: With over a billion risk points a day and data stored in multiple platforms for different asset classes, the challenge at Barclays Capital was to get a daily consolidated view of their risk exposure and also provide a way for analysts to interactively drill down to transaction-level details to identify issues. In this session, Chakrabarti will describe the company's move to a big data architecture, the challenges faced and lessons learned, and their evaluation of a solution using Kyvos, Tableau and Cloudera. He will also cover how to operationalize big data in an organization, common pitfalls to watch out for, tools and methods that worked and didn't work, and requirements for self-service analytics. Kyvos Insights will be exhibiting at booth number 715 in hall 5 where it will demonstrate how Kyvos with Tableau 10 provides interactive BI for big data without limits. Kyvos is a massively To sign up for a personal demo, visit http://info.kyvosinsights.com/request-a-meeting-at-tableau. Kyvos is a massively scalable, self-service analytics solution designed to make big data lakes consumable for Tableau users natively on Hadoop, Spark, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS) with Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3). Kyvos provides Tableau users with a BI Consumption Layer that allows them to visualize, explore and analyze multi-dimensional analytics interactively with responses at big data scale in seconds. In addition, Kyvos Insights will also host a happy hour during the conference on Nov. 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. CT at Max's Wine Dive Austin. To register to attend, visit the Kyvos Insights booth or visit http://info.kyvosinsights.com/happyhour. Members of the media and analyst communities interested in speaking with Kyvos Insights at the conference should contact [email protected]. About Kyvos Insights Kyvos Insights is committed to unlocking the power of big data lakes with its unique "OLAP on Hadoop" technology. Backed by years of analytics expertise and a passion for big data, the company aims to revolutionize big data analytics by providing business users with the ability to visualize, explore and analyze big data interactively, working directly on Hadoop. Headquartered in Los Gatos, California, Kyvos Insights was formed by a team of veterans from Yahoo!, Impetus and Intellicus Technologies. The company has partnered with companies including Cloudera, Hortonworks, MapR and Tableau. For more information, visit www.kyvosinsights.com or connect with us on Twitter @kyvosinsights and LinkedIn at: http://linkd.in/1Fg3lNr. Media Contact: Meghan Locke LEWIS 781-418-2434 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160621/382133LOGO SOURCE Kyvos Insights Related Links http://www.kyvosinsights.com SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson & Weaver, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to CenturyLink. Level 3 operates as a facilities-based provider of a range of integrated communications services. On October 31, 2016, Level 3 announced it had signed a definitive merger agreement with CenturyLink. Under terms of the agreement, Level 3 shareholders will receive $26.50 per share in cash and a fixed exchange ratio of 1.4286 shares of CenturyLink stock for each Level 3 share they own. The investigation concerns whether the Level 3 board failed to satisfy their duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Level 3 shares of common stock. Nationally recognized Johnson & Weaver is investigating whether the proposed deal price represents adequate consideration, especially given one Wall Street analyst has a $66.00 price target on the stock. If you are a shareholder of Level 3 and believe the proposed buyout price is too low and you're interested in learning more about the investigation or your legal rights and remedies, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ([email protected]) at 619-814-4471. About Johnson & Weaver, LLP: Johnson & Weaver, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonandweaver.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact: Johnson & Weaver, LLP Jim Baker, 619-814-4471 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160211/332409LOGO SOURCE Johnson & Weaver, LLP Related Links http://johnsonandweaver.com VIENNA, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This material is intended for global medical media only. For journalistic assessment and preparation before publication. Abstract: 69477 New data from the first health-related quality of life (HRQL) study related to post-meal or postprandial glucose (PPG) control, show that poor PPG control has a significant negative impact on quality of life for people with diabetes[1]. Findings will be presented today at the 19th Annual European Congress of the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) in Vienna, Austria. The study sought to evaluate the perceived impact of postprandial hyperglycaemia on people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Three health state descriptions characterising postprandial hyperglycaemia symptoms of varying frequency and severity (mild, moderate and severe) were evaluated using a Time Trade-Off (TTO)[*] approach by members of the general public in the UK and people with diabetes in Sweden[1]. Findings showed the following mean health state utility values, where 0 indicates death and 1 indicates full health: TTO 0.89 and 0.76 for the mild state, TTO 0.75 and 0.71 for the moderate state and TTO 0.56 and 0.58 for the severe state, among the UK general public and Swedish people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes respectively[1]. "Good metabolic control cannot solely be indicated by the percentage of patients reaching their glycaemic targets measured as HbA 1c . Also the glucose excursions and the degree of postprandial hyperglycaemia need to be addressed," said Professor Johan Jendle, Orebro University of Sweden and scientific secretary for the Swedish Society of Diabetology. "Postprandial glucose control is important for the quality of life of people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes." Overall, the study indicates that increasing severity in postprandial hyperglycaemic symptoms is perceived to have significant negative consequences for the short-term HRQL of people with diabetes[1]. About the study[1] The aim of this analysis was to quantify the impact of PPG control on HRQL of people with diabetes, expressed as health utilities using a TTO approach. In the first stage of the study, an initial literature review was conducted, followed by interviews with people with diabetes, clinicians and nurses, to characterise the nature of impact of postprandial hyperglycaemic symptoms of varying severity and frequency. Based on these findings, three health state descriptions were drafted with mild, moderate and severe symptoms of postprandial hyperglycaemia. For the valuation part of the study, a total of 300 people, including 150 members of the UK general public and 150 Swedish people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, were recruited to take part in a face-to-face TTO interview, a standard technique used to determine a utility value for each of the three health states. Participants were asked to choose between living in the health state for a 10-year time frame or living in full health for a reduced amount of time. The study was funded by Novo Nordisk A/S. About postprandial glucose (PPG) control Post-meal or postprandial, glucose (PPG) is the level of blood glucose concentration measured 1-2 hours after eating. When PPG levels rise too high after eating, it is known as post-meal, or postprandial, hyperglycaemia. Postprandial hyperglycaemia is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, damage to eyes, impaired cognitive function (in people with type 2 diabetes) among other diabetes-related complications[2],[3]. The longer time spent in a hyperglycaemic state, the worse overall blood glucose control. Achieving tight PPG control is important to achieve optimal blood glucose control, HbA 1c targets[4], and to reduce risk of short-term and long-term complications associated with hyperglycaemia[5]. About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: haemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 42,600 people in 75 countries and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube *A TTO approach was used to provide a utility value for each state. Participants were asked to choose between living in a selected health state for a 10-year time frame or living in full health for a reduced amount of time. References Sandberg A, et al. Improvements in health-related quality of life associated with increased control of postprandial glucose levels in diabetes. Research supported by Novo Nordisk. Poster presentation at the ISPOR 19th Annual European Congress. 29 October- 2 November 2016 ; Vienna, Austria . IDF 2011 Guideline for Management of Post Meal Glucose. Available at: http://www.idf.org. Last accessed: October 2016 . Madsbad S. Impact of postprandial glucose control on diabetes-related complications: How is the evidence evolving? Journal of Diabetes and its Complications 2016; 30(2):374-385. Monnier L, et al. Is postprandial glucose a neglected cardiovascular risk factor in type 2 diabetes? European Journal of Clinical Investigation 2000; 30(Suppl. 2):3-11. Ceriello A, et al. Guideline for management of postmeal glucose. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease 2008; 18:S17-S33. ZINC#: HQMMA/CD/1016/0573 Date of preparation: October 2016 Further information Media: Katrine Sperling +45-4442-6718 [email protected] Asa Josefsson +45-3079-7708 [email protected] Investors: Peter Hugreffe Ankersen +45-3075-9085 [email protected] Melanie Raouzeos +45-3075-3479 [email protected] Anders Mikkelsen +45-3079-4461 [email protected] Kasper Veje (US) +1-609-235-8567 [email protected] SOURCE Novo Nordisk VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextwave Software Inc. today announced Conversant.im, a dedicated platform to service the critical need in messaging for customer focused teamware. Conversant introduces revolutionary new technology to better enable businesses to leverage Facebook Messenger for their conversational commerce needs. Conversant is built on the philosophy that human agents and bots need to work together to create a superior customer service environment for messaging. To do this, Conversant has created a new type of teamware platform using a radical new UI layout that is ideal for agents and bots to work together with customers in Messenger. Conversant addresses the unique characteristics of messaging, which is more persistent and highly contextual in nature. By preserving that context with associated visual media, Conversant introduces a uniquely visualized view of customer conversations so support agents can easily reference important events within a long thread and see the context of past agent responses and automated bot messages. Agents can move quickly from one conversation to the next, and easily assign and manage conversations. "Today's messaging landscape is extremely fragmented with an ever-growing array platforms and ecosystems," said Allen Devine, Chief Dreamer at TELUS. "Conversant is taking on an important challenge to both bridge this fragmentation as well as add additional layers of contextual data to maximize the value of interactions and improve the customer experience." "We are now at the 'figure it out' stage for businesses looking at implementing conversational commerce to interact with customers," said Nextwave CEO, Christopher Boothroyd. He continued, "The social messaging space is exploding, there are more bots launched every day and CRM is straining to adapt. Innovative businesses need a platform to come into this space and provide a way to harness the opportunity. Conversant is the platform for businesses to leverage Messenger to deliver on the ultimate goal in customer convenience: sales, service and support are only a send button away." Gartner named customer service for Facebook as one of the major customer engagement projects for enterprises in 2016. Additionally, a recent report from AppAnnie revealed those aged 13 to 24 now spend more than 3.5 times overall usage time in messaging apps. As these youths become adults, the importance of messaging apps will only increase. Social Messaging itself has already surpassed Social Networking and businesses must make their messaging technology choices now or risk falling behind consumer expectations. "This new messaging land rush requires a new UI/UX approach and Conversant perfectly embodies our concept of an agent + bot team creating a perfect circle of service around the customer," said Boothroyd. "By upgrading and replacing the old private chat room metaphor completely, we have opened up new possibilities for messaging and AI applications. With Conversant now in private beta and customer traction in hand, our new approach has been validated and we see Messenger becoming a highly profitable place for our customers." Availability Conversant is currently available in an early access private beta program for select customers and partners, with plans for a general preview release later this year. For more information and to request early access, visit www.conversant.im About Conversant.im: Chat all day, get more done. As leaders in next generation messaging technology, we're creating a revolutionary platform for conversational commerce that will make life simpler for customers and richer for businesses. By helping customers visualize the conversation, Conversant delivers better business results and better informed consumer decisions. Conversant.im is the registered trademark of Nextwave Software Inc. All rights reserved, Patents Pending. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Contact for More Information: Nextwave Software Inc. Chris Boothroyd [email protected] Suite 404 - 125A, 1030 Denman Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada, V6G 2M6 TEL +1 415.800.4942 www.nxtwv.com This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com. SOURCE Nextwave Software Related Links http://www.nxtwv.com DALLAS, Texas, November 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. (USMJ) today announced entering into a Letter of Intent agreement with Alternet Systems, Inc. (ALYI). The agreement is a preliminary step toward a more comprehensive contract whereby Alternet would acquire from North American Cannabis Holdings select assets intended to enable Alternet to introduce a cannabis retail payment system. The intended comprehensive agreement between the two companies includes a contemplated dividend issuance of Alternet common stock to the shareholders of North American Cannabis Holdings. North American Cannabis Holdings entered the cannabis sector in 2013 with a strategy to pilot various cannabis sector enterprises. The Company planned to facilitate the financing necessary to expand successful pilot projects by spinning graduating projects off into standalone public companies. The first spinoff was executed last year when Puration, Inc. (PURA) acquired graduating pilot project assets from North American Cannabis Holdings in exchange for Puration preferred stock. A portion of the Puration preferred stock was designated for conversion into common stock and issuance to North American Cannabis Holdings shareholders. The Puration spinoff and dividend is in general a template for the contemplated transaction between North American Cannabis Holdings and Alternet. Alternet has a long-term track record in developing innovative financial services industry software solutions. Alternet continues today in an effort toward developing and commercializing a growing portfolio of digital commerce technologies. Most recently, Alternet has concentrated on Data Analytics. Very similar to the approach the Company is currently utilizing to develop its Data Analytics solution, Alternet recently developed a previous financial services solution, later selling that solution and realizing a 47% ROI. That same management is now developing the Data Analytics centric solution. In addition to Alternet's comprehensive financial software industry experience, North American Cannabis Holdings specifically saw Alternet's recent focus on data analytics as a potential differentiator in a retail cannabis payment system. To learn more about North American Cannabis Holdings: growusmj.com. Follow the Company on Twitter: US_HEMP To learn more about Alternet Systems: alternetsystems.com Follow the Company on Twitter: AlternetSystems This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and as such, may involve risks and uncertainties. These forward looking statements relate to, amongst other things, current expectation of the business environment in which the company operates, potential future performance, projections of future performance and the perceived opportunities in the market. The company's actual performance, results and achievements may differ materially from the expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements as a result of a wide range of factors. USMJ Contact: Steven Rash Phone: +1-972-528-0162 Email: [email protected] SOURCE North American Cannabis Holdings, Inc. & Alternet Systems, Inc. The inaugural issue contains 10 articles on a variety of topics, including the state of business education and research, the role of migrants in the foreign expansion of firms, and tax-avoidance techniques used by multinationals. One of the articles introduces a unique index intended to measure the extent to which business journals contribute to the knowledge base of the business world and the public. "There is a need for a journal that has both academic rigor and practical relevance," Co-Editor-in-Chief Sengun "Shen" Yeniyurt said, describing the intended positioning of Rutgers Business Review. "We want Rutgers Business Review to be a source of cutting-edge business knowledge for researchers, educators, students, and practitioners across the world." Yeniyurt, a marketing professor and chancellor's scholar at Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, said the publication policies of Rutgers Business Review will set it apart from other journals. "The most important criteria for publication in RBR is the practical relevance of the topic and the contributions of the manuscript to business management practices," the journal's website states as part of its publication policies. "While the content has to be original and at a high level of academic rigor, the language and tone used in the journal will begrounded in real world practices, utilizing current executive terminology and illustrative examples," the website continues. Academic research has always been about generating knowledge, but Rutgers Business Review emphasizes the practical application of the research. The journal is meant to be scholarly, yet accessible. "We are very excited about the launching of Rutgers Business Review and its potential to become a high-impact academic journal," Rutgers Business School Dean Lei Lei said. "Our approach to achieve this potential is to connect original research with the heavy needs of business practices and to create opportunities for academia from different fields to work together with industries to unleash the power of collaboration." Rutgers Business Review is a strategic initiative of the Rutgers Business School dean's office. The journal received the enthusiastic approval of both the school's Executive Advisory Board and its faculty in the fall of 2015. Yeniyurt shares the role of editor-in-chief with S. Tamer Cavusgil, who holds the Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair at Georgia State University and Thomas Stallkamp, former vice chairman and president of DaimlerChrysler Corp. Prominent business scholars from 20 universities around the world agreed to serve on the editorial board and to oversee the process of double-blind peer review of the articles submitted for publication. While similar journals require a paid subscription, RBR is available online free of change. Find out more about Rutgers Business School at www.business.rutgers.edu Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161028/433823 SOURCE Rutgers Business School Related Links http://www.business.rutgers.edu NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TransPerfect, the world's largest privately held provider of language and technology solutions for global business, today announced the launch of four new language sites for SIXTY Hotels' main website and property portal, www.sixtyhotels.com. The addition of Spanish, French, Portuguese, and German brings the total number of supported languages to five. SIXTY Hotels is a chain of luxury boutique hotels in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami, committed to creating a 360-degree cultural experience in hospitality environments. The company used TransPerfect's GlobalLink OneLink proxy-based website localization technology to configure and deploy their sites in four new languages. OneLink is the preferred solution for global organizations seeking to localize web-based content while virtually eliminating IT involvement and reducing project management burdens. OneLink facilitates a smooth localization process through the automation of change detection, the routing of content, and publishing. "As our business continues to expand into new and exciting areas, we recognize the importance of adapting our strategy for international markets and the possibilities they have to offer," said Nina Libby, Director of E-Commerce at SIXTY Hotels. "We required a hands-off, turnkey solution for effective multilingual website localization and TransPerfect's OneLink technology was the perfect fit." "It's an exciting time for SIXTY Hotels as they expand their unique service offering to a broader base of luxury jetsetters," commented Liz Elting, Co-CEO at TransPerfect. "We're extremely proud to support their multilingual strategy and delighted to help them achieve their global business goals." Phil Shawe, Co-CEO at TransPerfect added, "At TransPerfect, we have the honor to work with the best and brightest retailers across the world. SIXTY Hotels' brand encompasses a modern, luxurious, and comfortable lifestyle that attracts customers worldwide. We are thrilled that they can now provide an enhanced user experience for prospective and existing customers." About SIXTY Hotels SIXTY Hotels is ambitious in vision but down-to-earth when it comes to putting guests first. SIXTY Hotels is a new, innovative brand of five luxury inns based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. SIXTY Hotels distinguishes itself from other boutique brands by providing highly personalized service and artful hotel experiences within sophisticated backdrops that seasoned travelers will find at home. From its incomparable suites to its gastronomically refined restaurants and rooftop cocktail lounges, SIXTY Hotels offers discerning global travelers exclusive urban retreats. SIXTY SoHo, located at 60 Thompson Street in New York, is the flagship of the hotel collective. About TransPerfect With annual revenues of more than $500 million, TransPerfect is the world's largest privately held provider of language services and technology solutions. From offices in 90 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 170+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 3,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect's GlobalLink Product Suite to simplify management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and EN 15038 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150420/199715LOGO SOURCE TransPerfect Related Links http://www.transperfect.com IRVINE, Calif. and SILICON VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ten-X, the nation's leading online real estate marketplace, today released its latest U.S. Industrial Market Outlook, including the top five 'Buy' and 'Sell' markets for industrial real estate assets. The long-term forecast reveals the sector continues to enjoy healthy expansion, thanks to the continued rise of distribution centers tied to the growth of e-commerce and the increasing use of warehouses as cloud computing facilities. Ten-X Research's data suggests that Nashville, Tenn., Los Angeles, Memphis, Tenn., Atlanta, Ga. and San Bernardino-Riverside, Calif. are markets in which investors should consider buying industrial assets. While overall economic conditions in these areas differ, each finds itself in a unique position to capitalize on the mounting demand in the sector, citing strong absorption rates that promise to outpace supply over the next two years. Other markets, particularly those that rely heavily on energy industries, are struggling amid the lasting slump in oil prices, which has contributed to an economic malaise affecting nearly all real estate sectors. Four Texas cities Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio are among the metro areas where Ten-X believes industrial investors might consider selling their properties. Suburban Maryland, a region in which the economy has proven sluggish due mostly to low population growth and a floundering professional and business services industry, also made the 'Sell' list. Overall deal volume for industrial assets fell to $12.5 billion during the second quarter according to Real Capital Analytics - a 26 percent decline from the same period in 2015. But vacancies have fallen into the mid-8 percent range, and rents have seen an uptick of about 2 percent year-over-year. "The industrial sector is benefitting from the same shifts that are afflicting its retail counterpart. As more and more people choose to stay home to do their shopping, companies need more space to house and distribute the products they sell online," said Ten-X Chief Economist Peter Muoio. "While other economic factors are hurting energy-dependent and port-exposed markets, this change in consumer behavior appears built to last, and puts industrial owners in a favorable position for the years to come." A majority of indicators show the sector should continue to blossom, as Ten-X Research predicts rents should increase by approximately 3 percent over the next two years. Vacancies, meanwhile, are likely to fall as low as the mid-7 percent range in 2018, which would be their lowest since 1990. Investors should remain cautious, however, as the sector will remain vulnerable to a cyclical downturn on the horizon. Research shows vacancies are poised to rise to around 9 percent by 2020, while rents are projected to see a decline of about 1 percent per year beginning in 2019. 2015 2020 INDUSTRIAL PROJECTIONS Top 5 Buy Markets 2015 Final Effective Rents (psf) 2020 Forecast Effective Rents (psf) Change in Effective Rents (%) 2015 Final Vacancies (%) 2020 Forecast Vacancies (%) Change in Vacancies (bps) Nashville, TN 3.41 3.91 14.7% 6.1 6.5 40 bps Los Angeles, CA 6.10 6.75 10.6% 3.3 4.2 90 bps Memphis, TN 2.52 2.68 6.3% 13.2 11.7 -150 bps San Bernardino, CA 4.45 4.98 11.9% 7.1 9.7 260 bps Atlanta, GA 3.77 4.03 6.9% 12.2 12.2 0 bps Top 5 Sell Markets 2015 Final Effective Rents (psf) 2020 Forecast Effective Rents (psf) Change in Effective Rents (%) 2015 Final Vacancies (%) 2020 Forecast Vacancies (%) Change in Vacancies (bps) Houston, TX 4.10 4.17 1.7% 8.0 10.7 270 bps Dallas, TX 3.76 3.88 3.2% 11.9 14.7 280 bps Fort Worth, TX 3.43 3.63 5.8% 9.4 10.7 130 bps Suburban Maryland 7.33 7.87 7.4% 10.7 11.1 40 bps San Antonio, TX 4.16 4.38 5.3% 6.9 9.6 270 bps U.S. 4.55 4.92 8.1% 8.5 9.1 60 bps The Industrial Sector's Top Five 'Buy' Markets Nashville A surging economy, fueled by strong employment levels and skyrocketing population growth, puts Nashville at the top of the list for industrial investors. Thanks to a burgeoning professional/business services sector, unemployment in Music City has fallen below three percent, well below the national average. Ten-X Research predicts a strong absorption rate will push industrial vacancies below 4 percent by 2018. Coupled with steady rent growth, owners can expect top line income to increase by roughly 3.5 percent annually through 2020. Los Angeles Boasting an industrial vacancy rate of only about 3 percent among the lowest in the country Los Angeles is an ideal climate for industrial growth. Despite relatively modest population increases and a jobless rate slightly above the U.S. rate, employment has reached an all-time high, propped up by the city's education and healthcare services industries. Effective rents are expected to grow by more than 4 percent annually through 2018, though the already-low availability will keep annual NOI growth to a more tempered 2.9 percent, according to Ten-X Research. Memphis Despite nearly non-existent population growth and uneven employment gains, Memphis is home to one of the strongest industrial sectors in the U.S., Ten-X Research shows. Its status as a national distribution hub has driven vacancies from their peak of 17 percent to below 13 percent. Limited supply additions are expected to drag those rates down even further, to less than 10 percent by 2018. Ten-X predicts rents will continue to rise over the same period, while NOI growth is projected to measure about 2.7 percent. San Bernardino/Riverside This Southern California market has seen both employment and population growth slow from their recent years, but it remains an appealing venue for the industrial sector. Ten-X Research projects that employment will increase by more than 3 percent annually through 2018, while the area continues to add population at a rate faster than the national average. Robust demand for industrial space is expected to pull vacancies to below 5 percent by 2018, while rents should continue to grow by nearly 4 percent per year. However, Ten-X data indicates that souring demand and an anticipated cyclical downturn could double the vacancy rate as early as 2020. Atlanta Atlanta is experiencing healthy demand for industrial space, driven largely by steady population growth and job gains that have pushed overall employment to an all-time high. The market is prepared to absorb the slug of supply that is slated to hit the market in the next two years, and rents should rise by more than 3 percent annually over the same time frame, according to Ten-X Research. Though the market is likely to take a step back during the cyclical downturn, investors can still expect annual NOI growth of roughly 2.5 percent through 2020. The Industrial Sector's Top Five 'Sell' Markets Houston A struggling market that's grappling with abundant supply and dwindling demand puts Houston atop the report's 'Sell' list. Low oil prices continue to weigh on Houston's economy, as the construction, mining and manufacturing sectors have been hit the hardest. Ten-X Research shows that this low demand for oil has stunted effective rent growth which will average only 2.4 percent annually through 2018 and predicts Houston's industrial market will face steep declines in 2019 and 2020. Dallas Although Dallas' economic diversity sustains strong metro-area employment, measuring in the high-3 percent range, its industrial market is struggling with a heavy supply pipeline with limited prospects for absorption. Ten-X Research predicts that vacancies will remain level through 2018 in the high-11 percent range, along with a flattened effective rent growth. Additionally, the sector's market NOI growth is expected to be constrained to 1.1 percent per year through 2020. Fort Worth Like its neighbor Dallas, Fort Worth is also struggling to keep up with supply additions while its economy is waning amid low oil prices. Most of the losses seem to be contained in the construction, mining and manufacturing sectors a familiar trend in the region. But while vacancies have dropped to the mid-9 percent range, Ten-X Research predicts NOI growth will be stunted by the lack of absorption and mediocre rent growth, averaging an estimated 1.6 percent per annum through 2018. Suburban Maryland Suburban Maryland's economy has been slow-moving, with almost no growth in its biggest industries: the professional and business services sectors, which make up 20 percent of its total employment. With high industrial availabilities and weak rent growth, Ten-X Research predicts demand will continue to be outpaced by supply through 2018. Meanwhile, effective rent growth, which decelerated in the quarter, is likely to continue to inch forward at a snail's pace. San Antonio Employment growth has decelerated since early 2015 and San Antonio's economy has cooled as a result. The metro's professional and business services sector has contributed to the slowdown while annual employment growth has decelerated to the 1 percent range from the 5-to-6 percent range it saw in 2014. Ten-X Research predicts that San Antonio will see nearly 1.8 msf of supply additions in 2016, boosting vacancies to 7.5 percent, rising above the national average. About Ten-X Ten-X is the nation's leading online real estate transaction marketplace and the parent to Ten-X Homes, Ten-X Commercial and Auction.com. To date, the company has sold 244,000+ residential and commercial properties totaling more than $41 billion. Leveraging desktop and mobile technology, Ten-X allows people to safely and easily complete real estate transactions entirely online. Ten-X is headquartered in Irvine and Silicon Valley, Calif., and has offices in key markets nationwide. Investors in the company include Google Capital and Stone Point Capital. For more information, visit Ten-X.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160106/319955LOGO SOURCE Ten-X Related Links https://www.ten-x.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Type 2 diabetes should have taken the life of the patient whose close brush with death is featured in WebMD Diabetes Magazine's Fall 2016 issue page 19. Unaware of his condition, he continued his lifestyle of consuming excessive sweets of all kinds, even for breakfast and midnight snacks. Then it happened. Upon waking each morning, he found an increasing sticky whitish substance covering his tongue as well as the corners of his eyelids and in a panic drove to his doctor's office. Testing showed he had a blood glucose level of 21.9 millimoles per litre or 394.6 milligrams, more than five times the normal levels of 4.0 to 6.5 mmol/L. Dr. Anthony Robinson, who examined the patient, explained to him, "The whitish sticky substance on your tongue and eyes in the morning is the excess sugar buildup in your body exiting. You are not far from going into cardiac arrest." "When he diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes, I went into shock," says Ernest Quansah. "I became numb and stared at his office wall." For two years after diagnosis, Quansah tried every type 2 diabetes cure he could find, but none worked. "I was really discouraged and overwhelmed," he says. "I gave up and decided that I too should 'manage' the diabetes. But somehow, I mustered the strength to visit my doctor and ask him point blank, 'Dr. Robinson, can type 2 diabetes be cured?'" "Yes," he affirmed, an answer confirmed by several other doctors and experts. Quansah's avid research began, under the guidance of his doctor and a doctor of Chinese medicine specializing in diabetes. The research revealed that when one becomes a type 2 diabetic, one's body becomes insulin resistant. The revelation led to the conclusion that, to reverse the diabetes, all the patient has to do is restore the body's insulin sensitivity. Further research led to his discovery of a three-part diabetes reversal and cure program. The doctors helped to develop the program, which was successfully tested. Quansah began to feel a surge of energy. Follow-up tests showed that he was completely healed. His doctor praised him. "Congratulations!" he said. "You are no longer a diabetic." When my doctor said that, I told him that I thought I should help other type 2 diabetics heal. He replied, "That is an excellent idea." Ever since, I have made it my mission to help type 2 diabetics reverse their condition. Quansah received an invitation to join Academia.edu, accepted it, and posted his research. See https://independent.academia.edu/ErnestQuansah. Quansah, now a type 2 diabetes consultant and lecturer, went on to establish Discover Diabetes Self-Cure. In his new book, The Journey: How I Cheated Death in 21 Days, endorsed by Dr. Anthony Robinson and backed by two other doctor testimonials, he chronicles his experience, research method, the development of the three-part program, and the remarkable success that came as a result. "The methods used were all natural," he emphasizes. His book, the complete three-part self-cure program, and the before- and after-cure blood test results are posted at http://discoverdiabetesselfcure.com to help other type 2 diabetics reverse and cure their diabetes. The WebMD story can be found in the WebMD Diabetes Fall 2016 issue on page 19 or by going to this link:http://www.webmd.com/magazine/, Under Read Our Special Edition, select Fall 2016 Diabetes link and go to page 19. Ernest Quansah is available for TV, radio and press interviews. Press Contact Information: Phone: 604-616-8401 Email: ernestq_037 (at) telus.net Book ISBN: 978-0-9947670-2-8 Related Links http://discoverdiabetesselfcure.com/ This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com SOURCE Ernest Quansah, Author of book The Journey Related Links http://discoverdiabetesselfcure.com IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Stemedica International, SA, a Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. subsidiary that uses its proprietary allogeneic stem-cell therapies for Alzheimer's disease, announces enrollment of its first patient at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The study, is entitled "A Phase IIa Multicenter, Randomized, Single-blind, Placebo-controlled, Crossover Study to Assess the Safety, Tolerability, and Preliminary Efficacy of a Single Intravenous Dose of Allogeneic Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Subjects with Mild to Moderate Dementia Due to Alzheimer's disease (STEM4AD)." The study will enroll approximately 40 subjects diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) at least 3 months prior to enrollment, based on the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) Alzheimer's criteria. "Our primary objective for this clinical trial is the evaluation of safety and tolerability of itMSCs in subjects with mild to moderate dementia due to Alzheimer's disease," said Lev Verkh, Ph.D. Stemedica's Chief Regulatory & Clinical Development Officer. He continued "We will also compare treatment and placebo groups for a preliminary efficacy assessment by neurologic, functional, and psychiatric endpoints." Stemedica's bone marrow-derived, allogeneic ischemic-tolerant mesenchymal stem cells (itMSCs) are unique because they are grown under hypoxic conditions that more closely resemble the environment in which they live in the body. Compared to other MSCs, itMSCs secrete higher levels of growth factors usually associated with angiogenesis and healing. "The Hospital of the University of California, Irvine has one of the nation's most advanced facilities, and has tremendous resources and expertise that contribute to the validity of our study results," says Nikolai Tankovich, M.D., Ph.D., Stemedica International's Executive Chairman. "We hope our unique, hypoxically-grown stem cells will halt or slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia." More information about this important clinical trial including enrollment details, can be found at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02833792?term=stemedica&rank=1. About Stemedica International S.A. Stemedica International S.A. is a biotechnology company that develops therapeutic applications for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer's disease. The company is a subsidiary of Stemedica Cell Technologies, Inc., a global biotechnology company that manufactures adult allogeneic stem cells. Stemedica International has the worldwide rights to manufacture and distribute its parent company's allogeneic, ischemia-tolerant mesenchymal stem cell (itMSC) and ischemia-tolerant neural stem cell (itNSC) lines and stem cell factors for Alzheimer's disease. The company also has Swissmedic licenses to import, export and distribute Stemedica Cell Technologies' cell lines worldwide for human use in approved clinical trials. Manufactured in compliance with cGMP standards, the stem cell lines have a unique, proprietary technology based on the expansion of cells in constant hypoxia, which provides critical benefits in terms of safety, efficacy and scalability. For more information, visit www.stemedica-intl.com. About Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. Stemedica Cell Technologies Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company that manufactures best-in-class allogeneic adult stem cells and stem cell factors. The company is a government licensed manufacturer of cGMP, clinical-grade stem cells currently used in US-based clinical trials for acute myocardial infarction, chronic heart failure, cutaneous photoaging, ischemic stroke, Alzheimer's disease and traumatic brain injury. Stemedica's products are also used on a worldwide basis by research institutions and hospitals for pre-clinical and clinical (human) trials. Stemedica is currently developing additional clinical trials for other medical indications using adult, allogeneic stems cell under the auspices of the FDA and other international regulatory institutions. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California, and can be found online at www.stemedica.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect the views of Stemedica as of the date of this press release with respect to future events and, except as required by law, it undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this press release. Media Contact: David Cheatham, MBA Business Manager +41 (0) 78 794 7232 [email protected] PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12598322 SOURCE Stemedica International Related Links http://www.stemedica-intl.com If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Oct 31 : India on Monday continued its discussions with China over the issue of its membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), which Beijing has been stalling. Sources here said Amandeep Singh Gill, Joint Secretary (Disarmament & International Security) in the Ministry of External Affairs, held talks with Wang Qun, Director General in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in Beijing over the issue of India's membership in the NSG. Wang leads Chinese delegations in NSG deliberations. The sources said the talks were substantive and constructive and the engagement would continue according to the directive of the leadership of both countries. At the NSG plenary in Seoul in June, China had blocked India's membership on the ground that for a country to become a member of the 48-nation bloc, it has to be a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). On September 13, Gill and Wang started their discussions on the issue in New Delhi. Washington, Oct 31 : US President Barack Obama celebrated Diwali by lighting the first-ever diya in his Oval office at the White House. It was his last Diwali as US President and he hoped his successors would continue the tradition. "This year, I was honoured to kindle the first-ever diya in the Oval Office -- a lamp that symbolizes how darkness will always be overcome by light," he said, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of US in India. "It is a tradition that I hope future Presidents will continue," he added. On behalf of the entire Obama family, the US President said: "I wish you and your loved ones peace and happiness on this Diwali," Obama posted on his official Facebook page (@potus), along with a picture of him lighting the diya, surrounded by a group of young Indian-Americans. The post became viral on social media as it got over 23,000 likes and it was shared more than 11,000 times. Obama is the first US President to celebrate Diwali personally in the White House since 2009. "I was proud to be the first President to host a Diwali celebration at the White House in 2009, and Michelle and I will never forget how the people of India welcomed us with open arms and hearts and danced with us in Mumbai on Diwali," he said. Obama has sent his greetings to all those celebrating Diwali across America and around the world. "As Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists light the diya, share in prayers, decorate their homes, and open their doors to host and feast with loved ones, we recognize that this holiday rejoices in the triumph of good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It also speaks to a broader truth about our shared American experience," said Obama. New Delhi, Oct 31 : Over 350 incidents of minor fires were reported in the national capital on Diwali night this year, but only 10-11 persons suffered injuries, a fire service official said on Monday. "So far, more than 350 fire incidents have been reported, all of which are minor. Ten to eleven people have sustained burn injuries, but there is no report of any fatality or any major injury," an officer of the Delhi Fire Service (DFS) told IANS. The officer said the fire office received 243 calls from Sunday evening till midnight. From midnight till 7 a.m. on Monday, 106 calls were received, he added. Last year, 290 fire incidents were reported during Diwali till midnight, and over 500 cases of injuries caused by fire crackers across the national capital. Safdarjung Hospital received 142 burns patients, of whom only 11 were admitted in the hospital as they had sustained more than 15 per cent burn injuries. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) spokesperson Amit Gupta told IANS that its emergency ward received 295 patients on Sunday evening, but they were unrelated to Diwali fire incidents. "Usually we receive 195 patients everyday in the night, but on Sunday night we received 295 patients. Most of the cases were related to assault, accidents," Gupta said. In view of the Diwali festival, Delhi hospitals had made prior arrangement for treating patients with burn injuries. Safdarjung Hospital, which has a reputed burn injury ward, had added 24 extra beds and deployed six more medical specialists, while Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in central Delhi set up an emergency OPD to handle burn cases. Most burns cases on Diwali night were caused by firecracker accidents and were reported from late in the night to 6 a.m. the next morning. The Delhi Fire Service had cancelled the Diwali leave of all its employees and put on standby 1,500 firefighters across the city. Chief Fire Officer G.C. Mishra said that 1,500 firefighters along with back-up teams in the control room, workshops and other departments were on duty to tackle emergencies. "Delhi has a total of 59 fire stations and we set up 22 additional centres, considering last year's experience," he said. Fire engines were stationed at 22 sensitive areas across the city like Azadpur Mandi, Bara Tooti Chowk in Sadar Bazar, Ghitorni, Tilak Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Gandhi Nagar. Additional emergency teams were stationed at designated areas while for quick response, 10 motorcycles and 11 quick reaction teams were deployed. The CATS (Centralised Accident and Trauma Services) had kept all its 150-plus ambulances at the ready. Jammu, Oct 31 : An Indian soldier and a woman were on Monday killed in firing by the Pakistan Army across the de-facto border in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Two more soldiers and another civilian were injured in the latest violation by the Pakistan Army of the 2003 ceasefire agreement to maintain peace at borders and along the Line of Control (LoC), a police spokesman said. The spokesman said the fresh cross-border firing incidents occurred in Rajouri and Poonch districts on the LoC that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. The spokesman said the Pakistan Army used 82 mm mortar shells and automatic weapons to target Indian positions on the LoC and the soldier and the woman were killed in the Tarkundi sector of Rajouri. The deceased woman was identfied as Rubina Kausar, 50. The identity of the slain soldier was not known immediately. The Indian Army retaliated to the firing "effectively", said the spokesman. India and Pakistan have accused each other of regularly violating the ceasefire agreement between them to maintain peace at the border and the LoC. Border skirmishes intensified after Pakistani militants attacked a military base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers on September 18. The Uri attack prompted the Indian Army to carry out a surgical strike that destroyed seven terror launch pads and killed an unknown number of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, across the LoC. Earlier on Monday, Pakistan Rangers indulged in shelling and firing on the International Border (IB) in R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh and Hira Nagar sectors of Jammu division. "Pakistan Rangers fired mortars and used automatic weapons to target civilian and Border Security Force (BSF) facilities in R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh and Hira Nagar sectors," another police officer said. The Pakistani shelling was retaliated by the BSF. Heightened border tensions between the two countries have forced many residents of frontier villages to migrate to safer locations. Residents of border villages close to the IB celebrated a subdued Diwali, away from home. Pakistan troops have been indiscriminately targeting their homes, cattle and crops. Authorities have set up temporary accommodations -- in educational institutions, rural development department buildings and community halls -- for hundreds of border residents in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. India shares 230 km of International Border and 740 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. The boundary, manned by the paramilitary BSF runs through Jammu district and the LoC, which is not an internationally-accepted frontier, cuts across other regions of the state. Jammu, Oct 31 : An Indian soldier and a woman were killed on Monday in firing by the Pakistan Army across the de-facto border in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Two more soldiers and another woman were injured in the latest violation by the Pakistan Army of the 2003 ceasefire agreement to maintain peace at borders and along the Line of Control (LoC), a police spokesman said. The spokesman said the fresh cross-border firing incidents occurred in Rajouri and Poonch districts on the LoC that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two countries. The spokesman said the Pakistan Army used 82 mm mortar shells and automatic weapons to target Indian positions on the LoC and the soldier and the woman were killed in the Tarkundi sector of Rajouri. The deceased woman was identified as Towseer Bi, 50. The identity of the slain soldier was not immediately known. The Indian Army retaliated to the firing "effectively", said the spokesman. India and Pakistan have accused each other of regularly violating the ceasefire agreement between them to maintain peace at the border and the LoC. Border skirmishes intensified after Pakistani militants attacked a military base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers on September 18. The Uri attack prompted the Indian Army to carry out a surgical strike that destroyed seven terror launch pads and killed an unknown number of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, across the LoC. Earlier on Monday, Pakistan Rangers indulged in shelling and firing on the International Border (IB) in R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh and Hira Nagar sectors of Jammu division. "Pakistan Rangers fired mortars and used automatic weapons to target civilian and Border Security Force (BSF) facilities in R.S.Pura, Suchetgarh and Hira Nagar sectors," another police officer said. The Pakistani shelling was retaliated by the BSF. Heightened border tensions between the two countries have forced many residents of frontier villages to migrate to safer locations. Residents of border villages close to the IB celebrated a subdued Diwali, away from home. Pakistan troops have been indiscriminately targeting their homes, cattle and crops. Authorities have set up temporary accommodations -- in educational institutions, rural development department buildings and community halls -- for hundreds of border residents in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. India shares 230 km of International Border and 740 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. The boundary, manned by the paramilitary BSF runs through Jammu district and the LoC, which is not an internationally-accepted frontier, cuts across other regions of the state. Chandigarh, Oct 31 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to launch Haryana's year-long golden jubilee celebrations from Gurugram on Tuesday, said Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar while clarifying that his government was not spending Rs 1,700 crore on the celebrations. Modi will kick-off Haryana's 'Swarna Jayanti' celebrations on Tuesday from Gurugram's Tau Devi Lal stadium. The Haryana government is expecting over 100,000 people to attend the inaugural ceremony. "We are not spending Rs 1,700 crore on golden jubilee celebrations, I want to clarify. It was wrongly projected that Rs 1,700 crore was being spent on celebrations. This is for various schemes and programmes to be launched for people's welfare during the entire year," Khattar told media here on Monday. "It (expenditure) is not this way. The amount being spent of the golden jubilee celebrations is much less and different departments will bear that," he claimed. Haryana, which was created on November 1, 1966, completes 50 years on Tuesday. "The Prime Minister will make important announcements on Tuesday at the event," said Khattar, who also launched the "Saksham Haryana' scheme on Monday in which post-graduate, unemployed youth would be given Rs 9,000 honorarium for 100 hours of work per month. "The scheme starts from November 1. Government departments and private sector both will be involved in this. Nearly 1,100 post-graduates are registered in employment exchanges in Haryana," he said. Khattar said that, as per estimates, there were over 30,000 unemployed post-graduate youth in Haryana but most of them were not registered with employment exchanges. "If all of them register, the financial burden on the state would be Rs 324 crore for this scheme," he said. Among other announcements made by Khattar on Monday were an increase in salary of Home Guards, from Rs 300 per day to Rs 572 per day, making it equivalent to police constables. Over 14,000 home guards will benefit from it. Khattar also said that given the large number of ex-servicemen in the state, a new full-fledged department for ex-servicemen would be set up. He said that 'Haryana Swarna Jayanti Medal' would be given to all police personnel in the state which they will wear on their uniform. He said that the Gurugram Development Authority (GDA) will start functioning from November 1, and streamline Gurugram's development. New Delhi, Oct 31 : The BJP on Monday accused the opposition parties of appeasing terrorists and gangsters as the latter questioned the veracity of the gunning down of eight SIMI activists in Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Pointing to the demand of the Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for a judicial probe into the killing of the eight activists who earlier escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail, BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao said the opposition parties were attacking the morale of the security forces. "All the eight terrorists killed were involved in heinous acts, including bomb blasts, murder and dacoity. Then why should any political party criticise such an incident instead of hailing the success of the security personnel? "The Left parties, the Congress and the AAP are always looking to attack the morale of the armed forces, the morale of police forces," Rao told the media here. "We find this extremely discomfiting and disgusting that all these parties are indulging in the appeasement of terrorists, separatists and gangsters. All this is being done with an eye on politics," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. Hitting out at Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, Rao said the opposition parties' perverse secularism would lead to their political Waterloo. "We have seen Sonia Gandhi shedding tears for terrorist killed in the Batla House encounter (2008); we have seen Rahul Gandhi questioning the bravery of the armed forces after the surgical strikes. "A lot of these parties which indulge in perverse secularism do it with a hope that they can possibly appease a section of the electorate. It has not served them in the past, but these parties still persist with their vote bank politics. He said the BJP urged all political parties to shun the path of vote bank politics. Otherwise, this perverse politics is bound to meet its political Waterloo, he said. Eight terrorists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) who escaped from Bhopal Central Jail were killed in a gunfight with police on the outskirts of the city on Monday. New Delhi, Oct 31 : The Congress, CPI-M and the AAP on Monday demanded a judicial probe into the killing of eight alleged SIMI activists in a gunfight with police, after they reportedly escaped from Bhopal Central Jail. "The facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged jail break raise several questions. The fact that all the eight alleged escapees were subsequently encountered raises the pertinent question as to whether they were killed in a cross-fire or they were also armed, in the first place," Congress Spokesperson Manish Tewari told IANS. Tewari also pointed to a video said to be of the alleged gunfight and widely shared on social media and telecast by news channels. In the video, a policeman is seen shooting at one of the SIMI terror suspects. While another policeman is seen pulling out a knife from a second SIMI suspect's body, the remaining appear to be dead. "The purported video shows that perhaps the encounter is not what the police is making out to be. It appears to be a fake encounter. Therefore, this entire matter should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court judge, independent of both the central and the state government, for the truth to emerge," added Tewari. Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh hinted at a possible conspiracy behind the entire incident. "It is a serious issue. First SIMI activists fled the Khandwa Jail (2013). Now they have fled from Bhopal jail. Was it really a jail break or were they made to escape in pursuance of a plan," asked Singh demanding an independent probe into the alleged jail break as well their subsequent killing. Questioning the veracity of the government's claim, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) politburo member Brinda Karat called for a probe by a high court judge. "The government's version is highly dubious and suspicious and full of self-contradictory statements. Therefore, to get to the truth, it is essential to have an independent probe under a high court judge," she said. "Nobody could believe what seems to be an entirely manufactured version by the government. These were undertrial prisoners and to call them SIMI terrorists and killing them like this is to subvert the law of the land," added Karat. "This is very serious. We demand a Supreme Court-monitored probe," tweeted Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal. The eight members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who reportedly escaped from the Bhopal Central Jail, were killed in a gunfight on the outskirts of the city. Los Angeles, Nov 1 : Model Gigi Hadid considers fashion photographer Mario Testino as the "true light" in her life. The 21-year-old model took to social media to post a heartfelt message to Testino, 62, to commemorate his birthday on October 30. She also posted on Instagram, an image while on a shoot with Testino, reports femalefirst.co.uk. Alongside that, she wrote: "Happy Birthday to a true light in my life, Mario Testino - it will forever be an honour to be in front of your lens and to learn from you; most of all, I'm so grateful to call you my friend. Thank you for the adventures and the laughs. Wishing you a beautiful day today and many many more. All my love." Other modelling stars like Naomi Campbell and Karlie Kloss also sent out birthday wishes to the Peruvian photographer. London, Nov 1 : Midfielder Juan Mata says he "feels important" at Manchester United only months after reports suggested his career at Old Trafford was over following the arrival of manager Jose Mourinho in the summer. "Too many stories were created... I'm the one that knows what is going on and nothing was going on," said Mata, BBC reported on Monday. The 28-year-old Spain midfielder was made captain by the Portuguese for Saturday's 0-0 draw at home to Burnley. Mata had been sold to United by Chelsea when they were both at the London club. Mata has made 13 appearances and scored three goals for United this season. He only made 18 appearances in all competitions, including the Champions League, during the first half of the 2013-14 campaign before he was sold to Old Trafford. When asked whether he felt like an important part of the squad, he said: "I do feel that. "Since I came to United there have been ups and downs but I always felt like an important player under every manager and I am feeling important right now. But I have not had any conversations [with Mourinho] like they say I had." And on his relationship with the United boss, Mata added: "I said it before and I say it again, it is a professional relationship. That is it. "That is why I said so many things were written about him coming with me at the club and what was going to happen. But in my mind I had it clear. "Your friends and family want to know what is going on but I always told them the same. I am the one that knows what is going on and nothing was going on." London, Nov 1 : Actor Benedict Cumberbatch was thrilled to film "Doctor Strange" in Nepal. The 40-year-old actor originally visited Nepal while on his gap year and had a "fantastic" time returning to Kathmandu to shoot scenes for the Marvel film, reports femalefirst.co.uk. "It was amazing to go back to Kathmandu, to a place that was familiar but very different," Cumberbatch told Hello magazine. "The earthquake happened seven months before we went and I was adamant we still had to forge ahead with filming there. It was fantastic," he added. He also enjoyed the spiritual aspects to the story, when his titular alter ego seeks alternative ways to heal his hands after an accident leaves him unable to work. "The thing that resonated in 'Doctor Strange' was the power of the mind to shape reality. I think people in all cultures have always needed beliefs," he said. "Wherever we lie on the spiritual spectrum, we'll always wonder," he added. The movie will release in India on November 4. New Delhi : The much touted $46 billion, 3,000-km-long China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) links Gwadar port in the troubled state of Balochistan to China's restive autonomous region of Xinjiang. The project, which is an extension of China's ambitious One-Belt-One-Road scheme, passes through Gilgit and Baltistan areas which are part of Jammu and Kashmir which is Indian territory but illegally occupied by Pakistan. Hence the CPEC is against India's geographical and strategic interests. The official Xinhua news agency, in a clear departure from its past practice, mentioned in December 2014 about the closure of the Khunjerab Pass and also stated that Gilgit and Baltistan were parts of Pakistan. Analysts claim that China, before taking up a project of this magnitude, wanted to reconfirm Gilgit-Baltistan as part of Pakistan and wanted to observe India's reaction which was not severe at that juncture. China would be constructing several infrastructure and hydropower projects, industrial parks, railway lines and all-weather roads and highways in Gilgit-Baltistan as well as in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. CPEC will also reduce by 12,000 km the distance from Middle East from where China imports its crude oil. Pakistani leaders describe CPEC, as well as the multifarious projects linked to it, as a great economic achievement for the country and claim that it will solve the country's economic problems and expedite growth. Government agencies declare that more than 700,000 direct jobs would be created. Nonetheless, the Pakistani leadership is worried about generating funds for the main projects, which have to be financed indigenously. The Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet has set up a revolving fund to handle this, but analysts claim that Pakistan's economic condition is in a shambles and it will be difficult for the country to create funds for the construction of the mega projects. There is severe criticism of the project by non-Punjabis as they feel that although the CPEC passes through their areas, the benefits of the project would be usurped by Punjabis. The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistani extremist outfit has already claimed the killing of some Chinese in Pakistan. Several separatist outfits in Balochistan are against CPEC and proclaim that it is against the interests of the state. They say they would not allow this project to be implemented. Residents of Balochistan also mention that through the CPEC project, the government would settle outsiders in the province, thereby changing the demography of the province, and the Chinese and the Punjabi-dominated federal government would exploit the natural resources of the state without giving it due compensation. Pakistan has alleged that India is assisting Baloch and Sindhi militants who are creating hurdles in the construction of CPEC. They allege that in May 2016, one Chinese worker was killed in Karachi by militants of an India-supported outfit. India has denied such charges. Both China and Pakistan claim that CPEC has only economic dimensions, but India and the United States appropriately feel that it has more strategic significance. Gwadar would be a future sea port from where China would acquire a stronghold in the Indian Ocean region. China would also get an access to the Arabian Sea and would minimize the distance to the Strait of Hormuz through which 35 percent of world oil transits. The linking of Muslim majority Xinjiang province through CPEC would be dangerous for China too, as the Muslim fanatics of Pakistan would start assisting the suppressed Muslims of the Chinese province and the secessionist movement would be strengthened. Pakistani Jihadists would certainly spread Islamic extremism in China. India also feels that China has already encircled it by inculcating commercial as well as defence relationship with several countries including Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Somalia. CPEC would further strengthen the encirclement. After completion of the CPEC, the Chinese presence would enhance manifold in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which would be detrimental for India. India needs to chalk out a long-term rational policy concerning CPEC -- nonetheless it will not be easy as the Indian public is very emotional about its relations with Pakistan and China. As the project is against the interests of the country, India must oppose it but it should not lead to open confrontation. Efforts can be made to discourage China from going ahead with this ambitious project, but it will not be an easy task. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit (September 4-5, 2016 at Hangzhou in China), raised the CPEC issue. Besides its all-weather friendship with China, Pakistan is also inculcating close relations with Russia. The closeness between Russia and China is also increasing. Hence, the possibility of a China-Pakistan-Russia axis cannot be ruled out and Indian policy makers must keep this aspect in mind. Besides, India's relationship with the United States is also growing at a fast pace and Russia may like to counter this by inculcating closeness with China and Pakistan. (Jai Kumar Verma is a Delhi-based strategic analyst. The article is by special arrangement with South Asia Monitor/www.southasiamonitor.org) New Delhi : The death of every other newborn in India can be traced to either low birth weight (LBW) or premature delivery -- a reflection of poor maternal health and an inadequate healthcare system -- according to an IndiaSpend analysis of census data. Neo-natal mortality is defined as death during the first 28 days of life. And India reports the highest numbers in the world: As many as 700,000 newborns die in India each year -- 29 per 1,000 births. This accounts for 26 per cent of neo-natal deaths in the world, according to Unicef. Thirteen African countries have better infant mortality rates (IMR) than India, IndiaSpend reported in May 2016. The figures for child mortality, 0-5 years of age, are equally high: Between 1990 and 2015, more children in this age group died in India than anywhere in the world. Despite a 62 per cent reduction in child mortality over these years, the number stands at 1.3 million every year. The deadly 28 post-birth days An infant is said to have LBW when he/she is under 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) at birth. A premature or preterm baby is one born alive before the completion of 37 weeks of pregnancy, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In India, of all infants who died before they completed 29 days post-birth, 48.1 per cent suffered from LBW and premature birth, according to the Causes of Death Statistics, 2010-13 report by the census office. This figure was 35.9 per cent for children under one year of age, and 29.8 per cent for those in the 0-4 age group. These two causes led to the most deaths of children between 0-4 years of age. But between 1 and 4 years, they did not even figure in the top 10 factors, indicating that 0-1 year is the most vulnerable period in childhood. Poor maternal health LBW is a complex syndrome caused by two factors -- preterm birth and a foetus too small for his/her gestational age. However, the overlap between these two situations has the worst outcomes. There are three underlying reasons for LBW, all traceable to the mother: Poor nutritional status before conception, short stature (mostly due to under-nutrition and infections during childhood) and poor nutrition during pregnancy, Narayan Ramachandran, chairman, InKlude Labs, which helps state governments implement large-scale school-based deworming in India, wrote in the Mint. These points are corroborated by research involving 350 mothers -- conducted by the Rohilkhand Medical College in Uttar Pradesh -- to find the epidemiological factors associated with LBW among institutional deliveries. The study revealed the following: 40 per cent of expectant mothers delivered LBW babies and 76.5 per cent of them had a gestational age lower than 37 weeks; 58.5 per cent of these mothers were less than 20 years of age and 76.1 per cent of them weighed less than 50 kg. Incidence of LBW highest in S Asia, India second highest in the world In 2013, as many as 22 million newborns -- an estimated 16 per cent of babies born globally -- had LBW, according to Unicef. In terms of regional variations, South Asia had the highest incidence of LBW, with 28 per cent newborns weighing less than 2.5 kg. This region also had the highest percentage of infants (66 per cent) not weighed at birth. Sub-Saharan Africa's incidence of LBW among newborns is estimated to be 13 per cent; and 54 per cent newborns are not weighed at birth. At 28 per cent, India had the third highest percentage of LBW newborns, behind only Mauritania (35 per cent), Pakistan and Yemen (32 per cent each). Except for Pakistan, India performed worse than all its South Asian neighbours. Unicef, however, has cautioned that the data maybe inaccurate because of under-reporting. India has most preterm births in the world There are an estimated 15 million preterm births across the world each year, according to latest available data released by the WHO in 2012. Over 60 per cent of preterm births occur in Africa and South Asia. At 3.5 million, India accounted for the most preterm births in the world, followed by China (1.17 million) and Nigeria (0.77 million). India's Newborn Action Plan and how it works The India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) was launched in September 2014 with the aim of ending preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths by 2030. The plan aims to attain single-digit neo-natal mortality and stillbirth rate by 2030. INAP's main strategy is called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). It creates a womb-like environment for the newborn that provides the four basic needs of the baby -- warmth, food, love and protection -- and significantly benefits all newborns, especially those who are preterm or suffer from LBW. Generally, KMC is advocated for all newborns weighing less than 2.5 kg at birth. However, in India, because of the huge burden of LBW, INAP has recommended facility-based KMC for newborns with birth weight less than 2 kg on priority basis. India has already cut neonatal tetanus mortality by 99.76 per cent and was declared as maternal and neonatal tetanus-free by the WHO, as IndiaSpend reported in October 2015. (In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Devanik Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org) Hong Kong, Nov 1 : Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays a surgeon-turned-sorcerer vested with powerful magical powers and skills in "Doctor Strange", has compared magic with acting. He says it's all about making what you watch seem possible, even though it is not. Doctor Stephen Strange, his character in Marvel Studios' forthcoming film, was a celebrated but arrogant surgeon until an accident costs him his medical skills and career. In an attempt to restore his talents, he travels the world until he encounters The Ancient One, the enigmatic teacher who offers to teach him the ways of the Mystic Arts. One of the inspirations for his character was the radio show "Chandu the Magician", which featured a magician who learned magic in India. Did he get a chance to get trained by Indian yogis? "It would have taken me little longer than I had to do this film, had I trained with the yogis. We didn't do that, but we practised mindfulness and meditation. It is a superhero film after all. There is no one who can teach you how to be a superhero. It's an acting exercise," Cumberbatch said in reply to a question by IANS in a select media interaction. "I had a great team helping me. So, it was fun. But who knows? Maybe, one day in future some magicians might come and we will have a chat. But I don't profess to having any actual skills as a magician... like acting, it's about making what you watch seem possible, even though it is impossible, and there are ways of doing that," he added. The "Sherlock" star said that he has been practising meditation since he was 19. "Have I done it every day? No. I haven't because of my work or losing sight of how important it is," said the actor, now 40. He said it was important to build his character in the action-adventure. "The whole film is on the premise of the power of the mind -- how the power of mind can change reality. We are talking about a superhero film with magical elements," said Cumberbatch. The Scott Derrickson directorial transitions from one reality to another and into two, three, four dimensional worlds and beyond. And to present that, they have used computer-generated imagery (CGI) in abundance. How was it acting in such a film? He said that not all scenes were only about CGI. "The magical mystery tour and some of the dimensional stuff was, but not Hong Kong... Not all the interiors. There were fantastic sets," he added. Cumberbatch said that even when they used green screen elements, he knew the context and so he never felt completely at a loss. "There is no helmet or a mask. When they designed complex sequences, they had my face featured in the animation and I was there for all of those moments in live action form. I am not spinning webs like Spider-Man and doing the impossible. Some were impossible, but thanks to the wire work, it made things look possible. For the action sequences, he did a lot of training, causing injuries. "I broke my toe. There were arm and neck issues from stunt and wire work. But we were well looked after. I naturally have tight hips and flat feet. So, it was difficult to kick. I tried to build an arch in my feet. I did exercises," he said. Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton, "Doctor Strange" will hit Indian screens on November 4. (Natalia Ningthoujam's trip to Hong Kong was at the invitation of Disney India. She can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in) New Delhi : International migration refers to the movement of people across borders caused by various economic, social and environmental factors as well as forced displacement on account of conflicts, violence and natural disasters. In 2015, there were 244 million international migrants worldwide, representing an increase of about 41 per cent in last 15 years. Further, the world is witnessing record levels of forced displacement, with 65.3 million people been forcibly displaced by conflict and persecution in 2015, out of which 21 million were refugees, 3 million were asylum seekers and over 40 million were internally displaced people (IDP) (International Migration Report, United Nations, 2015). In 2015, out of all the international migrants worldwide, about 43 per cent were of Asian origin, 25 per cent were from Europe, 15 per cent from Latin America and Caribbean and 14 per cent from Africa. Moreover, about two-thirds of the migrant population were residing in just 20 countries, with the US hosting the largest number of international migrants (47 million), followed by Germany and the Russian Federation (12 million each) and Saudi Arabia (10 million). Further, 54 per cent of the refugees globally came from just three countries -- Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria -- and about a quarter of them resided in Turkey, Pakistan and Lebanon (International Migration Report, United Nations, 2015). Recognizing the staggering increase in the migrant population worldwide, including the forcibly displaced people and the potential they carry in economic development, the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes a range of specific targets on migration, one of which is to facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration of people and pledges to "leave no one behind", including refugees, IDPs and host communities. Some of the other migration-related targets set in the 2030 Agenda include increasing the number of scholarships for studying abroad, eradicating human trafficking, respecting the labor rights of migrant workers, especially women and children, reducing transaction costs of remittances and providing legal identity to all migrants. Further, the UN aims to provide its data disaggregated by migratory status of the population, which shall be useful for ensuring its objective of inclusive growth included in the Agenda. Amidst record levels of forced displacement experienced this year and the plight of refugees in the refugee hosting countries and within the country of origin, a high level UN Summit passed on September 19, 2016 the New York Declaration to enhance protection to the millions of migrants and refugees across the globe. The Declaration calls for countries to transcend their national interests and come together to curb large scale suffering on a global scale. It intends to resolve some of the global challenges associated with human mobility such as sexual and gender based violence, practice of detaining children for the purpose of determining their migratory status, and the challenges faced by migrants in vulnerable situation such as unaccompanied children on the move. The Declaration also calls upon the host countries to increase employment opportunities for refugee adults and for children to receive education within a few months of their arrival. Further, it aims to support the growing refugee population through greater relocation opportunities such as labor mobility and education schemes. Above all, it commits to protect the human rights of all refugees and migrants, including the rights of women and girls. With migration, both voluntary and involuntary, now taking the centre stage as one of the defining global challenges faced today, it is important to respond to the rising xenophobia by extending hospitality and solidarity to the millions of asylum seekers and refugees across the globe along with strengthening the governance of migrating population to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. Moreover, the cost of providing development assistance to the millions of migrants and the refugees worldwide should be weighed against the long term development potential of the migrants for the host country and also for the country of their origin. Greater tolerance for migrants by bringing in favorable policy environment along with appropriate development investments in the countries most affected by them can bring about sustainable solutions to development. (Amit Kapoor is Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. Deepti Mathur who contributed to the article, is Research Fellow with Institute for Competitiveness, India. The views expressed are personal. Amit can be reached at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya) Hyderabad, Nov 1 : The killing of 30 Maoists in a series of alleged gun battles with police in the dense forests on the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha border last week has dealt the biggest blow to the extremist movement in the region in recent years. The joint operation by Andhra's elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds and the Special Operations Group of Odisha Police in Malkangiri district of Odisha eliminated top cadres, dealing a huge blow to the efforts by the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) to regain a foothold in its erstwhile stronghold Andhra Pradesh. The Maoist outfit lost many of its leaders, including state committee members B. Venkataramna alias Ganesh and Krishnaiah alias Daya. Many of the top slain leaders were from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The killed Maoists also include Munna (23), son of Ramakrishna or RK, one of the top Maoist leaders and secretary of the state committee of CPI-Maoist. Reeling under the loss of several top leaders over the last decade, the outfit had already retreated from its former strongholds in undivided Andhra Pradesh. In the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, they were more or less confined to the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha Border (AOB) area while in the new state of Telangana, their presence was limited to areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. AOB, with its difficult terrain, was considered the safest zone for Maoists. However, the Greyhounds and Odisha Police not only entered the cut-off area but also dealt a huge blow to the Maoists. By eliminating a large number of cadres, the Greyhounds, which is known for its expertise in fighting Maoists, has avenged the killing of its men in the same region. Maoists had gunned down 38 Greyhounds after surrounding them in Balimela reservoir in 2008. It was the single largest blow to the specially-trained force, raised in 1989. Andhra Pradesh Police officers say the presence of the Maoist top brass in Malkangiri for a meeting indicates they were planning a strategy to regroup in the region. Civil liberties leaders, however, are not ready to buy the police theory that there was an exchange of fire when the Maoists refused to surrender, forcing the police to retaliate. They claim that police surrounded the meeting venue, arrested the Maoists and gunned them down under a covert and planned operation. "The killings in one-sided firing exposed the fascist tendencies of the Chandrababu Naidu-led government in Andhra Pradesh," said civil liberties leader G. Haragopal. The CPI-Maoist has also claimed that a Greyhound commando died after accidentally falling into the water but police used it to cook up the story of an exchange of fire. "If it's really an exchange of fire, why was no Maoist injured," asked Maoist sympathiser and revolutionary writer Varavara Rao, who believes police picked up the Maoists and killed them one by one. Police, however, have rubbished the claims. "These allegations against police are not new. In fact, they have been levelling such allegations for the last several years," said a senior police officer in Andhra Pradesh. The CPI-Maoist, which claims to be fighting against the exploitation of poor and landless farmers, is trying to regain its foothold in north coastal Andhra Pradesh by exploiting the resentment among local tribals against a proposed bauxite mining project and the construction of the Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project that would submerge several tribal villages. Analysts point out that the CPI-Maoist had lost ground in recent years as they were not getting fresh recruits, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Though many of the top leaders of the outfit hail from the two Telugu states, it has not been able to draw new recruits or get new arms. The experts attribute this to people losing faith in the ideology of violence and benefits of the government schemes reaching the masses. The apprehensions in some quarters that the CPI-Maoist will resurface in Telangana also proved unfounded as the outfit had failed to regroup over the last two years. The Maoist group was almost eliminated from former strongholds of north Telangana and Nallamalla forests in present Andhra Pradesh, following a series of successes by the police and Greyhounds in undivided Andhra Pradesh. The CPI-Maoist had emerged as the biggest and most powerful Maoist outfit in India in September 2004 following the merger of then CPI-ML People's War Group (PWG) with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). Following the failure of talks between the Maoists and then Andhra Pradesh government, the state was rocked by a series of violent incidents followed by the killings of Maoists. (Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in) Jammu, Nov 1 : Eight civilians, among them five women, were killed and 14 were injured on Tuesday as Pakistan troopers bombarded several border areas of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy mortar shells, triggering mass migration from dozens of frontier villages near here, officials said. The Border Security Force (BSF) said it effectively retaliated the offensive and destroyed 14 outposts across the border after heavy shelling led to civilian casualties -- the deadliest in a day amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The officials said six civilians were killed in Ramgarh in the frontier district of Samba on the International Border and two others lost their lives in Rajouri on the Line of Control -- the de facto border that divides Jammu and Kashmir between the two arch rivals. A police spokesperson said the dead in the Ramgarh sector included a girl, 16, and two other women. A total of 14 civilians were injured in the Pakistani shelling. "All the injured civilians have been shifted to hospital," the spokesperson said. At least two dozen head of cattle have also perished. A BSF official said Pakistan Rangers indiscriminately targeted civilian areas and defence facilities in Ramgarh since morning. "We have effectively retaliated by launching a counter offensive against Pakistan's indiscriminate targeting of civilian facilities. Fourteen Pakistan outposts have been more or less completely destroyed." Police and civil officials said hundreds of residents were forced to abandon their homes near the border in the Samba district. They used every mode of conveyance, even walked barefoot, to escape from the line of fire. The border residents were also worried about their harvest-ready crops. Authorities have set up temporary accommodations -- in educational institutions, rural development department buildings and community halls -- for hundreds of border residents in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Amid the mass exodus, authorities have closed 174 schools in border areas till further orders. On the LoC in Noushera sector of Rajouri, the Pakistan Army blasted various Indian positions. Many shells landed in villages, killing at least two women, defence sources said. India accuses Pakistan of regularly violating a 2003 ceasefire agreement signed to maintain peace at borders and along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan has been blaming India for provoking the border tension against the backdrop of a diplomatic war over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism. Border skirmishes intensified after Pakistani militants attacked a military base in Jammu and Kashmir's Uri, killing 19 Indian soldiers on September 18. The Uri attack prompted the Indian Army to carry out a surgical strike that destroyed seven terror launch pads and killed an unknown number of terrorists and their sympathisers in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, across the LoC. India shares 230 km of International Border and 740 km of LoC with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. The boundary, manned by the paramilitary BSF runs through Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, and the LoC, which is not an internationally-accepted frontier, cuts across other regions of the state. Guwahati, Nov 1 : The agreement signed in October 2010 between India and Bangladesh for setting up 'Border Haats' expired in 2013, but four such markets continue to operate and six more are likely to come up soon. Indian and Bangladeshi officials say that a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to operate 'Border Haats' would be signed by this year-end or early next year. The 'Border Haats' are aimed at creating a traditional system of marketing local produce through local markets in local currency or on a barter basis, thereby promoting the well-being of the people living in remote areas, along both sides of the border. "Since October 2, 2013, the 'Border Haats' have been operational in good faith, as the three-year period of agreement had expired. The two countries have exchanged the draft of the new MoU," Mohd Waliur Rahman, Director in Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a seminar organised by the Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) in Guwahati. The period of the new MoU has been proposed for five years against three years the last time, while the number of vendors in each 'Border Haat' would be increased to 50 against the existing 25, he added. The value of purchases per person have also been doubled to $200. Trading could be carried out in these weekly markets in both Indian and Bangladeshi currencies. "Setting up of "Border Haats" is one of the measures to further boost India-Bangladesh relations, through people to people contact," Rahman later told IANS. During the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010, it was agreed that such markets should be set up on a pilot basis at selected areas along the Indo-Bangla border to allow trade in specified products in accordance with the regulations agreed upon by the two governments. Accordingly, Bangladesh and India signed an MoU in this regard in October 2010. India and Bangladesh opened their first 'Border Haat' at Kalaichar on the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district in 2011, reviving the traditional border trade after nearly 40 years. Addressing the seminar, Indian Commerce Ministry's Joint Secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla said that the Indian and Bangladesh governments have already agreed to set up 10 more 'Border Haats' and the process has already been initiated to set up six such 'haats' -- four along the Meghalaya border and two along the Tripura border. "Various infrastructural issues relating to 'Border Haats' would be incorporated in the new MoU and it would be signed by the end of this year or early next year," Bhalla said, adding that the 'Border Haats' concept is not a revenue-earning scheme. "This is to further increase relations between the two neighbours at the grassroots level." CUTS International Executive Director Bipul Chatterjee said that after the setting up of the four 'Border Haats', the informal and illegal trade between India and Bangladesh had come down significantly. World Bank's Operations Officer (Regional Integration - South Asia) Mohini Datt said that number of women vendors must be increased in these 'Haats'. "Women's participation in the 'Border Haats' would make the scheme more meaningful and purposeful. In many countries including African nations, the 'Border Haats' scheme has achieved tremendous success," she added. Top officials, policy makers, parliamentarians, experts, representatives of various stakeholders and trading bodies from India, Bangladesh and Bhutan attended the one-day seminar. Four northeastern states of India -- Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km) -- together share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh. (Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in) New Delhi, Nov 1 : The BJP on Tuesday called the Pakistan High Commission here "a den of ISI" after the recent arrest of its staffer in an espionage case, while hitting out at the Congress and other opposition parties for demoralising security forces by raising doubts over the killing of eight SIMI activists, who had escaped from a Bhopal jail, in a gunfight with police. "It is not just a diplomatic centre but it is being used to send (India-related) information to Pakistan. The recent reports have confirmed it. The high commission has become ISI's 'adda' (den)," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Shrikant Sharma at a press conference here. Sharma blamed Congress for communalising the Bhopal jailbreak and gunfight issue in order to earn political mileage. "Congress has always questioned the security forces when it came to killing of terrorists, be it 2008 Mumbai attack or Batla House encounter. On one hand, security personnel are putting their lives in danger (to eliminate terrorists), on other hand, our Italy Congress is busy demoralising them to keep its Muslim vote bank intact. By doing such kind of politics, it is actually insulting Muslims of the country," he alleged. The Madhya Pradesh Police and its Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) gunned down eight Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) undertrials after they broke out of Bhopal jail early on Monday morning. However, Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Left parties raised serious questions pointing at the possibility of a staged gunfight. Sharma questioned the Congress for "supporting terrorists". "We do not understand why the Congress supports the terrorists who are indulging in anti-India activities on behest of Pakistan. They (killed SIMI members) were supporters of Osama Bin Laden and working as sleeper cells. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, Vice President of Italy Congress, why they have sympathy for the terrorists and questions for security personnel," Sharma said, claiming that Congress was mum on the death of head constable Ramshankar Yadav, who was killed by the fugitives while escaping from the jail. Sharma also said that Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh had blamed the RSS for the Mumbai terror attack while its "Home Minister sympathised with terrorist Afzal Guru". He also claimed that Congress cannot compete with BJP on issues of development, "hence it has taken to communal politics, adding it was "nearing its end by indulging into such kind of politics". Chennai, Nov 1 : Director Chandoo Mondeti feels the success of Telugu coming-of-age romantic drama "Premam", an eponymous remake of a Malayalam blockbuster, has earned him the confidence of the industry and everybody associated with it. "The success of 'Premam' has earned me the confidence of the industry. It has increased the confidence of others, especially my producer, distributors and my team in me. I can now happily work on my next project," Mondeti told IANS. Naga Chaitanya-starrer "Premam", which has completed 25 days in cinemas, has been adjudged a super hit. The film tracks three stages of romance in its protagonist's life. It also stars Anupama Parameswaran, Madonna Sebastian and Shruti Haasan. Asked about his next project, Mondeti confirmed that he is in talks with actor Ravi Teja. "We have so far initiated talks. If everything materialises, we might team up," he said. New Delhi, Nov 1 : The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a show-cause notice to controversial preacher Zakir Naik's NGO Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), official sources said on Tuesday. The ministry, by doing so on Monday, has initiated the process for the cancellation of IRF's Foreign Contribution Regulations Act registration, they said. According to a ministry note, Naik allegedly made many provocative speeches and engaged in terror propaganda in the past. The Islamic orator is banned in many countries, including the UK and Canada, for his speeches allegedly aimed against other religions. New Delhi, Nov 1 : A meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision-making body, would be held on November 7, and expected to discuss organisational elections amid suggestions that party Vice President Rahul Gandhi should be elevated as party chief. "The CWC meeting will be held on November 7. It will discuss current national issues," a party leader said. The meeting has been called a week before the start of winter session of parliament and the party's strategy for this is expected to be chalked out too. There have been repeated suggestions that Rahul Gandhi should take over reins of the party from his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party leaders said that CWC may take a call on the issue. "This is the right time for him to take over as party chief. It will also bring about single-point decision making," said a party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Congress leader Ambika Soni had recently said that Rahul Gandhi will soon become the party president. There also has been a view in the party that Sonia Gandhi should continue at the helm as the party was facing major electoral challenges. Sonia Gandhi became party chief in 1998 and is the longest-serving president of the party. She was re-elected party chief in 2010 for a five year term. With her term ending last year, the party had written to the Election Commission seeking time to hold organisational elections by the end of this year. "The party is expected to seek another year to hold organisational polls," said another party leader. The CWC meeting is also expected to discuss party's preparations for the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. Tongchuan market closes up shop for the last time From:Shanghai Daily | 2016-11-01 02:47 THE citys largest seafood market, Tongchuan Road Aquatic Product Market, in Putuo District shut down at midnight last night, to be demolished to make way for Metro Line 14 and to improve the urban landscape, the district government said. Over the past two decades, Tongchuan was considered the best wholesale and retail fresh seafood market with the widest choice and lowest prices, not just in Shanghai but also among other cities in the lower Yangtze area. But local residents have long complained of the markets stench and noise. Although the market was still operating yesterday, most stands had closed and many vendors were packing equipment and shipping seafood off to new markets in the city. This is the biggest seafood market in east China and some varieties, particularly those very expensive ones, can only be found here, 57-year-old merchant Le Yulin told Shanghai Daily. Most of my customers are from local restaurants, but the night market is for wholesalers and is even busier. More non-local restaurant operators would drive all the way here to buy seafood in one shopping. The market opens 24-hour a day. Le worked from 7 am to 7 pm during the day market, and the stands night shift was contracted by another merchant. Le, from eastern Anhui Province, has been selling fish in the market for about 13 years with his wife. Instead of moving to other markets like most merchants here, he decided to return to his hometown and help to take care of his grandchildren. We are getting old and our knees are getting worse. Starting the business again in a new market is not easy, he said, worried about traffic congestion and small crowds at other venues. Le was glad to take a break after years of hard work, but he also misses the old days in the market. It took me three to five years to establish my reputation here, he says. Nobody knows a newcomer in the market. They dont know if you are honest or if your fish are good. You have to earn the clients gradually with the service and products. If the new market develops well, maybe well come back. According to Putuo District government, the market has more than 2,400 stands, with more than 1,350 registered operators employs about 25,000 people and turns over 200,000 tons a year. The government is working with four major seafood markets in the city to relocate the Tongchuan merchants. City authorities say the rise of other professional seafood markets has now reached nearly 70 percent of the total market. Rhonda Brewer, Chief of Sales & Operations Officer for RMC Brewers experience with both Maritz and Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), two of our industrys premier organizations, will be an immediate asset to our leadership team. In conjunction with continued growth and expanding expertise in the Destination Management Industry, RMC is pleased to announce Rhonda Brewer as the new Chief of Sales and Operations Officer (CSOO). Brewer comes to RMC with 30 years of executive leadership experience in the travel and hospitality industry. We could not be more excited to have Rhonda Brewer as our new CSOO, said Nathan Boyd, RMCs President. Brewer will oversee destination sales and operations, business development, creative development, and training. Brewers experience with both Maritz Travel and Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE), two of our industrys premier organizations, will be an immediate asset to our leadership team. Before joining RMC, Brewer was a Vice President of Sales at Maritz Travel A Maritz Global Events Company. In 2015, Brewer served as the President at SITE. By signing Brewer, an elite professional with proven executive leadership experience, RMCNorth Americas Largest Privately Owned Destination Management Companycontinues to establish itself as an international leader for extraordinary events and spectacular experiences. I look forward to growing my career with RMC, said Rhonda Brewer, when asked about her new role. RMC is a great organization. Its still privately owned, and genuine partnerships are their highest priority. Its been an honor to have had an exceptional career at Maritz Travel and serve as the President of SITE. At RMC, Im excited to expand my leadership expertise. As CSOO of RMC, leadership will be Brewers highest priority. She will work side by side with Shawn Thomson-Palermo, RMCs CEO, and Nathan Boyd, RMCs President. Destination Management is an expanding and evolving industry. With Brewer as its CSOO, RMC will continue to elevate the destination management industry. RMC promises new opportunities and business partnerships, Brewer said. Im excited to work closer to each destination. Over the years, Ive gotten to know Shawn Thomson-Palermo and Nathan Boyd. I have great respect for the tremendous work that they done over the last twenty-seven years. I cant wait to meet the entire RMC team. RMC: Resorts Mountains Cities was founded in 1989. From its first location in Aspen, Colorado, RMC has expanded to 15 renowned destinations across North America and Mexico. Through a robust network of destination offices and preferred resort partners, RMC curates one of a kind experiences and events for its principal clients. For more information, contact: Nathan Boyd PsychologyDegree411 Releases Top Online Psychology Programs PsychologyDegree411's rankings are designed to help prospective students learn about online degree options and quickly find and compare programs based on markers of quality as well as value. PsychologyDegree411.com, a leading career and education website focused on the field of psychology, has released its ranking of the 2016 Top Schools with Undergraduate Online Psychology Degree Programs. To be considered for inclusion, schools were screened for having an online undergraduate psychology program, not-for-profit status, and regional accreditation from one of the six regional accreditation agencies in the U.S. recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The rankings were based on a broad set of data points measuring academic quality and the overall student experience. The ranking uses a unique methodology that takes into account multiple factors, including the average tuition cost per online credit hour, the percentage of students enrolled only in distance education courses, the overall graduation rate of enrolled students, and school rankings according to U.S. News & World Report in the regional, national, and online categories. Graduate program accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the percentage of tenured faculty at each school were also factors included in the ranking methodology. In addition, the online degrees from the regionally accredited schools on this list are the same degrees granted to traditional, on-campus students. As technology advances and more students and schools embrace distance education, the number of online degree programs in psychology available in the U.S. has increased at a rapid pace, said Rob Voce, founder of PsychologyDegree411.com. We designed and released our rankings to help prospective students learn about online degree options and quickly find and compare programs based on markers of quality as well as value. In total, 29 schools with online psychology programs met the screening criteria and ranked on this years list. As well as providing schools results on ranking factors, the 2016 Top Schools with Online Psychology Degree Programs ranking includes in-depth information on schools admissions statistics and requirements; tuition comparisons for in-state, out-of-state, and online students; and the services and support available to online students. Users can also view: -In-depth profiles of select online undergraduate psychology degree programs -Online faculty experience, including the percentage of faculty with terminal degrees -Foundational psychology courses for profiled programs -Financial aid statistics for undergraduates The top schools on this years list are: 1. University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (Gainesville, FL) 2. Oregon State University School of Psychological Science (Corvallis, OR) 3. Fort Hays State University College of Arts and Sciences (Hays, KS) 4. Northeastern University College of Professional Studies (Boston, MA) 5. Pennsylvania State University World Campus and Penn State College of the Liberal Arts (State College, PA) 6. Colorado State University Division of Continuing Education (Fort Collins, CO) 7. University of Central Florida College of Sciences (Orlando, FL) 8. Eastern Oregon University Psychology Department (La Grande, OR) 9. Arizona State University New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (Tempe, AZ) 10. Washington State University College of Arts and Sciences (Pullman, WA) 11. University of Massachusetts - Lowell Division of Online and Continuing Education (Lowell, MA) 12. Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon Tech Online (Klamath Falls, OR) 13. University of North Dakota College of Arts and Sciences (Grand Forks, ND) 14. Old Dominion University College of Sciences (Norfolk, VA) 15. Southern New Hampshire University School of Arts and Sciences (Hooksett, NH) 16. Eastern Kentucky University College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (Richmond, KY) 17. Fayetteville State University College of Arts and Sciences (Fayetteville, NC) 18. University of Maine - Presque Isle College of Arts and Sciences (Presque Isle, ME) 19. McKendree University College of Arts and Sciences (Lebanon, IL) 20. University of Minnesota - Duluth College of Education and Human Service Professions (Duluth, MN) 21. University of Memphis College of Arts and Sciences (Memphis, TN) 22. University of Houston College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (Houston, TX) 23. Brescia University Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Owensboro, KY) 24. DePaul University College of Science and Health (Chicago, IL) 25. Wilmington University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (New Castle, DE) 26. Central Washington University College of the Sciences (Ellensburg, WA) 27. University of Maryland University College Undergraduate School (College Park, MD) 28. Notre Dame College Division of Science and Mathematics (South Euclid, OH) 29. Indiana University East School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Richmond, IN) *See the full rankings and program details here: http://www.psychologydegree411.com/degrees/online/ Media Contact: Laura McPherson Project 8 Labs info(at)psychologydegree411(dot)com (206) 569-8343 About PsychologyDegree411.com: PsychologyDegree411.com is an informative resource on beginning or advancing a career in the field of psychology. PsychologyDegree411 provides information about education options in psychology from the associates to the doctoral level, including tools to help research online, campus, and hybrid school options, as well as career resources associated with each degree level. The Sleep Shepherd Blue Sleep Shepherd is a brand that represents the Quantum name, putting focus not only on changing the face of technology but changing people's lives. According to the National Sleep Foundation, even though Americans sleep close to 8 hours a night, 35 percent report their sleep quality to be poor. The Sleep Shepherd Blue was created to help solve this problem plaguing millions of people. It is an innovative way to help people get a good night's rest while tracking sleep patterns and activity. It uses small speakers to play soft, binaural tones to gently lull users to sleep while monitoring EEG brainwaves and head orientation to collect and report data about the user's sleep schedule and habits. After raising $675,184 on Kickstarter and $864,084 on Indiegogo from 4,026 backers, it's easy to see that the world has been waiting for something like this. According to Joe Griebel, Sleep Shepherds Principle Design Engineer, We are excited about this newfound partnership with Quantum Networks. The company is a world leading expert on omnichannel marketplaces and understands the proper way to showcase a brand. By partnering with Quantum, we are able to put our innovative product in front of a wider range of potential customers that could benefit from our technology. The product is available via the Amazon.com product page as well as Quantum Networks lifestyle site, Blucoil.com. Sleep Shepherd is a brand that represents the Quantum name, putting focus not only on changing the face of technology but changing peoples lives, says Quantum Networks President Jonathan Goldman. Facilitator of the deal, Pinny Raitman, says, The Sleep Shepherd Blue is what you get when superb innovation and intelligent technology intersect. This product is a REAL solution for a REAL problem. About Quantum Networks, LLC: Quantum Networks LLC, an Inc. 500 list member, is a New York City-based e-Commerce company. The company sells innovative products through the worlds largest online marketplaces and its flagship website, blucoil.com. Navigating the nuances of online marketplaces is a complex process for brands. As experts in the field, for every brand it partners with, Quantum Networks effectively and efficiently executes the customized go-to-market strategy and with the brands individual message in mind. Quantum Networks works closely with brands being funded through Kickstarter and Indiegogo, accelerating their launch and growth across various marketplaces. About Sleep Shepherd, LLC: Sleep Shepherd, LLC is a startup product design company located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The company was originally started by Mechanical Engineering professor, Dr. Michael Larson, after watching his daughter struggle with sleep difficulties. The company has since expanded and, over the years, has developed numerous technologies in the field of sleep monitoring. These technologies have allowed Sleep Shepherd to bring to market the most advanced, at-home sleep monitoring device available. The Sleep Shepherds patent-pending biofeedback system does more than just track your sleep, it works within the natural processes of your brain to help optimize your sleep cycle and train your brain to sleep more efficiently. If racism remains a spear pointed at the heart of America, use of force by police is surely the tip. Past News Releases RSS Howard Rahtz Releases New Book,... Nearly 160 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, the rift between white and black remains a significant feature of American life. Howard Rahtzs new book, Race, Riots and The Police (Lynne Rienner 2016), provides a review of the history of race riots in America from the Red Summer of 1919 to the riots in Ferguson and Baltimore in 2014-2015. The book details not only the role of the police in riots over the years, but provides a clear set of steps focusing on reform to close the gap between police and the African-American community. A unique combination of experience and expertise positions Howard Rahtz as one of the most credible voices on police reform. A Cincinnati Police Captain (RET), Rahtz was an early practitioner of Community Policing, instructing at the Regional Community Policing Institute and authoring a guidebook for police officers interested in community policing. A use of force expert, Rahtz was heavily involved in changing use of force policy and training under the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement. That agreement has been credited with improved police-community relations in Cincinnati, leading Attorney General Loretta Lynch to describe the CPD as a national model for police reform. Rahtz served as editor of the Use of Force Journal published by the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA). His second book, Understanding Police Use of Force, provides a balanced and insightful overview of the use of force in American policing. In Race, Riots, and the Police, Rahtz draws on his extensive first-hand experience to address this issue. Against the backdrop of the history of race riots in the United States, he offers a realistic approach for developing and maintaining a police force that is a true community partner. An excellent book! It covers fresh ground and offers hope of not endlessly repeating the painful mistakes of the past. Richard Biehl, Chief of Police, Dayton, Ohio Race, Riots, and the Police shows how our tough-on-crime strategies have perpetuated structural racism in our criminal justice system and also changed the nature of law enforcement away from guarding our communities. But Rahtz does not just point out what has gone wrong; he provides a compelling vision of what policing can look like if law enforcement leaders have the political will and the courage to change. Diane Goldstein, Executive Board, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) This is an important book ... controversial, but refreshing; creative, yet practical. It affirms the critical role of police in our society, but it is also a call for change. I could not be more enthusiastic in my praise of this compelling work. Gerald S. Reid, University of Cincinnati "Rahtz, a seasoned police veteran, current officer trainer, and national speaker on police reform, goes beyond a textbook history and draws on current studies and situations to offer solutions. Given the timeliness of this publication, it is wholeheartedly recommended for public library collections. In addition to educating students, police officers, trainees, and government officials, it can also serve as a baseline and valuable tool for citizens interested in learning through his experience, research, and statistics as we see ongoing issues in our communities." Joyce McIntosh, The Book List Howard Rahtz served for nearly two decades with the Cincinnati Police Department, retiring in 2007 as Commander of the Vice Control Unit. He currently teaches at police academies in the area and speaks nationally on police reform. In 2012, his third book, Drugs, Crime and Violence: From Trafficking to Treatment (Hamilton), was favorably reviewed, and like Race, Riots and Police, published just as the topic was making national headlines. He is also the author of Community Policing: A Handbook and Understanding Police Use of Force, which are used by police academies and law enforcement departments across the country. Lynne Rienner Publishers, celebrating 32 years of independent publishing, is known for bringing high quality, cutting-edge books in politics and the social sciences to the general market. SPACE RACE The SPACE RACE challenge is a timely and promising response to the recent Presidential Memorandum, which addresses the need to focus on establishing policies concerning climate change. Fifteen (15) winners and finalists of the SPACE RACE startup challenge were announced today by the Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI). The SPACE RACE is a first-of-its-kind global initiative, which was formed in partnership with NASA to encourage the use of federally funded technologies by startup companies. Startups launched from the SPACE RACE will move on to Phase 3 of the challenge, where they will be tasked with incorporation and licensing NASA technologies. Startups will receive continued guidance from CAI and available support from NASA technical personnel. The SPACE RACE, orchestrated by CAI and sponsored by the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation, features eleven risk-mitigated inventions, conceived and developed by seven NASA field centers. NASA collaborated with CAI, a 501(c)3 non-profit, to run a multi-phase business plan competition to launch startups and to encourage the adoption of NASA technologies. Leveraging NASAs portfolio of technologies, CAI identified technologies within the industries of robotics, aeronautics, and energy that have near-term commercialization potential. The SPACE RACE crowdsourced driven industry and university entrepreneurs to create business models around these inventions and explore their market potential. All teams accepted were placed under a rigorous accelerator training and mentorship program for the duration of the challenge. The SPACE RACE was overseen by Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer Program Executive at NASA, and by Rosemarie Truman, Founder of CAI. "The SPACE RACE Startup Challenge has provided NASA with the unique opportunity to engage with bright minds and entrepreneurs from around the country and assist them in forming new companies to commercialize NASA technology. Were very excited to continue our relationships with these high-energy startups and help guide them through the finish line of successful commercialization," said David Makufka, Manager, Technology Transfer & Partnerships at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Rosemarie Truman, CAI Founder, added, The SPACE RACE challenge is a timely and promising response to the recent Presidential Memorandum, which addresses the need to focus on establishing policies concerning climate change. We are enthusiastic about the impact these winning teams, focusing on renewable energy and other innovative technologies, will make as a result of this challenge. The winning entrepreneurs were selected based on 10-page business plans, financial models, and 20-minute live pitches to a panel of expert judges. Each winning team in the competition will be awarded a $2500 cash prize and will be guided through incorporation and NASA licensing with support from CAI. Winning teams will also move on to the third and final phase of the challenge, in which they will compete for up to $1.2 million in seed funding for their new companies. The winning teams and their chosen NASA inventions are: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - DMO Minus Tau Invention #1: KSC-TOPS-6 A Device for Wire Fault Detection and Rerouting Winner University of Texas at El Paso - CDS Sun City SmartWire Invention #1: KSC-TOPS-6 A Device for Wire Fault Detection and Rerouting Winner Carnegie Mellon University - BGS Tellus Acoustics Invention #2: LEW-TOPS-61 Lightweight Acoustic Liner to Reduce Noise in Aircraft Engines Winner University of Guelph - GDP Stratodynamics Invention #4: LAR-TOPS-33 Lightweight UAV Sensing and Control System Winner Northern Illinois University - CS Maverick Drones Invention #4: LAR-TOPS-33 Lightweight UAV Sensing and Control System Finalist Johns Hopkins University - CEW Genetoo Invention #5: LAR-TOPS-97 / LAR-TOPS-183 Surface Particle Contamination Mitigation Methods Winner University of Texas at El Paso - OKB Native Coatings Invention #6: KSC-TOPS-24 / KSC-TOPS-25 Liquid Coating for Corrosion Prevention in Rebar Winner University of Rochester - APR RA Tech Invention #7: MFS-TOPS-33 Electrochemically Enhanced Mechanical Polishing (EEMP) Winner Universidad Tecnologico de Ciudad Juarez - AOCCH EDroneS Invention #8: GSC-TOPS-34 High-resolution, real-time three-dimensional imaging Winner Massachusetts Institute of Technology - CEL ElectroKite Invention #9: LAR-TOPS-40 Kite-like Wind Power Generation Control System Winner University of Texas at El Paso Windfinity Invention #9: LAR-TOPS-40 Kite-like Wind Power Generation Control System Finalist University of Guelph - GDP Stratodynamics Invention #9: LAR-TOPS-40 Kite-like Wind Power Generation Control System Finalist New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology - PC Free Electron Designs Invention #10: GRC-QL-0016 High-Power Density Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Fabrication Process Winner University of California at Los Angeles - KL Joule Invention #11: TOP2-231 Compliant Electrode and Composite Materials for Piezoelectric Wind and Mechanical Energy Conversions Winner The University of Chicago Booth School of Business - RPF Jakuta Invention #11: TOP2-231 Compliant Electrode and Composite Materials for Piezoelectric Wind and Mechanical Energy Conversions Finalist The SPACE RACE opened for entry in January 2016 and crowdsourced more than 300 aspiring entrepreneurs. During the challenge, 37 teams, representing over 60 universities from the United States and abroad, were placed into CAIs rigorous accelerator training, where they were provided education, advice, and mentorship by leading experts from aerospace, law, business, advanced manufacturing, venture capital, universities, foundations, and government. It was a pleasure to help startups in the robotics and aerospace industry find the best way of commercializing NASA's intellectual properties. It was great to witness innovative entrepreneurs from around the world who have built companies around NASA's inventions, which will improve our lives in the future," said Vit Goncharuk, CEO and Founder of Augmented Pixels. A partial list of challenge advisors, mentors, and judges can be viewed at http://www.space-race.org/supporters. This virtual accelerator program was offered free of charge to SPACE RACE participants and included more than 40 training sessions. CAI will continue to guide new companies, spun out of the SPACE RACE, beyond the competition to ensure their success. For more information on the challenge and our winners, please visit http://www.space-race.org/. ABOUT CAI: The Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) is a global public-private partnership non-profit focused on creating a virtuous circle of innovation and driving growth breakthroughs through novel, creative paradigms and models. CAI's mission is to accelerate and increase the volume of technology transfer, translational research, commercialization, and entrepreneurship in various fields of research, including biomedical research, to make more research available to the world for educational and innovation purposes, improve the economy, and positively impact world health. Through its NIH-sponsored Breast Cancer Startup Challenge, Neuro Startup Challenge, and Nanotechnology Startup Challenge in Cancer competitions, CAI has launched 43 startups and trained more than 2000 entrepreneurs. For additional information about CAI, please visit http://www.thecenterforadvancinginnovation.org. "When you buy an American Crane Norheim Hoist, you buy it with confidence that it will be on the job for many years to come. - Oddvar Norheim, President and CEO of American Crane & Equipment Corporation In 1960, a young engineer left his home in the town of Lygra, Norway, to begin a journey that would ultimately lead him to the United States in search of the American Dream. This new engineer brought along with him a quest for knowledge and an entrepreneurial spirit. Now, as American Crane & Equipment Corporations President and CEO, Oddvar Norheim channels his passion for innovation and excellence into each and every product that American Crane creates. Through Norheims qualities of persistence and hard work, his company has become a leader for overhead lifting solutions. American Crane & Equipment Corporations newest product line, the Norheim Hoist Line, has evolved from years of engineering, culminating a high quality, easily configurable design that utilizes readily available commercial components. The Norheim Hoist can be adapted to meet customer requirements. The hoist has unmatched reliability, ruggedness and cost effective operations. The robust design of the Norheim Hoist makes it useful for a wide variety of applications and industries. The Norheim Hoist is available with capacities ranging up to 160 tons. Engineered for safety, reliability and flexibility, the Norheim Hoist can be utilized for foot mounted, monorail, or double rail applications. Designed for Optimal Productivity: The standard control configuration for the Norheim Hoist is an inverter drive, in conjunction with a compatible motor. The hoists inverter offers optimum utilization of the motors output and allows very precise positioning of the load. For increased productivity, the hoist includes features that allow the lifting speed to increase for loads that weigh up to 30% of the rated load capacity. Two speed hoists and trolley controls are also available up to 20 horsepower, utilizing standard magnetic contactor controls. Backed by Industry Experience: American Crane & Equipment Corporation has been a manufacturer of overhead electric cranes and hoists for over 45 years, and is recognized as a lead in providing quality equipment. American Cranes driving factor for developing the Norheim Hoist was the understanding of what it means to meet their customers needs. The hoist is a result of extensive industry expertise providing customers with the best quality that is backed by technical know-how. The Norheim Hoist Line meets the requirements for: Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA) Spec # 70 Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI) Class H-4 Hoists Duty Class Ratings in accordance with CMAA: CMAA Class D Duty up to 60 Ton Capacity CMAA Class A & B from 70 to 160 Ton Capacity For CMAA Class E & F and Custom Designs, Consult Factory American Crane & Equipment Corporation is a privately held U.S. company and a leader in overhead lifting equipment. For over four decades, the company has been manufacturing high quality specialty lifting equipment for unique applications. To learn more about American Cranes Norheim Hoist Line as well as other equipment, services and distributed products please download the Norheim Hoist Equipment Guide at http://info.americancrane.com/norheim-hoist, visit us at http://www.AmericanCrane.com or call 1-877-877-6778, Ext. 224. Dubai implementing visa-on-arrival policy for Chinese From:Shanghai Daily | 2016-11-01 02:47 DUBAI will implement a visa-on-arrival policy towards Chinese passport holders very soon and a Chinese training program has also been launched to attract more Chinese tourists, tourism officials from Dubai said over the weekend in Shanghai. The process on easier visa policy for Chinese is underway and details are scheduled to be announced within this year, according to Hamad M Bin Mejren, senior vice president of Dubai Events and Convention Bureau. "We expect big growth of Chinese tourists coming to Dubai with the launch of the visa-on-arrival policy," he said. In addition, Dubai is also conducting a Chinese training program among local tour guides to better serve Chinese tourists, and the training courses will be expanded to the whole tourism industry in the city, said Mejren. Dubai tourism authorities have also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China UnionPay, enabling Chinese tourists to purchase via UnionPay when booking tickets to scenic spots and events in Dubai online. Last year, about 450,000 Chinese tourists visited Dubai, an increase of 29 percent from a year earlier, ranking China in the top 10 source markets of Dubai for the first time. In the first eight months of this year, there was also a 13 percent increase of Chinese tourists to Dubai from the same period last year. Mejren said Dubai has kept offering new items with the opening of IMG Worlds of Adventure, the world's largest indoor theme park, recently. His visit is during the Dubai Week in China, which opened on Thursday in Shanghai. EY today announced that the President and CEO Adrian Schauer of AlayaCare, the first outcome focused home healthcare software, received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 Award in the Emerging Entrepreneur category in Quebec. This award recognizes outstanding Quebec entrepreneurs for their financial performance, vision, leadership, personal integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. Receiving the EY award for Emerging Entrepreneur in Quebec is truly an honour and a very exciting milestone for AlayaCare, said Schauer. This recognition reflects the efforts of our entire team and I couldnt be more proud of our accomplishments to date. AlayaCare has produced home healthcares most advanced software platform, which enables home care providers to deliver better patient outcomes. AlayaCares technology streamlines home care delivery, digitizes clinical documentation and uses advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence and wearable technologies, to predict clinical events such as falls and hospital re-admissions. Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and discipline have propelled their companies success, invigorated their industries, and benefited their communities. The Quebec program of EOY has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as Guy Laliberte of Cirque du Soleil, Mark Cohen of Lasik MD, and John Sampalis JSS Medical Research Inc. As a Quebec award winner, Schauer is now eligible for consideration in the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 national program. Award winners in several national categories will be announced at the Entrepreneur of the Year National Awards gala in Toronto, Ontario on November 22, 2016. About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the worlds most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. The unique award makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global award of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. About AlayaCare AlayaCare is a provider of revolutionary cloud-based home healthcare software. With a product spanning clinical documentation, back office functionality, client and family portals, remote patient monitoring, and mobile care worker functionality, AlayaCare offers a platform for agencies to propel towards innovation and home care of the future. For more information, visit: http://www.alayacare.com Jatropha Fruit for Bioject Fuel Jatropha BioJet Project is Slated to Fuel a Regional Economic Harvest in Mexico The oil and gas industry remains soft and few are investing in it; however, biodiesel and biojet fuels are hot markets. Petrixo is planning to build an $800 million Honeywell UOP process facility to produce 1 million tons of biojet fuel in UAE. http://www.biodieselmagazine.com/articles/128947/petrixo-to-build-biojet-fuel-refinery-in-uae-using-uop-technology Monarca is planning a Honeywell UOP facility in the Yucatan of Mexico to produce 30,000 gallons of biojetfuel annually for Mexicos Federal ASA aviation services, and is including a 33,000 hectare Jatropha plantation on site to produce their own low-cost seed oil feed stock for the refinery. We have taken a new approach to biojet fuels and had to control the cost and long term supply of seed oil feed stock for the Honeywell refinery we will use. I interviewed agriculture companies from around the world and contracted Michael Chaplinsky, the president of Turf Feeding Systems a Houston company, to lead the agriculture project to grow our own seed oil. He is an expert in irrigation as well as new high yield agriculture and soil health, states Jack Katz the CEO of Monarca, a Mexico City company. Katz continues, Michael Chaplinsky sold me on his passion and ability to increase crop production while reducing costs, which no one else talked about in agriculture. Michael Chaplinsky states, We brought together a worldwide team of scientists, agronomists, geneticist and engineers to create the most efficient agriculture project in Mexico. My expertise is irrigation, fertigation and soil health, and my key team leader and counterpart is Paul van Jaarsveld a leading agronomist, grower and consultant from South Africa. Van Jaarsveld brings many new agriculture designs and crop management practices to the project and has years of experience designing and creating mega agriculture projects in rural Africa. The plantation will be an ongoing research facility always developing new seed oil crops, new agronomic practices and integrating greenhouse and field evaluations with satellite infrared crop scanning. This will create one of the most precision agriculture practices for mega projects on the planet, states Van Jaarsveld. Van Jaarsveld continues, The project will focused on high yield seed oil production, and it will produce by-products for livestock feed and food production, which will be secondary incomes. This a perfect project for Mexico with a sustainable balance between the production of green jet fuel and food production for humans and livestock. Katz continues, "The Yucatan is a very special area in Mexico, with land, water, labor and a rural economy ready to grow and change. The planned to launch, the first of the year, will create a completely new economy in rural Yucatan and will drive millions of dollars into the rural Yucatan economy that needs jobs and a new industry. We will integrate elementary and trade schools as well as a medical clinic into the project complex as a community. We plan to raise the livelihood and the GDP of rural Yucatan and change their future. Bio: Mr. Jack Katz is the CEO of Zphere Works, S. de R.L. de C.V headquartered in Mexico City. Mr. Katz has been in the waste to energy business for over 10 years. His background has been focused on integrating government agencies with solutions in waste and environmental issues. He has brought together teams of designs and implementers to structure and install systems that address municipal waste and water quality. Mr. Katz has just launched a municipal waste to energy project for Cancun. Michael Chaplinsky is the President of Turf Feeding Systems a world leading company in fertigation, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Mr. Chaplinsky has developed new technologies integrating fertigation, new irrigation technologies and special soil treatments to reduce irrigation water up to 50%, reduce fertilizer and chemicals 60% while increasing crop production as much as 50%. Mr. Chaplinsky works and speaks at many agriculture conferences worldwide. He is a world expert in Soil Restoration, Water Efficiency and Sodium Issues in water and soil. He developed a new sustainable agriculture program that restores poor soil and produces higher crop production, while reducing water, fertilizer and chemicals. He states, The world population has passed 7 billion and will pass 9 billion by 2050; however tillable productive farmland in the world is diminishing. My mission is to restore damaged farmland not bulldoze native forests to increase farmland." Paul van Jaarsveld, CEO Agri-Projects - As a graduate with hands-on field experience, Paul spent 15 years with International Corporate Management in Boston Mass specializing in international new business development and consulting to the fuel from coal, fossil and nuclear power generating and food manufacturing sectors. Paul was born and raised within agriculture. He started the manufacturing and trading forerunners of what is today EGOT Agri-ProjectsTM in 1991 as owner. His continued keen interest and passion is in Innovative Mega Agro Designs to integrate new Agriculture Technology and Techniques into multiple income streams for farms with nature to meet the challenge of Food Security and now Bio-Fuel Security. Colleges with the Best Mechanic Degree Programs in the nation have been ranked for 2016-2017 by the Community for Accredited Online Schools (AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org). As a leading higher education information and resource provider, the site analyzed data from thousands of colleges across the U.S. to determine the list of top 50 two-year schools and top 50 four-year schools. Highest marks came in for Idaho State University, Montana State University Northern, South Seattle College, Lake Washington Institute of Technology and Midland College among four-year schools; Western Wyoming Community College, Texas State Technical College Waco, Sinclair College, Hinds Community College and Augusta Technical College among two-year schools. The field of automotive service is growing on pace with the national average, said Doug Jones, CEO and Founder of the Community for Accredited Online Schools. Schools on this list are offering excellent education programs for up-and-coming service technicians and mechanics, and are also committed to connecting students with job opportunities after graduation. Colleges must meet several specific requirements to qualify for the Community for Accredited Online Schools Best Mechanic Programs list. Each must carry regional accreditation and hold public or private not-for-profit status. Schools are also required to provide career placement or assistance to give students a head start after graduation. More than a dozen additional statistics and data points are compared for each qualifying institution to determine rank on the list, including financial aid offerings, student-teacher ratios and graduation rates. A complete list of schools honored for having the Best Mechanic Programs is included below. For details on the data and methodology used, as well as a complete list of rankings visit: http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/vocational-trade-school/mechanic/ The Best Mechanic Programs at two-year schools for 2016-2017: Arkansas State University - Beebe Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Ashland Community and Technical College Athens Technical College Atlanta Technical College Augusta Technical College Beaufort County Community College Blue Ridge Community College Bluegrass Community and Technical College Cape Fear Community College Casper College Central Community College Central Georgia Technical College Central Piedmont Community College Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Columbus State Community College Dodge City Community College East Mississippi Community College Eastern New Mexico University - Roswell Campus Fox Valley Technical College Gadsden State Community College Gateway Community and Technical College Guilford Technical Community College H. Councill Trenholm State Technical College Hinds Community College JF Drake State Community and Technical College Jefferson Community and Technical College Kirtland Community College Lawson State Community College - Birmingham Maysville Community and Technical College Metropolitan Community College North Dakota State College of Science North Georgia Technical College Northshore Technical Community College Northwest Louisiana Technical College Owensboro Community and Technical College Rend Lake College San Juan College Sinclair College Somerset Community College South Georgia Technical College Spokane Community College Texas State Technical College - Waco Wake Technical Community College Washington County Community College Wayne Community College West Kentucky Community and Technical College Western Nebraska Community College Western Wyoming Community College Wilkes Community College The Best Mechanic Programs at four-year schools for 2016-2017: Arkansas Tech University Baker College of Auburn Hills Baker College of Flint Baker College of Port Huron Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Bismarck State College Brigham Young University - Idaho Broward College College of Southern Nevada Daytona State College Dixie State University Farmingdale State College Ferris State University Florida State College at Jacksonville Idaho State University Indian River State College Jackson College Lake Washington Institute of Technology Lewis-Clark State College Midland College Montana State University-Billings Montana State University-Northern Morrisville State College New England Institute of Technology Northern Michigan University Palm Beach State College Peninsula College Pennsylvania College of Technology Pittsburg State University Ranken Technical College Santa Fe College Seattle Community College - South Campus Seminole State College of Florida Siena Heights University Snow College SUNY College of Technology at Alfred SUNY College of Technology at Canton University of Alaska Anchorage University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Alaska Southeast University of Arkansas at Monticello University of Arkansas - Fort Smith University of Central Missouri University of Hawaii Maui College University of Northwestern Ohio Utah Valley University Vermont Technical College Vincennes University Washburn University Weber State University ### About Us: The Community for Accredited Online Schools (AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org) was founded in 2011 to provide students and parents with quality data and information about pursuing an affordable education that has been certified by an accrediting agency. Our community resource materials and tools span topics such as college accreditation, financial aid, opportunities available to veterans, people with disabilities, as well as online learning resources. We feature higher education institutions that have developed online learning programs that include highly trained faculty, new technology and resources, and online support services to help students achieve educational success. environments that include highly trained faculty, new technology and resources, and online support services to help students achieve educational and career success. Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companiesthe Inc. 5000 I congratulate and thank the Shield Watch U.S. and India teams for their exceptional contributions to this company. We are proud of our achievements in such short order and this award sets the benchmark even higher for the coming years. Inc. magazine has ranked Shield Watch No. 4582 on its 35th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economys most dynamic segment its independent small businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Dominos Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000. I congratulate and thank the Shield Watch U.S. and India teams for their exceptional contributions to this company. We are proud of our achievements in such short order and this award sets the benchmark even higher for the coming years, said Shield Watch CEO Pratik Roychoudhury. The 2016 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 23) is the most competitive crop in the lists history. The average company on the list achieved a mind-boggling three-year growth of 433%. The Inc. 5000s aggregate revenue is $200 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 640,000 jobs over the past three years or about 8% of all jobs created in the entire economy during that period. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. "The Inc. 5000 list stands out where it really counts, says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. It honors real achievement by a founder or a team of them. No one makes the Inc. 5000 without building something great usually from scratch. Thats one of the hardest things to do in business, as every company founder knows. But without it, free enterprise fails. The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list was held from October 18 through 20, in San Antonio, TX. Shield Watchs President Tom Perricone and CTO, Dante Pasquarelli, attended the function to receive the honors on behalf of the company. Speakers included some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as best-selling author and strategist Tony Robbins, SoulCycle co-founders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice, Cornerstone OnDemand founder, president and CEO Adam Miller, Marvell Technology Group director and co-founder Weili Dai, and New Belgium Brewing co-founder and executive chair Kim Jordan. Between 2013 and 2015, Shield Watchs revenues increased by 54%. During that time the company launched its transformative technology consulting framework called LEVER IT. This methodology helps SMB companies to develop a robust IT Roadmap, Software Roadmap, Security Roadmap and a Marketing Roadmap and enables them to leverage technology to grow their top line and make a substantial impact on bottom lines. More about Inc. and the Inc. 500|5000 Methodology The 2016 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2012 to 2015. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2012. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2015. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2012 is $100,000; the minimum for 2015 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. About Shield Watch Shield Watch is a Tampa-based MSP company that was founded in 1996 and purchased in 2013 by Pratik Roychoudhury, who then rolled out the concept of LEVER IT. The company specializes in IT managed services, custom software development & digital marketing for the SMB market. Shield Watch helps businesses maintain & secure their IT infrastructure and leverage technology to drive productivity, scalability & business growth. It has a staff of 29 in Tampa and 82 software and app developers in its India development center. Shield Watch IT Services is located at 4014 Gunn Highway, Suite #248, in Tampa. For more information, visit: http://shieldwatch.com About Inc. Media: Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over15,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation's most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates their remarkable achievements. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions. For more information on Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/. For more information, contact: Seemantini Bose Phone: +1 (813) 200-7229 marketing(at)shieldwatch(dot)com Tim Tyler, CEO This award validates Accordants commitment to excellence to both our clients and employees. Today Accordant Technology has announced The Silicon Review has named Accordant among the 2016 Top Fifty Most Admired Companies of the Year. Beyond professional recognition, were excited to be noted among the best companies in the nation, says Accordant President, Tim Tyler. Nashville is a growing market. Competition for clients is vigorous, but its no secret its also highly competitive for top tech talent. This award validates Accordants commitment to excellence to both our clients and employees. Launched in 2013, Accordant Technology has swiftly gained enterprise market share and recognition for a commitment to delivering first class secure virtual workspaces and cloud solutions. We have an unrelenting focus: Accordant strives to ensure our clients have a 5 Star User Experience, says Tyler. By aligning best-of-breed technology partners to clients needs, Accordant focuses on solving enterprise clients most vexing business technology challenges. The Silicon Review is among the worlds most trusted online and print communities for business and technology professionals, encompassing nine technology and vertical communities: Software, IT Services, Cloud, Mobile, Big Data, Security, Telecommunications, Hot Start-ups and The Best Companies to work for. They focus on themes of leadership, business and technology. It is precisely these themes that excited Accordants President the most. The intersection of these three themes are where our passion lies, says Tyler. We hope our customers, users and employees experience the best of all three. = = = ABOUT ACCORDANT TECHNOLOGY Accordant Technology is an innovative and rapidly growing IT consulting firm located in Brentwood, Tennessee. Focused on Virtualization, Application Delivery, Mobility, and Hosting, Accordant provides clients with best-of-breed technologies and the ability to apply them to their individual business models. For more information, visit http://www.accordanttechnology.com or call (615) 800-8024. Promotions this good are very rare! Contact Steve Ewing @ Endeavour Solutions Inc. for your 35% discount on Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP today! Endeavour Solutions is pleased to announce a special promotion for Canadian businesses interested in the Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP for Financials. This limited time offer from Endeavour Solutions Inc. and Microsoft Canada is effective today until Friday December 9, 2016. To see Endeavour's GP Discount page, please visit: http://www.endeavoursolutions.ca/gpdiscount Receive an aggressive 35% Price Discount on a NEW 5-user pack of Microsoft Dynamics GP ERP, plus a 10% discount on each additional user. (CANADA). Microsoft Dynamics GP is also referred to as Microsoft Great Plains Financials. All new Endeavour Solutions Inc. MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP Canada customers that meet the eligibility criteria can take advantage of a special discount when they license the Starter Pack, which includes the first three (3) Full Concurrent Client Access Licenses (CALs), plus two (2) additional Full Concurrent CALs for a total of 5 user CALs. New GP customers also qualify for a 10% discount off the license SLP for additional users beyond the first 5 user CALs, provided that the additional users are included on the same initial order. There is No Limit on additional users for this Endeavour Give Me 5+ special price promotion. Effective November 1, 2016 till end-of-day Friday December 9, 2016. About Endeavour Endeavour Solutions Inc. is a Canadian Microsoft Gold ERP and Microsoft Silver CRM and Cloud Partner focusing on development, implementation, upgrades, support and training for Microsoft Dynamics GP (Great Plains), Dynamics 365 for Sales (CRM), and Microsoft Office 365. With offices in Toronto, Halifax, London, Montreal and Edmonton we have more than 420 active clients in every province in Canada and parts of the United States. In 2016, Endeavour was named to the Microsoft President's Club - The top 5% of Microsoft Partners Worldwide. See our Innovative Projects at http://www.endeavoursolutions.ca/dynamicsprojects USA Dynamics GP Users can receive remote support at http://www.endeavoursolutions.ca/USA Contact: Steve Ewing, Director of Business Development for additional details and to order. Endeavour Solutions Inc. sewing(at)endeavoursolutions(dot)ca (905) 542-2139 ext 213 California-based Originate, the AI-native software platform company, today announced the acquisition of Stable Technologies, a rapid application and custom development firm based in Las Vegas, NV. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. "As Originate continues to scale and deploy new AI-Native technologies, these types of acquisitions supercharge our growth", said Russ Logan, Managing Director of Originate. "With technology advancing at an exponential rate, Originate believes the only way to stay ahead is by hiring and retaining the very best talent. The Stable Technologies team is exceptional and we are honored to have them as Originators." Brian Beckman, Managing Partner of Stable Technologies, will be heading Engineering for the Originate Las Vegas office. Brian has been in the technology and software industry since 1997 as the CTO of multiple funded startups, and in leadership positions across accounting, sales, and operations. We have always had extreme alignment with the values and goals of Originate, so when they approached us, it was easy to see the path forward. commented Brian. We are ecstatic to be joining the team and humbled to be working with so many exceptionally skilled people who we already like and admire." "This acquisition validates all of the partners who have built Stable Technologies, past and present." stated Andrew Stalker, partner and engineering lead. "And a great opportunity for all of us going forward as Originators." added Ben Edmonson, partner and design lead. Originate has been working with Stable Technologies since 2013 and the companies have built software products together, partnered on Vegas Tech and startup community events, provided mentorship to help underserved groups find careers in STEM, and provided joint leadership for the Las Vegas Functional programming and Virtual Reality Meetup groups. When extraordinary companies like Stable Technologies emerge from the same Vegas Tech scene that Originate has actively helped foster, its natural for us to look for ways to combine forces. commented Rob Meadows, CEO of Originate. The teams focus and interest in AI is particularly exciting given many of the deep learning, natural language processing, and other AI technologies that we are constantly adding to our products and platform. Originate has partnered with established companies and startups across gaming, gambling, eSports, hospitality, education, healthcare, financial services, retail, and media to help them reinvent themselves through applying cloud, mobile, and AI-native technology. With Las Vegas being home to many of the top resorts and gaming institutions, as well as the high-density, multi-tenant Switch SUPERNAP data centers, said Rob Meadows, it is a key city for Originate to focus on creating partnerships that can unlock the power of custom AI-native software. About Originate Focused on next-generation technology-based products, Originate has developed a scalable Artificial Intelligence platform which allows it to deliver fully-custom software products and solutions, while automating key aspects of product design, development, testing, training, operation and evolution. With top engineers, designers, product managers, many with advanced degrees in AI, Math, Data Science, and CS, across 4 US regions, Originate has successfully delivered Cloud, Mobile, and AI-native products for over 100 corporate customers and fast-growing start-ups. Go to Originate.com to learn more. Contact: Jacqueline Morck Jackie(dot)morck(at)originate(dot)com The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors InterNACHI is pleased to announce that its Inspectors Convention, held earlier this month in Texas, was a resounding success. Hundreds of home inspectors enjoyed a weekend of education, industry networking, and information and products by more than 30 vendors (manning nearly 40 booths), as well as thousands of dollars worth of free giveaways, making it one of the largest and most popular inspection events of the year. Hosted by TPREIA the Texas Professional Real Estate Inspectors Association the convention filled the Brazos County Expo Center for three days. Attendees earned 16 Continuing Education credit hours to fulfill their state licensing requirements through TREC, the Texas Real Estate Commission. The classes, taught by industry experts, included Infrared-Certified thermal imaging training, exterior cladding inspection, swimming pool inspection, and business marketing. Representatives serving on the TREC Inspector Advisory Committee were on hand to answer questions related to state licensing. InterNACHI Founder Nick Gromicko credits his staff, as well as TPREIA President Paul Roebuck and TPREIA Executive Director Brenda Roebuck, for the conventions large turnout and positive atmosphere. When you have dedicated professionals running the show, Gromicko said, good things happen, and everyone benefits. We created The Leaders Institute for Healthcare as a way to help our existing clients in the healthcare industry better deal with these new and difficult challenges in the marketplace. The Leaders Institute , an international training company based in Dallas, Texas, announced the release of their subsidiary, The Leaders Institute for Healthcare, on Tuesday. The new subsidiary is focused on helping healthcare client companies deal with many of the specific soft-skill challenges that are unique to the healthcare industry as a result of higher regulation, frequent mergers and acquisitions, and high cost of entry into markets. Scott Hubbard, president of the new subsidiary, explained that the highly regulated healthcare industry has a communication problem. Healthcare premium increases, security breaches, and gloomy financial expectations have all made news headlines recently in the industry. These unique challenges create specific hardships in the communication process both internally with healthcare colleagues and externally to customers and the public at large. Hubbard warns managers and leaders within healthcare that they can ignore these challenges at their own peril. However, he sees these challenges as fantastic opportunities to educate others about the industry and influence people in a positive way. The elephant in the room for the industry is the rising premiums scheduled for 2017. The healthcare insurance industry is already under scrutiny because rising healthcare insurance cost. Many health insurance purchasers wont experience this sticker shock until late November when many of them will realize that the plan that they currently have (and dont really like) isnt available anymore. So, in less than 30 days, the frustration of these healthcare insurance purchasers is going to skyrocket. Weve accelerated the release of a few of our communication training programs as a result of this anticipated challenge in the marketplace for our clients, says Hubbard. Our industry experts have designed custom modules to help employees within the healthcare industry better communicate more effectively both internally and with the external customer. Another big continual challenge in the industry is the risk of security breaches. SecurityScorecard, recently released their 2016 Healthcare Industry Cybersecurity Report that unveiled cybersecurity vulnerabilities across 700 healthcare organizations. Both the Penemon Institute and Trend Micro list the healthcare industry as the sector with more breaches than any other. Although the financial outlook for the healthcare sector is mixed, when big players have even a slight drop in stock price, it can drive the sector into a slump. Friday, McKesson announced lower than expected sales for the quarter, and the sector, as a whole, dropped a bit. On the opposite side, touting record profits to consumers in the same publications with stories about the rising cost of healthcare can also be detrimental. Doug Staneart, CEO of The Leaders Institute says, We created The Leaders Institute for Healthcare as a way to help our existing clients in the healthcare industry better deal with these new and difficult challenges in the marketplace. He claims that by improving soft skills like communication, teamwork, and leadership with these organizations, the industry can better deal with the outside challenges like increased federal regulations and public relations nightmares that are common in the industry. Weve been working with clients in the healthcare industry for almost two decades, but recent developments in the industry have caused us to have to divert more resources to the increasing challenges of our clients, says Staneart. The new subsidiary was a natural development of changes in the marketplace. The company will release the first industry specific program, How to Give an Oral Presentation to Healthcare Colleagues, on Tuesday, November 1, 2016. CareOne Executive Vice President Elizabeth Straus has been selected as this years recipient of the Community Resource Council of Northern New Jerseys Harry Brandeis Award in recognition of her leadership and dedication to community service and philanthropy. The Community Resource Council is proud to congratulate Elizabeth Straus for her outstanding contributions to the health care community, said Community Resource Council of Northern New Jersey Executive Director Diana DiGirolamo. Her humanistic and philanthropic efforts have made a significant impact on the lives of so many people. We applaud and appreciate her efforts. Over the past four years, CareOne has raised more than $4 million for a variety of charitable causes under the leadership of Ms. Straus. This award is particularly meaningful to me because my father, Daniel E. Straus, received the honor in 2007, said Ms. Straus. My father instilled the value of philanthropy in our family and it has also become one of the core values of our company. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday evening, December 1, 2016 at Seasons Restaurant in Washington Township, NJ. To purchase tickets/journal ads for the awards dinner, please contact Charlotte Sodora at csodora(at)care-one(dot)com. About CareOne With services that include post-hospital care, rehabilitation, assisted living, long-term care and a variety of clinical specialty programs, CareOne offers compassionate care in gracious, professionally managed centers and communities. CareOne serves thousands of patients every day and admits/discharges more than 20,000 patients every year. With more than 30 community options, CareOnes outstanding programs and services are conveniently located throughout New Jersey. For more information about CareOne, please visit http://www.care-one.com. Follow us on Twitter at @CareOneMgt, on Instagram at @careonemgt, on Facebook at CareOne Management, LLC, and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/careone-management-llc. Kavayah Solutions We are proud of our team that goes great lengths to provide solutions to complex client problems and this recognition proves it. Kavayah Solutions (http://www.kavayahsolutions.com) was recently recognized as one of the Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazines Entrepreneur 360 List, the most comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. Based on this study forged by Entrepreneur, Kavayah Solutions is recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth and leadership. We are honored to be acknowledged as one of the best entrepreneurial companies in America and we have our incredible team and clients to thank for this recognition, said Vivek Casula, CEO of Kavayah Solutions. "We are proud of our team that goes great lengths to provide solutions to complex client problems and this recognition proves it." Our annual evaluation offers a 360-degree analysis of the current private-business landscape, explains Lisa Murray, Chief Insights Officer of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. Top performers are determined by how well-rounded they are in these four key operative areas. Entrepreneurship is a complex endeavorthis listing recognizes those who have mastered the challenge and are thriving this year. Kavayah Solutions provides full-service advising in solution strategy, enterprise application management, including development, maintenance and project management services. The company has developed deft expertise in four critical areas that drive technology transformation: Cloud, Mobile, Social and Bigdata. To learn more, please visit http://www.kavayahsolutions.com/application-management Honorees were identified based on the results from a comprehensive study of independently-owned companies, using a proprietary algorithm and other advanced analytics. The algorithm was built on a balanced scorecard designed to measure four metrics reflecting major pillars of entrepreneurshipinnovation, growth, leadership and impact. To learn more about Kavayah Solutions, visit: http://www.kavayahsolutions.com For additional details on the Entrepreneur 360 List and the companies recognized, visit: http://features.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneur-360/ ABOUT KAVAYAH SOLUTIONS INC. Kavayah Solutions provides full-service advising in solution strategy, enterprise application management, including development, maintenance and project management services. The company has developed deft expertise in four critical areas that drive technology transformation: Cloud, Mobile, Social and Bigdata. To learn more, please visit: http://www.kavayahsolutions.com/application-management ABOUT ENTREPRENEUR MEDIA INC. For nearly 40 years, Entrepreneur Media Inc. has been serving the entrepreneurial community providing comprehensive coverage of business and personal success through original content and events. Entrepreneur magazine, Entrepreneur.com, and publishing imprint Entrepreneur Press provide solutions, information, inspiration and education read by millions of entrepreneurs and small business owners worldwide. To learn more, visit entrepreneur.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Entrepreneur and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/entmagazine. Press Contact for Kavayah Solutions Subbu Gummala Kavayah Solutions Inc. subbu(at)kavayahsolutions(dot)com 609-919-9797 Ext. 106 The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School has teamed with YouVisit to offer a new immersive tour experience for the schools locations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Using 360 3-D photography, narration, and video, the Carey virtual tour brings the campus experience to any desktop, laptop, or mobile device anywhere in the world. Our facilities and resources exceed what many expecteven for a school like Johns Hopkins. Its important for students to either come to visit in person or at least have an opportunity to virtually experience Carey. Many prospective students want to know what the school will be like before choosing to study here, said Monica Moore, associate dean for Admissions and Academic Programs at the Carey Business School. Our virtual tours give us another way to share the Carey experience with prospective students from afar. It is as close as you can get without visiting one of our campuses in person. Highlights of the Carey virtual experience include scenes of Baltimores scenic waterfront and the bustling streets of Washington, D.C., as well as many of the schools services and amenities available to students. The tour narration is provided in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The Carey Business School virtual tour is available online at youvisit.com/tour/jhu?pl=v. The experience is also accessible through the Johns Hopkins YouVisit app available at Apples App Store and Googles Play Store. A regular schedule of campus events is available on the Carey Business School calendar at carey.jhu.edu. Personal visits and tours can also be arranged through Carey Admissions at carey(dot)admissions(at)jhu(dot)edu or by calling 410-234-9220. Established in 2007, the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School is the business school of Johns Hopkins University. The Carey mission supports business knowledge development and education through its own initiatives, innovations, and collaborative programs across Johns Hopkins University. Carey creates and shares knowledge that shapes business practices while educating business leaders who will grow economies and societies, and are exemplary citizens. With locations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Carey Business School offers graduate degree programs for full-time, part-time, and online students. For more information, visit carey.jhu.edu. Activist hedge funds often push the management teams they target to pursue a sale of the company, which is the only reliable strategy for generating a return for themselves and the shareholders of the companies they target, according to Activism Mergers, a new study released today by the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. The study was conducted by UNC Kenan-Flagler finance professors Anil Shivdasani and Nickolay Gantchev and Nicole Boyson of the DAmore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University, and will be published in the Journal of Financial Economics. It represents some of the most comprehensive analysis on the topic to date, analyzing more than 2,000 hedge fund activist campaigns and more than 3,200 M&A transactions during the past 15 years. Probability of Takeover Bids Increases The researchers found that the launch of a hedge fund activist campaign makes a company three to six times more likely to receive a takeover bid during the following two years than a company not targeted by such a campaign. Even when hedge fund activists switch from a passive holding to an activist strategy, there is a three-fold higher likelihood of a takeover bid. Acquisition Premium Increase When the target is embroiled in an activist campaign, takeover bids are attractive propositions for shareholders, with acquisition premiums that are more than 10 percent higher than in typical mergers. These takeover bids experience a completion rate of 96 percent, 3 percent higher than typical M&A deals. Stock Price Performance Tied to Acquisitions Hedge fund activism campaigns where the target company is acquired result in sizeable stock-price outperformance, with an average shareholder return of 37 percent over two years, adjusting for market-wide performance and company risk. In contrast, activism campaigns that do not result in a takeover offer lead to a negligible average shareholder return of only 0.6 percent. These findings highlight the reality that despite often pushing for operational changes at the companies they target, hedge fund activists are ultimately only successful in generating value when they can attract and facilitate a takeover offer for the company, Shivdasani said. Even when a takeover offer is not completed, shareholders end up earning outsized returns because the combined pressure of the activist campaign and a takeover bid typically pushes companies to make drastic changes to their operational and financial plans. The study found hedge fund activist targets that received a takeover offer that was eventually unsuccessful experienced average shareholder returns of 17.7 percent. Impact of Activists as Bidders Regardless of the potential for increased shareholder value, the studys findings indicate that investors should be cautious about certain activism-driven M&A deals. When the activist hedge fund is also the bidder for the company, company shareholders do not fare as well. These bids feature premiums that are, on average, 23 percent lower, and end up being unsuccessful in nearly 50 percent of the cases. These findings show that to create value for targeted companies, the activist hedge fund must have incentives that are well-aligned with shareholders of the targeted companies rather than those of the buyer, said Shivdasani. # About UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Consistently ranked one of the world's best business schools, UNC Kenan-Flagler is known for its collaborative culture that stems from its core values: excellence, leadership, integrity, community and teamwork. Professors excel at both teaching and research, and demonstrate unparalleled dedication to students. Graduates are effective, principled leaders who have the technical and managerial skills to deliver results in the global business environment. UNC Kenan-Flagler offers a rich portfolio of programs and extraordinary, real-life learning experiences: Undergraduate Business, full-time MBA, Executive MBA Programs (Evening, Weekend and global OneMBA), online MBA@UNC, UNC-Tsinghua Dual-Degree EMBA, Master of Accounting, PhD, Executive Development, and UNC Business Essentials programs. It is home to the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. Attorney Juan Dominguez with Perez family The Dominguez Firm, a Los Angeles-based law firm, won a record-setting jury verdict of $29,062,351 on Oct. 26, 2016, on behalf of a 19 year-old pedestrian who sustained a head injury when he was struck by a car while in a crosswalk in 2013. The jury award will provide the funds for the medical care and assistance Perez will need for the rest of his life. Lead plaintiff trial attorney Olivier Taillieu, from The Dominguez Firm, established the defendants 100% liability, despite no independent witnesses to the accident and Perezs lack of memory about the accident and how it occurred. The only eyewitness version given to the jury was by the defendant who alleged his operation of his vehicle was negligent-free. Perezs parents testified during the three-week trial of their deep concern for their sons future well-being. In closing, Taillieus last words to the jury were, I now leave Mr. Javier Perez in your hands. After one day of deliberation, the jury reached a verdict in Perezs favor. The jury award is believed to have set a new record at the Los Angeles downtown (Stanley Mosk Courthouse: Perez v. Sunde, Case #: BC530720) for the highest award in a mild neurocognitive disorder case this year. Perez and his parents expressed their thanks and appreciation to the court, their trial team, and to the jury for its understanding and verdict. Nationally recognized plaintiffs attorney Juan Dominguez, head of The Dominguez Firm, states, It was an honor to be part of this trial team of attorneys Olivier Taillieu, Maura Gewirtz, and Larry J. Litzky, as together we assisted our noble and humble client and his parents receive this much-deserved justice. Since 1987 The Dominguez Firm has resolved over $400 Million dollars in injury cases. It is one of the most widely recognized and successful personal injury law firms in Southern California. We are honored to be recognized for providing solutions that give students the ability to harness the power of digital learning and parents the tools to help their students succeed. Connections Education, a leading provider of high-quality, highly accountable digital learning solutions for students in grades K-12, has been recognized by ComputEd Gazette's 21st Annual Education Software Review with four EDDIE Awards. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Connections Education has been honored with EDDIE Awards. The 2016 Connections Education EDDIE Award winners are: Learning Coach Central: Provides parents and guardians who serve as Learning Coaches with access to visually appealing, user-friendly resources designed to help them navigate the education management system, Connexus, and support them in working with and motivating their students. American Government: In this online high school course, customized to meet American Government standards in each state, students explore the foundations of American government and its fundamental principles and organization in a relevant context. Social Studies 8: This middle school online course offers a broad survey of United States history, from the early Americas and European settlement to the analysis of social changes in America in the 2000s. The course includes civics and economics units that cover concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, government involvement, and personal financial literacy. WebQuest: To promote 21st century critical and creative thinking, this interactive elective provides students the opportunity to participate in an individualized WebQuest experience based on the student's research about and participation in an effort that is focused on maintaining or improving the local communitys environment. Students around the world in grades K-12 have increasing access to personalized learning opportunities across a variety of subjects, said Patricia Hoge, Ph.D., executive vice president of curriculum and instruction and chief academic officer for Connections Education. We are honored to be recognized for providing solutions that give students the ability to harness the power of digital learning and parents the tools to help their students succeed. The EDDIE Awards recognize innovative and content-rich programs that augment the classroom curriculum and improve teacher productivity, providing parents and teachers with technology to foster educational excellence. Winning programs and websites are selected from publishers worldwide. Enrollment for the 2016-2017 school year is open at many Connections Education-supported fully-online and blended learning academies. To learn more visit http://www.ConnectionsEducation.com. About Connections Education Connections Education LLC is a leading provider of high-quality, highly accountable virtual education solutions for students in grades K12. Founded in 2001, the companys Connections Academy delivers individualized learning to students by supporting tuition-free virtual public schools. In the 20152016 school year, Connections Academy supported 30 virtual public schools in 26 statesserving more than 65,000 students. Connections Education offers International Connections Academy, a fully online private school for students worldwide, and delivers blended (combination of online and on-site) learning in select states via tuition-free, public, Nexus Academy schools. The Connections Learning by Pearson division meets the needs of schools, school districts, and other institutions with a full range of digital learning solutions for grades K12 including: online courses, a program for homebound students, a digital learning platform, and private and public online schools. Connections Education is based in Baltimore, Maryland and was named a 2015 and 2014 Top Workplace by the Baltimore Sun and a 2013 Best Place to Work by Baltimore magazine. Connections Education is part of the global learning company Pearson. SMARTdesks: distinctively different SMARTdesks customers enjoy the additional support of the dealers they already know and rely on for unparalleled response and detailed project management. SMARTdesks will be a featured exhibitor for product research in booth 1102, supporting the EdSpaces 2016 theme Visioning and Re-Visioning the Future of Educational Facilities. President and CEO of SMARTdesks, Jeffrey Korber, and Vice President of Business Development, Jennifer Urogi will be available to discuss product application specifics and to welcome dealers into the SMARTdesks fold. SMARTdesks Collaborative Learning Furniture will be demonstrated, including the Quark2 Sit | Stand | Mobile Collaborative Conference System that looks like a shuttlecraft on a hover board. Designed for open plan collaboration spaces, Quark2 can be a mobile desk or a stand up podium. The single column ratchet mechanism laws height adjustment from 30 to 39. Docking systems for the wall or in clusters of 5 are available. Made to order, finish choices and laptop power and USB power options can be customized. The Pi Collaboration Desk with flipIT monitor mount demonstrates a system of desking that makes auditorium arched rows or small collaboration groupsa revolutionary design concept. The flipIT mount lets the user fold the monitor under the desk for a full table top work space. When computers are used, the screen rotates up to a low profile for comfortable ergonomics and unobstructed sight lines in the classroom. FlipIT can be specified for most SMARTdesks and are also available in kit form. Furniture Floor Integration Technology (FFIT) Computer Floor will also be shown. This unique raised floor provides placement of outlets for power and data anywhere in a technology space without core drilling or demolition of legacy systems. SMARTdesks provides a comprehensive, fully engineered solution for each space. In most cases, installation for a basic classroom or office space can take place in a single work day. SMARTdesks is also using this opportunity to build its network of authorized dealers. With collaboration and teaming at the core of its business model, SMARTdesks customers will enjoy the additional support of the dealers they already know and rely on for unparalleled response and detailed project management. EdSpaces is offering CEU-accredited education sessions that include specific school-focused topics. The leaders and experts of every discipline involved in facility planning, maintenance, and construction attend EDspaces to exchange ideas and strategies for 21st century learning environments. EDspaces features a comprehensive educational program featuring over 25+ accredited EDsessions that are carefully chosen by members of our EDspaces/AIA-CAE education committee. EDspaces will be the site of AIA-CAEs Fall Conference, starting with a reception and presentation on the impacts of the master plan for the UC Campus. On another day, free to EdSpaces Registrants, is a walking tour of The School for the Creative & Performing Arts (SCPA) by Architects: CR, Fanning Howey and Moody Nolan. on the closing day, a Multi-Stop EDfacilities Tour features Northern Kentucky University College of Informatics, Architects: Goody Clancy; Rothenberg Preparatory Academy, WA Architects; Cincinnati Country Day School (CCDS, Michael McInterf Architects. A full schedule can be viewed on the EdSpaces website. The conference offers a years worth of CEU credits, training on new products, and an opportunity to network with the industry who's who. Great session content, tours, and hands-on learning sponsored by the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education. SMARTdesks designs and manufactures innovative, custom computer conference tables and computer classroom furniture. Each product is made to order, nuanced for the technology, purpose and interior design choices for the space. SMARTdesks is the patent holder for flipIT products and is the sole source for flipIT and factory integrated flipIT furniture products. Serving universities, corporations, government and military clients world-wide, SMARTdesks furniture is made in the USA using Certified GREEN manufacturing methods. For more information, contact smartdesks through the web site http://www.smartdesks.com Otis College of Art and Design and Joshua Tree National Park recently launched the Joshua Tree Art Innovation Laboratory (JT Lab), an initiative which will explore ways that artists can contribute to the National Park Services mission and strengthen the role artists play in the National Park Service (NPS). Moving beyond artists solely as image makers, the initiative enlists artists as creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and communicators. A National Endowment for the Arts "Imagine Your Parks" project, JT Lab takes NPSs 2016 Centennial and Arts Afire initiative as an opportunity to explore a progressive approach to park management while providing new opportunities for artists. As part of JT Lab, artists and NPS staff will develop innovative programs and projects that contribute to park sites and visitor experiencesboth at Joshua Tree National Park and Mojave National Preserve. Additional partners in this initiative include Copper Mountain College, the Mojave Desert Land Trust, and BoxoPROJECTS. The JT Lab initiative positions artists and designers as creative partners and problem solvers in service to larger public goals. This expanded role is embedded within the programs of Otis College and we are excited to see this project thrive, said Bruce W. Ferguson, president of Otis College of Art and Design. JT Lab is led by Rebecca Lowry, a Los Angeles-based artist and lecturer at Otis College. Lowry, whose conceptually driven work has been seen at Grand Canyon National Park, will work closely with senior park staff as an embedded art professional within Joshua Tree. "Working with the National Park Service, artists have the potential to spark the imaginations of new and more diverse audiences, said Lowry. By making people aware of the importance and relevance of parks and revealing new perspectives, we will contribute directly to the preservation of these special places." The project also features a volunteer artist program, led by Joshua Tree-based artist Jenny Kane and an art internship program targeting underserved rural and urban youth, hosted by Copper Mountain College (CMC). For more information on the project and for a listing of its upcoming public events visit http://www.jtlab.info. ABOUT OTIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Established in 1918, Otis College of Art and Design offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide variety of visual and applied arts, media, and design. Core programs in liberal arts, business practices, and community-driven projects support the Colleges mission to prepare diverse students to enrich the world through their creativity, skill, and vision. ABOUT JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK Joshua Tree National Park is a 793,000-acre park located two hours southeast of Los Angeles. Two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, come together in this diverse landscape. Dark night skies, a wide variety of plants and animals, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features add to the wonder of this vast wilderness in Southern California. ABOUT NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS: IMAGINE YOUR PARKS The National Endowment For the Arts is partnering with The National Park Service is on a special arts grant initiative that jointly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the NEA in 2015 and the centennial anniversary of the NPS in 2016. The initiative, entitled "Imagine Your Parks," unites the missions of the two agencies to promote and protect the nation's cultural and natural treasures. "Imagine Your Parks"a national centennial programis providing grant funding through the NEA Art Works grant category to NPS external partners or organizations that use the arts, in all forms, to connect people with the National Park System and its programs. Gilbane breaks ground on 134-unit senior living community in Fort Myers This brand new community will benefit families who are looking for quality senior care solutions. Gilbane Building Company and Omega Communities along with the project team and local community, came together to celebrate the official ground breaking of the senior living community located in Fort Myers, Florida. The project will bring 134 units to the market. 96 of the units will be assisted living offering 102 beds as well as 38 memory care units. The 105,000-square-foot building, located on a five-acre site, includes new construction of three structures which are connected by corridors. A three-story structure will house the assisted living and the memory care wing will be located in a single-story building featuring private rooms. The third building will contain administrative offices for staff and activities area, library dining rooms and kitchen for residents. Tim Hensey, vice president, Gilbane Building Company addressed the attendees at the event, We are excited to see the construction get underway for this facility. This brand new community will benefit families who are looking for quality senior care solutions. The project, designed by the Lawson Group, Inc., is a combination of Mediterranean style with Spanish concrete tile. It is located at the intersection of Daniels Parkway and Six Mile Cypress Parkway in Fort Myers, adjacent to the Minnesota Training facility and Gulf Coast Hospital. Gilbane Building Company has extensive experience in the construction of senior living and skilled nursing facilities having completed more than $300 million throughout Florida in the past 20 years. They most recently completed The Springs of South Biscayne Senior Living Facility. Gilbane also brings more than 30 years of working with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). About Gilbane Building Company Gilbane provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out and facility management services for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-owned company, Gilbane has more than 50 office locations around the world. A builder in Florida since 1972, Gilbane has remained a leader in the delivery of comprehensive pre-construction services, construction services and construction administration. For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com. ### A Triumph Thruxton 1200 R equipped with British Customs Predator Pro performance slip-ons. British Customs just released Predator Pro, Sleeper Pro, and Performance Tips slip-ons, featuring multiple patented, revolutionary technological innovations that blend design, craftsmanship, and material innovations. Past News Releases RSS British Customs Announces November... British Customs Announces Their... Ride Connected: British Customs... Exhaust systems are one of the most commonly customized parts on a motorcycle, but sadly, major innovations in that department are few and far between. But British Customs just released a new series of exhaust systems featuring multiple patented, revolutionary technological innovations that blend design, craftsmanship, and material innovations. This new line of performance exhaust systems is designed to fit both liquid-cooled and air-cooled Triumph modern classics, including the Bonneville T100, Thruxton 900, Street Twin, Bonneville T120, and Thruxton 1200. The new Pro line of exhaust systems includes the return of the iconic Predator slip-on mufflers and Sleeper slip-on mufflers with complete internal redesigns. Both Pro Series slip-ons retain their authentic retro looks and sounds, but feature massive performance and quality enhancements over their predecessors. Each exhaust system, like every British Customs product, is entirely made in the USA and from American-sourced materials. Both the new Predator Pros and Sleeper Pros feature a one-piece body design and High Velocity Output (HVO) technology to improve performance, durability, and quality. For both systems, the entire muffler is one single piece of 304 stainless steel. The patented one-piece design is a milestone in design innovation, with numerous benefits including weight savings, structural integrity, and increased performance. An added benefit to the one-piece body design is that the mufflers do not have the ugly welding seams typical of other reverse cone exhaust systems, and instead have an elegantly smooth body from end to end. The patented High Velocity Output (HVO) technology dramatically increases engine performance by improving the cubic feet per minute to ideal rates that allow the engine to run more efficiently, thus increasing horsepower. By pulling the exhaust out of the engine faster, the engine runs richer and thereby puts out more torque. The previous Predator and Sleeper models each had a unique retro sound which has only been enriched for their new iterations. The exhaust tone of the new systems is notably throatier and richer, while staying in the realm of acceptable volume levels for most urban environments. British Customs also released another new series of slip-ons called the Performance Tips. The Performance Tips are lightweight slip-on mufflers made from quality 304 stainless steel with retro-inspired body designs designed to increase performance and improve the bikes looks. The Performance Tips help riders reduce their bikes overall weight by over 13 pounds and increase performance with their louvered core baffle. Available in a polished or brushed finish, these slip-ons are designed to fit the Street Twin and Thruxton 1200 and come in either a Slash Cut or Drag Pipe style. To make these unique and revolutionary systems possible, new materials and extraordinary manufacturing processes had to be developed. These innovations in materials allowed for significantly higher quality components to be developed, tested, and now offered to the public. To create these revolutionary new exhaust systems, a unique blend of time-honored craftsman techniques and new manufacturing processes had to be developed. The result is something rich with heritage, but polished with modern expertise. Each of these new slip-ons replace the stock mufflers and can be installed within 30 minutes using only basic tools. For more information on how British Customs keeps even the most complicated upgrade a bolt-on application, visit the British Customs Resource Center. All of these new revolutionary performance slip-ons are now available on the British Customs online store. About British Customs: British Customs is a Southern California-based lifestyle brand and designer of aftermarket motorcycle parts. They are known for making the highest quality factory-spec bolt-on parts that only require common tools and minimal technical knowledge to install. With any of their parts upgrades, the average rider can completely customize his or her motorcycle in a weekend. Our second annual Readers' Choice Awards provide a comprehensive view of the top products and brands impacting higher education today. Campus Technology, published by 1105 Public Sector Media Group, is pleased to announce the winners of the second annual Readers Choice Awards. For Campus Technologys annual Readers Choice Awards, education technology professionals voted for the software, hardware and services they consider most vital to the mission and business of higher education. We asked Campus Technology readers to share their most-used and best-loved tech tools and they delivered, said Rhea Kelly, executive editor of Campus Technology. Our second annual Readers' Choice Awards provide a comprehensive view of the top products and brands impacting higher education today. Congratulations to all the winners! 2016s Readers' Choice Award Winners: Most Valuable in the Institution o Platinum: Guidebook o Gold: Instructure Canvas o Silver (tie): Chalk & Wire and Google Chromebooks Learning Management and E-Learning o Platinum: Blackboard Learn o Gold: Instructure Canvas o Silver: Google Classroom E-Portfolios o Platinum: Chalk & Wire o Gold: Blackboard Learn o Silver: Instructure Canvas Other Instructional Tools o Platinum: Grammarly o Gold: Discovery Education Streaming o Silver: Learning.com Student Information Systems o Platinum: Ellucian o Gold: Oracle PeopleSoft o Silver: Blackbaud Student Information System Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) o Platinum: Ellucian o Gold: Oracle PeopleSoft o Silver: Salesforce Enterprise Resource Planning o Platinum: Ellucian o Gold: Oracle PeopleSoft o Silver: Campus Management Student Success/Retention o Platinum: Ellucian o Gold: Hobsons Starfish o Silver: Campus Labs Content and Website Management o Platinum: WordPress o Gold: Drupal Student Response Systems and Classroom Engagement o Platinum (tie): Clicker and Kahoot o Gold: Poll Everywhere o Silver: Turning Technologies Lecture Capture o Platinum: Google Hangouts o Gold: Blackboard Learn o Silver (tie): Panopto and Echo360 Document Cameras o Platinum: Elmo USA o Gold: Samsung o Silver: WolfVision Projectors o Platinum: Epson o Gold (tie): Panasonic and Sony o Silver: InFocus Interactive Whiteboards, Displays, Flat Panels and Kiosks o Platinum: Smart Technologies o Gold: Promethean o Silver: Epson Videoconferencing and Web Conferencing o Platinum: Citrix GoToMeeting o Gold: Zoom o Silver: Skype Virtual Classroom/Meeting Software o Platinum: Adobe Connect o Gold: Google Hangouts o Silver: Zoom Classroom Audio Distribution/Sound Enhancement o Platinum: Smart Audio o Gold: Califone o Silver (tie): AtlasIED and TeachLogic Captioning Tools o Platinum: YouTube o Gold: TechSmith Camtasia o Silver: Adobe Premiere Pro Classroom Presentation Software o Platinum: Microsoft PowerPoint o Gold: Prezi o Silver: Google Slides Office/Productivity Suites o Platinum: Microsoft Office/Office 365 o Gold: Google Apps for Education o Silver: Adobe Creative Cloud Multimedia Authoring Suites and Creative Software o Platinum: Adobe Creative Cloud o Gold: Apple Creativity Apps E-Learning Authoring o Platinum: TechSmith Camtasia o Gold: Adobe Creative Cloud Media Tablets o Platinum: Apple iPad o Gold: Samsung Galaxy Tablets Chromebooks o Platinum: Google Pixel o Gold: Dell Chromebooks o Silver: Acer Chromebook Windows Tablets o Platinum: Microsoft Surface/Surface Pro o Gold: Dell Venue and Latitude o Silver: Samsung Convertible/2-in-1 Notebooks o Platinum: Dell Inspiron and Latitude o Gold: Lenovo ThinkPad and Yoga o Silver: HP Envy and Spectre Notebooks o Platinum: Apple o Gold: Dell o Silver: HP Virtual Desktops and Thin Clients o Platinum: VMware Horizon o Gold: Dell Wyse o Silver: HP Thin Client Wireless Access Points and Hotspots o Platinum: Cisco o Gold: Aruba Networks o Silver: Netgear 3D Printers o Platinum: HP o Gold: Stratasys MakerBot Network Management, Monitoring and Analysis o Platinum: Cisco o Gold: VMware Mobile Device Management o Platinum: Google Mobile Management o Gold: AT&T AirWatch o Silver: JAMF Firewall Software o Platinum: Windows Firewall o Gold: Norton 360 o Silver: Kaspersky Lab Antivirus Tools o Platinum: Norton AntiVirus o Gold: McAfee AntiVirus o Silver: Sophos Endpoint Firewall Hardware/Appliances o Platinum: Cisco o Gold: Barracuda Networks o Silver: Sophos Emergency Notification Services o Platinum: Campus Alerts o Gold: RAVE Mobile Safety o Silver (tie): e2Campus and SchoolMessenger Detailed winner profiles will be featured on CampusTechnology.com, and will appear in the October issue of Campus Technology. About Campus Technology Campus Technology is one of higher educations top information sources, with distribution across a website, monthly digital magazine, newsletters, webcasts and online tools. It's the go-to resource for campus professionals, providing in-depth coverage on the technologies and implementations influencing colleges and universities across the nation. Content includes valuable hands-on articles, best practices, industry trends, expert advice and insightful articles to help administrators, campus executives, technologists and educators plan, develop and successfully launch effective IT initiatives. CampusTechnology.com About 1105 Public Sector Media Group 1105 Public Sector Media Group, a division of 1105 Media, Inc., provides information, insight and analysis to the Government IT and Education IT (FED/SLED) sectors. Our content platforms include print, digital, online, events and a broad spectrum of marketing services. http://1105publicsector.com ### HOLLOWAY AMERICA specializes in custom stainless steel pressure vessels for the processing and packaging industries. Leading ASME pressure vessel fabrication company HOLLOWAY AMERICA will showcase its innovative solutions at the annual Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International 2016. HOLLOWAY AMERICA, a stainless steel pressure vessel fabrication company, announced today it will host a booth at Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International 2016 from Nov. 6-9 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The annual event is a joint venture hosted by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI). Representatives from HOLLOWAY will join more than 50,000 professionals from various industries at the largest conference center in North America. At booth W-1033, HOLLOWAY AMERICA will be on hand to share information about its ASME pressure vessels, including pharmaceutical-grade mixing tanks and vessels, fabricated for high pressure or atmospheric conditions. Company representatives will be available to discuss planning and estimating requirements for custom-fabricated mixers, bioreactors or fermenters that meet one-of-kind specs, depending on the clients needs. Were always happy to answer questions about our stainless steel fermenters, mixing tanks and other pressure vessels as well as discuss HOLLOWAYs VesselWellness Program, said Director of Marketing Randy Colwell. The companys popular preventative maintenance program Colwell referenced involves meticulous pressure vessel inspection procedures designed to ensure equipment adheres to or exceeds standards for the pharmaceutical, biopharm and packaging industries. That said, Colwell added, regulations vary from country to country, so at an international conference like this, we often field questions about our ability to engineer and fabricate code-ready vessels for our diverse clientele. About Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO International 2016 The exhibition, which started as a packaging show, eventually evolved into a joint effort with the ISPE and the PMMI as conference organizers discovered a significant interest among professionals from both packaging and pharmaceutical processing companies. Today, the co-located Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO bring together more pharmaceutical professionals, manufacturers and suppliers than any other conference in the world, as stated on the event website. In addition to HOLLOWAYs custom-fabricated equipment, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about thousands of other technological breakthroughs at the expo. Conference attendees can explore the leading solutions in processing and packaging equipment, learn about the latest breakthroughs at the Innovation Stage, attend free educational courses and network with thousands of peers. Conference highlights include a First Timers Lounge, industry-themed innovation pavilions and a charity event featuring magician-comic duo Penn & Teller. For more information about HOLLOWAY AMERICAs stainless steel ASME pressure vessels, components and services, contact a representative at 417.863.0077 or by email at info(at)HollowayAmerica(dot)com. For additional details on Pharma EXPO and PACK EXPO, visit pharmaexpo(dot)com and packexpointernational(dot)com. "We help aircraft owners go from acquisition to flying extremely quickly", says Execaire GM Michael Fedele. "Equally important to owner-pilots, we take the hassle out of preparing a PORD and operating privately under CAR 604 regulations. At the NBAA Convention today, Execaire announced that the first member of the companys Just Fly Program launched flight operations. The Just Fly Program is a 360 aircraft administration solution for owners who want to fly their own aircraft under their own PORD (Private Operating Registration Document). It allows these owner-pilots to focus on flying, rather than the complexities of aircraft ownership, administration and operation. The first aircraft operating under Execaires Just Fly Program is a member of the Cessna Citation family of business jet aircraft. The owner completed the PORD process smoothly, taking his first flight within hours of taking delivery of the aircraft. Execaire makes aircraft ownership easy "We help aircraft owners go from acquisition to flying extremely quickly", says Execaire GM Michael Fedele. "Equally important to owner-pilots, we take the hassle out of preparing a PORD and operating privately under CAR 604 regulations. He adds: "With the stringent requirements of CAR 604 coming into full force on January 31, 2017, the requirements placed on privately operated aircraft will be much closer to those applied to commercial operators. Just Fly Program members will be ready for the deadline." How the Just Fly Program Works The Just Fly Program was especially designed for owner-pilots who want to spend time in the air, but don't want to have to worry about document management, compliance, and administration that takes away from their flying experience as well as personal and professional pursuits. Execaire helps members meet their responsibilities as aircraft operators. Services that make up the Just Fly Program include helping to prepare a PORD, creating and maintaining an operating manual, implementing a SMS (safety management system), operations compliance and performing mandatory annual audits and reviews. Execaire also offers advisory services during inspections and audits, and pilot mentorship through the Execaire professional pilot development program. Additional services include competency checks, training administration, maintenance, flight following, concierge services and much more. Members are also eligible for fuel discounts, preferred insurance pricing, preferred hourly maintenance rates, discounted a la carte services and other benefits. To find out more about the Just Fly Program, contact Execaire's chief customer advocate Wayne McIntyre at 514.830.6871 or at wayne.mcintyre(at)execaire(dot)com. Execaire, a division of the IMP Group International Inc., is Canada's longest-serving and prestigious corporate aircraft company. It has managed, maintained and operated aircraft for more than half a century. Execaire provides unrivalled customer service and responds efficiently and promptly to all of our guest and client needs. Execaire provides a comprehensive range of professional services on a local, regional, and international scale. As of 2015, Execaires aircraft have accumulated more than 268,000 flight hours, and flown in excess of 107,200,000 miles worldwide, all while maintaining an industry leading safety record. Our safety record, as recognized by IS-BAO certification and an ARGUS Platinum Rating stands as a testament to our compliance with strict operating procedures, and superior qualification standards for our flight crews, maintenance staff, specialized trades, and management. For more information on Execaire, please visit http://www.execaire.com. IMP Group International Inc. is a global corporation focused on sustainable growth with a team of over 4,500 experienced people delivering service, quality and value to customers across diverse sectors, such as aerospace & defence, aviation, healthcare, information services, hospitality, and property development. For more information on IMP Group International Inc., please visit http://www.impgroup.com. For further information on the Just Fly Program, contact: D. Wayne McIntyre Chief Customer Advocate Execaire 10225 Ryan Avenue Montreal, Quebec (Canada) H9A 1A2 +1.514.830.6871 wayne.mcintyre(at)execaire(dot)com Momentum Solar Momentum Solar, an Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private company, announces the expansion of their commercial division to ramp up solar-powered businesses throughout the Tri-State area. Headquartered in Metuchen, Momentum has opened offices in Cherry Hill and Long Island to support all service capabilities in states south of New Jersey and north of New York, respectively. Cherry Hills office will host commercial operations, strategically located between I-295 and I-95. Momentum (http://momentumsolar.com) welcomes a seasoned team with more than 100+ years of combined experience, installing over 300 MW (megawatts) on more than 100 businesses and schools including Fortune 200 companies. Sean Angelini (President of Commercial Operations), Chris Baralus (Director of Engineering), Bruce Scott (Manager) and Bruce Trupo (Foreman) will oversee all commercial projects going forward, positioning Momentum as a top player for business installations throughout the country. We lead by developing and building innovative, profitable renewable energy solutions to benefit our customers, our communities, and our world, said Sean Angelini. We are excited about bringing Momentum Solar to the next level of commercial project development and continuing to exceed all of our customers' expectations with best-in-class turnkey solutions that far exceed our competitors at every turn. Momentum Solar anticipates annualizing 40 MW installed while operations remain strictly in-house, which offsets 35 million pounds of coal. Businesses can disrupt dirty energy production while reaping the benefits of subsidized federal and state investments. Business owners are quick to promote cleaner energy like solar, said Momentum Solar CEO Arthur Souritzidis. Its important to send the right message to consumers about how we should generate our electricity. Weve expanded our commercial division to better exemplify these core values we have as a company. The ITC (Solar Investment Tax Credit) offers a 30% tax credit for commercial businesses through 2019 then that percentage will start to decline. Its encouraged to install solar now and set an example for other companies. Momentum for Business is an easy way for business owners to reach out, understand how much commercial solar panels cost, and express their interest online. About Momentum Solar Momentum Solar is a privately held solar company headquartered in Metuchen, NJ. The company is committed to making solar panels affordable, providing savings for their clients, and helping the environment. Their team of in-house professionals has an extensive wealth of knowledge in designing solar power systems for both residential and commercial properties. Momentum Solar manages the entire customer life cycle from the sale to design, permitting, installation and activation of the system to make the process simple for homeowners and business owners. For consumers, Homesnap provides a best-in-class real estate mobile app solution. For our agents, it offers easy accessibility to comprehensive real time information. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group announced that the Chicago real estate brokerage firm will offer its agents a branded version of the Homesnap Pro app this month. The company is the first major brokerage in the Chicagoland market to introduce Homesnap as a branded solution for both agents and consumers. The app is a real estate search platform that enables people to explore homes online or on mobile devices. One of the most unique features of the app is that users can take a photo of any home and immediately access information about that home, such as whether or not it is for sale. Selecting Homesnap as our mobile app was an easy decision, said Nancy Nagy, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group. She continued, We considered a number of different mobile app solutions, and Homesnap was the clear choice. In addition to features not found with other mobile apps, their reviews were significantly higher than those of competing services. For consumers, Homesnap provides a best-in-class real estate mobile app solution. For our agents, it offers easy accessibility to comprehensive real time information, which is critical for busy brokers on the go. We are extremely pleased to be able to offer this to our agents to simplify how they work with their clients. Homesnap is powered by a specialized homes database that combines hundreds of disparate sources of data. It is available for download on both Android phones and iPhones, and users can also access it from their desktop computers. Information is updated constantly and ongoing improvements ensure users satisfaction as well as a prominent position in the industry. Additional appealing features of Homesnap for consumers include a school zone search with in-depth school metrics and the ability to look at property lines and aerial views. Users can also search properties that are For Sale or For Rent. For agents, additional tools exist including an integration with ShowingTime, a program Realtors frequently use to schedule showings. About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff Realty Group is a full-service real estate firm with nearly 1,500 real estate professionals and staff in 23 offices serving customers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area, the North Shore, Western Suburban communities and Harbor Country, Michigan. Deep local roots are complemented by the extensive global reach of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the top real estate brand in the nation. Affiliated and ancillary services in the form of HomeServices Lending, Fort Dearborn Title, and Fort Dearborn Insurance complete the comprehensive services offered to clients. Visit KoenigRubloff.com. About Homesnap Homesnap is the highest-rated mobile real estate app, used by millions of consumers to explore homes and search listings. Homesnap Pro, the professional version of Homesnap, is the fastest-growing mobile app for agents -- now available to every agent in over 40 MLSs totaling over 400,000 members. Both are powered by a specialized homes database that combines MLS data, property tax records, census data, geographic boundaries and more. Aerial View of the New YANMAR America Training and Customer Experience Facility This new facility will allow us to offer proper training for all aspects of our business, while also providing premium experiences through partnerships with the local communities and industry partners. YANMAR America, a global manufacturer of advanced performance Industrial and Marine Diesel Engines and Generators; Compact Construction, Agricultural and Utility Task Vehicle equipment and gas engine based Energy Systems, is excited to announce that it has invested $20 million and acquired 50-plus acres of land in Acworth, Georgia to build a new training and customer experience facility. The new facility is slated to open in August 2017 with an official groundbreaking ceremony at the site on November 16, 2016. YANMAR is proud to continue our investment in the North American market. We believe this new property will help us support our growing dealer network and end user customers, while also broadening our companys initiatives related to our mission of creating a more sustainable future, said Takehito Yamaoka, President of YANMAR, Co., Ltd. Located within the 75 Corridor at the corner of Highway 92 and Old Alabama Road in Cherokee County, the almost 50,000 square foot facility will feature classrooms with dedicated space for each of the business product lines: industrial diesel engines and generators, commercial marine diesel engines, agriculture equipment, construction equipment, utility task vehicles and energy systems; an auditorium; museum; gift shop; cantina; office space and meeting space. Outdoor amenities will include a customer experience area for product demonstrations. We are delighted to have YANMARs state-of-the-art training facility in Cherokee. They are among several new and expanding international corporations choosing Cherokee because of our superb location and access to talent. We look forward to YANMARs success as they help to build our sustainable vision for Cherokee, said Buzz Ahrens, Cherokee County Commission Chairman. Cherokee County was a desirable location for our new facility for many reasons. The area itself offers natural beauty, and the Cherokee County officials were very welcoming and share our vision for promoting sustainability and agriculture. The sites proximity to our current headquarters in Adairsville and the Atlanta airport is also ideal for bringing in our customers from all over the globe, commented YANMAR America president Tim Fernandez on selecting a location. We want to better equip our customers to make them successful in their businesses and with the YANMAR product, continued Fernandez. This new facility will allow us to offer proper training for all aspects of our business, while also providing premium experiences through partnerships with the local communities and industry partners such as farmers markets, civic group meetings and consumer educational opportunities. Croft Architects Engineers based in Kennesaw, Georgia will design and engineer the facility. In addition, Carroll Daniel Construction from Gainesville, Georgia has been selected as the general contractor. About YANMAR America Corporation: YANMAR America Corporation, located in Adairsville, GA, is the regional headquarters of Yanmar Co., Ltd. a global company based in Osaka, Japan. Yanmar Co. Ltd., was established in 1912, and in 1933 became the world's first manufacturer to develop a practical small diesel engine. Today, YANMAR is a recognized leader in the design and manufacturing of advanced performance diesel engines and diesel-powered equipment, as well as gas engine based energy systems. YANMAR America Corporation is located at 101 International Parkway, Adairsville, GA 30103. For more information, please visit yanmar.com/us. The Breakthrough Prize today announced the top 30 student semifinalists in the second annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, and kicked off the Popular Vote portion of the global competition, posting all videos online for public review at https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughPrize. The 30 semifinalists represent the top submissions after two rounds of judging: first, a mandatory peer review, followed by an evaluation panel of Khan Academy judges. The 30 semifinalists hail from around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, Indonesia, Peru, Venezuela, Australia, Brazil, Russian Federation, Costa Rica, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, the Philippines, and Singapore. More than 6,000 entries from 146 countries were received in the 2016 installment of the global competition for science and math students, designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, or mathematics. All 30 semifinalists will compete in the Popular Vote contest, open until Wednesday, November 9 at 11:59 PM PT. The Popular Vote contest invites the public to vote for their favorite semifinalist submission at https://www.facebook.com/BreakthroughPrize. Votes can be cast by liking, sharing, or issuing a positive reaction to the videos on the official Breakthrough Prize Facebook page. The top scorer in the Popular Vote challenge will receive automatic entry into the finalist round, which will be revealed on Thursday, November 10. The finalists will be reviewed by the Selection Committee, comprised of Breakthrough Prize laureates; author and educator Lucy Hawking; Dr. Mae Jemison, science literacy expert, former astronaut, and Principal, 100 Year Starship; and Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Gene and The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, among others. The winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will be announced at the 2017 Breakthrough Prize ceremony in early December, and will be awarded a $250,000 scholarship. The science teacher who inspired the winning student will win $50,000. The winners school will also receive a state-of-the-art science lab valued at $100,000. For the second year, students ages 13-18 were invited to create original videos (up to five minutes in length) that illustrated a concept or theory in the physical or life sciences. The submissions were evaluated on the students ability to communicate complex scientific ideas in the most engaging, illuminating, and imaginative ways. Last years winning submission was from 18-year-old Ryan Chester, of North Royalton High School, Ohio. Ryans video, titled Some Cool Ways to Understand the Special Theory of Relativity and What it Means About Time, explored Albert Einsteins theory of special relativity and was noted by judges for its humor and personality. The video was similarly popular among Ryans peers, and received close to four million online views. In September, Ryan enrolled at Harvard University. Breakthrough Junior Challenge is funded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, and Yuri and Julia Milner, through the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, based on a grant from Mark Zuckerbergs fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and a grant from the Milner Global Foundation. Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a global initiative to develop and demonstrate young peoples knowledge of science and scientific principles; generate excitement in these fields; support STEM career choices; and engage the imagination and interest of the public-at-large in key concepts of fundamental science. The Breakthrough Prize Founded in 2012 by Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, the Breakthrough Prize is an annual award honoring outstanding achievements in life sciences, physics and mathematics. The prize aims to celebrate scientists and generate excitement about the pursuit of science as a career. Laureates of each prize are chosen by the respective Selection Committee comprised of previous recipients of the prize. In November 2014, two of its founders, Yuri Milner and Mark Zuckerberg, announced the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize for up-and-coming mathematicians, to run alongside the existing New Horizons in Physics Prize. For more information on the Breakthrough Prizes: http://www.breakthroughprize.org. Partners The Khan Academy Khan Academy is a nonprofit with a mission to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. We believe learners of all ages should have unlimited access to free educational content they can master at their own pace. We use intelligent software, deep data analytics and intuitive user interfaces to help students and teachers around the world. Our resources cover preschool through early college education, including math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, finance, history, grammar and more. We offer free personalized SAT test prep in partnership with the test developer, the College Board. Khan Academy has been translated into dozens of languages, and 100 million people use our platform worldwide every year. For more information, visit http://www.khanacademy.org, join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @khanacademy. And remember, you can learn anything. The Breakthrough Prize Lab for the winning students school is designed by and in partnership with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). Established in 1890, CSHL has shaped contemporary biomedical research and education. Its New York campus boasts 1100 faculty, students and employees and hosts over 12,000 visiting scientists each year for world-renowned conferences and courses. CSHLs DNA Learning Center is the worlds largest provider of student lab instruction in molecular genetics and teacher training. Materials and methods developed by the DNA Learning Center are accessible for free through more than 20 award-winning educational websites. The Laboratorys education arm also includes an academic publishing house, a science policy think tank and a graduate program in biological sciences. Visit http://www.cshl.edu. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge has also partnered with National Geographic to help reach science and math enthusiasts, educators, and students around the globe. The National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Cable Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Contact For press inquiries only, please contact: Janet Wootten, jwootten(at)rubenstein(dot)com Direct: +1-212-843-8024 Kristen Bothwell, kbothwell(at)rubenstein(dot)com Direct: +1-212-843-9227 Mario Massillamany Mario Massillamany, partner at Massillamany & Jeter LLP, has been made aware that a growing number of Hoosiers are being defrauded out their hard earned cash. While the average individual would prefer not to have to serve on Jury Duty and receive a summons to appear for Jury Duty, con artists are preying on these emotions. In the Southern District of Indiana citizens are being targeted by phone. An individual calls identifying themselves as a Federal Agent and begins to put pressure on the victim to satisfy the situation immediately. The perpetrators identify themselves as individuals that are associated with federal agencies or a federal warrant service. They claim that an arrest warrant has been issued for failure to appear. The perpetrators then instruct the victim that they may avoid being arrested if they simply pay a fine. Victims of this scam are being asked to pay thousands of dollars in fines. They require that the victim pays over the phone via debit card, PayPal, or alternative method. Massillamany & Jeter LLP wants you to be careful of these scams. The number one identifier that is fraudulent activity is the absence of a summons. Legitimate notice for Jury Duty will come from an official court summons and delivered via U.S.P.S. Law enforcement agencies do not attempt to satisfy fines via telephone for failure to appear for jury duty. No Law enforcement agency will seek or ask an individual to provide personal information via telephone. Individuals who miss jury duty may be contacted by the Clerks Office but may be ordered to appear before a judge, not penalized and expected to pay a fine over the phone. This can be verified by contacting the United States District Court Clerks Office at 317-229-3700. If an individual has been contacted by someone that has requested such payments, they are also encouraged to contact the District Court Clerks Office and notify them that they may have been targeted for juror fraud. Individuals are also encouraged to contract the Marion County Prosecutors Office at 317-327-5600. Massillamany & Jeter LLP is a full-service law firm based in Hamilton County but serving the entire State of Indiana. Mario Massillamany began his career as a public interest lawyer, serving his community at the local, state, and national level. Mario served as a deputy prosecutor and general counsel in Marion County. Following his years in public service, Mario had a nationwide practice while working for Indianas largest law firm, and one of the top 100 largest firms in the country. In 2015, he joined forces with Chris Jeter to start Massillamany & Jeter LLP. The firm focuses its practice in the areas of personal injury, criminal defense, corporate law, civil litigation, family law, estate planning, appeals and government services. The Firm has offices in Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville, Plainfield, Greenwood, and Lawrence. For more information, please visit http://www.mjattorneys.com or visit us on social media: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mjattorneys Twitter: @massjeter www.coherix.com Im proud to see Coherix has remained strong through the hard economic times since 2008, and the achievements we made in recent years. Looking forward, Im confident of an outstanding year ahead and an IPO in the future. Coherix, Inc., a global leader in Three-Dimensional (3D) Machine Vision, today hosted a celebration for the companys thirteenth anniversary. This is an exciting time for Coherix and every team member. Im proud to see Coherix has remained strong through the hard economic times since 2008, and the achievements we made in recent years, said Dwight Carlson, CEO and Chairman of Coherix, in his toast to the whole team. Looking forward, Im confident of an outstanding year ahead and an IPO in the future. Founded on October 30, 2003, Coherix has grown into an industry leader in supplying high-speed, high-definition error proofing solutions to customers over the 13 years. The past year was a fulfilling year for Coherix, as the company introduced two major product lines: Predator3D, which is the most advanced adhesive and sealant bead inspection system, and Robust3D error proofing for assembly verification. The company also established its China Joint Venture and Germany GmbH last year. Currently Coherix serves the automotive, semiconductor, electronics and general manufacturing industries with three major product lines: Predator3D, Robust3D, and ShaPix3D (measurement of critical mating surfaces). It is aggressively expanding its global footprint to provide support to customers around the world. About Coherix, Inc. Coherix, Inc. develops and manufactures high-speed, high-definition 3D machine vision products that enable our customers to manage high-volume precision manufacturing processes. Coherix products are designed for inspection and error-proofing in the automotive, semiconductor, and electronics industries. Coherix is committed to producing the highest performing 3D machine vision products at the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. Coherix customers and partners include global end users, system integrators, and distributors, who demand 100 percent reliability that Coherix products provide. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company has offices in the United States, China, Germany, Singapore, and Japan. Your gift helped stretch our dollars and to make the dream a reality. Imagination Playground, LLCcreators of the breakthrough Big Blue Blocks that encourage child-directed, unstructured free playannounced today that so far this year theyve reached 2,493,372 children with creative block play. Thats only 506,628 shy of their goal of reaching 3 million more children in 2016. Driving their momentum is their Gift of Play programan unprecedented offer of 20% off to schools that value the benefits of creative play, but are unable to acquire an Imagination Playground without help. Past research shows that 80% of schools that know of Imagination Playground want a set of Big Blue Blocks for their children. So in most cases, the only obstacle preventing school children from experiencing creative block play is funding. Imagination Playground President Dave Krishock says Gift of Play is succeeding because its tailored specifically to address this need. Through many years of working closely with educators, we understand. The heartfelt desire is there, but they might not have the necessary funding. So, with this gift were gladly helping them help their children play, said Krishock. Imagination Playground first offered the Gift of Play in 2015, in response to many educators who asked the company for help. Since the company relaunched the program in 2016, 340 new schools have accepted, and Imagination Playground has received many expressions of thanks from educators. Among the grateful educators is Jenny OSullivan, K-5 STEAM Lab Instructor at A.D. Henderson University School in Florida. She said, After years of thinking that Imagination Playground blocks would be a great addition to our playground, we were finally able to buy blocks thanks to a grant from our local chamber of commerce. Your gift helped stretch our dollars and to make the dream a reality. Deb Winn, Program Coordinator at the Children's Healing Center in Michigan said Gift of Play helped bring a new add-on set to their existing Imagination Playground. We already had an Imagination Playground and the kids just love it. We use it for science activities, obstacle courses, and building days. Its really a favorite. We were looking at what we could do to make it a little different, and we decided we wanted the add-on Angle set. Without your gift, we probably wouldnt have afforded to purchase it, so thank you. Schools (and Family Centers) interested in learning more about Imagination Playground and the Gift of Play program are encouraged to call 1-678-604-7466, email ContactUs(at)ImaginationPlayground(dot)org or visit http://www.imaginationplayground.com/promotions/gift-of-play.html About Imagination Playground, LLC Imagination Playground is a breakthrough play space concept developed to encourage child-directed, creative free play. The kind of play that experts say is critical to childrens intellectual, social, physical and emotional development. Created by architect and designer David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, Imagination Playground enables children to play, dream, build and explore endless possibilities. Imagination Playground finds its home in daycare centers, kindergartens, elementary schools, childrens museumsand science, nature, discovery centers, camps, community centers, childrens hospitals, hotels, public parks and morein North America and over 60 countries overseas. For more information, visit http://www.imaginationplayground.com BVoIP, The MSP Communications Platform announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized BVoIP in its 2016 Cloud Computing Partner Program Guide, a list of leading technology vendors with cloud-related partner programs that enable and accelerate the growth of solution providers' cloud initiatives. The CRN 2016 Cloud Computing Partner Program Guide serves as a valuable resource for solution providers navigating the booming cloud marketplace, helping them to identify technology suppliers that offer innovative cloud solutions and partner programs. To qualify for participation in the Cloud Partner Program Guide, technology vendors must have a unique set of partner program benefits for solution providers that deliver cloud infrastructure or applications. For channel partners, active support for their cloud-based solutions is more critical than ever, said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. CRNs 2016 Cloud Computing Partner Program Guide recognizes vendors that provide excellent resources, training and financial incentives for cloud, doing their best to help partners make the most of this now foundational practice area. We congratulate all the innovative, forward-looking companies on the 2016 list and invite the solution provider community to take full advantage of this terrific resource for finding the right cloud vendors to partner with. BVoIPs MSP Partner Program is strategically designed to help IT and MSPs adopt a Unified Communications Platform that they can deploy internally and then offer as part of their IT or Technology stack for their end customers. BVoIP not only delivers a white glove approach to onboarding and training the MSP but also create tremendous value in the MSP being able to tailor the package for their customers without having to be locked in on specific technology, terms, or carrier options. We are thrilled to be considered and accepted to CRNs Cloud Partner Program Guide. Being Channel Only and coming from an MSP background we understand the things that IT and MSPs are looking for in a channel partner. We also understand the requirements necessary to successfully adopt and deliver a new service and make sure to position our partners so that they can win. We are here to offer a great path for our partners to not only check a box off the list of things they offer but to also generate a true profit center for their businesses, said George Bardissi, President and CEO of BVoIP. The Cloud Partner Program Guide will be featured in the October issue of CRN and can be viewed online at http://www.crn.com/cloud-ppg. About BVoIP BVoIP helps IT and Managed Service Providers attack voice and unified communications worldwide. Having come out of the MSP space, BVoIP designed its program to not only automate how MSPs interact with their existing systems and tools but to also assist MSPs with an offering to standardize their Unified Communications offering to their customers. BVoIP has built integration with MSP industry solutions from Autotask, ConnectWise, ConnectBooster, DeskDirector, BrightGauge, JoomConnect, and others. BVoIP is currently available in North America, Europe, and the Australian / New Zealand Regions. For more information please visit http://www.bvoip.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. About the Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelco.com Melanie Turpin The Channel Company (508) 416-1195 ### We are proud to say that all of our LED light bars are made in the United States Bulldog Lighting will be attending the 50th anniversary of The SEMA Show in Las Vegas during the first weekend of November. Specialty-equipment manufacturers in the automotive industry will head to Sin City for a weekend that will showcase the latest inventions to more than 140,000 industry leaders from around the world. Within the chaos of visitors from an expected 130 countries at The SEMA Show, Bulldog Lighting will represent America with their newest LED lighting solution: The Bulldog Claw. Attendees at The SEMA Show who visit the Bulldog Lighting booth will have the opportunity to see the Claw in action, as well as many other LED lighting systems. The Bulldog Claw is Bulldog Lightings version of an extremely versatile accessory light. With the 3M adhesive mounts or hardware mount, the Claw can be placed almost anywhere, allowing owners to put light where it is needed. Measuring in at 2"x1.5, the Claw can fit in extremely tight spaces, and the housing allows the wiring to come out through the side of the housing or through the back with no additional parts necessary. The Claw also uses a track style wiring system, giving drivers the ability to add additional Claws to a vehicle by easily splicing them onto the existing wiring harness. Owners can add up to 20 Claws onto one wiring harness. They are also 100 percent waterproof with a rating of IP69K since they are completely sealed, which makes them perfect for marine applications or even applications where they are exposed to the elements. The Claw isnt the only important thing attendees can learn about Bulldog Lighting at The SEMA Show. In a place surrounded by international visitors and manufacturers, American citizens can relish in Bulldogs American Pride. We are proud to say that all of our LED light bars are made in the United States, said Dylan Sievers, Chief Executive Officer of Bulldog Lighting. Sievers goes on to explain the variety of locations in the United States that come together and create the specialty lights. The fixtures are designed and engineered in Bulldog Lightings corporate location in San Carlos, Calif., and built in the production location in Fort Worth, Texas. Components for fixtures are sourced from many states using raw materials that come from this country. American workers across the country are employed at numerous factories that produce parts for the fixtures. Aluminum heatsinks come from an extrusion company in Texas along with the aluminum die-cast parts. PCBs are cut in Illinois along with the custom screws. Final fabrication of the PCBs is done in California with the rubber extruded gasket. The reflectors are injection molded in Wisconsin, and the brackets are cut, bent, and powder coated in Utah. Our mission is to continually develop durable, affordable, and Made In USA lighting products that we can stand behind, said Sievers. Our superior customer service, extensive research and development, and quality control, allow us to be here to help you our customers! Attendees of The SEMA Show are invited to keep in touch with Bulldog Lighting during the event by following their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BulldogLighting/ About Bulldog Lighting: Bulldog Lighting is your U.S. source for premium LED lighting solutions without the premium price point. They produce Made in the United States products that come with a Lifetime Warranty and the customer service team to support customers through install and use of their products. Bulldog Lighting offers multiple lighting lines available with spot, flood, combo and diffused optic patterns to give offroad enthusiasts the most light possible where its needed. To learn more about Bulldog Lighting, visit their website: http://www.bulldogledlighting.com/ Cynopsis Media announced the call for entries for the third annual Social Good Awards, honoring everything from sustainability partnerships and PSAs to diversity campaigns, voter registration programs, environmental initiatives, and more. Cynopsis is now accepting entries through December 8. Winners will be announced at a special awards event in the spring of 2017 in New York City. We know that our community is a vibrant group of engaged professionals and are also civic-minded citizens and want to give back to the public through their profession, said Roberta Caploe, Cynopsis Publisher. We want to recognize that allegiance. With a panel of judges wholl benchmark excellence in the area of social good in the media industry, we will be honoring everything from sustainability partnerships and PSAs to diversity campaigns, environmental initiatives and more. Presented by Cynopsis, the industry's most-read and trusted brand,the awards are open to all individuals and teams worldwide. The eligibility period is November 1, 2015 - November 30, 2016. (Enter Online Now) Spanning the spectrum of television, radio, and online platforms, the category list encompasses every aspect including innovative linear TV, top digital content, savvy marketing, and more. To see the complete list of categories, go to the award webpage. Entry deadline is Thursday, December 8, 2016. In addition to the awards event celebration in 2017, winners and honorable mentions will be profiled in a special edition of Cynopsis. For entry questions, contact Sarah Martinez at sarah(at)cynopsis(dot)com. For advertising or sponsorship information, contact VP of Sales & Marketing Mike Farina at mike(at)cynopsis(dot)com. About Cynopsis Media: Cynopsis is what the TV industry reads first every day. The Cynopsis family of products includes the media industry's most-read daily, Cynopsis, plus sister dailies Cynopsis Digital and Cynopsis Sports, the Cynopsis Jobs board and special reports. Serving TV, agency and brand professionals, Cynopsis Media produces conferences, webinars, and awards programs that are second to none. Find out more at cynopsis.com. ## Connecting these groups with national and regional venture capitalists, IP professionals and other industry organizations will ensure they are working with the best resources available as they solve the health and economic challenges that face Louisiana. New Orleans BioInnovation Center, a leading statewide science and technology innovation incubator, today announced its fourth annual Innovation Louisiana 2016 events. The three-day summit includes prominent biotech keynote addresses and panel sessions, as well as the marquee event, the BioChallenge Competition, a free pitch competition showcasing four Louisiana-based health and biotech startups. The summits mission is to connect the innovators emerging from the state with researchers and industry experts nationwide in order to develop breakthrough technologies that will revolutionize healthcare in Louisiana and around the world. At The Michael J. Fox Foundation, we proactively seek out new research and approaches to benefit people with Parkinsons disease everywhere and were seeing many of these innovations come out of the Gulf Coast, said Rachel Rimsky, associate director of research partnerships and keynote speaker. Im honored to speak at the conference and connect the states entrepreneurs with our national research community, ultimately providing them with the resources they need to positively impact the healthcare industry. Louisiana ranks last in the nation on numerous health indicators, but a growing entrepreneurial movement in the state is actively working to improve care and develop new disease treatments. The BioChallenge Pitch Competition helps accelerate this process by bringing attention to the innovation being done in the state and connecting these entrepreneurs with mentors and investors. The competition features four Louisiana startups that will pitch their companies to a panel of national investors and industry experts and compete for over $50,000 in cash and investment prizes. The finalists are: Carre BioDiagnostics (New Orleans) aims to diagnose cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease patients to intervene earlier and prevent heart attacks. Chosen Diagnostics (New Orleans) is improving healthcare delivery for patients by personalizing their treatment, beginning with a test to diagnose a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease in preterm infants. Grapheno (Shreveport) develops innovative graphene solutions, which protect sensitive electronics from harmful and unnecessary electromagnetic radiation. Segue Therapeutics (Shreveport) has uncovered possible new treatments for pancreatic cancer by focusing on repurposed drugs, or the application of approved drugs to new disease indications. With over $650 million invested into research and development at the states academic institutions each year, were committed to bringing entrepreneurs and university researchers together to one single event. Connecting these groups with national and regional venture capitalists, IP professionals and other industry organizations will ensure they are working with the best resources available as they solve the health and economic challenges that face Louisiana, says Aaron Miscenich, president of the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Innovation Louisiana 2016 does this by showcasing both Louisianas advanced research as well as its startups in one place, helping to create new collaborations and develop technologies more quickly to impact patients and the healthcare system. In addition, the summit includes a public showcase of pioneering university research in health, engineering and more from nine institutions across the state. Sponsors for Innovation Louisiana 2016 include JPMorgan Chase & Co., the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Baker Donelson and The Conafay Group. For more information on the BioInnovation Center and to register for the Innovation Louisiana Conference, click here. To register for the free Louisiana University Technology Showcase and BioChallenge Pitch Competition, click here. For live updates on all the action, follow @NewOrleansBio, #InnovationLA and #BioChallenge About the New Orleans BioInnovation Center Opened in 2011, the New Orleans BioInnovation Center is a not-for-profit business incubator that fosters entrepreneurship and supports life sciences technology innovation across Louisiana. The Center offers office and lab space, educational events, business consulting, and the BioFund capital program to emerging startups as they work to bring new technologies to market. From cancer treatment to water management, these startups include diagnostic tools, drugs, medical devices, health IT platforms and clean technologies with great promise for addressing a wide range of medical and environmental problems. The Centers programs have supported more than 125 new Louisiana companies that have created over 350 jobs. Learn more at http://www.neworleansbio.com and follow us on Twitter @NewOrleansBio. Pars Equality Center Logo Our aim is to empower the next generation through community, careers and connections. On Tuesday, November 8, 2016, Pars Equality Center (PEC)the leading non-profit organization providing social, legal and community services to the Iranian-American communitypresents an event by Pars Generation+, the new program for supporting and connecting the next generation (ages 21 40) of Iranian Americans. Pars Generation+ hosts an Art & Culture Mixer on Election Day 2016 at the Cambria Gallery, located at 1045 Bryant Street in San Francisco, from 6:00 9:00 p.m. As young professionals and community leaders network, they will view the Iran Unveiled exhibit, as well as works by renowned Persian artists Elham Ashrafi and Keyvan Shovir. Persian cuisine by Chef Naz Afarin Mahini and Komaaj Catering will be served, while Election results will be viewable on an HD TV monitor. Special guests to be announced. This is a ticketed event, 21+, and guests can register on Eventbrite. PEC founder and executive director Bita Daryabari says, Its important to connect the young generations of Iranians to each other culturally and bring the community together. We want to eliminate any potential gaps between our kids that are born here and the new ones that are coming here as immigrants. They need to get to know each other, and integration is the most important part of our work at Pars Equality Center. Managing director Sepideh Nasiri, a serial entrepreneur and the former vice president at Women 2.0, conceived Pars Generation+ in October 2015 and launched in May 2016. She has assembled an impressive Advisory Board, including Elnaz Eilkhani (executive director, Iranican Inc.), philanthropist Mahnaz Milani Baladi, attorney Nima Rahimi, Shadi Rezvan (senior manager of Services and Transformation, Twitter) and Navid Shahdi (engineering manager, Oculus/Facebook). Nasiri says, Our aim is to empower the next generation through community, careers and connections. Pars Generation+ acts as a catalyst for social, cultural and economic integration of Iranians and Persian speaking communities to achieve their highest potential, stay connected and share their Iranian heritage." The Generation+ Program launched in May 2016 with a special performance by renowned musical performer Rana Mansour. Other recent events include an August mixer at Barbarossa Lounge and a September career fair at Galvanize. Election Day Art & Culture Mixer Highlights: "Iran Unveiled" Exhibit: A collective photo project that explores the country of Iran up-close and personal through the lens of nine Iranian photographers who reside in Iran and the United States. Works by Elham Ashrafi: Elham is a recognized painter and muralist who has been a well-regarded artist, as well as a manager of art galleries in Tehran. Her unique murals are installed in commercial and residential buildings in Iran and her paintings have been exhibited at multiple exhibitions. Works by Kevin Shovir / CK1: CK1 is an Iranian visual and graffiti artist pioneer. He explores Iranian root culture poets like Hafez and Rumi with the use of Persian alphabet/Islamic art motifs in his work. He was among the first artists that established the Iranian graffiti movement that emerged in Tehran in 2002. CK1 moved to San Francisco in 2011 where he has done many street and public art projects, such as the Clarion Alley mural project, SFMTA and the Chinese Culture Center project with Justin Hoover and Shaghayegh Cyrous. Cuisine by Naz Afarin (Affie) Mahini: A full-time Persian Chef at one of largest Bay Area Corporations and former Cafe Pomegranate owner. Cuisine by Komaaj: Recognized for bringing Gilaki Cuisine from Northern Mountains of Iran to the Bay Area and the world through pop-up events and catering. Gilaki food is a celebration of the richness and diversity of this remarkable Caspian region and the culinary heritage of its distinct population. The Iranian city of Rasht gets UNESCOs recognition as one of the best places in the world in Gastronomy. To learn about sponsorship/partnership or how to get involved with Pars Generation+, please email parsgenerationplus(at)parsequalitycenter(dot)org. To become a mentor or mentee, please fill out the online Registration Form. About Pars Generation+ Managing director Sepideh Nasiri conceived Pars Generation+ in October 2015 and launched in May 2016. Nasiri, a serial entrepreneur and the former vice president at Women 2.0, saw a gap in her community for the 21 40 demographic, so she approached Pars Equality Center to create a solution. Pars Generation+ is now the glue that brings the next generation of Iranian Americans together as individuals and organizations through community, careers and connections. The organization provides the younger generation of Iranians, both American-born and immigrants, with career mentors, peer mentors and career opportunities. Pars Generation+ acts as a catalyst for social, cultural and economic integration of Iranians and Persian speaking communities to achieve their highest potential, stay connected and share their Iranian heritage. About Pars Equality Center Founded in 2010 by renowned entrepreneur and humanitarian Bita Daryabari, the Pars Equality Center (PEC) is the first non-profit organization of its kind, supporting the full integration of people of Persian (Iranian) origin in the United States. PEC provides social and legal support for all members of the Iranian-American community, including refugees, immigrants and the American-born. The Center advocates for more positive perceptions of Persians in the U.S. media, while offering services and programs that help establish, integrate and support Iranian-Americans so that they are able to function responsibly and productively in American society. Daryabaris aim is to create a more just and compassionate community in which Iranians of all cultures and beliefs participate. PEC is headquartered in the San Jose-based Daryabari Iranian Community Center, which opened in April 2015, making it the first and most comprehensive non-profit legal, social and community support center providing direct services to Iranians in the United States. Additional PEC offices are also located in Menlo Park, Los Angeles and Orange County. Popular programs include the Silver Club for the 55+ demographic, while Generation+ is aimed at the younger generation, ages 21 to 40. Links: Untitled (Rotunda -University of Virginia) Scrapbook U of V, 1912-1914 Georgia OKeeffe Watercolor on paper 11 7/8 x 9 (30.16 x 22.86) Georgia OKeeffe Museum Gift of The Georgia OKeeffe Foundation ( This suite of watercolors demonstrates OKeeffes early adaptation of new ideas, said Curator Carolyn Kastner. The Georgia OKeeffe Museum is pleased to announce that on Friday, November 4, a new installation of OKeeffes early watercolors will be on view at the Museum. Created by the artist while a student at the University of Virginia from 1912-1914, the watercolors have never been exhibited. OKeeffes watercolors are among the Museums great treasures because they demonstrate her early and immediate attraction to the ideas of modernism and abstraction. This exhibition presents some of OKeeffes earliest investigation of the ideas of simplified and refined compositions. No longer interested in mere representation, she begins to interpret her environment by experimenting with alternative configurations of flattened shapes. The works show her dramatic shift to and adoption of the ideas of modernism in 1912 when she took a summer course taught by Alon Bement at the University of Virginia. He introduced her to the revolutionary ideas of his colleague Arthur Wesley Dow, who encouraged artists to use their imagination and explore self-expression, instead of creating literal representations of their worlds. The watercolors from UVA will complement galleries exploring OKeeffes early artistic growth.This suite of watercolors demonstrates OKeeffes early adaptation of new ideas, said Curator Carolyn Kastner. We are pleased to present these paintings, which have never been exhibited before, to offer additional insight into the OKeeffes professional development. As OKeeffe embarked on her career, she continued to simplify and strengthen her work by boldly experimenting with composition, scale, and varying degrees of abstraction. As part of the Museums continual refreshing of the galleries, also beginning on Friday, November 4, will be a new display featuring time-lapse photography of the spectacular views from OKeeffes home at Ghost Ranch, a former dude ranch located on 21,000 acres of high desert landscape 65 miles northwest of Santa Fe. Looking south to the distant blue mountain, known as the Cerro Pedernal (Flint Hill), and north to the nearby red and yellow cliffs, it is easy to imagine how she was inspired to paint the ever-changing panorama she experienced daily. The watercolors and time-lapse photography installations will be on view at the Georgia OKeeffe Museum through the summer of 2017. For media inquiries, please contact: Suzanne OLeary JLH Media 505.490.9116 suzanne(at)jlhmedia(dot)com ### ABOUT THE GEORGIA OKEEFFE MUSEUM: To inspire all current and future generations, the Georgia OKeeffe Museum preserves, presents and advances the artistic legacy of Georgia OKeeffe and modernism through innovative public engagement, education, and research. Opened in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1997, the Museum counts OKeeffes two New Mexico homes as part of its extended collection. The Museums collections, exhibitions, research center, publications and educational programs contribute to scholarly discourse and serve a diverse audience. For more information, please visit okeeffemuseum.org. Orvis Phoenix The Orvis Phoenix retail store will celebrate its Grand Opening November 4 6 at 2011 East Camelback Road. The store is relocating from its previous Scottsdale address, and customers will find all the same staff on hand to meet their needs. As part of its commitment to protecting the environment, Orvis will donate a portion of all proceeds from Grand Opening Weekend sales to the White Mountains Lakes Foundation and the Zane Grey chapter of Trout Unlimited. Throughout the weekend customers can enter a drawing for a $500 Orvis Gift Card, and receive a complimentary reusable Orvis Tote Bag while supplies last. On Saturday guests will enjoy free refreshments catered by Chef Michael DeMaria from 11 am to 2 pm. The Sonoran Dogs will provide live music from noon to 3 pm. Commemorative Orvis Phoenix Pint Glasses will be distributed while supplies last. While Orvis has enjoyed great success in Scottsdale, relocating to Phoenix represents an opportunity to be closer to the Central Business District. This is a much more convenient location for a large concentration of our customers, said Orvis Director of Real Estate Jason Williams. Orvis fans will find the new store to be a more contemporary design, with high ceilings, large format imagery, and the kind of natural building materials that appeal to our customers love of the outdoors. We greatly look forward to sharing this beautiful new space with our new neighbors and old friends. About The Orvis Company: Founded in 1856, Orvis pioneered the mail order industry in the United States, operates more than 80 retail stores in the U.S and the U.K., including its Flagship store in Manchester, VT; and maintains a network of over 400 dealers worldwide. The oldest continuously operating catalog company in the country, Orvis is the premier outfitter of outdoor adventures. A leading corporate steward for the environment, Orvis contributes 5% of its pre-tax profits to protecting nature. Learn more at http://www.orvis.com. Dean and Lyle Defrees Our family has had a passion for our land and conservation for generations, said Lyle DeFrees. Today, the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) announced the 2016 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award, will go to the Defrees family of northeast Oregon. Father and son duo, Lyle and Dean Defrees, along with their family, Sharon Defrees, Dallas Hall, Riley Hall, Nathan Defrees, Jess Defrees, Tyler Defrees and Max Patashnik, have been protecting their forested land, the wildlife habitat it provides, and the water supply that runs through it, for more than 100 years. Were truly honored to be chosen as the National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, said Lyle Defrees. Our family has had a passion for our land and conservation for generations. Most everything we do is to protect our land from fire so it can continue to provide for us, the wildlife in our region, and our fellow Oregonians. We joined ATFS in 1980 because we wanted to be a part of a community of other forest owners that share our interest, where we could learn from them, as well as share our own experiences and help others. The Defrees Tree Farm is located in northeast Oregon, a region of the state prone to intense wildfires that have consumed both forest and homes, and affected the watersheds that supply the communities of the state with their drinking water. The Defrees experienced ones of these wildfires firsthand when the Huckleberry Forest Fire of 1986 burned 500 acres of their 2,000-acre Tree Farm. Devastated by the effects, the Defrees committed to protecting their forest and all that it provides from future loss. They spent the initial years after the fire replanting the acres lost, running into challenges that added to their workload seedlings were hard to come by and a bark beetle infestation took over sections of their forest. Yet the Defrees persevered, using the ATFS network to seek out advice, connect with experts, and gain more knowledge on forest management. They spent decades building and maintaining defensible fire lanes, thinning their forest to reduce the fuel load that can feed wildfires, and keeping their creek and stream banks well planted to curtail erosion and preserve water quality. With the high costs of this forest management, they would not have been able to do this work without the support of cost-share dollars from National Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). All of the Defrees work has resulted in a tremendous impact on the ground a fire resilient forest, needed wildlife habitat, healthy creeks and waterways and more. In addition, the Defrees, as part of ATFS, have been active in their community, mentoring other landowners on the importance of forest management to get ahead of wildfire. They have participated in state advocacy, presented at ATFS events and hosted groups on their land. The Defrees family showcases the impact family forest owners can have, when they are able to overcome barriers, said Tom Martin, President and CEO of the American Forest Foundation, the forest conservation organization that houses the ATFS program. We have found through our work in the West that landowners want to do the right thing to protect our natural resources, but need help with expertise and cost. Through ATFS and our placed-based work, we are helping landowners overcome these barriers, so we can have more landowners like the Defrees keeping our forests healthy and providing Americans with the clean water, clean air, wood supplies they count on. Each year, ATFS, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary, recognizes four Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers out of the 74,000 Tree Farmers nationwide. This years regional awardees include Bobby Watkins of Mississippi; Jug Kann of Wisconsin; and the Eve-Cowles family, of Massachusetts, in addition to the Defrees family. Awardees have been selected for their dedication and work over the years to protect and provide sustainable wood supplies, wildlife habitat and clean water on their Tree Farms, as well their efforts to promote forest stewardship in the community. The AFF governance and the ATFS community select a National awardee from among the Regional awardees. The Defrees family lives a land ethic that predates the 75 year legacy of the American Tree Farm System, said Scott Hayes, Chair of the Oregon Tree Farm System. For over a century they have practiced sustainable forest and cattle management. Their storybook tale is about pioneering the West, with a foundation built on family and land. They truly are National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. The Defrees family will be honored along with the Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year on December 6, at a reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the program. This years Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year award is made possible thanks in part to the generous support of Weyerhaeuser. DRB Financial Solutions, LLC is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, USClaims (http://www.usclaims.com), again has been voted a top service provider by the readers of The Legal Intelligencer in the publications Best of 2016 survey. The firm earned the gold title of top Case Funding Provider, making it the seventh consecutive year that USClaims has placed in the top tier. The Legal Intelligencers Best of survey asks readers to vote for the best providers of products and services to Pennsylvanias legal community in more than 40 categories. The results were published in the Best of 2016 issue on Oct. 31, 2016. The Legal Intelligencer is the oldest and most respected daily legal journal in the country. This honor is the direct result of our commitment to our clients, said Darryl Levine, Founder and President of USClaims. Our team works every day to offer the best legal funding solutions to plaintiffs, giving their attorneys the time they need to work for fair resolutions to their cases. Founded in 1996, USClaims is the longest continuously operating pre-settlement funding company in the United States. The firm operates by purchasing a portion of the anticipated proceeds of a legal claim and is paid only if the plaintiff wins the case or receives a settlement. In 2014, the firm was acquired by Florida-based specialty finance company DRB Financial Solutions, LLC, a move that has enabled USClaims to assist more customers than ever before. About USClaims: USClaims (http://www.usclaims.com) provides non-recourse financial support to personal injury victims, some of whom may have suffered catastrophic injuries from defective products, unsafe premises, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of accidents. A longtime member of the industry trade group the American Legal Finance Association (ALFA), USClaims supports injured plaintiffs and their attorneys by purchasing a portion of the anticipated recovery, thereby providing the injured plaintiff the means to pay bills and endure the often long and arduous litigation process. About DRB Financial Solutions, LLC: DRB Financial is a leading purchaser of structured settlement and annuity payments and other types of contractual cash flows through its US Claims, DRB Capital (http://www.drbcapital.com), CRG Financial (http://www.crgfinancial.com), and OptiMed Funding (http://www.optimedfunding.com) brands. ASPCA Documentary "Second Chance Dogs" available on Netflix Watching this process unfold in Second Chance Dogs helps people understand that we can change the fate of these animals when we understand the possibilities and commit ourselves to that goal. - Matthew Bershadker, ASPCA President and CEO The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) today announces the digital release of its documentary Second Chance Dogs, on Netflix. The documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center and follows six dogs rescued from cruel conditions and given new hope for happy lives. Through innovative therapies and dedication to recovery, behavior experts at the ASPCA's Behavioral Rehabilitation Center help these vulnerable and victimized dogs become suitable for adoption. Animals traumatized and betrayed by abuse and neglect are still at risk when adoption is not yet appropriate, but programs like the Behavioral Rehabilitation Center help rebuild their trust so they can be placed in safe and loving homes, said Matthew Bershadker, President and CEO of the ASPCA. Watching this process unfold in Second Chance Dogs helps people understand that we can change the fate of these animals when we understand the possibilities and commit ourselves to that goal. Launched in March 2013, the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation Center at St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison, N.J., is the first-ever facility dedicated to providing behavioral rehabilitation to canine victims of neglect and cruelty, such as those confiscated from puppy mills and hoarding cases. Dogs admitted to the center undergo an intensive rehabilitation regimen, with the goal of improving their well-being and helping them become suitable for adoption. To date, the center has worked with more than 300 homeless dogs from various backgrounds, many of whom have already been adopted through the ASPCA's network of rescue groups and shelters across the country. Dogs who come through our Rehab Center have experienced so much pain and suffering at the hands of humans, and they've never had a chance to live their lives as pets, said Kristen Collins, senior director of ASPCA Anti-Cruelty Behavior Rehabilitation. By implementing behavior treatments based on sound scientific principles, were able to help the vast majority of these dogs overcome their fears and become comfortable with normal pet activities like walking on a leash, enjoy petting, and playing with toys. We hope animal lovers across the country enjoy the film and feel inspired to open their hearts and homes to abused and neglected dogs, added Collins. They deserve a second chance. Second Chance Dogs is executive produced by the ASPCA and The Dog Files. The documentary was written, directed and edited by Kenn Bell. For more information, please visit http://www.secondchancedogsfilm.com or access the documentary on Netflix at http://www.netflix.com/title/80136234 ASPCA Second Chance Dogs Trailer: https://youtu.be/4mgLFXAzI0Q About the ASPCA Founded in 1866, and celebrating its 150th birthday this year, the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nations leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCAs mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit http://www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. # # # TMT Finance today announced that a senior executive in Accentures Communications, Media & Technology operating group will give a keynote speech at the TMT Finance World Congress 2016 in London on November 30th. The keynote will highlight the increasing importance of fixed internet infrastructure, particularly local fibre, data centre, hosting and cloud assets, for European Communications Service Providers (CSPs). Artur Meinzolt, a managing director for Communications, Media & Technology, Accenture Strategy, will discuss a range of implications on global telecom investment strategies in his keynote presentation. The Congress, which gathers global telecom, media and tech leaders with key players from the financial and investment community over two days, features over 100 speakers and focuses on investment strategy and mergers and acquisitions. The local network will become much more important as we move towards the 5G wireless technology needed to support virtual and augmented reality services, said Meinzolt. Because large international CSPs will need to strengthen access to local networks, investments and acquisitions are likely to be focused on local Metronet, cable and fixed-line operators as well as datacentre capabilities. There are many regional and national variations across Europe, with smaller metro cable companies in some countries, and owning local real estate will certainly increase in importance. We are also likely to see competition increase as new entrants try to challenge the incumbents. The TMT European Leaders Panel, chaired by Accenture, will take place immediately after Meinzolts speech featuring key leaders from Telia, Liberty Global, Altice Group, Iliad and KPN. Other companies participating in the event, which is organised by TMT Finance, include Vodafone, Axiata, VimpelCom, Etisalat, Telstra, PTCL Group, Channel 4, MTG, RTL, EE, Numericable SFR, IHS Towers, Cellnex, INWIT, Digital Bridge, Six Degrees Group, O3B Networks, CityFibre, Next Generation Data, Ashurst, ABRY Partners, Accenture, EY, Goldman Sachs, Citi, IFC World Bank, European Investment Bank, Societe Generale, UBS and Nomura. For more information go to http://www.tmtfinance.com/world About TMT Finance TMT Finance is a leading provider of global news and events to senior executives in the Telecom, Media, Technology sector, Investment Bankers, Investors and Professional Advisers globally. http://www.tmtfinance.com The Presidential Cookie Cake Election results are in, showing Trump leading Clinton in the GourmetGiftBaskets.com Electoral College poll (209 vs. 184 votes) and in the popular vote (44% to 42%). Our polls truly reflect how close this race is -- as well as some disappointment over the choices we have for President. Given the bitter nature of this years U.S. Presidential Election, GourmetGiftBaskets.com launched two polls as part of its Presidential Cookie Cake Campaign to sweeten the deal for the electorate a few weeks ago. The popular online retailer has declared today Cookie Tuesday the day when results from these polls can be revealed, showing what voters (and cookie lovers) are really thinking. The first poll, representing the Cookie Campaigns popular vote, shows Donald Trump with 44% of the total, Hillary Clinton with 42%, and Gary Johnson with 14%. These results reflect the preferences of over 2,000 adults who have visited the voting site to date. The second poll was meant to delve into the sentiments of voters in each state, as well as the District of Columbia. Nicknamed the GourmetGiftBaskets.com Electoral College, it surveyed over 1,200 adults at 51 companies, ranging from Mom & Pop establishments to Fortune 100 corporations. A company in each state was sent three, 10-inch cookie cakes, featuring caricatures of each candidate. The first cake to be eaten was declared the winner of that state. Trump won 209 electoral votes, triumphing in 25 states, while Clinton had 184 votes, emerging victorious in 17 states. Clinton came out on top in some surprise states, including often-conservative Texas, while Trump won in Massachusetts, a liberal-leaning state. But neither candidate acquired the necessary 270 votes to actually win the Electoral College, as Gary Johnson claimed a whopping 145 votes, and controlled several swing states, including Ohio, Florida and North Carolina. Comments from the Electoral College voters showed three distinct camps: staunch Clinton supporters, pro-Trump evangelists, or working people who really disliked both of them. Some said that they didnt even know who Johnson was, but were willing to go with the unknown over Clinton or Trump. With just a week before the official election, the GourmetGiftBaskets.com polls truly reflect how close this race is as well as some disappointment over the choices we have for President, said GourmetGiftBaskets.coms Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jason Bergeron. And these polls demonstrate that Gary Johnson has the potential to steal vital votes from either camp, something that Trump and Clinton supporters have feared, and for good reason. To learn more about GourmetGiftBaskets.coms Presidential Cookie Cake Campaign (#CookieCakeElection), or to voice your choice in the ongoing popular vote, click here. If the Cookie Cake Campaign popular vote changes dramatically in the next week, the company will issue another update to the media. If youre interested in ordering your own Presidential Cookie Cake or sending one to a friend, loved one, or even someone who disagrees with your political views, please go to GourmetGiftBaskets.com. Each cake is only $34.99 and ships for free. Finally, if youre planning an election night party and want to order all three cookie cakes to stage your own mini-elections, you can purchase them together for just $79.99 with free shipping (a savings of nearly $25). ### Media Contact: Chuck Casto, chuckcasto(at)gmail(dot)com, 508-314-3284. Disclaimer: GourmetGiftBaskets.com, its partners, vendors and subsidiaries are not affiliated with, sanctioned by, or endorsing any candidate. This Presidential Cookie Campaign and the associated polling are strictly being done for fun. GourmetGiftBaskets.com was founded with family values and the desire to provide exceptional gifts for all of lifes special occasions. What began with two family members in the basement of a flower shop has exploded into a multi-million-dollar company recognized multiple times by Inc. 500, Internet Retailer, Enterprise Bank, and more, while still remaining true to its core values of exceptional gourmet ingredients handcrafted with care. The company has built its reputation on the quality, beauty, and diversity of its offerings along with service that includes same-day delivery of some gift baskets. Nancy A. Mitchell, regional operating shareholder, co-managing shareholder of the New York office, and co-chair of the Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP, will speak at the Women in Law leadership event on Nov. 3 in New York. Mitchell is part of a panel discussion and Q&A with law firm and in-house counsel leaders who will share their experiences and insights on taking charge and succeeding in the legal industry. Mitchell has more than 25 years of experience in restructuring and corporate finance as both an attorney and an investment banker. Prior to joining the firm, she served as an Executive Director for CIBC World Markets Corp. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 2000 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No 1. on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, second largest in the U.S. on the 2016 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2015 BTI Brand Elite. More information at: http://www.gtlaw.com/. Lion Street Lion Streets Senior Vice President, James Joyce, stated, John Hancock is such a valued relationship for Lion Street. They stay in front of the Owner-Firms with personal service and have developed many unique offerings for them through our partnership." Lion Street and John Hancock will celebrate their partnership November 2nd, with the third annual Day of the Lion taking place nationally at various hub locations. The partnership was formed in 2014 when Lion Street formally launched John Hancock as a partnership carrier. Lion Street consists of over 125 Owner-Firms nationwide in 40 states fiercely valuing independence, ownership, and influence. During Day of the Lion, John Hancock Regional Directors and Lion Street Firm Builders will meet with Owner-Firms across the country to celebrate the partnership, discuss John Hancock strengths, and spend time networking to strengthen relationships. The event will take place at three major hub locations including Dallas, Boston, and San Diego. There will also be meetings throughout the country anywhere there is a combination of a Lion Street Owner-Firm and John Hancock Regional Director in close proximity. Lion Streets Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, James Joyce, stated, John Hancock is such a valued relationship for Lion Street. They stay in front of the Owner-Firms with personal service and have developed many unique offerings for them through our partnership. We look forward to celebrating this years Day of the Lion together. Day of the Lion is a great time for our Regional Directors to come together with Lion Street Owner-Firms and Firm Builders to share our successes, have focused conversations on future initiatives, and to remind one another of the strengths in our partnership, stated Michelle Dauphinais, National Account Vice President at John Hancock. John Hancock has developed a Day of the Lion app for participating Lion Street Owner-Firms and employees. The app is available for download on smart phones to take part in the events of the day including a contest, and to monitor the leaderboard. The relationship was founded on common goals. Both John Hancock and Lion Street have remained dedicated to collaborating every step of the way to provide Owner-Firms with education, tools, service, and the sales support needed for success. To learn more about the Lion Street and John Hancock partnership, please reference the history here. About Lion Street Lion Street is a leading financial services company based in Austin, Texas. Lion Street provides elite independent life insurance producers and financial advisors access to the financial products, intellectual capital, and specialized resources they need to meet the sophisticated needs of their high-net-worth and corporate clients. Lion Street Financial, its Broker-Dealer was named the 2016 Division One Broker-Dealer of the Year by Investment Advisor. To learn more about Lion Street, please visit http://www.lionstreet.com. About John Hancock Financial John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com. The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com. Lion Street Media Contact: Cami Gueguen, Director of Marketing and Communications cgueguen(at)lionstreet(dot)com 512-776-8466 John Hancock Media Contact: Please contact the Media Relations Team at 617-663-4747. It will always be an honor to recognize these exemplary men and women who serve our nation. CivilianJobs.com, where Americas military connects with civilian careers, announced the winners of the Top 40 Under 40 Military Class of 2016 today. The military-experienced individuals who make up the 2016 class were selected by CivilianJobs.coms worldwide military base newspaper, Military Transition News (MTN), and the winners are being released this week in honor of Veterans Day. Eaton is very pleased to sponsor the 2016 Top 40 Under 40 Military. Eaton is grateful to the many veterans who are Eaton employees and offer their outstanding leadership skills, dedication and ethics to further strengthen our core values. We honor the service of all veterans, said John Spencer, Eaton Vice President and Chief Counsel, and Eatons Veteran ERG Executive Sponsor. The Top 40 Under 40 Military program recognizes the top performing service members who are serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. They are profiled each year in the November/December Veterans Day issue of MTN. The individuals selected for the 2016 recognition are: Brandon K. Alexander, Army, SGT Colleen S. Balik-Meisner, Air Force, SSgt Michael E. Boardman, Navy, PO1 Zachary Branum, Navy, PO1 Daniel J. Cain, Air Force, MSgt Ryan Callaway, Army, SSG Jeremiah B. Carlson, Air Force, Maj Ryan I. Carlson, Marines, Capt David Closson, Army, SGT Rabindra M. David, Air Force, Capt Gia DeHart, Navy, LTJG Doug Delpha, Air Force, SSgt David R. Dixon, Marines, Maj Kaisha S. Gurtner, Air Force, TSgt Shaye L. Haver, Army, CPT Ryan Henderson, Army, MAJ Aaron J. Holler, Coast Guard, LT Steven Jaworski, Navy, LT Matthew S. Juntz, Army, 1LT Pete Kelley, Army, CPT Adam Klich, Marines, LCpl Kyle Kremser, Navy, PO1 James M. Landreth, Navy, LT Joshua J. Larson, Navy, LT Michael Lewis, Air Force, 1st Lt Greg Lozeau, Navy, LCDR Alexander McCoy, Marines, Sgt Zach Mierva, Army, CPT Miles Nelson, Marines, Sgt Stefan Ramos, Marines, Cpl James Ramsay, Navy, PO2 Anthony D. Ripley, Marines, Capt Jacob Robinson, Marines, Sgt Riley Robinson, Navy, LT Tyrone Rowe, Army, SSG Lindsey Gillick Spahr, Coast Guard, LT Nathan Terrazone, Air Force, Maj Andrew Torres, Air Force, TSgt Karthik Venkatraj, Army National Guard, Colorado, CPT Laymond Lay Wilburn, Air Force, Capt The winners of this years Top 40 Under 40 Military program represent the immense devotion and hard work high-achieving military members put forth, both within their respective military designations and later on in the civilian world, said Jake Hutchings, VP Client Services, Bradley-Morris, Inc. and CivilianJobs.com. It will always be an honor to recognize these exemplary men and women who serve our nation. The criteria for the Top 40 Under 40 Military are as follows: Serving or has served in the U.S. Armed Forces Under 40 years old Exemplary military performance as per their assignments and evaluations Honorable discharge or anticipate an honorable discharge For more information on the Top 40 Under 40 Military program including a pictorial of the 2016 class, go to http://www.civilianjobs.com/40U40.htm. About the Top 40 Under 40 Military The Top 40 Under 40 Military is released annually by CivilianJobs.com, where America's military connects with civilian careers. CivilianJobs.com, with parent company Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI), the largest military-focused recruiting firm in the U.S., together deliver the largest military-to-civilian footprint available to companies seeking to recruit and hire from the military talent pool. Absolute Travel Luxury travel company, Absolute Travel, known for creating private custom journeys in all seven continents, shines the spotlight on African safaris as they welcome their fifteenth year of sending clients on private customized trips to Africa. Key features of Absolute Travel's African safaris include: African Safari | A locals perspective: With a Cape Town office headed by Africa Manager, Daniela Bonanno, and luxury travel experts traveling to Africa multiple times a year, the team vets the safari guides, stays in the luxury safari lodges, and seeks out the cutting-edge safari experiences they recommend to travelers. Bonannos safari expertise comes from nearly two years living in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa and seven years living in Cape Town, spending considerable time traveling in South Africa and across the continent, from Namibia to Tanzania, scoping out the newest safari lodge openings and in search of under-the-radar safari experiences for travelers. African Safari | Firsthand destination knowledge: Travelers can benefit from the safari teams nuanced understanding of the iconic and lesser-known safari destinations getting them off of the typical safari travel circuit. The Absolute Travel team believes in of-the-moment firsthand destination knowledge instead of leaning on guide books and conflicting reviews. The team provides recommendations on how to transform tricky logistical itineraries into seamless ones, suggests the lesser-known safari destinations travelers should consider, and shares of-the-moment safari experiences to inspire travelers. African Safari | Creativity & Customization: The team of luxury safari experts prioritize traveling to Africa consistently in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the destinations so they can customize journeys travelers have not seen elsewhere and incorporate travelers passions into their trip. They have planned multi-generational family safaris, conservation safaris, honeymoon safaris, photographic safaris, flying & helicopter safaris, special celebration safari and buy-out safaris, active adventure safari, walking safaris and horseback safaris for travelers in famous safari destinations as well as lesser-known safari destinations. African Safari | Unbiased Recommendations: Absolute Travel does not own any luxury safari lodges. When working with Absolute Travel safari experts travelers can expect unbiased recommendations on where to stay based on interests, style, and budget. African Safaris | Absolute Awareness: The award-winning travel company includes sustainable and responsible travel choices in the portfolio and strives to connect travelers and the worlds wild places and creatures to help protect them through their philanthropic arm Absolute Awareness. Absolute Travels team of trusted, passionate travel specialists create private journeys to Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, Antarctica, North America, the Middle East and the South Pacific. Their firsthand knowledge, creativity and personal connections allow them to design trips filled with insider experiences, unsurpassed service, and on-the-ground spontaneity travelers cant find elsewhere. In addition to creating life-changing trips, Absolute Travel is committed to protecting the worlds wild places and the creatures and traditions that make it worth exploring through their philanthropic arm, Absolute Awareness. By combining new ideas with tried-and-tested old ideas, the Humphreys have made Carlton Landing a national model for walkable, green and healthy-living communities. More than 60 developers, economists, municipal staff, architects and urban planners met in Carlton Landing, Oklahoma to discuss how best to create communities that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Carlton Landing, a town that was created from scratch six years ago, is Oklahomas newest incorporated town. The National Town Builders Association Fall Roundtable began in Oklahoma City on October 20 and then traveled to the picturesque Lake Eufaula town for the final two days of meetings. Carlton Landing, often lauded for its visionary master plan created by Andres Duany, offered the NTBA attendees a chance to see a new town in its formative stages. The setting served as an example of how careful planning can deliver real-world benefits to developers and residents alike. This event was the first time since 2008 that Andres Duany has returned to Carlton Landing. Duany, world renowned for his design of communities such as Seaside, Florida and Rosemary Beach, was impressed with the NTBA, the projects he toured, and the people he met while in Oklahoma. Many of us enjoy hearing that the members of the NTBA are the very best in the business. I happen to agree. It is not just one more mutual admiration society. Duany stated. This NTBA session in Oklahoma was special not only the quality of the projects, but the people that the Humphreys introduced us to. They included whip-smart and courageous, young urban developers and the warm, smart people of Carlton Landing. Spending time with them was delightful. With Carlton Landing having built just over 130 homes, this was an ideal time to welcome our NTBA colleagues who have played an integral role in shaping the built environment, said Grant Humphreys, Town Founder of Carlton Landing. "It was great to discuss our multi-generational plan for Carlton Landing and to hear new ideas and feedback from the experts participating in the program. The theme of this years Fall Roundtable was The Evolution of Place, and we see today how Carlton Landing continues to evolve from its original compelling vision into a real community where people choose to live, work and play. NTBA President Ward Davis said, Carlton Landing and Grant Humphreys hosted one of the finest National Town Builders roundtables to date. More importantly, Carlton Landing proves that a completely new town can still be created through thoughtful design, dedicated leadership, and the application of a whole lot of elbow grease. Carlton Landing is a breath of fresh air for people tired of conventional development patters driven by short-term considerations. The Carlton Landing portion of the program focused on ways to structure real estate sales, create inspiring design that helps residents enjoy richer lives, and explore construction techniques that emphasize high-quality craftsmanship. Carlton Landings success comes from the hard work and passion of the Humphreys family and their friends, said Tom Low, an architect and planner who co-founded Civic by Design in Charlotte, South Carolina. By combining new ideas with tried-and-tested old ideas, the Humphreys have made Carlton Landing a national model for walkable, green and healthy-living communities. Participants were treated to Carlton Landings signature hospitality, including a barbecue dinner prepared by Chef Donny Teel of Buffalos Barbecue, beer tasting with local breweries, and live bluegrass music. ABOUT CARLTON LANDING Carlton Landing is Oklahomas newest town. Grant and Jen Humphreys, the lakeside communitys first residents, founded the community in 2011. The town occupies one of Lake Eufaulas most picturesque areas, with sandy beaches, beautiful woodlands and some of the lakes finest water quality. Famed planner and architect Andreas Duany, known for designing the Rosemary Beach and Seaside communities on the Florida panhandle, crafted the Carlton Landing master plan with Humphreys in 2008. Inspired by the New Urbanism movementwhich holds that life, work and play are all central to a communitys vitalityCarlton Landing is the first development of its kind to become a distinct municipality. The master plan includes schools, a waterfront chapel, Nature Center, community parks, trails, and a town center with restaurants and shops. Plans call for more than 3,000 homes, a private residence club and a generational development timeline. For more information, visit http://www.carltonlanding.com. # # # A community beautification project continues to take root in Fort Dodge, Iowa. What started out as Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services planting 50 trees in celebration of their 50th Anniversary has now grown with other businesses joining in. Fort Dodge Ford/Toyota celebrated their 20th Anniversary a few weeks later and they too decided to plant an additional 20 trees to show their appreciation to the community. All that was needed to finish the landscape of Dodger Drive were 16 more trees. That is when Dr. John Clay with Clay & Associates DDS, PLC stepped forward. "The community has been so supportive of my growing practice and my family that I really wanted to be able to do a project that not only looks great but also will be there for years to come," states Dr. John Clay with Clay and Associates DDS, PLC. "Planting the trees on Dodger Drive in front of the Fort Dodge Middle School where I also have children attending is even more special." Today there are a total of 84 trees provided by Smitty's Lawn and Landscape lining the Dodger Drive street. Each one planted by volunteers from PICA, Gunderson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, UnityPoint Health - Trinity Regional Medical Center, Fort Dodge Ford/Toyota and Clay and Associates DDS, PLC. With the success of this project, there is now discussion of expanding the beautification to include an area that will be completed shortly called Decker Drive. Other area businesses and organizations are encouraged to consider participating in 2017 with donating and volunteering to make this possible. Clay and Associates DDS, PLC has recently located to a new dental clinic that includes state of the art equipment and services. They are located at 1905 North 15th Street, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Additional information is available by calling 515-573-7601 and visiting http://www.johnclaydds.com. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. #ThisIsFortDodge Margaret Vierra Having permanent family connections is critical for children to have legal and emotional support as they transition into adulthood and strive for achievement, growth, and well-being. Past News Releases RSS Broker Margaret Vierra Commemorates... Real Estate Broker Margaret Vierra... Margaret Vierra, Broker of EXIT Realty Keystone, in light of National Adoption Month is helping raise awareness about the need for adoptive families for older youth in foster care via a GoFundMe account to raise money for the Kinship Center in San Jose, CA. Every year, more than 100,000 children and youth in the U.S. foster care system seek permanent families, said Vierra. Having permanent family connections is critical for children to have legal and emotional support as they transition into adulthood and strive for achievement, growth, and well-being. National Adoption Month is an initiative sponsored by the Childrens Bureau, in partnership with AdoptUSKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway. Each November, National Adoption Month brings awareness to the needs of children and youth seeking and waiting a forever family. This year, specific attention is being paid to the needs of the thousands of older youth, ages 1518, who face the challenges of aging out of foster care and beginning their independent, young adult lives. My top agents, JC Bustillos, Edgar Meneses, Connie Martin, Darryl Johnson and Dianna Yang-Dinnino, are pleased to participate in this funding campaign, said Vierra. Our newest agent, Mikaela Rojas, is a foster parent herself and knows first-hand about the importance of foster care and adoption of older children prior to them aging out of the system. Getting the message out about the needs of older youth and their desire for a stable, secure family life is very personal for Vierra, who is one of 13 children born in the Azores Islands, Portugal. Shortly after both her parents suddenly passed, Vierra and her youngest siblings were adopted into several different homes in California. After temporarily living in an orphanage, Vierra enjoyed a great sense of family, and learned the importance of having roots and a forever home. This feeling of home is what propelled her into real estate. Knowing that her own identity was influenced by her adoptive family and her surroundings, Vierra devotes herself to helping all types of families and cultures find their perfect homes. With agents speaking Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and Farsi, they are able to accommodate many cultures. For more information about adoption and National Adoption Month, please visit https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/adoption/nam/. About Margaret Vierra, Exit Realty Keystone Margaret Vierra is a recipient of the Platinum Club Top Agent Award. She works with buyers and sellers in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, San Jose, Santa Clara, Milpitas, Campbell, San Martin and the surrounding areas. For more information, call (408) 778-9990, visit http://www.teamvierra.com, or text maggiesells to 85377. About the NALA The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALAs mission is to promote a business relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Dr. Joe Keegan to join Nanomedical Diagnostics Board of Directors AGILE has the ability to be disruptive in the label-free analysis market and make a transformative impact on life science research. Nanomedical Diagnostics, a biotech company driving the use of label-free biosensor assays in life science research and diagnostics, appoints Dr. Joe Keegan to its Board of Directors. With over thirty years of experience working with cutting-edge, novel technologies, Dr. Keegan has a proven track record of developing early stage companies into successes in the life science market. Notably, Dr. Keegan led ForteBio, Inc., manufacturer of the Octet and Blitz lines of label-free detection systems, from $6MM in revenue in 2007 to $27MM in 2011, the year prior to its acquisition by Pall Life Sciences. Dr. Keegan also served as CEO of Molecular Devices Corporation from 1998 to 2007 where he grew revenue from $30MM to $185MM. We are thrilled to welcome Joe Keegan to our board and look forward to the wealth of proven business and technology experience he brings as we expand sales, says Nanomedical Diagnostics CEO, Ross Bundy. AGILE R100 is based on game-changing technology with all the inherent challenges introducing a novel method brings. Dr. Keegan has demonstrated success in this area and will be an indispensable guide as we move forward. AGILE R100 is a benchtop label-free assay that provides sensitive real-time binding kinetics and concentration data for optimizing lead compounds during drug discovery. Built with Field Effect Biosensing (FEB) technology, the all-electronic platform can detect small molecules and fragments with no lower size limit in up to 10% DMSO in as little as 10 L. I recognized immediately that AGILE has the ability to be disruptive in the label-free analysis market, says Dr. Keegan. Ive been impressed with the co-founders thoughtful approach to the growth of the company and am delighted to join the talented members of the board as Nanomedical Diagnostics begins the journey of making a transformative impact on life science research." Dr. Keegan currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Courtagen Life Sciences, Interpace Diagnostics Inc., Labcyte Corporation as Chairman, Optofluidics, Inc., Response Biomedical Corporation, Unchained Labs, Inc., Wasatch Microfluidics, Inc., and the San Francisco Opera. He joins Nina Saberi, Tim Hoerr, Brett Goldsmith, and Ross Bundy on the Nanomedical Diagnostics Board of Directors. About Nanomedical Diagnostics Nanomedical Diagnostics (Nanomed) is a biotech company based in San Diego, CA. Nanomed has developed a breakthrough all-electronic assay based on Field Effect Biosensing (FEB) technology that provides real-time, label-free kinetic binding and concentration data. AGILE biosensor chips at the heart of the assay leverage the highly sensitive nanomaterial graphene to unite biology with electronics, delivering the unique ability to sense small molecules with no lower size limit in complex media such as DMSO, and use unprecedentedly small amounts of sample. SOVA, a leading Platinum Master Agent for Verizon telecom solutions, just finalized a partnership with Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise (DVBE) HSB Solutionsmaking HSB Solutions a Verizon telecom services agent. In response to the public sector marketplace, HSB Solutions was started by a disabled veteran with a background as a senior project manager and senior systems engineer. HSB Solutions is a networking services company providing resources for government information technology projects. The company is closely affiliated with Enterprise Networking Solutions, Inc. (ENS-Inc.) and shares executive management. Chad Hodges is president of HSB Solutions and vice president of ENS-Inc. He was injured in 2000 while on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps. Both companies are headquartered in Sacramento, Calif. Hodges expects that ENS-Inc. will partner with SOVA as well. We have not worked with telecom providers, like Verizon, in the past because there was not a good mechanism for us to do that, Hodges said. We are service providerswe design and implement systems, but we dont have the internal resources to offer telecom services. Working with SOVA has already proved to be an efficient way for us to work with Verizon. They know how to navigate contracts with Verizon and handle the back office details. For lack of a better term they are almost like a channel manager. Verizon recently opened up its services for agents to sell to the public sectorwhich is the primary market for HSB Solutions. Prior to that only Verizon direct representatives could sell to that sector. SOVA President Gene Esopi said, We are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with HSB Solutions and Chad. As one of our first public sector agents, HSB Solutions is an excellent entry into that market for us; they have an outstanding reputation for customer service and IT expertise. This also gives us another opportunity to support our troops. HSB Solutions has master service agreements with most of the 130 State of California departments. When it comes to what they are looking for in the way of telecom services, each department is unique, Hodges said. But they all need basics like connectivity to the internet and telecommunications connectivity. After only 30 days of working with SOVA, HSB is close to finalizing agreements for Verizon services with two of his major clients. SOVA did a good job of explaining what the Verizon program is and how it benefits my company as an agent, Chad said. I have access to all of the vehicles that Verizon has and SOVA handles all the details, like processing paperwork and ensuring that we are paid promptly. I would recommend SOVA for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that they make working with Verizon seamless and easy. Verizon Public Sector Solutions, available through SOVA, are specifically designed for the full range of public sector organizations including education, the federal government, state and local governments and public safety. These solutions help increase productivity by enabling greater information access and mobility while maintaining critical security and reliability. They also control costs, simplify management, and increase responsiveness and transparency. As a valued Verizon Partner Program member since 1994, SOVA has earned Platinum level status; agents benefit from select privileges that many telecom solution providers cannot offer. SOVA has customized programs for telecom agents, VARs, MSPs, and telesales organizations and provides customer solutions in every product category including voice and data, network, Cloud, mobility, machine-to-machine, managed internet, VoIP, and global services. SOVAs award-winning agent program features no quotas, no minimums, no commitments; dedicated pre-sales and post-sales specialists; simplified quoting and ordering; and a state-of-the-art agent portal. SOVA is headquartered in Plains, Pa., with additional locations in Pittston, Pa.; Boston; Denver; and West Palm Beach, Fla. To learn more about SOVAs top tier agent program, fill out the request form at http://sova.com/contact-us or call Miranda Godlewski at 570.824.6800 ext. 141. To learn more about SOVA visit http://www.sova.com or call 570-824-6800. Author Khoza Mduduzi has long noticed the economic plight of the African people, wherein they are forced to scrape by on meager earnings while their own country is being ransacked by foreign powers. In The West Stole Africa's Wealth (published by Xlibris) the author opens readers' eyes to the truth on how western countries have been monopolizing South African resources for years. The West Stole Africa's Wealth is a truly informative read that shows the dark side of western interference with South African affairs. It documents and proves once and for all the avarice and cruelty of the west towards the African people and the African continent. It also shows how the western powers were able to hold on to their ill-gotten gains and positions by sowing discord in the African countries, thus preventing them from being a united force. The information contained in this highly immersive read was predominantly gathered from African countries such as Zimbabwe, countries that have had a history of being used by foreign powers. It also shows the long history of slave trade conducted within the African continent. The authors main aim is to open the readers eyes to the many injustices suffered by the African people under western hands and to show the African people their potential for political and economic growth. The West Stole Africa's Wealth By Khoza Mduduzi Hardcover | 6 x 9in | 632 pages | ISBN 9781503570597 Softcover | 6 x 9in | 632 pages | ISBN 9781503570603 E-Book | 632 pages | ISBN 9781503570610 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author Khoza Mduduzi holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of Venda for Science and Technology and Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) from the University of South Africa (UNISA). He is an educator by profession and registered with the South African Council of Educators (SACE). He visited Zimbabwe prior the July 31, 2013 national elections and again visited Zimbabwe post the July 31, 2013 elections. He is a critical rationalist who has a keen interest in African politics and African affairs. This is his first book on the number of books that are still yet to be published. Xlibris Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider created in 1997 by authors, for authors. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibris.com or call 1-888-795-4274 to receive a free publishing guide. Follow us @XlibrisPub on Twitter for the latest news. Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. 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You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services. Esteemed author and artist Natalie Babbitt, whose 1975 novel Tuck Everlasting remains a lauded work of the modern childrens literature canon, died of lung cancer on October 31 in her home in Hamden, Ct. She was 84. Babbitt was born Natalie Zane Moore in Dayton, Ohio on July 28, 1932. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, the family moved many times to various cities and towns in Ohio driven by her fathers work opportunities or misfortunes, affected by the Great Depression. In recalling her early years in an autobiographical essay for Something About the Author, Babbitt notes that her fathers great wit and her mothers artistic talent were big influences on her and her older sister, Diane. Babbitts mother was discouraged from pursuing a masters degree in art by a group of women at her church who thought such aspiration was not appropriate. She was a woman of great intelligence and energy and talent, with nowhere to put it all, Babbitt wrote. So she turned the intense searchlight of her ambition onto my sister and me. We grew up with the idea firmly implanted that we could, should, and would have it alla first-class education, a strong marriage, a family, and an active career. Babbitts mother made every effort to expose Natalie and her sister to music and literaturevia the symphony, opera, library, and art museumand Babbitt said that early on, her mother had decided that Diane would be a writer when she grew up, and that Natalie would be an artist. At age nine, after a brief fascination with creating pin-up art in the style of Luis de Vargas, Babbitt received an edition of Alice in Wonderland illustrated by John Tenniel. That book made her a convert, she said, and she quickly decided that, I would become an illustrator of childrens books, and work, like Tenniel, only in pen and ink. Babbitt and her sister both graduated from the Laurel School, a private academy for girls near Cleveland, and in fall 1950 Babbitt entered Smith College in Northampton, Mass. During her sophomore year a friend set her up with Sam Babbitt, who had left Yale after his sophomore year to join the army, and served in Korea. They married in June 1954, just after Natalies graduation from Smith, and moved to New Haven, Ct. where Sam began a noted career as a college administrator. Son Christopher was born in 1956 followed by son Tom in 1958, and daughter Lucy, who arrived in 1960. After stints in Nashville, and Washington, D.C., the Babbitts returned to New Haven where Natalie was inspired and empowered by her female friends, who were all embracing the feminist movement in various ways. Following a particularly spirited lunch, Babbitt recalled saying, By God, Im going to do what Ive always wanted to do, and in effect launched her childrens book career. Back at home she quickly came up with a titleThe Forty-ninth Magicianand asked her husband Sam to write a story to go with it. She created pen-and-ink pictures for the project and it sold to Pantheon, acquired by a young editor named Michael di Capua, who published the book in 1966. Di Capua would go on to be Babbitts only editor and one of her closest friends in a relationship spanning more than 50 years. It was urging from di Capua that convinced Babbitt to start writing her own prose. Her first full-fledged effort became The Search for Delicious, which was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1969. Next came Kneeknock Rise in 1970, which was named a 1971 Newbery Honor book. In the early 1970s, her novels flowed in quick successionGoody Hall and The Devils Storybook among them. Babbitts family relocated again to upstate New York where they bought a piece of land and a small vacation home in the foothills of the Adirondacks. The bucolic spot appears almost exactly as itself in my story Tuck Everlasting, Babbitt noted in her autobiography. The novel features a fantastical woodland freshwater spring that grants eternal life. In an article about marking the books 40th anniversary last year, Babbitt told PW: My youngest, Lucy, had a scary time wondering what it would be like to die, in recalling her path to imagining the fantastical freshwater spring in the woods that grants eternal life. I had long before that made up my mind about what was going to happen when I died. But I wrote Tuck to help Lucy understand what life is all aboutthat we all get born and we all have to die. Its a subject I never thought Id write about, but there it was. I wanted to be sure Lucy would not grow up scared. The subject matteris living forever a good thing? was somewhat controversial when the book was published in 1975, especially in schools, but strong word-of-mouth and support from educators and librarians helped it grow into an enduring favorite. Tuck Everlasting was adapted as a Disney feature film in 2002 (a project that Babbitt did not like); and made its debut as a Broadway musical earlier this year, with a book co-written by childrens author Tim Federle. When Di Capua spoke with PW for Tucks recent anniversary, he offered this sentiment about his dear friend: I cant imagine my life without Natalie in it. What a blessing we found each other way back when. In addition to her novels, Babbitt wrote and illustrated several picture books, including Nellie: A Cat on Her Own (FSG, 1989) Bub; or, The Very Best Thing (HarperCollins, 1994), and Elsie Times Eight (Hyperion, 2001). In a statement, Samuel F. Babbitt shared this reflection: Natalie was a remarkable woman. While more than fulfilling her roles as wife and mother, she sharply observed her fellow humans, shaping stories that helped her and her readers grapple with both the trivial and fundamental trials of life. Words were precious things to her, and she chose them, shaped their facets, and set them on the page like a master jeweler. Colby Sharp, a Michigan third-grade teacher, is so passionate about literacy, that, besides teaching, he reviews childrens books on his website and blogs about everything book-related on the Nerdy Book Club website. Now Sharp is going to expand on the importance of reading and writing by editing an interactive anthology, The Creativity Project, which Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has bought for publication in 2018. The Creativity Project is Sharps first published book, and targets middle-grade readers as well as elementary school teachers for use in classes. The Creativity Project will feature contributions by 43 childrens book authors and illustrators representing a variety of genres and from diverse backgrounds, including Sherman Alexie, Kate DiCamillo, Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler), Sophie Blackall, R.J. Palacio, and Jewell Parker Rhodes. Each contributor initially was asked to provide two writing prompts, which were then given to another contributor to help them get started after selecting one of the two prompts. They can create anything based on [the prompt], Sharp said, It can be a short story, poems, a short comic. We have no idea. Isnt that crazy? I really wanted them to have a choice. The prompt selected by each contributor will introduce that piece, and the 43 prompts that were not selected will be listed in the back of the book. Collecting the prompts as they came in was one kind of tremendous fun, said Sharps editor, Susan Rich, who bought world English rights to the book in a preempt from Molly O'Neill at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. But the experience of matching prompts to creators together with Colby was like being set free in an alchemists laboratory. What would become of an idea given to one creator versus another? Colby brought extraordinary vision for the potential in every pairing. Building a book that celebrates collaboration and creativity with such a creative collaborator is a true joy. During a phone conversation during a break between classes at Parma Elementary School, Sharp explained that the Creativity Project was inspired by a confluence of interactions with authors at conferences and conventions. He recalled hearing Linda Urban speak at the 2011 National Council of Teachers of English conference about reading aloud in class a story shed written during junior high, and a classmate calling it weird. Urban, Sharp noted, disclosed that the response from her classmate crushed her for decades. She continued writing, but it wasnt until she was in her mid-30s that she submitted anything for publication (A Crooked Kind of Perfect). Sharp recalled childrens breakfast speaker Dav Pilkey at this years BookExpo saying that he had conceptualized Dog Man while he was still in school, and was sitting in the hallway after having been kicked out of class for misbehaving. Sharp noted that it blew [his mind] when he discovered that Laurel Snyder and Aaron Becker had gone to high school together in Baltimore, and that they not only were friends and aspiring writers who encouraged each other at the time but both subsequently succeeded in fulfilling their dreams. The anecdotes related by all of these successful authors made Sharp realize that tomorrows writers are sitting in my classroom, and they need support and encouragement. We need to get them started; we need to get the wheels turning. It all comes down to, he pointed out, expressing ones creativity without restrictions. Every time you sit down to write, it doesnt have to be perfect, he said, Its about creating. This insight, in turn, inspired him to reach out to authors and illustrators and ask them to undertake a project that would inspire young readers and aspiring writers to unleash their own creativity. Little Browns marketing department recently sent each contributor their two writing prompts in a care package that included a paper thinking cap, a do not disturb door-hanger, and confetti made from book pages. From her home in Scottsdale, Ariz., Rhodes praised the Creativity Project, calling it awesome fun and declaring, Im already loving it. This refreshing project will stimulate minds and inspire writing of all kinds. In a very real way. these prompts will help develop our diverse writers of tomorrow. And, from her home in Minneapolis, DiCamillo reported that she was already hard at work on her prompt. I am sitting in my office with the door closed (and with the privacy door-hanger engaged) and my thinking cap on my head, she wrote. I just threw the confetti up in the air and it is drifting down around me as I type these words. I might look ridiculous, but I feel hopeful. And that is a good thing a creative thing. Here we go! Referring to DiCamillos words, Sharp said that he pictured her sitting in her house in Minnesota, doing the same thing that kids all over the country are doing. One of the greatest writers for kids ever is going to be doing the same thing as a third-grader in Parma [Michigan] is doing. Thats crazy. While on the floor of the Farnborough International Airshow, the worlds largest aviation industry exhibition, it was clear to all that Indiana is propelling the future of aerospace and aviation. From unveiling a new flight technology to the top companies exhibiting at the airshow, everything kept coming back to Indiana. When the new F-35 took the runway to showcase its vehicle liftoff for the first time, Hoosiers were center stage, having built the planes propulsion system at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis. I was privileged to join a group of 25 Hoosier business leaders, including Indiana Secretary of Commerce Victor Smith and state Sen. Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, recently in Farnborough, England, where Indiana showcased its many aerospace innovations. While at the airshow, we met with top executives from companies like Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation, Alcoa, Raytheon and Praxair, which together have announced plans to invest more than $900 million into Indiana, and to create more than 1,200 new Hoosier jobs. Rolls-Royce just celebrated 100 years in Indiana, after announcing that it is investing nearly $600 million into its Indiana research and operations, marking the companys largest U.S. investment in a decade. Thats while GE Aviation is opening a $100 million jet engine assembly plant in Lafayette, where it will be producing the new LEAP engine. But perhaps what impressed me most was the number of smaller aerospace companies that are also taking flight across Indiana. Key Electronics, a manufacturer of electronic circuit card assembly, product integration and testing and repair of electronics thats thriving in Jeffersonville. Company president and CEO Tom Hardy says that Indiana has grown into the ideal place to build his aerospace business. The concentration of aerospace businesses in Indiana is just right, Hardy said. From southern Indiana, at Key Electronics were in close proximity to the companies that we need to supply and have access to top engineers and technicians from the states top universities. Its been a perfect recipe for our success. Or look at Indianapolis-based Aerotronic. While at the airshow, Aerotonic announced the launch of its unmanned, electric helicopter, which has the ability to carry multiple sensors in a fully-enclosed bay. Right now at Aerotronic were pioneering a new health management system amid other aerospace technologies to the drone space, and were doing it largely because of the environment for the industry here in Indiana, said Neerav Shah, Aerotronic CEO. Everyone at Farnborough Airshow was fascinated with our new drone, which we wouldnt have been able to innovate and create in a place thats tougher to do business. The workforce and the business climate here make Indiana perfect. PricewaterhouseCoopers ranks Indiana as the most attractive state in the nation for aerospace manufacturing. Meanwhile, Indianas aircraft and spacecraft exports have increased nearly 30 percent annually since 2002. At the Purdue Research Foundation, were proud to be part of the statewide network thats supporting Indianas incredible growth. This year we opened the new Purdue Research Park Aerospace District, which provides greater opportunities for aerospace entrepreneurs and businesses to collaborate with Purdue students and researchers on R&D projects. Industry leaders are noticing Indianas momentum. Thats why the Aerospace Industries Association announced plans to bring its Supplier Management Council to Indiana, 300 of the nations top aerospace and defense manufacturers will come together to discuss the future of the industry. Indiana is engineering the future of flight, developing new technologies that will power the world into the 21st century. Its wheels up for the aerospace industry in Indiana. Were now boarding. Hasler is president of the Purdue Research Foundation. Dan Hasler Two men in a car pulled over Oct. 24 for speeding 74 in a 70 mile per hour zone on I-80 appeared in Henry County Circuit Court on Monday on cocaine charges. Co-defendants Frederick W. Rumble, 40, of Iowa City, Iowa, and Malik J. Forrest, 20, of Chicago, were charged Oct. 14 with Class X felony manufacture/delivery of cocaine and Class 1 felony possession of cocaine. In Monday's preliminary hearing, State Police Sgt. Clint Thulen testified he assisted two other troopers in the aftermath of the 7 a.m. stop. A search was done because of the odor of cannabis from the driver's clothing and the vehicle's interior. The search yielded 95 grams of crack cocaine and seven grams of powder cocaine as well as about one gram of cannabis. The cocaine was found in a black plastic bag with smaller clear plastic bags inside. Sgt. Thulen said he was no longer familiar with the street value of crack cocaine, but he estimated the powder cocaine at $100 per gram or at total of $700. He said Mr. Rumble claimed he was solely responsible for the cocaine. No clothing bags were found to indicate ownership of the drugs. He said Mr. Rumble rented the vehicle in Cedar Rapids Oct. 12 and was the passenger at the time of the stop, when they were headed westbound about three miles east of Geneseo. Judge Jeffrey O'Connor found probable cause to believe a felony was committed. Both men remained in custody as of Monday; Mr. Rumble is being held on $200,000 bond and Mr. Forrest on $100,000 bond. ROCK ISLAND One Augustana College student was recovering Monday from viral meningitis, but no other cases have been reported at the college or other Quad-Cities colleges or universities. Meningitis, a swelling of membranes that contain the brain and spinal cord, potentially can be severe and, sometimes, fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are several types, with viral among the more common. Viral meningitis usually does not make people as sick as the bacterial variant does. Most people who get viral meningitis recover without treatment, the CDC states. Still, the centers recommend a doctor's visit for anyone suspecting meningitis because it requires a physician to determine what type a person has and what should be done about it. Augustana spokesman Sam Schlouch said the case was reported to the college Thursday and, as of Monday, the student was doing well. He declined to identify the student, but said the case was not diagnosed on campus. As of Monday, no other cases had been reported on campus. As a precaution, however, the college issued a warning to students reminding them of basic hygiene precautions when interacting with sick persons, such as washing hands and avoiding close contact with someone who is ill. Representatives of St. Ambrose University, Black Hawk College, Western Illinois University and Eastern Iowa Community Colleges' Scott County campus said no cases had been reported to their school officials. Health department officials in Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Whiteside and Scott counties said the same. Even so, students who have not received the meningitis vaccine should consider it, said Rock Island County Health Department Administrator Nita Ludwig. For more on meningitis, visit cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html. It may have escaped the notice of many outside government and community planning, but it would be a shame to let go unremarked last weeks celebration of 50 years of service by the Bi-State Regional Commission. In its half-century of serving local member governments by providing expertise on transportation, communication, technological and environmental challenges, its planners and commissioners have helped communities of all sizes navigate the confusing world of government planning and figure out ways to cut through red tape. The agency also is among a handful of leading cooperative bodies that helped pull together once sharply divided bistate counties and cities and bring them together to look at larger issues of regional concern. Bridging gap for bridges For example, the coming Interstate 74 bridge and the Rock River one that links Rock Island to Milan are regional community and planning commission success stories because they were boosted by the agencys expertise, energy and advocacy. Over the years, Bi-State has led on the creation of bike paths and passenger rail to Chicago, and ever-better public transit systems. It also has helped to manage municipal waste and solid waste issues which confront our communities, established three economic development revolving loan funds and helped facilitate consolidation of tourism efforts in the bistate through the highly effective Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. Most of the important issues that we face ... are truly regional issues that cross state lines, Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher told dignitaries gathered at a celebration last week at the Camden Centre in Milan. Added East Moline mayor and commission chairman John Thodos, Bi-State is especially important in helping communities find ways to work together to respond to ever-increasing mandates and reduced state and federal funding. Hats off to past, present leaders Please join us in saluting the planning agencys 160 current commissioners, the large pool of former commissioners, community leaders, past and present, and the organizations effective executive directors including the late Gary Vallem and current CEO Denise Bulat for all that theyve done, working together, to make our bistate region better. You have taken the long-range view when it wasnt easy, Ms. Bulat told them last week. You have put aside your differences to come to the commission table, she said. Fittingly, the celebratory session also looked to the challenges ahead. Much has been accomplished, but there are many challenges in our future, Mr. Thodos said. We will need to continue to look for new opportunities to partner wherever its feasible. Bi-State offers plenty of examples of the great things that can happen when we do. Salute and thanks! Last week, the U.N.'s premier cultural agency, UNESCO, approved a resolution viciously condemning Israel (referred to as "the Occupying Power") for various alleged trespasses and violations of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Except that the resolution never uses that term for Judaism's holiest shrine. It refers to and treats it as an exclusively Muslim site, a deliberate attempt to eradicate its connection -- let alone its centrality -- to the Jewish people and Jewish history. This Orwellian absurdity is an insult not just to Judaism but to Christianity. It makes a mockery of the Gospels, which chronicle the story of a Galilean Jew whose life and ministry unfolded throughout the Holy Land, most especially in Jerusalem and the Temple. If this is nothing but a Muslim site, what happens to the very foundation of Christianity, which occurred 600 years before Islam even came into being? This UNESCO resolution is merely the surreal extreme of the worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel. It features the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), now growing on Western university campuses and some mainline Protestant churches. And it extends even into some precincts of the Democratic Party. Bernie Sanders tried to introduce into the Democratic Party platform a plank more unfavorable to Israel. He failed, but when a couple of Clinton campaign consultants questioned (in emails revealed by WikiLeaks) why she should be mentioning Israel in her speeches, campaign manager Robby Mook concurred, "We shouldn't have Israel at public events. Especially dem activists." For whom the very mention of Israel is toxic. And what to make of the White House's correction to a press release about last month's funeral of Shimon Peres? The original release identified the location as "Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Israel." The correction crossed out the country identifier -- "Israel." Well, where else is Jerusalem? Sri Lanka? Moreover, Mount Herzl isn't even in disputed East Jerusalem. It's in West Jerusalem, within the boundaries of pre-1967 Israel. If that's not Israel, what is? But such cowardly gestures are mere pinpricks compared to the damage Israel faces in the final days of the Obama presidency. As John Hannah of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies recently wrote (in Foreign Policy), there have been indications for months that President Obama might go to the U.N. and unveil his own final status parameters of a two-state solution. These would then be enshrined in a new Security Council resolution officially recognizing a Palestinian state on the territory Israel came into possession of during the 1967 Six-Day War. There is a reason such a move has been resisted by eight previous U.S. administrations: It overthrows the central premise of Middle East peacemaking -- land for peace. Under which the Palestinians get their state after negotiations in which the parties agree on recognized boundaries, exchange mutual recognition and declare a permanent end to the conflict. Land for peace would be replaced by land for nothing. Granting the Palestinians an officially recognized state in advance makes peace all the more unachievable -- it removes any Palestinian incentive to negotiate and strips Israel of territorial bargaining chips of the kind it used, for example, to achieve peace with Egypt. The result would be not just perpetual war but incalculable damage to Israel. Consider but one example: the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem, destroyed and ethnically cleansed of Jews by its Arab conquerors in the war of 1948-1949. It was rebuilt by Israel after 1967. It would now be open to the absurd judicial charge that the Jewish state's possession of the Jewish Quarter constitutes a criminal occupation of another country. Israel would be hauled endlessly into courts to face sanctions, boycotts and arrest of its leaders. All this for violating a U.N. mandate to which no Israeli government, left or right, could possibly accede. Before the election, Obama dare not attempt this final legacy item, to go along with the Iran deal and the Castro conciliation, for fear of damaging Hillary Clinton. His last opportunity comes after Election Day. The one person who might deter him, points out Hannah, is Clinton herself, by committing Obama to do nothing before he leaves office that would tie her hands should she become president. Clinton's supporters who care about Israel and about peace need to urge her to do that now. It will soon be too late. Soon Obama will be free to deliver a devastating parting shot to Israel and to the prime minister he detests. CALDCs Halloween Celebration A Real Treat! The Central Astoria LDCs 7th annual Batty Over Halloween Celebration held on Sunday, October 23rd was a real treat for everyone who came out. Despite... Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis... Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The... (Quality Digest: Chico, CA) -- Hexagon CEO, Ola Rollen, was detained in Norway on Oct. 29, 2016, on suspicion of insider trading stemming from personal investments unrelated to Hexagon. According to the company, the Norwegian economic crime authority has accused Ola Rollen of insider trading in connection to an investment in the Norwegian company NEXT Biometrics Group ASA in October 2015 by Greenbridge Partners, a technology investment company founded by Rollen and Swedish businessman Melker Schorling, who is also the chairman of the board at Hexagon. Following a decision by the district court in Oslo, Norway, on Oct. 29, Rollen was detained, based on the economic crime authoritys need to secure evidence. He will be released on November 4. With regard to the ongoing investigation, I cannot comment on the specific contents of the charge other than that the charges involve illegal insider trading in a Norwegian company and that the amounts are significant, says Norwegian prosecutor Marianne S. Bender. The maximum sentence for insider trading is six years imprisonment. The insider trading investigation stems from personal investments unrelated to Hexagon, say Rollens attorneys, Christian B. Hjort and Erik Keiserud. His lawyers argue that the charge is based on a misinterpretation of the factual and legal issues in the matter. I have received the statement from Ola Rollens lawyers, and I have complete confidence in Ola Rollen, says Schorling. During 16 years of close collaboration, I have never had to question his judgment. Rollen firmly denies the accusations and does not admit to any guilt. The acquisition of 284,341 shares in Next Biometrics was done by the private equity fund Greenbridge Partners, which at the time was being founded in order to complete a long-term investment in Next Biometrics, say Rollens attorneys. The shares were acquired according to normal procedures in the market place, and were not based on any insider information. Ola Rollen hopes that the investigation will confirm the actual circumstances as soon as possible, say the attorneys. He has been fully cooperative with authorities to ensure that the case has all relevant information. He wishes to provide no further comments before the economic crime authority has completed the investigation. He deeply regrets the harm that this incident and investigation will cause for Hexagon, Greenbridge Partners, and himself, the attorneys noted. During the time period that Ola Rollen is detained, Hexagons CFO and executive vice president, Robert Belkic, will be acting CEO for Hexagon. G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now! THE COP21 Paris agreement on December 12 2015 and the commitment by 196 countries to limit global warming to well below 2oC, and ideally 1.5oC, is increasingly living up to its billing as a watershed moment in the fight against climate change. The agreement is set to enter force on November 4 after ratification by the major emitters, including the United States, China, India and the European Union, over the past few weeks. It has since been followed by the recent agreement to begin to eliminate HFCs by 2024, and confirmation by rich nations that they will deliver on their $US 100bn annual commitment to support developing countries efforts to curb emissions by 2020. Momentum is clearly growing, and as the second largest contributor to emissions, it is only a matter of time before transport receives greater scrutiny. But where does the rail industry sit within this debate? The industrys approach to sustainability was under the spotlight at the UICs 13th Sustainability conference, held in Vienna on October 12-13. Four years after the 12th edition held in Venice, attendance rose to 330 registered delegates from 25 countries from around 240 in 2012, which compares with around 30 at the inaugural edition in 1994. This event was attended solely by a group of environmental managers, but the growing turnout reflects the importance and influence of the sustainable movement in the rail industry, which as well as environmental, now encompasses economic and social sustainability. While the 2012 event had a noteworthy line-up of speakers, and strong commitments to sustainability by the likes of the then president of Russian Railways (RZD), Dr Vladimir Yakunin, and CEO of Italian State Railways (FS), Mr Mauro Moretti, it lacked the ringing endorsement of the United Nations. This had changed by 2016. Sustainable transport is an important part of our common efforts to tackle climate change and build a cleaner, greener world, said UN secretary general Mr Ban Ki Moon, in a statement read at the event by UIC director general Mr Jean-Pierre Loubinoux. The transport sector can play a vital role in achieving the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. I count on the commitment of the global railway community to make transport more sustainable - and your gathering is especially timely coming within weeks of the entry into force of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. For Mr Nicholas Craven, UICs manager of sustainable development, this approval reflects the hard work by the UIC over the past few years to continually state rails case so it became a central part of the conversation. With little recognition at COP15, despite the UIC running the Train to Copenhagen and other promotional activities, non-state actors, including the UIC, were encouraged to play a greater role at the COP events and to demonstrate how they might be able to benefit the process. The UIC stepped up to meet this challenge, ensuring that rail became part of the conversation at the Rio+20 conference in 2012, and that by the time COP21 rolled around, rail was considered as part of the solution. This is reflected by Loubinouxs appointment to the UN secretary generals 16-member high-level advisory group on sustainable transport. Rail and public transport is also represented by International Association of Public Transport (UITP) secretary general Mr Alain Flausch, and former managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Mr Elattuvalapil Sreedharan. From here, we can make the case for rail to be the backbone of a sustainable transport system, Craven says. COP22 This months COP22 in Marrakech will begin to set out how exactly countries will tackle the challenge of reducing their emissions. The UIC, in cooperation with Moroccan National Railways (ONCF), will again host a series of events to promote rails cause as a sustainable transport mode. It is also hoped that the industry will have a noticeable presence at the UNs inaugural Global Sustainable Transport Conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on November 26-27. These events will very likely highlight the UICs Low Carbon Rail Transport Challenge, which calls for a 50% reduction of emissions and energy consumption by 2030 relative to a 1990 baseline, and reductions in energy consumption by 60% and emissions by 75% by 2050. The UIC is also calling for rail to increase its share of all passenger journeys by 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 compared with 2010, and it appears its members are heeding the call. Around 80 UIC member railways covering the majority of passenger-km and tonne-km of traffic operated around the world have now signed up to the UICs Railway Climate Responsibility pledge, which sets out actions to complement these targets, and in 2013, specific energy consumption by railways had fallen by 37% and CO 2 emissions by 30% since 1990, which is in line with these targets. The conference was inevitably an opportunity for railways to showcase how they have and will continue to meet these objectives. As host, Austrian Federal Railways (OBB) had a sizable presence with various presentations on its efforts ranging from sourcing 80% of its energy from renewables to sustainable procurement. Mr Herbert Kasser, secretary general of the Austrian Ministry of Transport, was also keen to emphasise the governments support through Austrias Transport Masterplan, which encourages a shift to rail transport through an annual 2.5bn investment in related programmes. Similarly, German Rails (DB) head of environment Mr Andreas Gehlhaar reaffirmed the railways commitment to sustainability as outlined in its corporate strategy, and efforts to deliver this, including the expansion of its long-distance network by 25% and the use of digital technologies to improve connectivity between different modes. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) also emphasised how it is already at the centre of an intermodal transport system in the country, and is striving to reduce its carbon footprint. Indeed, SBB was one of the recipients of the UICs Sustainability Award for its sleep mode for trains, which is helping to reduce 45% of energy previously consumed during parking and dwell times and is part of eye-catching efforts to reduce the railways energy consumption by 20%, or 600GWh by 2025. DB also won an award for its public DB Train Simulator app, which is based on its driver advisory system and encourages users to adopt energy-efficient driving techniques while reaching the destination on time. The third award went to the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India for its initiative to create jobs for 3000 local people for the Delhi - Kolkata and Delhi - Mumbai freight corridors. In total, there were nine nominated projects from different companies, with notable other entries from Korean Railway Research Institute, Infrabel and Thalys. Major investments The industry is clearly doing good work, with sustainability departments, staffed by enthusiastic and committed professionals, growing in scope and influence at railways. Yet rail still faces many significant challenges if it is truly to become the backbone of sustainable transport. Achieving the UICs ambitious targets will require major investments in new and revitalised infrastructure, with the $US 100bn annual commitment to developing nations realistically only a drop in the ocean to what is really required, and rail projects in a tough fight to secure these funds. There are also implications for existing networks. While rail might be in a strong position to become the backbone of sustainable transport in Europe, China and Japan, can it realistically expect to carry twice as many passengers as it does already without significant investments in advanced technology to improve capacity? Ask anyone who uses a packed commuter or metro train on a weekday morning and the answer is clearly a big no. Rail arguably faces a more difficult fight in markets where networks remain piecemeal compared with road. In Canada where the car is very much king - there are more than 25 million cars in a country with a population of 35 million people - the biggest challenge is to offer a viable alternative that will convince people to give up their private vehicles. Via Rail CEO Mr Yves Desjardins-Siciliano said the solution to this is a change in management thinking and approach to decision making. He argued that this should increasingly emphasise sharing infrastructure, particularly precious railway rights-of-way, which serve every urban area in Canada, and move away from a silo approach to network management which is greatly impeding our ability to convince people who use their cars to use the train. It is easy to discuss - nobody is against a better environment; nobody is against a better climate. But it is in daily decisions that managers make that the future is either enabled or crippled, Desjardins-Siciliano says. We have to put our minds to ways to work together guided by the sustainability development goals (SDGs), or our own interpretation of those SDGs, so we can make daily infrastructure operating and commercial decisions that lead to greater synergies, higher optimisation and maximisation of infrastructure for all modes of transport otherwise we will fail in reaching our ambitious targets. As a UIC conference, main line services and operations were inevitably more in the spotlight in Vienna. But to deliver a truly sustainable transport system, as Siciliano points out, there must be integration between all modes of public transport. Would aligning the UICs sustainability goals with those of the UITP offer such a united approach and stimulate greater cooperation? This could be particularly important to encourage investment in rail-based systems in North America, and in developing countries, especially given current trends to urbanisation, and as more of the 2 billion people who do not currently have access to transport come online. After all rail is not the only mode striving to improve its green credentials. Mr Eddy Liegois, head of the Land Transport unit at DG Move, revealed that the road industry is equally engaged in developing sustainable solutions. This includes improved fuel efficiency and investments in digitalising transport - including driverless cars - with the conference hearing that research on electric vehicles at BMW has now evolved to solely focus on driverless electric cars. This made the results of a recent SBB survey of passengers especially sobering. The study found that people did not distinguish between the environmental credentials of using an electric car over a train. It also brought the sentiments of Mr Johann Pluy, director of railway systems at OBB Infra, into focus: Sustainability is not a cover up, we must create an added value for the rail system in order to sell our product and offer an attractive service, Pluy said. The rail industry must then do more to embrace sustainability measures that will enhance its service offerings. This includes by grabbing low-hanging fruit as quickly as possible so it can move on to the bigger challenges. As some delegates pointed out, many of the emissions reductions solutions highlighted at the conference have been around for years, but have not yet been widely introduced. Enhance targets There is also the case for the industry to enhance its sustainability targets. With the world set to come together again this month to discuss how it might implement the Paris Agreement, reducing the use of fossil fuels for energy generation is likely to be at the top of the agenda. As Mr Kamel Ben Naceur, director of the Directorate of Sustainability Technology and Outlooks at the International Energy Agency, told delegates, currently 82% of the worlds energy generation comes from fossil fuels. If there is any chance of delivering the Paris Agreement, this must fall quite rapidly. With 36.2% of all its services now using electric traction compared with 17.2% in 1990, and continuing to increase, rail is in an advantageous position. However, by committing to sourcing more of its energy from renewables it can further position itself as the natural transport partner to governments as they strive to reduce their emissions. Currently only 8.7% of all energy used by railways comes from renewable sources. However, with Europe already achieving the EU Climate Package target of sourcing 20% of its energy from renewables in 2011, there is now a strong case to increase this further, and to encourage the rest of the world to follow suit. There are inevitably challenges to doing this: recording the precise source and use of energy is a complicated and not always transparent process; accessing renewable energy is also not as straightforward for some railways as it is for OBB and SBB which have access to their own hydro-electric plants. The cost of electricity, as Mr Boris Ivanov, deputy head of the technical policy department at RZD, told the conference, is also relatively cheap for some railways, which makes it difficult to justify spending more on acquiring clean energy. However, work is underway to improve the situation. The UICs dual-reporting approach to reporting CO 2 emissions relative to the procurement of renewable energy, which is in line with the Greenhouse Gases Protocol Scope 2 Guidance established by the World Resources Institute, is a good step towards improving transparency. In addition, the cost of renewables is falling - by a factor of four in the last three decades according to Naceur - which will increasingly make these sources of energy competitive. And with governments set to increase their investments in this area to meet their Paris targets, rail should put itself at the front of the queue to benefit so it remains a major part of the solution. If not, with other modes of transport working hard, and spending lots of money, to position themselves as the backbone of a future sustainable transport network, rail may find itself squeezed out. The deal has an estimated value of around 320m and is De Lijns largest-ever investment in new vehicles. The order will enable the replacement of the coastal fleet and PCC trams in Antwerp and Ghent, as well as increasing fleet capacity for operation on new lines. Delivery of the metre-gauge vehicles is due to start in 2018. According to the tender, which was issued in March 2014, De Lijn requires 62 LRVs for the West Flanders coastal line linking Knokke, Ostend and De Panne, including five vehicles for a proposed extension to Veurne. Antwerp will receive 66 LRVs and Ghent 18 units. CAFs competitor in the tender, Bombardier, has lodged an appeal against De Lijns decision, which is due to be heard by the Council of State on November 22. The ACV union says it is concerned the decision to award the contract to CAF could jeopardise the future of Bombardiers plant at Bruges, although the consequences for the facility if Bombardier fails to win the tender are not currently known. In June 2015 De Lijn exercised an option with Bombardier for 40 additional Flexity 2 LRVs, taking its fleet of these vehicles to 88. The new LRVs will operate on the 17.7km extension of the Blue Line extension, which is currently under construction, and allow service enhancements on existing lines. This order brings the total number of vehicles supplied by Siemens to MTS since the first line opened in 1981 to 244, making MTS the largest light rail customer for Siemens light rail vehicles in the United States. MTS has now retired or sold 71 Siemens U-2 vehicles which were the original vehicles on the nations first modern light-rail system, and the initial 24km segment from San Ysidro on the Mexican border to San Diego city centre has since grown to more than 85km of double-tracked railway. The new LRVs will feature a new middle section of the vehicle which will improve passenger flow, and includes better wheelchair accessibility and bicycle storage. MTS will use 36 of the 45 new LRVs on a new service to help manage demand to and from the University City community, the Mid-Coast Trolley expansion. The other nine vehicles will enable increased operation of frequencies Blue and Orange lines. Our relationship with Siemens is a true partnership, says MTS CEO Mr Paul Jablonski. We work together at every step to design the best-possible vehicle for our system, and more importantly, our riders. The first LRVs are expected to arrive in late 2018. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) has awarded Siemens a contract for 45 new S70 light rail vehicles, bringing the total number of Siemens LRVs supplied to MTS since 1981 to 244. MTS is Siemens largest U.S. LRV customer. The new S70s will allow service enhancements on existing rail lines and provide the necessary LRVs to operate the 11-mile extension of the UC San Diego Blue Line, now under construction. MTS recently sold or retired 71 Siemens U-2 LRVs, which were the original vehicles on the first modern light rail system in the U.S. The original 15-mile segment from the International Border to downtown San Diego has since grown to more than 53 miles of double-tracked railway that serves the entire urbanized area of San Diego. The S70 features a redesigned vehicle mid-section to improve passenger flow, including greater wheelchair accessibility and bicycle storage. MTS will use 36 LRVs on its Mid-Coast Trolley expansion, a new service to help manage current and future travel demand to and from the University City community. The remaining nine vehicles will be used to increase frequency on the UC San Diego Blue and Orange lines. The first vehicles are expected to arrive in late 2018. The S70s will be built at the Siemens rail manufacturing hub in Sacramento, Calif. The plant, which has been in operation for almost 30 years, is powered in part by two megawatts of solar energy and currently employs nearly 1,000 people. Siemens is currently the largest supplier of LRVs in North America. Our relationship with Siemens is a true partnership, said MTS CEO Paul Jablonski. We work together at every step to design the best-possible vehicle for our system and, more important, our riders. Siemens is proud to continue our 35-year relationship with MTS by being chosen to build these advanced technology light rail vehicles for the city of San Diego, said Siemens Rolling Stock President Michael Cahill. These California-built vehicles will help continue MTS legacy of outstanding service to its riders and help accommodate riders on their growing rail system. Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK Mosul was the first major Iraqi city conquered by the Islamic State during its blitzkrieg in the summer of 2014, and its loss would be a serious blow for a group that claims it will create a pan-Islamic caliphate based in the Middle East. But past insurgencies suggest it is far too early to count the Islamic State out. There's still plenty of time for it to follow in the footsteps of other successful insurgent groups. This year certainly hasn't been kind to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's organization. The Islamic State has lost roughly 50 percent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq, according to U.S. government estimates. In neighboring Syria, the Islamic State has lost roughly a quarter of the territory it once controlled and has been pushed out of key areas along the Syrian-Turkish border, such as Manbij and Jarabulus. The group still retains some territory in Iraq and Syria, particularly along the Euphrates River. But its land is shrinking, its finances are in perilous shape, and its pool of foreign fighters is dwindling and suffering from low morale. But the Islamic State is not the first insurgent group to face setbacks like these. Since World War II, there have been nearly 200 insurgencies around the world. Together, they provide a useful historical lens to view what may lie ahead for the Islamic State. Above all, they show that the arc of insurgencies rarely moves in one direction. The fortunes of insurgent groups often wax and wane depending on their ability to establish sanctuaries, adapt their strategies, and take advantage of local grievances. Based on historical precedent, there are several ways the Islamic State will likely attempt to weather the storm. Insurgent groups that lose territory generally need to find sanctuaries that allow them to rest, resupply their depleted forces, and plan future operations. First, insurgent groups that lose territory generally need to find sanctuaries that allow them to rest, resupply their depleted forces, and plan future operations. In some cases, these safe havens are outside the country. In Afghanistan, the Taliban's leadership and many of its fighters fled to neighboring Pakistan after their defeat in 2001 at the hands of U.S. and Afghan forces. Over the next several years, the Taliban used its safe havens in Pakistan to restart the war in Afghanistan, where it remains a significant threat to the Afghan state today. Similarly, Fidel Castro and his surly band of communist rebels suffered a debilitating defeat in July 1953 against the Cuban government in the city of Santiago de Cuba. But Castro eventually reorganized in Mexico, plotted his next steps in relative security, and eventually overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista in 1959. Sometimes adequate sanctuaries are available inside the country. In Somalia, al-Shabab lost virtually all of the territory it once controlled following military operations by the African Union Mission in Somalia, Somali government, allied clan militias, and U.S. forces from 2011 to 2015. But al-Shabab found a sanctuary in the Jubba River valley in southern Somalia among allied clans, and it has since waged a violent terrorist campaign in Somalia and neighboring countries like Kenya. Islamic State leaders already appear to appreciate the importance of sanctuaries. Where the Islamic State has already lost territory in Iraq, such as in Ramadi and Fallujah, its fighters have melted away into the dense agricultural and desert areas around urban centers. Operating out of these jazirah (isolated) areas, the Islamic State could replicate the model it perfected a decade ago under the name al Qaeda in Iraq by sustaining itself through low-level criminal activity, storing weapons caches for extended operations, and executing a grueling murder and intimidation campaign. Islamic State fighters can also leverage the territory the group currently controls in Syria, which extends north of Raqqa and southeast along the Euphrates River to the Syrian-Iraqi border. This sanctuary was essential for the Islamic State's resurgence in 2014. Insurgent groups that face more powerful adversaries generally adopt a guerrilla strategy. Second, insurgent groups that face more powerful adversaries generally adopt a guerrilla strategy rather than attempting to wage a conventional campaign and fight their enemies in pitched battles. A guerrilla strategy involves the use of military and political resources to mobilize a local population, conduct hit-and-run attacks rather than face the enemy directly on the battlefield, and undermine the government's will to fight. Guerrilla warfare is attractive to groups that are significantly weaker than government security forces, which is why a guerrilla campaign is sometimes likened to a war of the flea. For T.E. Lawrence, the British officer and advisor to Arab insurgents against the Ottoman Empire, guerrilla campaigns were the sine qua non of insurgent warfare, and mobility and hit-and-run attacks were their essential tactic. He wrote in The Evolution of a Revolt: Granted mobility, security (in the form of denying targets to the enemy), time, and doctrine (the idea to convert every subject to friendliness), victory will rest with the insurgents, for the algebraical factors are in the end decisive. Most successful insurgent groups have utilized guerrilla strategies. In Guinea-Bissau, Amilcar Cabral and his African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) adopted a successful guerrilla campaign to win independence from Portugal. The PAIGC spent more than a decade conducting hit-and-run attacks against Portuguese forces until Guinea-Bissau became independent from Portugal in 1974. In South Africa, African National Congress (ANC) leaders began preparations in 1963 for Operation Mayibuye, which involved organizing and implementing a guerrilla strategy against the government. It was orchestrated by the ANC's military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, and contributed to the end of the apartheid government in South Africa by 1994. Today, the Islamic State faces a powerful coalition of adversaries that includes seasoned Kurdish Peshmerga, Iraqi security forces, Sunni Arab militias, Shiite militias, and U.S. and other coalition military power. If the Islamic State has any hope of surviving the loss of Mosul, its leaders will likely shift to a classic guerrilla campaign that includes ambushes, raids, sabotage, targeted assassinations, and suicide attacks. The Islamic State waged a successful conventional campaign in 2014 when its fighters from Syria surged across the border into Iraq's Anbar province in large columns of mechanized and even armored vehicles, joining operatives that had already been active in Fallujah and Ramadi. Clashes often took the form of set battles, trench warfare, and town sieges. But the Islamic State no longer faces such parity, making guerrilla warfare its only viable option. Third, classic insurgent theorists like Mao Zedong, the Chinese leader and insurgent philosopher, have long stressed the importance of leveraging political and other grievances. Without a political goal, Mao wrote, guerrilla warfare must fail, as it must if its political objectives do not coincide with the aspirations of the people. Groups need a cause that charismatic leaders can use to help mobilize local populations. Mao likened the local population to water and insurgents to fish that need water to survive. Successful insurgents have effectively leveraged local grievances. Successful insurgents have effectively leveraged local grievances. In Vietnam, the Viet Cong exploited hatred of a government they viewed as hopelessly corrupt, oppressive toward rural peasants, and too closely aligned with U.S. imperialist forces. In Nicaragua, the Sandinistas regularly visited houses in rural areas to exploit social and economic grievances. The first thing we would ask, recalled one Sandinista guerrilla, was if they owned the land they lived on, and the answer was always no, it belonged to 'rich folk.' Their goal was to influence rural peasants by directing their anger at the wealthy landowners and the government, which they did on their way to overthrowing the government of Anastasio Somoza Debayle in 1979. Perhaps the most vulnerable component of the current campaign in Iraq against the Islamic State is the failure to address Sunni Arab grievances. Beginning around 2010, the government of Nouri al-Maliki initiated a targeted campaign to consolidate his hold on power at the expense of Sunni Arabs. He replaced competent Sunni Arab and Kurdish military officers with loyal but incompetent Shiite ones; he used the courts and security forces to harass and pursue Sunni Arab politicians; and his security forces violently suppressed Sunni protests. At the same time, Maliki aligned more closely with Iran. These grievances continue under Maliki's successor, Haider al-Abadi. Unless Sunni disenfranchisement is more effectively addressed in Iraq, there will likely be a suitable environment for the survival and perhaps even the revival of the Islamic State. The Islamic State has often scoffed at historical tenets of insurgent warfare, killing and intimidating local populations rather than mobilizing them. But if the Islamic State can adapt, the fall of Mosul may simply be the beginning of a new phase of a generational conflict. Seth G. Jones is director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. He is the author, most recently, of Waging Insurgent Warfare: Lessons from the Vietcong to the Islamic State (Oxford). This commentary originally appeared on Foreign Policy on October 31, 2016. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. Arbitration panel formed for hearing $12 bln claim lodged by tycoon Pugachev MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI) The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague has formed a panel of arbitrators for considering a claim filed by Sergey Pugachev, once an influential tycoon, seeking $12 billion in damages, Dmitry Morochenko, a spokesman for Pugachev, told RAPSI on Tuesday. Eduardo Zuleta Jaramillo has been appointed as Presiding Arbitrator. In June, Pugachev chose Thomas Clay as arbitrator. The Russian government missed the deadline to appoint its arbitrator, who was selected by the Secretary-General of the PCA in August. As a result, Bernardo Cremades will be sitting on a panel along with Clay. Moscow agreed the case to be considered by a panel of arbitrators with the PCA, Morochenko said earlier. The Russian government has hired law firm White & Case LLP in connection with Pugavhevs claim. The legal team will be headed by David Goldberg, White & Case LLP's London-based partner. Pugachev lodged the claim in September 2015. He alleged an attempted expropriation of his assets totaling $15 billion. Lazareff Le Bars is currently acting as counsel to Pugachev. Pugachev fled Russia in early 2011 after International Industrial Bank (Mezhprombank) collapsed. The Russian Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA), which was appointed as liquidator to Mezhprombank, claims that Pugachev extracted money from the bank for his benefit when it was already insolvent. An investigation was launched into the allegations. Russian courts ruled that Pugachev along with several other persons should be held liable for the insolvency of Mezhprombank. They were ordered to pay nearly 75.6 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) in damages. Russia's Supreme Court upheld the ruling in January. Yandex not allowed to join as third party to Google lawsuit over $6.7M fine MOSCOW, November 1 (RAPSI) The Moscow Commercial Court refused Russian Internet giant Yandex to join as a third party to the examination of a claim the US company Google had lodged against the Federal Antimonopoly Services (FAS) ruling to impose a 438 million rubles ($6.7 million) fine on the corporation, RAPSI learnt in the court on Tuesday. The court has set the hearings on the merits of the Googles claim for December 8. On August 17, the Ninth Commercial Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal filed by Google against a ruling that the US company had broken Russian anti-monopoly legislation by abusing its dominance on the Russian market of mobile applications. In early August, FAS announced that it had fined Google 438 million rubles ($6.7 million) for violating administrative legislation. On September 18, 2015, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) found Google guilty of violation the legislation. On March 15, 2016, the Moscow Commercial Court dismissed Googles petition requesting to abolish the FAS decision and order issued in September 2015, which stated that the company had violated the Federal Law on Protection of Competition and accusing it of abuse of dominance on the market of preinstalled applications in the Android operating system. Reliefweb, October 31, 2016 Afghan men walk through the debris of their destroyed school in the village of Budyali, Nangarhar province, on March 19, 2013. Taliban militants attacked the nearby district headquarters in July 2011, then took refuge in the school. The Afghan National Army requested help from coalition forces, who responded with drones, fighter jets and rockets, leaving the school destroyed, according to village elders. (Photo: Sf.co.ua) Afghan men walk through the debris of their destroyed school in the village of Budyali, Nangarhar province, on March 19, 2013. Taliban militants attacked the nearby district headquarters in July 2011, then took refuge in the school. The Afghan National Army requested help from coalition forces, who responded with drones, fighter jets and rockets, leaving the school destroyed, according to village elders. (Photo: Sf.co.ua) More than 300 schools in Afghanistan have been destroyed in the past two months - mainly by the Taliban as they wage war on education. The latest attack was three days ago when armed men burst into a girls' school in northern Jawzjan province at night and beat up security guards. They then burned down the school, which has about 500 students. "The armed men entered the school at around 10pm, beat the guards and set chairs, books and classes ablaze," the provincial governor's spokesman Reza Ghafoori told the AFP news agency. "They also warned that the girls should not be allowed in the school again." Police blamed the assault on the Taliban and a government spokesman said the militant group were behind most of the 300 recent school attacks. Abdul Hafiz Khasheh, he provincial deputy police chief, said: "They were Taliban - they have burned schools in this area in the past." The Taliban opposed education for girls when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. After they were toppled by an allied invasion, millions of girls began attending schools across the country. But schools, students and teachers have increasingly been coming under attack again. Although filling the long-vacant office could help pull the country out of its political stagnation, Hezbollah and Iran will continue undermining Lebanese state institutions unless the situation next door in Syria changes significantly. After more than two years without a president in Lebanon, the parliament convened on October 31 and elected Maronite Christian figure Michel Aoun. The previous president, former Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) chief of staff Michel Suleiman, finished his six-year term in May 2014, but the legislature was unable to reach consensus on his successor due to sectarian divisions (mostly between Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians) and competing foreign alignments (whether with Sunni Saudi Arabia or Shiite Iran). Aoun has long been a controversial figure in Lebanon. Once the country's most anti-Syrian political figure, since 2005 he has been aligned with the Assad regime and its principal ally in Lebanon, the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah. Today's decision represents a significant victory for the ambitious octogenarian general, but it also suggests new pragmatism among his political opponents -- the so-called March 14 coalition, which had opposed his candidacy for a decade. While many welcome the potential end of political stagnation produced by the presidential vacuum, the key question is whether the agreement to elect Aoun also implies increased Iranian control. INTO SYRIA'S ARMS As LAF chief of staff at the end of Lebanon's civil war, General Aoun militarily opposed both Syrian hegemony and the Taif Accord, which ended the conflict but diminished Christian political power. In 1990, as the Syrians occupied Lebanon, Aoun sought refuge in France; he later returned home in 2005 when the Syrians withdrew, aspiring to be president. Yet his hopes were dashed when the Sunni, Christian, and Druze leaders who made up the pro-West/anti-Syrian March 14 coalition opposed his candidacy. With his path to office blocked, Aoun's party -- the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) -- signed a memorandum of understanding with Hezbollah in February 2006 establishing a political counterweight to March 14. The resultant coalition between Aoun's Christian constituents and Hezbollah is called the March 8 alliance; the general has been reliably aligned with the Shiite group and its Iranian patron ever since. Once the FPM claimed the most seats among Christian parties in the 2005 and 2009 parliamentary elections, it consistently backed Tehran's agenda in Lebanon, supported the Assad regime, and became widely viewed as a sectarian actor hostile toward Lebanon's Sunni community, which comprises approximately 35 percent of the population. Yet after two years without a president, the Sunni leader of March 14, Saad Hariri, faced an unpalatable choice between pro-Syrian parliamentarian Sleiman Frangieh and Aoun. Hariri initially chose Frangieh, but that decision was blocked by his coalition partner Samir Geagea of the Christian party Lebanese Forces, who surprisingly backed his own Christian political rival, Aoun. Given Geagea's move and the fallout from the May municipal elections, in which former coalition partner Ashraf Rifi won an insurgent local campaign against his erstwhile allies, Hariri convinced most of his bloc to accept Aoun in a bid to keep March 14 from falling apart. HEZBOLLAH'S CALCULUS While Hezbollah ostensibly backed its political partner Aoun for the post, its behavior toward his candidacy has suggested ambivalence. Indeed, the militia initially balked at supporting him, and it did not change its mind until weeks after Aoun became a viable candidate. This indecision was not surprising because Hezbollah benefitted greatly from the political vacuum, which weakened March 14 and gave the militia a freer hand in its military deployments to Syria. Moreover, now that he has won office, Aoun -- who is known for his stubbornness and his maverick, even megalomaniac tendencies -- could be hard for Hezbollah to control. The organization had a bad experience with former president Suleiman, whose candidacy it backed in 2008. At first, Suleiman proved a reliably pro-Hezbollah president, but he tilted against the militia in his last two years in office. Hezbollah's smaller Shiite rival, Amal, has been more openly opposed to Aoun. The party's leader, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, has made his distaste clear -- last week he told Aoun, "I am against you and will vote against you," and he ordered his thirteen-member bloc not to choose the general in today's balloting. Perhaps reflecting differences in Shiite opinion, Amal engaged in violent clashes with Hezbollah in recent weeks as Aoun's candidacy gained steam. PROSPECTS To become the president and -- in theory at least -- national symbol of Lebanon, Aoun had to resign his membership in and leadership of the FPM. That position has since been awarded to his son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, another controversial figure long mired in corruption scandals and allegations of sectarian incitement. In the lead-up to the presidential election, Bassil extended an olive branch of sorts, improbably tweeting of his newfound admiration for Lebanon's "moderate Sunnis." Yet Lebanon's political realities and electoral map remain the same, and Aoun's election in no way implies dissolution of the FPM's political alliance with Hezbollah. For his part, Hariri's task of convincing his political allies to accept an Aoun presidency was not easy. Six members of his 33-seat Future Movement bloc in Lebanon's 128-seat parliament did not support the deal. More complicated, however, will be the negotiations that lie ahead to determine the composition of the new government. Hariri consented to Aoun as the least bad among terrible options; in exchange, he anticipates serving as prime minister, and his coalition supports this goal. Assuming this scenario comes to pass, Hariri will face other challenges as premier. It will be quite difficult, for example, to accommodate all the competing demands for ministries to be chosen by various players, including Aoun (who will likely insist on naming about a third of the approximately thirty-member cabinet), Hezbollah, the FPM, and Hariri's own ten-party bloc. And even if he becomes prime minister, there is no guarantee Hariri will serve for long; last time he won the post, he was ousted by March 8 after just two years. More consequential than the politics, however, will be the new dynamics created by an Aoun presidency. As mentioned previously, he has been a remarkably divisive figure over the past decade. After waiting nearly three decades to be president, will he become a unifying national actor, or will he remain a partisan, sectarian nationalist who is sympathetic to Iran's increasingly influential position in Lebanon? Precedent suggests little reason for optimism, though there are some within the March 14 camp who believe that Aoun's advanced age will lead him to avoid fights with his former rivals and instead focus on securing his legacy. In their view, this could mean helping to solve some of Lebanon's more vexing economic and environmental problems, particularly the crisis caused by Syrian refugees, who now comprise nearly one-third of the population. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Thus far, Washington has publicly applauded Aoun's election and called on the new government to "uphold" its obligations, "including those contained in UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701," which emphasize Lebanon's sovereignty and the need to disarm Hezbollah. But these admonishments are likely to fall on deaf ears. Given current realities, Hezbollah will continue to possess a massive arsenal of weapons outside the government's authority for the foreseeable future. It will also continue deploying into Syria at will to fight on the Assad regime's behalf, with or without Beirut's consent. To wit, even if Hariri becomes premier, the ministerial statement issued by his government will likely legitimize Hezbollah's weapons. For these and other reasons, many in the United States and the region are declaring Aoun's election a victory for Hezbollah and Iran. Yet Hariri and his coalition had few alternatives, and it is difficult to imagine an Aoun presidency being worse for March 14 -- and U.S. interests -- than the ongoing vacuum. Aoun may even surpass the extremely low expectations for his presidency. Likewise, a Hariri government, if adeptly managed, could revitalize the moribund March 14 coalition, making it a more potent and popular political force. In any event, Aoun's departure from the FPM will all but certainly exacerbate the party's internal divisions and dilute its popular support -- a development that over time will benefit March 14. Most important, the agreement to elect him apparently received Saudi Arabia's blessing, perhaps spurring Riyadh to reengage in Lebanese politics as a useful counterbalance to Iran. Finally, while today's decision may have ended Lebanon's prolonged political impasse, significant national challenges remain. The presidency has limited powers, so filling the office is no panacea. And with or without Aoun, Hezbollah and Iran remain the country's dominant political actors. Absent an effective U.S. policy that deals Tehran and its proxies a setback in Syria, Lebanon will remain on the precipice of crisis. Property details: This piece of land parcel is beautiful, abundant with natural growth of timber trees of different age profiles, water bodies over the land parcel, hunting potential and best of all, incredibly affordable when compared to similar sized land parcels in other parts of the world. Compare property values in places like England, Ireland, Germany and the U.S. (specially California and the East Coast) and buyers here always get more for their dollar than they would at home.This land parcel lies in the g... Price: $ 110,000 Seller State of Residence: Quebec State/Province: Quebec Type: Recreational, Acreage & Home Lot Zoning: White Zoning - Transferable at the Provincial leve Location: , Quebec You will be redirected to eBay Nearby White Zoning - Transferable at the Provincial leve Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available For many college students, entering university is a transition period in which they slowly depart from their parents money flow and become more financially independent. This Oct. 6, 2016 photo shows typical houses in Yangon, Myanmar. The Yangon Heritage Trust says Myanmars largest city and commercial capital is facing its last best chance to salvage and restore many crumbling colonial treasures. They recently proposed a heritage strategy for the city that outlines a vision of how to make the city more livable, modern and still affordable as property developers crowd in, while preserving its unique landmarks and neglected green spaces. (AP Photo/Elaine Kurtenbach) SHARE By ELAINE KURTENBACH, AP Business Writer YANGON, Myanmar (AP) A Yangon historic-preservation group says Myanmar's largest city and commercial capital is facing its "last best chance" to save many crumbling architectural treasures dating back to the days when Myanmar was the British colony of Burma. The Yangon Heritage Trust recently proposed a heritage strategy for Yangon, outlining a vision for making the Southeast Asian city more livable, modern and affordable while preserving its unique landmarks and neglected green spaces. Yangon, the former capital, has been razing old buildings as it widens roads and builds flyovers to help ease massive traffic congestion. Property developers are rushing in. A few of the many colonial structures in the downtown area have been restored to their past glory, but most are crumbling, paint blackened or peeling, turrets topped with emerald tufts of grass and bushes. Others are moldering away behind walls, engulfed by jungle. "The city is at a tipping point and, without action, Yangon may become another of the region's urban disaster zones," the Yangon Heritage Trust said in its report, alluding to cities like Singapore that have lost most of their beautiful older buildings. It argues that making the city more livable is crucial to its future competitiveness. Here are five takeaways from the blueprint: ___ STOP DEMOLITIONS: The Heritage Trust calls for a moratorium on demolishing old buildings until basic, long-term plans are drawn up. ___ ENSURE GOOD QUALITY PRESERVATION: Both interiors and exteriors of old buildings need to be protected, to prevent landmark structures from being mere "facades." ___ MAKE A MASTER PLAN: Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon, risks losing its rich colonial and traditional Burmese heritage due to ill-coordinated property development and other construction. For example, pedestrian access to the waterfront from the riverside Strand Road is mostly blocked by a busy toll road. ___ SHWEDAGON PAGODA: The gleaming golden spire of Shwedagon, an oasis of calm in an increasingly noisy and chaotic city, is surrounded by lush parklands that could be connected by walkways to make Yangon more welcoming to pedestrians and create more leisure space. ___ REUSE, RECYCLE, REPURPOSE: One top priority is to reuse government buildings that were abandoned when Myanmar's political capital was moved to Naypyitaw, a new city to the north. The trust proposes using the decrepit former Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, built in 1905 and originally a department store, as a visitor information center and civic hall. These days, it looks more like a giant haunted house. SHARE By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight Two businesses, including a supermarket chain, are planning to open in Anderson in the near future and on Tuesday evening, they'll both be asking the City Council for help to do so. Smokin' Joes barbecue and Grocery Outlet Bargain Market are eyeing locations at the opposite ends of the city the former on a city-owned lot near the police station and Kaleidoscope Coffee and the latter in the Shasta Outlets Mall, according to the council's agenda documents. But they each are seeking the council's help, said Jeff Kiser, city manager. The proposed Grocery Outlet, which isn't connected directly to the store in Redding, wants a liquor license to sell beer and wine, according to City Attorney Jody Burgess' report. The state caps licenses to prevent excessive sales in poor areas, Burgess wrote. But the state can waive that rule if applicants can demonstrate the store would be a "public convenience and necessity," he wrote. One method is for the City Council to officially state it has determined the store would serve that convenience and need. "You only get so many (licenses) per capita. We're at the max, and it needs council approval," Kiser said. "We not only serve our 10,000 but we serve regional buyers." He added that the store would not be in a neighborhood but a mall. Shasta Outlets Mall landlords Northwest Assets Management did not return two calls for comment Monday. Its website lists a Grocery Outlet store coming in 2017. Kiser said he did not know when it would open. In north Anderson, Smokin' Joes barbecue is looking to open a drive-thru kiosk on North Street next to Kaleidoscope coffee. The council will go over the 10-year lease, proposed as $200 per month and 1 percent of gross profits, Kiser said. The city would have to give 180 days notice if it terminated the lease. If that happens within the first five years, Anderson additionally would have to cough up $5,000, Kiser said. Anderson's council will also consider whether to outsource its animal control work from the Police Department to Haven Humane Society. The city would pay about $64,000 per year for a full-time animal control officer and a one-time $37,000 fee for an animal control vehicle, said Police Chief Michael Johnson. It will be paid for by general fund dollars, which partly come from a voter-passed public safety tax, Kiser said. Anderson police community service officers currently handle animal control calls, which make up a large portion of their workload, Johnson said. "We're trying to get out of the business of animal control," he said. Adding an additional CSO for just animal control would be more expensive because of the position's required training, which covers a wide range of subjects, he said. The officer would work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Police would handle calls outside those hours, he said. Haven Humane already provides animal shelter services for Anderson and all animal control duties for Redding, according to the agenda report. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Anderson City Hall, 1887 Howard St. This satellite photo, from Caltrans, shows the current stretch of Highway 36 (purple Xs), its proposed transformation into a bike and pedestrian path (green) and the new Highway 36 route (in black/gray). It is one of four options being presented to the Red Bluff City Council. SHARE By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight State road officials will detail their ideas and plans to rework Highway 36 near the northern tip of Red Bluff during the City Council meeting Tuesday evening. The work would realign Highway 36 between where it and Main Street split in north Red Bluff and where it intersects with Baker Road, said Clint Burkenpas, project manager with the California Department of Transportation in Northern California. Caltrans will present four alternatives for what the highway would look like to the Red Bluff City Council Tuesday evening as Burkenpas' team prepares the plan for state approval. Its cost is estimated at between $7 million to $8 million, though Burkenpas cautions it's very early in the process. They are looking to replace the highway, one of four north of the Bay Area that reach the coast, because its current route doesn't have wide enough shoulders and needs improved intersections to meet modern standards, he said. They also want to make the currently diagonal railroad crossing shoot straight across, he said. The options for the new highway are similar, though some differences do exist some call for the old roadway to be used as a bike and pedestrian path parallel with the new flatter, straighter highway, he said. How soon the project would move forward isn't clear yet, as funding hasn't been secured for the next phase of environmental study, Burkenpas said. "At this point, we're just moving forward to try to finish up the planning documents for the project," he said. Nonetheless, any groundbreaking is likely years away. But impacts to traffic should be limited because vehicles will still be using the old highway, he said. IF YOU GO Who: Red Bluff City Council What: Presentation on options for new, 2-mile stretch of Highway 36 at northern end of Red Bluff When: 7 p.m. Tuesday Where: Red Bluff council chambers, 555 Washington St. IF YOU GO Who: Red Bluff City Council Red Bluff City Council What: Presentation on options for new, 2-mile stretch of Highway 36 at northern end of Red Bluff Presentation on options for new, 2-mile stretch of Highway 36 at northern end of Red Bluff When: 7 p.m. Tuesday 7 p.m. Tuesday Where: Red Bluff council chambers, 555 Washington St. SHARE By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight Residents of three neighborhoods were told county employees made an error when checking contaminants in their water, but it is still safe to drink. Water customers in Keswick, French Gulch and Jones Valley received notice in September of the missed tests from earlier in the year. There is no cause for alarm, said the letter from the county's Water Agency, but they did violate state monitoring requirements and notified customers of their error. Scott Sealander, operator with the Water Agency, said samples are taken from fire hydrants in the neighborhoods, but the wrong locations were tested during a three-month period. "There is no harm to the water. It is not a hazard," said Sealander. The type of samples in question measure what byproducts are left over from treating the drinking water. The Shasta County Water Agency manages municipal services for several County Service Areas in unincorporated parts of the county. Keswick resident Marion Schmitz said he is not too worried about the notice. Schmitz sits on his neighborhood's community advisory board, who meets with a Public Works employee to discuss water services. "I'm sure that someone could get excited about that (notice)," said Schmitz. "I would feel concerned if the (Water Agency) had not put any of the bactericide in the water in the first place." Steve Boyd, Jones Valley resident, said the error is an example of the Water Agency ignoring complaints from residents and said this equates to neglect, if residents only received a notice later in the year. "This leaves us having to question whether our water is safe to drink," said Boyd. In the past Boyd and other residents of Jones Valley asked the county to explore breaking the Water Agency away from Shasta County Public Works. Financing a separate agency is too costly, said the county in response to a Shasta County Grand Jury report that reviewed the management of the County Service Areas. With only a partial measurement of this year's required testing recorded, the CSAs might not be in compliance at the end of this year with contaminant levels. State Water Resources Control Board spokesman Andrew DiLuccia said the county did report test levels the following three-month period, but if high enough contaminant levels are recorded for the year a citation will be sent to Shasta County from the Division of Drinking Water. About 450 homes received the notice in Jones Valley, 200 in Keswick and 150 in French Gulch, according to Sealander. Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight Tyler Christopher Schweizer is set to begin standing trial Feb. 28 for second-degree murder. SHARE Jim Schultz/Record Searchlight Ralf Reuschel is charged with murder in the death of his nephew. Travis Wallace Man in costume pleads not guilty A man dressed as an "evil" teddy bear who was arrested early Sunday morning on suspicion of public intoxication and threatening a hotel clerk with a knife pleaded not guilty during his Monday arraignment in Shasta County Superior Court. Travis Wallace, 28, is charged with brandishing a weapon and possessing a dirk or dagger. Anderson Police said Wallace, who had his bail set at $25,000, was arrested on suspicion threating a hotel employee. Police said he had two 10.5-inch hunting knives, a folding pocket knife and a box cutter on him when he was arrested, and that he was too intoxicated for his own safety. His preliminary hearing is Nov. 10. A Baymont Inn employee said around midnight Wallace stood behind him for 20 seconds in the hotel lobby without saying a word. Wallace then walked away, turned around and lifted his shirt to reveal a knife. Still in costume Wallace went into a hotel laundry room, displayed a knife to a surveillance camera and made stabbing gestures. He also slid the knife across his throat, said the Anderson Police Department. Murder trial put off to February A 31-year-old Redding man charged with second-degree murder in a 2015 traffic wreck that killed an Anderson man will begin standing trial Feb. 28. Tyler Christopher Schweizer, who remains in Shasta County Jail in lieu of $770,000 bail, was in Shasta County Superior Court for a settlement conference that failed to resolve the case. Schweizer was to begin standing trial late next month, but his case was recently taken over by the Shasta County Public Defender's Office, which needs more time to prepare for trial. Schweizer is charged with second-degree murder in connection with a Feb. 11, 2015, crash on Highway 273 that killed 77-year-old Wallace "Pete" Shelton of Anderson. He is accused of driving nearly 100 mph down Highway 273 just before he broadsided Shelton's pickup coming out of Thomas Road. Uncle faces trial in nephew's death A Nov. 15 trial date was confirmed Monday in Shasta County Superior Court for a Redding man charged with murder in the shooting death of his nephew. Ralf Reuschel, 54, is accused of killing Timothy Aaron Mitchell, 33, whose body was found May 3, 2015 in an embankment off Cline Gulch Road in the French Gulch area. Police and prosecutors claim Reuschel shot Mitchell three times with a handgun during the early morning hours of April 30, 2015, at his Redding residence and took the body in his pickup a few days later to the French Gulch area, where he dumped it. The body was found the next day by a man and his dog. Veterans met with the Shasta County Board of Supervisors as the county dedicated a bridge to veterans of the Korean War. SHARE Supervisor Les Baugh honors Preston Sharp for his work in honoring Shasta County veteran grave sites. Korean War Veterans were honored Tuesday when the Shasta County Board of Supervisors dedicated a bridge in their honor. On Wednesday the county will rename the 250-foot bridge on Clear Creek Road as the Shasta County Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge at a ceremony open to the public. Korean War Veteran Joe Cosca, 83, understands the bridge between the city of Redding and the Northern California Veterans Cemetery will stand as a powerful testament to those who served in that war. Many say it is the forgotten war, Cosca said. It was a police intervention when the United States sent troops there to defend the people of South Korea from the North. Cosca was joined by a dozen Korean War veterans at Tuesdays board meeting, where the proclamation was read and Cosca thanked Supervisor Leonard Moty and Public Works Director Pat Minturn for their help in making the dedication possible. Cosca said of the over 36,000 killed in the three-year war, 65 were from Shasta County. Born in South Korea, Veterans Advocate Kim Chamberlain thanked the veterans in the room for their service. She said their presence in the war saved many lives. They sacrificed to come to a country they didnt know, and for a people they didnt know, said Chamberlain. The dedication ceremony will be at 2 p.m. at the Clear Creek Road Bridge about 7 miles from Highway 273. In other bridge news, Public Works reopened a bridge in Fall River Mills closed last September due to structural stability. The bridge was closed by the Department of Public Works because some of the underwater piers showed signs of wear. Built in 1922 the bridges piers were repaired by the county and will remain open as Public Works builds a new bridge nearby, expected to be completed in 2018. Meanwhile, 11-year-old Preston Sharp, who places flags and honors veterans' graves across Shasta County, was recognized by the board for his work. Its important to honor their service, Sharp said, who has honored over 1,000 veterans graves since starting his project last year. Sharp is starting to branch out to neighboring counties, but the board wanted to give him thanks in spending his free time raising money and honoring veterans. Supervisor Les Baugh personally thanked Sharp for his work as several of his relatives were honored at the McDonald Cemetery in Redding and the Anderson Cemetery where Sharp paid his respects. Even in the midst of the heated presidential campaign, two news stories about alleged corruption in California government managed to draw significant headlines and public attention. One came when the state auditor issued a call for significant changes in procedures at the Public Utilities Commission, which sets rates for almost all electricity and natural gas used in California, routinely deciding billion-dollar issues. Changes similar to what the auditor recommended passed the state Assembly with a massive majority, but died without a state Senate vote on the last day of the year's legislative session. The other item saw the state's Fair Political Practices Commission announce it will investigate charges of improper donations to the California Democratic Party brought by the advocacy group Consumer Watchdog, which raised the question of links between those donations and significant actions by Gov. Jerry Brown that affected oil and energy companies that made the contributions. But the FPPC said it won't investigate Brown. This was no surprise, considering Brown appoints the powerful commission chair. But leaving Brown out of this investigation is a bit like eating a hot-dog bun without the sausage. It quite possibly omits the meat of the matter, not to mention vital questions. Auditor Elaine Howell, lacking power to do more than issue reports, meanwhile, took 64 pages to say the PUC "has not effectively guarded against the appearance of improper influence in its public decision-making." The report noted that former PUC President Michael Peevey "engaged in private discussions that were not disclosed in a timely manner," casting legal and ethical doubts on key commission decisions. Peevey met with officials of both Southern California Edison Co. and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. around the times of the shutdown of Edison's San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) and the multi-fatal 2010 natural gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno. In both cases, meetings, emails and phone calls went unreported to the public. One case resulted in a token fine to PG&E, the other in forcing Edison's customers to pay the bulk of the costs of the SONGS closure, caused by an Edison blunder. The PUC last spring reopened that Edison decision, but has yet to make a new ruling. In both cases, Brown did not discipline the commissioners he appointed, and the Legislature's inaction as it ended its session allows for continued secret contacts like those central to those cases. The FPPC's investigation comes after Consumer Watchdog documented large Democratic Party contributions from Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Chevron Corp. Oxy's donation came just after Brown fired two oil and gas regulators the company felt were slow to approve its desired fracking projects. Chevron's arrived on the very day tough regulations were dropped from the 2013 Senate Bill 4, which was intended to restrict fracking operations where agricultural and drinking water aquifers might be threatened. Oxy also gave $250,000 to Brown's 2012 campaign for the Proposition 30 tax increases and $100,000 more to one of the governor's pet charities, the Oakland Military Institute. These donations and others Consumer Watchdog reported smacked of old-fashioned pay-to-play politics. To investigate the state Democratic Party for accepting the money begs the question of who solicited those donations. There also is no announced investigation of how the military school donation came about. Similar donations in the late 1990s from insurance companies regulated by former Republican Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush led to his being hounded from office in the midst of his term amid charges the donations were actually payoffs. Considering the timing of Oxy's donation, not investigating Brown's possible link to it amounts to a clear-cut double standard. One likely outcome of all this appears to be that there will be no immediate changes at the PUC. The appearance and perhaps reality of undue influence by utilities over the agency that regulates them continues. Brown, meanwhile, will likely coast through two more years until the end of his fourth and final term as governor. The question remaining is whether his legacy will be the green-and-clean one he so clearly desires or whether he'll be remembered instead for the alleged corruption among some of his appointees. Email Thomas Elais at tdelias@aol..com SHARE I'll put this in simple terms that everyone should be able to understand. Maybe they'll rethink their positions with regards to many of the homeless folks in and around Redding. If you give anything away, I don't care what it is, people will flock to get whatever they can get even if they don't want or need it. Why? Because it's free. Redding's City Council and the county supervisors are trying to figure out ways to get the homeless off the streets and get help for them, if they want or need it. It's a good idea that has more consequences then they could ever imagine. For years many charities and the Good News Rescue Mission have offered services, they become bigger and bigger and folks keep coming, some are helped but many just move on, others replacing them. The word spreads and homeless from hundreds of miles away will come for the services offered: Methadone, needles, food, clothing and sometimes shelter. It all sounds good, don't misunderstand; the flow will never end if Redding offers more than any other place for hundreds of miles. I know I'd go to where the most services were. Why do you think there are clothes left all over the place where folks camp out? Simple, they can get replacements and know where to go for them. Redding will become a magnet for every homeless person who gets the word "go there and they will care for your needs more than any other place in Northern California." Helping people is great but many, not all, will take, take and take some more and when it's not given to them they will steal from the same folks who tried to give them all they could. I don't have the answer, because there isn't one, unless you make them work for anything they get, be it clothes, needles, methadone or whatever. Then of course there's the liability when you force them to work. That's why there is no good answer. All I know is good folks trying to help cause this area to become saturated with more and more people wanting more than they can get anywhere else. You're not doing them or Redding any favors. It may make you feel good like you're doing your part as a good religious person but it's making things worse. Humans and all other animals will always migrate to where the food and things they need are. Adding more police will only allow the department to take more theft reports quicker. Crime will continue; it's obvious the jails can't hold them all, so repeat offenders keep harming those who have tried so hard to help them. Don Farrell lives in Redding. The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps expanding, and this time it's occupying universes beyond our own. Doctor Strange, arguably the most mystical of Stan Lee's creations, is a neurosurgeon-turned-sorcerer who, you guessed it, goes on to save the world. Other elements like multiverse theory, dark magic and the mystical arts are thrown in there without enough time to be explained, but who cares because New York City literally gets folded in on itself and Benedict Cumberbatch can fly. What happens? Advertisement Doctor Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) is an egotistical neurosurgeon who loses everything when a car accident robs him of the use of his hands. In an effort to find a cure that will let him operate again, Strange abandons Western medicine and heads to Kamar-Taj in Nepal, where he studies the mystic arts and alternate dimensions under the guidance of the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). Strange is enlisted to help other sorcerers protect Earth against threats from rogue sorcerer Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), who attempts to summon Dormammu of the Dark Dimension in an effort to broaden his powers. What's good? Advertisement Watching "Doctor Strange" is nothing short of having the hallucinogenic trip of a lifetime. It is visually stunning and makes excellent use of 3-D, which feels less like a gimmick and more like a vital part of experiencing the film as it's supposed to be. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Cumberbatch is brilliant as the titular character, incorporating a real darkness and desperation into Strange in a way that differentiates him from Marvel's familiar Tony Stark-esque arrogance that we're already familiar with. That's a trait of the film as a whole: It feels comfortable being back in the MCU, but at the same time, it's like nothing we've ever seen from it before. The richness of the mystical arts and newness of this faction of the MCU keeps "Strange" from being hindered by its overly simplistic plot. There's nothing innovative about a good guy standing up to a more powerful bad guy, but the depth of the mythology saves it from feeling boring. What's bad? All that being said, there is still a lack of why this whole thing matters. We all know that Marvel is gearing up for its "Avengers: Infinity War" in 2018, but they ultimately fail at walking the line between setting up Doctor Strange to appear in that film and still introducing the character as his own entity. The extensive mythology behind Doctor Strange's origins makes it hard to do both in one film. (The casual inclusion of, "Hey, he's been wearing an Infinity Stone around his neck this entire time" undermines the importance of his role in the impending "Infinity Wars.") While Cumberbatch and Rachel McAdams mesh well together on screen, once again, a woman is relegated to the role of female companion stuck in a constant state of disbelief. Do better, Marvel. Final verdict Whether or not you're a Marvel fan, "Doctor Strange" is worth a watch, if only for the cinematic experience. 3 stars (out of four) Cyrus Mistry, who was replaced as chairman of Tata Sons last Monday, October 24, still serves as the chairman of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Indian Hotels, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Tata Industries and Tata Teleservices. N Sundaresha Subramanian reports. The multiple stakeholders in the Tata group, including foreign investors, and regulators such as Securities and Exchange Board of India and the ministry of corporate affairs, are keeping a close watch on the coming board meetings of the group companies to approve their respective quarterly results. Cyrus Mistry, who was replaced as chairman of Tata Sons last Monday, October 24, still serves as the chairman of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services, Indian Hotels, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Tata Industries and Tata Teleservices. TCS declared numbers earlier this month. According to data compiled by the BS Research Bureau, 13 Tata companies are yet to declare their results for the quarter ended September 30. This list includes biggies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and Indian Hotels. According to regulations, the companies are required to declare their quarterly numbers within 45 days. Most of these companies would call their board meetings over the next couple of weeks to meet the November 15 deadline. The way these boards deal with Mistry would determine the further course of events in the Tata versus Mistry saga. Legal experts feel the transition may not be smooth, given the stand taken by Mistry and the tone of his letter addressed to the Tata Sons board and trustees of Tata Trusts last week. S N Ananthasubramanian, a senior company secretary, said, "The transition may not be smooth, but it is likely to be quick." According to him, though the procedure for removal would be broadly the same as what happened in Tata Sons, the articles of association of individual companies would also come into play. In Tata Sons, Mistry was redesignated as a non-executive director after the board passed the necessary resolutions to replace him and appoint Ratan Tata as interim chairman. Further, Mistry himself would be more careful and apprehensive while approaching these board meetings and their agenda papers. Two days after the big change at the Tata Sons, Mistry came to Bombay House to chair a routine board meet of Tata Global Beverages, giving a signal that he may not resign on his own. On Friday, October 28, the board of Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) met to approve and declare its results. However, there was no news of any change in board composition. Another factor that would come into play is the mode of appointment. If the shareholders had appointed the chairman, only then would they have the right to remove him. On the other hand, if the shareholders appointed him as director and later the board elected him to chair, the removal could be done by the board itself, said experts. This is where the role of independent directors and nominee directors, who represent institutions, could come into play. Among the independent directors of companies chaired by Mistry are prominent personalities such as Deepak Parekh, Nusli Wadia, Mallika Srinivasan, O P Bhatt, Narendra Jadhav, Ireena Vittal and Subodh Bhargava. Some like Wadia and Bhargava serve on multiple Tata boards. Ananthasubramanian feels the alignment of purpose displayed by the directors of Tata Sons would be difficult to achieve in these different companies. "Especially, in those companies where Mistry has made allegations, people would be careful. If not managed well, things could turn messy." A small misstep could trigger a protracted legal battle. While some like Parekh have publicly expressed their displeasure, other independent directors have criticised the move in private. Parekh, who is an independent director on Indian Hotels board, said earlier this week that 'Cyrus was removed despite doing a reasonably good job,' adding that 'Mistry's ouster doesn't go well for Indian business and India's reputation.' Therefore, an early announcement of successor, probably even before some of these crucial board meets, could be on the cards to allay concerns, some insiders feel, citing quick elevation of Tata Consultancy Services chief N Chandrasekaran and JLR's Ralf Spelth to the Tata Sons' board. Ratan Tata himself has reached out to LIC and his lieutenants are busy engaging with other local and foreign institutions to restore confidence in the market. It is not clear if all this would fuel more boardroom drama in coming days. Prithvi Haldea, founder of Prime Database and recently appointed public interest director of MCX, said it was unlikely that even in these listed companies there are directors purely from Mistry's camp. "All these directors are appointed by the promoters. It is unlikely that anyone would go against them," Haldea said. IMAGE: Cyrus Mistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At Infosys and Wipro, 8,200 roles have been impacted in six months, discover Ayan Pramanik and Shivani Shinde Nadhe. Automation is eating up jobs in the information technology sector of the country. As two of the largest IT services firms in the country -- Infosys and Wipro -- increasingly use automation to improve productivity and deliver services, jobs are being phased out double quick. From April to September, Infosys, the country's second largest software exporter has cut nearly 5,000 jobs by using automation as against 4,000 it did in the previous 12 months. Wipro has already cut 3,200 jobs between April and September, two-thirds of its set target of 4,500 shifts this year. These cuts are being carried out across the board, not just at lower levels or roles such as testing for bugs in software code or fixing errors in legacy software that IT services firms maintain for clients such as American Express or RBS. For now, service firms are shifting employees, whose jobs have become redundant because of automation, to projects for other clients. Many of them are being trained to acquire new skills and improve their presentation. Analysts said the IT services sector was still witnessing early stages of automation -- use of artificial intelligence and software tools. "But it could pose fresh challenges when automation reaches a tipping point. In such a scenario, there may be 30 to 40 per cent reduction of work. Companies would be in a position to redeploy them (employees) only if they have many new projects coming in," said Pareekh Jain, vice-president, HFS Research, an analyst firm that tracks technology outsourcing trends. Domestic firms are losing revenue at a rapid pace from traditional work, such as building applications and maintaining these on huge infrastructure. The rate is not being offset by growth in emerging areas. 'The current demand for traditional services is driven by a focus on cost-saving on the run side even as the investments in the change side have not picked up at the same pace as expected perhaps due to caution in the context of US elections and Brexit,' said Abidali Neemuchwala, chief executive officer of Wipro at the company's quarter results. Run side is the existing business; change is the emerging areas of digital and cloud. Skill levels that emerging areas require are different from what Indian engineers possess at present. Indian service providers have to adapt, while shifting their business models from a people-driven to software-plus-people model. At the same time, re-skilling senior employees released from projects would be an uphill task as the hierarchical structures are "broken across Indian IT companies," said analysts. "Earlier there used to be many management levels such as project manager, senior project manager or group project manager. Now, with automation, so many levels are not needed. Also, companies are reducing hierarchies and encouraging employees to connect directly with clients," Jain said. The business shift has forced companies to find alternative jobs for engineers internally. In 2015-2016, Infosys made a net addition of 17,857 people, Wipro added 34,187 professionals, and TCS added 34,187 people. From April to September, Infosys added 5,785 people; Wipro increased its workforce by 1,326, including contractors. TCS, the largest IT firm, hired 17,676 professionals. While Wipro has seen the lowest number of net additions to its workforce, the impact of automation is higher on experienced professionals than on freshers. "Typically, this pool reduces our lateral requirement. Fresher continue to come. People continue to work for three or four years and their work get automated," Jatin Dalal, chief financial officer, Wipro, told Business Standard, in a recent interview. Wipro has automated 2,000 core IT activities, helping it target making 4,500 jobs redundant. India's largest IT services firm TCS has accepted the importance of automation in order to retain its industry-first margin between 26 and 28 per cent. 'For margin improvement, it is a lot of discipline that has gone into the execution and we have leveraged multiple factors. Yes, tools are important, automation is important, the way we execute our fixed price engagements and the way we staff projects, everything -- we have looked at many factors and that is a journey that will continue,' N Chandrasekaran, chief executive officer, TCS, said on October 13. Infosys, which has doubled the release of employees because of automation said it was as important to achieve its targeted margins of 30 per cent by 2020. In the September quarter, Infosys saved efforts worth of 2,400 engineers across service linessuch as application maintenance, BPO and infrastructure management. 'Going forward, we will go beyond automation and apply knowledge-based AI capabilities of Mana to more complex scenarios with the focus on increasing productivity,' said Vishal Sikka, chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys, last month. Image published only for representational reasons. The Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd and its foreign partners, BP Plc and Niko Resources, may have to pay a penalty of more than $1 billion for commercially using the migrated gas from the block of state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the Krishna-Godavari basin. According to a source close to the development, the government is set to come out with a notification in this regard by the end of this week. Last month, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas had asked the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons to calculate the penalty needed to be charged from RIL for using migrated gas, after a report by the A P Shah committee found the operators guilty. The Shah panel had recommended that compensation imposed on RIL and its partners for unjust benefit received through migration of gas. DGH, technical arm of the petroleum ministry, had already given its report calculating the amount of penalty, which was in the range of $1-1.5 billion, said an official. When contacted, an RIL spokesperson refused to comment and said the companys action on the case would be decided once official information arrived from the government. According to initial estimates, natural gas worth around Rs 11,000 crore migrated from ONGCs 98/2 area to RILs fields. However, sources indicated that the DGH had taken the capital and operational expenditure incurred by RIL into account before coming up with a final figure. It is likely to have deducted the royalty, cess and profit petroleum that the contractors have paid the government on the gas produced so far. The estimate of ONGCs loss was based on a gas price of $4.2 per million British thermal unit. THE PLOT Jul 2013: ONGC alleges that Reliance Industries intentionally extracted gas from its blocks in KG-D6 May 2014: ONGC moves Delhi HC and states that its Godavari Block and discovery block KGDWN-98/2 are contiguous to RIL-owned KG-D6 Nov 2015: Consultant D&M submits report, establishes that over 11.2 billion cubic meters of gas had migrated from ONGCs idling KG fields Dec 2015: A P Shah panel set up to look into legal implications Aug 2016: Shah panels report confirms migration of gas from ONGCs fields to RIL Sept 30: Govt accepts Shah panel report in totality The Shah panel had stated that it faced limitations in providing a figure to the final value of the migrated gas produced by RIL during the term of its lease because of the lack of data and the committee's inherent technical limitations. A report submitted by DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M) in November 2015, too, had stated that about 11.12 billion cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas had migrated to the RIL fields from ONGC's idle fields. According to D&M's report, the reservoirs in ONGC's KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5) and the Godavari-PML are connected with the Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1 and D3) fields located in the KG-DWN-98/3 (KG-D6) block of RIL. The Shah panel report also said RIL had knowledge about the possible migration in 2003, while ONGC, too, had prior understanding about the continuity way back in 2007. Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said there would be an internal inquiry regarding the prior knowledge on migration of gas by both companies. On September 30 the petroleum minister said the government had accepted the Shah panel report in totality and the DGH would come up with a penalty figure by the end of October. The panel had said ONGC was not entitled to receive a share of compensation that RIL and its partners would pay because hydrocarbons were a national asset. When asked whether ONGC would challenge this, ONGC Chairman and Managing Director DK Sarraf said, "Our stand is that gas migration has been proved through the reports of the Shah panel and D&M reports." Image: RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani. Photograph: Reuters. Meet the likely contenders to replace the TCS boss. Shivani Shinde Nadhe reports. With N Chandrasekaran, CEO and managing director of Tata Consultancy Services, being reportedly considered as one of the contenders for the role of Tata Sons chairman, there is talk about who will replace him at TCS, the $16 billion revenue IT services provider. A stable leadership at TCS is extremely important for Tata Sons. The company is the single largest investment by Tata Sons in terms of equity value, accounts for about half the group, and a steady cash flow from TCS has allowed the group to carry on its expansion plans in other companies. According to analysts and industry sources, while TCS has enough leaders waiting in the wings to take on a bigger role, very few have the bandwidth and leadership qualities like Chandrasekaran. "If you ask me who is the best replacement of Chandra at TCS, my answer is none. They have created a business model which has several business units and each unit has a CEO, but no one can be compared to Chandra. I also feel that Tata Sons may not want to rock a ship that is steady and giving them healthy cash flow," said an analyst from a leading foreign banks brokerage firm on condition of anonymity. Chandra was well groomed by mentor former CEO & managing director S Ramadorai. But in the current case, Chandra has not yet clearly identified a next-in-line leader. This is partly also because the CEO at a Tata company is allowed to be on that role till 65 years and Chandra is still far away from that age. However, when TCS reorganised its structure into vertical lines and empowered executives to take key decisions, Chandra also created a pipeline of leaders. Based on that, TCS now has four to five candidate who can try and take on the CEO's role. These candidates also handle the largest geography business for the company and also have had the experience of heading crucial verticals such as banking & finance, manufacturing and others. These include Surya Kant, head of North America, UK & Europe; Ravi Viswanathan, head of India, Middle East and Africa; A S Lakshminarayanan, head of Japan; N G Subramaniam, head of financial solutions; and Venguswamy Ramaswamy, head of iON. What is common for all these candidates is that they are long-time TCS employees and have handled several portfolios and geographies. Also, they all report to Chandra. Kant's division contribute about 80 per cent of the company's revenue. He has been with TCS for over 30 years and he was responsible to create TCS' presence in Japan as early as 1987. He was also heading the UK operations among other responsibilities. The only thing that stands against Kant in getting the top job is his age. Based on reports, he should be around 60 years old and the Tata group's retirement policy allows an individual to be at the helm till 65 years. Viswanathan, as reports suggest, is also known as 'Mr Dependable' at TCS. He is the go-to man to steer troubled business units out of problems. He has been at the helm of the telecom business at TCS, which is the fourth largest vertical for the company and has been vice-president for global delivery. Lakshminarayan is another candidate who many say could be a top contender for the post. Two years ago, he was given the mandate to handle the companys Japan business. Japan has always been a tough market to penetrate for Indian IT services, but under his direction in 2014, TCS acquired Mitsubishi Corp's IT arm. Since he joined in 1983, Lakshminarayan has been sent to build business from scratch. One such instance is the UK business, which he built, and many more. Subramaniam and Ramaswamy head the two strategic business units at TCS -- financial solutions and SMB business iON. "The problem at several Indian companies is that there is no clear succession planning. At TCS, you have senior managers who are very good but can they replace Chandra is the question. This thought never came to our mind when Ramadorai was moving away. One of the key highlights of TCS is strong leadership. A new leader will mean changes," said a senior analyst. Noel, Ratan Tata's half-brother and Mistry's brother-in-law, was a contender for the top position when Mistry was chosen as chairman in 2011. Raghavendra Kamath reports. The ongoing battle between Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry is being keenly watched by another member of the Tata family: Noel N Tata. Noel, Ratan Tata's half-brother and Mistry's brother-in-law, was a contender for the top position when Mistry was chosen as chairman in 2011. Noel is now busy running India's most profitable retail venture, Trent. Statistics show Trent has stood out among peers when it comes to profitability, helped by its low debt. "Trent chose profitability when it came to the profits versus growth debate. When most retailers like Future Group and Birla Retail were struggling with debt and closing loss-making stores after aggressive expansion, Trent chose to go slow and steady but remained profitable over the years," said a senior executive with Tata Group, who did not wish to be named. Noel, who prefers a low profile, has not talked about his candidature. Noel's biggest strategy was to make each store profitable before opening the next one though it was termed a slow mover, the executive said. Adding that it saved a lot of capex for the company, while others opened aggressively to build scale but shut these down to stem losses. For instance, Trent's Star Bazaar first opened an store in 2004, took almost four years to open the next store, he said. "Even Westside treaded cautiously. He ensured the logistics and supply chain is in place. Now that their systems was in place, they are looking at fast expansion in both." Trent grew its profits at a compounded annual rate (CAGR) of 53 per cent in the past five years, the highest among peers, while its sales grew 9. 4 per cent CAGR. The executive said Tata International was also growing fast. Its sales went up six times in the past five years. "Tata International is focusing a lot on exporting to the US and Latin America after Noel joined the firm." Trent has carved a niche, both in terms of partnerships and own formats, says Pankaj Jaju, former head of strategic partnerships at Axis Bank and an investment banker who has done many deals in retail sector. "They have done a reasonably good job in operations and that is reflected in their market cap." A former senior Trent executive said Noel Tata built Trent profitably despite regulatory hurdles and constraints on capital. "In Trents Westside, 80 per cent of merchandise is their own brands while other chains have just 20 per cent own brands. In this strategy, don't you think having 100 Westside stores is a big deal? he asks. While Trent has built its fashion empire with Westside and a joint venture with Zara, it has shut down its Fashion Yatra chain and wound down its venture with Benetton called Sisley. "Noel Tata understands the psyche of Indian consumers well and has created a value for shareholders. By virtue of that, he should be on the board of Tata Sons," the former Trent executive adds. Trent's market cap has doubled in the past five years to Rs 6,644 crore. Although Star Bazaar, a joint venture between Trent and UK-based Tesco, is yet to become profitable, he said Tata had brought a lot of stability in the venture. However, a former president at Future Group says Trent should have done much better than it has done given its access to capital and early-mover advantage. "Given that they have been there for the past 10 years, they should have done much better. Their online presence is also poor," he said. CPM district secretary Anavur Nagappan and BJP district president V V Rajesh stood shoulder to shoulder at the culmination of the Long March taken out by the Vizhinjam Port Local Collective. In an escalation on the border, eight people, including two children and four women, were killed and 22 injured on Tuesday as Pakistani troops targeted civilian areas, inviting strong retaliation by Indian forces who killed two Pakistani soldiers and destroyed their 14 posts. The injured included an 18-month-old girl. In view of increased shelling and firing by Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered closure of all the 400 schools along the International Border and Line of Control in the Jammu region. With cross-border firing escalating, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation at a meeting in Delhi which was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and other top officials. Five people died and eight others were injured in the Pakistani shelling in Ramgarh sector of Samba district today,Deputy Commissioner of Samba Sheetal Nanda said. One person died due to shock during shelling in the same area, raising the toll of those killed in the area to six, she said. The deceased have been identified as 19-year-old Ravinder Kour of Jerda village, 7-year-old Rishap, 5-year-old Abhi, 29-year-old Anju Devi, 60-year-old Meeru Ram of Rangoor village and 32-year-old Swaran Singh of Govindgarh. The injured have been identified as 45-year-old Ashok Kumar, 30-year-old Rakesh Kumar, 13-year-old Muskaan, 50-year-old Kamli, one-and-a-half year-old Pari, 29-year-old Sushma of Rangoor Camp village and 28-year-old Kapil Dev and 15-year-old Anjna Verma of Nanga village. Pari, along with Ashok Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Muskaan, Kamli and Kapil Dev have been shifted to GovernmentMedicalCollege hospital in Jammu for treatment. Along the LoC, two women Sultan Begum and Maqbool Begum were killed in firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Panjgrian border hamlet in Manjakote belt of Rajouri district, Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Shabir Ahmed Bhat said. He said that three people (army porters) suffered injuries in the shelling by Pakistani troops in Noushera sector of the district and they have been hospitalised. At 07.10 on Tuesday, three mortar shells landed in border village of Pindi in Arnia sector of Jammu district and injured four people, he said. Two women Robiya Kouser, 28, and Tasveer Bi, 24, were injured in Pakistani shelling in Mendhar sector of Poonch district on Monday evening and have been hospitalised, police said. Army sources said that two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory firing along LoC opposite to Naushera sector of Rajouri district. Pareek said Border Security Forces destroyed 14 posts of Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory action. BSF gave a calibrated retaliation on IB in response to unprovoked firing and shelling of Pakistan Rangers in area of Ramgarh and Arnia Sectors since morning, the DIG said. Since morning, BSF targeted Pakistan Rangers posts across IB in the same sector and caused heavy damage to 14 Pakistani posts, he said. Pakistani Rangers started firing with small arms, followed by mortar shelling at one place and spread it to 4-5 places in Ramgarh and Arnia sectors of Samba and Jammu district from 06.30, BSF DIG said. Pakistani army resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation along LoC in Naushera and Balakote sectors of Rajouri district from 0530 and 0900 hours respectively using small arms, automatic weapons, 82 mm mortars and 120 mm, Defence PRO said. Over 400 schools have been closed along IB and LOC 62 in Kathua, 45 in Samba, 174 in Jammu, 30 in Rajouri and 84 in Poonch districts in wake of further escalation in firing and shelling from Pak troops, officials said. BKS and BMS leaders have told the BJP leadership that it is staring at a build-up of anti-government propaganda in the run-up to polls in five states. Archis Mohan reports. The Sangh Parivar's fraternal organisations, particularly those working among workers and farmers, are worried that some of the Narendra Modi government's recent decisions might add ammunition to claims by its political rivals that the current government in Delhi was anti-poor and pro big business. Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh have in conversations with the Bharatiya Janata Party leadership, and ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, flagged the potential damage to the Modi government's image because of recent decisions -- strategic sale and divesting management control in over two dozen public sector undertakings, commercialisation of genetically modified mustard and failure to respond appropriately to agrarian distress. The BKS, while principally against such steps as farm loan waiver, also conveyed to the BJP leadership that promises by rival political parties of debt waiver in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh and Punjab might be getting resonance. The BKS and BMS have largely been supportive of the Modi government. The BMS didn't take part in the countrywide trade union strike in September. It has maintained that the Modi government has been responsive to the needs of workers by increasing bonus and implementing the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. The BKS lauded the PM's crop insurance scheme. But the two outfits also have their support bases to protect and both want the government to do a course correction. These issues came up during private discussions at the RSS annual meeting in Hyderabad in the third week of October, which BJP President Amit Shah attended. The two, as well as the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, had opposed the government's land Bill in 2015. The government had then dropped its plans to push the Bill. The PM had soon afterrecast the government's message from being reform-oriented to one that is pro-poor, pro-farmers and pro-workers. He reiterated that line at the BJP's Kozhikode national council meet in end-September. BKS and BMS leaders, however, have told the BJP leadership that it was staring at a build-up of anti-government propaganda in the run-up to polls in five states. BKS leaders have suggested the BJP manifesto for UP needed to respond more proactively to agrarian distress, where the Congress has promised a debt waiver to farmers. The BMS leadership is scheduled to meet in December to discuss its strategy on disinvestment and strategic sale of PSUs, but is unlikely to train its guns on the political leadership. "The NITI Aayog bureaucracy is misleading the government on the issue. They are pushing for strategic sale of even profit-making PSUs," BMS Organising Secretary Pawan Kumar said. He said the bureaucracy's agenda was obvious -- to sell expensive real estate of these PSUs to private players. While the BKS is principally opposed to debt waivers, it has asked the BJP leadership to be mindful of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's advocacy of debt waiver. "Loan waivers do more harm than good. Our experience is that farmers who have once benefited from such measures stop repaying their loans in future," a senior BKS activist said. Schemes like loan waiver, or even the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, he said, have set bad precedents by "devaluing hard work and promoting greed." Instead, the BKS favours providing interest-free loans to farmers, increasing minimum support price and paying subsidies on fertilisers directly to farmers instead of fertiliser companies. "But there is no denying that sops like loan waiver are attractive to farmers" and have the potential to net votes, the leader said. The BMS is unlikely to launch any agitation against divestment of PSUs. Kumar said MPs and legislators needed to take a leaf out of how the Gorakhpur unit of the Fertiliser Corporation of India was revived after local BJP MP Yogi Adityanath took the prime minister to the area. "The PM saw the possibilities first-hand and pushed the bureaucracy for its revival. All MPs and legislators," he said, "need to raise their voice against closing down of PSUs." China on Tuesday said it will first find a solution that applies to all non-Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty countries seeking entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group and will then discuss India's application, a day after the two country's held talks over India's bid for membership of the elite grouping. The two sides exchanged views on the enlargement of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and other relevant issues, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing about the second round of talks held on Monday between India and China. The talks were held between Joint Secretary (Disarmament and International Security) Amandeep Singh Gill and his Chinese counterpart Wang Qun. "On India's accession to the NSG, I can tell you that China's position is very clear and consistent. China attaches importance to the accession of non-NPT members into the NSG," Hua said. "We will carry out relevant work based on the Seoul General Assembly and the inter-governmental process that is open and transparent," she said. "We will seek a solution that applies to all Non-NPT countries and then we will discuss the specific application of relevant non-NPT country," Hua said. She, however, did not refer to Pakistan, which has also applied for NSG membership along with India. "We are willing to keep communication and contact with India in this regard," Hua said. In the June Plenary of the 48-member NSG in Seoul, despite strong American support, China had stonewalled India's bid to get entry into the group on the grounds that it was a not a signatory to the NPT. China had taken a stand that India was not a signatory to the NPT which is necessary for entry of new members into the club which controls nuclear commerce. Monday's talks were the second round of dialogue between Indian and Chinese officials on India's admission into the NSG with the first round held in September. After holding talks with India, China has held similar round of talks with Pakistan as well. Indian and Chinese officials had described Monday's talks as "substantive and constructive". Congress' poll strategist Prashant Kishor on Tuesday held a two-hour meeting with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is trying to cobble together an alliance of like-minded parties ahead of Uttar Pradesh assembly polls due early next year. Kishor, along with SP leader Amar Singh, met Yadav at his Delhi residence this evening, apparently to discuss the possibility of an alliance before the poll dates are announced. Sources close to the development confirmed that Kishor met Yadav. There was talk in political circles that Yadav spoke with JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is also in Delhi. However, there was no immediate confirmation. Kishor had managed Nitish Kumar's successful assembly poll campaign last year. Last week, Mulayam's younger brother and state SP chief Shivpal Singh had met JD(U)'s K C Tyagi and RLD chief Ajit Singh to invite them to SP's 25th anniversary in Lucknow on November 5. Shivpal had said Lohiaites and followers of Charan Singh should join hands to beat BJP in Uttar Pradesh. Samajwadi Party, which was initially part of Bihar's grand alliance, had walked out of it after it was offered only a handful of seats to contest the assembly elections there. The grand alliance of JD-U, RJD and Congress had, however, scripted a glorious electoral victory, defeating the BJP-led NDA. Shivpal had recently blamed his estranged cousin Ramgopal Yadav for Samajwadi Party's decision to walk out of the alliance in Bihar. Ramgopal Yadav, a Rajya Sabha member, has been backing Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in his fight against Shivpal. Ramgopal was recently sacked from the party amid escalating tension between the rival camps. Given the unusual belligerence shown by Akhilesh Yadav, the party apparently wants to fortify its position by bringing in new friends. The SP's main aim in the polls is prevent split of Muslim votes for which it is looking for an alliance with secular parties. Image: Amar Singh and Mulayam are seen talking shortly after their meeting with Prashant Kishor in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala courted controversy on Tuesday for not inviting the Governor and three former chief ministers for the 60th year celebrations of Kerala formation day held at the assembly complex in Thiruvananthapuram. Governor P Sathasivam, former chief minister and CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan and two former Congress chief ministers A K Antony and Oommen Chandy kept away from the function to mark the year-long diamond jubilee celebrations. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who inaugurated the celebrations, clarified that the Governor was not invited due to "protocol" issues. In his opening remark at the function, he said the government had not "forgotten" the Governor as stated in some quarters. "It is due to protocol issues that a collective decision was taken on the matter," he said. When contacted, Achuthanandan's office sources said the Marxist veteran did not attend the function as he was not invited. "There is nothing more in it. The leader also has not made any protest or expressed discontentment over the issue," the sources said. Achuthanandan had addressed the special Assembly session held to mark the day and later left for his residence. Meanwhile, taking exception over the ruling Left's attitude, KPCC President V M Sudheeran said the government had shown disrespect to former chief ministers by not allowing them to attend the function. Antony came from Delhi to attend the function after the chief minister invited him over telephone. But his name was not mentioned in the programme card, he stated. Oommen Chandy was also not invited, Sudheeran said. Giving reasons for omitting the Governor, Vijayan said "If the Governor was invited, only a limited number of people could have been accommodated on stage. But as you can see now, there are more than 60 persons from various fields who are on stage." Year-long programmes have been lined up as part of the celebrations and a function "more attractive" would be held later, in which the Governor would be invited, he said. "It could be held either in the middle of the next year or as a valedictory function. So we have not forgotten the Governor. I wish to inform you this here," he said. Raj Bhavan sources, however, said, "There was no role for the head of the state at the function. Thus, the Governor was neither informed of the function nor invited." BJP also joined the chorus in attacking the LDF government and demanded an apology from the CM for the lapse. "Not inviting the Governor, who is the head of the state, is a violation of the constitution," BJP state President Kummanam Rajasekharan said. A 28-year-old woman, who was hunting for an accommodation along with her husband, was allegedly raped at the house of their acquaintance by eight persons in suburban Jogeshwari in Mumbai, police said on Tuesday. Police have arrested all the eight men, most of them residents of a nearby slum colony, allegedly involved in the crime on Monday night. The incident occurred at Amboli on Monday night when the victim and her husband were searching for an accommodation at Shamnagar slum with the help of a woman who was known to them. Since it got late in the night, the couple chose to stay at the woman's house. According to a senior police official, the accused barged into the house where the couple had put up and allegedly took turns to rape the woman before moving away her husband. "The matter came to us at around 2:30am. We quickly swung into action and arrested seven youths in morning. They were produced in court which remanded them in police custody until November 4. Another accused was arrested later in the day. He will be produced in court tomorrow," he said. All the accused have been booked under sections 376 D (gang rape), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), of IPC with Amboli police station. They were identified as Nastain Zafar Ali Shaikh alias Babu (19), Nagesh Dhangar alias 'Kateri' (21), Imran Muhammad Hussain Shaikh (23), Muhammad Ghulam Hussain Khan (27), Rakesh Khaire (21), Zaheer Sharif Khan (23), Ejaz Ahmed Shaikh (21), and Pradeep Ghagat (23). The woman was admitted to a hospital and is stated to be stable, police said. Image: The rape accused being taken into police custody. Photograph: Sahil Salvi In a jolt to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a probe into the Panama Papers scandal involving corruption allegations against the family of the beleaguered premier. The Supreme Court heard several identical petitions by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan and others to investigate charges of corruption against Sharif and his relatives after the Panama Papers released earlier this year showed his family owning offshore companies and assets. The larger five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan conducted the hearing in presence of several cabinet ministers, lawyers of petitioners, senior PTI leaders and media. The apex court said it was ready to appoint a probe commission headed by a judge and armed with powers of the Supreme Court. The court also ordered the government and petitioners to present their Terms of Reference (ToR) for the probe panel. It court will decide to harmonise the ToR if the parties could not come up with the agreed set of ToR. Before its adjournment till Thursday, the court also expressed willingness to hold hearings on a daily basis. However, the court did not ban the protest by PTI tomorrow in Islamabad. But it advised the government and opposition to show restraint. Reacting to the court's ruling, PTI chief Khan said the planned anti-government rally will now be marked as a day of thanksgiving in Islamabad. Addressing a press conference outside Bani Gala, Khan thanked those who were part of his struggle against corruption. "Go home and rest," Khan told supporters, "You have to return to Islamabad tomorrow to celebrate thanksgiving at Parade Ground." "I am elated that the investigation into Nawaz Sharif's (alleged corruption) will begin day after tomorrow." PTI had announced the rally in Islamabad to force Sharif to resign for a fair probe into the scandal. According to the Panama Papers, three of Sharif's four children -- Maryam, Hasan and Hussain -- were owners of offshore companies and "were owners or had the right to authorise transactions for several companies." Sharif and his family have dismissed the allegations of money laundering and denied any wrongdoing but the opposition is demanding an independent probe. Meanwhile, the government has taken elaborate measures to foil the protest and any effort to lockdown the capital as PTI chief Khan has threatened in several speeches. All entry points to the capital are being monitored and scores of PTI workers have been arrested. On Monday night a major rally led by chief minister of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa was teargassed and forced to return. The PTI is in power in KP and hopes for a major influx of youth from the province to boost the strength of the protest. In Punjab, which is controlled by Sharif's ruling PML-N, hundreds of PTI workers have been arrested. Official sources said close to 2,000 people were arrested to maintain law and order. But PTI claims that thousands of its workers were arrested. The party has also urged the court to take suo moto action against arrests by the government. With Diwali failing to thaw strained ties in the Mulayam clan, a show of strength is on the cards as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav takes out his 'Rath Yatra' on November 3, two days before ruling SP's silver jubilee show organised by his uncle Shivpal Yadav. Both Akhilesh and state SP chief Shivpal are busy making preparations for their respective events touted as "show of strength" in political circles ahead of the crucial Uttar Pradesh assembly polls just few months away. Akhilesh is giving final touches to his 'Vikas Sey Vijay Tak' rath yatra, which will begin from Lucknow on Thursday and pass through Unnao enroute to Kanpur. A cavalcade of over 5,000 SUVs and trucks will seek to send a message to the party leadership that 43-year-old Akhilesh is the "most acceptable" face of SP. The pro-CM camp, including expelled SP leaders, is working overtime to make it one of the biggest political shows of recent times, coming close on the heels of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's month-long Deoria-to-Delhi 'kisan yatra'. The second function to mark SP's silver jubilee will be held on November 5. Though Mulayam Singh Yadav has sent out invitations to all "secular and like-minded" leaders of various parties like RLD, RJD and JD-U, chances of these leaders making it to the event seemed remote since the date clashes with 'Chhath Puja', a major festival in Bihar. Akhilesh, who ruled out parting ways with Samajwadi Party in the wake of the unprecedented family feud, has said he will participate in the silver jubilee event, though a large number of his loyalists are likely to boycott the show in view of the strife in the party. Breaking away from the established family tradition this year, SP patriarch Mulayam did not go to his native village Saifai to celebrate the festival as he has been doing for decades. He remained in Lucknow and met party workers at his residence. His office cited ill health as the reason. Akhilesh, however, went to Saifai on Diwali eve, met his uncles, expelled SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav and Rajpal Yadav, and also visited his aunt. Only after the chief minister returned to Lucknow, Shivpal left for Saifai following a meeting with Mulayam. According to SP sources, supporters of Akhilesh are burning the midnight oil to make the rath yatra a grand success. "It will be a show of strength...We want to show Netaji (Mulayam) that Akhilesh bhaiya is the most popular leader in the party," said an ardent CM loyalist. During the yatra, dozens of roadside meetings and a few rallies would be held at different places between the two districts, another SP leader said. The state capital is already splashed with colourful posters, banners and hoardings even as finishing touches are being given to the hi-tech bright red 'rath' having a cabin, a collapsible stage, video screen, Wi-Fi and hotline, besides top class acoustic facilities. Akhilesh decided to embark on the yatra solo, saying he could not wait longer for a green signal from his father as his political opponents had already hit the roads to woo the electorate. SP's rivals are trying to cash in on the feud in the Yadav family ahead of the polls and through the yatra the CM would try to send across the message that he was in the driver's seat, notwithstanding all the hue and cry within the party. The virtual showdown between the father-son duo came to the fore with Akhilesh calling a meeting of party legislators a day ahead of the one convened by Mulayam. Akhilesh sacked his uncle Shivpal and three others from his Cabinet and in a tit-for-tat action, Shivpal on instructions from Mulayam expelled pro-Akhilesh SP MP Ramgopal Yadav from the party for six years. Ramgopal is another uncle of Akhilesh. As loyalties appeared divided between various members of the Yadav clan, Akhilesh has made it clear that he was in no mood for a rapprochement by keeping away from two crucial meetings -- one of the party's district chiefs and the other of the SP's state executive -- despite an invitation from Shivpal. On the other hand, Mulayam refused to relent when senior party leaders, including Rajya Sabha MPs Beni Prasad Verma and Naresh Agarwal, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey, and party vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda, met him to douse the flames. The Akhilesh camp also suffered a jolt with Shivpal sacking heads of various front organisations and soon filling up top vacancies in the SP's youth wings, effectively slamming the door on the re-entry of Akhilesh's close associates. Akhilesh has asked the party's youth leaders not to waste any more time and take a plunge into the upcoming electoral battle. "We need to reach out to the people in all corners of the state with the achievements of the government over the past four-and-a-half years," he told his supporters who had assembled at his official residence here to greet him on Diwali. IMAGE: Akhilesh Yadav's hi-tech bright red 'rath' has a cabin, a collapsible stage, video screen, Wi-Fi and hotline, besides top class acoustic facilities. Photograph: Samajwadi Party/Facebook The Trump Organisation has a secret server registered to Trump Tower that has been covertly communicating with a Russian bank, a media report said, in the latest allegation of questionable links between Donald Trump and Russia just a week ahead of the presidential polls. A report in the Slate said a server registered to the Trump Organisation was found to have been in contact with the Alfa Bank, the largest private commercial bank in Russia. Activity on the server indicated "a sustained relationship between a server registered to the Trump Organisation and two servers registered to an entity called Alfa Bank", it said. Trump was "secretly communicating" with this Russian bank, claimed the report, which was denied by his Campaign. Slate said it spoke to one scientist, referred to as 'Tea Leaves' for anonymity, and two of his collaborators. It alleged that the server was set up to communicate privately with the bank. The server was shut down after a reporter asked about it. Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic presidential rival, in a tweet demanded that "it's time for Trump to answer questions about his ties to Russia". The Trump campaign said "the only covert server is the one Hillary Clinton recklessly established in her basement while serving as Secretary of State, compromising our national security." "To be clear, The Trump Organisation is not sending or receiving any communications from this email server. The Trump Organisation has no communication or relationship with this entity or any Russian entity," it said. Hillary for America Senior Policy Adviser Jake Sullivan said: "This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow. Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organisation to a Russian-based bank. "This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trump's ties to Russia. It certainly seems the Trump Organisation felt it had something to hide, given that it apparently took steps to conceal the link when it was discovered by journalists." "This line of communication may help explain Trump's bizarre adoration of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin and endorsement of so many pro-Kremlin positions throughout this campaign," he alleged. "It raises even more troubling questions in light of Russia's masterminding of hacking efforts that are clearly intended to hurt Hillary Clinton's campaign. We can only assume that federal authorities will now explore this direct connection between Trump and Russia as part of their existing probe into Russia's meddling in our elections," Sullivan said. Meanwhile, Mother Jones news magazine quoted a report sent to FBI according to which Russia was "cultivating" Trump. "Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least 5 years. Aim, endorsed by Putin, has been to encourage splits and divisions in western alliance," the report said, adding that assistance allegedly included receiving information from the Kremlin on Democratic and other political rivals. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday slammed the "dirty politics" being played over the killing of eight SIMI operatives by police and said the slain men were "dreaded terrorists" who could have wreaked devastation. Speaking to media persons after paying tributes to Head Constable Ramashankar Yadav, who was killed by the activists while escaping from the Bhopal Central Jail on Monday, Chouhan said he was pained to see that certain politicians were making a "hue and cry over the terrorists but not saying a word of solace for the martyred policemen." "I am pained to see the kind of politics being played out. Some politicians are turning a blind eye to the sacrifices of the martyrs. They are unable to see the sacrifice of Ramashankar Yadav. These were the same terrorists who first killed Shivpratap Kushwaha (policeman) in Ratlam and then they murdered Sitaram Yadav (policeman) in Khandwa and now Ramashankar Yadav. "...had there been some solidarity and sympathy for the martyred jawans...I would have understood. But, they are playing vote-bank politics over incidents like these," he told reporters. The CM added that those killed were "dreaded terrorists who could have wreaked devastation if they had been fully successful in escaping." "Certain politicians are making a hue and cry for these terrorists but not lending a word of solace for the martyred jawans. I condemn such leaders and the dirty politics they are doing. But for the government and the public the nation and the state is foremost and I appeal everyone to stop playing dirty politics. Patriotism is important," he said. Chouhan said Yadav tried to "single-handedly" fight the terrorists and stop them from escaping" and being a "dutiful officer" he laid down his life in the line of duty. "This is such a patriotic family from where two sons are still serving to protect the country's borders," he said, underling the fact that Yadav's two sons are in the army. He said the state government will "take care" of the family and has announced a Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia for Yadav's family and another Rs 5 lakh for the marriage of his daughter which is slated in December this year. "This colony where he (Yadav) lived will be named Shaheed Ramashankar Yadav colony and a statue of his will also be installed. Funds are not a constraint and more aid and money will be provided to the family when it is required," the CM added. 'Why do only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus?' Questioning the authenticity of the encounter video, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday wondered as to what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus while stating that he was against all those playing politics in the name of religion. The Congress general secretary stated that he had put ban on the SIMI when he was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "I was the first Chief Minister to put ban on the SIMI. Rajnath Singh was then the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh...he did not put the ban. Other controvertist Hindu organisations like the Bajrang Dal along with the SIMI used to ensure that riots take place. I had proofs and based on that the NDA put the ban on SIMI," he told ANI in an exclusive conversation. "I don't have love either for SIMI or Bajrang Dal. I am against all those who create ruckus and play politics in the name of religion. Owaisi ji is also included in that," he added. The Congress leader stated that the cases of the SIMI terrorists were taken back in 2011 during the BJP's rule in Madhya Pradesh. "Some SIMI terrorists escaped from jail in Khandwa in 2013. In 2014, the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary was informed that they may attempt to run away from the jail. On October 31, 2016, eight SIMI terrorists ran away from jail. Now, what is the reason that only Muslims break out of jail and not Hindus," he added. Voters have a fundamental right to know the academic qualification of a candidate and any false declaration on this count can warrant rejection of nomination papers, the Supreme Court has held. "Every voter has a fundamental right to know about the educational qualification of a candidate. It is also clear from the provisions of the Act, Rules and Form 26 that there is a duty cast on the candidates to give correct information about their educational qualifications," a bench comprising Justices A R Dave and L Nageswara Rao said. The Apex court also ruled that if there are only two candidates in the fray and it is proved that the returned candidate's nomination papers have been "improperly accepted", then the one who lost the poll does not need to produce proof that the election has been materially affected. The verdict came on two cross appeals filed by Mairembam Prithviraj alias Prithviraj Singh and Pukhrem Sharatchandra Singh against each other challenging the judgment of the Manipur high court. The high court had declared as "void" the election of Prithviraj, who had contested the 2012 polls on a Nationalist Congress Party ticket against Congress nominee Sharatchandra from Moirang assembly seat in Manipur. It was alleged that Prithviraj, in his nomination papers, had said he was an MBA, which was found to be incorrect. Upholding the high court verdict, Justice Rao, writing the verdict for the apex court bench, said it was not "in dispute that the Appellant did not study MBA in Mysore University" and the plea that it was a "clerical error" cannot be accepted. "The contention of the Appellant that the declaration relating to his educational qualification in the affidavit is a clerical error cannot be accepted. It is not an error committed once. Since 2008, the Appellant was making the statement that he has an MBA degree. The information provided by him in the affidavit filed in Form 26 would amount to a false declaration. The said false declaration cannot be said to be a defect which is not substantial...," the bench said. The bench also dealt in detail the legal question whether it was necessary to "plead and prove that the result was materially affected when the nomination of the returned candidate was found to have been improperly accepted, moreso, when there are only two candidates contesting the election." "There is no dispute that an election cannot be set aside on the ground of improper acceptance of any nomination without a pleading and proof that the result of the returned candidate was materially affected. "The point to be considered is whether the law as laid down by this Court relating to the pleading and proof of the fact of the result of the returned candidate being materially affected, applies to a case where the nomination of the returned candidate is declared to have been improperly accepted," it said. The bench said there was a difference between improper acceptance of a nomination of a returned candidate and the improper acceptance of nomination of any other candidate. There is also a difference between cases where there are only two candidates in the fray and a situation where there are more than two candidates contesting the election, it said. "If the nomination of a candidate other than the returned candidate is found to have been improperly accepted, it is essential that the election Petitioner has to plead and prove that the votes polled in favour of such candidate would have been polled in his favour. "On the other hand, if the improper acceptance of nomination is of the returned candidate, there is no necessity of proof that the election has been materially affected as the returned candidate would not have been able to contest the election if his nomination was not accepted. "It is not necessary for the Respondent to prove that result of the election in so far as it concerns the returned candidate has been materially affected by the improper acceptance of his nomination as there were only two candidates contesting the election...," the bench held. Though the mere finding that there has been improper acceptance of the nomination is not sufficient for declaration that the election is void under Section 100 (1) of the Representation of the People Act, "but, there would be no necessity of any proof in the event of the nomination of a returned candidate being declared as having been improperly accepted, especially in a case where there are only two candidates in the fray," the apex court bench said. If the returned candidate's nomination is declared to have been improperly accepted, it would mean that he could not have contested the election and that the result of the election of the returned candidate was materially affected need not be proved any further, it said. The bench also allowed the plea of the losing candidate that now he be declared winner as the election of the returned candidate has been declared void. "We are in agreement with the high court and we do not intend to interfere with the discretion exercised by the high court," it said. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Iraq: Militants attack checkpoint north of Tikrit Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 24 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq: Militants attack checkpoint north of Tikrit, 24 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189df724.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 24, 2016 Twelve people are dead after militants attacked a police checkpoint north of Tikrit and then detonated a car bomb at the entrance to the city. Iraqi police and military sources said September 24 that the attack is the first of its kind since the city, 150 kilometers north of Baghdad, was retaken from Islamic State in April 2015. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Police said one militant shot dead four police officers at the checkpoint before being killed in return fire. Two other militants continued through the checkpoint about seven kilometers to the city limits and then detonated the explosives in their pickup truck, killing eight people and wounding 23. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Syria: New wave of air strikes on Aleppo as Damascus prepares offensive Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 24 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syria: New wave of air strikes on Aleppo as Damascus prepares offensive, 24 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189df813.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 24, 2016 A Syrian man carries a dead baby retrieved from under the rubble of a building following an air strike on the Al-Muasalat area of Aleppo on September 23, 2016. Warplanes have mounted a new wave of air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo as part of a planned major offensive by the Russian-backed Syrian military. Ammar al-Selmo, the head of Civil Defense in the opposition-held east, told Reuters on September 24 that "unfortunately it continues. There are planes in the sky now." The director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, told Reuters "the raids are intense and continuous." Aleppo residents say air and missile attacks are using ordnance more destructive than anything previously deployed in the area, and many buildings have been destroyed. Images of blast sites show craters several meters wide and deep. A senior official in an Aleppo-based rebel faction, the Levant Front, told Reuters the weapons appeared designed to bring down entire buildings. The Syrian Army says it is targeting rebel positions in the city and denies hitting civilians. The United States and Russia failed in talks on September 23 to reestablish a cease-fire in Syria amid a day of massive air attacks on rebel-held areas of Aleppo which reportedly killed dozens of people. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reported "little progress" in getting a truce after talks in New York with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Lavrov said September 24 that a revival of a cease-fire in Syria depends on all sides involved and not only on "Russia's unilateral concessions." "One can only speak about the cease-fire revival on the collective basis," he said in an interview for the TV news show Vesti. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported at least 30 air strikes had targeted different areas of Aleppo during the early morning of September 23 and said at least 27 civilians had been killed with dozens of others wounded and others still lying under rubble. The Syrian military, which is backed by the Russian air force, announced late September 22 it was starting a new operation against the rebel-held eastern part of the city, which is home to at least 250,000 people. An army source told Reuters on September 23 that the offensive would be "comprehensive," with a ground assault following air and artillery bombardment. In an apparent prelude to the ground operation, Syrian government forces captured a rebel-held area north of Aleppo on September 24. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, citing rebel leaders and Syrian state media, said the capture of Handarat camp "comes as a result of intensive bombardment by regime forces and the fierce, continuous bombardment by Russian and regime warplanes." Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Tensions rise as Bosnian Serbs vote in banned referendum Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tensions rise as Bosnian Serbs vote in banned referendum, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dfac.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 25, 2016 Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, on an election billboard calling for people to vote in a referendum on their statehood day in the western town of Banja Luka. Voters in Bosnia-Herzegovina's autonomous Bosnian Serb entity have cast their ballots in a controversial referendum held in defiance of a high-court ruling from Sarajevo. The September 25 referendum has led to the most heated debate between Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials since the 1995 U.S.-brokered Dayton peace accords created the Republika Srpska as one of two constituent states within Bosnia-Herzegovina. The referendum asks whether voters in Republika Srpska want to maintain a "statehood day" holiday on January 9 a Serbian Orthodox Christian holiday and the anniversary of Bosnian Serb lawmakers' 1992 declaration of independence from Bosnia, which fueled three years of ethnic war. Authorities said turnout was between 56 and 60 percent. Preliminary results after 30.76 percent of the ballots were counted say 99.8 percent of the voters were in favor of the holiday. The voting ended at 7 p.m. local time without any major incidents. Dragan Lukac, Republika Srpska's interior minister and head of its election commission, said on September 25 at a news conference in the city of Banja Luka that "everything is going smoothly" and no incidents had been reported anywhere. He said there was an absence of voting in Bosniak areas of Republika Srpska, adding that more than a dozen polling stations were not even opened for voting. Critics of the referendum say it is stoking ethnic tension and is bolstering separatist sentiment within the Bosnian Serb ministate. Non-Serbs see the date as a symbol of their expulsion from Bosnian Serb-controlled territory and an indication that Republika Srpska is meant just for Serbs. On September 17, Bosnia's Sarajevo-based Constitutional Court banned the referendum, ruling that the January 9 holiday illegally discriminates against Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats. The Bosnian Serb entity's nationalist president, Milorad Dodik, has pushed for it to go forward. His critics accuse him of trying to set the stage for a future referendum, possibly in 2018, on whether the Republika Srpska should secede from Bosnia. Such a move would effectively mean the end of the Dayton accords, which brought a formal end to Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Dodik, speaking on September 25 to journalists in the town of Laktasi after casting his ballot, said it was an "important day, a solemn day." "There will probably be joy over the [referendum] results tonight; the atmosphere looks like that," he said. "The days ahead will bring something [new], but we will see in what way." Asked what his response would be to the Sarajevo-based Bosnian prosecutor's office that has announced it will file criminal charges against him for holding the referendum, Dodik said, "If somebody wants to arrest anybody, let them arrest the whole referendum and hold it accountable." Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosnian Muslim member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, has warned that holding the referendum in defiance of the Constitutional Court could lead to "an adventure" in which "things could slip out of control." Speaking in Sarajevo on September 17, Izetbegovic said that "no one is more prepared to defend this country than we are, to defend its constitutional order and territorial integrity." Dodik insists that secession is not part of his short-term plans for the Republika Srpska. "On our agenda there is no secession," Dodik told RFE/RL's correspondent in Banja Luka on September 19. "Will secession become a question in the coming years, whether my generation will do it or not? I don't know. But I suppose, having in mind the way things are moving and the brutal force used for imposing things and taking away...that this may get on the agenda." On September 20, Dodik said those describing the statehood-day referendum as a "secession referendum" were spreading "some sort of hysteria." "It is not a secession referendum," Dodik insisted. "It's not even the beginning of this process." In Belgrade in early September, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that "Serbia is and will always be behind the Republika Srpska," adding that "anyone who thinks that they can overrun the Republika Srpska must know that this is impossible because Serbia is always behind Republika Srpska." Serbia's military forces have been ordered to be vigilant. Western officials have urged Republika Srpska to cancel the referendum, saying that it challenges the rule of law and the Dayton peace accords. Valentin Inzko, the European Union's high representative for Bosnia, said the planned referendum is "a direct attack against a constitutional court and, in such a way, it is also an attack on the state." Inzko said "in the past 20 years we have not heard such language" from officials in Bosnia. The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo has said there would be unspecified "consequences" if the September 25 vote was not canceled. The Peace Implementation Council, an international body that oversees the Dayton accords, also has urged the Bosnian Serbs to cancel the referendum. It said in a statement that Bosnia's borders will not be redrawn and it called on all sides "to refrain from reactive measures and divisive rhetoric." But Russia, one of the council members and a traditional supporter of Orthodox Slavic Serbs, distanced itself from the statement. The Russian ambassador to Bosnia has publicly supported the September 25 referendum and called it an act of democracy. Underlining the Kremlin's support for the Republika Srpska, Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 22 welcomed Dodik to Moscow on an official visit where the two discussed what Russian state-controlled media described as "bilateral interaction." With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, Reuters, AFP, AP, TASS, and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Syria: UN chief 'appalled' by Aleppo military escalation Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syria: UN chief 'appalled' by Aleppo military escalation, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dfba.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 25, 2016 A Syrian man carries a dead baby retrieved from under the rubble of a building following an air strike on the Al-Muasalat area of Aleppo on September 23, 2016. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is "appalled by the chilling military escalation" in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, his spokesman says. "Since the announcement two days ago by the Syrian Army of an offensive to capture eastern Aleppo, there have been repeated reports of air strikes involving the use of incendiary weapons and advanced munitions such as bunker-buster bombs," Stephane Dujarric said in a statement on September 24. Ban "considers this a dark day for the global commitment to protect civilians," Dujarric added. Damascus has stepped up strikes on rebel-held areas of the city since a cease-fire collapsed last week. The UN Security Council is to meet in New York later on September 25 to discuss the escalation of violence, diplomats say. The meeting was requested by Britain, France, and the United States. UNICEF, the UN children's organization, says recent attacks have left nearly 2 million people without water. A pumping station providing water for rebel-held eastern districts of Aleppo was destroyed by bombing, and the rebels responded by shutting down a station supplying the west of the city, according to UNICEF. On September 24, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 45 people, among them 10 children, were killed in bombardments in eastern Aleppo. "The raids are intense and continuous," according to the organization's director, Rami Abdulrahman. Activists said both Syrian and Russian warplanes were taking part in the offensive. The Syrian Army said it was targeting rebel positions in the city and denied hitting civilians. Russia has not confirmed its involvement. The Syrian military announced late on September 22 that it was starting a new operation against the rebel-held eastern part of the city, which is home to at least 250,000 people. An army source was quoted as saying the offensive would be "comprehensive," with a ground assault following air and artillery bombardment. On September 24 in New York, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moalem told the UN General Assembly that Damascus's belief in victory was now greater than ever, adding that government forces were "making great strides in its war against terrorism." The government refers to all rebel groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's forces as terrorists. Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that a revival of a cease-fire in Syria depended on all sides involved and not only on "Russia's unilateral concessions." "One can only speak about the cease-fire revival on the collective basis," he said in an interview for the TV news show Vesti. He was speaking a day after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in New York for talks to reestablish a truce. Kerry reported "little progress" after the meeting. Moscow and Washington accuse each other of failing to rein in their respective allies in Syria where Russia supports Assad, while Washington backs opposition groups. The five-year conflict has killed more than 300,000 people and driven millions of others from their homes. With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Pakistani Taliban leaders reported killed in air strike Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Pakistani Taliban leaders reported killed in air strike, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dfc1e.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 25, 2016 Azam Tariq, a spokesman of the banned militant group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, speaks at an undisclosed location near the Afghan border in February 2014. Three Pakistani Taliban leaders have reportedly been killed in joint Afghan and NATO air strikes in eastern Afghanistan, Pakistani security sources say. Sources told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on September 25 that Raees Khan, also known as Azam Tariq, a spokesman for the Khan Said group of the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in the air strikes late on September 24. The air strikes targeted the Laman area of Afghanistan's Paktika Province, along the volatile border with Pakistan's lawless tribal areas, a hotbed of various extremist groups. A senior official with Khan Said confirmed to Radio Mashaal that Tariq had been killed. Sources said Tariq's son and two other Taliban leaders from North Waziristan were also killed in the attack, but did not give their names. Afghan authorities confirmed the air strikes and said three Al-Qaeda commanders and six other members had been killed. Mohammad Radmanish, deputy spokesman for the Defense Ministry, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan on September 25 that Tariq was likely among the dead. Nabiullah Pirkhil, a spokesman for Paktika Province's governor, told Radio Mashaal that among the dead were members of Al-Qaeda and the Haqqani network, a radical wing of the Afghan Taliban that is based in Pakistan's tribal areas. The Khan Said faction in 2014 severed ties with Mullah Fazluallah, the current TTP leader, saying it would operate independently from North Waziristan. Afghan and NATO forces have increasingly targeted Islamic State, Haqqani network, and Pakistani Taliban positions in eastern Afghanistan. In Pakistan, the army has conducted large-scale operations to root out militants from the tribal areas since 2014. But Kabul has accused Islamabad of targeting only Pakistani Taliban fighters, who are fighting to overthrow the Pakistani government, and giving free rein to other militant groups fighting Afghan and NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan. With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal and Radio Free Afghanistan Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia urged to take 'extraordinary steps' in Syria Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia urged to take 'extraordinary steps' in Syria, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dfc3.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 25, 2016 A Syrian family leaves the area following a reported air strike on the Al-Muasalat area in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on September 23. The United States and its European allies say it is up to Russia to bring about a cease-fire in Syria, warning that patience with Moscow was "not unlimited." The foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States and the EU's foreign-policy chief issued a joint statement after meeting in New York on September 24. "The burden is on Russia to prove it is willing and able to take extraordinary steps to salvage diplomatic efforts to restore a cessation of hostilities, allow unfettered humanitarian assistance, and create the conditions necessary for the resumption of UN-led talks about a political transition," the statement said. The ministers also pressed the UN Security Council to "take urgent further steps to address the brutality of this conflict," particularly the military escalation in the northern city of Aleppo. The Security Council is due to meet later on September 25 in New York at the request of Britain, France, and the United States. A weeklong cease-fire brokered by the United States and Russia ended on September 19, and efforts to revive it have failed. Based on reporting by AFP and dpa Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iraq: Suicide bomber targets Shi'a in Baghdad Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq: Suicide bomber targets Shi'a in Baghdad, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dfd13.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 25, 2016 Iraqis carry a coffin in the holy city of Najaf in July during a funeral procession for the victims of a Baghdad suicide bombing. IS has increased its bombing campaign in recent months as U.S.-supported Iraqi troops and Shi'ite militias have made progress in retaking areas of northern and western Iraq that have been under IS control. Seven people have been reported killed in a suicide bombing in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The bomber struck a western neighborhood of Iskan on September 25 as locals were preparing for the Shi'ite festival of Ashura, a major religious observance next month. About 20 other people were injured in the incident. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Islamic State (IS) extremist group frequently targets Iraq's Shi'ite majority. IS has increased its bombing campaign in recent months as U.S.-supported Iraqi troops and Shi'ite militias have made progress in retaking areas of northern and western Iraq that have been under IS control. Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Azerbaijan holds controversial constitutional referendum Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan holds controversial constitutional referendum, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dff2a.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 26, 2016 Azerbaijan has held a controversial referendum on constitutional amendments that are expected to strengthen the grip on power of President Ilham Aliyev and his family. The Central Election Commission said turnout on September 26 was over 63 percent, surpassing the 25 percent required to validate the referendum. Officials said referendum results will be announced by October 21. The referendum includes 29 proposed amendments to the constitution. Voters in the tightly controlled South Caucasus country didn't have to say "yes" or "no" to the whole package but instead could choose to approve or reject individual amendments. The vote was monitored by observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Speaking in Baku on September 26, Russian Federation Council member Ilyas Umakhanov, head of the CIS monitoring mission, said the referendum was "very well prepared," adding that "former Soviet republics are exhibiting an innovative attitude and completely new norms of democratic development." The most important of the proposed changes is an extension of the president's term of office from five to seven years. If adopted, it would mean Aliyev, who has been in office since taking over from his ailing father in 2003, would not have to run again until 2020, instead of 2018. The 54-year-old president would then only have to run again every seven years something he would be able to do repeatedly, since a presidential term limit was scrapped in 2009. Another amendment seeks to create two vice-presidential posts, both of whose occupants would be appointed and dismissed by the president. Presidential powers would devolve to the first vice president in the event that the president becomes incapable of discharging his duties rather than to the prime minister, who needs to be approved by parliament. A further proposal empowers the president to schedule an early presidential election and dissolve parliament if twice in one year legislators pass no-confidence measures in the government or reject presidential nominees to key government posts. The minimum age for presidential candidates, currently 35, would also be abolished and the age for election to the legislature lowered from 25 to 18. Azerbaijan's ruling officials have defended the proposals contained in the referendum on stability and democracy grounds, while the opposition and other critics argue that it is intended to consolidate and prolong the grip on power by Aliyev and his family. There has been speculation that the post of first vice president is being created for Aliyev's wife, Mehriban, who is a deputy chairwoman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, or for their 19-year-old son, Heidar. In 2002 and 2009, Azerbaijan organized constitutional referendums marred by fraud that directly benefited the Aliyev family. The Council of Europe's Venice Commission, which advises on constitutional issues, said on September 20 that many proposed constitutional changes would severely upset the balance of power and give "unprecedented" control to the president. The commission also criticized the procedure of the referendum as having lacked proper debate in parliament and having been carried out too quickly and without real public discussion. "We view that hasty conclusion [by the Venice Commission], which has many flaws, as politically driven," Aliyev responded in a briefing in Baku on September 21. "They speak to us in a language of ultimatums." Aliyev insisted that the proposed changes are designed to streamline the government and help introduce political and economic reforms. Meanwhile, human rights groups have accused Azerbaijani authorities of unleashing a new wave of repression to silence critical voices ahead of the referendum, with a number of activists being harassed, detained, arrested, and/or fined. The oil-rich South Caucasus nation has faced growing social and economic problems stemming from falling world oil prices in recent years. With reporting by APA and Trend Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Bosnian Serbs back disputed holiday in referendum Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 25 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bosnian Serbs back disputed holiday in referendum, 25 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189dff7.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 25, 2016 "I am proud of the people of Republika Srpska, of all those who came out and voted," President Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, said after the vote. Bosnian Serbs have voted overwhelmingly to maintain a Statehood Day holiday on January 9 in a controversial referendum held in defiance of a high-court ruling from Sarajevo. Authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina's autonomous Bosnian Serb entity said that with more than 70 percent of ballots counted in the September 25 vote, 99.8 percent supported the holiday. Turnout was between 56 and 60 percent. Republika Srpska's nationalist President Milorad Dodik said the vote would go down in history as the "day of Serb determination." "I am proud of the people of Republika Srpska, of all those who came out and voted," Dodik said in the town of Pale, near Sarajevo. January 9 is a Serbian Orthodox Christian holiday and the anniversary of Bosnian Serb lawmakers' 1992 declaration of independence from Bosnia, which fueled three years of ethnic war. The referendum has led to the most heated debate between Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials since the 1995 U.S.-brokered Dayton peace accords created Republika Srpska as one of two constituent states within Bosnia-Herzegovina. Dragan Lukac, interior minister in Republika Srpska and its electoral commission head, speaking earlier on September 25 in the city of Banja Luka, said "everything was going smoothly" and no incidents had been reported anywhere. He said there was an absence of voting in Bosniak areas of Republika Srpska, adding that more than a dozen polling stations were not even opened for voting. Critics of the referendum say it is stoking ethnic tension and is bolstering separatist sentiment within the Bosnian Serb ministate. Non-Serbs see the date as a symbol of their expulsion from Bosnian Serb-controlled territory and an indication that Republika Srpska is meant just for Serbs. On September 17, Bosnia's Sarajevo-based Constitutional Court banned the referendum, ruling that the January 9 holiday illegally discriminates against Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats. The Bosnian Serb entity's president has pushed for it to go forward. Dodik, speaking in the town of Laktasi after casting his ballot, said it was an "important day, a solemn day." "The days ahead will bring something [new], but we will see in what way," he also said. Asked what his response would be to the Sarajevo-based Bosnia-Herzegovina Prosecutor's Office that has announced it will file criminal charges against him for holding the referendum, Dodik said, "If somebody wants to arrest anybody, let them arrest the whole referendum and hold it accountable." Dodik's critics accuse him of trying to set the stage for a future referendum, possibly in 2018, on whether Republika Srpska should secede from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Such a move would effectively mean the end of the Dayton accords, which brought a formal end to Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Bakir Izetbegovic, the Bosnian Muslim member of Bosnia-Herzegovina's tripartite presidency, has warned that holding the referendum in defiance of the Constitutional Court could lead to "an adventure" in which "things could slip out of control." Speaking in Sarajevo on September 17, Izetbegovic said "no one is more prepared to defend this country than we are, to defend its constitutional order and territorial integrity." Dodik has insisted that secession is not part of his short-term plans for Republika Srpska. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, speaking on September 24 in Belgrade, said the "most important thing is that peace and stability are maintained in the region, including Bosnia-Herzegovina." He added that "Serbia respects the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina and of Republika Srpska." Earlier this month, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that "Serbia is and will always be behind Republika Srpska," adding that "anyone who thinks that they can overrun Republika Srpska must know that this is impossible because Serbia is always behind Republika Srpska." Serbia's military forces have been ordered to be vigilant. Western officials had urged Republika Srpska to cancel the referendum, saying that it challenges the rule of law and the Dayton peace accords. Valentin Inzko, the European Union's high representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, said the planned referendum is "a direct attack against a constitutional court and, in such a way, it is also an attack on the state." Inzko said "in the past 20 years we have not heard such language" from officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo earlier said there would be unspecified "consequences" if the September 25 vote was not canceled. The Peace Implementation Council, an international body that oversees the Dayton accords, had also urged the Bosnian Serbs to cancel the referendum. It said in a statement that Bosnia's borders will not be redrawn and it called on all sides "to refrain from reactive measures and divisive rhetoric." But Russia, one of the council members and a traditional supporter of Orthodox Slavic Serbs, distanced itself from the statement. The Russian ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina has publicly supported the September 25 referendum and called it an act of democracy. Underlining the Kremlin's support for the Republika Srpska, Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 22 welcomed Dodik to Moscow on an official visit where the two discussed what Russian state-controlled media described as "bilateral interaction." With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, Reuters, AFP, AP, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Ukraine's Dnipro mourns deaths of two police officers Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Ukraine's Dnipro mourns deaths of two police officers, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0013.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 A memorial in Dnipro commemorating the two slain police officers The city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine is observing a day of mourning on September 26 to honor two traffic police officers killed in the line of duty in the city the previous day. Officials said the two police officers were shot dead by a former police officer on September 25. Police say they detained the alleged gunman, Oleksandr Puhachov, hours later in a hospital, where he was undergoing surgery in connection with a gunshot wound he apparently suffered during the shooting. Investigators say the incident took place when the traffic police officers stopped Puhachov's vehicle for an alleged traffic violation. Puhachov then opened fire when the police officers tried to identify him, police officials said. Puhachov, a former officer of the Interior Ministry's Tornado special police unit, was wanted on suspicion of kidnapping, creating an organized criminal group, and sexual abuse. Investigators said on September 26 that Puhachov has denied the allegations. Based on reporting by UNIAN and Ukrinform.ua Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Uzbek imams urge Muslims to take part in cotton harvest Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Uzbek imams urge Muslims to take part in cotton harvest, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0113.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 The Uzbek cotton harvest (file photo) Some Muslim clerics in Uzbekistan's mosques have called participation in the country's cotton harvest an "obligation of Uzbek Muslims." At Friday Prayers on September 23 in some mosques in Uzbekistan, the imams called on Muslims to pray for "a great cotton harvest" and urged them to take part in cotton picking, saying it is their "vijab-amal," or religious obligation. A cleric in Tashkent's Khazrati Ali Mosque told RFE/RL that imams had received an instruction from the state-controlled Spiritual Directorate of Muslims "to explain" to believers about the "importance" of cotton to the nation and "the need to contribute to the country's needs." For years, Uzbekistan has been criticized for forcing citizens, including children, to pick cotton. A report released in May by the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation ranked Uzbekistan, which uses one of the world's largest state-sponsored systems of forced labor to harvest cotton, as the world's second worst country, after North Korea, in terms of the prevalence of slavery in proportion to the population. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iran's supreme leader nixes Ahmadinejad election hopes Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran's supreme leader nixes Ahmadinejad election hopes, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e02c.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 Former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly told former President Mahmud Ahmadinejad not to run for president in an election scheduled for next year. Iran's IRNA state news agency reported on September 26 that Khamenei told Ahmadinejad that it "is not in his interest or that of the country" for him to run again. The staunchly conservative Ahmadinejad was first elected in 2005 and was reelected in a highly controversial vote in 2009. He has made several high-profile speeches in recent months, sparking speculation that he might seek the presidency again. Another possible rival to incumbent President Hassan Rohani Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani said earlier this month that he would not participate in the election. Based on reporting by Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 China planning to help Tajikistan protect Afghan border Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, China planning to help Tajikistan protect Afghan border, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e03a.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 The Shughnon border post of Tajikistan's Badakhshan region (file photo) DUSHSANBE Tajikistan says China plans to finance and build several outposts for Tajik border guards along the Tajik-Afghan border. A Tajik government decree published on September 26 said the move would bolster Tajik security. The decree said the government instructed the State National Security Committee to sign an agreement with China to provide for the construction of 11 outposts of various sizes, as well as a training center for border guards. The 1,345-kilometer Tajik-Afghan border is a major concern for Dushanbe, as Afghan drug smugglers regularly clash with Tajik border guards and Afghan Taliban militants increase their activities along the border. China, which according to official statistics sells goods worth $2.5 billion a year to Tajikistan, built one outpost on the Tajik-Afghan border, its first one, earlier this year. With reporting by Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia: Protests force American photographer's Moscow exhibition to close Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Protests force American photographer's Moscow exhibition to close, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0416.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 Protesters in Moscow have forced the closure of an exhibition by controversial American photographer Jock Sturges. Activists threw what was said to be urine on some photos which depicted nude or partly-nude subjects at the Lumiere Brothers Center near the Kremlin on September 25. (RFE/RL's Russian Service) This is a video story. View video on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Tehran frees Iranian-Canadian academic Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tehran frees Iranian-Canadian academic, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e044.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 Canadian-Iranian sociocultural anthropologist and professor emerita of anthropology at Concordia University in Montreal. Iranian authorities have freed Iranian-Canadian professor Homa Hoodfar from prison. Homa Hoodfar, a retired professor at Concordia University in Montreal, was flown out of the country. A spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying that Hoodfar was released on humanitarian grounds. "Homa Hoodfar, the retired professor of Canadian universities, who had been detained in Iran based on some accusations, was released this afternoon for humanitarian reasons including illness, and left Iran to Canada, through Oman," Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. Hoodfar had been banned from leaving the country in March after traveling to the Islamic republic to visit family following the death of her husband. Her family said she had been imprisoned in Tehran's Evin Prison since June. In the past few months, several dual nationals from the United States, Britain, and France have been jailed in Iran or have faced pressure from authorities. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 India calls for Pakistan to be isolated Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, India calls for Pakistan to be isolated, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e06a.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj (file photo) India said it was time for the international community to identify countries that promote terrorism and isolate them, in a thinly veiled denouncement of archrival Pakistan. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 26, said the international community needed to "join hands together to script an effective strategy against terror." "If any nation refuses to join this global strategy, then we must isolate it," Swaraj added. India accuses Pakistan of having a role in a September 18 raid on an army base in India-controlled Kashmir, one of the deadliest attacks in the disputed Himalayan region in years. Pakistan denies any role in the attack. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged on September 24 to launch a global campaign to isolate Pakistan. Last month U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Pakistan to fight terrorism. New Delhi has long accused Islamabad of supporting militant groups carrying out violence in India. Pakistan has rejected the allegations. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Bosnian Serb leader summoned over referendum Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 26 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bosnian Serb leader summoned over referendum, 26 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e077.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 26, 2016 Milorad Dodik, president of Republika Srpska, speaks after a referendum over a disputed national holiday during an election rally in Pale on September 25. The head of Bosnia-Herzegovina's autonomous Bosnian Serb entity has been summoned by state prosecutors after he defied a high-court ruling from Sarajevo by holding a controversial referendum. Republika Srpska's nationalist President Milorad Dodik was summoned after Bosnian Serbs on September 25 voted overwhelmingly to maintain a "statehood day" holiday on January 9. Prosecutors said Dodik was summoned for a hearing by the prosecutor's office as a suspect in the case. No date was given for the hearing. Dodik played down the threat of prosecution and said it was politically motivated. "It is impossible to expect someone to build a state based on arresting political opponents," he said. "The referendum will remain an undisputed fact and it does not matter if Milorad Dodik is held responsible or not." The U S. State Department condemned the referendum as "illegal" and said it would support local institutions as they sought to hold the Bosnian Serb leadership accountable for undermining the rule of law. The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo said it supported the prosecutor's move and warned that the referendum would lead the Republika Srpska to "isolation and uncertainty." Bosnia's Constitutional Court had canceled the referendum, ruling that the holiday is illegal because it discriminates against non-Serbs, but Dodik held the referendum despite that ruling as well as considerable pressure from the United States and the European Union. A violation of Constitutional Court decisions is punishable with prison sentences from six months to five years. "Acting in disregard of a decision of the Constitutional Court blatantly violates the rule of law, and we count on competent institutions to address that violation in accordance with the laws of [Bosnia], while we evaluate appropriate consequences," the U.S. Embassy said. Western powers fear the vote could bring about instability in Bosnia, which only last week made its first major step toward joining the European Union. The Bosnian conflict was ignited by Serbs' declaration on January 9, 1992, of an independent "Serb Republic" in the north and east of Bosnia. The territory became the autonomous region of the same name, Republika Srpska, under the Dayton peace agreement which ended the war. This week's referendum has led to the most heated debate between Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials since that pact was signed in 1995. Most Bosniaks and Croats opposed the referendum out of fear that the Bosnian Serbs could be preparing to secede, destroying the delicate federal structure put in place after the war. The U.S. Embassy warned that the current political structure established by the Dayton agreement "cannot be challenged without consequences." With reporting by Reuters and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Azerbaijani voters said to approve greater powers for Aliyev Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijani voters said to approve greater powers for Aliyev, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e084.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Nearly 85 percent of Azerbaijan's voters supported the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, with nearly 100 percent of the ballots counted, Baku's Central Election Commission has announced. Commission Chairman Mazahir Panahov said on September 27 that 84.2 percent of voters approved the term extension, with 9 percent opposing it in the country's controversial September 26 referendum. The change will allow President Ilham Aliyev, who has been in office since taking over from his ailing father in 2003, to avoid seeking reelection until 2020, instead of 2018. Official results from the election are not expected until next month, but the election commission in Baku announced some early results and said that turnout was nearly 70 percent. Earlier the Venice Commission, a European watchdog of constitutional-law experts, said the measures would weaken political dissent. "Many proposed amendments would severely upset the balance of power by giving unprecedented powers to the president," it said. Speaking to journalists in Baku on September 27, Aleksandar Nikoloski, head of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe monitoring mission, called on the authorities to treat the Venice Commission's conclusions with respect. Russian news agencies also cited exit polls indicating that all the constitutional changes were approved overwhelmingly by voters despite widespread international criticism that the referendum was designed to cement the rule of Aliyev and his family over the oil-rich country while further stifling dissent. The 54-year-old president would only have to run every seven years something he would be able to do repeatedly, since a presidential term limit was scrapped in 2009. Other changes would eliminate the minimum age restriction for running for president, as well as lower the minimum age for running for parliament, from 25 years to 18. Those changes would enable Aliyev to groom a member of his family to become his successor from an earlier age. TASS and Interfax reported that voters approved another change giving Aliyev the right for the first time to dismiss parliament, the Milli Mejlis. They reported that voters also supported creating two vice-presidential posts, both of whose occupants would be appointed and dismissed by the president. The first vice president would become second in line to the president, and would be appointed acting president if the president resigns, according to the changes. There has been speculation that the post of first vice president is being created for President Aliyev's wife, Mehriban, who is a deputy chairwoman of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, or for their 19-year-old son Heidar. In 2002 and 2009, Azerbaijan organized constitutional referendums marred by fraud that directly benefited the Aliyev family. 'Weakening Dissent' Opposition groups staged mass protests ahead of the latest referendum, denouncing it as an effort by Aliyev to extend his family's long grip on power. The Venice Commission, a European watchdog of constitutional law experts, last week said the measures would weaken political dissent. "Many proposed amendments would severely upset the balance of power by giving unprecedented powers to the president," it said. Amnesty International warned that the referendum would grant the government even more power to interfere with freedom of assembly, in violation of international standards. It noted that preparations for the vote were marked by arrests and intimidation of critics. The Azerbaijani government has rejected the criticism and insisted that the proposed changes are aimed at streamlining the government and promoting economic reforms. "One of the main reasons for the referendum is the need to conduct fast economic reforms...to improve the efficiency of the government and cut the red tape," Aliyev aide Ali Hasanov told reporters on September 26. With reporting by AP, dpa, Reuters, TASS, and Interfax Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russian journalist, environmental activist attacked Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian journalist, environmental activist attacked, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e094.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Grigory Pasko Russian journalist and activist Grigory Pasko has been attacked by unknown assailants in the city of Barnaul in Russia's Altai region. Pasko posted about the attack on Facebook on September 27 and said that he had been examined by doctors. Danila Galperovich, a journalist with Voice of America, wrote on his Facebook page that he had spoken with Pasko by telephone and confirmed that the journalist was not seriously injured. Pasko told him that the assailants shouted, "Get out of our city!" and warned him that they would attack him again. The previous day, Pasko posted an article from a local newspaper in which a local nationalist activist complained that Pasko was a "foreign agent." Pasko wrote that unknown people were following him and loitering around his hotel. Pasko, a former Russian naval officer, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2001 on charges of espionage connected to his publications on environmental issues in the Sea of Japan. He was released in 2003 and allowed to leave the country in 2005. He was in Barnaul to give a seminar on investigative-reporting techniques. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Afghan troops killed in 'insider' attack Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan troops killed in 'insider' attack, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0a13.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 The outpost was part of a ring of positions protecting Kunduz, which was briefly taken by the Taliban last year. Thirteen Afghan soldiers have been killed in their sleep in an attack allegedly facilitated by fellow soldiers with suspected links to the Taliban, in the latest so-called "insider attack" in the country. A senior police official in the northern city of Kunduz said on September 27 that two soldiers fled an outpost in the city and joined insurgents in the nighttime attack on their comrades. The Taliban issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack and saying that all the weapons at the outpost had been captured. "The two soldiers fled after killing 12 sleeping colleagues in the Zakhil Khoman area of Kunduz," senior local police commander Aziz Kamawal told AFP before the death toll was raised. "We have launched an investigation into the incident." The outpost was part of a ring of positions protecting Kunduz, which was briefly taken by the Taliban last year. It was the first time the Taliban held a provincial capital since they were driven from power in 2001. Insider attacks have plagued both Afghan and foreign troops in the country, depleting morale and causing mistrust within the security ranks. Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters and dpa Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia says U.S. preparing Yaroshenko extradition Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia says U.S. preparing Yaroshenko extradition, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0b13.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and rendered to the United States. The following year, he was convicted of smuggling cocaine to destinations in South America, Africa, and Europe. A lawyer for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who is serving a 20-year sentence in a U.S. prison for drug smuggling, says his client has signed a form authorizing his extradition to Russia. Lawyer Aleksei Tarasov told TASS on September 27 that U.S. authorities asked Yaroshenko to sign the document as part of the formal procedure of extradition. The same day the Izvestia newspaper published comments from Yaroshenko himself saying that he had signed the form on September 12. Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 and rendered to the United States. The following year, he was convicted of smuggling cocaine to destinations in South America, Africa, and Europe. Russia has strongly protested Yaroshenko's arrest and his rendition to the United States, saying that he was "kidnapped" and describing the process as "open lawlessness." Another lawyer for Yakovenko claimed in 2010 that his client had been kept bound and naked in a Liberian hotel for two days without water. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Konstantin Dolgov said on September 27 the latest development in the case "fits within the activity we are continuing to ensure an early return of Konstantin Yaroshenko to his homeland" under the Council of Europe's 1983 Strasbourg Convention. Based on reporting by TASS, Interfax, RBTH, and The Washington Post Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Prosecutor seeks lengthy jail terms for Kazakh journalist union head, son Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prosecutor seeks lengthy jail terms for Kazakh journalist union head, son, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0cc.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Seitqazy Mataev has been under house arrest on embezzlement and tax-evasion charges since February. Prosecutors in Astana have called for lengthy prison sentences for the head of the Kazakh Journalists Union and his son. On September 27, prosecutor Erzhan Quraqbaev asked the judge to sentence Seitqazy Mataev to six years and eight months in prison, and his son, Aset, the director of the KazTAG news agency, to six years. Seitqazy Mataev has been under house arrest on embezzlement and tax-evasion charges since February. His son was placed under house arrest for alleged embezzlement in March. Their trial began on August 23. Both deny the charges, and rights groups have said Mataev is being prosecuted on trumped-up charges in response to his work as head of the journalists union. The trial has been delayed several times because of the 61-year-old Seitqazy Mataev's health issues. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iraq: Two bombings rock Baghdad Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iraq: Two bombings rock Baghdad, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0e20.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Iraqi security forces gather at the site of a suicide bomb blast in Baghdad al-Jadida on September 27. Two terrorist attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, have left at least 17 people dead and more than 50 injured. Officials said eight people were killed and 29 injured in a bomb attack in Baghdad's Jadida neighborhood. Some sources said that attack involved a roadside bomb and a suicide bomber. The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for that attack, saying it was carried out by a man with an explosive vest. Around the same time, a suicide bomber struck the Bayaa area in southern Baghdad, killing at least nine people and injuring 26. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Bayaa bombing. IS has stepped up its campaign against civilian targets in recent months as Iraqi security forces have had success recapturing territory held by the extremist group. Based on reporting by AFP, dpa, and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iran: Ahmadinejad confirms he won't seek reelection Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran: Ahmadinejad confirms he won't seek reelection, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0e3.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Mahmud Ahmadinejad has made several high-profile speeches in recent months, sparking speculation that he might seek the presidency again. Former Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad says he will not seek reelection in the country's 2017 presidential vote, one day after media reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had told him not to run. Ahmadinejad made the announcement in a letter to Khamenei that was published by Iranian media on September 27. In the letter, he confirms that Khamenei had told him it was not in the country's interest for him to seek the presidency again. Ahmadinejad wrote that he expressed his fealty to the supreme leader. Iran's state IRNA news agency reported on September 26 that Khamenei had told an unnamed candidate it "is not in his interest or that of the country" for him to seek presidency. The staunchly conservative Ahmadinejad was first elected in 2005 and was reelected in a disputed election in 2009. He has made several high-profile speeches in recent months, sparking speculation that he might seek the presidency again. Khamenei has the last word on all state matters in the Islamic republic. Based on reporting by ISNA Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 After fleeing to Ukraine, anti-Putin protester detained back in Russia Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, After fleeing to Ukraine, anti-Putin protester detained back in Russia, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e0f13.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Russian opposition protester Roman Roslovtsev (file photo) MOSCOW A prominent anti-Putin protester who fled Russia for Ukraine last month has been detained while demonstrating in Moscow. Police detained Roman Roslovtsev on September 27 after he appeared on the Russian capital's Red Square carrying a poster, saying "I Am Not Afraid of 212.1!" The number refers to the Russian Criminal Code article, according to which people may be sentenced to up to five years in prison for participating in more than two unsanctioned public events in 180 consecutive days. Roslovtsev has gained a reputation for staging one-man protests while wearing a mask of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He traveled from Russia to Ukraine via Belarus in late August, crossing the border on foot at night and telling Ukrainian authorities he wanted political asylum. Before being detained on September 27, Roslovtsev told RFE/RL that he had wanted to join the Ukrainian military, which is fighting Russia-backed separatists, but was rejected because of bad eyesight and decided to return to Russia and continue his protests. "To put it bluntly, I had nothing to live on in Ukraine. I literally slept at the train station the last days before leaving," he said. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Syrian forces launch ground operation in Aleppo Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syrian forces launch ground operation in Aleppo, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e10c.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Syrian Army soldiers patrol an area on the outskirts of Aleppo. Syrian government forces launched a ground operation on September 27 to retake the besieged city of Aleppo, where more than 250,000 civilians are trapped. Government troops took control of a rebel-held district in central Aleppo, which has been roughly divided between government control in the west and rebel control in the east since 2012. Syrian state TV said troops captured Farafra, near Aleppo's famous citadel, and that fighting was underway near the historic core of the northern city. The Syrian Army announced an operation to retake eastern Aleppo on September 22, days after a week-long ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States broke down. Both sides have accused the other of violating the truce. Since then, Syrian and Russian warplanes have pounded eastern neighborhoods, killing over 200 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitoring group. Based on reporting by AP and AFP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Georgians honor soldiers killed in 1993 Abkhazia conflict Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgians honor soldiers killed in 1993 Abkhazia conflict, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e11c.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 People gathered in Tbilisi on September 27 to honor those who died when Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia was taken over by separatists in 1993. (RFE/RL's Georgian Service) This is a video story. View video on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia: Anti-Putin protester returns to Moscow, arrested again in Red Square Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Anti-Putin protester returns to Moscow, arrested again in Red Square, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e12c.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 A well-known anti-Putin protester has been detained again in Moscow, this time following his return from Ukraine. Police arrested Roman Roslovtsev after he appeared on September 27 in Red Square with a sign, saying "I Am Not Afraid Of 212.1!" That refers to a law that went into effect last year which criminalizes repeated violations of rules on public gatherings. (RFE/RL's Russian Service) This is a video story. View video on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Bosnian Serb leader defies summons to Saravejo Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bosnian Serb leader defies summons to Saravejo, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e131c.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Milorad Dodik, the president of Bosnia-Herzegovina's Republika Srpska entity. The head of Bosnia-Herzegovina's autonomous Bosnian Serb entity has rejected a summons by state prosecutors, saying he would not travel to Sarajevo for questioning after he defied a high-court ruling by holding a controversial referendum. Republika Srpska's nationalist President Milorad Dodik was summoned after Bosnian Serbs on September 25 voted overwhelmingly to maintain a "statehood day" holiday on January 9. Dodik told a news conference on September 27 that he would not travel to Sarajevo because he feared for his security. "I will not go to the prosecutor's office in Sarajevo but I am ready to give a statement in any other judiciary office in [Republika Srpska]," he said. He labelled the Sarajevo-based State Court and Prosecution Office a "farce." His refusal to comply with the summons could force state prosecutors to issue an arrest warrant, which could be difficult to enforce in the autonomous region, where the influence of Sarajevo is limited. "If Dodik fails to comply with a summons, and fails to justify it, the prosecution will then issue an arrest warrant," said Bosnia's Security Minister Dragan Mektic. Bosnia's Constitutional Court had cancelled the referendum, ruling that the holiday is illegal because it discriminates against non-Serbs, but Dodik held the referendum despite that ruling as well as considerable pressure from the United States and the European Union. A violation of Constitutional Court decisions is punishable with prison sentences ranging from six months to five years. Western powers fear the vote could bring about instability in Bosnia, which only last week made its first major step towards joining the European Union. The Bosnian conflict was ignited by Serbs' declaration on January 9, 1992, of an independent "Serb Republic" in the north and east of Bosnia. The territory became the autonomous region of the same name, Republika Srpska, under the Dayton peace agreement, which ended the war. The referendum has led to the most heated debate between Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials since that pact was signed in 1995. Most Bosniaks and Croats opposed the referendum out of fear that Republika Srpska could be preparing to secede, destroying the delicate federal structure put in place after the war. With reporting by Reuters and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Iran, Saudi Arabia play down hopes of oil deal this week Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Iran, Saudi Arabia play down hopes of oil deal this week, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e13a.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh Iran and Saudi Arabia played down hopes of reaching a deal to bolster oil prices by freezing production this week in a meeting in Algeria. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said an informal gathering of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on September 28 is "just a consultation meeting." Zanganeh, speaking in Algiers at a meeting of oil producing countries, said "if there is a decision, it should be taken at the next (OPEC) meeting in Vienna in November." Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih also told reporters that the meeting was merely a chance to "consult with everyone else." Iran has insisted that it will not limit its output until it has raised its production to the level before international sanctions were imposed against Tehran over its nuclear program. Russia and the Gulf states have been talking to Iran in a bid to rescue a deal. Based on reporting by Reuters and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Georgian politicians fight during live TV debate Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgian politicians fight during live TV debate, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1413.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Two Georgian politicians clashed with more than just words during a live television debate ahead of the country's parliamentary elections. Union of Industrialists candidate Zaza Agladze poured a glass of water over his opponent Irakli Glonti from State For The People bloc. The two then started pushing and kicking each other, as the moderator tried to keep them apart. This was the second televised debate in the past week in which Georgian politicians came to blows. (Georgia's Television Iberia via Reuters) This is a video story. View video on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Turkey dismisses 87 members of spy agency Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 27 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkey dismisses 87 members of spy agency, 27 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1510.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 27, 2016 Exiled Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen (file photo) Turkish authorities have dismissed 87 members of the national spy agency over alleged links with the U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of organizing a failed coup on July 15. Turkish state media said on September 27 that criminal complaints have been filed against 52 of the 87 people expelled from the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT). A total of 141 MIT personnel had been suspended following the failed coup and investigations on 100 of them have now been completed, state media said. It is the first purge of one of Turkey's most powerful institutions. Ankara has sacked or suspended more than 100,000 soldiers, police, and civil servants since the failed coup for alleged links to Gulen's movement. Turkey has formally requested the United States to arrest Gulen on charges of organizing the attempted military coup. But Washington has said it would need evidence of the cleric's involvement. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied any involvement. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russian patriarch signs petition calling for total ban on abortions Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russian patriarch signs petition calling for total ban on abortions, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e16f.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 28, 2016 Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill The head of the Russian Orthodox Church has signed a petition calling for a legal ban on abortion. Patriarch Kirill met antiabortion campaigners before endorsing the petition urging the ban, which will be handed to President Vladimir Putin. The patriarch's endorsement on September 27 represents a hardening of the church's position. It has previously only called for a ban on state-provided abortions that are not medically necessary. The church's statement said that the wording of the petition, which calls for "the end of legal murder of children before birth," was approved by its commission on family and protecting motherhood and childhood. The petition says the signatories "demand legislative amendments" to ban "surgical" and "drug-induced" abortions and the morning-after pill. In May, Kirill called abortions "truly a national catastrophe carrying away the lives of more than 1 million of our fellow citizens every year." So far, the petition has gathered more than 300,000 signatures, about one-third of the 1 million goal set by petition organizers. Based on reporting by AFP and TVRain.ru Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Afghan official alleges civilian casualties in U.S. drone strike Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan official alleges civilian casualties in U.S. drone strike, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1713.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 28, 2016 There are conflicting reports of possible civilian casualties from a suspected U.S. drone strike in eastern Afghanistan. Esmatullah Shinwari, a local lawmaker in Nangarhar Province, was quoted by AP as saying on September 28 that at least 13 civilians were killed when the strike hit a house where people had gathered to celebrate a local tribal leader's return from the hajj in Saudi Arabia. Shinwari said the tribal leader and 11 others were wounded in the incident. However, local police chief Mohammed Ali was quoted as saying 18 people, including "15 [Islamic State] militants and three civilians" were killed in the attack. A spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan confirmed "a counterterrorism strike in Achin district" of Nangarhar Province and said reports of civilian casualties are being investigated. Afghan and U.S. forces have been fighting IS militants in the district for several months. Civilian casualties resulting from U.S. air strikes have been a source of intense friction between the United States and the Afghan government. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Turkey says more than 32,000 to be tried over coup Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkey says more than 32,000 to be tried over coup, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e18f.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 28, 2016 Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag Turkey's justice minister said more than 32,000 people have been arrested for suspected links to Fethullah Gulen, the self-exiled cleric in the United States whom Ankara blames for the July failed coup attempt. Bekir Bozdag said on Turkish television on September 28 that 70,000 people have been investigated in the post-coup crackdown and 32,000 of them have been officially remanded into custody by Turkish courts. "The process is continuing," Bozdag said. Previously, the government had said about 10,000 people had been arrested. Bozdag said the prospect of trying more than 30,000 people will test the Turkish legal system, adding that trials will take place across the entire country. "It is not clear how the trials will be carried out," Bozdag said. Gulen, who lives in the United States, denies any involvement with the coup attempt. Bozdag said that the United States has told Ankara it will respond to Turkey's extradition request for Gulen within the next few days. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul assault Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. to send more troops to Iraq ahead of Mosul assault, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e19a.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 28, 2016 Iraqi troops deploy in the town of Shirqat, around 80 kilometers south of Mosul, on September 22. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said hundreds more U.S. troops will be heading to Iraq ahead of an major assault to retake the city of Mosul from Islamic State militants. Carter told reporters September 28 that the troops would help Iraqi security forces and Kurdish militias in the run-up to the offensive in Mosul, which could start as soon as next month. A U.S. defense official later put the number at 615. Carter tried to emphasize that the U.S. forces would not be engaging in combat outright. That's something President Barack Obama's administration has taken pains to avoid, having pledged to withdraw nearly all U.S. forces from Iraq, but still finding Iraqi forces struggling to retake territory against Islamic State fighters. "We're in a support role, but I need to make clear once again: American forces combatting [Islamic State] in Iraq are in harm's way,"Carter told reporters during a trip to New Mexico. "No one should be in any doubt about that." The effort to recapture Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, is shaping into one of the biggest tests not only for the Iraqi government but also the U.S. effort to reverse Islamic State's gains there. There are roughly 4,600 troops in Iraq, according to the Pentagon, although the figure doesn't include troops there on temporary duty. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 British man appears in U.K. court on Ukraine terrorism charges Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, British man appears in U.K. court on Ukraine terrorism charges, 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1a1f.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Last Updated: September 28, 2016 British prosecutors have charged a man with terrorism offenses related to the war between Russia-backed separatists and Kyiv's forces in eastern Ukraine. Benjamin Stimson, 41, faces what are believed to be Britain's first terrorism charges involving offenses allegedly committed in the conflict, which erupted shortly after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in March 2014. Police in Manchester said in a statement on September 28 that Stimson was charged with two offenses: the intention of committing acts of terrorism and engaging in conduct in preparation for giving effect to this intention, and the intention of committing acts of terrorism and assisting acts of terrorism. He was placed in custody and was set to appear in court on October 7. It was unclear if Stimson had entered a plea, though The Telegraph reported that he had denied any involvement in military action in Ukraine. British journalist Graham Phillips, who has angered Kyiv with his open support for the separatists while reporting on the conflict, has identified Stimson as a "Donbas militia member," referring to the eastern Ukrainian region where separatist forces control some territory. Stimson told Phillips that he traveled to the Donbas region in August 2015 and returned several months later. According to Phillips, Stimson was arrested by counterterrorism police at the Manchester airport in November 2015. In an October 2015 BBC interview, during which he was shown holding a gun, Stimson said that he "would be prepared to kill people" in the conflict "if my life's threatened," according to a YouTube video posted by Phillips: "I'm not terrorizing any civilians. I see myself as protecting the civilians here," Stimson said in the BBC interview. In a follow-up interview, Stimson told Phillips that the BBC journalists told him to hold the weapon during the interview. A spokesman for the BBC declined to comment on Stimson's assertion, citing the ongoing criminal proceedings. With reporting by RFE/RL's Carl Schreck, the BBC, The Telegraph, and The Guardian Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Syria: With Aleppo in tatters, U.S. calls Russian air strikes 'barbarism' Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 28 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syria: With Aleppo in tatters, U.S. calls Russian air strikes 'barbarism', 28 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1a4.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 28, 2016 Russian warplanes pounded rebel-held areas of Aleppo again on September 28, continuing a major assault along with Syrian government troops and Iranian ground forces. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power condemned Russian involvement in Syria this week, calling its actions "barbarism." (Reuters) This is a video story. View video on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Executive director of top Pakistan media group kidnapped Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Executive director of top Pakistan media group kidnapped, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1c10.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 A senior police official says gunmen have kidnapped the executive director of Pakistan's main media group. Mushtaq Khan said on September 29 that Abid Abdullah of the Jang media group was abducted overnight in the northwestern city of Peshawar. The motive behind the kidnapping was not clear. The Jang group publishes Pakistan's top-selling Urdu and English-language newspapers, and runs the country's most popular television station, Geo. It has been vocal in criticizing militants, politicians, and the military establishment. In the last 15 years, more than 50 journalists have been killed in Pakistan, making the country one of the most dangerous countries for reporters. Based on reporting by AP and dpa Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Watchdogs condemn Iranian rights defender's sentence Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Watchdogs condemn Iranian rights defender's sentence, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1d2d.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi (file photo) Human rights groups have condemned a decision by an Iranian court to uphold a long-term prison sentence against human rights activist Narges Mohammadi. Mohammadi's husband, Taghi Rahmani who lives in France with their two children, said Iran's Appeals Court had upheld Mohammadi's 16-year prison term on September 27. Mohammadi will only serve the sentence linked to the most important charge in this case 10 years for "forming and managing an illegal group." "Narges's only crime is to be a human rights defender in a country that flouts these rights," said 2003 Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, a co-founder of the Center for Human Rights Defenders (DHRC). "Mohammadi does not deserve a day in prison," the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran said. "Instead she should be respected and praised for her humanitarian work and efforts to end injustice." Mohammadi, deputy head of DHRC, was initially arrested in May 2015 and sentenced in April this year. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Afghan president, warlord sign peace accord Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Afghan president, warlord sign peace accord, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1da.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was seen signing the peace accord with Kabul on a video link that was broadcast live on TV. Notorious Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has called for peace as he appeared by video to sign an accord with President Ashraf Ghani. Ghani signed the peace deal at Kabul's presidential palace during a ceremony broadcast live on television on September 29. Hekmatyar, the exiled leader of the Hezb-e Islami militant group, was not present and addressed the gathering in Kabul in a recorded video message, appearing by himself to sign the document in a small room. He offered his congratulations to "all those Afghans who want peace and stability in the region," adding, "I pray that our country be independent and sovereign, and our innocent and war-weary nation end the fighting and ongoing insecurity, and that unity prevails." "Now is the time for the Taliban to think about whether they want to continue the war or come for peace," Ghani said. Under the agreement, Hekmatyar will be granted amnesty for past offenses and certain Hezb-e Islami prisoners will be released by the government. The Afghan government also agreed to press for the lifting of international sanctions on Hekmatyar. The deal also includes provisions for his security at government expense. Negotiations with the group have been going on for months, with some in the government suspicious of bringing one of the most radical militants in Afghanistan into the fold. Rights activists have expressed concerns about human rights abuses committed by Hekmatyar, who was responsible for some of the worst atrocities committed during the civil war in the 1990s. Hezb-e Islami has also carried out deadly attacks against U.S. and Afghan forces since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Kabul hopes a deal with Hezb-e Islami can convince the Taliban to end its insurgency and join the political process. Based on reporting by AFP and AP Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Russia: Khodorkovsky's group to support media startups Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia: Khodorkovsky's group to support media startups, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e1e13.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 Exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky (file photo) A pro-democracy group founded by exiled Kremlin critic and former oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky has launched a project to fund online media startups. Open Russia said on September 29 that the goal of the project was "to create communication channels within the part of the Russian society that considers itself independent from the government's support." Selected online media startups are to receive 30 million rubles ($470,000) each to begin their activities as of December this year. Khodorkovsky told RBK television channel that the startups should focus on investigative journalism. Once Russia's richest man as the chief executive of its most important oil firm, Yukos, Khodorkovsky spent 10 years in a Siberian prison on tax evasion and embezzlement charges, which he says were politically motivated. He left Russia for Europe after Putin pardoned him in December 2013. He lives mainly in Switzerland and Britain. With reporting by RBK Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Kyiv protests Russian ruling that bans Crimean Tatars' Mejlis Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyiv protests Russian ruling that bans Crimean Tatars' Mejlis, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e2021.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 The chairman of the Mejlis, Refat Chubarov Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has protested a ruling by Russia's Supreme Court that upheld a ban on the Mejlis, the self-governing body of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine's occupied territory of Crimea. The ministry said in a statement that "the ban against the activities of the supreme representative and executive body of the Crimean Tatar people" was "openly blasphemous" and was done under "a far-fetched pretext of 'fighting extremism'." The statement demanded that Russia immediately lift its ban and end what it called "the oppression of the Crimean Tatar community in Crimea." Russia's Supreme Court ruling on September 29 upheld the decision of a Moscow-backed Crimean court to ban the Mejlis. Mejlis' lawyer Kirill Koroteyev said the Russian court ruling will be appealed at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. On April 26, more than two years after Russia seized and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, Crimea's pro-Russian Supreme Court branded the Mejlis as an extremist organization and officially banned it. The Mejlis had been legalized by the Ukrainian government in 1999. Crimea's indigenous Tatars make up about 12 percent of Crimea's population of 2.5 million people. Many Crimean Tatars fled the territory after it was seized by Russian military forces in February 2014 and illegally annexed by Moscow in March 2014. Crimean Tatars who have remained in the occupied territory complain of harassment and enforced disappearances under the Moscow-backed authorities there. Russia has been severely criticized by international rights groups and Western governments for its treatment of the Turkic-speaking Muslim minority since the annexation. With reporting by Interfax and TASS Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Kyrgyz lawmakers advance bill for referendum on constitutional amendments Publisher Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Publication Date 29 September 2016 Cite as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kyrgyz lawmakers advance bill for referendum on constitutional amendments, 29 September 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58189e204.html [accessed 1 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. September 29, 2016 The draft law will have to be signed by President Almazbek Atambaev before coming into force. (file photo) Kyrgyzstan's parliament has advanced a draft law on holding a nationwide referendum on constitutional amendments. In its first reading on September 29, the bill received support from 94 lawmakers in favor of conducting the referendum. Eleven lawmakers voted against the proposal. The draft law still must be approved on its second and third readings by parliament and signed by President Almazbek Atambaev before coming into force. The constitutional changes proposed by five political parties would widen the powers of the prime minister and parliament and reform the judicial system. Civil society activists and opposition groups have criticized the proposals, accusing Atambaev of seeking to extend his grip on power. Kyrgyzstan's current constitution was adopted in June 2010 after mass protests toppled then-President Kurmanbek Bakiev. A clause prohibits making amendments to the text before 2020. Link to original story on RFE/RL website Copyright notice: Copyright (c) 2007-2009. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036 Pawtucket, RI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 11/01/2016 --Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc., a local funeral home in its fourth generation of family ownership in Pawtucket, announced it has partnered with BizIQ, a Phoenix-based digital marketing company dedicated to serving small business owners throughout North America. In its collaboration with BizIQ, Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc. seeks to enhance its digital presence and expand its customer base throughout Rhode Island. BizIQ employs a strategy based heavily on search engine optimization, which allows customers to more easily locate companies like Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc. when performing local Google business searches. Additionally, BizIQ created a new website for the funeral home, as well as a new marketing campaign that features two blog posts per month and better communication with current and potential clients. This new website developed by BizIQ for the funeral home emphasizes the importance of timely, informative content related to funeral services. All of the website content is professionally written by skilled copywriters. The site also provides various channels through which current and prospective clients can reach out and learn more about funeral services in Pawtucket, RI. "For four generations, our funeral home has served people throughout the Pawtucket area, and has built an outstanding reputation for quality customer care as a result," said Paul Gingras, owner of Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc. "With more people than ever searching for funeral and end-of-life services online, it was important for us to revamp our digital presence. BizIQ has been an invaluable help in this process, and we are thrilled with the results." About Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc. Founded in 1896, Darlington Mortuary of L. Heroux & Son, Inc. has 120 years and counting of experience in the Pawtucket area. For more information about its services, visit http://www.darlingtonheroux.com/. To learn more about BizIQ and its expertise regarding local search engine optimization, or to view its extensive list of service options, please visit http://www.ebiziq.com/. Morgan County Election Board reviews financial records The Morgan County Election Board met Friday to review the campaign finance reports of local candidates running for office. If you have a need for firewood, get it now while you can Advertisement - Continue Reading Below This just in... Beijing could throw its weight behind attempts by the Hong Kong government to bar two democratically elected independence activists from taking up their seats in the city's Legislative Council (LegCo), the city's leader has indicated. Chief executive Leung Chun-ying said on Tuesday that he may ask Beijing to "interpret" the city's miniconstitution, the Basic Law, if a court review of the lawmakers' status doesn't go the government's way. Sixtus "Baggio" Leung and Yau Wai-ching of the localist group Youngspiration, who were elected to LegCo in last September's elections, used their swearing-in ceremony last month to pledge to represent the "Hong Kong nation," inserting swear-words, slurs, and pro-independence slogans into their oaths. They were unable to take up their seats, as their oaths were deemed invalid by LegCo chairman Andrew Leung, and the government sought their removal from office with a judicial review in the High Court, which will be decided on Thursday. Sixtus Leung, 30, and Yau, 25, later attempted to re-take their oaths, but were thwarted by a mass walkout of pro-Beijing LegCo members, rendering the ceremony invalid. Leung told reporters on Tuesday that he could ask China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), to use its ultimate power to interpret the Basic Law. "We hope to do our utmost to resolve it within Hong Kong, but we cannot rule out this possibility," Leung said. "Apart from the case in court....there is a high possibility that other things might be triggered by their oaths and their words and actions afterwards," Leung said, who recently postponed a trip to Beijing pending the court's decision. Judicial independence Democratic Party lawmaker James To hit out at Leung's comments, saying they threaten the independence of the judges currently deliberating on the case. "When the court is hearing a case, and someone, particularly officials from the executive, makes comments about interpreting the law, or that they can't rule out [asking Beijing], this is effectively a threat to judicial independence," To told reporters on Tuesday. "At the very least, it is a reminder, or pressure on the court, that an interpretation [by Beijing] might be the outcome," he said. "I don't think that's appropriate." Secretary for Security Rimsky Yuen had previously said the government has confidence in the courts to handle the issue. "I believe in our courts, and in our officials, who I am sure are fair and impartial, even-handed, and professional," Yuen said earlier. "I still hope to see the issue resolved by our own judicial system." An Aug. 31, 2014 "interpretation" of the Basic Law issued by the NPC standing committee insisting that candidates in forthcoming elections be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee sparked the 79-day Occupy Central democracy movement in the same year, with protesters slamming the decree as "fake universal suffrage." China's National People's Congress (NPC) is the final and highest power tasked with interpreting Hong Kong's Basic Law, but only after the territory's own legal processes have been exhausted at the final appeals court, which was set up in 1997 to take over the role filled by the House of Lords under British colonial rule. However, pan-democratic politicians have criticized such interventions as interference in the city's affairs, breaking with the promises of a "high degree of autonomy" made as part of the handover treaty with the U.K. A political force Localist groups have emerged as a political force in the city since the failure of the 2014 Occupy Central movement to persuade the authorities to allow fully democratic elections, in spite of an order from Beijing that all candidates must be vetted by its supporters. While some localists stop short of advocating formal independence, they are largely united in their desire to minimize the effects of Chinese rule in the city, amid widespread concerns over the erosion of its traditional freedoms. The growing movement, which has a huge support base among younger voters, has drawn withering comment and warnings from Beijing, which regards support for independence as anathema. But the movement has been fueled by fears that Beijing's growing interference in the city, especially the cross-border detentions of five Hong Kong booksellers by Chinese police for selling "banned" political titles to customers across the internal immigration border, has undermined that autonomy, journalists, activists, and diplomats say. A recent opinion survey showed that almost 40 percent of young people in Hong Kong favor independence for the city in 2047, when existing arrangements with China expire. But Beijing says this is out of the question, and Leung has ordered schools to punish any talk of the topic among students, threatening teachers with deregistration if they are found encouraging it. Reported by Lam Kwok-lap for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and written in English by Luisetta Mudie. Workers mobilized by the North Korean government help build 20,000 new housing units for flood victims in an area devastated by flooding last August, Oct. 29, 2016. Pyongyang tightly restricts travel by its citizens, but it is giving away free trips to ethnic Koreans who hold Chinese citizenship and Chinese living in North Korea in a move that is angering some of the closed nations populace who long for a vacation in the capital, RFA has learned. North Korean residents wish to tour Pyongyang once in their lifetime, a source in the North Korean capital told RFAs Korea Service. North Korean residents are outraged because the central authority disregards its own residents and provides free tourism only to Chinese and Korean-Chinese. Officially the North Korean government says the free vacations are a thank you for the help the Chinese and ethnic North Koreans living in China gave the country after deadly floods inundated the Tumen River valley this past summer. North Korea is going to hold a commemoration event in Pyongyang for Chinese people living in North Korea, a source from North Pyongan province told RFA. The justification for this event is to express gratitude to the Chinese community who supported restoration of flood damage in Tumen River valley. The North Pyongan source told RFA that many ethnic Korean Chinese hurried back from Dandong, China to give aid to the North Koreans as they struggled to recover from the floods that ripped through the Tumen River valley as Typhoon Lionrock lashed Northeast Asia from August 29 to September 2. The floods so devastated the area that Pyongyang asked the international community for aid. The North Korean government said more than 130 people were killed and nearly 400 went missing after the floods. Local sources told RFA at the time that the North Koreans were underestimating the damage. Many Chinese who live in Ryongchon County came back from Dandong, China after receiving an urgent instruction to advance their schedule, said the North Pyongan source. While the North Korean government is saying the free trips that include stops at the North Korean Central Zoo, Street of Future Scientists, Juche Tower, Okryugwan (restaurant) and International Friendship Exhibition are a thank you for the help, locals see a more nefarious reason. The local sources said that North Korea is trying to curry Chinas favor with the free trips, adding that it is not the first time that Pyongyang has used the lure of tourism to help cement ties with Beijing, because the country throws a celebration for Chinese every year. The 2016 event is different because it is bigger as Pyongyang is giving away trips to the Chinese. This year there are more visits from Korean-Chinese than in previous years, a source in Pyongyang told RFA. While some Chinese and many North Koreans see Pyongyang as a desirable vacation spot, the source emphasized its value to the government as a propaganda tool. The central authority assigns each branch of the General Association of Korean- Chinese to organize free tourism to promote its systems supremacy and possibility of future growth, the source said. Reported for RFAs Korea Service by Jieun Kim. Translated by Soo Min Jo. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. Nearly 50 schools reopened in Rakhine states restive Maungdaw township on Tuesday, three weeks after local authorities ordered them shut following deadly attacks on guard stations close to the Bangladesh border, a local education official said. Authorities reopened 49 government-run schools for Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims in various villages which had been closed since Oct. 10, said Khin Aung, Maungdaw townships education officer. Officials had restarted classes at other schools in Maungdaw and neighboring Buthidaung township on Oct. 24. Maungdaw is a majority-Muslim area in a state that has experienced bloody sectarian clashes in recent years pitting majority Buddhists against Rohingya, a mostly stateless group of Muslims. We have reopened 49 schools today as the second step, Khin Aung told RFAs Myanmar Service. About 100 schools still remain closed for security purposes, he said. Security guards have accompanied teachers, who had fled violence that ensued after the Oct. 9 attacks, back to the villages where they work, he said. The Rakhine state government plans to replace female teachers who teach in Muslim villages with male teachers, he said. We will reopen Bengali schools that have male headmasters as the next step, Khin Aung said, using a derogatory term for Rohingya Muslims used by Myanmars Buddhists who view the Muslims as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Searches and arrests After a Muslim group raided three border guard stations and killed nine guards on Oct. 9, authorities immediately shut down hundreds of government-operated schools, and many teachers fled the area. A security sweep of Muslim villages followed during which army soldiers and border police forcibly searched homes looking for stolen weapons and the perpetrators of the attacks. The searches sparked armed conflicts between security forces and groups of armed men that sent thousands of Rakhine ethnics and Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes. There have been reports of arbitrary arrests, executions of unarmed civilians, arson, and rapes in Maungdaw during the security crackdown. Myanmar government officials have blamed a Rohingya group that received training and funding from Islamists outside the country for the Oct. 9 attacks and subsequent violence. So far, authorities have killed 30 people believed to have been involved in the attacks and captured nearly 60 others. On Monday, they arrested two villagers in Maungdaw for providing some of the attackers with boat transportation to Bangladesh, the military newspaper Myawaddy reported. Another man suspected of being involved in the Maungdaw attacks was arrested in Buthidaung and taken to a police station, the report said. Reported by Min Thein Aung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. A Belarusian teenager who insists he was beaten by police has been convicted on charges of attacking a police officer and has been sentenced to two years of "freedom limitation," which is similar to a suspended sentence with parole limitations. The central district court in Minsk announced the ruling against 17-year-old Minsk resident Alyaksandr Kharuta on November 1. Kharuta testified at the trial that police had detained him and another teenager in July and claimed the two were intoxicated in public. Kharuta said he and his friend were then beaten by the police officers and taken to a police station, where they were again beaten. He said police there also threatened to sexually abuse them. Kharuta admitted punching one of the police officers, but said he did so only after the officer urinated on his face. Officials charged that Kharuta struck at least one police officer on the head. The Kremlin has dismissed allegations by the head of Britain's MI5 intelligence agency that Russia is mounting cyberattacks and other aggressive measures that pose a growing threat to Europe. Speaking on November 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the allegations raised by MI5 chief Andrew Parker "do not correspond to reality." Peskov said that "until someone produces proof, we will consider those statements unfounded and groundless." Parker told Britains Guardian newspaper on October 31 that Russia "is using its whole range of state organs and powers to push its foreign policy abroad in increasingly aggressive ways" -- involving propaganda, espionage, subversion, and cyberattacks. He said Russia "increasingly seems to define itself by opposition to the West and seems to act accordingly." He said evidence could be seen "on the ground with Russia's activities in Ukraine and Syria." But he said Russia also is conducting "high-volume activity out of sight with the cyberthreat." Based on reporting by The Guardian, AFP, and TASS U.S. Democratic leaders have blasted FBI Director James Comey for refusing to join other top government officials in naming Russia as the hacking operation behind leaked Democratic e-mails in what one called a "blatant double standard." Comey inserted himself into the political contest between Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump last week by informing Congress that the FBI is investigating e-mails that surfaced during an investigation into former U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of a close Clinton aide. But according to a report by CNBC on October 31, Comey refused to join a statement issued by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of National Intelligence on October 7 attributing the leaking of hacked Democratic e-mails to Russia, arguing that it was too close to the election and he did not want to be seen as trying to influence the vote. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said the revelation that Comey had reservations about naming Russia weeks before he announced an investigation into newly discovered e-mails shows "a blatant double standard." The Senate's top Democrat, Harry Reid, accused Comey of having "a disturbing double standard for the treatment of sensitive information, with what appears to be a clear intent to aid one political party over another." Reid charged that Comey violated a federal law that prohibits government employees from getting personally involved in elections or partisan politics. Your highly selective approach to publicizing information, along with your timing, was intended for the success or failure of a partisan candidate or political group, Reid said in a letter to Comey. Moreover, Reid charged Comey has been keeping under wraps "explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisers, and the Russian government -- a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity." I wrote to you months ago calling for this information to be released to the public...and yet, you continue to resist calls to inform the public of this critical information, Reid said. As Democratic leaders blasted Comey, Clinton continued her drumbeat of accusations about Trump's coziness with Russia, demanding that he fully disclose his ties with the Kremlin and "Russian oligarchs." Since Comey announced the FBI's latest investigation, her support has declined significantly in opinion polls. While last week she was leading Trump nationwide by between 5 and 6 percentage points, by November 1 that lead had dwindled to 3.1 percentage points in an average of nationwide polls calculated by RealClearPolitics.com. Trump now leads Clinton narrowly in two crucial battleground states -- Ohio and Florida -- that he must win to become president. With reporting by AP, Reuters, CNBC, CBS News, and TASS The second round of voting in the Georgian parliamentary elections has confirmed expectations that the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party will have a constitutional majority (at least 113 of the total 150 mandates) in the new parliament. Opinions differ, nonetheless, as to the likely impact of that concentration of power. Likewise unclear is how tactical disagreements within the opposition United National Movement, the second-largest parliament faction, will affect its future political course. As a result of the October 30 runoffs in 50 of the 75 single-mandate constituencies in which no candidate received the required 50 percent of the vote during the first round on October 8, Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia will have 115 seats, the United National Movement 27, the Alliance of Patriots six, and the Industrialists-Our Homeland bloc one. Paris-born former Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili won election as an independent candidate. The new legislature thus comprises fewer parties than any of its predecessors: the 2012 parliamentary ballot that ended the United National Movement's nine years in power was won by a six-party bloc led by Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia with 85 mandates, compared to 65 for the United National Movement. Several analysts attributed Georgian Dream's impressive showing in last month's vote to the systematic demonization of the United National Movement, and specifically of its former leader, ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, by Georgian Dream's founder, wealthy philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili. Former Economy Minister Lado Papava described the results of the October 8 vote as "the victory of the virtual wolf," meaning that many people voted for Georgian Dream because they believed it is the sole political force strong enough to prevent the return to power of the "wolf," Saakashvili's United National Movement. Saakashvili is currently governor of the Ukrainian city of Odesa. Shortly before the October 8 vote, he announced his intention of returning to Georgia after the ballot to celebrate his party's victory, but failed to do so. His wife, Sandra Roelofs, won election to parliament on the United National Movement's party list, and demonstratively withdrew her candidacy in one of the runoffs. Other factors, too, contributed to Georgian Dream's victory, including voters' rejection of political leaders who, according to commentator Khatuna Lagazidze, have exhausted their potential and "are squeezed dry like a lemon." Lagazidze did not name names, but she may have been referring, among others, to former parliament speaker Nino Burjanadze, whose Democratic Movement garnered just 3.53 percent of the vote. Lagazidze acknowledged that the elections marked "the end of an era," but predicted that the "political vacuum" resulting from "Ivanishvili's clearing out of the entire political spectrum" will soon be filled by "people with a different mentality." Who Will Fill The Void? The primary victims of that "clearing-out" process, however, were Georgian Dream's erstwhile coalition partners, the unequivocally pro-Western Free Democrats and the Republican Party, and the National Forum, which polled 4.62 percent, 1.55 percent, and 0.73 percent, respectively. Free Democrats Chairman Irakli Alasania and veteran Republican party member Davit Usupashvili had served respectively as defense minister and parliament speaker, and were highly regarded in the West. Both men have now quit the parties with which they had long been associated (in Usupashvili's case since the 1990s.) Alasania has said he will withdraw from political life "temporarily," as he sees no chance for his party to exert any influence on the political process. Usupashvili for his part has vowed to spend the next few months consulting with all those who remain committed to "working for an independent, free, European, democratic Georgia." He told journalists that Georgia's political future cannot be shaped "either by political conglomerates that have fused with the administrative bureaucracy," meaning Georgian Dream, or "political groupings held together by their past sins," a clear allusion to the United National Movement. Usupashvili further said the next parliamentary ballot, due in 2020, "should be won by a new type of political force which would be fully capable of governing the country and will carry in its genetic code the values of multiparty democracy." He did not say whether he personally intends to establish such a party, but commentators take it for granted he will try to do so. National Forum Chairman Kakhaber Shartava, too, has openly declared his intention of creating a "genuine, serious, classic, European[-style] party" that would unite those political forces that failed to win representation in the new parliament. Analyst Valerian Gorgiladze, however, considers unlikely the emergence of a new opposition force uniting those parties that failed to gain parliamentary representation. He predicts the institutionalization of a two-party system instead of the hoped-for multiparty system and coalition government. Will Georgian Dream Abuse Its Power? Even prior to the runoff vote, an impassioned discussion was taking place of the perceived risks inherent in Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia's anticipated acquisition of a constitutional majority. In particular, some observers expressed concern at the possibility that Ivanishvili, who although he holds no formal political office is widely believed to influence Georgian Dream's policy-making from behind the scenes, might use that power to settle old scores with the United National Movement. Independent analyst Gia Khukhashvili made the point that in and of itself a constitutional majority does not automatically mean the party in question will try to abuse it to usurp power, and that it is both unfair and unjust to impute such nefarious intentions to Georgian Dream. Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili described that constitutional majority on October 31 as "imposing an even greater obligation" on Georgian Dream, of which he is chairman, to implement its "ambitious plans...to improve the education system, bring about swift economic and infrastructure growth, and improve the welfare of each individual citizen." As for Ivanishvili's future role and influence, Khukhashvili stressed that "the transition from personal to institutional rule must take place very quickly. If Kvirikashvili remains prime minister, then it is he who should make decisions and bear the responsibility for them. The constant allusions to Ivanishvili, which frequently morph into speculation, must end.... It's better that Kvirikashvili should make mistakes than that we should constantly feel that someone else wields power." Zaal Anjaparidze similarly opined in an extensive interview with the news portal Interpressnews.ge that a constitutional majority is a source of both risk and opportunity. He said he considered it unlikely that Georgian Dream will use that majority to try to usurp power, but that it could influence the process of decision-making. (By contrast, between 2008-12 the United National Movement availed itself of its constitutional majority to push through parliament amendments to the constitution and election law intended to facilitate its reelection in the October 2012 parliamentary elections.) Anjaparidze went on to suggest that "if we look at the broader picture, from the point of view of political pluralism and a multiparty system, a three-party parliament where more or less all the various ideological views held by society are represented is not such a bad outcome for a transitional democracy like ours." By contrast, Independent Experts Club President Soso Tsiskarishvili commented darkly that the elections of 2016 "will go down in history as the transition from young Georgian democracy to 'bidzinocracy,'" meaning Ivanishvili will exert supreme power through the party he founded. What role remains, then, for the United National Movement within the new parliament? Immediately after the October 8 vote, the party appeared to be on the verge of splitting into a radical faction headed by Saakashvili, who advocated a boycott of both the runoffs and the new parliament, and the moderate pragmatists, who argued that the party owed it to its electorate to take up its parliament mandates. At a meeting on October 12, the party's most senior members voted by 33 votes in favor and nine against, with seven abstentions, for the latter course of action. Anjaparidze predicts that the United National Movement faction "will try to use their resources within parliament to inflict the maximum political and informational discomfort on [the country's] leadership, and their representatives are already openly saying so." Cooperation between the United National Movement and the Alliance of Patriots within parliament is highly unlikely, however, given the latter's anti-Western orientation. The fact that both international election observers and the U.S. State Department have hailed the outcome of the vote as democratic and reflecting the will of the Georgian people undercuts even further the position of the United National Movement's radical wing. Saakashvili nonetheless declared on October 31 that he refused to accept the outcome of what he termed "a falsified vote." "We must work together to put Georgia back on the path to democratic, European development. We must achieve as swiftly as possible the holding of honest elections and bring a normal government to power in Georgia," he said. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Opposition leader Imran Khan has abandoned a protest aimed at shutting down the Pakistan capital, Islamabad. It came after the country's top court promised to investigate corruption allegations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. (RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal) Igor Dodon, who won the first round of Moldova's presidential election and is seen as having strong leanings toward Russia, says he will seek to maintain good relations with both Brussels and Moscow if elected. "I believe that we must and we will have good relations with the European Union," the Socialist Party candidate told RFE/RL's Moldovan Service on November 1." We will ensure the continued partnership with the European Union and with our friends in Romania and the Russian Federation." Dodon, who fell just short of winning outright with a first-round majority in Moldova's October 30 election, campaigned heavily on promises to move the country closer to Russia. He received 48.23 percent for the vote while his strongest challenger, pro-EU Maia Sandu of the Party for Action and Solidarity, took 38.42 percent. The two will face off in a second round November 13. "Igor Dodon is not against Europe," the 41-year-old economist said. "Igor Dodon definitely will not allow Moldova to lose its visa-free regime" with the EU. But the former trade minister, who has previously said he wants to throw out Chisinau's 2014 EU Association Agreement and hinted at joining the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union, stressed that he wanted a "strategic partnership and good relations" with Russia as well. "We need the Russian market and we need to solve the problems of hundreds of thousands of [Moldovan labor] migrants who are in the Russian Federation," he said. He also said he "highly" appreciated the support the United States has given Moldova and wants to continue Chisinau's partnership with Washington. But he vowed to work to maintain Moldova's official policy of neutrality between East and West. "Partnership, why not?" he said. "But not more, no NATO." Asked how he regards Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, whose seizure by Russia in 2014 sparked ongoing U.S. and EU sanctions against Moscow, Dodon said, "De facto, Crimea is part of Russia now, [but the annexation] legally is not recognized by the West and most countries," including Moldova. He added that there would be "many risks" for Moldova to recognize the annexation when the country has its own self-declared breakaway region of Transdniester. He said the political solution for Transdniester was "granting special status" to the region, whose leaders are staunchly pro-Moscow. Moldova's presidential vote is widely seen in the country as a contest between those who support integration with the European Union against those who want closer ties with Russia. Sandu has said she would build on the EU Association Agreement by pushing ahead with reforms Brussels says are necessary to strengthen the country's chances for membership. The presidential contest is taking place amid deep public dissatisfaction with levels of corruption in Moldova, one of Europe's poorest countries. The country was thrown into political turmoil in 2014 with the disappearance of more than $1 billion from its banking system. Polls show the banking crisis sapped many Moldovans' enthusiasm for European integration because it occurred as the government was headed by a pro-EU coalition. Despite the fact the president is being elected by direct popular vote -- for the first time after 20 years of being chosen by parliament -- the office has largely ceremonial powers. The winner of the November runoff will be able to use the position to influence the country's political direction, but executive power in Moldova is held by the prime minister. With reporting by RFE/RL's Moldovan Service An Iraqi general says government special forces have entered an eastern neighborhood of Mosul and seized the state TV building there. The advance marks the first time Iraqi government forces have set foot within the northern Iraqi city of Mosul since it was seized by Islamic State (IS) militants in 2014. Government troops launched the ground assault on Mosuls industrial eastern Gogjali neighborhood early on November 1 as part of a two-week-old operation to recapture Mosul. Major General Sami al-Aridi said his troops by noon on November 1 were inside the Gogjali district and were only 800 meters from Mosuls more built-up Karama district. He said IS militants had set up concrete blast walls to block off the Karama neighborhood and had laid booby traps and bombs along roads into the city. WATCH: Iraqi Civilians Flee Toward Liberating Forces On October 31 The battle began just before dawn on November 1 with Iraqi artillery, tank, and machine-gun fire against IS positions in the Gogjali district and support from U.S.-led coalition air strikes. Militants fired back with antitank missiles and small arms. Iraqi government forces, Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Iran-backed Shiite militia, and Sunni tribesmen have been converging on Mosul from all directions to force out the IS militants who seized the city in 2014. Mosul is the IS militants final urban stronghold in Iraq. Its loss would be a major defeat for the militants. But Mosuls city center is still about 10 kilometers from the current position of the government forces now in the city. Much ground remains to be covered in what is expected to be an intense urban battle lasting weeks or months. Further complicating the government offensive is the presence of thousands of civilians that the United Nations believes are being used by IS militants as human shields. The UN's human rights office says it has received fresh reports of mass killings by IS militants in and around Mosul. UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on November 1 that the office had received field reports that 40 former members of Iraq's security forces were executed on October 29 by IS militants, who threw their bodies into the Tigris River. Shamdasani said IS also tried to transport about 25,000 civilians from the town of Hammam al-Alil, about 15 kilometers south of Mosul, during the predawn hours of October 31 -- probably for use as human shields in the defense of IS positions. The announcement came three days after the UN's high commissioner for human rights, Zei Raad al-Hussein, said IS militants had abducted more than 7,000 families to use as human shields against the Iraqi government offensive on Mosul. Hussein also said last week that 232 civilians, including about 190 former Iraqi security personnel, had been shot by IS militants at Mosuls al-Ghazlani military base. In other news, authorities from Iraqs northern Kurdistan region have detained a Japanese journalist who has been reporting about the battle for Mosul. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga confirmed on November 1 that freelance journalist Kosuke Tsuneoka had been detained. Suga said Japanese authorities were trying to determine why he was being held. Japans Kyodo News agency reported that Tsuneoka was being held by Peshmerga fighters. With reporting by AP, Reuters, Kyodo, and AFP The UN Security Council has extended the mandate of a panel investigating chemical attacks in Syria for two weeks to allow time to negotiate a one-year renewal of the probe. The council on October 31 unanimously backed a U.S. resolution extending the probe through November 18 to make time for what appears likely to be a major showdown over the panel's recent finding that the Syrian regime carried out three chemical attacks on villages in 2014 and 2015. Russia has dismissed those findings as "unconvincing" and said no sanctions should be imposed on Syria for the chlorine gas attacks. But Britain, France, and the United States are pushing for sanctions and maintain that UN resolutions clearly provide for such action in response to the use of chemical weapons. Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said the council needs to "make sure that everyone involved in the heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria is denied impunity and will receive justice." France's UN Ambassador Francois Delattre said the two-week extension was only a first step. "As we all know, there are more cases of chemical weapons use in Syria. And so it is absolutely critical" to pass the one-year renewal, he said. The Security Council set up the so-called joint investigative mechanism in August 2015 to determine who was behind the chlorine attacks using barrel bombs. The use of chlorine as a weapon is banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013 under pressure from Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While Russia agreed to the original focus on Syria, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on October 31 that investigators should be authorized to probe "chemical terrorism" by all armed groups and their mission should be extended to neighboring Iraq. The panel already has concluded that the Islamic State (IS) extremist group used mustard gas as a weapon in Syria in August 2015. IS also holds territory in Iraq, where there are reports it used gas against Kurdish troops. But Deputy U.S. Ambassador Michele Sison rejected any broadening of the panel's mandate, saying that would be a "significant distraction" from its mission. The investigation "was set up in Syria for a specific reason -- to resolve who was involved -- and for that reason it should remain focused on Syria," Sison said. With reporting by AP, AFP, and TASS MOSCOW -- A jailed Russian opposition activist has accused a prison warden of overseeing the systematic torture of inmates and of threatening to kill him, allegations made in a desperate letter to his wife that he asked her to publish to save his life. Ildar Dadin was sentenced to a three-year term in December 2015, becoming the first Russian to be imprisoned under controversial legislation that criminalizes repeated breaches of public-assembly rules, such as demonstrating in a group without the prior consent of the authorities. He is now serving his sentence at the IK-7 prison in Segezha, in the northwestern Karelia region. In the letter to his wife, Anastasia Zotova, Dadin wrote that prison authorities planted two blades on him shortly after he arrived at the prison on September 10 so that they could then "find" them during a search, providing a pretext to put him in an isolation cell as punishment. "This is an everyday practice -- they do this to make sure to put the new arrivals in the punishment cell so that they immediately realize what a hell they've ended up in," Dadin wrote in the letter, which was dictated to a lawyer and published by the Latvia-based website Meduza on November 1. Dadin wrote that prison authorities then took away his soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and toilet paper, prompting him to declare a hunger strike. The following day, he wrote, prison warden Sergei Kossiyev and three other officials paid him a visit. "Together they started beating me," he wrote. "Over the course of the day, they beat me up four times, with 10-12 people kicking me simultaneously. After the third beating they put my head in the toilet in the punishment cell." On September 12, they bound his hands behind his back, hung him from handcuffs and left him hanging for 30 minutes, he wrote. "Then they took off my underwear and said that now they'll bring another prisoner and that he'll rape me if I don't stop my hunger strike." Meduza said the letter was written on October 31 and dictated to a lawyer, Aleksei Liptser, apparently to bypass what Dadin described as a "real information blockade" by which his letters are intercepted by prison authorities. He asked Zotova to publish it and ensure wide exposure, saying, "It will increase the chances I survive." "I ask you to publish information about the fact that Major Kossiyev is directly threatening murder for attempts to complain about what is happening," he said. 'Special Means' Russia's federal penitentiary service, known as FSIN, confirmed in comments to the newspaper Novaya Gazeta that "physical force" was used against Dadin on September 11, suggesting that he provoked it. "Dadin in a rude way refused to come out of his cell and assume the position for a search, and began to grab [prison] employees by their uniforms, as a result of which physical force and special means were used," the newspaper quoted the prison service as saying. It did not describe the "special means," a term that can refer to items such as tear gas and tasers but in this case might refer to batons or nightsticks. Hours after Dadin's letter was published, several dozen people protested outside FSIN headquarters in Moscow to voice anger over the alleged abuse. Some held signs that read: "Stop the torture. Free Dadin." Amnesty International called for Dadin's immediate release and urged the Russian authorities to "end the pattern of impunity for torture and other ill-treatment." "Ildar Dadin's allegations of beatings, humiliation, and rape threats are shocking, but unfortunately they are just the latest in a string of credible reports indicating that torture and other ill-treatment are being widely used in the Russian penal system with impunity, with the aim of silencing any form of dissent," Sergei Nikitin, director of Amnesty International Russia, said in a statement. Cracking Down On Dissent The federal Investigative Committee said that it was conducting a "preinvestigation check" and that prosecutors had been sent to the prison to look into the allegations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the allegations deserved "very close attention" and that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be informed about the matter. The legislation under which Dadin was convicted is one of several antiprotest laws signed by Putin since he returned to the Kremlin for a third term in May 2012, amid a wave of opposition protests that were the largest since he was first elected in 2000. Rights groups have criticized the laws and other measures they say have severely restricted the freedoms of speech and assembly under Putin, who is eligible to seek another six-year term in 2018. "No one should be in jail for peacefully expressing their opinion," Amnesty International said in its statement. Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky was serving his sentence at IK-7 in Segezha when he was pardoned by Putin and flown out of Russia in 2013. Dadin said that he did not want to be transferred to another prison. "I've seen several times and heard how they beat up the other prisoners, so my conscience does not allow me to run away from here -- I intend to fight to help the others," he wrote. He appealed to his wife to hire a lawyer who could be permanently stationed in Segezha, 300 kilometers from the Arctic Circle, to provide legal assistance. The mayor of Kyiv says electricity and water supplies have been restored after a day of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities, including hydroelectric power stations, that caused blackouts, mobile phone outages, and reductions in water supplies. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. "The water supply to the homes of Kyiv residents has been fully restored. Thank you to the experts of Kyivvodokanal and DTEK, who worked for almost a day to restore water and electricity [supplies] to the residents of the capital," Vitali Klitschko wrote on Telegram early on November 1. Klitschko said that the electricity supply in the Ukrainian capital had also been restored but that blackouts are inevitable because of the extensive damage to the power system after the Russian attacks. In Mykolayiv, regional military administration chief Vitaliy Kim said on November 1 that Russia fired four S-300 missiles overnight, demolishing half an apartment building in the city and killing one person. Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian buildings with missile, drone, and artillery attacks for weeks amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops out of the northeast and pushed them back in the east and southeast. In his nightly address, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine's air defenses did a good job shooting down most of the missiles, but that strengthening the country's air-defense capabilities remains a top priority. "Our air force and everyone involved in protecting the sky did a very good job today," Zelenskiy said late on October 31. "Most of the objectives that the terrorists identified as targets were saved. This morning alone, terrorists used 55 cruise missiles for a massive attack. Forty-five of them were shot down. We will continue to strengthen our air defense." Zelenskiy added that restoration work was still ongoing in regions targeted by Russian missiles. Russia launched missiles into several Ukrainian cities on October 31, including the nations capital, Kyiv, as the Kremlin continues its relentless assault on critical Ukrainian infrastructure in the hopes of wearing down the populations will to resist. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko called on the Group of 20 major economies to expel Russia and rescind President Vladimir Putins invitation to a G20 summit in Bali next month. Nikolenko said in a tweet on November 1 that Putin's public acknowledgement that he ordered missile strikes on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure meant "his hands [are] stained in blood" and that "he must not be allowed to sit at the table with world leaders." With its eight-month invasion failing and the prospects of a defeat rising, the Kremlin is seeking to terrorize and demoralize the Ukrainian population in an attempt to break it, Western and Ukrainian officials have said. Russia has destroyed more than 40 percent of Ukraine's energy infrastructure in a few weeks, causing electricity cuts in Kyiv and other places as winter approaches. Separately, in eastern Ukraine, the military command said there were fierce battles near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region and that Ukrainian forces had held back Russian assaults on two other areas in the region, around Avdiyivka and Uhledar. Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on November 1 that Russia struck more than 50 settlements in the Donetsk region. Russia is also expanding the forced evacuation of Ukrainian citizens from occupied Kherson as its forces seek to hold the region. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of Kherson, announced on October 31 that citizens will be evacuated from another seven districts. Just three days earlier, the Russia-installed officials had announced that the evacuation process in the Kherson region had ended. The Ukrainian military reported that Russian troops are mining evacuated residential areas in the Kakhovka settlement. In Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry said all military mobilization activities, including summons delivery, have been suspended. The ministry said in a statement that all activities related to conscription for military service have been stopped. According to the statement, military units will only be accepting volunteers and contractors from now on. However, the announcement does not amount to an official end to the partial mobilization decreed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in September. That can only be done with an official decree from Putin. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled Russia since Putin declared the partial military mobilization. With reporting by Reuters and AFP One of Russia's major daily newspapers, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, has apologized to Ljubljana's Mayor Zoran Jankovic for a false report it published about Slovenia's position on the status of Crimea, the Ukrainian region that was seized and illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. In an article on September 29, the state-owned Russian newspaper had quoted Jankovic as saying that "Slovenia was one of the first European nations that recognized" Crimea as part of Russia. Slovenia's embassy in Moscow protested the article, saying that Ljubljana supports Ukraine's independence and its territorial integrity and stressing that Slovenia does not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea. The Slovenian Embassy said the seizure and annexation of Crimea by Russia was a violation of international law. On October 31, Rossiyskaya Gazeta published what it called a "clarification" of the report. It said Crimea was never been mentioned by Jankovic at a series of events in Ljubljana during September known as "Days Of Moscow," nor in an interview with Jankovic conducted by a journalist working for the state-owned Russian newspaper. T20 World Cup 2022 Group 1 Points Table Latest Update: England Move to Second Spot, New Zealand Still on Top ENG vs NZ Highlights T20 World Cup 2022 Updates: Jos Buttler, Pacers Guide England to 20-run Win Over New Zealand T20 World Cup: 'He Was Superb in Warm Up Match, Lot of You Weren't There'-Rahul Defends Rahul T20 World Cup: 'Thats One Place Where You Feel Secure, Thats Taken Away'-Coach Rahul Dravid Says Virat Kohli 'Absolutely Fine' After Privacy Breach MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin has called on lawmakers to immediately develop federal legislation on the "Russian nation," in an apparent effort to project an image of unity among Russia's peoples. "What we really absolutely can and must work on -- what we should think about and start practical work on -- is a law on the Russian nation," Putin told a meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations in Astrakhan on October 31. The title of the proposed law pointedly uses the term Russian nation ( ), as opposed to wording that would denote ethnic Russians (). The approach appears intended to highlight the diversity of the country's population and Putin's call comes just days before Unity Day, a public holiday to be held on November 4 that is traditionally used by far-right nationalists to stage marches. Speaking in Astrakhan on October 31, Putin did not provide details of what the legislation would entail. But he did say that good interethnic relations were key to Russia's existence, and that the new law should build on and improve upon the country's existing strategy for developing unity among the country's more than 190 ethnic groups. "The principal issue here is the coordination between various agencies engaged in implementing state policy for ethnic relations," he said. "There are over 10 such agencies at the federal level alone, and there are also regional and municipal structures. Cooperation between them is always ineffective and constant interaction with expert groups has not been started." Putin's call came the same day that the city of Moscow, after rejecting several applications from nationalists to demonstrate, granted permission for them to hold their annual march in a southeastern district of the capital. Anti-Kremlin Russian nationalists have come under pressure recently, highlighted by the October 28 arrest of Dmitry Dyomushkin, a key organizer of the nationalist Russian March parade in past years. He has been charged with extremism and placed under house arrest. The legislation was originally proposed at the meeting in Astrakhan by Vyacheslav Mikhailov, an academic at the Russian Academy of People's Agriculture and State Service. Mikhailov told Interfax that legislation could formally clarify Russia's view of itself. "Some believe it is a civilian nation, others that it is a nation of nationalities, a multiethnic people," he said. Speaking to reporters on November 1, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to clarify how the legislation would function: "This has as yet been proposed as an idea that was supported by the head of state, and I would not like to go into details. Let's wait for experts to work a little on this issue." Russia's chief rabbi, Berl Lazar, came out in support of the proposal, telling Interfax that "this law is a symbol of the new degree of development of Russia." Others were not open to the idea. Kremlin critic and journalist Oleg Kashin attacked the proposal, writing in a column that "the nation we see turned out not to be needed by Putin. For simplicity's sake, I'll call it Russian [eds. ]." "Putin's nation is the nation of [pro-Kremlin] biker 'The Surgeon,' the nation of [Chechen leader] Ramzan Kadyrov, the nation of fans of [Soviet dictator Josef] Stalin, and [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu," he added. Communist Party official Sergei Obukhov, meanwhile, warned against copying the "melting pot" idea of nationhood seen in the United States and the EU. "My guess is that the Russian nation law could be a carbon copy of the American political nation but we all see that this does not work," Central Committee secretary Obukhov told Interfax. "Just like the united European nation is not working, the melting-pot concept is not working either." The latest refusal by Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian to rule out the possibility of retaining a top government post after his term runs out in 2018 has prompted critics to say he intends to remain in power. In a documentary on Armenia aired by Al-Jazeera last week, Sarkisian said it is too early to speak about his possible nomination to become prime minister, which, under the reformed constitution, will be the No. 1 political post in Armenia after 2018. He said whether he gets the post depends on the outcome of the 2017 parliamentary elections and the performance of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) that he heads. This is like speaking about cooking a fish while it is not caught yet. Next year, we are going to have parliamentary elections and in order for me to consider such an option, our party should at least make a strong showing in the elections, Sarkisian said in the documentary, titled Armenia: Divided Within? The Al-Jazeera piece focuses on the political situation in the South Caucasus in the wake of clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh in April and a two-week standoff between Armenian security forces and pro-opposition gunmen who occupied a Yerevan police station in July. Sarkisian vowed he would not seek another top government post when he laid out amendments to the constitution in 2014. He said at the time he believed one person should not be the head of state more than twice in a lifetime. His second and final term as president is due to end in 2018. More recently, Sarkisian has shifted his stance, saying his fate would be determined by the outcome of the 2017 elections. Moreover, several senior ruling party members have spoken in favor of Sarkisian staying in power. Levon Zurabian, a parliamentary leader of the opposition Armenian National Congress (HAK), said Sarkisian's latest statements send the message that he does not intend to leave power any time soon. By this he makes it clear that [current Prime Minister] Karen Karapetian is only a temporary figure whose goal is to mitigate social unrest before the next elections and ensure the HHKs victory in the elections, after which Serzh Sarkisian will consider occupying the post of prime minister in 2018, Zurabian told Azatutyun TV. In 2015, the HAK campaigned against the constitutional changes, describing a "no" vote as a vote against Sarkisians continued stay in power. Now [Sarkisian] is offering us another present that will enable us to explain in a clear language to the people that an HHK victory in the April 2 elections will only mean the continuation of the Sarkisian regime, said Zurabian. Talking to RFE/RLs Armenian Service on October 28, Zaruhi Postanjian, the leader of another parliamentary opposition faction, Heritage, also said that the constitutional reforms were clearly aimed at paving the way for Sarkisian to remain in power after the end of his presidency. The question is whether he will manage to do that or not. And the failure of his plans, of course, depends on the Armenian public, on how it will demonstrate itself during the next few months, which will be important for all of us. And it is during this period that it will be decided whether he can implement his scenario or not, she said. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Air strikes in Syria's Idlib Province reportedly killed 28 people, including 22 children, on October 26. The strikes hit as children gathered outside a school complex in the village of Hass. Russia's Foreign Ministry said that neither Russian nor Syrian government aircraft was responsible for the strike. (AP) Tajikistan has introduced electricity rationing in some parts of the country ahead of the approaching winter. Nozirjon Yodgori, a spokesman for the Barqi Tojik state energy company, told RFE/RL that the electricity rationing system came into force on November 1. Yodgori said that the capital, Dushanbe, and regional capitals are exempted from the rationing scheme. About 98 percent of Tajikistan's electricity is produced by hydropower stations. Yodgori said cold weather has lowered the water level of rivers used by the hydropower stations, leading to a drop in electricity production. Tajikistan has introduced electricity rationing in parts of the country every winter since the early 1990s. ON MY MIND On yesterday's Daily Vertical, I argued that Russia was effectively waging a nonkinetic war against Europe and the United States, using methods including disinformation, cyberattacks, and the financing of extremist parties to undermine Western institutions. I also argued that it was time to start a conversation about how the West should contain Russia's aggression. Veteran Kremlin-watcher Edward Lucas, author of The New Cold War, just got the ball rolling with an excellent piece for CAPX (featured below). At the heart of Lucas's argument is that Putin's power to undermine the West is greatly augmented by his Western enablers, such as the bankers and lawyers who help launder Russian money. The West, Lucas argues, could go a long way toward containing Russia by naming and shaming the Kremlin's Western helpers and by simply enforcing existing laws more effectively. IN THE NEWS U.S. judges have given a cool reception to an appeal by notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," to nullify his conviction for illegal arms trafficking. Vladimir Putin has signed a law halting an agreement with the United States on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium, a move that comes amid a continuing deterioration in bilateral ties. The Dutch government is seeking up to six more weeks to broker a complex deal to prevent the Netherlands from withdrawing its support for a partnership agreement between the EU and Ukraine. Georgia's ruling political party, Georgian Dream, has secured a constitutional majority in the second round of parliamentary elections held on October 30. A man reportedly faces a fine for putting a sack over the head of a controversial statue to Ivan the Terrible, in what appears to be the latest in a string of protest actions against the recently unveiled monument to the ruthless Russian tsar. U.S. Democratic leaders have blasted FBI Director James Comey for refusing to join other top government officials in naming Russia as the hacking operation behind leaked Democratic e-mails in what one called a "blatant double standard." The head of the British intelligence agency MI5, Andrew Parker, has warned that Russia is acting in "increasingly aggressive ways" to foil opponents in the West. WHAT I'M READING Today's Must-Read Piece: Edward Lucas On Punishing Putin Veteran Kremlin-watcher Edward Lucas, author of The New Cold War, has an excellent piece for CAPX looking at what the West can do to contain Russia's aggressive campaign against Western institutions. "The weakest part of the Putin machine: its Western accomplices," Lucas writes. "Russia cant launder money on its own. It uses Western -- often British -- bankers, lawyers and accountants. These are the 'guilty men' of our era. They have enabled the theft of tens of billions of pounds every year from the Russian people. They knew what they were doing, and they thought nothing would ever happen to them. We can change that." More Valdai Reax In his column for Slon.ru, Moscow-based foreign affairs analyst Vladimir Frolov argues that Putin's Valdai speech reflected a desire for detente with the West -- albeit without any policy changes in Moscow. And in his column for The Washington Post, Daniel Drezner, a professor at Tufts University, gives his main takeaways. Estonia's Insurgents In Training In a piece in The New York Times, Andrew Kramer looks at the Estonian Defense League. "Estonia, a NATO member with a population of 1.3 million people and a standing army of about 6,000, would not stand a chance in a conventional war with Russia. But two armies fighting on an open field is not Estonias plan," Kramer writes. "Since the Ukraine war, Estonia has stepped up training for members of the Estonian Defense League, teaching them how to become insurgents, right down to the making of improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, the weapons that plagued the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Another response to tensions with Russia is the expansion of a program encouraging Estonians to keep firearms in their homes." The Revolution Of 2017? Writing in Gazeta.ru, political analyst Valery Solovei, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, argues that changes in Russia will begin in 2017. Putin's Tory Enablers In a piece for The Sunday Times, Andrew Gilligan looks at Putin's influential friends in Britain's Conservative Party. Putin's Syria Payoff John Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council's Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and the former United States ambassador to Ukraine, explains how Syria turned Russia into a power broker in the Middle East. The Politics Of History Maxim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow with the Kennan Institute and editor at large of Vedomosti, argues that politicized history has replaced politics in Russia. "The Kremlin finds it useful to tamper with Russian societys reading of its own history because it works. One need only consider how few people come to the Lubyanka memorial to give their tributes to the victims of the state terror, how many spend hours on social networks arguing about Ivan the Terrible instead of paying attention to shrinking incomes or dilapidated hospitals," Trudolyubov writes. "This doesnt just limit our political choices; it also impoverishes our understanding of our own history. Most of Russian history is now 'public history,' a field of poorly informed public controversy rather than scholarly research. People fight about Nicholas II or Stalin as if both were still alive and a consensual view of their respective periods did not exist. And in truth, it does not exist. A future Russia will not just need engineers and doctors; it will need unbiased historians too." Russia Futures Report The U.S. Naval War College has released its Russia Futures Report. The full text is available here. Meanwhile, Nikolas Gvosdev, a professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, offers a postmortem on U.S. President Barack Obama's Russia policy and offer recommendations for the next administration. "Whatever administration takes office this coming January, it will have to wrestle with difficult questions of where to seek compromises with Russia and where to stand firm. Proposals like 'new detente' or 'new containment' both carry significant costs and risks --neither is a silver bullet that will solve the recent problems in U.S.-Russia relations quickly and easily," Gvosdev writes. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has warned Turkey against provoking a confrontation after Ankara sent tanks and artillery near the countries' border not far from Mosul. Abadi said in a televised news conference that Baghdad does not want a confrontation or a "war with Turkey," but said Iraqi forces "are ready for it" if it happens. He added that Baghdad had prohibited Turkish forces from intervening in the fight against Islamic State (IS) fighters to regain control of Mosul and if "Turkey enters the current battle...we will deal with them as an enemy." Turkey has deployed tanks and heavy artillery on its southeastern border with Iraq, saying that the forces may be sent into Iraq "if necessary." The deployments on November 1 were made in Turkey's Silopi region bordering a stretch of northern Iraq along Iraq's strategic Highway 2, which leads to Mosul about 130 kilometers to the south. Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said on November 1 that Ankara was under no obligation to keep its military forces on its own side of the border. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on October 25 that Ankara could launch a ground operation into Iraq if it felt its security was threatened. "We are ready to use all our resources, including a ground operation," he said. The deployments came as Iraqi special forces battled Islamic State (IS) militants into an eastern neighborhood of Mosul on November 1 -- the first time government forces have been inside the city since it was seized by IS militants in 2014. It also came as the head of the Turkish Armed Forces General Staff, General Hulusi Akar, was visiting Moscow on November 1 for talks with his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, about possible military cooperation and what Ankara described as "the situation in the Middle East." Turkey has as many as 1,000 troops in northern Iraq at the request of regional Iraqi Kurdish leaders, and have been training Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. But the government in Baghdad has called on Turkey to withdraw those forces. Turkey has not had a direct role in a two-week-old Iraqi operation to recapture Mosul from IS fighters. But Ankara has said its forces should be involved to prevent Iranian-backed Shi'ite militia fighters from abusing the rights of Sunni civilians to the west of Mosul -- particularly ethnic Turkomans in the city of Tal Afar, who adhere to a Turkish cultural heritage and identity. At the same time that Turkey has been helping Iraqi Kurdish forces, it has been fighting against U.S.-supported Syrian Kurds from the so-called Kurdish People's Protection units (YPG) -- claiming that the YPG in Syria is associated with Turkish Kurds from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been battling PKK militants in southeastern Turkey for more than 30 years in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, and CNN Turk Turkey is pushing to make Raqqa, the Islamic State's main stronghold in Syria, the next target after Iraq takes back control of Mosul from IS and Ankara clears its border of IS militants. "Turkey's stance on the Raqqa operation is clear. It would be better both militarily and strategically to conduct this operation after the Mosul operation and Turkey's Euphrates Shield operation are completed," Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on October 31. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter last week also advocated advancing on Raqqa after Iraqi forces, backed by U.S. coalition air strikes, retake Mosul in coming weeks. Last week, the top U.S. military commander in Iraq said allied forces should urgently move to isolate Raqqa because of concerns that militants in the city are planning to launch attacks against the West. Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters started their offensive on Mosul on October 17 and on October 31 moved to within one kilometer of the city after virtually surrounding it and trapping IS militants inside. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called on IS forces to "surrender or die." Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP Ukrainian lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have at least doubled their own salaries amid media reports about wealth and incomes of government officials and members of parliament. On November 1, a majority of lawmakers in Kyiv voted to reject the October 20 proposal. The legislation would have increased the monthly salaries of lawmaker to more than 40,000 hryvnyas (about $1,500). The average salary for Ukrainians is currently between $200 and $300 per month. October 30 was the last day for Ukrainian officials to fill out electronically income declarations. Media reports from preliminary data obtained from those declarations placed President Petro Poroshenko and several lawmakers from his political party on a list of the richest individuals in Ukraine with assets in cash and property valued at millions of dollars across the country. U.S. judges have given a cool reception to an appeal by notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the "Merchant of Death," to nullify his conviction on illegal arms trafficking. All three judges on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hearing Bout's case expressed skepticism on October 31 about his claim of unfair prosecution, though they did not immediately rule on the challenge to his 25-year prison sentence. Bout's lawyers argued that his 2011 conviction was unfair because the man he was supposedly conspiring with to sell arms illegally was working with the U.S. government in a sting operation. Bout, who claims he was a legitimate businessman, built a worldwide air cargo operation with a fleet of more than 60 transport planes and a fortune over $6 billion -- exploits that were the inspiration for the book Merchant Of Death and the Nicolas Cage film Lord Of War." Bout's aircraft flew from Afghanistan to Angola, carrying everything from raw minerals to frozen fish. But his specialty, prosecutors said, was black market arms -- assault rifles, ammunition, antiaircraft missiles, helicopter gunships, and sophisticated weapons systems, almost always sourced from Russian stocks or Eastern European factories. Based on reporting by AP and Reuters Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. A young woman was sexually assaulted for a lengthy period of time early Monday after a man crashed into her car in southern Stafford County early, police said. The perpetrator left behind a shirt and DNA evidence, police said. Stafford Sheriff David Decatur said his detectives are frantically examining that evidence and other information in an effort to quickly identify and arrest the suspect, who is described as an approximately 30-year-old Hispanic male who is 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 170 to 180 pounds. This is obviously a very serious crime, and we are determined to find the person who committed it, Decatur said. According to police, a young woman was traveling east on Kings Highway (state Route 3) in Stafford between 2:45 and 3:15 a.m. when her vehicle was struck by a dark-colored SUV. The woman told police she never saw the SUV prior to the contact, which caused her vehicle to spin out of control and end up on the shoulder of the road near Sherwood Forest Farm Road. She was then forcibly removed from her vehicle and dragged to a nearby ditch, where her attacker sexually assaulted her for an estimated two hours. Decatur said investigators are not sure whether the collision was intentional. The woman had recently left a home in Spotsylvania County and made no stops prior to being struck, he said. Decatur said both vehicles would have been in plain sight to any eastbound passing motorists, but it was unclear how much traffic there was at the time. After finally halting the attack, the man got back into his vehicle and continued east on Route 3. The woman went to her car and called 911 from her cellphone, and a deputy arrived a short time later. The highway was closed for several hours as police investigated the incident. The attacker was further described as having black hair and a short black beard. He spoke Spanish and broken English and was wearing light-colored jeans and a sleeveless white tank top under an orange, blue and white plaid long-sleeved shirt. The Stafford Sheriffs Office is asking anyone who saw anything suspicious in that area between 2:30 and 5 a.m. or has any information to call the Sheriffs Office at (540) 658-4400 or Crime Solvers at (540) 659-2020. Online tips can be made at StaffordCrimeSolvers.com. A 20-year-old Martinsville man has been charged with boating in a reckless or intoxicated manner after a 17-year-old girl was killed July 3 in a collision of a boat and a personal watercraft on Smith Mountain Lake, according to Pittsylvania County General Court records. Drewry Woodson Hall also faces charges for underage possession or purchase of alcohol and getting documents to make a false statement, according to online court records. He was arraigned on the misdemeanor charges Sept. 26. A May 16 hearing is set in the case. Pittsylvania County Commonwealths Attorney Bryan Haskins declined to answer any questions about Halls case. The charges stem from the death of Gabby Ayers, of Clemmons, North Carolina, who was killed after the Polaris personal watercraft she was a passenger on collided with a 21-foot Key West Boat on Smith Mountain Lake, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has previously said. Ayers was riding the watercraft with her friend, 19-year-old William Brandt, whose grandparents own a house on the lake. Hall, accused of piloting the boat, and 22-year-old Capers Penn Zentmeyer, Halls passenger, helped pull Ayers and Brandt to shore after the wreck, DGIF officials said. The two men were uninjured. Ayers father, Mark Ayers, said he has not received much communication about the case from the Pittsylvania County prosecutor. Its been such a whirlwind up to this point, Ayers said. All I can say is that we miss our daughter. Theres not a day that goes by that we dont think of her. A crash involving a pickup truck and a box truck closed two lanes of northbound Interstate 95 this morning near the Carmel Church exit in Caroline County. A Ford F-150 pickup truck was in the right lane about 1:15 a.m. when it crossed over to the center lane and hit the back of a 2016 Freightliner, causing both vehicles to go off the roadway to the left and into the woods, state police said in a news release. A passenger in the box truck was sleeping in the sleeper berth of the truck and was entrapped by a tree and furniture that had shifted during the crash. That person was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond with serious injuries. A passenger in the pickup was taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. The pickup driver, Merle L. Ray, 62 of Pennsylvania was issued a summons for reckless driving, the release said. Driver fatigue is being considered a factor in the crash. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Whats better than Casual Friday? Casual Friday in your Drumstick DASH t-shirt, of course! This Thanksgiving morning, thousands of runners and walkers will gather in Downtown Roanoke for the 11th annual Drumstick DASH. With only four weeks to go, the Rescue Mission is asking previous participants to build the hype for a new decade of DASH by wearing their favorite DASH t-shirt on Friday, November 4. Some people have been with the Drumstick DASH since the beginning and have 10 shirts to pick from! says Race Director Uneita Mathews. We hope a lot of people will show their support and spirit on November 4th and encourage others to make the DASH their Thanksgiving tradition. The Rescue Mission is asking people to post a picture of themselves in their favorite DASH shirt on their social media pages or by tagging the Rescue Mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@rescuemission48). November 14th is the deadline to register early for the DASH and guarantee a t-shirt size, but registration continues right up to race day. People can register in person or online at drumstickdash.net. The Rescue Mission of Roanoke, located at 402 Fourth Street SE, is a 501(C)(3) grassroots organization serving as a Christian Crisis Intervention Center for Southwestern Virginia. Receiving no government funding of any kind, the Rescue Mission is supported by the generous donations of our community partners. Since 1948, The Rescue Mission has consistently served all people in need regardless of race, creed, gender, age, or ethnicity. For more information about the Rescue Mission, please visit www.rescuemission.net, or call (540) 343-7227. Submitted by Amy McArthur Dan Caseys column A Frenchman, a Cadillac and Elizabeth Taylor last week brought back memories of Elizabeth Taylor and John Warners visit to Virginia Military Institute in 1976. The occasion was the 201st birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Warner was Secretary of the Navy. As VMIs public information officer, I set up a news conference and introduced the couple to the gathered reporters. After a parade by the cadets, a Marine Corps birthday party was held at nearby Mulberry Hill, home of the Marine colonel who headed the VMI NROTC department at the time. My wife and I were invited to attend. When we arrived, we found the house filled with guests, many of whom were smoking. Miss Taylor arrived and drew a lot of attention, but there was an equal amount of curiosity about the large diamond engagement ring she was wearing. As the smoke became thicker, Secretary Warner, with whom I had had several conversations over the past four years, came up to me and said, Ed, Elizabeth suffers from asthma and the smoke in here is too great. Would you please take her out on the porch for a breath of fresh air. Of course, I agreed. Miss Taylor and I then spent a friendly 15 minutes alone together on the porch. In a very quiet voice, she asked me many questions about the institute and life in Lexington. The conversation remained light and enjoyable. Soon, Secretary Warner came out and escorted Miss Taylor back into the house. Many years later, I had an opportunity to speak with Senator Warner and reminded him of that evening at Mulberry Hill. He gave me a friendly laugh and then asked, Did she give you a kiss? I answered, No, but wouldnt that have been a grand story to tell my grandchildren! Hillary Clinton maintains a lead over Donald Trump in Virginia just a week from Election Day, but her 6-point margin is far from ironclad, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School poll. Antipathy toward Trump in the vote-rich counties close to Washington fuels Clintons overall advantage in the state, though majorities of voters around Virginia hold unfavorable impressions of both candidates. The poll, conducted Thursday through Sunday, did not show any immediate drop in Clintons support following Fridays announcement that the FBI was investigating more of the former secretary of states email. In fact, Clinton held her widest advantage in the polling conducted Saturday and Sunday. But that result could be due, in part, to a more demographically diverse sample of voters being reached on those days. Clinton leads Trump, 48 percent to 42 percent, among likely voters statewide, with Libertarian Gary Johnson taking six percent and Green Party nominee Jill Stein at 2 percent. Clintons margin is similar to other recent Virginia surveys and to an August Washington Post poll where Clinton led by 7 percentage points in a four-candidate race. Voters are more closely divided in the states congressional races, with 47 percent supporting Democratic candidates and 46 percent backing Republicans, suggesting a significant potential for split-ticket voting. The pattern is concentrated in Northern Virginia, including the competitive 10th congressional District, where Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Fairfax, has distanced herself from Trump amid a challenge from Democrat LuAnn Bennett. Clinton leads by 25 points over Trump in that district while Democrats hold a narrower 14-point edge in congressional support. The survey also finds evidence that the vice presidential candidates, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Indiana Republican Gov. Mike Pence, are boosting support for their ticket among those who dislike their respective running mates. At the end of a long campaign, clear majorities of Virginians dislike both candidates, with 60 percent of likely voters unfavorable toward Trump and 57 percent holding similar views of Clinton. Nearly three-quarters of voters say Clinton is too willing to bend the rules, while nearly 6 in 10 say Trump is biased against women and minorities. While Clintons lead among likely voters stands at 6 points, her lead in a four-candidate contest among the broader population of registered voters stands at 8 points, smaller than her 11-point edge in late summer. Clintons ability to maintain a relatively stable, comfortable lead in recent months seemed to undercut expectations that the state would be a battleground in 2016. Clintons campaign pulled TV ads weeks ago. But Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said Clintons lead does not look commanding when put into historical context. Rozell noted that polling in recent off-year U.S. Senate and gubernatorial contests has overestimated Democrats margin of victory. Three years ago, for instance, Democrat Terry McAuliffe was up by 12 percentage points at this stage of the governors race, and he won by only three points, Rozell said. Bottom line, Virginia is still in play, he said. Trumps strongest region continues to be the southwestern parts of the state, including the Shenandoah Valley, where he leads Clinton by a 56 percent to 33 percent margin, similar to Mitt Romneys winning margin there four years ago. The race is more closely divided in counties surrounding Richmond and eastward, as well as in Tidewater, where Clinton holds a narrow advantage. Clinton is strongest in Northern Virginia and the heavily Democratic communities outside Washington, where she leads by 43 points in the inner suburbs, wider than President Barack Obamas 26-point advantage four years ago. Clinton holds a narrow 7-point edge in the band of exurbs that includes Loudoun and Fauquier counties, a region where Obama and Romney ran nearly even four years ago. This Washington Post-Schar School poll was conducted by telephone Oct. 27-30 among a random sample of 1,300 Virginia adults including landline and cellphone respondents. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 points among the samples of 1,145 registered voters and 1,024 likely voters. Sampling, data collection and tabulation was by Abt-SRBI of New York. If your household is like mine, you made your yearly charitable donations to a number of worthy causes last month, trying to get under the wire for the years tax deduction. But if the administration proposal to limit deductions passes Congress as a part of broader tax reforms, your annual contributions might actually cost more in the future. As this important conversation progresses, it is crucially important that Congress not alter the charitable contribution deduction. Currently, the tax-writing committees in Congress are debating proposals to fundamentally change the tax laws. The debate over this legislation will undoubtedly involve impassioned floor speeches about large corporations and loopholes. It is important to remember that the charitable contribution deduction is a lifeline and not a loophole. I hope the debate will also reference the charities working to provide shelter to the homeless or feed the hungry, the after-school programs keeping children off the streets and the small businesses giving back to its community by stocking the local food pantries. This debate must also be about you and me giving what we can to help those in need, and the charitable contribution deduction makes this possible. Should the charitable contribution deduction be cut, capped or limited, the results could be catastrophic for those who need it the most. Currently, the top statutory tax rate for income and charitable deductions is 39.6 percent. The after-tax cost for high-income taxpayers is $604 for a $1,000 charitable contribution. In a proposal put forth by the administration earlier this year, the tax benefit of all itemized deductions including charitable contributions would be capped at 28 percent. The difference is substantial the net cost of that $1,000 donation would rise to $720. This increased cost will translate into a significant drop in giving almost $10 billion annually according to a well-respected Washington think tank. Limiting the value of charitable contributions would be especially catastrophic to charities such as the Jewish Federations that operate in a 90-10 fiscal environment. Many charities receive more than 90 percent of their charitable contributions from less than 10 percent of their donors. While we and many other nonprofits receive hundreds of thousands of donations each year, we still rely on the charity of top donors to support our work in the community. Although most of these top donors do not give solely because of tax advantages, they often use tax strategies to maximize the effectiveness of that gift, in terms of both timing and the size of the donation.